#and i know he’s a grown man and perfectly capable but it’s just been us

[galazry]

Sick Day

pairing: wanderer x gn!reader [established relationship] genre: modern au, fluff cw: wanderer is like an asian mom here words: 583 a/n: drabble based on this brainrot. had a headache and thought about how wanderer would take care of their sick s/o.

Your head has been throbbing for god knows how long. It seemed that the constant all-nighters you've pulled have finally brought your body down. Good thing you have your boyfriend to take care of you. As soon as he got the news that you were sick, he instantly appeared on your doorstep, ready to take care of you. A sweet act from someone like him. If only he could tone down the nagging...

"What did I tell you? Stop pulling all-nighters! But did you listen? Of course not! Now I'm stuck here, taking care of you."

"You know you don't have to... I can perfectly take care of myself..."

"Don't make me laugh, [Y/N]. Do you think I'm going to let a sick person take care of themself?! Just focus on getting better so you can quit bothering me!"

Wanderer nagged as his hand skillfully cuts an apple for you. Even if he was in the kitchen, you could hear his grumbles and nags loud and clear. In response, you let out a weak chuckle, not moving an inch from your bed. It was a relief that you've submitted your assignments, so that's one thing to worry less about. Though, you can't help feel bad for your boyfriend. After all, you were both supposed to go on your weekly date, but your body had other plans.

"Open your mouth."

"You know I can eat those by myself ri-"

"Just open your mouth, will you?!"

Your boyfriend holds out a piece of apple, waiting for you to do as he says. With a soft sigh, you opened your mouth for him to prevent anymore nags and grumbles from the man. The apple was sweet, not tart, just how you like it. Even though you were more than capable in doing so, it was nice to have someone to take care of you while you were sick.

"Thanks for taking care of me..."

"Hmph, you better be thankful. I can't believe I'm spending the weekend to take care of you. Now, quit talking and eat. After you've finished, go to sleep. I'll make you a bowl of porridge for dinner."

Even though his words seemed harsh, you knew that deep down, he was actually very worried about you. How did you know? Well, with a little decoding and with how he acted— Wanderer going out of his way to go to your place, him buying you all sorts of medicine (most of which you don't actually need...), buying you fruits and cutting them up— it was quite easy to see that he's very much worried about your well being. You, then, followed his say-so; eating the apples before going back to sleep. It didn't take long for your breath to steady itself as your chest rises and falls.

Unbeknownst to you, Wanderer, who had just finished washing the bowl, comes back to stay by your side. A worried expression, that he doesn't dare show in front of you, adorns his face. His hand caressed your head gently in a way that he's sure won't wake you up.

"Please take care of yourself better... I hate to see you get sick like this..."

The silence that surrounds him was unfamiliar. Wanderer had grown used to you being loud and full of vitality that seeing you bed-ridden, looking so weak and pale, hurts him more than he thought it would. He then leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on your forehead.

"Get well soon, my dear."

[jimmy-j-james]

REPLACEMENT

- M!reader x TF!141 (more so reader x Soap, platonic style)

- Proofread: Nope (Will be soon)

- Genre: Angst/Comfort (Originally wasn’t gonna be comfort, I was in an angsty mood and it shows)

- Synopsis: M!reader had to come to terms with the fact that new was better than old. Being tossed aside like an older dog when a family gets a puppy. Kicked to the curb and left alone. Of course, a certain ‘puppy’ just wanted the other’s attention and respect..

- Pt. 2

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It wasn’t uncommon for people to turn back to their roots. Of course not. But.. for a whole group to regress to the mindset of a child? “Out of sight, out of mind.”, that’s what they say, right?

How stupid did he have to be to not notice? He noticed the first day it started. Soap was happily welcomed to the team, treated with such care and love despite his recent joining. And, much to his disliking, he was left alone.

No one was checking in on him anymore, instead all attention went to the new guy. ‘He wasn’t special’, he’d bitterly think, ‘I was alone too’. Not that anyone cared though, of course not, he was perfectly able to handle himself after all. Instead, they paid mind to their new young and foolish sergeant.

It didn’t end there either. His daily encounters with Ghost were stolen, being replaced with Soap. Training with Gaz? Soap was there instead of him. Smoking with Price? He was there too.

It never ended. And the breaking point, as foolish as it was, was the moment he headed to the mess hall for lunch. The teams regular booth was filled, only his spot taken by the rookie.

He knew it was childish. He could have easily dragged a seat over, but it seemed that no one noticed his lack of appearance anyways. He took it as a word from above. He was better off alone.

He didn’t need them anyways. He was perfectly fine with this new routine. Perfectly capable of fending for himself.

He started avoiding them. Removing himself from their lives as if he’d never been there. His schedules shifted, eating within his room, and locking himself away. He trained late at night to avoid others, slept during his moments of free time.

His new habits proved awful for his mind and body, but they worked. Seemingly so, no one even noticed he was gone. They lived their lives with the new guy. Replaced and forgot him with so much ease it hurt.

It felt suffocating. Knowing the people he thought of as family, felt nothing of similarity. It had him wondering so many things. Thoughts he wouldn’t wish upon his greatest enemies.

It never ended. And irregular habits went to unhealthy in a matter of days. He stopped eating as much. Barely slept. Trained until failure in all aspects.

He took everything out on himself. A shell of a man that used to be. It got to the point that he was without care. Life didn’t seem to matter in the case of ‘life or death’.

In his eyes, death had never seemed so welcoming. Like the arms of a loving parent. Coaxing the words of admiration in a tempting manner.

In a blind sighted manner, he craved the release his demise promised. The satisfaction of feeling wanted, no matter what called upon him.

Perhaps, this is the fate he was meant for? He proved his worth, and was denied any sense of reward. But maybe, maybe death was rewarding enough.

Awaiting his chance of freedom, he lied on his bedroom floor. His phone lied idly, playing music he chose to ignore over his own taunting beliefs.

“Sergeant (l/n)?” That voice, one he’s grown to mindlessly hate, calls through the door. It’s followed by a hesitant knock. “Team’s goin’ out drinkin’, thought ya would wanna come..”

It’s clear by his tone that he’s hesitant, or at most anxious. Likely forced down here by the pity of the other’s.

Perhaps if he remained silent the Scotsman would leave him alone. Lowering the volume of his phone and keeping quiet.

“I.. I know yer in there, if it’s worth anythin’ to ya..” The moment is awkward, but he refuses to give up his moments of peace for a pity party. “Ya don’t have to.. just thought it might be awfully lonely in there.”

“Rather not.” He doesn’t even remember allowing himself to speak, body against mind as he shuffles up to sit.

“Oh..” Another awkward minute of silence. “Is it ‘cause o’ me? I didn’t mean to upset you, however I did so..”

“Don’t you have a ‘party’ to get to?” His tone is bitter in reply, though his truth is sorrowful.

“Ay… can I,” He pauses to hesitate “can I come in?”

The man pauses his self pitying, turning to face the door behind himself. He’s sure the boy would have left by now, though he’s proven determined.

Soap feels awkward, shifting weight between legs as he stands on the other side. The door opens, slowly, but surely, revealing the mess of a man before him.

It’s hard to hide his grimace, scanning over his mutual sergeant with concern. He’s thinner, and paler, with heavy bags beneath his eyes. No expression is shown on his face. A hollow show of what used to be.

“You…” Soap cuts himself before he can speak, though it’s clear the other understood.

A frown tugs lightly at his lips, biting against the skin of his cheek as he avoids the Scots eyes. “Yeah.. whatever…”

“Do.. do ya want to watch a movie?” The request is simple, but proves to be shocking as the other snaps his eyes to Soap’s.

“Aren’t you meant to be drinking tonight?” He muses, expecting the sergeant to remember and run along.

Instead, Soap pushes his way into the room and breathily chuckles. “They ‘on’t need me.” He replies, taking a seat on the messy bed.

There’s a smile on his face as he watches Soap, whether he knows it or not, he’s happy. For once more in his life, he feels wanted. Soap chose his presence over the team’s.

“Can.. can we watch Ratatouille? It’s dumb.. but I always watch it when ‘m upset..” He’d mutter, shutting the door before dropping himself down on the bed.

Soap’s smile grows soft, something he’d yet to seen in the boisterous Scot. “O’ course we can. I’ll get us some snacks, fancy anything specific?”

“Anything works..” He mumbles softly, rubbing against tired eyes as he sets up the movie on his laptop. Soap nods, leaving for the commons room before returning.

Within his arms he carried varieties between chips, candies, and beverages. A goofy smile on his face as he sits himself back beside the other.

With the movie started, and a share of snacks between them, he grows rather exhausted. His eyelids droop and his attention shifts blank. Without thought his head drops against Soap’s shoulder.

The Scot welcomes the other, smiling softly as he shifts them both to lie more comfortably. He was glad. Glad to see that his newly favourited comrade was growing relaxed in his presence.

Like a new puppy and an older dog. Soap worked to grow close to the man he looked up to, and the other worked to better accept the Scot’s company. But, despite their differences, they grew to form a pack, in a sense.

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© Copyright @jimmy-j-james, 2023

All rights reserved

do not copy/paste, claim as your own, post on different sites, or translate without prior consent from me

[harus-simp]

Giving them your hand (hyung line)

Kim Jiwoong, Zhang Hao, Sung Hanbin, Kim Taerae, Seok Matthew

Genre: fluffy fluffy fluffy <3

Requested: can you maybe do zb1 members, giving your hand randomly without saying anything :D Tysmm (@wtfhyuck)

Author's note: Hi anon, I've separated this in two parts so the other one would come out a bit later, I hope you are fine with that ;))

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What happens when you just give them your hand without muttering a word?

Jiwoong

☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆

You and Jiwoong had been away from each other for quite some time now. He had been really busy with his promotions as ZB1 and you were working too hard on your work.

So today that your schedules were empty due to holidays you decided to spend the day together just walking around the park and having a good time by yourselves. He insisted on carrying your bag as it seemed kinda heavy and gave it to him with a relieved smile because it weighted indeed (a gentleman we stan).

You were talking about your days and how you had been copping with all the stress and pression you were having, when you spotted an ice cream truck on one side making you stop in your tracks.

Bur you were feeling playful that day, so instead of asking him directly you wanted to test him a little bit. You had recently watched a tik tok were you just needed to give your hand to your partner and see what they did with it, so you wanted to try it out.

As he looked at you confused when you extended your hand towards him, he figured you just wanted some extra affection so he held your hand into his firmly making you blush a little but not distracting yourself from your aim you proceeded.

"No jiwoong, my bag, I just wanted ice cream 😃"

"Oh, I thought you wanted to grab my hand"he said pouting

That certainly took you by surprise as he gave you a sad expression making you giggle at his antics.

"Well we can, but let me grab us some ice cream first"you answered amused

"Alright"

He went back to his happy smile making you rethink if he was a grown ass man and not just a cute 5 year old baby.

Anyways, once you finished your ice creams he didn't let go of your hand for the rest of the day :D

Zhang Hao

♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡

The stress and the exhaustion from your exams had been draining a lot of energy from you lately. You felt like you were doing well, but were not living to your expectations in spite of giving it your all.

You felt really sleepy and tired, not wanting to get out of your house at all. So when Zhang Hao saw you like this he knew he needed to do something to cheer you up in exchange of all those times you were there for him.

"Babe, you should stop for a little, don't overwork yourself"he said

"But I need to get this perfect tho"

"You are perfectly capable of that, but just take a little break love"

You looked at his worried expression finding him absolutely cute for looking after you, so you just nodded at him and gave him your hand unconsciously.

He looked at your hand and questioned your action.

"Uhm, what are you doing?"

"Oh, umm, I just-"you started blabbering and stuttering non-stop making him chuckle and grab your hand waiting for you to continue.

"Yes?"

"Well I just wanted to see if you would hold my hand"

Now he couldn't stop himself from looking at you with adoration and such a sweet gace that could make you melt in seconds.

"You are cute " he said pinching your cheek softly

So that's how you ended up not only taking a little break, but forgetting about the study part and just talking about your day with your boyfie <3

S.Hanbin

☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆

How can someone be so perfect? Was a question you always asked yourself when you saw THE Sung Hanbin. He just exceeded brightness and comfort, almost in an elegant and classy way. But it was enough to make your world and your heart spin.

Today, you had planned to go on a date to a dog cafe where you could pet some puppies and enjoy some freshly made coffee in each other's company.

"You know, my mom's coffee's better"he said playfully

You giggled at his sassy remark and answered him.

"Well, I can't neglect you there, but sadly she doesn't have animals on his cafe"

He laughed slightly while nodding his head and sipping quietly his coffee, you didn't need anything else, just his mere presence was enough to put you into a good mood. However it was true that you were missing something.

He was really fond on skinship so you needed some type of warmth and heat to make contact with you in some way. So deciding to test a little trend it was going on you gave him your hand to see what he would do with it.

Nevertheless, as you were stretching your hand outwards you made contact with his hand. Both yours coinciding on the same moment to grab the other's hand.

You both saw the shock on your looks and proceeded to laugh openly at how well you knew each other.

He then interwined your fingers softly making your butterflies go wild on your stomach and filling you with this feeling of embarrassment but at the same time cosiness.

"There you go babe"he called you

"We literally share the same brain at this point binnie haha"

And just like that you enjoyed the rest of your date peacefully and in a calm state.

Taerae

♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡

The cold from outside was envolving you in your way to see your boyfriend. It wasn't supposed to be this cold today, the news even said that it would be a really warm day. So you eventually didn't bring a jacket with you, trusting the weather forecast.

You could have went back and grabbed something warmer? Yes. Absolutely. But you were too stubborn to accept you were wrong lol.

So there you were on your way to the guys dorms to see taerae as he had invited you to sleep there. As you knocked the door and waited for someone to open, meeting with yujin.

"Hi y/n noona"

"Hi yujinnie, how's everything?"

"Good good, please enter"he said smiling as he let you inside.

You thanked him as he called for taerae to come.

"Hey sunshine"

"Hey baby"you said as you hugged him tightly due to the low temperature on your body.

"Oh wow,you are so cold, let me get you a hoodie"

Your eyes unconsciously lit up at the mention of wearing clothes from taerae. Oh how would you tease him for his fashion taste haha.

"Are you sure? I'll probably look-"he didn't even let you finish as he threw the hoodie at you.

"Shut up, I don't dress that bad"he whined

"Yeah sure"you answered as you decided to tease him further extending your hand to see his reaction.

Oh. Now he would be the one teasing.

"Huh? Do you need something doll?"

You shacked your hand for him to take the hint as he laughed softly taking your hand in his.

"Get a room already, you guys are taking my innocence away"commented yujin who had been there the whole time.

You guys giggled as you did exactly what he said, getting up to go to his room.

Matthew

☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆

It was simply one of those days where you were not feeling your best, one where you felt helpless and without a specific purpose.

Lucky for you there was your matthew to save the day. With his brightness and his warm smile he was able to usher any negative emotion from your heart, any sadness or gloominess that surrounded you.

"Baby!"you turned around as matthew called for you from the living room

"Coming!"you quickly wiped the tears that were starting to form on your eyes as you went to the bathroom first to wash your face.

You rapidly put a smile in your face to not make him worried, however as you joined him on the couch he noticed your puffy eyes. Of course he did, he wasn't stupid, that smile of yours wouldn't fool him because he knew you better than you knew yourself.

"Hey, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

"Y/n, if you want to talk about it I'm right here bun"

And that were the exact words you needed to hear for you to let it all out. You were not going through your best moment, but having matthew by your side was enough to feel way better.

He listened to you carefully, nodding at your remarks and doing everything to understand you patiently. And right after you finished venting he pulled you to his embrace in a cuddling position reassuring you that everything will eventually get better and that you were an amazing and great person.

"Look, you don't need to go through this all alone, I'll always be here for you to come back, you are the love of my life for a reason baby"

Hearing him say that made you so grateful for having him in your life, someone you could always count on. And just like that you gave him your hand seeking for some affection.

When he saw this he smiled brightly as he grabbed it and started making circles on your hand and playing with them to help you relax and find peace.

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Maknae line

[maggotzdilemma]

headcannons for vash w a gn! stoner reader

im about to get SO annoying abt this but i genuinely think vash would enjoy weed culture, since a lot of what i personally have experienced has been so chill and laid back and has strong morals on peace and anti violence

i have no clue WHERE the reader would get weed but lets just assume for this one that since tobacco is obviously grown and exported for cigs in trigun, weed is too.

98' vash and stampede vash

TWs// brief vomit mention, drug use

i think vash would be a stoner but only in a modern setting, so in triguns setting i think hes tried it but prefers to stay sober unless with other people. he'd treat it the same way he does alcohol

vash will partake in the za but to be honest he has so much fun observing you while high he'd probably trip sit even if it isnt needed (trip sitting weed 💀)

he would think its SO hot when the reader wears hippie clothing, even if only a watered down desert safe version. he loves how loose and flowy clothing dances around you as you move.

on special occasions when he does smoke with you hes definitely a giggly type, but the higher he gets the more quiet he'll get, you'd have to get him violently high before he drops the goofball act.

vash's favorite thing to do during your sessions is to just listen to you ramble, a lot of the time you wont make much sense but he loves to listen to your voice. he'll remember everything you say too, he knows so many embarrassing things you let slip under the influence. he would think it's adorable tho

hes drunken bong water for shits and giggles before, he immediately threw up

vash is a little shit and will insist on shotgunning if you want him to smoke with you, it doesnt really work very well at getting him high but it makes him melt everytime. bro is so touchstarved, he'd take any excuse to kiss you.

speaking of touchstarved vash, he would cling to you like a koala while high, hes already the biggest cuddlebug in the world and it somehow gets 10x worse when high.

this man is so down bad, he'd do anything you asked for without hesitation. some water? he's already handing you the flask. you have munchies? hes making his famous stir fry. you're too high to use the lighter? he'll light up for you everytime. at this point he'll light it for you even if you're perfectly capable of it.

since vash is always on the run, and youre running with him, hed be concerned about you smoking too much, he'd probably only smoke while traveling. theres too much of a risk of him being recognized while in towns and cities and hes horrified at the idea of an inebriated reader getting hurt in the crossfire.

[thegirlwhoimagined]

Did someone say vent time? I don't know if Luke from ToT has more red flags than Vyn, but they are certainly there. I have a few of his SRs and SSRs, and sometimes, the way Luke acts in his cards, especially towards Rosa, aggrivates me to no end. He can come off as selfish sometimes, assuming that Rosa will think one way about it, without consulting her. I don't doubt that Luke's personality contradictions make for good drama, but it does push my buttons.

YES YES ABSOLUTELY

Chapter 5, episode 1 is where I noticed the biggest red flag. When he asked her to fucking QUIT NXX because 'iTs tOo dAnGeRoUs'. SIR, she is a full grown woman. I think she is perfectly capable of balancing the pros and cons of being a member.

Also like 2 other people vetted her before inviting her to the committee. A psychiatrist and an attorney who is her literal boss - two whole ass people who are far more qualified to judge if the committee is fit for her and vice versa. They've been in the committee way longer. So if they think that she can do it, who are YOU to say she can't.

I get that they did that whole thing for the Luke Lovers to gush over, but come on. He didn't even try to ask her anything about why she wanted to join or if she had fully thought about the dangers. He just jumped straight to 'you must leave because I said so and I'm a man'. Also he like acted all angry and hurt when he found out about her being there, as if he was fucking entitled to that info. He was not.

And then when he hugged her as she was making her counter point - that just screamed manipulation to me.

Another piece of lore I came across, because I don't have the card where this was told, was that he used to hide the love letters she would get from other guys in school. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCKITY FUCK?!

It is not his place to do that. It is not his place to stop potential prospects from coming her way just because he didn't have the fucking balls to admit his own feelings for her. That is not a good friend. That's a snake and an incel. Disgusting

See, I don't think he has more red flags than Vyn. I think both their red flags can't really be compared. But HOLY HELL, Luke's personality is the absolute foundation for a very toxic and controlling relationship where Rosa will slowly be cut off from the rest of the world because Luke wants to burrito her up in bubble wrap.

I don't give a fuck if I get hate for this, but Luke does not see Rosa as her own person. He sees her as a trophy. He puts her on a pedestal, and that is not fucking ok.

She is a human and she deserves autonomy, not whatever the fuck Luke is giving her.

[kalpasio]

Beauty and Decimation

The Lightning and The Visitor

A Kalpas x Reader fic loosely based on Beauty and the Beast, Chapter 5 below!

Explaining your fear of being sacrificed to end the curse went about as well as you might expect. That is to say, Kalpas called you an idiot—or some variation thereof—at least four times and if he wasn’t both un-killable and capable of tearing you limb from limb, you would be doing a lot more than just glaring. As things stand now, however, he meets both qualifications, so you hold back from arguing too much.

With a scoff and an eyeroll from the beast, you were sent on your way to the library, having been told that if Mobius so much as breathes in your direction, Kalpas would deal with her. That didn’t seem to extend to the rest of the household, however. Elysia had been trying her best to get you to spend more time with the prince—for completely innocent reasons, for sure—and even Sakura seemed to be roped into her plan. And in a way, it worked.

You grew so fed up with their blatant attempts to set you up with Kalpas that you ended up hanging around him because that was the only time the harassment stopped. Without realizing it, you had inserted yourself into his daily routine and pulled him into yours as well. Mornings were now spent gardening outside while he trained nearby, and evenings were spent in the library reading or simply chatting.

Nights were possibly your favorite, though. Kalpas still continued to go out and fight Honkai in the woods, and it seemed the only reason he’d stop his crusade was to come back to you so he could brag about the battle. Often, his return would be closer to the sun’s rising than its setting and you found yourself falling asleep during the middle of his retellings multiple times.

At first, Kalpas had been furious at your apparent lack of interest, but you were so used to him being mad at this point, you were more concerned about the scorch marks left on the walls than of his flames ever causing you harm. You also had gotten quite adept at bartering with him; telling the prince you’d hear the rest of his story during breakfast, so long as he promised not to set things on fire right then.

You both had fallen into this schedule so easily, you were spending nearly every night together, whether you passed out on the couch, your bed, or even got dragged to Kalpas’ room. Mornings that had once been too cold were perfectly cozy in his arms or half-lying across his chest. The biggest issue was getting up afterwards. If Kalpas wasn’t dead set on keeping you in place, then you were being greeted by Hua’s averted eyes and Eden’s knowing smile. Even with all the teasing, given how well you’d rested, and how much you enjoyed spending time with him, it was worth it.

It felt odd saying it out loud, now that you think about it. Undeniably, you enjoyed being around Kalpas. Even if neither of you was talking, or if he was on a rant, the man had grown on you. Personality aside, he could easily classify as ‘good looking’ and you’d spent your fair share of time staring while he’d trained.

And now was certainly no exception. Choosing to sit on the bench behind him had not been an accident and you were going to milk the view for all it was worth. Or at least that had been the plan before Kalpas practically disappeared.

It took your eyes a moment to catch up, but you found him on the edge of the training grounds, flames surrounding him. A few feet away stood a woman who looked so threatening, even Mobius would be jealous. Her sword was held straight out, pointed towards Kalpas and you knew that whatever came next would not be pretty.

The clash of fire and blades had you holding your breath in fear. Each one of their movements was too quick to catch and neither seemed to hold a clear advantage over the other. Though Kalpas couldn’t die, the lightning flashing from the girl’s sword would undoubtedly hurt.

“I suppose I should have warned him I had a friend coming over,” Elysia sighed from beside you, startling you for a moment.

“Friend?” you asked, somewhat exasperated.

“Yeah, my best friend, Mei!” She clapped her hands together with a smile. “She’ll be spending a few nights here. I was really hoping she’d avoid a fight, but I suppose that with Kalpas this was inevitable.”

“Aren’t you going to stop him?”

“Oh no!” Elysia looked scandalized. “Mei’s fine! Besides, Kalpas isn’t the best at listening, and if we interrupt now, he’ll just start up again later.”

You looked at the girl next to you like she had three heads, but she was too focused on cheering for her friend to notice.

“If you say so…”

You were beginning to question whether Mei and Elysia were actually friends.

For one, Elysia was a bit too friendly. Then again, this is Elysia we’re talking about, so knowing whether her flirting was genuine or not is a bit of a crapshoot. Mei on the other hand, seemed completely uninterested and unenthused with the whole situation. Clearly, she had come to the castle of her own volition, yet she always looked ready to turn right around and leave. Personally, you hadn’t gotten very close to the girl but you...wouldn’t necessarily mind if she left a little early.

So long as she fought with him, Kalpas didn’t care if Mei stayed. This meant fewer mornings waking up to a tight hug and more startling away to the sound of crazed laughing.

But that’s fine.

It wouldn’t be forever, and Kalpas really seemed to be enjoying himself. Living so closely together, you had almost forgotten what it was like when you first came here, wandering the library on your own. Having this newfound freedom was a welcome change to being with. Walks through the garden weren’t interrupted by yelling and you had time to spend chatting with Su or listening to Eden perform.

But you couldn’t stop yourself from missing those interruptions. And maybe you were a little jealous that Mei was taking all his time, or that you couldn’t possibly get to their level of skill when it came to fighting. It was clear now that your inability to fight bothered Kalpas more than he let on.

Elysia had explained your situation to Mei early on, but aside from a nod your way, the girl seemed uninterested with your story. Most of your interactions with her had been either through Kalpas, or about Kalpas. Take, for example, today. He had finally taken a break (and a sorely needed bath) and was sitting with you in the library. Your back was against the arm of the couch, legs laid across his lap while he—very loudly—told you how he won his latest duel.

Upon hearing the library door open, Kalpas paused and listened, wondering if the visitor could be a potential opponent. Mei’s voice rang clear, and it was apparent Elysia was pushing her buttons again as the two walked deeper into the room. He would have gone to push your legs if you hadn’t already pulled them back and were standing off the couch.

“Enjoy your fight,” you waved over your shoulder as you left. Elysia gave you a confused look—that was likely fake—while Mei didn’t even glance in your direction. All four of you knew how this was going to play out, no need for you to stick around and confirm the theory.

That night, Kalpas came to dinner late, but you supposed you should be grateful he showed up at all. His clothes were still covered with burned patches and blood—from himself or his opponent, you couldn’t tell. The sight alone was enough to make you lose your appetite, so you kept your eyes focused on the meal in front of you. Feeling eyes boring into the top of your head only caused you to redouble your efforts in pretending the prince wasn’t there.

Throughout the meal, you both were silent. Sakura came in to ask a brief question that was answered with a nod, followed by a second question which Kalpas instead shook his head ‘no’ to. Having finished your food, you looked up to observe this interaction and your eyes followed Sakura as she left. Her ears brushed the top of the doorway, and you realized you have never seen them stand straight up like that before. Then you looked at Kalpas and realized he has never fixed you with a glare like this before either.

“Mei won,” he said. Your eyes widened in surprise and you were unsure what to say. The two seemed evenly matched, but this was the first time you’d seen Kalpas being so bitter over losing a fight. He seemed to revel in the challenge, and it seemed impossible for him to lose in the first place.

Then you noticed the bandages peeking out over the torn neckline of his shirt. Blood had clearly soaked through them, a feat you knew to be impossible. Kalpas—like Mobius and everyone else for that matter—should bleed when the wound is opened but heal shortly after. There’s no clear explanation as to why he would remain injured after the battle is over.

“What happened?” you asked, curiosity getting the best of you. The prince would surely go on one of his very long and very loud tangents about the exact gruesome details of the fight, but as long as you got answers, that was fine.

“She stabbed me,” he started, taking a bite of food. You waited as he chewed, and it wasn’t until he speared another potato that you realized he had finished his story and had no plans to continue.

“That’s it?” You winced, repeating the words in your head for a moment. Most people who got stabbed don’t calmly sit down and have dinner an hour later. Maybe your expectations had become a little unrealistic after spending so much time here.

“She stabbed me,” he repeated, “and I didn’t heal.”

Now that was cause for concern.

“What do you mean you didn’t heal?” The panic slipped into your voice before you could stop it. Kalpas calmly bit down on his fork to keep it in his mouth and used both hands to lift his badly damaged shirt. You would have taken that moment to appreciate his chest, but there was very little of it that was not covered by blood-speckled bandaging.

Satisfied with the shocked look on your face, he dropped the shirt and pulled the fork from his teeth to continue eating. Because bleeding out at the dinner table is a very normal thing to do.

“I still don’t understand why you aren’t recovering,” you spoke more to yourself than the man across from you. Then, with more urgency you said, “Shouldn’t you see Su?”

You were halfway out of your seat when Kalpas grumbled, “I did.”

“Then why aren’t you—”

“The curse broke.”

You fell into silence. The crackling of the fireplace alone was too loud.

Dropping back into your chair, you stared ahead, blinking but seeing nothing.

Was this it?

He’d fallen for Mei and now you were going to be kicked out? Sent back to the village that thought you dead; the townspeople who left you for dead? You’d had your fun pretending you belonged in this castle and now it was time for you to leave.

What did you expect?

Living the rest of your life with a dozen immortal beings could hardly be considered living. You’d run out of books, and they’d run out of patience and you’d be thrown to the wolves again. Did you really think they’d let you stay?

You knew this would happen. You saw how Kalpas and Mei enjoyed their fights. Shouldn’t you be happy that the curse had been lifted? Happy your friends were now free?

Are they your friends? Or did they just put up with you for the same reason Mobius did—in the hopes you would solve their problem. Either way, that didn’t matter now. They didn’t need you. You should have left when Mei arrived. It was foolish for you to have stayed, just like it’s foolish for you to continue sitting at this table waiting for Kalpas to say something else.

You know what he’s going to say.

He’s going to kick you out. So you save him the trouble.

You stand from the table, mumble a ‘good night,’ and you leave.

I had been reading a lot of angst when I wrote this, so I'm sorry if the story is super bland. I just want reader to be happy sometimes (even though that means nothing ever happens). Also it's not abundantly clear but sacrificing reader won't fix the curse, Mobius just wants you to suffer. That's why Kalpas just brushes off your concern. Man it sure would be good if I added that to the story. you know. like. wrote it in some way? idk sounds kinda wild

[gripes-withthesun]

Childhood nostalgia

Childhood Nostalgia

Suzy-hang-around - ABBA// Puff the Magic Dragon - Peter, Paul, and Mary// Lose Myself - k?d// Community - Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism// The Prelude (Book 2) - William Wordsworth// The Lumber Room - H.H. Munro// Kung Fu Hustle (2004) - Dir. Stephen Chow// Alone - Edgar Allan Poe// Slowtown - twenty one pilots

[ID/

1. Suzy was nine and I was ten/ Right at the time when boys like to think they're men/ She used to follow us at school/ We really thought that she was a little fool/ And one day we said to her/ We don't want to hurt you girl/ But you'd better/ Look for a friend of your own, Suzy-hang-around/ Better come back when you're grown, Suzy-hang-around

2. Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea/ And frolicked in the autumn mist, in a land called Honah Lee/ Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff/ And brought him strings, and sealing wax, and other fancy stuff .... A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys/ Painted wings and giant's rings make way for other toys/ One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more/ And Puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar

3. We got a little older, you left home/ I stayed behind, got high, then hit the road/ I've been just fine without you/ But I can't find no one like you/ Every now and then I think of when we broke

4. Screencaps from Community showing Jeff(Joel McHale) and Shirley(Yvette Nicole Brown) linking their arms and smiling. As they walk away the image transforms to the characters as children walking with linked arms.

5. A grey Stone/ Of native rock, left midway in the Square/ Of our small market Village, was the home/ And centre of these joys, and when, return'd/ After long absence, thither I repair'd,/ I found that it was split, and gone to build/ A smart Assembly-room that perk'd and flar'd/ With wash and rough-cast elbowing the ground/ Which had been ours. But let the fiddle scream,/ And be ye happy! yet, my Friends! I know/ That more than one of you will think with me/ Of those soft starry nights, and that old Dame/ From whom the stone was nam'd who there had sate/ And watch'd her Table with its huckster's wares/ Assiduous, thro' the length of sixty years.

6. "You are not to go into the gooseberry garden," said the aunt, changing the subject. "Why not?" demanded Nicholas. "Because you are in disgrace," said the aunt loftily. Nicholas did not admit the flawlessness of the reasoning; he felt perfectly capable of being in disgrace and in a gooseberry garden at the same moment. His face took on an expression of considerable obstinacy. It was clear to his aunt that he was determined to get into the gooseberry garden, "only," as she remarked to herself, "because I have told him he is not to."

7. Screencaps from Kung Fu Hustle showing a young girl and boy and in a flashback where the girl consoles the injured boy by offering a lollipop but he runs off. The scene transforms to show the two of them grown up now as the woman offers a similar lollipop to the man.

8. From childhood’s hour I have not been/ As others were—I have not seen/ As others saw—I could not bring/ My passions from a common spring—

9. I remember when my brother and other kids from neighboring houses/ Would get together, I'd ride my bike and my brother would ride his/ Put cards in our spokes and make our engines sound like traffic/ When using Pokemon cards, please do not use the holographics/ So bold and fearless in the risks we'd take, laugh in the face/ Of gravity as its laws we'd break/ On trampolines so high we reach for the sky/ But I do not look up anymore and I don't why]

[mychampagne-mybubbles]

A brief on Harry's public behavior that day

2022 Venice film festival

An answer to this respectful tweet

I am a Larrie, no need to say I love them both but I am also a professional, particularly mkt & branding is my area, I have read & learned a LOT about the industry thanks to them, probably like most of us here have, I am also a grown-up, I know how many unexplainable things from the 1D days have been inherited into our days trying to make sense of current situations & because, particularly, H has been involved in so many complex situations I’ve tried to be objective about it, looking for a better understanding despite I don’t like some. It's fine because I am still here. On the other hand, this showed me the raw reality of what the industry demands to be “successful“ in it and how real issues like pressure, money, power & a large number of people relying on just one man, puts an inappropriate responsibility on him.

First, I’d like to say that there is the larries pov but there is also the “world” or the GP too, I can try to justify whatever by looking at it through the larrie glasses but the truth is he came there for the first time and he acted as he did. I love him and that’s why I don’t want others to point at this behavior as disrespectful or poor when he is having an opportunity (that many actors don’t, for instance) of a lifetime. So, it’s not a matter of what a larrie state of mind “should be” or that st*pid octopus’ morals are, it is a matter of caring about a guy whose reputation is already damaged and dragged by the choices he took, the media, his team, the industry, the stunt… far away from who I think he is.

At this time, we were at one of the worst peaks of the stunt he & his so-called “gf” had just put out there the most controversial articles, we had pap pics almost every day, wrong quotes, etc... They got there and H ignored her under a “professional veil” to quit that attitude once they got into the theatre, to go back to spread kisses once again in NY streets later…and the only chance he got to show a bit of who he really is, how despite everything he was going through he is who we know he is… he puts into display this (alow me to name it) game. Don’t forget Harry has been in the industry for more than 10 years, he knows it's folds perfectly. I am telling you, this wasn’t read into considering his stunting state at the moment or his feeling towards despicable OW, I am a Larrie & I was concerned.

When I mentioned controversies, I didn’t imply his level of freedom, but the obvious DWD promo: based on spreading garbage all over. So it would have been nice if, for once, his circle or his moves weren't related to this kind of approach seeking headlines. However, to the general question: is H capable of choosing? Yes (minding ofc the doubt before the extension and consequences of them). Does this imply easiness, comfort, being happy with what the industry demands of this man or not having to deal with complex contracts (including his & the boys 1D’s)??? No. Don’t take me wrong, I am not saying his position is any lighter than it is or it looks like, there is too much involved and is disgusting.

I get how some see this specific moment as a rebellion and give them comfort, I understand it because I was thought like that too & the loop to see through is a bit complex & doesn’t get any better, as you can tell. It helped me a lot to give it a business pov, separate it from my feelings for them or from who I think they truly are, to understand the extent of the circus they (& us consequently) deal with.

I am not looking for an answer breaking down every step under the stunt, because I know too, believe me; but take this ( if you wish) as a wider scope on how things are seen. There is a larger audience (and intention), I chose my side, but that doesn’t erase the others and I mind how he is perceived. Precisely, being a larrie let us see clearly the incoherencies of the artist out there and walking that line is risky for him first. I wish his lame team could make a better, creative and mature strategy to protect him & give us a much healthier experience.

[slashyrogue]

AU-gust Day 14: Food Truck

Hannibal made the decision to move his practice into a larger area not on a whim, but on research. His clientele was still full of wealthy individuals who wanted discreet care and try as he might he had grown bored of them. He’d gotten into psychiatry mostly because working in the emergency room also grew boring and he had no plans to try another line of work.

So he moved into a more open, less private area, and clients came running despite the price.

And their psychoses came with them.

He enjoyed his new fuller, more diverse clientele, and by his second month he was ready to sign a full year lease.

Then, one afternoon in late June, the food truck came.

The truck parked itself along the side street across from the area his and several other doctors made theirs. It was a construction site, a new bank from what the signs implied, and the name of the truck was Graham’s Grub.

The workers came running, their rowdiness loud enough to bother his clients as they came inside, and by the end of that week he knew Graham’s Grub would not leave.

So he walked himself across the street once the crowd thinned out, and got in line. The moment someone came to the small window he froze.

Oh.

The proprietor was quite possibly the most beautiful person Hannibal ever laid eyes on. His sweaty curls that should’ve been completely unappealing somehow made him seem almost ethereal, and when he laughed at the woman in front of him making a joke Hannibal’s heart skipped a beat.

How could he scold this heavenly creature?

No, he could not.

The woman left and Hannibal waited for the man to reappear, unsure of what he would say, which was why when he returned he froze.

“Hey, what can I getcha?”

“I…I’m…I…”

The man looked him up and down before he smiled. “You’re not here for food, are you?”

Hannibal blinked. “No, I…I was going to ask if you could move your establishment but…I see you’re doing quite well so I think it would be rude of me to ask such a thing.”

“Move? Why?”

“My clients, I…I’m a psychiatrist, I work with them across the street there, they were unhappy to hear the crowd being so…loud…when they came. It’s fine, I…”

The man frowned. “I can calm everyone down, if you want. I just get so busy when Bev isn’t with me everyday, I…I get swamped and didn’t realize. I apologize, honestly.”

Hannibal frowned. “You’re working alone?”

“Just this week and next,” the man said, “My friend usually is here to work with me but she’s on her honeymoon with her wife.”

“I see.”

He held out his hand and Hannibal took it glady, the sweat touching his skin making him shiver.

“Will Graham,” he said, smiling, “Sorry about all this. I…”

Hannibal shook his hand. “Hannibal Lecter,” he said, “I…I can help you, if you need someone.”

Will blinked. “You?”

“I…I’m very adept at cooking, and I’m certain your small menu wouldn’t be hard. Or I can take the orders and you can do the cooking. I'm more than capable, and I can move my clients for the week which will offset the noise.”

Will just stared at him, saying nothing, and someone yelled out behind him.

“Hey buddy, someone of us got a short lunch here! Move on!”

Hannibal blushed. “I apologize if I was presumptuous, I’ll leave you to your work. Have a good day, Will.”

He got out of line, feeling oddly rejected, and went back to his building to finish with patients the next few hours. Hannibal was distracted all afternoon, feeling embarrassed which was not something he was used to. Will obviously didn’t need his help, and he needed to be fine with that.

Hannibal walked Franklyn Froideveaux out, ready to be free for the weekend, and was heading back to lock up when a voice stopped him.

“Hannibal?”

He turned and was surprised to see Will standing halfway down the sidewalk looking very worn out.

“Will.”

Will came over, frowning, and stopped short of being too close. “I wanted to apologize, I…I didn’t really know what to say when you were so nice earlier.”

“It’s perfectly understandable,” he said, frowning, “You don’t need my help, and I was presumptuous to even offer. I understand completely and I…”

“No!” Will yelled, then blushed, “That’s not it at all . I…I was just shocked,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, “You, looking all polished and… perfect …offering to come work in my rinky dink little food truck for a whole fucking week. It sounded like a joke.”

Hannibal felt his chest tighten. “Yes I suppose it is quite comical to think I could…”

Will grabbed his arm. “That’s not…I don’t mean it that way. I meant that you’re so perfect and fancy and I just couldn’t imagine you weren’t trying to make fun of me or something. Maybe it comes from so many years of the popular kids picking on me in school or something,” he laughed, “Maybe I do need therapy, huh?”

“Therapy is not for everyone.”

“No, but…” Will kept hold of his arm, “Were you serious? About what you said?”

Hannibal nodded. “Yes, I was very serious.”

Will smiled. “I’d have to show you the menu maybe sometime this weekend, and try things out. I don’t suppose I could get your number or just meet you here tomorrow or something?”

Hannibal pulled out his business card and handed it to Will, who stared down at the card not looking up.

“I’m more than happy to try things out, if that would make you more comfortable. You can call me anytime.”

Will looked up, shaking his head. “It still feels like this isn’t the real deal, but…I will. I’ll call you, and…we can meet up this weekend. Think of it as a job interview.”

Hannibal smiled, his heart skipping a beat. “I will try to win you over, Mr. Graham.”

Will blushed. “I think you already have, but…I better see how you cook first.”

“I will wow you with my skills.”

“I sure hope so. See you later, Doc. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Will.”

Hannibal watched him go, aching to call him back, and knew that this moment was going to change his life.

But first he had one very important thing to worry about.

What was he going to wear?

[mercurygray]

“Who were you with?” for the lovely Laura in TGM, and one of the guys. Juno xx

1940s AU is a gooooo.

The dress was, as the saying went, a showstopper.

It was easy to forget, sometimes, that there were clothes outside of thier uniforms and that they were capable of wearing them. They had gotten so used to seeing each other in flight suits that even the idea of wearing something other than regulation green seemed impossible.

And yet here she was, Laura Simpson, in coral-colored crepe with her hair swept up and gardenias on her dress, an evening bag in one hand and her key in the other, coming back from a night on the town, and a swanky one at that. The Bostonia or the Pacific, or maybe one of the big hotels downtown, a place where a jacketed waiter would serve you a cocktail, and some of the women arrived in furs.

Jake hadn't managed a pass this weekend, a fact which had stung deeply - he and Machado had busied themselves at the on-base canteen after their working day was over, taking a turn with every single one of the dance hostesses to see who they could get to lindy or swing, or even dance closer than regulations usually allowed, taking sips from a flask because the canteen was dry and trying to see if someone might be game for a little non-regulation flyover out back.

But none of the USO women had anything on her.

"And who were you out with, Miss Simpson?" he asked, struggling up from the couch in their day room where he'd nearly fallen asleep.

She looked at him, tie askew, hair a little disheveled, and gave a slim smile. "I'm not sure it's any of your concern, Lieutenant. I'm a grown woman; I can make my own decisions."

"Mighty dangerous city to just be taking dates with men we don't know. You really ought to bring him round and have us all vet him first."

Laura snorted. "Lieutenant, you're not my father - or my boyfreind."

He jumped on that one, rising quickly from the couch so they could stand nose to nose. "There's a very easy way to change that, you know."

"If I did have one of those," she began, chosing her words very carefully, "I think I'd make sure he was the kind of man who knew I could handle myself - and trusted me to come home to him after."

"If you had one of those," he said, looking her over again with newfound appreciation, "I'd hope he'd tell you that dress makes you look like a million dollars." He leaned over, his inspiration sudden. "And that he wants to get you out of it later."

She raised an eyebrow, seeming interested. "Lieutenant Seresin, are you jealous?" He colored a little at the implication, taken aback by the suddenness of the observation, the way she was smiling about it. "I didn't think you had it in you." Jake Seresin, jealous? Never, in a million years. He was perfectly capable of - there was no shortage of - plenty of women would easily - But the damage was done, and her smile was enough to injure him. "Enjoy the rest of your evening," she said, making her way down the hall to her room, the back of her dress just as alluring as the front. Jake watched her go and nearly groaned.

Maybe he was ...a little jealous. Someone had danced with her tonight, looking like that, and it hadn't been him.

If you liked her here, Laura "Honda" Simpson is from my recent piece One Minor Detail, which you can read more of on AO3!

If 1940s Top Gun (and Glen Powell in period attire) is really doing things for you, you can read more in the 1940s AU tag on my tumblr

Comments and tag commentary are always seen, read, and appreciated!

[cainightfics]

I really love how you write Tyrell in your works. A lot of the backstory and dialogue in The Year Walker was some of my favorite Tyrell perspective I've read. Reading a lot of works I think people take away some of my favorite traits of his. They make him this perfect version of himself where he's smart and intuitive and socially brilliant... I think he's likely none of these things. Sure, he's a smart guy, but nowhere close to Elliot's brilliance. And time and time again in the show we are shown his inability to read other people and their emotions. In some of the scenes he's in in season 1 with Scott/Sharron you can tell they just hate to be around him. He doesn't have Joanna's suability (think, "Don't you just want to blow your brains out being married to him." yeah- that didn't go over well).

A line you wrote for him in your most recent chapter of TROTW really stood out to me as one of my favorites. It was, "Have you ever considered the possibility that you can't relate to other people is because they are inferior to you?"... this one made me laugh. It's hard for me to dissect this but this line is such a great demonstration of Tyrell as a character. Personally, I get the sense from it that he has a complete misunderstanding as Elliot as a person. He can relate to Elliot on quite a few things but trying to figure him out deeper than surface wants/desires is something he really hasn't been capable of. This line itself demonstrates this perfectly. Tyrel is so status oriented that he can't think of any other reason why Elliot may be unable to connect with others.

Like you really touched on on this most recent chapter, Tyrell seems to not have much going on below the surface. I mean that's really the whole basis of his character in the show. He has the ability to display so much emotion but all of that emotion is incredibly juvenile. He doesn't seem to have the ability to access anything other than shallow fits of crying/anger. This makes it all the more interesting when we're able to see his perspective and his thought processes.

Anyway, I just really love the direction that this fic of your's is going. I'd love to see what happens next. And just as a side note, your attention to detail really stands out to me. The little subway card hack Elliot does in the first chapter is really creative, and the use of actual websites used by hackers makes it seem all the more real. Tyrell's snippets of backstory are great to see and it's something I really wish we got in the show. I was really impressed when you had Tyrell figure out how to hack Susan's watch by programming her to just ignore the security alerts. Hat's off to you for all of this, all of these little details just make it feel all the more real. It would have been awesome to see you write for this show while it was running. And let me know if you think my interpretations of Tyrell through your work are correct or not in your eyes. I'd love to know how you write a character like him and how you think of dialogue like this.

first of all, thank you for this very nice and thoughtful ask! i'm so happy you liked the fic enough to send this. mr robot is a pretty dead fandom, so i'm glad there are still some people around to read what i'm posting, yet alone enjoy it!!

i 100% agree with your read on tyrell. watching the show, i always saw him as sort of a petulant, desperate, and pathetic child in a grown mans body, lol. he says so himself in 404 that hes spent his entire life "worried what other people think of me, how I can make them happy, because I needed their approval and their acceptance." he wants to feel powerful, but in order to do this, he needs to impress people enough so that they either admire or fear him. he tries to imitate what he sees in successful people around him -- he dresses well, he's polite and confident, he intimidates others to try and get what he wants -- but it often fails because, like you say, he's not very charismatic. i think hes programmed himself to view relationships as a sort of master/servant scenario: someone is in charge, and someone gets ordered around. in his relationship with his wife, she clearly takes charge, and at work, he either gets to boss around his subordinates or be bossed around/mocked by people like price. in his mind, people can't be equals, there always has to be a power struggle.

what's interesting is that elliot actually believes this too. in one episode in season 2 (can't quite remember which exactly) he says "every relationship is a power struggle. some of us need to be controlled." the difference (i think anyways, and maybe you will disagree) is that elliot is afraid of people. he's paranoid and doesn't trust anyone. he's very lonely, yet refuses to let anyone in because he's afraid any emotional vulnerability will be taken advantage of. he has so little control over himself (due to his disorder) and is so distrustful due to his childhood trauma that he deals with it by holding people at arms length and trying to anticipate their weaknesses so he can manipulate them if need be. his stalking plays a big part in this. he wants to be close to people, but he thinks its too big of a risk to do it in real life, so he stalks people, reads their facebook messages, hacks them, etc. his obsession with control, and with trying to anticipate what other people will do/what their secrets are, comes from his need to have the upper hand in social situations because of his fear of people. like krista, for example. he can't deal with the vulnerability of opening up to a therapist, so he constantly lies to her, and then meddles with her personal life so he feels like he's protecting/helping her, rather than the other way around.

i think tyrell is pretty bad at reading people, like you say. he's arrogant, and overestimates how likeable he is. he's spent his life trying to build up this image of the confident businessman because he thinks that's what will make people respect him. so when he sees elliot, who tyrell recognizes as being smarter/more talented than him, and who doesnt seem to care at all about being respected or even noticed by others, and its like tyrell just can't comprehend it. tyrell misinterprets this as elliot being too good to play the social game, but we know thats not true-- in actuality, elliot withdraws from people and tries to shy away from attention because life is easier/safer for him if he can be disconnected.

tyrell wants to feel special and important, and he thinks elliot is a special and important person, so he idolizes/obsesses over/attaches himself to elliot. this is central to his "we are gods" delusion in the show. i think this reflects both tyrells desire to feel powerful/special, but also the fact that he wants to believe he is the ONLY person who could possibly break elliots isolation. he sees elliots indifferent behaviour, and thinks, "i want to be the exception to this. i want this very indifferent person to really care about me."

tyrell is a very greedy person -- he wants elliot, and he wants to have elliot all to himself, and be the most important person in elliots life. martin wallstrom talks about this in interviews sometimes:

i think the challenge for me in writing TROTW is trying to balance the quickness and intensity of tyrells feelings while keeping elliots side of the relationship more slow, if that makes sense. i think tyrell is VERY impulsive, and also often remorseless, whereas elliot is slow and careful and sometimes paralyzed by his own anxiety and circular thinking.

anyways, all of that long and probably rant-y explanation aside, i just want to say i totally agree with you, and i think our mutual read on tyrells character is very much supported by canon. tyrell wants a lot, hes intense, and hes also very desperate. i think his attitude towards the red wheelbarrow poem his dad loved so much reflects this. the poem is about how so much importance can be found in something as small and mundane and ephemeral as the rainwater puddled up in an old wheelbarrow-- the image will fade as the water evaporates, but for the brief moment the scene exists, it is special to the viewer. tyrell cant understand that the poems message is literally just "take joy in the little things in life," because he himself wants so badly to be big, important, special, powerful, etc. hes eternally unhappy because hes always chasing something. people see how desperate he is (scott and sharon, price, joanna, mr robot) and use this to manipulate or mock him.

in the next chapter of TROTW, things are going to ramp up a bit in terms of their relationship, lol. it might still take me a few weeks to get it out, since it's becoming longer than expected and i have some work stuff going on, but i can give a few spoilers, if you like:

first of all, fsociety will finally be making an appearance!! the big e corp hack is coming to a head.

mr robot will capitalize on elliots fear of betrayal to try and split him and tyrell apart. mr robot wants elliot to focus only on the hack, and he thinks tyrell is getting in the way of that.

joanna and sutherland will be paying elliot a visit :)

and elliot will manipulate tyrells affection in order to get tyrell to do something for him thats necessary to move fsocietys plans forward.

hopefully that brief summary will tide you over until i can get the chapter out, lol.

thanks again for your lovely comments! i really appreciate you taking the time to tell me what you liked. and its such an honour to hear you think im good enough to write for the show, wow! as for how i think up the dialogue and some of the details... i dont really know lol. i have a boring day job and i usually spend my time there daydreaming/people watching, which gives me ideas. also, i very often write while drunk! i actually wrote the year walker all in one night on christmas eve last year while downing several bottles of wine lol.

anyways, i know i keep saying it, but thank you for reading my work, and thank you for taking the time to write to me. im glad people are as passionate about these characters and this pairing as me. <3

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Top Gun: Maverick - Holy Shit that was good!!!!

I watched Top Gun: Maverick over the weekend and I wanted to let a few days go before I wrote about it because I wanted to ascertain whether I really loved the movie as much as I did on second thought. The answer is an absolute yes. I don't have a huge love for the first Top Gun. I rewatched it, maybe for the 2nd time, before going to see Top Gun: Maverick and its perfectly fine. Top Gun didn't really have much of a plot and didn't really have any high stakes until Goose's death and then a last act mission. It really rode on Cruise's boyish charisma, the camaraderie between Goose and Maverick, the rivalry between Maverick and Iceman, and the romance between Charlie and Maverick. But there wasn't a whole lot else to it. Top Gun: Maverick is an improvement on every level in my opinion. Forget the obvious technical improvements, but it is so much better on a character and plot level with seriously impressive acting performances from the entire cast.

You definitely benefit from having watched the first Top Gun without a doubt, but this movie makes the original retroactively more emotional. Everyone and their grandma knows about Cruise's obsession, almost mania, to do stunts for real, and we as the audience benefit from it. The flying scenes are absolutely bonkers and a true shot of adrenaline. The entire climax of the movie is one of the most exciting sequences I have seen in a long time. There are basically two acts to the climax, both equally amazing.

The film uses nostalgia in the right way. There isn't a song cue or a homage scene every second scene, but they are there and they generally just add to the flavor of the movie. But the movie also expands on Maverick as a character through his relationship with Rooster. The characterization on Maverick is amazing. This genuinely feels like how Maverick would be 36 years later. He's not just cocky, there is a weathered and pained main who still has ghosts of his past haunting him and influencing him, but he's also not a pale shadow of his old self. He's still the best there is. The film does an excellent job also with the recruits. Rooster could so easily have been a whiny young man, but film gives him a certain integrity and certain POV where you can't really question his resentment towards Maverick, since it comes from a legitimate place. But you also feel for Maverick, because his care for Rooster and the actions he took come from a legitimate place. All the other pilots are also enjoyable. Hangman is this film's Iceman, but even he toes the line on the level of arrogance appropriate for the role without becoming a cartoon. The romance in this film also works surprisingly well. Cruise and Connelly, who I believe are working for the first time together, have a wonderful warm chemistry together and somehow they are able to create a sense of history between these two characters without it seeming too forced. The film doesn't skimp on the emotion, particularly a heart wrenching scene between Kilmer and Cruise. Its a fantastically well acted scene and it delivers on the emotion and also a touch of humor.

The acting is fantastic across the board. Cruise has just seemingly got better as he's grown older. It just feels like he's been very accepting of his age without losing his badassness in Fallout and now in Maverick, and it has lent to two of his most vulnerable and heartfelt performances in a very long time. Miles Teller is the best I have seen him since Whiplash. He's terrific and standing toe to toe with Cruise in several scenes. Jennifer Connelly is wonderful, adding a depth to the character that you may not have otherwise seen. Not to mention she looks absolutely gorgeous. Jon Hamm is entertaining as always. Kilmer, as mentioned above, has a wonderful scene. Glen Powell as Hangman is excellent, as are some of the others like Monica Barbaro and Lewis Pullman.

Joseph Kosinski has proved himself to be a very capable director. He seems to have only improved with every film. I thought Tron: Legacy and Oblivion were pretty underrated, and Only the Brave was excellent, but this tops them all. This makes me look forward to Spiderhead. All in all, there aren't really any complaints that I had with the film. Maybe some minor pacing issues here and there and some cheesy moments, but overall this is a blast. 9/10

[endstar]

Well... 💙doug kept trying to maul Malak, and the more he learned about what that mortal was capable of... the more scared he got. He feared for his own mortality...

💙Doug is in-between being god and mortal... he currently has no regards for anyone's safety, and would gladly maul you the second he has energy.

[As for the god...]

Here's the opinions of mama bear of HIS timeline.

"well... when he first started acting strange it was... unnerving, and saddening to say the least... he acted like a child, not getting his way... he often cried... i think that might have been part of his programming. It didn't help with the effect i was said to have on mortals... like with everyone, once attached he always begged for us to stay... to not leave... to not abandon him.... once he was out of character, he desperately tried stay away from my babies. I guess he didn't want any more children dying on his conscious.... although my babies would just come back perfectly fine, in the moment he understood grief to an extent.... he was created as a father, trying to be a better person, and found out that he didn't know his own daughter. I've quite literally always existed with my precious babies, so i don't have a clue on how that even felt to him...

i still see him in a sad light, although i pitty him more now. He was... a child. He was created as a grown man, yes. But once he got out of programming, he had no idea on how to exist. Many of us struggled, but he was the first and had about as much character as the murder monkeys, or the dread duckies, if not less... each of his alters were "born" during his desperation to have someone, anyone, love him... he turned to bierce, who he knew would betray him, and he turned to all of us... knowing that we were created to kill him.... he tried to act like us, pretend to be like us, only for us to be ripped away... his alters helped him quite a bit, but they all share his abandonment issues... they just react very differently to being left behind... i see them all like my own cubs. They desperately need me to... especially Theodore.... he's the youngest mentally, and sees me the most as a mother... to think that there were playthoughs where i.... hmm..."

- Aware mama bear

So... the God was created with a purpose. His whole life was a lie, and he kept falling into the void after his discovery...

[The God wants to play, he doesn't want to be alone again...]

Hope this gives you a good idea on what you're dealing with....

Nurses, if you run into either, do NOT treat them like you would the average Joe that walks in. Treat em with genuine kindness. These are basically kids with trust issues that can kill you in ways you don't wanna think of.

Lucky, be a good sport to em. Play nice. Win or lose a game with them, as long as your alive it's a win. Also, penny might be a good person to talk with them, as long as she doesn't squeeze the men too tight.

Mama bear... these two suffered in different ways. 💙Doug had an abusive mother, while the God has fake memories of having one... these two, like I've said with Malak, need genuine love.

Be careful you guys...

They all look really uncomfortable •

💙Reaper nurse: “well… as long as he isn’t an ass hole i’m all right with it…”

( I’m sorry for the very unsatisfying answer personally if this happened to me I wouldn’t say anything lol )

[rage-on-a-page]

WP: Your roommate is the serial killer on the news. One day they say "I'm bored, got anyone in mind for me to... y'know?"

“I’m bored, got anyone in mind for me to… y’know?

It was a loaded question. There were, of course, some people I would like to see murdered. Every day you read about corrupt politicians making disgusting decisions against humanity. Beyond that there were a few criminals I could think of that were deserving of some karmic justice. But when Aida asked me this question, there was only one person I could think of, one person who needed to hurt the way I do.

It was another hustling day under the scorching California sun when I found out my roommate was a serial killer. No like, I actually found out Aida was a serial killer. I read plenty of reports online: “The Marigold Murderer Strikes again!” The M.O. was quite simple: a body would be found, usually within 3-5 hours of the death. The victim laid in pristine condition- always made to look like they were asleep. And while the scene would always be cleared of any sort of evidence that could identify such a murderer, there would always be a perfectly laid marigold, right on the heart of the victim. 

“I wonder why they used a Marigold… doesn’t seem very intimidating to me” I once posed to Aida.

“Well I heard Marigolds are used to honor the dead. Maybe it’s some weird way of saying sorry?”

At first I had no reason to suspect Aida of such crimes. After all, we’ve lived together for about a year. I had seen her at her best- cleaning the apartment while blasting 90’s power ballads. And I had also seen her at what I assumed to be her worst- puking in my toilet after margarita night went beyond saving. I had grown to respect Aida and learn how to live with her. I never imagined she would be capable of doing anything as insane as committing a string of murders.

So imagine my surprise when I walked in her room last week, and found a cache of marigold petals, reposed in her closet. An odd sight to be sure, but that alone was not enough. I decided to check what the police had published on the Marigold Murderer. Virtually no identifying information, and the list of victims had almost nothing in common. A churchgoing mom who was adequately respected, a single business man who lived more to be an influence than for himself, a graduate student with a habit of getting wasted at college bars and harassing undergrads. Nothing linked these people with one another, nothing but Aida.

At least that’s what Aida told me when I confronted her. To my surprise, she didn’t deny it. She didn’t try to excuse it or make it sound like it was any better than it was. Aida owned up to every bit of it and told me if I wanted to report her, that it was my choice. She said it started as an accident, but when she never got caught, it became a habit. But she didn’t just choose anyone. She chose only those people she had interacted with and determined that those in their lives would be better off without them there. 

“The Marigold is the flower of the sun” she said… “It also represents good fortune and optimism. I’m optimistic that those left in the wake of my crimes will have their chance to grow”.

So maybe it was that thought that led Aida to ask me the golden question: “got anyone in mind for me to, y’know?”

I’m not entirely sure why I never turned her in. Maybe a part of me still refuses to believe it. Maybe the friendship I had developed with Aida made me overlook it. Or maybe… dare I say… I did have someone in mind I needed Aida to help me with. Someone who deserved to hurt the way I do.

“Aida… you know there’s only one person I wish would drop dead. Miguel… after all this time together, he has the audacity to go out and pose with every cheap floozy that lives in Orange county. It’s like I meant nothing to him. Every now and again he’ll like one of my posts… maybe leave an emoji as a comment… but I’m sick of it. I am sick of being reminded by how perfect he exists and how he doesn’t want me anymore. How can someone change their mind like that? It’s only been a month since we broke things off… but every day I carry the pain of what we were and every day I see him weightless. I wish I could be like that.”

“...Do you think killing him could be the answer?”

“Aida-”

“I don’t mean to judge. I’ve done it for less than that. I just want to be sure it’s what you want.”

“What I want is for Miguel to love me again. What I want is to bring our love back from the dead. Do you think you could do that?”

Aida sighs and responds, “Now you know just as well as I do… he needs to be alive for that to happen.”

The silence grows between us. Of course it’s true. I want Miguel dead, not because he hurt me, but because seeing him alive knowing I’m not with him is the cruelest kind of hell. Maybe without Miguel… maybe then I could grow. Or maybe I would spend every day of my life thinking of him in a completely different way. They say time heals, but I can’t help but wonder how long it will take.

The silence continues, but as though she read my mind, Aida hands me her wine. I take a solemn sip and lay my head on her shoulder. It’s crazy to think I could trust a serial killer, but right now, there’s nothing she can do that would hurt more than the pain I’m already feeling.

[stewblog]

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, director Sam Raimi has delivered a movie the likes of which I wasn’t sure I’d ever see within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There have been peaks and valleys, film-wise, ever since Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark defiantly proclaimed to be Iron Man, but by and large an MCU flick is the closest the industry has to a sure thing these days. That consistency often comes at a cost, however. Save for exceptions such as Thor Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi and Black Panther’s Ryan Coogler, MCU films typically are helmed by directors who are solid, journeyman filmmakers. They do largely perfectly fine work but little in the way of a creative or authorial voice shines through for one reason or another.

So when a filmmaker with such an overwhelmingly distinct voice as Sam Raimi comes along and is a last minute replacement for a Marvel movie, my elation was subdued by a mountain of caution. When he’s firing on all cylinders, there is no mistaking the work of Sam Raimi for anyone else’s, and the cosmically weird world of Dr. Stephen Strange feels tailor-made for the spook-a-blast sensibilities of the man who brought us the likes of Evil Dead II and Darkman. The only question would be how much of that madcap energy would or even could capably shine through?

Suffice to say: All of it. This is a Sam Raimi movie through and through.

Nearly every hallmark of his work is present and in full effect. Energetic camerawork? Check. Perfectly timed jump scares? Check. Horror elements that perfectly balance moments of genuine fright with a gonzo sense of humor? Check. An impeccable sense of how to make the proceedings feel like a comic book come to life? Check. This movie moves and looks and feels like no other of its kind.

Raimi has excelled at making comic book movies (his Spider-Man 2 from 2004 remains in many ways the apex of the sub-genre). He’s excelled at horror films. But never before has he been able (allowed?) to concoct such a compelling and exquisite synthesis of the two. He came closest with Darkman, the movie that asks “What if a classic movie monster became a superhero?”, but that felt like a toe being dipped into this particular pool. With Multiverse of Madness, Raimi jumps in doing a cannonball.

In some ways, this is my ideal comic book movie. It takes well-established characters, puts them through the ringer and delivers a fun, impactful story that draws from the interconnected universe it occupies while still largely telling a self-contained story. As impressive as it’s been to watch dozens of MCU movies bob and weave plot threads and characters together, it’s nice to watch a movie that simply wants to plunge its characters through wild escapades rather than spend too much time setting up future events. It feels like a standalone issue of a Marvel comic.

In it, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) discovers that dreams aren’t just fabrications of the subconscious. They’re visions of what’s happening to you in an alternate, concurrent reality. So when he finds out that he didn’t dream of dying while helping American Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) a girl who can freely hop from one reality to the next, his alternate self actually did die, it’s off to the races as he desperately tries to find out how to help this scared girl who barely understands her own abilities and is pursued by a nigh-unbeatable adversary. What ensues is a non-stop ride of dimension-hopping, wild wizardry and cameo appearances that are a veritable rollercoaster in and of themselves.

It must be said that this is probably the best Benedict Cumberbatch has ever been in the role. I’ve really grown to enjoy him as Strange but Multiverse of Madness adds some much needed layers to him beyond “Smartest guy in the room who knows some sick magic spells.” Xochitl Gomez isn’t given much to do but she makes the most with what she has as America Chavez forces some unexpected growth from Strange. It’s Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda/Scarlet Witch, however, who’s the MVP. I’ll refrain from giving too many details on how she fits into the film at large, but suffice to say it’s her mental and emotional journey that is at the very heart of the film.  Wanda very easily could have been a despicable character (though understandably so, depending on your perspective) yet Olson manages to find just the right balance here.

Oh and I’d be remiss if I didn’t sing the praises of composer Danny Elfman bringing his A-game. Elfman has composed some of the greatest film scores in the history of the medium. And while he doesn’t deliver anything near as iconic as, say, his score for the Tim Burton Batman movies, it’s the best work he’s done in years as he weaves motifs in and through, augmenting moments in a way only he can.

If it wasn’t clear by now, I loved this to death. It warms my heart that Sam Raimi is back and clearly energized as a filmmaker, delivering what feels like a perfect synthesis of so many elements throughout his career thus far.

[leothelionsaysgrrrr]

✨️✨️✨️ for anyone, but especially for Rex!

I AM SORRY it took me so long to do this there’s just SO! MUCH! to yell about with my trash bastard son :’)

✨ Rexus is, as of 9:39 Dragon, legally dead.  As far as anyone in Minrathous knows, he was leading a mission outside Tevinter a few years before that and none of them ever made it back alive.  Any resemblance between this very definitely dead man and Falx Verus, a bodyguard the Ivory Oasis hired for Silver that year after ‘an incident with a patron’ left him ‘in need of extra security’ is nothing more than coincidence. Or so Silver and his madam tell it, anyway, seeing as Falx Verus is nothing more than Rexus with his hair grown out and a Great Big Bushy Beard.  It’s...an adjustment...for him, for sure, keeping his mouth shut and his ass out of taverns enough to not give himself away OR make himself recognizable during his and Silver’s other (more important) work, plus having to WORK at the brothel rather than GO to the brothel, but it’s necessary.  Not just for his personal growth and work towards atoning for his past and becoming a better person, but because if his younger brother (who framed Rexus for the mass assassinations that allowed him to rise to power in the Magisterium and who has a strong and well-known aversion to brothels) caught wind that he was still alive, he would waste no time making him and anyone who’d been hiding him dead for real.  

✨ To kind of piggyback off the last one, the reason it took a few years to declare him legally dead (and one of the reasons he’s so annoying) is because that was nowhere near the first time people had claimed he’d been killed.  In fact, he has such a reputation for being nearly impossible to kill that people used to refer to him as ‘the cockroach’ or just ‘roach’.  It’s definitely true that he’s a skilled fighter who can dish out and take a beating like a champ, drinks like a fish and has the tolerance to prove it, is stubborn as all hell, and his mother definitely watches his back in ways she doesn’t always alert him to, but most of his success in surviving things he absolutely should not have is sheer dumb luck.  Not even just the fact that he has, despite being...well, HIM, never once been run through, or even significantly stabbed, no, like when he survived a tunnel collapse because the beams fell in just the right way to keep him from being crushed instead of crushing him, or when he turned up in Minrathous a couple weeks after being buried alive near Vyrantium because an animal dug him out.  Or when Lux put three arrows in his chest so he and Emma could escape from him on the mission he led outside Tevinter to capture them, but he survived because he had his very own encounter with the Cryptid That Is Sala.  His favorite is when a magister’s guards threw him off the bridge leading into Minrathous only for him to fall flat on some scaffolding only about 10 feet down and the rope holding the weights they’d tied to his feet to snap and fall to the water below without him.  After the dwarves working on the bridge recovered from the shock, they helped him back up in time to be waiting for them at the Magisterium when they went to report in.  That went about as well for them as could be expected, and all Rexus offered in terms of an explanation was a shrug and a wink.

✨ Emma has a nearly eidetic memory and applies knowledge in a manner that could be considered quite innovative, but she almost completely lacks any imagination whatsoever.  Meaning, she’s perfectly capable of working within the limits of a set of rules she knows to solve a problem in a way that might be considered outlandish or unorthodox, but she’s completely useless at flat out making shit up.  For example, if you asked her to put together an alias with a new name and a backstory, or to invent an entirely new animal that doesn’t exist and has never been pictured anywhere ever, she will just bluescreen and be completely stumped.  She only lies by omission because she would never be able to come up with anything to actually tell a lie (she can keep every single one of anyone else’s lies straight, though, and quite well, but you run the risk of her talking herself through it in front of whoever you’re lying to if you choose to go that route).  On the other hand, if you ask her how to solve an immediate problem with resources at hand, or how she, as a mage who can really only use force magic, nothing elemental, and cannot talk to spirits (they avoid her because her consciousness is bridged into the Fade by one and it’s WEIRD), would accomplish things like conjuring ice or fire, or healing, she would have an answer, and that answer would usually be ‘physics’.  Friction generates heat, and can be used to make fires, so why could she not generate friction by manipulating forces in the air to create heat, and ignite kindling in her hand?  Or create a shroud of it around someone - a tall, scrawny elf who complains about the slightest hint of cold, for instance - to help them stay warm? Similarly, all phase transition really is is an increase or decrease in speed and entropy of molecular movement, so throwing a bucket of water on someone could become a bucket of ice spears if the water molecules were to sufficiently slow and become ordered.  Healing is a little more complicated, since the way she’s worked out to do it also uses a technique Sala taught her that’s like...a state of extreme hyperfocus to the point she’s acutely aware of EVERYTHING going on in whoever she’s healing’s body.  All of that is just more processes and reactions that can be manipulated with force if the mage can focus enough, which she can, but at a heavy cost: she can’t focus enough to manipulate the body’s natural healing processes AND block the body’s sensitivity to pain at the same time, so being healed by her is MASSIVELY painful.  Like, weeks of pain while healing a broken bone normally instead happening over a couple minutes.  That, she tends to keep to herself that she can even do, and only ever uses it on herself because she knows she can handle it.

Got any more?