#a day without ray arc

[rayman-chibi]

So I heard that it's @raygirlramblings / @dizzymosquito 's birthday, and so to celebrate, I came up with the most awesome thing.

It isssssssss...

... a callback to that one Rayman Chibi arc you were in! :D

Happy birthday Miss Raygirl :D !

[hermitw]

Shuffle this playlist for Geto's aux

[thankskenpenders]

After a recent interview where Iizuka said it was possible for IDW characters to show up in the games, I've seen some discussion about how the characters need to be introduced "the right way" for people who don't read the comics. And, like, this is obviously true to some extent. You want to convey why people unfamiliar with them should care about these characters, instead of just assuming everyone already knows who they are and their whole backstories and everything. (Anyone who's watched Disney+ Star Wars already has some easy examples of times where they were like "you guys already know this character from the cartoons, right?" and casual fans were completely lost.) But I think people are overestimating how much work this would actually take, especially people who argue that the characters need full-blown reintroductions in the games that depict their backstories all over again and treat them as characters Sonic doesn't already know

I think it's easy to forget that not everyone who plays Sonic games has played every Sonic game. Kids especially. Every single major recurring character in the games debuted before today's generation of Sonic kids was born, and as such every new game is someone's introduction to those characters. The games with the introductions for the Chaotix, Blaze, Silver, Omega, Cream, the Babylon Rogues, Fang, Mighty, Ray, etc. are straight up not available at all on modern hardware without resorting to emulation. To many people picking up Team Sonic Racing or Mania or whatever, those characters are already some random characters Sonic apparently already knows from some previous story. These are not things that every single person who picks up a new Sonic game is intimately familiar with. And yet the games don't feel the need to stop and recount their entire backstories every time they appear.

Also, like, even if you have played every single game, Sonic already has a long history of introducing new characters with little to no fanfare, often treating them as characters Sonic has already met. Core characters like Tails, Amy, and Metal Sonic were really just dropped into Genesis era sequels with no explanation for people who didn't read the manual (i.e.: most players). Sonic has a kid sidekick and a girl who has a crush on him and a robot duplicate now, just roll with it. The modern era would continue to do this with characters like the reimagined Team Chaotix, or Orbot and Cubot, who just appeared in the games one day with no setup. We got along just fine.

(This is to say nothing of the nature of the creative medium the IDW characters originate from, where every new comic arc is treated as somebody's first and supporting characters are periodically given reintroductions to get newer readers up to speed. We've been over Whisper's backstory multiple times now.)

Again, obviously I do want characters like Tangle, Whisper, and Surge to show up in the games with compelling introductions that do the characters justice, but I think people are overthinking how much effort that actually takes. You do not need a whole elaborate adaptation of Whisper and Surge's backstories in the games just for them to have a cameo. You can have Sonic already know them, and if the details are even relevant you can convey that stuff in other ways - brief exposition in the dialogue, context clues, in-game character bios, new stories that showcase their important character traits without 1:1 recreating the stories that have already been told, out-of-game promotional videos and animated shorts like the ones they did to get people up to speed on who the hell Fang is, etc. This is pretty basic stuff when writing for a long-running multimedia franchise.

[coffee-and-geto]

“JE TE LAISSERAI DES MOTS”

‧ ˚. pairing: kento nanami x f!reader

‧ ˚. summary: your beloved husband nanami, the one who promised you a trip to malaysia with him, to be the father of the son you were carrying and to live happily with you for the rest of his life—all this, after his mission to shibuya. but if only shibuya hadn't happened...

‧ ˚. warnings: post/shibuya arc canon, so much angst, established relationship, husband!nanami, reader is pregnant, nanami being perfect (so perfect you’ll end up crying), love letter, will & legacy, death, thoughts on death, yuji/mahito/gojo’s mention, shoko makes an appearance, this scene of nanami tightens my heart.

‧ ˚. wc: 1,435

“Malaysia…” Nanami murmured in a long, weary breath.

He was tired.

Tired of all of it.

Even the wounds inflicted by his earlier fight with a curse no longer pained him.

His dream of eternal rest in Malaysia had the effect of morphine on him.

The waves, the warm sand beneath his feet, the cries of seagulls, and your smile that had captured his heart when the sun’s rays illuminated your face. Nanami had always assured you he would be by your side.

But if there was one thing that broke his heart, it was not being able to prevent this gap from affecting you.

He was sorry.

But he thanked himself for having done what was necessary to not leave you with nothing. He had planned for it—ever since the day he vowed never to marry another sorcerer to the day he asked for your hand.

Cursed energy flowed through your veins.

And he knew it.

But he regretted nothing. Not marrying you, nor returning to his work as a sorcerer—without which he would have never met you. From the moment Nanami re-entered the world of sorcery, he already knew he would eventually meet his end. But with or without regret? At the time, he couldn’t have provided an answer, but today, he had one.

Kento Nanami had no regrets.

Perhaps he was the first sorcerer in that regard?

He then thought of the words of his student, Yuji, that pink-haired teenager who kept smiling despite the atrocities fate threw his way.

He would miss him.

And you too.

That thought alone was enough to tear his heart apart. Because you were the one and only person who made Nanami understand that he was not just a cog needed to keep a machine running. That’s why he had never been able to unlock a Domain Expansion.

But with you, it was different.

Nanami would never have thought his death would affect anyone.

But if there had to be one person, it would be you.

If there was one person who would cry at his funeral, it would be you and no one else.

You and the son he was expecting…

You made him understand that Nanami mattered.

That he would be the only one to hold your heart and take it with him forever, leaving you with a hole in your chest until your death. But Nanami knew you wouldn’t be alone.

He was counting on Satoru and Shoko to support you.

So, there was no need to worry or be afraid, right?

So why did he have a knot in his stomach when Mahito placed a hand on him?

Nanami didn’t want to leave you. But the hope of seeing you again one day in peace lifted his spirits.

When Mahito’s power coursed through his body like an electric current and death came to greet him, the last image Nanami saw was yours—you, kneeling on your shared bed one sunny morning, your nose bent towards your round belly that you caressed with love. You lifted your head and smiled at Nanami.

A smile so bright it blinded him, and he saw nothing more.

When his vision adjusted, he was on a beach, alone, but with a light heart.

°°°°

“Bring him back… Please… S-Shoko…” you plead amidst the cascade of sobs that make you stutter. You hammer her chest with your clenched fists in a near-feverish desperation and slide from your nurse friend’s embrace to collapse on the floor, your heart in shambles. “P-Please, I beg you…”

Shoko bites her lip and shakes her head. She carefully wraps her arms around you, avoiding any abrupt movements that could harm you or your baby. “I can’t… Not like this…” she whispers in a voice as pained as yours. “I’m sorry, I can’t…”

And her words seal your fate.

It’s over.

Kento is dead.

Your teeth sink into the flesh of your lips, biting until they bleed. But it doesn’t stop the tears from flowing. The pain overwhelms you. And it always will—just as it has taken your husband.

You break down and dissolve into tears in Shoko’s comforting embrace. She rocks you gently, drawing circles on your back with her hand. “It’s not possible, no, no…”

Another sob escapes you, and you struggle to breathe through the tears. It’s not just your heart that makes you lose your composure. The cold floor of the infirmary sends shivers through your body, and you struggle to breathe properly. Shoko gently lifts your head and massages your shoulders. “Breathe slowly… Everything will be okay…” But her words only worsen your state because they remind you of the ones Nanami used to comfort you whenever something was wrong—your painful periods, your first months of pregnancy, when you were sick… Nanami had been the perfect husband.

And now he’s gone.

Leaving you alone with the solitude.

Your sobs intensify, and a heart-wrenching cry escapes your lips. Shoko holds you tightly and murmurs for you to let go. Her arms wrapped around you are the only thing keeping you from collapsing. At that moment, you want to die and join your husband.

You murmur prayers—a torrent of tears streaming down your cheeks—begging for the return of just one thing…

…Kento Nanami. 28 years old. Born on July 3, 1990. Grade 1 Sorcerer. Husband (and supposed future father of a child who will never meet him), nicknamed ‘Nanamin’ by his kind and adorable student Yuji Itadori…

Please…

°°°°

My love,

Here are some words I write carefully for you. The mission in Shibuya is being prepared, and as a married sorcerer, I think it is necessary, even my duty, to write these words to you. Because, as we have discussed for hours, there is a chance I might not come out of it alive.

But first of all, if you unfortunately come across this letter (and my heart aches at the thought), I ask for your forgiveness.

Forgive me, my love.

And please, do not be saddened.

If you are reading these words, it means I could not escape it.

But instead of burdening you, I have left you a will containing everything that belongs to you.

First, I, Kento Nanami, bequeath to you all of my money, my possessions without any exception. As per your desire, it can either remain in my name or pass into yours.

Next, I have left some small things for you personally…

Do you remember that book you wanted to read the other day? I bought it, read it, and annotated it with my own hand. On every page, you will find comments on my impressions of the reading. I hope this first gift brings you joy.

I also hope you haven’t forgotten the promise I made to you about taking you to Malaysia. I bought two tickets. One is reserved for you, the other for me (if I come back alive). If the second ticket becomes useless, use it as you see fit; I would be overjoyed if you could accomplish what I probably never will.

I hope you never have to read these words, which, oh I know how painful they are, and that we will leave together to travel to Malaysia, far from this world.

I want to tell you one last time that I love you from the depths of my heart and soul.

My sweetheart, I love you.

Sincerely and see you soon,

Your husband,

Kento Nanami.

Your trembling hand holds the letter between your fingers. Your throat tightens, making it difficult for you to swallow, and this simple gesture now seems absurd.

Through his words, you can feel Kento’s smile gracing his beautiful thin lips as he wrote this letter. Why? Why did he have to make your situation worse by being so perfect?

°°°°

Raucous cries, resembling chuckles, are emitted by the seagulls as you let out a sigh from your mouth. The gentle lapping of the seawater soothes your mind, and the warm sand beneath your feet tickles your skin.

A serene smile graces the swell of your lips.

All of it, illuminated by the warm rays of the Malaysian sun.

You place a peaceful hand on your round belly, and the warmth of a second hand, not your own, joins it. Opening your eyes, it feels as if Nanami is standing beside you, as happy as you are to be here.

And even though he is no longer here, Nanami had promised to watch over you.

And that’s exactly what he did.

What he is doing.

And what he will continue to do even after death.

‧ ˚. a/u: i need to say that i didn’t write at least, one sentence or one paragraph, without crying and sobbing my entire soul :)

‧ ˚. tags: @ssetsuka @zara-zara11 @bearwithmoo @alwaysfreakingout

[exilepurify]

I want to talk about this photograph!!!

It’s the one on Reigen’s “With our satisfied customers!” corkboard hung up in the office and it appears specifically when seen by Tsubomi in s2e8.

This corkboard displaying all of Reigen’s satisfied clients didn’t show up until s2e6—after Separation Arc begins. Reigen realizes he’s completely alone at the bar, has his panic attack in the alleyway, and then starts his big push for fame with the livestreams and stuff. He puts up this corkboard around that point in the episode, partially to showcase his efficacy to potential clients, and probably also to try and convince himself that he’s not alone.

Upon first—and even subsequent—watches, I didn’t think anything about the picture. Like, yeah, of course Tsubomi would see some evidence of Mob in the Spirits n’ Such office. He’s been there multiple days a week for years. But I’ve been thinking about it more this time around and it kinda just hit me how sweet it is.

This picture of Mob and Reigen is on the corkboard for satisfied clients, where it doesn’t really belong. Mob isn’t a client. It’s markedly more casual than the other photos all taken in the field because it’s literally just them hanging out together in the office. Also, Reigen has his arm on Mob’s shoulder, so this is the only picture on the entire board where Reigen is initiating contact and demonstrating affection (the one where the lady has her arm around his shoulder doesn’t count because that wasn’t his personal action).

The picture is also pinned beneath two other photos that are layered on top, insinuating that they happened after his picture with Mob. I like to think that Reigen hung this picture up on the board after he and Mob reunited, even though it’s a board for clients, just because he loved it and wanted to have it in the office. I think he wanted to have tangible evidence of his connection with Mob after spending so long alone, especially in the office. And the two pictures on top might just be clients that came after the end of Separation Arc but before the events of episode 8. Sneaking photos of a loved one into office space is such a classic dad/big brother move lol.

In addition to this, there’s an illustration that came in the Mob Psycho 100 II DVD/Blu-Ray set that’s very similar to this. (I couldn’t find a full version without the “SAMPLE” 😭)

It looks like another version of the “satisfied client” board with another picture of Reigen and Mob pinned on it, both of them making peace signs and smiling at the camera. I think Reigen just really likes taking cute photos with Mob and pinning them around the office lol. It’s incredibly endearing when you think about it—especially since Reigen tried to act so cool and unaffected by everything near the start of the series. No one is immune to Mob.

[fortheloveofwonderland]

Congratulations on your milestone!

If it’s not too late, I’d like to request Spencer/Reader post prison with this lyric.

“You’re the cure, and your eyes have dug me out of my grave more times than I could ever count. You’ve always been the one to breathe me back to life - The Cure by The Movielife

Thank you.

Oh how I love post prison angst! And this was the perfect song for, thank you darling!

You’re the Cure

Spencer Reid x Fem! Reader

Summary - you’ve always been the ray of light in Spencer Reid’s often dark life. But in the wake of his incarceration, can you be his cure?

CW - past drug addiction, past parental abandonment, mentions of Maeve arc, prison arc, emotionally distant Spencer, break ups, bad mental health, mentions of not eating and bathing, an almost relapse, heavy drinking, maybe one swear, tears, hopeful ending.

WC - 4.4k

Spencer Reid had never seen himself as someone who needed saving. Being forced to grow up at ten years old when his father abandoned him and his sick mother, had a way of instilling in him that when things went wrong, he could only rely on himself. 

His drug addiction only went to further perpetuate the notion that he was on his own. Even when his brain was muddled by the dilaudid he knew his team was aware of what was going on and not a single one of them ever said anything. 

So Spencer got used to fending for himself, keeping his emotional issues internalised. He loved his friends but he learnt not to count on them. As such he made a habit of keeping his cards close to his chest, never letting anyone in fully. 

Spencer Reid could only truly depend on one person and that was Spencer Reid. 

But then he met you. 

You admittedly joined the BAU at the worst possible time. Spencer was off work while he dealt with the grief of losing Maeve and he heard all about you through stories from Garcia and JJ. Both women described you as a bouncy, happy-go-lucky, ray of human sunshine. And to be perfectly honest, that filled Spencer with dread. 

It was one of the darker moments of his life and the idea of someone coming in and trying to force their light onto him was the last thing he needed. Spencer liked to deal with his trauma by wallowing in it on his own, he didn’t need other’s trying to cheer him up, to drag him out of the shadows. He wasn’t looking for someone to try and make it better, to take his pain away. 

And then you showed up and you breathed him back to life without even realising you were doing so.

From the moment he met you he had instinctively gravitated towards you, like you were magnets of opposing poles who were inherently drawn to one another. But his wounds caused by Maeve’s death were still so raw that he wasn’t in a position to open his heart up again. 

So the two of you fell into a wonderful friendship, probably the best one Spencer had ever had in his life. You were the light to his dark, the sunshine on his cloudy day. You were the first sip of coffee in the morning, the crisp pages of a new book. You were his favourite song. 

You were his cure. 

The whole team joked about the two of you, often referring to you as work husband and wife. Truthfully what you had was essentially a romantic relationship minus the intimacy. And at some point Spencer found the scars start to heal and his heart began to open up again without his realising. 

Almost two years after you joined the team, when Spencer kissed you for the first time, it was like the most natural thing in the world. 

You’d been leaving work together one night and you offered him a ride home like always but somedays Spencer enjoyed taking the metro to clear his head after particularly long days. 

He walked you to your car nonetheless and as you were saying goodbye he leant in and kissed the corner of your mouth as though it was something he did all the time. And then he kissed you again, this time directly on the lips and the strangest part of it was how it didn’t feel strange at all.

You never talked about what it meant but you didn’t need to. The next time the two of you went to the movies he slid his hands in yours as you walked towards the theatre. He spent the night with his arm protectively around your shoulders while you snuggled against him. 

And outside of your door after he walked you home, he kissed you again, this time much more passionately. You’d subsequently invited him in and the two of you finally took your relationship to a whole new level. 

You never defined your relationship per se. Somewhere over time Spencer started referring to you as his girlfriend and it was just so simple. 

Your relationship had grown and blossomed as though it was the easiest thing in the world, like you’d always meant to be together. Up until he’d met you, Spencer’s life had been full of complications but you were the least complicated thing in the world. 

You were the full stop to the end of all his paragraphs, you banished all the darkness from his life. You were the cure for everything that ailed him. 

But then he was arrested. 

Being locked in a cage for two and half months for a crime he didn’t commit brought all those demons out of the shadows that you had chased away with your light. He was sure even your sunny aura couldn’t bring him back from this. 

And after his release, he started shutting down. 

It started in small ways, ones in which you didn’t even really notice at first. Conversations became more one sided, his casual touches were few and far between. Then he started leaving for work earlier and earlier and you started getting used to waking up alone in an empty bed. 

During his stints of mandatory leave from the BAU you barely saw him and you knew that was by design. It became apparent that he was avoiding you, pushing you away along with the rest of the team. 

But you weren't the rest of the team. You were his partner, you shared a home together; a life together. You were once able to pull him out of any hell he was going through without even really trying. But this time he seemed so lost you worried he’d never find his way back to you. 

Even when he was home, mentally he was elsewhere. Perhaps he was still stuck inside a prison cell at Milburn, or maybe he was trapped in a perpetual nightmare that revolved around Cat Adams. 

You tried to comfort him, to offer him a reprieve from his dark thoughts but after so many attempts you gave up trying. There was only so much you could do and to be perfectly honest, you didn’t think there was any way of freeing him from the clutches of his monsters. 

Seven months after his release from prison, the two of you called time on your relationship. 

You moved out of his apartment and in with Penelope as a temporary measure while you found your own place. You took an indefinite leave of absence from the BAU while you worked on piecing your life back together. 

You didn’t see or speak to Spencer for several months that followed the break up. You made Penelope promise you not to tell you anything pertaining to him, it wasn’t your job to worry about him anymore. And even thought it killed her to do so, Penelope agreed to do this one thing for you. 

Spencer had allowed himself to get swallowed up in the darkness and this time even your magnificent light wasn’t enough to cure him.

***

Three months after the break up you still felt just as fragile as you did the day you moved out of his apartment. Your heart had taken a beating, it was bruised and battered and it would take a long time for it to heal, you knew that. But after three months you thought you might have made some progress. Instead you were still stuck at square one.

You’d moved out of Penelope’s last month into a tiny little studio apartment not far from Dupont Circle. You hated it if you were honest, but it was better than continuing to put Garcia out by sleeping on her couch. 

You hadn't been back to the BAU since the break up and had recently started looking for other jobs. You’d interview at the DC Field Office and were hopeful to get an offer, but it would be bitter sweet. You loved the BAU, you didn’t want to leave, but you knew you couldn’t work with Spencer again. Not with the way your heart shattered everytime you simply thought his name. 

You were trying to move on, it was all you could do. But what you didn’t realise was Spencer living in a whole new level of hell. 

***

The final nail in Spencer Reid’s coffin was when you moved out of the apartment. And what made it a harder pill to swallow was the fact it was his own fault you’d done so. 

He’d thought he’d been protecting you by bottling up his emotions and not dragging you down into the pit created by his time in prison. He thought if he didn’t talk about it, it would go away. This was one thing you couldn’t shield him from, one thing he needed to work through on his own the way he’d grown so accustomed to doing before he met you. 

But he’d pushed you too far, right out the door. And from there his life simply spiralled out of control. 

He left the BAU, just up and quit one day without any warning. He knew it was terrible timing with you taking a leave of absence but he couldn’t stop himself. He woke up one day and decided he’d had enough. 

For the months that followed he didn’t leave his apartment much at all. He wasn’t eating properly, wasn’t showering as frequently as he should and barely sleeping more than a couple of fretful hours a night. 

To be alone with himself like this for eternity would be agony. Without you there to breathe him back to life his appetite for living died. 

On one of his rare trips outside of the four walls of his tiringly lonely apartment, he brought a vial of dilaudid. He kept it in the middle of his coffee table for weeks, unopened, just as a reminder that he could take it if he wanted to. 

But thankfully it never did come to that. Instead of getting high, a particular rabbit hole he may never find his way out of, he drank. 

In actuality, it wasn’t much better and he knew that. Just because he’d never had a dependency to alcohol before didn’t mean he couldn’t develop one, clearly he was susceptible to addiction. But drinking was the only thing that helped numb the pain, aided in distancing himself from his tormented thoughts. 

Without you the demons were able to sneak closer and he lived with them among the shadows. You were always the one to shoulder the brunt of his misery but now he had to face it alone because he’d pushed you away. The lightness in your heart that he had always envied was gone, casting him forever into blackness.

He needed you here, the cure when his thoughts turned to cyanide, when he was going out of his fucking mind. 

He’d been drunk for more days straight than he could count and with each passing day the dilaudid grew more tempting. He moved it from the coffee table more often, rolling the vial around his hand, tapping his nails against it; contemplating the sweet release that would come with just one hit. 

But it never would be just one hit. 

The things he’d seen and done in prison haunted his every waking breath and seeped over into the small window of sleep he managed. He was never going to be the same after that experience, it had hardened him in a way he never realised possible. 

It had created a shell around his heart, a solid armour snugly encasing the organ in order to protect himself from his own emotions. But ultimately it hadn’t just been himself his emotions had been locked away from. 

In the seven months you stayed by his side after his release he hadn’t once been able to tell you he loved you. It only occurred to him after you walked away that he hadn’t said that to you since the morning he’d left for Mexico. 

In seven months the most physical contact the two of you had was a few occasions when you’d dared to place a kiss on his cheek. You hadn’t kissed properly, hadn’t been intimate, hadn’t even so much as held hands since before he made the decision to go to Mexico. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t think about it. There were multiple times he’d almost initiated something, almost drawn you into his body when you were laying in bed side by side yet miles apart. But he always stopped himself.

The sad fact of the matter was: Spencer didn’t trust himself to be with you anymore. But in order to survive in prison he’d had to become someone he didn’t recognise and it wasn’t so easy for him to shed that new persona. And as if to really drive that point home, when he’d had Cat pinned against the wall with his hand around her throat, he knew he would never trust himself with you again. 

The darkness was inside of him now, leaching into every pore. If he was the kind of man who could have killed Cat, or Scratch, and slept well afterwards, who’s to say where he would draw that line? 

As much as he missed you with every strangled beat of his shattered heart, keeping you away from him kept you safe. And he only ever wanted you to be safe. 

But without you, he may well meet his demise at the bottom of a bottle, or the bottom of a vial.

You were the cure. Your eyes have dug him out of his grave more times than he could ever count. You’ve always been the one to breathe him back to life. 

And so maybe it was inevitable that he called you, perhaps it was a feat in itself that he’d managed months on his own. But when he found himself on his bathroom floor, half a bottle of whiskey clouding his brain and a needle full of dilaudid in his hand, the only thing that was going to stop his relapse was you.

He didn’t expect you to answer but he prayed you would. And maybe someone was looking out for him, maybe there was some kind of higher power smiling down on him because you answered after three rings. 

“Spencer…” your voice was barely above a whisper as you spoke his name. Just those two simple syllables from your lips wrapped him in a blanket of your warmth. 

“H-hi Y/N.” His own was hoarse, run down. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spoken out loud and it showed. 

Tears rolled down his cheeks, heavy and thick as the hand holding the needle trembled. 

“Did you…did you want something?” Your voice held the weight of the pain he’d cause you and made even more tears fall. 

“Uh…” he stared at the needle, brushing his thumb along the plastic tube. This was so unfair of him. He couldn’t do this to you, drag you back into his mess like this. He knew if he asked you would come running in a heartbeat. But it wasn’t fair of him to ask. “It’s nothing. Forget I called.” 

“Are you sure?” Your tone was riddled in concern. 

“Y-yeah. Sure. V-very sure.” He stuttered, choking a little on his own tears. 

Before you could reply he hung up the phone before he could change his mind and beg you to come and save him from himself. He tossed the device aside and focused on the needle. He leant back against the bathroom wall, pulling his knees up to meet his chest. 

The cool tile on his bare feet was a nice repreve, but the dilaudid would be better. 

His shirt sleeve was already pushed up to his elbow, the tie was already secured around his bicep. The needle was full, all he had to do was press it into his waiting vein and all of his problems would melt away. 

But this was one grave he may never be able to dig himself out of. Once he relapsed there would be no going back, no getting sober this time. But his sobriety didn’t mean as much to him as it once had, and perhaps it was worth succumbing to his demons for a chance at peace.

***

Despite how hard he tried to sound like himself, it was easy for you to see through Spencer’s thinly veiled lie. And as much as you didn’t want to involve yourself anymore, you couldn’t help yourself. 

Taking care of Spencer Reid came as naturally to you as breathing. You didn’t intend on doing it, and most of the time he didn’t need looking after. But you did it anyway in small, every day ways. 

You did it in the way you made him coffee every morning before work. You did it in the way you ran your fingers through his hair after a stressful day. You did it in the way you grasped his hand when he needed something to ground him, when you offered him a soft smile of encouragement when he needed it. 

He’d always called you his cure, as though you were the antidote to all the horrors in the world. He’d told you that your smile was the sweetest medicine, that your mere presence in his life was therapeutic. 

So if there was any way you could help him, even after he’d pushed you away and caused you to leave, you would find it and you would do it. Which was why after he hung up on you, you were quickly jumping in your car and driving across town to the apartment you used to reside in. 

The door wasn’t just unlocked but it was open a crack. Immediately your heart started to race and you were so glad you hadn’t officially quit the BAU yet and you were still in possession of your firearm. 

Your hand shook as you pulled the weapon from your holster, nudging the door further open with your shoulder. You made quick work of taking in the room. It looked to be ransacked, like someone had broken in and turned the place upside down in search of something. 

You held your breath as you silently started across the room, manoeuvring in and out of piles of debris left behind in someone's wake. You headed towards the closed bedroom door, gun pointing right ahead of you. You focused your hearing but thus far couldn’t make out any distinctive sounds. 

Pushing open the door, you found the bedroom in much the same state as the living room. You tried not to allow yourself to get sentimental as your eyes swept across the unmade bed and you thought back to late nights and early mornings snug beneath those sheets with Spencer. The bed that was so big but you’d never know it as he always kept you as close as humanly possible. 

The bathroom door, like the front door, was open a crack and a light pooled from inside. It was then you heard the sound of haggard breathing punctuated by loud sniffing, causing the hairs on the back of your neck to well and truly stand to attention. 

As you listened to the unmistakable sounds of a grown man sobbing, you lowered your gun and tucked it back in your holster. 

A deeply disturbed and troubled man had ravaged this apartment but it was not the work of some petty criminal. Spencer had turned his home into a reflection of his own tortured mind, you had no doubt. 

You were somehow more tentative after you knew someone hadn’t broken in. You had never seen Spencer cry before, he always liked to put up a tough exterior, probably something to do with him being the baby of the BAU for so many years. 

You’d seen him vulnerable, probably more than he’d ever let anyone else see him, but you’d never witnessed him with his walls stripped away completely. And honestly, the thought of it scared you a little. 

But no matter how scared you were, despite how much he had hurt you, you pressed on. 

You inched open the bathroom not wanting to startle him and found him on the floor, hugging his legs to his chest and sobbing into his knees. But the truly terrifying part was the vial and needle discarded at his side. A silk tie was fashioned into a tourniquet around his arm.

“S-Spencer?” You gasped, covering your gaping mouth with your hands. 

He stiffened and slowly lifted his head from where it had been buried in the fabric of his slacks. His eyes were red rimmed and tears silently streamed down his cheeks. His hair drooped lifelessly onto his forehead and his face clearly hadn’t seen a razor in months. 

He somehow looked even worse than when you visited him in prison. 

“Why are you here?” His voice cracked and his words were slightly slurred. 

“You didn’t sound like yourself on the phone. I needed to see you with my own eyes.” You heard the sadness in your own tone, unable to hide it. 

“I’m not myself.” He exhaled a breath that sounded like he had been holding it in for years. “I haven’t been since prison.” 

You swallowed, daring to take a few steps further into the bathroom. Spencer let his legs fall and stretch out in front of him on the linoleum and you slid down to sit next to him, the only thing separating you was the drug paraphernalia. As if reading your mind he exhaled again before he spoke.

“I didn’t take it.” He wouldn’t look at you, instead he looked down at his hands. “I wanted to, but I didn’t.” 

“Why are you slurring then?” You watched the side of his face. He clenched and unclenched his jaw several times. 

“Whiskey. Not dilaudid. I swear.” 

“I’ve never known you to drink.” Of course it was a relief that he hadn’t taken the drugs, but hearing that he was drunk wasn’t a whole lot better. 

“I hadn’t had a drink in nearly ten years. I gave it up around the same time as I quit dilaudid, I guess I worried it would become one vice replacing another. But I needed something. And alcohol was the lesser of two evils.” He was still slurring but he was surprisingly coherent. 

It didn’t surprise you in the least that Spencer could still string a logical sentence together when he was inebriated. 

“Why did you call me, Spencer? Of all the people you could have called, why me?” You whispered as though you weren’t entirely sure you really wanted an answer to that. 

He finally looked at you, glancing to his side with his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He ran his tongue along his bottom lip in contemplation for a moment or two as though formulating a carefully curated answer. But really, the answer was incredibly simple. 

“Because you’re my cure.” He shrugged, his tears had dried up but the stains on his cheeks remained. “And right now I am in desperate need of remedy.” 

“Spencer…” You sighed, your own eyes misting over with tears. “I was always here for you, you could have talked to me about anything but instead you shoved me aside and tried to deal with things on your own.”

“I’ve never been very good at asking for help. I’ve only ever been able to rely on myself. People leave. People aren’t reliable. But you…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “You brought the kind of sunshine into my life I could only dream of. You have saved me in more ways than you will ever know. Your mere existence in my life has been more help to me than I can explain to you. That’s why I call you my cure, because it's the best way I can think to describe what you are to me.” 

“I knew you would be different after prison, Spencer. No decent man can go through an experience like that and come out unchanged. But in your bones you are still the Spencer Reid I fell in love with.” You tried to tell him much like you had countless times in those torrid seven months. You hoped this time he might actually hear it. 

“I’m really not sure that I am, Y/N.” He raked his fingers through his tangled hair with a meek shake of his head. 

“I am.” You nodded. “I’m sure. Spencer, whatever you had to do inside was for your own protection. It was every man for himself and you did what you did to survive. And Cat…? After everything she’s done to you, I wanted to strangle the bitch too.” 

Spencer’s eyes widened, looking a little like deer caught in headlights. He was gnawing on his bottom lip haphazardly as he stared at you. 

“Really?” 

“Yes, Spencer.” 

“Do you really think I can come back from this?” 

“Yes, Spencer.” You repeated, defiance in your voice. “And I’m going to help you. Whether you want me to or not. Because my love for you is stronger than the pain you caused me. I will be by your side, showering you in light until there is not even a sliver of a shadow for your demons to hide in. Let me be your cure, Spence.” 

You reached out your hands towards him, palm upwards and fingers spread to create enough space for his own to slot between them. He glanced between your face and your hand a few times before his lip quipped up ever so slightly at the corner in a small smile. 

And then he reached for you, his fingers finding those spaces between your own that always seemed like they were made intentionally to fit his. It was as though someone had crafted you both perfectly for each other. 

Spencer had never been a believer in higher powers but it was the only reason he could fathom for how you had found him. 

In a world consisting of nearly eight billion people, what were the chances of the two of you meeting? What were the odds of two perfectly imperfect people finding each other and slotting together in such an inconceivably faultless way? 

As you sat there hand in hand, Spencer knew he would do anything to keep you by his side for as long as he lived. Even if it meant allowing you to see all his flaws, all his cracks. Because he was certain now you would love every one of his broken pieces. 

You were the light casting away his shadows. You were the air being breathed into his lungs. You were the thread holding him together. 

You were the cure. 

[mrsnancywheeler]

the official w.i.p list

masterlist

disclaimer: asks get eaten sometimes, I don't get all of them and I'm so sorry for that. also I have so many requests that it's just inevitably going to take me a while to put the effort and thought necessary into each thing I write. I try to space out requests and my personal things I want to write so there's variety but sometimes I just want to write something in that moment so I will and it will get done faster. that being said I love your requests and asks so much and really just want to put the most effort I can into each story to make sure you feel like you for the bang for your buck yk. love you all 💋

𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖏𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖘

the rest of the river

finnick x virgin!reader

finnick x reader x annie modern college!au

𝖗𝖊𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖘: 𝔦𝔫 𝔬𝔯𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔬𝔣 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫

angst with fluff one-shot, reader with self-esteem issues

fluffy one-shot, finnick teaching reader to swim

finnick with reader who has an english accent

one-shot based off of 'slut!' by taylor swift

one-shot based off of 'she' by dodie

angst one-shot, reader thinks finnick is cheating

one-shot jealous!reader, fake dating and mutual pining tropes

notting hill au with smut

one-shot where reader is based off of the archer by taylor swift

✨smut✨ we'll see which of the two options I pick when I get here

fluffy, smutty part two of let me down easy

an angsty ANGSTY one-shot and like I can't even describe it the request is so good and sad and I'm just gonna drop this one on you guys without explanation 💋

one-shot, finnick x reader x annie reunite in district 13, a fluffy, smutty girlie

one-shot based off of mastermind by taylor swift

not to be dramatic but this might be the series after the river is done because it's a soulmate, royalty au request and since I've said finnick and his sweet girl are every lifetime maybe I'll just use this as an opportunity to explore them in said other lifetime 💋

one-shot where reader is taken by Capitol, forgets about finnick, but they were in their enemies to lovers arc

one-shot based off of paper rings by taylor swift

fluffy rivals to lovers type beat with drunk!reader

finnick x short!reader

angsty one-shot, eventual fluff, reader taken by Captiol, forgets everything, closed off, angry, and she's pregnant

pregnant!reader, district 13, angst bc she's scared the baby is someone involved in the trafficking, hurt/comfort things

one-shot based off of I think he knows by taylor swift

one-shot based off of national anthem by lana del ray

how to lose a guy in 10 days au

angsty one-shot, 'cheating' that's actually trafficking, reader gets reaped, breakups, finnick lies and says he's cheating to keep reader safe from snow

model!reader x finnick, hurt/comfort

coincidentally I had two asks about finnick being the one hijacked one right after the other so yeah we're definitely exploring that one

smut, finnick jerking off the picture of reader

finnick x mermaid!reader one-shot

finnick and reader who faints

finnick introducing reader to johanna

finnick x deaf!reader

oral fixation reader one-shot

finnick showing love through non-sexual intimacy

[delopsia]

lewis pullman characters as the weather

Forecast: ✰ Robert “Bob” Floyd, Rhett Abbott, Miles Miller, and Harrison Knott.

Robert “Bob” Floyd: Blizzards. The coziness that comes with waking up in your warm bed to find that a blanket of white has fallen outside. He's the rolling fog that paints your every breath, making his presence known in his own, subtle fashion.

He's got a heart that's often mistaken for being as cold as the ice that covers the lake, but nobody ever speaks of the crackling fire that roars beneath. His love comes in the form of blankets piled high on the couch and snuggling to conserve body heat.

At first glance, he's easily mistaken for the kind of guy who doesn't know the first thing about socializing and romance. A bookworm with a frosty heart who has never had the opportunity to be melted by the warmth of another. They never stick around long enough to realize that he's been the furnace all along, warming each and every person he spends time with.

Rhett Abbott: Thunderstorms. He's the wind that rips around the corners of the house and the thunder that shakes the ground. Everyone loves to say that he's pretty, that they love his brooding clouds and dark colors, but they sing a different tune once he becomes comfortable with them.

He loves with the same intensity of a twister tearing through a vacant pasture. Destructive and eye-catching and beautiful in its own strange way. He doesn't know the meaning of doing things halfway; subtlety is an art he has yet to master, instead screaming his every intention from the rooftops with the hope that it doesn't scare you away.

Everyone wants the dreary aesthetics but nobody wants the damage that can come with it. They love him for the recklessness that leads him onto the back of a thousand-pound animal, but not when blood pours from his knuckles after a bar fight. Everyone craves the ruggedness of his weather but not the mud that tracks in on his boots. They want lightning without the thunder, but to expect that is to split him into two.

Miles Miller: Sunshowers. Miles has always been a fickle little thing; it was a mild trait that only amplified itself with age and the traumas of war. It's hard to commit to rain or sunshine when his emotions jump from place to place like he's on a trampoline. He's the epitome of perfect middles and odd occurrences, rare antiques hidden in a yard sale, and rare, once-in-a-lifetime events.

He's the kind of guy that is easily missed if you're not paying attention. Little drops of rain on a sunny day aren't as eye-catching as one would think, and if you do take notice, it's difficult to pinpoint the source. But then you do, and it's like learning that the secret to the universe was at your fingertips all along, wrapped up in the fluttering blue eyes of a boy too shy to look at you.

It can be irritating when you're not in the mood for rain and damp clothes, but all it takes is one little glimpse at the rain sparkling in the crystal blue sky to remember what makes him so beautiful, to begin with. Perfect and shimmering for you and you alone.

Harrison Knott: Sunshine (and rainbows, with a side of fluffy clouds). He's so warm that getting too close can get you burned. Everything about him is hot; the heat that radiates off him when you're snuggled in bed, his hands always borderline sweating, the thick muscle that ripples across his chest and shoulders...

He walks around with a rainbow arcing over his head and a grin plastered across his face that no storm can dampen. He's the sun, and you're the moon, his light radiating off of you in his darkest moments, simultaneously guiding both of you to the end of the tunnel. You're trapped in each others orbit, spiraling off into eternity.

His smile is the kind of thing that blinds you. You never need a jacket because standing right next to him is enough to melt the frost nipping at your nose. He comes in the form of laughter and hugs, emerging in rays of it like sunlight peeking through the treetops. Some find him too warm, but you've become hopelessly addicted to it.

[kevin-the-bruyne]

TW: explicit discussion of suicide

(ID: Screenshot of Ray in ep4 saying to Sand "A burden to society" after he tells Sand to scold him and insult him) I cannot for the love of everything that is holy get this moment out of my head. Because the way he says it - with this deep fondness and affection - makes me want to want to chew my own fingers down to the bone. Because after that absolutely earth shattering intro where this happens:

(ID: Screenshot of Ray from ep4 where he calls Mew from the bathroom saying "If I'm gone, I won't be anyone's burden anymore, right?) one would assume that Ray wouldn't take being called a burden very well, certainly wouldn't grow an emotional attachment to someone who has called him that multiple times, has expressed his irritation over Ray's clinginess upfront.

And yet that is exactly what happened. So the question is - why? I've seen multiple ppl talk about this so I feel like I don't need to explain here how Ray's friend group aren't particularly good friends to him. Even Mew, who Ray supposedly loves isn't all that affectionate or understanding towards him. Please read this meta for a breakdown of why and how Mew's response to Ray when he calls him from the brink of suicide and for which Ray is so incredibly grateful for - fell laughably short. Ray who's mother never loved him (and it's likely quite nuanced since she quite obviously committed suicide and I can't even begin to comprehend the heights of fucked up abandonment issues that would wreak on one's child), Ray who is yet to mention his father even once, Ray who tells his friends how much he loves them all the time and literally never hears it back - you know, that guy isn't really looking for a grand love, he isn't waiting for someone to see inside his soul and find something wonderful - he's looking for scraps. Literally anything.

He wants someone to look at him, see inside to his festering, broken, ugly core and still find it worth loving, find it worth saving. And Sand? He does exactly that from like Day 0

(ID: Screenshot of Sand and Ray from ep1 in Sand's bathroom where Sand says "How did you manage to live this long" to a passed out Ray) I had lost my entire mind over this interaction in ep1 because Sand has that exact irritation and affection here that one would feel for a troublesome sibling. Like he doesn't really like Ray here in this moment and he's not very secretly very annoyed at him. But no matter what,he will protect him. Ray isn't awake in the above clip to experience it but it just drives me crazy how Sand is exactly the person that Ray has been waiting for, a person capable of very intense albeit pragmatic love. Someone who can call out Ray's burdens and still love him through it (unlike you know...his so called friends). Yes, there are quite overt parallels between the arc of Ray's feelings for Sand and Mew:

(ID: Screenshot of the RayMew kiss from ep4 and SandRay kiss from Ep2 side by side) look at the arch of his body!!!! my man is always freaking reaching out isn't he!!!!!!

(ID: Screenshot of Ray offering to save Mew from ep4 and Sand from ep3 side by side) But that's where those parallels end because Sand and Mew could not be more different as people and Ray has absolutely no way of comprehending the person that is Sand. Doesn't Ray act a little differently around Sand?

(ID: Screenshot of SandRay from ep3 where Sand says "You just don't take no for an answer, do you, Ray?) Like it's funny when Sand had said this but also...doesn't he? Doesn't Ray take no for an answer quite often? Didn't he take Mew's 'no' two years ago and never pestered him about it again? Didn't even bother to do anything about it when Boston was trying to get in his head about Mew at the party and instead went straight back to making fuck me eyes at Sand. When Mew told him not to fight with Top, didn't he immediately back down? Didn't he let Mew walk away with Top without a fight? Ray hadn't felt the need to confess his feelings again or kiss Mew for two years, not until he sees Mew in Sand's POOR BOY shirt. Ray can't stay away from Sand, doesn't have a single clue as to what it is he's feeling for him (please have your life ruined by this gifset) - how could he? How could he possibly know what it feels like to be loved by someone? How could he possibly know what it feels like to love someone?

[flightfoot]

Do you have ML fic rec with supernatural theme? Smt like Spellbound or Bell the Cat thing perhaps?

You're in luck, I love supernatural/fantasy ML fics! I tagged everyone I know the tumblrs for, feel free to tag anyone I missed!

COMPLETE FICS:

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Dreams of You by @chocoluckchipz

Dreams had long been his only escape. Dreams of Ladybug, the girl who had always been there for him. If only in his dreams. And only while she was also sleeping. Because with the first rays of sunshine gliding over her skin, with the first fluttering of her eyelashes, from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, memories of Adrien would vanish from her mind. She would go on living her life. He would always be the only one who remembered. At least until they meet in the real world and fall in love all over again, something that would’ve been easier to do if Adrien wasn't a prisoner in his own home.

---

May I Introduce Myself, Your Highness? by @chocoluckchipz

Whether picking up a stray animal off the streets or saving a dying child at the market, Adrien had always strived to be the best version of himself. Truly, he would've been the perfect candidate to be snatched up by a kwami, were he an orphan, dying somewhere remote after a short life full of nothing but suffering and misery. Yet as it stood, the sole heir to the French throne had little to complain about. Apart from, perhaps, a complete absence of a love life. That is until a mysterious girl, wandering around his gardens at night, catches his attention.

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How Marinette Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Ball by @rosie-b

Hidden from the crowds thronging around the busy fairy portal in Paris's town square, a fae gate sits at the edge of the forest, locked, rusty, and full of ancient magic. Marinette thinks that this abandoned gate must not work anymore... but one day, a fairy disguised as a black cat steps through it.

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a winter so warm by @rosekasa

winters were hard for even the best of vampires, but at least adrien had marinette to keep him warm with her cuddles.

december was going to suck without her. so it was only to be expected to get extra cuddles in before she left, right?

(well, not really, considering those heating supplements he was taking, but she didn't need to know about that).

---

Stitched Together by @nedjsmlfavs

Stitch Witch Marinette was just supposed to be having a nice, terrifying outing with her best friends. She never expected to find a magically trapped kitten, but here we are! Whatever happened to this poor little guy?

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The Mer-Human Race by @rosie-b

Bringing her hand closer to his lips, Adrien tried to plant a kiss on it, but Marinette pulled away before his lips could touch her.

“Save it for your girlfriend,” she said teasingly. “Or do you still not have one yet?”

Adrien smirked and crossed his arms.

“It’s a girl,” he said. “And I know her in real life. That’s all you get. Now, let’s get back to planning, shall we? We have a mermaid to beat.”

---

See This Chance by @19thsentry-blog

Luka died in 2016. Yep. Crushed by the Arc de Triumph when Mayura’s Robustus slammed into it. It was kind of a big deal, but once you’re dead, you’re dead—especially when there’s no Lucky Charm to bring you back.

Luka’s been dealing with it in the typical ways.

Written for FeLuka week 2023.

---

the legend of the firefly by @agnes-writes

“She’s… beautiful.

If he were to describe her, he’d say that they bottled summer in her eyes, and painted the night sky in her hair. Her lips are curved into a wistful smile, eyes trailing the thicket of trees where Adrien stands.

Her gaze sets his heart stuttering in his chest as it softens, and Adrien almost believes that look is meant for him.”

OR: A pair of lovers create a romance that transcends time, and leaves a mark like no other.

---

Anchor by @liiinerle

“Marinette. Please take that sabre out of your neck.”

“Right. Thanks. I forgot it was there.” She grabbed hold of the guard and pulled; the blade slid out like it had only been run through butter. After dropping it on the floor, she picked up one of the teacups and picked up a biscuit from a tin she’d brought in; she placed the biscuit on the saucer plate and handed the whole thing to Kagami, who could only really resign herself to accepting it.

-----

Marinette has raised Kagami from the dead, and also happens to be dead herself. It turns out some bad choices were made in the past. But that doesn't mean they'll lead to bad outcomes for them now.

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delicate in every way but one by katrinette

When Marinette finds a wanted ad that provokes just enough questions in her mind that she can't help answering it, the reward is sweeter than she could have imagined.

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whose woods these are (I think i know) by Reiaji

Four years after his future turns to cinders, Adrien is a servant in the house he was meant to inherit. Disowned by his father and abused by his stepmother, his days are filled with drudgery until he meets a masked huntress in the forest behind his father's chateau. As his friendship with Ladybug turns to first love, he dreams of a future spent at her side. Then, on the eve of the Princess's masquerade, he meets his guardian—and is granted a wish. [Ladrien Cinderella AU]

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don't you worry child by @mexicancat-girl

Marc and Nathaniel have a good life, married and living together in a cottage in the woods. But they consider having children at some point. Marc in particular really wants to start a family with his husband. He knows the fey are real, so he goes searching in the woods to find one to strike a deal. He may get a bit more than he bargained for in the process.

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hella enchanted by @xiueryn:

Years ago, Marinette's father died and she was left with her awful stepmother. With magic forcing her to obey every command, she lived as a servant and gave up hope. When a man appears, searching for the very fairy that blessed her, Marinette decides to give life one more try. AU.

(a different ella enchanted au.)

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How Could I Not? by SorryJustAnotherPerson

In fairy tale books, Princesses were saved by nights from ferocious dragons. Those books were not their story, but Rose was happy to flip over a new page with her Juleka every single day.

Many years ago, she was put to this tower by her parents and her kingdom, along with a fire breathing dragon, so she could find her prince charming one day. How foolish for them to not calculate her falling in love with the dragon. I mean seriously.

How could she not?

Once Upon A Time by kao_rei:

"Humans fear wolves. I mean, we're horrible, sickening creatures, aren't we?" Adrien laughed.

"I don't think so," Marinette muttered. "Well, not anymore when I met you."

Marinette's days are all the same—she puts on her red cape, makes deliveries for her parents' bakery, and goes home to rest before another busy day. Adrien is a wolf-boy who watches her from afar, awaiting the day they finally meet to change their stories.

While falling in love may bring about some challenges, they're willing to fight through them together because they'd never settle for a "the end". They want a "happily ever after", too.

(In which Marinette is Little Red Riding Hood, Adrien is the Wolf, and they fall in love somewhere between deliveries, flower fields, and shiny red apples).

---

life's waiting for you by @mexicancat-girl

Marc is the shy and soft-spoken Prince of the Underworld, used to being ignored at best and feared at worst. He greatly admires Nathaniel, the Prince of Nature, who’s much too out of his league. Handsome, kind, charming, and charmingly modest, with hair as red as a rose and talented artists' hands. Yearning for the love of a nature deity when he’s a deity of death is beyond ridiculous, so Marc keeps his hopes low. But an encounter at the border between the Underworld and the surface leads the two to speaking, which leads to Marc showing Nathaniel his writing and Nathaniel his art. And from there blooms a beautiful friendship…Or maybe more.

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to love beauty is to see light by sagansjagger

Young common-mer Adrien will do anything to please his father, Gabriel Agreste. Adrien will even alter his tail, that hideous thing. But the sea witch he seeks out is not who he expected. A common-mer striking up a friendship with an anglerfish-mer is taboo among mermaid kind, but Marinette Dupain-Cheng is too interesting for Adrien to just leave her alone...

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Ghost of You by its_just_iori

It finally happened. The akuma attacked at the wrong time. They weren't prepared. For the first time, there was a casualty. Someone was killed. Marinette doesn't care that her identity was exposed to the world; she can't stop blaming herself for what happened. If only she'd been ready... if only she'd done more... There's nothing for Adrien to say. There's nothing he can do other than stay by her side and help her through this pain.

---

The Pink Lady: Marichat May 2018 by seasonofthegeek

In this story, Chat Noir, Carapace, Rena Rouge, Queen B, and Paon are the heroes of Paris. The Ladybug Miraculous has been lost for almost a century and it takes all of their combined power to cleanse akumas sometimes but they’ve found something that works since they don’t have another option. Hawkmoth is one of their villains, but not the only one plaguing Paris. Chat Noir happens upon an old hotel one night on patrol and discovers something and someone he didn't expect.

INCOMPLETE FICS

The Beauty of a Rose by properjitterbug

In the small town of Bellerose, Marinette and Adrien are childhood friends while secretly pining for each other. They lead happy lives until one day a long, forgotten promise is stirred awake; changing their lives in ways they couldn't imagine. With time marching on, Marinette is left to chase after ghosts of her past as a strange creature appears in the depths of the mysterious forest. Arc 1: Chapters 1-11: Complete Arc 2: Chapters 12-?: In Progress -- Werecat!Adrien x Marinette

Note: this one's M-rated for a reason.

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what worse luck by GuardianKarenTerrier

He doesn't know what happens. One minute he's struggling against the leash spell, the next he's tripping on his own momentum as the magic suddenly snaps, as he tastes freedom for the first time in- in ever, probably. Adrien doesn't stop long enough to think about where he's going or why. He just bolts. (Marinette's spell goes wildly off-target, but it's a stroke of luck for everyone involved that it does).

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fire lily petals by @fragileizy

“Do you believe in soulmates?” His little witch looks up from her mortar and pestle, setting a heavy book in front of him at the table. The weight of the textbook upsets the flame of their oil lamp enough to scatter and smudge the shadows around them, and he stares down at the page for something to do instead of looking at her glittering eyes. Of course I do, he wants to say. Of course I believe in soulmates. I believe in it every time you look at me, Marinette. It’s as true as the demonic seal that stains my chest at our contract— it’s as true as the demonic seals that burn on your ear lobes that you keep hidden with your hair at our contract. But he’s a coward. He’s nothing more than a coward. The great Chat Noir, the legendary demon who has fought countless demonic wars, who has looked at the concept of death thousands of times, helpless to the way this witch looks at him. “It’s very... fairy-tale-like. Is it not?” Part One: Chapters 1 - 20 Complete Part Two: Chapters 21+ In Progress

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Living With Dragons by @nomolosk

Stifled at home, Prince Adrien just wants to have an adventure. Accidentally captured instead of her mistress, Marinette Dupain-Cheng just wants to go home. But when you're living with dragons, things are bound to get interesting, and both of them might just end up finding something they like better. Set in the world of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede.

[ofmistandmire]

ARC 1 - OUT OF THE ASHES

Nearly four years ago, Scorching Rays was named the Voice of the Kith of the Whispering Grove. He had held a reputation as a proud and strong cat, and it was initially believed that he would lead the Kith into an age of success and honor. However, as the moons passed and Scorching Rays' reign carried on, his true intentions began to be revealed. Power-hungry and remorseless, Scorching Rays slowly transformed into a cruel tyrant before the eyes of his kithmates. With the remainder of the Council finding themselves near-powerless after the appointment of Billowing Bane, Scorching Rays' staunchest supporter, as Head Fighter and Successor, it seemed there was little anyone could do to stop him. Scorching Rays held little regard for the laws and traditions of the Kith, openly defying the Code and going against the Kith's previous commitments to remaining a peaceful presence in the area. With a disdain for Outsiders, he severed many of the positive relationships and alliances the Kith had formed with their neighbors over generations. He also began increasing the militarization of the Kith, ordering members of several Trades to cease their usual duties in favor of increasing patrols, tightening borders, and preparing for battle. Cut off from their former trade partners, and with fewer cats focusing on maintaining the Gardens, Aviaries, Library, and other vital structures, members of the Kith began to experience supply shortages and undue stress. However, any who were brave enough to speak up in opposition of Scorching Rays would be dealt harsh punishments, culminating in the brutal execution of the Head Spiritualist, Devout Tempest, for daring to question his leadership. As the Kith deteriorated under Scorching Rays’ grip, and especially after watching as one of her fellow Council members was struck down, Striking Talon, the Kith's Head Crafter, knew she could not sit idly by. Though she could do little in an official capacity, she began gathering loyal kithmates in secret with plans to rise up and remove Rays from leadership. When it became apparent that Scorching Rays was ready to launch a needless full-scale war against the neighboring Pride of Panthera, she made her move. As she suddenly struck Scorching Rays, her forces rallied behind her and battle broke out in camp, the rebels rising up against the tyrant and his supporters. In the ensuing conflict, Billowing Bane was killed by the vengeful Whistling Shrike, one of Talon's most trusted followers in the rebellion. Scorching Rays was left wounded but alive, and Striking Talon's rebels chased him and his surviving followers from Kith territory, with the promise that they would be met without mercy if they were ever to return. With no Successor remaining, Striking Talon claimed the role of Voice, vowing to restore her Kith to the security and peace they had once known. In an unprecedented move, she appointed Whistling Shrike as her Head Fighter without holding the customary election, citing the need for the support of the Fighters if Scorching Rays were to attempt to return. Now, the cats of the Kith have begun to rebuild their home in the wake of the tumult. And though the dust seems to have begun to settle, a lingering current of anxiety runs through many of them still - their former tyrant still alive, threatening to lunge from the shadows and return to claim his place once more. Still others may find themselves doubtful of their new leader - can a cat who seized power by force truly lead with a pure heart? Or is the true threat something far older and deeper than anyone could have imagined?

Of Mist and Mire will be taking applications for our first opening from March 1st to March 22nd, 2024. More information to follow in the coming days, including adoptable characters.

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[motherakuma]

It's late

Hi, yall. It's late, I need to go to bed, I need rest, and I just had a big day.

I miss Solar, a lot. And the old Moon and Lunar. Idk why, it just hurts tonight.

Uhhh I had a fanfic idea, because I heard the song Wet by Dazey and the Scouts. So, hear me out.

Eclipse, he had just gone through a breakup with Sun. (Insert dramatic lore and plot, how they got together, why they broke up)

So, he's sitting there, in his room, without Sun. Missing them, etc. Thinking about how pathetic he is and how he really doesn't need Sun.

Depression arc, ykykyk

But he can't stop thinking about how Sun made him feel loved. His personality, his mind, his body, etc. Yadadadadada.

So yeah, small idea, might flesh it out later.

I need to work on my original fic, but take a little drabble I wrote tonight:

(Slinking down into the floor, he inhaled sharply. The soft sounds of his mechanics only reminding him of how empty his room now was.

Stars did Eclipse miss him. The way he laughed, how he walked, talked, sung, blinked, moved, anything. Absolutely anything Sunrise did was...Fucking beautiful.

Sniffling, hot, building pressure continued to press harshly against his eyes. The warm, rushing fluid that worked as his blood seemed cold now. Long, lanky legs pulled up to his chest, head buried within his arms, he took another long 'breath.'

He wanted Sun to tell him that he was okay, that everything would work out. He wanted to be overstimulated with love, he wanted to he suffocated in their kisses and affection. He wanted to drown, to choke. To cry, to hide.

He wanted it more than anything. To be held again, to laugh with them.

Oh stars...They really, royally fucked this up, didn't they?

Trembling, he pulled at his rays, trying to find some kind of grounding. The smell of lemon cleaner, hand sanitizer, and sunnydrops were burned into sensors.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck- you weren't supposed to miss a person like this-? This was obsessive, creepy, not okay!

Well, damn, when was he ever okay?

Recoiling in on himself, he burned in shame. It was scorching, and searing. Melting through his dignity and right through his motherboard.

He was so fucked up without Sun.

It was a shame sun was better off without him.)

Boom. That was the thought. Idk what else to do, goodnight icecubes. <3

[soleminisanction]

What comic issue did the whole kon v steph showdown happen? In which he basically called her a poser? I’m wondering what the rest of the young justice teams reaction to her was. I think greta tried to kill her at one point? I don’t think she’s very well liked among that team, but it also makes me wonder if she’s very well liked in the wider hero community at all besides her small group of vigilantes she’s enmeshed herself with through getting involved w Tim and to a lesser extent Batman? What are your views?

Teen Titans (2003) issue #13:

That's it in its entirety. The bit with Tim and Conner is very much the story's B-plot, the A-plot is focused on Beast Boy and the rest of the Titans back in San Fran.

As for Steph and Greta -- it is true that Greta is the one member of YJ that Steph ever truly interacted with during that time period. I actually wrote up a whole thing here about the arc of those interactions, but it was kind of off-topic with your question and also long enough that it really deserves its own post, especially because lining it all up together without the multi-year gap between plot points gave me a revelation about how the story actually went.

I'm going to try to get that post up in the next day or so to prove my point but the summation here is: the first time they met, Greta explicitly didn't try to kill Steph -- but afterwards, Steph framed it as "she tried to kill me in a jealous rage" and people took Steph's side because part of Greta's story was that her "good people bad powers" thing made her kind of sus and that's what eventually drove her to join Darksied.

So while Steph did get mentioned in YJ, including getting brought in to help as part of the invasion of Zandia in issues 50-52, her only significant contribution there was a very brief stand-off with Greta and getting stuck in a bubble with a several other 90's characters who I'm pretty sure don't exist anymore.

The only other person I recognize here is Lagoon Boy. The pink filter doesn't help.

Other than that, the only interaction Steph's had with any member of Tim's friend group is the one issue of Teen Titans (2003), #66, where they're doing this membership drive thing and Steph (recently back from faking her death) tags along so they can pretend that maaaaybe she's going to join the team, but actually she's just there to have a very brief interaction with Traci 13 and Bombshell.

And an even briefer, awkward stare-down with Cassie that's only there because she and Tim's budding romance had been awkwardly cut short just so he could back to Steph the very instant she got back from faking her death no matter how little sense that made.

And then Steph wasn't even interested in joining the team anyway she was just there for quote, "moral support" as Tim told Cassie he needed to take a break for a while and focus on the pre-Final Crisis chaos going down in Gotham.

Stephanie has never spoken to Bart, Anita, Slobo, or Ray so far as I know. She's never even met Cissie because the Arrowette who went to Zandia turned out to be Bonnie in disguise.

Pre-Flashpoint, the only other people she'd met outside of Gotham are Supergirl (whom she met in World's Finest (2009)) and Squire, who's still technically a Bat even if she lives in England. Stargirl and Miss Martian show up alongside Bombshell and Supergirl towards the end of Steph's solo series but they come out of nowhere only because BQM had wanted to make them part of Steph's entourage at some point but didn't get the chance, so I don't really count them. Nor do I count her showing up in a group shot at the end of the Gail Simone Wonder Woman, since that was just a line-up of cameos from every female hero she could get at the time.

So with all that as the preamble, to answer your second question: no, I don't think Steph is very well-liked by the wider superhero community. I also don't think she's disliked. I think the vast majority of heroes and villains have no idea who she is.

If they know her at all, it's probably as, "That girl in the purple that Cass is always hanging out with" or "Robin's ex-girlfriend who faked her death that one time" or maybe even as, "There was a girl Robin at some point right? I feel like I heard that somewhere," particularly since there was a big media shake-up after War Games. Heck, they might even know her as, "Cluemaster's daughter; she runs with the Bats, yeah? Heh, sucks to be Arthur" since he's actually gotten around more than her just by virtue of being on the Suicide Squad.

But as Spoiler, as Batgirl, as a hero? Basically unknown outside of Gotham. She's always been too much of a supporting character to develop those kinds of connections.

[ririya-translates]

Suzu Orimaki's Story

Huge apologies at how delayed this post has been. This is Suzu's concept art short story (original). It was written by Shin Towada (lead game writer) with concept art by Lownine.

I had another version posted earlier to Twitter closer to Suzu's birthday (Jan 19) but it was a difficult time for me so I wanted to post the cleaned up version @otomemories so kindly helped me out with editing. Please check out her NejiKisa doujin translations! This story takes place before the first play so spoilers are quite minimal.

A young man is brought to the gates of Univeil by an image of true radiance he once saw shining on its stage. He is guided by this brilliant aura until this moment when the theater he has so admired stands before his very eyes.

The sun’s rays beam down heavily on him, as if piercing through the bright blue sky. He leans against the railing, his body bathing in warm light. His name is Suzu Orimaki and he’s a brand new student at Univeil Drama School.

The weather is as sunny and lively as Suzu himself. He has always had an eye-catching brightness to him- one strong enough to make him stand out from his fellow Quartz classmates just by being there. His exuberant energy alone is enough to earn him a promising new future as a Jack. After a long day of grueling classes, he has finally earned himself a break.

“This place really is amazing…” Suzu mutters to no one in particular with a slight turn of his head. Towering above him is a large art fixture. At Univeil Drama School’s all-boys dormitories, every class resides in a separate dorm, each designed with a distinctly different style by various well-known artists. The unique features of each class are conveyed through architecture that overflows with imagination, and of course, the Quartz dorm is no exception. The outer glass walls can be seen filled to the brim with sunlight, and near the top of the building stands the Quartz namesake, an enormous crystal designed to look as if it were piercing the heavens. Suzu enjoys the rooftop not only because it grants him the ability to spot other people, but also for its brilliant view of the entire city that his campus resides in- Tamasaka, built halfway up the side of Mt. Oodate.

“Another busy day today…”

A winding downward path stretches from the school to the station. It’s filled with a mixture of shops and restaurants, as well as time-worn buildings shadowing the city’s days as an old post town-- relics of a bygone era. A town like this entices not only residents, but also thousands of tourists flocking to see the city's symbol, The Tamasaka Troupe. Of course, Univeil is considered a part of this as well.

Long ago, Suzu himself had made the long climb from the station up this hill to see a Univeil performance. His vision shifts from the town back to the campus’s theater.

“.....”

Suzu backs off of the railing, pushes against the ground with the tip of his left foot, and then smoothly spins around. After happily surveying the scenery, his face tightens and a powerful voice comes from his lips.

“All right!” Pushing his toes up against the ground, Suzu waves his arms high above his head. As his feet hit the floor, the momentum gives his powerful steps a burst of energy. Jumping, falling, jumping, falling… a rhythm begins to form. In the back of Suzu’s mind, he visualizes the dance moves an older student demonstrated for him. Doing his best to recreate it, Suzu continues to dance. However…

“Ahh! It’s no use!” Suzu grasps his head in his hands and arcs himself backwards. He just can’t seem to get his movements to match correctly.

“Hah… I really can’t figure this out without him. But we’re running out of time until the newcomers' performance…” Suzu leans against the railing once more, this time with his head held low.

Univeil holds five performances a year. In the first one, the Newcomer's Performance, first-year students are required to take the stage as leads. In less than two months of prep time, he would be standing on the Univeil stage- the very same stage that once enraptured him from the audience.

“I’m not gonna lose to something like this!” Suzu screams while forcibly extending his drooped body.

“Wha-!?” Someone meets his shout with a surprised gasp.

“Hmm? That voice…” He bends down over the railing, leaning down to take a look at the person gazing up towards him. Their eyes collide.

“Yonaga! I thought it was you! Hey!”

“Hey, Suzu.” It’s another one of his fellow Quartz first-years. Soshiro Yonaga’s face softens as he looks up at Suzu. He is the type of person to face anything and everything with complete seriousness; his vivid imagination allows him to delve deeply into his creativity, but he often struggles with caring too much about trivial things. To Suzu, he's a classmate and a familiar face.

“Oh, are you by yourself, Suzu?” He asks as if looking for someone.

“If you’re looking for him, he’s not here.”

“Ah, I see. He wasn’t in the practice room, so I thought maybe he’d be out here with you.” The conversation continues without either of them ever specifying the name of the person in question, but they both know that they are thinking of the same person. He’s another Quartz first year with a delicate demeanor that’s the polar opposite of Suzu’s. He has the full potential to become a Jeanne. The three of them were often together as a trio.

Yonaga is his childhood friend who always seems to be worried about him no matter how busy things get. Unfortunately, Yonaga's attempts to help often end in him being helped instead which often upsets him. Suzu, on the other hand, sees this person as a partner in crime who always encourages him when they're paired up together as Jack and Jeanne. Even the dance Suzu did just moments ago was meant to be performed with another person at his side. More than anything, it's a friendship where they can inspire each other to improve. After thinking about Yonaga’s words for a moment, Suzu remembers something.

“Oh, right! He went to the music room.”             “He did?” Yonaga asks, subtly pressing for more details.

“Yeah, for singing practice! Man, he’s incredible…no way I could hit notes that high! He’s different even from the other Jeannes!”

“Uhh, y-yeah…” Praise for his childhood friend seems to make Yonaga uncomfortable.

“How’s it going on your end? With practice and stuff?” Upon hearing the conversation be redirected towards himself, Yonaga’s head suddenly droops like a wilted flower.

“Otori… was saying a bunch of things again today.” “What? You too!?” “Huh? He talked to you as well, Suzu?” Otori is yet another young man who shares both their year and class. He is one of Quartz’s top students, but during rehearsal, he is as critical and irritable as he is handsome.

“Man, he sure is sharp…”

“The things he says are definitely accurate, but he always says them so harshly…” Yonaga seems to take Otori’s criticisms far too seriously for his own good.

“Don’t worry too much about it, man! Just think about how good it will feel to prove him wrong! You’ve got this!” Upon hearing Suzu’s encouraging words, Yonaga lifts his head.

“You’re right. I’ll go practice too.”

“Alright!” Suzu exclaims with energy as he watches Yonaga walk away with fresh determination, finally able to return to his solo practice after the change of pace. Batteries recharged and full of newfound energy, he decides to take in one last glance at the rooftop view before heading back to the dance room.

“Hmm?” Suzu narrows his eyes at another student making his way to the dorm. There’s no mistaking it-- it’s the friend that he and Yonaga were referring to earlier. But he isn't alone; standing off to the side is a tall boy donning the same uniform. It’s none other than his nemesis, Otori, who upon noticing his friend, quickly starts walking in that direction. Suzu has a bad feeling about this.

“That jerk…” With a strong push off the railing, he leaves the rooftop and flies down the stairs towards the dorm. His friend, walking while deep in thought, has yet to notice Otori, who is just a few steps away from closing the distance between them. “Heeey!” Suzu’s loud, booming voice hits his friend’s ears and snaps them back to attention. Their eyes meet.

“I was hoping we could practice together!” He quickly blurts out. The other student’s eyes go wide as he senses something is amiss.

“Sure, okay.” Without looking back, Suzu’s friend quickly runs off towards him while Otori furrows his brows with a harrumph. He was definitely planning to throw around the same heartless words he had aimed towards Suzu and Yonaga, and glares at Suzu in frustration over having his plans thwarted. Suzu only responds with a laugh as he and his friend make their way back to the roof.

“Ah, so that’s why you looked so nervous!” After hearing Suzu explain himself, his friend quickly understands the situation and thanks him.

“Having a rivalry with a classmate is one thing, but… this is more like straight-up harassment, don’t you think!? We’re all working on the same performance, so what’s the point of getting in everyone else’s way? We should all just do our best, you know? Suzu lets out a sigh as his friend nods and approaches closer. After hearing his kind voice, all the previous anger feels silly now.

”I did mean it when I said I wanted to practice, though! Do you wanna?”

“Sure, let’s do it.”  

Up on the roof, their two silhouettes begin to dance. The dance that was so unsure before begins to burst full of energy between the two of them. In the back of Suzu’s mind, he recalls the image of the Jack Ace dancing on stage with the charming Al Jeanne. 

“I knew we could do this!”

Hearing Suzu’s brimming happiness, his friend laughs and wipes the sweat off his forehead. Suzu laughs back. There's a pounding in his chest like he's never felt before.

[marshmallowprotection]

Hi Kait! So about Saeyoung being parentified, can you share more about that?

Saeyoung Choi was parentified at a young age by his mother and this action left a deep impact on him that plagues him to this day. It does not matter what Route you're playing, Saeyoung reacts to his brother in the way a parent should. His dynamic with Saeran is founded by a bond of brothership, it's more like Saeyoung is the parent and Saeran is a child. It's that way by design, and you can thank Mother Choi for starting this unfortunate cycle.

So, to start off, I should explain what it means to be parentified, huh? Parentification is a form of physical and psychological abuse where a child is forced to take on the role of a parent for their fellow siblings in the house, or even their parents.

There are many kinds of this type of abuse, but two key types are notable in Saeyoung's arc.

Emotional Parentification is when you, the child, take on the role of a confidante or mediator. The child feels responsible for the emotional state of the people around them.

You're handed adult emotions and subject matter well before your pain can process what you're going through, and your mind reacts to this by trying to mend the distress. This can look like comforting your parent after they reveal something deeply distressing, like the details of a divorce, or financial issues to you. This can also look like trying to take care of younger family members when they're upset, leading the older child in this situation to comfort and control the situation in the way the adult should.

Instrumental Parentification is the act of giving a child tasks that are too large for them. That looks like a parent telling you to do grocery shopping, pay bills, cook meals for the family, or take care of a sick sibling, for example.

This is the act of giving a child responsibility in the household that they are not ready for. The adults in the situation expect the child to be capable of understanding adult concepts without failure, and the weight of that stress is more than a child's brain can comprehend. It shouldn't be on a child's shoulders to find food for the family or pay the bills, but that's what happens in this type of abuse.

So, now that I've given a definition of this abuse, let's go ahead and talk about Saeyoung's parentification. I don't think a lot of people in this world want to talk about the effects of parentification because a lot of people have suffered this abuse and don't even know it.

Most people see it as a child "stepping up" in a time of need, but that's not something we should condone as a society.

Saeyoung's first foray into the grown-up world was handed to him when his Mother decided she didn't want to leave the house to get her alcohol. She told him to go and fetch her for her, among other a number of other tasks, like grocery shopping and picking up some medication if needed. He has no choice but to obey her whims if he wants to eat and take care of Saeran, too.

This is how Mother Choi talks about him when he's not there. He was useful because she got double the money for the twins, and because he was strong enough to leave the house, run to escape the threat of anyone looking to kill him, and get the alcohol and food she wanted for herself.

Saeyoung knew everything was going to go to his mother first before he or Saeran got to eat or drink.

Because I don't know if you guys are aware of this or not, but Ray reveals to the player in V's Route that their mother used to only give them white bread and rice to eat. The boys were given scraps and if they got lucky... something hardier because Saeyoung managed to smuggle it.

To the point where he has a strong aversion to the taste of bread now. He doesn't want to eat it. It reminds him of being trapped in that house. He'd eat it if he had to, in the same way, Saeyoung and Saeran can eat anything because if you're hungry enough, trust me, you'll try to do anything to not starve.

I know a lot of people haven't played Rika's Behind DLC, but years into running errands and taking care of tasks for his mother, Rika sees mistrust and fear on his face. She doesn't get it at first, but considering the fact that she also suffers from abuse, it starts to make sense to her the longer she interacts with him. She saw her trauma in Saeyoung... similar to how she starts to see her pain in Saeran, too.

Rika's intentions were compassionate at first as a person who saw her tortured self in these boys.

Do you know what it would feel like for a child like Saeyoung to spend years running errands for his family on a minimal budget that mostly gets spent on alcohol, not only fearing that the money he had wasn't going to be enough but knowing his biological father was around the corner waiting to kill him?

Saeyoung lived in fear every day of his life but he wasn't allowed to be afraid. He had to be a big boy for Saeran and survive the scary places he was sent to otherwise his brother would be alone. Saeyoung knew he had to survive so Saeran wouldn't be alone. That place was bad as it was when it was the two of them, but if they were alone...?

If it was just Saeran alone or Saeyoung alone?

Well, we know how Saeran later describes it in the secret ending. It took V and Rika a few weeks to get everything together for Saeran, but in that time, Mother Choi spent hours denying Saeran food and water because she couldn't find Saeyoung. Saeyoung was right to be afraid of those things, but the problem is that he shouldn't have had to have lived that way.

He was a child just like Saeran.

Saeyoung would never acknowledge that fact, though. But, he was a child forced into the role of an adult. There hasn't been a moment in his life where he wasn't playing the grown-up... unless we counted a couple of years where he couldn't walk or talk.

There's a reason why he wouldn't admit he suffered this, though. He doesn't want to ever admit he was hurt because he thinks Saeran's trauma is valid in comparison to his. Sure, he got hurt, but he's the "responsible twin". He is the "grown-up". He is the "big brother". I'm sure Saeyoung's MCs are aware of that because that's why he's so damn resistant to being vulnerable with you!

It's because of this trauma!

I'm not going to dump every example into this post, but I will point out these screenshots in particular to make my point. This is how a child who is aware of financial instability acts.

The next thing Saeyoung became aware of was how important money was. He spent all his time trying to run these errands for Mother Choi, and even if he didn't know how to count on his fingers and toes, he had to learn fast.

If he's only given so much money, he has to debate what to pay for and what he can and can't get. "Mother told me to get the "x kind of alcohol and that costs y, but we need more of this food for us to be able to eat, but the food costs z. What do I do?" He learns faster than anyone that if he wants to get out of that house, they need to get a lot of money, fast. They can't touch whatever Saejoong sends them.

She'd notice Saeyoung taking that money. Mother Choi might not be all there in her later years as alcoholism rots her brain, but if there is one thing she knows, it's that her brand costs XYZ and she better be able to afford that since Saejoong sends the "ZYX" amount.

Money is a serious problem for many families. I can tell you from firsthand experience that being exposed to the money insecurity around me at a young age made me paranoid about the concept of money. Why do you guys think Saeyoung buys those cars? He has those cars because they're easy to get rid of for quick cash if you're desperate. He loves being a mechanic, but it's not just about those cars.

It's about the money.

Every dime he makes from the agency isn't something he considers to be safe. That's why he keeps extra items in his bunker to get rid of if he needs to make quick cash. The game itself doesn't go into detail about how many different bank accounts Saeyoung has or where he stores his money, but it's worth noting that Saeyoung has as much in his pocket as Jumin does, if not more. He just doesn't spend it due to the fear he has.

What if Saeran needs that money?

It's not "What if I need that money?"

It's "What if Rika or V asks me for money to help him and I can make that happen?" and it's "What if the agency explodes someday and I'm free to live with Saeran? I want Saeran to have everything... all of it. I need to be able to have a limitless amount of money so he's never without."

So, he's determined to find another way to make money to help his brother escape. Have you guys ever noticed Saeyoung's language in the game when he talks about escaping? It's never about him. There isn't a moment where he considers his wants or needs. That's due to the fact that he's been trying to care for Saeran first and foremost. It is his job, not only because his mother told him to do it, but because he feels like it's his destiny to protect Saeran as the big brother.

That brings me to what Saeyoung understood as his job from the minute he could understand abstract thought and walk.

The fact that Saeyoung believes it's his job to take care of Saeran's emotional regulation. Every choice he's ever made in his life was to protect Saeran from becoming aware of how much danger existed around them. Every time Saeran cried, Saeyoung took it personally, and he jumped into action to help Saeran calm down.

He spent those days trying to distract Saeran, tell him stories, or he would create games to keep his mind off the ropes on his ankles and the storm in the other room. Of course, Saeyoung was a child just as his brother was, and he wasn't the best at "being the parent".

There were moments when Saeyoung couldn't help himself, and he would cry or scream at Saeran without meaning to. Saeyoung would feel a great deal of shame after it and mask his emotions even deeper to survive as Saeran's caretaker. In fact, I had a bitter chuckle when I glanced through the Secret Ending to grab examples of this fact and a nurse outright called Saeyoung "Saeran's caretaker".

I can clip hundreds of examples where Saeyoung focuses on Saeran's emotional state before his own. This is an example I explained. Where Saeran mentions a time when he tried to argue with Saeyoung about how he felt and Saeyoung screamed at him. Saeyoung wants to make a better world for Saeran so Saeran can be a child... and he just can't accept that Saeran is aware of how dire things are.

He's been trying for years to keep Saeran in a state of naivety for his protection. Saeran was never naive, though. He knew better, but he saw how hard Saeyoung was trying... he didn't want to get yelled at for telling Saeyoung what he really felt.

Saeran wanted to be just like Saeyoung because Saeyoung was the "strong one". He saw his twin brother being "grown-up". Why wouldn't Saeran start to view Saeyoung as more of a parent? You don't have to call someone your parent to view them as a parent, and that is very much the case for the younger siblings who count on their siblings for that bond.

Saeyoung has a horrible habit of saying: "If I am strong, then you are strong. You're me and I'm you." It was the only thing he could think of to help Saeran when they were kids. It's poetic and thoughtful, but it isn't helpful for Saeran's emotional regulation. It placed the weight of his strength on Saeyoung and Saeyoung alone. Saeran didn't want to do that, but Saeyoung kept doing that over and over again.

Saeyoung was a child who tried his best with what he was given, but again, he was a child who had to throw glue at the wall until he made himself believe something stuck. A major problem with Saeyoung at his core is that he can't see Saeran as anything but a helpless child... he infantilizes Saeran quite often. The last time he saw Saeran, that situation was different.

He was playing the role of Saeran's parent and Saeran depended on him for everything. He has a very hard time stepping outside of that role. Saeyoung plays the role of a caretaker as best he can, but that's a problem. Saeran isn't a child and neither is Saeyoung anymore. He's got to do what's right for Saeran, but Saeyoung continues to think he knows best no matter what because he's Saeran's caretaker.

He can't shut that mentality off. It's going to take a lot of therapy for Saeyoung to confront this fact, but in the Secret Ending, there isn't any moment of time he can spare for that. He's still busy living in the worst nightmare of his life. He won't let himself focus on recovering from the gunshot wound, nor will he work on physical therapy when he needs to. He neglects his needs because he's afraid for Saeran at every turn.

In some regard, we, the players, understand why that is. We know the truth that others don't. If Saejoong finds out about them, they will be killed for it. There is only so much Jumin can do to protect them, and he's already doing more than any average person would.

Saeyoung is aware that the hospital wants to sedate Saeran for the violence he's displayed to doctors and nurses. But, he knows that his brother doesn't want to be drugged again. He is in a crisis of morality for days. What's the right thing to do? He knows Saeran needs to be in the hospital but he can't let that continue.

He feels that he knows better for his brother at the moment.

He knows Saeran will stay in a hospital room to get the help he needs.

But, how long before someone finds out? Even Jumin points out that the risk of his father finding out about Saeran is high. Saeyoung has to make a painful choice. Remove Saeran from the hospital knowing that it's not good for Saeran's mental health or keep him trapped in a psych ward knowing it might get him killed. He did what he thought was right.

It's a difficult question.

But, Saeyoung didn't think twice. He knew he had to make a hard decision to save Saeran's life. He didn't discuss anything with anyone else. He just acted. He acted with the knowledge that he is the only one who understands what Saeran needs. He is the only one who is capable of protecting Saeran. He can't trust anyone else ever again.

He will be the adult, the grown-up, the parent, and the big brother. I have to point at this exchange as a good example of Saeyoung being the one who feels like he has to regulate Saeran's emotions. Look at how he speaks to Saeran, begs with him, pleads with him, and tries to play the parent who doesn't know how bad it was but wants to do something to make it right.

"I was awed there was something in this world I had to protect. I'm blessed to have someone that I need to protect. Thank you, Saeran... for being there so that I can protect you. You existing beside me gives me one more reason to live."

That is the language of a man who has no life purpose but to be a parent to his twin brother his entire life. He says outright that his job was to make sure that Saeran could stay alive no matter what. He is the last person who should be trying to break through to Saeran in this situation about what it means to want to live or die, but he feels that there is no other choice.

What is Saeyoung's purpose if not to be Saeran's parental figure? His caretaker? Even as he starts to heal and learn how to live with his MC in a world that he wants to live in forever... he is going to be grappling with that question.

This doesn't change at the End of Secret Ending when Saeran and Saeyoung have their "breakthrough."

Saeran still looks to Saeyoung for an answer and Saeyoung wants to give one. In fact, the reason why Saeran decides that it's not worth it to kill himself isn't just due to the fact that he realized that Saeyoung would do anything for his happiness, even die.

It's also because he realized that Saeyoung will not let him die. He doesn't want Saeran to die and he won't Saeran do it. That doesn't stop Saeran's suicidal thoughts. He simply becomes apathetic after this. He knows he can't die no matter what he does, what's the point in trying again? He doesn't have a sudden revelation. He just learns that Saeyoung won't quit trying to save his life.

Saeyoung: "Let's go back to how we were. We've survived so much. Our happiness now can shine brighter because of that."

Saeran: "I hated that about you. I hated how you were positive about the future, and yet, I admired it at the same time too. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt this time if only because that's the only choice I have right now."

Saeyoung, my dearest, you can't go back. This sets up how I view the way Saeyoung will treat Saeran going forward until he gets into some therapy and acknowledges what he went through. This doesn't make Saeyoung a bad person, but it does show the player how Saeyoung's unable to stop seeing himself as a child who had to be a grown-up to survive. He needs to accept that Saeran is a grown-up and that he's a grown-up, too.

Saeran should be allowed to do what he wants, and outside of doing the right thing by removing sharp objects and more things like that outside of that bunker, as well as offering emotional support when it is asked for, Saeyoung should learn who his brother is today instead of thinking of him as the baby who clung to him when they were both stuck in that nightmare home.

Just as Saeran should give Saeyoung a chance to show who he is as an adult, too, when he's ready. He doesn't need to see Saeyoung as a savior or a caretaker, and he doesn't want to, but they need time, the both of them, to get out of that place. I think with time, therapy, and the help of MC will do wonders for this.

I know I didn't get into where this would play out in Another Story, but it's the same sentiment. But, in that situation, Saeyoung has no choice but to be forced into seeing Saeran's autonomy as an adult. It's far different than what we're shown in Saeyoung's Route. I know the game doesn't cover this either, but I have to add something else to this.

You know V's murder is something that Saeyoung is going to take the blame for. Saeran is never going to be blamed in Saeyoung's eyes and I don't see that changing even as they get better. He will say it's a sin he committed since he was the one who put Saeran in that position, to begin with.

It's painful to think about but it's the truth.

Saeyoung will gloss over Saeran's actions because he is his brother. That's going to cause issues later on as Saeran takes ownership of his actions. He won't be able to talk about those things with his brother... because Saeyoung will excuse him. "It's my fault. Blame me. I failed you as a big brother. Your actions were mine. They weren't yours. I'm the filthy sinner. I am Luciel. I am Lucifer. I take your sins and cleanse you of them."

Saeyoung became a monster and he feels like Saeran shouldn't be called one when he already took the burden as Saeran's other half. That's a part of what he can't admit to himself. That he feels like a parent who must take care of everything that happened to Saeran as if it were his sin instead.

I feel like this is a part of Saeyoung Choi that a lot of people can relate to, but it's the pain of knowing that he hasn't realized how deep this trauma runs in him.

[kelyon]

Tell us something about the old fandom days?

Have you ever heard the legend of the Chipped Dagger fandom?

Back in the day, when season 2 was airing, both Rumpelstiltskin's dagger and the chipped cup were having a rough time. They were being stolen, broken, threatened--it's a hard life for inanimate objects.

Apparently, during a livestream (probably the ancient and storied Rumbelle Movie Club) the topic was brought up of how Rumple could go about protecting his most important possessions. The answer the hivemind eventually came up with was to turn them human. The dagger and the cup would have agency to protect themselves (and each other). They could run and hide from attackers. At the very least, Chip could fall moderate distances without shattering.

Somehow, the names we decided on were Chip and Dax. They were kind of a mirror of Rumbelle. Chip was an ultra-femme ray of sunshine and Dax was a living weapon. I think somebody had the idea that Dax had all the dagger etchings tattooed on his back. Chip was blonde and had a chipped tooth.

I want to put into context that the original airing of season 2 had a lot of "mini-hiatuses." Because of award shows and sports, there would be two or three week breaks between episodes. They fixed that in later seasons by having the half-season arcs and a several-month break between fall and spring. I bring this up because we were all suffering from hiatus brain. Belle would get shot at the end of one episode and we'd have a collective panic attack for two weeks before the next episode where it's revealed that her memories are gone and the chipped cup means NOTHING to her and SHE BROKE IT!!

We were looking for any way to make things better.

I don't recall any plots involving Chip and Dax. They didn't go off to fight crime or anything. But there was fanart, and some fics, which I may or may not have contributed to. It was always kind of hazy how romantic the pairing was. Chip was always portrayed as childlike, even though she's a teacup that's at least 28+ years old, and Dax is an ancient symbol of all the dark magic in the world. Usually he was her protector.

Like I said, they were kind of a mirror of their owners. I read somewhere that the animal sidekicks in fairy tales represent the hero's subconscious. (The animals in Snow White are suspicious of the old crone as soon as they see her. The castle objects in Beauty and the Beast are looking for love even when the Beast himself has fallen into despair.) Chipped Dagger came at a very uncertain time for Rumbelle. We were going through amnesia and Lacey and "well, I'll just have to kill him." It was nice to have something that was happier, more wholesome, less complicated. Just a ray of sunshine and her protective stormcloud.

That was what we really wanted at the time.