#-when roman already knows and LIKES who he is. hes not good and he doesnt wanna change. he just wants Neo back.

[maskyartist]

almost done with V9 officially, its fuckin awesome i love every second of this heartache but yall know me well enough

i already have an AU planned out to make Roman live in that bitch.

[deeply-unserious-fellow]

HOLY FUCKING SHIT HAZBIN WAS SO FUCKING GOOD IM GOING INSANE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKENFKCMKWJRKFNSMSMDMSMDN-

Okay. Okay deep breaths. Time for some cool and collected comentary. Okay.

Putting it under the cut so ppl can avoid spoilers :)

HUSK USED TO BE AN OVERLORD!?!?!?!?!? HELLO!?!?!?!?!? FUCKIN PLOTTWIST OF THE CENTURY WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!?!?

Huskerdust my beloved

SIR PENTIOUS MY BELOVED

Vox was great. I love him he's so fucking cool-

If Vox wasn't already a Tumblr sexyman he's definitely gonna be one now. He's so fucking Onceler coded it's insane.

Velvette was amazing too. It's so funny that she's British lmao I was not expecting that

Velvette is also very Anne Boelyne(like from SIX not from Real Life) coded it's wild. Her part in that song with Carmila was giving so much Don't Lose Your Head

I swear I'll stop comparing them to other characters I SWEAR

Okay but me and my brother are working on a Hazbin Hotel swap AU where we swap the main cast with the overlords and in that AU we swapped Husk and Vox. The Husk used to be an overlord reveal is gonna make that AU soooooo much easier lmao

ADAM IS REALLY GOOD I promised I would stop comparing to other characters but he was giving SO MUCH Hades from Disney's Hercules like its insane

I think we should let Alex Brightman sing rocj and roll more often that song was such a fucking BANGER

SPEAKING OF THE SONGS- oh my god I love the soundtrack so fucking much-

Stayed Gone was a lil less hype then I was expecting but thats okay cuz it was still a banger and I loved the visuals

That song battle between Carmilla and Velvette????? Oh my god??????

Carmilla and Vaggie's song was also amazing but I think I know why they didn't have Stephanie Beatriz sing her own song in Elena of Avalor y'know, girl cannot hold a character voice while singing

LOSER WAS SO FUCKING GOOD- I love Huskerdust so much. I love Keith David so much. Blake Roman is such a phenomenal Angel Dust.

SPEAKING OF all the voice actors are amazing. Blake Roman, Brightman as Pentious and Joel Perez were the ones I was the most worried abt but I loved all their preformances so much it was fucking fantastic

Valentino can go die in a fucking hole <3

The other Vees are cool and fun to watch but I hope Valentino fucking dies

Okay to be fair he's also fun to watch when he's not in the same room as Angel Dust but tHAT DOESNT SUPERSEID MY HATRED FUCK 👏 THAT 👏 GUY 👏👏👏👏

Speaking of the Vees tho I do love their dynamic

My favorite episode was probably Radio Killed the Video Star bcuz of mY BOYS PENTIOUS AND VOX!!!!!!!!

And the most painful episode to watch was- no surprise- Masquerade

That episode was a fucking rollercoaster Jesus fucking Christ...

Those scenes with Angel and Valentino where so fucking visceral... like. Who the fuck wrote that. Who are you. Are you okay. Do you need help-

Tho I'm not sure abt how they're handling the ah- more serious bits of Angel's character. It is WAYYYYYY to early to tell and I think Loser wasn't like. Trying to downplay the situation. But the writers better have been careful moving foreward bcuz I can def see a world where Angel's arc goes very wrong very fast-

Also while we're criticizing: wasn't a fan of the pacing. Especially in episode two. Like I can look past it, but the way they breeze past some plot points kinda bugged me

Otherwise it was sooooooo fucking good man oh my god

THE HUMOR WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN PPL MAKE IT OUT TO BEEEEEE PPL NEED TO STOP SHITTING ON THE COMEDY IN THESE SHOWS MAN-

The gag where Niffty just fucking stopped thinking every time the camera turned on was so fucking good

Niffty in general was really fuckin funny

Alastor was a lot less prominent of a character then I thought he would be but tbh I think that's for the best. He's like Discord from My Little Pony, fun in small doses but if you don't set perameters for how often he appears and when he's willing to help it kinda breaks the show

Chaggie is adorable and I love them <3

I think this show does a really good job balancing the focus on the whole cast! These first 4 episodes seem to be pretty Charlie, Angel and kind of Vaggie heavy but everybody still gets their fair share of attention!

THE ANIMATIOJ OH MY GOD- IT WAS FUCKING PHENOMENAL IM LOSING MY M I N D

Im going feral IM GOING FERAL THIS EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS AKFNVKKENFEKFNDN

I love comedy. I love musicals. I love drama. I love silly characters. I LOVE ANIMATION!!!!!!!

It's like the South Park movie but longer and better animated and IVE BEEN WAITING FOUR FUCKING YEARS-

Just. So excited overall. Can't wait to see where it goes. May make more posts abt my thoughts in tbe future.

[wrdn-tabris]

hi! i just found about your blog and about your oc, nico, and i am obsessed already :D! could you tell me more about nico, and what his relationship with jason is like?

WAH THANK YOU sorry for the late response, i was working all day and then i took a nap fdjsl

NICO IS MY SWEET BABY he was a weird little kid who grew up to become a weird adult. he and jason were childhood friends who were both very small kids, tho jason was a little bigger than nico, so he tried to look out for them.

they ended up separated when jason ended up homeless after his mother passed, and during that time nico started coming into his sort of natural 'magic' in a sense.

his family is apart of a magic cult and bc of their connection with that hes got sort of a spooky connection to the afterlife, so it started when he was younger by hearing things, sort of seeing things, and seeing visions in mirrors of people who were going to die (he saw jasons death before it happened! actually! or an apparition of his dead body), usually violently OR near him. this understandably caused him a lot of stress.

i think his mother who really had no idea about the cult stuff:tm: tried to get him help. nico was medicated for a while, tho im not sure if it helped or not. he just learned to sort of stop talking about what he was seeing and hearing, kept his head down.

nicos very much a quiet and friendly person. hes sort of shy, not used to people, but enjoys talking about his interests. before he 'died' he really enjoyed like. exploring abandoned places and walking in the woods and things like tht, nico likes to write and play video games and is a horrible cook. aside from his total anxiety about going outside sometimes hes a v happy person!

and so him and jason! they meet again sometime after utrh maybe in ocverse sandbox haha, get to know each other again. jason has no idea who nico is at first bc he remembers a weird little girl who went by a different name and not who nico is now, but hes privately excited to get to know them again. and also to have someone whose totally separate from the whole vigilante thing

they got a good amount of trust with each other for a while, until nico DOES find out abt the vigilante thing and gets a wee bit upset. he doesnt tlk to jason for a while UNTIL the cult finally needs him for their whole ritualistic summoning of their demon god and asks jason for help. and he tries. jason tries really really hard, but with him trying to keep nico safe from cult stuff + batman whose investigating this new group in his city, the chips r kinda stacked against him. nico sees a vision of jason dead again, and he cant kill his friend, so he ends up slipping out n contacting his father and ends up sacrificed and killed.

he comes back! spends like 4 months trying to get back to gotham and sometime after coming back and learning tht he is like. perma possessed and stuff, he n jason end up dating n nico starts learning how to use his own magic and etc

he and jason r very sweet. jasons a lil protective over him, and vice versa with nico, whose a lil paranoid and wants to make sure his loved ones are safe constantly. he doesnt sleep much, because the demon gives him bad dreams, so he stays up until jason comes home from patrol. theyre just very sickeningly cute.

and id be remiss if i didnt mention my friend kits oc keeva, whose nicos cousin, or my friend romans oc isaac, who nico is also dating. ot3 polycule baby.

[pacifymebby]

Not an ask but I love how you and B are the perfect companions/partners/lovers. The way you talk about him is so romanic. Tell us your secret to love haha?

Aw bestie this is cute <3

I mean we're not the perfect couple, we do argue sometimes and its not always easy but i guess we do have a very calm and lovely little relationship.

I think a lot of it works just because we're well matched? Im a very anxious, over-thinker who struggles to stand up for herself. Im one of those vague wishy washy creatives that gets dubbed "too empathetic" and B is a very sturdy and earthy kind of boy, hes a logical thinker and although he has empathy he doesnt let people take the piss/knows how to stand up for himself. Like our differences make us fit together like a little jigsaw.

Hes also just really really kind and warm and like, just a really lovely boy. Wouldnt hurt a fly (litterally will not hurt any living creature, when he gets rid of spiders for me he picks them up so carefully and has whole conversations with them whilst hes taking them outside. He'll even pick a perfect spot to put them down as well) he a very pure man i guess haha.

I phoned him the other day when i was feeling super anxious and the minute i heard his voice i just immediately calmed down it was like a wave washing over me. And when i told him he couldnt even understand why he was just like "oh... Thats good im glad.." now every time he answers the phone he asks me "did it happen again?" like hes really proud of the fact its so cute.

Idk though i think relationships have to be about friendship and mutual respect, nothing is better than feeling both loved and respected, knowing someone cares about you in that way is very important and i think the only way you can have a healthy relationship.

I think sometimes falling in love with your best friend is actually the right thing to do and very much worth the risk.

This is definitely the happiest healthiest relationship ive ever had and i think its because the physical and sexual attraction came when we'd already been friends for like 2 years.

Idk, i guess some of its just nature and how we are, and i do kind of believe in soulmates and that everything in my life was leading me to meet him... But then also staying together and maintaining a loving relationship is about persevering and sticking it out through difficult patches.

B puts up with a lot of shit because i am very much not mentally well, and we do have differences of opinion/temperament and like expectations sometimes. So we both have to be determined you know?

Like i think maybe being determined to love is something important?

Sorry i feel like theres 0 advice or insight here and just me talking about how lovely B is haha

[just-some-random-blogger]

hello, lovie!! its not during the day for you but i really needed to sleep for a bit. its either gonna be really long and have more than 2 parts or really short (not likely). 'matt like mumbling' he!! hes the least understandable person in hotd for me. i love you man but can you like.. SPEAK.. open your mouth yk. hope youll watch the episode. 'T_T Спасибо, любимый' cute but its a masculine form.. one friend calls me that while joking TT Всё нормально, дорогая. 'I ALREADY LOOKED UP THE LYRICS AND GOT THE ROMANIZED RUSSIA' omg its so sweet of you TT so. im listing my fav songs so you can just choose whatever youre comfortable with. my ultimate bias is '24/7' by the neighbourhood but it has rap. but ive got a feeling that your magnificent voiced sound so good in this. 'the lighthouse' and 'honey' (idk it also has some kind of rap? not really but yeah. im that kind of person fr) by halsey. ive seen you dooing some kpop covers so if youre ever interested i think youd sound great in 'she's fine' by heize. oh and ive just found 'why do you love me' by charlotte lawrence but ive been listening to minnies cover. ohoh and. have you ever seen steven universe? it has great songs no matter what (i havent watched the last seasons so cant say anything). so 'love like you' and 'here comes a thought' are soso AAAH. maybe youll like them. thats all ig. tbh, id love to see whatever cover you make! bc youre just the most pretty and talented hottie-cutie and i luvluv you <з 'this is how i feel about music' ooh its good to know! well-well im 18 and im studying slavic philology. yk passion for.. just language. dull but still. 'i wanted to write it but now i dont' omg beauty idk how i can help you TT hope youll make it out. no matter if youll manage to write it or decide not to. 'i think you mean your are ok with yourself getting hurt' well i didnt mean it but not gonna say its completely wrong. i meant this more in a.. sarcastic way? a fake joy of ruining my life. here we have a culture of death and depression related jokes and sarcasm and so on. the pressing environment. it sounds awful but.. were all so mentally ill its DREADFUL but funny) 'idk what i feel about the nickname' i meant it in a 'good person' way but if youre uncomfortable with it, im sorry. the bread eating tradition is actually from the ancient Rus ig? but nvm its become stronger after the wwII bc of the lack of bread during it. now 1) lots of teens says against this culture bc now we have enough food and they say its outdated 2) a culture of healthy eating is strong and twisted a bit? a lot of people dont eat bread to not gain weight. i just dont like bread so much to eat it with everything. 'DAMN WITH NO RICE' yeah were criminals. well its not really an equivalent of flan but it reminds it in a way. 'запеканка' literally means a thing that is baked?.. its usually made with the cottage cheese or the shortbread and then literally anything a person can think of. idk whos nada... but ill definately watch this vid later! give me more english vids with some social themes pls. 'ok for me not to feel that much feelings at all towards nada' yeah ig thats it? tbh tolerance is a little overrated?.. ik how it sounds but hear me out. maybe its just me but preferring something or smn with privileges over smth or smn without those very privileges seems not so right nowadays no matter what is the reason? as not liking a woman arouses a question about being a sexist while not liking a man isnt discussed and everyone understands why. i know why its like this but im not gonna continue, its going to be long. you have a right to not feel strong feelings when you dont feel them. its simple. it doesnt matter if its a male or female character. we all are too determined about our sexes? ok but im not continuing THIS definately. ig ill answer to why you love that issue the most in the next part. and i want to discuss smth else about discrimination. so! have a nice morning/day/evening, see you in the next part!

Hello baby!!!

i appreciate the fact the person put the kitties in the towel/blanket.

its not during the day for you but i really needed to sleep for a bit. its either gonna be really long and have more than 2 parts or really short (not likely).

you should ONLY send me asks when its day FOR YOU 😡🤺 pls take care of yourself T_T i dont mind waiting T_T

'matt like mumbling' he!! hes the least understandable person in hotd for me. i love you man but can you like.. SPEAK.. open your mouth yk. hope youll watch the episode.

LOLAHSKHASLFHKLAHSFHSAFHFH FOUL poor matty T_T BUT NAH UR SO RIGHT he be mumblin but i love him we still love him HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OPEN YOUR MOUTH BOY i'll try to watch it

'T_T Спасибо, любимый' cute but its a masculine form.. one friend calls me that while joking TT Всё нормально, дорогая.

i didnt know you have fem/masc form of words O.O mind blown. i checked the translation and apparently it became darling? i typed my love actually so thats on google translate. it seems like something a friend would do HAHAHAH

'I ALREADY LOOKED UP THE LYRICS AND GOT THE ROMANIZED RUSSIA' omg its so sweet of you TT so.

idk if i;ll ever sing it but i do like that song

im listing my fav songs so you can just choose whatever youre comfortable with. my ultimate bias is '24/7' by the neighbourhood but it has rap. but ive got a feeling that your magnificent voiced sound so good in this.

but theres no rap here? the verses just are quite monotonous or they dont sing in a wide range of notes. rap usually are atonal meaning they dont have a pitch its like talking but with rhythm. it's a fine song. i like the neighbourhood. i now know what kind of songs you gravitate to

'the lighthouse' and 'honey' (idk it also has some kind of rap? not really but yeah. im that kind of person fr) by halsey.

i listened to lighthouse! i like it exponentially more that the first song because of its grit. it kind of has a rock vibe, which i enjoy. i havent listened to halsey in a long time so you've made me like her again. random fact i was so freaked out by her name when i first encountered her T_T because i couldn't read it as any other way than ashley (which is what her name is an anagram of) idk i think i have mild dyslexia. i listened to honey too! i like it as well but i like lighthouse the most because THE GRIT 😩 but i could do this one too. halsey be talkin about thighs and being mean HAHHAHA kinky HAHAHAHAh thank you for reviving my interest in halsey btw none of these songs have raps babe

ive seen you dooing some kpop covers so if youre ever interested i think youd sound great in 'she's fine' by heize.

pls why would you watch my old videos T_T its cringe cos i didnt have equipment yet at the time. id rather not do a kpop cover because im very concerned about pronouncing words wrong. also the song is just fine to me HAHAHAH like its title. i will do lighthouse then HAHAHH gimme a few days to learn it. im also editing 2 songs so i can finally post it. i recorded yesterday. i hope you like it when i show it to you. i wont link it anymore since you have my youtube so i hope you subbed and put notifs on HAHAHH

oh and ive just found 'why do you love me' by charlotte lawrence but ive been listening to minnies cover. ohoh and.

this sounds so much like so happy together by the turtles . i like it shes like fine shes toxic HAHAHAHHA we love that in art HAHHAAH shes quite monotonous too so yeah its fine

have you ever seen steven universe? it has great songs no matter what (i havent watched the last seasons so cant say anything). so 'love like you' and 'here comes a thought' are soso AAAH. maybe youll like them. thats all ig.

i know steven universe. I listened 'love like you' AND I LOVE THE SONG SO MUCH but i would have to do the instrumentals and if i dont the song would be ruined and the instrumentals are so sweet i might mess it up idk. i like the second song too, here comes a thought, but the first one is so much nicer to me. maybe because the performer is better in the first one.

tbh, id love to see whatever cover you make! bc youre just the most pretty and talented hottie-cutie and i luvluv you <з

aw thank you baby T_T

'this is how i feel about music' ooh its good to know!

<3

well-well im 18 and im studying slavic philology. yk passion for.. just language. dull but still.

WOW I HAD TO LOOK UP WHAT PHILOLOGY IS THATS SO COOL ITS NOT DULL AT ALL om ur 18 T_T ur a baby T_T ur a literal child T_T my goodness T_T T_T T_T i feel kinda weird now T_T for interacting with someone thats about my younger brothers age online T_T my child my goodness

'i wanted to write it but now i dont' omg beauty idk how i can help you TT hope youll make it out. no matter if youll manage to write it or decide not to.

HAHAAH I MEANT I WANT TO WRITE IT BUT NOT ANYMORE AT THE MOMENT it happens HAHAHH but i still will write the fic dont worry

'i think you mean your are ok with yourself getting hurt' well i didnt mean it but not gonna say its completely wrong. i meant this more in a.. sarcastic way? a fake joy of ruining my life. here we have a culture of death and depression related jokes and sarcasm and so on. the pressing environment. it sounds awful but.. were all so mentally ill its DREADFUL but funny)

ah i see. i have friends who joke about death/dying a lot but i never like it nor do i condone it as the designated mom friend so pls i know its a joke but dont be so ok with it.

'idk what i feel about the nickname' i meant it in a 'good person' way but if youre uncomfortable with it, im sorry.

NO WHY ARE YOU APOLOGIZING I JUST SAID IDK WHAT I FEEL ABOUT IT ITS NOT UNCOMFY ITS JUST LIKE ??? IDK WHAT I FEEL ABOUT IT STOP APOLOGIZING 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

the bread eating tradition is actually from the ancient Rus ig? but nvm its become stronger after the wwII bc of the lack of bread during it. now 1) lots of teens says against this culture bc now we have enough food and they say its outdated 2) a culture of healthy eating is strong and twisted a bit? a lot of people dont eat bread to not gain weight. i just dont like bread so much to eat it with everything.

ahhhh i see. wwii L. diet culture is ulTRA MEGA L. i love bread but not just like plain bread. i understand what you mean about bread. i mean love the possibilities you could have with bread. you can make it toast you can eat it with hot choco you can make a sandwich YUM but bread < rice lol

'DAMN WITH NO RICE' yeah were criminals.

well its not really an equivalent of flan but it reminds it in a way. 'запеканка' literally means a thing that is baked?.. its usually made with the cottage cheese or the shortbread and then literally anything a person can think of.

i see! this looks like a cheesecake like the baked version (because there's a no baked version) REALLY INTERSTING LOOKS YUMMY 10/10 would lOVE TO TRY even though i cant even read the russian symbols and my brain is like ah yes the one thats almost is a rectangle is a p (based on all the russian texts ive seen since talking with you) wtf why is the a 3 and the k is probably not a k

idk whos nada...

yes i know T_T HAHAHAHAH

but ill definately watch this vid later! give me more english vids with some social themes pls.

that channel that made that video (theyre called the take) have amazing insight on things. i think the first video i watched on them was about himbos or perhaps it was the one i enjoyed the most?? which is why i remember it but yeah they have amazing takes on things pun intended

'ok for me not to feel that much feelings at all towards nada' yeah ig thats it? tbh tolerance is a little overrated?.. ik how it sounds but hear me out. maybe its just me but preferring something or smn with privileges over smth or smn without those very privileges seems not so right nowadays no matter what is the reason? as not liking a woman arouses a question about being a sexist while not liking a man isnt discussed and everyone understands why. i know why its like this but im not gonna continue, its going to be long. you have a right to not feel strong feelings when you dont feel them. its simple. it doesnt matter if its a male or female character. we all are too determined about our sexes? ok but im not continuing THIS definately.

but this is very true. some people can be like oh u dont like this woman you misogynist ??? no thats not how that works ???? it was a good food for thought for me though, kind of this catharsis I had over nada. i went from omg am i internally misogynistic to oh wait nah its just that she's literally just a plot device without too much depth used for nada. this now kind opens the discussion of, oh women are only used as plot devices for character development of men. and yeah thats a problem but T_T yeah lets not get into that AHHHHAHAHA

yeah you should be able to like and not like a character but hopefully you only do it based on their character not something like apperance sex or whatever

ig ill answer to why you love that issue the most in the next part. and i want to discuss smth else about discrimination. so! have a nice morning/day/evening, see you in the next part!

AH YES LETS GO PHILOSOPHICAL DEBATE HOLLA

xxx

[literallyshiv]

what r ur main character age hcs 👀! by main i mean your regular hcs

HEEHEE i was already halfway through a draft of this when i got this message get ready for a really long answer. for clarity's sake, all birth years are based on the succesion universe starting in fall 2018 and ending up in summer 2019 at the end of season three

starting with what we know for certain: kendall is 40 (born in spring 1979) and logan is 80 (b. 1938), making logan 40 when kendall was born.

with roman and shiv, i was a youngest sibling roman truther until i found out that the writers actually have shiv as the youngest (and also specifically said in the pilot script that roman is 38 lol), SO, the closest i can get to remedy this making them irish twins, roman age 37 (october 1981) and shiv age 36 (september 1982). they would have been in the same grade of school throughout their childhood.

connor is a little bit harder because of alan ruck's age, and while characters and actors don't have to be the same age, i absolutely cannot see him playing any younger than mid fifties. i like to put a definitive number on things though, so I'll say 55 (b. 1963), so that would make logan 25 when connor was born and i could see logan following the traditional route for when he was raised to marry and start a family early on in life. plus it makes connor about eighteen years older than shiv and roman, which i think works out nicely for him to have gone off to college just as shiv and roman were born and graduate just in time to come back into their lives when they are just old enough to have conscious memories and play a significant part in raising them

where this REALLY gets fun for me is to take ewan and marianne into account, because i think it's very fun to imagine that marianne and connor were close throughout their childhood. so what we know about logan and ewan's youth is that ewan is the older brother, and at some point he enlisted in the military during the vietnam war, according to logan, with the motivation to impress some girl. SO. i think that it easily could check out that ewan saw his younger brother get married and have a child before he did, felt extra motivation to commit to a partner himself, and enlist in the military while he was with the woman who would be marianne's mother.

im making this up wholecloth at this point, but i like the idea of him being with his girlfriend/wife while still serving in the war but occasionally coming home, and she becomes pregnant while he's still active, so she relies a lot on logan's family to help with her responsibilities on top of raising a child while ewan is away. this also provides a really good basis for the rift between logan and ewan because his entire motivation for enlisting in the first place would have been with the end goal of starting his own family, and then he misses out on a significant amount of that because he's on duty while his wife and child are in canada meanwhile logan IS there while ewan's child is growing up. and just for extra pizazz, lets say ewan was still active when logan starts waystar (we know that logan has been ceo of waystar for 50 years, making him 30 when it he started the company) and throw in one more year of active duty for logan to get the business off the ground to really rub salt in the wound.

to sort out the years: 1963 connor is born, 1964 ewan enlists, 1965 ewan gets married and they become pregnant, 1966 marianne is born, 1968 waystar is formally started, and 1969 ewan finishes his time in the military. SO: when ewan returns to canada to stay this time, he missed the first three years of his child growing up, his wife and daughter have spent the majority of the time with logan's family, and on top of it all logan has started a burgeoning business. that'd be a strong basis for ewan to harbor some bitterness for logan i think, even if their actual falling out doesnt occur for several more years, possibly decades, after all of that goes down.

ALRIGHT. MOVING ON. in the pilot script, we get the following ages: greg early 20s, shiv late 20s, tom late 30s. obviously i don't think these are accurate to what the character ended up being, but i do think the age gaps remained relatively the same, with each of them being just under a decade older. i already said i put shiv at 36, and i like to stick with ten years between her and tom, so i have him at 46 turning 47 soon (b. 1972)

with greg i like to imagine he specifically hasn't hit 30 yet mostly because i think it's funny to imagine the ordeal of his actual thirtieth birthday happening. i also already said i have marianne born in 1966 and i imagine she and greg's dad weren't initially together for very long given the whole "he's gay" thing, (timeline-wise it would also check out if his motivation for being with her was the homophobia towards young gay men in the late 80s early 90s), but then she gets pregnant and he feels some commitment to not just abandon her (and, personally, I don't think he ever straight up abandoned her and greg. they probably had a somewhat painful seperation given how greg never mentions him throughout the series but he does mention his mother, but i don't think he was some deadbeat or that he left to 'go to the store' and never came back. again— im entirely making this up lol this is just the version of events that exist in my mind) SO all that said, i think greg turned 28 sometime over the course of the series so far, putting his birthday in late 1990 or early 1991, making marianne 25 when she had him.

AND FINALLY. honorable mention to willa who we have no context for her age whatsoever other than the actress's age. i have her at 31 (b. 1987)— i think she's at the age where she's starting to think about the long term sustainability of escorting for her personally (whether she'll be able to continue making as much money as she does now), which makes the idea of committing to be exclusive with connor much more appealing in spite of the fact that she doesn't seem too excited about the prospect of doing so in season one

[that-sarcastic-writer]

Coach (3)

Fandom: Dylan O'Brien

Pairing: AU!Dylan X Fem!Reader

Summary: after working things out with Roman, Dylan makes you a proposition that will be hard to decline

Warnings: nothing majors, not even cursing. Some angst

WC: 2.1k

Series masterlist

Part 4

It wasn't long before you and Dylan had to part ways. With your children asking 'when are we leaving' every five minutes, you had to cut your conversation short. You ended up submitting to your children's wishes in fear that Roman would end up hot wiring your car and drive off himself. Yes, he was capable of doing that. You were a bit disappointed to say the least. You were enjoying Dylan's company. It was one thing to be around Liz or at work all the time, but it was a completely different thing to be around a man you were attracted to, even if there was nothing sexual to it, the change in air felt nice. It was nice to have a conversation with a man who genuinely cared about what you were saying, who genuinely listened. Dylan did just that, every word you said to him he would listen to like he was actually interested. Definitely something your ex husband didn't actually do. 

But of course, you eventually had to leave and so did he. You were now dreading the conversation that followed. You had to confront Roman about what happened, and you honestly had no idea how to. You didn't want to seem too intrusive but you didn't want to let him off the hook that easily. You didn't know how you were going to address it honestly.

Soon enough, the time came.

After you finally managed to put Athena to bed, you made your way to Roman's room. You peeked the door open and slightly knocked. Roman was already in bed, reading one of his superhero comics — you assumed. He looked up when he heard you knock. 

"Hey baby. Can I come in?" You said softly as you stood by the half opened door, waiting for your son's response. He simply nodded.

You half smiled as you stepped into the room and made your short way towards Roman's bed and took a seat on the edge of it.

Here we go.

"So.. Coach Dylan told me about your fight." You spoke calmly while also giving him a stern look.

His mouth went in an 'o' shape and his gaze dropped to the sheets in front of him. "Oh.."

"So, could you tell me why you did it?" You asked carefully and raised an eyebrow at the young boy as he avoided all eye contact.

Do not say 'I don't know'.

Roman simply shrugged in response, muttering a low, "I don't know."

And there it was.

You exhaled deeply through your nose as you attempted to say calm and passive, "Roman, look at me." You spoke sternly as you lifted his head up, making him look at you. "Talk to me baby, I won't get mad, I promise." 

There was that look again, like the one he had at the restaurant. Like something in his eyes lit up, but not in a good way, in the sad and broken kind of way. Like something in him said 'it's okay, you can let go' and so he did. His eyes quickly filled with tears and choked out a sob. 

"I'm sorry—I'm sorry mom I just— he kept talking about dad, about you, about how my dad would never show up to practice or to a game like his did. And-And he said that if my own dad didn't care to play with me, to watch me play then nobody did," he finally spilled, tears flowing down his face as fast as his words came out of his mouth. And it killed you. "A-And it hurt mom. It really hurt. I-I don't know. It hurts that dad doesnt love us, that he doesn't love me, Athena or you. I don't have a dad and it just hurts so much."

Now it was your turn to cry. There is nothing that hurts you more than seeing your children hurting, completely and utterly broken just like Roman was in that moment. Seeing him break down to tears, tell you the things he has been keeping deep inside his chest for months, it broke you, too. 

"Oh Roman." You said shakily and wrapped your arms around the small boy, not caring if he didn't want your touch. But surprisingly enough he accepted it, he went right into your embrace and hugged you tight as he cried into your chest. "Baby I know your dad and I made you go through a lot, I have no excuse for that. But I can tell you that your dad and I love you more than anything in the world. You and your sister are the best thing that has happened to us and we will always love you both, even if we aren't together anymore. Okay baby? It's okay." 

You pressed a kiss to his head and ran your fingers through his hair as you rocked him softly until you felt him sniffle into your chest and nod slowly.

"I'm really sorry mom. I didn't mean to hit him. Please don't take me off the team." He practically begged, looking up at you with his crystalized eyes. 

"I won't, I already talked to coach Dylan and he said he won't take you off the team. But you have to apologize to the kid and his parents. And I need you to promise me you will never do that again, because coach Dylan let it slide this time, but he won't do it twice, okay? " You ran your fingers over his face, drying off his tears as he nodded in defeat. 

"Okay mom, I promise I won't. It was stupid." He sniffled, for the first time in months showing genuine emotions. "Mom?" 

"Yeah baby?"

"Can you please stay until I fall asleep?" He looked down, almost as if he was embarrassed to ask. You were about to cry again, but for completely different reasons. This was the first time in months he asked you to be around. He actually still wanted you around. 

"Oh Rome, of course. I'll stay with you for as long as you want." You pressed a long loving kiss to his forehead before settling into bed with Roman. You stayed sitting up against the headboard while Roman curled up against your side and laid his head on your lap. And you could've sworn you heard a very quiet and almost inaudible 'I love you' before he was sound asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Roman, you promised you would apologize, come on." You sighed heavily as you dragged your son to the other side of the bleachers where you assumed were the parents of the kid Roman punched. 

"Mom—" he all but whined, slightly kicking his feet into the sand but you turned your head and raised an eyebrow at him sternly. He slightly pouted and slouched but he still followed you without another protest. You hummed and nodded. 

"Hey, excuse me, ma'am?" You called out to the tall blonde woman who was standing next to another mom, both of their children talking to themselves. The woman turned around at the call and instantly scoffed. 

"I hope your son has come to apologize after what he did to my son." She huffed, her face stuck in a perpetual bitchy frown as she looked at you and then Roman with a glare. You wondered how the hell does her husband bear to live with her. 

You sighed heavily and simply nodded, stepping aside so she could see Roman.

"Yeah, I'm truly truly sorry about that, it was completely wrong and unacceptable on Roman's behalf. And we're here to apologize, right Roman?" You looked down at your son, who was practically begging you not to with his eyes, but he sighed out heavily and nodded, turning to the woman and the blonde boy behind her. 

"Yeah… I'm really sorry Chris. And I'm really sorry ma'am, I promise I won't do it again." Roman mumbled, his eyes glued to the ground and his hands dug deep into his pocket. You slightly cleared your throat and Roman stuck out his hand for the blonde boy to shake. 

The boy looked just as mortified as Roman did, and he looked up at his mom, who simply scoffed loudly but nodded at her son nonetheless. Both boys shook hands as a silent peace offering and took off to the field. But not before you leaned down and pressed a kiss to Roman's cheek.

"I'll see you in a bit, baby, go warm up." You smiled and messed with his baseball hat before he ran off to the field. When you turned around, you greeted the woman with a bitchy smile, one almost as bitchy as the scowl on her face.

"Look, I understand boys are boys, and they may say harsh things without thinking, but when a grown woman gossips and spreads rumors about another kid's parents, then that's just childish." You smiled, cynically almost, as if you weren't calling her out, because you knew perfectly who talked shit and who didn't. "Kids repeat what they hear at home, so maybe be mindful of the things you say about others around your kid, 'cause then you won't have to complain to the coach when my kid snaps. Take care now." 

When you turned around and walked away, all you heard were loud scoffs and cursing directed at you. You were so occupied trying not to laugh that you didn't notice the tall frame that stood in your way. And when you looked up you saw Dylan, with a hand over his mouth, mostly likely covering the snicker on his face. You weren't exactly quiet and he was close by, so he probably heard everything. 

"You know, if coaching kids has taught me something, it is definitely that adults can be more immature than 10 year old boys. Especially middle aged, rich moms." He laughed, the smile on his face and the glow in his whiskey eyes making your stomach turn.

"Well thank god I'm not middle aged yet, I'd hate to turn into that." You laughed, biting your lip to hide the small smile on your face.

"See, I always thought you were way too beautiful and sweet to be one of these middle aged moms, guess I was right." Dylan smiled with a playful glint and slightly leaned closer to you. You swallowed thickly, your throat suddenly becoming dry, you looked at the field where all of the boys were, his bright eyes and playful smile becoming too distracting to actually think.

"Coach Dylan—"

"Dylan. I told you, it's just Dylan." 

"Coach Dylan," you repeated, taking a step back and shaking your head, "I'm sorry if I might've given you the wrong idea, but you're my son's baseball coach, you're literally the only male figure he has in his life right now and he respects you a lot. And I'd hate to do something that would change that for him. It's not right."

No matter how much you might like Dylan, how much you would love to kiss his lips raw or stare into his whiskey eyes until you fell asleep, you couldn't. Not now, and definitely not with him. It wasn't right. You couldn't do that to Roman. It just wouldn't be right. 

"Well why not? Look I'm sorry if this comes off as straightforward but, I like you, Y/N. You're like my favourite of the moms here because despite everything you got going on in your life, you're always here with Roman at practice and at every game. You've raised an awesome kid and I would love to get to know the amazing human being raising that kid. So I would love to take you on a date sometime, really." Your face almost fell at the invitation, your mouth slightly fell open and your eyes grew wide. He must've noticed the way your face twisted because when you opened your mouth to protest he cut you off, "could I possibly see your phone for just a moment please?" 

You frowned and stared at him a bit confused but he simply smiled sweetly and nodded as if to say 'just trust me'. You were a bit skeptical, but you grabbed your phone from your pocket and handed it to him nonetheless. Dylan didn't speak as he looked at your phone for a few seconds then typed something into it you couldn't quite tell from your angle. He then handed you back your phone, his fingers brushing yours for a split second, the contact sending a small shock through your skin. 

"Uhm, what's this?" You questioned, looking at your phone and seeing his number saved in your contacts. You looked at him with an uncertain look. He ran his tongue over his pink lips, wetting them slowly and ran a hand through his hair under his baseball cap before shrugging.

"Just in case you need someone to talk to. Call me." He winked, the grin on his face never leaving his lips. And before you could speak, he was running off to the field to join his team for today's practice.

Your son's coach was going to be the death of you. 

[kendallsdreamsong]

ummm names in succession. thinkin about em

in episode 1, greg is introduced as "cousin craig". this is the most blatant example of how names are used to show someones value- or rather, lackthereof- of another. logan doesnt give a shit about greg, so even keeping his name in mind is a hassle. shiv speaks up, says that his name is actually greg, and he insists that its fine and he'll answer to both. this reads as him saying that his devaluation is fine, so long as he is Acknowledged by logan (and thus has an in to the family). hes willing to be respected, or not, and he wont let it show that it bugs him. its also just funny

logan calls shiv "pinkie", particularly throughout season 2 & 3 as he is trying to manipulate her. this is ostensibly a term of endearment, an encouragement of shivs desperate hope that his promise is real. it also reminds her very distinctively of her place within the roy family and within waystar - pink is stereotypically associated with women, and fuck knows waystar is a boys club. it also brings to mind the pinkie finger, which is used (usually by children) to seal promises

roman has a complex relationship with names. logan calls him romulus, but only ever to his face - when he is around other people, logan calls him roman. we can also gather that "romulus" is meant to be demeaning, the most obvious example being "you better be smelling your fuckin' armpit, romulus". romulus, as you can imagine, is one of the twins who, according to myth, founded rome. the original romulus killed his sibling, which shows logans expectation of him. combined with how the nickname is used to intimidate him, it shows logans anger that roman wasnt the successor he thought he'd be. to contrast, his siblings often call him rome, particularly when theyre trying to be vulnerable with him (or at least as vulnerable as roy siblings can be) or appeal to him. rome is one letter off from rose, logans dead sister. this starts to get into fantheories & season 4 predictions, so im not gonna look at it too much, but it does serve as good leeway into my final point; roman is two letters off from logan. especially considering how roman is called "bootleg logan" in season 3, this shows the similarities between roman and logan. the difference is, of course, romans inability to hide his love <- im not gonna go too in-depth bc thatd be a whole analysis in and of itself but that was pretty much the point of the season 3 finale

anyways. roy kids name origins ! why not. just for fun. connor is a celtic name derived from "conchobhar" which means "lover of wolves". this reflects his love of nature, his love of his siblings (or wolves, see: dog/wolf motif) and more metaphorically, his "lone wolf" place within the family. kendall seems to be an english name meaning "of the river kent", however it also can also be an anglicized version of the welsh name "cynddelw", which in itself might be derived from a celtic word meaning "exalted", "high", "effigy". im leaning more towards the latter because i cant find anything of note in the history of the river kent, and it shows kendalls almost like. deification? as logans "number one boy". siobhan is an irish name meaning "god is gracious". im struggling to find anything i can relate to her, aside from the fact that its a cognate of the welsh name siân and the english name joan, which brings to mind joan of arc. there are also a couple british politicians named siobhan, and we know a good portion of the writing team is british. aside from that, though, i rlly dont know. i already discussed the origin of romulus, but i thought i'd note that roman is a latin name where the rest are either celtic or english. this is the language of the romans, who conquered the british isles in ancient times. plus his name is literally roman. hes plainly not a "conquerer" of any kind, but he does display a capacity for deliberate cruelty that arguably the rest of the siblings dont have - "im the only child you'll ever need, you can kill the others. love you!" "fascism is kinda cool" etc

okay. infodump over. you can all go home now

[valcalico]

Athena and Ares

(Just my thoughts on them and their relationship)

I have a lot of feelings about these two. They have a very complex dynamic, where they don’t really like each other, but they can’t work without each other either.

Athena provides rationality to the cruelty of war. She is the strategy and logic behind it. The objective. One might say she represents the generals, and the politicians and the main heroes. Basically the big players.

And Ares? He’s the opposite. He represents the emotion associated with war. He is the bloodlust and the desperate fight. Where the battle is thickest, where there is no room for thought, and when its pure survival instinct that drives you, that’s Ares. He represents the worst parts: the blood and the violence and the cruelty. He is accompanied by fear and terror (Phobos and Deimos). One might say he is the god of soldiers.

So they need each other. If they actually worked together, they’d be one of the dangerous forces ever, even in god circles. But they don’t. Not only because of how differently they view the world, but also because of deeper nuances in their relationship.

Athena is beloved. She is Zeus’ favourite child and his right hand goddess. The people love her. She is the patron of one of the most powerful, influential cities, Athens. She is highly respected everywhere else too. A protector of heroes and a friend to humanity.

Ares, on the other hand, is disliked by many. Zeus says he is “the most hateful of all gods” and says he would have thrown him into Tartarus if he wasn’t his and Hera’s son. (Its in the Iliad) (This part always makes me sad poor ares) He is highly respected in Thrace and Sparta. But Athens dislikes him and worships him out of necessity only.

Even in modern times, Athena is considered a feminist icon and badass lady, while Ares is labelled a brute.

Most people know this. So why did I just type out all that? Cause context is important when delving into the myths.

So first of all, let’s debunk that last point I made. In the ancient myths (and I’ll try not to include romans esp. Ovid), it didn’t work that way at all. Of course it’s important to keep in mind that ancient Greece was very misogynistic. But still, Athena was not feminist at all. Her being a “masculine” woman (mostly) was what made her so acceptable to Athens and she was regularly used to shut down other women. Also:

(The actual translation of this scene was circulated a while back. So you’re probably familiar with this. Also I’m not saying this to offend any worshippers of Athena or anyone who admires her. There are a lot of bad things in greek mythology and Athena’s internal and external misogyny is probably the least of my concerns. Plus if the greek gods did exist, i believe they change with the society, so they will no longer be Like That in the present day.)

Ares, on the other hand, was incredibly feminist, especially for that time. He surrounded himself with women he loved and respected. (Aphrodite, Eris, Enyo, etc). His lovers were often famously women who challenged the status quo (Otrera, Cyrene). He was regularly show to be a good father to all his daughters, immortal and mortal. (Harmonia, Hippolyta, Penthesilia, Alkippe). Also:

If that isn’t the coolest thing EVER-

Anyway, I won’t delve deep into that (well, any more than I’ve already rambled about it).

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, we can get to the hypotheticals.

I headcanon that despite ALL the evidence to the contrary, they maybe don’t despise each other completely. I see them having more of a love-hate relationship.

The thing is, gods are very contrary creatures. Zeus and Hera’s fights shake the world one moment, and in the next, they are as loving as any. Apollo is smiling and singing in one moment and skinning a satyr alive in the next. This complexity should be given this relationship too.

Like I said above, they need each other. Both general and soldier are equally important in war. And I don’t think you can completely truly need someone and hate their existence at the same time. (There are exceptions)

This scene in the Iliad really got me thinking:

If you take the scene at face value, this is probably not something to think too much about. Its Athena going to Ares, insulting him a bit, and taking him away from the war.

But its more than that. First off, Athena goes upto Ares and can calmly convince him to listen to her. Second, look how she frames the question. She says “shall we” which i think is pretty important. Athena doesn’t need to worry about Zeus’ anger or his rules, as she shows later on in the Iliad, and before, during the Rebellion. Both Athena and Ares knows this well. So why does she also need to withdraw? She can make the point without adding herself to the equation. She can also fairly easily run him off the battlefield like she does later. But she doesn’t. And there isnt any hostility from Ares.

Instead, they go together, away from the battlefield and...sit down near a river bank? Basically relax as much as they can? That doesn’t sound like a hateful relationship.

There is also the fact that Ares was going to join sides with the greeks (aka on Athena and Hera’s side) until Aphrodite convinced him to join her instead.

Its clear from this that Ares doesn’t really have much of a stake in this fight. He doesn’t care much about the greater objectives of the war. The only thing that can convince him to take a side is the people one the sides. He fights for the people he cares about, not for any greater good. He easily changes his loyalty because of his love for Aphrodite. He frequently gets into fights to save his children. He goes against Diomedes partly because of how he wounded Aphrodite. All of this means that he cares for Athena too. (And for Hera ofc). Maybe he doesn’t care for her as much as he cares for Aphrodite, but its not really fair to expect him to.

I like to think they genuinely do care for each other a great deal, they just kinda suck at showing it. Maybe that changes as time passes. I can see Athena being quietly protective of Ares (maybe she makes up an excuse to send him away during the Rebellion because she knows he will be in danger otherwise). I definitely think she felt a little guilt (guilt, not regret) at stabbing Ares, seeing as it wasn’t really fair. Ares didn’t know she was there.

I also think that Ares, who spends a lot of time with awesome women and is very fierce in standing up for them if the need arises, will be the one who calls her out a lot of the time on her misogyny or hypocrisy. Athena also has a habit of suppressing any “vulnerable” emotion. She likes to keep all her guilt, sadness, fear, hurt, and regret all locked up tight. I feel like Ares is one of the few people she lets a few of those emotions out around, even if she still tries not to. And in the lighter moments, in private, maybe they joke around a bit and laugh, too.

Okay, now for the heavier bit. While i do think they care for each other, there is also a lot of resentment there. A lot of it, unfortunately, comes from how they are treated by their peers and elders. They like different people, they are liked by different people and they are liked to different degrees. Let’s talk about 3 of the main players.

1) Zeus. Does this surprise you?

I do think Zeus loves all his kids. He doesn’t like some of them, but he does love all of them. And he isn’t as bad of a father as everyone thinks. People have discussed that better so I’ll not rant about it here.

All that aside, he definitely has favourites. Athena is his favourite child (Apollo, I think, being his second). And this favouritism is SUPER OBVIOUS. Its like none of the rules apply to Athena, which is weird considering Zeus isn’t forgiving of those who defy his authority (did someone say Prometheus?)

Ares, on the other hand, is on the other side of the spectrum. The one Zeus dislikes the most.

We can see how this affects them in several instances. The most notable is probably in the Iliad, after Athena deceitfully stabs Ares and forces him to flee to Olympus, injured.

Ares calls Zeus out on his favouritism. He says that gods weren’t allowed to fight each other and if it were anyone else, they would have been punished. He says Zeus always does this, always lets Athena get away with everything, and that he needs to start getting his daughter under control.

Zeus doesnt like this too much and basically tells Ares to stop whining and that he isn’t much better when it comes to destruction. He says Ares is the most hateful of all gods and loves bloodshed. He says he would have gotten rid of him if he weren’t his son, but seeing as he was, Zeus cannot bear to see Ares in pain. He then gets Ares healed.

I can definitely see how this kind of blatant favouritism from someone who should be better to Ares would affect him. Ares is the firstborn son of Zeus and Hera. He should be getting a lot of respect, as per ancient standards but instead, he is overtaken by his virgin half sister from Zeus’ previous marriage, and many bastard half siblings.

Athena being able to break rules left and right, and Ares having to be nervous about even toeing the line will cause distance between them.

This in addition to his position as a god of civil order is a reason that i think he wouldn’t want to break any rule until he deems it absolutely necessary, like if someone he cared about were in danger.

I can totally see a situation where both of them try to help a hero but Zeus orders them not to. Athena then wants to break the rules, but Ares is very hesitant about doing so. Athena convinces him, either by taunting or by calmly urging him, to go along with it. They get caught but only Ares gets punished. Ares can then truly show Athena the difference between her and everyone else.

Remember when i headcanoned earlier that Athena sends Ares away during the Rebellion? That ties into this. She knows that if they get caught, ares could get into trouble whether or not he did anything. I expect Ares will be furious about it when he returns and finds out what happened though, thinking it was just to get him out of the way, until its revealed why she did it. Then he’ll probably be super awkward.

2) Poseidon

The equal and opposite force to Zeus.

Well, maybe not equal, but quite close.

Lets start with the canon. Poseidon HATES Athena, despises her completely, and he frequently clashes with her father too. They worked together one (1) time and as a result, Athena wasnt punished while Poseidon was enslaved for years. Then there is the fight for Athens, the whole epic of the Odyssey, and so on.

Meanwhile he and Ares are actually shown to be close. Other than the Halirhothius incident, they are pretty chill. Poseidon is the one who vouched for him after the Net Thing With Hephaestus. Poseidon is also pretty cool with Aphrodite and they work together occasionally.

I think Poseidon thinks of Athena as this bratty kid of his brother, who is constantly working against him. You know that one annoying cousin you have who you try to avoid during family reunions because you KNOW you will clash? This is that, but a thousand times worse.

Meanwhile Poseidon really cares for Ares, and Ares takes fatherly affection from anywhere he can get it. Poseidon maintains a good relationship with both Aphrodite and Ares. He is closer with Aphrodite and doesnt love Ares quite as much as Zeus loves Athena, but he still cares a lot.

3) Aphrodite

It is no secret that Athena hates Aphrodite. Even when Athena warns Diomedes not to harm any god, she says Aphrodite is the exception. Athena, along with many of the other Olympians, see her as nothing but a silly, flighty, hysterical goddess.

On the other hand, Aphrodite and Ares are known for their intense love for each other, from even before her arranged marriage. They have a lot of kids together, and are shown to be close with all of them. They each have like one story of jealousy/one story where they are at odds with each other, which is pretty good for such a high-profile couple (Aphrodite curses Eos and Ares kills Adonis). They are there for each other, like in the trojan war, when Aphrodite was wounded and Ares gave her his chariot to go back to Olympus. He also changed sides very soon, just because Aphrodite asked. Athena complains about this too.

I think I wouldn’t be far off in saying that Athena is definitely resentful of how close they are, and how much sway Aphrodite has over her brother.

While Athena definitely doesn’t see eye to eye with Ares, and disagrees with his domain, she still sees him as a War God. One of her kind. And she just doesn’t see how a War God can go for someone like Aphrodite. Basically, she doesn’t think Aphrodite is, for lack of a better term, good enough for Ares, seeing as she is a Love Goddess.

Ares, on the other hand, does not want to hear anything like this. He is fiercely defensive of Aphrodite. He defends her warlike aspect (Aphrodite Areia), while everyone else tells her that she has no place in the battlefield. He sees Aphrodite as more than what people have labelled her to be. Which is why I believe (other than Eos and Adonis), they have one of the healthiest open relationships in greek mythology.

This can definitely cause animosity between Athena and Ares, because of Athena’s scorn and Ares’ temper. It can also increase the conflict between Athena and Aphrodite.

Maybe as time goes on, Athena can start seeing Aphrodite as having more depth. I certainly hope so. While they wouldn’t be best friends, I don’t see why they can’t learn to get along. This could also strengthen Athena and Ares’ bond. As long as people don’t insult her or lay their claim on her domain of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite is often very supportive. I truly think Aphrodite can help Athena overcome her misogyny, with Ares.

In conclusion, Athena and Ares have a very complex relationship. They do not simply hate each other, and neither do they have the most loving relationship. But they do care for each other. But strain can often be put on their relationship from their relationship to other people as well. Hopefully as time passes, they can overcome that, and have a healthier relationship, instead of sharing a good moment and then proceeding to fight each other for the next 500 years.

[swervestrickland]

Why do ppl hate cody?

i can't speak for everyone, but i can speak for myself.

under the cut bc it's a long one. i also toe the line of kayfabe and not kayfabe quite a bit but just know that i'm always open to changing my opinions on people. i am a fickle bitch.

a) the first time i ever encountered him in wrestling, he was a heel creating a civil war within the bullet club. first impression? cody bad.

b) the next time i saw him, he was in aew. i already knew he was an evp, i already knew he was part of the elite, or had been. evps = authority = i'm not a fan. the same way i dislike stephanie mcmahon or shane mcmahon. i dislike authority figures, especially if i feel that they will use their authority to either use up valuable tv time or put themselves in matches i do not feel they deserve to be in. i felt the same way when i thought the bucks were gonna win the first tag team tournament aew had in fall of 2019.

b part 2) unprotected chair shot

b part 3) pharaoh the dog brought to a show where they did pyro and was visibly upset by this

c) no matter what, for the first many months of dynamite, cody ALWAYS had a segment. and his entrance took up like three extra minutes than anyone else on the card. however, i will say that he did a great job of showcasing the young talent; many of the wrestlers who had matches against cody in the first two quarters are now some of aew's biggest young stars.

d) the bucks gave hangman shit for not showing up to help them in a few instances on television in those first couple episodes and didnt say shit about cody not being there -even though he did eventually show up to help once or twice. this could just be because they werent certain whether cody was going to continue to be in the actual elite. but regardless, it pissed me off.

e) during all of this, i do believe there was a moment on twitter where people thought they found his personal anonymous twitter and he was talkin some mad controversial shit that i cant honeslty remember anymore so you can feel free to ignore this one

f) genuinely tired of seeing him on tv and taking up time, especially when there were so many talented wrestlers they had on their roster that were on dark mainly that needed time on television

g) when malakai black showed up and cody got boo'd and then beaten, live in front of my eyes, it felt like the narrative was that he was so shocked and upset by the loss and the fans' reactions that he decided he was gonna retire right then and there. which is bullshit because you just made a new wrestler's win all about you. to me it felt like he was so emasculated by the loss that he was just gonna give up and that's dumb as hell. arn actually ended up taking up the same opinion as me which was cool as heck :)

h) after the promo on dynamite this week talking about how he will not turn, and then the rhodes to the top episode from tonight basically confirming this, that he doesnt want to turn heel, or at least faux-shooting that he doesnt want to become heel, i'm upset because it feels like he wants to ram down my throat that he is a babyface like his father before him and i do not and cannot accept this. you do not have to be the good guy to become a legend. most of the best babyfaces i've ever seen were heels first. because a heel has a whole lot more range!!!! it gives the wrestler so much more creatively to work with and being a dick is just fucking fun like??? who doesnt like seeing a wrestler have fun??? i guarantee you, you give cody a long ass heel run, that man becomes babyface in a couple years and we'll cheer him again. like tf. it's like roman. they tried to make roman the babyface guy for years and it just didnt work. turn him heel? bruh. he made my HUSband, who absolutely DESPISED him, into a roman fan. and if he turned face again?? he'd still love him. it is what it is, man. learn what works and what doesn't like. idk.

please note: there are also lots of things that i like about cody. i like that he is a great promo and a great wrestler. im never bored when he's on screen except that one feud with ogogo bc i just disliked the whole premise. and he always makes me cry when he cries and i do believe that's because of his great speaking ability. i saw him live in atlanta for the cage match against wardlow and i thought it was brilliant, really put wardlow over even though he lost i think, and the off-air speech he gave to his hometown was once again a tear jerker. i love to hate him, and i just wish that he would give me the chance to boo him like i want to.

but anyway this is just me and idk about everyone else. hope this makes even a crumb of sense.

[anxiousgaypanicking]

okay so i recently watched the metal family (the english dub) on youtube and i sent my friend a ton of information on it - my thoughts, my theories, etc, and then i thought of a sanders sides related universe for it 

technically some things differ, as in the part i wrote glam and chive (who ive assigned to logan and remus) eventually end up together, but whatever 

and, because im a whore for attention im going to post here exactly what i rambled about because i was spilling out thoughts that just made my heart beat faster. so basically, the metal family: sanders sides edition 

spoilers for the metal family. 

basically i was thinking of logan and remus basically as these two characters, with logan as glam/sebastian and remus as chive, and logans parents putting a lot of pressure on him as their only child, and his dad is suffering abuse to so he cant even stick up for logan, and when he does bad he has to put out his arm and roll his sleeve up and his moms hits it repeatedly, and in the show glam doesnt react until he showers bc thats when it stings (until a certain scene where glams dad slaps it so hard he fucking bleeds a lot and starts sobbing and its like part of when he snapped) but thats probably what he does, and obviously the butler also gets mad and snaps on him a lot too, but when he goes to that music exam and gets second place to remus (who he met briefly on the way to the music exam - youll understand this more if you end up watching the series), hes shocked, and as remus walks him home he explains what he did on the guitar, and gives him the bach vinyl and logan squints but takes it anyway, and when he announces he got second he gets scolded, they mock him for who he lost too, and the back vinyl is taken by his mother, hes scolded for thinking he could ever be on par (logan plays the violen btw - he entered the music exam with a violen and its what his mouther abuses him for when he plays wrong or doesnt answer right/right away to note related questions) with bach, and then hes hit with the ruler and sent back to his room, where he plays the bach vinyl thinking it will be bach but then its metal and it sort of awakens something in logan and he sort of snaps

when he runs into remus again remus offers to teach him, steals an amp and guitar from the observatory, and then when he goes home then this is where hes hit until his forearm is literally dripping with blood and hes sobbing, but sort of that unhinged sort of sobbing where hes like :) while sobbing and bleeding, and his mom is saying hes no longer allowed to take walks because he was late, went through the park, ran in a suit, etc, and how logan will be studying with her daily from now on, and through gritted teeth, a sob, and a smile, as he clutches his bloody wrist hes like "yes mother, ill study under you every day. every day. every day." and he and remus had luckily agreed already to meet by the dumpster at midnight, and thats what they start doing

remus teaches him how to play, and logan literally gets no fucking sleep and becomes more and more sleep deprived as hes taught more and more and it makes him more and more manic and unhinged, and he has periods where he fucking snaps and can play the bass super well because hes fueling his anger and his trauma into how aggressively he plays and is actually super good, and eventually he and remus get a gig with these two other bandmates 

and that happens to be the day that the way he hides his diary (where he gets out his murderous thoughts over his father, writes about lying to him, and writes down notes for music he wants to make) and his model of the city (which hed spent a lot of time on and cared about a lot and made out of every day things like lightbulbs and pencil shavers and had to keep hidden) were revealed and his mother found them, and she threw it into the trash where logan saw it crumbled as he walked home in the rain, and while his mother is aggressively shouting at him she says something along the lines of "who are you going to choose. your family, or some vagrants!?" and logan sort of snaps, goes wide eyed, and walks the other way, despite the fact its rianing and his mother demands him to come back, and then starst screaming about how if he ever comes back to the door hell never be allowed back inside, and thats where that episode ends

and basically i was thinking that logan leaves, and sort of walks around in his suit with his violen for a while, before he goes back to the alley where he hides his guitar that remus stole for him and his punk clothes, and he grabs them both and sort of mindlessly wanders until he ends up back in front of remuss trailer

when logan shows up remus doesnt realize until he opens the door of his trailer and prepares to leave and logans just standing there staring, utterly soaked, and he craves his neck up when remus walks out and remus is like "holy shit dude, you scared me. its not even midnight here. how long have you been here?" and logan doesnt answer, and hess not used to tocuhing people or being touched gently, but he sort of falls into remus, and collapses against him, and he starts sobbing because he just lost his family, and he left his dad all alone, but ehs finally free from the abuse, and hes so tired and so confused and hes never felt so unsure of his next move but remus just pulls him inside, brings his stuff inside, they step over his sleeping and drunk parent, and remus takes logan to his room (possibly the one he shares with roman ?) and basically just hugs logan as he sobs and cries and eventually passes out against him because hes literally so fucking sleep deprived, and remus takes liberty to change logan out of his sopping wet clothes, but then both of logans arms are covered in scars, some of them still scabbed, and remus is immediately concerned but he decides hell ask about it when logan wakes up, and basically ust goes out and shoplifts some food or steals from his parent to buy shit, and when logan wakes up hes given low quality food that he accepts gratefully, apologizes for showing up unceremoniously and being so informal, but remus just hesitantly wraps an arm around him, and logan accepts it, and remus says its fine while cuddling with him and then again hesitantly asks what happened

and logan sort of goes silent and doesnt talk about it, but clears his throat and asks if its okay he stays here, and theres already three people living in this trailer so he feels bad for asking, but remus just pulls him closer and is like "yeah man! of course you can stay!" because obviously hes not going to tell logan no after what he just pulled, so he lets logan stay, and remus and roman bicker for it a bit when logan uses their small ass bathroom to shower, and by the end remus has basically bribed roman into going along with it

and logan has to adjust to not being a wealthy - althought not spoiled - person anymore, and sometimes he reacts to things on instinct. he breaks something and remus comes up behind him and asks what happened and logan just sort of stares straight ahead, rolls up his sleeve, and sticks out his arm, and remus is like  logan?? and it takes logan a few seconds to snap out of it and he sort of gazes at remus, goes wide eyed, and then apologizes as he brings his arm back in and rolls down his sleeve, and he seems really awkward but also quite relieved, and remus has never hurt him before, but it was just sort of that reactive thing, and that happens to be the day where remus decides to ask what those scars are, and asks to finally treat them properly because he hears logans whimpers and hisses in the shower

he and roman have their fair share of scars from their own shitty drunk parent, so they know pretty damn well how to take care of them, and how to steal bandages and shit, so remus helps clean them out and up while logan sort of quietly tells remus all about his life, why the music exam was such a big deal, and how remus basically changed his life, and how hes still confused and doesnt know if he made the right decision, and remus doesnt respond until the end where he bandages up logans arms and then gently grabs his hand and tells logan that hes safe now, and that being surronded by people who only put you down and more so hurt you isnt good, and that he believes logan made the right decision because hes safe here with them (the twins make sure to keep him guarded from the drunk parent) and roman seconds that from his spot on the bed, and so logan tries to put his past behind him and instead focus on playing music with remus, and playing shows at bars and stuff where they slowly gain a larger and larger fan base, and they make more and more money from the awesome music they play, and eventually use that money to buy their own house

i know its a lot, but just imagine. imagine

[princeanxious]

I always have this like. One song that i listen to on one of my playlists, that without fail i imagine this animation/animatic idea with the sides in a winged au, doing some kind of tag-team olympic-like race of some sort, where it involves a ton of dofferent kinds of obstacles that need to be maneuvered around with expert skill, speed, and grace(each being separately counted with their own points catagory to add together for each team's final score) and like

(Ive also had this animatic idea since before janus and remus were revealed so they werent originally imagined as part of this idea but I can make it work just fine)

It starts off pretty simple with Patton leading the take off of the race, as his area of specialty is flying with grace(hes pretty clumsy otherwise, outside of flying, for contrast) and so it starts off with pretty visual manuveres that involve a seriously practiced skill to pull off, both while flying at a quick speed, and while flying around other contestants, but its the shortest part of the race because his not high on stamina to begin with

Then he taps Romans shoulder as he lands and then Roman takes off to the second portion of the race, quick reaction time, agility, and strong manuverability. There are lots more obstacles to avoid or pass through in this catagory, and Roman has large wings so many expect him to struggle with manuverability, but of course he nails it, able to dip low to pass through a small hoop without brushing against it and then lauch high to crest over a bar and then dip low, all at a high speed. Logan is already running for take off as Roman is slowing to land when they high five the trade off

Logan's wings are small and agile, and his area of skill involves quick thinking, agility, and problem solving skills. Some obstacles have false leads that could lose one time as they have to turn back from dead ends or go through even more complicated parts of the course, some are angled weirdly and require an altered version of a vommon manuver to pass through, so on and so forth, and at this point their team is gaining a bit of a lead when he passes the touch to Janus.

Janus's wings are partially damaged, and thought he can still fly just fine, hes more skilled with graceful moves like patton, but the twist is that these moves and maneuveres have to make it through certain obstacles, like hoops and weaving back and forth between a line of metal poles to count for points. He manages it alright but some other winged player, a bad sport, just barely whips past and against the tip his bad wing and disbalances him a bit, loosing their team precious seconds as he has to struggle to right himself to tag Remus in on time

Remus has to focus not to go after the bad sport and instead puts all his effort into the next course, which infact is the one course of the race where flying isnt the main goal, its allowed, but flying 100% of it makes the whole course more difficult. Its infact more of a parcore course, with passing targets to hit and checkpoint flags to grab as you pass, wall climbing up tight walls that are too narrow to fly up and dropping down slopes and weaving between pillars and corners that are too tight to safely pull ones wings out. This, Remus dominates at. Once hes finally out of the course, he tags Virgil, and now their team is on the final stretch of the race.

(This is also where the music of the song starts the crescendo before the pause before beat drops)

Virgil, who is the newest and smallest of the team, is nervous, and hasn't had long to prove to their team that he's good. This is his first year truly participating in an event like this too so his teammates are all gathering at the finish line, waiting in anticipation. Virgil has never boasted about his talents, and struggles to practice with them because his expertise is speed, agility and stamina, and the practice required for that is much more solo. So the team doesnt really know what to expect from him because this last part of the course is the most difficult for anyone with wings in general, even those who train for years because this final course makes it easy to lose speed and stamina fast, and its very common for contestants wings to give out or cramp up mid flight from the strain of keeping a steady altitude, making it a very dangerous drop into the stretch of ocean below.(not to worry, as theres stand-by medical teams to immediately rescue those who drop, and the worst that comes of these is usually strained/sprained wing muscles and shoulder muscles and some bruising.)

its a very long stretch of 'track' from the starting point being at the drop off of an extremely large cliff(the entire race has been using each course to climb up a mountain section by section) right into the ocean, and the entire stretch of flight is completely over deep water, and the finish line is on a large cruiz ship to kick off celebrations once the race is over.

And well, Virgil is small, shorter than his rival contestants, and kind of stout but not by much. But this entire time up till this point you never see his wings, theyre a pitch black lump on his back, naturally pulled tight from anxiety, while the other contestants are stretching their large and small wings out for the long dangerous flight ahead of them.

And just as Remus comes into view, Virgil takes a deep breath and relaxes, though his wings stay pulled tight. The trade off from Remus to Virgil is smooth, though a few other contestants are already taking off ahead of him, but he pays it no mind.

The strip of land he starts at is long enough to get up to a running speed, but instead of leaping up to unfurl his wings and take off or glide off, he takes the entire strip of land to sprint to the cliff,

And then he dives.

And by this point there are snippets of judges and contestants and his team gasping or staring in shock as this is not a normal strat and is infact extremely dangerous for even the most skilled of strong flyers. And Virgil has never particularly come off as a strong or skilled flyer, cautious and fast yes, but skilled?

(This is where the songs tempo starts to pick up to the fullest part of the first beat drops crescendo before lulling-)

And to top it all off, this clif is at least a mile or two high. For the first mile down, first still doesnt open his wings, but instead of looking panicked, he looks calm, his eyes closed and his arms at his side as the wind whips through his face, but its a perfect dive, and the wind fails to throw him off course like people expect it to.

And finally, just as it looks like hes about to dive headfirst into the ocean at full speed, his body doing a few twirls,

His long raven black wings unfurl-

And he soars.

(And the second beat drop hits and erupts into a dramatically energized beat)

Whatever the distance was that he fell behind the other contestants from the time it took to drop is easily lost as the momentum of his drop and the pushing currents of the ocean air send him rocketing towards the finishline, barely losing momentum the way his opponents do with their flapping while his sleek wings cut and glide through the air currents; every once in a while tipping his wings one way the other to catch on the ocean surface to maintain balance

Before you know it, he's close to the finish line of the race, and it takes one solid angles flap to pull him up enough to fly through the finish line with first place at a speed unheard of for this kind of race course, still meters ahead of the contestant to get second place.

Everyones in awe, people are cheering, and Virgil is smiling bashfully, and his team croud around him and are complimenting him

And, of course, because of Virgil's near world record-breaking preformance, their team wins.

[windebris]

roman: princy or princess?

ok i know the title sounds like crack, but hear me out:

Roman’s whole deal is being a prince. Hes got the costume, he plays up the gimmick, he even has a fricking sword. We know this, we’ve seen the ups and downs of this in the series, and we know the black and white, prince vs evil mentality is about to explode in everyone’s face (more so than it already has, that is) because who everyone expects/wants him to be doesnt line up with his real self, and he’s still not at the point of truly accepting himself for who he isnt (a cookie cutter, perfect prince) and is (a mess) (via @beauty-and-passion bc i love their analyses so fricking much), but we’ll come back to that

Roman’s primary inspiration (via c! thomas’ perception) is disney princes, so lets take a look at their usual jobs in the films.

Vanquish evil 

Advocate true love

simple enough, right? just like roman, at first it seems that way. Im sure at the beginning of sanders sides we all thought he would be a showy, pretty boy prince who wanted thomas to be ‘good’. Because princes always get rid of the evil in the end, right?

but we know how thats worked out for roman. Mean to virgil, backfired awfully. Condemned janus, everyone’s against roman now. Separate from remus, it came back to bite thomas. And it was fine, roman would have put up with anything so long as it only hurt him, but because thomas got hurt everything is worse. (of course, this is the case with janus too, but i’ll come back to that)

everyone knows by now that there’s going to be a reckoning next episode. We’ve seen thomas costumed as remus, so he’s gonna be in there. Roman had a breakdown last ep, backed into a corner and a confrontation, so if he isnt there when his twin is i am going to riot. Janus is definitely going to be there bc the last ep saw jan fINALLY being accepted (also a part of that confrontation), and i’m just dying to know where virgil has been as well so he might also show up. The whole gang’s gonna see what chaos goes down if patton even sneezes in their general direction

where was i going with this, i had a point

RIGHT

So vanquish evil has failed every which way for roman. Whats left? True love. Now, in most films this refers to a princess, but i think roman’s focus always has been and always will be thomas. He was heartbroken when the whole ‘thomas was lying about roman being his hero’ (or at least roman interpreted janus’ nod that way), his whole theme is because thomas needed a prince to save him from the ‘bad thoughts’ ie remus (which is irrelevant to my point so we dont have time to unpack all that rn- /ref)

But because he failed to vanquish evil the ‘right’ way (even though literally everything patton ever said led him to believe he was doing the right thing-), he’s failed to show thomas the ‘true love’, hence he is no longer thomas’ hero. No longer his prince.

whaBAM, entire basis of his identity no longer exists

So what’s left?

disney is still there, its a core part of roman and no amount of anguish will lessen that it was a core part of c! thomas’ creative development

on that note, roman still has to be his core functions. creativity, passion, ego, hopes, dreams, etc

Thinking on it though, none of those ever fit neatly into the prince persona in the first place. A prince is there to serve his ‘kingdom’ (ie the sides + thomas) and to complete the above values, not to be an artist or performer or any of the things thomas dreams of. And there is no room for passion or ego in the life of a prince because he is always looking out for his people (what should be the others’ job). Which begs the question: why was roman a prince in the first place?

The obvious answer goes back to disney being c!thomas’ first forays into storytelling. the princes were perfect examples of ‘goodness’, which as we know is key to what thomas pre-the newer episodes wanted to be, and existing already in familiar stories with killer songs to match, it was an ideal match for a ‘good’ creativity

But deeper than that, i think roman is a prince because thomas needed a placeholder to be his protector. He wasnt yet aware of janus (the metaphorical protector, saving thomas from what he wasnt yet ready for), lying to himself about the dark other sides altogether, and virgil was too busy playing the ‘bad guy’ at the beginning to show his true colors (looking out for thomas is virgil’s purpose, as we now know), but back then? Roman was the one barricading virgil the most, ‘protecting’ thomas from his influence

Therefore! The reason roman was the prince was to ‘save’ thomas from the others, and unconsciously, the ‘dark creativity’. Without the ‘prince,’ thomas would have accepted the darkness all to easily (from roman’s perspective, which once again goes into the subconscious protecting from remus’ stuff)

But, returning to the point (i keep getting off track lol), now the prince is gone. He’s failed in his pursuits, there is nothing else to protect from (ignoring orange), he isnt thomas’ hero

I think, bear with me, he’s going to become more of a princess now.

✨metaphorically✨

Princes, in the typical disney movie, are black and white. Theyre either good (eric, phillip, etc) or bad (see hans). Fight evil, get the girl love interest, live happily ever after, or… dont.

Living happily ever after by fighting evil has gotten roman absolutely nowhere; in fact, it got him ostracized and rethinking his entire self concept, so thats not an option now.

princesses, on the other hand, have gone through a fricking renaissance. Where they used to be as black and white as princes minus the possibly-evil bit and delicate as flowers, now they can be hard-working, law-breaking, dream-chasing, yet still people-saving girlbosses, which is essentially roman on a can label.

im mixing my metaphors, but what roman really, truly needs right now is that metamorphosis. He’s crumbling under the pressure his prince persona puts on him (ha, alliteration). Thomas’ moral dilemma is making his two creativities split at the seams even more than they already have, because if morality is such a spectrum, then why is his creativity so seemingly (forgive the overuse of this phrase) black and white?

If roman could shed the princeliness and take in more princess qualities (ie a certain disregard for the rules, doing whats right [for thomas, that is, which is being himself {a theme in many princess-centric films} despite expectations] by ignoring pre-set rules and expectations), he’d be so much healthier in the long run

Thats not to say he should be a princess aesthetically. Dude said himself- he is a manly man who is manly, but the free spirit so many disney princesses seem to envelop could better not only roman, but thomas

this way, roman doesnt *have* to be perfect to be ‘good’ (something thomas still values, but in a different way now as we see in SvS redux). He can be his truest self (ego, passion, dreams and all) without contradicting who thomas sees roman as. He can go back to being his hero, if he wishes -- just in a new way

Because all the things that dont fit into being a prince fit perfectly into princesses (and he still gets to keep the innate disney-ness for the aesthetic)

[pandapupremade]

Rain

SHIP: Cao Cao x Cecilia (s/i)

WORDS: 971

CONTENT WARNINGS: mentions of characters sleeping, although not described in detail ; mentions of wounds/injuries and medical attention; mentions of weapons and war ; a quick, but immediately corrected misgendering

NOTES: This is my first time writing Cao Cao, so idk if i got him right but this was fun anyway. idk when this takes place exactly, likely before the Yellow Turban Rebellion though. also, Xiahou Dun is there, although i only learned in Dw7 that he doesnt. hes not supposed ot have the eyepatch at this point but id already begun writing

Reblogs appreciated, but not required!

The rain was pouring down on the camp later in the evening, when most soldiers had turned in for the night. Admittedly, there were some who did not receive such privilege, instead required for the muddy job of guarding and keeping watch...but these unlucky souls did work in shifts, and as a result they too would eventually get shut eye for a few hours. They, too, would be offered opportunity to listen to the rain from within the tents whilst not actually getting drenched...

Men like Lord Cao Cao could not quite understand these struggles, safe and dry and sleeping within his own tent - or that's what people assumed of him. In truth, he may have more understanding than he received credit for, and he certainly wasn't sleeping right now.

The candle lit up Cao Cao's face and the table in front of him, and lit up the shape of the man alongside him; Xiahou Dun.

"You should rest, cousin," Xiahou Dun spoke, raising the eyebrow not covered by an eyepatch, "Tomorrow we move out again..."

"Indeed..." Cao Cao's fingertips stroked his bearded chin. It was clear he was deep in thought as he gazed upon the map before him, but even the relative standing near could never quite read the lord's inner thoughts. "Still, I find it difficult to rest easy..."

"Worried, cousin? That's unlike you."

"I would be a fool not to, the days before a battle...Though worry isn't quite the issue. My mind is simply insistent working, even late at night..."

"Pondering strategies, then..." Xiahou Dun gazed for a moment later, then shook his head and moved to pick up his kanabo - a large weapon that many did not have the skill nor muscles to wield. "I won't interrupt you, if that's the case."

"No," Cao Cao sighed, "Perhaps that's the very thing I require. An interruption..."

A moment of silence, and then there was the sloppy scurry of wet footsteps outside the tent.

"And an interruption you may yet receive,  cousin." The man commented dryly, as he and Cao Cao looked to the tent entrance. The flap opened, and a panicked soldier entered.

"L-Lord Cao Cao, sir, I'm terribly sorry for the intrusion,  but -"

Cao Cao stood. "What's happened?"

"A wounded civilian, sir! On the outskirts of camp!"

"What?"

"A soldier believed they were an enemy troop, sir, but they - they seem to be a merchant...They also don't seem to be from our region..."

Cao Cao's eyes opened wider, then narrowed. "Fool, did you attack on impulse? Bring this individual to me at once, and fetch a doctor, as well..."

"A-ah, y-yes sir!" Although blinking at his instruction to bring the wounded merchant to him personally,  the soldier did not argue and hurried to carry on the order.

Cao Cao sighed deeply, settling back down, although much tenser. Xiahou Dun eyed him curiously.

"...Someone you know?"

"How do you deduce that?" Cao Cao replied, shaking his head. "To answer, though, I believe it is..."

"Might I inquire?"

"You might." The lord placed his hands together on his lap. "I may be mistaken, but a foreign merchant...Such a description could fit them..." His voice trailed, but with Xiahou Dun's interested stare, he continued in a moment. "Cecilia, is her name..."

"A woman?"

"Not a woman - that's not how they view themself. Regardless, I have little doubt that they are our unexpected, uninvited visitor."

"I see...Do you have...feelings for them?"

A silence fell upon them, before Cao Cao replied with a slight twitch of the lips, before giving an actual verbal answer: "Quite the mind you have, Xiahou Dun. They are merely a merchant from the Roman lands whose empire has established ties, and thus trade routes."

"A merchant, then?" Xiahou Dun rubbed his bearded chin with further intrigue. "Well, I suppose it's good that they did not die then...Such a fiasco would definitely hurt our connections with Rome."

"Undoubtedly. In any case, Xiahou Dun. Get some rest."

Xiahou gave a half of a smile, almost teasing in nature. "Ah, of course. I'll leave you to your merchant business then, Cousin..."

........... ................

Cao Cao would soon be greeted by the army's physician, as well as the injured merchant and apologetic soldiers. He watched almost silently as the doctor worked, tending the wound and wrapping it in proper bandages. With a nod of thanks to the doctor, though said doctor seemed to want the wounded in their infirmary, he would soon dismiss them, and watch the wounded merchant on his own.

Mind you, he did not spend the time staring, and worked on writing instead. He did this in his spare time, as many knew, and figured now was as good as ever a time while his guest was resting. It wasn't until the individual began to stir, though, that he put his quill down.

"...Mmh...MMH..." They groaned softly, wincing, their black hair out of its bun slightly.

"Stay down," Cao Cao spoke, his voice stern, but with a slightly softer tone than usual. "You are injured."

"...L-Lord Cao Cao...?" Cecilia blinked slowly, "I- I'm sorry, I..."

"There is no need for such apologies." The lord frowned. However, his brow tensed a little. "However, you do understand you could've gotten killed...What were you thinking, following my troops? We are near our soon to be battlefield, and dangers from all corners could've haunted you...Consider yourself fortunate the guards missed any vitals..."

"I-I ...I was foolish..." Cecilia winced, and Cao Cao's expression softened again.

"Forgive my lack of restrain...Just..." He grit his teeth, and averted his gaze. "Please, don't do this again. If I lost you..."

"....I know, my Lord..."

More silence passed. Cecilia seemed to resume resting and Cao Cao would watch her a bit longer before returning to his writing. At least, for now, he'd gotten his mind off of strategies...

[sleepless-in-starbucks]

14 (bodyguard AU) and 46 (blind date) sounds fun,,, your choice of ship ( ˘ ³˘)♥ ( ˘ ³˘)♥ ( ˘ ³˘)♥

14. Bodyguard AU || 46. Blind date

Random choice generator got me creativisleep!

~

roman's a semi-popular actor- he's never really been to an awards show, and he's not been in That much, but he had a small but strong role in a real popular film and plenty of leading ones in lesser known movies. he's got enough of a following to be satisfied with himself, even if it isn't That huge of one

because of this, roman didn't take the possible dangers of his fame seriously... until he got jumped by one fan at a play in his hometown. he came out fine (he's always fine ;p) but it made him reconsider his choice to not have some sort of protection

he ends up hiring remy to be his bodyguard, a choice he Slightly starts regretting when he realizes remy, despite having excellent marks out of bodyguard school, is about as professional as a golden retriever

they take roman's food out of his fridge Whenever, borrow Way too many of his shirts (and roman hasn't seen his BMC 'boyf riends' hoodie since they got their hands on it), and is never in typical bodyguard wear (they wore a suit for the interview and never again)

but they also bring roman coffee (when did they get his regular figured out...?), talk to him like he's just a Person and not a celeb, and have yet to try and kill him themself so. roman's alright with them staying

(plus, is it so wrong if roman enjoys how they look? he deserves for a bit of an eye-candy sorta bodyguard, damnit, they're with him all the time after all)

remy's been with roman as his bodyguard for a few months when roman decides he cant just keep Lookin at a pretty person, he deserves to have a pretty person to kiss and cuddle with too!! so he pokes around for a bit, finds a non-homophobic service (he's pan, so he could Technically use a plain ol' straight service, but he refuses on gay principle), and uses it

idk how datin apps work but this one that im makin up is a blind match up app, which takes ur information and uses it to randomly pair u up with random accounts. the app keeps account info privated until After the first date has been gone on, to really maintain the 'blind match' aspect. the matched up people play a mini guessing game through the app about places they can go for a date until location and time is determined

roman likes the idea of the app mostly to keep his own identity secret as long as possible- he doesnt want people pickin his account Just bc he's a celeb, y'know?

the first couple of blind dates dont go well tho... most are nice people who roman just isn't compatible with, one was a straight woman who spent the entire date being Very homophobic despite roman's rainbow heart + pan flag pins, and someone who was clearly Too Much Of A Fan (remy had to physically pull them off of roman and help him escape the park before they could latch back on)

oh, did roman not mention? remy's been coming on all his dates with him

because of course they are! they need to protect roman! whether that's by eating dinner in the booth over or sitting two rows back at the cinema or awkwardly half-stalkin roman and his date while they walk about

so they're always there, to bring roman there and take him home, and listen when he complains about the bad matches and lament the almost-winners, and convince him he is a catch that needs to try again because eventually Someone will realize he really is too good to pass up

(remy always says that line in a weird way)

so he keeps trying... until roman has possibly the worst date ever

because he gets stood up. it's fifteen minutes past the scheduled date time, he's gotten no text explainin where they are, but he's sittin at the restaurant alone and starting to become rather upset by the pitying look the server gives him when he says he's still waitin on someone else before he orders

remy slides into the seat across from him at the 20 minute mark. shoots roman an apologetic smile that an outsider would mistake as a 'sorry im late' one when roman knows it's a 'sorry they didnt show' one

roman appreciates the gesture to save him, but he almost just wants to go home at this point. he's tired and bein stood up feels like Shit, actually, and he's about ready to call off the whole dating thing really, dramatic as that may be (like it's not his middle name)

but remy says smth about this place having really good sandwiches, and it's clear they're tryin so hard to help roman out here, even a little, and roman can't just dismiss that effort, so he picks up his menu again and orders smth and tries to ignore the way his face heats up just the slightest at the relieved smile remy flashes next

lunch with remy is great, actually, better than it would've been with whoever couldnt be bothered to show or apologize or Anything. remy even knows the way to an ice cream shop on the way home, sayin it's for roman's 'broken heart' as they pay for it

except, well... roman's heart isn't feelin so broken anymore

it's actually feeling pretty put together. really functional. functioning really fast. especially when roman's looking at remy. or when remy's lookin at roman. or when they smile. or when they laugh. or when they speak. or when they-

roman doesn't fall asleep until 2am that night, heart still racing a bit, screaming into his pillow a bit as he acknowledges he is wholly and totally head-over-heels for his bodyguard

he tells remy the next day he's done with dating for a bit, saying he's still upset over being stood up. he doesn't mention that it's also bc remy's ruined all other people for him

things try to fall back in routine from there, but it's a bit harder when roman's trying to not be so in love with someone who just works for him. and remy's definitely started pickin up on it too- they had asked him just last if he was okay, that he didn't seem as upset by remy takin his clothes anymore, and that didn't seem like him, was he getting sick?

the opposite, actually, absolutely nothing makes me feel better then seeing you walk around in my shirt or jacket or whatever else, please never stop and also kiss me?

roman just said he was tired

eventually... roman decides this can't keep going on. remy's giving him more weird looks these days, and roman is pretty sure being around remy so much without Any kisses is starting to cause brain decay (it's not, it's really not, remy always bein on his mind is just a side effect of.... pretti........). so, he takes matters into his own hands

admittedly, maybe firing remy wasn't the best way to go, given remy immediately demands to know why, what they did wrong, even asking if roman's being blackmailed into this

"blink once for yes, twice for no" remy asks, lowering the sunglasses they always have on to look directly at roman's eyes

roman doesn't blink for a full minute. he might not be breathing for that minute either. has he ever seen remy's eyes this close? has he ever seen them at all? they're such a brilliant shade of brown. roman could drown in them. he might be already

roman's pretty sure he started this conversation standing up, but maybe not, because when he finally blinks and remembers things outside of remy's eyes exist he's sitting down and remy looks extremely concerned

"okay... what's wrong, hun?" they ask, and oh no, they look so sad, and worried, and that's not good, roman should fix that right now, regardless of whatever he was doing before (he's forgotten)

"im gay" he responds intelligently. this will fix everything

remy, however, just looks confused. "yes?"

"for you" roman adds, helpfully, sure that Now remy will understand they're just really very pretty and nothing's wrong and if they feel bad still they should look in a mirror because then they'll be good again

now it's remy's turn to sit in silence, expression frozen in one of shock. they still havent put their sunglasses back on, so roman doesnt mind, bc this gives him more time to stare at remy's eyes

"you're having a breakdown because you're gay for me???" remy finally asks, expression unfreezing to look incredulous and a little hurt

roman returns a similar look. "im not having a breakdown!"

remy scoffs. "yeah, sure, right, that's why you suddenly froze and completely stopped breathing and minorly collapsed after i... look off my shades to look at you..." they suddenly break out in a smirk. "oh my gods, you're a gay disaster"

roman doesn't try to deny it, especially with the knowledge he apparently did stop breathing to admire remy's eyes. they have a point

"how long?"

"since that date you hijacked after i got stood up" roman admits. he finds it extraordinarily rude when remy starts laughing

...until they're pulling out their phone, hurriedly opening up the exact same dating app roman had been using, showing a log of all the dates they had planned- there's only one marked as having actually been attended

same date time and place of the one where roman had assumed he had been stood up

"you broke my heart!" roman says as remy puts away their phone, over-dramatically, not actually giving a damn, just feeling gay and a bit giddy at the thought remy hadnt gone to any of the other dates, just theirs

no longer worried quite as much about roman for the moment, remy's smirk just grows, smoothly moving from being crouched in front of roman to being set firmly in his lap, lazily brushing hair out of his eyes and wow was remy always this warm? and stunning? and perfect?

"i dunno babe... sounds more like i stole it" remy teases, movin from playing with roman's hair to cuppin his cheek, leaning in close and not even bothering to pretend to be looking at anything other than roman's lips. "which, yeah, bad bodyguard etiquette... i hope you can forgive me..."

roman doesn't need his words to answer that tease

[abused-sides]

Ooh, I was looking at the prompt list, and thinking about a bunch of different ones, but it gave me an idea. Going back to the Roomates AU, what if Roman and Virgil got into a really bad fight, and Virgil was in the wrong, and he thinks everyone is super super mad at him, so he thinks he has to leave, and he talks to his ex about going back, because he thinks he deserves to be in a bad situation, but Roman finds out and he explains that being wrong sometimes doesnt make Virgil a bad person?

A/N: For context, this takes place before Virgil and Roman get together romantically, but while they’re getting closer. Also before Logan comes out as nonbinary, so he still uses he/him. 

A/N: Also, super sorry, but this prompt is changed up a tiny bit. The fight is concentrated with Virgil and Patton (although Roman was definitely involved, prequel later), and it’s actually… someone else who gives Virgil the Talk. 

Trigger warnings: ABUSE SURVIVOR AU, self-destructive/self-harm behavior (not violent), manipulation & gaslighting from an unsympathetic oc, fighting between the sides (resolved), past lashing out, minor panic attacks

Virgil had been locked up in his room for days. 

His roommates argued over what to do. Logan insisted he just needed some space to decompress and think the situation over, but Roman and Patton couldn’t stop worrying. 

“What if he hurts himself?” Patton asked. 

“What if he thinks we hate him?” Roman asked. 

“He’s going to come out when he’s ready.” Logan sighed and took their dirty plates away to the sink. “There’s nothing we can do right now. We can’t talk to him if he won’t even open the door.” 

Patton pulled his coffee mug closer and worried his lip between his teeth. “I guess so,” he mumbled. 

In his room, Virgil stared at the pile of letters Patton had hid from him for three months. They were all opened, but not by Virgil. Virgil hadn’t touched them since he dumped them on his desk a few days ago. 

How did he find me? 

He drew in a shaky breath and grabbed the first envelope. 

My dear Virgil, 

I’m at a loss for words. What could I have done that was so bad for you to leave, without even telling me? Didn’t I at least deserve that? 

Guilt churned in Virgil’s stomach. He had to leave without telling him, his ex wouldn’t let him go otherwise. Right? He wouldn’t have let Virgil go. 

My home— our home, will always be here, waiting for you. You can always come home. I won’t be mad. I promise. 

I won’t lie, I’m very sad. It’s been hard to go on. The house is quiet without you. And the fact that you’d leave it for where you are now? I can’t even pretend to understand. 

If this is what you really want, then you should do it. 

But don’t I at least deserve a goodbye? 

It was signed with his name. 

Virgil had already read this one, several months back when it first came in. It didn’t have the same impact it did before, not with everyone else’s words swimming in his head, proving his ex wrong. It still hurt. 

He picked up another letter. 

My dear Virgil, 

Do I not deserve a response? 

I hate to make you uncomfortable. It’s why I don’t show up at your door, like I could, and demand your attention. 

I’m always thinking about you. Are you thinking about me? Do you want to come home? 

You can come home. 

Another. 

My dear Virgil, 

Something is telling me you aren’t getting these letters. Even if I wasn’t granted a response, I’d at least see a reaction. 

Virgil’s stomach dropped. A reaction? 

Are your roommates protecting you? Isn’t that a little unfair, a little rude? To meddle with our relationship? We can solve this on our own. 

Don’t you want to come home? 

He flipped the envelope over. There was no stamp, only a return address. These were hand-delivered. Virgil might have thrown up. 

He thought back to his life before. The one thing that always got him was how dreadfully boring it was, the same thing over and over again, no end, never leaving. He had his plants and his sketchbook and his cooking, but that was all. 

But is boring really the biggest complaint he has? 

A lot of people go through worse. Roman— Roman went through worse. Roman had a reason to leave. Virgil was starting to think he didn’t. 

Another letter. 

My dear Virgil, 

I just wanted to remind you that I still love you. I won’t be angry if you decide to come home. I just want to take you back and lie you down in bed, wrap myself around you like I used to. If you come home, we can lay in bed and watch T.V. all day. We’ll order in. I’ll buy you a whole garden, if you want it. 

I’m willing to change. 

Don’t you want to come home? 

Virgil hated how it affected him. He fought back a smile, pressing the letter to his forehead and simultaneously trying to remember and forget. 

There weren’t many days like his ex described. They were rare, in fact. Did that just make them more special? Not many days where they cuddled under the blankets, the heater going as the snow fell outside. Not many days where Virgil didn’t have to cook, where they ordered from his favourite restaurant and ate in bed. Not many days his ex wrapped his arms around Virgil’s middle and pulled him close and murmured that he loved him. 

With Roman, that could be any day. Multiple times a week, sometimes. Did that make it less special? 

He didn’t want to leave Roman. But did he deserve Roman? 

E., 

Do you really want me back? 

His hands trembled as he wrote. Once he started, he found he had a lot to say. Some of it felt demanding, but if he was going to go back, there had to be some change, or he’d lose his mind. He didn’t ask for much. Barely anything, in fact. Some more days to eat in here, some days outside there. His own bank account. Maybe a day where he could borrow the car. 

It could be better, right? No more than he deserved, but better. 

He wondered if being with E. for so long, only really interacting with him, is what rubbed off on Virgil, or if he was like this from the start. Did it come from his parents? Did it come from him? Was it just him? 

Virgil hid the letter and came out of his room. 

“Virgil?” Roman jumped to his feet, but stayed at the kitchen table. His eyes were wide with worry. “Virgil, are you okay?” 

“I’m okay,” he promised softly. “Where are the others?” 

“Logan’s with Remus and Janus. Patton’s dropping off some orders.” He hesitated, drumming his fingers over the table. “Do you…?” He opened his arms. 

Virgil pursed his lips. He wanted desperately to fall into his boyfriend’s arms, but his stomach churned with guilt. He crossed the room to nuzzle into him, trying to ignore how bad he felt by rationalizing he would be gone soon. 

Something crinkled. He froze. Roman’s arms were around his waist, squeezing against the letter tucked in his waistband around his back. He waited. 

“We need to talk about what happened,” Roman said, and Virgil slowly relaxed. 

He pulled away. “Okay.” 

Roman cupped Virgil’s face. “We’ll wait until Patton gets back, okay?” 

Virgil nodded. 

Roman and Virgil sat in the living room together, watching movies while they waited for Patton. Roman sat on the couch with Virgil at his feet, working in his sketchbook. Roman eventually leaned forward to rub Virgil’s back. Virgil pressed his forehead to his knees, eyes fluttering shut. 

When Patton got home, his eyes widened. “Verge, hey!” He set his keys on the table and inched into the living room. “Are you feeling okay?” 

Virgil hesitated, and shrugged. “We need to talk, right?” 

Patton settled in the armchair nearby. “I think it would help.” 

They all hesitated, then Patton said, “I’ll start. I’m… I’m really sorry I hid the letters. I was really scared.” 

Virgil frowned. “Why?” 

“Well…” He avoided his eyes. “I didn’t want to upset you.”

Virgil’s chest squeezed. “Right. I- I’m sorry about that.” 

“And I didn’t want you to be, I don’t know… tempted?” Patton forced a smile and wiped his eyes. “But you’re stronger than that, I know.” 

Virgil frowned. His brain faltered a little, and he opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. 

They must have mistaken his struggling for silence, because Roman said, “We understand why that happened,” he squeezed Virgil’s shoulders, “but we need to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

“It won’t,” Virgil promised instantly. “It won’t, I promise.” 

Patton and Roman looked at each other nervously. 

“That’s good, kiddo, but how do we know?”

“Trust me.” Virgil blinked back tears, his voice thick. “It won’t. I won’t let it.” 

“That’s not really how it works, stormcloud. You didn’t choose to lash out, so you can’t really choose not to. It happened because of something else.” 

Virgil stood on shaky legs. “Please trust me. I… I’m working on it. I’m working on something.” 

Patton and Roman stood as well. “Can we help?” Patton asked. “You don’t have to do this alone, Verge. It’s why we’re here.” 

Virgil shook his head. “No, I don’t need help. I— I need a walk. I’m sorry, I need… I just need some space.” 

“Okay,” Roman said softly. “Thanks for talking to us.” 

Virgil quickly kissed Roman’s cheek, then grabbed his coat and hurried out the door. 

Part of him was terrified of walking alone— What if E. came by and snatched him without warning? All his stuff was at home and his friends would never know what happened to him. 

But it was good to get some space to breathe. He walked to the post office and slipped his letter in the box, then took the long way home. 

A few days later, he got a response. 

He made a habit to check the mail himself, three times a day. Everyone assumed he had a bit of trust issues now, which wasn’t entirely wrong. 

My dear Virgil, 

It took you a while to get back to me. 

Virgil frowned, shifting uncomfortably. 

I was afraid you’d given up on me. Of course you’re still allowed back home. When can I pick you up? 

Virgil breathed shakily. 

They wrote back and forth over the next two weeks, negotiating pick up, travel, times— Virgil didn’t realize he was stalling. He kept wondering if it would be better to tell his friends or keep it to himself. He didn’t want to worry them. He didn’t want them to feel guilty, and obligated to stop him. He just wanted to quietly go and not bother them anymore. Not infect them anymore. 

That is what he wanted, right? 

One day, he came out to get the mail and frowned. The box was empty. At this point, he’d been getting a letter from E. every day. They weren’t exactly slowing down with their communication— they’d just agreed Virgil would meet him in a few days. E. was excited. 

A door creaked open. “Virgil?” 

Janus leaned in the doorway of his and Remus’ apartment, a letter between two fingers. “We need to talk.” 

Virgil paled. He felt like he was going to pass out. 

“Come on. Remus is at work, let’s talk.” 

Virgil hesitated, then reluctantly followed him into the apartment. Janus shut the door and handed Virgil the letter. 

My dearest Virgil, 

I’m so excited to see you again. I promise, you’ll be happy. I’ve already made some changes to the house that I think you’ll really like. And we can keep talking about the car thing, too, if you really must. 

Virgil smiled a little. 

He gasped as Janus snatched the letter back. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He hissed. 

Virgil shrunk in on himself. “I… I have to go back, you don’t understand.” 

“What, because you blew up, once? Because someone invaded your privacy? Something you just got back after three years of nothing?” Janus crossed his arms over his chest. “You have to go back? Have to?” 

He scrubbed at his eyes, collapsing into the desk chair. “Yes. I— I fucked up. I’m just going to keep hurting them—” 

“People hurt each other,” Janus snapped. “That’s what they do. You didn’t do it on purpose, did you?” 

“I didn’t even realize what I was doing,” Virgil whispered. “I just… got mad. And I couldn’t stop yelling, and…” Tears dripped down his face. “I couldn’t control it. I can’t— I can’t be like that, I can’t put them through that again.” 

Janus crouched down and forced Virgil to meet his eyes. “You are not a bad person,” he stressed. “You just got out, what, a year ago? Less? It’s not like you’ve got a weekly therapy appointment. You’re figuring this out on your own, it’s going to be hard.” 

“Stop making excuses for me,” Virgil begged. “I can’t explode on people like that!” 

“You can’t make a habit of exploding on people.” Janus sighed, elbows on his knees. “You made a mistake. Nobody wants to banish you for it. Sometimes people hurt each other. Fuck, Roman and Remus hurt each other twice a week— that’s a toxic relationship. But they’re working on it. That’s all you have to do. This?” He held up the crumpled letter, and spat, “This will not help anything.” 

“I deserve—” 

“Nobody deserves that.” Janus narrowed his eyes. “Nobody.” 

Virgil buried his face in his hands as he shook with sobs. Janus stood and rested a hand on his shoulder. He stayed silent while Virgil cried it out, eventually finding Janus’ hand and gripping onto it for stability. 

“What do I do?” 

“First things first, you need to tell your roommates about this.” 

“What?” Virgil’s head snapped up. “No! I—” 

“You’re clearly in a destructive head space, and I can’t stop you from self-sabotaging yourself every time.” Janus raised an eyebrow. “This was almost bad. They need to know.” 

Virgil sniffled. “I don’t— I can’t.” 

“I’ll go with you. Alright? You need to tell them, and I’ll help you.” He held out his other hand. When Virgil took it, Janus helped him up. “Come on. Let’s go tell them.” 

Virgil wanted to throw up. He wet his lips, and nodded. “Okay. Okay. I can do it.” 

He followed Janus out. 

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