#and often translates into not communicating your needs and wants to friends and assuming they should behave a certain way intuitively

[cervinelich]

"Everyone always leaves/abandons/rejects me =C" is such a huge red flag for me. Saw someone saying this on social media the other day and knee-jerk instinct was "blockblockblock"

[hannieehaee]

Hello! What abt svt & their reaction/rls to foreign staff members? As in maybe translators that are with them on tour?

you being a foreign staff member

content: these are mostly implied to be platonic, fluff, foreign reader (non-korean), most of these reactions assume you speak english and korean as an additional language, etc.

wc: 881

a/n: i loved this concept honestly!! id love to write a longer fic about a language barrier fic or a translator staff member :0

masterlist

seungcheol -

being leader, he sometimes would feel the brunt of taking on interviews and such in english, not always being able to understand what's being asked of him. he would turn to you before and after any interviews or social interactions that involved english to clarify anything he didnt understand. would have a lot of respect and admiration for you, thinking you to be super smart for being able to translate so effortlessly.

jeonghan -

would sometimes strike conversation in japanese just to throw you off. he'd even ask joshua to teach him some phrases in english to throw you off even further by suddenly switching languages. would do the same with jun and throw some chinese at you too. however, he would still converse with you in korean often to get you to accompany him and a few of the members during outings in order to translate.

joshua -

he'd be happy to have another person to speak english to, always seeking you out whenever he got tired of not being able to speak his native language. since the two of you both had korean as an additional language you'd learned, the two of you would relate a lot and mutually gravitate towards each other.

jun -

he has a tendency of going live on weverse and going back and forth between korean and chinese, even teaching carats a few phrases in both languages. this makes me think that he might seek the same from you. he would ask you to translate phrases into whichever language you knew and would even teach you stuff in chinese back.

soonyoung -

he's always trying to learn new words from his the comments on his weverse lives, so i think he would come to you with that same curiosity. he would be fascinated by how easily you went back from one language to another and ask you to teach him how you do it. would be super cute about it too, following you around whenever you were assigned to go on tour or to events with them and rambling questions at you.

wonwoo -

he mentioned in a fansign recently that he wants to learn a lot of languages, so i think he would be somewhat fascinated by you and how well you spoke korean despite it not being your first tongue. would maybe even seek you out directly to strike conversation about linguistics.

jihoon -

he's expressed before that he thinks his english is bad, so he might be a bit shy to speak it. he might look to you for help whenever he happened to go out or find himself in social situations overseas, sticking by you in order to avoid awkward social situations. he would be forever thankful to you for always helping him out and would come directly to you any time he needed help or wanted to learn something new in that language.

seokmin -

he's so outgoing he would probably not even need you to direct yourself at him in korean to become friends with you. since you'd be around a lot, he would do his best to make you feel comfortable while also getting your help in learning a bit more english to communicate with carats. to him it'd be a two birds one stone type of situation; he gets a new friend and gets to find new ways to talk to his fans.

mingyu -

super interested in interacting with you. he loves to learn and is always hoping to strike conversation with new people he meets, so he would have tons of questions for you as to what words to say and how to say them. being the friendly guy that he is, you two would likely become fast friends due to how often he came to you with questions.

minghao -

he's said before he wants to learn english and how hard he's been working towards it, so he would come to you with any questions and even asking you to tag along if he were ever to want to go out during tour. he'd become friends with you very easily and exchange his knowledge in chinese for your knowledge in english.

seungkwan -

he'd be immediately curious about you, seeing as you didn't seem to be a regular staff member. upon finding out you were a translator he'd try to communicate with you in broken english, completely forgetting that you'd obviously know korean. after that, he would consistently ask for your help in learning important phrases in english and praising you for your expertise at speaking multiple languages.

vernon -

as someone who had to learn korean as a second language very young (and then retain his english language after moving to korea), he would probably relate to you a lot and befriend you very easily. he would seek you out to dust off his english and the two of you would likely hit it off right away.

chan -

being the future of kpop, of course he needs to know a bit more english, or at least that's what he tells you any time he comes to you with yet another inquiry as to what some random post he saw online means. he knows he can just use an online translator (or ask an english-speaking member), but he would trust your judgment more.

[windvexer]

do you think its good to try doing one spell a week or once every two weeks? as a way to force yourself to practice. what spells would you recommend for that? im so passive i have a hard time thinking what i could do with spells.

Thoughts, in no particular order:

I suspect readers are going to take issue with your use of the word "force," but I empathize with wanting to develop a regular practice and needing a kick in the pants to engage. If you'll give me the time to drone on about what constitutes useful practice, I may have some actually helpful suggestions at the end.

If you're talking about witchcraft as a whole, there is a ton of stuff to do in order to practice and improve skills in sorcery which is not actual spellwork.

Practicing divination, psychism, energy work, and spirit communication (if you believe in spirits) are all useful to learn. They will also help you improve your spellwork (for example, by being able to use divination to clearly understand the outcome of a potential spell; or from being able to use energy work and psychism to "see" a spell as you are casting it).

But for many people, practicing those things often - including casting spells often - can be very draining. So it may be worthwhile to explore other things you can practice, which can still directly improve spellwork: practical crafts (as about any handy skill can be applied to further your magical craft), learning to write and format rituals and spells, studying magical texts, and so on.

Learning your local area and making friends with the land is yet another thing which can vastly improve spellwork, but which in and of itself isn't a spell.

Furthermore, many people may not really consider it to be "spellwork," but working on various magical skills - like crafting tools, amulets, and talismans; developing ritual formats to petition spirits; gaining and working with familiar or helper spirits, and so on, also help improve spellwork.

Consider the utility of learning the land, making friends with a river spirit, ritually collecting a stone from that river, hand-crafting the stone into a piece of jewelry, and finally magically consecrating the jewelry into a powerfully protective amulet. This requires many skills, only one of which is casting an actual spell.

You may also want to consider that if you end up working with a lot of long-term magic, like enchanted amulets and container spells, maintaining those spells is also going to take time and energy - not to mention a place to store them.

Trying to cast two or three spells a month may also cause you to run into issues of verifiability. Was your promotion because of your prosperity spell, your bad-boss-begone spell, or your good luck spell? What about the protection against malice ward, or the road-opener? Good results are good, but it's also good to be able to actually know what is working for you and what isn't. So I think that's something to consider.

If you do not have much experience with spell work, you may not know that spellcasting skills are not automatically interchangeable across types of magic. If you spend a year focusing on quick results spells for small changes in your life, you may get really good at that - but not necessarily good at other more long term forms of magic. It's not a bad thing, but it's good to be aware that you should practice the kind of magic you want to get good at, and not assume those skills will translate to all types of magic.

Then of course there are types of spells meant to be cast over a long period of time. Consider a planetary spell meant to be worked over the same day of the week, for multiple weeks. Would you count that as one spell, or one spell a week?

Well, anyway. All that being said, I do not think it is a bad idea to do a sort of 52 spells a year challenge. I can see a lot of pitfalls, but what's that thing people are always saying? Fuck around and find out? Find out about this, why not.

Now here is my actual answer to your question:

In regards to your passive mindset, try reframing your experiences from "it is what it is" to "I can change that." Start carrying around a notepad and make notes of things in your life that may irritate you, but that you've always just brushed over.

Make a list of all the tools and items you want for your magical practice. If there is something on the list you do not have, you can cast a spell to conjure it into your life.

If there is something on the list you already have, you can cast a spell to magically upgrade or improve it.

You can get practice by enchanting spell vessels without actually activating them. A simple example is a prosperity candle - you can enchant it and store it for later use. (This also gives experience with learning how to store magical items). Consider the utility of enchanting planetary candles under the correct day and hour, and storing them for when you need them.

If you just want to work magic and have no particular need, you can plan ahead and capitalize on opportune timings. Consider spending a month crafting a ward vessel, then waiting to enchant it on a very good astrological appointment.

If you've got local friends who are spiritually inclined, you can also prepare spell vessels for them. If you are considering a future in being the "village witch," this is very good practice for learning how to instruct others how to care for and use spell vessels that someone else has prepared.

You can cast the same spell over and over, including on the same spell vessel. So maybe you cast a prosperity spell candle and it doesn't seem to work. You can recast the identical spell over and over again as many times as you want. A good spell is like a good recipe - you can make it as many times as you please, and the more you work with it, the better you get at casting it. So you don't need to find 52 unique spells - and you might be better off sticking with a few you want to learn to work well.

If you've enchanted an amulet or talisman or container, you can also re-cast the same spell on it over and over again.

Other magical activities, like learning auric shielding and energy glamours, are very good for practice. These types of magic tend to fade quickly (often, within a day) and are a very fun way to experiment with magic.

Witches often enjoy little "tricks" to make their life easier, such as ensuring a parking spot is held free at a busy lot. These tricks are rarely cast with a candle and incantations, but rather are worked up in the moment, even in public spaces. Learning to develop a few tricks for yourself is fun, and very practical.

[wifiwulf04]

Life/OSDD rant

Moon comforting Katsuki

Let me start by establishing the fact that I am the host of the Wilderness System, an OSDD1-b system. My name is Wulf, although most folks we know irl use my legal name because it is also the body’s birth name.

First of all, I don’t expect everyone to automatically know how to interact with systems. It’s perfectly natural for folks to fuck up, I myself often struggle to understand social cues. However, by the very nature of DID/OSDD, I think it’s a pretty easy conclusion to come to that saying something along the lines of “If there was a way to make me into an alter in your head” or “Can [this alter] just go away cause I don’t like them” is pretty rude.

Alters are real people, not just characters for you to play off of just because you think it would be ‘interesting’ to meet yourself ‘from my POV’. Every alter serves a purpose, from protecting the system to caring for it to just comforting a single alter. We are a family, built from blood, sweat and tears with effort from all of us, because the ones who should have given us a loving, safe family didn’t.

I get that sometimes folks don’t get along, but that doesn’t mean they should just disappear cause y’all aren’t besties. Their existence doesn’t revolve around you, it revolves around us as a system. Some folks (who should damn well know who they are but honestly probably don’t because “I’m not the problem, I’m trying to fix them cause they’re the problem!”) should take a step back and realise, hey, maybe I’m butting heads with the system protector and only get along with the system’s caregiver/mediator because I have a part to play in starting fights. Honestly, if you’re trying to fix someone else all the time, thinking that it’ll fix your issues when they have no issue with your mutual friends, maybe take a step back anyway and see it from a different POV who’s really starting and ending fights and who steps away from instigation.

Introjects are not going to perfectly mirror their source. From person to person, everyone has their own perception of a person or a character. Overall, their description may be similar and they may look the same, but they are not going to be the same person. Two alters of the same character from different systems are more than likely going to behave differently. Moon from FNAF: SB may be part of security, but we spent the better part of a month coaxing our Moon into interacting with more than just the system littles. In the end, it took our resident blond Pops Yamada engaging him to be able to start actually communicating both ways (them and Sun have so many similarities, we really should have tried to introduce them sooner). He’s our resident cat scrunkly with codependency issues and from his behaviour, chances are he’s a lot more of a caregiver than a protector.

My point is, don’t look at a violent source and automatically assume that you’re in danger. They’re people, if you haven’t done anything to them, well… there’s a phrase in Chinese that roughly translates to “the thief has a guilty conscience”. If you didn’t do anything, there is no need to fear them. If you did, you fear them because you know what you did.

Further context for the picture: I heard explosions and screaming in headspace in the middle of the day. I didn’t know what happened and Pyreseus, my partner and the system’s primary protector, couldn’t find out what happened either. We found Moon calming Katsuki down, although Katsuki doesn’t want to talk about it. We’re not going to force him to tell us, if he wants to, he will in his own time. Often, alters come with pseudomemories and/or bearing trauma. We accept them as they are and work with them to heal, but everyone has bad days and setbacks. Also, we’ve found that Moon’s default neutral expression is a toothless smile (he has sharp ass teeth) and if anything, he’s frowning ever so slightly in the picture (right side). Honestly, I think it’s almost poetic. He is simultaneously the masks of comedy and tragedy, not that I think he’s realised.

Yes, I got permission from Katsuki to post this. He was fine with it as long as his face isn’t in it. Moon… looks at our phone like The Motherbox and hisses like a cat at our friend talking to him via text. Does he understand technology? He may be an animatronic, but fuck if I know at this point. Also, I’m aware he’s missing his signature ruffles. Pops put him in a vampire costume for Halloween (hence the waist sash), he took the cape off and swapped out his pants, I assume so that he wouldn’t freak Katsuki out even more and cause he likes his jester pants. The kids are trying to design him a year-round outfit that he would be comfortable in, I dunno if the signature ruffles are gonna make a return in it. I guess we’ll all have to wait and see ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[charlottee5]

Platonic Soulmates

You’ve probably heard the term “soulmate” before, but what does it mean to have a platonic soulmate? Is it even possible to have a soulmate you aren’t romantically involved with? While the typical idea of a soulmate is someone you marry and settle down with, that’s not necessarily the only kind of soulmate out there. In fact, you may have found a platonic soulmate without even realizing it! Read on for a complete overview of platonic soulmates, why they’re so important, and all the signs that indicate you may have one.

Platonic soulmates are people who share a deep, meaningful bond.

It may feel as though your souls are “linked,” like you were meant to be in one another’s lives. The true definition of a platonic soulmate is someone with whom you have an intimate connection without romantic or sexual interest. In other words, your bond goes beyond good friends, but neither of you wants to be in a relationship.

Though many assume soulmates must be romantically linked, the actual definition is more general. Soulmates are simply people whose souls are profoundly connected.

Soulmates often feel like they know one another right away, possibly even from a past life.

For many people, finding a soulmate—platonic or otherwise—feels like finally finding a missing piece of their soul. They understand their soulmate completely, and their soulmate understands them in return.

You both have a lot in common.

While you aren't mirror images of each other in terms of likes and dislikes, you both still share a lot of common ground. Maybe you had similar childhood experiences, or you both have a lot of the same hobbies and pastimes. Whatever the case, you both tune into the same wavelength when it comes to mutual interests and passions.

The same goes for dislikes—you both might find yourselves disliking the same things, too.

You “get” each other and have your own language.

Communication among platonic soulmates feels super effortless and intuitive, as they often share an unspoken understanding that never fades. With a platonic soulmate, you’ll be able to finish each other’s sentences. You may have entire conversations based on inside jokes, quotes from TV and movies that you both enjoy, and even made-up words that only you two know.

You’ll also have a very similar sense of humor. Platonic soulmates often have a knack for making one another laugh because they find the same things funny and love exchanging all their best jokes.

When both of you are around others, they might ask you to translate whatever it is the two of you just said. Other people may not always get your inside jokes, but you will.

You know everything about one another.

Platonic soulmates leave no stone unturned in their quest to get to know one another. If you have one, you’ll likely share everything—the most important moments and insignificant details of your lives. Do you have any secrets? Your platonic soulmate knows them. If someone asked them a personal question, you could probably answer it.

Giving them gifts is probably easy because you always know exactly what your platonic soulmate would want.

You’ll rarely run out of things to talk about because you always have something new to share with one another, even if it might seem weird or unimportant to other people.

You support each other no matter what.

Platonic soulmates have a way of knowing what you need before you even have to ask for anything. They’ll support you when you’re feeling down, offer advice when you need help, give you space when you need to process, and make time for you whenever you need a shoulder to cry on.

Do you share all of your good and bad news? Are they the first person you tell when you get that amazing promotion and the first to wipe up your tears after a family crisis? That’s a platonic soulmate.

Your platonic soulmate will be your first (and loudest) cheerleader—and vice versa! You’re always there to encourage one another, and you never get competitive.

You can instantly empathize with their emotions.

When they’re upset, you get upset on their behalf. When they’re jumping for joy, you’re right there with them. You can tell what they’re feeling just from the look on their face and empathize with their feelings effortlessly. In short, you’ll be completely in tune with one another and share a deep emotional connection.

For some people, talking about their deepest and darkest emotions is quite the challenge. However, emotional conversations between you and your platonic soulmate might not be so difficult.

Because you can empathize with one another and set one another at ease, emotional conversations likely happen naturally.

You trust their loyalty unconditionally.

A platonic soulmate is always someone you’d trust to have your back no matter what. If you have one, there’s likely no doubt in your mind that you’d be willing to tell them anything or trust them with any responsibility. You may also feel comfortable confiding in them because they’re one of the few people you know will never let you down.

You help each other to become better people.

Platonic soulmates are still two different people who can likely teach each other a lot! Your platonic soulmate is someone who will encourage you to become the best version of yourself over time. Do you feel like you’ve learned important life lessons from one another? Like there’s still more to discover together? That’s a surefire sign you have a platonic soulmate.

A platonic soulmate may be able to help you see issues from a new perspective or suggest solutions you wouldn’t have thought of by yourself. When you’re conflicted, they’re always prepared to offer advice.

You’re there to help your platonic soulmate grow too! Do you give them as much advice as they give you? If so, that’s another sign of your deep connection.

You feel comfortable being yourself because they won't judge you.

Everybody has flaws, but a platonic soulmate will accept you, flaws and all, without judgment or criticism. When you have a platonic soulmate, your true self will come out around them easily and naturally. They’ll never make you feel like you need to change who you are, and you’ll be able to share even the most difficult parts of your life with them.

For example, reliving past mistakes is never easy, but a platonic soulmate won’t judge you for them. Instead, they’ll listen compassionately and help you come to terms with what happened.

Platonic soulmates feel connected because they’re so similar deep down—which is why platonic soulmates accept one another exactly as they are!

You’re close to them regardless of time and distance apart.

Sometimes, life can interfere with relationships; you might move away from one another or get busy and be unable to hang out for a while. Regardless of what happens, however, you and your platonic soulmate will likely be able to pick up where you left off as though nothing has changed. Reconnecting will feel easy and totally natural!

You enjoy yourself with them no matter what you’re doing.

Even long silences will feel natural and comfortable! There’s no pressure to fill the silence with words or do anything specific with a platonic soulmate; you’ll just be happy in one another’s presence. No matter what you end up doing—whether you chat, sit in silence, or hit the town together—it'll feel fun.

Some casual friendships need constant activities and outings to thrive because when you aren’t doing anything, you might get bored or find that you don’t have much in common.

Platonic soulmates don’t work like that. You’ll rarely feel bored or disconnected from them; being around them usually feels like a breath of fresh air!

You can hang out together in total silence.

Maybe you're just vibing together in the living room or sitting in the car together on the way to the store—no matter the place, you're both perfectly comfortable enjoying the silence together. Neither of you feels the need to make small talk or stretch out a conversation for fear of falling into an awkward silence.

At the end of the day, "awkward silences" don't really exist in a platonic soulmate relationship—you're both totally comfortable with each other, regardless of what you are (or aren't) talking about.

[fairymint]

10 thru 15!

Are there any fandom(s) you avoid roleplaying in?

not overtly? this question to me implies a 'rotten egg' fandom, but I avoid muns more than series; bullies that lash out consistently, bigots, and apologists all share the 'don't step on my eggshells!!!!' hypocrisy when met with criticism- it doesn't matter how well behaved I am when explaining.

Antisemitism is the biggest No, however. My tastes have honestly outgrown anything written by an antisemite, and come to think of it, sexist/transphobic tropes. There's media I won't engage with of course, no more no less.

What made you start wanting to roleplay?

Last go around an RP group caught the attention of my favourite deviantartist...or maybe a member invited me? That was back in 2010, and pkmn-crossing was all anthros in a chatroom.

This time around I found the RP community through a friend (that wrote cheren), and just kinda....started messing with lysandres. The popular demand and attention was high, so my personal got remade into an RP blog after I got overwhelmed, aha. So, making people laugh? I've never intended for Felix or I to improve or develop, actually, but I'm glad that i have.

RPing is the most time-friendly hobby that I have- I can get satisfied or something 'done' in mere minutes where I often avoid doing tasks before work; compared to flipping on a video game where i need hours. So, it's addictive in that sense where the commitment isn't high-stakes; if i get distracted for 5 minutes it's fine!

Are there any characters you’re interested in wanting to roleplay as? 

hmmm as a general rule, I desire to play whoever the community needs, I'd love to play sb underrated- but largely speaking muses Come to Me- It's been years since I RPed a character On Purpose, and it was Colress for a lil while- before i ever played BW2 and apparently nailed his portrayal from wiki alone!

The other day I did express some mild interest in RPing as N. i think the plan for now is maybe trying to develop the new muses I already have; Rex, Cynthia, and Arven are big ones.

But, knowing me, I'm gonna end up with some new random-ass muse before i get anything new done. Cutting icons for Adaman is probably something I should consider committing to since his muse is kinda quiet, as well. some other asshole's gonna pop up though, I just know it.

Are you interested in creating an oc and roleplaying as them?

oh always; I have several OCs in line for making pokemon verses of, need to get their bios done. Rex, Cassi, and Amadeus are big players here; and Magnus has finally translated well to pokemon. I may make a grunt or admin/leader for my Alpha Wolves team; although being based on literal bigotry it might just be played for laughs w/ the grunt.

And of course, Felix's kids're kinda half-baked by default- specifying their lineage for threads always sounds fun.

What are your thoughts on duplicates?

Oh please, I adore duplicates completely! My ADHD brain craves not just the variety in general between headcanons, but the individual familiar vibes of each alt! I feel pretty much zero amount threatened; to tell the truth my own muses don't always behave in the way I'd 'expect' the character to, so it's entirely possible for a duplicate to have the headcanons closest to what I have- or something similar! And that type of metacognition makes me feel safer anyways; I'll read a line or see a canon detail and go 'oh people are definitely gonna interpret this as A or B' so the 'result' doesn't seem so scary, if that makes sense.

I barely can decide on headcanons to begin with anyways- I'm extremely openminded so long as things aren't too legitimately gross.

What’s your impression on blogs who are selective/private?

Well, generally speaking I just assume the person is shy, or has crippling social anxiety. my rejection sensitive dysphoria is really, really bad- I don't often seek out these kinds of blogs with high hopes and get flattered when i do get their attention!

but, and I hate to say it, that I do watch my mutuals like a hawk- before we ever had a checker, I would check. Breaking mutuals with me noticably is an unfollow, and if followbacks never happen, it's on borrowed time (usually a month or few.) This is really just because I don't have much brainspace in me for being a 'fan' for the time being; nobody is obligated to do anything for me, but I try to do my best to nurture and encourage my own wants and needs too so that I don't get frustrated and sink too far down with my mental health. I'm happy to help people, but the risk of making somebody uncomfortable is a worry, too. I rarely keep nonmutuals- and when I do it tends to be just to read their writing with little intent to send things in or like posts.

But, of course there's blogs here and there whose rules might piss me off (especially if it's oxymoronic to my own blog.), I roll my eyes and move on without following. I try not to dwell on it, figure that they'll learn in their own time, and also try to keep quiet as far as they're concerned and off their radar while simultaneously having fun as usual and making general presence for myself- I don't provide dash commentary for non-mutuals to avoid confusion and/or 'butting in' to conversations that aren't 'mine.' It's not my job to try to convince em. and if it happens, my work will show them and I needn't engage and make it a Thing.

I have points of selectivity myself, so in a general sense I do get it. though mine are generally exhaustion, fairness, and attitude based; I try to avoid situations where:

somebody is dependent on me for their mental health (this includes entertainment/boredom) especially in a time-sensitive way.

somebody will fight with me, because I don't hold back

somebody will hurt me or others and can't be talked down- either because they want to hurt, or don't want to listen/change.

but I've pretty much only blocked regular partners for barging angrily into my DMs without warning, harassing me for threads/voice calls (by asking excessively if i was in the mood for them at inappropriate times), and trying to justify calling Felix a 'trap' when politely asked not to (my transition was fresh and scary- was not in the mind for slurs at the time.) otherwise I try to be chill overall, aaaa.

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Graveyard Siblings (5)

[Masterlink] (PART 1) (PART 4)

-----

Mari and Cass sometimes switch their suits as they have the same body type. Cass would sometimes go out in full Hellbat gear and give the appearance that Hellbat is out more often than she actually is.

So Orphan/Black Bat also sometimes uses guns.

This also helps with concealing secret identities. Maria was rescued by Hellbat from Joker’s Henchmen. (Vicki Vale was getting sus of the new Wayne and Hellbat.)

Unfortunately since Hellbat rarely comes out and she had already made all of her appearance for the month and it wasn’t a busy weekend, the public had come to the conclusion that Hellbat has a crush on the newest Wayne.

Basically everyone thought that Mari has a crush on herself. Which led to some teasing and escalated to Mari announcing that Jason had a crush on Red Hood on live TV.

It didn’t help that a video of Red Hood and Jason re-enacting Romeo and Juliet with Jason on his apartment balcony and Red Hood on the roof was posted on the internet a few days later. (Thank you, Trixx and Tim’s awesome video editing skills)

Sadly, it was taken down 24 hours later. (Tim and the others have multiple copies of it, on the cloud or hardware, hidden around in the manor and their respective safehouses in the US.)

Some people kidnapped Jason to hopefully gain leverage over the Red Hood and to their dismay and nightmares for years to come, Hellbat came instead.

One lucky and incredibly brave reporter asked why she was there instead of her brother.

Mari being a little shit, “Red Hood may be a tough and scary guy but when it comes to his feelings, my brother is a chicken.”

Pictures of Jason tackling Hellbat somehow never made it into any papers.

The criminal underworld hasn’t taken a hint and Jason has been kidnapped a few more times.

Other times Jason was kidnapped:

Robin: Red Hood made a fool of himself in front of Todd recently and he doesn’t dare to show his face.

Spoiler: He was taking too damn long checking his hair even though I told him that no one was going to see it under his helmet and he was so offended that he is currently sulking in the bathroom.

Red Robin: Red Hood can’t think straight when he is around Jason. I mean have you seen the dude.

Arsenal*during a rare visit to Gotham*: Red Hood owes me one now.

Dick finally ends it by going out as Red Hood and rescuing Jason. Gotham is happy that Redson (Red Hood x Jason) ship has finally sailed.

-------

Kate, Babs, Cass, Steph and Mari were out on Mari’s first girls’ night since her move to the manor.

This is set a little after she came back from Paris with Jason.

They watched rom-com movies, did hair and nails, gossip about the superhero community and bitch and vent to each other.

Marinette off-handedly mentioned the crazy shits she had done during her stint as Ladybug. It started with asking about the T-rex in the Batcave and she mentions jumping into the mouth of a live one before.

Everyone in the room was shocked and after a few more questions, it was obvious that she was very reckless and self-sacrificing. Yep, she was going to fit into this crazy family just fine.

And Holy Shit. There is so much trauma packed into this kid. She needs lots of therapy.

Babs finally decided that they all needed to get out and have some fun. All in their respective suits and they went out.

Joined by Harley, Ivy and Selina.

Plagg came along because I want Plagg to meet Selina.

It was a chaotic night and it was a miracle that Bruce didn’t find out about what the girls did.

-------

Batman and Red Hood were on patrol together when Selina jumped in front of them.

“Hello, Boys”

“What do you want, Catwoman?”

“I want to meet my new prodigy, Kitty Noire.”

Cue Marinette jumping down from her hiding spot, transformed with the Black Cat Miraculous. “Hiya.”

Red Hood carries her like a potato sack and points his gun at the other two.

“Nope, she’s my sister and I called dibs. I adopted her. She’s off limits.”

“Legally, she’s mine.” Batman coughed out.

“I did it first. Emotionally. She’s my emotional support sister. You have plenty kids already, B and Selina, get your own.”

“Hey, I am still here and can hear you.”- Maria

-------

Alya was worried for Lila. She had been acting weirdly for the past month.

She looked very out of sorts. Her clothes weren’t in order and her hair was in disarray. She had bags under her eyes and her eyes looked wild. Lila didn’t look like herself at all.

She jumped at any sound and flinched at really sudden movements.

Alya tried to find out what was wrong with Lila and received vague answers.

One time Lila said that Marinette is to blame.

Alya reaches the somewhat right conclusion that Marinette was haunting Lila and hurting her because Lila used to come to school with bruises and claims that Marinette did it.

Alya goes to Marinette’s grave to desecrate it. (Yeah, go anger the ghost that is haunting someone.)

Unfortunately, the moment she tries to do something, the sky turns dark, clouds appear and the wind begins whipping. A Lightning strike near her and there was a cloaked figure beside her with a scythe.

All Alya saw from the figure was the blood-red lips in a very sharp grin and glowing blue eyes, raising the scythe high before she ran away. The scythe swiped the air where her head once was.

Alya didn’t get far before she tripped and blacked out.

When she woke up, she found herself in the hospital with no idea how she got there.

She was told that somebody found her with a concussion in the park and took her to the hospital.

------

The next one on Mari’s hit list was Natalie.

She wasn’t as involved in the whole thing like Lila, Adrien or Gabriel but she still did it anyways.

Her punishment is a little mild compared to the others and was more of a warning to Gabriel.

Natalie woke up in the middle of the night to see a not-so-dead Ladybug sitting on her vanity chair with the moonlight from the windows illuminating her body and her neck. Her suit was torn exactly like the day of that battle with blood dripping down her arms and from her open wounds. The shadows kept her face hidden but glowing blue eyes stared at her.

Natalie was scared at first. But she regained her normal cool composure.

“I assume you are here to extract your revenge for aiding in your unfortunate demise. But before you kill me, I regret my part in my entire thing and I apologize for everything I have done against you even though I knew it was wrong.”

“At least you show remorse over what you have done. Visiting my grave when even my parents didn’t and leaving flowers. I love those purple hyacinths by the way. Did you know that they mean sorry in the language of the flowers?”

“Why are you stalling my death? Just kill me already.”

“Madam Sancouer. You just played a minor role in my downfall compared to what Adrien and Lila Rossi did to me. And you showed more guilt over your actions than they ever did and Adrien claimed to have loved me. And like I have told the Bats, Death is too swift of a punishment.”

“Who are the bats?”

“None of your concern. You should be more concerned about yourself.”

“Lila sees the ghosts of her past and they haunt her. Adrien is in a living nightmare and has no control over his actions and is despised by everyone. What are you going to do to me?”

“Well, since you show some guilt over your actions, let me tell you a little secret. I am not dead. Not really. I mean I did die. But there was a spell in the grimoire that revived me. It took a few days to work.”

Marinette changed to her normal form. It was a little jarring to see an older Marinette Dupain-Cheng sitting on her vanity chair like it was a throne. The Ladybug suit and the wounds were gone. She looked a little familiar.

“Why are you telling me this? What was the point?” Natalie faltered as she wondered why the girl looked familiar. Marinette moved closer and her face was fully illuminated by the moonlight.

“I intend to take everything by which I mean everything from Gabriel Agreste for what he did.”

“M. Agreste just wanted his wife back. You just gave him your Miraculous, you would still have everything.”

“What difference would it make? Sure I had friends and family before but they turned out to be disappointing. I might have become a famous designer like I dreamed of and can't achieve because I died. Besides, he never said about wanting his wife to come back in his tedious monologues. For all we knew back then, he wanted them for world domination. He showed that he would end the world for them. For kwamis’ sake, he nearly started World War III, just for a pair of earring and a ring. He was willing to kill me to have her back. No wait, he did that too. If he actually read the translated grimoire or asked the Guardian or at least someone with magic for help instead or maybe used his head and made some who can heal as his champion using the Butterfly, we wouldn’t even be in this mess. Face it, Mme Sancour, your boss is a power-hungry and very controlling maniac who is also thankfully an idiot.”

“But- he- he just-. You are just a child, what do you know? M. Agreste knew what he was doing.”

“A child who had a normal life up until he tried to ruin it with his idiotic schemes and hiring Lila to do it. A child who had to fight a war on her own.”

“I am sorry you had to go through that but I doubt you and your little revenge rampage is going to solve anything.”

Ghostly Chains wrapped around Natalie’s body, squeezing tight like it was squeezing the life out of her.

“I was all for sparing you, you know. If you had actually listened to my side of the story, you would have spared from my ‘little revenge rampage’. This is going to be a little painful. Sorry about that.” In a tone that was definitely not sorry.

Pain coursed through Natalie’s body. Her skin crawled and itched as pitch back feathers grew out of it. Her bones turned to dust and reformed.

Where Natalie Sancour once was, there was a raven.

An omen of death and destruction for one Gabriel Agreste.

Marinette leaned down towards the raven. Natalie tried to peck her eye out but Marinette held the beak in a firm grip.

“Ah. ah ah. Luckily for you this is temporary. Mostly. Every night, you will assume this shape and each night the longer you will stay in this form. Slowly counting down the days until Gabriel’s downfall. Since you love helping him so much, you are going to help him know how long he has to live. The night you are a raven from sunset to sunrise, that sunrise starts the day Gabriel Agreste will be utterly destroyed.”

She released the beak and headed towards the window.

"Send him my regards."

With that, she was gone.

(Part 6)

[n1ghtm3ds]

Unpopular opinion but you should try to speak the language of the country you are in.  When I went to Germany, I learned German, I didn't expect to be spoken to in English.  And I have no problem with people speaking their native language in the home/raising their children to be bilingual, I think that is beautiful and wonderful, but if you are going to be part of the community in an English-speaking country, you should at least ATTEMPT to learn/speak English.  It was frustrating when I worked at the flower shop when some guy would just come in and say the word "Espanol" until I got one of the girls from the back to help me translate the order section-by-section.  Even just "Hola, Espanol por favor" would have made a difference but these dudes would just come in and say nothing but the name of their language until I disrupted the work of somebody in the back and had them translate, doubling the amount of people needed to make the transaction.  Even just learning the phrase "Hello, I do not speak English" or "Hello, I speak only Spanish, can anybody translate" would be 100X more respectful than just repeating "Espanol" at me like Im an automated phone menu.  you don't even need to be able to converse with me in English but there are enough free resources that you should learn a few basic phrases to get u through the community, it shouldn't be the job of the community to accommodate your refusal to learn (although it SHOULD be the job of the community to provide u with resource to learn and accommodate the fact that you are in the process of learning).  IDK I just find it really rude, especially when dealing with customer service, the girls in the back have jobs of their own that they have to do, they aren't being paid to translate our conversation and while they are doing so their workload in the back is piling up, you can't just walk into a store in an English speaking country and assume "somebody here will speak my language", you need to make at least a 1/10th of an effort and memorize some basic phrases, especially ones you find yourself needing to use often.  I don't understand why so many people think its okay to just straight up not speak the language of the country you live in and not make even the most minimal effort to learn it.  Nobody's asking you to be Shakespeare but like I said, when I traveled to another country, I learned that country's language and practiced it at every opportunity even when my German friends wanted to talk in English to practice their English I was insistent that, while in Germany, I would speak German (which, again, a lot of kids in my program just straight up DIDN'T, they just relied on the fact that most Germans speak English as a second language and I found it so totally rude).  Not to mention, opening up government-subsidized facilities for people who might have come as refugees/undocumented/under conditions where they could not learn English before moving here to learn English and work toward citizenship or at the very least getting properly documented so you can send ur kids to school and pay taxes would create thousands of English teaching jobs/entry level secretarial jobs and help these people become less marginalized/isolated in their community.  But instead we take that funding and build concentration camps at the border.

[sketching-shark]

I think it's the ironic fact that JTTW fans already know how DBK and Sun Wukong's friendship broke apart but are more curious on LMK versions of Sun Wukong and the Six Eared Macaque were friends alongside falling out.

HA! Well, while it often does seem that way, I'm going to go ahead and be a complete snob in a Journey to the West purist kind of way by wondering how many Six Eared Macaque fans would consider themselves more JTTW fans or more Monkie Kid fans, or if they feel they're a mix of both...

I've seen a lot of people argue that these two works of fiction are their own thing and that as such Monkie Kid (and associated fanworks) shouldn't be expected to follow the canon of JTTW, and fair enough for some parts. I've also, however, seen people who argue for this complete separation seeming to use it as an excuse to not acknowledge or learn about ANY original aspects of characters such as Sun Wukong and the Demon Bull King, or even very important deities such as Guanyin and the Jade Emperor, and who as such end up making some pretty gross generalizations/assumptions about them even though they are of great religious and cultural importance.

For example (and while I know a lot of the fun people get from fan works is in exaggerating certain traits), Sun Wukong seems to often be presented with an "inherently" evil/thoughtless/chaotic character, while his intelligence, deep love of his family, genuine efforts to become a better person, & many acts of saving lives, as presented in JTTW, aren't even mentioned. I feel like a lot of this is due to the way he acts in Monkie Kid (while I maintain that this version of Sun Wukong seems to be Bad End Monkey King, he does do a lot of deflecting his issues with a show of humor/a carefree attitude & does seem really bad at communicating due to a fear of making things worse). Even so, the popularity of Thoughtless/Evil/Selfish Sun Wukong that doesn’t really allow for any of the nuance or a display of his beneficial traits as shown in JTTW does make me wonder how many people have been exposed to a good translation of og classic Sun Wukong...As I've said before, I've noted that a number of Chinese people on this site have expressed frustration with the fact that a good chunk of the monkey king’s Western audience seems to be getting their impressions about Sun Wukong, the Demon Bull King, the Six Eared Macaque, etc. from some mix of Overly Sarcastic Productions, Monkie Kid, and social media instead of from at least a translation of the original text, and it is true that a LOT of the nuance of these work and these characters can be very easily lost, especially if your drawing your information of them primarily from a cartoony version of the original source. 

That would be an interesting poll though...out of curiosity, how many of you fine folk have read the break-up & fight between Sun Wukong and the Demon Bull King either in the original text or in a translation, or is your exposure to them primarily through Monkie Kid? 

Again, I need to make it clear that I'm not Chinese & didn't grow up with the story, but I will admit for my own part that reading the DBK/SWK break-up in the Yu translation actually made me more curious about how their dynamic is going to play out in Monkie Kid than I am curious about what's going to happen with Mr. Macaque. 

This is primarily because besides SWK’s fight with Princess Iron Fan and DBK being given a LOT of page space in JTTW, there seems to have been some serious stuff that went down between the three of them in the events post-JTTW and pre-the main plot of Monkie Kid...the last we see of DBK in JTTW (if memory serves correctly) was him being hauled off by a host of heavenly warriors to be judged for his crimes of not giving SWK the palm leaf fan & also eating humans. When Monkie Kid starts, however, we are told that DBK had emerged “from the Netherworld” & immediately starts wrecking everything around him. What this suggests--if Monkie Kid is something of a fan continuation of JTTW--is that DBK ended up being executed by the heavenly forces, but managed to fight his way out of the underworld in a manner somewhat similar to SWK, who we are told he is equal in strength to in JTTW. In that beginning fight of Monkie Kid DBK is also shown as so enraged that he won’t stop his path of destruction until SWK buries him under a mountain for 500 years. It’s never said in the show, but--and this is important--this is basically exactly what Buddha did to SWK to start him on the path of atonement. So there seems to be some very intentional parallels between SWK’s havoc in heaven & DBK’s havoc on earth, which may suggest that one of the things Monkie Kid SWK really wants is for his former dear friend, his sworn brother, to find a way like him to be less violent and thus ultimately less vulnerable to destructive and self-destructive behavior, and that the way he tried to start this was by giving DBK the same treatment he got when he was a raging warlord. 

We are furthermore told that it was right after DBK was sealed that SWK disappeared for all those centuries, and while the impulse may be to write it off as him just wanting to enjoy himself (given a lot of his behavior in the show’s timeline), given the indications that this SWK may be deeply depressed, I feel like the answer could be something a lot more tragic...there seem to be a number of clues in Monkie Kid that while the journey of JTTW happened, something made it end disastrously, with SWK either assuming or knowing that Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, Tang Sanzang, and Bai Longma are dead. And per JTTW, this wouldn’t be the first time that he’s experienced a horrific loss, given the war with heaven and the burning of Flower-Fruit Mountain. And then right after THAT, it seems DBK emerged from the underworld, and so Sun Wukong was put into a horrific position: either murder his sworn brother, or let him continue to rampage & harm and/or kill who knows how many humans. SWK ultimately gives up his staff to do the repeat of “500 years under a mountain in solitary confinement route,” which as per JTTW he considers better than the alternative, but he immediately follows that by exiling himself. In JTTW SWK is a really sociable person who makes friends wherever he goes, but man, for this SWK...his life must at that point just feel like one failure after another, that in spite of all his best efforts he wasn’t able to save anyone he really cared about, and now he just trapped someone who was so important to him under a mountain & fated him to suffer the same things he had when he was in that position. How much more does he have to hurt his fellow yaoguai? How many more times does he have to choose between yaoguai and humans, feeling like no matter what he decides it’s just going to result in pain for him and/or his loved ones? I can easily imagine super sociable & easily upset (he cries a LOT in JTTW) SWK feeling like after sealing DBK, he just can’t do this any more. He just...can’t. 

This is all just speculation, but knowing the JTTW backstory between SWK and DBK does, at least for me, make their Monkie Kid relationship a lot more intriguing than it might be otherwise. Especially now that DBK seems to actually be making some small steps to quell his constant rage & lust for power. He even saves SWK and Qi Xiaotian from an explosion/nasty fall in the season 2 special! The Bull family weren’t really present in season 2, but I really hope they make a comeback in season 3 (if/when we get it) precisely because Red Son, Princess Iron Fan, and especially DBK have such an involved history with SWK. Plus it would be really fun to see two old warlords trying to awkwardly make amends with each other & struggle to be good teachers & positive role models to their student & son. 

In any case I feel this potential is more interesting than whatever fanfic The Six Eared “I’mma Plagiarize The Demon Bull King’s Backstory Of Being Best Friends with Sun Wukong” Macaque is creating lol. 

[twofrontteethstillcrooked]

3 Oct. Suptober: Rainbows

With his finger, Dean traced the outline of one of the rainbows arced on Cas's knee. "Is it weird that rainbows remind me of you?"

s15 au; deancas

In hindsight, Cas was preoccupied, not only by the task at hand but by the person he was undertaking it on behalf of, which was likely why he didn't realize he had company in the bunker kitchen until Sam said, "Hey, Cas," and Cas almost fumbled the glass into the sink. 

"Oof, sorry," Sam rushed to say next. 

His expression was a variety of things, none of which Cas clocked as fundamentally apologetic while he refilled the glass. 

Sam cleared his throat. "Whatcha doing?"

Cas squinted at him. Maybe Sam was drunk, or ill. "Just getting a drink of water." He left the statement there; Sam had seen him consume water before.

Sam fidgeted with the hem of his t-shirt and did not look at Cas. "Sure. You." He made some kind of gesture with his hands that did not seem relevant to anything. "You seen Dean lately?"

"He's asleep," Cas offered, since he knew it to be correct.

"In his room?" Sam's voice cracked on the second word.

Cas drew out the word 'yes' into something of a question. What was Sam looking at on the ceiling anyway?

"His room. Which. You just left?" Sam bounced on the balls of his feet for a second.

Cas looked around for intruders, hex bags, strange fogs, spooky auras, blood stains, a bucket of empty beer cans -- something that might explain why Sam was speaking like someone who'd just learned English. 

"Yes, Dean's room." 

Cas suppressed a smile that wanted to surface as his thoughts quickly flitted to Dean -- Dean curled boneless beneath a body-warmed blanket, his eyelashes fanned dark against the tops of his freckled cheeks -- and back again. He sat the glass in the sink and stepped toward Sam carefully.

"Uh huh. Okay." Sam took a step backwards. His line of sight popped back up to the light fixture. "Wearing. ...What it is you're wearing?

Cas glanced down past his bare chest to the flannel covering his legs. "Pajamas?"

Sam nodded a series of tight little nods, like an invisible puppeteer controlling him was getting restless. "Okay. Okay. And Dean is." He didn't trail off as much as seem to run out of ideas for the rest of the sentence.

"Asleep," Cas reminded him. 

Another Sam nod. "Right." 

"He tends to fall asleep for a while within thirty or so minutes after we--"

"Dude," Sam said. 

Understanding clicked into place. "Ah. I apologize, Sam," Cas said, with a small sinking sensation in his stomach. "I did assume Dean had told you." 

He was leaving out some words, and he didn't mean to play coy; it just seemed like perhaps Sam would prefer fewer details over more with regards to -- how to say diplomatically? -- recent developments.

"Dean tell me? Really?" Sam stared at him directly for the first time the whole encounter. His pupils were big black dots reminiscent of the ones he'd had when they were all cartoons for a while.

"No." Cas paused. "But I did think maybe you just knew." 

An honest confession, since Sam, a skilled hunter with decades of experience beneath his proverbial belt, was often quite good at discerning patterns beneath the surface of verbal communication. Cas had not always been as certain of his own feelings as he was in the present. Indeed, it had taken years for what he felt for Dean -- unfamiliar, prismatic impulses occasionally strong enough to almost bring Cas to his knees -- to coagulate into something fierce and unshakeable that could in part be described in words, much less translatable to more tangible actions. Just because Cas had been slow to realize the depths of his own emotions didn't mean Sam had been.

Except.

Sam's eyebrows jumped into his hairline like worms fleeing chicken beaks. 

"What," he choked out. "Why. No. How would I have known about--" He was flinging his hands around again. "--This?" The hands flew toward Cas like Sam was casting a spell at him. "You are like my brother."

"Um," Cas said.

"And Dean is my brother."

"Uh--"

"And I have literally heard him refer to you as our brother."

"Right.”

"Like, we're all brothers here." Sam gave a helpless chuff of laughter.

"Okay."

"So you understand," Sam continued, "why I might be concerned that my two brothers are apparently sleeping together." The volume of his voice went lower in direct counter to its pitch by the end of the sentence.

Cas chose not to comment on this, nor on the shadow that lurked in the doorway and then dissipated. He said instead, "I don't really sleep all that much, but I take your point."

Sam buried his face in the palms of his hands. 

"I'm." Cas swallowed. He stood a bit taller, the way a soldier might when either respectfully yielding to an enemy or accepting that opponent's surrender -- not that Sam was a villain here. "I'm sorry you found out this way, Sam."

"It's." Sam took a deep breath, then coughed once. "You don't have to apologize."

"Sam, could you... There is nothing on the ceiling that could be that interesting."

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Sam spoke like he meant it, or at least wanted to mean it.

Cas let out an inward sigh of relief. "All right."

"The stress," Sam said. "What we do. Monsters. Apocalypses, plural. It's-- I know it's a lot." Now he had slipped into hunter wrangler mode, all rallying the troops and leftover law school pragmatism. "And I can see how the two of you might, you know, need to blow off some steam. Sometimes."

"Sam--"

"Dean always does get a little antsy when he goes a while without." Sam shook his head like he'd realized this was absolutely not a topic he wanted to think about. "You know."

"Sam," Cas said sharply.

"I'll stop talking now."

"I'm in love with your brother, Sam." Those truest words were spoken so easily that once upon a time it might have bothered Cas; in the present, it assuredly did not. He let Sam gape for a moment and then softened the statement with, "It's not just a casual, friends with insurance sort of thing for me. For the record. If that helps."

Sam looked like the human equivalent of the little tri-colored beachball that would spin and spin onscreen when one of his computer tablets got overwhelmed. Finally, his eyes cleared. "All right." His mouth quirked. "The phrase is 'friends with benefits.'" 

Cas blinked. "Insurance is often a benefit extended to citizens in the United States, isn't it?"

"Less often than's helpful," Sam said.

Cas nodded. The two of them stood there by the sink, not really looking at each other. A thought came to Cas.

"I love you too--"

"Dude," Sam said.

Cas held up a hand. "--But I'm not in love with you." This distinction was one that had taken him a long time to understand; it seemed worth sharing.

The ceiling had recaptured Sam's fascination, but he was smiling when he said, "I know." He clapped Cas on the shoulder. "I love you too."

Cas returned the smile. "You, and Dean, and Jack -- you are all my family."

"Yeah." Sam ducked his head, as if pleased. "Yeah, I know."

Cas picked the glass of water up out of the sink. He raised it to Sam in a small toast. "Okay. I'm going to go back to Dean's room now."

"'Night, Cas."

Cas padded back down the hallway, opened Dean's squeaky door, and crept inside the room. The bedside lamp had been turned on. He watched the blanketed lump in the middle of the mattress for movement before asking quietly, "How much of that did you hear?"

"Most of it." Dean sat up and yawned. He scratched at the side of his head where his hair was sticking out. The blanket puddled below his pelvis. Cas glanced away like he hadn't personally and enthusiastically pressed those hipbones into the mattress less than an hour before.

When Cas walked around and put a knee on the bed, Dean said, "I also wanted water."

Cas bumped his arm with the glass. "This is for you."

"Oh," Dean said, taking it from him. "Thanks."

"Because I don't drink all that much water."

"Right."

"Because I don't sweat as much as you do."

"Hmm. You sweat some," Dean said, a hint of slyness in his tone. He leaned away to leave the water glass on the bedside table.

Cas sat on the edge of the mattress and let Dean scoot up to him. "Are you bragging about making me sweat?"

"Mmm," Dean said, splaying his hand over Cas's clavicle. 

"You should probably talk to Sam in the morning."

"This is the morning."

"Later, then."

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas's waist like he owned the span of it. "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

"Maybe you could just--

"Nooo." 

A sharpness tapped underneath Cas's ribcage, an angel blade's point pressed with deliberate aim. It took a minute before he could speak. He gathered his courage. "If you want to stop--"

"No." The word fell from Dean like Cas had knocked it out with his fist. His eyes were fever bright and anguished, and another, better ache flooded Cas's chest at the sight. "No."

"I am very much in love with you." Cas took a breath. "Sam's reaction, I know, wasn't entirely out of nowhere." 

Dean tipped his forehead to Cas's. "I don't think he was objecting so much as he was surprised--"

"I'm only saying, I have thought of you both as my brothers, at various times in the past." Cas studied, not for the first time, a collection of freckles on Dean's shoulder. "I still think of Sam as a brother, in a way. He may not be incorrect that the situation, as it has evolved, is something a bit… Atypical." He considered a further implication. "And each of us is one of Jack's dads."

Dean huffed, a bluff since his fingertips were memorizing Cas's vertebrae like he planned to sketch them later. "Well. We can't all be the goddamn Waltons, or whoever."

Cas agreed, "We definitely do not live on a farm." He let himself sway toward the ardent way Dean was looking at him. "It might be nice to live on a farm, with cows and ducks, maybe some sheep--"

"And I am very much in love with you too," Dean said softly. He pressed his lips to Cas's cheek.

"Yeah?" Cas's eyes felt hot.

"Yep."

Cas thought to say, "You know, Sam is exactly who you raised him to be: a good man."

At that, Dean squeezed his eyes shut. "New rule," he said hoarsely after several seconds. He wiped his eyes and shook his head. "We cannot talk about Sam, like. When we're not even dressed."

Cas stretched out his right leg and wiggled his foot. "I have on these pajamas pants. Can no-one else see them? They're covered in so many things."

This was an understatement. Technically, the pattern contained no less than the following items: rainbows, unicorns, blue whales, yellow stars, shield-wielding pugs, and anti-whale flags, whatever and why-ever those were. Put simply, the pajama pattern was like an indecipherable code of images that seemed to illustrate the illicit drug use of the manufacturer's designer.

With his finger, Dean traced the outline of one of the rainbows arced on Cas's knee. "Is it weird that rainbows remind me of you?"

Cas thumbed a spot on Dean's throat, his mouth going dry with the desire to taste the pulse fluttering there. "In my celestial wavelength form, I suppose I would be more closely related to a visually-deducible electromagnetic wave than I would be a pug riding a whale into glorious battle."

"These pajamas are a work of art," Dean contended, kissing Cas's temple. "Hmm."

"What?"

"I guess that story about God -- Chuck -- using a rainbow to seal a promise about never again destroying earth with a flood is just apocrypha, huh?"

Cas thought about it. "Yes. Unfortunately." He tried not to sigh. "Sometimes I have to remind myself Chuck created some beautiful wonders despite...being who he is."

"Yeah. Going out after a hard rain and seeing a rainbow's colors arching through the clouds -- still seems hopeful." Dean started pulling Cas down beside him on the mattress. "Maybe that's what reminds me of you."

Unable to speak, Cas tucked his face into Dean's throat. 

Dean's fingers were slipping beneath the waistband of the pajamas, ever so slowly. "Anyway, these are mine." Cas hummed an affirmative. "I would like them back," Dean said.

"Now?" Cas heard himself gasp.

Dean pressed him onto his back to nose his way down the line of Cas's breastbone, his warm breath teasing over cooled skin and coaxing out a shiver Cas felt splintering through his whole body. 

"I would settle for you just not having them on at the moment," Dean said, using both hands to reclaim his property, and before raising up to kiss anything Cas might have wanted to say in response entirely out of his mouth.

[peaktotheocean]

a wonderful opportunibee

pairing: Aiden/Lambert summary: “You know, Saint Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers," Aiden tells him with a wink.

“Does that line often work for you?” Lambert asks, curiosity and a bit of hope in his tone.

Aiden’s noon appointment is running late.

He assumes as much, at least.

It’s possible that the man just decided not to come at all. 

Aiden hopes that's not the case, of course. He's rather excited at the prospect of supplying honey to a brewery. It would be a new venture for him and his bees. An opportunity for them to branch out from the farmers market groups. Not just flavored tea stick sweeteners for them anymore, no siree. Perhaps he could even divert some stock from the homeopathic crowds who use his honey for their creams and face masks. 

Lambert Morhen of Wolfe Brewing seemed perfectly cordial during their brief email exchange when he inquired about a partnership so that his establishment might produce mead. Aiden hopes desperately that this mead might be his inside ticket to the Renaissance Faire crowd. He'd love to spend his weekends selling honey while wearing the 16th century beekeeping suit that his brother had gotten him as a joke. 

Maybe he wouldn't wear that every time. The idea of trying out some of the other Renaissance Faire fashions is also very appealing to Aiden. His friend Jaskier is always piecing together some kind of outfit that manages to marvelous surpass gender boundaries and this could be Aiden's excuse to write off such marvelous clothes on his taxes. 

But first, Mr. Morhen has to show up. 

Aiden thinks back to their conversation, reminding himself just how difficult it is to sometimes discern tone from textual communications. Polite words and good grammar does not necessarily translate into a professional business partner Aiden wants to get stuck with.

He ponders about it while he waits, deciding to give Mr. Morhen another five minutes for the benefit of the doubt.

Turns out, the man only needs three of them.

Lambert Morhen pushes open the door to Aiden's workshop and immediately turns around to catch it, making sure it doesn't slam shut. He pulls off his ball cap, letting some brilliant ginger curls fall directly onto his face rather than framing it. He purses his lips and huffs out an exhale, trying to catch the hair to shift it off of his eyes but to no avail.

Aiden tries not to squint but can’t help it. The man almost certainly has some kind of glitter glue clinging to some of the curls around one of his ears. 

The mess somehow makes him look even more handsome. Aiden briefly thinks that kind of jawline should be illegal paired with such gorgeous hair. 

“Mr. Morhen?” He asks, perking up before any other part of his body can do a different sort of perking up. 

The man blanches but manages to hold out his hand. “Please, just Lambert.”

Aiden doesn't believe in love at first sight, he doesn't. 

But he does believe in lust at first sight. 

Also, Aiden takes strong stock in a maybe at first sight. The idea that two or more people could meet and just feel electricity between them and decide to pursue some kind of relationship in whichever way they agree on. That maybe, there is that potential at first sight, the possibility for something more. He files it away for later. 

“Then I’m Aiden.” Aiden gets through the handshake without anymore dirty thoughts but only because Lambert looks nervous of all things. 

“Right, Aiden. First off, I’m so sorry that I'm late,” Lambert blurts out, shifting his head so the sparkly glitter is even more evident. Aiden is now positive that it's there by accident. Lambert seems to notice that his hair is cooperating less than usual and gets distracted for a moment. 

“You have…something in your hair," Aiden offers, gesturing. He's just short of reaching out and touching the curly lock. So close. He clenches his fist instead. 

Lambert nearly goes cross-eyed trying to examine his own hair. He runs his fingers through it and winces when it becomes a yank as opposed to a simple combing through to separate the stuck strands. 

“My niece—“ Lambert sighs, cutting himself off. 

“The reason you’re late?” Aiden offers. 

“Exactly. She wanted to make a glitter card for her fathers for Valentine’s day. But it had to be a secret," Lambert groans. "So we were tucked inside her closet with all the craft supplies." He's still smiling though, just thinking about his niece. He doesn't seem to mind the busy morning even if it made him both late and messy. 

“Of course,” Aiden chastises him with a smile. “So you had a clandestine glitter session and lost track of time. Happens to the best of us.”

Lambert shrugs sheepishly. “She wanted everything to be perfect.”

“That’s sweet,” Aiden says. 

You’re sweet, he doesn’t say because he only just met this handsome ginger man and Lambert is here for a business deal, not a date.

Lambert's already red face gets redder as if Aiden had said it aloud anyway. He flushes so lovely underneath his freckles and beard that Aiden wonders what flavor honey he could make to match such a hue. Perhaps strawberry, or cherry. Oh yes, flush cherry red. The Lambert, he'll call it, with a secret label just for his own batch.   

"You're here to talk about a partnership," Aiden reminds him, with a soft smile. He's glad that he's not the only one affected here. "Follow me?"

Lambert doesn't startle but he does come to attention a bit. He easily trails Aiden out of the workshop and into one of the backyard acres. Set with wildflowers and dotted with hives, Aiden never grows old of seeing the business he built, the way he wanted it. 

To Aiden's disappointment, Lambert puts his ball cap back on his head, safely tucking the glitter curl out of sight.  

“We wanted to do something a little different," Lambert starts. "It’s been a while since I’ve done mead. And never for retail at the brewery. It'll take a while for us to go through testing batches but...” He pauses only to watch a bee circle lazily around the two of them. “My brothers and I, we wanted to go with someone local and you come highly recommended."

"By who?" Aiden asks curiously. 

Lambert smiles and reaches back to rub at his neck. "My brother's partner? He's um, pretty picky about his facial creams and knowing what's in them all. We've all gotten plenty a lecture about our three-in-one soaps. But he loves the ones with your honey in them." 

Aiden realizes immediately who Lambert is talking about. A close friend who has complimented Aiden's products and at the same time, complained about his husband's family all sharing the same large soap-and-shampoo container while vacationing in their childhood cabin.

“Oh, you must mean Jaskier!”

“I do.” Lambert seems relieved that he's not going to have to discuss moisturizers anymore. His whole body relaxes and a few of the bees come closer to investigate his ball cap. 

“Jaskier's great," Aiden teases. To his delight, Lambert's expression softens. 

"Everyone loves Jaskier," Lambert agrees. "He and my brother are a good match. Their daughter, Ciri, she's the glitter menace."

"I'll give you some extra samples to take back to him. And for Ciri, if you think she'll like them. Those companies always offer me some products for free but just like Jaskier, I'm also particular about what goes on my skin." Aiden can't help himself. He reaches up and drags his thumb down his jaw, watching how Lambert's eyes follow his every move. 

He lets the silent tension drag out for just a hair too long but Lambert doesn't seem to mind that much. 

"Years ago, I remember Jaskier saying that his husband's brothers were rather grouchy at first glance," Aiden teased. "Big prickly mountain men, I think he described you all to me back then. Though," he leaned in conspiratorially, "Jaskier's expression got fonder and fonder as each week passed."

"I-- Um..." Lambert stammered, his eyes wide now. 

Aiden takes pity on him and steps closer, bumping his hip against Lambert, who, bless him, audibly swallows. Oh, Aiden cannot wait to text Jaskier. 

“I work with bees so trust me, I know how to handle with prickly things."

Now he's really got him going. If it Lambert's smile didn't match Aiden's, he would have stopped himself but Lambert doesn't seem inclined to move away from Aiden. Not one bit. 

Even if the ginger does still seem a bit tongue-tied. 

“Just a joke, of course," Aiden promises. "Anyone who gets willingly covered in glitter for a small child is far less scary than some swarms I’ve had to deal with.”

That seems to ease Lambert and even though he ducks his head, Aiden can peek that gorgeous smile. 

“All right then,” Lambert says softly.

"Tell me how much honey you want and when you want it. You've got yourself a partnership."

Lambert's head shoots up. "Really?"

"Really." Aiden is already going over the numbers in his head. This is a good excuse to commission more hives and he'll take any chance to get more bees. 

And perhaps, a little something more. 

He meets Lambert's eyes and bites at his lip. "Though, I am rather curious about how it all works. Perhaps you can explain it to me sometime?"

"Gladly," Lambert says, just on the edge of too quickly. Then, he gathers up some courage from somewhere and gives Aiden back a taste of his own medicine. "You know, the ferment takes a while. And we'll be going through a few rounds of testing. It might be some time before there's product for you to sample."

"I can be patient." Aiden bravely reaches over and tugs the glitter curl free of the ball cap. He can just imagine a little girl attempting to make the perfect Valentine's Day card and in her excitement, making her uncle a victim of her creativity. It's a lovely picture. 

Lambert is stone still, not unlike Aiden the first time that he ever got around a hive, worried about how the bees would react to his presence. Aiden will soon shake that fear out of him. He doesn't want Lambert to be nervous around him. Well, not the wrong kind of nervous, anyway. 

“You know, Saint Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers," Aiden tells him with a wink. 

“Does that line often work for you?” Lambert asks, curiosity and a bit of hope in his tone.

"You tell me."

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

here on ao3

[pumpkinpaix]

this is gonna sound so harsh but im legit tired of chinese diaspora people who think that bc they are of chinese descent and they have pleco they can act like voices of authority in the fandom. if modao is the 1st chinese book you have read pieces of with a dictionary, if you have never interacted with the actual chinese fandom, you are not part of the intended audience and your biased opinion is not the One And Only Valid Truth 🍵

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree | this is really hard for me to express in terms of an agree/disagree axis lol

genuinely cannot tell if you’re trying to shade me here anon lmao 😂

this got long and rambly (of course) asldkjfslj. i would love to make the excuse that it’s bc i’ve got a migraine and had No Sleep but. let’s be real i’m always like this.

ok i’ll start with where i agree: i don’t think anyone has the right to act like an ultimate voice of authority in fandom. i think different people with different backgrounds have varying realms of expertise and they should be respected when they share that knowledge, but that the instant someone starts to use that kind of power as a weapon against people they personally don’t like, i think they forfeit that privilege. no one has the one and only valid truth about a piece of media because that’s fundamentally impossible. i have definitely interacted with diaspo who behave like their heritage gives them some kind of incontrovertible authority over everyone else, and they’re fucking insufferable and often rather cruel, even/especially towards other diaspo. meet me in the denny’s parking lot and fight me for real. i’ll kick ur ass. >:c

however, I also think it’s true that there’s a lot of dismissal of heritage fans in this fandom, if that makes sense, from both sides of the equation: non-Chinese fans ignore our cultural hangups because they’re inconvenient, and non-diaspora disdain us for being not Chinese enough. that puts a lot of us in a position of feeling disrespected just for being who we are, or having our very real knowledge and unique experience as individuals devalued because of it.

regardless of my identity, I have formally studied a lot of things: literary translation, media analysis, the politics of oppression, film critique, religious studies, philosophy, four foreign languages etc. and that is all knowledge that I had to work for, and work hard for. I do have a certain measure of authority on all of these subjects over a layperson (to varying degrees), and there are going to be times when i will be more correct than someone who disagrees with me -- but I’ve also absolutely experienced people talking over that specialized knowledge because of who I am, which is, to be clear. extremely infuriating and hurtful. like, i have cried so much about it in the last 18 months. people see my racial and cultural identity before they see anything else, which is understandable to a degree, but upsetting when it becomes the basis for how my work is judged, whether positive or negative. i don’t want you to trust me blindly because i’m abc. I want to you to trust me because you have examined my work critically and judged it to be trustworthy!

so i guess this is getting into the strongly disagree part of the answer: i’ve been speaking a lot with other diaspora fans lately, and it’s been simultaneously hugely relieving and also really saddening. relieving because oh thank god someone else Gets It, and saddening because pretty much all of us, no matter what kind of diaspo we are (north american, european, SEA, taiwanese etc), we’ve all experienced a lot of pressure in this fandom, from non-Chinese, Chinese, and other diaspora fans alike. we’re all acutely aware that we are not modao’s intended audience because being diaspora vs being “from the mainland” or whatever, are actually quite different things, but modao still feels close to home. even if it was not written FOR us it is still familiar to us.

and, because so many of us are multilingual and multicultural, we end up being the bridge between the “actual” chinese fandom and the english-speaking fandom, which is largely made up of non-chinese. (sidenote: I hate it when people say things about being “actually” any identity because it’s almost always for the exact reason you brought up: to use heritage as street cred. it’s like damn, being “actually” chinese doesn’t make ur opinions any less rank. sure you might be “actually” chinese, but do you have basic reading comprehension and literary criticism skills? no? ok then sit your ass back down) many of us are most comfortable in english! so we produce our content in english! but we also DO often have a somewhat privileged access to the culture that underlies mdzs and can explain it in a language that other non-Chinese fans can understand. so it’s not surprising that people flock to us for answers to their cultural questions. and like. if we think we know the answer, it’s natural for us to try and help. this is fandom! we’re here to have fun and find community! and it is definitely a little bit nice to have my culture treated as something desirable for once instead of just like. a weird exotic curiosity that no one really cares too deeply about. and, since a lot of us are able to do things that non-Chinese fans can’t (research in chinese, for example. ask family members for help and more information etc.) we end up just having more information to share.

I think this sometimes results in a tendency for fandom at large to put heritage/diaspo fans on pedestals and tout them as authorities (or use our conflicting viewpoints as ammunition in fandom drama) when the diaspo in question have repeatedly stated that they should not be taken as authorities on something -- and then, once you reach critical mass, your reputation starts to precede you, and I think there’s a lot of misconceptions of how a lot of diaspo act in this fandom simply because of that phenomenon. most of us know that we’re not ultimate arbiters of some kind of cultural gateway, and it can be very tiring both to be treated as such when we insist we are not, and then punished by other people who assume that we acted like we were.

i don’t think there’s a benefit in trying to keep en fandom and cn fandom totally separate, and I also think it’s unfair to consider the cn fandom the “real” fandom. i think that way lies deeper misunderstandings, gatekeeping, etc. i think we can definitely acknowledge the differences between them, but i think trying to make meaningful connections between fandom circles is really valuable! i don’t think i’ve ever made it a secret that modao is my first cmedia fandom? so it’s also the first time i’ve had reason to interact with chinese fandom, which has been super enlightening and interesting! i’ve made some super cool friends and learned a lot about how fandom works in china, how it’s similar and how it differs from the fandom i’m familiar with.

and then, kind of circling back around, there’s also a bit of a sense like, okay, so if diaspo don’t belong in the CN fandom, but we can’t talk about our own culture with some degree of confidence in EN fandom, then like..... where do we go...? if we see EN fandom doing something that contradicts our cultural knowledge, do we just. not say anything? do we not count unless we’ve already ingratiated ourselves to CN fandom? that’s probably where the core of my strong disagreement comes from, because criticism of diaspora fans as like, acting above their station so to speak, feels just like a tired continuation of the same shit we’ve had to deal with for our whole lives, being told we’re not good enough for anywhere and that we should just be quiet and keep our heads down and get over it. that our opinions, despite coming from a unique perspective with a unique relationship to the subject in question, are less valid or real than “actual” chinese people, you know? and sometimes i see that and im like lmfao just sneer at me for being jook-sing and leave then if you’re so eager to think of me as lesser.

so yeah, basically im of a few minds: true! diaspora fans don’t get to throw their weight around just because they’re diaspo. they don’t get carte blanche to act like bullies or try to shape the fandom to their own personal liking and crusade against people who disagree with them. they don’t get to pretend their heritage makes them superior to everyone else, and i think western diaspora especially need to be careful when asserting any kind of moral lens over the text to acknowledge that we have our own biases to interrogate. i am not immune.meme etc. on the other hand, this vein of criticism tends to put all diaspo in a bit of a double-bind, and also, however unintentionally, plays into the general, continuous trend of dismissing diaspora for being diaspora, and i’m really not about that. i don’t think that’s the motivation behind opinions like this, but i do think that when the basis for the argument hinges on the idea that diaspora are not “real” chinese, no matter how much I too have beef with certain diaspora fans, the argument needs to be revisited. 

(ko-fi)

🍵 ((un)popular) opinions meme

[trynatalktou]

Chayenzo prompt: flirty Luca and jealous Vincenzo 👀

Thankk uu

This was prompted to me more than a week ago but I was waiting for today's episode. We were robbed quite frankly.

Also for the sake of understanding, let's pretend both Cha-young and Luca are fluent in english while Vincenzo is profusely not.

I think there is something uniquely comic about a trio where they don't all speak the same languague but, simultaneously, where any pair combination can communicate to each other.

Especially in a show with the Tower of Babel symbolism such as Vincenzo.

ao3

The one where Luca arrives earlier than expected.

‘’Vincenzo Cassano는 어디에서 찾을 수 있습니까?’’ speaks the robotic voice on his phone, echoing through the corridors of Geumga Plaza.

The man in front of him - the one who attempted to sound stern in broken english merely seconds ago - breaks into a grin.

‘’Mr.Consigliere?’’

Luca is taken back for a moment but ultimately nods. It seems that, after all, Vincenzo truly made more allies here than even himself could have expected.

The man continues in equally broken italian, speaking a pastiche of a phrase that originally intended to mean i’’Follow me! Mr. Cassano is not yet here but you can wait for him in Ms. Hong’s office.’’

And surely enough, located at the end of the corridor - there it was - the Jipuragi law firm, owned by the one and only Miss Hong Cha-young. Oh, Luca has heard about her alright, quite an absurd amount considering it came from the words of one Vincenzo Cassano - particularly when every so often these words would sound so strikingly like gushing- not that he has ever dared to tell him that.

They were received promptly at the door by a man with glasses - recognizing him to be Mr. Nam, their paralegal - Luca quickly presented himself with the best korean pronunciation he could manage after picking up a thing or two from his friend and boss.

It was followed by loud gasps.

‘’Luca?’’ Three voices said in unison.

He turned his head around to capture the origin of the third voice. And saw the very woman he was wondering about stumble around to get to them - huh, she is certainly cute.

‘’Welcome Luca, my name is Hong Cha-young, it’s a pleasure to meet you. These are Mr. Nam, our paralegal and Mr. Ahn, our personal secret agent.’’ she says in perfect english, extending one hand for him to shake it and motioning vaguely to the pair with the other.

He takes her hand and bows to the other two simultaneously, making his position slightly awkward.

‘’Sorry, I am not used to the korean way of greeting just yet.’’ He apologizes, facing her again.

‘’It’s quite alright, this handshake seems to be perfectly adequate.’’ She responds playfully.

‘’Your english is quite good, Cha-young-’’ he watches her eyes widen ���’Oh, I’m sorry, I completely forgot, you see in Italy the first-name basis is given out more freely, I’m sorry for overstepping-’’

‘’Don’t worry, it’s fine really.’’ She interrupts him ‘’I called you Luca after all - it is just that I’m not very used to it.’’ she laughs weakly ‘’but you can call me Cha-young, I don’t personally mind it.’’ she finishes by winking at him exaggeratedly.

He laughs.

‘’I’ve heard quite a lot about you, Cha-young’’. He says cautiously.

‘’What can I say, my reputation precedes me.’ she simply shrugs ‘’bearing in mind your source, may I assume it’s all bad?’’

‘’It’s all good.’’

Cha-young beams; turning to Mr. Nam and Mr. Ahn - who were until this very moment only ping ponging their eyes between the two of them (unable to comprehend a word) - and says something in korean; they share a few words back and forth not long before both of them end up nodding and following their ways, while she leads Luca to a reunion table.

‘’ Luca, would you like anything to drink?’’

‘’No, I’m fine, thank you.’’

She plops on the chair across from him, sipping her coffee and eyeing him significantly.

‘’So,’’ she starts.

‘’So’’ he responds.

‘’What could possibly bring all the way from Italy, Luca?’’

‘’I’m not sure if I am allowed to tell you that.’’

‘’Of course, secretive mafia business, I get it - you see, I may actually know Mr.Cassano better than you might think.’’

He snorts ‘’Somehow, I don’t doubt it.’’

‘’Is there something you know that I don’t, Luca?’’

‘’Perhaps it is the contrary-’’ he pauses contemplative, before continuing ‘’may I ask what is your relationship with Vincenzo?’’

She almost expectorates her coffee out.

‘’Excuse me!’’ she splutters flushing ‘’ What is your relationship with Mr. Cassano?’’

Luca raises his arms to express surrender, he seems frightened enough just by the look in her eyes. She enjoys it greatly.

‘’Well, he is my boss.’’

Cha-young smirks.

‘’And I’m his boss.’’ she tilts her head ‘’Well, sort of.’’

Luca can’t help but dare to smile. ‘’ So may I perhaps ask how long have you known about the whole ‘’secretive mafia business?’’ he air quotes the last words, echoing her.

‘’You sure are full of questions for a mafia man, Mr. Luca.’’

‘’What can I say? You intrigue me Ms. Cha-young.’’

‘’You wouldn’t happen to be flirting with me right now, would you?’’ she says overdramatically, blinking her eyes in rapid succession way too many times.

One for the theatrics as well.

‘’I’m afraid not, I happen to like my head exactly where it sits on my neck’’ he replies with a tone slightly more serious.

‘’I’m not sure I get it’’ she retorts innocently.

‘’I think you do.’’

She blushes prettily.

‘’How come he is not as forward about it then?’’

‘’Maybe, he needs a little push.’’

Both look up at that - only to find an undeniable mischievousness in each other’s eyes.

‘’Maybe he does.’’

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

When Vincenzo arrives at Jipuragi much later, he is not exactly surprised to see Luca there - the man had sent him a text about his connection change - although he can’t say the same for the way that he found Cha-young and Luca giggling together as if they were childhood friends.

He suppresses a smile.

‘’Luca’’ Vincenzo greets loudly. ‘’È passato così tanto tempo, amico mio (It has been so long my friend)’’.

‘’Vincenzo!’’ Luca responds, getting up to embrace his friend. ‘’è bello vederti’’ (it’s good to see you).

Cha-young says something in english, which Luca answers by a subtle roll of his eyes.

Huh.

‘’I see you already made your acquaintance with Ms. Hong’’ he said, considerably more formally than he meant.

‘’Oh yes, Cha-young is quite lovely.’’ he smiles.

‘Cha-young’, he suppresses a scoff, well isn’t that just lovely.

‘’We got to talk quite a bit before you arrived, it seems that we have a lot in common.’’

‘’Oh, is that so?’’

Luca visibly winces at Vincenzo’s bitter tone, but nonetheless, turns himself towards Cha-young and speaks a phrase in english. She bites her lip.

‘’Mr. Cassano.’’ she starts tentatively in korean ‘’I mean, you know that I have do a weak spot for handsome men. Do you think you can set me up?’’

‘’Absolutely not.’’ he snaps ‘’Long-distance relationships are unfortunately not his thing.’’ he finishes hotly. And to his utmost delight - they proceed by sharing, yet again, a few sentences in english. Vincenzo has never wished to have paid more attention to his stupid classes in school than right at this moment.

‘’May I join you both on your conversation?’’ Vincenzo asked snarkily.

Cha-young is quick on her feet.

‘’I was just translating what we said, and besides, what basis do you have to be so upset about it? We also have a right to communicate.’’

Vincenzo looks momentarily ashamed. ‘’It won’t happen again. It is just frustrating to be set apart from the conversation because of a language barrier.’’

‘’Well, don’t I know it.’’ she retorts

Vincenzo sends her his fakest smile.

Cha-young mirrors the expression.

Luca hides a grin.

+

Luca and Cha-young’s mini conversation in english.

1-’’So that’s how you guys greet in Italy, we ought to try it anytime

soon.’’

Luca answers by a roll of his eyes.

2- ‘’Well it wasn’t supposed to be this easy, quick, take the attention out of me.’’

Cha-young bites her lip in thought.

3- ‘’Whatever you said, I think you may have overdone it.’’

‘’I told him that I want a date with you.’’

‘’Glad to know you have no regards for my well-being.’’

‘’Should I say that I don’t care if it is something purely physical?.’’

‘’Glad to know you have have no regards for my life.’’

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

being honest i dont get jm using a award to say he misses tannie... we don’t know 90% of their lives but they are very close to the point of still sleeping together sometimes. and going deep if they were really a couple jm woudnt miss taes dog right? and even as friends he could visit it. unless its because of their schedule right... this kind of comment sometimes confuses me and haters will use it as “they arent close” lol. i just wanted to know your pov.

Judging by Admin 2's reaction, as well as some others in our asks, I have a feeling I was the only one with a more realistic expectation, or lack of expectations, as I waited for the BTS profiles to be posted. Based on last year's, I knew expecting something grand out of Tae, and especially Jimin, would just be me setting myself up for failure, which is what I think happened here.

But, let's discuss it.

I spent a solid couple of hours making an excel table last night that contains everything every member said about every member (sourcing 3 translators for maximum insight) to see if really what Jimin chose for Tae is so "bad" that suddenly people are sending us asks like this one, and another one I'll add later down the line. And the conclusion I've come to is that...what he gave to Tae, as well as Hobi and Seokjin, as awards are the only ones that have any actual emotional/personal connection to them.

With Namjoon and JK Jimin basically states the obvious--Namjoon is tall and JK has gained muscle mass, meaning nothing new or with a proper emotional connection was stated; to Yoongi he made the same request many other members have made, so a work connection, nothing inherently personal.

Now, compared to that--Seokjin teases him/them, which isn't new info, so Jimin asked him to stop or do it less, a valid request which I'm sure he also voiced to Seokjin outside of this FESTA profile and also shows a degree of personal connection; Hobi gets requested to not walk away after asking Jimin a question, which again shows a personal connection and that it's a reoccurring thing; and lastly Tae with Tannie.

Something I've noticed is that some ARMY, who are used to our western celebrities and draw conclusions about idols based on those parameters, forget that BTS are busy, like whatever you consider busy, take that and multiply it by ten. During his vlive with Hobi and Yoongi back in April, Tae said that they are much busier and their lives far more hectic than any of us realize. Taking that into account, and the fact that one of the members (I think it might have been Seokjin) mentioned they work at least ten hours a day for 360 days a year with practice, MV and CF filming, photoshoots, interviews, recording and working on music, meetings, and many other things we have no idea about, do you really think Yeontan lives with Tae full time? A dog needs to get walked and fed but if Tae is out of the house every day for at least ten hours, what would happen to Tannie? He'd just sit around at home alone all day which just isn't fair, so I'm sure Tannie lives with Tae's parents much the same way Micky lives with Hobi's parents and/or his sister, JKs dog lives with his family, Holly lives with Yoongi’s brother, Moni with Namjoon's, and years ago Seokjin had to give his sugar gliders to his parents because he was too busy to take care of them.

Based on that of that, I'm not sure how often Tae get's to see Tannie. Probably not all that often, to be honest. So, if Tannie's owner doesn't get to see him often, I'd assume Jimin gets to see him even less (if we work on the assumption that Tannie lives with Tae's parents and thus Tae could only really see him when visiting them or when they visit him, that means Jimin wouldn't be able to see Tannie just like that either, since that would be like intruding on family time, right?). And we know Jimin loves Tannie, so him using that award to say he misses him and is asking about him shows care and an emotional connection to Tannie. Do I think Jimin also asks Tae privately about Tannie? Absolutely. And still, while Jimin didn't give Tae the, I don't know, "hot body Award" like Yoongi did with Namjoon or the "person I love most in the world award" (which we should know by now would never happen, and if you expected something of that intensity level, than I'm sorry but you've set yourself up for disappointment from the start), he still drew a personal and emotional connection between himself and Tae, as well as the pet Tae loves dearly.

More below the cut:

Jimin could’ve asked about the other pets of the members, but he didn’t, he only ever really talked about Tannie, and here he does it again, so doesn’t that show that he has a bond with him, a closer one than the other members since they don’t/didn’t ask about him (except for Hobi that one time on weverse)?

Speaking of Hobi, am I the only one who finds it interesting and cute that he only drew little hearts for Jimin and Tae when writing down their awards?

Also, we have to remember that these profiles are for us, fan content (remember when Jimin asked Tae last year to post more pictures of Tannie on weverse because ARMY miss seeing him, so what if this is drawing a connection/parallel to that?), and not meant as the members “confessing” something to each other that they otherwise wouldn’t or don’t have the chance to do so. It’s not meant to be all that serious and instead just be fun and nice for us to read, show us a bit of their dynamic and that’s it, no world shattering revelations to be found, from any of them. Or do you really think Yoongi doesn’t like Jimin just because he told Jimin he’s trying too hard to be funny? It’s just part of their dynamic. Or that none of the members have anything else to say to JK besides commenting on his body/appearance? As for vmin, I’d like to remind us of this moment from their Friends subunit interview for FESTA 2020:

Whatever Jimin and Tae want to say to each other, they don’t need FESTA to do it, or us to be there as witnesses. Like Tae didn’t already say enough by telling us that 95z is love. Or Jimin by writing Friends.

From anon: because of you I came back da Namjin. I am a senior army and 2 years ago I left Namjin because I thought they broke up. You made me three Vmin but after what JK wrote about Jimin and after Jm himself about his chances I think that vmin are not together or Jimin withdrew. I think Jk would not dare to write about Jm that he has cute fingers etc if vmin were a relationship. it goes too far and confuses Jk too much. I don't want to say that J / k*ok is real because it certainly isn't !!!!

Now this is where I just sit and sigh heavily because it’s exactly what I expected and I will admit it irks me to no end. Let’s establish a little timeline:

Based on the FESTA Mission! BTS 4 Cuts Teaser that was posted earlier we can deduce that at least part of FESTA was already being prepared back in the first half of March, since on March 12th Jimin, Namjoon and Seokjin had their salad making vlive. Let’s suppose that everything FESTA related was prepared and written out by the members around that time as well. Sometime later BTS filmed YOU QUIZ followed by LET’S BTS and BTSxGame Caterers and everything else we’ve seen after that.

Or going a little further back to sometime in November 2020 while they were preparing for MMA 2020 and the Black Swan performance. We got the practice video today and if you pay attention to Jimin and Tae even there you notice that while Tae is waiting for his turn in the choreography, Jimin runs past him after his part is done (0:55) and they pat each other or do a “high five” or something along those lines as a way to cheer each other on. A very “we’re broken up” or “I will break up with him soon” thing to do, right? Or in min-January when Tae posted seven pictures out of which three were of just Jimin after an ARMY on weverse asked if anyone had any nice pictures they could use as wallpaper for their phone. Between all that I’m having a hard time honestly finding any moment where either of them seemed sad or “cold” toward the other the way you would be and feel if the person you love pulled away from you or broke up with you.

If you are still unconvinced and still think that is what Jimin tried to communicate to us, would Tae really have gone on national TV and said he likes Jimin the most? And would Jimin have agreed that he likes him a lot as well? Or looking at the making video of their Kloud Beer CF that was posted today as well, would Jimin really be looking and interacting with Tae this way if he decided to end things between them?

Also, going back a little, your mention of Jimin reflecting upon opportunities/chances now that it’s a new year. My question is based on what you made the judgment that this comment has to be about vmin and not about something entirely different in Jimin’s life, or maybe something connected to BTS as a whole? Just because of him asking Tae about Tannie? Jimin, as well as Tae and the other members, have entire lives outside of just their bonds with each other, entire careers, passion projects, families, friend groups, and that little bit of time they have to themselves, so immediately thinking Jimin’s comment must be related to his relationship/bond with Tae basically makes it seem like Jimin’s life is a romcom or a TV show in which the only thing that matters is if the main character will date or remain in a relationship with character B or not, but life isn’t like that.

Personally it reminded me of something Tae said during their Bring the Soul documentary about how BTS had the opportunities to go higher faster but they decided against them. Perhaps Jimin’s comment was about something like this as well, especially since we know Jimin is a very private person and very selective of the personal things he shares with us and the ones he doesn’t.

For the FESTA profile JK decided to give Jimin the “Cute Award” with the explanation that his “Face, height, fingers are cute” which, honestly, is just saying something that a) is true and b) has been said in millions of ways by every member across the last couple of years. I don’t see what the issue here is? During one of the episodes of BTSxGame Caterers Seokjin said that Jimin is very cute and that he has a small, beautiful face, so really he even added the word beautiful in there, which JK did not, so what really is the issue here? The fact its JK, right, that’s where the issue lies, to which I ask why? On this blog we’ve already established that there is (in our opinion and based on everything we’ve seen and heard) no romantic connection between JK and Jimin (nor Tae), not now and not in the past either, so why is him saying that Jimin is cute (which he is known for even by people outside of ARMY, or like James Cordon calling him his cute baby mochi) is an issue but Seokjin or any other member is not? Either we use the same measurements for everyone or we don’t compare or make such assumptions about any of them.

What I find curious, because this does make it seem like you, anon, are someone influenced by J*k*ok shippers and their opinions, see an issue in JK saying that about Jimin, and how that’s “proof” that Jimin and Tae can’t possibly be together, and yet you took no issue to Namjoon basically saying he wants to give Tae an award because he is so handsome he is above every list or Yoongi comparing him to Michelangelo's David, both of these being much more superlative and grand complements/awards than JK saying Jimin’s face, height and fingers are cute.

It’s funny how things that Jimin and Tae have said about and to each other that make their bond very clear (I want to live with my lovely Taehyungie forever or here is my love for you while handing Tae a bunch of red heart balloons or 95z is love, a statement I’m sure he wouldn’t post if that sentiment weren’t mutual) are all questioned or ignored, but something as basically trivial as a comment about Jimin being cute is turned into a major issue. The mental gymnastics is fascinating.

Lastly, going back to the first anon and their mention of how haters will use Jimin’s Award for Tae as “proof” that they “aren’t close anymore”--why do we care? Like Namjoon said in the Mic Drop lyrics Haters gon’ hate. They will say a lot of things about a lot of things and even make things up if they feel like it to push their agenda, so really, regardless of what Jimin would’ve said, or not said, they would’ve found a way to twist it and make it fit their narrative. Besides, what haters think has no actual effect or bearing on what Tae and Jimin have with each other, and neither does what other shippers claim. Haters and other shippers don’t control the narrative, BTS do, and everything Jimin and Tae have shown us in 2021, as well as the last eight years, shows me that their bond has only ever grown stronger and closer and more beautiful and awe inspiring, even while haters claimed they stopped being friends years ago, so why should you or I care what they think?

Like Yoongi once said in one of his vlives about how haters can write all they want, he won’t read it while they will get sued.

[slfcare]

hi, i'm so sorry if this is very random, but i don't have anyone to talk to about this and i feel so horrible but not really at the same time.. a close friend of mine started ignoring me a while ago and because i lived my life being abandoned by every friend i've ever had, my immediate response was to overthink and come to the conclusion that i'm being abandoned again. it didn't help that i saw them having fun and talking happily with others, it felt that only i was being ignored and that hurt a lot because i never would've expected that from them, we always talked through everything. a little while later i made a few tweets on my private account i use as an outlet to vent and think and the tweets i made were more or less pondering and thoughts upon thoughts.

the friend then called me out on "sub-tweeting" them in private messages even though the only instance i could think of was when i was publicly talking with a psychologist acquaintance which isn't the point, i just feel horrible because they told me i was being selfish for not thinking about their feelings but i needed them terribly as well and they ignored me instead.. they told me they don't feel like talking to me anymore at all and it feels like i'm playing yo-yo with my feelings because one second i want to cry my heart out and then the next i'm pretty sure i had the right to feel like i was being ghosted on.

am i a bad friend?

I don't think you're a bad friend, I just think that both of you are having a hard time recognizing each other's boundaries and needs. Whereas your friend ignoring you could've been a way to tell you they need some time alone to them, to you it just sent off the message that they were dropping you. And the other way around you vented and felt neglected, while they've seen it as a petty sub-tweeting situation.

Every advice post I make usually circles back to communication, but that's because it's exactly what's often missing here. You're on two seperate pages and both assuming what the other wants or feels, and then you adjust your behavior to what you think is their motive. But you don't know their motives because you haven't asked or had an honest conversation about it.

If your friend's ignoring you, then of course it'll hurt, but while I still don't think you're a bad friend, I do believe you could be a better friend by giving them the opportunity to clear up if and why they're ignoring you. It could be as simple as to just ask, "I noticed you haven't replied to my messages. do you need me to give you some time for a while?" If they say yes or ignore you again, then you grant them that time. If they say no then you ask what's up.

You ultimately can't know what they do or don't want from you, you don't know how they feel towards you and what they need from you. But it's not your responsibility to fill in those gaps on their behalf. You ask what they need, you express and explain what you need, and then you respect their decision and feelings and go on knowing exactly what position your relationships as friends is in. And expressing yourself is a healthy way to deal in times like this, but do keep in mind how it translates to them if you do it publicly.

In conclusion: you're not a bad friend, you just have to stop yourself from assuming what they think about you and be honest / communicate. ♡

[darklingichor]

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir **MAJOR SPOILERS**

So, this is a first, I've never written a revisit this fast.

I do often read or listen to an especially good book, again, right after I finish it. Usually because I can't get into another book until I do.

I did it with Lamb, and I did it with the Martian.

This one is going to be chock full of spoilers, I really want to analyze the main characters in this book, and I can't do that without going into details. This is why I marked the hell out of this.

Project Hail Mary is even better the second time around. This is often the case. Books are like soup. The leftovers from the fridge are often even better than when you had it the first time.

*SPOILERS* *SERIOUSLY SPOILERS TURN BACK NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS BOOK* *SPOILERS* *THE REST OF THIS RAMBLE WILL RUIN THE BOOK* *SPOILERS*

Okay, so run down.

The book opens with our main character waking up to an annoying computer asking him basic math questions. This is detecting cognitive function, that's my guess anyway.

Our character quickly discovers a few things. First, he's in a room with robot arms tending to him, including unhooking him from various life support systems as it figures out that he is awake and functioning. He's not alone in the room, there are two others, but they are long dead. And he has no idea, who he is, where he is, or why he's there.

What follows for a little while is what I would call a psychological screwball comedy. It takes him several days to work out that his name is Ryland Grace and he is a microbiologist PhD who had a falling out with the academic community and found his calling as a Jr. High science teacher. Though exploration, experiments, and memory flashes, he works out that he is on a spaceship, the corpses were his crewmates, and he is on a mission to Tau Ceti to save earth from an alien algae like creature, called Astropgage, that is dimming the sun and setting earth on the course to an ice age that will begin to wipe out humanity in 30 years. Tau Ceti, which is 12 light years away from earth, is resistant to this energy sucking algae.

We get all the backstory of how he became a crew member aboard the ship Hail Mary, in flashbacks as his memories return. A big memory that returns? Project Hail Mary is a suicide mission, he will not be going home.

In the meantime, he is slowly trying to figure out how to save earth, while he does this, he sees a very weird spaceship and meets an intelligent alien being. This being (Grace calls him Rocky) comes from a world (Earid) that is in the same situation as Earth. Together, Grace and Rocky have to work out how to save both of their home worlds.

Ryland Grace is a complex character, he’s very very different from Mark Watney (I haven't read Artimis so I can't make comparisons to those characters).

The Martian points out that Astronauts are inherently noble, willing to risk their lives for science and a good cause.

Grace is not an astronaut. That's not to say that he isn't a good person, just that he is an average person. He can be all at once self-sacrificing and selfish.

Early on he is drafted into the research team on what would be called Astropgage as a science expert by Eva Strat, a woman in charge of figuring out what is going on and how to stop it.

Once he was released from his part in this research, he goes back to teaching, only to be struck by the fact that his students would be in their early forties when all hell breaks loose, and that they might die. He then goes back to Strat and demands to be part of the research again.

This back and forth happens a few times in the story. In fact, it becomes a big part of it. See, the crew of the Hail Mary were put into comas to ensure that they would not go nuts and kill each other on the 12 light-year (four years from their perspective) journey, a medical company discovered that 1 in 7000 people have the genes to survive long comas and still function when they wake up. Grace is one of those people, but he is not volunteering for this mission. It's not that he doesn't care, or even that he doesn't want to help, it's that he's scared. And who wouldn't be? But honestly? I think Grace has imposture syndrome and is generally very sensitive. He realized that his kids would suffer, after starting to teach a class, that speed him to become a part of Strat's team again. Events happen that lead him to being the only logical candidate for the science expert aboard the Hail Mary. He refused, Strat basically kidnaps him, sets the computer induce amnesia in only Grace and plunks him on board.

Before she does this, she harshly calls Grace out.

“Do you think I don’t know you, Dr. Grace?!” she yelled. “You’re a coward and you always have been. You abandoned a promising scientific career because people didn’t like a paper you wrote. You retreated to the safety of children who worship you for being the cool teacher. You don’t have a romantic partner in your life because that would mean you might suffer heartbreak. You avoid risk like the plague.” (pg. 392 Kindle Edition)

This all seems to be true, but we don't know Grace's full story. Other than a mention of one girlfriend in college, and brief mentions of friends, There is nothing in the book about his life before he started teaching. This could be because the amnesia has left those things fuzzy, but in my head, it's because he doesn't want to think about it. Maybe he had a bad family life, maybe he had *no* family life, maybe he had an early tragedy. Maybe he realized his short comings and that, no matter his talent, he just didn't have the temperament for acidemia.

He does like being the cool teacher, he does say he likes being looked up to, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. He's a *good* teacher.

I had cool teachers before I switched to home school. They weren't all good. I had one that would literally just let us mess around during class because they didn't want to actually grade papers. Cool to a kid? Absolutely! Good for education? Not on your life.

Grace isn't like that, he loves science, he loves teaching, and the kids are learning.

He doesn't like animal testing, he's emotional at the fragility of humanity. In short, in his quiet way he loves life.

He leaves his comfort zone to be a part of Strat's team because he knows he's good at what he does and he couldn't look at his students and knowing they could die when he could help prevent it. That doesn't mean he thinks he will be Earth's savior, just that he can help.

He's unwilling to die.

Usually in books and movies, this translates to coward, but really? It's not. Most people wouldn't volunteer for a suicide mission, especially one this pressure filled. "So, we need you to go into a coma, go to a different solar system, save your whole species, and then kill yourselves so you won't starve to death. We good? Cool."

You can't fault a living being for wanting to live. Plus, the other crew members had time to think it through, really decide, make peace with the decision and *then* carry through with the training. Grace? He was given the training, but Strat always said it was for the science of the mission. She was a little like Dumbledore, in that she was training him in case he had to go, but never told him it was a possibility. When it became clear that he was the choice for the vacant spot, he was given less than five hours to decide, and then was told he had no choice.

He makes noble choices throughout the book, but that one choice was not his own, because Strat was given absolute power and used it absolutely.

I can't say that Strat is a villain, either. She was elected to save earth and given the power to cut through any red tape. Handed all this authority, she doesn't become corrupt, she uses this power ruthlessly, but always with the only goal being Save Earth, full stop, that's it. And even as Grace, understandably terrified, yells at her she tells him that she likes him, that she knows that he is a good man, that he will give this  his all. She doesn't *want* to send this unwilling and scared man on a suicide mission. She *has* to. Strat is also complex, she is not nonsense and is committed to her role in saving humanity. I like the reason she gives as to why, toward the end of the book. She got her undergrad degree in history. She takes to heart the old saying that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

The climate scientists and their models assumed survival based on the idea that all countries will work together for the common goal. However, Strat points out that history shows that that ideal scenario, is not likely to work. She says that most wars, up until very recently, were fought over food, and resulting in famine.  As the sun loses energy and crops fail, there will be wars, and they will be over food. And that is what she is desperately trying to avoid – the horror of history brought to the modern day.

I started as a history major, and history is interwoven into anthropology – I understand this perspective.

I am not going to get into politics, but I’ve experienced the agonizing frustration of watching history repeat itself, more than once in the last couple of years. Guessing at how something will probably go due to how something lines up with a similar event in the past and knowing that if someone in power would just listen it might turn out different, or that the eventual problems could at least be prepared for, and watch it happen anyway and everyone act surprised. It’s enough to make you pull your hair out.

Strat has the knowledge and the authority to act on it, I can’t say, that in her position I wouldn’t act the same way.

That is the major difference between Grace and Strat: viewpoint. By necessity of her position and by virtue of her education, she sees the big picture clearly, Grace, however, doesn’t. He’s a microbiologist, his entire career and education is looking closely at the small things and how they would translate to big things. He studies the universe by studying the smallest things in it. It is no surprise that he would need the smaller things to make the bigger things to snap into focus. When he was forced to start research on astrophage, it wasn’t until he was faced with the small scale (his kids could suffer) to make him see his part in the grand scheme of things. Strat is right, he does avoid risk, because he’s avoiding pain, he doesn’t let things in because he feels too much. Yes, the realization about the kids, puts steel in his spine, but not before he narrowly avoids a break down. For Grace, seeing Strat’s point of view, without being able to work it though to his scale, is like yelling at someone standing too close to a mountain for not being able to see the peak. It just can’t be done from where they are.

It makes me wonder, had Strat been up front with Grace, would he have willingly gone? It takes him a while to come around to the idea of helping the project in the first place. If he were told sooner, given some time, had been able to go home, and think, I feel like he would have gone. Something would have set him on the course. Maybe it would have been one of his former students, telling him about their plans for trying out for high school track, or going to college,  maybe he would have gone to his usual cafe for breakfast and found out that one of the waitresses had just gotten engaged, maybe he would be told these things and see the fear and desperate need to keep life as normal as possible in the person's eyes, and then he would decide, if, on the off chance  no one else could go, he would. Until he remembers his refusal, nearly at the end of the book, he accepts quickly that he volunteered for the mission. Of course, that could have been simply because he couldn't imagine someone forcing someone into something like that, but even as his memories and sense of self come back to him, he doesn't have a sense of terror or blind panic at the fact that he's not going home. I would think that if his unwillingness were something hard wired into his personality, he would know soon after remembering who he is, that he would have never considered being a part of the voyage.

So, I think, had Strat told Grace early on that he had the coma resistant genes and that there was a small possibility that he may have to be the backup for the backup, and then allowed him to come to terms with it, he would have gone without the drama. Don’t get me wrong, there is the possibility that he would have run off and had to have been hunted down, but I think, just like when he went to his class and saw his students, something would have made his conscious kick in, and he would have come back.

That might have been interesting, him running scared for a little while and then coming back? Might have given a little more background into why he is the way he is. But that’s not really what this book is about, I think it’s a forgone about conclusion that Grace would have helped, but what’s really interesting is how Grace and Rocky work together.

Rocky is cool! I love that Weir didn’t go the easy route with the creation of an alien character. Rocky is no Roswell gray with a humanoid form. No no, for our sympathetic alien, we have a spider like creature with liquid mercury for blood who “sees” with echolocation and speaks in musical notes. And it works!!

Rocky is expressive and funny and is great with Grace. It’s hilarious, other than the Russian scientist on Project Hail Mary, he doesn’t get along with anyone as well as he does with Rocky, out of everyone in the book, Grace connects most with a spider shaped rock being, he has to make a computer program to speak with.

Rocky is a tad steadier than Grace, but that makes sense simply because of the two, Rocky knew what he was getting into, and Eridens not only have more time before their star dims to the point of causing a problem, but also, they live a long long time, so, Rocky knows he is going home. But the steadiness is also built into his personality. He and Grace are both analytical problem solvers, but seeing that Rocky is an engineer, his focus is to fix things. A problem arises, and his first reaction is “I will fix that.” He won’t be dissuaded until he has all avenues exhausted.

Grace has a habit, early on, of moping for a little while before rallying and getting to work. His interaction with Rocky brings that pouting time down a bit, and he even pulls Rocky out of a slump a time or two.

The relationship between these two is interesting because Grace says flat out that he is not a social person, he feels awkward in groups with people. But he easily communicates with his students, and he easily communicates with Rocky. Rocky is not childlike, but he does have something in common with the students, Grace, like any teacher, teaches his students, and learns from them. Grace teaches Rocky and learns from him. Grace is comfortable with this sort of interaction; with his students this is where the relationship stops. With Rocky, it doesn’t have that boundary. By virtue of the fact that both are alone in space and crave interaction, they talk a lot. Also, activities that Grace is use to doing alone, Rocky’s culture requires to be done in pairs. The biggest: Sleeping.

Eridens do not sleep without another person watching them. So, he insists that he watch Grace sleep and that Grace watches him. It is not expressly said what other things Eridens don’t do alone, but it is implied (at least to me) that they work better in pairs or in groups. This is true of humans as well, but Grace in particular is a loner, even as he complains that science doesn’t happen with one scientist doing the work (and he’s right) but he does work alone even when the astrophage project opened up to more people, the feeling I get is that he still does most of his work alone unless asked to teach others, or forced to come along by Strat.

Grace quickly becomes acclimated to Rocky’s way of doing things, in an odd way, Grace is more comfortable being Eriden, than he is being human. And I really think that this is the crux of their relationship.

I read somewhere recently that family isn’t necessarily blood, but who you would bleed for.

I feel that Rocky and Grace would sacrifice themselves for their respective home worlds, but they will bleed for each other. Grace must go to a different star system to find family, which is actually really cool to me, because the story manages to have Grace have a story of growth and even a quiet redemption arc all with the background noise of a potential double Armageddon, and we manage not to lose sight of any of these elements. Add to this that the book will make you laugh, cry and think all at once. I love the Martian, but I honestly think this one is better!