#bc so much was just us 'taking a bit to the farthest extreme with it not actually effecting anything. its just kinda gross'

[hostilemuppet]

I know Viv has that sex tape shit on standby but also. I think it would be funny if she releases it and her scheme of “tell them I was paid to do it” immediately failed bc it shows her clearly enjoying some crazy shit. Out here begging Clay to hit her with that rubber chicken and bust out the whipped cream. Viv antis and trolls investigating her claim start pullin’ out timestamps like “this you? 🤨” and shit.

[starsstuddedsky]

What? Like It’s Hard? [teaser]

gn reader x soonyoung

summary: With the help of a little bit of bleach, Soonyoung is certified legally blonde–complete to last minute-dedication to scoring as high as Elle Woods on the LSAT. While he has no interest in law school, he’s notorious for never turning down a dare. So how does a frat bro in serious danger of failing his senior year get a 179? He asks the smartest person he knows. 

Or, studying for a law test has never seen this much chemistry.

genre: fluff, angst, non-idol au, uni au, friends to lovers, opposites attract

warnings (full fic): swearing, drinking, food, arguing, refusal to acknowledge feelings, what's the word for beyond oblivious????

teaser wc: 1.7k

full wc: ~20k

a/n: hello my lovely readers!! i heavily debated posting this because there's always a chance that i just. never finish it, however i really love this story, so i don't think that will happen. that said, i have no idea when the full fic will be posted. (to my delight) my summer is extremely busy and i fear the fall semester will be as well, but i toil away slowly at this fic and one day it shall be posted <3 i hope you enjoy and are as excited as i am for the full story!

another teaser bc writing this is taking a while :)

want to join the taglist? just send an ask <3

“Nope.” You grab your backpack, shoving your laptop inside, but he gets to your water bottle before you can reach it. 

“Come on.” Soonyoung pouts his lips. 

“I won’t do it,” you say. 

Soonyoung hugs your water bottle hostage against his chest, dark blue against the pale pink sweater he wears. It’s an unusual choice for him, normally clad in baggy jeans and loose t-shirts. Still, the color highlights his hair, blonde bordering on white. Knowing Soonyoung, it was probably a dare. 

“Please! I’m desperate!” He cries again, stepping closer, though he keeps a firm grip on your water bottle. You never should have told him how emotionally attached you are to it; you should have known it would be held against you. 

“No,” you say. You sling your backpack on, just in case he gets any other ideas. You’re starting to attract attention from the people in the library who are actually there to study (which included you, until Soonyoung arrived). So you grab him by the arm, rolling your eyes at how he jerks his water bottle out of reach. 

“Walk and talk, we’re not doing this here,” you say, folding your arms over your chest. 

“Come on, how hard can it be?” Soonyoung asks. “It’s just a test.”

“Just a test?” You snort. “Soonyoung, you are aware that most people that apply to law school don’t do it on a dare?” 

“I don’t have to get into law school!” He says. “Just get a 179 on the LSAT.” 

You shake your head, trying to plan how to get the water bottle from him. Maybe you should consider it a lost cause and just swing by the bookstore to get a new one instead. But that water bottle has butterfly stickers that survived freshman year and a dent from the time Jun tried to use it as a weapon in a fight against Jihoon (that was declared a draw when the bottle busted open and doused both of them equally); it holds memories better than water and you’ll be damned if you let Soonyoung hold it hostage. 

“That’s actually harder,” you mumble. From the corner of your eye, you can see him tucking the blue bottle under his right arm, farthest from you. He won’t make this easy, especially since you saw the poorly disguised thirst trap of him and one of his frat brothers at the gym: those arms are not to be underestimated. 

“I’ll pay you!” 

“With what money?” 

Soonyoung pauses. You’ve reached the exit by now, sunlight warming you through the glass doors. He turns to the sunlight, and you know he’s pretending to be a main character from an artsy film. He takes a deep breath, as if he already regrets what he has to say next. 

“Okay, I’ll offer you the only services I have.” He turns his head to face you, eyes on the floor. 

“Oh my god Soonyoung!” You shove his shoulder. “You are not selling your body for a test!” 

“But it’s all I know!” He says. He pokes your arms. “You could have so much muscle if you lifted just twice a week.” 

“Oh.” You blink at him. “You meant working out?” 

“Wait what did you think I meant?” 

You feel heat rush into your cheeks. You push the door open, praying Soonyoung doesn’t notice. “It doesn’t matter,” you say, not daring to check if he’s following. “I don’t have time to workout.” 

“Then what do you want?” Soonyoung asks. He stays just out of reach, adjusting his grip so that the water bottle hangs from his hand. “Please, I’ll do anything!” 

“Why do you need me?” 

“Because you’re the smartest person I know.” He says without hesitation. In the three years of your friendship, you’ve learned that the only time Soonyoung isn’t serious is when he flirts. 

“You are,” he insists. “Plus you’ve already taken it, so you’re my best chance. My only chance, it’s not like I have a good track record with tests.” He gives you a lopsided smile as he tries to pretend like he’s joking. But Soonyoung has always been easy to read. You can see the sparkle in his eyes dim, and you remember freshman Soonyoung, when he failed the midterm and holed up in his room in the frat house for two full days, not even venturing out to party. It’s that damn sparkle that gets to you. He isn’t paying attention anymore, water bottle hanging loosely from his hand, but you can’t bring yourself to snatch it. 

“You can pass it,” you say with a sigh. “It’s about studying correctly.” 

“I don’t know,” Soonyoung says. “I’ve never really studied.” 

“Well, that’s what I’ll teach you.” 

Soonyoung freezes, grabbing your arm. “Seriously?” When you turn to face him, his smile is so bright it warms you from the inside out, hotter than the actual sun on your skin. He throws his arms around you, wrapping you in a hug so tight he lifts you off the ground. Your heart does this strange thing where it hops into your throat. Your arms come up as a reflex but his embrace is too tight for you to even hug him back.  

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He shouts. He doesn’t let go, even when he sets you back down. He loosens his arms just enough to look at you, the full force of his smile directed at you. “I swear you’re welcome at the frat house any time, I’ll buy you anything you want when I have money, I’ll drive you wherever you want if I can get Seungcheol’s car, I’ll do whatever, just thank you, thank you, thank you.” 

You know you should answer, or say something, but thinking is too much when he’s so close you can smell the strangely sweet combination of laundry detergent, cologne, and sweat. You push out of his arms, snagging your water bottle on the way out. 

“It’s whatever,” you mumble. Though his arms aren’t around you anymore, you feel strangely hot, like your blood is boiling, and your heart still pounds. 

“It is not whatever,” Soonyoung declares. “I swear, whatever you want, I’ll do it.” He holds a hand over his heart and if it was anyone else you’d think they were joking but it’s Soonyoung, which means he’s deadly serious. 

You can’t handle his gaze anymore, turning to study your beat up sneakers. “Really? You’ll get Jun to return my first edition copy of Pride and Prejudice?” 

“I’ll get that book back.” He glances at you. “It is a book, right?” 

“Yeah,” you say. “Though there’s been some good adaptations.” 

“That’s the one with the zombies?” 

“Zombies?” You frown. “Oh my god, do you mean Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?” 

“That’s not the original book?” 

“No,” you say, laughing. “The original is my Jane Austen, in the 1800s.” 

“Oh,” Soonyoung says. 

“I’ve actually never seen that one,” you say. “It’s the only adaptation I haven’t seen.” 

“How many movies are there?” 

“Well, there’s the 1940 adaptation, the BBC series that’s widely regarded as the most faithful adaptation, the 2005 Kiera Knightley movie that stands iconic, plus the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which is a vlog-style Youtube adaptation. Then of course there’s Jane Austen’s other works, like Persuasion, which, the new one, for the record, was a terrible adaptation.” You stop when you realize you’re dangerously close to going on what Jihoon calls ‘an Austen tirade.’ 

“I liked the movie,” he says after a pause. “I don’t know if it was that good, or close to the books. But it was fun.” 

“I’ll have to watch it, then,” you say. “I know it’s the obvious choice, but Pride and Prejudice really is my favorite Jane Austen novel. Good luck getting it back from Jun though. He’s studying abroad this semester.” 

“He’s the friend from your history class?” 

“No, that’s Jihoon, my roommate,” you say. “Jun was in my language class.” 

“I thought you hated everyone in that class.” 

“Oh believe me, I do,” you say. “But Jun is friends with Jihoon, so he sort of just became my friend too.” 

Soonyoung hums, saying nothing else. You don’t recognize the song, though you tend to mostly listen to classical music when you study or whatever Jihoon blasts from his room, so it’s not that surprising. The melody is nice, though. Well, Soonyoung’s voice is. 

“I really am grateful,” Soonyoung says. “I know I was begging, because I don’t think I can do this without you–well, I don’t know if I can do it with you, but you’re my only hope and–I’m rambling again.” He flashes a smile. “The point is, thank you.” 

You shrug, feeling shy under his gaze. “It’ll help me study anyways,” you say. “You learn a lot when you teach.” 

“I thought you already took it?”

“I only got a 150,” you say, sighing. “I need at least a 165.” 

Soonyoung nods, forehead creasing like it always does when he’s lost in thought. “Thank you anyway.”

“Well, you swore to do whatever I tell you,” you say, desperate to change the subject. “Don’t think I won’t abuse that.” 

“Oh, YN,” he says slyly. “I’m counting on it.” He even winks. 

You cough, choking at the outright flirting. Soonyoung hasn’t tried a line on you in so long you thought he’d used them all. He isn’t serious, it was engraved in his DNA the second he became a fully fledged member of Sigma Beta Tau but it’s not like many people flirt with you, so it’s hard to stop your heart from jumping. 

You check your phone, unable to look him in the eyes. It’s 2:18 now, prime naptime if you can get back to your apartment before Jihoon gets back. But if it’s past two, unless he lied to you at the start of the semester, that means Soonyoung should be in his data ethics class. “Hey, don’t you have class right now?” 

“Shit.” Soonyoung takes off. He sprints across the grass, dodging three picnics and narrowly avoiding getting rocked in the back of the head by a frisbee. He pauses at the edge, turning back around to wave wildly at you. 

“Thank you!” He shouts. The picnickers glance between you and him and you can feel the blush returning. Soonyoung doesn’t notice all the eyes on him, waving like a goofball one final time before sprinting off again.

[floralxhemmo]

home. (c.sb) - chapter 1

soobin x puppy hybrid! trans male! oc

content includes: hair colors aren’t from one particular era because i said so, completely self indulgent bc i fucking can that’s why, hybrids (obviously), past + mentioned hybrid abuse, mistreatment, and experimentation (ie. oc was in a lab), suggestive/possible smut in late chapters, fluff, angst, panic/anxiety attacks, angst but hopefully not too much, “owner” may be used to describe soobin in oc’s pov (know that i don’t really like that term so i may change it to something else later)

He awoke to silence. It was still in the early hours of the morning, light just barely peeking through the curtains. The six other hybrids in the room with him were all fast asleep in their beds; soon they’d be awake and pay him no mind, like they’d been doing for the past fifteen years.

He looked at his corner, pulling the ratted blanket tighter around his shoulders. He was crammed up against the furthest bed with a small, dirty cushion he used as a pillow. He lay there curled up in a ball, his tail in between his legs, watching the room slowly become brighter as the day came to a start.

The other hybrids woke up, gossiping about today’s adoption process, bragging about who would be able to leave and go out into the real world. He was never a part of these conversations, though he often imagined himself interacting with them. Being their servant—and the only boy, not that anyone cared to see him that way—meant he'd never be able to join them. So, he stood there, saying nothing as he made their beds.

He let the others get ready, knowing they’d leave him to clean up their mess. He’d be fed scraps in the other room while the girls dined on fancy meals. He’d bathe in ice cold water and be forced to stay inside while the others got to see the sunlight and play games. He was stuck cleaning and being treated like dirt. This place was supposed to be a sanctuary for hybrids, and it was, just not for him. 

The adoption process would take place in the afternoon and, like every other time, he wouldn’t be picked. Fifteen years in a place like the Moon residence was enough to make him lose hope. 

---

“Okay ladies, line up! Our guests will be arriving shortly!” Mrs. Moon instructed. From tallest to shortest, the seven hybrids lined up. She looked at the end of the line, her brow furrowed.

“Ms. Haerin, what have I told you? Servants are not to be adopted.” He nodded, holding back his tears, while the hybrids giggled at him. He moved over to the farthest corner, trying to hide from sight. Mrs. Moon went to each girl and straightened them up, adjusting their posture or clothing when necessary.

A few minutes passed, before a knock sounded at the door. Mrs. Moon went to answer it, and shortly returned with a man. He was tall and slender. He wore a suit made of silk, and his blonde hair was slicked back neatly. He was extremely attractive, Haerin could tell that much from where he stood. Mrs. Moon had called him Mr. Choi. 

Mrs. Moon started to introduce the girls one by one, though Mr. Choi didn’t seem the least bit interested. Not even the “princess” herself, Priscilla, caught his eye. As he neared the end of the line, he spoke, turning to Mrs. Moon.

“Are these six all you have to offer?” His voice was prettier than Haerin had expected.

“Yes,” Mrs. Moon said, “I’m afraid these girls are all we have to offer at the moment. The others are too young.”

“What about that one in the corner? Is she too young?”

“Oh, you mean Haerin? She’s not exactly for sale.”

“And why’s that?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Why, she’s just a servant. Besides,” she leaned towards Mr. Choi, “she…she thinks she’s a boy. I mean, how absurd is that?” Mr. Choi looked at Mrs. Moon, his eyes turned back towards the hybrid, “I’ll take him. I’ll even pay double.”

Silence filled the room. His heart pounded in his chest, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. He couldn’t hear the rest of what was said. All he could do was stare as the rest of the girls left the room. Mr. Choi walked over to him. He could faintly hear him ask if he needed to grab anything in his room. He shook his head, his ears ringing as Mr. Choi led him out of the Moon residence. 

It was only when they reached the car that the ringing stopped. He stood there while Mr. Choi went to the other side of the car. The last time he was in a car was when he was five. His breathing started to pick up as he backed away slightly. Mr. Choi came back around to where he was standing.

“Is everything okay, Haerin?”

“I…I’m sorry, Mr. Choi. It’s just that, I haven’t been in a car since I came here.”

“Ah, I see.” he looked down at them, “That’s okay, we’ll take it slow, yeah? I’ll help you get in.”

Slowly, just like he said, he helped him get into the passenger’s seat of the car, even buckling their belt for them. He felt stupid for freaking out about something as simple as getting into a car, but soon calmed down when Mr. Choi got in on the other side.

“Thank you, Mr. Choi.” he said quietly.

“You’re welcome, Haerin. And please, call me Soobin. Mr. Choi is too formal.”

“In that case…could you maybe call me Rin? I like it better,” he whispered.

“Of course,” He reached over to rest his hand on top of the hybrid’s. “I’ll call you Rin, if that’s what you’d like.”

“Also, if it’s not too much to ask, I’d like it if I could be a boy and not a girl. I-I’ll still wear what you want, I just don’t wanna be called a girl.”

Soobin laughed and then smiled brightly, “First of all, you get to wear whatever you like, you’re no longer a servant. Second of all, if you say you’re a boy, then you’re a boy. It doesn’t matter what Mrs. Moon or the girls think. Because guess what?” He held Rin’s hand gently, “You’ll never have to worry about them ever again.”

Rin smiled shyly, looking at Soobin, “Thank you, Soobin.”

“Now then,” Soobin squeezed Rin’s hand before pulling away, “Let’s get you home, shall we?”

[miyuskye]

I saw some pretty hot takes on Eden lately and I just needed to vent.

I don't understand why Eden is /this/ badly received by the fandom (the whole fandom, even from Adam fans), and that, if you ship Eden, you must do it in secret or attach a post scriptum to say that yes, you ship Eden but, like, in a toxic relationship interpretation.

I have a very long history of shipping toxic and unhealthy age gaps ships, and I absolutely love this kind of dynamics if written correctly. I made my fair share of posts in the past rambling about the proper way to portray unhealthy relationships and not romanticise them (as well as saying that liking bad in fiction doesn't equal to condoning it in canon but we're not even in this territory with sk8).

However, that's not the case with Eden. We could argue that the relationship kind of starts like this (but it's up to discussion, in my opinion) but how it becomes post canon is the farthest from that kind of dynamics. I could understand where this is coming from from someone who doesn't like Adam and makes him to be Everything Bad That's On Earth, but I also see this kind of reaction from Adam's fans and it's a bit weird to me.

It's clear that Adam has romantic, arguably sexual, feelings for Langa. He makes it very clear during the course of the show and also in post-canon material (i.e. referring to the sk8 six group as "Langa and the (5) others" twice). I saw some people saying that Eden relies on an Adam's interpretation that it's not supported by canon, but I feel like these interactions and banters (VA event, DVD package box, him still showering Langa with flowers in the post credit scene) show otherwise.

Moving onto Langa, since I also saw a lot of people surprised that, wow, Langa seems to reciprocate??? At least it's better than people still thinking that Langa would ever reject Adam's advances in canon. This is probably a point that's very dear to me, since it's actually the basis as to why I think Eden places miles away from the toxic relationships above. The dynamics in these relationships usually goes that the older one coerces the younger and more naive one with something and exploits them in a way. Then, the younger one usually reacts and a new dynamics establishes in the couple. It's a cool thing to explore in fiction, but, again, not an Eden thing in the slightest.

First of all, Langa already is into skateboarding before meeting Adam. He didn't make Langa interested in skateboarding so he could approach him, he just saw him multiple times and only after that he decided to approach him.

When they meet for the first time, Adam isn't very much different than he usually is at S. He's still the extravagant, arrogant and self-confident legend of S. That is to say, he's not trying to appear different in Langa's eyes to install a false sense of security. Adam straight up claims him to be his prize and not only Langa isn't put off by that but this also makes him want to skate more against the other. If he wasn't genuinely interested in Adam, he would've been put off by this behaviour (like Reki is). In fact, Reki skates against Adam to prove a point, Langa skates against him because he wants to, no reasons needed. Again, during the recent VA event, after re-enacting some of the pivotal scenes in the series, Reki states that it's peaceful without Adam (his va wasn't present at the event) and Langa ~immediately~ says that he would have wanted to see some of Adam's scenes. That's not what you say about someone you don't like XD

He probably doesn't realize that Adam calls him Eve for a while, but when he does, Langa doesn't look weirded out or annoyed by it. He is surprised by it. And it's hard to think that he didn't get the reference when someone named Adam calls him Eve. I don't want to say that he agrees to be Adam's Eve, of course, but he's fine with it. Like he's fine with Adam giving him roses and his violent behaviour in general.

Talking about violent behaviour, he's never angry with him when Adam gets violent. He understands that such are the rules of S and during the last episode Utsumi said that she wanted them to fight with fists so she thinks that Langa would be fine with getting violent too (but after the Famous RinHaru Scene I see why she'd think that...) but that's just speculation. In ep 5, he just wants to skate with him, full stop. But also, even after seeing Adam getting extremely violent with Reki in ep 11 he's not actually angry or wants revenge. Instead, he's bent on wanting to know Adam better and teaching him the fun in skating. He rooted for Reki because he wanted to skate against him in a beef for sure but also bc he thought that the message could get across Adam even if delivered by Reki but when it didn't he wanted to do it himself. If Langa was being exploited by Adam, or groomed, or anything, he would've woken up after the Renga makeup. But, oh well, he didn't. That's because Eden was never meant to be abusive. That's not the face you show to your abuser.

Him and Tadashi are the only one in the series with the balls of actually calling out to Adam when he goes out of line. Joe does it in ep 11, but only because he's afraid for Reki's safety. Langa has no problems with flashing Adam an annoyed gaze when he smokes instead of skating against him, and has no problem calling out his bs in ep 12. I'm p sure that if he knew about Adam's warped conception of love, he'd call out on that too. He is able and has the agency of standing up to him and he's not a passive part in the relationship. Very much different from toxic relationships, where making the other unable to react (or them escaping from such a situation) is one of the main points of the dynamics.

There are countless ways Eden could go wrong and get toxic (the last ep showed us a pretty good example when they both got in the zone), but Reki teaching Langa the fun in skating prevented it. In a way, Reki made healthy Eden possible, but we're not ready to have this kind of talk yet XD

thanks for reading this very long post lmao

[robinofgothamcity]

♡ starting prompt: “were you ever going to tell me?”

♡ pairing: dick grayson (S1 YJ Robin) x fem reader

♡ lyric inspiration: “take a ride up to Malibu, I just wanna sit and look at you, look at you. what would it matter if your friends knew? who cares what other people say anyway.”

♡ note: not checked for grammar or spelling mistakes 

both you and Dick walked out of Gotham Academy, laughing at some stupid joke he made as the two of you walked to the nearest coffee shop. the two of you religiously bought coffee and hung out every Thursday after school until it was time to head home.

you and Dick, unknown to each other9, had commitments to the YJ team and usually had to meet the team later in the night and today happened to be one of those days. 

you really weren’t in the mood to go out for a patrol tonight but on Saturday, you had accepted to be Dick’s date to the winter formal Gotham Academy was holding and you had to excuse yourself from patrolling duties for the night. 

you knew Diana would have no issue in you missing for one night but the team on the other hand would probably throw a fit for it. 

whenever there was time to lounge around, you usually hid behind a domino mask and a beanie to cover your hair. your uniform on the other hand was very much like Wally’s. it pulled over your head and covered some of your face and most of your hair so it went unnoticed by everyone. 

you were very similar to Robin in that aspect. the two of you hid your identities extremely well and no one outside of your mentors knew who you truly were. Wonder Woman had especially emphasized that a kid still in school should not reveal their real identity and if you wanted to once you turned 18, you could, but until then, she made you swear to never reveal who you were.

“what has you in such deep thought?” Dick asked, giving you a smile. you shook your head, “nothing. just stuff with school,” you replied. Dick had saw the bruises and cuts on your legs that you tried to hide, “you have more bruises?” he asked. 

“I told you my MMA training went hard last night,” you exclaimed, “I had a partner that was double my size and she nearly wanted to kill me,” you tried to joke. 

you could tell that Dick wasn’t believing what you were saying, “but you shouldn’t be the one to talk! you have a gash running down your arm! don’t think I didn’t notice,” you retaliated. he immediately tried to explain himself, “acrobatics is an intense hobby!” he replied. 

you gave him a look before shoving him playfully onto the grass. Dick pushed you back as the two of you finally arrived to the coffee shop. you put your bag down in the booth before meeting Dick at the line. 

“just be careful! those cuts and bruises look intense,” he said a bit more seriously. you squeezed his arm in agreement, “of course but same goes for you. the gash on your arm looks pretty deep,” you stated, running your finger on the now healing gash. 

he paid for both of your drinks and the two of you made your way to the booth and took out your books. 

you had befriended Dick when he first arrived to Gotham Academy. since he was the adopted son to Bruce Wayne, everyone wanted to befriend the son of the man who ran Gotham with an iron fist. you on the other hand had to befriend him because you were the captain of the Mathlete’s team.

that was the club Dick first wanted to join and although he didn’t know exactly how to join, he saw that you were in his AP Calc BC class and saw the jacket you carried around with the medals you on won on it. he quietly followed you to the auditorium that day and scooped out the team before embarrassingly introducing him and explaining why he wanted to join.

you instantly clicked with him and tried him out for the team for a few days when you realized that he was probably the second smartest on the team. he won a plaque on his first round of tournaments and gained honoree status not long after. 

“god, I feel like Brunner is killing us with the amount of work he’s giving us,” you growled into your textbook, “does he not realize that people have lives and jobs?” you continued to complain. 

Dick shook his head, “not like he cares. he’s just a bitter old man who wants to make us suffer,” he admitted. you laughed, accidentally choking on your coffee by the comment, “it’s true! he knows everyone is excited about the formal so he probably piled on work to make us suffer,” Dick continued. 

you threw him your paper as he quickly dodged it. the two of you worked through the worksheets until you felt your communicator go off. you discreetly looked down and saw that Kaldur was calling everyone to Mount Justice for a new mission. 

“hey Dick, I have to go,” you admitted a bit sadly, “my mom wants me home to babysit my niece and she needs me home in a few minutes.” Dick nodded understandingly, “yeah, Bruce seems like he needs me home too. see you tomorrow?” he asked, “of course!” 

the two of you practically darted in different directions as you ran to the nearest zeta tube location. it was inside of an old building as you quickly discarded your uniform, putting it inside of your bag as you pulled on your other uniform. 

as soon as you arrived to Mount Justice, you saw everyone crowding around the table that Red Tornado was explaining the mission at. you stood next to Kaldur and Connor, flashing them an ‘i’m sorry for being really late’ smile. Kaldur patted your shoulder as the table shut off after the instructions were finished. 

“so, the pairs are, Wally, Artemis and I, Connor and M’Gann, and ( your name ) with Robin,” Kaldur explained, “since both of you know Gotham Academy well, the two of you will be patrolling inside the school while Connor and M’gann gather the information we need from the teacher.” 

you and Robin high-fived, quickly getting on the motorcycles and racing towards the school. you weren’t particularly close with Robin but when the two of you were a team, it was nearly impossible to stop the two of you. the chemistry when you both fought together didn’t go unnoticed by anyone and Kaldur tended to pair you up together when he knew Wally and Robin would goof off the whole time. 

“so, you go to Gotham Academy?” Robin asked. you nodded, “I do! I had no idea you went there,” you replied, “I wonder if we’ve ever met each other,” Robin joked. 

you gave him a look, “please, I doubt it. I get the sense that you’d probably be really popular and I am the farthest from that,” you admitted. Robin gave you a look, “trust me, I am not popular. are you in any clubs?” Robin asked. 

a part of you screamed to tell him but another part of you told you no, “I am but for the sake of keeping my identity a secret, I would rather not say,” you said empathetically. Robin waved your off, “no, I completely understand. the Bat would kill me if he found out someone knew who I was,” you couldn’t help but laugh, “yeah, Wonder Woman would lasso me into another dimension if I did the same.” 

once the two of you parked your motorcycles into the parking lot and sneaked your way inside. you both landed by the auditorium and started to walk around. 

the patrolling went by with mild conversation. since you had to inform Kaldur about both of you coordinates every few minutes, that was probably the only time you spoke up. it wasn’t until you passed the glass shelves that held all of the Mathlete trophies that you made a sudden stop. 

“do you know someone on the team?” Robin asked, gulping his nervousness down a bit. “yeah, I have two friends on the team. one of which I think I like,” you admitted sheepishly. 

Robin gave you a smirk, “oh, tell me! tell me! I want to know!” he exclaimed excitedly. you shoved him against the wall, “no! because if you know him? then you’re going to tell him!” you whisper-yelled. Robin waved you off, basically begging you to tell him, “fine, if I tell you then you’re going to have to swear that you’ll never tell him,” you stated. 

he nodded as you discreetly opened the glass door and took the photo out, “it’s Dick Grayson. he’s so....” you trailed off not knowing to what to say as you stared at the photo mesmerized. Robin remained silent, standing as stiff as a board, “really?” he whispered. 

“yeah, is that an issue?” you asked, a bit surprised by his reaction, “no, not at all. plus, I can’t even lie, the person I’ve been dying to ask out is also on the team,” your eyebrows fluttered to confusion as stared at him, “I told you who my crush is so it’s only fair you tell me!” you said. 

Robin shook his head no, “AH! nope! you’re telling me! I told you my crush on Dick and now you have to tell me! plus, I didn’t know you were gay,” you said off-handedly. Robin stared at you now in more confusion, “I’m not? not that there would be an issue with that if I was but regardless, where did you get that idea?” he asked. 

you held back your laugh, “I mean, the team is mostly guys unless you have a crush on her,” you pointed to yourself jokingly. Robin didn’t say anything as the silence basically answered your question, “wait, do you have a crush on her?” you asked a bit more seriously now. 

“yeah, it’s her. she’s in a few of my classes and my god, she’s gorgeous,” he said “everything I look in for a girl.” your heart stopped dead in it’s tracks as Robin’s communicator went off indicating that Connor and M’Gann got what they needed. 

you hadn’t said much after Robin had confessed his crush to you. you had no idea that it was going to be you who he was and although now you were dying to know his true identity, you knew you shouldn’t even bother with it. plus, Robin probably felt the same way you did when you confessed your crush on Dick. 

after all of you told Red Tornado the information, you quickly departed from the team, telling them you had to be up at 6:00 to get ready for school. Robin could tell that after he admitted his crush to you, you felt a certain way about it but if anything, he should be the one weirded out. you had a crush on him! but considering your identity was sealed shut, he would never know who it really was that liked him unless he figured out your true identity. 

the next morning, you woke up and put on your uniform as you ran your fingers over the burgundy colored gown you were wearing tomorrow. you were beyond excited to be Dick’s date to the formal and you had to be at his place at five to catch dinner before the dance. 

once you made it to school, you greeted Dick with a smile, “mornin’ Grayson!” you said happily. he responded by putting his arm around you with the same amount of excitement you had, “what has you so excited today?” he asked. 

“nothing! just something you shouldn’t worry about! how was your night?” you asked. you felt Dick’s body go stiff as he tried to conjure up some lie, “fine! Bruce had me doing some work for Wayne Enterprises and it practically put me into the grave,” he joked. 

the two of you walked to your math class, slumping immediately into your seats as the morning announcements went off. you were doodling in your notebook as Dick kept muttering to himself about something you couldn’t quiet understand. 

throughout the entire day, you could sense that Dick’s attention was not exactly spot on. his mind seemed to be on cloud nine and once the end of the day came, he had a bunch of theories written inside of his notebook about ( your hero name ) and who could she possibly be. 

“Dick, you’ve been off all day!” you said now a bit annoyed, “is something wrong?” you asked again. he shook his head no, “no, I’m more than okay! just excited about tomorrow is all,” he replied. you nodded, “me too! I’ll be at your house around five so we can eat dinner and head to the dance,” you mentioned as you saw your mom pull up. 

“see ya tomorrow!” Dick exclaimed. 

+

first thing Saturday morning, your mom shook you awake. she said that your stylist would be here any minute to get your hair/makeup done and you needed to shower before then. 

you quickly hopped into the shower while you pulled on some pajamas for the time being. as soon as you got out, you brushed your hair and teeth before walking to the living room to see the stylist preparing her things on the kitchen table. 

“ready love?” she asked sweetly. you nodded, “ready as ever!” you replied as you sat down. 

the time she did your hair, you were making small talk until you heard a knock on the door. your mom mentioned she’d get it and went to the door. when she got back, she was holding a bag of food. 

“I think Dick sent you food,” she joked as she read the note, “oh yeah, it was 100% him,” she said as she showed you the note. 

“can’t wait for tonight! your favorite from Scouts is inside of the boxes.” 

“aw, how sweet of him!” your stylist said, “yeah, he’s one of a kind,” you said not realizing what you were saying. your mom could see the love for him in your eyes and swooned silently. 

after your hair was done, you had basically devoured the food before your stylist got to work on your makeup. this time, it didn’t take as much time. by the time she finished, you had about an hour to put on your dress and do the finishing touches to your look before you had to leave. 

the dress was short from the front as it got longer from the back. it kind of dragged but that was what made you fall in love with it in the first place. you pulled the dress from your closet and had your mom help you zip it up as she put on the necklace she wore the day of her winter formal on you. 

“you look amazing sweety! let me take a few photos before we head out!” 

you rolled your eyes playfully as you posed a few times. after you and her got into the car, you made your way to the manor. you had been there countless times and knew the gate code by memory by this point. you had messaged Dick that you were outside and saw him in the suit he was wearing. 

“wow, you look gorgeous,” Dick whispered, taking you in. you tried to shake off the compliment but you couldn’t as both Alfred and your mom told you to hold still as they took photos. it wasn’t long after that Bruce came out, introducing himself to your mom and instantly making her swoon, “I’ll see you tonight,” she told you as she gave Dick a look, “take care of my daughter,” she stated, now more seriously. 

Dick nodded nervously as Alfred led you into the dining room where the dinner was plated and ready to eat. it didn’t feel like a date as eating with Dick was not uncommon. this time, you both were just dressed extremely fancy. 

Alfred had made you steak and the two of you basically downed it like starving caveman. you and Dick made sure that you didn’t stain yourselves as Alfred informed that the car was warmed up and ready to take you to the dance. Dick had excused himself to the bathroom as Bruce stood in front of you. 

you gulped nervously as he basically towered over you, “please continue making my son happy,” was all he said before leaving back upstairs. you didn’t even get a chance to respond as Dick walked in and basically pulled you towards the car. 

the formal was already going when the two of you arrived. you could hear the music blaring from outside and in order to get in, you had to pass the ‘paparazzi’ Gotham Academy set up. you two annoyingly took the photos that were being taken by people from the yearbook team and entered the auditorium. 

you smiled at Dick as you both found a few of your mutual friends and sat down with them. the night was one you knew you weren’t going to forget as Dick had his arm around you the entire time. you could feel him squeezing your shoulder every time he noticed someone checking you out. 

“I love this song!” you exclaimed, hearing ‘New Light’ by John Mayer playing, “wanna dance?” he asked. you instantly nodded and walked onto the dance floor. 

“Oh I want a take two. I wanna break through. I wanna know the real thing about you so I can see you in a new light.”

the two of you danced, a bit closer than you intended but not that you were complaining. 

song after song came and it wasn’t until you heard a beep going off when you realized what was happening. it was the teams communicator indicating that Kaldur wanted everyone at Mount Justice again. you sighed knowing if you didn’t answer, you’d probably get berated for skipping out. 

secondly, you had told Kaldur unless it was an emergency, not to contact you so it must’ve been urgent if he was. you stared at Dick who was standing by the table, staring at something when you realized you had to break the news to him. 

“hey Dick, there was an emergency at home and I need to leave like right now.” you felt tears pricking your eyes as you just wanted to tell the team to fuck off for ruining your night with Dick, “it’s okay! Bruce called me just now and said something happened to Alfred and I should head home,” he said. 

you sighed in relief as you told him you hoped everything with Alfred was okay and you’d see him on Monday. it now had dawned on you that your spare uniform was inside of Mount Justice and you would have no time to get the one from your house. 

the only thing you had on you was your domino mask which you knew would make due until you changed into your uniform. you found the nearest zeta tube and teleported to Mount Justice. 

your hero name rang off through the telecom, catching everyone’s attention. you had slipped on your domino mask but your worst fear thus far came true. everyone was surrounding the zeta tube which you came from and saw your hair. 

“wow, you look great,” Connor and Wally murmured to themselves. Kaldur slapped them in the head as he stared at your apologetically, “I know tonight was your night off but Rob isn’t here either and we both need you for this mission. some of the league is on their way and we need their approval before we go save the kids who are being held hostage,” Kaldur explained. 

you heard Robin’s name ring through the lair as he ran in with urgency. you looked from Kaldur and stopped dead in your tracks when you saw him. it took Robin a few seconds to look at you but when he did, it was like he saw a ghost in front of him. 

behind his sunglass and your domino mask, it was like a stare off. you felt like the wind was knocked out of you and held onto the table to catch your balance as Robin just stood in place. 

“uh is something wrong?” Wally asked seeing your reactions. both you and Robin were stunned into silence as you didn’t know what to say. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman’s name now rang through the lair as they entered the main floor. 

they couldn’t help but wonder what was going on as a thick silence was hanging in the air. both Batman and Wonder Woman immediately realized the situation and looked at each other as they put two and two together. the two of you, unintentionally revealed your identities to each other, and Batman more than Wonder Woman knew the two of you were going to be together tonight but what he didn’t expect was that the two of you were going to the lair dressed in the outfits you both wore to the dance. 

“Superman will accompany you on the trip. ( your hero name ) and Robin will stay back,” everyone looked at Batman as Wonder Woman nodded and grabbed you by the shoulder, Batman doing the same with Robin, “why? what happened?” Wally exclaimed. 

“nothing that concerns you Flash, now follow Superman’s orders,” was all Batman said before taking you two into an empty room with Diana following behind you. 

as soon as the door shut, you stared at Dick, his mask now off as you did the same. you didn’t know how to feel. your crush, your best friend, someone you loved dearly this entire time was also on the team and you had no idea what to do. 

“so, as you can see we have a situation. both of you know each others identities and it’s best we keep it between each other. she now knows my real identity and will remain the only one who does know.” 

Diana nodded, “the two of you now hold each others biggest secret and I think it’s best we both leave so you can talk it out,” she mentioned as she escorted Batman out of the room to leave you guys alone. 

Dick stared at you as he tried to read your expression, “all this time we left each other for stupid reasons, we were meeting each other again, just in our different identities?” was what he said. you nodded, “were you ever going to tell me?” you whispered. 

Dick walked up to you and held you close, “truthfully, when the time was right and with the bat’s approval, I was. everything I’ve ever said, tonight, the night we patrolled school together, everything! I meant it. you’re my best friend. you’re also someone I want to keep by my side together,” he finally confessed. 

you stared up at Dick before doing the one thing you always wanted to do. you leaned up and kissed him deeply. he was completely taken back but kissed you back. your arms wrapped his neck as he brought you in even closer. 

“wow, this was not how I expected the night to go,” you murmured against his lips, “for sure but I mean, we have the lair tonight and it’s completely empty. I want to give you that final dance of the night,” he said as he grabbed your hand and led you to the main floor again. 

you stared at Dick and took his hand as he swayed you to the song you first danced back at the formal. 

“take a ride up to Malibu, I just wanna sit and look at you, look at you. what would it matter if your friends knew? who cares what other people say anyway.”

[levitatingbiscuits]

hi sorry i just need to rant about lightsabers for a bit. (bear with me. i swear this isn’t just nitpicking the accuracy of physics and swordplay in a space opera, bc I swear I wouldn’t make a post JUST for that)

so, i have a bit of experience with swords. not actual swords, but bokken and wooden replicas, at least. i’ve been trained in basic shakespearian stage combat since i was 8 years old, but the only move I got really good at was the moulinet, aka that flippy thing everyone complains about in the prequels:

however, unlike everyone claims, THIS MOVE IS NOT USELESS. sure, it can be used to show “i’m fancy and well-trained,” but it’s ALSO extremely useful for acquainting yourself to the heft and length of your weapon, as well as readjusting your grip if your other hand is occupied (historically by a shield), or even if you just wanna do it quickly because you’re worried the other guy is about to stab/disarm you. it also helpfully keeps others at bay when your grip is at its weakest because they don’t wanna get hit by the blade and bleed tf out, much like poor anakin up there. Not to mention, IN UNIVERSE they can use moulinets to deflect blaster fire and seek openings in other saber users’ defenses.

HOWEVER X2: this move should not be possible with a plasma blade/”laser sword.”

plasma is weightless. the moulinet depends on the weight of the blade to function. imagine trying to do this move with a deadly flashlight instead of a sword, which is essentially what a lightsaber is. ewan and hayden were given sticks to stand in for the lightsaber blades, which is the only reason they can physically perform this move. (also probably why their stances are all so dumb -- the physics are COMPLETELY different. Only Makashi even vaguely resembles irl blade combat, and that’s because Christopher Lee was a fencer and George incorporated that. Maybe Ataru too, to a lesser extent, but that was because Liam Neeson got trained in broadsword combat for Rob Roy and kept accidentally using irl techniques during his fight scenes.)

BUT: that’s where the Force comes in.

Why is the lightsaber the signature weapon of ONLY the Jedi, when they can so easily be used to devastating effect? Simple answer: lightsabers are super fucking dangerous. They can cut through anything, with minimal effort, so if you drop it it can and will cut through whatever it touches, ESPECIALLY flesh and bone. it’s also weightless, and therefore it’s SUPER FUCKIN EASY to overexert yourself and cut through more than you intended, because it goes through your opponents and solid rock like a hot knife through butter. Even in metal’s case, it’s like a cold knife through fudge. if you aren’t Force-sensitive, you’re just as much of a danger to yourself and your companions as you are to your enemies. that’s probably why the mandalorians didn’t immediately manufacture a million more darksabers, despite it being the weapon equivalent of a wet dream for them: shit just isn’t practical. it’s a status symbol precisely because it’s such a pain in the ass to use.

but we KNOW there’s some force fuckery afoot with the kyber crystals, as well. they’re sentient, and the main way Force nulls can even use them is in giant superweapons. Jedi gotta bond with those little assholes, have to have a fucking vision quest before it will deign to be used by them. Sith have it even worse: they gotta break them to their will by running the gauntlet of their own worst (lightest, technically) thoughts and deepest self-doubts. in return, it sings to its Jedi, and screams at its Sith. 

so i theorize that the only reason why saber users can keep track of where their blade is going is because the saber tells them through the Force. The moulinet is the ultimate expression of skill in saberplay because it signifies complete trust in, and a constant connection with, your crystal. There is a reason Anakin Skywalker often moulinets, and Darth Vader does not. His crystal chose him, and later chose his son, but he stole that red saber from Master Infli’a and made it bleed. It hates and fears him.

This is also likely why the Jedi emphasize control above all else: they don’t really need power or strength that much if the saber is doing 90% of the work for them. They just need to guide its path. Vader can probably get away with being reckless because of his plasteel armor and robot limbs (when Luke hit his armor in ESB it bounced right off). Instead of practicing restraint, as the Jedi did, he just cuts his son’s hand off when he wants to disarm him (eh? eh??). Severing limbs was typically a last resort for the Jedi, the final way to end a fight without killing your opponent, which is why it’s so tragic that Obi-Wan has to cut off so goddamn many to protect those he loves. It gets to the point that he’s pretty blase about the whole thing by the time of ANH. Vader does it to scold his kid. He’s at his farthest point in his fall here.

Anyway, the lightsaber physics of the sequels ended up REALLY bugging me because of this. Sure, they were hardly realistic in the earlier films, but at least they were consistent. This video essay makes a lot of great points, the primary one being that WHY IS NO ONE FUCKING DYING WHEN THEY GET HIT BY A LIGHTSABER. Finn should have lost the use of his legs, at the very least, and Kylo’s skull should have split open like a ripe melon. The REASON the comics emphasized that Asajj was showing off when she gave Anakin his facial scar is because it takes incredible precision to do that to someone without instakilling them, much less leaving him the use of his eye. Rey swung that shit at him like a baseball bat and Kylo was totally fine! 

AAAAANYWAY, this is yet another reason in a fucklong list of why the Order has to start its training so young: so those cute lil babies don’t accidentally kill everyone with their Space Powers when they throw a tantrum or cut off something important whenever they get in a fight.

[yakuzacasual]

Dating headcanons for Shioya?? :3c

PREFACE

I want to open up with my best wishes to all the ppl reading this, that may be living in the US (and also are the Destiel fans because damn I am so sorry for y’all). It’s been not only rough, but also an incredibly crazy week all around so I hope you all are doing well, staying healthy and I offer this little piece of writing to maybe make you feel a bit better!

And now, to the lovely Non behind this request, say I SQUEALED when I saw this one and realized who Shioya was. He’s perfect to write for bc he’s got the funky Kaito vibe where I can think up some weird shit that’ll still feel like it holds true no matter how badly do I screw up the writing but also makes me feel so joyful all throughout the writing and just sksksk. It may be a bit of a mess but I. HAD. A. BLAST. Thank you so much, hope you enjoy it and see you around :3c

RELATIONSHIP 101 WITH SHIOYA

Not being able to keep his hand in the back pocket of his partner's trousers or just straight out on their butt? Major offense, call the police. See, while some may think he’s just an old perv who doesn’t know how to keep his hands to himself in public spaces, Shioya actually takes great pride in having someone such as yourself date a regular thug like himself and wants to openly wear it like a badge of honor. In that way it feels incredibly empowering to know that they are okay with him being slightly possessive of you like that. And in addition to his hand just being very comfortable, it does serve a greater purpose too! No sane person would dare bother you when he’s there latched onto your lovely behind like his life depends on it, after all. You don’t ever have to worry about returning the favour. He is more than happy to provide his own back pockets for your hands and will especially enjoy it if there is a bigger height difference between the two of you - and you are the short one, of course. All kinds of teasing can be expected from him, such as the usual joke of making you his elbow rest or putting things on the high shelves just so that he could see you struggle. It’s nothing but a bit of fun for him though and he will always stop immediately whenever he feels you are getting frustrated or starting to feel real bad about your height. He may not know how to make it better but you can always count on him lending you a hand and maybe even giving you a lift. Also, piggyback rides, a lot of them.

If by some miracle you end up being the highest of you two, he may be kind of grumpy about it at the beginning of the relationship. His alpha male pride is somewhat wounded but at the same time, damn, darlin’, you are the absolute coolest person to ever exist. Not only do you look like a snack, but your height makes it feel like you could snap him in half, even if that’s the farthest one could be from the truth. With time, Shioya learns to revel in being the smaller one, often pulling on your shirt so that he could give you a proper smooch or just act smug about being your partner. See that big ass person? Ye, that’s my baby. All in all it may make keeping his hands in your back pockets harder, but the payoff is definitely worth the price.

Likes to get piss drunk and cause trouble, preferably together with his partner. He knows every bar in the vicinity, from the worst drinking dens with cheapest booze to the most fancy bars serving expensive, albeit delicious cocktails in small cups. You can count on him to figure out a place that would suit you both and if you do actually have a drink with him, even if non-alcoholic, he’ll be elated enough to cover your tab no matter how high or low. And then also the costs of whatever fun adventures will the two of you get into after getting properly intoxicated. While he kind of can’t imagine himself having a partner that doesn’t get wasted alongside him, if you do turn out to be the more “proper” kind in that sense, it’ll turn out that there is nowhere he can feel safer, than in your warm arms, as you - the sober and reasonable one - stop him from doing some real stupid shit. He does, however, realize that his drunk shenanigans may be negatively affecting you and he worries about putting too much pressure on you by this selfish way of using you as his nanny. In that case, Shioya probably won’t stop drinking all together, but he will try to at very least control himself better. It will be a painful process, but he can’t bring shame to his beloved. 

Surprisingly for many, Shioya can turn out to be extremely gentle with you behind closed doors. The rough image he’s got to keep on the outside for everyone to see and fear is one thing, but in the four closed walls of your (or his) apartment when lights are dim, the TV static is the only sounds as he tenderly runs his big hands through your hair it just feels like it may have never happened at all. Whenever he is trying to be more delicate, you will discover little new things that his seemingly clumsy hands can do really well. Shioya turns out to be a pro at braiding hair really meticulously and in various different ways and he is incredibly good at quickly locating and massaging the tension points in your body. And, aside from just being naturally adept at it, he enjoys it a whole lot. It’s the only way he knows how to repay you for sticking around despite his numerous flaws.

[genshin-latte]

Vika's default facial expression is just:😶 and she can't easily control her expression unless she has her guard more up than usual (aka she's always Defensive™ and Distrustful ™(??) but in battle or poker you can't read her unless ur her sis or have known her long enough) sO you'll know if she likes you because she'll go from : to :DDDDDDDD

She looks at Razor and melts at all times. She considers him something of a platonic crush or some sort of cousin figure because she doesn't want to make his life hell like she does to her sister ya kno? She just has such a soft spot for those who care for animals and he's just. Razor. C'mon. How can you not love him

She absolutely adores Klee and uses her as an excuse to pet her true colours (Chaotic Neutral) show. Nobody suspects she ever has to do with any mischief happening.

She hates Childe's guts and is STILL angry at the stunt Zhongli pulled. She had to hold herself from tearing Signora's eyes out when they met again bc you don't simply hurt the people she cares about.

She adores Venti but feels a bit weird knowing he's a god because she's respectful to other people's deities and religions since she grew up extremely devout to the faith of her home world. She and Venti play their instruments together tho sometimes. (Her family has a tradition of learning the equivalent of ballet in that setting and violin/harp if violins for some reason aren't a thing shush I'm dumb)

Paimon (if we're following the We Are The Traveller route) gets on her nerves so much but if anything were to happen to her she'd go berserk. Same goes for her horse tho she doesn't get on her nerves lol. She never takes her out for serious battles. Minaimi (her horsie) is the only animal companion she has bc she was a gift from her parents.

She gets mentally and emotionally exhausted real quick so she's just... Right there in the farthest corner drinking water or orange juice if we're talking social gatherings. Kaeya helps her get out of her shell and Vika reminds him to take a break and recharge😤 she also makes sure he doesn't drink himself stupid💀

She's also a big scaredy cat! Them big churls (metichurls?????? I can never remember) scare the fuck outta her, especially the ones in Liyue with the stone shields. That's why her axe changes sizes so she won't have to get too close😭

Also nobody has seen her w her hair down👀

I can't wait to see more from you and everyone else! It feels so good to be able to talk about ocs like this😭💔 is it okay if I show u what she looks like? My art is absolute shize though so be prepared ;3;

Lmao scaredy cat 🤡🤡 same she seems like a sweetheart 🥺🥺 relatable on getting emotionally and physically exhausted quickly 💀 please feel free to show me 😳😳 hand her over 😚

[magnaflourious-nerdity]

But Through Darkened Glasses

(You Need Chaos in Your Soul)

" And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you."

There was a prompt on some Halloween themed fandom challenge for October. Monday's was 'Black Cat' and for whatever reason. This is what happened. Bc im just going with that kind of thing lately I guess, I decided to spit it out here. I didn't beta this thoroughly enough I guarantee bc im lazy and also the fandom is like 20 people big, and generally full of forgiving, lovely, content starved ppl. The last point I am extrapolating from my own experiences of being in the fandom, haha.

_____

It's weird, he thinks, twining in and out of the fence post he's been following for the past few minutes, trying to get his bearings now that he's been saddled with twice his accustomed amount of limbs. It's weird that I'm not more freaked out about this. He pauses, grooms himself briefly and crosses the street under the lamp light. The bulb blows out halfway across. He doesn't even jump this time. Maybe it's a bonus of having nine lives, you don't worry so much about one or two practice runs. His ears twitch minutely as the wind shifts and brings a low, buzzing, sound sighing through the fronds of the willow at the edge of his yard. They're even more sensitive now that he's a cat- the ears that is -twitching at the slightest whisper of a sound in the night.

He doesn't even bother to slow his pace as he hops the fence and passes through his own back yard, simply fixing jade eyes on the window he knows to be Becky's, turning them away again with the knowledge that there's no way she'd be at home tonight. Not on a night where she's basically been given free reign to go full-tilt feral social-climber on every party in town. There's no gaining entrance into his lair in his current state (nor is he particularly keen to meet Rasputin face to face right now either) and his parents are out of the question. Can't guarantee his dad won't be too drunk this late on a Halloween to tie a bottle rocket to his newly acquired tail. Don't really care to see him if he's sober either. Or just in general

Instead, His attention remains fixed on the sound he'd heard in the distance before, as he cuts across lawns and ducks down the well trod neighborhood backalleys, avoiding any heards of desperate, last-minute, trick-or-treaters or gaggles of drunken party-goers he catches wind of.

He's at the point of shrugging off the weird sounds he's been hearing as the result of some sort of particularly lumbering rodent in the underbrush, turning his attention instead to the little flashes of lamp light glinting off of abandoned candy wrappers. Batting at one every now and then non-committaly. It wasn't as exciting as one might think, being a cat. Kind of a snooze even, as far as curses went.

Well, at least it had the wherewithal and the courtesy as a curse to take aesthetics into account.

He was definitely the kind of cat his father would have chased off the lawn with a bb gun, if it had showed up at their door looking for food. He examines the pitch-colored shroud of his newly acquired fur as best as he can, glad- in a removed sort of way -that at least he was a proper Halloween cat. Scruffy and mysterious, not one of those opulently fluffy, pearl-colored, fancy-feast models.

There was dignity in being a black cat on Halloween. There was style! There was pinache!

A whisper, a low hum beyond his perception.

There were secrets. There was power. All of it his for the taking now that the opportunity had been unwittingly granted.

He'd read a legend once- in one of his massive, dusty, volumes on the lore of shapeshifters, dating back to antiquity -that on Halloween, black cats were at the most transient state of their existances. They could- if they could find the right chinks in reality's armour, where the space between things overlapped and folded in on itself like challah -use the threads surrounding and connecting the worlds to perform any number of impossibilities. Assume other forms, be anywhere at once, sew prosperity or discord at a whim.

It was said that those creatures most in-tune with with the pathways could even travel between them all. All of the worlds bookended against and, at certain times like tonight, overlapping their own. Those most-adept cats could slip in and out of dimensions as easily as a shadow slips under doorway.

I mean, I guess now is as good a time as any to test that hypothesis, Merton mused, slit-pupils zeroing in on the slightest movement down the street from Tommy's house, which was naturally where his slinky, purposeful, wandering had taken him. There were no other thoughts to it really. After all. He and Tommy were each other's lifeboats, lashed together to weather whatever bullshit came their way, side-by-side.

At least where finding ourselves on the wrong side of dark magic is concerned. He amended to himself. There was no one else here so he wasn't sure why he even bothered really.

He hesitated silently under a street lamp. The crackling sound of the light flickering above him sounded grating to his sensitive ears. He could understand Tommy's super-hearing-based woes a lot better now at least. With his gaze shifting uneasily between the safety of Tommy's house- the safety of his company, and of his unconditional presence, and of his unwavering dedication to Merton's protection despite the workload that it was turning out to be- and back to the subtle, but suddenly noticeable undulations of the shadows at the farthest edge of the neighbor's hedgerows. An opportunity had manifested itself.

Almost neigh-imperceptably, something shifts in the air, pervading every cranny of the now darkened street.

A moment of choice for Merton. The unexplored possibilities mount in his head, weighed against the cons of breaching the utterly unknowable. He is bewitched, rooted to the spot. Eve on the precipice of the apple, by virtue of both temptation and fear.

He'd gone to more extreme means, on less intel, for far more ridiculous pursuits. This was just a short walk to the end of the street. But he hesitates nonetheless, his own mind overriding the detatched curiosity that grew into him- into his bones -the longer he was attached to this form. He feels the pull of the interstitial static of the spaces between space, it hums and pulses gently along to the music of the spheres. Soft, inviting, unknowable.

He thinks of slipping between the phases of reality. Could he regain his body on his own that way? Could he pick a better one? He pads gently forward, going only a few, cautious steps, questioning himself all the while and trying to brace his senses against the hypnotic call of whatever the netherspace was wordlessly offering to him. He is waiting to see when the time will be right. If it will be at all. What will come of it.

I can fix this on my own for once, right now. He tells himself . I can learn so much. About everything. I can fix so much if I can just...

The pull of the place between is Urgent. Heady. Disorienting, he finds. It beckons him more insistently with each passing moment, and every sound made in the darkness is a soft, sighing, call to action. To adventure. To satisfy all of his human spawned, feline fueled, curiosities alike.

But another sound, this one from inside Tommy's house- still nearly right next to him -severs the tie. It's Tommy's laugh, loud and sharp and as intimately familiar to him as a siren song of his own.

Tommy. His tail lifts up into the air of its own accord as he starts to correct course towards the tree in Tommy's back yard, one which frequent exposure to the Dawkin's household tells him leads to the- usually wide open -2nd floor window landing of his best friend's bedroom.

The whispering from behind him grows more urgent as he turns away from it. Easier to discern from the normal night-music of Pleasantville. It grows in pitch, insistent, like a vulture pecking at the stripped down bones of its roadside carrion.

Despite his growing unease, Merton still feels the gravity of the thin places of the world eying him up, clawing at him. He realizes, with detached horror, that if the last few minutes are anything to go by, in this form, he isn't even sure if he can resist it at all. Much less how long his moment of self possession can last.

Merton, as a cat, finds himself to be mostly a loose collection of animal instincts and a haphazard jigsaw of the the bits of the world that don't seem to want to fit right with himself; all of this sewed up into a body thats more suggestive of physical form than equitable to one. He doesn't know how to even begin to navigate the puzzle of resisting the undertow of the universe as it digs its fingers solidly into the newest and most vulnerable parts of his shared but singular conciousness. The shadows in the hedgerows, the ripples of what's underneath the idea of them, begin to pulsate. They flail. Or it flails, because he can't tell the collective from the distinct anymore, can only watch with awe as the patch of space and time it is currently occupying shimmers, and cracks, and grows, and reaches. Merton swears he can hear it SCREAMING in the back of his head. At the place where his thoughts dissolve into notions less definable by words, and transform instead into a swirling mass of impulses conducted by the now-shrill trans-dimensional, thrumming of the universe's insistent, staticky back beat.

He sees something solidifying in the ectoplasm of that open sore in the flesh of the world. Something besides the thrashing, churning, cult of tendrils reaching out from the places they can squeeze through in the cracks. The sight makes every single one of his hairs stand on end. Which is something, given he has a significant deal more of them now than he usually would. But there is no mistaking what he is seeing being melded together in the eye of that widening miasma. A hand claws its way past the meshing, roiling tentacles of that dark expanse. Pulling itself forward into the physical, out of the theoretical. A set of shoulders struggles past, dragging the other arm in to being along side it, pale and wan. There is a pause, one last still moment before, with repulsion thrumming through every part of him, he focuses on the well of dark magics still spewing forth parts of the creature. He sees the top of a head breech through the dimensional weak spot. The head turns in Merton's direction at his displeased hisses of fright. Merton locks up in immediate, gut-wrenching, horror when the creature gazes back at him, wearing his own face.

‐-----

I'll probably never continue this or even do anything at all w it,, but it was fun! In case you were wondering about the subtext between tommy and merton, yes. gay. Also whats dialague don't know her

[secret-engima]

Hi, thanks for responding to my previous ask! I was wondering about the Galahdrian food in Stand Strong. Bcs a lot of complicated recipes are only known to the adults, and fancy spice knowledge and cooking techniques were probably lost. Also Amissa introducing foods from other worlds, that don't have exact analogs for ingredients gives lots of room for experimentation and world-building!

No problem! It was a good ask! Also I am one of the farthest things you can get from a chef without actually burning water. I follow my cookbook religiously and it ... usually turns out just fine, if maybe a bit bland and that is Okay By Me so I have zero clue what kinds of Specific Dishes/spices they would have or use. But for general stuff-

Recall that Galahd is a Singing Culture, they sing everything they do as easy to remember rhymes, and a good portion of Galahd is/was Titus’s age when the fall started happening. Coupled with the Fall not being immediate but just a slow slide down until the sudden and graphic end in the Burning, and you actually have a good chance of Galahdian recipes surviving. If only the ones that the teens/kids remember their parents singing as they prepared them (because that’s what you did to teach your child, as you prepared each dish you carefully sang the recipe song). Of course, the complicated recipes probably do get muddled, but not ... completely lost? Just tweaked to fill in the gaps of whatever the kids/teens can’t remember in the song.

For this reason, Little Galahd dishes tend to be Extremely Spicy because their go-to answer to any gap in a recipe is Moar Spice.

That or more meat. Because everyone knows how to cook meat.

But yes, Amissa introduced a lot of foods from other worlds, a lot of campfire dishes and hardy foods that take minimal prep time and are good for travel, but also more complicated pleasure dishes that took quite a bit of ingredient experimentation to replicate here. The easiest dishes to replicate were the FF7 ones, because most of the ingredients match both worlds, but others ... not so much XP.

A lot of the Italian dishes from KHR are popular in Little Galahd, as are the dishes from Naruto (Ramen! Proper Ramen not that instant stuff the Insomnians like!), and Amissa picked up the best ways to make candy from the randomest wilderness ingredients over her journeys so there’s that too. (Random Poor Insomnian Mortal Who Is Probably Regis or something:”what is this candy made of?” Oblivious Galahdian With A Stomach of Steel: “Tree sap and *proceeds to list other ingredients ranging from random to horrifying to poor City Civilian Sensibilities*. Sometimes we substitute the tree sap with Mandrake sap but that stuff tends to be too sweet so we usually don’t.” Poor Insomnian Mortal: 0_0 “..........”)

Galahdian sandwiches are normal enough tho. They don’t tend to throw in too much spice with those mostly because it’s a sandwich, it’s meant to be a quick mean on the road. No time for tons of spice.

[kiritenyas]

it's on me that this post didn't happen sooner tbh. the gfs deserve better.

yaoyorozu kyouka and jirou momo are in love

the nation's couple

perfect for each other???

when they walk together momo places her arm over kyouka's shoulders and kyouka places her hand on momo's waist and they slot together PERFECTLY. so perfectly they never separate.

made for each other? possibly soulmates. maybe (most definitely) soulmates.

height differences never mattered THIS much before, the fact that kyouka is so small compared to momo absolutely had a hand in fanning the flames of momo's crush on her

she's so small and cute and she likes to act all tough but she's actually a soft sweetheart and momo might be falling in love a little bit. a lot. it’s okay. she’s fine.

she’s obviously not fine. yaoyorozu momo has been a mess pretty much never so falling in love is very extremely new to her 

“shouto are you using your quirk on me? because it’s suddenly very warm in here--” 

yaoyorozu momo and jirou kyouka met on their first year of high school and never parted since.

momo had pretty much zero experience in deep friendships/relationships outside of her family prior to u.a so i imagine they'd take it super slow

SUPER slow. when they held hands for the first time they were both RED and momo's heart was beating so fast it threatened to burst out of her chest. kyouka was just internally screaming the whole time.

kyouka wrote songs about momo when they started getting close and after they started dating she re-read the lyrics all like. wow i'm so gay.

she performed a little bit of a song she was writing to momo and it was one of the most personal things kyouka could've shared, but she felt okay with singing it to momo bc it seems like everything kyouka gives momo, whether it's a secret or her heart, stays safe, warm and protected in her pretty hands

momo is 100% that girl that has a diary and writes down everything and doodles around the pages, and after kyouka happened every single page is filled with hearts. momo is lovestruck and the only way she knows how to handle it is to word vomit and draw hearts and stare for too long

kyouka usually puts up an unbothered front but she doesn't have to with momo. momo is considerate and patient like no other, she gives her the space to do things her own pace, because relationships are built on understanding each other. 

momo is definitely a cheesy girl that would compare kyouka to pretty things like stars and flowers, and say soft things to express how much she cares for her, and like wow okay it’s not like your gf is easily combustible or anything

kyouka gets flustered so easily but it's funny bc momo does too. together they're a whole flustered mess and it’s perfect

that being said, kyouka has so many suave moments and it definitely shows she hangs with kaminari since she can be so casual abt flirting

btw kaminari is the wingman for the both of them. The bi best friend.

kyouka and momo are so in love that it feels they’re still pining for each other even after they started dating. they’re the actual definition of sweethearts

momo rests her head on kyouka’s bc she's so small and kyouka likes to hold her arms and look up at her while she does it, bc height can’t stop jirou kyouka from lovingly glancing at her girlfriend

THEY’RE SO CLASSICALLY ROMANTIC like flowers? chocolate? picnics that have only sweets for momo who has the biggest sweet tooth and dates where momo absolutely spoils kyouka rotten? a thousand times yes

they’re a bit embarrassed in front of other classmates but hand holding becomes their thing. when they need to show reassurance or affection and they’re not alone, they hold hands and squeeze a bit to remind the other that yeah, i’m here for you, always

they totally bought each other promise rings at some point, to show each other that they’re together even when they’re apart and that they’ll never be truly separated

and it’s EXTREME marriage behavior. the class teases them a lot when they’re not together 

kyouka is convinced she is dating a real angel, and sometimes momo thinks kyouka must be a fever dream because someone that perfect surely doesn’t exist

they’re in love ok. don’t judge them

sometimes momo tucks her hair behind her ear like a princess and kyouka is weak weak weak

kyouka’s voice is so beautiful and momo MELTS when kyouka sings for her, and ever since kyouka found out momo’s super weakness™ she started singing to her every night 

their hugs are super gentle. kyouka’s hands generally always gravitate towards momo’s waist bc she’s short and also she likes to hold her girlfriend and also it feels like her hands belong there. momo wraps her arms around kyouka’s neck and kyouka LOVES it bc she can bury her face in momo’s shoulder and wow. so safe and nice and good.

when momo gets an urge to act romantic she pushes the hair from kyouka’s face gently and kisses kyouka on her forehead super softly

it’s the farthest they’ve ever gone kissing wise and its never going to get old. 

kyouka is so content with her relationship with momo and she’s convinced they’re going to be together forever. when she doubts herself, she likes to fiddle with her (promise) ring as a reminder.

when momo doubts herself, she always shares it with kyouka, bc she’s her other half.

they never ever doubt each other.

[hikari-ni-naritai]

Amaryllis, Arum-Lily, Aster, Aubrieta, Basket of gold, Begonia (thot), Bellflower, Black-eyed Susan, Bluemink, Blazing stars, Chives, Cock's comb, Common boneset, Dahlia, Daisy, False goat's beard, Garden cosmos, Glory-of-the-snow, Heliotropium, Hellebore, Hoary stock, Hydrangea, Lantanas, Lavender, Lily of the Nile, Prairie gentian, Snapdragon, Sunflower, Sweet pea, Tickseed, Vervain, Yarrow (because clearly I have no idea), Zinnia

Amaryllis: Birthday?

march 2

Arum-Lily: What’s the farthest you’d go for a stranger?

3rd base. nah actually i ahve no idea. i dont usually think about whether or not something’s too much of a hassle to do. if i can do it, i usually will. i gave a stranger 20 bucks so they wouldnt talk to me any more.

Aster: What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“[Tharja] is . . . the poor man’s waifu.” ~abe lincoln

Aubrieta: Favorite drink?

woter

Basket of Gold: Describe your family.

a hyper-religious military family feat. one son and one disgrace

Begonia: Favorite color?

sky blue

Bellflower: Favorite animal?

c a t !!!!

Black-Eyed Susan: If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be?

see above

Bluemink: What are your thoughts on children?

each sentence is a separate thought unrelated to the others. dont take children on vacations they wont be able to remember. extremely too loud. do not want any of them.

Blazing Stars: What are you afraid of? Is there a reason why?

pain (yes, it hurts) the dark (i cant prove nothings out there) stinkbugs (no reasonable reason) being noticed (necessarily invokes a level of vulnerability i dont want)

Chives: Who was the last person you hugged?  

my dad when he dropped me off at the airport like 10 hours ago

Cock’s Comb: Favorite font?

papyrus. no god i dont actually have a favorite font.

Common Boneset: What are you looking forward to?

hhhhhhhhhhh nothing? im looking forward to getting littorio in kancolle but that might not happen bc its rng drop with like 1.2% chance

Dahlia: Have you done anything worth remembering?

i dont know what that really means. ive seen a lot of things id like to remember

Daisy: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

i dunno, i think surviving a solo trip to london is a pretty big thing for someone like me. 

False Goat’s Beard: What is something you are good at?

im good at proofreading but thats about all im really useful for

Garden Cosmos: How was your day today?

a little uncomfortable bc i was in vegas and i had anxiety and then i was in a plane and my legs are too long so i got cramps the whole time, but other than that i had a good time. i saw big cats

Glory-of-the-Snow: What are ten things that make you happy/you’re grateful to have in your life?

is it cheating to just name 10 friends? 

1. friends i guess

2. social media

3. kancolle

4. madoka magica

5. cats

6. cute girls on public transportation

7. redheads with freckles

8. girls generally?

9. sad anime

10. modern medicine

Heliotropium: What helps you calm down when you feel stressed?  

playing piano usually. oh i forgot that one should be on the list too.

Hellebore: How do you show affection?

like a cat. hanging out in the same room quietly, rubbing my face against them, petting. the human ways are making myself even a little bit vulnerable by talking about things seriously and playing a song for them on the piano maybe. stuff like that. i dunno. i dont show a lot of affection outside of relationships so its kinda all geared towards that.

Hoary Stock: What are you proudest of?

im pretty proud of the fact that random people on the internet think i give good advice and seek it out. like obviously im just some chump with a blog who took 2 or 3 psychology classes in college and my advice is probably not helpful, but its nice to be appreciated and used.

Hydrangea: How long have you known your best friend? How did you meet them?

i dont know if i have a best friend or not. probably not.

Lantanas: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

i dunno. i like when people say i have nice eyes. quality eyes. the sort of eyes you’d pluck out and keep on a shelf in a jar to stare at when you get lonely on those long winter nights. nobody’s ever said that much but i assume that’s what theyre going for

Lavender: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

i like to think im a decent person

Lily of the Nile: What is something you feel guilty for that you shouldn’t feel guilty about?  

liking and watching anime lmao

Prairie Gentian: Who is someone you look up to? Describe them.

i dont really look up to anybody. my ideals are conceptual and nobody lives up to them. the person id like to emulate the most though is amber from highway blossoms, who’s a cute lesbian with an rv who drives through the american southwest with another cute girl. i really enjoyed driving through all those places on vacation and it’d be nice to do it with a cute girl and go camping.

Snapdragon: At this moment, what do you want?  

to look at my desktop background, which is the two girls mentioned above. ill do that. 

that was a good experience. now i want to get littorio

Sunflower: What is something you don’t want to imagine life without?

cats

Sweet Pea: How much sleep did you get last night?

like 6 hours and a bit?

Tickseed: What’s your main reason to get up every morning?

work usually

Vervain: What’s stressing you out most right now?

gender issues 

Yarrow: Do you know what vore is?

god

Zinnia: Give a random fact about yourself.

im way into vore while thats true, the fact i want to give here is that i love rng games and mechanics. theres something about the adrenaline rush u get when you dont know if you’ll win or lose that i really enjoy. not gambling tho. 

[wingheadshellhead]

Hi, I love your blog! So I've been reading a lot of 616 stevetony lately, and I've noticed that in both canon and in a lot of fiction, Steve seems to really dislike Extremis (even before superior iron man). Why do you think that is? Even without looking at this with shipper goggles (which I always am), I think it's really strange that Steve has so much disdain for something that essentially saved one of his best friend's lives.

(THIS HAS TAKEN ME 5 BILLION YEARS BUT HERE IT IS FINALLY)

i used to be in the same boat and automatically assumed steve’s dislike of extremis was one of those fandom headcanon things that was so commonly accepted it’d basically become fact, but it’s really, actually, all 100% canon. but the comics that deal with it happen right before civil war so i think many ppl have simply forgotten or skipped over that part of tony’s timeline.

execute program is the 6-issue arc that comes right after extremis and it’s the main thing i tell everyone they have to read if they’re putting themselves thru the ringer that is 616′s civil war. it is so so important to understanding tony’s headspace and where he’s at before the events of civil war occur. 

READ EXECUTE PROGRAM. a) bc it’s absolutely crucial to tony’s side of civil war, b) the follow-through from the extremis arc is just… amazing, virtuosic. i really genuinely think it is a fascinating, excellently-written arc, c) when it gets gay it gets very gay. truST ME you do not need your shipper goggles for this at all bc guess which of the following things are canon: the sound of steve saying his voice being the only thing that snaps tony out of (likely a dissociative episode) trying to murder a villain that nearly kills peter, dyeing his hair blond when he’s going on the run, tony stopping his heart to save steve’s life. all of them !!! all canon !!!!!! 

extremis is, basically, terrifying. to the average human being, hell even the average superhuman. it’s p much unfathomable the sheer level/magnitude/scope of extremis. extremis allows tony to access and control any piece of technology on earth and even in earth’s atmosphere, he can hear satellites. it’s like having the singularity as a superpower. 

so part 1, iron man vol. 4 #7 (2006), opening issue and we have tony stopping a villain with lethal force, all while counting down the milliseconds and bidding on priceless artefacts.

now, avengers don’t kill. and tony doesn’t, he stops the man’s heart, then restarts it, basically performing defibrillation. 

and then we get this conversation: 

and after tony jets off leaving the new avengers to sort out the aftermath, we get this disturbing reminder:

a proper reread might prove me wrong but i don’t think the writers ever clarify whether this transformation in tony’s personality is due to extremis or outside manipulation (which is the culmination of execute program’s arc as i’ll go into in a bit). but when your brain is literally a machine and you Have Become more machine than human, this is the natural progression of tony’s humanity – the aspects of compassion, empathy, etc. – fading into the background to accomodate for extremis. 

extremis brings out everything about tony that steve (and possibly the world) fears most. it makes him cold and calculating, and with a brain like tony stark’s elevated by the superhuman capacity to think and react at the speed of a machine, he’s unstopppable.

part 2, iron man vol. 4 #8, we have tony nearly straight up burning a man alive for almost killing peter and laughing about it. 

he’s so deep in Destroy Mode that he doesn’t even register steve’s warning, and here i think he acts entirely out of instinct –– like extremis is thinking for him rather than his brain prompting him to do this. 

extremis is also the cause of tension between tony and the newly-formed new avengers (one of my favorite line-ups!!), he almost gets into a fight with logan and jessica has to break them up. it turns out tony is missing time in his memory, which is extremely worrying for someone w/ his level of power…

what’s so fascinating about extremis, and why we have so much to thank warren ellis for (the writer of the extremis arc), is that it is the perfect and the most logical climax of the modern iron man story. tony’s worst villain, as we’ve known since the very beginning really, has never been anyone else but himself. and in the case of extremis, it’s a highly technologically advanced version of himself that can do and be everything he’s ever dreamed of being able to achieve vs. him. 

the question extremis asks is at what cost? at what cost does technological advancement, bleeding-edge breakthroughs, and the spirit of human innovation come at? how far would tony go to become the Ideal version of himself that he sees as superior in every way? what would he sacrifice for that?

extremis represents basically the pinnacle of sci-fi tech in iron man comics, it’s why even god awful superior iron man used a 3.0 version of it as the foundation for tony’s sins. it’s the farthest point he’s ever reached, and it’s also the lowest in terms of the damage and fallout that comes from it. because ofc, tony stark can’t have nice things like this, but also bc the hubris + nature of extremis allowing its host to play god can’t exist without there being negative consequences. really b ad consequences. 

huge respect to danial & charles knauf, the authors of execute program, too, because they find a way to perfectly bring the arc full circle as ellis did with his extremis. the central villain plot revolves around ho yinsen’s son. the kid hacks extremis and uses it to control tony, sending him to subconsciously assassinate a bunch of people on his kill list, i.e. a list of all the men involved in yinsen’s death. i mean like, HOLY SHIT, an iron man plot where a literal ghost from tony’s past – a direct victim of events tony was involved in, the son of the man that sacrificed his life so iron man could be born and so tony stark could live – shows up, weaponises tony’s own body + technology and uses him to murder people who are scheduled to participate in a peace summit despite the blood on their hands and the human cost of their involvement in the weapons industry.

DRAWING PARALLELS BETWEEN YINSEN’S LIFE’S WORK AND TONY’S LIKE DEATH AND DYING WOULD BE KINDER. again bc of my memory or even regardless due to constant retcons + reruns of the iron man origin story, i don’t know if it’s ever been explicitly stated before that yinsen also got into the weapons industry in order to get the funding necessary to support his other revolutionary work. but his son literally conflates yinsen with tony here, blending them into one + the same with that final panel and it becomes very obvious that at least a small part of him blames father for entering into weapons design. if he hadn’t, he might never have been captured by the the terrorist group that wanted him and tony to build them missiles. 

also, yinsen + villains involving yinsen are a recurring theme in iron man history but can we talk abt the fact that tony has never ever let himself forget the man bc jesus christ

yinsen’s kid is killed by a SHIELD sniper, activating the dead man’s switch and unleashing all the peackeeping units tony built that are now compromised. now, tony’s no jean grey or wanda maximoff but if this arc shows anything it’s not to underestimate him bc intentional or not (lmao) if he put his mind to it there’s literally no limit to the damage he could do. 

we see various heroes fighting off the peacekeeping units, and the new avengers are at the peace summit fighting a hulkbuster. 

and here it is people !!! the 23989485th time tony kills himself so steve can live. 

JUST. THE LOOK ON HIS FACE. AND THEN THIS ABSOLUTE LACK OF HESITATION:

so, yes. extremis was traumatising for pretty much every single person involved. steve has extremely good reasons for HATING extremis, even in the early stages or even if a fic is taking place before the events of execute program.

if you read the full arc, you’ll see tony running himself into the ground with his new abilities (world’s greatest multitasker can now multitask 192483958 things at once? ofc he’s going to use and abuse and exploit that), you see him spiralling and losing his grip on reality (mainly because he’s actually having dissociative episodes and losing time due to being remotely controlled to assassinate ppl but also bc of the Effect extremis is having on him). i brought up wanda and jean earlier as a casual reference but like, to put it in that kind of perspective, people just weren’t made to have this much power.

on a smaller scale, apart from eating up all of tony’s time and attention and mental health in a really bad way, it just Distances him from everyone. especially from the team. it’s Isolating, having this much going on in his brain and no one else in the world to fully understand it. 

and on steve’s side, you also have the fact that tony’s genius is both one of the things he loves and lowkey resents most about him. he has this deep-set anxiety about tony with all his brilliance and intelligence leaving him behind in the dust, or worse, laughing at him and how outdated and dim-witted he is in comparison. this is steve’s version of tony’s “i’m never going to be good enough for him”, a sentiment summed up in a quote from him as early as tales of suspense vol. 2 (1995): “yes, tony stark, a man of today and tomorrow is the man i’ll never be.” he’s so afraid of being abandoned + alienated by tony’s mind and the future that tony’s worked so tirelessly to build that might render him irrelevant. he’s scared of a future where he has no purpose, but more or just as importantly, he’s scared of becoming obsolete in tony’s life, of not being needed by tony anymore. one of the things that endeared him so much to tony, and which laid the foundations of their lifelong friendship, was the fact that from Day One (1), tony made him feel At Home. he never let him feel ashamed or isolated as The Man Out Of Time, he actively worked to make steve feel comfortable and to give him the things he needed to acclimatise and to fit himself into this brave new world. 

extremis undoes all of that. it propels tony so far and so fast into the future that it makes tony untouchable to steve. all of the ‘i can hear satellites’ stuff renders steve helpless and even more out of his depth than usual. it presses all of steve’s secret buttons and then some.

to sum this all up, and to finish my extra rambling abt tony bc u asked me about extremis and i couldn’t not finish with this:

here we have, ladies and gentlemen, everything u need to understand abt tony going into civil war. and it’s not on any of the official civil war fucking reading lists which really pisses me off because whether or not they did it on purpose the knaufs basically wrote all of execute program as the perfect precursor and characterisation groundwork for an antebellum tony stark. 

a tony stark who was just very recently manipulated against his will into assassinating people and causing a world-threatening incident that could have resulted in the deaths of thousands, including his own friends and teammates (and the love of his life), is a very different tony stark to the one ppl see in civil war #1.

what happens in stamford was an accident, too. no one meant for that to happen. tony knows first fucking hand what that means and what it feels like to carry that responsibility and guilt. his position in civil war supporting the SHRA is not only to protect the potential lives that could be lost in another stamford incident but also to protect superhumans and superheroes from ever being exploited against their will by villains to kill and hurt and destroy. 

superheroes are inherently susceptible to being used, it’s just part of the narrative convention –– a superhero is brainwashed or mind controlled or otherwise forced against their will to do something awful. and even if it’s not their fault there needs to be  accountability  for the victims. both the victims that suffer directly because of superhuman incidents but also the superheroes that become victims of ppl who abuse their powers. it’s abt protecting superheroes not just from civilians but from themselves. and if u’ve read a single comic u kno that this kinda shit happens way too often and way too easily.

sO YE S T hIS iS W HY. AND IT Ex PL AINS SO MUC H AND i j UST WISH P PL WOULD GODDAMN REA D THIS. LIKE EVERYONE WHO EVER WANTS TO SAY ANOTHER A GODDAMN THING ABOUT TONY STARK IN CIVIL WAR NEEDS TO FIRST READ EXECUTE PROGRAM FIRST OR PAY ME $10

anyway…………… one last time, i’m so so so sorry this took forever to get to. hope the wait was worth it!