#we are all looking for a funny little guy to teach us how wonderful life and the world is

[arashi-no-saxlphone]

What really fucks me up about the Axl/Ino dichotomy is how it's two people in the same situation in wildly different directions. Except with Ino it's beat-for-beat on-the-nose "The Clinical Depression has Knocked me Clean on My Ass" (more under the cut cause oops long post, also cw: depression and whatnot cause it gets a little heavy beyond this point)

I fucking want to sob during her interrogation scenes. She talks about not feeling joy anymore from the things she used to. Jack-O asks her what she wants and she gives a long answer about her and Will that basically boils down to "I just want to be fucking happy." What fucking tears me to pieces specifically though? The part where she lists all these happy things and memories about Will that she said she promised herself she'd never forget and she says "Those memories are still fuzzy. Any guess as to why? Cause they're not real."

One of the most messed up effects of depression I learned about was that it can actually cause a kind of brain damage and erode memory. Ino is so lost and angry and pissed at the world and nothing she's ever done has worked and now she's just questioning any happiness she ever had or any feeling she held onto and now she's become that person that I think a lot of us who have struggled with these kinds of issues have at times wished to be: just an all powerful god being that wants someone, anyone, to pay for the hurt. Just somewhere to direct the anger - see "I'm going to make a world where everyone is like ME" like wow, yeah she's in rough shape.

And yet, on the opposite end of the spectrum, you've got Axl Low, who gets dealt shit hand after shit hand and still tries hard to be kind. And he extends that to Ino. He gets it - but he also has her number. He tells her to find a way to do what she really wants; "Break the happy record instead." He's there for her. He knows what it's like and how hard it is to find happiness in a world that keeps being unfair, but he knows it's possible because he's done it.

Ino's theme "Requiem" keeps playing Ino's memories for her like they're torture - "Let's take some strawberries and go to the hill / If you want to see fireworks, bring a cute scarf / the pictures in my head tell me a lot of stories / None of this is real"

At the end of Strive, who tells her that's bullshit (blazing)? Axl GODDAMN Low!!! She told Jack-O "Those memories aren't real" and Axl screams at her "We all carve a happy memory to take with us as we go along, please try to remember something, ANYTHING!" and the memory she thought was fake? It's made real by Axl. It's validated and affirmed by him. And in that moment Ino fucking smiles. The Hard Rock Witch, the twisted Crimson Minstrel, finally feels like it's all real. And she recognizes Will, and Will recognizes her.

I fell off the wagon towards the end here I'm not sure how to poignantly wrap this up - I just watched a video on why someone's favorite character is Axl Low and it made me spiral into Axl/Ino again so here we are. I just think that it's yet another crazy good example of the way Guilty Gear is able to illustrate these insanely deep stories about what it means/how hard it is to be human, and Ino is one of the fucking best ones.

I'll link the video below because it's pretty fucking good and if you like Axl like I do I know y'all are chomping at the bit for talk on him haha. Also wanted to mention that video has a crazy good comment near the top that mentioned how Axl says in Xrd that his favorite thing about Megumi is her smile and when Ino smiles at the end of Strive that's when they finally recognize eachother. Thought I'd bring that up because it made me need to lie down for a while. I love Guilty Gear.

[thesharktanksdriver]

Call Sign: Sharky (Platonic)

Part 1, part 2 part 4 part 5

Sorry if parts repeat like some people noticed. There’s not much I can do about it and it seems to be a glitch with the keep reading line. My posts are long and I don’t wanna clog people’s pages so y’all will have to deal with it

Also thank you all for your support!.

The topic of your Call sign is often ones that’s discussed with confusion with 141

Each time you were asked you’d come up with a new story something like “dad was a marine biologist”, “I was raised by sharks sharkboy style and was taken in by the military” or “I just wouldn’t shut up about them”

It leaves all them confused and silently curious

Call signs most of the time have meaning to them

Now some can certainly be stupid or embarrassing but they get them for a reason and Sharky is a specific one

One that came with you when you had found yourself transferred over to 141

One that came with you when you had found yourself transferred over to 141

One that came with you when you had found yourself transferred over to 141

One that came with you when you had found yourself transferred over to 141

One that came with you when you had found yourself transferred over to 141

Which had meant that only you and your past squadron knew that meaning

And meant ghost, Soap and Gaz we’re clueless as to getting it except from you

Price is not it the same situation as them, partially because he knew your past captain

In fact he’s good mates with him, they had used to serve together before climbing both their ways up the ranks

Even got your recommendation from him

But when he decided to ask the question of your Codename he didn’t really expect that it had more than what meets the eye

“Your wondering about their Codename?.” He questions looking over to Price whom sits beside him at the bar. Price nods, making his old friend laugh a bit and add “I’ll have to give some context first before we get to that point”.

“Context of what?”

“Oh, of when they first joined”

When you had first joined you were much different to how you were now

You were a shy little thing, less confident to how you were now. Downright afraid of the others on your team

There was a very clear and tall wall you put between yourself and everyone else no matter how they tried to reach through to you

It took a long while but after some time one of them had gotten through to you

Salamander, but everyone at the time called him Sal for short

He was an a older soldier, mid-50’s with a wife and kid

It’s that reason why he was able to connect to you, having experience with a child of his own

He showed you the ropes, helping bridge that gap between you and the others

You began to open up more, talking in hushed mumbled before they evolved to full on discussions

You knew a lot of weird and obscure facts, stuff most of them hadn’t known about

You specifically talked quite a bit about marine life since a few of them were ex-navy and you thought that would be funny

It admittedly was especially when you joke that “you’d think they’d teach you about this stuff when your at sea” and “maybe I’m more navy than you guys”

It was nice, you were opening up and some had even began trying to debate each other over call signs for you

They weren’t really sure what to give you yet but it was the mission that finalized it

“The mission?”

“Yeah…the mission. What gave me their name”

The mission was ok at first, that’s the main thing you remember about it

No initial panic just clear waters both figuratively and literally as your footsteps crunch down on golden yellow sand

But then like a nuke dropping everything went to shit

It’s blurry to your mind what had initially happened but you ended up hiding behind some washed up driftwood

Sal was beside you clutching his neck as you did your best to keep him from bleeding out

The shrapnel lodged in his neck was too deep, blood pouring through your fingers as you pleaded with him to hang on

Your vision was blurred by tears as you watched the life drain from him

He often talked about his wife, his kid, and yet he now laid here beside you. Forgotten in the sand as your hands shook

Something came over you, that primal urge that every living creature had in times of peril

The urge to survive no matter what

Your adrenaline was running high, the pops of gunshots making it worse along with the red that began dying the once yellow sand

Your breath is getting quicker as you begin to see red

And then you can’t remember what happened other than the overwhelming feeling of panic and the urge to protect

When the haze over your mind cleared the pungent taste of iron filled your mouth and clogged your nose

You feel shaky, almost as if your entire body was hollow

taking a step back you almost trip over something, making you stumble a bit as you look down to see the dead face of the enemy staring back

Pure terror is twisted on his once moving face that bows stuck in the perpetual horror he died while feeling

Your attention is drawn away when you hear your captains voice, it cuts through the static that muffled the crashing waves and squawking pelicans that sounded so distant

His hand is on your shoulder, his eyes staring down at you with worry as blood dribbled down from your lips

Your dazed and confused. Eyes wide and pupils blown out

“Captain what happened. Why do I taste blood?” It’s such a simple question but it shakes him to his core, you sound so afraid. Like a kid

You are a kid compared to them but this just makes it more obvious

The remaining part of the squadron both injured and tired watch on as their captain talks to you gently

Your shaking like a leaf, blood drenching you as he draped an arm over your shoulder and walked you towards them

You don’t stare at your teammates though, you instead stare at the once blue water that was turned scarlet red

Off in the distance you see the distinct shape of a fin or two poke out from the water

The crashing of the waves felt louder despite the fact you walked farther and farther away

Rolling in and retracting back out in a cycle

You notice near a body in the sand two fingers, discarded and bloodied and a memory flashes in your mind

The enemy, captain, scuffle, bite, spit out, kill, safe, move on

It now explains the blood that isn’t your own that you spit out

You fill in the blanks about what happened by asking your teammates afterwards who are nervous to answer

Seemingly afraid to send you into a panic attack after learning what had happened

Apparently you went apeshit on the enemy, to the point the team did barely anything as you did the brunt of the work

You used your pistol, when you ran out of ammo you used the empty gun and your knife

At some point one had grabbed the captain, was about to put a bullet through his head before you intervened

The human jaw despite how weak it is compared to the bite of something like a dog or a big cat, it’s much more powerful than we give it credit for

Exerting up to Around 125 kg of force or 162 lbs per square inch

Usually something like this doesn’t happen much considering you’d have to get through skin, tissue and tendon but you had done it via your adrenaline

You bitt off the guy’s fingers, not one but two and then spat them out

You then killed him, his body dropping down to the sand just like his fingers did

It’s what earned you your nickname Sharky

You see

Shark attacks are much less common as one would think compared to how their portrayed in the media. Sure, they do happen but it’s less likely for one to be lethal

Your more likely to be killed by a deer or mosquito than a shark

They usually attack when provoked or when confused after mistaking a human for a seal

They dislike our flavour, so after an attack they usually discard us after the initial bite

Much like how rare a lethal shark attack actually is in comparison to other animal related deaths it’s rare that someone can bite off someone’s finger

And like a shark you spat it out

Thus your clever nickname given to you by your teammate Kansas after remembering your ramblings of the aquatic sea creature

“It just kinda stuck after that” he says taking a sip of his beer before placing it down onto the countertop, his thumb circles it’s rim as he looks down into the gold liquid. “Their a good kid. Their happy right?” It comes out as somewhat hoarse, he’s more choked up than he’d like to admit.

“Yeah, their happy. Hasn’t been a day I hadn’t woken up to find them with a shit eatin grin”

“Good. Funny how they’ve brightened up from such a shy kid.”

He pulls back from his chair, placing down his cash plus a small tip for the bartender who accepts it eagerly

“Good to see you again Price. I’ll keep in contact” just as he’s about to leave he adds one more thing “ps, they write about you a lot”

“Write?”

[haitaniapologist]

YOU DIDN'T TEACH ME HOW TO FORGET YOU. ( childe x reader, part one )

╰┈➤ you never thought you would find the boy who haunted your childhood in a trip to liyue.

pairings — childe / tartaglia x fem!reader.

warnings — reader is a ragnvindr (not specified whether adopted or not, so it's up to you), reader have an anemo vision, reader and childe are 20, kaeya is older than diluc (personal headcanon of mine lmao), lumine is the traveler, a little bit of angst but overall fluff (yet), childe is smooth and lovesick, a bit of yandereish behavior, possessiveness.

word count — 7.1k

notes — my first time writing for genshin!!! im a bit nervous, but since i noticed childe has only one earring i couldn't stop thinking about it. this is a bit inspired by the relationship between lacie baskerville and jack vessalius from pandora hearts, eheheh. anyways, i hope you guys will enjoys!! reblogs and comments are so so appreciated <3

part two.

being in liyue harbor always brings fond memories to your heart. 

it was a place where your father used to have great business deals and, whenever he needed to make a visit to see if things were under control, you and your brother — some time later, brothers — were always at his feet, begging and asking if he could take you two to such an adventure. 

dawn winery was beautiful and it was your home, the place where generations of your family grew up and learned how to handle their visions, but liyue harbor had something else — it was more alive, more crowded, more colorful. you were always whisked away by the lanterns and the waterfalls, even though your father, and later your older brothers, kept an iron grip on your hand. 

but one day diluc was too occupied looking at a blacksmith making a sword and you used such an opportunity of freedom — it was funny, wasn’t it? that you hailed from the city of freedom yet had your father and brother kept you locked up — to explore the harbor. you ran around, mouth slightly agape in awe due to the city lights and the fishes dancing on the artificial lakes around the stairs. you were living your best life, and you knew that. some old lady treated you to some tea and a piece of your favorite cake, and only when you left her company and walked a bit more around did you notice you were lost. 

being lost that day made you meet a ginger haired boy with eyes filled with mirth, and a smile that would never leave your thoughts even after years since the last time you saw him. 

“y/n? is everything alright?” you heard paimon’s voice, her small hands waving in front of you. a giggle left your lips seeing her expression, and even lumine gave you a small smile. 

you were still in awe in how quickly diluc agreed with you accompanying the traveler on her journey to liyue — he hasn’t said anything about inazuma, so you were still hopeful he’d agree with you visiting the eternal city too — as, since your father’s death and everything that happened with kaeya, he had been even more protective than normal. but he seemed to trust lumine enough to handle her the task of protecting you, and you couldn’t be happier. it had been ages since the last time you went to harbor, but it seemed that nothing had changed much. 

yet, you couldn’t help but have the hope of seeing that boy — ajax was his name, that he told you when he first made you laugh — once more. you wondered if he still had the earring you gave him, since it would be the only way you would be able to recognize him for sure. you had changed a lot since you were a child, and you were sure he had changed too. but you never took the earring off, always hopeful that someday he would appear in the winery searching for you. 

“yes, thank you for the concern, paimon.” you smiled at her, stretching your hands above your head. “i just have fond memories about this place, that’s all.” you explained, feet already walking a little faster to finally be at liyue harbor once more. 

“is that so? that’s why you were so eager to come with us when we said our journey would take us here?” you hummed a quiet confirmation to her questions, eyes scanning the crowd. you never went to liyue when the rite of descension was happening, only hearing stories about it from the merchants and from your own father — lord barbatos wasn’t like rex lapis, and sometimes you envided liyue for having such a close relationship with its deity. having an anemo vision always made you want to meet the god who granted you such a blessing, but nobody has seen the anemo archon since mondstadt founding days. “oh, paimon thought so!” the small girl nodded at you, starting to fluctuate before you and lumine. 

maybe she was anxious to reach the city, too. 

—

“but papa!” a child’s voice could be heard by those who passed near the unfamiliar group of people, all of them dressed in black and white, surely not from the harbor — the man and the boy’s bright red hair was enough clue that they were from the family who kept their taverns full of wine and other drinks, but also someone they weren’t supposed to mess with. 

crepus ragnvindr had a reputation beyond him, but the way he was crouched to listen to his daughter’s complaints, made it shrink a bit. “papa, i do not want to be with diluc.” you tried to plead with him, small hands grasping his white shirt. “‘luc is a meanie, papa! he was yanking my braids a few minutes ago!” crepus sighed, and you turned your head back to show your tongue to your older brother. 

he just showed his in return, red-hair long enough to cover his face and the smirk behind it. 

“y/n, my dandelion.” your father called you and you returned your attention back to him, his red eyes kind but shining with authority. “i will be having some meetings with important people, in a few minutes. you will be bored and i am sure of it.” he explained, heart breaking at how crestfallen you looked. “i am sure being with diluc will be more of an enjoyment for you. you both can explore the city, and i’ll make your brother promise he will do something that you want, alright?” his big and warm hands cupped your cheek, trying to wipe the few tears that spilled from your eyes. 

ever since your mother died, you noticed your father started to be more touchy and considerate of you and brother. once, he used to stay locked up in his office, from breakfast to dinner, and your mother was the one who made sure you and diluc were enjoying your childhood. but now he was the only one who could make it. 

“you promise you’ll buy me a new dress and some inazuman dango, papa?” you pleaded. 

he kissed your forehead. “of course. now, go. papa has his meetings.” he let go of your face and you snuggled at your brother’s side, small hand intertwined with his. diluc was only two years older than you, but his height made him seem older and more mature. 

“you’re such a brat.” he whispered, long legs already taking him to a working blacksmith he was eyeing when you were bickering with father. 

you pouted, but failed to see the fond smile on your brother’s face. since mother’s death, he had changed, and you couldn’t blame him. mother was always with you two, and her absence made you both lonely — you two were the only children in the winery, and you couldn’t leave it as freely as you would like, having tutors and duties the other children nearby didn’t have. the ragnvindr clan was one that still held some status as nobility, and your father wanted you and diluc to be educated as such. 

you rolled your eyes as soon as you noticed that diluc would never honor his deal of the promise, frustrated tears already making your vision glossy. your brother had always been mean, but he seemed to be worse now — even letting go of your hand to ask the blacksmith about what kind of ore he was using. that was your opportunity for freedom and, just like lord barbatos did, you started to distance yourself from diluc, until he was nothing but a small red dot on your vision, and you started to run free through the streets of liyue harbor. 

you ran through alleys, fed some fishes and talked with some elderly people, all of them excited to give you local delicacies. but the kindest of them all was an old lady with an odd teapot, who offered you a piece of cake and tea. you weren’t the most found of the hot beverage, but that woman had such a calming aura — she managed to coax from you why you seemed so upset, and you even sobbed between her arms about how mean your big brother was being. but nighttime was arriving and you needed to go back to diluc, waving goodbye to her with an easy smile on your face.

but as soon as you saw yourself alone again, you noticed you were lost. liyue was huge, even more huge than mondstadt — you knew how to navigate in your birth town as easily as a bird would do in the sky, but nighttime in liyue was scary. the lights weren’t too bright and you could see shadows everywhere you look. 

before you could start crying for your father, a calm voice took you from your spiraling thoughts. 

“are you lost, stranger little lady?” it was a boy, probably your age, just a few centimeters taller than you, with big blue eyes that had a bit of mirth dancing on them and a nervous smile on his face, ginger locks that beautifully adorned his head and freckles that looked like stars on his cheekbones. he was dressed in an unfamiliar fashion for you, too different from what you were used to seeing both in mondstadt and liyue. you felt like in the books your mother used to read for you, meeting your knight in shiny armor. 

you sniffled, cheeks hot from embarrassment. “yes.” you admitted, eyes looking everywhere but him. you heard him giggle and your cheeks seemed to be even hotter than before. you crossed your arms over your chest, pouting. “this is not funny! i am from mondstadt, i do not know how to navigate here.” you started to walk away, but soon you heard footsteps behind you. “if you are not going to help me, i don’t want you near me!”

the boy chuckled again. “it’s fine. i’m not from here too.” he explained, and the fact that he wasn’t from liyue caught your attention. he seemed to notice that, his cheeks now with a rosy color on them. “i’m from snezhnaya.” you just nodded, and it seemed that he was waiting more from you — but you only knew that snezhnaya was cold.

“do you know where we are going?” you asked innocently, and he just shrugged, but you could see that his eyes were hesitant and showed even a bit of fear despite the mirth on them. 

“no. my father and older brothers just told me to stay there and wait for them.” he explained and you stopped in your tracks. 

“i ran away from my brother.” you admitted, now making the way back to where you were previously. “i can’t make your family worry about you.” you couldn’t see his reaction because he was walking behind you once more, but you felt ashamed. shouldn’t you be a good girl and stay with diluc even if he was mean and boring? that boy seemed to be more obedient than you were. 

but, for some reason, he held your hand, making you stop. “i want to be a hero. i don’t mind exploring things with you around here and helping you find your family.” 

the intensity of his blue eyes made your little heart race. you could only nod. 

“how they are? physically?” he asked, and you noticed that he didn’t let go of your hand. 

you scooted closer to him. “my papa is big and strong! both him and my brother have big and curly red hair, and their names are crepus and diluc.” you explained, voice an octave louder because of your excitement talking about your family. “papa is the owner of dawn winery back in mondstadt, and he’s here to sell dandelion wine, our specialty!” you giggled, turning around to face him, hands still connected. “the last time i saw my brother was at a blacksmith.” 

the boy nodded and started to walk in another direction, saying he knew some blacksmiths he could take you to so you could see if it was the one. 

during the walk, you both warmed to each other. he told you his name, ajax, after making you more at ease with his presence after he made you laugh over some jokes, and you told him yours in return, giggling when he said his father named him after a hero and that his hobby was to fish. you told him about your life in the winery and about your mother, and he told you about his siblings, especially tonia and baby teucer. in the end, the blacksmith wasn’t the one diluc was talking with, but you felt safe being with ajax. 

safe enough that you stopped in the middle of your track and took one of your earrings. they once belonged to your mother, a gift from your father when the two of them were still in courting days, and she handled them for you on her deathbed. your father deemed you too young to wear such earrings, red as the color of his and diluc’s hair, but your mother just laughed at him. “open your hand and close your eyes!” you said to ajax, a big smile on your face. he did as you told you with a puzzled look on his features, and as soon as his blue eyes were closed, you gently put the earring on his palms. 

when he saw your earring on his hands, noticing you took it from your ear, his look became even more puzzled. “... why?”

“because you are my friend! i want you to wear it so we can match, alright?” you explained, giggling when he promptly put it on his left ear — the one opposed from your piece of earring rested. “they once belonged to my mother, so take great care of them!” 

but before ajax could say anything, your heard your father’s voice. “y/n, my dandelion!” you turned around, a big smile on your face, running to meet your father’s awaiting arms. you jumped on them and he held you against his chest, his hands bringing you even closer to him. you could also feel diluc’s smaller hands on your back, and you smiled. “where were you, for barbatos’ sake?” your father asked when he placed you on the ground again, but as soon as your feet touched the ground, diluc’s arms were around you. 

“i ran away from diluc.” you admitted, embarrassed, and diluc’s arms tightened around you. 

“that diluc told me.” your father added, a stern look on his face. 

you averted your eyes from him, looking at the ground. “i started to roam around the city until ajax found me! we stayed together until you spotted me, papa.” at the mention of your new friend, you looked at your father’s face again, a big smile on your face. 

“ajax? the boy you were with?” you nodded excitedly at your father’s question. 

but when you looked back to introduce him to your family, ajax was long gone. 

—

“here we are!” you heard paimon’s excited voice, taking you from your memories, her little legs and arms doing the little dance she always did when she was excited. you briefly smiled at her, before your eyes were scanning the sight in front of you — liyue harbor was exactly the same from your childhood memories and, albeit involuntarily, you started to look for ginger hair and blue eyes. ajax was someone that would stand out, but your brief scan for him proved to be fruitless. 

when your attention returned to your traveling companions, they were already chatting about the rite of descension. you hoped lumine would be able to have some answers about her brother’s fate or where he was currently — you couldn’t phantom a world where you woke up without diluc at your side, and you understand her motivations. 

“okay, so paimon and the traveler are going to ask about the rite of descension for locals, and y/n looks for a place for us to stay!” paimon clapped, proud of the outcome of hers and lumine’s discussion. it was something that you had already discussed with both of them prior to reaching the harbor, as you faintly remembered the inn you used to stay with your father and diluc when your father’s negotiations would take more than a day to be resolved. it was a relatively cheap place, yet still comfortable and with good food. 

you bid farewell to your companions, with the promise of finding them at the same place in about five hours, the sunset being your indicator. none of you knew how much time the rite would take, and if lumine would be blessed with some words from rex lapis, but you thought five hours were more than fine.

your feet knew the steps to the inn like you knew the steps for angel’s share, as you no longer were the lost and scared girl of when you first met him, even though such steps were deviated when you passed through some shops or relatively known people. 

when kaeya first knew about the little incident you were caught in, in the first time he came to liyue since your father took him in, he made sure that you started to knew your way around the harbor — as the oldest of the, now three, ragnvindr siblings, he didn’t quite share the same vision your father and diluc had about you; you weren’t just a little and helpless doll, that needed them for everything. you were quite brave and adventurous and, as your new oldest brother, kaeya encouraged those behaviors. that’s why you knew your way around liyue, even though your memory was a bit rusty. 

but you managed to reach the inn, in one piece nonetheless. kaeya would be proud. 

the owner remembered you from your childhood days, even offering his condolences due to your father's passing — it had been four years ago, but you would never be able to move on properly. that day you hadn't just lost your father, but also a brother, and also gained the biggest blessing celestia gave to teyvat's people. 

the anemo vision was a reminder of everything you lost that day, yet, it was the marking of a new chapter of your life. 

after booking rooms in the inn and placing yours and lumine's things in a safe place, you took the opportunity to explore the city. it has been five years since your last visit to liyue, and the streets had already changed — however, you still could hear the incessant bickering between diluc and kaeya, and the giggles from your mouth that followed their words. you would do anything to have them like that again, but you also couldn't blame them for their own feelings. everything was now so complicated. 

yet, liyue still amazed you. the changes were for the best, and not even the rumors of an archon's death could be able to take you from your state of happiness — even though it worried you, deep down. those from mondstadt were used to living without the guidance of their god, after all. liyue would learn, too. 

too lost in your thoughts, you almost lost the sun's farewell — your companions would be waiting for you. the path you took to the meeting place was familiar to you, and if you squinted enough, you could see you and ajax running through such steps, both of your laughs loud enough to awaken sleeping deities. you had tried to look for someone with characteristics alike to him, not losing hope of seeing him again. but he was probably back at his homeland, taking care of his family, not even thinking about you like you did with him. 

you chose to believe he was happy, because, if otherwise, your heart would be shattered. 

arriving at the meeting place, you frowned. both paimon and lumine weren't there to be found, and just a man was there — a man that, with every step you took and saw more and more of him, made your heart race and your hands shake.

ginger hair. blue eyes shining with mirth, and freckles adorning his cheeks like the stars in the sky. a lazy smile, that still had a bit of the hesitation you remembered fondly while you grew up. and most importantly — the matching pair of the earring that rested on your right ear, hanging from his left one. 

were your eyes deceiving you? were you hallucinating? how the odds were that you would find him there, instead of your friends? were the archons blessing you after all the pain and suffering you went through since your father's death? 

ajax said nothing, just a smile on his face and open arms waiting for you to nestle between. and you did exactly that, running to meet them — he promptly wrapped them around your form, a safe cage of warmth. ajax was taller and sturdier, but his hands still felt the same. you closed your eyes, trying to ease the errant beating of your heart. he was finally here between your arms, after so many years of wondering why he ran away from you and your family and how he was faring. you didn’t need to worry anymore, didn’t need to search for him through a crowd of strangers.

your heart could be put at ease.

“i found you.” he whispered, hands now holding your face, forehead to forehead. you giggled, a loving smile on your face, one that made his own lips mirror yours and a faint blush cover his cheekbones. his eyes were exactly as you remembered them to be, though now they seemed… emptier. without the innocence that a child would have, and you swore you would make pay whoever made such a thing disappear of him. “y/n. my y/n, i found you.” he whispered, his warm breath tickling your face. 

“you did, ajax. and i found you, my knight in shining armor.” 

he chuckled. “you can’t possibly think of myself like that after all those years.” he replied, his gloved hand caressing your face, as if he didn’t believe you were still real. 

because ajax didn’t. he didn’t know even if he already fulfilled the promise he made to himself when he watched your family gush around you, when he was still the son of a fisherman, and not the eleventh harbinger. but, maybe the tsaritsa found him worthy already, and wanted to grace him with such a blessing — or even barbatos, the archon that looked over you and your city. he didn’t know and he didn’t care, not when it seemed that you were made perfectly to fit between his arms. 

“why not?” you asked, curiously, hands grabbing his red shirt. “you looked like one, appearing from nowhere to save me.” the way the red on his cheeks intensified made your giggles even hard, and you didn’t care if strangers were watching such a loving reunion unfolding between them — none of them knew who you were, after all. 

ajax sighed. “i can’t fight with you, can i? not even many minutes have passed after we’re reunited and you already have me wrapped around your fingers.” 

it was your time to blush.

you hid your face on his chest, smiling when you felt his chest rumble with his laughter. it was a sound that you tried to remember every day, to not forget about it — because, as soon as you looked at his eyes, you were struck with the realization that you had forgotten the exact shade of blue of them. but now you would never forget it again, because they were the most beautiful shade of the color you ever saw.

“despite the happiness i feel for seeing you again.” you started after some minutes of silence, just enjoying each other's presence, head still resting on his chest. “where’s lumine and paimon?” 

“the blonde traveler and her flying companion?” he asked, cradling your face between his hands once more, and you nodded. 

then, ajax explained what happened to you. how rex lapis had been killed and lumine was now one of the main suspects, how he helped her and paimon escape liyue's militia, the millelith, and the steps he advised her taking, which she was going to do so — talk with each one of the adepti and make them believe she wasn't the killer. before parting, lumine asked for him to meet you on their place and explain the situation, though he would never believe her friend would be you. 

“and one more thing, y/n.” you heard his voice when you two were already walking back towards the inn, hand in hand.

“yes?” 

“people around here know me as childe.” you gave him a puzzled look, and he felt his heart to be poisoned for having to lie to you. childe didn’t want to, of course, because he wanted to trust you — but he couldn’t be sure of it yet. “just an alias. it's not good to give strangers your real name, you know?” he needed to know first if you would accept the truth well and not hate him for staining his hands with blood for his country. 

“very well. nice to meet you, childe.” 

— 

you came to learn that ajax was someone very stubborn. 

at first, he didn’t want to let you sleep in the inn. he had a place big enough for you two to be, and being with him would make it easier for him to protect you — and, of course, spend more time with you. but you didn’t want the inn’s owner's efforts to be in vain, as you just had booked the room for one night, thinking things with the god of contracts would be easier than with the god of freedom. 

you were utterly wrong and, after some sweet words to convince him and the promise of staying with him until lumine and paimon came back, he gave in and accepted your decision. 

“good night, childe.” you whispered after your lips graced his warm cheek with a shy, albeit tender kiss, your face mirroring the red his own was displaying. “dream of me, alright?” you teased, getting away from his warm embrace — already missing his arms around your form and his smell clouding your senses.

he chuckled, taking your hand on his gloved one and pressing a kiss to your knuckles. “i’ve dreamed of you every day since we met, my beloved.” with such words he left and started to walk away, and you stayed at the inn’s entrance until he was just a small black point in your vision, your heart beating loudly inside your rib cage and your cheeks as warm as if you had stayed in the sun for too long. 

the next day, you kept your promise. 

you two had agreed to meet for dinner in the liuli pavilion, one of his favorite restaurants in the city. you spent the day anticipating such a moment, while still trying to explore the city and help the traveler and paimon gathering information from locals. you hoped their journey was being kind to them, and that the adepti were far more understanding than the people in the city. unfortunately, you didn’t pack many fancy clothes — apparently, liuli pavilion was quite the fancy place, something you weren’t used to going to. 

the fanciest place in mondstadt was angel’s share, your brother’s tavern. 

but you at least knew some etiquette, from all the classes your father made you take, and you were now glad for it. even though you didn’t know how to use chopsticks, and apparently ajax wasn’t the most skilled in such activity, you had the dignity to pretend nothing was happening. 

but at the end, both you and ajax fell into a burst of giggles. “these things weren’t made by the archons, i’m sure of it.” you commented after the laughter died down, cheeks red from the looks of other patrons, but a warm and fuzzy feeling inside your chest quickly overtook the embarrassment — seeing ajax like that was the cause of it, of course. 

“someday you’ll learn the art of eating with them, y/n, i’m sure.” he replied, a smile on his face. you raised your eyebrows at him, as if asking why he was so sure of it, while trying to bring another delicacy to your mouth. “you are the most intelligent girl i ever met, do you know that? that’s why i know the chopsticks won’t be a challenge for you.”

“you are flattering me.” you averted your gaze from his eyes, feeling quite shy upon his words. “i’m sure you know far more intelligent people than i.” if he worked with what you thought — after all, you were in liyue harbor, and merchants were all over the place — he probably met people from around the world. you couldn’t be the most intelligent of them. 

he chuckled, that sweet and melodic laugh that always made your heart race whenever you heard it, his gloved hand holding your jaw. “how can they be intelligent if they’re not as beautiful or as kind as you?” 

“aj— childe!” 

you two fell in another burst of giggles, and so dinner time went. you noticed that he avoided speaking of personal matters, such as his family and life, and you respected that. liyue wasn’t like mondstadt, after all — there, you knew you could speak whatever you wanted at any time, that no one would use such information for their own benefit. but liyue was the land of contracts, and what was a better way than to make a contract if not using personal information against someone?

he helped you retrieve your things from the inn, carrying them as if he was the most gentlemanly man in the world, smiling and laughing at you the whole way back to his place — ajax could feel how tense you were, but the preferred to have you close to him, at arm's length, where he could protect and dote on you like you deserved, instead of having you at some old inn, not suitable enough for you. 

and, of course, if signora would know about your existence, and especially your surname, childe preferred you under his wing. 

“i hope i’m not overstepping any boundaries.” he stated, voice more solemn than you ever heard, and you couldn’t help but feel your heart skip a bit at how considerate he was being. 

“no, not at all.” you explained, a small smile adorning your face. “it’s just… strange, being at a man’s house that isn’t from my family.” in the years that diluc spent searching the fatui and trying to find clues about your father’s death, you had lived with kayea in mondstadt, far away from dawn’s winery — only returning to your childhood home when diluc asked you to, perhaps because of the heavy memories the mansion had. you didn’t mind sharing this heavy burden with your brother, happy that at least one of them you could take from his shoulders. 

childe nodded. “i want you to know that… that i won’t do anything you don’t want to.” 

you knew what he was implying, and you were happy to hear such words. you heard stories of women in the tavern before, and they were grotesque. 

“it’s alright, childe, i trust you.” you replied, leaning on his side. 

ajax’s heart broke a little hearing that. you shouldn’t trust him, no. but he was selfish and a hypocrite, and even if you asked the truth, only lies would leave his lips — and he dreaded the day the castle of lies he built around himself would fall. but you could be different from your brother, couldn’t you? maybe diluc hadn’t told you anything about his investigations on the fatui. 

but ajax came to learn that the same hatred that ran in your brother’s blood, ran in yours, too. 

you, inside his house, was a sight to see. it was as if you had always belonged there, as if you were destined to live with him — even if just for a few days. childe could pretend the daydreams he had when fatui’s meetings were too boring were now a reality, that you and him were a couple, exactly like his mother and father, like your mother and father, that the domestic setting and intimacy was something he would have forever.

but, sitting with you in front of the fireplace, your face resting on his chest while your body was nestled in his arms, just a white nightgown preventing his wandering hands from touching your warm skin, his worst fears became a reality. 

“why you run away that day, ajax?” you asked after some moments of silence, just basking in his warmth. it was a question that plagued your mind every day, because you tried to search for him in the remaining days you stayed in the city with your family back then — but you never saw them again, and the ghost of such an answer haunted you for more than ten years. 

you felt his fingers on your temple, them at the bridge of your nose, as if he was trying to memorize you. but this time, however, you wouldn’t let him go that easily. 

you could not. 

“i… i was scared.” he admitted, and you furrowed your eyebrows. though a lot of questions wanted to drop from your lips like a waterfall, you remained silent. “when you first told me your brother’s and father’s name, i wasn’t able to match name and face.” and reputation, too. “and when i saw you running towards the arms of dawn winery’s owner, i… i just couldn’t be there. i was, i still am, just the son of a fisherman. how could i be worthy of mondstadt’s royalty?” 

“i’m not royalty.” you whined at his chest, and childe chuckled. 

“child me thought otherwise. i still do.” he kissed your forehead and you felt like melting, making both of you become just one person. it was overwhelming how much adoration, borderline love, you could feel for someone in just a few days — ajax was merely a stranger, but a stranger that you could recognize by warmth, by the way he breathed fresh air. you could recognize him by touch alone, and you were sure that you would recognize him at the end of the days, too. maybe he wasn’t a stranger anymore. 

“so, now you think you’re worthy of me?” because you were sure he was. 

he shook his head, his voice with a sadness that you never heard before in anyone else. “how could i? i’ll never be worthy of you, my beloved.” he chuckled at the sound of indignation that left your lips. “i promised myself as a child that the first time i saw you again, i would be. maybe the gods think i already am, who knows.”

you nodded, another question — albeit this time one that didn’t haunt you for too long — falling from your lips. “then, what is your job?” 

“i work at the northland bank.” ajax answered more quickly than you thought, and dread was installed in your stomach. could that be…? as if sensing the way you tensed on his lap, he continued. “i’m one of the few civilians that work there.” you almost sighed in relief, once again melting on his warmth. you didn’t know what you would do if ajax was a fatui — it would be the biggest heartbreak of your life.

“it’s alright.” you tried to comfort him, for maybe doubting his principles. another comfortable silence fell between you two, before you gathered enough courage to explain yourself for him. “the fatui, they… they were behind my father's death.” tartaglia knew that very well, looking horrified at dottore’s paper which had your father’s name on it. “i don’t know the extent of his affiliation with them, but… i hate every single one of the harbingers for the misery they brought to mine and my brothers’ lives.” you finished with a tremble of your body, unshed tears glossing your vision. 

ajax hugged you even tighter on his chest, and his warmth was enough to take the thoughts your father’s death always brought to your mind away from it. he started to talk about his family instead, trying to lighten the mood once again with teucer’s pranks and tonia’s harsh words at him whenever he returned home. in return, you told him everything about diluc and kaeya, specially their estranged relationship — in the beginning, it was something that broke your heart, but now it was almost funny how they pretend they didn’t care for each other. he laughed alongside you, and you didn’t imagine the terrors ajax’s heart was being consumed by. 

sleep time made itself known by the yawns both of you were being affected by, and, reluctantly, you got up from his lap, making your way to the couch behind you both. 

“nu-uh.” you heard ajax’s voice behind you, his arms sneaking around your waist and bringing you close to his chest. “you’re going to sleep on my bed. i can’t let mondstadt’s royalty sleep on my couch, can i?” he teased, maneuvering you to the direction of his mistress. 

you yelped at the feeling of being carried so easily. “and you will sleep where, ajax?” 

“on the couch, obviously.” he answered your question, lying your body on his fluffy mattress. you noticed how close your faces were, heart beating loudly inside your chest – you were sure he could hear it, feel it, by the way his lips rose up in a smirk. his fingertips started to travel on your face once more, as if you were a poem he was trying to memorize, while your eyes kept glued to his, watching as the hues of blue danced on them. 

his eyes had always been beautiful, from what you remember — back when you first met, they were round and big, more hesitant than mirth shining on them, but now it was the complete opposite. you didn’t see any trace of his childhood emotions on them, and now the mirth took complete control of them. but more than that, now it also reflected love — love for you — but also a sadness that you couldn’t understand why was there. you would do anything to punish however made him feel this way, even if it was yourself. 

ajax stopped his ministrations when his thumb reached your lips. “do you want me to kiss you, my beloved?” 

you could only nod, not trusting in the strength of your voice to say what you wanted. 

a chuckle left his lips when you closed your eyes, giving him permission to do whatever he wanted with you. you first felt his lips on your forehead, then between your eyebrows, then at each cheek — he took his time to worship your face, making sure every single one of your features knew how much he cherished him. you pouted, wanting to feel his lips against you own. “impatient, are we?” he teased, his lips ghosting over your own.

“how can i not be?” 

it was what it took for him to give in to his desire and claim you as his. 

ajax kissed you as if you were made of glass. one hand cradling your cheek, while another one bore his hold on your hip as if he was burning you, but not in a painful way — far from it, actually. your hands were gripping his pajama’s shirt, bringing him impossibly closer to you. but a switch turned inside him after a faint moan left your lips, and his soft mannerisms gave place to a more feral side of his, his tongue now exploring your wet cave, and his grip on your flesh stronger than before. 

he finished the kiss with a tender peck on your lips, and you hid your face on his hair, while he rested his on your neck, a smile gracing your now swollen lips. 

“i should go to sleep.” he murmured against your skin, after sucking a mark on your skin. “but i don’t want to leave you.” you giggled at his childish tone, hands caressing his hair. he probably dealt with a lot of stressful situations at his job, and you would be happy to be there to help him — even after lumine and paimon are back. it wouldn’t hurt if you stayed in liyue a little more than expected, right? you could even be useful for the family’s businesses, being the winery’s representative in the harbor. 

“then don’t leave.” you whispered, even though he was already leaving your embrace. 

he chuckled, his boyish laugh filling the room with warmth. “la signora will kill me, my beloved. do you want me to get killed then, hmm?” 

even the mention of one of the fatui’s harbingers wasn’t enough to make your mood sour. it only made you worry more about him, but if he managed to survive already, he’d continue doing that. “of course not, ajax. you need to come back to me tomorrow, alright?” 

childe kissed your forehead, tucking you under his covers. “of course. sleep well.” it was hard to not give in again on his desires and just forget everything and sleep with you on his bed, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself if he did — and archons forbid him from making you uncomfortable with his presence. 

“dream of me, will you?” 

ajax wished he had, but he wasn’t able to close his eyes and have a peaceful sleep. he kept observing you, watching the soft breaths leaving your mouth, how cutely you hugged your pillow. he felt horrible, like he could throw up all his guts, whenever he thought about your reaction when knowing he was, in truth, the eleventh harbinger. it wasn’t fair, was it? that the girl he loved for his entire life hated what he was — although you had your reasons, reasons that resonated with him, because he would hate whatever organization that was the culprit of his father’s death — and would leave him as soon as she discovered his true identity.

the archons were playing a game, weren’t they? maybe the tsaritsa wanted to punish him, somehow, but he couldn’t understand why. he should leave you without a word again — maybe it would hurt less than knowing his true identity. 

but how could he? how could he leave you after years of a meaningless pinning that finally was having fruits? how could he leave you now, that he woke up with you between his arms on his small couch, even though you were supposed to be sleeping on his bed? 

ajax was cursed, with the worst curse to ever exist on this world — love.

end of part one.

[mcflymemes]

TAYLOR SWIFT PROMPTS *  assorted lines from her albums

meet me at midnight.

i'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you.

i snuck in through the garden gate.

they say looks can kill, and i might try.

tell me to run.

sometimes i wonder which one will be your last lie.

i play it cool with the best of them.

love's a game. wanna play?

maybe we got lost in translation.

no one's celebrating.

don't say i didn't warn you.

we're dancing all night.

i didn't choose this town.

i should just tell you to leave.

you can try to change my mind.

we were both young when i first saw you.

let's get out of this town.

i might be okay, but i'm not fine at all.

i'd live and die for moments that we stole.

what would he do if he found us out?

all this shit is new to me.

i could show you incredible things.

i waited ages to see you there.

i miss you.

i should not be left to my own devices.

if i bleed, you'll be the last to know.

please don't go.

get it off your chest.

you look like my next mistake.

you told your family for a reason.

maybe i asked for too much.

can i go where you go?

i know it's long gone.

i think it's time to teach some lessons.

life will lose all meaning.

you're on your own, kid.

what you heard is true.

take me somewhere we can be alone.

everybody wants you.

boys only want love if it's torture.

nice to meet you. where you been?

one day i'll watch as you're leaving.

nothing lasts forever.

you did some bad things, but i'm the worst of them.

i don't remember.

i called a taxi to take me there.

he's gonna burn this house to the ground.

i just sit here and wait.

i can read you like a magazine.

i think i've been too good of a girl.

you might have to wait in line.

close your eyes.

the blame is on me.

save all your dirtiest jokes for me.

get it off my desk.

you started it.

the jokes weren't funny.

i think i've been a little too kind.

you're not sure which is worse.

say you'll remember me.

i'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream.

i'd like to be my old self again.

we're dead if they knew.

you've got no reason to be afraid.

by the way, i'm going out tonight.

i can picture it after all these days.

we never go out of style.

i heard you moved on.

we're young, and we're reckless.

i know you heard about me.

you were everything to me.

i've been dressing for revenge.

can we always be this close forever and ever?

i cried like a baby coming home from the bar.

no one has to know what we do.

what a shame she's fucked in the head.

my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand.

what doesn't kill me makes me want you more.

i don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you.

this is our place. we make the call.

this love is difficult, but it's real.

it must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero.

something about it felt like home somehow.

what must it be like to grow up that beautiful?

how's one to know?

i polish up real nice.

you can tell me when it's over.

do you have a man?

the worst is yet to come.

will you please stand?

don't be afraid. we'll make it out of this mess.

i dropped your hand while dancing.

this dorm was once a madhouse.

hey, let's be friends.

don't get sad. get even.

you're talking shit for the hell of it.

you'll never have to be alone.

you love the game.

it's coming back around.

i get drunk on jealousy.

where do you think she got it from?

your opal eyes are all i wish to see.

i remember it all too well.

you wouldn't know what i mean.

don't put me in the basement.

i can make the bad guys good for a weekend.

you'll come back each time you leave.

i love you and that's all i really know.

i don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch.

[simpforchuchu]

Hi, I saw that you have HC requests open. I was wondering if you could please do some for Yamaguchi or Raoh?

Magoroku Yamaguchi | General Dating Hcs

a/n: Hi, i really love Yamaguchi too but cant find much for him :( So i hope you like it 💕🌸

Sorry for the grammer or spelling mistakes.English is not my main language so...

Thank you and love you 🥰

Warnings: not much just usual hnl things

* A little different and mysterious character

* He is referred to as a lone wolf

* And we know he is pretty strong

* We know that he has challenged Raoh in past and followed him when he was defeated. Also, Kansuke is following him.

* That's why he gives me a pretty loyal vibe

* Also, as far as we can see in the first scenes, no matter how calm and cold-blooded he may seem, he also is someone who likes to fight like Binzo

* But he enjoys fighting only when necessary

* okay dating…

* Magoroku doesn't give me a very flirty or womanizer vibe

* And I don't think he could be with someone who is cocky, smug and childish.

* I believe he will be attracted to someone who is calm but funny, can be silly but not childish, strong and intelligent.

* I don't think he's afraid to take the first step, but he certainly wouldn't mind you taking the first step.

* He definitely keeps his private life secret. No one in Suzuran will know about you until they see you together or until he says so.

* I'm sure he will tell the Raoh faction but maybe after a while…

* Their friendship with Binzo is like "I hate this guy but if you touch him i'll break your all bones"

* That's why I think they have a sweet friendship

* So even though he always tells you that he hates him, you will see many times that he worries about him.

* Even if he is not very flirty, he will care about his girlfriend and will not hesitate to compliment her.

* A change in your new dress, hair, bag or make-up…

* He will definitely notice and make you smile

* He likes it when you wear something for him but he thinks you're always beautiful

* Even though he used his hair in a ponytail and tons of jelly at school, I'm sure he uses his hair untied when you were there or he'd let you do his hair.

* His whole world is Raoh faction and you.

* I don't think he will be interested in other girls.

* No one can disrespect you, he's pretty certain about it.

* You are the most beautiful girl in the world for him and he is not afraid to give you all his attention.

* He has quite a lot enemies. Even inside Suzuran

* That's why he doesn't want you to walk home alone. He wants Kamui or Kansuke to walk with you even if he can't come.

* Exactly the "I'll kill you if you touch her" vibe

* You don't need to be physically strong but he wants to teach you self defense if you want to learn

* He loves to exercise. Did you see his muscles? If you want to do it with him, I think he will be quite happy.

* Even if you have weak fists, I think he’ll find it pretty cute

* Push ups while you're on his back...

* I can't say he is great with words but he’s not too bad at expressing his feelings

* He seems like a quick-tempered person but quite patient with you.

* He’s trying not to show it to you even if he’s so angry in Suzuran

* He doesn't get hurt easily, but he's definitely hiding it from you when he gets hurt.

* He doesn't want you to worry

* He finds you when he needs to get away from all that chaos and violence. Because you are the best thing for him.

* I guess he’s good at cooking. He is also a healthy eater. So happy to cook for you too

* Gums…

* He always carries a pack of gum in his pocket.He carries your favorite ones in his other pocket and won't let anyone take them

* He absolutely loves to being the big spoon and you lying on his chest

* I don't think he likes PDA but it's okay

* He likes physical contact. But I think his love language is Acts of service

* He likes shirts and cardigans, he'll always want to make sure you're warm even if he gets cold

* I think he’s oddly good at caring for the sick people

* He looks pretty cold, but he's actually a cute teddy bear.

HnL taglist : @straysugzhpe @tiddly-winx  @satraninalane @thatpoindexterpixy

[satancopilotsmytardis]

Wow, I did not expect for you to finish chapter one so soon!

Oh damn, that's a lot. Also, Tomura choosing to make a deal with him right as Dabi dies is mean. Expected in a fic like this, but mean. I don't think Dabi would have ended up as a demon otherwise? At least not from what is said in the beginning.

I guess his rage about Enji's accusations and the fact that he was being executed caught Tomura's interest? Or maybe Tomura was already watching the Todoroki's, hmmm.

Thank you Spinner, that is very comforting. I too would like to hear that I owe you my life in order to trust you. For real though, I always love it when you write Spinner as a healer/doctor in your fics.

Okay, so colours are assigned to the sins, yes? I'm assuming red for wrath, because that's always Tomura's colour. Purple for pride, since it's at the center of the door. Light blue for sloth, since you mentioned that that's Spinner's sin and he has a blue pattern in his clothes.

Spinner leaving as soon as the job is done. He did explain a little more than he needed to though, so it's not like he was entirely unhelpful. Lol.

Dabi's clothes do have red detailing. I wonder if it's because he went to hell because of wrath, or because he belongs to Tomura. Probably the second, since Tomura complains about how weak his wrath is.

Well, that sure is one way to test the limits of the bond. I wonder if Tomura is made aware of all the times Dabi tries to break the deal?

Tomura feeding Dabi fruit while he is studying to see how long it takes him to notice is so funny to me. He really has been fairly lenient. For a demon prince, that is. I wonder how much someone's aspect influences their personality? Does Shigaraki feel a need for violence and rage at all times? It would explain some of his behaviour.

Oop, there comes the envy. We know it's not going to be Dabi's aspect, but yeah. I can see what you mean when you said it would have been in other circumstances.

Dabi tries to indulge. He tries so hard to get stronger so that he can have a chance of maybe someday getting away from Shigaraki. Not that that will ever happen.

What a note to end on! Shigaraki is right about Dabi needing to let go of the teachings of the church, but it's very little time to relearn everything that used to define you.

Lol mean, but Dabi didn't offer himself up for a deal until that moment so it's really on him, isn't it? And yes, in theory, not offering that deal should have meant Everlasting for him, but he'll just never know, now will he?

He definitely caught Tomura's interest for a few reasons, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what those were 😏

It's gotta be someone, and while I like Twice and Toga going into medicine if they're going to recover and be rehabilitated from villainy, I don't think it would fit them as villains, since her quirk is so good for espionage and his is so good in a fight, therefore they would always be stuck doing that for the greater good of their friends. Meanwhile, in recovery, I don't think Spinner would want anything to do with the medical field, but he would do it as a villain if it meant that he could make himself more useful to his friends since his quirk is so weak.

Colors are assigned to the sins! Like according to Google they have canonical colors which I looked up to use for this! Envy is green, dark blue is Lust, light blue is Sloth, red is Wrath, purple is Pride, orange is Gluttony, and yellow is Greed! I was originally going to make up my own colors, but I decided to go with these ones to keep any confusion at bay for people who were already familiar with the canon ones!

Spinner is a sleepy little guy! Let him rest!! He's also wearing a ruby because it shows which prince owns their soul, hence also why someone unclaimed by an aspect yet, is also wearing red!

Tomura absolutely knows.

Dabi is an adorable little garbage disposal while he's distracted, or you could just try handing him/balancing things on him and wait to see how long it takes for him to notice. Tomura has definitely been lenient, but his patience has its limits! There will be more details about how aspects effect one as the story progresses, but it's pretty safe to say that it impacts all aspects of their daily lives!

Envy and Wrath are both great aspects for Dabi in canon but in this story? After being able to have a good relationship with the rest of his family for eleven years? Nah, he's too sad about losing them to be as angry about it as he should be.

Dabi is trying! But yeah, the church has a stranglehold on him. But maybe Shigaraki's leading by example and taking a more... 'hands-on' approach to Dabi's indulgences will help with that 😏😏😏

Thank you so much for commenting!

[lissasmemes]

                                         𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

       from taylor swift’s 2022 album midnights.   feel free to change pronouns as needed!

001. lavender haze

“meet me at midnight.” “you don’t ever say too much.” “you don’t really read into my melancholia.” “i’ve been under scrutinty.” “you handle it beautifully.” “all this shit is new to me.” “i’m damned if i do.” “i’m damned if i do give a damn what people say.” “they keep asking me if i’m gonna be your bride.” “the only kinda girl they see is a one night or a wife.” “they’re bringing up my history.” “you weren’t even listening.” “get it off your chest.” “get it off my desk.”

002. maroon

“we were cleaning incense off your vinyl shelf.” “we lost track of time again.” “you were my closest friend.” “how’d we end up on the floor, anyway?” “i chose you.” “ain’t that the way shit always ends?” “i feel you, no matter what.” “i lost you.”

003. anti-hero

“i have this thing.” “i get older but just never wiser.” “all the people i’ve ghosted stand there in the room.” “i wake up screaming from dreaming.” “you got tired of my scheming.” “it’s me, i’m the problem.” “it must be exhausting.” “i’m a monster on the hill.” “one day i’ll watch as you’re leaving.” “i have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money.” “she thinks i left them in the will.” “she’s laughing up at us from hell.” “everybody agrees.”

004. snow on the beach

“i saw flecks of what could’ve been lights.” “it might just have been you.” “life is emotionally abusive.” “time can’t stop me quite like you did.” “my flight was awful, thanks for asking.” “tonight feels impossible.” “to hide that would be so dishonest.”

005. you’re on your own kid

“summer went away.” “he’s gonna notice me.” “it’s okay, we’re the best of friends.” “i hear it in your voice.” “i waited ages to see you there.” “you never cared.” “you’re on your own, kid.” “i gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this.” “the jokes weren’t funny.” “i took the money.” “make the friendship bracelets.” “you’ve got no reason to be afraid.” “you can face this.”

006.  midnight rain

“he wanted it comfortable.” “i wanted that pain.” “it was paradise.” “i broke his heart cause he was nice.” “he was sunshine.” “i guess, sometimes we all get just what we wanted.” “he never thinks of me.”

007.  question...?

“i remember.” “i swear that it was something.” “one thing after another.” “fucking situations, circumstances, and miscommunications.” “i just may like some explanations.” “can i ask you a question?” “what did you do?” “did you leave her house in the middle of the night?” “oh...” “did you wish you’d put up more of a fight?” “do you wish you could still touch her?” “it’s just a question.” “you’re not sure, and i don’t know.”

008.  vigilante shit

“you did some bad things.” “i’m the worst of them.” “sometimes i wonder which one will be your last lie.” “they say looks can kill, and i might try.” “lately i’ve been dressing for revenge.” “i don’t start shit but i can tell you how it ends.” “don’t get sad, get even.” “she needed cold hard proof, so i gave her some.” “she looks so pretty.” “the lady simply had enough.”

009.  bejewled

“i think i’ve been a little too kind.” “putting someone first only works when you’re in their top five.” “by the way, i’m going out tonight.” “when i walk in the room i can still make the whole place shimmer.” “they ask ‘do you have a man?’“ “i don’t remember.” “i polish up real nice.” “i think i’ve been too good of a girl.” “i think it’s time to teach some lessons.” “i miss you.” “i miss you but i miss sparklin.” “some guy said my aura’s moonstone.” “you can try to change my mind.” “what’s a girl gonna do?”

010.  labyrinth

“it only hurts this much right now.” “breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out.” “i’ll be getting over you my whole life.” “you know how scared i am of elevators.” “it can’t last.” “uh oh.” “uh oh, i’m falling in love.” “oh no.” “oh no, i’m falling in love again.” “oh.” “oh, i’m falling in love.” “you know how much i hate that everybody just expects me to bounce back.”

011.  karma

“you’re talking shit for the hell of it.” “you’re terrified to look down.” “you wouldn’t know what i mean.” “karma’s a relaxing thought.” “i’m still here.”

012.  sweet nothing

“i spy with my little tired eye.” “we almost forgot it.” “they said the end is coming.” “everyone’s up to something.” “i find myself running home to your sweet nothings.” “you’re in the kitchen humming.” “this happens all the time.” “you should be doing more.” “i’m just too soft for all of it.”

013.  mastermind

“once upon a time...” “you and i ended up in the same room at the same time.” “i couldn’t lose.” “what if i told you none of it was accidental?” “the first night that you saw me nothing was gonna stop me.” “nothing was gonna stop me.” “what if i told you i’m a mastermind?” “no one wanted to play with me as a little kid.” “i’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since.” “this is the first time i’ve felt the need to confess.” “‘cause i care.” “i told you none of it was accidental.” “you knew the entire time.”

[madaboutmunson]

Again - Part 9

Part 1 | Part  8 | Part 10 | Full list of Again series links inc AO3 Link

Steddie fic where Steve and Eddie are in their mid 30's and everyone has sort of drifted apart

Taglist: @adaed5 @grtwdsmwhr @swimmingbirdrunningrock @mightbeasleep, @jewellthebooknerd

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"Shit, Steve. That's like half a court!" Eddie exclaims, looking over the court where Morgan and Corey are playing a little one-on-one.

"Was almost a full court, but thankfully Jenny talked me out of it." Steve decides to try and put something out there and see what happens, "It's not really my nature to do things by half, you know, so I'm glad she made me see sense before I wasted all that money and space." Then quickly moves on to something else, "You can sit wherever, but there is some seating out of harm's way if you prefer?"

"What kinda violent basketball do you play out here, Steve?" Eddie chuckles as he sits down on the grass and reclines back on the slight hill with his mug as he waves Steve on, "Go do your sports ball, don't mind lil' ol' me."

Steve walks over to Morgan and Corey and looks around at the distinct lack of Zee but figures she'll be down when ready. On his approach to the boys, he notices Corey is laughing, and he wonders if it's at Morgan's expense, but he's smiling too, but they both spy Steve, quickly stop whatever they are about to do and exchange a look causing an eruption of laughter again. Corey wasn't mean, not by a long shot; he had a big heart, but things had changed over the last two years. He'd toughened, and Steve supposed that comes with growing up, but he hadn't wanted that for his kids. He'd protect them from everything so they could keep that gentle innocence for as long as possible, but it hadn't worked out that way. At least they weren't on track to become the bitter condensing asshat he was in his teens. That was his hope, anyway. He supposed Zee was experiencing the same as Corey and couldn't help but feel hugely responsible. Sure, the divorce was peaceful enough, but it still took away something the kids thought they would always have. The home life they were used to. But who knows what environment it would have been if they hadn't decided to separate. At least their home wasn't full of spite and lies. He wonders if Eddie's separation had been as smooth.

Eddie could be a real firecracker sometimes. He was a little sharper than he needed to be, but none of that appeared to have passed to Morgan. Even though Eddie said Morgan didn't touch the stuff, he did give off that stoner vibe. For the most part very chilled out, funny, and prone to moments of anxiety, but overall seemed like a sweet kid. Steve claps his hands together, "Alright, gather round! So I figured we do some drills and see where your strengths are. Unless, of course, you have something in mind, you want to work on, Morgan?" Steve asks pleasantly.

"Yeah, drills sound good, Mr Harrington, but can you teach me how to do that spin Corey does? He's so fast" Morgan smiles down at the younger boy.

Corey bounces the ball on the concrete a few times, "Hell yeah, I'm fast, but if it weren't for that, I wouldn't get past this guy. He's like a wall!" Corey smiles up at Morgan, "We were working on something fun, but it would probably give you a heart attack, Dad" Corey smiles up at Steve before thumping Morgan in the gut with the back of his hand.

"Corey!!! That's enough!" Steve reprimands, motioning towards his son, but Morgan interrupts.

"I'm fine, honestly. Didn't feel a thing" He laughs and ruffles Corey's hair.

Corey ducks away from Morgan's hand. "See what I mean? A wall, Dad. What high school are you going to? They better put you on the team. They'd be idiots not to."

"I still don't want any of that on my court, Corey. This is basketball, not MMA or whatever, ok?" Steve walks into the little storage area under the hoop and retrieves a net of balls. He passes one to Morgan, takes another out and looks around. Still no sign of Zee, so he just keeps this one for himself. Steve demonstrates some drills by bouncing the ball at different heights, sock, knee, thigh, and hip, then dribbling the ball around the perimeter of the court, and lastly, just taking some shots. As Steve had anticipated, the game elements came easily to Morgan because of his build. It was clear he enjoyed playing, and honestly, wasn't that the key to success?

They are amid some rapid passing exercise when Morgan stands up bolt straight and whispers, "Whoa!". But, unfortunately, it's at the same time as Corey bounce passes to him, and the ball hits him right under his chin, and he drops to his backside on the floor.

"Oh shit, sorry, Morgan!" Corey exclaims.

"Morgan! are you- Corey, watch your language! Morgan, are you ok?" Steve rushes over and checks him for any cuts or bumps. He catches a glimpse of something on Morgan's chest, a vertical scar.

"Yeah, I'm good sir, sorry", Morgan gulps at Steve, but his eyes return behind them. He laughs nervously, returns to his feet, and retrieves the ball. Steve looks over his shoulder and sees Zee sitting beside Eddie and talking. Eddie, aviators back over his eyes, seems to have spent his time making daisy chains and shows Zee how he created them. Neither of them any the wiser to Morgan's misfortune. Steve notices Zee isn't dressed in her basketball gear, and he's a little disappointed, almost the three of them doing something together again, but he understands she's already had quite a day of it. He checks his watch and thinks it's a good point for a time-out. Zee squints at the sun, and Eddie offers her his glasses, which she puts on. They are too big for her face, and Steve hears a huff beside him. Steve turns to it and notices a flush on Morgan's cheeks. "Thank you for all your help, Mr Harrington, but maybe we could break now, sir?" Steve nods and watches Morgan find the nearest window, to neaten himself up before jogging over to Zee and sitting directly between her and Eddie. Zee's attention immediately shifts to Morgan, and their vast smiles mirror one another. Morgan picks up one of the numerous daisy chains Eddie had made, completes a circlet, and places it on Zee's head, and Eddie reads this as his cue to leave the area and head back inside with his mug.

"Oh my god, can't we have fun around here without people being gross? First, you old fogies, now the teenagers." Steve puts his hand on Corey's shoulder, looks at him adoringly, and is about to say something, but he's stopped by his son's raised hand, "Do not even try to tell me I'll understand when I'm older. I can think of a hundred things better to do with my time than lose my mind over someone."

"I haven't lost my mind over someone" Steve snorts a laugh and shakes his head. Corey responds by simply looking at him from under raised eyebrows. 

"Call me when there is something to do that doesn't involve me wanting to hurl everywhere. Beans! Let's go!" Corey shouts, and from out of nowhere, the black ball of fur appears and bounds up to him, only to follow him back inside. Steve rechecks his watch. It was unlikely any more training would occur today, so he starts packing everything away, occasionally glancing over at Zee and Morgan, even though He was honestly trying his best not to. They are now lying on the grass, pointing at the sky and occasionally laughing, cloud-watching. He wanted to show Zee he trusted her. Eddie had said Morgan was a good kid, and he knew they were just teenagers, having dumb teenage crushes. However, the whole thing still worried Steve, thirteen and fourteen. It was too young for romance and dating, wasn't it? He should speak to Jenny. She'd know best. 

As Steve approaches the backdoor to the house, he can hear Eddie's wild laughter and Corey complaining. Steve finds them both cross-legged on the floor in front of and laser-focused on the TV, with console controllers in their hands. Eddie seems to be rapidly hitting buttons whilst Corey occasionally looks down at his pad, trying to make it do something to no avail, making him grumble, "Aww come on, man!"

"What's going on here then, hmm?" Steve says, watching the violence erupt on screen. Which suddenly freeze frames and gives a 360-degree view of the aftermath of the carnage.

Eddie turns his head to Steve, "Oh nothing, Just spending some quality time with Cyborg here" Eddie starts laughing again.

"Your friend here is a button basher, and somehow the game is letting him completely get away with it, even though I'm using exactly the right combos!!!" Corey complains, but Steve can tell even though he's complaining, he's having the time of his life. No one beats Corey on this thing.

"Maybe you play something a little less violent, like that nice little go-cart game with the Italian man on?" Steve suggests as blood splatters across the screen, and Eddie punches the air in celebration.

"No way!" Corey answers quickly, restarting the game, and Eddie nods approvingly at him. Steve notices Corey shuffles around a little more towards Eddie, and Steve’s heart releases a what-if that his brain refuses to consider. He shakes it from his head and heads to serve up the dinner. Steve diligently checks over the beef and removes it to rest. Next, the roasted potatoes, honey-coated carrots and parsnips, and broccoli and cauliflower cheese bake. He pouts a little that he hadn't made Yorkshire puddings, but there was enough food here, he reminds himself as he whisks together a beef gravy. He's desperately trying not to read more into what this might be, but it was difficult not to.

Eddie playing computer games with Corey and getting on so well with Zee, and he got to help Morgan out, and gosh, if he wasn't a sweetheart and competent athlete in the making. What if it could always be like this? All of them together, one happy mini Brady bunch. Steve shakes his head at his ridiculous daydreaming. He didn't know this Eddie, and Eddie didn't know this version of Steve either. Maybe they were both holding onto the versions from fifteen years ago. The versions that always voted for one more movie, even when everyone else was tired, so it left just the two of them. Even if that resulted in one of them falling asleep on the other within ten minutes of everyone leaving. The ones that would listen to music on the same set of headphones to not annoy Wayne. The ones that couldn't sleep because of haunting nightmares, so they'd get high together and create a dreamscape in the stars on the hood of Steve's car.

"Oh great!" Steve grumbles as he realises his daydreaming has made a casualty of his shirt. He pours the gravy into a serving jug and assesses the damage. He should probably get changed anyway, but he should set the table first.

"Hey Steve, is it ok if I…" Eddie appears in the doorway, stops what he's saying, and looks at Steve's t-shirt, he leans his head against the door frame and pouts, "Oh no, Steve, this won't do! You can't sit at the dinner table like that!" He looks behind him and then back at Steve before walking over and taking the material in his hands again as he takes a closer look. "You should really get this washed right away. Otherwise, it'll be ruined!" He says, looking back up to Steve's face, biting back his bottom lip in mock distress, as his fingers run around the bottom hem of the garment again, and for a second, Steve almost thinks about it. Letting him undress him. Instead, he says something that is even a surprise to himself.

"Are you flirting with me, Eddie?" He feels the words rush past his lips before he can stop them. Eddie's eyebrows raise in surprise, his bottom lip pops back out, and Steve can just make out his tongue glance behind it. 

"That depends, Steve. Is it working?" Eddie says gently with a smile that reads he knows it is. Steve can't help but laugh and looks away at his audacious behaviour, but Eddie dips his head and chases his smile. "Gods, how did you get cuter?" Eddie whispers, making Steve tut, roll his eyes and turn away from him to get the dishes.

"Ok, you don't have to lay it on that thick, alright? It's not the same under there anymore, anyway." He says, brushing a hand down his t-shirt to gently move Eddie's hands away and  winces at the self-deprecation he didn't mean to let slip. Calm down, Steve. You've got this. Just try to get the link between brain and mouth working. 

"What are you doing?" Eddie complains, and at first, Steve thinks he's noticed the inadvertent self-sabotage, "You've cooked the dinner. Are you setting the table too? No! There are four other people here." Eddie rushes to the kitchen door and cups his hands to his mouth, "KI-" he manages to shout before he's interrupted by Steve's arm around his waist, instinctively pulling him back into the kitchen.

"Come on, man. It's fine. I'll do it quicker than if I have to explain where everything is, anyway." Steve convinces and tries to release him, but Eddie's arm holds his in place. Steve looks at him, and Eddie's eyes have gone to that magical place. Big, dewy, innocent eyes tracing Steve's face, like he hadn't just been pawing at Steve's tee. The look that makes some primitive masculinity surge through Steve. Urging him to scoop up this delicate creature into his arms. A cheer from the living room breaks the spell, "Sorry." Steve says, turning back to reach for the cupboard. Eddie's hand gently meets his forearm, and Steve does not resist lowering his arm again.

"How about you explain everything to me? That way, I'll know for next time?" Eddie says quickly, and Steve knows he's talking about the crockery, but it feels like so much more to him now because he does. He does want to tell Eddie everything. Purge all of these hidden things, make his soul clean, so he could know if this could work, but it's too soon. So, Steve nods, directing a beaming Eddie around the kitchen, and soon enough, the table is set.

"Tell me to shut up if I'm out of line, but do you want me to grab you some sweatpants or something for dinner? I'm going up there anyway," he says, pinching at the stain on his top, "and you said you skipped breakfast for part of your, er, current outfit?" Steve offers kindly, if a little awkwardly, due to thinking about those jeans of Eddie's.

A huge closed-mouth smile spreads across Eddie's face as he leans against one of the chairs, "Are you inviting me upstairs, Steve?" He says, forcing Steve into a blushing buffering mode, trying to compute why he was repeatedly setting these things up so Eddie could fluster him. 

"Ah-no. I, er, that's not what-. Sorry." Steve struggles through with a deep breath and turns back to the food for safety. Eddie's tone changes from mischief mode to compassion central.

"I was just kidding, Steve. I blurt things out sometimes because I think they're funny. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable…again." Steve can almost feel the eye roll Eddie is probably doing right now, feeling like he messed up. It makes him swallow down a laugh. How could they both still be so awkward, like this? Steve decides to smooth things over. He didn't want Eddie to think he'd done anything wrong when he hadn't. He turns back around to Eddie and spins the serving spoon in his hand before walking over to pass it to him.

"Didn't hear you decline though, Munson", he tries to say with some of that old King Steve smoothness, making Eddie laugh, "Oh wow. Thank you for that boost to my ego. I'll bring something down for you."

"As if!" Eddie says before barging Steve out of the way and running up the stairs, and Steve follows hot on his heels.

"Hey! No running on the stairs, guys!" Corey shouts at them without turning away from the tv.

Eddie stands in the hallway at the top of the stairs and taps his chin thoughtfully as he walks past the closed doors upstairs, "Ok, so guests are down the far end. This one is Cyborg's for sure", he gestures at the Keep Out sign adorning it, before pointing at the extra set of stairs leading up with torn fairy lights spilling out of it, "Princess Zee is obviously in the tower" He turns around again, and spreads his arms out like he's measuring the distance between Corey's bedroom door and the stairs to Mackenzie's room. He moves so he's in the middle of them both, looks at the two doors in front of him and reaches out to a door handle. He looks to Steve to confirm his guess, but he only gets a shrug in response. Of course, Steve could stop him or tell him which was correct, but selfishly he loved this. Eddie was possibly at his most cute when figuring something out or concentrating. He quickly looks down at the floor, wagging his finger, "Oh, almost got me there", and reaches for the second door handle, turns it and steps inside.

An audible gasp comes from Eddie, and Steve knows why. The last time Eddie saw a bedroom of Steve's, it was devoid of any personality, like one of those fake bedroom sets in a DIY or furniture store, but this room was definitely all Steve now. It had taken him a few months to start making changes after Jenny moved out, but after some time, he began to find it fun and, in some ways, therapeutic. Everything in this room had a home. Yes, that meant many storage items were in here, but he'd hidden them all behind doors or curtains. All the furniture was made of rich golden oak that complimented his room's two opposite racing green walls, the others a soft white. The overly large bed in the middle of one wall was covered in a mixture of greens, dark to light, deep soft cushions and bedding.   The kind that if you pressed your hand to them, they would try to engulf it. It was the same story in the window seats. Next to either side of the bed are two discrete speakers facing inwards, connected to a stereo hidden away in the lower part of a bedside table. Opposite the bed was a small sitting area, a love seat and a table with a decanter and tumblers across from a TV cabinet. The vanity area was a full-length mirror next to some apothecary style drawers containing a myriad of hair products and aftershaves gathered over the years. A chest of drawers sits between the two windows. Of the two other doors in here, one leads to the bathroom, the other to a walk-in closet. 

"Wow, this is as big as my whole place, almost" Eddie jokes as he turns around, looking around at everything in there, "Hmmm", he muses theatrically, "what is in Steve's decanter? Something cask matured for over a decade, no doubt." Steve just smiles, "No, that smile says I'm wrong, ok…ok. I'm driving, so I can't drink any, but…" he goes to pick up the decanter, and a panic floods Steve for a moment.

"Maybe another time? Don't want the food going cold, do we?" He says hopefully, and though Eddie eyes him and the decanter suspiciously, he obliges and moves his hand away. Steve's shoulders relax with gratitude, "Closet is just through there. The more casual stuff is just as you walk in" Steve smiles as Eddie opens the closet door.

"So full of tempting little secrets, huh, Steve? Well, there is one you can’t keep from me because I can see it all over." Eddie calls out from in the closet as he rummages around, and Steve takes off his t-shirt throwing it in the laundry hamper, before grabbing an exact duplicate from the chest of drawers. Halfway through putting it on when he hears Eddie's voice a lot more clearly, "You still can't sleep sometimes because of the nightmares" as Steve pokes his head out through the top of his t-shirt, he sees Eddie's head looking around the doorway at him. Steve sighs a little and nods with a smile as he pulls down his t-shirt quickly. Eddie disappears again, rummaging around more, "You should know my intention is to pluck all of these secrets from you, Steve. So, you are gonna have to be the bigger person and let me know when to stop because I cannot resist a mystery!" 

"I will", Steve quietly laughs.

"Promise?" Eddie asks, emerging from the closet, still sporting his own sleeveless t-shirt and some black sweatpants, but on his head is a small white hat that says Ahoy on it and on his face an impish smile. Steve's hands go to his face, and he can't help but laugh.

"You should have applied, it suits you," Steve says gesturing at the hat.

"What and break up the dynamic ice cream slinging duo? Never!" He says, agast, "Besides, I probably didn't have the legs for those shorts back then. Now…maybe. Shall I find them out and try them? I know if the hat is here, so is the rest." Eddie says, looking back into the closet.

"I think we've had quite enough dress-up time now, don't you?" Steve says with a smile moving towards the hallway door.

Eddie, overly downturns the corners of his mouth, puts the hat back in the closet and follows Steve with his jeans draped over his arm.

Once downstairs, Eddie helps Steve plate up the dinner, and the kids join them at the table. The eight-seater table was set out with five places but not as Steve had expected, not as he usually sat other parents. Only one end of the table had a place setting; the rest were along the longer sides of the table.

"Say, Eddie, don't you wanna sit at the top of the table?" Eddie looks at the place settings and then at the other end of the table.

"Er…do you want me to sit all the way at the other end of the table?" his question is a genuine, and the look on his face appears he doesn't quite understand the significance of seating at the table. Which surprises Steve. As a leader of Hellfire Club, who used to sit on a wooden throne, you'd think he'd get it. Or maybe it was that a dinner table had no significance to him? Whenever Steve's parents ate at a table with him, that's where they sat. They felt like the adult's seats to him. That's where he sat the other parents when one visited.

"No, I, er, sit wherever you like. Sorry, it was a dumb thing to ask." Steve says with a laugh, bringing over a jug of water and topping up the glasses. Then something occurs to Steve. Eddie had said all the way at the other end like it was a million miles away or something. He smiles as he sets the jug down. "Where did you wanna sit?" 

"Next to you, of course," Eddie says quietly, so the kids don't hear him like he just answered the most obvious question in the world, but Steve notes he doesn't look at him when he answers and is preoccupied straightening a knife, "If that's ok, that is."

Steve stands behind his seat, one hand on his hip, dish towel slung over the opposite shoulder, as he rearranges the seating. 

"Ok, Eddie, you're here" He points to the seat on his right. "Ah, ok, so one of mine next to me, please" Corey rushes up to claim the seat, glaring mischievously back at Zee, who shrugs like she doesn't care "ok, Corey, great. Thank you. That means Zee is next to Eddie because I do not want to deal with an all-out brawl because your brother nudged you. So, Morgan, you're next to Corey. If he nudges you, let me know, and I'll take away all his power supplies." Steve says like he was just talking through a play to his team, and Corey sinks in his seat with a groan of unfairness.

Everyone finally sits down, and Steve holds out his hands, one to Eddie and one to Corey. Zee sighs, "Dad, no, please. With guests?"

"These aren't just any guests," Steve says but doesn't elaborate. Eddie is more than just another parent invited around for dinner. They fought next to one another. Endured unknown horrors together. He couldn't call him family because that felt strange for several reasons, but he was important and by proxy so was Morgan. Corey holds Steve's hand and extends one out to Morgan. Zee falters for a minute. Her left hand extends to Eddie with no trouble, but her right, across the table, hesitates part way across. Morgan's upturned hand moves out gently and captures her fingers softly in his palm, and without tearing his eyes from Zee, he holds Corey's hand too. Corey observes the two of them and makes a dry heave sound, and Eddie can't hold back a laugh as he easily takes Steve and Zee's hands in his own, with Corey giggling back at him. "Ok. Now the awkward part is over." Steve looks around the table, "I'm really happy we did this today. Your turn, Cor."

"I'm really happy I got to run rings around two other basketball players today despite them both being much taller than me. Morgan?"

"Er, what do I do, just say something I'm happy about?" Morgan asks.

"Yeah, that's all" Zee smiles over at him.

"I'm really happy I don't look where I'm going sometimes," Morgan sighs. Eddie acts out a closed-mouth heave, and Corey starts giggling.

"Hey, it's his turn. We don't make fun here," Steve reprimands both of them.

"Thanks, Mr Harrington", Morgan says politely. Steve nods back with a smile. "Also, I'm really happy Beans has good taste in people", Morgan adds, raising his eyebrows in Eddie's direction before turning back to the object of his affection, "Zee?"

"I'm really happy you don't look where you're going, too," Zee says, and they laugh together, making Steve shoot a warning look at Corey and then Eddie. "And I'm also really happy my Dad knows how to braid," she says, smiling down the table at Steve for a split second before returning to Morgan. Steve feels like he might just burst into tears, and then he feels Eddie's thumb rub the back of his hand, almost like he knows how overwhelmingly happy that comment would make Steve feel, "Eddie?" Zee asks

"Oooh, I'm the headliner? No pressure. Ok, there are so many things I'm happy about today, but mostly…yeah. Mostly I'm really happy that all the choices I've made led me right here…" Eddie says, looking around the table at everyone's smiling faces. His eyes widen as they finally land on Corey opposite him. He continues, "...To this delicious, huge meal because I am absolutely ravenous," He says in a pirate voice, leans down to his plate, and picks up a slice of beef in his teeth, shaking it around like a rabid dog, making Corey start giggling again, and Morgan tuts.

"Well, on that note, let's all dig in shall we?" Steve says, and his eyes turn quickly to Corey, "And before you get any ideas, just because Eddie does something doesn't mean you can or should do that too."

Eddie finally swallows his food and looks between Steve and Corey, "I feel that should be a life lesson for everyone, honestly", he says genuinely, releasing Zee's hand. Corey lets go of Steve and Morgan simultaneously and grabs his cutlery to tuck into his food. Morgan and Zee reluctantly follow suit, and lastly, Steve lets go of Eddie's hand or at least tries to, but before he can, it gets a soft squeeze and a glance out of the corner of Eddie's eye. Instinctively Steve sends one squeeze back before letting go, making Eddie smile as he goes back to looking at his food.  Then something weird happens, almost like someone rapidly changed channels in Steve's head. His mind sends him back to some place but doesn't give him time to look around before he's back in the present. That didn't feel weird, and it should have. He looks down the table at Morgan and Zee and remembers her hesitation, that must be the first time they've held hands. This was the first time he'd held Eddie's hand too, but he didn't have the same reaction. He didn't have the same nervousness as when he held his t-shirt or made a flirtatious comment. It felt comfortable, not charged. Steve looks at Eddie curiously for a moment, and his brain finally gives him something, a fragment of a memory flickering on and off in a deep, dark, dusty corner of Steve's mind, replaying a second's worth of footage over and over, forwards and backwards. They're holding hands, but it's not now. It was long ago, but when or where precisely Steve couldn't place it. Maybe he'd just thought about it so much at one time it had planted itself as a false memory. Or has the impossible happened? Could he have wholly forgotten something as huge as that?

[cursed-elo-images]

YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS, BUT I HAVE EVEN MORE ELO INCORRECT QUOTES!!!

Richard: You have Crayons?

Melvyn: Yes, I have—

Richard: You're— how old are you?

Melvyn: YES I AM AN ADULT AND I HAVE CRAYONS, I HAVE A BOX OF EMERGENCY CRAYONS IN THE CABINET UNDER THE TV BECAUSE EVERYBODY NEEDS CRAYONS SOMETIMES, OKAY? EVERYBODY NEEDS CRAYONS.

Jeff: How long do you think it'll take?

Richard: I don’t know, three or four.

Jeff: Three or four what? Days? Weeks? Months?

Richard: Yeah, maybe five.

Jeff: Five what?!

Bev: When will Ted himself...finally show up to the talk?

Jeff: The final boss.

Richard: You guys know TEDtalks stands for technology, entertainment, and design talks, right?

Bev: I will not let Ted hide behind these lies any longer!

Bev: Jeff, what do you value about Richard?

Jeff: He’s thoughtful. He picks flowers and brings them to me. Often they’re ones I’ve just planted, but...

Richard: That’s how I know they’re fresh!

Melvyn: Hey, wanna hear a funny joke?

Hugh: I only like dark humor.

Melvyn, turning the lights off: What do you call a fake noodle?

Hugh:

Melvyn: An IMPASTA!

Hugh: Is there something you would like to say, Melvyn?

Melvyn: Oh, there are SEVERAL things I would like to say.

Richard: What do you call quantums of electromagnetic radiation that don’t get along?

Bev: What did you just say-

Richard: Foetons! *Laughs*

Bev: Wh-what?

Kelly: If I run and leap at Bev, he will most certainly catch me in his arms.

Kelly, running towards Bev: Coming in!

Bev: No! I’m holding coffee!

Bev: *Drops coffee and catches Kelly*

Melvyn: Hugh just said "I have an appetite for destruction" and then he reached down and untied my shoe.

Bev: I know what you're up to.

Melvyn: Really? Because I barely know.

Hugh: You are, of course, wondering why it is I have brought you here tonight.

Jeff: Actually, Hugh, after all these years, I just sort of go with it.

Melvyn: When life gives you lemonades, make lemons! Life will be all like "whaAttT?"

Mik: Life lessons that schools can't teach you.

Richard: Oh, they left the bowl out?

Richard: It says, “Take two pieces of candy.”

Hugh: Nobody around though…

*Hugh grabs the entire bowl and runs off with it*

Richard: NO—

Hugh: So the other day I sent Melvyn out to get us some gas.

Hugh: And instead of getting gas, he got us novelty cookie cutters.

Hugh: Now everything we eat is shaped like a dinosaur.

Hugh: …

Hugh: I love him so much.

Melvyn: *venting endlessly to Richard about his week*

Richard, every once in a while: *in a monotone* Wow, that is so wild.

Bev: Do we have any orange juice left?

Hugh: *pours the remaining juice into his cup*

Hugh: Sorry, we’re all out.

Jeff: Are you listening to me?

Hugh: *nods*

Jeff: What did I just say?

Hugh: *nods*

Jeff: …

Jeff: Oooh, a train!

Richard: We’re in a train station, Jeff.

Melvyn: Time freezes for everyone but you one day. What do you do?

Hugh: Oh… I’d mildly trouble everyone.

Melvyn: Alright, so what would you do?

Hugh: I’d shave a one-inch thick line in every thick beard I saw.

Hugh: I’d twist all the lightbulbs just a little bit so no one would know when they aren’t working.

Hugh: I’d make every wing on girls eyeliner just a little bit higher than the other one.

Hugh: And I’d tie everyone’s shoelaces together.

Hugh: And then lastly, I’d snip a little hole in every tea bag.

Melvyn:

Melvyn: Remind me to never allow you to have power.

Bev: You know, it’s fine to admit you were wrong.

Hugh: *Sipping his drink after accidentally adding salt* I just like the way it tastes.

Mik: The first time Melvyn opened a box of Cheerios and looked inside he yelled, "OH WOW! DONUT SEEDS!"

Bev: I am 39 cheetos tall.

Richard: Why... are you measuring your height in cheetos?

Bev: Because we're out of doritos.

Bev: Yeah, I find it quite emotional. In like a cool way.

Hugh: Did you just say it makes you cry in a cool way?

Melvyn: Jeff.. I'm gonna cry!

Jeff: Please don't.

Melvyn, crying: Request denied.

Richard: Tomorrow’s the Cooking Contest. Bev always tells me one thing every year. They say, “You might win if you’d stop eating your entry!” But how would I know whether it’s an award-winning dish without tasting it first? This may be a problem humanity will have to grapple with for eternity…

Jeff: Hugh is restricted to decaf for the rest of this adventure.

Jeff: I'm never having a debate with Hugh again, he literally started his argument with "Riddle me this."

Hugh: Remember that time you dared me to lick a swingset?

Melvyn: No, I said "Hugh, don't lick that swingset" and you said "Don't tell me what to do" and licked the swingset.

Jeff: I suppose you’re right. We really would be better off working together.

Hugh: So, then… détente?

Jeff: Agreed.

Hugh: Understanding?

Jeff: Possibly.

Hugh: Cooperation?

Jeff: Maybe.

Hugh: Trust?

Jeff: Out of the question.

Hugh: Ew. What kind of tea is this?

Melvyn: I boiled gatorade.

Jeff: Melvyn is forbidden from monologuing.

Hugh: Now it's time for some witty back and forth banter. You go first.

Melvyn: *sobbing*

Hugh: Look, I'm not sure where to go with that.

Jeff: Melvyn, you look deep in thought. What’s wrong?

Melvyn: Did you know you can look at any object and know what it’s like to lick it? Even if you’ve never touched it before?

Jeff: I’m never asking you anything ever again.

Bev: So, what's for dinner?

Richard, staring at the food he burnt: Regret.

Kelly: Which is correct, seven and five IS thirteen, or seven and five ARE thirteen?

Richard: Neither.

Richard: Because it's twelve.

Kelly: I'm very scary.

Richard: You're about as scary as a wet kitten.

Kelly: Wet kittens are cute, at least I've got that going for me.

Richard: And small.

Kelly:

Kelly: ...Yeah, yeah. I guess.

Melvyn: Can you recommend a book that'll make me cry?

Richard: General Mathematics 8th Grade Edition.

Melvyn: Richard, can I ask you a question?

Richard: You just did.

Melvyn: Okay, can I ask you two questions?

Richard: You just did.

Melvyn, frustrated: OKAY, CAN I ASK YOU FOUR QUESTIONS?!

Richard: You just did.

Melvyn: When?!

Richard: Just now.

Richard, handing out popsicles: Which flavor do you want?

Jeff: Blue flavor!

Richard: Uh, you mean Blue Raspberry?

Jeff: Blue flavor! Blue flavor!

Richard: Blue is not a flavor!

Jeff: BLUE FLAVOR!

Bev: I can't take you seriously wearing that.

Hugh: Aw, you take me seriously at all?

Bev: Fair point.

*Jeff and Hugh are texting*

Jeff: Please bring home PURIFIED water with NO minerals added for taste. NONE.

Hugh: I got spring water.

Jeff: NO!

Hugh: With EXTRA minerals!

Hugh: It’s like licking a stalagmite!

Jeff: DON’T COME HOME!

Hugh: Mmmmmm, cave water.

Bev: Kelly, can you help me? All of my clothes keep disappearing for some reason.

Kelly, wearing a hoodie that's 5 times bigger than his size: Spooky.

Mik: Richard, you need to calm down.

Richard, slamming his fists on the table: BUT HOW CAN IT BE "BIRTHDAY CAKE" FLAVOR IF A BIRTHDAY CAKE CAN BE ANY FLAVOR?!

Hugh: *plays shreksophone*

Hugh: Woo.

Hugh: Time to listen to this on loop for all eternity.

Richard: ...Genius coping mechanism my friend

Hugh, holding a scooter: Bev! Can I go outside and play with this?

Bev: Sure, whatever. I'm not your parent, okay?

Hugh, running outside: Thanks Bev!

Bev, running out after them and screaming: NOT ON THE STREET! STAY AWAY!

Hugh: Slash gamemode creative.

Mik: Dude, this isn't Min-

Hugh: *starts levitating*

Melvyn: I desire moisture.

Bev: Please just say “I want water” like a normal person.

Hugh: You remind me of the ocean.

Richard: Because I’m deep and mysterious?

Hugh: No, because you’re full of salt and you scare people.

Jeff: N… No!

Hugh: A fair rebuttal. However, consider this counterpoint: Y… Yes???

Melvyn: The joy of hanging out with Hugh. You look away for 5 seconds to make sure something is set up correctly, and he bites the tip of a marker off.

[lunarifie]

Rewatching Ninjago

(With no context other than the episode)

Skybound 7-8



Okay by why is Dareth out of everyone helping Nya, Cole, and Lloyd save Jay

Are Kevin and Dan self inserts-

Lloyd: who are they? Retrieval experts?

Dareth: better! Screenwriters.

I also saw these two random dudes in the jail and they were given lines and everything istg these are self inserts 💀

Also theyre voices sound abnormally normal

Everyone else in the show has a sort of distinctive or exaggerated voice

Not to mention how normal their outfits are. something I would actually wear in real life.

These are just some guys

The plan to recreate the sky pirates airship to blend in is actually a good idea

Lloyd: Ar! Yee.. matey, we be be, becoming pirates!

Dan and kevin:…

Kevin: okaaay thinking on the fly, the green one wont do dialects.

Dan: the mute pirate!

The dialect teacher: (teaching Cole and Nya)

Lloyd: (following their movement and swaying but not saying anything with a smile on his face)

I bet Lloyd loved pirates when he was little

This must be so fun for him :)

The airjitzu master after nadakhan stole him and his temple: This is me and my pupils home! You cant take it!

Nadakhan: And get rid of those peaky ghosts as well 🙄 theyre so last season

HDNSIFNSNR

The way Nya and Cole are hoping Jays okay 🥺

COLE FOUND JAY!!! WHAT I DONT REMEMBER THIS HAPPENING?!?!?!?

Jay sounds so pained :(

God I really wish Ninjago had like, a cartoon style like she-ra or spiderverse. Coles helping Jay stand and Jays voice actor is doing such a good job in sounding in pain but this would hurt so much more if we could SEE it.

They apologized to each other 🥹

Clancy (looking away): now here are the rules you need to follow new crewmates!-

Lloyd: (trying his fucking best as the mute pirate to mime to Nya that her mustache is falling)

Nya: 🤨

Lloyd: your mustache…

Clancy: hey! I thought you were mute

Lloyd: its a fucking miracle!

Huh, okay. So not only can the ninja not summon their dragons if they’re fearful, but they cant if they’re too drained or exhausted.

That makes a lot of sense actually

I love when powers come hand in hand with like health and stuff

They all got captured 😐

I hate that Nyas alone with Nadakhan

Jay: Thanks for trying to save me but maybe it would’ve been better if you guys never came…

Damn.

God Nadakhans so creepy…

Cole: Nya! Dont do it! Itll make Nadakhan all powerful-

Nadakhan: The black one goes first.

ik Coles the black ninja but the poc Cole headcanon has made me double take and go “🤨” to a few lines

DID NYA JUST FLIP DOGSHANKS HFJNSJF Holy shit

If I had a nickel for everytime an ancient item could collect elemental masters powers, id have two nickels, which isnt a lot but its weird it happened twice right?

STOP. MAKING. WISHES.

Lloyd: We have to be wiser for what we wish for!

Jay: NO. NOT WISER. QUIETER. NO. MORE. WISHES.

Coles getting his wishes twisted

Lloyds trying to think this through

And Nyas just wasting wishes💀

Like girl its not that hard to just NOT say ‘wish’

LLOYDS OLD?!?!?! 😭bfjdjfnfjsnt

Its so funny that the youngest became the oldest

Thats also scary though

Imagine the kid you swore to take care of turned 90 in a second

Lloyd: i see beyond the now..! Youll need your wish when its said from the heart

Love when age and wisdom gives you future vision

Jay: SAID FROM THE HEART?!?!? HEARTS DONT TALK!!!!

FUSION DRAGON!!!

How does that even work though

An electric and water dragon should be killing both Nya AND jay.

Wait so Cole and Lloyd used all their wishes. How is nadakhan gonna trap them in his sword now?

CLANCY NO DONT WISH THEM AWAY

Clancyyy :(

Nya riding the dragon while Jays sitting behind her is giving me movie Nya and her motorcycle vibes

so its just Nya and Jay now

And the whole police force I guess.

But what were they ever good for.

Oooooo a safe house

Wonder where it is.

Zanes dad’s lighthouse!!!

WAIT WAIT WAIT IK WHOS IN THERE

Jay: No no, let me row the boat, you saved me last time, let me do this for you :)

Awww thats sweet

Jay: Either way, a gentlemen NEVER lets a lady row.

Aaaand you ruined it.

Flintlockes getting reaaal suspicious of Nadakhan…

MUTINY! MUTINY! MUTINY!

that was kinda pathetic…

Jay: (venting his heart out about how this is all his fault)

Nya: Jay-

Jay: (continues venting)

Nya: JAY. Shut up. 😀

Jay: I know I know, you dont wanna hear it-

Nya: No- JAY. we’re not alone.

ECHOECHOECHOECHO

Jay: (cowering behind Nya)

Nya: I thought you were supposed to be protecting me?!?

Jay: I thought you were over that!

ECHO!!!!

Does anyone have any fic recs where Jay and Nya take echo with them????? Bc ik they leave with echo but we never see him again.

Clancy deserves better :(

Its actually kinda sweet how Jay wants to protect Nya

Little robot: (steals echos chess piece)

The seagulls: (trying to alert echo of what little robot just did)

Echo (looks back): Wait… How did you..?

Little robot: 🤷

Echos so cute 😭

I love Jay and Nya 🥺 theyre so sweet and it makes me genuinely like their relationship when they aren’t fighting

Nya fixed up Echo!!!

Nya: Its nothing… its just, both of you seem so convinced you have a future with me.

Nya: what voice do I have in all this? All my life , my identities been defined by someone else. First I was Kais sister, then I was your horrible girlfriend!

Nya: Even when I wanted to be Samurai X sensei told me no…

Nya: I just want the choice to be who I wanna be.

I feel so bad for her.

See THIS is why shes my favorite. I literally love her sm.

Her character is just so dynamic and well written

I really hope the ninjago writers dont tear down her characterization and make her bland in newer seasons

Fuck theyre here.

Nya: Lights, camera, ACTION! (flash-bombs nadakhans crew)

Dogshank: OW! You pulled my hair?!??! WHAT KIND OF WARRIOR PULLS HAIR???

Nya: One that is woefully undersized!!!

Jfjdjdbfhsjdnsjrn

Fuck this being about Jay. This is Nyas season.

Jay: Whatever you do! Dont pull that lever!

Doubloon: ? (looks at the lever) 😈 (pulls lever)

Jay (falls through escape trap door): Thanks! :D

GO ECHO GO

Aw echo :(

Nya: (pouring her heart out and confessing she’s always loved him and wants to protect him and for him to go through the travelers portal)

Jay: (goes for a kiss)

Nya: (fucking shoves him in the portal)

Nya. Girl. Ik this was like, an act of love. But if you marry the djinn, hes gonna be all powerful.

Like, its great that you believe Jay can save you later and stop the wedding. But you could have just left. If Jay got captured he’d still be able to make the ‘i wish you were never a djinn’ wish.

Nadakhans so creepy. I hate him and hope he dies.

[mejomonster]

Unrelated but one show where I absolutely Was invested in all the straight romance was Ice Fantasy! Maybe one day I'd give Pillow Book a try, like I gave Eternal Love a try (with mixed results), and Till The End of The Moon definitely invested me a bit. But its Ice Fantasy for me above all others as far as the guy/girl xianxia romances go. (And no we are not counting Love and Redemption cause that's a queer relationship, and not counting Love Between Fairy and Devil because while I Do love it... it's mostly just the main couple for me, like how Eternal Love was mostly the side couple for me).

Ice Fantasy just absolutely fulfilled my ideal tropes when it came to so many characters (and I can get picky) and so many romances. It didn't even matter i had no queer lens ships (although that is a past time of mine lol: to look at cdramas and optimistically read everything as queer as I possibly can.... in my defense Eternal Love is fairly explicitly actually queer with a gay uncle and 2 bi demons, and Love and Redemption is Really Queer, so).

Ice Fantasy has:

Wang Duo playing an absolute delight of a himbo who is engaged to a girl he doesn't like for political reasons his dad set up, and falls for the girls cutthroat talented sword wielding sister. Said sister is cold and only wants her sister happy, a genuine triangle ensues where really everyone just wants everyone to be happy. Wang Duo is a fucking delight as this sweetie.

The lead love interest prince from Jade Palace Lock Heart plays Ka Suo, prince of the Ice Kingdom and son to a very fucked up father. He falls for the Guardian of the boundary between his immortal Ice Kingdom realm and the human one, and the Guardian is basically Zhao Yunlan-Kunlun in woman form. She's badass, and forward, heroic, she saves him, she teaches him the wonders of being human, she doesn't want to ruin his life and just wants to help him be a good future King, and she's mortal. The kind of Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan fluff and angst ensues, and it's a delight there is a girl as raunchy and kickass as Zhao Yunlan on the scene. Their first drinking scene together is beyond cute, she's one of my favorite characters in the show.

We've got my man Ma Tianyou as the younger brother to Ka Suo, Ying Kong Shi. He is a sweet younger brother who just wants to help his brother too. And his brother wants to not be like their absolute horror of a dad, does not love the awful burden of that bullshit and impending war and not getting to be with his mortal love, and living through that war starting (with his dad making his little brother the scapegoat) so. Ying Kong Shi has his work cut out for him trying to help Ka Suo. Along the way, Ying Kong Shi becomes "mortal" for a while, gets kidnapped by the Fire Kingdom Princess (which his country is at war with) and becomes her slave. She becomes intensely enamoured with him and honestly he becomes her best friend. The dynamic of that portion alone is SO fucking funny, intense, sad, cute, sexy, complicated, you name it. He eventually betrays her, as he must, to return to his kingdom. From then on they're on opposite sides, but with a soft spot for their former friend. Possibly my favorite ship on the show.

Not a romantic relationship, but the relationship with Ka Suo and Ying Kong Shi is also SO much what Shen Wei and Ye Zun could be in a longer story, especially when Ying Kong Shi goes supernova and burns a bunch of people alive, which is absolutely the kind of brothers fucked over by life dynamic I eat up.

Ying Kong Shis mom is a mermaid concubine who is played by the absolute babe who starred with the pink hair in the kdrama Tomorrow. She's shady af in this show, betraying and plotting and using others. But considering her ex was the Fire King, asshole extraordinare, and her husband is the Ice King absolute jerk of a motherfucker? I kind of get it. And her actress makes any scene she's in utterly compelling, you love to hate her character. All her relationships are utterly fucked up, and boy were they compelling to me.

You have mermaid princess girl who genuinely just wants a normal fairytale relationship, which is actually what society would like her to have in this kind of world. She wants to marry Ka Suo, be loved, and be happy. Ka Suo however does NOT want to be dragged into political immortal marriage, he's in love with his human Guardian Li Luo. So as you can imagine, shit hits the fan in a major way for our mermaid princess. And I love a messy time so.

There's a Mortal (with powers) princess with an eagle man (yao? I'm not clear it's been a while since watching) as her loyal servant/second in command. Who absolutely loves her like a knight loves their queen. As far as traditional romances go, I'm a sap for a man who's in awe of his woman and trying to help her (The Secret of the Three Kingdoms reallyyyy appeals to me with the Empress as puppetmaster and fake Emperor as her tool tbh as a premise, or the Olivia Wang and Wang Duos characters in Yin Yang Master is another good example of this). They're a very cute side couple and it's pretty much impossible for me not to root for them.

The entire family dynamics within the Ice Kingdom and Fire Kingdom is also exactly my kind of thing. In the fire Kingdom, the fire princess deals with sexism (interesting choice in a xianxia to delve into) despite being the best leader for her family and country and genuinely loving both, her brother who's in a way in her shadow for being less good and in his father's egotistical shadow, and her father who's a piece of shit (a la Eternal Love's demon king) but unlike demon/Heavenly traditional xianxia? The ice king is equally absolute shit and just as guilty, for once. So I guess all powerful leaders are all shit huh. Good thing the next generation is a bit more caring (also! If you like progressive advancement anime style stories, this show very much follows that kind of pacing and arc). The ice Kingdom features an older brother with the world on his shoulders, a half brother who's also half (something likely enemy to ice nation I tell you that) something else and absolutely his dad's and their country's punching bag and scapegoat (they full on try to kill Kong Shi as a kid), his brothers mom is evil and up to her own shit, his own mom isn't the ideal ally to Ka Suo either, and his dad? His dad might as well be singlehandedly ruining Ka Suos life, trying to kill his brother, and getting the nation into a war. Phenomenal. I love the mess that is the political plot what can I say.

Anyway. As if that's all not enough? Ice Fantasy season 2 is set in the modern world but still with xianxia magic, which if you know me is the kind of thing I absolutely love. (See: Rattan, Guardian, Fairyland Lovers).

[astradis]

hello!! how are you? I've never submitted anything for match-ups before so excuse me if this is messy

my name is Casper and I'm 19!

I have no particular age range in mind as long as they're also an adult, and the only character I can think of that's a no is Robin bc I'm a guy

he/him pronouns and I'm bi

uhh for personality I try to be as laid back as possible and just in general approachable. very kind and caring towards people but can tend to be a bit anxious in most situations. but I'm excitable and kind of loud around people I'm comfortable around

appearance wise I have long and messy dyed red hair, glasses that I wear once in a blue moon, a couple of piercings (snake bites + septum) and wear an over abundance of stupid graphic tees. I don't have a particular style but closest would be grunge!

and for extra facts my major hobby is collecting oddities such as skulls, bugs and anything weird, I use to pin bugs and sell them for a while. I also play bass a lot but can play a handful of other instruments. I also love embroidery and sewing

that's all though!! hopefully not too much haha, thank you tho <3

it’s a little funny that he’s getting matched with so many people but we all can agree his dork self would fall in love a little too easily <3

EDDIE MUNSON

eddie thinks your piercings are probably one of the most charming things about you. he’d ask about them, and wonder how he would look with the same ones on him. sometimes he would like to touch them if you’re comfortable enough with it, it’s a little funny he’s so fascinated with them- but he hasn’t seen anyone with piercings here in hawkins. seeing them up close and personal is so freaking cool to him, but just wait until he shows up to school the next day with a septum. he’d complain to you it hurt when he did it, when in reality, it was nothing. he just wants to hear you comfort him, that’s all.

when you show him your talent for embroidery and sewing, he’s absolutely smitten. he would offer almost every single article of clothing he has to you so you could customize it for him. don’t think you’re getting this done alone, either, because he is breathing down your neck watching you work. someone teach this guy about boundaries!

eddie’s silly self would love to learn the things you do, because in his eyes, you’re one of the most talented people on this planet. second to him, of course, because guitar is his favorite thing ever. for a while… until you get together. even before that, you were the apple of his eye. eddie wouldn’t be too excited about the whole bug thing, but once you show him its really not that scary, you notice he starts to identify bugs out on the street and even go up to them to feel them and pick them up. there was a time where he saved a bee who had lost a wing, and the two of you gave it the best last hours of its life. you wanted to display it, and of course eddie was into the idea. don’t talk about the fact he’s crying over the bee, or else he’ll probably be super embarrassed and act like nothing happened!

-

“Cas, Cas look!” Eddie points at a butterfly passing you two while you sit in a field. Eddie would have never pictured himself in this type of scenario, it felt too soft for him. Then, he remembered you made him that way, and he didn’t think twice about it. “Isn’t that a… uh…”

“You can do it,” you cheered him on, encouraging him to find the name in his head. Eddie shut his eyes to think while he kept his pointing finger up, and he lit up with a smile as he opened his eyes back up.

“Red Admiral,” he snapped his fingers, and you clapped in celebration. “See? Told you I know my stuff!”

“I would never doubt you in a million years,” you smiled, resting your head on his shoulder as he continued to admire the insect circling you two. You realized this was a place you wanted to be for the rest of your life, always by his side and typing insects on the way.

[darkmasterofcupcakes]

DHMIS Review: Short 2, Time

I have to say, I’m kind of impressed by the fact that they managed to actually make the ticking of a clock not only work as actually music, but that it’s actually got a pretty good beat? 

I am kind of wondering what’s up with their TV, since with how they talk about how it’s almost time for their show to start, you’d think that either the TV would be off, or there’d be something playing. But, no, the TV is on, but there’s nothing but static. Do they actually like whatever show they’re planning to watch, or is that just the only time the television works, and they just...want to watch television in general? I’d honestly believe either at this point.

Also, can I just say how impressive the improvement in the puppets is from the first short to this one, especially considering this was from before the kickstarter, if I remember correctly. Yellow Guy especially had a major improvement, namely in regards to how the mouth seems to have been designed. Now he looks a lot more like how I feel most of us tend to remember him.

Anyone else find it a little funny that Red Guy actually bothers to wonder who Tony is (and I’d assume, even though he doesn’t say anything, where he came from), but none of the three really seemed to question it when the Sketchbook came to life in the last short? I mean, Yellow Guy got a shocked expression for a second when she started singing, but nobody ever was like “Wait, what’s happening?” They all just sort of went with it. Now that I’m thinking about it, I think Tony showing up is the only time any of them actually really question the Teachers showing up, at least in the shorts.

“Rizd”? Guess these Teachers just really can’t spell. Then again, with Tony maybe he just wrote it wrong once and then didn’t want to waste the time fixing it, since it’d still “sound” correct when it was being sung. Also, the whole “the future doesn’t exist” is one of those lines that sounds kind of dark, but it’s basically just pointing out that technically you can never really experience the future, since by the time the future happens...it’s become the present for you. 

I know the main joke in the bath scene is how they use “brown” even though it doesn’t rhyme, because the most obvious rhyming word wouldn’t be creative...but am I the only one who finds it hilarious that Duck is the one wearing a shower cap...and he’s the only one who doesn’t seem to have any actual hair?

I think I pointed this out last short review, but I do find it interesting that with both of these first two Teachers, they don’t really seem to get hostile at all until one of the main Trio (or, actually, I think it’s Red Guy both times) says something that they could see as insulting or rude? He called Sketchbook’s way of expressing herself “boring”, and here he just flat out tells Tony they don’t want to have the lesson he’s clearly passionate about teaching. Not even asking if they could do it later, after the show, just flat out going “We don’t want to” - which also has the added “bonus” of, like Duck in the first episode of the TV show, making decisions for the group without consulting the others at all. 

The introduction to Roy almost always gets a bit of a chuckle out of me just for how random it is. There’s zero build up for it, and it doesn’t even fit with what’s happening at the moment, with them listing off things you can do to have a fun time. Yellow Guy just randomly jumps in to tell everyone he’s friends with his dad, and then we get a moment to hold on Roy that’s just long enough to split the difference between unsettling and hilarious. But that whole “I’m friends with my dad” thing....Oh, boy, that is not going to age the best by the end of these shorts, is it?

I don’t know why I love the fish montage, but I do. Maybe it’s just because of how random it is, or maybe part of it is because of the brief cameo from the Sketchbook. Which I am convinced is what helped to spark the Padlock ship, since it kind of established they were both around in the house, meaning fans could imagine they’d interact. I’m also kind of wondering now why there was never really much of a theory that Tony was obsessed with fish, since fish are brought up much more than pizza. Maybe because Tony’s not the one actually singing during the montage?

It’s super messed up, but I kind of love how Tony making the trio rapidly age is done in response to them starting to question if time actually exists. He basically does it because, well, if time wasn’t real, they’d expect to stay the same forever. So, in the mind of a being that doesn’t have “human” morals, what better what to prove that time exists than to give them an undeniable example of the effects time has on the body? 

Though, obviously part of it was also just him getting completely fed up with them trying to undermine his lesson. And unlike with the Sketchbook, it’s pretty clear that Tony did this all intentionally, and, from both his expression right before the aging starts and the brief shot we see of him watching as it happens, he does take a bit of pleasure from it. 

Considering I know mistakes can and do happen in media, part of me can’t help but wonder if the Duck’s eye still being on the floor after we cut back to what seems to be the beginning of the episode was intention or not? I think the most common assumption is that it was, because it serves as proof that the main characters were rapidly aged/killed by Tony, only for him to “reset” them back to before all of that happened, to help them learn their lesson about time. And while that is the most fun to think about as a fan, I do have to consider the possibility that the eye still being on the floor might have just been an error - like it fell there when they were doing the aging scene, and when they swapped out the puppets and costume back to the “normal” ones, they forgot to pick up the eye. 

Gotta love how, after trying to refuse to listen to the lesson because he wanted to watch TV....Red Guy just turns it off without a word as soon as they’re presumably able to start watching.

This is what I feel is the signature episode of all of DHMIS. Well, technically I feel like if you want to full experience what the series is like in a bit of a nutshell, you need to watch both this short and the one preceding it, but “Time” has a bit more polish and I think gets a bit of an edge for introducing both the character of Roy, and the knowledge of just how bad things can get for the main characters. Because this is the first time we actually see any of them get harmed, physically, during a “lesson”.

My favorite episode of either series, and pretty much iconic: 5/5

[renee-writer]

Farmer's Daughter Chapter 34

AO3

“Why Auntie Claire getting fat?” JC at almost three, has no filter. Maggie, at six, is horrified at her sister’s lack of tact.

“JC, she is having a baby, not fat. “

“A baby like Mike and me?”

Wee Ian, rolls his eyes. Sometimes his littles siblings get on his nerves. At nine, he believes he is above all their childish questions. “No JC. Her and Uncle Jamie will have a wee baby. You guys aren’t babies anymore.”

“Mam says we are her babies, so there.” She sticks her tongue out.

Claire, just a room over, talking with Jenny and Ellen, laughs. Her nieces and nephews never fall to make her smile.

“Aye, they can be funny until they are fighting. Then, you wonder why you didn’t stop at one.”

Claire, in her fifth month, and flooded with hormones, smiles broadly, her hands resting over her baby bump. “Even when they are fighting, they are precious.”

“Please!” Jenny rolls her eyes. Ellen just giggles.

“Jenny, you recall how the pregnancy hormones make you feel. It is how the species continues. If we didn’t forget, that the cute baby becomes a sassy toddler, that labor is horrible, well no one would have more then one.”

“Aye, good point mam.”

They are gathered to talk about her baby shower. “A smart thing that.” Claire says.

“Aye, are you sure you and Jamie don’t want to find out the gender? It would make having this shower easier.”

“We are sure Jenny. There are very few real surprises in life. I want Jamie to be the one to tell us what we have not an sonogram technician.”

“That makes sense. I think it is a lovely idea.” Ellen says. “The banner can say, “Welcome Baby Fraser.” Claire and Jamie are still discussing names.

“Yes, it can. Neutral colors. Boy or girl, it will need nappies and bodysuits, a car seat and buggy.” Claire says.

“Just so. And cute little jumpers and overalls.” Ellen is beaming. The more grandchildren the better. JC and Mike are getting to big to cuddle.

They all three grin. They had waited to their second anniversary to throw away the birth control and start trying. She was pregnant within months. Now they our on the home stretch to having their first. Everyone is excited.

JC and Mike run in, hand and hand. “Auntie Claire, Maggie says you having a baby?”

“I am JC.”

She frowns. “But we your babies.” She opens her arms and they come to her. She lifts them onto her knees.

“You always will be. This new baby won’t change that. Your Uncle Jamie and I have more then enough love for all of you. Besides, this baby will be special to you too. You are getting your own cousin.”

Their eyes get wide. “Our own cousin?” Mike asks.

“Yep. Someone younger you can teach. Someone that will love you and look up to you.”

“Yah! Let’s go tell Maggie and Wee Ian.” JC jumps down and her brother follows.

[gabenvrhappened]

TvShowsOr... Red Oaks

A couple of months ago, I was scrolling through Instagram, and found a post with TV show recommendations, and it had Red Oaks on it. I made a note-to-self (in the form of a screenshot) to watch it but never came back to that promise. Until one night when I realized I had to stay days locked up at home, so it was important to find something to spend my time with. That's when I found the show again, while scrolling on Amazon Prime. “What harm can a show of only three seasons do?” I pondered.

This innovative coming-of-age summer-show tells the story of David Mayers (played by Craig Roberts): a boy from the suburbs who works at a country club. He has a simple life, but he wants to be more. He wants to become a movie director. He doesn't want a trophy wife, a beautiful baby or to stay forever teaching tennis or to become a tax person like his dad (someone who doesn’t support his dreams in the slightest). Craig must have been the name to watch when the show premiered back in 2014. I remember him being kind of a Tumblr actor with his movie choices. Here he looks adorable and funny (and kind of a Tom Holland look-alike from certain angles). Seeing him in tight small pants was a vision for the eyes (specially when butt naked). He probably liked the whole camera thing because, in real life, he became a director and now he's focused on taking pictures with a 35mm camera. I'm happy he found his passion but sad not to see him on the screen.

Alongside David, we have a lot of charming characters. Skye, portrayed by Alexandra Socha, even though an irritating, spoiled, and entitled little brat, is, undeniably, the female heart of the show. Her absence in the third season is deeply felt, but, hopefully, when she appears to conclude her arc, she does it satisfactorily. Another girl who also steals the show is — oh my, another Alexandra — Alexandra Turshen, who plays Misty. The hot girl who dates the hot (but dumb) guy. Her role grows more during the episodes, leaving that teenage rom-com stereotype behind, and I’m sure the audience feels pleasure with that. It's interesting to see the development of the romance she has with Wheeler, brilliantly funny played by Oliver Cooper. Yes, he's just another cliche of the show, as the fat (and smart) guy who likes the hot girl, smokes marijuana and makes bad decisions, but he does it so well that I only remembered how cliche he was while writing this.

From the adult characters, Herb is the perfect one. I spent my watchings hoping to see Freddie Roman again and again, since he was very old when the show was shot. Well, he died last year, but good to see that he gave us this warm character on his 85 well-lived years. But, even though we get great characters played by veterans actors, one was the baddest of the baddest. I'm in love with Paul Reiser and his Douglas Getty. That's the guy I want to be when I'm old: ruthless, smart, and a relentless business-driven man, while also being (somewhat) generous. Of course not the bad parts of being a criminal and having offshore money, but that this made him a sweet badass, it did.

I have nothing bad to say about any of the seasons, which is funny to think about because I always some remark. Since I've watched them all in a few months, things are fresh in my mind. But that's not something that can prevent me from wondering about some writing decisions. In the first season, for instance, the cocaine situation was so quickly resolved for something so harmful. It could've been used to set the tone for the second season, and it would've been extra nice if Nash had used it for his advantage (since he was needing one at that time). Speaking of Nash, it can't be just me who saw a spark between him and Skip. I really thought they would have an enemies-to-lovers plot somewhere. Maybe if the show were recent, they would have a chance. Skip could be an asshole, but he's the finest looking one. In the third season, he even has a threesome with Nash, and they also move in together… Well… I guess the script indeed had that subtone after all.

Talking about settings, the change of scene to Paris in the second season, and, more prominently, New York in the third, was pleasant to see. I mean, who says no to shows in Paris and New York, right? But that made the magic of the country club disappear, especially in that smoky third season and even with arcs of the story happening there. Still, this change of scene had to happen to give the show a better flow and it also had a positive balance on the storylines, because allowed the writers to make the characters grow and evolve further in teenagers territories.

The struggle David lives, for example, became more intense, and I could relate to it so damn well. Money or happiness. A career or your passion? The girl or the dream? The growth of his character and his dilemmas caught me more and more as the episodes went by. At least, until the very last seconds of the last one, where he showed a snobbish side of him I wasn't pleased to see. If that's a side of the real David (the director), it makes it easy to understand why his movies aren't so well-received. Fun fact: only when I finished the series did I make the connection between this character's name and the creator of the show: David Gordon Green. And the surname Mayers? Well, let's just say Green has a thing for horror movies.

If, once, I first started watching Red Oaks for its short duration, I finished the final season damning that first relief, because the third is the shortest of them all. So short that, for a moment, I thought the show wouldn't be competently wrapped, but thankfully it was. Even so, that's how I like my shows to end: in their glory. Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Younger are good examples of this (even though they lasted longer). The good thing is that I can always come back to this project and finish it just as fast as tennis courtyard swing. A show that caught my interest from the very first moment, when David's father had a heart attack at a tenis filed, and, scared to die, confessed he was still in love with an old fling, and that his wife was secretly a lesbian. Ah… the 80s.

[elxy-x]

life updates, feelings, thoughts, and growing pains.  Chapter 1

hey there. It's really been a time for me and my spiritual growth. I don’t where this path is leading me in life sometimes and it scares the shit out of me. I’ve lost a lot of people that I always thought were going to be in my life, yet here I am still going. The only constants in my life have been God, my parents and my family. But then again, I guess that’s all I ever really needed. I’m really learning how to be whole by myself. Ironic because I am dating someone named: Austin Taylor Gabriel. The name has a good ring to it. I can for sure say that from what I have seen so far I like his mentality on things and he adds to my happiness, which I absolutely adore. I still live in a lot of regrets and the guilt sometimes eats me alive a little. This is the consequence of my actions, the best I can do is learn and change for the better. I’ve been having a hard yet, easy time adjusting. I know really know that we never really get to keep anyone in our lives. If we are lucky-- we get to “keep them” at least until they pass away. Some people-- a lot of people really just come and go to teach us lessons, to brighten our days, and make a gloomy day seem like we still have a fighting chance at the perplexing thing called life. Some people grow to be your best friends and stay for life. I am learning to let go with grace, no resentment...it’s ok. Really, it is guys. I realized this is was the most whole I have ever been in my life when 2 of my best friends departed from me. The crazy part is that I was still happy deep down inside when these series of unfortunate events occurred. I can’t sit there and be upset about anything because I see people die every day at work and life is way too precious. I would be doing Mr. Rodgers an injustice or other patients that I work with. I think to myself: “if they can still smile and they are bed bound-- essentially. chained to a bed, then who the hell am I to not live my life to the fullest? I have to live my life happily and to the fullest, for God, me, and lastly to the people that can’t anymore. I am still fighting my demons every day, but it’s going really well. I am 37 days sober and I don’t really miss the alcohol which is weird. 

Chapters 1 and 1/2 

I have met a wonderful human being at a very strange time in my life. Right when I was done with relationships and trying to make things work. He goes by the name of Austin Taylor Gabriel. He is absolutely incredible. He is very caring, humble, funny, super goofy, and is always willing to try new things for me. “Hell was the journey, but it bought me heaven.”  Come to think of it now, if I would have met Austin any sooner I don’t think I would have cherished the connection as much as I do know. I went through so much shit and trials and tribulations and was about to just give up on the idea of finding someone that it made me appreciate finding someone like him. He’s very different for sure. Last weekend it was spent together with him, I danced with him in his living room ( country dancing to be exact). It was magical like I had met him before already. He’s the best buddy that I never had in a significant other. We both feel the same way. he asked me out at his house on March 2nd around 11pm or midnight. Shortly after....well you know how it goes. We had sex to Taylor Swift in the background, her folklore album to be exact. And let me tell you. That. Shit.Was. Magical. Everything about it. Also, this is the 3rd time I’ve had sex with Taylor Swift on in the background. Its my guilty pleasure. Things are easy with Austin, super easy. We think a lot alike and respect each other much. The first flower that he bought me were sunflowers, although they were rather dead lol, and he bought me journals and beautiful pens so that we could get to know each other.   He’s very supportive, is always excited to see me, and has beautiful blue, green, gray, teal colored eyes that are my favorite to look at while he is “smitten” looking at me. Austin may have just “came at the right time in life and I am very lucky” per my therapist, but honestly. I want to figure things out for me now. I want to make me happy and be there for my first. For the first time in my life, I am putting me first, learning to say no for my mental health and I'm not afraid to do so. I’ve taken so pictures with Austin at the Photo Booth where I used to all the time, I've decided that its time to make some new memories. Austin is very attentive, gives me my space, is very understanding, and is very attracted to me, haha. I met this man right after I ended things with Josh Beckham, and guys let me tell you this was a blessing in disguise. I haven’t met the new me yet, but I'm sure she would be proud of all the choices and the decisions that I have made. I was getting the bare minimum with Josh and didn’t see it becuase I was told I was being “unreasonable” too “overwhelming” and “too much”, but it was the other way around really. My last words to him were: “Please do not contact me unless you want to make things work. I want to find my husband.” I  And that’s  what I did. I focused on my own short comings, as I still am and here I am. I trust God with all my heart and I don’t know why he’s doing what yet, but I know it will all make sense later for sure. He has never let me down. I find peace now in just being alone....maybe thats why my parents just like being alone...it’s just easier. Spending time alone is one of my favorite things to as of now.  I have picked up new hobbies: running, photography, tennis and biking all coming here soon this summer! Austin will be my new jogging buddy. Cheers to new chapters.