#this is probably the only time every that a character hating someone has ever left me in shambles like this

[nat-without-a-g]

Haha, thinking about why Lark hates Henry again

[inarvii]

₊˚.- NEEDLES AND PINS

Patience breeds success. However, Dr. Veritas Ratio's patience has successfully run thin when it comes to the Intelligentsia Guild's new professor.

OR

Dr. Ratio hate reads about you.

wc - 3.4k

A/N - Basically a Dr. Ratio character study, inspired by the Deftones song Needles and Pins.

Veritas Ratio was a Needle. 

At least, that is what he saw himself as. He was sharp, precise, and calculated. One had to be in this world full of ignorant minds. 

His known prestige amongst scholars was by no accident. Every equation, formula, and theory engraved into his mind was nothing he didn’t want there. His reputation at the Intelligentsia Guild was by no fault other than his own. And he liked it this way. 

So when Dr. Veritas Ratio’s curiosity peaks, he will seek out information regardless of what stands in his way. It just so happens that the rumor of a Genius Society member abandoning their ranking to join the Intelligence Guild not only piques his interest but puzzles him quite a bit. 

Everything Veritas Ratio has ever done—ever accomplished was with intent. That’s just what a needle does. 

And as he reads the passage before him in the worn textbook he fished out of the bookshelves at his university, he intends to figure out your perplexing nature. 

“…and discovered five different constellations that are now crucial to Intercosmic Space Travel, earning the name of the ‘Star Lit Genius’ just after finishing her Associates.”

- Excerpt from Exploring the Starlit Genius

A fool. 

Ratio closes the bulky biography with a booming thud. The echo can be heard bouncing off the walls of his office. 

That is what you were. That is your nature. 

A fool is the only description he can think of as he sharply brings his fingers to his lips. Questions bubble inside him, but the one that escapes himself is, “Why?” 

Why would anyone do such a thing? The mere thought that someone could leave the Genius Society was baffling. Sure, there probably were some that had left, but that had to be Amber Eras in the past. 

It wasn’t ignorance it was foolishness. Perhaps he was right about Genius Society members having a rock up their asses. There was truly nothing that separated them from the mundane, such as himself. They were just as equally subjected to idiocy. 

But could you do such a thing?

You. A scholar blessed by Nous! Given a chance—an opportunity. 

He scoffs, his head jerking to the side as if catching himself in an act. 

He shouldn’t care. 

He doesn’t care. 

He’s over that. 

Ratio sighs and shakes his head. He doesn’t care. You were foolish, that’s all. It was nothing more. 

But who might this fool be? 

Ratio’s cold finger travels around the textbook's hardcover. He quickly flips through the pages. Frustration is evident on his face as his brows furrow the more pages he turns. 

Yet, there’s nothing. 

There’s not one picture of you—the fool—that perplexes his mind. Of course, there wouldn’t be. The Genius Society's “holy” standing wouldn’t allow that. So, he’ll just have to wait for the day he meets the deluded “genius.” 

“Immediately after finishing her Associates, the Star Lit Genius earned funds from the IPC for her findings, causing the young brilliant mind to venture more deeply into the cosmos.”

- Excerpt form Exploring the Starlit Genius

Time had passed and life went on. It had been a month since Veritas’ initial read of your biography. He had learned much. Such as your main fields of anatomy, pathology, chemistry and of course astronomy. Little details of your past are stored neatly in the back of the Doctor’s mind, but he has had no use for it. The new semester had started and as time went on he too started to carry on. Students plagued his mind instead, yet a star glittered somewhere near. 

“Dr. Ratio.”

It’s no voice he’s familiar with. Or maybe one he’s just not accustomed to yet. Most likely a new student in one of his classes.  

He doesn’t even bother to look up. Instead he continues to shuffle through his papers with equations and calculations of the new curriculum that he would soon ignore altogether in his lessons. 

He sighs. “Students are to ask questions during the appointed time.” His voice lacks any interest whatsoever. 

He was tired of students who seemed to think they were special. If anything, the unfamiliar voice is probably a student coming to butter him up before the semester starts to get on his good side. 

“Oh, I’m not a student.” Your voice isn’t familiar, but the syllables that roll off your tongue are ever engraved into his mind. His inner consciousness has read the name so much that he can envision the letters.  

Before he looks up, a smug grin shows on his face. Finally, he could put the foolish mind to the face. It was a gift, really. You, coming straight to his door. You had done all the work for him. 

But then he takes his first look at you. 

Veritas Ratio isn’t one to be rendered speechless, but his surprise is evident. His grin drops at the sight of you. Before, he had imagined that he should have put on his mask of marble to forbid his eyes from the sight of such a foolish person. But now his frustrations were fueled even more by the undeniable fact that a fool could look like…you. 

“Professor Alvarez said you would be the person to go to regarding any Physics textbooks,” you say, and Ratio comes back to reality as your voice vibrates around the large space. You stand in the wide door frame, hands held together in front of you. 

“Ah,” he chokes out. “Our new professor.” He quickly gets up to walk to the bookshelf behind him to rid the sight of you. His steps are light but eager; however, his back stands straight, and his head is held high. This was it? This was the fool he had read about? What a pity, he thinks as he climbs a few steps up the ladder of the bookshelf. Looks wasted on a simpleton. 

Ratio tries to change the topic of conversation while trying not to show his evident surprise. “Say, what does an astronomer have that warrants the need for physics?” He questions. 

You're quick to answer. “Well, the two are connected, I’m sure you’re aware.” 

He is aware—he’s well aware. But he’s also aware of his unwelcomed knowledge of your hatred for anything purely mathematical in any sense, especially physics, which you loathe the most. He even remembers the page clearly in chapter twenty-six, section fou—but that's beside the point. His ever-growing facts about you are a card he cannot yet play. He has only gazed at you for a mere eight seconds. So for now, he will keep his mouth shut. 

“I am,” he says confidently, a slight hint of offense in his voice. “Professors here, however usually tend to their specific fields rather than branching off.” His fingers trace the spine of the dusty books before carefully selecting one and then another. 

“One of my students is infatuated by the correlation of the two. It’s something that I had no interest in during my years of studying.” The sound of you shuffling your feet bounces off the walls. “I’m forced to learn now I suppose.”

“Whatever for? You’re no physicist,” he scoffs.  His hand lingers around a book as he debates himself in his mind. 

“To answer my students' questions, of course,” you answer without a second thought. 

A genius interested in the pursuit of other’s knowledge. Ratio’s frustrations physically manifest in the form of a silent sigh.  An anomaly you were. An Irritating one at that. 

He picks up the book.  

He doesn’t say anything as he descends the ladder—or when he walks to where you stand with an uninterested look on his face. He simply plops the books in your hands with a quick “Here.” Their weight jolts you down briefly. 

“Some of these are limited or editor's copies.” His eyes meet yours for the first time since you came in. “Do try not to dirty them.”

He turns to walk back to his desk, but the sound of your voice stops him. 

“Which is your favorite?”

Ratio turns to walk back to you as he looks you up and down. His fingers fish between the books in your arms, and he pulls out one. It’s encased in golden leather. He lifts it up to hold it out in front of you. 

Your hand grazes the hardcover. You look at it, eying the author. ‘Professor Emeritus.’ You look up at him with a hint of playfulness in your eyes. It makes him uneasy—like the breath has been sucked out of his lungs. But then you have the nerve to smile at him, and he can feel himself getting hot. 

“Thank you,” you say, and you turn away. 

His mind races. His heart beats a bit faster. It’s only when the click of your heels are out of earshot and when the doctor is trying to recover in his desk chair that he realizes he’s forgotten to tell you when to bring them back. 

“...the only way to transcend the limitations of the individual is to have an academic network of mutual learning.”

- Intelligentsia Guild 

He ignores you. 

That’s not to say he doesn't see you. Of course, he does. How could one not see you? It has turned into a game over the past two weeks. He must spot you first to make sure you do not spot him. 

So he does just that. 

He has no use conversing with a Genius Society member turned idiot. He simply gave you those books to help the students you were teaching, nothing more. 

So he carries on with his usual routine of avoiding you. Until, there’s a pile of books with ribbon wrapped around them at his office door. But there’s only three of them. 

Ratio quickly picks up the stack of books and unlocks his office door. When at his desk, he finally notices the note placed neatly between the book and ribbon.  

Thank you for letting me borrow these. They were very insightful. I have saved your recommendation for last. I will bring it back once I have finished it.  

He examines your handwriting—your signature—and how the way you write your A’s and H’s differ from him. 

As Ratio revels in the fact that you took his word at face value, he examines the books. His fingers caress the covers and flip through the pages.  

You made sure not to dirty them. 

“To grow and excel as a Scholar is to reconsider. A Hypothesis that is drawn due to stubbornness and ignorance is a hypothesis from no mind worth listening to.” 

- Professor Emeritus in “Attentive Beings” 

“Come in,” Ratio replies to the three knocks on his study door. This time, he looks up from his reading as soon as he hears the heels click on the polished wooden floor. 

You smile at him—book held in hand. 

He greets you with another disinterested look as he turns his head back to the papers in front of him. “Did you enjoy it?” 

“I certainly did,” you call out. Although he doesn’t look at you, he can hear you walk slowly around his office. He lets out a sigh as he writes down something. 

But then your heels click too close to the round table by the window in the corner of his study, and his mouth grows dry. He looks up as he watches you eye the books he had left open on the table, and put the book you had borrowed down. Your fingernails graze the papers slowly, and you turn the page. 

“You read about me?”

Ratio’s throat closes up at your question as he scurries to organize the files and loose sheets of paper before him just to occupy his hands. He puts a fist to his lips and clears his throat. “I simply wanted to know more about the new Professor who would teach some of my former students,” he affirms boldly. 

“It’s okay.” your eyes lift up from the pages and turn to him with a smile. “I read about you too.” 

He’s not surprised. He shouldn’t be surprised. Any good scholar would do that. But something stirs inside him still. His stomach flips from…excitement. This odd feeling goes unnoticed by you as the doctor quickly covers himself with his swift response “Is that so?” 

“Mhm,” you hum. You grab the book and slowly make your way closer and closer to his desk—to him. “You’re quite the mathematician,” you smile. “…and philosopher.” 

His arms fold and his eyes trail your figure as you approach. 

“So tell me, after reading this thing.” You hold up the book. “What’s your ‘philosophy’ on me?” 

He sits there in silence looking at you. 

“Please, Doctor,” you smirk. “Tell us your verdict on the new professor.” 

He’s still hesitant. But the look you give him is like fire on his skin, and he wants to rid of it. So he speaks. “Fine, if you must know.” He lets out an exasperated sigh. 

“You’re a fool. Through and through.”

“Is that so?”

“The evidence is clear.”

“Do elaborate, Doctor.” 

 He sighs again. What has he gotten himself into? “You’re an astronomer.” 

“That I am,” you smirk. Oh, he hates that smirk of yours. That smile of yours. That face of yours. 

“You’re an astronomer that hates physics.” Ratio stand subtly and makes his was round his desk to you. “Quite absurd actually.” He crosses his arms and you shift your body to look him in the eye. “You have no interest in anything mathematical when math is the foundation of all that ever was and will ever be.” 

“Mhmm.” And there’s that smirk again as you look up at him. 

“You’ve done mounds of research, and any organization would want you.” His voice is booming and stern as if he were lecturing one of his students. “Yet, you pick the IPC of all things to give your work to.” 

You're a star, you blaze. Yet you choose to be mediocre like him. It's infuriating.

You nod, and he takes a step closer to you. His brows furrow in frustration, and his finger points down at you. 

“And the cherry on top is that you’ve chosen to stray from the Erudition and-“

“Leave the genius Society,” you finish. 

Your voice strikes him. He flinches backward and his back stiffens. You’re toying with him. He wonders if it is something he’s opposed to. 

“Is that why you dislike me, Veritas?”

He’s opposed to it, he concludes. He steps back, and his arms go to his chest once more. “Dislike?” He lets out an exclaimed scoff. “I barely know you, Professor.” He lets the last word roll off his tongue like an insult. 

You hold up the book in your hands and read the title to yourself. ‘Exploring the Starlit Genius’ 

“Barely?” You ask. 

“Nonsense,” is all he can claim as he returns to his desk. 

You lean over it, your spread out hands creating a mess of his once neatly placed papers. “You make a conscious effort not to meet my eyes around here.”

Ever the observant one you were. But he denies it. “Our paths must have never crossed,” he explains. 

You tilt your head with a knowing look as you cross your arms. “Don’t lie Veritas.” 

A shiver goes down his spine. He doesn’t know if it's because it’s the first time he’s ever been called a liar or because you’ve just said his first name. It’s been a while since someone called him something other than “Doctor” or “Professor.” At least that's the quick excuse he can come up with on the spot to ease his jittery mind. 

He’s caught. He’s finally caught. So he defends his hypothesis. 

“I don’t like fools,” he states matter-a-factly. “I tend to stay away from them.” 

“But not from me?” 

Oh your tongue is clever. Not as clever as his, he reassures himself. 

“You seem to know a lot about me.” 

He’s red. He knows it. But he cant seem to find something to throw back at you. His quick wit is anywhere but in the present. 

“Is it because deep down you know I’m right?” Your face softens. 

He stays silent. 

“Out of all the literature about me, you’ve chosen that which  is not written by me.” You run your hands across the book's cover and place it neatly before him. “You’ve been reading the books with my name on them but have never picked up the ones that I myself created. Why is that?” You smile, but your face shows genuine perplexity. 

If he has an answer, he doesn’t tell you. He keeps it to himself. However, the question he asks in response is an answer in itself.

“Why did you leave?” His voice is low—broken even. 

Your smile turns into an expression filled with a touch of sadness. “You ask questions you know the answer to?”

“Don't you dare mock me,” he snaps.

“What else are fools good for?”

He’s silent as his lips purse in anger. There are a few beats before he responds. “Teaching.”

Your face lightens in surprise, and your original charming smile returns. 

He wants to know. He yearns to know. But when you finally give him his answer, he knows it will burn like fire. He’ll finally have a reason why the thing he fought so much for was not all it was chopped up to be. The younger years of his life–wasted to appease THEM—all for nothing. Although he had reached a place of contentment, there was a little boy still in him who wanted to keep his former fantasy alive. 

“The Erudition is something that consumes people as do all Aeons. You know this, right Professor?” 

What you say is common sense. He gives you no answer or satisfaction. But he continues to listen attentively. 

“All intelligent minds are selfish to some extent. The genius society is filled with people who will pursue knowledge regardless of the people hurt. This includes themselves.In order to be a person of pure logic—a genius…” You pause for a second. “…you must lack empathy to some extent.”

You turn to meet him, and he swears he’s never seen any eyes more beautiful and full of honesty than yours. “And I have too much.”

And then, at your words, something clicks in his brain. 

Another smile takes over your lips as you face your body towards him. “And I believe you have more than you let on, Doctor.”

He’s in silence. 

He says nothing because he can’t say something. 

You walk around to the other side of his desk where he sits. His eyes follow your ever move while you do so. Your hand unlocks the clasp of your satchel and disappears inside. When it comes out, a book appears before him. 

He takes it in his hands tenderly and then looks at the title. ‘Philosophy of the Stars,’ he reads to himself. Then his eyes wander to the bottom of the cover, and there’s your name printed in gold. He looks up at you expectantly. 

Of course, when his eyes land on your face, your expression is full of glee. “If you wish to learn more about me, I hope you’ll do so through a book with all of my own words.”

You say nothing more as you turn on your heels and leave his office. Leaving Ratio with a feeling of shock and emptiness. 

His hand comes up to his face, and he lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He sits there in silence and realizes…

You are none of what he had made you out to be…

Not a fool. Not an idiot. Not a genius. 

But a kind soul. 

He realizes that he was good enough. That he was not a fool either. Just a young boy who cared. 

His eyes linger on the book you left him— the book that his hands refuse to put down. He opens it to the very first page, and he finds your writing in it and a note that slips out on his lap. 

For the mediocre Dr. Veritas Ratio. 

Your name is signed as elegantly as before. He puts down the book on his desk and picks up the folded note on his lap. 

Feel free to dirty this. But keep it clean if you wish to auction it. It will be worth more with both our names on it, so don’t undersell. It is yours to do with as you please.   

One thing Veritas knows for sure is that this book won’t leave his possession in all his years to come. 

“THEIR silence was deafening.”

- Genius Society–Erudition, Astral Express Data Bank

Dr. Ratio is sharp, precise, and calculated. He considers himself to be all those things; he is a needle. 

But if Dr. Veritas Ratio is a needle, then you are a pin. 

ty for reading. reblogs are appreciated <3

[shadamyheadcanons]

For me, Shadow and Amy's dynamic is basically two different types of touch starved in a person

((If any of the gifs on this post aren’t loading for you on mobile--like they aren’t for me--you can download them or check the sources listed. As for desktop, they play just fine, but they won’t line up next to each other like they do on mobile. Tumblr is a comedy of errors.))

Yes! Absolutely. I’ve seen tons of fans say Shadow is prickly and would respond badly to hugs, but canon says otherwise. This is a bad reaction:

[Sonic 06]

Whenever I feel like being sad, I wonder if Bad-Future-06 Silver has ever been hugged.

This is a bad reaction:

[Sonic Unleashed, gif source.]

And I shouldn’t have to say this, but...yeah. These are very bad reactions:

[Sonic X]

[Sonic Generations]

Yikes. I feel bad for both of them.

But this?

[Sonic Adventure 2, gif source.]

This is Shadow’s only canonical hug in the games, and aside from jumping slightly from being snuck up on, he seems to like it just fine.

Just look at that smile! He’s happy. He finds it endearing.

It was a hug from a complete stranger meant for someone else, but he still drank it in--and, given that he’d effectively just lost Maria, he really did need it. It’s the combination of Amy’s gentleness AND her speech that changed his mind. After all, if someone as sweet as her sees something in the humans, maybe they’re not so bad.

My buddy who runs @shadowxamyweek recently reblogged a post about this hug, and their tags sum it up perfectly:

[ID: A screenshot of tags on a post. The tags read:

#official art #4kids #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #YEAH 😭 #listen I read nothing that has happened with them in SA2 as shippy - and i ship them #THIS HUG? THR SPEECH ON THE ARK? #those are two lonely kids #those are two left behind kids #those are two kids so desperate for affection #for two vastly different reasons #Amy loves with her whole chest and will never stop doing so- no matter what happens #and Shadow does too- that is key to remember- Shadow loves... so fucking much... that it hurts #you are RIGHT op when you say this is probably the first time someone has been gentle with him in a long long time #he doesn't even run away #in the game- when Amy flees- he takes a step after her- a moment's hesitation- a 'wait' #this kid NEEDED a hug #and i firmly believe part of the reason Shadow listens to Amy in the end is BECAUSE she is the only person who showed him gentleness #softness and kindness and affection #if only for a moment #fjdodhdofjgor THIS is what i mean when i say 'be gentle- be kind' #it MATTERS #it FUCKING MATTERS

End ID]

Shadow doesn’t hate hugs inherently; it’s just that no one hugs him in the first place...

...aside from one person.

Amy’s easily the most affectionate character in the cast. It’s cute at first glance, but there’s a common thread to every instance that puts a damper on it.

She’s always, ALWAYS the initiator.

She puts more into each hug than anyone else does.

She’s always the last to pull away.

The most reciprocated Amy hug I know of in canon is this one:

[IDW Sonic issue #22]

Which is absolutely adorable...but Amy still initiated. Because it’s always her job. Even the characters who like affection don’t need it the way she does...with one exception.

And this tiny detail just killed me. The little, “wait, come back 😟”

It’s the only time I know of when someone has actually stepped after her like this. In a game where everyone left Amy behind, he wanted to follow her. Mister so-called-prickly didn’t want the hug to end.

Because he’s the only one who needs it as much as she does.

He wants to be held as much as she wants to hold someone else, and no one else is warm and sincere enough for it. Compare these instances:

[IDW issue #6]

Sonic thinks Shadow is wrong about something, so he grabs Shadow’s arm to stop him, and Shadow aggressively wrenches it away and leaves.

[Archie Sonic Universe #23]

But when Amy thinks Shadow is wrong about something and grabs his arm to stop him, he gently removes her hand and thinks about what she has to say.

Even when he doesn’t want to be touched, he makes the distinction between “don’t touch me” and “not right now, please.” These are from two different continuities, of course, but I think the point stands. Amy’s special. He’s gentler with her than he is with other people, and that’s consistent across all canons.

Side note: how often does Amy get to feel special like that? I actually really like that Sonic doesn’t place others in a hierarchy of importance, and I wouldn’t change that about him even if I could...

[IDW issue #2]

...but Amy does play favorites. I want her to feel like she’s someone else’s favorite, too. I want her to have someone who puts her first and likes her best. I think Shadow’s more than capable of that. I believe he craves clinginess like hers deep down, even if he hasn’t consciously figured that out yet.

I have an entire tag for these two being affectionate. My favorite is probably this one.

Of course, there may be those who say I’m reading too much into one (1) hug. And you know what? Maybe they’re right! We need a bigger sample size. Sega, make more characters hug Shadow, please. Let Rouge comfort him after he confides in her about something. Have Omega give him an awkward metal embrace because he read on the internet that organic beings like that kind of thing. Make Shadow himself pull Silver into a hug when he’s breaking down crying from the stress of always having to be a hero. Show Tails accidentally grab onto him out of fear when they’re trapped in a lightning storm, and when he gets embarrassed and pulls away, have Shadow hold him for the rest of the storm and admit he’s not fond of bright lights, either.

[Sonic Boom]

That scene where Shadow and Amy rescue Cream and Cheese from Cryptic Castle? That easily could’ve turned into a cute group hug.

[Shadow the Hedgehog (2005)]

And I have seen some absolutely adorable fanart where he holds Cream’s hand while he and Amy lead her through Cryptic Castle to make sure she doesn’t get lost 🥺

Have Knuckles give him an empathetic bro-pat on the shoulder when he finds out Shadow’s the last one of his race, too.

[Archie Sonic Universe #89]

Have Sonic try to hug him, and then when Shadow inevitably pushes him away and says he doesn’t do hugs, have Amy arrive and latch onto Shadow instead while he tries to stutter out an excuse as to why she’s allowed to and Sonic isn’t.

The most affection Shadow has in recent history is stuff like this...

[Sonic Prime season 2 episode 1]

...where Sonic tries to hug him and Shadow immediately pushes him away, knocks him over, and tries to punch him in the face. Kind of says it all. Amy stands out as the only one with a good track record here.

[IDW issue #36]

Especially when you have him look at her like this when someone else is on the receiving end of that affection.

So in the absence of further evidence, I have no choice but to interpret this in the most Shadamy way possible. Your move, Sega.

[sunflowergraves]

Unpacking Will Solace’s Character

I’ve seen a lot of Will Solace hate since TSATS and it’s really starting to bother me. As a person that relates heavily to Will’s character, it’s upsetting to see him get bashed across the internet, especially considering we’ve never actually gotten to know his character. Personally, I feel like a lot of people are basing his character around headcanons and fanfiction (which I am guilty of) and were disappointed when he wasn’t who we saw him as. 

It doesn’t help that the only time we got to see Will’s POV it was short and through the eyes of others. He’s also not this big hero like all the characters in the PJO universe. His powers aren’t that strong, he’s not a prophecy child, and his talents are mediocre. Will is the most human demigod we’ve ever been introduced to. I can understand why his character doesn’t feel multi-dimensional compared to everyone else, but in my opinion, he was fleshed out very well. 

Yes, there are a few things I was disappointed by. I wish they talked about Will’s past more and his grief over his dead siblings. I wanted him to have his own weapon, even if it was an old bow he never used or a lyre like Apollo used in TOA. But I will always love that they changed him from the calm, collected counselor healer to an anxious, depressed, self-doubting person because it fits him so well. How could he not feel these things after losing friends and family? After being abandoned by everyone around him? Or being forced to take on the caretaker role of the entire camp because he was the only one left? 

I’m going to continue this down below, so if you don’t want major spoilers for TSATS, don’t continue reading. Also this is long as hell in case you just want to skim. 

Every time Will was mentioned in the books, it was from someone else’s POV and it was a few lines at best. 

Will has always been described as the cool, relaxed, go-with-the-flow type of guy. He was the person with a level head and knew exactly what to do. But guess what? Underneath that cool exterior was an anxiety riddled people pleaser who threw himself at every problem because that’s what he was told to do. The Apollo cabin was always the head medic team. After Lee and Michael died, Will was basically thrust into that position of power. He was trusted to take care of his younger siblings, trusted to take care of the entire camp. If he let them down, it was going to cost lives. Of course he’s going to be scared and nervous, but he can’t show that. Would you want a doctor with shaky hands and sweat running down their neck? Would you want to be taken care of by a person who doubted and second guessed themselves out in the open? 

As someone who was given a lot of responsibly and forced to grow up at a young age, I completely understand this. You want to try to make everything better for others around you, you get scared when you fuck up, and you HATE when people can’t rely on you. That’s why you will never show how scared you are to fuck up. You will never let people get inside your head because if they can’t rely on you, what good are you? Breaking out of the role that everyone else gave you because they trusted you is scary and hard. 

Nico is probably the only person who knows what Will really thinks. Will trusts Nico with his anxiety and overthinking because he’s comfortable enough around him to show that side. He knows he doesn’t have to Mr. Hero in front of Nico and that’s such a precious and important bond to make with someone. 

Will was valid for being whiny and irritated for most of the book. 

First, Will has ANXIETY. If you don’t know what it’s like to live with anxiety, count yourself lucky. It feels like your thoughts are attacking you constantly. It’s like an uphill battle between rational thought and absolute chaos. I can’t get in my car without thinking of all the ways I could die before I buckle my seatbelt. Imagine going to SuperHell for the first time in your life! Not only that, but people told Will constantly that as a child of Apollo he was basically fucked. The three strongest demigods that made it back almost went insane! Of course Will is going to be upset, irrational, irritated, and uncomfortable. 

In TOA, he voiced several times how he thought it was a bad idea and that he really didn’t like it. This is not a new thing for Will’s character at all. For him to be willing to cross a line he had made concrete shows that he loves and cares for Nico. But that shouldn’t mean he isn’t allowed to be uncomfortable. 

Second, for anyone saying he could have stayed at camp instead of going has never sacrificed their comfort for someone else. There are so many instances in my life where I went way out of my comfort zone because I knew my friends/family wanted me there. Did I complain? Hell yes. Did I still do it? Hell yes! If Will had said, “Nico, I can’t do this and I refuse to at least try,” I would have lost so much respect for his character. Instead he sucked it up, even when he was already practically dying before they got there. 

Three, Will was worried about Nico. He’s never experienced Tartarus, he’s never been to the Underworld. While Will has definitely faced his share of demons, he’s never stood in Nico’s shoes. So when his boyfriend is having vivid nightmares and hearing voices, he’s going to try and rationalize it for Nico because that’s what he has done his entire life. Will is the “healer.” He is supposed to fix things, not let them traipse off to hell like it’s a vacation spot. 

Four, this is a 15 year old. Fuck, even now at the ripe ole age of 20, I’d still be shaking in my boots terrified at the thought of going somewhere that is practically a jailhouse for the worst creatures in creation. Will has little to no experience on the field (He ran from six guards without even trying to pull out a weapon. The worst thing he’s ever said to his enemies was “anemic loser” and didn’t even want to kill Octavian. Every battle before that he had an older sibling to look up to and care for him). So yeah, I’d just be a tad bit nervous and annoying.  

Will asking Persephone how to love someone from the Underworld was honest and raw. 

This scene broke me in ways I can’t even describe because of how real it felt. If you’ve ever been in a deep and caring relationship (friendship counts) you should understand. Like Persephone said, love is something you choose and it’s complicated and messy even for people who were practically made for each other. For Will to ask how to love someone from the Underworld shows that he is actively choosing to understand and love Nico. 

I get that most people interpret Will’s lines as “How do you love someone so filled with death?” but really he’s asking how do you love someone who acts like he doesn’t want to be loved? How do you love someone that pulls away from your light no matter how desperately you try to give it them? How do you love someone who hides parts of themselves from you? 

Will is a healer, he fixes things. It’s not until this scene that Will realizes the only thing Will needs to fix is his perspective on Nico. That darkness and hurt and trauma is okay. It’s also a scene where Will realizes he doesn’t have to force down his own trauma anymore. 

Will loves Nico and it’s so obvious he scared to lose him. He thinks he’s weak and broken and incapable of helping Nico escape his trauma. His insecurities shadow him and he’s confused about how to navigate this relationship because he thinks he needs to be the leader. How can he lead if Nico won’t let him? How can he help when he doesn’t know how? Persephone’s scene was Will’s chance of finding guidance from someone who could understand exactly what he’s thinking

People in their late 40′s still can’t get relationships down. Why are we pushing unrealistic relationship ideations on a 15 year old who doesn’t even know who he is yet?

Will was not useless. 

Sorry that the relationship duo isn’t Mr. Badass and Mr. Badass 2.0. Will not being a fighter is refreshing to see because honestly I’m quite tired of seeing badass couples in every book/movie. Not everyone is strong and powerful and super awesome. Will is a nerd that likes healing people. Why isn’t that enough? 

“He’s described as having muscles,” “He’s a field/combat medic,” “He fought in the wars,” “He carries people all the time,” “He trains with the Apollo cabin.” Okay and? I was raised to work hard and protect myself. I work out and I know how to use a bow and knife. Does that mean I want to? No. 

I’d also like to point out that almost everyone in camp is described as having muscles. You kind of have to when your life motto is Try not to die or get eaten. Also they train on lava walls, jump eight foot pits, and weapons. I get a little bit of muscle going on my silly little walks, I’d be fucking jacked if I was actively training. 

Second, Will has never once been described fighting monsters/demigods. I don’t doubt that he’s had a few encounters, but the boy practically specializes in RUNNING AWAY. He’s a feral little animal that finds injured demigods and sprints them away to the medic center while occasionally bashing monster heads in. He’s strong because he needs to be, not because he wants to be. Strength also doesn’t equal battle prowess. 

Not to mention, he hates killing! He didn’t want to kill Octavian despite Octavian being the actual worst. He runs away as a distraction even though he had weapons on him. He got upset when Nico threw Sherman Yang out of the chariot in TOA. Monsters are different, but monsters are also scary. Will is terrified of demon pigeons, you really think he’s willingly gonna go one-on-one with anything bigger than his pinky? 

I’ll admit, I hated that he didn’t have a weapon in Tartarus. I thought it was really stupid and out-of-character because my anxious ass would have loaded up. Still, it was kind of funny when they described Will bashing rocks over monster’s heads during their fight with Nyx. 

My final point for this: Will was Nico’s support system and that was the point. Will knew he wasn’t going to throw hands with anyone. He went because he knew Nico needed him even when Nico told him to stay. Will was going to trek through SuperHell with the love of his life and hold his hand to remind him that he was loved. Will wanted Nico to know that he’d literally go to Hell and back for him and that’s what mattered. 

Nico didn’t ask Will to be the Hero. Nico states several times that the reason he loves Will is because he wants to heal and he’s so stubborn to find the good in everything. And that’s exactly what Will did. He offered support, care, and reminders. He was going to understand and love Nico, even through the darkest parts of his life. 

Will is one of the best support systems in a PJO couple duo. 

It makes me incredibly sad to see people call Will toxic when he gave his entire life to support Nico. I won’t deny that he complained a lot and said hurtful things and that he occasionally belittles Nico’s feelings. But Will didn’t know he was doing those things. He thought he was helping Nico navigate his PTSD. How is someone who is still emotionally developing his own character supposed to know how to take care of someone else’s? 

Will also clearly showed love and affection towards Nico. He met all his friends and was polite to them even when they looked scary. Will risked his life several times before they got to Tartarus and still insisted on continuing. Built a Minecraft house for his boyfriend and left him a KitKat bar because he knew he would feel fatigued (also Will brought KitKat bars, meaning he was already thinking of Nico’s health beforehand). He tried to be useful by scouting ahead because he felt like he was being a burden on Nico. He kissed him, called him silly nicknames, hugged him, respected his boundaries (asking to hold him instead of trying to comfort him immediately), and oh yeah, went to Tartarus when he was obviously quaking in his flipflops. 

He also helped Bob when he had no idea who/what he was, comforted Nico when he was beginning to lose hope, acknowledged his mistakes and admitted he needed to try harder, realized he didn’t need to fix Nico and that his boyfriend was perfect the way he was, and learned that Nico wasn’t going to leave him. 

Love is complicated. Love is something you choose. And Will chooses to love Nico. Also for everyone saying a year is long enough to learn/realize these problems already and have them solved, you need to take the rose tinted glasses off. I’ve been with my partner for almost four years, and I’m still learning things about our relationship. We argue, we don’t always meet eye-to-eye. Our own trauma and experiences surface and it gets difficult. But do we just call it quits and throw everything into the trash? No. We talk, we problem-solve, we come back and try to understand each other even if we don’t know how to do that. A year is nothing. A year is puppy love and excitement. It’s like your favorite movie on repeat. All the problems are ignored because you don’t want to see them yet. 

So for a pair of 15 year old's who just came to terms with their sexuality, I think that they are doing pretty damn good at this love thing. 

Anyway, that’s all I really wanted to say. Even though we’ve had Will for years, we’ve never gotten to know his true character until now. It’s raw and weird and doesn’t fit the mold of Will Solace, son of Apollo we all created him to be. You can still hate his character or whatever, I’m not going to try to change your mind. But don’t hate on everyone else who loves him and loves this book. 

[raythekiller]

🗒 ❛ Personality Headcanons ༉‧₊˚✧

Featuring: Jeff The Killer, Ben Drowned, Ticci Toby, Eyeless Jack, Masky, Hoodie

#Notes: just my general take on the creeps. hope y'all enjoy! requests open :)

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꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Jeff The Killer

He's a total fucking prick, for a lack of better word. He doesn't care about other's feelings, he thinks he's better than everyone so he's "allowed" to treat people badly, and he has anger issues to top that. Protesting against his bad treatment is gonna earn you some screaming at best and some blood spilled at worst, depending entirely on his mood.

He has the potential to be a good friend and person in general, he just doesn't want to. However, you might catch him trying to awkwardly comfort Toby or Ben when they have mental breakdowns. Well, not as much "comfort" but more of a shy pat on the back and a "Stop being a little bitch" comment, but that's his way of showing that he cares. Take it or leave.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Ben Drowned

Generally a pretty chill guy. He's not an extrovert, but he's still fairly outgoing when it comes to meeting new people (when he does leave his room, that is. He's kind of a shut in). Since he died when he was about twelve, I think he's forever stuck into the pre-pubescent boy mentality, so he can be quite the little shit.

That means he's also kind of a pervert and just immature in general. The type to play certain games just to gawk at the female character's slutty outfits and make fart jokes. He can also be very sarcastic and witty when he wants to, just a total smartass. Also, he's a pothead.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Ticci Toby

Probably one of, if not the nicest creep in the manor. Very upbeat and cheerful, at least most of the time. As someone that has bipolar disorder, it personally doesn't make me very violent and as unstable as Toby is canonically said to be. What does make me does things though is my BPD, so I headcanon he has that as well. He's all sunshine and rainbows until someone says something in a slightly off tone and suddenly he's screaming and throwing his hatchets at the fucking wall.

That also means he's extremely clingy. He wants every last bit of attention he can get and is extremely possessive of people he likes. And, while he is nice most of the time, when he's having an episode he's probably the most cold and cruel person you'll ever met.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Eyeless Jack

One of the most chill creeps. He's not aggressive and kills only when he needs to eat, and tries to make it quick and painless for the victim. He eats any organs, not just kidneys. Also, he's a fucking great cook, Hannibal Lecter style. He really likes reading and is extremely intelligent, probably knows two or more languages, and is probably the most mature member of the manor after Slenderman.

He's not actually blind, but he's not not blind either. He sees the temperature of things instead of the actual object. He hates drama and argument and loud noises, so he normally stays away from the other creeps (especially our favorite trio, Jeff, Ben and Toby), but he gets along really well with Jane.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Masky

Another prick, though a more reserved one than Jeff. He's a perfectionist and natural leader, so he expects everyone to obey him without questions and no mistakes allowed. He has this rivalry going on with Toby because, even though he's the leader and Slenderman's right hand, he feels the tall guy has a certain favoritism or soft spot when it comes to Toby (which is true).

He gets very aggressive after missions and just wants to be left alone for at least a few hours, just until he calms down a little. After he's rested, he's actually pretty decent to be around, becoming less defensive and more accepting of others.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Hoodie

The coolest guy ever. He's calm but great to be around and is always willing to listen to others when they need to vent. He's kind of the manor's therapist and gives great advice. He's mute, so he talks either through sign language or writing down on paper. He also plays guitar and likes to write his own songs sometimes. Ben and Sally really look up to him as a kind of cool uncle.

Since he's so level headed, he's always the one to calm Masky down when he's being a bit much. Toby really appreciates this, since he's normally getting the short end of Masky's bad moods. As mentioned, he's great with the younger members of the manor and just kids in general and they all love him. The type of uncle to give them candy while saying "Don't tell your parents" playfully.

[minhotherunninshank]

Minho TMR(The Maze Runner) x Reader

“Eyes up here babe… and lips right there”

I don’t own any of the TMR characters! All credit goes to James Dashner!

Summary: while fighting a griever in the maze Y/N’s shirt gets torn off and later on she realizes it and asks for Minho’s shirt

Warnings: Shirtless Minho( I dunno if this is a warning), English is not my native language, my ever first writing so it I am not that skilled some person I may have written short I would appreciate your feedback

Please inform me if there are any warnings that I missed

Y/N’S POV:

It was early morning and I was in the map room, getting ready for running ‘till I felt two arms sneaking around my waist. I immediately knew who it was just by the firmness and gentleness of the touch. I lifted my head and leaned back on the person’s chest, “Hey Min-Min”. “Hey” he said with the adorable morning voice he had. “You ready?” he asked and I nodded. Both Minho and I are the Keeper of the Runners, so we got to pair up with each other, even before we started dating. I turned around and pecked Minho on the cheeks. He smirked “You know I can do that too princess. Especially on the lips..” and was leaning in and about to kiss me when someone suddenly arrived to the map room and interrupted “Ew! Guys! Seriously don’t do this in here!!”. It was Chris. He was one of the newest runners in the Glade. I looked at the kid who covered his eyes with his hands “Well there is something called knocking on the door shuck-face. Dunno you heard it but every person in the Glade has the brains to know that.”. After I finished my sentenced, I felt a pair of lips crashing on mine. Minho. Man I love him so much, how can a person seriously be this perfect! I felt my fireworks inside me just like everytime I kissed him. The kiss felt so magical, passionate and it was full of love. After a while we parted due to something called oxygen. Minho looked at the boy who stared in horror and said “You heard my girlfriend ya shank.” nodding towards me. “Now go out before we kick your butt to the maze. If Alby asks, tell him that we’re coming in a minute.”. The kid mumbled in agreement and left the room. Minho looked back at me with an irritated face “Finally the shuck-face got out of the room. I hate it when we’re interrupted.”. I nodded in agreement “Yeah, the only moments that we get to be alone are probably just the times after dinner and when we’re in the maze.”. I inhaled a breath “Come on, time to run our butts of in that shuck maze.”. We got out of the map room started towards the doors. When we arrived to the doors Minho gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I grinned and said “That was nice”. He smirked “Ya know as much as giving it, it is nice to get it”. I chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. Just after the kiss the doors started to open. We both nodded at each other and started running.

Minho and I were almost finished running our section 'till we saw a Griever. The moment our eyes met the Griever’s we knew that it was run or die. I heard Minho mumble something like shuck. Indeed, we were shucked. We both immediately turned around and ran for our lives! Even though we both were the fastest people in the Glade, I have never seen someone so fast before. I felt the griever catching up on us and yelled to Minho “It’s no use! This one is really fast! We gotta fight it or else we’re griever food.”. Minho responded with a “Good that” and we both tried to hold the hilt of our knives while running. After a few minutes when the griever was extremely close to us Minho yelled “On the count of three we’re gonna attack to it’s arms or legs!”. “One”, “Two”, “a shucking three!” we both turned around and ducked and rolled under the griever’s legs, Minho on the left, I on the right. Just as the time I got up, I sliced one of the griever’s legs and the monster wailed. I had to duck to dodge it’s freakin’ arms from pricking me. I attacked at the monster a few more times 'till the attacks slowed it’s movements. I gave a quick glance at Minho and saw that he forgot to attack one of the arms which was now about to ambush him. I immediately ran and attacked the arm but just as I attacked it, another arm of the monster tored it’s way through all the way to the back of my shirt. I was in one piece though my shirt fell off leaving me in my sports bra but I didn’t have the time to think about it that moment. I have no doubt that if it weren’t for Minho slowing down the enourmous attack, I would have turned to griever food. I yelled at Minho “I think we slowed down it’s movements! We gotta run back to the Glade before the doors close!”. He yelled a “Good that” and we both sprinted off to the path that’s leading to the Glade.

We ran for a good fifteen minutes ‘till there was no sign of the griever left. We stopped and Minho looked at his watch “We still got about an hour for the doors to close and by the looks of it we’re gonna arrive the Glade in like 30 minutes.”. He looked through his bagpack for some food and water and just as he got up and looked at me to give me some water his mouth opened and mouthed a wow and I noticed that he had blush crept onto his cheeks. It was then when reality knocked me over and made me remeber the events that took place while fighting the griever: my shirt sliding off me and leaving me with my sports bra on top. I blushed as much as Minho was blushing. Minho inturrepted the silence “Sorry, I shouldn’t be looking to you like that. It’s just that you’re so beautiful.” and looked away. His sentence made me blush even more. How can a person me this freakin’ adorable! He apologised for looking me like that. He didn’t even need to apologise to me. I comforted him while taking the water bottle from him “Hey, you don’t need to apologise. I saw you shirtless many times I don’t think that you seeing me like this is a problem”. Minho shyly talked, something he never does, “So, does this means that I can look at you?”. I got next to him and kissed him by the cheek “Yes, you can”. He looked at me with a tiny tint of pink on his face “Man, you’re so beautiful. You’re basically a knock-out. Shuck how did I ever get so lucky to have you?”. I chuckled “I can say the same for you mister”. Then, I remembered “Umm Minho if it’s okay with you can I go to the Glade with your shirt ‘cuz not all boys are like you. You know…”. He immediately understood the situation “Oh, yeah sure, no problem.”. He took off his shirt and wow. He looked hot as hell. I had the strong urge to smash my lips his’s and kiss him like my life depended on it but I just stood there frozen, with widened eyes and a hanging out mouth. Minho saw me and a smirk formed on his lips, “Eyes up here babe” while gesturing his own eyes and closing the gap between us. I leaned in and met him in the middle. My hands traveled their way through Minho’s chest and found their way to his neck. His hands slided to my waist and held me close to him. I felt butterflies a nd fireworks inside me. Gosh I wish I could just kiss him forever but unfortunately this kiss came to an end as well. After a minute or so we broke the kiss and he smirked “and lips right there”. I blushed, “ this was the best pick-up line you’ve ever used”. “What can I do darling I’m just the master of pick-up lines” he said pecking my lips. “Anyways we’re running out of time. Here is my wonderful shirt which is not as wonderful as me” he said while giving me his shirt and joking around. I laughed and wore his shirt. I looked up at him and saw a thin layer of pink on his cheeks “Geez Y/N you look even better than me in that shirt”. I smirked “Yeah, I think so, that’s why from now on I should wear your shirt and you should stay shirtless.”. He faked a sigh, “Ahh I wish, but I think the second I start my plan Alby will banish me ‘cuz I radiate more heat than the sun since I am hot and Alby wouldn’t like the plants to pass out from my hotness”. I chuckled. Man, this boy always finds a way to be sassy. Then, we heard the sounds from the griever, “Think we should go”, “Good that”. We both ran to the Glade as fast as we can and decided to cuddle the rest of the day. Today was one shuck of a day.

[notfreetoday]

MPW Ep 5 Subtitle Corrections

Masterlist: EP 1 || EP 2 || EP 3 || EP 4

Y: 釣り合うわけないじゃん Y: 相手はよりによって　これだぞ　これ Y: There's no way (I) can match up (to him) Y: To this (person), of all people, this!

Ep 5 is about Yoh struggling with his desire to "match up" to Segasaki, and the objective difference that he sees between the two of them. It's different from Ep 2's struggle - which arose chiefly because he felt insecure about where he stood with Segasaki. This time, Yoh's struggle is predominantly with himself - because now he has to face up to his worst fear confirmed - that maybe he really is incompetent. And this time, he has to do it without the aid of alcohol too.

I've seen a lot of people talk about how Segasaki shows Yoh his love in every way but in words, and that that's the reason for their miscommunication - but that's not true. He may not use the word "love" or "like", but culturally these words are not often used anyway. What Segasaki does say however, multiple times throughout the show in fact but most clearly in this episode, is essentially "I like it when you depend on me". It's as direct a reassurance as you can get to the fear of being hated because of his perceived incompetence - but that's just the thing - Yoh's perception is skewed by his self-judgement. So, it's not that Segasaki can't use his words - the problem is that Yoh isn't ready to listen yet. Despite this, Yoh's confidence in his relationship with Segasaki is growing every episode. He might not realize this consciously, but it's right after Segasaki comforts and cares for Yoh at his lowest, that Yoh also drops to what is arguably the most casual speech level he's ever gotten with Segasaki (thus far) - and in response, so does Segasaki.

So, same translation disclaimer applies, Ep 5, let's go! (no twitter space for EP 5 probably because of the fan meets).

Y: 学生時代から不定期でもらってた単発の仕事も途切れて Y: 完全無職だ Y: あ、せめて、家事ぐらいはちゃんとやらないと Y: Now that the one-off jobs I've been receiving on an irregular basis since I was a student have been cut off Y: I'm completely jobless Y: Ah! At the very least, I have to do something as small as the housework properly.

Y: だって　そういうのがすきなんだよ、俺は Y: But, actually, that's what I like Yoh's explicit use of the personal pronoun "I" here again emphasizes that this is his own opinion. The way this sentence is phrased also gives the impression that Yoh feels a little aggrieved at the whole "your male characters are irritating to male readers because they're too perfect" explanation his editor gave him.

Y: *そりゃ、ほっといたら描いちゃうよ Y: **お前のせいだ Y: お前みたいなのが　***近くにいるから Y: バーカ Y: *Well I mean, if I'm left to my own devices then I'll end up drawing (him) Y: It's all your** fault Y: It's because someone like you, is (always) around*** me Y: I~diot. *The "aggrieved" feeling is even stronger in this sentence - Yoh is basically saying that he doesn't set out to draw the characters that way - it just sort of happens, and well it's not his fault, because as long as no one (including he himself) is paying attention to what he's drawing, well then, the characters just turn out that way. ** This is the first time that Yoh has referred to Segasaki using the informal pronoun "お前 (omae)" for "you". Depending on the context, it could be considered a rude pronoun, but is mostly just seen as a marker of masculine speech, and thus leans more towards being simply "impolite". It's the same pronoun that Segasaki uses when he speaks to Yoh - but Yoh usually uses the slightly more polite "あんた(anta)" instead, both in his head as well as when he speaks aloud. The switch here emphasizes Yoh's accusation, that this is all Segasaki's fault. ***the phrase here is often used to say that someone is "by your side" or "here for you" and doesn't only refer to physical distance. So, although he's using "omae" and "blaming" Segasaki for his characters turning out looking perfect, these 4 lines actually still sound pretty intimate. Together with how he drags out the word "idiot", this is very clearly Yoh's amae, similar to what we saw in Ep 4. I... will probably write a post about amae as well, because it's so important to their relationship.

Y: 洋服を着たまま海に溺れるように Y: 暗いものが染み込んで Y: 黒いものを吸い込んで Y: ブヨブヨになった体はずっしりと Y: 重く　重く。。。 Y: It feels as if I'm drowning in the ocean whilst fully dressed Y: The darkness seeping into (me) Y: The blackness pouring into (my mouth) Y: My body, now swollen, sinks heavily down Y: So heavy. So heavy.

S: なんだ　いるじゃねぇか S: 電気も付けねぇで　何やっ S: Oh so you are here S: Not even switching on the lights, what were-

S: *あちゃ～　これやり直しだな S: *Ahchaa... This needs to be redone then..

*This is just a sound that you make similar to "oh man..." so I'm not sure why it was translated so forcefully as "it's no good"😅 This sentence is another example of soliloquy, or talking to oneself aloud, that is common in Japanese.

Y: ご飯、ない Y: ごめんなさい Y: すぐ準備する S: *しょうがねぇなぁ　ほら立て S: 行くぞ Y: Food... there isn't any Y: I'm sorry Y: I'll make it soon S: *What do I do with you... come on stand up S: We're going

Yoh is really down here because he loses practically all his words. His first sentence is literally "food, none", and when he says I'm sorry he uses the casual (but full) version "gomen nasai" instead of "suimasen" like he usually does. It makes him sound a lot younger than usual, and overall just adds to the kicked-puppy vibe really well. *しょうがねぇなぁ (shouganee naa) - this is a common phrase that literally translates to "there is no way (to deal with this)" or more commonly "(this situation) can't be helped". It's used to express a sort of acceptance, like in a "oh well, it can't be helped, so don't feel too bad" or "well there's no way this could've been avoided, so let's just get on with it" sorta way. Here, the way Segasaki adds "naa" at the end with a rising tone, actually makes it sound a little indulgent - like when you find your puppy made a mess but it's too cute for you to feel upset and you just love it more. (Also, this is a really common way to show affection between characters in dramas/anime - when one character is down in the dumps, another will be like "well what am I going to do with an idiot like you, I guess I have to help, right?")

S: 葉　とりあえず　口開けろ S: Yoh. In any case, open your mouth first

S: ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita) S: Thank you for the food This is a standard phrase said at the end of a meal (it's counterpart is "itadakimasu - I gratefully partake" said at the beginning). It expresses gratitude to everyone involved in making the meal possible - from the farmers who grew the vegetables to the person who cooked the meal, and yes, even to the animals themselves. Usually, you would say this to the person who made the meal, or the one treating you to it, but it's Segasaki here who leads the saying of this phrase. This isn't weird at all, given the broad meaning of the word, but it is reminiscent of what a parent would do at home, or a teacher would do in school (Japanese teachers eat with their students in class).

S: なんか落ち込んでんの？ Y: 漫画が　とてもだめです* S: You seem a little down about something? Y: My manga is... really bad.* *desu form is back, to give emphasis to this sentence. That said - and I'm really not trying to belittle Yoh here - but similar to the "food, none" phrase earlier, this sentence is just so short and simple that it just makes him sound, well, young. Imagine asking someone "you don't seem to like that person?", and they look at you all serious and say "they're a bad person" - it just sounds unexpectedly young and innocent, and the whole "desu" at the end just tops off the kicked puppy vibes for real. It's why Segasaki snorts a little and smiles.

S: お前漫画がだめだと　こうなんの？ S: えっ　そんだけ？ Y: うん S: ふーん Y: そんだけってなんだよ Y: こっちは　今にも　死にそうな気分なのに

S: So when your manga is bad you become like this? S: Eh? That's all? Y: Mm. S: Hmm~ Y: What do you mean "that's all?" Y: When here I am feeling like I'm about to die soon In case you were wondering, "that's all?" in Japanese sounds exactly as it does in English, so no blaming Yoh here for being all 😟 about it.

S: ほら*　早く来い S: Now, come here, quickly. *ほら (hora) - I last highlighted this word in Ep 3, but Segasaki actually uses it a lot more that just these 2 instances (not least because Yoh's always avoiding him). It's simply a word used to get the listener's attention, like, "look here" or "now" or "see" or "come on" etc.

S: 今日はお前がされるがまま*で気分よかったわ S: もっと落ち込め S: Today you did exactly as you were told, so I felt really good S: Be dejected more often *されるがまま - this phrase means to passively go along with whatever the other person says or does to you, without any resistance (it can also refer to letting nature take its course). It's mostly used to describe a negative situation since it usually implies that the person has no free will of their own, but can also be fairly neutral as in "I followed the waiter's recommendations exactly". So, it's quite amusing that in these 2 sentences, negative sounding words are actually meant to be really sweet (just like how Yoh's "I hate you" sounds eh?).

Personally, I also appreciate how this is a callback to Yoh's monologue in Ep 3, when he talks about noticing the way Segasaki looks just that little bit happier when Yoh listens to him. Here, Segasaki confirms it for Yoh (and us), reinforcing to Yoh that he really doesn't mind Yoh depending on him one bit.

Y: こんなの本物の恋人同士みたいだ Y: あんた*　まるで本当に　俺のこと好きみたいじゃん Y: Like this... it feels like we're a real live couple Y: You*... it's as if you really do like me *We're back to Yoh's usual "anta" here for "you", instead of the "omae" he used earlier.

S: しょうがねぇなぁ S: What do I do with you This is the same phrase as earlier, when Segasaki found Yoh by the laundry machine.

Oh, the moon is beautiful isn't it? 🤭🤭

Y: だって　俺の漫画は世間に求められてないわけですし Y: But, it seems like the world doesn't want my manga... The phrase "the world wants/doesn't want" is commonly used when talking about finding one's place in the world/society, and young adults often say this when trying to figure their life out. So yes, not so uncommon a phrase that this sentence sounds ridiculous, but it definitely does sound a little dramatic. Hence Man-san's response.

M: *甘ったれんな　思い上がんな M: Don't be so *spoiled. Don't think so highly of yourself. *The is the same word, amae, that Man-san used in Ep 4 when she said Yoh was being affectionate with Segasaki. This is another meaning of amae, and it is used in a negative way here, which sort of shows you the complexity of this concept. Underlying it is the message that it's okay to be dependent on your loved ones for your emotional needs, but you still need to take responsibility for your own life.

M: 衣食住の保障された環境でのんびり描いてて　 M: 一回仕事が途切れたぐらいでうじうじ言ってんのか M: 本気で気に食わない Y: 万さん　オーバーキルです M: Being able to draw freely without having to worry about your clothes, food or lodging M: and yet acting all wishy-washy the moment something as small as getting your work cut off just once happens M: I really can't stand that Y: Man-san, that's overkill The term Man-san uses to describe Yoh's current living arrangement is the same term that Segasaki used in his not-proposal, so this suggests that by now Yoh has told her everything about how they got together (and I love that Man-san totally does not judge). It's not explicitly talked about in the show, but despite their similar status as Segasaki Otakus, Man-san does often come across as something like a mentor figure to Yoh, or at least someone senior to him in the Manga world. For one, she speaks very casually to him (for a lady, she sounds as rough as Segasaki tbh 😅), even for someone from the Kansai region, and she often gives him advice. Yoh usually speaks to her informally, but in this whole conversation he does shift up to the desu/masu form often, in response to her scolding him, because she's really going at it (even after taking into account her usual speech pattern😅) and well, he's smarting a little at the moment 😂

M: 世間がどうとかじゃなくて　ダヨちゃんはどうしたいの？ Y: え？ M: ダヨちゃんにとって　漫画って　そういうもんだったの？ M: もうちょっと落ち着いて　考えな M: Rather than thinking about what the world wants, what do you, Dayo-chan, want to do? Y: Huh? M: Is that all that manga is to you, Dayo-chan? M: Calm down a little more and think about it yea?

Y: かたじけのうございます Y: I am indebted to you! This is a very very archaic way to say thank you, think like samurai-level archaic. These two definitely live in the world of manga 😂😂

S: もう体調は戻ったのか？ Y: はい　おかげさまで* S: また　崩してくれても**いいんだぞ Y: ええ？ S: Have you recovered now? Y: Yes, thanks to you* S: It's okay to feel down again for me** too you know Y: Eh?? *Okagesamade - standard phrase you use when someone asks after your health, or when you want to express gratitude for someone else's role in your success/improvement/recovery etc ** 崩してくれて (kuzushite kurete)" - adding "kurete" at the end like this literally means that Yoh does the action of feeling down for Segasaki, rather than just "it's okay to feel down again", which is why Yoh responds in such a surprised manner. As he did before, Segasaki takes what normally is a bad thing and talks about it like it's something good instead. It's his way of emphasizing that Yoh depending on him isn't an inconvenience, in fact, it's something that Segasaki is happy to be on the receiving end of.

Y: これから自分たちをモデルにした漫画を描きに行きますなんて言えないし Y: そもそも、万さんのところにしばらく通うことを許してくれるかどうか。。。 Y: なんとか説得しないと Y: It's not like I can just say "from now on I will be going (out) to draw a manga based on us!" or something like that and... Y: In the first place, (I don't know) whether or not he'll allow me to go to Man-san's place regularly during this period... Y: I have to find some way convince him.

Argument breakdown time, things get intense~~

Y: あの。。。 S: ん？ Y: 今日　編集部で打ち合わせをすることになった* Y: Um... S: Hm? Y: Today, I have a meeting at the editorial department* *Literally, "It has been decided that today (I) will be having a meeting at the editorial department" - this might sound like an indirect way to say "I am going to a meeting" but it's pretty par for the course when speaking politely. Except, Yoh doesn't use the polite form here like he did in Ep 4, nor does he phrase this sentence as an explanation that he's going to follow up on. Nope, by Yoh's usual standards, this is An Announcement, so it's no wonder Segasaki is immediately suspicious.

S: はあ？　仕事切られたんじゃねえのかよ？ Y: いや　そ、その。。。新しいやつ Y: しばらく　忙しくて Y: 場合によっては編集部に泊まりもあるかも S: 昨日の今日で　そんなことあるか？ Y: たまたま連絡がきたんだよね S: お前　なんか　俺に嘘ついてない？ Y: う、嘘じゃない S: いや　おかしいだろ　泊りって S: お前　まさか変な仕事じゃねぇだろうな？ Y: そんなこと。。。ないよ！ S: Haa? Didn't they stop giving you work? [じゃねえのかよ - Segasaki slurs the end vowel here, and adds the end particle "かよ(ka yo)" at the end, which is a rough way to express doubt or surprise, and usually implies some irritation. This, combined with Segasaki's trademark annoyed "haa?" results immediately in a rather flustered Yoh, who stutters a little on the next sentence] Y: No, it-it's... this is a new one. Y: For a while, I'm going to be busy and Y: Depending on the situation, staying overnight at the editorial department... might... be... necessary... [No end particles here - this is still a statement, and would sound stronger if not for the fact that he's hesistating so much] S: And all that just happens today, on this day, just one day after yesterday? Y: ...It just so happened that they contacted me, you see... S: You... are lying to me, aren't you? Y: I-it's not a lie! S: No, it's weird isn't it, to stay overnight? S: You - don't tell me - you aren't doing some kind of shady job are you? Y: There's nothing... of that sort!

S: 葉 Y: はい S: Yoh Y: Yes (hai)?

Yoh's been making a valiant effort to stick to his story throughout this whole conversation but his tone changes completely and he pretty much gives up once Segasaki points out he's lying. In response - and this is not easy to hear but if you want to, go back to about 19:56 or 19:57 of this episode - do you hear Segasaki's small "tsk", after his sigh and before he says Yoh's name? Clicking your tongue, or "tsk-ing" someone is a very very rude way to express frustration or anger in Japan. We're talking get-into-drunk-fights level of rude, if you do it to a stranger. Amongst close friends and family, you're more likely to draw shock first, since it shows the depth of your anger, but they might still get pissed with you afterward. Here at least, Yoh can tell both from the tsk and Segasaki's tone of voice, that he is Not Happy, so he answers Segasaki with a proper "hai" here too.

S: ちょっとここ座れ* Y: はい S: 早く S: Come sit here* Y: Yes S: Be quick. *Slurred "r" on the word "suware" - sit makes this sound very very rough. Segasaki doesn't normally do this, so again, this is him angry, and he's going to slur his r's quite a bit more.

S: お前さ　自分の立場わかってんの？ S: 分かってねぇだろ　分かってねぇから　泊りで仕事とか言い出すんだろうが Y: え～っとだから 遊びに行くわけじゃないし。。。 S: そうじゃねぇだろ S: ああ～もう S: 金か？なんか欲しいもんがあるなら買ってやる Y: 違くて　少しはさ。。。 Y: 自分が稼がないとって S: 必要ない　なんで分かんねぇかな S: お前は稼がなくていいんだよ S: Listen, you - do you even understand what position you're in? S: You don't do you? You don't understand and that's why you can just say things like you'll stay out to work overnight. [This is harsh. Not only is the speech rough, he's still slurring some of his "r"s here, and the ending particle だろうが emphasizes the forcefulness of this statement and Segasaki's frustration - and you can see the effect it has on Yoh.] Y: Umm well... it's not like I'm going for fun or something... [This is indignant, but also nervous - Yoh's speaking a lot faster than usual, and he has to drag the filler words at the beginning out before he can figure out what to say.] S: That's not what I'm talking about is it! [slurred r again] S: Argh I swear - S: Is it money? If there's something you want then I'll buy it for you [more slurred "r"s] Y: That's not it! Even just a little - [This is the first time Yoh uses the end particle "さ (sa)", and just like Segasaki, he's using it to draw attention to what he's saying, essentially the equivalent of "listen!". This whole line isn't rude, but it is direct and it's probably the most forceful Yoh has gotten with Segasaki so far, even compared to their argument in Ep 2 - Yoh might have physically pushed Segasaki then, but he mostly just sounded hurt. Here, he's very tense, but he's cut off by Segasaki biting his ear.] Y: - I should earn some money myself (at least, I thought so) [This is more like how Yoh usually voices his opinion - by "hedging" his sentences a little with "I think" and so on to sound less direct - though he's still using truncated forms here, so he's not quite back to his usual level yet] S: There's no need to. [To self:] Why don't you understand? S: It's fine even if you don't earn anything. [Similarly, Segasaki softens this sentence just a tiny bit by tacking on a よ(yo) at the end]

Y: でも! S: あのな　俺はお前に漫画の仕事がなくなろうがどうでもいいんだ Y: But! S: Listen to me. I don't care at all whether you lose your manga work or not. [To be fair to Yoh, the phrase "どうでもいいんだ" literally means "it's fine either way" but it tends to feel like "I don't care because it doesn't matter/make a difference to me/doesn't really involve me", so you can see why it triggers him.]

It's interesting to contrast Yoh's reaction here with the above 2 times Segasaki says something with a negative connotation. Of course, Segasaki also sounded a lot sweeter then (though in his defence, he didn't have to worry about why Yoh might be trying to lie to him all of a sudden), but the biggest difference really is in Yoh's mindset.

Y: え？ S: 当然だろ S: だから余計なこと*すんな Y: なんだよ　どうでもいいって Y: 漫画のこと　分からないなりに　応援してくれてるもんだと思ってたのに Y: あんたにとってはくだらないことでも Y: 俺にとってはすごく Y: すごく大事な事なのに Y: 全然よくない Y: バカにすんなよ！ Y: Huh? S: Isn't that obvious? S: So, don't do unnecessary* things [*余計なこと - This phrase is used to refer to the problems that arise from whatever thing/action is in excess, and so has a negative connotation. Yoh is too fixated on the previous line to notice though] Y: What's that (supposed to mean)... "I don't care" Y: I've always thought that manga was something you supported me in, despite not knowing much about it, and yet... Y: Even if to you, it's something trivial Y: To me, it's something that's extremely Y: It's something extremely important and yet... Y: This is definitely not ok Y: Don't look down on me! [word contraction - again, by Yoh's standards, at least when he talks out loud to Segasaki, this is a drop in speech levels]

Y: 絶対あんたより稼げるようになってやる Y: 漫画で! Y: I'm definitely going to become someone who can earn more money than you! Y: With manga! I think difference between simply "earning more" and "becoming someone who can earn more" is important here - because it isn't about money - it's about competence. Yoh thinks his own worth is calculated in his ability to do things "well", be it in his work or at home. By that measure, Segasaki is worth everything and Yoh is sorely lacking, hence Yoh wants to "become" someone that is, in his mind, worth something. Because if he does not, then inevitably, Segasaki will one day come to disdain him.

There are so many times in this episode that Yoh hears things that should cement their relationship in his head, that he even recognizes as couple-like and accepts without protest - Man-san referring to Segasaki as Yoh's boyfriend, Segasaki losing his whole "man-of-a-few-words" thing and saying more to him in this episode than in any other, verbal confirmation that Yoh depending on him is something he welcomes etc. And yet, Yoh's fear filters all of that out and he hears only what sounds like his own self-judgement in Segasaki's voice. It's no wonder he lashes out at Segasaki like that, though really, who he's really attacking is himself. Afterall, sometimes when we hurt ourselves, we hurt the people who love us too, as we'll see in Ep 6.

(That was quite the arguement though, wasn't it!)

[sorcerersandskillusers]

How do you think Atshi and Dazai's relationship compare to their relationship in beast, i feel like its a topic thats been left behind when talking abt beast

Ooo this is an interesting one.

The relationship between Dazai and Atsushi in BEAST is really interesting already, I love how Asagiri didn't just make it a carbon copy of Dazai and Akutagawa in the main timeline, instead its completely unique but equally fucked up. But comparing it to the main timeline I think it is the best example of just how far BEAST Dazai is willing to go in order to ensure Oda's happiness in that universe, even at the cost of tormenting someone main Dazai really cares about.

First lets look at Dazai and Atsushi's relationship in the main series.

Atsushi has absolute loyalty, love and respect for Dazai in the main series, Dazai was the first person who ever affirmed Atsushi's right to live and might be the first person to ever offer him kindness. Dazai also works as Atsushi's motivation to save Kyouka, he thinks of how Dazai chose to save him even though he would be a massive burden to the ADA, and this gives him the conviction to save Kyouka despite her past.

Dazai is the person who Atsushi always thinks of when he's in a terrible situation, he's who Atsushi wants to run too when he thinks he can't win a fight, in other words he makes Atsushi feel safe something he probably almost never felt in the orphanage where he was abused for anything he did.

(from 55 mintues)

These two pages capture this perfectly

And eventually Atsushi is able to replace visions of the orphanage director (who appeared when he was at his lowest and made him feel like he had no right to live) with Dazai giving him encouragement and the focus to keep going.

On Dazai's end:

I think Atsushi is probably the person who sees Dazai's true suffering better than anyone else alive in the series, even including characters like Chuuya and Ango. Atsushi (very similar to Oda) will often cut through Dazai's jokes and see through to what he is really thinking.

Atsushi is also one of very few characters to openly be kind to Dazai, off the top of my head it's only him and Oda who ever really say nice things about him to his face.

(notice both times Dazai is surprised by this)

Atsushi is even able to pick up a hint of Dazai's past when Dazai talks about mimic in 55 minutes.

So suffice to say, in the main series Dazai and Atsushi are extremely close, both being essentail to the others growth and a person throughout the series, I could probably go on for pages about this but for now let's talk about how BEAST twists this relationship into one of the darkest in the series.

BEAST Atsushi suffers more than almost anyone else thanks to Dazai's plan. Since he can't use Fukuzawa's ability to control Atsushi's ability, he makes Atsushi wear a spiked collar that stabs him in the neck while transformed and uses the pain of that to help Atsushi remain in control of the tiger.

Not to mention that BEAST Atsushi, just like regular Atsushi hates being hurt and hurting others, he is constantly terrified on every mission he is sent on and hates the pain he has to go through each time.

So why is he so loyal to Dazai? Unlike Akutagawa Dazai didn't physically abuse Atsushi until he became dogmatically loyal, he didn't need too, all he had to do was twist the suffering caused by the orphanage director in Atsushi's mind and make it work in his favour.

Trigger warning: Psychological abuse!

This was Dazai's method, give Atsushi an order he knew he would disobey and set things up so it would lead to Atsushi undergoing unimaginable pain and suffering beyond anything Dazai could inflict himself. Dazai twisted that pain in Atsushi's mind into

"This is what it feels like to disobey me"

And since then, Atsushi has been completely incapable of not following Dazai's orders.

Another important factor is that Dazai himself is very friendly with Atsushi, letting him call him "Dazai-san" instead of boss and giving him praise for his work. This just further cements in Atsushi's mind that Dazai is the kind, generous person who tried to help him, which makes him even more loyal to Dazai.

There's a lot more I could go over, but I don't have time right now. Overall I think BEAST really shows just how far Dazai is willing to go to achieve what he wants, the way he treats BEAST Atsushi is incredibly cruel, and then leaving him alone in a world where his only purpose was fulfilling Dazai's orders is another level of cruelty.

[icaruien]

MY LOVE, MINE ALL MINE.

history is oftentimes written by victors, but the same does not stand for ryomen sukuna. his was written by the survivors of his victory—and survivors, they rarely ever have the time to truly understand the scope of the story. in other words, this is ryomen sukuna's lifetime, retold.

CONTENT WARNING! ryomen sukuna x top!m!amab!reader (featuring a single cockwarming scene and a single cockwarming scene only lol). this is literally just me dicking around with the idea of sukuna with some semblance of a moral compass, even if it can't be love. disgustingly out of character sukuna for the sake of the plot. way too much historical inaccuracies made. headcanon / brainrot blurb based.

prior to all the bloodshed, all the terror, all the horror ryomen sukuna would wreak upon the face of this once peaceful earth, he was a boy with a vision and a dream so great that it consumed him whole.

a little known fact about sukuna was that he had been born into a world that had believed in him from the very moment he existed. he was born into a village that had safe-guarded his greatness, his fame, with premonitions and destines. a load of bullshit, probably, but once you were born into a fate, no matter the way it was determined after your birth and not before it, then you were already doomed. sukuna was no different— the narrative had caught him, strangled his throat in a noose, and he would die for his fate.

so here was a boy made for greatness, but that was not enough. after all, what good was such prowess if you stood on your own? for every existing thing, there must be a contradicting point; an opposing force that clashed against an existing object, drawing out the best and the worst of it.

and you were just that for him.

"doesn't that make you a hypocrite?" sukuna drawled out, his expression twisting into something nasty as he glared over at you. you were entirely unbothered by it, your back pressed against the bark of the tree. your eyes were shut, the summer breeze brushing against the bangs hovering over your temple, over the arch of your brow, over your closed eyes. a small hum escaped your throat. "no." your adam's apple bobbed as the words left your lips, throat working as a low rasp made its way into the hazy air. sukuna tried not to stare. he failed. "it makes me someone who knows how to pick his battles." "you would slaughter thousands for a cause, but you won't even kill a bug," sukuna scoffed. "how does that constitute as picking your battles." you blinked an eye open lazily, a small smile curling on the corners of your lips. small. quiet. knowing, like you were sharing an inside joke with an invisible figure. sukuna hated it, hated knowing that a world without him existed in your head. "slaughtering thousands in that hypothetical case has reason," you answered. "in this case, what reason is there to kill that beetle?" sukuna scowled. "it's irritating," he snapped. you snorted, amused, then your hand flicked out lazily and the aforementioned beetle was found dead on the ground just inches away from the both of you. sukuna stared, and stared, and stared. "i thought you didn't kill without reason," sukuna said finally. "i don't." you looked over at him; smiled. "but you said it's irritating. that's reason— even if it's stupid."

so, hm. perhaps opposing force wasn't exactly the right word. to say that you opposed his mindset was inaccurate. more so, you were the force that kept him at bay, a leash around his throat that forced him to settle before he could tip right off the edge, a placard by the side of his bed that read THINK— IS IT TRUE? IS IT HELPFUL? IS IT INSPIRING? IS IT NECESSARY? IS IT KIND?

literally.

you had it pinned up on his wall.

"i fucking hate that thing." even when you both moved from that little house in the middle of nowhere, up to the castle you had both crafted a home and a base out of, that stupid sign followed him wherever he went. it was the second thing you had put up on the wall (the first thing being him, sweaty and panting, mouth parted to release the moan that had been stuck behind his teeth since the moment your hand landed too high on his thigh in the meeting room), and it was the first thing he had wanted to rip off. you turned, burying your face into the space between his shoulder blades. he couldn't see you, but he could feel the way your mouth curled into a smile against his skin. "oh, but i love that thing," you said, your arms moving to wrap around his waist. "it serves a good reminder." "you put that up to mock me." "that i did," you agreed brightly, nuzzling your nose against the back of his ear. "but it's also true, you know. each time you speak, you must remember, 'THINK: Is it tr—' hey! watch it!" you were effectively silenced when sukuna turned, bringing a pillow down over your head with it. sukuna scowled at you, irritated by your audacity— except it quickly melted away when the sound of your laughter echoed through the room; soft like butter, honest like the summer. "alright, alright, i yield." you chuckled, tucking sukuna close to you. he grumbled, but he went easily. you were good at pissing him off, but you were good at soothing his frayed edges too. sukuna hated it, hated you. (no, he didn't, but boys like him were unfamiliar with the idea of anything but worship and hatred, so he said nothing. he could say nothing, because nothing felt right.) you sighed, nosing at his hair, and sukuna wanted to scream. "you know, if you hate it so much, you could always take it down," you said amusedly. "it is your room." "don't be ridiculous," sukuna snapped. and that was that.

because sukuna's room had stopped being just his room a long time ago. you had carved yourself too much space within it for it to be his entirely. there was the poster (that stupid poster that sukuna never took down), and your robes hanging over the back of his chair (even though he told you to put that away), and there was the toy you had put up on the desk (a memento, the first gift your disciple had given you before you had taken him in). and, well, it was your room just as much as it was his.

and the many nights you spent there rather than your own room was testament enough to that.

cockwarming was a rare treat sukuna indulged in. you were both too busy with your lives for something so time-consuming. but tonight was different. tonight, he had time. tonight, he could have you like that. "are you done yet?" your voice broke through the silence of the evening, raspy and low with the sleepiness that came with the such a hour. the lamp was already burning low overhead, casting longer and longer shadows across the length of the room. sukuna couldn't bring himself to care for either of those things. his nerves were frayed, irked by bothersome politicians who didn't know how to be competent, only how to be annoying ass-kissers. if it hadn't been for the thought of your unimpressed expression, hand falling on his shoulder to give him a half-hearted squeeze at his actions, he would have killed them all. but sukuna couldn't bear your silence after such a shitty day, so he didn't. he didn't, and he was good, and you were right here. so what if he lied a little bit about the urgency of the letter he was responding to? it got you to stay a little longer, hold him closer to you for a bit longer. you were blinking yourself awake periodically, but that was fine. you were here, you were right fucking here, and sukuna would do so much worse than lie to have that. you shifted, and sukuna clamped down on you on instinct. a soft moan escaped your lips, and sukuna stifled his own noises as you both settled once again into place. you sighed, firm arms coming around to wrap around his waist, and you nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck. sukuna's eyes closed on instinct, sinking back into your warmth and the feeling of your cock piercing him open simply for the sake of it. "'kuna." your voice was quiet, muffled. he caught it anyway. "what part are you on right now?" sukuna blinked down at the letter. oh, right. he was actually supposed to do that. he stared at the kanji sloppily written on the sheet of paper, and he realised he couldn't actually send this. so, technically, he had nothing. "i'm going to start over," he announced. he was about to scrap the paper when your hand came around his wrist, forcing him to stop. sukuna stilled, wondering if perhaps he had been caught. if he had been, would you tell him off? force him to get off? sukuna clenched down on you on instinct, and you let out a groan against the shell of his ear. "easy, 'kuna. i'm not going anywhere," you said, your voice a low rasp. "come on, i'm going to help." for a moment, sukuna couldn't do anything but blink down at the poorly written letter in front of him. you had known— that much didn't come as much of a surprise, really, with the way you were a damn prodigy when it came to reading sukuna's mind. no, the startling bit about this was the fact that you had known, and you let him have his way anyway. huh. he hadn't realised he looked so pathetic when he begged you to let him sit on your cock while he worked. he should work on that part. but for now, he would indulge in this moment because he could. because you were right here, and sukuna was so fucking tired of the assholes he had to deal with everyday, and your hand was wrapping around his as you guided the tip of his pen over a fresh page of paper. it was an out of body experience to see you write the opening bit of the letter. the words were written with his vocabulary, written in his handwriting, but your hand was the one guiding him through it all. he felt like a child all over again, learning how to write for the first time. he blinked, throat feeling dangerously dry, and managed a weak, "what are we doing?" "writing that letter." a kiss to his nape. soft. soft. soft. "now, come on. tell me what you want to say, and i'll write it with you."

it didn't come as a surprise that some of sukuna's advisors (the kind that wanted to see sukuna destroy the world, the sort that wanted to make him into even more of a monster) hated you, really. whenever they tried pitching in an idea that could lead to the demise of masses, you would always turn the question around and ask them the reason and importance of it.

the infuriating part (for them, that was, not for you because this was the part where your lips would curl into a smug smirk that you would try to hide behind your drink) was that sukuna listened to you each time. every fucking time.

so much that most people had grown to notice it, too.

sukuna wasn't a man built for playing the eavesdropper, mostly because this was his home and his territory, so everything was well within his rights to know. he didn't need to play the fool, to creep in the shadows for information. that was why he had spies to do that for him. he crept closer to the door, footsteps cautiously light, and played intruder within his own home. because you were right there, sorting through your papers, with an advisor that he recognised to be one of your favourites— the one you said had a good head on his shoulders, enough that you liked having good conversations about trades and whatever else that you talked about the others about with him. sukuna hardly ever pried, mostly because the second he tried, you would level him with a flat gaze, but he knew enough. probably. hopefully. because you were there, sitting around the table, talking about him— sukuna, as if he wasn't there (and, well, he wasn't supposed to be there), and he could still hear the fondness in your voice and the light skepticism in the advisor's voice, and sukuna's head was light, light, light and he was going to do something stupid like burst inside or float right out of the damn building— "he's like a good dog whenever you're around," noted the advisor. it was only because sukuna knew you were so fucking fond of him that he didn't rush in immediately to tear his face off. you let out a short laugh, incredulous. always believing the good in him even behind his back. it's unbelievable, nauseatingly so. sukuna hated the way his throat ceased at the thought anyway. "sukuna isn't entirely unreasonable," you said with a small shrug. "you just need to talk to him, really." your advisor friend let out a disbelieving huff under his breath, even if he said nothing else to it. sukuna echoed the sentiment.

and the thing was that sukuna wasn't necessarily a good dog. he wasn't a well-behaved dog, just one that behaved well around you for your sake. there was a distinct difference between the two, no matter how subtle the dissonance may seem at first glance.

this much becomes devastatingly apparent when you would leave for an overseas trip or another, the sort that even sukuna couldn't join on due to a variety of reasons. while these trips were kept to the minimal (not just by sukuna or yourself, but by literally everyone else because they were all batshit terrified of the man sukuna became the moment you left), they were still inevitable.

sukuna transformed into an entirely different man when you were gone; the starting glimpses of the man and the monster he would become in the faraway future. 'sulky' would not begin to describe the moods that he would get into. he always had a taste for cruelty, but you would always be the one to hold him back before he could get too violent. no one dared say it aloud, but you were his moral compass— you kept him tethered to his humanity on the days when he would get too monstrous. with you gone, it was all free game. torture became a commodity during these moments. prisoners who had the misfortune of being put on trial during these days were treated cruelly (although never unjustly, because he could barely feel anything but nausea at the very thought of torturing innocents anymore. fuck you, really, for ruining him this fatally.) and they found themselves craving the sweet mercy of death. it was futile, though. sukuna hardly ever let anyone off easily, and not when he was in one of his moods. no one could talk him out of it. even the letters that you managed to send would only dissuade him for a few hours, leaving passers by a full-frontal sight of sukuna drifting almost in a daze through the hallways. there would be a faint smile on his lips, impossibly soft, and no one had to look at his hand to see the letter he was holding so reverently between his fingers. but, just as all else was, this lightness was impermanent. soon, he would get into those bouts again and no one could pull him out of it. sukuna was stuck in the depths of his own destructive nature— except this time, you weren't there to pull him out of it.

but then, you would come back and things would be right once again. or, however right it could be with sukuna's bloodthirst and his craving for violence perpetually in-tact, engraved within bone and marrow. it was still better though, than whatever sukuna would get up to at your absence.

sukuna would get ridiculously clingy after your absence, too. his nails tore through your robes, your skin, your flesh, until there was blood all over his hands and all over his lips, and he would have you pressed against the mattress underneath him, gasping for air in between kisses as he demanded more and more and more. the funny thing was that during these moments, sukuna would always be too needy for your warmth that he wouldn't even think about fucking you. he just needed you there with him; arms holding him firmly, hands digging into him with all the desperation that he was using to hold onto you, lips entangled and refusing to let go. clothes would be found strewn all over the floor, but there was nothing sexual about the act. there was just your bare bodies sliding against each other, sharp edges tucking into soft nooks like an old key sliding its way back home. sukuna never admitted anything out loud, but he knew you could read him during these moments all the same. after all, you were an expert at reading him, and he wasn't trying to hide anything right now. not from you, not after he'd craved you for so long. your hands tangled its way through his hair, holding him impossibly close. your teeth clacked against his, violent and tender all at once, and he could taste your smile on his lips— sweet, soft, and devastatingly real. because once again, you were right here. you were right here, and sukuna could have you all over again. blood spilled into his mouth, but you didn't reprimand him for it. your nails simply dug into the flesh of his hips, leaving your own mark on him. a ruined sound left his lips, and he didn't try to stop it this time. he wanted to be heard, wanted you to hear him. you had to know, to understand every single ugly thing he couldn't bear to say out loud to your face. you had to know. you had to. your breath brushed against his lips, and sukuna wanted to chase after you again. you didn't let him, keeping him at bay, a hazy distance away, and then you were smiling, soft and radiant, the rising sun blooming on the horizon of your lips, and sukuna understood all of a sudden of all the fools who would chase after the sun. "easy, 'kuna," you murmured. "i'm right here." yeah, you were. you always were. he kissed you again, and you tasted of the burning sun and distance finally being closed and home, home, home.

here is the part the history books never mention—

as a child, ryomen sukuna leaves home to strive for a destiny he had been told about but never taught how to live. somewhere along the way, he met the then boy who would be his most trusted advisor and your closest companion. you were his antithesis— the sun placed against the moon, the earth against the tide.

as a man, in his greatest years ryomen sukuna was often found with you standing by his side. in every burned painting, in the corners of his destroyed home, in the bedsheets and in the throne room, it was you who stood by his side, a hand pressed over his nape, forcing him to still and to kneel and to remember his place. he had always been unkind, but you kept him from being cruel. you were his guiding light and directing force, his anchor and his leash, the central piece of everything he did.

as a corpse, ryomen sukuna, the king of curses, emerged from the ashes your body left at the wake of your death. no one remembers.

[masterjedilenawrites]

Gello! It's nice to meet you! Though i am dropping by to ask, what are your thoughts on Crosshair having like a long-term relationship? It's like a year plus some months.

Welcome, nice to meet you too! 🤗

I hope you were wanting a whole rambling post on this, because that's what I've got for ya. 😅 I have no self-control when it comes to imagining Crosshair in a relationship.

Crosshair would have never planned to be in a relationship of any kind. It would've been something he just fell into, finding a person he was actually, genuinely comfortable with and not wanting to part from them. Sharing life with them quickly becomes the new norm, so when he's asked about the status of things, or about the future and what he wants... he's confused. Of course he's committed. Isn't that obvious? He's not interested in keeping his options open, not when he's found probably the one person in the whole galaxy that cares for him this much. And once Crosshair commits to something, he's not letting go.

Day to day, he doesn't change much. He still has his routines, his preferences and his annoyances, his skills and his shortcomings, all the things that make him him. But to the few who know him well, they see the difference a long, loving relationship has made in his spirit. He just seems lighter somehow. Less severe, more comfortable. Still grumpy at times, sure, but everyone knows his partner will help him come around when needed.

He's not a pushover, or wrapped around their finger in any way. But he does trust them. He listens to them. And they are the type of partner that would only try to change his mind when he was truly being unreasonable. They filter a lot of petty complaints out, things his brothers or the general public go to them with, and they only occasionally agree to the point of then giving Cross an earful. He takes what they say to heart and makes the correction, albeit still in his own stoic or sassy Crosshair way.

He finds it natural to make decisions in tandem. He's not one of those super protective boyfriends, so if his partner wanted to tag along on missions, he'd be cool with it. He keeps an eye on them same as the rest of the squad. But if they would rather settle down somewhere and keep different hobbies, he'll be supportive of that, too. Just so long as he's free to do his own thing as well. (Gun to his head, though, he'd confess he prefers doing things together.)

Communication is his weak point. Though he gets better over time, he still struggles to vocalize what he really feels. So he'd really only be with a patient and intuitive partner. Someone who can sense when he's holding back and knows how to gently coax it out of him. Anyone else would have left him early on, too frustrated or pushy to make a longterm relationship work.

Physical intimacy for him is a private affair. He hates the thought of having eyes on him in these moments. Even a "chaste" kiss makes him feel too vulnerable to be seen by anyone other than his partner. So how quickly they progress in this realm of their relationship will solely depend on how much privacy they're able to get.

All in all, he's a simple man in a relationship. He will give his partner anything with the expectation they return it in kind - trust, benefit of the doubt, attention, space, care.... Again, he never would have sought this sort of thing out, never thought it was possible to feel the way he does, to have even met someone like them... But now that he has, he can't imagine his life any other way. If anything were to happen to them, or if for some reason they had a change of heart and left (though let's be real, his perfect partner would never), he isn't going to be in a relationship ever again. It's them or no one. So really, a longterm relationship for Crosshair is more a lifelong relationship.

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[natalisdragon]

Wind Breaker really looks like something I might like, but every time I read a comment from someone using it to badmouth Bucchigiri, I lose all desire to give it a chance.

Bucchigiri isn't perfect, it has its flaws, but all the hate the show has received seems like an exaggeration to me.

JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE ARAJIN(it's almost always that)

I know that he's not exactly a pleasant character, and this is said by someone who doesn't like him at first either, he's a character that you have to take your time to understand.

I mean… have you ever wondered what it must feel like to have abandoned a person you love? And not only that, suddenly having to face that person almost every day, reliving the traumatic event that separated you every time you see him while noticing that (APPARENTLY) his life has only gotten better since you left?

I know that the anime may not be so explicit about Arajin's guilt, but the devil is in the details, in how the trauma turned into discomfort, in how he neglected his physical condition, even though being more visually attractive would have helped him get the girlfriend he so desperately claimed to want. Probably because something as simple as an exercise routine inevitably reminded him of Matakara.

Why does he react in a hostile manner towards Matakara? again, it's facing his trauma and the fact that he failed him as a friend, seeing Matakara triggers his trauma, it's basically PTSD generating a reject reaction that instinctively makes him want to walk away AT ANY COST, without even thinking if it might hurt the feelings of someone(Episode 8).

And speaking of Matakara, you can see how despite his rejection, Arajin still cares about him, like when he runs to catch him when he falls unconscious after his fight with Jabashiri or when he tries to distract Marito.

And his obsession with Mahoro? That also has an explanation, if you pay attention, Arajin's falling in love is not as spontaneous as it might seem at first glance, falling in love with someone is not the same as SEEKING to fall in love. It's the first thing the character talks to us about, because behind his desire to lose his virginity lies the desire for a real connection with someone, most likely a way to fill the gap left by the bond he and Matakara once shared. Why is Arajin still after Mahoro at the end? there are two answers… 1-It is normal that after finally recovering his own courage he wants to try again. 2-We all know that Arajin isn't the brightest bulb in the store, so he probably hasn't realized yet that his falling in love with her was more of a way to escape his guilt than something real.

Am I justifying how he acts? NO, but once you notice this it's easier to understand why he acts the way he does.

By the way… do people know that Aladdin, THE CHARACTER ON WHICH ARAJIN IS MAINLY BASED, wasn't necessarily an exemplary young man in the original story, right?

[iidylllic]

Restraint 🖤

Dark!Pantalone x reader | 1.8k words

Summary: You hold one part of yourself close- the ability to restrain your desires.

Reader specifics: GN, doll analogy used

Character specifics: If you’re reading when he’s released in game, he’s probably OOC, no nationality specified

Tags: DARK, non consensual relationship, blurred lines and unstable relationship, “colleagues” lines blurred, eula voiceline lore used, no smut

Notes: I think this is a little abstract

I am 18+ have read the above, and consent to seeing this content [yes ⬇️] [no ↩️]

You never wanted to get involved with the Fatui.

Hardly anyone does. Growing up around them, you’ve seen a blurred slideshow of changing faces- the ones coming back from their duty to the Tsaritsa, swapped out with the ones embarking. The lack of continuity shaped your young mind with a dream of stability. You wished for a reality shaped by consistency, where nobody was desperate for money or improvement of their rank.

That’s how you ended up with Pantalone.

He doesn’t give you his real name. Not yet, so he says. The level of secrecy is surfeit for someone who has nobody to tell it to.

And you see him every day. You devote your full attention to him. You’re a secretary, turned personal assistant, turned…

You can’t bring yourself to address it.

Initially, you had believed that secretarial work would be the no-strings-attached experience you needed. Take the money, go to Liyue, carry all your records and papers to avoid accusations of being a spy (apparently nothing gets past the Tianquan anyway) and settle down for a stable life.

If you left now, you wouldn’t choose Liyue anymore. Too many connections to the market.

“Ah, darling-“

You snap out of your haze. He’s stretching himself backwards on his seat, looking up towards the ceiling. Quickly and lightly, you get on your feet and walk over to him, going to his back so you can massage your fingertips into his shoulders.

“Mm…”

You press a little harder. He lets out a long sigh through his nose. A mild wave of nausea rolls over your body.

“You looked lost in thought there.” He says plainly. Across your time with Pantalone, you’ve learned that most of his statements are demands, and many of his questions are rhetorical. In your responses, you know better than to be vague.

“I was thinking of places I would like to visit one day.”

Not exactly a lie.

“Is that so?”

You nod even though he can’t see it. He brings his hand up and gently motions to the side, indicating for you to move out of the way.

“Try not to stall so much during work. We’ll always have plenty of time for discussion once it’s over.”

You hadn’t planned on discussing it, but Pantalone automatically assumes himself to be privy to your thoughts. It’s amusing how intensely professional he remains, given that he had offered that you stop formally working for him the month before, and become something of a “companion”. You had refused, because who would possibly accept a role so vague and unsettling? He had only chuckled, leading you to believe he wasn’t all that serious, but ever since that day he’s been very… rigorous … on the clock. It could be read as a display of passive-aggressiveness.

He stands up. You dread the moment he’ll lay his eyes on you. The papers you were working on sit at your own desk in neat piles, nearing completion. He wouldn’t be angry. He never is- or at least, never shows it. There’s more work than normal recently. But there’s still a fear that sits in your gut, constricting around your organs, a fast beating heart and shallow lungs.

But having some extra work to do isn’t a bother, especially if you can complete it after dinner-

“Finish that up for me, dear. I don’t want you preoccupied when we come back home.”

“Of course.”

You don’t miss the way his eyes glance to the side in restrained disappointment. He hates being called “Lord Harbinger” by you. And he’s stopped you from calling him “sir”. You believe he expects you to return with an affectionate nickname of sorts, to meet his constant “darling”s and “dear”s but so far you’ve been unable to muster one up.

Pantalone leaves you to the rest of your work, returning a few minutes later with your coat and boots. After sorting the last of the papers, you start putting your boots on, becoming startled when you stand up to see Pantalone ready to help you into your coat. He hums as you put each arm through its respective sleeve, and your hands race to do up your buttons lest he intervene before you. There’s a moment after you retrieve your gloves from the pockets where you look up at him, and he sweeps a hand across your cheek under the guise of tucking back hair. In his eyes there’s a sickening sense of admiration, like a child lovingly gazing at a porcelain doll.

You are his doll, you suppose. His toy sounds depraved, but it would be equally true. Dressed up and taken everywhere, introduced to strangers like a show-and-tell, cradled in his arms as he sleeps, a fragile substitute for a love he never once received. You watch with glassy eyes as he touches you with reckless abandon, your eyelids shut dully when you lay down with him, and when the string is pulled on your back, you tell him how wonderful he is. You commend his success and offer him reassurance you doubt he needs. Despite this, you are defective. He has never once managed to hear you squeak out an “I love you” from your battered voice-box. He treats you with a certainty that it is there, that it will manifest into reality if he simply persists. In this respect, you and his monetary treasures are similar.

-❤️-

Another dinner passes with him across the table from you. He’s started taking you out at least once a week, and you’re unsure if these count as dates. You would rather just believe he’s attempting to show you his wealth with his choices of restaurants.

Returning home brings him to his favourite part of the day. Time for recreation is a luxury in Snezhnaya, and though Pantalone can certainly afford it, he restricts himself (and simultaneously you) from indulging in it too much.

You don’t think you can run off to your own room like you used to do when work was finished. What you would give to fall asleep on the unused bed, to stretch out on the fresh sheets. The room is dull and grey, but it’s your own space, a guarantee of privacy. It’s a place you hardly ever visit, swapped in favour of the red and gold of Pantalone’s bedroom. The extravagance of his tastes has always left you uneasy.

Trying to stall making contact with him for as long as possible, you sit yourself on one of the armchairs and idly fiddle with a book from the table beside it. This doesn’t last long.

“Don’t be like that,” He chuckles, playing off your antics as a joke. “What’s wrong with sitting beside me?”

You reposition yourself next to him on the sofa, trying not to look like you’re clinging to the edge of it.

He doesn’t slide along, but his body tilts towards you. Magnetic attraction. Drawing him in.

Your mouth is dry and your fingers are trembling along a tattered page. The wine from the restaurant, offered but never received, is a faraway dream. He’s all too eager to buy your affections, and probably would’ve gotten the entire bottle for you if you’d hinted at trying a glass. Maybe every single bottle in the restaurant. But when it comes to intoxication, you restrain. To loosen up could be a great relief… or a fatal error. He has another glass of it in his hands, white wine, almost golden, and you could just as easily ask- but you never want to put yourself in a position of debt to him. He sees you glancing at it, and catches your eye in a way that captivates you. His eyebrow raises slightly before he begins speaking.

“You should get more comfortable asking for things from me.” His voice slices through the thick air, as if reading your mind.

You don’t know what to say. Instead, you just look at him, with eyes glassed over and motionless. Frozen. Silent rabbit in the mouth of a wolf. Fearing the crush. If you linger long enough, he fills the silence himself. Whether he realises it or not, he has the initiative of a desperate man. Unable to rest without getting in his words, his say, his influence.

“I’m not forcing you to, but I think we’ve grown rather close-“

You’ve grown rather close to me.

“- and it’s a dreadful sight to see you restrain yourself with the world at your fingertips.”

You swallow. It’s in this moment that you realise he’s still too prideful to simply invite you into a relationship with him. Instead, he’s coerced- no, swindled- you into a kind of pseudo-domesticity. You realise that after this, you’ll go and sleep in the same bed as him, and he will guard you and guide you like one of his investments, not stopping until he’s guaranteed returns. This is a dead end.

“Maybe it’s just my tastes.” You say sedately. A masterful facade borne of a childhood where you could never show fear.

“Mm…”

His eyes are transfixed on his wine, which he swirls lazily.

“When I was… not as financially successful, I used to refuse to drink anything except water. You couldn’t have convinced me to steal leftover tea leaves because I refused to get accustomed to the taste.”

When he glances up at you, his gaze seems to melt you down like frigid ice to malleable water. You nod.

“When I grew wealthier, I still drank water and chose to forgo other drinks. I had my tea weak and tasteless in business meetings, I refused coffee- I claimed it gave me headaches- and I restrained from alcohol. It wasn’t until an associate of mine insisted I try some of Mondstadt’s dandelion wine that I ever indulged in a full glass. They held an entire ceremony for the wine- they pour it into silver goblets, did you know?”

You shook your head. Fascinating. Distracting. Your tongue feels like sandpaper on the roof of your mouth.

“I didn’t know either at the time. And I thought that it seemed uselessly extravagant. They pour it out into the goblets, they let it sit, and then serve it with ice. But the taste was… incredible, unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. I finally looked around me, and darling, I observed that I was in a position to ask for anything I wanted, and get it,”

He raises the wine glass a little, not to his own lips, but outwards. Then towards you, until it hovers beneath your face and the sweet smell is almost enough to taste.

“But know that even from when I was young, I understood that ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get.’ And perhaps others believe the opposite, that remaining distant and unobtrusive brings them the best in life,”

You grasp the wine glass gently in your hand, and his own retracts.

“Which frankly, I’ve never understood.”

You stare down into the glass. It feels like staring into an abyss. The golden hue shines like mora. Your breath hitches, and you finally squeeze out a high-strung, “May I?”

Pantalone nods, smiling gently with the eyes of a predator.

It’s bittersweet and reminiscent of a freedom you may never know.

[aliferousdreamer]

my thoughts on the next step 9a

clude leaving is so bittersweet... i'm so sad we've lost such a sweet couple and great wlw representation but they left happy and stronger than ever!!!!!!!

the colour symbolism with kenzie's signature colour going from yellow from to blue is a subtle but effective character choice imo. the yellow in s8 felt more youthful joyful and vibrant for when she was new to being dance captain, whereas now kenzie's blue wardrobe in s9 shows that she's maturing and gaining wisdom as dance captain, but is also going through some tough times too. blue is also tns' signature colour so it also shows that she's an important part of the studio!!!

i love heath in this season... his energy, his attitude, his relationships, carter's acting, everything 💯

grace's reasoning for wanting revenge is so silly because she legit made herself an outcast and when kenzie tried to talk with her she just dipped

i'm still upset and bitter and frustrated with daisy leaving........ i just hate seeing great potential dropped like that. melody was such a good addition to the cast!! also where was her goodbye scene with izzy???????? she wasn't just close with heath; she was close to izzy too!!!!!!

my heart broke for pete multiple times and i'm glad that we had a storyline tackling grief and (briefly) men's mental health. i wish it had more of a focus and lasted for longer but it was still effective.

thalia and eldon are still together!!!!!!!! yesssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!

JACQUIE MENTION YESSSSSSSSSS I'VE WAITED FOR TIMES LIKE THIS

kenzie basically being both the dance captain and studio head by herself because what does nick even do retroactively makes riley look even worse at being studio head.......... yeah season 4's treatment of riley is still annoying me in the year 2024

idk if it's just me but does anyone else feel like it's not internationals???? the vibe feels much more like regionals or nationals. the scale doesn't quite feel grand enough

i wasn't sure that heath was "the heart of the team" but after watching all of 9a, not only is he the heart of the team he's also the team therapist and cheerleader... i love to see it

i love that anthony is still a ball of stress/anxiety and is also in a really important leader position as group choreographer. so often you see anxious people just depicted as introverts and not as leaders, so it's nice to see someone who's anxious but also a very capable leader

olive is the definition of a precious cinnamon roll. she's sounds like a disney princess every time she talks. she reminds me of amy in s4 too!! she really is just the 🥺 emoji

random point but i love that adele's signature colour being emerald green. it reminds me of ariel's tail in the little mermaid and now i'm thinking of an au where adele is ariel and anthony is prince eric

i know i'm probably in the minority here but i am totally on board with anthony x adele (should their ship name be anthele/adelthony/adelony??). anthony really had one conversation with her alone and just fell for her instantly. some fans probably think it's dumb and realistic but i think it's really sweet and they have potential for 9b

i do also lowkey ship adele x olive because they're so cute together (and they remind me of pamy a little.) when adele didn't want to work with ariana but was unable to resist olive's puppy dog eyes...... they're so cute!!!

kenzie and pete are really just the sweetest couple ever and they have such a natural, easy chemistry... they're definitely one of the best couples tns has had in years 😘👌

IS HEATH'S DAD DEAD???????????????

ethan showing character development by being much more of a team player, we love to see it!!! he's still competitive but he's ready to share his ambitions with others

kenzie holding hands with heath was such a sweet, underrated moment... i love seeing strong, supportive and affectionate platonic male/female relationships

ebby naming her pet snail snaiyoncé is iconic

izzy calling heath "heathcliff" and heath calling izzy "isadora"....... the best friendism of it all

eldon mentioning west's iconic bangers and mash solo!!!!!! yes, thank you!!!!!! west is one of the most iconic dancers this show has ever had!!!!!!!!!

kenzie is allergic to flowers, noted!

heath is penzie's no. 1 shipper

ariana putting jett front row centre in her trio........ i know what you are................

ethan's loyalty to izzy is so sweet

WHO IS GETTING CUT??????????????

grace is definitely turning on ariana in 9b... i have a feeling she's going to out her as a traitor and a troupe might kick her off the team for a few episodes

remi is totally going to break ebby's heart, isn't he???

i have a feeling that presley might return to talk to her sister and say something like "chill ariana i'm fine living life and there was no need for getting revenge"

is ethan getting a boyfriend in 9b??????

can't wait for chekhov's bo staff to make its grand return in 9b

also how many enemies to lovers / rivals to lovers style relationships is heath going to have???? ozzy, daisy, pascale....... heath is immune to not having some sort of conflict in his relationships

this is a long shot but i'm really hoping to see more previous cast members returning. yeah i know it's not necessary, but i still want to know what our old faves all doing with their lives

given season 9's marketing has been pretty terrible it really does make me doubt that there will be a season 10. i would like a last series to tie the whole show together and maybe have a few reunions so the show has a great send-off, but feels unlikely now that they really dropped the ball when promoting this series

bring on 9b!!!!!!!!!

this is really jumbled and i've probably missed out so many things but i'm very unorganised so there you go

[anonymous-dentist]

I’m not a Morning Crew Guy, but I do feel the need to defend Hideduo from people because I don’t feel like this take here actually takes any pov but Tubbo’s into consideration?

Because, really, if the Morning Crew fell apart, I’d think that it was some kind of mutually-assured destruction?

Sure, Pac and Fit got close, but it wasn’t until Tubbo actively tried sabotaging Fit’s relationship that Fit started distancing himself. When he asks Foolish if he really trusts Tubbo, Fit isn’t necessarily asking because he hates Tubbo or anything, it’s because Tubbo tried destroying one of the few good things to ever happen in Fit’s life without really taking any accountability for it

But, from Tubbo’s pov, Pac and Fit started hanging out with just each other, and they left him totally behind. And after he tried saving their group dynamic and relationship, they both turned around and ditched him to go share secrets with each other

Pac and Mike are the dynamic duo, they’ll always be together. And then you have Pac and Fit. And then you have Pac and Mike and Fit, leaving Tubbo alone. It’s easy to only watch his perspective and get caught up in that and forget that he’s a very biased narrator. He’s stuck in his own head and his own trauma, which is totally understandable, but it does throw a lot of his actions into question when you think about what’s going on with the other characters

Like, we have Pac. He cares about Morning Crew SO MUCH!!! When Tubbo tricked Pac into sabotaging his own first date with Fit via enderpearl stasis chamber, Pac wasn’t even angry. He just wanted to help Tubbo be happy again, and he probably thinks that Tubbo IS happy again now after the Fred Closure and the start of Fobo and stuff

And then there’s Fit, who we’ve already kinda talked about. Pac is one of the only good things to ever happen to him, he’s said as much himself, and Tubbo- one of his best friends on the server- trying to ruin their relationship? Kinda fucked up. It showed Fit that he can’t necessarily trust Tubbo because Tubbo doesn’t trust him. Tubbo didn’t trust Fit or Pac to not leave him behind, and, to someone experiencing his first real friend group in a long time, that’s fucked up.

Because, remember, Fit doesn’t know Tubbo’s whole Trauma Stuff. To him, Tubbo was the one to betray him.

So, if anything really broke Morning Crew up (which I’d argue hasn’t actually happened, it’s just that everyone has such different streaming schedules rn ooc and so they aren’t all on at the same time every day anymore), it’s the level of miscommunication and broken trust on both sides.

[nateofgreat]

people really love making it seem like obi-wan was miserable being a jedi or something. as if he and anakin were totally connected in that. or as if anakin was his ONLY bright spot? when has that ever been the case? when has obi-wan ever said he hated the jedi/being one? dismissing the cartoons and just focusing on the movies, when???? it’s not even implied? he wouldn’t look back fondly on them if he secretly hated their guts lmao. he’d be on that ahsoka nonsense. i partially slightly blame the million (exaggeration but it feels like that now) “obi-wan wanted to leave (sometimes for lurve 🥺) “ EU stories and or the whole “satine had the power in whether he left or not, cause if she said jump, he would’ve jumped” shit. like i get having self doubts and considering it at least once or twice or whatever, that’s understandable, but to the extent they make it out to be sometimes. as if he’s just a bitter man trapped there? as if he was just itching to get out and jealous of anakin’s audacity? it’s not adding up. you wanna push the jedi hate agenda, bc it was “All Their Fault As The Real Villains”……so hard you have to make someone who refers to the jedi as his family and friends…..hate them? THE jedi?

I feel like a lot of these people are forgetting the whole context of there being a war going on. That's certainly something that'd make a job stressful, but it doesn't mean Obi-Wan doesn't want to be a Jedi. We see that he follows all their teachings throughout his life, even after Order 66. To the point he fondly remembers them in A New Hope and passes their teachings on to Luke.

I've never read the EU stories about it but I imagine it's a collection of "Obi-Wan's tempted to leave but realizes he wants to stay" and then probably some anti Jedi nonsense, lol. It's an overdone trope at this point and really, even if we take them all seriously wouldn't the fact that Obi-Wan rejects every temptation to leave kind of imply that he DOES want to stay? Even in the face of chances to leave.

As for Anakin, I don't doubt that he liked him and enjoyed spending time with him despite their bickering. But to say that's the only thing that he enjoyed about his life as a Jedi is simply ridiculous. I guess you can blame some of this on time constraints, the movies didn't really have a chance to show him playing checkers with Mace Windu or attending an opera. But it DID show that Obi-Wan had friends outside the Jedi Order like Dexter, so it's not like he doesn't have other friends.

Also that's a pretty typical trope for anti-religious writers. If there's a character they/audiences like who happens to be religious they'll usually portray them as not actually being that devout as sort of a; "See? Our good one isn't actually that religious and/or doesn't actually like all those meanie religious people after all." I've seen it happen before.

[itsnothingofinterest]

Hey, Hope you're having good Holidays? 👋

Do you think there's going to be a big twist coming up in bnha?

Or maybe a twist big villain or something?

Because all the other villains have been taken out of commission and there's still doesn't seem to be any way for deku to save/defeat shigaraki. (Nothing that we've been shown so far.)

Because shigaraki does seem to be more powerful than deku and even if they do FINALLY start talking, deku seems to be in the same place 'ideal wise' as he was several arcs ago.

Like what could deku say that could prove his point (not that he really has much of a point, as he still hasn't really even thought about trying to fix hero society's giant flaws) to shigaraki now?

Even more, what could deku do, since he's still focusing on the crying child inside shigaraki and not what made the crying child?

Well my answers about the same as it's been for a long while now; I agree Deku's not in the right headspace to save Tomura and probably can't cram the character development to get into that headspace in at the last second before/during his metaphorical final exam here. He still needs to further develop his own views on things if he wants to challenge & change Tomura's views. Maybe Deku could convince him the entire country's not a lost cause and he shouldn't destroy it within a few chapters, but there's a massive gap between that and actually saving him the way we usually mean. The fact the other villains have not really been saved either so far doesn't really help my opinion of Deku's chances.

So yes I do expect a big twist and, same as ever, I expect that twist to be that this is not the final arc and we'll get a My Hero part 2 after Hori takes a long break. It's basically the only real meaningful twist I can think of at this point that'd resolve this time conflict without rushing resolutions that should not be rushed. Especially with Kurogiri (& maybe Machia if he’s alive) still left as dangling plot threads that could potentially recover the villains.

(Though I would not hate it, half just because I think it'd be funny, if the HC president came out of nowhere to reveal she survived clone-stro and is taking over as big bad so that Deku...idk, reevaluates the system he's protecting or something.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although while we're discussing where Deku is, ideal-wise, I have been meaning to go over my current criticisms with him for a bit; which to discuss below a cut:

Is mainly that he’s kind of just All Might again. He's like All Might in nearly every way that counts and his only aspiration is to be All Might 2 and save everyone he can like All Might did. I mean I’ve seen people sometimes say "no Deku’s totally different and better than All Might in this or that way" but those ways often seem to assume All Might was a lot worse, less kind, and more independent than he really was.

(And also that Deku is less independent than he really is; just compare this arc to Kamino, where they both work alongside their hero peers...until they feel the need to take on the final boss 1v1.)

Like, as someone critical of the hero society All Might built, I’ll bet I often come off as thinking All Might wasn’t a good hero. But that’s not so, I think All Might did the best he could have done, and moreover the best anyone could’ve done trying to fix things the way he did. I doubt anyone could've hero'd much better than him. If Deku were sent back in time to replace All Might, the best he could’ve done is about what All Might did. And if All Might faced all the hurdles Deku has, at the same power level for each, I believe he’d have managed at least as happy an ending to every arc.

So the great hurdle of this all is: All Might was the greatest hero he could possibly have been...but he also wasn't enough. The various ways the League were driven to villainy to form the group at all is proof of that. And that's why a rehash sequel to him won't be enough either. I understand why Deku and everyone else admires All Might, but he can't be doing the same things expecting much better results. If he does, then even if he does save Tomura here in the same way the rest of the League has been "saved" so far (a tall order already when Tomura's made clear he doesn't want another All Might), I fear he'll just face another League led by another Tomura in the future; another Tenko who was failed by Deku this time.