#the stupidity of these characters is Unreal

[cuckaracha]

Ohhh please give Ace opinions. I love seeing people yap about Ace

With pleasure ^_^!

V spoilers talk! V

Most of my opinions were revealed to be sort of true on the last episode so it wouldn't surprise me if this is one-to-one what everyone believes now: Ace to me seems like an extremely love starved person, like, its so painfully obvious that he's faced some sort of neglect in his life. So much so to the point that he keeps himself guarded all the time to avoid falling for the trap of liking someone and then they immediately turn on him. Hence what he said to Levi during the trial. Ace is feels too much. He's well aware of his surroundings and how shitty he acts, but if he doesn't feel anger or fear, the loneliness kicks in. It's a toxic cycle of self-hatred, low self-esteem and cynicism. Though I do believe that it's mostly the situation making his bad habits shine more brightly, because during the prologue/chapter1, Ace is kind of just a bratty jock. He cracks jokes, he hangs out with everyone and he seems to not be plagued as much by his fear unless you breach the topic.

Hence why I personally think that there's no other person like Levi to be used as foil for him. Regardless of how you think on their relationship, be it romantic or platonic or whatever, it's nothing new that their attitudes clash so much, it comes back around to them covering each other's weakness very well. A little guy that feels to much and is scared of giving out of fear of being hurt, and a big guy that feels too little that gives to others out of necessity. So when taken to their natural extreme, they would very obviously have problems, specially under the circumstances that they're both in. Ace, tragically believing the one thing he knew he shouldn't have, and Levi hopelessly attempting to fix what he inadvertently broke. It's peak toxic yaoi imo.

(which also, at least in my opinion, makes Levi the one true Ace lover. None of the other boys have as much of their nuance intrinsically mangle with Ace's as him. But again, that's just me. Ship this little freak with however boy you want. Fuck it. Make him a slut even.)

The other thing that has popped in my mind a lot is his family situation. I know with my take of his family, he's like a middle child or whatever, but that was just me wanting to be contrarian to the obvious, more solid interpretation of Ace being the eldest of the 9 brothers. Because when you think about, him being forced into jockeying by his family to maintain them economically makes sense. He hates it, but if he doesn't do it, he'll be the loser everyone knows him to be. He'd be disposed of by his family, believing that they only care about him for his talent and the money that comes from it. And if he doesn't do it, the job might fall to one of his younger siblings. Something he can't morally do. Because as much of a stupid little shithead as he is, he's not an idiot. Ace knows what's right and what's wrong. He understands the cruelty of the world to an extent. And as such. He's forced into being the breadmaker for his big ass family until the day he either retires or dies.

All this to say. I love Ace Markey. He's such a silly little goofball full of depression and anxiety that is one fart away from going insane. Like I haven't even touched on my thoughts on Taylor (which I also got right on my earlier theory) and how that affects the Ace economy. I relate so much to this guy it's fucking unreal. I don't think I've ever hyperfixated on a character this much. Like. So much so that I even got a fucking custom plushie made out of him and am constantly drawing him.

Anyways thanks for listening to my old man ramble, have an Ace my friend Fennex made.

[viaphni]

this scene.... i am literally losing my mind

[iinryer]

dismayed to once again be reminded how much better lone star would be if you could surgically remove every rob-lowe-centric scene

[pokeconspiracy]

Should I go to Lumiose City and check out the ghost girl theories there? People have been making a bunch of noise back then but I wanna see if the hype is still there and see if others think it's good enough to check out.

[rosquinn]

typology arguments are honestly a good writing exercise because everyone on that app is going to jump to your throat and try to kill you if you write something they slightly disagree with, and in order to express your opinions while managing to avoid it, you have to master talking absolute shit like no one has before. we're literally talking about a pseudoscience but as long as you quote carl jung, pretend you know what you're talking about and formulate yourself in a fancy way you've won

[brbgensokyo]

in retrospect is really funny to look at player characters within the world of log horizon and see that they look like shit. My fellow adventurer, you are living in a world where perfect self actualization is so easy, boss up and dress sharp or die.

[oc-aita]

AITA for lying to my fiance to get to know her better?

I (26 NB) am the Archon of a citystate, a position which comes with the ability to see the future sometimes. Technically it's the ability to see specific events that will protect a tree (6000+ genderless) in our palace gardens, but we figure that if the tree gets destroyed the whole nation is screwed so I do my best to follow these visions.

About a year ago I had a vision in which I was marrying the princess (27 F) of our neighboring empire, and during our wedding night she would save my life during an assassination attempt. Since I obviously don't want to be assassinated (and also she's very beautiful and seemed lovely from the brief moment I saw her) I reached out to the empire to begin courting this woman.

Here is, perhaps, my first misstep: I failed to realized just how backwards this empire is. What I had thought would be a courtship quickly spiraled into negotiations and an arranged marriage. As the weaker negotiating party I had little control over the final result of the arrangement, which was that this woman would be sent to marry me without even meeting me first! Can you even imagine?

Despite this all I desperately wanted to get to know her before we were wed. As close as I try to follow my visions, I would never force someone into a relationship, even at the cost of my own life. As such, I came up with a plan: I would simply claim to be an advisor to the Archon, and that the Archon himself was away at the time of her arrival. This was made easier by the fact that I use He pronouns as a public figure and They pronouns in personal settings. A few weeks after her arrival I would dramatically reveal my true identity at our yearly masquerade ball, and confirm that she still wanted to go through with the wedding.

A number of my friends and advisors informed me that this would be "kind of a dick move and completely on-brand for you" but I chose to go ahead with it regardless. My fiance arrived miserable and unhappy to be wed to a stranger, but quickly warmed up to me and my culture as I showed her the wonders of the city. We spent our weeks before the ball wandering the markets, playing chess in the gardens, and discussing anything from noble gossip to taxes. Though I'd hesitate to call us soulmates (she has some...interesting beliefs about imperialism, and has killed at least five people in active combat) I truly believed we could build a wonderful future together, and went ahead with my plan to reveal my identity.

The ball was both fantastic and disastrous. My dramatic reveal involved a concerto composed specially for this occasion, the release of live doves throughout the palace halls (our mages talk with them individually to acquire their consent for the performance) and an incredible outfit. So even if people think I'm an asshole at least I looked great.

My fiance, however, fled the ball with no explanation. When I finally was able to speak to her she was distraught and struggling to articulate why. My childhood friend/head of staff (31F) suggested that she felt betrayed due to me lying about my identity. I feel as if I've hidden nothing from her save my title; in fact, I've been very clear that I handle the day-to-day operations of my citystate and am far more than just a figurehead. I've been able to be more genuine with her than perhaps anyone else I've ever known.

After a while my fiance finally spoke to me again, but is now cold and distant. She still claims to want to go ahead with the wedding but... I don't know. Rumor from the servants via her handmaiden is that now she only wants to marry me to please her country, which is EVEN WORSE than how we started! I just wanted to get to know her without the pressure of an arranged marriage! And also do a cool musical number!

AITA?? Is there any saving our relationship???

TWO MONTH LATER UPDATE: turns out the reason she was upset was that she was sent to assassinate the Archon, but had fallen in love with me before knowing my identity. So she's both the assassin who attempted to kill me AND the woman who saved me because she felt guilty. I hate this stupid fucking prophecy tree.

[goosemixtapes]

my cyclical joker moment is that every few years i remember how good the gone series would have been if michael grant didn't hate disabled people

[aceredshirt13]

okay so since just about everyone’s been discussing Goncharov AUs with their favorite pieces of media, I think it’s high time someone pointed out the parallels between Goncharov/Andrey and Klint/Genshin. The homoeroticism… the tragedy of friends forced to become enemies… and does Klint van Zieks, too, not spend his final moments bleeding upon the floor? (Though, to be fair, it’s been ages since I saw the movie. I might be misremembering plot elements, so please correct me if I’m wrong.)

I’m not a talented enough artist to draw it, of course, but it’s just hard for me to believe that there isn’t more fanart in the TGAA fandom of Klint as Goncharov, Genshin as Andrey, and maybe even Lady Baskerville as Katya. Just consider it, folks. Consider it.

[fragmentsofthelore]

[thewitchqueen281]

nobody understands me and my sister. true adhd autism power duo. like u DONT get it. she's the brain I'm the face. nobody gets it. adhd autism duos are so powerful and nobody understands

[saviourkingslut]

one of my favourite fanfic authors posted a clive rosfield/cidolfus telamon story and i don't go there but i know enough abt ff to know that clive is a sad guilt-ridden breedable hunk with great tits (promising) so i go and look up cid and find out he's 1) middle-aged, woohoo !! and 2) handsome in that kind of generic rugged kind of way so im like, great, ill go and read that, but then all the fics keep mentioning his voice? so im like, obviously, we need to navigate to youtube and see what that's all about and i click on a vid and 👁️👄👁️😳. UH. SIR. HELLO.

[n3onwraith]

Got rly into CoD over the course of *checks watch* 6 DAYS and now I have 3 OCs with one in the works, over 900 edits saved to a folder, and am doodling in Ibis paint while I relearn how to draw on paper because my brain isn't braining rn.

Anyways, don't send in asks (or do!) about it cause I WILL ramble. I'm working on memorizing the MW2 lore, and then I'll do Ghosts since those two impacted me the most, especially Ghosts growing up. I MIGHT start the black ops 3 campaign when I get to Mom's since we have that disc, but I haven't started it yet. (I also had Ghosts growing up, but I can't find it. RIP. anywaysss)

[runninriot]

written for the @steddiesongfics may prompt

(David Bowie - Absolute Beginners, 1986)

wc: 1986 | rated: t | tags: Steddie in love, newly established relationship, fluff, background characters, Good Uncle Wayne Munson | also on ao3

As long as we’re together, the rest can go to hell

Waking up in Eddie’s arms for the first time feels unreal. Like maybe he’s not really awake after all. Maybe Steve’s still stuck in a beautiful dream and the sound of the other man’s peaceful breathing is just a fragment of his imagination. But he can feel Eddie’s chest rise and fall beneath his head, can feel the comfortable weight of Eddie’s arm on his back, the soothing warmth of his skin.

Maybe it is real.

Maybe they actually, finally got their shit together – as Robin would say.

    God, Robin would be so smug if she could see him right now, nuzzling Eddie’s skin, sinking deeper into the sleeping man’s arms.

She’d known there was something going on, told him so but never pushed. Even before that night Eddie came out to them a few months back. Where Robin told him her secret, too, and Steve didn’t even know he had one of his own to share.

Before Steve realised what that funny feeling was. What it meant to have a riot of butterfly wings create a storm in his stomach, to have his heartbeat set the rhythm to a song he’s never heard before.

Man, she will be so proud of herself when- if they tell her.

They will tell her, right?

They’ll them all – Robin, Nance, the kids...

Dustin.

    Oh God, what will Dustin say if they tell him that they’re-

Together?

Are they together?

Is this- Is this what they are?

It must be, right?

Eddie told him he loves him. Kept repeating the words over and over again between kisses. Said it so many times, Steve had no reason to believe it wasn’t true.

It must be true because Steve wants it to be true.

Eddie is-

This isn’t just a stupid crush, some made-believe infatuation with his high school sweetheart. Steve isn’t a stupidly naive teenager anymore. He knows the difference between simply searching for affection and truly wanting to be with someone.

He is in love with Eddie. That’s a fact. Unshakeable like the fact that water is wet, the sun is hot, and the moon is 238.700 miles away from earth (yes, he does listen to Dustin ramble about his stupid nerd interests sometimes, thank you very much).

He’s in love and although this is all very scary and new, he wants their friends to know about them. Wants them to be happy for them.

But what if they’re not?

What if the fact that he’s in love with another man gives Mike one more reason to hate him? What if Lucas refuses to let Steve coach him because of it? What if it doesn’t work out and Dustin has to choose between him and Eddie? What if-

   “I can hear you think.”

Steve startles when Eddie tightens his arms around him, pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head. And when he looks up at Eddie, Steve finds two sleepy eyes blinking back at him.

   “Morning, baby,” Eddie says through a smile and-

Steve’s heart immediately does that thing again and there’s this familiar feeling in his gut, and Eddie looks so soft in the warm morning light that Steve just can’t not kiss him.

   “Morning,” Steve finally answers when they part – Eddie’s hand still holding his face, beautiful eyes looking right into his soul, and Steve feels like flying.

   “Hm, so that’s not what it’s about, huh?”

Steve’s confused, doesn’t know what Eddie is talking about and it must show on his face because Eddie chuckles before he continues.

   “For a moment I was scared you’ve gotten all nervous and fidgety because you were- I don’t know. That maybe you had doubts. About this?” He moves his free hand between the two of them, pointing at himself and back at Steve.

   “But I guess you kissing me despite my morning breath must mean you-“

Steve shuts him up with another press of lips, morning breath be damned. He won’t give Eddie any reason to even think for another second that he doesn’t want this. Because he does. He wants this, them, together. Probably more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.

He shakes his head, doesn’t know how to express all those things that are rattling his mind. How to tell Eddie what goes on in his head without stumbling over the words, without twisting his tongue, without making a fool of himself because-

They’ve only just woken up and it’s the first time they’re in bed together and instead of just enjoying the moment, instead of being in the here and now, Steve is already like, 238.700 steps ahead.

   “Talk to me, Stevie. Tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours.”

Steve slowly relaxes into the pleasant feeling of Eddie’s fingers gently scraping along the back of his neck like he’s trying to coax the words out of him, trying to help slow down his racing thoughts. And somehow, it works.

   “I was just-“ Steve takes a deep, grounding breath, “I was just wondering if we should tell the others. About us. A-about us being... boyfriends?”

Steve feels heat spreading in his face, feels the blush creep from his cheeks to his ears.

He didn’t mean to make it sound like a question but they haven’t really defined what they are, yet. They’ve been way too busy making out, kissing, touching – God, how could he not have been completely distracted by the way Eddie kissed him. The way he painted his neck in love-coloured bruises. How he worshipped Steve’s whole body with his lips like he was something special, something worth taking his time with.

And oh, his time he took, that teasing bastard. Made it his mission to kiss every goddamn mole and freckle on Steve’s body. Started counting them with his lips, his tongue, tracing his fingers over every inch of his exposed skin. Kissed him where no one had ever kissed him before, his touch so careful and gentle it only made Steve crazy for more, more, more.

By the time Eddie finally put his mouth on him, Steve was already so far gone that it took not even 30 seconds for him to lose it. But then Eddie didn’t give him a chance to feel embarrassed about it, just kept kissing him, touching him, showering him in sweet little nothings that meant everything to Steve.

   “Steve? You with me?”

    Hm? Oh.

   “S-sorry. What did you say?” Steve smiles apologetically, relieved when Eddie chuckles lightly.

   “I said. Yes, boyfriends. If you want that? And yes to telling people. God, I can’t wait to see Dustin’s stupid little face when he hears that I, Eddie Munson, get to date the hottest guy in Hawkins. Hell, the hottest guy in the entire fucking world!”

Eddie balls his fist and punches the air like he’s just won a competition, and the excitement in his voice is infectious, startles a loud and very unsexy snort out of Steve.

   “Take that, Dustin! So much for teasing me for my lack of success in the dating department. Ha! Oh, but Mike will be devastated. Everyone knows he’s got the biggest crush on you.”

   “What?! Shut up, he does not!” Steve is screeching now, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

   “You think I’m lying? Ask Lucas! He was the one that told me. Said he doesn’t quite get it but Lucas only has eyes for Max so, of course he doesn’t.”

   “Eddie, stop! I don’t believe it. Mike hates me! Sometimes I could swear he’s doing his best to pretend I don’t even exist.”

   “Tell yourself whatever makes you feel good, baby,” Eddie winks, smiles so bright it’s like he’s the sun himself. Bright like the sun and just as hot.

(How hot is the sun? Dustin will know, he’ll ask him next time he sees him.)

   “Robin will be a tough one, though.”

   “Huh? Robin? She’s literally one of us, Eds. Why should she of all people have any problem with us being together?”

Eddie must sense his concern, because he glides his thumb over Steve’s furrowed brows to smooth out the worry lines, kisses him on the forehead like that’s gonna stop his mind from reeling.

Weirdly enough, it does.

   “Well, duh! She’ll be so happy for you. It’s me I’m worried about.”

Eddie winks at him and that’s when Steve finally catches on. He huffs out a laugh, rolls his eyes in fake-annoyance, can’t not smile when Eddie offers him the saddest, most convincing puppy eyes he’s ever seen.

   “She’s going to kill me if I ever so much as make you mad or, god forbid, sad for whatever reason.”

   “Oh that’s easy to avoid. Just never make me mad or sad and you’ll be fine,” Steve mocks him, knows deep down Eddie would never anyway.

   “What about-“ Steve realises he hasn’t even thought about that before.

They’re at the trailer. Steve heard Wayne come home from his night shift a while ago, knows the man’s still awake, considering the noise coming from the outside Eddie’s bedroom.

   “Do you want to tell Wayne? It’s okay if not. We don’t- We can just pretend nothing has changed. I don’t want him to get mad. Or, or worse.”

Now it’s Eddie’s turn to look worried and Steve gets it. He couldn’t even think about telling his own parents. His father would- No, he’ll just have to keep this from them. Not like they ever really care for what goes on in his life anyway.

   “Come on.”

    What?

Eddie throws back the blanket they shared, leaving them both naked and exposed to the light of the day, the reality of the night before hitting them both with a rush of childish embarrassment, sending a deep blush into both their faces, both not used to being so vulnerably bare in front of each other.

But Eddie seems to regain his composure quickly, untangles from Steve’s arms and jumps out of the bed.

He grabs two pairs of boxers and sweatpants and shirts from his dresser, tossing half of them at Steve who’s still too stunned to speak.

   “Eddie, what-”

   “Hurry up, sweety! I smell coffee.”

Steve follows Eddie, nervously fussing with his hair in a weak attempt to make himself more presentable, less... ‘spent the night making out with your nephew’, hiding behind Eddie when Wayne catches sight of them.

   “Morning boys. Coffee?” The man grumbles, not even batting an eye when Eddie abruptly turns, grabs Steve by the face, and plants a kiss right on his mouth.

   “Yes, please. Me and my boyfriend would love a nice cup of coffee. Don’t we, Stevie?”

Eddie beams at him, a teeth-flashing grin on his face, and Steve wants to kill him. Wants to kiss him even more. Doesn’t know what to say, what to do. Just stands there, frozen in shock, dumbly nodding to answer the question he only vaguely remembers has been asked.

   “I see.” Wayne stands up from the armchair he was sitting in, walks over to them, blank expression on his face.

He exhales deeply and Steve holds his breath, not ready for whatever comes next.

   “Took you long enough to figure it out.”

Eddie shoots his uncle a look, rolls his eyes, scoffs – and Steve feels the weight of a thousand worlds fall off his shoulders.

(How much does one earth weigh? He’ll ask Dustin. Maybe he-)

   “You better treat him right, son. You do not wanna get in trouble with me for hurting him, you hear me?”

Steve’s mouth falls open in disbelief when he realises those words are directed at Eddie and not at him.

That’s what finally cuts the tension. Steve starts laughing, loud and whole-heartedly, feels lighter, better than ever before.

He kisses Eddie again, because he can. They’re in love, and that’s okay.

And as long as they’re together, the rest can go to hell.

[cerise-on-top]

Cast Finds Out Reader is Ticklish

I felt like writing something stupid and fun again. What it says in the title, but this time König is in it as well. I wanna have a tickle fight with some of these characters so bad, it's unreal. Some mentions of how they react when you try to get them back as well.

Price: He didn’t mean to, it was an honest accident in his case. All he wanted was to make sure you were okay, the fact you recoiled from his touch giggling did make him a bit curious, though. Once he sees that everything is fine he might graze you again just to hear you giggle and find you swatting at him. If you aren’t paying attention properly and are simply sitting in a chair, your face buried in your arms instead, he’ll poke you to get you to listen to him. He won’t go all out on you, it would take a lot of provocation from your side. He is ticklish too, just not in the places one would normally expect. If you wanna get him good, you need to get his palms or his shoulders. Good luck, though. While he may be kind enough to give you a few seconds of a headstart, there is no way you’re going to outrun him forever. Holds grudges like there’s no tomorrow too and will get you eventually, even if you’ve forgotten about it.

Gaz: He was likely goofing around with Soap when he saw you just shortly after and decided he wanted to see if he could get you too. No accidents in his case, he just straight up goes for it. While he might ask you beforehand whether or not you’re ticklish, the end result is always gonna be the same: He’ll try it out either way and scout out where you’re sensitive. Unfortunately, he’s also very persistent, so he can and will figure it out eventually. It’s not that hard to get back at him, though, he’s ticklish just about anywhere and will try to fight you on it. In all honesty, it’s a fun thing for him, especially with you, so he doesn’t hate it. Sparring is nice, beating someone else into submission also has its moments, but sometimes all you need is to skitter your fingers over someone’s ribs and hear them shriek as they fight you off. The both of you being ticklish is something he’d rather take to his grave, but if Soap ever got wind of it then he certainly wouldn’t stop him. Team ups will happen regularly once you all know of each other’s weaknesses.

Ghost: You might think he wouldn’t care all that much, but he thinks it’s actually kind of amusing. Once it’s only the two of you and you’re very close, he might try to find an excuse to touch you just to hear you giggle. Ask him to train you in hand-to-hand combat, I’m praying for you that your neck isn’t ticklish. His hold on your neck is gentle, yes, but it’s enough to drive you mad. That will also be one of the few times you can make out what he’s feeling by looking at his eyes. Squirm all you want, you’re not getting out of his grasp all that easily. In fact, you might just make it worse for yourself when he has to hold you down and gently squeezes you. You could try to get back at him, but it won’t do you much good. He can and will hold in his reactions for a while, with the mask only aiding him in that. Don’t surprise him, though, since you’ll be elbowed in the face, but other than that, it’s fair game. He is ticklish, chest and the spot where the ribs meet the back are the worst ones for him, but he’s gonna get you before you get him.

Soap: Not an accident either, he didn’t ask you beforehand though. If he can get you to smile in any way, shape or form, he knows he’s won, but he’s also a bit relentless. If you can smile, then you can laugh and he isn’t above using his military training to get what he wants. Yeah, he’s ruthless, but will stop immediately if you ask him to and make sure you’re okay. Also the kind to tease you and laugh along with you, especially if you’re a bit of a squirmer. Like Gaz, you can get him back fairly easily, but that only motivates him to get you even better and make sure you’ll be laughing your head off. It’s just a fun little game. Who breaks first? Who can take it the longest? Who will try to run away first? He sees it as a bonding activity with you and isn’t afraid to tickle you while hugging you as well. As mentioned before, once you, him and Gaz know you’re all ticklish it’s gonna get a bit more intense. While they are sweethearts at times, just hope you won’t be on the receiving end from both of them.

Alejandro: He was probably trying to show you affection by running his hands over your back when you flinched away, a big goofy grin on your face. While he might have a hunch of what happened immediately, he won’t confirm his suspicions if there’s company. Once you’re alone? Get ready to get wrecked. Your beloved colonel is serious enough most of the time as it is, sometimes you just need to let loose as well, especially over something that’s not serious in the slightest. He’ll actively encourage you to try and get him back as well, making it an even fight. While he might have the advantage of being among the stronger soldiers, he’ll let you get him back, making it a bit easier for you. That holds especially true if you’re a civilian. He’ll give you many chances to pin him down, but once he’s had enough you’re definitely next. Will start some tickle fights, will lose some if he really wants to let go and just have a good time with you. While he might admit that if you’re extremely close, don’t count on it. He has his pride, but being a goofball is also good. Once you’re both tuckered out there’s a chance he might become a bit more cuddly with you.

Rodolfo: In all fairness, it was probably you who found out he was ticklish first. It’s a bit embarrassing to him, but since he knows you’re a good sport who won’t tell anyone, he allows it. At some point, he will try to fight back, though, and discover that you’re ticklish as well. It doesn’t take a whole lot for him to want to tickle you, he thinks your reactions are just so adorable, but he’s very self-aware and knows that, realistically speaking, you’re gonna get him worse than he could ever get you. That’s a fair trade for him, though, since he gets to goof around. Won’t start anything very often, he’ll rely on you doing so. And when he does? He’s very gentle. He won’t wrestle you as roughly as Soap, for example, but if you’ve annoyed him enough he’ll take his time until he's certain you’re sorry. It’s a good method of showing someone they’ve messed up since it’s not a harmful thing. If gentle tickles drive you mad, he’ll know, but he doesn’t want to hurt you either, which is why he won’t be rough. Once you’re completely beat he apologizes for going overboard and brings you snacks and drinks to make sure you’re alright.

Valeria: Gives you a certain🤨look but more smiley when she finds out. That’s definitely something she’s going to lovingly bully you for when she gets the chance. You can try to get her back, you’re not going to succeed. Not only are you never going to find her ticklish spots, she makes sure they’ll essentially be unreachable for you. To be honest, she doesn’t even know whether or not she even is ticklish, but she’s not going to take any chances. Try to tickle her and you’ll be gotten good. She is merciless and will do whatever she can to make sure you won’t forget about this. In those cases she’s not above restraining you somehow either to make sure you learn your lesson. You’re not gonna get her, but she might find it fun to get you instead, might call you her little stress ball and squeeze you when she feels like it. Or you might be a squeaky toy. Either way, you won’t even think about tickling her instead. She’s also very tease-y and will point out how you react to certain stimuli. Belittles you a bit too, but that’s just her brand. If she really tuckered you out she’ll show some sympathy and let you stay with her for a while. You’ll be in good hands and all your needs will be accounted for.

Graves: He probably found out sooner rather than later given how touchy he is. While he may simply laugh it off at first and not give it too much thought, it will be something he remembers. You’ve been bad? You told the Shadows an embarrassing anecdote about him? Yeah, you’ll be sorry. The more you squirm the more he knows he’s doing a good job at keeping you in line. He’ll leave you absolutely breathless by the end of it, but knows your limits well enough to not go overboard. You certainly wouldn’t be the first or only one to get some revenge on him. Try to get some of the Shadows on your side first, though. Graves is a strong authority figure, but even he can’t fight off ten of you. It does happen from time to time that the Shadows get him when he’s overworking himself again and needs a break. Yes, he always gets revenge since he knows each and every single one of them, but he knows you all mean well. Even so, he has his pride and needs to show his company that he’s a feared leader. If you don’t run away as soon as you’re done with him he’ll be a bit softer on you since you’re checking up on your commander, but don’t expect him to forgive or forget.

Alex: He probably found out when he gave you a hug, so it wasn’t on purpose either. However, he thinks it’s such a cute detail about you. He can make you laugh just by fluttering his fingers over certain spots. From time to time he will weaponise this knowledge. You’re being mean to yourself today? Not a chance while he has to say something about it. His favorite form of tickling you is by simply trapping you in a hug and making sure you can’t escape. You’re more than welcome to fight back, though. He’s almost as ticklish as Gaz, so it’s not very hard to get him to crumble. And yes, he does push you away and fall to the floor if you have a go at it for too long. Thinks it’s an adorable little bonding activity and might initiate some fights here and there but will absolutely never go overboard. As soon as you seem tired or ask him to stop he will. While he has been through a lot and thus can take it quite well, he expects you to stop as well when he asks you to. No matter how much you struggle to get away from him, he will chase you down to the ends of the Earth to see your eyes filled with mirth like that. Laughs along with you, no matter what.

Farah: When she was very young she used to fight with her brother like that from time to time. These days she doesn’t have time for these sorts of things at all. Doesn’t mean she wouldn’t goof around from time to time if she could, though. Like Price, she was likely checking up on you to make sure you were okay and found out. The fact that you’re sensitive makes her smile a little bit, it’s just the tiniest bit funny. On those days where she doesn’t have to fear for everyone’s safety, when she can relax just the tiniest bit, she might poke you a little bit to see you flinch and maybe squeal a bit, but 9/10 times it won’t be more than that. If you decide to get her back, beware that she’s very likely to win either way. She can hold her reactions in well enough, so aside from the initial jerk you won’t get too much out of her. Raises her eyebrow and gives you a few seconds to run away from her before she gets you, a broad smile on her face. Despite not being very tall, she’s extremely nimble and quick, so no matter how far you run she’s gonna catch up to you eventually. Please do play-fight like this every once in a while with her, she definitely won’t mind or say no when nothing of importance is going on at the moment.

Laswell: “Oh, you’re ticklish.” She has no qualms whatsoever about mentioning that fact casually. It’s not something she’ll be malicious about, plenty of people are ticklish in this world, it’s kind of cute that you’re one of them. If you’re cuddling she might gently scratch at a spot she can reach just to hear you whine and have you try to get out of her grasp. Won’t pin you down, if you wanna get away from her then you can. For that same reason she won’t chase you either, she’s just too mature for that. If she wanted to, she could, though. Try to tickle her back, you’ll elicit some adorable little giggles from her, which is a privilege only the people closest to her get. Not too keen on tickle fights, but if you don’t pay attention to her she’ll tickle you a bit to get you to listen, even if people are around. She’s not intense by any means, a few scribbles here, some squeezes there, but she’s extremely observant. She’ll know what your worst spots are before you yourself do. If she wanted to, she could destroy you in any way possible, but she likes you too much to do that, so she simply leaves it at being gentle. 

Nikolai: Laswell plays nice, Nikolai doesn’t. Once this guy has you in his grasps you’re done for, you won’t get away until he’s satisfied. In private he’s not afraid to be a little idiot and tickle you silly for any reason. Sometimes there isn’t one either aside from him simply wanting to. If you fight back he’ll incapacitate you first in a harmless manner before he keeps going. You’re not going to win against him. Once in a blue moon, he might consider letting you get back at him for a moment before he turns the tables. Very fast, very rough, very observant, unfortunately also a bit mischievous. Not to Soap’s degree, but if you’re not holding anything fragile or valuable he might squeeze you a bit or run a finger down your back. It’s a not so gentle reminder that he knows your little weakness and is going to use it against you. If he’s teased you about it, you can be certain you’re gonna get tickled to tears on the same day. While Nikolai could hold in any and all reactions he has, even longer than Ghost could, he thinks it’s more fun to let you get a glimpse of what you could achieve before taking it all away from you.

König: If you’re brave enough to tickle him and survive the punishment, only then would he ever figure it out. Doesn’t think about that sort of thing at all, but it will cross his mind more often once he knows you’re sensitive. If you’re particularly close he might be a little shit and hold something out of your reach or simply far enough away from you that you’ll have to lift your arm. That’s when he’ll strike. It’s absolutely stupid, but his end goal is to get as many reactions out of you as possible, the stronger the better. A real fiend when it comes to tickling as well, he’s aware of his size and strength, so he greatly tones it down. One arm is holding you close so you can’t escape with enough strength to not hurt you, the other one is gently grazing wherever it can reach. However, if you twist and turn enough to get back at him he’s done for. Yes, he could take it if he was in a perilous situation, but he probably isn’t with you so he sort of just falls apart. Armpits and neck are a real killer for him, the shock will cause him to let you go. But as soon as he’s composed enough again you’re in for it. Once he feels some pity he might let you go.

[go-go-devil]

I still really love the reveal that The Pink Opaque was always a show meant for much younger kids as opposed to the teen action show we're first presented with, but mostly due to how well the film tricks us into seeing it the way Owen & Maddie saw it.

Really it's so painfully obvious right from the get go that this is a kids show: Maddie defensively stating that its "too scary for kids" despite being on a young adult channel, the first episode we see having a plot revolving around wishing the ice cream man delivered ice cream all year long, the show's villains having very cutesy names, Isabelle & Tara's pink ghost tattoos being very cartoony, etc.

Yet we the audience see the Ice Cream Man as a grotesque monster with far more disturbing practical effects than the very low-budget real version. We see all the characters appearing older than they actually are. We see dark, dramatic themes of being trapped in a false identity slowly poisoned from the inside in the final episode only because by that point we've become JUST as personally invested in the show as our main characters do.

Upon getting to the reveal that what we saw wasn't actually a Buffy the Vampire Slayer kind of show but actually more along the level of Goosebumps, we end up questioning our memories of the show just as Owen did seeing it again after all those years because it seems so unreal! How can we possibly deny all the intense, compelling drama we just witnessed?!

One might call this a commentary on how nostalgia can blind us to a show's actual quality as we grow older, but personally I see it more as how one's attachment to a show can end up LITERALLY changing it into something else entirely.

Now I never watched Buffy and can't relate to all the references the film gives to it, but as someone who frequently watched My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic as a teen despite not at all being the target audience I can heavily relate to what Owen and Maddie saw in The Pink Opaque.

It didn't matter that the show wasn't actually as intense and well-written as they thought, what mattered was that the show gave them EXACTLY what they needed at that time in their life. Owen saw herself in Isabelle, just as Maddie found her true self through her love for Tara. It allowed the pair to bond and form a real fulfilling friendship during hard times. Their warped memories of the show aren't stupid, they stem from what happens when a piece of art has such a profound effect on us to the point where it ends up shaping our very lives!

The Pink Opaque was never a groundbreaking show with any ounce of queer themes in its narrative, but it helped Owen realize she was trans, and in the end that's all that really matters. 💖👻