#I don't mean this maliciously at all. I didn't get to see his explanations for these choices. I am genuinely curious.

[forcedhesitation]

I suppose that since this list is for beginners, it isn't unreasonable to put the spent oxygen tank lower in the list.... but I don't know if I could call it average.

Am I missing something here? because I think it's one of his best addons. Slipstream a survivor at the right moment, and they will fail to escape you because they can no longer rely on an exhaustion perk to give them a second chance. Which makes the addon a little too intense for a beginner, yes, but only average? idk.

[talaok]

The cheating

Pairing: Joel Miller x reader

Summary: You misinterpret a situation and think that Joel is cheating on you.

Warnings: angst, jealousy, misunderstanding *not proofread*

| Request |

"where's Joel?"

"I'm happy to see you too Ellie" you joked, easing her backpack off her shoulders.

"No, I just mean, he usually picks me up from school" she explained

"He was busy today" 

"doing what? What's more important than me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"first of all, I love the way you think, never change it, second off all, I don't really know, he went out in a rush"

"He didn't tell you?"

"no, not really"

"oh I'm gonna have a field day scolding him about not declaring where he's going like he wants me to do"

"he does that because he loves you"

"yeah, well, it's time he gets a sip of his own love" she air-quoted the last word, making you smile.

"you little demon" you chuckled, pulling her closer as you started walking off.

"what the fuck?" you exclaimed, as you swung her backpack on your shoulders "What the fuck do you have in here?"

She looked up at you, a malicious glint in her eyes

"Have you ever heard of books?"

__ __ __

"So how was school?" you asked, as you rounded a corner to get onto the main street.

The wind was blowing but the sun was up in the sky, resulting in the perfect temperature.

The pebbles under your feet sounded with each step as the commune's buildings started surrounding you.

"useless, as usual," Ellie grumbled, her tone scarily matching her dad's. 

"oh c'mon, I'm sure you learned some interesting things"

"nope"

You glared at her "Did you at least have some fun?"

A smile crossed her face "That I did" she said, "Me and Dina found a dead frog!"

"ew! gross!" you grimaced "You call that fun?!"

She laughed "I do, it was so soft and... sticky" She touched her fingers like the feelings still lingered on them, and you watched with more than a bit of terror as her eyes sparkled at the memory.

It was at times like this you wondered just how much she had taken from Joel.

"I'm gonna puke" you commented, making her snort 

"Relax we didn't do anything bad, Dina insisted we gave it a funeral"

"thank god" you breathed a sigh of relief "That poor thing,"

"We buried it under a tree and gave speeches and everything, it was really moving"

"What did you say?" you asked, as you surpassed the refectory

"You know, the usual stuff" she shrugged "How good of a frog she was, how she'll be deeply missed yadda yadda yadda"

"of course" you chuckled "the usual stuff"

She smiled too now "I'm fucking starving" she moaned

"language" you reminded her, and as usual, got in return the same scowl that told you: first just how hypocritical that was coming from you, and second, that she was never gonna listen to you, and you both knew it.

"Why?" you ignored her look "Didn't you eat?"

"Today was vegetable loaf day" she responded like that was enough of an explanation.

"So what? That sounds good"

"it may sound good, but when you get that green goo on your plate I promise you're gonna change your mind"

"goo?" you made a face

"Yes. Goo." she repeated, "They say Ms. Meril dumps all the rotten vegetables into a pot and then adds a special ingredient, that I personally believe to be..."

You had stopped listening to her a while ago as your eyes stared at the image in front of you.

You would have recognized that hair from a mile away.

He was there. Joel was there.

And not alone.

Your eyes fully focused on the man and woman in front of the pub.

You could see they were talking, and not just that.

Her hand was on his chest, as she stood so close to him they could probably taste each other's breaths.

You couldn't see his face, Joel's face, your boyfriend's face, but what you could very well see was that he wasn't pushing her away or protesting in any other way.

If you hadn't known any better you would have thought they were about to kiss.

And just then, you realized that you did, in fact, not know any better. 

You felt your heart speed up, as your feet slowed down, unconsciously coming to a stop.

That's why he had to leave in a rush?

To go fuck another woman?

As much as you felt the rage boiling inside of you like a fire, what really prevailed was the pain of the realization.

You stood there, watching them, as tears clogged your throat.

So much for I love you

So much for I was lost before you

You could physically feel your stomach twist and turn and suddenly you were nauseous.

All this time, you thought, and he's cheating on me

"Hey, you ok?" Ellie's voice was distant, muffled behind the wave of emotions coming at you.

When you didn't respond, she followed your line of sight, still firmly pointed at the pair.

"Oh fuck" she said quietly, making everything worse.

You had secretly wished she would have seen something else, given you an explanation, and laughed at how crazy you were being, but her tone told you everything you needed to know.

"I'm-I'm sorry y/n" 

Never, had you heard her stutter.

"I can't believe this- he's an asshole, I'm gonna-" she took a breath "I'm gonna beat him up, and he's gonna regret this, I swear"

As much as you wanted to laugh, you feared the moment you opened your mouth a sob would have fled it instead.

"I can't believe this" she repeated, and the truth was, you couldn't either.

You were happy. There was nothing that didn't work, you had a great relationship, you barely fought, you loved each other's presence, everything was good... or so you thought at least.

And he had thrown it all down the drain

And for what? For some slut he just met?

No, you immediately stopped yourself, No I'm not gonna be one of those women that blames the other woman.

This is all his fault. 

He's a cheating, lying bastard who doesn't deserve a minute more of my time, you decided, taking a breath.

"Let's go," you told Ellie

She frowned, confused "A-are you sure"

"let's go"

__ __ __

Ellie hadn't left your side for a second. 

You were sat side by side on the couch, your gaze fixated on the chimney in front of you, as Ellie probably rummaged through her mind to think of something to say.

You were frozen. All the anger and the pain mixing together to create a seeming numbness.

"Listen I-" 

Ellie's words immediately stopped when the front door opened.

"Hi, I'm home!" He half yelled from the entrance.

"Hello?" He spoke again once he didn't get an answer.

His heavy steps sounded against the floor as he started walking to the living room.

"Where is every-" he stopped once he saw you "There you are, why didn't you answer?"

The confusion on his face only multiplied once you took both your expressions in.

"what is it?" he asked, clueless "I'm sorry I couldn't come get you today something came up"

"Yeah, something," Ellie remarked, disappointment clear in her tone.

Joel frowned "What are you talking about?" he asked, "what's she on about?" he turned to you now.

You were about to speak when the girl beside you interrupted you.

"You know very well what I'm talking about Joel, don't play dumb"

The wrinkles on his forehead increased as his puzzlement persisted.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," she said "I can't believe you would do something like that, especially to y/n"

"what are you-"

"we saw you" Ellie anticipated his question "In town"

"I don't kno-"

The girl wouldn't let him speak, and you'd be lying if you said that didn't make you feel a tiny bit better.

"there's no point in lying anymore we saw you with our own eyes Joel"

He looked at you once again, and you adverted his gaze to look at the very angry girl at your side.

"thank you, Ellie, but I think I can take it from here"

She hesitated, looking between you two "You sure?"

"yes" you swallowed your nerves away "don't worry"

She shot Joel a look for far longer than necessary and then finally got up.

"alright" she nodded "I'm gonna go next door then, but if you need anything just yell," she said, starting down the doorway, but not before stopping at Joel's side "And you... I'm not talking to you anymore" she decided, getting out and closing the door behind her.

The silence that filled the room was louder than any sound you'd ever heard, except the one of your pounding heart of course.

You stood up, walking to the other side of the couch so you were facing him but you were still carefully distant.

"What is going on?" Joel finally spoke

You took a deep breath, reminding yourself that you needed to keep your cool because you're sure as hell not wasting any voice or tears over this asshole

"Joel I know you're cheating on me, or at least have cheated"

"What?"

"When I was getting Ellie home from school we saw you in front of the pub"

You watched as realization crammed his face.

"y/n that was not what you think"

"I'm sure it wasn't Joel" you rolled your eyes "Listen I don't care for any lame excuse or apology, I just need to know one thing... why?" you said "You at least owe me that. Everything was good wasn't it? What was it that made you feel the need to go and fuck some other woman?" for all your promises your voice was getting louder.

"I didn't- y/n I've never cheated on you"

"stop lying!" you burst "Be an adult and fucking own up to what you've done!" 

"y/n" he stepped closer to you and you took a step back.

"stop" You put a hand in front of you, signaling for him to not take another step "Answer my question"

Now he took a breath. And god if you didn't want to punch him.

You're frustrated? You're mad? How do you think I feel?

"y/n" he spoke again, his tone more even, "I swear to god sweetheart I have not cheated on you. The woman you saw me with is Jessie, She's just Tommy's friend. Nothing happened, Of course, nothing happened baby, I love you, you know that. I would never hurt you”

“Oh please, so you're telling me all of Tommy's friends get their mouths that close to yours?"

His lips gaped open, as he struggled to find the right words.

"Alright," he breathed, convincing you you were about to get a confession.

A mix of nausea and homicidal rage electrified your body.

"She is... well, she had been- flirting with me," he said "But I've never led her on, sweetheart, I would never do that, I don't have eyes for anyone but you" he sighed, and his deep brown eyes were pained "Listen," he took a step, and this time, for some unknown reason, your feet wouldn't budge, "My brother called me about an emergency and I rushed there to help"

"an emergency at the pub?"

"just-" There was anxiety and sadness creeping up his voice "Please let me finish, I swear it's not what you think baby"

"fine" you nodded

"I helped him out and he invited me for a drink over at the pub and I accepted. We talked for a while and then when I was about to go, Jessie showed up, and she was trying to get me to go to her house, to which I said no and headed out, but she kept following me until we were outside, and that's when she cornered me and I decided it was time to stop being nice and tell her I don't want anything to do with her"

Silence fell again.

"I can call Tommy if you want, he saw all of this"

"Like he wouldn't lie for you" you commented

"You're right, but you also know how strict he is about these things"

that's true, you had to admit.

"Please sweetheart" he begged, his hand trying to grasp at yours "Y/n I love you, I love you more than anything, I'd give my life for you, I'd do anything for you" he promised "I know it's hard to believe me but I swear to anything and anyone you want that I'm telling the truth. we can even ask Jessie if you want, just please- I need you to believe me" If he sounded desperate it's because he was.

"If that's true why didn't you push her away?"

"I-" he stuttered "I didn't because I didn't want to cause a scene, I just wanted to talk like a civilized person, like you always say I should do more"

You bit your lip, trying to make some sense of the mess in your brain.

"Joel" you huffed "Are you being honest? Because I'm giving you a chance to come clean now and if I were you I'd take it"

"I am" he answered within a second "I am sweetheart, I'd never cheat on you, you're the love of my life for god's sake," he said, his hand finally grasping yours.

You looked up at him, and a dark pang of surprise came over you as you noticed the glinting glaze on his eyes matching yours.

"please" he murmured "I can't lose you y/n, not over something like this. I understand how you could have misread things, I do, but I promise that's not what happened." he breathed "I'm yours y/n, I only want to be yours" 

Your eyes fell to where your fingers intertwined, all the memories rushing back like a raging river.

"You promise?"

"I promise," he said, and you believed him. because this was Joel Miller we were talking about, the man that you had fallen for since he first saved you, and kept falling for each time he saved you again. He was a good man, no, not the traditional definition of that term, but to you, he was a good man, the best man.

"alright" you decided "Seems like I'm gonna have to have a talk with Jessie"

"And I with Ellie" A small grin tugged at his lips

"Oh she's pissed alright" you chuckled "I don't know if I'd do that if I were you"

[rhaistars]

PM cycle of abuse

The cycle of abuse in the port mafia is kind of of insane, It's a web at this point. It includes the old boss (most likely), Mori, Kouyou, Yosano, Dazai, Chuuya(I'll explain why), Akutagawa, Kyouka, and Higuchi. Almost all of the main PM members except Kajii, Gin, and Hirotsu.

Mori -> Dazai -> Akutagawa-> Kyouka

Most likely the most well-known chain of this web, which means the explanation isn't needed as much. To begin, Mori had found Dazai right after a suicide attempt, then using him as a witness for the Old boss' death. Dazai had become the youngest executive ever and found Akutagawa and begun training him.

Now Dazai didn't really see any value in any life, including his own, so his training in Akutagawa was quite brutal, making it clear he viewed Akutagawa as weak, and physically harming him. Akutagawa was unable to use his ability for defense, that is until Dazai had planned to finish Akutagawa off, but Rashomon took in the bullets, saving his life.

Akutagawa had a view that if you're weak, you shouldn't live. He made that clear towards Kyouka often, and physically abused by him in a few scenes of season 1.

Luckily the cycle of abuse between those four ended there, but it does show the difference between the abuser's way of abuse, Mori was more Manipulative and Emotionally abusive, Dazai was more physical, and degrading, and Akutagawa was physically abusive as well, but would always speak of Kyouka's ability, which she despised.

Old Boss -> Kouyou -> Kyouka

Now, this chain of abuse is a little speculation with the old boss, but I'll try to explain the best that I can.

To start, when we learned Kouyou's backstory, it was revealed that when she was young, she tried to run away from the Port Mafia. She did this because she saw hope in living a happy life. Unfortunately, the mafia captured them and the man. It is also said that Kouyou held a grudge against the old boss for that, and it is most likely that the old boss was the one who ordered the man to be killed.

I wouldn't ignore the idea that the Old Boss had a similar influence to Kouyou, as she did to Kyouka. Speaking of her influence over Kyouka, she had projected her trauma onto Kyouka, making her scared to leave. She didn't do it out of malicious intent however, she did it to keep her safe, which obviously doesn't excuse her actions. Once again, this abuse chain ends with Kyouka.

Mori -> Chuuya

Now this one might seem random, however Chuuya is a part of this web of abuse in a way. He was forced by Mori to help with the investigation of the Old Boss, this had led to the sheep fearing that they were being betrayed, trying to kill Chuuya. Although it was not physical abuse whatsoever, it was still manipulation, or emotional abuse.

I do understand that this might be debatable and i'd be glad to hear what you believe.

Akutagawa -> Higuchi, Mori -> Yosano

Due to these being two people chains that branch off from the main two, they will be grouped together in a sense.

Akutagawa gets physical and belittling towards Higuchi whenever she messes up, such as in episode 2 when she fails to kill Tanizaki and Naomi. Her abuse is not as major compared to all the characters, but she is still in the web even if some people don't view it that way.

Mori took Yosano into the barracks of the great war for his soldiers when she was 11. Her ability can make people heal people completely, only if they are on the brink of death. Mori had used that as a way to keep soldiers from going home or dying. At the start, soldiers were thankful for Yosano, but then they resented her, making her not want to help anymore. Mori didn't allow that as an option, and forced her to, leading to the death of a soldier who she became fond off.

All of these chains differ in the kind of abuse, physical, manipulation, death, belittling, but they all are intertwined in one way or another.

[demodraws0606]

Theory : Xander was the traitor (and other stuff linked with that theory)

Me and my friends ended up rambling about the possibility of a traitor among the cast. Despite the fact there is no confirmation on one of the cast being a traitor, there is no doubt the possibility is still there. So we ended up thinking on who most likely could be that traitor and we reached to a conclusion. The traitor might be Xander Matthews

Now there are a lot of suspicious things about Xander's behavior after he stabs Teruko.

Xander's words here are interesting as he seems more hung up on the fact that it was specifically Teruko he was killing rather than the act itself. He also seems to know who gave him that note, talking to them as though they were a person that Xander knew personally.

But that's not the only thing there is of course the question of...why ?

I'm gonna get the David allegations out of the way as I don't think Xander would kill Teruko just because he said so and we know for a fact David knows about as much as everyone else (ex : his introduction). Plus David being the one to have done this is just poor from a writing standpoint but I'm not gonna get into it.

We know from his reaction that Xander didn't stab Teruko because he was told she was a bad person or the mastermind. Xander clearly still sees Teruko as a good person and doesn't act malicious about hurting her, which wouldn't be the case if he was told she was the mastermind.

There is also the possibility he was told that killing Teruko would end the killing game but even then....why would he trust the note ? That's the biggest issue and from how Xander talks about the one responsible it seems that they know the one who wrote the note personally.

Now from process of elimination we can probably deduce the person who wrote the note is the mastermind (the mastermind clearly wants teruko gone) but if you combine that with Xander seeming to know the person who wrote the note personally enough to trust what they say....

That would mean Xander knew the mastermind and thus probably was working with them

I know it's quite the jump and I can't ignore the irony of the Ultimate Rebel being the mastermind's lackey. However considering we can assume Xander has the same memory loss as everyone else (he most likely is the person in the introduction scene and if that was the case he would be a lot more aggressive towards Teruko/more likely to want to kill her), it can't be Mai (or imperssonating Mai) who he could've only known in Hope's Peak. So it does make logical sense.

We also even know his possible motivation for being a traitor

Whatever this could mean, this "them's" life could be used over Xander's head. There are other possibilities as we don't know everything about Xander yet but there are definitely many things that would give him motivation to work for the mastermind if it was threatened.

Now that I made my case about Xander being the traitor, would you guys believe that this somehow works perfectly with my "Whit is the mastermind" theory ?

This is gonna be the part that is gonna be the most brainworm-y in this post as me and my friend freaked out when we first analysed the introductions. It's also completely possible that it's me overanalyzing (this is a very small detail) but I just find it very interesting.

Now Xander is a very silly loud guy, and it's seen in his introductions often. He always speaks in a very formal tone (calling Ms. and Mr.) and he always introduces himself. When he doesn't it's usually for a reason, either the character cuts him off, overheard him already or he's too busy simping for David.

After all of that explaning, here is how Xander introduces himself to Whit :

He completely forgets to introduce himself

It's not like he got cut off either from being flustered by Whit's joke either, , Teruko immediatly chimes in with her introduction afterwards and in fact it takes a while for Xander to introduce himself. In fact, Xander's reaction more so makes it look like he forgot.

(Also his expression here is interesting as I don't think we see him make that expression often but that's me nitpicking again)

Now this interaction works a lot more if you think Xander is the traitor working for the mastermind (Whit) because yeah of course Xander would forget to introduce himself if they already met.

There is also this, which while it turns into a joke, definitely is a sus moment :

(Tbf before I thought Xander was the traitor, I was more so seeing it as Whit hinting that he had his memories but I can also see it working if Xander is the traitor)

I might've left some stuff out but yeah, sussy sussy Xander.

Edit : My friend reminded of an important detail. If Xander thought killing Teruko would end the killing game, why would he pin the murder on Charles ?

[crusty-chronicles]

The Moon and Sun (Big Sib Reader x Gon/Killua)

Ch 7: Reminiscing Around the Campfire

Synopsis: After finding out a bit more about Kite, you and the boys decide to stick with him for a bit. Doesn't mean you won't give the man shit for punching your kids. (Although there is something about him that puts you at ease)

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

You were trying so damn hard not to lose control of your aura. Your fists were clenching and unclenching as you struggled to keep your cool.

But the audacity of this man to ask if you all were okay, after being the one to attack first, was making it very difficult.

He stiffened slightly at your previous tone, but approached to meet you halfway nonetheless. Your anger was palpable through the air.

Not a good sign for him.

"HEY ASSHOLE! IS IT A POLICY OR PREFERENCE TO SHOOT AT KIDS!!!"

Your pointer was jabbed against his chest as you shouted. You could feel the calm from his aura fade into nervousness.

He held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Can I explain before you continue berating me?" His voice came out slightly muffled due to his cloak slightly obscuring his face.

Your anger only flared up.

"Fuck your explanation! What I want is an apology!!! You almost killed my kid, you ass!!!!"

The man before you tossed his cloak to the side, figuring it'd be easier to talk to you this way. See eye to eye so you knew his intentions weren't malicious.

Apparently, you couldn't care less at the moment.

"Look I-"

You cut him off as soon as he started.

"We just went through hell and back with several murderers, an insane beefy convict, and some other creep from the Phantom Troupe, just to be shot at!!!!!?!??"

The boys behind you were watching as you cussed him out, ears fully uncovered as your tone rose.

"WE ALMOST DIED SEVERAL TIMES JUST TO GET HERE FOR-!!!!" You stopped yourself upon realizing something.

This man had long silver locks. Gon did not.

Hang on a fucking second.

HANG ON A SECOND!!!!

You grabbed the man by the back of his neck and maneuvered his face down to Gon's level.

"IS THIS DING DONG EVEN YOUR FATHER!!?!??"

The clown made from the stranger's nen started cackling.

"Gonna let them manhandle you like that?"

"Shut up," he hissed back at it, your grip unwavering and surprisingly strong.

Gon looked up shakily at the man. His excited aura now defeated and the hopeful look in his eye gone.

"It's not Ging."

Poor kid.

But you were even more pissed now.

You released the stranger, letting him stand straight so you could continue chewing him out.

"WE ALMOST DIED FOR SOMEONE WHO'S NOT EVEN HERE!!!"

You know what, fuck Ging too for once again misleading his son. You don't know why you thought it'd be different this time.

And it seems your frustration was shared with one of the boys.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!?!" The small assassin shouted.

If that man had shot you....

If you hadn't been fast enough to get to Gon....

If either of you had been injured, there's no telling what he would've done.

Maybe you didn't want an explanation, but damnit if all three of you weren't owed one.

"Tell us! First you knock us down, then you start firing at us!!!! Quit messing around!!!"

You took a step backwards, as if to shield them again should anything happen. The stranger, however, took a step forwards.

"Messing around? Quite the opposite."

Your eyes focused in on him, trying to find any ounce of malice. There was none. Just slight uneasiness.

"If I hadn't opened fire, all three of you would have been attacked."

Your anger had subsided temporary.

A good sign. Maybe now you would listen to reason.

The boy several feet behind you though, was still very much pissed.

"YEAH BY WHAT!?!? THAT STUPID ANT YOU SHOT!?!?" Killua went to step on the still twitching bug before its torso leapt up.

With mandibles like daggers, it sank into his flesh causing Killua to let out a screech of pain. You tensed up as the stranger whizzed past you at an alarming speed.

"You fool!" He went to knock Killua down again.

But his fist made contact with a very different surface.

Your palm, which was now closed tightly around his hand. There was a small aftershock from the force, your arm unwavering from the pressure.

He didn't see you move. Didn't even feel you until you were right there. He didn't hear your steps either.

You had a small frown on your face, but other than that, there were no indicators of your current emotion.

But there was a flicker in your aura. A very exhausted and disappointed flicker.

Then he saw your eyes.

They were so cold and unforgiving. The dark circles under them only adding to the intensity of your glare.

"That was strike two."

Such a powerful resolve behind those cold eyes. It let him know you would not back down next time. You would kill him over these kids if you thought necessary for their safety.

Like a bear protecting it's cubs.

The irony would have been funny if your grip on his fist wasn't so strong. Had he known you weren't actually a fighter, maybe he would have given more push back.

But for now, your resolve had earned his respect.

"Ahhh! Y/n, help me!!!" Killua was pulling with everything he had to try and pry the head of the ant off.

Immediately your hard gaze had softened and you focused all your attention on him. Your firm grip on the stranger's hand was gone.

In less than a second you were kneeled down next to Killua. A very different demeanor than what you had just displayed.

"It's gonna be okay, kid. It's gonna be okay. Just let me-"

"But it hurts!"

Technically, you could kill bugs. They weren't people. And you said you wouldn't let anything happen to your boys.

"Stay still for a sec, just for a second."

Killua stilled as best he could. It would hurt like hell, but you really didn't have a better option. Your thumb and pointer closed around the insect's head. With a small amount of nen, you yanked the bug from his flesh.

He gripped your arm, trying to find a small comfort through the pain. The insect in question was tossed to the side. You briefly glanced down at his leg.

A mistake.

Blood trickled down a sizable wound. The crimson liquid was too close to your line of vision.

You shook slightly, a queazy feeling settling in your stomach. The last thing you wanted was to show weaknesses at a time like this, but you just couldn't stop the trembling of your body.

Killua took notice and quickly did his best to cover the wound.

"Hey, don't look. Okay?" The reaction from the last time you saw blood still fresh in his mind. You'd never looked so scared. And it was happening again.

Gon finally broke from his stunned trance as your breathing quickened. He jumped up immediately and covered your eyes with his hands.

"Don't look at it. Pretend it's not there. Try to think of something else." He did his best to distract you. It seemed to help, your trembling form relaxing little by little.

The man looked on at the three of you, at last understanding. You were deathly protective of those you cared about and yet... you were vulnerable with them as well.

A very interesting bunch.

Deciding he already wasn't in your good graces, he made sure to properly dispose of the Chimera Ant. A resounding shot heard throughout the area.

You gently removed Gon's hands from your face to glare at him. Your anger was slowly rising again, distracting you from your panic.

"That was no ordinary ant." His tone was softer, trying not to agitate you further.

"It's a Chimera Ant," he continued.

Your face scrunched up in confusion. Chimera Ant?

"A what?" Killua asked.

"An aggressive, carnivorous insect that's been designated quarantine level one. They even attack humans from time to time." He addressed Killua.

That explained the blood, but not why he just attacked without any warning.

"You three didn't realize it, but you were standing right in front of their nest. If I hadn't fired the moment I did, an army of Chimera Ants would have consumed you all by now."

You let out a tired groan.

"Then you should've said something you ding dong. You had a solid two minutes to shout something. Maybe a 'Don't step forward or you'll die.' Anything really. You didn't have to sit there until last second."

You stood up, only barely reaching the stranger's shoulders. He eyed you cautiously.

"I doubt you would have reacted fast enough."

"I outran you, didn't I?" You weren't gonna stop giving this guy shit until he apologized.

He let out a tired sigh of his own before kneeling down next to Killua. You sent him a warning glare, and failed to notice Gon's feeling of familiarity.

"Don't worry. It's not as serious as your friend made it out to be." He pulled out a small bottle of some kind. "It's antiseptic, use it."

So maybe he had a heart after all, but you wouldn't let him off the hook that easily.

You were startled by the clown as it spoke.

"What!?!? Gimme a break, is that it!?!? Come on! Let's go wild man!!!"

You were gonna break that thing if it kept talking.

"Ugh, shut up and go away already." The man grumbled as he unsummoned his ability. He stood back up to his full height.

"You three should leave as well."

"Not without an apology." Your hard glare was back.

"You're still on about that? I thought I explained-"

"And I thought I told you screw your explanation. You could have killed my kids with your recklessness!"

"Reckless? What's reckless is showing up in an area you're completely unfamiliar with." Even as your tone rose, he still kept his calm demeanor. Not yet angry with you, but becoming somewhat annoyed with your persistence.

"What did you want us to do? Pull out a nature's encyclopedia from my ass and identify the greenery?" You followed him as he tried to walk away. He paused and turned to face you.

Was that embarrassment in his aura?

"Look, I'll concede. I shouldn't have opened fire without a warning. But you should've been a hell of a lot more careful. If you really care so much about those boys, you'd have been vigilant about your surroundings."

It always sucked when the other person had a point. But you were still very new to this. You weren't used to the suddenness of the real world anymore. A flaw that had to be corrected immediately.

"Yeah, I get that. I was just expecting something else to happen is all." You expected Ging, not whoever this man was, and sure as hell not those ants.

You'd mumbled your words, not expecting them to be heard. But they were, he just chose not to comment on them.

You let him go this time, listening to his rambling as he went.

"Damnit. Now I'll have to start over from the beginning. At least the nest was destroyed. Damnit, and now I've got this pointless kill to my credit."

That phrase caused Gon to let out a noise of shock. You and the man turned around quickly to see what was the matter. Little by little, recognition filled his features.

"Hey, are you....Back when I was younger, are you the one who saved me?"

Your eyebrows scrunched up. This was news to you.

"Wait, when?" The stranger questioned.

"On Whale Island. I'd stumbled onto a foxbear with her cub in the forest." Gon answered.

The man looked over to you. A bear and it's cubs. Definitely a familiar sight.

"Whale Island?" There was a spark of recognition now in his aura.

"Remember," Gon tried again. "You said you had a pointless kill to your credit because of what I did."

A small smile made its way onto the stranger's face.

"Oh yeah, I remember. I never thought I'd run into you again here. You sure have grown up, Gon."

You and Killua gasped out in surprise. So they have met before. Just what the hell was going on here?

"But how do you know my name?!?!?"

"I heard it from your dad: Ging."

He knew Ging, too? So was this meeting set up on purpose like the one with Razor?

"So you know Ging, old man?" Gon asked.

You let out an amused huff as the man became flustered.

"Old ma-" He cut himself off with a small grumble and readjusted his hat.

You lightly bonked Gon on his head.

"Manners, kid." You already set enough of a bad example earlier.

"Don't be rude, even though he does kinda deserve it. Besides, he doesn't look all that older than me." Maybe mid to late 20's if you had to guess.

He gave you a greatfull look before deciding to introduce himself.

"My name is Kite. And yeah, I know Ging. He was actually my master."

All three of you were extremely surprised by the sudden revelation.

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

By sundown, the four of you had made a makeshift camp to talk. There was a small campfire with several fish cooking on top. (One of which you didn't want, still very petty about earlier and Kite having been the one to catch them.)

Kite sat on one end of the fire while you and the boys sat on the other. Two small slabs of stone were used as seats for Gon and Killua. You opted to sit on the ground between them.

"So, the three of you are Pro Hunters too. Is that right?" Kite questioned.

"Well, me and Killua are. Y/n is just really good with nen," Gon answered.

You looked down, trying to hide your small smile.

"Are you one, sir?" Gon continued, remembering to use his manners. God you were so proud right now.

"Just call me Kite. You're my master's son, so don't be so formal."

Gon looked up at you. You nodded your head. To be fair, you did just mean for him to be respectful, not all proper like. But it was sweet how he took it so literally.

"Okay! So you're one too, Kite?"

"I am. Master Ging's the one who made me a first-class Hunter. He was my teacher and my benefactor." Kite said all this with something fond in his eye. His calm aura shifting into something softer.

"See, if I had never met Ging, I'd be dead now. Rotting in the back alley of a slum probably."

For the first time that day, Kite had been the cause of your softening gaze. The frustration completely diminished. Now from your aura, he could read sympathy.

"You were an orphan." You said it like a statement rather than a question. But your tone wasn't harsh like it had been. You felt eyes on you, probably wondering what had caused your shift in mood.

"Something like that," He responded.

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

Kite went on to tell the story about how he met Ging. It was a little funny, if you were being honest. Trying to survive day to day and coming back to your hideout, only to see some stranger crashing there. Only for said stranger to say your living conditions were 'so cool' with all the animals around.

It definitely tickled your funny bone.

Gon, however, was less amused by the story and a little more disappointed. He was probably expecting something cooler or maybe something with a little more context.

"That was it? That's how you met Ging?"

Kite only smiled back at him.

"Yeah." He paused as if in thought, then spoke again.

"Ging told me once that every single Hunter is well liked by animals."

"That so, Cinderella?" Your brow quirked up in a teasing way as Killua laughed at your quip. From your left, Gon nudged your side with a 'be nice.'

Kite sputtered over his words for a second, not expecting your playful remark. Unawares it was just your way of warming up to him. He continued on with his story, albeit a little embarrassed now.

"He also told me I had potential, so that piqued my interest."

"So you were his student?" Killua asked, making sure he was following correctly.

"Once I forced him to teach me. He's not very fond of anything that causes him too much hassle, so I was never his student in any official capacity."

Sounds like Ging really is an ass. Did he leave Gon because he thought of him as a hassle?

"But I suppose I can be a little stubborn, like your friend over there," Kite gestured to you. You gave a small protest of 'hey' before he continued on.

"So I just hounded him 'til he caved. A while after that, I started to develop my nen and he started teaching me how to hunt."

Kite got up to pass the boys each a cooked fish, continuing his story as he went.

"As a result, I passed the Hunter Exam without much trouble. But Master Ging still wasn't satisfied."

You shook your head when he got to you, not reacting out of spite this time, but because you genuinely weren't hungry. He frowned, but didn't push.

You would, however, take whatever drink he had in that kettle.

"There was another hurdle he wanted me to clear. Can you guess that hurdle was?" His question was directed at Gon.

But you had a pretty good feeling about what it was anyway.

"I think I might know." Gon was excited, but there was some anticipation there too.

"Yeah?" Kite encouraged.

"No, I definitely know. If I know Ging, he probably told you.... That he wants you to try and catch him." There was so much conviction in his eyes that it left no room for doubt.

"Right, That's it exactly."

Gon cheered at the response.

"I knew it! I thought that was it!"

Both of them seemed enthralled in their own little world as they talked about Ging. You'd never seen Gon this excited and talkative before. Never seen him this happy. Your little sun was finally shinning.

Maybe you were still pissed Ging had blown off his son once again, but a (not so) small selfish part of you was grateful this journey got to last a little longer. And if you were careful enough, you might just be as happy as that kid one day.

You tuned back into their conversation at a good time.

"The fact that I went to Whale Island, or the fact that I met you there, none of that seemed to surprise him." Kite noted.

"It was almost as if he'd expected it."

You let out a huff. Ging was either a clever bastard, or just plain lucky things had worked out that way.

"Looking back now, I think everything that's happened has gone according to Ging's plan."

Gon was practically shaking with joy at that.

"You're saying he set all this up?" Killua finally spoke.

"Well I can't prove it," Kite admitted.

A beat of silence. And then-

"You may be right." Gon's voice was soft. Like he was putting the pieces together for a bigger narrative.

"Razor was there waiting for me. Dwun and List, too."

You shivered at the mention of the ex-convict. You never would forgive him for breaking your leg or the events that led up to it.

"Razor, and Dwun?" Your words from before rang in Kite's head. What was it you said? An insane beefy ex-convict? That checked out.

"Yeah," Killua confirmed. "It was in a game called Greed Island, but it's kind of a long story."

"Dodgeball, bombers, and cards. That's about it," you simplified.

"Bombers???" It might've been the first time you've given someone else whiplash.

You shrugged your shoulders with a teasing grin.

"Now that one is a long story. But yeah, bombers."

Gon nudged your side again.

"Fine, I'll stop messing with him. Only because you asked me to, munchkin."

Content by your response, Gon continued on with his explanation.

"We got inside the game, and Razor told me he was waiting for me. Ging told him to."

He also said not to hold back on a 12 year old boy, but yeah, waiting is one way to put it.

"Ging created Greed Island with 10 of his close friends. Dwun and List were two of them. Those three were all there. Just waiting for me.

"When I learned that, I realized something. If that was Ging's big plan all along, for me to go there and meet his friends... Then I wonder if meeting all the others, people like Bisky and everybody else, well that might've been part of his plan too, right?"

Weeellll, he probably wanted Gon to find a good mentor for training. There's no way in hell he could have planned all the other chaos.

"If that's really the case, then it's also possible that Ging wanted you to meet Kite here so he helped to make it happen." Killua speculated.

"Think so?"

"It'd make sense for him to set this up. I mean why leave you that clue if it didn't lead you somewhere important," You reassured. You believed this was all a coincidence, truly, but it didn't hurt to build up the kid a little more. Plus you really didn't want to be the one to ruin his happy mood.

You glanced over to Kite who looked deep in thought. Seems he was also trying to put together the pieces Ging left behind.

"Hey, that's right!" Gon exclaimed. Kite gave a hum to show he was listening.

"You must have spent time on Greed Island at some point, haven't you?"

"Me?" The man in question pointed at himself.

"Yeah! And when you went, did you register under the name of Nigg?" There was once again a hopeful look in Gon's eye.

"Nigg? No I don't recall that name....Wait. I do remember Ging taking me inside a game a while back. Now that you mention it."

You bit back your remark of 'We've been talking about a game for the past hour and you just now remembered.' He was a little ditzy, wasn't he?

"I knew it!" Gon celebrated.

"Greed Island? Yes, I believe that's what it was called. But I can't remember if I used an alias." Okay, very ditzy. But to be fair it was getting late, you'd have a hard time remembering things too if it weren't for that Angel's Breath.

Having finally put the pieces together, Gon's aura was relieved and still very happy.

"Damnit! He got me good!"

"Language!" You scolded.

You felt a harsh thump on the back of your head. You turned fast to glare at the small assassin.

"What was that for!?!?"

"You can't get after Gon for his language with the things you were saying earlier!!!"

"I'm an adult, you're both tater tots! And besides," you grabbed the side of Killua's head and covered his ears with your hands.

"WHEN I TELL YOU TO COVER YOUR EARS, YOU DO IT, YOU LITTLE FIBBER!!! IF YOU PICK UP ON MY BAD LANGUAGE THEN WHAT KIND OF BIG SIB WOULD THAT MAKE ME!!!!" You shook him slightly during your dramatics.

"But damnit isn't nearly as bad as fuc-" Gon tried to defend before getting cut off by your shocked gasp.

"GON FREECS! DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!!!!"

You shook your head in disbelief. God, you were failing terribly at this older role model thing.

"DON'T YOU DARE! AND IN FRONT OF COMPANY TOO???" You gestured across at Kite who was very amused by your antics.

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

By now the boys were stuffed and conversing happily, the discussion still revolving around Greed Island. You were just glad the first day in the real world had ended on a high note. It was nice for a change.

No fighting. No training. No worrying.

Just peace.

Maybe things would be okay after all.

"So the real reason that Greed Island was created was to provide the boys with the type of training they needed?" Kite seemed unsure about that part.

"No, it was only for Gon really." Killua clarified. "I've pretty much been along for the ride the whole time. Y/n just recently joined us from the game."

You took a swig from the small thermos and nodded your head.

"But that might've been part of Ging's plan too, dont'cha think?" Gon asked.

"Even me!?!? Not likely," Killua dismissed.

"Your dad's a wizard if he planned for you to meet me. He probably expected you to make friends along the way. Just not the exact ones you'd make." You explained.

There was no way in hell anybody could have predicted for you to meet those boys. Even you, yourself were still shocked you'd actually left Greed Island.

"But it appears that all of us meeting here was no mere coincidence." Kite did have a point about that.

Ging was proving to be one crafty bastard.

"Yeah, I agree," Killua spoke up. "There's got to be some deeper meaning to all this."

"Like what?" Gon asked.

"Like... Razor waited inside the game so he could help make you stronger. And if that's the case, then it would make sense that Ging has some role for Kite to play too."

"A role, huh?" Kite murmured.

"Maybe a mentor," You guessed. It seemed like a Ging thing to do. Dump his son on someone else while he was god knows where.

Kite's eyes met yours.

"Aren't you their mentor?"

You smirked something crooked.

"Hell no! I'm more of the help than I am mentor. Too much responsibility. Besides, you're a decent fit."

You could feel his aura shit into something embarrassed.

"Decent fit?"

"Yeah, you found Gon's dad, didn't you? From what I hear, he's the best of the best. And if you were able to find the best of the best, well that certainly says a lot, doesn't it?" Ewww, since when were you so nice????

Since when did you ask for help?

"Ging must have trusted you with the remainder of Gon's training. Or at least felt you were capable of doing so. He did send us your way, after all."

Either that or Ging was just a dick. And even though you highly suspected the latter, it'd do nobody any good to voice that opinion.

"You really think so, Y/n?" Gon was looking up at you unsure, but there was a spark of hope in his eye.

"I think they're right about this, Gon. Why else would Ging send us here?" Killua backed up.

You waited for Kite's response. He'd gone a little quiet at your suggestion.

"...Hey, Gon?"

The boy hummed to show he was listening.

"Want me to tell you where Ging is right now?"

It was a trick question, you could tell from a mile away. But if you knew Gon, there was no way in hell he would take Kite up on his offer. Gon wanted to find his dad with the skills he had and the clues he found.

"No thanks. I'll find him myself."

Atta boy.

You weren't the only one pleased by his response.

"That's a good answer," Kite said with a small smile.

And that surge of happiness once again consumed Gon's aura.

"So anyway, tell me all about Ging! I wanna hear every story that you've got about him!"

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

Every story, every little detail about his father, had Gon on the edge of his seat. And even though the other boy wasn't as enthusiastic, he was very much interested in the tales of Ging and Kite.

And a small part of you was too. You wanted to get a good read on his character. Figure out if maybe you were being too harsh on him, or if you were justified in your assumptions. Of course, you knew what you would hear would be sweet. Ging had a special place in Kite's life, so everything said was in a positive light.

But you supposed the same could be said about you depending on who was being asked.

Apparently, Ging was as good as a triple star hunter. And there weren't many of those. [REDACTED] was one of those.

You shook off the negative feeling. You were gonna have a good night and nothing was gonna prevent that from happening.

You'd felt the last flicker from Killua's aura as he drifted off. Gon had dozed off a little earlier, leaving you with Kite.

It was a tiny bit awkward. You never were much of a conversationalist. You were used to talking when necessary. (Or whenever you had gotten pissed) With the kids, it was a little easier. When you had nothing to say, they'd always add something that recharged the conversation.

Even talking with Bisky had been hard. You trusted her judgement, but when it came to non-nen related topics, you just struggled.

And that's where you currently were right now. Trying to find something to say to fill the silence. You didn't quite trust Kite yet.

But it had more to do with who you were as a person rather than him.

From what you could tell, he wasn't all bad. He'd fed your kids and entertained Gon's whims. He kept his cool while you were blowing a fuse earlier.

But it seems he was in the same place as you. Struggling to find something to say.

"...Sooo?" You broke the ice first. Unease settling in your stomach.

He nodded at you to show he was listening.

"In your personal opinion...Is Ging Freecs genuinely a good person?" Your words caused his eyes to widden, confusion radiating from his aura.

"Why do you ask?"

You briefly glanced over at Gon's sleeping form.

"I just don't want Gon to be disappointed if he turns out to be a jerk. And I kinda want to know what to expect." You didn't want to be caught off guard like this time.

Some silence passed as Kite thought of a response.

"He's a stubborn one. And he's very blunt with what he says. Good or bad, he says what's on his mind. There's also his tendency to flake out on people." There was a teasing glint in his eye.

"But despite it all, Ging cares about those close to him. Even if he doesn't show it...Ging isn't the best to get along with, but I don't think that makes him a bad person. Do you?"

You weren't exactly the best judge of character, hence why you asked for an honest opinion. But if you had to say based on that...

"An emotionally constipated ass, got it."

A snort caught your attention.

"Yeah, that about sums him up." The tension suddenly wasn't as thick as before. But before long it was silent again.

"You aren't mad anymore." It was an honest observation from Kite.

"No. Just don't punch my brothers anymore and we can call it even." A slip of the tongue that you didn't catch. Perhaps it was getting a little too late for you.

The male in front of you didn't comment on it. But he sure as hell noticed it.

"Force of habit. Ging was very thorough with his teachings. I'll leave punishments up to you from now on."

"Bold of you to assume my boys have done anything wrong in their lives."

One look and he knew you'd die on that hill. You really did care about them, didn't you?

"GRRRR!"

The both of you startled at the loud noise, only to realize it came from your own stomach.

You tried to suck it in to prevent the loud noise from escaping, not wanting to wake up Gon or Killua. You looked up embarrassed when the noise had stopped.

"You're hungry."

"No I'm not!"

He gestured towards your stomach.

"We both just heard that."

"I didn't hear a damn thing."

"GRRRRRRRRRRR!"

"Shutupshutupshutup," you hissed trying to regain control of your stomach.

"I can see if I have something for you." Kite offered.

Your head snapped up.

"I'm not hungry."

You were a stubborn one, too.

"Pretend I didn't hear your stomach growl, I can still tell you're lying when you say that."

You pouted like a child.

"Lies, you can't prove it."

"I can see deceit in your aura as we speak."

That caught your attention quickly.

You'd stilled and looked at him with wide eyes. Could he really.....

"You can see...my aura?" It had been so very long since you've met someone who could see auras. You knew Bisky could somewhat sense them, but to actually be able to see them.....

To have someone see yours after all these years, you felt a little exposed. But not uncomfortable. It felt a little personal and familiar to have somebody who'd been reading you the same way you read them.

It was something that gartered trust both ways. A trust you were starting to give.

"Yes?" Kite's voice was unsure. Most likely due to your sudden shift in mood.

"That's... nice." Your voice was tired, even though you were so alert.

"You don't sound all that happy about it."

"It's just gonna take some time to get used to. It's been a little over a decade since I've had someone be able to see me." Seems you were feeling a little loose lipped tonight.

"You know, only extremely skilled hunters can see auras. Ging would do it to me all the time. I could never get away with anything."

You appreciated Kite's openness. It made you be a little more open too.

"You're telling me. I could never lie without getting caught. Even if it was something small like if I made my bed. But lying was one thing. Hiding how you feel, that's another."

"An issue of privacy, right?"

"Something like that." You responded.

And at the worst possible time-

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

You were beyond embarrassed now. Kite tried to hide his smile from you, finding the situation a little amusing.

He rummaged around his backpack, hands finding something that might satiate your hunger for now.

"Here." He tossed you something in silver wrapping.

You eyed him cautiously.

"It's a candy bar. Not the best, but it's what we've got that the moment."

Candy bar?

C A N D Y B A R

It was almost comical the way your eyes lit up. Like a kid opening up a present. Your excitement increased as you took off the wrapper. And as you bit into the bar, all that radiated from you was pure content. You noticed his staring and beamed.

"So what's up bestie?" Your words were muffled from your stuffed mouth.

You'd successfully earned a laugh from him.

You were cute when you were happy.

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

You awoke surrounded by the scent of pine needles and something a little stronger. Almost artificially sweet. Cologne perhaps?

Wait a minute.

You opened your eyes groggily and adjusted to the sudden brightness. With your brain still half asleep, you barley registered the slight weight on your shoulders. You were also surprisingly warm.

You stood up, still not quite sure where the pleasant scent was coming from. It wasn't until you felt the weight start to slip off your shoulders and pulled it back up did you realize.

This was a cloak.

A very familiar cloak.

Your face went hot.

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

Fun Fact#8: Y/n used to love clowns and puppets when they were little. Not so much now as an adult.

MASTERLIST

Tags: @fandomhoe101

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

An: Me giggling, kicking my legs back and forth, and twirling my hair every time Kite comes on screen. I just can't help but have Y/n romance him, plus it'll add to future angst. 🥹🥹🥹 Also we love us some foreshadowing 😍

[rhiaemrys]

So, I've been trying to identify who would escalate a prank war to Kevin McCallister levels in the batfamily and I've come down to Three (3) options. By all means feel free to have a (fun) debate about it, though. This is just my opinion.

Option one, the most understandable: Damian Wayne

Damian was effectively raised as an only child while also being told to be The Best. Of course he's chronically unable to back down once challenged and so no matter who started this, Damian will attempt to end it. It's an easy way to prove himself their betters while also being super petty. Also, he desperately want's to prove to Jon that he's not a stick in the mud. Also also, his brothers are insane and there's no telling what the next prank will be and who will be caught in the crossfire. Might as well make sure that any revenge is premeditated.

Option two, the wildcard: Cassandra Cain

Cass is also an only child. She was also raised to be The Best and is stubborn as hell so of course she gets involved in what she sees as a fun competition with her family. Her image of retaliation is skewed, though so she always ends up going slightly overboard. Not enough for anyone to get mad, but it's suspicious that it's always enough to make the person ticked off, yet not murderously enraged. She's also a little shit who can get away with anything with Bruce if she looks innocent enough. It drives her brothers up a wall because there's no evidence to prove she DID do it. Cass knows exactly what she's doing and she's not afraid to do it.

Option Three, the Actual Kevin McCallister: Tim Drake

Listen, okay. I had to put him here. On top of being an only child I swear to god this kid was obsessed with Home Alone. He absolutely would take the opportunity to MacGyver some shit to torture his siblings, bonus points if it hits Bruce too. You cannot convince me he didn't booby-trap Drake manor at some point while his parents were globe trotting. He doesn't have any excuse of pride about challenges, he's just a malicious actor here. Tim fears no retribution or god, he's nearly been killed several times and it hasn't stuck so why would it start now. You attack, and he attacks back a thousand times harder. You attack Tim and practically sign a waiver allowing him the freedom to ruin your costume or civilian lifestyle.

Cut here before the explanations of those who don't escalate (Need to emphasize here, they still may participate but they don't make it worse) because this has gotten out of hand

Reasoning for others to not be included:

Duke: He's unhinged yes, but he's not batshit insane. He fully understands that if he escalates, someone is going to make a murder attempt. He doesn't want to be the next Tim, that's not a position he wants to willingly put himself in yet. He'll contribute or join a team, but ultimately Duke can be found in the one Neutral Zone, Alfred's kitchen, watching with bemusement as his siblings attempt to turn the Manor into a war-zone. If pranked, he'll prank back, but not escalate. Also people feel a little like kicking a puppy when they prank him. Duke weaponizes this and uses it to get out of bullshit or pull off bullshit scot-free.

Stephanie: Maybe she's on a team. Maybe she's a free agent. She doesn't want anyone to target her specifically because then she truly has to be paranoid. Instead, she's always helping with pranks, making everyone indebted to her and thus allowing her to be the only safe person other than Alfred.

Barbra: I just. I cannot emphasize how much the family leaves her out of this. She will find a way to get back at you and it will end your idea of pranking her again. Unlike Alfred, who was universally known to be off-limits, she knew that someone would try something because all of that family is made up of little shits. This meant that she has to shut it down once it starts. She is immune. Inevitably someone will push the envelope and Babs will remind them that she control's their tech and information systems. She will however, assist if a prank gets particularly nasty and someone needs to shut the war down. Typically she's recruited by Alfred or Bruce to end the war where it stands once it starts to get to the Property Destruction Level.

Jason: He was asked not to participate by Alfred and Jason willingly obeys only Alfred. This is specifically because of one incident when this happened with Tim, Dick, and him. Back when he and Tim were getting along somewhat and Dick had somehow pissed both of them off, they escalated The War. It ended with three new craters in the warehouse district, The Riddler so traumatized that he completely avoids doing Rouge Activities when Red Robin and Red Hood are on speaking terms, and Dick stuck in a box on his way across the country. Instead, Jason enjoys being on Stephanie's side of aiding whoever is funnier. He is not off limits though. Oh dear god he is not off limits. He is the victim of so many pranks. He just cannot retaliate. In turn, he turns into a snitch for this event, and only this event. Jason will alert Alfred of any destructive pranks. He will let Alfred know of birdies staying up too late, of birdies jumping off buildings because superman will catch them, of birdies doing general dumb ass restricted shit. Jason will make the pranker's life a living hell.

Dick: Dick matches the energy of the prank. He's petty so it will always be perfectly organized so that it causes maximum damage while never managing to be something one can reasonably escalate against. (For example, Tim once hid all of Dicks cereal in increasingly impossible places and swapping the boxes so they were labeled wrong. In retaliation every single one of Tim's coffees became decaf. They're the exact same flavor, but the caffeine content is so low it barely counts as coffee. Tim didn't notice until he went on a case bender and passed out thirty hours in despite drinking eight cups of coffee. This was weeks later after the war ended. There was no retaliation. Tim still has no clue how Dick got in, out, AND made the perfect replica) Damian learned at the feet of the master, but unfortunately has too much localized anger to play it to perfection like Dick can.

Cullen and Harper: They don't live at the Manor. They refuse to participate. They'll help small scale, but they're both sensible enough to know that anymore makes them targets.

Bruce: I don't need to explain this. He's tired. He doesn't want to be here. He never actively participates and yet always ends up in the crossfire. Can people please stop pranking each other on patrol? Must you dye Tim's suit neon pink? It's really not conducive to being the cities silent protectors.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Hey M! Argh now that some time has passed since that crazy ass flirty jikook live I've come down from the high and I'm at a loss again. I don't understand them... On his latest live Jungkook seemed to not know that Jimin would perform at Yoongi's concert the next day, so much so that he asked if he could perform again. Also it was his day off today and he didn't go to the concert to see Like Crazy live for the first time. I really think those two aren't dating at all and something strange is going on between them. Maybe there's still some feelings/attraction between them, but it seems they don't want to take those anywhere. I would say Jimin is the most reserved and that perhaps even doesn't want to be shipped with Jungkook anymore. I don't know. I'm very confused by them.

I may be talking a bit differently about jikook now, but that doesn't mean I'm going to spiral into shipping mode completely, leaving my logic aside. I just can't, my brain doesn't allow it. So let me offer you an explanation that to me, sounds a bit closer to reality.

Do you really think Jungkook didn't know Jimin was going to perform the next day? Do you think this is some decision taken on a whim? Like Suga just had a thought, asked Jimin and kept it all a secret?

These things are decided in advance. There are meetings over meetings where every single detail is discussed. There is a producer who oversees how a concert is done from start to finish. You can find interviews about this exact thing about BTS concerts. Or just look up information on google. I'm sure there must be music documentaries that show the process.

Jimin, Jungkook, Yoongi, a possible fourth person who might be a guest today and an entire staff group and other people involved must have met and had been part of meetings where details over the concerts were discussed. Then these people rehearsed their number at the company. You see where I'm going with this?

Of course Jungkook knew Jimin was going to perform the next day, just as they all know who is the guest for the last day. During the livestream, Jungkook was being his emo self and way too harsh about his performance and was trying to negotiate with Suga. But I thought it was obvious that he knew and Suga knew that this is just post performance talk, not an actual request. They know each other a lot more than we think we know them. Each night was set for one other BTS member to be on stage. It's as simple as that.

You and all the JM solos and some which found their way into my inbox could try and see the situation from this perspective which does not involve any malicious intent on anyone's part. Seeing Jungkook as some number one enemy who has an agenda of sabotaging Jimin is too absurd to even consider debating.

As to everything else you said, I don't see how you made all those connections? And why it's a big deal. How are we supposed to know what JK did for the entirety of his off work day? Why should I be concerned with something I don't know about? Which seems to be the biggest issue with so-called jikook shippers. No matter how much they get to witness coming directly from Jimin and Jungkook, it's not enough. It never is. There's some weird doubt settling in immediately. If actual interactions don't satisfy you, than what is the point of all this? What is the expectation? For both of them to be seen together all the time in official content? And to be seen out together daily, especially through cctv footage if possible? Add in some rumor for the package to be complete. Attached at the hip for public consumption. Is that what people get from confirmed couples all the time? Not really, because even them try to keep their private time private. And now this is the expectation from two people who are not even confirmed as a couple in a situation in which fans are merely been speculating for years and which might turn out to be nothing. Let's not even talk about the entire context of queer people in SK, cause that's a huge element that has been ignored so many times.

Going down the rabbit hole and having some specific type of expectations are the ways in which some shippers are setting themselves up. You can go with the flow and enjoy what is out there to enjoy. That can be enough if you want it.

Also, you have to understand something really basic that might offer you a different perspective. If today or in the future, it is revealed both of them have other partners, Jimin and Jungkook will still act with each other the same way they have been for years. Because they have a specific dynamic that is only applied to them. And it will also be an indication that they have had partners throughout all these years. And somehow we all still enjoyed whatever they had in their relationship with each other, regardless of its nature.

[creativitysparks4everxoxo]

**TFE Spoilers if you haven't watched S1A & S1B yet**

Been meaning to post this...

Things I want to see in Transformers: EarthSpark S1C

1. A thorough explanation for why the hell Bee has been in hiding for sooooo long, why he went rogue, why Optimus kept his existence a secret from G.H.O.S.T., and why Bee didn't just join G.H.O.S.T. like Elita-1 and Arcee!!!! Please! I need to know!!! WHY WAS BEE ALONE AND IN HIDING FOR SO LONG???! 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

2. Similar to my last point, what's going on with Wheeljack? Is he also rogue, and why hasn't he joined G.H.O.S.T.?? I would also like more info on him and more screentime with him and Twitch! 🥺🥺

Look at them! It's so adorable that Twitch calls him Dad 2! 🥰

3. Random, but I would really like to see Nightshade speak in their alt mode more. I don't know why, I just really want this! Lol we only saw them speak whilst in their alt mode twice, and that was in "Missed Connection" and "Home" I believe. Please give us more talking badass hawk owl protector moments! Actually, just give us more Nightshade moments PERIOD! 🥺

4. More Elita-1 and Arcee scenes with them being absolute badasses!!!!

I love them! ❤️

5. I want to see a Decepticon actually allowed on the Malto family's property without getting tackled to the ground by Bee, or them resorting to following someone home and then secretly spying on their family. Maybe it could be Breakdown that pays Bee a friendly visit and meets his family members (I am hopeful that he is still alive. Oh pleaseeeee let him still be alive! 🙏🏾). Or maybe it could be Tarantulas that pays Nightshade a visit and interacts with their family members. I just really want to see a Decepticon visit the Malto family without malicious intent! 🥺🥺🥺

6. A scene where Arcee uses her gun! I know this is a promo pic, but I actually really want to see her use her gun. It looks so cool! So cool and pink! I really like the design.

7. Agent Schloder standing up to his sister again and becoming more and more aware of how truly evil she and the whole G.H.O.S.T. operation is. Maybe even have him side with the Malto family again like he did in "Security Protocols" to protect them.

8. More Terran fluff and more Terran/Malto Kids fluff! I love fluff! Give me all the sweet, sweet fluff created by drama, angst, comfort, and love! 🥰🤩🤩

9. A wholesome af scene where the Malto Kids and Terrans express their concern for Bee after he regains his strength after the events of "Home". Honestly, I would really love it if the first episode of S1C starts off with Bee sleeping peacefully in a pile of hay with a bunch of pillows, with the Malto Kids and Terrans watching him. And then he slowly wakes up and realizes that he's safe. I REALLY hope the writers don't just do a time jump and skip over Bee being injured from the events of "Home", or the fact that the Malto Kids and Terrans snuck out and went to Philly. I want some Malto Kids/Terrans/Bee fluff, dammit! 🥺🥺🥺🥺

10. I would love to hear Skullcruncher speak. The poor guy has been through A LOT!!! He was working for Mandroid earlier in the series and then later on G.H.O.S.T. was doing experiments on him. 🥺🥺 I want to hear him talk about it! I want to hear him talk about all the fuckery going on with G.H.O.S.T. and what their plans are.

11. Can we please have a Swindle and Hardtop reunion? Pleaseeee?!! I really want him to be reunited with his brother! Swindle did the most trying to find him and we need to see them reunited!!!! 🥺🥺🥺

12. We need to revist those creepy worm/grub looking things that appeared in "Bear Necessities", 'cause that is not something you just skip over. Wtf were those things??! What is their purpose?? Are they infused with Energon?

~That's all for now. I might make more posts if I come up with anything else.

Part 2:

[charles-leclerc-official]

Hi I’m so sorry if you’ve addressed this in the past, but is it true/possible that Mercedes are actually sabotaging Lewis? Like is it within the realm of possibility that they’re PURPOSEFULLY not properly warning his tyres before qualifying and purposefully withholding important information on the radio during the race?

I am probably not the best person to ask about this, as while I do keep up with all the teams, especially the top teams, I am not plugged in to every single thing happening at Mercedes especially on the details of what is going on over there politically/socially etc.

To me it does not look like anything is intentional that we've seen thus far, and I haven't seen any evidence to indicate that is a serious concern(again I haven't seen everything so there may be and I just have missed it)

I think the tyre warming thing was likely that they didn't have them on long enough, or that one or multiple of the blankets is faulty. That is to me the most likely explanation.

I apply this rule with everything, and it usually holds true. Never attribute to sabotage/malice what can be explained by incompetence/bad luck. Has Mercedes really had their shit together this season? Is anyone claiming that operation is running smoothly right now? Because to me these are symptoms of a struggling team that has been in an obvious state of disarray since the start of the season.

Lewis has also been on board with say, George getting certain upgrades first etc.

You ask is it possible? I mean yes it's possible. Is it likely? No I don't think so. I think there are several far more likely explanations.

I think people in F1 are very quick to jump on sabotage conspiracies the moment anything seems off(usually people who don't understand how cars work are the ones starting things) and this is applicable for every team. I am not saying we don't have instances of sabotage in this sport, but they are rare. If the number of times stuff that people claimed was sabotage was actually sabotage none of the cars would be running by the end of the season. It's a possibility, but I prefer to examine the far more likely explanations before turning to something more malicious.

I need to see something that makes me really go "that's weird" to start thinking a team is doing something. It can't just be vibes.

This feels very similar to what certain conspiracies that Ferrari fans have cooked up in the past. And they aren't correct either. Very similar "evidence" is used there as well.

A lot of the time people are unwilling to accept the dull truth that sometimes one person gets a streak of bad luck, and yes the chances of that are higher than direct sabotage.

Now I think we are seeing Mercedes go through a season long divorce with Lewis. George is going to be more priority because he's staying with the team. You don't have to like it, but I am pretty sure that's what they are doing, and strategically it makes sense for the team. As a Lewis fan it is frustrating to watch. It does seem some communication is breaking down between them, and that's where I think the issue is.

My final thought is that Toto has been too focused on Kimi and Max joining Mercedes to also have time to create plans to subtly sabotage Lewis. And maybe that's the problem, they aren't doing anything to Lewis but rather just ignoring him. Which would create a lot of the same problems. If his feedback isn't being as valued etc, if there are meetings he's being left out of (we've seen many teams do this with outgoing drivers because they are making plans for next season and cannot have that info getting out)

I won't rule it out, because we cannot know for sure, but without more to go off of I can't really do a whole lot with it. I say all this because people always start these rumors and then it gets blown way out of proportion usually to no productive results.

So that's my impression. Again, I imagine I am missing a lot because I have to always be plugged into whatever Ferrari have going on.

If anyone who is more involved on the Mercedes side of things wants to weigh in or provide some more context or evidence I'd be very interested to see it.

[duckapus]

Sidon: Timmy, I'm afraid we may have to kill this man.

Timmy: *already brandishing an axe he found earlier with malicious intent* Damn.

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

Zack: *catches a glimpse of a fashion magazine while heading for the comics section* Really? Those shoes with that blouse?

Zack: *freezes when he realizes what he just said* ...Where the hell did that come from?

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

The Kids: (standing outside a mini golf course, looking at a sign on the gate that says "closed for repairs")

Lily: Aw, and I was all set to destroy you on the mini links.

Bowser Jr: I was gonna bury you on the fairway.

Hex: Metaphorically, right?

BJ: *hides a shovel behind his shell* Oh, yeah. Right.

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

Pura: *giving a passionate, but also long-winded and full of technical jargon explanation for the invention she's working on*

Champion!Rodney: *staring at her with heart eyes*

Purah: *trails off and looks at him* ...you didn't understand any of that, did you?

Rodney: Your eyes are so sparkly when you're focused.

Purah: *blushes* Eh, you'll probably get it when you change back.

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

Mina: *sees Purah and Rodney looking over some blueprints together, standing much closer to each-other than strictly necessary* They're so cute, aren't they?

Frida: I guess. The age gap is a bit odd, though.

Timmy, sensing the chance to cause chaos: True. I mean, she is over twice his age.

Frida, who understandably thought Pura was in her late 20s: Wait, what!?

Mina: *trying not to laugh*

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

Ambrosia: looking around for something important* Come on, I know I dropped it here somewhere.

Pierrot: *pops up from behind a counter*

Ambrosia: *jumps back* Gah! *sees who it is and assumes a deadpan expression* Oh. Hi Pierrot.

Pierrot: *holds up the important object and puts it on the counter*

Ambrosia: Oh, you found it! *reaches out for it-

Pierrot: -quickly sets an upside-down cup over it*

Ambrosia: Huh?

Pierrot: *pulls out two more identical cups and places them on either side of the first*

Ambrosia: *slowly dawning horror* Oh, please don't-

Pierrot: *starts shuffling the cups while Ambrosia glares at her*

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

MRU5, after encountering Lokoko for the first time: You know, your mom's kind of hot.

Frida: I don't know which part of that sentence I hate more.

MRU5: ...Wait, does this mean you're a princess?

Frida: What part of "I Do Not Associate With That Woman" did you not understand?

MRU5: Right, touchy subject. Sorry about that...*assumes a shit-eating grin* your highness.

(cue Frida chasing 5 with murder in her eyes while she runs away laughing)

[carbonateddelusion]

I need to put this SOMEWHERE bc Ben is busy and I don't see wanna have him return to my Noahposting for the 50th time.

oo aa the beast writes. it's nothing BIG I just need to get it out of me. warning for discussion of Catholicism, child murder, and parent death

"What kind of a loving, all-powerful God would let that happen? Huh?" Edgar snapped. "What kind of God would let the lives of helpless babies be snuffed out?"

"Edgar..."

"Don't you 'Edgar' me! You're doing it again--you're talking to me like I'm a fucking child, Noah! I'm OLDER THAN YOU!"

"These things happen because of human sin. You know that; you, of all people, should. It's free will."

The fire was stoked again, sending a burst of flame back at Noah's face. "Free will? Free will?! Free will to what? You're telling me that God is entirely unable to do ANYTHING to stop people because humans are allowed to make choices?"

"Edgar, please, calm down. You're going to wake somebody up," he sighed.

"I don't care! What LOVING GOD would let this happen? I- Either- Either He doesn't exist, or He's actively malicious! It's like He enjoys human suffering! What other explanation is there? I've been talking to Isaac, and--"

"Of course you have," Noah groaned, covering his face. "Look, I love Isaac. Very much. But they're too traumatized to think about it objectively."

"And what makes YOU the objective one here? What's so special about you that makes you exempt from bias, huh? I mean, if you want to talk about free will, sure! But what about things that aren't caused by other people?"

"Like what?" he asked flatly, lips pressed into a thin line. "What, Edgar?"

"Like your father."

Noah stood up at once. "You know what? If you want to sit here and throw a temper tantrum, fine. But you don't get to drag my father into this."

"You know I'm right!" he retorted, jumping back on to his feet. "Did you make him sick? No? Then who did, huh? What human choice led to him dying frail and alone?"

Noah's anger flared; it rose from the pit of his stomach into his throat, burning like acid. He drew in a shaking breath. Slowly, a wave of cool washed over him. Edgar was hurt, he reasoned to himself. People say stupid things when emotions are running high. He bit back an insult. "I'm not talking to you right now."

"Ohhhhh, you're too big to lower yourself to me, huh? Too important?"

The acid nipped at his tongue. "If you insist on acting like a fucking child, then I'm going to treat you like one," he spat. "Goodnight."

"Where are you going?"

Tossing his jacket over his shoulders and grabbing his keys, Noah didn't bother to turn back to speak to him. "Out. Goodnight."

The door slammed shut behind him.

[chaos-in-elysium]

People can claim I'm entitled and cuildish but if roles were reversed, they would want an explanation and evidence to. You can't make accusations against a person then proceed to never let that person in on what's going on, it doesn't work like that.

"He said to not blast music and you threw a fit" did he also mention that 1 I started turning my volume down after he mentioned it and 2 it was because he instead of leaving the call isti n silence. I was watching tiktoks even after I turned my volume down he would complain that I'm not paying attention to him.

I'm childish? But the person who accused me brought up stuff from 2 years ago. The sexual abuse claim makes very little sense to me, if he doesn't make it obvious that he is uncomfortable or did not want the interaction how was I suppose to know? He never gave any slightest hint he was uncomfortable,he never stated it either, in fact he consistently gave enthusiastic consent.

"If him crossing your boundaries bothered you why didn't you block him?" Cause he was my fp (favorite person) at the time I would have let him treat me anyway he wanted if that meant I wouldn't be abandoned. Also ask him the same question when it comes to the sexual abuse claim.

"Get therapy" I honestly don't have the money nor does my insurance cover it, also as someone who says they have bpd you would know how utterly difficult it is to find a therapist willing to work with a pwbpd(person with bpd) due to the stigma.

And even without the bpd the fact I told him more then once to please refrain from doing certain things that upset me, he should have stopped, because that's not ok no matter who you are.

And I'm kinda entitled to evidence that deals with claims made against me. And that deal with any screenshots from private dms.

Also I blurred his name his pfp from what I can tell is portal fanart it has no signifying markers to who he is, I even gave him an alias.

On the topic of things I said. I said something that seemed to bring down the mood in the server- 1 time. "TlYou should have gotten a warning then" Yeah I should have. That's kinda proving my point on people not doing their job.

When it comes to the Andy thing that was honestly meant to be a joke,and only a joke, if he had told me he was uncomfortable with it, or with that type of joke I would have stopped.

Based of how you reacted to the incident I stated where we kicked someone for faking osdd (Which was agreed upon by orb) that gives me the feeling that you are the person we kicked. If you aren't my bad that's just the way you came across. But if you are know that even Orb saw through you and said you were faking I still have the screenshots.

I don't block people because I "Know they're right" I block people because simply don't have the energy to deal with their harassment, they made a whole account just to slander me and try to silence me.

I only ever wanted answers and to defend myself. There was no harm in letting me see the evidence,there was no harm in letting me try to prove my innocence, you all could have still chosen to not believe me, chosen to ignore me,chosen to block me. Yet that didn't happen instead of taking the high road and letting me prove my innocence, then move on you all chose to slander,harrass,and attempt to silence me. It shows that somewhere deep down there is insecurity and part of you knows that the mods have some blame in this.

I admit that I don't always handle things the way I should, I'm prone to over explaining,not letting things go,and jumping to extremes when threatened. It's something I have always struggled with, that however doesn't mean that I am malicious,lying,ot manipulating anything. I'm showing my end of the story.

The reason I never came forward sooner is because due to a lot of what I've been through it takes me a while to realize the way someone treated me wasn't ok, and me and him at that point had calm down,started to be friendly,and left each other alone. I didn't see the point in bringing it up especially since I knew with the stigma surrounding bpd, that no one would believe me.

I am prone to anger especially back when "elm" and I met, I had just found out a year prior that I had bpd and had been struggling to work on it since I couldn't and still can't afford therapy. I had told him from the start about it and explained what I knew about the disorder,I even told him about the stigma surrounding it and hour abusers tend to target pwbpd and turn them into the abusers. He used this against me continued to push and push. I was splitting so much that I felt like I couldn't breath. That every move I made had to be dictated by him. This isn't me using it as an excuse this is me showing how it effects me. When I told him that his actions were causing splits, he honestly should have stopped. He would always claim "Oh I'll do better." But never did at some point I gre bitter and thought "Why should I have to change but not him? Why should I work on myself but not him? Why does he pin everything on me? Why?why?why?" Then we mostly cut contact and what do you know I was no longer splitting 2,3,4 times a week. Finally I could breath. Then this happened, I don't know why he would start all this up, I can't pretend to know. It has been 2 years yet in a time of peace and silence he throws a rock into the pond and attempts to ruin what calm I had finally built. He knew I wouldn't go quietly,he knew I would cause a fuss. I played into his hand out of my own instinct to protect myself. I was a idiot, I still am and Idiot.

At this point I want silence and I want peace. Believe me to be the villain,believe that I'm a horrible abuser. Feed into his lies. I don't care anymore, I'm going to continue with my life and work on healing from all the damage he caused. I'm going to enjoy doing stupid shit with my closest friends,friends who don't push,who know I'm not a malicious person. Friend who care for me deeply. I'm going to live and exist in my own space, and you all can continue stabbing and howling in the distance to anyone who will listen, but I won't hear you. Live your lives,enjoy your friends,and be happy.

[daensa]

Like...if Helaena's prophecies are going to be such A Thing I'm going to need some explanation of the mechanics here. What the hell is she seeing or hearing? Does she only get visions about big events or does she sometimes predict that the lemon cakes at dinner tonight are going to be subpar and go for the apple ones instead? Does she even know that they're prophecies at all until they happen? How does she feel about them? Like if I had said the "he'll have to close an eye" thing and then my brother literally lost an eye claiming a dragon I would sure as fuck having a meltdown about it.

Given that prophecies do run in the family AND Viserys' visions about a destined hero keep being a thing, there's no way this can be a "oh she's just weird and crazy" situation, like if they're not going to listen to her after the whole beast beneath the boards thing I'm giving up on this writing entirely. Like what would make sense is not that they don't believe her, but they only believe what they want to hear. Alicent grasps onto the idea that Aegon is Special because that means all this suffering was worthwhile and meant something, so they only listen to Helaena when it suits them or interpret her prophecies the way they want to.

You know what would be fun? If Aegon, for all of his many failings as a brother and husband and person in general, is the only one who actually takes her seriously because you don't actually need prophetic visions to know this won't end well. Like he doesn't particularly like her or her bugs and prefers to ignore her, but he knows she's right and is the only who is willing or able to see that she's right. Aemond actually likes her as a person and is good to her, but he is too wrapped up in being the second son and feeling he deserves the crown FOR HE IS THE ONE WHO STUDIES HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY, and he isn't interested in paying attention to how fucked the whole thing is. Alicent used to listen to her sometimes but she didn't feel like she could avert it so stopped listening and pursued the throne even more. But Aegon always believed her, maybe even offered some...if not comfort at least mutual understanding right before they walked to their coronation. But then he gets crowned and feels that love and attention he's always craved and now he won't listen to her either, and she's never been so alone as when she's standing before an adoring crowd next to her triumphant family.

Okay okay I'm done now I promise I'm just fristrated. If they don't at least remember that Helaena was loved by the smallfolk I'm going to start biting

no fr its really weird how they are dealing with helaena like we are meant to believe she just says this stuff, doesn't remember it later, and no one brings it up. it goes again on how dehumanizing it is. like you get a character, clearly write them in such way to be read as autistic, give them no 'real' lines or chances to speak, and the little they are allowed to say is never addressed or taken seriously by the rest of the story. like cmon.

and i DO like aegon being someone who hears what she says. it could cut both ways: it's why he keeps away, bc knowing what she says comes true haunts, but also why he stands by her, because he doesn't want her to be afraid alone. i do think aemond loves his family just as any of them, but aegon and helaena are being forced to share a position i think would create a very personal connection between the two, where only in each other they could find a voice that shares the same indignation, anger, and revolt on what is being forced to them.

i am holding to hope that they didn't maliciously overlook them, and it was more of a matter of focus of the first season. and that in the following one we will get more of aegon and helaena so we see a bit more of who they are and how they feel

[gumsnail682]

@fried-lotud here It is!

I made two versions, one normal one and one where MC dosen't speak the same language as them, Enjoy! (Not proof read)

(Mentions of a tazer obviously)

~Taser time >:)~ (300 words)

"Welcome to the Devildom MC!"

"What the fuck did you just say?" You were absolutely clueless as to what the hell was going on. It actually happened didn't it? You were drugged and taken to a strange place, this was the end for you wasn't it? Theres no other logical explanation, was the Devildom what they called there torture/murder dungeon? 

"Uhh." You looked around at the men that surrounded you, "What the fuck?" You muttered.

"You must be confused so let me ex-" "BACK THE FUCK UP!" You saw one of the men approach you and whipped out your taser and stuck it right in the man's abdomen. He was completely taken back, he didn't expect or think that you'd straight up attack him and he definitely didn't expect it to hurt so bad! 

He doubled over, holding his abdomen, "Son of a bi-!" "How dose 50'000 volts taste!? Dont try me mother fucker!" Everyone in the room was stunned(Especially Lucifer), did this human just cause Lucifer to double over in pain!? Who exactly were you?

"I think you misunderstand! We mean you no harm, truely." Diavalo was trying so hard not to crack a smile at Lucifer's misfortune. "Bullshit! No one kidnaps someone with good intentions, I know that for a fact!" You glared, "I ain't going down without a fight." You muttered under your breath, it took quite some time to calm you down and convince you that you weren't in any danger. 

"You know you could have just, I don't know, send me a letter." You deadpanned, "I see, that would have kept.. this from happening." Diavalo looked over to Lucifer who was standing off to the side glaring daggers at you. 

This was going to be the longest year of your life for sure.

~Taser time alternate~ (358 words)

"Welcome to the Devildom MC!" 

"What the fuck did you just say?" You had no clue what the red haired man in front of you just said. You stared at him stupidly for a moment, "What?" You blurted, a black haired man said something you once again didn't understand and walked towards you, "Stay away from me you creep!" You screeched as you whipped out your taser and plunged it Into his abdomen, you assumed he cursed as he doubled over in pain. "I have no clue what you just said but I hope they hurt!" You yelled as you backed away. 

"Master, I don't believe they can understand our language like we understand there's yet." You just assumed the green haired man said something malicious and pointed your taser in his direction. "Could someone go get Solomon or Simeon?" The green haired man spoke again and it put you even more on Edge. "Ok nobody approach the human for now." The red haired man signed, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

You stood there, your defensive stance never faltering for even a moment. One of the men had left and it didn't help your nerves at all. Soon he came back followed by two other guys. What were they planning on doing to you!? 

"Hey now, it's ok. You're not in danger." The white haired boy said, finally something you understood. "What the fuck is going on!?" You demanded, voice shaky. "Don't be afraid, we're in the same position here." He said, his smile wasn't comforting at all, "They kidnapped you too?" You asked, still on guard. "Yup! Sure did." The other man next to him signed, "Solomon don't scare them more. Allow me to explain, My names Simeon." Simeon explained the situation, "You're not in any danger, if anything happens I'll do my best to help you." Unlike Solomon, Simeons smile actually put you at ease.

"You'll grow to understand there're language soon enough. For now me or Solomon can translate for you." Simeon said as you slowly lowered your taser, "Ok.. but if I see anything suspicious I'm pulling the taser back out!" You warned.

(Should I write some more scenarios with this or nah?)

[betyourue]

When some of us talk about "cancel culture" we aren't invalidating the right to criticize celebrities for their malicious behavior, we are talking about the capacity of missing the point that this brings.

Context is important, yes! A text isn't just a group of words floating in the air, words are full of context and it is very unfair to judge without it.

The changes you see in the world during the last five years or less didn't appear magically. It was a process that we all went through. Society wasn't always like it is right now, there's a lot of people who had to unlearn certain things they learned in their childhood to become better. They weren't born thinking like that, they lived listening to racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments on tv, on the news, in school and from their parents. It was normalized and they were completely allowed to say those things back then.

Now, we are all better people who wouldn't say those stuff because we don't think like that now, because we chose to unlearn all stuff and educate ourselves. Now we wouldn't say those stuff but we can't erase if we said it in the past.

"It was said when I was young, stupid and ignorant" that's the only explanation, literally. What more can a person say in this situation?

Apparently, Build never said anything else in these 8 years. Probably because he isn't the same person he was in his early 20's, that means he heard and understood how he was wrong and doesn't think like that anymore.

Whatever was his reason, I find very weird that there's people on the internet, searching for this kind of stuff to cancell people. That's very creepy and malicious as well.

Past is past. Sadly, we can't change anything that already happened, we can only learn from that. An apology and probably a careful treatment is all he can offer, because he can write 1000 letters but those comments will still exist and you can't be that unfair! Don't make this situation unremovable, don't make people think that they can't change.

We want people to change. To learn and to change. So, let's allow people to do that. How we do that? Support him on his journey and leave positive messages about changing and becoming better, and do the same with the BOC.

That's how you and him will heal from this. Otherwise we will all be left with a bittersweet taste and we will get nothing. Please, think this through.

P/D: My last post on this because I am sick and tired.

[magicpotatoobsession]

GIVEN | Mafuyu's existential crisis with MUSIC - torn between trauma and identity

Mafuyu seems to be always so hot and cold with music. Most of us would have picked up by now that it's due to the guilt and trauma he feels around what he said to Yuki the last time they argued.

But I don't think people realise that Yuki PURPOSELY EXCLUDED MAFUYU FROM MUSIC ALTOGETHER since the very start.

And leaving Mafuyu his guitar meant that Mafuyu was burdened with the "heart" of Yuki while realising at the same time that he knew absolutely NOTHING about such a core part of Yuki.

Let's talk about this in detail.

The Function of Music in Given

Music is shown to be a tool that allows Given characters to express their TRUE AUTHENTIC SELVES. Songwriting and writing lyrics are therefore vulnerable spaces where characters are still trying to figure out what to truly express.

1. When Yuki was alive...Mafuyu wanted to do music with Yuki

But YUKI PURPOSELY EXCLUDED MAFUYU FROM MUSIC ALTOGETHER.

Yuki, Mafuyu, Hiiragi and Shizu had always been a quad of 4. Yes, MafuYuki and Shizuragi sometimes paired up but if they were to get together, they would always be a quad.

And then we get the "explanation" that it's because of Mafuyu going to a different highschool from the other three that SYH was formed.

But we've got to remember that the band studio space can be hired outside of school! Ue formed the Seasons with Haruki and Akihiko who are uni students!

SO THERE WAS NO LOGICAL REASON MAFUYU COULDN'T ALSO JOIN THE BAND!

Do you see what I am trying to say? Yuki purposely hid music in order to hide his vulnerable imperfect self from Mafuyu.

The thing is I don't think Yuki excluded Mafuyu maliciously or forcefully. He wanted to write songs and bring the FINISHED PERFECT songs to Mafuyu (as revealed by Hiiragi in Chapter 9).

The reason I think why Yuki felt comfortable being in a band with Hiiragi and Shizu was because I'm pretty sure he knew that Hiiragi idolised him and therefore couldn’t see through his facade and Shizu just did whatever Hiiragi wanted. So he felt confident that he wouldn't be questioned. But Mafuyu is different. Mafuyu is incredibly perceptive.

Yuki knew all that. But we gotta remember Mafuyu didn't understand Yuki’s intentions when Yuki was alive.

In Mafuyu's eyes, this is the first time that there is a trio in the quad. Mafuyu took this exclusion VERY PERSONALLY because coming from a broken family, Mafuyu was more prone to feel a heightened sense of abandonment, fearing that his support system would fall apart of him. He had a sense that Yuki was being dishonest and Yuki was excluding him from music but he hadn't made the connection between them: that Yuki was trying to uphold a PERFECT FACADE in front of him.

Mafuyu actually wanted to play music and write songs with Yuki. But because of his trauma from his abusive father, Mafuyu couldn't bring himself to say his needs clearly and this sense of abandonment festered within him until he finally snapped, yet he couldn't say what he actually wanted. He said hateful words that he didn't mean.

2. When Yuki passed...Mafuyu shut down

Poor Mafuyu 100% believed that his words caused Yuki's death. I think most people. probably picked up on that.

But I don't think people realise the gravity of just how CONFUSING and TRAUMATIC the burden of Yuki's guitar was for Mafuyu.

Yuki's Gibson guitar essentially represents the❤️HEART❤️of Yuki. That's why it's red!

Mafuyu knew how much that guitar meant to Yuki, but Yuki excluded Mafuyu from his music.

-> Mafuyu was burdened with the "heart" of Yuki while realising at the same time that he knew absolutely NOTHING about such a core part of Yuki <-

HOW FUCKING EXCRUCIATING IS THAT? To think you knew everything about your closest person only to come to terms with the fact that you may not understand them at all? Not only this, but Mafuyu must have thought,

"Yuki wanted to exclude me THAT BADLY from his music, THAT HE KILLED HIMSELF?!"

---

Yuki's guitar is a triple symbolism of Yuki's heart, Mafuyu's heart and music.

The moment Yuki died and Mafuyu is 'given' Yuki's guitar, the guitar takes on a symbolic representation of Mafuyu's and Yuki's heart and their relationship with music. That's why when the strings broke, it became symbolic of Mafuyu's heartstrings breaking.

Mafuyu in his heart LOVES MUSIC but Mafuyu was heartbroken that Yuki prioritised Music over him.

No wonder when Yuki's mum was like "oh please take the guitar", Mafuyu was like, "I DON'T WANT IT" at first. What the heck was he supposed to do with the guitar? The Gibson, the music that was so dear to Yuki was seemingly something he didn't want Mafuyu to be involved in.

DUE TO GRIEF. MAFUYU ACTUALLY INTERNALISED YUKI. WHEN YUKI DIED, A PART OF MAFUYU DIED AS WELL.

MAFUYU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND YUKI'S HEART THEREFORE HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HIS OWN BECAUSE HE COULDN'T TELL WHERE YUKI ENDED AND WHERE HE BEGAN.

(Strawberry Swing Chapters HINT EVERYTHING as well!)

THAT'S WHY MAFUYU WAS FROZEN AT THE START OF GIVEN!🤯

You see how complicated music was already for Mafuyu? Yes Hiiragi and Shizu didn't keep in contact with Mafuyu after Yuki's passing but he himself didn't contact them either because Mafuyu was in a way trying to

a) respect the wishes of Yuki to have nothing to do with music, bands and SYH (Shizu and Hiiragi) while simultaneously trying to

b) bury the ugly sense of abandonment he felt from Shizu and Hiiragi excluding him from music activities, of them being bystanders when everything went down and post-Yuki's passing. (THIS IS IMPORTANT, this then get's brought up in CHAPTER 9)

Mafuyu at his core wants to play music together with Yuki but also feels conflicted towards music for

1) always being prioritised over him making him feel excluded

2) being main reason that caused the rift between MafuYuki (and later, death of Yuki)

3) being the thing that haunts him 24/7 but the part of Yuki that remains alien to him

(FUCK it hurts me to write about this)

Because of Mafuyu's broken upbringing and Yuki's death,

the Gibson guitar is a physical representation of both Mafuyu's struggle with music because he's trapped in his parental and romantic trauma and Mafuyu figuring out his own love and expression of music.

That's what he struggles with throughout the entirety of Given.

---

3. When Ue came along...Mafuyu wanted to do music

When Ue fixed the guitar strings and played that chord, that unfroze Mafuyu!

Ue's willingness to share music and be open with Mafuyu caused Mafuyu to literally jolt up HAHHA. He was thinking,

"Holy shit, I have the perfect opportunity learn music, something I know nothing about."

His excitement is mostly because he wanted to get to know Yuki better through learning music. BUT that ONE CHORD, changed everything for Mafuyu (that's when the first seeds of crush were sewn). 😍Ue crush meter I 😍. Remember, Music in Given is a window into characters' true colours. Mufuyu was subconsciously moved by how OPEN Ue was to him and this actually brought a bit of colour back to Mafuyu's life! (the Given anime literally saturates their colour palette from this moment onwards omgggg)

MAFUYU LOVES HONESTY AND OPENNESS

Remember, Mafuyu if we look at his core character traits, he is such an honest person. Mafuyu when it comes to giving his friends advice or opinions always state the truth. So honesty is a core value of Mafuyu’s, a value that due to Yuki’s facade, Yuki couldn’t provide to Mafuyu. Ue is naturally such an honest guy therefore Ue unknowingly "played on Mafuyu's heartstrings".

That's why Mafuyu was such a persistent bean trying to get Ue to teach him.

PIVOTAL MOMENT! Chapter 2, Mafuyu changed the strings himself for the guitar!

This is for the first time, Mafuyu is actually able to get in touch with his emotions a little bit! Thanks to Ue, unfroze a little that he is at least able to facially express what he is feeling even if he is not able to completely verbally express it yet!

4. Ue asked Mafuyu to join band...Mafuyu shut down but then decided to give it a try

We gotta refer back to the FIRST TIME MAFUYU shut down about music. Mafuyu was thinking here,

"Should I really join a band, something that Yuki was so against me joining?"

Remember, the very moment he saw Hiiragi, he actually bolted and ran away.

In a way, Mafuyu joining a band must feel WRONG to him, he probably felt this weird sense of internalised guilt that joining a band was disrespecting Yuki in some way.

Also, most people probably also picked up on Mafuyu in Ep3/Chapter 4 that the explanation that Mafuyu gives Ue was

"I can't express myself well".

Which btw is how Mafuyu feels about himself due to his parental and romantic trauma. But he can actually express himself much better than he gave himself credit for.

Ue thinks Mafuyu can express himself AMAZINGLY through music because it "shook him to his core".

Ue was emotionally moved by Mafuyu's music because Ue could hear how sincere Mafuyu is as well through his singing.

DUDE THIS IS SO CUTE!! Notice the parallels of Mafuyu grabbing Ue's shirt and Ue grabbing Mafuyu's shirt?

😍Mafuyu developed the seeds of crush hearing Ue play. Ue developed first seeds of crush through hearing Mafuyu sing😍

Because of Ue's encouragement, Mafuyu said this in Chapter 4:

"I'm not lonely. Although I can never meet you again, although I haven't found the right words to say it yet, I'll keep holding onto the thing (guitar) that you treasured."

He decided to join the band and took it seriously by even finding a job!

Because of Ue's encouragement, Mafuyu wanted to learn to express himself better and in the meantime, he'll keep working hard at the music to understand Yuki better.

During his last moment with Yuki, he couldn't express his true intentions and that lead to tragedy. Mafuyu's desire to "find the write words" overrode some of the guilt or mixed feelings he had towards joining the band.

RIGHT AFTER, SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENED. When Ue mentioned that he was writing a song based on Mafuyu's tune, Mafuyu literally lit up.✨✨✨

Ue met one of Mafuyu's core needs -> Ue is using Mafuyu's tune to write a song 😍Ue crush meter II 😍

Mafuyu remember at his core always wanted to be playing music or creating music with others. Ue here really actually touched Mafuyu!

5. Ue asked Mafuyu to write lyrics and sing...Mafuyu shut down at first but then decided to give it a try

While Mafuyu liked being included in music, he did not expect to be asked to write lyrics. Writing lyrics meant that he had to put his emotions into words. And he did not feel ready for that. It's still too soon. The loss of Yuki, the loss of someone he loved is still too hard to put into words.

Mafuyu in Chapter 6 realised that burying the inexplicable confusion of losing Yuki was actually doing a lot of emotional damage within him and it's bad letting it fester.

Because of Ue's encouragement and belief in his self-expression, remember Ue does that funny pressure->cute->boss face-rub scene, Mafuyu decided to give lyrics a crack to try and emotionally dissipate this "fog".

Ch7, Ue realised his feelings first because he's not having to deal with his crush through the lens of trauma! (but thanks Akihiko for helping our virgin boi!💘)

Ch 8, Akihiko then told Mafuyu that he needed to make peace with his past in order to be able to write lyrics. (thanks Akihiko!💘)

Ch 9, Mafuyu actually did make peace with a part of HIS PAST when Hiiragi and him shared a brief chat. Mafuyu resolved that angry part of him that felt like Hiiragi just allowed him to be excluded from the band, allowed the strain in the MafuYuki relationship to happen, and didn't even reach out when he was in inexplicable pain right after Yuki died.

But Mafuyu was able to come to terms that it was actually himself who didn't understand how he felt therefore he was taking his anger out on Hiiragi. This is pretty pivotal because after this chat with Hiiragi, I'm pretty sure Mafuyu actually finished writing the lyrics. But that wasn't enough for Mafuyu to be able to sing because he's still not confident expressing himself.

6. Ue shared his vulnerability and struggles with self-expression ...allowed Mafuyu to finally sing.

On the day of the live, Mafuyu needed just that one extra push for Ue but in that moment, his heartstrings broke again because

Ue for the first time, seemed to lose confidence in Mafuyu's ability to express himself where as previously, Ue's quite's always been supportive. This REALLY HURTED MAFUYU, it was because of Ue's encouragement in the first place that he decided to get better at self-expression.

But when Ue fixed Mafuyu's strings for the second time, Ue said in Ch 10,

THIS IS EVERYTHING!!!

->Ue addresses all of Mafuyu's core needs and attitudes <-

1. Ue shared his vulnerabilities. Mafuyu realised that Ue snapped not because Ue lost faith in his self-expression, but because he wasn't used to being the one pulled in music when usually it's Ue who pushed others. So in a way, being so affected by music was scary for him so he was sort of trying to avoid hearing Mafuyu sing.

2. Ue wants to do music together with Mafuyu. Ue said that lately he's been having so much more fun playing music with Mafuyu. Mafuyu and Music are BOTH IMPORTANT to Ue. 😍Ue crush meter III 😍

3. Ue admitted that HE IS ALSO BAD AT EXPRESSING HIMSELF. Mafuyu realised that Ue is the same as himself! They are both awkward adorkable beans struggling to express themselves. But more importantly, Mafuyu’s core value is also honesty. 😍Ue crush meter IIII😍

Ue's sincerity and vulnerability touched Mafuyu!

THIS GAVE MAFUYU THE PUSH HE NEEDED TO FINALLY SING.

If we take into consideration just how amazing Fuyu no Hanashi is constructed and how right after the live, Ue saying to Mafuyu "You did so good out there", these words of encouragement paired with Ue gently stroking Mafuyu's face comforting him, all of this helped to trigger Mafuyu's cathartic tears that Mafuyu so desperately needed to shed to dissipate the fog at the bottom of his heart. In this moment,

😍😍😍MAFUYU'S CRUSH ON UE FINALLY REGISTERED IN MAFUYU'S HEAD. 😍😍😍

Mafuyu realised,

"Holy Shit. Uenoyama-kun wants to do music together with me. He is honest and able to share his vulnerabilities with me. I can learn to express myself better around Ue. I like him too."

Interesting note, if you noticed all the previous times Ue touched Mafuyu before the live, Mafuyu didn’t really have any sort of noticeable reaction, perhaps just curiosity as to what the heck Ue was doing. BUT after the live, Mafuyu LOVES SEEKING COMFORT in Ue’s touch. He literally melts because Ue is the one who unfroze him.

Mafuyu here did try to make peace with the romance between him and Yuki. He even went to confirm if it’s alright to move on and to date by talking to Hiiragi after the live. Mafuyu is actually a super cautious person! He isn't as much of a ~ 👽 spontaneous alien👽 ~ as Ue thinks! LOLLLL.

ANOTHER PIVOTAL MOMENT, Mafuyu also gets some resolution from Hiiragi that Yuki always knew Mafuyu liked music so Yuki wanted to write songs for Mafuyu, but Mafuyu wanted to write songs together with Yuki.

Paired with the flashback of the 🌊ocean date 🌊, Mafuyu comes to the realisation that

A) Yuki was so incredibly observant and picked up Mafuyu's tune. Yuki did in fact know of Mafuyu's love for music and was trying to always give Mafuyu the best "first" experiences in life.

B) Yuki was definitely upholding a facade around Mafuyu. (refer to Point 2 of the post I linked). Mafuyu was finally able to connect the dots!!! Yuki's exclusion of Mafuyu from music and the band was because Yuki was just hiding his vulnerable, depressed self.

And on stage, for the first time, Mafuyu finally admitted in his heart that he's lonely.

What’s interesting is that Mafuyu felt not only his loneliness but because he internalised Yuki, he finally understood that Yuki upholding his "perfect" facade all his life meant that Yuki was lonely as well.

7. Mafuyu became engrossed with listening to music...Music became Mafuyu's therapy

Mafuyu realised that although his first time singing didn't completely take all of the Yuki pain away, it definitely did something. When Akihiko gave Mafuyu a bunch of CDs to listen to, Mafuyu realised that

MUSIC WASN'T SOMETHING THAT YUKI MALICIOUSLY WANTED TO EXCLUDE MAFUYU FROM. YUKI WANTED TO SHARE MUSIC WITH MAFUYU. But because of Yuki's facade and Mafuyu's inability to verbally state his needs, Creating and playing music together never happened MafuYuki. 😭😭😭

Mafuyu then started to spend alot of time with Akihiko who Mafuyu realised played cupid for Mafuyama. In Chapter 16 after watching Ugetsu's performance, he found out that Akihiko was also suffering from heartbreak but most importantly that

-> Mafuyu could resonate his emotions with music, music can be therapy and for his own self-expression <-

The "fog piled up at the bottom of his heart" can be released through music! That's why Mafuyu when he heard that there might be more chances to perform lives, HE GETS SO EXCITED!

Chapter 18 right after Mafuyama's second "fight", Mafuyu actually gets to experience something he always always wanted at his core.

Ue tried to connect with Mafuyu by including him in the songwriting process, UE WAS WILLING TO SHARE HIS VULNERABLE PROCESS OF SELF EXPRESSION WITH MAFUYU!

(Fuck this is so wholesome)

Mafuyu’s living the dream that he’s always wanted now with Ue! UE WAS FULFILLING MAFUYU’S CORE NEED OF WANTING TO CREATE MUSIC TOGETHER with a loved one. However Mafuyu's not quite at that vulnerable stage yet to share his lyrics writing process with Ue because he's still afraid of accidentally using the wrong words. (PARENTAL AND ROMANTIC TRAUMA)

@deep-fried-brain-cells in her post revealed just how well balanced Yoru Ga Akeru is written for the vocals and guitar because Mafuyu was able to have creative input in the compositional process while with Fuyu no Hanashi, it’s mad guitarist Ue writing his guitar solo alone.

But Ue's patient, didn't push Mafuyu to do what he wanted and instead gave him a nudge to go and search for inspiration. So Mafuyu did.

Mafuyu realised after talking to Ugetsu, Akihiko, and Haruki that there is a greater purpose to him singing and writing music.

-> He could help convey the true emotions of others, resonate with them through the songs and lyrics he sings <-

IN SUMMARY

Mafuyu feels conflicted towards music:

1) for being something that may be prioritised over him that made him feel excluded

(HYPERSENSITIVE TO EXCLUSION DUE TO PARENTAL ABANDONMENT)

2) for being the main cause of a rift AND DEATH in his first romantic relationship

(ROMANTIC ABANDONMENT WOUND)

3) potentially being a part of his loved one that can be hidden from him. Mafuyu hates people hiding things from him.

(CORE VALUE: HONESTY)

Mafuyu wants to do music:

1) Mafuyu in his heart actually always wanted to play music together with loved ones

(CORE NEED: MUSIC WITH OTHERS, AT HIS CORE HE DOESN'T LIKE DOING THINGS ALONE DUE TO ABANDONMENT TRAUMA)

2) Mafuyu can resonate his emotions with music making music a form of therapy, healing and emotional release for him.

(CORE NEED: MUSIC FOR SELF EXPRESSION AND THERAPY, TO HEAL FROM PARENTAL ABUSE AND ROMANTIC TRAUMA)

3) Mafuyu can also help convey the true emotions of others and resonate with them through the songs and lyrics he sings

(CORE PURPOSE: MAFUYU'S INCREDIBLY PERCEPTIVE SO HE'S FOUND A KNACK FOR USING MUSIC TO HELP OTHERS EXPRESS)

Music is literally a completely even split between Mafuyu's core identity and Mafuyu's core wounds.

MY GOODNESS KIZU IS FUCKING BRILLIANT. In no other music-related manga have I seen such a complex yet realistic portrayal of how music can function as a double-edged sword.

-> Kizu shows us the LAYERED RELATIONSHIP that Mafuyu has with Music which stems from his parental wounds and bleeds into his romantic life that ultimately makes up his core identity. <-

(As a musician reading Given, it's just so fucking touching to see this sort of layered representation of music in a work. Music is such a double-edged sword sometimes because it's literally showing the world such a vulnerable part of you so to see how well this pain and beauty is being so carefully and wonderfully crafted by Kizu is just cathartic beyond words. Kizu doesn't just give this level of storytelling to Mafuyu but to EVERY OTHER GIVEN CHARACTER as well and it's excruciatingly beautiful.)

---

TO CONCLUDE,

THANKS TO THE PATIENCE, SUPPORT and HONESTY OF UE,

Mafuyu's drive for music is starting to finally lean more towards something that he is doing for himself, for his own healing, for his own expression, and even as a greater purpose for helping other's express, rather than for Yuki.

But...

1. HEALING IS NOT A LINEAR PROCESS. We forget that Mafuyu and Yuki were not only lovers but also best friends. Mafuyu is still dealing with the trauma and grief of losing someone that he used go and do everything with. Everywhere he goes he can't help but be reminded of Yuki in some way because Yuki still lives on inside him, still haunting him. And yes, unfortunately I do believe to some extent, he is finding familiarity and comfort in the intensity of Ue’s love, an intensity resembling Yuki’s love.

2. FIRST LOVES ARE HARD TO NAVIGATE. While Ue has been supporting Mafuyu on his musical journey, Ue has been suffering. Actually he's been in love and in pain since Chapter 4 😭 and he's been enduring and enduring all this time because he puts Mafuyu before his own needs....

This is because from the very start,

Mafuyu enmeshed his identity with Yuki and music.

Uenoyama enmeshed his identity with Mafuyu and music.

All of the above will be addressed in my meta on CHAPTER 43/Mix_13!

Masterlist of my Given Metas

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