#he’s smart he’s funny and makes me laugh we share some interests but are also fairly different he’s easy to talk to but I don’t feel like

[sailforvalinor]

In other news, my church sign has been hit by a car for the *checks notes* fourth time

[moonydustx]

How about Law x Female Reader, where they switch bodies. It could be unexpected or intentional from Law. There's smut, spicy, and reaction from the Heart Pirates. Before the smut scene, both Law and Reader experience their daily life in their new bodies.😊😂

Hi Hi! All good? I saw your requests and I loved them all, I will do my best to deliver them soon. Just a small observation, maybe I'll do them in just one part (or two at most), I hope you don't hate me for it. Well, let's go!

I believe it would be an intentional change, but I made a small adaptation to your suggestion. And, probably part two would be them applying everything they learned about their loved one's body (that is, more smut)

And yes, below the cut we have a huge story

The Change

Law x F!Reader

warnings: pre-established relationship, they exchange a type of bet, mentions of harassment (nothing explicit or detailed). Smut, they talk a lot because they are two idiots understanding how their loved one's body works. mdni

a/n: I loved writing this! Maybe I got a little lost in the smut, I confess that I have a little difficulty with this topic (but I like writing). Spoiler and a reminder because I don't know if it's clear: during the whole smut they are still in each other's bodies.

requests here | rules and guides | masterlist

Comments, reblogs and likes are greatly appreciated.

NSFW | MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

"You wouldn't survive a day in a woman's body."

Ikkaku's speech, surrounded by laughter and glasses of drink spread across the table, dictated how drunk you all were, including the captain himself, since that was one of the nights he allowed himself to have one drink or another.

"I'm sorry, how?" Shachi hung on the other side of the table, indignant at his colleague. "You wouldn't survive a day in a man's body."

"How not?" You settled down on the bench, punctuating each topic mentioned. "Cramps, hormones, stress. The list is long, I wanted to see you get through a week like this."

"They definitely couldn't handle it." Ikakku supported you.

"Captain, what do you think?" Penguin asked and all attention turned to Law, who just denied with a brief and almost imperceptible smile. "Don't tell me you're going to take their side."

"I prefer not to express my opinion." he replied, downing some of the drink

"Is that because you're on their side or because you don't want to disagree with them?" Shachi encouraged, watching you stick your tongue out at him. "The captain is too smart to pick a fight."

"He knows what's good for him." you grumbled

"The question you didn't ask is: would you survive in Bepo's place?" Law diverted the topic to the bear, who was distractingly eating.

"No, definitely not." with Bepo hearing your response and pretending to be offended, the matter ended in loud laughter.

The night passed peacefully, other crewmates joined the table and the night that was intended to relax and clear your head became a meeting - fueled by drinks and stupid topics - between all the friends present there.

The sun was about to rise when you decided to return to Polar Tang and before you could follow the corridor that led to the room you shared with Ikkaku, you felt two arms pull you back and your back hit something.

"Hmm, it looks like tonight I'll sleep alone, see you tomorrow." your roommate laughed and waved.

"I feel sorry for the captain, now she's going to make him pay for not taking sides." Shachi teased the two of you, also leaving and leaving the hallway alone.

Amidst not very steady steps and stolen kisses when you were alone, you and Law arrived in his room. It was a rare sight to see the captain let himself get drunk, but you couldn't deny that it was at least funny and interesting.

"Well, since Shachi brought it up…" you pushed Law, who stopped sitting on the bed, supported by his elbows and watching you take off your clothes. "What's your opinion on men being able to handle being women?"

"I really can't think when you're about to get naked in front of me." he responded immediately and saw you let your arms fall, your bra remaining in the same place. "Okay, I got it, I got it." he laughed.

"Depending on your opinion, we'll stop here." Your light tone indicated that it was nothing more than a joke.

"I don't think either of you could bear to live in the other's shoes, but I have to agree that you women took this matter too seriously." he pointed out and saw you cross your arms. "What are you thinking?"

"I have an idea!" you approached him, stopping millimeters from where he was lying. Your hands went to your bra again and took it off, as well as your panties. "You'll have to live in my shoes for a week and I'll have to live in yours."

"What does that mean?" Inert to any thought other than your naked body in front of him, Law gave you space to sit on his lap. "Do you want me to change us?"

"Yes, just like you did with the Straw Hats." you proposed and saw him just watching you quietly. Trying to give him more encouragement, you moved your hips against his body. His hand, which was just resting on your thigh, dug into your flesh. "Please babe."

"How about tomorrow?" Without much effort, he turned you over on the bed and fit himself between your legs. "Now I have more pressing matters to attend to."

What little was left of the night was occupied by your tangled bodies and almost hidden moans - this was a small problem because when alcohol was in your body and his, it became much more difficult to disguise certain things.

The next morning, you woke up much later than usual. The sheet had become a big lump around you and Law still had you trapped in his arms.

"Good morning my love." you whispered, watching him sink into your neck.

"Good morning my heart." he grumbled, not having much courage to face the day.

"It's tomorrow." you pointed out and saw him finally open his eyes, unsure of what that meant. "You promised!"

"It's hard not to promise something with you like that on top of me." despite him saying that, he knew he was in trouble and that you wouldn't let it go. "Just give me time to properly wake up and we'll sort this out." and despite him grumbling, he couldn't contain his smile when he saw you excited.

After taking a shower and resolving what was most urgent, Law entered the room again, also finding you ready to face the day.

"Everything okay, can we switch?" you asked, seeing him close the door behind him.

"First some rules." he pointed out. "First, this stays between us, second, no doing anything I would never do with my body."

"That includes…"

"The list is long, if you have any doubts about what I wouldn't do with my body, please ask me." You nodded immediately. "And you, any rules?"

"To be honest, I can't think of anything very specific right now."

"Right. I'll definitely regret this." he mumbled the last part just to himself, but you laughed excitedly. "Room. Shambles."

The first thing you felt was butterflies in your stomach and a little dizziness. Soon after, an immediate strangeness took over you when you heard your voice speaking to you.

"It's normal to feel strange at first." Law, now in your body, scored. Your eyes, now his, roamed all over your body, which was also now his. "This is strange."

"Do not tell me." you were startled when you heard the thicker timbre of Law's voice, which now belonged to you. "This is fantastic."

You went to the table next to the bed and picked up the small bottle of water, downing it in one go.

"What are you doing?" Law asked, adjusting the clothes he was wearing.

"I really want to know what it's like to pee in this." You pointed to the waistband of your pants. "I think every woman has asked herself that question."

"I already regret it." he murmured and walked over to you, taking a paper from the pocket of the pants you were wearing. "Before we exchanged, I resolved most of the pending issues that needed more attention, here I left some daily tasks that I need to do."

"And you, will you know what I do?"

"Honey, I'm the captain, if I don't know what my crew members do, I don't deserve that title." He pointed out and hugged your waist, resting his head against your chest.

"Are you really doing this to see if it's as good for me as it is for you?" you pointed out and felt him nod against your skin.

"Its confortable." He knew it was one of your favorite ways to hug him, what he didn't admit was that he loved having you there in his arms too.

"I know." You said, gently grabbing his chin and bringing your lips to his.

At first it was strange, kissing the lips that once belonged to you, but now some of Law's actions were starting to make more sense to you, like having to hold back so as not to turn a small peck into a kiss and then into sex. It was supposed to be just a peck, but it only took a few seconds for your hands to get caught in his hair - again, which was once yours - and little by little your body guided his to the bed.

"No babe." Law asked and you immediately walked away. "No sex while we're changing."

"Really?" you let out a sigh, seeing him nod. Before answering, you did a quick mental calculation. Oh man, Law would definitely regret this. "We'll see!"

"We'll see?"

"Yeah, we'll see." you insisted, moving away from him. By your count, you were ovulating and it was the phase of the month in which your libido was at its highest. That would work on him, wouldn't it?

The first day seemed to be the easiest. Each one occupying a role alone, each one following their own small calendar of tasks. When the two of you passed each other, only a brief glance was exchanged.

The second day, however, was much more complicated. Perhaps due to the more reserved behavior of the two of you, some crewmates were starting to find it strange. It was starting to become almost impossible to hide some things.

"Captain!" Bepo greeted you as soon as you found him, an open map and log sitting on the table. "I needed to clear some doubts with you."

"Of course Bepo, how can I help you?" you walked closer, analyzing the map ahead.

"The log pose finishes recording in one day, and according to this map we found, we might be thrown to this island here." he pointed out. "From what we talked to some locals, it's peaceful."

"Okay and what do you need my help with?" you insisted, analyzing.

"Actually, I just wanted to check with you if we're going out tomorrow?"

"I need to think about it." you lied, in fact you needed to consult the real Law. "Can I give you that answer later?"

"Of course captain!"

"I need to sort out some other things, but if you need to, just call me." you left with a brief wave and smile in Bepo’s direction.

The second act of distrust came from Ikkaku. You and she were supposed to organize the supplies purchased on the island and generally, that was the time you used to chat. This time, however, you seemed quieter than usual. Little did she know that she was side by side with the captain the entire time.

"So, everything is alright in your little paradise?" she tried to start a conversation, seeing Law look as if there was a huge question mark between the two of them. "Your relationship with the captain, you haven't brought any news in a while."

"Everything is alright." he limited himself to saying, not knowing how much the two of you talked about it.

"I imagine so. You know, I think it's really beautiful the way you two take care of each other, even if not in front of us. You seem much happier in the last year that you've been together." She scored and returned to her tasks, still with a small doubt about her behavior.

It was at breakfast on the third day that you ended up slipping and showing off. While Law filled his plate with healthy things and a huge cup of coffee, you grabbed a few pieces of bread and started eating.

"I knew!" Shachi shouted, from across the table. "I knew it all along!"

"Know what?" you asked, trying to maintain the serious posture your boyfriend usually had.

"You two switched places." he stood up, standing behind the two of you. "Bread, we all know Law would kill himself if he ate that." he pointed to his plate. "And coffee, we know you'd rather drink poison."

"I don't believe it, it's true!" Ikkaku approached the dishes, analyzing them. "That's why you didn't want to gossip with me."

"Which is why the captain was in a good mood the other day too." Bepo scored. "I liked this idea of ​​yours."

"Law, what's it like to have boobs?" Penguin asked and almost received a collective elbow from his closest friends.

"How did they do that?" Ikkaku took the lead, only seeing the two of you looking at each other, guilty for having been discovered.

"It's just a scientific experiment, we won't give any more details." Law inveighed and saw everyone look confused.

"It's weird to see her being serious like that, like, I know it's the captain." Shachi tried to keep up and gave up. "You guys are making my head hurt."

"Imagine mine." Law pointed out, making you laugh and attracting everyone's attention.

"I didn't know the captain was capable of that." Penguin teased you as soon as he heard you laugh. "Look, it looks like magic."

"Don't be mean." You asked and stood up. "Now everyone hurry up with this breakfast, it's going to be a busy day and we'll be leaving here in…" you bent down, getting to Law's height. "Babe, the log pose has already registered the next island, when do we leave?" you whispered.

"Tomorrow." he replied, in the same low tone.

"We leave here early tomorrow." you finished, hearing your classmates applaud.

"You don't do that to me." Law, in your body, was indignant, causing even more laughter.

It was lighter now that everyone knew, even if it was against the captain's wishes and led to absurd jokes - and equally absurd questions - but it made your day easier.

That day, you would begin to put your plan into practice. You put on the clothes that you knew would tease you - in fact, would tease Law on your body. Perfume, some buttons open on the shirt, leaving the tattoos showing. Damn, it was hard to stay in your boyfriend's body.

You just didn't expect to see him show up at the meeting point on the island in a short outfit that you only wore in two situations. First, when you were off duty and boarding the Polar Tang and second, when you knew you were going out for a walk and that Law would be your shadow. That situation didn't apply today, but perhaps it would serve as a good lesson.

"What outfit is that?" you asked and saw him move, showing off his clothes.

"Since you guys changed, I thought it would be cool to show him the practicality of women's clothing." Ikkaku winked discreetly at you. Apparently, you and your friend had the same plan.

"I won't deny it, it's fresh." Law just said, the fabric against his body. You stood up and adjusted your shirt and hair, attracting Law's attention. "And you, don't you think it's a little too much."

"No." you replied with a cynical smile. "Good, assigned tasks, we'll meet later."

You hoped everything would work out and you trusted your crewmates too much to know that despite all the jokes, they would help Law just as he would help you. You just didn't expect that when you found yourself again, you would see a Law wrapped in a cape, walking furiously towards you.

"Why didn't you ever tell me that?" He prostrated himself in front of you, watching you laugh.

"Where did you go?" you asked Ikkaku, who was laughing right behind him.

"Only in some sales. Because we need some medicines that we didn't find in the previous purchase, we also need to resort to some not so friendly contacts." she explained.

"You will never, ever go out anywhere like that again." he barked and because it was about being in your body, being smaller than you were in his body, it made the fight cute from your point of view. If it were the other way around, you would be furious. "Better, you don't go out without me by your side."

"Was it that serious?"

"Just some idiots, nothing that was actually dangerous." Ikkaku ignored Law's drama and explained it to you. "He beat some of them up."

"That reminds me that you need to train more, they almost managed to restrain me." Law continued. You just reached out your hand and caressed the top of his head, making him even more irritated.

"Now go tell your little friends how cool it is to be a woman." you pissed him off even more

Night fell quickly and after Law's little drama, you didn't see him around anymore. Except when you went to sleep and found him in the bedroom, trying to reach his shoulder.

"Problems?" you asked, seeing his attentive eyes reach you.

"Just a little soreness in my shoulder after today's fight." he pointed out and you went to him on the bed, sitting immediately behind and taking the role for yourself. "My heart, I'm serious."

"What's serious?" before he continued speaking, an involuntary moan escaped his lips as soon as you began massaging the sore spot. "Were you saying something?"

"That is good." he murmured, throwing his head to the side and giving you more space to work. "But back to the subject, I felt scared today. I know I could take those guys down in seconds, but there was something holding me back, I think it was sensations from your own body."

"I know, I've been feeling some things that I know belong more to your body than to myself." You explained, seeing him nod. "This fear, well, it's common. Every time I meet these types of people I feel this fear, but it doesn't stop me from fighting."

"I need to make some changes, you and Ikkaku will never take on this kind of task again, it's disgusting." he punctuated and gasped when he felt your lips press against the base of his neck.

"This is also a feeling that I know belongs more to my body than your mind." You laughed, letting your lips slide under the skin of his back that once belonged to you.

The shoulder massage began to turn into wet kisses under the skin, your hands slid down his side. One, tracing small pieces of exposed skin and the other, attaching it to his hair and leaving the space that your mouth explored clean. Seeing Law move his hips against the fabric of the bed, you couldn't help but laugh.

"Do you want to review the sex rule?" you whispered in his ear, seeing him gasp. "I know what you want."

"Not yet, just a few days left." Even though the tone of voice betrayed him, Law remained firm in his decision.

At least that's what he thought, or what he wanted.

The worst part about switching bodies, in his view, was that he knew what his body liked - and consequently, you knew about yours. The small problem is that the things that Law liked and that he could use your body to provoke were either too intimate and would give away his plans to you or, if done in a more public place, would arouse an almost crazy jealousy in him - regardless of the body he occupied. As for you, you could take advantage of the fact that firstly: Law was starting to feel his hormones raging, secondly: you didn't need much to attract his attention.

With each touch you gave his body, each time he woke up, you allowed your hands to travel to the places you knew he would like. With each small gesture you saw the small thread that held his sanity inside his body slip away.

The proposal ended the next day, so on the last night you made your final move. The wet body, the tattoos on display and a small towel around his waist was enough.

Law approached you and touched your chest, almost testing what he could feel.

"Okay, I give up on the sex rule." He stated, allowing his hands to find the back of your neck and he stood on his toes to give you a brief kiss. "I'm going to explode if you don't fuck me now."

Without giving space for many thoughts to take over you, you took Law's lips immediately. No calm, no delicacy. Fiercely, your tongue invaded his mouth and you could feel his nails grab the back of your neck, wanting more and more.

A growl escaped you as you felt your cock throb just from that kiss. It was too much for you to bear for long, something inside your body made you want to put Law on your knees and watch him taste what you kept there behind the small towel. Reading your thoughts, you felt his soft hands slide down your back, across your abdomen and one of them rested on top of your cock, stroking lightly over the fabric.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" his voice came out a few tones lower when he disconnected from your mouth, a small thread of saliva that connected the two of you broke. "I can bet it almost hurts just from kissing, you can feel it here." He pressed the part of your skin where the path to happiness was drawn. "You can feel it here too." He let one of his hands enter through the gap in the towel and slide down the entire length of your cock.

"Two can play this game." you pointed out, your hand that was gently holding his hair, squeezed tightly. "The interesting thing is that I thought only I had this kind of desire, but now in your body, it's as if I have to control every instinct."

"What do you want?" the smile on his lips indicated that he at least suspected what was going on.

Relaxing your grip on his hair, you once again took Law's lips to yours, Saliva and lust connected the two of you and for a brief moment, you wished you were a third person, just so you could watch what the two of you were doing.

Your mouth slid to the edge of his ear, some hickey marks being traced on your skin.

"Get on your knees for me, now." you whispered firmly and without even hesitating, you saw him fulfill the request. "I bet you're wet just thinking about it, am I wrong?" you saw him deny it as he pulled back the towel and stared at the dick in front of him. "I could make you beg…" your hands found his hair and a moan escaped your lips as his tongue slid down the entire length. "I could make you choke and I bet your pretty pussy clenches at the thought."

"So we can actually feel each other's instincts? Interesting." Law scored before swallowing your entire cock in one go.

At the same time that the sensation seemed to make you ready to combust, the breath and fresh saliva against your cock left you tied to this earth. You had to control yourself not to push further, to not make him feel even more of you.

The sensation was strange to Law, but at the same time, he couldn't deny that it felt good, that it caused a burning sensation in his center, that made him want to slide his fingers between his legs and give him some of the pleasure you felt but that could wait a little longer.

"Like this, babe, please… So good, take it all for me." you asked in a strangled moan, seeing him look up with innocent eyes.

So that was the vision, that was the fun he saw in having you on your knees for him. It was too good, too good until you saw his lips moving away and even with your hand still tied in his hair, Law stood up.

"I don't want to ruin our little test now." He placed a quick kiss on your lips.

"Test? So you're using this to test something?" you began to gently push him onto the bed.

"No, I'm using this for you to pleasure me, but maybe I can use some information."

"You look so hot being a nerd like that." you pointed out, fitting yourself between his legs.

"Remember: technically, you're the one who looks hot." he laughed at his own observation.

While your lips explored his body, each piece of clothing found a new destination in the room. You could worry about that later. Your hand found the soft skin of her breast and while your lips were attached to one of the nipples, the other was trapped between your fingers. You could feel Law move even more against your skin, looking for some kind of friction.

"What's wrong, honey. Is there a problem?" you let go of your breast and asked.

You felt both of his hands reach you and one of them caught in your hair, directing you back to his engorged nipple, while the other guided your hand to his panties.

"Does this little pussy need me that much?" you asked, just letting your tongue glide over her breasts. Two fingers applied pressure exactly where you knew it would provoke him, only an already soaked fabric separating you from his wet pussy. "This is what you want?"

"Don't make me ask, please." Law grunted, moving against your fingers. "Please, love, please."

"It feels like asking someone who didn't want to ask." You slid your mouth along the remaining length of his body until you reached his intimacy.

Placing a few kisses over the fabric, you saw him cover his face, in a frustrated attempt not to beg for more. God, you wish you had time to make him beg and leave him on the edge, just to watch him become a mess, but that would be for another time. Now, you could barely contain your desire to sink there.

The panties accumulated together with other discarded fabrics and you moved his legs apart, contemplating the excitement that dripped down the lips of the pussy that was now under Law's command. You expected him to beg again or at least ask. However, you watched him slide a hand between your legs, pulling his pussy lips apart and giving him a full view.

"Come here, I know you want to…Fuck!" Law barely had time to speak before you sank between his legs.

That was instinct then, you had barely thought about it before you started sucking him. You started fast, voracious, hearing some moans that were now muffled by his hand, but something pulled you back to reality: you knew exactly what he needed and liked.

You moved away a little just to have space for your hand to place there. Two fingers slid down the entire length of his vulva, lightly caressing her clitoris.

"I'm sorry." You asked, placing a kiss on his thigh. "I know this is better." you pointed out, seeing him throw his head back and muffle another moan. "Babygirl, you're barely able to handle this, and if I…" the words died in your mouth as the two fingers slid to the entrance and penetrated him, the hands on Law's mouth weren't enough to contain his loud moan. "It might be a little too much, but you're going to be a good girl and you're going to take it everything, aren't you?" with the movement of your fingers and your request, you saw him nod with a small groan. "Good girl, I can feel you squeezing me."

Without warning, you again let your lips capture the clit in front of you. In sync with the movements of your finger, little by little you can feel Law constricting you even more - his pussy squeezing you tightly, his legs almost strangling you. It didn't take long for you to feel him cum against your lips, hear him moan loudly and hold his hands against your hair, wanting to keep you trapped there.

You continued slowly, until his body was able to come back from the feeling that every orgasm brought to you. You knew what the experience was supposed to be like for him. Climbing back up, you found Law panting, hands still covering his face.

"Still with me?" you asked and saw him nod. "Need a minute?"

"It's always like that?" he asked and this time it was you who nodded. "Is that why you never let me leave early?"

"Kind of yes." You laughed, placing kisses across his face. "Condoms?"

"You never remember." he chuckled, moving his hand away from his face and allowing you to look at him. "First drawer, at the bottom." he pointed out.

Between the time it took for you to get up, put on the condom and finally slide yourself inside Law, it seemed like seconds. Seconds that could easily be replaced by the eternity you wanted to spend there. You sank into his neck, holding back your own moan as you felt the walls of his pussy around you.

Knowing that you needed a little more encouragement - and maybe concentration to not cum right away - Law let his nails lightly scratch your back, while he kissed the patch of skin he could find.

It took a while for you to understand how it worked and letting instinct guide you, it didn't take long for Law's legs to find themselves against your shoulder as you thrust hard into him.

“Fuck love, ” you groaned, letting his legs fall off your shoulder. "I can't hold it in any longer Law." Instead of speaking, Law moved away just a little and placed himself on all fours, leaving his butt stuck in your direction. "So..Like you once told me?"

"Low game, I know how it feels to see you like this." feeling the tip slide and hit your clit a few times, he just adjusted his hips and let you enter him. "Fuck, so deep. I can feel you…Give it all to me, babe."

Without giving yourself the luxury of thinking - and wrongly, without even asking after all, you knew the curiosity and desire that your body had - you moistened one of your fingers and allowed yourself to caress the other hole. The moan that left Law's lips was intense, almost guttural. You circled the small entrance a few times as you thrust. You could feel your dick throb, the pressure increasing even more each time you heard Law moan loudly.

"Please, I'm almost there. Don't stop, please." amidst sighs and throwing his hips against you, Law begged.

A few more thrusts and you felt him press against you. His shaking legs and tight pussy were enough to make you cum - and honestly, it was much more intense than you imagined.

You took off the condom and threw it in the small trash can next to the bed, eager to finally lay down next to Law and hug him. As soon as he did, you saw him snuggle against your chest and call your name softly.

"Everything is fine?"

"Why do I think I can't walk?" he asked, getting a laugh from you and him. "And why do I think everyone listened to me?"

"We were definitely heard, sorry." you asked, placing a few kisses on his head.

"Is the feeling always this strong?" he asked. "I mean, I see you like this every time, but the feeling is much more intense than the sight. And not to mention, we are two perverts in each other's bodies."

"It depends, sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less." You laughed. "And yes, maybe we are both perverts."

You were silent for a few minutes and as you already suspected it was going to happen, Law yawned and his heavy eyes turned to you.

"Tomorrow we will undo the exchange." he pointed out, his voice much softer than before.

"Yeah, tomorrow we'll undo the exchange ourselves." You sighed and turned to him.

"I can't wait to show you some things I learned."

He said and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him at that moment, it was common when you - when you were in your body - became a mess and were exhausted after a few sessions with Law. Apparently, it was no different with him.

Now, it was just a matter of counting the minutes until you were finally able to show each other the new things you had learned.

[ash-says]

hiii ! i love your post about being audacious 🩷 do you have any tips about improving people skills/ being more charismatic? thank youuuu 🤭

Hello girlll!!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the audacious post. It's one of my fav tbh I literally came up with it while I was cooking. So coming to your question let me see how I can help you out tbh I share my opinions and what has worked for me so far. So practice discernment and take everything with a pinch of salt✨✨

Tips to improve People Skills/ Being more Charismatic:

1) Find your USP:

USP means Unique Selling Proposition. What makes you unique and I mean it in a personality sense more here. You can extend it to your looks but start from a personality trait cause it will be forever and very personal to you. Even if someone copies it, it will always be a cheap one.

I will elaborate on this with an example:

One of my ex colleagues was really good at socializing. He was 27 years old but I kid you not he looked like a 20 year old or even younger at times. He had a boyish charm and he used it to his full advantage. He literally had a child's energy and would jump here and there in the office, act like a literal child when not working. He had a refreshing energy to him the type that reminds you of your childhood days. Heck after a meeting with the CEO he used to watch cartoons to destress and made us watch it too so we could also relax but when it came to work he was smart, efficient and knew how to use his easy going socializing energy to generate sales. So you get my point right?? Find what attracts people to you or what value you can offer to them.

2) Knowledge. Education.

I personally swear by this. Be as disgustingly educated as possible. Know about various topics at least the basics of current trends or what's hot and some off topics. This adds dimension to your personality and helps you to hold a conversation with anyone. Plus you never run out of topics to speak on.

3) Confidence. No elaboration needed.

4)Sense of humour.

Why bore people to death by reciting the merciless nature of Julius Caesar when you could present it as a joke when something relatable comes up??? People are more likely to find you charismatic if you can make them laugh.

5) Master the art of Storytelling

This!!! Right here is a cheat code I tell you. You don't have much knowledge to speak on for now? Fine as you gradually work on it hold conversations by sharing bits of your life in a colorful way. Engage people with your life stories. Make them fun and a little dramatic. I am not advising you to lie. There's always a way you can convey something in an entertaining manner. Master it. I personally use it a lot and it's fun to connect with people cause they too loosen up and share their stories and then you link it up with your sense of humour by adding a nice comment or comeback.

Warning : Never share details that are very personal to you. Only share funny incidents and situations that won't bring you in trouble if gossiped about. Practice with discernment.

6) Learn positive body language and develop empathy. Empathy truly helps you in connecting with people on a deeper level and creating a bond based on trust and emotions.

7) Smile. Don't grin like a fool but when you see someone you know make a note to address them. Wish them good morning ,etc . Pass a genuine smile towards them. Be polite.

8) Be genuinely interested in other people but not in a nosy way instead in a healthy way. Help them out if you can. A good deed never goes to waste.

9) Have a positive outlook on everything. No one wants a pessimistic person around them. Even on days you can't. You know the mantra ," Fake it till you make it".

10) Support people. Be kind. Soft spoken. Know your place. Don't downplay yourself in front of people who are clearly not at your level and don't overestimate yourself in front of people who are professionals in those fields. Get a grip on how to act with whom. You won't know it until and unless you won't do it. Have a strong sense of self, be opinionated, confident and be witty. It's fun that way. Push your limits and don't be afraid to network with new people and talk to strangers. Who knows what will happen??

Possibilities are endless.

I hope this helps you out✨✨

[letteredlettered]

Hi! I was wondering are there any other pairings that you would consider for Draco and Harry? What appeals to you about those pairings?

Honestly, the only other person I ship Harry with is Ginny. I'm not likely to read Harry/Ginny fic, but that's a ship I can really imagine being happily ever after in a way that lives on in my head. Meanwhile I will totally read Harry/Snape, Harry/Sirius, or the crossgen ships, but I do not ship them and mostly really just want some nice smut in those corners of the fandom.

But for Draco, I ship Draco/Hermione in a major way. But I'm really afraid of reading fic for them because I'm just kind of assuming the dynamic will be a lot of a) Hermione deciding Ron isn't her intellectual equal and therefore is a bad partner, which is something I cannot stand and makes me almost want to like Ron out of sheer spite, b) Hermione deciding Malfoy is her intellectual equal and therefore a suitable partner, when he's really not; no one is her intellectual equal and that really is okay, c) Hermione deciding Malfoy is really hot and fuckable, or d) Malfoy deciding Hermione's gotten really hot and fuckable because she's smoothing down her hair and wearing fashionable clothes, which I despise viscerally.

Meanwhile all I've ever wanted in my life is Malfoy growing up and being a bit more mature and having some regrets and then meeting Hermione again and absolutely losing his mind for her. Like she is so smart and so talented and so powerful and so honorable and so good that he just worships her. And he's like "well that's very nice; I've turned over a new leaf and can respect a Muggleborn; I am an improved member of society," except his dick keeps being inconvenient about it.

And slowly Malfoy realizes that Hermione with her bushy hair and bad clothes is perhaps the hottest woman on earth. And it really, really sucks because Hermione is infinitely kind to him and the only person in this new society who has ever really given former Death Eaters, and also him specifically, a second chance. And she's so warm to him and generous and good and laughs at his little jokes. And also she would never be romantically interested in him in like. Ever.

She's literally never thought of him that way, not even once. She mostly pities him and kind of thinks he's a funny little guy. And Harry is like WTF he called you slurs and you were tortured in his house, and she's like, "We must move beyond our past, Harry," and she really does, but it literally never occurs to her that Malfoy is a man. He's a human being who deserves a chance. And at some point maybe someone even points out that Malfoy is a man that may have some kind of romantic or sexual desires in this world, like maybe they think Malfoy's a hunk and wonder who he might be dating, and Hermione is a startled by this because she's literally never considered it and then goes right back to not considering it, she has so little interest.

This is really the fic that I want to read. Like Draco making heart eyes for hundreds of pages and meanwhile Hermione pioneers space travel and the cure for cancer. BUT I would also be fine if eventually Hermione did notice him and return his affection, but only after like, a RIDICULOUS amount of him pining while she is so completely oblivious that she makes Wei Wuxian look super aware.

Anyway, that's my other main Draco ship, though I quite like Draco/Ginny too. I'm not sold on a particular ship dynamic, though I somehow doubt fic about them is really focused on the shared trauma of Voldemort befriending them and using them and threatening them and throwing them away, which is what I would really be into for them. I also just think they're kind of hot, I guess, though honestly most Ginny pairings are hot because she's hot.

I'll read some crossgen stuff and I'd possibly read like, idk, Draco/Lupin or Draco/Neville and like it, but I think my heart is really set on Draco/Harry or Draco/Hermione, even if I'll never read the latter.

[sushisocks]

Do you have any Sean x Lenny headcanons? I’m so desperate for more of their content, lol.

DO I HAVE SEAN X LENNY HEADCANONS?!??! Dear anon I could talk about macsummers FOREVEEERRRR!!!! We are truly STARVED for content about them but yes yes let me share some THOUGHTS I have lolol (sorry for the late reply, this week has been kicking my ass aklsdjf)

Okay see I think MacSummers have such good potential to be real 'one fell first, the other fell harder', in that sense of the second person falling suddenly having to catch up on all the feelings, yknow? And it works EITHER way, which I LOVE abt them, so let's talk about what their crushes would look like njbhnjbhmk

Lenny's first to fall:

Lenny ABSOLUTELY has a crush foreveeerrr, pining HARD because he can't bring himself to make a move. Half of that is also reckoning with the fact that he HAS a crush, and on Sean of all people.

Sean is an oblivious idiot; a bi king so busy with the thrill of the chase he doesn't realize what's right in front of him at first, and also, in his mind the possibility of Lenny being interested in him is so small it barely connects.

It's a mess; people DEFINITELY start noticing - it's Lenny's first time having feelings as intense as these about someone and he is NOT as subtle as he'd like to believe he is.

Truly painful for anyone to witness; no, Lenny, that joke was not that funny, stop staring wistfully across the camp like that, everyone knows you're just sitting at the campfire because Sean is there, your book is upside down.

The girls swing back and forth between gently teasing him about it or trying to cheer him up after witnessing some horrendous attempt at flirting from Sean with one of them - they're all rolling their eyes at him for it.

Jenny is def the one who notices first, and the one Lenny goes to for advice. She does NOT give him good advice. Thankfully Lenny is smart enough to realize as much when she tells him to take Sean fishing during a moonlit night, like that's 1) romantic in any sense of the word or 2) something normal for them to do.

Hosea also catches on but it just makes him more grumpy when dealing with Sean, very fatherly 'youre not good enough for my child' vibes off him. Sean still has 0 clue, but now sometimes he catches Hosea giving him the deathstare, and there's a high chance that every time Hosea sees Sean even look in Lenny's direction, he's considering pulling his gun on him.

Tilly is the most sympathetic to Lenny out of the whole lot, when she's not laughing at him. Tbf they're all laughing at him.

The 'Let me teach you how to read!' thing is very much an excuse just to hang out with Sean more. Mind you Lenny is very serious in his effort to teach Sean, he definitely thinks Sean deserves someone making the effort for him, but he's very internally giddy about 'hihi spending time with crush!!' And he probably does have to go debrief with Jenny and Tilly about it.

He only FINALLY gets the nerve to make a move at the end of a long night of drinking. Liquid courage has Lenny grabbing a loud and laughing Sean by the wrist after he says or does something that makes Lenny want to vomit his heart out, dragging Sean out of camp past the treeline, and kissing him square on the mouth, if only for his sanity. Sean, once the shock passes, goes, verbatim "oh. OH! well, ya couldve told me earlier!" before proceeding to snog Lenny senseless <3

Sean's first to fall:

It takes a minute for Sean to actually realize he has a crush, but then Lenny looks at him in a certain way, smiling and gazing at him with those shrewd eyes of his, shining in the light of the campfire, and Sean feels like he's been struck by fucking lightning.

Who has eyes like that anyway?? Sean will not be able to stop thinking about them, ever, now.

He's upping the ante on silly goofy behavior by 11, just to make Lenny smile. Even better if he laughs!!

He agrees to be tutored in reading just to spend time with Lenny and promptly spends all that time vacillating between doing his utmost to distract Lenny away from the lesson with jokes or trying very hard to listen to him just to get lost in his eyes. Lenny doesn't really mind but they get nothing done.

Sean has a fucking army on his ass in seconds; Arthur, John, Tilly, Mary-Beth, and Karen all seem to know out of NOWHERE and Sean has to sit through a fucking impromptu roast while wondering if all his closest friends are fucking mind-readers.

It's funny to them all at first but there IS some sympathy for poor Sean. Doesn't stop them from teasing him mercilessly.

Those that know him, know he's fucked when he switches the 'I love ya!' to 'Ya love me!' with Lenny. It's harder to say to the people he has actual persistent non-platonic feelings for, and almost self-soothing to instead say the reverse as a substitute.

Thing is; if Lenny having a crush is unsubtle, Sean is a fucking bull in a china-shop by comparison. Lenny sure as hell has his suspicions from very early on.

IT DOESN'T HELP THAT WHEN SEAN GETS DRUNK HE'S FLIRTING WITH LENNY IN THE EXACT SAME WAY HE DOES WITH THE GIRLS.

Lenny is very good-humored about the whole thing but it comparatively to when Lenny's the one with the crush, it sure as hell doesn't take very long from Sean realizing his crush to Lenny also realizing Sean's crush.

It helps Lenny getting over his own nerves, if nothing else.

Everyone in camp knows by the time Lenny decides to end Sean's suffering. They walk down to the river near camp, find a spot which is a bit more secluded, and Lenny very gently cups Sean's face, tells him to stop him if he doesn't want this, and kisses him. Sean is grinning like the cat who got the cream afterwards, and Lenny v fondly calls him a fool.

There's like several relieved sighs when they return to camp holding hands. Like Sean isn't gonna be way more of a menace WITH a boyfriend than he is without.

Here's some general headcanons too, bcz I LOVE thinking and talking abt this ship lmfaoo

They're both very talkative - very much the types to stay up all night talking, discussing their thoughts and feelings, camp gossip, their childhoods, the most fucked up death they saw besides their dads', their favorite colors, etc etc. They've had SEVERAL items thrown at them for waking up their fellow gangmembers in the dead of night.

Lenny reads as very acts of service-y to me. Throwing a blanket over Sean when he's knocked out, bringing him food or snacks when he's on guard shift, teaching him how to read, etc etc.

Meanwhile Sean is very touchy; he likes the reassurance of Lenny's physical presence, and it can be as small as just feeling the press of their thighs while sitting next to each other, but they're not exactly strangers to other things like hugging or holding hands.

In that vein it's not uncommon to find Lenny like, doing his own thing, reading or writing, with Sean amusing himself by tracing the lines in Lenny's free hand, or dozing against his back or something.

They have that honeymoon period where you can't find one without the other and they're hard to separate for anything. Sean complains if they're set to different tasks during a job. They manage to be regular about it eventually, but there's an acclimation period for both them and everyone surrounding them -- baby's first proper relationship, y'know?

They're still prone to joining each other on their guard shifts though, even if just for a little while.

You know that comic that's like "I'm gonna kiss you stupid" "But I'm already so dumb!" "Youre gonna be such an idiot when I'm through with you" That Is Very Them imo lolol

Aaaannddd this is already so long I think I'll stop now before we're here all night kmjnhbjnbh

[doubledyke]

Hello, Double D for 1, 2, 3, 10, 12, 15, 16. I'm anxious for this.

i'm gonna group these together since they're both for edd and there's some overlap. thank you guys 😁 also as far as my corny ass mood boards, maybe! it's super embarrassing for me but what isn't at this point?? anyway let's see what we've got here for the lizard man

1. why i like or dislike him: i love edd! for many reasons. he's a genuinely kind-hearted person who, much like eddy, usually can't help but show his emotions. i think he's really funny, whether it's his notoriously sassy wit, or just the weird ass shit he does. i LOOOOOOVE his hamminess. he's such a drama queen. oh and he makes a lot of really strange noises that always make me laugh.

2. favorite canon thing about his character: edd is courageous as hell. i think it was moth that mentioned how quick he is to nut up when the time comes to defend his friends. i'll never, ever, ever, ever recover from him standing up to bro. like... what a guy.

3. least favorite canon thing about his character: dude talks too much. and his voice can be a little grating at times lmfao but honestly it's just part of what makes him who he is. and we love him for it!!

6. what's something i have in common with him: oh lord. well i've harped on it a ton before, but definitely the anxiety and ocd. i also relate to his abnormal fixation to headwear as you'd be hard pressed to see me without a bandana or beanie. no idea why, but i feel naked without something covering my dome. there's other stuff of course, but i'll keep it brief.

7. something the fandom does with edd that i like: i'm glad that people are more normal about him these days....lol.

10. could i be best friends with him: y'know i'm not sure. as if it's not obvious, i have a bit of an inferiority complex, so being around people who are super skilled and smart makes me low key want to take a fucking dirt nap lmfao. also i have no interest in bugs and amoebas and shit. BUT i do think edd is a great friend to ed and eddy.

12. what's a headcanon i have for this character: too many to name, same with the other two. trying to think of one that i haven't shared here before... oh i think his parents are loaded and he'd have a big ass trust fund or whatever it is rich parents give their kids. i think that's the only thing his parents would ever do for him that would actually show a modicum of consideration for his well-being. but who knows, they might go back on that if he "annoys" them. or maybe he wouldn't accept the money out of principle? 👀 also, there's at least one instance in the show where it's implied that edd has money to spend on stuff he wants (a case of ed, he bought books at the library), which is REALLY funny to me because if that's the case he could just buy some goddamn jawbreakers... and what, ruin the plot? i know, i know. i'm just saying.

15. what's my favorite ship for this character: him and the pink bastard are the couple of all time

16. what's my least favorite ship for this character: besides the obvious one involving a certain red-head whose chin resembles a tool used for digging, i gotta say eddmay does nothing for me. they look too similar 😂

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Ok book recommendation. Not sure if this is something you'll like but it's one of my favourite series and I need more people to know about it.

The set up is basically: Atlantis is real and sometime in 1960s (I think) some astronaut saw Atlantis which was previously hidden from humans by magic. Humans obviously went to war with them and won. So now all the people of Atlantis have moved to Nantucket.

The governing class is a group of the most powerful magic users who all have sort of courts i guess with a bunch of lesser houses under them. They are all named after figures in a tarot deck (or rather the decks are named after them) so we have the tower, the fool, the lovers etc

For us the most important court is the Sun Court. The main character Rune and his best friend/bodyguard who have known each other since they were literal babies are from the sun court which was raided and fell when they were teenagers. Rune and Brand are in their 30s now.

Now they are sort of detectives for hire have been hired to find a missing person. While they also have to deal with some unexpected developments from a sanctioned raid they took part in.

Another thing worth noting about Brand (who is human) and Rune (who is an Atlantian) is that they share an emotional bond like they can literally feel each others emotions. It's an old Atlantian tradition that is explained in the books. Their relationship is so special to me. They have the best banter. And are so protective of each other.

Rune one of those characters that are both simultaneously so smart and badass while also being such a dumbass like he definitely laughs at dumb puns and thinks he's so funny. He is resourceful with his magic which he has to be and knows all about politics because he has to he was basically a prince before his court fell. He also has this quirk that I love where when he feels awkward in a situation he reverts back to being overly formal.

And Brand is that sarcastic, so over it bodyguard who will snipe at you but he is also so protective and caring (if you know where to look) (and Rune knows where to look and because it's from his pov you will hear all about it) and is the type of only I am allowed to make fun of him character. He will make you respect his people.

There is also an intricate magic system. Which i won't go into too much detail about but you basically have to charge these special objects with a spell you want to use in order to use magic.

The world is also so queer. Like it is stated multiple times that attraction to only one gender and monogamy are not the norm in this society.

The books are part of an ongoing series currently three of the planned nine books are out but the author also has published a bunch of free extra stories for in between the books.

The series is called The Tarot Sequence and the first book is called The Last Sun. By K.D. Edwards.

I would recommend looking at the trigger warnings though you should probably be fine seeing as you are in the aftg fandom.

(One of the opening lines is: "I am, before anything else, a survivor [...]" though so)

Sorry for writing this entire essay lol. I just really really love these books especially the relationships between the characters no matter if they're platonic, romantic or familial they all love and care for each other so much. They are some of the best interpersonal relationships i have read and I think about all of the characters so much. Sometimes I just have to stop and go oh randomly in my day to day when I think about another devastating thing about them (both positive and heartbreaking)

Oh one last thing before I finally shut up they don't know who lead the raid on their court so that is an underlying mystery throughout the series

oh my god anon thanks for this! like i have to admit i was on the fence when you mentioned atlantis, BUT the rest of your lil essay (cutie i love when people are passionate about their interests!) has convinced me to add these to my list!!! :D

also! when i looked it up on goodreads i was like 'ohhhhh' because i've seen the cover somewhere before? but yes! added! :) when i get to it i'll have to make a post!

[tonberry-yoda]

Hi Berry it been a minute since i last sent you something. I been really busy lately haha. How are you? Is everything going well? I have a small secret to tell you hehe

recently I kinda... have a small crush on a coworker... he's super smart and charming and really fun to talk to... i let him know i'm interested in him and he told me he's not interested in me but i'm hopeless so i'll just keep bathing in this unrequited crush and listen to love songs 🥲 and it's one of those night where i'm deep in my feeling and... god... i just... i just want to be in love so badly...

i've been in love before and got hurt badly from it, and I'm perfectly okay with being single, love it even. But still, I want to be in love... the mundane type of love, the soft type of love, then laundry and taxes type of love, the looking at the stars type of love, the shy hand holding type of love, the quiet type of love, the "hearing it in the silent of the night" type of love, the "i'm here" type of love... i want it 😭 I played it off to everyone around me and be all nonchalant about romance and this crush I have on this guy like "oh it's just for fun, nothing serious" but 😭i'm not falling... i'm sinking at this point lol. I'm a hopeless romantic that's scared of showing that i'm a hopeless romantic 🥲 i gues all of this rambling is to say... i want to be in love with this person, but i know I shouldn't because it's unrequited, and I'm also scared. But 😭

Idk who to tell cuz my friends all will shake their heads and disapprove so here's my lil secret to the internet 🤪

Have you ever fallen in love? What type of love do you want? Tell me about your vision of love

-🍓

strawberry anon, please tell me you're a writer

this is beautiful

i appreciate that secret being told to me and I understand how you feel

edit: hey, this is tonberry after writing this. underneath is a long ass ESSAY about this subject! you can keep reading under the cut if youre interested. this is what tonberry's writing sounds like outside of fanfic lol

as for me (we're about to get some real writing from Tonberry and not the fanfic kind lol) I have never been in love. I've always been the second choice. I've always been the girl who "dresses like that, so it's not my fault I think of you this way." Over the years, I have been objectified.

But I am not desperate.

Yes, I am a hopeless romantic who writes fanfic and romance novels. I read books and watch media that makes me sigh and go, "I wish that were me." I want more than anything to go bowling with him, to watch the stars with him, but most importantly to laugh with him, and cuddle him when he needs it.

I need someone who loves me as much as I love him. I have so much love in this heart of mine that I am willing to share, but I need it to be the right one. I can't settle for a man who asks to see me naked right off the bat. I can't settle for a man who claims he has an "internet addiction" and asks me to fix it. I know my worth and I am thankful to have a mother who taught me that very young.

I want the kind of love that's domestic. One of my absolute dream men is Peter B. Parker from Spiderverse because when I write fanfic for him, it's at home and it's comfortable. I want that kind of man. I need the Simon Petrikov to my Betty Grof. I want someone who laughs at my jokes. I want someone to love me the silly way that I am. I want someone smart.

I like this guy that I met through my brother. He is sweet, funny, and unbelievably smart. I met him just weeks ago. We went out for lunch together.

Am I delusional to think that we might start dating? Or am I being oblivious when I think nothing is going to come out of this?

I have never dated before. I knew my worth in high school and above all, I know who I am and what I want in uni.

So, strawberry anon, I know exactly how you feel. Loving as a woman is something else. We fall in love so hard. I mean have you read romance novels or enemies to lovers stuff written by women?!?! We are creatures of love and self worth. When we fall in love, we want what's out of the movies, and I think that's okay to expect.

I think what you're feeling for this boy is great, but if he doesn't give it back, there might be someone out there willing to love you the way you want to be loved.

You are allowed to settle for things you like.

And you sound like you're doing great with your self worth! You know you like being single, as do I. But let's be fr, when the snow starts to fall, nothing is better than to imagine someone we like cuddling us while we sleep. <3

Sorry for the long rant, but this is the type of poetry and shit I write lmao. For any other hopeless romantic out there, me too, girl, me too. Write fanfic, it's cozy <3

[norgbelulah]

Part one for to know me as hardly golden sorry not sorry

The man is wearing a baseball cap low over his eyes, old and worn, and an open button down flannel shirt over a pristinely white undershirt. His arms are crossed in front of him. He’s got a glock in a holster at his hip. This is Raylan Givens. Tim’s looked over his license to carry.

Raylan looks up, smiles almost wryly, and pounds twice on the side of the trailer, before he pushes off and walks casually forward. He slides his hands into his back pockets as Tim climbs out of his vehicle.

“Mr. Givens,” Tim says and has to squint his eyes as Raylan walks in front of the sun. Tim raises a hand for shade.

“Deputy Gutterson,” Raylan replies. His voice is deeper than Tim expects, rough in a tired kind of way, like it takes a special effort to push the words past his lips.

The door to the trailer opens and another thin man takes a step out. Boyd Crowder’s eyes are just as arresting as his mug shot and he’s not smiling like Raylan is. He wears a similar flannel shirt to Raylan’s, though his is buttoned up straight to the collar and tucked neatly into his jeans.

Tim wonders, in some disconnected part of his brain, if they share clothing.

Boyd crosses his arms and leans against the doorway to their home. His hair is longer than the picture Tim’s seen, sticks up higher into the air, and it’s got no gray in it like Raylan’s. He carries no weapon that Tim can see and he says nothing by way of greeting. His face is astoundingly impassive and Tim finds himself, usually so unshakeable, unnerved by it.

He begins to understand what it is about these two that people react to. It’s such a welcome realization, after so much confusion, that he almost laughs and he can’t quite stop a grin from spreading across his face.

“Somethin’ funny, Deputy?” Givens asks.

“No sir,” Tim replies, the sun still in his eyes. It’s hard to look at them. “I’m just real pleased to be here.”

Boyd shifts, still unsmiling, but something’s changed in his expression, loosened and Raylan steps forward, almost in response. He’s out of the sun now.

“Heard you been askin’ after us,” Raylan says. Tim takes down his hand.

“I have,” Tim answers readily. It’s no secret. He looks between them, though Boyd is still partially obscured by the glare.

He’s onto them. There’s no “I heard,” or “we heard,” here. Be vague and short and implacable and people will hear what they want. You start out as a pair of angry kids with too much between you and too much in your way, you destroy things, you threaten to mess people up, and fifteen years later you can coast by with a cold eye and a deep frown and break a few fingers and you’re fine. People will listen. It’s smart. It’s safe.

Oh man. Love love love an outside POV. And this fic is full of them on purpose, but this bit is killer because it's the culmination, right? In retrospect, I did a great job making sure Tim takes his time evaluating these two--obv because he's spent so much time looking for them, but also because he's like, really invested now. He thinks they're interesting. I think he's vibing with Raylan, like deep down they both know they're lawman kindred spirits or something.

I don't think I consciously decided to write Tim as queer here, but there's also definitely a sense of attraction/fascination with Boyd and Raylan as a unit and a couple etc.

I'll try and talk more about the whole fic in the next ask...

[rjsals]

Mh, Seoho's a really cute guy. I like him a lot, love him even.🥺 What's new though...

Anyways, if you really wanna talk about him a lot then you can tell me again when and how he became your bias~ or you can just list all the things you love and appreciate about him🧡

HI. i just washed up and made myself comfortable so i could divert all my free time & attention to this post right here bc OH BOY do i have a lot to say

although i'm not particularly sure how he became my bias? i dont even think he was in the running until one day i was watching the second season of show me the mwm (the episode where they have to find their symbol in a morning mission) and seoho straight up ate xion's lollipop. i remember thinking oh. he's the one!!

i think the main thing i like about seoho is how effortlessly he makes me laugh?? we all know he's kind of shy but at the same time he's not afraid to make a fool out of himself and just does whatever feels right and somehow it works... i faintly remember him talking about wanting to be a comedian as a kid, because he loved making people laugh and everytime i have to catch my breath after another one of his silly antics, a part of me hopes that he knows that's exactly what he's doing right now.

and yeah he's incredibly funny but also really fucking smart and his out of the box thinking often blows my mind. his big brain is sexy as hell and i love how he just keeps me on my toes and surprises me with something new every single time!! and with every single new thing i learn about him my heart grows in size. there's galaxies in this man's mind that i can't WAIT to discover!!

i think.. when it comes to seoho it's very easy for people to lock him in the box of the "silly hyung who loves joking around and often acts like the maknae" and throw away the key.. stereotyping idols happens a lot, and when shit hit the fan, people said some things that i vehemently disagree with when it comes to his role as the oldest in oneus. first of all, i don't think that role means as much in their group as it does in others bc they treat each other as equals to begin with? but it's crazy to me how people look at seoho and don't see how much of a support/pillar he is to his members.

seoho, reliable 민이형 who makes sure dongju doesnt fall short of anything he needs (even if he doesnt know it himself) and gladly indulges the youngest in all his passions and interests even if he pretends to dislike it.

seoho, the one hwanwoong goes to late at night for comfort because he feels like he's the one who understands him best. the first two rbw boyz who share a deeper understanding.

seoho, keonhee's twin. i may be biased but these two have so much in common and constantly feed off each other in so many ways. they're often giggling by themselves, share the same deep passion for singing and music (exhibit A: every single one of their vlives), and hwanwoong mentioning how the roommates are getting more and more alike as time goes by in their recent vlive just tells me how close they are even if we don't see that much of it on camera. (this was supposed to be a paragraph about how seoho takes care of keonhee but of course my keonho biased ass ended up here). what i meant to say is i think seoho, as keonhee's roommate, provides both those "need a boys night in with some beers and a pinch of crazy karaoke" kinda vibes as well as the guidance and understanding keonhee might be in need of. i think they match each other's energy well.

seoho, geonhak's (i dare say) best friend. a day without seodo banter is like going a day without water. seoho has geonhak's back like no other. you mess with gh, you mess with seoho, and he's not afraid to let you know either. the "we stand shoulder to shoulder" line in the top gun medley is actually about them.

and to think people don't see seoho as someone who can adequately care for his members is both beyond ridiculous and sad to me. just bc you can't see his love language doesn't mean they can't.

AND THAT IS NOT TO MENTION THE SHEER TALENT this man posseses but i won't get into the way his voice gives me chills and he often leaves me shooting heart eyes at my screen after a performance. i also won't elaborate on how amazing a dancer he is and how he somehow also is great at sports and how his talking voice is so soothing and comforting i sometimes put on old vlives to ease my anxiety (i'm literally listening to his last bubble live as i'm typing this. it's my fav so far.)

i also won't mention his pretty smile and his beautiful eyes and his amazing hands and the little freckle on his cheek and the shape of his lips and when he goes :} and how much i love the sound of his laugh.

i'm probably missing sooooo much but i've been going at this for over an hour and it's been a long day so i just want to say i love him a lot and i would pull down the moon for him.

and ily for giving me an excuse to talk about him hehe 🧡

[radioactivebowtie]

Hey

Uh hi this is Finn here, so I know a lot of people have a lot of things to say. I’ve been reading as many people’s mourning thoughts as I can, but I also knew I would have a lot to say- I don’t even know if I’ll be able to say it all here! I might find some more words to say right after I post this as I usually do.

Inside Job was a silly little show I found last January and fell in love with. It was full of jokes and serious issues as well as some beautiful animation and there was no way I was leaving it alone anytime soon. I made a sona and fought my way through making lore that I could adore and make as show-accurate as possible.

It was hyper fixation at first sight.

After filling a literal folder within my google docs of character interactions and lore and telling as many of my friends about and watching it and re-watching it with them. I reignited my love for tumblr. I ate so much content up the moment that I knew it existed that I tried joining in!

I remember posting Finn on here and then writing character interactions with people sonas while never sharing them because I was so scared that it would be weird. I interacted with Outis first, Willie was cute and had so many fun things I could do it would go great! (I sent it to him and ran away and then like screamed when he said he liked it)

The next time I talked to someone it went better I’d say even if I was equally as terrified. Delaney, Inside Job brought me Delaney. I will never be able to thank them enough for that. Delaney is one of if not my best friends. She wrote me things when I was sad we talked daily despite having met like days before and have continued to do so up till now. She means so fucking much to me, she’s my hot fictional mom! My mon amour! My literal ride or die bestie. If I could say anything to the people of inside job I would tell them how thankful I am for letting me meet Laney.

They also brought me to the shadow council. Well the shadow council of tumblr. A group of people who I think I would kill for? They make me laugh and smile and SOMETIMES CRY BECAUSE I THEY WRITE AND DRAW SOME SAD SHIT SOMETIMES but I love them anyway. They are silly, they make some damn good art and writing and they are some of my most cherished friends. I’ve never been so happy to have friends who share my interests and support me and are so fucking cool. Thank you for accepting me into your ranks and promoting me from assistant to leader with you guys. I love you so much I will never be able to fully explain it.

A lot of people have talked about how the show helped with their mental health, it helped them through rough times and I cannot thank them enough for those same reasons. This was my comfort show, my go to. I talked about it non stop and watched it whenever I was sad, wrote and read about it when I was sad. 

I used JR to comfort myself, I didn’t expect him being my dad to become more than a joke. Something that I thought would just make for funny circumstances yknow? But this stupid old crime commiting idiot became so comforting to me- I used him to cope. He wasn’t always written the most canonically but that was never the point. I made him mean something to me. He still and will always be my dad. He will be broken out of jail to me and if I can’t then I will bring him cupcakes to eat during visitation hours.

Reagan actually helped me start looking into an autism diagnosis? I know her having autism isn’t like an uncommon thought amoungst people watching the show but it helped me feel kind of seen. I related to her in a lot of ways and was genuinely moved by her story as well as continually laughing at any joke that she made.

Andre might be the toughest for me to let go of, JR might edge him out but I think Andre might be a close second. This stupid man means so much to me- (he’s so smart I am deflecting don’t let me lie to you) at first I was so ready to just dismiss him as some funny side character. But they wrote him so well- and then they gave us the wedding episode and he hit home. He hit so fucking close to home. He had depth and it hit so close to home that it made me fall for him hook line and sinker. He was funny but he had depth and I felt like he would get me? Like sure we would have a bunch of different experiences but we could help each other out. I’ll miss him so much.

I want to thank inside job for everything, they gave me so much to look forward to and be happy about. It made me feel creative and I was so happy write and draw and figure out how to make my silly little character be in this interesting and wonderful world. Thank you to the wonderful crew for making such an amazing show that brought so many of us together.

and once again, Fuck you Netflix.

[ajibooks]

Oscars 2024 thoughts p2. Sharing some thoughts now while the Best Picture nominees are fresh in my mind.

Yesterday: The Holdovers. Today: Poor Things (I avoided major spoilers).

Poor Things

If this movie wins in any major category, I'll be unpleasantly surprised. Barbie definitely has its issues, but for white feminism movies, I like Barbie much better.

This is an entertaining horror comedy based on a sci-fi concept, with a lot of sex.

The high concept of the movie makes me think less of it. I might've loved it if it was called, like, "Bella's Story," and meant to be a story about these characters with potentially universal themes. Instead, it's meant to be about universal themes, with these characters acting out Human Experiences (definitely in capital letters).

I especially don't feel great about "woman experiences the world through having tons of sex" as a story that's meant to have some kind of universality. Everyman characters have a wide breadth of experiences; everywoman characters have a wide breadth of sexual experiences. This is simplistic, but it's my strongest opinion about this film. (NB: I am not that smart.)

As with The Holdovers, though, I did truly enjoy the experience of watching this movie. It is G-R-O-S-S (complimentary) but also has a lot of beauty (pure costume porn; actual porn).

Other than this, I've only see The Lobster by Yorgos Lanthimos, and that's a much more interesting movie (note: major animal harm warning for that one). This one is funny, but I found The Lobster funnier. Both movies have a lot of emotional resonance.

It is kind of cool that such a strange director and movie got major Oscar attention, I guess. But why did that happen, despite this being a genre movie? I liked Nope (2022) and Godzilla Minus One (2023) much better. If the Oscars can recognize this one, why not those?

Like in The Holdovers, the older man in this movie (Godwin, Willem Dafoe's character) reveals his many health issues one by one as a running gag. I still don't like this as a joke, but it fits better here than in The Holdovers. Also, some of Godwin's issues are bizarre fantasy problems that are played for laughs/disgust. When it's revealed he has a real-world problem, the fact that there was this running gag about his health made the reveal much more disturbing. I liked this.

I would need to watch this again for all the "God" jokes to land for me, and although this joke goes into the universality theme that I'm not a huge fan of here, I did like it as a running gag.

Emma Stone's performance is the type that wins Oscars; the movie is about her learning how to be human. But I really, really hope Lily Gladstone (KotFM), who played an ordinary human with so much subtlety and power, wins Best Actress.

It is super weird to me that Mark Ruffalo got nominated for this. He was decent in the role, but still, why? His accent was awkward, too.

Very atmospheric and immersive, but unlike The Holdovers, being immersed in this atmosphere was mostly pretty unpleasant. I mean that as a compliment to both films.

Weirdo sidenote (that I want to mention to my friends when we talk about this movie): the brothel in Poor Things reminded me so much of the Paris house in Babe 2: Pig in the City 😄 Maybe it was a deliberate reference (I don't really think that, but it's very funny to imagine).

I really liked the very ending of the movie. It was the most over-the-top Yorgos Lanthimos thing that happened, I think.

[whatwouldhavehappenedif]

What Would Have Happened If Penny Didn't Forgive The Guys

Season 1 Episode 2

This episode always makes me laugh because as Penny says they really are some sick geeky bastards but they're our sick geeky bastards and they're not sick perv-y, they're sick in a they need therapy and love kind way so we love them. LOL

Random thoughts I had while watching:

Sheldon offers Howard his epinephrine pen because it isn't "bee season". How come Sheldon started out nice to him and when did the writers decide to have them be frenemies? Also, Sheldon keeps extra napkins and stuff to himself, just in case. What happens if someone lets a bee out near him even if it's not bee season? I feel like that's something the Sheldon we know would say.

"You kind of act as a carbohydrate delivery system." This line needs to go down in the history of pick-up lines as something in-between cheesy good and cringe bad because why Leonard, why...

Penny starts out interested in sweet Leonard, sympathetic towards special Sheldon, cringing at Howard, and intrigued by Raj's inability to speak to her. Little did she know she would be BFFs with all of them. LOL

Watching them "be really smart" but the best they could do is slide the damn box up the stairs upset me because...I get it...incline plane. However, they don't have the strength for even that! They should have taken their puny arms, opened the box, and taken a few pieces up the stairs at a time. It's extra cardio but they're already good at climbing those stairs.

What happens if:

They weren't all so socially awkward and only Sheldon was the weirdo? Would Leonard have had a better shot, since all of them would not have just appeared at the door every time Penny popped up?

Penny did love Superman and was able to engage with them on their level about a topic they loved but that was the only thing in common that they shared? Would they somehow find her hotter because a hot girl can talk Superman? In Hollywood, the answer is yes. In real life, the answer is no because even nerd guys are chauvinists.

Penny wasn't messy but they had found comic books and other nerd stuff in her apartment? Like she was keeping it a secret that she was into some of their stuff too? Well...my answer remains the same as above because let's not forget Howard's "hold on honey men at work" comment. Ugh.

All in all a funny episode, especially watching Leonard's reactions as he tries to get Sheldon to act normal and the embarrassment he faces when Sheldon says he hears Leonard is a gentle and tender lover.

[sesaxton]

Afternoon Thoughts

Haven't gotten to sit down and write for a very long time. I have so many ideas for stories but until my almost one year old is older I can't sit down and put it on a page. This is the first time in a while I get a short me day. It's nice to finally breathe and have a few moments to myself.

Its funny back when I first got divorced I took for granite my alone time. I was so depressed back then that being alone would feel like a punishment. Now it is a reward. Don't get me wrong I love spending time with both my daughters, they make me laugh so much. I also look forward everyday when my husband comes home. He is the best thing that has happened to me. However my life right now is hectic and stressful and the few times a month or less that I get to sit and breathe are so precious and helpful for my mental health. I can't fill others cups if mine is empty.

Now to empty my thoughts. My baby girl is one years old next month. I can't believe it. It seems like I just had her. This year has gone by so fast. She was hardly ever a tiny baby. She was 8 pounds 3 oz at birth and already holding her head up. At one month she rolled over for the first time and was crawling at six months. She hasn't walked yet but could if she really wanted to. She stands on her own now. She wants to practice when we aren't looking, she has been doing this for everything. She is so careful before she masters the next thing. She already has eight teeth as well and eats only solid food for the past 3 months. Its like I birthed a toddler. But she is such a joy to have and I am so blessed I get to share her with my husband who is the best father I know. She is a daddy's girl for sure. I got her a bunch of band tees to match his energy and they are so adorable together.

So blessed to have my family, to have what my heart always wanted. To have a man that will listen and not yell at me, not tell me I'm stupid and everyone hates me. To not gaslight me in everything and to actually tell me he loves me daily and is careful not to trigger me as I have ptsd from my past marriage. Four years together now (minus the year we thought we had to be apart until we talked to the Guardian ad-litem). It has been challenging but I would walk through it again to be with this most caring, loving man. I wish all could see his heart and not his past mistake.

My oldest is now 13. Except for being addicted to technology she is like a mini adult. Always sharing the drama with her friends at school. I do my best to keep up. She loves horror movies and occasionally gets me to watch. I'm not really a fan of horror so sometimes she watch's with her stepdad and I pull out a book when I'm not chasing after the baby. They mostly make fun of the cheesiness of the movies. Her favorite is the Purge movies which is one I can handle as its more of a thriller and a good storyline. We own all of them. She needs more motivation in school though. She's smart, but lacks motivation if the subject isn't of interest to her. She just learned about the Alamo in school and was excitedly telling me about it so over Christmas break I took the girls to see it. We all had a good time. It was really neat to see history is person, to be where such an amazing battle took place. Much better for kids to see something like that than just go on a cruise or a theme park. Those will be useless if the world ends. She needs to learn life skills. Her birth father and uncles taught her how to use a knife and shoot a gun. These are life skills she needs to know. When my baby is older we will teach her also. She loves Japan and their culture, she said when she graduates she wants to go to college there. Her style is kinda goth punk with some pink punk as well, she's also taller than I am now.

For me I am just taking it one day at a time. It is hard to get much done with a baby that is now mobile. We only trust my mother and each other to watch her so I am not working at the moment. My mother in law can only handle her for like 30 mins before she hands her back. We don't trust day care (she will be homeschooled in the future). I joined a walking moms group and a playdate group to get out of the house and get exercise. It helps my mental health too, to be around other moms that motivate me. Someone who shall not be named tried to get me kicked out of the group just because of my husbands past. But they are wonderful women and after telling them my story, they chose me. Goodness wins in the end. It's sad that so can be so miserable that they want others to be miserable as well and not just let people be. I feel sorry for this person ( the group confirmed who they are.) Anyway that is the tea on what's happening so far. Love you all!

[coffeebeanwriting]

What makes a great protagonist?

Fellow readers from my Instagram answer what makes a great protagonist. 

“When they still commit unavoidable mistakes and have insecurities.”

“Using the brain for once.”

“Fighting for their goals no matter if it’s a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ goal.” “Nice to their friends.” “Compassion for other characters. A selfish protagonist makes me root against them.” “Growth. They can get to be awful at the beginning, but they need to evolve somehow.”

“When they have little quirks that make the character special.” “Someone with flaws (real flaws, not the quirky-cute kind.)”

“Someone you can relate to and who you would enjoy being around (not annoying.)”

“Has their own agency and doesn’t heavily depend on others for the story to be told.”

“Making jokes that don’t make others laugh, but s(he) finds them funny.”

“They’re relatable/realistic.”

“A terrible back story which hurt them and how they responded which made them the person they are.”

“Someone who has room to grow (and then does grow.)”

“Humor, being realistically and well written, complex and emotional (seeing their struggle).”

“Flaws. I think it is difficult to relate to someone who succeeds at everything.” 

“Relatability.”

“Unbridled optimism.”

“A flaw. Something that makes him human and flaws and from which he must accept it and mature from.”

“Mystery.”

“Has the most agency and/or unique perspective to share.”

“Shouldn’t be reckless and stupid.”

“Relatability and watching them grow. Static characters are great for mentors, not mains.”

“Constantly they realize stuff they weren’t able to see before and changes their perspective.”

“Character development throughout the book.”

“Calms situations and hears his friends point of  view.

“Someone with flaws. Not just minor things, deep ones, but overcomeable (not eradicable).”

“A very smart protagonist who actually stands up for themselves.”

“Brave.”

“Being interesting and not just a ‘plain good guy’.”

“Intimacy and depth; protags are most relatable when we feel these!”

“Not being perfect in the way that they aren’t obviously doing the wrong thing, but are.”

“Accidentally messing things up.”

“Perfect main characters with a perfect life are boring.”

“Layers. When they have a secret agenda which even the reader doesn’t know about. It’s really interesting.”

“How they overcome their flaw(s) and fear. They also don’t need trauma to be empathized.” 

“LGBTQ+.”

“Strong beliefs and self-aware personality.”

“When they have a good and original motive for their quest, not that “oh, it’s a family relic” or something.”

“Detailed and well thought out.”

“I like a strong main character, but not overpowered. I like to see them struggle, but also make others struggle. Not a pick-me. Sassy, smart but also kind unless they’re a villain which I also like to see in a main character. I like them to have a good backstory and not be a bland character.”

“A fatal flaw or a personal challenge they have to overcome.”

“A quick witted protagonist always ready with a joke.”

“A good backstory.”

“Relatable situations or conditions they go through, good character building.” 

“Someone who still has lessons to learn and doubt. They should still need to learn.”

“A strong, admirable and fun personality!” 

“When they have some flaws instead of being perfect.”

“I like a main protagonist who’s mean to others and succeeds like mean protagonists.”

“One that I can relate my flaws to and not have to see insane development. Human traits.”

“Relatability, flaws, motivations, desires.” 

“I like to see character development.”

“Honestly, I’ve got to say lots of character growth. I love seeing how much they change for the better.”

“Protagonist character development.”

“Someone who has a good drive and strong desire.”

“Their flaws are relatable.”

“Silly quirks that are complete opposites of their personality. Like they’re grumpy but love rainbows.” 

“Unusual.”

“One with many flaws, obstacles and family problems. If they overcome them it also encourages me in real life.” 

“Evolution of the character!”

“Flaws. I hate when a character is perfect and isn’t relatable in any way.”

“Someone who presents as ordinary but the reader sees all the behind the scene struggles, definitely more relatable.”

“Someone flawed/real! Someone I can relate to vs someone perfect.”

“Multidimensional. Not just good or bad but bits of both.”

“Great protagonists can be “evil” but their actions must be something we can understand and even empathize with.”

“I like protagonists whose personality matches their actions.”

“1) Traumatic backstory (not too unrealistic but makes the reader feel bad). 2) Feminist.”

“Can be relatable. Example: having small silly things that annoy them or makes them smile.”

“Someone who you feel for, who almost seems right is one of the best in my opinion.”

“If they’re relatable, and they aren't overpowered and can't break the laws of physics.”

“Not a perfect person, like they have flaws and bad parts of their personality.”

“Protagonists that can’t always perfectly articulate their words; makes them feel real.”

“Backstory, character development, protagonist’s having different bonds with each other character.” 

“Unique voice.”

“Relatable quirks.”

“A complicated person. A protagonist has to have flaws because no person is perfect.”

“Someone resilient, someone who pushes through pain.”

“Present a realistic character, like how they make mistakes and learn not as if they are all saint or good.” 

“Able to see flaws in themselves and others, thus growing and having a redemption arc.”

“He gets affected by his flaws pretty badly sooner or later and becomes a better person from that!”

“His flaws and the unique ways he overcomes those flaws and combine that with his character.”

“Not perfect, has flaws but still morally right.”

“Doesn’t matter so much about ethics as much as relatability.”

“When they’re very humble, but not as far as the self-pitying type” 

“The ones I disagree with. It’s great when I don't see eye to eye with them, they feel more real to me.”

“For me, great side characters or a great story itself helps to create an interesting protagonist.”

“When they have some negative things in them like greed or controlling, but can control these.”

“Someone who uses real skill over natural talent.”

“Someone that doesn’t know about their past and is in a whole new world that they are in.”

“Someone incredibly flawed, who makes the rest of us feel normal!”

“A protagonist with flaws! I especially love it when they are multiple protagonists and one eventually dies.”

“Someone who’s considerate of other people's feelings whenever they speak to them.”

“If they have a little bit of evil in them. No one is 100% good.”

“Real motivations. Greed, passion, etc.

“What makes a great protagonist in my opinion is how they can be diverse and two-dimensional. Protagonist’s don’t have to be immediately strong or just plain weak.” 

Here are some of the reoccurring themes I noticed across both parts one and two of “what makes a great protagonist”:

Flaws and the ability to overcome them.

Being relatable (with flaws, quirks/humor, traits, dialogue, etc.)

Character development and growth.

Backstory and real motivation behind their actions.

Being multidimensional with a little bit of good and bad in them.

Not overpowered, but earned skill and some weaknesses.

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting 📖 ☕ Official Blog: www.byzoemay.com

[doubledyke]

One thing I dislike in season 5 is how the characters are often dumbed down just to fit, for the plot sake. The kids, in particular, seem to reach a point where Eddy can literally come up with any lie or scam (the forever-summer scam, the mole mutants, the booster shot day, the egghead Ed, a new kid Carl) and the kids will immediately buy completely without a question (even Kevin of all people). In earlier seasons, as gullible as the kids could be, they still kept a skepticism degree and were quicker to recognize something as a poorly manufactured scam (at least some of them).

So, of course, all the characters sound so out-of-character in season 5 (except maybe the Kankers)...

yeah i agree to some extent. i'm always hesitant to criticize s5 cuz like, who tf am i? i don't know much about the behind the scenes, etc., etc.. but i agree that it is very different in a lot of ways that stand out. if you view the differences in characterization as intentional, it's kind of interesting.

eddy is absolutely off the rails and is at his most volatile in s5. even his laugh is more villainous lmao. i liked kevin lordi's comment that he seems depressed as hell later on in the series. makes sense to me, i mean we see how he struggles in school, and how he gets treated there. you can't just leave when things get bad, either. i gotta say, i feel like they ramped up the eddy torture p*rn in s5. i might be biased though.

edd is also utterly unhinged. viewing the gradual changes in him as intentional (aka me over analyzing), i see that he's reached PEAK neuroticism. the guy is about to snap and eventually does in bps. frankly, i find him unbearable but it's all character growth in my mind. school is a source of stress for him as well, but for different reasons. also, he and eddy are a lot nastier to each other in this season.

with ed, i'm not really sure what angle to come at it from. if i stick by what i said before, then his over the top oafishness is likely a result of hardcore dissociating. maybe he ALSO really hates school and so his brain just shuts down. literally. you could also theorize that he took one too many bumps on the head (just kidding).

realistically though i think he's the easiest source of comedic relief for what is, after all, a kids' show. perhaps it became a bit of a crutch while they created some really great character driven episodes.

like fistful of ed, too smart for his own ed, cleanliness is next to edness, and, pick an ed. lots of edd focused episodes in s5.

to your specific point, i guess i see what you mean. but i've always wondered why the kids would fall for anything eddy does after like s2 lmao. s5 isn't the first time we learn that the cul-de-sac kids aren't very bright. they do all have moments of skepticism, and yes, especially kevin. in see no ed, he's shown to be borderline paranoid about the eds which is goddamn hilarious to me. but most of the time they'll all be skeptical at first, yet still end up taking the bait and acting shocked.

(by the way: kevin deserved sooooo much worse than what happened in this won't hurt an ed - which was ultimately nothing. eddy ended up being the one getting hurt at the end of the episode.

kevin is ruthless and flat out cruel to eddy. he's the definition of a bully. he's shown to be pretty normal toward everyone else in the neighborhood, including ed and edd when they interact one on one. with eddy, he has this abnormal and unhealthy hatred for the kid. it's really funny.)

in pick an ed, edd says its obvious that 'carl' is just eddy in disguise. eddy looks worried until ed falls for it. to me that implies that eddy thinks the kids are dumb as a bag of hammers. and he was right!

my thing with eddy is, don't hate the player, hate the game. it's hard for me to feel bad for someone who gets "scammed" or pranked over and over. if kevin wanted to, he could be the hero of the cul-de-sac and put an end to the scams by simply sharing his over-abundance of jawbreakers with the eds. but he's a dick, so he doesn't. the kids are also to blame not just for being such easy marks, but for never leaving jawbreakers for the eds when kevin shares with them. eddy's biggest mistake was waiting around long enough after getting paid for them to catch on.

summary: i used to also view s5 as a "dip in quality" until i saw a post where someone argued that the changes could and should be viewed as character growth/development over flanderization. both things can be true! and there are plenty of REALLY good, fun episodes and moments in the season.