#the fact that the rivalry between their families plays SO MUCH into their dynamic is just heartbreaking but also so interesting.

[a-smol-cosplayer]

Anyways here are some more of my wednesday opinions cause I need them out of my brain (spoilers obvi)

First? Why is everyone hating on the show?? Between the ‘both men where so bland I couldn’t tell them apart fuck love triangles’ and ‘this isn’t an Adams reboot this sucks they made this show horrible and so out of character’ y’all need to take some breaths. 

I found it super compelling and enjoyable!! I loved seeing wednesday grow from someone how hated people and emotions to someone who still hates emotions but has them and has a good relationship with both her new friends and family!

To address the comments above:

Okay maybe Xavier is slightly bland - angsty art kid however his use in the plot and the fact that we are seeing him from Wednesdays pov who obviously doesn’t like him that much and is only using him for her own gain really saves him for me and leaves him open for more development. Talking about the love triangle - I struggle to see one. Its mostly Tyler x wednesday and xaviers crush is one sided, there is no point in the show where she laments over which boy she wants or the fact that she likes both of them - I think we have mixed up what an actual cliche love triangle is in media and ‘these two attractive boys are both in love with the main character’. There might have been more rivalry between them but wednesday certainly wasn’t aware of it

Tyler deserves his own dot point to address the comment above cause HOW CAN U SAY THAT MAN IS BLAND. especially after the last episode. It switches the view on his whole supposedly ‘bland’ point of view and forces u to think about wether thats the real thing and the person in the last ep was an amalgamation of manipulation and grooming as well as deep seeded trauma or if he was playing us the whole time with this awkward clueless personality as he manipulated everyone around him which is such a cool way of looking at it. If u don’t believe me go rewatch the series as if Tyler is aware of everything and is willingly manipulating everyone - cures the ‘he’s boring to watch’ thing instantly. 

Okay getting to the second point - I completely see where u are coming from but like its called WEDNESDAY. Its about this version of wednesday not the whole family, they don’t even appear in it very much. when I seperated it from the previous versions of the Adams family it was super good (however I do get where y’all are coming from about the whole ‘crazy morbid loving family’ dynamic being destroyed but I liked the journey that wednesday and mortica went on and I think it added to her character so I am willingly ignoring it 

Okay now for the part where I rant about Tyler Gilpin cause I love that man with my whole heart and I am a Tyler apologist first and a human being second

MANS WAS MANIPULATED and has some super bad trauma. From the point where his mum died and his dad practically abandoned him and thennn the first person he thought he could trust to look after him and tell him the truth proceeded to turn around and groom and manipulate and USE HIM for her own gain and chained up a literal child whilst forcing him to change into a monster :/ people keep forgetting that he is literally at most 17/18 but probably 16/17 and has been left by every single adult in his child life. Cut my man some slack. 

second: he really did want to leave!! He had no control over his actions as the hyde - he literally says in the first episode how ‘at least one of them would be able to get out of this hellhole town.’ He was a manipulated child!! Sure he might have been slightly dark in his own right but he wasn’t going around murdering people for funzies and he probably only started to enjoy it as a trauma response :/ like what else was he supposed to do?? Go insane cause there was this woman who was forcing him to kill people. He couldn’t control himself as the hyde (u know in the last ep where he said ‘I wake up covered in blood and have no memory of what happened’ ect ect) so everyone saying he’s a murderer who doesn’t deserve wednesday (also wouldn’t a pscyo murderer be like the perfect fir for wednesday?  that scene where he admits to hurting Xavier and then trying to get better and wednesday saying she would have done something worse for the fun of it?? Bruh they are so perfect together and have so much chemistry but ill put that in another rant) anyways. Y’all are acting like he just went around murdering people for the fun of it completely aware are endorsing his actions (did we even watch the same show?) when the main point of Wednesday figuring out the master was a hyde was that there was actually another person controlling the monster in the woods and it wasn’t acting alone 

Also - I see lots of people being like “yeah but he basically assaulted Xavier y’all are ignoring it he’s a bad person 🙄💅” but like?? So was Lucas? 1 he was in the ‘friends’ who distroyed Xaviers painting as well, and he bullied Eugene and tried to fight/hurt wednesday just for being an outcast and used enid to get into the dance and ruined it for everyone and u don’t see people bashing him? People can change and realise that the stuff they used to do as a tween was bad and full of bias inherited from their parents/society :/ 

Anyways to sum up that rant - I love my slightly murderous and traumatised but yet awkward and soft hearted barista with my whole life and if he doesn’t get a redemption arch enemies to lovers, joining the gang (enid, Ajax, wednesday, Bianca, Xavier, Eugene and thing obvi), learning how to control the monster inside storyline next season I’m going to riot. 

Also antihero is totally Tylers song and I love it 

Imma be honest I didn’t dislike any of the characters - I think they are either already well fleshed out and interesting or have the potential to be and I loved the way the three seperate plot lines managed to organically weave and thread together into one whole point just viewed from different angles a lot. I absolutely love enid with my whole heart (I’m not stepping on wenclair at all I love the idea but I just really like the sunshinexgrumpy bestie vibes they have going on and I love Ajax to much to cut him out he’s so supportive and lovely) and she was such a good character with her own plot lines and the way she and thing interacted has my whole heart. Also the way that she got more understanding and wednesday got better at social cues and how to be friends/show emotions was really well done. 

Also low key if u apply my fav way to solve this said ‘love triangle’ which is they all just date each other meaning we get both tylorpe anddd these boys who love wednesday with their entire beings and supportive ajax and enid 👀👀👀👀 (yes Wednesday needs too grovel a little with Xavier she did not treat him well at all and Xavier maybe should get more interests than brooding and painting but we can work on it) ((I also approve of the fact that wednesday has two hands one for each Tyler and enid and ajax can share))

Im also seeing a lot of Tyler/Xavier hate but like,, can y’all not see wednesday isn’t the perfect character either? Like she’s a super morally reprehensible character and treats people hella bad some times. she literally put the only two people who she had managed to get attached too/have a connection too (Tyler and enid ((excluding Eugene love him too))) in danger for her own gain. I know thats the whole point of the show and I love her in that regard, it makes her character really interesting but like— she’s not absolutely perfect and these ‘mean bland boys don’t deserve her’ comments really aren’t helping her character development 

Okay thats it :) 

PLS BE NICE TO ME!! EVERY SINGLE POST IS SEE HAS PEOPLE UNDERNEATH IT GOING (ur opinions are wrong and ur a terrible person for shipping/not shipping this thing) (bc wenclair/wednesdayxxavier didn’t get together it was such a terrible show) (love triangles suck and if u like them u are a woman hating nazi) LIKE CAN YALL CALM DOWN ITS LITERALLY A SHOW CHILL OUT 

#wednesday #wednesday addams #tyler galpin #enid sinclair #xavier thorpe #thing #ajax petropolus #Eugene (I dont know his last name) #bee boy #there we go #bianca belair #wednesday x tyler #love them #I mean u can disagree with me but u won't change my mind #I don't care if the actors and general fandom don't ship them I do #thing said yes so as do I #wednesday netflix #okay I think that is it #if u want more Wyler content feel free to scroll down my blog I think I have rebloggedalmost every post about them I could find #speaking of which #Wyler #Tyler gallon defence

[avatarkv]

tangent anon back! you thought i was done?!? hah!! i don’t think so!!

PLEASEEEE let’s talk about Neteyam and Reader I am genuinely just so obsessed with their dynamic. I REALLY feel like if they just talked, they’d come to an understanding. But, because both of them feel like things are already set in stone between not only them, but their positions within their family, the thought of coming to a better understanding is pointless. And when Neteyam was going through his disdain through Reader and claiming her as a stranger rather a sister?? WHEW! But then saying being Olo’eyktan wouldn’t be worth all of this? WOW! Heavy angst going on tonight it seems!

I think my favorite part about all of this, is that Neteyam is so insistent that Reader absolutely does not give a damn about him, but when Reader was talking to Loak and Kiri about their father’s unfairness he was the first thing she mentioned. "But that's unfair." You let out a groan, lips turning into a deep frown. "Especially to you and Neteyam." LIKE HELLOOO yall needa stop playing im about to pull out the get-along-shirt! They really are just two different sides of the same coin and ugh i love em both theyre just hurting so badd <<//333

yes bby, feed me sum more !1!11!

i'd rlly love to explore more of their relationship, but yk, a talk is all they need. sibling angst is such a huge and hurtful concept and i love every bit of it- they are so alike, as much as they don't think so. nete would rather see her as a stranger rather than a sister because he thinks it stings less that way. but the fact that a sister is all he ever needs too is !!!!!!!!!

also that parallel !! jesus, they both care for each other. in a way, they watch each other's backs w/o them even knowing AND IT HURTS SO BAD bec they think rivalry is all they have. promise i'm gonna make it better for them (i have to make it hurt first tho , , ,,, ) IM SO EXCITED

#hear mauve ☆ #tangent anon

[scrawnytreedemon]

For the two characters thingy, I just have to know what you tgink Vaatis and Kadajs dynamic would be.

Personally, I definitely foresee shenanigans of the highest (possibly deadliest) degree. They're like two feral cats.

OH GOODNESS, that's certainly an interesting pairing, isn't it?? They're both very similar, personality-wise, though their situations differ - That, and the differences in both motive, and temperement.

Vaati has a very superior, self-serving attitude; he basically went, 'fuck it, why do I have to listen to anyone if they're not gonna do anything for me?' and proceeded to get hella drunk off of power, but in a way where he appears to be entirely in control. Very aloof, and playful, too.

Kadaj, on the other hand, was purpose-built for the will of others. He's a literal empath, in the sense that all it takes is for him to touch someone to read all of their emotions, and even some memories. He's Espionage Ultimate™, except for the fact that he's extremely volatile. He'll try to play up an aura of authority, at points(see: his interactions with Rufus and the Turks), but it's very clear that it's put-on. Also, unlike Vaati, he's required to not only logistically but even emotionally rely on other people, like his brothers.

The thread between both of them is that they're both vulnerable teens struggling with that lack of power, that sense of being pushed around, regardless to which extent. They've both been consigned to the shadows of much greater men, who, in theory, should be providing a level of guidance and self-actualisation to these boys - Sephiroth, having created Kadaj for his own ends, clearly does not care; however it's shocking how much Ezlo is willing to brush aside and push down Vaati's personhood, his outbursts: treat it like it isn't his problem, not really.

I think if I were to come up with a plot for them, it'd go like this:

Kadaj and Vaati end up coming together for aid; Kadaj wants his Mother, but for whatever reason struggles to find the necessary means(whether that be the traditional cells, magic, or something else), and Vaati, sensing an opportunity, deigns to play along; at least, until he gets what he needs.

I think the relationship would waver between uneasy alliance, low-key rivalry with all the added posturing... and some genuine vulnerability and a chance for them to just be kids - Even if that usually means destroying some town-square or other with monsters they summoned together. I think there'd be something to Kadaj that unsettles Vaati; this sort of broken mirror, if he'd attached himself, became vulnerable in his strive for purpose; greatness; maybe it'd hit him how close he could've come to being not unlike the monsters in the bands he parades around so thoughtlessly.

I mean, in a sense, isn't that what Kadaj is? A monster; a thrall; even if a human-looking one.

Of course, he'll push it as far to the back of his mind as quickly as he can,

But still.

I do wonder how Kadaj would feel, truly relying on someone other than his own family. Like, yes, there was that almost-alliance-sorta between him and Rufus, but it was wrought with suspicion the whole way through; this would be... something else.

With someone like him.

I do wonder how his brothers would react. I do think there'd be a palpable sense of uneasy, especially coming form Yazoo, but I don't think either of them would step up to challenge Kadaj's authority unless shit really hit the fan.

I feel that, either way, at the end of the day, Vaati would get what he wants, and ultimately betray Kadaj. He lives for himself; why let him get some of that pie? Especially if that means summoning a potentially far greater threat - Yes, yes, better to work alone.

Somewhere far off, Ganondorf is probably shaking his head.

~~~

Thank you for asking!

So interesting how these two at once mirror and break from each other; the way they both each try to play at adultification. What self-actualisation means: codependency vs. a sort of lofty solitude.

Also this would make a glorious fangame. Who knows, maybe someday I'll pick this up; if ever.

#vaati #kadaj #the remnants #tloz #ffvii ac #advent children #scrawny rambles #ask game #scrawny answers #meta

[enter-the-phantom]

4, 8, 14 and 13 for your supernatural!s/i? (Or really whomever you like?) I’ve been meaning to get into SPN so this is super interesting’

—— flusteredshipping

I cannot find the original ask meme for the life of me, so I'm answering this using the most recent one I found and reblogged! 💙

4. Does your insert have a backstory? Tell us about it! How does their backstory, if any, define who they are? How does it reflect their relationships now? Their hopes and dreams?

They do, but in canon, it's vaguely mysterious and never explicitly fleshed out. There are hints that it involves religious trauma and a shattered family dynamic, and this touches every part of them as a person and a character and how they interact and relate to everyone around them.

8. How do they fit into their canon world? What’s their role to play, if any? Do they have a big destiny? Or do they more live as a side character that’s helpful for the protagonists/antagonists?

They're a lot more important than they realize. As a hunter, they're famous and well-respected, but no one actually knows who they are--the God Slayer is just a faceless legend known for taking down rogue gods and having a way with demons, and most people don't believe them when they claim it's them. They feel that their reputation isn't deserved; after all, they mostly use diplomacy to calm abandoned and angry deities--not at all the classic idea of a hunter. Sam and Dean were chosen for their part in the Apocalypse arc due to their familial bloodline, a bloodline which Abby obviously doesn't share. However, they become a vital part of this arc and the ones that follow simply through the way that they attract major players in the astral realm (Gabriel, Castiel, and even the demon Crowley all seem to have a vested and inexplicable interest in their wellbeing). They're a great example of someone who is not born to greatness like the Winchesters, but takes it for themself simply through their own actions.

14. Does your insert have any family relations? How do they get along? How do they disagree? Is it a biological family? Adopted? Or is it found family? How did this family come together, if it was one of the last two?

Their blood family relations are a mystery that is never solved (in fact, it's a running gag throughout the series that no one knows what Abby's actual last name is, as they left it behind years ago). However they have a rich and full adopted family through Bobby and the Winchesters.

Sam and Dean are Abby's adopted brothers, and they are just as close if not closer than biological siblings. They met after Dean decided to enlist the help of the Demon's Bane in finding their father and hunting down Azazel, not knowing that the fabled hunter was actually a tiny Texan with weak lungs. Abby and Dean have a very classic sibling bond, complete with competitiveness and petty rivalry, but tempered by their unbreakable love for one another. Sam and Abby have their squabbles but are best friends and much more open with their affection for each other. The boys see Abby as their younger sibling, and in fact they sometimes forget that they aren't biologically related.

Bobby is Abby's adoptive father, and later on he offers Abby his last name, which they take. They're introduced through Sam and Dean, and Bobby takes an immediate protective role over what he sees as an orphaned child. He has a more paternal relationship with them than he does the Winchesters; realising that he can never replace John as the boys' dad, no matter how awful he was, he really latches on to Abby as the child he never had and the two develop a very strong and very sweet relationship.

13. What are your insert’s goals? Their hopes and dreams for the past/future/present! Do they intend to achieve no matter what? Could anything stop them, big or small?

After losing their faith in humanity, their only real goal in life before meeting the Winchesters is to heal what they see as a fractured relationship between the supernatural, especially deities and other beings of belief, and humans. They know that their actions make them a part of something bigger, but their day-to-day life is pretty miserable. After meeting the Winchesters, they begin to see a different life for themself, one in which they don't have to be alone and can actually enjoy being alive. And after Castiel, he is their entire future. 💙

#my huntersona #ask enter #spn #supernatural #self shipping #selfshipping community

[hopefulstarfire]

Here fam have some background things to have for whenever I do get to the oc fics in terms of like Canon add-ons / changes bc fuck it why not go full out because ahahahaha. these will be shown in better detail with the prequel fic but also I'm slow, we're hitting the busy season at work and I just wanna blab about the oc stuff so this is a good way to set up background bc a lot of thought went into this bw me and my friends

Raphael is about 2-3 years younger than Cecelia and Maddox. When he was found on the island, Cecelia had maybe a couple months left alive.

The Guardians he had were originally part of a game / story that Max had set up for all of the kids in the family to play together, mostly as a means of keeping Cecelias spirits high. I'm also now realizing Eatos probably did in fact take inspiration from his mother and now I am Sad.

Max's parents had their own business and they weren't really as interested in Max or you know anything about their son. So he really did latch onto Cecelias family as his own. They also passed away on the Harmonia.

Mason, Kat and Cecelias father, was longtime friends with Alisters parents and they were considered to be members of the family as much as the Griffins were. However, everything that happened with them getting in the war torn country and then Alister becoming the lone survivor started after Miruko/Mikey was only 2.

Raphael is related through the family because his mother and Kat and Cecelias mother Evangeline were first cousins.

There is in fact a family tree and there have been discussions between me and Kohaku about all of the family bc we love them your honor.

The first Duel Monsters tournament happens when Kat is about 10-11 and its also low key the first time Seto ever sees her and one of his goals is to meet her because he's got a puppy crush. Then they meet a couple years later and it's just rivalry. Straight up ready to Duel whenever and wherever.

Evangeline and Gozaburo also ran in similar circles and thought highly of each other and if that doesn't tell you everything you needed to know about Kats mom idk what will. She didn't get to be around the Kaiba boys as much, though, usually they were too busy not really paying attention to their children (except Cecelia in Evies case), Kat and Cecelia didnt attend many parties (esp with Cecelias health and Kat doesn't like crowds and Mason didnt want them around a bunch of snooty assholes), and she only has a vague memory of a teal haired kid at a party or two but wouldn't be able to say "oh, yeah, Gozaburo had a kid before Seto and Mokuba".

The only reason they were even at the one Cecelia met Max at was because of family obligations for it.

The Big 5 are the literal worst. Just. Just all the time. Don't trust anything they do or say.

Especially not Nesbitt or Johnson.

I do also have their family dynamics figured out and also how Nesbitt spent years gaslighting Meredith in their affair about his relationship with his wife he tried to tell her he was divorcing. It's a whole mess.

Iris and River meet Seto and Mokuba about two months after they were adopted.

Seto takes over the company at the age of 13, Gozaburo still does the window thing and Seto transforms KaibaCorp into a successful gaming company.

Roland had been working for the family since probably Noa was alive but he was under strict rules to not discuss him after his death, if we go that route. He looked out for Seto and Mokuba and he and Meredith got close because they were both trying to find ways to help the brothers and give them the life they deserve and then they fell in love and are adorable.

Seto gets the Blue Eyes cards by whatever means he can, usually in feats of his own strength and has them all by the time he enters his first tournament three months after he becomes KCs president.

Death-T probably won't happen which sucks cause it's my favorite. But it's because Seto has people who would very much hold him back from doing something in that nature and offer him a bit more stability. But he's still. He's still very much Kaiba he still rips up the 4th Blue Eyes and gets smug and super competitive and makes bad calls and Iris wants to strangle him. But if he had tried to spend 8 billion yen to murder one (1) fucking teenager, Iris would have thrown him into the sun and River would have helped.

Nana and Yugi moved in with their grandparents when they were very young and their parents aren't really in the picture. Their grandma passed away when Nana was 15 and it was really sad for them all.

Nana once attempted the Puzzle but didn't get as attached and focused on it as her brother did and has been cheering him on.

Yugi solves the Puzzle when he's 15 or 16 and then the events of the manga play out.

The gang will be 17ish by the time Duelist Kingdom pans out or are turning 17/18.

Miho and Tomoya will be featured more prominently and as proper members to the gang and show up throughout the series with Joey, Tea, and Tristan. Ryou will also be getting more focus.

I'll have more when my brains not tired.

#yugioh ocs #ygo ocs #yugioh #ygo #you painted colors in my heart i could never replace

[petekaos]

What are you afraid of? You can just tell people we’re discussing the bus stop. BAD BUDDY (2021), dir. Backaof Noppharnach

#bad buddy #asianlgbtqdramas #ohm pawat #nanon korapat #pranpat #patpran #i think it's so interesting to see how scared pran is of being seen with pat ... not because he's ashamed of him but because of their #family's history. it hangs over them like a knife. he yearns to be close with him but he was close with him once and then he was #yanked away from him. so he'd rather look from afar and hide in secret than be seen out in the open with him. #the fact that the rivalry between their families plays SO MUCH into their dynamic is just heartbreaking but also so interesting. #it's always this push-and-pull with them. and really they circle around each other and are drawn into each other's gravity but they stop #just a second before colliding because of this thing that happened. This Big Thing they've never talked about. #how the one time they let their guard down -- all of it was ripped away from them. #rahul.gif #*bb

[yesimwriting]

Hello! Your Nikolai fic tranquility is so beautiful! Can you write more for Nikolai? Maybe the opposite with reader having a nightmare? Or whatever you want just please give me more! If you have a tagging list I'd love to be included btw :)

A/n hii!! first off,, thank you! i was a little nervous about writing him for the first time,, but i love him so much (even though i love a good villain/morally grey character in love i think nikolai would probably make the least toxic bf in the grishaverse lol)

you gave me a little too much freedom here lol bc i have so many ideas for him!! lowkey might need to give him a longer fic/series soon when i catch up with requests!! WOW THIS FIC IS SO LONG AND FOR WHAT

Summary: Reader is a handmaid who has grown up assisting Nikolai. Through the years, the two have developed a special relationship that most definitely breaks royal protocol--they’re best friends and rivals on a good day, and dangerously close to being something more the second either of them is remotely upset or extremely happy. Learning about the fact that Nikolai was almost engaged to Alina (a good friend of yours) and being reminded of the fact that as royalty Nikolai has many prospects (both serious women worthy of his title and women only suitable for trysts meant to relieve tension) has you both realizing something you should have years ago.

Word count: 31210

Warnings: disclaimer--may not be the most cannon thing ever,, but i wanted the ‘child of the help competes and falls in love with the child of royalty’ energy okay?? Lol

I could do a whole blurb series with this dynamic nikolai x reader,, like just stories of them growing up together and randomly realizing they might like each other romantically?? I probably shouldn’t rn but i ADORE this trope.

--

The perfection of the room is disappointing. Idle hands, idle thoughts--so I work to smooth out a perfect duvet. Still, the thoughts come--aggressive and unavoidable. It’s silly, maybe even sad, to feel possessive over something that’s never been yours, something that could never be yours, but the harder I fight off the feeling the stronger it grows. Jealousy is a weed growing quickly in my chest, vile roots planted firmly in my heart.

Normally my favorite part of the day would be waiting for Nikolai to return to his room in the palace after dinner and his evening duties. He’s always a bit softer in the evenings, during my last check-in of the day. I’m normally thrilled to be done organizing his room early because that means the second he arrives there will be no distraction. Most evenings, he’ll find me perched in the seat by his bed, reading. He’ll mock-scold me for daring to defy his orders and reading ahead from the book we both take turns reading aloud from each night. He then warns me that I better react exactly the way I did when I first read it or else. That threat is always followed by a gentle laugh.

Tonight I’m in no mood for our nightly banter or even our nightly reading. My mother had warned me of the dangers of getting too comfortable with the royal family. I should have heeded that warning when she first gave it to me, the morning she found Nikolai and I fast asleep on a couch in the library as children. The palace likes to bring up the children of the staff by training them to attend to the next generation of royals. It makes the staff more efficient, a lifetime of knowing what someone wants makes you better for them. It also creates some level of connection, making betrayal a little less likely. Nikolai and I might have taken it farther than most. But now I want a reminder of the way we’re supposed to be--maybe if I detach now the bleeding of my heart won’t kill me. That has to remain secret, because if I explain it to Nikolai something in me will break. The one line between us will be crossed.

This will be the sixth secret I’ve kept from Nikolai in my entire life.

--

The secrets:

I don’t know why I was picked for Nikolai. I wasn’t particularly skilled, but still, the day came when my mother was told that I now worked directly for the Lantsov boy. It’s an honor, a true one, but my mother had been a little nervous. To whom much is given, much is expected--and I detested Nikolai. Not for being a prince, but for being a prince who thought girls couldn’t race or fight.

The day my mother came looking for me because I never showed up for dinner and she found Nikolai and I attempting to fight in the way only a ten-year-old girl and eleven-year-old boy would, she had looked truly mortified. Nikolai had only laughed, either oblivious to my mother’s embarrassment or uncaring about it. He had then hugged me--an expression of care that had left me reeling. I saw him more as a rival than someone to tend to, but in that moment I saw him as a friend. Even more so when he told me he didn’t want me to go yet and that he was upset that so much of the day had been wasted by studies that kept him with boring people and away from me. And then he invited me to his lessons--my mother was quick to attempt to decline politely, but the desires of a prince at any age outweigh that of a mother.

After that, everyone kind of just stopped trying to remind us of our propriety. The tutor at first was concerned about my presence, but Nikolai remained stubborn. I wasn’t a big enough deal to cause an argument, so I began to attend lessons with him almost every day, only staying away when my mother needed aid with laundry or cleaning. His parents must have been somewhat aware of our friendship, but they must have been oblivious to our closeness because it was never mentioned.

My mother’s worry began to ease, she’d even started to take some pride when I’d come to our room proudly proclaiming that I scored two marks higher than Nikolai. She did, however, warn that it might be more tactful to let him score higher.

The comment was casual, just a suggestion, but it left me feeling wrong. It was the first time since we met that I had thought about our different statuses. I didn’t tell him--and that was the first secret I ever kept from him.

As we grew, we traded physical competition for academic rivalry, trying to best each other in both lessons and games of strategy like chess and cards. But with growing comes responsibility. Nikolai started to have obligations that were meant to be private. I couldn’t follow him at all times. But he’d always come back from locked door meetings grinning like he carried schoolyard gossip instead of government secrets. He shared everything with me, even when I playfully warned against it.

He’d always step closer when I teased that perhaps he shouldn’t tell me everything. And then he’d say, “If I can’t trust you, then I can’t trust anyone--and I don’t want to live in a world like that.” Often, he’d give my hand a light squeeze before moving on like he had not said anything intimate.

On a day in which Nikolai was in one of those meetings, I became a woman. When I first saw the blood, I had been horrified--but my mother was quick to explain that it was natural. She said that I was now a woman, a wonderful thing, really--but a thing that came with obligations. She told me that I could no longer have the impromptu ‘sleepovers’ with Nikolai unless he ordered it. I told her he’s never ordered me to do anything for him.

She didn’t ease, something in her had started to become nervous again. My mother had recently started to act the way she did when Nikolai and I first became friends. I didn’t want to fall asleep in Nikolai’s bed while I was bleeding, but I didn’t want to never have another sleepover with him again. Especially not when she refused to explain why being a woman changed so much.

I had decided to avoid Nikolai as much as possible until the sting of my mother’s new rule faded. Unfortunately, that night Nikolai was extra talkative--excited as he insisted I stay for a little longer. Soon, I found his familiar good naturedness melting away my nerves and before I knew it I was laughing in the middle of the night. When my eyelids started to feel heavy, I had moved from the chair, ready to head back to my room.

Nikolai had looked at me oddly before he asked why would I leave so late when it would be easier for me to just sleepover? It was an innocent question, he did not know about my change and I had wanted to keep it that way.

I tried playing coy, but Nikolai has always had a talent for getting around my better judgement. I don’t recall exactly how it happened, but I remember him standing in front of me. It was the first time I noticed how much had actually changed over the years--he was now taller than me for the first time in his life. His hair had started to grow a little longer, golden and soft-looking--and his face seemed much more angular. But he had not lost his boyish charm.

“Y/n?” My name fell softly from his lips, and that was the first time I had ever noted the fullness of them. I didn’t understand why I considered that something worth noting. “Did I do something to make you mad at me?”

Perhaps I had been a little curt--nerves and hormones had left me not feeling like myself. I didn’t tell him about the bleeding, I couldn’t. That became the second secret I kept from him--but I did tell him that my mother had told me I was a woman now, and that women can’t have sleepovers. Not with those of the opposite gender. I made no effort to hide my confusion because I expected him to be as perplexed as I was. But he was not confused--in fact, he had the audacity to laugh. My face flushed, but I did not know why.

“Why is that funny?” Maybe he thought I was still too much of a child to be considered a woman. I assumed it a fair assumption, I had not grown the way he had--my shoulders had not become sturdier and I had not become particularly broader. Still, I would rather melt into the floor than tell him about the reason my mother now considered me a woman. “My mother did say that, and I don’t know what being a ‘woman’ has to do with staying in your room at night.” Something strange had crossed over his features then, something much more brooding than I was used to.

I had blinked at him as unexplained nerves pooled in my stomach. Perhaps that look would have been enough to keep me silent if he had managed to not grin. That self-assured grin that had always challenged me. “Well since you know everything about my mother now, maybe you can tell me why she’s been acting strange. She’s starting to act the way she did when we first became friends.” I expected him to at least pretend to be worried. Perhaps his parents had spoken to her and had mentioned wanting our friendship to end. But his grin had only grown. Pride left me angry. “She did say that I could stay if you ordered it--but I’m glad you’ve never ordered me to do anything, so I can leave right now because you’re acting as odd as her. I don’t understand what you could find funny about our friendship ending.”

He had stopped me from storming out of his room by placing one hand on the wall between me and the door. “Y/n, don’t be cross--I’ll explain it all, I promise.” Angry pride made me want to storm away from him, but curiosity and something unknown and warm kept me in place. “Do you remember when we read the play about the rival families, how the two main characters had kissed?”

I remembered that part of the play especially well. The concept of kissing so casually, outside of marriage, had been jarring to me. “Yes.”

“Now that we’re older, your mother must be worried that we might do that.” He paused before leaning against the arm he placed on the wall to keep me from leaving a little more. “Kiss.”

The clarification was not needed--in that brief pause, I had allowed myself to imagine no distance between our lips. Something in me burned with embarrassment when I realized that some part of me found the thought appealing. The only thing I wanted in that moment was assurance that Nikolai would never know I felt that. That was my third secret, and the weight of it was heavy against my chest.

Still, though, all of my confusion had not yet left. “Is there much harm in a kiss?”

The question had left an odd smile on his lips. “There’s potential harm in what it could lead to for the woman, but not so much for the man.” He exhaled slowly as my face tensed. He could always read me too well because he was quick to add, “What it could lead to isn’t a bad thing, it’s meant to be pleasurable, but it’s serious.” I did not understand, but a part of me was starting to grow okay with that. Nikolai’s voice had started to become lower than ever, and his gaze remained tense. Perhaps if I accepted the confusion for now, things could go back to normal. If the conversation ended, I could stop thinking of his lips and his hands and what it would mean for them to touch me. “It’s considered a vice, like drinking or gambling.” The additional comment helped more than it should have. A vice--not scary and not painful, but not something to indulge in. That’s enough explanation for now. “If you want to know, I won’t deny you.”

I appreciated the offer tremendously. The vice that comes after kissing is clearly something that’s been intentionally kept from me. It’s something he was privy to that I was not, and he offered it to me like so much else. But if knowledge that my mother feared us kissing made me think of his lips, then I doubted I could handle knowing what comes after kissing.

“I’ll let you know when I want to know, but I appreciate the offer.” It felt like a fair response. His snarky grin came back immediately. Irritation rooted itself in my stomach. I hated not knowing more than him for once, but I still had one question I could not relinquish. “But what does that vice have to do with orders?”

At that, his smugness faltered. “It’s not unheard of, for princes and handmaids--for a prince to obligate a handmaid in order to fulfill his vice. Though many handmaids fill the vice of their own will for benefits.

The explanation left him like a confession. I didn’t understand his hesitance--it’s not like he’d ever make me do anything I didn’t want to do. Even when I worked, he was hesitant to ask me to go out of my way to bring him a glass of water. And I couldn’t imagine gaining anything from offering Nikolai something I didn’t really understand. I wasn’t naive to the fact that my life had more privileges than many palace servants. “Oh.”

His eyes hardened. “You know I’d never--”

“I know.” It was finally easy to smile again. “I never thought otherwise.” Something in him seemed to ease at that, his eyes went from hard to warm in less than a second.

I had no more questions for him and I was also no longer a flight risk, but Nikolai did not move. He did not step back to create a more appropriate distance and he did not drop his arm. His gaze, however, did move--dropping downwards, and slightly away from my eyes. I did the same, my eyes falling to his lips.

The silence between us began to make me feel like something in me was in danger of overflowing. “Then I guess my mother is once again worrying for no reason.” Strangely, I did not feel the need to feel embarrassed about staring at his lips. “Because I would never particularly want to kiss you, Nikolai Lantsov.”

The comment was meant to be teasing, a joke to clear away unknown tension. I should have known better than to challenge his pride because he instinctually moved his hand off the wall and beneath my chin. I did not flinch when he tilted my head upwards slightly with his fingers. “I could get you to want to kiss me if I wanted to.”

Three secrets in one night. I did not think I could bear a fourth one. “Hm…” The ground we treaded on felt unstable, but something in me trusted Nikolai to not let me falter. “I should--I should go before I give my mother anymore cause to worry.”

His fingers had brushed down my chin easily as he dropped his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

And that he did. The days passed without mention of the last time he asked me to sleepover. It was as if nothing had changed except now I found myself noting things I most definitely did not want to note. These didn’t feel like individual secrets because it felt easy to group each admirational thought into one secret. Soon, that became my new normal--easy banter, easy touches of hands, and easy yet silent admirations of his beauty.

I never wandered too hard about what the vice that kissing can lead to entailed. I didn't particularly want to know, but knowing that I could ask Nikolai at any time brought a sense of security to me. But besides that, I never thought of that conversation until the day I was asked to look for Nikolai because he was late for dinner.

That in itself was odd, most of the time when Nikolai was late it was because he was with you. I checked his room, two other rooms he was known to frequent, and then finally the library. First, I noticed a handmaid two years older than me. I was finally at an age when one begins to compare their beauty to those around them, and I recognized the girl as gorgeous. She was better endowed than me, physically, and she always seemed fun. And then I noticed Nikolai, standing closer to her than I’ve ever seen him stand to anyone. His expression was serious as the girl giggled.

Nikolai’s expression shifted from tense to shocked when he saw me. “Y/n.”

It took me a moment longer than it should have to realize what I had interrupted. Guilt and jealousy were quick to twist in my stomach. “Dinner--your parents sent me to look for you.”

He was quick to walk around the girl, who was quick to glare at me. I attempted to disappear down the hall after mumbling a quick apology, but Nikolai was faster than me.

“Y/n,” he did not hesitate to grab my wrist.

It shouldn’t have irked me the way it did, after all, neither of us had ever really hesitated to touch each other. I had always reached for him when I wanted him, and he had done the same. But the thought of the same hands that touched the most beautiful girl I had ever seen on me left me bitter in a way I didn’t understand.

Still, I pushed through all of that. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything, your mother asked me to look for you because she assumed you’d be with me when you were late to dinner. I didn’t think that there’d be--”

“You didn’t interrupt anything.” The words came out flat as his eyes took on the same quality they did the night he explained my mother’s concern to me. “Valaria wishes there was something to interrupt, but there wasn’t.”

Oh. I refused to let the correction inflate me. “Would you like me to not come to your room tonight?”

The offer felt awkward to make. “No,” the answer came quickly, “In fact, go there now--I want to see you right after dinner. I’ve missed you today.” The instruction left my face feeling warm. “We could read an extra chapter of our book if you’d like.”

Despite myself, I grinned. “Yes.”

“Looking forward to it.”

True to his word, Nikolai was quick to return to his room. He had come back to me eagerly, going out of his way to squeeze my shoulder as he entered the room.

I opened the book to the chapter we had left off on, but before I could start reading, Nikolai stopped me. “Sit next to me?”

The question came softly. It had been some time since we sat next to each other on his bed. Still, I moved off of the chair and to his bed. Something in me longed for the familiar closeness of childhood. I allowed him to play with my fingers as I read.

“You know you could take one night off from me if you wanted to.” The admission left me softly, part of unsure if he was still paying attention to my words. “She was pretty, it wouldn’t have hurt my feelings if you told me you wanted me to not come tonight.”

Nikolai exhaled easily, squeezing my fingers once. “I said I wanted to see you and I meant it.”

It took all of my energy to push past the way his words made my stomach leap. “In general, if you ever--”

Nikolai cut me off by laying his head on my lap the way he used to. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” It was the first time in years that he spoke to me in a way that acknowledged his authority. “Keep reading please.”

And that was the last time we had ever mentioned other handmaids in that context. The fifth secret I ever kept from him was the way I worried that one day that would change.

--

The door creaks open while I’m in the middle of fluffing an already pristine pillow. Nikolai steps into the room, but I continue to work.

“Darling,” he breathes too easily, “Today has been painful.” I straighten, looking at him as casually as I can manage. “And now I have to deal with you being mad at me.”

Damn him and his ability to read me with one look. “I’m not mad.”

“You know you can’t lie to me,” he sighs, stepping forward, “We’ve known each other too long for that.”

I press my lips together, irrational anger pushing itself into me at an odd angle. “We’ve also known each other too long to keep secrets.”

His eyebrows draw together, a look so quizzical I’m reminded of our schooling days. “What secrets have I kept from you?”

Mentioning that had been a mistake. I exhale as flatly as possible. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.” My dismissal only has Nikolai’s expression hardening. I drop my gaze. “Unless you need something, I’m retiring my services for the evening.”

I take a reluctant step towards the door, eyes attached to the floor. “Y/n,” his voice is gentle. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing, I’m just tired.” Please let that be at least somewhat believable. “I’m sure I’ll feel more like myself in the morning.” I take another step, a little more assured. Nikolai’s hand is on my shoulder before I can escape. “Nikolai--”

“Y/n,” his voice is that of velvet, “I can’t have you be mad at me. Not now.”

Sighing, I meet his gaze. The tiredness I see behind his eyes is almost enough to chase away my nerve. What I’d give to be able to melt into our familiar routine. “Then you should have told me you were almost engaged to a literal Saint--the same literal Saint who’s one of my closest friends.”

Nikolai’s expression shifts as his hand drops from my shoulder slowly, fingers brushing down my arm before he finally intertwines our fingers. I bite my tongue to avoid squeezing his hand, but I don’t move to separate us either. He studies me silently, eyebrows drawn together. The longer he stares, the more whatever turmoil he’s experiencing seems to dissipate. After a minute of silence, I can read his expression perfectly. His lips are pressed together in that coy way--the way he only looks when he’s suppressing a smile.

I loathe him for it. “Nikolai Lantsov, don’t you dare laugh--not after what you did. Do you have any idea what it felt like to have Alina casually mention the fact that you almost married her casually? Like that was common knowledge to everyone but me?”

My words break away the last of his self control. He grins, flashing his annoyingly perfect teeth. “Do you have any idea what it feels like for me to want nothing more than to see you and then you let me believe something may actually be wrong when the only issue is your jealousy?”

The amusement in his tone is like poison to me. I find the strength to jerk my hand away from him. “I am not jealous.” He laughs; I am further enraged. “I am not.” The genuineness of my anger must finally register on some level, because he tries to suppress his smile. “I have every right to be mad at my best friend for not telling me that he was almost married.”

“We didn’t exactly come close,” he manages, expression still much too light for my taste. “I’m glad for Alina’s sake, I’m not sure being a Saint would be enough to protect her.”

He is infuriating. “I’m not sure anything you have will be enough to protect you.”

Something in his gaze shifts, softening the tilt of his mouth. “I don’t doubt that.”

I don’t know what I expected from him--but not this. I thought he’d be at least somewhat apologetic. “You should have told me.”

“I would have if I felt it was significant.”

“I’m your best friend--your marriage is significant to me. And even though it’s not like you’re engaged to her right now, you should have told me. You know I talk to Alina all the time.”

He sighs once, a hint of apology threatening to ghost over his eyes. “If I knew not knowing would have upset you so much I would have told you. I was--I was just so excited to be around you again I didn’t see much relevance in anything that didn’t involve you.”

The intensity that Nikolai regards me with is enough to wither all of my fury. But without my anger, I am left spiraling in emotion that I’ve been pushing against for years. My mother’s warning about relationships with those above us rings in my ears--sharp and headache inducing. I am still when he reaches for my hand again, but I do no allow myself to return the gentle squeeze of his fingers.

“I’m not sure much outside of you has significance.” He’s giving me a look I am familiar with. A look he often uses to chase away my anger.

Without my anger, I have nothing to keep me from melting into him, indulging in his presence fully. It’s so easy with him and I blinded myself to the danger of that. He may not be marrying Alina, but one day he will marry someone. A person worthy of his status--and what would I be left doing? Washing their laundry? Tearing up when I dusted the library and came across a book we had read together? Enough damage has already been done--I need to cut myself with this blade now in hopes of making sure I can one day recover.

He will get married one day, and nothing will be the same. And that’s a good thing--he deserves the love of a princess or queen. I want his happiness, even if it’s not with me. But some vindictive part of me hopes that some part of him will miss me. That some part of him will be dulled without me.

I’m a fool--he will remember me as the handmaid from his youth. The girl who made him laugh once or twice before he grew up. I force my hand out of his grasp. “You can’t win me over with words every time.” I need to get out of here before he says something that makes me lose all resolve. “Tomorrow morning I’ll be here to prepare you for breakfast.”

“Y/n.”

I step forward, refusing to look at him. “Goodnight.”

He sighs, his hand quick to grab my arm. Before I can question him I feel myself pulled back. I expect him to pull me just close enough so that I have to meet his gaze. He continues, pulling me sharply before placing a quick hand on my shoulder, forcing me down. My back hits his bed.

I sit up as soon as the reality of what just happened seeps into my mind. “Nikolai, what in the Saints--”

“If you’re going to act like a child, I’m going to treat you like one.”

I scoff, thoughts of escaping him put on hold by the principle of pride. Fine. I’ll beat him one last time, and then I’ll let us separate. I shove him. He laughs--of course this is funny to him. He got to keep fighting past the age of about eleven. His laughter adds to my anger, I move to shove him again, but he catches my wrist easily. I struggle against his hold, shoving him a third time with my still free hand. He pushes me slightly. That’s all it takes to unleash familiar habits.

Our small fight is hardly fair. He has all the advantage--more training, and he’s standing above me. When I finally make a move that might give me some success, Nikolai leans forward. He practically tackles me, his weight forcing me flat against the bed.

I move an arm, ready to push him off of me. Nikolai snags my wrists, holding them above my head. “This means I win.” I roll my eyes, anger returning.

“Let me go.”

He sighs tiredly, but the smugness radiating off of him is suffocating. “Admit that you were jealous.”

There are a lot of things I am willing to do for him--but never that. I cannot give him the one separation I still have. “I wasn’t.”

“Then why are you mad?”

I press my lips together. “I told you--”

“Do you really think you could lie to me?”

“You don’t know me that well.”

Nikolai moves his freehand, touching my chin as a way to ask me to look at him. I meet his gaze hesitantly. “Yes, I do, and that’s never bothered you before but it does now.”

Maybe this is a conversation better had bluntly. “It bothers me now because you’re too old to hold onto the daughter of a palace handmaid and I’m too old to pretend that our different statuses don’t matter.”

“Y/n,” he breathes, “Nothing’s changed. Status didn’t matter to me when we were children, and it doesn’t matter to me now.”

“You can afford to say things like that.”

“What good is my title if it means I can’t,” he pauses, eyes hesitant, “If I can’t keep things the same between us?”

I smile, the sadness of the look weighs on me and I can’t even see it. “Nikolai, you always knew things would change.”

“No, I--”

“You can’t tell me you think your future wife would like you having such a close relationship with a handmaid.” I press my lips together. “One day you’ll fall in love and get married and you’ll want me to leave your bedchamber as soon as dinner is over because you’ll be eager to spend time with your wife.” His gaze hardens. “And that’s not a bad thing. It’s actually a really good thi--”

The last syllable of my sentence dies in my throat. Nikolai, who must be possessed by something, leans down and presses his lips against mine. I beg myself to resist, but his gentleness is everything I’ve ever wanted. He releases my hands in favor of holding my face. That’s all it takes--my hands move without my permission, into his hair--pulling him closer to me. What am I doing? I’m insane. Placing my hands on his chest cautiously, I push just slightly. He’s quick to obey, pulling away while allowing his teeth to brush against my bottom lip.

I gape at him--taking in his now slightly swollen lips. “Nikolai.” He can’t do this to me. We’re friends. Despite the fact that I’ve loved him more than I should--we’re friends. “You’re being extremely unfair.”

He draws his eyebrows together, sitting up quickly and moving off of me. “I’m being unfair? I have spent my entire life loving y--”

I sit up, furious in a new way. “You have not!” This is the dumbest I have ever been. I move to stand, still feeling the softness of his lips against mine.

“Your tooth fell out.” The sharpness of his words forces me to still.

“What?”

I can’t bring myself to turn and look at him, but I’ve always been able to feel any heaviness he bears. The weight of it leaves little room for air in my lungs. “You were ten. I told you ‘girls couldn’t fight’ so you punched me in the face. That was the first time we ever fought--I didn’t mean to hit you in the face, but you moved. You moved and I hit you in the mouth and your last baby tooth fell out. I expected you to cry or get angry, but you just blinked at me and laughed. You were happy to lose your last baby tooth because it meant you were grown up. And then you smiled and asked me if you looked older. If anything, the gap in your smile made you look younger but I told you that you looked like a grown-up because I wanted you to keep smiling. Because your smile made me feel like I won something.” I turn on my heels, but I cannot meet his gaze. “That was the moment I fell in love with you--so don’t tell me I haven’t spent my entire life loving you.”

The weight of his words is harder to survive against than the heaviness of his feelings. “Nikolai, you know we can’t ever be together--”

“Why not?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know,” I manage, voice low, “You almost married the Sun Summoner--”

“That was political--”

“Exactly, your marriage is meant to be political, and if it happens to be out of love--which is what I hope you get, because it is what you deserve--it will be to someone of status.”

Nikolai stands, the movement is that of a king, not the boy I know. “I do not want status or to love someone else--I want you.”

“I can’t take that from you--”

“You can’t take anything from me because I’ve already given it all to you.”

I press my lips together, heart tearing for him. “I love you too much to ruin you.”

My words seem to snap something in him because his eyes darken, the way he watches me adjusting accordingly. “You can’t ruin something that’s always been yours.”

I let myself smile. At him. At his words. At the foolish hope the child in me has clung to after all of these years. I reach for him thoughtlessly, because I have the right to. Because I’ve always had the right to. He’s quick to respond, kissing me with much more security than before.

This time, he pulls away of his own regard. “You still haven’t admitted that you were jealous.”

His teasing smugness isn’t as sour to me anymore. “I wasn’t.”

Nikolai pulls me towards him easily, lips threatening to brush against me, warm breath against my face. “Are you sure, darling? You were awfully quick to claim what’s yours.”

I roll my eyes, grinning so widely I’m surprised my face doesn’t yet hurt. “You’re the one that fell for a ten-year-old girl with a bloody mouth.”

When he smiles back at me, he places a hand on my hip, pulling me forward slightly. “That I did.” He pulls me forward slightly. "Does this mean you can sleep in here again?"

"If anything, this is more reason for me to sleep in another room." He rolls his eyes, pulling me even closer. "But I won't tell if you don't."

Nikolai leans forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Deal."

tags: @deardiarystuff @theincredibledeadlyviper, @grishaverse7 @benbarnes-supremacy  @tranquilitymoon @kaitlyn2907 @lunamyangel @christinawxxx @deceivedeer @real-mbappe @tonks33

#nikolai lantsov #nikolai lantsov x reader #nikolai lantsov x you #shadow and bone #shadow and bone fic #shadow and bone fanfic #shadow and bone imagine #grisha #Grishaverse #grishaverse imagines #grishaverse imagine #grishaverse x reader #shadow and bone netflix

[lizardnerd757]

OC Love Interests

Alright, so last Medieval AU post I mention having four different romantic interests for Basil. 

I figured to go ahead and go through each of them, what their own stories are (because why not?), the dynamic any of them could have with Basil, and how the heck I ended up with FOUR of them.

Our ladies, everyone.

Going from left to right, we’ll start off with Pearl Lupine.

I already mentioned in a previous post that her mother gave her poisons during her childhood to get her to build a tolerance to some toxins, but there’s a lot more to that. Pearl Lupine’s father is a spy with his own information ring in London and her mother’s a former assassin. Pearl herself ends up being a detective. Needless to say, her father certainly isn’t happy with it and while her mother’s come around to the idea, it’s still with some hesitation. Her cases are usually those that deal with the ‘someone’s dead or is thought to be dead’ category of crime, usually helped with her familiarity with poisons and background information thanks to her parents’ trying to train her for their own respective careers, and she herself has quite the self-relearning to do when it comes to her childhood versus a ‘normal’ one that others have experienced.

I’ve often gone back and forth on the idea of giving Pearl a sibling or a first cousin, but decided not to. Mostly due to the fact that her personal story really only works if she’s an only child. Especially in her interactions with Basil. 

I have no doubt of there being some sense of rivalry between the two, and the more the two could know from each other, their similarities could make or break them. The two might not approach a case the exact same way (in fact I imagine given the majority of the cases seen in the GMD comics/Sherlock cases versus the cases Pearl usually takes, they’d likely rarely even come across the same crime) but they are both intelligent and have similar amount of energy. On the other hand, Pearl’s own story does give her some trust issues and envy at Basil, and Basil’s ego and smugness would likely enhance the latter feeling in Pearl. That said, the two could be decent colleagues, and given Basil claiming Dawson as his partner in crime-solving and letting people grow on him, it could be possible of Pearl getting used to trust people around her. 

Next we have Ella Dolan: 

Ella’s the daughter of Inspector Dolan of Scotland Yard, taking great joy in being a dancer at the Royal Opera House. There’s a lot of inspiration from Mademoiselle Relda in this character, though granted a dancer instead of a singer. She’s certainly playful in comparison to Basil’s seriousness, but is very protective of her co-workers and friends. I have plans for using her as a sort of ‘Meg Giry’ to the ‘Christine’ in my idea for a GMD Phantom of the Opera fic. Her joy in dancing is a great motivator for her when it comes around to that story and she’s fiercely passionate when the idea of the opera house being threaten comes into play. 

Aside from being playful to Basil’s serious, I do think they’d have very few common interests, such as music or word play. I don’t think that’d be too much of an issue for the two of them. No, what would be an issue brought up between Basil and Ella would be the slight difference. Ironically enough, when thinking through on Ella’s character, she kind of became an opposite to Pearl in a way, especially in backstory. Where Pearl comes from mice that are pretty much criminals and strives to solve crimes, Ella comes from a family of law-abiders and law-enforcers and yet she herself does a few rather not-so legal ways to protect those around her. Which may or may not come into conflict with Basil. 

Though that might not end up being the only thing. You see, I originally drew Ella up as a possible love interest for someone else. That being our next lady in question: 

Annette Dawson

So, yeah I made Dawson a daughter OC. And originally, she was not meant to be a possible love interest for Basil. But I’ll get to that in a bit. 

The only child between Doctor David Dawson and his ex-wife Yvette, Annette began the career of a governess rather young in order to both teach children and avoid marriage. I already have the fanfiction where the she and Basil meet written up on AO3, and maybe I’ll also post the chapters here as well, but she takes her career as a governess seriously when it comes to educating as well as protecting her pupils. There’s a decent amount of inspiration from Violet Hunter in the Sherlock Holmes case "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches." (By the way, drinking game for anyone, take a shot anytime there’s a ‘Violet’ in a Holmes case. You won’t get drunk, but it’ll certainly give a buzz.)

Annette was not originally meant to be a possible romantic interest for Basil. So why am I putting here are one of the four options? Because not only did I find it easy to write interactions between her and Basil, there kind of accidentally ended up having some chemistry in some part I try to write for future stories. They also just have more common interests than compared to Ella, and really is a easy to make from platonic to romantic trap kind of pairing. However, aside form the fact that Annette hadn’t been meant to be a romantic interest at first, there’s also the awkwardness of Basil and her just being oblivious of their feelings without the help of someone else. Most of the fandom (myself included, admittedly) sort of have the idea that Basil is pretty much married to his work. Annette’s not so far off either with that idea, but also that given Dr. Dawson’s and her mother’s divorce, she has a distaste to the idea of marriage and most of the suitors I have made for her very much don’t deserve her and she’s not even interested- the point is, both Basil and Annette are characters that are the type to be married to their jobs. And that’s also where Ella comes in as starting off as an idea for a romantic interest for Annette. So between Annette, Ella, and Basil we have at least a very interesting love triangle that could result in a poly relationship. 

And last but not least, Ethel Blair: 

Ethel is... an interesting character, in that she’s sort of meant to be a background character even in her own story. It’s a bit complicated to explain fully, but the core of the idea behind Ethel is that the characters in the background of any setting can be interesting even as that role. Heck, in some stories, it’s a background character that actually gets the story started. 

In Ethel’s case, she’s one of two daughters to baronet Sir Andrew Blair and his wife and is vastly different from her older twin sister Anna. Where Anna is bold, brash, loud, and as blunt as a piano falling from the fifth story, Ethel is quiet, much more subtle and patient with events. Despite their differences, the two get along spectacularly, are each other’s best friends, and consultants when it comes to investments. The two sister are excellent when it comes to investing and business, which is great for their family because their father sucks at it and takes to being the front to the girls’ success. Anna with her outgoing and bold nature proves to be a good distraction while Ethel gather information they could use for future endeavors. Ethel’s more quiet nature has her labeled as a bit of a wallflower, given her unease in participating in social events, but she rather use that to make it easy to get what she, and what Anna, maybe want for themselves and their family. Then Anna gets interests in Sebastian Ratigan, the older brother of Professor Ratigan, which just starts a whole other thing and drama.

So yeah, Ethel is very different compared to the more up Infront ladies I have here. She’s also the closest I have that can be truly a ‘damsel in distress’ kind of role. The whole dynamic between her and Basil does fall under the ‘protective guy/shy girl’ idea, as well as the fact that Ethel usually being the observant, off to the side listening in on everyone else’s conversations, can lead to her being rather underestimated in what she knows or is capable of understanding about those around her due to one) she’s the younger twin, and two) she doesn’t always spits out what she knows or feels. I could see Basil coming across someone like that and get caught up trying to figure that person out. Obviously a Basil and Ethel pairing would have some key communication issues, as well as a need to talk about boundaries, given a good chunk of this dynamic is also ‘detective and mystery’ in of itself. 

So, why didn’t I just settled on one? 

Probably because I’m a multi-shipper at heart, when you get down to it. And as I stated above with Annette, some of it came from just writing interactions and there being chemistry, if slightly by accident. I’m always down for a ship or pairing where it comes down to personality interaction and the dynamics that can come from that. It’s likely why I never really got on board with the Basil x Ratigan shippers despite some of the fanart and such from that part of the fandom being awesome (I highly recommend The Good Thing That Hurts on Youtube by FoxyNightmare. It has a neat twist to the normal dynamic usually give to the Basil x Ratigan ship). 

And when it comes to Basil, and him being based off of Sherlock Holmes, it feels fitting that if he ever showed interest in anyone, it’d do with mind and personality. 

Which is how I get this mess of four possible romantic interests. 

#gmd #great mouse detective #basil of baker street #oc characters #oc x canon #long post I am sorry #digital art #doodles #fanart #ethel blair #Pearl Lupine #Annette Dawson #Ella Dolan

[prdsd4na]

i've been reading a lot of theories since friday and i've been making them myself in my head and one thing most people is mentioning a lot is the pran saved pa's life issue which hasn't been addressed properly and the parents still don't know and they play a huge role in resolving the last conflict that keeps pat and pran separated so i'm breaking my silence

premise: the family feud can only come to an end once pat's dad apologizes and pran's mom forgives him and all i'm about to say only works out if after the confrontation scene they had with their sons on episode 10 they actually took the chance to reflect on themselves because it was the first time their sons fought back and gave them something to think about and they can try to move on from there they both had the chance to bring back up something they bottled up for so much pran's mom finally got the chance to blurt out the situation and vent in front of pat's dad while he has finally been called out even by his son and came out as the main villain of the story

another premise: we all know that this show works a lot on foreshadowing and parallels and even the smallest detail shown once finds itself playing a huge role later on so what if they introduced the issue of pran saving pa's life so early on in the series and then came back to it a few times without actually address it just to disract the viewers into thinking it wasn't that huge of a thing (something they've done in the series a few times) only to let it play an important role in resolving the drama between the families in the last episodes ????

so here we go:

on episode 1 or 2 (if i remember correctly) it is shown as a flashback the day pran saved pa and then (in the present) we see pa asking her brother not to bother pran because of this and later we see another flashback of pat returning the watch to pran and here pat tells pran something like 'you helped me with one thing so i'll help you if you need it' and since then all the flashback scenes we see show pat and pran like they're not on bad terms anymore and the rivalry going on is only a facade because it is controlled by their parents all of it culminating in them becoming friends in high school and hanging out together (they're rivals yes the teacher even confirms it but there are a few things ink says that tells otherwise and all the flashback scenes overall suggest otherwise) indicating that that situation played a huge role in how their relatioship developed (pran saving pa represents the first time they weren't involved in a situation when they were against each other and for the first time ever maybe pat saw pran as other than just a rival)

on episode 6 at the beach pat finally thanks pran for saving pa and it's the first time the two of them address the issue in the present confirming the fact that indeed it played a huge role in how everything after that worked out between them and in this sense it's an important scene because it's the first time pat thanks pran for something that should have been addressed by his parents in comparison to the scene on episode 11 when on the bus pat says sorry for what his father did to pran's mother when again it should be his father the one to say sorry

on episode 10 we see pat's dad going into a series of meltdowns and finding out pran helped his son with the gun problem really humbles him almost anticipating the confrontation he has later with pran's mom and that he never once regretted anything he has done and he is not the kind of person to recognize his mistakes because he knows he has to thank pran but doesn't want to and even tho at the end he does thank pran we see that in the confrontation scene with pat in episode 10 he walks away instead of actually talk to his son

it actually make sense because thinking about how they presented the dynamics in between pat's family they are a bit weird in the sense that pa always seems to be put aside and left out opposite to her brother and their parents seem to care more about him than her almost like they take her for granted but what if finding out about that they were nearly losing their daughter if it wasn't for pran brings ming to finally say sorry to pran ???? and to his son and daughter ????? and to finally ask- wait no- beg for pran's mother's forgiveness ?????? and then she actually forgives him because she loves his son and everything she did was nonetheless to protect him from facing a situation she lived herself before him and she just wants to see her son happy and this is how the conflict is resolved????? they don't become friends or anything but they agree to be polite in the presence of each other for the sake of their sons' relationship and because they love them and want them to be happy despise all that happened in the past

there's only one episode left and for pat and pran to be together they definitely need to resolve this family feud in one way or another and from where we are now in the story it is very difficult to resolve a family feud more than 20 years old in not more than an hour without it being dissapointing or too hasty and messy and i don't want that for this series because it has been perfect since now

#bad buddy #bad buddy series #patpran #pranpat #bad buddy spoilers #bad buddy spoiler #bad buddy theory #bad buddy meta #pat x pran #inkpa #inkpaa #bad buddy the series #asian bl #asian drama #thai bl #thai drama #gmmtv #gmmtv bl #gmmtv series

[lizardboy66]

bad buddy ep 1 ramble

ok so I absolutely adore p’aof and all of his projects and expected nothing less than smth incredible from this show. the premise was strong from the start and the first episode just solidified the level of care that went into this show. ok things I’m enjoying so fart

1) I cannot stress enough how much I love the format of the show. it has taken the classic uni/engineering BL style and has subverted it in a way that doesn’t need to be intentional - by making it unapologetically itself and also very deliberate and well made. The editing is far more ambitious than pretty much any BL I’ve seen and it adds so much comedy and enjoyment to the viewing experience. While Voiceover and dialogue still play a huge part in communicating the story, the camera work, the sets, the costumes, the sound and the colours all add a more impressive and high quality dimension to the show. It’s made with such respect for its roots but is also made to be innovative and different from its predecessors.

2) the intro is just wonderful. It lays out the characters so well, it has such distinct personality which matches the show and the intro music is upbeat and organic with the visuals. Simple, but full of colour and intrigue. Perfect.

3)pat and pran. both of them feel like real people!! they r such good stand alone characters which is so important in a character driven romance plot. their motivations and intentions were so clear and consistent to their personalities. their dynamic was full of warmth and the air of excitement that comes with young love and developing a crush on someone. all of their scenes together highlighted the wonderful chemistry the actors had as well as just showing their cautious yet familiar dynamic.

4)the rivalry. Romeo and Juliet is a classic and lifting the concept of rival families and friendship circles is such a good way to start building the world your characters live in. It puts them on an equal footing from the beginning and creates the sense of something well understood but unspoken between them and I fucking love it.

5)supporting cast. the sister is wonderful. she is probably going to act as a voice of reason and sense of stability for pat and he deserves that. all of their friends seem wildly supportive and generally like a solid addition to their worlds, as well as a different perspective on the events that are going to unfold. I have a feeling the families are going to play a major part in the drama of the show and I think that’s a marvellous choice, there are already some clear dynamics forming with a favoured parent and the different family dynamics that the two leads have.

6)budding (haha get it) romance. oh it’s STRONG. they already have such a good rappor, and the romance aspect is so well integrated into their friendship that it isn’t going to be hard to make that switch in the future. I already talked about the warmth of their scenes together but I would like to once again discuss the unspoken nature of the joy they feel when they get to spend time together and be close to each other. they are clearly a great team with similar mind sets who have the ability to communicate their boundaries and not lose themselves in the desire to change to fit with their significant other. also pat’s sister having some awareness of pat’s feelings for pran is such a good choice and draws attention to the fact that pat has been queer this whole time and that is an integral part of how he navigates his life. his feelings for pran are clearly a source of pain and confusion of him, whereas pran’s feelings aren’t as clearly defined yet but still feel as intense and central to the way he conducts himself as pat’s feelings are.

my predictions:

-pran’s mum is going to be a pain in everybody’s ass

-pat either is already out as gay or has come out to himself and not told anyone yet

-if we get a coming out story it’s going to be pran’s coming out

-the idea of time and the presence of clocks is going to be a constant theme in the show

-I’m banking on at least one friend b romance plot

-this show is gonna Hurt

#bad buddy #bad buddy series #Thai bl #gmmtv #syd’s rambles

[maxwell-grant]

May I please ask what your preferred dynamic between Holmes & Lupin would be? (From what I can tell, the term 'frenemies' might have been invented for these two - if any two characters in fiction WOULD spend all their time trying to one-up each other it's these two, if only their diverse other commitments, challenges & interests left them the free time to do so: I'm also morally certain a sadly-hypothetical Holmes/Lupin team is one of the few things that could bring down Fantomas for Good).

I think "frenemies" is what ultimately works best for these two specifically, because there's a certain untouchability to icons as big as these two that limits the potential stories you can tell with them (although yes, definitely on board with the two having what it takes to bring down Fantomas, although probably not as cleanly and easily as they might expect).

The original Leblanc stories involving this premise are very much centered around one-upmanship, even embracing a theme of national rivalry of England vs France. They acknowledge Holmes's talents but without the awe, with a somewhat aged Holmes with mundane imperfections easily exploited by the daring young thief, someone deserving of his legend but who doesn't quite live up to it. Obviously Lupin's gotta have the upperhand, not just because it's his author writing it, but because the whole point of Lupin's creation was to be the new hotness, the counterpart to both the stuffy old Great Detectives as well as the aristocratic master burglars, and really, what kind of rising superstar would he be if he couldn't put one over the other guy? If he's gonna live up to his claim of being the greatest criminal ever, he's gotta be able to humble the greatest detective at least a little.

The treatment of Watson (Wilson) is tasteless and it's frankly a bit saddening to see that even back then writers were still shitting on Watson far too much, but on the whole I think Leblanc was a lot fairer to Holmes than he could have been (certainly other writers from this time period who added Holmes to their stories were not as fair), he makes it very clear Holmes is not just another Ganimard out of his depth and is very much as close to an equal Lupin's ever had. I think the description used to cap off their final meeting is very much on point:

"You see, monsieur, whatever we may do, we will never be on the same side. You are on one side of the fence; I am on the other. We can exchange greetings, shake hands, converse a moment, but the fence is always there.

You will remain Herlock Sholmes, detective, and I, Arsène Lupin, gentleman-burglar. And Herlock Sholmes will ever obey, more or less spontaneously, with more or less propriety, his instinct as a detective, which is to pursue the burglar and run him down, if possible.

And Arsène Lupin, in obedience to his burglarious instinct, will always be occupied in avoiding the reach of the detective, and making sport of the detective, if he can do it. And, this time, he can do it" - Arsene Lupin vs Herlock Sholmes

The consistent outcome is that Holmes "wins" the material battle while Lupin gets away with the spiritual or karmic victory. The first story, Holmes has Lupin figured out from a glance, robbing him of his greatest asset, and Lupin even tells Holmes under a guise that he has no greater admirer than himself. Holmes choses not to arrest Lupin, and instead solves the mystery as quickly as Lupin would. But he is also, well, inferior. His "commonplace appearence" dissappoints the guests and detectives at the crime scene, he doesn't resemble their expectations, he is gruff, ungracious, arrogant and all-business, an Englishman all the way, and Lupin one-ups him by returning to him his stolen watch, and Holmes is not a good sport about it.

The whole "Herlock Sholmes" name change, although it was out of legal obligation, almost reads like a cheeky courtesy of Leblanc, like he's giving Holmes enough of a courtesy in sparing him the embarassment of being the loser. And the following adventures stay consistent: Sholmes is smart, as smart as Lupin, and he's a gentleman. But he isn't as smart as he thinks he is, and he isn't as much of a gentleman as Lupin. He resorts to unsporting tactics like intimidating Lupin's lover and involving the police in their conflict, and in the end, he's solved the crime, but "sown the seeds of discord" in a family Lupin was protecting, becoming the villain for a change, a role reversion Lupin openly laughs at. Holmes wins the "loot", he wins the material battle, but Lupin has the last laugh, and despite being a self-proclaimed villain, Lupin gets the moral victory.

It's a quite unflattering view of Holmes and one perhaps not suited for a crossover outside of the specific context of Holmes being the old and stuffy intruder in an Arsene Lupin story. Then again, every great hero needs a lesson in humility every now and then.

There's a particularly interesting variant of this dynamic to be found within China's own takes on Sherlock Holmes and Arsene Lupin.

Sherlock Holmes was quite the breakout hit for Chinese audiences at the time of his release, revered as an alternative to Judge Bao and the court-case novels. It's estimated that from 1903 to 1909, detective fiction constituted over almost 50% percent of all Western translated fiction, and with Holmes followed others like Nick Carter and Charlie Chan, and then Arsene Lupin, and soon their own local versions. The most famous and popular of which was Huo Sang, created by Cheng Xiaoqing, who was one of the main translators for Conan Doyle's stories. Cheng Xiaoqing even wrote his own take on Sherlock Holmes vs Arsene Lupin called "The Diamond Necklace", intending on correcting Leblanc's take, although interestingly, he unintentionally recreates the exact outcome by giving Holmes an unsporting attitude, where he "wins" only because Lupin lets him, and Lupin gets away again with the moral high ground. He would fare off much better in correcting Holmes with his own character, Huo Sang.

Huo Sang has a lot of similarities to Holmes, even with his own Watson counterpart, but was also designed to represent a few more traditional Chinese values. He is a science teacher with no addictions who belittles the wealthy class and fights for the poor, and he is praised for humility, one story even making a point to criticize Holmes for arrogance. He is a very Westernized character, with suits and guns and cigarettes galore, but the books were very dictatic and the author marketed them as "disguised textbooks for science", playing up on a newfound social reverence to scientific methods and self-improvement and national rejuvenation.

The stories deal heavily with corruption of the police force and institutions. In the earlier stories he outright calls police detectives useless rice buckets only good for solving petty thefts and preying on those that can't defend themselves, and while they become less sinister in later stories, Huo Sang's relation with law enforcement is much more frayed than Holmes's own. He uses dirty police tactics of his own and sometimes takes the law into his own hands, thinking the law cannot possibly achieve justice on it's own. His biggest loyalty is to his country and he values his reputation above all else. He values justice more than the law, like Holmes. But like Holmes, he still prefers to work inside the law and within Chinese traditions.

"Bao Lang, you scholar, you're too idealistic. Don't you realize how weak the law is in modern society? Privilege and power, favors and money - the law has all these deadly enemies

"We investigate half to slake our thirst for knowledge, half out of duty to serve and uphold justice. In the realm of justice, we are never constrained by the wooden and unfeeling law. For in this society, which is gradually tending to surrender its core to material things, the spirit of the rule of law cannot be put into general practice, and the weak and ordinary people are aggrieved, more often than not unable to enjoy the protection of the law.

Lu Ping, as you'd expect from a counterpart to Lupin, was much different. In fact, right in his very first story, he was already pitted against Huo Sang and outsmarting him, in a story called "Wooden Puppet Play". The character is inspired by an already existing tradition within Chinese literature of the "chivalrous thief", shapeshifting masters of deception and martial arts, and considered admirable and benevolent opposite to the corrupt government officials they outwit.

His stories are more whimsical, energized, more varied, less dedicated to strict science. He whistles while committing crimes, is identifiable by a red tie and wooden puppets he uses to signal his goons on what outfit he's gonna be wearing, and even cracks asides to the reader. In many aspects Lu Ping is influenced by hard-boiled Western detective stories, and naturally, he has a much more contemptious view of the law than Huo Sang

Well then, was he willing, in his capacity as thief, to represent the sanctity of the law and catch the murderer? Yes, he would be quite happy to round up that murderer. But he wasn't at all willing to boost the reputation of the law. He'd always felt that the law was only something like an amulet that certain smart guys had fabricated to get them out of embarassing situations.

Such an amulet migh be good for scaring away idiots, but it oculdn't threaten the violent, crafty and arrogant evil ones. Not only could it not scare them away, a lot of them hid right behind it to work their evil tricks!

Conflicts between these two are not just rooted in one-upsmanship or the patriotic conflict between the two, but instead in two differing approaches to justice, their influence on fellow Chinese writers to step outside tradition, and the respective ways they address issues in society. Additionally, it's not just a conflict between Great Detective vs Gentleman Villain, but the Holmesian Detective and the Hardboiled Detective. And, naturally, when the two met, a pattern reocurred again.

Writing a Lu Ping tale in his usual manner, Sun Liaohong deprives the detective of the advantage he typically enjoys at the hand of Cheng Xiaoqing or any other follower of Conan Doyle - narration by the detective's coadjutor.

It is Huo Sang who slinks around like a thief, alarming hotel service personnel. He becomes rattled, and even so is vain and arrogant. He is a bit too positivist about searching for clues, and he spends a remarkable amount of time just relaxing and waiting for something to happen.

The figure of "wooden puppets" turns wicked when the author uses the term to refer to Huo Sang, Bao Lang, and the police. Satirizing the genre as a play in which the author woodenly manipulates his character. But Lu Ping as puppet is a genius, moving from one identity to another, whereas Huo Sang is a dumbbell - wooden indeed, bourgeois, ridiculed.

A gentleman's agreement occurs only at the end. Huo Sang has the formal victory. He frees Lu Ping in order to get the paining, but the exhibition is held a day late and it now bears Lu Ping's seal.

In wartime, peace talks, diplomacy and gentlemen's agreements are just smoke screens, the stuff of puppetry. Both Huo Sang and Lu Ping surround themselves with lies to reach their final accomodation. Perhaps they are both puppets - Chinese Justice, the Fiction: Law and Literature in Modern China, by Jeffrey C. Kinkley

Both characters were canned in 1949 when the CCP banned detective fiction, and it was replaced with anti-spy literature about how the party police would expose counterrevolutionary conspiracies. They never got to have a rematch, and to my understanding there were a couple of films made afterwards about them, Huo Sang had a very recent one in 2019, but never another meeting.

I guess the takeaway here time and time again is that, credit to Holmes and all, but:

#replies tag #pulp heroes #pulp fiction #sherlock holmes #herlock sholmes #arthur conan doyle #arsene lupin #maurice leblanc #lupinchads can't stop winning

[acenancy]

The Ace x Nancy x Tamura of It All

I’m here as a hardcore Nace shipper (see the URL) to throw my two cents into the Ace x Nancy x Tamura discussion.

Some of you straight up hate Tamura and that’s cool, I get it, no judgement, but I personally like him a lot as a character. And I LOVE the connection he and Nancy have. Their repartee is entertaining, they share a passion for solving mysteries which is key to being Nancy’s friend, and their very different life experiences help balance each other out. 

You know, since one of them is grounded in reality and the other is navigating through life in a supernaturally charged hellmouth.

That being said, I hope they grow closer during S3 WITHOUT becoming explicitly romantic. And I think that may be exactly what happens! At most, I think that while solving magical mysteries, Nancy and Tamura will engage in a fun little flirtationship  that will lead to genuine friendship. His partnership with Nancy would be solidified this way as well as his honorary membership to the Drew Crew. This could serve three purposes: 

Forcing Tamura to accept the supernatural elements of Horseshoe Bay, thus weaving him more intricately into the plot.

Creating tension between Nancy and Ace 😏

Exploring and adding depth to whatever sort of relationship they’re trying to establish between Tamura and Ace.

I see all of this playing out fairly simply: while Nick and George are busy juggling real life and a wedding, while Bess devotes her time and energy into researching her family history and finding love, and while Ace prioritizes Amanda, Nancy finds herself without proper backup. So! Perhaps unintentionally, Nancy gravitates to Tamura. There's crimes and mysteries to be solved and since her friends are not fully available to her, who better to turn to than the guy who’s job it is to investigate these things? And so begins the Nancy and Tamura buddy cop comedy that is both dreaded and highly anticipated depending on what social media outlet you’re using.

Though let me repeat: BUDDY COP. 

I really don’t think we’re going to have an Ed and Lorraine Warren situation on our hands with these two. Truly, if the S2 finale is anything to go by, I think S3 will allow Nancy to grow into herself outside of a romantic or sexual relationship. She’s not running from herself and into someone else’s bed anymore. She’s embracing and learning to love herself. I’d even go so far as to say Nancy’s love interest next season will be...Nancy lmao. 

As for Tamura, if they decide to give him a romantic interest, I think they would either have his ex-fiancée reenter the picture or maybe even do him dirty and stick him with Temperance for plot reasons. A doomed Tamura x Temperance romance would actually be fun to see, in my opinion, and would be a great way to open Tamura’s eyes to the supernatural. That’s just me spit-balling, though. Whether it’s because of Temperance or not, I think Tamura is finally going to have to accept ghosts and witches and magic are real this season. It’s just a requirement for working with Nancy Drew.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, we have to address the Nace of it all. Sorry to Tamura but I do believe you’re being used as an obstacle in True Love’s way next season. I think fandom’s general consensus is that the more time Nancy and Tamura spend together, romantic or not, the more jealous Ace will become. While I agree, I think Ace’s jealousy will stem from somewhere a little deeper than just seeing Nancy with another guy. 

Take Gil, for example. Ace was sort of jealous of Gil, but more than anything he was wary of him and concerned for Nancy’s wellbeing when she was with him. Unlike Ace, Gil never had anything to offer Nancy except for sex and a getaway car. He sure as hell was never her number one person. In fact, he wasn’t even Nancy’s number five person. There was never a reason for Ace to be envious of him.

Tamura, on the other hand, can prove to be just as much of an equal to Nancy as Ace is. As chief/lead detective, he also has power and influence that Ace and Nancy do not, and access to people and resources that Ace does not have (unless he can hack into them). Tamura can help Nancy bend and break the law without consequence if need be, too. And, although naive in regards to the mystics of Horseshoe Bay, he is just as smart as Nancy and has, on the rare occasion, even been one step ahead of her. Tamura is an asset, to say the least. Together, he and Nancy make a formidable duo.

That’s what will make Ace jealous. More than the prospect of romance between Nancy and Tamura, I think that Nancy finding another intellectual match is what will rub Ace the wrong way. They’ll find themselves at a brief moment in time where Nancy will turn to Tamura for assistance before anyone, including Ace, and Ace will realize he absolutely hates that someone who is not him is Nancy’s partner in crime now.

Maybe Nancy won’t notice, but Ace will probably realize his love for her is not of the philia sort. I’m sure Amanda also will. And? Maybe Tamura will see it too.

Which brings me to one of my favorite dynamics of the show: Ace and Tamura’s.

I’m not gonna sit here and spin my crazy conspiracy theory that they’re brothers. Though that idea will always hold a special place in my heart, slowly but surely I am accepting that Ace’s long lost brother really is Grant. I’m being a total grownup about it. I swear.

Nevertheless, I do think they’ve been trying to build some kind of relationship between Ace and Tamura since before Tamura even met Nancy. What sort of relationship? God, I wish I knew.

They meet each other first, which doesn’t necessarily mean a lot, but it’s worth noting that they’re on each other’s funny little shit lists before Nancy even enters Tamura’s picture. It’s also Ace and Ace alone that hears from McGuinness that Tamura will be replacing him in the same episode. Then, of course, we have that crazy Shabbat dinner in 2x03 that exacerbates their antagonistic relationship further. Then there’s their snarky banter and all of those totally unnecessary side-by-side shots of them saving Noah in 2x10. Apart from Nancy, Ace is the only member of the Drew Crew that we’ve seen Tamura develop a real connection with, even if it is an unfriendly one. And, as of now, their relationship doesn’t even have anything to do with Nancy.

So where are the writers going with this hilarious and hostile bond between Ace and Tamura? Has all of this really just been buildup for a romantic rivalry? Hey, maybe! I really can’t figure out another reason why the writers have gone out of their way to create their dynamic since the Brother Theory has been disproven. But something tells me this may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

And when I say “this”, I mean Tamura taking a step back from Nancy once he realizes he may just be filling in the love of her life’s shoes. Because that’s where I think all of this is going. Not necessarily anywhere romantic between Nancy and Tamura, but somewhere more friendly between Tamura and everyone.

At the end of it all, Tamura is going to finally embrace the supernatural, he’s going to become an ally to Nancy, Ace, and the rest of the Drew Crew, and, when the timing is right, he’s going to hop onboard the Nace ship with the rest of us. 

I HOPE.

Side note: this is just where my head is at. I truly respect all of your opinions and ask that you respect mine too. If you agree with what I’ve said and want to talk, let’s talk! If you disagree and want to talk, we can talk too! Please, just don’t get nasty with me. This is a television show about fictional characters at the end of the day, and I am a real person. Much love to you all. ❤️

#nancy drew cw #nace #namura #abe tamura

[retroyousei]

Female characters in retro shojo [70s edition, part 1]

Ah, the 1970s (and early 80s), where a majority of the shojo manga stories took place in a distant European country or in America, surrounding either orphan girls from the 19th or early 20th century, who remain cheerful and have adventures, trying to find out who they are, making friends and falling in love, or epic historical stories filled with war, scandals and larger than life characters. If the manga was taking place in Japan, the plot was somehow more down to earth -though most of the time it restrained the same amount of unrealism- and it was either about following the journey of a girl who pursues the career of her dreams and evolves into a notable person, or a high school story filled either with melodrama and angst or a more heartwarming romantic comedy. But in this two-part article I won’t talk about plot tropes of the shojo manga of that era -as this topic deserves an exclusive article-, but about the female characters (I will dedicate an article on male characters some other time). Those characters are very important, as they set the standards of today’s manga and anime. But it should be noted that back then the formula of their design and characteristics are different from today’s. Those are the categories that I’ve noticed, regarding the appearance and personality.

The “average” protagonists

They are the most common category. Usually, they come from middle class and they are presented either as cheerful and a little dense schoolgirls, or plain looking and unrefined, as oppose to their antagonists or rivals who are well educated, beautiful and more talented, but this may serve as a determination for them to improve. Other times they are presented as headstrong heroines, ahead of their time, who refuse to compromise and for this they are a pain to their old-fashion society. Either way, they are kind, good, well-intentioned and want to help the others, that’s why they make friends easily. The thing that really works with these characters and makes them much more interesting than they may seem, is that they are independent and built their future on their own and they never give up, no matter what happens and what someone might say about them. Even when they are not sure of themselves, they always keep trying, until they reach to their dream. They use their obstacles as strength and determination to go on, proving that they are not average at all.

Maya, the protagonist of “Glass Mask” is a great example of this. She starts as a good-for-nothing daughter of a poor family, who isn’t particularly accomplished, but has a hidden passion for acting which she hadn’t realise it herself at that point. But when she is discovered by Tsukigake, a former legendary actress, she realises how much she wants to be an actress to a point that she lied saying that her mother allowed her to study to sensei’s acting school and ran away from home. Not even when her mother told her that she doesn’t consider her as her daughter anymore, she didn’t gave up, in spite of being very hurt by this. Her path towards acting wasn’t easy. Many times she has to face many who say that she doesn’t belong to that industry, or who are jealous of her talent and means her harm, but with her faith in herself, she always overcomes those obstacles. An admirable thing about her is that she dislikes fame, being shy, as she just wants to act and that she does not gives up, no matter what and even when she does, she quickly stands up. The most interesting dynamic of the story is her worthy rivalry with Ayumi, that is clearly a case of the trope “technician vs performer”, with Maya as the performer, as her standard method to learn how to play a character is to become that character. As the story progresses, Maya evolves from a girl with a hidden talent, to a young actress who portraits an original take to classic characters, but who still had much to learn, to one of the greatest actresses of her generation.

In “Yokohama Monogatari”, Uno starts as a plain, poor, orphan girl, who is ignorant about the world, as she hasn’t even seen the sea before and she believed that westerners were vampires who could drink people’s blood, that’s why they had blonde hair and blue eyes. She starts to work as a companion in a rich family to their daughter Mariko, who is the same age as her. Besides their differences, they become quickly best friends. While Mariko is a little spoiled, Uno, despite of her ignorance of world, can be more considerate and responsible in some matters. She also has a lust for learning and soon her and Mariko pursuade her family to go to school. There, she meets many people, among them there are a few foreigners too, she makes a lot of friends, and she excels at all of her studies, being hardworking. As the years passed by, Japan changes and allows exchange of ideas from many cultures -it’s Meiji era we are taking about, that means the last quarter of the 19th century- and Uno evolves from a poor, -many would say- hopeless for her situation, clueless of the world girl, to an open minded, educated and refined woman, surrounded by many people she loves.

In “Tokimeki Tonight”, Ranze -well except of being the daughter of Dracula and warewolf and having her own vampire powers as well- is an average girl who is friendly, sweet and little quirky girl who goes to school and falls in love with Shuun. Some may say that she is pretty basic, but in fact, she knows her self worth well, so even when her parents were disappointed with her not having any power yet, at the beginning of the story, she wasn’t particularly bothered by it. Also she is very headstrong that she falls in love with a human boy, while she knows well that a creature from the demon world and a human cannot be together. But in spite of all of that, she decides to stay true to her own feelings and even though she’s not so sure about Shuun’s feelings for her either, she doesn’t give up and waits for him, because she hopes and deep down knows that he likes her too and she is right. And even when her parents want her to marry prince Aaron of the demon world and even the king- learn that she likes a human, in spite of that being against the rules, she isn’t afraid to stand up for her beliefs. Later though, we learn that Shuun is the lost prince of the demon world, so he is not a human after all, but that’s another story.

In “Aim For The Ace”, Hiromi is a typical schoolgirl who struggles to get better in tennis, when she gets selected as one of the club’s main players in school by the new coach, as he saw potential in her. Some of her seniors are jealous of her because of that and at first she thinks that she is not worth such a discrimination, but soon she improves and realises how much she loves tennis. There’s also a very similar rivalry dynamic with “glass mask” between Hiromi and Reika who grow to be worthy opponents.

In “Haikara San Ga Toru”, Benio is a headstrong young woman who studies Kendo, drinks sake and prefers reading literature and feminist ideas, rather than being interested in housework. She also likes to dress in western clothes, rather than the traditional kimono and strongly believes that women should have the right to decide for their future on their own and they should marry for love. But her world turns upside down when her father announces that he has arranged a marriage for her. The one that he indends for her is someone she knew before, very briefly and accidentally, a lieutenant named Shinobu. Of course, she refuses, being loyal to her ideals and she goes out of her way to avoid him, just to satisfy her pride, in spite of actually starting developing feelings for him. When she moves to his grandparents’ house to get prepared as his wife, she purposely fails in all of her duties as a housewife and constantly argues with his grandparents, but all of that only makes Shinobu fall for her even more. It’s only when he leaves to go to the war, when she realises her feelings for him and during at that time when everyone thought that he was dead, she matured and became even stronger, remaining loyal to him and determined to work as a journalist to support his family, but also tracking him down, hoping that he’s still alive. Of course, at the very end, they live happily ever after together. Benio’s character development is admirable; starting as a clever, but headstrong girl, to an independent and wise woman, proving that you don’t have to disagree with everyone in order to prove that you are the one who chooses how to live your own life.

The villains

Their extreme pride and vain is their common nature. Most of the times they come from a wealthy family, so they are either oujo-sans who are always dressed elegantly, are seemingly refined and they tend to have curly, blonde hair -as blonde hair seem to be associated with wealth and sophistication in Japan-, or they are just spoiled brats that demand that everyone will do as they say. They are the main antagonist of the story for different reasons. The most common one is that they are jealous of the heroine, either because they are their love rivals and they are jealous of the heroine’s relationship with the love interest of the story, or because they are just pathologically jealous of the heroine because of her looks, her happiness, her luck and her loving nature. Another reason they act the way they do is because they want power and success, or they just want to secure all of that. The worse and least complex reason of all is that they are just mean for no particular reason.

Eliza, from “Candy Candy” is the typical alpha b*tch who is pathologically jealous of Candy. At first, she along with her brother, makes her life miserable, by blaming her for the bad things they do, such as hurting the horses in the stables, provoking her and then telling to their mother that she’s wild and leaving her alone in a town she doesn’t know and locking her in dark rooms. After that, during their time in London, Eliza says to everyone that Candy is an orphan who made her life miserable, even blaming her for Antony’s death. Later, having the habit of falling in love with the one that Candy likes too, school, she falls for Terry and constantly tries to turn him against her, failing miserably. She also writes a fake letter to her that it was supposedly from Terry and to Terry too, to meet each other in the stables at night and with this, she blabs them to the teachers and Candy, having no choice, leaves school. Later, when Candy was pursuing a career as a nurse, she continues her cruel ways and her mother also threats the director of the hospital where she was working, that if they won’t fire her, the Leagan family will withdraw their funds for the hospital and she also made sure that no hospital from Chicago will hire her, leaving Candy in a difficult situation. Those are only of few of the things that Leagan family did to Candy. The worst part is that they don’t pay for what they did at the end.

Fukiko from “Oniisama e” fits well this image; She is a refined lady from a rich family, the president of the sorority and very educated, that’s why she is admired by everyone. However, in reality she is manipulative, proud and very possessive. She wants to control everyone and she’s even willing to go out of her way to achieve what she wants. For instanse, she’s jealous of Nanako because she is close to Henmi Takehito, the one that she (Fukiko) is in love with, so to control her, she chooses her to be a member of the sorority and demands that she will stay away from him, even by pulling her into the lake and attempt to drown her . She also makes Rei’s life miserable, by stepping into her weakness, refuse to accept her as a member of their family and constantly manipulating her with the cruelest of ways. Also, it’s revealed that her friends from the sorority are feeling pressured because of her. Later, with the death of Rei, along with her realisation that Henmi and Kaoru No Kimi are truly in love, surprisingly, she regrets, gives up on her cruel ways and matures, growing even more beautiful for all of that.

Yoko from “Tokimeki Tonight” is a different case. She is the love rival of the story and the have loved Shuun ever since they were little. Being the only daughter of a rich businessman, she is spoiled and when something doesn’t go as she wants, she is is angry and demands that everything will go the way she wants. She envies Ranze for her close relationship with Makabe and ever since she accidentally saw her transforming, she tried desperately to prove others that she (Ranze) is a vampire. Her character is less dramatic and more comedic, as she is often grumpy and clumsy. But she isn’t really a bad person and she doesn’t really cause an awful lot of trouble.

In “The Rose of Versailles”, Madam Du Barry, the king’s mistress, wants to sustain her place in the court and demands that Marie Antoinette, who was at that time the dauphine, will speak to her. She also have tried to poison one of the court ladies. Countess De polignag becomes the queen’s best friend, for her own benefits and manipulates her without her (Marie Antoinette) knowing, like telling her to lie about being pregnant and also persuade her to start gambling in the court, which was illegal. She’s also Rosalie’s biological mother and accidentally kills the woman which raised her daughter and she’s the reason that her other daughter suicides, because she cannot handle the marriage the she arranged for her. Besides of her daughter’s death, she doesn’t seem to regret for any of her actions as she tries to make Rosalie merry the same man. Luckily Rosalie escapes. Also, she tried to sabotage Oscar many times and all this was just for the sake of power and money.

In “Glass Mask”, Norie Otobe, befriends Maya and she is supposedly her assistant, but in reality she just waits for the right moment to strike and steal Maya’s role and career. Unfortunately, she succeeds and it costs a lot for Maya, for a while. Luckily Ayumi discovers this and punishes her with the best way ever.

The tomboys

They are either mysterious, or lively, but one thing is for sure; they are dressed in clothes that are considered to be “manly”, they are handsome and they are constantly mistaken for a boy. They are also very elegant and educated and their image is that of a prince. That’s why they are admired by both women and men. Some may say that even though they are trying to be like a man, they are still weak, but they point out that just because they dress more “tomboyish”, doesn’t mean that it makes them less of a woman. After all, when they want to, they can transform into the most feminine girl of all. They also prove that their sexuality is not associated with their looks, as a “masculine” girl has the same possibilities of being heterosexual or homosexual, with a more “feminine” one. So, they break all the stereotypes regarding women. Many times, they are portrayed as headstrong heroines who stand up for their beliefs and their friends.

The most famous character that supports this image is Oscar from “the Rose of Versailles”. Oscar is one of the daughters of the Jerjeyes household. Not having any son, her father decided to raise her as a boy so that one day she will succeed him. Oscar dresses in boys’ clothes and learns activities like fencing and archery. When she was fourteen, she was tasked to serve as Marie Antoinette’s bodyguard. The manga often pointed out how different those two were regarding appearance and character, even if they were in the same age. Oscar has a strong sense of justice and she always protects the weak and is not afraid to challenge someone that she believes that isn’t right. Of course, she is admired by men and women alike and she is also a great and loyal friend. At one point she falls in love with Fersen, who loves Marie Antoinette. But because of her respect for the queen and her love of Fersen, she helps them, despite being heartbroken. At the end, she realises that she loves her childhood friend, Andre. She loves medieval combat, drinking heavy drinks, talking about politics and playing violin. Many pointed out that being a woman she was weaker but she always proved them wrong, pointing out that women can do anything and that it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, only how skilful you are. She was hiding her femininity not because she wanted to be a man, but because that if she acted like a woman, the society might think that she was weak and she wouldn’t be able to have the access and the freedom to do what women normally wouldn’t do back then, because women were alowed to limited things. In the early 1970s, by the time this manga was ongoing, the second wave of feminism had already started and women started fighting for equal legal and social rights, so Oscar’s character was influenced by all this.

Rei from “Oniisama e”, is admired by her fellow classmates and is also called “saint Juste”, named after one of the leaders from French Revolution, due to her physical resemblance to him. She is very charismatic, excelling to sports, piano, guitar and theatre, she is very elegant and dresses often in a black suit. Unfortunately she is drug-addict, she smokes and can be suicidal, carrying always pills and a sharp object with her. She is also obsessed with Fukiko, the sorority’s president, for many reasons, causing her to be controlled and abused by her. She also lives alone in a depressing house filled with mirrors and this also causes to be depressed. Her best friend is Kaoru no Kimi, who’s also a tomboy, but they are entirely different and she befriends Nanako and her friends. In the end she suicides, taking too many sleeping pills, having everyone, especially Nanako, left devastated.

Also from “Oniisama e”, Kaoru, is a tomboy who is strong and energetic. She is athletic and excels at basketball, but she is also very cool and doesn’t seem to care that she is the best at something that she’s doing, that’s why she is admired by her fellow classmates who gave her the nickname “Kaoru no Kimi”, from a Japanese classical novel; “the tale of Genji”. She also has a great sense of justice, as when she sees classmates being bullied, she defends them and put the bullies on their place. She is also very loyal and supportive and cares deeply about her friends, helping them when they are in need, especially her best friend, Rei, for whom she is very concerned. But in spite of her energetic appearance, she suffers from breast cancer and tries to keep it a secret, pretending that she is healthy and that everything is under control. But in fact, she pushes away her beloved, Henmi Takehito, concealing her true feelings, in order for him to be happy without her and not suffer anymore, showing how selfless she is and how much she loves him to a point of sacrificing her own feelings. At the end, it pays off and they end up together, living happily.

Another honourable mention is Rei, from “Glass Mask”. Rei is the older student of Tsukikage sensei’s company and one of Maya’s best friends. She is a tomboy who wears those characteristic 70s jeans and for some reason is mistaken by a boy -much to her dislike-, despite of being obvious that she is a girl. Being an actress, she can transform into a beautiful princess in no time, but she also portraits very well a prince. In the first volumes, she portrayed Jo, from “little women” which was a role very suited for her. As a sister figure for Maya, she is loyal, friendly and the responsible one who helps the theatre company stay organised and is a very strict teacher to Maya, helping her because she knows her potential. Also from “Glass Mask”, Keiko from the “Ikkakuju group” is also mistaken as boy, but she can transform into a pretty princess in no time.

Note: At the first half of the 20th century “Little Women” were very popular in Japan, particularly Jo, who was tomboyish and outspoken and her character had inspired the first female mangakas of the 60s for their stories and characters.

#retro shojo #shojo manga #70s manga #80s manga #glass mask #Tokimeki tonight #haikara san ga tooru #Oniisama e #the Rose of Versailles #Candy Candy #Yokohama monogatari #aim for the ace #character types #Shojo

[orangerosebush]

Perdix

From the author Myles na gCopaleen and the playwright Samuel Beckett, Artemis Fowl I had taken the names he would give to his twin sons. By naming them in this fashion, the Fowl patriarch borrowed from the wit and prosperity the writers had blessed their home country with.

And what beauty there was in those writers’ success — to be beloved for the words one scratches onto a page. That was the purest milk and honey; a writer can claim better than most that his success is the result of the magic within his mind, rather than the tools lent to him by another man or the work appropriated from another.

Years before the twins were born, Artemis Fowl I would bestow his name upon his firstborn. To give someone your name is a gift that can only be given once, and once it has been passed down, it cannot be revoked. In this sense, the process of name-giving is like cell division; where there once was only the one, now stood Artemis Fowl I and Artemis Fowl II. The creation of an heir is a second act of reproduction that produces the child — although Artemis was first born as a son, the gift of his name brought him forth into the world as the heir.

Perhaps Artemis’ own intelligence reinforced this fate. From the moment Artemis could speak, he effortlessly adopted the mien of his father. And how could he not? His was a mind, ravenous, whose desire to consume the world around him would always be whet, never cloyed. When the stream of cruelty refuses to be struck by drought, it is no wonder when a carnivorous lamb is produced.

Did this mean Artemis was wicked at his core?

No — though what he was at his core, not even he knew. The only thing that could be said with any certainty was that he was not enough his father for either of their tastes. When Artemis was a child, he’d not yet learned to treat the world as his thing to plunder, and when the water of the Murmansk Fjord rebaptized Fowl Sr.’s heart, Artemis had grown too cunning and cruel to ever fully kill the vampire he’d become. He was both too little and too much, both too early and too late to match the pace of his father’s moral waltzing.

*****

All of this was readily apparent to Myles.

It is a terrible thing to be born to replace another. However, Myles knew in his heart of hearts that such a statement wasn’t wholly applicable to his situation. When you replace something, you expect it to be gone forever. “Forever” was an absolute that could never apply to Artemis. Myles was nothing more than a temporary replacement, for his brother’s return had been expected.

The problem at hand had nothing to do with love.

Of course Mother and Father loved Artemis, just as they loved Myles and Beckett. If anything, Myles could quietly revel in the small victory of love, for Father, despite his best efforts to appear neutral, loved Myles more than his older brother — or at the very least, was able to love him more openly, more easily.

During the first few years of his life, Myles got to have a taste of the difference between love and a legacy. While Artemis was missing, Myles, unwittingly, played his role. It felt like the world’s most exhilarating inside joke; to know of the grand plan that was your future, unbeknownst to all the people around you who didn’t understand. Myles should have known this was never going to last, however. If Father truly believed that Artemis had died — if Father had believed in Myles — then Myles wouldn’t bear the name he currently bore. Rather than having the name of a decently respected author tacked onto him like an afterthought, he would bear the legacy of his father. He could have been, should have been, Artemis Fowl III.

(Was this an immature understanding of the depth of the grief felt over Artemis’ loss, or was it Myles’ left-over instincts from his days as the heir to be attuned to the water of his father’s crocodile tears?)

But Artemis returned.

Oh, how Myles hated him! How quickly this return relegated Myles to the role of merely being a son once more. Artemis, the prodigious-rather-than-prodigal son. Artemis, with his capacity for miracles and endless belief in his own abilities. Artemis, who when their Father talked about the past, was a figure that ambiguously represented both Artemis Fowl I and II. Artemis, who left for three years and came back with an eye that no longer resembled Father’s eyes.

Ever since Artemis returned, Myles dedicated himself to the cause of tearing down false idols — he disavowed the faulty flying machines of da Vinci just as he mocked the hypotheticals of Einstein’s Big Bang. These intellectual titans were frauds waiting to be unmasked by Myles — Myles, who held all the answers, and who wasn’t afraid to proclaim that he did.

What did the gift of getting to play with Father on uneventful Sunday mornings with Beckett matter when compared to the gift of being seen as an equal?

Perhaps the real source of Myles’ petulant rage was the fact that even more than the recognition of Father, he craved the recognition of Artemis. His older brother, his dead-and-alive sibling, his kin who was both the father and the son — Myles wanted so dearly to belong to the world of magic made possible by some unknown, special quality that seemed to suffuse Artemis with a brightness noticeable to all.

When Myles had tentatively tried to explain these sentiments to Beckett, his twin had been mystified. Beckett, who had always been more like Angeline, found the tale of fathers-sons-and-brothers inscrutable. Mystified by his brother’s frustration, Beckett had countered Myles’ confession with the facts he had available: Artemis loved the twins, and Beckett knew that Myles loved Artemis in turn. They were family, Beckett had argued, and they all loved each other — Myles simply got confused because he overthought things so often.

It was the worst response Beckett could have given. The fact that Artemis got to slide neatly back into his old life, sending the family dynamic into free-fall, wasn’t fair — Artemis shouldn’t get to just win . Every moment Artemis spent back home was a moment he was cheating Myles out of what had been his. For Myles to care for his older brother all the same… it was the most humiliating defeat he could have been served. Maybe if Myles had been born first, if he’d gotten to be the second rather than merely Myles, things would be different.

If Myles had just been allowed a fair shot, perhaps brotherhood wouldn’t feel like rivalry.

#artemis fowl #long post #my writing #yes i posted this on ao3 yes im putting it here bc its better as a stand-alone

[decennia]

i give u free reign to infodump ab all of the knights and the og army bc i am vv intrigued agjgssgsh

THERE IS SO MUCH HERE OMFG MORAL OF THIS STORY NEVER ASK ME TO INFO DUMP BECAUSE I WILL TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF IT—

I've separated it into sections:

The Knights of Walpurgis, and the motivations for their assigned sins.

Dumbledore's First Resistance, and the motivations for their assigned virtues.

The dynamics between the opposing contenders.

Given the sheer volume of information, I've included a cut. Please enjoy this manip that I am still very proud of.

THE KNIGHTS OF WALPURGIS (later known as Death Eaters) Tom Riddle (Pride)

Pride and arrogance were very large contributing factors to Tom Riddle's downfall in the end, and honestly, the whole idea for the gifset came from Florence + The Machines' Seven Devils playing while casually thinking of Dagrim and Tom, and then about how perfectly Tom would fit as Lucifer.

Dagrim Patil (Avarice)

When questioned about what she wants, and what Riddle promised her in exchange for her unwavering loyalty, her response is, quite simply: everything. Dagrim grew up starved not for affection, but recognition. And what she was denied in childhood, she would take in adulthood by force. Her philosophy is that if something is worth wanting, it is worth taking.

Cantankerous Nott IV (Lust)

We know so little about Theodore Nott's father from the source material, other than he was elderly, and he raised Theo himself. And that he was a Death Eater, of course. His name is an ode to his ancestor, the Cantankerous Nott who created the Sacred Twenty-Eight pureblood directory. I assigned him "lust" purely for the events leading to the conception of his son (sis, it gets messy).

Abraxas Malfoy (Envy)

Abraxas Malfoy envied Tom Riddle to the point of a half attempted mutiny. He was quickly put in his place, his co-conspirators made examples of, and spared only for his close friendship with Dagrim, who pleaded for his life. Riddle, who trusted Dagrim to a fault for all she'd done to earn it, conceded. Abraxas would later prove himself to Riddle again, regaining his seat among Riddle's favoured generals. He was the one who taught Lucius to never disobey the Dark Lord, and he was not a kind teacher.

Ulysses Mulciber (Gluttony)

Indulgence and excess, spoiled rotten and filthy rich. The Mulcibers were the richest of the Sacred at one point in their lives, rivalled only by the Malfoys. Ulysses never knew the meaning of "enough," and was a glutton not only in all manners of vice, but also for cruelty, dealing it out carelessly with little to no regard for the repercussions he was well protected from by his noble standing and wealth. He was one of Riddle's greatest allies and sponsors, and instrumental in his rise to power.

Carmilla Avery (Wrath)

Carmilla was in the year above Riddle, and was quick to anger and slow to calm. Her temper was legendary, and even her younger brothers – also admitted into the Death Eater ranks – feared her. She had an untempered fury, a rage at the world for no reason at all. She developed an unhealthy codependency with Abraxas Malfoy, who served to have a soothing presence over her. People seldom survive crossing her, as her reputation dictates.

Serafine Lestrange (Sloth)

Serafine is not lazy (as the sin "sloth" would suggest), she just lacks the motivations to pursue the goals that are expected of her. A particularly bright witch, and a wealthy one too, she never applied herself at school for she didn't see the need. Instead, she fell into a fascination of the Dark Arts, where she met Riddle, perusing the Restricted Section. She is rather discontented with life, disillusioned from already such a young age. She initially joins Riddle's gang for the excitement of it all.

DUMBLEDORE'S FIRST RESISTANCE (later known as the Order of the Phoenix in its official conception in 1970)

Albus Dumbledore (Patience)

Name a man more patient than Dumbledore, I'll wait. Better yet, he'll wait, because he's patient as hell. So patient, in fact, he waited until after Harry's supposed death to come to him as a hallucination and tell him about how he was a Horcrux.

Rathin Patil (Temperance)

Temperance is abstinence, and I wanted to explore the kind of toll having his sister so far gone into the dark would have on any man, let alone one who really cared for her and wanted to do right by her. Rathin is not a perfect man, he is still fallible, and unfortunately, he develops a dependent comfort in inebriation when Dagrim disappears with Riddle. He pulls himself back together, especially when he becomes Isaiah Moody's partner at the Ministry, and he begins to pursue Miraya.

Miraya Varma (Diligence)

Methodical and persistent, Miraya Varma earned herself a position at the Ministry immediately out of Hogwarts where she would later go on to form her own task force within the Ministry specifically designed for the interrogation and recommended sentencing of dark wizards and witches. She has been known to put her duty first, up until the birth of her son, Divyansh Patil, father to Padma and Parvati.

Isaiah Moody (Humility)

For a very long time, people seldom knew the Moody name, and that was the way Isaiah liked it. He believed that his line of work would endanger his loved ones (in spite of his wife being in the same profession) and so he never took credit for the numerous arrests he made. It was Isaiah who suspected something was strange about Morfin Gaunt's arrest while investigating the Riddle Massacre, and consulted Dumbledore about it. Once his identity was discovered and he was viewed as a threat by Riddle, an attack was made on his heavily pregnant wife, jeopardizing her and his unborn boy's (Alastor) life.

Minerva McGonagall (Chastity)

Mini Minnie is seventeen, my dudes. But not only that, Minerva grew up with a religious father (he was canonically a reverend), who probably taught her his values. Also given the fact that Minerva was the first of the younger generation to participate and involve herself in the war (she sought out Dumbledore and enlisted herself into his Resistance, fearing her family would be made into another statistic if she didn't at least do something to intervene), she really didn't have much time to think about something as arbitrary as the concept of virginity. Also, it's the 1950s.

Corinne Scamander (Kindness)

Corrine is honestly the greatest. She has all of the tenacity of Tina, and the best qualities of Newt. It was Dumbledore's previous bond with Newt that encouraged him to recruit her, and she willingly accepted, because of course she would. She'd always been the soft spoken girl with a tender touch and a love for life, and she was often the advocate for hope in the resistance. She was adept in a few healing charms she'd learned from her father, and was something of a specialist in magical beings, proving herself to be highly valuable while Riddle was expanding his ranks with all manner of dark creatures.

Declan Diggory (Charity)

Sacrifice is in the Diggory blood, and Cedric's grandfather, Declan, was not the first to prove it. He also, unfortunately, wasn't the last, but he sure was one of the best. Selfless to a fault, Declan would willingly get hypothermia if it meant someone else would have warmth. Diggory's contributions to the war effort consisted of offering sanctuary and shelter to muggleborns who received death threats, and orchestrating the evacuations of targeted muggle residences. He was the leader of a small faction of the resistance, including, but not limited to: Fleamont Potter, Enoch Longbottom, Wilhelm Shacklebolt, and Ramona McKinnon.

DYNAMICS (just the contenders for now because this is hella long)

Albus Dumbledore vs. Tom Riddle

Adversaries, a fair deal of mistrust and guilt from Dumbledore's side (upon reflection, he'd been the one to introduce Tom to the wizarding world; even though he knows that if Riddle had been left unchecked, the risk of him becoming an Obscurus would've resulted in catastrophe all the same). Riddle sees Dumbledore as nothing more than a foolish old man, a pest, and an obstacle to overcome at first, but learns to begrudgingly respect Dumbledore's strength and mastery of magic (after all, Riddle only knew him as the Transfiguration teacher before, and thought the accounts of Dumbledore's victory over Grindelwald had been exaggerated to great effect). Riddle's hubris was believing he could defeat Dumbledore on his own, thinking himself already stronger than Grindelwald ever hoped to be.

Rathin Patil vs. Dagrim Patil

Rathin had always been very protective of Dagrim, and loved her dearly, although his acts of affection were often misinterpreted as pity and condescension. This only served to push them further apart. When Dagrim turned to the Dark Arts and found solace in Riddle, it revolted Rathin, as he was hugely against the corruption the Dark Arts has on the performing witch or wizard, and wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy. He still very much loves her, and it hurts him to fight her. Dagrim, on the other hand, finds catharsis in duelling her brother, believing it to be justice for the way her parents treated her and the little he did to dissuade them.

Miraya Varma vs. Cantankerous Nott

A mutual respect and an academic rivalry, Cantankerous and Miraya were not friends by any means, but not enemies, either. Cantankerous even went as far as to warn Miraya of an impending attack, allowing her to evacuate the building. But although he knows she's clever, he also knows that she's incredibly stubborn, and displayed little surprise to find her awaiting him in the now vacant building. They are equally matched, and their unique relationship spans several decades, even into Cantankerous' failed run at Minister for Magic, and Theodore and the Patil twins' time at Hogwarts. She was present at his trial following the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and watched as he was sentenced to life in Azkaban for his crimes as a Death Eater.

Isaiah Moody vs. Abraxas Malfoy

Given his profession, Isaiah has a lot of enemies on the Sacred Twenty-Eight who are loyal to the Dark Lord. One such enemy is Abraxas Malfoy. When Tom gets word of Moody's involvement in solving the Riddle Massacre, he sends Malfoy and a newer Death Eater, Evangeline Rosier, to hinder the investigation. Abraxas and Evangeline were responsible for the attack on Isaiah's heavily pregnant wife, who, if she hadn't been an Auror herself, would've never survived. Alastor Moody was prematurely born at St. Mungo's following the attack, and all of Isaiah's efforts were turned on exacting vengeance on those responsible. Malfoy went into hiding, but Isaiah, ruthless, managed to hunt down Rosier. She died under questioning, setting in motion a vicious cycle of vengeance between the Moodys and Rosiers. Once Isaiah had been killed by Evangeline's brother (Evan [who was named after her] Rosier's father), Abraxas deemed it safe to rejoin society.

Minerva McGonagall vs. Ulysses Mulciber

On the list of things Ulysses loathes, he would put half-bloods above muggleborns (although he turns a blind eye to his Dark Lord's blood status when it conveniences him). Half-bloods only serve as a reminder of the lowest and weakest of his kind; the unworthy muggleborns, the lecherous blood traitors, the vermin muggles. Mulciber prides himself as something of a "purifier," and finds great enjoyment in pruning family trees that have been poisoned by muggle blood into purity once more. He takes a great interest in Minerva McGonagall, given that she is an incredibly powerful witch at such a young age, and he wonders how glorious she would've been had she been a pureblood (a twisted and untrue belief among the Sacred Twenty-Eight during that time). Minerva, the threat of Mulciber weighing heavily on her, places her family under Dumbledore's protection. She vows to stop Mulciber and his perverse idea of justice.

Corinne Scamander vs. Carmilla Avery

It didn't take much to enrage Carmilla Avery, and Corinne had been caught in the tempest Carmilla's fury since the day they'd met. Carmilla, who took great pleasure in picking on people she deemed lesser, made a target out of Corinne, perceiving her kindness for weakness. During their time at Hogwarts, Corinne had gained the attention of Avery for being a blood traitor and a muggle sympathizer, which only strengthened Carmilla's vindication. Corinne, who had been friends with Rubeus Hagrid prior to his expulsion, and who had almost fallen prey to the basilisk when she had heard Myrtle Warren's cries from the bathroom, never lowered herself to Carmilla's level nor did she rise to any of the challenges. This hurt Avery's ego, as she thought this was Corinne's way of claiming herself better than her. It wasn't until after Hogwarts that Carmilla's growing resentment came to a head, and, without the protection the school offered Corinne, Carmilla was looking to finally put an end to the blood traitor line of Scamander.

Declan Diggory vs. Serafine Lestrange

Declan and Serafine were childhood friends who drifted apart during their time at Hogwarts, particularly when she fell in with Riddle's crowd. She is viewed by Dumbledore as having the power to sway the entire outcome of the war, for if Serafine could be persuaded into leaving Riddle, her cousins (one of whom is the father of Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange) would surely comply, and the families who held the Lestranges in high regard would be inclined to follow. This makes Declan and Serafine key pieces in Dumbledore's game of strategy. However, Serafine was disowned long before she defected from the Death Eaters, leaving the Lestranges firmly in Riddle's grasp. Although Serafine claimed to feel nothing for Diggory, she still refused to deal any real harm to him when they duel, in spite of having ample opportunity to do so; something which Riddle picked up on. She was later forced to torture Declan in front of him to prove her loyalty to the Dark Lord, something which Declan permitted her to do, knowing she had very little choice in the matter. He was left for dead, but Serafine would later secretly return with Corinne to get him medical attention. She gives her son, Francis, "Declan" as a middle name.

#rip to everyone who read this until the end #fic: and the snakes start to sing #fic: atssts #knights of walpurgis #death eaters #order of the phoenix #tom riddle #voldemort #albus dumbledore #oc: dagrim patil #oc: rathin patil #oc: cantankerous nott #oc: miraya varma #abraxas malfoy #oc: isaiah moody #oc: ulysses mulciber #minerva mcgonagall #oc: carmilla avery #oc: corinne scamander #oc: serafine lestrange #oc: declan diggory

[todorosy]

Dark Academia // Todoroki Shouto

Uhh what if UA was drenched in the dark academia aesthetic? Because I am a filthy whore for turtlenecks.

Todoroki Shouto

It was half past 1AM. You know you should be sleeping, but the old creaking of the house and the constant tapping on your windows from the wind hitting the trees were deafening.

You climb out of bed, barely flinching at the cold wooden floors under your feet. You weren’t quite as familiar with the layout of the house as you were when you were a child, but due to your parent’s busy lives with work, you didn’t want to be left home alone during your winter break. Graciously, Endeavor, a close family friend, had offered his home to you for the next month. Of course you took up the offer. The beautiful high ceiling library, the magnificent grand piano, delicious and expensive tea? How could you say no?

The only downside was Shouto.

You’ve known each other since you were children but you two had always had a “friendly” rivalry as your years in boarding school progressed. You would go head to head in class seminars, sports, the speech and debate team, exams, and etc. You despised him and his prestigious attitude, but yet you two had always remained in each other's circle. Rumors arose, but it was hard to say when others would see yourselves having a screaming match in the hallways and studying together in the library that same evening.

Though your parents were very close to each other and insisted on spending dinners, vacations, and outings together- the banters and childish arguments continued then too.

With the moonlight shearing through the curtains, you were able to make your way towards the library. Your favorite room in the house. You cracked the door just enough to slip in. It was pitch black. You feel around the walls for the light switch before you notice a single lit candle on the table.

You grab a candle holder before making your way in between the bookshelves. You run your fingers along the old leather spines of the books. What were you feeling for tonight? Some Samuel Beckett? Sylvia Plath? Maybe something comedic.

“Looking for something?” A voice breaks the silence from behind you.

You quickly gasp and turn around. The candle in your hand illuminates a familiar face that stood a few inches away from yours.

“Christ, Shouto. Don’t scare me like that.” You quickly compose yourself, adjusting the blanket around your shoulders.

“What are you doing up so late? Shouldn’t someone like you be tucked away to bed already?” He cocks an eyebrow.

You roll your eyes. “Oh don’t patronize me, shit head. I could ask you the same thing.” You brush past him to continue searching the shelves. "A princess like you needs their beauty sleep."

From behind you, you hear his footsteps following you.

“Ah, I missed that. You’ve been avoiding me like the plague since you’ve gotten here. Makes me miss our in-class discussions.”

“You missed me, huh? I wished the feelings were mutual.” You tease. “In fact, I think your presence is quite suffocating.” You say peering over your shoulder at him.

He trails behind you and slithers a hand around your waist and pulls you close with your back to him.

“Now you better watch your words. You are in my home after all, and we are lost in between these bookshelves. It would be a shame if...” He leans over your shoulder and blows out the candle providing the only source of light in the room.

“It would be a shame if I poured this hot candle wax all over you, peabrain. Now it's pitch black and I can't see anything.” You groan.

“You’re telling me you didn’t light anymore out in the main study room? Good job, stupid.” He scoffs and releases you from his grip.

“Well why did you blow out the candle in the first place? This isn’t an erotic scene in Twilight. Get real.” You roll your eyes and turn to face him. "And stop stalking me. I wanted to come down here and escape the overwhelming Todoroki presence.

“I couldn’t help myself, you're just too easy to annoy." His voice suddenly goes low "But anyways, I'm glad I caught you because I've been meaning to discuss some things with you.” His voice suddenly goes low.

“What is it? Can't it wait until the morning or is it that dire?” You cock an eyebrow. 

"Well it could've if you weren't fleeting every room I step into." He rolls his eyes.

You were suddenly less than a feet from each other. You could barely make out his face in the darkness, but he held onto your wrist to make sure you weren’t a fog in the dark.

“But no, it's not as serious as it sounds. I’ve just been wondering a lot lately. We've known each other since we were pretty much born right?"

"Right...?"

"Well, how do you really feel about me? Drop the academic rivalry stuff. Can you actually not stand my presence?"

You almost snorted out a laugh.

“Are you serious? You created this dramatic build up just to ask me that?” You try to suppress your laughter. "How old are you again?

Your eyes adjusted to the darkness and you met his gaze. He looked much more innocent than he did earlier. His hair was disheveled. His eyes were tired. I took you a second to calculate an answer.

“Okay, okay. I won’t tease you." You let out a sigh. "But... I think you’re infuriating at times. Annoying. Prideful.” You begin. “But you’re a good rival. You keep me on my toes. So I don't hate you as much as everyone thinks I do. Only a smidgen I guess." You playfully say.

“Ah okay. Ditto to you. Princess complex. Always have to be so pristine and proper around everyone.” He chuckles under his breath “But you know I don’t hate you either. You keep things interesting over at UA. I like having you around.”

A blush dusted over your cheeks. You’ve never seen Shouto get so into his emotions. He’s usually as serious as ever and keeps conversation casual at most. You had to admit to yourself that you did have an infatuation with him when you were at the ripe age of 13, but that was quickly repressed when you were competing for the entrance to UA.

“Yeah...I’m glad we were both accepted into UA." You awkwardly look down at your feet. "But why'd you ask anyways?”

"I'm not sure. I guess I was just trying to predict how our dynamic would play out after we grow up and part ways onto our own careers."

"I see. I mean if I'm being blunt, we're not exactly bffs. Kinda."

You’ve always seen him in a different light than your peers. They always complimented him and boasted about him and were envious of his intelligence, but you knew him better than that, which is why your relationship was so confusing.

"How has.." You begin "...your father been?"

His breath hitches before he sighs. He then lets out a scoff. You feel his hands fall from your wrist.

"He's been the same guy he's always been. You know how it is." You could hear the sad smile in his voice.

"I do." You reply sadly.

"I want to be a writer. A journalist even. He wants me to take over his company. It's pathetic. There's no chance that I'd be able to run a business and write on the side."

"Hey, don't talk like that." You cut him off. "Who says you can't just drop the business all together and pursue writing? You've got brains in your head and the heart of a lion."

"Now watch yourself. if you keep talking like that, I might risk it all right now." He chuckles.

"I'm serious." You firmly put both your hands on his shoulder now, giving them a hard squeeze. "You don't have to be who your father wants you to be. I support you. Even if I want to rip your face off sometimes, you know I'll always be rooting for you."

There was a moment of silence between you two. He stood there, eyes gazing into your own like a lost child searching for something. You didn't know, but he appreciated your words more than you may think. He's been waiting his whole life for some reassurance and some escape from the path he's been forced upon.

"Thank you Y/N. Really." He pulls you in for a hug and it feels like all of the air from your lungs and is replaced with the soft scent of sweet mint and lemons. You hug him back tighter, smothering your face in his chest.

"No problem. You know, all these years of insults aren't for nothing." You mutter. "I want you to be the best version of yourself."

He moves his hands from your back to cup your face and head. He pulls away just enough to plant a gentle peck on the top of your head. You stayed intertwined like that for a few moments longer. You felt your body overheat under the thick blanket draped over your shoulders, but you didn't move.

"Y/N."

"Uh..yeah?" You muffle out. Your heart was racing.

"I think this is the first time we've hugged. Ever." He chuckles. "A lot of people would be jealous, you know."

"Aaanndddd... you've officially ruined it." You roll your eyes and push him away. "Get a lot of bitches, Shouto? Huh? You're such a hot shot, right?"

"Of course. I am a Todoroki after all." He teases.

"Ah yes. Nothing else to admire other than your family name." You began making your way down the aisle of books back to where you came from, he follows right behind you. "I thought you never cared about romance and all that bullshit."

He ponders the idea for a second.

"I've been around. Relationships are distracting and not many people catch my attention anyways."

You and Shouto make it to the main study where you light more candles around, dimly lighting the room just enough to see each other's faces.

"Oh? You've been around?" You ask with amusement, browsing through many of the books stacked on the table. "I've always thought you were too good for anyone. Might I say, a pure virgin boy?"

"Shut up." He rolls his eyes. "I've had my fair share of flings and dates. Bet you can't say the same can you, prude? Not even a first kiss?"

"As if I have the choice. My father wouldn't let me waste any time with a significant other, and I know for a fact that yours wouldn't either." You scoff. "And I've actually kissed lots of people! And I bet all of them would say I'm decently good too!"

You start to feel your stomach twist. You lied. You've never had your first kiss. You've always ran away from confessions and confrontations. You have your back turned to Shouto, mindlessly flipping through the books to mask your nervousness but your clammy hands could instantly give you away.

You feel a hot breath exhale onto your bare neck, making you instantly turn around to face the tall figure blocking your view. You look up to lock eyes with the boy you grew up learning to despise.

He picks up a strand of your hair and twirls it between his fingers. "You know, after spending so much time with you for all these years, I think I have a pretty good idea of your mannerisms. Especially when you're telling the truth or not."

"You don't know anything about me, Todoroki." You stand your ground and glare up at him.

"You've never had your first kiss. You've never felt someone else's skin on yours." He states, running his fingers down your strand of hair. "Don't lie about it. I know you."

"And if I haven't then why is it any of your business?" You spit back.

"It's not, but just wanted you to admit it. You're not the winner you think you are, Y/N."

Your face erupts in fire, but you keep your composure calm.

"The winner? Sweetheart, I'm the prize" You snarl.

You step forward, making him stumble back.

"You think you're so desired. You think you have everybody wrapped around your finger, but listen here, babe." He eventually hits the wall on the other side of the room. His eyes are wide.

"You can have anyone you want. You can swoon as many as you would like, but you can't have me."

You grab the back of his neck and pull his face close to yours. You're damn near on your tippy toes just to reach him, but you make the effort flawless. His breath hitches as you're just a few inches away from each other. You squeeze your eyes shut and connect your lips together like a hard punch.

He felt frozen, but slowly matched your lips. His hand harshly grips the side of your neck as if he's slipping away.

You were on fire. Your feet were ready to cramp up from holding the position for so long, your eyes were begging to open to see whether or not his were, your hand on the back of his neck was getting even more clammy, and you honestly felt like you could throw up for the bold move you just made.

You ripped away and stumbled a few steps back.

"But I can have you. And that's what makes me the winner."

You turn around and quickly escape, leaving him and your dignity in the study.

At least you left with your pride.

#shouto todoroki #bnha todoroki #todoroki x y/n #todoroki x reader #todorokixreader #todoroki fanfic #boku no academia #bnha #mha #my hero academia