#doomed to fail from the start and they made it everyone’s problem

[everlusts]

thinking about how their bond transcends time, space, and destiny—soulmates tethered to each other. except they’re also walking two different paths that cannot overlap, always standing on opposite sides. but she still craves him, because he made her feel so deeply the way she hasn’t felt in centuries. the love she feels for him isn’t just tainted by the knowledge of his true identity; it’s torn apart by the fact that, even now, she still sees halbrand within him and she can only live in constant denial. maybe he sees the darkness lying dormant within her, the unspoken desires she barely acknowledges herself—and it terrifies her that he, of all people, is the one who understands them

and then he’s this fucked up lunatic. meets her when he’s been stripped of everything. he’s so drawn to her and it’s suddenly a romcom filled with crazy sexual tension she is the one person who could have pulled him from the shadows, the reflection of what he might have been in another life—someone who drew him toward the light. but that is still never quite enough to make him leave the darkness behind

she forever chooses good. he is entrenched in his depravity. and yet they both live haunted by this choice of never experiencing again what they felt in those few moments when he was just halbrand and she was just galadriel. just them on the raft. this ‘love’ festers like a wound that will never heal, reminding them of what could have been but never will be

now every time they face each other they’re faced with feelings that neither of them expected to develop and it’s a sore point for both and they can’t erase that intimacy and they’re both frustrated because why not

& for him it has turned into if you can’t have me in your heart the way i desire then i will have you in the only twisted way i know how to which. wow. woah.

[a-little-ray-of-fantasy]

An analysis on how Sir Pentious' character design represents his personality and development perfectly (beware of Hazbin Hotel spoilers)

Let's get this out of the way: Sir Pentious is a snake, an animal mostly known for generally believed negative traits such as poison, deceit and betrayal. We don't know WHY he's in Hell, maybe he was a "snake oil salesman" considering he comes from the Victorian times and he's into hyping up what he does, or maybe he was into war. Thing is, he's a Sinner whose design just scream "Evil".

(BTW, a snake could also represent "fertility": looking at you, Egg Boiz!)

He always had eyes all around him not just because of a stylistic choice.

Sir Pentious always felt like he was watched, and had to watch out for any danger.

"Everyone here is too nice: obviously it must be a lie! I can sense they are planning to kill me, but when?! HOW?! I must be PREPARED!"

Sadly, he's been constantly berated by other demons, far more effective in destruction, status, cruelty and charisma. Alastor won't ever bother to remember him, Cherri always ones up him, and the Vs, the ones he admires to most, won't care less about him.

To the point that Vox sent him as a spy without the intention to save him if things were going to fail. Heck, he even openly tells him to die while calling him a failure.

So of course he's got reasons to have trust issues, or taking everything so seriously, being constantly reminded of what he can't accomplish. So he puts an air of grandure that may be very flamboyant, but is VERY frail.

But, if we have to be frank here, his biggest source of insecurities... is himself.

He has eyes on his tail (his softer, more vulnerable side, which is ironically made even MORE lieable to getting hurt because of how sensitive those organs are), and inside his hood, so he could look out better for danger when on alert mode.

Heck, even the mark on his hood kinda resembles one eye.

Problem is, when you see his hood folded, when he's at ease, neutral or sad, those are not looking at outside sources.

They're looking at him, at his back. A constant stare that happens everytime he lets his guard down and shows how vulnerable he is. A gaze that can sense all of his weakness, his struggles, his insecurities.

And it's all him.

Pentious constantly believes that his inferiority complex will fade away once he'll accomplish something grand that will make others accept him. But he is his biggest critic, his worst enemy: HE is the one who believes he's a failure, that he'll never gain approval from others.

This show takes place in Hell, but this is Sir Pentious' personal Hell: insecurity born out of self hatred. Doomed to feel everyone's gaze upon him, including his own. Believing the danger to his self esteem is from others, when it's really from him.

But then he's accepted at the Hazbin Hotel: Charlie forgives him, he bonds with Angel, Husk and Niffty who don't care a bit about what he's accomplished or not, or what he's done in the past.

He feels more comfortable in showing his vulnerable side, and no one judges him for how easy it is for him to get emotional.

Of course he's still very insecure, considering how he struggles to confess to Cherri, but notice how he stops building machines or planning to attack others as soon as he starts bonding with the others: he doesn't have a reason to destroy or attack, now that he knows he's loved.

And his final design, when he goes to Heaven, shows how much he's changed, yet stayed the same. He may have died a hero, but he's still the same awkward snake we've come to love.

Speaking of love, let's talk about that!

No more eyes on his tail, now it's just on his chest (showing he's opened his heart), his glasses are now heart shaped, and even the markings inside his hood resemble kiss marks more than anything else.

And look: the mark on his hood is now heart shaped!

Why all these hearts? Why did all the eyes disappeared from his body? Even his eyes that were looking at his back?

Simple: love. Love defeated his insecurities and self hatred. He died for love.

He died protecting his friends, his new family, his new home.

He confessed and kissed Cherri knowing full well he wouldn't have made it, and yet he went anyway.

The usually cowardly and timid Pentious actually faced a great danger with courage and determination: he acted selflessly by putting himself in harm's way, he didn't steal (naturally) and by going against Adam he did indeed "stick it to the man"!

He used his weaponry knowhow and battle experience not to conquer, but to save his loved ones.

His only thought up until his demise was: "I'll go down protecting them".

And he's been rewarded not only by becoming an angel, but also being spawned directly in front of Emily and Sera, two Seraphim, the highest rank for an angel to have, who have also been depicted as snakes of fire throughout history! Sir Pentious, the lowly demon considered a failure by everyone, actually has been noticed by the Seraphim! He's come so far!

He's now come to represent the REAL symbolism of a snake: the duality of death and rebirth, transformation and immortality (ironically a reference to the fact he's been around since 1888 without ever dying from any Extermination or blessed weapons).

And isn't so poetic that a snake, the "source of the original evil", was the first sinner to ascend to Heaven? Or that this episode was released on February 1st, or National Serpent Day?

And of course, as the Bible itself says:

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

(John 15:13)

And knowing him, I'm confident in saying he'll keep helping his friends even in his new position, like the soft hearted noodle he's always been, but was to afraid to show it up until now.

[chuluoyi]

studying for dummies

- fushiguro megumi x reader

you have an important exam coming up and are having a hard time to study. luckily, your boyfriend knows how to make you feel better

genre/warnings: college au, total fluff !!!

notes: i love writing college aus for megumi bc he never got the chance to in that cursed manga called jjk :') to the nonnie who asked for this, i knew i have to write it when i received your ask ehe <3

general masterlist

"Why is this so hard..."

Megumi turned to you, sliding his headphones off with a questioning look when he heard you sigh once again, plopping your head down on the textbook. "What if I don't make it? What if I have to repeat a year? Ugh..."

Megumi continued to stare at you, with a flat expression. "So long as you study, you'll pass."

You threw him a sullen look, irked. "I know that! But studying itself is hard!"

The graduation exam was fast approaching and everyone in your grade was losing their head for a reason. Well, not your boyfriend though. While you were busy cramming your poor brain with ethics and physics in his apartment, Megumi was leisurely stuffing his ears with his headphones and catching up to the latest chapter of his favorite manga, without any care of the impending doom.

"You have to take breaks," he scolded then, truly meaning well. "You can't go on without food or rest. And don't overthink it, I'm sure you'll—"

"That's easy for you to say, Megumi—you're a natural genius," you interjected, crestfallen. The stress of failing several tryouts just got to you before you realized it. "Unlike you, I'm a dummy. I have to actually study."

Megumi remained quiet, watching as you turned back to your textbook, determined to give it another shot. Seeing your discouraged expression, something in his heart softened slightly.

And in that moment, he knew what he had to do to lift your spirits up.

He walked over to the little kitchen in his apartment to whip you some lunch, and throughout it all, you were still fixated on your studies, occasionally talking to yourself.

"Can Yuji even solve this problem...? I can take being called dumb but surely I can't be worse than him!"

Megumi found it amusing that you used his best friend as your benchmark for passing. Your way of expressing it brought out a low chuckle from him. How adorable.

Many were wondering what made him to date you—Fushiguro Megumi was always on the top of his class, stoic and indifferent, while you were just... you, a go-getter with cheerful personality that made up most of your academic shortcomings.

To Megumi, you were like a ball of sunshine that he didn't know he needed though. And now, wanted to protect.

While you were still lost in your thoughts and tangled up in physics concepts, he came back to you, gently patting your shoulder. "Hey, I made lunch. Want to join me?"

And needless to say, your eyes lit up with literal stars as you whipped your head towards him. "Yeah!"

Seeing you that excited made something inside Megumi soar. He had always been fond of your smiling face. Watching the fatigue melted a bit from you as you sat down in front of him, a subtle smile found its way onto his lips as well.

"Ooh, hotpot! Megumi, thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Mmm! This is tasty!"

"Mm-hmm, have your fill."

You were giddy as you finished your lunch. It was evident that he had prepared the hotpot with your preferences in mind, choosing almost all of your favorite ingredients.

And you were feeling daring now that you knew that he was keeping you in his thoughts.

"Megumi, if I can score higher than 70% in that exam..." you started, smile gradually widening. "Can we celebrate it by going on an overnight trip to Kyushu afterwards? You know... just a little something to look forward to..."

Your boyfriend immediately fixed you with his unwavering gaze, even with his cheeks still filled with rice. But he didn't dwell on it long as he nodded lightly. "Sure."

"Really?!" you beamed, totally bursting with excitement. "Eeep! Megumi! You’re the best!"

How could he ever say no to you when your eyes were literally shimmering with glitters? Megumi never had it in him to. And hey, a trip for two to commemorate your graduation sounded so nice too, it was actually making him eager.

And so, with your tummy full and energy recharged, you enthusiastically redid your mock-up exam. And when you got 90% this time, Megumi actually initiated the first move and pulled you into his lap, giving you a light smooch on the cheek.

“Whoa...” you were so ready to tease him, poking his pink-tinted cheeks. “Do I get a kiss for every mock-up exam well done now?”

He huffed—flushing, turning away with slight frown. “To give you something to look forward to, remember?”

[kiwibongos]

woohoo finally sharing some art for my kzhn yakuza au!!! the normal one not the sega one. excuse the ref its a little old but might as well share it

yap dump time (kept it as short as i could sorry lol)

it starts as hajime & natsumi becoming close friends early on, and because of her, him and fuyuhiko also become besties. though fuyuhiko was never the type to get close with anyone (and still hadnt befriended anyone at hpa yet), hajime was interested in him and got him to let down his walls. they quickly click and grow close, and the three form some kind of a trio as well. they all get along, have fun together, do normal teen shit, but keep in mind hajime actually has no idea that the kuzuryu siblings are part of the yakuza. to him theyre just regular people, the kuzuryus are just businesspeople on the outside as a disguise pretty much. though one thing hajime does know is that those kids are definitely subjected to abuse at home, but hes not sure what to do about it

id say after like, a year of bonding, one day, natsumi tragically dies. (doomed in every universe sorry girl). not by sato tho! but due to an assassination involving clan shit, though it was just described as a murder. ever since then, fuyuhiko shut down and cut everyone else out his life pretty much. despite how close him and hajime were, they never talked again after that, though he tried to reach out, he wasnt getting anything. not long after, fuyuhiko got a new number, dropped out of HPA, and became buried in yakuza work.

hajime was heartbroken losing two of his best friends, and because of it, he fell into a deep depression the following year. failed his studies before inevitably dropping out of HPA, all while also falling into random aggressive encounters with goons on the streets. (to hajimes confusion, it turned out they were just kuzuryu-rookie assholes investigating hajime, thinking he had something to do with everything going on, without making that obvious to him. fuyuhiko didnt know about all that.) haj got a job too, but it wasnt really enough + he was late most days/had a poor work performance sometimes, just because of alot of shit going on. failing in life and getting into fights, these things are enough for hajimes parents to kick him out rather than offer him help. now he was out on his own, with barely enough money to comfortably pay for food and a room to stay. his friends– chiaki the most– did offer for him to stay at their place, but he declined because he felt like a major inconvenience, that “this is his problem, he has to fix it.”

several months pass as he manages throughout life. one night while hajime was in the city, making his way to a shop, he was threatened by gangsters. fearful at knifepoint, a group of three came to rescue hajime once 'stumbling' upon the scene, fighting and scaring them off. the group introduces themself as ren, jiro and sora, comforting hajime and conversing w/ him, and a small connection was formed. they push some information out of him seemingly out of concern, and once they find out how much hes struggling, they offer to help. from that point on, they frequently visit hajime to make sure hes okay, taking him out to cities to have fun, and a bond forms. hajime was pretty content with it, and felt cared for, because for the first time in a long while, he had made a new friend, and these people almost reminded him of fuyuhiko. tough and standoffish, but generous and caring. with how much he missed him and how vulnerable he was, he grew to like them

however as they grew closer and ran little errands together, slipping into his personal life, they slowly tried to coarse hajime getting into fights & gangs. they see a potential in him, a potential HPA didn't see, and they were willing to give him a chance, though hajime is Not into that at all, hes threatened as they expose themselves as high ranked members of the Raijin clan. theyre at large, and rivals of the kuzuryu clan, and are essentially just like "hey we did all this for you, you owe us a favor" to manipulate him, plus being like "you know those fuckers who keep harassing with you? theyre part of the kuzuryu clan. they SUCK. lets take them down." so they "invite" hajime to join the Raijin's. of course, he denies it in terror, but they aren't happy with this answer. after all they've done for him, it's unfair in their eyes, so they insist, about to abandon hajime which would end up in him failing on the streets again, risking losing a warm roof and well cooked food. scared, freezing up, and without having much of a life going for him or parents to care for him, plus literally being threatened and harassed, hajime is forced into complying, essentially kidnapped by the Raijin clan

after being recruited, it isnt long until he finds out how violent they all are, and just How Much He Fucked Up. off the bat he despises it, hates himself for making such poor choices, but hajime found himself at a loss. he has no idea how the yakuza operates, so still, he found no way out of the mess he was in now. during his time there, he tries to stay out of things as much as possible, but it’s hard to do much else once they forcefully cut all his communication with his other friends, to become one of them and slowly brainwash him into becoming a killing machine. he was completely hopeless, going through training he didn’t want to go through, but he grit his teeth through it and was thankfully cut some slack.

however, the more he had to try, the more it was working, and it’s not long until hajime is dragged through fights, missions and jobs. months into progress, the Raijin clan eventually planned an attack on a club the kuzuryu clan operates in the city, and once it was the right time to pounce, they dragged hajime into it, not giving him a choice but a chance. and that is finally when he comes across a familiar face. in a whole gunfight, hajime stammers and stumbles around in a panicked frenzy, but by the time they have to leave, he’s cornered and caught by the boss. and the moment they meet eyes they’re just like. Oh Fuck

there, after one painful year and several months of pain and worry, hajime finally meets fuyuhiko again, yet no words are spoken, they just kinda Stare. frozen in shock. hajime’s eyes are filled with confusion, concern, but desperation, while in fuyuhiko it's similar, but it evolves into anger. bitterness, betrayal. though before they can say a singular word, ren finds hajime again, shoots at fuyuhiko to shoo him off, and saves him once more, dragging him into the car before they retreat to their base

afterwards, they give him some more information, confirming that it was fuyuhiko kuzuryu, notorious heir of their rivalry clan. but hajime didn’t tell a single soul that he recognized the boss. if he had told them about their past friendship, they would squeeze information out of him, wring him dry and put him in even more danger, put fuyuhiko in danger, and something in him just didn’t want that. he needed to think through it, even though he’s barely processed this information, he still doesn’t know how to feel, even if he’s witnessed how horrible the Raijin’s can be as an example of yakuza clans, hajime saw fuyuhiko as a sign of hope. maybe he could help. he remembers how kind he was, so surely, he must still have it in him

as for fuyuhiko, he has no idea. he truly doesn’t want to believe it was hajime, that it was just some lookalike, but he's not an idiot, he Knows it was him, but he's frozen with disbelief. he couldn’t understand how someone as sweet and as normal as hajime could’ve ended up in a clan, in the Raijin clan, no less. but something in him stirs– a spark of blind hatred and betrayal.

ever since that night, that moment on the floor haunted their minds permanently, while fights between the two clans still commenced, fuyuhiko and hajime decided they were now on the hunt for the other, they needed an answer and they wanted it fast. after that, hajime tagged along most missions, where throughout the months they had gotten close but not enough. though the few times they ran into each other was during fights/jobs, when hajime needed the privacy to talk to him. he tried to come off as friendly, but the more they saw eachother and the more fuyuhiko saw him siding with the enemy, it only gave him the impression that hajime was out for his blood. hence why a rivalry formed on his behalf. seeing ren save him each time only angered him further, and it made fuyuhiko even More desperate for an answer. but hajime didn’t give up, despite the fights, the accusations, the hatred he’s faced from fuyuhiko, he has to prove himself as an ally, and he made that his mission ever since they saw eachother at that club

anyway finally one day, the clan sens hajime alone on a mission to spy on fuyuhiko so they could find out about what the clan is up to, to which hajime gladly went and tracked him down, doing what was told. but once he found him, he exposed himself calmly, and they took time to speak. and by “speaking to each other”, that means hajime startling fuyuhiko in an alley before being slammed against a wall, met with hostility, suspicion and anger LOL. fuyuhiko had never harmed him severely, but he wouldn't hesitate if hajime posed a major threat. but instead, hajime clings to him, cowering, pleading and begging for mercy because he’s his only choice. because he trusts– or he hopes, that there’s still a kind heart in fuyuhiko, despite what he’s learned now, he just can’t see him to be a vile person. the two never separated on bad terms, they were both just mourning, and now he sees why fuyuhiko went so quiet with his clan and all.

hajime’s desperate cries calms fuyuhiko down a little. he’s taken aback by his pleas, unsure if he should spare him, if he should take him back to base, but again in his mind, they were best friends back then. someone he truly never wanted to leave, but life just got in the way. fuyuhiko doesn’t like to get sentimental, nor should relationships mean anything to him, but he can’t help but sympathize. of course, he was still skeptical at first and assumed he was faking it just to raid their own clan if he is to take him, but hajime was dead serious, and proved it by offering to expose information of the clan, ratting himself out that he was on a mission to stalk him. because of his words, slowly but surely, he gained fuyuhiko’s trust

there was silence after that day, but knowing that they made a connection and agreed to work together, the more and more hajime tagged along on missions and played along with it as did fuyuhiko. the two eventually formed a secret friendship, coming up with a plan to bust hajime out of the Raijin clan, though still fighting and acting like enemies when they interacted in front of clans. (so they beat eachother up lovingly.) they established secret meetup spots, along with a secret backup phone fuyuhiko gave hajime with his number on it, along with providing tips and advice. he told hajime more about his life in order to cooperate as they work together to sabotage the clan more, & though he never wanted to get hajime involved in the kind of life he lives, he’s willing to sacrifice his privacy if it means getting hajime to safety

hajime finds himself sneaking out with fuyuhiko often, handing over information but also growing close to him at the same time, earning the kuzuryu clan's trust as well, but more importantly, becoming best friends with him a second time yippieee

not sure how i end this au tbh. dont know if fuyuhiko wants to leave the clan because of haj or if hajime wants in on the kuzuryu clan to stay with fuyuhiko and become his underling (because hey maybe it isnt so bad afterall...) ... I actually Do Not Know. they dont even know what they want for themselves lmao so who cares. they become close and eventually fall for eachother in their own dumb fucked up way. the end.

ok thanks for reading take a bonus to appreciate you for your time. did you know left 4 dead 2 is a wonderful place

[reality-detective]

Written by - Lori Borgman in 1998 👇

"Obituary for Common Sense"

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved friend: Common Sense. He lived a long life but died from a broken heart (technically: cardiac arrest). No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He selflessly devoted his life to service in homes, schools, businesses — and yes, even in the government — helping folks have rewarding lives, and getting jobs done while minimizing fanfare and foolishness.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valued lessons as to know when to come in from the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, that life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple and sound financial policies: Don't spend more than you earn, Waste not want not, A penny saved is a penny earned, and so forth.

Mr. Sense was a tireless advocate for what used to be (in the old days) sage advice, like: Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it, Two wrongs don’t make a right, and Actions speak louder than words.

He was also big on promoting effective parenting strategies like: the adults are in charge (not the kids), and the three R’s (Responsibility, Respect, and Resourcefulness) are the most important lessons to be taught children.

In his day Little League actually had tryouts, and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that! Some students weren't as smart as others, so they received poor grades. Horrors! And the idea of a parent bailing him out if he broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

Common Sense survived such cultural and educational trends as body piercing, new math and instant messaging. For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held little impact on him. But his health started to decline when he became infected with the wide-spread Do anything, just for the sake of doing something virus. And in later years his subsequently compromised immune system proved no match for the ravages of rampant irrational regulations.

For instance, his health rapidly deteriorated when schools implemented and then mindlessly administered numerous zero tolerance policies: a six year old boy was charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, a teenager was suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student.

It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a female student, but could not inform a parent when the same student was pregnant or wanted an abortion. And to make sure that they were part of the problem, parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

Common Sense started losing the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than their victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional sports.

Common Sense took a beating when he couldn’t defend himself from a burglar in his own home, as the burglar could have sued him for assault.

Then there was a woman who couldn’t grasp the concept that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, and was awarded a huge settlement for her own careless small spill on her lap. And smokers who indulged in three packs a day for 40 years, surprisingly got lung cancer, and then sued the tobacco company. Hearing these and similar other sad stories caused Common Sense severe distress.

As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of consciousness, but was inadvisably kept informed of new irrational energy related regulations, like Renewable Portfolio Standards. When he was subsequently informed that “environmental” organizations like the Sierra Club were behind this profound pillaging of the environment Common Sense died of sudden cardiac arrest.

Mr. Sense was preceded in death by his parents: Truth and Trust, his wife: Discretion, his daughter: Responsibility; and his two sons: Diligence and Reason.

He is survived by three stepbrothers: Whatsinit Forme, Iknow Myrights, and Ima Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he had departed. It wasn’t covered by the media, no doubt due to their guilt about their complacency in bringing about his demise.

If you still remember "Common Sense," please pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

If memory serves me correctly this was written right about the time I noticed "Logical Thinking" beginning to disappear. And Löök Where We Are Today¿ 🤔

[delis-4-meats]

I've just had the realization...

...that I- *sobs*- I only hyper fixate on doomed from the start ships and I'm kinda pissed about it, so I'm making it everyone's problem.

OKAAAY HERE WE GO!

Merlin and Arthur:

(There are 5 seasons of romantic/sexual(?) tension I need to cover and not enough time so imma just throw shit out there)

Merlin (a sorcerer/wizard/god/Hiccup Haddock) accidentally gets the job of being Prince Arthur of Camelot's manservant... Bro really didn't want the job. At this time in Camelot, sorcery is illegal but what most don't know is that some are born with magic abilities, so they are convicting and executing innocent people. Soooo yeah, living in the same place as a bunch of anti-witch people and being someone who practices/was born with magic abilities, not good. Eventually Arthur and Merlin became inseparable, Merlin throughout the years has been saving Arthur's life without him knowing and trying to change Arthur's opinion on sorcery without outing himself. In the end Arthur dies (In Merlin's arms btw after he proposed to Merlin) and Merlin is doomed to wander the Earth for all of eternity (Because pookie is basically the wizard god and refuses to die until he sees Arthur again) waiting for Arthur to come back. (SOBS MY EYELIDS OFF)

Megatron and Optimus:

(This is just for TFO, I'm not going to get into the burning shit hole that is TFP, IDW, G-1, and every other wonderful universe's Optimus and Megatron relationship)

Besties/Lovers, inseparable, the ideal relationship in a hard, down on your luck life... Then they realized they were slaves and had two ways of going about taking out their terrible tyrant of a leader (Fucking hate Sentinel). Megs going straight to murder and possibly torture in front of all of Icon (Exposing Sentinel in such a harsh, violent way that would've gone against his moral compass in the beginning of the movie). OP though, has a different approach to expose him to the rest of the world (Sure, is taking someone's head and racking their brain for memories kinda violent, yeah. Does it probably hurtless/is less harmful for big space robots then it is for humans, most likely. It was still a little unsettling for me though) and, unlike Megs, wants to imprison him. Megs got lost in his rage and vengeance (Sasuke core) that made him do a whole lot of things he CAN'T take back, even if he wanted to (He doesn't want to. He's so convinced that he knows what he's doing is morally correct and will fix all his pain). OP was hurt badly emotionally at least (My boi has a whooole lot of trauma) and was actually KILLED by Megs, he has a whole WORLD literally forced onto his shoulders with his new position of a Prime and he (A former mining slave with no education) NEEDS to take care of the whole damn thing. On top of that OP was thrown into war with the Quintessons while probably having to deal with terf battles with the Deceptions, controlling potential riots, politics (ew), and supporting a probably failing economy. ("Thanks Primus," said no one ever. Hi, I'm no one.)

Thorin and Bilbo:

(I'm talking about the movies, yes I read the book, but shut up because I like the movies and idc what you say)

Strangers to friends to lovers in little more than a year. Thorin was guarded, stoical, rude, and harsh with Bilbo in the beginning because he thought that Bilbo was too pompous and fragile to help in their treacherous journey. And Bilbo (being the pompous lil boi he is) is scared out of his head, full of wonder of the world outside the Shire (enough sass to fill the Earth like the great flood in da Bible), and was basically forced on said treacherous journey, has feelings for Thorin but they are purely physical and fade quickly because of how rude Thorin is to him (very ungentlemanly for a king if you ask him). But over time Bilbo proves that he's more than his best suit and by the heavens, Thorin. Is. Down. BAD. He can defend himself to a certain extent, hot. He can use his wit to get out of almost any situation, hot. He will give up his word and sacrifice his honor on Thorin's name and honesty, hot as fuck man. They basically have a WHOLE MOVIE with them subtly loving on each other... BUT THEN THORIN GETS THE DRAGON SICKNESS!! He goes crazy over cursed dragon gold, throws out Bilbo, and starts a war. Then after like half the movie, he faces the danger and says 'NO MORE!' to the gold, rallies his troops, wins the war, AND BLEEDS OUT AND DIES!! IN BILBO'S ARMS!! Leaving POOR SWEET BILBO to go home, alone, depressed, and CURSED!! Bilbo comes home and everyone thinks he was dead so they're selling (Stealing) his belongings, his name and reputation is dragged through the mud because he went on an AdVeNtUrE, and he's single for the REST OF HIS LIFE!! (They ruin me... Cries around my suspiciously bagginshield shaped fics & fanart)

Ok, I'm done... For now.

Gonna be honest, doing this made me think of more ships Bdko (iykyk), SkyStar, and Hijack (In a lot of fics that I read anyway) are a few of them.

Might do this again it was a good vent, besides no one's gonna see this anyway.

[orbmanson7]

Superfluous

Word Count: 2120

Warnings: Typical Angst, Mild Language

--

If he didn’t know any better, Logan would say he’s unneeded.

He did know better, but that didn’t seem to matter to anyone else.

First, it was the ignoring of his advice and suggestions, then the clear indication that he wasn’t welcome unless he provided something of value to the others on the spot, and now… well, now there was nothing. His function had started to fall apart, each day passing by without Thomas’ needs being fully met, all because his Logic wasn’t at the table to contribute.

He wanted to blame Thomas, he wanted to blame the other sides, but he knew he couldn’t.

It wasn’t their fault, and he knew it. 

He was the one failing them, not the other way around.

They were all here for a reason - to do a job, to benefit Thomas - and, save for Logan, they all managed to get by just fine. 

So what was Logan’s excuse? There wasn’t one.

It took some time to realize what had happened, but he’d become useless. 

He was there to serve a purpose, to guide Thomas, to educate and remind, to instill confidence in his own knowledge - but it’d been years since he’d managed to do just that.

It was an odd sensation, realizing he hadn’t had an intellectually stimulating conversation in far too long. Something flared up when he couldn’t convince Thomas to stop with the “doom-scrolling,” or so it was called. The more he seemed to be pushed away, the less he seemed to be able to contribute, until he wasn’t able to get most of his usual daily tasks done.

And Thomas was clearly worse off for it.

Meanwhile, Logan could tell that the others weren’t having such problems. They were able to keep going, like the path ahead was almost entirely clear of obstacles.

But, Logan, for whatever reason, couldn’t find the way through like they had. 

No matter what he tried, he couldn’t make any crucial change happen. Sure, he’d had a lot of push-back before, and he’d had to puzzle out some rough spots through the years, but now it was if he was expected to do the impossible every day.

And he knew he couldn’t just keep pushing at this impenetrable wall, expecting it to move or break. It was futile, hopeless. 

He wasn’t meant to feel disappointed or run-down over this, either, as feelings had no place in this mess. Really, it was just another fault of his own, being bothered by the way the world worked.

He needed to be grateful for the role he’d been given, satisfied with the chances that he had…but he wasn’t. And that was absolutely his own fault, no one else’s. He knew that.

And that was okay.

These ridiculous desires to have discussions, to participate in their gatherings, to feel included among the others... He needed to be rid of these unnecessary feelings. He wasn't supposed to have these, he wasn't meant to perform this function while also being so... so biased.

Then again, he hadn’t been able to perform his function much at all as it were.

All he’d managed to do lately was cause issues for everyone, especially Thomas.

He had tried so hard to get a better handle on things, especially once it was clear how badly everything had started to degrade.

It was all about control, keeping things in line. So why were there always mistakes, so many slip-ups, every single time? Why did he keep failing, no matter what he tried?

After enough time, it seemed as though he hadn’t even been trying, considering how little progress he’d made, but he had! He'd been trying as hard as he knew to, in fact! Was he doing something wrong this whole time? Was there something he was missing?

Whatever it was, it was keeping him from doing his job properly for Thomas, causing suffering for no reason, difficulty for everyone around him. They didn’t deserve that from him.

He’d tried thinking about it differently, to see the problem from a new angle.

The mind was a complex system, meant to work smoothly - each piece whirling on like a well-oiled machine, every cog snug in its proper place, every wheel turning at its proper pace, every movement precise and planned.

It was all meant to mesh together, to flow in harmony...

But Logan’s damn rusty spindle kept stalling, fucking up the whole operation! He was ruining everything for them, especially for Thomas.

Most likely, the piece didn't actually belong there, if it ever did. He guessed it was stalling everything because it wasn't designed to fit in its spot correctly, not necessarily that it was faulty or broken.

He'd checked. He’d checked repeatedly.

It really was functioning just fine, but... it was clearly designed for an older system, one that catered to straight lines and narrowed edges, not all these wide flowing movements and creative turns and curves. It stood out, as if it truly didn’t belong at all.

The other pieces had all adapted to their new environment perfectly, they worked exactly as intended. But Logan's? It just kept getting caught on every unfamiliar turn and crevice.

His piece probably worked just fine in the past, but it clearly didn't anymore. 

It wasn't needed in the current system, that was for sure.

Superfluous. Just an extra piece getting caught in the gears of an otherwise perfect operation. 

It really just needed to be removed. It was the only solution that made sense.

--

"What's that scary look on your face for?"

Logan snapped his eyes up from the coffee in his hands to see Remus had appeared in the kitchen, his smirk ever-present as always.

He sighed,

"Apologies, I was merely thinking through a concept of sorts."

"Sounds interesting,” Remus leaned over the chair across from him. “Care to share?"

"Not particularly,” Logan responded.

Remus only continued to smirk at him. 

"I like you, Lolo,” he told him. “You always tell it like it is."

Logan regretted his own honesty at times, but at least someone didn’t seem to mind. Perhaps he should have been more grateful for that.

He took another sip of his coffee, thinking on how to respond.

"As do you,” he finally settled on. “So I suppose I appreciate you, as well, in that regard."

Remus smiled wide, pulling the chair out from the table, only to take a seat on the table itself instead.

Logan’s expression remained unchanged, but he did pull his mug closer.

Remus glanced down at him, 

"Well look at us being so chummy... Mmm. You know what else is chummy?"

Logan tried not to grimace.

"I don't,” he replied flatly, looking forward instead of at his unwelcome guest. “Is this conversation over now? I have other matters to which I need to attend--"

Remus leaned down closer to Logan, getting right into his face.

"All I was going to say was... There's a solution you're not considering. A fun one, at that."

Logan blinked, unsure if he should move back or if Remus would do so on his own. He also wasn’t sure how he could possibly know what he’d been considering just moments ago, though maybe that wasn’t as surprising as it should be.

"I'm not sure what it is you're referring to, but--"

"Leaving isn't gonna fix this mess. It'll only get worse with you gone. You know that."

Remus leaned away, his expression completely different than before. Logan couldn’t discern what that could possibly mean, but he wasn’t sure if it held any decipherable meaning in the first place.

He just looked down at his coffee again, now feeling almost dizzy.

"...yes, I do know that,” he said quietly.

Remus began tapping at his chin in thought. 

"So…” he continued, “there are other, better options! Why not do one of those? I'm quite partial to the idea of just going ballistic, but hey, it's your choice, really!"

Logan rolled his eyes with minimal effort.

"It is indeed my choice, Remus,” he told him. “So I will not take anyone's suggestions on the matter."

"Aw, come on!” Remus pouted, because of course he did. “You can tell your ol’ pal what you've got loaded in the chamber, can't ya?"

"No,” Logan replied firmly, “because there's nothing to tell. There is no plan. My choice is to not make one."

Remus huffed and jumped back down from the table.

"...well, where's the fun in that?" He asked, arms out.

Logan glared.

"It's not meant to be fun."

"Then what the goddamn point?!” Remus argued. “You just sit here being miserable forever??"

Logan glanced away. 

"Most likely."

He knew he was right, though. There was little else that could be done, especially at this point. If that meant he alone suffered while the rest carried on, then so be it.

Remus just sighed, sounding aggravated.

"Well, that's stupid,” he said. “If you have to be miserable anyway, why not at least say what's on your mind? Give Thomas what for!"

He held up a triumphant fist, smirking over at Logan, like he expected him to agree.

Logan would do no such thing.

"That...would only make things worse for everyone."

Remus let his arms fall to his sides.

"Well, what do you care? If you're gonna leave anyway, it's not like it'll matter, right? Why not fuck ‘em up on your way out?"

Logan sighed. 

"...I mean, I don't want to hurt anyone."

How could he ever want that? He supposed it figured Remus of all the sides wouldn’t understand that…

"Sticks and stones, man,” Remus remarked dismissively, just as Logan predicted. “They'll survive you throwing out some sharp words. But if you're interested, I could gladly get you some sharp implements instead--"

"Why would I want to hurt them?!" Logan shouted. Sure, Remus didn’t understand, but why would he ever think Logan would even consider it?

Remus just shrugged, as if the answer was easy.

"...I mean, it only seems fair,” he said.

Logan sighed, leaning forward to put his head in his hands.

"Nothing about this is fair."

"Exactly!” Remus piped up, “So give it all you got in one last massive punch--"

Logan grumbled to himself,

"I'm not going to--"

"So they know precisely how much you've been hurt first! It's not like there will be consequences if you're gonna leave right after... Right?"

Logan looked up again.

"Well... There could be--"

"Not for you,” Remus smiled.

Logan hated when Remus used bare minimum logic in an argument. 

"Well, no,” he tried, “but for them--"

"What's a butt for?” Remus smiled even wider, if possible.

Logan closed his eyes, nearly defeated. He also hated when Remus pulled childish nonsense for no reason in an argument, too.

"Remus--"

The other side twirled around, laughing.

"Close, but it's actually for pooping!"

Logan sighed. 

"Great. Lovely conversation today,” he remarked as he stood up from the table. “I think I'll be going now."

Remus rushed over to lean on the table, blocking Logan’s exit.

"I just say...consider it,” he said in a serious tone despite his usual smirk. “You've got options."

Logan said nothing. He pushed past him and made his way back upstairs.

--

Removal was a tricky thing.

The exit wasn’t exactly accessible, after all.

It felt akin to being a desperate prisoner, digging at the floor of their cell with nothing but a plastic spoon. They could work at it for months, even years, but still, they’d have absolutely nothing to show for it, save for a worn-down and broken spoon.

But every piece of viable advice out there simply stated to keep digging, don't ever stop. If he second-guessed and tried to start again in a new spot, all the progress (of which there was none) would have been lost. He had no choice but to keep going, to simply watch as no progress was ever made.

Stopping wouldn't do anything but make him feel lazy. He’d only be more useless than he already managed to be, trying such a method of escape.

But what else could be done? To not try would be awful, but trying would yield the same lack of results.

Was he simply destined to always be a complete failure? Was there really nothing he could contribute - anything that could help others…?

If he couldn’t get out, couldn’t remove himself, then he’d only continue to make things worse for everyone.

But…did he have to stop confining himself to that which only allowed himself to suffer?

If it meant a better environment for everyone, could he be selfish, just one time, to finally accomplish what needed to be done?

Did he really have more options, as someone so kindly suggested?

Maybe he had more to consider, after all.

[thelov3lybookworm]

An Aaron Warner Fic!!!!! Plzzzzzzzzz

Dare

Summary: The one she loves only has eyes for someone her friend.

•○●⛦●○•

A/n: You didnt think i would give up the opportunity to write some angst, did you?

a lil treat for you all, two fics in a day 😉

Also, veryyyy smalllll, but i guess its alright, right? 🥲

enjoy!

•○🌑○•

Y/n smiled at something Kenji said, though she did not really listen or understand. She only realised it was a joke because Brendan and Winston laughed.

She tried to pay attention, she really did, but couldn't, not when all her attention was focused on the man on the other side of the room, sitting next to the woman who had the power to either save or doom all of the people gathered.

And he was smiling, in a way he never did for anyone but her.

It always stung Y/n how much he cared for her, but she could do nothing about it. And even if she could, she would not do anything, because Juliette was her friend, and Y/n would never take away her friend's happiness.

The two of them had not confirmed their relationship, but it was apparent that there was something between them.

Y/n sighed, turning back to the dinner she had in front of her, knowing she should eat rather than picking at it, but she simply couldn't bring herself to stomach anything these days.

Maybe it had something to do with her sleeping problems. Or maybe she simply disliked the food provided.

"Y/n?" Kenji called.

"Yes?" Had he been calling her?

"Do you wanna play a game?" Kenji gave her a knowing look, his eyes filled with sympathy.

"Sure. What are we playing?"

"Strip truth or dare." With a grin, Kenji began teaching everyone how to play this game, throwing out absurd rules, and everyone protested at how he simply made them up, and he pouted.

"I promise! It will be so much fun!"

Y/n laughed at his misery, agreeing to play. Once she had agreed, everyone decided to play.

•○🌑○•

Y/n regretted her decision to play not two minutes later.

"Y/n! It's your turn!" Winston screeched, and Y/n dipped her head, blushing furiously.

She either had to choose between truth or dare, and if she failed to answer or do the dare, she would lose one article of clothing.

Currently, she was sitting in only her pants and undergarments. Kenji only had his pants and one sock on, Winston and Brendan having lost their shoes and one sock each, though they still had their shirts on.

Y/n envied them.

"What is going on here?"

Y/n sat up straighter, wishing to be anywhere but here.

"We are playing strip truth or dare." Winston replied, and Y/n turned to find a confused looking Aaron staring at the little group.

His eyebrows rose impossibly higher, and he glanced down at her. "I thought you were the smart one here."

She blinked, a blush staining her cheeks at his attention. "You can't say no when you know they will not leave you alone until you agree to whatever they want." She gestured vaguely with her hand, and Aaron. Actually. Grinned.

Y/n's lips parted, and she stared at him for a moment longer before she turned back towards the table.

"You should play too." Kenji sad just as Juliette came to stand next to Aaron.

After the rules had been explained as everyone scrambled to put their clothes back on, the game started again, now including Aaron and Juliette.

"So, let's start with Warner." Kenji wiggled his eyebrows, and Y/n knew that he only asked to get under Aaron's skin.

She smiled, shaking her head fondly.

Aaron glanced at Juliette before answering. "Dare."

"Awesome. Kiss the person you are attracted to or lose an article of clothing."

Aaron glared at the man across from him, and Y/n spoke up, hoping to get Aaron to not kill Kenji.

"You don't have to kiss anyone. Simply remove your shoe-"

Before the last word had even escaped her mouth, Aaron's lips were on hers.

•○🌑○•

General taglist: @harrystylesfan2686 @cassie6392

[acaptainbyanyothername]

I have to credit @asamis-jodhpurs for this incredible meme they made about Spahr only discovering his feelings for Phineas when he thought Phineas was DEAD, because I think about that all the goddamn time. Like, the implications of him figuring out what Phineas meant to him and falling in love with a ghost is CRAZY.

It’s like… okay, you are Jonas Spahr. You had so many chances and you failed each one, but now you realize there were more chances you didn’t even realize you wanted until now, when it’s useless and too late. You think he’s met a horrifying end on an islet you abandoned him on. And the GUILT OF IT, to feel like you PERSONALLY FAILED this guy and all along he meant THIS MUCH to you. It was beyond mentor/mentee, beyond romance, this guy was literally your person and you just had your head too far up your own ass while he was fucking ALIVE to even realize it. You only realize how much he meant to you once he’s no longer there to know, and isn’t that so fucked up of you? One of the reasons he died was for your favor, something neither of you knew how much of it he had all along. And now he’s dead, no coming back from that, and it’s your fault, and you’re left with all this love and affection you can do jack shit with and probably wouldn’t have saved him anyways. You personally accelerated him to his death when you brought him into this society, and you had the audacity to believe you were saving him. You were the one who doomed him from the start, motherfucker, and your arrogance said that was doing him a favor. Everyone around you is telling you to get over him, when you just finally figured out what he meant to you.

But even with these intense feelings, even feeling the regret of opportunities missed, you know you couldn’t have done anything anyways. Even if you had been aware of these feelings when he was alive— you were Prime Consector, he was Adsecla. You were Valorous, he was Caenemous. While you did fail every chance you had, your failure was inevitable due to your respective places in society. It would never have worked, but regardless those problems seem so distant now that he’s dead and everything’s changed. It was doomed before it began, but the “what if” still haunts you— most of all, you just wish you could have saved him. You’re haunted by his ghost and on some level you want to be because the grief means you truly cared about this guy, and you’re no longer sure how many things you’ve actually truly cared about in your entire life.

And… maybe, just maybe, if somehow he’s actually alive, maybe you don’t actually want to be Consector or Valorous all that much anymore. Why choose to be torn from him a second time? Why not finally make the choice to do anything you can to save and protect him, in the way you failed to last time?

Well, sure is a shame he’s dead, and you’ll never get that second chance, oh wait who’s that in the Arca—

[honeylemonteaasblog]

Soulmates <3

summary: Yoongi and our MC, Hani, meeting for the first time.

pairing: Yoongi x Reader

genre: soulmates, fluff

word count: 3.7 k

warning: fluff, almost sickeningly sweet, boyfriend Namjoon

Yeah, soulmates existed but you never thought you would find your soulmate.

It’s not because you were a complete pessimist, it’s just that most people don’t. Historians talked about a time where everyone meet their soulmate. It was like a rite of passage to meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after. Then, it was like the world just… moved on. We shifted away from this romanticized idea of love. We prioritized money, productivity, and success. But the problem was that not everyone can agree on how to define success.

As a teenager, school became your whole life. Then, when you finally did graduate, work became your whole life. There was this need to progress in life at the fastest pace possible. And if you didn’t complete everything how everyone else wanted, then you were failing. If you didn’t do well in school, go to a good university, and land a well paying job where you could work for the rest of your life, then you weren’t successful. It didn’t matter what you accomplished. It didn't matter how you felt about any of it.

In this new world that demanded toxic productivity and limited happiness, there was no room for soulmates. Not in the traditional way anyways. Some people still found their soulmates. But the magic of it all wore off. It didn’t seem special anymore. If anything, people who found their soulmates were lucky because of the convenience of it all. You found the one, so you could stop pretending to care about love.

Historians describe soulmates as a magic that can’t be contained. An all consuming feeling that can’t be fully described because it’s too many positive things all at the same time.

Personally, you think that no one can describe soulmates because that’s part of the magic that has worn off. It’s just another causality caught in the cross fire. The very idea of soulmates is slipping away. You wonder how long it will be until everyone forgets there were soulmates to begin with. It’s already started.

“Please… It’ll be fun. I promise” Minji is begging you to go to dinner with her friends. It’s not that you don’t want to go or don’t believe her. You do want to met her friends and boyfriend, Namjoon. It’s just that you don’t really like meeting new people. Well, you don’t really like social gatherings, or people for that matter, in the first place. You prefer a night in with a good book and some music.

But you had been dodging Minji’s attempts for a whole group hang out for over a month now and she was getting desperate. You were starting to feel bad. And it was a Friday night so you didn’t have classes in the morning. Plus she was almost in tears and looking up at you with puppy eyes. Really, you were doomed from the start.

“Just dinner.” You don’t think she was listening anymore, too busy nodding happily as she texted her boyfriend about the slight change of plans. She said that there were already going to be nine people, so adding another person last minute would be completely fine. She always complained that she was in desperate need of more women in their hangouts. It was only Minji and Sieun, Hoseok’s girlfriend.

She always called them “the boys.” Even though her boyfriend was one of them, he was simply lumped in with the rest of them. It always made you laugh how she talked about them as if they were one singular unit. They all seemed to exist together. It made you smile, but also you were a little nervous because you had no idea what to expect. You had no idea who they were. You hadn’t even met Namjoon yet. Nor did you know much about him, despite being friends with Minji for so long. All you did know was that they all go to Seoul’s National University too. But it was a big school, so even that didn’t mean much.

You didn’t even know their names, well, only Namjoon and Hoseok.

Needless to say, you were nervous on your way to dinner. You and Minji were taking the bus over to the restaurant together. You sat quietly, wondering what Minji’s reaction would be if you decided to fake an illness to get out of dinner. She would realize what you were doing, but you wonder if she might let you off the hook if she could tell how hard you were trying. Minji was talking to you a little, but mostly to herself. She was going on and on about how much the boys were going to love you. That they needed someone like you in their friend group.

That is, someone smart. Apparently the boys were a little dumb. Don’t get it wrong, they were smart, they just were also ‘the boys.’ You took her word for it because you didn’t really know what that meant. But you also did understand that boys tended to be a particular kind of dumb smart. So you wouldn’t put it past the seven men to be both smart and dumb at the same time. In fact, they probably were most of the time.

She also gave you a brief introduction of each of them so you didn’t have to stress about trying to figure it all out while you were eating.

The oldest Seokjin had graduated last year with a business degree and worked at a start up while also working as a TA at the university.

Then, Yoongi who also graduated with a business degree with Seokjin last year, but decided to double major. So, he is finishing a music production degree.

Namjoon’s a literature major, focusing on classics. It makes you smile because it makes sense why Namjoon and Minji would get along. You can already tell that you are going to like her boyfriend.

Hoseok’s a senior and Jimin’s a junior, but they are both majoring in dance. Their dream is to a run a studio together. It’s honestly pretty heartwarming.

Then Taehyung, who is studying photography. Apparently he has a couple minors because he could never make up his mind about what to study and now has all of these extra credits and hobbies that he doesn’t know what to do with.

Finally, the maknae, Jungkook who apparently is your stereotypical ‘gym bro.’ That in itself makes you a little nervous. But he is studying graphic design instead of getting a business degree so it gives you hope. Minji says that Jungkook is a literal bunny, whatever that means.

Sieun greets you both at the entrance to the restaurant, having just gotten there herself. You had meet Sieun a few times when she’d eat lunch with you and Minji sometimes. She’s like a little ray of sunshine. Honestly, it’s adorable. You found yourself wanting to squish her checks together all the time.

“I’m so glad you are here.” Sieun, ever the princess, said brightly. “There are too many men, we need more women in the group.” She sighed hopelessly. Minji was quick to voice her agreement which made you burst out laughing. You think that you are really going to like this friendship. And its always great to have girl friends. There is something special about it.

It was a higher end KBBQ restaurant. So even though you could tell it was more expensive you didn’t feel underdressed. It felt homey which helped you relax a little but you were nervous walking to the table. You could see seven men sitting at a table in the back. It was not completely private, but farther in the back offering some privacy for your large group.

You assume that Namjoon was the first to see you because a tall man jumped up from his seat to hurry over and wrap Minji in a hug. Despite his large frame, you could already tell he was a teddy bear. You think you already like him, but had to put on the front of a protective best friend. Once he let go of Minji he turned to greet you, bowing politely.

“Haneul, right?” You nod, returning his bow. It felt pretty formal but you appreciated the gesture. You think Minji found a good man. “Hani is fine.” You say diplomatically while Minji stifles a laugh beside you, amused by your antics. Like she would be any different.

You turn towards the other men, intending to offer each a smile and expecting an awkward introduction back. But after the first awkward smile, you freeze. A man is looking back at you. He has cat-like eyes and dark hair. He looks so pretty. You aren’t sure how else to describe him, just pretty. You think that your brain might be malfunctioning a little because you aren’t able to form any words. Honestly, the man isn’t doing much better. He also is just staring back at you, mouth slightly agape.

Its only after the initial shock that you realize why you both are frozen. You are soulmates. You had never expected to meet your soulmate. You hadn’t planned for this. Judging by his expression, you don’t think he had either. No one does anymore. So, you aren’t completely sure how to react. You don’t know what is expected of soulmates the first time they meet each other.

Everyone else is watching the two of you in confusion, but neither of you even realize because you are both too preoccupied with just staring at each other. You think you could be happy staring into his eyes forever.

“You’re my soulmate.” The man finds his voice before you do. He states it so matter of factly, his voice void of emotions. Part of you understands his tone, you relate to his tone. But the other part of you cringes. Is it bad to wish that his voice held more emotion? Is it bad to wish that he cared?

You nod, suddenly unsure of yourself. God, you want the ground to swallow you whole. Why had you let Minji convince you to meet her friends. You could be at home right now instead of in the restaurant meeting your soulmate.

It’s not that you have something against soulmates or you don’t want a soulmate at all. It’s just that you don’t know what is expected of a soulmate. You didn’t expect to meet your soulmate so you hadn’t considered what you did want. Obviously, you are an overthinker. You like to have everything planned out before you need to make a decision. You don’t like surprises because it makes you feel out of control. This is a surprise and, right now, you definitely feel out of control.

You can feel your eyes begin to fill with tears. You play with your sleeves behind your back to try to stop your hands from shaking but it isn’t working because you can still feel them shake. You blink a few times to make sure you don’t start crying. God, you really don’t want to cry; that would be a mess. How would you even explain why you are crying to your soulmate. That is, if they even wanted to know in the first place. You are vaguely aware of just how much you are overthinking right now, but can’t seem to stop yourself.

Your soulmate’s words broke everyone else out of their spell. The man next to your soulmate pushed the man towards the end of the booth, muttering something about how he has to do something and how you look scared.

You don’t look scared. Right?

Your soulmate stands up and takes a hesitant step towards you. When you don’t move he approaches cautiously. “I’m Yoongi.” “Haneul” Your voice shakes which contrasts Yoongi’s voice which stays steady despite the emotion now on his face. You can see him struggling to say something, but you don’t know how to read his emotions. They are so clearly on his face, but its difficult to decipher. Maybe its the tears clouding your vision. You wonder if Yoongi even knows what he, himself, is feeling.

“Haneul” Yoongi repeats. You don’t think he was actually talking to you so you don’t respond. You don’t even know what you would say to him. You nod. “Hani” You end up saying. “Everyone calls me Hani” You clarify when he doesn’t speak. You open your mouth to say something else. What exactly? You aren’t sure. But Yoongi beats you to it when he repeats your name. Again. He smiles and for the first time. You feel butterflies, the good kind.

“Why don’t you two eat together? We can meet later.” The man who had ushered Yoongi to stand up earlier says with a smile. It’s a nice smile. It makes you feel like he cares about you. Minji really does have good friends. You glance at Minji and she smiles and nods encouragingly. She looks like she might burst with energy. Minji is slightly bouncing up and down like a toddler that ate too much candy. Namjoon is standing next to her. He is looking between Minji and you like he might need to step in and hold Minji back from hugging you.

You look at Yoongi who is looking at you with hopeful eyes. It’s the first emotion you can easily read. You don’t think you would be able to turn him down when he is looking at you like that, even if you didn’t want to eat with him. You nod quickly which makes him smile even wider. His smile is this gummy smile that makes your heart clench. You decide that you love his smile.

You and Yoongi move over to another booth for some privacy. You are just far enough away that the others won’t be able to hear you, but they still have a clear view which makes you shift nervously. You can tell that all of them are watching you and Yoongi carefully. Yoongi seems calm which is good because you are anything but calm. You need some calm. Maybe this whole soulmate thing had some merit to it. Maybe Yoongi will be able to balance you out. The thought makes you a little dizzy. If Yoongi balances you out by giving you some peace to your racing mind, you hope that you can balance him out in some way too.

You send him a shy smile, trying to see what Yoongi could possibly need help balancing out. He blushes. Like he actually blushes.

You knew the myth behind soulmates. It was said that your soulmate was your other half. They were like your missing puzzle piece. That they completed you. Obviously it was a nice thought. Doesn’t everyone want to meet their person? Someone who just completes you and makes all the worries go away. So of course soulmates sound pretty good. But the problem is that soulmates don’t promise anything. Back when soulmates were really popular, people would find their soulmate and fall in love, but still get their heart broken. Love between soulmates isn’t set in stone, you still need to put effort into your relationship.

Relationships are never easy, even with the perfect person, your other half. Your soulmate.

You think it is naive for people to think that soulmates would fix that. But for most, they want an easy love. They want all the perks of being in a relationship without the work. So the magic of soulmates began to fade. Simply people stopped valuing relationships and instead wanted ease, but nothing in life is easy, especially the things worth fighting for. And you can already tell that Yoongi is worth fighting for.

“Here” Yoongi begins to place cooked meat into your bowl of rice. You had been so caught up in your own head that you hadn’t even realized he had been grilling meat. You send him a shy smile that makes his eyes light up. You feel satisfied. You have always cared about people and put so much into making other people happy, but there is something special about making Yoongi happy.

“I never thought I’d meet my soulmate.” He leans back in his chair, giving you his full attention. In the best way possible, it makes you really nervous. There is something so unique about being watched by Yoongi. It is like he is truly seeing you and you aren’t sure you have ever felt so vulnerable with anyone. “I gave up.” You admit in a soft voice that makes Yoongi melt. You see it in the way that his eyes soften.

“People used to plan their lives around soulmates and now people give up their soulmates for whatever life they already have. It's like they are so scared of disappointment that they won't let themselves wish for the mere possibility of something better.” Yoongi’s voice is really nice. You wonder if he would consider recording an audiobook. He has the voice for it. “But… I’ve always dreamed of meeting my soulmate.” Yoongi’s confession makes your eyes snap up to his. A part of you wants to hide, worrying that you won’t be able to meet his expectations. On the other hand, the look of kindness in his eyes makes you think that he may just be a kind man. So, you find yourself wanting to trust him.

“Relationships aren’t easy. Soulmates don't guarantee anything.” You voice shakes a little bit and you hope Yoongi doesn’t realize but based on how closely he is watching your face you bet he does. He nods quickly.

“You jumped to relationship quickly” His eyes look playful as he watches you, so you know that he is teasing you. Briefly, you realize that he is trying to make you feel more comfortable. It’s working. “Oh? No relationship is fine for me too.” You keep your voice light so he knows that your teasing him and not serious. You are also fighting a smile that you know he can see.

Yoongi fights off his own smile as he watches your eyes shine. You look happy and it makes him happy. “Wait.” His voice comes out strained and it makes your heart skip a beat. “Relationship sounds good. Great actually.” He talks quickly as he watched you smile as his words. God, he would do anything to keep that smile on your face.

You breakout into a fit of giggles and it has him stopping. It’s like Yoongi’s whole world stops in that moment. He finally understands what all the historians are talking about. He doesn’t know how he thought that he was happy before because it’s in this moment that he realizes he will never be happy again if you aren’t in his life. He doesn’t know how he could go back to his normal life if he you left him. It is in this exact moment that Yoongi realizes that despite just meeting you, he would do anything for you.

He is already writing a album in his head. He wonders if it would be to bold to title it “Hani.”

“Relationship sounds good to me too.” Your voice is shy and it makes Yoongi want to wrap you in his arms and shield you from everything that could ever hurt you. You are too precious for this world.

The others watch the two of you from their table. They aren’t able to hear anything, but they don’t need to because they can see the big smiles on both of your faces. Neither of you have stopped smiling since you sat down together. “I’ve never seen Yoongi look like that” Jin states. The others simply nod, keeping their eyes on you and Yoongi. They don't want to blink and miss a part of your love story.

“They’re already in love.” Minji hasn’t stopped smiling since she heard the word soulmate. Minji has always loved the idea of soulmates. While she and Namjoon have been in a relationship for years now and she is absolutely in love with him, she has always loved the idea of soulmates. The idea that there is someone else out there that is meant for you. Someone that is your other half. Out of the two best friends, Minji is the romantic.

So now that you and Yoongi are soulmates, Minji is ready to live out her dreams of seeing soulmates fall in love. Many best friends might be jealous, but Minji loves you so much. She also knows Yoongi.

Unlike most people, Yoongi has always held out hope that he would find his soulmate. He has a file on his laptop of songs dedicated to his soulmate and love of his life. He hadn’t even met you yet and he was already in love. Minji knows that Yoongi is going to love you in the best way that he can. He is going to pour everything into your relationship. He would do anything to make you happy. To make you smile. To protect you.

Minji is overwhelmed with happiness. She feels so lucky that she gets to witness you be loved by someone like Yoongi. Minji also knows that while you are scared of love, you give everything you have to your relationships too. You and Yoongi are alike in that way.

You don’t have many friends, a fact that you aren’t ashamed to admit. You don’t have many friends because you value friendship so much more than most people. When you commit to a relationship, platonic or romantic, you give everything to it in order to maintain it. You understand how much work it takes to maintain a relationship, so when you commit you hold yourself to a high bar.

Minji isn’t sure if there is anyone better out their for either of you, you both seem to fit together perfectly. But that is the whole idea of soulmates, right? That you complement each other completely. She wipes a tear from her eye which catches Namjoon’s attention. Ever the attentive boyfriend. He reaches over to grab Minji’s hand, knowing that quiet reassurance goes a long way.

“I’m so happy that I get to witness their love.” Minji’s voice holds so much emotion in it. Namjoon smiles at his emotional girlfriend. He is so in love with her, its almost overwhelming to look at her.

“He is going to love her so much.” Minji smiles back at Namjoon.

“He already does.”

[tttrashmouth]

something super interesting about merlin to me is that (whether directly or indirectly) they made a show about how conforming to societal views and expectations that are made for only a select few in society will eventually lead to everyone’s destruction. merlin spends the whole show refusing to tell anybody he has magic (besides mainly lancelot and gaius). typically, marginalized people conform to a societal standard to keep themselves safe (absolutely valid and reasonable thing to do), but at extreme points this can lead those marginalized people to indirectly start to advocate AGAINST their own well being in favor of keeping the peace and themselves safe and not actually dead. we see merlin do this same thing throughout the show, he constantly hides who he truly is and often speaks out against magic to keep it that way. that’s something i honestly understand, especially considering he lives in the heart of camelot as literally prince arthurs manservant. the only person who needs to be as guarded with their magic as he is, is morgana. to me, the interesting part is when merlin is given opportunities to bring magic into arthurs (and others) favor, he doesn’t.

and i am fully aware there is an aspect where merlin doesn’t want to see arthur hurt, but that loops exactly right back into the problem. rather than hurt arthur, merlin would rather hurt HIMSELF in the process of protecting arthur. any chance he’s given, he uses it to turn arthur away from magic. of course, you can’t discuss this without discussing the influence gaius has on this situation and how honestly, if gaius had not been telling merlin to keep his magic a secret and not tell anyone about anything, merlin would have told at least gwen by season one or two, even morgana maybe. but he doesn’t. because he’s constantly being convinced that he has to stick to what the norm is and try and conform. he has to let things happen when they’re supposed to, not try and force it himself.

so if merlin, who is destined to bring the golden age of albion with arthur, doesn’t do anything to try and push that goal forward than who is? of course it should never rest on his shoulders alone but he never actually takes steps to work towards a better future. and that’s it’s. that’s how oppression and violence wins, it convinces marginalized people that if they just sit and wait, in however many years change will come. finally they will have the freedom they’re looking for.

but it won’t happen, not unless they stand up for themselves. as sad as it is, those who oppress marginalized groups often benefit FROM the power they hold in the systems they’ve created and even in the fictional world they’ve created here, it’s no different. all of these sorcerers who live in camelot have been through so much pain and suffering that a lot of them have truly been convinced to dislike magic to a certain extent, even merlin. kilgharrah ACTIVELY turns merlin against morgana and mordred. i know it’s because they’re apparently going to be the doom or merlin and arthur respectively, but damn he doesn’t even give them a fighting chance. at least mordred knows about merlins magic, morgana doesn’t find out until the end of the entire show.

now i would like to clarify i am not bashing merlin or anything, he did what he could (mostly) with the hand that was dealt to him. even if it’s unintentional though, it’s interesting how this show truly shows how an oppressor will try (and often succeed) to show the oppressed that if they just sit and wait and let themselves be brutalized then their day will come, their freedom will arrive. but it won’t, not until they fight for it themselves. the entire show ends with so many of our main cast dead and those that aren’t are mourning the future that could have been. years of conforming and waiting for the day where magic would finally be free again we’re all for nothing because arthur DIES before any of it can actually happen. merlin practically fails because he’s been taught that it’s better to play it safe and stay alive then it is to actively fight for himself and others like him. and objectively, that’s not wrong and in a lot of cases can be the only option to take. but for merlin it’s leads to terrible consequences, one’s he never wanted to have to face.

[all-pacas]

comprehensive ranking of all of chase's relationships and how Compelling i find them. this is objectively correct btw.

CHASE + HOUSE

fucked up father-son mentor-mentee employer-employee bullshit. chase's character development of "failing upward, but tragically" cannot be surpassed. he wants house to respect him and accidentally turns into him. house picks on chase constantly but chase is the one he turns to for schemes and problem solving and keeps giving the truth to. absolutely obsessed. their relationship is so unequal but crucially that's how they both like it.

2. CHASE + 13

the venn diagram of them is a perfect circle. they are cynical and sarcastic and traumatized and repressing it and masking with hyper sexuality and risky behavior and feeling dead inside. we make fun of chase for having no empathy or morals but he sees 13 hiding her trauma and falls over himself desperate to be her friend and therapist. of the "i could make them better/i could make them worse" dichotomy they actually can make one another better. the fact that they probably were attracted to one another but never fucked means so much to me actually: local dumb sluts respect their relationship too much to do the easy thing; become friends instead

3. CHASE + CAMERON

half of chase's development is directly because of cameron and that's actually so bleak. nothing and no one besides his parents has shaped him more. he becomes a dumb whore because he doesn't know how to recapture love and intimacy and wants it; cameron made him happy and he fucked it all up and decides it's easier to cope with if she never loved him at all, if it was unrequited from the start, because otherwise he has to blame himself for driving away the one person who has maybe, ever, loved him. i'm insane about this. it was always doomed but she's literally the stacy to his house, you can't have chase without her fingerprints all over his neck. they have such complimentary and opposing traumas. they both went "i bet this relationship will fix me, they'll fix me" and sat around waiting for it to happen. messiest lesbian breakup of all time

(from here down the rankings mean less, it's very much "top three……everyone else")

4. CHASE + PARK

i really don't care for how the show made them into a joke, hahahaha how cringe the weird girl has a crush on the pretty boy. i love how chase wanted nothing to do with park but somehow they turned into friends anyway. how he helps her when she's scared in 'chase,' how he gets to share her grandmother, how in a real way they're both isolated and feel like outsiders. also this:

PARK: It could just mean that we like each other. I'm weird, and you're pretty, but we connect. We feel safe. We trust each other.

how can you not! be obsessed! they trust one another. i don't ship it, but i want chase over for family dinners. he's just another cousin, it's fine. even once he's her boss.

5. CHASE + FOREMAN

this seems like it might be sarcastic but i'm serious: i love how they kind of never really become friends. like. they are friends. but it's a friendship of proximity, they've known one another forever, they drive one another insane and know exactly what buttons to push. neither of them would ever have picked the other as a friend, and in fact they spend the first half of the show openly hating one another (foreman more openly). they're so different, i'm not even sure they respect one another much. but they've been through everything together. it's like that adage - you don't have to like someone to love them. you don't have to like someone to be friends. (also, conflict is fun.)

6. CHASE + MASTERS

speaking of people who don't like one another!! this isn't a very deep relationship, but i do find it very funny how openly chase just couldn't stand her. he sees this baby version of his ex wife and is just like nope! bye! and yet he actually does pull his head out of his ass when it matters. i like him pushing her to leave house while she still can. i love that masters isn't afraid to call him out. her delivery of "you're a dumb whore" is maybe the funniest thing the show ever did. i like to imagine them meeting again maybe 5 years later and just laughing about it all.

7. CHASE + TAUB

they really don't have a deep relationship, but i like them both and i like that they just kind of get along. it's actually funny how easily chase slots in with the new team in s6. foreman was always trying to make sure the new kids knew he was Their Boss and chase is just immediately comfortable with them. i bet he babysits taub's daughters all the time, but he does absolutely charge for it.

8. CHASE + KUTNER

IN MY HEART THEY ARE NUMBER FIVE OR SIX, but they basically never interact. but god they would have gotten along so well. like you'd think chase would be all cynical and wary like he often gets, but then kutner would let slip 1 (one) superstition or mild conspiracy theory or mention aliens and they'd just be at it for the next eight hours. they'd hang out and play video games and watch soccer and plan weekend hiking trips to search for cryptids. 13 could tag along. we could have had it all. never forget the time that chase blackmailed kutner into 30% of his business profits.

9. CHASE + WILSON

they never!! talked!! this is entirely based on their incredible "let's fuck house over together" dynamic in private lives. the implication that when wilson needs info on house, he turns to chase. the brief glimpse of wilson trying to help recent divorcee chase out. he invited him blind dating. this dynamic had so much potential.

10. CHASE + ADAMS

i really was not convinced by s8's "oho they have sexual tension," especially since it was always told to us, usually by house, and never actually shown. they had occasionally interesting talks about their very different world views, but i don't think that makes for romantic/sexual tension. sorry adams.

11. CHASE + AMBER

we really only see them interact once but it could have been an interesting dynamic to explore! amber thinks he's all cynical and bitter and Out For Revenge, and chase's perception skills kick in on her, and amber isn't wrong but she's reading him as more cynical as he probably actually is. this could have been interesting to explore. i think chase would lowkey hate her but definitely admire her.

12. CHASE + CUDDY

another even rarer dynamic. they had one cute scene in s7. i feel like early seasons chase was constantly trying to kiss her ass. kind of funny how cameron and foreman get lots of scenes with her and wilson and chase is just like la de dah the only person i wanna talk to is house

[kino-der-joon]

Did Group 935’s supersoldier experiments actually…..do anything? Because it seems like they only started near the end of WWII, so did they actually change the outcome of the war? I mean I guess Maxis died before the experiments finished so they all had bigger problems, but. Yknow. If Maxis ended up helping the Nazis win in this universe I feel like they would’ve highlighted that more.

💫 Hey hey!! I am SO sorry this took so long, I was a bit side tracked, but when I saw this question I was so EXCITED!! I love lore related questions, so let’s waste no more time and delve into it!! ✨

💫 Fortunately, the ‘Super Soldat Program,’ as Richtofen called it, didn’t end up helping the war effort for Germany at all. In fact, it never really left the ground. Though, the reason is a little interesting!

✨ In a way, the Super Solider experiments were doomed to fail from the start because of the man in charge, our favourite German: Richtofen. He made an effort to follow the plan through, but with his mind so twisted by the voices of corruption, it wasn’t long before he got side tracked. Because of his stronger interest in reaching Agartha, he stopped the Super Solider experiments and continued using Group 935’s resources for personal research. When caught, his test subjects were put on ice and sent to Der Riese, where he was also sent to be watched closely by Maxis. We all know what followed after that.

“If I’m being honest, I’m beginning to find this work a little drab und boring. Undead army, Super Soldat Programs…Group 935’s deal with Germany has truly limited the organisation’s potential! The appearance of the spy last month has inspired me to review the blacksmith’s schematics, the Agarthan Device and its three components: The Vril Vessel, the Apocathon Blood und the Elemental Shard.” - Richtofen, audio logs.

✨ But, that isn’t to say that the experiments didn’t have ANY results. Not only was the program trying to ‘unlock the human mind’ and create the perfect solider, but it was also attempting to clone the test subjects to create a whole army of super soldiers, and that’s where it all went wrong- Aside from ripping the whole idea right out of a comic book.

✨ Takeo, Nikolai and Dempsey were all cloned several times, but the clones came out horrifyingly disfigured each time. Some had two heads, or large dangly arms with fleshy claws on the ends. Some had no feet, others had no way of standing up due to having too much muscle for their frames to handle. They all had these disgusting looking growths on them too, they were pure nightmare fuel.

✨ Had Richtofen not lost interest, he might have gotten closer to creating the perfect super solider! So, I’d say it’s lucky for everyone else that he didn’t. ✨

💫 Thank you SO MUCH for this question, and I hope I was able to answer it well!! ✨

[crossdressingdeath]

Rook: [Solas] sees a problem, and he thinks of a solution that has huge, horrible knock-on effects. And then he does it anyway, because there's no way anyone else could come up with something better! And it's okay that he did incalculable damage to the world, because he's really sad, you see?

I love it when Rook calls Solas out on his shit. Even when he's not actually there. This is what I've been saying! What a lot of people have been saying in fact!

And I think this dialogue really encapsulates the main difference between Rook and Solas that allows Rook to accept their failures and move on where Solas can't, because... yeah, Solas is really sad about all the damage he's done! But that's all he is, and being sad about hurting people doesn't mean anything if you don't strive to do better. When Rook gets people killed they stop, they grieve, they wish things had ended differently, but then they accept that it's done and resolve to do better in the future. They learn from their mistakes, because doing good is more important to them than being the best. Solas, meanwhile, insists that his plans are the best and never considers the consequences in the future (or the immediate consequences for people who aren't him), and then when those plans inevitably go horrifically wrong for everyone because he just goes with whatever sounds like a good idea to him at the moment he doesn't think about why that happened. He just sits and wallows in how bad he feels and finds ways to blame those idiots who refused to just do what he said because he said so and never for a moment considers that maybe there was another way because obviously his plan was the best plan because he's just so goddamn smart and poor him, if only those stupid mortals could see that he was better than them everything would be fine. He can talk a good game about how he's just a man and he makes mistakes if you give him the opportunity to show off how humble he is, but he never actually internalises that maybe his plans were deeply flawed from the start and trying to do the same thing but from a slightly different angle is doomed to failure (seriously, if you call him on his shit instead of giving him opportunities to play the humble hero he makes it so obvious that he thinks he's better than everyone. It's actually kind of funny given how consistently he fucks up every plan). And so when the next big, awful decision comes around Rook considers what happened before and relies on the expertise of the people around them to avoid the mistakes they made in the past while Solas does the same shit all over again because he's convinced no one could ever do better than him. Accepting your regrets isn't just about feeling bad, which is the mistake I think a lot of people make when it comes to Solas. It's about doing better, which Rook makes a real effort to do and Solas actively avoids because it would mean admitting not only that he failed but that his plans sucked—and frequently were morally bankrupt—to begin with. It's much easier to sit there and wallow than it is to try to be better than you were; Rook recognises that the effort is worth it, and Solas doesn't.

[dontcallmecarrie]

ye olde Stress(TM) Reaction strikes again, aka the start of this was sitting in my drafts for weeks because my brain hates me apparently:

.

“So...considering how last time went, why are we being dragged into this?” Steve Rogers heard Clint ask, and he tried not to freeze or blush, and, if Natasha was anything to go by, failed miserably at both.

“I mean,” Clint continued and it took far more willpower than it should have to not glare at the teammate who regularly ate whipped cream out of the can because he should not be sounding so amused, “after what happened, why are the Avengers being invited, again?”

Alright, that did it— but before Steve could do more than turn to give his teammate the same glare he normally reserved for when Loki destroyed the top part of his uniform again, Agent Coulson gave a very tired sigh and spoke.

“Partly because multiple ambassadors liked your response time when the pink elephants made an appearance on the premises, partly because von Doom specifically requested you all. By name.”

 Across the table, Tony gave an incredulous scoff as he leaned back and crossed his arms. “And what, you’re letting a literal dictator call the shots?”

“Grumpy because he mentioned you too, aren’t you.” Clint smirked before Agent Coulson could say anything else, and Steve really, really tried not to scowl. Honest.

However, he couldn’t help but notice the way Tony’s expression went suspiciously blank, and something in the pit of his stomach clenched as Tony shifted in his seat a little.

“Okay, so maybe we weren’t finished before Loki interrupted. I didn’t hear any of you guys complaining.”

“That was you ‘gathering intel’?” Natasha asked, and Steve pointedly ignored her sidelong glance, “I thought you were looking pretty friendly there. Way more emotion than we’ve ever seen from von Doom before, anyway.”

Steve couldn’t help but snort. Understatement of the century, Steve hadn’t missed the venom in von Doom’s glare. If not for Loki barging in when he did, there would have been an international incident, and Steve wouldn’t have regretted it one bit.

“As... controversial as he is,” Agent Coulson rubbed his temples for a moment, “Latveria’s a very hot commodity right now, and State Department’s pushing for trade agreements. We can’t afford to alienate him.”

Everyone looked at him, and he fought to keep his shoulders from rising up. “If he’s got a problem with one of my team, don’t expect me to play nice.”

“My hero,” Tony rolled his eyes and so missed the way Clint’s shoulders shuddered, “Steve, I had it under control.”

“Nay, lord Stark.” Thor cut in, and Steve did not miss the way Agent Coulson’s eye twitched even as Clint got a very sudden and convenient coughing fit as the resident alien continued, “I am afraid you did not. I may not be familiar with Midgardian politics, but I do not believe duels are as acceptable here as they are back home.”

Everyone paused at that, and the silence was abrupt enough to startle Doctor Banner out of his reverie.

“Wait, what happened?” He asked, looking up from his tablet, and Steve couldn’t help but envy the fact that he was exempt from this. Sure, the risk of having the Hulk at a UN function would have been nothing less than a recipe for disaster, but at least Steve wouldn’t be suffering though this alone— case in point, this entire debrief.

“Oh, just how Tony almost caused an international incident last time.” Natasha said and Bruce made a strange face for a second before he peered over his glasses to look at everyone else around the table.

“Well, is Justin going to be at this next one?”

All eyes were now on Tony, who scowled and looked away even as he replied, “It’s one of the annual year-end fundraisers, of course he’s going to be there.”

Agent Coulson let out a slow breath. “You are certain you cannot convince him otherwise?”

Tony’s shoulders hunched almost imperceptibly. “It’s tradition at this point. Everyone knows I’m going to be there, so he’s going— and I’ll save us both the time, the man’s about as stubborn as I am.”

“You’re sure about that?” Clint asked, gaze suddenly sharp and the look he shared with Agent Coulson and Natasha abruptly reminded Steve of the exact circumstances in which Iron Man was born.

“The number things I’ve seen him accomplish out of sheer spite is...” Tony trailed off, before he shook his head and looked around the table. “It’s something. Pretty sure the only reason Hammer Industries didn’t come out with another element after I did is because it’d be breaking the laws of physics, and even then part of me was half-expecting otherwise.”

[ratsplendor]

Hi hello i read your fic on ao3 and leaving a comment on it wasn't enough to express my feelings. the level of insight and intelligence you have is insane. your mind is brilliant and wonderful.

i love market crash and its sequel, i think it's a brilliant and hilarious angle to approach house and wilson's relationship from. when I was re-reading it for the ump-teenth time and noticed it had a sequel i nearly had a heart attack! (nice work btw)

it works so so well with cannon to the point where it probably is in another world where the writers are more bold.

i love everyone that understands house is just a massive fucking brat that needs some stability and external support in his life.

im terrible with titles but i also loved your unconventional omegaverse fic. normally im not big on a/b/o because i don't like the dynamics it creates and it always feels kinda sexist, but i love that your wilson is still insanely respectful of house and house is still allowed his agency as a character. also few things are funnier to me than a fic tagged "no mpreg" lmao

basically thank you for your service to the world <3 you're making my uni summer holidays soooo much more entertaining

yooooo true story.. I write HTML every day as part of my fcuking job. & yet for three whole months. everything I posted. none of my social media links worked. I was missing one (1) single letter h . kill me

seriously tho I appreciate this so much. all of this to say I'm a massive dumbass and was not at all expecting my silly shenanigans in this fandom to enjoy the readership that they have. I mean y'all have surpassed my recent reylo stuff in terms of engagement, not that it matters, it's just a really hard thing to do and it means so much to me and I feel like we're all just having a really nice adventure together. it's like being in a living room having tea and parallel playing with the coolest ppl :) so thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

yeah house feels to me like the kind of high maintenance person who just needs a place they can let go. I'm that way. I hate to lose control but deep down inside I'm dying for somewhere I feel safe to give it up. while I've written a ton of d/s stuff, Hilson is one of the first times I've actually explored it from that pov: the "I'm tired, be my resting place" angle. there's just something so lonely about being the firebrand, so a hearth to lay it down on is sometimes the only thing between you and demise; not that I'm especially gifted, we're not the same in that regard, I just take on so much of everyone else's problems because if there's something I *can* do, I can't *not* do it. big ups to my spouse for being that place I can go, however brattily, to lay everything down.

whew. did not mean to expose my own baggage there. just meant to say that. idk. technically atoms never touch you know? we're made up of mostly empty space. when our bodies touch, our hearts cross that divide. that's what I really love to dig into. that's what erotica is to me. lol.

"some are wild" is the omegaverse fic (only writing it here so others can find it if they want); immediately before starting to write it, I had gone on a long, pseudo-philosophical rant on Bluesky about the patriarchy inherent in trad omegaverse. ironically I was in the midst of another doomed attempt to write reylo omegaverse, and over the course of both the Bluesky thread and my eventual discarding of said draft, I realized I'm just never gonna be able to write het omegaverse because of my own patriarchal hangups. hell. I live in the deep South of the US. shits too close to home.

so but then I was like "why tf do feral omegas get the knot cure, how about fuck you" and then I went and did all that. so yet again Hilson succeeds in excising the rot where other modes have failed.

every story teaches you something about yourself, and there are stories you can't write until you've learned certain things.

big props to everyone on Bluesky who puts up with my long ass threads about shit that probably isn't (always) that deep. and thank you, so so very fondly, dear reader, for loving the same way I do and enjoying what I make. and for your (hopeful) grace that I haven't really had a chance to let my ADHD meds kick in before answering this ask. lmfao ily 🤟