#3 times a charm amirite

[werewolf-artfriend]

trying out something new :)

bonus peeled version:

[zepskies]

Hey Zepskies! I'm a small writer but I'm starting on my ficlet about an oc x ben (soldier boy). I've read so much of your work and just think you are a very talented writer. Do you have any tips on writing ben? it can be vague and I know you're busy so I don't expect a response. :)

Hey there!

First off, welcome and thank you for reading my stories (and for that lovely compliment). 💕

As for your question, writing Soldier Boy (Ben) can be very tricky. It took me a while to fully figure out how to write the character, and I will say, it's a challenge every time I do dive back into this (loveable) asshole.

😂 That said, here are 3 main tips I have for writing his character:

1. Comparable archetypes:

When I started trying to do a character analysis of this guy, I started with who he would've likely looked up to and tried to emulate: Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, John Wayne, Indiana Jones, John Winchester, and even Dean Winchester to an extent -- the strong, stoic, man of action archetype.

AKA: The Big Swinging Dick™️ in the Room.

These men are leaders, a "man's man," show no pain, weakness, or vulnerability. (So shove those "soft" emotions down your gullet as much as humanly possible. Real men don't cry, amirite? 🙄)

But the fun thing I find about guys like this is, even though they have a hard shell, being able to pierce the armor somehow and get to the creamy center of their heart can be a very rewarding story indeed.

2. The balance of SB's personality:

Based on what we got in season 3 of The Boys, I find that Soldier Boy's personality is a delicate balance of a few key things:

Arrogant Narcissist: He's a massive ego, selfish with a conflated sense of his own importance. Especially before his capture, he's reached the pinnacle of fame. He's bought into his own hype and the backstory Vought created for him, and he assumes that everyone in his life loves him for it.

As Jensen said of his character in Supes Ain't Always Heroes (check out my review of the book here if you like):

“He’s so fragile and his ego is fragile. Just like Homelander. These bigger-than-life powerful heroes really have a glass jaw… “And everyone walks on eggshells around him [Soldier Boy], and they tell him that they love him, and it’s the same with Homelander. Then when all of a sudden he faces his old team and Crimson Countess says we never loved you, we hated you—that’s a gut punch for him. Because even though on some level he may have known that, he never thought he would hear it. “And he probably propped himself up around trying to believe otherwise, because how can you walk around knowing everyone you’ve ever cared about hates you? It’s too painful.” (191)

Womanizing Misogynist: That entire scene with SB and Grace in Nicaragua tells you all you need to know about how Soldier Boy talks, treats, and views women. 🙄 Again, he's a narcissist, so he assumes women are going to be into him because he's the world's biggest superhero, because he's handsome, because he's that guy.

The problem is, he is devastatingly handsome and impressive as a superhero. And my headcanon is he can be very charming when he wants to be. Again, using his skills as an actor and channelling that old-world debonair charm to get what he wants. (i.e. Cary Grant, etc.)

Violent and Indifferent to Collateral Damage: This is a key one, because this is part of what makes him different from Homelander. SB is not a psychopath. He doesn't necessarily enjoy hurting people. He just doesn't care about the collateral damage.

He also can't tolerate a perceived slight to his masculinity or status, like when Black Noir tried to rise up in the ranks and come into his own as a movie star. Soldier Boy, in his selfishness, saw that as Noir trying to come for his crown, in a sense, which is why he ultimately showed his mean streak through violence.

When he gets back to the U.S. after escaping Russia, he's on a warpath of vengeance against his team who sold him out, and anyone who gets in his way.

"If they have it coming," he tells Hughie.

3. Soldier Boy is both less and more than what he represents: (AKA: His insecurities)

As we know, Soldier Boy didn't really storm Normandy or fight the Nazis. He falls short of every definition of a hero. However, he's also not just a caricature of toxic masculinity.

Ben has deep-seated insecurities that he buries under all the bravado and the Soldier Boy persona. He was also emotionally abused by his father, who set exacting standards for what it meant to be a man.

It drives Ben to try and prove his worth to his father, though he’s never able to. It fosters the lack of self-worth he feels as he seeks validation through fame and what he believes power to be.

He won’t be one to easily admit he’s wrong, or need help, or express emotions he deems are “soft.” He doesn’t want to look weak or demean himself, let alone be genuinely vulnerable.

He uses coping mechanisms like drugs to mask and dull his PTSD, but even in his heyday, I think he drugs and parties hard just to pass the time, and to mask how actually empty he is inside. He has no real love in his life, and no family. It's why he admits to Hughie that he wanted kids. Deep down, he wants a family to fill that void that fame, booze, drugs, and meaningless sex can't fill in his life.

So with all of that flawed, internal mess that is Soldier Boy, the biggest challenge I find as a romance writer is trying to keep all of these aspects of his character, while trying to show the glimmers of the humanity in Ben -- the chink in his armor showing just enough softness to the one person who's brave enough to "try" with him.

That said, I hope all of this helps! 💚

[audiblehush]

I know this isn’t really relevant to the recent promo we’ve gotten (which I’m still swooning over, for the record), but I’ve been thinking about how some people in this fandom have been fussing over Pen having a potential suitor (or suitorS, we don’t really know) this season, and I don’t understand their complaints, I guess?

… like, I’m pretty sure that it’s meant to MIRROR Season 1.

(…see what I did there? ;)

There are multiple ways in which Colin and Penelope’s stories / situations have mirrored the other. They are not perfect mirrors (that would be dull), but they ARE similar and I truly believe that it’s intentional to reinforce both Polin’s compatibility and ultimately their empathy for the other.

A few examples:

—

Colin: is viewed as the “one-dimensional” easy-going, un-serious, charming brother who never rocks the boat; never gets angry.

Pen: is viewed as a shy, quiet, harmless wallflower who never steps out of line and is kind of a doormat.

—

As a result of the above perceptions:

Colin: is desperate for something to fill his time and energy the way his brothers have something, SO he impulsively courts and proposes marriage to a girl he barely knows to feel needed and wanted in a way that makes him feel mature; and he gets the validation he seeks from Marina, as it suits her needs (I don’t mean that in a derogatory way, she genuinely needed him to be desperate for validation to get a quick marriage). A heady feeling, someone relying on you and telling you that you are desperately needed…

Penelope: is desperate to feel a part of the ton in any way she can, because her and her family are tolerated at best, and heavily criticized at worst. So rather than suffering through the season, crushed, and always on the sidelines against her will, after choosing to start LW —perhaps on a whim, perhaps it was discovered and encouraged by chance like in the books— she “chooses” to hug the wall and not be noticed… (not at all a coping mechanism and a fear of rejection, amirite??) …and she eventually gets the acceptance and validation she seeks by having the ton hang off her every word as LW…. Again, a heady thing for a lonely 17-18 year old who wants to be heard and who craves acceptance, however she can get it.

—

Penelope: has to watch the man she’s in love with, one of the few people who listens to her and who she shows aspects of her true, (sometimes cutting self) with, court and eventually propose to a girl she knows is actively manipulating him.

She then (quickly, imperfectly and messily) interferes to spare Colin from the plot… without his input (after a failed first attempt to appeal to him, in her defense… and then the time limit became a problem).

Colin: quickly and imperfectly interferes in Jack’s ruby scheme in order to fix his own rashness, but also to spare the Featherington family… (without their input, it must be noted, even though he says he does it for them).

…And now in season 3, Colin will need to watch as Pen attempts to attract suitors, possibly while he watches with feelings of jealously if she has some success (Edit: Though I doubt it will get all the way to an engagement; too redundant)

(And this is nothing but speculation, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if Colin either discovers something about one of the suitors, or about another plot entirely and is forced to make a difficult decision regarding it, that impacts Penelope).

—

Penelope: writes things that can have a negative impact on or hurt people, sometimes for her own own comfort (LW), even if it’s not intentional.

Colin: says and does things that hurt others or that are misleading / obliviously harmful, sometimes for his own comfort (avoiding the needling of those men at the end of S2), even if it’s not intentional.

—

Penelope: has self esteem that has been in the TRASH since the beginning of the series - this poor girl hates herself, and has had it reinforced often (and likely from a young age) that her thoughts and opinions aren’t worth hearing, and that she is never enough (and is one of a few reasons why I find the “she wanted Colin for herself!” takes about the end of S1 pretty laughable)… so she hides behind LW. Colin is one of the only people she’s hinted to that she can be biting (Eloise gets glimpses of it), and I think the ONLY one she has hinted at that she has “grand dreams”

Colin: ALSO has self esteem that is pretty low, desperately seeking something that he thinks will make him feel whole and complete, the forgotten middle child (same, bro…), and he masks this uncertainty by flaunting a fake confidence and hiding behind his hobbies and being what everyone wants him to be… also he he can keep people from looking deeper… while simultaneously desperate to be seen by those around him. Pen is the only person he’s really hinted at that he’s unhappy when they discuss purpose.

—

EDIT: How could I forget?! BOTH are the third children in their family. Colin is the forgotten middle child, and Pen is the youngest, but both are criticized by their acting heads of their household (Anthony for Colin, Portia for Penelope), and criticized by their siblings. Penelope’s sisters brutally mock her often: her weight, her skin, her letter-writing, etc. Colin’s siblings clearly mean to just tease him, but it’s obvious how much their lack of interest in him as a person hurts him and makes him feel invisible and unwanted (my poor boy 🥺…)

—

Mirrors, mirrors, and more mirrors. Sometimes they are funhouse mirrors, the situations aren’t ever exact, there are nuances and specific context to each, but imo the similarities are very intentional.

The show is going out of its way to put these characters on more equal footing, and to have each of them make blunders in their lives and in the lives of others, knocked off their respective pedestals, to set them up to be like “wow, I get it, I get YOU and I choose YOU, with all the highs and all the lows” … and I LOVE it!! 🥹

People in this fandom tend to relate to either Penelope, Colin, (or sometimes both), and that’s awesome… but that doesn’t mean they don’t each have flaws. It also doesn’t have to become a “who hurt who more, who is more right?” - I am so uninterested in that: pain isn’t a competition.

What I AM interested and invested in is their growth, seperetly and together, and the removal of their masks to truly see and accept the other.

So yeah, y’all. It’s called a parallel, and I really hope we get loads of them in S3. 🥰

I honestly really welcome conversation and thoughts about this; I’m pretty new to the fandom, but unfortunately I have seen a lot of people (on tumblr in particular) be very “holier than thou” if they don’t agree on an interpretation, and it makes the fandom seem very unwelcoming and makes me nervous to even post things, which is pretty ridiculous. :/

Fandom gonna fandom, I guess. 🤷‍♀️ I just really love this show and this pairing and I’m dying for S3.

[choicesmc]

A few questions for Sawtooth and Channing: What are their favourite things about each other?

And what are things they dislike about each other?

And how do they deal with conflict?

oooh!! Thank you!!

What are their favourite things about each other?

Sawtooth really admires how much Channing looks out for the pack. Like he’d never say it, but Sawtooth knows Channing drives himself near insane trying to be perfect for his pack. He takes his role as their Alpha incredibly seriously (and lbh he’s probably a tad more serious than the avg alpha, y’know?) Yeah, Sawtooth acknowledges that Channing can get incredibly set in his ways and, yeah, he can be an ass about tradition and takes on too much responsibility than he should but it’s all from a truly caring place. As much as Channing is frustrating, Sawtooth can be at least a little assured that it’s for a good, though misguided, reason.

Also, Channing has a really pretty face.

Channing loves Sawtooth’s unabashed stubbornness. It’s not necessarily that Sawtooth doesn’t give in easy (which he doesn’t). It’s more of an insistence on being themself, regardless of whoever or whatever is around them. You can’t intimidate him into hiding away parts of themself. His emotions are plain on his face and they rarely ever try to hide what they’re feeling. Channing sees himself in contrast to that: where Sawtooth is purely themself, Channing is so used to putting in a façade of a cool, undisturbed guy that at times Sawtooth seems to feel for the both of them. (<- i have more to say but this’ll suffice for now)

also sawtooth’s body is lean and toned and they’re always showing it off (not intentionally though, it drives Channing mad at times) <3

And what are things they dislike about each other?

OOH

okay

Sawtooth cannot stand how much Channing appoints himself leader. Yeah, yeah he’s the Alpha and whatever but, by gods, is it grating when Channing just. Decides stuff for the both of them because he can. For example, the first premium outfit in Alpha where Channing picks it out for MC does not fly with Sawtooth. It makes them intentionally act out almost as a matter of principle. I explain this a little better in [this] post

for Channing, im not sure if there’s anything in specific that he dislikes but something that does get to him is Sawtooth’s lack of affection. Channing is a huge romantic —he’s really Prince Charming once he’s dating someone and Sawtooth. Just. Isn’t. Like, Sawtooth does kisses and will hold his hand and cuddle but they don’t bring flowers or wait up after classes for him or plan special dates as surprises. It gets to Channing at times —especially if they haven’t fucked recently. But Channing doesn’t want to admit that because ‘cool, stoic alpha’ amirite?

And how do they deal with conflict?

Excellent question. As this couple is well versed in conflict, they do have a couple strategies:

Don’t get the rest of the pack involved. Since Channing is their Alpha, getting the rest of the wolves to pick a side can end up making Sawtooth feel alienated since most members will side with Channing.

Spend a couple hours apart. When they’re both seeing red, neither of them are thinking straight so if this fight is serious it’s better tackled when they’ve had a bit to calm down. If it’s not serious, they’ll probably make up once the couple of hours is over.

Alternatively, if the mood’s hot and heavy, fucking it out might actually be helpful. It’s a useful way to channel how they’re feeling and sometimes they’re more honest when Sawtooth’s fucking Channing silly.

Don’t avoid fights. (not that they needed to be told that tbh) if you e got a problem, it’s better to have a million tiny fights than one blowout-maybe-we’ll-break-up fight.

Corollary to 4, never ever suggest breaking up or taking a break mid fight. Like not even as a joke. Channing takes it seriously regardless and honestly, it’s a touchy subject for him.

thank you thank you for sending these in <3 as reward here’s a sawtooth picrew <3

made with [sushicore]

[verynormalaboutkinnporsche]

E4 Scene 3-4 Introducing Vegas

Everybody's favorite red flag finally gets some screen time. We may recall that at the end of Episode 2, Gun ordered Vegas to keep an eye on Porsche. Vegas claims that he's visiting on an errand (so not family meeting day again).

Given their last interaction, Porsche is nervously polite at first; his apology is waved off (little brothers, amirite?). Porsche is relieved and ready to be charmed, catches himself repeatedly being a little more relaxed than he ought to be.

Kinn watches this interaction from a distance and afterward warns Porsche to keep away from the minor family. Porsche continues to show his independence by wanting to know why shouldn't he be nice to someone who's nice to him? (He does not get an answer.) A confused back and forth about the previous night ends with Kinn realizing that Porsche doesn't remember their kiss.

What we learned:

Porsche has finally learned a few manners

Vegas has done his homework on Porsche

[whatdoyoumeanitsnotcanon]

For the send me a character meme; GHOST GHOST SIMON GHOST RILEY

I love how you write him sm <3

sexcapade story

There was one woman he met at a bar back home on some downtime. Was just really relaxing and then he managed to catch her eyefucking him. They eyefucked for a bit, introduced themselves (her name was Shirley or Surly or some shit, he doesn't remember), left the bar, and fucked. Pretty good night. Damn good blowjob. Simon later found out that some distant acquaintance had a thing for the woman and once he found out they fucked, it got back to him that the man would pull up. Well, it's been a minute, he's been back home multiple times, and the stupid bastard hasn't pulled up yet.

how do they flirt?

By eyefucking. Which he does even when he doesn't mean to. The guy has pretty intense eyes, mmk?

what turns them on?

He's a simple man. If he's attracted to the person and he wants to fuck, all it takes is being forward and telling him you're gonna fuck. Oh, and 'come-fuck-me' eyes and a nice ass. He also loves it when his partner takes control.

what kind of kisser are they?

The kind that leaves you breathless as fuck. Firm and slow with a lot of tongue action. Bite his lip and he's ready to fucking go.

any other random nsfw headcanon that comes to mind.

Ghost gives horrible great advice. Most people wouldn't know because... well, no one's bothered to ask. ("Doesn't go down under, eh? Fuck his mate." "Simon, what the fuck?" "What? Works like a charm."). He was also propositioned for a threesome once. He said yes. Fucked them both. Good night. CONSEQUENCES, AMIRITE?!

[jinxhallows]

ᴄʜᴀsɪɴɢ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀs | sᴇᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢʙɪɴ x ғᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

☾ – ᴄʜᴀsɪɴɢ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀs

sᴇᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢʙɪɴ x ғᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: ʙʀɪᴇғ ᴀʟᴄᴏʜᴏʟ ᴜsᴇ, ʙʀɪᴇғ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴅᴏᴍᴇsᴛɪᴄ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪᴛs ᴍᴇ sᴏ ɪᴛs ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɴᴏɴ ɪᴅᴏʟ ᴀᴜ

ᴡᴄ: 𝟺.𝟹ᴋ

Yall....FINALLY, amirite???? Changbin is officially in my wheelhouse now <3

---

You had built a life for yourself in the bustling city, juggling various roles and responsibilities to keep yourself busy and your rent paid. But tonight, as you lounge on the couch of your cozy one-bedroom Jersey City apartment, a restlessness gnaws at you.  

This was the other side of living alone in a city where you had no family and barely any friends. Sure, you loved parading nude around your space while watering your monsteras to the early Sunday morning tunes of lofi; but then again, you wished you had somewhere to be on a late Friday night like tonight.  

If you ruminated on the existentiality of it at this moment, you’d probably fall into an unnecessary panic attack. 

Quick—use a coping skill from therapy before it gets too bad. 

Distraction. 

Your ankle taps your foot forward with a constant bounce, and you nibble on your inner lower lip. You pick up your phone lying next to you, scrolling through your contacts to see which friend you felt like putting up with this time. As you pause on Seo Changbin's name, memories of laughter and shared moments flood your mind, bringing a genuine smile to your face.  You can still remember when you met him two years ago, when you first moved to the city. 

You had signed up for a Thai boxing class, a random attempt to meet new people in your local area. As you stepped into the enormous gymnasium, your eyes widened at the sight of people flinging each other down onto a mat with thudding echoes. It must've shown on your face because an instructor, Changbin, stopped you before you talked yourself back out the door. 

"They're very advanced, don't worry," he grinned, extending his hand. "I'm Changbin, one of the Thai boxing instructors, and you are?" 

Changbin was a sight to behold. He stood matching your own height, with a muscular physique that was accentuated by the sweat-wicking athleisure shirt and shorts he was wearing. His hair was short, stopping just above his ears, damp with sweat, with strands sticking to the crown of his head. 

You introduced yourself as Y/N and explained that you were there for the Thai boxing 3-pack trial classes. 

"Ah, great," he said, a teasing glint in his eye. "That's Jiu-Jitsu, not boxing; you looked pretty terrified of it. I won't go so hard on you." 

His words made you smile, and you retorted, "Who says I need you to go easy?" 

Changbin's features lit up with amusement, and you noticed the way his expressive eyes added to his charm. As the class progressed, you found yourself drawn to his fluid movements and natural grace, and you were impressed by the way he effortlessly demonstrated the techniques. 

After class, Changbin approached you, a hint of sweat still visible on his brow.  

"You did great," he said with a genuine smile.  

"Are you coming back for the other trial classes?" 

Changbin steps out of the dimly lit underground venue, still hearing the echoes of the crowd ringing in his ears. He takes a deep breath, feeling the cool night air fill his lungs, and pulls out his phone. His finger hovers over your name in his contacts, the memory of your easy laughter and sparkling eyes making his heart skip a beat. He knows he shouldn't be feeling this way about a friend, but he can't help how he feels. 

As he types out the message, his mind races with thoughts of what he wants to show you tonight, wanting to bring you to a side of the city you haven't seen before. He hits send, and as he waits for your reply, he feels a nervous sense of anticipation, wondering if tonight will be the night that he finally tells you how he truly feels. 

Your phone buzzes just as you decide to text him, and your heart races when you see the message is from him. You tap on the notification and open the message thread, your excitement mounting as you see the nickname you forced onto him for the both of you. He could act like it was corny all he wanted, but he surely locked you in his phone with yours with no hesitation at all. 

solar eclipse: idk if you're up right now, but if so, txt me if you're up for a late-night adventure. 

You reply immediately, accepting his invitation. 

As Changbin waits for your response, the three dots indicating your reply blink twice before your message appears. He grins, feeling relieved. 

lunar eclipse: you know damn well I'm up right now, Changbin. Where am I meeting you? 

You grab your jacket and step out of your apartment, ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant city atmosphere. As you walk towards the PATH train, you hear the distant sound of live music from a nearby bar, adding to the anticipation of the night ahead. The city is alive with endless possibilities, and you're curious to see where he's going to take you tonight. Changbin stayed busy with his job and going to school part time for mixed medium art, so he didn’t suggest a random late night adventure very often. 

solar eclipse: lol, you take lots of naps! You couldve been sleep. I'll send the location. 

solar eclipse: it's in Eastwood. 

- solar eclipse has sent a location - 

lunar eclipse: Brooklyn?! This late? The PATH stops running in 2 hours, I won't have a way back home. 

solar eclipse: I WOULDNT LEAVE YOU STRANDED 

You suppress a laugh as you stand in the station. It's relatively empty at this hour, with only two other people waiting for their trains into the city. 

lunar eclipse: Why are you yelling at me through a text message? 

solar eclipse: Because you said you're coming and then made it complicated again.  You do that when youre about to cancel. 

As you start to type a reply, another message from him comes through. 

solar eclipse: You can stay with me. I'll sleep on the pullout couch. 

You erase what you were going to say and reply to his offer instead. 

lunar eclipse: Deal :) 

You tuck your phone into your bag as the train rushes through the tunnel, emerging and blowing your hair back as it comes to a stop. You board it for the thirty-minute commute to Eastwood, Brooklyn, pulling your headphones over your head and nestling into your seat. 

As the train hurtles through the darkness, your head leans against the cool window, a blur of lights streaking past outside. The steady rumble of the tracks reverberates through your skull, creating a gentle vibration that lulls you into a drowsy trance. 

Seo Changbin. 

As you lazily open up your files, memories of him flood your mind, taking you back to the early stages of your now failed relationship. It was during that time that Changbin became the man who’s infectious laughter and magnetic personality drew you in, leaving you unable to resist spending time with him whenever he asked. You signed up for more classes, and with each passing day, you grew stronger, more confident, and with better endurance. His presence not only made you feel good, but he was also good for your body. 

You tap on one of his songs, 'ForeverDraft.MP3,' and his voice fills your ears. You close your eyes, allowing yourself to be carried away by the rhythm and melody of his music. Changbin's rap skills had taken you by surprise when you were still with your ex-boyfriend. You ex was a battle rapper from the Bronx, and you had unknowingly watched your new friend go bar for bar against your boyfriend at a popular underground venue in Brooklyn. The look of shock on your face must have been evident when Changbin emerged victorious, wiping the floor with your boyfriend's ego. 

At the time, Changbin had no idea that he was battling against your partner, which made things worse when your dejected boyfriend stormed off the stage in a fury. You couldn't resist rushing over to Changbin, however, shocked by his talent and tackling him in an excited hug, leaving your boyfriend to wonder if you had set him up. 

The argument that followed that night was intense, and even though you made up the next day, things were never the same between you two. Your ex had always had a tendency towards a short fuse, but that night, he blew up in ways that you had never experienced. He shoved you against the wall twice, and you felt the pain of the concussion, making him realize how far he had gone. He apologized profusely, trying to help you back to your feet as you held the back of your head, wondering if things would ever be the same between you two again. 

“HE DID WHAT?!” Changbin’s voice erupted in anger, spewing out a torrent of Korean curses and vivid death wishes that made you hold the phone away from your ear. Despite the gravity of the situation, you couldn't help but find his passion strangely attractive. It was the first time you had smiled all night, a small but genuine grin that spread across your face. 

“Are you still there?!” he asked, sounding frustrated. 

“Yes, Changbin,” you replied, bringing the phone back to your ear. 

“I’m still here.” 

He sighed heavily, clearly exasperated. “Just one time--” 

“Stop. We’ve been over this. If you were just an average guy, I’d let you give him a taste of his own medicine. But as a mixed martial arts instructor, I don’t want to risk going to jail over this. I don’t have any fucking friends here already, I just--” You didn't expect to get emotional, but a tear trickled down your cheek as you wiped it away. 

“Hey, calm down. I won't do anything to him, okay? I promise.” Changbin's voice softened, and you hugged your hoodie a little tighter as a cool evening breeze blew through the thin fabric. You had left with just the clothes on your back to avoid any further escalation for the night. 

“Do you want to come over? My Xbox is collecting dust, and you're the only one who can keep everyone alive in House of Ashes.” 

“Oh, we haven't played that in a while! There's a new one out! You should download it. If you start now, it'll be done by the time I get there. It's called--” 

As you continued to excitedly talk about the newest installment in the gaming series, Changbin relaxed on his couch. He had convinced you to get away from the situation, at least for the night, and he loved to hear you like this—happy, excited, and passionate about something. He knew every last detail, and he wanted to see it as clearly as you did. 

Running his hand through his hair, he listened to you with a smile. He wasn't going to lay a finger on your boyfriend—no, he had friends to take care of that for him.  

Seo Changbin. 

You chuckle to yourself, swiping to the next track he had sent you from his upcoming mixtape. He was incredibly talented, and you two bonded over music, spending long days and nights creating together for the sheer joy of it. 

As you disembark from the train, you check your phone, which is still without service while you are still underground. The crowds in New York City are overwhelming, but you walk to the beat of the track, one of your favorites, with a Camp Lo instrumental that he seemed to float on. 

When you emerge out of the subway station, you pull up your navigation app and follow it towards the three-minute destination. When your app tells you that you arrived, you see a plain office building, but the list of businesses were all entertainment venues. You take a few steps back from the entryway and call him. 

“Yo,” he answers. 

“Yeah, I think I'm here? At some office building?” You look around at the bright lights above you and then again through the glass doors. 

“Oh, I'll be out,” he says. 

Half a minute later, he comes from the dimly lit halls, too far to see from where you stood. He unlocks the door, pushes it open, and lets you walk inside before locking it behind you. 

“What kind of adventure did you drag me out here for?” you ask as he pulls you into a big, firm hug. His thick, muscular arms squeeze your body tighter than anyone else, making you laugh, and his short, wavy black hair tickles your face.  He finally releases you, looking at you with a smile. 

“Food and art.” Changbin says proudly, he waves his hand, “Follow me.” 

You follow him into a recording studio, the walls adorned with a massive graffiti mural that immediately captures your attention. The colors are bold and vibrant, and the designs intricate and eye-catching. It's clear that this was the work of a skilled artist, and you’re captivated by it.

"Who did this?" you ask, turning to him with wide eyes. 

Changbin grins proudly. "This is the work of my friend, He Li. She's an incredible artist. I knew you'd appreciate it." 

You nod in agreement, still admiring the artwork. "It's amazing. I've never seen anything like it." 

He motions towards the Chinese takeout sitting on a small table in the corner. "I got your favorite," he says with a grin. 

You smile back at him, grateful for the gesture. "Thanks, Changbin. You always know how to make me feel better." 

He walks over to the table and grabs a container of food, motioning for you to join him. "Come on, I’m hungry and I waited forever for you to get here." 

“That’s your stupid ass fault.” You sneer, sitting down next to him and grabbing a container for yourself. He cuts his eyes at you making you giggle, “I never told you you had to wait for me to start eating.” 

“In that case,” He takes the food back from your hands, digging his chopsticks into it and stuffing the lo mein in his mouth.  You yell at him, snatching it back while he’s covering his mouth to catch a stray noodle from falling during his bout of laughter. 

You lift your fist, threatening to punch him. 

“Don’t fuck with my food, asshole.” 

“Duly noted.” He laughs. 

The two of you enjoy the Chinese takeout while admiring the mural, discussing its intricate details and the story it tells. As the night wears on, you feel your spirits lifting. Spending nights like this with a friend and enjoying the art around you is what you needed to take your mind off of the loneliness you felt living alone at home. 

“He Li, huh?” You sit back after you’ve both finished your food and toss the empty container in the nearby trashcan.  “I’ve got to look into more of their work, you know, I’ve always found graffiti when turned into art, super interesting.” You nod, looking over the mural again. 

Another fact to store in the back of his brain. 

Changbin stands up, stretching and pulling on his jacket.  “Ready for the next stop?” 

You place your hand to your chest, feigning shock at his eagerness to switch locations like this.  Usually when you two hung out it was at restaurant, maybe a bar, each other’s places, but gallivanting around the city together? This was new. 

“Born ready.”  

The evening air of the city is thick with warmth, a sign that summer is just around the corner. It's a pleasant night to be walking to catch the train. You and Changbin saunter down the street, playfully goading each other and joking around. It feels good to be with someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously, someone who's not afraid to be silly in public. You pass a street performer and Changbin can't resist the urge to bust a move, causing you both to erupt in laughter. The energy between you two is electric, full of carefree joy and a sense of adventure. 

You rest your head on Changbin's shoulder, the rhythmic swaying of the train lulling you both into a peaceful state. Your fingers tap away on your phone, scrolling through your Instagram DMs. 

"I learned a new Korean word today," you say, glancing up at Changbin with a mischievous grin. 

"Oh really?" he asks, turning his head to look at you. "Tell me." 

You swipe through your phone, pulling up a direct message from a friend. "Sshi—sshibal," you say, struggling to pronounce the Hangeul characters. 

Changbin's eyes widen, and he quickly moves over, causing you to lift your head.  

"That means fuck," you clarify, a small smile playing on your lips. 

"I know what it means, I—" he interrupts, grabbing your phone from your hands. His brow furrows as he scrolls through your messages. "Who is this guy? Random Korean guys teaching you curse words? I can do that," he says, his tone both possessive and playful. 

You bite your lip, trying to hold your laughter at his reaction. It's cute how he can be so protective over you, even when it's just harmless language exchange. You watch as he taps on the user's profile and starts scrolling through his photos, his upper lip curling in disgust. 

Despite his faux-anger, you can feel a flutter in your chest at his attention. You try not to think about how cute it was when he got like this, almost possessive over you, like he liked you or something. 

“First of all, he’s my tutor, not some ‘random Korean guy’,” You take your phone back, locking it and tucking it back into your pocket as you lift a brow, “and besides, since when do you care what ‘random Korean guys’ I’m talking to?” 

Shit 

He must think quickly to avoid suspicion. 

“Tch,” He scoffs, “I just feel like you can do way better than that, I mean, he looks boring.” 

Your eyes twinkle in that way that made his stomach flip, he just knew some bullshit was about to follow. 

“Really? Wow, tell me Changbin,” You lean forward onto your leg, 

“How exactly does a person look boring?”  

Changbin gestures to your phone hidden in your pocket, “I just saw your conversation, he asks you if you ate, you tell him yes, you ask him if he ate, he tells you yes, how was your day, blah blah blah, Y/N we never talk about that shit, you know you love to talk about all kinds of things, you’re into things so much cooler than what you ate today,” 

He realizes he’s starting to steer the conversation back to himself a little bit too quickly, a level of self-awareness not many Leos inherently carry.  “But, I guess, for a tutor, he’s cool.” He shrugs, “But I can tutor you better.” 

“And how will you tutor me better?” 

“I mean, for one, before you start learning to curse, you should probably start with putting sentences together, you know, like ‘I eat food’ and ‘I drink coffee’, that would get you somewhere.  Sshibal isn’t going to get you anywhere, it’s gonna get me in a fight with the random asshole you spout it to.” 

As you sit next to him, you notice how his features scrunch up in annoyance when he catches you staring. But you can't help it; you love looking at him. You love the way his hair falls in his face, the way his eyes crease when he smiles, and the way he's always there to protect you. 

"Ya. What are you staring at?!" he asks, and you grin. You know he thinks you're up to something, but you're not. Not this time, at least. You just enjoy looking at him, and it's making him uncomfortable. 

As he shifts in his seat, you notice the way his eyes dart around the train car, not wanting to meet your gaze. You know he's insecure, and it breaks your heart. You wish he could see himself the way you see him: kind, caring, and so, so attractive. 

"You're protective over me, huh?" you ask softly, trying to draw him out of his own head. You can see the way his jaw tenses as he considers his response. 

"Someone has to be," he finally says, and you feel a pang of sadness. You wish he could see that you want to be that someone. But for now, you'll settle for the way his eyes light up when he talks about protecting you. 

As you follow Changbin through the streets of Brooklyn, you feel a sense of excitement and adventure. This is a part of the city you hadn't explored before, and the anticipation is palpable. The sidewalk is lined with trees, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze, creating a soothing and calming atmosphere. 

Despite being a bustling metropolis, you were surprised to see how suburban the neighborhood felt. The quaint houses and manicured lawns reminded you of a small town, a stark contrast to the towering skyscrapers that dominated Manhattan. 

As you turn the corner, you see a small park nestled between two towering buildings. The brick walls loom above you, casting shadows that seem to dance in the flickering light. You're drawn to the wall that takes up an entire side of the building, covered in a stunning graffiti mural that's illuminated by spotlights installed in the ground. 

“This is by my other friend, Theo.” 

The colors and designs on the mural captivate your attention. Its a true masterpiece of graffiti art. The wall seems to come alive with every stroke of the spray can, blending shades of red, blue, and green together in a way that is almost magical. 

The mural is an intricate work of art, depicting a chaotic and beautiful scene. There are faces and figures interwoven with abstract designs. You wonder how many hours of work went into creating such a stunning piece. 

Changbin smiles as he notices your expression. “It's amazing, isn't it? Theo is one of the best graffiti artists in the city, and this is one of his best works." 

You nod. It's as if the wall has come alive, the colors and designs pulsing with a vibrant energy that you can feel in your bones.  You’re only interrupted by the cool bottle of soju that’s pressed against your arm, 

“Want some?” 

When have you ever said no to soju? 

“I had no idea something this beautiful existed right in the city like this.” You say, “Do that spinny thingy.” You twirl your finger and he laughs. 

You revel in the sound of Changbin's laughter, the corners of his lips lifting up to reveal his pearly whites. With a flick of his wrist, he spins the soju bottle, creating a miniature tornado inside that leaves you in awe, like a child seeing magic for the first time. 

"How cool," you gush, cracking the bottle open and taking a big gulp. The wooden bench in front of the colorful mural creaks as Changbin sits down beside you. "I needed this." 

He cocks an eyebrow at you. "You do? What's wrong?" 

You shrug, waving your hand dismissively. "Nothing's wrong. School is just kicking my ass. I don't know why I decided to go back so late. I feel too old." 

"I've never seen a young veterinarian," he teases, and you playfully punch him in the arm. 

"Ouch! You've been training with me so you're fucking strong. Be careful, sheesh." He rubs his arm, then takes another swig from the bottle. You punch him again, and he spills some soju onto his black shirt. 

"Oops, my bad." You giggle, knowing you've just started something. He gazes at you with hooded eyes as he wipes the droplets from his chin. Slowly, he nods as if plotting his next move, and you know you're in for it. 

"I swear I didn't mean to spill it," you plead between laughs as he sloshes the soju at you, splashing your hoodie. 

"I didn't mean to spill it," he mocks, grinning as he dodges your retaliatory strikes. He finishes the rest of the bottle himself, tossing it into the trash can with a clatter. "Hey, hey, now we're even, right?" He tries to pacify you, his hands on your shoulders, though it's clear that you're the one who started it all. 

"One more stop," he says. 

You raise an eyebrow. "Another one? What is this, you're gonna propose to me or somethin?" you tease, unzipping your hoodie and taking it off as you two leave the park together. 

"Don't say shit like that, because if I were, you just ruined the surprise," he responds, his voice low and smooth. He stops his pace to help you take the hoodie off your shoulders and you tie it around your waist. 

You nod, feeling a little flustered. He has a way of making you feel special, like you're the only person in the world that matters. You try not to get butterflies at the fact that he didn't just outright reject the idea in disgust. 

"Don't worry, the next one is near my place," he explains, his hand brushing against yours. You have no idea what that means in proximity to where you two are at now, but at this point, you'd follow Changbin anywhere. Your heart races a little at the thought. 

As you walk, you manage to get the weight of school lifted a little by ranting about it to him while he laughs at your stories of being sprayed in the face with dog anal glands and finds himself amazed at the fact that you performed your first cystocentesis. You're chattering so much that you don't even realize you're in front of another magnificent mural until you finally ask, 

"All these other people's murals are beautiful, but did you ever get a chance to revisit your own art like you had wanted to?" 

Changbin's brawny arms are casually crossed over his broad chest as he gazes up at the wall towering above you both, his intense eyes taking in every intricate detail. You slowly turn and look up to see a graffiti mural on the side of a white building. The mural is a work of art, bursting with colors and intricate details. At first glance, it looks like a chaotic blend of shapes and images, but as you take a closer look, you start to see the deliberate patterns and messages woven into the piece. 

The mural celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage, with bold calligraphic characters in vibrant hues that spell out powerful words and phrases. Symbols of cultural heritage are scattered throughout, including the colorful lanterns that light up Chinatown streets, the delicate cherry blossoms of Japan, and the intricate mandalas of Southeast Asia. 

In the center of the mural, a majestic dragon coils around the words "AAPI Pride", its scales shimmering in shades of gold and emerald green. The dragon's eyes glint with fierce determination, a reflection of the strength and resilience of the AAPI community. 

You’ve gotten the kind of chills that make the hair stand up on your arms. 

"Jesus Christ, Changbin, you fucking…. you…you did this?!" you stammer, rushing forward to get a closer look at the vibrant colors that adorn the brick wall. As you run your hand over the painted surface, your fingers glide over the hangeul characters that spell out his name. 

서창빈 

Seo Changbin. 

"They asked me to do it for Asian American Heritage Month," Changbin explains, his voice tinged with excitement. "I wasn't sure if I could, I had never done anything this huge before, but I wanted to try." 

You step back, taking in the breathtaking mural in its entirety. It is more magnificent than any artwork you have ever seen, and the fact that it was created by the handsome man standing next to you only adds to its allure. 

"I bet your parents are proud," you say, admiring every detail of the mural and wondering about the meaning behind each symbol. 

"I sent a picture to them, my mom freaked out, she loves it," Changbin replies. "She didn't know I was capable of something like this. Shit, I barely knew myself, but the last time we talked about stuff we had given up on, even though we loved it… I kept thinking about it, and then the Korean Women's Leadership Institute contacted me, and I thought, fuck it, no time like the present." 

As you gaze at him, your heart pounding in your chest, you act on the liquid courage left in your system and take the opportunity to kiss him. It's a quick, soft kiss, but it's enough to make his head spin. You both pull back, staring at each other with wide eyes. 

Changbin can hardly believe what just happened. You cover your mouth with a laugh, and he relaxes, smiling in relief before he leans in to kiss you again. The sensation of his soft lips on yours is like nothing you've ever experienced before. He doesn't move too fast, taking his time to savor the moment he's wanted since he first met you. 

"Yes, it's you," he whispers, pulling back to look at you, the knowing feeling settling in his core.  

"It's always been you." 

Your breath has been stolen directly from your lungs. You smirk and shake your head, echoing his words from earlier. 

"Fuck it, no time like the present."       ☾ – fin

[ashipiko]

Pre 2, gen 2 3 8, love 3

LOVING THIS EMOTE RENNY TY for blessing my eyes 🫶

tho it is now ashace hour so. 😳

LOTS OF STUFF UNDER CUT!!! INCLUDES ART

ASK GAME HERE!

PRE-2.) What was their first impression of each other?

“Pfft. Ashi was soooo boring at first— Always ‘Don’t mess around!’ or ‘Riddle’ll have your head for that!’”

“…Was she wrong? Uhhhhh… Anyways!”

Ace found Ashi too similar to Riddle for him 😭😭 which TBH was an exaggeration

he found that she was a party pooper because she would always warn him before he did something stupid, but she was really fun to tease which made up for it <33

“Ace was a meanie, TBH. Like fun, yeah, but kinda annoying too! Though I gotta give it to him, I respect the guts to speak up to his dormhead like that.”

Ashi found Ace annoying too, and unreasonably mean 😔 but she was able to tolerate him, plus he was her only friend (apart from Grim) in the beginning 🫶 She also admired his ability of standing up for himself and others when he recognized something wack

GEN-2.) Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

“A date? Ahh, now that I think about it, I don’t think we really had a FR one? I think our hangouts eventually faded into dates… Besties to lovers, amirite? Haha!”

LIKE ASHI SAID the line between besties and S/O is INCREDIBLY thin between them 😭😭 so they never really had an official first date, but it was probs going out to get tarts or just hanging out in their secret garden at heartslabyul <3

GEN-3.) What was their first kiss like?

“Shhh! Listen, Ashi doesn’t know about this, but… Our first was technically before we started dating. She was fine with it! ...I’m pretty sure? Who the hell even sleeps while leaning on their ‘friend’ like that, huh?! It was bound to happen! W-Well actually, it wasn’t even a real kiss, just on the forehead— Gah! Whatever!”

Ace and Ashi’s first kiss (a kiss on the forehead) happened during Book 5, in the practice room <3 Everyone had gone out in the period where Deuce and Epel left, leaving the two of them alone 😳😳During this while they were doodling in Ashi’s notebook together, she happened to fall asleep on Ace and he just kinda. sat there like 😳

He claims that, “The vibe got a hold of me and then next thing I knew, I tucked her hair behind her ear and freaking!!! KISSED HER ON THE FOREHEAD.” another person claims to have walked in on Ashi waking up and Ace screaming <3

GEN-8.) Who gets jealous easier?

“Ha! You seriously think the guys at NRC have a chance at stealing my girl? Pfft, cmon. They’re all ugly losers! They got no shot! Unlike me~”

ACE 100% LIKE obvs ashi has her jelly moments BUT? she’s a charming pretty and charismatic girl in an all boys highschool of course she’s gon get people crushing on her 24/7 😭😭

not to mention Ashi is Ace’s partner in crime, rival, bestie and girl so he has a LOT to lose w her 😔 def the type to side eye and put his arm around her in attempt to drag her away

LOVE-3.) How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

“Cuddling with Ace is super cozy, actually! It’s always so fun and warm, it never gets old— Eh, is my face heating up?”

SLEEPOVERS EVERY WEEK W THESE TWO (unless it’s a busy week or someone’s overblotted again 😔) I think it just naturally happens whenever they’re both on a couch/bed and watching a movie or playing games together <3 so pretty often for cuddling I’d say

PDA THO..... I think ace would do it purely to flex that “HA I GET BITCHES” and Ashi would also participate despite getting HELLA flustered 😭😭 pre-relationship they already were pretty close physically but when dating they hold hands a LOT more often (like all the time) and just lean into eachother a lot 😳 plus the smoochies

it may happen on accident w/o them acknowledging that it’s PDA tho 😭😭

[thesinglesjukebox]

MIRANDA LAMBERT - "WRANGLERS"

Use promo code "JUKEBOX" at checkout to get 20% off your first pair of jeans...

[5.36]

Alfred Soto: She didn't write a note or a word for this, and I can tell. It's as if someone typed "Gunpowder and Lead" and "Mama's Broken Heart" into ChatGPT and out came "Wranglers." The brawny production hinders: every rote syllable gets punched up. [4]

Aaron Bergstrom: Miranda Lambert knows her way around a great revenge song, so I have no idea how something as bloodless as "Wranglers" made it past quality control. This sounds like if "Kerosene" was taken over by a hedge fund. [4]

Nortey Dowuona: Someone needs to get Audra Mae on the record on how long Wranglers take to burn. We would all learn a great deal. I mean, they're jeans, how long do they -- wait. [10]

Ian Mathers: See, other jeans burn like this [crowd goes "ooooh"] but Wranglers burn like this [crowd loses it, uproarious laughter]. Wranglers be burnin', amirite folks? [crowd goes absolutely feral with joy, rips up seats, destroys stadium] [6]

Katherine St. Asaph: As a bar, "Wranglers take forever to burn" sounds badass until you think about it -- so you're what, waiting around your no-good ex's house for a couple hours watching yourself fail to commit arson? As a piece of maybe-product placement, it's no "Wrangler butts drive the cowgirls nuts." [5]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Just as schlocky as Chris Stapleton's take on prestige-country RAWK; just as charming, too -- you get the sense that Lambert knows she could do a little better than replicating the feel of "The Chain" for the Taylor Sheridan aesthetic universe, but she's clearly having fun. The drums unfortunately sound like Stadium Arcadium-era Red Hot Chili Peppers, but everything else is gorgeously-wrought in the way that Lambert's best singles sound: it's not subtle and brilliant in the way that "Bluebird" or "Vice" were, but even unsubtle Lambert can be an exceedingly good time. [7]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: The way that the chorus descends -- as if engulfed by flames and consumed by vitriol -- is satisfying as hell. This one is for your inner pyro.  [7]

Taylor Alatorre: One of the purposes of a song like "Wranglers," even if Lambert will deny this, is to demonstrate how much more "real" its performer is than Nashville newcomers like, for instance, Dasha. Which is fine on its own: gatekeeping, in forms both benign and ugly, has been a country tradition since it was still being called "hillbilly music," and it makes more sense to police the authentic in a genre whose very name embeds it in the soil. Lambert certainly sounds more comfortable tossing around the signifiers of battle-scarred, woman-scorned country than Dasha does -- maybe too comfortable, if all the instant "Kerosene" comparisons are any indication. But there's one fatal flaw that "Wranglers" shares with "Austin," and it's the intended wham line in the chorus that serves only to douse the narrative in the cold waters of an anti-climax. Steer your mind away from the familiar abstractions of vengeance and female autonomy, and actually picture what Lambert is asking us to picture here: does a pile of faded blue jeans burning in the desert sun for half an hour longer than expected really sound all that satisfying to observe? Why write a revenge fantasy where it can be assumed that the revenger is impatiently checking her watch every few minutes, waiting for the fantasy to be over already? [3]

Jonathan Bradley: A far cry from “Kerosene” or “Gunpowder and Lead,” what’s supposed to be a barn-burner turns out to be a damp squib due to a muddy mix that chokes the guitar in indistinct haze, taking Lambert’s own voice with it. Soggy kindling results in little heat and so much smoke you can’t make out much of anything at all. [4]

Mark Sinker: A pop song is after all no more than a cluster of commodities circulating within a set of interlinked markets -- so how is a Brit listener my age (me) still faintly rattled when said song’s burden is a straight-up major brand-name placement? As if that’s somehow not allowed (or anyway not really cricket). Blame the BBC’s straight-up long-term ban on any hint of advertising in anything they broadcast, and the penumbras of ideology beneath and alongside that ban, the smoke and the steel shaping my inner mind: it’s like The Who never Sold Out; like the late Nick Kamen kept his laundrette Levis on to Marvin’s “Grapevine,” like Sigue Sigue Sputnik never sold literal ad-space slots on their first LP (for L’Oréal, EMI, i-D magazine and more); it’s like Run DMC went barefoot. I escaped it enough that Vybz Kartel, Gaza Slim and Popcaan excitedly hymning their nice new furry suede shoes is one of my all-time favourite Jukebox entries. Sadly this is no “Clarks”: after a misleading Morricone lens-flare it slumps quickly into charred serge and claggy ash. No ethical immolation under capitalism! [5]

Michael Hong: If this is Miranda's attempt at returning to being the shit-talker and the fire starter, well, it sounds like she's got her kindling stacked too neatly and forgotten her matchbook at home. [4]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[wheelie-sick]

you 🤝 me

Suffering through undergrad just to get to more advanced degrees (in my case a master’s in library science)… I too am in gen math (3rd time’s a charm amirite). we’ll make it through

we will make it through!!

I'm still in intermediate algebra 😭 I'm finally finishing it this semester (it's a 3 half-semester class) and taking college algebra this summer so I can finally take chem and then hopefully take anatomy and physiology this fall

it's so exciting but so stressful

[incarnateirony]

https://twitter.com/xmenupdate/status/1686578029051420672?s=46&t=eTIYBJflezjsZxlN-TlYeQ

FUCKIN WHEEZE

OH, YEAH. let's start with this wonderful grammar "There has been a number of reports regarding assistants and stand-ins that have been credited on IMDb a number of Marvel Studios projects recently including Halle Berry & Famke Janssen for ‘DEADPOOL 3’."

Then we click the thing:

Everything else hidden, but sure. Okay leaky person cut on a discord background, this has NOTHING to do with how easy it is to edit IMDB, AMIRITE????????

THIS one was golden though, this one right here when any fact check was begun:

A bunch of these just look like guesses, like back in like May Halle Berry was sporting white hair and everyone assumed it was to be Storm again in Deadpool and fans went everywhere speculating.

Jared's fans have been pitching 238492384 marvel things for him to be every year for ten billion years. Gambit off the top of my head as the most recent one I recall. A list of returning GotG members because duh. Several names like Froy Gutierrez that were floated for shit like Marvel's Young Avengers on fanpages. One of these is a guy with like, NO history WHATSOEVER beyond being on CW Charmed for a few episodes (6) and then a few on night court, and isnt even in the top 5000.

Stinks of fan wishlist passed as rumor, originating off of some cross Marvel/CW fan. I mean, if Talik is managing to rocket from bit actor obscurity in the 15,000 range to being some yet unconfirmed character, all power to him, but sorry, this smacks of lmfao. It's a bunch of like fan observations of the obvious from 2 months ago (storm), CW people (Someone was a Charmed & Supernatural fan), and shit the Marvel community went "OOPS LMAO THAT'S WRONG" like Janelle Monae already:

Page was put up same time as the tweet according to google deleted in the last day, and the tweet was posted yesterday. Lmao bruh.

Like if Jared finally gets his first voice acting role of some rando XMan like 4 years behind the jackles curve, good for him I guess? Like marvel going, DC got jensen, who was That Other Guy? Given this is just a Special like holiday specials, so it'd be like one episode.

On the other hand you're going to need more than someone blatantly trying to run a list while anyone can edit the source. You think Marvel's gonna announce it like that? AH yes we hide everything even the title, and the stars, but leak the assistants. On multiple shows. NOTHING ELSE, NOT EVEN A TITLE THERE, NO RELEASE DATE GIVEN BUT WE GOT THE RANDO ASSISTANTS *SQUARED* cuz *LOGIC* But yeah, cool. Jared Padalecki As Knockoff Voice For Some Character In One Off Holiday Special Or Shortrun Webseries Some Shit For Character/Series Zero Of the Jpeg Stans Care About.

Please take your Fangasm induced and boosted nonsense out of my inbox.

Add in, be real careful holding your breath even if it IS real. Kevin Feige is listed as producting and Iger was just talking about him being "spread too thin" and dilluting their product. He's named streaming as the problem and opened fire purging products from Disney+ even before the strike. Just outright brake pump on output of Disney+ stream content. Now, they HAVE had problems with integral marvel stars recently

Why would this come out during a strike nobody is working, no less???????? Before the strike they hadn't even sorted directors or anything??????? Are you saying Jared, what, accepted the role during strike?????????? or... kept his mouth shut without a single hint for half a year????????? JARED????????????????

OH AND THIS

Also??? Jared's supposed assistant is uh. well i mean. i support immigration. But it's Real Weird that if you google him and Force It To English Results, there's 3 mentions; one this imdb listing, one bot garble nonsense, and one his application to go to college in california this spring while listing also moving into the country this march (actually with how he fucked up the US MM/DD/YY format for his birthday... this april??). So like. IDK man. Smells real fuckin sus. He wouldn't pass marvel vetting to be a janitor with that status.

Love the MULTIPLE errors on here. Class act

[werewolf-w1tch]

part 3 of my ROTTMNT x TMA crossover analyses in which i decide which TMA entity a character from ROTTMNT would serve/vibe with! (villain edition)

part one here and part two here

yes i know it’s been days. i’m in school what do you want from me. 

so far we’ve got mikey, raph, leo, donnie, april, sunita, cassandra, and splinter. figured i’d switch gears a bit and do a villain specific one! (draxum, shredder and the krang will be their own post. there’s a solid amount of villains without them and i plan on splitting draxum by baron draxum and barry draxum and also shredder based on the shredder at the end of season 1/beginning of season 2 and the shredder at the end of season 2)

spoilers for tma and rottmnt (i finally finished it! yay! i’m in pieces)

hypno!

i really like hypno. was NOT expecting coran’s voice to come out of him when i first met him but it adds to his charm. i love his whole character. he is the villain ever. 

hypno is a corruption-marked spiral avatar with some stranger thrown in there for funsies! i feel like in the tma-verse he would start up as a spiral avatar given his whole magician schtick. the stranger comes from his illusion abilities and that one episode dedicated to the 80s fashion montages aka the best episode ever. 

and you can’t have hypno without warren stone!

warren is so fucking funny to me. the only person who ever remembers him is his boyfriend and we love him for that. i want to kick him into the sun. 

warren is a corruption-marked stranger avatar with some lonely sprinkled in there! i am entirely giving him stranger vibes because literally no one remembers him, but on a more serious note i feel like that really fucks with him sometimes (which is the lonely part). there’s no way it wasn’t jarring going from a renowned news reporter to fucking forgotten in like two seconds. even meat sweats is remembered for his cooking legacy. sounds like a certain rat person huh. (except instead of letting it get him depressed warren turned his bitterness into a weapon. good for him. gay people amirite)

speaking of meat sweats...

look at him. a lil guy. he will shout slurs at you and burn down your kitchen for daring to serve him toast that isn’t properly browned. 

meat sweats is a pretty obvious one. he’s a corruption-marked slaughter avatar that also gained his loyalty to the flesh following his mutation. meat sweats is another one i really like; his design is funky and i genuinely enjoy his abilities to twist his body and also absorb the abilities of others. 10/10 character design we should make more characters like gordon ramsey. 

repo!

ok real talk i fucking LOVE repo’s design. he’s my top three favorite villain design out of all of them. just look at him. what a guy. run him over on your way out. 

repo is one of those characters that gave me a bit of a hard time cause outside of his obvious corruption marking, i wasn’t too sure what would fit him well. i eventually settled on a corruption-marked hunt avatar who is eye aligned. repo’s constantly hunting down people who owe him money and he also always seems to know how owes him money and by when. a true businessman. (he is so gender i want his claws. its the fucking purple isn’t it god dAMN IT but also. i want to crouch. like a creachure.)

ghostbear!

honestly i don’t really care for ghostbear. his design and powers are cool and that’s kinda it for me. 

ghostbear is a corruption-marked spiral-aligned end avatar. he’s a ghost (obv) and i threw in the spiral cause i felt like it helped to explain his specific abilities with shifting in and out of corporeality (is that a word??). again, not much to say for him. i don’t really hate him, i just can’t bring myself to care about him. 

purple dragons!

i also don’t really care for the purple dragons. i found them pretty annoying and hard to like and like ghostbear, i just couldn’t bring myself to care about them.

i’m gonna give the purple dragons all the nomination of eye-marked web avatars. they’re super techy and i feel like they could  be really formidable foes (i’m pretty sure they’re in the older shows? i wouldn’t know i haven’t watched them but like. i don’t really care abt them so we’re moving on)

crabs!

not only did i forget that these guys have names but i also forgot they were in the fucking show KAJFHASKFJHDSKJF

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh they’re gonna be corruption-marked slaughter avatars. punchy punch go snip snip.

foot brute and foot lieutenant!

(they don’t have names?? they named the fucking crabs and not the main baddies of the show??? what the fuck they are so cool?????? also queer relationship goals if leos a baby gay and hypnowarren are old gays then these guys are like. the elder queers. anyway)

i fucking love these dudes!! i love their dynamic!!! they are so fun i love their daughter too!!!!! ok actual analysis time.

foot lieutenant is a spiral-marked web avatar with some desolation thrown in there. they’re also trying really hard to get slaughter marked. foot brute is the slaughter avatar foot lieutenant is trying to be and they also get some desolation in there. 

ok that’s it post over i’m going to bed. also, unrelated, did you guys know that todd is a part of the villains wiki. i thought that was fucking hilarious. 

[asphaltvalkyrie]

Baldur's Gate 3 OC Brainrot

I'm currently starting Act II and having a grand old time. I came into the game with little knowledge of its plot or characters, though I was familiar with Faerun due to having played in two D&D 3.5e Forgotten Realms campaigns in college.

I made a wood elf Ranger named Alsvid with the intent of having him be a reincarnation of my Ranger from my Ragnarok Online days, which were about 15 years ago (!!!) but things went... very differently.  

My RO Ranger was a handsome, pale-skinned, soft-spoken sort with social anxiety and a low self-image, who was slow to open up to people due to military-related PTSD. He was also aro/ace, though he had several close platonic friends.

I started with a similar face, hairstyle and eye color, but then things got a little weird. I'm playing on my partner's PC because he's the one who owns the game, and its graphics card is just barely up to running it. So, I turned up the maturity sliders and freckles and makeup and whatnot just to give his face a bit more depth since most of the detail would be lost.  It looked like most of my tweaks did nothing in the character creation menu, but when I got to the actual game I realized they did EVERYTHING. So cute anime boy trashed his skin and now looked like an old rock star - I'll post a pic of him once I can get one over to my own PC. Also I had him try the penises on like hats until I found one with just the right amount of pubes. 

Then I started to meet the party members, and I found the more shy and aloof dialogue options very unsatisfying  because I really liked all these people and wanted to know as much about them as possible. So I started picking the dialogue options that I thought they wanted to hear were the friendliest, most considerate ones possible.

Bitchy, condescending vampire who tried to bite me in my sleep because he's starving and feels sick?  Sure, think of my blood as your bowl of warm chicken soup and I hope you feel better!

Secretive, distrustful cleric of an evil goddess with a powerful macguffin that she refuses to talk about? Religious trauma, amirite? I'm here if you need to talk, no judgment!

Pretentious pedant of a Wizard who might accidentally blow up an entire city if he doesn't get expensive magic items? Well, I'd better get you a hell of a nice birthday present!

Foul-mouthed hell soldier with a flaming engine in her chest that burns anyone who touches her to ash? I'm just so sorry I can't give you a big hug. 

Cocky, self-important Warlock who made a deal with a devil and is now whining about having to suffer for it? Don't be sad friend, you did it for all the right reasons.

Volatile, humorless Fighter who clings to her callous and cruel warrior culture at the expense of all her relationships? Your queen would be so proud if she could see you now!

So, the majestic lone wolf became a happy, bouncy golden retriever slobbering on everyone. And speaking of slobbering - I threw the ace part out the window for much the same reasons as I threw out the social anxiety. I thought I might romance Gale since that scene where he helps your character tap into The Weave was utterly charming, but then I recruited Karlach.  She quickly became my BFF because gigantic, outgoing,  foul-mouthed ladies are the best, but I was still on the Gale train. Then one night my boy was in camp and she sat down next to him and said she wanted to "ride him until she saw stars" and I just... can't say no to that. Haven't gotten to the point where she can touch him yet, but all the innuendo has been delicious and I look forward to her snapping him in half like the twig he is instead of just incinerating him like... well, the twig he is.

And now I want to write him a backstory. That said, this game's a lot more elaborate than my usual fare and I was afraid of sucking out loud, so I picked my class features and feats and whatnot based on utility and not for RP reasons. Its gonna be fun working backwards to justify them.

[salemsimss]

You may be wondering why I called this meeting...

[citrusillyboe]

☆𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙂𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩!!

☆summary; in which ______ from the Newspaper Club asks the students of NRC questions and they have to give answers that are as interesting as they can. Although, some of the questions that were given aren't technically 'normal'. But hey? Anything for a game night amirite?

☆contents; crack, all the way + cursing + ______ asking either pretty unhinged questions or very specific things + me absolutely not going easy with ANY of the NRC boys at all, so you're in for a treat

☆notes; i remembered a line that says, 'every character that you like had at least a terrible night at the toilet,' and now, i am a changed person. enjoy, or not, it's okay (also showing the first question to show you what you're in for)

1 . How do they handle a bad diarrhea night?

grips on anything for support (the walls, the counter, the toilet seat even) and prays to the great seven that they'll survive the night

DEUCE, trey, jamil, silver

constant trips to the toilet because when they thought that their stomach is empty, their asshole sounded an alarm

ruggie, KALIM, idia, sebek

twas making good progress trying to push out the crap but they accidently take a breath and instantly stops the flow. which causes them to either scream internally or cry

ace, AZUL, epel, MALLEUS

stays at the toilet until they get their relief

cater, leona, jade

+ and proceeds to somehow fall asleep at the toilet

LEONA

rarely ever had diarrhea nights but if they do, constipation to the max for sure. i'd say they even need a plunger to get one single dung out (i am sorry)

vil, RIDDLE, jack

never had a bad diarrhea night in their life but then suddenly, the day (or night i suppose) comes. running towards the first toilet seat in their view as they blast it with the loudest sound you'll ever hear. most definitely shitted every single thing they've eaten in their life as they get the greatest feeling ever and proceed to escape from the crime scene. or to put it simply, they got out from the school's restroom.

LILIA, FLOYD (let me be a menace and i will say that it happens at the same time)

+ was at the crime scene when it happened

deuce (he was just tryna wash his hands)

every time they're having a hard time trying to shit, they'll just pull their left index finger and as if on auto, their stomach will be empty in a second

rook

is a robot and therefore, cannot shit

ortho

2 . If someone were to stretch their leg to make them fall, how would it happen?

classic shit. will definitely fall every single time and prolly stays on the ground for a second before slowly standing up from embarrassment

DEUCE, AZUL, sebek

+ did not get up when they fall. they're prolly crying from too much embarrassment idk

idia

laughs it off after they fall (boo boring)

cater, kalim

instantly stands up from their fallen position and roundhouse punch or kick the person who made them fall

ace, epel (when vil's not watching ofc)

only stumbles a bit and either go back to whatever they're doing or just give the person who tried to make them fall a nasty look

trey, jack, JAMIL

trips over nothing before they can even reach the extended leg

silver

notices the extended leg before them, proceeds to roughly stomp on it or jumps up and down on it like it's a trampoline

lilia (light stomp is all), JADE AND FLOYD (jumps up and down AND at the same time)

"you need to do better than that," *proceeds to avoid the obstacle upon them*

riddle, LEONA, ruggie, VIL

once they accidently trips on the leg, proceeds to do 5 somersault, landing on their hands, jumping from that position onto their feet and say, "Toutes mes excuses!"

rook

when their leg meet the extended leg, a metal clashing sound was the result from it as they say, "Ah, I'm sorry,"

ortho, MALLEUS

3 . Will they be able to get bitches?

yeah /j

IDIA, sebek (don't worry sebby, im here mwuah)

yeah /srs

TREY, jack, silver

i mean, sure?

riddle, ruggie, azul, jamil

special boys category. they won't ALWAYS get bitches, but they have their charm

DEUCE, KALIM, CATER, EPEL

get bitches but doesn't care

leona, jade, VIL

*scratches the back of my head* *shrugs*

floyd, ROOK

*puts up a sign that says 'living fossils that are pretty decent. get yourself one now.'*

lilia, malleus

a category for ace trappola

ace

4 . They're stuck in some sort of kitchen room alone with nothing but obscure foods in cans and they have to eat at least one of it to survive. What will they choose?

☆a little note; i lied. they don't have a choice. my random number generator and picker wheel will decide for them

☆mystery instant noodle

☆cooking instructions; fill in the can with water and wait for 10 minutes. exactly 10 minutes, not before, not after, you must wait for exactly 10 minutes to even make the 'mystery instant noodle'.

and as you wait, random flavors will gradually swirl in the water and create the base soup. flavors including; soap, dirt, cherry perfume, crushed up papers, forbidden blue water and others.

lastly, shake the can as hard as you can. if you open the lid and saw a glizzy inside, then that means the noodle is ready

happy eating!

ruggie, leona

☆snickles; really satisfies!

☆cooking instructions; (it's a snickers bar inside a pickle) put it in the microwave to defrost it. after it's done defrosting, you can go ahead and munch on it

happy eating!

sebek, idia, kalim (maybe he'll enjoy it idk)

☆TP & MW (short for toothpaste and mouthwash)

☆cooking instructions; lay the 2 pieces of bread on the counter and put the whole bottle of mouthwash onto a bowl. yeah, the whole thing.

soak the breads in the mouthwash for a few second before pulling the breads out and let it dry. lastly, spread toothpaste on each side and make sure to spread evenly and give a hefty amount. put the bread on top of the other and you're done.

happy eating!

vil (oh no), silver

☆sweetened eggs

☆cooking instructions; easiest one so far. just open the can and you can instantly eat it right away. by the way, it's hard boiled eggs in chocolate

happy eating!

jack

☆beanana

☆cooking instructions; you eat it like how you would eat banana. except instead of banana, it's beans (honestly, this one is the most normal)

happy eating!

cater, lilia

☆watermelon bowl noodles

☆cooking instructions; just like in the name of the food, you cook canned noodles in a watermelon. no, there are no flavorings, you're eating plain noodles.

happy eating!

azul, malleus

☆cheeseburger

☆cooking instructions; canned cheeseburger, with too many cheese. and when i say too many cheese, i really meant TOO MANY cheese.

happy eating!

riddle, epel, trey

☆spaghetti lime drink

☆cooking instructions; bro it's just cheese spaghetti in a lime drink

happy eating!

jade, floyd (he'd prolly chug it in one go), deuce

the lucky 3. they manage to escape from the room without eating anything. they're now eating 'cacio e pepe' with good music in the background

ace (im surprised he managed to survive), jamil, rook

is a robot and therefore, cannot eat

ortho

☆notes; first thing i posted after a school week, well done me (of course me) :)

[venetianwindow]

220520 • 1:23pm 🏙

Touring Nairn’s City of London: northern and western edges. I seized a sunny day to go see some of Ian Nairn’s destinations and more.

The Barbican is a good first stop, a lovely bit of City Brutalism (though maze-like). I find Brutalist buildings so attractive when complemented by sunshine. Enjoyed visiting the book fair at St Giles-without-Cripplegate! Wonderful prices and selection with new stock coming in, plus it’s in a sweet little church.

Depending on how you leave the Barbican, you may come across St Alphege London Wall. I’m quite fond of ruins - there is a wistful charm to the fragmented identity of what once was. Broadgate has an amusing (and inadvertent?) modern homage to St Alphege.

Following Nairn, we head to Finsbury Circus for Lutyens’ Britannic House. Coming from Broadgate, the keen eye might notice a commemoration plaque for the old St Mary Moorfields. I’ve probably seen Lutyens around, but this is the first time I’ve consciously visited one of his works; don’t know much about him but the statues and classical details were charming.

We now come to a blooper in my tour. When I mapped out Nairn’s route, I erroneously put down Sun Street rather than Sun St Passage. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to walk down; you fancy the yellow bricks quiver in the face of One Crown Pl.

Exchange Square is a good place to stop and spend a sunny afternoon in. From there, the actual destination of Sun St Passage leads to Liverpool St station. Bit disappointed when I couldn’t find the peek at Hawksmoor’s Christ Church as Nairn described - a consequence of the City’s endless expansion perhaps? The City bleeds further into its surroundings, melting old boundaries with its ever increasing strength of commerce. Is it for better or worse? Maybe only time will tell. Those clusters of glass towers certainly feel a little menacing sometimes.

As I caught my bus, a view of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate concludes the trip. It’s one of the 3 St Botolphs in the area; there’s also Aldgate and Aldersgate. Whew! Church names amirite. (City church tour eventually, I promise.)

☞ studygram