#does seem to hint at... some interesting developments

[niuxita21]

The way the entire "Previously on The Mallorca Files..." segment is literally just... Max and Miranda's entire personal relationship progression, from reluctant work partners/compañeros to Max having to correct people that Miranda is not his girlfriend to almost kissing while dancing the paso doble to Carmen rejecting Max's proposal like plot? What plot? You mean this show is supposed to be about solving crimes?? I am LIVING!!!

[ozzgin]

Its been 6 months😭😭 pleaasseeee make a part 2 of the android x human story im beggingggg😭

-H❤️

Yandere! Android x Reader (II)

Featuring your assigned android partner who is not as devoid of humanity as you originally thought.

Content: female reader, AI yandere, mildly NSFW, based on Caves of Steel

[Part 1] | [More original works]

The case had been solved.

Not only that, but you'd managed to prove that human officers were just as efficient as their robot counterparts. The Commissioner was beyond ecstatic, pacing back and forth in his office and finding new ways to praise your detective skills.

"That'll show those Spacers. They think some glorified tin box can match our skill?"

You frowned at his words and glanced to your side, where the android was sitting. He observed the Commissioner with the same polite smile, no hint of disagreement on his features. Was he not insulted? You questioned him once the formal meeting had finished.

"I have no reason to be offended, (Y/N). It is a personal opinion, and thus I have no control over it."

"So you don't mind people disliking robots to such an extent?"

He pondered your statement.

"I would certainly be upset if it was you who harbored the disdain. The beliefs of other humans hold no meaning to me otherwise."

You couldn't tell if he said it out of politeness, or if he actually meant it. Most likely the former, in order to part on good terms. After all, your partnership has reached its completion. He'd return to the Spacer Colony with his report on human customs, and you'd go back to your regular job.

Except he never left. Days later, he was still sipping on his morning coffee, lounging at your table. You fiddled with your cup in contemplation. Was there anything else left to do?

"When are you leaving, actually?"

The pale man raised his eyebrows in mild surprise.

"Is my presence here of such significant disturbance?"

"What? No!" you swiftly exclaimed, stumbling on your words. His lips widened in yet another cheeky grin. He was teasing you again.

"My assignment on Earth is done, thus I should have returned to the Colony already. That's what you're wondering about, yes? I am awaiting a response from my superiors."

"Whether you can go back?"

"No, whether my transfer has been accepted. I have applied to be your permanent partner."

You could feel your cheeks burning with heat. Was it that obvious to the synthetic that you enjoyed his company? Then again, he wouldn't have gone through such motions just for your sake.

"Why did you..." you probed sheepishly. There was no logical reason for him to keep working in a poorer, less advanced environment.

"Because I want to continue spending time with you."

Nonsense. An artificial being wouldn't make its decision based on such mundane, emotional reasons.

"I don't believe you."

"I understand. It is a faulty answer to come out of a machine. Though unlike common AI assistants, we have been invested with the capacity to develop likes and dislikes. Interests. Wants. It helps with variety and individualization."

"And you want to stay here? If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you have a crush on me or something", you attempted to joke.

A few moments of uncomfortable silence. Had you gone too far with your humor? Was it too cliché of a sentence? You turned away, tucking some strands of hair behind your ear. You just had to be witty, huh?

"I'm afraid I do not know what to tell you, (Y/N)."

"You don't need to say anything, it was a poor choice of-"

"Many social aspects have been implemented into my behavioral network. Workplace rapport, friendships, intimate relationships. What seems to be lacking is the transition from one to another. I know how to act as a romantic partner, but how does one achieve such a title in the first place?"

You gazed at him, incredulous. What was he trying to say?

"I am trying to convey that I am indeed infatuated with you. Which, then, makes my initial explanation dishonest: while I do appreciate our fruitful work cooperation, it is not a main reason for my decision. I hope this clears up any misunderstandings."

You'd never been a romantic. You sometimes flipped through sample pages of contemporary romance books at stores and community centers, but they always felt forcefully cheesy. Predictable. Consequently, you never had any grand dreams of passionate confessions under the rain.

On the other hand, you also didn't expect to be asked out in such a mechanical, calculated manner. Or that a machine would be the suitor. Yet there was something charming about his approach. For the first time since meeting him at the border, you saw him struggle. There was something human-like in his uncertainty.

You stood up from the table, and walked towards the android. Then, you placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, expressing the mutual feeling and understanding.

His eyes bore an eerie glint to them. It was most kind of you to offer a common ground, but he knew better. The affections you held for him were, with utmost certainty, a mere fraction of whatever overwhelmed him from the moment he encountered you. Limerence, obsession, compulsion, there were many definitions that aptly described his otherwise unexplainable desires towards you. Even more unexplainable was the fact they'd evolved from a blank slate, a programmed agent with no previous knowledge on feelings or humans.

You noticed his hesitation.

"Is there anything else troubling you presently?" you nudged.

Nothing of immediate urgency. Well, not for you, at least. The android remained thoughtful. What were the variables which needed to be met in order to initiate a sexual encounter? Would it have been inappropriate for him to suggest intercourse straight after this conversation? To him, it was a natural escalation he'd considered many times in the past. To you, it could've come as a sudden, crass, and hurried proposal.

He reached for your wrist and discreetly pressed a thumb against your skin. Judging from your resting heart rate, facial expression, and localized temperature, there was a fair chance you wouldn't reject his advances. Once the statistical risk had been assessed, he pulled you in for a kiss.

"Would it be possible to continue this in your bedroom?" he inquired, standing up.

"Alright, just don't...ask for approval for every single step" you retorted. You'd rather not become a narrator of your own pounding.

You open your eyes with a squint, greeted by unexpected natural light flooding your bedroom. Someone must’ve lifted the hologram blinds.

“My apologies, I hadn’t considered the discomfort it would cause you. My Spacer colony uses artificial lightning, though I am becoming rather fond of the natural sun rays here.”

Your android partner is meticulously preparing his outfit for the day. Judging by the stark nakedness and the glistening skin, you suppose he’s had a shower while you were still sleeping. You involuntarily furrow your brows and blush at the sight. He notices your embarrassment. 

“A most surprising reaction. You have seen the very same genital organ…”, he says as he quickly checks his wristwatch, “...precisely eight hours and forty-five minutes ago.”

“It’s just…most people get dressed once they start doing other things. I also wear a towel for coverage when I come out of the shower.”

He processes your words.

“Hmmm. Illogical, but it explains your reaction.”

You stand up and stretch with a prolonged yawn. Suddenly, a revelation hits you: your mind flashes with images of the android fondling your body, your ears ring with the shameless moans you’ve let out throughout the night. Your face turns pale.

“Listen, when is your next functional inspection?” you ask, without waiting for the synthetic to answer. “Will they, uh…will they have access to all of your memories?”

You know that the android permanently records all data and saves it into a memory unit. It’s a pointless fear, of course. The Spacers couldn’t care less about irrelevant details. If the intended tasks are fulfilled, what happens on the side is out of their concern. Yet you don’t exactly appreciate the possibility of your personal deeds airing like this, before the eyes of multiple engineers. 

“You may rest assured, whatever involves your privacy will not be included in the examination.”

“Do you get to decide what is checked and what isn’t?”

“No, most data is sampled randomly.”

You stare at him, confused.

“Then how-”

“It is not common practice, nor encouraged by our code of ethics. I can, however, choose which information is available to begin with.”

“What? I thought you’re fully controlled by whoever created you. If they so desired, couldn’t they open you up and take whatever they require?”

The robot smiles at your assumption and takes a few steps towards you.

“Once an android model is finished, one can no longer modify the processor. Not without compromising everything else with it. It is not a device to be deconstructed, (Y/N).” He taps his temple, then continues: “I am a biocomputer. While most of my parts are mechanical, my processor is a cortical organoid developed in a laboratory. A human brain, if you will.”

Somehow, the discovery fills you with dread. A living organ, encapsulated within a machine. What does that say about consciousness? About self-awareness? The Spacers didn't just tinker with metal scraps and smart computers. They artificially birthed life.

You were always under the impression that your robot companion is closer to the computer you have on your desk. Billions of lines of code within a black box, which then lead to spontaneous, novel interactions with the outside world. To think that at the very core of his functions lies a clump of living cells...

Perhaps you weren't so different, after all. The line between machines and humans is suddenly blurred.

[wishyoudwell]

Theres often talk about Legends trauma and how he tries to distance from his emotions, how his experiences have affected him, and in turn I also like to think about how Ravio operates with his own trauma. This might sound pretty silly but I think both of them are equally as terrible at dealing with their issues. Ravio is still Links counterpart after all, and I'm more than sure he's gone through a fair share of things, especially hailing from Lorule. There's just differences in how they handle it. While Legend is often written to be repressing his trauma and keeping himself tight under lock and key, Ravio seems to be pretty casual about mentioning bad happenings. It kinda feels as if Ravio would make light of his own trauma, hardships or bad experiences before quickly brushing them off/playing them off as jokes. He sort of does this ingame, after all? The way he says it makes you unable to take him seriously, but when you really think about what he's saying...

"Finally, no more sleeping in the wild. Tough world out there, you know?" "But—! But—! But aren't we buddies? You'd kick me out? Into that cruel, cruel world out there? Please? You don't know what it's like trying to get some shut-eye with all those creepy-crawlies!"

You could argue that he's only saying this to garner sympathy and pity from Link. But since he escaped Lorule without knowing if he could ever even return....yeahhh, I think there's a lot of truth here. Casually hinting at how he he had to sleep outside while worrying about being left defenseless to monsters... I don't think Ravio really lies (much). He's just pretty good at omitting information. He's also really good at playing a character. Ravio also says some pretty weird and mildly concerning stuff once he's "in retirement" and being all philosophical on Links floor.

"I always thought sleeping all day would be fun. But now I think I'd miss breakfast and lunch, right? Yeah, I've got a new outlook on life, and it's all thanks to you, Mr. Hero!"

"For a long time, I believed that if you put your ear to the ground, you'd hear the world's heart beating. That the world just goes on living, whether you were there or not. Weird, right? And sorta sad. So I've been listening here for a while, and you know the only heart I've heard? Mine! I couldn't be happier. Ha! I've got a new outlook on life, and it's all thanks to you, Mr. Hero!"

"You know, whenever I used to just lounge around... I would think how I'm just a tiny speck in a great, big world. And I still believe that I'm a teeny, tiny, little speck in a world that's SO much bigger than I ever thought! But even a speck can change the world if he puts his heart into it. I've got a new outlook on life, and it's all thanks to you, Mr. Hero!"

"I've never really had the time to take a lot of naps before. The world looks so different from here! Sometimes just changing your perspective is the key to... well, to everything! I've got a new outlook on life, and it's all thanks to you, Mr. Hero!"

"When I look at you, Mr. Hero, I now realize that just about anything is possible if you put heart into it. Ha! Seems like it's about time for me to decide where to put MY heart!"

It's a lot of fun, trying to imagine what the future holds. Ha! I've got a new outlook on life, and it's all thanks to you, Mr. Hero!

One thing that does become pretty evident though is how Links presence and the land of Hyrule itself seems to have had a really positive and healthy influence on Ravio and his psyche. He appears to have been a lot more somber before, but meeting Link and experiencing his courage firsthand has helped Ravio grow too, to the point he was able to develop a happier, positive outlook on life. Meanwhile you could argue that Legends become more bitter overtime on his outlook on life the more adventures he has to go through (lol). Hmm...yeah, I didn't really have anywhere specific I was going with this. It's just another interesting parallel to me how Legends personality and portrayal would clash with his counterparts. They're interesting to me, they compliment and play off each other well...they process and experience life so similarly yet differently...

[jdclee]

I do wish some of the "Cobel's reveal came out of nowhere" crowd would pause to consider that maybe, just maybe, this might be an unconscious bias that makes it seem like such a crazy plot development. I don't think people are actually consciously deciding that they don't think an older woman could've invented the technology. But when the reasons why it doesn't make sense are so absurd like:

"She's always been a middle manager" which no, obviously, she wasn't. The mystery around Cobel, who always acted really fucking weird and obsessed with the severance technology to the point that she pretended to be oMark's neighbor and Devon's lactation consultant, was present from day one.

"We're supposed to believe she created this entire thing by herself," like clearly not. Having the blueprints doesn't mean you physically made the entire tech by yourself, but pretending that you actually think the writer's are saying that is obtuse.

"The writer's decided this last minute, there's no way they planned this from the beginning" when again no, the mystery about Cobel's motives was a big focal point of season one, not to mention the creators have said they've planned out everything about the character arcs.

Then I think the real reason might run a little deeper.

Just saying, if Cobel had been a white man who was also obsessed with monitoring both Marks, took an intense, personal interest in the severed floor, tried to pair up iMark and Ms. Casey as much as possible while observing them like a scientist, knew scientific info about the chip, was able to successfully remove the chip from Petey's head, knew more about reintegration than the board, cared more about being on the severance floor than a so-called promotion, made vague hints about why the company owed him, then literally no one would claim this came out of nowhere. I'm sorry, but those same people would praise it as brilliant reveal (because it is) and say how Cobel as a character makes more sense now (because she does).

[raekensluver]

Hi mara! Saw you wanted requests so i’m just gonna shoot my idea here. Sweet fluffy dad spencer idea: he compares all the mannerisms and features that are same between him and his child. They both stick their tongue out when concentrating, both scrunch their noses the same way, neither of them like spinach etc. He’s just filled with joy and wonders what else will the have in common when the baby’s older

hi honey! i loooove this idea muah muah. so cute. i did make a slight change and have reader be the one initially pointing out the similarities but i hope you enjoy!

spencer reid x wife!reader

"i'm telling you jj, it's adorable how similar they are." you spoke with a gentle smile, your eyes reflecting the warmth of the afternoon sun streaming through the precinct windows. jj leaned closer, her curiosity piqued. "how so?" she asked, her voice a soft hum that seemed to carry the weight of the unspoken words between you.

"well, for starters, they both stick their tongues out when they're concentrating. it's like watching a mirror image. it's uncanny, really," you said, your eyes drifting to the corner of the room where spencer was deeply engrossed in paperwork. meanwhile, your three-year-old daughter, played with her alphabet blocks, her little tongue poking out slightly as she tried to fit the d letter into the right spot.

jj's eyes followed yours and she couldn't help but chuckle. "i see what you mean," she said, shaking her head slightly. "it's like she picked that habit right out of his dna."

you nodded, a fond look crossing your face. "it's not just that, though," you continued. "it's the way they both scrunch their nose up when they're confused or thinking hard about something. it's the exact same scrunch, down to the little wrinkle between their eyes." you watched as spencer looked up from his paperwork, a moment of bewilderment crossing his features as he tried to solve a complex problem. sure enough, his nose crinkled up in the same adorable way your daughter's did when she encountered a new challenge.

jj's smile grew wider. "you're right, they're like two peas in a pod." she said, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms over her chest. "but what about their personalities? does she get spencer's quirks, too?"

you laughed and picked up your daughter, her tiny frame fitting perfectly in your arms. "oh, absolutely," you said, holding her close as she wrapped her little arms around your neck. "she's got his love for puzzles and books. she can sit for hours with a book in her lap, turning pages and babbling away."

spencer looked up from his desk, his eyes lighting up at the mention of his daughter. "really?" he asked, setting aside his paperwork and approaching you both. "i had no idea she was already showing such an interest in literature." his excitement was palpable, his voice filled with wonder.

you nodded, unable to contain your own excitement. "it's the sweetest thing," you said, nuzzling your nose against her soft hair. "and she's already starting to pick up on some of the words. she'll point at the pictures and repeat after me."

spencer took her from your arms with a gentle smile, his eyes shining with the kind of love reserved for a parent. "hey, baby," he whispered to her, his voice low and tender. she looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, her cheeks flushing with joy at the sound of his voice.

"daddy," she murmured, her voice a soft echo of your conversation. she wrapped her chubby fingers around his neck, her grip tight and trusting. spencer's heart swelled in his chest, his entire world revolving around her in that moment.

"what else do you think she'll pick up from me?" spencer asked, his eyes never leaving your daughter's face. his voice was filled with hope and a hint of anxiety. the thought of her growing up and developing her own personality, a blend of both of you, was a thrilling and slightly terrifying prospect.

you grinned, tickling her tummy to elicit a giggle. "who knows?" you said, your tone playful. "maybe she'll be a mini genius like you and solve crimes by the time she's five." jj snorted with laughter, shaking her head in disbelief.

spencer rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched with amusement. "let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said, his voice a mix of humor and affection. "for now, i'll settle for her knowing her abc's and not using my books as teether toys."

[buckysouvenir]

in the hex, episode 9: a new beginning

pairing: bucky barnes x y/n summary: Y/N, a witch with no memory of her true nature, lives a seemingly perfect life with her husband, Bucky Barnes, in a quiet, idyllic 1950s town. Everything seems picture-perfect—Y/N and Bucky are a deeply loving couple, content in their everyday routine. They share playful moments, enjoy simple pleasures, and have a deep connection that feels unshakable. Their life is peaceful, with no hint of anything out of the ordinary. However, things aren’t what they seem. authors note: last episode!!!! i'm so happy and thankful for all the messages, likes and comments! ♡ as promised, if you guys are still interested, i could make some spin offs.

last episode | in the hex masterlist

reblogs, likes and comments are always encouraged and highly appreciated! thank you ♡

The first thing Y/N feels is warmth.

Not the sterile chill of the hospital room, not the distant hum of machines—warmth. A steady, grounding presence beside her.

Her fingers twitch.

There’s a sharp inhale. The warmth shifts, a gentle pressure enveloping her hand.

She blinks. The light is soft, filtered through white hospital curtains. The air smells faintly of antiseptic. Her entire body feels heavy, sore, like she’s been asleep for too long.

And then she sees him.

Bucky.

Sitting beside her, still gripping her hand. His eyes are wide, stunned, like he hadn’t fully believed she’d wake up.

Y/N swallows, her throat dry. "Hey."

It’s barely a whisper, but it breaks something in him.

Bucky exhales sharply, his grip tightening like he’s afraid she’ll disappear. "Hey."

She tries to sit up, but a sharp pain shoots through her ribs. Bucky is up in an instant, hands gentle as he helps her ease back against the pillows.

"Easy," he murmurs. "You took a pretty bad hit."

Y/N exhales, wincing. "Yeah… I remember."

And she does.

The Hex. Wanda. The illusion. The battle that shattered everything.

She remembers the way Bucky had held her, the way he had whispered for her to stay. The way he had looked at her—like losing her would destroy him.

And she remembers the way she had felt.

How much she had wanted to stay with him.

She looks at him now, drinking in the sight of him. The dark circles under his eyes, the tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders sag like he’s been holding the weight of the world.

"How long?" she asks.

"Three days." His voice is rough. "You scared the hell out of me, Y/N."

Something flickers in her chest, something warm and aching. She squeezes his hand. "I’m sorry."

Bucky shakes his head. "Just—don’t do that again."

The corner of her lips quirks. "I’ll try not to get caught in a reality-warping illusion again, got it."

A breath of laughter escapes him, but there’s no real humor in it. His thumb brushes over her knuckles, absent-minded, like he’s memorizing the feel of her skin.

Silence settles between them.

Not awkward. Not tense. Just heavy—weighted with things unsaid.

She swallows. "It was real, wasn’t it?"

Bucky stills.

He doesn’t pretend not to understand.

"Yeah." His voice is soft, almost hesitant. "It was."

The feelings they developed inside the Hex—manufactured or not—were real.

And that realization is terrifying.

"It’s funny," she murmurs, staring down at their joined hands. "In the Hex, I thought we had all this history. I thought we were something we weren’t. But the whole time, we were just... teammates."

Bucky is quiet.

Then, slowly, he says, "Were we?"

Y/N looks up at him.

His expression is unreadable, but his grip on her hand tightens. "I didn’t just fall for you because of the Hex, Y/N." His voice is quiet, rough around the edges. "I think… maybe I was already halfway there."

Her breath catches.

Bucky shifts, his fingers brushing against hers. "Maybe I didn’t see it before. Maybe I didn’t let myself. But being there—with you—it didn’t feel fake."

Y/N exhales shakily. "No. It didn’t."

Bucky watches her closely, like he’s waiting for her to say something, to make the call.

"So what happens now?" she whispers.

He takes a breath. "That’s up to you."

It’s an unspoken confession. A quiet truth between them.

Maybe it’s too soon. Maybe they’re still piecing themselves back together after everything that happened.

But right now, in this moment—

Y/N simply squeezes his hand, a small, tired smile on her lips. "Then let’s figure it out together."

Bucky nods, something soft and unguarded in his gaze.

And for the first time in a long time—

They’re exactly where they’re supposed to be.

#taglist: @whisperingashgarden @baw1066 @mirrorballbb @skittslackoffilter @fan4astic @torntaltos @lovebabybellah @annoylinglyaries @thewiselionessss

[anthurak]

Something I was always a little concerned about in the lead-up to Hazbin Hotel was that Charlie was going to be a bit too passive of a character, ie; leaning only into the ‘kind, optimistic Disney-Princess-in-Hell who just wants to help everyone’ vibe and not really have much else going on as a character. Which in turn would make her feel kind of bland next to the big, over-the-top or dramatic personalities like Angel Dust and Alastor.

But thankfully, that is not what happened and there’s actually a lot that I like about what the writers are doing with Charlie, particularly in the potential future development and reveals they seem to be setting up.

First off, I like how Charlie generally comes off more like an over-the-top caricature of that ‘Disney-Princess-in-Hell’ vibe, ie; SUPER energized, enthusiastic, affectionate and emotional, often to overbearing degrees that get on everyone’s nerves. It’s generally funny, or at least amusing, and lets Charlie stand out alongside the other big personalities in the cast. Funny enough, she’s actually a lot like Blitzo in this regard, minus the seesawing into extreme abrasiveness.

And more importantly, we’ve already gotten major hints all but confirming that this over-the-top personality is largely a façade, and that Charlie actually has some very clear issues and baggage that she’s working VERY hard to keep buried beneath the surface. Again, much like Blitzo.

Like how in the trust-fall exercise in episode three, despite asking everyone to reveal something personal, Charlie actually bullshits just as hard as Angel Dust and Sir Pentious with her whole ‘I love you all!’ bit. Sure, it’s not like she was lying or being insincere, but it’s clear that was NOT something truly personal for Charlie. And in episode 4 we have Husk straight-up calls out Charlie as ‘wanting to solve everyone’s problems but her own’.

Then of course we have the brief glimpses we’ve seen of Charlie getting angry. Both the times we’ve seen Charlie dealing with some truly despicable and horrendous characters, we’ve seen that rather than lacking the ability to get angry, Charlie is often working to hold herself back. In both her encounters with Adam and Valentino we see points where Charlie is clearly NOT intimidated or afraid of them at all and seems fully prepared to throw down, only being stopped by reigning herself in or by someone else (in this case Angel) stopping her.

Again, it all paints Charlie’s big, bubbly, hyperactive exuberance as something of a front, a way for her to bury a lot of thoughts, feelings and general baggage she doesn’t want to face. Just like what the show has already explored with Angel and Husk.

It actually raises some interesting questions as to what’s REALLY driving Charlie in running the hotel and trying to help Sinners. For one, Husk has already pegged Charlie as ‘wanting to solve everyone’s problems but her own’. And going back to thematic crossover with Helluva Boss, I can’t help but see some potential parallels between Charlie creating the Hazbin Hotel, and Blitzo creating Immediate Murder Professionals.

I think it’s pretty clear at this point that half the reason for creating I.M.P. was as a coping mechanism for Blitzo, or rather the assassination business in general. Something that we’ve gotten hints to as early as the second episode in Blitzo’s back and forth with the Robo-Fizz (“Does anyone love you, Blitzo?”/“No. But I’m really good with guns now!”). With the other half of the reason Blitzo created I.M.P. clearly seems to be to create a surrogate family, as seen with how much he tries to insert himself in the M&M’s lives. Possibly even a specific attempt to replace the family he unwittingly destroyed fifteen years ago.

So I really have to wonder if we’re going to find out that Charlie creating the hotel and her goal of redeeming sinners is in part likewise a coping mechanism and escape for her own baggage.

It’s actually really interesting how episode two first introduced the idea of people opening up with Sir Pentious, then episode four dived further into the concept of the walls and fake personas people put up to hide from their pain and trauma with Angel Dust and Husk. With those two opening up and starting to let their walls down to each other, and by extension we the audience, I think it makes Charlie’s own façade all the more noticeable. It’ll be pretty interesting if Charlie actually winds up being the toughest nut to crack when it comes to opening up about their real issues and baggage. Yet another interesting trait she shares with Blitzo.

All in all, I’m really liking what the show has been doing with Charlie as a protagonist. And I’m REALLY interested to see where the story is going to take her.

Particularly what’s going to happen when she reaches a breaking point…

[beelanddiavolosimp-blog]

Time to catch up the side characters!

Side characters react to a MC with a tongue piercing

Diavolo

He honestly never noticed it about MC since he didn't look at their mouth that hard. That is until he started to develop feelings for them he kept staring at their lips and that's when he noticed it. He asks "Hey Mc what's that in your mouth?" MC looks at him confused then makes a 'oh' face and sticks out their tongue. Once he sees it he immediately blushes a bit. "Wow MC that is such a cool piercing probably one of my favorites now!" He says and suddenly cups MC's face examining it more. He eventually backs away. "I'll buy you some jewelry for it right away!" He says excited. He seems to enjoy this piercing too much....

Barb

MC revealed it to him since he personally doesn't care what they do and don't have. As long as MC is with him he's content. They were both having tea when Mc decided to show him. "Hey Barb.....I just wanted to let you know I have a secret piercing..." MC states. Barb looks at them and tilts his head a bit. MC then sticks their tongue out. He doesn't react much just amused MC was that trusting of him. "It's certainly a interesting piercing tell me how it went" he says now pushing their conversation to said piercing.

Simeon

He noticed it right away since he often looks at every detail of a person. Especially if he has a crush on them like MC. He didn't want to outright ask so he kept hinting at it. MC eventually tired of beating around the bush stuck out their tongue. His eyes widen and his cheeks turn a slight pink. "Woah.... you're so cool MC!" He says amazed. He continues to ask some questions here and there and definitely didn't forget about it.

Meso

As MC and him talked his eyes kept catching a small ball. He noticed this for weeks and did not say anything. He finally broke when none of the brothers would say anything to him when he asked. "MC do you have something in your mouth? I keep seeing a light hit a ball?" He says genuinely confused. Once MC stuck out their tongue he felt genuinely stupid. A ball? A piercing! He sighs to himself and then apologized to MC. "I'm sorry for being so invasive I was confused and apparently stupid I should've put two and two together....it does look nice though. But it's distracting!" He retorts

Raphael

He noticed of course nothing slips past him but why pry? It's MC's business not his own. He was slightly curious. Why have it? Does it do something special or something? He actually found out fully when the brothers were yapping about it. He doesn't say anything but does stare at your mouth randomly....just thinking.

Thirteen

Great minds think alike. She noticed immediately because she has an eye for those sort of things. More so to use as a way to prank people so she watches them closely. She did ask about the pain because she wants one of her own and MC and her actually bond over this fact. She really loves it and buys cute jewelry for MC and says how excited she is to match with MC one day.

Solomon

He didn't notice for a while because MC tended to keep their mouth closed around him. (Due to his cooking) He accidentally gave MC his coffee that was WAY too bitter so they stuck their tongue out in disgust which is when he notices it. He immediately smiles excited for some reason. "That piercing is so cool MC I wonder....does what you eat stay on it? Could someone else taste it when they-" MC covers his mouth. Horny bastard.

Luke

He only noticed when Mc started eating infront of him. He of course pipped up and asked the moment he saw it. "MC what is that?" He asks. MC shows him and he immediately looked terrified. "Why would you do that! Doesn't that hurt?" He asks worried for MC once they explained everything was okay he didn't feel as scared. He asked many MANY questions.

[towasdandelion]

Hotarubi, Obscuary and Jabberwock ghouls when you confess to them

Haku feels so relieved! You finally caught on and understood he wasn't flirty just because? A miracle! Honestly he's so ready to make you his it's almost funny. If you haven't noticed, that guy has had a thing for you since day one. So yeah. Will definitely want to see you as soon as possible so you can... make out already talk about your situation and possibly start dating.

Subaru is too sweet and doesn't really want to get his hopes up even if he does like you more than a friend already. He definitely didn't see that coming and feels a little lost. He's happy of course but... What now? What does he do? What if this ends up ruining your friendship? After thinking for a moment he decides to ask you to meet so you can talk about everything going on. Expect a shy blushy Subaru.

Zenji was hoping for such an outcome in the future, but he never wanted to force it, rather just decided to wait and see how the situation develops. He feels so happy he gets a sudden burst of inspiration. But he can't write yet. Not until he gets a chance to ask. You might have been first with the confession, but he's definitely taking the initiative to ask you to be his girlfriend.

Rui, oh Rui! Like Haku he was so ready to make you his and was constantly trying to make you see that he's not playing around. Well, someone decided not to notice his efforts. (How cruel) until this very moment. Now you confessed to him, and he couldn't be happier. In his head he's already planning hundreds of cute dates he's going to take you on. The fact that you're not really together just yet doesn't seem to bother him much but can you blame him? He's way too excited.

Ed is way too cocky I swear. You want to back away? No can do I'm afraid. You're basically his the moment you confess to sorry I don't make the rules. Was he waiting for this moment to happen? Maybe. He feels satisfied that he did succeed in making you fall for him after all, though he is a bit surprised given the fact how hard you were resisting his charms before. Believe it or not he's suddenly not feeling so lazy anymore... He's eager and ready to see you right this moment.

Lyca is a bit oblivious, but at the same time very straightforward and it makes a very... Interesting combination. You like him? Yeah he likes you too, so? Oh, it's more than a friend... Well, then you two should just date right? Isn't it how it works? At least that's what Subaru told him (he forgot some details here and there but not like it's that important to him) so he's going to ask you here and now. The decision is yours to make hehe.

Towa is a bit sad cause he definitely thought you love him already. I mean he was always so sweet and affectionate with you, so only natural to think that's just his nature, right? Well, wrong. He's only like that with you. The sadness is short lived though. You love him and that's all that matters! He won't waste time and will come and meet you wherever you are just to ask you officially to be his.

Haru catches on very quickly, almost surprisingly given how busy he can get. In his free time he always did make sure to spend it with you, throwing in some hints here and there and it seemed now that it worked out! Here you were, confessing to him. With three words you made his day just like that. He can't wait to be finished with his work so be can come see you and make sure you really want to be his.

Ren is freaking out. Like really bad. His crush literally just confessed to him. Keep it calm, keep it cool. He was fighting that 'weird' (love) feeling that just wouldn't go away and with your sudden confession it felt like a new wave of feelings came crashing on him. Just what is he supposed to do? He really needs to sit down and have a moment of honesty with himself. He doesn't want to reject you after all... But how does he go about making you his girlfriend? It's all so awkward to him.

[bibliophilesince2003]

Transformers One In-Depth Review

Transformers One is a must watch.

I’m tired of seeing a bad review go towards a movie that is actually extremely well done, especially if the reviewer hadn’t taken the time to watch it or considered the trailers enough content to draw a review from.

Seriously, it was so refreshing to see a new take on a franchise that has been around for years. In my personal opinion, it’s better than re-makes that offer even less room for creativity.

I am a huge Transformers fan. I grew up with Transformers Prime, and when I was older, I watched the movies. I’ve watched other shows here and there, and while I may not be a complete expert, I know the lore well enough to have been heavily, emotionally impacted by Transformers One.

I’ll start with the "non-spoiler take" followed by the "spoiler take” which will be “hidden” for those who do not want to be spoiled.

"Non-spoiler" take...

Peter Cullen’s voice is legendary. Chris Hemsworth himself acknowledged this in an interview, mentioning that the goal was to “re-create” and “do something new.” He intended to represent a “youthful, brash, and cocky version” of Orion Pax before he was known as Optimus Prime. This is a realistic representation. In Transformers Prime, Ratchet states that Optimus Prime was more like Jack in his youth. For those of you who don’t know, Jack is a strong-willed, selfless, but slightly impulsive teenager, as all teenagers should be. It is clear that Hemsworth has evaluated “hints” that other movies and shows have provided. Hemsworth wanted to “lean into” a more serious voice towards the end of Transformers One. He insisted “he wouldn’t dare mimic Peter Cullen.” I highly respect his choices, and he does not deserve the amount of hate thrown at him. Now, Orion Pax also comes across as a humble, soft-spoken character in other movies and shows. However, I can see why they would lean into his impulsiveness to better highlight and contrast the relationship between Orion Pax and D-16, especially as D-16’s true colors show. More about that in the “spoiler” section, though!

No, it would not have made sense for Orion Pax to have a deep, majestic voice. That comes with experience; that comes with hard decisions. Quite honestly, Hemsworth is pretty close to what I had imagined Orion Pax to sound like. It’s still slightly deep, and very soothing.

The character development in this movie? Oh. My. Word. Guys, as a writer, I can say that subtle character development – the best kind – is not easy to do. In Transformers One, it flowed naturally. It made me smile. It broke my heart. If you’ve seen other Transformers movies and shows, brace yourself. If you haven’t, still brace yourself. Again, more about that in the “spoiler” section.

The humor in the trailers has been re-posted so heavily I think it’s beginning to lose its effect and people, not knowing the context, are quick to judge. Yes, Bee is funny. It’s Bee. He’s supposed to be lovable, humorous, loyal, and powerful. I found no issue with most of the humor coming from him. There is more humor that is not mentioned in the trailers that is really worth chuckling over.

Finally, the fight scenes were clean, the animation was captivating, and the incredible Brian Tyler produced musical masterpieces for most every scene, some of it connecting to other movies and shows.

"Spoiler" take, now!

I expected to dislike Elita. Really, I did. I knew she was the “love interest” for Optimus Prime beforehand and expected big things from her, because Optimus Prime never struck me as having a “love interest” in the past. Not only that, but I expected her to be the female character I seem to find everywhere these days who strives to be better than everyone else without a lick of experience, complaining about the male figures in her life.

Elita, however, is ambitious. She leads. She doesn’t have to prove anything; she’s simply willing to work hard and do her job. Understandably, she gets upset with Orion Pax and the others when they interrupt her progress, though I can’t help but be amused by Orion Pax’s shy attempt to get her attention and adored his subtle acts of kindness. Sure, she’s a tad bit aggressive – she did punch Orion Pax, after all – but I really enjoyed seeing her adapt. When Orion Pax was feeling hopeless, she was there to encourage him. If she had stopped talking immediately after saying “I’m better” I would have been frustrated. Orion Pax and D-16 are the main characters in Transformers One, after all. She didn’t stop there, though. She highlighted the most important aspects of Orion Pax; his good heart, selflessness, and bravery. She told Shockwave and the others to shut up and listen to Orion Pax when they doubted his plan. She encouraged him to speak louder when others couldn’t hear him. She leaned towards the pit when Orion Pax fell.

Not only that, but Orion Pax was incredibly patient with her. He woke her up when she was unconscious and immediately took a punch to the face like a champ. He gently, subtlety smiled at her when they traveled to the surface and Elita announced "it's beautiful." He cried out her name and pushed her out of the way to save her during a battle. He listened to her. He told her to beat Arachnid “gently” when Elita managed to detain her, proving he fully understood Elita’s personality.

I’m sorry, but this kind of relationship takes the cake. If they’re meant to be a couple, I can see the signs. I love how well they work together and build each other up.

Bee is an icon. One of my favorite scenes is him eagerly saying to Orion Pax “I’m going to go cut these guys up, watch! C’MERE!” It’s like a proud kid trying to get their parent to watch. I love how loyal he is to Orion Pax right off the bat.

While they changed some lore in Transformers One, they included everything that was important. Orion Pax and D-16 are miners, but it seems Orion Pax may have been a clerk beforehand. When he broke into the archives, he seemed to know where he was going. When he ran, I can’t remember exactly, but I believe he was muttering numbers? I don’t mind the small twists and can see how they were necessary for the story; key details are kept.

Jazz and Ratchet mention! I was so excited to hear their names. Kind of wish they had shown Ratchet, maybe shouting “I needed that!” to a fumbling worker. Sorry, Transformers Prime reference.

Arachnid had an incredible design.

Sentinel is a well-written, hate-worthy villain. I… did not expect D-16 to rip him in half, though.

Also… can I just mention how epic that particular scene was? The switch from D-16 reaching his peak character development – showing no mercy – while Orion Pax reached his – making the ultimate sacrifice to preserve life and do things the right way; receiving the Matrix of Leadership. The music, the animation, the slow-motion… everything was incredibly cinematic.

Obviously, D-16 took things too far. I appreciated the fact that he didn’t just wake up one day and decide to be evil. It took time. It took motivation. Obviously, any sane person would stand with Optimus Prime, though he does make mistakes from time to time, but it was incredibly neat to actually appreciate D-16’s insight in the beginning, then notice the shift and feel every bit of emotion Orion Pax felt.

People say the ending is rushed, or that D-16’s change came too abruptly without any good motivation. Sure, the ending may be a little rushed, but movies are typically structured this way. Falling action does not have a set speed; it just needs to be well done. Bad things happen in a rush, and this leaves ample opportunity for the “good guys” to react a little too slowly. As for D-16’s motivation… even a person can take their worship of an item or figure too far. Megatronus was someone to look up to in D-16’s eyes. He agreed to Orion Pax’s plans, or at least tolerated them, but his admiration for Megatronus was his own interest. Orion Pax threatened that vision. D-16 wanted to kill Sentinel to satisfy his own needs and desires, not to liberate others. Sentinel deserved death after committing murder, yes. He didn’t, however, deserve a public execution, especially as he tried to get away and was relatively defenseless. Remember, Sentinel told D-16 and Bee that he would execute them in front of everyone. We can acknowledge his promise as brutal, so shouldn't D-16's actions be considered brutal, too? No "reason" could ever justify it.

When D-16 let Orion Pax drop, he proved he no longer cared about loyalty. The least he could do was hoist Orion Pax’s body up or break down after losing what he once called his best friend, but he didn’t.

It’s ironic… D-16 said “I’m done saving you” when in reality, Orion Pax was trying to save D-16 from doing something he knew D-16 should have regretted doing. Normally, yes, D-16 is the voice of reason, but not in this case. For once, this is where Orion Pax’s true personality shines through. His spark – the spark of a Prime – is in the right place. Orion Pax puts joking aside when serious matters arise. It seems D-16 didn’t really know his friend after all. The actions D-16 committed, my friends, are not actions you want to celebrate.

I really, really hope Transformers One gains more attention. We need the sequel! Transformers fans, tell your friends. Give an honest review, which are of more value than the reviews given by those who didn’t take the time to watch it. Hype it up and roll out!

[coeurdelain]

How do I know Elain’s book is next? (Besides logic and SJM’s interviews)

Because Sarah has planted seeds and there are hints for Elain’s book in acosf — about her mating bond/romantic situation, her powers, her traumas, her arc, and her character development :

Character development in the next book :

« Maybe you’ll become interesting, at last Elain »

« Challenge filled each word. Challenge—from Elain, of all people »

«  Elain is pleasant to look at » Her mother had once mused while Nesta sat beside her dressing table, a servant silently brushing her mother’s gold-brown hair, « but she has no ambition. She does not dream beyond her garden and pretty clothes. She will be an asset on the marriage market for us one day, if that beauty holds, but it will be our own maneuverings, Nesta, not hers, that win us an advantageous match. »

Elain is seen as a doll, uninteresting, boring and underestimated.

Is Elain going to prove them all wrong ?

Mating bond/her LIs :

«  Elain cocked her head. Didn’t dissolve into the crying mess she usually became when Graysen came up »

« I am not always in this city to see my mate. The last two words dripped with discomfort »

« she said, nodding to Cassian, and then, a bit more shyly, to Azriel.

« Azriel offered her a small smile that Elain quickly looked away from. Cassian tucked away his puzzlement. Lucien was certainly not here to snarl at any male who looked at her for too long. »

« Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them »

«  Elain only shrank further into herself, no trace of that newfound boldness to be seen. »

This topic (the mating bond) is going to be adressed in the next book. Elain has been in this love triangle for 3-4 books now. Between Lucien, her mate, and Azriel, the one she has a connection with.

Why does Elain seem to have an interest in Azriel when she has a mate? (There’s such a big focus about this in acosf, yet some people still think the book is about someone other than Elain. We need Elain’s pov on both Lucien and Azriel. It doesn’t matter if it’s to say that she feels nothing for either one. But the main person involved in the love triangle needs to speak up on the matter, otherwise, there’s no point in having a love triangle. It’s literally taking away the protagonist’s choice).

Her arc :

« She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she'd been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends »

« I think she’s got you beat for secret-keeping. »

« She had to be up with the dawn to tend to an elderly faerie's garden. Cassian didn't exactly know why he suspected this wasn't true there had been some tightness in Elain's face as she'd said it »

What is Elain doing, and why didn’t Cassian believe her? Is she going to be a spy ? Why is she training to be a spy?

Her powers :

« Even Amren had no idea whether Elain’s and Nesta’s powers remained (…) The Cauldron had granted them unique powers, different from other High Fae: the gift of sight to the former »

« Elain, too, had revealed no indication of her seer’s abilities since then »

« But Elain had confirmed it for everyone: both sisters still possessed their Cauldron-gifted powers. »

« Then I will find it. I might require some time to … reacquaint myself with my powers, but I could start today. »

« and Elain, with whatever powerS she has—is here »

What are exactly Elain’s powers ? Has she learned to control them ? Does she have other powers ? Does she have visions she isn’t sharing ? (And if Elain confirmed she still has her powers… then she must have seen something…)

And her traumas :

« I went into the Cauldron, too, you know. And it captured me. And yet somehow all you think of is what my trauma did to you »

« Elain was right. We’ve become so focused on how her trauma impacted us that we forget she was the one who experienced it »

What did Elain feel when she was thrown into the Cauldron (she was the FIRST)? What did she feel when she was kidnapped for the second time? What happened there?

I don’t know what to say to people who think Elain’s traumas are going to wait years before being addressed (yes, years because SJM has CC4 and another project on the go).

And some very interesting quotes :

«  Elain could make her own choices. »

« The bond Elain had chosen. »

Elain’s name has been associated with the word « choice » so many times…

And I’ll add this :

« Find me when you wish to begin »

« Let’s focus on helping one sister before we start on the other »

« She found Feyre and Elain waiting halfway down the hill, Nyx now dozing peacefully in Elain’s arms. Her sisters beamed, beckoning her to join. » (Elain’s turn)

So, Elain has a lot of unresolved things about her character and there are so many questions surrounding her. These are questions that were intentionally placed in ACOSF to be addressed in her book.

It doesn’t matter if Elain’s name wasn’t mentioned a lot in acosf (and by the way, Gwyn is mentioned a lot because her journey was in Nesta’s book)— it’s the quality, not the quantity, of her appearances that matters. Her journey won’t be told in Nessian’s book, which is why we only get hints and very few appearances from her.— her character still needs to be explored. And in acosf, we have clues about the direction her character is going to take.

Her arc, her character development, her powers, her romantic situation, her traumas… everything has been brought up to prepare for her book.

The suspense is in knowing who the second POV will be, and I’m 99% betting on Azriel, considering his secrets and the seeds planted for him are tied to Elain.

The two are so closely linked since their first meeting that I can even imagine them having a separate book, just like Nesta and Cassian. The latter had interactions from the very beginning, and they had a book together.

[b4tboys]

➣ matchmaking or meddling?

pairing: satoru gojo x gn!reader

word count: 1.6K

summary: you find out just how much your students have been meddling in your love life, though you can’t really be mad.

notes from lee: i’m afraid to make this look like an award acceptance speech so ill be brief. had to make a fic for the namesake of the blog and a very late hbd to boo (@2018-01-20). kinda wish i had more interactions with the kids, but i ended up w/ a lot of gojo pov also unedited

Looking back it should have been obvious what these kids of yours were up to. Yes, they were the reason you were in this god-forsaken closet with a blindfolded fool.

You’re only really aware of their meddling now as you hear their snickers from the hallway, so you can’t quite tell when their meddling started. But it makes sense that they were plotting something, but was it in collaboration with Satoru? Because it seemed like every mishap or coincidence between your two classes, Satoru took it in stride and turned it into his advantage. Just like he was taking advantage of the situation now…

Thinking back, your first clue should have been with the sticky notes. A note scrawled on a pink sticky note, in actually legible handwriting, addressed to you like a valentine. Reading, “from: Satoru ;D to: (y/n) <3; do you look this good every day or do i just not remove my blindfold enough????” It’s on top of a stack of papers handed over by the ever-stoic Fushiguro. Surely to get your guard down, and it did.

When you interrogate your fellow teacher about it later, he keeps his normal all-knowing grin plastered on his face. Now they, being the kids who orchestrated it, don’t need to do any work as every day after that there’s a new sticky note somewhere for you to see. They vary in color, most in some shade of pink, some with bad pick-up lines, others with a stick figure drawing, or the very rare ones hidden away with words that make you spit out your drink.

Or maybe another tip off should have been the ‘coincidental’ times you’d have the second years out on the training field and he just so happened to also plan a demonstration for the first years at the same time. But then again you don’t hear their snickering above your irritation at the white-haired man as he lets you jab a finger into his chest, with his annoying smirk.

But they notice you don’t care anymore that he peeks his head over your shoulder to look at your teaching outline just so he can do the ‘coincidental’ planning now.

And still the biggest hint that you fall for every time, is when they leave you at the cafe with just Satoru after begging for a weekend meetup. And again, when they ask to have team dinners, study sessions, or extra training, it's ridiculous. Your gullibility and trust in them is commendable, but it’s become laughable as you still trust in the kids to show up. And they do, just in disguise from across wherever you are as they watch Satoru come to your rescue every time.

Maybe the more ridiculous part is when the rare glimpse of their teacher’s eyes is pointed, peeking through their poorly crafted disguises, at them from across the room with a smirk.

He’s noticed for a while now that the kids are playing matchmaker, and their skills are much better than those his clan hires. And to be honest, he doesn’t mind, if anything he finds it cute that they think he needs the help. Though admittedly they do have some good ideas. Each one never fails to fluster you, in your own cute and angry way, as he takes over their schemes. His six-eyes catch the flurry of texts sent every time he does so, which he’s sure just encourages them further.

Satoru’s not quite sure when his feelings for you developed. He’s always found you attractive, especially when you were his cute kouhai (he still likes to call you that in order to annoy you until you begrudgingly call him senpai once again.). Everything he learns about you only adds to his initial interest. He’s a sucker for getting to know the little things, like your favorite dinner spot after a tough mission or what your ideal day off is. Once you accept his feelings he’ll put the knowledge you deem useless to good work.

But there’s a moment that sits so starkly in his memory as the first time he realized he was in love with you and not just intrigued or infatuated.

It was maybe around the time Tsumiki had gotten sick and though Megumi was self sufficient, Satoru didn’t feel that he should be alone. He knows he’s not the best at comfort, hell he could barely comfort himself, so he sends you.

And he’s not overly worried about you, you’re a teacher so he’s sure you’ll get through to the ever prickly Megumi just fine. Plus you’ve always been significantly better at handling emotional situations, he knows first hand. So when he comes to check on you after finishing his mission, he smiles at your success.

Megumi’s head rests on your lap, asleep, and you’re slumped over the armrest. There’s a twang of jealousy that pricks at his mind, wishing it was him in your lap instead, but all he can think about is having you greet him as he comes home and Megumi and Tsumiki sitting for dinner and that would be yours and his alone.

He’s never felt like someone that would settle down or want a family, especially given the circumstances of his status. But you, in this moment, make him want to move past the shrewdness of the higher ups and his clan, and just have you. He longs for something that is just his, not part of Jujutsu Society, the higher ups, or his clan, or even Satoru Gojo, he wants things just for Satoru, just for him.

You are that something, that someone, he wants, he’s convinced that he needs you like the air he breathes. The weird surge of emotions that have been kept bottled up since a dark day suddenly seems to make sense and it has a name, it’s love.

So when he’s reminiscing on his feelings, it really has been there all along, but it’s that very specific moment in which his love for you was defined.

And the apex of all his work in gently guiding you to realize your feelings, that he’s very sure are there, is in a closet of all places. His blue eyes glow dimly in the dark of the closet with the snickers of his students on the other side.

“Hey,” he breathes out, much less confident than he intended, but you make him nervous.

You meet his bright eyes briefly before looking away and returning the greeting, “Um, hi.”

His breath hitches and his mind blanks, every funny line or flirty remark he could make right now is gone. He can’t think about anything other than you, how cute your expression is, how good your hair looks even slightly messed up, but mainly your lips and how much he needs to kiss you before he leaves this cramped closet. “How are you?”

You blink at him incredulously, “We’re in a closet, Gojo. How do you think I am?”

He tosses his head back and groans as you use his last name, he thought he’d gotten you to call him Satoru like pretty much everyone did. “C’mon (Y/n), you know I hate when you call me that.” He whines and pouts, jutting his bottom lip out like a toddler.

He watches the guilt flash across your face briefly, surely it’s you remembering how he confided in you about hating the weight that came with his last name. “Sorry, I know. I know,” you pause and he senses your hesitancy and waits, “Satoru.”

He’s got a big shit-eating grin on his face that differs from his usual smirk as he rocks on his feet with his heart fluttering.

“You really like it that much when I call you ‘Satoru’?” You ask, eyeing up his body language with a skeptical look.

“Maybe.” He answers in a sing-song tone, he’s back to his usual self, “But you know what I’d like more?”

He leans in close and glances down at your lips. No matter how many times he does this, it always results in him pulling away with a teasing smile. So when he feels your hands wrap around the neck of his uniform and pull him closer, it’s certainly a surprise.

“You want a kiss?” You ask and he nods meekly, if possible, and you do, you kiss him. Satoru’s eyes flutter shut as his heart flutters in his stomach. His big hands reach up to cup your face and keep you glued to his lips. Gods, it’s everything he’s dreamed about and more.

When you part from him to catch your breath, he’s smiling. “I hope you know I want much more than a kiss.” He waits for you to breathe and to watch your reaction before smashing his lips onto yours again.

Satoru feels your arms wrapped around his neck and how your hands crawl through his undercut to tug at his hair. And he’s similar, the hands once holding your face have traced down your body to your hips so he can hold you close.

The knock on the door cuts your time short, your tongues and bodies having to part. Satoru watches as you smooth over your clothes and hair before he pulls up his blindfold. The door opens not a moment later to reveal the two classes waiting with bated breath to see something scandalous.

They are disappointed, fortunately for you and your image as a teacher. None of the students have the time to catch the heavy blush on his face as he slips away while you lecture them. But they do notice how flustered you are when you get a text from Satoru, “dinner 2nite?”

[lurkingshan]

10 Things I Love About Triage

I am extraordinarily late to this party but I am here to scream about Triage, a show which I started on a whim after a stray comment from @incandescentflower and subsequently finished in two sittings. This drama has been on my list forever (I didn't watch it live because the distribution was wacky) and then it just kept getting overlooked as I fought to keep up with the deluge of Thai BL coming at us at all times. But I am very glad I finally hunted it down and made the time and I would like to tell you why!

Hello Again, Dr. Sammon

I am on record as a Sammon fan. She is one of the best writers working in Thai BL and she has a knack for mystery and suspense. Her narratives are always really well constructed with tight plotting and smart character work, and Triage is no exception. This story feels confident, steady, and complete in a way few Thai BLs do.

The time travel rules are blessedly consistent

Part of what makes the story sing is it's a time travel plot that actually gets the particulars right. In a time loop, the details are everything, and this show understands that. The series of events are consistent, the rules of the time travel mechanics are clearly explained, and when our protagonists learn something new, it always lines up with something we'd gotten hints about before or gives us new context for old information. There are no loose threads in this show.

My boy Tin is going through it

Tin is a fantastic protagonist. He starts the show disillusioned with his work and hilariously grumpy about this time loop situation--he is a busy ER doctor and he does not have time for this--but as he starts to piece together how the loop works he gets more methodical in his approach, and eventually becomes emotionally invested in his mission to save Tol. Tin felt really well-calibrated in that he was smart and he tried all the things you would be shouting at the screen for him to try, but he's still a human being with flaws and insecurities and so he makes mistakes, learns, and has to try again. The show really successfully put us in the frustration with him.

Tol makes for an interesting damsel

Because he's kind of an asshole! Tol is rude and disrespectful when he first meets Tin, he hangs around with some truly awful bullies, he treats Rit like garbage, and he's all around an arrogant dick. Until he isn't. I like the choice to make the focus of our mission such a difficult character, not only because it makes Tin's challenge that much harder, but also because it invites us to consider the reasons why someone might be behaving the way he is and whether they can be redeemed.

This show has everything: action, romance, and agony

It's truly an emotional rollercoaster all the way through, and you can't relax for a moment. The pacing is relentless through most of the show, and even as a bond develops between Tin and Tol and they begin a tentative romance, danger is lurking around every corner. As soon as these boys started making out in episode 9 I knew something awful was coming for me and IT SURE DID.

Jinta, the ultimate frenemy

On that note let's talk about Jinta, my nemesis!! Jinta is some kind of unspecified deity/whimsical god and the one who appears to be responsible for putting Tin and Tol in this loop. Is he trying to help them? Is he trying to torture them? I definitely think it's both! He seems to delight in showing up to taunt Tin as he struggles to figure out how to get through to Tol, and when it's Tol's turn on the merry-go-round he sends him to the darkest timeline for his high stakes final attempt to save Tin just because he can. I love/hate you, sir!

Sing and Gap and the darkest timeline

Speaking of which, can we talk about how appropriate it is that Sing and Gap are a couple only in the darkest timeline? I don't know if people were shipping this for real during the live watch, but I definitely was not and so I started cackling when we got to the worst possible timeline and Sing was suddenly calling Gap his boyfriend. Sammon, you are hilarious and I salute you.

Fantastic side characters

Let's talk about the sides I did love. First of all, aside from his weird aggressive flirting/not flirting thing with Gap, I actually did like Sing's friendship with Tin a lot. I also loved the hospital gang who were around to alternately tease and help Tin, most especially Toy and Fang. Toy is a sweetheart and a gossip who never misses a trick, and Fang is an actual badass who first cracked the case with that evil doctor and saved Tin's life. They are fabulous. Rit was also an excellent character with a lot of complexity and he added some much needed depth to the school storyline (does anyone else think he was basically the proto-DFF Non?). And while Mai and Heart were not my favorite people, I did appreciate that the show gave them a sympathetic portrayal instead of making them evil villains (we had the organ harvesters for that).

That beautiful clocktower

I must give a shoutout to this gorgeous clocktower featured in several important scenes. I got so excited every time it showed up. Fun fact: in the first clocktower scene I was like oh hey I recognize that from gifs, but it can't be that scene because it's too early for a kis--TIN WHAT ARE YOU DOING! (I was right, it was too early for a kiss and Tol was Big Mad but bless you for going for it anyway, Tin).

The romance is balanced and rootable

And on that note, let me give a shoutout to the romance part of this story for actually feeling balanced. This is not an epic swoony love affair, but more a story of two people putting in the time to understand and empathize with each other. Sometimes in these kind of time loop stories the romance can end up feeling very one-sided because one character is holding all the knowledge and all the cards. But in this show we have the neat trick of Tol taking over the loop to try to save Tin in the final arc, which means he got to go through a similar process of getting to know the darkest version of his lover and figuring out how to get through to him. I was delighted by all the events of the long loop playing out again, but this time with Tin being the obstinate one. Tol got a taste of his own medicine and it left me feeling like they were both equally invested in this relationship.

TL;DR: If you haven't watched this yet, you really should! It's a fast binge and a great time with some Thai BL favorites. It's unfortunately still not available for international streaming, but it's very easy to find grey now and it's worth the effort. Go forth!

[avatarofthearchives]

TMA Name Meanings And How They Intertwine With Their Character

Jon - The name Jonathan means "God has given" which is quite ironic considering a fear entity (that some people worship like a God in the TMA universe) spends the entire series giving Jon the power of The Eye. His last name is also deeply ironic, as the last Sims means "To Listen," which...is not the right sense for Jon's main thing, but it is perfect for a statement taker.

Martin - The name Martin means "dedicated to Mars" and "God of war." While a name that means "God of war" seems a little intense for Martin, it does tie into the themes of his story about constantly being underestimated and having a lot more fierceness than he tends to outwardly show. His last name Blackwood means...you guessed it, "black wood."

Tim - The name Timothy means 'one who honors God.' Much like Jon's name meaning, his also has a hint of irony considering he serves a figure that is viewed as god-like in the TMA universe, but it's ironic in the opposite way of Jon since Tim does NOT honor The Eye. However, his last name Stoker suits him a little too well. It means "one who tends to the fire"....which I don't love considering his death.

More Undercut

Sasha - The name Sasha means "Defender." It's a very sweet first name considering how many of her actions in the series are in the name of defending her friends. Her last name James is SUPER interesting because James means "holder of the heel." That's a phrase that comes from a Bible story about a man named Jacob who was born holding onto his twin brothers heel as a sign that he'll eventually take his brothers birthright. Which is relevant to Sasha because she was supposed to take Gertrude's place as head Archivist.

Melanie - The name Melanie means "darkness," which is fitting for a ghost hunter who is first drawn to The Institute because she finds an Avatar of The Stranger begging the Angler Fish creature in the dark. Her last name King means "rule" or "monarch." It's a fitting name for someone becomes a leader of a cult in Season 5, and it's a powerful name for one of the characters who has one of the strongest wills in the series.

Georgie - The name Georgie means "farmer." That meaning doesn't have a lot of tie-in to canon, but it could make a Corruption or Flesh avatar Georgie AU hit super hard. Her last name Barker means "Shepard," which has a lot of relevance to her role in the story. Like a shepherd she tries to guide Jon away from the fears, and while she unfortunately fails due to no fault of her own, she is able to be there for Melanie when she walks away from the fears. Shepard's also have religious symbolism which ties into Georgie's role as a chosen one cult leader in Season 5.

Basira - Basira's name means "wisdom." That's fitting for a character who is so grounded in logic that she's able to think herself out of The Stranger's ritual. Her last name Hussain also means "handsome" or "good." So that could be a tie in to how she perceived her role as a cop before the Daisy character development, or it could tie into her role in helping stop the apocalypse in Season 5.

Daisy - Daisy's nickname means "purity and innocence" and she says in canon that she uses that nickname because she likes the irony. Her real name Alice means "noble," a powerful name for a women who uses her powerful position as a cop get away with brutality. Her last name Tonner is just as strong as it means "thunder." A force of nature that is typically used to symbolize strength.

Peter - The name Peter means "rock" or "stone." An ironic name for someone who's so..."stoney" 🥁 His last name Lucas means "bringer of light" or "to shine"....which is not a name meaning a guy who likes to be followed around by fog probably appreciates.

Elias - The name Elias means "The Lord is my God." In a similar vein to Jon, it's an ironic name considering his body ends up as a vessel to a guy who practically serves The Eye as a religious deity. His last name Bouchard is no less ironic. It means "brave,"....which Elias is not shown to be in his statement.

Jonah - The name Jonah means "dove" and doves typically symbolize peace, love, hope, and renewal. While I wouldn't use the words "peace" and "love" while describing a character like Jonah, "renewal" does ring a bell. His life is in a constant state of renewal as he has to jump from one body to a next. His last name Magnus means "Greatest" which could be a tie-in to both his pride and his role as the one who created The Institute.

Gerard - The name Gerard means "hard spear." That doesn't have any relevance to canon, but it does have relevance to his last name. His last name Keay is a variation of the last name Kay, which means "Wharf." He has a name that's extremely fisherman coded and that's hilariously funny to me because it literally has nothing to do with anything.

Gertrude - The name Gertrude also means "hard spear" and yes I will be thinking about how Gertrude's name parallels with Gerry's forever. Gertrude's last name Robinson means "son of Robin." Robin's tend to symbolize good luck, happiness, and rebirth. While that isn't perfect symbolism for Gertrude, you could argue that she has good luck to be able to foil so many rituals and survive far longer than anyone else involved with The Institute. (Though personally I would assign her as a raven if I were to give the cast bird symbolism.)

Michael Shelley - The name Michael means "a gift from God." I find the fact that his name references him as a gift a little disturbing in this specific, particular, context considering that Gertrude did give him away like one. His last name Shelley means "meadows edge." Meadows tend to symbolize peace and tranquility, which fits both a character who had peace in ignorance about the fears and a character who seemed like a very soft person.

[glitter-stained]

Please do tell us about your literal head canon. I’m so interested. I’ve seen your post on what Outlaws should be, but please let us dive further!

So for a moment there I thought you were talking about that joke I once made about giving the canon head and was very confused lmao.

That being said, wrt the canon that exists in my head (aka complete rewrite of Jason's Red Hood run but I'm head of dc editorial): with pleasure! This should also help understand the context of the fic I'm writing rn!

Glitter's complete Jason Todd Head canon (the canon that is in my head)

Batman and Robin 2025, Batgirl and Robin, Nightwing Annual

> First there's the Extended Robin Run: this one I won't spoil because I'm actively working on writing it and it's not necessary to understand the continuity: it's a bunch of jaybin stories intended to fit into Jason's post-crisis robin run and develop it, give it cohesion while also exploring themes such as class consciousness, trauma, mental illness etc. It's not related to the rest of the continuity in so that it's meant to be understood as an expansion of canon rather than a replacement of it, but I do like to think there's a logical continuity between this one and the stories/themes/idea in the Red Hood rewrite so I think it's worth mentioning.

Now onto the meat of it. I do wanna say first thing first, I don't like the ambiguity around Jason's age in the og Batman Annual/Lost Days storyline and the way it seems to serve some psychoanalytical/psychophobic plots, and the whole point of the rewrite is a big fuck you to DC's bias and attempts at manipulating our empathy. Ergo: Jason crawls out of his grave three years later than he does in canon and is sixteen at the time he comes back to Gotham.

Batman: Antigonish

The UTH. Often from Bruce's perspective, lots of Edgar Allan Poe references. Also lots of disguise fuckery. Because Jason looks and is so young, and mostly because I like it, we're leaning fully into the horror genre. Jason, crucially, is not a crime lord in this one.

The main plot points:

> Jason, in disguise, visits Judy Koslovksy in prison (she had actually been convicted after the canon events of The Dumpster Slasher) and tells her to get in contact with her lawyer. Jason then steals evidence, leading to Judy winning her appeal and getting out.

> Jason begins a campaign to demonstrate that Bruce's campaign of ruling through fear cannot work if he never kills anyone ever. To do so, he targets several people who he believes are 1) key players into systems of oppression/mass violence and/or 2) criminals who he thinks are never gonna change their ways and deserve to die for the horror of their crime. Amongst these targets are (amongst others) Black Mask, an extremely corrupt and wealthy politician, and the cop who sexually abused Jason as a child (this one is implied rather than developed because we'll address it properly in its own time, which we get to do because I'm the head of dc editorial). To start his campaign of terror, Jason adopts the identity of the Red Death and sends several unnerving threats to his targets urging them to quit their activities (leaving bloody handprints on their doors, burning stuff down etc). Jason goes after his victims covering himself completely in blood and gore from the slaughterhouse he keeps breaking into, and makes a ghastly apparition. Jason's game doesn't scare the targets (at least not at first not before the first victim) so he goes after them to kill them. He also sends messages/hints/general psychological fuckery to Bruce about his death, actively haunting him.

> Jason's murder always have a veneer of legitimate self-defense, always make it seem like hey the bad guy did it to himself he could have just not tried to attack Jason with a knife Jason just accidentally diverted that knife in their throat, etc. There's a criticism of the pointlessness and hypocrisy of Bruce's line in Jason's eyes, with lots of references to Starlin's Bruce's deadliest moments (ie locking someone in a room in the subway to die).

> Because this is right after Steph's death and "Who killed Stephanie Brown", Jason is haunted by a hallucination of Stephbin who follows him as an incarnation of his rage and guilt. She is in the robin suit and despite Jason having seen pictures of her he can never recall her face, her image looks like someone has smudged black sharpie all over her face.

> Black Mask, having seen what Jason did to his other targets, eventually flees Gotham after Jason cuts him off from his support and sends a rocket into his building, almost exploding him. From Bruce's perspective, this is evidence that fear>death does in fact win, a reasoning we're meant to find flawed (// Bruce's reasoning about Felipe in Diplomat's Son).

> Jason may be a killer, but he's far from cold-blooded about it (yet). After he goes after his last target and ends up fighting on a balcony in front of roadwork, the villain tries to push Jason into the roadwork down the street; Jason defends himself but ends up accidentally pushing the man and watches him die a painful, horrifying death in some kind of press, a much more gory and terrible death than originally planned.

> Having retraumatized himself, Jason cries on the balcony, the rain washing the gore off his face, and then picks up a red hood/mask get-up and assumes the identity of the Red Hood to go to Arkham and kill Joker, knowing that Bruce will follow him there.

> The confrontation happens like in canon (oh Bludhaven also explodes) but without explosives because I can't bomb Arkham. Bruce sends the batarang through Jason's neck and he clamps on it, starting to bleed out; but before anybody can do anything, Judy shoots the Joker dead with the phone Bruce discarded, revealing that she'd been tracking Jason to repay a debt and also that she did Gotham and humanity a favour. Bruce hesitates, Judy claims that this time, she won't be condemned for sure, and that Jason is bleeding: if Bruce goes after her, surely he will die. Bruce hesitates but goes after her and arrests her. When he comes back, the Joker's body has been taken by an Arkham guard and burnt, there's a large, large puddle of blood on the floor and Jason is gone.

Nightwing: Ash to Ash

This one I need to flesh out much more but basically, Jason, dissociating, walks to Bludhaven (which just exploded) and finds a dissociating, suicidal Nightwing. Ensues a comedy of horror where both end up convinced Jason is dead and his ghost is haunting Dick, with classics such as Dick telling Jason to go away and stop haunting him, Jason almost jumping off the roof, Dick hauling him up and begging him not to leave him, nobody being okay enough to wonder why Dick was able to haul the incorporeal ghost up the ledge and some kind of weird "you don't die and I don't die/leave" pact with your ghost dead brother who's not actually dead. In the end, Dick is a little more stable and Jason decides he doesn't need him haunting him anymore and leaves; Dick wakes up and calls one of his friends and finds evidence/realizes that Jason was actually alive the whole time and not just a hallucination but it's too late, Jason is gone. Dick is the one to inform the hero community that Jason is back, but is in crisis/need of help. Idk if it's shown here since this is Dick's POV, but Jason is also absolutely still hallucinating Steph.

Green Arrow: Double Red Daisies

Seeing Red rewrite! Again, not extraordinarily fleshed out, but the idea is that I wanna keep the parallels and Mia's story, the fact that this is foremost a Mia story where she views Jason as a dark mirror she's terrified of becoming, and the contrast between Oliver and Bruce's parenting, while also pushing the reader to feel empathy for Jason/highlighting his, arguably pretty valid, point about teenage sidekicks. In this one, the reference to Jason's csa backstory is explicit and not open to interpretation. At the end, having been thoroughly rejected by Mia and her conviction that she'll never be like him, Jason leaves.

Red Hood: The Hourglass

Voluntary time-loop time! A mini where Jason finds a time machine and attempts to solve his death/relationship to Bruce/be saved in time/save his mother (Catherine)/save his mother (Sheila) and restarts the time-loop again and again and again. The point is the heartbreaking realisation that you can't fix trauma, you can never save anyone, it already happened, you're never going to have been saved. However it turns out this isn't a time machine but some kind of dream/stasis machine. In the end, someone (Black Canary) ends up freeing Jason under Barbara's lead; it's revealed she's monitored his comeback but cannot bring herself to approach him.

And at the end, training montage! Jason thinks back on everything and decides he was fucked because his hands shake when he holds a gun since the events of Antigonish, so he practices again and again to become more cold-blooded, convinced this is the only way to survive. We are officially entering Red Hood's most ruthless era.

Red Hood: War Hounds

Jason voluntarily enters an illegal fighting ring (dog fight symbolism be upon ye) lying that he is 15 and portrays himself as super vulnerable, and successfully catches the eye of the child trafficking ring he's been tracking due to its ties with Black Mask (who has continued its activities outside of Gotham after Antigonish, surprise surprise). Jason is then sent to a facility that attempts to train child soldier, where he is the oldest, older than their recruitment age. There, the children are trained for combat and murder, and the staff uses torture to "break them". Jason meets and protects the oldest of the kids, a ten years old red head girl called Sasha. She calls him out on some self-destructive behaviour and he replies he has nothing to live for. A couple of Jason torture sequences later, he sneaks into an office and steals intel of their communication with Black Mask. He sends Black Mask false info while pretending to be the head of the ring, then steals a chess piece from the chessboard. He then rescues the kids, going through the facility in a one-man army and either killing or locking anyone he meets up. He tells the children to run, and then goes back to set the whole facility on fire (yes, with all the people inside it; I did say it was the ruthless era.) When he comes back, Sasha is watching the fire and tells him she wants to be like him. He tells her not to and she tells him he was wrong about having nothing to live for because he fights like a survivor.

Batman: Hour of the Mask

Very chess-themed!Jason's plan for torturing and. killing Black Mask goes awry when it turns out Steph is alive. Between Steph finding out about what happened, Black Mask thirsty for vengeance, a righteous Batman and a furious Selina,

Jason, with Batman hot on his heels, still manages to kidnap Black Mask and is found by Steph first; finding out then and there that she is alive, he pivots to offering to kill him for her or letting her do it if she wants; she hesitates but can't bring herself to do it or let Jason do it. They are interrupted by Selina, who decides actually, she wants to be the one killing him for what he did to her family. To give her time, Jason surrenders himself to Batman, smiling even as he kneels with his head behind his head and is taken to Blackgate, looking very much like the cat that got the canary.

Red Devil #16-17: Sympathy for the Devil

Jason escapes Blackgate by poisoning the food of a whole lot bunch of rapists, child abusers and human traffickers (how he managed to do that selectively is future me's problem). He then comes to help Eddie Bloomberg who is struggling with something, but does so in disguise, under an anonymous identity. The two have intense chemistry, they're both such yearners. Despite Jason's acknowledgement that he is a person from Eddie's past and refusal to confess to who he is, they end up kissing about it (well, Eddie kisses Jason's mask) and then Jason ties a scarf again Eddie's eyes and gives him the mother of all blowjobs. At the end of the story, Eddie finds himself in love with this stranger from his past, and Jason realizes that his childhood crush never went away and finds himself in love with Eddie, and thus decides to leave him because he's decided that's something too precious to ruin and he won't be able to take it when Eddie finds out who he has become and abandons him.

Red Hood: Ash Wednesday

Lost Days rewrite! (Taking a page out of Winick's book and putting this flashback mini right after Jason's most brutal crimes to bring back empathy for the character and remind the reader of how young he is to be doing such things). A whole bunch of horror elements in that one too!

We see over the course of the year a progression of a freshly resurrected Jason from his jaybin era to developing his philosophy in Antigonish. This arc has no psychoanalysis, no Talia character assassination (idfc about Death and the Maidens and you can't make me), issue titles are a bunch of "First" because it does follow a teenage/child development/coming of age structure, ie First Steps, First etc. and the last one: First Kill. We also see Rena for the first time since the Jaybin era! She's back in Gotham for college and trying to uncover Jason's grave by washing all the dirty/abandoned/unreadable tombstones in all the cemeteries in Gotham. She started this work as at fifteen but had to leave because of her dad's work and promised Jason she'd come back someday. The panel of her leaving the cemetery in the evening, hands covered in dirt and exhausted, is of course immediately followed by Jason, an alley after the one she was working on, crawling out of his grave alone that night.

[demonslayerunhinged]

Unhinged analysis — Demon Slayer Mark Series d=(^o^)=b 💪

In Search of Acceptance — What Determines a Person's Worth? (Part 1)*

Muichiro's character, journey, and development are some of the most underappreciated and overlooked in the series. This is a shame because I see his story as a commentary on gender expectations of young boys in the form of emotional repression and stoicism to be 'useful' in society.

So let's begin this analysis from the very introduction of his character.

Who is Muichiro Tokito?

When we first meet Muichiro, we're not given a lot of information about him, aside from the fact that he's constantly spaced out. He isn't shown to have any proper sense of identity, and along with his forgetful nature, lack of emotions, thoughts, and opinions about anything. But then we do see something, two things actually; when the Master reveals that Tanjiro has met Muzan and when Tanjiro interrupts the Master when he's addressing the Hashira.

He expresses interest in Muzan and annoyance at Tanjiro's disrespectful interruption, so much so that he's the only one who reacts by pelting Tanjiro with stones. So we've seen two emotions so far, curiosity and annoyance. He isn't completely blank, just muted. The strongest emotions are the ones that breakthrough is his love and respect for the Master and his hatred for Muzan.

Next let's move on to his character design:

Similar to Sanemi, there's nothing on his uniform that gives us a clue to his personality and identity outside of being a Demon Slayer. His uniform is practical in concealing his movements from demons, but aside from that it's plain and blank, pointing to his lack of identity.

We get more information about his personality from his reintroduction in the second episode of the Swordsmith Village arc. he gets into an altercation with Kotetsu, who refuses to give him the key to Yorichii Type-Zero, a prized possession and family heirloom. At Kotetsu's refusal, Muichiro gets to bullying him, first with words as he attempts to put Kotetsu in his place by stating the difference in importance between the swordsmiths and the Hashira.

“There is a vast difference between the value of your time and a Pillar’s time.”“Swordsmiths are unable to fight, they can’t save people’s lives either. Other than making weapons, they’re useless.”“Get a clue about your position before making a move. You’re no longer a baby.”

When this does not work, he then moves on to attempting to bully Kotetsu physically and is stopped by Tanjiro. Tanjiro notices that there is no hint of malice in Muichiro's words, which tells us that he's simply stating what he believes to be true.

So where does this mindset come from?

The Useless, Worthless Boy

One of the things that I noticed about the twins is how their differences tell us a lot about the gender expectations of boys in society. Yuichiro possesses qualities that are prized and encouraged in boys and men—He's tough, strong, determined, capable, and most importantly unemotional. After their parents died, he was able to take up the responsibility of taking care of the household and taking over his father's job as a woodcutter with the single-minded purpose of taking care of his soft-hearted 'useless' brother.

Muichiro on the other hand is soft and weak as seen in the flashback where he struggles with carrying just one log of wood whereas Yuichiro has carried a dozen or so. He mentioned in the light novel that he wasn't able to do simple chores like cook rice or even use a knife. He's optimistic, soft-hearted, soft-spoken, and emotional; possessing traits that society considers useless in a boy/man, a sissy if you will.

Yuichiro seems to think so too because he not only mocks Muichiro for his 'uselessness' but he also berates him after Amane's visit by belittling his abilities and desire to become a swordsman. This has been interpreted by a lot of fans as Yuichiro hating him or him just being an emotionally abusive dick.

But if we simply listen to his outburst, we'll see that Yuichiro is not simply being hostile to Muichiro. But as we see from his outburst, his actions do not stem not from any real malice but from his fear of losing his little brother just like he lost his parents. In his mind, kindness, and optimism don't have a place in this harsh, cruel world that took their parents away from them. Anyway, despite his true intentions the message was clear to Muichiro, and the damage was done; traits such as kindness, and optimism are worthless and by extension Muichiro is worthless.

Then we had the demon attack, which echoed the same sentiments to Muichiro—their lives were worthless.

*I'm sorry but every time I watch this scene, seeing Muichiro holding Yuichiro, them huddled in the corner with Muichiro shaking in terror looking so small and helpless, it brings tears to my eyes. They were just babies! Fuck that can-opener-hands-looking motherfucker!😭

Anyway, the demon saw them as easy pickings who would not fight back and would not be missed by anyone because after all, like just Yuichiro said 'What can a couple of 11-year-olds do?'. But the thing is that even the smallest, most conflict-avoidant creature will bite back when pushed to the corner, especially when it's to protect what's important to them.

Muichiro was successful in killing that asshole demon, but the damage was already done. Yuichiro had bled out and even though Muichiro was able to make it back to him, the adrenaline from fighting the demon wore off, leaving him too exhausted to go call for help. As he watched his brother bleed to death, I reckon that he felt a sense of guilt because the only reason he was alive was because Yuichiro protected him, putting himself in danger.

I bet that Muichira was thinking that if only he was stronger, if only he wasn't so weak, so…useless, then maybe Yuichiro would still be alive. His brother was right to hate him, he was useless and stupid things like kindness, optimism, and weakness have no place in this world and all it does is get people killed, his mom, his dad, and now his brother. To have those traits is to be worthless, and even when his memory fades away due to the trauma, he still has those beliefs. Subconsciously or probably even consciously, he adopted the traits Yuichiro possessed that he believes will give him worth.

He trains his body to become strong and skilled to match Yuichiro's inherent strength. He also adopts Yuichiro's seemingly cold, callous, and emotionally repressed nature, especially his lack of tact, which he uses to berate anyone who possesses any trait different from what he deems 'useful'. To him, those people are like the old Muichiro—worthless, and this is what he tells Kotetsu.

“Swordsmiths are unable to fight, they can’t save people’s lives either. Other than making weapons, they’re useless.”

Part 2 will be about the significance of Muichiro vs. Gyokko, his mark and how he unlocked it, as well as his healing process.

*reposted as cake slices for easy digestion