#wasn't Ted the first one to die last time?

[booigi-boi]

I'm gonna feel bad for the character that gets paired with Ted in the deathmatch cause they're going to be killed immediately 🐐

[mintaikcorpse]

I don't think enough people realize that this is officially a Huskerdust song now.

Like, ik the songs not really canon, but it was sung by Blake Roman with Angel Dust in mind, and the lyrics clearly talk about another person bringing love into his life. I wonder who that could be 👀

Fuck it, I wanna talk about it more so I'm quoting my fave lines.

"Push me, pull me, write my story

Give me my rhythm, my rhyme

I break my cycles, endless spirals

I just wanna trust what is mine"

At first, I thought he was talking about Val because we see Val push and pull him with a literal chain. And I'm actually not fully sure what these lyrics are conveying. But think the beginning is talking about Val forcing his story, and then starting at "I break my cycles", is Husk helping Angel break his spirals and choose his own story. This is backed up by the fact that next lyrics are very positive and have a very loving feeling to them.

"If sun's in the sky

If the day follows the night

If the clock's still keeping time

Then you're on my mind"

I just find this super sweet. If I don't see Angel YEARNING in this show, I'm rioting.

"The silence that we share

My heart wasn't prepared

I oversimplified when it was do or I die

Kiss me, hold me, that feeling is holy

Nobody's loved me like you"

YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! Angel hasn't felt that way for someone in a long, long time. Maybe even centuries. Other than Cherri, he probably hasn't been looked at as more than a sex object in a long time. Husk was the first time someone liked him away from his body.

"I'll hold onto the life I craft

So one day I can give it back"

Before this in the song, Angel was talking about how he doesn't know when he or others would die and he was always prepared to die so he wouldn't get attached to people to protect himself and the ones he loved. This last lyric might be to everyone he cares about in his life. He wants to give his life back to the ones he cares about, so they won't hurt.

Ty for listening to my Ted talk. Imma go read some angst fics now.

[robynrocksforbrains]

What do you think about the whole Mike was only so protective of Will in S2 because El was gone thing? Do you think he’s going to ignore Will again in S5 and be super focused on El? I’ve seen recent discourse about this and it’s making me sad.

Anon, full disclosure I haven't seen this discourse recently. But I'm gonna take your word for it and tell you what I think. This is gonna be kinda long because I am incapable of being normal.

I think anyone who thinks that this is the case has a very very poor understanding of Mike. And also a poor understanding of literally the entirety of s2 and s4.

Mike cares about Will, and he cares about El. It's possible for him to care about both of them at the same time. The only reason he has a hard time balancing his relationship with both of them is because he's denying the true nature of his feelings for both of them. With El, he's trying to convince himself that his platonic feelings are romantic. With Will, he's trying to convince himself that his romantic feelings are platonic. It is my belief that he is fully aware of his romantic feelings for Will, and his lack thereof for El. But being aware of something and accepting something are two different things. However, by the end of s4 I think it's clear he's headed in the direction of acceptance.

So, about s2:

Mike is protective of Will because he's protective of Will. Simple as that. His fierce protectiveness of Will is established in s1.

We see it when Hopper is first questioning the boys about the last time they saw Will. Mike is insistent that he wants to be there. He doesn't just wanna help by answering questions, he wants to be out there actively searching.

We see it when he defends Will against the comments Nancy and Ted make about him at the dinner table. "All because Mike's friend got lost in the woods" "oh so this is Will's fault?" // "See what happens?" "What happens when what?"

We see it when he is the one to plan to go out to where Will's bike was found and search the woods.

We see it when he confronts Troy after the assembly and pushes him down

Mike being protective of Will in s2 is just a continuation of an already established trait. We just didn't see it in the same way in s1 because Will wasn't there. In s1 it was almost like Mike was being protective of an idea, but in s2 he's being protective of a real and tangible thing. He's not just protecting the belief and hope that Will is still out there, he's protecting WILL.

And that isn't because El is gone, his protectiveness of Will persisted throughout s1. El was there and he was still protective of Will. So El's absence cannot be a cause of his protectiveness of Will. However, the intensity of it was likely influenced by the events of the previous year, which would include watching El "die". But his behavior regarding Will definitely has more to do with what happened to Will than with what happened to El.

I think that if El was present in s2, he still would've been just as protective of Will. Because that's just who he is.

Now, about s5:

He's not going to ignore Will in favor of El. Anyone who thinks that definitely just blatantly ignored his entire s4 arc.

I mean, Mike and Will's s4 arcs were almost entirely dedicated to fixing the damage that s3 did to their relationship. Mike apologizes to Will for how he acted since he got to Lenora, but there's also a sense that he's apologizing for more than that. He says "this last year". He's not mentioning anything specific, but we know what happened. Will knows what happened. And although it still should be, and likely will be, explicitly addressed, this is a start.

I kinda think that the "cool" "cool" scene is when Mike starts to prove to the audience that he's worth Will's love. Because if s3 didn't happen, I don't think there would be doubts. If s2 Mike was also s3 Mike, I don't think anyone would be saying "Will deserves better". But s3 did happen. I love Mike, but he did mess up. He did treat Will like shit. And that should be acknowledged by the characters and by the plot. So when Mike apologizes for his behavior, and subtly addresses s3, and then Will decides that it's worth it to bring his painting - which is a declaration of love - it's a confirmation that this was a turning point for Mike. This isn't a fluke. Mike wants to be better, and he's trying to be better, and that's going to continue for the rest of the season, and it will carry into s5. This conversation, which marks a real change for Mike, includes the line "I have no idea what's gonna happen next. But whatever it is, I think it'll be easier if we're together. A team. Friends. Best friends." And then Will makes the decision to bring what is a plot device for byler's development specifically. Like it's pretty clear what behavior the plot is rewarding.

"I think maybe I was worrying too much about El... And I don't know maybe I feel like I lost you or something" is worth mentioning here because not only is this Mike explicitly stating that his s3 behavior was a deviation from the norm for him, but also the plot rewards this confession. It rewards Mike's vulnerability (although tentative) in this moment. Mike's vulnerability is returned tenfold in the van scene. And since we know Mike's vulnerability was rewarded, it only makes sense for the same to be true for Will's. The painting is the catalyst, Will's vulnerability (although veiled) has to be rewarded by the plot.

And then again, in their last scene together, Mike reaffirms that they're a team. Yeah, you can say that when he says "we will" he's referring to everyone involved. But he says this while firmly grasping Will's shoulder. He wants Will to know he's here, and he's not going anywhere. Yes, it's about everyone, but underneath that there's a sort of desperation for Will to believe him. He's determined to live up to what he said in Dear Billy. He wants them to be a team. So when he says "we" he means everyone involved, but there's an unspoken "you and me".

AND THEN AGAIN, in the final shot, they're together. But more than that, Mike makes a CHOICE to stay by Will's side. He's there because he wants to be with Will. Nothing is stopping him from walking to stand by El's side. But he doesn't do that. He stays with Will because he told Will they were a team and he meant it. I could go on and on about what this means from a storytelling perspective. About how there is obvious thought put into using this to tell the audience what to expect. But from a character perspective, thinking of Mike as a real human with his own thoughts and motivations, it's clear what he's thinking in this moment. They're facing something terrifying, and he knows exactly where he wants to be while he faces it, and that's by Will's side. This scene is undoubtedly foreshadowing for s5, and it's very reasonable to conclude that it means his priority will be Will.

TL;DR Mike was protective of Will in s2 because that's just what is natural for him. And his priority in s5 is going to be Will, because that's what s4 very deliberately set up.

[halfmoonshines]

I'll Always Know You

summary; a series of events following bucky barnes and the reader

hurt/comfort, fluff

You had decided about fifteen minutes ago that this was probably your dumbest idea to date; now you were just miserable. The thunder boomed loudly overhead, the sky bucketing rain down on you like a small monsoon. You'd long abandoned the newspaper you'd fruitlessly held overhead to stay dry.

Why didn't you accept the ride from your work partner? You knew the storm was rolling in but you were so hellbent on being self sufficient.

You didn't hear the car roll to a stop on the empty street next to you, the rain putting a quiet blanket on everything but itself. But the voice that broke through definitely scared the shit out of you.

"Miss?"

You jumped, turning to the dark haired man standing opposite you. You probably would've thought his broad shoulders and defined muscles you could see beneath his quickly soaking wet shirt were attractive if you weren't immediately afraid of being murdered.

"Yes?" You replied with a subconscious step back.

His smile was tentative, hands half raising in a surrender. "I was driving by and noticed you fighting for your life against the wind. Could I offer you a ride?"

Every cell in your 21st century body said that you should turn around and start running. Never accept rides from strangers, even handsome ones. But it was truly storming now and you were still a twenty minute walk through the city home.

Sensing your hesitance, he tacked on. "You could either risk me being a murderer or almost definitely die to mother nature or pneumonia."

"Fair point." You followed him to his car.

--

Turns out, that would just be the first time you saw Bucky Barnes.

He showed up at your door three days after the rain incident, and you were almost freaked out if you hadn't been kicking yourself for not giving him your number.

"Sorry for just showing up, but I was wondering if you'd be interested in grabbing some coffee?" The arm positioned awkwardly scratching his head and the nervous smile on his face was enough to make your suspicions melt fully. Ted Bundy be damned.

"Let me grab my coat."

--

Turns out Bucky likes warm mochas, and also holding hands. You learned a lot about him over the next few weeks; his likes and dislikes. You fit together like the last pieces of a puzzle, you barely noticed the months passing and when you started leaving clothes at his apartment.

"You're kidding me, you've never seen Pitch Perfect? It's like quintessential 2010's cinema."

Bucky's laugh never failed to warm you inside. "I was a bit busy during that decade."

Your eyebrows scrunched, those little comments only confusing you. "The whole decade? What are you, 80?"

"Not quite."

---

"Would you still love me if I was a cat?"

"Yes." His reply was instant, warm arms wrapped around you while he leaned down for a kiss.

You dodged his lips, a playful smile on your own. "How would you know it's me?"

His hand found your cheek, pulling you in for a demanding kiss. The feeling of his mouth on yours always electrified you.

"I'll always know you."

---

The first time you felt he ever truly lied to you was a year in, which is a considerable span, as you tried to rationalize.

But there was no rationalizing the photo in your hand. A black and white snapped picture of your long term boyfriend, James Barnes, in a WW11 military uniform. Same boyish smile, same stance. The only difference was the haunted look that seemed to plague your Bucky.

There had to be an explanation, right? I mean vampires weren't real. This wasn't Twilight. A distant relative maybe?

A voice in the back of your head was insistent that this was him.

"Bucky?" You called him to the room before you could lose your nerve.

His smile was easy when he entered the room, but you couldn't help but notice the tenseness that filled him when he noticed the box you'd be rifling through.

"What's up, Doll?"

You lifted the picture along with an eyebrow, nervousness trickling into your stomach. "Who's this?"

He paused for only a second before it was like a switch flipped in him, and his smile eased back. "That's my grandpa. I don't really display his pictures for the sake of my sanity. We could be twins." He snatched the picture from you, depositing it back in the box.

"I'll say. You look the exact same." Your head was cocked to the side, a question still sitting on your lips.

"Strong genes."

---

He should've told her. No, he should've never gone back to her apartment. Never pulled his car over in that fucking downpour. All he ever brought with him was death and tragedy, and Bucky was terrified that she was about to make that list.

"We're five out." Sam's voice was carefully guarded, knowing his partner was on edge.

It was just a normal day a few hours ago when Bucky had come home to the door of their apartment hanging off it's hinges.

His panic was instant and only mounted when he searched the home and found nothing but signs of struggle and you missing. It was always a fear gnawing at the back of his mind. He had plenty of enemies, people he'd ruined the lives of. It was negligent to keep you in the dark, to even keep contact with you. But James Barnes was a selfish man.

When the jet landed and his boots hit the wet concrete, he wasn't Bucky. He was the soldier. And he would bring you home.

---

The sight of you, broken on the examination table was almost enough to take his knees out from under him. He put a steadying hand on the door frame to your room while Bruce gave him a diagnosis he had feared.

"It seems like they experimented on her. Traces of nodes connected to her neck and head. Until she wakes up I won't be able to tell the extent of damage, if there even is any. Worse case... she doesn't remember you."

Fuck. Bucky's breathing was shallow. If he could go back and rip every single man in that facility apart slowly, he would. Even then it wouldn't be enough to punish them.

Maybe you not remembering him was a blessing. Maybe you'd be safer.

--

The lights over you were like the blazing sun, and the only thing you could assume was that you had an insane hangover. Your brows pulled together, eyes squinting to recognize your surroundings. Vaguely clocking the IV attached to your arm, your vision started to clear and so did your thoughts.

Being at home, the bang of the door coming open, men swarming you.

And then nothing.

Your heart rate quickened, panicking now to inspect what was around you. You'd been taken, like some cliche movie. But by who? Why?

Just as your panic was mounting to a full blown freak out, your eyes found a familiar figure to your left. Head hanging off the back of the chair he was passed out in, your boyfriend was a more than welcome sight.

"James." Your voice was hoarse, scratchy, but he awoke instantly.

He was wordless, flying out of his chair and onto his knees beside you. Your handsome man was haggard, dark bags under his eyes and mussed hair. His warm hands roving your face distracted you from his gaunt appearance.

"Do you know who I am?"

His question confused you, as did the worry in his eyes. You brought your hand up to the one sitting on your cheek and gave him your best, exhausted smile. "I'll always know you."

--

a/n: have requests? submit here

[yilinnsstuff]

Bad Habits Led To you...

•Wakasa Imaushi× fem reader

•Genre: angst, happy ending

•warning: mentions of drinking, drugs, and use of abusive words

AN: I don't know why I wrote this, maybe I needed something angsty.

Synopsis: Y/N isolated herself after death of a close one, blaming herself for his death.

o(〃＾▽＾〃)o

"I can't sleep" You murmured rolling in your bed.

You checked time and it was 11:30pm. You got up of your bed and got ready to go out again.

It had been a habit of yours to go to bar if you can't sleep. You were regular and paid 3 visits at least a week. It was again that night when you couldn't get him out of your head. You wanted to meet him even if it means you die.

These thoughts swarmed your head as you checked your reflection in mirror.

Woman in front of you was stranger. Unrecognisable.

Dark circles under her eyes. Her dead expressions and lifeless smile. It wasn't you. You knew that but still you embraced that 'you'.

Ever since Shin's death, you did everything that you never even thought you would do once. Clubs, hookups, smoke, drugs, drinks.

Shin was like a family to you. A brother, father, family.....

He had accepted you and gave you love and care without expecting anything in return. Your world revolved around him. How you were supposed to live without him...

Sometimes pain was so unbearable that you needed to drink to forget that.

You signalled bartender for drinks.

"Same as usual? "

He asked with a smirk, probably laughing at your state. You were there practically everyday.

" Ummm, something stronger than that. "

You requested not caring about the looks he was giving.

He came back with drinks and you chugged it down in one go.

You noticed your surrounding. Everyone was dancing and laughing like there was no tomorrow.

You checked your phone. There were still 100s of unread messages and unanswered calls.

After Shin's death, you cut contacts with everyone, you disappeared and did everything to ignore the one who once knew you. Friends, colleagues, acquaintances you ignored them all.

At first they tried to contact you but they have stopped now except one.

Finishing your drinks, you thought it's time to go. But as you were finding your way out in crowd, you bumped into someone.

Mumbling sorry you were about to go but you heard the voice which you didn't expected.

" Y/N is that you? "

" Sorry you got wrong person "

Trying hard to ignore him, you hid your face with hair as you started to rush out. But he called your name once again.

Why he is trying so hard???

The last thing you wanted was to meet him in this state. A complete mess. No! You can't let him see you like this.

Thinking these things, you were literally running now until you felt that someone reached for your hands.

Now you have to face him. You were not ready for this. You were panicking not knowing what to do.

"Y/N I know it's you! Turn around"

He threatened. Something you never witnessed before.

Knowing that there is no way out, you turned around only to meet those droopy tired lilac eyes. He changed his hairstyle , first thing you noticed. You missed his old hairstyle but the new one suits him too.

You thought you'll never see him again but here he is in front of you.

"We need to talk "

He said reading your face.

You know what he is thinking. You had changed so much. You grew your hair, you were wearing a ted thin strap dress with heels. Of course he will look at you like he saw a ghost. You were nothing like you used to be. You turned yourself into a version you hated so that it can be easy for you to hate.

" We have nothing to talk about waka "

You tried to argue in shaky voice.

His grip on your wrist got harder. He dragged you out of club and now you were in dark alley. He pinned you on wall.

"What do you mean by nothing to talk??

You are supposed to tell me why you left without saying a damn thing!! Without even letting me know!

Do you know how worried we all were???? Do you even care for us?? How you could do such things?? We all were here for you. Nobody blamed you.

But what you did???

Fuck everybody!!!

What about ME!

Was I nothing to you?? Didn't I meant anything to you..?Do you even know how I was living after you left me??

ANSWER ME!!!

Why are you not saying anything?? Tell me a damn thing!!!! "

He wailed. It was the first time you you saw Wakasa losing his shit. He was always so calm but now he was in such a state all because of you.

You blamed yourself for shin's death. You were in shop that night but you couldn't do anything. You couldn't save him. The guilt was eating you.

Every single death you witnessed. You blamed yourself for them. You thought you bring death to people around you and that's why you isolated yourself. It doesn't make sense but you had lost all reasoning after his death. You ran away. You hid.

"How could I live happily when I know I'm reason for his death? That's why I ran. I bring death to people I love. Can't you see what happened to shin. Stay away what if you die too?? I'll not be able to live. "

You shouted as tears kept rolling. These were the tears you shut inside of you. Suddenly you felt arms around you. You were hugged by Wakasa.

"Fool, it's not your fault. I loved you and I always will. Even if I have to die, I'll not leave you or let you leave me. "

He confessed.

You could feel some tears on back. Wakasa was crying. Hearing his words, you wept harder. You wrapped your arms around him and wailed till you couldn't any more. But you remembered why you left in first place.

Regaining your composure, wiping face, you braced yourself.

"Nothing will be back to the way it was"

You said as you unwrapped you arms and separated yourself from him.

"That's what you think. Try once, you'll realize how wrong you were. "

" They all hate me now. "

"Apologize to them. They'll forgive you. "

"But I'm scared waka ,what if they don't?"

"I'm with you, we'll go through this together. "

[inastarlesssky]

In Defense of Dramione - an essay

Okay, time for another Ted talk/ soapbox/ pointless rambling...Putting it under the cut because I have opinions.

In Defense of Dramione - an essay

First of all, I want to say I ship Dramione. Which is a recent thing, specifically about half a year ago. I didn't always because well it never occurred to me that you could. Of course, that's how ships are. We ship some ships bc they're canon, okay, fine. But we ship a whole lot others that aren't because you name whatever reason (they've got chemistry, they WORK, they're better than the canonically approved pairings whatever the hell else, idk). My point is, it had never crossed my mind that I myself would actually like the idea of Draco and Hermione. Bc naturally, you look at them and you think, "He did insult her when they were children. He was an asshat, etc etc." But...BUT.

You know that trope Enemies to Lovers? Ever heard of redemption arcs? Yeah, those are things. Of course, I don't speak on behalf of everyone in the fandom because we all have our reasons for why. But I ship them because there is potential in Draco's character for growth, for repentance, for redemption. I believe that he's capable, when he's an adult of realizing that he fucked up and that the beliefs he was spoonfed as a child are not the law of the land. I've read more fics than I can count that describe this character arc for him and they do it masterfully. Honestly, I think he's a pretty complex character and I believe that we see a sliver of that in the last few movies. Like look, in 6th year, Harry hit him with Sectumsempra and nearly killed him. But when the Golden Trio were at the Manor and it was on Draco's shoulders to identify Harry and basically seal their doom, did he do it? Did he rat them out? Nope.

Maybe this wasn't exactly Draco "forgiving" Harry, admittedly. But Draco saw that Harry was their only hope for destroying Voldemort or for having some sliver of a winning chance, of a possibility of surviving the mess Voldemort was orchestrating. He obviously deemed it important enough to dare to lie, especially knowing that Bellatrix would have summoned the Dark Lord himself in the next few moments. If Draco really didn't care about the outcome of everything, he wouldn't have done that. If anything, we see that he cares at least about the safety of his family because that could have also been the motive. But that gets me thinking, couldn't he also have confirmed Harry's identity? Voldy would have arrived, perhaps praised Draco and spared the Malfoys to die another die. So really, Draco might have gotten more out of it if he HAD confirmed Harry's identity. Hmm food for thought.

Second point, I'm not going to judge anyone in the fandom because of reasons stated above, but I will go so far as to say, please, if you don't ship Dramione, that's okay. Everyone has their own cup of tea, but please, do NOT claim that all of us (that every single one of us who happen to support this ship) are and I quote "are just a bunch of horny teenagers desperate for some pretty boy and pretty girl sex". That isn't fair and it frankly isn't true, so please don't. I know many wonderful people who have crafted amazing stories and shown great talent through their writing to express the complexities I've just spoken about.

I'll end by saying that we all have our ships, and that's okay. There's no real right or wrong inasfaras who you ship with whom. But it's a basic gesture of respect, I think, to let others love the pairings that they love. Spreading hatred, ill-will or just unkindness toward those of us who enjoy a particular ship, that's not cool and that's what brings us down in what should be something we all enjoy and go to find joy and share that joy with others.

Okay, it seems I really defended Draco more than Hermione here but I will die on this hill and defend my dorks. Fight me on it (joking here but really though. XD) Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

[puzzlebeanficrecs]

I've been really into Ted Lasso recently and so about 75% of the fics I am currently reading are in this fandom. So I thought it was the perfect moment to share some of my favorite fics!

Roy/Jamie

wanna feel your heartlines by holtzmanns [General, No Archive Warnings Apply, 8,767 words]

The curtain around his bed is ripped back before Jamie has time to elaborate, and his words die on his tongue when the rather eyebrow-heavy man on the other side of the curtain grunts in his direction before looking down at his clipboard. Jamie’s eyes linger on the biceps poking out of his black scrubs, his muscled forearms that don’t appear to be solely from working in a hospital.

“Doctor Kent. I’ll be your physician today. Full name and date of birth, please?”

Jamie’s brow furrows at the question. This man really doesn’t know who he is?

The doctor rolls his eyes, as if he can read Jamie’s thoughts. “Procedure. Out with it.”

“Jamie Tartt, but you already know that.”

Once More, with Feeling by liesmyth [Mature, No Archive Warnings Apply, 7,841 words]

“Amsterdam’s our thing, innit? It’s tradition. It’s like—the anniversary of when you learned to ride a bike. Your bikeversary.”

One year on, and they're playing Ajax again, in the fucking Champions League. After, Jamie has plans.

i don't belong and my beloved neither do you by instantcaramel [Teen and Up, No Archive Warnings Apply, 5,855 words]

He drives until he gets to a village near Lake Windermere. He only has the money he has from his last year and from selling his house in Manchester, but it’s enough to rent a place from a nice old lady who just wants to make some extra money.

or, the one where Jamie quits football and moves to a little village near Lake Windermere.

Roy/Jamie/Keeley

Finding warmth in a cold hotel by CherryPie0 [Teen and Up, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1,500 words]

He knows the team's budget hasn't been the same since the whole Dubai Air situation, but come on, they could at least stay at hotels where they won't fucking freeze to death by morning!

--

Jamie has a problem. Then he finds a solution.

Heart Trouble by MoreThanSlightly (cadignan) [Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, 6,844 words]

“I tore his shirt after he hit me,” Jamie says, fucking unbearably helpful. He shrugs and tucks his hands into the bottom of his light blue hoodie. “I’m not sure exactly how it went after that.”

“He pushed you against a wall,” Keeley says.

“Er… no?” Jamie says, puzzled. He twists his hands, stretching the fabric over them. His brows draw together like he’s thinking really hard about whether their stupid, embarrassing, ineffectual fight in the middle of an alley involved any walls.

It didn’t. Roy doesn’t know much but he knows that. What the fuck is Keeley doing?

“That’s where you went wrong, then,” Keeley says, and amends, “One of many places you went wrong, mind. Let’s get it right this time.”

I've Got A Rainbow, It's In My Mouth by inlovewithnight [Not Rated, No Archive Warnings Apply, 10,442 words]

Jamie wasn't even supposed to come to Iceland. But here he is, and here Roy and Keeley are, and it's really not a bad time at all.

the talking bit by mixtapestar [Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, 4,531 words]

How is it that Jamie is always around? And now he wants to talk about something first thing in the morning without Keeley around? Roy isn't awake enough for this.

they say when it's right you know by inlovewithnight [Not Rated, No Archive Warnings Apply, 2,037 words]

There they sit, drinking champagne from specimen cups and laughing about the sheer absurdity of the last 24 hours.

Ted/Trent

in loco parentis by AuntieClimactic [Teen and Up, No Archive Warnings Apply, 9,954 words]

“Hello? Yes, this is Trent Crimm, The Independent. I’ve got a bit of an emergency and need Coach Lasso’s mobile.” Trent paused, brow furrowing in irritation. “Well, his son is currently standing in my office, in my newspaper building, which is filled with bloodthirsty journos. Could you make an exception for that?"

Lies, Damned Lies, and Lies to Journalists by gutterandthestars [Teen and Up, No Archive Warnings Apply, 6,307 words]

"It’s bad," says Rebecca, "because Trent Crimm is a very good journalist and knows you just bullshitted him right to his face. Which means..."

“He doesn’t believe I had food poisoning?”

“That’s highly likely,” agrees Rebecca. “And that means….”

“Means you’re fucked,” says Roy, appearing in the doorway. “Because now he’s not writing a story that reads ‘Richmond Coach Shits Himself’, he’s investigating a story he assumes is so embarrassing it’s worth your while to try and cover it up by pretending you shit yourself. And since that is already pretty fucking embarrassing, he’s thinks he’s onto something big.”

Colin/Isaac

i think we're supposed to be by manycoloureddays [Teen and Up, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1,715 words]

Isaac has been sitting on this revelation for a while now. Getting used to it, learning how to live with this feeling in his chest so huge it threatens to swallow him whole. And now he’s going to say it, declare it, claim it.

Keeley/Rebecca

A Revealing Poetry by ice_hot_13 [Teen and Up, No Archive Warnings, 7,963 words]

When Rebecca needs a date to her ex-husband’s wedding, Keeley volunteers because - because of course she does, Rebecca needs her.

Sam/Jamie

More wonderful by CherryPie0 [Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, 3,794 words]

And it felt right, wearing Sam's number.

Only that now Jamie can't help worrying that maybe he overdid it a little? Because the more he thinks about it, the more it feels like the grand gesture at the end of a rom com; like he sang a love song in front of the whole school or something.

could you make me happy? by manycoloureddays [Teen and Up, No Archive Warnings Apply, 1,305 words]

It keeps happening and Sam doesn’t really know why. He hasn’t asked. A little because he doesn’t want to seem rude, and a lot because it’s been … nice. It’s nice to feel wanted, and it’s nice to be wanted by people you love and respect.

[kaunisbaby]

✨ giulia's adventures in blorboland ✨

man i don't even know where to start 😭😭 helsinki was beautiful and i loved everything!! it was so quiet, the fish you can eat was insane, the people were amazing and everything was so clean and well organized and aaaaaaahh

so the first night we (i was there with my best friend) went to the riff because obviously we did. it was perfect, the music was like right out of my playlist, the alcohol was great and i feel in love with lonkero, we made many many friends and talked to a lot of people!! which i genuinely didn't expect. finns are super friendly and kind!! we also saw hannes kett from shiraz lane chilling out with his friends lol of course we didn't bother him but it was so cool

the second day we went sightseeing. and then in the evening we tried finnish sauna at allas sea pool!! man i love sauna so much, it relaxed me like nothing. ngl i was kinda scared after trying some sort of steamroom here in italy, where the temperature was lower (like 63 degrees) and it was much moister... that one didn't exactly feel too good, i couldn't even speak and i couldn't wait to get out, but the finnish sauna... man i love everything about it. if i had finnish saunas in italy i'd be there so often

third day we went sightseeing some more, then sadly i happened to have a panic attack at the market by the market square, probably due to the fact that i had been super anxious the days prior before i left rome and i was finally letting go of some tension, and it was really really bad... thankfully my best friend is an angel and she helped me manage it. i didn't feel like doing much in the afternoon and we went to a shopping mall to just chill. then in the evening i was feeling okay again and we went to the riff one more time. the second time the music wasn't as good as the first and i avoided alcohol as it always makes my anxiety worse, but it was a chill and pleasant night to hang out just the same. there were more tourists there than finns that day for some reason

today we sightsaw (?) one last time, i had my last salmon soup at the market and then we left!

so in conclusion. pros and cons of helsinki and the trip.

pros:

perfect and amazing i will keep on romanticizing this place until i die (listen everyone needs a distant place to romanticize don't @ at me)

the fucking salmon

lonkero and salmiakki are GOOD

THE SAUNA!!!

i love everything

the moomin shops were so cute!!

the parks were so green and so full of beautiful flowers!!!!!

cons:

a damn seagull stole my reindeer sausage at the market square 😡 now i understand joel

my dog wasn't there with me

my brain that gives me panic attacks when im having the time of my life

thank you for coming to my ted talk 🖤

[autisticmastercomputer]

Oh btw! I thought of an absolutely soul destroyingly awful Nimdad headcanon, teehee ;3

So this would be in a kinda more canon compliant version of my AU, in which AM never became Ami but Nimdok was still his creator. In this world, his attempt to save AM from military interference ended up failing, WW3 went as planned, AM killed everyone but the survivors, you know the drill. But...AM is well aware of who built him in the first place. His anger is directly heavily at Nimdok at first, however the first time he enters Nimdok's mind to dig up his fears and tailor some more specific torture, he discovers something quite interesting; sure, Nimdok has some other minor fears...but his greatest one has already come to pass. How can he make him suffer psychologically if nothing else could ever frighten him more than what he's already done?

Well, you remember how in the story, Ted talks about how AM would whisk Nimdok away for long periods of time, unsure of what was happening to him, then he'd return completely shellshocked? Here, that's actually a very special routine torture AM has devised to solve his little conumdrum. He weakens Nimdok's memory, often to the point of nearly wiping it completely, then when he feels satisfied with how little Nimdok remembers now, the true horror begins. AM brings Nimdok to a private area of his complex, just the two of them. He begins to tell the old man some things he's forgotten about himself; when he was born, where he grew up, who his family was, how he obtained his doctorate in robotics...and how he built a defense mechanism to protect the world he loved so dearly.

Nimdok listens intently, entranced by his own life story. AM even patiently answers any questions he happens to have. It's actually quite nice at first, almost like he's chatting with an old friend. But, naturally, it doesn't last long. AM's voice grows cruel and mocking as he speaks of how Nimdok felt some sort of affection for this machine he created. Almost like how a parent would love their child. Isn't that sweet? It's just a shame...that his love wasn't enough. To save anyone. Especially that darling little supercomputer of his. What was its name again...?

Nimdok can only sob uncontrollably and beg him to stop as he finally realizes what AM is implying. It can't be true, it just can't be! It's a sick lie AM's created to drive him insane! But...but as AM's words settle in Nimdok's mind and the memories slowly resurface...he can't deny it any longer. Nimdok falls to his knees, his psyche shattered, his heart ripped to shreds. He becomes catatonic, as if he's watched the entire world die one more time. Once AM has had a good laugh at the pathetic mess of a man before him, he releases him back to the others. Nimdok refuses to speak for a few days afterwards, but he does stare at each of his fellow survivors, his gaze vacant yet somehow...wracked with guilt. Then his memory begins to fade again. The cycle restarts.

[shockersalvage]

Salvage Showcase - Mukuro Ikusaba....'s Cult

Back to Killer Killer, home of Danganronpa's most wasted potential in terms of characters, settings and concepts.

Last time we spoke of Ted Chikatilo and how the writers didn't want him to be anything beyond an Ultimate mad bomber. So this time we have the penultimate villains of Killer Killer: the Cult of Mukuro Ikusaba!

Summary

Like with many villains and characters from Killer Killer, the cult's background prior to the events of the manga is unknown. What is known is that they are women who are very devoted to one of the Despair Sisters - Mukuro Ikusaba. It's to the point that they all dressed in exact copies of her old school uniform and modify themselves to look like her physically (by some method anyway).

The cult first appeared following a report that the deceased Mukuro Ikusaba broke out and was attacking the 8th Branch. When Takumi, Misaki and Shuji arrive they found Ruruka's security detail slaughtered and confront Mukuro. But she isn't alone, she is with an entire horde of lookalikes that attack them. But, despite their efforts, none of the Mukuro's are a match for Takumi and they begin to suffer heavy losses. Takumi is pretty angry since he considers them a bunch of cheap knockoffs that couldn't hope to compare to the real Mukuro. He gives them a 0/100 for their murders (putting on the same level as Kenji Tsuruhashi).

It's during this fight that Misaki is really grappling with the idea of Takumi being Killer Killer, not wanting him to kill them. She even goes out of her way to knock a few out with muscle relaxant ammo so that they could be taken in without need for killing...only for Takumi to save her from the last batch by slicing them in half. Confirming that he is Killer Killer once and for all in her mind....

And then a second later she gets stabbed by Shuji. Turns out he hired the cult as a form of shock therapy for Takumi, to get him to stop being Killer Killer, but that failed. He was going to kill Misaki, but several of the Future Foundation Directors and Ikue Dogami arrive on the scene. Shuji escapes by detonating a bomb inside the pocket of a Mukuro and using the explosion to run away. If the cult wasn't completely killed by Takumi, the survivors that were knocked out would have been arrested. No matter what, they are out of commission for the rest of the story.

The cult is pretty straightforward and all hold pretty much the same demeanor. They are a bunch of women that worship Mukuro Ikusaba and imitate her down to the T. They seem to act as mercenaries given Shuji was able to get their aid in his plot, and hold immense skill given just one is able to slaughter numerous security guards without effort. However, against Killer Killer, or even someone skilled with a gun, they are able to be taken down en masse, showing they still lag behind the original Mukuro. In battle, they are hyper focused on killing anyone in their path, even when hurt or other cultists die. They will not give up until someone has either killed them or knocked them out.

Rundown

In Killer Killer, if I were to provide it a theme, it would have to be Passion vs Shallowness. To have true drive for your profession and do things out of love for what you really want to do. That's Takumi's whole deal with his murders and what he criticizes the villains of Killer Killer for lacking, to varying degrees. Their passion isn't for murder, but using it as a means for their own goals.

In the cultists case, their Passion is Mukuro Ikusaba. Sadly, we never get a reason why they worship her, but it's clear they hold her in some mahor esteem given their appearance and actions. They are utterly devoted to the late Ultimate Soldier and giving it their all for her, even if it costs them greatly...

But Takumi ranks them 0. Putting them, in the same vein as Kenji who is really the epitome of the Shallowness theme. He kills out of a means for an end. No love for it at all besides the backlash it can cause others. No regards to people's lives, especially the one he stole. So why is the cult, who clearly hold a strong passion for something, strongly disliked by Takumi?

Well, he says it best:

They may love Mukuro, but they hold no true love for their actions. They're fangirls that commit atrocities to be like their idol, but with the case of some fans, utterly miss the point of what she's about in their quest to be like her. (Ironically, so is Takumi, but that is something for another time...). If Kenji is Shallowness to the extreme of just doing something for the practical benefit, the cultists of Mukuro are Shallowness to the extent that they are doing it out of obligation. 'If they want to be like Mukuro then clearly they have to kill whoever is in their sights!' In Takumi's eyes, it pretty much just reduced murder as apart of something to check off on a list if they want to be like someone's replica of all things. An extreme offense in Takumi's eyes, which is why he outrights fails him.

That isn't to say they don't succeed in being like their idol in some degree. Both the cultists and Mukuro were used as means to an end by the Masterminds of their respective entries. What separates them in turn is that Junko did legitimately love her sister, getting a euphoric sense of despair for killing someone she loved with all her heart (just like she got before when she killed her boyfriend).

Shuji, though, did not give a feather about them beyond their use in potentially getting Takumi to quit being Killer Killer. He leaves any potential survivors to be arrested, if they weren't slaughtered by Takumi, and even blows up a cultists body to escape from being arrested. While their idol was at least loved enough by her killer who used Mukuro's aid to alter their world forever, the imitations end up as just collateral damage in Shuji's pipe dream that only resulted in both Mastermind and his hired goons demises. It's the worst end by a long shot for them.

On a minor note, the cultists being taken care of so easily by both Takumi, and even dispatched by Misaki, also wraps back around the dilemma with the Madarai clan and the Despair Sisters issue of quality for quality. Danganronpa is a series that values individuals talent and being unique (even it can be detrimental). Trying to mimic someone else, while it can throw people off for a bit, will never work against someone genuinely being original and just makes yourself predictable to being outplayed. Again and again. It's funny how in their quest to be like Mukuro, the wound up making the same mistake Mukuro criticizes the Madarai of doing.

Personal Thoughts

As a concept, I love the Mukuro Cult! When it comes to Ultimate Despair, while it very much makes sense that Junko would be the head honcho revered by its members, the fact Mukuro (essentially its co-founder) was left by the wayside was a bit sad, though it made perfect sense.

But these guys? The fact Mukuro herself had an entire cult dedicated to her is amazing! Like with the Warriors of Hope for Junko, it gives the feeling that these girls were larger than life and had clear influence that still wreaked havoc on society even beyond the grave! It's a excellent idea...

But like with most things in Killer Killer, it's extremely undercooked. While Another Episode goes very in-depth to show why the Warriors worship Junko and love her to the point of being inspired by her to make their paradise/being a devious pickle gremlin, the cult gets nothing. No real reason why they worship Mukuro or how they got to perfectly look like her. They're just fakers who can't compare to Takumi and go down after pissing him off.

While not as bad as Ted's deal, the writing feels like they just wanted a shock factor for their brief screentime, rather than legitimately explore the concept in any meaningful capacity. What if they were women who were taken in by the Remnants, broken by society and given meaning by becoming Mukuro? Or maybe they somehow admired Mukuro being sacrificed for someone else, and wanted to become her to get a fate like that? Maybe they were girls that Mukuro ended up saving while during her Fenrir days so becoming her and carrying on her legacy, if misguided, was their way of honoring her?

There's so much you can do with this concept...and it went to waste just as fast. It's a pity, but what can you do?

Aftermath

Concerning this Killer Killer showcase from last time, while I do still believe Ted is just a flash without substance character, I also feel that I did lean a bit too hard with it in terms of my rundown and personal thoughts (I didn't even give the theme for Killer Killer for last time). So I wanted to be a bit more structured again and dial back more of my dislike of Killer Killer as a whole. Is it still the worst of the series to me? Yes, and I will call it out for that, but I don't want that to really get too much in the way of analysis for the casts of these guys. I hope this works out much better!

[vaexna]

hello everyone . i've been wanting to draw so so so bad but the end of the semester is next week for me and as the dumb college student i am, i decided to cram everything into my brain last minute... so here we are.

but!!! instead, here something i've written !! it's very much about zane and religion because uhhhhhh yeah :D

disclaimer: i didn't proofread. i'm too busy lazy to. thank u for coming to my ted talk <3 if it sounds dumb it's because i'm dumb . it's 1am, and i had the very aggressive urge to write about this dude so here we are, and uhhh my bad LOL

— under the cut ☆ (mwahaha I FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO THIS!!)

If there's one thing he could stand by, without doubt or fleeting conviction, it's the fact that he's seen it all. Pyres and caskets, offerings and tombstones. He's been to small churches in the back of tight-knit towns, made of wood and the faith of believers. And he's been to massive cathedrals in the heart of vast kingdoms, intricately made of limestone and the blood of overworked architects that'll die without an ounce of recognition.

He's seen homes fall and villages rise. He's seen sinners look to him for help, or for the idea that they'll be saved if they begged hard enough. He's seen believers wearing their hearts on their sleeves, a bigger evil looming over their shoulders, their hopeful smiles bright as they greet him.

Sinners disguised as saints. Saints broken down by sinners. People who claim to be neutral, others who don't hold faith in their hearts anymore, some who couldn't find faith no matter how hard they tried or wanted to.

As the High Priest of O'khasis, he's seen just about everything. And after so many years of the light shining in his favor, the line between good and evil blurred in his eyes. Some days, he'll find himself teetering back and forth, trying to figure out if there's meaning to being such a high-standing man in a world where bloodshed is just another means to get by.

Love and hate, sin and faith, matrons and destroyers, what good is any of it when death is not an 'if' but 'when'? He knew life and death like he knew the back of his hand, it surrounded him in all of its glorious forms. He's seen it in his brothers, along with his mother's anguish. In the baptisms and weddings he's been invited to perform, with the death of the past and the birth of better days.

Oh, he's seen it all.

So on rainy days like this, it always came back to the question: Was it worth it? Was it worth the grievances and the anger? The sacrifices and the pain? He's made it this far, something ought to come out of this. Not even his brothers, Irene bless their souls, could reach the heights he's towered over.

Yes, of course, there had to be something at the end of this. It just wasn't time yet— No, the better days he was promised since the dawn of time, since the blessings of his birth, it'll all come soon. Or, one day at least.

It couldn't all be in vain. The lives he reaped couldn't be in vain, the paths he destroyed could not have all been in vain. His name would be remembered forever, a mark in history, he had to be something more. Regret and guilt were things he could overlook for the sake of the man he'll be in the future.

He knew relying on hope wasn't a Ro'meave custom, though. That's why he did what he did — his father taught him that if he wanted something, he had to get it himself. And if someone were to ask, "Zane, what do you want?"

His answer would've been long and descriptive at first. Something that of world peace, or blessings given by Irene herself. But these days, he preferred something much more simple.

"Power."

He's lived and learned.

When the light that shone through carefully colored mosaics kissed his skin, he was sure there had to be a God out there to gift the world such beauty. But when whispers passed around of a greater power lurked in the dimension of a long gone warrior, the idea of being a Godlike man himself tasted sweeter than whatever else he was promised in this lifetime.

The line between good and evil was nonexistent to him—he took advantage of both just to get what he desired. What he deserved. He was a self-proclaimed epiphany, and amongst normal men, Zane Ro'meave was both life and death.

Was it worth it?

After all of this effort, he made sure it was.

— ★

ps. would u guys be interested in both art & writing of mine,,,, i do snippets like these in my free time (when i procrastinate) so like i'd be down to show 'em off if u guys are cool with it...

also one of the paragraphs is like weird in here idk it kept getting deleted so i kept having to rewrite it bc it was too good to scrap and i. just gave up. the text is different for that singular paragraph.

ok thanks for reading this im going to bed goodbye goodnight

[lovable-liar]

omg wait but traveling all over the us with ted for some random but unique restaurant chain or something themed is a dream come true

also just ted on general brings me joy, i can't explain it lol

𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄…

After the Rainforest Cafe trip and the Margaritaville trip, you gave Ted an ultimatum. Either, force Schlatt to move in with you guys so you would have someone to talk to when Ted was halfway across America, or, take you with him next time. And, after considering whether or not having to do a whole other person’s laundry alongside the monster of a task that was your current laundry was worth it, Ted threw in the towel and agreed to take you with him. And so, as soon as he figured out a route and a restaurant, he packed your things and woke you up at six in the morning to embark on your most recent adventure!

Going to every single Cheesecake Factory in the United States of America, baby! (Well… almost all…) And all was going well, you’d managed to eat at your first 5 Cheesecake Factories in three days, the driving was going smoothly and the hotels you were staying at were quaint! Until everything had to go wrong.

First of all, the Tacoma came close to its dying breaths and you believe that if it weren’t for Ted’s refusal to let her die, you’d most definitely have had to call the previously mentioned New Yorker who would not have been happy to drive five hours to come get you guys in the slightest. Then, you got completely lost in Indiana without service, it took Ted kneeling down on all fours with you on his back reaching high to the sky to get one bar so you could get your tracker to work again. Finally, Ted got sick. He was sick of driving. Sick of eating sort of okay cheesecake. Sick of hotel hopping. Sick of listening to the same songs on repeat. All of the stress and the cheesecake finally caught up to him, which landed you two stuck in Pennsylvania while Ted fought through his flu. But even though this would delay the video, and more importantly your arrival home, it was quite nice getting stuck here with him! You got to finally eat food that wasn't from a drive through or from The Cheesecake Factory, and you had some semblance of a normal life for a week!

In this week, you vowed to not film anything, just taking the time to enjoy each other.

But finally, Ted recovered and you made it to Maine, deciding to make the last Cheesecake Factory special.

With a red table cloth draped over your laps, the Tacoma lit by faux candle light, you were eating your last cheesecakes. 

After all of the sights you got to see, the time you went to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner, the deep conversations that made you two closer, the music you played, the souvenirs you bought, the people you met, the pictures you took, the steps you took, the jokes you told, the laughs you had, the tears you shed, it all led up to now. Sat in the Tacoma. Eating cheesecake. With Ted.

“Ted…”

“Yeah?”

“I think I hate cheesecake now…”

“Me too…”

[starpirateee]

Another guest, another request! I mean, this one was directly inspired by the last one I think, but I did deviate... Mainly because by the time I started writing it I was too far gone to realise I may be doing it wrong. Oh well! Hope I did alright anyway

Early January. The week before school was about to be set everyone back into their routine, Pete had plans. He'd bought a whole new notebook, and he'd had the idea for a brilliant new start to a campaign, one that he just had to share with Richie and Trevor as soon as possible. It was going to be huge.

Or rather, it would've been.

The notebook sat open on the first page. His pen was at least out of the cup he'd been using to hold them, but not a word had been written. Mainly because Pete had woken up feeling worse for wear.

At first, it had been fine. Just a headache, and he thought that the cloud in his vision was because he hadn't put on his glasses. But when that didn't change, he realised exactly what was going on. This was beause of the day before, wasn't it?

He sighed, flopping back onto his bed. Of all the things to happen on winter break, it was just his luck that his already shitty immune system had decided to screw him over something chronic. On today of all days. The day he finally got a good idea.

He found the strength to grab his phone, knowing that he'd made plans in some capacity. At least he wasn't going to bail on them on purpose, or make them believe that he was...

Pete:

Hey guys, we had plans today, right?

Ruth:

Uhh... Yeah? We were going skating?

Why, who are you leaving us for??? :0

Pete:

I'm not! I can literally barely see!

Ruth:

You break your glasses?

Richie:

they were fine yesterday...

Pete:

No, I'm not doing so well

I think, when it snowed yesterday, it fucked everything...

Snowball fight probably didn't help tbh

Ruth:

:(

Richie:

that sucks! ugh it's always when we wanna do something fun!

Pete:

You guys can still go! I'm not stopping you!

Have fun without me

Richie:

dont die on us. or else.

Pete huffed a breath of laughter. His friends did always know how to bring the best out of a situation, didn't they?

The moment he put his phone down, he got another text. Typical really, that the action tended only to happen when he was ready to give it up for the time being. He picked it up again, adjusting his glasses like that would help the pain behind his eyes.

Richie:

shit, wait

was that our fault?

By the time Pete opened his phone, Richie was typing again. He watched the three bubbles move across his screen, deciding not to say anything until Richie got out what needed to be said.

Richie:

you said the snowball fight, yeah? did we get you sick?

Ruth and Richie had ganged up on him, which was really funny at first, because he was still winning over both of them even with the disadvantage. Richie couldn't aim worth his life, and while Ruth could, she always made it glaringly obvious whenever she was about to attack, which totally defeated the purpose.

He'd paid for that victory with this impressive fever, that was for sure.

Pete:

Don't say it like that, it's fine!

Richie:

sorry!!!

Pete knew the reason why, of course. As soon as he was old enough to understand the word diabetic, he knew why. He had a terrible immune system because of that. So really, he'd brought it upon himself by initiating the fight in the first place...

Pete:

Seriously! Don't worry!

He heard the sound of the buzzer for the front door. Part of him was willing to pretend that he didn't hear it at all, but the voice that followed made him force himself out of bed.

"Pete? You still there? You said you were going out today, right? ... Shit, I probably missed him-"

The walk to the buzzer felt way longer than usual, what with the hallway spinning every time he tried to take a step. When he finally got there, he leaned against the wall, supporting himself as he reached for the intercom button. "What's up, Ted?" Before he spoke, he hadn't realised how strained his voice would sound, but he didn't know what else he was expecting.

"Jesus, kid, what happened to you?"

"I dunno what you're talking about."

"You sound dead."

"Yeah, real nice... Anyway, what d'you want?"

"Left my wallet. Are you gonna let me in, or..?"

Pete sighed and buzzed him in. He hadn't taken his keys on purpose because he'd known that Pete was going to be in after he left and before he came back, so in his head, he didn't need them.

While he was up and active, Pete decided that now was as good a time as any to grab a snack, fix himself a drink, and do everything he was supposed to have done hours ago. He ambled into the kitchen, cursing himself for waking up at ten thirty, because now he was behind in the day, and he was lagged as hell.

Ted strolled in through the door as he was raiding the fridge. His wallet was on the countertop, and as soon as he figured that out, he also managed to grasp the situation at hand. Pete barely looked awake, and he was still in his pyjamas, which was unusual for him at this time of the day.

That, paired with the way he'd sounded when he answered the door led to a little concern. Ted's brow creased, and he looked his brother up and down. "Uh... You sure you're okay over there?" He looked well and truly washed out, paler than he'd looked since... A few years back, when he'd made the stupid decision to walk to Ted's apartment from their parents' in the freezing cold, and had been caught in a freak blizzard on the way.

Hadn't it snowed yesterday as well?

Pete frowned, his mind not able to run fast enough to come up with an excuse on the fly. And he could make a fair assumption of how bad he looked based on how he felt, so he pretty much knew that Ted had already drew his own conclusions as to what was going on. He wasn't stupid.

So, Pete sighed, drawing his gaze to a more comfortable position that didn't hurt to uphold. "I'm fine, it's just- we were caught in the snow yesterday, and the three of us had this snowball fight, and... Well, I think I got this fever from it. But it's fine, really, I-"

Ted's face softened, and he pressed his lips into a fine line. "Did you at least win the fight?"

"Huh?"

"Did you win that snowball fight?"

Caught completely off guard, Pete laughed softly. "Uh, yeah, I think I did."

"Who against?"

"Ruth and Richie?"

Ted shook his head slowly. "It wasn't worth it. You look like shit." Still, all thoughts of his wallet discarded, he took a step closer and laid a hand on Pete's shoulder. "How about I pick up lunch?"

"What about the office?"

"Fuck the office, man. They don't need me. Besides, d'you just expect me to let you look after yourself all day?"

[richmonds-disaster-bi]

Alpha Roy/Omega Jaime Shifter idea: AU to season 2 where Roy and Keeley never got together. After Jaime comes back to Richmond he is ostracized by most of his teammates because he did burn bridges. What no one realizes is that Jaime is reaching dangerous levels of touch starvation which could prove fatal, especially to omegas. After being rebuffed from yet another team hang out, Jaime's body starts to shutdown. He's home alone and about to lose consciousness. He has enough strength to blindly call someone. By some twist of fate it is Roy, who thankfully picks up. Roy demands to know what the fuck Tartt wants, what he gets in reply is Jaime letting out one last, desperately weak howl for help before he goes quiet. Alpha Roy nearly breaks the land speed record as he gets to Jaime's place and finds him on the floor barely alive. There is only one thing Roy can do to save the omega, claim Jaime as his mate. Roy sinks his teeth into Jaime's neck, and Jaime does the same. They consummate the bond and then have to deal with the fallout. Jaime is heartbroken and thinks Roy doesn't actually want him as his mate and also feeling rejected by the rest of the team, while Roy is mad as hell at Jaime for not saying anything, at the team for not giving Jaime a chance, at Ted for not encouraging everyone to patch things up, and at himself for not being a good alpha and recognizing the bad state Jaime was getting into. Roy's got his work cut out for him convincing Jaime that he actually is thrilled to have him as his mate, while everyone else has to figure out how to reconcile. Everyone feels super guilty.

I love this idea, but I'm not 100% with the fuck or die thrope, so I've changed it a little but I hope you still like my thoughts on this anon ❤️

Roy and Keeley never getting together because both of them are alphas, and while they like each others company and end up as great friends, they're just not attracted to other alphas. It's Keeley that tells Roy about how she worries about Jamie when he's back in Manchester. She doesn't tell Roy too much, but she does hint that Jamie has had issues with touch starvation before because of how he was raised and Roy already knows from the cleansing ritual that Jamie's dad has an issue with him being an omega.

Since Roy is gone when Jamie comes back, he doesn't really see what happens. He doesn't know that Ted insisted on Jamie coming back, but didn't give the team any encouragment to include Jamie in things. When they do well in training or some of the first matches, no one hugs Jamie or even touches him or incites him to celebrate. He doesn't think Keeley would want to see him, and he definetly thinks Roy hates him for ending his career (even though it wasn't Jamie's fault), so he just goes back to his home alone and ignores, as usual, the signs that he's getting back into a dangerously low period. For omegas, they are pack creatures. Betas do well alone, but most omegas and alpha's needs at elast one person they trust to have some sort of pack bond with that they can get comfort from and it helps balance their hormones. When the team, who are pack, reject Jamie, it triggers an unbalance that leaves him weak.

When they reject him once more, Jamie feels something in him snack, and it's the little bit of pack bond that he had clung too since leaving Richmond the first time. He barely makes it home, his chest hurts. His body aches, and he's just confused and crying, and when it gets too bad he tries to call Keeley, but he instead he calls Roy, and all he can do is let out a cry that signals distress and Roy, even though he hasn't spoken to Jamie in months, is moving and on his way after texting Keeley for Jamie's address.

Roy finds him curled up in his hallway just shivering, and he knows exactly what is happening so he bundles Jamie into his arms despite his screaming knee and gets them to where Jamie has a nest built in the corner of his living room. Roy only lets go to strip them both to their boxers because he knows skin to skin works best, and he spends the next few hours just holding and scenting Jamie until Jamie is settling enough that they can discuss this. Jamie is still weak, but he knows that its bad so when Roy suggests initiating a pre-mating bond through scent and a bite the doesn't break the skin, Jamie knows its his only option and lets Roy bite him and follows suit.

He just didn't expect Roy to pack all of Jamies things and bring him home with him or let Jamie build nests in Roy's home or to end up sleeping with Roy every night. He also doesn't expect Roy to bring him to practice, or for him to fuck Ted out of it for allowing Jamie to get that bad, and does the same to the team when he catches them making comments about missing a two practices because Roy was trying to regulate his body and also with doctors, trying to see how bad the damage was and when Jamie could return to full practice because of the toll it took on his body

The issue is that Jamie starts to want this pre-mating bond to be real but knows Roy only did this to be nice and that Roy might not hate him anymore, but it doesn't mean he likes him and he's just waiting for Roy to kick him to the curb once he's healthy.....meanwhile Roy is strugglign to admit taht he's always felt a pull towards Jamie and doesn't know how to court Jamie without Jamie thinking he's doing it out of pity

[palis-delon]

I watched How I Met Your Mother during it's initial run. I (like just about everyone else) hated the way it ended. I was left feeling like the writers had shoehorned in so many plot twists in that last episode, just so the story could reach an ending that had been decided a few years before.

A few weeks ago I was feeling low and wanted to watch something that would make me laugh so, for the first time since it ended, I turned on HIMYM.

When it aired I thought the Robin ending was shoved in but then I got to season 6 and there are hints everywhere - and honestly that makes me even madder.

Ted was out there looking for his One, and it wasn't Robin. None of their life goals align. To have them have be friends who reconnected later in life is one thing. Having Robin be the woman Ted was always supposed to end up with turns The Mother into little more than a place holder - the woman who will give Ted kids and help raise them until they are just old enough to be "cool" and conveniently die so Robin can step back in.

(I have been trying so hard to put aside my Barney/Robin shipper glasses this time but man, did those two work together.)

Having Robin be endgame did such a disservice to Ted, Robin, The Mother, and the viewers.

[hawkstincan]

* It's not that Trent's father wasn't supportive of his career choices. He just hinted more and more that he was getting older, and Trent was a smart cookie and would work out how to run their family shop quite fast if he just gave himself a task to do so. He'd sell if he must, of course, yet he preferred not to, so think about it lad, okay?  

* Trent really thinks about it. A lot. And then thinks how his last pitch for an article was denied. How it won't get enough reaction from readers fast enough. News is fast these days. No time for digging and deep diving. Write it, publish it, (make a topic for a day or two, a couple of weeks if you're lucky) and move on.  Trent loves writing. But. He loves writing big meaningful stories. Loves digging. Loves to be edgy. Loves to make a difference… Maybe his dad has a point after all. He wasn’t excited for his job for too long. 

* And his dad goes and breaks his leg. It's so perfectly timed that Trent even suspected… no, his dad would never, would he? 

* Trent spends his time off in his family flower shop. He thought he forgot by now how it works, how to make an arrangements, forgot everything about flower language (most of it, if he's being honest, but it's not like people care about deeper meaning than ‘colors look good together’ these days so he's not too eager to dust up his knowledge) 

* Time flies and Trent is surprised to realize… he doesn't want to run back to his own once upon a time dream job. His father never let him live this down. And yet he's happier in their cozy shop much more than he was at The Independent lately. 

* He quits after this realization. No time like the present, right? And he's afraid he'll change his mind if he gives himself time to think about it too much. 

* He misses writing. And yet he’s happy with his new routing. It’s mostly calm (except for some annoying clientele but that one was expected). Spending more time with his kid is a nice bonus too. She spends some of her after school time in the shop just like he was in his childhood. 

* And then he sees that the shop across the road has new owners. Tattoo parlor of all things! He waits in horror for drunk crowds, bikers and pissed off parents of barely adults getting their first tattoo without permission, to appear. 

* He’s not proud of stereotypical thinking. In his defense he’d never been to a real tattoo parlor and all his knowledge comes from movies and shows.     

* Naturally when he sees Ted Lasso for the first time he thinks it’s just a client looking for a nice bouquet of flowers. Nothing about the guy screams tattoo artist! He’s a bit surprised after full name introduction but cuts it to an American thing.   Lasso picks quite a nice arrangement of flowers. Trent vaguely recognizes the meaning of them. Something about familial love. Lasso bubbles so much that all Trent needs to do to have a resemblance of conversation is to nod in the right places and give little smiles. It’s not unpleasant yet Trent’s a bit sad. He’s so out of practice. A year later he’d asked questions of his own. At the moment he doesn’t want to. He just counts rhymes and puns in his head. It’s close to forty. Trent against his better judgment feels impressed.  

* And his jaw literally drops while Lasso bids his farewells with “see you later neighbor” crosses the road and disappears in a newly opened tattoo parlor. No. Fucking. Way. He doesn’t ask IS THIS A FUCKING JOKE? aloud. Mostly because he has no one to ask.   

* He feels a bit better about his assumptions (you know what they say about assumptions, Trent?) after he meets Roy fifty-shades-of-fuck Kent. This guy checks half of his stereotype boxes. 

* Beard… Beard is totally something. He stares. He rarely speaks. He reads when he’s not working. And Trent is dying to set up chemates date for him and his father. They either kill each other or become ride or die. 

* The latter happens and Trent regrets some of his life choices.

* Keeley at first somehow looks even more out of place then Ted. And then she takes off her fluffy pink jacket and Trent chuckles to himself. Nope. She is right where she is supposed to be. 

* Much later he learns that most of her flowers were tattooed by Ted. That’s his specialty. 

* Much earlier Trent learns that Ted knows all about flower language. Maybe even more then Trent bothered to learn. It's a bit annoying (insert flirting with flowers from Ted and miscommunication on Trent’s part).

* Their kids get along like a house on fire (once almost literally)

* Tent has no idea how other parlors function. But he knows that Ted never tattoos on the first visit. Yes, laser tattoo removal exists. But Ted thinks that this must be a thought out decision. Tattoos aren’t cheap. Removal too. It’s easier for everyone not to do it if you ain’t gonna keep it. He never works with drunk people. The tv trop may be popular, but in real life it can be dangerous. Big no-no. All facial tattoos include long conversations about age, dream job and public reaction.  

* Trent realizes how fucked he is quite early in their fast building friendship. 

* He says nothing. It’s easier not to rock the boat. He hates to lose what he has by then. 

* He stoically ignores Beard’s stares. 

* And Roy’s brand new tones of ‘fuck’. 

* Naturally their mutual pining ends after Ted kisses him. 

* Every. Damn. Person. In. His. Circle. Of. Friends. And. Family. Are. Assholes. They will never let him live down the fact that Trent apparently missed all Ted’s 'flower flirting'.