#bonus points for petty arguments about it

[dieplz]

one of my fav ship dynamics is rich person x working/lower middle class person. especially if the rich person's love language is gift giving.

"oh your car broke? here have the best car available on the market. the clothes you're wearing are terrible btw. have something that costs more than you make in a month. oh you're getting fired? no worries im buying the company you're working for."

it's even better if it's enemies to lovers.

[whump-n-comfort]

when you read a fic that gives you a hyper-specific whump scenario that you know would either A.) take forever to find in another story or B.) hasn't been written at all so the obvious conclusion is that you have to write it yourself

[mascdestr0yer]

can you do a friends to lovers Paige x reader

Private, but not a secret

Warnings: some fluff, and the reader (you duh) being oblivious. It's a little cringe, but you'll live

Paige bueckers x fem!reader

Synopsis: You and Paige have been friends since the seventh grade, now you're both seniors at Hopkins highschool, as graduation nears Paige still hasn't told you what offer she's accepted yet. But you haven't either, the conversation never comes up until now. finding out you both are going to UCONN was exciting, but what you both didn't know, it would actually push you away.

THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST ML💕

You're waiting for Paige outside of her classroom, of course she's the last one out. She finally walked out with that stupid grin of hers,"we still going to the mall after school?" She asked, as we walked towards the cafeteria, dapping a few people up when they passed by. Intertwining our fingers, continuing to push through the crowd of students.

"I don't know, I might-"You started, she sucked her teeth, letting go of your hand. "Paige,"

"be honest, do you even like hanging out with me anymore?" She questioned me, still keeping her gaze straight ahead. You looked up at her, quickly fixing your gaze straight ahead.

"why would you even ask that?" You were a little confused on why she became so upset. Trying to touch her hand to comfort her but she snatched it away.

"every time I ask you to hang out, you say yes. Then when the time comes, you start to make up some lame excuses." Paige obviously irritated, runs her fingers through her hair. "You told me that you couldn't make it to my game because of family issues, then you post on your story you at the beach with your Friends." Her voice laced with jealousy, sitting down in the cafeteria. You sat down across from her, fidgeting with your fingers.

"Star's boyfriend cheated on her, we had to comfort her." You mumbled, slightly embarrassed by the way she called you out. Paige scoffed in response, rolling her eyes in the process.

"then why did you lie? There was no point, you had a valid reason not to come, so why lie to me." She interrogated, resting her arms on the table in between you both.

"can we drop it?" You pleaded, clearly wanting nothing to do with the situation as it was petty and unnecessary. Paige on the other hand, wanted to keep questioning you. She knew the "argument"was stupid, but she continued to poke at it with a stick.

"answer the question." She "demanded" (she's letting out her inner alpha), looking directly in your eyes.

"I don't know, thought you would be mad at me because I couldn't come to your game, so I thought maybe if I made the situation sound more intense you wouldn't get mad."

"I'm more angry at the fact that you lied to me," she grumbled, picking at her nails, not daring to look you in the eyes anymore.

"can you forgive me?" You asked, poking her cheek gently. She grips your wrist to stop you from poking her again, her grip getting tighter making it hurt.

"only if you come to the mall with me," she smirked, making her grip tighter and more painful.

I winced in pain, "okay okay, just let go!" She quickly dropped her hands with a slight smirk. "Paige that's not funny, I will beat your ass."i scolded her, flicking her neck.

"oww, that's not fair you have acrylics." She complained, whining ever so slightly.

"so?"

┌──❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚─┐

It's been about a week since then, you and Paige are sitting on the floor of her room. You do her hair while she yaps away. "UCONN is a really good school and my mom is proud of me ow-" she begins complaining about you pulling too tight and you not doing it right, you literally do her hair every time.

"hush little girl, or else I'll leave you like this." You warned her, with a comb in your hand.

She nods quickly, sitting back down in between your thighs, her back against your chest since she was taller than you. "I mainly chose UCONN because it's good for basketball and I know you're going, which is a bonus."

"I never told you where I'm going, how do you know that..." Your voice trailed off, a little scared or confused, both.

"how do I know that? I saw the UCONN merchandise in your trunk and your dad told me." She explains, drawing shapes on your thighs with her fingertip.

"when was this?" Tilting your head to the side as you braided the girl's hair, wanting to know more about the situation.

"I don't know, a little UCONN's acceptance letters came out. I asked what school you're going to, thinking it was UCLA, but I was clearly wrong."

"UCONN gave me a full ride, so I chose it. I didn't expect you to copy me and follow me to school too."

"you know you love it," she teased, sitting up when you stopped touching her hair signaling you were finished.

"Love is an overstatement," you began standing up, walking out of Paige's room.

"you finish my hair and leave me alone," she sighed, being dramatic once again. She begins following you downstairs, she watched you slip your black Crocs on and walked out the front door. Like the creep she is, she watches you through the window to see what you're doing. She watches you grab something out of the backseat of your car and walk back inside.

┌──❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚─┐

When You and Paige entered college, you guys tried, I mean tried to make time for each other, classes, basketball (Paige), and your studies. If Paige were to describe her friendship with you the first year of college, it would be called a disaster. You both just needed to adjust to college and your new schedules, wrong. Paige was always so busy she really pushed you away, basketball was important to her and you were proud of her.

The less time the two of you spent together, the more you both faded away from each other. Well, until junior year, you were the girl's volleyball team media girl(inspired)for two years, meaning you went to home games and away games, meetings, their practice, and etc.

When one of the sports directors heard about the women's basketball team lacking in the media department she had a meeting with you almost immediately.

"Listen, you've been doing an extraordinary job and I have a great offer for you," Ms. Adams leans in slightly, her arms resting on her desk.

"if it's about the wbb team, I would love to, but I don't know if julie is ready nor capable to run the volleyball team without me,"

"I've already talked to her, she said it's okay,"

"I mean, if you say so,"

"excellent, Geno !" She calls for someone, a mature man walks in, clipboard in hand. "Y/n this is Coach Geno for the wbb, Geno this y/n your new media girl."

We both shake hands, "he's here to introduce you to the team, the people you be with for the next two years."

You followed Coach Geno to the basketball gym, where the girls were "practicing", "alright, huddle up !" They quickly walked over to both of you, as you try to adjust your camera, you could feel someone staring into your soul, you looked up and saw her.

"This is y/n, she will be the head of this teams media department."

┌──❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚─┐

After a few practices, the team is starting to really grow on you. I was sitting down on the bleachers in the gym, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"yes," you answered monotoned, not bothering to look up from your laptop.

"can we talk?" A familiar voice asks, I looked up seeing a certain blonde.

"yeah, we can talk later, I need to finish-"

"no, I want to talk now, come on."she cut you off, you rolled your eyes as you sat your laptop down and followed her outside. The taller girl hugs you immediately, burying her face in your neck, you hesitated and eventually hugged her back.

"I'm sorry, for pushing you away," she pulled away wiping her tears, now you were even more confused, why was she crying.

"what- it's not your fault, you were busy with basketball and classes,"

"no, you don't understand, I wasn't busy, I was scared,"

"scared ? Scared of what ?"

"this," she grabs your face, kissing you. Your heart was racing, you could feel your face burning up, you kissed her back.

When the two of you pulled away she looked directly into your eyes, "you don't know how long I've been waiting to do that,"she smirked, holding your waist pulling you closer.

"how long?"

"since the seventh grade, I mean wasn't it obvious? It was really obvious during high school, how did you not notice?"

"I don't know, I thought we were just good friends,"

"you're an idiot," she chuckled, caressing the side of your face.

"I'm the idiot? You went two years without talking to me because of some stupid crush,"

Her face drops, "that's low." You laughed at her expression.

"you're just mad you have no game,"

"shut up." She rolled her eyes, biting back a smile.

┌──❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚─┐

BONUS:

Paige and KK were live on Instagram in your dorm room, KK's phone was set up on your vanity, there was about 13k people watching. KK was showing them her singing skills. Paige messing with your make up and smelling your expensive perfumes (no bath and body here😛).

"this one smells good, smell it." She puts the pink high heel shaped perfume in KK's face.

"ouuuu, it does." She grabs the perfume out of Paige's hands, smelling it.

"two hundred dollars?" Paige asked in shock, as she read the price of the perfume off her phone.

» User.1: who's dorm are they in ?

» User.2: it's so cutesy in there

» User.3: it's my room, duh

» User.4: why is Paige in another girl room🙄

» User.5: KK keeps re-smelling the perfume😭

» User.6 who's perfume is that

"It's Paige's girlfriend," KK answered chat. Paige side eyed her,she snatched the perfume out of KK's hands. "No, not her girlfriend romantically, our friend that so happens to be a girl."

[somewhere-in-the-rain]

Controversial opinion: I really like the new Fourth Wing bonus chapter. Do plot inconsistencies annoy me? Yes (I’m still not over the fact that Baide seemed to change gender halfway through Fourth Wing with zero explanation). Does Xaden being pathetically down bad for Violet cancel that out for me? Absolutely.

A few things I’d like to address:

The main plot inconsistency: Xaden and Liam being fostered by Lewellen after the execution. I didn’t notice this at first, but apparently it was said somewhere else they were fostered by Duke Lindell. A part of me thinks we might get an explanation for this later on in the series, but it may just be that Rebecca Yarros wrote this like a fan fiction at 3am and didn’t fact check properly.

There was a lot of exposition for a bonus chapter. This is the thing that made me go “ummm you really wanna tell us this now?” because unlike the other two bonus chapters, we got a lot of background information for the story: Imogen dropping daggers as the reason she wasn’t present in the briefing room, and Xaden and Liam being taught battle strategy as kids. Nothing major, but still stuff that dropping it somewhere else in the main books as well or instead would’ve been better.

Xaden being completely certain of his love for Violet, then not telling her for another six months. I mean it’s like he just begrudgingly accepted it at some point after they kissed (probably because Sgaeyl bullied him into admitting it). Don’t get me wrong, reading about Xaden being pathetically in love with Violet actually made my year, but it still pisses me off that he waited that long to tell her in Iron Flame.

Things I liked about the chapter:

Xaden and Liam. “Yours are better” I LOVE THEM. Also the way Xaden sees Liam as a brother 🥺

Sgaeyl mocking Xaden. Her imitating Xaden pining after Violet was incredible, I can’t wait for more of her in the next books.

Xaden taking any opportunity to slander Dain. Not them just having staring contests across the briefing table lmao.

Xaden being pathetically in love with Violet. This one needs no explanation. I love the boy obsessed trope and will hear nothing bad about it.

I just really love reading Xaden’s POV. He’s so sarcastic and petty, I genuinely adore him. I will always be happy when we get a new bonus chapter, arguments about capitalism and international availability aside.

This bonus chapter felt like reading a fan fiction, but my god was it entertaining. And I read to have fun, not to close a book and think “excellent, a new range of pretentious talking points for my next garden party”.

Read the chapter here.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

There was no Redemption or Damnation. Chloe Doesn't Actually Have an Arc at All

Does Chloe have an abandoned redemption arc?

No. Absolutely not. She also doesn't have a “damnation” arc or really any arc at all. She is a font of wasted potential for both redemption and damnation who never gets a true chance at either path. To explain what I mean, I have to first discuss the two types of redemption arcs and also how damnation arcs work. I’ll be doing this by discussing the guy who started the redemption arc trend, Zuko, and why his story doesn’t work for people like Chloe.

The Two Types of Redemption + Some Bonus Damnation

There are two general paths to redemption: redemption through a change in worldview (the easy path) and redemption through a change in self (the hard path).

Redemption through a change in worldview is what happens when you take a character who is a fundamentally good person and give them a messed up worldview, usually through their upbringing. The story will see that worldview challenged, resulting in the character changing how they view the world, but that’s about it. They don’t really have to make major changes to themselves at a fundamental level.

This is Zuko’s path. He’s born in the Fire Nation and raised to think that the Fire Nation is good. He also has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. When he’s included in a war council and told that the army leaders are going to willingly sacrifice Fire Nation troops, he stands up and says that’s wrong. This act results in him getting banished. During his banishment, he gets to see the rest of the world and learn that the Fire Nation is, in fact, NOT good. This ultimately leads to him switching sides because he has a strong sense of honor and wants to do right by his people. Who he is and how he acts never really changes.

Chloe is not like Zuko. She is a selfish, egotistical, petty, spoiled brat. For her to be redeemed, she has to accept that fundamental aspects of her character are deeply flawed. This might involve some changes to her worldview, but that’s only a tiny piece of what needs to change and I’m honestly not sure that she really has a messed up worldview. There are multiple instances where it’s clear that she knows that she’s being mean or bad and just doesn’t care.

This brings us to the topic of damnation arcs. For something to be a damnation arc, a person has to be presented with a choice between good and evil and they have to choose evil. Zuko actually has one of these. At the end of the second season of Avatar, Zuko is given the choice to join the good guys or to join his sister and be accepted back into his family.

He chooses his sister.

That’s a damnation arc because Zuko truly had a chance to change sides. The scene would play very differently if Zuko had to choose between staying in exile and joining his sister. Joining his sister would still be the wrong move, but it’s no longer damnation. It’s just doing a bad thing vs doing nothing (though it can be argued to be somewhat damning since Zuko is going against his own morals). Along similar lines, Zuko is redeemed when he chooses to abandon his family to do what’s right even though it costs him everything he wanted: his family, his girlfriend, and his home.

This is where Chloe’s “damnation” and redemption arcs fall apart. There is no point in the series where she’s actively given a choice between good and evil. She only ever makes choices between inaction and evil or inaction and good. Does that make her a good person? Hell no! But it does make the argument that she had an arc fall very flat. She never gets better, but it's hard to say that she gets worse.

Chloe’s Choices: The Good and The Bad

Chloe becomes Queen Bee without anyone saying she was fit for the role. She just finds a miraculous and uses it. The way she uses it is selfish, egotistical, and petty. In other words, it’s just Chloe being Chloe. While the actions she takes are horrible and definitely deserve punishment, they’re in character. She’s not acting worse than normal, she’s just being herself, but with superpowers. If she’d been given the miraculous and been charged to be a hero, then her actions would be damning because she would be choosing to go against her charge. But she’s not. She has no charge.

To really assess if Chloe has potential to change, you have to look at what she does when she’s given the choice to be good and this is where things get messy.

This is how Chloe’s first encounter with her miraculous ends:

Ladybug: I have to get the Miraculous back, Chloé. (in the background, Nadja's van arrives) Chloé: Give me a second chance, please! Nadja: (holding a tablet with Audrey on it) Audrey Bourgeois, tell us live how you feel about what just happened. Audrey: (on the tablet) According to me, Chloé just clearly demonstrated that there is nothing exceptional about her. Cat Noir: (puts a hand on Chloé's shoulder) I know that you did the things you did to impress your mother. Ladybug: Anyone can make mistakes, even a superhero. What matters is how you fix them. I personally made one by losing that Miraculous. Don't make the mistake of not giving it back. Act like a hero. Cat Noir: And show everyone how exceptional you can be. (Chloé hands Ladybug the Miraculous) Ladybug: Thank you. Chloé: (the duo are about to run off) Ladybug? Cat Noir? (the cameraman moves closer) I'm sorry.

Chloe doesn't fight to keep her miraculous. A few quick lines are all it takes for her to hand it over. When Ladybug gives Chloe the chance to act like a hero would, Chloe acts like a hero. The same can be said of every subsequent time when Ladybug gives Chloe the bee miraculous. Every time Chloe is called upon to be Queen Bee, she does the job to the best of her abilities and acts as a functional member of the team. She's not incompetent. She doesn't put the team in danger so that she can be in the spotlight. Heck, the very next time she gets it, Chloe willingly admits that her father’s akumatization was her fault.

Chloé: It— it was me. I hurt my daddy's feelings. Because I want to leave Paris, forever. Ladybug: Because of what happened in school? I'm sure Marinette probably didn't exactly mean what she said. Chloé: Oh, it's not just her— actually, I don't even care about her— it's because I have no reason to be here: nobody likes me; I have no friends. I'm… useless. Ladybug: (remembering what Adrien told Marinette earlier at school about Chloé) A friend once told me: nobody is useless, Chloé. Chloé: It's easy for you to say that. You're Ladybug, a superhero. You serve a purpose. Ladybug: Yes, I can fix up all the messes. You said it yourself in your documentary. Chloé: (gasps) You saw it?! Ladybug: (nods) Mm-hmm. Chloé: Oh! I'm so embarrassed. That film's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. I realize that now. Ladybug: Don't worry Chloé. You can fix your own messes, if that's what you want. You, too, can serve a purpose, but you have to want to. Chloé: (sniffles) I do want to.

When Ladybug asks Chloe to be a better person, Chloe is a better person.

This is why I say that Chloe has a perfectly functional view of the world. She knows when she’s doing something wrong and is able to do good when challenged to do so. Even on the civilian side, we see that Chloe is willing to be a little better when given the proper motivation. In Despair Bear, Adrien says he’ll end their friendship and so Chloe actively tries to save that friendship even if she hates every minute of it. Similarly, in Zombiezoo, Chloe sacrifices herself so that Ladybug can win.

Now, none of this is a redemption. It is, at best, the foundation for a redemption. We see that Chloe has the potential to be good when challenged to do so by the right person or circumstance, but she’s not trying to be better outside of those moments when she’s challenged. For her redemption to really start, she has to choose good over evil. She has to start improving when Ladybug isn’t watching or when Adrien isn’t threatening their friendship. For it to be a damnation, she has to choose evil over good.

She is never truly given that choice.

The two big scenes where Chloe gets “worse” are at the end of Queen Wasp and at the end of Hearthunter. However, in both of those scenes, no one gives her a choice to be better even though she’s primed and ready to make that choice.

Queen Wasp: When the Civilian Moment Should Have Happened

At the tail end of Queen Wasp, Marinette has the choice to go to New York with Audrey or stay in Paris. She chooses Paris, but brings Chloe with her to try and repair the relationship between mother and daughter. Here, Marinette gets to really see just how little Audrey cares for Chloe.

In a show where Chloe has a character arc, this should be the moment when she’s given a choice. She’s just spent the whole episode trying to get her mom to love her and it’s gone nowhere. Marinette, our hero, is standing right there, fully capable of saying, “You know what Chloe, your mom sucks and you don't need her validation. I know some people who already think that you're awesome. Come on, let’s get you back home and I’ll call Adrien and Sabrina to meet us there.”

Instead, this is what happens:

Marinette: I think you're wrong. A huge part of your life is here in Paris, too! (she steps aside, showing Chloé and Butler Jean) Audrey: Chlorene? Uh— Chloé? Chloé: (looks at her mother, then at Marinette in a guilty manner, then back at her mom) Why don't you love me, Mom? Audrey: But… Uh— Of course I l-l-love you. Marinette: (groans) You're also wrong about your daughter not being exceptional. In fact, Chloé is exceptionally mean. She's the worst person I've ever met. She may be more heinous, pompous and selfish than you. Compared to both of you, even a rock seems more capable of love. (Audrey and Chloé are furious with Marinette for telling mean things to them.) Chloé and Audrey: (shouting) How dare you⁈ (gasp and look surprised at each other) Marinette: See? You're both much more alike than you think. (walks off; humming)

…our hero, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I’m not saying that Chloe’s poor behavior is Marinette’s fault. Chloe’s choices are her own, but it’s hard to say, “why didn’t she change?” when even Ladybug doesn’t seem to want her to. If no one is actively encouraging Chloe whenever she does better, then it's 1000x harder for her to get better. Fake it til you make it is a huge part of self improvement. Being a better person for validation or selfish reasons often leads to meaningful change and is a legitimate way to start a self-driven redemption arc. (Go watch The Good Place if you want a prime example of this.)

Hearthunter: When the Hero Moment Should Have Happened

Hearthunter and Miracle Queen are supposedly the end of Chloe’s “damnation” arc. The moment where she makes the wrong choice and, to be clear, Chloe does the wrong thing here. Helping Hawkmoth is a bad move and she deserved to face some consequences. However, the choice to help Hawkmoth has the weirdest setup for a “damnation” arc that I’ve ever seen.

In Miraculer, we get this line from Gabriel: all I need is for [Chloe] to lose all hope in Ladybug. To become angry enough so I can akumatize her.

This is also the episode where Chloe rejects an akuma (Chloé: No, Hawk Moth! I am a superheroine! I am Queen Bee! Ladybug will come and get me when she needs me! I WILL NEVER JOIN YOU!), the episode where Lila helps manipulate Chloe into doubting Ladybug, and the episode where Ladybug tell’s Chloe that she’ll never be Queen Bee again, setting up the tension for the season final.

However, even though that tension is set, the thing that turns Chloe to the dark side is… her parents being akumatized. Not some random akuma that Chloe wants to help with. Not Hawkmoth just randomly showing up with the bee. No, we have both of Chloe's parents as the victim of the day and Ladybug actively chooses Ryuuko over Queen Bee, making Chloe the first and only hero who doesn’t get called in when a loved one is in trouble.

All of that leads to this:

Hawk Moth: Chloé Bourgeois, rejections hurt! (Chloé turns to face him) Your talents deserve to be recognized! Ladybug and Cat Noir's reign has gone on long enough. It's time for Paris to have a new queen, and the Queen Bee on my chessboard is you. Chloé: You've akumatized my parents! If I had my Miraculous I'd- Hawk Moth: (puts up his hand and interrupts) You're right, but I did it for one reason only. So that you would finally realize that Ladybug will never give you the Bee Miraculous again. I, however, always keep my promises. (shows her the Bee Miraculous in his hand) Chloé: This isn't real! How do you have it? Hawk Moth: Try it and see for yourself. You're Ladybug's greatest fan. You've helped her, you've trusted her, and what has she done for you in return? Chloé: (gets angry) Nothing! She couldn't care less about me! I'm done with her. She's irrelevant, utterly irrelevant! (reaches out to grap the Miraculous, stops) I want you to deakumatize has my parents first!

Just like with Queen Wasp, Chloe does the wrong thing. She didn’t have to take the bee. She didn't have to stay selfish, egotistical, and petty. But at the same time, this isn’t really a damning act. It's an act that makes her unsuitable to be Queen Bee again, but she wasn't going to be Queen Bee anyway. She wasn't choosing to be a villain over a hero. She was just choosing to be selfish at a time when she's been actively manipulated and when her parents are in danger.

In other words, this is just Chloe being Chloe. She’s acting the same way she did when she first got her miraculous. If no one is going to believe in her, then why should she be a better person? Why shouldn't she just stay the same? She's arguably no worse than she was in Queen Wasp, the consequences are just greater because of Hawkmoth's plan and the powers he gives her. The only real change is that she no longer idolizes Ladybug so Ladybug no longer has a chance to encourage Chloe to be a better person, but Ladybug never did that anyway, so what does it really matter?

Once again, none of this is to blame Marinette. She doesn't have to try and make her bully a better person. That's a huge ask. But with no one actively trying to make Chloe better even when she shows that she can be better when given the right motivation, it's silly to say that Chloe had a damnation arc or really any arc at all. She ended where she started and, if that's all they wanted to do with her, then they should have just left her as a one-dimensional mean girl instead of making her one of the most developed characters in this bloated mess of a show.

Personally, I would have liked to see a redemption arc because I enjoy morally grey characters and it would have been nice to have someone on the team who wasn't a kind, sweet, goody-goody (for a team with 18 freaking members, there's really no moral diversity, which is boring). It also would have stopped Chloe and Lila filling the same basic role for 3 seasons, which was stupid. (Why do you think Lila showed up so little? It's because Chloe could do almost everything she could do and do it better.) Second choice would be don't develop Chloe, leave her as a petty mean girl and give her focused screen time to Nino and Adrien. Their relationship is barely a thing and that's disappointing considering its strong setup. Cutting Lila and giving Chloe a true damnation arc would have also been far more satisfying.

[beanghostprincess]

Don't mind me just casually dropping a thought nugget-

Anyway Ussop and Buggy both with MEGA imposter syndrome energy, somehow the cross guild and strawhats cross paths and declare a truce ((maybe it's a simple island, maybe Buggy's just "feeling nice" and so doesn't instigate, who tf knows-))

Anyway, Ussop and Buggy having a brief moment of a heart to heart, maybe Ussop overhears a Cross Guild "argument" ((ie: Croc threatening Buggy)), and he's actually... concerned? About this guy?? I mean yeah Buggy has done some bad shit and all but he helped Luffy with the whole Impel Down Thing. Luffy is a good judge of character, and if it wasn't On Sight this meet up, then obviously Buggy is a halfway decent dude.

So it becomes Pinocchio Jesus trying to subtly give therapy to a feral cat clown man on the outskirts of a party.

And when Buggy inevitably drops a "it's just the way it is, kid, they're stronger than me, I can offer nothing", Ussop has a moment of oh. You're like me, aren't you, Buggy?

((Bonus points, Luffy alternating between inhaling food, playing around and being absolutely GLUED to someone (Zoro, Buggy or Crocodile, in that order of frequency).

Eventually Lu decides to give a Grand Retelling Of Events, and he calls Buggy "one of the harder people I fought" without hesitation bc, to Luffy, he WAS. Buggy was the one who hurt his hat, who gave him a challenge STILL IN THE EAST, and who was tenacious and smart in ways he didn't GET. mihawk and Crocodile both are Doubting until Luffy gets into the Impel Down events and they... are beginning to Wonder. Buggy was underestimated when arrested, on a higher level, but even those levels have good security. And Buggy was out and mid escape when Luffy found him.

How did THAT happen?

And actually... he was starting and running a business in two years - one they integrated into with... very little push back or struggle. Mihawk may not be as business oriented, but both can tell that the math isn't... mathing precisely as expected.

Luffy, so infectious with energy, in that hat, in that shade of red - well. Buggy's been lonely for so long, and he's tired. What's the harm in dropping a few of his many, many guards?

Luffy is over the moon bc as far as he's concerned, the moment Buggy helped him, they became Friends, and when he learned he's an ally or smth of Shanks'? That's it, Buggy, you're being assimilated into the found family. Good luck, pal.

Croc and Hawk meanwhile are the Pikachu meme inside, trying to find the EQUATION to account for?? All??? This????

The rest of the strawhats are either cackling, watching on in amusement or cheering on as Buggy does some simply little card tricks or juggles smth or other. He passed Captain's Vibe Check, Nami's only slightly petty about the money.))

Just. Ussop (and thus Sanji) looking at this exhausted clown man and saying "we're adopting you. Yes, you're older than us. No we don't care. Sign here plz"

Luffy going "we're friends, no need to fight!! ... unless you wanna 👀👀"

Meanwhioe Mihawk and Zoro are making Prolonged Eye Contact ominously between sips of their alcohol of choice.

Just. Buggy being strong armed into Friendship and The Inescapable Ordeal Of Being Loved while his business partners are left to Wonder and Think and be subjected to the biggest, most aggressive sideye either have ever experienced by this gaggle of pirate gremlins who have for some reason decided Buggy is the Coolest and Best Ever, Actually.

This is amazing. I've always said Luffy and Buggy would end up getting along at some point if Luffy knew how much Buggy has gone through, tbh. And Usopp would feel so much pity for him, honestly. They're on the same boat here (shitty self-esteem and imposter syndrome boat). This is great bc I can imagine Crocodile and Mihawk's faces and it's,,, So funny,,

[favcharacterpoll]

ROUND 6 MATCH 7: SOUNDWAVE VS. KERMIT

Soundwave, who's on thin fucking ice, faces Kermit the Frog, last remaining bonus contestant.

Soundwave Propaganda:

"In like every show ever once he's not there/kidnapped/dead the entire Decepticon fucking faction goes to shambles. Ex: in transformers: Prime, (SPOILER!)

once he was "banished to the shadow realm" Megatron literally died and they lost the war 💀💀"

"Soundwave never loses in a poll"

"SOUNDWAVE MY BELOVED his back is so so sore from single-handedly holding up the Decepticon cause every vote for him is 1 more ibuprofen tablet given to him"

"Soundwave is the funniest fucking character in transformers because he's literally the straight man in every situation he's in with the decepticons, because all of them are absolutely incompetent at their job due to them being too focused on infighting. When Megatron died in FOC Soundwave was the one who literally put him back together and by extension, fucked everything over for everyone else because in this specific continuity Megatron just happened to be addicted to space meth.

However it can be so easy to see Soundwave as emotionless because of his straight-man role and his monotone speaking patterns, but Soundwave has plenty of emotions that he displays throughout the years, most notably being when he's dealing with the cassettes (aka his children), and can range from being soft-spoken with them, to full-out enabling their violent tendencies and letting them go ham at beating the shit out of teammates (shout out to that one g1 clip where Soundwave tries to hold back his kids for like a single second before saying "fuck it" and letting them go for the eyes).

Even outside of the cassettes though, he's very expressive in his own way. In fact, he's the KING of pettiness and sass when he wants to be. He literally plays his own supervillain music when walking the halls, he's not above insulting the other deceptions when their arguments are bullshit to him, even when faced with the destruction of the world he was like "nah" until he saw his boyfriend getting injured and went "REAL SHIT" (there's literally memes about this it's so funny). Speaking of friends, he actually has a lot of interesting dynamics with the people around him, especially when it comes to the decepticon high command. He's described as Megatron's most trusted advisor, he's somewhat amicable with Starscream (who's his own brand of frustration), and he and Shockwave even seem to get along pretty well (to the point they have a biologically fucked up tube son together?? It's been years since I've watched Siege but I swear that was what lead to Soundblaster), and did I mention he's gay? I'm pretty sure he and Cosmos are in a relationship together in the IDW comics or at least have a mutual attraction, it's cute.

Also speaking of IDW Soundwave: he likes elephants. They're his favourite animal and he loves them to the point where after he died in the comics, his kids specifically started targeting elephant poachers because they knew Soundwave would want that.

Have I mentioned he has a cat dad in the IDW comics. Like his dad is a literal robot cat that found him when he was having a sensory overload in the middle of the streets. Have these panels from when his dad died and he wasn't even there to see it! He just knew 💖

And have I mentioned he's met Fluttershy? Because he canonically met Fluttershy and let his cassettes play with her (while DELAYING HIS MISSION. THAT'S HUGE IN SOUNDWAVE LANGUAGE.)

There's also him being the reigning champion of best robot husband, but that's a whole other situation which is also really funny."

Kermit Propaganda:

"Kermit is the best ever and I love him ❤️"

"Kermit is sag aftra"

"ofc i support kermit the frog he’s a small business owner he’s an artist he’s an actor he’s a union man he loves his wife he’s a babygirl literally he is the perfect man"

[paper-gold-theories]

If its ok by you, may I ask for some domestic fluff headcanons for Goldheart and Flug? I'd love to hear what you think they get up to while living together

HeroFlugAU Draft Fics

Not really Fluff. But here are some draft slice of life fanfic drafts for the HeroFlugAU 😆

1) GoldHeart likes to seduce Flug for morning sex just to make him late for his daily schedules. It resulted in Flug having to add morning sex as part of his schedule so that he won't. Making GoldHeart burst out laughing hysterically. He still purposely makes Flug go 5 mins off just to troll him, much to the former villian's frustrations.

2) GoldHeart is petty jealous of anything that has Flug's attention other than him, like his friends, the Golden Jet he's working on for the team and now more recently that Codigo Guajalote show. So he would often seduce him to make him miss the premier. Much to Flug's frustration and they make it into a competition.

3) GoldHeart and Flug go to Supervillains Supermarket & Deli in there are civilian identities to buy groceries, shenanigans ensue.

GoldHeart: We're note taking this van. It looks like the kind of van you'd kidnapped people in

Flug: Well technically I...

GoldHeart, covering his ears: Lalala its better I don't know.

Flug: Well what vehicle should we take then?

GoldHeart: I haven't drawn this in a while. (Points to one of his solid gold Ferraris)

Flug: That? That car has barely any space in the boot. I bet that can't even fit a single bag of groceries.

GoldHeart: It's fine we can just put the groceries on our lap, if it doesn't.

(It wasn't fine, they ended up only getting half the groceries and would try another day to get the rest. 😂)

(outside supermarket)

GoldHeart, laughs: Why do you villians call everything you own evil. Isn't kind of overcompensatingly. What you guys think are gonna be less evil if you don't.

Flug, teasing: Says the guy with "gold hearts" on his knee caps.

GoldHeart, teasing: Sure "Mr planes everywhere".

Flug, laughs: Alright maybe both sides are overcompensating.

GoldHeart, laughs: I can take that.

4) A petty argument of who ends up more desperate for sex ends up with of them had a competition to see who can go long without having sex with. The loser is the one who makes the first move. Everyone suffers the consequences. Frust ated and horny of them attempt to make the other lose by seducing each other. In the end both of them end up losing at the same time and jumping on each others bones and their boners 👀.

5) GoldHeart drinks Flug's special awake coffee and can't sleep for a week drags Flug along to do crazy things out of sheer petiness so that he won't have to be wake along. Like taking a several hour plane trip across the continent to get Elvis's Fools Gold Sandwiches, going up the mountains abd solving puzzles to get the fourth flavour ice cream or going to Guzmán Muñoz to do a tag team wrestle in leotards which ended up with GoldHeart being posessed by a parasite mask resulting in Flug having to fight him. Flug was armed with a tranquiliser gun and a laser gun to counter GoldHeart's powers which the both agreed to use if GoldHeart got mind control, but Flug didn't want to use it at first and tried to reason with GoldHeart only for him to end up getting tea bagged by GoldHeart, resulting Flug's last string of sanity snapping for not sleeping for days which ended him him shooting him with the laser and shooting tranquiliser multiple times and finally managing to get some sleep.

Flug wonders why he didn't think about that a few days ago...

Bonus Scene

After GoldHeart defeated Mask Macabre

Adelita: That's right. Pedro is my husband!

[Crowd & Flug]: *gasps*

Sleep deprived and cranky GoldHeart: OH MY GOD AN ANSWER TO A QUESTION NOBODY ASKED!!

Adelita: [ignores him and tells about her husband's origin story and how he ended up being posessed by the mask]

(They are technically wanted by P.E.A.C.E, so Flug puts a tracker on them before they managed to escape. Mask Macabre gets sent to Area 52 for vivisection)

___

Bonus Draft

6) Some crazy fan got a hold of GoldHeart's underwear after he accidentally left it in a hotel room and tried to auction off on eBay for a million dollars (Miss Heed was one of the bidders). The Golden Rule Members attempt to hunt the creep down and beat the crap out of them bring them to justice.

[sexhaver]

hate have to keep talking abt cakegate but the stupid ass reaction to that post is making me more mad than that Reddit post ever could. truth is idrc and i don’t think it happened the way OP said anyways but like. the amount of people making assumptions to justify victimizing OP vs the amount of villainization the gf gets thrown for baking a cake? like earlier on i kept seeing ppl say shit like oh she clearly made the cake to embarrass him and im ????? how tf did u get that from the post

im also losing my God damned MIND at all the people acting like she somehow brought this on herself by asking what was wrong. i already got into an argument with someone in the notes and had to block them over this so im going to put this less generously than i might have otherwise: if you can't read that story and conclude that OP was pouting specifically to make his gf ask him what was wrong so he had an opening to be petty, you are not emotionally mature enough to be drawing conclusions about it. exhibit A:

bonus, unrelated exhibit B (the least popular opinion at this point was that OP did nothing wrong):

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

as a follow-up to the bad end siblings take:

put them in Heroes. i wanna see them get into disproportionately disastrous arguments over like. who got the bigger slice of pie at dessert or something. i wanna see them blow up a courtyard because Alear didn't shut the door to Eveyle's room. I wanna see them get into playground slapfights because one of them suggested shooting the other out of a cannon at the enemy army.

i just need like. really wacky petty silliness. like "i should not be laughing at these two fighting because this is incredibly concerning behavior but also this is the most entertained i have ever been" kinda silliness. bonus points if it's like. not even a fallen or legendary banner or something. put them on a fucking. Halloween banner.

actually i think Christmas would be a lot funnier. especially if the other Christmas units are all happy and nice and joyous about Christmas and these two are the only ones bitching about it. it's the "arguments at the Christmas family dinner" except it's just these goobers ruining everybody else's Christmas just by existing within each other's proximity

-- horror anon

.

[helix-enterprises117]

Halo Reloaded: Klutz (+ Bonus Story)

Long before they were the towering titans of Spartan lore, before the augmentation, the armor, and the endless battles, they were kids. Kids with the weight of the world, or at least the fate of humanity, unknowingly resting on their tiny, yet unnaturally strong shoulders. In this prelude to their legendary status, Fred and Kelly, both eight and brimming with the sort of energy that could either power a small city or lead to its accidental destruction, found themselves embroiled in a spat so intense, it could only be described as epic—for an eight-year-old, at least.

The bone of contention? A gadget. Not just any gadget, mind you, but the sort that had buttons, lights, and made beep-boop sounds. It was the sort of tech that in the hands of skilled Spartan children could simulate battles or, in the wrong hands (namely any of their own on a bad day), end up as a very expensive paperweight.

Fred, with the sort of conviction only seen in children arguing over toys, stated, "You always do this, Kelly. I was clearly here first. Like, dawn-first. You were probably still drooling on your pillow."

Kelly, hands akimbo and eyes ablaze with the fire of a thousand suns—or perhaps just the fiery temper of an eight-year-old denied her toy—shot back, "In your dreams, Fred. You wish you were as dedicated to waking up early as I am. That gadget was mine for the taking. Finders keepers, losers weepers."

John, the youngest and usually the quietest of the trio, wandered in, curious about the commotion, only to find himself in the midst of what could very well have been the opening salvo of World War III, if it were to be fought by particularly articulate eight-year-olds over a training gadget.

The argument escalated, words flying faster than a Spartan in full sprint, until Fred, in a moment of passion (or perhaps just to prove a point), reached out to snatch the device. His fingers barely grazed it before it took a leap of faith, liberated from the confines of petty human squabbles, only to meet its untimely demise against the unyielding ground. The gadget, in a final act of defiance, scattered into a million pieces, each beep and boop falling silent.

Silence reigned, both children staring at the debris field that was once a cutting-edge piece of UNSC technology.

"Fred! You klutz!" Kelly exclaimed, half in horror, half in a begrudging respect for the chaos Fred had managed to unleash.Before the blame game could spiral further, the towering figure of Mendez loomed into the doorway, his shadow casting a pall over the room that could chill the bones of even the most seasoned soldier.

John, caught in the middle and still processing the rapid turn of events, found Mendez's steely gaze upon him. "Well, John? What happened here?" Mendez's voice was calm, the calm before the storm.

John, with the innocence of youth and the uncertainty of being put on the spot, stammered, "Uh, I think Kelly was... uh, doing something, and then... bam?"

Kelly's jaw dropped. "What? No! He's making it up! I didn't do it this time!" she protested, her voice hitting octaves only dogs could appreciate.In a desperate bid to avoid the wrath of Mendez (which could range from extra laps to a stern talking-to that could make a grown man cry), both Fred and Kelly, in a moment of panicked solidarity, pointed their fingers at John.

"It was definitely John," Fred chimed in, throwing his friend under the proverbial bus with a sheepish look that screamed 'Sorry, buddy.'

Mendez's eyebrows arched, a silent verdict passed. John, the sacrificial lamb, followed Mendez out, his small form a mixture of confusion and the dawning realization of betrayal.

Left alone, Fred and Kelly glanced at each other, the remnants of their argument lying forgotten among the pieces of the now-defunct gadget.

"Guess we kinda messed up, huh?" Fred muttered, scratching the back of his head in a universal sign of 'oops.'

"Yeah," Kelly sighed, her earlier fire replaced with a flicker of guilt. "Sorry for calling you a klutz."

"And sorry for, you know, actually being a klutz," Fred replied, a grin creeping onto his face.

As they started picking up the pieces, literally, the incident morphed from a potential friendship-ending disaster to just another tale in the saga of their Spartan training. The lesson? In the grand scheme of things, gadgets come and go, but friends—especially those who can forgive your penchant for accidentally destroying said gadgets—are forever.

---

John trudged behind Mendez, his feet feeling like they were made of lead, into what felt less like an office and more like the coliseum—only here, the lions were replaced with officers bearing the full might of UNSC disappointment. The air was heavy, charged with a sort of electric anticipation, as if the very walls were bracing for the verbal barrage to come.

Mendez, with the practiced ease of someone who had given more lectures than there were stars in the sky, didn’t bother with the usual pleasantries. He went straight for the jugular. “John,” he began, the name not so much spoken as it was launched like a missile, “we’ve gathered here not to talk about what was broken—though, by the stars, it was expensive—but about the breaking itself. The sheer, unadulterated recklessness.”

John’s eyes, fixed on his scuffed boots, couldn’t have looked guiltier if he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Except this jar was worth more credits than he could count, and the cookies were top-secret UNSC tech.

An officer, whose name tag read something unimportant because all John could think was ‘this is it, I’m done for,’ piped up. “Let’s cut to the chase. We're not running a charity here, son. That equipment you 'supposedly' destroyed? It's worth more than your weight in platinum.”

John’s mouth opened, a feeble attempt at defense forming, but what came out was barely audible. “But I—”“But nothing,” Mendez cut in, his voice a crescendo of frustration. “This isn’t about who did what anymore. It’s about you being here, right now, and the fact that a piece of invaluable equipment was turned into a very expensive doorstop on your watch.”

The officers took turns then, as if this were some twisted tag team match, each one delivering their own brand of scathing critique. Words like “disappointment,” “liability,” and “failure” were thrown around with such casual precision, John felt each one like a physical blow.

The tears came then, unbidden, streaking down his face in silent testament to the crushing weight of their words. This wasn’t how heroes were made; this was how dreams were crushed, beneath the heel of authority and the harsh light of reality.

Mendez, perhaps sensing he had a broken spirit rather than a Spartan on his hands, softened slightly. “Look, John. This isn’t the end of the line. But it’s a damn serious bump. Spartans are built on trust, on the understanding that every gear in the machine works flawlessly. Today, you were a cog that jammed. Don’t let there be a next time.”

With a dismissive wave, Mendez signaled the end of the tribunal, and the officers filed out, leaving John in the echoing silence of the office, the aftermath of a storm. The door closed with a soft click, a definitive full stop on the day’s events.

John made his way back to his quarters, each step heavy with the sort of weariness that had nothing to do with physical exertion and everything to do with the soul-crushing realization that sometimes, your best isn’t good enough. The corridor stretched before him, a path back to a place that felt less like home and more like a cell.Inside his room, the reality of his situation settled in with oppressive finality.

To him, there was no grand lesson learned, no silver lining—just the bitter taste of failure and the understanding that in the grand scheme of things, he was expendable. A tool that, when broken, could easily be replaced.

As he lay in his bunk, staring up at the cold, unfeeling ceiling, John realized that the path to becoming a Spartan was littered with more than just physical trials. It was a journey that demanded everything, and sometimes, that meant facing the fact that not all were destined to reach the end.

The lights dimmed, mirroring the dimming of his spirit, as John closed his eyes, not to dream of victories and glory, but to escape the harsh reality that today, he had been found wanting. In the silence of his quarters, a young boy’s aspirations seemed to fade into the darkness, a sad, stark reminder that... well, not all stories have happy endings.

@ionlymadethissoicouldleaveanask, @authortobenamedlater, @ageless-aislynn.

[loveislandthegame]

thoughts on today's volume ! sienna is annoying, and it's even worse because she'll continue to harass you regardless of whether you're pursuing your OG LI or not . i'm not trying to get back with jin (unless claud's somehow still unavailable at the next recoupling)

MC needs a "leave me alone, bride of chucky" option. moving on

next up is snog marry pie. once again, theo is flirting with me despite MC showing no interest in him ? i'll talk more about this later. for now i had to let him know that i'm Mx. Steal Your Girl

my wife !! i'll be wearing a wedding suit though, don't get it twistedddd 😏

i snogged kyle, married claudia, pied liam, then used the bonus pie on sienna. hazel pied off jin for some vague reason, "you know what you did," type stuff. and i mean ... sorry to the loyal girlies, but i actually hope OG LI did something major. it'd be sad & frustrating among other things if FB decided to set up yet another black woman islander as a petty, jealous villain

i can't lie, this argument was funny af. bonus points for this actually being unique dialogue (i think they should kiss...👀)

and what is this black swan (2010) halloween costume from shein-looking ass dress ???!!!! i think this rivals the season 7 suggested prom monstrosity as the fastest "see other options" selection i've ever made. this outfit is not the one, two, three, or four

next challenge is "couple goals 2.0," a bit lazy there😖

for the most part i've glossed over liam's dialogue cus he genuinely has nothing of value to say, but what ?? i've never gotten steamy with theo . in fact, i barely see the dude because (outside of casa amor) him and claudia share the same "slot" for private chats and alone time. not to mention the only person in this entire villa who's ever done anything with MC outside of a challenge is claudia (my MC didn't even go in the hideaway)

once we came back from casa theo began having a really obvious crush on my MC (don't get me wrong, i think he's gorgeous. i just avoid him specifically because the overlap of his & claudia's routes) and i know some people have complained about claudia flirting with them in casa amor on a straight theo route. i don't know if this is intentional, or if this is just the game falling apart. knowing FB it's probably the latter

venus girl you're so messy ... (acting like i didn't choose these options😭)

speaking of mess, i did expose sienna for hooking up with oakley . (mainly because she had the nerve and audacity to insinuate that i did bits with kyle in casa when we didn't even sleep in the same bed) i didn't reveal that it was theo who caught them, tho people should put two & two together based on him trying to get MC to stop talking lol . i kinda regret it, because oakley is trying to spin it as MC being the one that's somehow "out of control," but i'll just see how the next volume goes before i decide to do a replay. if they're exposed during movie night i'll go back and keep it a secret 🤷

enough of that though, we got a steamy scene with claudia 👀 plus some more confirmation that she's 100% focused on us ... i don't know when the next recoupling is but hopefully within the next couple of episodes, i'm tired of being forced to lead people on 😩

next volume is movie night ! i pray for some branching here, but i wouldn't be surprised if it was some ridiculous clip that can make everyone, even the loyal girlies, look "bad." throwback to vicky getting pissed at my movie night clip of giving bonnie a hug 🙄

[hekateinhell]

sending this well after you've probably gone to bed HOWEVER i am always ready to report for louis/armand/lestat duty so HERE GOES:

Every time they get in a petty fight, someone rearranges the vinyl collection at Trinity Gate. Louis organizes alphabetically by artist, Armand organizes by genre, and Lestat organizes chronologically. The music room is a goddamn war zone.

When Lestat is an Extra Extra Good Boy (or just in need of some tlc in general) Louis and Armand make the best mani-pedi team. Louis takes a foot and Armand takes a hand, then they switch for the opposite side. 

Somehow Armand gets ahold of the tattered old TVL band shirt that Louis used to sleep in. He lounges around the house in it and has both Lestat and Louis drooling in SECONDS (bonus smut points if Louis and Lestat both take turns fucking him in it)

Also this is just Louis/Armand but listen i've been thinking a lot lately of how strong Armand is!!! Like I know the fun thing about his character is that he's got the craziest mental tenacity for someone trapped in a small/young body, but I do think people sleep on how physically strong he is as well. Anyway, all I'm saying is: I want to see him hoist Louis up against a wall and fuck him <3 I want Louis to get overpowered and dicked down by someone half a foot shorter than him LOL it would be good for him!!!!!!

ASHLEYYYYY OH MY GOD I LOVE ALL THESE SO MUCH YOU ALWAYS HIT ME WHERE I LIVE!!! 😭😭😭

i love thinking about what their domestic life would look like LMAO canon or human AU because all three of them complement and contrast each other so fucking well, i'm all over that all day every day!!!! asksfkdsgj rip the music room 💀 i hope to god nobody gets petty enough to fuck with the library and louis's meticulously thought out system of displaying his books that only he knows (lestat gets petty enough, armand knows better -- tbh idk if he actually ever gets mad at louis? as easily as lestat sets him off, louis has the opposite effect. but for argument's sake, i think if louis did piss armand off, armand would react by pretending he's fine but he would immediately start being infantilizing and weird. really, really emphasizing the "sweet, dusty louis" every other sentence like he's marius talking to a wain victorian orphan).

NO BUT THIS IS SO SWEET!!! not to get too serious but for canon fic i think about court era!lestat a lot and like how he comes right out and says to marius "you don't want a prince in me, you want a figurehead, you would be the ruler here" and really just all the times he sounds so Tired & Done™️ in general with everything. lestat getting some TLC from his consort and madame de pompadour on the regular is harm reduction at its finest lbr. i wanna see armand and louis giving him a perfumed bath a la QotD but without the trauma (and like in Air Catcher too now that i've triggered the memory, i love your brain so much DO YOU KNOW HOW OFTEN I REREAD THAT FIC 🥹)

OH MY GOD STOP PLEASE!!! i wanna know like was armand intentional about wearing louis's lestat shirt? in his mind, is this The Next Logical Step in their threesome relationship? was he expecting a reaction or was he just looking to self-soothe and instead of going for one of louis's baggy sweaters that would hit the thigh on armand, he just grabbed the shirt? regardless, i hope they dped him 🫶🏼 (i totally need this to happen both in canon verse and in teen au future verse)

NO ASHLEY YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND LMAO NOBODY KNOWS BECAUSE I HAVE TOO MUCH GOING ON TO ACTUALLY WRITE BUT THE SMUT MACHINE NEVER STOPS AND LATELY I JUST WANT ARMAND TO TOP EVERYONE!!!! i wanna see the short king bend back those long legs and go to town on these catholic boys! 🤧 armand is the ultimate switch and he is, in his own words, NOT A WAIF. he can lift that bag of bones easily!!! ❤️ and i remember we talked about like top/bottom dynamics with lestat and louis--either physically or just energy wise--and how it would probably take a considerable amount of time and effort for louis to heal enough to relinquish that control to lestat again following the RR years and all that went down... i'm thinking like if i wanted squish armand in there and I DO, it would be a good step in that direction for louis to practice being open (get it? i'll see myself out) with armand first (literally expanding on PL canon here just adding the sex LMAO). tl;dr: it would be good for both of them if armand fucked that sad, wet man (as a treat) ALSO ALSO SEE MY FAVE "ARMAND FUCKS LOUIS" FICLET THAT IS WAY TOO FUCKING SHORT

[shirogane-oushirou]

[cw mentions of ableism. talking / venting about the sharing vs non-sharing shit (i do not lean towards supporting one "side" over the other); starts out relatively neutral-toned but i start to sound frustrated part way through. i also have a more personal ramble at the very end that has a separate cw list. it's also long... don't feel obligated to read. i just needed to say things and be Done with it.]

man. i'm ready for all of the sharing vs non-sharing back and forths to stop.

to be clear: this isn't some "i'm above this argument" thing. on the contrary; i completely see where both "sides" are coming from! i simply mean it shouldn't be so difficult for a select few shit-stirrers to Get that selfshipping is a personal thing, and we should be able to ship in whatever way makes us most comfortable.

if someone is non-sharing, they should be allowed to create those boundaries without being harassed or called "immature" or "delusional" by sharing people. beyond how supremely ableist that is, nobody has the right to say they can't view their f/os in a certain way, no matter if other people don't understand those feelings.

if someone is sharing, they should be allowed to share their feelings for a character openly with other sharing people without being sent hate from non-sharing people who think they're "loose" or who want to be their f/o's "one and only". shaming people for being open to sharing is fucked from multiple "sexual / romantic purity" and "anti poly-[sexual / romantic / platonic] relationships" angles, and nobody has the right to claim sole and total ownership over a character they did not make.

and yet, every couple of weeks, we get posts from a vocal minority making a huge fuss over "the other side", when it's just a vocal minority FROM that other side ALSO making a fuss. and then those vague posts leave their intended orbit and cause more mis-worded posts and misunderstandings and off-the-cuff bigoted statements, and the cycle starts again.

we should theoretically be able to respect each other while focusing that energy on, oh i dunno, chasing harassers out of the community? getting selfshippers who aren't part of a specific marginalized group to help selfshippers from that group when they're harassed, maybe?? especially when the sharing vs non-sharing Thing very often coincides with bigotry; people who are harassing others tend to not just stop at being petty or mean, they make it personal.

and -- not as important but a nice little bonus -- i would think that working towards a community that's more safe for everyone in it would also "coincidentally" (/s) get rid of the shit-stirrers, whether because they were kicked out or because they realized what they were doing and grew as people.

---

[cw ableism, vague death ideation, non-physical self harm mention]

i was originally gonna put this bit in the tags, but i think i should put it under the cut bc it's a little personal + it got too long.

also, i try to stay in my lane and not discuss details about delusions or how to approach them -- i've only experienced them a couple of times, so i'm not going to claim to know much about them -- so if i've overstepped, PLEASE let me know and i'll edit or remove anything i've misspoken about.

but coming from someone who went too deep into selfshipping in the past and worries about the mental health of people who do: It's None Of Your Business!!

delusions aren't morally "bad" or "wrong". holding deep feelings abt a character isn't inherently delusion-based and also isn't morally "bad" or "wrong". and neither of those is the same as -- speaking from experience (above content warnings come into play here) -- being obsessed with a character to the point that you self-isolate and emotionally self harm because you wish so badly that the character was real and you believe there isn't a point to life if you'll never meet that character... and this is also not inherently delusion-based and ALSO not morally "bad" or "wrong".

these separate things -- delusions, deep feelings, and unhealthy obsession -- CAN intersect but just as often don't. none are immoral, and all are deserving of being approached with compassion and respect, in whatever way is most appropriate.

negative, harmful ACTIONS that some people take in these states are worth bringing up to them when it's safe to do so, depending on the details of their situation, but the states themselves don't have any moral weight. ie, if someone's harassing others for sharing their f/o because they're in a dark, obsessive place, that is a morally negative ACTION, not a morally negative mental state. they need to take responsibility for harm they've CAUSED, not for what they're experiencing internally.

but if you're calling people "immature" or "delusional" as an insult, something tells me you're not really considering that! whether through malice or just a lack of compassion, you don't see worth in how another person approaches this community.

you aren't better for thinking of a character a certain way, and neither is the person you're being ableist towards. if no harm is being done to you or others, you're just being a dick for the sake of being a dick. listen to other people, learn, and do better.

if you think someone is genuinely in a bad mental place because of selfshipping (wrt isolating and self harm), approach them as another human being. meet them where they're at. don't patronize them, don't call them "delusional", treat them like someone who has their own thoughts and values.

they may want help, or they may not, and you have to respect them for their choice no matter what YOU think is right. there is no truly right way to approach someone who's in a dark place, but you can at least avoid saying things that FOR SURE will make them feel talked down to, belittled, or shamed. if they aren't ready now, maybe they will be ready for help in the future, and shutting them down will make them less likely to seek that help.

(i was also going to put THIS in the tags but i should probably put it here: when i say 'learn and change' i mean it as a positive. people have the capacity to learn and grow and become better; if you've said something in all of this that can be read as harmful... consider why it's harmful and why you said it.

you aren't the same person you were a year ago. 5yrs ago. 10yrs ago. you have grown and you will continue to grow. but if you can be more aware of it and grow more purposefully and consciously? all the better.)

[r0yalgrimmartz]

The little shit bags- I mean darling cherubs💕

I never intended on making designs of Chazz and Kore's little crotch goblins. But uh here we are.

((Bonus: Ekou with snazzy sunglasses))

Tbh I'm impressed how I have the energy to sketch all three designs, so either it's a sign I'm gonna burn out soon or what 💀

Anyways the kids.

Kenji: Fucking whore. Jk. Kinda. Big momma's boy, kinda had beef with Chazz for a little while when Kore and Chazz were separated for two years during his childhood years, but he speaks to Chazz more often now and has a better relationship with him. Literally is the embodiment of a gifted and intelligent student now is a severely burnt out and tired moody bitch. Has more fucking break ups because he literally doesn't fucking understand relationships well and has a lot of inner problems with himself. Eventually gets better, working on himself. Massive bipolar disorder. Is an asshole because...literally he is one, not because of his bipolar. Very confrontational and argumentative when he is being accused for shit he has never done. Can't see Duel spirits, but can hear them?? Assumed he was just hearing things. Also a big lover of dueling. Very competitive but can be hella petty if he loses. Hates the smell of hospitals and medial equipment, it makes him physically ill and very anxious (lore related lmao).

Himari: Resting bitch face 24/7, is genuinely very sweet and shy. Is she glaring at you from across the room in a terrifying manner?? Oh don't worry she's squinting her eyes trying to read the board behind you. Very passive, rarely loses her temper. Has the fucking literal patience of a Saint. Unless you catch her on a bad day and you set her off, don't be surprised if you find yourself smacked through the wall. Works out a lot, mainly to distract herself or pass time originally. Plus used to have trouble with carrying heavy shit due to her previous weak and frail physique, so wanted to be able to carry shit better (cough also to impress this crush she has on a girl cough). Loves to dress feminine and girly, tries to style her outfits a lot. Literal daddy's girl, yet gets embarrassed and shy when Chazz is kicking off with some kids or parents who might be mean or accusing Himari, and she has to physically remove him before she dies of embarrassment. Literally loves her dad but at times think he might go overboard, hence why she talks to her mom about certain issues and probably dating advice (don't even fucking say anything you seen that episode with Chazz tryna Duel Alexis to be his girlfriend, you should know why). Let's her emotions out when it comes to dueling, especially with how frustrated she gets or angry. Literally considered her Duel monsters her friends during her childhood due to lack of friends, only to look back and cringe. Doesn't realise her Duel spirits watch over her a lot and try to protect her.

Ekou: Accidental child. Literally was not fucking planned, he came as a fucking surprise. Yet was the most chill and easiest of the three to raise. Kinda. Despite how he was always found in odd places he shouldn't have been in. Definition of...that one weird kid in class you don't talk to but he is surprisingly chill af. Comes out with the most horrific and outlandish shit at times that everyone fucking turns and side eyes massively. Also, comes out with useless trivia about probably classic horror movie or slasher movies, adds nothing to the conversation. He just enjoys the cheesy block buster campy slashers and horror movies, no matter how dumb or ridiculous they are, he gets a laugh out of it. Also, attracts a lot of the evil and bad shit a lot. Like Jaden 2.0, yet no fucking idea why. Ekou tends to find himself in what seems to be friendly little duels only for it to be duels where he nearly dies (specifically these happen during his mid to late teens). At this point he's not phased anymore he's more so expecting it and is like "so what is it today, three monkeys trying to disguise as a man while standing on one another or some giant bulking cloaked mysterious man who threatens my friends and loved ones?" He just at this point tries walking away to avoid it yet his ass gets dragged in. Surprisingly fucking smart, he just can't be bothered to do the homework he gets given. Definitely collects magical girl figures. Mainly cause he finds them cute and adorable. Also owns a pet fucking fat tailed gecko he absolutely cherishes and adores. Takes care of it a lot, legit carries it everywhere with him, she just chills on his shoulder, in his jacket or on his head. However, like his dad, he can actually see Duel spirits. It kinda just happened one day when he was like five and he got startled when his duel monster was chilling next to him in bed. Actually treats his duel monsters well, talks to them a lot which...alarms people assuming he is just talking to himself. Also wears snazzy fucking sunglasses cause why not.

Will I ever post more about them? Probably not- I'll probably focus on the current cast etc. Unless I do post more about them then shoot me dead pls.

[ukigumos]

Ship Bias

UKIGUMOS - »❝浮雲❞«

(claps hands together)

I was going to say 'I'll keep this brief', but then I'd have to put on a clown costume. So instead, I apologize beforehand for this absolute mess of a tangent. This is a painfully obvious list of ships but here we go.

TLDR:

18->80, 1880, 8018, 80->18

BONUS:

1833/3318, 1859/5918

Detailed desc under 'read more'.

18->80

The appeal of the ship in general is mutual respect and trust, not needing to hide/change anything and their shared traditional Japanese aesthetic. My favourite part of any ship is the pining, so I tend to lean heavily towards bitter-sweet outcomes / one-sided ships. Yamamoto Takeshi is so compatible! He's friendly, caring and clever! But Hibari? Oh no. He hates authority figures. He hates being tied down and restricted. He hates weaklings. He hates owing people. Contradictions are confusing. He hates so many things, it makes it hard for him to really bond. Everyone treats Hibari like he's this troublesome delinquent (I mean, HE IS) or someone to be feared. Most reactions to him are: "EEEE, it's Hibari!" (cowers), "Ugh, this guy." (done), etc. Yamamoto seems to be the only one who is genuinely happy to see him at all. He's also the only one that's happy to hear that Hibari has gotten stronger and even says he wants to fight him again (i-is he a m-masochist?). The point I'm trying to make is that: Yamamoto doesn't want Hibari to change or to behave in this way or that way. He doesn't try to 'fix' Hibari's behaviour and accepts him as is and likes him for that. And I think Hibari reciprocates (mostly) those feelings too. But because Yamamoto is so popular, and Hibari is a moron, I think for the most part, Hibari would sit there pining and pining and pining. He doesn't know how to love or be loved, so this longing feeling and this desire to watch over Yamamoto is very ??? Which is why I tend to lean for a very 18->80 approach.

1880

Reciprocated 1880? Good stuff, good stuff. I think as a couple, they'd keep each other entertained rather well. Admittedly, I have a tough time writing dominant muses but the Hibari that lives in my brain is very much a needy weirdo. He gets cuteness aggression towards Yamamoto LOL. Hibari and Yamamoto both like fighting. Yamamoto can keep up with Hibari and vice versa. I think Yamamoto would be a good influence to Hibari too, gently challenging him about opinions here and there. Overall a solid ship and I will not shut up about them if given the chance (Exhibit A)

8018

I have a massive 1880 bias but that does not mean I don't appreciate a good Yamamoto top (slapped). Their height difference is everything.

80->18

Again, me and my angst loving self. This is also tasty, but it's VERY hard for me to register a world where Hibari doesn't love Yamamoto. I think Yamamoto pining is extremely tasty regardless.

I don't particularly have any ships I genuinely like outside of 1880/8018 because I can't unsee Hibari's gay gaze and his bias towards Yamamoto. Saving him over and over and over is one thing but entrusting your school duties to him, turning up to his ring conflict battle then getting second hand pain and then interrupting a crowd (that he hates) to be like 'what are you talking about, that's Yamamoto Takeshi' is??? Ok, we get it, you're down bad.

Bonus:

These are more like, ships I can tolerate / see the appeal to and won't be too opposed to explore.

1833/3318

They're both senpai! And it seems like they know how to handle each other for the most part. I just have concerns that Hibari would find him too loud LMAO. But they're both morons so maybe they have the chance to share a brain cell.

1859/5918

It's a pretty cracky ship, but I just think it'd be interesting. They'd probably get into petty arguments a lot.