#they are good pronouns!! very simple and straightforward

[inkpot909]

How They Text the Reader Headcanons

↳ Characters included are Bruno Brucciarati, Leone Abbacchio, and Guido Mista. Gender Neutral Reader with they/them pronouns.

A/n: I’ve always wanted to try my hand at doing x Reader text messages! This was very fun to make, and I do plan to make more of this kind of headcanon list for the rest of Bucciarati’s team.

Warning(s): None.

Bruno Bucciarati

Bruno’s text messages are straight to the point and utilize proper grammar like the mother he truly is deep down.

Not the type of person to send emoji’s… ever, really. This is because he views texting as a simple tool to use when he can’t just speak to you in person or over a phone call.

However, you prefer the funnier explanation of it actually being because he’s secretly very inept at using technology (this is very much so part of it he just won’t ever say so).

In all honesty, he prefers to call you and hear the sound of your voice more than communicating over text. He’s the type to call in order to converse about whatever mundane thing is on his mind instead of sending a text.

That said, he’s definitely the type to always tell you good morning or wish you goodnight with a sweet text message.

Also, because of his job, he’s often put into long-term situations where calling isn’t exactly ideal. That’s when he’ll text the most; he just wants to check up on you regularly when he can’t be there in person do so! This became especially true after rising to the position of Capo.

His text messages may seem… bland to those unfamiliar with him.

But since you know him as well as you do, they always ring as genuine and an extension of his polite kindness.

Admittedly, it is hard to argue against the fact that his straightforward style of text often leads to misunderstandings. This is due to his sometimes unreadable tone:

Leone Abbacchio

Hardly ever texted you at the beginning.

Since the two of you started going out, he’s gotten a bit better, though. Before, he was very adamant that if he has something to say, he’ll wait when he’s face-to-face with you.

But when he eventually let it slip that he often forgets what he even wants to talk to you about, you slowly began getting him to text you more.

Arguably the best method of doing so is to get him to tell you about something he feels strongly about. Whether it’s something positive like asking him about the music he’s been listening to recently, or it’s something more devilish like bringing up subjects that really bother him.

Leone is at least very reliable.

Meaning that, although he doesn’t often start a conversation over text himself, he will respond to you reasonably quick.

Tease him by claiming it’s because he has a soft spot for you and he won’t text for an entire day (you know he loves you).

He also prefers to use proper grammar and punctuation in his texts. That said, Leone does use emojis (usually just to express disappointment) and sometimes can seem more expressive in text than he is in actual conversation.

One sweet thing he does over text is that he always sends you a message after he makes it home after a particularly dangerous mission, informing you that he’s safe. He knows you worry, and although he often puts up a front claiming it’s annoying, he truly does take note of that concern.

Abbacchio’s just not completely used to having someone like you in his life who holds a special concern for him. He is adjusting; slow and steady.

And although he forms the habit of texting you more, it’s you and only you he has the energy to do this for (outside of probably Bruno). This leads to other’s on Bucciarati’s team to text you when they want to get a hold of him:

Guido Mista

Real talkative over text, especially in the evening after he’s finished with his dinner. He’s pretty expressive and uses a decent amount of emojis.

Will plop down on his couch with an exaggerated bounce, pull out his phone, only with the purpose of talking to you and doing nothing else on the device.

The two of you actually had to work on how late you’d stay up texting one another.

Hours disappearing in the blink of an eye and leaving you both extra tired the next morning. And on occasions that it was decided to take the conversation into a call… it’s easy to see why you both have slept in late more than once.

Although not as frequently as someone like Narancia, Mista will send memes every now and then. Not only that, but he always replies to the ones you send him.

He prefers to send you embarrassing or funny pictures of others in the group over memes, though. You’ve seen photos of Abbacchio and Fugo in particular that Mista could honestly use as blackmail.

This has bitten him in the butt quite a bit, though.

After discovering Mista’s been doing this, the others now send you every single unfavorable image they own of the gunslinger. Even Bruno’s sent his fair share.

And although Mista often forgets to say good morning to you through text, he always says goodnight to you.

Not only that, but Mista will text right after he’s completed with a mission. Although a bit of a goofball, he always takes work seriously, and will leave you on delivered on hours at a time depending on what he’s up to. But the minute things have calmed, he’s letting you know.

Mista will certainly ask one of his common out-of-pocket questions designed to get a conversation going via a text message.

This isn’t a bad thing per se, except for the fact that he has a bad habit of doing so at three in the morning.

Even still, they’re not the weirdest variation of texts you’ve ever received from him:

#johnny’s work #jjba #jojo’s bizarre adventure #vento auero #golden wind #bruno bucciarati #bruno bucellati x reader #leone abbacchio #abbacchio x reader #guido mista #mista x reader #narancia ghirga #pannacotta fugo #giorno giovanna #headcanons #fluff #fake texts

[haven-of-dusk]

Semi-random scene analysis time. I honestly always liked this scene, and it took me a bit to figure out why, but I think I got it.

First off, just aesthetically, *chef's kiss*. The mussed up helmet hair looks adorable on all three of them, the outfits are on point, I'm literally just now noticing that I think the Steiners have matching backpacks (their commitment to the bit is insane and wonderful), it's all great.

Second...it's just funny. And charming. Ethan and Aiden ping-ponging the conversation between each other for a second without even letting Scott get a word in is fun, and the delivery of "This is about you being the target of demonic ninjas." "You mean the demonic ninjas who pulled swords out of their chests and kicked our asses?" "Yeah! Those demonic ninjas!" was pitch perfect. I feel like Charlie and Max don't get enough credit for how well they bounce off each other because it's assumed they would be good at it, when in actuallity I've met more than one set of identical twins who SUCK at that.

Lastly, it might be me reading too much into things, but I do think this scene is a great example of characterization through limited dialgoue and action. A line that stands out to me is "Since this is our first experience with demonic ninjas, we're thinking we should play it safe." The use of the plural pronoun is very telling to me, because I'd be willing to bet even thinking of protecting Scott was Ethan's idea, and yet he always uses the 'we' pronoun because he and Aiden are an inseperable team.

It's something I feel S3 really did right: distinctifying Ethan and Aiden into their own people without sacrificing their bond to each other. I feel like a lot of fiction that introduces twins as minor characters just makes them a unit without much distinction between them (hell, Harry Potter did it twice, for instance), but despite the Steiners literally having a merged form, the show made an effort to show how they're very different, yet still complementary people. They could be simplified to the brains and the brawn, but even that straightforward premise tells us a lot about how they've survived as long as they have and presumably a contributor to Deucalion recruiting them. It also makes Aiden's death all the more heartbreaking the more you realize how important they were to each other.

I'm getting a little off-topic here, but the point is that simple interactions like this can darastically shape a character and I feel as though that's underappreciated. Especially when it comes to already underrated characters like the Steiners.

On a last, less serious note, I appreciate that the three werewolves with miraculous healing abilities all still practice proper motorcycle safety and wear helmets, gloves, and long sleeves. Unironically love that for them.

#teen wolf #scott mccall #aiden steiner #ethan steiner #scene analysis? #sort of?

[knjbrin]

Introduce your ocs to me, im new :3

Oh HIIIII omg Let me start okay so These are all Ocs for my Comic Broken Bottlez;

*This is Willow they go by She/They Pronouns and is the main character and lead singer and guitarist of the band

Her interests consist of reading Books on The history of rock music and Practicing guitar. She takes writing music and keeping the band together very seriously. When she’s not doing any of that she’s Exercising or working part time at Vera’s Bar.

*Then there’s Keeoni She’s 24 and goes by She/Her pronouns and is the second main character. She’s a Journalist for a Magazine that features Rock bands and all things Alternative.

A social Butterfly Keeoni loves to be on the scene whenever there’s a concert, a party, or an event that needs her she’ll be there.

Her interests consist of Learning about bands and the history of Alternative music because her father used to be the lead singer of a Famous band. When she’s not doing that she’s Volunteering at Libraries reading to children or tutoring students. She loves Fashion and Wants to start a blog about Fashion trends in the scene. She’s new to town and Finds herself Getting much more personal with Lead singer of Broken Bottlez

*Then there’s Elizabelle who’s sort of the main Antagonist of the comic. She’s 25 and goes by She/Her pronouns and is an Ex member of Broken Bottlez along with Being Willows Ex.

An Upcoming Model and Fashion Influencer Elizabelle is A Social Butterfly she thrives in the Social Scene and will do anything to Stay in it.

Her interests consist of Shopping, Blogging, and Socializing with People of her Social Status and going to Parties to mingle with the VIP there. Outside of that Eliza struggles with her self image of being Apart of a society that looks at her like another Bimbo Woman who just wants to be Famous.

*Then there’s Vera The best friend of Willow and sort of the older sister of the bandShes 25 and goes by She/Her pronouns and takes on more of a Manager role for the band By finding gigs, writing songs, managing tours and interviews etc.

She owns a Goth Bar and Considers herself an Ambivert. Blunt and Straightforward when it comes to the greater good of her friends and the band she’s taken on a Sisterly role to Willow, Ash, and Karissa.

Her interests consist of supporting her community and giving her people a space where they can be themselves and still feel safe and comfortable. She can be sarcastic at times and a little harsh with her honesty but has the greater good of her friends in her heart.

*Then there’s Karissa Lead Bassist and Sub Vocalist of Broken Bottlez She’s 22 and goes by She/Her pronouns and is Willows younger Cousin Karissa is the heart of the band She always knows how to lift everyone’s spirits whenever things seem to be going wrong.

She’s an Extrovert and loves to be around like minded people. She’s very protective of her friends Especially Ash and Willow. She can tell what a persons feeling just off of one look and tends to be the shoulder her friends can lean on.

Her interests consist of making her own Clothes and designing outfits for the band to wear. When she’s not doing that she’s Practicing Bass and helping out at her mother’s Bakery or Helping Vera manage the Band. She also may or may not have a teeeeny tiny crush on Ash.

*And finally There’s Ashton “Ash” for short. Lead Drummer of the bandThey’re 23 and go by They/Them pronouns and is Willows Best Friend

Introverted by choice Ash likes to keep their public image simple: Cold and Mysterious. Buuut in reality they’re actually An open book and a very loyal and kindhearted Individual to those they are close to. They just really prioritize privacy. Tends to get overwhelmed when at the center of social scenes so Prefers Observing and listening.

Their interests consist of Playing and Practicing The drums. Are they never not playing the drums? Outside of that They Help run their family’s Record store With their Oldest brother and going to quiet places like parks, libraries, and Art galleries. Loves to hangout at Vera’s Bar tends to be the one Social setting they thrive in.

And that’s it pretty much! I’m still working on some things and getting character sheets out but Welcome to my Weird little Sapphic Comicverse 😭❤️❤️❤️

#original art #commissions open #oc #wlw art #original character #wlw #lesbian #sapphic #wlw positivity #wlw pride #wlw community #wlw comic #wlwoc #black oc #black artist #lesbian artists #alt oc #goth oc #oc character #oc artist #meet the oc #ocs #oc artwork #my ocs #my comic #comicart #comic oc #digital commisions #commission #commission open

[sparda-ly]

coming out as trans (ftm) to kratos. that is the thought. i can't elaborate it more bcs im hella sleepy rn but, you know, i need to request before i forget to. oh, and keep platonic please!

love you and keep doing a good work with your writing sweetie! 💕

– 🌙 anon.

kratos x platonic, trans(ftm) reader

warnings: none

note: hey there 🌙 anon, long time no see. sorry for the inactivity, i've been very busy lately, so i'm now trying to catch up with all these requests! sorry they are so short though, i had no idea what to write.

first of all, kratos might not be the perfect person to talk about things like these, although that does not mean he is a bad choice

growing up in ancient greece, you have to take into consideration the fact that things were a bit different back then.

there was no education about gender or transexual individuals. these are complete new terms for him therefore, like i have mentioned, he might not understand at first however he will try his best

i suggest being pretty straightforward while trying to explain such things to him, knowing that the more you explain, the less he understands

he will not ask many questions, knowing how mostly quiet he is throughout the games, but he will ask at the end of your (attempted) explanation a simple clarification question for example: "You wish to be reffered to as a man, correct?"

whether you prefer to use he/him, they/them pronouns or still keep the she/her ones, kratos will respect it.

he also expects the same respect towards you from anyone else, god, man or even the bitchy norns

one intended uncivil or rude comment from another being, and you can bet kratos will not so discretely touch his axe and glare literal daggers through the individual.

kratos will also definitely help you feel or be more manly if you wish to, of course

hunting, fighting, chopping down wood, buildinf furniture or gear, repairing items - kratos got it covered, let him simply know that you're interested in lesrning these skills and you can be assured that kratos would love to help.

he may not know what to do in terms of looks, although he can give great tips once in a while on how to appear more masculine.

don't expect them so usually though, they are pretty rare.

#god of war x reader #gow x reader #god of war #gow kratos x reader #kratos x you #gow kratos #gow ragnorak #kratos x reader #kratos #gow #god of war x y/n #god of war fanfiction

[bangchanswolfpelt]

Cherry Bomb

for @bluesoobinnie

request:

Day 15 and subby gyu ? 🥺🥺💖

cw: sub!Beomgyu; reader - unspecified pronouns/gender/junk; crossdressing; praise; hand job; cum eating

wordcount: 1,136 words

Anticipation has your skin buzzing as you wait for Beomgyu to come out, fingers itching as you listen to the rustle and clatter coming from the bathroom. When he finally cracks the door open slowly, he pokes his head out only to pop back in like a little arcade game, a mischievous grin on his face as your voice tugs him back out again.

“C’mon, Gyu, please.”

He looks so pretty for you, wearing the slip dress that you picked out just for him, and it suits Beomgyu just as perfectly as you knew it would. The dark crushed velvet is striking against his pale skin, flimsy straps leaving his broad shoulders and thick upper arms bare for you to admire, the front dipping into the valley of his chest prettily. The drape of the skirt emphasizes the slim line of his waist and hips, short enough to leave his long legs enticingly bare.

“What do you think?” He does a playful little spin for you, eyes sparkling, and it makes your heart jump so sweetly.

“Gorgeous,” is your only answer, as you take his hand to guide him to sit at your vanity, running your hands down the length of his legs as you drop to your knees, his muscles jumping under the light touch.

You’d spent an indulgently long time picking out the stockings you were going to wrap him up in—sheer or solid, simple or patterned, light or dark? In the end, you’d gone with a straightforward fishnet, black and finely woven, and as you set one long, elegant foot onto your lap to start working the first of the pair up his leg, you think you’ve made the perfect choice.

The fine, dark mesh clings to the delicate shape of his ankle, emphasizes the curve of his calf, stretches as his thigh thickens out. His breathing quickens as you move up his leg, long fingers bunching up the fabric of his skirt as he does his best to behave, and you just have to press a kiss to the side of his knee when you’re done—a test and a reward in equal measure.

You take just as much time rolling the second one up his leg, enjoying the way his eyes follow your hands, heavy-lidded and dark with desire. By the time you reach the top of his thigh, pale teeth are digging into the soft pink of his lip, and you can’t resist the urge to curl a finger under the band of the stocking, to snap the elastic against the firm muscle under your hands—a sharp inhale, narrowed eyes, and a sulky pout are your prize.

You climb onto Beomgyu's lap to kiss that pout you adore so much, catching his lower lip between your teeth, coaxing his tongue into your mouth for you to suck on.

The finishing touches are taken care of while you’re still straddling his lap—black eyeliner smudged carefully along silken eyelids, mascara brushed along long lashes. The gentle sweep of a soft makeup brush gives his cheeks a sweet, rosy hue, followed by a gentle dusting of shimmer along the sharp angles of his cheekbones. Mouth is slack, face relaxed under your touch, Gyu looks almost angelic, all that smooth skin and delicate bone structure resembling nothing so much as a masterpiece carved from marble.

You pull out a tube of gloss and tap it to your chin as you think, before swiping a thick layer along your own lips, leaning in to press a sloppy kiss to his dollish mouth. When you pull away, his lips are cherry-red and shiny, his eyes fluttering open at the sloppy application. Broad hands come to rest on your hips, light as butterflies, and you can feel him growing hard between your legs.

“I’ve been good, right?” His voice is low, the slightest whine creeping into his tone, but it’s easy to forgive when Beomgyu looks up at you through dark, heavy lashes. His fingers dig into your hips, but his own remain still beneath you—he’s learning to be patient. You stroke his hair out of his eyes, press a sticky kiss to his nose.

“You’ve been very good,” you reassure him warmly, smiling at the quiet little huff that escapes him, at the way his hands creep up your sides, but don’t pull you in. You count his breaths—one, two, three—then press another kiss to glossy lips, laughing into his mouth as they part beneath you.

His biceps are firm under your hands when you brace yourself against him, muscles shifting under smooth, soft skin, and you deepen the kiss with a flick of your tongue along sticky-sweet lips. The roll of your hips over his drags such sweet noises out of him, and you swallow up every breathy whimper greedily.

“Shhh, don’t worry, sweetheart.” You shift your hips to ruck up his skirt, wrap you hand around his cock and swallow down his moan with another sticky kiss. “I’m gonna take care of you.”

He’s hot in your hand, solid, and you can feel the delicate throb of the vein running up his underside beneath your thumb. You trace it up his length to swipe across the ruddy warmth of his head, gathering up precum to slick back down across his feverish skin. You can feel the tension coiled tight in his body, his hips stubborn and still even as his thighs twitch beneath your own, even as his cock pulses hard against your palm.

Your Gyu’s been learning to be patient, and you think he deserves a reward for it.

“You’ve been so good, so pretty for me. Don’t worry about making a mess, baby, just go ahead and let go.” You brush his hair from his eyes, words gentle in his ear even as your grip around his cock tightens, and he cums warm and thick across your hand.

As he softens in your grip, you release him to lift your hand to your mouth. It’s tacky as you swipe it along your lips, press them together then pucker up for him in a teasing pout, and he leans into your kiss eagerly. The slightest whine escapes when you suck his lower lip into your mouth to taste fake cherry and briny cum, catching him with your teeth as you pull away.

You rock back to take in the sight of him—cheeks flushed from exertion as much as makeup, lips stained cherry red and shiny with his own release—only to realize that you didn’t manage to catch all of he had to offer. Some of it’s spilled along his hiked up skirt, catching the light like freshwater pearls, but you can’t find it in you to mind—Beomgyu wears everything you give him so well.

#beomgyu smut #txt smut #sub!beomgyu #sub!txt #sub!idol #ficlets📓 #txt👾 #kinktober 2021 #lmao yes we're still doing this

[kiwicopia]

Hey! I saw the valentine matchup thing and thought it would be fun. The fandoms I’m requesting are Genshin impact and what in hell is bad. (If ur concerned abt me not having any posts, I promise I’m not a bot, I just don’t post on here at all😭)

My pronouns are she/they and I’m 20 years old

To start, my mbti is ISTP. I’d say I’m a pretty nice person but I like to tell it how it is (brutally honest I guess lol) I’ve been told that im very mature and polite as well but that’s mainly when I’m around adults. When I’m with my friends, I love to joke around and act stupid. I am pretty smart though but I have a huge procrastination problem. I like to sleep, shop, hang out with my friends, listen to music (mainly kpop), and play with my pet cats. My hobbies include sewing, drawing, cosplay, and gaming. I’d like someone that could listen to my problems and comfort me and I could do the same with them. :)

For Valentine’s Day, I like to just stay at home and eat chocolate. Maybe go out and eat with my partner but I like staying at home most of the time.

Tysm! I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day🫶🏽

Baizhu's gentle nature makes him the ideal partner to tell any and all of your worries to. He'll hold your hand and listen to you, gently stroking it as he hums softly with each nod. He's a gentle soul that is also very simple and straightforward, sometimes. He loves that you're so honest with him, because it makes choosing what to do on this special day that much easier. Baizhu would probably want to cook for you, insisting he be the one to make a special meal for you that will end the lovely day. Is also prone to kissing your hand at every opportunity, at least until he can let his lips greet your own at the end of the day.

Zagan is such a gentle and quiet devil. Being one of very, very few words, he makes for an excellent listener. His eyes hold a lot of emotion, and he makes sure that you know it right away. He's very good at going with the flow, and he doesn't mind at all if you make all the decisions on Valentine's Day. He just wants you to be happy and smiling. At least until he gets his large hands on you when arriving home. This devil is a gentle lover, opting to take things at your pace to bring out your pleasure. He's a good boy that follows orders very well, so don't forget to praise him when he's making you feel oh so good tonight.

#genshin impact #genshin impact baizhu #baizhu #baizhu genshin impact #what in hell is bad #wihib #what in hell is bad zagan #wihib zagan #valentines day #matchups #kiwicopia matches

[haileyywrites]

Like Stars Upon The Sky

~You always dreamed of visiting Liyue during the beautiful Lantern Rite - this year Xiao sees them in your honour...

N; No spoilers for the Lantern Rite event! Reader is gn as no pronouns are mentioned!

It was no secret you adored the lively and colorful festival that was the Lantern Rite. It was an important part of Liyue and it's culture, appreciated by all - even those far and wide would brave the journey to see it. Truly a once in a year event and experience that couldn't be missed for any reason!

Yet you - someone who grew up in Liyue, had never gone to see them at the harbor...

There was always a reason or an excuse that you would miss them, longingly watching as the sky grew a warmer shade and light up from the hundres or thousands of lanters released. It was beautiful, but nothing compared to being there in person...

Xiao had long ago promised to bring you there. He wasn't the most affectionate lover and was often most focussed on his duties as an adeptus, but when he made a promise - he would keep it. Knowing this was something you truly wanted made him ask to take you - to share such a special and memorable moment with you.

You - a foolish mortal who caught his sharp gaze and wouldn't leave his mind or sight. Ever since he first saw you he couldn't get you out of his mind, he would unknowingly look for you whenever he wasn't out carrying on his adepti duties - and he would look out for you. On the outside there was truly nothing special about you, just another mortal human. But you always captivated him.

Slowly he began approaching you in subtle ways, as in actually appearing and hanging around in the same spaces as you or sitting outside while eating when you did - while not actually sitting with you or near enough to make you notice, let alone pay attention. Yet you did.

He had caught your eye - of course. His appearance was striking and unique, unlike anyone you seen or met. He always seemed to show up in the same places as you as well, perhaps you held similar interests?

After some time you would find the courage to approach him and strike up a conversation. A rather awkward one, as he answered very flatly and was very straightforward. At first you took it as a sign that he wasn't interested in conversation or was uncomfortable, based on his tense body and averting or sharp gaze.

Next time, it was him who sought you out. During a sunny afternoon you were sitting alone with the of Wangshu Inn menu occupying your hands, your nose almost burried within. It seemed you were skimming through it, pondering which delicious dish you would order this time.

"The Almond Tofu, is quite good..." Hos tone was soft and rather quiet - you almost missed it while deep in thought.

You were taken aback by his presence, but smiled warmly nonetheless. "Hmm, good choice!"

He eyed the table and the empty seats, a nonverbal way of asking if it was okay for him to sit with you. You simply nodded, your smile simply growing bigger.

Such simple and rather normal beginning to your relationship with the Vigilant Yaksha - the fearsome Conqueror of Demons. But with you, he felt as if he could let his guard down and simply be Xiao, your lover. A regular man with no worries of a lingering karmic debt and the blood on his hands.

But nothing lasts forever, happiness least of all.

He should have seen it coming. How could he ever have been foolish enough to believe he deserved such a life, such feelings of happiness - that he deserved you... Perhaps he always knew deep inside, but simply wished to remain blind and ignorant in order to enjoy the fantasy of a simpler life with you.

At least he could hold onto those memories and moments with him, until he would finally depart from this life. If something were to come after... He only hoped he could see you one last time. There were still so manny things he wished to tell you, things you wished to do together.

But now, he could only fulfill his promise to you with a heavy heart and you on his mind.

The lantern he held so tenderly was one made by you, after his promise to bring you this year you had worked tirelessly to make a perfect one. It was your first time and it could be seen by everyone, but it only made it more endearing to him. It was so.. you.

He reached to retrieve a small pouch from his pocket to tie it onto the lantern, it was incredibly light and would not hold it back. The pouch contained your ashes. They would now be flown away by your beloved lantern, it would fly across the sky for all to see and stare in awe - the way he always looked at you...

It was truly every bit as beautiful as you always described it... The sky was dark with light soft clouds littering it. The wind was cool yet felt pleasant as it brought the most wonderful smells from the numerous stalls. No stars were present above, the only lights provided by the harbor and the thousands of lanterns. Their golden glow captured your eye more than any stars ever could - as they rose higher together.

For a moment Xiao could stay in the moment and bask in its beauty. For a moment it felt almost like you were there with him, as if he could feel your warm smile beside him... He didn't dare to turn and break this illusion, yer somehow he felt like you knew that he kept his promise.

I really like angst it seems :') I have so many other fics in my drafts...

#genshin impact #genshin impact fanfics #genshin impact x reader #angst #genshin impact angst #genshin impact xiao #genshin impact xiao x reader #genshin impact xiao x you #xiao x reader #xiao x you #alatus #genshin impact alatus #xiao fanfic #adeptus xiao #lantern rite #genshin impact lantern rite

[satorena]

Hihi! So first off, just wanna lyk that I luv ur aesthetic 4 the blog! It's sososo cuteeee. I'm gonna attempt at making my own jjk blog and wanted 2 know how u decorate it? I dunno how to work it. Like, where do you get ur photos and stuff like that from? And how are u so good with wording?

hi nonnie !! this is such a sweet message, thank you 🫶🏾 you plan on starting off a jjk blog?? go for it 100% !! the fandom scares me a little but i’m sure i’m managing 🗿

NOW. for the pictures, your best bet is pinterest. depending on your vibe or own personal aesthetic, try searching it up on pinterest and find matching pictures. before this theme i had an earthy themed pinned, and to get those results i had searched up “earthy aesthetic”. simple as that !! for this one, “pink coquette aesthetic” . my pfps are usually through my pinterest boards.

if you’re looking for dividers, tumblr is a very good place for that. there are certain blogs that dedicate their times to creating dividers. if you search up “[colour] divider/banner” you’re bound to see multiple options. if the colour you’re looking for doesn’t show, you can always switch colours on picsart !!

for the wording, this one was actually heavily inspired by one of my mutual’s !! but usually when i make pinned posts, you have to know if you’re a minimalist or not. minimal and straightforward wording with a cute aesthetic is more likely to grasp my attention than an overly colourful, lengthy pinned.

you want to have information like your name/alias, age, pronouns, ethnicity if you want, the fandom you wanna cater, a link to your masterlist, a link to your rules and if you want it centred over an aesthetic (social media, youtube vlog, diary), a catchy hook would do the job too !!

i hope this was enough to help you out :) if you need more assistance (and not a minor) you can always privately message me !! i’d be happy to help 🫰🏾 good luck on building your blog !! x

#𝐔𝐇 𝐎𝐇! 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐋 📩

[mediaevalmusereads]

Gender Queer: A Memoir. By Maia Kobabe. Oni Press, 2020.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: graphic novel, memoir, lgbt+ literature

Part of a Series? No

Summary: In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

***Full review below***

Content Warnings: nudity, menstrual blood, graphic sex, references to Harry Potter

Because this graphic novel is also a memoir, my review will be structured a little different than normal.

I didn't know anything about this book before picking it up on a whim at a Barnes and Noble. I'm not really plugged into online book spaces (or even comics spaces), so I decided to read it based on premise alone. I also very much enjoy comics and graphic novels, so a queer graphic memoir seemed up my alley.

While I expected the book to be a powerful coming of age story, I didn't expect it to resonate with me as much as it did, nor did I expect to be fascinated by the new information that was included (about sex drive, about neurochemistry, etc). The way e presents feelings towards eir body (things like menstruation, penetration, not wanting kids, etc) felt like someone was giving voice to my own feelings, and the way e talks about identity, pronouns, fandom, and sexuality was enlightening. As a result, I was both drawn in by the familiarity and intrigued by the novelty of Maia's journey, which together made for an enjoyable reading experience.

I also thought the art was well-done and accessible, as it used fairly bright colors and was easy to follow. Though there are some pages that primarily use cool colors like green or blue, a lot of this book uses warm reds, yellows, and oranges, which helped make the tone feel light (thereby balancing out some of the inner turmoil in the narrative). These colors are all bound by bold linework, which balanced simplicity with detail well, and I think Maia did a good job conveying emotion both by drawing a range of facial expressions and by positioning bodies in different ways.

On a larger scale, most of the individual drawings are arranged into panels with a simple but effective layout, so the flow is straightforward and quick. Occasionally there are more abstract pages, but they come at moments when Maia needs to break convention in order to make a point. For example, I appreciated that Maia used atypical layouts to highlight or communicate feelings that didn't quite fit in hetero- or gender-normative boxes, such as spirals to indicate the endless feeling of going in circles when questioning gender and sexuality.

If I had any criticisms, I might like to see some of the "episodes" wrap up a little differently. There are some anecdotes in this memoir where the lack of an interpretation was effective, as well as moments when I think more of a reflection would have been helpful. But this doesn't ruin the whole thing, this is just personal preference. I also think if the author could have done a bit more to communicate aspects regarding asexual identity to the reader, since it seems like a lot of the narrative is about gender identity (and ends with a denoument about gender identity), but that is also personal preference and perhaps colored by me reading the blurb on the back of the book.

TL;DR: Gender Queer is an important memoir about what it can mean to be both genderqueer (or non-binary) and asexual. Using bold linework, bright colors, and simple yet effective layouts, Maia Kobabe brings levity and order to an otherwise confusing time in eir life, and perhaps by reading this memoir, provides a touchstone for further discussions about queer identities and experiences.

[hijkay]

New blog, who dis?

Hello hello, you can call me Kay! I have ADHD and anxiety, so I'm going to make this simple and straightforward.

I am a 30-something Czech/German/English-heritage American from (and still in) the Midwest. Orientation is demisexual, gender is genderfluid (not entirely out yet), and my preferred pronouns vacillate wildly between he/him and she/her (I accept any pronouns too so don't worry). I'm monogamous and have a romantic partner, but I will also not recognize a flirt unless it's tied to a brick that's thrown at my head. This is not an invitation to throw bricks at my head.

My interests and hobbies include (but are not limited to):

Vidya Games (Minecraft, DeepRock Galactic, Sea of Thieves, Borderlands, Dark Souls, and more)

Dieselpunk, Steampunk, and Cottagecore aesthetics

Weaponry throughout history (mostly from an engineering standpoint)

Warhammer 40k (Iron Warriors are my fav bastards)

Worldbuilding exercises and creating OCs (that will probably never see the light of day)

Making the aforementioned OCs with dollmakers/picrews (because I am not confident in my drawing abilities)

Being a good person

I might reblog a lot of things, I might reblog next to nothing. My reblogs might fall in line with the themes above, or they could be entirely random. I might make a bunch of posts about my thoughts and feelings, or just collect others' content to hang on my wall. I'm going to try and use this as an exercise in being unashamedly myself in a public(ish) space and not catering to anybody but myself, so come along for this journey of self-expression if you want to smell what I'm stepping in. Can't promise I won't get up on a soapbox every now and again, though.

Also I have been told in the past that my use of capitalization and punctuation and my formal tone of writing is intimidating, but I promise I'm actually very nice!

#introduction #also I really like excessive amounts of formatting #my fursona is a raccoon #but I probably won't do anything relating to furry content

[dearchickadee]

↳ LARK - Shepherds of Haven

thank you oh so very much to @xiuqius for unknowingly but probably unsurprisingly giving me a template to base my oc sheet on......you da bomb dot com :)

also Lark was originally going to be more self-insert than her own OC but she grew up so fast 🥺 so if any of her characteristics seem familiar, 1) those are probably my favorite tropes and 2) she is me but advanced. Kenna+. This is why she and Larken have such similar names LOL

UPDATED 9/28/23: clarified a few things, tweaked a few basics, expanded upon her relationship w Qilan

* GENERAL INFORMATION * ༉‧₊˚✧

Name, Nicknames: Lark van Laast, Birdie (by Trouble)

Callsign: Dawnbreaker

Sexuality: Biromantic Grayace

Pronouns: she/her 

Age: Mid to late 20s (25?)

Birthday: Autumn (November 5th irl, idek the names of the "months" for shoh nfkdkskd)

Height: 5’7

Appearance: Navy blue hair (straight, shoulder-length, usually in milkmaid braids pinned closely to her head), fair skin with freckles, stormy gray eyes, glasses SOMETIMES (i don't know when reading glasses were invented but if my girlie was directly made by the gods they could've invented reading glasses too)

Other: Frequently ends her sentences in a sort of song or trill, especially if she’s teasing someone. plays with the loose strands of her hair when she’s nervous but insists she doesn’t have any tells. (tbh this only happens with friends and when she’s not on a mission or anything. Professionally, she could be a politician with how seamlessly she can be bisexualromantic, eat hot chip and lie)

* BACKGROUND INFORMATION * ༉‧₊˚✧

Weapon: Sword

I'm thinking mainly just a typical basket-hilted sword to really drive home that image of an obedient soldier. Also partial to a mortuary sword because it sounds cool. Regardless, she also has a secret, smaller sword similar to the ancient Greek xiphos for close combat / if her sword is ever broken or lost in combat

Magic Specialization: Enchantments and Bewitchments

Racial Heritage, Birthplace: Hunter, Maj

Education: Self-taught

* PERSONAL INFORMATION * ༉‧₊˚✧

Past Jobs: sideshow hypnotist, saleswoman, business security personnel, bodyguard

Likes: anything that is tied to her name (her love of birds + her favorite flower being larkspur, for example), mythology and folklore, foggy mornings, foraging / searching for lost objects

Dislikes: being out of the loop, competitive training exercises, people scaring off her birds (even if they are in the way of training or caring for the grounds)

Strengths: smooth talking, swordsmanship, peacekeeping / mending personal relationships, curious and amiable / easy to give answers to

Weaknesses: indecisive, dependent on others, sometimes a little dimwitted, puts too much stock in the power of friendship

Hobbies/Special Skills: reading, feeding the birds, simple embroidery, mending/sewing, hurdy-gurdy

Guardian Animal: Deer

Major Arcana: The Moon

* PERSONALITY * ༉‧₊˚✧

Heart of Gold/Will of Iron Rebellious/Loyal Independent/Social Tactful/Straightforward Bold/Cautious Charming/Stoic/Intimidating Witty/Sincere Resentful/Forgiving Self-Preserving/Self-Sacrificing Book-Smart/Street-Smart/Stupid (affectionate) One-God/Atheist/Old Faith/Agnostic

* RELATIONSHIPS * ༉‧₊˚✧

Blade: Lark is a good little soldier girl and, professionally, is obedient and respectful - perhaps to a bit of an extreme degree. At the compound, or in moments of downtime during missions, she's much more comfortable and casual around him. He sees her as a good friend; she doesn't know this and is still trying to become friends. They'll figure it out.

Tallys: They're on good terms but aren't very close. Lark asks too many blunt questions and gets lost in the sneaky dance of Elven conversation too much to truly understand what Tallys is saying. Tallys thinks Lark is too forgiving and idealistic to see as completely reasonable. However, Lark does have a gentle soul and likes to join Tallys in foraging and caring for nature, so they have some common ground to keep things breezy between them.

Trouble: Quickly became close, though Lark lasted about a few weeks calling them “acquaintances” rather than “friends.” While helping Trouble clean that wall (in his first hangout), she tried to stay stiff, formal, but still kind. It wasn’t until she helped him investigate the Equalists that she admitted this cold front act of hers wasn’t doing anything for her. Within the span of that one night, she tumbled from aloof recruit to trusted friend. Her feelings only deepened, and at record speed. She’s been sending signals and dropping hints forever - awkwardly and of course in her hot-and-cold, indecisive way - but Trouble is even worse and can’t pick up on any of it.

Shery: Kindred spirits. Can be found occupying a room together and silently working on their own needlepoint crafts. Lark asked Shery to teach her how to do various home building activities. People think they're both too shy and awkward to speak to each other, but they find they can have a silent understanding of each other and be just fine.

Chase: Originally didn't get along because Lark was intimidated by knowing that he could talk his way out of anything she tried to get him to do if he really wanted to. However, the two people closest to her are also close to Chase, so they inevitably spent some time together. Now the two are good friends, with Lark offering as much of the unconditional support he'll accept and Chase making sure she doesn't float somewhere dangerous with her head in the clouds so often.

Riel: Lark is intimidated by Riel, and he’s probably the one she “dislikes” the most. Riel is a genius and can get people to do his will a myriad of different ways, and even though Lark isn’t nearly as smart as he is, she knows her way around mind games. She’s determined not to let him move her around like a chess piece and hates when he ends up proven right, even (and especially) when she’s agreed with him from the beginning. She does appreciate his dry wit, though she is probably a little too sincere for his tastes.

Red: They are cordial. Both find the other easy to get along with, but Red moves too fast with grand topics too quickly for Lark to keep up and Red can tell when Lark stops listening to him because she got frustrated or overwhelmed. He does sometimes help her study, and when their usual groups are preoccupied they eat meals together. They just don’t seek each other out all that often.

Ayla: Since Ayla and Trouble bicker like siblings, Ayla and Lark’s relationship takes on a dynamic sort of based on that; Ayla views Lark as her “brother’s” girlfriend (that she likes more than her “brother”). Ayla often steals her away from Trouble (whether to tease one of them or just because that’s where she knows to find them), but they wouldn’t be such good friends if they didn’t also have Trouble as a common factor. Also, where Lark keeps Trouble from getting into trouble, she doesn’t have that kind of pull with Ayla.

Halek: Lark secretly looks up to Halek a lot, mostly because she’s insanely interested in her Hunter heritage. However, Lark is a try-hard and Halek is…the exact opposite, so almost every day she has a sobering moment of the “never meet your idols” variety. Her respect for him is generous, but not entirely unfounded at the end of the day. Halek has caught on to this a bit and enjoys it thoroughly. She doesn’t act reverent and obnoxious because he’s the Sol, and she’s entertaining, so he doesn’t mind the baseless respect she has for him too much.

Briony: Good friends that wish they could spend more time together. They both have that belief in goodwill and ability to make everyone like them, at least a little bit. When they do have each other’s attention, they’re often both talking quickly and excitedly about something deep and personal. They don’t waste time and they’re known to have boundless energy when together. They also like to IMMEDIATELY spill the tea to each other when they can. Lark has mistaken Briony for Qilan and Qilan for Briony from behind multiple times.

Lavinet: Lavinet likes to dote on Lark, and while she doesn't mind it too much, Lark wishes they could be closer and more genuine friends. Whether due to their limited time together or too much of a difference in their upbringing, they’ve not yet reached that point. They are on good terms, though! 

Mimir: Friends, even though Mimir's manner of speech can confuse Lark. Oftentimes, Lark seeks Mimir out - she finds her presence calming in an arduous sense, like meditating beneath a waterfall. Mimir is more talkative around Lark, almost as if she thinks she has to entertain Lark when she has her company. Lark sometimes gets the feeling that Mimir sees her as some type of pet - or perhaps a docile little forest creature - in need of enrichment and engagement, rather than a real friend.

Croelle:

Qilan: Besties. Attached at the hip. Soulmates. I like the idea of them purposely both being kithma…like they were made by the gods to enhance the other’s power 🥺 they also (accidentally) balance each other out, especially in terms of how their similar backstories made them turn out. Lark found small shreds of kindness and community and eventually became a bleeding heart, while Qilan was forced to live on her own and cultivate lands of ruin to something she could use to sustain herself. Sometimes they kinda see each other as "Qilan is everything I could be if I wasn't such a failure"/"Lark managed to keep hold of that one precious thing that I've lost, that ability to love". But they are very close....forever.... It’s a bonus that their attachés are good friends too. They are an INSEPARABLE group. Do not even TRY

Currently, in the version of events where Lark and Qilan are BOTH the MC, I imagine they were both created by the gods in an effort to maximize the chances that at least one of them would be able to succeed in their task. Lark and Qilan never meet until they were both assigned to protect a caravan (before the events of canon.) This caravan didn't care much if the diminished fraternized or not, so Qilan spent half the journey both befriending Lark and dropping hella hints. (Perhaps both being the gods' special little dolls drew them to each other too...) Anyway, Qilan definitely successfully seduces Lark during this trip (it is a positive experience that helps Lark understand her asexuality and boundaries btw) and they part ways, expecting to never see each other again. ...then they both get assigned to Prihine's caravan. Qilan is assigned to Prihine, while Lark is either there to accompany some merchant that's better off that the rest or a guest of the wedding. Either way, Qilan and Lark aren't allowed to talk while on this journey, though Caine willingly winds up being their middleman sometimes. At the wedding, there's either twice as many demons descending upon Caine and Prihine or they both use the WOP to stop the demon and later are like "dangit one of us could've save ours!" Or maybe they share the WOP pool and have to split the seven between them. These details do not matter rn only the drama does. ANYWAY.....by the time they both recover and settle into the Shepherds, Qilan and Lark are basically inseparable. They are always around each other, everybody knows they're a set even before they discover that they are literally two halves of the same soul. Even once Qilan and Lark find themselves with, ahem, romantic entanglements, they still sometimes act more like a couple with each other than with their beau (i.e. going to each other to patch up wounds or when seeking comfort). So, to repeat: do NOT separate!!!

* HISTORY * ༉‧₊˚✧

Lark grew up in a sheltered little farming town, daughter to the heads of the community and heir to her father’s little farm. He kept chickens, and though Lark was taught how to do the entire process, she never got comfortable with killing the ones that they were to eat. Maj was a very close-knit community which often treated children as if they were everyone’s charge, not just the parents'. Lark gained a lot of skills from people in the community, including learning her instrument from a lonely, grumpy old man on the other end of the village.

Though she was expected to take over the farm and possibly as leader of the community, Lark dreamed of becoming a scholar. There was no way for this to happen - not when learned Mages were seen as so dangerous, plus the formal education in Maj was not quite up to the standards of most academic circles - but she still hungrily read every book in the village, trying to teach herself and broaden her horizons.

When the demon attacked and Maj disappeared, Lark immediately ran away. She didn’t know where to go or what to do, but staying in the open field, not even a single dogwood petal on the grass when there should’ve been houses and dirt paths and at least bodies - triggered too much of a panic. She hated the suffocating fear of being entirely and unexpectedly alone. Even worse, she hated that she felt abandoned, as if it was ever their fault that she couldn’t save a single soul.

Soon, a shady man found her and recognized her iladrin. He took her in with the promise of shelter, food, work and a new family. Still a young teen and obviously vulnerable, Lark readily agreed and found herself the newest attraction of an illegal traveling sideshow. The man kept dangerous animals in cages too small and mistreated his workers - all of which were Diminished of some kind, illegally using their powers to entertain people. Lark was a hypnotist, forced to use her magic to convince people to do whatever she wanted and keep up the act. The first time she refused, her meals were withheld from her and she was hurt so badly they had to cancel her performance that night. Eventually, somebody reported the sideshow to the Inquisitors, and Lark was lucky enough to have been out when they besieged the show.

For a while afterwards, Lark drifted around from town to town, selling small embroidered handcrafts to feed herself. When she stayed in one town for a while, she’d take commissions for clothing or tablecloths - larger projects worth more money. But she always left, afraid the Inquisitors or even her old ringmaster might find her.

She managed to get a job as the security personnel for a jeweler, a position she held for a year. However, her boss’ son stole from the store and blamed it on her. Though he was a kind man, he couldn’t accept that his child had done that to him and fired Lark over it. The son didn’t bring enough “evidence” to warrant charges, but the man still let her go for allowing things to be stolen in the first place. Then she got her job as a bodyguard, mainly guarding caravans, and the rest is history.

Lark winds up absorbing the thoughts and feelings of others (not magically, just empathically), which lends to her rather dramatic mood and countenance swings. In Maj, she was happy and confident, a beloved child of the leader and all around ‘little charmer.’ After the incident, she was disposable and unwanted, so she shut down. In the Shepherds, she’s valued once more, so she adopts her friendly, welcoming persona once again - the one that comes more naturally to her. Once she loses the voices, she feels unimportant and severed from the piece of her that gave her worth, and she starts shutting down again. Her sensitivity to the wants of others - and wanting to be wanted by others - makes it more extreme than a simple trauma response.

Despite her difficulties in structured, formal learning, Lark has a sharp mind and can weasel her way out of many difficult situations. Her charm has never quite left her, and she is often able to give opponents a false sense of security when they underestimate her. She doesn’t operate on any basis of pride and is willing to pull almost any trick to get what she wants, as long as her people won’t think less of her.

In training her recruits, Lark tries to be strict and commanding during drills and kind and nurturing in the downtime. However, since she is extremely sensitive as aforementioned, she winds up leaning on the kind and gentle side. At first, the recruits take advantage of this, but after seeing how crestfallen she was when they failed their first assignment, they all silently agreed to NEVER make her that upset again.

Some captains with their recruits: Listen to me or you will DIE on the field! Other captains with their recruits: Listen to me or you'll have to do laps!! Lark with her recruits: 🥺🥺 listen to me 🥺🥺 or I'll cry

* TRIVIA * ༉‧₊˚✧

Lark's swordmanship borrows from the many different places she's learned from: her hometown, where she learned rudimentary skills for self and farm defense; the sideshow, where there was a ket-mage that could fight with swords as well as juggle them; an old Inquisitor, secretly disgruntled with the Autarchy for one reason or another, who was willing to turn a blind eye and give a Diminished some pointers for her security job; and some other Diminished as she traveled with various caravans.

As she starts studying magic more efficiently, she eventually gains an affinity for wilds magic and can talk to some animals. (It helps that, during her time at the sideshow, there was a woman with wilds magic who worked as a "beast tamer" there and sort of became a motherly figure for Lark) She never gains the complete ability - not without it taking a great amount of effort and energy, at least - but if she forms a close bond with an animal, she can then communicate with it freely.

She has tamed crows so that they recognize her and bring her shiny things / gifts - first the normal way by feeding them, then additionally with her wilds magic. There's a whole murder of them that she can talk to now. Sometimes she can use them for surveillance as well, but only a few are good at that (for now).

On her own, Lark doesn't have a specifically good eye, but she has an uncanny talent for finding things. This isn't related to her magic at all - she's just good at it. That's how her crows know what to look out for and what's "suspicious" during surveillance, and people at the compound often look for her when they need to find something they misplaced.

Lark wound up having 100% heart of gold and 100% soldier stats on ACCIDENT when my original plan was for her to be a little manipulative but appearing innocent enough to get away with it. Silver tongue was her first stat to get to 100%, so now to reconcile these two ideas, I've simply decided that: 

- She's unwittingly but incredibly persuasive - She has major guilt over everything and assumes she's manipulating people when she's actually just convincing them normally - Doesn't think twice about using her enchantments to get information but always feels really bad about it as soon as she's done  - Is incredibly overdramatic and genuinely believed that she had walled off her heart and iced everyone out while simultaneously in the process of befriending literally everyone she first met at the Shepherds compound

Lark loves to lie. She doesn't do it maliciously but she likes doing that thing where she teasingly tries to pass lies off as true facts. She's also really good at lying for the sake of a mission - in fact, during the climactic battle of a mission, she almost turns into a different person, cold and calculating and knowing exactly where to hit with her sword - but it all falls apart the moment it's over or when the mission starts to fall apart. And she could never lie to her fwends 🥺

Her mood oscillates between two extremes of numb / anxious and affectionate / confident. Work in the Shepherds keeps her busy enough, and she’s (mostly) been able to keep her self esteem up and her moods more stable. Before joining, she was definitely more on the numb side of things, and when she loses the voices in her head after touching the luminary stone, she withdraws again.

Also related to losing the voices - Lark kind of accepted them at first because she didn’t care if it was a demon or not. She was sort of thinking “if it kills me, it kills me,” but in her most desperate moments she was glad to not be totally and utterly alone. Then she started to find it comforting before battles with the Faceless Lords, almost like a secret trusted advisor in her head…even if it was off-putting and, as far as she knew, a demon. Losing the voices felt like losing a friend. She was right on the brink of self-preserving and self-sacrificing before this, but once the voices are gone and there’s a gaping void in her thoughts, she starts dancing closer and closer to tendencies of martyrdom.

Her Hunter blood manifests a little more than she notices, and she always attributes it to natural causes. Somebody cold on an early winter’s day in Haven? She offers them her jacket - she runs warm, anyway. Somebody is lying to her? Well, she has a good gut instinct for that kind of thing - maybe she’s subconsciously picking up little gives?

#kenna.oc #oc: lark #etc: profile

[trifoliate-undergrowth]

Oh hey did I ever tell you my experience with it/its pronouns. I used them for a nonbinary character in a story project I wrote for a writing class in college. And my professor in response was like “I feel like this is dehumanizing” and I was like “I thought someone might say that, so here’s the thing: I use it/its pronouns to refer to God in that same story, too” and my professor was like “yeah but it feels debasing.... like you’re referring to the character like it’s just a bug or something....” and I’m like “once again I cannot stress enough that I, and this character, use these pronouns to refer to GOD ITSELF” (and this was a Catholic college so you know our understanding of God as The Almighty Is Very Great) 

#someone on my dash mentioned it/its pronouns and I went :) #they are good pronouns!! very simple and straightforward #personal (ok to rb) #where's that post that was like 'it refers to life and death and the change of seasons.... why wouldn't I be honored to use it for myself' #I'm butchering the post but. I can't FIND IT #BECAUSE... AS USUAL... TUMBLR SEARCH IS...... ABSOLUTELY BROKEN #you'lll just have to believe me on this #it exists somewhere and its a really good post #I'll look for it later I need to be unconscious several hours ago I gained extra hours tomorrow and I gotta go in early >:[ #hours good money good but uhghghhjgjdjk #what if i started using it/its. no 1 would fukcgn use it probably lol #but like #I wonder #I feel like I'm neutral/positive towards they/them and it/its idk #I haven't thought about it that much #I would prefer Not she/her I do know that #and people only really use he/him as an alternative people very rarely will in conversation (where I live) call you They #definitely not it #so idk how I'd even test how I react to hearing myself called that #like with being called he/him/sir 'by accident' at a Starbucks I went :o !!!!!! THIS IS A GOOD FEELING??? #people here dont just. call you they if they're not sure #its Very Binary you HAVE to just PICK ONE #these tags are unreasonably long goodnight idk abt anythin #gender stuff

[aspoonofsugar]

Whats your thoughts on the Ace-Ops? Is there any contrast/parallel between them and Team RWBY?

Hello anon!

Imo the Ace Ops are lovely secondary characters that tie very well in the story both in terms of plot and of theme. I also do not think they need much more exploration, but we may see the outcome of their story next volume.

First of all, I love the little pun with their team name! They are called Ace Ops as in Ace Operatives, but its pronoun sounds like Aesop’s since they all allude to Aesop’s fables :) This little pun also works thematically since the whole point of their team in volume 7 specifically is that they choose simple answers to complex moral problems:

Yang: It's not worth it, Blake. They're just following orders now.

They, like Winter, choose to obey orders instead of thinking with their own heads and this starts a spiral that almost destroys their whole team.

Well, Aesop’s fables are known to be simple and straightforward with a clear moral. In contrast, fairy-tales can be surprisingly more complex and rich.

As far as them foiling the main characters, I would say they do, but not all have the same importance and not all have received the same focus.

THE ELM AND THE VINE

The Elm and the Vine fable is a metaphor for marriage and mutual support. On one hand the elm who can’t bear fruits supports the vine. On the other hand the vine who can’t stand on its own gives fruits. The two plants support and help each other. They complement each other.

Now, this symbolism is used in the RWBY vs Ace Ops fight to highlight the strength of Blake and Yang’s partnership:

Elm: Time to wrap this up, Vine. They've had their chance. Don't be soft.

Vine: Are you telling me? Or yourself?

While Vine and Elm keep bickering, Blake and Yang perfectly work together and finally bring them down. So, this whole exchange ties into the build up focus Bumblebee has received throughout volume 7 and 8:

Marrow: Hey, have you two ever thought about branching out a little? You always pair up, but I don't know if your styles really--

Marrow: Really, really good stuff! Yeah, keep it up.

It is also interesting, for example, how Blake and Yang fight together against Elm and Vine, while Weiss and Ruby have 1v1 against Marrow and Harriet. This is because their focus is on them individually, rather than on their relationship.

Anyway, superficially, Elm is also similar to Nora:

Not much is done with it, but with Elm losing her Vine and Nora’s resolution to discover who she is without Ren, I would not be surprised if Elm receives some little focus about having to ironically stand on her own now that Vine is gone. And this focus might comment or foreshadow Nora’s journey as well.

Other than this, the theme of a partner losing their half might be important for Blake as well:

Obviously, Yang is alive, but her reaction to losing her might be explored more and commented in the upcoming volume.

THE DOG AND ITS REFLECTION

The Dog and Its Reflection is the story of a dog that after having stolen a piece of meat sees himself in a mirror of water. Thinking its reflection is another dog and wanting this other dog’s meat, he lets go of its own piece and finds itself with nothing.

Now, obviously such an allusion had to be paired up with the Queen of Mirrors:

What is the point of Weiss and Marrow’s foiling?

Well, they are two people born respectively at the very bottom (Marrow as a Faunus) and at the very top (Weiss as a Schnee) of Atlas. Both go through opposite journeys when it comes to Atlas society, I would say. On one hand Weiss gives up her wealth and status to be a Huntress. On the other hand Marrow climbs up until he becomes an Ace Op.

The result of their opposite journeys is a different attitude when it comes to social problems:

Weiss: I wish I could take back the years of pain my family has caused the Faunus and all of my complacency in it.

Marrow: This society is set up for Faunus to be at the bottom, and humans are willing participants. They benefit from doing nothing to help us. But there are still those who actively abuse us. Anyway, I didn't come over here looking to solve systemic societal issues. Harriet found a gap in the rubble we think one of you could fit through, ideally someone with a knack for seeing in the dark.

Weiss states she wants to make society better, while Marrow says he prefers to focus on the mission at hand. Weiss is idealistic. Marrow is cynical (because he is trying to conform).

Obviously, it is clear that Marrow has many feelings over social differences in Atlas and how Faunus are treated. However, he is limited by his role as an Ace Op and thinks law should come first:

Marrow: Sure, we won't have any problems, as long as you stay within the law.

Robyn: The law isn't perfect, you know. It's certainly not equal.

Marrow: Trust me, I'm well aware.

Robyn: My only goal is that all the citizens of Mantle and Atlas -- and Faunus -- have an equal shot at a good life.

Marrow: That sounds great. And you're planning to do all that equalizing legally, right?

Basically, Marrow finds himself in a very similar position to Weiss at the beginning of the series. Both are good people, but their roles in Atlas force them to compartmentalize parts of themselves:

There’s a part of me that’s desperate for changes, Tired of being treated like a pawn But there’s a part of me that stares back from inside the mirror Part of me that’s scared I might be wrong That I can’t be strong.

By the time of their fight, Marrow still sees things through a clearly Atlasian lens:

Marrow: I know you Schnees are used to getting what you want. But it's time to let this one go!

He  reduces Weiss to her family name, just like many of her opponents (Flynt, Vernal, Cinder).

So, Marrow lets his society define him and this is nicely conveyed by Freeze. This power has a double meaning thematically. On one hand it is strongly intertwined with Marrow’s identity as a policeman (it is a semblance that lets him “freeze” criminals and a crowd). On the other hand it is just about him “staying”, so obeying orders as an obedient dog.

Weiss has instead developed a stronger sense of self, which is conveyed by her summons:

Let’s also highlight that this mirror imagery and how it ties with her summons is used in a metaphorical way in Weiss’s fight against Marrow in volume 7.

Marrow’s allusion is The Dog and Its Reflection, which is a fable about a dog mistakenly believing his own reflection to be the real thing. He sees himself in a poddle of water carrying a piece of meat, thinks that the steak in the other dog’s mouth is bigger and lets go of his own to steal it. The end result is that he loses the meat that falls in the water.

Now, this fable means several things when it comes to Marrow. However, when it comes to his fight with Weiss, it is about him using Freeze against Weiss (the real thing), only to let go of her to stop Arma Gigas (her reflection). This leads to him being defeated by Weiss. In short, Arma Gigas acts as Weiss’s reflection in that fight and plays with Marrow’s allusion strengthening the notion that the Knight is a part of who Weiss is.

Weiss is sure of who she is. She knows her reflection. Marrow does not and as a result he loses. He is indecisive like his literary counterpart. Does he fight? Does he stall? Must he be aggressive? Must he try a kinder approach? Does he stop Weiss? Does he stop the Knigth?

So symbolically, Weiss vs Marrow is a fight about who you are outside your society and this is why Weiss wins. She has been told to stay her whole life, so obviously she is not the little bit impressed by Marrow trying it once again:

Blake: Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, "They are the personification of this word.” (…) After a while, I saw Weiss was “defiance”.

Marrow by that point has yet to free himself from his own collar instead:

Marrow: Do you even believe what you’re saying anymore? Do any of you believe in anything? I used to wear this rank with pride. Now I see it for what it really is: a collar.

And the moment he does he helps Weiss’s older sister to free herself as well :) After all, Marrow acts as a mirror to Winter throughout the entirety of season 8 and expresses out loud the feelings and words she herself is repressing:

Ren to Marrow: You don’t like this either. In fact, you don’t want to be a part of it at all anymore.

Marrow: I… I have a job to do, and I’m going to do it.

Ren to Winter: I know you don’t, either.

THE FISHERMAN’S LUCK

The Fisherman’s Luck is the story of an unlucky fisherman who is rewarded for his patience with a fish jumping spontaneously on his boat. The moral is that

“Patience, constancy, and perseverance, in an honest cause and duty, can never faile of a happy end, one way or other. “

The story comments Qrow and Clover’s foiling:

Robyn: Clover was a lot of things. You respected him, but I gotta tell ya, I think you’re the better Huntsman. Not because you’re the one who walked away, but, because you’re the one fighting for what was right.

On one hand Clover’s semblance is good luck, but he has pledged his loyalty on the wrong cause. So, tragically, his stubborness and perseverance leads him to his death.

On the other hand Qrow’s semblance is bad fortune, but he keeps trying to do the right thing despite his upbringing and set-backs. So, the reward finally comes, one way or another:

This is one of the two reasons why thematically Qrow’s semblance is able to evolve in volume 8.

The second reason is more psychological and it highlights the positive impact Clover has had on Qrow’s life:

Clover: You shouldn’t do that, you know.

Qrow: Don’t worry, I-I gave that up.

Clover: I meant deflect a compliment. Those kids wouldn’t be where they are without you. You’ve had more of an effect on them than you realize.

Despite his contradictions, Clover teaches Qrow that he should love himself more and this helps Qrow with his major flaw (aka cynism). His semblance is in fact symbolic of Qrow’s self hate and pessimism. He brings bad luck because he has internalized that he is bad and that things will go badly either way. This is also one of the reasons why Clover dies:

Qrow: “It was, though. I made a deal with the darkness, and he paid the price. It was all happening so fast, but Clover wouldn’t let up. Could have worked together against Tyrian if Clover just…”

So, Clover’s death happens because of a combination of his (stubborness) and Qrow’s (cynism) flaws. However, even after his death, Qrow is still able to learn from Clover... both from his positive traits and from his mistakes.

In this way, Qrow is able to start processing his grief in a positive way and to make Clover a part of himself. He does not have to agree with Clover’s cause, but he can keep on caring for him and can treasure his teaching.

THE HARE WITHOUT THE TORTOISE

The Hare and the Tortoise is the story of how a tortoise wins a race against a hare because of her own perseverance and the hare’s overconfidence:

Harriet: You think you're going to stop us. We're the best Huntsmen in Atlas.

Ruby: You were. Then you trained us.

Superficially, this is what happens in the RWBY vs Ace Ops fight, where Harriet’s loss ties to another one of the fable’s morals:

The more haste, the worse speed.

Harriet refuses to stop and think because of her haste in following orders:

Ruby: Come on Harriet! We're playing right into Salem's hands! You know we need to be working together.

Harriet: Oh don't give me that crap! I had you kids pegged right from the start.

Her narrow-mindness and her repression of feelings through anger lead to her defeat.

However, Harriet’s true arc kicks in when it comes to the theme of grief:

Harriet: When you lose someone on your team, you move on. Replace them, like Marrow replaced Tortuga and Winter replaced-

She is the Hare without the Tortoise. She has already lost her half and since she has never dealt with this loss healthily, she is very vulnerable to other losses.

So, it is her struggle to accept and face grief (Tortuga, Clover, Vine) that defines her spiral in volume 8 and this, together with her wanting to outrun her own feelings, sets her up as a foil to two major characters:

Marrows foils Weiss and parallels Winter and Harriet parallels Qrow and foils Ruby (and maybe foreshadows her arc in volume 9).

In volume 8, Harriet and Qrow share the same pain. They are both grieving Clover and they spiral as a result. They both blame another person for Clover’s death because finding a scapegoat and hurting others is easier than admitting your own pain and vulnerability. So, Qrow blames Ironwood and wants to kill him, while Harriet blames Qrow and tries to blow Mantle up as a way to let her pain out.

It is only through the help of other people that both Qrow and Harriet are able to stop themselves:

Robyn: Listen, I get it. You are hurting. You’ve been hurting for a long time. But let’s stop pretending that what you’re trying to do here is for anyone but yourself.

Elm: Because you’re our friend! And we won’t let you go through with this!

Unluckily, though, Harriet is not able to do it in time and her actions lead to the death of another friend that saves her in the process:

Harriet: There’s no time to make it out of the blast range… I’ve… killed us all… I’m sorry…

Next volume will probably wrap up the Ace Ops story, so we’ll see if Harriet has learnt to accept her feelings more and how she will channel this new grief.

Next volume will also be Ruby’s volume:

And it is not a mystery that one of Ruby’s major traits is her tendency to push forward despite her negative feelings. This has been fundamental in inspiring others to do the same:

Jaune: Ruby. We lost... We lost Pyrrha.You lost her, too. And Penny, and your team, and in a way... your sister. But you're still here, despite everything you've lost, everything you could still lose, you chose to come out here. Because you felt like you could make a difference. You didn't drag us along. You gave us the courage to follow you.

But it is implied that it is a double edged sword:

Maria: You know, you don’t give yourself enough credit.

Ruby: Oh… Thanks.

Maria: That wasn’t a compliment.

This is touched on even when she uses her eyes against the Leviathan. Her unpacked negative feelings get the best of her and attract the Grimm’s attention:

Ruby: What?

Yang: Why'd it turn away?!

Ruby then remembers she has the Relic of Knowledge on her belt, which caused the Leviathan to have its attention on her.

Ruby: No, no, no, no!! J--JINN!!!

In that situation Ruby is able to get extra time to focus, but what happens when you do not have time? The answer’s her panic attack in the volume 8 finale, which volume 9 reveals to be the reason why she was unable to properly use her eyes against Cinder.

It is probably time for Ruby to face her feelings and to be helped by others just like she helped them.

By doing so, she will probably have to face grief because grief is at the heart of her character:

Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest.

Summer’s death is Ruby’s ghost and her life has been about overcoming it and living up to Summer’s legacy.

Right now, she will have to face another important loss:

And unpack some feelings when it comes to her relationship with Yang:

Yang isn’t dead obviously, but her falling first to protect Ruby and her final scream of Ruby’s name before falling echoing in Ruby’s own head are clear signs that something is up with their bond.

Ruby has been depending on Yang since the beginning and this past volume, Yang’s doubts over her leadership have clearly gotten to her. Not to count that when Ruby was at her worst, it was Yang the one who consoled her:

Just like Vine tried to comfort Harriet about Clover. And interestingly an idea introduced the past volume is that you can still love a person who died, but also recognize their limits:

Vine: Then perhaps Clover was wrong too.

Harriet: Don’t you dare! Clover was… He was…

Vine: …Important to you.

Yang: Mom took a risk the day she left, and I don’t think. I don’t think it went the way she wanted it to. But she’s still my hero.

This idea could be very important for Ruby’s arc and her dealing with Summer’s (and maybe Penny’s) death.

What is sure is that Ruby, just like Harriet will have to stop. So far, Ruby has avoided a spiral similar to Harriet’s because she has something Harriet lacks:

Harriet: Thought you said your Semblance was like mine.

Ruby: It… is?

Harriet: I've seen other speed Semblances before, but that was different. I think there's more going on than you think.

Ruby is flexible where Harriet is not. So, she has managed to twist and bend and to push forward where Harriet would have hit a wall. Still, Ruby too the past volume has found a gravity that she could not overcome and that made her fall. It is time to slow down for a while.

These are my main thoughts on the group. Thank you for the ask and Happy New Year!

#rwby #ace operatives #rwby meta #ace ops #elm #vine #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #marrow amin #weiss schnee #clover ebi #qrow branwen #ruby rose #harriet bree #my meta #asksfullofsugar #anonymous

[bigbadredpanda]

Hi, I have another question if you don't mind! Lots of people say while he was dead wwx didn't age mentally, so he's much younger than lwj or jc in the present. This always confuses me, because when he comes back he looks much more mature and calm compared to how he was before, so if time didn't pass for him, if he was the same as before, how could that be? ----

Hi, pleasure to see you again! This question is a very interesting one, I don’t have a straightforward answer to explain Wei Wuxian’s character development while he was gone, just a mix of several conjectures:

- Wei Wuxian was dimly aware of the passing of time while he was dead

As you’ve mentioned, to the question how did Wei Wuxian spend his time during these thirteen years, MXTX said in her own words that “he was in a muddled state, not quite fully conscious but not unable to feel either, it is like being trapped in an unending nightmare”.

Although it’s unclear just what kind of recollection he has from this time, we also have some insight from Wei Wuxian’s thoughts just after his rebirth as he wakes up by being kicked by Mo Ziyuan for playing dead (ch.2):

魏无羡半死不活地思索：
本人作古多年，真的不是装。

More dead than alive, Wei Wuxian mused, “I’ve been dead for several years, I genuinely wasn’t faking.”

他怎么就被划分成“十恶不赦的厉鬼邪神”了？

虽说他名声是比较差，死状又非常惨烈，但一不作祟，二不复仇，他敢发誓上天入地绝对找不到一个比他更安良本分的孤魂野鬼！

How could he be classified as a “ferocious ghost of the most irredeemable kind”?

Although his reputation was substandard and his death happened in particularly miserable circumstances, he did not haunt the living or seek revenge. He could assert that one could search heaven and earth and not find a more peaceful and well-behaved wandering soul in the wild.

The concept of afterlife is not well-defined in the lore of this story but there is evidence that Wei Wuxian does know that time has elapsed since his death and retained some sort of awareness.

- Wei Wuxian is highly adaptable

When he is the only one concerned, Wei Wuxian is not fazed by much, not even by death itself. When faced with the prospect of losing his right hand due to Wang Lingjiao’s cruelty, he is able to discard his fear and focus on a new objective (ch.57):

恐惧过后，魏无羡咬了咬牙，一狠心，心道：“……也罢！要是能换家里的安宁……一只手就一只手，他妈的大不了老子今后练左手剑！！！”

After the fear passed, Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth and hardened his heart, he thought to himself, “... Fine! If that can be traded for peace at home... A hand is just a hand, if it comes to that, I’ll fucking learn to use a sword with my left hand!”

That’s an aside but in this part of the text, Wei Wuxian does not use the regular first-person pronoun 我, he employs 老子, a cocky way to refer to oneself that is used when one is furious. It comes off in Chinese as a bit of a boast, as a manifestation of his indomitable spirit. In comparison, in my first example (“I’ve been dead for several years”), Wei Wuxian uses another first-person pronoun, 本人, a humble way to refer to oneself. This kind of little details is unfortunately easily lost in translation ^^’

Even in the worst situations when there is no hope left, he is able to bounce back and carry on just like after he was thrown in Burial Mounds.

- Wei Wuxian came to terms with the events of his past life before meeting his end

There is a vital part of the timeline that is not explored at all, the three months between the Nightless City massacre and the siege of Burial Mounds that ultimately resulted in Wei Wuxian’s demise. We have this blank between two key events in his life and not much to shed light on his physical and mental states during these last days. He lost his shijie, annihilated thousands of cultivators and passed the point of no return. He found himself back at Burial Mounds with only the last surviving few of the Wen remnants. He must have known that he was cornered and that there was no way out. I don’t think that he just gave up and resigned himself to his own fate though, that’s not in his temperament. I imagine that he must have tried to do as best he could about the things that were still in his control. Perhaps setting up some last defenses. Making contingency plans for the Wen remnants. We do know that he destroyed one half of the Yinhufu so that this ominous artefact would not bring tragedy again.

Three months is a relatively lengthy period, I don’t think Wei Wuxian could have left unaddressed all the pain, the grief and the guilt he surely felt. The philosophy of his character hinges on his ability to let go and move forward (ch.24):

江厌离说，他天生就是一张笑脸，一副笑相。无论什么难过都不会放在心上。无论身处什么境地都能开开心心。听起来像是有些没心没肺，但这样很好。

Jiang Yanli said that he was born to smile, it was his natural expression. No matter what hardships he met, he would not take it to heart. No matter the circumstances he found himself in, he would be able to find happiness. This sounded a bit simple-minded but it was a good way to live.

So I believe that despite it all, despite the overwhelming despair and hopelessness, he still managed to come to terms with all that happened and faced his end calmly with no regrets.

#answers #mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #mdzs meta #kameeee

[a3shithole]

can I request headcanons of spring troupe (or any troupe) with an idol!s/o? thanks in advance!

Ooh! This should be interesting and kinda difficult, since Japanese idol culture when it comes to love life is kinda... y'know (´∀｀；)

I'll write headcanons for spring troupe for now! Spring Troupe with an idol!s/o! I'm more confident and comfortable on doing female idol since I used to be a Wota (an extreme one, if I'm being honest 💦), so reader will use feminine pronouns, sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. Feel free to request other troupes if you like this one. Have a nice day! 🌻

Sakuya

- Before you two date each other, you were already a fan of Mankai. You accidentally saw a poster of Romeo and Julius and decided to go watch the play. And then you saw Romeo. He became your favorite actor. He shines the brightest on stage and you just can't help but fall for him. You always disguise yourself, not wanting to divert the attention of the troupe to you when you go to Mankai plays. You always leave a gift for Sakuya on the closing night

- He can't believe he got a fan, on his very first play nonetheless! He keeps all of your gifts, along with the fan letter you include because it motivates him. He really wants to know who you are and thank you personally for your endless support

- One day, he saw Kazunari and Taichi watching an interview of an upcoming popular idol group in the living room. It was your group. It was showing a segment of your group doing a punishment mini-game. You are scribbling an answer on your paper and show it to the screen with a charming giggles

- That's when Sakuya almost yelped in surprise. He recognizes that hand-writing. The curve and how you put decorations around it. He felt like Kazunari and Taichi can hear his heartbeat, since the two of them looking at him with concern

- He excuses himself to his bedroom to do his homework, now feeling bashful knowing someone like you would be a fan of his

- He is now curious about you. He found your instablam and almost shrieked when he saw you holding one of the gift that is now in his possession. The comments flooded with who is that gift for or from

-  He is confident that it is you the one who's been supporting him. He had the urge to thank you face by face

-  So on closing night, he decided to sneakily hide and wait for you to drop your gift on the front table people usually put their gift. Each table labeled with the actors that are playing tonight

- It's almost time for the plays to begin and he almost gives up and goes back to backstage when someone with a hoodie and sunglasses arrives and drops a gift on the table with 'Sakuma Sakuya' labeled on it. He recognizes the cover letter you always use and finally realize it is really you behind those sunglasses, confirming his suspicion

- "S-She is so pretty!"

- Little did he realize, he said that out loud and not just in his thought. Surprising both you and Sakuya himself. He apologizes for creeping on you and explaining himself

- You were embarrassed that he knows who you are. But he is genuinely thanking you for your support and would like to know you better. And with that usual bright smile of his, you felt like you are falling for him

Masumi

- It is a total surprise for the Spring Troupe to hear Masumi listening to cheery idol songs. Is it something the Director likes? No, they know Izumi is not into that type of music

- He even starts hanging some posters of a certain girl that appeared to be an idol, on his bedside. Tsuzuru is kinda scared to see this change

- They also notice that he acts differently. He's less cold than he usually is. And most importantly, he didn't cling to Izumi like he usually does. And Izumi seems to be more close and more sister-like towards him. Leaving the entire company baffled. Did they miss a note somewhere?

- So the entire Spring Troupe decided to investigate and follow their fellow dark-haired friend around for some days

- And that's how they all ended up at an underground idol concert. Citron describing what's an underground idol so detailed to Sakuya is quite a bizarre sight

- "Can't believe this is what puberty does to oneself."

- "Itaru-san, now is not the time to joke around!"

- Then that's when they saw Masumi. With a girl that was just on the stage before. Dressed in cute bright colors. He looks so happy, chatting with you. And so does you

- And with that, Spring Troupe silently agrees to help Masumi and you to be with each other. In a healthier way. Which, Masumi accept, surprising them

- They helped him prepare himself for a date with you. Where the date should be. How he should confess his feelings. All of that cutesy stuff

- It took the entire Spring Troupe and a long tiring explanation from Tsuzuru to stop Masumi to get a wedding ring to give to you. With the help of Tsumugi, they get him a bouquet of flowers that Masumi can give to you. Yuki even helped Masumi dressed up

- Sakuya and Citron cheered and wish him good luck, Tsuzuru gave him a soft pat on his back, while Itaru and Chikage just gave a small thumbs up for their friend

- And there goes Masumi, going on a date

- You were flattered to receive the flowers from him and put them on a vase before you two went onto your date

- He brings you to a zoo. It was fun walking around, looking at animals while holding each other's hands. When it's the closing hour, he confesses how he felt towards you, with his face slightly flushed

- When he came back home, the Spring Troupe didn't need to ask him how the date was. It was answered clearly with his bright smile plastered on his face

Tsuzuru

- He met you when he was doing his part-time job as a barista. It was an embarrassing first impression. From Tsuzuru's point of view, that is

- You walk in to order something to drink while you wait for your manager to pick you up. But when your gaze met each other, he just stood still. In a daze. Staring at you. He was mesmerized by how beautiful you are. He finally snapped from his daydream when you waved your hand in front of him. He profusely apologizes with a red face and asked for your order again

- You're amused by his demeanor, you found him cute. So that's how you ended up being a regular on this cafe, just to met him

- Tsuzuru felt like he's about to combust when one day you casually introduce yourself and ask for his name

- When your manager taps your shoulder to go, you leave a piece of paper for him. Tsuzuru felt like he can die in peace when he realized you gave him your LIME ID

- He was about to message you when he's back at the dorm, until his eyes landed on a magazine, almost choked on his own spit when he saw YOU with some girls in a cute dress. "Sensational Idol Group This Year!" imprinted largely on the cover. He felt a bit intimidated. What if he's intruding on you while you're busy? But a part of him really wants to talk to you and want to know you. He realizes it was love at first sight for him

- He already typed something on his screen. All he needs to do is click the 'send' button. He's been staring at it for half an hour. Then someone surprised him, making him drop his phone. To say that he is in absolute horror when he realized the message was delivered was an understatement

- When you see that you are typing back to him, he closed his app. Heart beating fast. And then his phone vibrates. He cautiously opens his phone, to see a reply from you. He immediately replies

- You two text almost every day. Getting to know each other, what he does for a living, telling what happened at your work, his brothers... The topics keep flowing naturally. When he told you that he found out you are an idol is so funny to you

- You asked him if he wants to go on a date with you. You're a bit concerned if you were a bit too straightforward because he didn't reply for almost an hour. He finally replied with a simple 'sure'. The truth is he is freaking out with joy on the other side

- It was a nice date. You two watched a movie and ate lunch at a cozy desolate restaurant. He insists on escorting you back home

- You thanked him for today. When you're about to enter your home, he finally musters up his courage and confesses his feelings to you. You turn yourself back to him with a grin, and happily reciprocate his feeling

Citron

- It's kinda a funny accident that you and Citron ended up dating each other

- You got a day off and your manager let you do whatever you want to do, so you decided to take a stroll. That's when you saw a guy doing a... street act? He's reciting a line while doing wonky dance moves, managing to grab people's attention on the street. You finally recognize the dance. You saw it every day, your fans made that specific dance just for you after all

- You did not realize that people were starting to notice you there. An excited scream from an audience alerting everyone around you, and now all attention is on you

- You awkwardly smile at them, and they are now surrounding you. Asking for an autograph, a selfie, or even a handshake

- You felt a hand grab you, and it guides you out of the crowds. You now ended up in a secluded alley. It's the guy that was dancing just now. He doesn't look Japanese, so when he finally asks if you are okay in Japanese, you are relieved. You tell him you're okay and thanked him for helping you out from the situation

- He realized he hasn't introduced himself properly. Citron is his name. He seems like a nice person, so you decided to introduce him with your real identity. You're not surprised that he recognizes your name

- He then starts cheerfully rambling about someone in his theatre company who is quite popular like you, and... start advertising? You kinda didn't get what he said with his sloppy Japanese, but it's endearing to see how passionate he is talking about his theatre company

- He offered you a spare ticket to watch his upcoming plays, and before you could decline his kind gesture, he's already gone. Leaving you with a ticket in hand. You stared at the ticket with Mankai Company imprinted on it. It's not that far from here and you have a holiday on that day. So you why not?

- You came and watched the play. Now with proper disguise, not wanting to repeat the same mistake twice. You are pleasantly surprised watching how different he look on stage, and how different he sound

- When the show ends, he approaches you, complimenting him and thanking him for giving you a free ticket. He's a nice company to be with, so when he invites you to join the closing night party, you agree to it

- When you show up to the Mankai dormitory, everyone is so welcoming to you, some can't believe that you know Citron of all people. You and Citron become really close after that

- You always come to his plays and he always comes to your shows, sometimes with someone from Mankai. Or even the entire company

- One day he gave you a box of dates*. On valentine's day. You thought he mistook it as chocolate, but with a serious expression, he then explains to you that it is a tradition from his country to give these to someone you love. You are flustered to hear his... confession. But you accept it gladly

Itaru

- Before you two were dating, he was your number one fan. All of your merch? He has an altar full of it. Your live shows? He never misses one. Your appearance in an obscure rhythm game? You bet he will whale his way to get that exclusive card of your character just to be able to hear your voice lines of "Welcome home, Producer!"

- "Chigasaki, did you sleep...?"

- "No, and I refuse to do so until I get her card. Now leave, I'm busy here."

- "But today is Monday."

- "...Can you tell the boss that I'm si--" "No."

- The fact that you two ended up dating each other is a dream come true for Itaru. You are as angelic as your idol persona appears to be. Sure, you have a side you never show as an idol, but that shows you are just a human like him. And that just make him love you even more

- You two met through work. Itaru's company was doing a promotional campaign and he was the one assigned to be the head of the project. He was irritated because it will affect his gaming time and his time fanboying over you

- But when you show up at the meeting to discuss the promotional campaign, he almost screams. The idol that he adores so much is in front of him! In a casual dress and polite smile threw to him

- It took so much for him to stay in his business persona. He saw you on your live shows. But to be able to sit in front of you? God. You are so beautiful up close, he can't help it. It is a miracle that he stayed in character the whole meeting. When he's back to the dorm, he gushes himself to Banri, Sakuya, and Citron that are happened to be in the living room

- "Ooh! You met a gravure* idol?"

- "The hell you know gravure from? She's from an idol group. Not gravure."

- "...what's gravu--" "I will stop you right there, Sakuya."

- You were charmed with his princely persona. You two ended up getting close with each other and even staying in contact after the promotional campaign is over. He asked you to a fancy dinner one day, you happily accepted. He dressed up so nicely, you can't help but stare at him the whole night. At the end of the date, he confesses to you about his feeling, and you accept his feeling

- When you find his secret side, you find it really adorable, while he got extremely flustered. He's trying his best to explain why he has an altar filled with your merch, but you just hush him down, telling him that you are flattered that you are his oshi*. You even tell him that he0 can secretly be on backstage on your next lie show. Knowing you don't mind this side of him, he took a mental note that you are the one for him

- He is still your number one fan, even after you two date each other. He sometimes sent you a fan cam of you making weird faces that he found on the internet and jokingly said "this u?"

Chikage

- It is a mystery how you two ended up dating each other. Whenever someone asks Chikage about it, no one can tell if he's telling the truth or his usual lie

- "Ah, yeah. We met each other when my company was using her group for promotional purposes."

- "Hold on Senpai, our company never did a promotional campaign...?"

- When people from Mankai asked you how you two met, you laughed and said, "He kidnapped me."

- Perhaps Chikage's habit of lying rubbing onto you. The highschooler of Mankai is playing detective and trying to solve this mystery. Will they find out the truth? Who knows

- He is not fond of showing his private life, which benefits both of you, considering both of your work. It will be a huge scandal if people found you are in a relationship. With that, Chikage takes extra steps and makes sure to erase traces of any kind of hint that you are in a relationship. Theory? Gossip? No one able to see it because it mysteriously disappears as soon as it touches the interweb

- He has zero interest in idols, and found the culture around it weird, but he is still supportive of you being one

- "Oh! I'm surprised you have this magazine! There's my interview in it!"

- He got his way to make sure you are safe when you are doing meet and greet. Idol fans, especially female idols can be extreme at times, and he will not allow you to get hurt

- When you come back from your tour, you always bring Chikage local spices that you got from your tour. It's a tradition at this point

- "I found a lot of spices in Korea!"

- "Nice. Did you get anything special from there?"

- "Yup! I got this thing from a fan! Apparently, it's really popular because of how spicy it is! It's uhhh... Samyang*? We can try it together!"

- You ended up crying yourself out from how spicy the instant noodle is. You curse on him when you saw him casually put more spice in it

- From an outside perspective, Chikage seems to be okay with you often going on tour and the two of you can't spend a lot of time together. Chikage himself often have a business trip so he respects your dedication

- But when he starts missing you, he always tries to busy himself with work. Even if it's mundane stuff like hanging out with the Spice Club more or the Spring Troupe. Which, only Hisoka notices

- "I know you are thinking about her. Just go call her if you miss her, April."

- "I'll give you marshmallow to shut you up."

*dates: small sweet fruits from dates palm

*gravure: female model on magazines marketed to men

*oshi: term for someone you support/fan of

*samyang: a brand of spicy instant noodle from Korea

#a3 #a3! #a3 x reader #a3 imagines #act! addict! actors! #a3! sakuya #a3! masumi #a3! tsuzuru #a3! citron #a3! itaru #a3! chikage #reader insert #headcanon #minagi tsuzuru #usui masumi #sakuma sakuya #chigasaki itaru #utsuki chikage #sakuya sakuma x reader #masumi usui x reader #tsuzuru minagi x reader #citron #citron x reader #chikage utsuki x reader

[mxpseudonym]

Catching On

Pairing: Tommy x  Gender Neutral! Reader

Request: “Can you write something with Tommy's and like a shy/oblivious reader? please!”

Summary: Tommy... he’s tryin’ y’all

Length: 908 words (allegedly)

A/N: I hope you enjoy! There are mentions of a dress, though the pronouns are GN. 

--

In your defense, this wasn't your fault.

Tommy Shelby was the most straightforward man you knew, and when he wanted something, a simple spine chilling look let you know precisely what. A sideways glance told you that he wanted a bottle of Irish whiskey sent to the snug or that a room full of ruthless gangsters needed to be silent and attentive. When he verbally sent an order, everyone's ears perked up, and there was no room for error. 

So, in your defense, the thought of Tommy pining had never crossed your mind. It seemed like ages since you started working in the Garrison and became good friends with Tommy. If you were honest, you had to admit that you'd been feeling the urge to be a little more than friends as well. However, the last thing Tommy needed was you love sick and tripping over yourself, so you kept quiet. Even when he began acting a bit off around you, you figured he would say something if it was important ... right?

At least once a week, Tommy asked you to dinner. It was a lovely way to spend time together and, though Tommy always insisted on treating you no matter your protests, you were able to try all of the new fancy restaurants in the city. If it was an exceptionally exquisite restaurant, Tommy would also insist on buying you a new outfit like tonight. 

"You don't have to do this!" You gasped, pulling the beautifully stitched material from a French box. 

"Of course, I do. Anything for you, love," he said before grasping your hand and kissing the back of it. Alone in your small apartment (which you had to plead for Tommy not to pay for) together, Tommy kissed the back of your hand and looked at you with those crystalline eyes. You couldn't help but pull your hand from his and wrap your arms around his shoulders in a hug.

"You're the best mate anyone could ask for."

Tommy's shoulders tensed under your palms. His once confident hands awkwardly lifted up to pat your back. 

"...yeah," he finally said.

Changing into your new outfit was more exciting than you expected. The dress fits you like a glove since Tommy knew your perfect size. When you showed him your finished look with accessories, you were showered in praises. 

He'd always been a gentleman about helping you in and out of the car and led you protectively through crowded spaces. Still, all through dinner, you noticed he hardly wanted to let go of your hand even from his place across the table. Was he alright?

"Y/n, I know you mentioned you always wanted to go to the ballet, so I got seats for us," he said. "And I want to make sure you know I'm doing this just because I want to be with you."

"I know, Tommy. You're very generous to everyone you care about. I'm lucky to be one of your friends," you said with a smile. As you gushed about the ballet and began asking questions about which one, you hardly noticed the blank look on Tommy's face.

"Friend?" Tommy repeated the phrase; the bitter word felt like his most challenging hurdle instead of a simple relationship label. You looked up at Tommy expectantly.

"What's that?"

"Nothing, not at all."

The car ride back to your apartment was quiet and tense. You found yourself glancing at Tommy, who was aggressively sucking in the smoke from his third cigarette, while wringing your hands. You cleared your throat and began making small talk. 

"The weather this week has been,"

"Y/n," Tommy stopped you. You gulped. Were you in trouble?

"Yes?"

"I don't want to go to the ballet as friends."

The confusion you felt was all over your face, making Tommy grip the steering wheel. 

"You don't want to go to the ballet anymore? Or you don't want to go with me? That's okay, I'm sure Ada wouldn't mind it."

Tommy growled and stopped the car. Luckily, the dimly lit side street showed no traffic that night, so he was free to tsk and turn to you with clenched teeth. He opened his mouth to speak, only to have the right words to catch in his throat until finally, he sighed in defeat.

"Christ in heaven, y/n."

"Huh? Tommy, what do you,"

Your words evaporated as Tommy leaned towards you. He paused for a moment, only allowing for your lips to brush against one another before fully committing. It was a soft, warm kiss that lingered and made you tingle from your fingertips to your toes. 

Oh, you thought as something within you clicked. Oh, it's so obvious now. 

Your face warmed for a moment as you thought about all the ways Tommy tried to get to this point. Perhaps you were a little foolish. 

When Tommy pulls away, he looks at you with something akin to desperation brought on by a long journey to a destination just out of reach. 

"I want to go to the ballet with you, only you. But not as friends."

You sighed and turned from him, pressing a knuckle against your chin in thought. Tommy's brows knitted together in a panic. If you didn't get it now, he would have to give up. 

"Is that so? Well, I suppose the only remedy is for us to go steady. How does that sound?"

"Like you're finally catching on, dear."

--

Taglist: @lilymurphy03 ; @soleil-dor

#I'm trying to remember the taglist! #Tommy Shelby Imagine #Tommy Shelby fic #Tommy Shelby x Reader #Peaky Blinders Fanfic #Peaky Blinders Imagine #request fulfilled!