#even if their methods might fail to make sense sometimes

[sleepyorchidmonster]

You know how, when you really don't want to do something, you make a spectacle of doing the bare minimum to keep people off your case?

What if Furina or Focalors is doing something similar? Making a show of the courtroom to keep Celestia's gaze away from Fontaine? Then partly acting like a brat so that, if divine punishment ever comes, it will only fall on her shoulders, because she is the one that insisted on the spectacle and defied Celestia, while the citizens are (kinda) safe?

Pretty sure she is still a brat though. Not everything is an act.

[rollforfelicity]

I think I'm doomed to always be a little unhappy with non-D&D seasons of Dimension 20 because they tend to treat any system they're running like D&D.

I'm on episode 2 of Mentopolis (which I'm loving) but Brennan Lee Mulligan keeps treating the checks like D&D handles skill checks. If you miss, nothing happens, and if you hit the DC, you do what you're trying to do. He also keeps getting so close to how Kids on Bikes works by saying "The DC is 8, but if you get a 12, you'll get something extra." That's great GMing, except that's how all the checks work in Kids on Bikes. You're always succeeding and failing by degrees. For example, here's what the rulebook says about hitting the difficulty exactly.

The character succeeds, but just barely. Decidedly, nothing surprising happens — and the player and the GM should make this success as skin-of-the-teeth as possible.

By contrast, succeeding with a margin of 10+ means you succeed "smoothly and easily," and potentially get extra bonuses from this success. But what happens if you fail a roll? There are degrees to it. For example, missing the check by a margin of 1-4 leads to this result:

The character fails, but not too badly. There might be some very, very minor short-term consequences, but these won’t shift the story for more than a minute or two. The character has tried and almost succeeded.

Even if you only fail by a little, something should happen other than "you don't succeed." Sometimes that's the result that makes the most sense, but most of the time the narrative should at least shift enough that the character would have a reason not to try to do the exact same thing again. For example, you try to jump up on a box to get a better view. You fail by a margin of 2, the box breaks when you jump on it. It's not a huge complication, but the PC will have to try another method or move on.

That's also why adversity tokens (they charmingly call them Moxie in Mentopolis) are so interesting. You can spend a few to still fail a roll, but have results be less dire, or spend some to succeed by an even larger margin.

I get that Kids on Bikes is kind of similar to D&D, but it is a different game, and the differences make the experience of playing so much fun.

[mochatsin]

WHEN MC CAN DRAW

Drawing and the arts is one of the things you’re most passionate about. There’s a lot of things, and certain demons, that are out there to give you inspiration to draw. How will the brothers react when they find out you’re a great artist?

literally in the middle of drawing when I thought about this and i'm wondering why it took me this long to think of an Artist!MC prompt damn. Enjoy reading!

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

Lucifer

He already had a vague idea that you have a keen eye for the arts when he took you to a gallery once. You’re familiar with a lot of paintings in the human realm, but none of them could quite compare to the styles down here in Devildom.

Lucifer wanted to teach you more about the cultures of Devildom through painted histories and stories which is why he took you to the gallery, and he notices how observant you are of the details on the artwork. He assumed maybe you’re just very educated with the arts up in your world.

Though one day he found you in your room trying to draw a piece with the styles similar to the paintings you both saw the other day. The linework and colors are very on point, Lucifer would have assumed this wasn’t done by your own hands if he saw it displayed on the walls. 

“You’re quite talented if you drew all this after just one art gallery tour.” Lucifer says as he moves closer to further inspect your art. If you ask him how to improve it or how the method works, he would be happy to give you some tips or pointers. 

“As impressive as this is, I would like to see something you’ve made in your own style.” Lucifer would want you to show something that speaks more about you, not about Devildom. He’s curious to see what makes your art style original. He wants to see you take pride in whatever you create of course. 

He’d love to have one of your artworks be framed somewhere in the house. You can use his office for that peace and quiet so that none of his brothers would disturb you while you worked. Lucifer wanted it framed in his room for him to enjoy, though after his brother’s protests and one heated dinner discussion, the piece was placed in the living room instead for everyone. 

Mammon

Mammon doesn’t really have the best sense of boundaries when it comes to your room, so he ends up barging through the doors to see what you were up to and maybe try to whisk you away for a bit of gambling for the evening. Though he finds you on your desk doing some homework, papers scattered on your bed.

You tell him you’re busy working on a project so he whines but stays with you in your room. You have homework about summoning circles so you had several discarded drafts resting on your bed. Mammon can’t help but go through the papers while he waits out of pure boredom. 

Mammon eventually spots under the pile a few of your own personal artworks you’ve made. You forgot to keep them away since they got buried underneath all those papers. “EY!! This ain’t part of a class project right?! This looks freakin’ fantastic!” 

You can tell he’s being genuine about his compliments just by seeing the look on his face. “I-I'm not just sayin’ that cuz you’re my human! I know a gold mine when I see one yaknow?” Mammon says while he goes through the pile to see if there are more works out there for him to admire. He might be tempted to steal one of them just so he can piece of something you’re passionate about so close to him. 

He would definitely urge you to sell some of them for profit, put up commissions online or advertise it on RAD. At first you wondered if this was part of his money-making schemes… he admits it was at first but he wants you to succeed in this if it’s something you genuinely want to do.

“You gotta cut me some slack sometimes ya know? I bet you’ll make bank outta this. I know my old plans for quick grimm haven't worked out, but this one I'm SURE won’t fail” his enthusiasm is almost contagious. Regardless of your decision, Mammon is happy enough to sit back and enjoy your artwork. 

Levi

He is going to be so ecstatic knowing that you’re actually really good at drawing in any form of medium. Levi found out one day when he asked to borrow your notes for class and you lend him your notebook. He was flipping through the pages until he noticed that you’ve been doing little doodles at the back. “I-is that…”

Your peaceful little afternoon got chaotic when you heard an excited scream from down the hall, followed by rampant footsteps that got louder in a matter of seconds until your door opened. Levi has your notebook in hand, with the biggest grin plastered on his face. 

“Y-YOU COULD DRAW RURI-CHAN?!” Levi doesn’t even give you the time to speak when he shows you the doodles and starts going on a rant on how you captured the details of her outfit so perfectly. Even the magic staff is actually on point! 

There’s times he would be peeking by your door while you’re doodling something in your room. Levi wanted to ask if you could draw his favorite characters but he’s too shy to do so, but he’ll be the happiest when you agree to it. 

“I-if you need the references i have a few!” He would say ‘few’ but ends up giving you what’s almost an entire album of art references that you could use. If you want, he can even take the figurines of said characters off his shelf (which is rare) so you can have a better look at it from all angles. 

Levi would definitely have it posted on the walls, keeping all your artworks like a new collection. He would gush about how he wishes he could draw because it’s another way of expressing your love for something you care about. Would definitely commission you for certain things because he doesn’t want to keep asking you for free art.

Satan

Recently he got you hooked on this detective novel series, and you both spend a lot of time together just talking about your favorite parts. Satan loves that chase scene between the detective and thief since it was written so well, it’s almost like you can play the scene in your head.

He’s with you in his room, sitting on the couch with the book propped up by your knees. He assumes you’re just rereading the book and does his own thing. He likes that about your company where the silence is comforting, though there are times you ask Satan what he thinks the detective or the thief looks like in his head.

By the time Satan had to answer one more query that he realized you’re not actually reading the book. He sees that you’re holding onto a pen as you scribble something behind the book, so he decides to sneak behind you while you’re distracted out of curiosity.

He’s surprised to find you drawing on a notebook, looking at the chapter of the book with the chase scene that he mentioned the other day. “You’re… drawing the scene?” He asked, the corners of his lips tugging into a smile. He’s impressed that you got the compositions so well too. To him, you brought this scene to life. 

“Is this why you were asking me all those questions? Well, I’d say you perfectly captured the scene and-” He’d talk about the details you’ve drawn and how it matches what’s written in the book, like a professional critique. He’d love to see the piece once you finish, and even see all your other works you’ve done in the past as well. One cat drawing would make him excited for sure. 

One time you made him a bookmark by using your art for the designs. The brothers know that Satan doesn’t use those as often because he tends to finish books in one sitting, but he began to have that cute little bookmark pressed between the pages of his current book. Not only is the design so perfect, it’s from his precious human too.

Asmo

Asmo is adoring the attention he’s been getting from you recently whenever he would make a little fashion show in his room with all the new outfits he’s bought. He loves the awe he hears from you and how you eye him up and down after he strikes a pose. 

He even saw you buying a magazine with him on the cover, and he just can’t help but feel giddy at the thought of how much you probably adore him because who wouldn’t? You must really love how he looks, right? Asmo even thought of giving you a private show just for your eyes. 

Though he found out eventually that you’re using the poses in his magazines as reference when he saw that you’re trying to copy the pose he made on the cover. “I’m rather offended that you didn’t reference me, the source material itself! I’m always ready to be your model, hun!” 

Asmo would make the perfect model because being in model magazines, he’s used to holding on poses for periods of time without complaint. He’s not shy about his body either so you can ask him to be in any sort of pose for you (but you have to stop him from being not so family friendly when you try to fix his position).

If you’re good at designing clothes then Asmo is going to fall for you even harder. He would admire all the designs you can do, and if you’re open to suggestions then as someone who works and shops frequently at Majolish, he would have a lot of good ideas. He’ll have the connections to make your designs come to life and model it for you.

“I just know if you posted these fine works on Devilgram, it’ll get you tons of views for sure! Especially if the muse is me” Asmo says with a wink as he admires your art. If you made an account then he’ll be loud about it on his social media, wanting people to feast their eyes on it.

Beel

He does a lot of home workouts so often you spot him doing a lot of stretches or lifts around the house. There’s even times you offer to help like sitting on his back while he does his push ups or just being his little moral support. 

Though he noticed all the attention you’re giving on his muscles recently. You offered to wipe off the dirt and sweat he got from his Fangol practice, and Beel sees how much you’re staring intently at his muscles while you wipe him dry with a towel. “MC… is there something wrong?” 

It's only then you realize that your eyes have been glued to him for so long so you decide to explain. You tell Beel that you’ve been sketching recently with someone of his body type but you can’t seem to get the muscles correctly. Hearing that makes Beel smile though. 

“Well, if you want me to help I could. But I want to see your works, if that’s okay with you” Beel said. He’s not much of an artist himself (Satan notes that Beel’s art still haunts him to this day), so he’s very supportive knowing that you can draw.  

He has this awe in his face like how he looks when the restaurant serves him the biggest platter of food as soon as he sees your artworks. Beel is happy you’re sharing such talent with him. “This piece is so colorful. It reminds me of the rainbow layered parfait we had the other day… oh, now I'm hungry.” Even if Beel can eat books and things that aren’t exactly food, he never once tried that with your artworks. 

He’d invite you more often to his little home workouts so you can study his muscles more closely. Beel would love it if you sit on his back while he does push ups as you draw. The sound of the pencil scribbling would bring him to focus.  

Belphie

There’s an upcoming event for RAD that requires a lot of decorations. Since a lot of people are busy with their own tasks, you and Belphie were paired up to think of possible decor for the stage.

Belphie complained how Asmo or Levi should’ve been here instead but since they’re both in charge of the outfits, then he’ll settle with this because at least it requires minimal work. You both were trying to discuss the backdrop designs and the props but he fell asleep midway. 

Belphie wakes up in a few minutes later to the sound of scribbling pens when he saw you creating the designs. You asked him to pick from one of the sets you made but he’s too stunned to even decided when all of them are so good. “You made all of that while I was asleep?” Belphie is in a state of disbelief. 

The one that struck him the most is the starry sky landscape. For someone who loves to watch the stars, this one was particularly mesmerizing for Belphie. So out of personal bias he chose that one.

He never stopped bugging you about your art, always wanting to see what you’re drawing when he spots you on your notebook. He’s not much of a ‘draw me next’ kind of person, but he’d be absolutely happy if you did. More so if you drew him and Beel together. 

Whenever you’re drawing, Belphie wants to take a nap by your lap while you do your work. He likes the look you make whenever you’re trying to figure out something in your art before he drifts off to sleep. His favorite part is waking up to see that you’ve already finished your piece so he gets to admire it first.

[lazorbeanz]

Late Night

Unbreakable Bond

Headcanons #3

🧡 During the times when he’s not busy or on missions, Tails has volunteered to help other kids in his area with their homework, especially maths. (one could say he’s a tutor lol) and they all love him (they’ve given him the name ‘the Fun Enstein,’ though Tails wonders if Sonic has been whispering in their ears), because he somehow manages to turn boring, stressful homework, with all its mountain load of impossible tasks, into a fun investigation, as he eagerly dives into the problem with them, breaking it up and solving it piece by piece until they can put those pieces together and get a complete answer. But it’s not just his teaching methods as to why they love him so much, but how he presents the task in front of them. He makes it not just a question on a page anymore, but rather an important mission, a thrilling adventure in their minds. He displays it to them in a way that will not only get their thinking caps on, but also make them just as excited to solve them, as tough as it may appear, because Tails wants them to know that every problem must and always has a solution…and that learning can be fun if you make it! The energy and enthusiasm he has radiates onto those while teaching, his giddiness and excitement over what they’re tryna solve spreads to them, realising that it can be fun, because he makes it look fun and easy and possible. He doesn’t push them or expect them to know right off the bat, if they have questions, he stops and listens, and will get them to use their “thinking caps,” providing small hints or information he gives out to see if they can solve it themselves. If they’re stuck or confused on something, he will go through it over and over, simplifying and carefully explaining it until they understand (he’s already used to doing that with a certain blue hedgehog)

Sometimes he will get so caught up in their work, he ends up doing a problem or 2 all by himself. He can’t help it though, it’s just out of instinct.

Many parents have come to Tails with questions as to why or how he is so good at what he does.

“When you love something with a burning passion…something that brings you so much joy, you will naturally have the ability to teach others, because you will end up finding joy in teaching them, and might just so happens to spread that joy to those you teach.” He replies

Because to him, this is his passion..this is the thing that brought him that joy. This was something that once brought him nothing but a series of bullying and mockery from his peers, now brings him a series of praise and compliments from those around him. This is the something that he can share to help others, whether it be to save the world, or to save a kid from failing their math class.

Whenever Tails thinks back on when people would bully him with names such as “Mr. know-It-All,” he shrugs…they were right, because being a genius means you know it ALL. And if there’s one thing he knows…

Is that he loves being a STEM nerd :)

💙 Sonic, for the life of him, cannot stay still for too long, and that makes sense..i mean he’s the fastest thing alive for crying out loud…he doesn’t stop moving. Even if it’s just a leg rapidly bobbing up and down, or finger tapping on a surface, or…the fidgeting…oh the dreaded fidgeting!!

And Tails completely understands his reasons for this behaviour…he knows his brother almost, if not, better than he knows himself sometimes, but BOY does it really begin to grind his gears when he begins to subconsciously start fiddling with something of Tails’ when he’s in the lab with him, or if they were eating out, he would pick up the cutlery and twirl it around in his fingers. Even if he has no item to hold Into, he will start tugging at the ends of his gloves. It’s like he has to hold or touch something…anything he can get his hands on.

Tails can’t complain too much though, as he also tends to do the same thing, but it’s almost as if Sonic’s is twice as annoying because it’s twice as frequent to happen. He’s even bought him an unruly amount of fidget spinners, all for them to have their fair share of tasting plaster, due to Sonic spinning them so fast, they’d spin right out his fingers, and straight through a wall.

So after multiple repairs and half tempted to remove the entire wall, he scratched that idea, leaving him sitting at his desk, finger tapping the surface in deep thought…finger tapping..oh no how he was doing it too! But that’s when he got the lightbulb, and began to use all that tapping energy in his fingers into rapidly typing on his keyboard.

~

Tails walks into Sonic’s bedroom, where he was sitting on his bed and to no surprise, fidgeting. He plonks down beside him, and hands him a tablet.

“I think you’ll enjoy it.” Was all he said, before getting up and making his exit.

Sonic stared at the tablet perplexed for a short moment before picking it up and looking at the screen, all he saw was a square button that said Start. He tapped it, and before he knew it, music began to play and multiple squares were appearing on the screen increasingly fast, but he managed to hit them before it was too late..if that was the game, he thought.

What was this Tails had just bestowed upon him? Soon enough he began to fall into the swing of things, hitting and swiping the split second a square would appear. He even changed the difficulty because it was too easy. This game…was just so…satisfying. His fingers have never felt so relieved. Even the music was catchy too. So he sat there for the rest of the day tapping away to the beat.

~

Tails was humming away as he tinkered about on his latest project. He then shot a side-eye to see his older brother, standing by his desk with the tablet he’d given him earlier. He looked up to face him, and when he did Sonic tossed the tablet at him. Looking down at it, Tails noticed there was a finger sized crack in the screen. He looked up at the hedgehog wide eyed. “How did you-”

“Fix it.” Sonic said, turned around and left.

Well I guess he enjoyed it then…

s/o to @mbrine for the inspo of these 2 hcs ☝️

🧡 Tails used to earn pocket money from Sonic for the little things he’d achieve when tagging along on his adventures, or if he was being a good boy and sonic decided to treat him.

Now, it’s Sonic earning pocket money from Tails…

Tails (mildy unenthusiastic): congratulations Sonic, you managed to put your laundry in the machine…here’s $1.50

💙 Sonic is fairly good at Tap and Irish dancing *cough cough happy feet sonic edition HACCK-*

🧡 Sonic takes pictures of funny or weird things and makes memes out of them to send to Tails

💙 Sonic and Tails are stargazing and Sonic points out a star.

“That’s a bright one.”

“That’s Sirius, also known as the Dog Star. It’s the brightest star in our night sky. Its name literally means “glowing” in Greek. Sirius has a high luminosity in comparison to other stars, and has a mass twice of that which the sun has. In fact, if you were to place Sirius next to the Sun, it would outshine the sun more than 20 times over…”

Hold up- HOW DOES HE KNOW THE STAR EXACTLY…NAME N EVERYTHING?

Sonic doesn’t even bother to fact check him as he’s probably right. All he’s thinking about now is whether his little brother has an IQ of 300 or 3000…

🧡 Sonic and Tails have a special handshake, and I mean a gumball and Darwin kinda handshake lmao

[canmom]

comics and animation have a lot in common, but one interesting difference is that arranging pictures in space rather than time means there's a tradeoff between the amount of drawings you use to show an action, the amount of space each drawing is given, and the amount of pages you cover which determines the 'pacing' of the comic.

if you slice the page up into a lot of tiny boxes to show many stages of a motion like an animation, then each panel has correspondingly less space for background details, and it may affect the aspect ratio of panels. if you give yourself space for a large splash panel, then the pace will slow.

one solution to this problem is to break the convention that a panel is a single 'frame' of action and show multiple images of a character in the same background. Kentaro Miura did this sometimes, and Tradd Moore (on here - @traddmoore) is an expert who uses it frequently (I'll reblog his spiderman comic in a minute). Kamome Shirahama, a genius at creative paneling, also uses it in a couple of places.

a similar trick will have a single background continuous across multiple panels, showing a static 'camera shot' at different times.

the limitation of these methods is that breaking convention makes the panel a little harder to process - you need to make absolutely sure you cue the reader clearly about where to enter the panel. and it requires action that involves a large movement so the drawings don't overlap. so most authors use it as a 'once in a while' thing.

an opposite approach, used in early parts of Superpose by Seosamh and Anka and Goodbye, Eri by Tatsuki Fujimoto, is to go even harder with the cinematic convention and give each panel the aspect ratio and detailed backgrounds of a film camera, taking all the space you need - Superpose opens with about two panels per page which may be very similar to each other, creating a very deliberate sense of pacing. to pull this off you need to be either extremely fast at drawing like Fujimoto, or accept your comic taking a long time to get anywhere - and you also need to be very good at placing the camera in space. you're basically drawing fully rendered storyboards at that point.

one of the interesting difficulties of comic-making is controlling pacing. if you draw many very similar panels it will convey a sense of high concentration and intensity, or a heavy atmosphere, like a long take in a film. much like in prose, if you spend a lot of pictures on something it draws attention to it. so you want to use the 'slow down' sparingly for effect.

as in animation, you're also limited by your own capacity to draw all those pictures, and moreover the space to put them. this is one reason why comics in magazines tend to be sharply limited in page count, and webcomics tend to be very slow compared to other forms of serial fiction. (perhaps manga can make heavier use of pacing tricks by virtue of cheaper printing and endemic overwork. i don't think that's the full story though.) meanwhile, when Transmetropolitan started to experiment with manga-style pacing, apparently it upset fans who felt the story progression was being diluted. when reading Transmet in one go, though, you don't even notice. what works well in an anthology of hundreds of pages may work poorly in a serial.

i think the pace of the reader is often controlled primarily by the text - at least for me I find I sometimes have a tendency to jump very quickly over panels to get to the next bit of the story and have to consciously slow myself down to make sure I don't fail to appreciate the art. so while a series of text-less panels is effective artistically, you might want some words to act as speed bumps. but too much text per picture and your comic becomes exhausting to read, like Subnormality. and you don't want to over-explain what's conveyed perfectly well by the pictures, as many older comics do.

ideally, you use your text, small panels and large panels to create a sense of rhythm. a big splash panel can act as the full stop in a sentence, or a longer take after a series of rapid cuts. negative space is an especially powerful device in the right hands: when you hit a page of Chainsaw Man or Berserk that is almost entirely white after several pages of dense illustration, a character bursting into the void, there's an immediate 'wow' effect before you even process what's happening in the illustration. (i can't seem to find the chainsaw man example i had in mind, so here's one from berserk.)

and on that note, the other thing that comics have that animation doesn't is the impact of being confronted with the whole gestalt page. in the manga I was helping Fall translate when she died, We Are Magical Boys (Bokura wa Mahou Shounen), Fukushima Teppei frequently puts one panel much larger than the others so it dominates the page, usually a close-up or full length character portrait, allowing the cuteness of their unique art style to treasure centre stage. Sandman, which I'm currently rereading, is full of elaborate page compositions, where a drawing might not even be a panel per se, but a visual element. Witch Hat Atelier is full of elaborate borders and clever compositions. just look at this...

how did she come up with that! the absolute madwoman! the right side is relatively standard Atelier (establishing shots, the main cast eagerly stepping out of their panel) but on the left, we have a set of panels falling down from above onto a large splash panel. even though this image is concurrent, the panels invite us to appreciate it in chunks, and the page as a whole has this great visual of the pages of a book, continuing the image of the previous page. (more of this on upcoming post on Atelier)

a character emerging from their panel to overlap others, breaking up the monotony of the grid and adding a sense of depth to the page as a whole, is a reliably appealing motif. also, drawing one panel borderless, so it implicitly continues behind the other panels. large areas of black and white and choices of colour saturation can convey a mood to the page as a whole.

the danger you run is always the loss of clarity. the reader must be able to tell what panels to read in what order without thinking about it. Sandman will sometimes do a double page spread where you're supposed to read across both pages, and this consistently trips me up. Dresden Codak is by an adhd author and her drive to give every page an elaborate layout is very familiar to me, but especially in Hob, it messes with the flow of the comic overall.

so every comic page, every comic, is a fascinating balance of all these factors. how to create a strong, visually interesting composition, control the pacing appropriate to tone, create a thrilling sense of rhythm... all without sacrificing clarity.

not much more to say about this as yet, it's just something I'm thinking about while trying to lay out a page of Ghost Barrier. my tendency is to generally use larger panels, and try to be creative with layouts, but you have to consider not just each page in isolation but how they relate to other pages. so to make the splash panel land, I need to contrast with a denser page immediately beforehand.

the more I make comics the more of a feel I'll get. cool medium!

[noroamenial]

this is one of my first few drabbles I wrote while exploring Raphael's character. it's fun body double stuff...and shamelessly smutty soooooooooo, smut under the cut.

It started with but the gentlest of a caress down his back, flitting off just before the base of his tail. Normally Raphael wouldn’t be bothered by such musings, Haarlep usually found it enjoyable to tease him through their shared form from time to time. But this was a touch that could not be generated from a single form—no, his wings were in the way, and even if Haarlep tried as they might—to get such a gentle caress from the upper back would be at the very least uncomfortable. 

He almost stood from his desk but the sudden grasp at the soft parts of his inner thigh had him stop in his tracks. Who had hands on his incubus? Haarlep was his toy, used to fuel his sometimes insatiable narcissism. After all, ‘what’s better than the devil you know?’ But Someone was in his boudoir, someone was touching his most private and incessantly annoying toy. 

Haarlep was feeling up to someone else now. Soft skin could be felt on his hands if he focused hard enough on his body double. The gentle ridge of a scar, then a cheek, hands through hair—his hips jumped as gentle lips kissed up the inside of his thighs. Even fully clothed, he could feel the most intense parts of himself being explored by a foreign but all too real sensation. 

His erection seemed to come all too quickly when the ghost of a person started to make sloppy open mouthed kisses along his dick. The tip was enveloped in the warmth that only a living mouth could make. Only once the sensation enveloped his member did the thought grace him—he was getting second hand oral.

He could see Haarlep’s smirk—no—his smirk coming from Haarlep’s body that was a mirror image of his own, the way they would probably chuckle with Raphael’s voice, knowing what they were doing to the devil. Raphael’s desires were Haarlep’s desires, though Haarlep was always at their core their own being. There was an air of danger to having your one consort be someone who was…yourself. 

Raphael didn’t make it two steps before he had to stumble onto his knees. His hand carefully ran along the inseam of his pants, his erection hot and painful. His knees were parted and as he leaned back slightly, the tips of his wings touched the ground. He sat there, stroking along the bulge in his pants with the pace of the ghost’s mouth. Head tilted back and mouth agape as he tried and failed to return to his senses.

Just when he felt that awful needy knot constricting in his abdomen did the stimulation stop—and he whimpered. It was almost cruel to take such a feeling away, Haarlep had to be toying with him. But his logic was lost to his body’s insatiable desire. He undid the buckle and then the rest of his tight pants. Erection in hand, he pumped base to tip in slow methodical pumps, squeezing just so. 

Raphael groaned, it didn’t feel enough. It was never enough—that is why Haarlep existed. To masturbate with, while he lost himself in some new fantasy, some new flesh to be lusted after. He could easily recall his latest fantasy, it didn’t help the ache in his nethers, but it sure did ease it into something more stimulating.  

Raphael—unfortunately frustrated and on the verge of tears—was stumbling to his feet rifling for the calling amulet somewhere in his desk. Leaning against the flat of the desk for support of his trembling legs, his patient facade only got him so far when he was alone. 

A sudden gasp was pulled from his lungs as his cock twitched. His claws dug against the wood. Who was Haarlep fucking? He wanted to buck his hips, to burst into the boudoir and demand to be involved. But Haarlep remained still, using whatever peon they had seduced as a cock warmer. It made him groan and writhe with just how overwhelmingly sudden it was. 

[sandeewithtwoe]

What are all your Delta headcanons?

I’m glad you asked that!

The good thing about characters with unfinished stories is that you can make a lot of headcanons about them :)

First, he always gives a first bad impression on people. His aggressiveness, chaotic energy and the way he talks about “killing bad guys” throws people off. He’s also very cocky so he sometimes just say out of pocket things without thinking. That results in him not having a lot of friends. The only ones he’s really close with are Color and Epic, so he’s pretty protective over them, even tho they’re probably wayyyy stronger and older than him (don’t tell him I said that). Thing is, once you get over first impressions, he actually gets somewhat friendly. He’ll always lend a hand if you need help, tell jokes, give you friendly punches, etc. He still says weird things but he can be very helpful and sweet.

Another thing, I really like the headcanon that he has internalized toxic masculinity, but only towards himself. “Heroes don’t cry”, “dresses make you look stupid”, “don’t show any weakness”, “man up”, stuff like that in his head. He’ll never put those expectations onto others tho, cause he kinda puts more pressure on himself than everyone else. Everyone should express themselves however they like, that’s what makes them so brave. EXCEPT HIMSELF >:D (/j). He’s so cocky but he also has a fragile ego. If you dare him to do something he will do it bacause he doesn’t want to be seen as weak. Speaking of looking weak, he doesn’t cry because of that. Last time he cried was when he failed to bring everyone in the underground back to life. Crying means he failed, that everything is lost and there’s no hope left (he should speak to a therapist about that)

Also also, about his human soul (Beta), they don’t really talk much, but they both still care for eachother. Beta watches his back and gives him courage to keep fighting and try new things. Because of this, Delta basically has a second pair of eyes, which gives him good reflexes. And like I said in a previous ask, Beta would sometimes move Delta’s arms and punch people, but only when Delta is off guard or when he’s frozen like a dumbass.

I have more but I’m too tired, so here’s a list of them instead:

- Likes working out with Blue (gloves gets stronger if he builds muscle)

- Has a lot of respect for Dream, even though he disagrees with his methods

- Is 26 years old, uses he/they, aromatic (romance repulsed)

- “do it first, ask questions later” when it comes to his friends

- Eventually gets friendly with Cross after realizing that he’s not going to hurt Epic

- Would throw the middle finger to Nightmare and challenge him to a fist fight (hates Nightmare with all his might)

- Has NOT met killer yet, but thinks Color and Killer are dating (they’re not)

- They’re fashion sense is so boring and simple. Wears white/grey shirts and black pants only (less colours = manly to them I guess)

- Stays up at night to talk to Epic and not leave him alone (also fails to stay up and falls asleep in the middle of their conversation)

I’ve got more but I’ll stop here lol this is a lot

[jojosquires]

So, the next chapter of "Dizzy Edges" is actually not the doozy chapter I thought it would be. I'm doing a small (I'm limiting myself to 3,500 words) chapter following Tim in the (slightly) distant aftermath of Ch. 26. He's going on a field trip! Then, it'll be time for the big chapter that may destroy my brain (parallel Dick and Tim POVs as they have one-on-one conversations with two guest characters--can you guess who?)

BUT... I found this note in my phone and I think it's a pretty good breakdown of Helena, Dick, and their relationship to Tim in this story (makes sense because I wrote both the note-which I forgot existed-and the story). Helena isn't a terrible caretaker... She's just not equipped to be what *Tim* needs all the time (~sometimes~ her ability to just let things go actually *is* a benefit to Tim...) He's pretty good at balancing himself out of given time and a little space to think things through. Even in RR he's fully aware he sounds crazy and he might be wrong... He's got some level of self-awareness even if he ignores it.

So, here's the note and I hope it helps make sense of a few things that have happened:

Helena is fighting for Tim but in the way she *thinks* he needs her to: taking down crime, with prejudice, in Gotham. The reason she got to know him in the first place is because the usual systems *failed* this kid so she has to work outside of them to *fix* things on his behalf. It's an intentional parallel that she *leaves* at night to fight the problems that plagued him and he *left* at night to escape those problems. He had to leave to find comfort, by leaving she (accidentally) isolates him *from* comfort and stability so he finds himself wandering the city again looking for things to do to take his mind off... Just everything. Tim appreciates her dedication and is aligned in her goal to protect the innocent (even if he disagrees on her methods). But she isn't fighting *for* him the way he actually needs her to (just by being there to listen and being open/honest with him).

Dick is fighting *for* Tim... He wants to protect Tim and that's his number one goal when he thinks of Tim. Long-term goal may be to fix/break the system, but short-term he's concerned with Tim's well-being (physical and mental). He wants him to keep existing yes, but he also just *needs* Tim around. His support and his jokes and even that incessant little head tilt. He listens to Tim and remembers what he says and values his steadiness and adaptability. He keeps showing up when Tim is out looking for a distraction, for comfort. If Tim asked Dick to stop doing something on his behalf, he would because he's fighting for Tim in this scenario and he actually listens to what Tim says he needs (even if Tim is wrong about that).

Helena loves Tim like a brother (genuinely), but that means she thinks she knows best what he needs and doesn't ask Tim what that might be. Dick *is* Tim's brother and he trusts him to make the right call when it matters. He'll catch him if he falls. That's the difference. Helena would kill for him, Dick would *spare* someone because Tim asked him to. And Tim would ask him to stop to save *Dick* from having to grapple with the guilt and the consequences of a choice like that. They're each other's life raft and lighthouse. Saving each other and guiding each other in the storm. Each is the other's biggest supporter and, honestly, one of their most trusted advisors.

Sorry if this isn't interesting. But if you stumbled across this by accident maybe give the first few chapters of this weird and overly long story a go.

Either way, I hope you have a great day (or night).

[gay-dorito-dust]

Could you write a headcannon about billy and Freddie when they are older taking care of there s/o who has there period and how they would react or help them with it . If that makes any sense.

Due to the fact that both boys having grown up with the likes of Darla, Mary and Rosa, I’d like to think that Billy and Freddy have a basic understanding on what’s going on with you when the dreaded days of experiencing brutal cramps came for you. (Depending on how bad your period hits, mine doesn’t hurt as badly as others but that don’t mean they aren’t an annoyance.)

Billy is more then willing to do things for you, doing anything and everything that he knows will help in making you more comfortable during what was most possibly your worst few days of your life. So his acts of service love language is on fully display here and it never fails to melt your heart with how much he’s willing to put up with in order of making things a little easier for you.

Chocolate, medicine, cozy blankets, comfortable clothing, favourite stuffed plushie, hot water bottles, comfort movies are amongst the many things Billy would have on hand because don’t we love a man who’s prepared for any and everything?

He’d even offer up being your personal human heater if needs be. He’s not going to fight his fate should you become in need of his warmth and affection when the hot water bottle was beginning to grow lukewarm.

Billy really enjoys being able to take care of you and would automatically wave away any and all inclinations you may have about him possibly being annoyed about being on his hand and fort for you 24/7, claiming that his reasoning for doing all this was that;

A) it’s the right thing

B) he wasn’t about to stand on the sidelines helpless when there was ways that he could pitch in and help

And c) he genuinely doesn’t mind. It’s you after all, his s/o, so of course he’s going to help you! Don’t be a dummy!

He’d attempt in making your favourite comfort food but if that doesn’t work out, a quick nip to the corner shop never hurts.

This boy will make it his mission to make you laugh to get your mind off of the massacre going off in your lower abdomen. Freddy specialises in taking your mind off of things and you couldn’t be more grateful for having him in your life.

Freddy maybe a goof sometimes but he’s your goof all of the time. So it’s impossible to have a shift in moods when this sweet angel is making you laugh up a storm til tears are streaking down your face.

Another more then willing human heater, if anything he probably ditches the hot water bottle and presents himself as the alternative in keeping the cramps at bay. His hand almost as though supper glued to your lower abdomen as his thumb ran comforting strokes across the skin there whilst your cuddled into his side.

He’s got all your movies cued up and ready to go that it might as well be an impromptu movie night within the walls of your bedroom!

I feel like Freddy would give you words of comfort and praise, letting you know how strong you were for going through all this and enduring such pain and yet still being able to make it through to repeat it the next day? Honestly it’s awe inspiring for the lad to have such an strong partner. A superhero is what he calls you, more specifically his favourite superhero. (Yes I think his love language is words of affirmation.)

Freddy is more then willing to fight your period pains if he could but since period pains didn’t have a physical form he takes alternative methods in doing so.

Funny video marathons or cute animal montages that only end up making you cry because they’re so fucking adorable to the point you were inconsolable. Freddy would take everything you say through your blubbering with absolute seriousness.

‘They’re so tiny Freddy! You could put them in your pocket!’

‘You’re absolutely right, you could stuff an entire army of the little guys in your coat pockets.’

‘Right!’

Overall both boys are sweet, attentive and genuine in their care of you. They only want you to get better and are more then dedicated in their efforts in doing so that at some point, you’d have to remind them to take care of themselves because surprise surprise, they’re human and every human has limitations.

I literally can’t think of anything else that they’d do differently from one another without it becoming too repetitive.

[allthatmay]

Hello I just wanted to say that if you are in need of a prompt I find the idea of Ace's/The Spades' cat (Kotatsu) hating Shanks and Shanks desperately trying to win him over absolutely hilarious

Thanks, what a cute prompt! This takes place sometime during the morning after Chapter 2 in TCoH.

It’s a lazy sort of day following Ace and Shanks’ reunion. They’ve been basking on the rocks all morning, eating and drinking at leisure—or they had been, up until Shanks is called to deal with communications from one of the ships in his fleet. Ace grumbles about his absence, but only for the sake of it; giving Shanks a hard time is part of the fun of seeing him. 

"What's this?” asks Shanks upon returning. “I'm gone for ten minutes, and I get replaced by a cat?"

The humour in Shanks’ tone is reflected in his face when Ace cracks open one eye to look at him. Silhouetted by the sun, he stands over Ace, the reds of his hair bleached orange and gold in the bright light. There's an indulgent slant to his smile that makes Ace smile back, slow and sleepy.

"Kotatsu's not a cat," Ace says. He rubs at his eyes with one hand, the other trapped beneath Kotatsu who's chosen to use his chest as a pillow. "He's a lynx, you know. Hates being called a cat."

Shanks crouches down low in front of them, still smiling. "Ah, and I'd hate to offend."

Sensing that Shanks has gotten closer, Kotatsu's tail swipes back and forth, and his eyes creep open. Although he yawns and licks his lips, his gaze never strays from Shanks, who’s considering the lynx silently but sunnily. When Shanks extends his hand, Kotatsu stares at it, distaste curling at his mouth.

"He doesn't like me much," Shanks muses.

Ace laughs. "Kotatsu doesn't like anyone much. Most people bribe him with fish, but he likes me plenty ‘cause I’m so warm.”

"I'm well aware of your warmth, sweetheart. It's one of the reasons I like you plenty." Shanks withdraws his hand. An attempt to get closer makes Kotatsu snarl. "Come now, Kotatsu, there must be something we can agree on. We both like Ace, don't we?"

Kotatsu's eyes briefly cut to Ace, then back to Shanks. As if in protest, he drapes more of himself over Ace's torso, who laughs so hard that Kotatsu bounces atop him.

“Might be time to get some fish,” Ace teases.

Laughter huffs out of Shanks’ nose. “Come on, gorgeous,” he wheedles. He runs a finger along Ace’s calf. “Help me out here. Wouldn’t you rather have me on top of you?”

“Hm, I dunno. Kotatsu’s nice and soft.”

For once, Shanks curtails whatever witty remark he has at the ready, although the vestiges of it can be seen glimmering in his eyes. “Tell me then, Kotatsu. I’m a reasonable man. There must be something you want that you don’t often get.”

Kotatsu sniffs. He looks at Ace again with a funny bristling to his whiskers that perfectly communicates: I am unimpressed with your choice of mate. Were Kotatsu actually able to speak, Ace can only presume that he would say the most hilarious and scathing remarks imaginable; his disdain for people practically guarantees it.

“Come on, Kotatsu,” coaxes Shanks, undeterred even as Ace starts laughing again. “As nice as fish is, it must get boring sometimes.” Seeing that he’s chosen the wrong method of persuasion, Shanks quickly pivots: “Or perhaps it’s the quality of fish…? Come to think of it, I’m certain Lucky Roux has some grand swordfish leftovers. Reckon you’ve not had that before, have you?”

Finally, Shanks has said something right: Kotatsu’s ears tweak in interest. Ace bites down on his grin, not wanting Kotatsu to think he’s laughing at him. He runs his free hand through Kotatsu’s thick fur, earning a purr for his efforts.

“I reckon this is a one time deal, Kotatsu,” he says. He glances at Shanks, whose grin is far too satisfied for having failed thus far in negotiations with an overlarge cat. “If you don’t take it, I will. Haven’t had swordfish in a while.”

“There’s not much left," Shanks says. "Enough for a couple of people, maybe. I told Roux he could have the rest for himself, but if Kotatsu wants some…?”

Kotatu’s not dumb; he knows he’s being played. However, at the thought of missing out on swordfish—when his usual choices are some variety of tuna or salmon—he slowly picks his head off Ace’s torso and rises to his feet, one paw at a time. He gives Ace a lick on his cheek, then faces Shanks with narrowed eyes, sitting right beside him.

“Think we’ve reached an agreement,” Shanks says. He winks at Ace, then holds his hand out in front of Kotatsu as he did before, ready to be sniffed. “Not such a bad kitty, are you?”

Immediately, Kotatsu bares his teeth, a paw swiping at Shanks’ extended arm. Shanks yelps as he yanks his arm back, although he’s laughing when he says, “Sorry, sorry. You’re not a cat. I forgot.”

Kotatsu huffs. He’s not alone in his disbelief: Ace sits up, rolling out the arm that Kotatsu was sitting on.

“You forgot, huh?”

“Must be that old age you’re always teasing me about.”

“Aw, c’mon, I don’t actually think you’re old.” Ace takes hold of the back of Shanks’ ankle, rubbing his thumb along the bones. “You’re… advanced.”

“Advanced?” Shanks repeats, amusement thickening his tone. 

“Yeah, you know, you’re…” Swallowing a sudden hit of nerves, Ace says, “Mature. Experienced. Would you stop looking at me like that!?”

Shanks chuckles. He cups Ace’s cheek, stroking hair out of his eyes. “Oh? And how am I looking at you, baby?”

“You know exactly how you're—huh? Where’s Kotatsu?”

They blink at each other, then look around at the rocks surrounding them. Funnily enough, Kotatsu is climbing up the Red Force’s gangplank, his tail pulled taut in fear of falling into the water.

“Guess he took matters into his own hands,” Shanks says. “I already told Roux to give him the swordfish anyway.”

Ace leans back against the sun-warmed rocks, eyeing Shanks with mirth. “Wait until Kotatsu finds that out. He’ll feel scammed.”

“I’ll just bribe him with more fish. Besides, who says he's going to find out?”

“Er, me, if there's bribes on the table. What do I get?"

“Hmm…”

Shanks shifts forward onto his knees. He hovers closely over Ace, upheld by the hand he presses into the rocks. His face is full of emotion, none of which Ace can read as plainly as the playfulness of his smile.

 “You can have anything you could possibly ask of me, sweetheart.”

The earnestness with which Shanks speaks makes Ace's heart flip. He leans toward Shanks, his stomach tense, and gently strokes along his jawline.

“I dunno,” he says, huskier than he would like. “I could ask for a lot.”

“Anything,” Shanks swears again.

“Well…” Ace grins, laughter bubbling in his throat before he's even gotten the words out. “I could really go for some swordfish.”

[carefulfears]

top 5 (or 10 if you have em) scully taking care of mulder moments <3

she said IF i have 10 😭😭😭

1/ sein und zeit

i fear i have talked about this television scene more times than anyone has ever talked about a television scene....like. one, two, three, four, i was even foolishly invited onto a podcast to talk about it more...

my tags here:

she gets down on the Ground. there's something so primal about it. there's such a lack of pretense and sense of desperation about it. the way he hits the table. we so Rarely see him lash out like that. but it's just too much to Bear. like everything in him is just Breaking the only thing that he's even remotely been able to hold onto amidst all of the unbearable loss and trauma in his life has failed. he's fumbling around for anything that might make it better. that audries fic describing him in this moment as an 'addict out of a fix' with 'newborn anger.' “this is the world? this is it?” it's the way that he spends this whole ep cooking up some elaborate mythology about missing children and how they can be found and then the last shot of the episode is that wide shot of all of the children's graves. sometimes he's just wrong. the world is so much fucking darker and uglier sometimes than the way he sees it. and that's what is crashing down around him in this moment. and she's sitting in the wreckage holding him tight.

this is such brave, brave love. i keep thinking about CSM in the following episode, standing in scully's apartment, warning her. "allow him his ignorance, it's what gives him hope."

she doesn't know what will happen to him, to her, to them, when she breaks down the only method of coping that he has. his mother lost her bedrock too, and she didn't survive. from the moment scully enters, you can watch it break her. she does it anyway. she gets down on the ground, and she cries, and she holds him. god, it all just would've been so different, if there'd been just 1 person, 27 years ago.

(thinking about mulder reaching up to hold scully when missy died, and these tags asking: did anyone hold him, when it was his sister?)

i love the show's message on grief (and trauma), in that this is all that is necessary for "closure." there is no "Truth," (and there really isn't any closure, there's no "beyond" the sea). but it matters that someone knows. it matters that someone bears witness. it matters that someone tells you the truth, even when it fucking breaks their heart. sits in the destruction with you.

the exhaustion in her voice the next morning, when she tells skinner, "it's been a hard night for him." she's still wearing her work clothes from the day before. she was up all night. she's tired, and she's scared, and she's sad. it's been a hard 7 years. it's been a hard 27 years.

it makes me tear up every time i see it, the way she blocks him in the doorway. she's not moving. this is just so scully. it's not even starbuck, it's just so scully. she would keep him in that apartment where she could cover him and control what touches him forever, if she could. (she can't, so you're not taking him anywhere without her. the way she looks her boss in the eye and tells him he better book her a flight too. brave love.)

2/ demons

god, this one just makes me sad. this might be the one that makes me saddest. she's dying. she doesn't have it in her, anymore. i talked about this in my newsletter (and i wrote a fic about it once) but this is like...the only time where she never calls him out on what he's doing. she never yells. she never rolls her eyes. she never gets frustrated with him. she doesn't have it in her. she's dying. he will be alone. she won't be here the next time. what can she even do about it?

i always think about this post:

and you know she is thinking about how if she hadn’t been there he would’ve died. and how the next time he does something like this, she won’t have enough life left in her to keep them both alive. she might not even have enough left for herself. and she’ll give whatever she does have left to him, but it won’t be enough to save either of them. she’ll die cold and pale and he’ll burn himself out. and what can she do but hold him? who will he have when she’s gone? what will he do to himself? who will he call?

and these tags:

this is so cautious and tender and apologetic. sorry for all the pain he feels constantly. and sorry that nothing can ease it. and sorry that she is dying and leaving him like this.

she started writing to him as soon as she was diagnosed, begging. begging forgiveness, begging courage, begging grace. begging for him to not feel there was anything more he could've done, to not become the next cause he is lost in. for him to keep going, as she needs to know he's "out there."

but she's seen him hold a gun to himself too many times, and she knows he's coming down with her. and it's such a loss? this is a person she gave up everything, including her life, to follow, because she believed in him and what he wanted to do in the world that much. but things are different now. he won't survive this. he won't be "out there" saving the world.

what can she do? go to rhode island at 5am, wrap him up. stay quiet, stay still, but scream and thrash at anyone who's careless with him. sink down next to him, cover him, hold him. "maybe we need every answer in the world to survive a single question: how long do we have each other?" (x)

(also, her memento mori journal, in general. she sat in that hospital alone, for days, knowing she was going to die. and she wrote letter, after letter, after letter, to him. so that he would have something. so that he wouldn’t be left alone with nothing, again.)

3/ the end

"as mulder appears. the look on his face is of a man who's seeing, smelling, and tasting the loss of everything he has worked for. it's the look of utter defeat. angle on scully at the door. she sees only mulder right now...she moves to him now. putting her arms around him, holding on to keep him from breaking. off this, we fade out. the end." (script)

i think so often about the script notes of this scene. the description of mulder, as absorbed in destruction. everything that he's worked for, literally reduced to (cigarette) ash. scully only focused on him.

in the final angle of the season, you can really see how she's standing in front of him. her fingers clutching him. but when she first grabs him, it's so tentative. it almost feels like she's trying to see if he's still there, if he exists, if his work doesn't.

this is...the whole thing! there's a reason why this was "the end." the final image of this iteration of the series, before everything changes. this is what it is all about. it's mulder walking headfirst into the devastation of the world. drenched in loss. seeing it. smelling it. tasting it. surrounded by it. and it's scully knowing what he'll find even as he's still moving (this script note, from the hallway: "reverse on scully. returning the look. knowing what mulder is going to find. and what it will mean.")

following behind. eyes on him, while he takes in the ash. just holding on for dear life; trying to keep him close, whole.

(also, i love the moment before the fire, at his apartment, after diana was shot. the way scully tells skinner that he can reach her at mulder's if he needs her, because that's where she'll be. he doesn't even have a bed, or anywhere for her to stay!! she's not leaving him.)

4/ paper hearts

oh, starbuck. we are really in it now.

paper hearts is an ahab and starbuck episode, yes. but mostly it's about grief. mostly it's about harsh awakenings. mostly it's about confrontation with fear, scully's included.

one of the most haunting moments of the series, to me, is when they speak to the father of the 14th victim, twenty-one years after his daughter went missing. and through tears, the father says, "i used to think...that missing was worse than dead, because...you never knew what happened. now that i know, i'm glad my wife's not here. she got luckier."

in that moment, as mulder looks over at the photos on the mantle, missing is not worse than dead. it is not worse than knowing. and later that day, in his first scene, roche calls it exactly as it is: "i understand you take this very personally, mulder."

i've written about this scene in the hallway so many times, because it's truly the crux of this episode (my favorite episode).

from my newsletter:

There’s something so viscerally deep about this episode that’s hard to put into words, but to me, it is most palpable in the moment in the hallway when Mulder asks Scully if she believes that his sister was abducted by aliens. And you can see in his face that he knows the answer, and he’s challenging her to come out and say it. You can see in Scully’s that she would rather admit to anything else.

he's challenging her. he's taking their entire dynamic, and throwing it in her face. not to be cruel. not to disrupt. but just to say...so what now? isn't this what you believe?

i don't think that they've ever been so fragile, as in this hallway, honestly. they rarely threaten to break it all down. their entire lives are built on him walking up to tragedy and saying: it was aliens. it was XYZ. and her following behind saying: no. it was a killer, it was a man.

what does that mean? what is she really saying?

this episode is hard on scully. mulder has never been more haunted. there has never been a bigger reminder of what they are actually doing. they are not just chasing little green men, having adventures, studying sewer worms. they are trying to make sense of something that will never make sense. they are trying to find a "truth" that they do not want to know. they are living their lives in mourning, in bereavement, in remembrance, of a missing little girl, and scully is terrified that they'll find her. that it will be exactly like roche threatens. that missing is not worse than dead.

and there is no one else. there is no one else that even knows how haunted he is. how stuck he is, in that childhood bedroom, like he said all those years ago. how deeply sad it is.

it's all of the little things. it's the "you did good work, mulder" in the beginning. it's the way she asks if he's okay to go tell the 14th victim's family. it's way she exclaims "oh my god" when roche says that he just wants to see mulder's face, when he finds samantha's body. one of the few times that we ever see scully lose control, but she just stands up and screams, opens the door and wordlessly waits for mulder to get up and get out of there.

it's the way that she hears "help me, scully" and digs in the dirt, with her bare hands.

(you can tell in his eyes here that he's been crying, and it really gets to me. there's so much that we don't see.)

in the end, they're back in the basement. nothing left but one scrap of tattered fabric, one more lost failure. it's over. she just comes down to check on him.

the progression of scully's face in this last scene is just unbelievably gut-wrenching to me. her smile, when she tells him to get some sleep, and he laughs. the way it disappears when he holds her, and can't see her anymore. with his mother, flashing that smile and hugging her was all that it took to convince her not to worry. when he repeats the same actions with scully, she looks like she could break.

this post:

Episodes like this make me think how alone - not just lonely, but truly alone - Mulder was before her. Nobody lost sleep over him falling apart under the fist of decades old trauma. Nobody grappled with him, let him wrestle his grief against them, and still stayed. Nobody visited him in the hospital, flew to Alaska, lied for him, stayed by his bed for days straight without an extra change of clothes. Nobody else knew he was suffering or wanted to, knew it more than he knew. That end of Paper hearts where she tells him to get some sleep, he laughs at the ridiculousness of it, but also out of incredulity at having someone to wish for better on his behalf. The heartbroken look on her face as he’s laughing into her waist seems to be her coming to the same realisation; “Who looked after you before? How long did you feel like this on your own?”

she is heartbroken. there is so much grief, in being starbuck. there's grief in being needed. there's grief in following ghosts. there's grief in loving someone who is so encased in pain, in loss. he will not go home and get some sleep. a well-placed joke, that smile, a hug, does not convince her that he's okay. he hurts so much, for so long, and he has one person who knows it. and all they do is keep moving: closer and closer to that breaking point that she is so afraid of, and they can't stop.

5/ redux ii

remember when dana scully lied on her death bed and looked up at mulder as he told her that he was not willing to jeopardize skinner to save himself, and she replied, "well, then, you have to lay it on me."

the way he smiles and shakes his head, chokes out "i can't...i can't do that." through tears...they are so kind to each other. all that she has left in the world is her reputation, and she says: take it. take it all. take everything.

she cries when he won't do it.

6/ herrenvolk

okay, i wanna get into some slightly lighter ones, so y'all remember when she nearly fully knocked skinner into the wall, because mulder came in with a (checks notes) scratch on his face?

this is just so scully.

she is so panicked. she just wants to slow him down, to stand between him and the world for even one moment longer.

these tags:

she's almost begging him not to go in. the extent of her worry is heartbreaking. she loves him. it frightens her to know what awaits him.

one of the biggest conflicts of scully's character is that she just cannot stop him, she cannot shield him, she cannot protect him. the way she leans up here, and pulls him to her shoulder. covers him with a blanket. this is what she can do.

there is so much grief in being starbuck!! in loving someone who walks blindly into a world that you do not trust. in following someone into the worst night of their life: over, over, over. years, years, years. in being first mate, holding the responsibility on your shoulders of having to steer in a safe direction, only having one to choose from.

(i also think it's really special, all of the little moments where she checks in. in the previous episode, in the hospital hallway, the way she says "are you okay?" so softly.

in paper clip, when she makes him stop, and says "no, wait, hold on a second...i don't think you've had time to process everything that you've been through."

remnants of the girl who told him she'll cover for him and he should just go get a beer, take some time for himself, after jersey. who suggested he talk to someone, when jerry lamana died. she's always wanted so much for him, but she understands more now. there's still room to pause, for a moment, before he carries on.)

7/ anasazi

ladies, would you shoot your man with a gun, to keep him from endangering himself, while he was being laced with LSD, and then drag him across the country singlehandedly, while he was unconscious, despite him being twice your size? and this, too, is taking care.

the way she says, "i was certain they would have killed you, mulder." and the fear in her voice, his hand on her knee. (she is so young. she really doesn't know what to do, not as often as she seems like she does). the way he says, "thank you. thank you for taking care of me." they are so kind to each other. it'll break your fucking heart.

(i remember asking y'all a few weeks ago, if mulder and scully ever say "i'm sorry," if they ever apologize to each other. and we came up with a couple of times. i'll tell you what, though: not as often as they say "thank you.")

8/ fire

girlbosses when they singlehandedly solve serial murders, to get their best friend's shitty ex away from them!!! okay, i put this one on here because we were talking about it yesterday, but scully really does handle the entire situation with phoebe so perfectly, and that's hard to do, when you're dealing with friends and abusers.

trish, i loved this part of your post yesterday:

scully gives him the space to talk about it, never says too much but she says enough. her phrasing is SO important. she repeats what he just told her in a way that frames it as wrong.

she's a little rabid, lol. we can see it on her face when she's alone, or when mulder's not looking. but around him (around phoebe too) she's calm. she listens, she addresses what he tells her as bad, without pressing. when he tells her that she's off the case, that he doesn't want to expose her to what phoebe is doing, she asks one time: are you sure you don't want help?

he says yes, and she does it anyway. she catches that fucking murderer so that this woman can go home. just, like, an inspiration to us all.

trish's tweet:

really, truly, genuinely. scully solving the case in fire was the absolute best course of action she could have taken. get that woman out of here, an ocean away from mulder. (give him freedom, let him heal, teach him what real love feels like)

(her eyes locked in on him here, phoebe behind her. the way that when phoebe leaves the room, scully says, "you alright?" instantly.)

meeting phoebe just a few months into their partnership made her so fucking crazy like...i make fun of her for being sick in the head in regards to everyone he meets (men and women alike) and never wanting anyone around him other than her but like, my god, can you blame her!!! he's such a gentle person and people are so cruel and it makes her eyes bug out of her head.

yeah, i really don't have much else to say here, you guys. she solved a murder herself, a case that she wasn't even supposed to be working, so that his old gf would go away and stop being mean to him. she doesn't play!!

(also! while we're on the subject of abusive exes, honorable mention to scully cornering diana into an empty room and telling her to "just think" about who mulder is, who he was when she met him, compared to where he is now. "and then try and stand there in front of me. look me in the eye. and tell me mulder wouldn't bust his ass trying to save you.")

9/ deadalive

oh, you guys remember that time she raised him from the dead, right?

scully at 8 months pregnant, sitting in that hospital chair, holding his hand, for days. knowing he can’t feel it, knowing that there’s nothing that says he’ll ever wake up. that it’s impossible. that there is no science…yeah. she just sits there and holds his hand.

i love the moment when she finds out, and she comes barreling through that hallway. she hits skinner first, and starts yelling, “i want to see him. no, i need to see him,” slams her fists into his chest.

then she moves onto doggett. repeats, “i need to see him” through tears. and the way doggett says… “i know. but i wish you wouldn’t.”

she’s loved. they want to protect her, protect her image of mulder as she knew him. but they also both know she will fucking plow them down.

i always think of this fic and feel so ill:

“I pulled you six feet out of the ground,” she whispers, dangerously low. “Because I couldn’t live without you. I gave birth to your child.”

she fed his fish while he was in a casket. she planned a funeral and decorated a nursery alone, at the same time. she ran herself ragged all over the country, trying to keep his work going. she raised him from the dead.

(i also feel that i can throw in here, as related, the time that she busted him out of prison and then abandoned everything in her entire life including her career, her family, and everything she owns, to go on the run from the law and live secretly in seedy motels for years to be with him.)

10/ fight the future

there are too many contenders for my last spot, so i’m gonna keep it simple, and go with the most special movie moment. (of all movies).

from my newsletter:

“Mulder watches the spaceship as it flies overhead, his face glows with a heart-melting grin of childlike wonder and awe.”(x)

That’s exactly what it feels like to me, it’s an innocence and excitement that was so present in season one, that was all over him when he told Scully to come look in the second episode, but that’s rare to see in the later seasons. It’s rare to see at this point in their story, after all that’s happened. They are stranded in Antarctica, both of them injured, both of them freezing in the cold, and they are holding each other and gazing up at the sky. What a perfect thing in their big momentous feature, to bring it all back to what it started with.

there’s such a reverent sentimentality to it, in the simplicity. she had stopped breathing, a few minutes earlier. but when he passes out, she pulls herself up, and grabs onto him. keeps him alive, keeps them both alive, just by holding him close. that’s really the heart of it.

(also, i find it so moving that this film is the only time in the franchise that scully considers leaving, not working with him anymore, and it’s because she thinks she’s not good for him. that she’s holding him back. she never considers him as anything other than wanted, something worth believing in.)

some honorable mentions to: little green men, which i’ve written about here. (especially her secret-signaling him to their secret meet-up place, just to ask if he’s okay). the erlenmeyer flask, which i’ve talked about here. (she literally stops him in the street to tell him that she should have listened to him, and she’s sorry, because she should have trusted his instincts. that means so much, you guys). her telling colton she hopes he falls on his ass after he was making rude comments about mulder in squeeze, screaming at a serial killer that she’ll gas him into hell herself and no one will stop her, if mulder isn’t okay, in beyond the sea….she has threatened and shouted at and smacked around so many people for fucking with him, and this too is care!! (anger meaning you’re worth being angry over, etc etc)

how desperately she became frantic to find their son, after 17 years resigned to never ever looking for him, never ever endangering him that way…because she became convinced that it’s the only thing that would help mulder.

and how important samantha is to her. it matters. it matters, that sam is remembered. that someone else in the world knows. someone knows that they played baseball in the summers, that they fought over the television, that he’s looked for her in every room he’s ever been in. someone else cares about her; not as a white whale, not as a photo on a desk, as a little girl who broke her collarbone because she played on swings too hard. scully listened to her journal, and cried. listened to how much she suffered. how much she just wanted to see her big brother. (scully kept a journal like that, too, once. underwent those same tests. almost died at the hands of those same men. wrote her testimony to that same person.) it’s taking care of mulder, to love samantha. and she does.

[finniestoncrane]

Jealousy

Rogues Headcanons request: rogues who are jealous of their crush with another partner. i'm so sorry anon this post got messed up by tumblr so i had to delete it and i've only now found time to rewrite it ;-; 💜 request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: threats, posessive/obsessive behaviour, violence, yandere bullshit i guess

penguin

oswald cobblepot isn't the type to wait around for someone

someone who obviously doesn't see a good thing when it's standing in front of them

sure he'll pine for a bit

but anyone who doesn't have the sense to know he's the better choice in any situation is too dumb to be with him

however, for the right person (that person being you...)

he might be known to spend nights in his office, avoiding going home to his empty apartment

because it bothers him that you're not there, sitting beside him

curling up to him in bed, waking up to him in the mornings

all the little things that he's missing out on, that someone else now has

it's enough to drive a respectable businessman to some rather cruel efforts to get what he wants

poison ivy

pam likes to think of herself as "above it all"

she's just green, the hue has nothing to do with jealousy

but the sudden, unprompted, and rather intense development of a mini jungle outside of your apartment?

that has everything to do with jealousy

they can bring you a bouequet of flowers, sure, the decapitated heads of something that was once living trussed up in bows

but only she can build you a botanical garden wherever you please

something that keeps living and growing

just like her intense infatuation with you

and the dead weight your carrying around with you will definitely become handy

since they can be mixed into compost for her gardens

victor zsasz

how dramatic can he get? seems like the answer is "very"

new tallymark system: one scratch for every day he's not with you

although, if he really sat down to think about it

his talents could definitey see him go far here, e.g. his skill in the art of disposal

nothing extravagant or showy, no, this has to be secretive, stealthy, surprising

one quick shot to their forehead from a distance

or a pretend mugging, an oddly precise slash to the neck doing the trick

which method of ridding you of this new love of your life would cause you the least amount of psychological damage?

because he's not keen on the idea of waiting around for you much longer

so you have to get over this current obstacle pretty quickly once they've been dealt with

mr freeze

it's likely been a while since he last latched onto someone emotionally

so there's already a deep connection between you, even if it's one sided, and it's difficult for him to look past it

even knowing that you're with someone else

the thoguht of someone trying to take nora from him when she was there infuriates him

and yet here he is, considering doing the exact same thing

it's different though, because he deserves someone nice to love

he's owed someone to care for and to dote after, and to return the favour to him

he'd definitely opt for a romantic gesture to win you over

something magical, like freezing your idiot partner and scooping you up in his arms

and carrying you off to his lair to keep you isolated for decades in near mint condition

riddler

his proclivity for solving puzzles and knowing the answer to everything has kept him awake every night

why are you with someone else and not with him?

why would you ever choose someone else over him?

absolutely bizarre behaviour BUT you just need someone to show you the error of your ways

someone to teach you, to educate you, so you can make better choices in the future

and of course, he's willing to use force if need be

some of his best lectures have been given with a captive audience

sometimes it really is the only way to get people like you to listen

and perhaps, at the end, he'll offer up a little pop quiz, the kind where if you fail it, your head goes pop

how smart is that new partner of yours anyway, hm?

two face

everything comes down to a choice

you just happened to make the wrong one

now harvey might be willing to respect your choices

he's a reasonable man after all

but two face is not taking this absolutely shocking disregard of his feelings well

it's not even up for the coin to decide

it's rampage time

and no one is safe from his intense violence and rage until he has you in his arms

and if that doesn't work, he can always rely on harvey and his brains

that lawyer talk should come in handy when he's arguing his case for choosing him

harley quinn

ok first of all, rude

she's willing to forget about her true love, mr j, and give you a chance

and you're going to pick someone else

hey! it's not her fault she never got around to asking you out

you should have asked her out! you do the hard work, bub!

anyway, her jealous streak is based in a defense mechanism

you are 100% going to be her worst enemy

it's part of distancing herself from you

and a way to avoid any blame on herself for not being quick enough to snap you up

god forbid she's to blame for her own misfortune

mad hatter

jervis is entirely respectful of your choices

it's not your fault that you didn't see him, or notice his affections

and it's not really his fault that he wasn't brave enough to say anything before it was too late

it's just that the universe has decided that you don't quite get your happy ever after yet

every fairytale story requires a bit of drama

a plot twist, to make the sweet, perfect ending more satisfying

he has absolutely no doubt that you'll find your way to him

without the need for any dubious tea or fashionable hats that might alter your beahviour

and then it'll all be the way it should be, you with him

in wonderland together forever

scarecrow

that's fine.

no really, make your own choices, make the wrong choices

the fear of losing you is fascinating and he's fine to hold onto that

but he will be getting revenge, just for the fun of it

see how well your new flame protects you when you wake up from one of jonathan's nightmares

especially when those nightmares feature your new partner

tormenting you, haunting you, terrifying you

oh, wouldn't you like to find safety in jonathan's arms?

well, perhaps he might find the kindness in him to allow that

but you'll have to beg, and suffer sufficiently, first

bane

ok so let's face it no one is arguing with bane or fighting him for your affections

but he's just such a big soft lug

if he saw you, knowing you were happy

even if that meant you were happier with someone other than him

he absolutely would do nothing to disrupt that

his jealousy would be well contained, never cruel or mean-spirited

he just knows that he would love the opportunity to show you what you're missing

the minute he suspects you're unhappy though, he is back on his simping bullshit with you, not brave enough to just ask you out

and you better hope he never gets the idea that your partner is being anything less than wonderful to you

or he'll crush them with one hand

[panlight]

To a certain extent it kind of makes sense that Ed didn't just go piss off another vamp in new moon as a suicide method. He's pretty obviously a Cullen and few vampires would willingly piss off that large of a coven on purpose by murdering their kin. But then, couldn't that be fixed by having him just go south and find a newborn to kill him? They're easily angered, likely dunno who the cullens are, and are explicitly solidly stronger. Idk its wild his mental plan was essentially death by cop even at the beginning of the book. That seems so? Specific?

Right, that's a good point that other covens may have heard of the Cullens and not want to cross them by killing one of their own, even if he was asking them to do it.

But surely, surely, there is an easier way than going all the way to Volterra, asking the ruling trio--ONE OF WHOM IS A MIND-READER AND THUS EXPOSING ALL OF YOUR FAMILY'S SECRETS--to kill you, and when they refuse, attempt to sparkle at high noon on the biggest vampire holiday of the year.

I just can't get over that, and it's so weird (I mean not really) that it's never an issue. Like, Jasper's not pissed at Edward for this? The guide says that Aro was only planning to check in on Carlisle after 500 years. They had centuries of peace still ahead before Edward put them all on the Volturi's radar. It never comes up. No one cares. And I get it; E/B are the main characters so the side characters don't really have agency of their own, but after they get over the initial relief of Edward being alive they should be pretty upset how he didn't think this through and now Aro knows literally everything about them because Edward is also a mind-reader and knows all their secrets, weaknesses, etc. It's just . . . not good.

The whole Volterra climax feels like one of those things where SM had this idea of Bella running through a crowded square toward Edward and then she works backwards to make that happen and like, girl I get it. Sometimes you just have this vivid scene in your head and you want to make it happen so bad. But even Alice is talking about how Edward's flair for the dramatic is going to make him wait until noon exactly to do it so it comes off as a little bit forced. There has got to be an easier way for a vampire to get himself unalived than going to the vampire capital and committing suicide by cop. Or if he were going to do that, just DO THAT and not politely ask Aro & co. to kill him first. At least then he wouldn't have given away all the family secrets before he died.

Just wandering around the southern army territories picking fights seems like a better way to do it for the reasons you outlined. Or, IDK, bite himself a couple times and jump into a fire.

But of course he can't do that, because some of that might work, and he has to fail, because Forever/Breaking Dawn needs to happen. That's also why Aro has no choice but to let Alice go when she's literally right there and the Cullens have clearly broken some laws. She can't be forced to serve the Volturi because she has a wedding to plan. So he has to go all the way to Forks to try and collect her six months later.

[bossmamacita]

Luz - Emotional Processing Notes (this is the organized version see below for my brainrot version)

Luz exhibits traits of alexithymia, specifically struggling to label her emotions despite feeling them intensely. Her physical reactions often clue her in to what she might be feeling, though she's prone to misinterpretation. She’s never been to therapy, so her self-awareness is limited, but through her experiences and interactions, she begins to piece things together.

Examples: In a high-stake situation in SR1 she mistakes fear for anger (elevated heart rate, body sweat, etc.) and has an explosive reaction that complicates a situation.

Notes: Luz’s lack of therapy/proper emotional understanding does eventually lead to growth. I envision this through multiple characters from the series who have undergone therapy to some degree recognizing Luz's struggles and offering insight, even if it’s initially rejected. It plants the seed in her head. (This might end up being her sister, Elena who she communicates with occasionally at the hospital.)

Anger is the easiest emotion for Luz to recognize because it produces clear physical symptoms: a racing heart, tension, and a surge of energy. She channels this into violence, finding a return to homeostasis after releasing her pent-up energy. Murdering, descruction, fighting, the whole lot here. This coping mechanism is both a strength and a weakness, as it sometimes leads to impulsive actions but also explains why she hasn’t flat out died yet.

—

Transitioning/Dysphoria

Luz's transition in her early twenties is delayed due to her inability to identify her dysphoria. Throughout SR1, her anger and volatility are heightened by this unrecognized core discomfort. As she ages, listens to her companions, makes friends, and deals with challenges as Playa, she starts to understand herself better.

Examples: My brain is struggling here but just imagine some inner monologues that show her lifelong but unrecognized dysphoria. Moments where she feels out of place, angry without understanding why, these all gradually lead to her realization pretty quickly into SR1 storyline but she stays closeted as Cez for awhile. She waits to gain reputation and respect.

Notes: Unrelated but really curious as to how yall canon Saints companions reacting to a trans Playa character. I feel like there’s room for stuff here but I haven’t really thought about it… like for someone like Luz who is besties with Aisha and Johnny would they have an opinion? Approve/dissaprove initially? How does it affect their friendship if there is some phobic vibes or does it not affect it at all due to the respect Playa has as a person idk

—

Relationship w/ Johnny and Aisha

Luz is a keen observer, especially in SR1, using others as a reference to understand her emotions. She connects with Johnny because of his directness and unapologetic nature, which aligns with her literal thinking. She admires Aisha’s femininity, success, and passion for music. Their romantic relationship confuses Luz, but third-wheeling with them helps her gather insights.

Notes: The insights are not always great. I think Luz would try to emulate aspects of Johnny and Aisha’s relationship in her own flings, but it fails, which adds to her confusion and irritation. An example like taking someone out to Freckle Bitches on a first date. Johnny did it and Aisha stayed, why can’t I? The reason why she emulates them I think is because she does recognize they have a deep bond whether they realize it or not. She can identify the emotion in them but she would not be able to do it in herself if that makes sense? She does want a real relationship like theirs at first but she fails too many times with her shitty method in SR1 so she becomes a player. Playa. Get it. (Aisha and Johnny 100% bully her for this as a bestie trio thing)

Flings and Manipulation and… Gaslighting?

In SR1, Luz engages in random flings and flirts with strangers, often as a means of emotional manipulation and gaslighting. These unreliable relationships reflect her dysfunctional understanding of normal relationships. She feels nothing genuine for her romantic pursuits, kinda just using them as a way to waste time and gain influence/information, focusing on power and ambition as main traits in this game. She is not extroverted at all so she kinda has that silent guy rizz and a pretty face that worked somehow on men and women.

Shift in SR2

By SR2, Luz has grown more emotionally aware and confident in her identity. Transitioning has expanded her emotional range, thanks to gender-affirming care and hormones. She remains direct and brash but is less obsessed with power, knowing her worth. (Getting blown up does that to ya) Her leadership style is defined by her no-nonsense attitude and refusal to take any disrespect.

Luz’s relationships with her companions evolve. She gets along well with Johnny and Aisha (post coma reunion) and they both play a significant role in her life. She idealizes Johnny/Aisha a bit as power couple despite their issues because she can identify that core emotion in them. Ask her to identify that emotion in herself though and she cannot.

—

Relationship w/ Luz and Carlos

Carlos's willingness to do anything for Luz puzzles her. She explores this by befriending him, experiencing a mix of flirty vibes and a sense of normalcy that she can’t quite interpret. Her interactions with Carlos are marked by fluctuating feelings she can’t label. The gang notices this dynamic, but Luz denies it. After Carlos's death, Luz is overwhelmed with regret, realizing too late how much she cared for him. This is a pivotal moment for her emotional clarity.

Examples: "Luz, you ever wonder why we do this?" Carlos spoke softly, acknowledging their closeness. Luz felt her chest well with tightness, misinterpreting the feeling that rose in her body. “It’s about power, Carlos. Nothing else.” Carlos blinked at her slowly, “For you, maybe. For me, it’s different.” Luz distanced herself from Carlos, attempting to brush off his words. “Stop overthinking it.”

Post Death:

Luz held the gold chain Carlos wore, pressing her thumb against the cross pendant. “Why does this hurt so much?” She whispered to herself, the tightness in her chest returning, sharper. She could not ignore or misplace the deep wound she felt. It wasn’t about power. It wasn’t about anger. It was loss. Regret.

—

Impact of Aisha’s Death

Aisha’s death hits Luz hard, triggering intense feelings of sadness, guilt, and envy. These emotions, compounded by Johnny's grief, strain their friendship. They become coworkers rather than close friends, driven by a shared goal of vengeance. Luz compartmentalizes her emotions, focusing on tracking down those responsible, leading to resentment and conflict with Johnny.

Luz and Johnny’s relationship deteriorates after their losses. They clash, with harsh words and physical fights reflecting their internal turmoil. (Peep that art i made) (I also kinda see the fight as a foil to their previous friendship and the end of SR1 them and start of sr2 them) Their arguments include comparisons of their losses, revealing their vulnerabilities at the core. Eventually, they realize they must support each other rather than fight, leading to a tentative truce. Their relationship rebuilds slowly, marked by raw honesty and mutual growth between the duo.

Luz’s feelings for Johnny develop over time. She recognizes her emotions sooner than she did with Carlos but remains hesitant. A slow burn towards a romantic relationship vibes. Imagine scenes where there is chemistry but unspoken. Classic unintentional physical closeness- I don’t know Luz is questioning her feelings. Debating on giving them a romantic encounter before the fight to serve as a catalyst but unsure. Unresolved feelings about Aisha and Carlos with that poor choice of sexual distraction could be interesting way to confront guilt/grief.

Examples: im too dead for this

"You don’t get it, Luz. Aisha’s death is on all of us."

"How can you say that? I didn’t kill her!"

I don’t know words here

*anger and confusion, lashing out grrrr* “Don't you dare compare your loss to mine. Carlos was—"

”Was what, Luz? ‘Nother pawn to you?"

Luz explodes in anger, initiating a physical fight

After

Bruised and bleeding

"We can't keep doing this, Johnny. We’re on the same side."

“Yeah, well, maybe if we talked instead of throwing punches..."

“Talking’s not exactly our thing."

“No, but maybe it should be."

[fluffypotatey]

sorry. even more thoughts from gumy. hey in the s3 finale there's a direct contrast between mk's "i'd never abandon her when she needs me! we're heroes, it's what we do!" vs mei's "that's the hard part of being a hero!" as she tries to burn wukong to a crisp. the different facets of being the Hero

the contrast between MK's "we're Heroes! it's what he do!" vs Mei's "that's the hard part of being a hero."

dam T^T

but yeah, let's dissect this a bit more :)

well, we (the audience) know that both Mei and MK think of themselves as heroes. we first meet Mei when she saves MK, and our first scene with MK is him idolizing how "heroic" the Monkey King is. even after getting the staff and being dubbed as Sun Wukong's successor, MK wants to help people (he does it first by deciding to bring the staff to SWK because, you know, he's never fought bad guys before). MK's heroic ideology is to "help everyone," "save everybody," "protect my friends and family from the evil™️" and "no man left behind" (except himself)

Mei's is very similar but different. "Protect friends and family from the evil™️," "save those who cannot save themselves," and "protect others from themselves." this is probably why she was able to reckon with the act of burning SWK to a crisp because it was risk she was willing to take. the needs of all trump the needs of one no matter how much it might hurt

but MK can't do that. he has been shown how much he cannot do that. all of his plans are ones that are meant to ensure everybody survives and lives to see another day. (see, MK having everyone fight Peng and Yellowtusk while he and SWK fight OP!Azure.) and if he is told that there is no other way than to sacrifice another or that it's possible someone is lost forever, MK will try to find another way. and so far, his method has worked (bc he's the MC and the narrative cannot work if MK fails but that's more of a technical behind the scenes outlook rather than "in-story" which is a whole other can of worms and is not at all a part of my point)

however, Mei is shown to be a bit more grounded and have a realistic view that sometimes...you have to face the fact that there is no other option. Wukong's scroll being sliced? there was a very high likelihood that the monkey king was lost forever. MK refused to see it, but Mei knew that the chances of them even bring him back were super, super slim. Mei "understood the risks" so to speak that happy endings are not guaranteed. that the world is more gray than it is black & white.

in a way, both of their ideologies complement each other. it's why they are such a good pair as friends and when fighting together.

ignoring my urge to sob, fucking look at these two T^T and doing some quick research on the web, yellow and green are said to be the colors of hope. both colors have mostly positive meanings, so put together simply adds to their individual hopeful vibes and doubles it, basically (idk color theory this is my interpretation of what i read and how i can apply it to MK and Mei)

they may not be complementary but they do compliment each other in that yellow brightens the room and provides a soft light while the green can provide a bit of that grounded darker tones and make a room more fixed. (wtf am i saying, why does this make sense to me, how am i mixing home decor with-)

so yeah, while the colors are different facets of hope, MK and Mei are also different facets of what it means to be a hero (selfless, compassionate, self-sacrificial, loyal, willing to do the impossible vs willing to do what's necessary for all) and i am now very emotional about them T^T

[vanillaxoshi]

Tanah:

Tanah was sitting in his room reading his tablet on the next mission they have. Apparently it was on Planet Gurunda to help those Cactus Tribe from a potential threat they are facing. He sighed to himself, he was feeling tired from all the situations going on right now but he believed he could not take a break right now.

You look like a zombie

Wait what?? 

Tanah tried to look up from his tablet but it felt like his face was frozen or maybe it was his whole body 

“Who are you??” 

Don’t you remember me?

That voice- it sounded familiar to him, was it-

“C-Cahaya?”

Hm?

“I-Is that r-really you?”

Who else if not your smartest sibling

“You- but how?”

You look disheveled and not to mention you used to prompt me on taking more rest

“….”

Cahaya sighed.

How about a good night sleep?

“I shouldn’t have allowed you to join that mission” 

…..

You didn’t know that

“I should have known…”

Tanah you’re a leader not a fortune teller

Stop blaming yourself for it

You did what you could 

“Then I should have done more! I should have protected you better!!”

Maybe this time I protected you guys , Cahaya chuckled that to himself

You’re the person I always look up for and am thankful for everything

“I wish I could have you back…”

I’ll always be with you even if you can’t see me

Cahaya’s body floats more near to Tanah as he tries holding his brother’s hand affectionately and crouches down in front of him 

So for once, listen to me and get some rest Abang 

Maybe like a spell worked on him? Tanah finds himself lying on the bed sleeping with his lips curled up in a soft smile. Cahaya looks at his hands, he still can’t touch or feel anything! Well he tried. He looks back at Tanah and smiles, maybe this would be first time he’s seeing his brother heading to bed first without checking on others

Sleep well Abang

Angin:

Cahaya finds himself ghosting around the station when he finally notices light coming out from a room. Weren’t that room Angin and Petir had temporarily? They’re definitely not of a person to stay awake that long. Cahaya gradually enters their room and the sight in front of him was……..quite surprising?

Angin was reading a file and it was written by him on light powers. There were more scattered papers on Sinarbot, level manipulation, energy transfer, revival and what not. Is that the research his brother had been doing from last two months?? (I think that’s how long you have put him in coma?) 

Amusing, the only word that ran on his head. Was he really his brother? Maybe not! 

Well none of his brother’s are sane since he left, he couldn’t take Angin as an exception could he? Thought the change was drafting!

You’ve got to be kidding me

Angin perked up on that. That voice-

You’re trying to use power sphere energy methods to cure me quickly 

“H-Haya?”

But you can’t just test that on me

“You test your experiments on us all of the time!”

There’s a difference 

I have experience but you don’t know

“I might get experience through this then?”

And what if you failed?

“…..”

Cahaya sighed, did his brother really had to lose common sense

I prefer a baking airhead over a maniac scientist 

“And I prefer a bragging, full of himself Cahaya over a quiet and lifeless one”

Angin…

“Sorry…” 

How about we do some experiments together after I wake up?

“F-For real?”

Yeah…

And I guess a bit baking too , mumbled Cahaya to himself 

Wait for a little while Angin~

“You sound scary Haya-“

“Huh?!”

Angin comes out of his trance. He looks around and calls out Cahaya’s name but he didn’t hear anything. He off’s his table light and flies off to his upper bunker bed. He lies there and and after days he was genuinely smiling to himself. 

“I hope you won’t make me you’re test subject in experiments baby brother”

Saying so Angin drifts off to sleep.

No promises~

Sleep well Abang

Cahaya felt a force pulling his body backwards and before disappearing he looks at the empty lower bed.

I am kinda sick right now….so I might take sometime for writing Petir’s part. 

Cahaya still being sassy despite being a type of ghost

Tanah you and your protection biz >:(

And Cahaya outright saying hey, i wanted to protect you guys. Quit it. How can i protect you guys if you protect me. Thats ridiculous

Angin's desperation of wanting Cahaya to wake up through research, i mean, they wont know when he'll wake up so it makes sense but Cahaya reassuring him is sweet so that angin could calm down and rest

Petir, oh i would want to know petir's part (pretty late for this response but get well soon!!)