#i think trying so hard to figure out who you will like most in theory is a futile effort. just watch everyone and see who you keep going

[realbylershit]

Alright so it’s safe to say that someone is shouting for Steve to run away from something and the first instinct is to be worried for Steve because he would definitely pull the sacrifice play if he had to…but personally I’m a little bit more worried about Robin (or both of them)..let me explain why.

We know Will is there, a source claimed that in fact ‘everyone’ is. But we also know that Millie isn’t, as a picture of her not being on set right now came up. So it’s safe to say that we most likely have a big portion of the cast around during the shoot and not the entire cast.

In the first recording it was pointed out that someone could have been yelling out Mike’s name instead of the first “Steve!” and whereas that’s personal interpretation I can definitely hear it. And I can also hear Will’s voice out of that. Makes sense, right? Will shouting Mike’s name? That would just mean that Mike is present, too. We knew that he and Will would be attached to the hip in season 5 thanks to the foreshadowing in season 4. And we confirmed that there is someone else that will at some point team up with both of them.

Dum dum dum, Robin.

I personally believe it’s only Will shouting but regardless of you believe it to be and who it actuallyis (Dustin or Jonathan perhaps), they’re telling Steve to run, which means that Steve most likely refuses to leave the battle field.

To point another thing out about the video, I also believe that we can hear Steve himself at the very beginning of the recording and he sounds kind of desperate, in my opinion. If I’m not completely crazy I’m pretty sure I can hear a “Let her go!”

So what I’m trying to say is, what if Vecna has Robin and Steve refuses to leave her side and that’s when himself is targeted, which we can hear in the second recording.

I can’t add the video but Maya Hawke has recently talked about Robin’s arc in season 5 and stated that she’s more involved in the supernatural stuff than ever and finding friends and looking for love.

I find it really hard to believe that they are going to kill off Steve, Dustin’s second father/big brother figure after doing it to Eddie in season 4. I’m pretty sure they introduced him so they didn’t have to kill Steve. Besides, Steve means a lot to most people in the group whereas Robin is probably the least connected person as she’s the newest, meaning that her death would hit everyone, but it wouldn’t break them like Steve’s death would- except for Steve himself.

It’s clear to me and probably most people that Will is going to suffer plenty next season and him making friends with Robin and then losing her to Vecna right away would definitely hit home. And because he already lost Robin, he doesn’t want to lose Steve too.

Just another small theory I wanna throw into the mix:

Will shouting for everyone to run reminds of him telling Joyce to run through the lights in season 1. Despite being in the upside down, he found a way to help Joyce by telling her to run. I’m thinking that in this scenario Vecna might have him trapped somehow, in a way that results him being cut off from the others in some way that they can’t hear him? As in basically torturing him because he can’t help his friends out, who possibly don’t see Vecna coming, and has to watch them die. That at least would explain even more why he’s the one yelling…

[crabbbage]

i know theres the flowchart and recap and all that but i still think the best way to choose who to watch in hermitcraft is to go into the search results for ‘hermitcraft season x episode 1’ for whatever season it currently is. watch whoever looks interesting. if you get bored at any point, or when you finish the episode, watch someone else’s ep 1. if at any point you are so curious about where someone is going with that that you would rather watch their ep 2 than start someone else’s episode, congratulations, they fucking got you

[squish--squash]

I'm rewatching Good Omens, and noticed something in the first episode that has left me spiraling into a theory.

It's in the scene when Hastur and Ligur are handing Adam over to Crowley. Hastur asks Crowley to sign something beforehand, and:

I thought it was a scribble the first time I watched it bc I was trying to figure out what was going on. But it's not a scribble.

It's not a 'C' either, for 'Crowley' It's not a 'A' or 'J' either, for the rest of his name.

It's an 'L'. It gets hard to see as he's finishing it, but it's the letter 'L'

This is how you write a capital 'L' in cursive:

you swoop up and to the right, drop down, swoop left, and finish on the right.

and Crowley does this with his signature:

here's him beginning the letter, swooping up and to the right

Then he moves down,

loops to the left,

And finishes it as he moves back towards the right (and at this point, the complete letter is hard to make out. It's why I thought it was a scribble the first time I watched this episode)

Crowley's signature on the document Hastur makes him sign before delivering the Antichrist to start Armageddon, something that is arguably one of the most important things hell wants to document, is an 'L'.

WHY?

Why not a 'C', for Crowley, the name he currently goes by? Hastur and Ligur confirm the name itself earlier in the same scene ("What's he calling himself up here these days?"/"Crowley.")

Well, if going by what he claims in a later s1 episode that "Crowley" is his last name (Anthony J. Crowley), it would make sense for one of his initials to be put there.

Except it doesn't, because "Crowley" is not his real name. it's not the name he began with, the one he had as an angel.

So then, what would this name be? What would be a name for an angel, who is now a demon? A demon who was there to tempt eve, as a snake, into eating the forbidden fruit. Someone that brought the stars, and light, to the universe. A name that begins with the letter 'L'.

There's one I can think of that matches, and that name is Lucifer.

"But Squish!" I know some of y'all will comment, "What about that line Crowley said in episode 5? He mentions Lucifer, so it can't be him!"

In episode 5, Crowley says the following: "I never asked to be a demon. I was just minding my own business one day and then...oh, lookie here, it's Lucifer and the guys! Oh, hey, the food hadn't been that good lately. I didn't have anything on for the rest of that afternoon. Next thing, I'm doing a million-light-year dive into a pool of boiling sulphur."

Crowley also says in the second episode: "I didn't mean to fall. I just hung out with the wrong people."

A lot of people believe that it's implied that when Crowley said this, it meant he met Lucifer and hung out with him. But when he says it, it sounds like he's mockingly quoting someone else, talking to him.

The "Lucifer and the guys!" might've been directed to Crowley, using his name. This would match that line from a previous episode, "hung out with the wrong people."

"But Squish!" I know some of y'all will comment after reading that, "What about Satan? Lucifer is Satan, and Crowley isn't Satan!"

And neither is Beelzebub. Fun fact, by the way: One of the many names for The Devil, Satan himself, is Beelzebub. But Beelzebub is a whole different character. So why can't Lucifer be a whole different character too? After all, many people still argue to this day that Lucifer and Satan aren't one and the same...

Also, here's something interesting:

Crowley is the only character in the tv series that has mentioned Lucifer, and it was in that line I mentioned earlier. Lucifer is also mentioned once, in the book, but by Shadwell, mishearing Newt's last name as "Lucifer" instead of "Pulsifer". And Satan? In both the book and the tv show, he is never called another name other than "Satan", usually followed by his fancy and long title. His description in the book's "DRAMATIS PERSONAE" is literally "fallen angel; the adversary". No Lucifer.

And how about this:

Crowley was the one who started the universe, we see that at the beginning of season 2. He was the first one, to our knowledge, to say "let there be light." "Lucifer" means "light-bringer" Crowley was the snake that tempted eve into eating the apple in the garden of eve. We see this in the beginning of episode one. Many claim Lucifer was the one who did that. Crowley fell because he asked questions about how the universe should be run, after seeing its creation and being so proud of it. Many claim Lucifer's big sin that sent him falling was his pride stemming from his beauty causing him to revolt; eerily similar to Crowley asking questions after watching the beautiful universe he helped plan be born and growing protective after learning it was going to get shut down so early in its lifetime, isn't it? Crowley was a powerful angel. This is heavily implied in season 2, with the tiny joint-miracle he and Aziraphale made being as powerful as an archangel's. He has the ability to mask his presence powerful enough to fool Uriel, Michael, and Gabriel (the only other character we've seen have that kind of masking power was the Metatron, who Crowley was also the first to recognize). When going through records with Muriel, they claim only very high-ranking angels have clearance to look through the records of Gabriel, an archangel so powerful he single-handedly had the power to stop "Armageddon 2" from being put into plan; Crowley is able to access them. And Lucifer? Often described as having been a very powerful angel.

Lucifer is such an important name, such an important character, in the theologies surrounding Good Omens. So, where is he? Why has he only been mentioned seriously once, by Crowley?

The answer could be this, simple and short: Because he is Crowley.

EDIT:

I dug up the book. It's been a while since I read it (I honestly don't remember much from the book) and here's what it has to say about Crowley's signature...

"Your real name."

.........

HELLO?

EDIT 2:

I found this post from Neil Gaiman's blog. The wording is confusing me, and I can't tell if this debunks or supports the theory..

What Neil Gaiman says is "That was the angel Lucifer. He doesn't exist any more. Now there's just Satan, the adversary." which might throw this entire thing out of the window, but the thing is: he never said Satan used to be Lucifer. He just said Lucifer doesn't exist anymore, but Satan does.

Furthermore, the person who first asked a question asks more questions, two of them: 1. Is Satan what's left of Lucifer after he fell and stopped existing, and 2. If so, does that mean there was an angel that existed that then fell and turned into crowley?

Neil Gaiman's answer is "As far as Crowley is concerned, the Angel that he was no longer exists. (And his name as an Angel wasn’t Crawley or Crowley.)"

He doesn't confirm or deny anything about Satan in that. All he said was "the Angel that he was no longer exists" and that Crowley's angel name wasn't his demon name.

Huh. Funny. He's saying angel!crowley no longer exists, when he just revealed that Lucifer "doesn't exist any more." Either there's a connection here, or I'm going insane.

[ew-selfish-art]

DP x DC AU: Danny desperately wants to find the explosion guy. Tim is really good at covering his tracks... he didn't account for ghosts.

The explosions make it onto TV as purported terror activity and most people haven't heard of that part of the world much less ever given a second thought to care about it. The only real reason it gets reported on has something to do with the Justice League and... Danny knows too much.

He's been in training for Clockwork's court (which he's suspicious of- feels like kingly duty bullshit- but Danny is playing along out of curiosity for now) and he's learned a lot about how the living and non-living worlds collide. That means learning about CW's usual suspects- one of which just happened to have a ton of bases around the area Danny was seeing on the news.

It didn't take long for Danny to try to piece together that whoever blew up Nanda Parbat was trying to fuck with the League of Shadows, and was doing it successfully. Less green portals in the world the better, same goes for assassins. But it gets Danny thinking... Maybe he can employ similar tactics on the GIW Bases that keep spawning on the edges of Amity Park. It would at least set them back while he and his friends navigated the help line desk to request Justice League intervention. None of them can leave Amity Park, so outreach is going to have to be creative.

So Danny figures he'll just find the guy. Call up some ghosts who were there, or er, came from there and get a profile and track him down. But the ghosts keep saying it was The Detective. Annoying!

Danny goes full conspiracy theory, gets Tucker and Sam involved, and begrudgingly asks Wes Weston his thoughts.

He hadn't expected Wes to garble out a thirty minute presentation (that had 100 more slides left to go before he cut it off) about how Batman totally trained with a cult and so did his kids. Danny kind of rolled his eyes but... hey, new avenue of searching in the Infinite Realms at least.

The ghosts confirm that Bombs is for sure not Batman's MO- But maybe his second kid would know? The second kid was already brought back to life though, so no way to easily reach him... Danny starts to realize that this might be the work of a Robin now. Wasn't the red one known for solving cold cases? (Sam provides this information- its a social faux pas to not know hero gossip at Gotham Galas- everything she's learned is against her will).

It all comes to a head when Danny goes about the hard task of opening a portal for the guy to come through at just the right time, explain the infinite realms so he doesn't panic and then describe what the fuck was going on with the GIW. It takes months, just over a full year, of random (educated guesses) portal generating- Finally, Red Robin drops into the land of the dead.

"So, you're the guy I've got to talk to about explosions right?" Danny enthusiastically asks.

Tim thinks he's died and landed in the after life following 56 hours of being awake and plummeting off the side of a building into a Lazarus pool. Nothing makes sense about the kid in front of him.

"Yeah, I got a guy for munitions." Tim answers cooly.

"How do you feel about secretly sanctioned government operations that violate protected rights?"

"Gotta get rid of 'em some how. Need me to point you in the right direction?" This might as well be happening.

[carigm]

SPOILERS FOR ST5 FILMING THIS WEEK+ A THEORY

Okay, I’m going to try and break down all the filming leaks we got this week and put them together into a theory.

In case you don’t know yet, ST’s production has moved back to Stone Mountain, GA this week. This is a woodsy area that’s been used before in the show to film all the UD forest scenes as well as just the regular forest scenes in the show.

On Monday of this week, someone who lives close to the area came upon a set. And it was the Castle Byers pictures we got. I’ll add them here too.

Some observations. To me this version of castle Byers doesn’t look like the original one we first saw. That one was much fuller and looked more stable. It also doesn’t look like the version Will left behind after destroying it in S3. We know the UD is stuck on the time Will was there, so imo the version of castle Byers we are seeing here is the one that was damaged by the demogorgon when it grabbed Will, back in S1.

Based on this pic and a little video of the set, we all speculated they could be filming something related to Will, perhaps even a flashback. Here’s where it gets interesting.

I was looking at the castingtaylormade insta page (they post all the casting for extras and photo doubles needed for the show) and I came across this.

Production was looking for a minor photo double and “adult” one to work on the 20th (aka Tuesday of this week) as well as some other dates in February and March.

Now, we know they were filming at the castle Byers set the same day that this minor photo double was needed. I don’t think I need to spell it out here. They were looking for a child, so younger Will scenes are basically a guarantee to have been filmed this week. As for the adult photo double filming the same date, well there’s quite a few options. If it’s a little Will flashback/vision we’re gonna see, perhaps the adult photo double is gonna be older Will himself. Maybe we’ll get current Will having visions of his younger self and his time in the UD, and we’ll see both versions of him. Let’s not forget he was able to shift to the UD in S2 without physically being there.

Another option for the adult photo double could be Vecna. Will and Vecna are bound to share scenes this season, so perhaps we’ll see whether Vecna was involved from the get go in Will’s disappearance.

Now it gets even more interesting, because today we got new pics of the “UD” set from this week. There’s a lot of fog, and a very poignant blue and red lighting mix.

We know the UD usually has a blue tint, but there’s been instances where it has looked red, especially in S4. However, the most red we’ve ever seen in the UD was when Will was having his S2 visions of the MF, remember how he would appear in a cloud of hellish red and lights would flash? Yeah. Another big use of red in this show has been for visions, like Will’s UD ones but also El in Billy’s mind in S3. And ofc more notably Max’s Vecna vision in S4.

I want to specifically focus on one picture.

As you can see, there appears to be a figure walking along the tree path, with perhaps a taller figure on the left but that is hard to tell because it could just be part of the tree. Stranger Things Spoilers was the account that got these set photos and look at the comment they just liked on Insta.

I think it’s safe to say they’re hinting that the figure walking is Will.

Which basically ties this whole week of filming together and seems to be pointing at the fact that Will is gonna be exploring his UD connection and that’s a major component of this season (duh).

I personally think we’re gonna see Will have visions of his time there as a child, but also he will be able to go there mentally like he did in S2, perhaps this time being taunted and brainwashed by Vecna. “He spies back”.

So there you go folks, it seems like our beloved Will Byers is gonna be greatly suffering from supernatural horrors beyond our comprehension, once again.

I wonder what will be able to pull him back from all this mental deterioration he’s surely gonna face again.

Could it be the power of family love and perhaps…gay love?

The Duffers did say to rewatch S2 🤷‍♀️

[aalyssah]

Protect You

Pairing: Jey Uso x Wife!Reader

Warnings: Angst/Fluff!

Word Count: 2,419

Summary: When you cause Jey and Jimmy to lose their titles, Roman confronts you, making a physical altercation occur, and Jey promises to protect you.

A/N: It’s not as fluffy as I wanted it to be, but I still like it. Hope You Enjoy!

It was the most important night for wrestlers. WrestleMania night and it was night 1.

This was a huge thing for the Bloodline considering almost all of you were fighting. The Uso's fighting Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens and Roman against Cody Rhodes. (Poor Solo)

You on the other hand had a match against Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women's Title. You've fought hard over the years to get to where you are and now you're ready to make your friends and family proud.

You took a deep breath, bouncing your leg slightly. "Hey, baby." You looked up seeing all 3 brothers and Roman enter. "Hey." You gave him a small smile. "You nervous?" You nodded your head, looking up at the TV, watching John Cena and Austin Theory.

"Hey, look at me." You made eye contact with him. "You're gonna be fine. Win or lose, I'm gonna still be here for you." You leaned into him, hugging his chest. "Thank you, babe." Jey continued holding you while rocking side to side.

"Sorry to break you two lovebirds up, but you're about to be on Y/n." You broke away from Jey nodding your head. "Alright, wish me luck!" You gave Jey one last kiss and left to the gorilla. Jey let out a breath, sitting down on the couch. "I hope she wins."

Roman put a hand on his shoulder. "She's still your wife. She's blood no matter the outcome." Roman's words had Jey feeling a little better.

-

When he saw Charlotte lock the Figure 4 Lock, he knew it was over. The pain on your face as you squirm and scream, trying to listen to the fans calling your name, telling you not to give up.

Unfortunately, you tapped repeatedly on the mat, indicating you quit. Her music played as the referee gave her the title. You could only sit there, holding your leg in pain, looking up at her celebrating.

You felt like a failure as you walked backstage, knowing you would have to face the disappointment from your team. You walked through the door, silence taking over the room.

You crumbled instantly, tears flowing down your face. Jey was first to come to you, engulfing you in a hug. "It's okay, baby. You did amazing out there." Jimmy came up to you, rubbing your back. "Yeah, you did your best, and that's all what matters."

With everyone comforting you made it somewhat better. "You think she did amazing?" Everyone's attention turned to Roman sitting in the corner. "You think she tried her best? That was nothing. You are nothing, but a disgrace to the Bloodline!"

You jumped at his booming voice, looking down at the ground. "Hey, don't talk about her like that, she tried for the Bloodline and unfortunately didn't come through. At least have some respect for her!" Jey stood up to his older cousin, yelling just as loud as him.

"Do I have to remind you who you're talking to, Jey? Because I can bring this back to 2020 if I have too." Jey let go of you, standing chest to chest with Roman, a death glare in his eyes. "Jey, stop." You sniffled, grabbing his tattooed arm.

"He's right, I didn't do good." Jey turned around to you, shaking his head. "No baby, he's so wrong. Like Jimmy said, you tried your best, but it wasn't your luck tonight." He guided you out the room to comfort you somewhere quiet.Roman grumbled under his breath, "Amazing my ass."

-

It was now 1 hour later and The Uso's were ready for their match. Jimmy and Jey stretched in the small corner backstage while having a small talk. "Bro, Roman was not happy after you left with Y/n." Jimmy informed Jey, stretching to the side a little.

"Yeah, well he can be as mad as he wants, but that's my wife and no matter who you are, I'm not gonna let you talk shit about her." Jimmy nodded his head in agreement, knowing he would do the same for Naomi.

Just as they finished their conversation, you came along in fresh clothes. "You feeling better?" You gave him a smile. "I'm alright, but don't worry about me. You have to defend your titles." Jey smiled looking at the title on a nearby crate.

"Yup, and I'm gonna win it back for you." He began an attack of kisses, causing you to laugh. "There's that laugh I love." Jimmy playfully rolled his eyes at how lovey dovey y'all were being. "Y/n, you wanna go out there with us?"

You looked at Jimmy shocked at his question and then at Jey. "Can I?" Jey smiled. "Of course. I need my good luck charm out there with me." Before you could continue your conversation, Staff Member came by, letting y'all know they were up.

As you stood at the gorilla, waiting for the music to play, Roman, Paul, and Solo came by. "Look, y'all need to go out there, beat some ass, and win those titles back. We need to keep the gold, unlike some people who can't even win one." Roman said, specifically looking at you.

You downed under his stare, looking around. Jey gently pulled you to his side. "Don't start." The tension between the two was thick. "G-guys, maybe we should go out." Jimmy agreed, walking first while Jey and you followed up.

You were stopped by Roman grabbing your arm. "Woah, where do you think you're going?" You looked up at him, with wide eyes. "Uh, out there to accompany them?" Roman chuckled, shaking his head.

"You think you deserve to be out there with them, let alone show your face after losing your title shot?" Jey pulled you back, pushing Roman's chest. "I already told you to step off her. I'm not gonna tell you again. Whether you like it or not, she's coming with us." Once again, they stared at each other with some much anger.

"USOS!"

Their theme started to play, causing Jimmy to tug at Jey. "Come on, bro." Jey stepped back, not breaking eye contact with Roman until he was behind the curtains.

-

The match was going as planned, big moments happening in between, fans cheering for the wrestlers, everything well. At one moment Kevin and Sami hit Jimmy with a 1D, instantly going for the pin. Jimmy kicked out, causing Kevin to beat the mat in anger.

You then noticed how he whispered something to Sami before leaving the ring. Sami distracted the referee while Kevin grabbed 2 chairs from under the ring. You were quick to get up on the apron, yelling at them, but the referee was on you, telling you to get down.

As you were arguing with him, you missed seeing Kevin and Sami doing an Edge and Christian classic, crushing the skull of Jimmy. Jey tried defending him, but Kevin and Sami were quicker, cracking the chair over his body. They threw the chairs out and went for the pin.

"1 2 3"

*DING DING DING*

"Your winner of this match, and the NEW Undisputed Tag Team Champions, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn!”

You could feel your whole world crashing down, as the fans cheered and some booed. Everything was out of vision except for a hurt Jimmy and Jey lying in the ring. You slowly crawled in, touching their arms. "A-are yall okay?" A groan came out of each of their mouths as they sat up.

You closed your eyes, wondering how it was gonna be when Roman gets to you. You helped them out the ring, walking backstage to the medics. They took some X-Rays of their heads while you held Jey's hand. "I'm so sorry." You cried out, head hanging low.

"You're okay, you didn't do anything." You wiped your tears away. "If I never got up on that apron, y'all would've-" Jey cut you off, shushing you. "Y/n, please stop blaming yourself. You tried to stop them for us and I'm glad. I don't give a damn about those titles."

You thought back to Roman, thinking of how possessive he is about everyone having a title. "But Roman-" Jey's eyebrow cocked up in question. "What about him? If he wants the titles so bad, he can collect all 4 since he's the 'Head of the Table.'"

You smiled at his joking tone. "Can you please go pack our bags? I think I'm gonna need some sleep." Jimmy yawned, rubbing at his head. You smiled, placing a kiss on his forehead before walking out to the locker room.

It was quiet as you folded some clothes, placing them in the bag. You were alone until you heard the sound of the door open. You turned around to see who it was, but Roman pushed you against the wall, pinning you underneath him.

"You're stupid. So fucking stupid." You whimpered, trying to get out his hold. "You think you're gonna get away from making them lose their title?" You whined at how tight his grip was. "I didn't mean to." You explained, avoiding eye contact. "Didn't mean too? You meant everything, you were so jealous that you lost your title opportunity, so you sabotaged their defense."

You shook your head, disagreeing with his statement. "I love him, I would never!" Roman's grip tightened around your wrists. "Oh, you love him, but make him lose his titles and now he's in the medic room."

You pushed him back with all the strength you had. "Stop being such a controlling bitch! You go around here demanding people how to do their job when-" You didn't get to finish your sentence when Roman's hand wrapped around your throat, cutting all your air circulation off.

"Don't you ever, and I mean ever, talk to me like that again. You hear me?!" You squeezed at his wrist, trying to get him to loosen up. "No wonder Seth and Sami back stabbed you. You deserved it all." A loud slap was heard around the room as your head turned to the side.

Roman just hit you.

Roman pushed you back, your body sliding off the wall onto the floor. "Know your fucking place. Jey should've never married you." He then spit on you, watching as you jumped. Paul knocked on the door and entered. "My Tribal Chief I-"

He stopped mid sentence when he saw you shaking on the floor, looking up at Roman with such scared eyes. "Come on Paul, we do not talk about this." Paul gave an apologetic look before walking with a Roman. You sobbed as you slowly picked yourself up and continued packing the bags.

-

It is now night 2 and the one match everyone's been waiting for is here. Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes.

Fans were eager in their seats as the show came near the Main Event, waiting for Cody and Roman. The whole Bloodline sat in the locker room, listening to Roman give a speech.

“Tonight, I'm gonna show y'all how to WIN a title and DEFEND one!" You jumped at his loud voice, getting a mini flashback from yesterday. He shortly left out with Paul and Solo, since they were his 'most trusted' ones.

“Man, this is stupid. I’m not gonna watch him." Jimmy admitted, getting up. "Anyone wanna go to the catering and talk with some friends?" Jey shook his head, eyes trained on the TV. Jimmy looked at you with a teasing smile, making you get up. You both walked to the catering, meeting up with friends and talking.

It was all normal, everyone laughing and fans cheering, but when everyone saw Jey walk out to the ring, they thought, 'Oh another Bloodline member here to show respect to their Chef.' Oh, how wrong were they. Roman had Cody on the mat, setting him up for a spear.

Roman successfully hit it, but before he could pin Cody, Jey slid in the ring, hitting him in the back with a chair. Cheers and Gasps were heard around the arena, as loud as Sami's betrayal. Paul's mouth hung open while for the first time, Solo broke character, mouth open in shock.

Jey brutally beat down Roman, hitting every body part he could. Jimmy dropped his drink backstage while running to the ring.

He put Cody’s body over Roman’s to pin him and that's it. A new Undisputed Champion was crowned that night. Jey continued his assault, punching and kicking at Roman. "You think you can beat on my wife?!"

Everyone was silent and shocked as Jey yelled. "Huh? Spit on her?" Another punch to his face. "Choke her?! You're nothing, but a coward!" Solo and Jimmy grabbed at Jey, holding back to the corner. "No, that bitch is gonna get what's coming to him!"

Jey fought against their hold, trying to get to the conscious Roman. "Uce stop, just go to your wife! Leave him alone!" Jey stopped, thinking about how scared you must've been. He broke out their hold, running backstage to you.

You were already crying in the locker, knowing you just ruined a family. Jey pulled you in for a hug, silence around the room except your sobs. "I-I-" You couldn't even make a word out as your cries over powered it.

“Shh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't come sooner." You pulled back, looking up at him. "Can I see it?" His hands tugged at the turtle neck sweater you wore, covering your neck.

With a nod of your head, he pulled it down, taking a deep breath to control his anger. The print of a hand wrapped around your throat had him feeling some type of way. "How did you know?"

"Paul told me and god did it take more than 5 people to hold me back before I beat the shit out of him right there. When I heard of what he did to you, I-"

Jey cut himself off, not wanting to think other. "Why, did you do it? You just ruined your Bloodline because of me." Jey looked at you like you were crazy. "Y/n, do you not know who you are to me? We are married."

He said, thumb brushing over your ring. "I promised your family and god to protect you." He kissed your forehead, burying you in his chest. “But your team, our family. I just ruined it.” Jey’s hands gently scratched at your scalp, distracting you.

“I don't care who puts their hands on you, I'm gonna alway protect you."

[angelltheninth]

Just the Fingertips

Pairing: Maomao x Jinshi

Tags: nsfw, smut, future fic, kissing, self-esteem issues, first time, semi-public sex, grinding, erections, clit stimulation, jealousy, protectiveness

Word count: 2.9k

Ao3

A/N: These two are gonna be the most badass couple when they get together.

“Are you sure you need to go to this event? Didn’t I pay your debt already?” Jinshi loosely embraced Maomao from behind, his chin leaning against her head.

“My debt isn’t the issue. They’re short on servers, a few of their usual ladies came down with colds. All around the same time. Funny how they all seemed to spend a lot of time around each other.” She could already deduce why all of them developed the same illness. Close relationships like that weren’t uncommon in the Verdigris House.

“Hmmm. I don’t like the thought of you spending time around lecherous men.” His hold on her small frame tightened, clearly feeling a little more possessive now that the two were finally dating. It took over three years but they were finally at that stage.

Jinshi couldn’t have been happier. He flaunted their relationship, holding Maomao’s hand at every opportunity and telling everyone about his cute and smart apothecary soon-to-be-wife. They hadn’t talked about that part yet but there was no one else Jinshi could imagine marrying. “You’re acting like a child.” He often presented himself as older then he was, trying to fit into a role. When he let his walls down was when Maomao liked him the most. “No one will so much as touch me. It will be optional but-”

“Optional?!” Did he hear that right? “Just what kind of event is this?!”

“One of the high-ranking officials expressed interest of buying someone of the Verdigris House. However he hasn’t yet decided on who it would be. He wanted a… wider sample then what he’s already seen. No one has to attend if they choose not to but they all know that many of his friends are just as rich is not richer. It’s a good opportunity to get new patrons. Naturally my sisters will be attending as well, but only as performers.” The Princesses have more then enough visitors, although their presence alone is sure to get them a few new ones at least.

“Can anyone attend this event?”

“Anyone with enough money. Why do you ask?” Maomao untangled from his embrace to look over the things she’s packed. Jinshi didn’t respond. Oh. “Jinshi, do you honestly think I would let another man lay a finger on me?”

“No, and if they did they’d lose it. But it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you in your courtesan outfit. If other men get to see it then so should I.” Jealous. He was jealous. Of something that hasn’t even happened yet. “Plus... Maybe if I behave myself and you’ll let me have a sample of you too.”

“Guh!” A chill ran down her spine as she looked into his hooded eyes.

They hadn’t gone that far yet. Only making out and heavy touching. She could always feel how hard he was but he never insisted or pushed for anything. Given that he was such a pervert before she figured Jinshi would have gotten her pregnant already.

There was also the fact that if they did have sex she had no experience to speak of. She knew many things, many tricks to make any man or woman lose their minds to pleasure, both in company and on their own. She only tried a few of those on her own when the pressure was too much to ignore. Sex with someone else wasn’t something that interested her until very recently and only if she thought about having it with Jinshi. Would she be any good in practice as she is in theory?

It was a question that weigh heavy on her mind as Meimei applied makeup on her face.

"You're thinking so loud I can hear you." Joka commented as she embraced her from behind as she so often liked to do. All three of her sisters made sure to spend at least some time with her when she came to visit. Her purpose was more of a business one this time but still, they wanted to be the ones to help her get dressed. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing."

"Liar." Meimei grinned at her as she pulled back to examine the work of art that was Maomao's makeup. "Is it something at the palace? The Emperor's kids? Jinshi?" Since Jinshi began dating Maomao her sisters didn't bother addressing him by his royal title.

"Is he being good to you?" Pairin chimed in when she saw the brief look of hesitation on Maomao. Joka tightened her hold protectively and Maomao knew damn well her sisters wouldn't hesitate to throw hands at Jinshi if he hurt her.

Was she really about to ask this? Then again who better to ask?

"He insisted on attending tonight." She tried not to bite her lip and ruin her sister's hard work. "The two of us have yet to go all the way. I know he wants to, he's wanted to for a while but all he ever does is try to tease me when we're in bed. I think he has expectations that I... don't know if I can fulfill. He'd probably have a much better time if he married one of you three." All her insecurities came flooding out and once and she was left with uncomfortable beats of silence.

It was Meimei who spoke up first. "Maomao, it's at times like this that I wonder how smart you really are." She took one of Maomao's hand in hers, "Medicine and poison. Those are some of your strengths. Are they useful in bed? Sure, under certain circumstances." Pairin giggled knowingly.

"If you think Jinshi would choose any of us over you then you might be a bit sick right now." Joka's hand rose up to press against Maomao's forehead, also pushing her closer to her.

"Men come to us for company and sex. If that was all that Jinshi wanted he wouldn't have gone to such lengths for you. He's a handsome man with both money and power. Could have spent it on anyone. Yet," Pairin pointed at her little sister, "he choose you to be his future wife. Maomao, I've seen what people look like when they're deeply in love. That look? I see it every time Jinshi looks at you."

Maomao could feel her face heat up at the truth of those words. Her sisters were right, Jinshi wouldn't care about her skills, the man would probably come undone as soon as she touched him from his happiness alone.

What a lovely image.

A bit too much so if the way her heart kept beating on her way to the lavish home. She had her sisters for company, she knew Jinshi would be there too. But that was the problem. After the things she's revieled how could she act normal around her boyfriend?

The moment she saw him sitting all alone in a darker corner she felt a flood that was equally guilt and arousal. Guilt that she ever thought that someone who looked at her like she was the only person in the room would even consider sleeping with someone else. And arousal because the thoughts of something happening between them tonight wouldn't leave her mind.

She, like her sisters and everyone else kept things casual and friendly through the first round of song, dance and drinks. Jinshi's eyes were only on her, the only time he looked away was to be polite when drinks or snacks were served to him, and of course to decline unwanted advances, of which there were many.

Jinshi was always sexy, she knew that from the very first moment she saw him.

"Little lady, want to join us for a drink?" Maomao looked at the table she was serving. They looked like soldiers, youtful, with a strong build. Glorified bodyguards probably.

To stay polite she poured them each a new drink and declined, "I'm already spoken for." For forever. She saw their faces drop and they were about to speak again when Maomao looked Jinshi's way just in time for him to invite her over. "Excuse me, but please do help yourselves to other company." Her glance held a little too much warning. The group collectevly gulped and nodded, silently promiseing to behave.

Maomao walked to Jinshi's table. It was smaller and partially hidden away by the dimmer light and a red, silky courtain.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look?" Jinshi smiled as he leaned his face in his palm.

"Every time I've been here." Jinshi nodded at her and offered his hand. Maomao hesitated only for a moment, studing his face. He had that relaxed air around him that she liked so much. Here he wasn't a Prince, he was Jinshi, her future husband. She could trust him.

Taking his hand she allowed him to pull her close to his lap. He kissed the top of her head as she leaned against him with her back, his larger frame slouching against her. By the looks of things what they were doing was rather tame by comparison of some heated kisses Maomao had spotted.

It wasn't unusual for things to escalate when touching was allowed although no one went all the way. It was foreplay to the ladies eventually leading their lovestruck cousumers to bed. A game of cat and mouse.

"Maomao." Jinshi spoke in a low tone. "Someone wants to come this way."

She didn't notice them being stared at by a group of women. They were older than her, perhaps her sister's age. Bigger... in many places. And looked at Maomao like she just killed their pet.

Well in a way she did. All women in the red light dictrict were well aware of where they stood in society. Yet some had more standing then others, and sought to exploit it and get even higher, toying with and breaking the hearts of those who visited them. Jinshi, as much as he could try to hide it was a man of high standing. Beautiful and with money he was the mouse, and those women were the cats.

But so was Maomao.

She felt exceptionally petty tonight. Jinshi had an influence on her. Maomao looked up at him but he was already half-way to her lips. His fingers brushed against her chin, his eyes locking with hers for a moment before closing them. Her's remeined open to look at the group of onlooking women who seemed to hate her even more now.

"The color sticks." She whispered against his lips. The red lipstick was indeed smeared against both their lips. Jinshi didn't seem to mind.

"Shall I give it back?" He leaned back a little and let his hands run against her sides. "On other places perhaps."

Her body got hotter, she coukd feel her heart beating and she wanted him to feel it too. Steeling her nerves she took his hands and pushed them against her breasts. Jinshi let out a surprised gasp. "Sorry there's not much to grab."

"What are you talking about Maomao? They're perfect." Jinshi kept one hand on the outside but slipped the other one under Maomao's clothes, his hand palming over her whole breast. "I wouldn't want you any other way."

Based on what she usually saw it was hard to believe that. "Most men prefer them bigger."

"I prefer my Maomao." Jinshi smiled against her shoulder, moving the remaining clothes out of the way. "Is it okay to touch here too?" Two rough fingers slipped between her legs but he didn't move them further then her thighs.

Maomao gulped. Her eyes scanned the room once more. She could hardly ask for much more privacy then she already has in this dark corner. Lucky for her, and her pride and dignity, no one was paying attention to them, not even those women who were now busy with their own clients.

For her this far more then a part-time job. This was the first time she'd let her lover... Jinshi, to touch her in such a way. The first time any man would touch her in such a way actually.

After a deep breath in and out she parted her legs, his hand cupping her pussy with ease. "You can touch me there. And inside too."

Jinshi's hands twitched at that. The one on Maomao's breast pressed back too hard causing her to bite back a moan. She might get fucked by him but she refused to go out of her way to put on a show. But again, like before, the music and the song drowned out her noise, making it one only Jinshi was privlidged enough to hear.

"I won't go inside you. That should be saved for a more private affair." He wasn't fooling her with his sweet and kind words. She could feel his hard cock pressing and pulsing below her. It wanted her, he wanted her and if he were a different kind of man he would have fucked her over the table.

But if he were a different kind of man Maomao wouldn't have fallen in love with him.

With her legs spread enough for him to move his hand as he wanted she let her head fall against Jinshi's chest. Oh. His heart was racing too.

Two fingers spread her open while the third moved down to the enterance of her pussy, circling and pushing in just a tiny bit to get the wetness going. Maomao only had experiance with her own hands and fingers and they were so much thinner than Jinshi's. But his were more gentle, giving away his mostly pampered lifestlye.

He was a hard worker, yet his hands always remained delicate, fitting of someone of his high station. Maomao didn't mind this, he was her opposite and she loved him for it. He completed her.

Once she had his cock inside her he will trully complete her. She could never imagine doing so with anyone else.

Hell she couldn't have imagined herself doing this with him a few years ago. Before she shivered from his fake persona, his flirty nature and beauty that hid all his sorrow. Now that she knows the real him she welcomes his touch, embraces it even.

Now if only he would stop teasing.

Or could it be... "Jinshi, do you not know where the clitoris is?"

"What?! Of course I do, I took my lessons in human anatomy seriously. And..." He went quiet, his hand falling still, "I found it before."

"Have you?" Maomao wasn't about to scold him about having slept with women before her. Why should she? Jealousy seemed pointless given that Jinshi looked at her, only at her for years now. "I need a demonstration otherwise I might suspect you're lying to me."

Jinshi pressed his lips together, pouting at the doubt Maomao cast at his skills. If she wanted a demonstration he would give her one.

His fingers stopped just above her clit, then tapped it twice. Both taps made Maomao's hips twitch. Like him, she was touch-starved, but she had more of a lid on her needs. It was hard for her to be honest with them, with him, at least when it comes to more intimate things.

But she was slowly learning how and accepting her own lust for him.

One hand between her legs, the other on her breast, Jinshi leaned against her shoulder as he moved. Maomao bit the inside of her cheek as Jinshi's two fingers trapped and rolled her clit between the tips, mirroring what his other fingers were doing to her nipples.

As for her own hands Maomao slapped them over her mouth. Muffling her moans she tried to keep her body still, but it was responding to the intoxicating touches. She finally understood what her sisters meant when they spoke about men feeling different. Maybe it was just Jinshi for her but his touch made her feel like she was in fire.

Jinshi's middle finger reached down to Maomao's pussy entrance and gathered some of the wetness and proceeded to roll it over her clit, making it wetter, slippery and sensitive to his touch.

It never felt like this. Every nerve ending in her body felt like it was burning up. The only thing that could make it stop was poking her in the ass. Maomao was seconds away from telling him to fuck her over the table. These thoughts were something she had while she was asleep, when she touched herself, now they feel even more intense, almost overwhelming.

This feeling... was she close? Jinshi's breath warmed her neck, breathing fast, grunting as Maomao rolled her ass against erection.

She was getting him all hot and bothered and she wasn't really doing much. He was getting off from seeing her coming. She was right before, he was so cute. And he was about to make her-

"Jinshi!" Maomao moaned his name against her hands, her hips thrusting upwards, rolling her clit against his fingers with no control or care.

"Maomao." He breathed against her neck, quickly kissing it to muffle his own noises. There was a wet stain on his clothes spread, his cock twitching but luckily Maomao was the only one who knew. "Looks like... I found it."

"So you did. Good work Jinshi." Maomao patted him on the cheek for a job well done.

He glowed, happy as a puppy at her small praise.

Jinshi pulled her clothes back in place and wrapped his arms around her, laughing a little loudly and just now catching the attention of a few people. When they looked at them they saw two people in love, blushing for each other and cuddling. Maomao turned her reddening face away and quickly turned to press it against Jinshi's chest.

Somehow having people stare at them while they were a lovey-dovey couple was more of an embarrassing moment then her coming from his fingers just moments before. She would work on that first one in the future.

[todostiddies]

Modern Eren Boyfriend HC

Modern AU headcannons of Eren Jaeger (my beloved) and GNReader pt2

*** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ***

Eren likes to stargaze with you. He really enjoys finding all the different constellations or making out shapes of your own with you

The first time he took you on a stargazing date was on the hood of his car, somewhere far from the city lights. He tried to impress you with his knowledge of myths behind constellations (the whole big friend group takes camping tips and Historia and Armin nerd out about the Greek myths behind certain constellations) BUT he ended up forgetting or messing the stories up because he was nervous and so he just made some up that starred a beautiful heroine/hero that was suspiciously a lot like you, and a beautiful, mysterious savior that was a lot like him

Now every time yall stargaze he makes a new story up to add to the saga

As mentioned above, camping trips with the whole gang are SO much fun!!

Connie and Eren try and see who can make the most smores the quickest and then eventually switch to who can eat the most the fastest. This usually ends with both parties cheating as Connie hands Sasha some smores behind his back and Eren starts handing you some as well, and both don't even know they're doing the same thing because they're both too focused on winning AND not getting caught.

Eren will cure your resulting tummy ache with a kiss and a lil belly rub, then lift his shirt and pout for you to do the same and honestly who would say no

He sometimes gets lost in his head or overthinks about your relationship or maybe a shift in your mood, so anytime he gets that way or he knows he messed up, he will call his mom for advice and then Mikasa afterwards, which always ends up on a group call with Armin

He has taken your mom or guardian figure on a "date" at least once, and he pulled out all the stops and was so nervous be could have barfed, but on the surface he turned his charm all the way up and they loved him

He wanted to take them^ on a date after he realized he wanted to be with you for the rest of his life and wanted your family to like him

Babies like him but toddlers are sometimes scared of him??

It's a height thing, he just looks so intimidating and he has a resting RBF for fucking sure. Like to the extreme.

But after one conversation they do that cute kid thing where they pick a person and follow them around whole heartedly copying them and trying to impress them, and it's always going to be Eren.

He gets super into it too and makes sure to lead the kids on cool little adventures and hang out with them and give them some "life advice" which really isn't that deep lol but sometimes it's pretty good but it's always cheesy

He deffo screams like a girl when gaming but if he remembers you are in the room he will clear his throat with a blush and sober up quickly lmao

Bear with me on this one, maybe unpopular opinion but... he reads a book a month

Sometimes two, but never goes a month without at least one book. During high school he had some anxiety and anger issues he had a hard time first getting used to even having, and then managing as time went on with personnel stuff and high school things, so he REALLY hated having time alone where he did nothing

The worst was before bed where he just laid awake and could not sleep :( but then Armin kept going on about this book he was reading, so Eren pirated it online and read it every night before bed. And reading really helped give him something to do in those moments and actually helped him a lot when it came to accepting therapy

So I think he does enjoy reading and even has some reading glasses and likes to read with a warm drink, like hot chocolate or some decaf coffee he made, and likes to read cuddled up in the rain

Will talk to you about his book and his theories, and if an ending pisses him off or was just straight up bad?? You will never hear the end of it, it will literally sour his mood for the rest of the day and every time he thinks about it. And if you're a reader too, then you two have dates where you fill up dinner table conversations just talking about books and go on little book dates once a month too and will often read the same books (like a mini book club, fun!!)

He has annotated a book for you at least once

Going back to the therapy thing, I know a lot of modern headcanons show Eren as super termpental and with a lot of mental health issues too, and though I 100% agree that he was that way in canon, I think Modern Eren would be a lot more happy and chill and even easy-going because he didn't have to deal with all that canon trauma. That being said, I do think high school was hard for him because (in my modern AU at least) that would be when he found out about Zeke and his dads other family, which even his mom didn't know about...

His dad had a past marriage and son that didn't work out and he had an opportunity to leave for work and so he just did. It is his greatest shame and regret so though he sent money to them every year, he never wanted Eren or Carla to find out. But eventually Carla tracked the money and they found out. So in his high school years, Eren hated his father and even hated the other family like it was their fault too for all the drama in his. His parents verged divorce and he felt him and Mikasa growing apart as she crushed on Jean (they still were SUPER close and once he told them about everything going on the three of them grew even closer) and Armin was super academically busy and didn't have a lot of free time either. So because of all of this, I feel like Eren did struggle with some anger issues, depression, anxiety, and overall teenage angst during this time.

But, eventually him and his family went to therapy and they met with the other family and they eventually moved closer and Eren and Zeke ended up becoming good brothers yay

Speaking of, he gushes to Zeke about you ALL of the time

He has a strained relationship with his Dad, but he is A MAMAS BOY of course

He is very open with you about his past and his family situation and everything he felt and went through. It is easy for him to let you in on things that he has already processed and been through, but sometimes harder to fully open up about more recent things

He gets all the tea on everybody from specifically Armin, Mikasa, Sasha , Connie and Historia (the gossiping queens). Every time the gang gets together they are dishing out everyone's dirty laundry and tea and Eren brings it back to you boiling hot and he makes you both a cup of something warm while you sit on the counter nodding along with your mouth open

He loves getting your reactions so much, and you two always end up gossiping just as much and laughing, and since he loves your reactions so much he sometimes plays out his reaction to the particularly juicy parts for you too I don't condone gossiping but I also recognize it as fun and socially bonding lmao but be nice about it okay

He gives you a bite of everything he eats no matter how large or small the portion and even before you ask. He will also give you a sip of whatever he is drinking too, and if you like it more than him or are more thirty or hungry he always ends up either giving it to you or splitting it

He went through a phase where a got a slushi every single day, didn't matter what time (though he usually liked them best after school or the gym or super late at night like 3am when he can't sleep) He still likes to have them a couple times a month now

Will go on late night drives with you, driving slow with the windows down, crickets from outside and the radio playing, it's just so nice and always makes you both smile. He watches you more than the road but is a VERY safe driver, especially with you

That being said, he will also speed up to very illegal speeds at least once (on completely deserted and safe roads) just to hear you squeal and laugh

Likes when you fall asleep in the car. He will drive on the wrong side of the road or in the other line to avoid any kind of speed bumps or risks to your slumber, skips songs that are too noisy or shocking, avoids potholes at all costs, and will take the longer route home. He also gets a little distracted every time you snore or just from admiring you because you look too cute asleep like the lil passenger princess you are

Has done donuts in the car with you a couple times late at night in an empty parking lot and he LOVES the way you laugh and howl into the night while the engine nearly drowns out everything else

That's all for now, but I have more to say soon!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you enjoyed it!!

pt2

[assholepants]

I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out why Dirk's splinters always end up being manipulative and abusive. Because, as another post on here mentioned, when you look at the actions of Dirk himself in homestuck proper, he's actually just a sweet kid who is very hard on himself and cares about his friends.

Everyone is well aware that one of Dirk's major character motifs is control. But pretty much all of the examples we see of Dirk, himself, being controlling, are all directed inwards, as he attempts to maintain a frankly unhealthy level of self control. There's lots of little examples but the most glaringly obvious one is his reaction to Calliope's juju lollipop. It's also evident in the way he insists on taking person responsibility for his splinters, despite having little to no influence over them, and in many cases, having never even met them.

So what happens, if you take a guy who maintains unhealthy levels of self control, and take away his sense of self?

Because all of Dirk's splinters are well aware that they are not the 'Original' so to speak. Even Bro, I think, is aware that he is not a protagonist in the narrative. It's pretty heavily implied across cannon that the guardians have a certain level of awareness of the game, to varying degrees, and that they are aware that their role is Guardian to the protagonists. The splinters know they're not the 'true' Dirk, and so a huge part of their identity exists outside of the realm of their control.

And I think that's where issues start to come in. The nature of the existence of these splinters forces them to build a sense of self that is defined by other people. And so their attempts at self control can never be fully internalised like Dirk's, and end up as manipulation and abuse of the people they have constructed their identity around.

Brain Ghost Dirk is fundamentally Made Of Jake. Jake is a core part of his sense of self, because he literally doesn't exist outside of Jake's mind. So in order to maintain self control, he manipulates Jake.

Lil hal manages to get involved in a lot of different things, but all of these actions boil down to manipulating Dirk's life. Because his entire sense of self is Dirk. So in order to maintain self control, he needs to control Dirk. I think Dirk was right in that hal was dangerous, but I think he was wrong to think that denying him a physical form would be safer. I think if hal had been allowed to have a physical body at an earlier stage, he could have begun developing his own identity, outside of Dirk, which would lessen his reliance on control over Dirk's life.

Bro is like. The reason I'm making this post basically because I can't stop thinking about it. Obviously Dave is the subject of Bro's control issues. Bro is aware he is not a protagonist in the narrative. His function is to Be Dave's Guardian, and so his sense of self is firmly rooted in Dave. But it's done in such a different way to how we see the other splinters behave. Dirk is a really fucking smart kid, and so his splinters generally tend to be pretty good at calculated manipulation. But Bro isn't particularly calculated as far as we can see. He's kind of a fucking mess. His abuse is far more physical and impulsive and far less wordy. He's controlling Dave, moulding him into the kind of protagonist Bro thinks he should be. But it's not elaborate and calculated. And THAT'S where Lil Cal, and by association, Caliborn come in.

There's obviously huge amount of debate and like 172784 different theories about how much influence Caliborn had over Bro, and how much responsibility he holds for Dave's abuse. Personally, I think Bro would have always ended up manipulating and abusing Dave in some way, in the same way that BGD manipulates Jake and Lil Hal manipulates Dirk. The underlying cause of Bro's abuse comes from the same control issues as the other splinters and I think it does a disservice to Dirk, as a character with flaws, to insist that Bro's abuse was 100% down to puppet manipulation. But I do think that Caliborn influenced the method. The random violence, the Saw style psychological horror, the impulsiveness, the obsession with sex and masculinity. All very Caliborn methods.

What I'm interested in is if Bro knew what Cal was. I think it's very easy, and completely plausible to say that he came across this puppet due to Paradox Space Is Just Like That, and fell under its influence without realising it. But if he's a Dirk splinter I just don't buy it. He doesn't allow himself to fall under the influence of Calliope's Juju, so why should his splinter fall under the influence of Caliborn's?

It sounds counterintuitive but stick with me, I think Bro allowed himself to be influenced by the puppet, because it gave him a sense of control. Being a guardian made him a side character. Side characters are often much less developed than the protagonists. In the case of homestuck, they don't even get to have a face. How do you form a coherent sense of self without any development from the narrative? He can channel that into controlling Dave, but at the end of the day that doesn't allow him any more agency than the other guardians. Bro knows he can't be a protagonist. But allowing himself to be influenced by the puppet places him in proximity to the main antagonist of the entire comic. And Caliborn influences EVERYTHING. He's woven through every part of the narrative, his existence sends ripples through every action we see.

Characters that are influenced by Caliborn tend to be integral to the shape of the narrative. Gamzee being an obvious example, but also those who communicate with Doc Scratch, like Vriska and Rose and even the reader themself. I just think it would be interesting if Bro knew what Lil Cal was, and allowed himself to be influenced by it anyway, in an attempt to gain even a little more control over the narrative, and by extension, himself.

[dandylovesturtles]

I come bearing a little Sidelined AU propaganda for the @tmntaucompetition ! Featuring a guest appearance by @intotheelliwoods Poptart and Sprout.

———

“Whooooooaaaaaaa!”

Leo can’t help but echo his brothers’ amazement as they enter the stadium. There are so many turtles here (and others, too!) - so many different versions of themselves, some familiar and others radically different.

It’s ridiculously cool.

“I knew it!” cheers Donnie behind him. “I knew I was right about multiverse theory! Oh, this has so many fascinating implications for physics! You guys know how…”

Leo tunes out Donnie’s ramble (he can’t understand any of it anyway) to focus on the turtles in front of him. It’s easy to pick out the other Leos in the crowd (their color coding seems to be one of the few constants between them), but he’s quickly noticing he’s an outlier in one very big way.

“Hey guys,” he says, interrupting Donnie, “am I the only Leo rockin’ wheelies?”

“Statistically unlikely,” says Donnie, coming to stand next to him. “Given infinite possibilities, there are definitely other worlds where you use a wheelchair, and myself and Raph and Mikey as well.” Donnie pulls down his goggles, scans the crowd, and then says, “But you’re right that you may be the only one in the building.”

“I wonder what the difference is between our timeline and everyone else’s?” asks Mikey.

“I dunno!” Leo’s eyes scan the crowd. “Let’s ask.”

He catches sight of another Leo nearby, this one missing an arm. He also seems to be in the company of a grandpa Leo, and Leo has no idea how to handle the implications of that one so he decides not to think about it too hard.

“Hey!” he calls out, wheeling himself up, careful not to catch anyone’s feet on his way. “Leo! …Oh, that’s so weird.”

The other Leo turns, doing the momentary skip with his eyes when Leo isn’t at the height he was expecting. Leo’s used to that by now. The one-armed Leo retrains his eyes, grinning and holding up a hand in greeting.

“Well there’s a handsome face,” he says.

“Takes one to know one,” replies Leo enthusiastically.

“Oh no, this is going to be the whole competition, isn’t it?” he hears Donnie say behind him. He rolls his chair back into his brother’s shin and takes satisfaction in the yelp he hears after.

“Quick question. Did Draxum and the Foot Clan put together the Dark Armor in your timeline?”

“Huh? Oh!” The other Leo laughs. “Yeah! That feels like forever ago.”

“And he didn’t put you in it?”

“Uh, no.” The other Leo shrugs. “He put himself in it. Is that what happened to, uh…” He gestures vaguely at Leo, who nods.

“Oh yeah. What about you?” Leo eyes his empty shoulder. “Was that from the Shredder?”

“Nope!” The other Leo waves that off. “This was from the Krang!”

“Oh,” says Leo. (Behind him, he hears Mikey whisper, “What’s a Krang?”) “Okay, thanks. We’re just trying to figure out where our timeline went different.” He grins. “Nice compression sleeve, by the way.”

“Thanks!” The other Leo grins back. “Nice wheelchair!”

The other Leo and the big Leo tailing him move on. Leo swivels his chair so he can look back at his brothers.

“Okay, so we know the difference,” he says. “In most other timelines, Draxum is an idiot.”

“He’s an idiot in our timeline,” says Raph, “but I see your point.”

“Cool!” says Mikey. “Mystery solved!”

“Now hold on!” Donnie dashes to stand in front of them, arms held out. “Gentlemen, you can’t really mean to take a single data point and form a conclusion based on that!” He pulls up the screen of his bracer, typing frantically. “We need to gather data from every group here, and then we need to run cross-references to find all the commonalities, and then-“

Leo looks at Raph and Mikey. “Nachos?” he suggests.

“Nachos!” they both cheer.

He starts making his way through the crowd, Mikey and Raph helping him navigate, leaving Donnie to catch up.

“Really!? That’s it!? Don’t you have any interest in the mysteries of the multiverse!? You’re abandoning it for nachos!? …Well okay, but no jalapeños on mine!”

[directdogman]

Hey dogman, idk if you answered this

Who, out of both DSAF and Dialtown, was your favourite to write and/or create?

It's very hard for me to pick favourites with my characters because I don't tend to give characters a lot of screen-time unless I find a character interesting or fun to write. You've caught me in a talkative mood, so warning, there's an onslaught of text coming!

DSaF: Dave was the most fun to write for, as I remember it. I mean, the guy is the walking personification of chaos and even when he's being constructive (eg, rigging robots to do insane stuff), it's usually in a destructive capacity. Dave will do LITERALLY ANYTHING but contribute to society in meaningful/valuable ways.

In terms of what character-writing I was most 'proud' of, I was also pretty happy with Dr Henry Miller, as a villain. Namely the research he embarked on, described in his logs in DSaF 3 (which the fandom evidently agreed with, as I got really strong feedback on those logs.)

One issue a lot of people (including myself) have with canon William Afton is that he's this kind of mad scientist character but his research doesn't really seem to be... idk, going anywhere? Other than using remnant (soul nectar?) to make kids possess robots, it's kind of a mystery how he got to this point he did from running a bad fast food restaurant. William gets fleshed out motivations in TSE and even then, it mainly revolves around his relationship with Henry Emily, iirc. It's actually pretty accurate to how real serial killers think, imo, but there's a pretty wide berth between this kind of serial killer and becoming a sci-fi fast-food mad scientist... So, I decided to try to bridge that gap.

DSaF Henry's logs actually mention where the idea for his research came from, namely the fact that he existed in a world with normal scientific rules just like ours and seemingly discovered something supernatural, and he approaches it like an amoral scientist would - trying to figure out how to figure out more about the fabric of reality using the newly discovered phenomenon of possession. The 'joy of creation' phrase people pulled from Golden Freddy's phone call in FNaF 1 is given context - Henry is trying to find out what's on the other side (and eventually, how existence itself formed.)

There's other aspects to his character that make him more interesting too, like the implication that his research is partially an excuse for him to act on an underlying sadism (with scenes implying that he inflicts damage on others than can't be justified as assisting with his research.) His background as a dissident/quack laughing-stock scientist (thanks to pushing his soul theory in a best-selling book, which is considered pseudoscience) BEFORE he embarked on his journey to become a fast food tycoon also makes it less farfetch'd that he'd be capable of y'know, harvesting human souls intentionally to continue his research?

I had more for the character on paper that people haven't seen but some of it wasn't revealed due to it feeling a bit too disturbing to publish. None of the contents would've been all that controversial, more just too tonally disturbing when written about in detail (like a omitted part from his backstory/lore post where he managed to pick up a hazy audio of his wife + son's crying from the radio of the car his wife/son drowned in and reacted with genuine elation upon realizing he'd discovered a new scientific phenomenon (as this was the first time Henry witnessed soul-possession.)) Yeah.

I don't feel much of a need to revisit Henry as a character because as a series villain, he was pretty thoroughly-written and he did his job effectively... And his fate was well earned! (He even got an epilogue short-story a few years back, further cementing his fate!)

Dialtown: From the characters/writing that the fandom has seen? Tough to say. I genuinely really like every DT character. Gingi and Mayor Mingus are two of my favourite characters to write for because they're both really insistent and react to adversity in a really comically indignant way. Mingus is more like Gingi than she cares to admit in very specific ways, which is the core hypocrisy of her character - she's one of the most abnormal things IN Dialtown, and spends the game on a quest opposing abnormality that she, herself, can't stand.

Many absolute rulers have debilitating physical and/or mental cruxes and despite that, usually have the final say on what is/isn't okay, often guided by arbitrary preferences. It's funny to remember all of the ancient kings and emperors who dictated how others should act, talk and even think, when very many of them themselves were anything except a good reflection of their own subjects! It's an irony I quite enjoy and leads to a fun character to write for!

My favourite DT writing is probably some of my Callum Crown speech drafts. I have a definite bias here since Crown's character is based on many figures I've encountered in my own reading (and his story relates to topics I enjoy reading about.) A lot of that is real nerd shit that wouldn't be interesting to 99.9% of DT fans (like a long conversation where Crown + Milt discuss a campaign speech Milt wrote for Crown and they bicker about if the wording/arguments used are truly honest.) Again, not super relevant to Dialtown-proper, but it explains a lot about why the world of DT ended up the way it did.

Realistically, the story of Dialtown itself is basically a weird little epilogue to a story that ended decades upon decades ago, centered around a bunch of small-town nobodies circling around the carcass of the last surviving main character of the old story.

I'm also very happy with Gingi's character partially because I know more about Gingi's past/future than you guys do. Gingi has such rotten memory that Gingi's backstory before DT's story begins is basically a complete mystery. Thanks to Gingi never getting close enough to any humans before laying its eggs, there's nobody in Gingi's life that can fill in the gaps. Companionship means so much to Gingi because prior to meeting The Gang, Gingi is aware of a massive and unknown block of time that's a complete mystery precisely because Gingi had nobody in its life. To Gingi, this time was basically akin to being non-sentient or dead, and Gingi would never go back.

While I was making DSaF, I drafted a ton of other stories on paper. I considered making most of them, but decided not to for various reasons, despite getting some solid feedback from collaborators. Bits of almost all of those project ideas made it into DT, with Gingi having traits from several other main characters I prototyped years and years ago. This includes where Gingi came from and what exactly Gingi is. I don't want to mislead people into thinking Gingi is more important than it is, like Gingi is the key to unlocking DT lore (I promise there's a LOT of aimless scuttling/devouring in Gingi's past and relatively little else!) BUT: Of everything from those old scrapped projects, Gingi is what I decided deserved to survive the most. And that has to count for something.

One day I'd love to make sequels to DT and perhaps explore some of the stuff I've described above, like why the hell the world of DT is the way it is or maybe where the hell Gingi spawned from. Thanks

[emmyrosee]

GUESS WHO’S BACK!!! WITH ANOTHER RANT!!! your resident haikyuu simp, that’s who. (a simp who is currently listening to her friend argue w her bf send help this is so awkward)

Today I offer: sunarin teasing a (slightly) jealous reader.

Okay so let’s just say that your relationship was more on the private side- no one outside of friends, his teammates and family knew he was dating anyone. But you’ve been together for so long?? Like years. And his fans for some reason seem to think he’s been dating some other public figure (up to your imagination) bc they’ve been at the same events a couple times now and somehow keep ending up in pics together. These two have like, never spoken aside from awkward small talk to be polite. Very un-relationship like. So anyway. You’re starting to not like the fact that every single time you open social media you’re flooded with fan pages shipping them, and Suna picks up on this and just??? Posts you one day??? Randomly??? And it’s both the sweetest and most annoying thing ever bc aww cute caption and stuff but “really, rin, did you NEED to add the picture of us from two years ago when my hair looked like that?” (He might have also posted a suggestive pic of you two or a video of you kissing or something at the end and you just haven’t scrolled that far yet so he basks in the peace and hides away before he can hear your shriek when you realize hehe)

Either way it’s sweet and things calm down after that, but he teases you RELENTLESSLY about the fact you were jealous and makes it known that you’re the only one for him ever. and that he would never even make you jealous on purpose or anything, he just likes the feeling of belonging to you as much as you belong to him <3

I’m just soft for rin, my next couple rants might be suna-centric :3

anon <3

WOULD LIGHT MYSELF ON FIRE FOR ONE (1) SUNA RINTARO, HE IS THE LOML AND I WILL ABSOLUTELY DEVPUR ALL THE RINTARO RANTS-

Ahem.

He’s a shit. I love him so much.

Because like, yeah, okay, paparazzi are the worst, and while he’s still able to live his life like a standard person, he knows what people do to celebrities who are in relationships, and he doesn’t want to put you through that. Your friends respected that, his teammates completely close lipped -atsumu actually has it in his interview agreements he’s never to talk about any relationships, and honestly, it’s been a life saver for so many of his teammates- but nothings perfect.

Sometimes, like an idiot, Rin leaves the house with hickeys on full display. Just. Out and about. The media loves that, and usually, Rintaro doesn’t even care, whatever makes them happy.

But then it happens.

He gets out of a limo at a sponsor event, with a ‘mysterious woman,’ dress shirt wrinkled and tux closed haphazardly.

And of course, a hickey just above the pristine white collar.

This. Blows. Up.

Because of course it does, and of course people now assume this woman is the one who leaves marks on your boyfriends body, and how cool he is for dating someone uNdErGrOuNd and whatever the bloody hell they try to spew.

And it hurts, okay, because this woman- Atsumu’s stylist, literally because the man child can’t go one damned day without spilling something on himself, and that’s actually why she was helping Rin, dumbass spilt champagne all over his-damn-self- is very obviously not his partner, you are, and it’s just. It sucks watching them get fan edits and theories on how long they’re been together when you know the truth.

It turns you pretty sour towards him, almost resentful, and he tries to remind you that it’s just a rumor and you’re the only soul he’d ever want to be with, but it gets hard to believe when you open your Instagram and it’s about how stunning “Rin’s girlfriend” is.

And you, obviously, are not that person. You’re you.

Instead of sitting together, you’re sitting on one end of the couch, far from him; he tries to snuggle, and you get up and leave the room. Instead of holding his hand in the car, his hand tries desperately to paw for yours or even your thigh, just to hold onto you, but you turn towards the window. Instead of going with him places when he goes to see his buddies, you croak out an extremely sad “how about you go with the pretty lady who gives you hickeys?”

He feels bad for you, obviously. But in his own mind, he’s at his breaking point. He needs your attention and affection, he thrives and breathes and lives because of it, and now he’s losing his mind that he hasn’t had it for weeks.

So, against telling you, and hoping to smother any other rumors about himself and Atsumu’s stylist, he makes his post.

None of them have your whole face, maybe an eye or a smile or wearing a mask (he put some thought into this okay-) but it’s very obviously not the stylist. He posts a picture of a shadow in which your hands are holding, the next one is a picture you took, where your hand was shaped in half a heart and on the other end, he held up the other half to match, and finally, a video; one where he’s laying on top of you with his eyes closed, your hand in his hair and scratching his scalp while he sleepily mumbles how much he loves you (the last video is actually one he took of you suckling and marking up his neck, his raspy breath on the other end; extremely not safe for the internet, and naturally, when you saw that, you shit your pants and chased him with a shoe, but that’s not the point.)

It’s something he clearly wanted to fix, but also wanted to keep you as safe as possible. And you certainly appreciate it, and when you see what he did and how the comments are now hyping you up, you shuffle your way to find him. He’s on the couch, carding his own hair, and smiling up at you as you approach him.

“Thank you,” you whisper, and he shifts one of the legs sprawled out on the couch to rest on the floor so you can lay between them, which you do. “I hated being so far from you but… but I couldn’t-“

“I get it,” he assures, nosing softly at you. “It wasn’t fair to you. I know how much you hated it.”

“She was very pretty, though,” you confess, and he lowers his eyes to peek at you through his lashes.

“You think so?” He asks, shrugging as you nod. “Wasn’t really my type.”

[nobody-nexus]

Ragatha Theory I Have

Okay so I'm as sick as a dog right now, so instead of art I shall give you a long rambling of a Ragatha theory I had that I wanted to share. Something I've noticed is that it's presumed that Ragatha and Kinger are friends. I suspect that's because they've been there the longest out of the group, so they know one another the best. But then that mixed with the fact that Pomni's not going to be as insane/frantic like in the first episode, it got me to thinking... Was Ragatha ALWAYS this nice or did she change?

Now I have no evidence for this aside from some small fun facts and Ragatha's personality- but to me Ragatha seems like someone who is clearly filled with some sort of guilt. Something that she wishes to fix, but she can't undo. That mixed with the fact that she's toxically positive and lies to stop conflict, it's making me think that it's almost like she doesn't want history to repeat itself, and that's more so than just abstraction. It also feels like she's almost trying to fill some sort of void in the group's dynamic. One that she perhaps has a need to fill? Now of course this mixed with the thing with Kinger doesn't particularly make sense UNTIL one person comes to mind: Queenie

Now here's the REAL theory: What if Ragatha did something in the past that caused Queenie to abstract, and now she's trying to fill her place out of guilt? Something that interested me was Ragatha's quickness to get annoyed/angered at Jax for the comment with the centipede. Of course I'd be angry too, but if she was USED to this, she wouldn't have exploded so quickly as she did, not even hiding it. I think that THIS is Ragatha's true personality. Someone who's quick to tell and even quicker to upset. Whether this is because of her behaving outside of the digital circus or because it's her slowly losing herself is really up to you. Now, take THAT into consideration when I give the idea of Queenie being a more mother figure to the group. Since presumably her and Kinger would've been similar ages, it makes sense that she'd take this role perhaps for the familiarity of it

Ragatha, first joining in, probably wasn't all that nice. Could you blame her? She's missing most of her fingers, an eye, and her feet. She's the most humanoid out of group at this moment if you consider the previous people crossed out on the doors. But yet she's still WRONG. So, with this confusion, it could've led to anger, and anger leading to bursting out, etc. I think Queenie did her best to try and help, but nothing worked. She wasn't an asshole or anything, but she was very dense and very hard to communicate with. Of course, Ragatha HERSELF wouldn't be the ONLY reason, but perhaps a catalyst into eventual Abstraction

Now here the doll is, having the only person that probably was okay around her gone because of HER actions. Why wouldn't she feel guilty? Kinger's gone mad and the only voice of reasoning in the group was now basically dead. So Ragatha tries to turn a new leaf. She tries to be positive, take people under her wing, tries to HELP them as best she can- but her toxic negativity flipped into toxic positivity. She takes any pain she gets, she lies, and yet she tries to stop conflict because of this guilt- THIS PAIN of being the reason someone's gone

If could also describe why Ragatha is seemingly Jax's biggest target. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say it's for any "good" reason- Gooseworx has confirmed he gets WORSE, so I personally think that he bullies her because it's an advantage he has. Like power tripping, Jax knows about her lack of power and how she's trying to change, and here he is abusing it for personal gain. Because he won't get in trouble aside from some angry yelling, right? I suspect THIS is why Gooseworx apologized to the Bunnydoll shippers. Because their dynamic is power tripping-based bullying. Also, she's probably friends with Kinger as a way to give Kinger someone to talk to since Queenie probably was the only one who DID hear him, and now it's Ragatha filling the void. She lost one, she can't lose another

In the end though, this IS just a theory. I could be 100% wrong and not in the right direction, but it's fun to speculate anyway. Hope you liked this lil theory of mine with like no evidence backing it up lol

[mixelation]

reborn au thoughts on..... oh no not power levels

"power levels" is a joke btw

but okay. the ANBU thing i've been poking at is right before the konoha chunin exams. so it's post-wave and post cave incident, so tori has been training with minato, probably on some sort of crazy inconsistent schedule because he has Other Things to do

so i think this is about where the narrative can pivot from "tori is scary because she will pull shit out you didn't know was possible (but her regular stats are average)" to like. her actually being scary in normal ways???

anyway, i was thinking about what training with minato even looks like. and i don't think he cares very about mentoring her in basically anything but hiraishin adjacent skills. so i think it's a lot of chakra theory and the occasional spar which she wanders out of like, "what the FUCK was that. i thought team 4 was bad????"

so actually. at this point, i think tori could reasonably take most rando ANBU agents. this is as surprising to her as it is to them. she's out here dodging all sorts of insane shit while she messes around with her stupid collapsible staff she can't figure out how to assemble (WHO DESIGNED THIS????). very tobi of her

but circling back around to hiraishin stuff. i decided there's two requirements for it: developing a marker that works with your chakra and the actual jutsu. tori figures out a marker in record time but the jutsu is actually stupid hard and at this point she can DO it but her aim is like. bad? it's really bad. she can't figure out how to tell markers apart. it's fine if she want to flee a fight immediately but then she has no control over where she ends up. she's not cleared to use it outside of training because if he uses it on a mission, there's like a 70% chance she'll end up in konoha with no way to go BACK

so she only has like 1-3 active markers at a time and minato insists on watching them himself because he KNOWS her he KNOWS she will be tempted to do dumb shit

i thought about ending the scene i just posted with her and itachi getting so into trying to hit each other with sticks that this happens

tori: (realizes she can't dodge) (teleports away) (ends up in the hokage's office)

tori: FUCK

minato: (sipping coffee) so what did i tell you about doing this

and then she ends up late to her actual practice u_u

[ooc-themis-cattails]

Can I just say how much I appreciate the diversity of ace identities in ISAT and all the detail about it?

(spoilers ahoy)

I love how at first Sif sees the porn scroll as "people doing fun things" but later admits it doesn't interest them at all. Their first response is to say what they know they're "supposed" to think it is, what everyone else is probably going to think it is. But then they learn that it's really ok to admit that they're not into it.

At first Sif is like "why does Beau like me?" but after a while they start to find him cute because they understand the emotion behind his feelings, and while they're not sure if they can actually take it as far as a sexual relationship, they're interested in figuring it out, because for them, that doesn't gross them out, it's just not a drive. This is so relatable to me and I love seeing it bc it's not the typical ace in fiction where like, this character is ace so we mustn't put them in a ship because we should assume it'd gross them out. Sif can be ace but not entirely horrified by sex, and Sif may be romantic (I don't know if even Sif knows whether they are romantic or not)-- I suspect they are demiromantic because it's the intimacy and familiarity of Beau's emotions that makes them start to feel things about the moment by the tree, to the point where they miss it when he doesn't try.

Mirabelle going through the dating service papers is the most wonderful scene because this is what it was like to be ace when I was in my early twenties. Most people didn't know it was a thing, and friends/family were very helpfully concerned that you should find a partner in order to not be alone, because the theory was that it was a basic human need for everyone. I did exactly what Mirabelle did, and had the same kind of reaction: "I have to pick one of these people to try dating because I have to figure out how to be sexually interested in someone so that I can do the whole partnership thing that everyone says you need to do in order to have a fulfilling adult life." Looking at pictures of people trying to figure out how to be attracted to them, or what you like, when the answer is really that you're just Not. And you're kind of torn because some part of you knows that this isn't going to work, but the other part of you legit believes that it's like staying hydrated, you have to do it for your own good even if you're not thirsty.

Mirabelle's being into fictional romance and shipping, just not into doing it herself, is also such a good detail. I'm not aro so I can't speak to that myself, but still, it's a thing. She's emotionally invested in the dynamics between people, she loves watching the details of how they play out, and that's completely separate from ever wanting to do it herself. I've seen it in others and I definitely get that from the perspective of an ace person reading smut-- you can very much enjoy a dynamic without wanting to BE in the dynamic yourself.

Sif coming to understand how attraction works from the outside: "Wait, you can't choose who you get a crush on? That explains so much!" The line made me wince because it's so self-deprecating-- they're probably thinking they're not good enough for Beau-- but I also very much appreciate the realism of how... nobody explains to you how attraction works because they assume you know what it's like, and you probably don't ask because it's embarrassing if they assume that you're an immature late bloomer with no experience of the world, rather than someone who will never have a libido no matter what they've seen. It's so easy to feel infantilized or to infantilize yourself if you're not comfortable with your ace identity. Both Mirabelle and Sif are young enough that they struggle a bit with whether this is really their identity or whether they've just not figured it out yet. In reality, at their age, this probably IS who they are. But they're also a bit hesitant to rule it out because it's really hard to know that you are NOT something, and (given that Mirabelle hadn't really considered the possibility that she's aroace) the culture doesn't seem to have a lot of representation or support for the idea. It's obvious to the player, well, if this is how they feel, then they're ace! But neither one of them can quite settle on that for sure. Because, unlike being attracted to someone where you can go "well that sure did happen", being not attracted to someone is a nonproof. So Mirabelle keeps trying, and Sif doesn't know that their reaction will seem valid to others (as evidenced by the change in how they describe the scroll). Odile, who is aro and who seems to be not entirely ace but isn't exactly the thirstiest plant in the garden, has a different position. She seems to pretty much know where she's at, which makes sense for her age, but we can't really tell if she's always been okay with it or if it's been an issue. We don't know if Ka Bu is a more uptight culture, or how long society has been normalizing non-hetero identities, but we do know she had no female role models, so if any of this heteronormative business was an issue, I imagine it contributed a lot to her feeling of outsiderness. I'd love to know more about how Odile's sexuality impacted her life but she's obviously not about to infodump it on a bunch of 20 year olds, so it remains a mystery. Nonetheless it's pretty great that there's an older aro character, illustrating that people have always been this way, it's just easier for young people to discover it now because they feel more allowed to not be heterosexual. [eta: @butterflyknifepoisoning reminded me that I've misremembered this and Odile isn't actually aro, she's had hatecrushes before and explained them to Mirabelle. Which I kind of sort of remember now! Not sure why I thought she was aro, my memory is crap sometimes. It's still a far cry from yamato nadeshiko, but yeah. Point taken]

...In the end, I find it extremely refreshing that there's a whole RPG party here and only ONE of them experiences sexual attraction, and it's a flamboyant gay-seeming dude with a poorly-kept-secret crush on an enby they/he. ISAT is so cool, it's the best aroace representation I have seen in fiction so far ever.

[palajae]

what’s after.

PAIRING ▸ childhood friend! sunghoon x reader

GENRE ▸ university! au, f2ls, romance, fluff, coming of age

WORD COUNT ▸ 4.1k

SUMMARY ▸ okay, you like sunghoon. it might've taken much longer for you to admit it, but now that you know, so what? you like him, and you have a tiny theory he might like you too. even so, you have no idea as to what comes after that.

AKA seriously, what comes after like?

NOTES ▸ uhh a couple of curse words and a kiss? not proofread, if i missed anything please let me know!

PLAYING ▸ after like by ive. | series masterlist.

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WAS ALWAYS THE WORST. 

Even in university, you hated the first day back to school. The only thing you were thankful for was that for once in your life, you didn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn like you did back in high school. Your first day of university consisted of snoozing a couple of alarms, practically swallowing your entire breakfast (a banana) in five minutes, and almost locking yourself out of your apartment without your keys. 

It was the first day and you were already tired of classes. Pretty early on you were able to decide what your least favorite class was—organic chemistry. 

Even the thought of it made shivers run down your spine. Just why did it have to be so stupidly hard? At this point, you didn’t have the time or energy to struggle through another class. You like to think that you suffered enough in school, worked your butt off to get accepted to college and now that you made it, you had to go through it all over again? 

Organic chemistry was your least favorite class by far, and you usually sat in the back of the lecture hall because you were too lazy to walk more to a closer seat. You didn’t pay much attention to others, most of your focus was just on absorbing the material and getting in and out as fast as you could from that place. 

But about a month into adjusting into your “exciting” college life, you’re sitting in said dreaded class and minding your own business. Your precious and hardworking hand was scribbling notes mindlessly as the professor lectured on and on. 

Until you hear a commotion from your left where the door was. You suppose that was what happened when you sat as close to the exit as possible so that every sound from outside was audible to you. A quiet groan enters your ears and this time you break your focus to glance to the side. A disgruntled boy was huddled by the entrance, crouched down and crawling on the floor below the desks. Was he- was he trying to avoid getting caught late?

He must’ve noticed you eyes on him because soon enough, you make eye contact. Awkwardly, you turn back to face the front. Just as you get back into the groove of the lesson, a whisper from the side distracts you. Your eyebrow twitches. It happens again and you huff, whipping your head around. You were the only one who sat in the furthest row, so it only could have been directed towards you. 

He glances up at you desperately, “Can I sit next to you?” He mouths. You only shrug before your attention is back on the professor once again. Quietly, he shuffles into the spot next to you and you wonder why he asked for your permission and why he chose to sit indeed in the seat right next to you. 

Sneaking a closer peek, you wonder if you’ve seen him around campus before or if he was in another class of yours that you just didn’t pay enough attention to notice him. Only because there was something strangely familiar about him- something you couldn’t place your finger on.

It takes about another week before you figure out the identity of the mysterious boy. After that day, you got up without a word as soon as the professor finished his lecture and headed out. You didn’t bother talking to the guy, figuring it was a one time occurrence that he chose to sit next to you. But the next day, and the next day after that, he slips in the seat next to you silently. 

Your eyes widen but you look away before he can catch your eyes on him again. Questioning thoughts run through your head, but you shake them away as you pull out your notes. Why hadn’t you seen him in your class before? And why did he choose to sit next to you again?

But when your professor starts class you soon forget about the him and focus on your work again. The only time you stop writing is when you hear a soft snore coming from your left. 

At first, you ignore it.

It’s quiet enough so that the people in the row below you can’t hear it. But you can. Eyebrow twitching in annoyance, you glance to your right to see the guy obviously passed out, cheek pressed on his arm and mouth hanging slightly open. At the unexpected view you almost laugh but instead brush it off as a cough. You wonder if you should wake him up, but he seems so relaxed in his sleep that you can’t bother to wake him up. 

Or at least until class is over. For the first time, you aren’t the first one to leave class. Taking your time while packing up all your stuff, your gaze constantly flicks back and forth towards the sleeping figure. Is he ever going to wake up? 

Well, it didn’t seem likely so you took matters into your own hands. You gently shake his shoulder a couple times before he groans and sits up. The poor guy looks dazed, blearily staring at his surroundings before his eyes fall on you. 

You grip your bag tighter, “I think you passed out somewhere in the middle of the lecture.”

His eyebrows furrow, “Aw shoot, really?” 

He shakes his head to fix his hair. You bite your lip, nodding. 

“Yeah. Hard.” 

Clearing your throat, you tentatively speak up again, “Do… do you want my notes? I don’t really mind that much.”

He gladly accepts and you take out your phone. “I’ll send them to you. What’s your number?”

As soon as those words leave your mouth, you pause. “Wait, it’s not like that-“

He laughs and your heart stops. No way, it sounded so similar to someone that you used to know, someone you used to-

“Don’t worry,” he smiles, “I get it.” 

Something was so strangely familiar about him, you felt like the answer was just out of your hands. 

“O-oh, uh, alright..” 

Why in the world were you stuttering?

You freeze as he offers his phone to you. And with his next words change everything.

“I’m Park Sunghoon. And you?”

It takes a moment before your mouth drops open. The familiar smile, echoing laugh, it all made sense.

 “Park Sunghoon? Sunghoon?!”

He cocks his head in confusion and a foreign feeling washes over you. 

“It’s me-y/n y/l/n,” you state in shock, “Do you remember me?” 

You actually couldn’t believe it. After all these years, you met once again. Park Sunghoon, your childhood friend from over 7 years ago. You two weren’t the closest, but you still hung out in the same friend group and enjoyed each other’s company regardless.

You could say you genuinely enjoyed hanging out with him, even when he was the popular guy in your class. Girls would surround him daily but you didn’t really care. Park Sunghoon was cool to you as an nine year old and that was all that mattered. 

Seeing him again, after so many years, was so strange. Puberty definitely hit him, and you could say with confidence (and a bit of jealousy), it only did him good. That’s probably why you couldn’t recognize him at first, and that it had been so many years since you thought about him. Yet he still kept that familiar charm- beaming eyes and handsome smile.

Your friend group split when you guys all went to different high schools, losing contact, but you were happy that Sunghoon still managed to grow up well. That he managed to make it to college and even be in the same class as you (not including the fact that he was late and snuck in… or that he fell asleep in the middle of the lecture).

After reuniting, you agreed to meet up at a nearby cafe to catch up. It was so strange to reconnect with someone you never expected to see again in your life. Sunghoon was just as pleasant as he was back then, not like the other annoying boys in your class. You figured that’s why you got along so well with him to this day. 

And because you now had someone to struggle alongside with in organic chem. 

Walking out of the store, you sigh in content. 

“I still can’t believe you were the one to sit next to me without even knowing it.” 

Sunghoon nods, “it must’ve been fate.” 

You roll your eyes, nudging his side. “You believe in all that stuff?” He shrugs with a small chuckle. 

“I don’t know but it makes me wonder if any of our other friends go here too.”

Humming in agreement, you reply with, “That would be so cool, but what makes you think we could search the entire campus for one of our old friends?” 

Sunghoon pretends to do the calculations and you huff. “I barely have friends, it’s kinda sad how you’re like the first person I’ve talked to at this university.”

“Yeah? Well, me too. I’m glad you’re the one I got to reconnect with.”

Your eyes widen as you laugh awkwardly. His sudden words really caught you off guard.

“S-same here.”

Okay, so maybe university wasn’t so bad. Neither was organic chemistry, now that you had a friend to study and stress with. Sunghoon was like a beam of light- your savior- but not in a creepy idolistic way. He was the one that always made you laugh after a hard day, scolded you for sleeping so late, and showed up to your dorm with two heavy bags of snacks to get you both through the night before tests. 

Sunghoon lets out a groan as he plops down in the seat next to you. He begins to hum a random tune so you shoot him a look. He glances curiously back at you, “What?”

“We need to focus, Sunghoon,” you remind with a warning tone, “unless you want to fail the next exam too.” 

He sighs, shifting around to find a comfortably position. You can feel his movements brush against your side since he left essentially no space between the two of you. The warmth emanating from him weirdly comforts you. 

“Let’s take a break,” he whines. You check the time, realizing that it indeed has been four hours since you started studying. 

“We never had to do this in elementary school,” he grumbles again and you shake your head in exasperation. 

“Did you forget we’re adults now?”

He suddenly sits up and you turn to him expectantly. There’s a sudden change in his expression, more of a childish gleam appears in his eyes. 

“But that doesn’t mean we can’t have snack breaks too.”

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion, and seemingly out of nowhere Sunghoon pulls out two ice cream bars. 

Your mouth drops open. 

“How long have you had those and how have they not melted?”

Sunghoon shrugs with a glint in his eyes, handing one to you that you accept with a grateful thanks. 

The familiar plastic crinkles in your hand as you smile in wonder. “No way- this was my favorite ice cream when I was like seven.” You glance at Sunghoon, joy quite visible on your face. 

“You remember?”

He snorts, avoiding your gaze, “Yeah. Kinda hard to when you were obsessed and ate it practically everyday.“ 

You proceeded to protest- who could eat ice cream everyday? That called for diabetes, cavities, and probably a whole lot of other health problems you didn’t have the time to deal with. Sunghoon then tells you to shut up and eat your ice cream. 

You do, silence filling the air for a couple minutes as you both snacked on the cold, delicious treat. Each bite brought back more and more memories, and you could confirm that it was still your favorite. 

Eyeing the treat with a satisfied hum, your gaze is only torn away when you hear Sunghoon let out a laugh. 

“What’s so funny?”

Instead of answering, he slowly reaches over to wipe the corner of your mouth with his thumb. You freeze, eyes blinking a little too fast and often to be considered normal. 

When he pulls away, acting as if nothing just happened, you turn your head to the side. 

It was usually like that.

You’re not sure when Sunghoon got this flirty or whatever- whether it was something he learned in high school or if he was always like that growing up and you were too young and dumb to notice (although you preferred the latter because imagining Sunghoon acting all nice to other girls left a disgruntled feeling in your stomach), you were certainly surprised the first he acted that way. 

You really shouldn’t have been shocked though, even at a young age he was the popular guy in school and you were just the average student. Even now, you could see how popular he was. It wasn’t just because of his looks either, Sunghoon just had that personality. He captured everyone’s attention whenever he entered the room and all the mom’s hearts as well with his manners and charisma. 

You must’ve gotten too lost in your thoughts because you feel a finger poking your cheek.   

“Is the ice cream that good?”

You scoff while swatting his hand away from your face. “Yeah, focus on your own instead of looking at mine.” 

You gesture to his own ice cream melting, quite literally about to drip onto his hand. He lets out a surprised noise, reaching to lick it before it dripped onto him, and you burst out in laughter. 

But at some point, you don’t think you can brush it off. You can’t say that Sunghoon is naturally so friendly and flirty to everyone, because he’s not. 

As you noted before, Sunghoon was just as popular as he was when he was young, which meant he attracted a lot of people (read: girls).

But he wasn’t as nice to them as he was to you, usually if someone approached him he would respond politely and carotid out the conversation until needed- and then turn back to you. 

Others followed him around, and he followed you around. Even from the beginning he sat next to you in the dining hall without a second thought. 

And when you inquired him, Sunghoon just shrugged nonchalantly and made some dumb excuse that he didn’t have anyone else to sit with. Clearly a lie- who knew how shameless Sunghoon could be by lying straight to your face?

“You’re the only person I know here.” 

Okay, maybe not a complete lie. But then again, you knew plenty of people were willing to get to know him and be his friend, and plenty more that wanted to be more than just a friend to him. 

You were dumbstruck at how so many strangers could walk up to Sunghoon and act like they were besties. Even more at how casually he would reply while you stood off to the side like a fool because you didn’t make any effort to socialize and instead spent time just trying to adjust and survive college. 

Plus you soon came to the realization that you really only had Sunghoon. And you could only hope that he depended on and needed you as much as you needed and depended on him.

Getting through the first quarter of the school year together, most people saw how you and Sunghoon were essentially glued to each others side. (More like Sunghoon was stuck to yours, but same nevertheless).

Perhaps they talked and gossiped, and perhaps you tried to convince yourself you didn’t care when you really did. Sunghoon didn’t seem phased at all, probably since he was used to it. But for you, it was different. 

How could you not feel a little self conscious when such a bright and popular student like Sunghoon only hung out with your everyday average student like you? 

It made you question why he continued to stay by your side- with a plain, ordinary human like you. 

But when he still chooses to sit next to you everyday chirping a bright good morning at you, steals your pencils and erasers constantly, and randomly sends you pictures of memes he thought were funny, you feel reassured and dumb for feeling that way. 

Either way, you spent like 80% of your time with him. That meant all his “flirty moves” were bound to reach a limit. A little too much to the point you can’t ignore it and brush it off. 

Always opening doors and pulling out chairs for you? 

He’s always been polite and well mannered. 

Offering you his jacket and getting upset when you reject it? 

So maybe he’s just the sulky type. 

But ordering a drink with two straws and expecting you two to share it without even asking?

That crossed a line. 

I mean, who was willing to share a medium sprite at McDonald’s? (Not you, that’s who).

You’re scared to think there may even be a possibility that Sunghoon likes you. 

And when one day he does his daily ‘good morning’ and you excitedly tell him you didn’t fail your exam, he smiles. 

But it was a little too breathtaking, to the poor you feel like you’re stuck in time, like you could stare at him for hours. 

Yeah, you’re scared you might like him too. 

The more time you spend with Sunghoon, the more down bad you realize you are. 

You saved a seat for him at lunch today without even thinking about it since he said he was going to be running late. Your mind was already wandering off to what dish he was going to order and what food he was going to steal from your plate as well. 

You realized, your feelings had been that way for a long time. You liked Sunghoon since when you first met all those years ago, regardless if you wanted to admit it or not. You saved a seat for him at the lunch table just like you did when you were kids, only now it was years later and you were college students at university. 

“Hey,” Sunghoon seeming comes out of nowhere to awaken you from your daze, “thanks for waiting for me.” 

You blink, “Oh. Yeah. Of course.” 

As you eat, you suppress the urge to offer your food to him as you watch him eat hungrily. What happened? You were supposed to be the one that protested when he took your food. But when he does it this time, a chopstick sneakily approaching your plate, you don’t seem to mind as much.  

When you both finish, Sunghoon letting out a satisfied sigh of fullness and you making fun of him for it, you both leave campus together. 

Sunghoon easily takes your hand in his as you stroll down the sidewalk. 

Oh, that too. 

You weren’t sure when it happened, but it was so natural you accepted it a little too naturally. So maybe you did look like a couple. Just maybe. 

At some point, you let go of his hand and he shoots you a look. You shake your head, amused. “Go home, hoon. You don’t have to walk me all the way back to my dorm.” 

He protests but you raise a hand and wait for him to finish. “You need to get some rest, especially since you skipped breakfast.” 

“What? How did you know?” 

You cross your arms, “I always know. Now go home and get some rest. I can survive on my own. But text me when you get back, okay?”

His eyes widen like he’s surprised. “Okay. But I’m still coming over later so we can watch the new season of spy x family. I’ll bring the snacks,” he adds with a wink before walking off and you wave, unable to hide the fond smile on your face. 

The way he treats you so special, you wonder if he likes you as much as you like him. It must be obvious, can he tell that you like him? 

And if you do like each other, then what? 

It becomes a normal thing—he kisses your forehead, he calls you over and you both fall asleep in his bed watching anime together—he does everything a boyfriend would do. 

He invites you to come over for dinner during the holiday vacation with his family. You almost rejected but at the sheer pleading look on his face, you can’t say no. 

You’re nervous. You’re meeting Sunghoon’s family. You’ve heard and seen them a little when you were kids, but that was so long ago. Sunghoon reaches over to squeeze your hand as you wait outside his parents house. 

His sister opens the door. Her eyes widen. 

“Sunghoon! And…”

You both immediately unfreeze.

“This is y/n, don’t you remember her from elementary school?” He lets go of your hand to gesture quickly. You’re still in awe at seeing his sister all grown up to do anything. She frowns before her eyes light up. 

“No freaking way, the y/n that you had-“

He almost lunges forward, yelling something along the lines of “shutupshutupshutup“ and awkwardly laughing as you stand there. 

Meeting the rest of his family went a little smoother. Honestly, everything went too well. You got along great with his parents and even warmed up to his sister albeit the rocky introduction earlier. 

Everything was great. Except one thing. 

Sunghoon only introduced you by your name. No friend, classmate, or another g-word that you preferred not to think about. 

His parents didn’t question it. But his sister did. She definitely gave a look of “what’s going on between you two?” and even worse was that you didn’t have an answer.  

It made you uneasy, but you decide to focus on spending a nice dinner with his family instead of dwelling on other pressing matters like your relationship with Sunghoon. At least, for the moment. 

You’ve been ignoring it for a while and it’s gotten tiring. When Sunghoon walks you home that night, he noticed your unusual quietness. 

“How was the dinner? Was something wrong with the food?” He has such a concerned gaze that you almost feel guilty. 

Confrontation was one of your weaknesses. Yet you couldn’t keep going on like this, back and forth in a mental game of tug of war- he likes you, he likes you not. 

So you can’t help the words that spill out of your mouth. 

“You like me.”

He stops in his tracks. You exhale before continuing, “And you have to know that I like you.” 

Sunghoon clears his throat, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. “Uh, yes?”

You frown at his response. “That’s it? We just like each other?”

He avoids your gaze and you think this Jamie the first time you’ve seen him act shy. 

“Do you want more? I didn’t want to move too fast-“

You raise your arms exasperated- more at the situation itself than him. Your shoes scuff the ground as your voice softly echoes through the night air. 

“I dunno? It’s obvious, it’s more than just liking between us. So what is it?”

You knew your feelings were more than that. it was much much more than that. 

“Now, what?” You whisper. Taken aback, the silence only lasts for another minute or so before he bursts out laughing 

“I mean, I thought we were together already. Wasn’t that obvious?  Wasn’t my longterm crush on you obvious? That fact that I spent so much with you and take you to see my family, you didn’t catch on…” 

You stutter, gasping for air like a fish out of water. “It really wasn’t,” you mutter under your breath. 

He huffs, half amused and half relieved. “You’re right, it’s more than just like. I really like you, is that better? There’s another l word that I won’t say yet but you know, just putting it out there.” 

He avoids your gaze at that and confident surges through you after you process the sudden turn of events. You step closer with newfound confidence, looking up at sunghoon from under your lashes and feeling your breaths mix. 

“Then... Are we not going to kiss?” You murmur hesitantly once you feel the loud thumping of your heart. 

For some reason, your mind flashes back to the time you first saw Sunghoon in class, crawling on the floor like an idiot. But technically, he was your idiot now. Who knew taking organic chemistry would lead to this? 

“Says who?” Sunghoon smirks while leaning in. 

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