#the way he goes 'oh ho ho' in a really impressed way

[destinyisastar]

Can I request an alastor and reader, where the reader is the owner of the alastor's soul, because in the beginning the alastor hated having made that contract that made him sell his soul, but as time goes by the alastor falls in love with the reader, and if If you feel comfortable, he is also being turned into a yandere by the reader (this yandere part can be removed if you don't want it), so reader tired of Alastor's antics and maybe a little scared, she the reader had an idea to make Alastor unwillingly to help Charlie and his hotel project. Could you do what Alastor would be like in the beginning until his more romantic transformation, what kind of things could happen...I'm curious

Say your Mine

Alastor x Fem Overlord Reader

Summary: You are a powerful overlord who is rising to the top, until a new sinner starts to take over what's yours. Once a deal has been made your new pet has taken more than a fancy to you. How will you deal with him now?

More info!: I am sorry that this took so long!! I made Alastor a slight Yandere (he seems more like a pathetic man in love I think). Also, Readers power is similar to that of Chuuya's from bsd! I really liked this idea I hope you enjoy this anon! Thank you so much for requesting!! This is a long one so beware!

🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕

You beam with pride as you see sinners on the street run into the shadows to hide from you. Grinning widely at them as they curl up in fear, one even kneeling before you, begging at your feet.

 Making a name for yourself was surprisingly easy once you landed in hell. Of course, you had the little rough and tumble with a couple of overlords, but you always came out on top.  Deals upon deals fell into your palm. You never dealt with your soul, absolutely never, you were no fool. Unless of course you knew you would never lose in the first place. Your good friend (A friend? In hell? Surprisingly yes!) Zestial wanted to make a deal with you when you first met.

“You are making quite the name for yourself….”

“Impressed aren’t your Zestial?” You asked grinning.

Zestial chuckles, “Would you care for a deal, my dear?” He bends himself down to your level, “I never deal with anyone I know won’t make it worth my time….”

“Oh, Zestial… I would have to say ……. no!” You giggle, lightly nudging him away. “But I could offer my friendship to you instead!”

And that was that!

However now there was someone moving in on your territory… A newcomer who sinners called the Radio Demon… He was stealing your mojo, killing off overlords left and right broadcasting their screams on his little radio show how…. peculiar.

Now you were making your way to his station to either end his life or offer him a deal…

 oh, this will be fun….

🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕

 “Well, I didn’t expect such a visit from an individual of your nature here Oh-ho!” A shadow comes from the ground taking form of the new overlord, Alastor.

“I simply came here for a chat Mr. “Radio Demon”, You tilt your head slightly, “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” You say with a wide smile.

Ever the gentleman, the Radio Demon opens the door and leads you to his broadcasting room.

“I don’t suspect you came here for a friendly chat....” The demon says with a wild grin.

“How correct you are……”

Alastor summons his shadow creatures, and they begin their assault.

The little one pounces on you trying to scratch out your eyes, but you quickly throw it off making it splat into the wall. Another yanks your arm, opening its mouth yet the creature doesn’t get a chance to take a bite, as you rip its head off with your other hand.

Alastor summons his tentacles, wrapping them around you and slamming you into the wall.

“This is useless darling…. All your work will have been for nothing.” His eyes turning into radio dials. “You poor fool, you truly thought you could defeat me…”

“I’m the fool?”

“Yes! Are you becoming deaf my dear? Are you such a weakling that you lost your hearing already? You haven’t even left a scratch on me!” He laughs.

You laugh along with him. “Oh, Alastor…. You’re so pathetic…”

Alastor tilts his head to the side with a screech of static, “Pray tell how I am the pathetic one, when you are the one in corner?”

“Your so full of yourself!” You giggle.

Alastor feels the ground underneath him begin to shake, he looks down to see floor breaking apart. Hands come from the darkness beneath him making his tentacles release you. He tries to get away, but the hands grab him throwing him through the ceiling of his radio station all the way to hell’s red sky. Alastor falls to ground with painful loud static making the sinners on street run to safety.

You come out of the destroyed station wiping the dust off you as you make your way to the overlord on the ground.

“I’m the fool you said.” You kick Alastor in the stomach as he tries to stand up.

Alastor falls to the ground once more, his grin stretching higher.

You grab his hair to level himself with you as you stand, “My, my how pathetic you look right now Radio Demon!”

Alastor huffs, he summons his tentacles once more, but darkness beings to surround you forming a barrier cover you both completely, making his power somehow lessen.  

“Now, now I did indeed come for a chat! You just jumped to conclusions!” You let go of his hair with a push to the ground.

“I can see that you are as powerful as they say,” You let out an airy laugh, “Not as powerful as me though!”

Alastor lunges at you, a green aura surrounds him but he is quickly brought down by an unknown force.

“W̶͇̣̿̅ḥ̵̨͊͒ǎ̶̭̠̇t̷̝̦͘ ̸̖̀̽̋t̶̟͉̬̿͆̚ḣ̵̜̥̔é̷̢̙̩̔͋ ̷̨͈̥̆̍̅f̶̻͋̎ů̴͔̀c̵̟̔k̶̰̟͚̾ ̵̨̜̤̀̈́͗ä̴͙̲̩́r̸̹͉͙̓̾͋è̴̟̘ ̴̘͌̔̐y̵̬͙͌ö̴͎͖́u̵̗̩̎͜ ̸̝̼̬̾̄̚d̵͚̏̃o̸͕̞͔̚i̴͎̤̇̇n̶̻̯̊̅ḡ̷̐͜͝ ̶͇̘̓̀t̴͖͔̉̒͗ớ̸̢̥͊ ̵̣̊̈́͜͜͝m̵͎͔͛̾e̸̲̺͓̎!̸̜̰͎̔” He screeches out.

“I’m just making sure you know that I am more powerful than you…now what..should..I.. do..with…you? Hmmmm?”

Alastor snarls, he tries to claw your face, but his arms are forcefully pulled down.

“Let’s make a deal.”

“W̶̥̅h̴̨̟͝a̶̧͇̯͆t̸͈̦̬͠͠?̵̻̥͊͐̚”

“A deal! Hello!? Are you the one deaf now? Hmm?”

Alastor stares at you with a terrifying grin.

You raise your hand towards him, “We could forget this little mishap ever happened… I can help you on your little route on becoming the most powerful overlord hell has ever seen…. Of course, you would have to obey every single one of my commands, come to me at my every beck and call…… it’s just the cost of your soul...” This time you’re the one grinning at him.

“Come on now….” You release him from the force of your power, “Its only your soul…. Don’t you want more power than you can ever imagine…. Don’t be a fool Alastor…. Shake my hand.”

Alastor now on his knees, stares at you as you stand above him, he raises his hand, “Immense power….?”

“Exactly.”

He takes hold of your hand.

“A wise decision Alastor.”

🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕

Alastor despised you…. well, at first, he did.

In the beginning of your little partnership, you treated him like a dog… making him fetch little things for you… making him cook for you…it was humiliating.

The Radio Demon became nothing more than a maid.

He grits his teeth as he stirs the pot of jambalaya, you had specifically requested it, he turns to see you at the dining table staring at the window.

His heart starts to… flutter? Why did it do that?

You turn around to meet his gaze, “How’s it coming along, Al?” you smile at him.

“Its coming along rather nicely my dear!” He tells you as he turns back towards the pot, adding a bit of spice to it.

Alastor feels your eyes still on him, “Anything interesting happen today, Alastor?”

He grabs a bowl from the top shelf, tastes the jambalaya for a final time before pouring some into the bowl for you, “Oh just the usual darling, sinners falling at my feet, begging for forgiveness…I visited Rosie today as well.”

“And how was Rosie? I need to pay her a visit soon.” Alastor walks towards you placing the bowl in front of you.

“She’s doing well, she even gained new territory.” He stands by your side.

You grab a spoonful and put it in your mouth. “Oh, Alastor its delightful! Wonderful as usual!” You beam at him.

“Why of course it is, I made it! Ha-ha!” He begins to walk away when you grab his arm.

“Won’t you stay with me… you made the meal, stay please?”

Even though you treated him like a maid most of the time, you enjoyed his presence.

Alastor looked down at you, you with your soft smile, his own smile growing.

“I’d be glad too!” He grabs himself a bowl and sits beside you. “How was your day my dear?”

You continue to eat your meal, stopping to take a sip of your drink, “It was quite a good day, I managed to strike a deal with Carmilla, her mass weapon produce continues to grow, and I have a feeling that will be needing them soon.”

Alastor eats his meal, and it indeed is a wonderful meal (he made it! Of course, it’s delicious!). “Why do you think that?”

“Its mostly a gut feeling...”

The conversations flow easily.

It felt oddly domestic.

As you speak, Alastor feels a warm feeling pouring in his chest.  After all these years standing by your side following your orders, he thought he would hate you more, but you kept your part of the deal by giving him the power he desired. You never let anyone know that you owned his soul out of respect (was it respect? Maybe?), and he appreciated that. He appreciated the overlord who owned his soul.

He sees your hand on top of the table and reaches for it, its smaller compared to his.

You stop talking and look down at your hand to see Alastor’s slightly rubbing your hand.

“What are you doing?” You ask with a tilt of your head.

Alastor stays silent for a moment, “I….I enjoy spending time with you.” his radio voice is off.

It’s your turn to be silent. You remove your hand from his, “Thank you for the meal, Alastor.” You stand up from your seat, “Do you think you can clean up? I’m a bit tired from today I’m gonna head to bed early, again thank you.”

As you head to your room you feel Alastor’s gaze upon you.

🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕

Alastor has gotten close to you in the past days. A bit too close and personal. Lately all he’s been doing is trailing after you. Usually, he would go about his day and doesn’t come near you till you call him. You don’t mind that he dotes on you, but he doesn’t seem to be acting like his old self. The self that wanted you dead. You won’t lie, you enjoyed that part of him seeing as he wanted nothing more to be powerful.

“My dear, I believe this would look outstanding on you.” Alastor says as he points to a dress in a boutique window.

“Yes,” You say as you continue walking past the window, “It does seem pretty, but I do have enough clothing.” You turn around to face him not noticing an electrical static presence behind you.

“Why hello there Y/n! A hellish day we’re having today, aren’t we?” Vox says behind you.

Alastor’s grin tightens.

“Oh, hello Vox, I’m surprised your out on this side of hell.”

“I just felt like taking a walk around, I don’t think there’s any harm in that.” Vox leans down near your face.

“There’s always harm wherever you go.” You push his screen away.

Vox laughs, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Alastor stands behind you, a growing rumbling red feeling grows within him. Why are you chatting with that bumbling fool. He is nothing. He’s not worth your time. That’s right, you’re spending time with him today! Not Vox!

“Ha-ha-HA!” Alastor suddenly appears between you and vox. “Well, if I knew that such a garbage piece technology would appear I would have walked myself straight into the nearest hell pit!”

“Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t come here to chat with you! You old trash!” Vox sneers at Alastor.

“Is that the best you got, pal!?” he says with a static voice.

“I have plenty more where that came from, but I don’t want to waste anymore of my time with you!” Vox turns to you. “I’m sorry for that my dear,” He grabs your hand looking sincere, “I’d like to speak with you privately if I may.”

“What would we be speaking about?”

“Ah, I’d prefer if we spoke without prying eyes surrounding us.” He stands closer to you pushing Alastor away.

Alastor huffs.

“How about we have dinner together?”

Alastor’s static cut off. Dinner? Dinner with V̷̞̪̑̇o̴̭͘x̶̦̻͠ ? No. The answer will. Be. No.

“I don’t believe I have anything planned for this evening… I’ll take you up on that offer.” You smile at him.

No. Why did you say yes? WHY? Alastor feels his façade beginning to crack.

“Great! Does seven o’clock sound good to you?” Vox grins at you.

“Sure.”

Vox nods his head at you and zaps off into the nearest electrical wire.

Alastor stays silent.

“Why the long face Al?”

He shoots his head up giving you a grin, “Oh, nothing darling, I was just wonder why you would waste your time with such a pathetic piece of “tech”.”

“Vox’s technology is advancing from what I had in the past, I feel as I need to keep up with the future.” You look him in the eyes. “Don’t you think we should keep up with the times in order to succeed?”

“Don’t you think I’m enough for you?”

“What?”

“You don’t need that loon! I’m all the future that you need! We can work together, you and I!” He grabs both of your hands clasping them together, pulling you towards him, not caring that sinners are staring. “I’m all that you need.”

“Alastor,” You try to pull away from his grasp, but his hold tightens. “Let go now before I make you regret it.” Your tone turning more serious by the second.

He lets go but his hand traces yours, “You don’t need him… I treasure your presence that imbecile would only use you, my darling.” He cups your cheek, but you swat him away.

“Go back to your home Alastor. I’ll call you if I need you.” You stare at him one final time before walking away and Alastor disappears into the shadows.

🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕

You had just about enough of this.

As you were sitting across from Vox eating your dinner, he talked about the advancements he made in his security systems, the newest models of these so called “phones”, how he was hoping that with your help he could expand his business across the seven rings.

You were intrigued, not only would you acquire the knowledge of these new technologies, but you would be even stronger than you are now. Vox’s help would certainly make things far easier for you.

“What’s the catch?” You ask him before taking a sip of your drink.

“No catch at all, I would just like to form a partnership with you. I believe together we can strike fear into these worthless sinners. Our business together would make others tremble in fear.” He smiles genuinely at you.

“A business partnership?”

“If you’d like to call it that.”

You raised your hand towards him, “Deal.” You smile back at him.

As Vox was about to shake your hand a tentacle broke through the window grabbing him and slamming down to the streets of hell.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Vox yells.

“Y̶͈̋o̵̘̩͒̊u̷̼͋ ̴̬̼̎̓ḍ̵͋ä̷͕͍̎r̸̪̈́ę̸̡̊̅ ̷̤̹̄̽ṭ̵̥̂r̵̢̖͌y̵̙̎̾ ̴̘̄̒ț̴̡͝o̸͕͙̊̕ ̵͖̉̔ṱ̸̋a̴̪͚̓k̷̥̈́͒è̵͚͝ ̴͓͌̓w̸̦̒̈́h̴̫͕́ä̶̻͝t̵͕̙̓̚'̸̡̿s̵͚̾̇ ̸̣̻̔m̵̘̼͝i̶͈̮̽n̶̜̐̚e̸̠̲͊͝?̸̪̈́” Alastor’s demonic form takes shape, a booming static floods through the city.

“Of course, it’s you, you old fuck.” Vox gets up with a shake in his legs. “Taking what’s yours? Are you so old that you forgot that, that woman is a complete league above the rest of us? I can admit that. Can you?”

Alastor cracks his neck to the side. His shadow puppets forming around Vox, his tentacles racing towards him.

Vox takes a stance, his electrical waves were about to strike Alastor,

Until you came in between them, the gravitational pull from your power pulling them to the ground, the darkness taking hold of them till they calm down.

You walk over to Vox first, “I am deeply sorry for this, Vox,” You release him from your grasp, you can hear Alastor thrashing around behind you. “I would like to continue our conversation at a later time, before I make our deal, I need to deal with him first….” You tone becoming aggravated.

“HA!” He looks towards Alastor who is still on the ground, “ No fucking way are you acting like a fucking child HA!!” He cackles.

“Vox….”

Vox visibly shivers, he turns slowly towards you, “Yes…?”

“You may go home…. now.”

“Ah! Yes! Of course, Hahahaa! I’ll see you soon!” Vox teleports away.

You begin making your way to Alastor, tightening your hold on him, forming the dark barrier around you like when you first met.

“What the fuck were you think you stupid fucking fool?”

He begins to let out a static screech.

You release him from your grasp and instead tug on the chain that forms around his neck. “You disobeyed my orders, how FUCKING DARE YOU!” Your demonic form grows larger.

“How should I punish you? Hmm?”

Alastor tries to grab your hands, but you slap them away.

An idea pops into your head, and you release Alastor from your tight grip, but not yet letting go of his chain.

“Do you enjoy spending time with me Al?”

Alastor starts to breathe normally again and crawls towards you, “Yes… yes I do.”

“You don’t deserve to be by my side.”

His static begins to take over the barrier.

“You made me look like a fool… you say you cherish me, yet you had the audacity to do this.”  You grab his chin making him look upwards at you, “That won’t do at all….”

“I order you to be in a pit of darkness…. Only and only when I call upon you shall you return to my side and obey my orders.”

“W̵͔̲͒͑H̷̙̫̹͔͎̒͝Ą̷̟̜͋͒̊́͠ͅT̵̢̧̩̙̖̓͂̅?̵̡̛̥͖̈́̃̚”

“Ń̶͉̤̥̲̹̩̅̓̌̏̔̚͜Ỏ̷̢͕̑̑̉͝͝!̸͚͐̏͆”

A dark pit forms beneath him, Alastor tries to claw his way towards you.

“L̵̟̮̈́Ę̷̝̮͍̦́̍͘͘T̶̖͙̰̪̎̿͠ ̶̧̪̥̝̙͂̽̎M̶͖͍̿̌́̈͝Ẹ̷̜̯̐ ̷͈̟̳̖̮̏͋͘S̴̢͔̙̮̈́̔͒T̶̨̡͕̎A̵̝͔͈̾̓Y̸̙͖̌ ̸̨̥͈̀̀͂̌B̵̢͍̣̐̒̑̚͠Y̶̢͚̳̓ ̵͓͐̀́Ȳ̸̺͝O̷̮͈͝Ù̸͎̳̈̋R̵͙̝͉͋͂ ̴͎̝̱͗̂ͅŞ̷̩̂͊̔͛͝I̷̫̼̳̎̒͜͜Ḓ̸̍̄͝È̵̡͔͙̻͂̚”

Shadowy hands grab him and pull him down to the darkness and the pit closes.

🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕

It’s been seven years and you’ve been doing great. You were able to gain new territories and eliminate those pesky pathetic overlords that are of absolutely no help to you.

You sit in your living room watching the 666-news channel. Normally you wouldn’t partake in such wasteful time, but vox had gotten you a new television set that he said, “was to die for”.

And an upcoming guest on the news was Princess Charlie Morningstar. You rarely ever spoke to the Morningstar family, you only spoke to Lilith as you both had quite similar interests. You considered her a good friend though you haven’t seen her in quite a while, last you heard from her she said she was taking care of business.

Princess Morningstar spoke about a project she was developing, a hotel for sinners to be redeemed. How unusual. Sinners wanting to be redeemed? How laughable. This is hell, no one can be redeemed….. or can they? You were intrigued. After seeing how the princess became a laughingstock after her song, you decided you wanted to “help” her.

Of course you wouldn’t show your face there yourself, no, no, no. You would send someone over there to guide her.

With a snap of your fingers a dark pit opened up on the floor next to you and a red being was formed.

The radio demon was on his knees while you continued to watch the television, sipping your tea.

Without looking at him, “Alastor…. Stand.”

Alastor gets up, wipes the dust off his coat and stands by your side, silently watching with a crackle of static.

“My dear, I apologize for acting out of sorts the last time we spoke….” He bends himself lower. “Please forgive me….”

“Watch the television.”

Alastor focuses his gaze on the … tv…. disgusting.

He sees the Princess of Hell fighting the news reporter… what was that woman’s name again? Killer? Killeye? It doesn’t matter.

“What’s my purpose in watching this noisy picture box?”

“The Princess wants to make a hotel to redeem sinners…”

“What does that have to with me?”

“I want you to help her.”

Alastor’s static cuts off abruptly, “What?!”

“Help the Princess with her project, even you might find it interesting.”

“That’s absurd!”

You glare at him, “Do you dare question me?”

“Of course not my dear…..”

A chain is summoned around Alastor’s neck, and you move him towards you. “Haven’t you learned your lesson yet?”

Alastor grits his tightening smile. “I’ve spent years without you….  I don’t think I can bear to be without you any longer.” He grabs your hands that hold his chain. “Let me stay by your side…I won’t cause trouble for you again.”

“Weren’t you listening to me?” You pull his chain harder.

“You’re the one not listening to me.” He mutters.

You, in fact, pretend not to listen to him.

“Go to her hotel and help her, guide her.”

“Is that what you wish of me, my dear?”

You face him, “Yes that’s what I want you to do.”

Alastor huffs and grabs your hand, placing it on his cheek, rubbing his face slightly with it. “Let me stay…. Let me be yours….”

You indulge him for a minute, but you quickly stand up from your seat.

“Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

Alastor, who is still on his knees, looks upwards at you, arms wrap around your waist. He nuzzles his face on you, “Yes, I understand….. but I do have a request….”

“And what would that request be?”

“If I do this… can I be yours….?” His eyes forming radio dials, static rings in your ears.

You smile down at him, running your hand through his hair, playing with his ears. You then bend down lower to his level, nearing his lips but not quite touching them.

“You can be mine.”

🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕

Hi everyone! I know I haven't posted in a bit! Sorry!! I recently been getting to the persona series, the music goes hard! You should give Heartbeat Heartbreak a listen!

WordCount: 3619

destinyisastar 2024

[stlllle]

Requested by: @cutecat2005

Pairings: Gi-hun x gn!reader and Dae-ho x gn!reader

Genre: Comedy (I did my best ♡), romance, a little suggestive, fluffy, and a tiny bit of angst

Theme: A soft and sweet take on what it would be like if Gi-hun and Dae-ho were secretly in love with you (written separately, set before the games)

Author’s note: Hiii~ here’s your request ♡ I really hope you like it… I had so much fun writing it for you! Wishing you the coziest reading time~

P.S.: My requests are open if you’d like to send me something!

Main list:

Squid Game Masterlist

Headcanon: If Gi-hun Were in Love with You

[comedy, romance, suggestive, and lots of fluff]

The Situation:

You meet Gi-hun before the Games ever begin. He's going through a rough patch in life, a bit messy, but he has that goofy charm and a huge heart. Somehow, he starts falling for you without even realizing it.

First Impressions

Gi-hun first meets you at a neighborhood convenience store when you grab the last pack of spicy ramyeon from the shelf — his favorite.

Him: "Uh... excuse me, do you... umm... really like that flavor?"

You: "Yeah. Wanna share it?"

And just like that, the crush is born.

He gets super flustered, stutters, laughs too loud, and even knocks over a can of corn trying to look cool. You think it's adorable.

In his head: "Oh my god, she's so pretty. She probably thinks I'm an idiot. A cute idiot? Maybe?"

Him Trying to Get Closer (Clumsily)

Gi-hun starts showing up at the store at the same time as you. "Coincidentally."

One day, he shows up in a t-shirt that says "Ramyeon lovers unite" and pretends it was a random choice. (It wasn’t.)

He tries making conversation with terrible jokes:

"Did you know instant noodles are like love? Ready in three minutes... but can burn you if you're not careful."

He starts offering you silly little gifts: gum, discount coupons, bunny stickers(?). Always smiling, a little nervous, a little hopeful.

Falling for You — Hard

Gi-hun realizes it’s not just a little crush when he starts thinking about you before bed.

“Did she eat dinner? Would she date someone emotionally... and financially bankrupt?”

He starts taking better care of himself: wears cologne, styles his hair, even gets new shoes (well, thrifted — but they’re clean!).

You begin to notice: he looks at you with stars in his eyes. Goes completely quiet when you talk, soaking in every word. Laughs at everything you say — even when you're just talking about laundry.

The Confession (in His Own Way)

He builds up courage for WEEKS. Writes little notes. Tears them all up.

One day, he invites you to eat ramyeon again. You're laughing, sharing noodles from the same cup. He's staring a little too long.

And then he blurts:

“Have you ever felt like your heart pops like popcorn when you see someone? Because mine... does that. With you.”

You laugh. And kiss him on the cheek.

He completely freezes. Like… full system shutdown. Takes him five minutes to breathe again.

Suggestive (but Funny) Moments

One rainy day, you share an umbrella. He’s so close he can smell your shampoo.

He trips on a rock because he’s too busy staring at your lips instead of the sidewalk.

You're on the couch watching a K-drama. He tries the classic arm-around-the-shoulder move, but:

He sneezes.

Accidentally slaps you.

Spills the soda.

When you finally share a more heated kiss, he turns red all the way to his ears, and whispers:

“Wanna... have some ramyeon after?”

(Gi-hun. Please.)

Imagining a Future With You

He starts daydreaming:

“What if we lived together?”

“Would she want kids?”

“Can I afford ice cream for her... and a baby stroller someday?”

He buys a couple keychain from a street vendor and gives you one half.

“If you ever want the other half... it’s with me.”

Sweet, Awkward Ending

He invites you on a fancy-ish date. Shirt tucked in, gelled hair, way too much cologne.

You go to a restaurant. He’s so nervous he drops his fork. Accidentally calls the waiter “mom.”

You just smile, hold his hand, and say he’s perfect.

He kisses you at the end of the night. And whispers in your ear:

“I think I’ve been in love with you for a while... I just didn’t realize you loved me back.”

Você:

“Desde o primeiro ramyeon.”

Headcanon: Se Dae-ho estivesse apaixonado por você – Antes dos Jogos

(Fluff, comedy, suggestive, with a touch of angst)

Context:

Before Dae-ho joins Squid Game: The Challenge, his life is quiet, structured, and honestly? A little lonely. He’s closed off, avoids deep conversations, and carries more weight in his heart than most people realize. That is… until he meets you.

Você — o completo oposto. Você é calor, brilho e tudo o que se funde com sua casca pesada e silenciosa.

First Meeting

You meet him at a late-night pojangmacha (street tent bar), where he's sitting alone, nursing a bottle of soju and clearly trying to look invisible.

You're with friends, but your eyes land on him — broad shoulders, stern expression, clearly not part of the group.

You joke:

“You look like a soldier on leave who just saw a ghost.”

He glances up. Doesn’t smile. But he responds. Quietly.

“Maybe I did.”

It’s so unexpected that you laugh — not at him, but because that deadpan humor hits just right. You move closer.

The Slowest Burn Ever

Dae-ho doesn’t flirt. He stares. He watches. He listens. And he gets very, very still around you.

He never makes the first move, but he never stops showing up. Every week, same pojangmacha. Same time. Just... in case you’re there too.

One day you bring him a boiled egg without asking. He looks at it like it’s a diamond.

“You looked hungry,” you say. He nods once. Then doesn’t eat until you sit down.

He starts walking you to the bus stop. Every time. Silent, but always next to you. When you shiver, he gives you his jacket like it’s standard procedure.

How He Realizes He’s in Love

It hits him one morning when you laugh so hard you snort. He doesn’t smile… but something behind his eyes melts.

That night, he lies in bed for hours thinking:

“How do I protect someone like her?”

He starts training harder. Punches harder. Runs longer. Like love activated his instincts — to fight for something real.

But instead of confessing, he just... watches. Protects. Silently becomes your shadow.

He has this one photo of you together (you took it — he’s awkward in it, mid-blink). He keeps it folded in his wallet, hidden behind his ID.

The Way He Shows It (Without Words)

Fixes the broken strap on your bag and doesn’t tell you — you just notice one day it’s repaired.

Waits until you fall asleep on the bus, then puts your head gently on his shoulder.

Remembers the smallest things: how you like your ramen, that you hate cucumbers, that you hum when you're nervous.

Once, a drunk guy tries to flirt with you. Dae-ho steps in front of you without a word. Doesn’t hit anyone — just stares until the guy walks away shaking.

You start calling him “my bodyguard,” and he always says he’s “not your anything.”

But his ears turn pink every time.

When you try to break down his barriers

One day, you ask him point blank:

“Why do you always act like I’m going to disappear?”

He stiffens. Doesn’t speak. Then finally:

“Because most good things in my life... do.”

You sit in silence. Then you just slide your hand into his. No words. Just warmth.

He squeezes once. Doesn’t let go. That night, he texts you for the first time ever. It says:

“Thank you for staying.”

First kiss (so soft it hurts)

It’s raining. You’re both standing under the same umbrella. He’s trying not to look at your lips.

You grab his collar and whisper:

“Can I kiss you, or will you shut down like a robot?”

He doesn’t answer — just cups your face with those big, warm hands and kisses you like you’re breakable.

It’s shy and slow, but it feels like forever. He tastes like mint gum and tension. Afterward, he presses his forehead to yours.

“I don’t know how to do this,” he admits. You smile:

“Good thing I do.”

The Suggestive Part

The first night you sleep over at his place (by accident, after missing the last bus), he lets you borrow a shirt.

It hangs off your shoulders. He nearly combusts. Looks away the entire time.

You tease:

“You’ve seen people in training camps naked and you can’t handle me in a t-shirt?”

He groans. Turns his face into the couch cushion.

You crawl into bed next to him. No funny business. Just warmth.

But the next morning? You wake up tangled in his arms, his hand on your waist, and his mouth resting by your neck.

He wakes up, sees the position and jumps back so fast he falls out of bed.

That One Night You Almost Said "I Love You"

You're watching a dumb movie together. You’re lying on his chest, drawing shapes on his arm.

You whisper:

“Have you ever loved someone?”

He goes quiet for so long you think he didn’t hear.

Then he says, softly:

“Maybe. If what I feel for you counts.”

You sit up. Look at him. He meets your gaze.

“But I don’t deserve to say it. Not yet.”

You cup his face and say:

“Then I’ll wait. Until you do.”

He kisses your forehead. Holds you tighter.

The Bittersweet Goodbye (Before the Games)

One night he shows up at your door, late, and says he has to go away for “a while.”

He doesn’t explain much. Just that he’s doing something risky. But promises to come back.

Before he leaves, he gives you a letter. Sealed.

“Only open it if I don’t return.”

You grab his hand.

“Dae-ho… please. Be careful. Come back to me.”

He cups your cheek again, like it’s the last time. Says nothing.

Then he kisses you like he's finally figured out how to love.

And disappears into the night.

[onlydylanobrien]

Dylan O’Brien Talks His Queer Indie Twinless: “The Most Naked Thing I’ve Ever Had to Do”

The Teen Wolf and Maze Runner star goes deep on his biggest career swing yet, portraying identical twins in James Sweeney’s trippy, moving tale of grief and friendship.

When James Sweeney first considered casting Dylan O’Brien in his new film, Twinless, he came in with some preconceived notions about the actor. This was five years ago, before the Teen Wolf alum had started his run in acclaimed indies like Not Okay and Ponyboi. “He was a studio actor—the projects that he had upcoming were these big budget movies,” Sweeney recalls thinking. Beside him on Zoom now, O’Brien shakes his head at the memory: “Even on the first Zoom with James, those movies that came up had me going like, ‘Oh my God, that’s not all you think of me, is it?’”

Then James came across two relatively obscure entries in O’Brien’s filmography that showcased his versatility—and willingness to get weird. The first was the pilot episode of YouTube’s Weird City, in which two straight guys (O’Brien and Ed O’Neill) fall in love and get married. The second was O’Brien’s outrageously committed recreation of a key scene from The Social Network with Sarah Ramos, which went viral the same year Sweeney and O’Brien first met. “I used to work in casting as my day job, and sometimes people have a very myopic view of what an actor can do,” Sweeney says. “To me, it’s exciting to cast them in something that I haven’t seen them do.”

You might guess what that thing is based on this strange, biting film’s title. In Twinless, we first meet O’Brien’s Roman grieving the sudden loss of his identical twin, Rocky (also O’Brien). The character is mournful, quiet, and gentle, only enlivened once he meets and starts to bond with a guy named Dennis (Sweeney) in a local twin bereavement support group. In flashbacks, we then meet Rocky—tartly witty, boisterous, and proudly queer—at which point the scope of O’Brien’s impressive, emotional performance comes into full view.

“Dylan really took ownership over the character and an understanding of my voice in a way that was really affirming,” James says. O’Brien felt a kinship with his director: “I felt like I spoke a very similar emotional language.”

Sweeney grew up fascinated by twins, including as an avid consumer of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen content. Some years ago, he dated an identical twin. Right after they broke up, Sweeney began writing Twinless. Clearly, all that was inspiration worth drawing from: After making its world premiere in Park City to strong reactions, we’ve already got a breakout from this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Sweeney both directs and stars in Twinless, as he did on his debut feature, the sharp comedy Straight Up. “I wasn’t gung ho to do the masochist ball again,” he says with a laugh. “Even the idea of me opposite Dylan O’Brien, who’s famous while I’m literally nobody—that’s not good business! That’s the producer side of my brain.” Yet the film’s actual producer, Oscar nominee David Permut (Hacksaw Ridge), gave Sweeney the confidence to go for it.

From there, he and O’Brien worked to find a deep, off-kilter intimacy. “On day two, we were doing an intimate conversation scene, and I’m like, ‘The crew’s away, we’ve got to go,’ and Dylan was like, ‘No, we can take time and rehearse this with us and everyone else can wait,’” Sweeney says. “Even that moment of calm and having it just between us, it really set the tone…. Dylan really advocated for that.”

Sweeney and Dylan share most of their scenes in the film, which goes to some delightfully surprising, discomfiting, and absurdist places. There’s pain to Twinless, but it’s laced with dark, cuttingly honest comedy. “That loss of the ground underneath you walking around this world is so tragic,” O’Brien says. “It just broke my heart in such a profound way when I first read it.”

His most emotional scene in the movie pushed him to look inward. “I honored it verbatim on the day, which might be the only time in my career that’s happened,” O’Brien says with a laugh. “It’s the most naked thing I’ve ever had to do on a set. Even at 32 years old—I’ve been doing this for going on 15 years now. It’s so beautiful that you can still have a moment that is such an impactful evolution for yourself.”

“After he did that scene, it was so fucking good. And then I had to do my [big] scene the next day,” Sweeney adds. “I was like, Fuck. If I don’t get this, I’m going to ruin the movie. That terrified me.”

Another thing that got Sweeney’s anxiety going: Shooting a vivid, graphic sex scene. “It was the most revealing, mature scene that I had done in my directing career so far,” he says. Yet Twinless finds its funky heart in its most romantic, explicit aspects, building on the nuanced and textured approach to queerness that Sweeney first demonstrated in Straight Up. “It’s just one of those things you throw yourself into,” O’Brien says. “The crew was really tight-knit, and it was a cool vibe. Everyone got what we were doing.” So much so that Sweeney and O’Brien didn’t need as much assistance as expected.

“We decided to have an intimacy coordinator on set—but I don’t think we needed one, and I don’t think the intimacy coordinator thought we needed one,” Sweeney says. O’Brien booms with laughter at the memory. “He was hilarious,” O’Brien says. “He ducked out early. He’s like, ‘Oh, you’re good.’”

Source: vanityfair.com

[the-morningstar-family]

Let’s hope that heaven doesn’t try anything when Alastor and Theodora have only just reunited after around 100 years. 😡

Also I’m guessing that soul rot is related to the desire to see a loved one badly enough that it destroys them from within. 🤔

Side note, how does Theodora react to being a grandma!🤩

Vaggie: “I don't want to interrupt… but are we in danger of being attacked any minute?”

Lucifer: “No, I … kinda… sealed hell”

Husk: “What the hell does that mean?”

Lucifer: “No one can get in or out. And that's not easily broken. I'll feel it when they're trying to break it and when it is completely”

Angel: “An’ how long ‘till that happens? That Sera chick was awfully determined to come back with another exorcist army. And smiles ova there ain't gonna hold ‘em off this time!”

Alastor huffs, and right himself slightly.

Alastor: “I am not helpless”

Angel: “No offense, but ya struggled to get that pot from that top shelf with ya tentacles yesterday”

Alastor: “It simply… fluctuates”

Lucifer: “It doesn't matter, you're not fighting pregnant!”

Theodora: “Excuse me, what you sayin’?!”

She looks up at her son who's got a bit of a sheepish expression on his face.

Alastor: “Well, strange set of circumstances really - I had no idea it was possible… And here I am-”

Lucifer: “He's Pregnant”

It's a rare occasion that Lucifer is interrupting Alastor's rambling instead of the other way around. The radio demon holds his breath and to see his dearest Mama's reaction. Her wide eyes look at the bump and back up.

Theodora: “An’ here I thought you done filled out a bit, darling…”

Lucifer: “He's usually still a stringbean”

Theodora: “An' who dat... other pappy?”

He clears his throat, the rubs the back of his neck.

Alastor: “The one that tried to make a good impression by acting like a fool”

Lucifer: “Hey, I tried, okay!”

She is a bit shocked, yes. But if she's disappointed or about to suffer a heart attack, then she has a very good poker face.

Theodora: “Yoo shacked up wit' de devil himself”?

Alastor: “... Apparently”

Lucifer has an unimpressed face, but in all fairness, it's quite the feat explaining to your mother you're in a relationship with the king of hell.

Theodora: "Well, I'll be! I never thought I'd see da day I'd become a maw maw”

Alastor: “You- did not?”

Theodora: “Sugar, I saw ya ain't too keen on it”

He smirks, he can't exactly argue. This is very much new, and Lucifer is the exception of the rule.

Alastor: “Technically, you are already one”

He mumbles softly, going through Nova's hair, who's still snuggling into him.

Lucifer: “That's Nova and she had uh- not exactly a nice father-”

Alastor, disgusted: “That is far kinder than deserved -”

Lucifer: “Sooo- we adopted her not too long ago”

And still, it gives the little girl a tiny smile, even admits the turmoil. And Theadora positively melts at the sight.

Theadora: “What a fine little girl to have as my granddaughter.”

Nova looks up surprised, not having expected to be accepted so quickly.

Nova: “Th-thank you? But- I- I didn't do anything”

Alastor: “Oh but you did.”

Nova: “What?”

Alastor: “Your being wonderful all the time”

There, got her. Her cheeks turn pink, and she hides her face again with a soft shy smile. She whispers something to her Papa, too quiet for Theadora to hear. Alastor's smile has a sad note to it now, but he nods.

Alastor: “Yes that's right dear. Felix is now in our care as well”

Lucifer, sad: “We… his mum she uh.. just… died- and yeah. It's who I asked Sera to bring back but, well… you saw ho that worked out”

Theadora: “I’ll surely have a lil’ chat with her when I see her!”

The room is quiet and sad after that. It's so fresh.

Alastor: “We should see how he is doing…”

Lucifer: “I'll go… I think it's time for her gift, huh?”

Alastor nods. Silently asking him if he sure he wants to go alone. He gives a soft smile. ‘spend some time with your mum’.

And so he goes up the stairs.

[sleptwithinthesun]

a personal (and very extremely late) fill for the🤞and 🥰 prompts on the spring prompts list, written for t/im d/rake from d/c c/omics. yes, i'm aware it's summer. however, i started this fic over two years ago and it needs to be done.

2K words, next part of the t/imber college au. hope you like it!!

"Look at me for a second?" Bernard asks, tapping the eraser end of his pencil against his notebook a couple of times, just to ensure that he has Tim's attention. It lands just to the right of his half-finished sketch of his roommate, who's typing a lab report up on his laptop on the other side of the library table. 

Tim complies, glancing up and making brief eye contact to show Bernard the slowly-emerging freckles scattered over his cheeks and the ever-present, bruise-like bags under his eyes. They've been getting worse lately, probably due to the arrival of the spring season and its various allergens, even though Tim started taking Benadryl towards the beginning of March. They're now a week into April, with allergy season in full swing.

Bernard's gaze sweeps over Tim's face, and then he squints down at his drawing. After a moment of deliberation, he goes back over Tim's lash line and carefully shades a touch lower and darker than he was previously. "Thanks." 

"No problem," Tim replies, coughing quietly into a fist a second later. It sounds chesty, same as it has been for the past few weeks, and Tim just keeps going, like someone's scratching at his lungs. Which, to be fair, is probably how he feels about the whole thing. He's been getting worse at night recently, waking both himself and Bernard up at early hours in the morning with coughing fits. 

There's not much either of them can do about it, though, and Bernard's not been sleeping well, anyway. Not to any fault of Tim; he's just been… wondering. About some things. Regarding Tim, sure, but not because of him. Nevertheless, he's been staying up with him until his roommate manages to fall back asleep congested snores emanating from his side of the dorm. 

Not for the first time since they'd arrived at the library, Tim suddenly drops his chin towards his chest, eyes pinching shut tightly before his shoulders give a minuscule jerk forwards. He barely manages a shallow inhale before the motion repeats twice more, and then blinks a few times, sniffling quietly into his sweatshirt sleeve. Also not for the first time, Bernard murmurs, "Bless you."

"Ugh, sorry, I don't think I'm dohh—" He cuts himself off with another silent double, and then a third pair for good measure. "Oh, fuck me," Tim mutters, a bit breathless. 

"Christ, bless you times... how many even was that, seven total? They're so quiet; it's hard to tell." Tim nods to confirm the number, his eyes bleary from sneezing as he rubs a knuckle against the side of his nose to quell the remaining itch instead of responding verbally. "Bless you times seven. Why do you sneeze like that, anyway?" 

Tim blinks at him, clearly confused. "Like what?"

"Like… you're completely stifling to the point where they're silent." Bernard fumbles to explain, trying to find the right words without sounding insane. "I don't know anyone who can do that without using their hands or something. It's kind of... uh, impressive, to be honest, but can I ask, why do you sneeze that way? Is there a reason, or is it just...?"

"I don't know," Tim says, then shrugs. "I never really thought about it. It's polite, I guess, to make them quieter. Doesn't bother anyone else."

And Bernard-of-several-months-ago would have simply been content to have even gotten an answer out of Tim in the first place, would have accepted his word without a second thought. But Bernard-of-now can see the little flicker in Tim's eye, the one that means he's lying to him, which makes no sense, because what does Tim have to lie about?

It's a sneeze. There's no backstory to it, as far as Bernard is aware of. It's simple, it's thoughtless, it's inherent. Sure, he knows that people can hold back their sneezes if needed, but at it's base, it's a reaction, and one that's hard to control. The level to which Tim can manipulate his own, though, speaks to something far more complicated than Bernard can even begin to form connotations to.

For now, he has to let it go. Everything about Tim is a mystery, and the code to deciphering him is written between the lines of Dick's offering of his and Jason's phone numbers. So, unless Bernard texts one of them to ask why Tim sneezes weirdly, which is quite possibly the most bizarre question he could even raise, he's on his own.

Don't let it be said that Bernard Dowd doesn't love a challenge.

-

Over the remainder of the week, Bernard keeps an eye on Tim as if he's a sentry assigned to stand guard over him. He does feel weird about it—almost stalkerish, which, honestly and a bit embarrassingly, isn't exactly new to him—but it's not like Bernard's trying to learn anything he didn't already know about Tim's personal life. He lives in the same room as Tim, for crying out loud. Objectively, he's not doing anything wrong. At least, that's how Bernard justifies it to himself.

He's aware that he's being all Bernard about it, looking too deeply into it when, in reality, it's probably nothing more than Tim preferring not to draw attention to himself. At the same time, Bernard can't help but feel as if there's something more to it. After all, Tim decided to hide the fact that he was missing a whole-ass organ for a semester; he truly wouldn't put it past Tim to somehow have a buried trauma about sneezing. It would only make sense for him.

To be perfectly honest, though, Tim is boring.

Bernard didn't notice it in their fall semester, when Tim was being avoidant for the most part and didn't trust Bernard enough to reveal anything about his personal life. Apparently, he wasn't missing out. Tim studies more than anything, and even when he's not studying, he's doing homework or reading or something equally uninteresting. It makes his observation of his roommate very dry.

Until the moment where he invites Tim to sit outside.

They're moving through the quad together, Tim having just attended his linguistics class and heading into a free period while Bernard's done with classes for the day. The April weather is gorgeous, with a nice breeze cutting through the heat of the day. It's so nice, in fact, that Bernard asks—

"Want to stay outside for a bit?"

Tim's steps pause for a moment, hesitating. "Why?"

Bernard can barely stop himself from staring in shock at him. Sure, he grew up in the city, but he spent every moment that he could in the park. "it's... nice?" he ventures. "Plus, you could use more sun."

"First, rude. Second, if you insist." Tim sighs, glancing around for a place to sit. "As long as we're not directly in the sunlight."

Bernard rolls his eyes. "Sure, whatever. Vampire."

Tim scoffs at him, following Bernard as they move to take a seat in the shade underneath a tree. He only seems vaguely annoyed, meaning that he does actually care, at least a little bit. They're not at the point yet where Tim's comfortable being jokingly annoyed or mad with Bernard, since Bernard did it to Tim once and ended up sending Tim into a spiral for the next day over whether he was actually upset.

So. His annoyance here is at least vaguely interesting.

"hn'x! ngt! hnk'tt!"

"Bless you," Bernard murmurs. Tim shakes his head and immediately goes to sneeze again, sitting up with his head tipped back slightly, eyes half-shut, mouth partly open as his breath hitches quietly.

"hh...hi'h? hHhh—" He's trying to hold it back and is failing miserably. "—hk't! hxxt! hn'gt! h'hHn'gt-sh!"

"Bless you."

"Why'd you want to be out here?" Tim asks, voice nasal. His head immediately bobs down toward his chest again, nose pressed into the crook between his thumb and pointer finger to at least give himself a semblance of modesty. This set is even more numerous than the first, each sneeze coming in rapid succession.

Bernard sits up straighter in alarm. "Uh... exactly how allergic are you to pollen?"

Tim's response is another rapid set of sneezes.

"You need to get better at putting your foot down," exclaims Bernard, grabbing Tim by his free wrist and hauling him upward as Tim sneezes again and again, each perfectly stifled and barely making any sound. The only reason, Bernard reflects, that he can hear them is because Tim's sneezing too much to fully have control.

"You're—gxt'sh!—telling me," Tim gasps out. Mockingly, he attempts to add, "You could use more su'h'nxt! hxt'ch!"

"Okay, Sneezy, let's get back to the very climate-controlled indoors," says Bernard, hastily dragging him toward the building.

-

Tim's lying down on his bed when Bernard walks into their dorm, three days after the incident, absently staring up at the ceiling. There's nothing taped up there—Bernard checked.

"You okay?"

"Fine," replies Tim. "Just... thinking."

Bernard sets his backpack down next to his bed, placing the binder in his hands down on top of his comforter to ensure he doesn't forget about the homework in it. "Anything in particular?"

Tim shrugs, which is his way of saying Yes, but I don't want to talk about it. Bernard had given up on trying to interpret all of Tim's nonverbal signals on his own and reached out to Dick the day after Tim's allergy attack; Dick had informed him that reading Tim was like learning a new language. He wasn't very communicative at best, even with members of his own family, and it took Dick years to figure everything out. Jason is still struggling, apparently, which Dick attributes to Jason being in college while Tim was adjusting to living with the Waynes. He's gradually been passing tips onto Bernard, trying to make his living experience a tad easier.

Uncertainly, he walks over to Tim's side of the room, stopping just short of sitting on the bed with his roommate. Looming over him feels like an equally terrible option, and Bernard just stands there for an awkward moment.

"This is a little creepy."

"You're one to talk," Bernard says before having the chance to properly filter himself. He's trying to get Tim to open up, here.

Tim huffs out a laugh, then sniffles quietly. "Just sit down."

Bernard does. Neither of them say anything for a long minute, with the silence frequently broken by Tim's soft sniffles as he continues fighting off the pollen in the air.

"You know you can sneeze, right?" he blurts out. Tim doesn't blink. "Like, around me. I don't mind, I promise."

When Tim doesn't respond, Bernard keeps rambling. "It's just that, every single time I've seen you sneeze you're stifling. No matter what. Even if you're alone in the room, you don't make any noise, and, like, it's worrying me. It's not, um, normal. Not that you're not normal, obviously, but—"

"Bernard."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

Bernard rolls his head to look at Tim. His roommate is still looking at the ceiling instead of at him, but he's talking.

"I was..." He pauses, starts over. "My parents very much believed in the adage of children being seen and not heard. To them, my silence wasn't an expectation, it was a strict necessity for me."

"Tim..."

"For whatever reason, they included normal bodily functions in that." Tim scoffs, but it's devoid of any feeling, as if he's making the noise only because he's expected to show disapproval toward his parents. "Coughing, sneezing, anything like that was taboo. So, I learned to keep quiet."

"You know that's not okay, right?"

"I've heard that nearly a thousand times from Dick and Jason." Now, he turns to face Bernard. "I'm aware."

Bernard sighs. "Do you believe it?"

A moment of silence. Three different emotions pass over Tim's face, too quickly for Bernard to parse through them all, but something sad is certainly there. "I'm working on that," he says eventually.

"That's good," replies Bernard, and they fall back into silence before Tim sneezes adorably, much like a baby kitten.

"hk'sh'iew!"

"Oh my God."

"Shut up!"

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Hey ho, have you seen The Creator (2023) yet? Unsubtly about US imperialism, but also really moving, aesthetically stunning (Greig Fraser as DP, oh yeah) and John David Washington killing it in the main role. I was surprised by how much there was to love. xoxo

I fucking LOVED The Creator and kept trying to write something about it here but never managed to collect my thoughts. But yeah what a fucking movie, oh my god. I feel like it kind of got buried by lack of publicity but tbh I am not that surprised because it's one of those movies with politics that make you think how the fuck did they get away with making this.

Gareth Edwards, like Villeneuve, is a director I've been paying attention to for a while now, ever since his 2010 movie Monsters, which was a really impressive low-budget sci-fi with effects that just looked seamless and interesting things to say about borders and the human cost of militarized responses to disastrous events.

And then he did Rogue One and pulled off something very impressive, which is to take one of the most famous sci-fi weapons of our era--the Death Star, a metaphor for nuclear weapons so iconic it has become a symbol in itself--and made it actually fucking scary for the first time in the history of the franchise. And he did it by turning the camera around.

Because the thing is that before this point, we had only ever seen the Death Star from the point of view of the people firing it. The idea of a planet-destroying weapon is intellectually horrifying but we didn't really ever feel it. Because for that we need to see the weapon from the point of view of its victims. It's such a simple but radical shift in perspective, and I feel like Gareth Edwards took that idea from Rogue One and then made it into a whole movie with The Creator.

The Creator, for those unfamiliar with the premise, is about a near-future counterinsurgency war in which the US military is hunting down various forms of AI/android/robot beings. It also features a space-based super-weapon that is eerily beautiful but goddamn fucking terrifying. It was mostly shot in southeast Asia and heavily evokes Vietnam War imagery (as the ending of Rogue One did as well); it is probably about as close to "Vietnam War movie but you're rooting for the Vietnamese" as it is possible to make in the American studio system. The protagonist is still an American soldier (who defects and "goes native" fairly early in the movie) but making him a Black disabled veteran was certainly a Choice. And yes it's John David Washington and he's great in it.

It feels facetious to say The Creator is Reverse Terminator, because it's much richer than that, but it's also kind of fucking true. For the entire movie, the characters are just running for their lives from the implacable and overwhelming destructive force of the US military which is just crushing everything in its path.

The movie does a lot of things that you simply do not see in most American war movies, but the one that stands out to me the most is that in every scene of war violence there are civilians, including children, fucking everywhere. It really threw into relief for me how often American war-action movies create these empty video game environments for soldiers to run around in, where any actual people who might live in the place where the war is happening are at best props and at worst completely absent. (Alex Garland's Civil War, in addition to being terrible in every other conceivable way, is a particularly bad offender at this.) The Creator does what really should be the bare minimum of taking time to showing that these are people whose homes and lives are being destroyed and it is shocking how novel it seems. (There's a line that plays in my head all the time where one of the AI characters says something to the effect of, "Do you know what will happen to the humans when we win this war? Nothing. We simply want to live.") I will also say that this made it a very intense watch in late October 2023 in particular, but it is fiction so we get a very satisfying and cathartic ending. And yes it is an absolutely gorgeous movie, the VFX are mind-blowing, and I found it quite moving.

[piracytheorist]

Episode 30 thoughts!

OKAY OKAY OKAY I HAVE A LOT TO SAY

alternate title is "Local anime only is introduced to the entity that is Shopkeeper".

MY GOD. I had no idea we'd see him so soon. I'm so glad his appearance is no longer a spoiler to me XD

To start with, Yor seems quite tense while she's going out to meet with him.

A detail that the anime omitted, is that it seems he was caught by surprise by Yor. Is she so stealthy she can even sneak up on him?

He's... omg he's scary. At the same time he's got one very smooth and sexy voice. I know we heard him on the phone but oh it's so different to hear him from up close. I'm going to feel very conflicted about him, methinks XD

Of course, when he talks about "pruning and watering" and stuff he definitely doesn't talk just about his garden :)

The music was perfect for his introduction. The garden we see around him looks so peaceful and serene, but the music greatly encapsulates that ominous feeling that "This guy is a LOT".

Ho-lee SHIT

My dude! My bro! Isn't this one of your best assassins or what??

The fact that he's willing to risk decapitating her on the spot just in case she lost one (1) iota of her perfect form is terrifying. And he laughs about it. The fuck. And Yor has been working for him since she was a teenager? O_O

I mean, when I said he's got presence I didn't mean it's not a diabolical one. But holy shit.

Is... is that person in the back wearing a sheet over their head like they're pretending to be a ghost? I'm noticing the important details here!

Shopkeeper looks like he really holds this mission to great value, and feels greatly indebted to protect Olka. It's very interesting that he's entrusting this mission to Yor.

At the same time, we see his face as Yor says she'll need an excuse for the family, and he is NOT impressed.

Like geez does ANYONE in her circles not have negative feelings about this wedding? First Yuri then her coworkers then even Shopkeeper like does ONE person go like "That was a good decision you made"?

I mean, if Shopkeeper really values her... it's not like it doesn't look like he has the power to provide her with some cover. He looks so imposing and Yor is so okay with his tactics I doubt she hasn't told him the marriage was just for convenience, so why didn't he go like "Nah ditch them I'll give you the cover you need"? He looking kinda sus rn ngl.

Final detail: the thingies hanging from the strap of his hat are the same shape of Yor's earrings. Nice detail.

It's interesting that Yor's demeanor doesn't change around him. She's still as lively and sweet as we already know her.

I love how after we saw how Yuri stayed up for days to catch Perkin, he fell asleep like that on the subway. Consequences!

Talking about people in Yor's circles not accepting her marriage...

Yuri is even VERY audacious in how he says he'll never accept Loid. Yor is way too patient with him, but I guess she can't help it. She loves him too much for her own good, and that was evident by the way she decided to become an assassin just to provide him with an education she completely ignored for herself.

I was surprised by the flashing screen but seeing Yuri run for the train as if he could somehow pull it back was hilarious. What a lad.

Yor is just now wondering if there's any point in her keeping her assassin job, when it's been at least a year that Yuri has been financially independent. It really makes me wonder where her money from her jobs really goes to... and considering Shopkeeper's behaviour, if she even gets paid fairly as an assassin. I wouldn't rule out him taking advantage of her in that regard over the years.

So I think it would be interesting to consider that Shopkeeper is trying to keep Yor in his employ by uhm... idk, brainwashing her? With all that "keeping the world beautiful" and whatnot. I mean, she took that job out of need and having no other choice, she's very good at it, (probably) is okay with getting paid unfairly, and takes at least an entire year after Yuri became independent to question whether she should stay in this job. She's a good and willing workhorse, is all I'm saying. Shopkeeper wouldn't want to lose that, would he?

Again, that's just an anime-only's blabbers. But that's what's good with Endo's work - just from one character introduction you can get a lot of insight!

Your honour I love them.

Look at their faces. Look at them.

Anya looks so happy while in line for the raffle. I'm so happy she was able to rig the rigged contest and get herself a winning ticket.

I'd seen this face from people sending me spoiler-free manga screenshots, but I had never expected it to be a "Sucks to be you, bitch" kinda face. I love her XD

I do gotta say though, it's VERY convenient that she happened to earn a ticket for the exact same cruise Yor would be on. But I'm not complaining - I mean, we wouldn't have much of a story otherwise XD

If anything, it would not be out of the ordinary if Anya heard about the raffle, then heard from Yor's thoughts about the details of the cruise, then found a way to earn those tickets. But I digress.

Dear director. Why are we getting a full front view of Loid's ass. Not that I'm complaining, just curious.

I actually felt a little touched when Loid said Yor should go with Anya. Like I know it's because he has no "for the mission" excuse to go on the cruise and instead has an "I have a lot of work to do" excuse, but it still felt pretty sweet he thought they'd have fun together on the trip. Or something. Delusion what is that

I love their expressions here. Yor struggling with her excuse and Twilight, Best Spy of WestalisTM, being the lovestruck idiot he is, he just buys it.

I loved this. Devil Anya didn't even go for something "bad" she was just like "ANYA WANTS OCEAN, ANYA SHALL HAVE OCEAN."

At some point she's going to become the boy who cried wolf with how many times she's threatening to go bad if things don't go her way. Even Loid doesn't look that concerned by that "threat" any longer XD

I knew the cruise was happening, so I knew somehow Twilight would manage to get time off, but I didn't expect it would be that easy... and when we switched to Sylvia approving the vacation, the cowbell sound effect pretty much ended me

And... wow. I did not expect Twilight has that sort of fear for Handler.

In the manga we can even see how intense his face is.

Is that an accurate expectation or is it just Twilight's overreacting and overthinking mind? We saw how that's something Shopkeeper would definitely do with Yor but from what we know of Handler I would not expect something like that. I think it's mostly Twilight's perfectionism and dedication to his job, as well as how much he's accepted for it over the years. He's willing to accept anything, so he's always expecting the worst... even if it's not an accurate representation of reality.

It's also very coincidental that Handler was admonished for overworking her agents just as Twilight needed time off. It's probably Endo reminding us that deep down it's a comedy show and things just work and I'm just looking too deep into it XD

She's not wearing the rings anymore. Perhaps she caught on to the fact that they were given to her as a joke?

"Go rest and have fun! That's an order!"

Yor catches herself about thinking of having fun on the trip and berates herself.

Since she's already reached the point of accepting she appreciates her part in the family and not just for the cover it gives her, I think it gives an extra layer to how dedicated she is to doing a good job. She knows it's an important job she needs to take seriously and concentrate on. Family fun would be just a distraction... and she's not used to such distractions in her job, after all.

And yes Yuri was in her life, but he was always separate from the job. Now she's got the two of them riding on the same ship!

And that alone makes her reach the question of whether she could just... stop working as Thorn Princess. My god, good luck with that when you have such a boss O_O

SOME GOOD CGI ACTION OOOOOOOHHHHH

No wonder Anya lost it.

Yor looked so happy while next to Loid and Anya, then she met up with her coworkers and a completely different mask slipped on.

This family should come with a label that says "Do Not Separate".

A grand entrance to the ship, with suspicious characters joining in! And new music I'm not recognizing! Lots of interesting stuff :D

I love that we get to see Anya with Loid here. It's obvious Loid hasn't had fun in probably ever, and he's still not got the gist of "relaxing" yet.

I actually love the face he has in the manga. He almost looks... curious. Like this is something new to him, and it probably is. He doesn't have his usual calculating face. The "order" to relax was one thing, but maybe Anya's excitement is rubbing off on him.

Anya's reaction to their room was priceless. They showed it so well XD

Hey, at least they have a window! Most third-class rooms in ships don't even have that.

Local anime only is also finally introduced to that McMahon guy.

It's so funny that I've seen his name everywhere yet I had no idea what he looked like. Well, now I know XD

So we're told the father as well as the two oldest sons of the Gretcher family were killed because of infighting, yet it looks like the youngest member is still a baby.

Those are some interesting family dynamics. Were the sons mentioned this woman's sons, or was one her husband? Or was the boss her father and the sons her brothers? Also, interesting pin on the lapel there.

Similarly, this suit Yor is wearing is the only piece of clothing aside from her office clothes that doesn't have the rose-shaped buttons everything else she wears has.

The guy goes like yo will that Forger woman be enough and McMahon looks like he's like bruh you have no idea. She may be just one but she's enough for twenty.

The little kid is so cute. I felt touched when Olka said that he probably recognizes her as his mother from her voice and her scent.

Olka asks for a favour, to be let out for a bit, and Yor is kind and empathetic enough to indulge her. Most other bodyguards wouldn't be so lenient. Though I guess this is what, in the end, causes her to be caught...

Anya is being Anya.

One (1) stomach ulcer acquired.

I loved how they put shadows on his face for this part.

He's fully prepared to treat the ship as a place where he may be attacked, and to gather as much intelligence as he can for his surroundings. That is, until Anya reminds him why they're there.

And he takes it upon himself to have the most fun ever! For the mission!

I think we will all lose our minds when this man bursts into genuine, uncontrollable laughter. We're clowning him now but when such real emotion bursts out of him I think we won't be able to handle it.

It's a small moment, and it's shown in a comedic way, but it's also heartbreaking to know how he genuinely doesn't know how to have fun. What does this man enjoy watching? What music does he like? What foods are his favourites? We don't know, and the sad part is, he doesn't either. Twilight has no identity and thus no preferences, no profile and no favourite things.

Leave it to me to take a humorous scene and turn it into crying about Twilight hours.

At least Twilight isn't the only one lying to himself. Like two peas in a pod, they're trying to distance themselves from the family. Meanwhile Anya and Bond are like "They are my fambly and I'll love them forever :3"

She looks so cute! And I love Olka's comment about how Loid wouldn't recognize her, lmao if only you knew.

You kind of feel for Olka. Regardless of whether she was born or married into the criminal family, it's the kind of life you can't leave easily. And I mean, morality issues aside, Yor's hands are not clean either, so it was sweet to see them bond, and to even have Olka entrust her with Gram's real name.

Sadly, this move of trust is what caught the attention of dude with long beard and impressive hearing.

Just like the way Franky describes Garden assassins, this guy looks to have some supernatural levels of hearing and comprehending, since he's monitoring dozens of listening devices at the same time and still manages to hear one word that tips him off to who his target is posing as.

Overall, an amazing introduction to this new arc! I'm so excited to see the plot and the characters develop, and especially some long-overdue focus on Yor! It's promising a lot of action and character and even humor with Anya dealing with a "gotta relax and have fun!" Loid. Can't wait :D

[twistedtummies2]

Sing a Yo-Ho! I’ll slaughter the swine!

Yo-Ho! Must be Fate’s design!

At last our tales will again intertwine!

Revenge, REVENGE, REVENGE is Gonna Be Mine!

Oh, it’s gonna be! Oh, it’s gonna be!

Oh, it’s gonna be mine!

Oh, it’s gonna be! Oh, it’s gonna be!

Oh, it’s gonna be MINE!

“Revenge is Gonna Be Mine,” Colin O’Donoghue

--------------------------------------------------------------

Initially I planned for today’s entry to be a different image, but it’s actually not finished yet: due to personal issues, the artist is taking a bit longer to complete the picture than expected. That image will be posted once it is ready, but in the meantime…here’s James Killian, posed with his inspiration, Captain Hook from “Peter Pan!”

The legendary “Shy Art Anon” did the artwork for this one. Funny enough, this was actually the first of the five images for the series to be completed, and it helped to serve as a template for the rest of the artists to use when working on their own images. I can hardly think of a better example: SAA made the official ref pic for James, so I knew they could handle him well, but I’m especially impressed with their rendering of Hook, as well as that ethereal background. As always, a stellar piece of work!

Just like our previous subject, Elias, James was actually one of the first OCs I properly wanted to make…which is ironic, since he’s the last of the five I’m featuring here in this series to make a proper written appearance, and I haven’t even done his Chapter Story yet. The reason I wanted to make James early on had nothing to do with kinks, and simply everything to do with the fact I love Disney Villains: much like the Phantom Blot, Hook has been referenced a few times in the game, and paid homage to, but there is no actual, solid, properly analogous Captain Hook CHARACTER. I honestly consider this not only surprising, but almost akin to blasphemy, as Hook is one of the most prominent of all the Disney Villains, as well as a personal major favorite of mine. So, from very early on, I felt the only thing to do was create my own version of the character.

Like Hook, James is flamboyant, theatrical, and LOUD. He’s very vain and full of himself, and has a sort of old-fashioned quality to his speech at times, calling homage to Hook’s many “hook-isms.” The most important thing I took from the Captain, however, was the way James’ ego works: Hook is an arrogant character, make no mistake, but a big part of who he is comes from how pathetic he is at the same time. Hook doesn’t just hate Peter because he cut off his hand and fed it to the crocodile: he hates Peter Pan because Pan represents everything Hook will never be, and because just about every move Peter makes emasculates and humiliates the Captain, often without Peter even really trying. Something one will note, if they watch Disney’s Hook in things where Peter is not involved, is he can actually be a genuine threat and is able to keep his cool much more easily. But once Peter is involved, Hook goes flying off the handle, and is quickly made a fool of in the process.

With James, I decided to take this idea and transform into the idea that my boi - much like Nakoda - has a very fragile sort of ego. James deliberately makes a spectacle of himself, behaving in an over-the-top manner, because he’s someone who’s always lived in the shadows of others, and has never felt fully respected or appreciated. Underneath that melodramatic demeanor, he’s actually very sad and hurt, as well as very fickle, in some ways. James can be a good sort when he wants to be, but when you put certain temptations in his path, he simply can’t be trusted, and will easily become obsessive.

This also, incidentally, applies to kinks: unlike Captain Hook, who is downright TERRIFIED of being eaten by the Crocodile or the Octopus, James is a bit more…conflicted. On the one hand, he doesn’t REALLY want to DIE…but on the other hand, the idea of himself becoming part of something “greater” than he is ends up being surprisingly irresistible. Seeing beings tower over him and getting the sensation of them lording things over him can be embarrassing, but it also makes his pulses jump. He’s both scared AND “excited” by the sensation, much in the same way I am (and my Prefect character is), although I should say James is typically much less willing. Beyond kinks, though, it’s this sort of backwards, conflicted, broken ego that informs much of who James is: he loves himself, yet he also hates himself, and that kind of mentality will always cause problems for others who get caught in the crossfire.

One last note: you’ll notice the song of choice I used for this description and the image title? While he has yet to appear in a story or art piece properly, rest assured: James does have his very own “Pan” that he loathes with all his soul, and is a major reason for why he is the way he is. His name is Matthew Satyr, and if you bring up his name around James…prepare to get an earful.

[kevin-the-bruyne]

ABYSS OPEN FOR ENTRY AGAIN!!!!! HUZZAH!!! I hope you’re doing well 🫶

about your post about how first struggles to sing. Girl. Everytime i reach First’s part in your world is my world (or wtv kt’s ost for the eclipse was called you get it) I’m kinda just sitting there, head held in both my hands. Troubled. It is such a hard listen. I love my boy and his voice—100% open to listening to him yap but dear god you’d need to be high to find that part of the song good. And It’s THE WAY AUTOTUNE DOESNT FUCKING HELP if anything it’s made it worse?….like……..WHO’S ALLOWING THIS?? which is why I’m all the more impressed and appreciative of “my fuel” !! (questionable title choice for a show with possible car fuckers but aight ig) he absolutely tore that shit down 💯🔊🔊banger song. THAT’S GROWTH you can tell JUST how badly he wanted this to be good and how hard he’s worked for it and god I’m so fond of this man. Its kinda apparent from his recent live performance that he struggles to sing it well live but uh he’s cute so I’m eating it up like a eight course meal with digestive medicines after ❤️‍🔥 no complains

Would love to hear your thoughts on this

oh ho ho ho? oh ho?? time for another answer that will have first kanaphan fangirls come throw nani off a cliff.

you're right about one thing he has gotten much better from 'Your World, My World' and that I suppose is something though what?? 😭

What standard am I supposed to judge 'My Fuel' on 😅 The very first song I thought of when I heard My Fuel was Pond Naravit's Only One like I love that song and it even made it into my top 50 played of the year it was released. But you can tell from the way they both sing that...they can't sing. I don't know how to explain it - like there's this charmingly awkward lilt of a man singing while held at gunpoint???

Which -the awkwardness of love blossoming in the heart of local man in constant danger - kind of goes well with both Kant and Palm. Like as singles? Let's not-let's not be gratuitously unkind 😅. But in the context of these characters and function this song plays in the story? It is rather delightful. Like I loved that they forced Pond to sing Only One, his impassioned 'Oho OOoooo' was exactly the kind of noise that Palm would make belting out his heartfelt desire for Nuengdiao 😂 and same with Kant there's this impatience with which First sings it which is actually just...anxiety from finishing one line and quickly having to pick up the beat of the next one...but fits Kant so well.

And the lives...man First is certainly singing live isn't he? Everyone got occupational hazards lmao. I think similarly he's learned to sing live because I don't even-what am I supposed to say about it other than it's happening 😂 Up until recently not only was First singing poorly but he was making Khaotung's singing worse too 🤣🤣🤣🤣

First has definitely learned to cut his losses and instead of seeing through every disastrous note to the end he just stops and picks up the next one. Like he's actually performing now instead of being Khaotung's Very Nervous Backup. Like some of that delight on his face is that of a performer's which I've been seeing more and more of. I love how hard everyone is working for this and making marked improvements. But sometimes I do think about why it's necessary...

First's 'My Fuel' performance in the Cambodia Fanday is how singers performing on stage who have a sore throat will often sing 😭😭😭😭 I'm not- I'm really not trying to be mean to First, if you can't hear beats you can't hear beats and you can tell he loses his thread when the fans scream the most. Like if he suddenly stops hearing the song what is he supposed to do?

But First Kanaphan didn't invent the concept of Beautiful Men Who Should Not Sing Being Forced To Sing that's just a core part of idol culture. He's certainly found a way to make it work for him and is using what Khaotung calls his 'natural' cuteness to his advantage.

thank you for the ask <3 I'm happy to see you're excited to see me back.

[bearimba]

Thank you so much @invisiblemelonmoose!!! Hope you don't mind me answering your comment with a post, it's just a lot easier to format this way since I have quite a bit to say on the subject >:)c

So right off the bat, none of the kids have an actual connection to the legendaries---no special ✨chosen ones✨ or anything like that. It's more of a thematic thing for characterization purposes. To put it simply, each legendary has a specific word/trait I've associated with it for one reason or another, and so each character exhibits their respective trait in a way that they're supposed to grapple with throughout their game's storyline. Aka, an easy recipe for character growth!

Red -> Moltres (passion) Leaf -> Articuno (composure) Blue -> Zapdos (wit)

Since there's not really much lore for the Legendary Birds (at least not that I can find---there's a bit from the movies but I don't typically work with the animated stuff as source material), I had a very vague starting point, so I decided to go off their elements when selecting traits. Fire is often associated with burning, consuming passion---but Red isn't exactly the most animated guy in canon. Instead of being outwardly enthused, he has a much more mellow but no less intense love for pokemon. Big or small, tough or weak, he has a soft spot for them all. However, he also happens to have a talent for battling that Oak picks up on, for which he encouraged him (to a maddening degree) to pick up battling and eventually the Indigo League. Yet all the nagging and expectations---from nearly everyone around him, not just Oak---wears down on him, and it takes a forfeited match and an extended trip to the coldest, most isolated place in the region to recall that old flame... Blue takes after his grandfather in that he has a lightning-quick intelligence---not that Oak ever seems to be particularly impressed. In a family full of extraordinary people, Blue only ever seems to be extra ordinary. As a result, he goes out of his way to appear confident and cocky, though it's less about having an inferiority complex and more so just wanting to be noticed. He's even compared to Red constantly, who is objectively the better battler and who is the main reason Blue takes on the gym challenge himself. But on his journey, his self-assurance actually causes him to make dumb mistake after dumb mistake that culminates in the loss at the Indigo League. Then Red goes missing all of a sudden, and Blue's left to pick up the pieces of his ego while he and Leaf travel through the Sevii Islands. Out of the trio, Leaf is most definitely the most unfazed. It's not that she's particularly peaceful---watching one of Blue's and hers many arguments will instantly prove otherwise---but overall she's not nearly as passionate as Red or as outspoken as Blue. In fact, she can show an almost icy apathy at times. When Blue returns to Pallet Town without Red and without a Champion title, she's the one to suggest they head out to the Sevii Islands and take a break. But as the situation on the archipelago worsens, Blue digs them into deeper trouble with the remnants of Team Rocket, and they continue to hear nothing but radio silence from Red, Leaf's first instinct is to shove it all down like none of it particularly matters.

Lyra -> Lugia (empathy) Silver -> Ho-Oh (justice)

Ok, this one might need a little explaining since I kind of had to extrapolate here (Lugia's ocean/storm thing is way too close to Kyogre to just go with something water-related, and Ho-Oh is kinda just Moltres But Cooler in a way). In the Tower Duo's legend, the Brass Tower burned down in a rainstorm, during which Lugia tried to quell the fires with the wind. However, that put the rest of Ecruteak in danger, so Lugia had to stand aside and let it burn---its empathy led to its own downfall, so to say. Then Ho-Oh came along and revived the pokemon that had died in the tower (the Legendary Beasts), but fixing the injustice that happened to the Beasts caused the townsfolk to drive them away. Also, we're ignoring the whole blurb about trainers who can "touch the souls of pokemon" or have a "pure heart" bringing the Tower Duo back---I'm regarding that as a legend that's more so about people and pokemon as collectives regaining trust in one another (remember, trying to avoid chosen ones here). Anywaysss, moving on to Lyra and Silver! Lyra is a very empathic person, but she relates to pokemon far more than she does people. She's used to going along with anything and watching the world move on around her, so when she's faced with actual conflict, she struggles to go out of her way to help. Meanwhile, Silver has no problem calling out such infractions when he sees them, but he often fails to consider the fallout when trying to confront it---especially how it'll affect his own pokemon. Their arcs throughout HGSS involve learning from each other (as in their arcs are so intwined it's extremely difficult to discuss them separately) until by the end, Lyra becomes Champion and gains the power and motivation to help everyone, while Silver is... well, he's stuck reevaluating his entire worldview and goes through a teeny tiny itty bitty little existential crisis, but that's a story for another day (aka spoilers that I would like to cover in its own post). Originally, the plan was to pair the johtags to each Legendary Beast with Kris, Ethan, and Lyra relating to Raikou, Entei, and Suicune respectively. However, the fire/water/electric combo felt way too similar to the kantrio kids, and I couldn't really come up with anything original that felt like it would fit. I feel like I can justify it though considering both Kris's and Ethan's journeys have nothing to do with the plot of HGSS (Kris's takes place a few years before during GSC and Ethan's doing his own thing with Eusine during HGSS) sooo......

Brendan -> Groudon (structure?) May -> Kyogre (entropy?) Wally -> Rayquaza (ambition?)

I'll be completely honest here, I've barely fleshed out the Hoenn trio. like. at all. so I won't say much here for fear of writing something that I don't agree with later. But! I can say that while the kanjoh kids all start off with their defining traits, I want Brendan, May, and Wally to work up to theirs. Other than that, I'd have to do way more research into the characters and plotline to come up with a decent semi-faithful interpretation, so this is my formal apology to all the Hoenn fans reading this :( I'll get to it someday I promise!!!!

Dawn -> Mespirit (emotion) Lucas -> Azelf (willpower) Barry -> Uxie (knowledge)

Since I've saved the Creation Trio for PLA, the Sinnoh kids get the Lake Guardians! It's easy pickings, too, since they've already got characteristics practically built into them. I know the matchup here mighttt look off considering the character's in-game personalities, but hear me out on this: Dawn starts out on her pokemon journey purely to spite her mother and becomes Champion mostly because she can. If that's not emotional-led thinking, I don't know what is. She certainly doesn't act emotional half the time---she's level-headed, and clever enough to get herself out of all the trouble she causes---but there is very much a reason why she and Barry get along so well. In addition to that, she does hold a very firm belief that certain things should go certain ways and she will do just about everything to ensure they do. In that respect, she can come across as quite entitled, but it isn't inherently in a mean-spirited fashion. She just needs to figure out what's worth fighting for and what isn't. Lucas is much more stubborn than he typically lets on. He does come off as a little awkward and even bumbling at times, but he's also a trainer nearly on par with Dawn and Barry. Considering he's a dedicated research assistant underneath Rowan and Dawn/Barry are full-time trainers, it'd take a lot of commitment to train his team enough to keep up. Overall, it takes quite a bit of convincing to get him to back down from something once he's set on it. If something's false, he has to correct it (it's not about him being right, it's about getting the facts straight), and if he doesn't agree with a rule, he'll simply ignore it (why should a rule exist if it's stupid anyways?) Though it can be inconvenient at times, it's exactly this attitude that allows him to survive getting blasted back to ancient Hisui. Also a fun fact: Lucas is the only protag to officially have two legendary associations, as his character correlates to Azelf and Dialga in DPPt and PLA respectively (Akari gets Palkia, and you'll never guess who Giratina is left to... >_> ). Barry loves to learn, he just can't focus for the life of him. He's constantly the first to know and the first on the scene, he always uses his losses as a chance to reflect and improve his team, and he even goes out of his way to memorize all he can at the Trainers' School in Jubilife. That's not to say he especially cares about learning subjects outside of his interests, but he absolutely does get sucked deep into whatever catches his eye. Especially after Lucas's disappearance, he devotes all his free time to research just so he can figure out what happened to his friend---and just possibly, with some help, he manages to catch a lead...

[humanoidtyphoons]

trigun omnibus vol 2:

-oh no kidding, vash is much more angry in the manga. like his rage towards knives is just. jeez, you have to take a minute to let sink in how much he hates knives! (despite everything, in 98 & tristamp, i don't think vash hates knives, he's disappointed and afraid but also... doesn't know what to do with him either when they meet, so he runs, and kinda hopes the meeting never comes, imo?) 98!vash is... to me, he's primarily true self is sad, and he's a lil glass eyed and cheery; i'm not quite decided on tristamp!vash, tbh. but vash -- no, i think monev is right in the manga: the real vash is angry beyond belief -- he's looking for knives to kill him bc he killed rem but simultaneously doesn't know where he is since july, those 20 years ago. but i also really like how he tries to use his image of rem as a morality point, when he despairs, when he is about to kill, he relies on her image to hold himself back.

-oh so knives does have a mole under his eye in the manga! i couldn't really see it in vol 1, but vol 2? def. visible!!!! long haired knives is a look, ngl!!

-wolfwood, wolfwood, wolfwood! my darling boy!!!! okay so one of my favourite things about characters is that -- they make a nice likeable impression, and then a lil bit later, that character turns up again and it's like oh shit, they're more integral to the plot than i thought!! they're potentially more sinister than i first assumed! i'm in trouble! an excellent example of that is meeting blackbeard for the first time in one piece, bc you don't know his name until the end of his first appearance and then he reveals it and then oh shit, yk??? and so him and vash meeting on the bus, vash spotting him in the desert, and wolfwood mentioning his motorbike, and then they just... vibe, it's... sweet, yk? that vash begins the chapter by saying 'i can see the true heart of people, what they're like', and then wolfwood says 'finally, a real smile on your face... the other one is so forced it's heartbreaking', and. just. ugh. ugh. ugh.

-anyway then, when they split ways, and wolfwood goes to the church, and meets legato, where he's called chapel... i just love it. their pathways happened to have crossed, bc they were going the same direction, not knowing (i think) that they were destined to be against each other.

-the whole knives vs vash fight. it's so different to the 98 anime, where i think legato causes it to happen, and wolfwood is outside augusta, and arrives too late, and kills raidei. but in the manga? something about all of the remaining gung ho guns watching in the shadows like observers, and wolfwood is just. freaking out. bc vash shot the moon. it's so good. it's SO good. and god!!!!! i need a third anime that's more faithful bc it's cinematic to me.

-the angelic imagery. the feathers. it's so... it's breathtaking and i'm so glad it continues in trimax bc the body horror of it all... it's gorgeous.

-something soooo interesting about pairing monev the gale fight vs vash, with flashbacks of bb vash&knives, even tho knives is unseen, he's there. i think maybe 98 did better by removing the flashback and giving its own separate episode after augusta gets destroyed tbh, but then. it's so intriguing to juxtapose them here, bc monev is the first one to go after vash, tho legato gives a 'friendly' heads' up, and it's just. mm, no wonder vash is furious.

-fuck, the two years later thing happens here in the manga. ooh tristar, i am excited!!! eriks eriks eriks!!!

-ngl i kinda dig milly/vash a smidge more in the manga? like her perception... while not always 100%, i do like that she's the one who is always a bit. aware of the changes in vash's expressions, she notices, so he has to put his glasses on so he becomes harder to read.

-it's so interesting that vash doesn't have much of a relationship/friendship with milly and meryl in the manga. like i love 98 for meryl (esp.) coming to terms with vash, and from being kinda annoyed by him, to slowly caring and worrying about him. and while you do have that in the manga, it's not... quite as gradual? meryl is shocked that vash actually calls them by their names for the first time, and it's been like 14 chapters since they met, and vash is about to fight monev. but it also feels harder to call them friends? bc the pacing is kinda choppy and frenetic, whereas 98 got to meander for a bit before things felt serious and vash wanted to cut ties with them much later.

-pilot chapter is so cute! vash you freaking weirdo dancing into a ransom situation!!! you're so cute!!! you're so cute!!! vash doing his morning routine and going by a different name is also v. cute, and i like how the anime included them.

-knives hitting legato and saying who said you could kill vash? while i don't think it's as... extreme? as the tristamp version, i do dig his possessiveness. but there's a monstrousness in tristamp knives love that i adore, his selfish fierce protection of vash, that he wants to kill humanity to that extent, to keep vash safe, to not let tesla repeat ever again, regardless if that's what vash wants. (it isn't what vash wants at all.) it's not quite that in trimax, tbh, but it's still. still compels me.

okay curious to know where the true divergence happens, bc trimax must have started already, bc the 98 anime continues to include aspects of it, and makes it its own, even tho there's a lot that changes too.

-tbh... i still think vash masks less in the manga than the anime? i think it's easier for 98 vash to mask, bc there's a lot of filler episodes so he can have that front more evident when comparing to later episodes, so he gets to be more silly thanks to the situations made up for him, but i also think the vocal performance helps immensely, bc of how his voice changes based on the situation. like he's still does mask in the manga, dgmw, bc meryl and milly see his scarred torso, and are shocked at the sight, the price he has to pay, bc of his ideals, whereas he often acts as if... he's fine, his injuries don't affect him. (but they do. they don't regenerate. i thought maybe he might heal faster, but he's never getting his arm back, he's never going to be unscarred either i don't think, but maybe he recovers fasher than a normal human being would.)

anyway, onto trimax vol 1!

[deepspacepirate]

jaskier after getting punched by geralt: 😍😍😍😍

[writingforatwistedworld]

Hello (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠) can I request self aware au with a player that has a photographic memory basically remembering anything such as what was in their friends meal last month so when a character says " oh I hate this and that" player just goes " oh I know you mentioned that a few months ago " character is just somewhat shocked cause that was just something they mentioned in passing and so they start thinking they must be worth something to their grace if they can remember such small details about them ! But then they realize they are not the only person their grace has blessed with a small amount of their memory and somehow everywhere they look its all red

With Lilia, malleus, and jade

I'm sorry if I'm being too specific ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

Thank you and have a great week (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, death, religion, blood, obsession, possessiveness

Jade Leech/Malleus Draconia/Lilia Vanrouge-Player who has a photographic memory

With a dorm leader like Azul having this kind of memory would be like living the dream

Never forgetting something the businessman said, not having to worry too much about forgetting something.... you get what I mean, right?

But I also don't think that he would be too surprised if he found out you have that kind of memory

After all, some places see you even as a God so he was ready for everything when you appeared in their world

But here we are, Jade having tears in his eyes whilst you hold out a very hard to come by mushroom

This is one of the few moments the eel would be lost for words

“Wh-Ho-What?” “You mentioned you had never seen it and wanted to.” “O-oh... really”

Now, don't mistake this for him not being thankful but this is the first time someone has ever remembered such a minor detail about him that he mentioned once

And that one time he was frustrated about that customer and mumbled “God I wish I could @$&%+# them” to himself thinking that no one was listening to you said months later “Yeah, they made you pretty angry back then”

This hat stand is impressed, ok?

Now imagine, this danger noodle overhears a conversation between you and another student, you also mentioned a detail they said months ago

As I said, he went full “I expect everything from you” since the beginning

But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt

So what does he do? Let you spend time with your other friends? Making even more fond memories with them?

Haha good joke, good joke but no. You know, I saw you spending an awful lot of time with Jade these few weeks. What about the other? Ok...

If he folks your memory only with moments he is present that would also mean that he is always present in some way in your life, even when he is not there. Oh that one time that Heartslabyul student got close to you and the next day he brewed something with that poisonous mushroom, that student never seen again alive? What a funny coincidence. Don't think too much about it.

Here we have a fire spitting lizard who has been raised upon the logic that you, yes you, are a God

So what higer honor is there than to be remembered by your grace?

And since we are not on Twitch I can say this here: SIMP

So, it was a sunny day, the birds were chirping and a certain future ruler is screaming into his pillow

Oh why that last part? Well you just told him that you always listened to him when he was going on and on about gargoyles and even listed a huge chunk of facts

This is his living dream! The Overseer is thinking high enough about him to remember details that he mentioned

Sebek always talking about him isn’t helping either

Now you are a walking encyclopedia about our dear Fae over here

And believe me, that is not the best thing considering that our fellow immortal over there already has an inflated, although pretty unnoticed, ego

And now he finds out that he is not special to you, that you remember so much about everyone

He should have known better, should have expected that such a higher being like you would not see anybody in a special light

But then, why does it hurt so much?

Why does it feel like he wants everybody to disappears so that only he can leave an impression on your memories?

Now, of course he isn’t allowed to do that, and you would hate him, but that doesn’t mean he can’t limit your contact to the outside world

Don’t worry about getting sleepy all of sudden

He just wants you only to have memories of him and what better way to make sure no one interferes than making your dream of only him?

Now what could go wrong with such a fine general who is so kind to worship you to bits?

Actually, a lot

Lilia thinks, if we are being honest, very highly of himself, having aged like fine wine and all of that

But even fine wine isn't always to everyone's taste (and I think that this one is one of those)

So here we are, giving our most favorite Fae version of pressed aged grape juice a game he has been thinking of getting

The fact that you bought the limited edition doesn't make it any better

You see, Lilia would even worship the ground you walk on even if you were to hate him with a passion that rivals thousands of suns

And now you are even remembering he once mumbled whilst passing by

“Oh Overseer! This humble servant of yours is always at your service, with or without a present from you!” “Ok Lilia... you can stand up now...”

But let's not dwell too long on the happy parts of this (this is a yandere au after all)

One day he was just walking down the Hallway, his day being wonderful...

And then he choose war

Why? Well he noticed that you remembered exactly as much about the others when you said to an Octavinelle student that they mentioned that months ago, a privilege he thought only he had

Will he rip them in two in front of your eyes? No

He isn't uncultured and leads you out of the room, then the ripping can start

And boy must he be having fun because all you hear is his laughter

After that it's safe to say that no one other than him and his little family approach you

So why not make fond memories with them? And only them. Wouldn't want to make Lilia being a bit too much like his younger self again, right?

[tsudelune]

b, i, j with akito?

b, i, j with akito shinonome

- akito shinonome

a/n : thanks for requesting! no lie, i have no motivation to do what i actually have to do in the summer, yet i have so much to get done. procrasination at its finest, i suppose. for b, i thought it was weird to talk about wanting kids at you know, high school. so i decided to write the question around how good they are with kids. hope you understand :) at writing this post, i have 198 followers-- i'll definitely do a 200 followers event. thank you guys, from the bottom of my heart <3

warnings : none!

style : hc style (bullets)

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

- reasonably, akito doesn't have big thoughts about starting a family (i mean, all of them are literally in high school).

- however, akito is the type of person to say they hate kids, claiming they're annoying little beings that roam across the earth.

- when in reality, he's very sweet with kids, and treats them with utmost care when needed.

- akito would be invited to play soccer with the middle school kids at the park. he probably gets reminded of his own middle school self that gave up soccer.

- he might get bullied by the kids for being a ginger. we ignore that!

- if akito ever meets a kid that wants to give up their dream that they cherish, akito probably talks to them as if they were a younger version of himself (i don't know about you guys, but i'd breakdown at the sight of that).

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

- i like to think that the two of you start off with some sort of rivalry. his first impression of you would be like an insatiable appetite. you were talented. and that was something he wanted to be.

- you guys would be rivals that support each other and make the other improve through critism (whether it be sarcastic or serious).

- and as time goes on, you realize that he's much more talented than you thought. he just doesn't see it.

- if the two of you were interested in music-- oh ho, he will be relentless.

- same type of rivalry, but sometimes akito thinks your doing events as some sort of fun.

- when he realizes your potential, akito might start to think you're better-- no, what is he saying?

- either way, the two of you are very competitive rivals. how will the rivalry grow? i haven't got a clue.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

- anybody can agree. yes. he in fact does get jealous a normal amount.

- i'm joking about being jealous a normal amount-- he's protective and most definitely does not like the idea of you hanging out with a guy that can take you from him.

- the shinonomes in general are jealous people. it's cute, really.

- akito often tells the other guy to leave you alone, striking the other with a cold glare.

- sometimes akito would sneak his arm around your shoulder on days he feels bold, or when the other won't leave you alone.

- akito might flip the other when you're not looking. but hey, he's just jealous.

- he will NEVER, for the life of him, admit that he's jealous. still, it's obvious he is.

- just tell him a few words of love and he'll be fine. i think.

[nikolai-alexi]

For @jegulus-microfic Prompt: Savour WC: 890

Tags: bipolar James, manic episode, very unreliable narrator, bipolar Barty Crouch Jr, psychosis hallucination, mild violence, James is extremely touch adverse during a mania episode like this, Regulus is Going Through It, James gets the wrong impression eavesdropping on Reg/Barty/Evan’s conversation while they think he’s asleep, Reg is overwhelmed and guilty, James is Unwell, Evan is over everyone’s shit and really doesn’t like James’ friends, Barty is a good friend, Sirius/Remus/Pete don’t just abandon James in this they’re there and they probably went to go get help but James has no clue what’s going on around him really so they just aren’t featured, Evan still holds a grudge against Sirius specifically and (though he won’t admit it) he feels angry on James’ behalf because none of them realised he was struggling so he’s an ass to them, apparently manic episodes are a lot harder to write when you can’t remember what your own are like when you have them

James is aware he shouldn’t be laughing. He’s aware of the stares branding their way under his skin. He feels acutely every disgusted look thrown his way and he hears every scoff. He’s aware he shouldn’t be laughing. But he can’t stop.

Someone has turned off the party’s music. Unfortunate, that. If they kept it going maybe he could pass it off that he’d just drank too much. It’s worked for him before. He still can’t stop laughing. His lungs burn for oxygen and his stomach is cramping and his vision is blurry and his skin is crawling and he can’t stop fucking laughing.

He can’t tell how long it takes until his hysterical laughter subsides into maniacal giggles, “Savour it,” he chokes out, still giggling, “Perfect fucking Potter isn’t so perfect!”

He throws his arms wide and spins a circle in the middle of the common room, still giggling, “Someone ought to call the Prophet! Let them know that the only thing James Potter actually is, is fucking crazy!”

He thinks he’s lost his glasses, because whoever is standing in front of him is unrecognisable with how blurry everything is.

“C’mon, J,” they say. Oh! It’s Barty! Barty knows alllll about being batshit fucking crazy, doesn’t he?

His glasses are set back on his face with very careful movements. Barty knows what James can be like like this. He probably doesn’t want another broken nose. James isn’t sure he’d feel it if someone broke his nose. Would he feel it if he broke his own nose? Or would he only think he felt it because he knew it was coming?

“No one is going to break anyone’s nose, James,” Barty says, sternly, in a voice that sounds eerily similar to Regulus’ ‘shut up and quit being stupid’ voice. He must have spoken aloud. Oopsies.

A shadow appears behind Barty, and before James knows it, his body is flying through the air. Is he trying to run from it? Fight it? Who knows. He doesn’t. But he can’t stand that stupid fucking shadow starring at him. There’s a sharp pressure on the side of his head and everything goes black.

Next thing he knows, he’s hearing hushed voices to the side of him. He doesn’t have the energy to open his eyes, so he just stays still and listens.

“Why the fuck would you knock him out, Barty?!” Regulus’s voice is high, despite being quiet. He must be really upset about something.

“Reg,” Barty sighs, it sounds like he’s been repeating the words for a while, “He went to attack, what I assume was, one of his hallucinations and came after me as a result. You know we can’t restrain him. He just panics and hurts himself. The only thing I could do to get him out of there and keep him safe was knock him out.”

The breath seems to exit Regulus’ chest in one swift ‘whoosh’, “Yeah,” he sighs, “I know,”

A chair slides roughly across the floor, “It’s not your fault, Reg,” Barty murmurs quietly.

Regulus scoffs, “I should have seen the signs. I should have known he was going to have an episode,”

“Bullshit, Regulus. You’re in the middle of your OWLS prep. You’ve been holed in the library for the last two weeks. How many times have you even gotten to see him in the last month?”

Someone stands up and begins pacing, James reckons it must be Regulus. He always paces when he’s agitated, “That’s just the thing, Barty! I haven’t seen him more than once or twice since the Quidditch match with Gryffindor and Slytherin. I’ve been too damn busy to notice anything was wrong!”

A new voice chimes in, “Sit the fuck down, Regulus,” Ah, Evan’s joined the fray.

James can nearly see the death glare mixed with a pout that Regulus sends Evan as he plops ungracefully into his chair.

“Potter is not your responsibility. No, shut the fuck up and listen to me, Regulus,” James wants to chuckle, because only a Rosier can talk to Regulus like that and get away with it, “Potter is not your responsibility. You both discussed how stressful these next two months were going to be for you. He understood and respected your need for space, and other than making sure you’re taking care of yourself, he hasn’t pushed. You haven’t seen him more than a couple of times, how would you have noticed anything was wrong?”

Regulus makes a distressed noise, but doesn’t interrupt.

“Potter is not your responsibility. If anyone should have noticed something was wrong, it should have been your brother, or Lupin, or Pettigrew, or hell, even McGonagall. But they didn’t. And that’s not your fucking problem. That’s on them.”

“You’ve said it yourself, Reg,” Barty says, quietly, “James is really good at hiding this from people. He kept it from his best friends, his teachers, and classmates for six years. Hell, I deal with the same shit he does and I didn’t even connect the dots until the beginning of this year.”

There’s a resigned sigh from Regulus. James thinks he might be scrubbing a hand down his face like he does when he’s stressed. The thought makes guilt pool in his gut.

“I know you’re right,” Regulus says quietly, “It’s just…a lot. Right now. It’s all just a lot to deal with right now,”

And James can’t stop the sound that’s something between a crushing sob and hysterical laughter bubble out of his throat. Here I go again, he thinks, destroying everything good in my life because I’m too fucking much. He blacks out again.

[be-a-snake-stab-your-brother]

Oh ho ho ho prepare thyselves, I have some thoughts about Loki's appearance in the latest What If... episode

Let's jump into this.

Okay. So Loki shows up with an (if not the) entire contingent of Einherjar and the Warriors Three (Four, really), giving the same damn speech he did during Infinity War, minus the "Odinson" portion.

Okay. So Loki shows up with an (if not the) entire contingent of Einherjar and the Warriors Three (Four, really), giving the same damn speech he did during Infinity War, minus the "Odinson" portion.

This isn't a mistake. Loki, at this point, damn well knows who he really is and why. And assuming that events up to this point follow the same trajectory as the "sacred timeline" (does anyone else think the "Watcher" is just Kang hanging out with a bowl of popcorn overlooking the multiverse because that's how I'm reading it...) Anyway, assuming everything we see in the first Thor movie holds true up until Thor's murder...

And that's just the thing, isn't it? It's Thor's murder that is the "nexus event." Loki comes screaming down to Midgard, apparently having secured the loyalty of all of Asgard as its acting King (he's still holding Gungnir, after all) so something must have gone on behind the scenes for everyone to start trusting him. Even when they obviously know he is Jotun.

AGAIN, HE LEADS WITH THE WHOLE JOTUNHEIM THING. Doesn't deny it, proclaims it in front of the entire Asgardian army. This...this is a very different Loki than we saw in the first Thor movie. Whatever shame he held about being Jotun, he's at least come to partial terms with it. And it's not the reason he ends up taking over Midgard/Earth (more on this later).

Loki isn't on Midgard because he wants a kingdom. He's the "rightful" King of Jotunheim, not the actual one. And he's actually quite forward about the fact he's rallied the entire Asgardian army to avenge his adopted brother's death. He loves Thor that much. (As if Asgard would deny him this. Of course not, they'd want their "pound of flesh," or more, just like Loki does.)

Remember the Loki series? When Classic Loki just wanted to see his brother again? This is the same thing.

Now here's what I find really fascinating.

When Loki goes for his show of strength, when he declares he will reduce Midgard to ruins (specifically, "ash and ice") if he doesn't get the "pound of flesh" aka the entire corpse he deserves (and just...the meta of this...the pound of flesh being a reference to Merchant of Venice and Tommy H being a Shakespeare expert is just perfection on every level)

Anyway, Loki goes for the bloody Casket of Ancient Winters.

Again, Loki has Gungnir, which is not only a weapon no one would laugh at, but a symbol of the Asgardian monarchy, and yet he takes them all out with the Jotunheim Casket. I mean, fascinating. And Loki doesn't turn blue while handling it, which I believe (contrary to some internet opinion) means he has mastered the Casket as its wielder. Meaning he's come to terms with his identity. Even if he still hates Odin, who may be dead or alive at this juncture (Frigga is most definitely alive, or else Loki would be having a breakdown). I find this choice utterly fascinating.

So I want to reiterate that through this entire exchange, Loki is on Earth for a single purpose: vengeance. He wants his brother's killer. He shows no signs of desire to take over the planet, to subjugate its people, and he has never met Thanos (in any iteration) because he never let go on the Rainbow Bridge. It's not until later, not until Hank Pym spills some beans regarding Fury, that Loki seems to switch tracks.

So Fury and Loki strike a deal and Loki (illusioned as Fury because that is most definitely one of the powers Loki has) outs Hank Pym as the murderer of the proto-Avengers, who is on a revenge tour due to his daughter's death during her SHIELD days (which was likely an alt-universe Bucky Barnes/aka the Winter Solider seeing as it was in Odessa and that's just an entirely different story to deconstruct).

But here's the interesting part:

Remember, Fury is not Fury here. I doubt the real Nick Fury would ever refer to Thor as a "Prince of Asgard," and so we know this conversation is happening between Loki and Hank (and wow, I a) never thought I'd type that sentence and b) I cannot believe Marvel got bloody Michael Douglas to play this character, holy hell).

But the important thing to remember here is Hank's point of view. The way he casually says Fury would have recruited Thor for his initiative. Hints that if Fury had done so, he would have considered Thor as an expendable hero. Outright says he would prefer Fury's death over Thor's and this is the moment I believe Loki decides to conquer Earth. Because he cannot trust these warring factions and his brother is dead because of it.

And Loki wipes the floor with Hank. Think about it. Hank has managed to kill all of the Avengers minus Steve Rogers (only due to the fact Steve was doing his popsicle impression at the time). He managed to kill Thor.

And Loki destroys him within a few minutes. I mean, what a testament to our deity of mischief.

But has Loki really gotten his pound of flesh? Hank is taken away, not dead. Thor is still gone, forever. And there was enough logic in what Hank said during their confrontation (after all, Loki would know about being used as a weapon, or at the very least a means to an end. He had that conversation with Odin. He will not stand to see it repeated with Thor). There was enough in that exchange with Hank, there was enough in the negotiations with Fury...that Loki directs his army (his legitimate army who does not rebel against him) to take over Earth in what we can only assume is a mostly peaceful coup (minus some frigid temperatures here and there, but you know, we can just say Loki was counteracting global warming at the same time.) No Chitauri, no Thanos, no utter craziness.

Just...retribution on this planet for making Loki lose what was dearest to him.