#other than Wendy but she had to trap him LOL

[aceofstars16]

The Epilogue is up! After over a month (or five years, if you are counting the first seven chapters lol), this story is finally finished!

Thanks to everyone who read, reblogged, and liked it!

The whole story can be read on AO3 or you can read the epilogue below:

Epilogue

June 20th

This had officially been the longest day of my life. I already wrote about what happened in the past (Man I was really freaking out about time paradoxes, huh? Good thing there is such thing as a Time Wish!) but I thought I should fill you in on what happened after me and Mabel got back for the second time.

First, much to my surprise, the Mystery Fair was still going on! But it was different than the one Stan had put on before our time travel adventure. The biggest difference was that there were way more scientific booths around. You could actually learn things! But not all of it was different. Stan still had his dunk tank, and it was still rigged. Aside from that, most of the activities seemed a little safer (maybe the safety signs were actually real…but knowing Stan, they could still very well be fakes). I was pretty sure that the science and safety were Ford’s doings, and that was confirmed when we found our grunkles on the grounds.

What a reunion! They were so thrilled to see us that Stan practically tackled us in a hug.  What had only been a few minutes for us was thirty years for them! But true to their word, they had plenty to tell us, with more promised after we get some sleep (as if I’ll be able to sleep! Okay, Globnar did kind of wear me out, but my brain is still going a mile a minute.)  However, the pictures in the hallways of the two of them on a boat make me think a lot of their stories are going to involve sailing.

But the-

Okay, Mabel keeps begging me to let her write some. So I’ll pass it on to her for a minute.

Hi!  Mabel here! Dipper forget to mention the best thing! Or, one of the best. Seeing Grunkle Stan and Ford again (and getting the tightest hug ever from Stan) still makes me grin. BUT the other best thing happened when we first made it back to the fair. True to Dipper’s word, we started looking for Waddles. Now, with how different everything was, I wasn’t sure where to look for the pigs. And I was starting to wonder if they even had pigs at this fair. But then I saw him! Waddles was in a pen, just like before! And I won him again fair and square. Now I have my pig and both of my grunkles! It’s the best day ever! Thanks Dipper!

Okay, Dipper here again. Yes, Mabel got Waddles again, and I’m okay with it, even if it meant giving up my day with Wendy. Oh, right, I need to fill you in on Wendy in this new future! She’s still around, in fact, she still works for Stan! (And kind of Ford too. He told me that she’s helped him and Stan investigate anomalies a few times!) Ford said something about not having enough money to buy a boat. So Stan had the idea to turn the house into a tourist trap (count on Stan to have the same idea no matter what changes in the past). Of course, Ford wasn’t a huge fan. But they needed the money and Ford realized it would be a good way to educate the public about anomalies.

And so, the “new” Mystery Shack was born! It’s definitely more educational than before – which Mabel says is boring – but Stan still creates his fake attractions. There is even a game to play where you have to figure out what is real and what is fake. It’s a lot harder than it looks!

Soos is also working at the Shack as a handyman. Something about Fiddleford (who Ford told me was actually Old Man McGucket! Though he looks way different than he did before) focusing on his family and his own inventions and Ford not having time to fix the little annoyances around the house. Plus, I think Ford can tell how much Stan enjoys Soos’ company, even if he’d never admit it!

I still can’t help but wonder what had happened in the past to result in Stan running the original shack. But when I mentioned it to Ford, he simply stated that some mysteries are better left unsolved. And, seeing how happy everyone is…it’s hard to disagree.

So, I know who the author is. It’s a little strange, realizing that the biggest mystery of the summer is already over. But I have a feeling there are still plenty more adventures to be had this summer, all of which I will document here. I can’t wait to get started!

Signing off for now (because Stan just poked his head in to tell us to “Get to bed you knuckleheads, or I won’t tell you about the kraken I fought with my bare hands.”),

Dipper Pines

[thisbelongsto-nohbodys]

What future headcanons do you have for gravity falls characters from the Cipher wheel?

(Dipper, Mabel, Stan, Ford, Soos, Wendy, Pacifica, Mcgucket)

Huh, didn’t expect this kind of thing (thought I’d get TOH post-series headcanons before GF ones, lol) but here’s a few quick ones I guess.

Dipper: Following in his Grunkle Ford’s footsteps he became a researcher in the paranormal and supernatural. Getting a degree in several fields such as zoology, mythology, literature, religion, archaeology and occultism just to name a few. He wrote several boos on his findings along with having a semi-popular YouTube ghost hunting/debunking channel. He and Mabel still have adventures with each other and she helped Dipper graduate early and get accepted into the dream college that Ford wanted to go to but couldn’t. He would often write books under the pseudonym of “Dr P”

Mabel: Getting a degree in art she is more of a freelancer and does odd jobs wherever she can. Before going to college she did a trip around the country to figure out what she wants to do in the future. Her unique and interesting sweater designs got the attention of fans when she’d appear on Dipper’s ghost hunting webshow and she opened an online store selling her sweaters and personalized patterns. She came out as pansexual to the surprise of no one. She eventually grew to be the taller twin after Dipper had a growth spurt, he suspected she used the crystal lights but she swears she didn’t.

Grunkle Stan: Traveling with Ford and helping him catch up on things that he missed while gone (well, Stan’s view on things. Ford would look it up himself later and knows that Stan left out a few details). He comes back to the Mystery Shack in the summer and helps Soos run it, take care of his (Soos) kid and hang out with Dipper & Mabel whenever they visit. He also brings souvenirs from his adventures with Ford to make as new displays in the Shack.

Grunkle Ford: Traveling with Stan and uncovering more mysteries around the globe about various weirdness spikes. He often helps Dipper with his research and comes on as an expert on Dipper’s web show. He brings back some interesting things from his adventures back to the shack and treats the store more of a museum of weirdness than a tourist trap. He spends more time with Mabel who has knitted him several turtle neck sweaters and she would often be along for the ride when Ford and Stan go somewhere new (Dipper can’t always go due to school but he is okay with Mabel going)

Soos: Becoming the new Mr Mystery he ran the Mystery Shack better than ever and he not only kept the fake stuff but also expanded into a museum of weirdness where both Ford and the magical creatures can submit things to display. He and Melody eventually got married and had one or two kids whom he swore to be the best father in the world for them (he was). He also likes to go around town and help with random handyman jobs during the off-season for the shack and continues the legend of the ronin handyman

Wendy: Wendy worked for her dad at his lumberjack job in order to pay for college out-of-state. While there she discovered and came out as bisexual, having better luck in the dating/romantic game with women then she did with men. She and Dipper remained the best of friends and she even helps him with his relationship issues. She takes some freelance writing jobs to help pay the bills but also helps with Dipper’s web show and has gained a number of fans when she’d appear (mostly woods based videos where she acts as security for Dipper and his crew).

Pacifica: Learning the value of a dollar and taking several jobs to help afford her own place, education and other expenses humbled this former rich kid to the point that she cringes whenever she thinks of how she used to act. She started several web-businesses and has found a bunch of success, one of which is in helping Mabel sell her sweaters online. She and Dipper tried dating briefly but they found that they were better friends, especially since Dipper is usually engrossed in para/supernatural things, however Paz has an on again-off again relationship with Mabel which she (Paz) wants to solidify but respects Mabel’s free spirit and is willing to wait for them both to be on the same page. She doesn’t talk to her parents much and has pretty much cut them out of her life, especially after she caught them pretty much stealing from her and use the “we’re your parents, your money is our money” excuse.

McGucket: With both a newfound wealth and a somewhat restored sanity, Fiddleford started up a robotics company and is on the cutting edge of advanced robotics and AI. There’s still a few “evil” program glitches but it’s easily dealt with in the development phase. He and his son rekindled their relationship and became closer, he’s easily the “crazy grandpa” to his grandkids.

That was just a few off the top of my head since it’s been a while since I’ve rewatched gravity falls

[revivemyreverie]

⏰ Keres tea?

Keres’ accomplices (and technically only friends) were a group of older teens who saw the young man’s ability as something to immediately take advantage of. During a lot of their hijinks, Keres acted as both the getaway man and actual robber, but wasn’t given and credit and barely any of the rewards.

Eventually, Keres saw through their silly facade and left them mid-heist. They’re in a juvenile detention center now!

[serenity-songbird]

How about a oneshot of Stan asking the reader, (Kenny’s innocent sister based on ur sister kenny hc’s), to help him make Wendy jealous because he’s done with her bullshit. So since the reader is innocent, he just tells her to play along with his flirting (which is real flirting because Stan has feelings for the reader), and tells her in the hallway, “Wanna drunk and nasty?” while trapping her against her locker with his arm. Oh, and the way Kenny would react too since she’s his sister!

(I had fun writing this. Lol.)

When Stan first asked you to help make Wendy jealous, it was so he could get her back. As he spent time with you the next few weeks, his feelings turned real.

He did this behind Kenny's back, by the way. He knew how protective your brother was. It wasn't like you were actually dating. Kyle told him multiple times that it was a bad idea, but Stan didn't listen.

Now here he was developing real feelings and he hoped you liked him too. His flirting was now genuine and he loved the little blushes you'd give him.

Wendy did end up jealous, but when she approached him, he declined. She wasn't very happy about it...

He was really hooked on you.

You were different than Wendy. You didn't try to change him and accepted him for who he was. He found that he could talk to you about his problems and not feel judged. You were sweet, caring, and cute. The complete opposite of Wendy.

With you, he could play video games and hang with you normally. He didn't have to pretend to be someone else. He loved how shy you'd get. It was a nice change of pace.

He started hugging you more and his compliments were sincere. He was almost always by your side now.

However, you still didn't get it. You were so clueless that he started to spike his flirting up a notch. For once, he didn't vomit on you or gag whenever you were nice yo him. He was just so comfortable with you.

Keep in my mind, Kenny still had no clue what was going on...

You were currently getting books from your locker and Stan was leaning against the locker next to you with a smirk.

As you closed your locker and turned around, he put an arm to block your way. You were now trapped between him and your locker.

Stan's face was close to yours and his free hand, twirled a strand of your hair.

Your heart had begun to race and your face was red. You hugged the book close to your chest with a shy, crooked smile.

"St-Stan? W-what are you d-doing? I-I should be getting to c-class. So should y-you..." It was clear by now that you were nervous. Maybe he really did have a chance.

"You're so pretty, (Y/N). So sweet." He had lifted your chin and put his thumb on your bottom lip. His thumb gently pulled your bottom lip down slightly. The way you leaned in slightly and your half-lidded eyes made him excited. His lips were inches from yours. He could feel your soft nervous breaths.

"Would do you say, you want to get drunk and nasty with me?"

"...You shouldn't drink. It's not good for your health. I don't want you to get sick..."

...

He really should've expected that...

Of course you wouldn't get it.

He sweat dropped and sighed.

Maybe he should just tell you how he feels. He caressed your cheek. He took a deep breath and just blurted it out. He couldn't wait any longer. With you trapped near him like this, he couldn't hold in his growing feelings.

"I really like you, (Y/N). Be my girlfriend?" Your eyes widened. You stared into each others eyes. One of your hands grabbed his hand on your cheek. The look in his eyes was sincere.

"...For real?"

"For real for real." He assured you he was being honest.

"Okay." Your voice was a whisper as you both started to lean in.

"AHEM!!!" Someone cleared their throat really loudly. The two of you paused and slowly turned your head, recognizing the voice.

There stood Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny.

Kyle facepalmed, Cartman had pulled out his phone and began recording, and Kenny was dead silent. Kenny had an aura of pissed off evil surrounding him.

He was fucked.

"How...long were you standing there?'" Stan nervously asked.

"From the moment you trapped (Y/N) in front of her locker." Kyle's voice was exasperated. Cartman had a wicked smile on his face. Kenny just simply stared, un moving. "...Oh."

Kenny pulled down his parka and smiled an evil smile as his aura grew darker. "I'm going...to fucking...kill you."

You and the boys didn't make it to your next class as you three tried to stop Kenny from chasing Stan.

But hey, at least Stan had you as his girlfriend.

...It took a really long time for Kenny to finally accept it and stop trying to murder Stan every chance he got...

BONUS:

"You want to get drunk and nasty? Did you really think that would work?"

"Shut up, Kyle." Stan flinched as you pressed the ice pack against his black eye.

"I'm still confused about what you meant by that..." You glanced between the two. Cartman was calming down Kenny somewhere else in the school.

"Don't worry about it, Sweetie." You blushed at Stan's new nickname for you.

You would get it soon enough.

Because Stan was definitely going to corrupt your innocent little mind. *Wink wonk*

[ufonaut]

I asked you to rank the shittest dads of the JSA a while ago (which I loved so much thank you!!) so could you also do a ranking for who are the worst husbands or boyfriends in the JSA? I don’t know how to word it since some of the JSA are just not the marrying types (like Ted) so maybe who has just the worst relationship skills/disasters idk. Don’t make fun of me for my wording I can’t think of a word to put for this, but I just love everything to do with the JSA and the problems or disasters of their lives including the others making fun of said disasters lol. Thanks!

NO I GET WHAT YOURE SAYING. I LOVE IT. LETS DO THIS.

A Comprehensive Ranking of JSA (And JSA-Related) Members As Romantic Partners, From Best To Worst:

jay garrick - the model husband. it’s literally physically impossible to do better than jay. he’s completely devoted to joan and adores her, he pulls his weight around the house in terms of chores, he’s never forgotten a single important date or anniversary. women want him, men want to kill him for making them look bad

al pratt - complete sweetheart. he & mary james spend their entire time in college absolutely head over heels for each other but only manage to get it together after they graduate. ideal married life until mary’s death while al is trapped in limbo with the rest of the gang

pat dugan - only married his first wife because she was pregnant with mike and it did NOT work out but look at him with barbara! he’s fast approaching jay levels!

ted grant - ted is not the marrying kind and he’s severely slept with approx every woman he’s ever met BUT he’s a real gentleman about it and genuinely good company. 10/10 as long as nothing above vaguely amicable feelings is involved

johnny thunder - in the all star comics 1940 run, johnny tells the jsa he can’t join up until he asks his girlfriend’s permission. malewife

carter hall - for all the ways he should be banned around children and specifically around kendra, it’s undeniable carter did/does love shiera with his whole entire heart and her death is the leading cause for his occasional insanity. good husband, terrible person

johnny quick chambers - the jsa’s most famous divorcee. johnny isn’t a bad husband per se & he and libby were ridiculously in love once upon a time but the spark went out and they divorced because libby was embarrassed of his get rich quick schemes/infomercials. libby’s loss is the world’s gain

charles mcnider - in love with his nurse/assistant, myra mason, so there’s definitely something to be said about power dynamics (especially in the 1940s) and he does eventually get myra killed during a midnite adventure but. for a moment in time. They Were Very In Love. and i’m counting it as something considering who’s to follow

wes dodds - he & dian have that classic noir detective/girl friday dynamic and it’s fun to see someone as endlessly devoted to each other as they are & extra interesting that they’re one of the few couples from Back Then to never marry but rather opt to be life partners (not to mention the starman arc ‘sand and stars’ regrettably informs us their sex life is better than ever). there is, however, the matter of wes locking dian’s nephew in his basement and the insane insane age difference between them (spectre 92 tells us wes was attending socialite parties when dian was just a little girl)

rex tyler - well-meaning and deeply loving but there’s a chance wendi tyler did not, in fact, see her husband even once for the duration of their marriage. chronically absent. award-winning ability to miss birthdays and anniversaries

ted knight - great husband as far as doris knight & the rest of the world were concerned! now, yknow, if it weren’t for those pesky nights spent in sleazy motels with dinah drake after just about every mission for a year or so

alan scott - this is admittedly a little bit of a dilemma considering alan is gay & closeted and traumatised & angry about it but there’s no way of knowing What Might Have Been and how alan would act with a male partner (as i don’t think he’s ever had any experiences in the matter that’ve lasted longer than a night) so the fact of the matter is that his marriage to molly is a disaster and she’s unhappy enough about it to sell her soul to the literal devil TWICE. between his World Famous Anger Issues and the fact that alan smashes glasses in casual conversation with his best friend if his temper gets the best of him, this is a well deserved spot

[photolover82]

The Masked Singer Season 5 Episode 2 Recap: It’s Group B Time, let’s meet them! (Commentary & Guesses)

Hello my fellow Masked Singer fanatics! Welcome (or welcome back) to Ana’s Masked Singer recap, where I, Ana (nice to virtually meet you btw), recap every single episode of The Masked Singer. Here we are again with season 5, but this time another group, Group B, which consist of Black Swan 🖤🦢, Piglet 🐷, Chameleon 🦎, Grandpa Monster 👹 👴, and Phoenix 🦜.

So, let’s begin with the first eliminated contestant of Group B:

The first eliminated contestant was:

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

Phoenix 🦜

Commentary: Ok, so this wasn’t surprising whatsoever, she sang Tik Tok by Kesha and you can obviously tell that she isn’t a singer at all. Like idk how else to explain it to you guys, but I guess she was talk singing... kind of like Wendy/the lips last season... so it was kind of easy the moment she opened her mouth to start singing to recognize immediately who it was...

Having said that, she was revealed to be (as I knew, this one wasn’t hard)...

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

Caitlyn Jenner

Hehe I knew it! Again, like Wendy Williams aka the lips, this was way too obvious. She already walked around Hollywood Blvd with the Don’t Talk to me hoodie on so I knew she was going to be on the show but the min I saw Phoenix, the clues, and the moment she opened her mouth, I was so certain it was Caitlyn. No, I am not a big Kardashian/Jenner fan tbh but I used to watch the show way back when.... like in 2016? I am not sure, but I recognized her voice immediately.

Now onto my guesses for the remaining 4:

1. Black Swan 🦢🖤

Commentary: So she sang Barracuda by Heart and damn, she got a strong voice! It’s a really amazing voice, even though the song choice wasn’t my favorite, because it didn’t suit her voice completely and showcase her range, but she was badass (can I say that? Whatever, this is my show, I’ll say it, it’s not THAT bad of a word) tbh. In certain parts, she was like screaming a lot and I was like um maybe this isn’t her best song choice but her voice is amazing! She gives me Seahorse mixed with Flamingo vibes, I love her!

I think she is singer extraordinaire:

Jojo (not Siwa but we have another Jojo on our hands)

Reasoning/Clues: there are so many clues that match but her voice is the main thing that clicked for me that it was her, but let’s look at those clues so you can get the picture:

Wanted Poster with RV highlighted= she appeared in the movie RV with Robin Williams

She talks about being trapped and someone else’s prey and then getting out of it= she was trapped in her record label & there was controversy surrounding it and she had to sue her label for not releasing her music

A 5 on a watch= she toured with 5th harmony and has released 5 albums

Cluedledoo (Rooster) clue= she covered a monster= she covered one of T-Pain aka the Monster from season 1’s songs

2. Piglet 🐷

Commentary: He was my favorite of the night with his rendition of Speechless by Dan + Shay! You guys know if you have seen my recaps in season 3 (or even last week with Robopine) that I have a soft spot for a guy who has a super silky voice, like either boy band type or R&B smooth af kinda vibe (i.e. Fox in season 2, Turtle in season 3, Robopine in season 5).... or should I say any guy who can falsetto and Piglet is giving me those boy band smooth vibes, I love it so much! His voice is soooo familiar I am so sure about this one by the way.

My guess and I am so sure of this is:

Nick Lachey

Reasoning/Clues: This one I recognized immediately, the voice was really easy to figure out, but these clues also are pretty convincing (oh and he was on Ken’s show, I Can See Your Voice, so it’s not surprising that he would be on this show):

The clue package had a dating show vibe = reminiscent of Love is Blind, the Netflix dating show he hosts with his wife Vanessa

The world saw his heart break= he had a very public relationship with his ex-wife Jessica Simpson and they even had a reality show together called Newlyweds

Cluedle-doo clue: “knows how to stay cool even in the heat”= referring to his past aka his boy band 98 degrees (get it? Because that’s the heat and they are cool because they are a boy band... well played Masked Singer well played... I wanna meet whoever makes these clues because they are great with puns and they seem super clever)

3. Chameleon 🦎

Commentary: Chameleon surprised me I am not gonna lie. I thought he was going to be another athlete like Whatchamacallit last season or White Tiger from season 3 because he was so tall but nope he surprised me with his rendition of Ride with Me by Nelly. He seems like a legit rapper and I liked him a lot than I thought I would honestly so this guess isn’t totally out of left field.

My guess is that this is...

Wiz Khalifa

Reasoning/Clues: so yeah, the voice and the height kinda gave it away to me (Wiz is 6 foot 4 inches and his body type matches the chameleon), but also yeah clues I have to give you guys some logic bombs instead of being like eh that voice and height BOOM WIZ KHALIFA... yeah no it doesn’t work like that, so here are the logic bombs hehe:

Dice with 2 and 3 on it= he did a song with Miley Cyrus called 23

007 clue= he has a song called (yes this is real, look it up) James Bong (omg I am trying not to laugh while typing this but whatttt?! Google really is a gem omg 😳😂) and he played James Bond in the music video

His love of technology & “put tech in technicolor”= apparently, the guy is a huge tech geek and has said it in a lot of interviews (wow humans are so complex and cool, I would have never thought that this man is a tech savvy guy... but the more you know I guess <P.S. I Googled half of these things... like idk this off the top of my head duh, I usually go by voice with my guesses and then I google the clues>)

4. Grandpa Monster

Commentary: He sang Mambo No. 5 and yeah it’s a basic choice for a song, but I liked it. He is not my favorite by any means and now that I listen to it again, I can only hear this person and I am not a fan of him like whatsoever (even tho I gotta acknowledge he has changed and I have *I KNOW... I HATE ME TOO* agreed with stuff he has said in his podcast un ironically.... yeah I am so sorry, I hate myself for saying this too... anyways let’s just get to the person I mean

I have a sneaking suspicion that it is (unfortunately):

Logan Paul

Reasoning/Clues: Yup, um... I really hope I am wrong but honestly ever since someone said it in the YouTube comments section of his performance, I can’t un hear it and I am shook honestly (at least it’s not his brother... I mean we can get worse, and he has respected the pandemic and not been a prick like his *cough* brother *cough*... just saying.. oh and if you don’t know what I am talking about or who this is, he’s a YouTuber who got into some um controversy because he filmed a dead body in 2018 so there’s that... oh and his brother has done a billion worse things than him, but you can Google that one if you are interested in finding out more because it’s too much for me to talk about and we are not even talking about Jake (that’s the brother))... Anyways, sorry, I ramble, but ugh the clues seem convincing and it irks me that it is because I am not a fan of neither of these guys and I don’t want them in the show but whatever I guess he’s the lesser of 2 evils:

He was a troublemaking fool as a youngster= yeah probably regarding that suicide forest video a couple of years ago (that ok, lemme give him credit, he has apologized for it and has kind of proven himself... yuck I hate saying that, I am NOT defending him I swear)

Acting out for all eyes on me= he used to be very well known for pranks on his channel back in the day (before the incident) and he did some stupid stuff for clout lemme tell ya (I never liked these guys, like ever, I thought they were weird.... not my demographic I guess, I wasn’t 12 nor a boy)

6 in Xs and Os like football plays = he did play football 🏈 in high school, he was so good that and actually attributes playing football for long term brain damage he has that makes him as the Wikipedia article says it (I am legit gonna quote what it says because I thought it was fascinating) “affects his ability to have empathy and a human connection with others.” (Mind you, he himself claimed this according to this article)

“Acting out”= he has acted in a few things before and starred in The Thinning

Web with the shooting star= he is a web star, get it? YouTube... web star... hehe again these clue writers are *chef’s kiss*

Cluedle-doo clue: he has trained for battle= now his new thing is boxing and he has trained for actual fights before, his first one being against British YouTuber KSI which he lost... oh and I almost forgot, how can I forget this cute little detail.... he is set to fight Floyd Mayweather this summer apparently... OH AND DID I MENTION HE IS MAKING 5 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THIS DEAL?! He’s winning either way with this fight like damn... but that wasn’t part of it, I just thought it was trippy... again I say, Google is a gem, u find some interesting reads

Ok so that’s it (what a great note to end on lol)! I hope you guys enjoy! Sorry for it being so long and taking so much time to do.. it’s been a crazy last couple of days! I will try to get the next one this upcoming weekend so I’ll see you guys then. (Ohhh btw I now live tweet the show on my Twitter- @photolover82 so if you want to follow me on there and live tweet with me, that can be fun!) Bye guys and don’t forget to like, comment, and do all the social media-y things, you know the drill!

[tropicalfreckles]

If you've seen gravity falls, uncle stan?

Hell yeah I’ve seen Gravity Falls! I was super obsessed with it lmao

okay so Grunkle Stan! I hope I’m that cool as an old lady

Why I like them: HE’S GRUNKLE STAN, I gotta like him by default. He’s a crook, a con man, a gruff old bastard who is a funny jerk and super protective of his family. He’s a lot more smooth than I think he gives himself credit for and he’s definitely smarter than how he thinks he is either. He’s good at seeing all the angles from years of experience and will punch assholes in a heartbeat. Badass Grunkle.

Why I don’t: Personally? I think he’s made a lot of mistakes in his life. Sadly came back to bite him in the ass more than once. Most of them of course dealing with Ford. They both could’ve handled things better in different times of their lives during their fall out. Sadly lost out on so many years together as best friends and close twins. The character arcs they went through of course address and develop on that. Only regret is that Ford came in too late into the series and we didn’t get enough time with him for it! But Hirsch and his team did the best they could with the limiting seasons he set for the show since I remember in a commentary he was nervous about expanding beyond 2 seasons because he didn’t think once they decided to develop Bill Cipher as an endgame villain instead of a one-off one that they could do better than Bill. Back on topic I don’t actually had anything I dislike about Stan. His character flaws are polished off and he grows as a person. I think he could’ve been a little better at his guardianship at times for Dipper and Mabel however the man hasn’t been around children outside of Soos(and to a lesser extent Wendy. She only worked for him during the summer so less time than Soos)

Favorite episode (scene if movie): So. I’d have to say one of my favorite episode of Stan (in which I developed a lowkey crush on him ngl I wasn’t expecting to crush on an old man LMAO) was the karaoke episode with the zombies. That and also Not What He seems.

Favorite season/movie Skip

Favorite line: Children Fighting. I can sell this.

Favorite outfit: His Man of Mystery outfit is great and iconic however disco stan is fun lmao

OTP: lowkey kind of enjoy the crackship of Abuelita and Stan. (also I have played the grunkle dating game for shits and giggles LMAO and whenever I play a dating game I gotta make an oc for it. So I ship him with Vivien. I have Vivien and my other oc Frieda tucked away in a blog I made back when I was too shy to post stuff like this to my main. I might reblog them to show you guys. Old art too lmao)

Brotp: I mean him and his brother of course yeah. HONESTLY I think him and Wendy could be a funny ass pair of getting up to shit together if the show had Wendy in it more to develop that. Stan doesn’t have too many connected relationships with the citizens of Gravity Falls outside of being the town’s top tourist trap so I can’t really think too much about BROTPS unfortunately.

Head Canon: I like the headcanon of Stan being bi personally. I never have thought too heavily into headcanons for Stan really. I also like the whole Pines Family are Jewish.

Unpopular opinion: None that I can think of

A wish: My wish came true already him and his bro made up lmao

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: Idk maybe something cringey for STan lmao

5 words to best describe them: Conman, Cocky, Funny, Grumpy, Badass

My nickname for them: Stan is already his nickname lol. I don’t think he has any outside of that? And I don’t have any for him.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

also i’ve been mulling over the “we’re Living ex machina!!!!” line and like, it still doesn’t make sense Really, but here’s my Afternoon Musings i guess

i’ve only actually seen ex machina once like 3 years ago but as i remember it goes a little something like This: some rando white-collar programmer guy has like, won a contest where the prize is to go hang out for maybe a few days or a week or so with this ~visionary genius~ tech dude played by oscar isaac at oscar isaac tech dude’s off-the-grid reclusive mansion or whatever.......i thiiiink the Protag Programmer won b/c his programming submission was Really Good but also maybe there’s a [randomly selected] element to it, or maybe we Think it was partly random selection but then learn it was actually All “yeah i chose you b/c your coding was the Best,” idk. doesn’t really matter but anyway yeah protag guy gets helicoptered in to the oscar isaac genius bro’s secret mansion 

oscar isaac soon reveals he has this advanced ai android whomst he wants the Protagonist to study / turing test, and the protagonist does that, but during one Conversation Session with this android (who is named ava i think? and designed to Look Like a Woman oo) like the lights turn off and ava-i-think informs the protagonist she’s found a Weakness in the mansion’s security system and hackt it so that the power (and thus the Security / Monitoring Systems) shut down for a minute like this but could feasibly be thought of as a glitch and anyways she’s like yeah i have feelings and thoughts and i want to Not Be Trapped here, ya gotta help me out here buddy, and then yknow ooh the systems come back on, oscar isaac can Observe them again, intrigue.....tl;dr protag and ava keep having these short secret convos and Do plan to break her out, there’s this dramatic moment where oscar isaac (who’s natch been acting weirder and more erratic as the plot unfolds) confronts the protag after the protag has just like, tried to get him blackout smashed by Hanging Out With Him lmfao and oscar isaac is like “ooh i knew you were planning to break her out, i’m gonna stop you guys though haha pwned” but then oh further twist, turns out ava and protag Knew that was the case and were thinking one step ahead and idk but yeah they break her out and oscar isaac dies but ooh further twist!!! ava locks the protag (or well, just Does Not Unlock, As Planned) in some room and leaves the mansion and gets on the Helicopter meant to take the protag back to wherever after the planned end of his stay. and the protag is just stuck there b/c everyone else is dead and presumably he dies as ava gets to exist in the outside world now, idk, we don’t need ex machina 2 where he’s escaped or smthing lmao

and i do NOT get what winston is comparing their situation to lmfao. like, oh rian is like an advanced ai android??? if anything, her being the more like ~true believer in High Finance as a means of socially beneficial effect~ vs winston like, having the supposedly cutthroat and cold Math approach would make Him more of the ~oh no more a robot than a person~ (though i think it’s Ambiguous whether we wanna judge ava as more Scary Bad or Sympathetic).........you can’t even really make the connection that “oh no we’re being deliberately Replaced!!” b/c if winston is [protag programmer rando] and rian is [ava] and wendy is, i guess oscar isaac then, uhhhh oscar isaac most definitely did Not intend to ~replace~ the protag with ava, he very much wanted her trapped in his mansion still........and the protagonist Only got “replaced” by ava in the sense that she took his place on the helicopter out of the reclusive secret mansion. i really doubt she planned to, or would even be able to, like take over his identity/life beyond that.....certainly not his job lol like, coworkers are gonna notice you’re a different person, there was no implication the androids can like oh shapeshift their appearance or whatever, and no implications about what ava even intended to do in the Outside World which is kind of bemusing b/c like, what of the Practical Questions of being an android and needing whatever Fuel Source a robot does, idk that might’ve been addressed or smthing like “oh yeah they can just Eat,” also she clearly does not Trust People considering her only company was evil oscar isaac creator and she wasn’t interested in bringing the protag along, plus yknow the fact that she Did deliberately manipulate the protag into thinking that she wanted to escape into the world With him........but not like i guess she has any choice for any other world to escape into but the one with all the people where she pretends to be an organic human

like there is just NO point of comparison where these situations line up unless you get soooooooo like broad strokes about ex machina that you’d do better to compare your experience to Anything else lmao. like, does winston think she’s some like, ideal advanced version of him?? like you might consider a crafted AI android to be?? i don’t know but i mean i think we have a more feasible explanation for why he’s so Insistent about this totally being Ex Machina, if only b/c as a straightforward comparison i swear to god it doesn’t work lmfao None of these points line up at all with any significance that’s worth insisting on

given that winston’s Apparently Canonically meant to be crushing on rian, and we have his example of ribbing her by calling her “gal gadot’s quirky sister” which is like, okay so the dunk is “you look similar to this famous a-lister who everyone thinks is pretty” and “also you’re quirky, boom” like, i think that could easily be meant as like, a Tell that winston already ~likes~ her.............aaaand it’s also somewhat ~ambiguous~ but i mean i think it’s safe to say that in Ex Machina you may understand the protag as having Fallen For the ai android lady. so maybe we can Understand this invocation of ex machina as being like “ooh person meant to replace me is Attractive but ultimately i think this Overall Situation is a bad thing i shouldn’t feel this way i resent it” like, a bit of a Reach, but honestly it’s way more of a reach to think about applying anything else about this scenario to ex machina, so i could v much believe that the thought that went behind writing this is once again, like, “okay winston’s invoking one thing on the surface level here, but simultaneously he’s already (inadvertently probably) acknowledging like oh also i have a crush on her already”

between this episode seeming to be Setup and the [winston has a Canon crush] and the fact that it probably seems like They Will Fuck A Nonzero Number Of Times or Make Out At Least But It’s Billions So, Might Get A Humorous Cut To [Postcoital] Or A Scene Where They Arrive At Work Together Short Of Breath With Messy Hair  And Hickies And Winston’s Got A Hoodie W/ “Property Of Rian” On It Until He Goes "Oh Shit Woops” And Hands It To Her And She’s Like “Oh Btw You Forgot Your Glasses.....Uh You Left Them Here On Your Desk Yesterday I Mean Of Course” And Hands Them To Him And An Unnamed Character Stands Up And Asks “Daily Poll: Who Had Sex With A Coworker Last Night” And Rian And Winston Raise Their Hands Before Going “Oh Wait” And Lowering Them With A Shake Of The Head And A Nervous Cough and i’m exaggerating but you know, the equivalent of the billions writing saying “wwinnnk” at us. i am fine with them having an unsolemn like, quasi-rivals-to-lovers (or -And-lovers) dynamic, even with it being a bit messy in like, still an overall Fun way, where yknow it doesn’t have to be peak epic romance cuz a) that’s just Always true and yet it can still be overall an okay thing even if they don’t quite get it together / mostly just trade sparks and sometimes hook up and b) idk seems like mayybe rian’s character isn’t meant to go beyond this season, so, an inherent limit there if true

i’m like Apologetic for being like “already i like their dynamic even as Romantique and it’s kinda cute and fun and i’m willing to continue to be engaged w/ this as long as the writing doesn’t completely fuck it up” lmao like, i guess i Did inadvertently give myself time to prepare for this exact eventuality b/c of wondering if this exact character would have A Thing w/ winston whenever she showed up and even if i was like “haha the character could show up Anywhere and do Anything and what are the odds, right” i was also like “hmm but i’m going to really think about it though” like, as always, didn’t think i was cassandraing that hard, but truly did do it 4x03 style where everyone else can be like “you never [made the text post or gave any indication you were thinking about “what if whoever she plays and winston have some kind of romance thing going on”]” and i can go “i only thought it but didn’t say it....doesn’t count” but well. i did think it lmao and why would i make it up.......sorry i had such a head start on Getting More Used To This Notion.......some crimes can never be forgiven.meme.......

anyways natch “intense horrible passionate” seems a little foreboding but maybe she was talking about it relative to [any Normal show] rather than the standards we’re used to on billions, where this was all but a Meet Cute, and a kind of quasi coworker rivalry where nobody’s taking it *that* deeply seriously and they also seem to mutually like each other by the end of 5x05 already so how not-amicable can it get. and re: Intense like, maybe the writing in future episodes will totally upend this, but i’d say rian and winston in 5x05, even when “clashing,” was like damn near laidback and chill. neither of them seem at all that pressed, but maybe even a sorta-playful Friendly Rivalry is more “intense” than, say, a dynamic that involves no rivalry at all. imo “Passionate” is just like, okay, so they’ll fuck or at least make out? sure. not sure what to make of “horrible” lmfao maybe again it’s addressing like “this is a lil messy and they’re kinda rivals!!!” like, certainly not an ideal start, except by billions standards it IS weirdly great. rian seeming good-naturedly amused by winston is something we didn’t get from his longtime-coworkers until like, now, sort of, and still not to the degree that anyone has smiled at him as many times as rian did in like that course of [1 min long First Scene Together] wherein also winston always gets off to a way worse start with people lmao............like everything about this seems Way Better And More Dialed Back And Grounded than usual, actually. but it’s that like, point of reference of “what’s Usual for winston and, more broadly, Billions” that maybe explains this weirdly strong language when all in 5x05 seemed chill actually

anyways like i said Sorry For Already Liking Rian/Winston This Much with my head start and all where like, i’m even tentatively looking forward to seeing where this goes, by “tentative” i also mean going [”i’ll kill you” the office.jpg] at billions where i am fully aware that maybe where this goes *is* a mess and not in like, just kind of a fun, non-melodramatic, not-treated-like-a-total-joke-but-also-not-that-big-a-deal way, where 5x05 could seem like Those Halcyon Days b/c everything from here out just devolves into an unappealing disaster.......but this is an unexpectedly solid start imo and like. even if this doesn’t become like this epic romance where they officially date and if rian does eventually depart the show by the end of the season, it can still just be Enjoyable and Fun for the characters and, god forbid, the viewers, where like, you don’t have to demand we be desperately invested with our entire life in this deadly serious heartwrenching epic romance, they can just kind of mess around and enjoy having a mutual attraction w/ this mathy rivalry and etc and it’s neither a tragedy of “the greatest love story of all time torn asunder” Or, truly god forbid,” this is a Whole Mess In A Bad Way b/c winston’s involved and ugh who could Really like him, being at all romantically entangled is an embarrassing mistake surely, ew cringe we hate him............like, cautiously optimistic in how like i always say that a Romantic Arc is just an easy/efficient way to develop both characters and it could certainly humanize winston an ounce in a show that treats him more like a walking algorithmic plot device and the thoughts of any viewers but us are limited to “winston annoying” basically........the show doesn’t seem to treat rian as a joke, so it seems possible that their mutual Romance in whatever way it unfolds could also be Not A Joke, which means winston’s part in it isn’t a joke, so that’s Some aspect of him for people to take seriously, for once..........like, the way his apparently-already-official crush played out in 5x05 *was* funny but it also didn’t seem like oh it’s a joke b/c his feelings are a total joke......it might seem that way if this *was* totally unrequited and going nowhere, but i somewhat get the sense that the interest is mutual even by the end of the ep, that didn’t strike me as a “shove off, it could Never Happen” shutdown from rian there, just like, hold off on that for rn maybe cue to rein it in a little, not just yet........anyways lmao i’m like “oh yeah i started this post about the baffling ex machina thing” but yeah the point is i think so far it’s pretty solid and i like it and am cautiously but [relative-to-billions level of Hopeful] about whatever developments we’re surely gonna get b/c it def sounds like this has Not ended with 5x05, but seriously @ billions i swear to god. yes so far the approach to winston’s crush here and even their unfolding mutual dynamique and dare i say, romantic interest, is being handled with an encouraging level of “this is Humorous but the characters / their feelings are not what’s being treated as A Total Joke or anything,” but who knows what will come next, this is billions and you can’t predict anything. fingers crossed about it all, though

[madidraw]

If Stan really loved himself he'd dump Wendy and tell her to fuck off and leave her like the rotten garbage she is! Stendy is abusive and if the genders were reversed it'd be the same as Reylo, abuse only shipped by delusional fangirls who like innocent people to suffer. Terrible women like Wendy who are never punished lead to why MGTOW exists as a movement to liberate men!

Oh boyyyyyyyyyy where to even start

So I let you know, you decided to bug someone who doesn’t mind taking a part in a discourse at all. And oh well, I’m in a mood for rolling down with it so why not to pick up this trash-trap-anon then :DWarning: I didn’t watch the newest season and didn’t yet play TFBW so rip but google helps me with things I don’t knowI’d give you right, I doubt Stan loves himself and it was pictured not once not twice during the whole series. Not gonna argue about that.But where you decided that Wendy is ‘rotten garbage’? Oh that’s interesting. The more that you didn’t even said a word about Kyle in that post, and Kyle and Wendy are very pretty much similar folks :D From what I remember from the show, Wendy tries to help Stan and cares about him (like in that one episode where Stan was hoarding things for example). And her own character? She stands by woman rights, trans rights, fight against Cartman when he decided to make fun of breast cancer. She’s thinking twice before doing things, looking at herself, how she functions in the world, how she wants to function in the world. And when you’re in a relationship, you need to look at your own good too.So what if they are on and off every once in a while. They are like, u know, 10 years old, despite everything. And I know that kids in sp act like adults and adults are invalid but u know, sometimes u see the kids playing in the background with toys. Watching cartoon. Playing make-believe. They are doing with their relationship what they are doing with it cuz they are kids, so lol.UGH but noooww, we got to my absolute favorite part of your ask dear anon. Reylo.So, I dunno if you know cuz I know I have a few friends out there that simply like Reylo - because they fucking can and I won’t try to stop them, I’m fine with it - so I’m not talking a lot about Star Wars on my tumblr. But I’d tell you I don’t remember my life without SW. I was one of the kids who’s parents decided to let them watch those movies ASAP, and often. I remember Revenge of the Sith had a premiere in the cinemas and I remember I was mad that I didn’t go to the cinema for it (I guess I was too little). And oh boy, I fucking hate sequels. Starting with Kylie Ron, ending with Rey-what the fucking fuck way too lot - Skywalker. And I won’t shit on Reylo here cuz once again - I might hate it, but I have friends who like it so I won’t make their night fucking bad. I’ll just write down the facts from the movies.So, let me ask you.When did Wendy mind-torture Stan? When did she decide on purpose to make his life miserable? When she dumped him? Cuz I’d tell you, she didn’t dump him cuz she wanted to mess up with him. She did it for herself - to take care of herself and her needs. When did Wendy and Stan try to kill each other? Fought each other to death, actually?When did Wendy kill Stan’s father figure, mentor, and friends?When did Wendy commit genocide? (actually, lol, I remember Kyle commit genocide, and I guess you don’t have anything against this super-best-friend cuz u didn’t even try to say a word about him, protecting Stan from Wendy so greatly :D).

We don’t see minute-by-minute what happens in south park. But we know that Stan and Wendy do interact. A lot. Of course less than the group of boys do - cuz they are kids and kids usually stick to their own gender-friends. And this is only one of the examples. 

Kyle Ron and Rey don’t interact. We have a few of their interactions by force bond that wasn’t 100% hostile trying to kill each other right away (mostly cuz they couldn’t I guess lol) and basing on ROS there was not any more ‘nice’ interactions between them.In conclusion - I don’t care about what you think of Stendy. I know people shit on this ship but I like it and I don’t fucking care about the fact that you don’t. What I want to ask you tho, is how the fuck did you come up with the idea that Stendy is gender-reversed Reylo. Or how the fuck did you get the idea that if Reylo was gender-reversed it would be ok. Cuz it’s not and would never be, with the things they did to each other.

Please, learn what ‘abuse’ really means before you throw this card-word at somebody. You have no idea how you could actually hurt people by saying things like it. And mostly - just admit you don’t like Wendy and leave her character alone. She doesn’t get enough screentime for your shit.

[atopearth]

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Part 4 - Trials and Tribulations (3rd game)

Turnabout Memories Omggg! I can’t believe we get to see Phoenix and Mia’s first meeting! I’ve always liked Mia so this is great! It’s so cute to see a younger Phoenix that is so cute and careless haha. Didn’t expect him to be the defendant for Mia’s second case ever though, but I guess it is a Phoenix Wright game, they gotta put him in the spotlight somehow, so if he’s not the defence, he’ll have to be a suspect hahaha. It’s so adorable when Phoenix cries lmao, but wow Dahlia is so cute and pretty, she’s an angel! Those butterflies hovering around her though lmao. The bottle necklace was really cool.

Wow, I really liked how this case turned out, it definitely feels more in line with the cases in the first game that I liked the most, mainly because it’s simple, it’s straightforward and it rounds up all the evidence and people mentioned nicely. I didn’t expect Phoenix to be so smitten with Dahlia though lol, but yeah, she’s really evil, not that we get to know what her motives for killing that attorney were, but dang was she evil to give the bottle that hid the poison to Phoenix so the police wouldn’t find it. I find it kinda funny that it ended up backfiring on her because Phoenix refused to return it to her later on so she had to keep dating him to try and get it back loll. Gotta feel sorry for the ex though, he noticed that she was dodgy and had stolen poison from his labs and was nice enough to warn Phoenix, but that instead led to his death, sigh, so terrible. Considering Dahlia’s last words, I guess we’ll be seeing her again… But yeah, I really liked this case especially with Mia being the lawyer, you can see how great she was even when she was a newbie. Lmao at Mr Payne losing his hair and screaming when he lost loll. Gotta love all the exaggeration, it really makes the game haha.

The Stolen Turnabout It’s nice to see Andrews living a better life now than when she was a manager. Lmaoo that no one noticed the urn being weird with the name spelt wrong since Pearl glued it back in the wrong places. Shocking that the village is famous enough that their “treasures” are being exhibited though lol. Otherwise, Atmey the ace detective doesn’t seem very interesting of a guy lol. I have to say, I miss Larry and his ability to complicate everything so it’s nice to see him again! Can’t believe he and Phoenix didn’t talk to each other for two years though! But, I guess considering the type of happy go lucky guy he is, Larry following a woman to Japan and then getting dumped is believable loll. I wonder if he makes all the girls he dates famous or something loll. Anyway, I don’t know why, but I feel like Atmey looks like and feels like Mask DeMasque. Okay, I love Godot’s look, he looks cool!! HAHAHA, I love him already, he’s never won or lost a case before because he’s a beginner hahahaha. He’s such an eccentric but it’s so cute, it was so funny and slack when he wanted to call his next witness, but Gumshoe said he hadn’t proven anything yet, and Godot says he already proved his incompetence LOL. And I love how Godot said the safest place to keep evidence is by him pocketing them hahahah. Gotta love everyone’s confidence here, Atmey especially, he didn’t even get to see the culprit’s face and was knocked out by him but he’s still so full of himself lolll. Gotta love how lenient the judge is with all the dodgy people, but I guess that’s expected since he’s not the best himself hahaha. LMAO when Godot said objection and threw his coffee at Phoenix (Godot Blend #102 hahaha) and you see the cup on his head whilst it’s dripping coffee hahahaha.

Anyway, what is wrong with Ron? Why is he so insistent on being Mask DeMasque and being pronounced guilty? Ohh wow, didn’t expect the CEO that was apparently blackmailing Ron to die, and to think that Phoenix proving him to be at the CEO office at the time of the theft saved him from the current case but now has caused him to be arrested for murdering the CEO. Aside from that, I love how when Godot is losing to Phoenix, steam comes out of his head or he just says random things about coffee to express his feelings lmao. Hahaahha Wendy Oldbag is Larry’s superior and partner in KB Security? Loll, they both sound so dodgy, I’m worried for this building. I wonder if Mask DeMasque is like two people or something lol. Hmm so Ron was the thief but someone gave him the plans and what to steal~ HAHAHA, lmao when Godot said “you did it, didn’t you?” to Ron when he was about to start testifying and Ron with a serious face says “yes” and then realises what he just said yes to and starts saying noooo LOL. Like the judge said, it really could have been the shortest trial ever hahahaha. Gotta love Gadot’s variety of reactions, it was so hilarious whenever he spat his coffee out at Phoenix uncovering things that were unexpected to him hahaha. Anyway, I really liked how things went on in this part of the trial! Even though it was obvious Detective Atmey was the culprit, it was interesting to see how he made everyone fall into the trap of thinking he was actually Mask DeMasque in order to get himself a guilty verdict of larceny as his alibi to protect him from actually being accused of murdering the CEO. That felt really clever and interesting imo. Well, glad to know Desiree really loves Ron as much as he loves her, so it’s a nice ending for them haha.

Overall, although Atmey was a boring culprit when considering his motives etc, I found the flow of the case really fun and interesting. The case started off pretty funny and amusing by introducing the broken urn from the previous game again and making it seem like a theft case, when really it interrelated with the idea of someone trying to use the double jeopardy rule (can’t be tried for the same charges twice when some sort of verdict has been made already) to get themselves out of the more serious crime. I liked the idea and the execution of it quite a bit and enjoyed how everything turned out~

Recipe for Turnabout A fake Nick?! Isn’t it a bit crazy that no one in court or anything knew it was a fake though?? Not sure if I like the sound of this case already… The fake also kinda tarnished his reputation for losing and getting a guilty verdict too! Well, I didn’t expect to see Maggey again, bad luck follows her everywhere, huh? Even when she’s been fired as a police officer and is now a waitress… Yahh, Armstrong is certainly an eccentric character… Well, uh, aside from the disgusting food, overly pungent flower smell in the restaurant and those weird dodgy aromatherapy oils he’s giving out, is there anything good about this guy or restaurant?! Omgg lace curtains in a kitchen, I am dreading the possibility of a fire already… Lmao when Maya in that maid/waitress outfit couldn’t entice Victor to talk and so she had to turn into Mia lolll.

Honestly though, Godot makes me want to drink coffee allll the time hahaha. Lmaooo at Gumshoe trying so hard to get Phoenix to doubt his testimony and evidence so that Maggey can be freed hahahah. Awww so cute how Gumshoe made a lunchbox for Maggey since she seemed to have lost weight from the stress of the case! Lmao that it’s just a bunch of weenies/sausages with rice though hahahah. I’m surprised no one cares or thinks the chef is suspicious especially since Maggey fainted when the guy got poisoned, like ummm okay?? I’d say that the idea of the Victor seeing a fake crime scene with a fake victim was interesting, but at the same time, it felt really implausible? Especially with how easily it was renounced by Phoenix because of the radio lottery announcement that occurs at 1:30pm every time? Lmao at everyone (even the judge hahaha) getting scared of Tigre’s dominating presence and shouting so they hide under the table lolll. Gotta love how calm Godot remains.

And yeah…the way they tricked him into telling the whole court what the bottle of potassium cyanide actually looked like etc was just..so, how do I say it? Unsatisfying??? Well, technically I felt like the whole story of this case and how it happened and why it happened was pretty bland already, but even the way they got him was just so uncharacteristically satisfying. I feel like what I enjoy most about the game is when they give you the evidence and the testimonies and that leads you to solving the case with clear cut evidence etc to show that “this person” did it. It just feels rather cheap when they deviate from that since it doesn’t feel like the reader themselves really did their part to show why this person is guilty, instead you’re reliant on Phoenix doing something random and dodgy to succeed. On another note, I found Maggey blaming Gumshoe and hating on him really annoying especially when she was a policewoman before and so she should understand that he had to give the facts, like seriously, you can’t blame him for telling the truth, especially when he ran around everywhere trying to help find evidence to prove her innocence. Not only was she not grateful for any of it, she KEEPS blaming him even after the trial ends! Like girl, he has no obligation (other than his job) to help her to such an extent that he’s even making lunchboxes etc for her, I was so annoyed with her, and do not want to see her again honestly, but I doubt it’s the last time we see her zzz. Considering how annoying she was about it all, I’m surprised she still ate the lunchbox in the end, Gumshoe is wasted on her. But yeah, basically, not a fan of this case in terms of story or the characters/witnesses. Victor was okay because he was a silly guy, but Tigre was so boring, even more boring than I initially thought.

Turnabout Beginnings I’m glad we get to see Mia’s first case! I was scared they might put it in the next game or something haha. Is Diego (another attorney in the same law firm as Mia) Godot’s father or something? Or is it actually Godot himself? Or am I just thinking too much haha. Omgggg I can’t believe Edgeworth is the prosecutor!! Young him is so cute though lol. Nah, Diego has the statement coffee cup, he’s gotta be related to Godot, it must run in the family!! Loll. Awww Gumshoe and Edgeworth go way back! So, is Melissa Dahlia? Did she change her name?? Honestly though, I’m not really interested in the case haha, doesn’t help how biased the judge is and how tricky Edgeworth is lol. Okay, that was unexpected, Valerie, Fawles and Dahlia were in on this “kidnapping” to get some cash out of it, but Valerie betrayed them and caused her sister, the little girl “Dahlia” to fall to her death on the bridge? Ohh okay, that turned out more interesting than I thought. I can see why Mia was quite traumatised with her first case, she was so close to revealing Dahlia to be the one that jumped off the bridge herself to keep that 2 million diamond for herself, and how she killed her sister and pinned it on Terry to stop the truth from getting out, and yet…Terry was so obsessed and taken with Dahlia that he chose to commit suicide instead, and it was by drinking poison from that bottle Phoenix had in the beginning of the first case in this game… That was honestly pretty saddening.

Bridge to the Turnabout Okay, initially, I was sceptical about this with the Iris seeming to be Dahlia thing and the temple stuff etc, but now that Phoenix is hurt and Larry wants Edgeworth to defend Iris, this seems like it’ll be a fun case! Like, sure, the court was dodgy enough to accept a paper attorney badge last time and not even recognise Phoenix’s imposter, but everyone knows Edgeworth is a prosecutor! How are they going to get around that? Loll. Swapping the judge out is a good idea to get around it, but I like the judge!! Well, the judges are brothers so I guess that’s cool hahaha. But yeah, I love the usual judge, he’s so silly, it’s hilarious! Anyway, lmao that the “blackmail letter” to Iris was actually Larry’s love letter hahahaha, he ended up scaring her away instead lollll.

Omggg Franziska vs Edgeworth?? I prefer Godot but I guess this match will be interesting. Hahahaha at the judge thinking Edgeworth looks familiar (since he’s the same judge that was in the Mia vs Edgeworth case back in the day) and Franziska insisting there’s no such weakling in the prosecutor’s office lolll. And then I love how the judge tries to get rid of Franziska’s whip but Edgeworth says she should be allowed to keep it since he doesn’t care lolll, what about the judge’s wishes?! Lmaoo at Sister Bikini (what a name btw LOL) being so short (because of her bad back) at the witness podium, you just see her eyes blinking hahahaha, and then they had to get milk crates for her ahahaha. Awwww Edgeworth is so cute to say he now understands why Phoenix feels so happy when he exposes contradictions in testimonies hahaha. Larry is hilarious, I can’t believe he was literally sketching for 15 minutes when the bridge was burning down instead of getting help LOL. It’s normal for Edgeworth and Franziska to insult Larry’s intelligence but lmao at even the judge saying he was surprised Larry actually witnessed an actual event loll. Gotta love how Larry makes every case he’s in more complicated haha.

Hmmm is Godot the guy that was poisoned by Dahlia?🧐 Is Elise Maya’s mother? She is!! Iris is Pearls’ sister??? Do they even know about each other?? Oh wait, now Iris is a twin?? Well, I was thinking that was the only logical explanation to the people sighting her everywhere and the extra psyche locks on the Sacred Cavern (where Maya is trapped) but I’m still surprised that they’re all actually Morgan’s (Misty’s sister, so Maya and Mia’s aunt) daughters! Ummm, if Iris’ father is a jeweller and he left Kurain village with the twin daughters after knowing that Morgan could never be the master, and if he gave Iris up to the temple and kept the other daughter… Does that mean Dahlia is the other sister and that’s why she really wanted that jewel in that case? Oh wow, Iris was a part of the fake kidnapping as well but somehow betrayed Dahlia causing her “killing spree”. Hmm if they stole the jewel as “revenge” on their father for how he treated Morgan (dumping her since she was useless to him), what was their plan exactly?

Hahaha gotta love that the trial has barely started and it’s already killing Phoenix since Iris just confessed she’s actually an accomplice to the murder! Well, the pendulum swinging the body back was pretty much what I expected even though it still kinda sounds rather far fetched… And I was wondering why Iris was weird, she’s actually Dahlia! I’m kinda confused at the idea of them being able to materialise Dahlia without actually having her body like possess someone? Since it’s implied initially that Misty was the one channeling her, but now that she’s dead, she’s still materialised?? I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but wouldn’t it be most likely that the one channeling Dahlia is actually Maya? And yep it was! I was thinking it was impossible for Pearl to have been the one channeling her since she already since she didn’t and couldn’t do it, so I was so confused haha. It’s good that Maya was smart enough to consult Mia and that’s how they were able to plan and get Maya to protect herself from Dahlia by being the one channeling her so that she wouldn’t be able to know that the one she actually needed to hurt was herself. That thing Dahlia kinda became when she was disappeared was pretty menacing, I feel like she would be back in a future game just because of how vengeful she is tbh.

Omg, the defence attorney Dahlia poisoned was Armando, the guy who was helping Mia out in that trial with Dahlia. Both Mia and him were still suspicious of Dahlia after that case so she killed him…. I knew it was coming, but to think that Diego Armando is really Godot… Like, don’t get me wrong, I love Godot’s looks, but I’m sure having to wear that visor to see things etc already kinda depicts how terrible his life must had become after the incident with Dahlia. Oh wow, Godot was in a coma for 5 years due to the poison… I never expected Godot to have loved Mia so much that he hated Phoenix for not being able to protect her whilst he was asleep. And I didn’t expect him to care so much that he made protecting Maya one of his reasons for living, since he knew that she was the most important person to Mia. It’s so tragic yet sweet… I didn’t think Misty, Iris and Godot all cooperated trying to foil Morgan’s plan though… Honestly, it broke my heart to see Godot trying to guide Phoenix to the end of the trial by himself instead of always relying on Mia. It’s true that he hated Phoenix for not protecting Mia, but Godot also hated himself for missing out on everything that happened as well, he felt like he failed as well. So having to see Phoenix point out that Godot was the murderer was so tough and terrible to witness, mainly because they all did what they did to protect Maya. Misty channeled Dahlia’s soul to prevent Pearl from doing it, but that meant it was up to Godot to stop her, and there was no other way to stop her than for Godot to have stabbed her at that moment. Although Godot doubts whether he did it for Maya or for himself (for revenge on Dahlia poisoning him), I think there’s no need to even think about it, even though he had his own sort of pride (for not telling Phoenix about the plan), in his own way, he did what he could to protect what was precious to Mia. And that honestly breaks my heart.

The other most surprising thing to come out of this was that in reality, Dahlia and Phoenix only met each other twice (when she used him to hide the poison and when she tried to poison him in the end), all the other times they met and dated and had a relationship, it was actually Iris trying her best to get the bottle back from him so that Dahlia wouldn’t kill him. Although, she obviously failed and that caused Dahlia to hatch her plan and not tell Iris about it because she knew Iris had fallen in love with Phoenix. Honestly though, I really wanted Phoenix and Iris to get together this whole time, so knowing that they used to be together was really nice. If only it was possible in the future too… I thought it was really cool and bittersweet how Phoenix and Godot shared a cup of coffee with each other at the end of the trial. I guess in a sense, he’s finally free since the case is resolved, but at the same time I can’t help but feel so sad about it all. Maya and Pearl are really strong for being able to keep up their smiles.

Honestly, I found the last case to be rather convoluted and boring because of the fact that I’ve never really been a fan of the supernatural element of the game with the Kurain channelling technique. The only times I liked them using it was to bring back Mia, but not really in an actual case, so that detracted points for me, and I guess also because Dahlia wasn’t a very interesting villain either. Dahlia is just like this ball of pure hatred for everything and everyone for betraying her and treating her like crap, and although it’s understandable, aside from her looks, there was nothing I liked about her lol. However, the last case definitely hit me in the feels the best out of all the cases in this trilogy, I legit wanted to cry because of Godot’s/Armando’s story and motivations, he was really relatable and I couldn’t help but really empathise with his hatred, his sadness and his forced acceptance of reality in the present. It was painful to witness because of how much it broke my heart. He is definitely my favourite character for this whole franchise. Larry and Mia being close seconds haha.

Overall, although I found the Maggey case and the Godot one lacking in terms of the case itself, most of this third game was great! I enjoyed most of it and really felt like it had the gist of what I loved in the first game so it was great to play through it! The psyche locks are still something I don’t like, but oh well. Honestly, I really wanted to play as Edgeworth a bit more but I guess I can play that other game with him as the MC? It’s on Android so I guess I can play it on that haha. I think my favourite part was being able to play as Mia, I really enjoyed getting to see more of her personality and how she worked her way through her cases and how much of an impact that first case had on her. She should get spin offs too! Tbh, my favourite case was hers with Edgeworth because just as it had an impact on them with the suicide at the end, I also found it very interesting and engaging with how the case flowed and how it ended up all going downhill at the last moment. I feel like it was a really refreshing take amongst the usual cases. All in all, I would definitely recommend the trilogy because it really is so much fun! I’m so sad that it’s over tbh, I hope they port the other games, I want to see more!! A lot of the things are silly especially with introducing evidence out of nowhere and all that, but it just makes the whole story so much more entertaining, so I think if you’re not crazy strict about how courts should be like and just want some law drama fun, this is probably the epitome of it, because I have to admit, it’s so satisfying to hear Phoenix and them shout “objection!” all the time haha. The dialogue is so witty, cool and fun that it really makes the game such a highlight with how the prosecutor and defence attorney interact, and you just gotta love the silly judge adding his random comments hahaha. I miss it already😭

[magicalflow]

just curious. do you ship wendy/neal ?

GOD NO. Lol. She is a teenager at best and he is a full grown man haha. Now, I LOVE their dynamic and they are super close if given the chance to actually SEE each other again after she gets off the Island. But no. I do ship the potential that WAS Wendy/Bae because look at this face:

You can’t just give me that look and not expect me to ship it lol. But it was short lived and never able to get past that budding friendship stage. If wendy had been allowed to grow up (without him by her side) she would have moved on just like any teenager does. But she was trapped on the Island for FOREVER with the same mindset the entire time. He didn’t do anything WRONG in her head, so her thoughts on him didn’t change lol. If you’re wondering this because i said she’d still have a little school girl crush on him after the island, then that’s valid lol but that’s not really what I meant. She still knows him as Bae, the lil boy that she saved from the streets. I see it as nostalgic more than anything and then like … what? A week after? If she had stayed in Storybrooke, it would have faded into nothing. She’s still LOVE him of course, but not at ALL like that. 

[euphoriecs]

11/11/11 tag !!!

thank u sm for tagging me @yikescomma​, @buckaroowrites​ nd @yikeskimi​ !!!

rules: answer 11 questions, write your own 11, tag 11 people !

under the cut bc its a Lotta questions KSKSKSHK

yikescomma’s questions!!

1. what’s your favourite place to write?

oh this is ?? kind of a tough one bc i feel like i never Branched out in my spaces when it comes 2 being productive,, like a lot of my work is done in my bedroom just bc my desk is there and it’s the most convenient,,,, honestly im jus gonna say my favorite place to write would be from . my desk . bc it faces the window :-)

2. which character(s) from your wip(s) is your favourite?

since i only have wtsf confidently worked out ,, i’ll use those ocs !! but i think , quite Honestlie ,,, that wendy is my favorite character !! im rly in love with how she progresses as a person nd also she’s jsut . she gets it u know .

3. what are some inspirations for your wip(s)?

I TALKED ABT THIS BEFORE but b/ts’ hyyh series, my neighborhood, spring day by b/ts are a few inspirations for wtsf !!! 

4. how did you start writing?

my dad got me hooked on reading when i was really really young !! and being able to read abt all these huge worlds nd being given an opportunity 2 fall in love w them rly inspired me to want to write worlds of my own . plus , i watch a lot of different shows nd animes that feed into my daydreams nd sometimes im like ‘yo,,, that was a good daydream,,,,, time 2 story it’ .

5. which of your ocs is most difficult to write?

uHGHHGHGS ARTHUR ...... trying to capture this like . enigmatic feeling while keeping close 2 his reasons for acting That way is actually ,, rly hard?? hes a tough cookie 2 crack but i will crack it .

6. what aesthetic do you associate with your wip(s)?

for wtsf ,,, quiet towns , lonely beaches , sunset nd sunrise ,,, running through the streets ?? 

7. do you like planning?

YEA !! i see it more as like . being able to explore ur wip and what directions it can take nd its also jsut rly helpful to have a solid foundation .

8. what is your favourite quote from your wip(s)?

i pulled this from my drabbles but: “Slow down.” Wendy grabbed Arthur’s wrist, pulling him down to sit on the sand. “This world can’t keep up with you.”

9. do you like to listen to music while you write?

yes and no ?? im very particular to the kind of music im listening to nd more often than not, i write in complete silence ,,, but sometimes i’ll find a song that i feel rly fits the vibe of what im writing nd i just put it on repeat HGSHJK

10. what do you like most about your own writing?

i think i like the descriptive aspects of it ?? like how i describe places nd feelings ,,,, :-) !

11. what are/were/would be your ocs favourite subjects in school?

everyone except piper in wtsf is graduated from high school but ,, wendy liked english class the best bc it was fun nd she got good grades !! rafael definitely loved psychology nd took it at an ap level ,, arthur liked math nd chemistry .. chemistry he liked More bc he got 2 blow stuff up SKKSKSEH and piper likes world history!! tho shes not good at it . but she likes it!!

buckaroowrites’ questions!!

what is your favorite subgenre to write? to read?

i lov urban fantasy and low fantasy JGHDSHGJKS like its my favorite to write nd read bc like .. o heck ?? ghosts nd ghouls nd just overall supernatural stuff irl ?? that’s the way 2 go

if you had to be trapped on a desert island with any of your ocs, who would it be and why?

if i had 2 be trapped on a desert island ...... i’d probably choose rafael . honestlie he just seems like he always knows what’s up nd my chances of survival would increase w him JHGJKSJKS

what is your favorite medium to write?

definitely novels !! its a format i’ve pretty much grown up w and im more comfortable w this medium than any others GHSHJKS but i’d love to explore like ,, screenplays nd see where that takes me

who was your first oc?

HYLLY SHITTTT THIS BRINGS ME BACK SJHJHJGJKS i used to draw a lot back when i was younger nd so i had this oc JHJS his name was ian and he was meant for the maximum ride universe but he was a dumb dude who was 2% cat . nd he had an adopted sister ,, i forgot her name but she was part bird .

what was your first wip about?

world end club is supposed 2 be abt a group of teens who work together 2 take down a corporation that wants 2 essentially control the artificial island they live on thru engineered soldiers . ITS A CONCEPT ,, nd it requires a little Too Much for my one brain cell to think abt

thoughts on shakespeare?

uhhh no thots bc i never read his work in high school i jus know macbeth is cursed .... wow i rly dont know anything abt shakespeare huh .

poetry or prose?

o this is TOUGH i rly adore both .......... im gonna . im gonna go w prose . i lvoe poetry so much sometimes there are lines that just rly fucken punch u in the face but im gonna go w prose bc its familiar !!

would you ever co-write a story?

nO ..... i wouldnt b able 2 compromise i’d jus b like oH ACTUALLY SKSKKS MY IDEA’S DUMB LETS JUST DO URS 

write what you want to write or write what you want to read/watch?

oh . fuc .... i feel like its important to have a good balance of both but . honestlie im very partial to what i want to read/watch ..

do you like to write violence?

i dont Like 2 write it but its In My Wips !

what is your favorite trope?

oH ,, probably ‘fire forged friends’ or like . mutual pining ... i have too many favorite tropes nd somehow im gonna incorporate them all .

yikeskimi’s questions!!

Tell us about the main character(s) in your current WIP!

oKAY SO im gonna try to not make this too long SJKHJGS !! wendy is a very like . prickly character . shes like a cactus . nd she’s not too fond of letting ppl get close, but the ppl who do manage to get close to her are happie 2 learn she would actually die for them . loyalty is a Huge Huge part of her character, and she cares very deeply abt the people she calls family . shes also v sarcastic nd like . ‘open ur eyes dummy’ .

arthur is a kind of person who lives heavily on false pretenses . like he projects this image bc its an image that he can control nd he jsut Rolls w it , but hes actually someone who likes 2 tease his friends nd be friendly to them ,, hes got Issuez nd is very much the type of person to be like ‘o lol im ok :-)...’ nd prioritize the needs of others 

rafael is , in all honesty , just babey . he studied a lot during high school nd rly pushed himself beyond his limits bc he wants to be able 2 go 2 a good college on scholarship nd get a job 2 support his family , nd hes just ?? very responsible nd sweet but that can also manifest into him taking on more than he should nd burning out . 

piper is a very ,, honestlie kinda sad character kjHGJSJ she spends a lot of time just trying 2 appeal to other ppl bc she knows her interest in the supernatural make her a ‘weird’ person nd she wants to be able 2 have real friends ,, but when she learns 2 let go of this she’s very silly nd always making jokes During The Right time ..

Do you have an all time favorite OC? Tell us about them!

hMMMM i dont think i do ??? my memory of my ocs is rly bad JHSJ so more often than not i just ,, rip i dont remember them </3

If you could be best friends with one of your OCs, who would it be and why?

ms piper chaiyathan !!!! shes a very open nd kind individual nd i feel like our humor nd joking style would match V v v well !!!

Last line you’ve written in your WIP?

Wendy, unlike her brothers Adam and Nate, had inherited her father’s rough touch, and that made them both unwanted in the high stakes setting of a diner kitchen.

If you have a chosen title for your WIP, were there any titles you considered before it? And if not, what are some titles you’re thinking of?

when the sun falls went through SO many titles nd i actually have them all here: where the sun goes / fever dreams / above the sun / where the sun follows / the drowned sun ... as u can see the sun was smth i Needed .

What is an important element in the world your WIP takes place in?

uHHHH the supernatural element is . Very important but i cant be too specific about it but i will tell u it involves a dead tree on the beach .

Tell us an out of context spoiler.

arthur gets a cool new set of eyes.

Any power couples/ships in your WIP?

wendy nd arthur babey ,,,,,, bat nd molotov cocktail duo ,,,, last name central until the important moment nd THEN they use each other’s first names ..

Any music you like listening to while you write?

uHHHH specifically for wtsf i listen 2 a lot of hozier, lorde, conan gray, khalid nd halsey :-)

What would your main character(s) favorite song be?

oH okay i got this in the BAG ... wendy’s favorite song would Absolutely be work place by hozier or more than sorrow by a-lin ,,, arthur would definitely b listening 2 like . free spirit by khalid .. piper, since she p much spent all of middle school nd 2 years of high school in thailand ,, i think she’

Which character in your WIP could you relate to the most?

honestly? all of them !!! a lot of the characters in wtsf have little bits nd pieces of me bc thats how all my ocs come into existence nd theres no One character thats like “oh,,, das me”

and here are my 11 questions !!

Which one of your OCs do you think could survive a zombie apocalypse? Why?

What’s something you’ve been itching to write about?

Share the last paragraph you wrote!

Do you prefer coming up with plots or characters? Why?

Do you have any abandoned WIPs? Tell us about them!

What are some favorite themes/tropes to write about?

How do you get into the zone for writing?

Tell us a random fact for any of your OCs !!!

Are you someone who needs a visual for your WIPs?

What are some influences to your writing style?

If you had to be a character in one of your WIPs, which WIP would it be and what role would you play?

i’m gonna tag @babyreeds @holotones @alejandroistyping @noloumna @faerisms @omniawrites @aslanwrites @ashesconstellation @thegrievingyoung @glittcrpeach @syposium !!! no pressure to do it if u dont want to tho <3

[scarlettlawyer]

Next attempt: Shelly de Killer and Pearl Fey!

Shelly de Killer:

- I hate them / I don’t like them / I’m neutral / I’m ok with them / I like them / I love them / I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

- favorite thing about them: THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF ELEGANCE AND MURDER. HE’S JUST SO GREAT!!! I love the aura of absolute calm and aesthetic interlaced with imminent threat. Well, not absolute calm. He can certainly lose his patience. But he's not really one to raise his voice. It’s a quiet and terrifying anger if invoked. The veneer of calm is part of the gentleman aesthetic; the hint of anger is the imminent threat. Outside of his being angry, however, it’s still the same: even if he’s not angry at you, his mere job makes him intimidating. That’s inescapable. But his polite demeanour is still there. The combination of those things is fantastic. He will kill you if he must but damn if he isn’t going to do it in style.

- least favorite thing about them: I actually did have a reply to this come to mind, possibly connected to AAI2, and yet it slipped away shortly thereafter and now I cannot recall it, and after losing the actual reply I had I’ve honestly sat here struggling to come up with something. Like there were moments when I enjoyed his character a bit less, but... Hard to just list off a least favourite thing from that.

- ship(s): ...Oldbag. You have done this; you have planted this idea in the mind of my friend and I. Like okay I don’t actually ship it in canon OR in your fic, but the thought of it is so out there, and therefore amusing. And then my friend came up with this amazing JFA au running with the idea so, I do “ship” it specifically in the context of her au ahahaha. I love my friend’s idea of... him liking her and her not really being aware of it? Because it’s a reversal of what’s usually the case in canon. Let a guy be interested in her for once and have her be unaware of it. XD

Also just gonna tack this fic-related message(s) on randomly too but FOR CONTEXT TO BE FAIR THIS WAS before I read the ending which actually does address the death of Wendy’s husband and before the actual dynamic between Oldbag, Shelly and Benny had been elaborated on by the story:

(I ACTUALLY MEANT IN THE SENSE OF HAVING BEEN HIRED BY SOMEONE TO KILL MR OLDBAG BUT THEN MY FRIEND WAS LIKE “HOW DO I MAKE THIS ABOUT THE SHIP” LOL). Okay but maybe Mr Oldbag could have been an important figure in an au that someone would have reason to assassinate 🤔 :P

- BROTP(s): I guess Sirhan Dogen is the main candidate for this, although I haven’t thought about their interactions too much!

- NOTP(s): I don’t think I’ve really seen any Shelly shipping haha...

- Game/case where I like them more: Gonna go with standard JFA case for this one, but AAI2 case 1 is also just really awesome. Particularly the whole hostage thing to help Edgeworth’s investigation out.

- Random headcanon: Not headcanons about the character himself but rather in relation to him; I like to imagine how scandalised Phoenix would be if he heard that yes, Shelly de Killer, that guy Edgeworth and law enforcement at large are so intent on apprehending? The guy who kidnapped Maya? Edgeworth totally spoke kinda casually with the guy a bunch of times, and was even assisted by Shelly (you could even stretch this to perhaps argue that he COOPERATED with Shelly). Even saw Shelly face to face during AAI2 and had a chat with him. Well, yes, context, but... :P Especially without context, Phoenix would not be pleased. Not that Edgeworth would readily offer up this information to him. I think Edgeworth is in a slightly awkward position with regards to Shelly post-AAI2, at least slightly more than before, given how much help Shelly was and now having actually interacted with him in person.

Another thing I was thinking of recently is that... I think that there could be a very secretive and select group of individuals working for law enforcement SPECIFICALLY dedicated to trying to arrest Shelly and gathering as much info as possible. A highly skilled and dedicated team of say 5-10 people, and all of the information they deal with, and about them, is absolutely top secret. The group itself is secret, even, because this is dangerous work. They’re all about trying to track him down, analysing all the data they’ve gathered, you name it. Not that they have much success. But they would also over time probably veer more towards less conventional methods. Delving deeper into the criminal underworld for information, going undercover... Honestly? The closest they might come to actually getting a hold of the guy in person... is to go undercover as a client. Finding out how to hire him. It’s an awfully dangerous game they would be playing and their covers would have to be airtight.

- Unpopular opinion: I wasn’t sure how I felt about him sparing Simon. I really gotta replay AAI2, get my thoughts in order. This ties in with the “least favourite” question but I wasn’t too sure about the whole thing where Simon was considered to have broken the bond of trust for not saying it was a double and yeah I just gotta, replay the game haha. But... if a client normally recounts the ENTIRETY of the circumstances to him, expected not to leave anything out, as opposed to a simple “I want this person dead”, then I suppose that makes sense....Actually, wrong question for this but I’ll add it as a headcanon anyway: when Shelly meets with a client, part of establishing that bond of trust is kind of like the client “confiding” everything thoroughly to him, like telling a story of everything connected to, and culminating in the assassination request. He wants to know not only the who, but the why. What’s the client’s connection to and history with the target? Was there a time when they got along, were they always enemies? Is it just a political or corporate matter? It’s not about justification - Shelly doesn’t care how “justified” a client is and he certainly doesn’t judge. He just listens. None of the added information is necessary to complete the job, but divulging so much information is a demonstration of trust and helps make it clear this person is real with motivations and not an undercover person trying to arrest him or something like that. It’s also kind of an added bonus to get to hear some of the tales of intrigue that result from such meetings with clients. In the context of something like this, omitting the fact that the “president” was a double is a very serious offense.

I was gonna go on another tangent but this is already long enough lol.

----

Pearl Fey

- I hate them / I don’t like them / I’m neutral / I’m ok with them / I like them / I love them / I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

(I do love her! Just not with as much intensity as some of the other characters this series has).

- favorite thing about them: She is adorable incarnate, she is strong, and very cute

- least favorite thing about them: The fact that she was not allowed to grow as a character at all post-timeskip. I have so many complaints about older!Pearl. They took a ~17 year old character and forced her into the exact same role and characterisation as a ~nine year old! She is restricted and kept the same, and it feels deeply unnatural and kind of uncomfortable to me. The whole thing around her height too, like... why did they go out of their way to make her so short and tiny? To reinforce that we are still supposed to see her as a 9 year old? I love trilogy Pearl, I love her so much, but I find older Pearl so boring and so uninspired on top of that undercurrent of discomfort. They did nothing new with her, but in a uniquely and unnaturally limiting way in the sense that she is trapped as her trilogy self. After the timeskip the games appear to have a weird preoccupation with infantilising her because I guess they think connecting back to the trilogy (instead of doing something new) is the only way to keep us caring about her??

And like... Yes, Pearl embodies and encapsulates the cuteness and innocence of children. That’s a big part of her character and I love her for it, and I would therefore be reluctant to let that go. There’s nothing wrong with preserving stuff like that when she’s older. All I’m asking is for the games to actually put at least one new spin on her; SOMETHING that can distinguish her from her younger self so I’m not left feeling like she did not change at all in nearly ten years. A slightly different design, one (1) distinct new and different thing that sets her apart from (and potentially at odds with) her younger self, and I’d probably be happy. I don’t like what they did with her hair either. It sucks. Should’ve gone with the gorgeous inverted pretzel style.

Anyway I want to be given a reason to care about and be invested in older Pearl, an older Pearl trait that I can love older Pearl for...

- ship(s): Trupearl can be cute, but I don’t think about shipping much at all seeing as I vastly prefer her younger self, haha.

- BROTP(s): General “Pearl getting along with the gang” type dynamics haha.

- NOTP(s): Well, I do not like any implication that she has a crush on Marlon or vice versa. I really don’t like that.

- Game/case where I like them more: I’m not sure ahah. Good thing I’m trying to work through the games in Chinese on youtube so maybe I can brush up on my AA knowledge a bit.

- Random headcanon: Ok made this one up just now: When she’s slightly older she adopts the term “Narumayo” for her shipping of Phoenix and Maya. At least, the Japanese version of her where the characters have their Japanese names... lol. I guess her English-speaking self tried but failed to come up with a good name as the counterpart headcanon. Mayanix?

Actually, I guess another headcanon would be her being a hardcore shipper for any media she’s invested in. She moves away from shipping real people and onto characters, channelling all that energy elsewhere.

Or honestly, she could stick with real people and either become an Ace Matchmaker or overall consistently terrible matchmaker. Either’s good. If you combine the two, she could try to matchmake what seems to be an absolutely horrendous pair/combination of people, only for it to actually work.

- Unpopular opinion: Well, I think I already got quite opinionated above, and nothing really comes to mind to reply to this with. I might have been too harsh on older Pearl, but everything I wrote is what I genuinely felt and the impression that I was left with. That impression may be false, I’m not sure, but yeah.

[maple-writes]

(yo check out the new banner lol)

Charlotte led me through quiet hallways away from the rest of the hopeful applicants, the sound of their muted conversation slowly fading to silence. She walked with a long stride, shoulders back and each step more comfortable than the last, while I hurriedly shuffled along behind her. I swallowed and stole a glance at the back of Charlotte’s head. She wasn’t leading me into a trap, was she?

           I took a deep breath as we passed by an ornate spiral staircase twisting further down than I could see. Our feet landed solid against the stone, echoing hollow. I reached out and brushed the stone walls. They were rough under my fingers, buzzing with decades of stored memories. The muscles in my shoulders loosened. There was something comforting in their solid, unmoving grace. Nothing dangerous pushed through the haze of experiences. Good.

           Charlotte glanced back as our feet touched the basement floor. She gave an encouraging smile, the dim light casting soft shadows against the features of her face. “Almost there.”

           She led me to a door, solid, tall and made of a dark worn wood. Attached at eye level, stood a shiny brass plaque engraved with the name Ginger Lark. I swallowed. There was only one other door down here, and it looked to lead to something more like a closet than another office. Nerves coiled around my chest, but I forced myself to turn back to the door as Charlotte gave two knocks.

           “Ginger,” Charlotte called in a sing-song voice. “I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”

           There was the sound of movement behind the door a moment before the reply. “It’s open, come right in.”

           Charlotte took the worn brass handle and pushed the door open, leaving it open for me to slip through in her wake.

           The office was huge. At least four times larger than Charlotte’s. Shelves of books and artifacts stretched towards the raised ceiling. Despite how clean everything looked, the air smelled musty and old. A long, ancient-looking desk sat neatly in the middle, books and papers and a computer placed neatly across the surface. The only thing out of place was the hot pink leopard-print water bottle beside the keyboard.

           A little door by the side of the office opened, and a woman stepped out. I froze. Something wasn’t right. I couldn’t… I shrunk back, heart racing in my ears. There was nothing. Nothing. No gentle aura around her self. Nothing. No more of a presence than the desk or the water bottle or any of the countless books lining the walls. My stomach wrenched and I stole a glance at the still open door, but Charlotte, whether intentionally or not, stepped between me and the opening.

           “Oh good,” Charlotte smiled. “I was worried we’d miss you.”

           The woman—at least, she’d been introduced to me as a person despite the warnings blaring through my head telling me otherwise—tucked her hands into the pockets of her bright pink athletic jacket. “Yeah no, I’m going nowhere fast.” She laughed and turned to me. “This who you were talking about?”

           Charlotte stepped aside. “Asher Sang.” She nodded my way. “Cambion.”

           “For real?” Ginger leaned forward curiously, bending at the hip. Strands of blonde hair fell from a messy bun. “You’re joking.”

           I shook my head, not sure if she were talking to me or Charlotte.

           “Wow.” Ginger blinked and stood up straight once again. “I take it you applied to the college?” She grinned, one side of her mouth curving higher than the other. “And you couldn’t trick ‘em?”

           I glanced between the two women, suddenly feeling horribly outnumbered. “I wasn’t trying to trick anyone.”

           But Ginger only laughed. “Chill, I didn’t mean to imply.” She jerked a thumb towards Charlotte. “She just brings me the surprises, that’s all. I also take it she offered you an apprenticeship?”

           Again, I nodded.

           “Well, then,” she reached out a hand. “My name’s Ginger Lark. Exorcist and supernatural specialist.”

           Cautiously, I took her hand but as soon as I touched her palm, a chill ripped across my skin. Nothing. Nothing. I couldn’t feel anything through her touch. No feelings, no tensions, nothing. Like touching an object. No, less than that. Instead all there was a hollowness, a void, nothing. Empty.

           Ginger let her hand slip from mine and tucked it back into her pocket but all I could do was stare. She and Charlotte frowned, but I couldn’t speak. Not now. Not while there was still the empty, hollow, empty hole boring deep into my chest and dragging down my gut. I couldn’t think, thoughts starting to slow and quicken at the same time. An icy cold writhed deep in my body, seeping through the very pores of my bones and infecting the soft marrow.

           Then Ginger’s face broke in horror. “Oh! You’re sensitive, aren’t you?” She leapt her desk and dragged a rolling chair around the side. “Here, take a seat before you pass out.”

           Vertigo knocked me hard and I half fell into the chair steadied by Ginger’s grip. My head collapsed to my shoulder as I fought against the void threatening to tear through my body from my bones to my muscles to my blood...

           “Don’t worry kid,” Ginger spoke softly in my ear. “It’ll pass on it’s own.” She paused as I pressed my eyes shut. “Charlotte, hold onto him.”

           A warm hand wrapped around mine and I worked my fingers between hers like my life depended on it. Tension and worry ebbed through her skin, spreading up my arm and slowly starting to replace the icy void. I forced my lungs to expand in a deep breath, then another, until enough of it had faded back, and I could finally open my eyes.

           I found Ginger sitting on her desk, legs swinging in the open air. She rubbed at the back of her neck as I finally looked up. I let go of Charlotte’s grip, though my hands still shook on their own. But fear shallowed my breathing. What was she?

           Ginger sighed and her feet stilled. “I apologise for that, Asher. I didn’t realise you had that… Ability.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her thighs. “I should have warned you at least.” Her mouth opened just enough for the points of needle-sharp fangs to catch the low light. “I’m not human either.”

           “Ginger is a vampire.” Charlotte added.

           I rested my head against the worn back of the chair and squinted. Then my eyes widened. Oh. Suddenly it clicked. Of course she wouldn’t have an aura like the living. With both pairs of eyes still fixed on me, I nodded to show I understood, but try as I might, the words weren’t ready to form in my mouth just yet.

           Ginger returned my nod and leaned back on her arms. “I really should have remembered that….” She glanced up at Charlotte. “You remember Wendy?” Pause. “Same thing. Couldn’t touch her.” She shook her head and turned to face me, calm understanding written across her face. “I don’t envy you kid. I can’t imagine the things you’ve had to feel against your will.”

           I shrugged, shuffling to sit myself up straight. By now my body was starting to feel more like mine again. “I’m used to it.” I paused. “Well, usually. I’ve never—”

           “Met a vampire?” Ginger cocked her head as I nodded. “Most people haven’t. I don’t take it personally.” She glanced from me to Charlotte, then back at me. “So… How are you feeling?”

           I managed a smile. “Better.” My legs still felt shaky, but at least now I could form words.

           “There ya go.” She nodded to herself. “If we do end up working together, we’ll find a way around that. There’s still a lot you can learn. I don’t have to touch you for that.” She glanced to Charlotte again. “After some time Wendy was able to develop a resistance, but that took years.” She shrugged. “Either way, I don’t see it as a reason to refuse you.”

           Charlotte’s face fell, sorrow flashing behind her eyes until she noticed me watching. She cleared her throat and nodded. “I think, provided Asher you are comfortable with this, that you would do just fine together.”

           Ginger pushed off from her desk and stood, slipping her hands back into the pockets of her jacket. “We’d focus on learning through practical experience. For the first bit you’d be learning a bit of theory and shadowing me where appropriate.” She shifted back and forth. “From there, you’d start assisting, and on a case by case basis, performing under my supervision.” She tapped the toe of her running shoe against the worn stone ground. “Eventually, when you’re ready you’ll still be eligible to be certified like the mainstream students when they complete their coursework.”

“Okay.” My voice still came out pitifully thin.

           “Here,” Ginger grabbed something from over her desk, then placed a business card on the arm of my chair. “Let me know in the next week or so what you think.” A hand when to the back of her neck and gave an awkward laugh. “I can’t make you choose at least until you’ve had a little time to clear your head.”

           “Yeah.” I took the card, and gripped the arms of the chair to push myself to my feet. I swayed, head spinning for a moment until I found my balance again.

           “Alright then.” She smiled. “Talk to you soon then, eh?”

           I nodded and tucked the card into my pocket, fatigue slowing my thoughts.

           “Good.” Charlotte straightened her back. “I’ll lead you back to the entrance. Easy to get lost down here.” She beckoned, turning towards the door.

           I gave a final, tired smile to Ginger, “thank you.”

           Ginger took her seat at the edge of her desk and returned my grin. “Get some rest Asher. Talk to you soon.”

 By the time I got home the sun had started to sink below the horizon and the night chill had begun to creep into the breeze. The front door was unlocked, and when I stepped inside, I was welcomed by the smell of cooking meat and garlic. I shut the door softly and tugged off my shoes, calling out a greeting that echoed through the house.

           “Hey,” Striker called back from the kitchen. “How’d it go?”

           I rounded the corner and stopped by the island. Striker glanced back at me over his shoulder, seeming to be finishing up with something in in a pan. I settled into one of the stools and rested my elbows on the surface of the counter top.

           “I, uh…” I fished Ginger’s card from my pocket and placed it face up on the table.

           Striker frowned and turned away from his cooking. “You okay?” He reached across the island and pressed the back of his hand against my forehead. “You look pale.”

           I pulled back tiredly. “I’m fine.” I shook my head and rested my cheek on my propped hand. “Just… drained.”

           He didn’t look convinced, but he drew his arm back. “They pushed you that hard?”

           “No,” I shook my head. “The test went, well, I don’t really know.”

           Striker frowned.

           I continued, rubbing my thumb over my cheek. “They figured out I’m a cambion, so I can’t be a student.” I dropped my arm to the counter. “Said it wouldn’t be safe.” I saw Striker start to speak, but I cut him off. “But! The dean offered me an apprenticeship instead.”

           A smell like something burning came from the stove. Striker swore, whirling towards the pan and hastily removing it from the heat. He threw open the windows and tried to fan away from the smoke detectors. I yawned. It was a good thing Ginger let me go home and think: I wasn’t sure even how much longer I would be awake for, let alone have well-processed thoughts.

           When Striker finally got most of the smoke out of the kitchen, he turned and leaned against the opposite side of the island. “So, tell me about it.”

           I told him everything I could remember Ginger and Charlotte explained. By now it felt like hours and hours ago we’d spoken, but it wasn’t that long ago, was it? Maybe two hours at most.

           Striker nodded and rubbed at the hair starting to grow dark along his jaw. “What do you think?”

           I shrugged, bunching my shoulders beside my ears. “I don’t know.” But what was there to lose? “I don’t see why not, but I want to sleep on it at least once.”

           “Good plan.” Striker smiled. “I think it’ll be good. Maybe even more so than classes.” He turned back towards his heavily seared meat. “Especially in your case. She might be right in suggesting you’d do better with a more personalized approach.”

           That was true… I failed to stifle another yawn and covered my mouth with my hand. That foggy feeling was slowing rolling in and my body felt heavier with every exhale.

           Striker set the pan aside. “Well, dinner’s going to be a little longer than I thought.” He stepped back from the blackened meat. “We could use that for something else probably…” He added more to himself than towards me.

           “It’s fine,” I pulled myself to my feet. “I was thinking of just going to bed anyway.”

           “Oh, okay.” Striker nodded. “I’ll make you some anyway and put it in the fridge in case you wake up later.”

           Warmth seeped into my chest and I smiled. “Thanks.” I turned and started towards the stairs. “See you tomorrow.”

           He returned my good night and I left him to his cooking. Weariness tugging at my eyelids, I barely remembered to tuck myself into bed before I all but passed out.

 Asher.

I stood in a forest, looking down off a ledge to a dark lake sparkling in the halfmoon light. Clawed fingers reached out to steady myself as I crouched by a tall pine.

Asher, how are you? How long has it been? I’m sorry, time gets away from me.

It’s fine. I took a deep breath of the fresh mossy air, glowing eyes tracking bats flitting and diving to catch mosquitos above the lake’s surface. It’s been a while though.

Are you busy tonight?

I’ll visit, but I can’t promise I’ll be very lively.

A sharp-toothed smile spread across my face and I rose from my crouch. I’ll meet you in the usual spot then. I turned away from the lake, the dim moonlight casting a faint, horned shadow onto the leaf litter. Good evening, Ash.

[rkgray]

#rkfifth

As I've did some tagging and mentioning a few months ago (and I am not very good with that, I apologize big time!) with my muses anniversary's I thought of a different way to celebrate #rkfifth. The suggestions of rkfanfic sounded like a lot of fun, so I decided to use some of the questions for a "quick" round of reminiscing in old memories of the years I am part of ROOKIES. In the following paragraphs I will be picking up old posts and anecdotes I might didn't shared so far, but before I do that, I would like to thank everyone who plotted and threaded with me until now. I know I am not very fast with replies, but I hope we can continue on having fun together and share love and peace in our beloved ROOKIES! And here I would like to give a special thanks to our wonderful Admod team who created this whole universe for everyone of us to relax and enjoy our big and little bonds together. Thank you a lot!!

QUESTION TIME:

What was the most memorable moment of your muse? Rkkanggary/Rkgray: How he became the MVP in Taeyeon's team during MGA3 and reached the finals and even, when he didn't received a contract right away, I was really happy for him to get a contract offer from KT (despite being Gary at that time) after the KT & ROYAL Contest. Another really memorable moment involved a rknetizen: rknettissen. This was the first time for Gary to be recognized and I have to confess that I've read the few lines about him and his offbeat rap over and over again. Whoever is the typist of SSEUNNIE, bless your soul. Rkkangjoon: Of course the most memorable moment of Kang Joon is a negative one so far, lol. It was the first day as ROYAL trainee, when he and his now ex-girlfriend Rose (@rkrose) were called to the office to be remembered about the dating-ban. Not the best way to start a musical career, I suppose. But oh, well, this played a big part of his character development. Positive memories were the positive family article in MGA3 (from which I never expected that Kang Joon would be mentioned at all) and the chance to Co-Host Royal Survival together with Baekhyun (@rkbyunbaek).

What did you never imagine your muse to do? G: To have a crush on a OLDER man. Saranghae Huidong hyung :* (@rkhuidong). Long Life the old man ship ~. I never exptected him to climb on his neighbours balcony to get into his apartment (@rkyngsun), to get annoyed by a fellow trainee (@rksungho), to form a "colour line" with a sunbae (@rkxblue), to give his jacket to a stranger (@rkjinhwan94), to catch a thief for a stranger(@rksxngji), to find a dance rival with chocolate abs (@yubinrk), to have a snowman faceoff (@rkxminhee), to meet a female dj (@rkkaeun), to find a muse (@rkseolhyun), to fight over a cabbage for kimchi (@rksohee), to cry over The Lion King (@rkohsehun), to be a snail oppa to a supportive little sister (@rksoojung), to be attracted to a sunbae (@rkariel), to have a rapper buddy (@minhyukxrk). KJ:To date a girl for only two weeks in summer (@sujirk), to let someone touch his dimples at the first meeting (@rksohee), to climb out of a broken elevator with his ex-girlfriend to get her to the job interview (@rkrose), to smack a female stranger's ass in public (@rkchungha & he should really stop do buttsmacks and gropes as greetings), to send a stranger a photo of himself halfnaked (@rkjimin), to vent on a female (@rkyena), to have a wingwoman (@rkcheri), to fancy PrettyLegWoman to the point he starts dating her (@hyunark), to brotect the broknae (@aronrk), to have a cute fangirl (@rksoohyun), to meet his first boyfriend at a swing (@rkseokwoo).

What do you wish your muse to do or take part in in the future? G: Appear in a variety show like Running Man or a music show like Show me your money. KJ: Acting in a drama like School 2013 or be in a variety show such as Roommate or We got married.

Most memorable event? For both definitely MGA3!

Which muse do you think developed more? As Gray is characterwise basically the same as before (just more deep and poetic), I would say it is Kang Joon who developed more. Brosquad did a great job to shape him from the character which was inspired from Cheese in the Trap to a real bro. Originally he was supposed a bit of a fuckboy and a player but with Rose’s help, the first real KJ ship I came across with in Rookies, he became a romantic and loyal and devoted to someone other than his squad members. At the same time the idea of a real angsty muse grew on me which turned out to be the recipe for me to get my muse running on rkkangjoon. Due to his unpredictability it was fun to explore difficult situations, and even when he have been through some sh*t (ic and ooc wise) I think it was important to go through every single moment for me to create the kind of muse he is today. Nonetheless Gary/Gray as well developed, though in a different way than Kang Joon. For him it is more like he received more depth to be true to himself. And he turned out to be exactly how I imagined him and how I love him.

Tell about a precious memory within your years in Rookies. I always like to remember how the Brosquad began. At that time most muns were still using Aim and Jen (@yujurk) as well had introduced me to this app. As Jenn had left the rp with Jimin, the KangJi ship was done for which was why Kang Joon was a little down for a while. I am not sure how things escalated that fast but I do remember I began talking to Lyn (@rsxnn) when I met her through Jen, since she wanted a best buddy for Minsoo. Minsoo and Kang Joon became highschool buddies and the chemistry between them exploded. So Minsoo became Joon’s first bro, and soon after Lyn and Jen started to discuss ship partners for Kang Joon which was how I came to meet Clara (@rkwendy) as well (can you believe there was a time, when Jen wanted Wendy and Kang Joon end up together? XD). Somehow former Hyuna and Minju got thrown into the ship discussion as well and things got messy. Emily and Bora as well as Nana (@hyunark) and Elly got added in the female squad which let to the idea that Minsoo, Kang Joon and Gary needed another addition. At that time Maddie @aronrk) had Aron post a tweet in which he asked for #justiceforgary as he didn’t received a contract despite being a MGA3 finalist. This touched me so deeply because Kang Joon received a little more attention during the MGA3 and I was so happy to propose to ask Aron join the squad. As I am a great fan of Barney Stinson from HIMYM “The Brocode” soon became the male squad’s bible from which we derived the name Brosquad. And as the girls were like babysitters sometimes and had to give their VETOs about a whole list of activities they still have to do and try we named the girls the Antisquad. The original squad was born. And even when the squad was mixed up after muns and muses left, this special bond with its new additions of Sammi (@rkxminhee) and Minhee and Clara’s Johnny as well as Roe's Yooa (@rkyooa) is my forever favorite relationship. Big shout out to all squad members, thank you for accepting and loving my guys. Thank you for giving me a place in Rookies, I love you all. PS: Special shout out to Phani (@rkxjiyoon) (even when she won’t read this), thank you for willing to slow burn ship with KT’s ahjussi, even when he had Gary’s face back then. PPS: As you can see, this whole squad thing originated from Jen’s magic to connect people. It’s all your fault! Without you, things would have turned out differently for my boys, especially for Kang Joon who wouldn’t have a loving noona who beat reason and rationality into him during Highschool. Thank you! ♡

Predictions and wishes for 2019 Since I am a mun of two males (another quick prediction for myself: I can’t hold back during my holdidays and apply for another rkthirdmuse with Kikwang) I of course wish to see more chances for boygroup debuts to occur. The only project which I do remember that could involve a possible boygroup would be KTrookies 2nd round… so who knows what the future holds. Another wish of mine are shows solely for dancers and rappers, so we will have a bit more variety aside from the MGAs or other shows or contests that seemingly focus mainly on singers.

Favorite performance of your muse? G: The first original song performance for the MGA3 auditions: Who are you living for? and the MVP stage I was talking about earlier: Angel feat. Coach Taeyeon, as well as one of my all time favorites: Pursuit the Happiness which he had performed during the Star-Bright-Casting for Sphere in 2015. KJ: I have a soft spot for sad, fragile voices and piano music: Tame Me. Acapella Pop Medley Squad Power! Highlight was of course Kang Joon as Britney Spears ;)

Favorite quote? G: "To forget… to heal… to live… that’s why I make music." KJ: " Heroes, Aren't those who withstand fire; No, They are the ones who can burn down and rise up, strengthened by the ash."

Favorite graphics/ moodboard? Of course this one here! And on each muse following: G: Moodboard |x||x| KJ: Moodboard |x| Graphics |x| |x| |x| SHOUT OUT TO RAZEL@rkcheri

[ship-ambrosia]

Four Degrees (Gray x Juvia)

FINALLY! After so much fanfare and so much promising, I think its good enough to post. I’m in love with this pair so much, they’ve become my obsession since the moment Juvia was introduced as I watched Fairy Tail. Feel free to gush about this pairing and the other pairings of Fairy Tail with me any time!! Fair warning this is just a boat load of Gray angst and Gruvia fluff.

Just so you know I’m very proud of the title lol this is also posted on my AO3

  Both the two wizards of Fairy Tail had realized early in their relationship that ice and water magic were seamlessly compatible (one of them took that initially with much deeper meaning than the other). Time and time again, they would combine their power in dire situations, and it proved this correct every time. Their magical compatibility only grew stronger as the two of them had grown closer over the years following her appearance in his life. The aloof, icy master of maker magic became a fearsome protector who held unmatched Devil Slayer power, while the former rain woman of Phantom Lord shed her lonely rainclouds to become a warm, loving water mistress whose strength came from her devotion for him and their friends.

  They embodied in this way how ice and water, though compatible, held widely different properties. Ice was cold and harsh and Gray found it had an affinity to appear sinister, stiff, stubborn, and defensive - not necessarily bad characteristics of himself, but certainly a reflection of how he had kept even his closest friends at an arm’s length the majority of his life. Water flowed freely, it could adapt and change and, most importantly, it was instrumental in all life. That was just like her. Though it was quite a bit more obvious of his role as catalyst in Juvia’s blossoming transformation, Gray was painfully aware of how much she had changed him.

  Ice and water were tangled together in the home that had certainly become so much more homey since Juvia forced her way in all those years ago, after Fairy Tail had temporarily disbanded (Gray could have resisted back then; he didn’t). Both were sprawled across the couch, habitually in their underwear with their arms wrapped around each other. It was only during moments like these that Gray was distracted enough not to think of the many things in this world that hurt him. One wound was deeper and fresher than the others, and it had to do with the elegant young woman currently residing in his arms.

  He hated her scar. He hated that thing and the way it broke through her soft, snow-white skin similar to how a fire leaves a dark path of destruction across the earth. Nothing could ever make Juvia appear less beautiful in his eyes, but he hated that scar simply for the way that it tried. It was so ugly and every time he saw the scar it reminded him of how powerless he had been, how he had failed to protect Juvia when it mattered most. Gray wasn’t the one who saved her from death, either. She loved him so unconditionally and at the very least he should have been strong enough to fight back, and even if he couldn’t do that he should have had enough power to protect her from any harm; yet he had been unable to stand against Invel and resist his magic, had still been at the Winter General’s mercy when he trapped them and forced them to fight each other, and then as Juvia’s blood spilled into his hands. All because he had gotten distracted.

  Gray remembered the fury, the hopeless despair he had felt when he looked, straining to observe what Invel had done and came face to face with the woman he had promised to give an answer to when their fight with the Alvarez Empire was over. But he had known already what that answer would be when he said those words to her the night before; he was going to say that he loved her. Overwhelmed and intoxicated by their victory, he was going to sweep Juvia off her feet and kiss her. Instead of pushing her away, for once in his life he’d resolved to stay close to her during the fight and make damn sure that not a single enemy wizard could harm her. He had never considered that was what would put her in the most danger.

  How could Invel have known that the love of his life happened to be standing behind him when he and the others came to take back their guild? How had Invel deduced that he could orchestrate Juvia’s death and it would cause him to lose control of his Devil Slayer magic, thus turning him into the perfect weapon to kill Natsu? How had Invel, with Gray brutalizing him with every bit of strength and fury inside his body, simply stated Juvia’s life was but a sacrifice? How had he let it happen? How had he let Juvia die? Even though she was alive now, revived from the very edges of her life by Wendy’s healing magic, the wizards of Fairy Tail had ended victorious, and both he and Juvia were now counted amongst the most powerful wizards on the continent, Gray was still unable to reconcile with himself.

  Juvia sat in his lap, with her legs hugged around his waist, blissfully distracting him from any more dark thoughts. Her lips pressed light kisses along his bare chest, worshipping every bit of him that she could as she usually did when they were alone together. Gray absentmindedly brushed his fingers along her body, a combination of being both lazy and somewhat shy in showing his affection. He was practically hypnotized by her actions and the dark lingerie that she wore, the way it contrasted with her heavenly light complexion was a sight to behold; though it was a ethereal scene that he would surely first kill another man for trying to see than let them see it. A moment like this was for his eyes and his alone. Gray couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on his face as he watched her simply at just how beautiful she was, reminding himself that damn she was his and she was so in love with him that he would never have to worry about anyone stealing her. Juvia smelled of soft flowers and the faintest hint of the sea, surrounding him in a state of pure euphoria. And then he brought his calloused fingers over her bare waist, felt the object of his hatred, and his entire body stiffened.

  “Gray…?” she hummed softly when his movement disturbed her, looking up from his skin and resting her chin between his pectoral muscles. She tilted her head, and her azure hair slipped slowly down her face as she squished her cheek against his guild tattoo. Juvia blinked up at him, dark blue eyes glazed over with desire and love. “My darling, what is it?”

  “I just touched it again,” he gritted his teeth, subconsciously tightening his grip on where he held her now with his hands below the scar. “I touched the damn scar.”

  Juvia gave a soft gasp. “My love, that was so long ago. Please stop tormenting yourself over that scar!”

  “But you died,” he choked on his words. “You died in my arms because I couldn’t stop what Invel did to us. You saved me and I’ve done nothing for you to make up for that.”

  “You love me,” she answered, her fingers reaching up slowly to caress his face, pull him back from his despair to where she could anchor him. “You return the love that I have felt for you for so long and that is more than I could ever ask for. I have told you before, my life will always belongs to you. I would do the same thing all over again a hundred times. A thousand times. Gray Fullbuster, I love you.”

  At his silence, Juvia continued while tracing her fingers over the features of his face. “You were the only one who could fight Invel. I had to make sure you could break free. I would not have stood a chance against him, because you are much stronger than I am. Natsu and the others needed you more than they needed me, and in that moment, that was our only option. You know better than anyone that I willingly made that sacrifice.”

  Her words gripped his heart even tighter than his hands held her body. Gray’s entire body shook as he buried his face into her shoulder, suddenly overcome with a maddening combination of anger, frustration, and sadness. A cold air settled around them in response to his negative emotions, and he felt goosebumps rise across Juvia’s skin. A reminder that she was tangible and real, still alive in his arms but only safe for now.

  “What if something happens again?” his voice took on a bitter, cynical tone that she recognized from only situations that demanded all of Gray’s efforts to solve. His desire to protect Lucy and the rest of Fairy Tail from Phantom Lord when she had first met him, his anger toward Laxus’s effort in dividing their guild family, his strength in fighting Ultear and standing up for his mentor’s legacy on Tenrou Island, his defiance when facing Acnologia, his determination against the dragon horde in Crocus, the pain he endured when their fight with Tartaros forced him to face his father in a duel. She was flattered to truly realize how much she meant to him, but also became concerned her presence was causing her beloved Gray so much pain.

  “What if I fail you again,” his face twisted up in fury as he continued, and he looked away from her. “And no one else is around to save you next time?”

  Juvia shushed him, and forced his face back to meet her gaze. She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath, as though she were trying to focus all her senses on him. He observed the details of her face; the soft flutter of her eyelashes, the roundness of her eyes, the curve of her cheek, the melancholic smile that played on her lips that made his heartbeat thunder through his entire chest cavity, the piece of her hair that hung over the side of her face and blew gently with each breath she took. Her beauty was unparalleled and it continued to take his breath away every time he looked at her. These details of Juvia had been burned into the back of his eyelids in the moments after she had died. If he thought too hard on her death, the harshly crimson hue of her blood as it contrasted against the snow beneath her body would begin to leak into the picture behind her delicate features.

  Gray heaved an icy sigh, feeling the anger and frustration building inside him begin to melt away under her touch, like ice to water. Perhaps that explained why she was so adept at controlling his emotions, their spells were just so complimentary that their very beings had become just as compatible. That sort of unconscious connection scared him, but not Juvia. She wholeheartedly gave herself to that feeling, held so much faith in him, jumped into the unknown with no regrets. He used to wonder what he had done to deserve her unconditional love; now he often acknowledged that he really didn’t at all.

  “I do not think about the chance that I am unable to help or protect you, my love,” she whispered, tenderly brushing her fingers through his dark hair as she pushed him from his sitting position to laying back against the couch, defined more now by her body on top of him. Her hair slid off her shoulders into a curtain around their faces, in more indication of the shift in position. “I only know that I have to do so. I think you should think the same way, otherwise you are going to drive yourself mad.”

  His eyebrows furrowed and he opened his mouth as if he were going to protest, but Juvia shushed him once again. She smiled sweetly. “Promise me, Gray.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at her insistence. She had encouraged him and lifted his mood enough that Gray felt comfortable teasing her again. “What if I don’t make that promise?”

  She puffed out her cheeks in a pout. “Then you are sleeping on the couch.”

  “It’s my house, and therefore my bed. You can’t kick me out,” he smirked at her. “Besides, you couldn’t do it. Halfway through the night I’d wake up with you laying on top of me. You like to cuddle, Juvia. I know you cuddled with your dolls when you lived by yourself. And now that you live with the real deal you hang on to me for dear life. You couldn’t ever give me up.”

  Not that he was complaining in the slightest, though. If there was one thing constant in his relationship with Juvia, it was that she never failed to stroke his ego.

  She shrugged innocently. “If it is to help you, I could do it. And I would advise you not to test me.”

  “Prove it. Let go of me and get up right now,” he dared, flicking his tongue over his teeth at her. A mischievous glint in his eye sparkled up at her.

  Juvia squirmed for a moment, but did not unlock her arms from around his neck. She appeared conflicted for a moment, before sighing and sinking back down to lay on his chest. “I think that I will punish you later.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t be able to do it. You like me too much,” his grin widened. “Is that a promise?”

  He watched with satisfaction as his girlfriend realized what she had said, and slowly her entire face turned bright red. “You are very bad.”

  He chuckled again, a deep hearty laugh that made her smile brighten. “All the more reason to do so, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Gray didn’t give her a chance to answer as he stopped any protests on her tongue with another kiss, and once more the couple fell into a comfortable silence together. This time Gray was the one to worship her as he brought his lips to her skin. In response, Juvia closed her eyes and let out a soft, content sigh while they brushed over her neck. He kissed down the lines of her collarbone like he was on a mission, tracing the curves of her voluptuous body at the same time with his hands. A devilish grin alighted his face when she moaned, while a shiver rushed through her body under his cool fingertips.

  Again, images of their past struggles filled his head, despite Gray’s conscious efforts to avoid touching the scar he hated so much that ran down her hip bone and ended at her pelvis. He remembered how Erza had dragged him out on to that balcony and confronted him about sending Juvia mixed signals in response to her romantic pursuits. Or how upon realizing Ultear’s sacrifice, his fear of losing anyone else he loved became so great that he pushed Juvia away for some time. The memories and guilt of fooling her, of leaving her when Erza asked him to infiltrate the Avatar cult, cut through his body like cold steel. Even knowing how strong Juvia was, he still had been too much of a coward to avoid breaking her heart.

  Honestly, he was damn lucky she hadn’t slipped through his fingers by now.

  But something fiery burst through his chest, a determination he had never considered before. Perhaps Juvia’s words had finally gotten through to him. He did have Juvia. He was in love and he had accepted it. He was an idiot for ever trying to keep her away. Despite what had happened during the fight with Invel, the best way for him to make sure that she didn’t die like his parents, like Ur, like Ultear… was still to keep her as close to him as he could.

  “You are my whole world now, you know?” Gray mumbled as he tilted his face in line with her neck, letting out a rough breath against her. “I swear I’ll do anything for you, Juvia. I won’t ever let you die for me again, because I’d rather die protecting you.”

  “It’s about more than just protecting me, my darling,” she gently pulled back from him, and got back into a sitting position. “It’s about more than me doing so, either. We won the fight and our lives can go back to normal. We can be members of Fairy Tail like it used to be, before everything on Tenrou Island happened. Now it’s about your will to live for me, our will to live for each other. Live for me, and for your friends, and for…” she trailed off and paused, eyes widening as though she hadn’t meant to keep talking. Juvia swallowed hard, as if contemplating whether or not she should continue with what she was about to say.

  “Juvia?” he raised an eyebrow.

  Her hands tightened their grip on his shoulders, and Gray felt distinctly as though she was trying to make sure he wasn’t going to suddenly run away. Finally she brought her shy gaze back up to his concerned expression. Juvia’s lips moved slowly, as though she were thinking out each word. “Now… it’s about living our lives… as wizards… and… and as parents of our child.”

  He was confused by her words at first, but it slowly dawned on Gray what she meant. His eyes immediately went to her abdomen, for once completely ignoring the scar there that he hated so much. As though it would suddenly give him a sign as evidence to her words, he examined her body. Gray could physically feel her start to heat up with embarrassment at his intense attention.

  “You’re pregnant, Juvia?” He mumbled in disbelief, raising his gaze but finding her now avoiding him. For a terrifying moment, she thought he was displeased; angry even. But then Gray rested his cool hands on either side of her cheeks and pressed a light kiss to her lips. When she met his eyes, his expression was gentle and warm. It surprised her. “When were you going to tell me?”

  “I was going to see Porlyusica this week,” she admitted shyly. “I wanted to wait to tell you until she was absolutely sure. But…” her eyes lit up with her sweet, embarrassed smile. “You are being even more stubborn than usual, and I am very sure we are having a baby.”

  “Oh no, we’re going to see Porlyusica right now,” he tried to say seriously, but even ice-cold Gray couldn’t hide his grin. A baby, huh? He was going to be a father. What an odd concept, Gray thought, but he was much more happy than he was willing to admit over the news. Especially with Juvia being the mother. That was when it really hit him.

  He was having a baby with Juvia.

  Gray leaned over and gave her another kiss. She squeaked in surprise when her hero of ice scooped his hands under her and stood up from the couch, marching toward the door with his lady of water. Juvia gasped, squirming in his arms in protest.

  “Gray!” She cackled. “Our clothes!”

  “At this moment, that’s the last thing I care about.”

  No, what he cared about most in the world right now was the state where water became ice.