#though i do think its interesting in a manner of if it is an intentional parallel (which is very possibly is!) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

semischarmed · 4 months

Text

Thread

Don’t blame me for this one, you guys voted for something diabolical.

= = = = =

The references were esoteric. In fact, I had to hide my true research from the university, under the guise of reclassifying “ritualistic” items. The irony did not escape me. I was actually looking to access a “ritualistic” item that was classified as mundane.

Legends spoke of a god of flesh. One that manipulates the body as one would manipulate clay. Its name has long since been lost to time, but there are echoes of his work in the myths of old. We often hear of a creator god shaping man from the earth, of half-human hybrids and giants and other such peculiarities. Glimpses of this god of flesh. I had only read into such a figure from a blog by happenstance. A miracle of probability.

I eyed the needle, now in my hand. It was unassuming but carried a supernatural weight to it, like the weight of time immemorial. I grinned, practically moaned as I pricked my finger with the needle.

I expected some sort of magical fanfare, maybe a gust of wind but found none. I stared at my hands and then I noticed it. My hands. My flesh. I could feel all of it. I stared intently as I pinched the skin above my finger, I willed the pleat to hold its shape and smiled. I was ready.

- - - -

I thought through the myths, now partial realities in my head. Though I felt myself brim with power, I knew the drawbacks- there had to be a reason the myths had not made it to present day. The answer appeared in my head. There is only so much one man can do, and being giftedoften made one a target. A word echoed in my head. “Protection”. That did seem to match my records. Humans of old would change their flesh to be stronger, more resilient, adapting to every circumstance thrown at them. But the weakness persisted. One prick to channel the same power as the god of flesh, and another prick locks you from that power again. I smiled to myself. I just needed to get… creative.

Joey Cooper was well-known around the college. A fifth year senior majoring in Sport Science. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he always meant well. He had an air of confidence to him that often aided his statuesque form. Despite this, something else drew my interest even further. His unattainability. The man was often called by his nickname “old faithful,” having been in a relationship with his girlfriend Britney for as long as any can remember. Guys and girls from all walks of life have tried to tempt “Juicy Joe” (A nickname he wasn’t aware of). None of have succeeded.

And then there was Charlie Cooper, his younger brother, a freshman with the face of an angel. He had unattainability in a different sense. Kind eyes and gentle curly locks framed a face that often wore a worried expression. Unlike his brother, he was timid, and a bit reserved. He had a lack of confidence that seemed to be a hindrance to his social life. Charlie would often shied away from conversation, despite others regularly visiting his dorm. Charlie roomed with Joey in the school dorms, a rarity for this campus. I overheard a conversation with Charlie once on this oddity. Beneath his unintelligible mumbling he mentioned something about being “faithful to Brit” and getting Charlie “out of his shell”.

I bit my lip thinking about the prospects.

— - - - - -

“Oh hey Joey!” I waved casually as I approached a Joey returning to his dorm room, face flush and covered in a sheen. He must have just come from the gym. He was consistent with his workouts, so it was no surprise he would still be in campus after finals to get one last pump in.

“Hey dude! Uh, sorry I don’t remember names to well”. He replied back in a friendly manner. I shook my head at that.

“No need to apologize. I don’t think we’ve ever formally met.” He looked back at me expectantly, hand outstretched to greet. I shook it as I continued. “My name’s gonna be Joey too”. He nodded and smiled politely but the man’s face couldn’t hide his visible confusion.

I clung onto the lack of rejection on Joey’s part as an invitation for myself. As he continued into his room, I followed, allowing the door to close behind us. The silence from the near empty dorm was deafening. He turned around, again making a polite smile. “Uh hey again… Joey… can I help you?”

I dropped all pretense, rushing to his bed and taking a whiff. “Fuck dude, you smell so hot”. Everything in the room carried a small sample of his scent. Like a gentle sweaty musk overlaid with his detergent. I looked to the sweaty Joey, inching closer and taking a whiff of his fresh personal scent. Divine. I felt my jaw unlock in a small moan. His post workout scent was like a concentrate of the pleasant musk I smelled before. Like raw testosterone and shallow breaths, and a hint of earthiness that exuded power. Juicy Joe. I was drunk on the scent, mind transfixed, until I caught him staring. He was starting to get upset.

“Hey bro, you should probably lea-“ He froze as he saw me extend a nerve out of my hand, like a red root outstretched into the air. “The fuck?”

He began stepping back but as soon as my nerve landed on his arm, he struggled back into stillness. I smiled in euphoria as I felt every individual root of my vein burrow into his skin and connect with his. Checkmate. He watched as more and more of my nerve rooted into his flesh, screaming as he felt the violation to his sense of touch.

“No one can hear you bro, it’s after finals, remember?” I twirled the needle in front of him before setting it on the table. “Can’t have you taking a shower and removing your natural cologne”. Joey was still frozen as he saw me begin to undress. Juicy Joe had a body brimming with power, and I knew it would burst at any moment. I took care as I undressed, rooting and unrooting my nerves, and making sure to always keep at least one red thread of control on him at all times.

Joey glared as he saw me finish placing my clothes in a neat pile on the floor. “Your turn”.

“What the fuck dude!? What makes you think-“ He was cut off as the red strings bridging our flesh began to writhe. In turn, he felt his meaty arms begin to move, and pull down his compression shorts. The feeling was altogether unfamiliar, as he felt his own flesh betray him and move to my will. I willed him to hand me the soaked shorts. Even with the power of the god of flesh on my side, I could feel Joey struggling for control through sheer willpower alone. I laughed a little in my head. There are other ways to break a man.

I brought his heavenly scented shorts up to my face, gorging myself on the potent raw musk of man. Like a pungent blast of earth and humidity and testosterone. A Joey-concentrate. I could practically feel the potency of it clawing at my nostrils. A sweat-laden Joey reeked in the best way. I must have been lost in pleasure, because my eyes refocused to his pleading face. “P-please man, just stop whatever this is. What do you want?”

I laughed. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s you. I want you. Every part of you.”

A few more nerves shot from my legs, and directly into his. With some new tethers in place, I pulled the threads connecting my arms to his, and quickly slipped under his sweaty workout shirt. I clung to his muscled chest for dear life. ‘Bless these stretchy workout shirts,’ I thought to myself. I felt along the ridges of his spine, across his shoulders which screamed power, and with my hands, I greedily caressed the flesh previously only touched by Britney. I gripped our embrace tighter. Joey was screaming and writhing, soaking the shirt further and my body in his struggle. I moaned as he screamed, as every turn and twist his body made also pushed my chest closer to his, confined by his own workout shirt. I sighed dreamily as his struggle compressed us closer together.

With the power of the needle, I made myself much more malleable and began to slip my arms to into the arm sleeves of his shirt. I spiraled them across his meaty biceps, possessively claiming every square inch of his flesh as my own. I did the same with my legs, wanting to bind us further.

The sight must have been bizarre- two men, naked from the waist down, both in the same sweaty workout shirt. And the smaller man, stretching and wrapping his arms and legs over the other.

“Now for some real fun” I stated, as I shot out as many of my nerves into him as I could. He screamed at the sensory assault as he fell unconscious. I merely continued rooting into him, relishing in being able to feel every inch of Mr. Unattainable. I slowly stumbled our bodies toward his mirror, making sure to have him grab his own phone.

= = = = =

When Joey came to, he saw my head hanging to the side in front of his, and his body enveloped by mine. He panicked when he saw more threads from my face rooted into his neck and mouth. “Fuck Joey, I can feel how strong your lungs are. Even your breaths feel like a top jock” I moaned.

Like raindrops, I felt his tears stream down his cheek and onto my face. “L-Let me go man. Look I’m sorry for whatever I did to you. I swear I don’t remember doing anything.”

I laughed callously. “No need to apologize, bro. You haven’t done anything to me. I just want you all to my own.” I brought his phone up to his face so he could see the name on the call screen. Britney.

“Babe?” She answered. “What’s up?”

“H-HEL-“ He tried to holler. Instead, his neck swelled and throat strained as he my red thread began to writhe.

“Joey? Is everything all right?” She asked in a worried tone.

“Fuck yeah it is,” Joey’s mouth laughed, while his eyes showed fear. I continued to use him as my mouth piece. “You’re so boring, Brit. Just called to tell you it’s over.” Tears began to well in his eyes. I could practically hear the tears in Brit’s eyes over the phone.

“Joey… I. Is something wrong? You never call me Brit. I told you how my dad used to…” She trailed, trying to rationalize the situation.

I continued the puppet show as Joey’s eyes continued pleading with me. “Nothing’s wrong, Babe. In fact, it’s finally all right over here.” He stated with a smile. Joey’s eyes winced at the venom spewing from his mouth.

Joey grunted as he tried to stop his free hand from fondling my ass. “Do you know how many girls and guys wanted in these pants, Brit? Do you know how hard is to always turn someone down. They all want a piece of Juicy Joe.”

“I mean, yeah, I guess you mentioned it once…” She sniffled. “But I thought we were fine” said a choked up Britney.

“Fuck no this isn’t fine. Look at me. I’m a fucking bull.” Joey was forced to say, while sticking his tongue out. I briefly stopped his hand from groping my cheek to force it into a biceps flex. He tried to squirm his head away but was ultimately forced to lick it and moan. I huffed and whispered in his ear. “I bet you taste fucking salty, Joey.”

“Babe, what’s wrong? You never talk about your body that-“

“Brit, just shut the fuck up”. That seemed to shut her up. “Always fucking whining too…” I made Joey huff. The upper half of his head was sobbing now. I forced his free hand back over my ass, and used his other hand to set the call to speaker. “It’s over”.

Joey dropped the phone on the table- still mid call, as I willed his other hand to cup my other cheek. Squeeze. “Fffuuuuck” I moaned. “You’re fucking mine, Joe.” Like his musculature, I commanded my cock into a malleable state, snaking over his, encircling it like a fleshy sleeve. Then, all at once, my red threads of control stirred, as Joey fucked his thick jock dick into my makeshift cocksleeve. “I’m fucking yours”. I made him say. My eyes fluttered in drunken bliss.

“Joey- who is that?”

I felt his head struggle as he tried to stop his body from growing hard. At this, I made sure he had full control of his cock. His plump ass cheeks tightened as his body was forced to thrust into me. I saw him wince, but we both felt the change. Even without me controlling it, his cock stirred to life.

I willed my flesh puppet to answer. “Oh, him? I’ve been fucking him during this call, Brit. That’s how boring you are. Stupid too- we’ve been fucking for months and you never noticed” I make him say it to his reflection as well, topping it with a sleazy grin he never wore. I also made a point to moan, to force him to thrust his hardening dick into me in loud, boisterous grunts. “Fuck. Brit. You. Never. Felt. This. Good”. I make him gasp in between breaths.

“So you’re fucking him, right now?” She asked, now turning to anger.

“Mmph… YES” I let him shout, as I tightened my fleshy trap around his engorged dick and milk his seed dry. To add to the injury, I released control of his mouth at the same time, so in that moment, he felt himself scream bloody pleasure and coat my flesh in his juices.

“YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD TO ME,” Britney shouts, before hanging up.

Perhaps it was due to the pleasure, or the bombardment of his senses, or the sheer perversion of the situation, but Joey’s eyes rolled back to its whites and his head slumped into my shoulder.

I basked in the moment, coated in the sweat and baby batter of Mr. Unattainable. Breathing in sync with his unconscious form. With his head still slung forward, I willed his upright form to give my ass another squeeze. “Take me, bro. I’m your fucking meat puppet. Feel me. Use me. These muscles, this body. It’s all yours. I’m all yours.” I make Joey say. Mr. Unattainable wholly mine.

I kept him upright, facing the mirror without a care for how sore his post-workout body already was. I made sure he stirred awake, to still see himself playing and groping my fleshy form, bonded together supernaturally by the god of meat. He sobbed silently at our union.

With Joey whimpering and broken, I began to retreat into my original form, letting his arms and legs and chest free. All that connected our two naked bodies now was just a single thread of red. But just one thread was all I seemed to need. I no longer felt resistance from his body, as his sullen face just looked to me with defeat.

I made him reiterate my will. “I’m all yours,” Joey mumbles. I puppetted him to close the distance, and pull my back towards his abs. Joey did not resist as body grinded into mine. He clumsily grabbed my head for a sloppy kiss. And once again, I tasted and experienced something only Brit previously had. His tears smeared into my cheek as I started making him kiss me. My eyes fluttered closed as I was in ecstasy. True pleasure. His lips slowly pried mine open, then the tip of his tongue touching mine. In our deranged intimacy, I savored the taste of Joey’s mouth and of his tongue now forced mine. I didn’t want this to end. Joey’s body pulled back from the kiss and began groping itself, repeating his new mantra. “I’m all yours.”

Still repeating his mantra, my eyes locked with his, before he grabbed the needle from the desk and pricked his hand with it. In that instant, I heard the door unlock.

What were the chances? Another miracle of probability. There was a single late final on campus, for an upper div class that freshmen rarely took. And yet, it seemed there was one freshman that did happen to take such a class.

Just my luck.

Charlie.

= = = = =

A two-parter. Could not for the life of me get usable photos of “Joey” in a compression shirt, so you’re gonna have to use a little imagination for that one haha.

#male puppet #male corruption

384 notes · View notes

cuethediscoandthedrinks · 1 year

Note

hi! um idk if you've done it already but please write about brat tamer! jake 🛐 yk he's into the whole thing. you misbehave or tease? you're in for it 🥵

OH ur right

jake sully + brat-taming hcs-

• i canon that he's not a "brat tamer" in its cliche, but more a soft!dom brat-taming, if you get what i mean

• the basis for his sexual life is that he pleases. he pleases, but he pleases for him, and for you, but ultimately for him

• compare him to quaritch, and you'll see what i mean; there's no real sadistic quality to jake, or a need to be 'in control' so much as guide and lead you where he thinks you'll like (and where/how he wants to see u, but i don't think we're all ready for that nasty yet)

• that said, when you act up he'll still take great pleasure in establishing some daddie!boundaries, ngl. it stems more from a place of intrigue and paternalistic care than anything else. if you bat his earnest caresses away, or send a disgruntled glare in his direction, he'll just want to know why

• jake's pretty confident in meeting your needs, and has all the proof necessary via his past experience with other partners in his human life, and the prior intimate moments between him and you; e.g. your moans and squeals, and the sheer amount of pussy juice that he's slurped up since he first met you,

• so it's more that he's interested in pursuing this seemingly left-field bratty development from you. it'll often start with his quirked eyebrow, some squinted eyes and a small amused (yet partially confused) open-mouthed smirk, bc what hasn't he done to make you cum all over him already?

• jake'll then become incredibly hesitant. less so in an insecure, introverted way, but more in a cautious and observant manner; despite the external murk that comes with him figuring out what could make you react as you have, he's internally pretty delighted bc this means you're only getting more comfortable with him,

• more willing to experiment, and express yourself and your feelings to him. even if it's in a snide, uppity, slutty and bratty manner sometimes

• after some particularly sassy backtalk from you one that can't be dealt with later by his tongue, or fingers, or thick cock he'll just falter his movements ever so slightly, watch you a little more intently, and let the amusement settle in

• he's amused, and eager to fix it. that's mostly the energy that develops when you go full bratty on him. some "....everything..ok, babygirl..?", or "hm..now, you know i don't like when you talk to me like that.", or maybe even "...uh-uh, now what did we say about backtalk, huh? *tsk*" often roll off his tongue, accompanied by some extra patronizing and pseudo-sympathetic hums of disapproval, and maybe some shaking of his head if you're in a more public place

• it also depends on the disobedient behavior, bc if it's more on the teasing end; e.g. bending over extra low, exposing your soft, slickened pussy, or slurping on some fresh fruit, letting the warm, sticky juices dribble down your open mouth, he doesn't really give a shit

• behavior that stems from dissatisfaction, on the other hand, gets to him much more. if he's receiving complaints in the form of pouted lips, little lacklustre head-shakes and huffs of lust-tinted boredom, he'll have something to say and do about it

• but he loves to observe and figure out what exactly is wrong before making any moves gotta put that marine expertise to good use. he figures there's little point in jeopardizing his soft!dom position by sexual shots in the dark, if you will

• therefore, he'll just become extra vigilant to look for clues, and eventually figure out what's on your mind. to him, it's usually a finger, cock, mouth or pussy thing though. if you squeeze your thighs together, or squirm and quietly whine apropos of nothing, he'll deem it a pussy problem

• likewise, if you subconsciously start suckling on your fingers, maybe pushing them in ever-deeper until you're silently glucking and choking on them, little moans and gasps escaping you, he'll know it's a cock issue

• or, if he catches a glimpse of your bright-eyed stare in his peripheral vision, raking over his vast, broad blue form, sucking ever so gently on your bottom lip - eyes glazed over, lulled and mesmerized by whatever erotic daydream you're occupied with, he'll know for sure that it's a mouth and finger thing.

• that means he'll begin to make his way over to you, maybe subtly, maybe more obviously, and just try to coax you out of your bratty shell a bit

• some little smirks, doe-eyed looks and sidling up nice and close to you, skin on skin; perhaps snaking his long, toned forearms and biceps around your waist, or intertwining his legs with yours

• all the while planting some light hot-mouthed kisses to your neck or collarbone, brushing his hair against you, or nuzzling into your exposed skin.

• he could go full strict dom on you, but he's always more partial to playing good cop, so slow and steady encouragement for you to communicate what it is you want, that's his go-to, "...talk to me babygirl..you can do it, tell me what's on your mind..",

• "you remember what i said last time, don't you?...if you wanna feel good, you gotta talk like a big girl...ok, sweetheart?",

• "...now, i don't know what's wrong, but this tantrum of yours isn't gonna get you anywhere, alright?...don't make me do things i don't wanna do now, ok?...'cause i know you can be a good girl for me."

+reqs open as usual <3

#i am in <3 #cuethediscoandthedrinks #cuethedisco #cuethequestions #jake sully smut #jake sully x reader #jake sully #na'vi smut #na'vit x reader #colonel miles quaritch #avatar miles quaritch #miles quaritch x reader #miles quaritch smut #miles quaritch #colonel catboy quaritch #colonel quaritch #avatar smut #avatar x reader

2K notes · View notes

vampirepunks · 2 months

Note

I’m curious what do you think about Higgs and Lou having a connection? Something about her pod gets his attention and how Sam says “he said you don’t know a goddamn thing about Lou.” Sure he doesn’t clearly say Higgs said it but knowing Kojima use of the He usually means a important character.

okay okay okay so I have Thoughts™ about this. Let's start with textual analysis and then shift towards wild speculations. It's messy, but bear with me.

So, body language, tone of voice, facial expressions. Those things say a lot. Higgs' overall demeanor is very familiar overall, not all that different from how he behaves in DS1, but there are a few subtleties that give him away.

Firstly, how he moves his guitar to his back as soon as he initiates conversation with Sam. He could have done this a few moments later to free up his hands, but he specifically chooses to move it aside at what appears to be the very start of the interaction. He's removing a barrier between them by doing so, consciously or not. His shoulders fall slack and he starts off with very open, unguarded gestures (hands at his sides, head held high) and shifts to a self-protective stance after noticing Sam's gun (arms folded in front of himself, hands folded, head tipped lower to focus more intently on Sam.)

This brings us to the moment he takes note of the BB pod. He doesn't hesitate to make a move for it, arms once again held in an open position as he stands up and goes to take it. When he does grab it, he isn't rough about it, using only as much force as necessary to dislodge it from its carrier. Now, this is where it gets interesting: he immediately turns his back to Sam. Whatever his reaction, Higgs doesn't want him to see it. He's anticipating something and he doesn't want Sam to pick up on whatever that is. He holds the pod carefully--tenderly, even--and cradles it in his hands, touching the front of it with a very delicate gesture. The tone conveys a very private, almost intimate moment. The camera lingers, the music softens. We see the little whoosh of air when he does so. My guess is, that phenomenon is related to his DOOMS; he's sensing the ghostly presence in the pod.

When he speaks, his voice is slower, gentler. He takes a moment, ponders his observations, and his eye motions reveal a deep thought process. The very subtle, quick, back-and-forth motions of his eyes as he reacts is... interesting. Psychologically, those kinds of side-to-side micro-movements typically indicate memory recall in the brain, a sign of bilateral activation for information processing and consolidation from long-term memory. Whatever he's thinking about, he's remembering something and contrasting it with the situation in front of him. He's snapped out of it, of course, by Sam asking if he killed Lou. His immediate reaction says it all: the second he hears it, his brow goes up, his mouth presses tight, and he turns his head. That conveys genuine surprise, maybe even confusion too. Not the likely reaction of someone who murdered the child in question. That stone-faced expression sticks for a moment. When he says, "You still don't know, do you?" nothing about his posture, tone, or expression indicates mockery or ill will. In fact, it's almost sympathetic. Again, using a softer voice, and he turns his full body back towards Sam. His brow lowers and his overall countenance remains tense, as though he's somehow bothered by the situation. Hell, he seems tired, as though he's exhausted of Sam not understanding. Contrast this with DS1's "You just don't get it, do you?" which is spoken in a highly aggressive manner. Higgs never lies to Sam (thank you, higgssupremacy, for reminding me of this!) and repeatedly tries to bait him, get him to listen, and observe the truth for himself, separate of his established assumptions. Higgs isn't content with telling Sam the whole story, he needs him to actually see.

The scene cuts away here, as in the next shot, he's no longer holding the BB pod and he's standing quite a bit further away from Sam. So, we'll focus on that first interaction.

Things I've taken away from this:

Higgs didn't kill Lou. If he was involved in her death, it wasn't intentional and harming Lou was not his objective.

He doesn't intend to harm Sam either, at least not at this moment.

Based on this and the lullaby in the teaser, his relationship to Lou is a caring one, potentially parental.

So, naturally, this isn't the first time he's interacted with Lou separately from Sam.

Now, I might be reaching, but I could almost swear if you listen closely when he touches the pod, you can hear a very faint sound reminiscent of ocean waves. (If somebody who works with audio wants to try and isolate the background ambiance, I'll kiss you on the mouth sloppy-style.) So, two things: 1) Did Higgs interact with Lou on the Beach? If so, when? 2) Is his ka still on the Beach? If so, how disconnected are his soul and body? Does he remotely "pilot" his physical body, or was his very being cleaved in half in a similar manner to Bridget and Amelie?

Now, I'm gonna put on my tinfoil hat and make an absolutely batshit leap of logic. I'm considering this a possibility, not a certainty, but... What if it wasn't Amelie that sent Lou back from the Beach when Sam took her out of the pod at the end of DS1? What if it was Higgs?

There are two potential explanations I can think of for how this would be possible, especially given the presence of the quipu when Amelie was the last one to have it: 1) Higgs and Amelie spoke again sometime after the ending, at which time she either gave it back to him or he took it. Not the most likely answer, as we're led to believe she died when she blew up her Beach (to "be the sacrifice"), which we see her do with seemingly no time in between, and she had the quipu in that final scene. However, time works differently on the Beach (aka, it doesn't) and she could have taken a moment to speak with him/kick him off her Beach and send him back to his own. 2) Higgs was still on Amelie's Beach when she razed it. Through yet indeterminate means, he survived this and either inherited what was left or was irreparably changed by such a world-bending event when he landed back on his own Beach.

So, that leaves Higgs alone on the Beach, whereupon Lou washes up on the shore. In this scenario, this is the moment in which Higgs sings to Lou. He repeats the same choice that started the Stranding to begin with: save a child, create a repatriate. Cosmic consequences ensue.

Reasons I think this theory works:

Saying "I'll always be with you" to Lou carries a lot of weight. Whatever happened between the two of them, it was enough that he felt he'd always be a part of her story in some way or another.

Several things happen when Lou repatriates - the timefall stops, the rainbow is no longer inverted, the sun shines without the cover of chiral clouds, the baby BTs in that final scene are suddenly white. The world has been changed. Healed, it seems, but at what cost? If Higgs' new theme is creation + redemption, it stands to reason that this could have begun with saving a life and inadvertently reversing the course of the Stranding, at least partially.

In the first dream sequence in DS1, Sam is shown connected to Lou by a black, synthetic-looking umbilical cord, before she turns into a BT and heads towards the Seam. In the trailer, Higgs has an umbilical cord that is almost exactly identical to that one.

Eternal recurrence. Always, always, eternal recurrence. Higgs repeats the decision Amelie made with Sam and irreversibly changes the course of the world and fate of humanity in the process, just as she did. A choice made out of compassion, regret, and a need for connection. He didn't know any better, how could he know better?

Higgs textually parallels Lady Macbeth. If we assume Lady Macbeth is both villain and victim, and that she (and Higgs) did not in fact die off-screen/stage as the audience is led to believe, how does that narrative continue? Lady Macbeth's guilt is heavily tied up in her involvement with the death of children (and the loss of her own child in some readings) and her inability to rid herself of her bloodguilt ("What's done cannot be undone") and this aligns with Higgs' acts of terrorism after meeting Amelie (an explicit example being Mama's baby) and his act of violence towards Lou in Edge Knot City, in stark contrast with his original reasons for becoming a terrorist ("How tender ’tis to love the babe[...] I would, while it was smiling in my face[...] dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to").

Higgs having turned Lou into a repatriate (and possibly have been accidentally responsible for "taking" her from Sam?) mirrors the conflict between Amelie/Bridget and Cliff. Someone who was (maybe, in Higgs' case!) responsible for a child's death, severing their natural connection to death, and proceeding to claim and love that child as their own, while the father rages on and demands to be given back his BB, trapped by grief for his stolen/lost child. Could that story end differently, this time? In a narrative about disconnection and opposition, could these two people choose to unite--to connect--instead, when it comes down to it? After all, Kojima implied that Higgs and Sam need each other. They are each the other's chiral counterpart, inseparable by their very natures and fates.

If Higgs was the one who said, "You don't know a goddamn thing about Lou," that sounds awfully defensive, doesn't it? Perhaps even protective/possessive? Like a parent defending their claim on their child?

I've also adopted GameLargo's theory that Higgs was the infant of the c-section in which the first true voidout occurred, inspiring the BB experiments to begin with. In this scenario, Higgs would have been "born" from a voidout. It can be inferred that BBs can possibly repatriate, in a sense, as long as they're in the pod, because they're not truly alive or dead and belong neither to this world or the other side. The world of the living staked its claim on him when he came back from the Seam, but his unique means of starting life inherently fractured his place in the usual order of things, thus turning him into a "natural" repatriate and explaining why his DOOMS powers are so different from anyone else's. Again, life from death. Logically, Bridges might have recovered dear baby Peter from the incident site when they investigated, studied him, and adopted him out when he wasn't of use to them, concealing/erasing the records of his existence as part of the BB experiment conspiracy. This overall concept further strengthens Higgs' ties to the human sacrifices committed by Bridges, his relationship to the extinction, as well as his potential to subvert these things and embody a creative force rather than a destructive one. A sudden connection with Lou makes a lot of sense in this context.

Ghost Lou possessing the samurai bot (the working theory among the fandom, as we're all familiar with by now) laughs joyfully while fighting Higgs, as if she's playing with him. He doesn't seem particularly scared, either, at facing such a clear threat, he's just alarmed and vaguely frustrated, like "wtf is happening right now, why is this thing attacking me, etc." You ever seen a baby throw things at their dad and squeal with glee at how he reacts? Yeah, this gives off that vibe.

...so yeah that's my absolutely unhinged take from what we know so far. Guess we'll see!

#this is peak insanity but i've been thinking about this nonstop for months and the full trailer only made me Worse #sorry this is so long 😅 it's giving 'oh good i get to explain this to you. you will regret this.' lmao #i've been studying higgs under a microscope for about a year now #just observing him in his natural habitat with a pair of binoculars. and taking notes #also thank you SO much for asking!!#ds2 theories #higgs monaghan #death stranding #ds2 #logan answers #love-bigboss1fan-me #logan.txt

80 notes · View notes

raven-at-the-writing-desk · 2 months

Note

Hey Headmage!

Is there a dorm in NRC that you like more than the rest?

It’s kinda funny to think about Crowley simping for powerful women who actively go out of their way to commit crimes to get what they want 😂 He’s just like us, frfr/j

Enter; An Unkindness of Ravens.

“Ah-HEM!” Crowley cleared his throat in an obnoxiously obvious manner. “As I’ve previously stated, it would not do to have an influential figure such as myself bestowing favoritism to particular individuals or groups! The same, naturally, applies to the dorms at Night Raven College.”

“Oh, come on! You’re going to give another evasive answer like that?”

“I assure you, it is anything BUT evasive!!” he insisted. “Each dormitory is constructed with the intent to honor the Great Seven and their numerous contributions to society. To choose one dorm over the others is to imply that one pillar amongst the Great Seven or their values stands well above the others!! Nay, each has their unique strengths and accomplishments.”

The headmaster hesitated, and right as you began to wonder if the pause was merely for dramatic effect, he resumes.

“… Though I must say, Pomefiore has a particularly storied past! It is the oldest of our dormitories, the very first to be erected at NRC, to be exact!”

“Really, the first?”

I would have thought it was Ramshackle, given how destitute it is compared to the rest…

“Indeed!” Crowley beams, his beady little golden eyes shining. “If you are interested in learning more about Pomefiore, there is a selection of literature on its history in the Archives. Alternatively, I’m certain that Professor Trein would be more than happy to entertain your inquiries! He is the head of our Humanities department, after all.”

Ah, here was the familiar song and dance, you think. A question avoided, then redirected at another to deal with.

Typical Crowley.

“Thanks for your words of wisdom, sir,” you said flatly. “I’ll ask Professor Trein then.”

#twisted wonderland #twst #Dire Crowley #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #Two Ravens at the Writing Desk #twst interactions #twisted wonderland interactions #Reader #self insert

50 notes · View notes

oxymorayuri · 4 days

Text

❞𝐍𝐨 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬❝

Part six

If you haven't read the first part yet, you can find it here or the overview. ♡♡♡

✦ Pairing: Portgas D. Ace x Reader ✦ Warnings: language, !S.A.! Mainly noises, no exact description of the process, mature content ✦ Spoiler: none

wordcount: 5678

tagging: @lazyninjatheorist - @sassyyassi - @cottoncandyloverrrr - @littleleelee

! ᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ !

ᴍɪɴᴏʀꜱ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛ

𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓: yanfenguo_gao

"Travelling around like ordinary people is a really good thing…" You look over to Ace as he licks his ice cream happily.

Together you walk around the passenger ship. You were lucky to get the last two tickets and now it will be a whole day before you arrive at your destination… Dressrosa.

Even though you are happily licking your ice cream, your eyes are looking around attentively. You may not be on Dressrosa yet, but you're already at work.

"It definitely has its benefits, but I suggest you keep your eyes open Ace…" You stop at the railing and look down from the second floor to the lower deck and watch the people.

You count them and try to separate who you've already seen. Fortunately, with so few people, it's quite clear and in the back of your mind you try to spot any suspicious people.

So far, you've only been able to count 16 people who look like typical travelers. Families gathered on the lower level to watch the fish in the sea or couples strolling across the deck, gazing at the open sea. At the thought, your gaze wanders to the side, to Ace, who is still busy with his ice cream. A reluctant grin forms on your lips as you watch him.

With the ice cream in your hands, you really do look like a normal couple. You don't really know why that makes you smile, after all, that's the plan…

"Hey Ace, let me see the tickets. I'd like to see where our cabin is." He looks at you, a little dumbfounded.

"Cabin?" He reaches into his trouser pocket with one free hand and hands you the tickets.

"Yes, the trip to Dressrosa takes about a day, what did you think?" - "I don't know, I didn't think it would take that long. With the Moby Dick we'd easily be there in five hours…" he remarks while he's busy with his ice cream.

You can't help giggling and shake your head.

"The Moby Dick is a completely different story compared to a ferry." You lean back against the railing and look up at Ace.

"This is a ship for travelers." You watch him stuff the last bit of his waffle into his mouth, while you still have some of your last scoop left and he looks down at you confused.

"We're travelers on the Moby Dick too. I don't see the difference." You look dreamily at the people below you. It's true that you pirates are just travelers too. Travelers in a different way… But on your downward missions you also enjoyed the simple life. Between all the spying, you still had time to enjoy the area, after all, that's part of your facade… And who knows what you'll hear and see around the next corner…

You once sat down in the casino for fun, to strip the spoiled rich. The evening was promising. Gosh, some men are so easy to influence. First you got them to bet more with your seductive manner. Then you challenged them, questioned their wealth and flirted with them. These men have nothing more to do than brag about their money and show off.

How boring... but good for you, because you always win. Not in an honest way, of course, but you sit down at the table with the intention of cheating, so at least you're being honest with yourself. But that evening there was someone at the table who, although he had lost some money, had won something new.

Interest.

He invited you into the private area of the casino, without knowing that you were actually his employee. Crocodile had his eye on you and your cunning manner and wanted to show you that it didn't hurt him one bit, that you had won a handsome amount of money from him.

What he didn't know was that you were already working for him but in a wig, of course.

When you steal from people, you rarely do it as the person you're 'pretending' to be, so you went into your boss's casino with your natural hair. Starting as a guest and ended up in the VIP area by Crocodile's side; It can be that easy...

Crocodile has been a very generous man and even if you hardly want to admit it, you kind of enjoyed it.

He has a very charismatic demeanor and is a sharp businessman. You had a few things in common and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. Being with him made you feel different but in the back of your mind you always remembered that he was your enemy. But the feeling of leading this double life was thrilling.

Of course, as the owner of the casino, lots of interesting people wanted to talk to him. How foolish. Things are discussed in front of you, that a stranger shouldn't hear, but Crocodile was too busy having you by his side as a fancy accessory.

"Hey y/n take a look at these guys."

Ace voice pulls you out of your memory... you don't even know how you got there but it doesn't matter anymore. Your eyes wander to the men Ace is pointing at. Rolling your eyes, you take Ace's arm down.

"Don't point at them like that. If they look up, they'll notice us." You say calmly to him. You look after the men as they disappear from your field of vision and even when you lean over the railing you can no longer see them. You curse slightly to yourself.

"They're gone." Ace mumbles as he does the same and leans over the railing. At the same time, you look each other in the eye and nod.

Without another word, you both head down to the lower floor and try to track down the suspicious figures. Compared to a map of the ship and which way they were going, they must have walked to the private cabins.

The chances are slim, but you won't let any opportunity pass by. You walk along the corridor with quick but silent steps until you reach the end and find yourself in a circular lobby with several rooms. But no sign of the men.

"Hm, we seem to have lost them…" Ace put his hands on his hips and looked at one door after the other. Just before you were about to turn around, one of the doors opened and the shady gentlemen stepped out of the door with two women.

You quickly throw yourself at Ace and lead him to a door nearby so that you don't look suspicious.

You giggle at Ace in a somewhat drunken voice.

"Darliiiiiiing.. don't tell me you left the key at the bar again…" a little surprised, he caught you and looked at the men and immediately understood what was going on. He pulled you closer to him with one arm and searched for the imaginary keys in his pockets as the men walked past you.

"Sorry my love, I was just so lost in your eyes that I forgot them there…" You chuckle lovingly as you wrap your arms around his neck to give him a kiss. You had only meant to make it look like a kiss on the lips, but Ace pulled you towards him so that your kiss landed directly on his mouth.

A little startled, you wanted to push away from him but Ace stopped you by holding your face and whispering a grinning 'play along' on your lips. You realize that it would be conspicuous if you ended your kiss abruptly, but you can't shake the feeling that Ace is shamelessly taking advantage of the situation.

For a brief moment they give you a few glances but they're obviously buying the act.

When they have passed, you break away from Ace and return to a normal stance but speak in your sugary sweet voice.

"Aww honey, then let's go back to the bar and have another drink!" You look at Ace and nod in the men's direction to make it clear that you're following them now.

Together you chase after the four people. At one point, one of the women turns around and you quickly latch onto Ace, gazing up at him lovingly to avoid looking dubious.

As you expected, Ace played along wonderfully. He put his arm around your shoulder and paid attention only to you as if no one else was around you. He even went a step further and gave you a sweet Eskimo kiss with his nose. His teasing grin may be cute on the outside but you can see his real smirk behind it. He's enjoying being close to you for the sake of the show and you immediately blush…

"Look forward and don't fall behind, you stupid bitch." Somewhat roughly, one of the men grabbed the woman by the shoulder and pulled her towards him. You couldn't help but notice the look on her face. A hopeless look.

When their backs are turned to you again, you look at them with skepticism. The gentlemen are well dressed, but you can see a small tattoo on the neck of one of them… Where have you seen this tattoo before? It looks familiar…

The ladies are dolled up like slutty escorts, don't speak a word and are downright terrified. You know what that means and that is, that you need to find out more about them.

At the bar of the restaurant, you watch the small group eating from a safe distance. The women were so frightened that they hardly ate anything or looked up from their plates…

You grit your teeth and turn to Ace.

"This is going to be trickier than I thought. So far they've only talked about unimportant things…" - " Then we'll have to get in touch with the women somehow…" he observes the women with slightly narrowed eyes. It's clear to you that these people play an important role when it comes to your mission.

You rummage for something in your handbag.

"Good idea Ace... the men don't seem stupid enough to talk in public but we can work this out." The black haired man leans towards you while holding onto his drink with one hand.

"What do we do now?" You already have a rough idea, you know that no matter where the women go, they will be watched, but there is one place where they will be alone for a brief moment. The toilet.

You ask the bartender for a pen and paper and write down a few words, folding the paper several times.

"Watch and learn." You lean forward towards Ace and smile at him with a confident wink.

You take one last sip from your glass and slide off the bar stool to go to the toilets. Luckily, the suspects are sitting right on the way there and you fall in a dramatic and skilled fashion, right next to the one woman. You try to hold on to the table but you knock her glass down with you. With flushed cheeks, you look up at her and grab her by the arm to apologize profusely.

You put some money on the table for the spilled drink and take one of her hands and again you apologize sincerely to her while you press your note into her hand under the table.

The gentlemen watch attentively as you place her glass but say nothing and just look you up and down.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed your meal, have a nice day!" and embarrassed, you scurry down the corridor to the toilets.

Behind the door of the ladies room, your embarrassed expression disappears immediately and you head straight for the first toilet to carry out the second part of your plan.

You write a few words on another piece of paper, but this time you write more. You have to hurry because you don't have much time. Their plates are almost empty and when they leave the restaurant there won't be another chance.

Hastily you write the last words in a sloppy handwriting and fold the paper up again. You take one of the spy buds out of your handbag and tape it together with the note to the lid of the toilet. Then you leave the lid up so that nobody will see it…

In the meantime, Ace watches as the woman carefully read the note you gave her under the table. Without looking at it, she hides the note in her nylons.

When you came out of the bathroom and sat down next to Ace, you heard her say that she needed to use the toilet and one of the men wiped his mouth in annoyance.

"You women are annoying, I'll be glad when this job is done…"

"Get up and go ahead," he said as he stood up as well.

They both disappeared in the direction of the ladies room and, as you assumed, the guy didn't even have the shame to wait outside. He went into the restroom with her, but you know it's unlikely he'll go into the stall with her.

You turn your back to the remaining people and swirl your glass.

"What kind of performance was that? That was awesome and absolutely natural!" Ace is visibly surprised by your little act.

"That's a piece of cake." - "A piece of cake?! Even I thought you fell down for real y/n… that was incredible." With a proud grin, you clink glasses with each other.

"Now we just have to wait and see if she plays along." - "I believe she does. She hid your note in her tights, I think she definitely doesn't want to be there."

Your gaze wanders to the side but you don't answer him. Even if she wants to cooperate, you won't be able to help her. If you help her escape, it could cause trouble and endanger the actual mission.

Your goal is not to be a hero, but to play an informant. Just like for those men there, she's just a mere tool for your own benefit… You feel a little sick to yourself, you know what's waiting for these girls in the end and you don't wish it on anyone, but either you bring Doflamingo down and stop this slave trade completely, or you save two girls and get caught.

You have to make that decision. You're not proud of it but honestly it's never been hard for you because you know that the actual goal would help a lot more people.

Also, if you are exposed, then people will keep an eye on the Whitebeard pirates and that would be unfortunate for you…

You don't even notice how you're biting your lip the whole time. It's a little habit of yours, especially when you're deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" It doesn't go unnoticed how you chew your bottom lip. Amused, he nudges you with his elbow as you still don't react. A little startled, you look up at him and blush as you stare into his eyes. Ace sitting next to you while you're on a mission is still strange. You're used to being alone and having Ace as your partner doesn't make it any better…

"Just that you might be right." You look ahead. You keep your true thoughts to yourself for now.

"Really?" A little too happy for your taste, Ace smiles to himself as he looks into his glass.

"Tell me, what did you write on the note?" - "On the first one, that if she's in danger, she should go to the bathroom. I left her another message in the first stall…" You carefully take the second earphone out of your pocket and hold it up to Ace's face. He raises his eyebrow a little as though he can't fully understand.

"I offered her a deal." You pause for a moment, secretly knowing you won't keep this deal. It's all for the bigger picture, you keep telling yourself.

"If she makes the deal, we'll be able to eavesdrop on them later when they're in their private rooms." You play with the earphone between your fingers like it's a marble. It makes click in Ace's head and he gets the idea.

"That's perfect! Sooner or later they'll talk!" Ace is clearly looking overjoyed, as if the job is already done.

"Not quite yet… When they leave, I'll see what kind of answer she leaves me…" You nod toward the restrooms and Ace nods in agreement. Chances are good, but inside you're preparing a plan B.

After a while, as your possible accomplice came back out of the restroom with the other man, all four of them left the restaurant.

The moment of truth has arrived. Will she play along?

You wait a moment until they are out of sight and get up.

"Pay the bill… after I get back we should head to our room." Ace nods at you and calls the bartender over.

Your heart is pounding as you open the door to the stall. Will you have an easy game or will you have to come up with a new plan?

You briefly squint your eyes as you close the door behind you. For a moment, you hesitate before looking at her answer.

If she goes along with it, she should flush your letter down the toilet and put the earphone in. If not, she should tear up your letter and throw it in the bin.

You hold your breath without realizing as you open the trash can... There is no letter in there.

Satisfied, you exhale. She is playing along.

You quickly make your way back to Ace, who is still waiting for you at the bar. He looks at you intensely as if he wants to read the answer from your face.

"And?"

"Let's go into our room and discuss everything else."

As soon as you arrive in your room, you get everything ready.

You place a Den Den Mushi on a table and plug in your one earphone. You flick a few switches on the snail so that their voices can be heard aloud but no one can hear you. You don't want her to hear what you say or find out who you are. A name alone would be already bad... If the men discover the earpiece, the risk of her talking is too high. The less she knows about you, the better.

Ace watched you connect the equipment, as if you had done it thousands of times before and sat down on the bed.

When you're done, you drop down next to him on the bed and stare at the speaker. For a while you stare at the snail as it plays the voices of the men. So far the conversations have been meaningless, but you are aware that this can take a while. They probably won't talk while the women are awake.

The silence is interrupted when Ace's stomach makes itself heard. Embarrassed, he grips the back of his neck and mumbles a quiet 'sorry'. The blush on his face makes you giggle because he's really adorable whenever he's embarrassed.

You think for a moment... It would also do you some good to eat, so you crawl to the other side of the bed, because there was a phone on the nightstand. Ace's eyes follow you discreetly as you reach across the bed. His gaze travels up your long legs to your ass.

Oh, how he would love to grab you by the hips and push your dress up so he could look at your ass. Your lovely curves shimmer slightly through your dress, but he pulls himself together and banishes his desires.

Now is not the right time and he doesn't want to mess things up with you. The day will come when you belong to him, he will make sure of that, but he knows how important this mission is to you. He knows how much you enjoy your job and, above all, how well you do it.

Your voice brings him out of his thoughts and the only thing he catches is you saying goodbye and putting the phone down.

"The food should be here in half an hour, I hope your stomach can hold out until then." You plop down next to him again and lean over to him with a broad smirk.

At first he seemed a little surprised, but this expression quickly changed on his face and his lips curled into a mischievous grin instead.

"Maybe you could distract me a little…" His voice is so seductive and low… you suddenly get quite warm and open your mouth but no words come out. Should you go along and take it to the extreme or should you break the atmosphere?

You think of Marco's words; you shouldn't deepen these feelings, they lead to nothing.

But the desire is great. Unconsciously, you lean further forward and look at him with innocent eyes.

"What would you like?" You won't grant him that he's the one in control. Let him tell you about his fantasies… Maybe you'll like it? You don't have to do it, but hearing it will be good for your self esteem.

He exhales with a small laugh and looks down.

His fingers search for a bare spot on your body and you allow him to caress your thigh.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, you hear the men through the Den Den Mushi.

"When are we meeting with the guy tomorrow?" Your eyes shoot over to the snail and both of you are completely back to work. You reach for your notebook, it could be getting interesting now.

You interlace your fingers and listen attentively to their conversation.

"He said we should come straight to the moulin rouge to deliver the goods." - "Okay, very good." A short pause follows and you write down the name. Moulin rouge… writing it down you add 'address' with a question mark. You assume it's a brothel or something similar, but Dressrosa is big…

"Tell me Johnny, why don't we test the 'goods' before we deliver them?" Your stomach is churning, you sense something bad.

A dirty laugh sounds through the speaker, followed by desperate screams from the women. With contorted faces, you listen to the panicked and tormented cries until Ace decides to turn off the snail.

"I'm sorry y/n but one more second and I'll break down their door…" Ace clenches his fists, he's about to storm off but you get up and grab his hands to calm him down.

"Yeah yeah, I know… but we'll make sure everyone gets free…" As long as they're not already sold to a rich buyer... but you won't let Ace know that.

At your gentle voice, Ace's body begins to relax and his jaw unclenches. You can understand him, it was cruel to listen to. Even though you would have liked to know more than just a name, you could no longer listen to these desperate cries. You were only a second away and then you would have turned off the Den Den Mushi yourself.

After the food was brought to you, you worked on a few notes you had made about the day. You've added questions that you hope will be answered on the mission, something that helps you keep track of things, and without you realizing it, Ace looks over your shoulder as he stuffs his face with food.

"Aren't you hungry at all?" he remarks as he looks at your barely touched plate.

You literally wake up from your work mode and find yourself in a room with Ace. He recognizes your slight confusion and looks at your plate. You look at your plate a little slowly and your stomach turns immediately, feeling starved.

"Ah yes, you're right…" You put the notes aside and start eating.

Ace joins you at the small table and you eat together while you talk about all sorts of things. Ace almost glows as he talks about his brothers and their adventures. With your chin in your hand, you listen to him attentively. You enjoy this carefree moment with Ace.

"Tell me y/n what happened before the Whitebeard pirates? Where's your family?" You lean back in your chair with a somewhat troubled look on your face. You don't like talking about the time before the Whitebeard Pirates… For you, your life started when you followed Whitebeard.

Ace doesn't miss the change and seems a little panicked as he assures you that you don't have to tell him. That's exactly why you don't want to get involved with Ace. The closer the bond, the more you confide in him.

So far, all you've experienced is separation and a feeling of vulnerability. You've shown them your weak side and that's what you want to avoid now.

"It's okay… It's just that I don't like talking about it…" You look up at him a little uncertainly.

"And you don't have to, I promise. I don't want to pressure you into anything." His eyes seem honest and you believe him without hesitation.

"You'd better tell me why Whitebeard adores you so much… I can understand why, but he really does treat you like his own daughter." You grin to yourself. You don't know exactly either.

"I really have no clue…" You yawn a little, it's already quite late.

"We should go to bed, the ship docks tomorrow morning and we have to get the other earbud before we dock, which means we have to get up early." - "Ah yes, that's right, the woman has the other earphone…"

You disappear into the bathroom with your sleeping clothes to change and get ready for bed. When you came back into the room, you saw Ace about to go to bed. In just his undershorts...

With his back leaning against the headboard, he covered himself with a blanket while his whole upper body was exposed. Putting his arms behind his head, he smiled at you mockingly.

"Are you coming to bed my love?" You roll your eyes and get under the covers.

"Stop messing around Ace. There's no one here we have to fool." You lie down with your back to Ace and try to sleep. From the side, you hear Ace's little sigh and you notice him lying down.

"I'm not messing around…" His hands reach out to pull you close to him and he buries his face in your hair.

Your body tenses but you don't feel able to fight back and let Ace embrace you.

"I'm sorry y/n but you always smell so good. Your smell drives me crazy…" His hand wanders under your shirt and he gently strokes your skin.

Even if he had planned not to get too close to you, he can't resist his desire to touch you. These feelings just keep building up as soon as you're within reach. Without much thought, he enjoys the feeling of your skin as he runs his hand over your curves.

"Your skin is so smooth like a sweet peach, it makes me addicted." His lips are right by your ear as he whispers the words in a voice filled with pleasure. His raspy voice gives you chills and without you being able to stop it, your body moves to match his gentle touch.

"Ace please, stop…" The way you're grinding your ass against him, doesn't make you look like you want him to stop.

His skillful hands move carefully from your thighs up to your breasts and he gently begins to knead them. Tender sounds escaped your lips as Ace began to tug slowly on your already hard nipple. He began to feast on your neck and placed countless kisses, causing you to arch your back.

"Are you sure you want me to stop?"

You suck in the air a little shakily. How can a kiss be so intense? But you can't give in. You have to hold your ground.

"Yes… Please… Please stop…" Your voice is almost pleading, but the excitement is hard to ignore.

"What if I don't stop?" His hand moves further down, towards your underwear.

Yeah, then what? You ask yourself but you do nothing... His finger plays with the thin band of your slip and lets the rubber snap against your sensitive skin.

Fingertips disappear lightly under your underwear and brush over your skin without going directly between your already drenched folds.

"Mhhm… y/n you make me so hard…" It was a mistake to share a cabin with him, if this continues Ace will have you in the palm of his hand. His soft moans drive you crazy. How do you get out of this situation?

"Ace, this is not a good idea…" You try to talk some sense into him while you enjoy his touch with your eyes closed.

"What's not a good idea?" - "If we sleep together…" Ace's erection against your back increases your desire, to get on top of him and let him fuck you all night. You can almost feel it, the sensation of his magnificent piece filling your greedy pussy…

You shamelessly move your butt up and down and rub his dick, to which Ace reacts with a satisfied moan. He grabs your thigh a little roughly and pushes you closer to him so that his cock presses between your butt cheeks.

His massive boner feels like it's about to pop out of his underpants and you would love to suck his life out of him. Automatically, the saliva gathers in your mouth…

After you had sex on the beach, you had all kinds of dreams about giving him the blowjob of his life and if there were no feelings involved, you wouldn't hesitate for a second.

You open your eyes and try to control your unsteady breathing. It's not fair what he's doing to you.

You turn to him and push him into the bed to sit on him. You are already familiar with this sight… His gaze seems a little hazy, as if he's drunk on you.

Ace enjoys the view; How your nipples stiffen, how your chest goes up and down because of your rapid breathing and when he looks down at you he recognizes the wet spot on your slip. He breathes out a little heavily at the sight of you… Your eyes look at him a little angrily, but he recognizes the blazing lust behind them.

He bites his lip as he watches you struggle. He's glad you feel the same way and no matter what you say against it, your body speaks the truth.

Your breathing is still a little heavy as you sit on top of him, but Ace's smirk is back on his lips.

"That brings back memories…" - "I know! And for a while I couldn't think of anything else but we shouldn't do this…"

He comes up to you and grabs you by the arms while you're still sitting on his lap.

"Why shouldn't we do this y/n??!" His voice is very serious but you can feel the desperation behind it.

"I can't trust your longing…" He rests his forehead on yours and lets his shoulders drop a little. He feels a ashamed. You've already had a similar conversation and he assured you back then, that he was waiting for you and now?

He has broken his word and touched you as he pleased. He curses himself. He probably got too greedy when you came to bed wearing just a shirt.

His fingers found their way to your skin all by themselves and at a certain point he couldn't stop himself. He knows he's not alone with these feelings, but he doesn't understand why you won't let him near you...

He doesn't want to scare you off, but when you're this close to him, he has the urge to touch you…

He puts his arms around you and buries his face in your nape. Your arms automatically go around him and you lean your head on his.

"I'm sorry y/n." he whispers to you. You can hear the sincerity in his voice and you want to tell him how much you long for him too, but you're not ready to take that step.

"If you want, we could cuddle…" You say the words a little shyly. Will it do you any good? Certainly not, but seeing Ace like this isn't something you want either.

"Really? You're okay with that?" He looks up at you happily and searches your eyes to see if you're serious. You nod at him with a gentle smile and he breaks away from you to lie down with his arms outstretched.

He taps on the empty space next to him and looks at you gleefully. You can't help but laugh and snuggle up to him.

Feeling your skin is the most important thing for Ace, even if it's just your little finger.

A/N: Haahhhh… I don't know guys... somehow I love this chapter but somehow I don't? lol. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it <3

➽ Next chapter (not available yet)

#one piece #ace x reader #portgas d ace x reader #portgas d ace #one shot ace #ace one piece #portgas ace x you #ace x you #short fic #one piece fanfiction #one piece fic

50 notes · View notes

elfguys · 6 days

Text

okkk posting a draft of cherry and fandaniel thing. its not nsfw but like. leading to it. its a scene before sex probably. ive posted a few things from it already.

He prodded at the roasted beef on the plate with his fork, the flesh was overly tender, falling apart at the softest press of his fork. There was an unfamiliar hunger growing in the pit of his stomach that felt misplaced. Things once dead shouldn’t be so tempting.

“I spent the day preparing it for us,” Fandaniel gave him a knowing look across the table, as if tempting him with his eyes. “Please, don’t hurt my feelings by not giving it a honest try. You might come to like it, my dear.”

Cherry gave him a glare for a moment, before straightening his back, he wasn’t here to pick a fight when there was information he could gain, and so much to lose if he didn’t play politics with this ascian. Clearing his throat, “I don’t eat meat is all, sorry to offend.” He twirled the goblet of wine the host across from him had poured for him, fainting interest in the alcohol. “Is this imported?” There was a role to be played before he could pry on intent.

There was a small bit of sourness on the hosts face as he leaned into the velvet backing of the chair, a theatrical sigh left his mouth, all the time with the dramatics. He was the worst ascian Cherry had the displeasure of talking to, nothing seemed genuine, it was hard to tell where he began and where he ended with his acting. “I am a terrible host for not asking a preference for dinner, but it was so hard to get you alone, completely alone.” His voice lowered to a sonorous tone. “Grateful though, the savior of humanity, the hero of this tale, could indulge me with a night. I will hold this memory dearly.”

“Mhm,” Cherry mumbled during a cursory sip after inspecting the wine for any poisons or other methods of foul play. “Why did you invite this get together, again?”

That seemed to spark his interest as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the wood table. “We both want something with this arrangement, Warrior of Light. You want, no, need to know more about me, isn’t that correct? To get an idea of how to stop me?” He smiled like a fox with a rabbit in his teeth. “You were special to a man I share the memories of. Disgustingly special. You don’t remember him, but I remember you, of all your qualities and accomplishments.” Something was mixed in his words there, something bitter, despite the praise. His eyes briefly flickered downwards. “Surely, you want to know more, your mind is magnificently curious, it is simple to see.”

For what little he knew of Fandaniel, this was off kilter for his tightly knitted mask of personality, causing Cherry to stare at him temporarily, scrutinizing every detail. “You seem genuine.” “Oh, you hurt my heart with your words! I have only been genuine.” “Liar.”

There was a pause in Fandaniel’s wit as he let out a cold chuckle, “I am reaching my hand out, Warrior of Light, can’t you see it in your heart to catch me and embrace me?”

That feeling in the pit of his stomach again stirred, Cherry reached for his glass of wine to find it empty, must’ve finished it without thinking. The gnawing sensation that he was going to do something uncharacteristic of a heroic man, to behave on self interest, something he had tried to work out of him over the years.

“At least tell more information than that, I’m not rejecting anything. It’s unfair for you to say such things without explaining.” Not that you have ever explained yourself in a manner that is rational. Cherry reached for the wine bottle in the center, only to be met with Fandaniel’s hand meeting his own.

“No need to drink so hurriedly.” His hand was soft against Cherry’s scarred and battle worn hands, his voice was more off putting to him than usual, it was all too soft. “I want you to remember as well, all the details.” Fingers interlocking each other. “His name was Hermes. You would have liked him, I believe. But he was a dour man, despite living in paradise, but he had you, well, a unsundered you, at his side to ease his disposition.”

He was too fascinated at his tale to take care of their hands interlocking, or that his heart seemed to pick up speed, to pick at his hosts brain was of the most importance. I have heard from other ascians’ something of my soul being familiar. Confirms my suspicions. “Why would you hate living in something you’ve described as a paradise?” “To everyone else, but everyone is blind to truth, suffering, that the only way to remove pain is to remove it at the start.” Fascinating.

“I’ve come to my conclusion.” He chimed in, reassuring his self appointed truth, in that there was no changing.

“I didn’t think I had any foothold to change your mind on the matter so easily.” And Cherry was not a fool to mistake a crack in the door as an opening. “And that, my darling, is why I’ve always liked you so much.” Fandaniel cooed, rubbing his thumb against the back of Cherry’s hand, paying attention to running over healed scars.

“I think I’ve given you a good taste, something to ease some of your endless hunger of knowledge.” Fandaniel lifted Cherry’s hand to hover over his lips with an impish expression. “While I don’t feel a connection to that man, I do feel something special with you, and I know you feel a draw between us. If there was someone I would want to experience pleasure with before ending the world, it would be you.”

A hero shouldn’t act in such a manner, so many of those look at me for guidance in this world, but I never agreed to be looked towards for morals or to be an idealistic person to be. Yet, the hunger he spoke of was identical.

“Don’t muddy my feelings with talking about the world ending.” “My apologies, my prince. I wanted to make my vision clear, a night of pleasure for us both, and then we continue on our paths.”

Fandaniel kissed the knuckle of Cherry’s hand, gesturing for forgiveness. He needed to decide, quickly, either to run away with the information he has gained or to confront his own feelings of neediness. Just a taste. “Then, it’s agreed upon.” Impassively speaking, as if it was business as usual.

#im not the best writer sorry……! i tried.#writing

25 notes · View notes

professional-bulshitter · 2 months

Text

just went back to watching community again and I cant-

so this time it's about 'Regional Holiday Music' 3x10,, and adhagsjjsb it's so fucking good because in a manner it sort of addresses all the wants of the characters right? because to convince them to join the Glee club they need to be incentivised and the incentive in this case is what's so interesting to me:

because 1. it starts with Abed and we all know Abed and how he's all he wants is to be together and loved and he chases the belongingness that he didn't find before in the study group right? but also literally the only thing that cory had to do to get him on board was talk about making him and his friends feel better and be together,,, but also it's literally because media of any kind be it behind the screens or people singing is so much simpler for him to understand cause they are catered and made in such a way that they are easy to perceive and take in without it being more complicated and involving other people's feelings in it

which is Great on its own but the second person to get 'caught' is Troy (because obv Troy will follow Abed wherever he goes, because even when he can't follow he'll wait for Abed to come back to him and tell him about his side quests or just be there for him, but I digress-) but also it's because there's this one thing he's always wanted to be a part of and could never but then comes Abed giving it to him on a silver platter and letting him do the things he wants even if it is by providing him with a loophole

and then third is pierce who even though I loathe him, i do understand (ish) because at the end of the day he's a man out of time and place, he's within people he doesn't understand and who don't want to understand him because all he wants to do is relive his glory days instead of rooting himself in the present (which in large part the study group help him with) (he'll never be my favourite character or even a liked one but I see him and I feel sad because of what he is and always will be and the way he came to be this way) all he ultimately wants is to be 'cool' maong his peers even though both of them operate on different understandings of cool (and yeahhhh)

fourth is Annie which, is very very weird to me because we never really get to know what her song was, what her one wish/incentive was,,, but also is it really that hard to assume that she would cave in when confronted by one of the first few people that she could safely feel as if in the company of friends with? also and this is a straight up hypothesis but I do feel that Annie didn't really get a song to convince her because it wasn't that hard to do it because it didn't really matter because at the end of the day it started with Abed telling her that he stayed for that experiment despite being angry because she was his friend,, and this was her way if reciprocating that (because it was just that given, be ause some things don't need to be explicitly stated to be explicit) (but then why did troy have one? because he was technically going against his entire belief system and the way he identified and looked at himself and that is life changing in some manners and he was still the second one and yeah)... maybe

the fifth one was Shirley and this one is rather simpler because at the end of the day, she traces and finds herself within her belief system rooted in Christianity (which while not for mez i can understand the way belief systems can be very all or nothing for some people) and she just wanted to educate and empower children and people with things that she herself feels empowered by (she goes about it entirely the wrong way ofc because forcing religion on others is never an answer but I don't think nad never have that she's coming at it from a malicious position or intention

then we have jeff and like Annie it's very curious that he doesn't get something that he wishes to incentivise him (at least that's the way I understand that episode) instead, we get to see what Annie and further the audience thinks or is supposed to think about Jeff. He's still that impenetrable (hehehe) person that no-one can actually understand because yes he's an asshole but he's constructed in a very stereotypic asshole kind of way so that's all we get to see from him at that point in time (that's all we're supposed to perceive him as which is why unlike others he never joins in on the song) instead all we get is that he also succumbed somehow. but we're never told what made him submit and give in,, we're always made to look at him from a distance (at least till that point in time and show trajectory) and he might be the main centre of the show (ish arguably more around Abed but plot more centered around him (also I'm very very biased cause I deeply resonate with Abed)) and yeah

and then Britta who again doesn't get a song at all because,, and again throwing arrows in the dark here,,, ofc she has a bad voice and narrative voice isn't really imp to Cory and his performance but also because much like Jeff, there's an induced sense of distance, wherein she technically is supposed to be the main female protag at that point (at least that's the intention it seems to have started with) but in many manners, she's reduced to just that, they make her dumb and so unlike the other main heroines (and I will never not be angry with the way they changed her character post season 1) that at the end of the day that's all she ends up being (again till that point in the show's trajectory)

and yeah ,, and then then at the end of everything, Abed gives up on what he wanted for the group as a whole because he realises that this is not actually happiness that it's creating in everyone, because it's forcing them into roles that they've been tricked into and that's never what he wanted,,, yes he wants them to be together but not at the cost of the happiness of even one of them or all of them and yeah

also anyone that says community is just a silly little show, it is. But it's also so much more because the way it talks about created families and families of choice and being an outsider and trying to find belongingness,,, and in the end finding a place that lets you be the trainwreck that you are and helps you embrace it, is insane and great. And I love the way community as a whole does all of that while feeling so organic and experimental but also insightful and a well thought out piece of media with actual things to say and yeah

(also very unconnected to anything I've just said but I truly despise Shirley's song with everything in me,, I'd ironically and unironically listen to all of the rest of the songs in this episode but not that one (yes including whatever was going on with that Annie mean girls esque but make it worse and yeah)(they are bops honestly 🤷‍♀️)

i will go now but yeah I love community (also also last thing but this is the only way that I'll ever be able to fully digest random musicals in any show because community just does it better, I said what I said.)

#abed nadir #community #community tv #troy barnes #annie edison #jeff winger #shirley bennett #britta perry #pierce hawthorne #i love my silly little blorbos #and trainwrecks #and i love community #its very hard to stop writing about how much this show affects me #its become an issue #but eh

23 notes · View notes

writingquestionsanswered · 3 months

Text

Epic Novel with Historical Context

Anonymous asked: I'm working on a novel with one of its major themes being historical and transgenerational trauma. I have three main characters in the present day, who are suddenly faced with war. Their fates, natures, and reactions parallel those of their ancestors who lived under WWII, whilst the experiences of their WWII ancestors often mirror the personal, smaller scale backstories and traumas of my main characters. Now, my issue is, I could write this tale in two drastically differing manners. I could cut out the backstories and prolific details of the ancestors, but keep the parallels as the stories of unnamed/unrelated historical figures, making it a shorter, more symbolical tale. Or, I could go the "Victor Hugo direction" and keep everything, including the elaborate family tree of brilliant, vibrant characters that feel too real, and the arcs that go with it. The bigger issue is I don't want to make this into a series or spin-off. I could technically write a whole new book about them, but it would cut them off from their contexts. And I'm afraid if I just mention the characters and give them one or two characteristic scenes, the readers would wonder about the significance of these characters to the main story, which is close to none. Is there a compromise?

[Ask edited for length]

First, thanks for putting the highlights in bold. It did help me comprehend everything. ♥

As for which route you take, it really depends on your situation and intentions with this story. If you're just writing it for yourself and maybe to share with friends, I think you can definitely go the Victor Hugo route and have fun exploring the whole epic story.

If you plan to pursue traditional publishing, you'll have a difficult time finding an agent and/or publisher who are interested in an epic from a debut author. Bigger books are a bigger financial investment, which makes them a bigger risk, and readers are trending toward shorter books anyway. That said, the longer your book, the harder it will be to find a publisher. Right now, the sweet spot for debut authors is around 90k words. Yes, you can certainly go higher than that--and many do--but again, every 10k above that you go, the more you decrease your odds of finding a publisher. No matter what, you would want to try to stay under 150k words or so. Fantasy novels have been known to debut at 200k, but it's really rare and always a case where every single word is absolutely needed.

If you plan to self-publish, you have a little more leeway, but the higher your word count, the higher your base price will need to be. There are also limits on length through various POD publishers. E-books have size limits, but you'd be unlikely to come up against those even with a super epic length book. So... ultimately, if you're okay with self-publishing this book as an e-book only, the sky is the limit in terms of length. That doesn't mean people will buy it, though.

Ultimately, I do think finding a compromise is your best bet, and one way you could do that is by zeroing in on one or a few of the ancestors for the parallel rather than a whole family tree worth of people. If your three characters are closely related--a mom and two children; a grandmother, mother, and child; or three siblings--you could easily focus on just one ancestor belonging to all three of them. If the characters are less closely related or not related at all, you could probably do one ancestor for each of them. And if you want to delve more into the ancestor's stories to explore more of those family trees, you can do a companion novel which isn't a brand new book or a sequel/series, but something in the middle... almost like a spin-off TV show where it takes side characters from one show and gives them their own show.

Happy writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

LEARN MORE about WQA

SEE MY ask policies

VISIT MY Master List of Top Posts

COFFEE & FEEDBACK COMMISSIONS ko-fi.com/wqa

#wqaadvice

26 notes · View notes

aeternallis · 8 months

Text

KPTS Fic Trope: Kim should grovel / Semi-deep dive commentary of the breakup scene

I've seen a number of fans complaining about this trope, so I wanted to talk about it. XD Before that though, I will admit that I myself don't fully understand this trope--or rather, I'm not really sure what this trope fully entails? Because ngl, it sometimes also feels like readers/writers don't actually mind this trope, just only up to a certain extent.

And for anyone curious, I'm firmly on the camp that KimChay should yell/fight out their problems in the most unhinged manner possible like feral beans with lots of sexual tension to muck through AND with no one else involved cuz for the majority of the show, they were off in their own little world anyway~

But I may be on the minority in that, lol So, I digress.

From what I've gathered of this trope though, I'm assuming it's basically: -Kim begging Chay to talk to him/forgive him/ give him a second chance -Kim's own brothers takes Chay's side -VegasPete is somehow in Chay's affections and gets one up over Kim? -Basically no one is on Kim's side, lol

Depending on the execution of the fic, all or some of these points may be featured in the story in order to get these two lovebirds back together.

And honestly? I think the reason why this trope is so popular but also has its share of detractors is because people are looking for the payback or shall I say, "equivalent exchange" of this scene in particular:

It's arguably their most heartbreaking moment in the series, and I will admit, for some people who've had a bad breakup or two in their lives, it may hit a little too close to home, yknow?

And see, I've brought up the opinion before and will reiterate again that what the audience understands about KimChay's circumstances IS NOT what Chay understands as the character that makes up one half of this semi-canon ship.

And based on your understanding of this (as well as your preference, ofc) lies the difference as to whether you like/hate/feel neutral about this trope.

Sure, we can say that Kim did nothing physically to hurt Chay. We can say that Kim did what he had to do in order to keep Chay safe and not draw him into the dangerous world of the mafia, that he was looking out for Chay's best interests. There's just enough of Kim acting like a simp for Chay in the show to get this point across.

But be that as it may, Chay is not the audience. He's not a mind reader, especially not towards someone like Kim who's already closed off and hard to understand to begin with. Lol

And Chay not being able to read Kim's mind or intentions is not a failing on his part as a character; on the contrary, it's what makes him more human and sympathetic to the audience. There's a difference between emotional intelligence and having confidence in another person's motivations. In which case, I think herein lies the other distinction, if you, as the audience, are either willing to give Chay too much credit, too little credit, or just enough to get the ball rolling.

I think what tends to be forgotten about Chay's character at times is that for all his bravery, boldness, and intelligence (which deserves all the praise in the world, because holy moly, if only I had half his guts, I would get a lot more shit done), Chay is also someone who deeply respects people's boundaries. He's a noble character in that way, and why I think in particular Porsche did such a wonderful job raising him.

And we've seen this a number of times, from their very first meeting. He was brave for asking Kim to be his teacher, but didn't push to persuade him otherwise when Kim couldn't say yes. He was bold in tracking where Kim lives to serenade to him, but knew when he had to back off. And even when he confessed to Kim, there was no expectation of his affections being returned, only that he had wanted to show his gratitude to Kim for letting him do his best, and hoping perhaps that the time they spent together would always remain special to Kim.

In this regard, Chay remains loyal to himself and his steadfast nature without ever pushing for more than what Kim could give. But what made the breakup scene painful I think is not just because Kim made Chay believe that he had never loved him, but also because Kim muddled Chay's understanding of the boundaries between them. I would maybe even go so far as to say that what Kim did to Chay was basically a form of gaslighting.

And in muddling that crucial understanding between them, the full scale of the implications in regards to what Chay must have felt in that moment, in my opinion, cannot be overstated:

-the abject humiliation of having believed that someone had returned your feelings, only for it to be implied otherwise by said someone, no matter what Kim's meaning was with his "I'm sorry" LOL -the doubt and lack of confidence in yourself due to misunderstanding someone, without even knowing it -the fear of having shared so much of yourself, when the other person may not even have wanted nor cared for what you had to share in the first place -the loneliness that comes after having experienced all of these emotions, particularly for Chay who was already feeling left behind by his own brother

It's not a surprise tbh, why Chay chose to pull away from not only Kim after this scene, but also from Porsche, at least on an emotional level. Negative emotions like these tend to spill over to the perception of other relationships in one's life; it's hardly ever only contained to the relationship they originated from.

All of these things are painful human experiences, not just something that fictional characters go through, yknow?

And this is why I think this trope is so popular with the KimChay fic writers to begin with. I imagine that those who have written reconciliation fics that feature this trope are highly sympathetic to Chay's plight due to their own lived experiences, and why, while I myself am not necessarily a fan of it, also choose not to judge it.

It's basically wanting to find that sort of satisfaction in fiction that otherwise isn't always found in reality, using said points in the trope.

Ultimately, Kim is the one who muddled that important understanding between himself and Chay. This being the case, Kim has to be the one to untangle them now, imperatively so for some writers, to the point it's at the cost of losing one's dignity (the begging part) and standing alone (his own brothers don't have his back).

#kimchay #kinnporsche the series #meta #me just rambling once again #kpts meta

58 notes · View notes

absolutebl · 2 years

Note

Hello! I am looking for a few good bl to binge!

As a gay man myself, I really like it to have truly good chemistry...some bls I watch the chemistry is ZERO and then there is not a good plotline to back it up either.

I like cute stuff...I like dark stuff...

I really liked Cherry Magic, Manner of Death, KinnPorsche, Kieta Hatsukoi, Seven Days (my first and favourite bl) , The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (that one hurt tho).

Any recomendations?

Hello!!! (I feel you on Cornered Mouse) and I am so happy to find another Seven Days stan.

10 GREAT Chemistry BLs to Binge right NOW!

For the gays who can sniff a fake a mile away. I notice a decided lack of Taiwan on your list. Is that intentional? Do you not like their style? You're probubly right to avoid Korea. Still a few show up on my list but let’s start with...

JAPAN

1. Old Fashion Cupcake (2022 - Viki)

It’s about a younger man with a long cherished crush on his boss (ten years older and going through a mid life crisis) who decides to save and seduce said boss with pancakes. It’s wholesome, comforting, sexy, and a very necessary narrative about still having hope, interests, and openness to affection at any age. It’s coming of age/queerness packaged in a subtle critique of expectations around masculinity and love and loneliness... and it’s beautiful. Full review.

Seriously GO WATCH IT, thank me later.

2. My Beautiful Man AKA Utsukushii Kare (2021 - GaGa)

You said you didn't mind a little dark, trust me on this one: the weird obsessive stalker angst will absolutely be resolved in the best way possible. You liked Seven Days so you don’t mind some traditional yaoi nonsense. This BL has the single greatest final episode of any I have seen since... honestly I can't remember when. It's brilliant.

One of the most Japanese BLs to release in the last decade, as weird and as messed up as any 2000′s yaoi: emo af and hella warped, entirely true to itself with no attempt made to modify its POV for modern sensibilities or current BL fandom. It used seriously old school problematic and kinky tropes, like whipping boy, for a truly uncompromising piece that also manages to hit up themes of communication, consent, and self acceptance. It’s a wonderful BL but uniquely dirty and harsh, in the best possible way - Japanese cinema, uncompromising. Full review of me losing my mind.

This show won the Grand Prix “My Best TV Award” at the 16th Galaxy Awards.

TAIWAN

Okay so the problem with the Taiwanese stuff, in general, is not chemistry but story. They are all over the place with story. And they can go very very VERY sappy.

3. We Best Love 1 (No. 1 For You) & 2 (Fighting Mr. 2nd) (2021 - WeTV)

Brilliant acting saved this show from a messy (pretty classically manga) narrative with a lot of angst. You have to buy in to a yaoi aesthetic with this one, accept that things move fast and occasionally confuse, but that everything will be okay. It’s the ultimate pining seme meets the ultimate tsundere uke. WBL successfully manages to combine the best elements of Korean, Thai, and Japanese BL as it exists right now. Couple that to the insane chemistry from the leads, and we have one of the greatest BLs of all time, cooking higher heat to a recipe I doubt anyone else will ever be able to replicate since only Taiwan is this flexible.

Like Seven Days I think the two parts exist together and should be watched as a pair. Unfortunately, to do so legally you need to join WeTV. I am considering doing this just to gank a clean copy of season 2, but... that’s neither here no there. You can watch season 1 for free in most territories, but you’ll need to go grey for 2 and 2 has some of the best acting and best chemistry I have EVER seen in a BL. It’s is brilliant. It’s all the leads though. SamYu are magic, you can see why the internet lost its collective mind over them.

4. Be Loved In House: I Do (2021 Viki)

A cute classy office set BL with a few plot raised eyebrows, but no other concerns. ALL THE TROPES plus a general sweet softness that’s pretty rare from Taiwan, who usually prefer to go hard.

5. DNA Says Love You (2022 GaGa)

An under appreciated gem. It’s a bit challenging to suffer through the paranormal investigators plot line, but at least it HAS a plot? When Amber enters the narrative he is so luminous it’s hard to tear your eyes away and the chemistry is on point with both couples (one LTR, one just starting out). DNA deserves extra marks for an upbeat approach to a queer story arc that other shows have systemically mishandled with sadness (in the guise of realism). There is a twist, which I found predictable, but knowing what would happen didn't spoil this show. The leads are engaging, and it’s full of queer found family representation and an unexpected amount of domesticity, plus it’s Taiwan, so the kisses are great. The last few eps really are special and life/love affirming - and the ending is big-grin charming. Full review.

6. HIStory 2: Crossing the Line (2018 Viki)

Taiwan’s best example of classic BL with a sports romance foundation using some of the most prototypical (but fortunately least offensive) yaoi tropes. One of my first and still favorites from Taiwan. Kinda like the Seven Days of Taiwanese BL, everything is on point and very yaoi. (You might consider the companion piece too, Right or Wrong. It’s rougher going but very formative for BL + marriage equality.)

7. HIStory 3: Trapped (2019 Viki)

If you don’t mind a bit of a shaky ending, everything else about this show is good. It has great plot, fantastic characters, and really excellent chemistry form both couples. Also FINE arse suits. If you liked KinnPorsche and want more Mafia BL with high heat it’s this one, Long Time No See, and Manner of Death.

Basically this is the definition of enemies to lovers. This is a cop + the mafia man he is chasing but WAIT: they fall in love. Added bonus side couple = assassin and nerd cop ALSO falling in love. It’s great. All the leads are stellar. Its high heat, fun action, and a bit of a mystery drama but pretty about all of it. My only warning is that the main couple doesn’t entirely end up together, it’s implied, but... amorphous ending.

KOREA

8. Semantic Error (2022 Viki)

You might give this one a try. For Korea it’s some of the best chemistry the traditional studios have managed. And it is flawless BL. Truly, perfection for the genre. Korea hit it entirely out of the Parks with Semantic Error by doing a university set BL featuring everything we expect from BL just done exactly right. It has Korea's signature quality executed perfectly, and added bonus good story, great pacing, stunning visuals, and fantastic chemistry. You cannot ask for more from a BL, let alone a KBL. Full review.

9. To My Star (2021 Viki)

It’s is a touch quirky to get into, but utterly charming once it hits its stride. This is the ultimate grumpy/sunshine pairing plus the most appealing light-filled kitchen of our dreams. If you can wade through the dead fish kisses there is massive pay out at the end. There is a second season of PAIN, but it has more great chemistry. Up to you if you wanna wade in, but if you don’t mind messy.... (Full review includes my reservations about season 2.)

10. Some More (2018 GaGa)

My last pick from Korea, this one is a Strongberry short, and it is SO very gay. About a city boy on a bike tour who gets injured and rescued by a taciturn, but (as it turns out) quite gay, farmer. Age gap, country mouse/city mouse, SO CUTE. Just too short.

Some other ones that are a bit more... complex?

These will be chewy and more work to watch, like Cornered Mouse.

Long Time No See (2017 Strongberry GaGa) - One of Strongberry’s few longer pieces and I don’t think this is strictly BL. It’s about assassins on either side of a terf war who fall in love not knowing they are on opposite sides. Or do they? Good fight sequences, mature characters, high heat, very suspenseful, AND an HEA. If you like KinnPorsche you will LOVE this show.

Blueming (2022 iQIyI) - It’s a tiny bit dark and a tiny bit bittersweet, almost too honest to a university experience and first love for BL. I wasn’t into it at first, but the leads are solid and by ep 5 it got really good, becoming a narrative about self discovery meets understanding and accepting others people’s flaws without hurting them. Ultimately we witnessed two characters maturing because of each other and their mutual affection, without that affection becoming the conflict point. Instead, tension was built around other aspects of identity, popularity, and self-worth. While production values were a touch lower than usual for Korea, Blueming included decent kisses and other forms of intimacy and a satisfying ending plus there’s judicious and very elegant use of tropes, (which is expected for Korea).

HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count AKA The BL That Shall Not Be Named) (2019 Viki) - Some of the best BL and best chemistry ever put on screen. Up until they move into together. Seriously, the moment they do, stop watching. Save yourself.

Plus and Minus (2022 Viki) - There is something off bout this show that I can’t put my finger on. I liked it but... the separation is forced and it could have ben a lot shorter. Chemistry is good though. It’s about codependent besties of 20 years finding their way into a romantic relationship. A bit cheesy, with lots of domesticity and occasional dumb drama. (But gay boys and chaos bis? What can ya do?) It’s not groundbreaking but it is a solid sweet unassuming little show of a style that is perhaps a bit more Thai than it is Taiwanese but I’m okay with that.

His the movie (2020 Viki) - His is about being a grown adult and still struggling with coming out as gay. It addresses the consequences of life choices disingenuous to identity. Nagisa turns up on Shun’s doorstep with his precocious daughter in tow. This is a touch confusing to Shun since they were each others first love. Shun has retreated from society, rejecting the world before it can reject him, already brokenhearted because without Nagisa he never had a reason to fight. Nagisa went the opposite way, tried to pretend to be something he was not and ended up with a daughter he adores and a wife who hates him. This movie is beautiful and the setting is unique and interesting but I'm not wild about the ending. Moody arthouse smackdoodle is going to pretend that "ambiguous" is somehow unique and special rather than bog standard commonplace for narratives of this type. Honestly, I think I mostly liked this because I have a mad crush on Miyazawa Hio (Shun).

The Pornographer series, specifically the first one AKA The Novelist. (2018 Viki maybe) - emotional manipulation, cheating, obsession, seduction, May/December (age gap AKA younger/older), kink, touch of necrophilia, and explicit. It’s your party you cna watch if you wanna.

Okay, what about Thailand?

You don’t name many from Thailand (Just KP & MoD) which is the juggernaut of BL and this is... telling.

Thailand can excel at chemistry, but since they are pretty married to seme/uke they aren’t very “actually” gay. If you know what I mean? Also there is a common thread, especially with the pulps, where side couples have more and better chemistry than the leads.

That said here are a few Thai BLs with great lead pairs that you might try...

Bad Buddy (2022 YouTube) - I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this one. This was GMMTV’s flagship BL and it started 2022 on a BANG (okay no actual banging but you know what I mean), starring heavy hitters Ohm & Nanon in a pitch perfect university Romeo & Romeo masterpiece that will give you domesticity meets pain whiplash throughout and jet lag at the end. Some of the friendship and family dynamics are overworked, but it has great production values, killer acting, and some conscious effort to correct for half a decade of Thai BL’s anti-queer mistakes. Full review.

Dark Blue Kiss (2019 YouTube) - this one is a buy in to get familiar with the characters (I have a how to watch guide here). But PeteKao are worth it. They are an LTR, but it’s on point. This is classic Thai BL with a university setting, great acting and complex characters, one of my favorite friendship groups, friends to enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers, multiple angsty af coming outs, including a long stretch of a secret relationship. High production values, good chemistry, BL side couple, not much queer rep, but lots of classic tropes and some great domesticity.

Dear Doctor, I’m Coming For Your Soul (2022 iQIYI) - This is a romance between a doctor trying to save his patients and a reaper who is both his enemy and (eventual) lover. Basically it’s the genius premise of a gay Doom at Your Service. High concept looks good on you, Thailand. It’s lovely to see KarnNat back on screen together and they are still great, and Karn is just painfully beautiful. Full review.

Love By Chance (2018 YouTube & Viki) - of all the ones I put on this list I dithered over this one the most. The physical chemistry is a little off but the emotional and romantic thread between these two is truly remarkable. And if you think of Ae as Demi, it works. I love these two so much, I might not be sufficiently objective though. (MAME warning) AePete’s meet cute is one of the best ever put on screen. They are just so genuine and soft with each other, it’s hard not to love them from the first moment. Many of the side couples are... difficult, but you can’t fault the leads. They will remain in your heart a really long time. Now there is some abusive ex action, but it’s victoriously dealt with by our tiny crass love muffin hero.

Lovely Writer (2021 YouTube) - Thailand criticizes itself and the BL industry while simultaneously giving us classic seme/uke with great chemistry in a one-two punch of “we love it, but are we supposed to? and must we think this hard, yet enjoy it SO MUCH?“ This show won’t appeal or make sense to those who don’t already have at least some Thai BL watching experience. What Lovely Writer does, at heart, is reexamine Thai BL has done to queerness, but in a very gentle way that has more to do with Thai BL growing up than any actual queer authenticity. It’s not parody or pastiche, but it is critical and self reflective and trying to correct for some chronic mistakes. Whether it is ultimately successful in this matter is going to depend on the watcher’s relationship to BL and queer identity. But that’s what makes this show beautiful, interesting, and thought provoking. And I, for one, applaud the effort even if I didn’t personally connect to the characters.

Not Me (2022 YouTube) - GMMTV gave us a dark disestablishment narrative (in a time of civil unrest) with established queer award-winning director Anucha and starring the biggest guns of BL OffGun. THIS IS AN AMAZING THING to get to experience in the BL world - nerve racking but remarkable. But was it ACTUALLY BL? It certainly a lot of BL elements, but in the end that’s not what the show was about, or even what it was genuinely trying to be as a performance piece. Still an amazing moment in Thai cinema, certainly worth your time. Don’t worry, it all ends happily. Full review. How good is OffGun’s chemistry, really? I have questions. But you still might like it. (OffGun & The Evolution of Chemistry for a BL Pair)

6 Thai BLs you suffer through ONLY for the chemistry

Seriously not a lot else to recommend these, but they are master classes in pretty boys kissing. Linked to my reviews when possible. These are mostly on YouTube.

Cutie Pie

Love Mechanics (either version)

Love Stage!!! (the THAI VERSION)

Secret Crush On You

Why R U?

TharnType - honestly this is the beginning of it all, so far as chemistry in Thai BL is concerned. If you want to know how KinnPorsche could even exist in this world, blame the success of this BL and MewGulf in particular.

I’m not putting any VBL on this list because the stories are just so incomprehensibly bad, but if you want to try one, do Mr Cinderella.

So far as Pinoy BL is concerned, My Day is AMAZING on chemistry but also bonkers and very difficult to get hold of these days.

More on this subject:

11 BLs with the BEST Chemistry - putting aside heat levels, quality of production, and story

Giving Good Kiss in BL - Defining Chemistry

Queer lens (from the director) and chemistry (from the actors) in BL

BL Age Dynamics & CHEMISTRY on screen

HIGH HEAT BL

(source)

512 notes · View notes

charlieslowartsies · 7 months

Note

Hey, so I'm not sure if someone has asked you yet, but I'm fascinated by how you use the Cybertronian language in your transformers fics. How does it work exactly?

This got long, and I’m sorry as always. Thank Primus for read mores.

For starters when I FIRST began working on Resonance and realized I wanted to try putting Cybertronian into it, I read the wiki page, more specifically the opening paragraph:

It should be little surprise, given a moment's thought, that distinct Cybertronian languages exist. The Transformers did not go about speaking English or any other known Earth language long ages ago on their distant metal world. Though the records of such conversations are frequently translated for us, we should not forget that these conversations originally flowed in odd electronic syllables past strange metallic lips, or were etched by alien hands long eons before the first humans painted muddy shapes upon dark cave stone.

‘Fuck.’ Was my first thought. ‘I’m about to try and work an ancient language into this damn fic about a human and an alien robot boning/becoming soul mates…and I want it to be believable.’

‘College linguistics comes back to haunt me.’ Was my second.

So I’ve mashed several continuities together, from the comics to the tv show to the Bay/Knight movies. That sort of gave me a big door way to wedge information through, winding it around plot, and Cade and Prime’s interactions. There’s also more than one alphabet, because of course there is.

I wanted Cade and the Reader to bond as much as Cade and Prime did learning, and Prime teaching him/us. While Cade’s spent a handful of years with the 2.0 team, any lessons would be sort of like Cybertronian 101, rough and dirty. I didn’t want him fluent, (because how?) and reliant on the bots to explain more than they assumed. (Taken shamelessly from my own background. My mom and Uncle speak fluent Spanish but I know broken bits and pieces. I can swear like a sailor though.)

I also leaned into sticking to verbal lessons and displays of the language in action, instead of ‘Cade read a book’ which I think helped make it more…interesting? Hopefully!

Things, phrases, and manners of speaking Cade would be interested in just to help him survive among the bots. The word for ‘I’m a medic, don’t shoot my ass, I can help you!’ is kinda more important than names for Cybertron’s dead Primes or famous landscapes/battles.

Cade can speak Cybertronian better than he can read it, and indeed in Resonance the language is dying among its own kind, sort of like in Atlantis: The Lost Empire. (Not as degraded/gone though.) A younger mech that hatched off Cybertron and grew up amongst the stars only knows what they’ve heard/read or if an older mech transferred the language to them.

I decided to lean into Transformer’s physiology and history and create a few rules to stick to. Here’s a few from my notes, subject to have changed but I don’t think I contradicted them??

1. Transformers do not have a word or specific phrase for ‘please’ in Cybertronian. Instead of ‘Please do/give/take/etc X’ it would simply be removed from the vernacular. You don’t really ask a lot, you demand/take/coerce/threaten.

2. Yes is ‘Affirmative’ and no is ‘Negative’ and used more frequently than yes/no in reply to someone.

4. Short, stilted, and cutting phrases should make up the language when being translated into English. Blunt, but inseparable.

5. Delicate, kind, or sweet terms when being soft or gentle with a treasured person, such as an offspring, friend or mate. Long, lyrical, almost poetic??

6. Repetition to increase intention. “This is very good!” becomes “Good-good-good!” and perhaps engines might be made to purr a little to indicate pleasure/enjoyment/contentment, or optics would be squeezed shut for trust blinks like cats lol!

7. Nonverbal vocalizations slip in and out around Cybertronian as much as English. Static might come across grating to us, but static to a Transformer could mean confusion, alarm, or merely mumbling to oneself. It might not indicate stress—humans hear static and would be troubled, but a mech might be confused if a human heard their staticy sounds and assumed something was wrong. (Reversal, soft and wet sounds are jarring and foreign to Transformers, or usually mean something malfunctioning to them. Whistling from our lips is a great trick, they would think.) Steam whistles, and metal whistles but organic creatures making the noise? Woah!

8. There ARE other dialects but not gunna parse into them deeply or I’ll go nuts and the fic will derail. EX: Vosian (Vos) Vilocitronian (Vilocitron), Kaonic (Kaon) etc. Combatron is a colony thank god,can get away with it dominantly Cybertronian if I need it.

9. Look into Dragon Langauge/Thu’um and study.

10. Cade and Prime are ‘You-and-I’ when talking to one another, their special designation for each other. ‘They-Who-Are-One’ means the same but used by third parties. Prime also uses ‘Light-of-my-Spark’ or Sparklight, and ‘Cade-Beloved’

Those are old notes, dating back from Res’ early chapters in 2019.

Part of what helped me picture how I wanted the language to work was translating bot’s names into what I imagined their ‘true’ designations would be. It became kind of fun, actually. Especially seeing how short names could turn into long, almost lyrical titles. I wanted Cybertronian to sound harsh, heavy, and grating to humans in the fic, but also at its heart be flowing, connected and ever changing like the bot’s themselves.

Some were self explanatory to their ‘English’ version, some more esoteric. Starscream became ‘Screams-Like-Dying-Starlight.’ Terrifying but it paints a picture of what he does, what kind of fight he will give you, etc. As did ‘In-His-Crosshairs’ or ‘Drifts-Through-Darkest-Skies.’ Saying that 'Crosshairs and 'Drift' were what they were called on English seemed like a good way to show that we, as humans, are the aliens to them as much as they're alien to us?

Optimus Prime had other titles that both worked as nicknames or insults, depending on who said it their inflection. ‘He-Who-Reigns-War’ was meant to be heartbreaking as it was, well, kinda true. He doesn’t like it, Cade doesn’t like it. Many Autobots won’t use it.

Because I don’t study linguistics/zero time to study as much as I’d like, I have to absolutely work on rules and tweak them on the fly. I try to stick their speech being present, more than temporary.

‘Did you get hurt?’ would become ‘Hurting?’ and ‘I don’t like this at all, this is scary!’ becomes ‘Do-Not-Like! Scared!’

I wanted the Cybertronian dialect in Resonance to be emotive and rich in gestures, and firm statements. Abstract but ‘in the moment’ and very much still reliant on body language and tone versus tons of explanations or verbal hypothetical’s. There are noises and sounds humans cannot pronounce in this language, but there are work arounds within reason and, of course, a Cybertronian listening a human speak any Earth language can engage almost within minutes through learning and copying.

I hope this answered your question DX Sorry for the rambling!! If you read this far 200 cookies for youuuu

#resonance #barn husbands #cybertronian #tf #optimus prime

40 notes · View notes

quirofiliac · 1 month

Text

sexuality, in general, isn't entirely alien to kira. however, this isn't to say that he's well-versed in the subject, either. moreover, it's a "concept" that he himself finds much interest in-- inherently, it is something that he's never thought much of. it is neither a complicated nor simple subject matter in his perspective and, as such, obligates him to barely (like skimming your finger across the water's surface.) indulge with.

for the majority of his life, kira more or less understood sexuality in a very black and white manner: heterosexual was assumed as default unless otherwise stated. nowadays, he still tends to lean this way (it's not intentional but, rather, it's subconscious.) though will occasionally "catch" himself and correct accordingly. again, though, this isn't a huge priority of his and is treated as such. it's not so much necessity but something he's learned to "keep in mind" for sake of keeping up with society and its ever-changing economics.

to say that kira identified as heterosexual, however, would be oversimplifying his own journey. he never bothered to give it much thought, instead assuming he was the "default" sexuality. so, in a way, he did identify as heterosexual but not by cause of his own exploration or anything of the sort. kira yoshikage was straight because, by basic deduction, everyone else around him was, also, straight.

there was no reason for him to explore this side of himself as there was, objectively, no purpose to doing so. he found that he was attracted to women (or, at risk of sounding pedantic, their hands more-so.) and left it at that. whenever he was made to share a space with a man andor those that leaned towards the masculine end of the spectrum, he felt nothing.

the thought of glancing at a man's hand never crossed his mind.

whenever he was in the presence of a woman, however? there was always that inherent -- insidious as it was, a man's libido was not to be trifled with -- urge (it wasn't a curiosity. it was necessary, hardwired into him like some sort of... code.) to look. even if it were a fleeting glance? that was more than enough. stealing only a glimpse of a woman's hands was proof to kira that his sexuality was unmistakably rigid and straight; it was once a fact that brought him an eerie sense of comfort.

he didn't take pride in "being" heterosexual. rather, it was the fact that he understood himself and no longer had to ponder on it. additionally, there was an unspoken sort of agreement between him and society that he was "just like everyone else". it helped him feel normal-- or, well, what the most barebones idea of "normal" was.

while many others, boys especially, would discover their various preferences (kinks, fetishes, spank bank, and everything in-between.) through expected means such as magazines, television, cinema, or, of course, pornography? kira found his comfort in the likes of the mona lisa. once again, too, he didn't give it any further thought. she was a woman (or was, at least, depicted as such.) and, due to that, helped kira realize his own tastes and come to terms with them all the quicker.

her existence expedited the process and, for that, kira thought it appropriate to express at least a modicum of gratitude. not much, mind you. she was just a painting, after all.

as it happens, he was at peace with himself and his orientation. by cause and effect, there was no need whatsoever for him to pursue further. he was fine with presenting as the "default", even if it meant dealing with the occasional "hey, what's your type, yoshikage?" ("i prefer them in pieces," is what he thinks but says, instead, "blondes, i suppose.") opener. it was a small price to pay (sometimes he prefers brunettes. other times he likes redheads.) in exchange for the ultimate comfort: peace and quiet.

however, things rarely stay the same forever. kira might've or might've not learned this the hard way.

he's still deciding.

meeting one kishibe rohan -- in an unexpected and harrowing way, both in time and place -- certainly wasn't what kira thought to be his "awakening", as some might put it. due to his relationship with rohan, taking place over the course of more than just a couple of months (it feels like years, stuck in place like a mouse in a trap.) whilst leaving the two of them no room to compromise, kira had no choice but to adapt. maybe improvise and overcome would've come next, but they never did. it'd just be a waste of time and energy now.

it's difficult to say if kira himself actively identifies as bisexual, considering his attraction for rohan (both inside and outside, outwardly and internally, til death do they part.) appears to be... individualistic. he, to this day, doesn't feel much for others of the same sex or gender as he is but tends not to dwell. there could be, perhaps, the simple excuse of, "why would i want to be attracted to any man other than him?" which has become a much needed source of comfort.

this isn't to say kira's "attraction" towards women (it's the chase-- the act of fixing them and teaching them.) has dwindled, but he has managed to adjust his trajectory. he no longer considers himself a bachelor -- though, if asked and if it's the easier option, he will... sometimes say it if only to escape a conversation quicker -- and actively rejects a woman's "advances" (naughty, naughty girl! can't she see he's already taken, happily engaged forever and ever and then some?) whenever put on the spot.

this, of course, applies to women with a full body and those without. although, at that point? it's just common sense and needn't be said.

because of the execution of said journey into discovery and the lack of education from kira's part, it's hard for him to give a direct answer on his orientation. he's thankful for, at the very least, that it doesn't seem to come up in conversation often. being asked on if he's seeing someone and answering honestly is a far easier task than actually having to explain one's self, and he's already experienced it a few too many times. reactions weren't as strong as he might've expected (he's heard slurs fly around like candy at a parade, derogatory comments made by the same men who asked him what kind of girl he likes.) but it's safer for him to, simply put, avoid the risk altogether.

the idea of liking someone of a similar caliber ("but we're both men," kira remembers saying, feeling like he walked straight out of a romcom. he wanted to kill himself once realizing, the feeling intensifying when rohan snorted before bursting out into laughter.) as he doesn't necessarily bother kira. moreover, it's the idea that he's no longer presumed as the "default" and wonders if that turns him into a target. rohan himself is confident and open-minded, proudly displaying himself to the world. maybe it's because he doesn't care. he's found himself wondering, because of this, if rohan himself was never seen as "normal" anyway. perhaps it didn't bother him in the first place.

it's not envy that he feels towards this potential. he just wonders why it's so easy for someone else other than him. what makes it a bigger and harder pill to swallow, too, is that he knows a solution for this conundrum just doesn't exist.

to this day, kira doesn't think much about his sexuality. it's both a conscious and subconscious decision, done to prevent any further misgivings and an unintentional foray into a place he just... doesn't understand. fear and worry, too, might be a partial factor.

life is so much easier, after all, if you just go with the flow.

#＊ 💥 断片：headcanon.#praying this makes sense arrhgghrhgh #ask to tag /

9 notes · View notes

wicked-secretsanta · 4 months

Text

Merry Christmas @festivating!

Special message: happy holidays, my friend! I hope you enjoy this fic, I had so much fun writing it!

Read it on Ao3

Galinda gazed out the window at the snowflakes whirling through the air. This was not the first snowfall of the season- that had been the evening of Morrible’s first poetry soiree- and it surely wouldn’t be the last. But still, she found herself captivated by the phenomenon every time. She had better things to do. It was exam week and, as boring as the idea seemed, she knew that she should follow her roommate’s lead and study.

She sighed to herself as she tried to focus on her studying: a task which proved to be much easier said than done. How was she to maintain her concentration with such beautiful snowfall? And the prospect of winter recess only being a few days away was far too exciting. A few weeks away from the stress of classes would be much needed after—

A knocking at the door shook her from her thoughts. Elphaba, who had been silently studying on her bed, went to answer it. At the door was Morrible’s unnerving little Tiktok contraption, with a note in its claw-like hands. Elphaba took it and swiftly shut the door in the steely face of the miserable little creature.

“Miss Elphaba?” Galinda watched Elphaba’s dark eyes scan over the note, “What is it?”

“There’s a snowstorm coming– they say it’s going to make traveling out of the valley near impossible and that any student wishing to travel home for winter recess must leave by sunrise tomorrow or wait until after the blizzard passes.”

Galinda could only stare at her roommate in astonishment. She couldn’t leave that soon, she still had to take her sorcery exam, and there was no way Morrible would let her leave campus before taking her test.

Elphaba set the note on the nightstand and took up her previous position– folded up on her bed poring over some presumably dull reading. “It’s a good thing I wasn’t planning on going home anyways. And an even better thing that Nanny and Nessa left early– surely they’ve made it past the mountains and are safely on their way home by now.”

Galinda still didn’t have any words. This was supposed to be her time to go home and celebrate Lurlinemas, to finally see her parents again, to finally get some time away from Elphaba. Though she had begun to grow rather fond of the green girl, she didn’t know if she could bear the idea of spending the entire winter recess stuck with her.

“Will you be heading home, Miss Galinda?” Elphaba asked, and Galinda was surprised that she had taken an interest in her personal matters, even looking up from her book to pose the question.

“I don’t think I can,” Galinda replied, “I still have exams to take– we have our sorcery exam tomorrow afternoon, far beyond the cutoff for which we can safely leave.”

“Right,” Elphaba set down her book, standing up again from her favorite spot on the bed, green limbs unfurling like the fronds of a fern, “Seems we’ll be stuck here, then. I’m going to venture out and ask the boys what their plans are. Perhaps we can gather for some festivities, if we all are to be stuck on campus.”

“Very well.” Galinda said, and pretended to focus intently on her textbook as Elphaba bundled up in a thick trenchcoat and clunky boots. As she headed out the door, Galinda found herself amazed with the fact that Elphaba was so quick to make the best out of the situation. Where was Elphaba’s usual brand of dry humor and cynicism?

Galinda closed her textbook. If even Miss Elphie, in all her terribleness, was going to make the most of being stuck here, then it was only natural that she should do the same.

She hunched down on the floor in a most unladylike manner, rummaging under the bed until she found a box of Lurlinemas decorations she had intended to put up several weeks ago. Now that she was sure to be here for the entirety of winter recess, decorations were much needed.

–

The sun had nearly set and Elphaba had not yet returned. Galinda was worried– and was surprised by that fact. Since when did she care so much for her roommate?

She gave this a moment of thought, then decided that it was probably around the same time she’d first been caught by the surprise of her strange, unfamiliar beauty on that rainy autumn night. Embarrassingly, her heart fluttered at the memory of that terrible hat and Elphaba’s vehement insistence that she was in fact, not beautiful.

With a frustrated sigh, she dismissed the thought, resuming her task of adorning the room in Lurlinemas decorations. Tinsel and wreaths and garlands covered every suitable surface. She’d propped up an artificial tree in the corner of the room. It was much taller than her, and she struggled with properly adorning its higher branches with decorations.

Elphaba finally stomped in, those miserably clunky black boots making quite a ruckus. “What in Oz’s name have you done…” she sighed as she shrugged off her jacket, taking in the sight of the room covered in even more decorations than usual.

“Do you like it?” Galinda asked, though she didn’t much care what the answer was. She’d keep the decor up either way.

Elphaba toyed with some of the garland that hung over the fireplace, “It’s a bit… much. Unionist holidays don’t involve nearly this much decorating.”

“What do they involve then?”

“Mostly repenting.”

“How dull…” Galinda was still pondering how to decorate the top part of the tree that was out of her reach. She noticed her roommate, who was significantly taller, and she was struck with an idea, “Come, Elphie, I need your help reaching the top of the tree.”

Elphaba rolled her eyes dismissively, “Not a chance. You may decorate to your heart’s content, so long as you don’t involve me in it.”

“Fine, if you’re going to be so unhelpful, then I’ll just have to decorate what I can reach.” Galinda said, and proceeded to drape a length of garland over Elphaba’s shoulders.

“What are you–?” Elphaba flinched as Galinda wrapped her in another strand of silvery tinsel.

“You’re green enough to count as a tree,” Galinda carefully hung an ornament from the frame of her glasses, taking great care not to poke her with the ornament’s hook. She then stood on her toes to balance a golden paper star on Elphie’s head, “And– somehow– I can actually reach all of you. Since you won’t help me decorate the tree, I’ll just have to decorate you.”

Elphaba laughed. She actually laughed! Such a rare sound, almost melodious. Galinda found herself laughing too, for Elphaba looked silly, all covered in tinsel. Despite the absurdity of it all, Galinda found herself awestruck. In the light of the fireplace, Elphie’s green skin seemed almost to glow, and the tinsel draped around her shimmered, and the rare surprise of her smile was– and Galinda found herself frightened by this prospect– indeed, beautiful.

“You’re ridiculous, Miss Galinda,” Elphaba said, carefully removing the various accoutrements she had been bestowed, then walking over towards the tree and placing the decorations on the top portion of the tree where Galinda could not reach. Carefully, she affixed the gold star to the very top of the tree, then stepped back to admire her work. Galinda gasped as Elphaba’s fingers interlaced with hers. “Simply ridiculous.”

Within a day and a half, the worst of the blizzard had passed, and Shiz was left under a blanket of fluffy snow. Many students had left before the storm hit, but those that had remained had finally ventured out from the warmth of the dormitories, including Crope and naturally, Tibbett alongside him.

The pair sat on a bench in one of the courtyards, huddled together for warmth. The groundskeepers had attempted to clear the sidewalks of snow, but the valiant effort was only somewhat successful. Crope and Tibbett took great joy in watching people shuffle carefully through the streets like Penguins, only to lose their footing and land on their rear ends anyway.

“Ah, my dear,” Tibbett spoke up, gesturing towards a heavier-set Munchkin man wearing a ridiculous stocking cap, “Look at that one. He’s in a hurry, I bet he doesn’t make it as far as the fountain before falling on his arse.”

“But even in his hurry, look at how he carries himself, maintaining his forward momentum,” Crope responded, “I’m not saying he won’t fall, but if he does, it will likely be face first, and surely it will be sooner than the fountain.”

Their questions remained unanswered, for the stocky man quickly stepped into one of the libraries, no doubt to escape the cold. Crope’s eyes scanned the courtyard again, looking for the next victim of their schadenfreudian tendencies.

Two people rounded the corner of one of the far buildings, coming from the direction of Crage Hall. Even from a distance, the pair was recognizable. The pink and green gave it away, of course, but even if not for that, there would be no mistaking the pair based on their proximity and mannerisms alone. They walked closely, never quite touching. Galinda walked about a half step ahead of her green counterpart. Elphaba was hardly looking at the path ahead, instead maintaining focus on Galinda.

“Are the Misses Elphaba and Galinda considering themselves to be an item yet?” Tibbett asked.

“One would think so,” Crope responded, “Just look at them…”

The pair watched the two women stroll along, somehow maintaining their balance on the icy path much better than anyone else they’d seen that morning, despite being completely focused on each other. Galinda laughed about something, and Crope wondered what they could possibly be talking about.

“Don’t they remind you of anyone?” Tibbett posed, placing a gloved hand on Crope’s leg, “Perhaps two strapping young men who fell head over heels for each other last year?”

“Oh, I’d hardly consider myself to be strapping, dear,“ Crope answered, placing his hand over Tibbett’s, “You, on the other hand…” He pecked a quick kiss to Tibbett’s nose, reddened from the cold, “Are quite dashing.”

Galinda laughed again, recapturing Crope’s attention. “Yes, their mannerisms are similar to ours in the early days of our love. However, I merely alluded to the idea when speaking with Elphaba several days ago, and I was met with a glare that could cut through tempered steel.”

“Maybe they just need a little push…”

“You’re right…” Crope thought to Elphaba’s proposition that the group socialize during the winter recess since they couldn’t travel. Ideas quickly began to bubble forth. “A little push… Come, Tibbett, we must find Master Fiyero. I’ve got an idea.”

“I’ve already told you, I don’t own a pair of skates, Crope.” Boq protested, “Even if I did, the very idea of being out on the frozen lake terrifies me. What if I should fall through the ice, into the frigid waters, never to be seen again?”

“You worry too much, Boq. This ice is perfectly sturdy,” Crope said, thumping the blade of his skate on the ice. Sure enough, the ice remained intact. “If you’re content with sitting on the sidelines today, then so be it. But later this week, we’ll be having a snowball fight and we must have all hands on deck if our team is to emerge victorious.”

“I don’t see how such a violent activity could possibly be fun,” Boq answered, “But if you are so insistent, I’ll join. For today though, I’m fine watching you all skate. I’ve got my mug of tea to keep me company.”

“Enjoy your tea, then,” Crope said, heading onto the ice at Tibbett’s beckoning, “Perhaps I’ll get you a pair of ice skates for Lurlinemas, and you can join us the next time we all go skating together.”

Truly, Boq was content watching his friends dance and twirl and zip around on the ice. Crope and Tibbett, truly enamored with one another, performed some improvised dance routine for an invisible audience. Boq wished he could find someone to match him the way Crope and Tibbett so perfectly matched each other.

Miss Galinda… She glided across the ice effortlessly in perfect figure eights. In the cold, her face was rosy, just as pink as the winter gear she wore. Oz, she was so radiant in her beauty… Maybe he still had a chance with her yet?

His captive attention on Galinda was broken by Elphaba and Fiyero zipping past, evidently in some sort of race to see who could skate around the lake the fastest. Boq took an interest in this– Elphie had always had a bit of a competitive streak in her. It would be interesting to see how this turned out.

In the heat of their race, Fiyero lost his footing and bumped into Elphaba, who was then sent flying towards Galinda, who herself was absorbed in her task of crafting a perfect geometric design on the ice.

Galinda yelped as Elphaba fell into her arms, throwing her off balance. Somehow, they both maintained their footing despite the sudden shift in momentum, and Galinda kept on her path with Elphaba in her arms.

Boq watched as Fiyero skated towards Crope and Tibbett, shooting them a quick thumbs-up. Now what was that all about?

He turned his attention to the girls again. Galinda, who he knew was a perfectionist, strayed off of the path of her intended design, gliding along as Elphaba hesitantly wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. Galinda smiled that beautiful smile and the pair moved along together in a fashion not dissimilar to the way Crope and Tibbett danced, albeit less showy and dramatic.

The dots started to connect, and Boq felt uneasy. His chances with Miss Galinda were quickly diminishing, and he knew it. But still– he was a man of resolve! He had a big heart, and he’d tried time and again to offer it to Galinda. He’d been rejected just as many times, sure, but until he was certain that her heart belonged to another, he would not give up!

It had been an eventful week as Lurlinemas drew closer. Elphaba, who never had been one for socializing, found a lovely comfort in the presence of her friends, and especially in the presence of Galinda.

On the first night of snow, when she had gone to make plans with Crope regarding what to do over the winter recess, the conversation had dragged on, eventually reaching a topic Elphaba dreaded. Crope had inquired into the state of Elphaba’s romantic life. As usual, she insisted it was nonexistent, only to be met with a raised eyebrow from her friend. She’d asked him what that look was about, and he’d muttered something about noticing how close she’d grown with Miss Galinda.

The exchange left her hot under the collar, and having to return to her shared quarters with Galinda only made matters worse. She’d been enthusiastically decorating, so happy despite the disappointment of not getting to return to see her parents. And despite the gaudy tinsel that covered every inch of the room– an eyesore, really– seeing Galinda so joyous caused something within Elphaba to stir.

And then, there was yesterday’s ice skating incident. She’d fallen right into Galinda, and though Fiyero had claimed it was an accident, she’d caught a glimpse of him skating towards Crope and Tibbett, looking awfully proud of himself. If she didn’t know any better, she’d have entertained the thought of the boys trying to set her up with Galinda.

What nonsense! Sure, she had grown… fond of Miss Galinda as of late, but why would the boys consider it any of their business? They were rather nosy, yes, but surely they wouldn’t go so far as to set up an impossible romance… especially considering it could only end in embarrassment for both parties.

Elphaba sighed to herself as she buttoned up her coat. Scheme or no scheme, there was no denying the warmth that had begun to blossom in her heart at the very thought of Miss Galinda.

Terrible, bothersome feelings…

Elphaba laced up her boots, trying to shake off the lingering fondness that clung to her heart, like cobwebs in an attic.

The boys had planned a snowball fight for today. Perhaps getting to pelt the object of her affections with snow would help relieve some of the tension in her heart.

–

A second wave of snow had blown through, and this particular storm had brought a layer of thick, heavy-wet snow– the kind that was perfect for building snowballs and snow forts. It wasn’t snowing as heavily now, only a few lingering flakes fluttering against the gray sky. Elphaba stood amongst her friends in a circle in one of the clearings on campus.

“Snowball fight,” Fiyero announced, tossing a snowball back and forth between his hands, “The rules are simple– each team will have an hour to prepare. Then, at the strike of noon, we go to war!”

“As for teams…” Crope chimed in, “I propose guys versus girls.”

“Well, that’s hardly fair!” Galinda protested, “There’s four of you, and only two of us– why can’t we have equal teams?”

Boq was quick to speak up. “I’ll join your team, Miss Galinda!”

“That won’t be necessary, Master Boq,” Crope shot him an icy glare, “See, Misses Elphaba and Galinda have the advantage of magic on their side, surely they can fend for themselves.”

“Right, then,” Elphaba turned to Galinda, “Guess it’s you and me.”

“Don’t look so unhappy about it, Elphie!” Galinda exclaimed, “It’ll be fun!”

As the clock in the campus center stuck eleven, everyone set to work preparing. Galinda, who had always had an affinity for architecture, quickly got to work constructing a massive snow fort. Elphaba didn’t quite understand all the structural premises, but she was happy to lend a hand in the form of ice magic. Together, they managed to build a small but impressive fort, while the boys had barely finished a loosely packed wall of snow.

The clock rang once again, twelve mighty peals echoing through the otherwise quiet air. A silence fell over the battlefield. Elphaba and Galinda hunched behind their fort, shivering both from the cold and from anticipation. Who would take the first shot?

Taking her chance, Galinda peered over the edge of the barrier, quickly ducking when four snowballs were flung her way. She laughed and got to work forming snowballs of her own, returning fire at the group of boys across the field.

Snowflakes in her hair, blue eyes shimmering like frost, and that lovely smile… She truly was beautiful, and Elphaba got so caught up in admiring her that she’d forgotten the task at hand.

“Now, what’re you staring at? Come on, Elphie, help me out!”

Seconds after she finished speaking, Galinda was struck in the shoulder by a snowball. Elphaba sprung into action at her defense, hurling snowballs as fast as she could make them, until, out of nowhere, a large clump of snow hit her in the side of the face with more than enough force to knock her to the ground.

“Elphaba!” Galinda ducked behind the fort, hurrying to her side, “Oh stars, you’re bleeding…” Galinda removed her glove and gently caressed Elphaba’s face, wiping away the moisture that singed her skin.

“I…” Elphaba struggled for words, “My water allergy pertains to snow as well. A few flakes here and there is no matter, but this is different.”

“Why didn’t you say something before agreeing to a snowball fight?”

“I didn’t want to ruin the fun… I know how important this is to the boys… to you.”

“Elphaba… do you really think I care for you so little that I’d put my pleasure before your safety?” Galinda said, before whispering a healing spell and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. Her heart fluttered.

“Now…” Galinda waved her hands, and the stockpile of snowballs they’d made levitated in the air, “I’ll teach them what happens when they mess with my Elphie!”

Elphaba could only watch in awe as the air around Galinda shimmered with magic. With a wave of her hand, each snowball that hung in the air was propelled towards the enemy fort. At the same time, she’d crafted an energy shield that sparkled like a prism in the afternoon sun. Elphaba was captivated by the sheer display of power and beauty.

Elphaba felt something stir in her heart.

Oh stars… Was it… love?

The following evening, Crope decided to do some shopping in the town square, for Tibbett had an extensive wishlist of gifts. The City of Shiz hosted a holiday market, with vendors from across Oz setting up booths and storefronts. Somehow, thank the stars, he’d managed to talk Elphaba into coming with him.

“Sorry about the snowball yesterday,” Crope said as the pair walked side by side, “I didn’t mean to throw it that hard, and I certainly wasn’t aiming for your face..”

“It’s okay. Burned a bit, though.”

“What!?”

“My water allergy also pertains to snow. Such a dense snowball really did a number… Fear not, though. Miss Galinda knows some healing magic and she patched me right up.”

“Speaking of Miss Galinda…” Crope started, before realizing that Elphaba had stopped a few booths ago. She was looking thoughtfully at some glass creations from the Quadling Country.

“I spent a lot of my childhood in Quadling Country. Now that was miserable for my water sensitivity. The air was so humid that being outside was enough to give me a wicked rash. But the artisans, the things they craft… really shows the beauty in that part of Oz.”

Crope was frustrated that his friend managed to dodge the question, as per usual.

“I know you were going to ask me about Galinda again,” Elphaba said plainly, “Since you mentioned it the other day, I’ve been thinking about it. I have some… growing feelings of fondness towards Miss Galinda. I care for her deeply, more than I’ve ever cared for anyone in my life. One could even be tempted to call it love. Certainly there’s no way she’d return any of my affections but still… I want to get her something special.”

Crope couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Such a soul-baring revelation, almost completely unprompted…

“Oh, look at this!” Elphaba pointed to something on the table, “It’s absolutely perfect.”

It was two days before Lurlinemas, and Fiyero had put off his shopping until the last minute. Galinda had decided to tag along with him– perfect for continuing on their plan.

It was a blustery day, and the pair had ducked into a store to escape the wind. It was a small bookshop with a tiny cafe tucked into the corner. Fiyero, ever the gentleman, purchased tea for both himself and Galinda, and they sat to wait out the storm.

“... and that’s how I met Sarima,” Fiyero said, finishing the tale of how he’d come to know his fiancee, “I don’t suppose you have any sweeping love stories to share, Miss Galinda?” He took a sip of tea, trying to remain nonchalant.

“Well,” Galinda mirrored his action of sipping from her cup, and they were at a societal impasse, “I do have something to share, but you cannot tell a soul!”

“Oh?”

“It’s awful, really, but… I fear I’ve fallen in love with Miss Elphaba…”

“How is that awful, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“She’s green.”

“Surely you’re not letting the color of someone’s skin affect your perception of them?”

“Of course not,” Galinda shifted in her chair, “These feelings are just… unexpected, is all. I’ve been in relationships before, but I’ve never felt anything so strong in my life. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do!”

“I think you should tell her.”

“That’s far too terrifying of a prospect, dear Fiyero. What if she should reject my feelings? How can I show her I care for her in a way that is less… daunting? “You could start with a gift,” Fiyero suggested, “Our Lurlinemas Eve party is tomorrow night.”

“Yes, but what do you get for the most minimalistic woman I’ve ever met?” Galinda stood up and returned her cup to the barista, then paced around the shop. Galinda stopped in front of a display, “Practical and beautiful, just like Elphie. Oh, this would be perfect for her!”

The morning of Lurlinemas Eve, Crope, Tibbett, Fiyero, and Boq all gathered in the lounge of the Briscoe Hall dormitory, for what Crope and Fiyero had deemed to be an urgent meeting.

“I’ll cut right to the chase,” Crope said, “I was with Miss Elphaba at the market two days ago, and she confessed that she’s grown rather fond of Miss Galinda. Now, I wasn’t sure what to make of this, as fondness and love are not necessarily one and the same. But, Fiyero, you said you spoke to Galinda last night?”

“I did– she openly admitted to being in love with Miss Elphaba.”

“Then our plan surely must be working!”

“Excuse me?” Boq cut in, “What plan?”

“Ah…” Fiyero and Crope looked at each other, “You were busy during the meeting, and we never filled you in. We’ve devised a plan to encourage Misses Elphaba and Galinda to enter a courtship, since they are so clearly enamored with one another.”

“Right…” Boq’s face fell.

Tibbett was the first to speak up, “Look, Boq, we all know you had feelings for Miss Galinda, but it’s evident that her heart lies elsewhere.”

“I’m okay with that, really, I am. I’m more upset that you all didn’t tell me about this plan sooner! I must’ve looked like a fool!”

“Yes…” Fiyero started, “But a very dashing fool, mind you!”

“Flirting won’t help, Master Fiyero,” Boq laughed and rolled his eyes, “So what’s the next step in this grand plan of yours, knowing that the two have feelings for one another?”

“Well,” Crope answered, “They’ve bought each other gifts, which they’ll exchange at tonight’s party. I say we take some more measures. Any ideas?”

“We should find a way to get them alone,” Fiyero said.

“Don’t be a fool, if they’re alone, then we can’t see them!”

“As reluctant as I am to participate in this plan…” Boq sighed, “Have you considered a sprig of mistletoe in the doorway?”

“Ah, now there’s a good idea!” Crope laughed, “Sharp boy you are, Master Boq! And, it’ll be an excuse to kiss my dearest Tibbett! What do you think?”

“I think…” Tibbett paused, “That we’re trying too hard. The other day, you said Elphaba and Galinda reminded you of us as a young couple. We didn’t have people pushing for us to be together, did we? Our love developed as it should: simply and naturally. Who are we to deny that simplicity to our friends? We’ve given them the push, I think it would be best to let things run their course from here on.”

“Oh… such wise words, my dear.”

“Thank you, love,” Tibbett smiled.

That evening, all the friends gathered in the library commons for a feast of fresh bread and glazed vegetables and a roast. Spiced wine and cakes served as dessert, all under the glow of a beautifully lit pine tree.

As the night carried on, a multitude of gifts were exchanged. Crope had gotten Boq a pair of skates in jest, reveling in his protests before revealing his true gift– a new suit, custom tailored to fit his size.

“It’ll be perfect to wear to all the parties, you’ll be sure to catch the eye of every lady– or man– there!”

“Thank you, Crope.” Boq replied, blushing, “I’ve a gift for you, too.”

“Really?”

Boq flipped Crope off. “That’s for the skates.”

“Why, Master Boq, you shouldn’t have!” Crope gasped.

Boq proceeded to rise from the floor and moved over to Crope, giving him a kiss on the cheek, “And that’s for the suit.”

More gifts were exchanged throughout the night. Boq gave Galinda a notebook with flowers on the cover. Elphaba gave Fiyero a rare book she’d found, a collection of old Vinkan legends. Fiyero gave Crope and Tibbett a stack of raunchy magazines.

The exchange continued until only two gifts remained under the tree.

“For you, Miss Galinda,” Elphaba said, retrieving the small package, “I hope you like it.”

Galinda opened the box to reveal a necklace. Unlike most of the flashy, bejeweled things she wore, this one was rather simple. It was a silver chain with a small charm– a pink flower made of carved glass.

“It’s like the flower you gave me after the Ozdust, see?”

“Oh Elphie…” Galinda quickly put on the necklace, “It’s beautiful… How can I ever thank you?”

“Perhaps with the remaining gift under the tree?”

“Right!” Galinda quickly grabbed the last gift and handed it to Elphaba, who carefully undid the delicate wrapping. Inside was a leather-bound notebook and a stylish pen.

“Before you get too worried– the book is made of a plant-based leather. Apparently they can make leather out of mushrooms now!”

“Oh wow…” Elphaba ran a hand over the cover of the book, “It’s amazing.” She uncapped the pen and scrawled her name on the inside cover, “And the pen writes so smoothly…”

“There’s a second part to your gift,” Galinda said, and Elphaba looked confusedly at the empty space under the tree, “It’s scary, so bear with me.”

“A scary gift? Now what in the world–”

“I love you.” Galinda said, taking her hands.

The room went silent. Elphaba blinked at her wordlessly.

“I…” Elphaba laughed nervously, “You mean it?”

“I do.”

“I love you too,” Elphaba looked at the ground, then at her hands, then at Galinda, “I’ve never been great with this kind of stuff… what do we do now?”

Crope smiled and walked over to where the two sat, pulling out a sprig of mistletoe.

“Really?” Galinda laughed, blushing a bright pink, “In front of everyone?”

“Why not?” Elphaba smiled.

“We don’t mind,” Crope said with a wink, “In fact, we’ve all been rooting for it.”

The two women kissed, and the room seemed to exhale a sigh of relief. The festivities continued on, friends reveling with friends late into the night.

Room twenty two of Crage Hall was silent on Lurlinemas Eve, save for the scratching of pen on paper. Galinda was curled up next to Elphaba in bed. Elphie was writing away in her new journal, while Galinda was fiddling with the charm on her new necklace. They were in their same old dorm room, and yet everything felt so new.

“Elphie, won’t you please tell me what you’re writing?”

“I will once I’m finished, my sweet.”

My sweet… The affection sent Galinda’s heart whirling.

Galinda, with a newfound patience, sat and watched Elphie’s studious gaze trace over the page.

After a few more minutes, Elphaba finally shifted, and began to read what she had written:

“Lurlinemas Eve, Year 1 at Shiz University,

Journal– I’ve had a most eventful week. Stranded on campus with Galinda was initially an intimidating prospect, but it proved to be the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Miss Galinda has a knack for decorating– she’s adorned our room in all manner of tinsel and glitter. Not my preferred style, but her passion and enthusiasm is unmatched.

Furthermore, Miss Galinda seems to enjoy the winter weather. She skates in perfect patterns, as graceful as anything I’ve ever seen. And in a snowball fight, her dedication and vigor is impressive. Not to mention her excellence in healing magic. It would appear that it is made more powerful through kisses. I hope to further put this hypothesis to the test.

On Lurlinemas Eve, Miss Galinda was kind enough to gift me this very journal. To my surprise, the lovely Miss Galinda also professed her feelings for me. I of course, return these feelings, but I am so terrible at expressing them through spoken word. I suppose that this journal will suffice as a suitable outlet for said feelings.”

Elphaba set down her book and continued on from memory, pulling Galinda into a cozy embrace, nearly on top of her, running her slender fingers through blonde curls.

“My Galinda… She is as radiant as the sun, as dazzling as the moon, as brilliant as the stars. She is so much more than meets the eye, and she looks beyond the surface of everyone she meets, sees them for who they truly are. She is beautiful in heart, mind, and body alike. I care for her more than words can speak, and I truly look forward to the time we are fortunate enough to spend together. May our love be long and prosperous.”

“Elphie…” tears pricked at Galinda’s eyes, “Oh, what am I supposed to say to that? You poetic thing, you!”

“You could say, ‘I love you,’ again,” Elphaba remarked, “I rather enjoyed hearing it before.”

“I love you,” Galinda laughed through her tears and kissed Elphaba, “I love you so much…” She kissed her again as the clock struck midnight, “Merry Lurlinemas, my dear.”

#festivating #gifts'23 #wickedsanta23

14 notes · View notes

lumilasi · 2 months

Text

Fitting I post this on women's day I guess. I've had her on my to-do list for months, and finally I figured out her updated design. I also wanted to give her kind of a fun, playful sounding surname, and landed on Duffy. I think its Irish/Scottish? She's supposed to be from British isles anyway, or at least lives & works in Scotland currently.

More info below:

Name: Scarlet Duffy

Nicknames: Letty

Age: 25

Family: birth family unknown, honorary big brother figure Mihail Câine, kind of a surrogate parental figure Thalia Swanson

Friends: Harrow Araknos/Blackthorne (Soul eater & her boss) Aiden O'Kelley (their gardener) more tba

Love interest: none

Occupation: Housekeeper of the Blackthorne mansion/former pickpocket

Abilities:

Sneak 100: She's super sneaky, able to even creep up on Harrow and Mihail, both beings with hyperaware senses naturally. (Though there is debate if Mihail just let's her catch him off-guard)

Lockpicking/Pickpocketing: She's a true rogue thief if she wants to be

Street smarts: She generally knows how to survive in dangerous situations in urban settings, like how to de-escalate a fight, or when its the best to run, and generally how to defend yourself etc.

Angy Dog Brother Whistle: She can whistle in a manner that only Mihail (and dogs in general) can hear, which'll help lead him wherever she is.

Language skills: She has learned Romanian from Mihail, and also knows some Japanese given her boss' wife is Japanese.

Weaknesses:

She's kind of overtly impulsive and curious that can lead her to sticky situations. She sometimes takes Mihail's help for granted, and that has led to situations where she's almost gotten badly injured or worse when he wasn't able to show up. (Typically saved by either Thalia or Harrow)

She sometimes wishes she had magic powers too because of the previous situation described, and does feel frustrated when she can't get out of something on her own anymore, like she used to before getting involved with the world of mythical and magic.

Personality:

She is very upbeat, extroverted and curious young woman, who is always up for mischief and trickery. She loves to learn about the world of magic and mythical beings, eagerly listening to Harrow's stories from his youth and about his family. (whether she believes all of them is another matter entirely)

While Scarlet has a very friendly demeanor, she is very cautious and distrustful of new people at first, having lived a rough life as a child and a teen. Probably the only people she truly trusts at this point are her found family, and even among them the only person she has 100% faith in is Mihail.

She's the type of person who, due to her difficult earlier life, really wants to help any stranger kid who seems to be in trouble, which can sometimes lead to tricky situations.

Fun Facts

Out of all of Harrow's family members Scarlet has met, she likes little Hitomi, his granddaughter, the most as she can tell Hitomi is a troubled kid but is doing much better now, just like her. She can relate, and enjoys being able to be the big sister for once.

She was initially kind of scared of Mihail once she found out he had a human form, but after couple months of tension she concluded he had no ill intent in hiding this, and its just what the mythical folk do for their own safety.

She teases the absolute SHIT out of Aiden for crushing on her big brother.

Scarlet is a Demiromantic Lesbian

Her personal style is typically fairly simple plain clothing with some sort of statement piece, like the pink leather jacket/hoodie that Mihail got for her a while back. It does also always have a slightly girly vibe to it too, with laces or frilly bits.

Scarlet loves detective stories and murder mysteries

She really looks up to Thalia, who almost acts as her mother figure in a way. She does find Harrow cool too, but not as cool

Scarlet had a fancrush on Avane Faydream, the employee of her boss' son Jurou/Alistair, that visited them alongside the aforementioned man.

She also actually really liked Avane's boyfriend as he reminded her of her big brother Mihail, just much friendlier and sweeter by default. That, and she could tell Mihail and him had history, so she was naturally curious of Roman.

Scarlet loves singing Karaoke, and she's actually a pretty good singer, able to do some amazing duets with Mihail.

#artists on tumblr #oc illustration #oc reference #digital art #lumi's art scribbles #lumi's chaotic creations #Night city parlor #Scarlet Duffy #my oc #red hair

7 notes · View notes

raisareigns · 2 months

Text

TIMING: Late January LOCATION: The Mushroom Circle PARTIES: Raisa and Wyatt (and a fussy faun) SUMMARY: Raisa and Wyatt (@loftylockjaw) were both looking for a little entertainment, never mind that Wyatt was already entertained when Raisa arrived. CONTENT WARNINGS: None

Raisa stepped inside, the warmth of the bar soaking in compared to the cold creeping in behind her. She took a deep breath, letting the room and its inhabitants wash over her. She wasn’t hungry, wasn’t looking for anyone in particular to inspire and feed on, but something pulled her toward this main room. Normally she’d slip behind that employee door and let the dance floor pull her along with whatever another fae wanted for their night.

Instead she wandered over to the bar and slipped onto an empty stool. Raisa ordered herself a drink and sipped on it. The grenadine pool sitting at the top was overly sweet. She focused on it anyway. If she hadn’t wanted something sweet, she’d have ordered gin instead anyway. After allowing herself to bask in that moment, Raisa turned on her stool to observe the room as a whole, taking in faces tucked into corners, trying to hide, clearly letting go, and any number of all too human experiences. Nothing like an evening at a place like this to give a cross section of everything.

Eventually Raisa looked a little closer to home and met the eyes of a man sitting two seats away from her. Raisa tilted her head, observing him back. “Not polite to stare,” she teased, though Raisa herself was staring plenty.

—

He'd seen her walk in, and immediately she'd caught his attention. That wasn't to say that there weren't plenty of beautiful people in this establishment, quite the contrary, but it was something in the way she carried herself that piqued his interest. At any rate, it had Wyatt slipping away from the person he'd only met twenty minutes prior, excusing himself for ‘just a moment’ to instead make his way over to the bar. He sat a couple seats over and ordered himself another Old Fashioned, keeping a quiet eye on her as she received her drink and sipped at it, gaze raking over the room of potential company.

She must have felt his gaze on her because she eventually turned to him, and the little smirk she wore made his heart flutter in his chest. “Beggin’ your pardon, miss,” he offered, tapping a finger against his glass and returning the knowing smile. “Won't do to forget my manners.” He extended a hand to her hopefully, leaning across the empty space between them. “Wyatt Barlow, at your service. Can I buy your next drink as an apology?”

Before she could answer, the young man he'd abandoned came sidling up beside Wyatt, resting a hand on his shoulder and narrowing his eyes at Raisa. He could tell she was fae, because he himself was a faun, and he'd just warmed the lamia up enough to start making a meal of him. The lamia who, of course, was none the wiser.

“Who's your friend?” the faun asked silkily, to which Wyatt gave a patient but challenging glance.

“I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name,” he responded, looking up at the man with a raised brow. It was true, which seemed to annoy the faun. He let out a tense laugh, his grip on Wyatt’s shoulder tightening. The tight, polite smile he flashed Raisa's way was more a warning than anything—this was his dinner.

“I'm afraid he's spoken for, love,” the faun insisted, and Wyatt looked puzzled. This was a first.

—

Raisa didn’t consider herself easily swayed, but she did give into charm when it seemed like a prosperous thing to do. And this man had charm oozing from every pore. She flashed him a smile and shifted, starting to put her hand out to shake his. Wyatt. A nice name. In her mind’s eye, Raisa could see the way the rest of the evening would play out, the kind of potential it could have.

Instead a self-righteous fae came crashing into her vision of the night with that possessive little hand on her new friend’s shoulder. Really Raisa couldn’t imagine the gall. He seemed intent on spinning Wyatt back into his web, but if someone escaped once–and so easily–she would have thought he’d had the sense to realize his cause was a lost one.

She flashed the faun a much more cutting smile to mirror the one he offered her, leaning forward, mindful of those listening ears at the center of this accidental tift Raisa had found herself in. That hadn’t been in her plan for the night, but then again, neither had rolling over to someone a little too mighty for his own good. “Spoken for?” she repeated. “My, I didn’t realize his time was so precious that it was a competition.” Because she could, Raisa winked in Wyatt’s direction, partially because she thought he’d find it funny and partially to rile up the fae.

“We’re just having a conversation.” This time Raisa did turn her attention to Wyatt. “You’re welcome to stay and join us, but forgive me for assuming that our friend here can make his own choices on who he’d like to speak with.”

—

Beaming as Raisa winked and then came to his defense, Wyatt decided to lean into the bizarre situation, finding it to be pretty entertaining, if not endlessly flattering. “Well don't I just feel like the Belle of the ball,” he chuckled. His bright blue gaze drifted upward to find the faun’s, half-lidded and just daring the other to make a scene of this. “Look, I told you where I work, didn’t I? If you wanna get uppity about losin’ the bid for my attention tonight, take it up with me at the restaurant, hm?” He gave the fae a smarmy grin, taking his hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles before giving a lazy, four-fingered wave that sent the other away again with an indignant huff. “Ta-ta!” he called after him, sighing dramatically and shaking his head as he looked back to his newer friend. “So sorry about that, ma cherie, I guess some people just don’t take rejection quite so well as others! Now, I think you were about to tell me your name, and that you’d love to let me buy your next drink…”

—

Raisa watched the faun’s face carefully. As mysterious a reputation as all fae could have, she knew they couldn’t all keep it together. Here was the proof just now as a delicious string of emotions from outrage to hurt to resignation crossed the poor thing’s face. She suspected he wouldn’t have given up the fight so easily, but with the mood soured, he’d have to start his work over anyway. Besides, whether or not he realized it, Wyatt had offered up an opportunity to become a future meal instead. And what a coincidence that he apparently worked at a restaurant when that was his offered up location.

Something about that tugged at Raisa’s memory, and she mentally sorted to figure out what it was. Something about food and Wyatt’s face. As he turned his attention back on her, those pieces slotted together, and she readily offered him a smile.

“I do believe I was,” she agreed. “Raisa. We never had that dinner, but it would seem that drinks are a welcome substitute.” She angled her head to the side, letting her hair drape down toward the bartop. Perhaps some would have been put off by his easy flirting and with the faun in front of her too to get rid of him, but Raisa had never particularly cared about such semantics. She was here to have a little fun. What a pleasure that she’d managed to reconnect with someone else who seemed to want the same.

—

Realization manifested itself as a widening grin and raising brows, and Wyatt seemed delighted by this development. “Never say never, my dear. This is just a preview. And without a fish burger in sight!” He chose that moment to move from his barstool to the one next to hers, settling in beside her with an air of self-assuredness. “Raisa. Raisa, I’ve never heard that name before. Where’s it from?”

Her body language was promising, at least. She’d not gotten irritated at the arrival of the young man now staring daggers at them from across the club, nor had Wyatt’s dismissal of him sent her away from the bar. She was interested, and she didn’t mind a little competition. That was good. Many things in Wyatt’s life boiled down to competition, and vying for his attention was certainly not the least of them.

—

“None indeed,” Raisa agreed and took another sip of her drink. She considered him for a moment, taking in his features. They suited him well, and he carried himself like he agreed. A charming man if ever there was one.

“It’s Russian,” she said. “Of which I’m not especially, but through my mother’s side. She picked it more because she liked it than a strong national connection.” The longer she lived, the more she understood her mother’s instincts to pick something that wouldn’t rise and fall with baby name trends. She tried to imagine spending eternity as an Elizabeth. Far too many of them to share a name with these days or any others.

“How about you?” she asked. “Any story behind the moniker?”

—

“I like it, it’s fun to say.” Wyatt could think of a few scenarios where he’d like to be doing something more than just saying it, but mentioning that this early in the game would be in poor taste. Anyway, she was asking him a question, and he was obliged to answer.

“Ah, well, my mother had a love for the old westerns, you see, and Wyatt Earp was a common fixture among ‘em. He was a tough guy, but a fair one. Used his gunslingin’ to keep law n’ order in Dodge City and Tombstone. Guess she thought it sounded like a strong name belongin’ to someone who’d always do the right thing.” And for that, she’d been wrong. “And Barlow, hell, that’s a name you’ll hear in damn near every town south of the Kentucky border. And most of us are related!” It was an exaggeration, sure… to an extent. While he’d been the only one of his siblings to survive, he had what seemed to be hundreds of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmamans and grandpappies, all in varied degrees of removal. The family tree didn’t make much sense to him anyway. Besides that, if he was honest with himself, there was a good chance his mother had had another child after he’d left as a teen. Maybe more than one, maybe a dozen, if they lacked the killer instinct he seemed to have from the moment he’d hatched.

His glass was empty so he waved down the bartender to get a replacement, and one for Raisa as well. “Hey, after I make good on my word,” Wyatt nodded at her glass, “we could find someplace with fewer angry rejects around to… get to know one another.” He wasn’t fully suggesting that they bail on public spaces fully, because he knew how that might appear, but he wouldn’t mind a change of scenery, even if it was just for a different bar. “What d’you think?”

—

Raisa’s fond smile was genuine. “Thank you,” she said, biting her tongue before letting out any innuendos. They were just having a polite conversation so far. It wouldn’t do to be too forward. Instead she listened to the story of his name, chuckling slightly as she imagined him as some kind of gunslinging cowboy himself. She could see it. “Sounds like your mother wanted you to have a name worth remembering.”

Nodding graciously, Raisa took a sip of the new drink as it landed in front of her. She raised a brow at his suggestion and considered it carefully. She could take care of herself just fine if his vibe changed when they weren’t in such a crowded place, but perhaps that was good. As long as they remained in a fae bar, the odds of someone else trying to snoop in probably weren’t small. Plus, his attention had wandered once in her favor. Even if she had the sensibilities to believe she could keep him from doing so, Raisa would hate to give him the opportunity to wander again. “I could be persuaded,” she said rather than an outright yes, but Raisa still slipped off her stool to stand. She took a longer drink, not quite finishing it but making good progress. “Take me where you want to go, cowboy.”

#loftylockjaw #wr writing

7 notes · View notes