#you know the exact kind of bi girl i mean

[brotherwtf]

do you think they’re like gale-sexual/john-sexual for each other (ive just realised that’s a really weird way of putting it) & if not what sexuality do you think they’d sort of have? also, what do you think they’re process of coming into terms with their sexuality would be like (do they explore, experiment, etc) / how comfortable would they be in terms of their sexuality even after they get together?

i apologise, this is a bit rambly 😭😭 have a wonderful day!! 💌

hey anon! thank you so much for the ask!

if this was a modern au I think Gale would have realized his sexuality kind of early in life; he thought that he was attracted to girls when he was younger, but realized it was only because he wanted to be just like them. He latched onto Marge pretty quickly because he liked her energy; her no nonsense behavior towards dudes and protectiveness of Gale made him instantly drawn to her. They fawned over boys together, went through Playgirl magazines in Marges bedroom after school together, and people-watched at the mall and pointed out the boys they thought were attractive.

Gale started living his authentic gay life in college where he tried dating guys but never really found "the one" because they all just wanted a quick fuck, to kiss and tell and leave Gale behind.

John didn't really have the same journey when he was in high school. He liked girls, had dated a couple, but had a bunch of internalized homophobia when he also had crushes on boys the same way he had crushes on girls. He has an identity crisis throughout high school until he goes to college, where he meets Marge and Gale. John initially thinks they're dating. He gets jealous of Marge bcs he thinks Gale is one of the most beautiful people he has seen. Only when he starts getting to know them does he realize that Gale is gay and Marge is bi. He doesn't understand what being bisexual means until Marge explains it; essentially liking all genders. John realizes that that's what he must identify as, bcs he feels the exact same way that Marge was describing.

When he and Gale start dating, he still has a little bit of internalized homophobia bcs he doesn't really feel comfortable with his identity. Only when he sees Gale, who wears his identity on his shoulder and with pride, does he start to accept who he truly is.

Even though Gale is really shy and reserved, he always helps John with his sexuality and identity. He was only afraid for a moment when he thought he was just going to be another experiment for John, but gets reassured when John just is obsessed with him.

Gale realizes that John is "the one" when they graduate college. He'd had a rough transition from schooling into the workplace and his personality changed. He no longer felt comfortable showing the world his sexuality and identity to the world, and just sort of felt lost. Like Gale had done to John, John did to Gale when he started to have his identity crisis. He stayed with Gale through thick and thin, encouraging him throughout it all. Told Gale that he loved him no matter what.

I think later in life they become more "gale-sexual" "john-sexual" because they've realized they found their person. No longer were they looking at others like they looked at each other, they didn't feel the same urges they did when they were teens. John still identifies as bisexual, and Gale still identifies as gay, but they really only have eyes for each other.

here's some eye candy for you guys (thanks @trashbag-baby666 for the pics)

thanks so much for the ask, anon! this was very sweet to write about.

[matan4il]

911 ep 705 first watch reactions

Of course 911 would "punish" the "You are the boss of you!" guy with an alien hand that attacks him, and does what it wants. Pooor Buck and Eddie paying the price for that...

Okay, love the storyline with Hen and Karen possibly eventually adopting an older girl. Too many shows just find easy, unrealistic ways to give their same sex couples kids, and I am really glad that 911 shows the reality of it, and that it is a more complex struggle for many, that it's an act of continuously choosing to be parents. That's actually an amazing, difficult thing, and it should be faithfully depicted and respected, for all of its heartache, and the little moments of triumph.

Buck and Tommy on a date, and Eddie comes along with Marisol? Love how Buck's bisexual awakening and coming out continues to involve Eddie so much. Tell me they're end game, even if they're not gonna get together right now, without telling me they're...

I did not need to learn Marisol is moving in with Eddie like this, with any build up, or even any sort of insight into the relationship, and nope, that does not bode well for them. IDK how 911 managed to do it, but they have somehow managed to give Eddie a love interest the show is even less invested in than Ana.

And the funniest bit, is that Marisol and Eddie's big development is only there to further Buck's journey anyway.

"You can never have too much closet space" LMAO the way 911 both made me laugh, and feel sorry for poor, baby bi Buck. XD

Hmmm. Were parts of this scene cut out? We don't get to see Eddie on his own date with Marisol, but constantly looking over at Tommy and Buck? Boo. I'm glad we at least got the BTS photos, then. But seriously, why!? That was gonna be so delicious.

Oh, Tommy's breaking up with Buck. I mean, good for him, and he ain't wrong after Buck's "after this, we're gonna go out looking for chicks" reaction, but man do I feel sorry for Buck. Him and Tommy might not be my end game (Buddie forever will be), but I do think this relationship could be good for our baby bi. Tommy being in the same profession, knowing what it's like to have this gap between who you are and the image of guys in your line of work, plus he's got more experience than Buck, is sure of himself, can help our boy figure himself out, and also Buck obviously does like his vibe. He deserves to be with someone he actually likes, not just the first woman willing to be with him that the plot pushed in his way.

Oh, baby Buck. :( You didn't even tell Maddie about Tommy. You really aren't ready it. But also (and as a Buddie shipper, more importantly), Tommy broke things off with Buck, but what is eating him up, is that he lied to Eddie. XD Yeah, this gonna end with wedding bells, sooner or later. On screen, off screen after the show ends with canon Buddie, or only in my head if 911 never dares make Buddie canon, I don't care. That kind of emotional devotion is not something that my hopelessly romantic heart can ignore.

OMG, this is how Buck comes out to Maddie? XD Via random pronoun mention, and as a by product of trying to figure out how to tell Eddie the truth? This is hilarious. lol It really makes it clear that, after all, the issue for Buck really isn't people knowing he is also dating guys (or checking their asses), even when it's the other closest person in the world for him, it's Eddie. Specifically. Buck's ready, even if he doesn't have the exact clear words yet, he's just not ready to tell Eddie. Can't imagine why. XDDD

What was that awkward post-sex scene with Eddie and Marisol? And the issues with her moving in are popping up a second after she has. But yeah, we have no idea who this woman is as a person, she's been a cardboard cut out so far, and then one of the first things we do learn about her, is that she would call her stuff better than Eddie's? Once again, this is not the stuff great romance is made of. Or... even just the stuff any kind of romance is made of.

Wait, Marisol was a nun, and Eddie didn't even know!? This whole ep is telegraphing in the news of how weird and awkward and underdeveloped this r/s is, not just for us as viewers who know nothing about Marisol, but apparently for Eddie as well.

And of course his Catholic guilt is gonna kick in now. I'd care, except 911 has given me absolutely no reason to. Seriously, I care more about Buck and Tommy after just 2 eps, than Eddie and Marisol, even though this is technically her 2nd season on the show.

Of course Buck went to find Eddie, and spotted him at the gym. Forever 201 vibes, with Eddie being the focus of Buck's attention. ^u^

I couldn't care less about Eddie's Catholic guilt crisis, and how it's actually a projection of what his real issues are with Marisol, but it's nice to see that as always, Buck's the one who can tell when something's off, and offer Eddie exactly what he needs (even when that's to talk to someone else, but Buck figures out immediately who the right person to address is), and then they just very naturally switch, because Eddie can also tell when something's off with Buck, and he wants to tell him something. Soulmates. THAT is the stuff that great romance IS made of.

:/ The imagery of Catholic nuns has not been around for over 2,000 years, please stop being ignorant about your own religion, and the very different way it looked in its early days.

Bobby is forgiven, he does give good advice, and his "her ex, the Lord" bit, which prompted that reaction from Eddie, is hilarious. XD

So... when Eddie is having issues with Marisol, he already knows he has to figure out how he feels about her, but instead of doing so, he goes to his safe place... Buck's loft.

Man, Eddie being into Tommy's choice of avoidning relationships with women, and hanging out with boys, after in the past, Eddie had dealt with his Shannon issues by running away from her, and re-enlisting in the army, where he gets to hang out with boys, when we all (Buck included) know why Tommy's "hanging out with boys"... I do like that if they want to (and hopefully they do), this further lays the groundwork for Eddie's own queer realization.

Buck and Eddie helping each other with their respective romantic problems, without realizing they are each other's respective romantic solution is gonna make me chew on my own fists. Again. But I'm not even a little bit surprised that Eddie was totally fine and accepting of Buck being bi, or that the first thing he thought of is how this reflects on them. Because their friendship IS way deeper and closer than normal for platonic friends, and Eddie's little reassurance is also an admission of that.

Man, for a second I was worried they also cut out Eddie in the loft, once more putting his thumb on Buck's pulse point possessively, in a perfect parallel to 303. I would have sued for emotional damages. But yeah, it says so much that the peak of emotional meaningfulness for Buck when coming out is in relation to Eddie, and that the scene itself peaks with Eddie, instead of finishing rushing out to take care of his own romantic business, hurries back to Buck first, to hug him, place his hand on Buck and give him orders. "Sure, you're gonna be dating this guy, but I'm still your real husband."

Well, at least Eddie amitted to himself and Marisol that he doesn't actually know her. But... I have never seen two people being both being so happy about not moving in together, and I'm supposed to think this r/s has a chance? Okay. Suuuure.

The scene with Buck going to Tommy to set things straight ready for something was lovely, it was nice seeing him excited, and get to choose, and hear he's wanted. But since the note Tommy and Buck's storyline in this ep should have ended on, is Buck showing Tommy he's ready enough to let others know he's dating a guy by inviting Tommy to come with Buck to Madney's wedding, then why is the very next scene playing the romantic switch again, making us think Buck's car just arrived at the wedding with him and Tommy, only for Buck and Eddie to walk in together? I see what you did there, 911.

Thank you for reading! If you're looking for more, you can find my s7 reactions tag here, and more of my Buddie meta and content in my pinned post. xoxox

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

My IRL ex who lives abroad now is dating my online friend who also lives there and I am deceiving them, AITA?

All of us are Asian, 29. Fake names are used.

My ex (Fred) was my childhood best friend, we grew up together in the same conservative society, people expected to see us marry since we were kids, all that jazz. At 18, we both moved away and kept up LDR. Moving meant big changes of course, I was in a huge city and I had internet access for the first time. I became a BTS fan in 2013, I started creating and reading a lot. I joined tumblr, made friends from all over the world. I was being radicalized rapidly, and I figured out I was bi too. My world was suddenly a million times bigger.

He however, didn't change much. He was scientific minded unlike most people here and his friends were all STEM kids but they were still functionally right leaning. He was racist when it came to BTS or East Asians in general. He was ignorant and happy to ignore queer existence, he used to say things like queer people needed to be shown the right path. We were turning out to be quite the opposites. Eventually we broke up. He was heartbroken, he tried to drag me back in many times and I avoided him like plague. I managed to ditch him completely when we were about 23. He left for USA to study.

Around the same time I befriended one of my closest online friends, Daphne. We lived in the same state but she was always traveling so we never got to meet. We're both hellsite veterans and keep our identities under lock & key so we don't know our real names or exact place of work, but we know each other's deepest kinks and childhood traumas, and stories about our exes. We both had the same kind of interests, politics, and fandoms, we're both bisexual. I've also come out as a trans man a few years ago and I go by a masculine name online, can't transition IRL. Daphne's known me since my girl era. Daphne left for USA last year for her Masters.

Now the wild part, by some twist of fate, Daphne met Fred who's also working on his Masters in an adjacent field. It is by no means a niche subject and USA is the fourth largest country, they still found each other. He sang in our first language at some party, he's very hot, and... he's into BTS like her. Wild. So they're now dating.

They started following each other on twitter and he followed a bunch of her friends including Me! We have exchanged pleasantries and while on his account he has his real name and location, mine is a mixed bag account with my fake name and my (sfw) queer creations all over it.

I know who He is but he doesn't know who I am, he thinks I'm just one of Daphne's dudes, and Daphne doesn't know that she's dating my ex who she had promised to drop into the Challenger's Deep (joke). My reasoning for hiding the truth is-- It's still not safe for me to be out IRL and he can mess it up. I remember his bigotry, I hate him, I have every right to avoid him and here that means not revealing my identity. But it's been years so maybe he has changed, and Daphne is my friend. So, I feel like a massive ahole for not telling her at least. At the same time she really did hate my racist homophobic right leaning ex a lot, so knowing the truth will make things awkward and I don't want to lose my friend.

So, there you have it. AITA?

BTW, no I'm not into BTS ships or reader insert fantasies, that's not what I create. I know someone would ask about it so there. I'm also Not attracted to Daphne, if I was I'd have asked her out straight away, I don't play around about my crushes.

What are these acronyms?

[fizzy-tizzy]

Headcanons for all the survivors gender/sexuality

Wilson- Just Kinda decided he was gonna be a boy when he was like 8 and his dad was so desperate for an heir that didn’t want him dead to rights he just kinda let it happen. would fuck anyone but at the same time is not interested at all

Willow- Butch-ish but more in a tomboy kinda way. genuinely likes wearing skirts and more feminine clothing but doesn’t really think she deserves to? if that makes sense? (She doesn’t really feel like a genuine legit girl) hardcore lesbian.

Wolfgang- Very traditionally masculine but in the “My job is to protect and take care of everyone” and not the “im a man so I can do whatever I want” type way. Gay but could totally be in a lavender relationship/marriage and have no problems w/ it

WX-78- Born a cis female, figured out early on that wasn’t right but couldn’t change it until they were an adult. Transed their gender but then figured out being a male wasn’t right either. eventually found someone who felt similarly and abandoned their flesh for the machine. solidly aroace. they’re triple a (agender, asexual, aromantic) just like batteries

Wickerbottom- cis female and “traditionally” feminine, has never felt the need to explore or question it. Used to be married to a man who was secretly gay and looking for someone similarly emotionally unavailable. He has since passed but left wicker a small fortune so. alls well that ends well ig

Wes- kind of a stereotypical femme twink. The kinda gay whos loud and proud and will hit you with a brick if you have a problem with that. feels obligated to help the others try and figure themselves out- esp the ones who are more in denial abt it

Maxwell- I think the idea that max is trans and Jack is cis and they turned out looking the exact same is hilarious. Technically the only ppl who knows he’s trans are jack and charlie- their parents just think he’s a masculine woman and everyone else knows him as a man. Bi and so so weak for bears and gently bossy women.

Wendy- Non-binary but still in the process of realizing it. Does not give a single shit abt romance but would totally be qpp with Webber once they know what that means.

Woodie- Probably Not Cis but has too much religious trauma to even dare questioning himself. He’s like JUST accepted the fact that he’s gay (still thinks hes going straight to hell but we’re working on that) so ynknow baby steps. baby steps. Deffo has a shit ton of body dysphoria due to the wereforms tho

Webber- Since spiders work a lil different in the constant (probably more like bees) there are like three genders Webber could potentially see themselves as. Drone, warrior, and queen. During his childhood he thinks of himself mostly as a drone but as he gets older and his sway over the spiders increases they’ll shift into seeing themselves as more of a queen. But other that he’s pretty much whatever non-spider gender is most convenient. Definitely bi.

Wigfrid- her gender is… strange. What she outwardly presents is her character’s way of presenting herself so ig I see her as kinda fluid? Idk valiant-valkyrie if ur reading this you can probably do a better job of explaining it. you are the defacto wigfrid authority. Definitely lesbian but once again will do whatever the role requires

Winona- Solidly butch lesbian. Definitely a caretaker and a protector but in the butch kinda way and not the femme kinda way. if that makes sense.

Wurt- Butch but hasn’t really realized it yet. does not think human genders apply to her bcs she’s a merm and will 100% be king when she grows up. baby lesbiab. her and wilba’s eventual union shall bring peace to the pig/merm kingdoms once and for all

Wortox- human genders do not apply to him. They are whatever is most convenient at the time. Fluid like loki and bugs bunny.

Walter- if xenogenders existed back then he would totally be like pupgender/buggender. Non-binary but has no problem being called a boy/man. Would be fine with any prns but people have only ever used he/him for him. Probably going to be a monsterf*cker when he grows up.

Wormwood- He is plant. Plants have sexes but no genders and wormwood is intersex anyway but they kinda just chose the first option presented to him once he found the others. Loves all but has absolutely no interest or idea about non-plant reproductive activities.

Walani- Yknow that “as a girl who’s a gross dude men who are fancy ladies are my best friends”? Yeah that’s her and Warly. she’s the emotional support golden retriever to warly’s high-strung cheetah. Lesbian but like. endearingly loser lesbian who’s only ever smooth when she’s not trying to be.

Warly- as mentioned before he is very much a guy who is a fancy lady. Would probably do drag if he had the chance and would 100% be the baddest bitch who makes all the men question their sexuality. Gay and european.

Wanda- doesn’t have time for all that gender questioning bullshit she just wants to kiss women.

Wheeler- Solid futch, leans more feminine or masculine depending on the situation. Woman-leaning bisexual, has probably fucked someone wife and inadvertently caused a divorce.

Woodlegs- pretty solidly cis male but 100% an embarrassing old gay grandpa. Doesn’t know much abt the terminology but is incredibly supportive and was definitely a homewrecker back in the day. Probably got out of at least one arrest by seducing the naval officer meant to bring him in

Wilba- high femme and definitely a baby lesbian. I do really like the idea of her being trans just because why not so why not. She and wurt are fat femme x fat butch once they grow up

Wagstaff- born as a girl but realized he hated it and made attempts to transition early on. Eventually ran away to America to fully transition. Non-binary too but hasn’t realized it yet and just thinks that everyone feels weird when someone calls them mr or sir. men-liker and old man yaoi certified

Wilbur- yes I’m doing the monkey. Gender is a strange concept to him, so he just kinda calls himself male bcs apparently he is? He doesn’t really understand it but it seems to be pretty important in human society so he’ll do it if it means he gets respected as an actual person and not just some sideshow.

[partyrock-isinthehouse]

Idk why this feels like a weird thing to start on. Maybe since it's something that has been avoided since literally the creation date of Juan himself, and I mean this extremely literally. I always had a gut feeling that he was supposed to be bisexual, but I made him straight because I had never had a straight character before, or something like that... like okayyyy I guess!!!! And even after claiming that Juan was, in fact, bisexual, I would always say that he didn't know. Well actually he does know, and here is how... if it matters? Plus, I'm mildly fixated on learning about things to do with bisexuality recently, like how it's portrayed in media and such. Suddenly all of my bi ocs are on the forefront of my mind and you will have to just accept that...

How did Juan figure out that he is bi?

It was when he lived in Italy, (which was between him being 15 and 18) Juan was always out of the house with his friends. They'd hang around in all sorts of places, whether it was in the town centre or a random field, the beach or the shopping mall. He'd even go to small, messily arranged raves held in abandoned buildings, but that's a different story. Being 15 in a new country, he quickly learned Italian, which wasn't much different to his native Spanish anyway, and settled quite well into school and made many friends, even if he was far from academic. He would start to get attention from girls and this was greatly appreciated. He had a girlfriend for a little while, with whom he would experience things like first kisses and... other things. His attraction to girls was never brought into question, he just knew. However, his affinity for the movie Top Gun wasn't just because he thought the fighter jets were cool and the soundtrack was good. Sure, that was mostly why he liked it, but something about Maverick made it difficult to look away or to stop thinking about him. This could've been due to the pure awesomeness of the character leaving an effect on him... but it wasn't. He toootally had a celebrity crush on him. A similar but much more real feeling would overcome Juan when he was sat with one of his guy friends one day, and the way he'd laugh at his jokes would give him butterflies. The exact same feeling he got when he made a girl he liked laugh. Interesting. He also found his friend to be strikingly good-looking. Kind of like how a girl could be pretty. Interesting again. He would think about this moment, and experience similar moments, and remember moments that had happened already that he didn't realise at first. He knew he wasn't straight but he didn't do anything with this secret information.

Later once Juan was with Gabi, who is also bi, they had a conversation about their bi-ness. This could've been when Juan officially labelled himself as bi, since he didn't really think to do it before. Maybe he was between 19 and 20 now. Thanks Gabi!

Juan has never had a boyfriend, he's never kissed a boy either, (Carlos doesn't count) but that doesn't matter. He's also with Gabi now and they have a daughter together, so I can't imagine that happening anytime soon, if ever. However, neither of these things change the fact that he is still, and always will be, bisexual. He doesn't need to prove anything to anybody and neither does he owe an explanation. I think he knows this, and I think everybody should know it too...

El Fin

[loremaster]

rain code dlc thoughts

watched em all (spoilers obviously)

desuhiko:

can't believe this guy literally tried flirting with a child. he has gone unchecked for too long. we need to beat him up

enyne is good. i would love to see her in a cool thief outfit

not worth $5

fubuki:

the interactions between the detectives were cute. but i wish she'd gotten a chance to shine more on her own

it was kind of aggravating how slow they solved the mystery though. all that wondering about what the numbers could possibly mean... y'all the die was right there

not worth $5

halara:

kind of a shame that this one was the only actual investigative one. it was great!!! i liked the mystery setup and i liked figuring out how the culprit pulled it off even if the identity of the culprit was obvious the moment he showed up

"Good girl, Sugar" lololololol

good to know halara can be bought with cats instead of shien. love that yakou's totally onto their shit

and the cat they have a picture of is REAL!!! IT'S NOT A RANDOM JPG FROM THE INTERNET (WHICH I HAD ASSUMED)

worth $5

vivia:

i love how before it came out we were all like "please... one conversation with yakou... even just a mention of him would be okay" and then we got hit with a flaming rainbow fist #LoveWins

vivia all like "i wish i had something in this world to care about" and yakou literally forcing open the doors to his cold dead heart in response

the way he keeps flashing back to all the little things yakou has done to care for him... vivia you can't deny the truth anymore. you can't run from these gay thoughts

fellas is it gay to be another man's reason for living? (only if you share an umbrella)

for those who don't know, sharing an umbrella is like the most romantic thing you can do in japan. the only way this could have been more explicitly textually gay is if one of them pointed out how beautiful the moon was.

where's my Melt amv

'i'll enjoy the scenery along the way' *yakou seductively swaying his hips back and forth* HELLO???????????????????????

i hope after that is when vivia finally agrees to that dinner date

honestly up until now i've been very attached to the idea of vivia being head over heels for yakou the whole time and yakou not ever really noticing but now???? my god. this chief really can bisexual

speaking of bi i'm also not opposed to the idea of vivia/ryo... them both being like 'i'm interested in you' 'i'm interested in you too' oh are you now? hmmmm...

and they were both ghosts (oh my god they were ghosts)

I was saying to my friends while we were playing it that it makes sense the first suicide was 5 years ago, before the blank week incident... because otherwise she wouldn't have been a ghost at all, just a walking corpse

loved that line btw. 'all humans are just walking corpses' good news vivia, you're among peers here in kanai ward

worth $5. i mean technically since vivia/yakou dlcs are bundled together (gaaaay) it only cost $2.50 so it's extra worth it.

the amount of fanfiction that will inevitably come out of this is worth way more than $5

yakou:

his hips still do the little wiggle even as a zombie. can't slay the sashay away <3

him thinking of all the other detectives.... UUU....

yuma's flashback is from ch5 after yakou's already dead (but clearly there's still enough of him left...)

desuhiko's... is it from the dlc? idk. he said "i won't cause any problems" and then went on to cause many problems

halara's scene from the dlc is clearly a moment that made a big impression on yakou LMFAO... i mean if halara nightmare sat in MY chair it would make an impression on me too :flushed:

fubuki's i'm pretty sure is from ch.4 as yakou is dying on the floor?? he must have felt so bad, hearing her cry so much while he was fading away and couldn't do anything about it... his last moments UUUUUU

vivia gets the FUCKING aforementioned umbrella scene. sad wet cat man. learning to accept kindness and finding something (someone) worth living for... the exact moment vivia falls in love with him lmfao. and this is the moment that sticks out in yakou's zombie brain. seeing someone in need and actually being able to reach out and help them (for once). ;_;

and then SHE!!!!!!! SHEEEEEEEEEE

i shrieked when i saw her

mad she STILL doesn't have a name but oh man. i love her. i mean i already loved her when i saw the labcoat + turtleneck combo but the GLASSESSSSSS. and her VOICE AARGGGHHH they picked the perfect va for her

She must've given him the glasses while she was still alive, since he's the one wearing them in The Photo. good call, he looks naked without them

and now we really understand why yakou is as pitifully broke as he is, because he can't bring himself to make the corrupt choice that screws over innocent people for the sake of money. love that for him. he suffers so much for the sake of his city

very funny that he couldn't recognize his childhood friend (i'm assuming she recognized him immediately from across the room lmao). love the idea that she's trans. they're t4t your honor

she asked the most useless man to be her bodyguard but we all know who's protecting whom lmao

i feel like she must have been the one who proposed to him. or at least knowingly coaxed him into it haha

AND THE BADGE... UUUUUU.... and her ghost led him to it.... she had such an important job to do...

need to see vivia talk to her now. ghost 2 ghost communication. yakou simp 2 yakou simp

i think she would tell yakou to go kiss that goth boy silly

and most importantly... the medicine. the research... her dream lives on... i thought it was stupid that makoto literally cancelled everything about the homunculus research - sure they didn't need to make any more but how about research into alternate diets? or uv protection beyond like. sunscreen. WHAT ABOUT HER RESEARCH MAKOTO. PLEASE

so the existence of a possible cure for zombie homunculus begs the question... what's next for yakou? we thought his story was done but turns out it's far from yakouver, bitches. he's coming back one way or another.

what will he do with this magical macguffin - bring it to somewhere they can analyze it and duplicate it, or just take the pill himself? how complete is this untested theoretical cure? will yakou Come Back Wrong? is he gonna struggle to speak? (though that'd be a waste of kaiji tang)... is he gonna struggle with the urge to, you know, eat human flesh? i think that would be pretty hot cool

of course there's the chance it won't work at all. or will just straight up kill him, speedrun to reuniting with dead wife

definitely worth $5. or $2.50.

but at the same time since it actually does continue the main plot of rain code in an interesting way (or hint at it) i think they should bundle it with the main game instead of vivia's dlc

i mean if i had it my way they'd ALL be free but... i get it. they gotta gauge popularity somehow (and pay the devs/vas for extra work)

anyway. i should be working on homework but no. this game has absolutely ruined me

[merrysithmas]

i really like reading your thoughts on "girl"! i was just wondering what you think might happen after paul passes? do you think people will start to examine the relationship between them as something more than just songwriting partners? i mean nothing really changed when yoko said john was bisexual (and some fans still don't believe it!). in my wildest dreams, paul's estate will drop a posthumous tell all book and we'll be left with so many questions lol.    

John himself said he was queer several times - I remember watching an interview with him when he was saying being an artist in a capitalist world requires money and that if he wasn't famous he'd need to have married "a rich old lady or man" to be a songwriter.

He also said he hooked up with Brian in Spain (Yoko confirmed he told the press they did "do it" and she was seemingly applauding his bravery in saying so).

Lennon remarked that he was "afraid of the fag in him" which made him act on his anger and set off his worst most fearsome temper explosions.

Also I think there was a few "tell alls" where past friends reported that he was open about his queerness & confirmed hooking up with Brian in frustration.

May Pang wrote that he told her he considered (lol) an affair with Paul. He spent two years in gay clubs in LA.

Yoko also confirmed he was bi (as far she she knew, maybe later on had he not been murdered he'd have identified as gay or pan).

Elton John said he and Lennon did "naughty" things together and laughed about said things with Sean, his godson. Julian Lennon did an interview where he said he "agreed" that John and Paul were in love during the Get Back film period.

Lennon also contributed a first-person poem the First Gay Liberation book.

Those are just the examples I can think of off the top of my head. He also seems to have had a relationship of some kind with Stu (conjecture) and an obvious-departed-from-platonic dynamic with Paul which is easily, easily an emotionally romantic affair at least (which isn't the half of it).

Anyone who denies his queerness does a great disservice to his memory & the incredible poignancy of his songs in this context during his time period. Artists have been reworking the lyrics and wording of their queer songs to appeal to an unaccepting general audience for commerciality FOREVER and to assume this was not done by Lennon, who is "confirmed" queer (if you needed to hear it from Yoko for it to be true to you) is truly delusion.

I think after Paul has left us people will feel more comfortable analyzing their relationship in a queer sense and I do think at some point it has likely been engineered that something to that effect will be officially announced or endorsed in some regard by their Estates (to generate continued moneymaking lol and interest and enigma). I feel like that's something that could happen, reasonably, after Yoko is gone and her hold on the Lennon narrative is diluted into Sean's POV & the McCartney family has the freedom to speculate or give their personal feelings on the life of their beloved father in retrospect. There's also the chance Paul could say something or leave something to that effect before he leaves us.

I feel like Paul would never say anything otherwise because John never got to endorse any release of their personal history before his tragic and senseless murder in a time period where being gay was still treated with such bigotry and cruelty (the 80s). I feel like Paul's great respect for Jane Asher and their relationship is a testament to this because he has never spoken about their relationship out of respect for her - for the exact reason that she has never spoke publically about it herself.

Paul is a pragmatic and private person and I feel like he knows the majority of the ignorant world isn't ready to hear the biggest band in human history was founded on teenaged homoromantic affection/gay love. But maybe one day, it will be.

This is speculation on my part but Paul also probably doesn't want Yoko to know anything because either she is willfully ignorant or John truly wasn't honest with her and Paul feels it's something she doesn't deserve to know - especially if it's something John kept private & only between he and Paul. It's something he always has that's over and beyond what Yoko and John had & he seems to treasure those specific things no matter what they are. Obviously... Paul still doesn't care for Yoko and he is probably extremely fatigued of the fact that she has been the managing agent & author of John's estate for 40 years (when in the late 70s she and John seemed on unsteady terms as per other parties) and then treated Julian with such disregard. Sean on the other hand seems to have grown to love Paul, but we'll see lol.

I also feel like Paul probably has a few "surprises" for Beatles fans lined up for after he and Ringo are gone - he just seems like that kind of person and wants the Beatles to continue on in great esteem for many many years to come.

thank you for your ask!!

[tomwambsgans]

that gay brother/little sister post you reblogged was soooo juicy so now i wanna ask your thoughts on gay roman (i’m absolutely a gay roman truther)

so i'm not attached enough to roman to have TOO many pre-formed thoughts on this but i'm gay enough i can't not have thoughts, so. another disclaimer, due to my lack of attachment i'm not whatsoever married to the notion of either kendall or roman (or shiv for that matter) being gay as opposed to bi. however i have eyes and a brain so i know they're all not straight, like that much is basically textual.

but anyway. when it comes to any of the roy siblings and homosexuality, i'll say my very first thought is this monologue from Angels in America. not that they would necessarily have that exact ideology about it, but those notions would greatly inform their attitude about themselves. imo roman, with his inclination toward fascistic masculinity in particular, would be the most likely to overtly think these things, and i do think he kind of does. roman knows that he's unable to get off with normative sex, but he also explicitly derides "liberal butt-love" and implicitly (sometimes explicitly) all the non-conforming and gender-bending stuff that goes along with it. that's at least partially because he's talking about a category of people that he does not belong to, due to being far above it. it's often the case for those who are rich and powerful and condemn the same "deviant" practices that they themselves engage in, whether it's gay sex, or just generally non-normative sex, abortion, etc. it's okay for me, but not for you.

but that's just one piece to roman's puzzle because there's also clearly shame wrt masculinity (logan's masculinity) and also some sexual trauma involved. i think kieran and/or one of the writers has said something about not wanting to pin Why Roman Is Like That on anything in particular, like not wanting to definitively say that something happened to him as a kid, but honestly i think it's extremely unlikely that he'd be like that about sex if nothing did. maybe it was very complicated and it not any singular event, but there's got to be something. some sexual depth to his childhood abuse that never got explicitly touched on. other people much more invested in roman than i have done really good meta on the roys' relationships to their bodies (like w the Summer of Competetive Eating Disorders), so i'm not gonna try to rehash those other ppl's thoughts, but in short that's the sort of thing i think of when i'm trying to imagine what the fuck happened to roman. like just over-arching themes of The Boot throughout roman's life, the lack of ownership over his own body in a way that reflects femininity and strips him of manhood, whether at home or at military school, etc.

i mean, we (as in the audience) are definitely at least supposed to wonder, like when it's implied that Mo's pederasty wasn't exclusive to girls (Don't Get In The Pool With Him), but also, if anything of that nature happened to him and informed roman's relationship with his sexuality, i have to also think that roman doesn't actually remember. his whole thing in austerlitz where he jokes to connor "i'm gonna tell them you diddled me" gives me the sense that maybe roman just kind of wishes it was that cut-and-dry, because then he'd have something specific to blame his whole deal on.

anyway. this is about roman being gay, not specifically sexually Weird - i just think the context of all that is relevant to how he'd conceptualize himself and any gay feelings he has. and i do think that if and when roman has ever had sex with men, he probably does lump it in with the fact that he can't have Normal sex. i think roman would have to undergo a lot of character development to ever consider it normal sex. honestly, simply recieving a handjob from his personal trainer was likely "wrong" enough for roman to get off despite how the average gay man would see it as extremely vanilla compared to roman needing to be degraded or fantasizing about necrophilia. growing up with logan "i didn't figure you for a faggot" roy would have, of course, really reinforced the ideas about that being Wrong.

(speaking of logan dropping the f slur, i think it's interesting that despite how roman acts anti-woke in front of others, he's shocked when logan says it. it's clearly crossing a line even for him, almost certainly because he's been abused with this word throughout his life. :'/)

so yeah i don't think roman would ever call himself gay (or even bi or queer) even if he is. and as for the matter of if he is, like as in, if tabitha and gerri are exceptions... i honestly don't know, but i don't think roman knows either. i think the relationship he has with love and sex, his own body and others, the very concept of desire and the love and affection and closeness he seeks out... are genuinely so gnarled and complicated, and wrapped up in all the aforementioned shame and abuse, that figuring out where gender factors into it would - once again - basically require years of therapy on his part.

it's definitely very plausible to me that kinky, non-normative sex is something he only needs in order to get off with women because he has no innate desire for them even when he loves them (and roman definitely has a lot of love inside of him that he will bend over backwards to give and recieve). but it's just as plausible that roman's association of feelings of wrongness with sexual pleasure is in fact unrelated to whatever gendered desire he has or doesn't have. his attraction to men is, funnily enough, more undeniable to me than his attraction to women is, but i do think that how it's portrayed in the show emphasizes roman's role in the world more than desire he holds inside of him. i always think of that one tweet that's like "whenever there's a guy that needs to be seduced, instead of shiv or some other hot woman they send roman." and his role as the Desired One (aka Practically A Woman) is likely a sort of spite factor in him wanting to deny overt homosexual interest too, since it's kind of imposed on him before he has a chance to say anything about who he is.

it's funny bc roman is the one male character where like... i simultaneously like the idea of them being gay and enjoy their relationships with women. he's just so complicated that he kind of exists outside the constructions of sexual orientation? like not in the "he's closeted and he's never coming out so even if he's gay, he's also not" way, but "this guy would not be able to figure out how to define attraction or desire to begin with." gerri being the love of his life and the notion of him being gay are not whatsoever mutually exclusive in my mind, because he's just that complicated.

finally i wanna say, again, that i'm not extremely attached to roman. nowhere near to the degree that i care about tom and greg. which i say because yknow.. i want to kill and maim when i see anything implying that either tom or greg are anything but gay. idk how you feel about it but i'd totally sympathize if you were the same about roman, lol. and i wanna emphasize that it's very likely the only reason i'm not necessarily a gay roman truther is because i haven't thought about it enough. i'd love to see anyone else's gay roman meta if they have it.

[molsno]

this is kind of random but do you ever feel like people treat transmisogyny as a lesbian-specific problem, and if so, does it bother you as a trans lesbian? i don’t really mean general criticisms of transmisogyny within lesbian spaces, but rather people who seem to talk about transmisogyny like lesbians *specifically* perpetrate it the most, or are more capable of perpetrating it than anyone. i feel like this has become a popular trend in queer discourse (usually from tme non-lesbian ppl) to demonize or ‘other’ lesbians, & i think it extends from contempt toward “man-hating lesbians” but lumping trans girls under “men” to legitimize it, but i don’t know if i just notice it more because i’m tme, and i don’t want to overstep or make anyone feel like I’m discouraging discussions of transmisogyny by saying this isn’t a lesbian-exclusive issue. i know the ‘political lesbian’ movement was predominantly driven by straight cis women (and a smaller but non-zero number of cis bi and lesbian women) who laid a lot of groundwork for associating bioessentialism with lesbianism but is it unfair to say “lesbians aren’t an essentialist hate group and shouldn’t be generalized/singled out”? like is this a trend you’ve noticed as a tma lesbian, or am i looking at this through a misguided lens? sorry for rambling on, feel free to ignore and i hope your night/day is going well <3

I think that definitely happens to an extent, but that's mostly because tme non-lesbians believe in lesbophobic stereotypes that lesbians are more likely to be terfs and that most terfs are lesbians. it definitely bothers me as a lesbian, because not even being trans exempts me from these stereotypes. I've literally had one of my former best friends tell me they didn't trust lesbians, including me, because terfs invalidated their gender as a nonbinary person. like. it's vile.

so yeah, I think it's fair to ask people not to generalize about lesbians, but at the same time, I've also seen firsthand, many times, that transmisogyny is still prevalent among tme lesbians. the critiques tme non-lesbians make are mostly just blatant lesbophobia (and transmisogyny by assuming lesbians are talking about trans women when they say men), but over time I've become increasingly disillusioned by tme lesbians after seeing just how willing they are to throw tma lesbians under the bus. as just one example, a few months ago, there was this bi lesbian blocklist that was going around on here, and regardless of your feelings on that particular topic, the fact of the matter is that almost every single person on that list was transfem. trans women who have never identified as bi lesbians or even said anything publicly about bi lesbians (including several of my close friends) wound up on that list for seemingly no reason, and found themselves blocked by most of the tme lesbians on this website. you would think that people who put "tme" in their bios and reblog posts about transmisogyny would at least make an effort to stop and think about the implications of this, but it turns out that a sizable number of tme lesbians will exile a bunch of trans women from their community based on blind accusations of them being predatory men invading the lesbian community without a second thought.

that being said, the behaviors I just described aren't really unique to tme lesbians either. tme people of all genders and orientations have been doing the exact same things for decades. so what I'm saying is, although I don't think it's fair to generalize or single out lesbians as being particularly transmisogynistic, that doesn't mean tme lesbians should be pretending that they're incapable of transmisogyny and insisting they don't need to hold each other accountable for perpetrating it.

[littleeyesofpallas]

Can you do the new sternritter's Vollstandig Name in the new anime?

Oh yeah, I wasn't sure if there had been any kanji released for that but it seems like the Bleach wiki has something up there for them, although they haven't cited their sources, as usual... They cite the chapter and episode they each appear in respectively, but go figure, you guys... the anime appearance does not include t e x t. So no idea where either the kanji or the romanized names came from.(wait did they get the kanji and katakana from Japanese closedcaptioning? Do they include furigana on [cc] in Japan??)

This wound up way longer than I'd intended...

Balbarriel[神の雷霆] phonetically, BA-RU-BA-RI-E-RU[バルバリエル]. So weirdly this is how Japanese defines the name Ramiel/Remiel/Reniel[רַעַמְאֵל] the name of an actual biblical angel, so both Japanese epithets here, plus the original hebrew all translate as "Thunder of God." But oddly it sounds a lot more like Bariel, which is an angel named in the Ars Paulonia, part of the Lesser Key of Solomon, a grimoire foundational to a lot of the surviving legacy of Christian occultism and demonology nonsense.(i.e. It was some nerd's 18th century Pokedex of fanfic and headcanons.) That being said, it has no actual meaning the way biblical angels(Gabriel, Raphael, Ariel, Uriel, Michael, etc...) do, because it's not hebrew and the idiot who made it up in the 1800s obviously didn't know what he was talking about. It is of course the exact same kanji used for her Schrift The Thunderbolt[雷霆].

Azhalbiora[神の死] meaning "Death of God" and written as phonetically A-ZA-RU-BI-O-RA[アザルビオラ]. Other than seemingly a little lazy the name just kinda doesn't make a lot of sense as a name for her power. And once again there is no apparent basis in actual angelic names so it's not like there's context to work with. It has an almost vaguely fake "arabic" sound to it? Like the sort of shit H.P Lovecraft would've come up with?

Pornipora[神の力] I'm sure any weeb worth their salt can recognize the kanji for "power," so it's "Power of God." And the phonetics are POO-NI-PO-RA[ポーニポラ].

Gagael[神の飢え] at last something resembling creative input! "Hunger of God," in which [飢え] is not just directly lifted from her existing Schrift. ([食いしんぼう]: "Glutton/Gourmand." Same root kanji though so they weren't thinking that hard.) And while the phonetics, GA-GA-E-RU[ガガエル] are yet more gibberish, they at least go back to the sort of appropriated hebrew -el[אֵל] meaning "of god" used in the names of the aforementioned biblical archangels.

[edit]: and since there's a new one to add to this list...

So, you've probably noticed these all just use the same kanji as the girls' actual Schrifts, so there's nothing terribly clever going on, which isn't too surprising but is kind of a shame no one took the opportunity to get creative with it. (Even the attacks names they peppered into the extended fight scene were a little too goofy and bland for my taste. I mean, come on, giving Lili attacks called Spork and Spife?? Really?)

Thunder[雷霆] and Thunder[雷霆]

Deadperson[死者] and Dead[死]

Power[力] and Power[力]

Glutton[食いしんぼう] and Hunger[飢え]

For comparison the side by side on Kubo's actual Vollstandig and associated Schrift were:

Prison[監獄] vs Righteouness[正義]

Fear[恐怖*] vs Be afraid(of)[怯え] (*technically As Nodt's Schrift was never written out, but that's the kanji he used talking about "Fear" all the time when using it so I consider it a safe assumption.)

Love[愛] vs Love[情愛] (I don't know how to clarify the distinction between these two words... the former is more broad? Like it can include a few extra examples the latter can't?)

Penetrate Everything[万物貫通] vs Judgement[裁き]

Lethal Dose[致死量] vs Tasting(for poison)[毒見]

Miracle[奇跡] vs Authority[権能]

Oh and also the names

Piskiel[ピスキエル]

Grimaniel[グリマニエル]

Tatarforas[タタルフォラス]

Gudoero[グドエロ]

Jilliel[ジリエル]

Hasshein[ハスハイン]

Aschetonig[アシュトニグ]

Are basically all gibberish too, so I can't exactly say the names don't fit a "pattern," since there isn't on, but they still don't feel quite right to me, save maybe Lili's. Hasshein and Aschetonig are at least clearly playing with German-esque phonetics*, and Piskiel, Grimaniel, and Jilliel are all playing into recognizable angelology cliches. (Gudoero/Gudoel might be too, but in a way that's hard to separate it from the clearl intentional "ero" wordplay. It just doesn't work outside of th eJapanese phonetics.) And Tartarforas is just suspiciously close to Tartarus but otherwise doesn't really register to my ear as any language that would make sense in the context of the Quincy's associations...

Wait... The German sounding ones might actually be German after all. Like, bad German, but technically German...

*Asche is a n fact German for "Ash," and Ton is "Clay," in fact Tonig can mean "Clayley" as in "Clay-like" so I guess Gerard's actually is German for "Clay-like Ash"... That's actually kind of cool, and vaguely biblical? Adam being sculpted from clay, and "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and all that? Huh... Weird I never bothered to actually check that I guess, I just assumed if most of them were nonsense that even the ones that sounded more legit would be too...

Wait... Damn... have I really been slacking this much???

The Haß sound in Hasshein could be the German for "Hate" and although it's not really a ""word"" in a functional sense by itself, hein is a part of the term Freund Hein is a kind of grim reaper where, I guess "Hein" was kind of an old euphemism for the devil for some reason? So, Death personified is the "Friend (of) Hein/TheDevil" but I'd bet the intended reading of Kubo's slapdash German here would be "Hate(s) Death" as is suitable to Askin's whole shtick of narrowly avoiding death.

I'm mad I never sat down and tried to hash those out sooner...

[coraniaid]

Other scattered thoughts on The Zeppo (that sadly don't give me an excuse to use R):

I get that it's part of the point of the episode, and it is a funny joke, but it still kind of annoys me that ... not just that we don't get to see the episode from Buffy's perspective, but that the background plot of this episode doesn't really make any sense in the wider continuity of Season 3. It just feels like it would have worked better in Season 2 or Season 4 to have this sort of unscheduled apocalypse (and indeed, Doomed in Season 4 does much the same thing). This season is meant to have an arc villain with a long-term plan that he's been working on for a century. We heard him say (in Lovers Walk, just a handful of episode ago), that this year was "too important" to let somebody like Spike cause random trouble in town. But he does nothing at all to stop a group of demons trying to literally open the Hellmouth? It kind of makes it hard to maintain suspension of disbelief or think of the Mayor as an actual serious threat. (Yeah, I know that this is just me being annoyed that the show isn't even trying to be the exact sort of show I wish it were. It won't be the last time that that bugs me.)

Weirdly enough, I like Cordelia and Xander's dynamic a lot more this episode than I think I did for the entire time they were an item. They do actually feel like they know each other and even think alike (both going for the Jimmy Olsen reference, for example), and however much she prides herself on being mean Cordelia is notably the only person this episode to actually talk to Xander like something approaching an equal (albeit an equal she doesn't like much). And am I imagining things, or are there hints this episode that Cordelia's family is already having money trouble? Why has she suddenly decided that owning a "shiny car" isn't actually important? Why do we not see or hear about Cordelia's car this episode?

"Two guys rassling ... but not in a gay way!" I mean, between this and Season 1's "he's a very attractive man! how come that never came up?" and Season 2's "I don't trust Oz with her [...] he's a senior, he's attractive" and "No worries, I can handle the Oz Full Monty" from earlier this season and Season 4's "I totally get it now. Can I have sex with Riley too?" and Season 5's "It's understandable. Spike is strong and mysterious and sort of compact but well-muscled" and so many more things the writers have had Xander say it really is something of a crime that the show never actually comitted to the idea that Xander is bisexual. Of course, to do that, the writers would have had to recognize that bi people exist, which is admittedly something of a stumbling block.

"I like the quiet" is one of those lines that (much like Giles's "she's a hero [...] she's not like us" in The Gift) seems to get weirdly misunderstood by large parts of the fandom.

With Jack casually raising his old buddies from the dead with their old personalities and memories intact and Oz accidentally eating a (mostly) human being while a werewolf and it being treated as a punchline rather than murder this episode isn't exactly great for tonal consistency with the rest of the show, huh? (I did warn you the instance above wouldn't be the last time the show's refusal to take itself seriously irritated me.)

Next up (assuming Tumblr's still around when I get to it): Bad Girls.

[fandomzwriterk]

Smoke and Mirrors

Pairings: Tomas Vrbada/Smoke x OC

Warnings: slight gore + Amnesiac!OC + religious trauma (?) + characters dying + hinted innuendos later on + Kuai & Bi Han trying to be good brothers + Liu Kang as a dad figure (?) + Tomas just being his sweet lovable self + Bi Han being kind of a dick + Kuai Liang having no clue what it’s like to have a sister + confused “brother” Kuai Liang (?) + Raiden, Kung Lao, Johnny, and Kenshi being simps (mostly Raiden)

PT: 9/?

A/N: This chapter is brought to you by the song “Wild Side” by ALI

Some time after…

Angel had found Tomas, seeing him sit on the railing of a fence that surrounded some trees and plants. He seemed to be thinking to himself, arms crossed and his eyebrows raised. Had Angel done something wrong?

“Tomas?” She asked

“Oh! Angel! There you are.”

“I was looking for you. I hated leaving you behind.”

Tomas immediately looked at Angel, his grayish-blue eyes looking at the girl in front of him. Angel felt bad? Why? He had nothing to do with seeing her family. Or was it because Tomas is her best friend?

“Hated it? Angel you were with family.”

“I know but…”

She walked up to him, taking a seat next to him on the railing. Her hands at her side as Tomas looked her up and down, moving to put his hands in his lap.

“It didn’t feel… real. I remember them now but… it doesn’t feel the same.”

Tomas looked at her puzzled, even he was confused.

“What do you mean by that? Is it because the memory came back too fast? Maybe you-“

“I’m okay Tomas it’s just… it doesn’t feel the same when I’m with you and Kuai or Bi Han. Granted, I know Bi Han doesn’t like me all that much, but even then I feel like he’s a part of my life, like I’ve known him for years. It felt… weird… being with my own brothers. It just feels weird being without you and Kuai Liang.”

Tomas could only nod, smiling a little at Angel’s sentiment as if he understood that very feeling.

“It’s alright Angel. I’m glad you told me. Don’t worry, I’m not leaving anytime soon.”

Anytime soon… those words… why did it seem familiar? Maybe Angel was having a weird trip again like the first day she came to Tomas’ realm.

“You alright? Angel?”

“Huh? Oh yeah I’m okay sorry my memory got a little foggy there.”

“Foggy? Did you remember something?”

“I don’t think so. It’s just those words…”

“What words? What I said about me not ever leaving you?”

Tomas’ eyes went wide, he looked like he said something he shouldn’t have.

“I meant it like the way you’re my best friend Angel, and it’s my job as your friend and my job in the Lin Kuei to protect you.”

“I know Tomas it’s just I feel like I’ve heard those exact words before. I can’t remember who or when.”

“Maybe it’s because you’ve heard someone else say it.”

Angel nodded, putting a hand under her chin as the other lay on top of her leg. Even Tomas couldn’t figure out what was going on. Angel stopped, putting both hands into her lap.

“I think for now it’ll be best if I learn about who I was… slowly.” She answered

Tomas could only stay quiet, watching as Angel’s long white hair blew in the wind. She stood up, feet planted on the cold marble ground, seeming to be waiting something.

“Come on. We have to go and celebrate Raiden’s victory.”

Some time later…

Angel, Tomas, Kuai, and Liu Kang all sat at a different table, alone to talk as a “team”. Angel could see Yuriel and Michael sit near the Royal Family. Particularly, Yuriel sat next to Princess Kitana… so did that have something to do with Angel not having her head on a spike for speaking out against Empress Sindel? Michael sat next to Yuriel, now talking to Johnny and Kenshi. Raiden and Kung Lao seemed to be speaking with Li Mei, a good friend of the family and head Constable in Outworld.

“Angel?”

Angels head snapped back to face her friends, eyes now on the empty plate she had in front of her. Tomas met her eyes, urging her to do something.

“Angel!”

Angels daydream stopped, now focusing on Liu Kang, who sat beside her and the brothers across from them.

“Sorry. I was just thinking. I’m sorry Lord Liu Kang.” She said as she bowed her head, showing how bad she felt about missing whatever he had said

“Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes I’m just fine. I just had a train of thought there.”

“Was it a good train of thought?”

“Tomas!”

“No no, he’s right Kuai Liang. Anything that Angel can think of might be helpful.”

Silence filled the conversation, Angel not moving an inch as she felt all three men stare at her.

“I don’t know. I really don’t. I want to remember but I can’t… and it’s frustrating. I want to remember what I was or who I was. All I want…”

Angel stopped speaking, feeling a tear fall from under her blinders and fall down her cheek.

“Angel?”

“I’m okay. I just…”

Angel hadn’t cried since she first arrived at Liu Kang’s figurative doorstep.

“It’s okay. Take your time. Kuai Liang can you and Tomas leave us for a minute?”

Both brothers left, Tomas looking back once more at Angel, then following his older brother away from both her and Liu Kang.

“I want to remember. Why can’t I remember?”

“It’s okay Angel. It will take time to remember certain things, and that’s okay.”

Liu Kang rested a hand on Angel’s shoulder, trying to get her to look him in the eyes even if her own eyes were figuratively “blind”.

“I know that I-“

Something clicked in Angel’s mind, like how removing a pebble causes a river to flow. Her mind had cleared one thing… and it scared her. She could see something in her mind playback like she’d been there before. She could feel the grass tickling her feet as she ran under many trees and through bushes and under the roots of trees. Something, or someone, was behind her, chasing her. She wasn’t scared, not at all. She felt… at peace in this ‘safety’ she felt inside her own mind. She was much smaller than many things compared to what her own eyes could see. Was this a memory of a childhood she couldn’t recall? Angel’s light footsteps could barely be heard as she jumped and dove under branches, feeling herself touch the ground with her hands as she flipped over a downed tree. Branches crunched behind her, making her spin on her heels to face it. The woods were dark, the trees tall above her as if they could be endless like the sky.

“This is… unfamiliar.”

Angel continued on her original path, walking quietly in case something was following her inside her own head. She couldn’t let her guard down even if this was a long forgotten memory. The trees ahead of her, after what felt like a few seconds of walking, opened to reveal a small pond with the trees much higher than where she had been previous. The pond shined with millions of lights like the night sky, so dark that Angel couldn’t even see the bottom. Angel sat at the edge, tucking her legs under herself as she sat on her heels. She could only see the color of her eyes as the darkness greeted her back. She touched her cheek, seeing the exact same reflection she saw the first time she arrived in her new home. Her white hair was longer and fluffier than how she had it now, about as fluffy as a small piece of cotton. Her wings appeared behind her, but they looked much different than what she could recall. They were pure white, golden specs of what looked like stars hidden amongst a sea of white. Some of them connected, scattered in different directions and sizes, like they were an imitation of space itself.

“Azriel!” She heard behind her

Before she could see what called her, the world went white as Angel felt the ground below her give way, now falling back into the dream she was reliving once more. The light above her seemed so far, slowly fading away the further she fell. She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of her fall once more in this nightmare.

“Azriel!” She heard

Angel slowly opened her eyes, seeing someone above her, falling down with her and their hand extended out to her as they followed her down into the dark pit where the light was getting smaller and smaller. The person was reaching out in desperation, trying to get to Angel before the darkness consumed her.

“You have to wake up!”

Meanwhile…

“So you’re telling me that this has happened before?” Yuriel asked the gray haired man in front of him

“Indeed it has. I guess you wouldn’t know about that would you?”

“How many times do I have to apologize for doing something I thought would protect her?”

“Protect her? You screwed up all the time she could’ve had with you because you decided to stay away.”

“Tomas enough!”

“No! Are you just going to let these two get away with the fact that they had the chance to make a relationship with her and yet both of them decided to leave Angel in our hands instead.”

“You make it sound like a bad thing.”

“Far from it. I’d rather Angel be here with us instead of a fake family she can barely remember.”

“Her name is Azriel you stupid mortal. It’s not Angel, it’s Azriel.”

“Brother…”

“She can decide for herself what she wants to be called.”

“Fine. For now, get your friends out of my sight and maybe I’ll let you go free.”

“Yuriel!” Kitana yelled as she slammed open the doors

Yuriel’s face went white, so did Michael’s as well. It was if they’d been here before.

“You’re free to go Smoke. I’ve sent word to Liu Kang where you and Az- I mean Angel will be heading.”

“You’re just gonna let her go brother?”

Michael looked sad, looking between two of the men in the room. Yuriel looked defeated as well, nothing more to add to keep his sister around.

“Thank you for having us Princess. Tell the Empress I will be in touch about another tournament.” Liu Kang added to the silence

“No need to thank me Lord Liu Kang. Just make sure she’s safe until we can meet again. The doctors say she had a sort of ‘disease’ with her heart.”

Tomas, Kuai Liang, and Liu Kang looked at each other, Tomas looking the saddest of the three men.

“Can I take her home?” Tomas asked with desperation

Kitana nodded, looking to Yuriel who sighed and nodded as well. Tomas ran across the room, falling to his knees as Angel lay on a simple couch of sorts, her body still as if she was sleeping.

“I promise I’ll bring her back another time.” Liu Kang added

Tomas slid his arms under Angel’s small form, holding her close to him as much as he could without crushing her. He walked back to Liu Kang, who opened another portal much like the first one from earlier in the day.

“Smoke.” Yuriel spoke up

Tomas stopped as he got halfway through, Angel still asleep in his arms as he looked to the young man across the room.

“Make sure she’ll be okay… I trust you more than anyone with her life.”

To be continued…

[party-gilmore]

Interesting things I've noticed about (my own, obvs) gender fluidity:

Girl Mode is bi as hell. Guy Mode is always exclusively gay. I just think that's interesting. And doesn't contribute to my bi imposter syndrome at all.

Being Sleepy (not tired - the vibe of "sleepy" specifically) instantly triggers Girl Mode. Not ever once have I been a Sleepy Man, only a Sleepy Girl.

"Woman" feels weird but "Girl" feels fine, while "Man" feels fine but "Boy" feels weird??? Aunt good Uncle bad, thoughts kf Wife/Mother good Husband/Dad bad, but Brother good Sister bad??? Nephew good Niece bad??? My Boyfriend good My Girlfriend bad??? Son and Daughter both neutral??? Why???

Being Horny triggers Guy Mode. Feeling Slutty triggers Girl Mode. It's a very fine distinction, but it is there. It is strange when both hit at the same time it feels like cross the ghostbuster streams.

I'm androgynous enough that I can shift to a decent, base level of either femme or masc kind easy, but it's also frustrating because i can never be AS femme/masc as I want to be. I would almost rather be All The Way one way and have to work harder the other direction, instead of having to work hard in both.

I don't like the term non-binary for me. I am VERY binary. 93% of the time it is explicitly one or the other. The remaining 7% is the rare times both hit at once, except there's no blurring it's not like mixing blue and red into purple its more like that dress that looks both blue and white at the same time.

However using trans feels weird because sometimes I'm not. Trans feels like you have changed from one to the other but sometimes it's a change back to my agab so it's not really a change at all? That one post like "trans means anyone who doesn't 100% align with their agab" helped me get a little more comfortable with it and I'm comfy displaying like my little trans flag bead lizard but something about the WORD just doesn't sit right

This is why I love Queer. Queer queerey queer queer queer. It's the only word I've got that gets the point across but doesn't leave me feeling like i need to Explain Myself like "well okay so sometimes I'm bi but sometimes I'm gay but not in a cis way except when it is so no matter what i feel like a faker"

I got distract these arent fun facts at all their mostly anxiety spiral sad facts let me get back on the point

Long Hair actually makes me feel more masc, while Short Hair makes me feel more femme. Unless a mustache has become involved.

Absolutely fascinating that i can look at my body, my exact same naked body, and as a man feel confident and sexy but as a woman feel bloated and unattractive. Like. Can we get a femme equivalent of the Dadbod please? Or maybe relax our standards a little bit? I'm dying here

It's so much easier to talk about this shit with absolute strangers in the void than people i know, even when i know some of those people are also here in the same void reading these. It's just still easier than saying the words. Weird.

[kikimochiiiii]

My personal take on MDZS kins based on what I've seen (which is almost nothing)! Understand that this'll be very biased n uninformed, but it's just for fun and I cherish all kins! Please and thank you!💕

WWX: Fiercely protective over their homies/mother bear type; Live for the drama though, so they WILL pitch homies against each other; They will state that their opinion is ALWAYS right to assert dominance; They never feel silly enough; "What do you mean people don't have a bi panic every 20 seconds?"; The life of a party, for better or worse

LWJ: They are very accomplished and orderly; But ask them about that and they'll say that they hate how boring they are; They can recite all of their unrequited loves in detailed, dramatic stories; They have at least 1, if not multiple crushes where they hate the fact that they love them; once they hyperfixate on one thing, they'll never be able to tell you anything about anything else; Shy n sweet, we protecc

JC: "I HATE THAT I KIN THIS MAN, YOU DONT UNDERSTAND-"; Their family sucks so much and they absolutely deserve better; They always want affection but can't help but act grossed out by it; will fight WWX kinnies in a gas station parking lot; prayed to all the gods to be asexual because they hate hormones, but they couldn't be more thirsty; have killer fashion that makes everyone double-take; A fierce, chaotic beauty ppl don't forget

JYL: The mom friend; Is always the therapist/advisor/caretaker/friend/mom for everyone else; Girl, are you okay? You are overworked for real; Wishes they could be intimidating once in a while; LOVES ALL THE GIRLY FEMME AESTHETICS; "I'm so average TT TT" (is actually talented in so many areas wth); everyone is protective over them and they don't know why, but they like it💕💗

LXC: Oh my gosh, ARE YOU OKAY-; Have an emotional wall higher than Mt. Everest; The person with the most propriety; Perfectionism is their worst enemy; Have definitely dealt with toxic friends in their life, so please handle with care; the best listeners; Extremely artistic in some form or another; Are kind to all other kinnies, but will bloody take a bullet for JC kinnies on sight; No one shall ever know their music playlists...

NMJ: "I am who I am, and don't mess with me"; If people aren't genuine with them, they can't stand it; An open book at all times; Their face WILL show what they are feeling; They are just aiming to find a himbo or cute twink for their love partner (or both!); generally nice, but can whip out insanely painful insults, so don't test them; They are confident, and therefore, they are H O T

JGY: GOSH, WHY ARE THEY SO PRETTY??; Definitely were the reason for someone's bi or gay awakening; soft aesthetic e v e r y w h e r e; "A-Yao never did anything wrong!🥺"; Will 100% not snitch on you if you give them a favor or are just hot; Are all about optimizing their situation, if you catch my drift; They are the most loyal of loyal friends if they cherish you💗💕

NHS: "I was born to be petty."; They can recall everything they have a grudge against in worryingly great detail; They will exact revenge on you, so be nice; They have the absolute maddest make-up skills; Work in tandem with WWX kinnies to make chaos, but take a backseat more often; Either habe the highest standards or none at all with no in-between; Bring them to ALL of your sleepovers

WQ: Queen energy 24/7; "I fUCKING TOLD YOU SO-"; They are forever suffering from the incompetent, irresponsible people around them; They have dealt with creeps thirsting after them, and they all wound up missing, oops-; Will be a full-on bodyguard for JYL kinnies and MM kinnies on sight; They just hate men in general; Extremely smart and/or street smart

MM: Also constantly suffering from idiots around them; They are so pretty, but very modern n with the trend when it comes to fashion; They are so stable and sure in themselves, we love to see it; Definitely witnessed friends go through VERY cringe romantic relationships; Doesn't talk much in a group context, but if you start talking with them, they are an awesome friend💕💗; When protected by WQ kinnies, they'll insist that they didn't need up, but they'll secretly like it👀

WN: Classic shy and sweet TM; People were absolutely attracted to them before because they thought they fit a trope, and it was deeply upsetting to them; They are SO INDECISIVE; Their fear over making core decisions is immeasurable; They have an intense fear of emails; "Please don't perceive me..."; Can pop off when defending a friend, and it's very hot of them

XY: "Okay, but like, I'm just saying...a pocket knife would be good for self-defense because-"; They joke about concerning things in discord vcs at 3 am that everyone mutually chooses to ignore; Are adorably extroverted; "Omg you like candy too?! LETS BE BESTIES!!💕🎵"; Are oddly sweet considering they relate to Xue Yang; Definitely tried the goth look once, but they still looked like a cupcake; The hugging type of friend; Occasionally bratty for attention

SL: "Why do all these people lack common sense?"; Had 1 (one)(uno) crush and then never liked anyone ever again; Everyone calls their lifestyle dull, but they just say that they value consistency; You have to plan a meet-up with them 2 weeks in advance or else they will PANIK; Their form of love is helping you manage your finances; Are actually quite mature and wise once you get them talking

XXC: YOU ARE SO PURE, WHY ARE YOU ON THE INTERNET; Weirdly aged and ageless in personality; Also the mom friend, but they aren't burnt out, unlike JYL kinnies; Wear super cute, oversized sweaters, I don't make the rules; sweater paws HNNG; Sometimes a bit out of the loop, but they're doing their best; Jump around in a conversation; Found family is their absolute jam; An extreme empath, so they have to protect themselves from too much depressing stuff, like the news

Okay, that's it for now! I just picked out some of the MDZS people that stood out the most to me for now bc man, this is long, but lemme know if you want my take on any other MDZS character!

[kakusu-shipping]

Can you do Fatgum, kirishima, or Tamaki?

This is like Half the Fatfam so I'll do you one better and do the whole Fatfam because I love them and leaving any of them out feels weird kfdjgkfdg

Ask from Here

Taishiro Toyomitsu

Sexuality Headcanon: Pansexual

Gender Headcanon: I see Taishiro as a Cis man, but I've seen very cool Trans Taishiro takes as well, so I'm between the two usually. He/Him

A ship I have with said character: Me?? Me self ship with Taishiro my beloved?? Oh but also Kendo Rappa I love that guy. He's Taishi's creepy gross stalker and I think they're funny together

A BROTP I have with said character: His interactions with Monika in Vigilantes will never not be hilarious to me. She's so not funny and he's so mean and they're hysterical together and I love them

A random headcanon: Taishiro's entire wardrobe is hoodies. He sleeps in a hoodie, his casual wear his hoodies, he's got a nice date hoodie. It's his comfort outfit and he refuses to change.

General Opinion over said character: I love this man. He is my husband, I mwah mwah mwah him face. Top tier fat rep, Horikoshi's best character by a mile.

everyone else under the cut so the post doesn't get too long

Tamaki Amajiki

Sexuality: Gay

Gender: Like Taishiro I see him as Cis usually but I've seen sooo many good Transgender headcanons as well that I'm kind of in the middle about it. He/She

OTP: MiriTama is SO cute!!! Top tier!!! My Hero really has the best Blond/Dark Hair ships out there.

BROTP: I really like his relationship with Neijire, being in the same class I feel like she just kinda bugged him until they were friends. Lesbian/Gay Hostility. They bicker like siblings.

Random Headcanon: It's Tamaki's fault we keep getting interns at the Fatgum agency. He hears someone struggling and thinks "Fat could help them" and brings them home like a kid bringing home a kitten. He's a bleeding heart, just like his father.

Overall Opinion: I LOVE Tamaki like a LOT. My favorite part about him, and all the 3rd year students we meet, is he's already gone through his entire character arc. He, Mirio, and Neijire worked to overcome challenges, faced problems, had training arcs and everything long before we met them. They're main characters post their own plot and I LOVE that kind of story telling.

Eijiro Kirishima

Sexuality: ALSO Gay

Gender: Transgender, He/Him

OTP: KiriBaku my BELOVED, my boyfriend Zayne was really into this one when he was into My Hero so I kinda got pulled into it first. I do really like them. Hot Headed VS Bull Headed.

BROTP: Mina for sure!! Gay/Bi Solidarity. She was his gay awakening in that he thought he liked her Romantically until he realized he didn't like girls at all. They have self care sleepovers where they do facials and paint eachother nails and gossip for sure

Random Headcanon: Kirishima has a real soft spot for Shojo Manga, and prefers it over action packed Shounen. The only people who know this are the rest of the Fatfam, Mina, and Bakugo.

Overall Opinion: I'm gonna keep saying I love these characters and it's true I loooove Eijiro sooo much. He's so head strong but with a huge heart he cares and worries SO much and he's also always down to clown commit to the bit ride or die kinda guy. I love him.

Tetsutestu Tetsutetsu

Sexuality: Bi? Pan? Omni?? Poly??? I don't think he really knows the exact label fits him best. Everyone in class B would say he's Bisexual, but he himself would answer the question with a "I dunno, boys are cute, girls are cute, what's it matter?"

Gender: ALSO Transgender, He/Him

OTP: I really like him with Kendo, their dynamic is incredibly cute and funny. A lot of "That's MY WIFE!!!!! :D" Energy and I love that for him. He's her biggest cheerleader.

BROTP: He and Eiji as constantly butting head twins who are too similar for their own good is incredibly funny to me and I do love that dynamic. I also love him with Neito Monoma as the bite to his bark kind of dynamic. He doesn't do it on purpose, he just loves hyping people up and isn't really hearing the nonsense Monoma is saying.

Random Headcanon: Tetsu really needs glasses, like really needs glasses, and just doesn't know it. He thinks everybody sees like this and just hasn't questioned it.

General Opinion: My Hero Academia Dumb Guy is a very particular gender and I adore it. Well, I call Tetsu dumb but he can't be that dumb to be in UA, it's a top school after all. He's just impulsive and hard headed and reckless, not necessarily stupid. I love him, boy son son boy

Momo Yaoyorozu

Sexuality: I'm in camp AroAce Momo, but I can also be on team Ace/Lesbian Momo. Back and forth on that one a lot.

Gender: Cis gender, She/Her

OTP: Sense I think she's Aro I don't have a lot of Momo ships off the top of my head, but I think she and Jiro are cute. The ideal Big Fem Little Butch Lesbian/Bi ship. If anything Jiro for sure has a crush on her.

BROTP: I really like the headcanon that she, Iida, and Todoroki are all childhood friends who attended a lot of the same Pro Hero/High class parties and hung out together during them.

Random Headcanon: Momo's parents don't support her choice to do Hero work, and are constantly threatening to pull her out of UA if the hero training gets in the way of her grades. She has an uncle who's a Pro Hero, which is how she got the recommendation to UA in the first place, he's also the one who signed all her paperwork and showed up for Parent's Day.

Overall Opinion: Momo is what made me realize I shouldn't focus too hard on the costuming of My Hero Academia fjkghjdfg her hero suit makes me sad. I think she's a very under used character, and could use some character development time under Fatgum, sense they both have quirks that utilize fat cells and she is entirely too thin to be doing hard hero work while using up that much energy. No WONDER she passes out all the time!

Nirengeki Shoda

Sexuality: Biromantic, Asexual

Gender: Trans Man, He/Him

OTP: It's hard to ship the 1-B kids cause they don't get near enough focused screen time. Shoda doesn't even seem to have a real affinity with anyone in his class either, sense every time we've seen him he's paired with someone new. I got nothing, it seems.

BROTP: He, Yui, Reiko, and Kendo all hang out I think. Shoda's really chill and team focused, so he can really blend into any group, but the girls specifically tend to steal him for hang outs the most.

Random Headcanon: Shoda has a real hard time taking praise or thinking he's really worthy of anything, a lot like Momo. It's something he's been forced to get better at sense being in a class with Neito Monoma though, sense the guy won't take "nah I didn't do anything" as an answer when complimenting people. Shoda's worked self deprecation out of his speaking habits out of necessity at this point.

General Opinion: My son boy I picked this one for the Fatfam and I'm the only one to do so but the Baseball OVA really got me okay my S/I is baseball themed and Shoda's quirk is REALLY GOOD for baseball of COURSE I'd pick him up. My intern now, suck it Shishido. I also just think the Fatgum agency needs more Class B in the mix. MORE REP FOR CLASS B!!!!

[buildarocketboys]

whatever happens, happens

I had to write this fic, since Ricky Bowen clearly needs to kiss some boys, and I couldn't find any fics where this particular scenario happened between him and E.J.

Ricky's visit to E.J. at college doesn't go quite how either of them planned.

Read here on AO3

"You know this whole thing...with Nini, and then Gina?" E.J. asks.

"Mmm?" says Ricky, mouth full of pizza. E.J. chuckles for a second before continuing.

"Do you ever think we were...I don't know, avoiding something?"

Ricky swallows his pizza and E.J. watches his Adam's apple bob down and then back up. "Like what?"

E.J. runs a hand through his hair, feeling Ricky's full attention on him now. "Well, not avoiding something, I guess. More like...displacing something."

"Nope, dude, you've totally lost me," Ricky says, chuckling, but does he sound...a little nervous?

E.J. laughs again. "Never mind. Must just be me."

Ricky rocks forward on his knees, staring directly up at E.J.'s eyes, and he's so close E.J. can see the tiny smears of tomato sauce the pizza has left around Ricky's mouth. "Must just be you...what?" Ricky says. Is E.J. imagining it, or did Ricky's eyes just dart down to his lips?

He's pretty sure he didn't imagine it, though, because now Ricky is looking up at him again with that guilty look in his eyes - the same look he has when they talk about Gina. Instead of answering, E.J. follows his instinct and cups Ricky's face in his hand, gently using his thumb to rub off the tomato sauce stains around his lips.

At the exact same time, Ricky leans forward and closes the gap between them, pressing his lips to E.J.'s.

E.J. opens his mouth in surprise, allowing Ricky's tongue to explore deeper into his mouth. Ricky tastes of pizza and his lips are softer than any girl E.J.'s ever kissed, and-

Val.

He pulls back as soon as he remembers that he has a girlfriend, but in his heart of hearts, he knows it's already too late.

Ricky gasps a little when they part, and they both can't speak for a few long moments.

Then they both speak at the same time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I was just trying to wipe the tomato off your face."

"Oh," says Ricky, looking down. "Right."

"That came out wrong. Look, I've...kind of made some discoveries since I've been in college." E.J. gives him a little smile that makes Ricky blush. "When did you figure out you were... what? Bi? Pan? Or are you gay, because that's okay too..."

"Uh...wow, E.J. I guess...just now?"

"Oh." E.J.'s mouth is still hanging open but he can't think of anything else to say, so he shuts it.

Ricky grins a little. "You really have been doing some soul searching since summer, huh? Guess I need to do a little more of that myself."

E.J. shrugs. "Trust you to be late to figuring out your own sexuality." 

Ricky chuckles a little. "Touche." Then he sobers. "But E.J....Gina."

E.J. nods, trying to speak past the lump in his throat. "Val."

Now Ricky is definitely laughing nervously, putting space between himself and E.J. Which is definitely a good idea, but also not what EJ's most selfish self wants. "Maybe we could just...pretend it never happened? Laugh it off? Just bros being bros?"

E.J. frowns. "We can't do that, Ricky. We just cheated on our girlfriends. With each other." Saying it makes it feel real, and Ricky's pained grimace shows that he feels the same way. "I can't just keep hiding from my feelings, and you can't just keep running away from them."

Ricky has pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them so he's curled up in a little ball. He's pouting and E.J. has to look away, he's too adorable. "You're right," says Ricky. "God, I hate it when you're right."

E.J. gives a little chuckle and it sounds almost normal. "I know," he says.

"So...we tell them?" says Ricky, and E.J. nods. "And then what?"

E.J. heaves a deep sigh. "I don't know, Ricky. I don't know how Val's gonna react. I don't even know what I want." He looks up at Ricky. "You definitely don't know what you want."

"I thought you had it all figured out?" says Ricky, and he looks so young and lost that E.J. just wants to pull him back in, tell him that everything will be alright, that E.J. will make it alright. But that would be a lie.

He shakes his hand. "I figured out some stuff. Plenty of stuff I've still got to figure out." He stands up, grabbing the plates from the floor and taking them over to the sink, just for something to do with his hands. "So I say we take some time, figure some stuff out."

Ricky nods, like he's OK with this. Then he says, "And then?"

E.J. shrugs. "Whatever happens, happens." He gives Ricky his patented E.J. smile, the one that always made every girl at theater camp swoon. "Even I can't predict the future."

"Right." Ricky stands there with his hands by his sides, curling into fists and stretching out again, curling then stretching, curling then stretching.

Suddenly E.J. can't stand to have him there anymore. "You need to go," he says, then realises how cold that sounds. "Go...talk to Gina. You owe it to her. To both of us."

Ricky nods his head twice, like he's still uncertain, and casts one last long look at E.J. before he turns on his heel and leaves the room.

E.J. closes the door behind him and sits down with his back against it, trying not to panic. He gets out his phone and scrolls to Val in his contacts

He takes a deep breath.

"Whatever happens, happens," he says to himself, and hits the call button.