Thank You So Much For This!!! - Tumblr Posts

In the 19th century, there were 9 marriages between the House of Wittelsbach and the House of Habsburg:

1816, 29 October. Emperor Franz I of Austria (1768-1835) married Princess Caroline Augusta of Bavaria (1792-1873). They had no children.

1824, 4 November. Archduke Franz Karl of Austria (1802-1878) married Princess Sophie of Bavaria (1805-1872). They had five children, four who survived infancy.

1842, 30 March. Francesco V, Duke of Modena and Archduke of Austria (1819-1875) married Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria (1823-1914). They had one daughter who did not survive infancy.

1844, 16 April. Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, future Prince Regent, (1821-1912) married Archduchess Auguste Ferdinande of Austria-Tuscany (1825-1864). They had four children.

1844, 1 May. Archduke Albrecht of Austria, Duke of Teschen (1817-1895) married Princess Hildegard of Bavaria (1825-1864). They had three children, two who survived infancy.

1854, 24 April. Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria (1830-1916) married Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria (1837-1898). They had four children, three who survived infancy.

1866, 20 February. Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, future King Ludwig III, (1845-1921) married Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria-Este (1849-1919). They had thirteen children, eleven who survived infancy.

1873, 20 April. Prince Leopold of Bavaria (1846-1930) married Archduchess Gisela of Austria (1856-1932). They had four children.

1893, 15 November. Archduke Joseph August of Austria (1872-1962) married Princess Auguste of Bavaria (1877-1964). They had six children, four who survived infancy.

Stargazing <3

From Raft on AO3 by the lovely TwilightMaster15. It's not a perfect likeness to the description, but I had such strong visuals from the scene I had to draw it.

important for anyone new here!!! (or just as a reminder)

@verycursedstuff shares curseforge exclusive cc + why you shouldn't use curseforge !!!

HOLY CHRIST ON A STICK EAFWEGSWRHR HE LOOKS STUNNING OH MY GOD ASDASDFASDAS!!!

Oh gosh so many choices-

OKAY! ahem... rubs paw hands Darling Hiro in the purple dress on the left >:3

The colour combo gives me Maleficent or Evil Queen vibes and I'M LIVING FOR ITTTT

Characters Awakening Lines Translations

After posting the lines for Jin and Rui, I felt like translating other characters too so here we are!

Please note that since I don’t have access to all of the characters’ lines, most of the raw lines are taken from the unofficial JP wiki. The texts are all there so if any of you notice any errors/mistranslations, feel free to correct me!

FROSTHEIM

Jin

Awakening: To think I'm receiving alms from my servant... Should I kneel in front of you? Fully Awakened: Trust is something that can be broken easily. Don't you dare come any closer than you already have.

Tohma

Awakening: This feeling… It appears that you want me to keep reaching out for the top. Is that how it is? Fully Awakened: With this power, we're one step closer to achieving our goal. And I'm* going to make sure we see it through the end. [*he's referring to himself as “ore” instead of his usual “”watashi” here]

Luca

Awakening: I devote myself to protecting the weak, for that is the path I have to take. Fully Awakened: I'll become stronger than anyone. I don't want to lose anything important to me一not anymore!

Kaito

Awakening: Could it be… even someone like me can get stronger too? Fully Awakened: You have done so much for me! This man, Kaito, will no longer run away!!

VAGASTORM

Alan

Awakening: This power is dangerous. Stay away from me. Fully Awakened: I don't really know what’s appropriate to say for this kind of thing, so… well… umm, thanks a lot.

Leo

Awakening: I wanna show those guys’ ugly crying faces to Honor Roll too~ Fully Awakened: Obviously. If I don't like someone, I’ll take matters into my own hands and create hell on earth just for them. There's no such thing as divine retribution, you know?

Sho

Awakening: Thanks for waiting. Well? What do you want me to do now? Say it clearly. Fully Awakened: Sure, okay. I got it. If it's your request, I'll make sure to at least listen to it through the end.

JABBERWOCK

Haru

Awakening: That sure hits the spot~ Now I don't even need those energy drinks! Fully Awakened: I'm going as far as this road is going to take me. I made a choice to walk down this path and it's not something I can just simply throw away.

Towa

Awakening: Heheh~ Did I get stronger? How interesti~ng. Fully Awakened: I wonder why humans are such foolish, whimsical, and pitiful creatures… yet they manage to still be so lovable?

Ren

Awakening: Doing something like this… Senpai, what are you planning? Fully Awakened: Geez! Even if you look at me with those expectant eyes, I know you'll just get tired of me right away…

SINOSTRA

Taiga

Awakening: Gyahahahaha! Aren't you one greedy little kitten~? But I don't hate that about you. Fully Awakened: A hasty greed and a sincere wish. There's no big difference between the two of them.

Romeo

Awakening: Come now. Is it really the time to be charmed by my beauty? Fully Awakened: I need to be perfect all the time一for that is my way of staying triumphant on this world.

Ritsu

Awakening: This will help in furthering my career. Fully Awakened: N/A (if anyone has access to his fully awakened lines, please feel free to tell me!)

HOTARUBI

Subaru

Awakening: I’m so happy that you're right here beside me to watch me grow. Fully Awakened: “Ignorance is Bliss" and “Silence is Golden”. Don't you agree that it's unreasonable to try and break the admonitions we inherited from our predecessors?

Haku

Awakening: Oi oi oi. Don't expect too much from me, you hear? Fully Awakened: If our life were decided by the things we were born with, you bet I'd be the first one to kiss that kind of life goodbye.

Zenji

Awakening: It seems that my capability has bloomed yet again! Fully Awakened: I was wrong, my dear. As it turns out, dreams are not to be kept as just an idealized fantasy but something we should achieve with our own hands.

OBSCUARY

Edward

Awakening: Oh dearie me. If you whip my old bones any harder, I might actually die this time, you know? Fully Awakened: Sometimes a youthful folly can lead one into committing grave sins. So I hope that you keep this in mind一remain modest and cautious.

Rui

Awakening: Thanks a bunch for working hard for my sake~ I really mean it! Fully Awakened: It's fine if you ended up forgetting about me. I simply wish for you, of all people, to become happy.

Lyca

Awakening: Thanks. I want to show the current me to Neros soon. Fully Awakened: I’m going to work hard. I don't want to come back to those hellish days anymore.

MORTKRANKEN

Yuri

Awakening: This feeling! It stimulates my brain cells! Fully Awakened: I will pioneer the advanced road of genomic analysis for anomalies and establish myself as the best doctor in the world!

Jiro

Awakening: Thank you very much. I feel slightly better. Fully Awakened: I won't let you die. The reason I'm helping you? I don't really understand it myself either.

Two cars spreads!!! I have such a hard time coming up with these, this is great!

2 Card Tarot Ideas

Do / Don't 

Life / Death

Problem / Solution

Now / Later

Logical / Emotional

Yes / No

Internal / External 

Past / Future

Growth / Stagnation

Love / Hate

Apathy / Empathy

Find / Lose

Flaws / Strengths

Day / Night

Physical / Abstract

Stay / Leave 

Creation / Destruction 

Give / Take

Nosk's Body and head refereneces for people who want to make fanart ;)

The reason why I shared my nosk 3d model because some people struggle and complain about how much nosk is a very difficult hollow knight boss to draw and I wanted to help to the people who wanted to draw nosk so badly.

so these are free to use and you can trace and to practice drawing nosk using my 3d model of my fellow creature

You don't have to credit me because i just wanted to help people by giving them references but if you claim my nosk 3d model as your own then i would be upset

fellow hollow knight artists these are for you :) and go ahead and share with others.

I have never thought of this but I need it now??? I need to write something with this, holy shit. I’ve read fics where Regulus likes them, and I’ve read fics where Remus likes them, and all of those fics talked about how Sirius hated them— but he didn’t! I just realized that he really didn’t! Oh I need to draw, I need to write… I’ll get back to this soon enough

we need to do something about sirius and crosswords. you know how usually a random thing said in passing becomes a character's whole personality? I need that with sirius and crosswords!!!

Mozart l'Opera Rock fan base! I need your help! I have fallen back into a hyper fixation on this show and need more content. I have no idea where to find this. I know I'll have some difficulty, as I don't speak French, but I'm hoping for subtitles. If anyone has any videos that they recommend please send them my way, I'm begging you! 🙏🙏🙏

Jack Wolfe as Gabe Goodman

So I've had a few "Tell me everything!" responses to my recent post about the Donmar Warehouse's stunning new production of Next to Normal. Knowing the audience here, I'll narrow my focus to writing about what I know my fellow 'Six of Crows' fans will most want to hear - Jack's role as Gabe. I won't be recapping the show itself, as I assume most folks reading this will have listened to the soundtrack, read the script, or watched a Broadway bootleg. Or at least I hope so, because below you will find MAJOR SPOILERS for Next to Normal and specifically the Donmar's staging of it.

Gabe is introduced to us as the Goodman's teenage son, who seemingly has a close affectionate relationship with his mother, Diana, but frosty relationships with his father Dan and sister Natalie, neither of whom acknowledge his presence. About thirty minutes in we are shown exactly why. Diana brings out an 18th birthday cake when the family have Nat's boyfriend Henry over for dinner and it is revealed that today would have been Gabe's birthday...if he'd been alive. But Gabe died when he was a baby and Diana has only been imagining him growing up all these years.

Up until this point, Jack has been playing Gabe as a cheeky rebellious teenager, but when he slinks back on stage to blow out the candles on his cake, he becomes a much more ethereal and impish presence. In I Am The One, his expression transforms from sweet and devoted when singing to his mom, to menacing and malevolent when singing to his dad. Gabe manifests as different personas for each member of his family and it's thrilling to watch as Jack shifts between them all. When Natalie comes downstairs to sing Superboy and the Invisible Girl we see Gabe as the cocky conceited older sibling, who seems to revel in being their mother's favorite.

In her next therapy session, Diana is asked to speak about her son and this is when we get Gabe's showstopping I'm Alive solo. This number really did raise the roof. I'll admit when I saw videos of Jack singing it at Tom Kitt's concert, I was worried he wasn't giving the song the necessary attack. But on stage he goes absolutely full-throttle with it. He starts at the top of the stairs with a mic stand, looking like the frontman of a rock band, then he brings the mic down, roaming all over the floor. At one point in the song, Natalie and Dan have an argument and Gabe comes to stand between them, looking amused as he passes the mic between them. However Gabe starts to lose some of his swagger as Diana's doctor suggests that - as 18 is the age that children typically leave home - maybe Diana should think about her son this way and finally let him go.

In the next scene, Diana is in the kitchen, clearing out Gabe's things. She holds up a baby-grow and then starts playing a music box she used to use to help Gabe to sleep. Gabe comes down the stairs with a rucksack and duffle bag, like he's a kid being kicked out of the house by his parents. Diana can't seem to go through with it as she pulls him into a dance and they end up hugging with Gabe's head tucked under his mother's chin, like a needy child. This leads into There's a World, a hauntingly beautiful song with a very sinister undertone as we learn this is Gabe leading Diana towards a suicide attempt. This song and Catch Me I'm Falling are an excellent display of Jack's high range (he'd make a wonderful Orpheus in Hadestown - the UK production is coming next year, so...please??)

Following the suicide attempt, Diana is given shock therapy and consequently loses her memories of the last eighteen years. In the early part of Act 2 and for the song Aftershocks, Gabe is up in one of the upstairs rooms, like he's been locked in a cell - not gone, but no longer able to get to Diana. When Diana finds and plays Gabe's music box, there's this very chilling sight of Gabe's silhouette, his hands pressing to the screen, as he sings along to the melody. The lighting here is eerily reminiscent of a sonogram. When Diana regains her memory of her lost son, Gabe breaks free of the room, comes down the stairs to sing his I'm Alive (Reprise) from on top of the kitchen counter. After his wife's relapse, Dan crumbles to the floor, his back pressed to the kitchen counter. Gabe disappears behind the other side of the counter, and (I'm told, I couldn't see from my angle) he sits in the same position as Dan. They both stay like this for about 15mins while scenes with Diana, Nat and Henry take place.

As Diana leaves, Dan finally rises from the floor and begins singing his I am the One (Reprise). In other videos of this song that I have seen, Gabe is played quite aggressively, stalking around Dan, goading his father into acknowledging him. Jack does this scene very differently and effectively. He stays behind the counter, his eyes downcast, his manner meek as if quietly pleading for his father's attention. When Dan yells out "Why didn't you go with her?!" Gabe leaps up onto the counter and throws his arms around Dan, desperately clinging to him. When they get to the chorus, Dan turns round to face Gabe, gripping his arms. Then at the end, Dan staggers back and tearfully says his son's name for the first time. When Gabe responds with his "Hi Dad", Jack's face his full of shocked awe. He plays it like a child realizing the father he thought hated him, loved him all along. It's a devastating moment that had everyone in tears.

After the song, Dan reaches out a hand towards Gabe, but he stops as Natalie comes downstairs. Dan tells Nat her mother has left and Nat asks him - "So it's just me and you for now?" and there's a hesitation where Dan glances at Gabe, who is still sitting on the counter. When Dan finally answers yes, it's just the two of them, Gabe's expression is accepting, not resentful like earlier in the show. As he leaves to go upstairs, Gabe gently touches Nat's hand, almost like an apology. Natalie gives the slightest reaction, as if she is sensing something. It's a beautiful resolve to Gabe's role, and when he appears for the last time for his verse in Light, he no longer feels like a malevolent spirit, but more like this serene angel watching over his family as they all try to heal and go on with lives.

This is honestly a star-making performance from Jack as a young musical theatre actor. And as much as I want Jack and the other Crows actors to be off filming their spinoff show once the strikes are resolved, I also feel strongly that Jack belongs on the stage. Between his acting, his presence and his vocals, he's sure to be a performer in demand in the West End. Here's hoping there's award nominations to come. He's deserving of them.

**HEADPHONES ARE REQUIRED FOR A BETTER EXPERIENCE**

When you get this, please respond with five things that make you happy! then, send to your last ten people in your notifs (anonymously). you never know who might benefit from spreading positivity <3

Hi anon! Thank you so much for this! (First time’s the charm)

Swimming! I really love swimming and every time I dive into the water it’s like a rush of euphoria!

Reading! My ideal morning or evening is curled up on my couch with a book and some type of drink. I like to read many things like fan fics, books, reports etc.

People liking my posts. When I post something, say a fic or a picture it fills me with such happiness that people see it and enjoy reading or looking at it. Or people following me just fills me with joy!

Things like this. Whenever I get something like this or get tagged in something, it reminds me that some people actually think about me (however brief) and would care if I died or left or something bad happened. It’s not necessarily happiness but it still feels good.

Puzzles. I love using my brain on things like murder mysteries or jigsaw puzzles or a game like Clue. It fills me with excitement and lead to happiness when I solve it (because I don’t give up till I solve it, I’m persistent.)

thank you guys so much! 💕

(reading it tomorrow)

SURPRISE! 🔥❤️‍🔥

We are SO excited to have chatted with Matthew Basset, the voice actor for Eris Vanserra in the Graphic Audio Production of the ACOTAR series.

Read below for an Exclusive Q&A with Matt ❤️

How long have you been voice acting? How did you get started in the voice acting industry?

I’ve only really worked with Graphic Audio for voice acting, and I’ve been in their roster of actors since 2012. I’ve been a stage actor (with a tiny bit of film) since 2003, and I’ve taught acting in the Washington, DC, area since 2012. When I moved to the DC area after graduate school and started working around here, a number of actors I liked and admired kept mentioning this company that provided steady work on fun material - westerns, fantasy, sci-fi. The comic book adaptations sold me, I’m a huge comics fan. Since 2012, I’ve played countless varmints, monsters, cads, aliens, superheroes/villains, and the occasional good guy. Along with Eris, my larger roles have included voicing The Homelander in all six volumes of GA’s adaption of The Boys graphic novels and Cullen in the World of Lupi series.

Can you describe the process for being selected for the role of Eris (or any other character)? Were there auditions, callbacks, or specific criteria that led to your casting?

Graphic Audio works like a repertory acting company, in that after your initial audition, they maintain your contact information for project directors to pull from when needed. I’ve done a lot of work with Colleen Delaney, director of the ACOTAR adaptations, including several longer character arcs in multiple series, so she thought I would be a good fit for Eris based on similar characters (rogueish, but with hidden depth that is explored over time) I’ve played elsewhere. I’m glad she did! Eris has been really fun.

How did you prepare for the role of Eris in terms of understanding the character's backstory, motivations, and relationships with other characters?

Graphic Audio does a fantastic job of preparing actors and directing us through performances. Colleen sent each actor a brief but rich character description, often quoting directly from the novels, as well as providing a plot description for each specific novel (necessary since the turnaround from offer to recording is very short). During our sessions, Colleen tells me everything I need to know about where Eris has been since the last scene/book and how his relationships have evolved. GA directors also read in as “scene partners,” which, considering they are all performers themselves, makes it very easy to react as I imagine Eris would.

Eris is a complex and morally ambiguous character. What aspects of his personality did you find most challenging to convey in your performance, and how did you approach tackling those challenges?

His vulnerability is very challenging. Eris has had a hard life, despite growing up with every privilege, which is difficult to convey. He hates everyone to some extent, but it all comes from how much he hates his family and himself. The scenes with Morrigan in particular take a while to record - he has all the feelings when talking to her, but he can’t show any of them.

Did you have any creative input into how Eris's voice would sound, or was it a collaborative effort with the production team and director? Were there any specific discussions about the character's vocal tone or style?

Definitely collaborative! His basic vocal character is very close to mine, with the musicality dialed up a bit so he can taunt everyone so well. Where my director really helps is pushing me to find the different levels to his interactions - when he’s teasing (often), when he’s antagonizing (mostly with Cassian), and when he’s speaking from his heart (VERY rarely, usually to or involving Morrigan).

What actors (voice, stage, film, etc) have inspired you? And did any actors or other characters help inspire your performance for Eris?

Hoo boy. Too many to list! For something like Eris, a lot of inspiration from Tom HIddleston’s Loki, Tom Cruise’s Lestat de Lioncourt, and anything Jeremy Irons has ever done. Characters that you can’t take your eyes off of, even as you want to beat the crap out of them.

Were there any specific challenges or unique aspects to voicing Eris compared to other characters you've portrayed in the past? How did you adapt your voice to capture his essence?

Y’know, for all the dirtbags, murderers, literal monsters, aliens, and villains I’ve voiced, Eris is the one with the biggest heart. The biggest challenge is allowing him to have a deep want, hidden from even himself, for some tenderness, the one thing he has been denied his entire life. A character like Eris is easy to just have fun with and play as a smug prick (which he is), but he has moments of aching loneliness that make him much richer. SPOILER: One of my most recent favorite moments was playing Eris’ surprise and gratitude when receiving a “made” dagger for safekeeping. Eris can’t fathom trusting anyone else with something so powerful and important, because he simply wasn’t shown that level of trust or respect. The moment took him by such surprise. It was great to let myself feel that in the playing.

Do you have any advice for aspiring voice actors who are considering pursuing a career in Voice Acting? Any tips for breaking into the business and honing their craft?

Train your voice! I received excellent vocal training as part of my MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Acting at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I learned how to care for my vocal health, how to support with my breath, and how to modulate the dynamics of my voice for character differentiation as well as basic performance beats. You may not have the inclination for that level of training, but a regular voice lesson with a singing coach will give you similar techniques. In terms of breaking in: like anything of this nature, it’s relationships. Build a strong resume, but also build strong relationships with your collaborators and a reputation for reliability. Directors know that I’ll prepare so that I can make strong initial choices, but that I am more than happy to adjust my choices as needed to make the overall production its best.

aww

just because I couldn't decide on a favourite piece of work or you maybe don't write or create fanart, it does not mean I don't want to give you a special shout-out. so on this day a special shout-out to:

@historiaxvanserra @bubybubsters @sunshinebingo @tsunami-of-tears

thank you for everything you do for this fandom, you are greatly appreciated🤍

omg I finally have a chance to reblog this~

Some fun stuff I adore: (:

I love the changes to Alek's body post mortem, the changes in his skin tone (this is the result of blood settling in the body), and the skin drawing away from the wound on his neck and the stiffness of the body. From what I can tell, both are accurate to life and the timeline decomposition follows. (: Rigor mortis and liver mortis both set in as early as 2 hours after death.

Strahd moves Alek's hair out of his face! Strahd tears his linen(!!) shirt to bandage the wound on Alek's neck! He wipes blood from Alek's chin! They are acts of intimacy done out of care and in spite of death! It makes little difference, and Alek may never truly understand it anymore but it's there in spite of everything!

The crypt would be his bed, however long he sleeps!! Dedication after death!

"The sight remained sharp, but the personality inside was retreating. Perhaps bracing itself against the back wall of his skull."

The similarities and contrasts between Alek and Strahd, both in their teeth and the wounds on their necks, but also struggling to speak, around either blood or teeth.

Alek lets Strahd examine the wound! Despite all that has happened, he still trusts him.

Everything is so physical and nothing is clean or pretty. Alek's body is still damp, his hair is matted with blood and water. The carcass is easier to move after more blood is added. The blood and bodies in the castle will smell with time. Strahd struggles to feed Alek at first, and smears blood across the dead man's face. Eventually spit joins it. They're small details, but its grounding, and the imperfections make it so much more intimate.

12 - Pale

[Based on @terrified-spider's CoS concept for Alek 🫀]

There was no amount of vengeance Strahd could wreak on Leo Dilisnya's remaining men that would bite back this other feeling, which rose like black bile in his chest. No amount of blood would drown it. No amount of violent rage, with sword or claw or hammered fist would tamp it down. And no amount of dragging, throwing, pacing, staring, teeth grinding could wear it out either.

Alek's body still lay in his closet.

Strahd von Zarovich was covered in gore. Castle Ravenloft was smothered in red ichor and corpses, and soon enough it would be rancid in the great hall. But the doors to his own quarters opened on a pristine setting. Aside from the knowledge and the slowly congealing filth Strahd tracked in with his soles, the room belied a quiet night like any other. It would not have seemed out of place, in that moment, to peel off his soaked shirt and sit by the hearth as though he had just come in out of the rain.

The image of Alek Gwilym, snow-damp and wind-chapped, hopping on one foot and then the other to pull off his boots and seat himself down by Strahd's fire, sprang unbidden into his mind.

Regret was its name, this other dark emotion which threatened to throttle him if he could not think of a way to appease it.

Perhaps he could bleed it out. Surely he had consumed enough life for two men. More, in fact. And if he could give back to Alek the blood he had taken… would Alek's life then be restored to him, the way it had worked in Strahd the night before?

The only way out of this mess now was to trudge ahead and try to find the other side. Strahd could not fall backward in time. Could not undo his own reckless mistakes. So, he conceived of only the next best possible option, and moved stoically forward with it.

Strahd pulled the carcass of his old friend out of its slumped position in the closet, wedging his hands under Alek’s arms to drag him out onto the middle of the floor, heavy and stiff. A light sheen had formed on the cold and pallid skin, making it clammy to the touch. The creases of Alek’s clothing were still damp with rain and sticky with coagulated blood, his matted hair plastered to the side of his face and neck. His dry, clouded eyes cracked open to stare mournfully at nothing.

But maybe it was not too late.

Strahd knelt down beside the corpse, to pick the soiled hair free of Alek’s sharp features, pushing it aside to reveal the wound in his throat. Made by the man’s own knife, the cut was clean and straight, but in the time that had passed, the skin around it had begun to shrink back and the incision gaped, revealing glossy strands of mutilated tissue and the severed vein beneath. Strahd prodded gently at the wound, as if to close it up again, but the membrane moved too readily and tore. He flinched back.

Strahd retreated to the table in his study, where the accursed book in dark crimson leather binding still sat. His dagger lay there, sheathed, beside it. Strahd picked up the dagger, and flipped the book open. Its page still blurred, the inscriptions swimming before his eyes. Page after page of useless chaos. He closed it once again, with a delicate touch more carnally vindictive than if he had picked it up and flung it across the room.

Kneeling over Alek again, Strahd pulled the dagger clear and set its sheath down on the floor. He set the blade against his wrist. “Don’t look at me that way,” he muttered, and drew the thin edge up, along a brief span of his forearm.

Blood welled and dripped from his arm, but the wound closed too quickly as he brought it close to Alek’s face. Setting his own jaw, Strahd pried Alek’s mouth agape. He pressed the blade into his wrist again and left it there, leveraging his own flesh open to spill the contents of his life down Alek’s throat.

Alek’s mouth filled with blood until it spilled from the corner of his lips and dribbled over his cheek. Strahd cursed. He dipped his fingers into the pool between Alek’s jaws to move his tongue. Blood continued to stream down over his hand, like a potter adding slip to the contents of his turning wheel, pulling a vessel up out of a heap of mud, until it was clear that Alek’s body would not take more, no matter what he did to maneuver it, and the waste flowed over his chin.

Strahd examined Alek’s face. Carefully, he checked the corpse’s eyes. He bent his ear close to listen for breath, and watched the gaping wound on Alek’s neck fail to recover. No color beyond the fresh haphazard smears of red upon his skin returned to those sharp features. Strahd’s stern gaze did little to convince the body to animate.

Irritation simmered at his own foolishness. Strahd cleaned the dagger and tucked it back into its sheath. Perhaps it would take time, he thought. Perhaps…

He looked to the window, where the barest light of creeping dawn had begun to turn the black sky gray.

Perhaps tomorrow, then.

Strahd picked up Alek’s body, now more limber than it had been, and hefted it over his shoulder. Holding fast to the man’s long legs, he descended to the catacombs and laid the body down inside a crypt. Whatever happened, this would be his bed, for as long as he would sleep. In the cave-like darkness, Strahd watched again for any sign of movement. Just as gingerly as he had opened them, Strahd closed Alek’s eyes again. He positioned Alek’s hands over his stomach, as though he really had just fallen asleep, their blood on his face be damned.

. . .

Strahd woke from his own deathlike slumber to the sounds of war. He leapt to his feet, senses alert, adrenaline high, before he could remember all that had happened. He snatched up his dagger, the only weapon near to him, and didn’t question why he had been lying in the catacombs—only accepted it as a fact of the moment, and stalked toward the dungeons, where he heard the voices of men shrieking in abject terror.

And only then did he remember who the occupants of his dungeons were, and why they were there.

He rounded a corner and stopped short. For a flash of an instant, relief shot through him, for there before him was the back of Alek Gwilym, standing on his own two feet.

But he also had his arm shoved through the bars of a cell door, and at his feet lay one of Strahd’s prisoners, the face mutilated and horror-stricken, the throat ripped out. The other man inside had ceased to scream and was blubbering instead, pressed bodily against the back wall of his cage.

“Alek.” The prisoners went quiet at the sound of Strahd’s voice, muffling their already helpless whimpers.

Alek’s face turned toward him. His eyes, now paler than ever before, had an animal wildness about them, but their pupils locked on Strahd, boring into him quick and sharp like arrows.

It was him, then. And yet… it was not.

Alek slipped his arm out of the bars. The ends of his fingers were like claws, which clacked against the iron. As he turned more fully into view, Strahd noticed other changes—and lack thereof, not least of which the wound in his throat, which remained raw and open, catching on the collar of his clothing when he moved. But Alek’s teeth, like his claws, had lengthened. Unlike Strahd’s own fangs, which could be easily hidden, the ones in Alek’s maw were long and sharp, jutting out past his lip. And it wasn’t just his corner teeth; those were the shortest of the lot, far surpassed by the vicious, almost rodent-like incisors.

Strahd fell back by only half a step, but it was enough.

With a furious yell, Alek launched himself at Strahd. He was fast and strong, and Strahd staggered as Alek barreled into him, baring those hideous teeth and lunging for his throat. Strahd’s heels scraped across the stone floor with the force of the impact, but kept his footing. He was strong, too. If he were still human, he would have been dead in a moment.

Instead, with great force of his own, he heaved Alek back and drew his dagger. They fought, Alek swiping at Strahd with his claws. Cuts and parries with the dagger. Strahd ducked and weaved, where Alek seemed to be singularly focused and all too clumsy about it. Alek’s hands and arms opened up with wounds that didn’t bleed and were slow to heal—but they did heal, Strahd noted. He glanced at Alek’s neck again.

That moment of distraction opened him to Alek’s raking fingers. The claws slashed across Strahd’s own throat. Strahd choked. The dagger clattered to the floor. His hands flew up to brace against Alek’s chest again, to push him back as he dove toward the blood which flowed down over Strahd’s own collar. Alek snarled at him. Strahd gurgled, staring Alek down while he waited for the wounds to close. He coughed, and cleared his throat.

“That’s enough,” Strahd said.

To his relief, Alek stepped back, though he was seething, the blood he had already drunk foaming on his parted lips. His jagged hands hung limply at his sides.

He made a horrible, muffled lisping sound that might have been Strahd’s name.

“You’re angry,” Strahd said.

Alek practically hissed.

“You are hungry.”

Alek turned his razor gaze on the nearest cell. The man cowering inside it looked frantically between the two monsters. Strahd produced the key.

“No… no, please.” The man’s words cracked between a whisper and a voice. Only minutes prior, this had been the only thing he wanted—more than anything—for that cell door to open. But now he couldn’t think of anything he wanted less. “My lord, I beg you,” he pleaded. “Don’t.” 

Strahd unlocked the door.

“No. No, no, no! Please—god, no!”

He watched Alek descend on the prisoner, rending the throat with his teeth as he had with the first. Strahd felt no small degree of annoyance that Alek had stolen that recompense from him, but he supposed that Alek was also deserving of the opportunity. While he slurped, Strahd regarded the rest of his collection in the adjoining cells. They all cowered, watching with wide eyes and bated breath, their hearts thrumming like drums in his ears.

He unlocked each of the barred doors. “Go on,” he said gently. “Run.”

The people eyed each other warily. Seeing no better alternative, they slunk past him cautiously and padded quickly through the doors, glancing at Alek’s hunched and preoccupied form in the shadows on their way out. Perhaps the prisoners thought to grasp at a fragment of hope in that dark dungeon, when the cursed Count Strahd had suddenly thought to exercise his benevolence and spared them from such a gruesome fate.

Little did they know.

Strahd and Alek set upon them like a wild hunt. Strahd quickly drank his fill, but Alek kept going. He was a ruthless creature, running them down one by one and savaging each with great frenzy, until there were no living humans left to find.

Only when half a dozen men at least had all been devoured and wrung dry did Alek seem to have the capacity to calm himself. His gait changed, and he seemed to stand a little taller. He scoured the immediate area as though he were back on patrol. Then he caught sight of Strahd again, and his expression seemed almost… cheerful, if not a bit embarrassed. The look in his milky eyes was somewhat more familiar, if not the grin itself.

Strahd went to him. Alek looked as though he had something to say, but he shrugged his shoulders, at a loss. His lips struggled around the new configuration of his teeth.

And then he rubbed his neck, and winced. Perplexed, he touched the spot again, dabbing at it with the heel of his hand.

Strahd gestured, and Alek let his hand fall away. He lifted his chin for Strahd to better inspect what was bothering him. It was the wound in his throat. Strahd frowned. It had healed somewhat at the farthest ends, though not nearly enough for the kind of regenerative properties that Alek should possess, especially after such a feast. He had scratched it with those claws of his, and now the edges were ragged.

Seeing that his own shirt had been torn from his duel with Alek earlier, Strahd ripped away a strip of the linen and wrapped it securely around Alek’s throat. He wasn’t sure what good first aid would really do in this situation, but it might at least prevent the wound from tearing open further.

Even as he did so, he noticed Alek’s eyes begin to glass over again. The sight remained sharp, but the personality inside was retreating. Perhaps bracing itself against the back wall of his skull.

Strahd wiped a bit of bloody spittle from Alek’s chin. It made little difference.

He dared to wonder, for the first time in many years—if not, indeed, the whole of his life…

What have I done?

* * * [Ao3 Collection] [prompt list by @syrips]

do the ppl like yttd?

My gorgeous boy! I don’t know know if any of you followed me from when I was running BeardieBrigade, but if you do, maybe you’ll remember Jack💗 we’re around the two year mark of when he passed away, and I’m so glad I have this great piece of art to remember him by

🦎

Bearded dragon commission for @homosexualhooligan!

Redbubble

Society6

Aaaaah no way I LOVE IT! Ahahahha

his black shirt clung to his broad chest and shoulders in a way that should’ve been classified as unprofessional. and his pants? snug. perfectly fucking snug.

Ugh you hit that image so good 😮‍💨

you either needed to get laid or a fucking grip, because even that was kind of turning you on.

Word. 🤣

"such a quick learner, hm? did so well today, baby."

🪑 + the double meaning is brilliant! 💕

you swear you could taste the color white.

E.P.I.C. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💀

Hey lyssa 💕

How about a salsa teacher JK, the ultimate thirst trap lol if you’d like to include smut I’m not going to say no and if there’s some crack in it that’ll be fine too (but pls just write what you feel like atm ☺️)

Lots of love 🫂

pairing salsa teacher!jk x uni student!(f)reader

rating 18+ minors dni; smut, fluff, strangers to lovers

word count 2.3k

warnings age gap (jk 29 yn 22), porn w a little plot, pet names; baby/good girl, dirty talk, praise kink, protected p in v sex, doggy, consensual choking

author's note thank u sm for this req ahhh i love it!! when i asked u guys for drabble ideas i told myself not to go over 1k for each one... 2 hrs later here we are 😭 this was the first ask i got after the post & a bunch of other ones have come thru, so i'll try to do another before i sleep and the rest i'll complete whenever i have time <3 <3 this is pretty much unedited so plz ignore any mistakes!! love you mwah

you felt like an absolute idiot.

how you let your best friend convince you to attend salsa classes after your recent breakup with anton, you had no idea. and to top it all off, anton was from cuba. it felt like a cruel joke, and you told jimin to promptly go fuck himself at first, but the psych major insisted it could be therapeutic… that it might help you “move on” or whatever the fuck.

you couldn’t say no to jimin. no one could. especially not when he showed up on your doorstep with his boyfriend in matching shirts and a cute little red dress that matched their outfits just for you.

so here you were. standing in that little red flowy dress in a dance studio downtown with about seven other people, third-wheeling with your best friend and his boyfriend, yoongi, who looked just as displeased to be there as you were. but, as you said, no one could say no to that stupid face.

"ah, we have some new faces today," the instructor announced with a grin that lit up the room.

jeon jungkook. salsa teacher. abnormally and infuriatingly gorgeous.

his black shirt clung to his broad chest and shoulders in a way that should’ve been classified as unprofessional. and his pants? snug. perfectly fucking snug. it took everything in you to keep your eyes from drifting to places they shouldn’t.

light chuckles filled the studio while you forced a smile, bumping jimin with your hip when he nudged you teasingly.

"okay," jungkook’s smooth voice cut through the chatter, "let’s see where everyone’s skill level is at."

fuck.

“maybe i can sit this part out,” you whispered to jimin, but of course, he wasn’t having it.

“nuh-uh,” he grinned, shaking his head. “it’s okay. you’re good, honey. it’ll be quick.”

you groaned internally as jungkook strolled around the room, demonstrating the basic steps with effortless grace. it was unfair, really. no one should be able to move like that.

you could dance. you weren’t anywhere near jimin’s level, of course—he was insane. but growing up with jimin and your other best friend, hobi, who was also a phenomenal dancer, you’d picked up a few things. you’d join in their practices sometimes, but while you preferred hip hop like hobi, jimin excelled in contemporary styles. he already knew how to salsa; you’d seen him do it plenty of times before. he was here for his boyfriend, which would normally be cute, except now you were fucking dragged along, too.

as jungkook approached, his gaze lingered on you for just a second too long. you blinked, waiting for him to realize he was staring. he didn’t.

his eyes were warm, teasing, with a glint of… something else.

the corners of his lips tugged upward as he crossed the room toward you. “let’s see how you’re doing,” jungkook said smoothly, his voice dropping a little as he stepped in front of you. his hand extended toward you, palm up, waiting for yours.

you blinked again, looking at his big, tattooed hand before slipping your palm into his. it was warm.

his fingers wrapped around yours, firm yet gentle, and his other hand lightly rested on your waist. “just follow my lead,” he said, his breath warm against your ear as he positioned you into the basic stance.

jungkook’s hips moved in perfect time with the music, and you could tell he was calming his movements down slightly for you. you either needed to get laid or a fucking grip, because even that was kind of turning you on.

his touch was steady, guiding you through each step, but you forced yourself not to focus on the heat of his hand on your waist. the proximity, the way his fingers flexed ever so slightly against your body with each move. god.

“you’re doing really good,” jungkook murmured, leaning a little closer as he guided you into a turn. his breath brushed your cheek, and you had to swallow slightly.

sure, you were twenty-two, and he looked like he was in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, but there was no doubt he was flirting with you. you knew what it looked like when a guy was flirting.

unless this was just his personality and he acted like this with every girl he taught? your subconscious snickered at you, and you sighed, brushing the thought away.

across the room, jimin was practically grinning ear-to-ear, enjoying the show way too much as he led his cute, stumbly boyfriend through the motions without even looking at him.

"jagi, i'm supposed to be taking the lead part," yoongi grumbled, pulling jimin’s attention back to him with a light tug.

"sorry, my love. habit." jimin chuckled, his eyes crinkling in amusement. "okay, go ahead, six-seven-eight—"

yoongi shot him a playful glare before resuming the steps, his concentration back on the dance. meanwhile, jimin snuck another glance your way, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as jungkook’s hand slid a bit lower on your waist during the turn.

you could only roll your eyes at the blonde as jungkook’s deep chuckle echoed in your ear, clearly catching onto your friend’s antics.

“focus, y/n,” jungkook murmured lowly as he gently corrected your footing with his own. “we still have a few more turns to get through.”

okay, maybe he was flirting.

no. he was definitely flirting.

"shittttt!" you moaned into his pillow, your back arching as jungkook pounded into you from behind, his grip firm and still so fucking warm. each thrust sent a shock through your body, your gasps muffled by the fabric of his pillowcase.

"so bigggg," you whimpered, your words slurring as the pleasure consumed you. your fingers gripped the sheets tightly as his hands squeezed your ass cheeks, pulling you back onto him with every thrust.

his groan rumbled through the room as he watched your body respond, the fat of your ass rippling under his hands, the way your pussy tightened around him as he drove deeper.

"is it?" he teased, voice thick with condescension. you clenched harder around him at that, and he groaned again, his cock twitching inside you in approval.

"you can take it, can't you, baby?" his tone was low, mocking, completely sure of himself. his pace didn’t falter, each thrust angled perfectly, deeper. "such a quick learner, hm? did so well today, baby."

your breath came out in ragged gasps, completely overwhelmed as he kept fucking you senseless. you could only nod in response, whimpering as the hand gripping your right ass cheek slipped around your stomach, finding your clit with ease.

your legs started to wobble when his fingers rubbed against the puffy nub, a croaky yes slipping from your lips as you rutted back into him, desperate for more.

"fuck," he choked out, leaning down slightly to deepen the angle, hammering into you faster. "that's it, baby, fuck back onto my cock. just like that, babyyy, good girl. so good."

your eyes rolled back, briefly wondering if he’d figured out your praising kink, and a sobby moan slipped from your lips. you moved your hips harder, slamming your ass back against him with each thrust. the loud clap of skin echoed through the room every time you collided with his cock.

"shit, listen to that, y/n," he groaned, his skilled fingers sliding down your slit to gather your slick, grazing his cock as he shoved in and out of you before slipping back to your clit, rubbing it in big, messy circles.

"listen to that soaking pussy take my cock so well, baby. s'this what you wanted? you looked kinda sad when you walked into my class today, baby… didn't like it. not sad anymore, are you, hm?"

"no," you whined immediately, your head lifting from the pillow and throwing back in pleasure. "no fucking way. s-so good, baby. i n-needed this," you stuttered through a gasp, groaning in delight when the last hand on your ass slid up to grip your neck.

"you okay with th—"

"yes," you sobbed, lifting a shaky hand to clench around his, applying pressure. "harder. please, fuck, harder."

you heard him give a shaky breath before tightening his grip on your neck. your eyes rolled back in ecstasy as he pulled back and slammed in harder, harder, harder. each time his cock drove in, it slammed into that spongy spot that pulled a high-pitched uh from your throat.

"goddd, dirty fucking girl," jungkook mumbled lowly in delight, leaning his head down to rest his lips against your forehead while your face was turned toward the ceiling, eyes closed in pleasure. "wish i wasn’t wearing this fucking condom. wish i could fill this tight little cunt with my load, know you’d take it so fucking well."

your jaw slackened, a silent scream escaping your lips at his words and the way he quickened his pace, both with his cock and his fingers rubbing your clit.

"fuuuck, i’m so close, jungkook," you forced your eyes to open, looking up at his sweaty, gorgeous face, the feeling of his big hand squeezing around your throat making it hard to concentrate. "oh my fuckkkk, please, i—"

"go on then," jungkook murmured lowly, giving a final squeeze to your throat before sliding his hand to your jaw, swiping his wet, tattooed thumb along your pouty bottom lip. "come on my cock, baby. you deserve it, honey. come on."

you didn’t know if he knew that jimin and hobi had given you the nickname 'honey' from your childhood.

and you also didn’t know why that nickname made a scream rip from your lips and your pussy clench around his fat cock until you were coming so hard you swear you could taste the color white. but it did.

"oh, fuckkk," jungkook hissed as he held you tight, his thrusts not relenting while you convulsed and came on his cock. "that’s itttt. take it all, baby. good fucking girl."

your body was trembling, completely fucking spent, arms barely holding you up as your fingers dug into the mattress. you were gasping for air, feeling yourself melting into the bed, and yet, all you could think about was him. “are you close? please, i fucking need it,” you whimpered, voice breathy and weak.

he groaned, hands slipping down from your waist to slide under your chest and cup your tits with a firm grip. he gave them a squeeze, rolling the soft fatty flesh in his palms before tugging gently at your nipples. the sensation shot through your body, making you shake, everything inside you clenching around his cock as he grunted in satisfaction.

“fuck, yeah, i- ” he panted, leaning down to rest his head in the crook of your neck, his hot breath tickling your skin. his thrusts grew sloppy, rougher, causing your warm, sensitive body to jiggle beneath him. "i'm gonna come, baby. fuck."

“p-please." you grunted as he gave a particularly hard thrust, "wanna feel it, jungkook. want it in me. please."

he choked on a long moan, wet lips pressing to your neck, and with a few more deep thrusts, you felt him tense up. his grip on your chest tightened as he came with a low groan, his warm seed filling the condom.

you groaned in satisfaction at the feeling of him spilling into you, even through the stupid barrier. his body pressed down into yours as he panted, riding out his high, and you were still fucking shaking, so insanely satisfied.

as you both came down, your breath heavy and loud, jungkook began to slowly pull out of you, careful not to hurt you. you whimpered softly at the loss, already missing the feeling of being full of him the moment he slipped out.

a part of you couldn’t help but wonder… was that it? now you both just go back to your lives as if nothing happened? you didn’t even remember how you ended up in this situation, other than the fact that his intense, dazy eyes kept lingering on you the whole class. you had let jimin and yoongi head off without you when it finished, claiming you were going to talk to jungkook. you could still hear jimin giggling in delight as he dragged his boyfriend down the corridor.

jungkook had told you he was twenty-nine when you were chatting earlier, and in return, you had told him you were twenty-two. he didn’t seem to have a problem with the age gap, and of course, you didn’t either. still, a small part of you wondered if he’d even want to see someone as much younger as you again—if even just as a casual hookup. you pouted slightly at the thought. you suppresssed a groan, already knowing you’d be thinking about the best dick of your life for days after this.

you were pulled from your thoughts when jungkook sat up slightly, his face looking almost… shy? he cleared his throat before speaking. “are you gonna, uh, come to next week’s salsa class?” he asked, trying to sound casual, though you could hear the hint of hope in his voice.

you glanced up at him, his adorable, pouty face staring back at you, waiting for your response. a small, teasing smile tugged at your lips. “mmm… i don’t think so,” you teased, watching as his face fell slightly.

he nodded softly, trying to hide his disappointment. “i’ll be back in a second to clean you up,” he muttered, moving to get up.

but before he could, you reached up and pulled him back down, your lips pressing firmly against his. he froze for a second, clearly caught off guard, but then he melted into you, his hands slipping up to tangle in your hair.

as you pulled back from the kiss, your lips barely grazing his, you mumbled, “do i have to take the class to see you? i fucking hate salsa dancing.”

jungkook laughed softly, his breath warm against your skin. “i also teach hip hop?” he offered, amusement coloring his voice.

your eyebrows shot up as a giggle escaped you. “huh,” you squinted playfully up at his cute, annoyingly gorgeous face. “i’ll think about it.”

What the ghouls from the same house think about each other

It’s one of the questions that appeared in the latest B’s-log magazine issue. I decided to share this one because it’s fun.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not a translator, so please take this with a huge grain of salt because I don’t speak let alone read Japanese very well. I mostly used machine translation and some of the little knowledge I have to get through this. I added the original Japanese script if you wanna read that on your own.

Jin, Tohma, Ren and Subaru didn’t receive the question unfortunately

Frostheim

Lucas: “Ever since I transferred to this school, Kaito has been my first friend and has always been very kind to me. I'm also grateful to Ishibashi-san for all his help. As for Kamurai-san, I hope he'll just fulfill his duties...”

「この学園へ転校してきた日から、魁斗は俺の初め ての友人として、ずっと仲良くしてくれている。そ れに磴さんにも、とてもお世話になっているよ。あ とは、冠氷さんが責務さえ果たしてくれれば良いん だけど･･････」

Kaito: “Hmm... To be honest, the captain and vice-captain seem like people way above the clouds... Rumor has it that the two of them are in collusion with the school and are doing terrible things. What? Luca? ...I've never heard of such a faceless bastard.”

「ん~………………寮長と副寮長は、正直雲の上の人って感 じだしな〜………………噂では、ふたりとも学園と癒着して、 えげつないことやってるって聞いたことあるけど。え? ルカ? ………………あんな顔面無双野郎なんか知らね」

*I’m really not sure what あんな顔面無双野郎 means.

Vagastorm

Alan: “We're just half-baked people who happened to have powers. But they're willing to die and crawl back up... they have the potential.”

「俺たちは、たまたま力を持っただけの半端もんだ。 だが、死ぬ気で這い上がる･･････あいつらには、その 素質がある」

Leo: “No matter how you look at it, our captain is a complete loser. As for Sho-chan... I guess he's my slave♡”

「誰がどう見ても、うちの寮長サマはポンコツでし ○よ。え~、翔ちゃんはね･･････オレの奴隷、かな♡」

Sho: “Ahh... Leo and I are just old friends. We've been hanging out since middle school. Mido-senpai... I don't really know what he's thinking. He's a man of few words, right?”

「あー…………………玲音とはただの腐れ縁な。中坊の頃か ら、なんとなくつるんでるっつうか。御堂センパイ は･･････何考えてっかよくわかんねぇわ。あいつ、言 葉が足りねぇタイプじゃん?」

Jabberwock

Haru: “Both Ren and Towa have good bodies, so if they could put that into use and work, they'd be a lot more reliable than they are now...huh? What's that sound...Hey Towa! Wait a sec!!”

「蓮も叶空も、せっかくええガタイ持っとるけぇ、 そいつ活かして働いてくれりゃ、今よりずっと頼も しいんじゃがのう･･････ん?この音は･･････おい叶空! ちょ~~~待て~~~~~~~!!」

Towa: ~~~~♪~~~~!!

Sinostra

Taiga: “That Lulu gets so angry every day, I don't know how he never gets tired of it... Ah? Shinjo? Who’s that?”

「ルルのやつ、毎日あんなキレまくって、よく飽き ねぇよな~･･･････あ〜? シンジョ? 誰だそれ」

Romeo: “I’m disgusted by my boss. No matter how many times I say the same thing, it's WEFCP. What? It's "waste of effort", "fist-clenching" and "pressing". As for Shinjo, I'm going to give him a thorough training from now on, and we'll see how he turns out.”

「うちのボスには呆れる。なんべん同じこと言った って、N・U・Oだからさぁ。は?「暖簾に」「腕」「押し」 だよ。まぁ針条に関しては、これからみっちり教育して、 どう化けるかってとこだねぇ」

*I tried my best to translate Romeo’s abbreviation but it’s still bad I’m sorry…

Ritsu: "I have concluded that it is futile to try to change the tyrannical behavior of our Sinostra’s captain, Taiga Hoshibami, and vice-captain, Romeo Scorpius Lucci. From now on, I will defend them and definitely obtain the 'Laurel Crown'."

「我がシノストラ寮長の星喰大我、および副寮長 のロミオ・スコーピウス・ルッチについて、その横暴 な素行を改めることは不毛という結論です。今後は、 私が彼らを弁護することで、必ず『栄冠賞』を手に入 れてみせます」

Hotarubi

Haku: “Another difficult question. Hmm... Subaru-san is simply great. However, his tendency to take on too much is his only flaw. Zenji-san... Well, you see, being with him makes me feel energized. I'm grateful for that.”

「また難しい質問ですこと。うーん･･････昴流さんは とにかく出来が良い。ただ、何かと抱え込みすぎる のが玉に瑕だな。善治さんは･･････まあ、あれだ、一 緒にいると元気になる。ありがたいことですよ」

Zenji: “If I had to describe Subaru-kun in one word, it would be...heart of glass...but in contrast, I can't help but worry about Haku-kun's lack of enthusiasm. As my manager, I would say he should be a bit more considerate.”

「昴流クンを一言で表すならば･･････ハート・オブ・グ ラス･･････それに引き替え、伯玖クンのスコドンぶり には気を揉まずにはいられないよ。ボクのマネージ ャーならば、もう少し気が利くべきだと言っている のだがねえ」

*Zenji says “hāto obu gurasu”, I’m not sure, but I think he means to say heart of gold? lmao

Obscuary

Edward: These two are young and strong, I'm so envious of them. When I was their age... Oops, it was so long ago that I’ve completely forgotten."

「ふたりとも、若くて体力もあって羨ましい限りだよ。 俺があの子たちと同じ年頃の時は･･････おっと。もう 随分昔のことだから、すっかり忘れてしまったな」

Rui: “Ed-san has no ability to live on his own, so he's really a pain to look after. At this point, I’m in charge of nursing care... and then what about Lyca-kun... Huh? I'm taking care of the kids... What do those two think of me!?”

「エドさんは生活力なさすぎて、ほんと世話が焼け るんよね。もはや介護っしょあれ･･････そんでライカ くんは~･･･････あれ? こっちは子供の世話だ･･････あ のふたり、俺ちゃんをなんだと思ってんの!?」

Lyca: “They're that moth-eaten Casanova and that blond gigolo. I'm human, so why am I not in the same place as Suba-kun and the others!!”

「色魔ジジイと金髪ジゴロだろ。おれは人間なのに、 なんでスバくんたちと同じとこじゃねーんだよ!!」

Mortkranken

Yuri: “You're talking about Jiro-kun, who is both Yuri Isami's assistant and patient? He's still in training. He still lacks knowledge, skills, experience, and culture. It'll probably take another 100 years for him to become a doctor at my level.”

「この衣佐美佑理の助手であり、患者でもある次郎 くんのことです? 彼は研修中の身ですからね。ま だまだ、知識も技術も経験も教養も足りていません。 僕レベルの医師になるまで、あと100年は必要でしょう」

Jiro: “Oh, the only ghoul in my house is Yuri. He's my doctor. If it weren't for Yuri, I'd probably be dead by now. Well, I'm grateful.”

「はあ、同じ寮のグールは、佑理しかいませんけど。 俺の主治医ですね。佑理がいなければ、俺、今頃死 んでるらしいんで。まあ、感謝してます」

If a professional sees this, feel free to translate it yourself

Katara's Story Is A Tragedy and It's Not An Accident

I was a teenaged girl when Avatar: The Last Airbender aired on Nickelodeon—the group that the show’s creators unintentionally hit while they were aiming for the younger, maler demographic. Nevermind that we’re the reason the show’s popularity caught fire and has endured for two decades; we weren’t the audience Mike and Bryan wanted. And by golly, were they going to make sure we knew it. They’ve been making sure we know it with every snide comment and addendum they’ve made to the story for the last twenty years.

For many of us girls who were raised in the nineties and aughts, Katara was a breath of fresh air—a rare opportunity in a media market saturated with boys having grand adventures to see a young woman having her own adventure and expressing the same fears and frustrations we were often made to feel. 

We were told that we could be anything we wanted to be. That we were strong and smart and brimming with potential. That we were just as capable as the boys. That we were our brothers’ equals. But we were also told to wash dishes and fold laundry and tidy around the house while our brothers played outside. We were ignored when our male classmates picked teams for kickball and told to go play with the girls on the swings—the same girls we were taught to deride if we wanted to be taken seriously. We were lectured for the same immaturity that was expected of boys our age and older, and we were told to do better while also being told, “Boys will be boys.” Despite all the platitudes about equality and power, we saw our mothers straining under the weight of carrying both full-time careers and unequally divided family responsibilities. We sensed that we were being groomed for the same future. 

And we saw ourselves in Katara. 

Katara begins as a parentified teenaged girl: forced to take on responsibility for the daily care of people around her—including male figures who are capable of looking after themselves but are allowed to be immature enough to foist such labor onto her. She does thankless work for people who take her contributions for granted. She’s belittled by people who love her, but don’t understand her. She’s isolated from the world and denied opportunities to improve her talents. She's told what emotions she's allowed to feel and when to feel them. In essence, she was living our real-world fear: being trapped in someone else’s narrow, stultifying definition of femininity and motherhood. 

Then we watched Katara go through an incredible journey of self-determination and empowerment. Katara goes from being a powerless, fearful victim to being a protector, healer, advocate, and liberator to others who can’t do those things for themselves (a much truer and more fulfilling definition of nurturing and motherhood). It’s necessary in Katara’s growth cycle that she does this for others first because that is the realm she knows. She is given increasingly significant opportunities to speak up and fight on behalf of others, and that allows her to build those advocacy muscles gradually. But she still holds back her own emotional pain because everyone that she attempts to express such things to proves they either don't want to deal with it or they only want to manipulate her feelings for their own purposes. 

Katara continues to do much of the work we think of as traditionally maternal on behalf of her friends and family over the course of the story, but we do see that scale gradually shift. Sokka takes on more responsibility for managing the group’s supplies, and everyone helps around camp, but Katara continues to be the manager of everyone else’s emotions while simultaneously punching down her own. The scales finally seem to tip when Zuko joins the group. With Zuko, we see someone working alongside Katara doing the same tasks she is doing around camp for the first time. Zuko is also the only person who never expects anything of her and whose emotions she never has to manage because he’s actually more emotionally stable and mature than she is by that point. And then, Katara’s arc culminates in her finally getting the chance to fully seize her power, rewrite the story of the traumatic event that cast her into the role of parentified child, be her own protector, and freely express everything she’s kept locked away for the sake of letting everyone else feel comfortable around her. Then she fights alongside an equal partner she knows she can trust and depend on through the story's climax. And for the first time since her mother’s death, the girl who gives and gives and gives while getting nothing back watches someone sacrifice everything for her. But this time, she’s able to change the ending because her power is fully realized. The cycle was officially broken.

Katara’s character arc was catharsis at every step. If Katara could break the mold and recreate the ideas of womanhood and motherhood in her own image, so could we. We could be powerful. We could care for ourselves AND others when they need us—instead of caring for everyone all the time at our own expense. We could have balanced partnerships with give and take going both ways (“Tui and La, push and pull”), rather than the, “I give, they take,” model we were conditioned to expect. We could fight for and determine our own destiny—after all, wasn’t destiny a core theme of the story?

Yes. Destiny was the theme. But the lesson was that Katara didn’t get to determine hers. 

After Katara achieves her victory and completes her arc, the narrative steps in and smacks her back down to where she started. For reasons that are never explained or justified, Katara rewards the hero by giving into his romantic advances even though he has invalidated her emotions, violated her boundaries, lashed out at her for slights against him she never committed, idealized a false idol of her then browbeat her when she deviated from his narrative, and forced her to carry his emotions and put herself in danger when he willingly fails to control himself—even though he never apologizes, never learns his lesson, and never shows any inclination to do better. 

And do better he does not.

The more we dared to voice our own opinions on a character that was clearly meant to represent us, the more Mike and Bryan punished Katara for it.

Throughout the comics, Katara makes herself smaller and smaller and forfeits all rights to personal actualization and satisfaction in her relationship. She punches her feelings down when her partner neglects her and cries alone as he shows more affection and concern for literally every other girl’s feelings than hers. She becomes cowed by his outbursts and threats of violence. Instead of rising with the moon or resting in the warmth of the sun, she learns to stay in his shadow. She gives up her silly childish dreams of rebuilding her own dying culture’s traditions and advocating for other oppressed groups so that she can fulfill his wishes to rebuild his culture instead—by being his babymaker. Katara gave up everything she cared about and everything she fought to become for the whims of a man-child who never saw her as a person, only a possession.

Then, in her old age, we get to watch the fallout of his neglect—both toward her and her children who did not meet his expectations. By that point, the girl who would never turn her back on anyone who needed her was too far gone to even advocate for her own children in her own home. And even after he’s gone, Katara never dares to define herself again. She remains, for the next twenty-plus years of her life, nothing more than her husband's grieving widow. She was never recognized for her accomplishments, the battles she won, or the people she liberated. Even her own children and grandchildren have all but forgotten her. She ends her story exactly where it began: trapped in someone else’s narrow, stultifying definition of femininity and motherhood.

The story’s theme was destiny, remember? But this story’s target audience was little boys. Zuko gets to determine his own destiny as long as he works hard and earns it. Aang gets his destiny no matter what he does or doesn’t do to earn it. And Katara cannot change the destiny she was assigned by gender at birth, no matter how hard she fights for it or how many times over she earns it. 

Katara is Winston Smith, and the year is 1984. It doesn’t matter how hard you fight or what you accomplish, little girl. Big Brother is too big, too strong, and too powerful. You will never escape. You will never be free. Your victories are meaningless. So stay in your place, do what you’re told, and cry quietly so your tears don’t bother people who matter.

I will never get over it. Because I am Katara. And so are my friends, sisters, daughters, and nieces. But I am not content to live in Bryke's world.

I will never turn my back on people who need me. Including me.