#can't ever be normal about things so here you go

[mona-risms]

hear me out.. polytrix x reader where fem!reader doesn't know about the whole demon hunter thing and is still under the hypnosis from the saja boys and the girls try their hardest to snap her out of it. 🫦

◆ MAIN COURSE: poly!HUNTR/X x fem!Reader

◆ TYPE: SFW, romantic

◆ ALLERGEN WARNINGS: None

◆ NOTES: This might've SLIGHTLY teeny tinily missed the point but I hope you still like it!! I can't make a full-blown fic without getting paid bc I'm broke as hell and I'm lazy so the most you're getting is the usual hcs and snippets I fear 💔. But anyway I LOVELOVELOVE POLYTRIX 😩😩😩😩😩 I think they should all kiss together and kiss me too

This is the funniest shit ever and no one can tell me otherwise bc you've got three ninja popstars and one perfectly normal human being who just really really loves K-Pop. And you all LOVE each other????? #holyfcknairball no one would believe you until you show full proof that yes you do in fact kiss those celebrities on the mouth! Every day actually! Unless they're on tour but still! Yes you are a girls only poly couple! You couldn't be happier!

Unfortunately bc of the fact that you're normal, you won't even know that the hot new boy band, Saja Boys, are all drawing people in via brainwashing to sacrifice your souls to a Demon King named Gwi-Ma that looks like an oversized wildfire. Said people includes you I fear 💔💔. Imagine you were out coincidentally and you got to witness their debut performance and you were so drawn to them!! Why wouldn't you be??

They hear your voice before they see you—right there, right near the front row, right in front of them.

"What's she doing here?" Mira hissed, though despite her tone, the concern was glaringly obvious.

"I think she wanted to buy something? She said about baking," Zoey answered, her own concern matching up with Mira as she bounced on the balls of her feet in an attempt to both alleviate her sudden restlessness and to see you from the crowd. "But-- But what if they try to grab her? [Y/N]'s at a very grabbable distance! And the worst thing is I won't even blame them—she's really grabbable in general!"

Zoey doesn't even finish before Rumi's weaving through the crowd in an attempt to reach you, "Either way, no one is getting grabbed, least of all our girlfriend."

When Rumi does reach you, she taps your shoulder to gain your attention. Without fail, you turn around and smile widely in recognition, "Ru-- Ahem, babe! Did you see how good this new band was? They're called the Saja Boys!"

"Yeah. I heard."

Usually, you would've noticed her sudden deadpan, but you were buzzing too much under your skin from the sudden excitement of this new debut so you barrelled on, "Maybe you and them'll even collab one day! Wouldn't that be awesome?!"

"Yeah, awesome, now c'mon, we need to get out of the crowd," she effortlessly twines her fingers in yours, which you reciprocate happily as you follow her while still going on about the Saja Boys. But when she dares to look back at the boy band, she noticed the black-haired demon in disguise's eyes on you.. and then on her, as if he knew very well what was going on.

When you finally get out of the crowd, you rejoin your other two loves of your life with a cheek kiss for Mira and then a squealing hug with Zoey.

Mira doesn't hesitate to ask as you and the shortest HUNTR/X member basically wrapped yourselves on each other, "Are you okay? They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

"Yeah, like, did they ever, I dunno.. suck your soul out or something?" Zoey asked, and then quietly winced as Mira and Rumi both signalled not to say anything with exaggerated expressions and hand gestures behind you.

You giggled at the line of questioning, "What? No? My soul definitely felt like it ascended while watching them, though! You guys are funny."

While you and Zoey were busy clinging onto each other, Rumi pulled Mira in to whisper to her, "They know."

"Know what?"

"That we're linked together in some way? That she's a normal human? I don't know, but they know and I don't want to risk her to find out. Do you?"

And their gazes drift to you as you spoke animatedly with Zoey, equally rambling to you and matching your energy in turn—probably both invested in the situation and also well-aware of the much-needed secret debriefing.

And Mira shook her head with furrowed brows, "Absolutely not."

"Good."

Whenever the girls are all "DON'T FALL FOR THEM" you're so confused bc like. Why?? What's up with them recently???? Ever since the Saja Boys popped up, they've been so weirdly pressed about them every time you brought them up. Like, sure, rivalry's one thing, but you've seen them with rivalries before!!!!! It's not like the Saja Boys have like killed people or smth lmfao it's okay the world's not gonna end if you stan them too (cue the scene with them and Bobby looking at the same city and seeing Two Completely Different Views)

Every time you're ever with them one way or another and the Saja Boys are around/involved they are LOCKING THE FUCK IN. Constantly trying to redirect your attention and theirs like "Do Not Look At Her" and if you ever get too close they'll be all "back the FUCK up actually". And whenever thry try to pull all that hypnotising shit on you they are DRAGGING YOU AWAY and kissing you until you run out of air and forget what you were even thinking about like a min ago 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

They're so much more attentive towards you, and during the two weeks of the Saja Boys being there, you are NOT allowed to be without at LEAST one of them. Why?? Ohhhh yk cuz they just really really miss you, that's all!!!!! They did just come out of a world tour so like they wanna be with you for as much as possible ahahahaha definitely bc the boy band you're fawning over rn are actually demons that want to consume your soul!!! Especially yours!!!!!! Bc they know you're special to them all ahahahahaahahahahahahaahahhaa

Oh but it'd be devastating if Mira and Zoey saw you with the crowd after Rumi's breakdown. Not only Bobby was brainwashed, but so are you, mindlessly following the masses. And as much as they want you to fight it, to remember, they can't even blame you or find the strength; they failed, Rumi hid she was part-demon the entire time, it's over

You'd be one of the people closest to Gwi-Ma's flames on purpose I think—a twisted way for Jinu to make your sacrifice quick and painless. But when Rumi and then Zoey and Mira both clock it? Absolutely the fuck not dude Gwi-Ma just made them even fucking MADDER

At the end of it they know they'll definitely have to explain everything to you, considering. From the Saja boys to Rumi explaining herself properly ALLLLL the way to how they're Hunters and what they do. But at the very least you're not dead thank GOD

"You guys know I don't actually know how to feel right now, right? Finding out that my girlfriends have been constantly getting into near-death experiences as, like, idol ninjas with magic weapons isn't really for the faint of heart—let alone finding out demons and supernatural whatevers are real."

The four of you migrated to Rumi's bed after that whole ordeal at the Tower, tired and exhausted and in need of a good cuddle pile. Right now, you and Rumi were cuddled up against each other, her patterns casting a soft glow on your skin, while Mira was spooning you with her tall frame and Zoey clung onto Rumi like a koala.

The trio had the decency to wince a little, and Mira spoke first in defence, "To be fair, we did get trained for, like, years not to give anything away, including our Hunter profession."

"And I'm your girlfriend," you sighed as your hand traced the jagged glowing lines across Rumi's skin, "I thought we weren't going to hide anything. No wonder sometimes you lot disappear without any explanation—this whole time, you've been.. slaying demons?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

You hummed.. before putting your attention on Rumi, "And you. You really think we were going to love you any less because of what you're mixed with?"

"Um. Kinda?" Rumi looked to the side, averting your gazes, "It's-- I was raised to think that I should be ashamed of it, that I need to hide. It's--"

"Why you always have a separate green room?"

"Why you don't go into the batthouse with us?"

Rumi nodded, though not without a flush on her cheeks, "..yeah."

Your gaze softened as you lightly bit your lip before cupping her face for a short but tender kiss, "You think that's gonna really scare me—us—away? Mira and Zoey came back to you after the shock, and I sure as hell don't care if you were part-turtle or whatever--"

"Being part-turtle would be cool! ..Or super slow, depends--"

"My point being," you interrupted Zoey with an affectionate chuckle, "we love you because you're our Rumi. Not an idol, not a demon, just our Rumi—the one that overthinks, overworks and gets so into her head that we'd have to shut it for her. ..No more hiding, yeah?"

Rumi doesn't respond, not for a long while, and thre three of you are content in just laying there in silence, with her patterns casting a brighter yet softer glow on all of you. But eventually she buries her head in your chest, muffling her eventual answer, "..Mhm. Thank you."

Zoey's hold on Rumi tightened as she practically nuzzled into the latter's back, all while Mira reached over to hold Rumi's hand, now back to its human shape compared to the claws she had briefly before. No one else says anything, and that's perfectly fine for the four of you.

"..So I guess I'm retiring from stanning anyone but you guys."

"Obviously!" "Duh." "You are."

[madqueenalanna]

i saw someone on here say that jared harris as crozier does the best drunk acting they've ever seen and i've never really noticed that before but it's actually so true. media will depict "slightly tipsy" or "shitfaced" but you never see the actual alcoholic experience: you drink at such quantity and frequency that your tolerance is ridiculous, but that doesn't mean you're immune. a drunk, lifetime alcoholic will often seem quite normal, very normal to an outsider– not really slurring, stumbling, blacking out, or doing stupid bullshit. but there's always still a tell. it's almost like the uncanny valley, someone who seems 90% normal but somehow, indefinably "off". someone who can go about their life fairly normally, but there is still a wall there, some significant impediment to feeling and living in the same realm as everyone else. someone might look and act normal, but inhabit a different frame of reality than everyone else, and you can sort of sense that distance even if you can't identify it. and this does track w the book, when peglar tells bridgens that a sober crozier is experiencing the world wholly and fully for the first time in decades. it's a really subtle thing, but if you have personal experience– as an addict or someone who's been very close to an addict– it's incredibly poignant and true

[iluvsanrio444]

╭┈ • ┈ ୨୧ ┈ • ┈╮

chapter two plot ⋆˚࿔ : A continuation from chapter one. Either Romance had heard over Huntrix and Y/Ns discussion on their sealing theory or hasnt, staying in the closet as Y/N wanted him to.

word count -> 4,051

#angst #slight-fluff #slightly comedic #movies-plot #context based

ʚɞ A/N: Thank you so much for the amount of support in the first chapter, I’m so glad you lovelies enjoyed it! I really appreciate all the support from you guys, TYY :3! I suggest reading this along with the songs i’ve put on here as it’ll bring more of an immersive experience, ENJOOYY!!

╰┈•┈୨୧┈•┈╯

Ever since that moment, the tension rises in your stomach the more it is prolonged. You knew that the ajar door to your bedroom meant one thing — Romance. The pinky was quite literally hiding in your closet. Rumi, Mira and Zoey were goofing off, impersonating each Saja Boys predicting how they’ll react to this theory they brought up. You openly wanted to just sit down and watch the others go to their shenanigans just to forget — even just for a second.

How much did he hear?

What’s this bastard thinking?

Am I safe?

Should I just tell them?

Fuck, many things spiralled into your head which just aggravated you even more. Taking a deep breath and trying to ease your tensed-up muscles now. A little jump was earned by Mira when she stood up like a bolt to impersonate Romance about his predicted reaction. You felt your intestines churning, twisting, and coiling, burning up with how much you thought Romance heard. You clenched your fists on your lap, trying to cloud out the panic and gut-wrenching tension, but you couldn’t swallow or breathe.

“Ugh!” Mira dramatically placed a hand on her forehead whilst both her legs crossed together. “No… we can't trust these girls... I—I love being a demon, Jinu! I don't want my hair to go!” Then her arms went to hug herself, being all in a swirling motion, — is she high or something? “I wanna stay as a demon; no, no, no! I refuse with all my..fibre.” The last word being more girly than ever, Mira flipped her imaginary hair, randomly locking in to shoot up heart fingers the entire time. Sure, it was playful banter between each other; it earned Zoey and Rumi to start dying, trying to catch each other to not fall from the couch… It even made me waver a small smile. Even though you were enjoying your time with the trio, you hoped they did wrap things up. The growing sensation of chillis being shoved into your throat made you struggle to breathe at a normal pace. Continuous side glances to your bedroom door that was still opened ajar. It got to your head that you even gave up waiting, knowing these three can go all night if they wanted to.

A clap whilst standing up, now looking at the three ladies, “I’m feeling really tired now guys.. I’ll—“ Cutting you off, Mira put her hand up and just did a swaying motion, “Yeah, yeah, no worries, girl. Go to bed.”

“Mhm go bed, Y/N; you must be tired!” Zoey followed along with Mira.

The smile you once had on, half-heartedly with the three, weakened. Your lips faltered almost to a frown, but the corner of your lips refused to fall, keeping up a small grin. Not to something truer, something more bitter.

No one was looking up.

Not even Rumi.

So quick to dismiss her with no worries. You shot a glance at Rumi, searching for anything; a flicker of acknowledgement, a sliver of care, maybe even a shadow of guilt? To no surprise, her eyes were fixed on her members, lit with loyalty you used to believe you were part of, your… own sister.

Yeah.

Maybe this was the real reason why you forced yourself to accept your helper role. The one who waited in the wings. Always watching the performance that you were supposed to be on.  You used to think you were part of Huntrix, part of the stage... part of them — but lately, it felt more like you were just the silence between their lines.

“Goodnight..?” You vocalised yourself more, heavier than a scream. No one answered. Greeted by their backs as your ‘goodnight’. You stood still, caught in that hollow pause before solitude fully settles in. In that moment a thought gnawed its way through your chest: do you truly deserve this just because you weren't...hunter enough—or to put it simply,

not enough at all.

Returning your back to theirs, too oblivious to know that Rumi had looked twice at you. Watching you. God knew what she was acting oblivious to.

Your room was quiet; a click sound echoed through the cracks in the walls. Too still for how your heart was beating, losing its pace. All the forced composure you had upheld dropped, the slumped shoulders following along before you turned your head. You hoped for whatever God there was; yet again, he was still in the closet. Just as you left him as. Your bedroom was only lit in certain corners, giving a warm ambience that would soon feel like eyes on the both. Taking a step closer whilst observing your room, your eyes locked on a crumpled origami heart. Sardonic, right? But the smile tugging your lips quickly faltered as your eyes began to adjust to the dimly lit bedroom. He was out of the closet. Romance stood there leaning against the glass-panel door with his arms crossed, a shadow draping across his softened features. You could've sworn you stood there frozen just admiring this man— demons.. face. Something caught your attention, though; his usual playful bitchboy glint was nowhere to be found. His normal demeanour fell off the more you gazed at him. His lips were no more than a firm line, evident to his now downturned eyes, almost like it was waiting for a heartbreak, waiting for that cue. You weren’t stupid; you knew why he was like this, doting back to the opened ajar door the entire time.

“You heard us… didn’t you?” You cut to the chase, your tone monotone and flat, cracking halfwaythrough. Just a moment ago you sounded at peace, but now..? Just because— just because of this demon bullshit?

He didn't answer right away, only answering with his body language. A slight quick nod. His eyes wavering to the floor, then to you, then back to the floor. Look at me damn it, you thought.

Similar to him, your gaze too faded away from him; a growing distance between each other only tensed in that same moment. Turning your body away as your hands made their way to squeeze your arms, holding yourself together if you just clutched enough. “How much, Romance?”

“All of it.”

“Why didn’t you just staye—.”

“How was I supposed to know that would be the topic, Y/N?”

“If only you just listened.. just once—.”

“Y/N.”

Desperately you turned your body to him again, eyes now widened, eyebrows upturned slightly. You wanted to say more through but Romance cut you off before you could, gritting your teeth until a deepened, hollow sigh came out.

“The plan makes sense, you know?” His voice wasn't teasing nor liveful. It was flat and hollow, like he himself had no person of his own.

He shifted from the glass-panel door, taking slow footsteps just to be closer to you. As if he was yearning for a moment of comfort, seeing your face was enough. Though his jaw clenched when he saw it this time, it was evident this was rotting you away; the facade moments ago was just relief, living in that moment with no worries, killing yourself inside. Instantly he changed his approach to one motion, like going up to a wounded animal.

“Seal the Honmoon. Starve Gwi-Ma. End it for good.”

A swallow filled with its own stones started to clog your throat, “And what, Romance?” Taking only one step closer, “What happens if it doesn’t work? To the others, t..to you—.” The ending you couldn't even finish without becoming a crying, hiccuping mess. Quickly retreating yourself to talk longer than that.

Hanging pause.

“..I dont……know.”

Crack.

Your hands now trembling from the heightened emotions starting to take over, fogging yourself. Taking another step closer, finally seeing face to face, “Then why so calm about it, Romance?! Why’re you acting like this isn't on your life on a thread, Roma—!”

“Because it is Y/N!” He shouted suddenly, which caused you to jump back, but you stood your ground and went face to face with him yet again. “It’s always been!” His voice cracked under the weight of everything, how he had to stand there the entire time listening to everything. Listening to what the girls had in plan. Listening to how even as hunters, they saw how their flaws weren’t all there was to them.

“Since the day Gwi-Ma spat us out like weapons for some stupid boy band! Since the first soul he shoved down my throat—I’ve never had a choice!”

Crack.

Taking in the shaky breath, how his eyes now glassy were fully on you, melting further into his emotions he once forgot when turned into a demon. “So what if it doesn't work? I can finally have a choice; I get to choose how it ends for me… even if I have to go so far by your hands— at least it was mine Y/-“

“No, no, — no!” You cut him off, tears threatening to strike your cheeks. From the tension being released, your hands made their way to his loose yellow blouse, grabbing it by the collar. “Don’t you dare say it like that!” Tugging him forward to your height, “You don't get to throw your life away like it’s nothing just because someone else decided you were a pawn!” Your voice raw, terrified and palpitating just as his was. Taking this as a signal, your hands retreated to your sides, and you even took a step back. Trying to get your breathing regular as you just choked back cries, which made it far more than a struggle trying to compose yourself. “Y/N.. wait.” Romance took that forward step as you backed away from him. Almost instinctively, your hand shot up

“Don’t—just… don’t come any closer.”

Crack.

“Y/N please…”

“Do you just take me as a pushover?! Do you really think I can do that?” Your hands now wiped away the once threatened tears now tainting your cheeks, “Watch you fucking disapp— for fuck sakes—“ the tears kept rolling down, so you had to look up for a bit before looking at him again. All the curses are now just spiralling everywhere. “Watch you get pulled into that seal if their plan doesnt work and never come back?!” By now you were yelling just enough to not alert the trio who were still bickering in the living room. You didnt care if your voice cracked each time you talked longer and longer, not out of anger but pure fear, “What do you take me for Romance? Do you know what that will do to me?”

The churns started to work in his head; Romance looked like he had just gotten slapped for no reason. His shoulders dropped now; almost their noses could touch by just an inch, his expression softening. “Weren’t we just a one-time fling, Y/N?” His voice was quiet to a near whisper.

Your shoulders flinched since you realised the amount of exposure of your feelings to him.

“Wasn't this something we’d joke about constantly? Until it faded? You never said—.”

“Because I was scared, okay?!” Your breath hitched trying not to sob it out, “Because you weren’t supposed to mean anything. You were the enemy. You were supposed to be a demon I hated, not—” your mind shutted it down, and you forced yourself to shut up. Not everything. Not the only person who saw you in a crowd full of stars. Not the one who you always looked around for. Romance just stared at you, silently, yet everything seemed to signal to you that he already knew as if he’d been hoping to hear it but dreading it too. All the risks.

“I should hate you,” you whispered, softening the more you spoke. “I should.”

“But you don’t, Y/N.”

You shook your head, lowering your gaze from his. “No. I don't. That's why this plan.. Rumis plan..” Just then your body rejected all doubt; your trembling hands slowly went close to his jawline as your eyes followed the same direction. Not touching but close enough to be grateful you even got this close with him. “It can’t include you,” to a whisper filled with relentless pain, your eyes softening as it flickered left and right like it was trying to remember everything about him one last time, “It can’t, Romance.”

Immediately, Romance decided to give up the forces that urged him to stop himself just like you, his hand clasping the same hand next to his neck, placing it on his cheek. “What if it’s the only way? Everything has risks Y/N..”

“Then we’ll find another…” you snapped back, the desperation only growing, drilling into your head. “Who knows what can happen? We’ll find a better way i promi—.”

“Y/N—“

“No!” Pulling him away now, the same distance reoccurring as you backed away, “No,” you whispered, blinking through the tears trying to urge out. “I already know what it’s like to be invisible. To be standing behind everyone, unnoticed, unloved…”

“But with you, I didn’t feel like that. I can’t go back to being alone in a world where you were once real and then gone.” Now the tears came down; you didn't care to wipe them away, nor did you care if he saw this side of you. Your fists balled up so tightly that the tips of your fingers turned white and cold. “You made me feel like I was worth something,” the other hand placed on your chest as you choked out. “You looked at me like I wasn’t just someone’s shadow, and now you’re telling me you’re okay with vanishing? Even if it was just a mere risk, that mere risk can flip everything Romance.”

Romance stood there, staring like he was watching the world crumble beneath your feet infront of him — he was the one who pushed you that far, he knew. His lips parted slightly to say something, but nothing came out. The still silence surrounded the two. You couldn't help but not care anymore, just trying to compose yourself yet again from the highs in these emotions, wiping your tears whilst taking deep, hollow breaths. All romance could do was stare at you, shattered infront of him but carrying yourself back up. Fuck, he hated that. Every ounce of fear slammed at him like some wave he couldn't swim out of, only to be dragged the more he moved.

Crack.

For a moment he hated himself for not looking like his usual self; all the tease and bitch-boy attitude drained out of him. But then again — he never known what it meant to be loved like this let alone the thought of it. The reason why his name was Romance, the reason why he became a demon, the reason why Gwi-Ma managed to manipulate him into another of his pets. Yearning to be loved by someone. He finally got it yet in the worst case scenario. “God Y/N..” he whispered low enough that it could pass as a simple exhale, his voice now hoarse, “Why’d you have to say all of that…?” He ran his fingers through his pink hair now losing its heart shape, a bitter laugh clawed its way from his throat, quiet, and broken. “You’re making me scared now.”

“I was ready to disappear, Y/N, if it meant you could live in peac—“

“Please, stop.”

“Y/N..I thought I was ready..” his voice cracked yet again as he took a step forward to you, hoping you didn't back away moments ago. Fortunately, you didn't; you stood still just wanting to hear him. He was always teasing, frisky, funny and flirtatious, but now? This was the reality of him, the side he was afraid to show anyone, let alone when he was a human.

“But now you’ve gone and made it impossible,” he whispered. “Because now all I can think about is… what it’d feel like to hold your hand when this is over. To laugh about all of this, just once, without a knife in our backs or a plan hanging over us.” He took your hand again, the same hand that hesitated to go near his jawline, the same very hand that grabbed him by the collar, the same hand that you pulled him closer.

“Just you. Just me.”

“You made me want a future that I don’t know how to survive long enough to have.”

He pulled back slightly to catch every single corner of your face, admiring it like he always did before where your dumbass would scowl at him in response or a scoff, ‘That guy's so weird ugh..’ that small flashback made him smile a bit, seeing the same person underneath him tear stained cheeks, ice melting eyes, the raw emotions. You. Just you.

“So I’ll fight beside you, even with the risk… I’ll be right by your side Y/N.” He lowered himself to your height again but more lower than usual, placing your hand onto his cheek.

A breath.

The final crack in his tone.

“Because I don’t want to die anymore.”

In the midst of this moment, the constant back and forward arguing, you just wanted it to stay quiet for a bit. You didn't pull your hand away nor did he push you away, both contempt with just the feeling of desperation. Your breathing not staggering more than before, the other hand now cupping his face. Nothing came out of your mouth, nor did you even think of anything. Everything went black on your side. His eyes searched yours, not for answers, but for something to hold onto. Something real. Following your lead he also held the other hand, both your hands and his intertwined randomly together. He hesitated to speak first considering how you took account of his mouth, parting and closing slightly.

“What’s wrong?” You asked in a soften whisper, hearing laughter dying down in the living room.

“Tell me I mean something to you Y/N.” His eyes now sparked fear— but not any kind of normal panic, fear of rejection. “please, I need it..” He was crouching by now, on his knees looking up at you. Tears now trying to pressurise before letting loose. That explained the way he looked at you, how he opened up to his true self to you. Your eyes flickered between his gaze and something  signalled that he should stop, take it back before anything.

“I'm sorry that was stupid—.”

“I cant.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t tell you that Romance.”

Taking a deep quivering breath whilst looking up trying to seep the reforming tears from staining your cheeks any longer, “Because if I say it.. and… and this plan doesn’t work.” The more you spoke, the more your eyes softened, the more intimate and careful your touch was to him, your fingers wiping few tears that escaped from his eyes, “I—I don’t know how I’ll keep breathing if you go after I say it.”

Romance didn't react nor responded right away, his eyes staring up at you, your hand still on his, his still on yours. Everything was trembling at this point. He blinked once, slowly, the tears you previously wiped away just came back more worse. His lips quivered and parted obviously trying to get his words out before anything could be misunderstood, but his voice caught in the back of his throat. A small “agh” left his mouth instead, taking a few deep breathes he got back up from his knees now looking down at you, his hands still clasped on yours not letting you pull away even if it was just a second. You feared he misunderstood the entire perspective with your reply, just like anyone would. How you always went out of the way to understand both side on a more spiritual level, more enough that you fully believed that no one can really get to that same level. Even as a kid. Seeing how he got ready to respond, you closed your eyes expecting a response that was twisted, mistaken, filled of assumptions even the thought of it made you flinch a bit.

“Hey, hey look at me Y/N.” One of his hand that once clasped yours went to your jaw causing one of your hand to drop down to your side. His hand gently pulling your head back up, instinctively opening your eyes, however your gaze never met his, flickering constantly anywhere in your bedroom other than his face. “Please.” The one plead made you fold instantly after everything that had happened, it was only natural.

“I know now why you cant Y/N, dont beat yourself up for it.” He gave a breathless chuckle, one that held no humor, just bare. “Until the day you can say it, I'll stay by your side. Even with this theory Rumi planned out, alright?”

You blinked a few times, surprised that he actually understood what she tried to say. Not even twisting it to his narrative; rather, he made it to where it was together.

Knock.

Another knock?

“Y/N..?” It was Rumi.

Your eyes darted to the door back to him, pulling away from him and sniffing up your blocked nose wiping the tear strikes. “I’ll best leave, huh?” Romance tried to soften the mood still; even with Rumi at your door, a simple tap on your cheek before he went to your balcony and exited.

“Look, text me if anything happens.” You were silent and unresponsive, “Please.” You grabbed the origami of the heart, but there were two from before, giving him one back and keeping the other. That alone said enough to him.

Seeing him leave via your balcony, you placed the origami heart in your drawer before opening the door now. A sheepish Rumi. Normally you would greet her with a smile, but after everything, your eyes drooped and reddened to the point where Rumi mistakened it for lack of sleep. “Holy shit Y/N, I—I’ll make this quick, I promise!”

“Just hurry it up.”

“Are… are you and Romance like—“

For gods sake. Face palming yourself and even running your fingers through your already messed up hair, “Do you know what time it is Rumi?” You peeked your head through your door just to see Mira and Zoey doing their dumbass couch time, “Mira.. Zoey?!” They both cranked their heads to you, “Oops..” the two girls said in unison before slanting to their shared room.

“Look, Rumi.” Taking a long sigh and turning your head to her, “I’m tired; just cut to the chase.” Rumi straightened herself a bit, hesitating more than she thought she would in the first place. “Okay, okay,” she placed her hands up in surrender.

“I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you both Y/N, I noticed the way you were acting off and I heard some slight banging from your room. I was just coming to ask if you were okay… but.. I heard you. And his. Both your voices.” Relentless exhales made their way since your head was already fogged enough. Leaning against the doorframe with your arms now crossed, head tilted to the side. “So?”

“It scared me Y/N.”

“Since when did you care Rumi.”

“What?”

“Stop acting like you give a shit alright?!” You placed a hand on your forehead, trying to soothe the growing numbness in your head. “I'm sorry—I didn't mean to say that.. just listen okay?”

“Y/N—“

“Please just listen.”

The tone in your voice only grew more frustrated; it almost made you laugh seeing how she came up to ‘worry’ about you. Did she really think some simple half ass excuse would just turn your tables and act like it's fine yet again from back then? You were too tired and drained out mindlessly.

“I’ll tell you what happened tomorrow. You and Jinu, both. So just please... leave me alone.”

You didn't bother to hear her response knowing your ears picked up the faintest ‘what,’ before thudding the door shut. Locking it again with a faint clink. After that you made your way to your bed and practically flopped yourself face first onto it. Turning yourself side ways slightly whilst your gaze drifted to the drawer, where the last origami heart waited.

Still there.

Still intact.

But god, how it ached just to look at it.

[mayshifting]

That's so true. I'm just going to say more things about the different sentences you said because I want to and some people need to read this.

I.

So the first thing, methods are tools to HELP, not to MAKE you shift. People need to stop saying or IMPLYING you need one to shift. It happens more than people think, even if it's not directly said.

Also, people need to answer the people who ask "which methods..." that the methods are not needed. Shifters are thinking more about the methods than the shift itself.

II.

Caring about what people do in their own DRs is completely stupid. I don't care what people do or don't do in their drs (like you said, except if you kill or hurt people.) And everyone should be the same, because why care about other people's lives? They are not hurting anyone (at least I hope.) So let them live, bro.

II + VI

And judging people because they DON'T script out imperfections is the same as caring about what people do in their DRs and it's the dumbest thing ever. I think imperfections make it more normal, y'know? Yes, we can live in the perfect world everyone wants but, we also need imperfections/problems too.

I'm shifting to MHA, so if there's no problem, heroes don't exist.

Or for someone who shifts in Marvel or another DR which we NEED problems to live what we want to live.

Having a bit of action makes it more fun, more thrilling. So judging people because they don't script out thing, this is low.

If you want to shift to a perfect world without flaws to not have any problems DO IT. You're so right about that. But yeah, don't judge the one who don't.

III.

About Kill DRs, they are genuinely terrifying, because you don't kill here but you CAN kill in another reality? You're just a psychopath who wants to have the right to act on their urge without repercussions. If you can kill in another reality, you can do it here too, and this is not something you can debate on.

V.

I don't have much to say about this one because, yes, shifting is scientific. And like you said it got explained multiple times. For the people who think the opposite, I invite you to do your research, or ask at least someone who knows or has read the scientific evidence what the explanations are. (Don't ask me, I'm still waiting for the motivation to continue reading, I swear.)

Also, shifting has existed since forever. Experiences were made since 1983/and before. People in the past talked about it way before everything, but just they didn't use the term shift.

Because, no, shifting is not called shifting reality. People just started calling it that way. So don't stress if you don't say "I'm shifting." Or anything.

Here, for y'all.

VII.

The over-script or don't script at all. Again, minding other people's lives.

Who cares if they over-script or don't script? Is it going to kill you? To prevent you from shifting? No, so why judging about something so insignificant.

All you want is to force people to do what you think IS the right thing to do. But not everyone works the same

People prefer to over-script to be sure they have everything. And some don't script because it's not necessary and prefer doing other stuff than scripting. You can't just judge or force someone to think like you do or do what you do.

VIII.

The cheating problem, SO MANY people are fighting about this its crazy. For the shifter, you go to ANOTHER reality, even if you have another partner in here doesn't mean you're cheating because you're not dating the person you date here. So if you don't date this person, there's no cheating.

Of course, it's okay to question it. It important. But your feelings are different from one reality to another. And it's important to understand that.

For the PARTNER, please. You're jealous of a person who's not even in your reality.

I can understand why you guys feel like that, but you guys probably do the same or would do the same (if not a shifter.)

Your partner doesn't HAVE to date you in every reality. It doesn't mean they don't love you in this one, they do. But not in another one.

IX.

I have literally nothing to say, just that there's no original reality if we shift every everytime. We just shift in a reality very similar to the other that it's unnoticeable.

X.

This one is angering me. Yes. You. Can. It's nothing religious, it's scientific. There's nothing wrong about that.

If you want to shift but you're religious, go! It's not a sin at all. And if people say otherwise don't listen to them, religion and science are 2 different things. It's sad to see someone want to shift but doesn't do it because of the fear of it being a sin because x said it was.

No, it's not. A lot of religious people shift, so do I.

𝑆𝐻𝐼𝐹𝑇𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝑃𝑅𝑂𝑃𝐴𝐺𝐴𝑁𝐷𝐴 𝐼𝑀 𝑵𝑶𝑻 𝐹𝐴𝐿𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐹𝑂𝑅

i. “you have to use a method” sybau

ii. caring what other people do in their drs (idgaf unless you’re hurting people)

iii. kill drs

iv. “shifting isn’t scientific” there’s so many scientific explanations but ok

v. needing an s/o in every dr

vi. scripting out every imperfection (js a personal thing — i like flaws in my drs as it makes me enjoy the good even more)

vii. judging people who “over-script” or don’t script at all.

viii. thinking it’s cheating if your partner shifts for someone else … (get a grip)

ix. “original reality”

x. “you can’t be religious whilst also being a shifter”

[kithtaehyung]

Hi ryen! I was watching josh johnson and he was talking about the trend/“prank” where guys call their friends to wish them goodnight and i wondered how 3tan yoongi and bro would react if they did it to each other lol

…oh my god. oh, my god.

You [10:12pm]: come here for a sec

Idiot🙄 [10:12pm]: ???

Your brother walks into your room ten seconds later, wondering why the hell you’d text him in the middle of the night if you weren’t in serious need of help.

“Oh,” you puff out from your cotton abode. “I just didn’t wanna get up.”

“…Wow.” As he turns to leave, you shoot up and stop him,

“Wait! Real quick, you have to do this.”

“Do what.”

He goes to where you beckon him with a grin, sitting on the edge of your bed and looking at your phone. You show him a video of a prank you’ve seen making the rounds, and he immediately laughs in recognition,

“I’ve seen this, yeah. And it’s weird! Why would you just tell me goodnight outta nowhere? The fuck?”

“Y’all are the ones that are weird! It’s just a good night!”

“Nah. That is a red flag if I've ever seen one. Wait, you want me to do it? To who?”

You have someone in mind, but you’re definitely not gonna say his name out loud. “I dunno, you have like a thousand friends. Pick one.”

After a quick laugh, your brother comes to the conclusion on his own. “Nah, wait, it’s gotta be Yoongi. Hold on.”

Excellent. You agree. Perfect scenario.

You get your phone ready to record, already knowing your brother is gonna put on the most ridiculous show known to man, cheeks straining with repressed anticipation.

What’s Yoongi gonna say? How’s he gonna react? Is he even gonna pick up?

The phone rings once.

Then it goes quiet as it’s answered.

“Sup.”

Immediately, your brother folds his lips to keep from laughing, and you have to smack your own mouth shut with a hand. Talk about stage fright. He looks downright embarrassed.

“Hello?”

When your brother’s voice comes out a little forced, you throw your head back and feel a burn down your throat from containing your laughter. “H-hey, Yoong, what’s up.”

“Just finishing things up at the studio. You good?”

"Yeah, man. About to head to bed."

There's a jingle of keys on the line, and your fingers slide up to your eyes then back down again as you watch your normally confident sibling fight to keep himself together.

"...And?"

A high-pitched squeak eeks from your mouth before both you and your brother double over in painful, joyfully painful silent laughter. This is going exactly how you imagined it would, even up to the way your sibling cannot sit anymore and has to result to pacing.

"Nah, that was.. That was it," he strains out in a higher pitch, unable to look at your tear-dotted eyes. "Just wanted to say goodnight, you know? You know how it goes."

The elongated silence on the line is enough to send you straight into your pillowcase. You damn near forget you're recording this whole disaster of a call.

"...Is this a joke?"

Oh, god. Your shoulders hurt as you puff into silk, and you raise your head enough to see your brother's teeth as he laughs,

"What? No! I can't even wish my bro goodnight?"

"No."

"Ah, come on, say it back."

"Pass."

Your cheeks are pulled so taut you don't know when they'll snap back to their regular shape.

Forget perfect, this has crossed the line into priceless. Leave it to your brother to twist his timidness to a place of control in a snap. Now the ball is in Yoongi's hands and you can't wait to see what he does with it.

"Come on, Yoongi,” he chides in a whine, “I'm about to pass out, lemme hear it."

What you expect is for Yoongi to go radio silent again. Or refuse again. The ambient noise on the line is normal, as always.

So both you and your brother are completely thrown speechless when you hear a tender, quiet,

"Good night to you, too."

Oh, shit.

Oh, shit!

Your mouth agape mirrors your brother's stunned expression, and a second passes before both of you completely and utterly lose it.

"Holy shit!"

"What the fuck, Yoong?"

Your laughter must sound so crunchy over the phone, because your laughs combined are so damn loud in response, yours even more so because seeing your older sibling reduced to jelly is making you wheeze.

On the speaker, you can just hear the laughter in Yoongi's voice. And it makes you miss him terribly,

"Of course."

"Damn it, man! You gotta warn me before doing that."

"Don't play games you can't win."

When he throws his head back in laughter, you grin and watch your phone recording him. "I'll remember that."

"Is it just you two?"

"Yeah, she made me do it," your brother blurts, to which you yell in response,

"Wow, snitch!"

Another laugh on the line puffs out, and you let your own out again. This was everything you imagined and more.

When they have their own conversation, you stop your video and keep laughing to yourself, more than satisfied that you initiated the prank. Doesn’t matter that your sibling walks out of the room with even more laughter, closing your door with a soft click.

Yoongi took that like a champ.

You hope your brother will take your dirty little secret just as well.

....

Right.

-

-

3tan slices: mini scenarios inspired by reader asks! series: three tangerines

[thevoidstaredback]

Part 8

There is exactly one good thing about Gotham City, New Jersey, and that his the sheer amount of miasma in the air. When condensed into a liquid-like form, miasma looks to be glowing green. The LoA called it Lazarus Waters, the Doctors Fenton called it Ectoplasm. No matter it's name, though, it's all the same stuff.

Normally, miasma can't be detected unless someone is specifically trained to detect it. Sometimes, though, the stuff gets so full of emotions and intents that it becomes heavy and pools together.

The League of Assassins are terrifying because they found a pool filled to the brim with so much magical intent that they can bring back their dead soldiers. However, the dead are meant to stay dead, and revival takes a lot of magic, so the miasma takes as it gives. It gives life and it takes souls, leaving only the worst. It's not an unrecoverable process, but it is a very long and tedious one.

The Doctors Fenton are more than terrifying because they found a way to imprint miasma with magic without one being completely absorbed into the other. It's an ugly and awesome amalgamation of magic and science, condensing enough miasma into one place, shocking it full of electricity and magic and intent, and opening a portal into a world not meant to be accessed by anyone or thing. A two-way door where there should have only ever been a wall.

All this is to say that Danny has plenty of experience with the stuff. Miasma is the stuff the the Infinite Realms are made of. It powers Spirits and Ghosts and Neverborns. A high enough concentration, like in Gotham, is like drinking four DynaPeps in one go without dying or other medical issues.

Gotham has so much miasma in it's air and water that Danny is honestly surprised that the G.I.W and their stupid trackers didn't clock the city well before they did Amity Park. He was also sure that him being here was passively cleaning it up, at least enough the the air should no longer have a green tint by the time he's finally allowed to leave.

All in all, keeping himself and Jason both intangible and invisible took almost no energy. Like taking a cup of water from the Pacific Ocean.

"At least they were nice enough to put us in the Penitentiary instead of Intensive Treatment." Jason said.

Danny looked at him even though neither could see each other. "You mean the place where all your Rogues waltz out of weekly?"

Jason huffed lightly. "They aren't my Rogues. They're B's Rogues."

"You wear a bat, though?"

"Same reason my name's Red Hood."

He nodded. "Got it."

"Do you?"

"Unless you wanna talk about it?"

"Not in a million years, weather boy."

Danny smirked and reached up to ruffle his hair. "You're learning, kid!"

"Stop that!" Jason smacked his arm away. "You're annoying."

"I get that a lot," he grinned.

The Penitentiary of Arkham Island was all high ceilings and narrow hallways. The ceilings were at least twenty feet up, painted with peeling white paint and stained with years of water and explosion damage. The walls were all made out of the same glass as their cells, letting them see into the many unlit, unoccupied cells lining the hallway. Every ten or so cells was a cement archway that was only about ten feet tall, the space above it being pure cement that had probably been white, once upon a time, but was now a sickly yellow color. The floor was the same smooth cement as the cells, though it was dark and only slightly warmer to touch than in the cells they'd woken up in. Hanging from each archway was a amber light, the white LEDs in the rest of the hallways had probably burned out a while ago.

"It's disgusting in here," Danny said, "No wonder this place is a damn prison."

Jason didn't say anything for a long moment. "It wasn't built to be a prison."

"Then someone must've changed the floor plan-"

"It was supposed to only house whoever the courts decided were criminally insane. They were supposed to be brought here to get better."

"Secluded from the rest of the world?"

"Yeah."

Danny hummed. "I can see the reasoning, but it obviously didn't work out. When'd this building get added on?"

Jason paused. Then, "Arkham Mansion was build just after The Joker showed his ugly face. When he was first brought in, the GCPD didn't have a place that could hold him, so they thought, 'Why not stick him on an out-of-the-way island. That way, he's only slightly our responsibility?' And then Uncle Harvey became Two-Face and got sent there, too. After that, the GCPD just kept sending criminals here. They never got better."

They let the unsettling quiet of the Penitentiary wash over them for a few minutes. They didn't really have audible footsteps, but Danny could hear Jason's breathing. He let himself breath just to prove that Jason wasn't alone.

Something told him that Jason had personal experience with this place.

Maybe exploring could wait a while. At least until he's alone.

"Do you wanna blow this popsicle stand?" he asked.

Jason scoffed. "And miss out on exploring this shit hole? No thanks."

"Hm. If you're sure."

They kept walking.

Eventually, they made it to the courtyard. The overgrown grass and weeds were all dead, dryer than sand even with the perpetual rainstorm over the island. There wasn't a fence, but the water damaged brick walls on all sides made it hard not to feel claustrophobic.

The back wall had four sliding glass doors spread evenly along it, two windows between each. The Northern and Southern most walls each only had a single double glass door, leading into different hallways than the one they came out of. The last set of double doors was flanked by crumbling planters.

They chose the last door and found themselves in a lobby. The floor was green granite, stained with what's probably blood and several other things. The chandelier had long since crashed to the ground, shattering it's lights and the chairs that had the misfortune of being under it. The doors leading to the rest of the Penitentiary were barely hanging on by a hinge each, and the furniture had been torn apart by the humans and animals that were stuck on the island. The entryway had probably been grand when it'd been first built, but it now left a lot to be desired, even if the ornate oak doors were still fully functional.

"I take it you've never been in the Penitentiary," Danny said.

"No," Jason said. He didn't elaborate. Danny didn't ask.

Outside was just as dreary as the courtyard, if not more so. The air was tinted greener than Gotham Proper and Danny had to fight a physical reaction at the sudden influx of energy he got just by opening the door. He wasn't gonna need a power boost for a long time.

"You good?" Jason asked, "You're vibrating.

Danny nodded. "It's a Ghost thing. I'm surprised you don't feel it."

"Feel what?"

"You seen the green?"

Jason stiffened. "The green?" His voice was quiet, tense.

Danny nodded. "The green in the air." He pointed to the gravel driveway. "That's supposed to be grayscale, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do you seen the green tint to it?"

Jason was quiet for a moment. Then, he exhaled heavily. "You can see it, too?"

He blinked. "Yeah..?"

"This is normal?"

"I wouldn't say normal. But for a place like Gotham? Yeah, it's pretty normal."

"Oh, thank god," Jason sighed. Danny could practically hear the weight lifting off his shoulders. "No one else ever said anything about it! I thought- I thought..."

"Thought what?"

"That the Pit..."

"That the Pit was still effecting you?"

"...yeah."

Danny smiled sadly. "Something like the Pit isn't gonna go away. It'll stop effecting you after a while, but it gives and it takes and it leaves only the worst in someone."

"What do you mean?"

"Humanity has grown to think that anger is the worst emotion a person can feel and act on. So, because that belief is such a large part of your learning, the Pit left you with only your anger when it brought you back."

"The Pit Madness." A beat. Two. "I wasn't angry. I mean, I was, in the beginning, but then I was just...sad."

"Grief is what makes you human. Mourning what was taken from you is the beginning of recovery."

Jason hummed. "You seem to know a lot about this."

"A story for another time, man," he said, "Come on, I wanna check out the Medical Facility!"

Part 10

[vbluesss]

I gotta admit, I'm really surprised by how the dynamic between Rick and Morty has evolved throughout the show.

At first it was a super one-sided relationship, where Rick was the genius, totally in control, dragging his grandson into messed up situations without caring much about what happened to him (except for those rare moments when he actually did care), Morty on the other hand, was the "dumb" sidekick who didn't know anything an was constantly humiliated, not just in adventures but in his everyday life (I’ll never forget that memory where Rick pushes him down the stairs just to embarrass him in front of some girls).

What's interesting is that since then Morty started develop this deep resentment toward Rick, and unlike his mother and sister, he did not idealize him, he saw Rick for who he really is.

“I wanted you to have a normal life, that’s something you can’t have when Rick shows up.

Everything real turns fake. Everything right is wrong.

All you know is that you know nothing and he knows everything.

He’s not a villain, Summer, but he shouldn’t be your hero. He’s more like a demon, or a super fucked up god.”

Whe the purge episode came out, I thought that if things kept going this way, Morty might actually end up killing Rick someday. Not in the sense that he would become Evil Morty, it's just... He was clearly full of repressed rage.

"Fuck you Rick! I'll purge you too, you old rickety piece of crap. This has been a long time coming! I'm gonna rip your fucking guts out and smear them all over you face!"

Then the third season premiered and in the very first episode, Morty shot Rick with the intention of killing him! Scenes like these made me so invested in their dynamic, but especially in Morty's development. Sooo here's a little analysis about it!

In early seasons, Morty hated Rick. He totally wanted to kill him at some point, but ofc he wouldn't because:

He was kinda ashamed of this violent part of himself.

Rick is his granda, and if only because of the family bond, he still cares about him.

We're talkin' about Rick Sanchez, motherfucker, like Morty ever stood a chance (or at least that what Morty thought, since we now know that it is not impossible.)

Anyway, the point is Morty was seriously done with Rick's crap, but it's not like he had much choice. They're family, and on top of that, Morty did enjoy the adventures. So he just tolerated it.

Thing's went on like that for a while, Morty started standing up to Rick more and more, and often paid the price of Rick's ego (The Vat Of Acid is the best example) but they always had a strong bond, bla bla bla.

But let's not to forget how Rick constantly manipulated him. I still remember this lines:

"I just took over the family Morty- and if you tell your mom or your sister any of this I'll deny it, and they'll take my side because I'm a hero"

"You can die when I say so. I control you. I control the universe!"

Just adding to the whole "Rick is a god" thing. Morty is perfectly aware, better than anyone else in the family, that Rick is a bad person and had a lot of power over everyone. Up to this point he even handled abandonment quite well, Beth and Summer were the ones who seemed more affected by it.

Still, Morty admires Rick. He needs him. He wants to be around him. As Rick had his moments of real care and and saved Morty, not just for convenience, but genuine affection. Also they got along pretty well.

In "Rest and Ricklaxation" it's even said outright that Rick has an irrational attachment to Morty, and I'd say that Morty also has an irrational attachment to Rick! Because again, he knows who Rick really is. But after so many adventures and those tiny moments of kindness, he can't help but cling to him.

Over time, Morty got more of his own voice, going from being a simple sidekick to being a companion (but not totally equal), and for his part, Rick started to respect his grandson more too (even if the power dynamic hadn't totally shifted)

Then their relationship becomes straight-up codependent.

Let's not forget the crows! That episode wrecked Morty emotionally, and man, I get it! The whole thing about being replaced was nothing more than an empty threat, the crows a way to annoy him. Until it happened. Rick replaces him and dumps him. Then when Rick comes back it's not even for Morty, it's because the crows dumped him first. But Morty still chooses him. Why? because he has no one and nothing else.

Even when Morty has the chance to start a new life far away from Rick, he choose to stay. The truth is that chaos and adventures with Rick is all he's ever known. How do you walk away from the one thing you've built your identity around?

Then S6E2, "Rick: A Mort Well Lived" happens. Morty's most independent, self-aware part gets trapped in a video game... I always feel that like a loss, but I guess it was necessary in some kind of way????? Idk... Anyways, I really liked the direction they took with Morty's codependency and fear of abandonment. After Marta (Morty's fragment) choose to stay in the game, I feek like Morty become more dependent on Rick.

But it's not just Morty who changes, it's also Rick.

Before the crows leave him, he ends up learning a bit about empathy (I think that's what it was) and recognizes that what he and Morty have is toxic, blablabla. I won't expand on this because the analysis is focused on Morty, not Rick, but I want to emphasize the sentence he says in S6E10, "Ricktional Mortpoon's Rickmas Mortcation"

"You called me boring! I've become dog shit to you"

Rick realizes he's lost control over Morty, and acts like the victim because he feels like one. Their bond is more damaged than ever because there is no balance between them. Things were tense since before the crows, add to that the revelation that Morty is not Rick's original grandson, and the Prime oobsession. Things keep spiraling... Still, by the end of the episode Rick brings Morty into the Prime hunt.

Now that I've already mentioned Prime we can go back to Morty, because after they finally found him and Rick got his unsatisfactory revenge, Morty was left marked by Evil Morty words:

"What happens if Rick actually kills this guy? You ever think about that? Maybe he'll kill himself next."

Next episode we see that Rick stopped having adventures for a while to start drinking too much, clearly depressed after the events of the previous episode. Again, this shakes up his bond with Morty.

Past all this, we finally get to one of the best episodes! The first one that really focuses on Morty's psychology: S7E10, Fear no Mort.

(SIDE NOTE: Before that! Something super important happens earlier: His breakup with Planetina (S5E3). Remember what he said to Beth?

"My whole life I've never fit in anywhere. Everything I have to say is always met with an eye roll, as if the act of hearing what I have to say is some exhausting chore. Nobody in this family thinks I can say or do anything right. I've been all over the universe, meet hundreds of people, and Planetina's the only one I've ever meet that makes me feel like I belong."

In Morty's words (and as we have seen throughout the series) there's no one, not even his own family, who doesn't treat Morty like he's an idiot. Everyone just seems tired of dealing with him. Morty always noticed it, cause he's not dumb like people thinks he is. It's not until he feels he's finally formed a real, honest, loving and (in his eyes) healthy connection that he confronts, in this case, his mom for trying to break them up.

The part “Planetina's the only one I've ever met that makes me feel like I belong” reflects more than just teenage love. It's coming from someone who has been ignored, treated as annoying and irrelevant by his classmates, teachers, his family, and also, of course, Rick too.

Honestly, I think that after the breakup, Morty became even more emotionally vulnerable. Like, it made him cling to Rick even more because, as awful as Rick can be, he's still the only one who actually spends time with Morty, that listens to him (even if it's while complaining), and shown Morty that he matters to someone, even if it's just so Rick can use him.

When Morty breaks up with Planetina because she killed innocent people, his idealized, perfect vision of his girlfriend finally shatters. The problem isn't that Planetina killed people (Rick has already done that, even Morty killed before), the real issue is that there is no way to sustain this unrealistic vision Morty had for her anymore. She was supposed to be his safe space, something outside the caos. But after that, there's no way he can keep pretending she's who he thought she was.

This leaves a mark. And in the end, Morty goes to adventures with Rick as usual.

At this point, after so many adventures and failed relationships, Morty has internalized so much Rick's worldview. Since the pilot, Rick's been planting the idea that it should be just the two of them, going on adventures together forever and ever. Rick and Morty at 100 years, an emotional trap disguised as a fun promise of adventures from which Morty cannot escape, not only because circumstances have molded him to adapt Rick's vision of the world, love, his own worth and morality, but also because a big part of his identity revolves around Rick).

With all that said, we can finally talk about Fear No Mort!

First off, when they "come out" of the hole, Morty notices Rick staring into it looking genuinely sad, so he admits he's afraid of being responsible for his sadness.

"Hey Rick, you just looked real sad, which I’m afraid of. You know, of being responsible for your sadness.”

Then, once they're back to, Morty imagines basically an entire life with Rick by his side. At this point Morty can no longer project himself, even in his imagination, without him! And then it hits him: Rick was never really there in the first place. That's when Morty finally figures out what he's truly afraid of:

"I know what I'm afraid of! I'm afraid that you'd never say that [that he is irreplaceable] in real life. I'm afraid that if I jumped into a hole, you wouldn't even bother jumping in after me. You'd just stand there and watch. This entire thing has been about me! You're not even in the hole, are you?!"

THIS MOMENT. THIS IS THE EXACT MOMENT WHERE IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT MORTY IS EMOTIONALLY DEPENDENT ON RICK. His fear of rejection doesn't compare to his fear of meaning nothing to Rick, and the fact that his entire life now revolves around him.

The fear of relying on Rick.

So! Morty's no longer the same scared kid of early seasons who got dragged into adventures against his will, and slowly started resenting his grandpa to such extent that (in some moments) he thought about killing him. Not because he truly wanted to, deep down, but because the anger and frustration took over.

Now after everything that has been though (being replaced, literally losing the most rebellious part of himself, and suffering from a broken heart) Morty's now fully Rick Sanchez's grandson. Someone who enjoys adventures, no longer hesitate to kill people (his whole moral compass is another topic on its own), and who is totally unable to let go of his grandpa because is all he has, but also the only thing he wants too, since there's nothing better out there or on earth waiting for him.

Morty isn't trying to escape Rick anymore, he just wants to be loved by him.

The issue is that Morty reached a point where he needs Rick to feel like somebody. Right now he's emotionally dependent on Rick in an extreme way. It wasn't always like this, Morty used to care about him (or at least respect him), but he also kinda hated him. Thanks to all his arc and now that Rick's been slowly changing in recents seasons, Morty can live with this, even with his doubts and with the conscious fear that Rick doesn't love him or might leave him again, he's so hurt at this point that he'll take whatever Rick gives.

So yeah, we've gone from a Morty who was aware Rick was hurting him and still called him out, to one's who's fully resigned to this life.

(I bring back the scene where he had the opportunity to leave his life with Rick behind when Evil Morty offered him a way out of the Central Finite Curve. Rick admits that's the best option cause he has no plan, and we see the exact moment when Morty resigns and decides to stay with Rick, DESPITE what happened with the crows).

And you know why? Because Rick is changing too. Slowly, painfully, but it's happening. And Morty doesn't love Rick because he's good.

He loves him because that's the most he can expect from love.

To conclude:

Before, Morty had normal concerns. He wanted to go to school, be with Jessica (I miss her), and form a life like any other teeanger. Rick was something he tolerated because he was his grandpa, but clearly not the center of his life.

Now, that changed completely. He doesn't really have those desires anymore, now, what he wants is to go on adventure. He wants to keep exploring the universe with Rick, because its the only he has left and also, it's become the only thing he's truly passionate about. I'm not saying that he cannot fall in love again and be a regular teenager someday, but his priorities have shifted.

He genuinely enjoys those adventures, but specially enjoys being with Rick. He respects him, admires him, challenges him, understands him... and even with all the pain, he wants to stay by his side. For a 100 years.

Wow! this got way out of hand. It all started when I was like "Man, I miss when Morty used to stood up to Rick". Then the new episode dropped, and hey, turns out current Morty is confronting Rick again! I know they had arguments before, but that was mostly because their bond was super tense, almost broken. And in those fights, Rick always played the victim and Morty ended up feeling bad, like he was the one in the wrong. But now, in the first episode we get a clearly parallel between Morty and Evil Morty (that's a different topic I could go on about- I'll just say I think it perfectly shows why Morty would never become Evil Morty: because he loves Rick). And in the most recent one, beat the crap out of Rick for being an asshole, totally deserved.

Their behavior in this episode really made me think, it’s like Rick and Morty’s personalities are kinda... swapping places. Morty’s turning more into Rick (stronger, more assertive) and Rick’s becoming a bit more like Morty (more human, more vulnerable) But neither of them has stopped being who they are at the core.

Also, I gotta say, I love how their relationship is way more balanced now! Rick actually treats Morty with a bit more respect, and Morty’s pretty much on the same level as Rick when they go on adventures. They finally see each other as equals and treat each other like actual family (a super dysfunctional one, sure, but one that’s trying to get better). Honestly, it’s been a really nice shift. And that’s what surprises me the most.

I’ve been a fan since the beginning, and I NEVER thought they’d canonically turn their relationship into something this wholesome, because this show’s always been about tearing down traditional stuff: love, good vs evil, heroes, family, all that. But now? They’re actually giving us this slow redemption arc. Not just for Rick and Morty, but for the whole Smith family, piecing themselves back together from all the damage. Ooobviously Rick and Morty’s relationship isn’t perfect, but compared to how it all started? It’s honestly too wholesome sometimes. I used to think it’d stay toxic and abusive forever!

I just really hope that with Rick changing now, they don’t forget about Morty’s growth. Just because Rick’s evolving doesn’t mean Morty’s wounds magically disappeared. He faced his fears down in the hole, but that doesn’t mean he’s over them, he’s just living with the trauma now. (Even the line at the end of the new episode makes it super clear Morty’s still scared, or so I think.) But I'm sure they won't ignore it. We’re still seeing Rick fall into that self-pity mode, and Morty is aware of it.

I’m genuinely excited to see where they take things from here!!!

Anyway, there’s so much more I could’ve talked about, but it was 3 a.m., I was half-asleep and my body hurt all over, plus there are already tons of deep dives out there about their dynamic. What I wanted to do here was just focus on Morty’s evolution. That’s my little contribution! [:

[timeslipcamp]

thoughts on episode 18

boy howdy can i just say how nice it is to read this when it's coming out and not when i'm like. at work and actively in meetings lmao

anyways we made it!! the festival of stars is here!! i'm going to cry when i see lyca's little bun i can just feel it. live reading here we go!!

spoilers through ep 18

i'm screaming already everyone pray for my roommate who is asleep

UGH THE CARDS RIGHT WHEN I OPEN THE APP they're all so prettyyyyyy i love them oh it's just towa hi jin

rip bunny girl. i was so ready for a jumpscare there lmao

VAGASTROM CAMEO RIGHT OFF THE BAT hiiii alan. note to self: get the vagastrom kids to help build my ikea furniture. stop wait are you telling me alan just carries around chicken. in his pockets. for the cats. chicken??? just in. his pockets??? BE CAREFUL AROUND DARKWICK GOD ALL THE GHOULS KNOW NOT TO TRUST THEM UGHHHH alan i love you

oh wow i've been so busy rereading chapters i forgot we got diamonds for new ones lmao

BLACK MARKET CAT TREATS god i love this game

oh canceled last year you say? perhaps because of the clash or a murder mayhaps?? looks like they're going with the traditional 7/7 date, that's cool. SKY KING IS REAL?? PROTECTION? oh she's still got two months okay interesting good to know. so potentially two more inter house missions then before they switch it up for the plot.

YES GRILL THAT LITTLE BITCH MC GO GIRL exhausting every avenue my ass.

the vibe hahaha i bet he learned that from rui. PLEASE tell me lyca is going to say "oh, truth!" at some point too. LOVE that subaru is suspicious. get him on my investigation team!! "choose a weaver" bitch who else would towa EVER choose hahaha except haru subaru blushing!!!!

towa is so funny dude

lyca will you please just tell me about my scent :( is it the kyklos be honest

omg zenji hi!! i feel like that meme whenever i see him, he's so fun. god i'm typing too much already i gotta chill. THAT LITTLE PERSON lyca i love you so much. zenji's actually gonna make me cry and we're like five chapters in dude i can't do this

FENYANG okay had to pause the fun music to look that up. apparently it's not a sheep but a river valley region in china lol. earth spirits in game though!!! that live in burial jars, that's super cool. someone remind me to add that to my anomalies list later. towa's little giggle is so cute ugh. such a fantastic group of ghouls for this mission im so excited.

ZENJI YOUTUBE VIDEO LETS GO i love that hes the one who tells us these stories. this is such a fun way to do this. who do you think draws the pictures for him? THREE OUT OF TEN hahaha towa PLEASE

ooo a riddle, that's fun. towa saying another wish is crazy. i wonder how powerful the sky king is? is there a limit to the wishes he can grant? is it a monkey paw thing? oh okay got my answer right away lol. oblivion and immortality....interesting. she could wish for the memory of the kyklos to disappear into oblivion. YES lyca we are on the same page!!! god lyca is so smart THATS MY BOY

NEW TOWA NICKNAME LUPIN making a post RIGHT NOW so i do that tomorrow. i mean lupin obviously latin root lup--wolf. so. anyways! it's actually so funny that zenji can't clap and make sounds hahaha i love that. fun detail. towa and lyca are so funny this is so good. "i'm good at jumping over things" omg the fox is back lyca said its on SIGHT

sho in a track suit????? the sky king is blessing me already HELLOOOOOOO BABY!! he's worried about salmonella ilysm sho

AND RIGHT AFTER IS THE MAN BUN oh god okay okay okay okay okay okay okay i can be normal about this okay okay

everyone looks so good!!! ugh top tier outfit design as usual. hodge and podge!! my favs!!! i love that they fixed her outfit omg. this is so sweet dude. subaru saying "carefully worn" makes me feel like someone's gonna rip theirs lol. my money's on towa. oh i bet the lantern floating is going to look so pretty.

STUFF LMAO HAKU STOP oh my god zenji might accidentally get laid to rest?? hello???

"here chimi take my hand" dude where. your hand is INSIDE your sleeve. love you tho. oh nvm he did that on purpose hahaha. "today, the line between our world and other worlds like the spirit world becomes blurred in hotarubi." FASCINATING. wait students get spirited away?? lmaooo at least they come back weeks later?? this is so funny. no big deal. super chill.

sky king is a smash. i am not taking comments at this time.

towa and lyca not sitting is SO funny i love these dudes. "child of beast," lyca; "shade" subaru??; "miraculous one" towa; "cursed being" mc; HELLO?? SHADE?? unless he was referring to subaru but like. shade? hello? as in a spirit shade or a shady soul or WHAT? i mean i've seen some stories where shades are like, reflections of beings so maybe because of subaru's stigma? oh that's so interesting. super cool that his stigma didn't work on the scroll, love that. can't wait to see what these challenges are!!

HARU HEY BABE omg wait are they rainbow toffee apples??? the gay apples we get to level up?? no way hahaha. omg lyca paying for us ill cry rn. little robot gear dude??? how much you wanna bet gen or mio or whatever made that? clockwork anomaly is adorable and i love them. THEYRE FROM DIONYSIA!!! ITS MIOS LETS GOOOO

does towa not like it because it's mechanical? more points in my nature being theory basket. also instantly pacified by haru complimenting him. love them

oh i bet it's ultio that fucked up the dorm then lmao. no wonder it hasn't gotten fixed.

love that someone's sabotaging this though, that'll make it fun. ramen buddies!! hell YES they're hanging together!! detective reaching shinjo lyca PLEASE subaru using his stigma to find the winning ticket is SENDING ME. romeo is going to kill him hahaha ritsu is so funny dude. too bad he ditched his date for legal matters sorry ren :(

oh cool subaru's controlling his stigma more! love powers that are tied to emotional states. it makes sense then, that basically confirms why jin's is on the fritz. zenji's been so worried this whole episode stop that you're making ME worried.

close up on sho don't mind if i do! lyca is so excited omg look at him. i love this episode everyone is so cute. oh my god the heart attack i just had when i thought sho could see zenji hahaha my jaw DROPPED. sho being so confident we'll be around next year please ill CRY. im so obsessed with him. i keep thinking other ghouls are my favorite but then here he is still being AMAZING. ugh.

magpie building a bridge!! story reference!! wishes on bamboo!! aw towa wants to be a hero :') lyca wishing for nero ughhh. "i would never again make a wish upon something i can't see." uh oh zenji, demonic pact reference? oh elias makes the soda that's funny.

SUNS GONE CONFIRMATION FOR TOWA i love having obvious theories proven. boosts my ego. anyways i hope this place is a spirit road this is sick. is the voice repeating wishes or something? repeating her thoughts???

oh hey alan. HAHA WAIT HE TOLD SHO HE WAS LOST oh my god i love you alan never change. whats the vibe between alan and subaru why is it weird. ALLY?? DISSIDENTS HAHAHA i just choked on my snack. "i'll return the favor" oh i can't wait to see that come back around. bye alan love you. zenji calling him dashing is great, who wouldn't have a crush on alan?

WATERMELON EXORCISMS?

kaito and luca festival date!!! oh my god i am eating GOOD today!! omg luca and jiro being buddies mention, fav rarepair if imma be real. it's up there. THATS WHAT ROMI CALLS HIM oh no lyca is getting the bar boys nicknames for everyone this is so funny. "toadstool here!" kaito i love you dude

i love when they make subaru taller than the gen ed students. he's like 5' nothing in my head. damn lyca you're cool as hell. can we eat the watermelons after we exorcise them. asking for a friend. OH MY GOD WE CAN

is the sky king the cowherd do we need to find his weaver? why is my mans crying :(

SHAMEPLANT??? oh my god towa. power rangers!!! omg this is so funny.

SUBARU SNAPPING LETS GOOOO i just had goosebumps hoooly shit oh my god. dude the music going quiet too was CRAZY. oh my god. ohhh my god. towa's immediately like "yeah you should have said it louder actually. i recommend lightning." oh that mask sequence was so cool i watched it three times ngl

dude the way i just got so sad that the wish isn't getting granted even though i knew it wouldn't happen smh. give us the panel of towa and lyca hugging cowards. oh what was with the creepy music behind zenji at the end there? interesting.

i really feel like this episode could have benefitted from like, two more chapters at least to wrap everything up. still though, good story, and i'm super bummed we never found out why the sky king was crying. what did zenji mean about the original japanese?? literally gonna be scouring people's posts for that, i'll link it here when i find one.

ugh such a cute episode this was all so so so cute. good episode. VAGASTROM NEXT LETS GO BABY!! maybe we'll get some more lore. mc said two more months, so we'll see where in the time frame this next one is!! posts coming tomorrow on towa's nicknames for lyca and subaru and i'm sure i'll do a couple theory posts on the new info once i've slept

the most important part of this episode was lyca's bun thank you and goodnight it's almost 2 am hahaha

[timkontheunsure]

@jester-nonconforming while Millie and her family doesn't have institutional power, people like them have more power day to day to fuck people over.

And that's what I want Millie to come to terms with it.

(Even if it's very unlikely to come from Sallie May 🙂. Honestly happy to have misread that).

Millie's family owns a pretty large farm, with regular vacancies, incharge of hiring and firings.

Not one a single hellhound is employed there. Not a single hellhound is even at the festival, except Loona. So no body in this town is employing a hellhound here.

Then there's how Millie has the power to ruin Loona's day, and make her feel unwanted, in Loona's own family business.

Both Millie and Moxxie can do this anytime they want, and did till recently.

Institutional power can feel too all encompassing to really feel like there's a way to change it.

It's what bribes your government takes, it's weather or not banks will lone to you, it's if you have to wait 5 years for a yearly vaccination or not.

But the power people like Millie has is up close and personal.

It's hiring and firings for bullshit reasons like you're hair being unprofessional, it's the apartment suddenly being rented out the moment when you apply. It's bullying in work because of something you can't change about yourself.

Without even really thinking about it, Millie can and did make Loona feel unsafe, and unwanted; in the space that specifically designed for her.

Blitz wants to help his found family out with IMP, that the whole point of it.

But it's a family business, and that job was made so Loona would have a safe space; after the trauma of the foster system, and group home that's was just a pound.

Blitz can't do anything to make that system better, nor can Millie; or realistically even Stolas at the height of his power.

It would take Bee noticing and staying involved over the long term. Something she's very unlikely want to do.

I like Bee alot, but she about the high life and throwing a good party; more than she is about politics and institutional change. She's what you want, blowing off steam. Not what you need, systematic change.

And it's is important that Blitz calls all the Sins out on that. But that's big picture stuff that can take years to overcome.

Yer it's important that the top down hate is pointed out, cus unlike our world the people who set up this system are alive and around to yell at. And infinitely more likely to listen, in Bee and Ozzie's cases; than go full fascist if people ask for basic rights.

But it's also important we don't forget the day to day damage normal people like us can and do do to people with less privilege.

It's kinda important we look at what amount of power Stolas might have been able wield to change things.

Like he can break the law on who gets to use the grimoire, with a slap on the wrist. But he couldn't refuse a marriage, or not have a 'precautionary heir', being made easily replaceable.

He loved one imp and would have been killed by his wife for it, if Andy didn't want something.

If Stolas have really started to make changes, outside his own house*, would it really have been long before Paimon called in that's implied threat? (*I'm certain he could have done better for the people he employed with no kickback).

But Stella seemed pretty confident that the rest of the Goeita would side with her, because of Stolas' choice in lovers. If Via was younger she might have been right. No divorce, and she could kill him for the embarrassment factor. It does seem possible.

I'm also not trying to let Stolas off here either, because he neither had the will nor the inclination to make any changes when he did have power.

That something his only start to learn now. (phft he's a dumbass, but we love him).

None of the imps working for him ever got Sinsmas off, and the fecker could use them as a stress ball, or make their day worse by being a dunk idiot all shift.

Sure, he was willing to give Blitz a shot, and lend him the resources to start IMP. And that's also not nothing.

But if it was someone else he didn't know, hell no are they getting that book. Let alone a shady sweetheart no monye deal for sex work.

(Bee and Ozzie also wouldn't have spoken up for Blitz if they didn't already know him).

(No other imp is getting this treatment).

There's a mantra that was drilled in my head as a kid; 'it's not what you know it's who you know'. Me and sib's first jobs were gotten at 7, cus we needed the cash. These were through someone who knew our mum. (We were still expected to get good grades too lol).

But there's very few Blitzs. People both willing and able to take a shot on you; because they think you have talent. Like how Blitz does with Moxxie and Millie.

Or take you in just cus they see you need someone to do that.

It's more often going to come down to who you know, and that lead us back to a whole town refusing to hire hellhounds... And Millie being raised like that.

Odd thought, but does anyone else think Sallie May will be used to explode Millie's previous microaggressions to Loona?

when the show starts Millie is more likely to call Loona their business's hellhound, instead of her name.

Making Loona joint office property, like a stapler or the photocopier.

And when Millie heads home, with the rest of IMP, for the harvest moon festival; we see where she got this attitude. From her family.

Everyone else gets introduced by name; but Loona who's back to be described as property.

Which Blitz rightly backs Loona up when she calls this shit out. But he slightly misses the point saying Loona's his daughter.

She was asking to be seen as an individual, instead of resource owned by Blitz. Like a pet or a work animal. And Blitz bless him still ties her statues with these bigots to being his.

Sallie doesn't even mention Loona in the group of people who came to visit.

She mentioned Stolas, who wasn't even staying with in their home; when Loona was.

Millie seems to have started to come around to treating Loona better. Using her name, talking to her directly instead of past her. And even asking her nicely to do something, instead of demanding things like Millie did before.

Yep, it's the very bare minimum of starting to see the other person as a person. And if Millie's changes where pointing out now; it'd be Millie wanting a cookie for something she should have been doing all along.

But it is interesting that it's been left, when Stolas doing the same thing to Blitz has been called out. (Because both her and Stolas are trying to do better).

It feels like a way to have this address would be seeing her own sister pull the same crap she used to. Sallie is set to be in more episodes. (Pet theory is she's help out with Millie's maternity leave).

Loona didn't feel these people deserved to know her name, because she'd just be the hellhound to them anyway. It's not like any of them even asks.

I honestly can't see Sallie May not fucking this up and being very rude; with Millie having to think about her previous actions and apologise.

[deadhands69]

By a Thread part 3

Tomura Shigaraki x Witch Reader

fluff inspired by the prompt: "listening to the other's heartbeat" thanks for sending it anon, sorry this one took a while to update! I usually try to keep things relatively blank/fill in your own info for a lot of x reader but at some point that becomes really boring or difficult to write. in this case, the dog didn't have a name initially but after editing this, she does now because this part is pretty dog heavy and there are only so many times of saying "the dog" before it sounds less like an included character and more like some rando dog that you barely know and don't care about. so anyways, her name is Hazel like witch hazel! (both for the name + Tomura finds her soothing)

[previous] [series masterlist]

Spring has fully taken off, which means you've been here for weeks now.

The transition to moving in with Tomura went smoother than expected. Not only do you have your own bedroom with a door and everything, you now have fancier furniture than you know what to do with. 

Sure, you had a bed in your cottage but it was hard and rustically made, to put it nicely. It’s all you ever knew before this though, so you were used to it. This one is wool that you sink softly into. The sheets are soft and smooth against your skin. Every night, you’ve had dreams about sleeping in a cloud – which makes sense, you basically are.

Even Tomura’s chairs are nicer, plushy where yours weren't. It's taken you some time to get used to the luxuries, but Hazel has adapted fast – not wasting any time before cozying into her own small bed placed in your room. 

Of course, there is still so much you miss about your cottage. 

Your belongings. Your garden. The warmth of your small space. Particularly on windy nights like tonight when the old house holds a draft that can't be easily quelled. The window sashes shake against the force of the salty air coming off the ocean.

You’re happy to have somewhere safe to be though, in spite of it all. 

Living with another person has been less jarring than you expected as well. Neither of you are particularly intrusive – he mostly keeps to himself, leaving for solid days without warning, holing up in the study, and spending hours in his room doing...something. If you’re being honest, you’ve barely seen him since the two of you arrived here. 

Tonight you hear him. The sound of him scraping at something in his room turns to footsteps creaking on the old stairs. You peek your head out to make sure he’s okay. 

Tomura stands at the window, staring out. Absentmindedly, he pets the dog’s head when she rubs against his leg.

Things have felt different since you’ve arrived. Maybe it was always like this. You did only know him for one night before moving in and of that night, you spent most of it asleep. Still, there’s a certain tension in the air that you don’t recall from before. His gaze never quite meets your eyes but you catch him stealing glances when he doesn’t think you’re looking. It’s probably normal, all part of adjusting to having another person in your space.

“Night,” he mumbles before continuing up the stairs to his room. You go back to yours, staring out the window for a while. There's something else out there after sundown. It doesn't permeate into his yard, but you can feel it all around. There's a distinctly different, dark energy on everything. 

It almost feels like it’s getting stronger.

By the time you wake up, the wind has died into a gentle breeze – it’s time to get to work, you have a long day ahead of you. 

Even with the on and off rains, you’ve been busy rebuilding something close to a temporary replacement for your garden. While you don’t intend to stay here forever, you have no immediate plans for where you’ll go yet. Thus, it made sense to have a small patch here – at least for this year. Tomura was happy to let you use whatever space you’d like to and, while he never actually said it, his eyes lit up at the prospect of fresh fruits and vegetables. You wonder the last time he made himself an actual meal. From what you’ve seen, there’s been nothing but quick to heat grains in the house until you arrived. Even now, there’s not much more you can make with what limited supplies you have.

There’s a windowed area built onto the side of the house that makes the perfect greenhouse. It’s a bit overgrown and, like everything else here, in some state of disrepair, but you don’t mind. It’s still spring so there’s a bit of time left to get most seeds going. Beets, peas, and sunflower shoots are all spilling over the edges of their pots. Some have been transplanted already, you’re slowly moving what you can into the plots you dug up. Hazel came out and helped, but it’s unclear how much she understands of the situation and you think she may have just wanted an excuse to play in the dirt.

What you’ve been able to grow will have to do for now, considering that they’re the only seeds you had stuck drying between the pages of your grimoire. Soon you’ll also need to go into town for more seeds, you’re not sure when that will be safe though. Tomura knows you need the seeds, in addition to other necessities, and said he has an idea. That was the second day you were here. Neither of you have brought it up since then.

In the meantime, you’ll have to go back into the forest to forage. It’s the least you can do to repay him for allowing you to stay.

You’re not really sure what Tomura is doing this morning, but you’d like to take advantage of the nicer weather. The breeze is warmer than the past few days and the clouds look unassuming. While your magic has never been perfectly in tune with the weather, you have no concerns. It’s as good of a day as any for a walk. 

After feeding yourself and Hazel then tending to the new plants, you’re ready to go. In the few weeks you’ve spent in this house, you haven't seen a basket anywhere so you bring an extra piece of cloth to wrap what you gather for the return trip.

When you walked here before, you were exhausted. Sure, you remember some of your surroundings, but you didn’t get a close look at them.

Tomura’s house is the only one remaining in what used to be a small town by the looks of it. Outlines of the houses still remain. Neither you nor your dog move closer to investigate. You can see well enough from the road. Their blackened foundations are etched into the landscape by a powerful dark magic. It feels similar to what you saw Tomura use the night your cottage burned down, but more concentrated. Part of you wants to ask him about it, but given that he’s the only person you’ve seen out here, you could probably guess. It’s hard to wrap your head around it, this was done by the same person who so easily took you in when you were in need. He’s not someone you’d describe as warm or friendly, but the juxtaposition of his doings still feels incomprehensible. You can see why they call him the symbol of fear.

The darkness appears to stretch over the entire peninsula. By the time you’ve reached the end, you’ve almost gotten used to the vacant lots. The rolling grass hills feel out of nowhere. 

Up you go, following a faint path to the top of the ridgeline. Rather than going back out towards the town, you continue straight into the forest. The trees become less windswept, growing closer together. Soon you’re back in your element.

Recent rains, followed by the warmer weather brought up a huge crop of mushrooms. The faint orange clusters stand out against the detritus. You cut off what you can carry, stuffing them in your makeshift bag. A few bunches of fiddlehead ferns catch your eyes as well. You take some of the tender shoots that have yet to unfurl. The cloth wrapped around your shoulder fills easily as you collect. With any luck, this should last you a few days.

Following Hazel further into the forest, you come across a stream. The two of you stop for water before continuing further up the hill. Light shines brighter through the trees and the sound of water grows louder. In a few more turns, the stream widens beneath a waterfall. It’s not massive by any means, but still just as pretty. Water trickles down boulders between vivid green moss. Hazel jumps in immediately. You watch as she plays in the water, taking off your boots to do the same. 

There’s something about beautiful spaces that makes you forget time. Hours slip by faster and before you know it the sun is settling behind the trees much sooner than you expected. Warm light illuminates the stream as you follow it back down the hill towards the peninsula. It looks like a golden snake slithering its way down to the ocean. You turn as soon as the trees begin to thin, in search of the faint trail that led you here. 

The sunset fades to pink, then darkens quickly.

Too quickly. 

A sense of foreboding overwhelms you as you rush down the grass covered hill towards the house. Once more, you curse yourself for not knowing more protective spells. Summoning some small amount of energy from the surrounding plants, you cast a thin shield over yourself and Hazel. It’s not much but it will be better than nothing. You hope the feeling is all in your head.

By the time you reach the road, darkness surrounds you. It’s as if the air you breathe is closing in around you. Everything goes cold, you’re shivering as you rush as fast as you can. But fast isn’t fast enough. It feels like a dream when you’re trying to run and being held back. You feel the spell you cast being pulled off of you. Then, warm hands on your shoulders. 

Startled, you turn to find yourself face to face with Tomura. 

“Take Hazel and run,” he growls. 

“What about you?” he doesn’t respond, shoving past you.

Through the haze, you manage to follow your dog towards the house. Your legs move easier now, but you still feel yourself in the grasp of an entity you can’t quite place. Focusing on throwing one foot in front of the other, you make it to the end of the peninsula.

As soon as you stumble through the gate, the world expands. Goosebumps disappear from your skin as the temperature rises back to normal. Hazel stands nearby, panting while watching something outside the fence. She seems to have fared better than you in all of this, whatever it is didn’t seem to hold onto her the same as it did to you.

Just as you start to get worried, Tomura stumbles through the gate, slamming it shut behind him. You jump up to help him, noticing a slew of new cuts over his face and hands. The two of you make it a few steps with you supporting his weight before falling onto the grass.

His arms hang limply over you, holding you to his chest. His breathing is slow, shallow. You listen for his heartbeat. It beats wildly, calming over time as the two of you catch your breath. He begins to stir, allowing you to roll onto your back.

“What was that?” you gasp.

“Nothing you need to deal with,” he grumbles, “why did you leave here without me?”

Hazel has settled in on his other side, head resting on his shoulder.

“To find dinner,” you say, pulling the nearly forgotten bundle of food from your shoulder.

“Next time come find me, I’ll go with you. No one should go into that forest alone at night, especially not you.”

“Why me?” you ask, “I notice whatever it is didn’t go for Hazel in the same way.”

“You have magic.” He sighs, sleepily. “And as of now, you’re also tied to me. So he wants you more than before.”

“So, having a connection to you makes him more interested in me?” 

“Forget I said anything,” Tomura mumbles.

There are so many questions you have that would take days to answer, but you know you won’t get anything out of him tonight. Instead, you lay here staring up at the stars. Eventually, he breaks the silence.

“Do you think all of this would have happened anyways, without the potion?”

“Maybe,” you say. “I mean, it’s quite the coincidence that you just so happened to be passing by my cottage at the times you were. If it wasn’t the potion, something brought us together.”

“Like fate?” he asks.

“If you believe in that sort of thing.” All of your conversations with Tomura up to this point have led you to believe he's too practical to buy into such things.  

“The fact that we can have our destinies tied together by a potion implies that fate is real. And if fate is real, wasn’t I always destined to end up on your doorstep somehow?” He’s moved closer, pressing up onto his elbow to face you. Of course he would have some sensible reasoning but it's a surprise to you how much he seems to have thought into your intertwined lives. Initially, he shrugged it off like he didn't care. Maybe he feels more than he lets on. Suddenly, you're aware of the closeness between the two of you. 

“Hmm,” you say slowly, giving yourself time to think. You wish you had more experience with conversations like this. “I never thought of it that way.” 

“No? How do you see it then?” he presses. Not in a demanding way, more like he's insatiably curious. It's an interesting feeling, it's not that you've never spoken with people, you have, but no one has ever wanted your opinion on something. Not like this. 

“I don’t know, the future feels like some nebulous cloud of possibility. This just solidified a direction.”

“So you do believe in fate?” His eyes scream 'I'm right' but his smile remains playful. Something in you melts against your will, making it hard to find the right words. 

“In some way,” you contemplate, “I think there are still some choices within it. But I guess so. This was always an outcome.”

“Does that matter to you?” he asks, leaning in closer. You can feel him a short breath away. 

“Does fate matter?” you ask. 

“No, does it matter if it was a potion or not? You're the first person I've ever been close with and I'm assuming it's the same for you. Does it bother you that this is all from something you created?” a flash of genuine concern crosses his face before you open your mouth to answer. 

“No.” You state it definitively, bringing the curiosity back into his features. “No, it doesn't bother me. If we're going through our lives like this regardless, I'd rather not let anything cheapen it. This is how it is and we'll never know otherwise. Besides, we create everything in our lives. Some of us just have other means of making things happen.”

His eyes narrow at you as he smirks, “is that not what got you into this mess? If you weren't making love potions for half the town–” he drops it, realizing the last half of his sentence is less fun than he intended. “Uhm, speaking of the town,” he continues, more seriously. “I am still working on that.”

“How's that going? Unless you can transform us, I don't see how we won't stand out immediately in that crowd.”

“Don't worry,” he assures you, “I have it all figured out.”

[series masterlist] [bnha masterlist]

i picked the prompt for the next part (i saw it and really wanted to write it for this!), but still accepting prompts from the lists on the masterlist or any i've shared to continue the story after that

taglist: @kitkat13001 @kennys-partner @amira-44820 @its-evee16 @thesecond2demonking

@shigarakislaughter @dance-with-me-in-hell @minniessskii @vaval3ntin @ykyouluvme 

@dummi666 @lotus-flower420 @nonominchan @softnfuzzy @mysticalhills 

@reireitaka @crwavee @baby-pink-flowers @drlucichen @frieren-imposter

 @lou-the-naga-queen @multifandomidk @love-for-yoosung-kim  @xytraxpy @venom-barf 

@shiiigaraki @thetinas21 @spam-1

[cooking-with-hailstones]

Murderbot 1x08 commentary

Literally so much happened. What the actual fuck. Wow. I have so many feelings. I'm literally about to rewatch the episode and I'll write down my thoughts as I go (obv spoilers under the cut here.)

WOOHOO ANOTHER SANCTUARY MOON COLD OPEN

They are really hamming it up with this whole thing, with the Navbot being a Secunit stand in that Secunit will never ever admit its projecting onto. The whole thing about not trusting a reconditioned unit? The "machine" monologue?? "When you inducted me into this hideous religion called love, you took away the only human who has ever shown me kindness" - I wonder if we're going to get a callback to this scene and if it's going to fuck me the fuck up. Great job Dewanda Wise.

(Now, I am not 100% sold on this because we know Secunit likes escapism, buuut also we know Secunit is a very unreliable narrator, and perhaps its watching this entirely going "haha, wow, so wild and unrealistic. How do humans come up with all these crazy ideas?? Anyways I'm gonna rewatch this scene with the navbot for the 168th time. For no reason.")

Mensah jokingly calling secunit seccy did melt me a little bit SORRYyy

Ratthi, never change. (Except do change. Please. Secunit is going to be very sad if you don't develop slightly more of a sense of self preservation)

HELL YEAH It's Graycris namedrop time! We seem to be setting up the same conclusion as ASR, so this is gonna be fun!!

Murderbot's little snort is so endearing.

Gurathin: "this is how it started" about surgical painkillers? WOW.

GOD. This entire scene... going to be chewing on this for MONTHS.

A while ago I said that this show delights in doing double dutch with campy comedy and heart-wrenching drama. This scene is now the crux of my hypothesis (along with watching SM with Mensah, and singing at the GC secunit)

It's not an episode of murderbot if there's not a teensy bit of body horror! :D

What a day for every single person who enjoys murderathin bondage and feed exchanges (SOMEONE in that writers room has read Enemies, Closer)

"I didn't see it on Sanctuary moon. I saw it on MedCentreArgala" LMAO SCREAMING

Uh.

Uhmm

"Why can't you love me back" OKAY WHAT. SKARSGARD I LOVE YOU FOREVER FOR THE WAY YOU DELIVERED THAT I'M GOING TO CHEW ON THAT FOREVER. God Mensah's faaaace!!!! (also the visual of her dancing? looking generally beautiful? SO lovely)

"Did I just say something?" "NO YOU DIDN'T"

"One moment" OH SHIT OH FUCK OH SHIT OH DAMN!!

Gurathin crying while looking at the footage... I am... wow. Once again hats fucking off to Dastmalchian and Skarsgard.

Muderbot looks so fucking scared and hurt!!! "Don't. Don't!! DON'T!!!" HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE NORMAL AFTER THIS???

Desperately grasping at straws to explain everything. "It could have been an implanted memory, or, or someone... maybe there was a combat override module involved."

"Yes. Maybe." GOD. FUCK. IT REALLY BELIEVES THAT. IT IS SO FUCKING SCARED OF ITSELF

AMANDA JONES you are amazing. The music in this episode is superb.

I'm not gonna say anything more about this scene. I am going to rewatch it a bajillion times though. You should go watch it too.

Woohoo exposition about alien remnants, Graycris, the Company, etc. First time we get Mensah as planetary leader officially mentioned! Honestly, that was A LOT of exposition, and they did that very effectively. High five, writers!

"It is not! your pet!" Mensah!!! I fucking screamed!!! Thank you for saying it!!!

(A little thing I noticed later: after Mensah yells at him, the camera lingers on Ratthi looking at little forlorn and then while everyone's talking about GrayCris, Mensah walks over to him and lightly touches his arm in reassurance. Just a nice character building moment!)

Again, Amanda Jones. I love you, I am metaphorically kissing you. You're amazing.

Hmm, woweee murderbot, your favourite episodes of Sanctuary Moon all center around constructs and the nature of personhood?

. Which could mean nothing. Of course.

"I HAVE A PLAN!!"

...

"I have a... plan..?"

"Fuck"

Cue me, dying.

OVERALL:

I mean, I've rewatched all the murderbot episodes at least once, but this is the only one I've rewatched immediately upon finishing. This is so good, I am having so much fun and also legitimately moved. Alexander and David, you both made me tear up during The Scene. Fuck it. I'm gonna go watch it again right now!!!

OKAY and a few critiques:

I am legit unsure of how I feel about them making Sanctuary moon so... not escapist? Like I know they've been very intentionally using SM as some exposition for MB but this felt too on-the-nose. (Idk, because I also totally get it from a TV standpoint because scenes from this show is the only way to actually show the audience what Murderbot is feeling (it sure as hell won't share that itself). Also there's no point in doing all the work (and $$$ spent) that they've done for SM for it not to be advancing the plot. Okay I think I've talked myself out of this critique. CONCESSION GRANTED TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF DIFFERENT MEDIA)

The skill gap between different members of the cast continues to grow more and more apparent. I'M SORRY they are all doing their best but their bests are... different bests. MUCH LOVE TO ALL OF THEM I ENJOY THEM ALL But Alexander, David, Noma and Tamara are kind of blowing the throuple out of the water.

And another awkward Throuple scene. Okay. It was sweet and kinda funny, but feels very tonally out of place.

"The rogue secunit who betrayed its clients!" aight, writers, come on now. Don't make me retract my earlier high five. This just feels like you're trying to bait the tv audience and irritate the book audience.

[that-smallinjured-bowylamb]

Hiii!

I'm absolutely obsessed with the Creepy!Yuu thing and I'm absolutely ready to punt Yuu into the sun so I can swaddle reader in a fluffy blanket and plop my emotional support plushies and kitten with them istg-

But on another note, how do you thing the staff would act? Personally, I feel like Sam would IMMEDIATELY know something is off and would have at least a vague idea of what's happening because of the whole "friends on the other side" aspect he shares with Dr. facilier from Princess and the Frog. And I feel like Lucius would NOT like Yuu AT ALL, and Professor Trein might notice that. Crewel-sensei is very smart and pretty observant in my opinion, so I feel like he'd feel something was off as well.

ALSO! What about the Ramshackle ghosts? What role do THEY play in this situation?

-🐍 anon (if it's not taken? U can address me as any anon u like!)

Its been 40 years... 👴

Anyways YYAYAYAYY another ask!!! I was totally not waiting for these because these were actually one of my proudest work so far- even if i gave small crumbs and chunks of it!! I love love love you and the rest of my followers soooo much!!! Thank you for staying with me!!

Anyway, to your questions... [srry im half awake after writing a poem for an assignment wth]

Sam WOULD be the first to know. I mean, friends on the other side? Yes, ur defintely right!!! Actually, I'm still in the progress of Yuu's hcs, since no one is able [or atleast, hasn't] sent me or made any hcs for Yuu, so I'm doing it myself, I've made Yuu a bit too scarily smart... from my point of view. I've been watching true crime documantaries and honestly... I've actually based Yuu off with these doc videos on YouTube, mot literally of course!! Its like,,, the criminal [depends on which] is incredibly smart, and some cases weren't even solved yet and I've based Yuu of of the fact SOME missing or murder cases hasn't been active for years since it had long been since that incident happens,, until it happens again.

So, I've wanted to put Yuu on this pedestal where they struggle from Sam, to other students, emphasis on Sam btw. Yuu thinks he's annoying asf. Yuu might crash out from this guy.

And Sam has actually been helping reader, not openly of course. His 'friends' had warned him that humans in another world, perhaps might be dangerous than he might think... who knows? It hasn't been confirmed yet! But, Yuu's actions says otherwise...

The first time Sam saw Yuu and you, he knew there was something going on with that look in your eyes. It was empty, soulless, maybe? Your silence was deafening even when there were people speaking, the screams in your silence spoke about pretty much everything. So, he kept an eye out on Yuu. Never had he ever felt this strong sense of eerieness in the atmosphere prior to both the otherworlders arrival.

He wants to genuinely help you, even if it meant Yuu will spiral. But, he can't. Once Yuu comppetely spirals, what will they do? Unpredictability is an intriguing thing, but dangerous if used in a situation like this. Little imp, want something? Here, he'll give it to you, space and comfort if you will. Oh, can't reach that? His friends could help you. He shouldn't stare at you with pity, but he wants you to be 'back to normal' where your soul can freely roam, not as a spectator, but an individual as your own. Now, how does he get this situation solved...?- ah, wait-

What was that? Whatever could have had happened within the other first year imps?

Crewel would think that Yuu acts weirdly around you, suspecting that they had a crush on you (well... they do but not in a cute way-) until they start smelling your hair.

Uhm.. so uh- whatthefuack is wrong with crushing nowadays? Hmph. Well, looks like he needs to... fix something. Etiquette, he means.

Until it gets serious, Crewel does not like that.

Never stalk anyone, especially a crush. No matter how much you want to personally know them. But this- this. Its different. He knows this isn't normal. This shouldn't be.

He tried confronting Yuu, but they kept avoiding the question. Its annoying, suspension wont help either. They live with you, how is he supposed to prevent that? Unless... well, he can always offer you another place to sleep in, ah.

With this bastard of a person, nothing really escapes them. Whatever they had done, it will never be forgiven. Not on this world. It won't be overlooked. He assures you.

Just, hang in there, please.

Trein's cat, Lucius. This cat HATES Yuu. No, despises, Yuu. The cat literally chooses to go on readers lap but NEVER on Yuu, under any circumstances. And Trein is wary, too. For his beloved cat, had avoided a supposed admirable and heroic student? Yes, he too has suspicions on Yuu, he just doesn't want to assume.

But, his heart has this vague aching whenever he sees this child's eyes. The feeling of loss and numbness to everything, just following orders even if simple. Oh sweet dear child, what had that monster done to you?

And everytime he says 'you'. You get reminded of 'you' not you. Who...

Who are you?

Trein wants to help you find your identity again, or at least, bring back the ones they had stolen. But he can't do that, so instead he tries to make you spark an interest in something from his world, telling you small stories about himself, and even tutoring you on what you can't understand. Even if it meant it hurts seeing your hollow eyes spacing out. Please don't do whatever he thinks you might do. He wants to help you, save you, and keep you from feeling fear and the loss of purpose.

Vargas. He wouldn't know it at first, pretty sure like, around maybe,,, b4 after, whent eh incident in Scarabia ends and everyone is back to school. Vargas would see you slightly shaken from the events. And when I mean events, I mean the time where Jamil had locked both you and Yuu in the same room. Hah, it was mad terrifying. Imagine, being stuck in the same room with the person who stalks you, messeges you in the dead of night, giving you unwanted letters, killing your friend, kidnapping, and identity stealing, literally. From you. All while they claim in that same breath that they're doing this because they love you. Loving you in general, means loving what makes you, well, you.

What did they do to you exactly? Nothing too explicit. Just creepy staring at you, Grim? Oh, well he got fucking scared as well. The room was kindaa dark tbh. Its always been like that whenever Yuu is present. When Yuu is walking through the halls, it gets a bit heavier, a bit dimmer, and a bit off-putting for those who can see through the deception and lies. But after b7? That, but a hundred times worse than what I've described. So-

Just imagine a fucker staring at you with their face dark, and a literal grin ear to ear type. Do you know how scary that shit is especially when Yuu's eyes go dark whenever they look at you??? Nah, I'd pass out.

Vargas at least saw the dim light in Yuu's face, yours was completely blank, your soul is literally hiding. He notices it in a way where Yuu slips up and shows a bit of a creepy tendency they like keeping it a secret.

Those notes they wrote and forgot in the grass, under the tree shade, nice and cool.

Uhm... not so nice! Thats a description note, not a love letter. What the heck.

So he reports this to the teachers meeting. Imagine to his disgust and surprise when the other staffs had picked up this specific Yuu behavior they saw with their own eyes. Or some proof of it. How do they tell Crowley that one of his students actually need to get arrested and get expulsion for their behavior? But, then again..

Yuu could use this pitiful 'homeless and exploited' excuse for the entire news to hear about it and spread the next day, risking the headmage's reputation. And that, that scares the headmage. So he may have had to turn a blind-eye for it. And Vargas won't let it slide. He can't hurt students, he knows that. So he'll make sure Yuu gets to struggle a little more in this institution even when thats all in his authority can do.

♡.꒰ ⑅:†· ♡ ·†:⑅ ꒱.♡

Hmmm... now the ghosts you say? Lets say,, they are little shits to Yuu.

Like, I imagine them since they are ghosts, they're very limited on what they can do. So all they can do is slow Yuu down or get in the way while reader runs away or locks themselves in their room. Tbh the ghosts r like Grim, providing comfort BUT can at least be a little bih towards Yuu since, what are they going to do??? Kill the ghosts or smth???💔

If it gets any serious know that they'll always be with you in every step, uhm... even if you go backwards,,, bestie, you gotta talk to someone, look here, see! Your crush wants to talk to you- thats not your crush?? Huh... yeah, okay, sureeee😒

But seriously, they will help you with anything they can, to the best of their abilities.

[ray935sworld]

I wish I could believe you

Part 2: Talk to me, I know you best

CW: like in chapter 1, this story contains the subject cheating

Luca eyed the message he had just gotten.

It was a simple text. Actually, it wasn't supposed to be anything concerning. He shouldn’t think twice about it. But it felt like the tip of the iceberg of things that shouldn't be concerning, but actually where.

Bez: Sorry guys, can't make it to the trip. Some stuff came up.

That was all Bez had written to cancel on their travel trip.

Every once in a while, the Academy guys did the trip to the upcoming races together. Driving to the airport together, same flight, same row and then to the hotel.

It was a tradition from their Moto2/3 days.

It was mostly just some silly fun. They had to get rid of some thoughts and to ease up a little bit. And since they're all we're supposed to have some time on their hands in between the two race weekends, this weekend had seemed perfect.

And now Bez had cancelled, despite absolutely loving traveling together.

Luca knew he shouldn't think anything of it. But he did.

Bez had acted off from his usual self a little too often in the last weeks to not think about it.

He had left Mugello too abrupt. Left the ranch earlier than usual. He hadn't answered his text for a whole day. He knew maybe he shouldn't think about it too much.

But his gut feeling told him that he wasn't thinking enough about it. And after all, better safe than sorry. So he decided to just take his keys and make the quick drive over to Bed's house.

It wasn’t a long drive and he didn’t mind it.

He rang the doorbell and waited. He didn’t get an answer but he didn’t care. He stayed there, just waiting. He rang again. Nothing again.

He leaned back, eying the car still standing in the drive way. A short look at his watch told him, it wasn’t time for a walk with Rubik.

That wasn’t like him at all. Luca thought for a moment. It wasn’t like him to not answer. Normally he always answered.

So he took his phone out his pocket as he sat down on the stairs.

Luca: Dude, have you already heard the news????

He felt slightly back at tricking his friend but he feared he wouldn’t answer.

Bez: What?

Luca: I’m at your house

Bez: Stalker

Luca: Just open the door, dude. I know you’re here.

Bez: Am not

Luca: I’ll hit video call then?

He saw the dots. Bez was writing. Then he stopped. A few seconds later, he heard the door open behind him. He turned around and saw his friend standing there.

Luca only took one look to know that his gut feeling had been right. His friend looked recked. His hair was messy – messier than it had ever been when his hair was long. His facial hair was more dominant. The clothes he wore very visible worn out.

But what really broke Luca were his eyes. He had red rimmed eyes. Marco had been crying. And he hadn’t reached out. Not to anyone.

“What’s up?” he asked. His voice sounded broken with fake joy. Luca didn’t reply. Instead he just got up and hugged him.

No words were spoken.

Luca just hugged him, pulled him close and didn’t say a word. No expectations.

Marco was frozen at first. Taken aback but then he greedily took this moment. He gripped the fabric of his shirt and let his head fall down. He heard himself sniff. He felt tears in his eyes.

He didn’t want to cry. Not again. He didn’t want to burden his friends with it, risk a break with them. But suddenly being in the safety of his friends hug washed all that away.

He knew Luca inside and out. And so did Luca. He knew him inside out. So there was no need to try and hide. No need to lie.

So he just accepted being hugged and hold by his old friend while he cried some more.

“Come on, let’s get you back inside” he mumbled and slightly pushed him back inside.

“Fuck” Marco cursed, finally letting go of Luca. He tried brushing off his tears but the damp spot on his shirt was prove enough. “Shit I didn’t mean to cry anymore… especially not on your shirt. I can get you-”

“Fuck the shirt. Will you finally tell me what is going on?” he asked. He knew Marco well enough to know he was trying to downplay the situation, brush him off. But Luca wouldn’t let him.

“You have been acting off for weeks now! And now…” He watched Bez eyes turn away. He had looked at Luca and now he avoided his eyes. “Marco, please.” He said more softly. “I am your friend. You know I am not going to judge you, right? I just want to make sure you are safe.”

The younger just nodded. “Then please… Will you at least tell me what I can do? Because you can’t continue like this. I won’t let you”

By then Bez had sat down on his couch. He pulled his legs up, putting his head on his knees.

Luca sat next to him. He knew it wasn’t good when his friend curled up into himself like that. It meant something had happened. As soon as Luca sat down, Marco leaned in, his head now resting against Luca’s shoulder.

The Honda rider decided that this was better than nothing. He put his arm around him and let his friend just rest against him. If he somehow could offer him some comfort, he would.

“Luca…” he heard him mumble. “Mmh?” “Who would you believe more? Your boyfriend or your best friend since teenage days?”

“I… Would say my best friend. Why?”

“Remember that Pecco said he’s sleeping with Marc?” “Yeah. Why?”

Instead of answering, he reached for his phone. He started swiping and showed Luca a picture.

Almost immediately Luca’s jaw dropped.

The picture showed Bez, his hair long, a bright yellow shirt shining at the base of the picture. But it was a certain Spaniard – dressed in Gresini blue – who was kissing him that made Luca blink twice.

He stared at the picture, realizing it was from last year. He stared at the Bez in the picture. Clearly happy - Smiling bright – as he was kissed by Marc Marquez sitting on his lap.

Slowly Luca turned to Bez who had tears in his eyes again. He tried to understand what it meant. His mind was running but his thought refused to come to the obvious conclusion.

“Marc and I have been dating since last year” he heard Marc say.

“What? That- Oh. OH MY FUCKING HELL-“ he almost screamed as his mind added the pieces together like a puzzle.

Marco just shrugged, his face folded in sadness. “Yeah…” he said, shrugging.  

“Pecco is… Marc is cheating on you with – WITH PECCO?!” “Seems like it” he muttered. “WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND?!” “Yep…” he nodded, not really wanting to be reminded at what happened.

“I’ll cut his balls off” Luca mumbled. Bez chuckled, unsure who exactly he meant.

“But… Marc has denied it and now I don’t know who to believe” he tried to explain.

“Did you talk to Pecco?” he rushed to ask. “Told him about your relationship with Marc? Maybe he lied. Maybe he…” “But why would he? Why lie to all of us? We are… We’re his friends”

Luca didn’t know what to reply to that.

“You think Marc cheated?” he asked slowly. Bez looked at him, his eyes big and hurt. He looked a lot longer like a actually was.

“I don’t know what to believe. The only thing I know is that I want to hide and just… never think about it again” Bez admitted. “I can’t fucking look at any of them right now. I mean… Pecco…”

He sight and shook his head. “Rationally… I know it isn’t Pecco’s fault. He doesn’t know about it… But… I blame him. I know I shouldn’t but- I feel like I am going to punch him if I see him right now”

“I understand” Luca mumbled and wrapped Bez in a tight hug. “Does – Does that make me a bad friend?” a sob he had tried to push down interrupted him.

“No, gosh, no of course not” Luca said, hugging him even harder as before. “It makes you human.”

Bez just nodded.

As Wednesday evening rolled around, Bez had decided to just ban all his thought about what happened.

Marc on the other hand, didn’t. He was on a mission. And said mission included a certain Italian.

He lurked around, waiting for the perfect opportunity and as he spotted him, he pulled him into one of the dark alleys – one of those were no one was really looking into, the unnoticed corners.

He watched how the taller mans curl moved as he hold onto him. “Fuck, what is-?!” he heard the familiar voice say in surprise. Just to watch his brown eyes to go wide as soon as he saw him.

“Marc-“ As soon as he heard his name, he stepped closer. By now he stood with his chest against the younger man. But he was still looking straight at him. A smile dancing around his lips.

“What? No ‘amore mio’ for your Spanish lover? How disappointing. Or do you wanna reserve that to solely when you are fucking me?”

He watched his eyes twitch around. Maybe in discomfort, maybe in fear someone saw them. Right now he didn’t care.

“What? Come on, I thought you like it when I am desperate for you…” “Marc-“ “What?” he leaned in, their faces almost touching.

“Marc, what? Did the cat got your tongue or are you so used to being gagged you forgot how to speak?” he watched how he turned his head, not looking at the older man.

“I-“ “Yes…?” He put his fingers around his chin, turning his face to him. “Be my good little boy and tell to me, Bagnaia. I don’t like being lied to or do you wanna be punished?”

[gwinaesfer]

Thoughts on Dragon Age: Inquisition (and how they relate to my opinion of the Veilguard)

It occurred to me that I never finished this review JDIFSOAJDIOSA I'm a few months late but hey, better late than never. Some of you are aware and were excited for me to play Inquisition for the first time after playing Veilguard, sooo let me yap about it.

Important notes: I have only finished the main story, I don't think I'll play the DLCs but I'll explain this further on (in summary, I'm exhausted and the DLCs are long and hard).

This post is GIGANTIC, and also to respect people who don't like critial content I'm putting it under the cut. If you're skipping this, thanks for the company, I do want to chat more with people who have other perspectives so my ask box is open. Still, reminder that this is MY opinion on how things happened in MY experience, you are allowed to disagree with me.

Let's start on a lighter note, here's everything I absolutely adored about this game:

Straight to the top of the list, the soundtrack. What a work of art, pure emotion in song that takes you on this journey even harder than the game itself. The motifs that follow you throughout the story and remind you why you're there, that you have a world to save and people to care about, how the scores talk between each other. Just UGH, 1000000000000000000000000/10. Personal opinion it is better than VG's soundtrack, not an accident that one of my favorite musical moments of VG was the Inquisition theme building up in Blood of Arlathan.

The scenery. What a BEAUTIFUL game to look at, even with 2010's graphics and resolution, the game looks like a painting wherever you stop. Shoutout to the Dales and the Emerald Graves for making me tear up. I love both game's art style, I have nothing to complain or compare.

The companions*: It's impossible not to love all of them, building a friendship (or relationship) takes time and feels earned, I loved how realistic that felt. Yes some people disagreed with my choices and we didn't turn out friends in the end because of it, it's what happens in life and I actually liked having this sense that no, not everyone loves my Inquisitor for what she does. Romance will get its own topic but the friendships in this game, oh my god. Cassandra opening up and turning out to be really sweet and goofy, Leliana being emotional about everything that's going on, Josephine letting herself relax around you and no one else, literally every single one of the Iron Bull scenes, the Wicked Grace game. Goddamn I love these people. Also while at it, the character designs were on point, chef's kiss.

*Regarding personality, I will have a topic further on about the companion missions but it's in the bad section lmfao.

The romance. You guys saw me going through solavellan hell, and if that was an afterthought that they added later in development I can't IMAGINE what the other romances look like. It's tragic and it hurts but it fits the story so well, I do have an issue with it but I understand in this case that it was added later so it will be lacking. For me personally it was so odd and so sad seeing Solas being a normal person for once and realize that he is a person (Veilguard lays heavily on the mystic aspects of him). I think solavellan is an extraordinary match, I see why it's so popular, you all were absolutely right.

Speaking of her, the Inquisitor. WHAT a character. The responsibility of the world on one's shoulder and the yearning from being completely alone while surrounded by people. I played a Lavellan Inquisitor (duh) and it hits you just right just how hard her life is, someone who belonged to a culture that's completely separate from the rest of the world now having to face all of it, becoming a symbol of a faith she doesn't have. She was to be the Keeper of the entire clan, was taken from that path and lost it without ever being able to do anything about it. She's surrounded by people who don't understand or disregard her beliefs and still fights for all of them. When I played Veilguard I thought it was bullshit that she would leave the world behind and willingly go to the Fade, now that I know who she is I see why she needed to go. GodDAMN what a tragic character and so fun to explore in writing.

Not a Section, but what I'm gonna touch on this next topic isn't good or bad. This is neutral ground.

The Story. I have mixed feelings about the story of this game, mainly because playing it in its entirety was SO demanding, SO boring, that I could barely connect to the story at all. It felt badass in a way that I read about it and thought whoa, that's cool, but after I finished it, I felt like it could be more. Still, a protagonist that unwillingly becomes 1- a religious symbol (REGARDLESS of their faith), 2- a war general and 3- a KING/QUEEN of their own little nation was INSANE. Also loved how much culture there is on this game, Orlais looked so different from Ferelden and the rest of the world, all the bits of Dalish history we could read, talk about and even visit sacred grounds!!! I learned more about the Qunari by just chatting with Bull than playing Taash's quest in VG. Thedas looks so alive in this game, it's refreshing to see.

On another note, however. What made the story move and the conflits it brought didn't seem convincing enough for me. Corypheus is a good antagonist, sure, and his monologues were incredible. I still have no fucking idea where he came from, who he is (was?) and what led him to be there in the first place. If the game told me, I was too tired of it to listen. All I gathered was red lyrium bad, addiction worse, fake(?) archdemon big no no, I barely understood what Solas was doing there too, but only because I already knew about it before playing. If all of this is explained in Trespasser, then sorry, didn't have the patience to play it, but also, if the core of your story is explained in a DLC, that's also bad??????? Anyway, good anchor to go to the bad section of this post.

Most critical part of the post, everything I hated about this game (you're welcome to drop the reading right now XD thanks for the company if you do so, see you around <3)

Playability was my biggest issue with Inquisition. Right off the bat, the camera made it impossible for me to fare well in combat and just navigating the game in general, it took me a few tries to actually grasp it in the prologue (I walked around pressing the mouse keys to move the camera with it instead of A and D). I don't know how Inquisition was released, but it felt like a console game thrown into a PC platform without the necessary changes for it to run well for PC players. I didn't mind the ability bar (or whatever it's called), it took no time at all for me to get used to it, it was the camera that got me nauseous and didn't allow me to actually see the game. 3/10 because of how the companions will blast out their special abilities automatically instead of you having to select them (which saved my ass countless times)

I think it still counts as playability, but the quests came in second as my biggest issue, which is bad because it's.... the whole game. The main quests didn't feel very connected between each other for me because of the sheer amount of side quests available between them. I was completely drained halfway through it, I was SO bored, I was viciously following markers going "I wish I was playing literally anything else right now", I forced myself to finish this game and that shouldn't have happened. "But Gwin, you don't have to do the side quests!" True, and by not doing them I miss out on 90% of the lore in a game known for it's writing, I miss companion quests and opinions that could change my view on certain topics, and generally speaking the markers left on the map would piss me off.

I DID miss companion quests, I didn't finish Sera's and Vivienne's stories at all! I know where I went wrong with Vivienne, I refused to give her the wyvern heart because I didn't know what she was going to do with it, and I found absolutely no way of finding out later? It looked like I was completely locked out of her story (I understand the story reasons of it, the "you didn't trust me with this so fuck off" I guess, but no explanation whatsoever? No way of saying aye sorry I didn't give you this then but I want to now?). I have no idea what went wrong with Sera.

Some of the quests were also SO mundane and so... ??????. For instance why am I, the leader of a newly founded military force focused on saving the whole goddamn world, looking for a goat someone lost in the woods? Why am I looking for a wedding ring your daughter lost in the snow? Some of the early game quests made sense (looking for supplies for the refugees, finding medicine for that one woman, hell even looking for the golden halla had meaning), but the others...? In my opinion Veilguard made better choices in side quests, all of them did feel like they had stakes on the bigger problem at hand, you should help the compassion spirits because they were on the verge of turning/you will uncover an entire demon operation under Minrathous, you should look for the crows missing in Rivain because they were bringing suplies back to Treviso after the dragon attack, those missions helped the storytelling of how fucked up the world was then.

Another thing that Veilguard did WAY better and no one can argue about this, all the companions matter to the story at some point, and all of them show up in big missions where you would expect the whole team to be there. Inquisition had me facing an army of demons with 3 people. Out of TWELVE companions only about half of them were integral to the story. You can spend the entire game without talking to HALF the crew once and it doesn't change absolutely anything. Lelianna and Cassandra mattered because of the Divine, Varric mattered because he's directly tied to how the entire plot started and to Hawke, Cole sort of matters because he warned Haven about Corypheus and he's used in storytelling regarding Solas and spirits, and that's all that comes to mind right now.

It was a good game, it could've been great, even, it had everything to be, but I've said this before, I'll take an imperfect game with great playability over a perfect game that's insufferable to play. It does not push me away from loving this era of Dragon Age history though, it's just not something I'll revisit often.

Thank you for reading, I encourage you to give your opinion (respectfully, please, this is a conversation and not a debate), and I want to make more friends to talk about this.

[agentbootyreportingforduty]

h50 mains + tumblr text posts

[teh-nos]

u know what though... i don't think this facepalming is for the witnesses in the room, but i also don't think it's an "oh no, thor's so stupid" facepalm, i think it's a "why the fuck did i do that?" one. i don't think loki especially wants to invade jotunheim, he just thought it'd be a laugh to get thor to do it, but then oh shit thor is actually going to do that so now he needs to sabotage it somehow (telling the guard) but also:

"shit, i've fucked this up, haven't i?" it seemed like such a good idea two minutes ago. couldn't help himself. wouldn't it be funny if? but now they have to go to fucking jotunheim and he could so easily have just not done that. oops! facepalm time!