#no wonder they're so much of a lone wolf :'D

[stillresolved]

the left hand ( meta: yohan. )

okay so this is probably a post i should have made about k when i initially added them to my roster ( summer 2022, wow time flies sdkljfs ), but…let’s just say when it comes to the relationship between yohan and k, i headcanon that k ( ga-ram ) has romantic feelings for yohan, has for a very long time, and still isn’t quite over him.

( spoilers for 'the de*vil jud*ge down below! )

main reason for this is that ga-ram was young and impressionable when they initially met yohan and bc yohan was the only person at the time who could understand & relate to that rage and need for revenge….and ga-ram latched onto yohan HARD. yohan basically taught them how use anger ( aka repression and put into the plan instead ). literally put him up on a pedestal and thought he could do no wrong for a certain period of time. and while in the series it’s shown that yohan is very charismatic and manipulative, i don’t think he meant to have his plan take up at least 10 years of ga-ram’s life.

But also in those ten years ( or more ) before ga-on came into yohan’s life, yohan probably saw ga-ram as much of an anchor as much as ga-ram did…there probably was SOME kind of a romantic relationship or at least a friends-with-benefits dynamic between them…the car ride scene where k gives ga-on the advice about not getting too close to yohan, that’s the advice k would have given their younger self. By the time series starts, i would say k and yohan have like…you know that situation where you're single, but you rebound with your ex bc it’s easier to have a one night stand with someone you already know than go and try to find someone new? Yeah that’s kind of what their relationship was like- by then, k wasn’t passionately in love with yohan, but they did love him, even with knowing all his flaws….which is the reason they still stuck around after chang-hee died. 

this is all to say, in my interpretation of k, when they woke up after the fall, they didn’t take any of it well. Like for one thing, the system they and yohan were trying to change? Didn’t change a bit so that makes ga-ram feel like those last ten years were nothing. But also yohan up and running to switzerland and not even telling anyone where he was hiding for the longest time? Well it’s kinda like the main foundation of k’s life has just crumbled and while k does know yohan meant well, keeping this a secret, they can’t help but feel betrayed…yohan did have like a trust fund set up for ga-ram and technically ga-ram does get money ( a lot too ) from that, but they refuse to touch any of it. They refuse to talk to yohan or about him either.

( i will say, i think yohan probably also didn’t tell k for the longest time bc he knew k would follow after him and in yohan’s eyes, k deserves a chance to live their own life and the life would be healthiest without yohan there. )

[hils79]

Hils Watches The King's Avatar - Ep 1

When I'm watching dramas I try to rotate countries to keep things diverse and interesting. I'm due to watch another cdrama and I've been dithering for ages about which one I wanted to watch.

Finally settled on The King's Avatar. It's been on my to watch list pretty much since I first started watching cdramas back in 2020 so I'm about due.

I don't know a huge amount about it other than loads of my friends have recced it, it's about an esports team (I think?) and Yang Yang is in it. So, let's dive in and see what's up.

Oh, I wonder who the bad guys are

Oh no Team Excellent Era (these team names are not subtle) has a lone wolf in their midst who does not follow orders and may have just cost them the game

Love the slow motion mask removal with dramatic music. All that was missing was a hair toss. Does he wear a mask because he's Too Hot

I think this is actually only the second thing I've seen Yang Yang in apart from The Lost Tomb. He def looks better without the emo hair

Ooh he kicked the lone wolf off the team. So I reckon either they're going to end up needing him and Yang Yang will have to woo him back, or the lone wolf is going to defect to the evil team

Oh no is this going to be about the evils of capitalism and how the terrible bosses only care about making money not the love of playing the game

GASP! Yang Yang has been REPLACED! I'm not even joking I did legit gasp. This isn't what I was expecting at all.

And he's walking. Ooh is he going to set up a rival team of his own? I've seen Gank Your Heart :D

I'm really distracted by the fact that this team's logo looks like the Canadian flag

I don't know why but I always thought Yang Yang was tall. He's apparently 5'9

Oh no he's sad and Yearning

And now he's standing all alone in the snow. This is very dramatic

See, this is what I thought was going to happen. I thought his teammates would leave with him and they'd form a new team. But he's apparently not allowed to play for a year because he terminated his contract and he wants her to stay for all the work they put into the team together. This is quite angsty for an opening episode!

Oh he's starting over from scratch in the game, playing in an internet cafe. I kind of love this.

Ahhh the owner of the internet cafe loves the game as much as he does. I bet she ends up on his team.

Oh no I'm getting found family feels

Of course he wants to work in the internet cafe full of people who love the game as much as he does

Well, that was surprising in a lot of ways but kind of delightful. I'll probably watch another one after dinner

[shallowseeker]

In some of your other meta you mention that sam is a workaholic to jack...i was wondering if you could expand on that or had some takes about jack running away from home? specifically during the beginning of season 14

Thank you for the ask. It's nice you've taken this idea and run with it. :-)

I've been sitting on this a few days, anon, and I'm a little tired right now, but I don't think Sam was horrible to Jack or anything when he was being a workaholic (Stranger in a Strange Land). I don't even think it was purely the workaholic-ism that led to Jack running away. Jack, precocious and frustrated, wanted to run away to prove himself.

When I talk about Sam being a workaholic, I think that's part of the larger SPN narrative, "Get so busy makin' a livin,' you forget to live." And cliché as that sounds, that's definitely the Western experience, you know? Hell, many of the recent millennial-and-forward workers can't even afford healthcare/security, much less kids. We're fast-headed toward company store setups and rent/land feudalism again, too.

ALTERNATE SAM: And this is hard to hear – performing at your best requires all of your mental energy. Every last drop. You see, it’s just not compatible with something like, uh… hobbies or, uh – or even having a family.

14x13

In the beginning of season 14, Sam DOES reach out to Jack and have a heart-to-heart. He's trying to be a group leader, a loyal brother, and a father. It's actually Cas who's run off to Detroit to meet with demons. Bobby and Mary are overseeing Jack, Sam is marshaling forces, and Cas, in typical Cas-style, has gone lone wolf. These aren't judgments, by the way. It's just, again, family crisis dynamics. (And, like it or not, when another family member is in crisis, it's normal for resources to divert to that family member's wellbeing. Multiple crises get a hierarchy of support, depending on the perceived severity of the struggle.)

[Jack is sitting on his bed. A knock comes from the door. It’s Sam. He opens the door.] SAM: Hey. JACK: Hey. SAM: I, uh... chatted with Bobby. [Sam sits on the bed.] SAM: He said you may have had a rough day today. JACK: It was fine. SAM: Okay. (pause) Jack, I know this must be so hard. Without your grace, without your powers, it's a lot, I'm sure. But you can get past this. I know you will. I have faith in you, Jack. And I believe in you.

14x01

///

I do talk a little bit in places about Sam ignoring Jack after Ouroboros, which is I *think* the take you're referring to? Sam starts going on hunt-after-hunt-after-hunt, and he runs everyone around him ragged. (He feels spun out and responsible for the deaths of the AU hunters.)

His grief manifests in such a way that he doesn't look up, and he puts pressure on Dean to jump when he says jump, not even allowing for rest. He's not thinking about what Jack's going through or what Dean might be going through post-Michael possession. He's got tunnel vision, and as the "youngest in the family," Sam is perhaps used to resources being diverted towards himself.

DEAN: We've just done three back-to-back Hunts. I need some rest. At least a night. We both do. SAM: Yeah, well I'm leaving in ten.

14x15

The pressure Dean feels is that, knowing Sam's mental state, Sam will be in danger alone. And Sam, like Dean in 14x03, is itching to get out on the hunt. Except Sam is doing this on multiple back-to-back hunts. He doesn't give an inch when Dean tries to create a healthy stop point.

Cas and Dean ARE juggling Sam and Jack's struggles. They're even checking in about Rowena.

CAS: Oh. Thought you, uh, were gonna sleep until the cows dragged you home. DEAN: That's not the -- Never mind. I was putting some gear away, and Rowena called. CAS: How is she? DEAN: Not great. She's coping. But, uh, you know, at least she's not dead. How's the kid? CAS: Well, he says he's good, but What about Sam? He says he's good. DEAN: I think they're both full of crap.

14x15

It's interesting to me that Rowena calls Dean this time, because Dean is the one who know what she's going through about Michael. Sam is her usual go-to, but he's wrapped up in his own grief.

[willowfolksong]

Everything has changed

- Kozume Kenma x Reader

- SFW

🎮 It starts with you sliding into his DMs to thank him for helping you. You're new to the game, still haven't found good weapons or armor, and he was casually there to give you a few pointers. Not many experienced players do that, much less for people online they don't know. So of course you're thankful.

🎮 He doesn't answers you.

🎮 Okay, that's good. No problem. You memorize his username and make your goal to find him again. When you do— two more times in wich you don't say anything but stay back and watch him fight higher level monsters instead— you realize that KenKen always goes alone. He doesn't seems to be part of any team. Weird. Most people play on groups.

🎮 You smile at your computer screen, your cat purring contentedly on your lap. Maybe he doesn't have that many friends that play online games. Like you.

🎮 When you find him once more, you ask him if you can tag along. He takes twenty minutes to answer you.

KenKen: no

CattyCatThief: why :(

KenKen: i dont know you

CattyCatThief: well ask me anything! we can be friends!

KenKen: no thank you

🎮 You can't blame him. You wouldn't trust a random stranger online either. And maybe HE is the weirdo, and being friends with him would drag you into the so called "Internet's dark side" you've always heard people talking about. But he's the first person that helped you and the first player you encountered in game and his tunic is so cool and—

🎮 Your wish of getting to know him better comes back full force a week later, when you've managed to become one of the Dark Rose Guild members: a place for rogues and dual wielding warriors with a fancy for working in the shadows. You're sure whoever is behind DashingDarkBlade13 snorted before answering your question.

DashingDarkBlade13: everyone knows who KenKen is. he's like a living legend around.

CattyCatThief: really???

DashingDarkBlade13: yeah, yeah. he's a lone wolf. not in any guilds, and probably one of the highest level players around.

CattyCatThief: that's so cool

DashingDarkBlade13: he's not known for attacking newbies, but be careful anyway.

🎮 You hunt him down and manage to find him camping outside the capital walls. This time, you don't say a word, just silently following him around and trying your best to help him take the enemies you find on the road. He almost always ignores them, but they're good for leveling up, so you take the time you clear a path for him anyway. You wonder if he sees you as a kid trying to catch bugs.

🎮 After a whole week of logging on and basically just following him around as soon as you spot him, he finally snaps at you.

KenKen: what are you doing?

CattyCatThief: i want to be your friend! :)

KenKen: why?

CattyCatThief: you helped me when i had just started playing. and i also think you're really cool!

KenKen: ...

CattyCatThief: :D

KenKen: you wont leave me alone, right?

CattyCatThief: nope

KenKen: fine then

🎮 He's quiet, doesn't really talks much, but he starts giving you pointers on stuff you need to know, unintentionally sharing the lore of the game in a way that soon makes you realize that you're in the company of an expert.

🎮 You make simple missions while he goes on complicated quests, and then exchange stories after. And that's mostly you excitedly telling him about the monsters you encountered, or whatever loot you managed to find.

🎮 Slowly, but surely, he seems to start to enjoy your company. At least a bit. You decide on a place where always meet each other, he lends you the weapons he won't use, and his texts get longer and longer until you somehow manage to convince him to explain the lore of each place you visit in detail.

🎮 Then one day he's telling you about dragons, and you open your mic to screech because that's just so cool and you love this game and his explanations so much!

🎮 He pauses, and you watch the chat with worried eyes. Maybe letting him hear your voice wasn't such a good idea after all.

🎮 And then you hear, clear as day, a low warm chuckle that has you tingling all over.

CattyCatThief: omg was that you?

KenKen: yes

CattyCatThief: you have the cutest laugh ever :')

KenKen: i had to take my earphones off because of your screech

CattyCatThief: :(

KenKen: and thanks

🎮 From then on, his voice is a constant source of happiness for you. Your mic is permanently open now, and tho he remains mostly silent, his random comments and sudden laugh when you say something funny always manage to warm your heart in the best way.

🎮 You get better. You're not as good as him, but soon you're a force to reckon too. You take dangerous missions with him, and now always go accompany him on long assignments. He relies on you, and the fact that he waits for you before starting a new quest has you in disbelieving everytime.

DashingDarkBlade13: i mean, i don't know how you did it, but KenKen definitely changed since you came around.

CattyCatThief: you think??? :o

DashingDarkBlade13: he's not a lone wolf anymore.

CattyCatThief: we're two lone wolfs now

🎮 You move to Tokyo that year, because of your father's work. Going to a new school with new people is not something that has you specially thrilled, and so you spent more time moping in bed and being miserably in general after the moving than normal. Four days without going online, when you do you have around ten messages from KenKen. The last one brings butterflies to you stomach.

KenKen: please come back

🎮 You quickly type a reply, eyes full of tears because you're still emotional after leaving everything you know behind.

CattyCatThief: i'm here! i'm so sorry! I just moved to tokyo because of my dad's work and i'm still processing th fact that i wont be seeing my friends anymore and that i'll have to start my second year in a completely new high school.

🎮 You stare at your screen, biting your nail and wondering if you just shared too much personal information. You're about to apologize when he writes back.

KenKen: which high school

CattyCatThief: nekoma high

🎮 Your first day is a rollercoaster of nervousness and excitement and sadness because everything is new but also so strange and foreign. The teacher introduces you to the class, and you bow and ask to be treated kindly by everyone. When you straighten your back, your eyes land on the boy by the desk near the window, his wide eyes staring straight at you.

🎮 You don't really know how, but in that moment, you know it's him. The only available seat is one by the front, and so you slide into you chair and lean towards the girl on your right as soon as the teacher turns her back.

"Who's the guy with the blond hair, sitting near the window?" you ask her.

She snorts, of course she does. "That's Kozume Kenma. Everyone knows who he is. He's Nekoma's volleyball team brain."

Eyes wide, you take a peak over your shoulder. You think he's still staring at you, but is hard to tell with his hair falling in front of his face "Oh"

"Yeah, yeah" the girl adds, and finally there's a sense of familiarity for you "He's a lone wolf tho, has few friends. He doesn't really talks with anyone"

🎮 When class is over, you turn around to approach him, surprised to find him in the middle of standing up himself. You both gaze into each other's eyes, and you have to resist the urge of running to him and hug him with all you have. He smiles at you, timidly, the curve of his smile almost resembling a smirk.

"Hey!" you say, laugh bubbling up before you can stop it "Do you mind if I tag along? We could be friends"

His chuckle sounds much better in person, and that's the moment you realize that both you and your level 56 thief might have a huge crush on Kozume Kenma.

"Yeah. Thank you"

🧣 RED Love Story Collection

Part VI - Next is I bet you think about me

[undergroundbillions]

I warned you guys I was dark and evil. What goes on between D & Wolf & Bat between their deaths and when we see them is so interesting to me. Content Warning for death & small mentions of cannibalism.

Some darker aspects of The Trio that I think about A Lot:

- The main form we see General D. in throughout the show is by no means his Normal. He's a shapeshifter and likely found the best form to terrify Marcella while maintaining the surreal familiarity of a mostly human appearance. He's probably some unknowable Eldritch being.

- Not sure if General D. eats human souls or the physical flesh, but there has to be some soul left to join the army, right? So if it's the souls then there must be different parts.

- Sharing General D.'s table scraps is what made Wolf and Bat who they are, a slow transformation of their body and mind into monstrous versions of their former selves. Red Fang might not change much but imagine a half-bat half-canary creature. Thanks to Ronnie for putting the absolute body horror elements in my head.

- His army is entirely other souls he's devoured, right? So the doctors and nurses we see were once just people. The life sucked out of them, all their will taken. Just his puppets. Something tells me they probably weren't real doctors in their past life.

- When Wolf sings He Comes Riding it's not just from the perspective of himself, or the dolls, it's of everyone he's witnessed fall victim to General D.

- General D. had to actively manipulate Yum Yum to get her on board, aligning her anger with his own goals and giving her the attention she needed until she followed him blindly. Red Fang was just hungry (it's in his character description he's underfed) and would do anything if you fed him. And follows Yum Yum, he thinks they're still friends.

- I wonder how many other children and mothers are in his army (this one's just really sad I'm sorry).

- Evil is terrible company and it knows it. Ronnie suggested General D. enjoys the challenge of harder prey, especially animals who are harder to manipulate. I also think he gets a little lonely, a little bored with the monotony of eternal existence.

- He doesn't know what he's doing is morally "bad", it's all neutral to him. And in the end I think that's what interests me most about Gibson's version of death. If nothing in life matters then death is not a tragedy. But he's wrong! Love and friendship and family matter but General D. will never be human, even animal, so he will never know. He doesn't have the capacity to know!

[the-nysh]

We could talk all day about Garou's shocking many positive traits, but can we bring up the fact that he can't talk to anyone for a minute without bringing up that he's a genius and a prodigy? Like, I wonder if that shonen cockiness will remain with him after ONE rolls him back into the plot because /christ/ does japanese fiction love sending characters off to meditate on the meaning of life and then making them bland saints bathed in the heavenly light of enlightenment once they're back

Ideally, Garou post his redemption arc that I’m not even certain he’ll properly receive at this rate, would be best described as “still a cocky asshole, but he, like, understands why we’re here on this earth”. 

Heh, I don’t think there’s much to worry about with ONE in charge. :D For one thing, he never betrays how a character’s already established, but rather builds on the impression that’s already there, one step at a time. (Plus, it’s unlike ONE to deliberately introduce a major character again without having any further narrative use for them soon.) So while I’m eager for ONE to show us the ‘answer’ Garou’s come to after all his soul-searching and meditation, I also doubt ONE’s gonna swerve a 180 and have Garou come back as a completely different -bland- person from who we already know. Perhaps he’ll be wiser (as a more matured adult Garou, rather than the childish/young-adult version who’s lashing out on the cusp of adulthood and in turmoil of who he’ll become) with more self-awareness of who he is and what he wants to do. But his lone wolf tendencies, prodigious fighting + analytical skills (truly, he’s got the right to be confident about that aha), compassion/empathy and strong feelings on unfairness/injustice…I expect all those defining traits of his to remain intact no matter what happens.

One thing I hope for is some closure between him and Bang. Whether that’s some reconciliation or them coming to an agreement where Garou fills Bang’s retired shoes (inheriting the dojo? It’s possible, but I also doubt the lone wolf Garou would want to join an organization like the HA or Neo Heroes, regardless of their vacancies), I hope they can at least talk things out and mend their kinda father-son relationship that got prematurely cut off. (My bonus wishful thinking: Garou’s able to meet back with Tareo again and thank him for showing/teaching him what he needed to hear the most.) What Garou decides to do beyond all this remains to be seen; his hero hunting days are likely over, but I feel that becoming a free agent who’s off exterminating monsters on his own isn’t quite ‘enough’ for him either. Since ONE bothered to show him again, there’s likely still some unfinished story left to be told with him. ONE’s got some future plans up his sleeve, which I’m looking forward to, but again, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about with Garou coming back as a completely different person. Rather than that happening, I’m eager to see the Garou who’s stronger and more assured of himself in that sense, which is the kind of change & character growth that’ll be exciting to see.