#q too albeit in different way

[foxsoulcourt]

Highland Christmas (29520 words) by AtoTheBean Chapters: 9/9 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond & Q, James Bond/Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Eve Moneypenny, R (James Bond), Kincade (James Bond), Original Characters Additional Tags: Community: MI6 Cafe | mi6_cafe, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Hallmark Movie Fic Challenge, Tropes, All The Tropes, Post-SPECTRE, Skyfall References, Christmas, in January, And February Series: Part 1 of The Highland Bonds Summary:

Since all Hallmark movies have the same plot, do we really need a summary?

I'm told yes... yes we do.

James Bond thought he’d said goodbye to Skyfall Lodge for the last time, dedicating his life to a fast-paced career in international espionage, glamorous destinations, and meaningless affairs. Q thought a quiet Christmas with the cats was just what he wanted. But when a letter addressed to both of them sends them north, they discover that while Skyfall Lodge may be a ruin, life around it is vibrant and full of promise. And it's under threat. Good whisky, delicious baked goods, and mistletoe-wielding innkeepers have them both reexamining things they thought they knew about themselves and each other, their pasts and their future, and the meaning of a Highland Christmas.

Bookmarker's Notes:

What do you get when a skilled author like @ato-the-bean is willing to do the research required to make a story in Scotland be realistic crosses a Hallmark movie bingo card of their particular tropes with 00Q tropes? You get Highland Christmas.

Reader, you are in for a TREAT! Bond is such an arse at the beginning. If you're like me, you'll hate him + be surprised Q doesn't leave town w/out telling him. However, Q is a smart human in many different ways + his own person, so we get to see the act of him gracefully + quickly building true community acts as a catalyst for Bond to Get F*%!ing Real about what he wants in his life.

That's all I'm gonna tell you because --per usual-- the fun is experiencing the story yourself. E N J O Y!

I’m not sure why I have turned to this fic during the fall season two.years.in.a.row, but I have. This year I was longing for the comfort of a well-written fic that weaves together fun with HEART and, Reader, I found it. Again. 💜 or rather: 💚💖

[chapinii]

Q!Fit is used to loss. He's used to meeting people he knows won't be sticking around, used to putting on a brave face when they inevitably disappear or are killed beyond the point of respawn. It's collateral damage, part of the day job. Nothing new in the toxic landscape of 2B2T. There's no time to explore any kind of feelings towards anybody else, he's learnt over time that attachments are more often than not futile. Care about something, someone, and it may well be used against you.

His time on Quesadilla island has been different, however. This time he doesn't have that threat, he shouldn't have that threat. This was supposed to be just another mission, a vacation even. Gathering player data is an easy job. The players in question, however, he never imagined himself getting so close to.

Fit never saw himself as a father, in fact, he was lucky to have made it to the age he was now. He was so sure he'd die by the sword. A mercenary, stalking in the shadows of a lava-cast wasteland, both hunter and prey, wearing a bandana around his face to shield himself from the TNT dust which never seemed to settle around him. And now he ties that same bandana around the neck of a boy, his son, an egg so fragile and yet so much like himself. Though a lump still held in his throat when he looked for too long at the boy who played so innocently in the open air, he found solace in knowing that Ramon, unlike him, would grow up surrounded by trust. Against all expectation he'd found himself in a place where (however fucked up behind the scenes it may be) community is everything, and where within it, people are allowed to just Be. He could allow this distraction, his son wouldn't affect the mission too much. His guard was finally, slowly, being let down.

And then along came this strange, slightly unhinged and wonderful man, whose wide excited eyes looked at him with so much admiration and unwavering loyalty. He wasn't used to being seen as human. He hated how easy it felt to push down the guilt of being perceived as such. This vulnerability was new to him, but after keeping so much internalised over the years, he welcomed it. The notion of love was an alien concept back there, where the desires for chaos and destruction were almost carnal in nature. This feeling towards Pac was unlike any other he'd ever felt, a soft and tender mutual understanding of one another. He knew as much about Pac as Pac did about him, and they enjoyed keeping it that way. Even as they were forced to fight against each-other, Fit had taken pride in his roommate's skill and precision in combat, and, even as that competition amped up, he knew all too well the measures that must be taken to survive, and vowed to protect him all the same. Now they were back on the island he enjoyed being the one to stand back for once, he'd admire as Pac would run on ahead with all sorts of plans for the two of them, and bask in the fofoca he would return with for their morning crew.

Of course, the bated breath that still held in his throat was yet to disperse. He'd been the one to help break Pac and Mike out of prison. He sat with Mike and reassured him when Pac was kidnapped. Through Tazercraft he'd come to understand the concept of soulmates, someone you share a bond with throughout your life, platonic or not. He'd also come to know the true meaning of 'saudades', the deep feeling of longing and melancholy that comes with missing something or someone. He didn't want to admit it was something he'd felt all throughout his life. Living on the island had prepared him and Pac for those types of situations, and God knows 2B2T had whacked the mindset into him tenfold. But it didn't make this time hurt any less. Fit had finally set a date with Pac for Friday, albeit a somewhat rearranged one. They were so caught up in everything, in each-other. Things finally seemed to have been looking up for them, and then everything was ripped apart once more. Fit resented not having kept his guard up, for letting himself slip, and not being able to protect Pac before it was too late. He was gone.

That was why taking things slow was so important, he had told Ramon. You can't rush into these things, lest you lose everything for good.

Fit is used to loss. It's all part of the day job.

[ifievertoldyou]

"Empty Page" by The Crane Wives is a tHAW!Q-coded song

i have always said that many of the crane wives' songs have vivid thaw!quackity energy.

but this one song of theirs has such strong thaw!q energy in particular that it would feel out place to me if it went on my thaw!quackity playlist. so i thought i'd share my ideas about it here, since it's not going to be on the big playlist analysis ^_^

(click under the cut to see a lyrical breakdown explaining how it applies to early thaw!q)

"I'm just a ten-cent copy/ Of people far more advanced than me/ Every thought that I've ever had/ Could be ripped from a magazine"

in my mind, this song is q comparing himself to quackity. after all, they are the same person, even if they were pretty different from each other in the beginning. but as q started to share the same worldviews as quackity, he started seeing himself less as his own person and more as just a weaker version of quackity.

i mean, he said it himself in chapter 35, "His ‘character’, that he couldn’t really see as much of a character anymore, in fact he saw him as his own person, so different from himself that he couldn’t even fathom how the other thought they were the same person. If anything at times Q felt less like he was his own person than the opposite, maybe because he had had to be ‘Quackity’s past-self’, maybe because of what had almost happened , maybe because Q himself did not know who exactly he was anymore."

q has lost his own sense of identity in this world, instead beginning take on that of quackity's.

and the fact that he's having basically the exact same pivotal moments (even if in slightly different ways), as well as making the same mistakes, as quackity. that does not help that notion of him no longer feeling like he has his own identity.

"Cut me a path, and I will follow it"

this could probably also be seen as him with quackity, but i can't help but see it as him with the sky gods. even if he doesn't mean to, q is following the path that the sky gods have planned for him very well.

"Draw me a line, and I'll avoid it/ I'm nothing if not obedient/ You have my word/ You have my word"

near the beginning of their relationship, this was definitely how q was around quackity. how he tried to avoid doing anything to bring his other-self's ire back upon him. and quackity even made some remarks about how obedient q was to him too, interpretting it as a thing q learned from manberg.

on the topic, that 'i'm nothing if not obedient' line has a double meaning, with how much the ram drilled that idea into quackity's head during manberg

"I am an empty page/ A muddled shade of paint/ I am a light that's burning out/ I am a light that's burning out"

q used to be so bright and idealistic and happy, but as the world continues to beat him down more, he becomes less so. the person that he was slowly fading like the dying light of a candle, as he loses that brightness and hope that used to be so prominent within him.

as for the first two lines, i've already touched on that theme quite a bit. especially during the beginning of the story, q's identity is torn up between who he used to be and who he is becoming. he is no longer himself, but he is not on quackity's level yet either; he's somewhere in between, a muddled color between these two versions of himself.

"I have hands that shake/ When there are cuts to make/ You’ll do it better, show me how/ You'll do it better, show me how"

q wasn't always inclined to violence. he hesitated to kill when faced with the burgundy cosmos ram, even with the bad feeling he immediately gave him, something that quackity would never have done after learning to trust his gut instinct. and q knows this too. that quackity wouldn't have made his same mistakes.

q really does seem to believe that quackity is better, stronger, than him. even in recent chapters that thought has still been present for q, albeit different Kinds of strength than it was before.

ever since the burgundy cosmos, q has no longer been afraid of quackity, instead he begins to strive to be like him.

"Tie me up by my callow belief/ Someday I'll make something out of me"

"Years of imitating mastery/ Only made me a better thief"

q was definitely more callow, more inexperienced when he first ended up in this different world. back when he never saw himself as ever being a murderer nor a cannibal, and back when he was willing to go vegetarian to uphold his moral values. but the sky gods had other plans for him, and his idealistic morals ended up either backfiring and hurting him more or else being impossible to uphold.

ok so it hasn't been Years. but. the point still stands. q started out just faking it until he makes it, and having unrelated behaviors be misinterpreted as something else, but now he's at the point where that identity is more real for him than his previous one is.

vv here's the song btw vv

as always, you can read thaw here, do it./th(/SILLY)

[givereadersahug]

2022 - WEEK 33 WRAP-UP

Thought I should get back into doing a weekly round-up, something I used to do many, many years ago when I had more free time and less stress from real-life issues. It's also a nice time capsule, scrolling past things I was reading or writing or fangirling about.

I changed my Tumblr's pfp, so it matches my AO3's and Dreamwidth's pfp. I'm still using different usernames on all three platforms, but that’s fine. I like the variety.

I also wrote my first CMBYN fic. It's a drabble for one of the prompt communities on Dreamwidth. Nothing much. I don't think it captured the vibe of the book. I definitely need to re-read the source material and re-watch the film, but I'm just glad I was able to revisit the fandom.

For WIPs, I finished a few fics for some prompt events coming up. But I also wrote down a few more plot bunnies that may never see the light of day. If only I had unlimited time and creative energy….A girl can dream. 😂

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My Fanfics:

Harmony - Harry Potter, Rated - G Summary:��One morning after the Battle of Hogwarts. Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Word Count: 300 Warnings: None Link: AO3 or Dreamwidth

One Summer Morning - CMBYN, Rated - G Summary: Summer, 1983 - Oliver wishes life was indulgently waiting for them. Main Pairing: Oliver/Elio Perlman Word Count: 210 Warnings: None Link: AO3 or Dreamwidth

Peace - SK8 the Infinity, Rated - G Summary: Kojiro feeds Kaoru throughout the day. Main Pairing: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom Word Count: 200 Warnings: None Link: AO3 or Dreamwidth

Birdsong - Harry Potter, Rated - G Summary: Only the morning's stillness greeted him. Character: Severus Snape Word Count: 100 Warnings: None Link: AO3 or Dreamwidth

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Fanfic Recs:

silver vine - 2HA, Rated - E Author: tagteamme Summary: Chu Wanning has suffered many indignities in his life. This one is not the most painful. It may also not be the most egregious. Initially, he didn’t even see it as that bad. But it is definitely somewhere along the lines of being the worst.

Mo Ran takes his leave, politely rejecting the girl one last time. He steps back out into the bustling streets and Chu Wanning huffs in satisfaction. But he quickly realizes something. Without Chu Wanning’s stoic, icy presence beside him, people are a lot more open about flirting with Mo Ran. They try when Chu Wanning is around too, albeit in a more subtle way. But now that he’s a cat and he’s unable to loom threateningly by Mo Ran’s side, they’re absolutely shameless.

Main Pairing: Chu Wanning/Mo Ran | Mo Weiyu Word Count: 9,737 Warnings: None Link: AO3

To Stay the Shadow - Harry Potter, Rated - M Author: Vain Summary: SS/HP slash. Once upon a time Severus Snape fell in love. And then everything went wrong. [Written for the 2008 Snarry Games - Team Phoenix] Main Pairing: Harry Potter/Severus Snape Word Count: 25,058 Warnings: Unhealthy Relationship Dynamics Link: AO3

underneath a love like this - SK8 the Infinity, Rated - E Author: sepiacigarettes Summary: Kaoru would say he's a vanilla kind of guy. Nothing wrong with missionary with the lights dimmed, in his opinion, especially considering how it lets him hold Kojiro and makes Kojiro do all the work at the same time. Yet here they are, sixty-nining. Main Pairing: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom Word Count: 1,356 Warnings: None Link: AO3

How Q Hacked Online Dating - James Bond, Rated - E Author: JayPendragon Summary: “How does that lead to…?” Eve waves her hand at the mess behind Q’s back. Q feels his expression morph into a sly grin. “I have a new plan. I’m going to stay on these dating platforms, but I’m going to treat them as databases. Rather than waiting for an algorithm to set me up, I'm going to try reverse-engineering this entire system.” In which Q works in the private sector, still winds up friends with Eve, and applies science to his love life. Obviously, Eve gets involved. Main Pairing: James Bond/Q Word Count: 23,836 Warnings: None Link: AO3

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Fanart Recs:

Chibi Loki, Marvel Artist: IsayaNee1 Link: Twitter

'S' Founders, SK8 the Infinity Artist: Lovely_adm Link: Twitter

Chu Wanning, 2HA Artist: MW_babyyds Link: Twitter

Thorki Fanart series, Marvel Artist: DachOsmin Link: AO3

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Media Recs:

I Hear the Sunspot, manga series Link: Goodreads Thoughts: This is such a cute yaoi series featuring two college students — Kohei, a hearing impaired student, and Taichi, his note-taker. The drawings are beautiful and the storyline is heartwarming. Highly recommend.

Sasaki and Miyano, anime series Link: Trakt Thoughts: Another cute, wholesome yaoi anime series. It's a high school, slice of life anime about two people getting together. I spent a day re-watching this series since they released an extra episode recently, and it was as good as I remembered it. The animation — the flowers and the colors and the shapes that overlay the scenes — conveys the joy of falling in love for the first time and ahhh. My heart cannot handle this.

Before Sunrise, film Link: Trakt Thoughts: This movie (and trilogy) is perfect. That is all.

Next Week

[lausticzt]

┊ ┊⋆ ┊ . 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓭-𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓸𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓬 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓮 ◞ 𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖊 . ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ @naitfall ⤸ ❛ Q - Quiet: Do they enjoy trying to see how long their partner can last without making a sound? Do they enjoy loud or quiet partners? C - Chatter: Do they like to talk during the act? If so what do they like to talk about? Is it just dirty talk or something different? A - Affection: How affectionate are they during sex? Is it different with people they're romantically involved with? Can they sleep with people they aren't? ( shamelessly )

Q - Quiet:

Laura (albeit won't admit it upfront / with confidence) actively enjoys hearing her partner's sounds, and absolutely experiments with it; rather then just seeing how long they go without making a sound, she likes to explore where, how, and with what intensity it takes to hear the lightest hitches in their breathing, what makes them quiver, the exact moans in where she touches them, and she will also stop rather abruptly to hear the faintest frustrations. And in saying that, she herself is not loud, and also prefers quieter partners, because she likes identifying softer, less audible indications. Sound is something she enjoys, but being able to recognise the faintest sounds of her partner makes her feel closer then it would with a louder partner. It might be because she relates more towards that.

C - Chatter:

She can't do dirty talk, nor is she very receptive to it. It would depend greatly on the person. But it's also the quickest way to turn her off completely. That also goes for too much sweet talk. Any good girl, sweetheart, baby, etc. talk is also not for her. Laura finds it hard to communicate with words, so she's more inclined to show by actions instead. But she does communicate. If she's extremely comfortable, it might even just be idle chatter or remarks if it's not too heated. She also has to vocalise often because she is bad at being seen as vulnerable, as well as that deep intimacy being very intimidating to her, and she gets badly flustered so she often has to give herself time to breath again. Otherwise, any conversing is usually checking in on her partner, making sure they are both comfortable, she sometimes has to shut herself up from making her usual commentary to deflect and tries to opt on being honest with the state she's in, if only with short words and sentences that don't finish. Again, she is someone who often perceives people's actions and demeanour rather than words alone.

A - Affection:

Because Laura can only sleep with people she has a romantic connection with, she is extremely affectionate during sex; that bond and trust has already been established for her prior. She's been surrounded by men who'd always wanted something from her, and the act of one-night stands or being intimate with someone she holds no feeling for is an uncomfortable thought. She has no sex drive unless she holds a strong connection for someone, and then it's directed at them and them alone. Laura is so soft, and overly affectionate, so stupidly so that all walls disappear; receiving it in return isn't something she needs back. If it's the first time, it might more more awkward, embarrassing for her, but after, there's nothing holding her back.

[senzacaponecoda]

Kinda feel like there's two syntactic numbers, one grammaticalized and one lexical.

Grammatical number comes from a quantifier (Q-num), lexical number (L-num) is part of the semantics and bundled with noun class features.

Usually they match, of course. But they need not.

So you could have a mass noun like water, and make it countable - 7 waters. Usually that's derivative, a countable water is usually a body of water like a lake or sea. But semantically I'm not sure 7 waters meaning 7 glasses of water is actually a derivative of the uncountable water in "I'll have water". Like you might argue there's some metonymy there, but there's also metonymy in the seemingly mass DP. Maybe that Q-Pl being merged with a noun that's L-Mass?

It seems to me that there has to be a grammaticalized number. Something completely plastic, alienable, that combines with a noun somehow synthetically.

But I think having both a Q-number and an L-number also opens up something a bit complicated.

IE feminines largely evolved from a suffix originally marking mass or collective nouns. Apparently that was generalized to semantically abstract nouns and from there spread to certain verbal nouns that described the roles of women. But that's largely why the a declension feminines of IE langs look like thematic neuter plurals. Because they come from the same suffix. So arguably that's a Q-num transitioning to an L-num that fused with other class features part of the lexicon.

And that kind of leads me into something about, like, the latinxs controversy

English, at least my English, has only natural (semantic, lexical) gender. And its (my) genders are something like male, female, common, and unworthy-of-kindness (inanimates mostly but some non-chordate animates too?), with the semantically singular pronouns he, she, they, and it respectively. Each of these combines with plurality without coertion into another gender, albeit it all surfaces with the same pronoun, they. Maybe it's that only Q-Num is really expressed phonologically?

But this extends to the nouns. Consider the term for a young member of those genders: male boy, female girl, common child, UoK ??? inanimate things don't really have life cycles. These each combine with Q-number synthetically and agglutinatively: boys (still male!), girls (still female), children (still common).

My reckoning is Spanish has unmarked, marked feminine (based on inflection class and only weakly natural gender), and in the plural, as if gender and number are fusional in Spanish, common (plural) and feminine-plural. The common gender-number fusional class is open to all semantics, but the feminine-plural fusional class is being explicitly marked as female or feminine. So él, ella, ellos, ellas; niño (boy or child), niña (only female child), niños (children), niñas (only girls). Basically Q-Num can affect class in Spanish in ways it (parametrically?) can't in English. Or agreement between Q-Num and L-Num (which shouldn't always be necessary) just has L-Num coerce gender (also L space) around due to them kind of being fused.

Italian preserves a few Latin neuters as nouns that "change gender" from masculine in the singular to feminine in the plural. We could think of that as just Italian having a neuter. Or we could take the face value interpretation seriously, maybe as a synchronic effect, and consider how gender and L-number kind of fuse. So maybe Italian neuters like il uovo/ le uova have something like above, where Q-num agreeing with L-num coerces L adjacent features around.

I think there's something like this in a bunch of other languages. Like I think the reason Bantu systems count the combinations of semantic classes and number as separate classes is because of something like this, the nouns don't like to pluralize neatly into corresponding classes.

I suspect those differences in our gender systems explain the lexical need for a word like child in English, it's our explicit common gender, and lack of an unmarked gender. That's also why, when we borrowed latino from Spanish, we borrowed the unmarked feature as male (again English doesn't have an unmarked gender, which seems weird). But we don't pluralize into a common gender despite all of our plural pronouns looking identical, our gender-number system is agglutinative not fusional. So the Q-plural of boy doesn't mean children, but niños does. And thus the plural of latino (which is explicitly male in English but unmarked in Spanish) retains its gender in English as latinos (all male), but not Spanish (which is explicitly common).

So the whole latinxs thing comes down to a grammatical difference between English and Spanish, not that anglos have a persecution complex or that Spanish speakers are misogynists.

[bummie]

00 | 進撃の巨人 | ATTACK ON TITAN !

18+ | suitable for work.

( g.neutral. reader )

levi’s december: day five — crush.

content warnings: minor cursing, fluff.

synopsis: how can you tell when humanity’s strongest has a crush?

love note: just want him to sit on my lap.. :,( anyway, here’s a mini q&a ! enjoy, my loves. <3

q: would he know if he had a crush on you?

a: to be honest, no. not at all.

before you, he’d never shown any interest in anyone. he’d never even hugged anyone but his mother.

of course, he’d grabbed people to get them out of the way, or ruffled people’s hair, but that was the most affection he was willing to show.

what he did know was that he cared more about your well-being than anybody else’s, but.. he made up excuses for that, mostly to appease himself.

some of his excuses were that you were “weak”, and needed to be “watched”, even though you were on an elite squad..

during missions, he’d often ask erwin what your position would be, and if he could, he’d try to keep you in, or near his squad, just so that he could protect you if it came down to it.

not that you needed his protection at all. you were climbing the ranks faster than anyone had before. you were breaking records like it was a piece of cake, and that’s no easy feat.

every time a red or black flare went off from your position, he internally panicked, keeping his gaze locked in that direction until he knew the threat was neutralized.

it got to the point where he ended up caring more about your safety than his own. he put his own life on the line a couple times, just to make sure you didn’t get anything more than a scratch on your body.

he didn’t think anything of it until hange pointed it out. they had taken notice of how frequently levi asked erwin for information about your exact whereabouts. he constantly questioned who you were with, how far away you were gonna be from him, what you were doing, etc.

even some of the scouts in his squad noticed how concerned he got when a titan was spotted near your area.

when hange confronted him about his odd behavior, levi just scoffed and called them a “four-eyed bastard”. they waved him off, chuckling as they parted ways.

when missions were completed and everyone got returned, the first person he would search for was you.

if you were injured, he’d stay by your side, or if you weren’t being patched up by anyone else, he’d tend to your injuries for you.

q: what are some of the little things he does for you that are his way of saying he cares about you?

a: levi isn’t exactly the romantic type. he’s not even too familiar with physical affection. he does, as mentioned earlier, give head pats sometimes, but other than that, nothing.

but, whenever he was around you, he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off you. in fact, it was more of a struggle to look away.

albeit, a side glare, but he didn’t mean any harm by it.

every time you were in a meeting, he always secretly hoped that you’d stand by his side, and if you did, he’d stand close enough for your arms to brush against eachother, but just barely. he liked the feeling he got in his stomach whenever he was near you.

you were never suspicious of his behavior, however, because he still seemed pretty distant. there wasn’t a point in time where his facial expressions changed much when in your presence.

you weren’t even aware that he treated you differently from the rest of the scouts, because his attitude on the outside remained unchanging.

if he was having tea, he’d make you some as well, which wasn’t common behavior of his. of course, you’d always thank him for it.

eventually, he even asked you to make him some. he rarely ever let anyone make him tea. he liked it done a certain way. but, once again, for some reason, he was drawn to the thought of you making his tea for him. sometimes.

when you poured him a cup, you were super nervous that it wasn’t going to be to his liking, and to no one’s surprise, it wasn’t.

but you didn’t fret. you were never intimidated by him.

he stopped what he was doing just to teach you how to do it his way. that way, you could make all of his tea. it wasn’t that he was lazy, he just really liked spending the (unnecessary) time with you.

another thing he’d do if he liked you, is ask you to clean with him. he usually makes the scouts clean together while he cleans alone, but he’d probably ask you to assist him, and say it’s because you’re “shit” at doing it on your own.

don’t take it personally. he just really likes you.

[jostepherjoestar]

Do the Stardust Crusaders prefer an adorable or sexy s/o?(not poly, like what does each member prefer? also i hope this made sense)

Stardust Crusaders and their preferences HC’s

suggestive // gn reader

So this one made me think a little since in my opinion your fave will ALWAYS like you no matter what! So instead of only going by “adorable or sexy” let’s widen it up and delve a bit deeper into their preferences personality wise and style wise :D (ofc u will always be their favourite dw 😌) Kakyoin and Jotaro are kept sfw!! 💖✨

Avdol

Avdol is such a kind and understanding soul but still never afraid to voice his opinion in an earnest manner. He’ll appreciate that sentiment in his partners too, open to many ideas and understanding others’ way of thinking.

He does enjoy someone who’s a bit rowdy or playful to help bring out that side in him. Being silly together and just overall heightening the playful atmosphere really puts him at ease.

That’s the exact reason he secretly loves a little bit of chaos around him. Avdol himself is calm and determined but drama and unexpected events always seem to follow him. Don’t worry though, he loves being able to stride in and show off his abilities he’s so proud of!  

Be sure to work on your debate skills though, the man is a whole library of knowledge and if you end up in a discussion he needs you to be able to offer your substantiated opinion. If you talk him into a corner, be sure to soften the blow to his ego with lots of hugs and kisses afterwards 😌

Style-wise the man doesn’t have strong preferences. Earthy tones and a natural flare complement his own style very well though, so he loves a bit of a scholarly look as well. Show up in a long coat and cute glasses carrying some cool old books you’ve found and he might just swoop you off your feet hehe!

If you wear a minimalistic set in the bedroom- think dark burgundy, chocolate, burnt orange, he cannot take his eyes off of you. He’ll treat you like the absolute present you are while he unwraps you 😏  

Polnareff

Let this man spoil you for the love of all that is good!!!

He has SO much love to give and he will shower you by the bucketload so you better enjoy his antics! He thrives off of complementing you, albeit with the cheesiest lines, anything to see your cheeks flush. Also expect lots of cute gifts!!

If you’re a bit clumsy, get embarrassed easily and are a bit shy... Polnareff will never let you go, he’s so smitten by the way you stand behind him so often while meeting new people as he chatters away. He’ll pull out his best charming jokes to get you to laugh and when he sees how cute you are trying to hide your smile he’ll come smother you with kisses.

Loves it when you go along with his jokes and impulsive nature but prefers it if you’re a bit more responsible, the man struggles with self control so needs some guidance and someone to hold up the stop signs.

He will also look up to a more dominant person just as much, wanting to make sure he does everything to be on his best behaviour to please you. But he never looses that cheeky side and loves getting reprimanded for it. (not just in the bedroom, daily life as well) So make sure to keep that leash tight ;D!

Ok as much as I hate to say it... this man’s style tastes can be a bit tacky. If you like pink he’d love to see you in anything cutesy and frilly, perhaps to a worrying degree. Be sure to gently steer him to your own choices, he’ll forget all about his own ideas if you show a bit of skin anyways. This man is too easy to distract for his own good 🙄

Oldseph (forgive me Suzy Q 🙏)

Because he is the way he is *sigh*, he loves being yelled at for his antics. Joseph will never stop acting like a child no matter his age, that youthful sparkle always present even as he has started to take life a lot more serious.

Boss him around a little too much and he’ll pick you up just to smirk at you until you shut up. Eye-rolls are the dead give away that you like him and he’ll gladly accept them along with the annoyed sighs.

If you reside on the other side of the spectrum- playful and offering a childlike wonder too, he’ll take it all the way. Everyday is a silly playdate, joking around, showing off, any way to impress you and pull you along into the fun.

He LOVES vintage clothes, the fifties are his favourite era style wise and adores it when you dress the part. Joseph ain’t no chump so he’ll always offer to pay the deft fees of authentic vintage pieces. Hell, he’ll even fly you overseas if there happens to be a special item on sale that you’ve been eyeing.

Just like Polnareff, he loves to spoil you. Indulging your every need, even when you’re grumpy or mad at him. It’s his life’s goal to make those droopy corners shoot upwards with his dumb jokes and antics.

Stroll up in nothing but stockings and garters and he’s dead. Good job you killed the un-killable Joestar! But before his soul ascends the mortal plane he’ll ravish you, sure to buy you a new pair that’s even prettier.

Jotaro

As we all know this edgy dude doesn’t love loud annoying people. But here’s a secret he’ll never audibly let slip: if he sees you holding yourself back, trying not to be “too” much of anything he might not like... that next yare yare is him admitting he doesn’t mind it, as long as you don’t start yelling. He’ll actually enjoy your excitement, quietly of course, sure not to let others onto his amusement of your cuteness.

If you share his interests (marine biology, reading, nature in general) he’ll feel a bit more inclined to talk about them, just a smidge. Jotaro enjoys listening to you talk about your passions though, even if they differ from his. That intent stare taking in the way your eyes sparkle, that cute smile making butterflies flutter in his stomach.

Even though he loves going on walks, admiring nature and inhaling the fresh air, he is a secret homebody and would love it if you shared the sentiment. Lounging on the couch in comfy clothes, quietly enjoying each other’s presence while doing your own things, just basking in the shared space.

Since this is SDC Jotaro, he’s in the early stages of his love for showing off his accessories and he likes it when you do too. Just a couple of small hints at your likes through cute pins or a small chains.

He likes to be stylish but is by no means that into fashion, he knows what he likes and sticks to that. But if you’re a bit more of a fashionista he’ll share his opinions on louder outfits that attract a lot of attention. Just don’t take it too personal, he means well 😬

Likes you best in your comfortable pj’s, wrapped up like a cute burrito in a dolphin blanket 🥰

Kakyoin

As much as the jokes get made, if you’re the mom friend, he’s constantly trying to do right by you. A doting nature that still lets him be independent will make him go 🥰😍!!

Love and kindness towards others is so endearing to him, and if you’re not afraid to speak your mind openly, he might have to confess his love right this minute. He won’t be shy in letting his liking for you show either, offering charming jokes and compliments whenever you’re near.

And if you share his dry genZmemer humour, gently starting to drop hints that you’re not afraid to be a bit edgy you become his ultimate favourite person.

Because of his introverted nature, he likes someone who is a bit more independent as well, offering yourselves time and a comfortable pace to move in throughout the relationship.

He also greatly admires a strong need for justice and loyalty to a cause, it shows integrity and intelligence. That fiery passion in your eyes invigorates him just as much!

Kakyoin loves elegance and something that complements your features, no matter what style. He does have a bit of a thing for having matching colour palettes or at least ones that complement each other.

Cool gem tones are his favourite; emerald, ruby, sapphire...the list goes on.

At home though...get him a random shirt with a ridiculous slogan or phrase and he’ll wear it till it’s barely hanging on by a thread. Make him one too, a plain white shirt with a scribbly drawn frog or a meme-y phrase! He’ll wear it forever, being reminded of his love for you every time he laughs at the visual 😊

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: May 15th Part 1

It’s been longer than usual since our last answer session, so I’m answering a ton of questions today! It’s so big I split it into two parts. Thank you for the patience on getting a response to these.

Thanks for reaching out to us with your questions and kind words ^^!

Sorry if this has been asked before or isn't something you can say but is there anyway for Cove to confess in step 4? I wanted him to confess in step 3 and followed all the steps to make him do it but ended up texting my family instead of Cove at the end.

Yeah, Cove can confess in Step 4!

Hello! I heard that Cove is on the spectrum, albeit undiagnosed. As someone who is ND, this makes me UNBELIEVABLY happy. I literally was brought to tears! Thank you for that!

Out of curiosity, will Cove be diagnosed in Step 4? I have a strong feeling y’all won’t make it a HUGE deal/make it out to be negative, so I’m not worried about that whatsoever! I’m just curious just he’ll off handedly mention it? Or will it just not be touched upon at all (which is ok!)?

Either way is ok, I’m just curious!

I’m happy it made you happy! Admittedly, Cove simply being someone with autism that grew up not being diagnosed was something I included for myself. I didn’t really think anyone would notice or ask about it, aha. But players did start to have questions about his traits, so I started to talk about it outside of the game. It’s great to see it get such a positive response and now I do feel like having it be a non-topic may have been the wrong choice and bringing it up would’ve been good in terms of having positive representation for that. I don’t know if I’ll find a way to mention it in Step 4 now, with how far along the game is, but I am at least thinking about it when originally it wasn’t something I really even considered.

Hey!  Just wanted to say thank you for Our Life.  It's been a bright spot and a needed escape in what's otherwise been a crummy year.  I know you just did a Q&A post but I figured I'd ask anyway.  Was just curious about Step 4.  Will it be similar to the other Steps in that it consists of several different moments or will it just be one long sequence?

Step 4 is shorter than the prior Steps because it’s just an epilogue rather than a full arc of a story. It’ll consist of scenes that all happen in a set row one after the other. There won’t be a collection of Moments to choose from. But it’ll still be very sweet and fun.

¡hola!, you see, first I want to say that I love Our Life! (°◡°♡) and I have 2 important questions, would Cove cry watching titanic? and what is the saddest part according to him? (sorry for my english) 

Titanic would make him cry. He’d probably think the parts showing people who aren’t able to make it to the life boats/are choosing to stay and go down with the ship were the saddest.

Hello, I wanted to ask how much you earn with creating games? Like is it possible to make a living? Thank you >< <3 

How much I earn varies a lot month to month based on Steam sales, Patreon backers, and how many projects are in full production at the time. It’s also hard to say how much I make historically, since that also changes dramatically year by year. But I do earn enough to work on these games full time! I really appreciate all the support that allows me to do that.

Hey!! I was wondering for the 18+ Our Life moment, will there be an emphasis on safety/comfort for all involved? I feel like there  would be just going off of what the rest of the game is like, but I wanted to ask 

Yes! Cove is a nervous boy himself and also super cautious about doing anything the MC doesn’t like, so clear consent from both is absolutely needed for anything to happen. It’s a conversational sexy times Moment with stops/starts so the two can talk about how they’re feeling, rather than a heat of the moment just going for it kind of thing.

Hey!! I was wondering how long the wedding dlc would be? Will it be broken up into moments, or just one big event? 

It’s one long series of scenes all in a row rather than a collection of Moments to pick from. It’s the shortest and the least expensive of all the DLCs. It’s not super crucial to get and those who aren’t into big weddings can totally skip it without worry.

HELLO AMAZING DEVS 👋 i am hopelessly in love with the worst guy ever (jeremy king) and because of this i have a really stupid question: does he really hate people who are nice to him? TvT he’s too cute to be mean to istg it’s a miracle JB held the urge to be consistently nice to him bc just look at his FACE he is so cute! thank you for jeremy’s route it’s so lovely (and awful bc he’s scum 11/10) it gave me so much laughs LMAO i hope you guys have a good day!! 

Haha, thank you. He doesn’t hate them but he’s certainly not pleased with them. Jeremy is either uncomfortable with or annoyed by people being sweet on him, depending on how they approach it. He’s far more comfortable with jerkiness. It lets him relax and he can be himself without it being a problem, since he’s also a jerk. He feels a level of guilt being such a little punk to kind people, not enough to be a better person but still.

Has Cove dated or been interested in someone other than MC? 

Nope! He stays single over the course of the game if he’s not with the MC.

Is Step 4 more mature? Or it's gonna be set in similar atmosphere as Step 3? 

Step 4 is a similar atmosphere as Step 3. Though, it’s actually kind of less mature-topic heavy than Step 3 since it’s just a ‘hey, let’s check in on the gang to see what they’re up to’ style epilogue rather than a story arc with serious issues.

will there be new music for now and forever?? or will the old our life music be reused? 

It’s gonna be a brand new soundtrack. We’ll be opening up a job position for that soon.

Hi, is it okay if we use the assets in Our Life (like the sprites) for fanworks or fan content content, like edits? 

Sure! Just as long as you don’t use the assets made by those artists to make money.

Quick clarification on Step 3 choices: I hope I didn't come off rude (because I LOVE the game, really!!), I was just curious because the intro threw me off at times. For example, you could choose how you felt about Elizabeth in Step 2 (Dinner), but during the Step 3 intro, it says that you got closer to Liz and I didn't get a choice in it. 

For the example, it can’t be helped that you’re closer to Liz in Step 3 than you were in Step 2 because she’s inherently closer to the MC regardless of whether you liked her or not in Step 2. Her feelings are out of your control and the game isn’t so dramatic that you can push her affection away and not let her bond with you, haha. But ‘being closer’ can still be relative. For some people maybe that means you’re best buds now and for others it might just mean you’re not fighting all the time any more. If there’s other parts you want to mention, feel free to let us know.

Did the illustrator for Our Life change? 

We have many OL artists! The main artists who set the game’s style haven’t changed, but there’s multiple other artists who help finish assets.

So Miranda's type is confident and outgoing, huh? So...does that mean Terri's her type?? 👀 

Haha, sorry for the late reply on this. As you might’ve seen in our post yesterday- yeah that is her type.

Hey! First, I just want to say I've really enjoyed how detailed OL got with gender identity and sexuality and how respectful the topics were handled! It's been so wonderful to play since the experiences could be close to my own (I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up at parts). Second, I was wondering, would future games explore the topic of polyamory? I'd love to see more visual novels allow room for that and I saw you've explored the topic before.

Keep up the amazing work! ♡

Thank you! We do want to include polyamory in at least some of our future projects. Floret Bond, which might be what you’re referring to when mentioning how we’ve explored the topic before, is on hold unfortunately. So right now I’m not sure when something might release or what will be the first game of ours to come out with poly relationships (we might do something else before FB is done). We’ll have see how things ends up coming together.

Hey um. I feel like im not allowed to ask this on the private discord cuz people will yell at me but why is there so much focus on OL2 and not finishing OL1 stuff? I like the new people but i kind of want to finish cove's story and get derek and baxter stuff first. didn't people pay for it? 

I’m sorry, I don’t understand entirely what’s making that situation a concern. There’s a channel in the discord for critique where no one is allowed to comment back. People can voice things they’re worried about without any way for others to push back on it. And the two teams working on the OL games are different. We try to post pretty often about how we’re hiring brand new people to start on Our Life: Now & Forever. The OL1 team is all still working on OL1 like normal. There’s only more updates on the Patreon for OL2 because the expansions to the first game are mostly script-based at this point while OL2 is just starting to get all its art, which means there’s a lot more to show off as previews.

Also, there was a Kickstarter for the first Our Life, if that’s what you mean by people paying for it. But one of the stretch goals was to start Our Life 2 early, before fully completing Our Life 1, so that the new game could be out sooner. It wouldn’t make sense to stop doing OL2 work because that would be going against what backers were promised. Maybe you didn’t get the full story before and hopefully this clears it up!

Hello! I know it's up to every player but.. What is your recommendation for playing order? Did you ever had any timeline  events planned? 

I didn’t make the events with a planned timeline. The events got made simply as I had ideas for them and then I just kind of organized them from left to right on the screen in an order to space out more dramatic ones between more lighthearted ones. Any order the player wants to go with is totally valid!

Hi! It's Step 4 a paid dlc or update? And how long it's planned to be? Ps. Love the game! 

The Step 4 epilogue is free! The Cove Wedding DLC does cost money, though. Those are planned to be shorter than the usual Steps/DLCs.

Will we have options for what sort of job the MC might have by the time step 4 takes place? 

Yeah, you can. It’s not super exact or detailed, but there are options about it.

Is there a pandemic in Our Life world, or is it just in a better timeline with no pestilence? 

Our Life is pandemic-free! That didn’t exist when we began working on the project and it’s not something we’d like to feature in this story now that it has unfortunately come along, aha.

Hi, you said that you can play tic-tac-toe or hangman with Cove in Boating if you're sick/scared but I keep getting tic-tac-toe. Am I doing something wrong?

After being sick/scared you have to continue to be upset/unwell. If you calm down and decide to just chill you’ll end up playing tic-tac-toe.

Hi, GB Patch! Since Lee was initially commissioned to only appear in two Steps does this mean she won't appear in the Wedding DLC? I really like her character so it'll be a little weird to not have our cousin at our wedding, aha.

She is gonna be in Step 4/the wedding DLC after all! We’re still working with her creator to make sure it fits with what they wanted.

Is Sunset Bird based on a real place? Asking for a friend, not trying to move there or anything. 👀

It’s based on small beach towns in So-Cal, but not one specific town you could go see in real life, I’m afraid. It’d be nice if it was real, though.

—– —– —– —–

We released a new FAQ! It answers common questions and we’ll keep adding more to it. Please check there before sending an ask. FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

[fe-semi-decent-scenarios]

Could you do 49 for Ashe? Because let face it the bean deserves all the hugs and love 😤💝

{YEYEYE Ashe request lads, it's an a s h e r e q u e s t. Is it unhealthy that almost three years down the line I am still in love with him? Maybe. Do I care? Lol nope. Here's your request doll, sorry that it's late}

#49- Giving them a tight hug that makes them lose their breath

{Please Let Me Pass}-Ashe Ubert x Reader

If Ashe had somehow wronged the professor in any way, this was a punishment far from fitting. He merely asked for some extra tutoring in tactical battle strategies before his class examination. Nothing too extreme since he'd never want to be an inconvenience, but the last thing he expected was to find (Y/N) waiting for him in the Professor's stead.

If they did this on purpose, then Professor Byleth was much more cruel than he'd have ever imagined. It's not that (Y/N) was incapable; no, they were the next best in line to lead the class after Prince Dimitri. It had already been well established that they would make a fine addition to any army and the blue lions were very fortunate to have them. He "admired," them as well.

Perhaps a bit too much, since concentrating on anything other than his erratic heartbeat was impossible.

"Correct again! Just remember that for this formation, you'll likely want to add more security around your cleric aside from one knight. A good bet is to station a long distance faction within reach," they said, and he nodded while jotting their words in his notebook for later. He'd been doing well, albeit so unwillingly. With each question came a new uncertainty and fear of failure. He'd constantly need to skim his book for reassurance.

"I don't know why you’re so worried Ashe. You would do well to go relax your brain for tomorrow, why don't we go grab dinner?" Their praise only worsened his condition, and he felt his eyes sting from trying not to smile. Despite it though he turned the page in his book, ready to do another practice problem.

"Oh no. Compared to everyone else I have much to improve on, it will be a miracle if I ever become a knight at this rate," no sooner than the last syllable left his mouth, he felt his writing quill snatched from his grasp.

"Doubt is something we don't have room for Ubert. No more visual problems, time for a pop quiz," they said motioning for him to give up his notebook. Things were going well, but now he couldn't tell if his heart pounded from their closeness or testing fear.

"What? No, we don't have to-"

"I want to,"

"But it's easier to follow the Professor's plan"

"No, straying is good. Now give me the book," they tapped the table, urging him to slide it over.

"…please?" he tried one last time, but with one quirk of their eyebrow he relented. They tucked it under their arms delicately, and he patiently waited for failure.

"What weapon class is superior to swords?" they asked. Ashe sputtered at the question. They answer was obvious considering the weapon triangle is one of the first things any student learns. He couldn't help but wonder if it was a trick question. Compared to everything else they had studied this was simple, too simple. For the first time he cursed how mute their resting face was, letting no indication of trickery slip through. They simply waited with hands folded, and watched him with a soft gaze.

"Uhm," he hesitated, "that would be lances, yes?"

After a moment of silence their blank expression cracked into a light smile, and he felt himself reaching to fiddle with his sleeves.

"Correct," they said, and he almost relaxed until they began to pack away his notebook unannounced.

"W-wait! I need that for tomorrow," he reached for the bag, only for them to halt him with a stern grip on his wrist. His pulse jumped again at the contact, and if this were a different occasion he may have dreamed up fantasies of interlocking fingers.

"No you don't. I'm keeping this for tonight," they said with no room for argument. He couldn't fight back against them, he's never won and doesn't think he ever will. It's almost as if they knew what set him off-oh, they knew. Well that makes things all the more 'peachy,' now doesn't it. His wrist was soon free, but their next target was his hair. They tussled it affectionately, or at least that is how he perceived it.

"That was such a simple question, and it nearly made you hyperventilate. You're so much more intelligent than you give yourself credit for and tonight you are going to rest before acing that exam tomorrow," they tussled his hair almost affectionately. He couldn't focus enough to tell, with their praise ringing in his head.

"I don't- I can't?" he cast his gaze down with no better argument, "...alright. I'll trust your judgement," he relented once again, just like before. If he couldn't muster the confidence on his own then maybe stealing some of theirs would be enough. He bid them farewell, letting his heart relax and limbs go limp in the empty study hall. He was almost calm until the fast clacking of shoes on tile grew closer.

"(Y/N)? Did you forget something?" He asked as they approached.

"Yeah," hands gripped his own, and he felt warmth squeeze himself into a ball. They tucked their head next to his own comfortably despite how he did not reciprocate immediately. All he could muster was a light pat on their back, nothing in comparison to the way all energy was sucked from his limbs and breath stolen away. So gravitating that it did not last nearly long enough.

"That's for confidence. If you pass then I'll give you another!"

Oh he needed to pass. He will pass.

[runeterrankhaleesi]

Hera

[made using a picrew]

Origin: Japan Race: Radiant Gender: Female Affiliation(s): Kingdom Valorant Protocol

Role: Sentinel Passive Ability: Essence Basic Abilities: Volley Tracker Signature Abilities: Lifeline Ultimate Ability: Spike Ult. Points: 8

Codename/s: Spike

Profile

______________________________________

“

Born and raised in Japan, Hera commands the Ora-a golden orb made of radianite and blood. She supplies life to her teammates while challenging corners, forcing enemies out of hiding.

”

Abilities

______________________________________

Passive

ESSENCE

Enemies defeated by Hera or her teammates leave behind essences. These essences can be collected to empower Hera. (Does not prevent Reyna from using Soul Harvest)

If a radiant was killed, they leave behind essences the color of black. It can be collected as an alternative to Ultimate points.

If an (normal) agent was killed, they leave behind essences in the color of gold and stored to be later used for LIFELINE.

Basic

(C) VOLLEY

EQUIP a set of Ora missiles. FIRE to launch a single missile. ALT FIRE to launch all missiles in a line going in a target direction.

(Q) TRACKER

EQUIP the Ora. FIRE to send out a sentient duplicate, scouting a path, revealing the area of in front of it. When an enemy comes in range, the Ora will latch on to an enemy and reveal their location. (Can be destroyed)

Signature

(E) LIFELINE

EQUIP the Ora. FIRE to use the stored ESSENCE to create a tether between Hera and an ally, rapidly healing Hera and the ally for a short duration. Tether breaks if Hera or the ally walks away too far. (Can be used but at the cost of Hera's own health)

Ultimate

(X)SPIKE

EQUIP to consume the Ora, instantly entering into an OVERDRIVE state. While in this state, gain combat stim (increasing movement, firing, equip, and reload speed), however players have 30 seconds before Hera detonates an explosion in a large area (the range equal to a spike detonation), instantly killing ALL players caught in it.

Causes the EXHAUSTED state after use. (Movement slows down, health and shield decay, eventually regaining it after a short period of time).

Personality

______________________________________

Everyone claims that she's the exact opposite of Yoru and the team regards her as the big sister or the bestfriend of the group.

She's generally friendly and kind, and will find a way to help the other agents no matter what, especially in emergencies.

She's fun to be around with with her gentle but upbeat, fun, and positive nature, usually participating in bets with the younger agents. But can be strict and will scold anyone if the situation calls for it.

Despite being different in nature (as said by agents), Yoru and Hera actually have more in common than most realize. Both share a profound love for cars, motors, games, movies, and their own culture. Most notably their own motors and their huge collection of games.

Extras/Trivia

______________________________________

Allegedly the first-albeit bioengineered-radiant.

Older sister of Yoru and is the only person he ACTUALLY and obediently listens to.

Will and DOES slap Yoru on the back of his head if he gets out of line/too disrespectful. (Happens on a rare occurrence since one warning call of his name from Hera will immediately straighten him out).

Owns a motorcycle with colors that match her aesthetic (black, white, gold colors)

Regularly takes her motorcycle for a spin with Yoru.

Has tattoos, which includes: her Kingdom name on her forearm, a quote written in Japanese at the bottom of her nape, and a small cherry blossom tattoo on her ankle (a small branch with 2 sakuras still attached while 2 fell of to the side).

Owns tons of jewelry.

A fan of Japanese delicacies, mostly Konpeito candy, dango, and Wagashi.

Amazing cook and baker. Just tell her what you want to eat and she's on it.

That said, she cooks a whole course meal for the team on special occasions or in celebrations for birthdays or after a particularly hard mission.

Learned a thing or two about tinkering from Killjoy. (Asked and got lessons from Killjoy after KAY/O collapsed on the battlefield WAY too many times on her.)

Is hated by Viper from some reason.

Always on her toes when Cypher is around.

Has a weird relationship with KAY/O (as said by Jett, Raze, Phoenix, and especially Yoru).

Calls everyone in the Protocol "sweetie", except for Viper, Sage, and Brimstone.

Yoru and Hera's break-up song 1000% would definitely be "Baka Mitai".

That said, the two are quite fond of this song-especially the chorus-and often sing it for fun or for teasing (i.e: Yoru or Hera miss a shot that would've been awesome to brag about. IF either of them witness the other, they are going to sing the chorus on the spot. Think of it as rubbing salt into the wound.). And sometimes they sing it when they're drunk.

[h2bakugou]

hi love! can i request an angst to fluff with bakugo? maybe where he cheats and reader catches him. we dont go back to cheaters so maybe kiri and reader end up together and bakugo just regrets. i dont have any specifics in mind so feel free to let this play out however you want! just hurt me.

if this is too much or you dont wanna write this feel free to just ignore it! love you, have a great day!

a/n: hii hun!! ooo this is something i don’t think i’ve done before. i feel like i don’t write really good angst but this is a good prompt so i hope i write it well!! thank you for the request hun!! 

summary: you thought things were going good with bakugou until you catch him cheating on you. distraught, you find comfort in the arms of your closest friend, and something blossoms much stronger than before.

key: (y/n) - your name / (f/n) - first name / (l/n) - last name / (e/c) - eye color / (h/c) - hair color / (y/q) - your quirk

warnings: swearing, fluff, angst, cheating/mentions of cheating, established relationship with bakugou, bakugou’s a dick, kirishima is a real bro of the people and straight up puts his ass on blast

word count: 3.1k (so- i got carried away...god i hope this is good if not im so sorry angst is not my strong suit please-)

;cut for length;

»»————-　★　————-««

»»————-　★　————-««

It was the day after your three-month anniversary with Bakugou. You’d spent all day together yesterday, and for the most part, everything seemed normal.

Perhaps it was because Bakugou wasn’t texting the girl he’d been secretly hanging out with behind your back all day, or maybe it was because he’d planned to meet up with said girl after you finally left him alone.

Bakugou wasn’t interested in you anymore, but frankly stringing you along for his own benefit was a lot easier. Breaking it off would leave a bad image on his part, and the last thing he wanted was a smudged reputation.

Which was why he kept quiet about this other girl, and only met with her when he was certain he wouldn’t be caught. Sneaking off when everyone went to sleep because they assumed he was asleep.

It didn’t help that they lived fairly close to each other so taking time to leave school meant they could hang out with one another at their homes and suspicious eyes would be none the wiser.

Bakugou had lied to his mother about still being with you and claimed that you’d just moved on and left, making you look like the bad guy. So Mitsuki welcomed this newer girl, and showered her in affection much like she had done with you.

Except you were still with Bakugou. And he’d just told you he loved you again. Kissing the top of your head, seemingly unphased as you yawned, ready for bed.

“Goodnight.” You spoke quietly, wishing Bakugou a good night’s rest as you headed off down to Kirishima’s dorm, where you planned to watch him play a new game he’d recently gotten.

“Hey, Kiri!” You smiled, giving him a big warm hug. Kirishima’s heart ached at the little nickname you’d given him, squeezing and wrenching inside his chest as he smelled your sweet-smelling shampoo, your arms squeezing around him as you hugged him.

“Hey (Y/n), is that a new sweater?” Kirishima asked, smiling as he admired the crimson color.

“It is! I’m glad you noticed. It kinda reminds me of your hair now that I think about it.” You giggle, reaching up to ruffle his soft hair. He’d recently washed it and it currently laid down, unlike his normal hairstyle, his large pointy spikes were nowhere in sight.

Kirishima’s little heart only began to beat faster as you entered his room, sitting beside him as he loaded up the game. Resting your head on his shoulder, you would cheer him on as he played, currently whooping ass against Sero and Kaminari who he was playing with.

“Kaminari asked why you couldn’t come watch him play.” Kirishima chuckled, glancing over at you, noticing how tired you looked.

“Well, maybe I’d go watch him play if he didn’t suck.” You joked, hearing Sero ‘ooh’ over the burn you just slapped over Kaminari.

“Damn Kaminari, they got you good.” Kirishima teased, nudging your side as you giggled, sitting up. You stretched your arms and yawned. Kirishima quickly muted his mic and paused.

“You tired, let me walk you up to your dorm.” Kirishima was ready to tell the boys he’d be back in a few but you shook your head.

“I’ll be alright, keep playing. Kick some more ass for me.” You ruffled his hair once more and patted his head before heading out of his room, waving as he waved back.

You made it back to your room and got ready for bed, nearly falling asleep without realizing you didn’t have your phone.

It’d been maybe three hours, before you rolled over, curious about what time it was when you noticed the blank space on your nightstand, where your phone would usually charge.

Sitting up tiredly, you rubbed your eyes and glanced around. You’d completely lost it, you couldn’t find it anywhere, in your dorm at least. You were unsure if you’d had it when you visited Kirishima, but your only thoughts went to Bakugou.

Maybe you’d left it in his dorm when you visited to study with him. Now that you thought about it, you’d brought your books and stuff back down before he went to bed and you returned to tell him goodnight, but he never let you back inside.

It was dark outside, and completely silent in the dorms. Everyone was clearly asleep. Or so you thought.

Creeping up to Bakugou’s dorm, you were surprised to see a little light peeking under the door. You weren’t one to snoop, but you certainly knew for Bakugou to be up at this hour, something would have to be up, maybe he was sick, or couldn’t sleep?

You pressed your ear to the door and listened for a few seconds.

Those few seconds, time stood still.

“So when are we gonna make it official?” A girl’s voice wrecked through you, your eyes watering as you listened.

“I’m working on it. I just need (Y/n) to fucking leave me alone. All they do is follow me around like a lost fucking puppy, it’s annoying.”

This was not happening. He’d just said he loved me a few hours earlier. Why was he being so mean?

“Good, because I don’t how much longer I can keep this a secret. I need to see you, Katsu.” You wanted to throw up. You felt so sick. So hurt.

So betrayed.

You were overwhelmed with emotions, sadness, despair, hurt, anger.

Raising a fist, you pounded on that door like your life was in danger. You could hear a few whispers and footsteps as Bakugou quickly opened the door, surprised to see you. You barged in, shooting one glance at the girl sitting on his bed in one of his shirts, the same one you’d worn earlier that week.

You found your phone laying under a few papers on his dresser. You turned to see Bakugou just staring at you.

“Hey-”

“Don’t” You say quietly as you speed-walk past him and back down the hall. Bakugou doesn’t follow you, or try to stop you, or call out for you.

He slinks back into his dorm and resumes his time with his new girl, taking that as his sign that he was officially single.

Clenching your phone in one shaking hand, you can’t help but feel utterly worthless. And somehow your feet seemed to move on their own, right down to Kirishima’s dorm.

When you felt the door open, and heard a sleepy Kirishima ask if everything was okay, you finally realized you’d trekked down to his dorm without even realizing.

“N-no. It’s not okay, I’m not okay.” You whisper as he pulls you into him for a hug. He stands there, consoling you quietly, not even saying anything. Just rubbing your back as you sob into his shoulder.

He’s concerned, that’s evident by the way his expression is softened, and his eyebrows knit together, wondering just what had happened to have landed you here.

But as he finally pulls you back into his room, the only light coming from a pink and orange glowing Himalayan salt lamp. You’re shaking in his arms as you sink to the floor.

It’s the first time Kirishima’s ever seen you like this. 

So hurt.

“You don’t have to say anything, but I’m worried about you. You tell me when you’re ready okay? Do you need anything right now?” Kirishima’s spoke quietly, and softly, his large, rough hands for once being so gentle and delicate.

You sat and thought for a few minutes, just shaking in his arms as you tried to calm down. You were overwhelmed, too anxious about what had happened, if you weren’t enough for Bakugou.

But you finally spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen over the two of you.

“I-I’m...” You breathed, finally looking up at Kirishima. You could feel the snot as it leaked from your nose and how wet your cheeks, chin, and neck were, but Kirishima didn’t look at you any differently. 

With red puffy eyes you glanced down and opened your mouth to speak.

“Bakugou, he was, I think...” You paused.

I saw what I saw. I heard her. That girl. He was cheating.

“Bakugou cheated on me.” You whimpered, more tears beginning to fall from your eyes. Your face fell back into Kirishima’s shoulder as your frame shook from pure despair.

Kirishima didn’t respond. He sat, his hands rubbing up and down your spine as you cried, anger boiling inside him.

Never, not even once, had he assumed, or even pondered that Bakugou would ever be unfaithful. His priorities of being on top seemed to overweigh everything else.

So when he’d started dating you, he was albeit a bit jealous, but he supported you and Bakugou’s relationship, despite wanting to be with you himself. But soon he realized you were taken by someone else, and he would respect that.

He changed his usual somewhat flirty comments, and kept things strictly friendly, but he couldn’t help but notice you still made his heart race.

But Bakugou, cheating? That was something he didn’t see coming. But regardless if it was shocking or not, it wasn’t right.

Kirishima didn’t agree with his actions at all, and seeing just how hurt you had been by his actions, it made him feel even angrier.

“Kirishima, I-I don’t know what to do. I thought he loved me. Why didn’t he love me?” You looked at him with tears pouring from your eyes. Broken sobs cracked from your wet lips, and Kirishima’s heart shattered.

Kirishima closed his eyes and placed a hand behind your head, nuzzling your face into his chest as he leaned into you, burying his own face into your shoulder.

“He’s an idiot. It’s gonna be alright. I promise.” Kirishima hushed you quietly, rocking you back and forth in his hold as you finally began to calm down, eventually falling asleep as he came to halt.

Reaching for a blanket, Kirishima wrapped it around you and held you tightly against him. His blood boiled inside him as he began to doze off himself.

“You are so amazing, please don’t let anyone tell you differently.” Kirishima whispered against your hair, resting his own eyes.

As time drained on during everyone’s slumber, a storm was brewing within Kirishima.

Waking in the morning, you awoke in Kirishima’s arms, just where you remembered falling asleep. You nudged him awake but that usual morning smile you wore whenever you’d see him in the common area for breakfast was no where in sight.

“Good morning.” You spoke quietly. It was awkward. But Kirishima quickly ruffled your hair.

“Bed head.” Kirishima pointed out, smiling at the disarray of your locks. You quickly turned away to try and fix what he was talking about.

“Hey relax, it’s okay.” Kirishima chuckled.

“I’m sorry for waking-”

“Don’t apologize. We’re gonna get through this together okay? I’m here to help however you need me too. Do you want me to walk with you to school?” Kirishima offered, helping you stand up as you both began to wake up.

“I think that would be nice. Thank you.” You can’t help but stare at the ground, feeling like a burden. You’d roped Kirishima in with your problems and now-

“I’m really sorry that Bakugou did that. It’s unmanly as hell. If he was unhappy he should’ve talked to you about it, going behind your back was straight up fucking idiotic.” Kirishima’s words sort of spilled out, immediately catching your attention.

“I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay. I agree with you. If he was upset or unhappy, I just wish he would’ve told me.” Your bottom lip quivers as you speak about it, the memories flashing through your mind of seeing that girl on his bed, him talking about you like you weren’t even together.

About how he despised you.

“Go get ready for class, I’ll meet you by the stairs in ten?” Kirishima was already pulling out his uniform and removing his shirt as you headed toward the door.

You nodded and left quickly, running to your room avoiding being seen. And just as he’d stated, you met up by the steps in ten minutes and headed downstairs.

And there he was, waiting, like nothing had happened. Kirishima’s hand shot to yours, holding it tightly as you walked in the opposite direction. He lead you through the back doors and outside where you took a deep breath of the crisp morning air.

“It’s gonna be difficult, but try not to think about him. Every time you find yourself drifting back to him, try and replace it with something that makes you happy, like uh braiding my hair! Or making paper airplanes with Kaminari and how you beat him every time.” Kirishima laughs, lifting your chin up with his thumb and forefinger.

“He did a really scummy thing, and it hurts, I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but I’m gonna help however I can, and however you need me too.” Kirishima’s support was flooding your system. Your heart felt warm, despite feeling broken and cold hours earlier.

You didn’t thank him verbally, instead you threw your arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly, smiling.

Kirishima hugged you back and smiled. He missed your smile. 

Days turned into weeks, and things had slowly gone back to normal. You smiled more often. You informed Kaminari and Sero about your split from Bakugou, and eventually told most your friends, but not in detail.

However, Kirishima stayed by your side the most. And as you healed, you realized how much Kirishima had been there for you through all of it. And how maybe you had possibly got tied into things too fast with Bakugou.

While a part of you did love Bakugou during your time together, now you were beginning to realize how you really felt for Kirishima, a flame that had begun to burn long before you and Bakugou had been together.

But it seemed as you healed, and began to move on, finding your own happiness outside of Bakugou and the way he had treated you, Bakugou began to miss you.

Missing the way you’d kiss him, or hug him before bed. Missing the way you left his shirts smelling like you. Or the way you would always write little love notes on his study sheets.

Seeing you spend more time with Kirishima, seeing you so genuinely happy, the kind of happy you seemed to be when you used to be with him, made him mad. It made him miss you.

And sooner or later, his anger bubbled over and he snapped.

“Aye what the fuck?!” Bakugou shouted, watching as you quickly cowered away from Kirishima as Bakugou approached the two of you.

“You got a problem? We can take this outside if we need to.” Kirishima spoke up, quickly earning most of the ears of your peers.

“Yeah why the fuck you up on them like that?” Bakugou stared at you. Your face contorted in anger as you stepped forward.

“I’m sorry?” You laughed, staring at the blonde who was now your ex-boyfriend.

“You better back the fuck up.” Kirishima commented. Kaminari and Sero quickly stood to aid, positioning themselves on either side of you, positive you could handle yourself against Bakugou, but albeit cautious.

“No. Why’re you all up on them, you fucking got a thing for them? Spit it out shitty-hair.”

“No. You don’t get a fucking say in this. You fucking cheater. Ruining something so fucking special. Do you have any fucking idea how badly you hurt them? You didn’t even care to apologize. You fucking asshole. You don’t get to be upset.” Kirishima snapped. A few gasps from students. Bakugou’s face dropped at Kirishima’s words.

“I-I was just bored! All we ever did was just hang out-but I-”

“You what, Katsuki?” You approached him. You stood right in front of him and shook your head.

“I loved you. I really did, I gave my all to you, I sacrificed time and effort to make you happy because I felt like I was nothing compared to you. I have never felt like I was so below someone while being with them until I was with you. Constantly compared to you, it was fucking awful. You’re a cheating piece of shit. And I’m so sorry that you miss me now because I certainly fucking don’t miss you.” You spoke, your chest heaving as you sighed, turning and pulling Kirishima outside, along with a few others who had sided with you. 

Bakugou stood silently, feeling the eyes of everyone on him, judging him as he headed up toward his dorm.

“That was awesome!” Kaminari cheered, patting your shoulder.

“I didn’t know I had that in me.” You smiled, hugging Kirishima. Kirishima stood silently beside you.

“Hey, you okay? Forget about him, it’s over, we won, did you see the look on his face?” You nudged his side. Kirishima groaned and pulled you into him, slamming his lips on yours.

Your eyes widened as he kissed you, but you didn’t fight it. You closed your eyes and melted into the kiss, eventually drawing your arms up over his shoulders, deepening the kiss as he leaned into you more.

Kirishima pulled away and quickly glanced to Kaminari and Sero who’s mouths were formed into small ‘o’s quickly looking away as Kirishima chuckled.

“Woah.” You breathed, smiling as you stared at Kirishima.

“Sorry I have been wanting to do that for a long time.” Kirishima apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. You couldn’t help but laugh.

You leaned up and kissed him again, smiling as he kissed back, your lips moving rhythmically against one another.

Shortly after, Kirishima made sure you were ready for a relationship before asking. Recovery from your previous relationship had gone well, and once you were ready, Kirishima didn’t hesitate to ask. He would’ve waited a lifetime for you.

And Kirishima showed you love, real love. He cherished you, brought you up when you were low, and allowed you to shine, just as you did for him. Supporting him through his highs and his lows, helping him when he needed, and loving him for who he was.

You felt whole, truly happy. The kind of happy you hadn’t felt for a while. And you didn’t think about Bakugou once during it. If you interacted, you were curt, and always handled the situations quickly. You didn’t need to focus on him.

And when you beat him during a test, it only proved you had grown stronger.

Bakugou had lost this battle. 

And you were winning by a long shot, with a happy, healthy, relationship with someone who loved you, someone who truly loved you.

And that flame inside you, burning for Kirishima, only grew.

»»————-　★　————-««

masterlist

[tigerlily340]

So.

I called Belos having a mane of hair under that stuffy-ass cloak…

I called Eda and Raine being exes (but let’s be honest that one was obvious):

I predicted what would happen between Amity and Hunter in Eclipse Lake (albeit for different reasons) …

But now I realize I accidentally called Emperor Belos having facial scars too??

Lemme explain.

(Spoilers for Eclipse Lake below)

I put up a Q&A thing on Insta regarding my TOH x SPOP AU, The She-Ra House, and this was one of my asks:

This ask was submitted around nine weeks ago, as of August 7th.

Waaaaaaay before Eclipse Lake premiered, which features Belos’s own facial scars:

Soooo yeah, it’s freaky now that I was able to guess correctly on so many things (whether it be intentional or accidental) in the show.

That being said…

There’s no way that Belos isn’t Philip Whittebane like COME ON—

[snicketstrange]

Rereading The Chapter 14 (The End)

I believed that in ASOUE's universe, chapter 14 was apparently written some time after the rest of the book. But I abandoned that idea. Lemony wrote to the editor that chapter 14 could be found at the end of the same manuscript.

We then have the epigraph of Le Voyage. It's an excerpt that portrays the moment of death, and perhaps the acceptance of death. But I don't think this means that Lemony is completely certain of the Baudelaires' death. I think it means he's pretty sure he won't write about the Baudelaires anymore. I think the right question is "why did Lemony decide to stop writing at this point in the story?" "Why did he plan to write more and then stop writing?" I think Lemony didn't promise to write the entire story of the Baudelaires. He promised to write the story of the conflict between the Baudelaires and Olaf. So when he was sure of Olaf's death, and that was only with the additional information he had probably had access to through Beatrice Jr, Lemony realized that the research might be over. The certainty of Olaf's death was the event he determined when the narrative came to an end. So, it makes us wonder what kind of promise Lemony made. Apparently he promised that he would clarify the facts surrounding the charges the Baudelaires went through, as well as the contexts in which these events took place. That's why it was so important to get this information out to the general public. Because it involved the honor of the Baudelaire family. Furthermore, this explains why he could not rely solely on the account given by the Baudelaires themselves: after all, they were being accused of being lying criminals. Lemony needed to clear their name, proving, so to speak, that the facts reported by the Baudelaires were real, and it was not enough just to record what he read in the island book.

I think this is the most sensible explanation, and as a theorist I will defend it. But as a fan willing to come up with slightly bizarre ideas, I feel like imagining Lemony realizing that his own death was close to happening. It would be interesting to imagine that Lemony's research took so long that he was an elderly man when he was publishing The End. And the reason Lemony finished his work at this point would be his physical limitations. That would explain shocking secret #13: "he's finished." And more than that: it would even explain the title of the book: "The End of Lemony Snicket". And furthermore, this would explain Lemony's dedication to Beatrice in chapter 14. After quoting the words of Charles B., in which the poet compares the hour of death with the setting off of a ship, Lemony claims that both he and Beatrice are like boats sailing at night, but especially her. Both were on a dark and lonely journey, but she was already dead. "

Beatrice's last words recorded in the book were really emotional to me when I first read them, and they still are today. Especially after I watched the Netflix series, it's now possible to imagine a very specific face when I picture Beatrice. And it's possible to think of a specific soundtrack when I read this.

About the baby's name, on my Headcanon Violet is the name of Mrs. W, who was presumed dead around the same time as Lemony. And in my Headcanon, just as Lemony didn't really die, she didn't either. I still like to think that she was the mystery woman on TGG, and that's the real reason Quigley used the name Violet in the message he sent to submarine Q.

I think this is the first time I stop to think that the Baudelaires ate crab. This is unclean food for those who practice Judaism as a religion, isn't it? I even thought the roast lamb was a reference to the Passover celebration, but they wouldn't do that by eating crab. Or is it that in a book in which Daniel Handler implicitly criticizes religion, he did so on purpose? I think it's unlikely, but still possible. But, albeit unintentionally, the Baudelaires rejected the religious customs of their ancestors in a book in which religious customs are questioned and this is significant.

"The baby had heard about danger, too, mostly from the register of crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind from which the Baudelaires read out loud each evening, although they had not told the infant the whole story. She did not know all of the Baudelaires' secrets, and indeed there were some she would never know."

The above excerpt is important as it reveals that Lemony has information about Beatrice Jr's future as he was writing this chapter. This explains how Lemony knows what happened in this chapter: Beatrice Jr told him. Lemony did meet her, and he realized that the Baudelaires hadn't told her the whole story.

A detail that has always pleased me in this book is to notice that after 1 year, Sunny stopped babbling words and has a more conventional and extensive vocabulary. I find this compatible with the fact that 1 year has passed and it's also compatible with her character development arc. One of asoue's themes is "how some children are forced to mature too quickly because of tragedy". Sunny, for example, needed to learn how to cook and convince herself that she loved doing it and that she was good at it in a few days. And all this before she learned to speak English properly. She needed to help with a birth long before she fully understood issues related to human procreation. But in chapter 14, she finally had the opportunity to develop without tragedies forcing her to skip important steps in life.

"Do we take this?" Violet asked, holding up the book from which she had read out loud.

"I don't think so," Klaus said. "Perhaps another castaway will arrive, and continue the history."

"In any case," Sunny said, "they'll have something to read."

Please realize how important this dialogue is. Daniel Handler placed this dialogue here to make sure the reader understood the source of information Lemony had access to: the island book. The children wrote about their own story in that book, including their thoughts, feelings, and private conversations. The children shared some details about ancient events, about when Sunny wasn't even born. In the book, Lemony found details about some events that took place on the island before the arrival of the three Baudelaires.

"I want to make sure these life jackets I've designed will fit properly."

Well... It's good to know that, even though the boat sank, the Baudelaires had lifeboats. Their chances of survival really increased a lot. And knowing that Beatrice Jr managed to survive a shipwreck, it's quite possible that they did too.

The Baudelaires watched her approach, wondering what the next chapter in this infant's life would be, and indeed that is difficult to say. There are some who say that the Baudelaires rejoined V.F.D. and are engaged in brave errands to this day, perhaps under different names to avoid being captured. There are others who say that they perished at sea, although rumors of one's death crop up are often revealed to be untrue. But in any case, as my investigation is over, we have indeed reached the last chapter of the Baudelaires' story, even if the Baudelaires had not.

Lemony just reports here what he heard. Although Daniel Handler intentionally wishes the ending to be left open, and I will respect his decision, I will speak my opinion. They didn't die at sea, though. Note that Lemony directly relates the baby's future to the future of the three Baudelaires. The way Lemony wrote here suggests that the baby's future is as uncertain as the future of her adoptive parents. But we TBL readers know the truth about Beatrice Jr.'s future. Beatrice is alive! So the most likely situation is that her parents are also alive. ( And who knows other characters that we thought had died there on TBB... could it be that at least one of them could also have survived?)

But the question is: if Lemony knows the baby survived, why did he hide this information from the reader? Certainly to protect his niece. Lemony didn't lie, just omitted some details.

The baby paused, and looked at the back of the boat, where the nameplate had been affixed. She had no way of knowing this, of course, but the nameplate had been nailed to the back of the boat by a person standing on the very spot she was standing—at least as far as my research has shown.

Lemony once again dismantled specific knowledge through research, which could only have been done through information provided by others. Beatrice Jr needed to tell Lemony exactly where she was at that moment and Lemony needed to compare that with the information Beatrice Sr and Bertrand wrote in the island book. And then, on visiting the site, Lemony was able to ascertain the most likely position for those descriptions. While Lemony is a bit mistaken, the research process must have been like that.

Finally, she uttered a word. The Baudelaire orphans gasped when they heard it, but they could not say for sure whether she was reading the word out loud or merely stating her own name, and indeed they never learned this. Perhaps this last word was the baby's first secret, joining the secrets the Baudelaires were keeping from the baby, and all the other secrets immersed in the world. Perhaps it is better not to know what was meant by this word, as some things are better left in the great unknown. There are some words, of course, that are better left unsaid—but not, I believe, the word uttered by my niece, a word which here means that the story is over. Beatrice.

Oh... How I love this ending. That's when I felt my head explode for the first time in my life, and I'm still picking up the pieces.

[skamamoroma]

I Promised You The Moon - Episode 1 Thoughts - aka did John Hughes direct this and not tell us?

Oh I had to wait so long today to see episode 1 as I was working but I am so very happy I waited till I was in bed and with a cup of tea... which I then cried into four times. So that’s where I’m at. This is going to be long, I’m not even sorry in the slightest!

For ITSAY, I made so many posts about this show and how moving and beautiful it was, how the symbolism and writing was exceptional, how the music was absolutely incredible and how much I adored BK and PP’s chemistry. P’Boss’ work is special and the feel of Part 1 was a delicious kind of awkward, indie movie full of metaphors, fraught pain and emotion and pretty breathtaking storytelling of love and growth. I fell absolutely in love with Teh and Oh and their story, obsessed with Teh as a character (as I see a lot of myself in him and I love when he spirals) and I just felt utterly moved by the whole show. So I never needed Part 2. Part 1, for me, is perfect. And I certainly didn’t expect to love Part 2 as much or feel as much emotion because I just thought it wouldn’t be possible especially with a change of director and city and storyline... but I genuinely think that was a good idea after seeing Episode 1.

I just finished it and I’m kinda tear stained and the first thing I couldn’t get out of my head was just how much it reminds me of the late dear John Hughes movies from the 80s. Those of you who are a little old like me born right at the beginning of the 90s, will have been brought up on those movies filled with 80s synth music, stories of growing up, artsy camera work and filled with colour and emotion. Those movies are some of my all time favourites and I absolutely felt their influence on Episode 1 and maybe the rest of the season, I don’t know! I really wonder if P’Meen used them or was aware, hahaha. Anyway...!

But first off, I cannot, and I mean CANNOT handle the music. Part 1 really did floor me with the use of the score and how it was such a huge part of the reason it was so beautiful. Phuket Dreams has me in tears about 3 notes in... so cue me crying at the remixes of the old score with 80s synth sounds and almost Dream Pop echoy sounds. That right there is my jam, my absolute favourite music and the way IPYTM is so clearly going to be full of it makes my heart very happy. Especially those last scenes with Oh, that sweeping 80s style music taking him from heartbroken pain to dancing to forget had John Hughes all over it and just felt so impactful. So I will bang on every week about the music I’m sure.

As for the beginning and the casual buying of condoms (yesssss god damn Nadao, thank you for safe sex lessons for LGBT+ youth and a nod to actual sexual expression, I’m mega proud) leading into the way Hoon and Suri were involved (they didn’t give me Tuty 😭) in transferring Teh, it felt like such a gorgeous transfer from ITSAY vibes to IPYTM... watching Teh’s mamma so proud, Hoon watching over him as always and then gently leading into the first moment that made me cry...

How dare they put a remix of the old score over Teh being told by his mamma that she accepts him as he is so casually and softly, in a way that not only lets Teh know he’s loved but welcomes Oh as someone she cares about deeply and is happy being someone her son loves. It was beautifully done and I couldn’t help but think of Teh’s teary face on the Cape at the end of Episode 5 and thinking how proud I am of him. The way Hoon stroked his hair - help.

Teh. Now I made no secret of the fact that I loved every moment of watching Teh go through it in Part 1, how his very physicality and struggle played out especially him writhing all over his rug! But we had to see him grow. He isn’t the same boy he was but he still feels like Teh, just a little more comfortable, a little more mature in some ways and just READY for life. He feels tentative but also prepared to grow more and I just adore him. Oh, on the other hand, the one who was much more secure in himself in terms of his self and sexuality in Part 1 is now absolutely thrown into the unknown and isn’t handling it well.

Oh was established so beautifully as a Phuket boy. His name is rooted in his home, he lives in shorts and by the sea, he’s shaped by that place and what it means to him... his signature scent is coconut! He literally embodies Phuket... so it doesn’t in any way surprise me that we are watching him flounder and feel lost. It feels so human and so many moments felt so moving. When he told Teh that the best part of his day was seeing him, when he imagined the waves on his mind, when he listened to his mamma talk about the coastal weather... it’s hardly surprising that he cried as he was asked to explain his name. That was the second moment that got me. I was a wreck. Watching him break down and fall to pieces infront of total strangers just because he was recounting the meaning of his name, the foundation of who he is, the thing he misses to very much... he doesn’t fit, he doesn’t feel at home and he didn’t feel himself. It was beautifully done, for me. I caught my breath the second he started crying because it was so utterly human and raw. I have felt the way he does and recognised every second on his face. PP has come so so far with his acting.

Then we get the mention of Yongjian. NOW SOMEONE TELL ME IS THAT TEH AS YONGJIAN IN THE TITLES? If so, how dare they spoil it?! I am going to weep uncontrollably if Teh gets his dream. But the way Teh spoke of their future, the way he tried to recreate their past with Yongjian’s speech. Their entire history as friends and boyfriends is rooted in that story, that character, the idea of being Male protagonists... and Teh is so sure of their future. Also, you cannot also avoid the meta of it all with BK and PP. That moment and their words felt so personal to them too and their own real lives!

Do not even start with how their first kiss in Phuket was underwater and arguably their first kiss in Bangkok is the same albeit in public. DO NOT LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS TOO MUCH.

The issue is that, Part 1 set out for us how they ended up where they are. Oh fell into acting, it was never his dream from the start. Then it all became a fight, a thing to win from his rival and in the end a thing to prove. We haven’t really ever see Oh show a passion for the stage and acting, not really. He worked so hard to get his place in Uni but there’s so much irony at play. Their entire story of rivalry has actually caused this current situation. Oh “won” the coveted Uni spot (helped in part by Teh) and Teh “lost” and was making do. But we see how that’s not how life goes. Oh never really felt he knew what he wanted and so he just ploughed on. He’s now in a situation where he has to start deciding, has to be his own person and he’s just... lost. I can’t wait to see him find it whatever it may be! The difference with Teh is that he may not have got his number 1 desire but his passion is ENOUGH. He loves what he’s doing and that moment where Khim (is that her name, I forget now, it’s so late, but Goy’s character) was explaining the lights was gorgeous. Teh’s passion was ignited, you could see that “oh wow” moment... and you can see the difference in how they’re going to progress, Teh didn’t need the top Uni because his passion can carry him and will help him succeed whereas Oh doesn’t know what his passion is and perhaps he’s where he is for the wrong reasons after all. The story telling is lovely to me, if completely heartbreaking.

The tears came again at “but I’ve already given so much of our time to other people”. Oh the tears. The boat scene from ITSAY is my favourite scene of the show and that line is one of the most beautiful bits of writing I’ve encountered for a long while... and to see Teh use it and remember it and effectively set out the issue they’re facing was heartbreaking. They made that promise on the boat and they’re breaking it. Oh-aew is trying to be what he thinks Teh needs and Teh is wide eyed and filled with this new world and getting to indulge his passions. They’re both so human and both trying the best way they know but they’re so young and so unsure and have so little life experience that they don’t know how to be adults or how to manage all of this stuff. They know they care and love and are each other’s person but they have such a lot to learn.

So the introduction of Q and the boys... and let me say they’re glorious... feels both beautiful and tragic because they look like they will be accepting and also potentially LGBT+ themselves or maybe Q (I see your gorgeous painted nails, sweetheart and the way you didn’t question Oh saying “partner” for a second)... but also they’re what Oh is using to fill the time he promised to Teh. It’s not Oh’s fault. He deserves friendship and a world of his own too but he was relying so much on the familiarity of Teh and Teh’s presence to keep him grounded and comfortable but he can’t do that all the time. He is trying so hard to be good and thoughtful and kind that he’s not telling Teh the truth. He’s doing what he said he wouldn’t do on the boat, but we can’t blame him in the slightest, he’s the sweetest boy.

I have so much to say but I guess that’ll do for now. I really loved the episode. Yes, it’s different but I think I realise now why it needed to be. In a way I’m kinda of happy about it because ITSAY stays sacred!!!! It stays as that beautifully fraught and emotional indie movie of my heart filled with metaphorical depth. It can’t be touched as far as I’m concerned but with IPYTM it feels just as moving, just as emotional, just as impactful but in a different way that reflects maturity. I don’t think it would have worked if it still felt fraught and characterised by ITSAY vibes. They’re not kids, they’re not insecure about who they are anymore in terms of their sexuality and they are moving into adulthood.

I know it’s going to break me. Episode 1 had me genuinely crying into my tea but I also know that it had the potential for its own special brand of symbolism and meaning. We can already see some special moments which seemed to be saying way more than the words themselves like the speech on light and how we see things and the way Oh even used it himself to see a different perspective at the end. That felt really very meaningful. They’re going to need to be able to see different view points as they navigate what will probably be a shit ton of pain! They will need to adjust to the light, to their circumstances to be able to survive and for their bond to be what is important without allowing other stuff to pass into their line of sight. Oh saw nothing. Empty stage, no Teh, not even himself... he opened his eyes too soon. He needs to learn to adjust and learn how to see the world and his place in it so that when he opens his eyes he sees what he desires and has worked for and made for himself rather than emptiness.

The last thing for me is the chemistry. What more can you say other than they’re perfect? They have the most natural, enigmatic, intense and sweet chemistry. They work so beautifully together. They sell even the smallest of moments and they absolutely destroy with emotion. I just feel every second of Teh and Oh’s emotion and that is such a damn skill. Their talent, man.

So I loved it. I am going to be dreaming tearstained in 80s synth music tonight! I can’t wait for the rest to emotionally destroy me a little more.

[gaylactic-fire]

Yesyesyesyes on Time and Wind having so much potential in interacting. I got half a mind to write some sappy shit where Time Dads the Dadest Dad moments. Cause Twi is older and more mature and Wind is a teenager and they both are kinda directly descent from Time albeit different timelines.

Some cutlass found family shit where Time Dads both his kinda kids, and snarky comments happen and then they stumble into a situation that's too close to Colin's kidnapping for Twi to cope with handling it by himself and the kid they rescue is Smol and everyone just kinda goes "Well. You can parent a young adult and a teen. Good luck with the actual kid. We will let you take over and go try to find their family"

So basically. Time gets q crash course in Dad-ing smaller hylians.

And then wrapnitball up with Hylia yeeting them back to Lon Lon Ranch and Malon is all "Something about you is different, Link. In a really good way." And cheesy schmooze stuff and idk maybe Malon was thinking of fostering or adopting kids with Time and they got approved or she got pregnant or smth so it's just CHEESY and CUTE and I derailed so hard but I hope u know what I mean?

BRO?? YOU GONNA WRITE THIS OR 👀👀