#like yes their dynamic is not healthy at first but the whole story is about it becoming healthy

[roaringroa]

hate when ppl talk about touko from bloom into you like she was pressuring yuu into having feelings for her when she was literally doing the opposite? she wanted yuu to NOT have feelings for her lmao

[hulahoopsoupgroup]

idk if this counts as arlecchino story quest spoilers but just, possible spoiler warning utc

some headcanons for my troubled angsty heart:

1. if clervie survived, i think she wouldve gotten an anemo vision because of her whole thing of fighting for freedom in the house of the hearth. she says she wanted to be a bard in arles story quest. imagine arle and clervie going to mondstadt for the windblume festival and clervie and venti running into each other, and him teaching her to play the lyre. one night, clervie sings to arle, and when she looks over at the harbinger, shes smiling wider than she has in her entire life

2. FATHER AND MOTHER. some of the hearth kids are scared of clervie and the title "mother," and how much she resembles crucabena in terms of physical appearance, and clervie takes care to try not to resemble her at all. she wears her hair in a different style (i.e. not the dead anime mom cut), she has a completely different style from her mother (she can often be seen walking around in flats and arlecchinos stolen suit jackets), and she makes sure she doesnt talk in the threateningly saccharine tone her mother used to. over time, the kids are at ease around her, no more heels clacking down the hallway at night, patrolling every corridor. shes so gentle and doting with the kids, with no hint of a murderous gleam behind her eyes

3. speaking of father and mother, they have such a healthy relationship dynamic and they absolutely show affection to each other around the others. the kids at the house have sometimes walked into the library and seen arle reading a book on a sofa with clervie leaned on her shoulder, an arm wrapped around her waist. god theyre so soft with each other and they have such a healthy example of love for their kids

4. arle has taken clervie to snezhnaya on business trips before (dw, they have someone back home to watch over the house). the first time they went there, the first thing they did was go see the aurora borealis. they sat on top of a mountain one night. clervie wrapped herself in arles winter coat (it was big enough for both of them, even though clervie had her own coat) and tucked her head under arles chin

5. clervie has stolen the rest of the harbingers hearts. they love her, probably more than they love arlecchino. signora and pantalone are ready to pour out a river of mora for her, columbina loves to listen to her singing, and sandrone tinkers with little trinkets to give to clervie to take home to the hearth kids

6. their proposal is so sickeningly sweet. clervie has been talking about wanting to go to snezhnaya again, not for a business trip, but just for a regular vacation. maybe they can even go to a winter festival together. like always, they go up to a mountainside together to watch the northern lights. clervie gets up to their usual spot first, and she turns to face the lights, arlecchino to her back. arle takes out a ring with a pink diamond, clervies favorite, set in the middle of a gold band. clervie hears arlecchino go silent and she turns around, confused, and starts to ask why, until she sees her down on one knee. she could see a tear in the corner of arlecchinos eye, but of course she wasnt going to point it out because she herself had tears streaming down her face as she said yes a thousand times over

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Shipping War - Grand Finale!

Propaganda under the cut.

Propaganda for Franky x Robin:

Do I really need to explain?

The old married couple who's healthy, Enies Lobby (and all their appearances) are their propaganda really.

It’s all about the maturity!

Their dynamic is perfect and their pasts are so similar. I love the chemistry between them as well as their introduction that helped build the connection and shared history they already have.

they are THE t4t bi4bi ship | franky telling robin "existing is not a crime" immediately puts this at number one for me | they are opposites (bright and loud + quiet and goth) but also they're both so eccentric and silly <3 | THEY WEAR MATCHING OUTFITS

Mom and dad Straw Hat

They are STILL the Mom and the Dad of the Straw Hats, this is the one thing I don't care what Oda says <3 Also their interactions in Enies Lobby and Thriller Bark are amazing.

In my eyes, they are married. Some of my favorite character interactions in the manga/anime and in official art.

Oda had Franky call Robin his wife at least once

Your honor they’re married

I'M GOING TO PUT LINKS IN MY EXAMPLES (Mod note: I linked to the whole post, the propaganda was going to get too long otherwise. But I will copy this line:...) They immediatly clicked in Enies Lobby, Franky saved Robin with both words and actions ("Your existence is not a sin!"), and then she grabbed his balls.

The duality of two kids who were just trying to chase their dream and having circumstances outside their control (the government) take everything they love away from them, but one choosing solitude and the other adopting every other person in a bad circumstance??? I love them. Plus they literally had couple moments from the first interaction.

The ultimate t4t couple idk what else you need theyre iconic

A wholesome ship of a woman who feels the need to be constantly on edge trying to relax and a man who is a 110% himself from the moment we see him. the joy of frobin is the causal domesticity, in many color spreads and especially post timeskip we can see them casually enjoying the others company.

Remember when Franky was in Chopper's body in Punk Hazard and every time he spoke Robin was like "Franky. Stop talking. Do not talk while you're in Chopper's body."

idk like. he's obsessed with her. she's his weird Goth gf and he's her himbo. they have matching outfits. I love them.

Look. It's Franky and Robin. Literally the only two characters that make sense to ship on the Sunny. Their arcs are inextricably intertwined (water7/enies lobby). Also LOOK AT THEM interacting, both during their arcs, but also thriller bark, or post time skip. I love them. Also robin crushed frankys balls.

funny big robot man & analytical smart research lady power couple... silly x smart... himbo x researcher... augh... so good

They are the ship for taxpaying adults your honor I LOVE them they’re literally freak4freak and they share such a fucking powerful arc together (Water 7).

that moment she let him sleep on her lap in punk hazard was sooo cute <3 -- The matching thigh highs and bottoms in film z can NOT be understated. -- Strawhat mom and dad -- Let's not forget the way robin convinced franky to join ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) -- she also indirectly called his balls "treasure" so,,, -- the way their stories are so closely intertwined...they were both keys to destroy the world...the way they instantly connected over that...the soulmate-ism of it all...

they . them. girlboss and malewife. that's it.

She grabbed his balls. He totally liked it.

He's so silly and she loves it. She's so scary and he loves it. She grabbed his balls in public.

They will be endgame trust me. Franky doesn't treat any other girl like he treats Robin. There dynamic in Water 7 and Thriller Bark was and always will be one of the best in all of OP.

Propaganda for Nami x Vivi:

Yes, Nami has a new girlfriend on every island, but her heart belongs to Vivi. Vivi in turn refuses to marry, because her heart belongs with a pirate ❤

THEY’RE LESBIANS! IN LOVE! another point: my friends who are watching OP for the first time came to me and asked “so Nami and Vivi… they’re gay right?” So it’s pretty apparent to even newcomers

I just think they’re neat! And in love. Nami gave up money for Vivi that’s True Love

Anyone who saw them can just tell they’re gay. Like Nami gave up money for her

They're one of the rare lesbian ships in op, they care for each other so much !!

Lesbians

Lesbians

They were so gay that Luffy offered to share food to cheer Nami up when they were separated.

i dare you to read Baroque Works through Alabasta without shipping them. the way Vivi and Nami are so affectionate with each other, and Vivi putting saving her nation on hold to get Nami healthy again ???

Lesbians

Let’s go lesbians!!!!! Ok but actually, I think Nami saw a lot of herself in Vivi (ha) especially when Igaram “died” and then throughout their journey together Nami really encouraged her to open up to the crew. Nami showed Vivi it was ok to ask for help just like Luffy showed her.

Vivi was Nami's gay awakening and you cant change my mind. Nami was in love with Vivi and Vivi def had some kind of feeling for Nami. They were so close and they were more then just 'gal pals'

Lesbian Pirate Supremacy! they clearly care a lot about each other and considering when nami meets vivi she is probably one of the first close female friends she gets to have.

[fumifooms]

Hi hi! I'm sure you have loads of asks to get through. But if you may, we talk a lot about Chilchuck and Marcille (as we should 'cause they're great!), but since you've mentioned that Laios is your fave char, I would love to hear if you have any takes on Laios and Izutsumi's dynamic. I feel sometimes like she doesn't really like him...? It's funny but I also feel bad for him sometimes. ^^;;

You can’t ask me this and expect me to not drop everything else I’m doing. Little did you know they are my brotp. They are so special. Izutsumi gets along more with literally everyone in the party, but their relationship was so narratively important. They’re a really underrated and overlooked dynamic! I’ve had them as a topic at the back of my mind for a while, seeing someone else interested was all the push I needed gdbdg. This isn’t super long though, their issues with each other and lil arc is surprisingly brief and easy to summarize.

Laios & Izutsumi : what’s their deal with each other

For me one foundational train of thought for Izutsumi & Laios is, well. I read this awesome smart post deconstructing how Izutsumi’s beef with Laios is because she only just broke free and wants freedom without having someone ordering her around, and that’s sort of her whole character arc, isn’t it?

Isn’t Izutsumi’s picky eating a reflection of just that? In a life where she was a slave, she could at least control what she chose to eat and not eat. But then you might wonder, why did the narrative want her to grow out of that? Simply put, Izutsumi has a contrarian streak, one that is often extremely counterproductive. We saw that especially near the beginning, with how hard it was to make her work with them as a team. The issue is that now that she is free, she needs to not block out others by habit, to not lash out and refuse the healthy things in life, the people who want good for her. And that’s something that’s addressed in the succubus chapter as well as the fight against the ice golem, that she shouldn’t insist that she can do everything alone and fight against any team effort.

I love how onesided the Laios izutsumi dynamic is. He stays away from her generally, like doesn’t interact much, but he wants the cat pats… Which Izu made clear she did NOT want. And Chil is the only one in the party to not really see her as a cat for most of the story really, as shown in the relationship chart. He’s well meaning and wants the best for her, but he crowds her and doesn’t understand her at all. But he reallyyy wants to get along with her.

On the other hand, Izutsumi’s very existence and identity gave Laios an immense amount of hope that Falin could be brought back and still be herself and live well, even if she still had part of a dragon’s soul in her. I think that’s a lovely way to contrast the way that Izutsumi hates herself as a beastkin and her body, while Laios is like "Thank you, your existence as you are is the answer to all my worries" AND he super likes monster bodies and beastkins so it’s like. I think part of her hostility to him, besides feeling like he doesn’t understand her perspective and is maybe dismissive of what his party members want (which would remind her of Maizuru to some degree probably), is that he says all these good things about her being a beastkin, and it’s so jarring with her own version of herself that it raises her hackles and she reacts negatively, especially with how flippant and eager he is about it. But yes like, this is their first meeting!! Beyond his interest in her as a beastkin because of his monster hobby, Laios is just so very grateful for her and chooses to put his trust in her.

That’s interesting too, how one of the first things she asks about upon meeting them is why the hell they would want to rescue Falin even if she were to stay as a chimera-beastkin and still have the dragon soul in her. It’s her asking "Who would want to stick with a beastkin?" thinking that there’s something fundamentally wrong with having two souls and it making you unlovable. And their differing views on monsters do make them clash

But ultimately he chills out about her, which ironically enough shows in the way that they don’t interact much- He gives her space, and accepts that the beastkin may not like him. BUT at the end of the day they have an incredible bond of trust- Laios asks Izutsumi to kill him if something goes wrong with the Winged Lion. Not only is that sort of an intimate request and act, but that means that he leaves it up to Izutsumi’s judgement as well to know if it went wrong and when to act. He doesn’t only trust her skills but also her decision making, despite how tough they’ve been on each other in the past. He’s giving her the ultimate role, the go ahead to make or break their plan and be the difference between saving or destroying the world. And the last tidbit of info we get on their relationship in canon is when she hides behind him because she’s shy- Certified having befriended the cat moment. She trusts him and sees him as a safe person! And by saying that she’s shy, he’s showing that he did end up understanding her and how she is.

No matter the rocky parts of their relationship, they still have a strong foundation to it and were great allies and road companions, one of the few persons that had each other’s back when it mattered the most, both for the world and for their personal arcs. And post-canon, well…

He’s accepted that she needs space and whatnot, and meanwhile she’s accepted his interest in monsters and taken it in stride 😌 They end up having this familiarity with each other and even if there’s still a bunch of emotional distance imo and they never really got into the nitty gritty with each other not like her with Chilchuck or even Marcille, they see each other. They nod in greeting and respect each other from afar……. But also still tease and chat familiarly up close and if she offers him the opportunity for cuddles he will take it. You know, if it’s not her just falling onto him because she’s sleeping she has no respect.

Siblings behavior… If you know my take on the general party dynamics, I love thinking of Laios & Izu’s dynamic as him being an older brother figure where they have a love-hate relationship. Siblings rivalry. I have a bunch of funny little doodles I’ve wanted to make with them for months, the prompts for which are in the screenshot put below. But yeah like you know, they’re protective of each other but in that very critical way as well, truly forged by being stuck with each other for a while and having to come to understand and accept how the other is. Strife with conflict, but ultimately sticking with each other through thick and thin… Siblings siblings SIBLINGS SIBLINGS SIBLINGS. Sigh I just want them to cuddle on a couch and she purrs while simultaneously being snide and mean to him, they are so… Izutsumi is the character ever

Oh, which! While I’m here, I always recommend this fanfic about the two of them interacting and Laios treating her like a cat, it’s just fun and lighthearted. They’re suuuuch an underrated duo

If I find more Laios & Izu moments I think are worth sharing I’ll just add it onto this I think. We shouldn’t be too hard on him he was raised by dogs so cats are a whole other language to him but also, so wild to me that he never tried to engage with her on a cat level properly like where is the hissing at the catgirl and the cat taming moments, he sucks at socializing with cats smh smh.

I want to do an analysis of queerness in Dungeon Meshi with relationships and social norms and stuff and Izutsumi’s arc is gonna be central to that too. Her relationship with EVERYONE is SOOO GOOD AND IMPORTANT AND COMPELLING. But I guess this is where I leave it off for now, I hope I’m not forgetting any point I wanted to make hmmm

[madsnowstorm]

take me home for christmas | j. seresin | part one

please come home for christmas - charles brown

summary : jake wants to take you home to texas for christmas to meet his family.

warnings — series, 18+, fem!reader, established relationship, some angst, family dynamics (both healthy and not), mentions of therapy, no religious aspect to the holiday, dogs named after famous texans

notes — i've been on a soft boy!jake kick lately and was totally inspired by holiday traditions.

series masterlist

Jake Seresin did not beg. Most of that was due to him almost always getting his way. Sometimes it was due to his southern charm, other times it was because he did not accept no as an answer. He would fight and argue and flirt his way to his desired outcome…but he did not beg. That is why he caught you off guard around the end of November. You were both cleaning the dishes after hosting Friendsgiving for all your friends that couldn’t make it back home for the holiday. You’d just handed him the last dish to dry when he cleared his throat. You tipped your head in curiosity.

“Would you consider going home with me for Christmas?” You froze. Jake had a huge family made up of his parents, four siblings and their partners, and a whole horde of nieces and nephews. You’d heard plenty of stories about all of their Seresin family traditions for the holidays. Jake would always get a certain nostalgic gleam in his bright green eyes whenever he talked about them. It stood in stark contrast to how you spent holidays growing up. 

You bounced back and forth between your parents and it almost always ended up with them trying to outdo one another. Snide remarks and rude questions about how the other parent was doing were the only holiday traditions you had. Once college came around you were thankful for choosing a school, and subsequently a career, on the other side of the country. It made avoiding holidays easier. In fact, you didn’t really start to enjoy holidays until you began dating Jake. 

The two of you actually met at a New Year’s Eve party and even that night he taught you to appreciate the bubbles of champagne and the sentiment of Auld Lang Syne and the fun surprise of a midnight kiss. On Valentine’s Day you didn’t go an hour without some sort of sickly sweet, yet adorable, token of affection. Your birthday was full of flowers and doting. The Fourth of July informed you about the importance of a perfect char from the grill and the best American beer. Even Friendsgiving, which you took part in for the first time earlier that evening, was full of warmth and spices and gratitude like you’d never experienced. (As well as the National Dog Show which you never watched before, but were thoroughly invested in by the end) But Christmas with family? It created a sense of dread deep in your stomach.

“Darlin’?” That’s when you noticed he was standing there, dishcloth thrown over his shoulder, eyes shadowed with concern. You looked down at your hands which were shoved under the soapy water. You quickly pulled them out of the, making sure to pull the stopper so the suds could drain. Jake handed you the dishcloth from his shoulder. You wiped your hands with the damp towel. “Did you hear me?” His tone was not accusatory, but kind.

“Yes.” You took a breath and then let out a slow exhale. At this point, you could tell he knew something was up, but was patiently letting you work through your thoughts and emotions. “I…Just let me finish cleaning this up.” At this point your need for control was taking over. Even though time and therapy stood between you and the pains and aches of your childhood, sometimes all it took was one word or moment to bring old feelings back. Cleaning was one of things you knew you could easily control. The routine of it helped center your mind. Jake knew this and instead of fighting you to help you finish he just nodded.

“Alright sweetheart. I’m going to take Nelson out for a quick walk and then lock up for the night. I won’t be gone long.” Nelson was his Irish Setter that had been named after Willie Nelson. As you got the cleaning caddy out from its spot underneath the kitchen sink you could hear him talking to Nelson about not barking his head off if he saw the neighbors cat.

You got to work on cleaning the kitchen. The first thing on your mental checklist was to wipe down the kitchen sink, making the stainless steel shine. Once the sink was done you moved onto the countertops. The brightness of the lemon scented multi purpose cleanser almost brought you back to the warm feelings you were having before thinking back on your childhood. After the countertops you made sure the stovetop was spotless. The last things you did were sweeping and running the Swiffer over the floor. You wanted to get the mop and its bucket out, but it was already getting late when you started. The back and forth motions gave you something to match your breathing to, which aided in calming you down as you thought about your boyfriend’s question.

Jake knew how you felt about holidays. Why would he ask you to go home with him? Except, you knew why he asked. He was so good at pushing you out of your comfort zone, while also offering you a safe place to land. It made trying new experiences easier. There were so many things in your life you’d convinced yourself you didn’t enjoy because of your parents. Your therapist brought this to your attention before you met Jake, but having him with you made you brave. Perhaps this time was no different.

You tucked the caddy back where it belonged once you were finished, washed your hands, and then took a moment to survey your work. It was gleaming, almost sparkling, and no one would even know there were twelve people packed in the house earlier that night. You smiled thinking over all of Jake’s Navy buddies and their partners scattered all around the house, turning off the light as memories filled your head. You’d been hesitant about that too, but you’d not had a better Thanksgiving.

“All done, sweetheart?” Jake asked as you walked into the living room. He was sitting on the couch, laptop balanced on his lap, Nelson napping at his feet. You weren’t sure when they’d gotten back from their walk. Time got away from you while in the kitchen. He looked so comfortable and so at ease with the world. You envied that.

“Mhmm.”  You nodded and sat on the other side of the couch. He closed his laptop, placed it on the coffee table, and opened his arms. You crawled into them and Jake pulled you closer, placing you on his lap. The room filled with your giggles and his low chuckles. “I think I’m ready to talk about it.”

“Alright. Let’s talk then.” Jake moved his fingers over your face, pushing your hair back. You didn’t think he was doing it on purpose, but it stoked a fire in you. Your boyfriend, who was so arrogant and brash, could be so sweet with you. “What do you think about coming to Texas with me for Christmas?” You took a moment, eyes roaming over his face, before answering.

“The thought of it makes me nervous.” Instead of interrupting you as you’d expected, he patiently waited for you to continue. “You know about how things were for me growing up.” Jake nodded, running his hands up and down your back. If he kept it up, you would soon be putty in his hands. “The idea of spending a holiday with your family makes those childhood feelings resurface.”

“Babe, I understand what you are saying and why those emotions are coming back to the surface, but I know in the deepest part of my heart that this would be a Christmas different from any you’ve experienced.” The sincerity in his voice wanted to make you melt.

“But what if your family doesn’t like me?” You’d yet to meet the Seresin clan. Plans had been made for Jake’s parents  to come and visit the previous summer, but due to an unexpected detachment for Jake, those plans were put on hold. You knew your question sounded so juvenile, but it was one of your biggest insecurities.

“They already love you.” It took all your will power to not roll your eyes at that.

“They don’t know me!” You didn’t count the occasional awkward conversations on speaker phone in Jake’s kitchen as you worked on dinner as knowing someone.

“I love you therefore they have no choice but to love you too.” His belief about it was sweet, but in your opinion completely unrealistic.

“That’s not how that works, J.” You countered with a laugh. 

“Please, love? I want you to know them and them to know you. I love you and I know they will too. You’ve told me about how things were for you growing up and how toxic the holiday’s could be. Let me, let us, show you that things can be different.”  He kissed your cheek, followed by your nose, and lastly your lips. Jake Seresin never begged, but he was begging now. You knew that meant he thought this trip was important.

“Okay, Jake. Take me home for Christmas.” Jake kissed you again, this kiss lasting longer than the previous. You moved your hands from his shoulders to the nape of his neck. Slowly, your fingers moved up into his hair, scraping your nails lightly against his scalp. He groaned, moving his lips from yours, over your jaw and down your neck. “You know where else you can take me?”

“Where is that, darlin’?” His accent was thicker than it was moments again.

“To bed.” He didn’t waste a moment, picking you up and yelling out to his Google home to turn off the living room light, all in the same breath. You both laughed as he tried to carefully make it to the stairs.

“Don’t let me fall!” You squealed as he started to climb them. 

“I would never.” The playful tone in his voice was gone. Instead he was now serious. The look in his eyes took your breath away. You’d never met a man like this; a man who could cause your heart to both go crazy and to stop without warning. Despite his constant need to be an arrogant asshole most of the time, you knew that mostly an act. The real Jake was the one who was currently holding you. The one who loved you and wanted to take you home to meet the family. The one that made being brave worth it. 

Maybe Christmas wouldn’t be so bad this year.

[fatallyaddictedtofiction]

Im just gonna allow myself to yap about supernatural and see where destiny takes me. SIDENOTE IF U WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS WITH ME LITERALLY PLEASE I WANT TO PLEASE INTERACT WITH ME.

Okay first of all im starting with the start (s1+2). BEST LIGHTING TO MOOD EVER EVER EVER. Like you want dark scary monsters??? ITS THERE. I remember there being a reason they changed the lighting (smugly: yes i listen to the podcast) but i CANT REMEMBER. The characterisation of the macho eldest son coded scared eldest daughter Dean is unreal and parallel in epicness to repressed queer allegory something is inherently wrong with him little brother. The brief moments of emotional vulnerability. Dont get me STARTED on Dean's monologue in the s2 finale i'll start crying. It's crazy how rude john is to Dean like excuse me he raised your kid and now ur bitching about him? Try saying thank you for once. I think the only reason john actually said im proud of you was because he realised when azazel said it dean was like "ur not my dad" and to john it was a little "oh shit" moment. Sam has every right to be angry but every time he gets angry at dean something in me shatters a little because deans trying so hard for himself and sam and sam doesnt know who or how to lash out (emotional dysregulation baybee) so aims for deans jugular like nooo honeyyyy noooooo. This era was the best sam in my opinion.

Rest of the show down here:

Onto S3-5. Cant remember jack about season 3. Season 4 CASTIEL MY BELOVED MY LIGHT MY LIFE MY REASON FOR LIVING. Absolutely loved everything about Weird Cas and i wanted more of him why did they have to domesticate him. His and Deans dynamic was impeccable and yk something??? I wanted to see Dean in hell torturing people i wanted to see it on his face how much he hated that he enjoyed it and i wanted to see Cas' face at watching the righteous man lose. Like the best we got was Yellow Fever GOD I LOVED THAT bit when he was hallucinating the book and it said "you gonna cry?" Like so many people think thats a funny episode but it makes me so sad because he is DYING and from such a young age hes been told to stow it away, lock it down to the point hes HALLUCINATING IT. Cas falling for dean. Im sorry i just. They are the best love story. LUCIFER. He was scarier back then, but i do love later seasons lucy too. Something about the peeling skin and the "we will always end up right here" just slapped. ENDVERSE EPSIODE god so good can we just take a moment to think about it. Okay cool thanks okay. Demon blood Sam arc was fun but had unfulfilled potential. Cant give you specifcs rn its late and my brain needs to get this all out so if you know you know. The whole meta stuff with Chuck was eh until he was confirmed as god and then i was like duuude the faint strings of marionettes are glistening in the sunrise like how do we know --- im getting ahead of myself.

S6-11. I know, its a big chunk. But basically the whole thing could be renamed "Crowley's unrequited love story". Cas and crowley were the best duo i almost forgot like they are genuinely so funny together and i bet it would be great to be tortured by them UMM THE BETRAYAL i honestly loved Cas' episode the only thing i didn't like was how the reveal itself was done like... Idk just a bit... Kryptonite???? Anywho i Loved the tension between Dean and Cas DEAN LOOKED BACK. Um leviathans were my favourite monster but they became so dumbbbb after washing up liquid killed them. BOBBYS EPISODE ALWAYS MAKES ME SOB MY EYES OUT "i raised two boys and they became heroes" allow me to DIE. Also damn impressed a shot to the head didnt take him down but it was lovely to see Deans first world, first solid rock properly crumble around him (forgetting john okay he wasnt a healthy rock) . PURGATORY DEAN JDJSJDJDJD kill me please his fight or flight mode was SO. So sad we didnt get more of purgatory like i would pay to see more i would kill probably but we'll overlook that. Benny my beloved. They definitely all got together Cas included like who wouldnt at that point. Smth i didnt like is how wheneer they went back to purgatory, unlike how dean described it "360 battle 24/7" or some shit like that it was EMPTY. Like please,, i know the plot needs convenience BUT PURGATORY ISNT SUPPOSED TO BE CONVENIENT. But dean recrafting his own memories to make himself believe that he failed to save Cas rather than what he perceived as Cas giving up on him- hang on i dropped my jaw somewhere, gimme a sec i need to go find it-- LIKE. HHHH. The whole mind control shit going on with Cas because his ties to Dean had been severed (saw a post about that and loved it but cant rmb it) and HIM BEING THE ONE TO BREAK IT. The crypt scene mmmm i love. Want more. Mark of Cain dean was literally my favourite. A violent, mentally unstable man who also has bad mental health and is often covered in blood? Yes pls. Cas being with him every step of the way. I havent mentioned Sam in a while. Hes just kind of been there. Hate that he slowly became 2D. Far away in the background hes got his worried expression and is rocking, saying "Dean? Dean? Cas? Jack? Dean?" Like writers why did u strip his personality except for worry. Do Not get me started on the whole Amelia thing ill stab someone. But yeah cas saying he'll watch dean murder the world is my universe :). If someone said that to me id say "omg really?" And develop a huge fat crush (somehow). CHARLIE DYING WAS AN ABOMINATION When they brought back Eileen why not charlie like. Dont bring characters back at this point because theres all sorts of issues grr. Amara was cool af but i didnt like the whole amara x dean stuff because it was just weird. Luciferrrrr hes so girlypop i love him DEAN DIDNT KNOW IT WASNT CAS but thats only because lucy purposefully wore less clothes around him to distract him.

S12-14. Im running out of steam. MARYYY. It hurt to see Sam get along with Mary becsuse he never knew her as anything else while all dean wanted was a mom and that wasnt who she really was anymore. He loved her so much but couldnt break through that barrier of "it wasnt the perfect marriage until after she died" vibes. God that scene in s5 where its suggested dean saw +/ smelled what happened to Mary and he was literally backing himself into a corner BROKE me. Havent mentioned the Wayward sisters but please know they are so important to me they are my everything. Jack is also. Loved Kelly, very sad she had to die. Wanted Jack to be a baby but thats not good for television is it. But i love Jack so much hes such a sweetie who can kill with a thought. Alternate universe michael and Michael!Dean was epic af but michael dying like that was so anticlimactic gonna be honest i think they were just reaching for ways to lose Jacks soul. Garth GARTH!!! Hes so cute. I loved all those "hand recorded" episodes btw like ghostfacers and that one teen wolf type stuff. Dean hiding in his room is so me. Free Will Theory is so fucked up at this point ur sat there saying gods been pulling the strings this whole time and i supposed to be okay with it?? I so get why deans angry but i definitely think thats something Chuck emphasised (crappy excuse for crappy writing) to an extreme level because WHAT. Like dude. I cant even describe how out of character he felt at some times.

S15. Currently rewatching and cant rmb much of it. 3 characters dead in the first 3 episodes. They either kill off all side characters or we dont hear from them at all to tie up or shove away loose ends. I cant even talk abiut the finale please i cant rn im way too tired. It straight up didnt need to exist, it could've only been 19 eps. Cas. Castiel. He did want you my darling.

[ryo-apologist]

Feathers and Ashes

Shigaraki Tomura x Reader x Keigo Takami

CW: Spoilers, but at this point, they aren't new. This isn't really headcanons or a story, just my thoughts on it. Depictions of toxic relationships.

AN: Okay. hear me out here- HEAR ME OUT. It's always Shigadabi this, Hotwings that, which yes. They are elite. They are delicious. But there's a whole market being missed on Shigahawks. Dusty feathers if you will. All I know is I want to be between them and no one is letting me without letting Dabi in too.

~Darling XOXO

☾ It doesn't matter what side of the war you're on. Not anymore. When entangled with a hero bred from a society crumbling beneath the weight of their owns sins of the very idea of heroism and the villain aiming to destroy it all with a simply touch of his fingers and leave it in smokey ruins, you don't get an opinion.

☾ Maybe you do, but it's biased. Hawks wants to preach that he's a hero, he's one of the good guys, but Keigo can't even believe that himself.

☾ How can he when he has the blood of someone who saw him as an ally still warm on his palms, seeping through his gloves and tainting his very soul. The one still flickering with the hope he had as a child.

☾ Hawks and Keigo are such interesting characters. I say 'and' because I personally view them as two different entities. Not in a split personality way, not, but as in Hawks is a mask that Keigo wears to protect his fragile little heart so no one can touch it. And if we chose to delve into his entire character, he's full of so much gray morality, truly I could write an essay on him and his entire motivations and how he's so much more than what the fandom devolves him too.

☾ Shigaraki Tomura on the other end of the spectrum is an individual so tainted and rocked by a past soaked in trauma thats never been addressed in a proper way that he's blind to positions that even slightly challenge his own. His rivalry with Stain back in season one (two? Idk it's been awhile.) set his character, and thus development, up in the way that told the audience he didn't like challenges to his authority in any way. The following fight against Overhaul confirmed this. There's a difference between the way he was characterized as childish, which he is, and the way his reactions played out to these challenges. With Overhaul, this entire thing showed that above all else, Shigaraki is strategic. He's incredibly intelligent when it comes to battle IQ and war fronts and has proven it. (Not with the USJ incident, but liken that to starting a game. You never know how to play first round, but play around a bit and learn the controls a bit better and you get better.)

☾ Now, why do I say all of this in a post about a threesome with crust one and two?

☾ It's important to know why I find this dynamic so interesting because these two as individual characters are interesting, but look at their parallels.

☾ We have two children, surrounded by broken homes, that need a way out. Their quirks give them that ability, but at what cost? The cost of gathering the attention of adults who know right from wrong, taking them in and indoctrinating them in all the wrong things while encouraging enforcing propaganda about ideologies that directly contradicted what they were preaching.

☾ Neither side is truthfully right, argue with the wall about that (I'm not saying they're justified in how they're handling the war, do not get me wrong about that), but Keigo and Tomura will be damned before giving up their spot in the war, and that is something so fun to play with.

☾ Alright, back to the fun stuff you clicked read more for.

☾ Your opinion? Doesn't matter. In fact, I would avoid that topic entirely between them. Hawks is willing to kill for what he believes in, may Jin rest in peace, but so is Shigaraki evidently.

☾ Keigo and Tomura, however, are willing to set aside their ideologies.

☾ Do not get the idea that this is a healthy relationship by any means. No. I do not believe that even in his darkest depths Shigaraki is capable of anything moderately healthy. In the same vein, I don't think Hawks is either. It's not feasible with their lifestyles, it's not feasible with their missions, it's not feasible with their characters.

☾ Shigaraki is infamously territorial and possessive. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He wants what he claims is his, and he wants it now. He has the power to do so, he has the will, he will get what he wants.

☾ The only way I can see this happening is this: Hawks takes up a secret lover, how this happens is hard to say- pick your poison, I personally love them being a villain playing undercover hero and getting close, but that's me- and Shigaraki catches wind of this. Let's say we run with that idea, of the sweetheart being a villain of their own right, then they aren't affiliated with the league. Or maybe they are, I don't know. But Hawks and his villain sweetheart are running around, the former believing this is a villain trying to make a change and Keigo wants to help them, if a bit weary.

☾ And Shigaraki notices. Nothing big like the number two playing around with a villain goes on in the underground without him knowing. So he knows, and he doesn't know what the villain sweetheart is going after, but he wants in. He doesn't want anything opposing his rise to power, especially not some half-baked jack-off that thinks Hawks will save them.

☾ But then he meets them and maybe they aren't as bad as he hastily decided. He still doesn't like them, but he isn't going to dust them right away. They chat. Maybe they're threatened to fall under the League, or maybe they're willing to team up in exchange for something. Drugs, money, fire power, hard to say.

☾ But villain sweetheart refuses to give this up. Dabi fucked up with Hawks, he pulled the trigger pin far too early. But them? They have it locked down. Hawks is learning. It's subliminal, it's conditioning, it's something so small that Hawks only picks up on it when something in his routine changes to accommodate and by then it's too late.

☾ I think Hawks is honestly too smart for anything big, honestly he's probably too smart for any sort of manipulation.

☾ For the most part.

☾ Oh you thought I'd leave it at that? No. Think about the Dabi situation. He's down, he's vulnerable, he's been outed and now he's hated by the country. Hawks is dead. Keigo is yearning for something to grasp onto, to hold that won't crumble between his fingers like his hero career currently is.

☾ Now is the moment to strike. You have villain sweetheart offering up information about a mafia group they don't like, giving their information the benefit of the doubt and giving them the title of 'useable'. Not trustworthy, but the heroes take their plea for redemption with some merit.

☾ And Keigo clings to them the moment they offer any sort of apology, fake or not, for what happened, because it's an acknowledgement that he was wronged in some way shape or form.

☾ He's weary of being hurt again, but should villain sweetheart capitalize on this? Work their way deep into his shuddering and quivering heart and take post there? Manipulate the situation so that his focus shifts from hero politics to them?

☾ And then they team with Shigaraki?

☾ Keigo, not Hawks (Hawks is dead. He will remain that way. Keigo is running the show even if he's running it off a cliff), can be considered a guard dog. He's not trusted, fuck no, not at all, but he's defense. He's not trusted as offense, but canon fodder? Absolutely.

☾ If his villain sweetheart needs him, he's there.

☾ Shigaraki isn't happy, but he's too interested in villain sweetheart to let go. So what's the obvious solution?

☾ There isn't a good one. Hawks is, at this point, enamored in a relationship so dependent it's hilarious. He can't let go and he can't be alone, not again. He's done it as a child, he's done it as a hero, and he's hated it. he can't be alone. He can't, he can't, he can't.

☾ But there's a new toy in the toybox, a new piece on the board, and Shigaraki wants it. He needs it, no matter how useless it'll turn out to be. It's a piece the other side doesn't have. An uncontrolled, unpredictable, undocumented variable.

☾ To a degree, he knows what the heroes will do. He knows him and Deku will fight. He knows that. They, admittedly, know he'll do whatever it takes. They know he's going after their foundation built off of All Might and anything, especially Deku, to take it down and he's willing to take quirks to do so.

☾ But this new piece? No one knows what they want. They don't know who they're going after. They don't know what is driving them. And that, in a war, is dangerous. It can make or break either side.

☾ And Tomura Shigaraki wants them.

☾ Keigo has been proven as a non-threat to him. He's not dangerous anymore. He's been disarmed once, he has a blatant weakness to which they can exploit. So if he wants to cling to this variable then so be it. It's not on his radar.

☾ Anything Hawks can do to him, he can combat with his own quirk. He's not worried.

☾ Keigo is terrified. His quirk? We need to be so real. It's cool, yes, helpful, absolutely, but in the grand scheme? Not that combat oriented. He can't beat any of the big bad villain players unless their own quirk isn't combat based. Like Twice. Toga, I feel they are pretty evenly matched and will come down to something like swordsmanship and training. Dabi and Shigaraki? Not a chance. I hate to say it, I'm a Hawks baby fr, but being a Hawks person means I can admit he's only all that and a bag of chips because the commission pushed his image to be that.

☾ Anyway, Keigo? Terrified of losing his sweetheart. He's following them no matter what just trying to garner where they want to take this and how.

☾ So, where are we now?

☾ Keigo, with his hero persona long dead, is clinging to a villain who's using this to their advantage all while said villain is behind the scenes, working with one of the biggest players on the board currently. Said big player thinks this new piece is little more than a morsel of advantage over the other side, but this new piece has taken what is essential a bishop or knight (a piece that you never really think about until you're pinned by them) from the other side and converted them.

☾ Shigaraki is willing to ignore Hawks, but Keigo isn't willing to do the same. It's too risky for him, so he's right back where he swore he'd never go again into the lion's den.

☾ So it's a stalemate. Shigaraki isn't willing to let go, but neither is Keigo.

☾ It's a dynamic that is endlessly interesting to me and something I feel the fandom can explore. Dabi adds spice, but it's been beaten in every way with Shigaraki and Hawks and all three together. But he's got his share, Dabi's kicked to the curb for now. Let's explore these two as one pairing, because their dynamics are endlessly interesting with their parallels and their characters.

☾ I'm getting rambly so I'll end it there. I'm sure I'll write so much more about what I'm dubbing dusty feathers because I love them so much individually and can only imagine them as a pair.

[ripplestitchskein]

To be a bit clearer about my issue with the tweet that I talked about in this post as I was posting in the car on the way home (I was not driving but had to do it fast because I get super motion sick) and have had some time to expand a bit:

If we’re talking about the general concept “Stolas set the parameters of the initial sexual transaction thus rooting their relationship in sex from the start and because Blitz is too self loathing and willfully blind to see the desired parameters have changed it is Stolas who made their relationship all about sex in large part because Blitz was never going to be in a healthy enough space to be the one to change it” then yes I agree with the sentiment.

Stolas could have simply said “I’ll let you use the grimoire in exchange for a date” instead of jumping straight to sexual relationship and they could have gotten to know each other first, maybe one date for each Full Moon*. So yes, he did make it this way, he set the terms. At the start of the show.

(*Side note: This would be a super cute fanfic premise tbh and if the show did something like that, where they need to exchange something and say “Hey, how about we make a deal to go on a date on the Full Moon” it would be a really fucking adorable way to reconcile them *starry eyes*. Just think about how much that would slap. The narrative circle of that would be *chef’s kiss*. )

My problem with the framing of “Stolas started it that way in Murder Family, was super over the top horny for a few episodes, now he must suffer the consequences despite the fact that he has been trying to change their dynamic since Blitz expressed how he felt in Ozzie’s” is that, the events of The Circus completely recontextualize the deal we see made and Stolas’s behavior.

We, the audience, didn’t know in S1 that Blitz initiated the whole thing and that Stolas was just mirroring that energy, so I am extremely understanding of this perception pre-S2. Even up until Western Energy, but by Oops we have enough evidence to show Stolas has been trying, Blitz is just refusing. So Stolas didn’t “make it this way” for where the characters are NOW. Not in a “It is Blitz’s fault” taking sides in the divorce way, but in a “This is about character growth or the deliberate lack of it within the story” way.

My big issue with the tweet now, and didn’t learn until I read the tags of a lovely person is that is apparently from an individual who actually works on the show. And that is….kinda concerning to me. A bit.

The idea that Stolas’s efforts count for nothing because he set the initial deal and behaved badly at the start, that we the audience should still see the current dynamic as “Stolas making everything sexual” is a problem 8 episodes into the 2nd season. We have many examples of him not doing that any longer, he has changed, we the audience have been shown that change. Why is it still being framed this way by the actual creative team?

I don’t know how animation production works, so I’m not sure if the people who work as animators are given the whole picture or not. I don’t even know they are fans necessarily, or if they get their individual parts to work on and that’s it. I have zero background info on how these meetings are conducted. I am not coming from a position of authority in this regard.

Setting aside the dismissal of Stolas’s character growth this season. framing it this way undermines the journey Blitz is on too. At this point in the story he is refusing to acknowledge Stolas’s earnest attempts, his willful ignorance is not a funny gag but a reflection of his character and state of mind. It is implied his own trauma and self loathing make him unable to believe what has being explicitly told to him. This confrontation is the tipping point for further development in one direction or another. His choice now is to continue to ignore it and lose Stolas entirely or to try and work through it in some way. By implying Stolas is the one who created thier current situation way back in S1 implies Blitz’s ignorance of Stolas’s feelings is not because of character’s motivations and his own choices to ignore it but simply because it was that way at the start and it is immutable. Stolas said “sex for book please” and “jelly sandwiches” and Blitz was just “I’m just doing what he said he wanted, now he’s coming out of nowhere with this feelings stuff” when a huge part of showing the audience that it is Blitz’s self loathing driving the conflicts in his life is that he refuses to believe the truth of the situation which is it wasn’t Stolas making it all about sex at all. That Stolas has been trying and Blitz keeps shutting it down because of his issues.

That just seems like a crucial part of what we’re doing here? Yes Stolas creates the situation in S1 but he went out of his way to do the opposite in S2.

Obviously this individual’s qualifications for interpretation, being an actual employee, trump my “I’ve watched it a bunch and obsess over it constantly” credentials by a long shot. But my concern is to have a meeting of people responsible for creating the show reflect this sentiment after what we’ve seen in S2 so far is just a little baffling to me?

Either those attempts by Stolas portrayed on screen and the change in his behavior towards Blitz after he realizes his feelings are meaningless in the face of first impressions being everything to both Blitz and the audience. If that is the case I’m not sure why they would be included if the end result interpretation is still “Stolas horny. Made it all about sex. The end.”

Or, I am misreading something, either the tweet itself or the canon text. This is very possible, tweets being an imperfect communication tool and myself being an imperfect person. But as I stated in the original post, if we’re accounting for what is shown on screen as being how we should interpret the characters, Stolas has been trying for months to shift gears and Blitz is the one who continues to frame it as “just sex”. So I just find the tweet completely out of touch with the narrative we’re consuming.

[saintsenara]

Heyy, just came back from reading your analysis for remadora and snupin, and I just wanted to say THANK YOU for speaking the truth no one else seems to aknowledge.

First of all, Tonks is a queen and neither Remus or Sirius held a candle against her. I agree that their relationship wasn't at all perfect, that there were many topics to be discussed and explored there, and let's be honest, Remus isn't exactly healthy boyfriend material, regardless of his age.

Which takes me to my point. I love some fluffy snupin fic with a sweet and regretful Remus as much as the next person, mostly because it feeds my joy on seeing him actually beating himself for his mistakes and how he was as much of a bully to Severus as the rest of them. I want Severus's pain and the role Remus played in it to be acknowledged in their relationship.

However, I also want to see some good canon compliant snupin fic where Remus Lupin is presented as the low-key cruel and dark asshole we know he is. I don't buy that he only remained with the marauders because he didn't want to be alone, hell nah, that was Peter. Remus enjoyed their shenanigans and the pranks just as much, and I bet he was the mastermind behind a lot of them. I believe he was the only one who had some guilty conscience afterwards, but it wasn't nearly enough to make him re-consider.

I want some snupin fic where their dynamic follows the one we see in canon. Severus being terrified of Lupin and traumatized after what happened in the Shack, I want Lupin to low-key get off his fear because it makes him feel superior to the usually composed and indiferent Snape. I want Lupin to have been weirdly fixated with Severus since their school years and that's why he never stopped the pranks, because he enjoyed seeing the other boy under their mercy. I want Lupin to "hunt" him as both a teenager and as they're both professors in Hogwarts. Back when i read the books, I always thought his behaviour with Severus, both when they interacted and when Lupin talked about him with others, was kinda fruity. Like, what's up with than enthusiasm to see him wearing woman's clothes? How come he's the only one who refers to him "Severus" when everyone else, except for Dumbledore, calls him Snape? Yeah, it always felt weird to me.

In short, I simply think their canon compliant dynamic would be much more interesting if taken in consideration for fanfics. I love the whole "prey/predator" dynamic they could have.

ahh, thank you so much, anon! i'm delighted that you enjoyed my thoughts on both snupin and remadora - there are dozens of us!

[and i'd like to also draw your attention to this excellent addendum to the remadora point by @evesaintyves - i think it's really important for all of us remadora fans to be vigilant about challenging a tone which is far too prevalent in our conversations that to think about tonks - and lupin - as queer devalues them and their relationship within a canon-coherent setting.]

and yes - absolutely - i love seeing the messiness and thorniness of lupin explored - in snupin or otherwise - by stories which engage with the ruthlessness which lurks beneath his mask of benign affability. bring me the story which really gets into lupin describing his midnight jaunts with the lads in full werewolf form as "the best times of my life" - and clearly never being anywhere near as sorry about the risk he was running as he makes out in prisoner of azkaban...

[and also the fact that it doesn't seem quite as clear to me as i once thought it did that he didn't know anything about the werewolf prank...]

and i think there's an enormous amount of potential in using the longstanding cruelty which is tangible in snape and lupin's dynamic as a vehicle to bring down the mask behind which he lives - and that his relationship with his own sexuality is a really interesting example of that.

there's a homophobic undercurrent to a lot of the marauders' bullying of snape - the nickname "snivellus", for example, is based in the idea of snape being improperly masculine - which endures into the adult lupin and sirius' relationship with him [sirius' comment about snape being lucius malfoy's "lapdog" is him insinuating a sexual relationship between them in which snape is implied to be the receptive partner; lupin obviously thinks that snape would regard being made to cross-dress as humiliating and emasculating].

and while i love the portrayal of the wizarding world in fics as some sort of queer utopia - because i love the escapism of it - the evidence we have from canon is that this is... a pretty far-fetched thing to say about a society which is so obsessed with blood and lineage and the continuation of both of these things.

someone like lupin, who already depends so much on maintaining a mask of "civility" and conformity because of the precarious status his lycanthropy confers upon him in the eyes of the state strikes me as someone who would really struggle to acknowledge himself as queer in any way without thinking of that queerness as deviant and as dangerous to him.

[which is such an underrated remadora premise - tonks is clearly much more comfortable with being experimental and explorative in how she engages with the world. you could have so much fun with the impact tonks' relationship to her own queerness would have on lupin's relationship to his.]

lupin discovering snape is queer - and the combined fear and desire this might inspire in him, and how this would be received by snape, who is still so hung up on being afraid of and humiliated by him - could be a really complex and tangled premise for a story.

which i think you may have just offered to write...

[cloud-somersault]

Hello. I made a (now deleted) tweet earlier about the imbalance of Wu and Mac's fuckups in Constellations. I discuss the reasoning behind that here. There's also just epilogue news in general in here, so please read when you get a chance.

Thanks.

It’s come to my attention that some people see the reconciliation aspect of the epilogue to be entirely one sided in Macaque’s favor. I wanna address this. 

First off, it’s in Macaque’s perspective. We’re reading through his voice. These are his opinions, his thoughts. If we read something he thinks and we think to ourselves “that’s not fucking true” that is because he is his own character with his own faults and biases and opinions. He is not going to be objectively correct. And he has his own share of fuckups. “Water and Stone,” Chapter 4 of Constellations, hurting Wukong after the Little Star fight. 

Neither is Wukong. I understand that, throughout the chapters, Wukong has done/said some fucked up shit. The argument about Little Star, the whole thing with sentimentality and Macaque’s cape, the “Sun’s Shadow” debacle — he is not perfect. He has apologized, though. 

But here’s the thing: this is about characterization. Let’s walk through it.

Macaque does something fucked up to Wukong. What is Wukong going to do? Forgive him, because nothing Macaque does is as bad as what Wukong did (killing Macaque). He is biased in this way. There is nothing Macaque can do that would have Wukong seriously mad at him for centuries (unless it’s something ridiculous like seriously hurting MK (worse than s3) just because or something like that). Wukong considers that murder to be his greatest sin. So, he is always going to forgive Macaque any wrongdoing.

Will he still get mad? Yup. Will he call Macaque on it sometimes? Yup. But he’s not going to hold a SERIOUS grudge because he’s the one who made the ultimate mistake. 

That’s Wukong’s character. That is something he chooses to do. And no, it’s not right. It’s not fair; Macaque should get called out, too. He should get told he’s not perfect has fucked up, too. But things are never black and white. No situation works out that way. This is their dynamic in this AU specifically. Sometimes the right thing just doesn’t happen even if you know it should. Sometimes unfairness is just the way it is, especially when it’s two people who have hurt each other and are making mistakes and are trying to make things work. 

But let’s talk about Macaque. He’s more sensible and thoughtful than Wukong, so his fuckups are going to be fewer in general. He’s more mindful and doesn’t say things without thinking as much as Wukong does. And he’s also taking advantage of the fact that Wukong easily forgives him. He’s aware of that and is using it as much as he can because he feels he’s entitled to it because Wukong murdered him.

Macaque feels as if anything he does pales in comparison to Wukong’s murder of him. So yes, he calls Wukong out at every opportunity and makes him apologize. He feels like he has that “right” since he’s the victim of Wukong’s murder. 

None of this is “healthy” or “the right way to go about it” but that’s the point. It should feel unfair. You should feel “ugh, Wukong fucked up again, Macaque’s going to get onto him about it.” And I get that’s frustrating to read because Macaque has fucked up fewer times than Wukong but…Macaque has fucked up fewer times, so there’s less moments for Wukong to call him out.

And Wukong may or may not call him out on it because he easily forgives Macaque. He’s willing to do anything and everything to be together with Macaque. Having his palms sliced into was fucking nothing to him. That’s a normal Tuesday for the Monkey King. He himself said he was more concerned about Macaque’s well-being than what happened to him.

I get that this is frustrating to read at times. But you don’t have to read it. I get that sometimes you might be like “I wish it’d gone this way” but you can always write your own stories. This is the dynamic I’m writing, and it’s not fair, it’s not healthy, it’s not an ideal relationship that sets a good example or anything. Wukong is going to fuck up time and time again and Macaque is always going to call him out. Macaque is going to fuck up sometimes because of his more mindful nature, and Wukong might call him out sometimes. That’s a choice that they make each time.

Why would Wukong call Macaque harshly and potentially piss him off so much that Macaque wants nothing to do with him? Wukong is not going to take that chance. He wants to help Macaque and is willing to go to Hell and back to do it. That is not a healthy dynamic. I know this. You should know this. But it’s their characterization that drives it. 

I expressed that I was unsure about the balance of “Macaque fucking up vs. Wukong fucking up” and I came to the conclusion that there’s always going to be imbalance, because Wukong just will not make a big deal out of any mistakes Macaque makes. 

So Macaque holds himself accountable. He told Wukong he wasn’t going to guilt trip him about his death and intentionally hurt him with his words, and he stopped doing that. He talked about how he attacked Wukong, but Wukong was quick to assure him that he was fine. Macaque also called out Wukong for overshadowing him, and Wukong argued back and then Macaque had to explain that he wasn’t blaming Wukong, he was venting and explaining himself. And they reached an understanding. 

Macaque calls out himself and is hard on himself. That’s why his prose is so draining and negative. And that imbalance between them will always exist because Wukong killed him. That is the worst thing he could’ve done and he did it. Now he’s forever making up for that fact. That’s the dynamic I chose to write. If you don’t like that it’s not perfectly balanced and black and white and every toxic behavior isn’t called out and addressed and corrected, then this fic might not be for you. 

And honestly, I feel like I shouldn’t have to type this out. It’s upsetting that I have to. I re-examined how I feel and I’m not having as much fun as I used to writing this. I’m going to try and finish things out, but chapter 12 might end up being the last chapter. I’m going to start limiting replies and turning off comments etc., just so I can, maybe, finish this out. 

[wowifinallywatched]

Wow I finally watched Monsters at Work (S2)

**Minor Spoilers**

This show is Joy. This show is happiness.

This show is pure enjoyment, forget-about-the-world-around-you fun and indulging in a world full of adventures, Jokes and references to an original movie we hold dear to our hearts, While paving the way for a beautiful new story about a dynamic duo changing the colour of their world and the human world one child at a time.

I think there was a lot of risk, As with any sequel / spin off, of repetitiveness and overall the continuation of the story just not doing well.

But Monsters at Work was perfect.

(In my eyes - You do not have to agree with me, I just want to show my appreciation and love for this show and Story)

This show provided more of the future we've all been so curious about since the end of Monsters Inc (We all knew things worked out with Laugh Power - But did it really?) (Yes, Yes it did.) and the changes it made to the city and their communities as a whole - The politics, The power company's rivalry's, How people feel about laugh power, All of our favourite characters, All of our most disliked characters and so so much more.

They balanced giving a nod to the past, Making references to those original movies between og characters as if they're inside jokes (Which I guess, they are), Seeing characters we love and adore, Seeing scenery that is comforting and familiar, Even items (BOO'S DRAWING ON SULLEY'S DESK - I'M NOT OKAY-) without it being in your face and making it the whole show. Mike and Sulley being a part of the future of this company and caring for their little misfits, without overbearing and letting these new characters shine and share their own stories - It was perfectly balanced.

I love what this show represented as well - Different cultures and races in the human world and monster world, Different couples / sexualities without making it a big fuss (They're just in a happy relationship - That's what matters!), Healthy relationships and really great traits like embracing who you are, Always stand up for what you believe in, Never hesitate to show your Love for the things and people you care about and so much more!

Something I also loved is the representation of the real and healthy relationship between Val and Tylor - And the fact this didn't turn into a romantic relationship.

The first season was about building the foundations of their friendship and really getting to know each other - The second season really tested their friendship and saw to how they would get through these rocky times together.

While there were some moments of heartbreak, sadness and even anger - With communication, Responsibility and ackowledging what they had done, They got through it and came out the other side of it with their bond even stronger than ever! Which I think is something super healthy and important to represent.

And while I see there are a few hints here and there that could definitely lead to a Third season, Which halfway through episode 10 I literally said I would sell my soul for a third season, Once I had finished that final episode, My mind had changed.

The ending of Season 2 was perfect.

It was happy. It was fulfilling. And while I'd be one of the first to hop on Disney plus if a Third season did come out - I feel like they could stop the show here if they wanted to.

I could watch this show forever and ever and ever if I could, But we've all seen what happens when a show continues simply for profit etc. and it loses what that original story is about.

But on the other hand, they have a whole world of Monsters stories and cities to explore that we've only scratched the surface of.

And you never know what might be coming in the future.

All in all, I absolutely adored this show with all my heart and soul and I will forever talk about how perfect (in my personal opinion) it is.

Also there will forever be some references that will never get old.

Example A: Mike getting covered by logo / barcode etc

Example B: Roz (Period. She has so many good ones)

Example C: Boo. (Anything really, I just love their relationship)

100000000000000000000000000000000000000 x infinity / 10

I love you Monsters Inc world. Thank you for making me feel protected and Loved, Even if I couldn't be apart of your world.

And don't forget, This show wasn't made just for kids.

Oh no.

It was made for those Monsters Inc kids, now all grown up.

(And for everyone and anyone!)

[minsarasarahair]

My thoughts about Devil Venerable also Wants to Know by Cyan Wings after finally finishing it. It took a while for me to finish this because I'm obsessing over You Yao donghua...

Well, it was fun and very insightful read. I believe the message of the book are:

Be a critique to what you read and don't consume everything you read as if its the only truth available. Perspective matter. Look at the bigger picture. (God of Annihilation vs Abusive Romance)

Difference between a hater vs critique (Commenters vs Wenren E questioning the plot holes)

The balance between good and evil is important for the cycle and order of the world. World is not Black and White. (Baili Qingmiao character development)

Roles matter in relationship. You should know what your partner wants, strength and what role they are comfortable with if you want the relationship to work. (Yin Hanjiang & Yin Hanjiang story)

Real love is not abuse nor about social order. Its about equality and healthy communication. (Wenren E, Yin Hanjiang, He Wenzhao & Baili Qingmiao story)

I know there's a lot and it varies depend on what the reader noticed but that's what I remember that are the most important for me. I really love it when danmei point out some issues I barely see in straight romance. For example, this story shows the difference between fiction media for male and female. Male demographic care about the strength and power of MC while the female demographic are either annoyed to the naïve heroine or protective of her. Its really interesting to see that different media have different types of people. This is why its important to consume different genre to improve your media literacy, people!

As for the characters, I really love Wenren E as the protagonist. He's very aroace-coded and levelheaded so its easy for me to relate to his thoughts. Even if he's the leader of a demonic sect and chose a path that is harmful to him, he's very rational. His character explore what I wish MDZS Wei Wuxian should care. Demonic cultivation is not the issue here but MDZS Wei Wuxian dismissing the fact its harmful to him so it got worse to the point where there's no turning back. Wenren E on the other hand, know the stake very well so he focus in cultivating his mind seriously. But well, MDZS WWX is younger so it make sense he's more reckless and Wenren E is already jaded by his past experience. Anyway, I love both characters okay? Tbh Wenren E reminds me of SPL's Gu Yun more than WWX because they are both generals. I'm also thankful that Wenren E is very knowledgeable about the cultivation world and explained to the readers how it works while adding his own input about it such as heavenly tribulation is a thing, dual cultivating, bonded weapon etc. I don't really have a problem with him aside from the fact he use the ABUSIVE romance book to try to understand love in the beginning LOL That's like the worse book choice to understand what real love it.

Yin Hanjiang's journey in accepting what he desire is very compelling to me. I love that he was never submissive or yes man originally but he's more like playing the role that don't fit his personality at all. Thanks to that, the result is he became mediocre or he can't progress. All this time he's suppressing the real him with the thought of being afraid it won't fit to Wenren E's standard. I like that their whole fighting dynamic was changed in the ending. He used to just assist Wenren E like a typical righthand man or side kick but later we found out he shines more if he's the one who charge first or be in offensive. I like that in the final battle he become the star of the show while Wenren E became his support.

Baili Qingmiao is the heroine of Abusive Romance. I admit I'm annoyed to her in the beginning because I hate naïve mary sue heroines with romance-driven mindset. It turns out she just need Shu Yanyan, Zhongli Qian, Qiu Congxue and Wenren E's guidance to realize what she's doing is wrong. Revolving your life to just one person especially if this person is not even worth your sacrifice is not the way. Life is not all about Romance. Its about love that comes in different shapes. That's why platonic relationship also exists. Self-caring and caring about the world are also love. I also love her realization that the world is not black and white. Even the righteous sect has bad apples in it and it don't mean righteous sect is entirely bad just like how Xuanyuan demonic sect is not pure evil either. They have demonic cultivators and ruthless, yes but that don't mean they are guilty to every bad thing happened in their world. But that don't entirely excuse them that their sect is still one of the most cruel sect when it comes to brutality. At least they have rules that they only harm cultivators and not commoners lol

There are so many interesting characters to talk about. We have Shu Yanyan the right protector who was always seen scheming against Wenren E but always failed, the scholar-like handsome gentleman cultivator Zhongli Qian as the most reliable supporting character ever, the insufferable He Wenzhao who treat women as his stepping stone to advance his cultivation, etc. But I'm afraid this post will never end if if I talk about it more so I only chose these 3 because I think they are the most important to the story. Just read it if you want to find out more.

I think I recommend this to people who read MDZS, and TGCF if you want to know how cultivation world works because it covers the immortals, gods and cultivators. I also recommend it to You Yao and SVSSS fans because it has the comedy that make fun of story stereotypes. And yeah, to Tian Ya Ke fans because of antiheroes couple with healthy relationship. I will read the Governor is Sick next because I'm thirsty for this dynamic.

[shirolian]

Star Crossed Myth - Review of Zyglavis, Hue and Scorpio

My current Star Crossed Myth career is at its peak - I wholly finished three routes (yes, that much, envious?) and now I need to unleash my brainrot. The finished routes: Zyglavis, Hue, Scorpio - in this order. 2:1 for Punishments but I suppose that is not surprise given that this game subverts the expectations of how gods should be and Punishments gods are mostly mewling kittens.

Zyglavis route as whole was, how to put it, felt like I dated a man who is older than me by 20 years. Comforting, reliable but also very lonesome and sometimes distant experience. His later parts of story were frustrating but this time the meme "my life is living hell and I have nobody but myself to blame" applies. The King shockingly is not the antagonist in this route, Zyglavis rigidity is. As much as I love strict meganes who are kind souls inside, I couldn't feel the real love and connection between him and his MC. Favorite scene in his route: The realization in his main story, where he finally acknowledged that he loves MC. The tenderness was palapable as he wiped her tears and whispered "you cry for others?" - it was very defining moment that rekindled his faith in humanity Favorite scene with Zyglavis overall: His infamous arrival in Hue's route where he breaks through window 😂 Route rating: 7,5/10

Hue... I kind of regret that I did his second. I should definitely do him last. So if you plan to play, don't do the same stupid mistake like I did. His route is full of lore and background about MC. The background especially will cause you LOTS of pain if you do his route early and then proceed to other gods. Relationship with Hue felt just right. Like two halves of one soul united and in a sense, it's true. Two halves of stars reunited 😭 I mean how much more of "their love is destiny" vibes can this get? Their banter was entertaining and witty, ocassionaly MC really flipped the tables back on Hue and it was amusing to see his reaction. Hue is definitely the brain in this relationship but his MC is not stupid either - rather, she is jealous and insecure. If you read my previous post where I ranted about this, you will understand what I mean. The ending of whole route was very unsatisfactory and the jelaousy plot of MC's was dominant arc, which annoyed the hell out of me. You know what would be absolutely perfect ending for Hue? If he got Scorpio's ending. Here, I said it. Favorite scene in his route: When MC travels back in time and is Clotho. Then she dies and we can see the aftermath - Hue, standing in the darkness of his room and MC clinging to his lifeless, breathing body. He just pulled out his eye for her, effectively crippling himself in the name of love even if the result was uncertain. The sheer rawness of the moment, the despair and mourning - it all deeply resonated with me. Favorite scene with Hue overall: The sequel (?) ending where Hue and MC talk their feelings and MC admits that she thought the source of Hue's uneasiness was his dissatisfaction with their lovemaking. Hue is literally speechless for a moment because it would never ever occur to him that THIS was one of MC's concerns. The aftermath to this scene is 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Rating: 9,5/10 - I blame overused jelaousy plot. Once, it was nice. Using it all the time was rather tiresome.

Scorpio, the local tsundere god from Wish- ahem, Heavens. He definitely is the most rude LI that I had the honor to date 😂 I don't really like tsundere types and at first, I really couldn't warm up to Scorpio. But his scene with train tickets won me over - man was extremely cute 😂 However, in terms of relationship, his and MC's reminds me of italian couple - they argue, loudly and violently, and then they probably hate-fuck or make up. Not the most healthy dynamic on the market but hey, it's otome, red flags are welcome. Needless to say, that Scorpio became green flag in disguise. His explosive vocabulary and prickliness won't go ever away but he softens significantly and opens up to MC. It was very heartwarming to see the progress fromt he begining, where he couldn't read MC's emotions at all to the end, where one look at her face was enough for him to deduce what she is thinking. The constant source of comedy in this route was Scorpio's mind reading ability and his open defiance to the King. Yes, the King. If I thought that the King was extremely tame in Hue's route, in Scorpio's the King is main antagonist and the biggest dick in universe. "Sparkly bastard. Sorry excuse for a king. That bitch." - Scorpio, circa 2015 This route had absolutely the best ending of all three - literally the ideal outcome that I wished would happen in Hue's. The real promise of Infinity together. I don't know what I expected but it really was not the most romantic rendition of Sleeping Beauty. Favorite scene in this route: Rabbit. Apples. The first time when they come up, the scene is SO darn cute. Then the apples become the staple of the route and source of comfort between MC and Scorpio. CUTE. Favorite scene with Scorpio overall: My knees went weak from that CG and moment where Scorpio and MC couldn't touch each other. They were in MC's apartment and Scorpio was about to leave. The longing, the love, the passion when they touched and kissed as the glass window separated them... *slaps seal of forbbiden longing* This is how it should be done. Rating: 10/10, no regrets. They said fuck the King and really did it.

[there-must-be-a-lock]

Writer asks -

@bittercape tagged me in this weeks ago and I’m finally doing the thing!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

215 works...

2. What is your AO3 wordcount?

976,222

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly Marvel and DC lately, but I’ve also written a significant amount of Supernatural and Criminal Minds.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Brains Over Beauty (SPN/CM) 

Spitting Venom (SPN/CM) 

The One With The Pottery Barn Couch (DC/Marvel) 

Quitting (SPN/CM) 

Origin Stories (SPN/CM)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! Almost always.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I usually just do angsty endings that are on par with the angst level of the rest of the fic, I guess — I try to end with some amount of resolution or at least hope, and so I rarely think of my endings as angsty. But probably Come Haunt Me.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Sweet Home Was Home. The whole story was about sorta… figuring out what happened after the camera stopped rolling. And figuring out what “happily ever after” would look like for them. So it was the fic that I felt was most important for it to have a happy ending and to have a full resolution to all the emotional threads. I really love the ending — I love the way it mirrors the beginning scene, and I love how well it sums up the ways in which the characters have grown, and I think it gives them exactly the full, meaningful lives that they deserve. It’s not just a love story and the ending reflects that.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not particularly.

9. Do you write smut? If so, which kind?

Yes. So many kinds. But usually the “rough sex as catharsis” and “kink as therapy” kind.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest crossover you’ve ever written?

Ha. Yes. They’re my favorite thing to write!

Weirdest ones were probably This Tall To Ride (Sam Winchester/Frank Iero, because that height difference is fucking hilarious), Daisies (Sam Winchester/Harry Styles on acid at Bonnaroo), and Four Super-Soldiers and Tony Stark Walk Into A Bar… (in which Slade Wilson and Soldier Boy are in the cryo tanks in Siberia).

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of, but I’ve never looked.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I’m aware of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! Marshmallows, with @noxnthea

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Winterhawk. There is something so fundamentally good and healthy about the way these two fit together, no matter which aspect of their dynamic you bring out, and there are so many - they work as grumpy/sunshine, as murder husbands, as snarky disasters... more importantly, they’re two characters who would be able to both accept each other unconditionally and help each other grow, and that is my favorite thing to read.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don’t have any right now! My only current WIP is Map of My Heart. The others have been shelved but I either don’t have interest in finishing them or I absolutely think I will finish them, no doubts involved.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Putting the reader in the character’s emotional state, showing character growth/development, and writing relationships that are ultimately healthy.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes and building suspense. Which is why I'm doing this instead of working on my fic! Oops.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I feel meh about it? I am not a fluent speaker in any other language, so I’d have to use some sort of translator, which tends to miss nuance and feel stiff, which is never what I want in dialogue. Instead I tend to use italics to convey that they’re speaking another language but write the lines themselves in English.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Lords of Dogtown. On fucking Quizilla. I am a Fandom Old.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

A Muscle the Size of Your Fist. If anybody wanted to get to know me really well, get to know what I believe and what I value and how I see the world, I’d point them to that. But it’s also just well written; I’m proud of the unique character voices and the way their narrative arcs all fit together. They all make each other better over the course of the story.

Tagging (with apologies if you've already done this) @kangofu-cb @stunudo @i-know-how-my-story-ends @carcrash429 @betrayedbycinnamon

[agerefandom]

10 Favourite Regression Dynamics

I’ve made lists of some characters I headcanon as regressors, and characters I headcanon as caregivers: and I love a good ‘character and reader’ dynamic, but here are some canon dynamics that I LOVE to add age regression to! 

Important note: these aren’t necessarily romantic ‘ships’ and they might not be healthy age regression dynamics but they’re dynamics I find it rewarding to write about! 

1. regressor!Will and caregiver!Hannibal (NBC Hannibal) 

Starting strong with a regression dynamic that is not healthy but it is such an interesting thing to add to their existing codependence! Will gives me such agere vibes and Hannibal’s existing trauma around his big brother history make this such an interesting dynamic to explore. It definitely tilts the power balance faaaar in the direction of someone who will take the opportunity to do terrible things with it, but that’s basically what you’re signing up for with any story about Hannibal Lecter. 

2. regressor!Jack and caregiver!Bitty (Check Please!) 

No one exudes stronger caregiver vibes than Bitty: I’m definitely a supporter of this as a double-flip pairing (with both regressing and caregiving) but I want the sad hockey man to get cuddles, goshdarnit, and you know that Bitty would just be the sweetest most thoughtful caregiver and I just gah they’re already such a good pairing with such canonically developed communication as a couple and I would love to see that skill applied to something as vulnerable as regression 

 3. regressor!Harry and caregiver!Sirius (Harry Potter) 

If anyone deserves a chance at a second childhood, it’s Harry Potter. And I think that when he connected with Sirius as a young teen, he really saw that possibility. I think it would be so sweet to see Sirius actually able to give Harry that full parenting: both at the age he is now, and all the ages that he missed. I just strongly feel like Harry is a regressor, and as much as I like writing him with peers supporting him, I feel like he deserves a real parent figure who can support him in that role in and out of regression, especially in his teen years. 

4. regressor!Jon and caregiver!avatars (Magnus Archives) 

Okay, this is more of a whump thing than a good dynamic, but I just want to see little!Jon dealing with avatars when they’re being nice to him, and it’s like 90% manipulation but it’s also a bunch of monsters being sweet and you can kind of read it as genuine if you squint. I’ve got a vision and it includes literally any of the not-quite-human characters of the Magnus Archives, ranging from the mostly-sweet (End!Gerry) to the completely-terrifying (Bouchard). 

5. regressor!Tony, caregiver!Pepper (Marvel) 

This is the first pairing that ever made me run to write regression fanfiction, and I do believe that I would not be an agere writer without them. Ironically, I’ve never finished and published any of my fics about them, but they have my whole heart. Taking Tony’s earlier unthinking dependence on Pepper and bringing it back in a healthy way, with limits and negotiation and emotional vulnerability, showing how much they’ve grown as a couple? Yes please!! 

6. regressor!Cullens, caregivers!Carlisle and Esme (Twilight)

I am such! a! sucker! for immortal beings finding a way to reclaim the concept of time and childhood. Carlisle and Esme canonically find a lot of value in being parents, and considering that they’re such a range of ages, I think that regression is a neat way to create that dynamic, and I just like big groups of regressors in a family and it scratches all of those interests in one!! 

7. regressor!Morty, flip!Rick (Rick and Morty) 

It’s the toxicity for me!!! I make no claims that this would be a good thing, but also I enjoy writing about the things that trigger Rick’s ‘oh shit I have feelings’ mode and you can’t tell me that regression would not key into that, both in his own experiences as a flip and then having to face it as part of Morty’s trauma. And Morty simultaneously trying to get away into independence but getting drawn back by Rick’s kindness in this single circumstance ties into all of the terrible themes of the show. 

8. regressor/caregiver flips Dean and Sam (Supernatural) 

Speaking of codependence, I cannot choose which of these boys is more symbolically resonant to have as a regressor, and both of them certainly have enough trauma to make it a viable coping mechanism. I think they have the art of balancing each other down to an art: especially in the early seasons, you can really see that process in the way they take turns being the Angry one. Writing about that balance in the context of regression is an interesting concept, and then the way that Dean relates to caregiving versus needing care, and Sam’s desperation to be the reliable one... it’s just a lot of tasty angst to play with alongside the sweet opportunity for a childhood without the war they were raised to fight. 

9. regressor!Erik, caregiver!Christine (Phantom of the Opera) 

Okay, this one is like ninety percent for the aesthetics, because you do need to do some handwaving over canon to make it fluffy. But Erik needs reparenting, and flipping the relationship from the original dynamic with Erik as a kind of father-figure is a nice way to reclaim the story from the original gothic maiden themes. 

10. regressor!Dave, caregiver!Roxy (Homestuck)

All hail my Ride Or Die regression dynamic!!! It’s basically canon and I stand by that! Dave called her mom and said that it feels nice to think of her as a mom because he had such a mixed experience with his own parental figure. And she’s got her own complicated feelings about parenthood and guardianship, but says that she likes it when Dave calls her mom, and it all just makes me very happy.  

This has been my TEDtalk on my favourite regression dynamics!! Thank you for coming!! 

[violivs]

NMTDaily - A Special Announcement

- Messina High has a new candidate for Student Leader, how auspicious! Still a riot that his campaign platform is his friend’s YouTube channel that hardly anyone at school watches though.

- Pedro and Bea’s friendship really is very sweet, I like their dynamic. Would be a shame if something… happened to it…

- “All Round Great Guy”. Never have four words been so laden with meaning that changes completely over the course of the story.

- Oh my god, Pedro was “a lonely kid” because he was living as an only child at the time. He met Bea before John came to stay. So the whole John thing was fairly recent. Finding out you have a secret sibling you never knew who you didn’t really get to grow up with is a trip. I wonder exactly how many years John has even lived with the Donaldsons at this point. Actually, it can only be four years maximum, because it was after Bea met Pedro. No wonder shit’s rough between the Donaldson boys. This is still very raw for them.

- “We’d been making real-life mermaid tails for ourselves… they exist, don’t crush my dreams.” The way this show sometimes feels like it was MADE for me though, mermaids are my favorite!!! I’m with you, Bea!

- I love this story. They met through a water and sand war! Why is fighting SO Beatrice’s love language?

- While we’re on backstory, do we ever learn why people started calling Peter ‘Pedro’? I don’t think we ever do.

- “You can’t beat me, you’re a girl, I play football.” Societal misogyny already being seeded in Pedro’s young mind like it still is in too many kids. A telling portent for his arc.

- They’re so cute! Love friends who make each other laugh.

- Bea independently bringing up Benedick again for no reason. Is this the first instance of “Dickface”, or have we gotten that nickname before? (Genuinely still headcanon that it eventually becomes a term of endearment.)

- “You were friends with him then.” “I tolerated him.” Ooh, the first hints of the lost friendship!

- “I don’t really have any big secrets or anything” *bisexual flag fades into view* That’s the edit my mind is visualizing anyway. Hugs and support for Pedro.

- “Obama had Yes We Can, I have An All Round Great Guy” - this took me OUT

- What do you MEAN this show is so old that Obama was President of the US when it was originally airing????? Time is meaningless!

- “Friends, high-schoolers, countrymen, lend me your ears!” That Julius Caesar reference, chef’s kiss! God, I forgot about that, and I love it a lot.

- Pedro’s politician voice is perfect, as is Bea laughing at him for it.

- Oh my god, I almost forgot to mention what a riot it is that Benedick has decided to spam the comment section with random comments and questions for her upcoming Q&A. He wants Beatrice’s attention so bad it’s a little pathetic.

- Oh honey. You do know you don’t have to share every thought that’s in your head? Some of these comments you did not have to share.

- “do you really think Pedro is an all round great guy? Because I’m pretty sure that’s me. I’m amazing. But like jokes, you know that.” Oh my god, he is SO jealous of Pedro, wow. I don’t know that he would have made all these comments if Pedro wasn’t in the video competing for Bea’s attention.

- “do you not feel like sometimes your life has actually been written out before you and you are forced to make decisions which are already determined?” Uh-oh, code red, major breach of the fourth wall! Also, it’s been this way since 1598 ;)

- Also the way that Ben definitely watches every single one of Bea’s videos up until Hero’s makeup vlog scares him off. He sees every mean thing she says about him and he’s STILL like an annoying puppy in these comments seeking her attention. He’s so drawn to her. It might not be super healthy right now, but it’s cute in a sad way.

- He also made another comment calling Leo hot. I think bi Ben is alive and well!

- Vote for Pedro!

💖🥭🦩