#THERE'S NO CANON EVIDENCE HE WAS EVER A FUCKING COWBOY

[the-most-pathetic-edge-marquis]

jasper moodboards are the funniest fucking thing on twilight tumblr i'm sorry

[slutforstabbings-archive]

tobacco smoker!Corey Cunningham HCs

I've made a couple posts about this already but I headcanon Corey as a cigarette smoker and here's what kind of smoker I think he is!

heavily inspired by input from @nachtmahr666

also tagging @rebel-blue, @wolvesandvampires @lastgirl0nearth

Warnings: smoking obviously, self destruction and suicidal ideation (points 4 and 5)

Corey starts smoking after the accident with Jeremy. When he's in jail waiting for his bail to be set, someone offers him a cig. He's apprehensive but his nerves are so shot, he'll accept any help he can get to be even just a little calmer. After his first drag he coughs so hard he almost throws up. But he figures it out and is shocked it does actually make him feel a little better.

Now he smokes alone in his room while Joan and Ronald are at work, or late at night after they go to sleep. His mom smokes like a chimney and he sneaks a cigarette out of her pack once in a while. He hides it until he has some alone time and then he smokes it hanging halfway out the window so the smoke doesn't linger in his room. He always flushes the butt down the toilet, washes his hands extremely well, and uses mouthwash after too, to make sure he's not leaving evidence.

He tries hard to keep it just for when he really can't handle things, he knows that it's addictive and if he let himself, he'd smoke as much as Joan does, and if she ever noticed even the one a month he steals, he'd never hear the end of it. Denying himself, almost like edging, until he has a day bad enough that he gives in. Then, heart racing, he waits for Joan to leave that little box unattended, so he can slide one out and tuck it in his pocket. He walks around with it in there, getting a kick out of his rebellion that makes him feel better even before he lights up.

When he starts working at the garage, everyone who works there smokes, and he knows Ronald won't snitch if he takes a smoke break at work, since he'll get in just as much trouble with Joan as Corey will. So it's their secret together now, one of the only ways they bond as step-father and step-son.

Corey hears someone call Marlboro Reds "cowboy killers," and he likes the way that sounds, so he switches to smoking those. As a little kid cowboys had kinda been his thing, and he still holds cowboys up as the ideal men in ways he doesn't even realize. He can't live like a cowboy, but maybe he can die like one.

Dying is definitely a part of the smoking for him. It's (novelization) canon that he thinks about dying and is mildly suicidal but scared to act on his feelings. He hangs over the railing of the stairs in the abandoned Allen house and wants to fall like Jeremy did but he can't make himself let go. Lighting up is easy, tho. Knowing every cigarette makes his life shorter is comforting to him. He's not interested in immortality.

Corey religiously flips a lucky cigarette. Upper left corner of the box. First thing he does with every new pack, he takes one out and flips it around, putting it back in filter side down. It's almost always the last one he smokes, but on days when the residents of Haddonfield are really on one, when Willy the Kid will not shut the fuck up about the cult of Thorn, he smokes his lucky early. He does not flip a new one until the next pack.

The first time Corey feels affinity for fire is the first time he strikes a lighter. Way before he ever smoked, way before the accident, he found a lighter in the crack in his seat on the bus. He quietly put it in his backpack and when he got home he sat behind his house burning blades of grass and little pieces of paper. Keeping the lighter lit for so long the spark wheel got too hot to touch. He burned his thumb on it and spent a week trying to keep his hands palm down around Joan so she wouldn't notice the wound and flip her shit.

When he starts doing yard work for people in Haddonfield, he's stoked raking the leaves or collecting branches after a tornado because it means he gets to light a fire. He loves nursing the flames from a tiny smolder to a huge inferno, watching them devour the yard waste, standing too close to the heat until his face and hands look sunburned and he has to step away.

When he starts working at the garage he realizes the welding tasks are his favorites because he gets to use giant torches. Every time he goes through the steps to turn the torch on, turning all the nozzles open and using the striker, it's a thrill. It never gets old having the sparks rain down on him. In the novelization it says he thinks about turning the torch on other things in his life, and the thought doesn't have any specifics but it brings him comfort. He wants to burn it all down even before he meets Allyson.

After he meets Michael, he smokes openly in front of Joan, her freak outs have no power over him anymore. He tears the filters off. He's not careful about making sure the cherry's all the way out before he flicks his butts anymore, let it catch a piece of trash and start a wildfire. Everyone would be better off if it did.

He tells himself if Terry Tramer comes around while he's got a lit cigarette, he'll put it out right between that prick's eyes. Let him walk around with a permanent mark staining his reputation just like Corey does. Then the stars all align when he knocks Terry out and the torch is right there. He can do so much better than just a little cigarette burn now.

[kinsbin]

One Hot Proposal - KaiCree

Title: One Hot Proposal Ship: Kai ‘Gaia’ / Jesse McCree (SI x Canon) Word Count: 2176

Me? Finally marrying Jesse McCree? More likely than you think! I just wanted to write how our proposal went out ;w;

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

The motel room was hotter than either of them would have liked. It's poorly insulated space allowed all of the outdoors' humid weather to seep through the cracks of the broken walls and weakened plaster. The pale yellow of the boxy room was all but sweating through the peels on its wallpaper as the ceiling fan droned on uselessly in a monotone hum. Kai had grown used to the weather in the southwest, their body almost preferring its intense heat t the chill of the Pacific Northwest or the unpredictable shakiness of the Midwest. Yet even this heat wave was proving unbearable in the utmost unpleasant of ways.

Their skin felt like it was sticking to their bones. Their sweat might as well have been rivers running through the dry cracks and ashy edges of their ashy body. Every breath felt like breathing down the barrel of a freshly fired gun, the heat overwhelming in their lungs as they exhaled a long, annoyed groan of pain in an effort to remove some of the pressure building in their bare chest. Their shirt had been foregone long ago in the presence of the ungodly heat, their body only clad in a pair of small gym shorts that barely hiked themselves around the meat of their thighs. Their short hair stuck to the back of their neck and - oh god - shaving their whole head sounded like the most ideal thing in the world at that moment.

As they contemplated the modification of their own body for the sake of cooling off, the motel door was pushed open, a familiar knocking warning them as to just who it was who was entering. Turning their head, they watched as Jesse McCree wiped his own sweat ridden forehead off with the hem of his button down shirt as it clung to his form with desperate, humid stickiness.

"Ice just about melted halfway to the damn room." He muttered as he threw a medium sized bag at the bed Kai was resting on. Kai scrambled to grab it, the immediate cool of the plastic a welcome change to their current temperature. Without thinking about it, they pulled open the bag of ice and plunged their hand into it, the immediate cooling sensation drawing a hefty and adoring sigh from their lips as their muscles relaxed in the pleasantness. They just barely registered the sound of the mini fridge door opening, the sound of clanking glass a distant echo compared to the euphoria of melting ice around their arm. They pulled a few of the cubes out and dropped them onto the back of their neck, shivering as the ice melted and dripped cold water down their bare back.

Another cold sensation pressed into their arm, making Kai startled and turn towards the offending object. A single beer caught their gaze as Jesse waited for them to accept his offering. The cap had been popped off already, the hissing sound of alcohol permeating the otherwise quiet white noise of the room around them. With a smile to their lips, Kai accepted the offering and pressed the cold glass to their lips, swinging their head back to take a much needed, refreshing gulp of the bitter tasting liquid. It burned their throat and left the taste of piss in the back of their palette, but fuck if it wasn't the best damn thing that they had tasted in the days that the two of them had been stuck in this dumbass heat wave.

Jesse took a seat at their side, his weight making the bed groan and bend in his direction as he took a chug of his own icy beer, a satisfied groan leaving his lips as he did so. Kai watched as he put the bottle to the side in favor of shrugging off the offending fabric of his shirt, its coiling threads far too conductive to the heat surrounding them. They pressed their bottle of beer to their forehead, rolling it in an effort to replace the sweat with condensation on their face as they offered over the bag of ice towards their lover with a smirk.

"I'm telling you," Kai teased, "Mei said that watchpoint down in the North Pole was still functioning if we ever wanted to head over and use it."

"Sounds like a dream, darlin'," Jesse chuckled in return, his human hand grabbing a fistful of ice to dump along his neck while his metal one held the bottle of beer firmly between its fingertips, "Just me, you, and a hundred miles of ice on either side of us."

"God, don't describe that," Kai groaned, "It's making me hotter."

"Ain't possible," Jesse declared, "You're already hot as can be."

Kai couldn't help the bubble of laughter that echoed through their mouth as they leaned on the other's side, their shoulders touching together. The sweat of their skin acted as a glue to keep them that way for a moment, sticky and unpleasant for a few seconds but manageable because - well - it was them that was doing it. Jesse could not stop his arm from going around Kai's shoulders and bringing them in closer, a sloppy kiss placed on the top of their head as he smiled. They touched their  cold beer bottle to his chest in return, making his own laugh chortle through the edges of his kiss.

"How much longer are we staying here?" Kai wondered as they pulled away from Jesse enough to take another sip of their beer, "We already have enough evidence that the guy we've been tailing is working with Talon. Shouldn't we just report to 76 and be done with it? I miss our air conditioned base."

"I did call him," Jesse's voice bordered on annoyed as he spoke, "and he told me that Talon's doubled air patrol guard in this area in suspicion of Overwatch activity so, until they get us new landing coordinates to haul our asses to, we're stuck in Dallas."

"Fuck that!" Kai declared with an angry huff, "We're so using the company card to order takeout tonight."

"Who do you think paid for the ice and these beers?"

Kai grinned at the other with a fond expression. Jesse could only admire just how handsome they were like this; even with their hair stuck in tendrils around their forehead with sweat and their bare chest softened with glittering perspiration, they were by far the most amazing thing he had laid eyes on. From the day that they met to the years that followed afterwards, Jesse couldn't recall a time where he didn't enjoy their company. He didn't want to recall a time where he did not have them at his side.

Those were dark days without them. They had their dark days too, but then they had found each other hadn't they?

Yeah...

Jesse blinked down at Kai, as if realizing something for the first time. The look did not go unnoticed by the other's observant and empathetic gazes. Kai's brow furrowed in return, their body shifting slightly to face the cowboy better as they tilted their head. They asked their question only after grabbing another handful of ice and pressing it to the back of their bare neck, the edges of water streaming down their shoulder and making wet spots on the hotel room sheets as they did so:

"What's up, Cowboy?"

Jesse took his time in responding, taking another drink of his beer and leaning back on one arm against the bed as he swirled the liquid in the glass before him. He watched as it danced on the sides of the amber glass, glimmering in the light that dared peek through the drawn blackout curtains.

"I was just thinkin..."

"About?"

"...Hey, would you wanna get married?"

Kai - who had been in mid sip of their beer - spit across the room in shock. The spray of their alcohol decorated the carpet on the floor in front of them as they choked in surprise, leaning forward to push the liquid from their lungs as their mind rushed to formulate a response somehow. Jesse watched them struggle to regain their composure, his hand reaching up to gently pat at their back in an effort to help them expel the beer from their esophagus. Kai's hand came up in a gesture of 'one second' as they finally cleared the burning in their throat. Tears had formulated in their eyes as they whipped their head around with a gaze of complete disbelief.

"I'm sorry, would I what now!?"

"Get married," Jesse repeated, "To... Me."

His hand rose up and rubbed at the back of his neck, the lackadaisical confidence he had in asking suddenly dissipating at the look they had given him.

"Never mind. It was a stupid idea. I don't know why I-"

"No! No you don't, hey," Kai reached out and grabbed at Jesse's leg with a raise of their brow, "I wasn't saying 'no', I was asking what... brought it on is all. I... Marriage? You wanted to get married."

"Well, yeah."

"To me?"

"Who else?"

"Plenty of other people," Kai laughed incredulously, "I... Jesse... would you be ready for something like that?"

"Would you?"

Kai shot him a pointed look, making the other sigh and throw his hand up as he assured them he understood.

"Look, I know what we got ain't the most 'normal' of relationships. We ain't ever gonna be the type to settle down or stay in one place for too long... But... I love you, Kai, and if there's any chance I can make that love last for as long as damn possible then - shoot- I want to do it. 'Sides, maybe one day we will get out of all of this Overwatch business... and we could settle down somewhere nice, ya know? If you ever want to."

Jesse paused and reached out, finding their hand in his own and giving it a solid squeeze as he licked his lips.

"I just know that there ain't ever gonna be another person as perfect for me as you."

Kai felt the redness of their blush creep up into their cheeks. It warmed the back of their neck and the tips of their ears as Jesse's confession fell with little filter through to their ears. To hear him think so much of them made their heart swell with a love they couldn't possibly begin to describe. It just made them... happy. Happier than anything had made them in their life and - God - it was all they could do not to start crying amongst the heat that was already pooling around them from the day's temperature. So instead they smiled, bright and excited and happy as they gave a tentative nod in his direction.

"...Alright, Jesse McCree... I'll marry you."

Jesse's grin grew wider than they had ever seen it. His face turned bright with blush and happiness as he leaned forward with a hoot of delight, wrapping Kai up in his arms and pulling them into his lap. Kai yelped as they tried to steady their beer glass in one of their hands, only to be interrupted when McCree's lips came crashing down on theirs with eager neediness. They grinned into the kiss as they returned it, the both of them tasting of alcohol and sweat as they sealed their proposal together with it like a letter.

"How do you want to do this?" Kai wondered as they separated. Jesse shrugged and leaned forward to kiss their neck instead, humming into their skin as his arms kept themselves firmly around them.

"Don't care. We should get it done quick, though. If that's what ya want, at least."

"Yeah, that's fine," Kai agreed with a tinge of thought to their words, "I don't want a big ceremony or anything like that... Hey, we could probably just find one of those elopement chapels here right? We'd have to do the paperwork for it all when we get back to Overwatch since we can't exactly give people our names and addresses 'round here but-"

"Fine by me," Jesse mumbled, nipping their skin gently, "So long as we get to celebrate the Honeymoon sooner than later~."

Kai rolled their eyes with a laugh, hitting his shoulder as he grinned up at them. They couldn't help the softness in their gaze as they ran their hands through Jesse's hair, pushing the locks back and watching them reappear in front of his face messily as they did so. Jesse smiled bright up at them, all blushes and puppy dog eyes of adoration as the held them on his lap close. Kai sighed with contentment as they leaned forward, kissing him one last, long and good time for good measure.

"I love you, Jesse McCree."

Jesse's grip grew tighter as they spoke, his nose nuzzling their own as he hummed.

"I love you too, honeysuckle. I always will."

Marriage or not, Kai thought, that answer was really all that they needed.

[salmonthestoryteller]

Creator’s Appreciation Week - AU

In one way this was the easiest set to choose, and in another way not.  For one, I love AUs, Fusions, and Canon Divergence.  So that makes it harder for me to choose.  Luckily, however, it was one of the last days in Creator Appreciation Week - and since my goal was not to repeat a fic,  that meant getting to decide to assign some fics to other days.  To all the creators who have taken time to create delightful alternate universes, mix together roswell with other stories in glorious fusions, and explored delightful what ifs with Canon Divergence -

Thank-you!

Dr Isobel Evans and the Fountain of Youth https://archiveofourown.org/works/20337673 Isobel Evans (alien, archaeologist, professor) never believed that the fabled fountain of youth was a real thing, until Alex Manes showed up and sent her on a wild goose chase after it, all with her ex-girlfriend at her side. Boy I’ll Hunt You Down https://archiveofourown.org/works/20250376 It turns out that when you sleep with a man's youngest, then steal his prized stallion to escape, your face ends up on a wanted poster. When the man who got you in that situation goes into the bounty hunting business and comes hunting you down, it's usually not a good sign. Lucky for Michael, Alex Manes isn't the kind of man who plays by his father's rules.  By: @andrea-lyn

Freaky Friday https://archiveofourown.org/works/20206054 the one where alex, maria and liz are the aliens By: reachedthebitterend

raise the black, for my heart will not surrender https://archiveofourown.org/works/19719028 Alex climbed the ladder thrown over the side of the boat, helped over the rails by a thin blonde woman, curled hair pulled back barely hidden by her hat. The captain of The Aphrodite was known to Maria, but never before had their paths crossed. It was unfortunate for Captain Jenna Cameron that she made an enemy the day she struck a deal with Jesse Manes. By: @michaels-blackhat

don't you ever tame your demons (but always keep 'em on a leash) https://archiveofourown.org/series/1434232 alexander manes is the son of the head of the new york institute. along with his friends and fellow shadowhunters kyle, liz, and rosa, he protects the new york streets from demons, aims to keep downworlders in check, and is hoping to remove his father from power. his very careful plans are thrown into disarray when three warlocks seek his and his friends' assistance with the removal of their own management. the trio introduce more chaos into the shadowhunters' lives than they ever could have imagined.

Let me count the ways https://archiveofourown.org/works/19419148/chapters/46213624 liz ortecho isn't allowed to date until her snarky, determined-not-to-date brother, alex ortecho, does. luckily, one of her suitors has a plan. well, max goes to isobel for a plan, which involves getting their brother, michael, to woo alex. or, the 10 things i hate about you AU By: Milzilla

An Indentations in the Shape of You https://archiveofourown.org/series/1459804 After their impromptu first scene, Michael and Alex discover just how perfectly they fit together and decide to continue their D/S arrangement and see where it takes them. Even if that's far from just an arrangement and well into the realm of the heart... By: @signoraviolettavalery

Trying to find my piece of mind https://archiveofourown.org/works/18004889 Alex doesn't understand why his husband has been so distant lately, but he's determined to get to the bottom of their marital problems. One way or another, he's going to get the answers he so desperately wants. By: @alexmanes

Ad Astra https://archiveofourown.org/works/18698983/chapters/44347522 Michael’s been picked up off the floor of more bars than he can count. Usually by irate bartenders, occasionally by begrudging crew members of whatever ship he’s serving on... and then there are the times he’s been arrested… But he can say without a doubt that it’s been a long, long time since he’s been hauled up off his ass by his old Academy roommate. AKA the Star Trek AU that won't leave me in peace. By: @beamirang

Bitch I’m a Monster https://archiveofourown.org/works/20396026/chapters/48377665 For three years, Alex Manes has remained isolated, trying to keep the people he cares about safe from the monster inside of him. After being changed in the middle of a warzone, he's got more questions than answers about his condition ... but none of that matters when he wakes up stranded in the middle of the New Mexican desert with Michael Guerin, starving. By: @seeaddywrite

Love is a Burning Thing https://archiveofourown.org/works/18725632 Alex frowns down at him. “What are you doing on my couch?” The stranger rakes a hand through his curly hair, making it stand up even more. “I don’t know. Did you kick me out of bed?” “You were never in my bed.” “You sure?” he asks, lips spreading into a slow, sly smile. “Because you definitely look like somebody I’d wind up in bed with.” Alex raises an eyebrow. “I can assure you, you’d remember it if you’d slept with me.” (aka The AU Where Michael Drunkenly Breaks Into The Wrong House And Ends Up Stealing Alex’s Heart.) By: @sabrinachill

Of Guitars and Kitschy Logos https://archiveofourown.org/works/18036494/chapters/42620477 When two people who are uniquely compatible experience a moment of such intense feeling as to never be replicated, a bond forms. The hows and the whys vary but one thing has always been clear - only humans form bonds. But that was before we were aware of honest to goodness aliens living in New Mexico. Some might say that aliens are incapable of such emotions, that a soulmark is beyond them in every way. Others would disagree. And they have evidence on their side. By: Bestillmyslashyheart Hope https://archiveofourown.org/works/18132005/chapters/42870116 Michael has been getting ill lately which is weird because as long as he's been on Earth, neither him, Max or Isobel have ever gotten sick. So, he goes to see Kyle Valenti and what he finds out will fuck things up, that's for sure because this mess is no place for a baby. (Mpreg) By: StarrySummers04 The Less You Know the Better https://archiveofourown.org/works/20019106 “I didn’t think you would show.” Alex spins around, taking in the masked man standing behind him. The beautiful hazel eyes he dreams of are watching him, taking him in. The curls, normally hidden underneath a black cowboy hat are flying freely, still looking as soft and beautiful as always. He’s wearing the same outfit he’s always in, black jeans and a black denim jacket overtop a white t-shirt, cowboy boots and large belt buckle. A vigilante known as The Cowboy is still hilarious to Alex, but damn if the mystery man doesn’t make it look good. By: @el-gilliath

[echoheart0324]

*chugs drink and slams hand on table* I never thought I’d go to such a crazy extent, but I got sick of hearing people talk about Blaine in a negative light, so I guess I’m gonna have to pour my whole soul into this, and this might as well be my final big post before I disappear into the void.

I kinda got tired of people saying we know nothing about Blaine, which is kinda true to some extent. However, if you dig around for details and tiny actions, there might be small hints pointing at what might’ve happened. AKA I got a bit carried away about Blaine, since y’all keep pointing out his actions are shady and evil, so I’ll do the exact opposite and attempt to fill in the gaps (or widen them, I dunno. I’ve just been craving to analyze something for ages.).

Anyways this is gonna be kinda long (and a bit repetitive, cuz this is speculation mixed in with my rambling, featuring analysis at it’s finest) and really up to how you interpret his words/actions/how you exactly look at these translations, so all of this is just a very thin stretch (ready to snap or break at a moment’s notice). Who knows, I might be off the mark completely and he may be a villain after all (in which then you can all stab me if you want), but I wanted to at least provide this before my (possible) hiatus day:

()()()

Possible Backstory/Background/Personality Traits/Whatever Else Falls into this Category:

By the look of it, Blaine is well-educated and loves his studies (most likely in the science department if the Dream Eaters are anything to go by, along with his love for books). The name Brain also means ‘noble/son of the judge’ possibly hinting at a high and wealthy status as well. His speech patterns are laid-back and casual, which kinda contradicts his name meaning, but he can also be quite serious and observant (as seen with his explanation about the Player character linking to Strelitzia somehow, his comparison of Skuld to Lady Ava, thoughtfully choosing the Spirits as their first task to help them out in the long run, and figuring out Ephemera as the leader type) if he desires to. His impatience (with Lauriam's arrival and the meeting dragging on) could prove that he's not used to waiting around for things either, though it’s minor and nothing too overboard.

Now this is where the lines start blurring, since the details are kinda all over the place. When Ephemera, Skuld, and Ven are all talking about having friends, Blaine interrupts with, "Friends. Cool." I'm still not sure what the intention was, but he had a smile on his face when saying this, but he never brings up the topic of “friends” ever again. He also reacted quite positively to Ephemera’s teasing aimed at Skuld (while Ven didn’t react at all), which could indicate this type of friendship is familiar to him, but his smile quickly turned into a frown when the topic of lying popped into play. It's a reach for sure, but I don't think Blaine had a good relationship with his friends in the very end. To prove this, Blaine's trust issue with Ava stems off of his morals of honesty, which his friends might've lacked based off his reaction and harsh choice of words. He also seems to avoid a lot of contact with the other leaders, instead focusing on his books and purposely isolating himself as the outsider.

Y'know...maybe Blaine can recognize the leader-spirit in Ephemera because he used to be a leader of something himself (especially judging by how he picked out their first task by himself). Maybe a leader of a party/his friend group? A handful of his personality traits seems suited to such position, such as how blunt he can be, his honesty, his observative behavior, his support (”I trust you’ll lead us down the right path.” -to Ephemera), and quick-decision making backed up with reasonable evidence. Adding onto this, his blunt speech and his quick decision-making might indicate that he's used to serious discussions, and after watching the custcenes a few times, Blaine never seems to argue back at the others’ decisions. He disagrees with the others often, yes, but a heated argument never occurs, since Blaine either decides to go along and accept that he’s not gonna get his way (though unhappy) or the others outnumber him/he gets what he wants. Not once have we seen him angry (I mean maybe we have? It’s kinda really hard to tell with the lack of eyes. He just sorta opens his mouth when he’s upset, but the same sprite is also used when he’s surprised, so??? Let my boy get more original expressive sprites please???). Whatever led to the downfall of his group, might be linked to this (or Blaine’s just a really nice guy. Or both. Both work too), so a heavy verbal argument may have been the key.

This could be why Blaine seems to be pushing Ephemera to the position of their leader, since Blaine regrets (to a certain degree) whatever he couldn't accomplish and wants to guide him on the right path to prevent a similar downfall or the same mistakes he made.

Though it's odd that Blaine was alright with PvP, since it's "just a competition", so I assume there's a competitive nature to him as well, and he received no relative trauma to Keyblade wielders clashing with each other. He also seems to respects privacy to a certain degree (based on his "let's not pry" about Lauriam) and some of his members may have turned to him for comfort, if his friendly brother-like behavior is anything to go by. (No seriously, who says, “You guys are going on a scavenger hunt,” if they’re an incredibly serious person??? Pfft...)

Quick Summary: Anyways, to throw this out there and sum it up, I believe Blaine may have once been a leader of a (hard)core party. His teasing nature shows that he did once have close friends to bond with, but things went downhill, based on his more serious side of his personality and fair distance from the others. The downfall of his leadership/party probably doesn't relate to Keyblade wielders turning their blade against each other, but maybe something more verbally and misunderstandings stacking on top of each other (with lying being involved somehow), where they say things they can't take back. Though based on his position of becoming a Dandelion, I’m assuming the party disbanded early on, since most people became Lux-thirsty once the war came around. Due to his lack of reaction to PvP, I assume he never saw Keyblade wielders fight for Lux in Daybreak Town often, so he must’ve just spending his days inside and reading/running experiments.

()()()

So why are Blaine’s eyes hidden from view on his sprite, but present clearly on his official artwork? After pondering for a bit, I decided to dig in a little deeper to see what I can find. Some sources I found stated that gray eyes could symbolize in for “leadership”, so that could squeeze in for above. On the other hand, the covering of his eyes could symbolize a secret he’s hiding from the other leaders. Note that Blaine has spoken nothing of his personal life, unlike the others. Ven says he’s always been a loner, Lauriam talks about his sister and his relationship with her, Skuld states she and Ephemera were once in the same party. Why is this such a big deal exactly??? There seems to be a connection to having a point where each leader seemed to be alone:

Ephemera: Was the one who left (both Skuld and Player).

Skuld: Was the one who got left behind (by Ephemera).

Ven: Was always alone, so left since the beginning.

Blaine: ???

Lauriam: ??? (I don’t want to jump to conclusions just yet, but I’m going to say...maybe he was the one got left behind...?)

Strelitzia: Had friends, but they constantly left and kept being replaced. Based off of what Elrena says, it seems like she sorta isolated herself, so maybe was the one who left?

Also, Skuld and Strelitzia both seem to have friends who are alive, at least by canon confirmation. After all, Skuld talked about her Dandelion friends a few times, right before she left the Player in KH X. Meanwhile, Strelitzia says things about her friends during her introduction.

Anyways, if this is anything to go by Blaine could fall into one of these categories (the one who left or the one who was left), but it’s kinda difficult to tell since Ven throws things off. Either that, or nothing bad ever happened to his friends, so maybe he never had a lonely period in his life.

()()()

*puts up glasses* So what was all the background dump about? Well, honestly, I just wanted to ramble about Blaine, but *shoves that aside* we’re also here to discuss his innocence and why I think Blaine wouldn’t have the heart to kill Strelitzia:

(Er...skip this “point”, or at least just read what I highlighted in bold and move on. This isn’t even a point, I just got pissed off of the lack of evidence and love for my boy.) Blaine being “just plain old suspicious” is an excuse way too tired out for everyone’s sake. This is why I tried to fill in some gaps with the background details above as well to at least provide some insight into his actions/words. None of his character traits can be seen as evil exactly. Honestly, he portrays a type of kid that’s tired out and wants nothing more but to mind his own personal matters. The gaps I filled in seem like stretches, I understand that, but we all thought the same for Lauriam as well when he was first ushered on stage. Blaine’s been one of our main suspects for ages and his introduction was barely even brushed upon by the fandom when the story update launched. (On a personal note, I think I stumbled upon maybe 3 or 4 pieces of fanart of him on launch day??? I got interested in him to some extent, but my love for him that y’all see today, just came crashing down naturally over time) I saw more people bashing him, cuz “fucking damn it, it’s another dude, but he’s a cowboy” was all that stretched on for miles. Either that or “is that Ienzo cosplaying Ardyn???”. Those were dark times...very dark times indeed. *cough* Back on track, anyways Blaine’s been quite the unnoticed character compared to the other leaders (especially when compared to the other three that came after him), so why make him the killer when he never hit off for the JP and NA fanbase? Nomura heavily values his twists, especially with KHUX, so there’d be nothing of interest if the murderer was just a generic evil-looking cowboy that’s not even that popular with the fans in the first place. Blaine’s also a lot less developed than the other leaders, since he was unfortunately shoved to the side for the sake of filler right after he joined the cast. To a casual (yet devoted, based on how far they shoved aside filler hell) player, Blaine’s just a random kiddo that has no development, motives, and personality (unless you’re highly bored and decide to go on a analysis spree like I am right now). In all honesty, Nomura seems to be pushing us to believe Blaine did it, since he refuses to give Blaine the development he so desperately needs, to give him the ominous and sketchy vibes to make him an easy culprit.

I’m aware that the latest story update shows Blaine as a smart-ass, seeing how he was able to connect Strelitzia and “the person she’s interested in”’s supposed fate so easily. This puts the spotlight of suspicion on him, correct? Well, I’ve read my fair share of speculation posts for the past few days and everyone just naturally assumes it’s Gula that did the dirty work. I already posted an ask earlier on this topic and I’m not in the proper position to argue such a point all day, but I also don’t think Blaine could possibly be Gula either, or that Gula committed the murder himself. 

*plops onto chair* So while I clean off Blaine’s plate, I’ll clean off Gula’s too...so I realize that y’all naturally assume it’s him due to the rather convenient timing and his ominous quote after defeating him in battle. If you do believe in this theory, may I ask you: “Then why didn’t Gula attack Skuld and/or Player (evidence is provided below)? Also, how would you explain the sudden change in sprite?” If you pause right before Gula steps outta the shadows to fully reveal himself, we have his blacked-out silhouette, which heavily differs from ‘Darkness’ + the sprite we saw at the warehouse when Strelitzia was killed. I also doubt that Gula would change outta his robes at that exact moment, minutes before Strelitzia’s arrival (since we now have confirmation that their talk occurred before Strelitzia came along a little bit later), especially since we see him again in the same outfit at the war (when everyone’s getting prepared to fight). Lord Gula also questioned if they came inside the warehouse to search for Ava, since they’re skipping out on collecting Lux, clearly aware of the Dandelions. *cough*

Anyways, as I was saying about Blaine, I believe he’s genuinely trying to help Lauriam find Strelitzia. His morals stand that he despises lying with a whole passion, still holding up as he doesn’t seem to hesitate to speak his thoughts to the others, so I doubt he’d lie to cover up his tracks.

Though, on the other side, there’s one thing that’s holding me back to say he’s innocent completely:

To contradict myself, there was someone that pointed out that Blaine called the Foretellers’ Chambers, the Master’s room instead, having a similar tone to ‘Darkness’ calling the Master of the Masters, just ‘Master’. I dunno either...I just hope he’s innocent, but that’s just wistful thinking at this point.

In all honesty, I was going to go into full depth into how Blaine could be innocent, but the lack of information surrounding Blaine makes things a lot more difficult than it should be, and I kinda grew tired of trying to piece together things for hours. Maybe one day I’ll make a Part 2, but I just wanted to dish this out there, before KHUX updates and does the opposite of what I just said.

Feel free to add on, I’m just tired and rambling at this point!

[blizzweirdo]

What do you think of the other interactions/relationships Stukov has that we have seen?

I guess the “other” one was Gerard DuGalle… I want to talk about that one a little more though. I wasn’t really being serious about the “all the way” thing. Like, there’s an undercurrent there maybe, and I think that Stukov would be totally oblivious to it for the most part. 

The DuGalle/ Stukov friendship seems tenuous or unlikely unless it’s under a certain set of circumstances. I see Stukov as one of those “if you’re in his good graces, you stay there” sort of person, which is really the only way that friendship would have worked between them. Because DuGalle is a jerk. A huge jerk. He is a butt to literally everyone and even pushes Stukov around. People seem to think that my OC Adm. Reeves is horrible and too stupid to be real, but, I mean, DuGalle was almost as bad. 

I have a hard time picturing how the two of them would have met--especially if they’ve had a long-term friendship as their dialogue suggests. DuGalle is twelve years older than Stukov, so they didn’t go to school together, which is how most people who have long-lasting friendships meet. I kind of want to know the story there. It’s almost like they met at school but had a student/ teacher relationship (like a grad TA sort of thing either undergrad/ grad or grad/ professor) that persisted after graduation or something. That seems unlikely too though, because DuGalle supposedly has been in combat more, and would have had a command (and would have not been at an academy somewhere teaching). Are their families friends? Did they meet at chess club or something? Playing WoW or DnD (I say that because that’s how I’ve met all my older friends lol)? I have a hard time seeing their relationship work unless it wasn’t a friendship and more of a mentorship. It would explain why he lets him push him around even though he’s obviously the more capable of the two of them. On the other hand though, Stukov seems very comfortable taking a back seat to someone else (in the case of Kerrigan as well).

Kerrigan... I kind of ship that, TBH, enormous age gap notwithstanding. They’re zerg--does it really matter in the end? Kerrigan calls Stukov “twice the man” DuGalle is, and their lowkey banter on the leviathan is some of the best dialogue in the series. The “I am with you” conversation is also telling. I mean, she gives him this look at the end of it and there’s this pregnant few seconds... When I first watched it, I was like, “Um, are they going to bone right now? Is that... is that what’s about to happen?” And of course no. Because it’s SC. And because of Raynor. If Raynor had not been in the picture and Kerrigan had not ascended, I think something would have eventually happened because: 1. They get along, 2. They’re both unique zerg entities and who the heck else are they going to be with? 3. It’s looonely out in spaaaaaaace…

Fuck Duran. I mean, really. Stukov’s nice to him. Defends him even (he finally does get mad at him when he deserts him). DuGalle is shitty to him. Who does he kill? Stukov. Ass. I’ve always wondered what Stukov meant by “Experiments, torture, and worse,” because what could be worse than torture? Narud’s nightmarish mind games probably. He probably shapeshifted around Stukov into DuGalle, Duran, his family--anything to break him. And Stukov probably chalked it up to hallucinations and nightmares. When he says “Do you remember what you did to me?” and gives him the killing blow, it was probably putting behind him a lot more than torture.

Raynor and Stukov don’t really interact directly except when he is de-infested. His Heroes lines indicated that he’s mad at Raynor, and I can kind of see why. The dude “rescues” him (and he probably needed immediate medical attention after that because he was dead when he was infested so really he should have gone back to being dead and they would have to patch him up) and then doesn’t fucking check on him of years and basically forgets he exists, leading to him being tortured for fucking years. If they ever did meet again face-to-face, I’m pretty sure Stukov would have some strong words for him... And other than that, Raynor is kind of a poster boy for the cowboy-bullshit, redneck, backwater degenerates that the UED warned him about which would color his interactions with him (though he’d probably respect his creativity in battle). A confrontation between them would probably be Stukov angry, Raynor talking him down, and then a lot of drinking.

I’d talk about Valerian, but they don’t actually interact, and I have this compulsory thing where I make Valerian seem like a schmuck. It’s not canon, but it’s my reading of canon, and I’m not going to comment on them. The one thing I will say is that because of how the UED views the Koprulu sector’s colonies as backwater, I think he would think Valerian was pretty gauche. He wouldn’t recognize him as being “high society,” and would think he was playing at being royalty. He’d probably derisively call him “little prince” or something.

I dislike Valerian. I’m not a good source on how they would interact because I would throw furniture at him if I met him lol.

Stukov seems to respect the protoss but also to not have time for their yammering (I also do not have time for their yammering--this is another place where my feelings about a character/ faction probably color my response). For Stukov, I think that this is an artifact of the self-righteousness of the UED clashing with the self-righteousness of the protoss. He also seems non-plussed by their technology, which seems to point to him having studied them as well as the zerg before coming to the Koprulu sector. His knowledge of their tactics would explain his confidence. Stukov realizes their usefulness, but I think he would want to tell them to put their money where their mouths are(n’t) when they prattle on too much.

Morales... She doesn’t want to be anywhere near him, and what medic would? He’s a walking incurable virus--that she has pissed off. Stukov didn’t want to be de-infested in his first infested form, but he seems to be over that now, making jokes about them both being traitors. But she clearly wants nothing to do with him. She’s seen infestation, and she can also see how cruel the UED can be. Morales wants nothing to do with either of those things.

There are some interactions that we haven’t seen but have to have happened that I could comment on...

Izsha, for instance. It’s inferred that Kerrigan is kind of awful to her in her first incarnation. I don’t think that Stukov would be like that and their interactions would be completely different. I kind of think he would treat her like a child, and that she would kind of soak up that kind of affection since there’s some evidence she is based on a human. However, this may be somewhat subconscious on my part because to me her name sounds like a diminutive.

Dehaka doesn’t really interact with Stukov even though they stand right across from one another for a lot of the game. I don’t think Dehaka would want anything more than to crack him open like a bottle of beer and drink his essence--and he’d probably think it’d be that easy. It wouldn’t be.

Stukov and Zagara would have a very professional seeming relationship, I think. Zagara would probably be afraid that one day Stukov would decide he was going to take over and try to wrest power away from her. I think he would keep him at a distance.

Abathur and Stukov would get along... but not. I think Abathur would be fascinated by him but in the back of his mind would want to take him apart to see how he worked... (this is based on his response to Kerrigan about how Stukov is “spun on a micro level not possible for the zerg”). And if he was ever incapacitated around him and there was no one else to intervene, I think he’d start experimenting on him--which of course would be a hard no for Stukov. He’s had enough of that, thank you. But on the other hand, as someone who has worked in a lab developing weapons and doing research, having someone like Abathur around who can just whip up a new organism would be fascinating to him. It would be a volatile partnership where at times Stukov would be the experiment and other times the experimenter, and one where neither party completely trusted the other.

If I’ve missed anything, or this isn’t what you had in mind, please let me know. Thanks for the ask!

[actualevanbuckley]

my two cents

on Dean Winchester putting the Bi in Bitch

For one, I have to say that I compare him and Isak from SKAM in one way: the fact that Isak pretended to be straight and had no trouble flirting with girls because (as a Gay) they had no effect on him sexually. It wasn’t until Even that Isak was seriously freaked. Dean is the same way---he has absolutely no trouble with women, and I can’t name a single time he’s been shook except maybe when Pamela kissed him in Heaven lol We all were shook tbh ANYWAY it’s generally men that give him the Shakes

Because of overwhelming evidence, a lot of fans think (for good reason) that he is bisexual, woven into the story (specifically his arc) since season 1.

He’s going to be 40 in a couple years and has yet to admit anything about his sexuality, in a single word or phrase.

Has absolutely zero trouble sleeping with and flirting with women, and becomes visibly flustered only when around a dominant and/or good-looking male, maybe someone he’s got a connection to.

Gunner Lawless, his childhood wrestling hero. Dean has palpitations and holds Gunner’s hand way too long when they meet, his first B&E was because he broke into someone’s house to see a Lawless match ffs; he freaks out like a kid when he thinks he’ll get Gunner’s glove; and when Gunner is thrown to the floor beside Dean, he winks up at Dean and Dean dead ass looks AROUSED for a hot second. ? honestly same

Aaron Bass, a gay man who flirted with him and caused Dean to stumble backward over a chair leg. DEAN WINCHESTER, tripping. He was fine acting his FBI role UNTIL the SECOND Aaron insinuated they had a “connection,” after which he became tongue-tied. A good looking guy like Dean hasn’t been hit on by every gender before, enough to be chill and shrug it off? Get real. His excuse for not taking Aaron up on his ‘offer’ was: “It’s just a—you know... a federal thing.” His reason wasn’t even a legit, valid reason, i.m.o; it was just him (awkwardly) stumbling for an excuse in the moment rather than the obvious “I’m straight, but thanks.” Later refers to Aaron as his ‘gay thing’ to Sam when it’s revealed that Aaron wasn’t actually flirting with Dean.

The Siren, who disguised himself as another FBI agent. I just have to point out that the Siren didn’t know that Dean would offer him his flask in the car. If his persuasion is spread through saliva, how the fuck heck was he supposed to infect Dean if not through a flask they share?? I WONDER. ‘Brother figure’ my ass. Dean is broken, okay, after being raised by John Winchester’s A+ Parenting and simply can’t differentiate between familial and romantic love---unless it’s like as obvious as a literal blood relative---bc his experience of both has always been skewed and short-lived. Simple as that.

Castiel, the angel who gripped Dean tight and raised him from Perdition. I don’t even need to get into this with y’all ffs

The deputy from Yellow Fever. Dean was basically drunk from that poison and dead ass flirted with that guy. In regular old Dean language he said “You’re awesome” and when the deputy smiles and tells Dean the same, albeit a little awkward, Dean smirks like ‘HA bitch yeah I know,’ and reaches to put a hand in his pocket. Is it plausible that he was reaching for his cell phone to get the guy’s digits before Sam dragged him away and cleared his throat pointedly?? Like sorry now’s not the time for flirting, Dean??? MAYBE SO. Or he could’ve been trying to put a hand in his pocket because he would look cool, leaned on one foot and smirking. Either way: NOT STRAIGHT SITUATION. I stg just watch the scene and watch Dean’s smile; he’s… It’s a lot.

DR SEXY?? Are you actually kidding?? This brings up a great point: Dean says he doesn’t like things, only for it to turn around and make it canon fact that he DOES in fact like that thing. Dean dead ass watches a doctor show where the star is a ‘sexy’ doctor, who he knows pretty well considering a flaw in the doc’s costume was how he knew it was Gabriel messing with them—“I swore that a part of what made Doctor Sexy sexy is the fact that he wear cowboy boots.” Dean not only thinks another man is sexually attractive, but admits to CONTEMPLATING what EXACTLY makes that so. And when Sam teases him about it, Dean chocks it up to “guilty pleasure.” ?? And no chick flick moments, when Sam later says that Dean does actually love chick flicks, which Dean confirms.

Traveling to 1944, Dean sees a group of men pass by in suits. Right before this, a group of women pass going the opposite direction. Dean didn’t so much as glance at them; his eyes immediately went to stare after the men. Sure, maybe he was admiring their clothing; he does love the style of the 40s, confirmed. But let’s be honest; guys look GOOD as HELL in those suits, and Dean’s used to women in dresses. But men in slick suits and jaunty ass hats?? WHOO

Dean wore a pair of pink, satiny panties when he was 19. And he ‘kind of liked it.’

Sam teases Dean that people think they’re dating because Dean is butch, therefore possibly over-compensating for being gay which an overwhelming number of people used to and still think automatically means weakness, specifically in males. I wonder why Dean would never admit feelings for other men when raised by (again) John Winchester’s A+ Plus We Don’t Cry or Speak About Feelings Like Ever Parenting. Dean literally fakes a laugh in this scene after Sam says that btw. Don’t you think if he was completely straight he’d just tell Sam to fuck off, like siblings do? As someone with siblings, yes, I think so.

Checks out Cliff’s naked ass dick in The Curious Case of Dean Winchester; literally just walks over and lifts the blanket, despite the fact that they knew Cliff was Cliff and just mentioning his wife enough with such certainty would’ve been enough to trigger him; that guy was a terrible liar. Did Dean seriously have to do a dick birthmark check? Shut up

The scene (11x18) where Sam says something stupid Dean thinks is stupid and Dean replies with, “Yeah, well there’s times I want to get slapped during sex by a girl wearing a Zorro mask. That don't make it a good idea.” ?? Explain this

Sam turns on the radio and it’s ‘All Out of Love’; this is after they’ve lost Cas (and the Impala) in season 7. Sam apologizes, possibly because Air Supply is always joked about as the gayest band and that song as the gayest song, and he assumes Dean hates it. Maybe Sam feels bad because the first line that plays is What would you say if I called on you now, and said that I can’t hold on? There's no easy way, it gets harder each day. Who does Dean always ‘call on’? Cas. Sam goes to turn it off and Dean stops him because it’s ‘probably the only thing on,’ but as soon as Sam looks away Dean starts to sing along--he knows the song, and is obviously really into it until Sam glances his way and he stops. Yet another moment in which he pretended not to like something that he actually enjoys, a song by a notoriously ‘gay’ band that talks about feelings.

Cowboys  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

the security guard in 07x20. Charlie couldn’t flirt with him because she’s gay (”not my type. not a girl”), so Dean talks her through it?? Even though that guy shouldn’t be his “type” either??