#But then like. Aren't you supposed to have some sort of bond with someone that leads to a relationship??

[glitterinmyveinss]

Hey er ive never done requests before and I don’t really know how to work tumblr at all so I hope I’m doing this right but anyways I saw your post about wanting someone to request Reese Wilkerson stuff and I just wanted to ask if you could make a post just for headcannons about him? I haven’t seen too many on here and I need them so bad 😭

ofc i can! tysm for requesting and ik a lot of other people sent requests for reese too n i'll get to them soon it's just i have an irl crush rn so the delusions aren't really delusioning apologies <3

Reese Wilkerson Hc's

ok i noticed that in the halloween episode in season 7 i believe he's wearing a misfits shirt !! so i think he would like punk, grunge, pop punk, and nu metal. like misfits, descendants, nirvana, limp bizkit, blink 182, sum 41, sublime, beastie boys, really anything punk related

definitely watches wwe and if you're over you're watching it too

he loves watching his favorite scary movies w you and he loves how you like them too!

if you don't like scary movies he dosent mind either bc that just means you'll be hiding in his arms the whole time so he wins either way

i feel like when he first met you he definitely played a prank on you to get your attention or just annoyed you but once you sorted that all out, you join him on his pranks and he swears he's never liked a girl more

if you're smarter than him and you offer to tutor him he'll only do it under one condition: he gets a kiss everytime he gets something right

might be self projecting but he's def a boob guy.

everyone has this image of him as some psycho tough guy but play with his hair and he'll just melt. especially if you have acrylic nails! his head will be in your lap while you guys are watching tv n you'll be playing with his hair and he'll be as quiet as a mouse and malcolm will just be like "how did you do that."

loves it when you borrow his clothes. especially his hoodies. it just does something to him

tbh i feel like he could go for someone with either a more edgier look ( think avril lavigne or bill kaulitz) or someone with the girly 2000s look ( think britney spears or any of the playboy bunny girls )

once you guys have an established relationship he'll spend all his time with you! at first he wasn't sure if it was ok but now that he knows you really like him he's so happy!

i don't think he's big on pda i think hand holding is as far as hell go but i don't think he minds if you kiss him on the cheek

but once you guys are alone omg

cant keep his hands off you!

he's either super horny or super cuddly no in between

you and him always get stuck babysitting jamie and he'll be doing the most normal thing like putting jamie's shoe on or feeding him and youre just stuck staring at him bc he looks so cute!

dates usually consist of movie marathons, him cooking something for you guys, concerts, theater trips, or something really spontaneous like taking a trip to another city just bc you guys were bored.

walks you to all of your classes <3

malcom n dewey really like you and think you keep reese sane

ties your shoes

if you guys have a class together he's always doodling in your notebook whether it's something cute or raunchy

i think he struggles with self image so he needs a lot of reassurance

if you have pets he somehow has an immediate bond with them. they just love him!

he try's really hard to remember things you like for future gifts/dates

i feel like he gives oddly specific compliments, but he has good intentions

"you smell like a slutty fairy"

"is that supposed to be a good thing?"

"duh."

the same way he secretly loves watching soap operas with his mom, is the same way he loves watching all of your shows. like the oc, dawsons creek, whatever you're into!

he would give the best and most thoughtful homemade gifts. tb to when he gave lois little jars of jam! he'd probally do something similar but according to your taste <3

gets jealous easily

it's hot/ cute tho

memorized all your favorite pastries/baked goods n makes them for you when he's feeling nice/ as an apology if he messes up

[acourtofthought]

@2ndsofseven is extremely clever.

This has nothing to do whether whether Lucien and Elain are mates:

We already knew they're mates, it's confirmed time and again. By Elain, by Mor, by Feyre when she slips into his mind.

Lucien already proved he knew what was wrong with Elain when he demanded they get her outside after officially meeting her the first time ever and she herself later said she needed sunshine. He proved he already knew how to help when she began drinking, sleeping, and eating after he did so.

Her powers were never something wrong with her or something amiss, nothing for him to find in her soul, they're simply her powers. A part of her that's now supposed to be there. Every single character knew Elain was talking in riddles, all Az did was name them and then Mor confirmed it. Only Lucien knew she needed to get outside to help pull her from her catatonic state. His not naming her power doesn't disprove their bond, mates don't suddenly have all the knowledge of the world simply because they're mated.

Sarah often writes lines that seem to be a discussion between two characters but are referencing other.

Take the Suriel. Feyre thought they were discussing Tamlin but their answer was later revealed to be referring to Rhys.

Or Ruhns prophecy. He thought it meant he'd die but it meant he'd destroy the royal line by killing the Autumn King.

Az's story of Nephellle was being discussed with Feyre but it ended up being meaningful for Elain's arc.

Just like Feysand discussing poorly matched bonds while talking of Elain and Lucien's bond is most likely not SJM telling us Elucien's bond will be poorly matched but someone else.

The above scene with the healer was providing us information about bonds unknown at that point. We know that Elain and Lucien are mates, there's no debating it. It's confirmed, it's scented, Mor used her truth on Lucien. In ACOWAR, however, Nessian's bond was not confirmed. Therefore when you get to this scene:

You realize Majda's words were foreshadowing for the Nessian bond.

When Sarah talks about how she likes careful, clever readers, it's her being excited when others pick up on clues (not something directly written in the text). Feyre saying "do you think Elain and Lucien match well" only for some to say "see?! It's proof Elucien aren't matched because Feyre specifically mentioned it" is not careful, clever reading. Az and Elain almost kissing and using it as proof of an e/riel endgame is not careful, clever reading. Those are examples of referencing the text directly as it applies to the exact scene in question. I think what Sarah means when she talks of careful, clever reading is picking up on things like the stars painted on Feyre's dresser and theorizing early on that she'd end up with Rhys. It's applying information learned at one point and connecting it to something elsewhere.

@2ndsofseven pulled off the sort of careful, clever reading when they realized that Majda's words were not there to make you question Elucien's bond (which has already been confirmed as being a legitimate bond) but to help you realize before SF that Nesta and Cassian were going to be mates.

Not everything in these books is about Elain and Az, information learned is meant to also be applied to the other characters in the series.

[hwnglx]

another anon's request <𝟑

txt's turn on's and turn off's

based on tarot. i do not know these idols personally. energies are always changing. what i say is NOT straight fact. pls take it with a grain of salt!

yeonjun

turn on's > popular and well-liked > even-tempered -> doesn't get riled up or offended easily > knows their place and doesn't overstep any lines -> good manners and knows how to behave according to the situation > curious about him -> shows clear interest in him, has all their attention on him > a lot of compliments, flattering, talking about how outstanding and special he is > flirts in a very direct manner (he feels drawn to people who aren't afraid to be honest about their interest with him) > don't hate me for saying this lol but he likes people who are “worse” or less talented than him because it feeds his ego (he can get insecure when someone overtakes him at something he's extremely ambitious about)

turn off's > has an inflated ego without being able to back it up with the necessary skill (they're all talk with no substance behind it) > doesn't know how to control their energy and oversteps boundaries, offends people a lot (especially verbally) > keeps bragging about themselves and triggering his insecurities -> makes themselves look better than him, pushes his buttons and damages his ego > obsessed about controlling him or putting certain rules on him (treating him like he's supposed to subdue) > takes life too seriously, is very uptight or conservative > too cautious and scared of doing things all the time -> doesn't know how to have fun

soobin

turn on's > capable of carrying responsibilities in a graceful and easy manner -> does everything they need to do and doesn't get stressed out easily > commands attention and knows how to make people listen to them > has an exact plan for their life and takes pride in knowing what they want -> doesn't allow external forces or opinions to influence their life path > introspective and reflective about their own actions -> acts with integrity and self-awareness > rigid workaholic, truly enjoys working (he'd feel fueled to put in more effort into his own work and would get inspired and encouraged by their diligence)

turn off's > too cold and detached > too different to him (he needs some sort of alignment in values and something to bond over, otherwise he just finds it awkward and sees it as a bad match) > tbh, he finds it difficult to connect to foreigners and prefers korean people, just because he thinks they'd naturally understand his perspective and values in relationships better > doesn't feel the need to improve and just remains stuck in the same place (he thinks you can always upgrade yourself) > gets afraid of conflict and doesn't know how to assert themselves > too indecisive and has no idea what they want (keeps being influenced by others)

beomgyu

turn on's > independent and content on their own -> doesn't appear to be in need of anyone and just does their own thing without caring about others > soft and sensitive-hearted people (he likes this co-existence of being very hard-working and diligent while being a softie deep inside. also is incredibly emotional himself, so he subconsciously feels drawn to people of similar nature) > very ambitious and active in their pursuit of their goals (but isn't "in your face" about it, like they don't feel the need to show their achievements off to everyone) > carries a lot of inner strength and resilience > doesn't call everyone “friend” but deeply cares & cherishes the ones they do -> selective about who they get close to

(can i just say miss winter fits this man's type like a glove, i kept seeing her in my mind's eye and literally couldn't get her off my mind. he's still obsessed with her lol)

turn off's > doesn't care about anyone and keeps detaching themselves emotionally > doesn't have their priorities straight and keeps juggling between different people (like they have several people they're talking to, don't make things clear for any of them and keep leading everyone on. he wants to feel special!) > keeps neglecting and letting down their loved ones -> struggles with keeping a connection happy and stable > overly concerned and worried about people's perception -> obsessed about always making a good impression on everyone (like someone who takes 20 hours to doll up, keeps wanting to take pics for insta everywhere, things like that. he prefers more natural and laidback people)

taehyun

turn on's > deep thinkers and mysterious > very transformative and challenges you to change -> has a powerful effect on you (someone who makes you rethink certain opinions and lingers in your mind for a while) > has this aura of “perfection” to them -> very put together all the time (he'd feel intrigued and get curious about getting to know them beyond the facade) > turns out to be very sociable and nicer than people think (someone who has an intimidating first impression but is actually very friendly) > knows how to party and have a good time > doesn't get emotionally attached to people much -> is more casual and laid back about their connections

turn off's > too obsessed about their own goals with no consideration for anyone else > extremely stubborn and fixed in their ways -> inable to relax and just allow things to flow > literally a virgo mars (their need to constantly plan everything to a T would drive him crazy) > keeps criticising him and is never satisfied with anything > but also isn't direct or honest with him and avoids confrontation (he can mostly tell when someone pretends to be pleased when they truly aren't) > avoids and is scared of negative emotions and reality -> runs away from things that makes them uncomfortable > keeps being stuck in their gloomy and sad world (he'd think it's annoying and kills the fun for everyone)

huening kai

turn on's > very different to him (looks, personality, cultural background, language, etc.) > an underdog (this is so cute, he feels drawn to people no one seems to root for. like he feels for them and wants to support them even more) > generous people who don't want anything in return > has a joyful and beautiful connection to their family (also sees their close friends as family and puts a lot of value into keeping their connections happy and stable) > has strong opinions and is good at asserting themselves in a direct manner (isn't scared of confrontation and will defend themselves plus their loved ones with no hesitation) > good at arguing and standing their ground (he just thinks it's impressive when a person doesn't get intimidated and always finds the right words to justify themselves) > charming and charismatic -> naturally draws attention to themselves

turn off's > too inexperienced or immature in relationships (he himself can get kinda awkward still so being with someone similar to him just wouldn't work) > keeps sending mixed signals and doesn't communicate or express themselves directly (he feels like he'd go insane trying to figure them out, it'd make him very insecure) > too arrogant and cocky -> puts themselves above everyone > doesn't know how to give in or accept defeat -> too proud to admit they're wrong or messed up > is very indecisive and unsure what they want -> never really forms an opinion and just stays neutral about everything

[yuri-is-online]

TD anon here, I do feel you on the "torture" scene with Taiga, I didn't want my last ask getting any longer lmao.

While the scene definitely made me squeal, for me personally it was undercut by the emotionally charged scene that happened immediately after with Romeo lmao. It's exactly how I felt with Frostheim too, being excited over the dance with Jin, and then immediately after we get the cigarette kiss scene with Jin and Tohma LOL. But it only makes sense, MC has only just showed up at the school, not enough time to bond, and honestly with these kinds of joseimuke games I don't have much expectations of interactions between the cast and MC so in TD she's already much more involved with the whole comic thing anyways.

Eating the Like Dove raw... was really a raw scene lol. He seems to be attracted to blood for some reason? Since he paused when MC's cut started bleeding, I think he was about to lick the blood tbh.

And yeah I do wonder if his shoddy memory has anything to do with his deal's cost. Another vibe theory time, I feel like his fear of the Like Dove might've been... ingrained in him somehow? Maybe he had a run-in before but can't remember it. The reason why I think this is because when MC met him alone, when she reminded him that she was the Honor student, his response was "Oh no wonder I didn't kill you on the spot", he literally forgot about her but his body/instinct made him aware she's someone he's not supposed to kill.... if that makes sense?

He feels like an even bigger enigma than Towa, I'm curious to know what's going on in his head in the moments he goes eerily quiet. Not to mention he's the poster boy of the game, has to be a reason. Luca feels more in line to be the poster boy but it's Taiga...

I enjoyed Haru's drunk spiel about how helpful MC is lol. Also my eyes going wide when Rui said he wants to know what she's made of too... what does that mean....... I need more Rui content, I love his blatant flirtations lol. I got a campus event with Rui, Haru and Romeo in the bar before I even read the chapter, their unexpected friendship is very cute ngl.

(sorry in case this is sent repeatedly, smth wrong with my net atm)

Generally speaking I have found tumblr doesn't post or send things twice but it sure as hell reblogs them with the same tags 42 times making me look like some sort of freak

for me personally it was undercut by the emotionally charged scene that happened immediately after

Yeah I get this. The cigarette kiss with Tohma and Jin took me off guard, but that was mostly because I thought this was an otome game? Come to think of it I don't think we've had confirmation of the whole joseimuke v otome game thing beyond the existence of the like dove and individual character affinity... Well and that when this was announced it was supposed to be an otome game. I know that the otome games subreddit has been having some, shall we say spirited? Discussions lately about how players feel about ros getting into relationships with each other. The general opinion was that a lot of times the ro x ro relationships feel more fleshed out that the ro x mc ones, and I agree. I actually stopped writing something I wanted to be an otome game because the story started shaping up to be more about the mc's mentor than them, and I personally do not think that is very fun. People do like laid back mcs, they do not like mcs who have no place in the narrative, and some writers aren't good at balancing that. TDB mc is doing pretty well when it comes to interactions with the main cast compared to something like Twisted Wonderland if what you want is explicit romance, so far it feels like Season 1 of og Obey Me! from what I remember of that game, so we'll see.

I didn't get the same level of intimacy from Romeo and Taiga as I did Jin and Tohma? But I think that's because in both cases I thought the like dove had appeared before Romeo got there and was talking to Taiga and the second scene made me think Taiga was angry at him for interrupting his "fun." Whatever that "fun" was going to wind up being because yeeeeeah he seems like he has a blood kink of some sort. I think he was going to suck on it and bite her a bit, but licking seems like a logical first step and less influenced by what's wrong with me. Like I said over here the scene with the Like Dove fascinates me... it says more about Taiga than any other character in the game that we get to see the dove twice and that when given the chance he shoots and eats it... if that isn't a metaphor for denial and emotional repression then I am not sure what is.

he literally forgot about her but his body/instinct made him aware she's someone he's not supposed to kill…. if that makes sense?

YES. I wanted to talk about this but it sort of got into conspiracy theory territory and my answer was getting long. I don't know if anyone remembers, but waaaay back in Book 1 when mc tries to escape the school she isn't able to get anyone's attention. It's like they don't see her, is that because of her curse or is it because of preventative measures put in place by the school? I want to lean towards the latter because it makes more sense BUT I also want to be delusional and say that it's part of mc's curse. There's something about Taiga's instinctual fear of the Like Dove and his comments to the mc that make me think his body knows her but his paranoia and memory issues keep him from knowing it.

This is just me writing fan fic... but Taiga is technically the first ghoul you meet. He is the poster boy of the game, he is the first person to bring mc into the main loop and tell her there's a spy. I want so badly for him to have known her at some point but to have been robbed of his memories... Romeo seems to think he is trying to forget stuff on purpose "gone off the deep end" and "escape reality" are both things he says to describe him though granted that last one was due to a misunderstanding about what Taiga was trying to do with the anomaly. Something real bad happened last year, something I feel like Taiga doesn't want to acknowledge unless he can get revenge on whoever caused it. I mentioned in another post, but I sort of want MC to have something to do with Clementia and that's why she's there at the dorm beyond it just being empty due to the clash. (I do get why Luca isn't the poster boy; he's not a dorm captain and those seem to be what the game wants to push. well them and towa lol)

Haru and Rui

Rui is a bar tender who is described as being "popular with the female students" probably because of how flirty he is ha. I love his dynamic with Haru and Romeo, just a barman and his two favorite customers shooting the shit and trying to relax. Rui is cursed to kill whoever he touches, so I think he wants to talk with MC more because he can relate to her in a very unique way. And he got gate kept from doing so by Haku in book one so he's extra curious now. I have his SR so I'll put him on my homescreen for a bit and see what voice lines I can shake out of him. For the little bit I did have him there he called him and mc "curse twins" which I thought was very cute. In a dark sort of way. The entire section at the Obscuary bar endeared me to all three of those idiots.

But especially Haru. He called Peekaboo his child this chapter too ;-; he's such a good dad. I wonder if he is going to show up next books at all? Or if it's going to be like the previous books and we'll instead see Taiga and maaaaybe Towa? Since he's friends with Zenji. Nothing to do but wait for May 0-0

[au-wannabe-the-very-best]

Misplaced Super Train is absolutely AMAZING and is for some reason scratching a bit of my brain so if you don't mind I had some possible thoughts that could maybe be incorperated for like. AU World Building, if that's alright

what if the Super Train "Clan" end up building their camp around the ruins of the battle train, both for the easy shelter it offers but also to keep any other people from poking around and finding Future Stuff

bouncing back and forth between teaching Ingo about who they are and where they came from but also stuff about Hisui and trying to differentiate the two so his "past" and "future" knowledge won't get muddled

the STC's giving the other Clan's/Galaxy Team a HEART ATTACK with just how calm and relaxed they are with their pokemon becuase they've all seen how strong they are

they do bond with Laventon tho since he's very interested in all these new, seemingly domesticated pokemon as well as how powerful they are

I was actually going on the assumption that their camp is where their totaled train is! I still don't know where exactly I'd want them to crash at, I don't want them in either Pearl or Diamond territory, and I don't want them near Jubilife Village. So it just leaves the coastlands and the highlands, I think. And, if Ingo still becomes Lady Sneasler's warden, it makes more sense for the train to have crashed in the highlands.

So I suppose they're, like, the new official Highlands Clan. On account of the fact that they can't live anywhere else. They don't know how to build tents. Have to stick with the train cars.

(Okay I guess I now know where I want them to crash at.)

As for teaching Ingo, he may be able to understand what these people are saying, but despite knowing he has a brother and a family and works with trains etc, he doesn't remember any of it. It becomes clear to the depot agents that telling him these things aren't actually helping his memory at all, just forcing him to feel pressured into remembering, so they stop trying altogether. They'll tell Ingo things if he asks, but otherwise, they're not going to try and force remembrance of certain things anymore.

Akari's own amnesia and the fact that she has no expectations of Ingo or knew him previously is actually part of the reason why Ingo is so comfortable with her, and why he finds it so much easier to remember things around her.

Anyways, I don't think the clans are all too alarmed by being close to Pokémon so much as the Galaxy Team are, honestly speaking. I mean, they all seem to have Pokémon partners? I think it's more normal for the clans than the Galaxy Team, but understandably EVERYONE is very wary of the fact that their Pokémon are just. So insanely strong in comparison to everyone else. Because these crazy people battle for FUN. Nobody else does that! Battling is for survival, judging someone's character, asserting authority, or proving a point. It is NOT for enjoyment!

Every time a Clan or Galaxy Team member passes by them while they're battling, they sort of just skirt the edge and stare wide-eyed at them like they're absolutely insane. Because by native standards, they are.

As for Laventon, he's literally the kind of guy to just run up to a stranger and start a conversation, so I imagine he does actually get along with the depot agents and Ingo quite well. Even if he does ask enough questions to remind them all of reporters.

[goodluckclove]

Okay Clove. I've seen a lot of little snippets from Blind Trust and I rock with your writing style a ton. But what's the book actually about?? Something with magic in a contemporary setting ? Hot dogs are somehow involved ??

Geets, it's me, the person who never learned how to properly pitch their own writing! I'll give it a shot anyway. I have a pinned post on my blog that has the fancy synopsis I'll probably put on the back of the book, but I'm fresh from a nap and on my phone and Feeling Frisky so I'll try and take it a different way.

What is Blind Trust about?

Blind Trust is book one of the Songbird Elegies, and it takes place in a contemporary world where magic exists but isn't great. It's not bad in a cool, The Witcher sort of way. Most people only know about magic through The Academy, where anyone can enlist and learn how to tap into the source of magic itself. Which sounds cool until you consider the physical strain of even a minor spell, the fact that major spells can take massive amounts for studying and practice and still aren't that powerful, and how carrying a wand on your person at all times is not easy to do without looking and feeling like a dipshit. Essentially, the average Academic Witch is like an arrogant MFA student or so someone really into craft beer.

But then there is a certain, little-studied medical anomaly that creates birthrights, which are individuals born already tapped into the source of magic by design. They each have a single ability that they can do without a wand (or wand-shaped proxy), but it's nothing innately combative and is mainly used to help interact with society at large. This is because the Birthright Gene is seen exclusively in individuals who are either born with a severe hereditary, genetic, or developmental disability, or will develop one over the course of their life but I'm not supposed to talk about that yet.

Birthrights are often found in a few scattered witch towns, where they use their abilities to focus on social work and community outreach. People also call them genetic witches, but you'd be hard-pressed to get a birthright to call themselves a witch at all. They don't value magic at all in the same way Academics do, and primarily see their "gift" as a chronic illness to manage and accommodate for.

Birthrights and Academics have varying relationships depending on where you are and who you ask but I can't really get into that because in Blind Trust no one knows anything so you don't get to either.

Well, that's not true. There's a mutual understanding of the concept of soul bonds, which are lifelong connections formed between individuals born in the source of magic - though how much people actually retained about this varies. A soul bond is not unlike a karass in Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, in that the people involved are cosmically entangled with each other in a very profound way.

They might be born to be companions, family, enemies, or lovers. The last possibility, called a Lover's Knot, is the rarest and is reserved as a way to contain birthrights who would otherwise be capable of reality-shattering degrees of power. Which nobody wants. Especially not a birthright.

Meet Edgar Gallows and Scott Skylark Kaufner. Scott is a birthright from a witch town and Edgar was born into an Academy in Louisiana, despite also being birthright.

At the start of Blind Trust Edgar has escaped his Academy for the time being and has established a ramshackle and pretty lonely life for himself in New Orleans. He never wants to touch a wand for the rest of his life, and his only hope is to be boring and safe and left alone forever.

Meanwhile, Scott has been having a real rough time. He's been wandering the country nonstop for years with an unfathomable cosmic horror feeding on his sanity and gradually eroding reality around him. Birthrights don't use their abilities often, but for some reason Scott can't turn his off, and they've been warped to the degree where he's been forced to manipulate everyone around him. He can't stop, though. The only thing that can make this stop is if he finds the other half of his Lover's Knot, who he now only remembers as a ghostly vision named Eddie.

Scott and Edgar meet in a dirty walk-in of a mid-tier, overpriced bar and restaurant. Stuff changes and continues to change. Magic is involved but it's not really about the magic.

It's asexual and romantic and soft and confused and frightening and frightened and tender and in book two Edgar eats a hot dog for four pages. It's a great book about love and devotion that's sensual but not at all sexual, because the Clove Gardener Pledge is that there is no sex depicted at any point in the series. It's a great series if you're coping with parental neglect and trauma and want to read a depiction of self-love through an unconventional romantic pairing.

Blind Trust. Buy it in June in paperback or ebook, or just ask me for it and I'll probably give it to you.

[aventurine83]

The Two Gentlemen Of Verona

William James Moriarty x Reader

"You guys need to find new hobbies besides reading all day." Sherlock rolled his eyes as he pulled himself up on the cobbled ledge just a few inches higher than the street they had disposed of themselves to walk on, azure eyes transfixed on a certain blonde haired man within view of him, as well as you, who had your arm locked with William's.

"Atleast we do not make it a hobby of ours to sit by a window and gaze out of it with a melancholy stupor thrice a day with not much motive as its accomplice." you shot back, feeling a sense of satisfaction well up in your heart as you noted the change in expression you had inspired in the great detective.

"Tch. You're always such a smartass, aren't ya?" Sherlock groaned, a hand running through his now much longer raven hair, as he pulled it up into a ponytail yet again.

"I suppose the shop spoken of by you must be the one there." William turned his gaze to a small shop, furnished by brisk wood, flowers protruding from the doorway with an almost elegant look about it, if one surmised to glance at it charitably enough.

"Thats the one." Sherlock gave a brief nod. "Jewellery is real cheap there. And looks good too. Though I'll warn you, they only deal in silver and an amalgam of it with copper or brass to imitate gold. There's none of the pure deal when it comes to gold, not even a 20 carat, given how it is affordable and quite in the sorts when it comes to such a common part of Lewes."

"We would not want anything excepting that which is 'quite in the sorts', I assure you." William replied with a chuckle. "We have quite tired of the frivolity of the exemptions. We only wish for something to fulfill our desires for cherishing, and not much else. There is no need for a lavish expense for such a simple task."

"Aye, as simple as how none of Proteus' wealthy affections could win over Valentine's earnest love." you chuckled. William quite liked your statement, for he gave out a little laugh.

"Would you guys stop with the inner Shakespeare jokes?!" Sherlock groaned. "You're different from John and Mary, thats for sure. Their gifts to each other are nothing less than extravagant."

Once inside the shop, you and William picked out some beautiful jewellery for each other, paying for it in a manner of all due propriety before returning to your house in Brighton by the dusk, Sherlock as company.

By the time you had had dinner and settled down, and Sherlock bade leave to his own house after a hearty meal at yours, you slipped into your nightclothes and made yourself comfortable to the idea of sleeping with William cradling you in his arms. That was when you felt something cool slip onto your neck. The silver necklace that William had bought you today, with small charms of roses and birds hanging on to its slender body. You turned your head to the back to meet with scarlet eyes gazing into your irises, a wide smirk decorating the lips of the man you loved as he ran his hand gently up your spine before it came to rest on the nape of your neck, your bare skin humbled by the warm touch of his rough, calloused palm.

"At first I did adore a twinkling star." William recited, his finger tracing the necklace woven around your neck gently. "But now, I worship a celestial sun." His finger brushed your lips, tilting your head upwards as the sweet bitterness of his own lips locked with yours, throwing you into disarray as you longed for breath that you could not afford as your husband kissed you deeper still, his arm steady around your waist as he kissed you gently, his warm chest pressing against your back. "That was quite witty of you, to make a reference you knew Sherly would not be able to comprehend. The Two Gentlemen of Verona." he mused.

"Someone had to bring him down a peg or two." you grinned as you turned around to face William and pressed a kiss to his chest, an action that caused him to blush and smile. "Your words are bonds, your oaths are oracles, your love sincere, your thoughts immaculate, your tears pure messengers sent from your heart, your heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth." you said softly, tracing a line from his chest to his exposed collarbone with your fingers. You felt the man shiver beneath your touch, his heartbeat picking up pace as he surrendered himself to your unyielding desire for him.

"Love." William whispered quietly with all the manner of a dark blush evident on his face. "Do spare me from the teasing. I find it hard to find strength in myself to even stand upright."

"Then you are a man of small resistance." you teased, pulling William closer and kissing his chest passionately, drawing a low whimper from the man. You pressed a kiss next to his collarbone, leading him to instinctively grip you tighter and pull you in closer.

"Only for you, madam." William blushed. "And never would I be a fool enough so as to choose any Silvia over you, nay, you are far greater than even Silvia and Julia combined, my dearest love, (Y/N)."

[winterinhimring]

Post-NWH Raimiverse Headcanons

(These may or may not be relevant to a fic I am writing, but that's some time in the future. For now, I have all sorts of thoughts on how the Raimiverse will change after the cured villains make their return and so I must inflict those thoughts on all of you.)

Oscorp now has the best lab safety regulations of any corporation in the business. Period. They're light-years ahead of the current standards. Depending on who you ask, this was either Norman's last act as CEO before he stepped back for Unspecified Health Reasons, or Harry's first. Both of these theories suggest some interesting things.

Within the company, theories about What Is Wrong With The Osborns run rampant. Norman just sets off people's danger instincts now, because people his age aren't supposed to move like Olympic-level gymnasts - Peter can get away with being inhumanly flexible because he's a teenager and adults tend to expect teenagers to be capable of some slightly inhuman feats anyway; Norman less so. He can also see a little too well in the dark, and he periodically pops up in places he shouldn't really have been able to get to. It doesn't help that he's usually in those places to terrorise people whose lab safety standards are slipping. "Dad, stop scaring the interns" / "I just want to make sure nobody falls into an experiment and becomes a villain" is an exchange that Norman and Harry have had multiple times.

The theories range from "Norman is a vampire" through "Norman was in a lab accident and wound up able to teleport, but can't control it, so Harry stepped up so nobody would see his dad accidentally disappearing from board meetings" to "The Green Goblin was the result of an accident testing the performance enhancers and Norman hunted him down but had to take the enhancers himself to beat him and it broke his health".

(There are also, of course, theories that are uncomfortably close to the truth. Generally, what happens is that an older employee quietly takes the person who has put the pieces together aside and says, 'yes, you think you've figured it out, but think very carefully about whether you want to *say* it in front of the legal team *and* the possibly-not-quite-human former CEO'. The theorist invariably decides that discretion is the better part of valour.)

Harry does not unsettle people in himself. Harry is shockingly normal and while he can be a bit of a brat on occasion, he's usually very nice. However, people are a little scared of him anyway, because he treats his weird freaky cryptid dad like a perfectly normal person.

When Otto Octavius comes back from his little jaunt into another universe and lands in a destroyed warehouse after nearly wrecking half of New York, Oscorp's second defining feature, after the lab safety, becomes their terrifyingly effective legal team. A lot of precedents about the humane treatment of enhanced individuals are set, and ultimately they get Otto off with a pretty light sentence owing to the whole 'four AIs were controlling his brain' thing. Also, Rosie Octavius survives in this world (because she just does, okay? I'm appealing to the butterfly effect because...just imagine her bonding with May and MJ. It's a wonderful thought).

Once Otto has served his time, he becomes Peter's Science Enabler Uncle. They get along like a house on fire and are an absolute pair of holy terrors. Multiple things have been set on fire in the Octavius (and also the Osborn) house because of them. (So, so many things.)

Rosie, May, MJ, and Harry form the 'not a scientist but afflicted with a scientist dad/husband/nephew/best friend' club and stay over at each others' houses when one of their residences is temporarily uninhabitable because Otto and Peter were doing late night science, or Otto and *Norman* were poking the arc reactor that Otto brought back from the other universe and made a fire. Or because someone had the bright idea of cannibalising a small appliance for a robotics project and now the toaster is no longer functional.

Rosie and MJ are especially good friends and get into long, involved literary discussions which Peter and Otto are utterly baffled by. Even Harry, who's pretty well-read, can't keep up with them once they really get going. Peter and Otto are very proud.

At some point, a Conversation is had about Curt Connors. ('WHAT DO YOU MEAN PETER'S PROFESSOR IS GOING TO TURN HIMSELF INTO A LIZARD?' MJ shouts. 'I didn't say he was *going* to, I said we should keep an eye on him.' 'That...is really not very reassuring.')

And everyone lives happily ever after, to the end of their days.

[soaps-mohawk]

Yay! Thank you for answering!

Okay, so I know you said you haven't given it much thought yet, but I wondering about Alejandro, Rudolfo, and Valeria's relationship with each other.

So, you know how all three of them were in the Mexican army together and A and R feel betrayed by Valeria for turning? How would that work with Packs in your story?

I know they were in different units in the army, but there was still supposed to be loyalty between them, right? So, for example, if they were in the same pack, and Alpha Valeria chose to leave, how would that work?

Like, if Alejandro and Rudolfo weren't specifically bonded to her, but they were in the same pack and had a pack bond, and then Valeria abandoned the pack for whatever reason- is that a thing that can happen, or are pack bonds for life?

I know this would never happen, but if Ghost decided he wanted to leave with Soap and have a separate pack, how would that work? Would the other members be passed?

(Now that I think about it, this is giving me Breaking Dawn vibes woth the packs splitting lol)

I hope this makes sense. Sorry if it didn't.

Sorry, I had to snort at the Breaking Dawn part lmaoo!! It makes perfect sense!!

But that absolutely can happen. It does happen.

Packs can split for a lot of reasons. Sometimes circumstances force them apart. Think military packs, where members are constantly getting reassigned places, moving bases, etc. Those tend to be less intense type of bonds versus what like TF141 has, because they're a specialized team that was created and it's less likely one of them would be leaving to be assigned somewhere else. Those kinds of bonds tend to be more camaraderie/friendship based than what we see in the story. (We will get a glimpse at a pack like that in the future.)

In the civilian world, packs might split because of jobs. In larger packs with several alphas, they might hold different jobs at different places and if one alpha has to move, then they might split off into separate packs, but that doesn't mean that they've permanently split. An alpha might take a beta or two and an omega with them and become sort of a satellite pack to the one with the pack alpha. They'd still be considered bonded, even if they're in different places.

Packs can actually fracture and split because of other reasons, usually due to some sort of tension within the pack, inner fighting, betrayal, or even just unbalanced dynamics. If you have three alphas in a pack and one omega? That can cause some issues down the line if there's unbalanced dynamics between the three alphas. The alphas may fight with each other over the omega and that can cause a fracture in the pack bond and lead to one or maybe even two leaving. (This is why betas are so important to pack dynamics.)

Valeria leaving as it happens in canon would cause some disruption as it did just in canon because that's a big betrayal and I think everyone that considered her an ally is going to feel that regardless. That's someone you thought you could trust, someone you thought was on your side. Now if they had all been in the same pack, they'd probably feel it a lot more. Even if they weren't particularly close, they're still going to feel that fracture in the pack bond and the sudden shift in dynamics.

Bonds transcend just being close to someone, there's emotional and physical ties in there that aren't really understood completely. When bonds are broken, there's actual physical pain involved, even for those that weren't particularly close to the one that causes it.

If Ghost wanted to leave, he technically could without fracturing the bond. As I stated above, he could basically become a sort of satellite pack and exist on his own, while still being under Price. If he wanted to leave the pack completely and fracture the bond, he could, though that would be a lot harder and that has to be something you're absolutely sure you want to do. It's a hard decision on all fronts, but sometimes it's unavoidable.

I hope this answer makes sense, but yeah. That's kind of how that works and how things would play out. 💚

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Tell me more about ur vampires Aerieee <3

like for example, do they have any defining traits (besides them teeth hah)? I noticed the two picrews have them with pointy ears, but I wasn't sure if that was a vampire thing or just them lol. or for example in a lot of media, vampires end up pale or losing their warmth/color to their skin and end up looking greyish--product of being dead I suppose.

Do they have to drink (human) blood or can they, like many others survive on animals? What happens if they don't? do they die or do they just like, dessicate and/or take a long nap lmao Do they have to eat human food too? or does it taste gross to them now?

also any other fun facts that I haven't asked lmao <3 --QD

Once again, was saving these for my birthday. :') So here I go!

Common traits: My vampires have fangs, claws, pale skin, slightly-pointed ears (the picrew exaggerates a bit). All the 'usual' vampire traits. Their fangs and claws can retract. And after they feed, they have a more lively 'glow' to their complexion. (This isn't true for Old vampires. They look pale and dead no matter what. And their fangs stop retracting eventually. This doesn't happen until they're truly ancient though and most vampires don't live that long.)

What they drink: They can drink from humans or animals! Either will sustain them but they might have to feed more often if living on animals alone. Human blood tastes better, but is (understandably) hard for some to obtain. Animal blood isn't the tastiest but it gets the job done without ending a human life. Rayne feeds on animals, drinking rats when he's in the city and drinking deer or foxes if he's near a forest. (He usually tries to leave the woodland creatures alive, but the goddamn rats... Well, he thinks he's doing the city a favor.)

If they stop feeding: A vampire can decide to essentially just go take a really long nap until someone (who they've instructed) wakes them up. Otherwise, if a vampire just stops drinking blood they'll slowly lose their mind and eventually die. Like, if you're 'resting' you don't need to eat. But a vampire who is moving must. (I hope that makes sense?)

Eating human food: Some do, some don't. It depends on the individual (and also age). Rayne loves food, so he eats. Laurent would sometimes, but it usually didn't taste that good anymore. Perhaps because he's accustomed to his liquid diet or because he's older and doesn't feel that sort of hunger anymore.

Fun facts: ♦ Vampires are strongest under a new moon, the opposite of werewolves. ♦ If they're an adult when changed, they stop aging. (Though their hair and nails still grow.) If they're bitten as a child, they grow into their fangs later on. ♦ A vampire's bond with their maker is hard to break, but not impossible. ♦ Vampires drinking each other's blood strengthens the bond between them and allows them to speak telepathically to one another. (This power fades if they stop drinking from each other.) ♦ Vampires can stand in the sun. It is unpleasant, but doesn't burn them to ash instantly. (Older vampires might be an exception...) ♦ Vampires have laws, set by the vamp monarchy. They're more like guidelines. Most people do not follow them. ♦ If a vampire betrays their maker or their coven, one of their fangs is snapped out as a warning. They do not grow back. And there's (basically a) slur for one-fanged vamps. It's very hard for them to make new friends. ♦ Vampires typically get the powers of the one who sired them. (And of any vampires they kill.) ♦ There aren't that many vampires, until the king fucks off and shit starts going crazy. Then their numbers triple within a decade.

I'll stop here before I lose my mind. But I love you Allie, thank you for indulging me! <3333

[cassierobinsons]

to the anon from a few days ago: sorry i'm only just getting back to you on the sam + classism discussion. putting this under a cut because it's rambly

To me the whole Sam classism thing is very much like coming from an immigrant family the people you will meet who complain about "illegals" because they didn't do it "the right way". Like generally, these are not people who hate immigrants or approve of ICE or anything like that, but they still feel a certain moral superiority in having improved their situation "the correct way". I don't think Sam thinks homeless people should all be sent to prison or anything, but I think he still looks at himself as having done something morally correct in getting out of his situation (even though he really didnt in the long run excluding the finale). You see this attitude with other things like when he asks Max why didn't you just leave. I don't think he has no empathy for these situations, but there's like a mental block of not understanding the barriers that other people might face that he didnt.

Oh i extremely know what you mean as a fellow child of immigrants. my mum will make a snide comment while watching the news and i’ll be like 🤨 oh so now we’re pretending that your friend [DATA EXPUNGED] is here totally legally huh. it comes from a small-c conservative belief that there exists a group of people who are less "deserving" than them.

“Morally correct” also happens to be how the fandom sees sam's escape from the family, when it’s just Morally neutral? Like it’s a good thing. But says nothing about sam’s moral fibre because it was for self-preservation reasons. that's not a bad thing either! and i obviously don't think fandom is bad for thinking of sam's hard work as an admirable trait but there needs to be some acknowledgement of his perspective is a little skewed.

Max is a great example to use because sam isn’t being spiteful, but he is being thoughtless and most of it is due to him literally being a man in his early 20s but like, it’s also because of how he grew up and how he got out.

sam’s judgy moments are at their most interesting in s1 because there’s so many of them and because they’re so intentional. Like, intentional on the part of the writers, not sam. his response to max is a reflection of how idk, myopic? sam’s read of dean and their family situation is. It’s an in-universe character flaw he has to work on in order to repair the bond between them, just as dean’s seething resentment over sam’s departure is something he needs to work on too. s1 is about both of them learning to see other as their dad's victim.

I think in general in the fandom you get these sort of knee jerk reactions like "no they can't be racist/sexist/homophobic/classist/etc, they don't hate xyz people" but really no one is saying they do. Like no one is saying Sam spits on poor people. No one is saying Dean thinks women are beneath him. But they both clearly have some ingrained beliefs that are ultimately prejudiced! These aren't immutable characteristics. In fact, I think for the most part if someone had an actual deep discussion with them about it they'd probably come around fairly easily, but that doesn't mean Sam scoffing at Dean hustling pool or Dean saying "sweetheart this ain't gender studies" aren't bad things to do. Like they're often understandable character flaws based on the characters backgrounds, but they're still there.

Honestly, i’d argue that plenty of people ARE saying that dean sees women as beneath him or that sam despises the poor or vice-versa etc. but like. Hmm. this is a tv show for a narrow group of people written by an even narrower group of people and thus the show reflects the views & prejudices of the people writing them. There are moments in which we’re supposed to approve of dean’s sexism but there are also moments where we’re supposed to disapprove while simultaneously approve of or at least be okay with sam’s sexism. There are moments where we’re supposed to think sam’s being a judgy snob, but there are still others where we’re supposed to wrinkle our noses at how uncouth and lumpenprole dean is in comparison to college boy sam. And that goes for the many other -isms in the show. characters are often used as vectors for the beliefs of the writers, good or bad. It’s up to the individual how they choose to make peace with that, but the problem with this fandom is that discussions about isms get heavily wrapped up with stan wars. 

Lemme give an example. It’s incredibly common in samgirl spaces to paint dean as a homophobic neanderthal. they usually do this by taking a shitty comment from season 3 and extrapolating it until they’re talking about s15 dean as if he can’t so much as look at a gay person without threatening to kill them in that sense they’re no different to the desticule circa 2020-2023 WHOA WHO SAID THAT anyway they pretend it’s just a heehee haha jokeyjoke but like. it is 2024 and they STILL can’t engage with conversations about queer dean without talking about deangirls as if they are personally endorsing homophobia! As a result if someone points out that sam makes just as many homophobic jokes as dean does and he’s just slyer about it they flip the fuck out because they’re lowkey projecting and think you’re judging them as hard as they judge you. This is why the mildest criticisms of sam prompt an insane amount of backlash. 

(i talk a little more about this phenomenon here)

and so we come to discussions about sam and classism that feel like people trying to defend him at every turn because they sincerely think we're trying to cancel him and it's pissing me off because if we can't even suggest fictional character sam winchester is maybe a little classist how the hell are we going to address the DERANGED lvls of classism throughout this fandom. i've never been in a fandom where so many people think going to college makes a str8 person better equipped to talk about queerness than actual queer people until i joined spn fandom.

(discussions about racism/racialised misogyny get a lot more complicated and a lot more depressing than anything mentioned above so i'm not approaching that topic for now. "but-" don't care didn't ask plus i probably have more melanin than you. i don't wanna talk about it!!!)

anyway. idk what i'm saying. i think i get where the defensiveness is coming from but it's annoying. what if we just mutually agreed that we're not to blame for spn's bigotry but we also have a responsibility not to reproduce that same bigotry? what if???

EDIT: coming back a day later to say that I do agree with your assertion that a deep conversation could be enough to change them! I just think that a certain part of fandom is allergic to acknowledging ANY flaw at all and that's the biggest hurdle in these discussions.

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.187 thoughts

[Just the Way I Like It - Extra Crispy]

(Contents: immediate reactions, small Andy analysis, speculation)

Ohhh, the DNA hair isn't supposed to represent chromosomes, it's supposed to represent evolution! You know Tozuka did that on purpose. He wanted us to think she was Sex so we'd be surprised when she was Change. And from what I've seen, all of us sure were

But that's not the most interesting part of this chapter, not by a long shot. No, the most interesting part has got to be, without a doubt, Andy

As always, Tozuka provides us with a shot that's instantly iconic, this time in the form of Andy's charred body sitting stalwart on the barren surface of the extinguished sun. The linework and shading here is phenomenal, it almost feels like something out of Berserk. In the hands of a lesser artist, Andy's body might just be completely blackened with a barely recognizable outline, but here, even through all that ink you can see every contour of his physique, almost like you could count the individual muscle fibers. It's eerie, it's haunting, it's melancholy, it's beautiful, and to top it all off, it's metal as hell

Understandably, everyone is terrified when they see Andy in that state; they've only seen Andy in action for the span of about a minute, so they don't quite understand the extent to which Undead really works. Seeing someone charred to cinders but still shockingly intact like that would definitely be unsettling, especially if you aren't used to seeing death the way that the previous Union members all were, but being told that he's still alive through that? Knowing that the heat you're feeling on the extinguished sun, likely a fraction of how it feels normally, is the sort of condition he's been stoically enduring for eons and somehow he's still conscious? That's pushing eldritch horror territory

But of course, Fuuko isn't even phased. She's seen her fair share of the things that Andy's had to go through, and she knows that however hard it was for him, he'll be able to bounce back better than ever. Seeing Fuuko run up to hug him and thank him, telling him that she learned to live as she does from him, is so heartwarming and sweet that you almost forget that Andy's a smoldering statue

Now, the whole time that Nico was talking about Andy's sensory nerves and organs being fried, I was thinking one thing: he doesn't really need them, does he? He was able to move his body with his soul even through the effects of Unmove, and we've seen him moving his body while the sun's flames were active, so we know he has some way to tell what's going on around him, so why even worry about conducting sound through his bones?

The first answer is probably that Fuuko didn't know that or couldn't rely on it. Even if he could hear her through his soul, it's best not to take any chances and guarantee that her message is going to get through. Secondly, though, it's way more dramatic to shoot him in the head and jam her fingers into his skull. It makes a beautiful parallel to the events of the Spoil arc, it cuts the tension of the movement by being surprising and funny, and again, it's a striking image. Not even just the gunshot, but Fuuko having her hands on Andy's head while she talks to him, almost like she's holding his face but in the macabre and disturbing way that only UU can provide

My concerns were then answered though with Andy not only raising to his feet, but also firing off a brand new move: Soul Boosted Parts Bullets! Whether it can actually deal damage remains to be seen, since we've seen in the past that souls can only interact with souls, but Andy also created a soul chain to hold Change in place, suggesting that he's able to interact with a target's soul while its bonded to its body, much like how Ichico gained the ability to force a target's soul out. This implies that Andy can in fact deal damage with this move, even if only to the soul, which would arguably be more effective than harming the physical body of a UMA since they can regenerate any damage that isn't to their core anyway

Andy leveling up to the point that he can weaponize his soul like this, coupled with Enjin having solar-level control of Unburn, suggests that Tozuka is nowhere near showing us the real ceiling of everyone's powers. I talked about it in my response to @buhbuhlmao's post the other day, but there really is a good chance that, while no one's going to be able to solo Sun, everyone's probably going to be able to operate on a scale that would let them at least hold their own if they needed to

That said, Andy's new ability made me realize something: Victor probably wouldn't have been able to hold off the Master Rules like Andy did. While Victor never believed that his mind was a necessary part of "being alive," he also was stated not to believe in the soul as a concept, meaning that if his whole body were charred inside and out like this, he wouldn't have a mechanism for forcing his body to move anyway - he wouldn't be dead, but he also wouldn't be able to regain consciousness until someone brought him somewhere he could heal, and he certainly wouldn't be able to use his soul to suppress the Master Rules. Andy's ability to pull off such a feat proves that he's surpassed Victor, or at least caught up to his level by traveling a different path. Honestly, if we ever do get to see Andy and Victor split, I hope that we get to see them using Undead in completely different ways to show just how much of an individual Andy has become

To cap off this stellar chapter, we finally get a glimpse of our last five members (excluding Ruin and Lucy). Bunny, Tatiana and Kururu are all how I'd expect them to be, and Top is a bit older looking, but the real surprise is that Juiz is clearly younger. Not only that, she looks remarkably like Fuuko. Twitter user Junebug pointed this out too, that Fuuko and Juiz's positions and appearances have switched: Fuuko went from short- to long-hair and has become the leader of the Union, and Juiz has become short-haired and naively bright-eyed. The impact that this will have on their characters remains to be seen, but I'm super excited for it!

I do hope that meeting Juiz will allow us to fully understand the mechanics of the loop, though it's probably not super important that we get that. I just really want to know myself. Was Juiz always supposed to be a child/teenager in the 2010s, or did her soul hold her off for a few extra years? Also, she looks completely different compared to her child self before, is this because this is her first reset in the loop after getting transed as many have theorized? Oh, and could it be that Sex isn't the one who made Juiz into a woman, but Change? There are so many questions, and I hope Tozuka deigns to answer them all in time!!!

Until next time, let's enjoy life

[janmisali]

I don't have any intention of telling you "you're wrong actually!!!" For disliking the game, you have very legitimate and fair reasons for it and that's cool

I do though think I disagree on your conclusion that "if you are playing the game, you are playing the game" is not a rule. It's true that it is a non-statement objectively speaking, but I think it's still legitimately applicable in this context. If you read the original rules for "The Game" and decide you do not like them and therefore you do not wish to participate, you are no longer playing the game. That's fact, and the rule "everyone who is aware of The Game is playing The Game" has no impact on it.

That being said, I think the rules of The Game are supposed to act as a social kayfabe. In the same way that wrestling is largely scripted in its narrative events, but the audience plays along for the sake of enjoyment, acting as if you are beholden to the rules of The Game is part of a kayfabe that is enjoyable and fun, to some people. There are people who take this idea way too far and actively get upset at people who break the "kayfabe" of The Game, but I don't think that's a problem inherent to The Game or kayfabe itself. To break the rules of a game means you are no longer meaningfully participating in that game, and in the case of The Game, that's the only concequence of choosing to not participate, which ends up being your goal anyway. It's still valid as a sort of kayfabe-type "rule" in a loose sense, though, far as I see it.

You're right that the "true" rules, when the kayfabe is removed, is that you are supposed to be performatively upset when you lose The Game. That's not fun for you, and I totally get why. For me personally, though, I see it as a way of bonding with strangers, particularly ones that experienced a very similar blink of time in the internet's history. Losing the game isn't a failure, it is the one and only form of interaction with The Game, and it's an entirely passive one. The sometimes-ignored sub rule that you're supposed to exclaim aloud "I just lost the game!" is, to me, a relic of a time when The Game was popular enough that many people would be reminded of it without the explicit discussion of The Game itself, such as just seeing the word "game" on its own in the wild. It was a way of keeping the spirit of the meme alive. That rule's fallen off over time though, because now that The Game is getting more and more niche, it's just kind of out of place since most people probably won't know what you're talking about, and most people aren't particularly serious enough about it to demand participation. The people that are are just.. being dicks, and using The Game as an excuse.

Anyway I hope this doesn't seem like an argument, I'm not trying to change your mind but moreso explain what parts of The Game are meaningful to me that aren't about the explicit goal of trying to make someone feel bad. Sorry this has turned into a whole thing.

wait, what exactly is it that you disagree with? it, seems like you agree with me that "everyone is playing" is an unenforceable nonstatement, which is exactly what I mean by calling it "not a real rule"

[coffeeandbatboys]

And It All Goes Downhill. (Matt Murdock x Reader)

This one is for @omega-ish hope you get some good Matt comfort out of this one :)

After learning Matt's secret, things go wrong very quickly.

Warnings: kidnapping, lots of injuries.

You stared him down, disbelief crossing your features.

"So you're telling me that you jump around on rooftops at night punching people to death?? You're. Blind. Matthew."

"Y/N please-"

"No. Either you've been lying to me this whole time about the bruises and scars, or you're just saying this to impress me. Even then you'd still be lying."

You were seething with anger now, at the fact he didn't trust you enough to tell you.

"I can't do this right now, Matt."

"I'm sorry. I'm so, incredibly sorry."

"And I," you grabbed your coat, opening the door. "Don't want to hear another word from you."

~~~

"Alright, easy buddy. Take my money." You held it out for the thug, who was jittery and almost frightened.

"Necklace."

The one that Matt had given you. Why should you care? You were mad at him right now. But you always fixed it somehow.

"No, you asked for the money, you got-"

A gunshot rang out, and the thug sprinted away in fear. You looked around, trying to determine the source. That's when you saw two men exit a warehouse building to your right. They caught sight of you and pursued you. No doubt they just killed someone. Before you could get away, though, they overtook you and the world went black.

~~~

When you awoke, you felt the bonds around your wrists. Around you seemed to be another warehouse of sorts. It seemed empty, cold and damp, leaving you shivering against the harsh conditions. Then you realized that you were on the second floor. An industrial bridge spanned underneath you, from one end of the room to the other. You tasted the dried blood from your lips, and the first thought in your mind was "Oh my God. I'm going to die."

Before you could shut it down, a large, broad-shouldered figure entered your line of vision. It was Wilson Fisk. Oh I'm definitely going to die.

"Miss Y/L/N. I suppose you know why you're here."

"I witnessed the getaway of a murder?"

"All the same, I can't have you traipsing around after that. However, you may still be of some use."

"Oh? And how's that?"

"Tell me everything you know about Daredevil."

The air felt impossibly colder and you suddenly felt sick. Matt wasn't lying.

You decided to tell white lies, in order to make it seem as if he wasn't your boyfriend. As if that worked, though.

"I see him in the newspaper. Quite a guy huh? Doin' parkour on rooftops?"

"Don't play games with me L/N."

"Look, I've never interacted with the devil of Hell's Kitchen. Only seen him from a distance." It wasn't a complete lie. You'd never actually seen Matt as the Devil. At least, not in action.

Just then, you heard a commotion outside, and your heart skipped a beat. Could it be him?

Sure enough, he burst into the second floor of the warehouse with Fisk's men hot on his tail.

Fisk made his own getaway and the Devil of Hell's Kitchen was left to fight his men. One by one they were struck down. He could hear your stifled cries to him, pleading for safety.

Then the last of the goons who was closest to you, fell off the bridge. His Neck twisted as he landed, making an awful cracking sound.

All of the sudden Matt stopped, horrified. You tried to call out for him, but he stood completely still in shock. It was like his senses were muddled, and he couldn't find you. Even this close he couldn't lock onto your heartbeat. He feared that the crack was of your neck, and not the goon's.

"Matt!!" You screamed. That brought him back to reality. Nearly breaking down, he rushed over to you, cradling your face in his hands.

"Oh my-I thought you died...are you hurt?" He asked as he undid the ropes on your wrists.

"Matt I'm fine. I just want to go home."

"Are you sure? Aren't you still mad at me?"

Your heart broke. "No, no, honey. You just saved me. And I believe you now."

"I'm sorry for not telling you..."

"Matt. Its OK. I just want to go home with you and clean up. I'm not angry with you anymore. I love you." Reaching up, you caressed his chin, before placing a soft kiss on his lips. He whispered a soft "I love you, I'm sorry" against them.

"Now let's go home."

[ellaenchanting]

On Big Clangy Emotions and the Lack of Guidebooks

This came up in another context tonight so I thought I would write it all out.

When I was 18 I fell for a girl. Hard. I had experienced really strong friendship with girls before but none quite like THIS. I didn't understand what was happening. Queer representation was so rare in media and in my small town experience that I didn't have the mental framework to put together "crush" or "love" from what was happening. I just knew I felt really really intensely - wanted to be with her all the time, thought of her constantly, would make up all sorts of excuses to fall asleep on her dorm floor, etc. I thought of it as a really strong, soul bonded friendship. I didn't know what else to consider. I didn't really know how to manage something so unexpected and strong and unnamed. I didn't know how to have good boundaries, how to talk about it, how to avoid being creepy. I really tried to manage myself and my feelings but- at a weak point I kissed her. All hell broke loose. She dropped out of college the next day. All of our mutual friends soon stopped talking to me.

I haven't seen her since.

I don't know if knowing more about myself or more about what queerness could look like would have stopped any of that from happening. Maybe everything would have happened the same way regardless. I think of her occasionally and there's still pain there- like a tiny hook in my heart. A hook from a girl I haven't seen in over 20 years. A hook from a girl who is largely a made up facimile in my head by now. A girl who I hope never thinks of me. She never wanted there to be a hook and, if she knew about it, she definitely wouldn't want me to have it anymore. I try and wish her well when I think of her- imagine that she's happy and doing well.

I've been hooked a few times in doing kink. Mostly, like with the long ago girl, because I wasn't expecting it and didn't have a framework to really acknowledge or discuss what was happening- to know what to watch out for in myself. Also like with the college girl, it's happened entirely with people who didn't mean to hook me- people who meant kindly and would take their hooks back immediately if that were in their power. People who couldn't have known I'd react so strongly because I couldn't have known I'd react so strongly. You can only know that from experience.

Part of having a weird and unconventional sexuality is having to figure this kind of stuff out way later than everyone else. Most people have their first big love (and the girl still feels like love to me) before they're 18. Even if they don't, there's tons of movies/culture/advice showing you what it's supposed to look like and how it's supposed to go. Most people have a really strong sexual component to those feelings that helps guide then- or push then- into knowing how they feel quickly and less ambiguously than my weird gray-aceiness whateveritis sometimes allows. Most people aren't finding new and expansive parts of their sexuality in their late 30s and 40s- tripping up over the same things that, if they were more normal, they might have been experiencing and learning to cope with when they were teenagers.

Through some bumps and bruises, I feel like I have a working model for what a healthy, casual kinky relationship looks like for me now - what boundaries work, what unspoken expectations are normal, what words apply only in context, etc. I wish I could pass that wisdom on to new kinky people- provide rules and boundaries and goal posts- but I don't know how because what I had to learn feels so individual. I can talk about mirror neurons and rapport and the potential love spell of looking too long into someone else's eyes and I know all of the things that are universal but - on some deep, unconscious level they still feel like a traps that only I will fall into.

I guess now I'm just better at choosing my traps- and controlling how fast and how far I fall. Being caught can be really exciting when you're prepared for it- and you've learned how to catch yourself if need be.

I don't know if any of you out there can relate. If you can, I hope reading this brings you some comfort. I hope writing it does that for me.

[msmargaretmurry]

"(you make my heart beat) like a hurricane" parentheticals can be included or just for context lol. as for pairing, i mean, matthew/leon brainrot, but if you can think of a more fitting one i'm all ears!

nah, let's go with the matthew/leon brainrot. what are we even on this earth for if we don't let the brainrot win sometimes?

so, ignoring the obvious punny impulse to concoct some sort of futurefic or alternate timeline where they both play for the hurricanes (carolina was runner-up in last summer's tkachuk sweepstakes, there's totally something that could be done there), i think what i'm feeling here is a tropey bottle episode of a fic. an "oh no, it's storming and you're stuck in my house overnight" fic.

actually, because i personally think it would be funny: an "oh no, it's storming and you AND your teammates are stuck in my house overnight" fic.

so, the oilers come to south florida pretty early in the season. it's still technically hurricane season, but the current tropical storm is only supposed to graze them, not make landfall, so no one is that concerned about it. how do we get a bunch of oilers over to matthew's house? i don't know, maybe something like — okay, so i believe in my heart for reasons that matthew and connor mcdavid aren't, like, FRIENDS friends but that they get along just fine and are kind of weirdly fond of each other off the ice (the reasons for this are like 90% just the fact that connor has referred to him as "matty tkachuk" more than once on camera), so maybe they wind up hanging out a bit at the NHL awards this summer, kinda laughing about the old battle of alberta rivalry days — maybe a reporter asked one of them about it in some weird attempt to make a story, like, oh you're not on rival teams anymore but would it still be extra fun to beat him out for the hart? and they both think that was kind of stupid and funny. connor has some great stories about media being deeply stupid and funny, they can bond over it a little bit, and so maybe matthew "loves to play host in his giant florida home" tkachuk, slightly drunk, is like, hey when you guys are in florida next season bring some of the boys over for dinner. bury the hatchet for real.

ANYWAY. god. okay. i'm just giving up on making these short now. the oilers come to florida pretty early in the season, etc etc, and connor shows up to dinner at matthew's with, like, leon and zach hyman and kailer — kailer and matthew overlapped for a year at the program, they could totally be friendly. everyone feels a little bit weird about this, including matthew and connor, who are the ones who committed to this in the first place, but no one involved is going to be the one to back down first.

but oooh, what of the leon of it all? when connor informed him he was coming along he probably snorted and said "yeah, i'm sure he'll love that," and connor rolled his eyes and said, "oh, come on, it'll be fine," and leon, unfortunately, is too loyal to not dutifully come along. someone has to be there to keep connor from being the most awkward human alive. and also maybe leon kind of wants to go. maybe he has something to say to matthew tkachuk, except it's really hard to get a guy alone for a conversation when you're on different teams and you're not friends and also one of you moved across the continent.

so they all show up for dinner when they get into town the night before the game, and it's a little weird and awkward at first, but it gets pretty fun, actually! sasha barkov and sam bennett are also there — for backup, just in case, matthew jokes — and it's a pretty good time! there is a series of comedic errors where every time leon thinks he's getting a moment alone to say something, he gets interrupted, because it's ALSO hard to have a conversation when there are five other dudes hanging around. it's also possible that matthew is avoiding him a little bit. this is understandable, considering the one and only time matthew ever texted him — hey, good series. good luck. take care of yourself, in the early, early morning hours of the morning after the oilers had eliminated the flames from the 2022 playoffs — leon never texted back.

not, like, on purpose. he was just distracted. by the playoffs. and he didn't know what to say. and he kept thinking about responding and then not responding and then it had been too long to respond without it being awkward, which was fine, it's not like they were friends, they only even had each other's numbers because someone put all the members of the pacific division all star team in a group chat that weekend in 2020, but leon has felt a tad bit guilty about it ever since. he just wants to apologize! then he can go on with his life with a clear conscience.

they eat; they drink; time flies when you're having fun; and then kailer looks out the window and goes, "oh shit, it's really coming down."

the tropical storm changed paths, and now there's a flood warning and it's no longer safe to drive. cue much checking of weather, and it becomes clear the safe thing to do is not go anywhere until morning. good thing i have guest rooms! matthew says. we don't want to impose like that, connor starts to protest, but matthew puts his foot down: he is NOT dealing with the drama that would happen if the best hockey player in the world got swept out to sea on his watch. and it's important for everyone else to stay safe too, or whatever. between the guest rooms and the sofas, there's plenty of room. connor calls the oilers coach about it, it's all gonna be fine.

leon finally gets matthew alone when matthew is cleaning up in the kitchen after insisting he doesn't want any help, so everyone else is sprawled in the living room watching sports. no one's getting wasted because they have a game tomorrow, but everyone's had a few beers, and it's getting a little rowdy. leon says he's getting a glass of water and find matthew washing the steak knives. he awkwardly thanks matthew for dinner ("hey, thanks for coming, always fun to have people over," matthew says) and then, also awkwardly, apologizes for not texting back. you know, a year and a half ago. there was a lot going on. he was on a lot of painkillers.

matthew hisses and drops the knife he's washing into the sink. leon's at his side in seconds, but it's a shallow cut, and matthew just rolls his eyes and sticks the wounded finger in his mouth. which is a better reason than leon has previously had to look at matthew's mouth, at least.

but— "it's no big deal. the texting thing," matthew says, around his finger, then normally when he takes it out of his mouth to add, "i was really fucking drunk when i sent it anyway. i don't know what i was thinking." he trails off a bit at this last part, because leon has taken it upon himself to examine the wound — it really is fine; matthew's finger is more red from his own teethmarks than from the cut.

anyway, it's good that matthew wasn't upset about the texting thing, he says. he'd felt bad about it. he didn't know if matthew was trying to be friends or what. and matthew gives him this funny little look and is like, "well, we could be friends." leon looks up from the very important medical attention he's providing, except now he's just looking at matthew's mouth again. he considers some variations on the definition of "friend."

except of course they're interrupted here by a commotion from the next room, which completely breaks the moment, and the next few hours of hanging out in matthew's living room with all the guys go pretty normally, except for how leon keeps catching matthew looking at him, and which keeps making matthew give him this sheepish grin before looking away, which makes leon feel some very stupid things. there's something in the water down here, he thinks. he has a disease now. he has a matthew tkachuk disease. when everyone starts shuffling off to bed at a semi-reasonable hour, matthew running around distributing towels and spare toothbrushes and whatever else people need, leon hangs back, poking at his weird little feelings, until matthew comes back downstairs to ask with a crooked grin, "so did you draw the short straw for the couch down here?"

"more like wrestled it away from connor," leon deadpans. matthew is all loose and cheerful like someone who's still a little tipsy, and leon knows logically that he's also a little bit drunk, but he feels very sober. maybe this is why it seems totally logical, when matthew gets close enough, to tug him in by the hem of his shirt and kiss him on the mouth.

he gets about three seconds of kissing in before actual logic kicks in, and he jerks back — "shit, sorry, i don't know why i did that." matthew just kind of stares at him for a mortifyingly long moment, brow furrowed, then he licks his lips and swallows and says, "you know, there's somewhere else you could sleep besides the couch."

and oh, leon is so tempted. he's SO tempted. but it's a bad idea, right? it's probably a bad idea, especially with all the other guys in the house. so.

"probably not a very good idea," he says, apologetic. matthew gives him a half-smile and a shrug, says to let him know if he needs anything, and goes back upstairs.

except after a couple of hours of lying on the couch, after everyone else has fallen asleep, obviously leon tiptoes up to matthew's room and they immediately have intense, fucknasty trying-to-stay-quiet sex. literally everyone can tell the next morning, and they never, ever, ever live it down.