#skip beat analysis

[64thyume]

Ok Skip Beat! Fandom, idk if you’re out there, but I would love to have some thoughts on this article and the more problematic elements of the manga!

I’ve really been enjoying the series and I’ve almost caught up, but in the process of doing some fanart and looking for refs (I couldn’t resist the challenge of trying to make the men’s faces in this series make literally any sense in any other style), I came upon this article. It got me thinking… I originally got into Skip Beat about 10-15 years ago because of the anime, but I think maybe I caught up to the limit of what’d been published and got distracted. I forgot about it for the last decade, but in rereading it I did remember that some of the interactions between Ren and Kyoto made me uncomfortable. And on rereading, some of those elements still do.

I bring up Ren as the main concern because Sho and Reino aren’t good guys. They’re never truly portrayed as good guys. Sho gets some moments where he seems to be reminded that Kyoko is human, a hurting one and he’s seen so much of her hurt up close and personal that even his self-centered person can’t ignore it (setting aside of course what he did to her because that’s not only a blind spot but he’d have to admit he did wrong to her in the first place). He’s only focused on her because she’s become interesting and challenges him in a unique way (since she’s known him long enough to push all his buttons) & it’s only because she is a better person than him that she’s able to criticize/critique him in a way that actually helps him move past some of his problems. But in the end he’s still selfish: he wants to dominate her mind, very much like Reino does (maybe just less creepily???).

Ren however is supposed to be the good guy in the story. Of course, he’s got his mysterious troubled past. He’s still learning to accept the interest and affections of others on any level beyond the surface. I suppose it makes sense that he doesn’t handle things well sometimes. But Sho forces a kiss on Kyoko and while at fist Ren seems to be trying to help her reframe the situation so it’s less traumatizing, suddenly he’s threatening loss of his goodwill if she even lets Sho kiss her again, as if it’s her fault he did it in the first place. I think maybe it’s supposed to read more like (1) she needs to be less naive (which she does) so here’s an ultimatum to push her that direction & (2) a little funny because it’s unexpected with the way the conversation was going. But it still feels a little icky to me. It’s mainly his moments of possessiveness like this that bother me and while he seems to sometimes regret it or apologize, he never seems to learn a better way. He just has to “keep it in check” until Kyoko hopefully reciprocates his feelings and then of course it’ll be fine (which, yes, there are hurdles to that even because they both want to become stars and don’t want a relationship to destroy their chances, but all it does is extend that possessiveness issue to yet a further future date). Idk, it’s tricky…

The other side of what’s problematic is the way she deals with (or is encouraged how to deal with) her traumas. I think the articles talks a lot more about this issue and I find it… maybe overkill? Though definitely not completely without merit.

They say that the manga says there is no true hurt, only acting fodder, but I guess I find it more that acting is used a means for her to experience and examine her emotions in a context that feels safe for her. The scene in which she admits her feelings about Ren to the President actually felt very beautiful to me because she is encouraged (using the excuse of becoming a better actress) to see herself as she is in this moment, to consider it rather than run from it, to pause the emotional ride for a second and see herself (& thus acknowledge the depth of her feelings). But she (& even Ren) is encouraged pretty often to recontextualize painful things to such a degree that it feels a little less like learning to understand the other party’s perspective and that they’re human too (& thus have their own hurts), and a little more like “Realizing there were good intentions erases the impact of the bad things they’ve done.” This only sometimes feels like the case for me though. The article references the arc with Kyoto’s mother as an example, but it doesn’t feel that extreme to me. It feels more like being an adult and realizing that your parents are human too. It doesn’t mean that what her mother did was ok, but that Kyoko understands the why of it and that humanizes her mother to her. She expresses this understanding not just by saying that she’s been through something similar, but that she understands her mother’s feelings of shame have been projected onto her being, so she will become more than her mother ever imagined someone produced from a (perceived) shameful beginning could be. Yeah, some of their interaction is problematic and does feel too much like that good-intentions-erase-bad-actions thing (Kyoko later makes comments about a role being something her mother wouldn’t be happy with, as if she ought to be considering that when her mother hasn’t proved at all that her opinions on Kyoto’s life have anything to do with having Kyoko’s best interests at heart… besides maybe encouraging someone else to raise her?).

The article also talks about her putting everyone else first and being encouraged to do so over and over again to a degree that’s not love but rather self-harm. I think this has some truth to it. Again, it’s more of the same vein as the good-intentions-erase-bad-actions thing. But I do wonder if some of those examples the articles gives of this aren’t meant to be read so much as putting others first as it is that’s Kyoko is learning to be professional (you can stand up for yourself, and Kyoko does fail to do this sometimes when she really ought to, but putting curses on people won’t help you learn to interact with people you don’t like which is part of being a professional in any field), to experience varying levels of “love” from simple understanding and acceptance of the brokenness of people to true deep affection, and to experience many emotions and regulate them around others - all with varying levels of success. I think a person with such trauma in the real world learns to love others typically by being given a safe place to be real and be loved first, then they learn to understand and forgive and love others, so Kyoko’s story isn’t quite realistic that way. But over time, she finds some of that in Ren (in spite of his own issues), Kanae, the couple she lives with, and others.

Unfortunately, in my eagerness to catch up with Skip Beat I read through it SO quickly that these thoughts are more impressions than an actual analysis. I don’t own any of it, so I’d have to get it all from the library again to do a deeper assessment. That’s where you Skip Beat fans who are better versed in the series come in! I’d love to her more perspectives, especially ones willing to admit the flaws of the series but also celebrate its strengths - because it definitely has them! Kyoko could view other women as competition considering all her bad experiences, yet she doesn’t. Even with that though, she’s not perfect - which is great! She’s allowed to be so romantically minded and naive that it’s a flaw. She’s allowed to be angry and for good reason! She grows in her ability to forgive and thus frees herself from negative emotions she’d otherwise cling to (but mostly manages to not let that forgiveness turn into allowing people to walk all over her again, an important distinction).

“It’s all fodder for acting” might be true to some degree, but I think it’s more true that, for Kyoko, acting is a framework for self understanding and acceptance, even if that journey is deeply flawed. Maybe that just makes it more real to the flawed human experience.

We’ll have to see if the mangaka will refine and more strongly define those lines between love and possessiveness, between forgiving and accepting bad behavior. I really hope she does!

[chilapis]

WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK

[parasitic-saint]

sometimes i wonder if people are really perturbed by stuff that gets a lot of attention (ex. midsommar / alfred's playhouse) because i dont have a reaction to them but then i remember i'm scared by blonde non people and robot voices (like siri/alexa/googlemaps) and i remember how fucking weird brains are

[bal-kote]

The switch from Soap to Johnny in immediate mortal danger is one thing. But another important point is the fact that Ghost actually starts initiating non-essential contact, i.e. the shoulder pat/punch in the surveilance room before he goes to set the charges during the prison break. Accepting proximity and limited contact is one thing, initiating it despite self-imposed isolation is the true sign of how deep the bond goes.

[pengujoon]

GUILTY AS CHARGED

cont. gojo x reader, fluff, comedy. reader is very head over heels for satoru + they kiss! established relationship!au, husband!au, intentional lowercase.

a/n. that one satoru removing his blindfold scene in s2 ep8 has me feeling some kinda way and before i knew it this piece came to be

as you watch satoru instruct his students in the courtyard, your heart fluttered, and you turned to shoko with a dreamy expression. you had no lessons, and she had no patients. “shoko, have you ever seen anyone as beautiful and graceful as satoru?"

shoko shook her head, whispering under her breath, “not again…”

"oh my god," you whisper to shoko as you eyed him, your voice filled with awe, hands shaking her shoulders wildly, “look at those muscles. those long legs. that white tuft of hair!! that blindfold. ugh, everything's just perfect."

shoko raises an eyebrow, fully aware of your ongoing infatuation. "well, i do admit that he is good-looking, but you make it sound like he's a work of art."

you nod enthusiastically, not the least bit shy about your feelings. "no, seriously, it's like he moves with this effortless grace. every gesture, every step — it's like poetry in motion. and that blindfold, shoko, it's not just an accessory; it's a statement of his sheer confidence."

shoko chuckles, amused by your vivid analysis. "you're absolutely smitten, aren't you?"

you nodded, a smile playing on your lips. "guilty as charged."

as class ended, satoru caught your eye and winked at you, making your heart skip a beat. even after all these years, your crush on satoru remains as strong as ever.

“hey, mr. handsome,” you said, trying to sound casual the moment he was within earshot, “do you ever wonder how you’re so ridiculously good-looking?”

“well,” satoru paused and smirked, “it’s a natural gift, honey.”

you rolled your eyes playfully. “seriously though, it’s unfair. i’ve been dating you since high school, and i still can’t believe my luck.”

he walked over to you, removing his blindfold before taking your face in his hands. “you already have my last name, what’s there to worry about?” he said, leaning in for a kiss that made your heart do somersaults.

"well, it wasn't like i was complaining or anything…" you whispered underneath your breath before he held your face in his hands and pulled you closer to him. the coldness of the golden ring shocked you as he landed pecks and kisses all over your now flushed face before finding your soft lips.

you leaned into his kisses, your fingers gently tracing the outline of his jaw. the warmth of his lips against yours sent shivers down your spine, and you couldn't help but let out a contented sigh.

satoru's arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer as he deepened the kiss. time seemed to stand still as you melted into each other's embrace, lost in the sensation of his lips on yours.

eventually, he pulled back, his forehead resting against yours. his beautiful blue eyes stared into your very own as you whispered to him, like nothing else in the world mattered at that moment - it was just you and him.

you whispered under your breath, "and i just love you so, so much, dearest husband of mine."

bonus scene:

“did they just casually forget about my existence?” shoko asked, blinking her eyes in feigned shock.

“don’t worry, shoko-sensei. this happens way too often for any of our liking.” as nobara shook her head sadly, itadori and megumi nodded in agreement, all of them looking at the lovey dovey pair of couple before them, this scene all too familiar to their sight.

in my husband!satoru era fr. this is so self indulgent i don’t even know where to begin

[xbabyd0lli3x]

♡A Profiler's Dilemma Spencer.R♡

A/n- go follow @me-writes-prompts, this link

In the bustling precinct of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, Spencer Reid was known for many things: his brilliant mind, his unparalleled ability to solve complex cases, and, well, his endearing awkwardness. But there was something about you, his colleague and confidant, that always managed to catch him off guard.

As the team gathered around the whiteboard, dissecting the details of their latest case, Spencer found himself stealing glances at you more often than he would care to admit. Your intelligence was undeniable, matching his own in many respects, but it was the way you effortlessly balanced professionalism with a hint of mischief that intrigued him.

During a particularly intense discussion about the unsub's potential motives, Spencer felt a gentle nudge on his arm. He turned to find you standing beside him, a playful glint in your eyes.

"You're so cute when you try to keep a straight face even though you're obviously blushing," you whispered, barely audible over the hum of conversation in the bullpen.

Spencer's cheeks flushed crimson, his attempt to maintain composure failing miserably. He stuttered for a moment before managing to regain his focus, though the teasing smirk on your lips made it clear that you had caught him off guard.

Unbeknownst to you, Spencer had harbored feelings for you for quite some time, though he had never found the courage to confess. Working alongside you every day only made it harder to suppress his growing affection.

As the day progressed and the team delved deeper into the case, Spencer found himself seeking out your company more frequently, relishing in the moments of camaraderie and shared laughter. Despite his best efforts to remain composed, your presence had a way of unraveling him, exposing the vulnerable side he often kept hidden from the world.

It wasn't until the team adjourned for the evening, the case still looming over their heads, that Spencer finally mustered the courage to confront his feelings. With a nervous flutter in his chest, he approached you as you gathered your belongings at your desk.

"Hey," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "I, um, I wanted to say... that thing you said earlier, about me blushing... I, uh, I wasn't exactly... prepared for that."

You turned to face him, a soft smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Sorry, I couldn't resist," you confessed, your eyes twinkling with amusement. "But seriously, Spencer, you don't have to hide anything from me. I... I kinda like you, too."

Spencer's heart skipped a beat at your admission, his mind racing with a whirlwind of emotions. He had never imagined that you could feel the same way about him, yet here you were, standing before him with a vulnerability that mirrored his own.

In that moment, surrounded by the quiet hum of the empty bullpen, Spencer knew that he had found something worth holding onto. With a newfound sense of courage, he reached out to take your hand in his, a tentative smile gracing his features.

"I think... I think I'd like to explore this, if you're willing," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

You nodded in response, your fingers intertwining with his in a silent promise of what was to come. And as you leaned in to press a gentle kiss to his cheek, Spencer couldn't help but feel a surge of hope blossoming within his chest.

For in that moment, amidst the chaos of their unpredictable world, Spencer Reid knew that he had found something worth fighting for: a love that transcended boundaries, defying all odds in its pursuit of happiness.

[mayasaura]

sorry if this has been answered before or if there's a post about this, but I've been seeing a lot of posts labeling harrow as schizophrenic and/or having trouble recognizing reality, including the one you just made about crux as harrow's caretaker and reality-indicator.

I realize that these interpretations come from htn, but I'm curious as why people feel that it's always been a trait of harrow's instead of a side effect of the lobotomy?

I was under the impression that she created the reality problems as an excuse to cover the blocks in her memory, especially since we know that wake/the sleeper didn't possess her until after gtn and most of her confusion happens in the river bubble.

even the "hallucinations" of the body don't really impact her perception of reality, and it's actually alecto's soul not a real hallucination. the only questionable moment I can remember is when she sees cytheria under the bed and ianthe says there's nothing there, but we know ianthe is a duplicitous legend so I read it as ianthe lying to harrow lol

long story short, I was wondering if there was scenes in gtn, ntn, or post-realization htn that indicate harrow has had these reality problems pre-lobotomy? or if you know of a post analyzing it further? sorry to throw this at you, I just haven't seen any analysis of it but I saw your post so I was hoping you would have more info :) I really adore all of your tlt analysis posts!

Hi! Yeah, if you go into my '#harrow's schizophrenia' tag, I've made several posts about it, and other people have added on to a few of them with further elaboration.

But I don't think I've ever laid it out fully like a thesis. And I have several stressful things I should be doing right now, so I can't think of a better time to get into it.

When Harrow's brain is editing Gideon out, there's an effect a little like a record skip. Her memory snags on something, very briefly, and then quickly moves on. Or she'll make an assumption or say something that doesn't actually make sense without Gideon in the picture, but she won't notice. The most prominent example is the details in chapter 3 surrounding her opening of the Tomb:

Just ellipsis "found out" ellipsis to skim over the very large part Gideon had to play in those events. If she were to interrogate the memory, it would be strange that she doesn't remember how her parents found out, but doing so would make her brain bleed. She would black out, and most likely forget what she was trying to remember.

And an example from the same chapter of a statement that doesn't make sense, unless you know about Gideon:

Two things are important about these examples, the first being that they don't upset Harrow. She doesn't think they're strange, because she barely thinks about them, which was sort of the point of the lobotomy in the first place. The second is that they can be immediately explained by plugging Gideon into the Gideon-shaped hole in Harrow's memory. If you know about Gideon, and what Harrow's done, there's no mystery remaining.

In contrast, there are other details in chapter 3 about Harrow's childhood that Harrow did, and does, find strange and upsetting.

Gideon didn't attend services, and she most definitely didn't participate in chants. Putting Gideon back in the picture does nothing to explain the "weird, thuddering beat" Harrow finds disruptive. But it does sound an awful lot like an auditory hallucination, as does hearing doors open and close where no doors were opening and closing.

Maybe we could try to explain the doors by supposing she was hearing Gideon coming and going without remembering the source, but that doesn't really track with how we know her mind processes the missing pieces. If Harrow were papering Gideon over in her memory, it wouldn't be important who was or wasn't opening doors and where. The focus of her memory would quickly shift, just like it did when trying to remember how her parents found out about the Tomb, in order to avoid looking at what she's hidden from herself.

Then there's the next paragraph:

Again, plugging Gideon into this memory does nothing to explain it. Even if Gideon had been in the habit of sneaking up behind Harrow and attempting to choke her out—which, yikes—Harrow has already seamlessly blocked out the memory of one attempted strangulation. Then there are the phantom ropes she sees, her parents' method of suicide haunting her.

The forgetting where she was, losing time, and false memories do seem at first glance like they could be explained by the lobotomy, seeing as that is sort of the whole purpose and effect. But I'm pretty sure even these are real memories. Again, because of the focus of her attention. She's remembering having forgotten, while the lobotomy make her forget to remember.

Then there's Harrow's overall behavior. Her reactions to her hallucinations, especially in the River bubble, which imply that not all of this is new to her. She isn't shocked, or caught off-guard. She has coping mechanisms. She's figured out what evidence she can probably rely on to rule out hallucinations, and what's more likely to be suspect. A lobotomy, even a necromantic lobotomy, doesn't come with built-in tools for coping with its effects. Her memory of her past without Gideon in it is fractured and incomplete, not an entirely new life story with new life lessons.

Finally, from Nona the Ninth, some evidence that Harrow's problems with reality definitely predate the lobotomy:

Crux remembers them.

[tainbocuailnge]

Realizing I haven't seen an exceptionally fantastic character analysis from you on my dashboard for a while, so I'd like to ask: what are your thoughts on Elizabeth Bathory?

liz is in a bit of a weird position here in the west because you could try to connect the dots and read between the lines of her localised appearances to figure out the hidden depths behind the funny seasonal girl, or you could read a fantranslation of CCC and have her deal laid out for you very clearly and i mean very very clearly there's really not much digging you have to do to understand elizabeth from reading CCC

elizabeth in CCC is a young girl who does not understand why the people around her came to hate her, and is terrified of it happening again. her obsession with youth is because she could tell that as she grew older the patience of those around her was wearing thinner, but she didn't understand what it was about her that caused this and in her desperation to cling to the youthful innocence that made them stay their hand in punishing her crimes she just committed more crimes. her desire to be an idol is a direct continuation of this: she is trying to attract a love and adoration that will instantly turn to hatred should she ever fail to adhere to a strict yet arbitrary standard of youthful purity and innocence.

elizabeth is excruciatingly lonely. she was raised to be extremely aware of her noble heritage and the inherent superiority it gives her. she calls people piglets and squirrels because she was literally not taught to see the common people as people rather than livestock. she has some natural violent inclinations that went completely unchecked and combined with her emotional frustrations into a habit of brutally torturing both people she hates and people she likes. she craves emotional connection between equals but has no idea, no example, no internal model of what such a relationship would actually look like, because the only interactions she had in her life were between the countess and her subjects that were completely at her mercy until they weren't.

this is barely even analysis, I'm just repeating things CCC directly tells you here. you can infer pretty much all of this from her secret garden flavour text alone.

her first SG is that she falls in love easily because she only experienced love in storybooks. "What seems to make her heart skip a beat is the strength of heart to firmly look back at her, even while shaking in pain, never giving in no matter how much she strikes or stabs." -> elizabeth craves a relationship of equals, her romantic ideal is someone who will stand up to her.

her second SG is that she enjoys cooking for/taking care of others, but absolutely sucks at actually making food. "She “bestows meals” to her husband as a noble. It’s no different from feeding... raising an animal. It contains none of the “romance” she longs for. The overlord disposition ingrained into her by heredity devours even her modest dreams." -> the way elizabeth was raised to view herself and others leaves her incapable of actually having such a relationship of equals, because her only models for human interaction don't respect the humanity of the other party.

her third SG is purity. "We would like to leave just what constitutes “purity” to the reader’s imagination. Servants are revived in the form that represents golden age of their lives. So Elizabeth appears as an unwed daughter of house Báthory, a young girl in love with love… presumably. An idol must be pure like snow. Romance might be fine, but the moment she comes to know love, her radiance is lost." -> elizabeth deep down is terrified of actually obtaining a relationship of equals, because her arbitrary purity (a purity the text doesn't even try to define! it's completely subjective!) is the only thing standing between her and a hatred of her for which she doesn't understand the cause. once she comes to view other people as people she can no longer claim not to understand the crimes that made those people hate her, and she will lose the purity that protects her from their wrath.

CCC has a lot to say about arbitrary standards of maturity and purity. BB splits off her own "improper" feelings into various oversexed and unstable versions of herself that she can punish for not living up to the impossible standards she imposes on herself. kiara uses her outward appearance of maturity to cover up a complete lack of emotional maturity while hans looks like a child after a lifetime of being seen as immature for writing children's stories (respecting the humanity of children). elizabeth wasn't taught to respect the humanity of others, but where is the line on when she is "old enough to know better"? what could she have done different? what should she have done different?

naturally, CCC for elizabeth is a long and gruelling process of learning that other people are people, and that even if she was simply doing as taught it was still her own actions that made her subjects hate her. this is such a thorough shattering of her worldview that she's briefly a berserker with both mad enhancement and a unique to her mental disorder skill that makes her numb to the pain or mood of others, just to keep herself vaguely functional. when defeated she screams that she prefers death to being locked up again, because what she fears even more than retaliation is having to reflect on the reason for that retaliation.

you will note that elizabeth in all her subsequent appearances is a very earnest and hardworking girl, who puts a lot of effort into maintaining her friendships. she knows what she did wrong now and is determined not to repeat that mistake, determined enough that in extella link karl's oraclisation brainwashing program that instantly got top tier servants like arjuna and scathach was unable to get elizabeth, and karl decides to let her go out of respect for that determination. one of the earliest cross-installment relationships FGO established is that vlad is very protective of elizabeth because he wants to make sure she does in fact get the chance to become a better person than the circumstances of her life allowed her, and even though carmilla has complex feelings about liz because liz's existence as the young and innocent one means carmilla exists as the one who is beyond saving, she can still be dragged into helping liz with her efforts because the redemption liz works for is one they both want.

elizabeth is a very dutiful person. she's desperate to be liked for fear of what will happen to her otherwise, but also has an actual strong sense of responsibility as countess, and her efforts to become someone likeable and dependable are fuelled by both of those aspects. in every halloween event liz is loud and annoying and self-important, and every halloween event she makes honest and difficult efforts to forge and maintain relationships and make up for past and current transgressions. her singing is beautiful when it's for someone else's sake.

elizabeth is actually one of a very small handful of characters from older works who I feel didn't get flanderised in some way by FGO, her characterisation as funny seasonal girl follows naturally from how her arc concluded in CCC and shallow fandom misunderstanding of the funny seasonal girl is more a result of early FGO assuming most players would be fate veterans who would already know her deal from CCC so they could just build on that uninterrupted without needing to give context first. and I also don't think it's wrong for people to base their understanding of liz on the funny seasonal girl because that's still liz, unlike how for example FGO nero is just not representative of nero most of the time. i haven't actually paid much attention to fgo since lb6 by the way and haven't opened NA in months so i don't actually know what happens in cindereli event other than guda turns into a goat monster (based)

[paisleypens]

Hehe it’s me again I hope you’re having a wonderful day! I hope it’s okay that I have another request!

I keep having these wonderful ideas and I just know that you’re the perfect one to write them, that’s why I ask you. (The best of the best I re-read your stories way too many times)

Could you maybe write a Spencer Reid x fem!reader? And basically the reader is VERY left out/excluded from the team? Like he tries to contribute but her voice isn’t just drowned out? Like she is just straight up ignored and feels left out? (Like maybe have a few situations on where those things happen?)

But Spencer being the lovely amazing man he is, is the only person that lets her say the things she wants to? And points out her thoughts about the cases to the team?

I don’t know you decide I just think it’s a good idea.

I just think it would be angsty yet so sweet at the same time. Thanks love!! 💕

hi mary!! this is so so sweet and comforting tysm for this request

anytime | spencer reid x f!reader

Y/N sat in her usual seat, her latest theory on the current case detailed in her notes. The team was gathered around the conference table, discussing the unsub's profile, and she was determined to contribute.

"Garcia, what do you have on the victim's background?" Hotch asked, his voice commanding.

Penelope launched into a detailed report, and Y/N saw an opportunity to share. She cleared her throat, preparing to speak, but her voice was lost as Morgan and Rossi began debating the unsub’s motivations.

Y/N sighed and slumped back in her chair, feeling the familiar pang of being overlooked. It wasn't intentional, she knew that, but it stung all the same. She glanced over at Spencer, who was deeply engrossed in his own analysis. Despite her efforts to suppress it, her heart always skipped a beat when she looked at him. He was kind, brilliant, and the only one who seemed to truly see her.

As the meeting wrapped up, Spencer approached her desk, his characteristic awkward smile on full display. “Hey, Y/N. I noticed you were trying to say something earlier. What was it?”

Y/N's cheeks flushed slightly. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a theory about the unsub’s ritualistic behavior. But it’s not that important.”

Spencer’s smile wiped to a frown. “Everything you have to say is important. Why don’t you tell me now, and I’ll bring it up with the team?”

Y/N hesitated but eventually nodded. She explained her theory about the specific pattern in the unsub’s kills, noting similarities to ancient rituals meant to ward off evil spirits.

Spencer listened intently, his eyes never leaving hers. “That’s a fascinating angle, Y/N. We should definitely consider it.”

The next morning, the team was back in the conference room, and Spencer made sure Y/N sat next to him. As they reviewed the case files, he turned to Hotch. “Y/N has an interesting theory about the unsub’s behavior that I think we should discuss.”

Hotch looked at her, quizzically. “Is this the best use of our time?”

“Yes, it is. Hotch, it's unfair to treat Y/N as less than others just because she doesn't speak over everyone like the rest of you do.”

The room went into a stunned silence as the team looked around at each other. Everyones guilty eyes eventually landed back on Y/N.

Spencer lightly nodded and Y/N found the courage to speak up. She detailed her observations, and this time, the team listened. Rossi even praised her for noticing something they’d all overlooked.

After the meeting, Spencer caught up with her in the hallway. “See? Your insights are valuable. Don’t doubt yourself.”

Y/N smiled, her heart fluttering at his words. “Thanks, Spencer. It means a lot coming from you. You didn't have to do that”

He smiled back, a warmth in his eyes that made her heart race. “But I can and I will. Anytime, Y/N. Anytime.”

Days turned into weeks, and Y/N’s confidence grew. Spencer continued to stand by her side, always ensuring her voice was heard. The team began to notice her more, and slowly, she started feeling like she truly belonged.

One evening, as they were both working late, Spencer and Y/N found themselves alone in the uncommonly quiet office.

“Y/N, can I ask you something?” Spencer’s voice broke the silence tentatively.

“Of course, Spence. What’s up?” she replied, curious.

He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. “I... I’ve been meaning to tell you something. I... really… I like you. More than just a colleague.”

Y/N’s heart stopped. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? “Spencer, I... I feel the same way. I’ve had a crush on you for a while now.”

His eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of relief and joy flooding his features. “Really? I thought it was just me.”

Y/N laughed softly, the tension melting away. “No, it’s definitely not just you.”

Spencer smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile. “I’m glad to hear that. Maybe we could... go out sometime? Just the two of us?”

“I’d love that,” Y/N said, her heart swelling with happiness.

[jq37]

FH Junior Year Post-Season Thoughts

With another season of Fantasy High in the books and my recaps all finished, I wanted to do an overview of my thoughts on the season as a whole. Even though I feel generally positive about my experience with the season, there are a few things I think maybe could have been done differently narratively or mechanically. This isn't to criticize the way the season went down or to backseat DM/Play. More my combined ten years of college for textual analysis and storytelling bleeding through, haha. 

I first want to start with the things I thought worked really well.

Fantasy High has "High" right in its title but, in past seasons (and especially Sophomore Year), not as much time as you'd think was spent actually at school and even if it was spent at school, there wasn't much time spent in class or engaging with the realities of being a student. This season really dug into the academic consequences of skipping your classes all the time and the realities of needing to do a ton of extra stuff to try for a scholarship and I think that was a refreshing thing to highlight for a change. Being more scared at flunking out than the dragon that's trying to eat you feels very emotionally resonant. Real "High School Is Killing Me" vibes for anyone who's a fan of NPMD. 

Even though Fantasy High is a show that has some deep emotional beats and strong character arcs, it's first and foremost a comedy show. From the jump, everyone was generating bit after bit that had me cracking up as usual. "Little girly dog collar" is one of the funniest combinations of words I can think of. I think it was Siobhan who said that this was the goofy season and, having seen it, I'd have to agree with her. It never failed to make me laugh and it was always a highlight of my week.  The cast just has great table chemistry that I love to watch no matter what they're doing. 

Watching some of these high level combat encounters is as close as I'll get to understanding people watching sports. Even though combat is generally my least fave part of D&D, I think the cast really killed it this season with how cleverly they played and Brennan came up with some really great combat encounters. Special shout outs to Baron's Game and The Last Stand for their unique mechanics.  

This is going to be one that's on the other list as well because my feelings are mixed, but I genuinely do like the downtime mechanic and how it forces hard choices. I think it's an interesting way to connect a mechanic to the story and cultivate stressful atmosphere for the season.

I have problems with the execution but I love the Rat Grinders in concept. I think as early as season 1 I was hoping that we'd meet a party that was like the Bizarro Bad Kids and the idea of a party that's farming XP instead of going on crazy adventures is a strong concept. Likewise, I think a character that's jealous because of your "cool" (read: tragic) backstory is also a fun trait for an unhinged antagonist in this kind of setting.

This is me absolutely showing my bias but I adored the Abernant Sisters content this season. I dunno if Siobhan specifically asked Brennan to not put her on a bus with the other beloved NPCs or what but I'm so glad she stuck around and we got the development we did. It was almost entirely ancillary to the plot but there was this clear pattern of Aelwyn getting softer and sweeter towards Adaine over the course of the season, from the guarded, "Enjoy the nemesis ward," to, full I love you's and, "I'd take them to get you." It was way more focus than I expected considering that Aelwyn completed the bulk of her arc last season and a lot of the time, a redemption arc basically ends after the big gesture (in this case, Aelwyn taking a magic blast for Adaine in Sophomore Year). So the fact that we got to see all of these sweet moments of them reestablishing their relationship outside of do or die moments was such a pleasant surprise. Again, I fully admit I am extremely biased, but this was my top wishlist item and the season overdelivered so there's a baseline happy I'm always gonna be with Junior Year. 

OK, so moving on to things I things I think could have been tweaked.

Even though I liked the downtime system and the pressures it created, it also squeezed out the chance for more casual PC to NPC interactions that would usually be more common because they were semi-locked behind the relationship track and there wasn't an obvious benefit to roll for Relationships (as opposed to something like Academics which was crucial for not flunking out). Making the mechanical benefit more clear would have helped that (even if it meant Brennan didn't get his reveal--which he ended up just telling them anyway so might as well do it early). The other thing is that the consequence of a rage token was so bad that of course they spent all season avoiding getting one. Things might have gone differently if the consequences had been a bit more obscured, like in Neverafter. And it could have been a nice parallel to the Rat Grinders to take this unknown resource that makes things easier for you but is also having this negative effect. Then it could be like dang we did the same thing they did unknowingly. 

I mentioned this in my recap but I'll talk about it again. It is a little confusing to me that we did the Ankarna subplot right after we did the very similar Cassandra subplot. It took up so much time this season which I don't think is an issue in and of itself, it's just that we literally just went through some extremely similar beats last season. Why double up on this same storyline when there's so much new ground to cover? Or if we're going to raise a god, why not make it a different kind of god? One theory I had early on was that the Rat Grinders were trying to raise their own god to one-up the Bad Kids but instead of raising a chill, misunderstood Cass type, they accidentally raised a god who was erased for a good reason and got in over their heads. 

It's fun for there to be connections between seasons but sometimes it's like, OK that's a *lot* of coincidences. Like the god who your rivals is trying to raise *happens* to be the wife of your cleric's god and also *happens* to be the god of the fiend trapped in your friend's mom's chest and that fiend *happens* to be the relative on your bard's dad's side which is *also* the reason she is randomly cursed? That's a LOT of red string connecting plot points. As unhinged as Kipperlilly is about coveting Riz's backstory if I saw that go down I'd be like you have *got* to be kidding me.  

The mystery elements didn't feel like they clicked as well as they did in other seasons. I think that's partially because Porter's plan was so convoluted (seriously, I made another post about how haphazard his plan was) and had all these moving parts and we didn't get clear answers for a lot of mechanical things like how the rage crystals actually work and when they were implanted and stuff. You had stuff like Devil's Honey which I think is super cool as a thing that exists in the world but ended up being an element that just led the players down the wrong path and had a relatively small payoff (that Porter was using it to lie to Ankarna). I think it's plausible that a forgotten god would be willing to listen to anyone saying the right things without introducing this element. (As opposed to, for instance, Ambrosia which has a very clear connection to what's going on and is a solid clue that someone is flirting with aspirations of godhood.) 

The Porter reveal came so late in the season that even though it was a fun/challenging fight, there wasn't a lot of emotional weight behind killing him. It was basically just dunking on a teacher Fig has always hated who was also mean to Gorgug so screw him. Which, valid of course. But the Bad Kids were never going to react as strongly to Porter as they were to the Rat Grinders so putting Porter in the prime villain spot isn't necessarily what I would have done if I wanted the fight to be more than just a brawl--especially since we've done "School admin with student minions" already in S1. I don't mind the full circle callback but it would have been nice to pick something else for the sake of variety. We haven't had a child mastermind yet and I think Kipperlilly could have been a great candidate for that. My friend suggested that it would have been fun if Kipperlilly was trying to become a god instead of just being Porter's underling and I agree. "I'm not anyone's chosen one so I'll choose myself," is still within her established jealousy and Type A tendencies. If we want to keep Porter involved since that was Brennan's gift to Emily, maybe have it be that instead of Kipperlilly working for him, he's working for her. Like Artemis Fowl vibes! And the Rat Grinders can be varying levels of on board--from true believe to redeemable. I don't think Brennan planned for the Bad Kids to ever redeem her so might as well go full megalomaniacal mastermind with her and make her The Villain if she's not gonna be nuanced anyway. If My Little Pony can do it and send a literal child to Tartarus for pony treason (or whatever Cozy Glow did), Fantasy High can too. 

Continuing from the above, if we have the Porter fight in place of the Grix fight (a la Daybreak) and don't use Ankarna, that gives way more time for the Bad Kids to investigate the Rat Grinders throughout the season and it would mean that they would have their personalities developed a lot more. With the limited downtime, they Bad Kids didn't have a lot of time to spend on these kids who were just hating on them for no good reason (valid). But if you cleared their plate of the god hunt stuff, they'd have more time for this. And if they weren't all rage zombies to varying degrees, it would be easier to see them as characters. Besides Kipperlilly (and, funnily enough, Mary Ann) we don't really have a good read on what these kids are actually like. The little time we spent with them all season was kind of a wash if them breaking out of rage means their personalities got laundered too. Anyway, regardless of how their loyalties ended up shaking out, it would have been fun for them to be more than the minions that they were in canon. As funny as it is for them to just kinda be XP farming losers, they did have the potential to be more interesting in their own right if they weren't just Porter's minions. And again, we've done adults forcing or coercing children into being minions in Freshman and Sophomore Year already. Lemme see some self-created child maniacs! (Or, peer pressured child maniacs. That's cool too. The Lucy/Kipperlilly dynamic is way more interesting to me if it's like girl, I would take a bullet for you but I CANNOT walk this path with you any further in response to *I* will be a god and you can be *MY* champion.)

Anyway, those are my thoughts! Like I said, I have my points that I think could have been tightened, but overall an enjoyable season and I will be glued to my screen if they decide to close out with Senior Year! 

[lee-em-dee]

A Sequence Analysis of the 6x13 Bellarke Reunion

[a.k.a. the final scene of The 100 because Jroth can Jrot in hell]

After a grim conversation between Bellamy and Jordan, the sequence transitions to a warmly lit, wide angle perspective of the reunion at Sanctum. Friends and lovers “meet again,” hugging, kissing, reconciling in a series of action shots: Miller & Jackson, Murphy/Emori & Raven, Jackson & Echo. The sound of their laughter cuts through the uplifting strains of the melody playing [GAITS “Other Side”]. Against the show’s constant onslaught of death and destruction, the beauty in these brief flashes of joy isn’t lost on us; it’s fleeting, but it’s potent. We’re back at the gates of Arkadia in 2x16, only this time around, prospects for the future aren’t quite so bleak, nor is it “getting dark, too dark to see” beneath “that cold black cloud [coming] around” [RAIGN “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”].

Instead, the refrain “I know I’ll see you on the other side” embodies a sense of hope and certainty while also referencing Jasper’s parting words in S4. Unlike his nihilistic outlook, however, the soft, inviting quality of these opening shots seems to suggest that there’s light at the end of the tunnel—a glimpse at the other side of heaven’s door, where peace prevails and war is a distant memory.

As this undertone of cautious optimism resonates, the frame is swallowed up by a dark mass of faceless bodies. The music slows, the crowd parts, and exposed in the center of the frame is Clarke Griffin—a solitary, motionless figure within a stream of movement. Her silent presence isolates her from the liveliness of her surroundings. From the side angle of the camera in the shadowy foreground only her profile is visible, yet the expression on her face is noticeably stunned. We’re left with a sense of anticipation. Where is her gaze focused? What commands her attention so fiercely, stopping her in her tracks and arresting her movements? The anticipation builds, and, with it, the percussive intensity of the music. Soft vocalizations trail after “the other side,” echoing in our ears as we --

Cut to a reverse shot of Bellamy. He makes his way to his people, but it’s clear that the words exchanged with a disillusioned Jordan weigh on him. His eyes are fixed on the ground, brows furrowed, a pensive expression reflecting his weary frame of mind. It’s the aftermath of yet another battle, another spoke on a wheel that spins and spins, unleashing more devastation with each turn. We, as the audience, can only hope that this is the end of its vicious cycle. He’s lost in thought, but a glance ahead has his eyes snagging on something out of shot. No, someone. Bellamy’s steps falter for a beat, then his eyes widen a fraction. He’s mesmerized.

On the receiving end of his gaze, Clarke sharply exhales. The steady pulsing of the music stutters before the rhythm picks up in rapid sixteenth notes, akin to a heartbeat that skips, flutters, then pounds. Energy thrums in the single look that they share; everything else seems to melt away as they fixate on each other, as the tether that binds them together tugs, as the distance between twin souls is bridged.

We’re hit with the crescendo of the music, punctuated by the sustained beat of the drums. It’s booming. A fluid tracking shot follows Clarke as she launches herself away from the crowd into Bellamy’s open arms, and the force of their collision is shown through their synchronized exhalations of breath, through the swaying movement of their bodies pressed tightly together. Like cymbals crashing, they meet in the middle of the frame. The blocking instantly establishes a bubble of intimacy around them that blocks out the rest of the world as they completely obscure the figures (“girlfriend”) in the background. Refracted light slices across the screen at an angle, tracing the points of contact between these two people who radiate warmth and ignite under a single touch.

The music swells. Their embrace is set to the bridge “oh wait for me in fields of gold,” and as they hold each other, lost to a symphony of grief and elation, we get the sense that in each other’s arms these two broken beings are very much found. It’s a homecoming.

Clarke burrows her face into Bellamy’s neck. The sun beaming in the background sends scattered light over his shoulder, captured as flare in the camera lens. Not only does this element add a layer of visual impact and aesthetic beauty to the shot, but it also intensifies the climactic moment when their bodies collide. Tension is built and built until it finally snaps; in doing so, emotional catharsis (for both the characters and for the audience) is maximized. The combination of the lens flare and camera movements makes for a striking, visually dynamic shot with epic romantic overtones. In their reunion a sense of rightness is restored, which has remained a consistent theme of the show for six seasons. When the camera finally settles, what’s captured is the sheer magnetism of the moment. Nearby murmured conversations are unable to overtake the melody, and the bustling movements of the crowd are unable to break that hypnotic hold they have on each other.

Clarke clings to Bellamy; now, more than ever, it’s evident that her love for him is a refuge, her strength in times of weakness. Even so, sorrow threatens to overtake the solace found in his embrace; Bellamy immediately senses this, rubs a soothing pattern across her back. With brows drawn, he nestles his face against her shoulder as if to will her pain away.

We cut to a dynamic two shot, with Bellamy occupying the left side of the frame and Clarke the right. Both seem reluctant to part, and as they do, harsh realities set in. Bellamy delivers the sobering line, “I heard about Abby.” Like a death knell, its implications land on Clarke and reverberate through this gentle, short-lived moment of peace. Her face crumples. With a despondent shake of her head, she manages, “I tried to do better. I did.” Bellamy can only nod. His strained expression conveys how the mere sight of Clarke’s pain is excruciating to him. A sharp intake of breath from her—“And then I lost my mom.” The tremor in her voice betrays her composure; the words catch in her throat, imparting a strangled quality to the line.

Her mother’s death clings to her. It’s reflected in her head-to-toe black attire, in the misery painted on her face. The weight of impossible decisions looms (how tragic that her mother’s endangerment was what drove her to pull the lever back in Mount Weather), and it seems that, this time around, the burden is too heavy to carry alone. “Tell me it was worth it,” she pleads to Bellamy, barely choking the words out as she battles tears. “Tell—tell me it was worth it.” In deep anguish Bellamy watches Clarke unravel before his eyes. With gentle words he tries to piece her back together. “Hey—Hey, we did. We did do better.”

This entire verbal exchange is filmed as a continuous arc shot that swings back and forth on an axis (Bellamy -> Clarke / Clarke -> Bellamy) with the sun acting as the focal point between them. The shot—much like their soul-deep connection—remains unbroken and uninterrupted. Rather than keeping a fixed, static position, the camera’s movements allow us to feel the push-pull emotional tension of the scene. It orbits Bellamy and Clarke in a way that cinematically mirrors the gravitational pull they feel towards each other. For years and years, the two have danced around each other. Though distance and time separated them, they’ve always been inextricably tied together in common orbit. Like binary stars, Bellamy and Clarke orient themselves around a shared barycenter. Their center of gravity—the sun flaring at the center of the frame—coincides with the show’s key thematic elements: forgiveness, rebirth, redemption. The rising of the sun marks the start of a new day and, with it, another chance to do better.

With each dizzying motion of the camera, flashes of light shine between their silhouettes, obscured only to re-emerge seconds later as lens flare; The sequence, as a whole, is a study in subtle contrasts: the contrast between the white sun in the background, the light glinting off the water, the pale gold of the sky + of Clarke’s hair vs Bellamy and Clarke’s shadowy figures captured in low-exposure, the darkness of their clothing, Bellamy’s black hair. This balance of light and shadows/brightness and darkness mirrors the tenuous balance between hope and despair driving the scene. In parallel, the despair that consumes Clarke is a darkness balanced out by Bellamy, who maintains a more optimistic outlook for the future and serves as her guiding light.

[Additional Note: These cinematic contrasts are also a perfect illustration of the concept of yin and yang—the cosmic duality that reflects Bellamy and Clarke’s “head and heart” relationship. The two are equal, seemingly opposing forces but, in actuality, function in such a way that enforces their complementary and interdependent nature: One cannot exist without the other, and both are connected as two halves of a whole in perfect equilibrium. Yin and yang—the head and the heart—do not act as isolated parts, but rather continuously influence and interact with each other to bring forth balance and harmony.]

Hope.

In spite of everything, it shows its presence in the vibrant yellow tones of a scene filmed at golden hour; the honeyed glow creates a dreamy, inviting atmosphere, giving off a quality of softness and romanticism that balances out the heaviness of their conversation. Hope echoes in the melody as it conveys the inevitability of reuniting with a loved one in this life or the next: “It’s not the end. It’s all I know…I know I’ll see you, I know I’ll see you on the other side.” (In other words, we will meet again). Hope is felt through the warmth of two lovers embracing, the warmth of the rising sun on their faces.

As we cut to a final close-up shot of Bellamy, he delivers the last line of the scene with resolve: “I have to believe that that matters,” he murmurs softly, brows knit in concern. His eyes search Clarke’s, but her teary gaze is cast low as she chokes down a sob. Her close-up shot captures the internal conflict taking place:

 It’s a mental battle—grappling with the urge to fall apart or to suppress the vortex of raw emotion churning inside her. Bleary-eyed, she turns away from Bellamy as if every instinct screams at her to flee, to bear the burden alone. Still, an unspoken conversation anchors her to the spot: “Together.” “I got you for that.” “I need you.” “If I’m on that list, you’re on that list.” “The heart and the head.” “You don’t have to do this alone.” Though devastation lines her face, the morning sunrise bathes her skin in light. Clarke draws a shaky breath. She turns back to Bellamy, then nods: a decision has been made. The camera switches from this close-up of Clarke to a hazy, low exposure medium shot as she leans into Bellamy, drawing strength from him (notice its resemblance to Miller and Jackson’s reunion). They wrap their arms around each other, and their bodies meld together. Clarke tucks her chin onto Bellamy’s shoulder. The immediate relief that she’s flooded with is palpable. She closes her eyes and sighs, and Bellamy rubs her back consolingly. The visual of their merging silhouettes—reminiscent of two suns eclipsing just above the horizon line—composes the final frame of the scene before the shot dissolves with a last “I know I’ll see you on the other side.”

There’s a true sense of finality to this closing shot which sets it apart from others before it—or, rather, establishes it as a culmination of every moment in Bellamy and Clarke’s “exhausting” history to get to this state of perfect alignment. The hug, in particular, serves as a departure from previous seasons’ hug scenes in which an interruption was often required to progress the conflict and reestablish some semblance of distance between the two of them.

In this season, however, though death and distance and other outside forces conspired to separate Bellamy and Clarke...they, against all odds, end it with bodies intertwined, defenses stripped away, never more unified both physically and emotionally: the heart and the head joined together in perfect equilibrium. Two bodies, two souls breathing, moving, thinking, and working as one.

[happyely2]

Pairing: Portuguese D. Ace x Fem!Reader

Rating: It will vary from story to story and I will point it out at the time (green-for-all; orange-for a mature audience; red-for adults, minors are asked to skip this story).

General Summary: Ten Different Alternative Universes In which you will experience an extraordinary adventure with Ace (plots and more details are written under the respective title). Soon they will be published one by one, for now I leave the plots in general.

General Inspired: I will write from time to time the possible inspirations that have been taken as references to write.

Let’s Meet Agian In The Next Life

[📿Exorcism!AU📿] - The spirit of the red fire

You’ve been called in to exorcise a demon that’s causing a lot of trouble for the community in a quiet country village, so you don’t expect that curse to give you such a hard time.

[📚School!AU📚] - Breaktime at school

Ace is the most popular guy in high school, he’s a senior, and he’s going to college soon, so you don’t expect him to know who you are, a little third-year-old girl who’s doing very well in school. You don’t know how wrong you are.

[👑Royalty!AU👑] - Midnight Ball

You didn’t object when the mystery knight gave you his hand to go down the garden stairs, it was your last night of freedom before you had to marry someone you hardly knew. A moonlight dance before you become the wife of the future king of the kingdom with a mysterious knight you would love in silence for years to come.

[✨PeterPan!AU✨] - Lost Girl in Neverland

Second star right and then straight until morning! But wait for the lost children are not so children but they are teenagers!? Fairies and mermaids are friendly? Indians are a rowdy group of adults who want to dance all night and pirates are not real pirates but admirals of the navy? What kind of island are you in, and since Peter Pan has freckles and black hair and calls himself Ace?

[🔮Magic!AU🔮] - Rebel

Ace never thought he’d have to ask you, a witch, for help to save his family. But he is a warrior who is willing to do anything to save the people he loves, even to come to terms with a witch like you.

[🐺Omegaverse!AU🐺] - Damn to that beta

The biggest cliché in the world? You made it happen. You always considered yourself a beta with little sex craving and always squabbling with her beta neighbor. So you don’t expect that the day you go for the analysis something snaps in you and that you’re both soul mates. In short! You can’t be the soul mate of your neighbor Beta (actually Alpha) Ace! And you can’t be his Omega.

[🏹Indian!AU🏹] - The arrow of fate

Travel to the new world! Gold, riches, adventures and new lands to explore! That’s what they promised, but now Ace was wondering how he could explain that those were really fake things and that the only thing that drew gold were the hair of a certain Indian who had snatched his heart?

[⚔️Moschettieres!AU⚔️] - Damsel in distress

"And you call that a lunge?" You shouted behind the back of the man who was fighting to protect you.

"Then fight you mademoiselles!" The Musketeer answered you by stretching out the enemy that was attacking you and taking you for life to take away. What was all that effrontery towards the poor Musketeer Ace who was fighting to save you at the behest of his majesty!

"With great pleasure!" You answered by beating your fists on his shoulder. There were no bridesmaids anymore.

[🚓Police!AU🚓] - Cat Burglar

Ace had just joined the police force when he was given a very important case by Commissioner Smoker. Catch a famous thief who always announces her shots before getting them. I mean, it seems easy, but nobody on the police force has ever done it. And the policeman Ace will have to invent one more than the devil to succeed in catching tha

[💰Far West!AU💰] - The Naked Gun

There is only one law in the bar: no fighting is allowed and as a bartender you are categorical, your rifle is ready to fire a warning shot at anyone who dares even think of trying. You just haven’t met the outlaw Portuguese D. Ace and his wacky gang of bandits.

[cosmiles]

𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

➢ cute things you and the dekusquad do for each other

note: i wanna make one for the bakusquad now

characters: midoriya, uraraka, iida, todroki, asui, yaoyorozu

content: domestic fluff, established gn relationships, sickness (in iida's), insecurities

words: 1.1k

I. MIDORIYA 

— Always insists on walking you home/to your dorm. No matter the hour, he consistently walks you to your door and patiently waits for the, “I’m safe,” text before walking to his own place. At first, it puzzled you, bringing slight annoyance now and then since you both knew you could handle yourself. But now, you couldn’t imagine the absence of his presence right beside you. You enjoyed the few extra minutes you could talk before calling it a night and the way a heart would appear next to your text, letting him know he knew you were safe. 

— You always let him ramble, no matter how many times you’ve heard it. At the start of your relationship, Izuku was highly embarrassed by his rambling, assuming he was boring you with his new hero analysis on All Might and other heroes. But, to his surprise, you loved his rambling and even helped him with his analysis from time to time. He adored the way you turned your full attention to him when he had something to share while you were entranced in the way his eyes lit up while he shared something he loved. 

O. URARAKA 

— Always buys you things that remind her of you. She can’t help it that you’re constantly on her mind. Everywhere she goes, something screams you all over it and of course, she has to buy it. Your room is littered with a bunch of adorable momentos: the stuffed animal she won for you on a date, a snow globe from the place you both went to during vacation, a polaroid picture of the both of you from before you were even dating, etc. 

— You always hold her hand/lock pinkies. It may seem unimportant to others, but Ochako loves the simple gesture of holding hands. Being able to swing your hands while walking or curling pinkies while talking, makes her feel over the moon. Though she dislikes PDA, being able to show each other simple affection makes her content. 

T. IIDA

— Always takes care of you when you're sick. He’ll scold you lightly, reminding you of the multiple times he warned you to wear a coat that you promptly ignored. He wears a mask and gloves, acting like a germaphobe as he stocks your room full of tissues and hand sanitizer. He puts on all of your favorite movies while making sure you stay warm under the covers. Though you hate when he makes a big fuss over you, you appreciate his efforts. You always return the favor when he eventually gets your cold. 

— You always remind him to take care of himself. Sometimes he gets in his head, worried more about others than himself. You always help bring him back to earth with your sweet reminders. Tenya smiles at the sticky note on his textbook reminding him to take breaks from his studying or the one on the fridge reminding him to drink water. His favorite one is the one he finds on his bed, reminding him to rest so you can cuddle with him in the morning. 

S. TODOROKI 

— Always remembers every little thing you say. That one thing you wanted months ago? Well, he’s gifting it to you if you still want it. Complained about back problems? Offers you a massage whenever you’re free. Your heart skipped a beat when you realized he genuinely listened to you. You can always catch his eyes when you speak, noting little things to himself to save for later. 

— You always hold him whenever he needs you. He never expresses that he needs to be held but you always know. You never question what's on his mind, just holding him in silence, letting him speak if he wishes to. Shotou appreciates the calming, silence which allows him time to think and work out his thoughts. If he’s ready to talk, you always lend a listening ear. But, if he rather not, you always turn on one of his comfort shows. You never force him to talk or explain what’s wrong, which is one of the many things he adores about you. 

T. ASUI

— Always buys you flowers. It seems like on almost every occasion, she has a bouquet waiting for you. Her favorite colors to get for you are lavender, pink, and red. It made your heart swell up in love every time she handed you the flowers, but finding out the meanings made you fall in love even more. Lavender for love at first sight, pink for appreciation, and finally red for the “I love you” you adored hearing.

— You always keep track of the temperature. Though others found it rather odd that you knew the temperature like the back of your hand, her heart would soar. During the colder temperatures. you always keep coats/blankets on you, checking in on Tsuyu to make sure she remained at her desired temperature. When she found out about this, she knew you were the one for her. 

M. YAOYOROZU

— Always texts you sweet reminders. You always get the iconic, “Good morning, Darling! Ready to start the day?” and the “Good night, Darling! I hope you sleep well!” texts without fail. But the ones throughout the day are the ones that pull on your heartstrings. The ones that remind you to do your math homework or take out the trash are helpful when you have too much on your mind. The ones that remind you how special you are to her, to others, and in general make you tear up a bit. Yet, your favorite one is the “I love you so much y/n”. 

—You always tell her how proud you are of her. Even over the most normal things to her. She aced another test? You’re proud of her. She broke a bad habit? You’re proud of her. It seems very simple to you, to congratulate her on her accomplishments, big or small, but they mean so much more to her. She tries not to shed any tears when you do, but sometimes a few escape. Momo still doesn't understand what she did to deserve you. 

➢ thank you so much for reading! i hope you enjoyed and don't forget that Jesus loves you, to drink water, eat some food, and get some rest :))

➢ taglist: 🫧

@megurulvr @pnkweb @mypimpademia @dojathascammer @strcnt @haksluvr

[dandylovesturtles]

Top Ten Posts of 2023

I decided, why not? ^^

I'm limiting this to fics/analysis/headcanon/etc posts I made during the year and skipping over anything that isn't my actual creative work. That said, if you're curious, my actual top post was this funky screenshot from episode 2.

10. Everyone's just fine with Donnie modding the moon buggy? (362 notes)

It occurred to me that despite being MASSIVE nerds for the Jupiter Jim franchise, the bros seemed awfully chill with Donnie taking an actual on-set moon buggy and modding the hell out of it.

A few people argued with me in the notes that the Turtle Tank is so cool no one could possibly be mad about it and I do think that's fair. The Turtle Tank is easily my favorite thing Donnie made in the show.

9. Splinter and Leo talk post movie (443 notes)

And then his dad walks in and says, “I would like to talk to Blue, please. Alone.” And suddenly Leo doesn’t feel so good anymore.

This is the most recent tumblr fic I've done (I think lol), so seeing it make it this high felt pretty good. I love Splinter and his boys... they make me emotional.

8. A headcanon about the Disaster Twins (445 notes)

I have a headcanon that the twins are lowkey always trying to get each other to laugh.

This is still true.

7. A showcase of Donnie's injuries in End Game (462 notes)

So everyone talks about Donnie getting his shell shredded by the Shredder in Many Unhappy Returns but I feel like it’s underappreciated that that happened to him coming off of getting his ass beat in End Game like

One of the first posts I made when I made this blog haha. Poor Donnie |'D

6. Donnie records everything (617 notes)

broke: Donnie listening to what happened in the prison dimension woke: Donnie showing Raph Leo’s big damn hero speech since he wasn’t there the first time

The main reason why this has so many notes is because @roseverdict wrote a great fic down in the notes that you should all go read.

5. Leo asks Donnie a favor (829 notes)

“You might as well tell me what you need,” he says, turning to his computer and pulling up his list. “I’ll assess it and prioritize.” “No, no, that’s okay. It’s nothing,” Leo insists. “Nardo.” Donnie levels his best stare at him. “What is it?”

I love writing the Disaster Twins being soft and you guys love it when I write it too.

4. Present Donnie and Future Donnie have a little disagreement (CAS AU fic) (1,242 notes)

“What was I supposed to do, tie him to a chair?” “Yes!?” says Mini-him like he’s stupid, which warrants a scoff.

Shoutout to @skcirthinq who doodled a comic version of their conversation.

3. Casey Jr. and Uncle Tello troll Present Donnie (CAS AU fic) (1,701 notes)

Casey Jr, says Uncle Tello’s voice. Uncle Tello? Do you want to see something really funny?

This is my actual fic with the most notes! I'm glad you all enjoyed this silly little take on what was actually an incredibly intense moment in Cass's original comic.

2. Mikey contacts the Hamato ancestors (2,054 notes)

future Mikey: *trying to contact the spirits of the Hamato for advice and guidance in the apocalypse* Donnie’s spirit: Hello, you are now communing with Donatello.

I can't believe you guys gave over 2K notes to the stupidest joke I've ever made. Shoutout to @nonymous06 for this artist's rendition.

and finally, drum roll please.....

My top post of 2023:

1. A very silly idea for a separated AU (4,283 notes)

non-angsty ROTTMNT separated AU where the boys meet online and bond over their shared love of Jupiter Jim and skateboarding and Lou Jitsu. Then one day they agree to meet irl for the first time at a con and decide to dress as turtle aliens.

This post spawned an adorable fanart by @thatsmutbean , this hilarious fanart by @onionninjasstuff , and an entire fanfic called new phone who dis by @rbtlvr

This has been an incredible year! My love for ROTTMNT has not diminished in the slightest and I still have lots of ideas, so I hope you guys stick with me for 2024. Thanks again! Happy New Year!!

[kenny-the-ken]

Y O U + M E

Part 1

Soooo!!! Last nights South Park was everything I wanted but didn't know I needed!!! Kenny with his hood I mean,,, I am deceased. I'm having some serious writer's block, so please feel free to send me requests, HCs too!! I wanna get to know you all, and thanks for all the love on my previous fics. I normally hate my writing so knowing you guys like it is amazing!! This fic contains string language, angst, toxic thinking, obsession and sexual themes. ALL CHARACTERS ARE AGED UP!! If you guys like this fic I can write more parts!! Loosely based on the Netflix show YOU!!!

Kenny hasn't been with another girl since the last time, and that was not something he wanted to repeat. That was until his eye was caught by you, and he couldn't tear his eyes away.

You were new here, family just moved to town and you had transferred to South Park High, and he was determined to know more about you.

It's not an obsession, he isn't obsessed, is he? So far he knew your name was y/n, you had moved here from the UK, so quite a far away from home, you were shy, trying your best to fit in, you were alternative in how you dressed, Kenny has already touched himself thinking about you, and he swore it was the best wank he'd ever had! It was clear to him that you were thirsty for that kind of attention, blushing as other boys talked and flirted with you, and his blood boiled, you would be his, who the fuck did these other guys think they were? How dare they even look at you in that way!

Although he didn't blame them, those short skirts, tight tops with too much cleavage and today was the day that Kenny's resolve broke, he could no longer watch from the sidelines, you were wearing the shortest shorts he'd ever seen with knee high socks and a lace bralette, no bra! God he was going insane. You had a flannel shirt tied loosely around your waist and Doc Martin boots on, and god you had tattoos! He swore you were so angelic looking it was sinful, and he knew he had to talk to you, before someone else could shoot their shot. You would be his. He was damned sure of it.

One problem though, how to approach you without creeping you out? You didn't know him, but he knew you, you were both meant for each other, you just didn't know it yet, but how to catch your attention. He'd have to think, and fast.

That was before his perverse thoughts were interrupted by the harsh ringing of the bell.

"Fuck." He muttered under his breath, slamming his locker in annoyance before making his way to English class, plopping down on his seat, lost in his own thoughts as the rest of the class filtered into the room.

He was once again distracted from his thoughts about you by the scent of your perfume, his head rising as you both met each others gaze, you smiled at him, as he gave you a gapped tooth smile back.

Trust the teacher to ruin his shot!

"Quiet class! I have a lot planned for todays lesson so let's cut to the chase, I have paired you all up for group work, you will be working in pairs! This is an analysis of the prose we have been reading, and I expect a presentation and a written essay that both of you must present to the class next week."

She turned her back, writing on the chalk board who was paired together, and Kenny swore his heart skipped a beat when he noticed he was paired with you. He's never wanted to fist bump the air so much in all his life, but he didn't want you to notice him geeking out over you.

"Please sit next to your partner and get started straight away!" You teacher said to the class, and you moved your seat beside Kenny's, you both sharing a desk.

"Hey, I'm y/n, I'm new here from the UK so sorry if some of what I say doesn't make sense, our slang is hard to forget." You laughed, and Kenny nodded.

"Most people can't understand me either." He mumbled, his hood up. Let her see your face, idiot! His brain almost screamed at him as he unzipped his coat, taking his hood down, and it didn't go unnoticed by his friends. They knew he was hot on your tail, and what Kenny wants, he gets.

Your mouth was wide as you studied your partners face, a blush on your cheeks. He was hot, his fluffy blonde hair sitting messily atop his head, his pale skin and subtle freckles and that adorable little gappy smile. Fuck! You'd only moved a week ago and already you were crushing on someone.

"I'm Kenny. We can meet at the park after school and work on our project if you're up for up it?" He offered, you would definitely be turned off if you seen how his family were and what his home was like, and he was not losing you because of his parents and their usual neglectful bullshit.

"Or you could swing by my house? I'll get us coffee and order some pizza?" You offered, twiddling your pen between your thumb and forefinger, trying to avoid direct eye contact out of fear of blushing in front of him.

"That sounds a million times better, thanks." Kenny replied, a small smile on his face, he took this opportunity to sneak a quick look at your cleavage, and he swore he could make out the shape of your hard nipples through your bralette, and were those piercings?! Fuck, what were you doing to him? Don't get hard, Jesus Christ don't get hard!

"Can I have your number? So I can send you my address?" You asked, offering him your phone to punch his number into.

And he gladly accepted, typing his number on to your phone, and while you were distracted talking to Wendy he quickly installed a tracking app on your phone, just so he could know where you were at all times, to keep you safe of course.

"There you go." Kenny replied, holding your phone out to you as you took it from him, smiling at him.

"So... tell me a little about you, Kenny?" His eyebrow quirked at your sudden question. Were you wanting to find out more about him because you were partnered with him and just being friendly? Or did you ask because you were interested in getting to know him, because he wanted to know everything there was to know about you.

"I'm eighteen, I've lived in South Park for my whole life, and I've always been known of the poorest kid of the school, thanks to Eric over there." He said, nodding his head in the direction we're the older boy sat, you could hear him laughing at his own jokes, he seemed like an ass.

"I have a brother and a younger sister, Kevin and Karen. Just a warning though, people here love to gossip, so if anyone is bothering you, let me know." Kenny said kindly, his eyes not tearing from you once, it was as if you two were the only people in the room, god how was he going to control himself when he was in your bedroom, just you two.

"So tell me a little about yourself, y/n." Kenny inquired, and he was genuinely interested, soul mates needed to know all there was about each other, and he was determined to know you, he just hoped that you'd let him.

"Um... I'm eighteen too, I'm an only child, live with my mother, but she has some... problems, y'know?" You said, and Kenny knew exactly what you meant, his parents were the crème de la crème of drug and alcohol addicts, so he knew fine and well what she meant. Maybe they moved here for a new start.

"You smoke?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, you smoke weed?" You asked back, a small smirk on your face.

"Fuck yeah, I've dabbled with a lot of drugs, I mean, I've been exposed to them all my life." Kenny said, his eyes staring at his table, then back to you.

"I'll buy pizza and get us coffees if you bring the weed, deal?" You asked, putting your hand out to the blonde boy in front of you.

"Deal!" Kenny said, a smirk on his own face as the bell rang for the end of class.

You began packing up your things off your table and into your bag and as you bent down to grab your pen that had fallen on the floor, Kenny thought his eyes had popped fully out of his head. He stared at your ass and your thick thighs and my god how he wanted his head between them.

When you stood back up you finished packing and turned to see Kenny was waiting on you.

"If you wanna grab lunch together you can come with with me?" He asked, a small smile on his face, and boy did he hope that you said yes.

"That sounds lovely. Thanks, Kenny." You replied, throwing your back pack over your shoulder and beginning to walk out of the classroom with Kenny.

You could feel the eyes of other girls burning into the back of you as you both walked down the corridor, chatting together and making jokes as you both erupted into laughter.

Even though he was fully fixated on what you were talking about, Kenny was dazed, he was deep in thought, and it was all about you. About how your shirts hugged that perfectly round ass, how sensitive your nipples would be, what piercings would adorn them, did you have any tattoos that he couldn't see? His mind swirled.

As you both entered the cafeteria, he smiled and waved at his friends, before leading you over to introduce you.

"Guys, this is y/n m, she's new here. Y/n this is Eric, Kyle, Stan, Jimmy, Craig and Tweek." He said, pointing to each individual as he said their names, and you smiled.

"Hey guys, hopefully we can all be friends." You said, taking a seat between Kenny and Kyle.

"Kenny, how did you manage to get this pretty girl to befriend you?" Stan blurred outright, his cheeks going red as he averted both of your gazes.

"Um, we got partnered up together in English and it looks like we have a lot in common, and Kenny seems really nice." You said as the rest of the group nodded as if in sync.

"That makes sense." Kyle said to no one in particular and Kenny was in his own world again. You thought he was nice? He was making a good start, now he had to get you to fall in love with him, and he was pretty sure he knew how.

The rest of the day was pretty much standard procedure as far as Kenny was concerned, you had texted him, telling him to come over at 7pm.

So he had some free time on his hands. And he knew exactly what to do with it.

[jedimandalorian]

Dear Church of Ezrabine,

Here is the continuation of your prophet’s analysis of Droids in Distress and Battle to the End. (Part 2 of 2).

Do you remember Zeb’s thoughts about Ezra’s feelings for Sabine in The Rebellion Begins?

Well, in Battle to the End, Ezra finally impresses Sabine with his talent with a lightsaber. 😏

Ezra is so focused on rescuing Kanan that he doesn’t blush when Sabine compliments him. Sabine is beginning to see him in a new light, thinking he is no longer the Loth-rat of the group. 😏😍 In this scene, we get the “Ezra is climbing into the vents again” motif once more.

Best of all is this passage in which Ezra hears his name being called. It’s only when Sabine calls him by name that his heart skips a beat! 🥰

Sadly, the English language novelizations did not continue beyond this one. Perhaps if they did we would have even more insight into the inner workings of our characters’ hearts and minds. However, what we do have in these texts is enough to make a strong foundation to build a ship that will someday sail across the stars between those galaxies that are so far, far away.

I have spoken.