Done With The "came Back Wrong" Trope. What About Came Back American

There’s nothing I love more than stellar analysis 💜💜💜

Hello!! First, I just want to say how much I love all of your THK posts and breakdowns! Your perspectives on Kant/Bison have been really refreshing to see/read ♥️

On to me question/questions: if Kant/Bison were ever comfortable enough to breach the topic of BDSM again, what ways could you see that playing out? Even disregarding the massive elephant in the room (The Betrayal ™️), Bison’s inexperience/hesitance and Kant’s trust issues/control issues/reluctance is such and interesting dynamic, and I’m honestly disappointed at how underutilized it is within the plot. I could talk for hours about my opinions on Kant’s willingness to d/s.

I think, under different and healthier circumstances, Kant might have been more open to such arrangements. Given his trauma, early Parentification, and the lack of control he has with regard to Captain, it’s rife for interesting ways his dynamic could be explored (given proper care and comfort).

Apologies for the long ask/rant! I’m practically foaming at the mouth for someone to talk to this about 🤣

Best 💜

awww thank you! i'm v happy to hear that 🥰 and don't at all apologize for the long ask, i love getting asks like this!!

the bdsm dynamic is fascinating to me for a number of reasons. i haven't written much on it in terms of analysis because i feel like we haven't gotten enough in canon for me to chew on, but it's sooo very interesting to me for all sorts of reasons. which, while i do wish we had more scenes to work with when it comes to looking at the dynamic, i think the fact that we're only really given episode three and only hints at it other than that is very intentional. because like you said, the circumstances are not super healthy and while again, we've had hints at it, i don't think they've actually explored that dynamic a whole lot post-drugging incident. they've slept together since then clearly, but they also haven't been back to bison's place together, and while it's possible they've used other things, it also makes sense if after that last nightmare incident, if bison is hesitant to use anything but the proper tools/setting for it, yknow? cause even though we haven't gotten to see them talk about it, i'm willing to bet that bison does feel guilty for being an unsafe dom in that instance, if how attentive and caring he was in the tattoo parlor is anything to go by.

i did already say this in my tags on this poll but to reiterate, i do believe we'll absolutely be returning to the bdsm dynamic - it just won't be until POST-clearing the air, which will presumably be happening next episode if the bison making kant a servant to him and crying on the beach tells us anything. which, i do figure we will get a sex scene next episode, but again, i figure it'll be post-all of that as well and probably a lovely little love-making/forgiveness situation alla sandray ep9. yknow the one.

soo, with that in mind, that gives eps 9-12 bdsm potential, and like. obviously there will be drama and plot to deal with as well but i'm sure those kinky freaks will figure it out, i'm not worried about. (though i will say. if my babe dying theory holds true, specifically that it's keen that kills babe while kant and bison are away figuring their shit out, i think we'll find that out either end of ep8 or beginning of ep9. so bdsm might take a backseat for a bit. but nevertheless we will get back at the very least by ep11 or 12! i AM certain of that)

BUT finally getting to what you actually asked me in terms of how i see it playing out, i do hope that they have another discussion about it like they did in ep3. i think now with the air cleared, they'll have to. not just so kant can admit he IS actually into the idea and it wasn't a total lie, but so they can set firmer boundaries now that kant does trust bison. because i think while kant was hesitant of it at first, i again think he was into it to a certain extent - it was just the fact that he didn't trust bison and he wasn't actually able to practice it in a safe way either time they tried. plus, they're both, in reality, very new to the dynamic. kant, who didn't even realize he was into that kind of thing until bison introduced him, and bison, who has done all this research but never actually gotten to dom properly. so, i think they will definitely need to take it a lot slower (which, to be fair, bison seemed far more apt to do that before he was drunk and drugged! i don't doubt his ability to be a good dom and take things slow. i think he was not at all in the right headspace or mindset to be doing anything like that, so obviously he was just acting on his deepest desires. hell, he literally told kant that he hopes he doesn't use his safe word! i do not think a sober and clear headed bison would have even thought to say something like that.)

so, with that in mind, i don't think any other bdsm scenes we get will be quite as intense as that first one from the end of ep3 - unless the much needed conversation happens as soon as ep9 and we get more after that and/or we get a time skip. which, i wouldn't be surprised if we do tbh, at least in like ep12. time skips to show the happy ending is such a common trope, i almost expect we will have one tbh.

but regardless of intensity, i do think the dynamic will be very interesting. i've said it quite a few times, but kant is a character that not only has severe control issues, but also has always NEEDED to be in control. he has had very little actual say in his life, but he has also always had to make a lot of big decisions and be in charge, so in a lot of ways he doesn't actually know how to hand over that control. i think it'll be difficult for him to actually do it, but i think in the end, it is ultimately something he wants and would be good for him. whereas bison is someone that has had very little control in his life and is desperate for it. so, i think it'll be such a good dynamic for them once they are able to talk it out and establish it healthily. it'll be good for kant to be able to get go of his control in a safe environment, with someone he loves and trusts, and it'll be good for bison to be able to have that control he wants so desperately and be able to exercise his clear interest in sadism without truly hurting someone. wins all around!

ZYZ + ZYC (49. …out of necessity)

(asexual-ZYC attempts to make an advance on ZYC, out of what he feels is necessity, hurt/comfort ensues ♥️)

I cannot tell you how much joy this prompt gave me, thank you so much! It took a while to get this story down the way I wanted to, I hope you enjoy 🖤🩶🤍💜

Zhuo Yichen isn't blind. He has long since seen the eyes Zhao Yuanzhou makes at him when he thinks Yichen isn't watching, or even when he is. He has heard the flirtations (the same as directed an Wen Xiao), has heard Yinglong say zhiji, he has noticed the others giving them space to be alone, creating chances for him to confess. 

It's not that he doesn't like Zhao Yuanzhou. Most of the time the demon is sharper, funnier, more interesting, more true to his own nature than anyone Zhuo Yichen has ever seen. He wants to spend time with the demon, he wants to be the one sitting next to him, wants to feel as comfortable around the other as his friends seem to be– as Wen Xiao seems to be, despite the demon's endless stream of flirty comments.

Except…

Love is a confusing thing, to Zhuo Yichen. He loves (present tense, always present tense) his brother, his father, loves his friends. Only that doesn't seem to be the kind of love that makes people do ridiculous things. The kind of love that makes young people foolish and old people feel young, the kind of love that inspires so much art and poetry and song– This kind of love is not something Zhuo Yichen feels. Well, that or he is the most sensible person the world has ever seen.

Regardless, he likes Zhao Yuanzhou. In a way that feels different to the way he cares about his family and friends, he really likes that annoying demon. And the demon seems interested in him. So according to all the great stories, the songs, the poems (he has done his research, thank you very much), if two people like each other then they kiss. And that's how you're sure that it is love, and not just like.

And that's how he ended up here, waiting for everyone else to retire after their dinner on the veranda, hoping Zhao Yuanzhou doesn't go to bed before the others do. It is late, and they've already collectively bullied Bai Jiu into going to bed, with placations and lies that they too are about to sleep. Pei-daren may even have been telling the truth, for she retired soon after. Ying Lei is still talking, going on about this divine feast he was invited to some decades ago and about how he wants to recreate a specific dish. Wen Xiao knows him better than anyone, and winked at him when she left, claiming she had some more studying to do.

Zhao Yuanzhou has been eyeing him all evening, and Zhuo Yichen has never before had cause to wonder if this is what a piece of fruit on a market stall might feel like. He's not sure he likes the feeling of waiting to be picked, of being judged, or perhaps of being assumed to be something delicious– anyway. 

Ying Lei yawns halfway through his meandering description of herbs he'd need to grow, and stands from the table. "I'm heading to bed as well, you two night owls behave yourself!"

"What do you-"

"We always do," Zhao Yuanzhou answers over Zhuo Yichen. The mountain god snorts and shakes his head as if they were children and not an ancient demon and a human more responsible than their little runaway god himself.

With Ying Lei gone this would be the perfect time to make his move. The only thing he needs to do is to turn to Da Yao and… kiss. Just kiss him. Somehow the songs and the stories failed to mention how hard that next step would be. Zhuo Yichen stares at his tea cup, and finds himself wishing for something stronger. The tea stares back at him, growing cold in accusation of his inaction. The silence loudly proclaims his failure to act, the night sky moving inexorably on to morning.

"Zhuo-daren?" Zhao Yuanzhou's questions startles him, and he turns to the demon. "You've been preoccupied all evening, am I really so very distracting?" He knows the smirk the demon will be wearing before he even turns to look at him. When he does it is hard to look away from those lips.

"No," the lie is painfully obvious to Zhuo Yichen, and of course the demon notices too. For the first time Zhuo Yichen can say he is grateful for the fact that Zhao Yuanzhou is such a flirt.

"Did you know demons can sense lies, Xiao Zhuo-daren? Why don't you tell me what's really on your mind-"

"-Can I kiss you?" The words are out of his mouth before he knows it, and he cringes at how silly, how earnest, how innocent he sounds. His cheeks are burning, and he'd give anything to be elsewhere right now. Perhaps the earth can open up to swallow him, perhaps enemies can beset the capital, hordes of demons attack the Bureau, absolutely anything… Anything would be better than sitting under the stars by the light of a few candles as Zhao Yuanzhou stares at him.

Surprise is the first emotion that flashes across Da Yao's face, but amusement follows it swiftly enough. Close behind it is a hunger Zhuo Yichen doesn't have a name for. Is that what love is, or even lust? A hunger? It seems strange, but Yichen doesn't have the time to think about that now. The silence stretches too long, and Zhuo Yichen is about to start making excuses, blame the food, the time of night, even an imaginary fever or poison.

Then the demon is moving, swift as a blade, and Zhuo Yichen almost tries to block and evade until he realizes: he asked for this. Zhao Yuanzhou lunges for him like he is attacking, but grabs him as soft as one would hold a flower, one hand snaking around his waist and the other around his neck. His lips meet Yichen's in a soft greeting, asking without words to touch him and yet being so much more eloquent about it. It's… strange. People do this for fun?

The lips against his own are warm, and while not unpleasant it's a little weird. People use their mouths for eating, and talking, and breathing– and then they also want to touch their mouths together? For extended periods of time? It isn't bad, per se, and Yichen is no poet or artist, but this does not seem like something that inspires such great art.

"Xiao Zhuo?" Oh gods. He's been thinking too much, and Zhao Yuanzhou has noticed while kissing him that he… doesn't care for kissing, apparently. "What's wrong?"

How does one explain to the person you just asked to kiss you that no, thank you for the scientific experiment, I'm not actually interested in doing that. In hindsight Zhuo Yichen realizes how awful his question was. He got the demon's hopes up over nothing, only to disappoint him. Li Lun's words about humanity's cruelty echo in his mind. Zhao Yuanzhou's eyes are searching his face, increasingly concerned with his lack of answer. He is still holding Zhuo Yichen ever so gently, their faces still close enough to feel the demon's breath ghost across his skin.

Zhuo Yichen shrinks back, breaking that gentle hold, trying to hide himself from those kind, concerned eyes. "I'm sorry."

Da Yao reaches for him, this time slowly instead of knife-fast, and lays a careful hand on his arm. The weight of it settles with the weight of a thousand expectations and Zhuo Yichen stares at it like it is something fearful. Whatever Zhao Yuanzhou reads in his gaze makes him retract his hand quick as lightning.

"I'm sorry," Zhuo Yichen repeats. He might be apologizing for either of his actions, or both, or for even waking up and thinking this was a good idea. He's honestly not sure which one it is. Perhaps running away like Ying Lei did is not such a ridiculous action after all. Especially because the ground isn't obligingly opening up and swallowing him whole. He focuses his attention on his abandoned tea cup, because he can feel Zhao Yuanzhou's eyes searching his face.

"I'm not sorry," the demon announces, and it's such a weird thing to say that it makes Zhuo Yichen look back into those dark eyes. "I got to kiss my favourite human, so whatever it is that you've done: I don't mind." His smile is entirely cheerful mischief and is such a 180 from moments before that Zhuo Yichen knows he is acting, and reacts accordingly to roll his eyes.

"There, that's the infamous Zhuo-daren I know," Zhao Yuanzhou drops part of the mischief-mask, but keeps his smile. He returns to his own seat instead of being so terribly close, and waits patiently for Yichen to sit upright and collect his thoughts. "Now, if Zhuo-daren would tell this lowly demon what he has done wrong, perhaps this one can forgive him, hm?" He makes it sound so easy, Zhuo Yichen thinks. He makes it sound so tempting, as well: forgiveness. 

Zhuo Yichen stares at the demon for a long moment before deciding to put away his pride. It's the least he can do for leading the demon on like that. "I… have never kissed anyone," he begins, and resolutely looks away from the smirk Zhao Yuanzhou lips curl into at those words. "All the stories say people kiss, but I've never understood why? It just… has never seemed interesting." 

"And it was interesting enough to ask now?"

"I wasn't sure– so I thought I should check, because kissing seems to be how people tell if they…"

"If they like one another?" Zhao Yuanzhou completes the words that Zhuo Yichen cannot make himself say.

"Yes," he admits, looking firmly at the table.

Laughter is probably the last reaction Zhuo Yichen expected, but Zhao Yuanzhou is laughing. "Ah, Xiao Zhuo, I have good news: there are many more ways to tell a person you like them besides kissing."

When the demon says it it sounds so simple, so obvious. Zhuo Yichen wonders why he hadn't thought of that, why the stories are so full of kissing if there are other ways to show love. Still, he feels the need to check: "You don't mind?"

"Mind? That I was given your first and last kiss? Why, Zhuo-daren I am honoured-oof," Zhuo Yichen punches him in the shoulder for that, but stays to wait while Zhao Yuanzhou gets them the wine he offered earlier. They've got much more to talk about.

It takes Kant less than five seconds, between a groggy Bison pushing him back down onto the bed and his skull nearly smacking against the headboard, for him to realize that he’s well and truly fucked. In a horrifying instant, all of his bravado, what little there was, is gone, leaving nothing behind but the hollow cavern in his chest where terror can take root. --- Or, a different take on the Kant/Bison scene from the end of episode three, sans the drugging, featuring: introspection, more angst than you can imagine, a sprinkle of trauma and (mostly) responsible, caring Bison.

---

A fic for this lovely fandom! Please, come indulge my traumatized Kant brain worms :)

THE PITT 1.14 "8:00 P.M."

Directed by Robert Eggers

Soooo…I’ve definitely seen some…unique opinions on MDL about episodes 8 & 9…

I’m genuinely unsure why everyone is so caught up on this perceived ‘cheating’. Both kissing scenes, especially Junmo’s, were expertly done. It’s super clear that these are two characters who are in impossible situations, and we can clearly see that Junmo is pressured into the situation. Honestly, it was a bit uncomfortable to watch.

I’m trying not to be frustrated by everyone who is either bashing on Junmo and his wife, or are completely missing any level of nuance this show is trying to offer…

Anyway, thought time over lol 😂

Hello!

Just curious, would anyone be interested if I wrote a fic about Uhtred being born a seer? Either a one shot or multi chapter sort of thing? Thoughts?

Still super new to tumblr:)

There’s a foreign blood pumping through his veins, calling out to him in the heavy silence, turning his once warm hands to ice. He wonders if the others can hear it, that harrowingly loud, screaming rush, that withholds sleep from him and chases his every waking moment; no amount of meditation could satiate it, that cloying weight that never ceased.

---

Or, Zhuo Yichen has trouble reconciling his past nature with his present.

---

Soooo.... I finally mustered up the time to finish this little fic!

Soooo…. let’s say, hypothetically, I was drafting a Nont/Prom fic… 👀

Anything y’all might want to see in it ? 🤌

The dynamic(s) of these two have completely rotted my brain, and now I need a fic to fill the void.

Thank you so so much!!!! ♥️♥️♥️

Many hugs to you!

The Price of Freedom||TLK One Shot

@echo-story​ thanks so much for the request! We can all always do with some Ragnarsson bro love <3 It kind of turned into a feels/angst-fest, but I hope you enjoy it!  

Fandom: The Last Kingdom/The Saxon Stories

Pairing: none

Words: 1060

—–

The Gods love chaos. Men created oaths to fight that chaos and men are ruled by their oaths. Though all who knew the old Gods knew oaths were just the attempts of men to manage that chaos -to break an oath was to invite chaos. At the foot of Yggdrasil, the Norns spun fate and they did not care for the oaths of men.

Uhtred had learned that lesson at a young age. His oath to Ragnar was one of revenge. They would kill Kjartan the man who had betrayed their father. He had sworn it. The Gods must have been laughing. Because the Gods see what men do not.

His oath. It was Alfred’s price for Ragnar’s freedom. Swear to Alfred, become his man, and protect Wessex from the incursion of the Danes. He had balked with indignation. The audacity of Alfred’s claim that Ragnar was to blame for Uhtred’s actions was astonishing.

“My actions are my own!” Uhtred argued.

“None the less, you killed a priest in a house of God…while in Ragnar’s custody.”

Keep reading