#it's very light spoilers but i'll tag just in case | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

king-paimon · 2 months

Text

Houseki no Kuni Chapter 107 Thoughts: Goodnight, Sweet Phos...

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay with this post. I originally intended to finish it and post it on Wednesday, but you know.... life happened.

Another month has gone by and now we're on our second to last chapter for Houseki no Kuni. That's right; it's been confirmed that the next chapter will be the last chapter. Can you believe it? If you've seen my previous posts, I'm sure you have an idea of how I feel about this news.

But that'll be for the end of this post. For now, let's talk about this chapter! I don't know how long this one will be, but I'll still warn you that it might be longer than intended, which is the norm for me. This post is a bit too messy for my liking so I might end up making some edits to it later. For now, I just want to have it posted.

As always, please feel free to share your own thoughts in this post! Here we go!

Visual Storytelling Through Change in Style

The first thing I want to talk about is the visuals for this chapter. It greatly contrast with the visual style of the previous couple of chapters. In those chapters, the art was loud, intense, and chaotic, and yet mesmerizing and immersive. The heavy use of black, sharp lines and patterns emphasizes on the harshness of the changing environment. And in many of those page, Phos looks so small, as they are literally being consumed by their surroundings. Even though there were many panels where Phos, Eyeball, or the pebbles are the focus, the background is still very overwhelming in comparison.

Now contrast that with most of the visuals in this chapter. Most, if not all, of the intense visual motifs from the previous chapters are gone; no sharp patterns, black is subdued significantly, and the background isn't overpowering the characters.

The intensity of the visuals were cut back significantly and were traded in for simplified line art, heavy use of the white negative space, and soft hues that make everything airy and dream-like. This is especially true during Phos's sequence. I like how there are very few thick continuous lines in the artwork. These illustrations are mostly made up of light, loose broken up short lines that create abstract structures. And I like that as the regression continued, Phos's design simplified to the point that they were just a small abstract face.

This art style literally and metaphorically showed us the deconstruction of Phos. It's so simple, and yet so impactful.

This is also the case for the last two pages.

The change in visual tone does a nice job emphasizing the literal and figuratively change in scenery. To be more specific, the drastic art style changes can symbolize the final metamorphosis of the remaining characters and the story itself. With Eyeball and the pebbles, the style emphasizes how they've transitioned to a whole new place in a literal and allegorical sense. And with Phos, they're style does the same by emphasizing on the deconstruction of their being during their final moments.

I apologize if what I said was confusing (I also got myself confused for a moment haha) But I'll just end this section with this: I liked the art in this chapter.

Now then, we should jump into the meat of this chapter....

Phos's final curtain call.

Phos Can Finally Rest...

Like I stated before, I found Phos's pages really beautiful for different reasons. In terms of visuals, it's nice seeing some softer imagery after having nothing but sharp, chaotic ones. And story wise, it's nice to see Phos finally letting go and feeling fulfilled.

They are finally free, for real this time. Free from heartache, pain, existing. Phos is no longer held back by the sorrow they had been carrying, and they are free of regret.

They are finally at peace.

And would you look at that? We got to see Pho's original face one last time. And they were happy.

Good for them.

Before going to the next section, I want to quickly talk about this page:

When I first looked through the spoiler tag for the previous couple of chapters, I remember seeing some posts from people who seemed unsatisfied with how the story progressed. From what I understand, many of them didn't like that Phos decided to forgive the remnants of humanity. With this latest chapter, I'm sure there are fans who were also not happy that during Phos's final moments that they are thinking about wanting to see their old families again. I can understand the sentiment, though I'm not surprised with this development.

Despite everything that had led the story to this point, Phos did not hate their old families. Yes, they harbored malice towards them during different points of the story, and it would have been justifiable for Phos to punish them along with the other remnants of humanity came to them to pray. But instead, Phos chose to forgive and free them.

I originally saw Phos's actions as their way of finally cutting ties with their families and relieving themselves of the emotional baggage that they burdened them with. But it's been hinted for a while that despite everything, Phos still loved their families. And the fact that Phos wishes they could see them again solidifies this fact.

Though I can't say if I like this revelation or not, I still find it interesting. But again, I can understand if some readers disagree with Ichikawa's writing decisions. If you have your own thoughts about Phos's final moments, please feel free to share them!

But regardless of everything, I still think this was a wonderfully fitting send off for Phos.

But I'm not done talking about Phos just yet.

And Start Anew...

I'll admit that having the first image I see be Phos's last gem piece shatter was not the welcoming image I wanted to see. For a moment, I thought my hope that there was a chance the small piece of Phos would grow sentience and live a new life was shattered (haha.)

But hooray, for that theory became a reality! Despite Phos's last piece breaking up again, a small bit remained and is evidently showing signs of life. It was wonderful how the pebbles immediately recognized that small piece as their brother, showing once again how open and welcoming their are. Small Phos is so lucky.

And how ironic is it that this Small Phos is considered the smallest, (in some ways) youngest, and most fragile new member of this new family... much like how Phos was with the gems at the beginning of this whole story. (I know that Phos was the same height as the other gems, but because of their makeup and position within their society, Phos can be considered less significant or "smaller" than everyone else)

Hm. With that thought in the air... I hope the parallels end there and this doesn't mean that this small and untainted piece of Phos won't be subjected to a similar treatment of their predecessor, right?

...right??

Nah, it should be fine....Unless Aechmea somehow comes back-

Created Their New Path: Final Act of Defiance?

The second to last thing I'd like to talk about is this page because it had me thinking about few things.

It made me think back to the previous chapters, namely the crazy, nearly perfect plans perpetuated by Aechmea and the Lunarians. It's been emphasized many times how calculated Aechmea's plans were, especially when it came to Phos. He nearly predicted every action Phos would make and kept planning and manipulating accordingly until things go the way he wants. And in the previous chapter, it was also heavily implied that he and the other remnants of humanity counted on Phos, Eyeball, and whatever new organisms they came across, to get onto the Dues Ex Machina ship. In some way, they predicted correctly.

But now I must ask these questions:

Did they also count on the possibility of Phos not entering the ship?

Did they also count on Eyeball switching off the ship's autopilot, manually controlling it, and subsequently crash landing it on a planet that more than likely wasn't the original destination?

For these questions, I want to say no.

It's interesting how even though at this point in the story, both Eyeball and Phos seemed resigned to the fact all of their actions were a result of them being manipulated, even after the perpetrators were long gone. But funny enough, I think that their very last actions were entirely their choice. For Phos, staying on the planet and ceasing to exist was entirely their choice. And for Eyeball, choosing to meddle with the ships settings to grab Phos's last gem piece and boost the ships' output. I don't think Aechmea counted on Eyeball doing that. If Eyeball is correct and they did pass the planet that Aechmea had possibly prepared for them, then this means that Eyeball had in many ways changed the trajectory of his and the pebble's lives, albeit unintentional. This could all mean that are all finally free from Aechmea and his long-game, 4D chess plans.

Phos and Eyeball have finally and truly defied Aechmea and humanity.

...BUT THEN AGAIN.. there's always that dumb chance that this was ALSO somehow part of Aechmea's plan. I highly doubt it, because that would be very ridiculously convoluted, even for this story. But then again, you never know with this author.

But for the sake of this post, I want to believe Phos and Eyeball came out on top in the end by intentionally and unintentionally forging paths that wasn't previously made for them. Even though Phos's final choice was somewhat influenced by the professor, it still felt like it was truly their decision.

I hope this doesn't unravel somehow with the final chapter.

Speaking of which-

The Final Stretch...

I can't believe it. This story is about to end. We'll finally almost done and what a journey it has been. I can't believe I started getting into this series almost over 6 years ago. Many things have happened since then, and during this time, this story had sent me on such an emotional rollercoaster. Though there are many things within the story that I wish was different or handled better, I still think this was a very wonderful and thought provoking story.

Now Ms. Ichikawa has to stick the landing. This could make or break this series.

After everything you put us readers through, I hope the true finale will be worth it.

#houseki no kuni #land of the lustrous #hnk #hnk spoilers #hnk phos #hnk spoiler #lotl #hnk meta #lotl spoilers #hnk analysis #hnk chapter 107 #hnk phosphophyllite #hnk manga #hnk thoughts #story analysis

59 notes · View notes

hualian-fic-recs · 3 months

Text

I'm alive/Fanfic Asks

Hey sorry I've been silent for so long. To be completely honest, Hualian and tgcf aren't the only types of fanfic I read, so I go down rabbit holes with other pairings for a while.

Anyway, I've been sitting on some asks for a while hoping I could answer them one day, but alas. I am turning them over to the public to see if others can help!

@nostalgiatyrant asks:

Hi again 👋 Im looking for another fic, but this time, the description comes from a friend. They said that “after the altar scene wu ming takes care of xie lian as he heals. Xie lian is like traumatized and dazed mostly so wu ming is doing his best commanding weaker ghosts and etc” It was a tweet, in case you haven’t seen it, and tbh, I love this idea so much— if you find any fics like it at all Id love to read them

Maybe: For you, I'll become invincible by HanaSheralHaminail. 177k, M, WIP. all the spoilers

Maybe: no light, no light by NeithOfTheVeil. 11k, T, spoilers

Maybe: A Long and Slow Recovery by ardenrabbit. WIP

@sineofu asks:

Hello , can you recommend m some fics where the heavenly official realise that hua Cheng have returned or a fic timed after his return. Thank you

anonymous asks:

Is there any fanfics where like the puqi villagers think that they are single and something happens?

anonymous asks:

Can u tell me if there is any hualian Spiderman au fics?? I saw a few fanarts and fell in love with them.

@uwuchengsbab asks:

Do you know any fics where Hua Cheng prays to Xie Lian before his 3rd ascension (during those 800 years) and Xie Lian hears him? Something angsty with a happy ending? I’ve already read what faith provides by parsnipit and it kinda sounds like falling in love by FlowerCitti but was wondering if you knew more?

Maybe: Dearly Departed by IlluminatingSceadugenga. WIP

@bri-bri1222 asks:

I was wondering if there are any fice where HC and XL are in a DDLB relationship and just filled with cuteness and fluff.

anonymous asks:

There's this Hualian fanfic I've never been able to find no matter what. I don't know if the tags are obscure or what. But the premise is that Xie Lian is cursed or to relive his worst injury over and over again at random moments and therefore the Hundred Swords wounds opens on his body unexpectedly and suddenly. The story is very hurt/comfort between Hualian and Hua Chrng looks after him and heals him. A plot point is that it happens in front of Mu Qing/Feng Xin at a temple and they discover the truth about what happened and take Xie Lian to Hua Cheng. I beleve it's multi-chapter. Ling Wen and Jun Wu also make appearances.

Maybe: Old Wounds and Old Friends by HoundsofCerberus. 4k, T, all the spoilers

Similar: A Splinter in the Heart by theearlymorningmist. 14k, T, spoilers

@theladypeartree asks:

Hello!! This might be a tricky one as I'm not sure it exists! Have you or any of your followers found any fics that have A-Yuan and Guzi friendship? I've found many crossovers, but not with the kiddos! Thank you for your hard work! ❤

anonymous asks:

Big spoilers for the later novels in this one: Hey there, I was wondering if there was any fics in which Xie Lian goes through with calling down the human face plague on Yong'an. I can't recall finding any and I'm not sure how to start looking. Thanks!

he who walks in sorrow by atomic muffin. 7k, M, read warnings!

Ok these are some I have been searching around for and haven't found much yet. If anyone has recs I would be grateful!

#heaven official's blessing #hualian #tgcf #hua cheng #xie lian #hualianficrec #tian guan ci fu #fanfic asks

35 notes · View notes

yunalinwrites · 3 months

Text

jjk fics i'll never write (but maybe you will!)

i have a bunch of fic ideas i dont think i'll ever get to bc saved by the bell is taking rlly long and i don't have a lot of time (╥﹏╥)

i still wanna see them come to life tho so i think im just gonna throw them out there for anyone who wants to use lol

idk maybe ill write these eventually but even in that case im not gonna stop anyone else from using them as well

go ahead and alter however u like, but tag me if u use!! im letting u peek in my brain >:)

and even if ur not a writer these can just b like imagination prompts for when u go to bed LMAO

"love is work" - nanami kento x reader

summary: title is self-explanatory tbh--the idea that nanami kento views love as work could be applied to any scenario. but, i think it would be interesting for the reader to be the person he meets at the bakery. maybe the bakery is a family business, so the reader's work is literally driven by familial love. although, im not sure if that means they agree or disagree with nanami about love being work.

alternatively, the reader could be a co-worker of nanami's.

conflicts/themes:

serving oneself vs. serving others

what makes love/work worth it?

"meet cute" - fushiguro megumi x reader

there are so many canon strangers to lovers opportunities with megumi lol.

like, being the person "hitting on" (asking for directions from) fushiguro during that one juju stroll.

or the person getting robbed and saved by the 1st year crew, also from juju stroll. (also applicable for yuji and nobara x reader)

there's also the light novel chapter where megumi and yuji stalk gojo at a maid cafe, so maybe the reader works at the maid cafe, and the very stoic but handsome megumi catches their eye. this scenario could also be applicable to yuji x reader or gojo x reader.

there's also an original scenario i was thinking of cuz megumi likes reading (specifically non fiction) so what if the reader was a worker at a book store or a librarian. maybe they know about sorcery already because they read a non-fic book about it and recognize his uniform when he walks in.

also i haven't seen a megumi x tsumiki's friend!reader, esp considering that one girl when tsumiki is confronting megumi about bullying lol. this one could have an interesting conflict bc that girl urged tsumiki to do the test of courage that ended up getting her cursed! so then how would megumi deal with his love interest (the reader) also being the person somewhat at fault for his sister's demise?

not a meet-cute prompt but generally i think it would b interesting in any megumi fic for gojo to be a conflict. like, as megumi's father figure, he doesn't want megumi to end up like him and suguru, so he's very hesitant about letting megumi fall in love with someone since "love is the most twisted curse of them all." but i think in the end, he might realize that love/the reader is exactly what will stop megumi from turning into suguru, so gojo ends up giving the reader his blessing.

"sugar makes blood thicker" - geto suguru x reader

tw: spoilers for gojo's past/hidden inventory/star plasma vessel/premature death arc, angst, DARK CONTENT, self-destructive behaviors, self-harm, eating disorders

summary: reader is a student at jujutsu high in 2006, alongside geto and gojo. reader is from the kamo clan and uses blood manipulation. they've been taught to keep a very strict diet to optimize the viscosity of their blood. just like how geto hates the taste of cursed spirits, reader hates the taste of their diet. they fall in love with each other, because they've finally met someone that makes them feel understood.

if you want to go even darker, the reader's technique may involve cutting (kind of like marie from gen v)

conflicts/themes:

what's the point of fighting for a world that's done nothing for you in return? ("what has the world done for me lately?")

sugar makes blood thicker, which i can imagine is harder to control for a blood manipulation user

gojo satoru is the opposite of the reader: he eats however he pleases, which includes lots of sweets, so it's hard for the reader to be around him/doesn't like him. as a result, it's also hard for geto to have to pick sides between his best friend and the reader

ending: canon ending; geto chooses reader over gojo; they turn evil and run away together with nanako and mimiko. although it could also be interesting for geto to choose gojo over the reader, or if there's somehow a happy ending for everyone here.

I have no title for this one but gojo x megumi's older sister reader

self-explanatory. during the 2006 arc, after gojo kills toji. they raise megumi together <3

"if only i could go back" - any character x reader

summary: this is pretty self-indulgent lol this one's for everyone who wants to heal everyone's trauma and just have a happy ending lmao. i had this idea of the reader either being a sorcerer or a curse who has the power to grant one wish but in doing so sacrifices themselves (they die). so, obviously, they're in high demand by everyone:

megumi wants to heal his sister

gojo wants to bring suguru back

geto wants to rid the world of non-sorcerers

toji wants his wife back

shoko wants her friends back

etc

some situations the reader may find themselves in are being held at the school so that nobody can use their power unless absolutely necessary. or maybe they were captured by the curse users.

technicalities about the reader's power: they can't grant their own wish, but they have full autonomy over whose wish they can grant, meaning the only way that someone could get their wish granted is through befriending and persuading the reader.

conflicts/themes:

characters having to choose between their wish (which kills the reader) and their fondness of the reader (wanting the reader to stay)

will they truly be happy if their wishes are granted?

how does the reader feel about being the method of people's desires but not actually being the desire?

***

alr im done yapping

19 notes · View notes

givehimthemedicine · 1 year

Text

Big Analysis Part 2

Powers and Blood

[ Part 1 ]

I have a theory to tell you about Henry that's going to make a LOT of other things click. this post is less neatly segmented by topic and more of a swift erratic drop into insanity so buckle up. Long asf but I promise at least the first/main part is worth it.

warning: very high chance this post contains actual spoilers for major reveals in Stranger Things 5. I'll be tagging subsequent discussion of my main theory here with #st spoilers just in case.

after I establish that, I'll speculate about a variety of subtopics including:

Max waking up

[redacted] has powers

Why Henry wanted El to join him

How Will did the lights

What Will's spidey sense is

Henry's original interest in Will

What I think happened that night in 1959

Let's start with this 4x8 Brenner line: "when One kills, he doesn't simply kill. He consumes. He takes everything from his victims. Everything they are and everything they ever will be. Their memories, their abilities."

Brenner literally just saw crime scene photos of Henry's victims like the rest of us. where is he getting that intel? why would he know that?

"are you forgetting that Brenner saw surveillance of Henry killing all the kids so he knows how his killings worked?"

well sure, Brenner had plenty of footage of it, but what visible indication is there about Henry's murder method that he's "taking abilities" from anyone, unless maybe you could see somehow on the tapes that each murder got easier? his nose didn't even appear to bleed a little bit until the very end.

at the time of the massacre, Henry's only two victims that Brenner would already have the full explanation about were Virginia and Alice, because Brenner spent a while with Henry in the lab and probably forced him to tell all about it. So, taking their memories, alright sure, but what do you mean ABILITIES? did Henry suddenly like, get really good at knitting the moment he killed his mom?

Virginia definitely had powers.

the only way Brenner could be so sure Henry gained all the dead numbers' powers was if he already knew that Henry gained powers from Virginia and Alice in the first place.

Virginia having powers is how she "somehow knew" it was Henry giving them visions. she's where Henry inherited his abilities from in the first place.

just like El got hers from her mom. the powers really are maternally inherited.

MKUltra didn't give Terry Ives powers, it just activated the potential she already had. you can have latent powers and not even know.

anyway, Victor Creel must not have known about his wife's powers any more than he knew about Henry's, which is why he stayed blaming demons.

so Henry kills Virginia, and as he wipes his nose, his narration literally says that he grew more powerful. Henry killed Virginia not only to evade her plans to institutionalize him, but he absorbed her powers.

then Alice. little Alice is too young to have many atrocities under her belt - her only crime is being Virginia Creel's child. I don't know if Henry has much personal resentment toward her, but either way, she inherited those powers just the same as him, and he killed her for them.

It's why he "grows stronger and more powerful" with each kill - it's not just that the mere act of killing any old victim makes his powers stronger - it's that his whole thing is absorbing people. when he kills people who have powers, he adds their powers to his.

eventually Henry does the lab massacre, killing all the guards and orderlies and kids. his backstory would so strongly seem to lead him to be sympathetic to the lab kids, to kill their captors and free them - but to Henry they were just sixteen little power vessels.

moving right along: remember how we all went "oHH" when we found out baby El learned how to do the neck-snap and throwing-guards-into-walls moves from Henry? yeah, that certainly was how he killed those guys!

hey, wouldn't it be fun if we think about how exactly he killed everybody we've seen him kill?

Henry's Murder List

if we try on this idea about Virginia and Alice... would you say it helps a little bit of a pattern emerge?

everyone Henry kills Like That has powers.

everyone.

All of the cursed four have powers. Max has powers.

It's what he means when he calls Max weak in the same breath as calling her brave. he's talking about her powers.

and apparently Billy had powers as well. not through Susan but his own mother, coincidentally. "all the rest of them" we assumed meant Chrissy Fred and Patrick but actually means ALL the rest. all the kids, Virginia, Alice.

oh, is old givehimthemedicine just a reaching delusional Max fan who wants her to have powers? he's just talking about emotional weakness? because she's depressed and Henry "feeds on the weak"?

look in what context the words weakness and strength keep getting used in the lab. it's not emotional or physical. it's about powers.

hmm ok so you're able to write off the lights going blinky because that's a common occurrence for you? at the place where you and your mother live?

I know another kid who used to have electrical problems at his house. it'd be funny if you and he had any other paralle-

MAX MAYFIELD I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE :) :) :)

I don't think we know anything about Patrick or Fred's mothers, but here's a hint about the Cunningham family. Chrissy's mom also feels Henry but attributes it to a demon, like Victor Creel.

gates do indeed open by Henry making a "powerful psychic connection" but Dustin doesn't realize how accurate his wording is - the victims have powers too. Chrissy's major visions both feature her mother screaming at her to "open the door."

doors are what Henry calls gates. he's connecting his powers with Chrissy's to open a gate.

all this time I took this line to mean that El has the specific skill of opening gates, like how Kali has her own unique skill. actually it probably just means Henry wanted El's strength. like, her amount of power.

which brings me to El.

why Henry's favoritism towards Eleven when she was the weakest kid at the lab? was it just because she was the most empathetic of the kids, and he knew she'd offer to help remove the soteria if he was nice to her?

Henry wanted El at full strength because he had plans for her powers. and if any of those other lab kids were weak he would've coached them too, fattening them up for the kill (Hopper/demogorgon/last supper parallel).

so if Henry went to the trouble of coaching El to bring out her strength instead of just killing her when she was weak, that establishes that he gains more strength from killing actively, strongly powered people, and probably only very little from killing latent or weak people like Alice, Chrissy, etc. maybe barely even enough to be worth the hassle of killing them.

right?

no, see. that's why he Vecnas them.

VECNA-ING ISN'T JUST KILLING, IT'S ACTIVATING THEIR POWERS AND THEN MAKING THEM USE THEM REALLY REALLY REALLY HARD. SO HARD THEY DIE. SO HE CAN TAKE THEM.

he's giving the '86 victims traumatic visions and nightmares about the things that he knows causes them the most pain - to make them experience extreme negative emotion, to activate their powers. just like he did by coaching Eleven to harness sad/angry memories. they get nosebleeds, the classic power-use symptom, because of their powers being stirred.

and when he kills them, he's literally power-surging them. think of the way El bleeds worse and feels more drained the harder she uses her powers - except he doesn't stop when they pass out. he forces all the power he can possibly get out of them, past their breaking point, until their bodies literally shatter. this creates a gate, and he also absorbs their maximum powers when they die. maybe like all the powers they would ever have been able to generate, total ("everything they are and everything they ever will be"), all at once.

THAT'S WHAT THE GLOWING LIGHT BULBS THING IS, BOTH SYMBOLICALLY AND LITERALLY. A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF ENERGY BEING CREATED.

that's why the flashlight-shattering surge when Henry kills Patrick. Henry isn't just "making a powerful psychic connection" with random teens - so what? what would that do? - he's making a connection and forcing them to generate extreme levels of power.

that's what causes the huge electricity surge when El closes the gate - she's using her rage montage to generate huge amounts of power, the most we've ever seen her do - AND USING HER POWERS REALLY REALLY HARD MADE HER NOT JUST BLEED WORSE THAN USUAL BUT LEVITATE.

what if Henry didn't levitate Max Chrissy Fred or Patrick. what if their own powers did that?

so Henry probably got even more power out of each '86 victim than El demonstrated when closing the mothergate (because El didn't die).

now realize: Max got power-surged... but Henry got interrupted before he could complete the ritual. she died, yeah, but of a heart attack from the trauma, not as part of the ritual itself.

I don't think Henry had actually taken Max's powers yet.

which means....

I SEE A PATH CLEAR TO MAX HAVING ACTIVE POWERS IN SEASON 5.

and if Max wakes up with amnesia and her powers lost, which is entirely likely given the pattern - don't worry about it. Max has her own NINA: all those letters she wrote. if needbe, El now knows exactly how to train Max back into power, except this time by harnessing love instead of darkness.

now, back to the light bulb thing - when else do we see it?

in the shed when Will gets taken.

Will has powers too. but you knew that :)

Will's made the light bulb in the shed glow with intense emotion too - fear. the bulb didn't burst because he didn't die.

and if the powers are maternally inherited, Joyce has them too. and Jonathan.

this could be Joyce lightbulbing, but I don't think she's experiencing a psychic connection with Henry at this moment, so it might actually be Will again, afraid for Joyce.

while we're on the subject:

Who led Holly and Joyce to Will's room with the lights?

in both the Joyce and Holly scenes, the lights blink their way calmly down the hallway. the way they behave just feels like a gentle, friendly presence - just like they do as a result of Hopper and Joyce walking down the hallway in the UD. it feels human.

but I'm not so sure it's Will. even if we say he was just walking to his room the first time and accidentally led Joyce to danger, he probably would be careful not to do exactly the same thing to Holly.

maybe the calm-blinking is not a result of a friendly or human entity, but of a human with powers.

maybe that was Henry walking down the hallway. Henry blinking the lights, Henry playing the stereo.

Joyce goes back into the house after running away, because that song is a personal thing for Will. but that kind of stereo is battery operated and can't play unless the play button is pressed, which requires the presser to either have telekinesis or physically step in for a sec through a portal. if Will could come through a portal the show would be over, and I don't think his powers are strong enough to push a button telekinetically yet even if he wanted to. but most importantly, he wouldn't want to. the demogorgon was definitely right there, and I refuse to believe Will would lure Joyce back into the same dangerous situation she had just fled. being that Henry can read memories, he would be perfectly aware of the personal significance of Should I Stay Or Should I Go and wouldn't hesitate to use it to deceive Joyce. so why didn't she get got when she went back in there? idk, maybe Will created a diversion or something.

I'm also sure it was Henry mesmerizing Holly with that circle of lights, extremely similar to the light-circle game at the Lab he probably got really good at before Brenner put in the soteria. Will can't do this:

regardless, Holly was lured in there specifically, and the demogorgon almost yoinked her.

so Joyce and Holly were both targeted in season 1, and both when they were alone.

Will was alone, Barb was alone, there were apparently no witnesses to the other four yoinkings, so they were alone. the demogorgon doesn't usually like to appear in front of anybody except those it intends to take.

and can I remind you that every time the demogorgon came into the house to attack Jonathan, it didn't injure him at all. it just knocked him down and drooled on him a bit. it wasn't trying to kill. and can I remind you that Nancy was also there.

the Byers and Wheeler families both have powers.

dream or telepathy...

cruel coincidence or ESP....

if both Byers and Wheelers have powers, why wouldn't the demogorgon burst in while the casserole is cooking and yoink Joyce, Karen, and Holly all together? because then the show leaves us the deniability of "oh well it was after Joyce; Karen and Holly just happened to be there". same as "oh well it was after Jonathan, Nancy just happened to be there". showing us an isolated attempt on Holly makes it clear that Wheeler blood is a target.

Henry keeps targeting entire families except for the fathers.

because he's killing everyone with powers, and he knows the powers are maternally inherited.

Virginia and Alice but not Victor.

all the numbers and not Papa (he's not their father literally but he doesn't have powers and it works as a parallel).

Will, Joyce and Jonathan but not Lonnie. that's why Lonnie coming back was even a plot point - to show him being available for a demogorgon attack yet being the only Byers never to have an encounter with it, and not even believe in it.

Nancy's vision of something terrible happening to Karen, Holly, and Mike, but no mention of Ted.

How did Will do the lights?

Will didn't glow the shed bulb or his bedroom bulb on purpose.

his first intentional show of powers (that we saw):

the imagery of Will's flicker is exactly the same of baby El using her weak powers to flicker a single bulb in the light circle:

"but wait, why are you calling the lightbulb flicker evidence of Will having powers? we see non-powered people affecting light bulbs by touching them in the Upside Down, like the chandelier scene in 4x7."

correct, but. look at the Nancy Steve Robin Eddie contacting the kids through the chandelier lights scene. it glows in the RU when they all touch it, right? so they ALL have powers too? no.

any lights glow when any regular people touch them in the UD. touch them.

but only people with powers can make lights glow without actually touching them. Will can't be touching that light bulb in his bedroom for Joyce because it isn't even there in the UD. he can only be touching the empty glowy space where it is, like Nancy touching the lite brite.

btw notice how all four teens touch that chandelier but NOBODY EXCEPT NANCY ever touches the unplugged lite brite? sus. assuming the other three don't have powers, I suspect it might not have worked for them.

Hopper and Joyce walking down the hall - they didn't touch those Christmas lights. those weren't even there yet in the UD. that's not just human proximity turning them on - that's Joyce specifically.

Will could only have done most of the lights stuff by having powers. some of those Christmas lights blinked too quickly for him to have touched each bulb physically, besides the fact that he was a little guy, not tall enough to reach them. he didn't have to actually touch them, and again he couldn't have anyway because they weren't there yet on Nov 6. he's not strong, but he's activated enough to use his powers consciously now that he's been lightbulb-glowingly scared at least a couple times.

but that's only half the Will-lights question. that still doesn't tell us how he knew they were there in the first place.

Will in the UD has to be seeing glowy areas where the lights are, like how the teens saw the lights when they aimed flashlights at them.

failing Will having a flashlight with him the whole time (boring! spin again), I have three ideas:

theory one: Will's "true sight" enables him to see glimpses of the RU from the UD as well as vice versa and he did in fact see the alphabet without the aid of a light source.

theory two: Joyce has candles lit in the first blinky Christmas lights scene, and again near the alphabet. I wonder if firelight could somehow transcend dimensions.

theory three, which I like best: is it possible that the lights thing works both ways - that Joyce's presence in the RU made the Christmas light spots glow enough in the UD that Will noticed them?

the lite brite scene, as I understand it, doesn't conflict with this idea. it didn't glow in the UD because Dustin, Lucas and Erica were on the other end of it, and I have no specific suspicions that any of them have powers. if any one of them had powers, the lite brite might have glowed in the UD even without the flashlight beam. and then only Nancy touched it in the UD and made it glow in the RU. if I'm right about who has powers and who doesn't, that checks out.

what about the 1x8 scene where Joyce and Jonathan sense each other in the house? if this theory is correct, Jonathan (if not also Nancy) should be causing glowy spots along the ceiling in the UD. but the UD shots are all framed low, maybe intentionally avoiding giving us a good look toward the ceiling, and we would need a good look because these glowy spots would probably be quite subtle. so while this scene does nothing to confirm, I don't think it denies either.

Will would not have seen the alphabet painted on the wall, but if he noticed 26 glowing spots while hearing his mom say things like "talk to me!" he could maybe figure out what was going on, and maybe filled in his own alphabet.

the only hiccup is these two light bulbs I circled. because these would put 28 glowing spots on the wall and how would Will know that Joyce started with "I" on the next line instead of the top right bulb, and then the rest of the alphabet would be thrown off, doubly so at "Q". although if Will is able to make individual bulbs glow selectively just by his intent, maybe Joyce is too, and only the alphabet ones are glowing in the UD.

not perfect, but that's my best try for now, because it would also explain the bedroom light bulb.

What about the rest of the yoinked and flayed?

In season 1, a total of six people got yoinked to the UD by the demogorgon. Will, Barb, and four other randos. did they all have powers too?

well, Barb's nose was bleeding:

(Mrs. Holland I'm onto you too)

and if 2/6 had powers then there's certainly a case for the rest, but that's not a hill I care to die on. like, the elevator guy could've been a convenience yoink, just because he was right there where the demogorgon entered the lab. we know even less about the other victims. I could go either way about it.

as for the flayed, the only family relationship we know about is the Holloways, and since the dad was flayed too that doesn't perfectly follow the not-the-dad pattern (although flayings =/= Vecna'ings and I guess there's no rule preventing Tom Holloway from having his own powers from his own mother).

I'm definitely thinking Billy had powers based on that one Henry line to Max, but I don't think I have an objection to the idea of most of the flayed just being meat. although the flaying process (the tentacle in the mouth) could definitely be a means of both uploading possession and downloading powers. if that's the case, like 1/3 of Hawkins has powers I guess.

so was Nancy's theory about blood attracting the demogorgon right?

Nancy and Jonathan attracted the demogorgon by cutting their hands. Barb bled in the pool. Will wasn't bleeding, but he didn't need to be because I think Henry already knew about him some other way.

that deer was bleeding, Nancy said it had been hit by a car. was that to throw us off, to make us think the demogorgon is just attracted to blood in general? although who's to say it isn't. but it was eating the deer. it didn't yoink Will or Barb (who I think both had powers) to eat.

maybe the demogorgon could smell blood like other predators, but it could also tell regular blood from powers blood, and Henry didn't allow it to eat anyone with powers because he had more important uses for them.

so then if it's literally sniffing out who has powers as it goes along, how did it know about the Wheelers? it tries to yoink Holly episodes before Nancy cuts her hand. I would love to offer you a different explanation than that Karen was there too, and... I can think of a reason an adult woman could be bleeding. do I like it, no, is it possible, I guess.

so what is Henry's original interest in Will?

what if I'm not totally off base about rainbowshipgate? what if the lab, as of 1979, is already watching Will. as a member of staff, Henry could have access to their intel on potential new kids. that way at the time El banishes him to the UD, he already knows about Will. so when he finally gets back into the RU, he makes a beeline for Will.

is it possible that, when he first goes after Will, all Henry wants with Will is his powers like all the rest?

if so, why doesn't he just Vecna him? there has to be a reason he didn't want him dead quite yet. maybe these days Henry is working in partnership with the hive, and while Henry's goal was to harvest Will's powers, the hive also had the goal of spawning some new demogorgons, which requires live host bodies. the yoinked were all handled in ways that served both of those goals.

was Will even meant to survive?

This is gross but, let's talk about that vine in Will's mouth

I FINALLY just got the purpose of this weird ass shot of the alive/dead raccoon in the tunnels. I have never understood what this was supposed to be. It must be dead - it's partly skeletonized - and yet it looks like it's breathing. I never even saw this until I brightened it and slowed it down just now, but: when Hopper nudges it with his foot, vines burst out of the carcass, and the breathing stops.

I'm frankly still not even sure wtf I'm seeing here but it made me realize that the vine in Will's mouth is not just to deposit the slug, but to give him oxygen.

everyone else probably got this years ago but for the benefit of anyone else as slow as me, Hopper's Sara flashback is not merely a visual association, but a very literal one. although the slugging is ultimately a fatal process, Will is intubated and the vine is keeping him alive for the duration.

this is why the language around Will's slug is always "coughing up" and not vomiting. the vine and slug were never in his digestive tract, they were down his trachea. the vine has to be both an ovipositor and a breathing tube. I hate this subject. it seals off the airway, preventing the host from inhaling the UD's toxic spores, because if the host dies too soon it won't be any good for incubating the slug.

when the slug is ready, the vine must retract (so the slug can get out) and without supplemental oxygen, the host (if not already dead like the raccoon) immediately finishes dying of exposure. this must be what happened to Barb and the others. then the slug grows up and in a few days starts eating the host's body, which is why that other dead guy near Barb is a skeleton already.

I've been going crazy trying to figure out why, if Henry has some grand plans for Will right from the beginning, he would use him as a common demogorgon incubator, with no provision appearing to be made for his survival. (I guess Henry could've restarted his heart like El did Max afterwards, but eh). I haven't thought of an answer yet besides: maybe, at this point in time, he didn't?

maybe his original intent was to activate Will, take his powers, repurpose him for incubation, and leave him to die? and then after Will surprises him by making it back to the RU with semi-awakened abilities, Henry realizes he's become a unique asset? (this is a whole other avenue of thought I need to work out more)

so anyway, how could Henry have harvested Will's powers without killing him yet?

there's only one, one-off way we've ever seen Henry steal someone else's powers nonfatally, without Vecna'ing them, and that's El.

when the meat flayer bites El, a chunk of it burrows into her leg and absorbs a little of her blood. if the powers are genetic, they're in the blood, literally. El uses her powers for the last time to tear it out of her leg, and later, when the whole meat flayer arrives at the mall, it stops and bends down to that little chunk and absorbs it. in doing so, it absorbed her powers.

Henry getting her powers, sure fine, but where I'm still unclear is why this is a zero-sum thing and El lost her powers, because it's not like she lost all of her blood. (also does this mean that in the ST universe if you get a blood transfusion you might end up with superpowers?) there's something I'm still missing here, especially with that shot of the blood puddle sizzling on the floor of the grocery store.

anyway, we know Will used his powers in the UD in order to do the lights. and what happens when you use your powers? your nose bleeds. this is one way Henry could get a little of Will's blood without leaving a mark on him so the audience won't guess.

Will must also get amnesia from "dying", thus losing his active powers like baby El. or else it'd be hilarious if he's had powers and known all the answers all this time and hasn't mentioned it.

What is Will's spidey sense?

if Henry doesn't count on Will surviving his slugging, I don't see any motive for him putting soteria or equivalent into his neck before leaving him in the library.

as much as I like the soteria idea, I'm honestly not sure the simplest explanation doesn't cover it - that Will's spidey sense is just fear.

when Will's neck tingled when he was possessed, it was because the Mind Flayer (Henry) was afraid. they told us that very plainly with Mr. Clarke's dialogue.

when normal Will's neck tingles, it's because Will is triggered and rightfully terrified some UD shit is happening again. he describes it to others as feeling frozen with fear, cold, like dropping on a roller coaster. he also mentions feeling like he "can't breathe or talk or do anything" - sounds rather like symptoms of having a vine down your trachea, even if you don't know that's why.

but how does he know to be afraid?

I'm thinking that once Henry makes a connection with you, there's always a scar of that connection there, like how gates leave scars - the connection is basically opening a gate between minds. (remember Henry got Max and El from Max's mind into his by literally hurling/carrying them through that stained glass doorway. Victor breaks down that same door and stumbles into the war vision. doors being gates.)

provided there's a UD/RU gate open, Will can sense when Henry is near as a result of that residual connection, but intense fear may be enough to explain the actual reaction on his neck imo. he may not remember exactly what happened to him in the UD but frankly it'd be super weird if he didn't have colossal anxiety at the slightest hint it could be happening again.

Max is the only other person who's had Henry make a connection with her and lived, so if I'm on the right track, she should also wake up with a spidey sense.

Why Henry originally wanted El to join him

maybe opening gates is a 2 player game no matter how strong you are. if Henry killed every other powers person in the world, he wouldn't be able to open gates because he'd have no one to connect with. he had just coached El into becoming the most powerful kid in the lab, and that combined with their "alliance" put her in an ideal position to be his partner in crime.

maybe the thing about her being "superior" and shaping the world with him was just a lie to gain her cooperation? maybe, but the fact that he brought it up again in 4x9, years later and with nothing to gain, makes me feel like he kinda meant it.

this does very little to reassure me that Henry won't turn out to be El's biological father. he would've been 23-24 at the time Terry was involved with MKUltra, and having both parents involved with lab experimentation would align flawlessly with El's very Firestarter-esque origin story. if Brenner didn't actually orchestrate it, I certainly can't see him frowning on it either if he knew, as I'm sure he would be thrilled at the chance to study a double-powered kid (assuming he didn't already know it was only a maternal thing back then). although I suppose Henry and Terry could also have had a thing without Brenner knowing. I will be thrilled to be proven wrong about this entire paragraph.

Henry's "join me" to Fred and Max was more figurative I guess, in the sense that they'd be joining him in his mind once he absorbed them. I was gonna say maybe he figures one of these depressed bastards hates the world enough to be his player 2, but he didn't really give them a sales pitch or opportunity to agree/disagree before killing them. I do find it interesting he never said "join me" to Chrissy, and we don't know if he said anything to Patrick.

What happened that night in 1959.

the night Henry kills Virginia, the radio turns on to Dream A Little Dream Of Me, which is like Victor's Running Up That Hill, and serves to free him from his vision.

my question is: if Henry wanted to torment Victor, why would he turn on a song that would help him?

he didn't.

Virginia turned on the radio.

oh yeah, forgot to mention! Virginia's powers were active. not all of the weird stuff going on in the Creel House is Henry. in fact it's probably not Henry who started it. the lights flickering while Henry draws with crayons - pretty sure that's Virginia pulling a stunt somewhere in the house.

here are both POVs of the murder for you to refer to.

the radio turns on directly onto DALDOM (hm I don't love that acronym).

Virginia and Victor look at each other in a way that's easy to interpret as two people weirded out about the radio turning on by itself. but Virginia has a weird, almost pleading look. I believe she's just acting confused when she's really the one doing this.

Victor has no idea she has powers. he figures this is demon hijinks and that his wife is just as baffled about it as he is, and she's letting him think so.

just before Victor touches the radio, it starts tuning through different channels. and then the lights go crazy.

the knob starting to channel surf - I think that's Henry changing the channel away from DALDOM. how does Henry know about the RUTH effect? maybe Virginia knows - either from her own experience or Brenner told her - and Henry read her mind. anyway, Henry doesn't want that song playing.

but with the radio trick, Virginia tips her hand. if Henry wasn't already sure she had powers, he is now. (Henry's reaction to the radio is a major difference between the POVs - look at his for this part) he looks at the radio. he looks to his mother. and that is the moment he says that Virginia "left him no choice but to act."

what about this moment during a calm family dinner would necessitate Henry immediately killing his mother?

why would Virginia turn on the radio in front of Henry, knowingly blowing her secret?

it makes me feel like, within a few more seconds, it wouldn't matter to Virginia what Henry knew. it makes me think of the story Henry feeds baby El about how she needs to escape today because they're going to kill her. ingredients of that lie come from his own past.

what if Virginia planned to "kill him" that night - that is, fake his death so she could hand him over to Brenner in exchange for compensation (like she definitely killed that great uncle for his money I'm telling you). all she would have to do is incapacitate Henry and then call in Dr. Brenner under the guise of helping him, and Brenner takes care of the rest. He'd put on his usual fake death routine, perhaps even providing a fake body, same as with Will. (and ultimately this IS what happened because Henry pushed too hard - Victor is satisfied that Henry died)

all Virginia has to do is act scared, and blame for Henry's bizarre "death" would fall in easily with the claims of demonic activity that Victor has already so well established around town (the demon actually being Virginia, who's been doing spooky shit in front of Victor to make him think the house is haunted, establishing the cover well in advance of Henry's planned "death").

but Virginia doesn't know the extent of Henry's abilities. she knows he's been messing with their heads, but maybe she doesn't know about the telekinesis and electricity stuff - which is why she looks genuinely confused when the lights go blinky, because she knows she's not doing that. and then she turns back around with a brief look of oh shit before she zooms up to the ceiling.

congratulations Virginia, you played yourself.

but again, why did she turn on DALDOM? if the plan was for Virginia to do something to Henry, what did Victor need protection for? or was that her special song, too? Their Song <3?

Virginia probably figured that the second Henry realized something was going on, he would put everybody in a trance to stop them. maybe she figured if the protective song was already playing, whatever Henry tried wouldn't work. but she didn't know Henry could change the channel. whoops!

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

here's the part I've been over and over and can't figure out a good explanation for. Henry changes the channel on the radio to stop DALDOM. so then how does hearing that song playing save Victor from his war vision a minute later?

after Henry changes the channel, even while the dial is still moving around, the song persists quietly in the background throughout Virginia's death and Victor's attempts to break down the door. it stops when he enters his war vision, but a minute into that, he takes notice of it again, which is what pulls him back. yet as soon as he comes out of his vision, back into reality where the song SHOULD still be audible if it was really playing, the house is silent.

there is definitely some kind of third party bullshit going on here but I'm stumped.

I don't think I can blame Alice. her powers weren't active - she had to be given nightmares to stir them, same as the cursed four, and I don't even think a little kid is probably in on a family murder plot to begin with. and like, I kinda doubt she Vecna'd herself.

is Virginia not really dead? she looked pretty dead, unless that whole evening was one huge trance Virginia gave the entire family. but Henry's narration so clearly says he intended to kill Virginia and Alice and frame his father, and that he gained powers from killing his mother specifically, so I really kinda don't think it's that. even if Virginia could give him a vision of himself killing her and Alice, I don't think she has the power to also make him believe he planned all that and was pleased with the results. otherwise his recounting should have been more like "I don't know what came over me, but I killed my family and when I realized what I had done I passed out from shock!"

assuming there isn't an extra player lurking around the scene who we don't know about, I'm going to take one stab at it that's absolutely loony.

Victor has to be hearing that song from somewhere other than the radio. and we're hearing it all dreamy and quiet, not like it sounded when it was really on the radio. what if this is perception or time travel shenanigans? what if, somehow, our gang is on the scene - in Victor's mind, or in the Upside Down or some such unseen way - and THEY are playing DALDOM for him, to make sure the timeline unfolds right. because I'm pretty sure I do not hear DALDOM in Henry's version of the scene any time after he changes the channel. that's only something that's going on in Victor's perception.

idk. that's pretty wack and I hope we aren't going full time travel, but I got nothin else right now.

I am suspicious of that scene of Henry turning back the clock though, because we really never saw what results that yielded, if it was supposed to be anything but symbolic. but again Henry has no reason to want to play DALDOM via some time alteration shenanigans when he's the one who didn't want it playing in the first place. maybe if El/Max/Will/Mike/Nancy messes with that particular clock it could affect the timeline..?? I have no idea.

Why aren't all the victims' jaws broken?

@bugsbenefit here comes the part for you

I've seen a couple people question why Alice Creel is the only victim whose jaw isn't broken. she isn't, not when you consider the full list of victims. the majority of the dead lab kids are positioned in such a way that we don't see their faces, but the few whose faces we do see, their mouths are closed like Alice.

jaw breaking is pretty rare: only Virginia, Chrissy, Patrick and Fred.

Virginia is obviously an adult. Chrissy, Patrick and Fred could be 18. Two was the only lab kid who was likely 18 (if he was lab-born immediately after the program started in 1959, he could be up to 19) but the shot of his death is blocked so that his head falls out of view. (if you go frame by frame you can see that his jaw isn't broken, although the shot in question is of a stunt double, so I don't think we're supposed to take real notice).

Max is only 15 and her jaw is spared. it's an age thing.

but this may be less "Henry has a rule about not breaking kids' jaws" and more "the network has a rule about how gruesome you can get with minor actors" although I mean, is the jaw thing really worse than the eyeball thing, idk.

Tristan Spohn (Two), Grace Van Dien (Chrissy) and Logan Riley Bruner (Fred) were 18+ during filming. Myles Truitt (Patrick) is only a couple months older than Sadie Sink and it's possible that he was just barely 18 while filming his scenes while Sadie was still 17 during hers. I think that's probably the more likely explanation tbh.

if anyone can think of an in-universe reason for this, please jump in!

Some misc final thoughts

now it makes sense why Henry makes killing El's friends a distinct step from killing everyone. he means her friends who have powers. he wants to harvest their powers, but El is too strong a protection over them, and he can't get at them until she's out of the way.

still totally possible it's just artistic license, but every instance I can think of of lights selectively working in the Upside Down could be explained by the proximity of one of the people I think has powers. then again, the range really seems to vary, and I can't think of any UD scenes we've ever seen where nobody with powers was present.

there's sooo much imagery of power-people and opening doors (gates). this isn't even all of them, I just got tired of screenshotting.

could Steve have powers too?

he gets an "open the door" of his very own, and the demogorgon appearing in front of him says maybe so. I could go either way on the Russian elevator scene in which they're all talking about opening the elevator door, and both Steve and Dustin press the DOOR OPEN button and nothing happens. I'm not sure about Steve but I am squinting at him suspiciously.

jancy, byler, and elmax nations, congrats on shipping literal power couples. technically milkvans too but 🦴

I am curious why Mike has never really been singled out for monster attack like his sisters have.

Mike-gets-Vecna'd truthers... if the gang can break his trance at the right moment, that would be a very efficient way to activate not just Mike himself, but Will too, because he already has a residual psychic connection open and the sight of Mike getting Vecna'd would surely trigger such strong terror in him.

me @ mike: honey you got a big storm comin.

this concludes part 2 and now I'm off to let my mind reel with the everybody-has-powers fic possibilities

#givehimthemedicine analysis #henry creel #virginia creel #will byers #max mayfield #st theory #mine #givehimthemedicine big analysis #st5 spoilers #how the upside down works #st spoilers #analysis

165 notes · View notes

monstersinthecosmos · 8 months

Note

HI <3 Sheith VC anon here back with a very humble request. So I've read TVL and am currently reading QoTD, just finished the Devil's Minion chapter (oH mY gOD my HEART). I'm going through the books a bit slowly bc life stuff, but I have sooooo many thoughts and feelings and feel like I need to read lots of fic to work through it LOL. I would love it if you could rec me some (or tons of!) fics that wouldn't give me (m)any spoilers re: stuff that happens after this point in the series. I realize this might be a kind of hard/maybe impossible request because a lot of those spoilers would be referring to things that chronologically would have taken place prior to DM for instance, but I'm so starved I thought I might ask just in case! I'm not suuuper partial to any specific ships (Lestat/Louis is a bit boring IMO 😭 but I love them so I'll take it) and I don't have any NOTPs, so I'm down to read pretty much anything (esp if it's spicy and/or hurts my heart and/or features Armand lmao). Totally fine if this is too much trouble or if it turns out to be an impossible ask indeed; thank you in advance anyway! AND THANK YOU AGAIN for introducing me to these brain-rotting books lol I spend like half my waking hours thinking about Armand now.

SHGKJALDS I SPEND HALF MY WAKING HOURS THINKING ABOUT ARMAND TOO SINCE LIKE THE YEAR 2000 LMFAO im so glad you see!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU GET IT MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So babe tbh the reason I started writing Armand/Daniel fic at all is because there really ... isn't that much? And I was like GUESS I GOTTA FUCKIN COOK FOR MYSELF. So tbh I haven't actually read a ton of VC fic at all. The otp:true filter for them on AO3 (excluding TVverse fics) only has 237 fics hdkjgalds but you can start here LOL. I think for the most part you'll be able to tell in the tags if it's post-QOTD because people usually will tag like "post canon" or "Prince Lestat Era"; for QOTD fics check for a Devil's Minion/Devil's Minion Era tag. I don't always remember to tag my own fics but my only post-canon D/A fic is called "In the Trials of the Heart" and all my others are Devil's Minion era and shouldn't spoil anything ! Be aware that the TV fandom and book fandom sometimes overlap so there might be stray TV fics in the book tag; it won't spoil anything bc the TV canon is a completely different story, but it might not make sense if you jump in to read it. So without actual fic recs I'll share some authors that I really trust!! Have a look through their VC fics!!!!!!!

apoptoses (pervert extraordinaire 10/10, all the D/A fics are Devil's Minion era except for Blood Sanation so go nuts!) covenofthearticulate (this is Ash, she actually writes Loustat & Louis/Armand mostly but she's so smart and I trust her so much!!!!) Diabolus_Invictus HekateInHell (writes a lot of Lestat/Armand and also has a human AU called Our House that I'm obsessed with!) ImhereImQuire Nothing_But_Paisley rainandcoffee (if you're sick of all of our doom&gloom you can find fluff and lightness here!) whisperbird (just one VC fic but I think about it every day of my life I love it)

Whenever I remember I try to post VC fics that I do read, kinda like how Sheith fandom does Wednesday Fics, I try to tag #VCFicFriday so try there too!

Anyway if anyone wants to add to this post and share recs PLEASE DO I actually am not a great fic reader bc my attention span sucks and I'm picky about canon compliant porn LOL! But help our new friend out if you want to share any!!!!!!!!!!!!

#I GET NERVOUS MAKING REC LISTS I DONT WANT TO HUR TANYONE IF I FORGET YOU #PLEASE DONT BE SHY AND ADD YOURSELF IF YOU WANT!

28 notes · View notes

chaoschenoo · 10 months

Text

Queer Itch.io VN List

So IDK when I'll be able to post art again so here's another bit of content. Queer visual novels from itch.io. Not all of these are itch exclusive so you steam only? Feel free to check. Oh these will be 18+. Four things going in; 1.) Not all of these are finished. I'll be breaking it up between finished and unfinished.

2.) A lot of them are furry because the furry VN and queer VN venn diagram is a pair of nested circles.

3.) Spoilers, will be light but they will exists.

4.) Mostly MLM because that's the place I tend to live.

Coming Out On Top: 5/10

Starting with Coming Out on Top because it's the most average of the list and the quinessential baby gay VN. It's cute, fun, funny, sexy and has the depth of a brook at best. Light fun but has a couple of issues one with stereotypes, the other with power dynamics it adamantly doesn't want to think about because sexy.

Nekojishi: 6/10

Nekojishi is a bit more interesting than Coming Out on Top. Has more depth by and large but is also more fun than deep. Cute characters and while I cannot speak to cultural fidelity the husbandos are all in front of an interesting situational backdrop.

Full Service: 5/10

Similar to COoT, hot guys, sexy CGs, fun and silly moments with big personalities for the husbandos. But doesn't really explore the conflict beyond having something to spice up the romance, tempted to dock points for an infuriating mascot character.

Human Cargo: 6/10

Has a bit more going on between the ears than the baseline but the plot is still more a vehicle for the husbandos. Hot CGs, very cute, a good bit of soft moments and the romance feels at least a bit like an earned climax to the relationship.

In Case of Emergency: 8/10

So this is where we've broken the 'plot as car for husbandos' glass cieling. This is one that definitely has something more going on than date hotties. I dock a little bit of points for it being a bit hard to parse towards the end as to how interactions gets a good ending. BUT gets points for it being the start of the relationship. It feels like the MC matters to the route but not like he 'fixes' their problems. They're all on the road to a better place. Be warned a bittersweet game.

Adastra: 9/10

So I did play Echo first which makes me a bit of an oddity apparently. I think that was a part of the reason the emotions of Adastra didn't hit me quite as hard. Like I was expecting the other shoe to drop. Also since I was waiting for that I also spent much of the early game frustrated by 'Marco's' choices. That said Amicus is everything the Echo fandom wishes Leo was.

Arches: 8/10

Arches is going here before Echo for a reason despite being a nominal sequel, but also... I have so many mixed feelings here. It's an objectively good story, it makes me feel things. It's also REALLY depressing and I feel genuinely conflicted about if it's a very good or very bad representation of schizophrenia.

Echo: 10/10

Yeah I know it's the bloody posterchild for the subversive dating sim, it's also why the spoiler tag exists. Because Echo sets up as a dating sim meant to evoke nostalgia and then devolves into a psychological horror on the level of one of the classic Silent Hill games. Also Leo is the Ur-Furry Thirst Trap and the fandom shows just how terrifyingly effective he is at it. Horror and tragedy in equal measure. And at the end so I can start the unfinished list with it's prequel...

UNFINISHED: There are enough here that are so solid despite still being updated that I needed to keep the list separate. They would get points docked for not being one but I didn't want that to reflect on how evocative they are.

The Smoke Room: 10/10

The prequel and chronologically first game in the Echo Trilogy. Set one hundred years before Echo shortly before the 1915 hysteria and following Sam, a sex worker at the local Saloon. It's charming, unnerving, tragic (especially given Echo ESPECIALLY WILLIAM'S route if you know you know.) All the husbandos and side characters are delightful and charming in their own ways.

Errant Kingdom: 6/10

I would award it a higher score but between being bought, unfinished, and having been slow to update I'm worried it's a dying project. I am more sympathetic to the slow updates because every chapter is functionally three chapters as each origin point is a genuinely different story even when they are at a converging point such as the speech, or merchant's party. The art is beautiful and the characters are fun and interesting. I truly hope it's still in development.

Andromeda Six: 7/10

Also in development hell but getting slightly more updates and has a valentines day side story that is complete. Sci-fi story about an amnesiac with a crew of mercs on the wrong side of a successful coup. There's twists and turns some obvious some much less so that make it engaging. Fun romance options for straight mlm and wlw.

Repeat: 9/10

Repeat OOZES charm, it's fun, has a shockingly fun core of mystery hilarious and engaging characters. Fun and sexy CGs. And a lot of heart that makes the tragic lows hit just that much harder.

Santa Lucia: 8/10

Fun with an Echo-esque mystery and horror subplot. Engaging and been following it for a while. That said I do dock a little points for the routes not intersecting with the main plot as well as Echo which inextricably links the two. Still overall a very good time.

Socially Awkward: 9/10

Hilarious and also incredibly charming, bonus points for all the characters being incredibly similar to actual people I know. It makes the whole friend group cast likeable and realistic. Even the trash goblins like John.

Soulcreek: 9/10

Interesting, intense, one of my favorite genres, good art, but has some frustrating moments early game similarly to Adastra. Ultimately not enough to really drag it and the mystery and setting is MORE than enough to keep you clicking.

Dawn Chorus: 10/10

Okay so this one's a bit of a cheat for me. It's only a 10/10 because it's my comfort VN. Dawn Chorus is like a warm bowl of soup or cup of tea on a cold rainy day. It's cute, sweet, and character driven with an undercurrent of tragedy for many of the characters that makes you hope for the best.

Shelter: 10/10

Remember how I said Soulcreek's my facorite genre? Well so is Shelter. Fantasy that's secretly a Post Apocalyptic sci-fi. It's got mystery, uses the Visual Novel format in unique and amazing ways. Also puns, SO FUCKING MANY PUNS. The world building Raus does here drove me to dip my toes into the setting with a fic it was that inspiring.

#itch.io #visual novel #furry #shelter #dawn chorus #echo #the smoke room #socially awkward #in case of emergency #soulcreek #santa lucia #repeat

30 notes · View notes

a-victorian-girl · 7 months

Note

Do you think Loki queerbaited the audience? Asking you 'cause you ship Sylkie, I think. You're also a Johnlocker, so you know what queerbaiting really is.

I haven't watched the show but I've seen the ship wars in the Loki tag. I was curious to know what you think about all that.

Hi Anon!

Look, I'm gonna be honest with you, and I know that what I'm gonna say probably won't be liked very much (sorry, but it's my opinion and I have the freedom to express it): I don't see any ship in Loki. Just because I reblogged that kiss doesn't mean I ship it :) It's my friend's account, and I support her by reblogging (and because I love how she created that gifset, nothing more :)

In my opinion, that kiss between Loki and Sylvie wasn't a romantic one. You haven't watched the series yet, but if you do, consider the context in which that kiss happened, and keep in mind that both are gods of deception. What I'm about to say is not a spoiler, and it'll make it clear why I don't see ships in the show: towards the end of the first season, Loki revealed his feelings for Sylvie, and she used that emotion in the last episode as a strategy to distract him and steer him away from her main mission (you'll know what it is when you watch the series). That's why Loki stares so bewildered when he realizes it (the god of deception was deceived), and for that reason, a romantic situation between them didn't unfold in S2. She doesn't care.

And (I'm sorry), but I don't see the Lokius ship. I watched both seasons twice, and at no point did the show depict clear sparks between them. So, in my opinion, Loki is far from queerbaiting.

Characters don't always have to be romantically involved, do they? :)

Unlike Loki, in Sherlock was very visible. Whether you like it or not, it was there. I'm a Johnlocker because it was tangible, they made it very noticeable (despite what the producers may say), they gave too many signals... and maybe they enjoyed playing with that, idk.

That's why I detest queerbaiting. It seems like an act of cowardice and a lack of respect from the show's producers towards the Community. You can't play with that to gain more audience. Giving so many signals -as a traffic light- between two characters, and then not developing a romantic relationship between them? Is pathetic and cowardly.

Personally, I don't usually ship arbitrarily. Doesn't always have to be romantic involvement in shows; it seems too forced to me. I prefer to enjoy the show as it is, but I'm not stupid, I notice when there's flirting or hints between characters. Still, I don't think it should be a requirement for writers and creators to create ships… at least it shouldn't, I believe.

And I'll be honest with you: for a moment, I thought Good Omens was also heading towards queerbaiting too, but… in this case, they grew some balls and showed on screen that there is indeed a romantic relationship between the two main characters (well, at least one of them demonstrated it by acting).

Damn, I made the response so long!! So sorry!!… 😅

#anon ask #queerbaiting #loki tv #loki #loki series #loki spoilers #loki season 2 #bbc sherlock #sherlock #sherlock bbc #sherlock holmes #john watson

11 notes · View notes

falling-from-dawn-au · 1 year

Text

INTRODUCTION + AU INFORMATION MASTERPOST

Hi! Welcome to my AU Sideblog. Call me Splatsy, or just Splat if you'd prefer! My main is @turtles-that-are-mutant-ninjas!

They/He and plural pronouns

Minor

If you recognize my art style, hi, no you don't /lh

Falling From Dawn AU Base Info

The Falling From Dawn (or FFD) AU is an AU comic I'm making. It takes place after the ROTTMNT Movie, so heads up for spoilers about that!

At some points, this blog will function as an ask FFD![character] blog! It'll be a good way for me to keep up motivation.

My main goal is to post at least 3 pages a month; one arc per month, basically, but my motivation fluctuates a LOT. I'm also still in school, so this schedule will probably not be stuck to very well, but I'll do my best!

PLEASE feel free to send asks and/or writing requests for the AU! I'd be glad to write things when I'm low on motivation to draw for the comic.

MAIN TAGS:

#Splatsy Splashes - Unrelated to the AU/Just Talking type posts!

#Splatsy Responds - Asks and submissions tag!

#🔃 - Reblog Tag, filter this if you want only AU stuff, but I try not to reblog things often!! (This tag doesn't apply to important reblogs or competition reblogs!!!)

#falling from dawn au / #fallling from dawn rottmnt au / #ffd au - Posts talking about the au!!

#ffd canon - Canon AU things, couples with other tags

#ffd noncanon - Noncanon AU things, couples with other tags

#ffd art - Art for the AU!

#ffd writing - If I do any standalone writing for the AU, it'll be here!

#ffd panels / #ffd pages - Official panels/pages for the comic!

Below the cut are the chronological arcs and character info. Anything underlined links to its respective page.

ARCS (In chronological order)

I've added the titles and numbers for every main series page! Links will be added as pages are posted. A spider mutant is present in Arc 3. I have arachnophobia myself, so I'll try to make them look Not Terrifying, but here's a warning just in case.

Arc 0 - Prequel Pages -2 - War is Over (HEAVY GORE WARNING) | -1 - Recovery Takes Time | 0 - Rising Powers Arc 1 - Grasping at Stars 1 - Waves of Flight | 2 - Dusk at Dawn | 3 - Telekinetic Shadows (BODY HORROR, EYE CONTACT) Arc 2 - Swooping Eagle 4 - Fall to Fly | 5 - Skycrash | 6 - Mystery Webs Arc 3 - Arachnofoe 7 - Heliophobic | 8 - Bound by the Strings | 9 - Hisses of Rain Arc 4 - Storming Scales 10 - Carnivorous Risks | 11 - Hurricane's Cry | 12 - Venomous Dreaming Arc 5 - Dawnfall Dreams 13 - Dreaded Dreamweaver | 14 - Nearsighted Nightmares | 15 - Sunset Showdown Arc 6 - Tears of the Sky 16 - Cryocrier | 17 - Nexica Hex | 18 - Cryptic Calling Arc 7 - Midnight Madness 19 - Total Eclipse | 20 - Shattered Stars | 21 - Polluted Shadows Arc 8 - Hope is a Weapon 22 - Howling Ghosts | 23 - Lionheart | 24 - Fall Away Arc 9 - Skies Painted Black 25 - Hellicite Hopes | 26 - Wavewinged Wishes | 27 - Lunar Eclipse Arc 10 - Falling From Dawn 28 - Duskrise | 29 - Noon of Night | 30 - Dawnfall Arc 11 - Lightsky Saviors 31 - Rises the Moon | 32 - Take Back the Light | 33 - Hope for Dawn Arc 12 - Saved by Sunrise 34 - Grasping at Stars | 35 - Tears of the Sky | 36 - Rising from Dusk

AU Drabbles/Short Stories

I'm starting to write short stories corresponding to each page of Falling From Dawn! They will be linked here as they are written, and will have the same name as the page they correspond to.

-2 - War is Over

Character "Files!"

Raphael/Raph - 17 - He/It. His ref sheet is here! Second in command. The big brother. His powers here are: The same as the show (I'll be honest i forgot what it's called) - Plant and Ground Manipulation - Lunar Phase Embodiment.

Leonardo/Leo/Leon/Nardo - 16 and a half, according to him. Physically just 16. - He/Him. His ref sheet is here! The main AU plotline follows him. Leader of the group. His powers here are: Advanced portalmaking - Water Manipulation - Speed.

Donatello/Donnie/Don - 16 and a half, according to him. Physically only 16. - He/They/Code|Code's|Codeself. Code's ref sheet is here! Secondary plotlines follow him. Tech nerd. His powers here are: Telekinesis - Object + Weapon Synthesis - Shadow Manipulation.

Michelangelo/Mikey/Angelo/Angela - 15 - He/She. Her ref sheet is here! The real funny one. Little brother/sister. His powers here are: Fire and Metal Manipulation - Chain Synthesis - Solar Embodiment.

#rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #save rottmnt #save rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt au #falling from dawn au #falling from dawn rottmnt au #ffd au #Splatsy Splashes #ffd art #ffd canon #ffd noncanon #ffd writing #ffd panels

41 notes · View notes

mayakern · 1 year

Note

Hey Maya! I have a question about spitfire/firebrand that I want to clear up, b/c it has been preventing me from reading it even though I'm really interested. In one of your speedpaints, you do this really beautiful illustration of Feon with a strip of light over their eyes as they're lying down, and the narration (I think it's a quote) is very vague and morose. I know it would be a spoiler to answer this, so if you want to answer privately I understand, but do they die in the story? I'm personally quite sensitive to Bury Your Gays, esp. in romance, and I'm fine having that spoiled if it means I will know I can read the story comfortably. If they die but come back somehow, that's fine, I just want to know in advance.

Thanks very much for your time :)

there is character death in both spitfire and firebrand, but not for the main trio (or quartet?)

and p much every character, both major and minor, is queer in some way so there are plenty of unburied gays in text

i don't really consider any of this to be a spoiler tbh but i'll tag it just in case!

#ask #spitfire #spitfire spoilers

32 notes · View notes

ageless-aislynn · 26 days

Text

Title: “Recreation” (4/5) Author:@ageless-aislynn Characters/fandom: Kai-125/M!Reader, Halo the series Summary: A fellow in green Mjolnir gives you a little help in setting up a surprise dinner for Kai. 😉 Rating: T (PG13) Length: 2,211 Spoilers/warnings: Set in the Silver Timeline of Halo the series, not the games or novels. No show spoilers. Disclaimer: Definitely not mine but I do enjoy borrowing them just for a bit! 😉 A/N: Believe it or not, we're finally reaching the end of this little journey - the next chapter will be the last. However, it's set to slot in-between "15 Minutes" chapters 14 and 15, so it'll be a little while before it appears. (I'll be working on ch11 for that next. 😉)

A special thank you so much to everybody who's hung in here while it's taken me waaay too long to finish things. 😞 And a heart-felt thank you to everyone who has read and/or kudos and commented, then, now or in the future. It means a lot to me! Hope you enjoy! ⭐💖⭐

Taglist: @laurenstacy610 @sporadicbelievernightmare @sarnakhwritesthings

I tagged everybody I tagged last time but, as always, if you’d prefer not to be, just let me know! And if you would like to be tagged in my Kai/Reader fics, just let me know! At the moment, I also write John/Reader, John/Kai and John/Cortana, so I’m glad to tag you for whatever you’d like. Also, if you’d like to be removed, just let me know as well, no hard feelings. 😉 💖

Halo fic masterlist ⭐

"Now," you said seriously, "I think we should be open to new things, don't you?"

You held up a tennis ball and waited.

Gigi looked at you skeptically. You very slowly knelt and extended it towards her, careful to not get too close. This was her decision and trying to force it would only make things worse. She didn't take a step but she did lean as far as she could, sniffing the ball. Then she turned up her nose and retreated to her favorite spot under the porch.

"I thought you might not be a fan of a used tennis ball," you said, standing and giving it a toss out of the way, "but I figured we should give it a try, just in case."

You grabbed the container you'd left on the porch and popped the seal. "Now," you went on, "how do you feel about a brand new ball? Guaranteed fresh, nobody else's teeth marks or slobber on it. Interested?"

You held it down, waiting. Her eyes glittered thoughtfully in the shadows, then she emerged back out into the light. She eventually bumped your hand with her nose. You carefully adjusted so your fingers were out of the way if she wanted to take the ball.

She seemed to consider it for a long moment, then sat resolutely, looking at you as if to say, Your move.

You gave the ball a gentle roll away, then retrieved it, showing it to her. "See? That's how you do it."

You repeated the procedure a couple more times, underhand throwing it a bit farther each time. The last time, you gave it a little more muscle than you'd intended and had to trot a ways for it. When you returned, you could almost swear the small gray dog was about to very politely clap her paws.

Then she abruptly disappeared under the porch. A split second later, Kai appeared around the corner.

"I think she's almost got you trained," she teased.

You let the ball drop as you strode over to her. "I think you're right," you said and as soon as you were within reach, she kissed you.

"Hello," she murmured when she released you.

"Hello," you repeated, sounding rather dazed. "Silver off-duty?"

"Unfortunately not," she said, "or I'd suggest we get some lunch. But I wanted to see if you'd be interested in dinner? I thought we could--"

"Yes," you blurted out.

"Don't you want to hear the idea before you agree to it?" she asked.

You gave a hitch of your shoulder. "Doesn't matter. If you're going to be there, that's where I'd like to be, too."

"I know the feeling," she said then cleared her throat. "But I was wondering if you wanted to do something super fancy? I saw a restaurant the other day that looked like it might cost an entire year's salary just walk through the door. I talked to the doorman, turns out the owners have a fondness for Spartans. Said they'd be thrilled to give us a discount and we don't even need a reservation."

"I think I know the place. They have a dress code, formal wear only, fancy dresses, expensive tux, that sort of thing."

"Yeah," she said, rubbing her hands together gleefully.

You hated to have to break it to her. "I, um, don't have a tux," you admitted. "Or a fancy dress, for that matter."

"Oh, well, I'm sure we can…" she trailed off, then began to chuckle. "I don't have a fancy dress, either. Or a tux. The most expensive 'outfit' I ever wear is my Mjolnir."

"If they're Spartan fans, they'd probably accept that," you said. "Give me a few days and I'll see what I can come up for--"

"Nah," she interrupted. "It was just a thought. I wouldn't mind staying in, actually. Meet up at my room at chow time, then?"

You nodded, saying, "I'll be there."

She caught hold of the front of your shirt and pulled you into another scorching kiss. "Hopefully I will be, too, handsome. Unless the Covenant makes the bad decision to ruin my dinner plans."

"No worries, I understand."

"Wish I could stay longer but you'll do better with Gigi if I'm not here," she said.

"I'm not sure I'll be making progress any time soon," you confessed.

The corner of her mouth twitched. "Oh, I think you're doing better than you realize. Where'd the ball go?"

You turned to look and... the ball was gone. Or rather, it was just barely visible under the porch, resting between two little gray paws.

You looked back at Kai and she grinned.

Back on base, someone called your name as you wove through the crowded hallway. The other marines parted, revealing Master Chief in his Mjolnir, carrying his helmet at his hip and cutting towards you with purpose.

"Walk with me," he said brusquely and you fell in step as directed.

You couldn't help but wonder if he was going to take over for Vannak-134 and lay down a series of veiled or not-so-veiled threats now that things had... escalated with you and Kai. It caught you off-guard, then, when he said, "What do you know about massage?"

You blinked a few times. "Therapeutic or recreational?" you finally asked.

"Therapeutic. Recreational. Both, possibly."

"Are you asking for a recommendation as to where to get a...?" you trailed off as the look he gave you would've probably knocked over three Grunts, two Jackals and at least one fully armed Field Marshal.

"I want to learn how to give a massage to a non-Spartan in a way that won't cause discomfort," he clarified.

It all clicked. Of course, everybody knew about Chief's friend and the injuries she'd recently taken. "How is she?" you asked. "Kai mentioned wanting us to stop by to check in on her but I didn't know if she was up for visitors."

His expression gentled. "I think she'd like that. She's healing but… It takes time. Apparently."

You inclined your head thoughtfully. "Have you asked somebody in medical about therapeutic massage?"

"I was hoping for a little more discretion."

"ODST Jerry--"

"--would be a lot less discreet than asking medical," he interrupted.

You crossed your arms in contemplation. "When I was assigned to A-Company, Corporal Perez used to wager massages instead of credits in poker games."

"And his massages were that good?"

You shrugged. "Don't know personally, never beat him. But there had to be something to it because everybody did their best to win one."

"A-Company is on Reach right now," he mused.

"I'm sure he'll help you, no poker game required."

"All right, then, I'll talk to him. Thanks."

"Um, Chief?" you said before he could walk away. "Do you have access to Kai's room, by any chance?"

And that look probably caused half a dozen Grunts just outright drop dead somewhere. Your self-preservation instincts insisted that you take a slight but distinctive step back.

"Why do you ask?" he said flatly.

"I'd like to surprise her." You quickly detailed out your plan.

At the end of it, he paused, evaluating, then said, "All right, I'll help you."

You were just straightening the bouquet on the table when your padd chimed.

117: On her way.

You sent back a thanks, then put the padd away and finished the last touches to set the scene before heading out to wait in the hall.

Kai came around the corner, dressed in crisp, dark gray civvies, and her face lit up when she saw you. She greeted you with a kiss, then stepped back and looked you over from head to toe. "Wow," she finally said.

It would've taken a stronger person than you not to preen a bit under her admiring gaze. "You like?" you asked, spreading your arms a bit.

You were wearing your regular civvies pants and boots but from somewhere Master Chief had actually produced a button-down dress shirt and matching tie, all color-coordinated to best compliment your eyes. Chief had told you that last part with a slightly bemused expression, as if he were repeating nonsensical words in a foreign language he was being fed by an ear comm.

"Oh, I like," Kai said. "A lot."

You stopped her before she opened the door. "Close your eyes."

"It's a surprise?" she said and just from that tone, you immediately made a mental note to find some way to throw her a surprise party one day.

"It's a surprise," you confirmed and the hand she put over her eyes did nothing to hide her broad smile. You opened the door and led her into the darkened room. Once the door had closed behind you both, you told her she could look.

The table that had been set up in front of the couch was laden with shiny covered trays of food, with barely enough room for the centerpiece of flowers and candles at the center. You'd set the room lights to a quarter, low enough for ambiance but bright enough so you didn't have to worry about tripping over your chair.

"What's this?" she said, her expression delighted.

"Well, since we couldn't get to the fancy restaurant on such short notice, I thought we could bring the fancy restaurant to us. Do… do you like it?"

"It… This is the nicest thing anybody has ever done for me," she said, a definite sheen to her eyes. The hug she gave you was perhaps a bit too tight but there was no force in this universe or any other that would've made you pull away.

After dinner, you and Kai moved the table out of the way and cuddled up on the couch in the circle of lights and shadows cast by the candlelight.

"How did you manage all of this?" she asked, positioning so that her head rested on your shoulder.

"Master Chief," you said without hesitation. "He wanted to ask me about massages and I took the opportunity to--"

That had her sitting back up to look at you. "He wanted you to give him a massage?" she questioned, arching a brow thoughtfully. "Or to give you a massage? Is oil involved? Because I'm pretty sure I could sell a shit-ton of tickets to any of that and I want to get on it before ODST Jerry beats me to it."

"He wanted to learn how to safely give a massage to a non-Spartan," you explained. "And, uh, thanks?"

She chuckled, then looked thoughtful. "Does massage help healing?"

"It can. Even just simple touch can be very therapeutic."

You could see that trying to process. "Spartans heal by pushing through it," she finally said.

You had known how badly she had been injured, of course, but that had been before you had spoken that fateful time in the elevator. "Maybe you would've healed even faster if you would've had somebody to...?"

As you trailed off, you traced the curve of her cheek with your fingertips. Her eyelids fluttered as if she were briefly overwhelmed by the sensation, so you gave her a moment, then repeated it. She leaned into your touch, letting her eyes close.

You tenderly tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, then brushed your fingers along her temple, her cheek, her jaw. Her breathing hitched slightly as you skimmed the pad of your thumb across her lower lip.

Your fingers moved to sweep slowly across her forehead, followed the line of her nose, went back to her temple on the other side, making your way in leisurely strokes down to her chin. When you touched her mouth again, her lips parted and her eyes opened.

"Can I try?" she asked, her tone husky.

Words fled you then, so you nodded.

She used a single fingertip to map the broadest features of your face, a rough sketch as she figured out how much pressure and strength to use. Then she repositioned in a heartbeat, straddling your lap so she could use both hands, and she explored your features so thoroughly you felt as if she had made a masterpiece out of you by the time she was done.

"Are you sure this is what they do for therapy?" she murmured into your ear.

"This might be more recreational than therapeutic," you admitted and loosened your tie.

With deft motions, she undid the tie completely and pulled it free, draping over her own shoulders. "They fixed the bed," she said conversationally, her gaze flicking from your mouth to your eyes and back again.

It took two tries for you to respond. "Uh, did they? Good."

She found the top button of your dress shirt and popped it free of the buttonhole. "Want to break it again?"

You gave her a crooked grin. "Yes, please, ma'am."

She winked, standing and pulling you to your feet in a smooth motion. As she led you across the room, she paused just long enough to blow out the candles but, even in the abrupt change in lighting, you had no trouble seeing her brilliant smile.

Note: You might think that Corporal Perez is a nod towards Cpl. Talia Perez from season 2 but I suspect that she might've been named for this fellow from Halo 2's level "Metropolis." He's one of my favorite NPCs and I always tell him hi when I see him, lol! (In my mind, he knows that, too. *nodnods*) This level is one of my all-time favs so I've seen Cpl. Perez quite a bit and I wanted to give him a little shout-out. 😉