#//and there's nothing more wholesome in my opinion than very different peoples learning they share / can share things actually//

[transingthoseformers]

I am actually way too happy dappy for the tfp au scenario where the wider world of humans learn about the Cybertronians as in a few canon continuities it's because of the war or some apocalyptic situation. But here! It's likely probably because of slip ups or a carefully planned reveal!

[fun-k-board]

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

How would some of my favourite characters be if their S/O loves Halloween?

Media Included : Mortal Kombat 11, Insomniacs Spider-Man, Young Justice.

Characters Included : Mileena, Kitana, Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Artemis, Superboy.

Note (s) : I originally had a poll and all of MK11 won but honestly I would've gotten no enjoyment out of writing it, so, have this instead.

Be warned I haven't watched young justice in like a year.

Mileena

Mileena doesn't know what Halloween is, there isn't much of an equivalent in Outworld that would make sense for her to participate in, however, she's definitely interested after learning about it from you. Especially after seeing how excited you are.

After realising she can carve whatever she wants in the pumpkin, she gets very excited. Mileena would most likely carve a 'scary' face, similar to a Tarkatans with the large teeth, but, she isn't the most skilled artist... It ends up looking a bit wonky and more funny than scary.

If she's in a bad mood, she'd probably try to carve Kitana dying, and it would end up more like a blob than anything coherent.

She likes the decorations, and might help put a few up, but prefers them not to be in her way, she will absolutely destroy any fake cobwebs or skeletons in her path.

If you want to stay at home and put on the likes of 'Hocus Pocus' 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' or even horror movies like 'Halloween', she's interested in them all. She especially finds the portrayals of sorcerers to be hilarious and wants to show Shang Tsung how incompetent humans think they are.

Mileena finds horror movies fascinating but sometimes she's very critical of the gore and how unrealistic it is, one time she stormed out of the house because of how horrible a CGI blood splatter was.

She probably won't bother matching costumes or even going in a costume herself, she's just not interested enough for whatever cheap gimmicks Earthrealm's cooked up.

I actually think she'd just go in her regular clothes but without a mask, it's uncomfortable to be seen as scary, but, she doesn't want to wear a ridiculous costume or spend hours walking around in a mask.

Mileena is most excited for the trick or treating itself, the fact you can just go up to people's houses and ask for sweets and people will just give it?? She's so shocked, nothing like that would ever happen in Outworld.

She won't be too smiley until she gets home though, whenever the door opens she's sweating nervously, Mileena almost wishes she brought her mask to hide her face.

She always manages to stay up until everybody else goes home or falls asleep, and carries, she insists you're not walking even if you're not tired at all, you back home, where she finds the pumpkins destroyed and your house covered in toilet paper.

She vows to kill the person who ruined your pumpkins, and probably ends up springing a Halloween massacre for your area.

Kitana

She's definitely heard of Halloween from Johnny or Sonya, but she's never really been able to dress up or be too involved. Kitana has responsibilities in Outworld, and she can't risk them for a holiday, regardless of her desire to participate.

Once she sees how excited you are, however, she decides to make up an excuse to go to Earthrealm, it's only for a few hours, and she's a bit antsy over the decision, but she's doing it for you nonetheless.

Kitana helps you put up the decorations, laughing at how silly some of them look, and she takes great joy in spending some time with you that she usually can't.

Her pumpkin carving skills aren't too bad, she's not some master artist with them, but she can make a mean scary face.

I don't think she'd want to dress up, but she's definitely alright if you want to, she'll share her opinion on your costume and maybe suggest a different one if she thinks it'd fit you better.

She really enjoys things like The Nightmare Before Christmas, wholesome yet with a bit of scary elements thrown in. She especially likes Hocus Pocus when it comes to the family part of it, it's no secret how messed up hers is.

Kitana's amused at how magic is portrayed in both Halloween movies and by certain costumes, she nearly loses it after seeing an old man mask under the 'wizard' title.

Kitana personally doesn't enjoy the gore heavy and over the top violence of horror movies, although, she will admit she enjoys the fight choreography of some of them. She prefers psychological horrors.

Kitana is rather nervous about trick or treating, she loves the idea of the fun and sweet part, but the idea that the stranger could've poisoned the sweets makes her nervous, even if you assure her that the signs are obvious and if there are none it should be safe to consume.

She inspects the sweets around five times before even considering you take a bite.

She looks like some type of bodyguard, following behind you with swift and graceful steps, she lets herself have fun of course, but her guard is always up.

When you both get home, she's very happy to rest with you and sleep, but if duty calls she might have to cut the night short and return to Outworld.

Peter Parker

Peter skips out on a holiday or two sometimes, his identity as Spider-Man is far too important, and Halloween is the one that usually gets skipped. Aunt May never really celebrated it, she usually just left out a bowl of sweets. MJ isn't an avid Halloween person, neither is Harry after he grew up. So, it was a huge surprise at how invested in Halloween you are.

Peter isn't that good of a pumpkin carver, so he typically does the regular 'spooky face' with wobbly lines, it's his favourite and was his go to ever since he was a kid.

He finds matching costumes cute and especially loves dressing up in his old Spider-Man costume and making one especially for you, of course, neither of you include the web shooters and he makes sure to use an old enough suit where there's no tech in it.

Peter's great at hanging up decorations, he has specialised web fluid that can last for a few days or even a week, so, he uses that to his advantage and usually does that along with crawling on the ceiling.

He loved trick or treating as a kid, it was the one time of the year he could dress up and not be a nerd, he and Harry had so much fun together. It's really nostalgic, and sometimes people will point out your costumes, finding it funny that grown adults are going as the city's hero.

He adores trick or treating, it makes him feel like a kid again. Although, unfortunately a lot of crime tends to happen on Halloween, so, sometimes he does have to slip away quickly to punch a few bad guys.

He might check once or twice to see if there's anything wrong with the candy, but besides that he sometimes forgets how deadly some of them can be. He does feel his heart race a bit when you take a bite, only to reveal nothing is wrong, he lets out a huge sigh of relief.

Peter's nervous watching psychological thrillers and ones that use the whole 'creepy kid aesthetic' to its full potential. He's fine with gorey slasher flicks, and even enjoys some of them for the horrible acting and bad effects.

He prefers more kid friendly stuff, like The Nightmare Before Christmas, but he nearly cried watching Coraline for the first time.

Miles Morales

Miles has been a huge Halloween enjoyer since he was a kid, he used to spend hours trying to handmake a costume with his parents help, he misses those days. He's never missed Halloween, or any holiday, but miles has been close a few times.

After he started dating you he realised just how much fun it can be and that he shouldn't sacrifice time with his loved ones, especially not on a day you both love.

Miles, while not exactly having an over abundance of money to do so, will a hundred percent try to hand make costumes for the both of you, with your help of course. Maybe it's something small like Morticia Addams and Gomez Addams, or maybe it's a huge mecha costume, whichever it is, he has fun making and designing the costumes.

He's a master pumpkin carver, give him any image and he can accurately create it in pumpkin form, regardless of whether you're also like that or have trash pumpkin carving skills, he's putting yours together proudly and pointing it out to anybody who sees them.

Miles loves trick or treating, you and him walk around New York apartments for hours and hours getting all of the sweets you can, he even web swings sometimes to try and get as much as possible before Halloween ends.

I don't think he'd think to look for any poison or razor blades in the sweets you two are given, he's heard some stories for sure, but it's never happened anywhere close to him, so he assumes you're both safe.

Like Peter, he can help put up decorations by climbing on walls and ceilings, plus his webs, and so he's a huge help, although he's personally not a fan of any snake based decorations. They creep him out.

While he can handle more scary horror movies, he still reaches for and squeezes your hand whenever a kill scene happens, although, for older ones or newer ones that are bad looking, he prefers to analyse the artistic side of things. Special effects and practical effects are so interesting to him. Not only that, he could spend hours talking about the music and themes of each character or event.

He loves any stop motion, Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, and Corpse Bride to name a few. Not only are they just beautiful, but any bad storylines or things that haven't aged well don't really matter when he's staring at something so pretty.

Artemis

Artemis never had the chance to celebrate Halloween as a kid, she wishes she did because it always sounded so fun, the most she managed to get was her mother putting out sweets for kids in costumes to nab. Some part of her wishes that she was one of them at some point.

When she begins dating you, your interest in Halloween is one she can greatly relate to, perhaps for different reasons, but, it's something shared nonetheless.

Artemis likes the idea of dressing in costumes, it's a quarter of her job so she's used to it by now, but she can admit she feels too childish when she wears a vampire or any other Halloween-esque costume. She thinks you look cute in them, though.

She's used to helping her mother around the house, so when you ask for help putting up decorations she's alright with that, whether or not you can't reach because you're short, you can't do it all on your own, or if you just want to get it done quicker, she'll help you.

Artemis is a decent pumpkin carver, she can make a few impressive faces, but unless she spends hours and hours, she can't do a full body or anything other than a spooky face without it being a little wonky.

She genuinely does enjoy going trick or treating, she can come across a little blank and emotionless when walking around, but she really does feel happy and safe with you. Even if you two are walking alone at night knocking on strangers doors for candy.

She definitely checks every piece for any poison or razor blades, she's not taking any chances with you.

Artemis loves more childish movies, don't tell anybody in the tower though! She especially loves ones like Coraline, she feels really seen and can even relate to her a tiny bit.

She's not a big horror fan, especially not ones that try to make the unsympathetic sympathetic, it's just boring watches to her usually. Gore ones are easier to get through, it's just mindless slashing and bad acting, sometimes they're so bad that it becomes funny though, she enjoys those ones. Artemis isn't the biggest fan of psychological thrillers either, not because they're more scary to her, they're just more uncomfortable.

Superboy

Superboy has most likely heard of Halloween, but never had the chance to participate because... Well, you know. He isn't very interested in it, the costume part, the sweets part, it's not exactly his thing, regardless of if he's tried it before or not.

He's surprised at just how excited you are about Halloween, it's not like he despises the holiday, it just feels so alien to him. Despite that, Conner will help put up decorations in hard to reach places, or if something is heavy, he might grumble about it, but he truthfully doesn't mind.

Well, as said before, he isn't too interested in the costumes. A lot of them are just too silly for him, but maybe with some convincing he could do a matching couples one. He likes when you dress up, though, he thinks you look cute and even funny in some of them.

Conner isn't great at pumpkin carving, he gets frustrated easily and might smash the poor thing, despite that, he may either act like it was on purpose or just hide it from you.

He doesn't enjoy trick or treating, because of his unwillingness to dress up, he's either a guy in a superman shirt who looks like he's about to commit a felony, or a huge, quiet guy in a goofy costume whose fist is always angrily clenched.

He can tell if any sweets are bad, his vision makes it easy, and he will absolutely smack the sweet out of that person's hand and begin yelling at them.

Conner is alright with horror movies, he's not scared by them because he knows they're not real. But, that doesn't mean he likes what he's watching. Most of them are boring or just plain stupid to him. He thinks more kid friendly ones are to his style, they're not overly edgy, funny coming from him, while also not being boring because most kid media is designed to keep a kids attention.

[nightswithkookmin]

You need to back up your ON break up theory with more than just fake subs and vague statements about 'claiming behavior'.

During the period you allege they were broken up, Jimin pulled Jungkook in a hug on run behind, Jungkook called Jimin sexy at a press conference, Jimin and jungkook did that whole 'how does it feel to be in the same unit'/'time to change' flirty thing, Jimin grabbed Jungkook by the lapels... and more. Begging pardon but if they were grieving the loss of their romantic relationship while trying to be professional colleagues and pals.... isnt that sort of insensitive? Like I know you admitting you might have read it wrong and have changed your view in light of new footage might be a blow to your ego, but I don't think you are thinking rationally when you insist on this break up theory. It's sad because I found so much meaning and connection in some of the stuff you have written, particularly pertaining to internalized homophobia, racism, mysogynoir and bts changing over time to become more enlightened, but your devotion to this ONE theory, and defensiveness whenever it is (rightly imo) challenged makes me wary of your theories in general, which might be extremely unfair to you, as a thinker. Your log is really funny and great in a lot of ways so i cant really quit you.

Ahhhh it's been a while I got one of these...

Hello, how you doing! Lol. Silver is that you?

Chilee, it's the name calling for me.

Ego, irrational, charlatan, Tuktukker- I'm desensitized to such ad hominems at this point. You don't throw words like these around and expect me to sit at the table and talk. Imma yeet myself out real fast. Lol.

There's just something different, wholesome almost, about this post though. Sounds constructive I think. Or maybe it's because I just woke. Chilee. Lol.

It doesn't feel at all like you are attacking me. It's strange...

You're gaslighting though but it's fine. I've built a resistance to that from years and years of dealing with my abductors or family. Potato potahto.

I often put my sanity before other's insanity which is why I don't indulge posts such as these and I'm not sorry about that. I mean is this an Ask or Submission? I don't- what am I supposed to say? What is the call to action?

Sigh.

If I come across as defensive sometimes, 10 out of 10, it's probably because the person on the other end is being offensive. Straight up. Cause and effect, the science don't lie.

You don't expect me to not defend when I'm being attacked. That's just tacky.

I don't think there's anything wrong with challenging views and notions because at the very least, that's about the exchange of ideas and I welcome it.

I set the limits at the racial slurs, the mocking tones, the emotionally charged rants meant to disparage me and my entire ancestry rather than argue a point, the interference with my personal life and business all because I hold a different view on a topic, the doxing, gaslighting, the bad mouthing, spreading lies about me, turning my friends against me, stripping away my rights and copyrights, harassing people who enjoy my work among- other things.

I usually exercise my right to self preservation in these instances- imma block, delete, ignore, forward or clap back. Word. Lol.

I'm sorry, but if you have to attack the individuality of a person to argue your point, you've lost the argument and you never had one to begin with.

Take for instance, the bit you wrote about me taking a blow to 'my ego' - do you see the problem with that?

What has holding a view different from yours on a particular subject got to do with the ego?

Do you mean to say the only way I can hold an opinion different from yours on a matter is if I were hubristic?

Are you projecting? What's happening? Lol

And if I call you out for this, I'm defensive? Way to add gaslighting to your bigotry and intolerance of opinions that don't align with yours. No offense.

I give myself permission to hold unpopular views. I give myself permission to think differently from others. I give myself permission to see what I see and believe what I believe and form an opinion on what I see and believe divorced from others' views and based on my own understanding of the workings of this world or in this case Jikook.

No amount of name calling will change this fact. We see things from different perspectives after all.

You need to back your ON break up theory with more than just fake subs and vague claims about claiming behavior.

Lol. Fake subs? You mean the Hajima bit from the On comeback special I put in my video? Interesting.

I think I see what you mean about my break up theory and I agree to some extent. Like, come up here with charts and paragraphs and excel spreadsheets on why I think Jikook were broken up?

I would be happy to do that kind of analysis.

I think the problem for me here is, I feel tasked to convince rather than to share my opinion on the matter or even expand on my theories for discourse sakes and that makes me really uncomfortable.

Not to psychoanalyze you, but I feel when you ask this of me you are not just asking me to divulge my thoughts on a topic but to disabuse you of your own biases surrounding the topic.

I don't think this is about my opinion at all. I think it's about your own beliefs about Jikook. And there's nothing wrong with that. If you believe in something you need to stand for it. Just don't mind if others do same and don't call them names for doing so. Because if you do mind, then that's bigotry.

The fact is my opinion contradicts your beliefs about Jikook and you either want to punish me for it hence the slurs, are in denial, or you want to believe my point of view- can't really tell.

I think there is a limit in general to how far I can prove Jikook in anyway and that has nothing to do with lack of evidence, my ego or my rationality. And yes, I often shroud my beliefs in vague expressions because I don't want to set myself up or open myself up to legal suits. I can only prove Jikook to a point and nothing beyond my belief. Beyond that, I would be skating on thin ice and making bighit a tad richer.

During the period you allege they were broken up, Jimin pulled JK in a hug, grabbed Jungkook by his lapel, JK called Jimin sexy, they did the flirty challenge...

So if I understand you correctly, all these is what makes Jikook a couple to you and indicate they are dating?

Alright then.

Hobi calls Jimin sexy all the time. BTS calls eachother sexy all the time. I don't think that's a sign they are in a polyamory.

Jungkook plays with his hyungs' dick and ass and talks about falling for them most times. I don't think that makes him gay or in a relationship with any of them.

Lemme just cut to the chase. I've reached my photo limits. I have said a countless times now, that I don't view skinship and all these interactions you've pointed out as indication two people are dating- especially not two Koreans working within the homoerotically charged space of Kpop.

And I have given out a few of the metrics I use in considering whether any ship in BTS is real over the course of my blogs- intimacy, exclusive behaviors such as and not limited to claiming eachother and exercising certain rights and authorities over eachother and against the group, stress trails as a result of keeping their relationship a secret, the microaggressions, breaching the fourth wall and others.

I think what this comes down to is differences in perspectives on a fundamental level. Not egos.

I don't see the things you see as the signs Jikook are real and dating, as signs Jikook are real and dating. If I did, I would be seeing every ship in BTS as real but I don't.

And you consider the metrics I use in ascertaining Jikook as vague something something. I think we are at an impasse.

But explain the bit about 'insensitive' to me please. I would love to engage in that discourse. Why would it be insensitive for two exes to act cordially with eachother within a workplace in the aftermath of a breakup?

Then the bit about grieving...

So grieving is one of your metrics for accessing whether or not two people are broken up?

That's interesting. I mean I don't disagree but I also don't think Jikook are gonna come to work with oversized pajamas, dark shades, boxes of tissues and a blanket slung over their shoulders because of a broken heart... it's 2020 not Manila. They've grown, are learning and getting better at dealing with their emotions on camera because, as Suga pointed out, they are aware the least bit of tension translates to the screens.

I mean Jimin said it himself in his 2020 interview, he's learned to react less intensely to certain things. And sometimes, he tries to downplay certain things. He tries to perform Jikook when Jikook are not in a great place. It's only in recent times, On era, where JK has opted out and not gone along with it.

I think he does that and uses their shared 'Jikook agenda' and performances of Jikook as a means to fix things or break the ice between them at least.

But clearly Jk wasn't having it that day as he kept putting up boundaries with Jimin throughout that Run episode- unless of course you are disputing this as well on the grounds Jimin dragged his ass into a hug. Chilee.

I think most people wouldn't have felt there was something off with Jikook in that On period at all had it not been for Run 116. It's similar to how, had it not been for Jimin's birthday saga, the Esquire shoot behind scenes and Grammy reaction video, no one would have felt there was something going on between Jikook in the October timeline.

I think we would have seen and felt the less interactions and professionalism between them in the aftermath of it but for the most parts, moments like the couch scene in the Grammy reaction video wouldn't have made sense to any of us especially as we had just witnessed JK in the ON:E concert rushing to comfort and console JM when he was tearing up at the end of the concert.

At least when he pushed JM into a ditch somewhere in the dark in Soop we know he had been drinking and they were playing competitive sports. Even with that he still showed some concern when Jimin fell and injured himself afterwards.

I think we would all be wondering if Jikook were fanservice at that point, a fanservice relationship where JK only consoled Jimin when he cried infront of thousands of people at concerts and nibbled his ear while he was at it.

And I think we would be on opposite sides of the argument: me, arguing Jikook were experiencing a hiccup in their relationship and you, rationalizing that moment with anything from 'JK don't have to be at JM's beck and call' 'he is an introvert who is shy to show affections publicly' to even something about the weather.

But I would have looked at this moment from the October pop up video behind scenes and assumed JK was mad at Jimin for something JM had done and had done something in retaliation and was now feeling sorry he did.

And I would have based it off of this moment, or a countless similar ones from around On era or the previous eras where JK had done this exact same thing- frozen in place and staring at Jimin in the middle of a shoot or interview after sliding his hands down Tae's chest, clung on to the others unnecessarily to get a reaction out of JM.

Would I have been right? It really doesn't matter to me as long as it makes sense to me. I ship Jikook in a way that makes sense to me. Jikook are gay, in a gay relationship with each other and are human like anyone of us- that makes sense to me. Whether I am right or wrong.... who cares and why does it matter?

Personally, I think the only person grieving in that period was JK not JM and I don't think he grieved for long before he switched off his humanity and went stone cold tit for tat terminator on JM and BTS's ass. Lol. He had JM looking all kinds of subdued in that era. Lmho.

People grieve in various ways. In my opinion. For Jimin, I feel he puts on a strong facade most times when he has to film during such times and lately I feel he masks his emotions with anger.

Jk masks his pain with anger too sometimes but I feel in recent times, he is leaning more towards indifference. I think he tries not to be as affected by certain things as compared to the early half of 2020...

But I understand what you mean when you talk about grieve. I think for me rather than look for physical evidence of grief like a sad face, a tear drop dripping down a face, I love for vulnerability in them.

JK's is easy to tell because he tends to open himself up to others such as Tae or Jin or Hobi- and I don't mean like his interactions with them. I mean he leans on them for moral or emotional support.

In the Holiday remix video where he was hiding behind Jin, I felt he was feeling very vulnerable and exposed after that intense moment with Jimin.

It's what he does when he is feeling vulnerable. He turns to others especially Jimin and if Jimin is the cause of his vulnerability he turns away from him like he did within On era or even in Run 116.

When he is in a good place with Jimin, often he is closed off to the others. Jimin does the opposite. He shuts himself up entirely from the group. I don't think he likes to go through his pain by himself.

I've always found that bit fascinating about them. Jk opens himself to people when he is at his lowest while JM closes himself off when he is at his worst.

It played out in their rainy day fight as well. In JK's vulnerability, that's when he let Jimin in, lowering his walls while JM on the other hand closed himself off to him.

Can you give me more than they were together in that period because they played with eachother's lapels?

You don't think I'm thinking rationally when I insist on my theory? Uhmmm... okay? What is rational in this case?

Listen, I recieve a lot of hate for my 'irrational thoughts and opinions' out in these streets. I've lost potentially great friendship on this platform because of it. As I type this, there is someone in someone else's DMs persuading them not to read and engage with my posts because I'm extremely evil I think Jikook break up from time to time in their relationship.

If I genuinely believed in the slightest least or had the least doubt that Jikook were together in that period I would change my mind on the topic- damn my pride and ego. It simply isn't worth the hustle.

If it helps your sanity, please stop reading my blogs. My blogs are not for everyone. It makes some people happy, it makes some people mad and some people experience both.

My gratification is in sharing my thoughts and chronicling Jikook's journey for my own appeasement and support of Jikook. I owe it to them as a believer and a supporter to humanize them as much as possible.

I do not seek to convert others, change minds, or convince anyone of my opinions or to disabuse anyone of theirs.

Let's just agree to disagree on the matter please. Or if you can drop the ad hominems, I would be more than happy to go back and forth with you on this very topic. It's actually shaping out to be one of my favorite Jikook eras. I love me some terminator JK. Lol.

Signed,

GOLDY

[shiroganeryo]

D.Gray-Man Tag!

I got tagged by my friend Violet to hop into this little game she made, and there are few things I love more than babbling about DGM, so let’s go! The rules are to tag three people to get the game going, so I’ll do it at the start because this will get looong. I’ll tag @14th-melody, @metzzi and @rudimentor0x0. Here’s the blank post. Sorry if you have already done it, I might’ve missed the posts ;;

⭐ What year did you first get into DGM? Hmm, actually, that’s a hard question because I didn’t get into it right away? If memory serves me right about what grade I was in high school when that happened, I was 15 - so, 2008. Pull a chair, I’ll tell you how that went. It was actually a recommendation from a friend of my best friend; we weren’t particularly close, I just knew he and I had a similar taste for anime/manga and I was looking for getting into a new series... but I wanted it to be worthwhile. So I asked my bestie if her friend wouldn’t give me a rec. He recommended me D.Gray-Man, and just like I do before watching any series, I watched the first opening to get an overall “feel” of it and I quite liked it: cool aesthetic, music was dope, characters were nice-looking. But, for some reason, I didn’t watch it and eventually forgot about it.

Then, one day on my way back home from school, I stopped by a nearby newspaper stand since here they also sell manga. They were all very cheap at that time, so I would often look for new volumes of the titles I was collecting (my allowance was enough to buy two or three!). I saw DGM’s first volume there, and went “oh! It’s that one series he had recommended me! I’ll take it and finally give it a shot.”

I fell in love.

I really liked it at first, but the point where DGM completely won my heart was during Lala’s arc. I had never cried with a manga before. 

⭐ Who’s your favorite character? This is probably very unoriginal, but it’s Allen! At the start I was very lukewarm about him, but as time went on, I felt like I could relate more and more to that kind-hearted boy and he became my role model. DGM has been with me through some of the worst of my life, and Allen’s resolve to keep going, keep walking, no matter how hard things were for him was what motivated me many times in past. It still does. Allen also taught me to be kinder and through him I realized being there for others makes me truly happy. Sadly, I also share with him the same trait of being unable to truly see how appreciated I am and all the good I bring others just for being there... But I’m working on that! He became the first character I felt like I could fully relate to, and I was surprised - but still very happy - to realize that, now that I’m an adult with more experience and maturity, I feel like I can understand him even more and better than before. Our connection didn’t wane with time, I feel so much closer to him now. He’s very special to me.

Standing at the second spot - because it’s also fair I would mention her -, is Miranda! I always say that if Allen didn’t exist, Miranda would be my number 1 since she stands so close to him hahaha After him, she’s another character I deeply relate with. My self-esteem isn’t the best out there so I’m quick to think I’m worthless or useless, just like her. Even so, she wouldn’t give up. Every time I felt like giving up because of auto depreciation, I would think “Miranda would try again, she would work harder”.

It’s like the two of them were walking me through the steps so I could move forward and keep doing my best.

⭐ Who’s your least favorite character? I’m going to say Chaozii. But, before we get to the usual “Chaozii slander” we’re used to doing in this fandom, let me elaborate. It has nothing to do with him not siding with Allen. As much as I love Allen, I know we’re able of sympathizing with his ideals because as the readers we have a plethora of information on his motives; if not for that, we would probably take the same stance as Chaozii has taken about him.

What riles me about Chaozii is that, unlike all of the characters, his mindset is either black or white, good or bad. Everyone seems to have a perfect mix of both, showing many facets just like, well, real, imperfect people. Chaozii is the only one who doesn’t have that. Being simple-minded is not a bad trait, but when that clouds your judgement, then it turns into a bad thing.

It all fell apart when he snapped at Allen when he refused to kill Tyki. That particularly bothered me a ton, even if I understand his feelings. Chaozii, who thought it was wrong and cruel to kill humans and was grieving for his lost comrades, was fine with killing a human whom he wasn’t even sure if was being forced to do things or not. Do you see the issue here? Chaozii never feels to me like he’s striving to do the right thing in order to bring justice, but instead, because he wants revenge.

I hope he does get to learn one thing or two in the future. He has potential to be a great character; but he needs a “redemption” first.

⭐ Who’s your favorite general? Tiedoll! Although I like all of them for different reasons. I really love Cross and differently from what some people think, he did care for Allen and I love their rather dysfunctional relationship. He’s a much deeper character than just a womanizer full of fishy shenanigans. He’s also really badass: former scientist, user of magic, (former) wielder of both an Innocence of his own and another person’s (Grave of Maria). I just happen to love Tiedoll a liiiittle more because I can’t take this guy! He’s just so sweet, and his doting nature makes him both funny and lovely. General Sokalo is really cool and all, but I feel like he’s just a cool guy to me. On a side note, General Klaud could step on me and kill me and I’d thank her. I hope we get to learn more about her Innocence sometime.

⭐ Who’s a character you would get along with? I would love to say it’s Allen, but he’s someone really hard to get close to. If I think about the characters I’d like to befriend because of shared traits or interests, I think I could get along well with Miranda, Krory, and Marie. The first two because they’re two softies who just happen to be really awkward, I feel like I would probably befriend them after trying to comfort them too often. And, the latter, because I’m a person who likes calm company whom I can have honest talks with.

⭐ What kind of innocence would you have? I honestly have no idea. If I had to pick one from the ones we already have, I think I would go with the Dark Boots. Being able to fly and maneuver in mid-air would be a dream come true, I feel the happiest when the wind blows against me. If I have to think of something “for me” specifically, I think I would like a long range Innocence. I particularly like firearm-like weapons like guns, so maybe a gun or dual pistols? Yeah, I think I’d really like the dual pistols.

⭐ What’s your favorite ship? Ah, to be in the DGM fandom is to be a multishipper; yet this is the part where I always get nervous at because my favorite is a rarepair. But!!! I’m building up the courage to be more open about (and less self-judgmental of) the things I like. It’s Allen x Miranda. I don’t really know when it started; from what I said before, you already know they’re both my top favorite characters and very special to me, so I naturally loved it when I saw them sharing screentime. When I realized it, I was looking at them and thinking “they would make such a cute couple together”. It just kinda happened.

To keep this short, there’s this blog I really like explaining about this pair’s dynamics. I think they have a great dynamic together and much potential. They could very easily have a wholesome relationship based in lots of patience and mutually covering the other’s weaknesses and helping them become someone better. These are the best kinds of relationships imo. I hope to share some of my headcanons for them (and even writing, hopefully!) sometime in here. I always picture Allen being older, so that gives me some free room for creativity; it doesn’t look like he has time for romantic love right now, and I don’t really feel comfortable with him being a minor for this ship, so both things go hand in hand.

Honorable mentions go to Link x Allen (again, older!Allen), Yulma and LaviLena, as I also get super happy when I see these particular shippings. 

⭐ What’s your least favorite ship? I actually have some, but it goes against my policies to publicly (consciously) say negative things about certain things if I can help it. I know I’m allowed to have opinions, but you never know who can stumble upon it and what I dislike can be something that makes someone really happy, you know? I tend to stay silent about such things when it comes to something as harmless as shippings.

So, I think I can say I’m accepting of everything as long as everyone respects each other! And, of course, if it isn’t distasteful (as in, illegal).

⭐ What branch would you want to be part of? We’ve only seen the European and Asian branches properly before but even if there aren’t many choices, this is still a hard question; I think both have lots of good things going for them. I think I would probably want to settle with the Asian Branch! I love how lively the atmosphere is and I also feel like there are way less science division shenanigans in there... Sorry, Komui. 

⭐ What’s your favorite arc? I have three! The Rewinding City arc came right after Lala’s arc - that had touched me a lot -, bringing in even more feels. It introduced Miranda and at the blink of an eye, made me care so much about her. The first activation of Time Record after she protected Allen, followed by his thanks to her hit so hard; I get really emotional talking about it. It was such a great, yet touching moment. I think everyone can relate to that; being worthy of receiving gratitude for something they did for someone.

Then, there’s Lulu Bell’s Invasion of the Black Order arc, followed by the appearance of the Level 4 Akuma. I can’t express into words how great the flow of the elements are there. The plot is focusing on multiple characters with their own background dramas happening, all at once, yet none of it feels out of place. Everyone gets their moment, everyone contributes to the big picture (saving the staff and defeating the Akumas). It all felt like one big collective effort of several parts uniting forces, no one was more or less important than the other. It was expertisely done.

And the last mention goes to the Searching for A.W’s arcs (Saying Goodbye to A.W also included). These arcs are being extremely painful but, at the same time, also extremely rewarding to go through. For the first time ever, we’re seeing Allen give in to his wants and acknowledge his feelings; he’s not honest with himself very often, and seeing him actually admit that he still wanted to go on - for himself -, that he still wanted to hold onto hope was something that I suddenly realized I had always wanted to see him do. It’s like I had been waiting for so long. Allen is growing up, and I’m loving to see the part Johnny and Kanda are playing in this. I could talk all day about how happy it makes me, to feel this much hope in the midst of such a difficult situation these arcs are covering. It captures very well the essence of D.Gray-Man imo: the bittersweetness of the hardships of life, and the good things it makes us realize we have had all along. The people we have by our side. The will to continue moving forward because we still have something we love and want to fight for.

Whew, I expected this would get long but guess I got too carried away; those were amazing questions to answer to! If you read until now, you have my most sincere gratitude and appreciation. I wish you have a lovely day! 😊

[dukeofonions]

How do you feel about the upload schedule for sanders sides? It’s been 10 months since the last proper episode. Also, I read a post on another blog about how they feel him hiring his friends leads to a slower production process due to messing around. Thoughts on that? Also also, do you think that since YT is his job, he should upload more? these are things I am thinking of tonight.

Not to worry anon, these are things I think about a lot because I have nothing better to do with my life. 

Seeing as I joined the fandom shortly after Can Lying Be Good? came out, the longest my first wait for a new episode wasn’t that long actually. The video came out in February but I didn’t see it until early March. The next episode Logic vs Passion, came out in April. So it didn’t bother me much. And right after that we got Crofters: The Musical so I was on the hype train and fully invested. 

Then we didn’t get another episode until October which left me a bit antsy, but I was still excited anyway and didn’t mind the wait. Embarrassing Phases then came out that December. So we got two videos within a fairly short time span. 

SVS Part 1 came out that next year in March, again, bit of a wait, but it’s becoming standard now that we get a couple of new episodes every few months. No biggie. We get Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts in June, Asides in November... This newest one just came out now in May... 

Yeah, if we hadn’t been given that Asides, we would have had almost a year-long wait for this next episode. And we did have a year-long wait for the follow up to a video that honestly, kinda made me think “Why do we still care about this? I’m not really invested in the “Wedding or callback” dilemma anymore” which, when you’re trying to tell a story using this medium, the last thing you want is your audience to lose interest in something that’s meant to be this big of an event within the series. 

And what do all these videos have in common? Each one uses some kind of gimmick. CLBG and SVS had them filming in different locations, Logic vs Passion, LNTAO, and POF involved them using different mediums to tell the story (animations and puppets) Crofters and DWIT both had music in them, and Embarrassing Phases had the costumes. 

Before that, the videos were all fairly simple. Maybe a few gimmicks here and there, but none of them went to the same level as these other ones. 

Basically, what’s happening here is that with each new episode, the team is trying to bring something new to the table each time, and their solution is to use a different gimmick. Which, in theory, is fine. But I honestly believe these are doing more harm than good. For one thing, not everyone is a fan of these gimmicks and while sometimes they can be used to benefit the story, other times they just take over and the writing suffers for it. 

The main reason (as far as we know) that this newest episode in particular took so long was because of the video game animations they wanted to use, but after watching the video besides a few instances, they really weren’t necessary to have. 

And I plan to make a whole other post on this topic so I’ll leave it there for now. In regards to Thomas hiring more of his friends to work on episodes? Again, it’s good in theory, but I for one have noticed a certain change in the episodes since they brought on more writers, which officially started with Embarrassing Phases where Thomas said in the live stream following it that it was the first episode he really didn’t work on and it shows (but more on that in another post) I do think the other writers are talented people, but maybe all of them shouldn’t be working on Sanders Sides. 

Each one is gonna have their own preferences for each character and ideas that may clash, and if these were simply coworkers, it wouldn’t be as much of a problem shutting down ideas that go too far. But when they’re literally all your friends, you have that connection to them and you don’t want them hurt, which can make saying “No” to certain things much harder. I’m not sure exactly how the writing team gets along so I can only speculate based on what I’ve learned from live streams. 

As for their inclusion making the production for videos longer, I can also understand that seeing as you’re more inclined to goof off with people you’re close and comfortable with, especially when you’re not in a professional setting. Which, in Thomas’ case, he’s usually at home with his friends around. This automatically makes things more casual and one would feel more relaxed and not worry too much about being serious. Which, when you’re trying to get things done, can be a problem.

I’m gonna briefly use my own workplace as an example: I work in fast food, and all of my coworkers get along really well. We like to joke around and have fun, especially when we’re slow. But as soon as things start picking up it’s like a switch is flipped and we go from “Fun mode” to “work mode” just like that. Sure, we might continue to quip and joke with each other. But we never let it take precedence over the work that needs to be done. Some of our coworkers, don’t understand this. And when the rest of us are trying to work, they’re still goofing off. And in fast food, if just one person isn’t doing their job, it can bring everything crashing down. We have customers waiting in line for almost ten minutes, they get angry, they get mad at us, even if it’s just because of one person not doing their job. But we don’t have time to argue. We accept their complaints and do our best to fix the issue and get things moving again. 

Obviously, what Thomas does is very different from working in fast food, but Youtube is still his job. Logan puts it best in LNTAO, “Thomas made a commitment to regularly sharing content. He must be held accountable.” 

Now in fast food, we are most definitely held accountable by the customers if their food isn’t delivered in a timely manner or isn’t made to their liking, and we as the providers of said product, have to heed their words and make the product to their liking in order to ensure their satisfied. If they’re not satisfied, they won’t want to pay. Simple as that. 

Thomas, on the other hand, is never held accountable by his fanbase. Now I’m not saying it’s a bad thing for him to have such a supportive fandom, heck I wish the customers I had to deal with on a regular basis were as understanding. But honestly, the way the majority of this fandom blindly follows Thomas and holds him on this golden pedestal is... 

Kinda creepy... 

He is surrounded by constant praise, hardly any criticism, and I believe that’s why we hardly get content from him. 

Quick note, I understand that part of why this video in particular was delayed due to the pandemic and I respect their decision to not put themselves or anyone else at unnecessary risk for the sake of a Youtube video.  However, plenty of Youtubers are still making and posting regular content on their channels despite this. To me, the main issue with Thomas’ content as of late is that he tries to put too much into what should be simple things. I understand wanting to give your audience the very best, but honestly, in my opinion, his newer content isn’t as good as the older stuff. It all had just such a simple, wholesome charm to it, that’s now been replaced with a fancier production and flashy editing. Not only that, they tend to start way too many projects at once, which result in never getting done.

You guys remember when they said they’d be bringing back Story Time Madlibs? That was last year, and the most recent thing we’ve heard about it is that they want to add more to it by including animations made by different people! Which will only increase the amount of time it will take to make what should have been a simple video that shouldn’t have taken more than a couple of weeks to film, edit, then post. 

I’m not saying they shouldn’t try new things, but they’ve been trying to do so much that we end up getting nothing, and the fandom just seems okay with this. 

At the end of the day though, this is just one opinion from a random faceless, nameless person sitting behind a computer screen. I doubt anyone on Thomas’ team will see it. I doubt a majority of the fandom would agree with any of it. But with more people starting to voice their opinions, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes too much of a thing to ignore. And if it becomes apparent that there’s a group in the fandom that is being ignored, that’s definitely going to cause problems.

Because in short if someone is out there, producing content for people, and they have complaints about it, then if those complaints are legitimate and can be fixed, then I believe it is the responsibility of that person to consider what they are saying and do their best to heed their words. If no one is ever criticized, then how will they ever improve? Criticism is not a bad thing. And once people get that out of their heads I think things will go much smoother for this fandom. But honestly, that’s just wishful thinking at this point. Sorry this answer got so long, I really should have just made a whole other post about this. XD

[gm--requests]

Written Ship

i’m really glad you requested, because i didn’t realise that i didn’t have blackpink on my ship list  so you really helped me there! please enjoy your ship lovely~ @summerside-effects​

Stray Kids’ Bang Chan- 

to be honest, you just screamed bang chan to me. i genuinely think that it would be so cute, very wholesome. firstly, christopher is a sporty guy, with a bit of a competitive side. i think that he would keep up with you and sports related interests well. especially soccer or swimming, i really think he would enjoy those a lot. chris is also a pretty level headed man, so if you were having a friendly competition, it would stay friendly. he is good at deescalating hostile situations between people. As for your other interests, starting with cooking. What grown man is ever going to say no to their significant other whipping them up a delicious meal? He would happily try anything you made for him, and he would be super honest with his opinions on it. He is honest with you because he would expect you to be honest with him. For your more scholarly interests, he’d want to know about those too. even if he didn’t particularly care about the subject (i have a funny feeling that this man doesn’t give a fat shit about history) he would listen to you talk about it for hours because he loves how happy you look when you do. christopher is nothing, if not a great listener, especially when the words are coming from someone he really cares about. He also is understanding. I say this next because often people who have more scholarly interests are normally more practical and even pessimistic. bang chan understands that you might be that way sometimes and quickly learns to embrace it, seeing it as more beneficial than not. your different view points will often help him think more long term about things and he will be infinitely grateful for that. He really does appreciate your extroverted and intuitive nature. He loves that you can be protective of him, because it makes him feel special. please note here that is he also the protective boyfriend type, that being said he will always be willing to give you space if you need it. you two will probably spend a lot of your free time sharing music, having wonderful conversations, and dancing! he will happily dance with you~ also, here is where i mention that you shouldn’t get him started on dogs or you’ll end up with 40. 

BlackPink’s Jisoo - 

Jisoo is a very underrated member, but she has lots of personality. i think the two of you would fit together quite well. firstly, she enjoys sports. she loves playing basketball and is known to be pretty good at it too. i think it would make her really happy to show off those skills to you. jisoo plays a few online games, so i image her to be at least a little bit competitive, however, i definitely don’t think her to be the type to get too angry if she loses or competition gets heated. she is really in it for the fun. that is also something the two of you could do together! a nice little date night could definitely be a personal little League or Overwatch tourney. i think jisoo is also a good match for you because she enjoys learning. she reads for fun often and i think that you two could really bond in that way. i’m a firm believer in the fact that words bring people closer. also on a more realistic note, you can help each other with possibly language barriers and cultural differences because she would happily take the time to learn from you and teach you. jennie has mention before how jisoo is embarrassed of her english, but is fantastic at understanding it, and you said that you want to teach english in korea, so this is a perfect match. jisoo could teach you lots of slang and genuine korean that you wouldn’t learn in a class, while you can help her improve her confidence in speaking english so that she doesn’t feel so embarrassed. jisoo is also very outgoing and goofy and i think that she would be easy to become close too. she would love your ability to really listen and get to know her, as well as being protective and caring. and on top of it all she loves dogs! i am pretty sure she has a dog herself actually, so literally cutest dog moms ever. overall, one difference that i didn’t mention in chan’s was that i think jisoo would be so head over heels for your visuals. green eyes and auburn hair, i think she would instantly swoon. 

[hillarykylie]

How I Started My Business at 19, With Over 1130 Clients and More

So I’ve decided to start this thread and share a little more about my entrepreneurial journey, as I thought it’d be easier for people to refer to them since I’ve been getting a high volume of DMs ✨💖

I started my business at the age of 19, back in late 2020 during lockdown, and when I was still preparing to head into my second year of Uni.

I’m not a fan of disclosing how much I earn, so please respect that! I like to remain humble and I don’t need people sending me evil eye or bad vibe$ 🦋🧿

All you need to know is that I’ve managed to pay off a bulk of my Undergrad international student tuition fees, so that gives you a good grasp of my income in less than 6 months.

Despite having a lucky start, it’s been a wholesome yet daunting and incredibly challenging journey.

I knew absolutely nothing about running a business prior to starting mine, and had zero experience in proper entrepreneurship.

I’d like to think I started my business on accident, as I genuinely had no intention to pursue it as no more than merely a side-hustle during lockdown 2020, when I felt somehow compelled to unlock my creativity and the burning desire to venture into more unconventional avenues, and partially to also evoke a sense of rebellion against my college.

I knew I had to explore the potential of my business when I started seeing a consistent surge in sales and raking in a considerable percentage of profit margin, despite the naysayers in my life convincing me otherwise.

This only occured in early 2021, when I began witnessing extensive progress with my business.

I hit a 100 sales in early November 2020, and by the middle of February 2021, I’d surpassed more than a 1000 sales, and had a fully functioning website and an overhaul in branding, and garnered over 7000 in followers on IG.

I also had to learn how to file taxes from scratch.

Those were the days when I’d thought hitting a 100 sales in a few weeks were “impressive”.

Now it’s grown to a point where I have to consider the prospect of scaling and expanding my business, and hiring people in the process.

In case you’re wondering, I’m in a relatively niche market!

So if you’re reading this thread and you’re starting a business that offers a more generalized form of commodity, or operating in a highly saturated market and industry with a high level of competition, take the advice that resonates and leave the rest!

I can only speak from my own experience, growth and lessons.

I’m no expert - I’m also learning as I’m growing, as it’s an everyday process.

1. Be specific with your Branding

What types of products or services do you offer?

Who is your target demographic and who do you cater to?

What values do you want your business to adopt?

What marks your business out from your competitors? - your unique selling point?

What is your tagline?

How do you make sure clients resonate with your brand?

WHY did you start your business?

What is YOUR story?

What is the vision and ultimate long-term goal of your business?

My branding actually started out rather poorly in the beginning, and I had to pause for a while and commit to a complete overhaul of my brand, image and logo, business mottos and description and what not.

My old branding was confusing, erratic and all-over-the-place, and clients were unsure of what my brand message even was.

Make it clear, concise but catchy!

Moving forward, I now have a much more refined brand image and message, which has helped me immeasurably in my business growth and garnering the right clients and contacts in the industry.

You don’t need to have this figured all out in a day - take your time to map out different ideas, and consult with what works best.

2. Research on your market and industry

How saturated is your market?

Know your competitors and how long they’ve been in the business.

Narrow down some price competitive strategies

Think about what you can offer that your competitors don’t

How do your competitors rank in search engines?

3. Be realistic with your expectations

Unless you’re one of the Jenners or Kardashians, don’t simply expect your business to gain traction overnight.

Faux business gurus who sell the overhyped notion that get rich quick schemes exist, aren’t being real with you.

The growth of your business takes time.

It can be daunting to launch your business and having to anticipate your stream of sales, your average sales rate, and gauge the pace of your growth and expansion over time.

But with consistency and the right strategies, you’ll eventually get there.

So what if you’ve only managed to sell to 20 people in your first month?

I’d only made 17 sales when I first started out.

It took me around 2 months to truly hit breakeven and cover my initial start-up costs, and eventually increase my profit margin.

Don’t sweat it! It’s great to be ambitious and enterprising, but let’s not forget that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Be realistic and concise with your timeframes and go easy on yourself with your goals, especially when you’re just starting out!

4. Hold strong to your Vision, ALWAYS

This isn’t some cliché advice - it’s paramount.

Entrepreneurship isn’t a walk in the park, and it takes a great deal of risk, tact, courage and bravery to start a business and then sustain it with time - especially in the midst of a pandemic.

If you were raised in a culture that disapproves of entrepreneurship, or are surrounded by individuals who think they know better than you do -

Keeping your vision laser-focused and robust is of utmost importance.

Personally, I was met with unending backlash, cynicism and skepticism by the people around me when I’d first started my business.

In fact, I was mocked and relentlessly discouraged from pursuing my idea.

The responses ranged from people arguing that starting a business during a pandemic contained “high-risk”, to people virtue-signalling and claiming that I should place more focus on my education instead.

I was indoctrinated into believing that it was pointless to even embark on my business endeavour to begin with.

Take people’s opinions with a grain of salt.

Have discernment when it comes to internalizing certain advice.

Even as I was growing, others would tell me that it would never be ‘sustainable’ - but look where we are now 🙂

Keeping your vision strong would also help you with staying motivated and resilient when times do get tough.

The ebb and flow of running a business unfortunately means that there will be setbacks, plateaus, and disappointments at the end of the day.

I can’t emphasise how many times I was ready to throw in the towel and give up, during my early days or when I was met with friction with clients or business partners.

I was ready to quit and call it a day, but a part of me urged me to keep going.

This brings me to my next point.

4. Take breaks if you have to. Hustle Culture will end up demolishing you.

In the beginning, I was sold the idea that the harder I worked, the more hours I’d committed to improving and running my business, the more I’d earn.

However, this strain of thinking isn’t novel to me. The hustle culture has been ingrained in most of us growing up, especially in my experience with being in University.

I’d feel abnormally guilty for taking breaks, and would break my back just to achieve the extra mile - whether it’s with my business or school. I never knew when or how to pause. It got to a point where overworking had gradually affected my energy levels, fatigue and mental health, and my productivity drastically decreased, and hence - it became my huge wake up call.

Hustle culture is oversold in the corporate world. Yeah, it’s amazing to be a hard worker - but what’s the point if you’re compromising your mental health, energy levels and sanity for your business, or with anything in life?

As I run a niche creative business, I find myself unable to generate new creative ideas when I’m deficient in energy or when I’m completely burnt out. It also takes my ability to focus and concentrate on my tasks at hand away.

Creator burnout is very much a real phenomenon. Constant working without adequate breaks will only really annihilate you in the long run, and deprives you of the opportunity to recharge and refuel and strategize your game plan.

Strangely, I’ve also found that the more rested I am, the better my business goes, and the more I’m adept at handling ideas.

[millennialzadr]

Regarding the ZADR issue

Hey guys, so about the whole zim being an adult issue, I wanted to share my thoughts really quick. At first I wasn’t going to since I basically just got here and I only enjoy shipping adult zim with adult dib anyway, but I have technically been part of the fandom since I was a kid, and it’s very saddening to see how distraught some people are right now, so I’m hoping maybe my take can help ease some worries.

I talked with a friend about it so here’s what I said to them:

“i’m honestly a little shocked from some of the reactions i’ve been seeing bc like.... this isn’t the first time jhonen has said zim isn’t a kid, he said so in the commentary for the show, this isn’t new news

like guys, we been knew zim wasn’t a kid. even then its basically exactly like making an anime loli a 1000+ year old demon like for characters, demeanor and appearance says way more about age than factual age, and like ???? for adult fans of the show we already only ship adult ZADR, and for KID fans of the show, whats wrong with kids enjoying a kid ship????? like you’re really gonna slap a comfort ship out of the hands of a 13 yr old bc the nonhuman character that goes to school and hangs with kids and looks and acts like a kid isn’t technically a kid? its a cartoon fam like chill, the vast majority of fans that ship underage zadr are underage themselves, not p*dos fjkghfgjkgfjkhkj

like i get it man so many people are hurt by p*dophilia and the perpetualism and normalization of p*dophilia in media but kids wanting cartoon characters to kiss each other isn’t where these issues are stemming from 

i wish things could be more black and white instead of endless speculation and arguing but society is not simple, and i UNDERSTAND their upset i REALLY do, the angry ones have every right to be angry, i just wish they didn’t attack other fans who have no ill intentions dfjgjhg they’re not the enemy!! but i do see these massive types of fights sort of like growing pains while we as humans learn and educate each other about ethics and the extremely convoluted ways that ethics are compromised, people being so anti p*do is still such a better sign than people (and kids!!) thinking things like actual extreme age gaps in romance media is acceptable and desirable

the premise of the show itself is terribly silly!!! and in no way based on fact or any relevant logic!! the whole show is a joke the lore is a joke its all a big ball of gags!!!!”

I know this a little all over the place but my point is this: the whole issue is a terribly slippery slope, made a hundred times more complicated by the fact that cartoon logic does not translate easily to real life logic, and while I think acknowledging and discussing it is a good thing, I do not think that underage fans continuing to ship zim and dib as they are depicted in the show is wrong, and I do not think that these fans need to tear themselves up and doubt themselves and feel that they’re terrible for liking a ship that they had no idea included a quote on quote “adult” character.

nobody is required to enjoy anything they don’t wish to enjoy and everyone is allowed to form and stand by their opinion. constructive speculation and challenging ideas is GOOD, but making people, especially kids, feel like shit about themselves in regards to these topics is not okay! attacking others is not okay!! if you want to change someone’s mind, you can be angry and still be civil, and if you can’t change their mind, block them! if you hate and are made uncomfortable by specific content, blacklist it! sending hate messages is never the answer and only spreads conflict, it does not solve anything.

underage fans in any fandom only have the responsibility of taking care of themselves, being safe, and being kind to each other. this issue should not fall on them to analyze. ADULT fans in any fandom are the ones responsible for being aware and sensitive to current issues, and it is our job to make sure we distribute content that is not harmful, keep adult content confined to adult spaces, and speak out against other adults who are behaving dangerously. OUR JOB. NOT THEIRS. adults who enjoy and are comforted by the show enjoy wholesome and canonical content of the canon characters, and relate to and ship adult versions of the characters. if adult fans are shipping and sexualizing the canon characters in the first place, that’s an actual red flag. if underage fans are shipping and sexualizing the canon characters, they’re relating to them, and there’s nothing wrong with kids wishing to explore romance with other kids and kid media. zim does not read as an adult. anyone who watched the show with no further knowledge of the lore believes zim is a kid. there is a clear line within the show between adult characters and kid characters. slapping an age on a character doesn’t make them read as that age, and suddenly learning that a character is a vastly different age than what you thought they were doesn’t necessarily change how you feel about them. spongebob is a grown adult with a house and a job. would you date him??? would you date spongebob squarepants??? HUH? I DIDN’T THINK SO. don’t make kids fucking hate themselves because they’re attached to a cartoon character. fuck.

and for those who feel discouraged and targeted by Jhonen himself, don’t be. Jhonen has said some things and had some attitude problems towards fans in the past, but the instance that slighted ship fans in particular was over six years ago, and we should keep in mind that Jhonen was having problems with fans overstepping his boundaries and asking him questions like ‘how does it feel knowing thousands of fangirls would love to tie you down and r*pe you.’ I’m hoping that with the magic of communication through the modern internet he’s changed some of his opinions, but I do not think that he had any ill intent releasing this tweet, I believe he was simply interacting with the fans and sharing a fun fact. and if support from the creators comforts you, please remember that the voice cast, particularly Richard Horvitz and Andy Berman (voices of zim and dib), have absolutely no problem with fans enjoying zadr, and have done things like make zim and dib puppets smooch each other and say ‘I love you zim!’ in dib’s voice, all to make the fans happy. I highly recommend watching the live script reading of mopiness of doom and listening to the nickelodeon podcast that interviews Richard, Rikki and Melissa (zim, gir and gaz). in the podcast they talk about how much it means to them that fans are so touched by the show and is incredibly uplifting and heart warming.

so that’s all guys. bottom line, be kind to each other, decide for yourself how you feel, and don’t worry too much, especially if you’re a teen, you’re still growing and learning and I’m so proud of you for wanting to do the right thing. to my fellow adults, lets keep making wholesome content, keep protecting the kids, and keep being good examples of human beings.

[littlemisssquiggles]

I JUST NOTICE OZPIN(OZMA) + SALEM = GREEN AND RED OSCAR + RUBY = GREEN AND RED AND NOW CLOVER + QROW = GREEN AND RED, THEIR EYES, I JUST NOTICE AND OMG

Hey Lethie X3 Well for me, I’ve always noticed the correlation between the Fairy-tale pair (Ozma and Salem) and the Rosegardening Rosebuds (Ruby and Oscar) based on their shared red and green complementary colour scheme. Qrow and Clover are a first. However now that you’ve pointed out, I’m seeing it.

Still not fully convinced that these two will be a couple or anything like that as yet. I mean, I wouldn’t mind it if the show took it in that direction. However for now, this squiggle meister has mainly been enjoying the wholesome comradery between Qrow and Clover. I think it’s nice that Qrow was able to find himself a new friend in arms in Atlas he canbond with and talk to. Their friendship seems like a cool one thus far but I can’thelp but feel like there may be a catch to why Qrow is being paired up with Clover.

Y’know apart from the obvious fact that Clover is literally Qrow’s polar opposite in terms of semblance and demeanour. One thing that I’ve been hoping to see is for Clover to question Qrow on whether or not he’s ever had someone believe in him before just so their conversation can prompt Qrow potentially discussing his past with Oz with Clover.

As far as the audience knows, Qrow has known Oz from since he was a teenager at 17 years old attending Beacon Academy for the first time with his sister Raven. Oz has known Qrow from since he was a lad and watched him grow into an adult. Even helped him to define himself in some way. Am I the only one that just wants Qrow to talk about Oz in a more…positive light that isn’t remotely hypocritical?

Again, I get that he’s resentful of Oz right now but…I’m sorry but it kind of irks me a little that since Argus Qrow has been walking around as if his entire relationship with Oz has been nothing but a lie…and I guess that’sprobably what the intention is but nonetheless, it still doesn’t bug me anyless, y’know?

“…Meeting you was the worst luck of my life…”

I get that Qrow is still upset with Oz. I get that he’s still very much hurt about Oz and what he learnt of him back in Argus. I understand all of that yet I still can’thelp but want to pinch Qrow. This only puts Oz’s statement to Yang back inV6CH2 more into context:

“…But does one lapse in judgement truly negate all of his good? Don’t weall have regrets?”

I dunno. It kind of bums me out how quickly Qrow tossed out his entire friendship with Oz over his secrets about Salem. I know some folks are probably going to tell me that Oz lied big time and Qrow has every right to be upset with him and feel the way he feels, which I’m not denouncing by the way.

It’s just that…it’s NOT like Qrow was only a tool for Oz or anything like that. That wasn’t their relationship. Qrow was one of Ozpin’s longstanding allies. One of the members of his Inner Circle of closest most trusted companions. For Pete’s sake Qrow, OZ WAS YOUR FRIEND M’DUDE! We all saw how devastated he looked after what you said to him back in V6CH4!

You don’t get that kind of expression from someone who didn’t love you or at least cared deeply about you in some shape or form. I guess what I’m mostly trying to get at here is that I want Qrow to talk about Oz and not in a way that erases the good part of their bond.

I still haven’t forgotten how Qrow deadass told Ruby with a straight face that she’s no different than Oz just because she chose to put her trust in people she deemed trustworthy when Qrow himself is a primary exemplar of Oz’s trust and has been for many years!

I want Qrow to be egged into recalling one of the happiest moments of his life only for it to be one that just so happened to be because of Oz, thus prompting Qrow to think of Oz and remember that…it wasn’t ALL bad between them, y’know what I’m saying?

Don’t get me wrong, Clover Ebi is great and like I said, I dig his growing rapportwith Qrow. However at the time same time, I can’t help but feel like Clover is just a temporary replacement for Oz since he and Qrow had their beef and now Qrow needs a new best friend and someone to talk to outside of the kiddies. He’s kind of like the rebound Ozpin in a way.

Not trying to imply that as an insult to Clover’s character—it’s just that right now, he’s more or less fulfilling that role for Qrow where I knew Oz used to be once upon a time. But for the most part, I’m hoping that Clover plays counsellor to Qrow and helps him through his misgivings over his semblance which are tied into his kerbed feelings toward Oz. Clover strikes me as the kind of down to earth guy to be that type of good buddy. I think Qrow can learn a thing or two from Clover and in turn, I think Clover can really help Qrow since, after all thatwe saw him go through emotionally last season (which actually began as early as V4), I think Qrow could really use a friend right now.

Not so sure about Clover becoming a “boyfriend” for Qrow but I will say this though, Qrow looking coy after Clover complimented him was actually really cute. Especially Clover’s soft smile at him afterwards. This “bromance” is just too pure. 

Oh and by the way, apart from Clover, did you also notice that Qrow and Oz share the same red and green complementary colour scheme too? Just saying.

All that being said, Clover and Qrow as a ship is admittedly cute. However I’m not a fan of the Fair Game ship name. @_ebea on Twitter once suggested Fortune Cookies for the Qrow x Clover ship and I’m actually more in favour of that name. Sounds more adorable to me. But that’s just my opinion.

Just to differentiate on my end as I always do, I’ll refer to Qrow x Clover’s bromantic FRIEND-ship as Fortune Cookies while keeping the FNDM’s pick of Fair Game when referring to their romantic ship.

For now, this squiggle meister is very contented with Fortune Cookies and the direction the PLOT seems to be taking them slowly, particularly on Qrow’s part. I just hope that at some point this bond aids in his own path towards self-healing while additionally helping  Qrow remember his ole friend from Oz as well. 

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

[chicago-reeed]

PHCK ME - Reed900 Fic Rec List

Hello!!! You might not remember, but awhile back I mentioned I had the start of a fic rec list that I planned to post (which I never did). To celebrate all 1K+ of you, I thought I would finish the list for you! It is my duty as a loyal reed900 servant.

DISCLAIMER: This list of reccomendations was made purely out of personal opinion. I by no means want to discredit any other fics/authors. Some may not agree with my choices, and that’s totally understandable. I just wanted to share these fics because I personally enjoyed them <3

I didn’t include some fics because they haven’t been updated in a long time, or I didn’t remember them enough to give them accurate reviews. Also, I’m sure there are many more fics that I forgot to put on here (these are from my ao3 bookmarks). I might include them in a future update.

Anyways, all of my recs are under the cut! There are a lot!! I had eight pages worth of them in my documents haha

Mint Condition - by itsdefinitive - Mature - Content warnings - Chapters 18/? - Reed could see what they were going for there -- the whole infallible super-soldier thing.  A monument to testosterone made perfect, cast in steel within plastic.  It was actually really creepy.  Maybe that was on purpose.

The first reed900 fic I read, and it’s honestly what got me into the pairing itself.

Charon - by Vapewraith - Explicit: only suitable for adults - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 20/20 - Gavin Reed, a mess of a human being, just wants to be left to his self destructive tendencies. RK900, an android designed by the most brilliant minds in the world to be the perfect machine, is desperate to grasp the full range of emotional freedom now afforded to him. The two will need to find an equilibrium before their incompatible personalities—and an eccentric serial killer with a dangerous piece of tech—swallow them whole.

I can’t even describe how much I love this fic. I’m a slut for horror, and there’s plenty of that in here. It might just be my favorite. Definitely recommend.

Two Sides of a Vaguely Similar Coin - by ZombiBird - Mature - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 13/? - RK900 is lost.

It’s been months since the Revolution and he’s still no closer to figuring out what the hell he’s supposed to be doing with himself. He feels like an outsider in his own body. Completely detached, nothing more than a quiet observer; like he’s looking down at the world through a layer of glass instead of fully living in it.

Gavin Reed is a temperamental asshole.

This isn’t news, okay? Gavin’s fully aware of what he is. He burns bridges instead of building them. Bites hands instead of shaking them. Would rather drown in a sea comprised of the consequences of his faults and misdeeds than try to change the way he is. Because people like him? Maybe they deserve to drown.

[Alternatively: Both lost in different ways, Gavin and RK900 try to figure their shit out and end up learning that, sometimes, it takes two people who have absolutely no idea what the hell they’re doing to get a goddamn clue.]

I don’t remember much about this fic, if I’m honest. Not that the story is forgettable, it’s just been awhile since I read it. However, the title definitely stood out to me so I know it was very good :P

Captcha Encryption - by Cerulaine - Explicit: only suitable for adults - Content warnings - Chapters 18/? - It's a little over a year after the android uprising and it's still the end of the fucking world.

Back in the day when things became shit he used to enjoy a drink or two. Or Five. It all depended on how long the shift ran. After 'The Accident' he can't even cough without Nines breathing down his neck anymore.

He just wishes everything would go back to normal, but if there's anything Gavin has learned it's that you can't unring a bell once it's been rung.

Or whatever. Fuck if he knows.

Similar situation to the last fic: I don’t remember much about it (my memory SUCKS), but I do remember thoroughly enjoying this one.

Daydreamer - by Pence - Mature - Content warnings - Chapters 21/24 - Large purple bruises twined prettily around the corpse’s throat, every finger defined in perfect cruelty. His eyes tore away from the handprints as a cold finger traced the lightning strike scar across the center of his face—drawing his attention to a small, blue lipped smile.

“Do you think you’ll ever leave this town, Gavin?”

________

When a series of Detroit murders are linked as originating in his hometown, Gavin Reed is unwillingly assigned the case. Fowler insists that his history with the place and people will hugely benefit such an investigation.

He was fucking wrong. 

This fic is one big holy shit moment tbh. Really fantastic. Really makes you wonder why these authors aren’t paid to do this.

All Aboard the Underground Railroad - by Senjihae - No Rating - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 11/? - What starts as sticking it towards his half brother evolves into something with the potential to rewrite android history as he knows it. Gavin doesn't realize what he gets himself into until he is mistaken as the 'Android Messiah' of all things. It's not like he goes out of his way to help them, but his life gets a lot harder once Hank is assigned a shiny new boy toy ('sent by CyberLife').

Things only get worse when he's gifted a heap of metal of his own ('sent by Elijah Kamski').

(Yeah, fuck off Elijah)

Very interesting fic. Gavin is RA9 so that’s a thing. A nice slow burn!

Dragon Become Age - by errantwheat - Explicit: only suitable for adults - Content Warnings - Chapters 11/? - Y’all wanted me to write dragon age!au so I did :)

YES! YES! YES! DRAGON AGE AU! YES! YES! YES! (it’s really gud)

Warmth - by TheRedPaladin101 - Teen and Up Audiences - No Warnings - Chapters 1/1 - Gavin frowned, the aching in his shoulder fading from his mind for a moment. “Then give me my jacket.”

“Your jacket is in no condition to keep you warm,” he stated. “For now, use mine and stay warm while we wait to head back to the station.”

----

Five times RK900 gave Gavin Reed his jacket, and one time Gavin gave his in return.

Very wholesome. Lives up to its title. Some good ole hurt/comfort!

Letifer - Terminallydepraved - Explicit: only suitable for adults - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 19/19 - Gavin Reed is a DPD beat cop determined to make detective by any means possible, and putting an end to a string of murders looks like the quickest way to accomplishing that goal. Unfortunately for him, he fails to account for the real culprit— or the thought that perhaps he isn't the only one on the hunt for a killer.

(Now with cover art by Leetmorry!)

I love beat cop!gavin. It humbles him. And vampire!nines is scary and amazing. Love how the author wrote both of these characters (and the others too!). I definitely recommend this one!

A Strange and Beautiful Creature -  by LittleLalaith - General audiences - No warnings - Chapters 7/7 - Scientist Nines is called in to Amanda's lab to assist with a new discovery - a genuine Mermaid.

While Amanda is indifferent to the creature's circumstances, Nines builds an unlikely connection to the specimen and they grow a little closer than either of them expected.

(AKA Gavin is a sassy sea slug and Nines thrills in breaking the safety protocols)

Mermaid au! Nines wants to save mermaid Gavin, and it’s all very wholesome.

I Think You Do - by spotlightonmringenue - Teen and Up Audiences - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 16/? - “Son of a bitch, there’s another one. What the fuck is it doing,” Gavin says, grip going white on the gun as the android continues to stare at him without acknowledging Connor.

“RK900, my name is Connor. I’m part of a group called Jericho that recovered you from Cyberlife’s Production Center late yesterday. We are currently in the Detroit Police Department Central Station. Are you feeling okay?”

“It doesn’t feel shit,” Gavin mumbles, resisting the urge to step back as the RK900 takes a step closer. It holds out the cup, and Gavin’s eyes dart to it for only a second before flipping between Connor and his doppelganger.

“You requested coffee,” it says, and Hank sighs, leaning back against his desk while rubbing a hand over his forehead.

Quality ‘enemies to friends’ content. Nines is intimidating. Gavin is confused. Good times.

Flying with Crooked Wings - by UnCon - Mature - No warnings - Chapters 20/? - “Listen, kid,” Gavin started, cutting off the desolate child. Sure it was sad his dog had died but it wasn’t Gavin’s fault no one taught the little twerp chocolate was a dog’s kryptonite, “he’s in a better place, alright, so if you’d just stop asking for him to come back—it’d be much appreciated.”

“You promise?” the eight-year-old asked, his big brown eyes looking like glass—fragile and sparkly.

“Yeah,” Gavin lied, looking away as he did it—his halo going a bit crooked. To be honest, he wasn’t sure where dogs went after they died, only that he was tasked with calming the little boys and girls who despaired after them—at least until his punishment was up. “So just, you know, go to sleep and all that.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a world where angels and demons inhabit the same earth, both searching for a way to overthrow the other, both failing--Gavin sits right in the middle, with a crooked halo and a pair of wings to match. It's not enough to be a bit mischievous, however, he also has to get caught up in the demon brothers' scheme to take over heaven. Perfect.

Really good! This fic has the interesting dynamic of Gavin as an angel and Nines as a demon. Check it out!

The Red String Will Still Connect Us Ten Thousand Miles Apart (and to the moon and back) - by Jillflur - Teen and Up - Content warnings - Chapters 5/5 - Gavin, an ‘unlovable’ man without a Soulmate. He was used to it, never had one since he could remember. However, that little fact changes when he wakes up one day and realizes that he suddenly has a Red String connected to his ring finger. It only gets worse when months later, an android walks into the precinct who apparently is his new Soulmate!

Can androids even have Soulmates?!

To make everything even more complicated, a sudden new killer is on the Streets, and he murders people by cutting their Red Strings!

A soulmate fic by our very own jillflur! So good. Amazin. I love the red string trope so much. Yall should big read.

the prince & the reed - by Pence - Mature - Content warnings - Chapters 2/? - "I wanted to marry you," the prince murmured, polished armor gleaming as he stared down at the injured man--icy eyes tinged with sadness. Regret.

A guttural scream ripped from the soldier's throat as a heel dug into his wound, arm coated crimson from his weeping shoulder.

The soldier's teeth were stained pink as he jerked his chin up to grin toothily at the other man, bloody fingers scrambling down his thigh in search of the dagger tucked into his boot.

"Then drop to your knees and ask me properly, Nines."

Okay this fic is only two chapters and hasn’t been updated in awhile but GOT DAMN do I love how the author set this medieval fic up. I’m a slut for the medieval au’s, so that’s just extra points.

Not a teacher but I can teach you a thing or two - by Adishailan - Teens and Up - No warnings - Chapters 20/20 - Gavin owed the walking hunk of plastic. He owed him. Ugh, Gavin hated owing people stuff. It gave him a horrible feeling in his stomach, like indigestion, except worse because it involved emotionsTM. This, coupled with the fact he was pumped up with drugs and suffering a concussion, was why he was about to make a terrible, terrible mistake.

“‘Kay. Fine. Thanks or whatever. Lemme know if you ever need anythin' prick.”

RK900’s LED went yellow at this, and this time Gavin was pretty sure he was doing the processing thing. It was still yellow even when he nodded in a serious way and said:

“That would be useful.”

Oh man this one is BIG CUTE! It’s so soft, and is a fantastic slow burn. I totally recommend this fic.

O May I Join the Choir Invisible - by BanishedOne - Mature - No warnings - Chapters 13/? - Gavin Reed was a new inmate at a prison where the infamous killer, R. Nathan Kearney, was on death row. Circumstances led to an unfortunate encounter.

Okay don’t quote me on this but I think you can find the rest of this fic on Twitter. It was posted in a bunch of seperate posts and it was really confusing but there was definitely extra chapters. You can find the post here (or at BanishedOne on twitter). Other than that, this is a really good fic! The boys get into a lot of trouble!

Neon Maps - by caffienefueledfeels - Explicit: only suitable for adults - Content warnings - Chapters 11/11 - Everyone has their limits. Gavin is about to discover several of his own.

He's broke, barely scraping along, and struggling to keep an aggressive black-mailer off his back. On top of that, the grey-eyed distraction in his bed is about to test his heart in more ways than one.

Cyberpunk fic!! Super interesting! Go check it out!

Computers Are Elaborate Cat Beds, Actually - by errantwheat - No Rating - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 6/? - “Marvelous find, Gavin. They’ll promote you for this, surely.”

Gavin pulled an exaggerated frown. He was awfully animated for a robot. “Jesus, What kind of human are you? I’m waving a fucking kitten in your face and you’re still a bitch.”

Really cute. I’m pretty sure there’s some art to go with this fic. Super duper cute reverse au!

More Than a Woman, More Than a Bride - by AvixiLynn91 - Explicit: only suitable for adults - Content warnings - Chapters 38/? - When Gavin’s life is threatened for the last time by a violent gang expanding the production of a new drug in Detroit, Captain Fowler must come up with a plan for his safety. Perhaps forcing a marriage between Nines and Gavin wasn’t the best solution he could come up with...

Oh man. This fic. Let me tell you. I’ve been with this fic since the beginning and it is one hell of a roller coaster XD. The author updates constantly, it’s really impressive.

More Like You - by Mooneye - Teen and Up - No warnings - Chapters 1/1 - “This next bit’s going to get awkward. I’m going to interface with you.”

At that he could feel the collective confusion in the room. His eyes darted up to look at Hank and then Nines. They both seemed eerily still and were possibly thinking that Gavin had surely lost his mind.

Gavin has kept his prosthetic arm, with good reason, a secret from humans and androids alike for as long as he’s had it. The prospect of losing Nines threatens to unravel everything, but perhaps it’s worth the cost.

The idea of Gavin (an android hater in-game) having a prosthetic-android arm is definitely interesting!

An Unforeseen Union - by AvixiLynn91 - Explicit: only suitable for adults - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 16/16 - Gavin and Nines are sent undercover to investigate a slew of brutal murders at a gay counselling and therapy resort for androids and humans. They're forced to pose as a couple, but soon feel their relationship becoming more than an act as real feelings develop.

I loved the dramatic whodunnit vibes in this fic! It gets crazy :P

The Great DPD Kink-Off - by connorssock, LittleLalaith, Skye_Willows, Stujet9rainshine - Explicit: only suitable for adults - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 24/24 - It started out as a bit of rivalry and turned into a competition. Who was the kinkiest android in town?

If you like smut, then read this. That is all I will say.

The Black Nights, The Long Dark - by bvssbot - Explicit - Content warnings - Chapters 8/12 - translation of an amazing russian fic тёмные ночи, долгая тьма (the dark nights, the long darkness) into english

An unknown catastrophe was the reason Gavin ended up stranded alone on a godforsaken Canadian island. Having almost made peace with the thought of living in solitude for the rest of his days, he saves the life of a pilot named Richard, whose airplane crashed in the middle of his humanitarian mission.

Shit, I loved ‘The Long Dark’ and I love this fic. I don’t speak russian, unfortunately, so I must wait to read the end. But this is still amazing and you all should read it.

Detroit: Outlast - by Cardboardghost - Mature - Content warnings - Chapters 1/? - Connor Upshur is a down on his luck reporter, who spends his nights getting drunk and passing out at home. A mysterious email calls him to Mount Massive Asylum, owned by the Cyberlife corporation. Armed with nothing but a camera and his wits, Connor must brave the asylum's horrors and find way to save the people Cyberlife stole from him.

Gavin Park is a beat cop looking for a more well paying job. So when an offer to work private security at the Cyberlife corporation all but falls into his lap, how could he refuse? Gavin quickly realizes things are not what they seem, and in an attempt to expose Cyberlife, he ends up further in their clutches. Now he and Connor must work together to claw their way out of the asylum's depths, and the familiar faces that wait inside those walls.

This fic only has onw chapter, but go check out Cardboardghost’s art if you finish reading this!! They have provided so much quality content for the Outlast/DBH crossover I didn’t know I needed.

Gin & Tonic - by limchi - Explicit - No warnings - Chapters 8/? - People didn’t like Gavin Reed. Gavin Reed didn’t like people. It went together like gin and tonic, you can’t have one without the other. Nines hated him and he hated Nines. Those were the rules they played by, the rules that couldn't be changed - until fate decided they could.

It turned Gavin into pretending to dislike and Nines into a dense idiot with a crush, unable to grasp the concept of love. Both in utter denial. The catch: gravity worked against them, pulled them together at a frightening pace. Push against and defy the rules of nature or go along the prevailing forces?

Your friendly neighborhood reed900 fic. Very epic slow burn and fluff (and a hint of angst tbh). I definitely recommend!

Bitter Half - by turnabout - Mature - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 5/5 - Gavin Reed was born unmarked, and had spent his entire life expecting to die like he lived - alone. It isn't until Tina points out the new serial number on his chest that he realizes everything is about to change. Whether that's for better or for worse is up to him.

I’m a sucker for soulmate fics and this one does not disappoint!

K-900 - by Serazimei - Teen and Up - No warnings - Chapters 3/3 - Gavin and Nines were a great team. Unfortunately they were both huge workaholics. That's why when Nines' body gets busted on a job and the needed parts aren't available yet chaos is inevitable. Needing to choose between waiting and potentially being of no use at work or participate in one of Kamskis experiments and transfer his mind into an Android dog the decision is easy to make.

Who knew being in a dog body could become such a hassle? Not Nines, that's for sure.

Nines is a pup!!! I don’t believe I’ve seen a fic like this yet, so it’s really cool!

Thanks I'm Hating It - by Lupo (LupoLight) - Explicit: only suitable for adults - No warnings - Chapters 4/4 - Gavin goes to a fast food burger joint and Nines judges him. Then he realizes that Gavin isn't as much of a dick as he used to be, except he is, but in a different way. He isn't sure how to react to this knowledge.

QUALITY reed900 content

Bloodstains - by DeviantAlicee - Mature - Content warnings - Chapters 12/? - Nines is an interrogator & detective for the DPD with a dark past. His thick skin & smarts helping him to be one of the most valuable members of the department. He's cold & daunting.

GV200 is one of the first police android models who's partnered with a cruel beat cop who not only hates that his partner is an android but doesn't think GV can feel any of the cruel things he does or says to him. The android doesn't speak up due to the fear of being shut down.

Nines has no clue that the android he bumped into at a bar is in fact a police android. He just thinks that he might be somebody in need of some help. But, as time passes by & a new drug that can be used by androids begins to circulate, Nines begins to realise the situation is a whole lot more convoluted than he originally thought.

This is a really interesting reverse au! Check it out!

Team spirit - by ilse_writes - Mature - No warnings - Chapters 4/4 - Someone had the unholy idea to go camping with the department, all in the name of 'team building'. Gavin is not liking it very much. That tall instructor with his haughty manners and cool eyes... that one he likes very much.

I don’t think I’ve seen another au quite like this one. Very epic content, can we hit Gavin Reed?

Wake Up - by SkySquid22 - Mature - Content warnings - Chapters 6/? - “Gavin!”

GV200 slipped out of his stasis. He didn’t get a chance to open his eyes before a file came down on his face, smacking him.

“And here I thought tin cans didn’t sleep.”

Something was wrong.

Something was very very wrong.

DIS GOT ME  F U C K E D  U P!!! Bruh @skysquid200 really out here shaking my world with this fic. I was hollering while reading this like I got HYPED

Natural - by Erik_Heinrich - Teen and Up - Author chose not to warn for content - Chapters 1/? - They are all wing people.

Gavin gets partnered with Nines. As expected hes not too happy about it, but their partnership seems to be going well. That is until spring comes along. Nines wings seem a bit fidgety and Gavin is nesting. Nines doesn't realize he's been trying to court Gavin, and Gavin is just as oblivious.

or. They are both complete idiots the whole time

WING FIC WING FIC WING FIC!!!! Yall dont know how long I’ve looked for a reed900 wing fic. My homie @phckingusername out here doin God’s work <333

Thank you all so much for 1K!!! Being able to hop on Tumblr everyday and talk to you guys makes me so happy!! I really hope I didn't f up this rec list anywhere lol. Hope u guys like it!!

[lady-vader13]

Life and its course

One step at a time. It’s that instance when you are a simple child learning how to walk for the first time. The first action takes immense effort and yet once you hurdle through it becomes surprisingly easy and attainable. On the other hand, it’s quite confusing too, the process, because dreams should not be so difficult to reach for. Who on earth taught us that dreams are something to be feared? That the risk we put into them is too high.

In fact, there is no risk at all, and the checklist the society is imposing on us is a greater risk than any because it may lead us to waking up one day and realizing that we did not experience any of the things we truly wanted to experience. And that there still is a star in the sky shining for us, but we have no physical strength to pursue it. That second star on the right and straight on, until morning. Sitting some thirty thousand feet up in the air, I feel peaceful, and such peace I never experience when grounded, at home. Home…

What a strange concept. So many people long for it, wanting it to be something wholesome and wonderful, and yet I’ve had it my entire existence, and there had been times, especially in childhood when I genuinely thought I would never feel this urge to leave it. But, the more thought I give it I feel like it’s the only logical and normal turn of events. For a home to remain a home, this idea of safety and comfort, you must leave it. Otherwise, you shall never yearn to be back there.

 This urge for leaving isn’t necessarily looking for a different home, in a different place. Not in my case at least. It’s an urge to move. Move, move constantly, move for the sake of the exploration. Move for the sake of serenity. My soul is restless, it yearns so much that it burns. It burns with a passion unexplained. For knowledge. For moments that numb it. Being alive, that’s the only thing that quiets it. And I am only alive when moving. Away, away and further away. Where the horizon breaks above the African plains, where the sounds of cheerful music lasts for long into the night, where the green fields and wildflowers sway on the wind and make one want to walk barefoot on the soft soil. Where the waves rise and fall upon the sandy shores in a thunder, then a soft hum. Where people smile at me, an outlander, a person who is violating their space and seeing them living their lives, less fortunate than my own in some cases.  Each smile I’ve seen has inevitably touched me, and in a small portion changed me. Each joke I’ve heard, each story that reflected cultural differences left its mark on me.

Sometimes, these impressions stay so strong with me all the hours stuck on the plane back home wouldn’t be as hard as the positivity would fuel my spirit.

“The further away from home you go, the better you get to know yourself.” A woman I consider quite wise, in age and experience, has told me just before my trip to Africa, (She, as it happens, had been to India twice, quite late in her own life and had even further back traveled extensively throughout Europe. She’d also managed to leave three husbands on the way, coming to 72 quite satisfied and happy with her own life) “Just don’t wear anything nice, you won’t need nice things down there.”

Did I get to know myself better? I cannot say. Perhaps yes. Though, I feel each experience has changed who I was into someone new too. However small, those changes were relevant.

Among the things that are better understood now are that a simple candy can make a little girl’s entire day, that she runs to show it to her parents on her stubbly feet. Such a small thing she was, I fear she may have been too small to eat the thing. I owe that girl so much and she does not know it in the slightest, she thought she needed to thank me.. for a simple candy.  She might be around five today. I hope she retained the joyfulness within her. Furthermore, a child within me still lives too, and in her truest, extroverted form. Where once I’d have shy away and preferred to stay silent, now I share bus seats, dorm rooms and experiences with strangers who become friends, some temporary, some more constant. I realized that I have, in fact, always been a person who would  sit with over twenty strangers, from all over the world; share drinks and food, stories and laughter, around the table in a small hostel where everybody knows everybody, on the very first night there. Then, I have learned that even when you feel miserable, there still might be someone who can make you laugh, and that laughter heals you. I’ve learned how to use the metro systems (sounds silly doesn’t it, but they can be challenging the first time) and in my personal opinion it’s a useful skill. I’ve fallen in love with landscapes and castles, and I’ve been reminded that love is irrational oftentimes, but that daydreamers like myself existed throughout history, they lived unapologetically, and so shall I. Consequently, I learned that I can book a trip on a Wednesday and go on Friday evening and return on Sunday morning, spend a day completely by my lonesome, exploring, and all just to keep myself sane. I got lost, and found my way back to where I needed to be at least a dozen times that day, with nothing to rely on by myself. I’ve learned friendships don’t fade or change when someone lives far away from you and you stop seeing them every day. The seas are so cold in April, and swimming is a bad idea, but I still jump in there without a second thought. That I am daring more than I have been before. That I do still feel lonely, despite the love I have for myself most times. That I am in love with my hometown too, but the routine kills its beauty in my eyes. Not every town in a beautiful country shall be beautiful. One shared bag of spaghetti can be the tastiest meal on earth. French loses its charm after you listen to it for a while. I am a kind of person that can touch both good and terrible, normal and crazy people. The fact people can’t place me in an obvious box seems to confuse them. I find it to be a bit of superpower. I am no longer afraid of saying no, and yes when I want something…

Each new place has touched me in its own unique way and I feel I have touched it in my own unique way.

Up there, thirty thousand feet in the air, the universe shines from my chest. Explaining it is oddly difficult though, even to myself. Maybe such moments are not to be explained too. Perhaps, attempting to do so is a mistake. It’s a lesson I have still to learn.

[edelgoth]

Can I get a house matchup with a romantic pairing with a female. I'm a bit anxious so struggle with talking to others. I like studying and reading and am always willing to help anyone but I would prefer not too ask others for help. I like baking and cooking and especially like making desserts. I have trouble making decisions and procrastinate a lot. I'm a kind person who finds it difficult to express themselves.

you sound so cute oh my goodness,,,

i would place you in… 

the blue lions!!

okay, but you, annette and mercedes?? sweetest trio in the world. it immediately popped into my mind while reading your description and i’m overwhelmed by how wholesome it is. the main reason i’ve put you in the blue lions is that i think you’d get along wonderfully with most of them; which is probably the most compelling reason. i do think you have this softness and kindness to you that blends in well with the blue lions and the themes of azure moon, and i really can’t visualize you anywhere else!!

dimitri: i think you two would have a very sweet relationship!! first of all, dimitri is a very patient, accommodating person, so i think he’d be easier to talk to than others. he’s very understanding, too, so he would be patient with the fact that you struggle to express yourself. he may also try to motivate you whenever you were procrastinating, to varying levels of success. i can see him taking on a “brotherly” role, regardless of your actual ages, with a hint of the protective and the pedantic (he just wants you to be okay and do well, you know?). but, there’s a lot about you that dimitri would admire; your kindness and willingness to help others being of particular note. he’d have nothing but a kind word to say about you, and would find himself quite fond of you. overall, i think you’d have a similar vibe to the dimitri-ashe support chain – too wholesome to handle. 

dedue: you and dedue would be very wholesome together. i can see you two spending a lot of your down-time together, mostly by accident. dedue doesn’t mind that you find it difficult to express yourself; he’s stoic himself, and he’s not going to expect too much from you. it’d be a friendship where you both learn to joy of sharing silence with someone who cares deeply for you. he’s also thankful to have an extra hand in the kitchen; you’d spend several evenings cooking up a storm with ashe and dedue, creating dishes long past bed-time. bless this friendship; my heart honestly can’t handle it. 

felix: he wouldn’t quite know what to do with you, to be quite honest. your personalities are quite different, but i also think you have some similarities to a young felix (at least, in terms of what i can glean from the scant references we get). i think felix would tend to err on the side of civil with you; he might struggle a bit with your anxiety, since he’s just so,,, gruff. he may also be a bit affronted by your indecisiveness, as he’s the type to stick to his guns. also, don’t expect to get away with procrastinating when felix is around; you’re going to train, or else. but, at the end of the day, i think there’s just something about you that he can’t help but fond of; even if he can’t quite admit it. 

sylvain: he’s cleverer than he lets on, and he can read people quite well. the reason i mention that is mainly your admission that you find it difficult to express yourself. sylvain has a whole,,, complex about being misunderstood, so i feel like he’d make a real effort to understand you. that being said, it’d be done in a very sylvain way (you know,,, a lot of teasing, a bit of flirting thrown in, the occasional moment of raw sincerity quickly covered up by a joke about women. the usual). i think he’d be a little protective, and would actively act like your older brother (with dimitri it’s more implied, but sylvain’s shameless – and once again, it doesn’t matter what your actual ages are). he tends to enable your procrastination, though, much to felix’s chagrin. sometimes you find yourself stuck between a battle of wills; but only sometimes. 

ingrid: i get the feeling she would be a bit gruff with you, at first; ingrid just doesn’t deal with anxiety in the most constructive way (see: her supports with bernadetta). but once you got to know each other better, i think ingrid would really admire you. once she understood your struggles, she’d always feel a little proud whenever she saw you talking to someone, or expressing yourself to her. she may not be the best person to go to for advice, but she’s rooting for you from behind. she especially admires your dedication to your study (which i’ve assumed simply on the basis that you like doing it i’m very jealous), and your willingness to help others. she probably calls you out every now often, telling you to ask her for help more often, but i’m sure she’ll adapt and get quite proficient at being able to tell that you need her aid without you having to say a word.  

annette: i think you’d have a delightful friendship!! i see you studying together a lot; just like you, annette just loves to learn, and i’m sure you two would have endlessly interesting conversations (also, annette’s just going to keep bring you things that she’s working on, seeking a second opinion – thus meaning that you’re never really procrastinating, in a way). annette is very sociable and easy to get along with, which makes me think that you’d have an easier time befriending her. you may struggle talking to other people, but annette just has such a bright, friendly way about her that’s hard to dislike. and once she’s befriended someone, she’s staunchly loyal; annette’s going to look out for and take care of you. and, like i said earlier:; sweetest trio in the world!! i think you’d have the best time with her and mercedes, and you know know that those girls would treat you with the care and attention you deserve!! 

mercedes: okay, first things first: baking duo!! i would say baking trio, because of annette, but let’s be honest – it’d be you and mercedes doing the actual baking, while annette stands by and acts as the greatest cheer team of the century. anyway, i think you and mercedes would get along wonderfully!! mercedes is so kind, patient and attentive, and she really listens to people. it doesn’t matter if you find it difficult to express yourself; mercedes just has a way of knowing exactly what you’re feeling or thinking. it’s a similar deal with the anxiety; mercedes understands, and she does her best to make herself as approachable and easy to talk to as possible. at the same time, mercedes really needs to be around someone who’s as willing to help her as she is everyone else. i think the two of you would just look out for each other, and would be able to rely on each other in times of hardship. i love this friendship very much (evidenced by the fact that this paragraph is growing longer and longer by the sentence), and please look after my girl!!  

mercedes is your romantic match!! i think your friendship would already be a bit deeper than the usual, which lends itself quite naturally to romance later in life. you two just get each other, you know?? there’s just a beautiful understanding to your relationship that makes it so rare and precious, and mercie’s the sort who’d constantly affirm you and tell you how thankful she is for your presence in her life. i’m getting emotional at the thought of the two of you two baking sweets for each other as a show of affection. oh, and annette is your daughter now. sorry, i don’t make the rules. 

ashe: you and ashe would be the best of friends. similarly to mercedes, he’s very patient and attentive, and he does his best to accommodate people. he’s not quite as good at it as mercedes is, but he genuinely does take his time to understand you and the ways in which you do express yourself. and, like dimitri, i think there’s a lot about you that he admires (and they’re more or less the same things). ashe loves that you’re always willing to help people, and he goes the extra mile to do little things for you every now and then. he also loves to lend you his favourite books, and introducing you to his well-loved recipes. you’re honestly quite similar in a lot of ways, and i think that’d make a friendship between you feel quite easy and natural. 

other notable connections

hilda: she might seem like a left-field choice, but i’m sticking with it. you two would start becoming friends because, in typical hilda style, she’d exploit you. it was bound to happen; you’re always willing to help, and hilda’s always willing to pawn off her work to others. but, over time, she’d find herself growing quite fond of you. she just thinks you’re so cute!! hilda’s also very talkative, so that wouldn’t be a problem at all (she herself says “i love listening to myself talk!!”). furthermore, once hilda’s fond of someone, she genuinely does go all out for them. it’s a bit of a surprisingly, but genuinely lovely friendship!! 

bernadetta: you seem like a more toned-down version of bernie, tbh!! and for that reason, i think she’d find you a surprisingly easy person to be around. you can actually connect with her over her anxiety, and won’t pressure her or make her uncomfortable. she appreciates your kindness and your willingness to help, and does her best to be a good friend in return. bernie would genuinely adore you, and you’d be one of the rare few that she actively seeks out to spend time with. please make her a lot of baked treats, because she deserves it. 

petra: she’d decide she was your friend one day and that’s it. petra’s your best friend now. nothing to be done about it. but, i do think you two would have a lovely contrast. petra’s so confident, and such a go-getter, while you’re much more of a grounded, peaceful force. i think petra would find your mind very interesting; she loves to ask you questions about your studies or the books you’ve read, and is always asking for recommendations. petra’s also the sort to try and motivate you whenever you’re procrastinating, and it’s always surprisingly earnest. and, since she herself struggles with expressing herself in an unfamiliar language, she’s another person who’d be patient and understanding with you. just like with hilda, it’s a surprising, and yet very wholesome friendship!!

i actually had a bit of trouble picking three people for this bc there were so many i wanted to include,,, special mentions are linhardt, claude & ignatz

[unicorns-bookshelf]

Title: King of Scars

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Rating: 4/5

Beware! Spoilers to all of Grishaverse ahead!

I have to admit – I binged the whole Grisha Trilogy just so I could start reading King of Scars with a full picture. And I’m glad that I did because it made reading this book so much better. I was excited to see all the characters that accompanied Alina on her adventure. It was so refreshing to see them without being a background to her story and the relationships in the group were absolutely wholesome and made me so happy.

But off to the review we go!

King of Scars takes place three years after Alina defeated the Darkling and destroyed the Shadow Fold. Ravka, like always, is in a bad place financially and surrounded by neighbors who are ready to start a war. Not to mention the winged Shu soldiers who abduct Grisha to experiment on them with the use of parem. If that wasn’t enough bad news, Nikolai’s closest friends and guards need to make sure no one knows that the monster The Darkling had put into their king started acting up and now our favorite monarch spends his nights either sedated and in chains or relieving local farms of their livestock. 

Good time? In Ravka? Yeah, I don’t think so.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Fjerda, Nina along with two other soldiers of the Second Army is on an undercover mission to smuggle Grisha from the country to Ravka and also find a proper place to lay Matthias’ body to rest. Because we didn’t need our hearts anyway. 

I am sad to say that the one lacking star in the rating is for the plot. It was really amazing until half of the book, the political intrigue was shaping up nicely, there was the curious mystery of the miracles happening around Ravka and it was fascinating to watch how Alina’s and the Darkling’s legacy shaped up the country and what was the aftermath to the war. Zoya and Nikolai were on their way to get rid of the demon in his body and everything was shaping up so nicely. Things on Nina’s end were getting spicy too as she and her team worked to discover the mystery of a factory in a Fjerdan village and why was it poisoning the local river. At least in this end, the plot didn’t disappoint until the end.

But in Zoya’s and Nikolai’s POVs… The Saints happened. 

Oh boy. I can’t even express how random and confusing this subplot was. 

Let me get this straight - the Saints are important to the Ravkans. They’re a huge part of their beliefs and religion. Their martyrdoms and actions shaped the nation and sure, in The Grisha Trilogy we see Illya’s direct legacy have a huge part in the story, his actual descendants, the results of his experiments with merzost and it is hinted that maybe he’s even alive someone out there, kept young by his Grisha power but the whole point is that he’s not directly involved in the story. He doesn’t just appear out of nowhere in front of Alina being like “Hey girl, let me tell you about those sweet amplifiers I’ve been working on” and suddenly solving all her problems and giving her a super boost in power. He stays an element of Ravkan history and mythology, even if his past actions are crucial to the plot and behavior of certain characters. That’s what the Saints are and what they should stay. 

But no, apparently three of them picked by a random generator are locked in a pocket dimension on the fold and just chilling there until Nikolai and Zoya get somehow sucked in. Ones with the powers and knowledge that could obviously benefit the characters. It was just so… Unreal and random and we just got a half-assed explanation for it that sounds like a story made up in five minutes without any deeper consideration for the world’s lore and magic system. And I get that the Darkling’s experiment destroyed the world’s balance but this had absolutely nothing to do with anything the Darkling was trying to accomplish. It felt like something written by a completely different author with little knowledge of the source material. And if this were means to an end, I feel like it could have been accomplished in a much more plausible way.

I didn’t hate everything about the Saints subplot. I’m happy it gave us some background on how life as a Grisha was in the past, the origins of the name and some amplifier lore too. I love that Zoya got a power boost and I would love to see her change into the dragon in the second book because let’s be honest that would be absolutely awesome. I also hope that the second book will elaborate on the topic, making it more believable and incorporate it into the world’s lore in a logical way. Maybe even show more Saints so that those three wouldn’t feel like special snowflakes chosen just to achieve the ending and give the characters a power boost. I could really just roll with it if we get a more thought-out explanation in the future because as soon as they entered the Saints’ little realm I felt like I was reading about Zoya and Nikolai experiencing a mass hallucination. 

And that brings me to the ending. I know a lot of people hate it and honestly, I kind of share that sentiment. However, I must admit - it had me curious. The Darkling’s situation is completely different than it was in the Grisha Trilogy. I trust the author enough to give her a benefit of doubt in this case and see how she handles this situation in the next book. I’m curious about the Darklings interactions with other characters, as in TGT he was pretty much only focused on Alina. On one hand, I wanted a new villain or no villain at all, just a good political intrigue with some magic. On the other, I’m curious to watch the whole situation develop. 

Now it’s time to talk about the characters because they’re exactly what made this book enjoyable, even when the plot went south. 

I know most people came here for Nikolai and I have to admit that so did I. And don’t get me wrong, I absolutely wasn’t disappointed. We could finally see Nikolai outside of Alina’s POV and it was a feat. The prince seems a little more mature than in TGT but his sense of humor and charming attitude stays the same. We get to learn about his childhood, his insecurities, and concerns both regarding the monster that is inside him as well as ruling his country. His POV allows us to see him as a more wholesome character than in TGT as back then our opinion on him was influenced by Alina’s thoughts and narration. I was very happy to see more of him and I still love him to bits.

But it’s the girls that take the spotlight in this book.

When I read the Crooked Kingdom, I had a certain picture of Zoya which didn’t exactly line up with what I saw after reading The Grisha Trilogy. Of course, from the first book to the last, Zoya went thought some character development, growing out of her mean girl phase but all we’d known about it was that she lost her aunt when the Darkling used Alina to expand the Fold. King of Scars gives us an insight into her past, more information about her relationship with the Darkling and it’s all glorious and shes glorious and ruthless and I love how she’s not softened in any way as a part of some questionable character development. I want to see this girl turn into a dragon.

Nina’s POV made me love her even more than in Six of Crows. She’s still fabulous and ready to stir trouble wherever she goes. Her goodbye with Matthias was heartbreaking but I’m glad her whole storyline wasn’t based on moping after him. I loved that Matthias’ wolf was incorporated into the story and I hope we’ll see more of him. We also got a bigger display of Nina’s powers twisted by parem and I enjoyed it so much. Nina is always ready to help other girls and women and all I can say is… Icon. 

There was also a fourth POV introduced half into the book, one of a completely new character - a royal guard called Isaak. I did love him and he was shaping into a great character but the things happened and, well… We won’t be seeing any more of him and I was really looking forward to the part where he wouldn’t be playing Nikolai and we could see him as his own person. I feel like it was quite a waste but on the other hand, I didn’t grow to care enough to be bothered by it.

When it comes to relationships, both romantic subplots are a big yes in my book. When I started King of Scars I was very not on board with the whole Nikolai and Zoya thing but this book made me love it. Let’s just wish we don’t get some crappy love triangle in the second book. When it comes to Nina and Hanne, I was so excited to see Nin with a girl and Hanne is a great character who has a huge potential for development and the fact that she’s Brum’s daughter makes these dynamics even more interesting. Those two are going to conquer Fjerda together. 

Platonic relationships in the book are also delightful and heartwarming. I especially loved the Grisha Triumvirate and Nikolai acting like one big family and also Adrik being done with Nina starting drama in Fjerda and disobeying his orders like the Dreg she is and Leoni just applauding her? Absolute feast.

All in all, would I recommend King of Scars? Yes, I definitely would to all the Grishaverse fans and if you’re a new fan quickly go grab the Six of Crows duology and either The Grisha Trilogy or just a recap article on it since not everyone has enough nerves to go through books that have such annoying characters as Mal or Mal. Oh and also Mal. Sadly knowing at least basic stuff about the Grisha Trilogy is crucial for understanding this book so you can’t just avoid it like with Six of Crows. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book because I can’t wait to see where all of this goes.

[mollymockiing]

Cadcly beetch

meme.

let me love u assholes

*✶｡  @cadcly​   .ﾟ☆ﾟ.  literally always accepting ! *✶｡

MY OPINION ON;

CHARACTER IN GENERAL: I was not prepared for how thoroughly Caduceus Clay would Kool Aid Man his way into my cold, dead, desiccated heart, but he did. Not easily, either. I was fucking devastated by Molly’s death, and I wasn’t sad about losing him, I was defiant. Like, I deadass refused to accept that shit, and it almost felt like a challenge to even accept Tal’s new character. But this asshole rabbit punched me in the emotions (right in the cockles of my heart, and even in the sub-cockle area), and I was fucking smitten. 

HOW THEY PLAY THEM: JESUS TAPDANCING CHRIST, LET ME HAVE A FUCKING MOMENT. I’ve not been writing for very long, but I’ve written a fuck ton, on a fuck ton of muses, and in a fuck ton of fandoms. I do not think I have ever been that shitpost about “my muse sees your muse and goes I WANT THAT ONE.” But that was exactly what happened with you?? I’m going to be honest, I don’t get intimidated easily. It just doesn’t cross my mind to be. If I want to write with someone, I’ll hit them up, it isn’t fucking prom. But holy shit, did it feel like that when I stumbled into your IMs apologizing for being a slow loras piece of marsupial shit. I remember telling you how excited I was that you liked my starter call then apologized profusely for how long it would take me to get shit to you, and you were so ganbatte :fist emoji: and so sweet to my dumbass from jumpstreet that I ended up getting so hype to write with u I slammed something out that night. And there was Molly, fucking already fucking sprung like a real scrub over Caduceus, telling him he smells like the light of the stars or some shit. And then it was all downhill from there. 

But for how much my muse adored yours immediately, you always played Cad so sweetly with Molly, and that destroyed me. The way you write Caduceus is nothing less than phenomenal (I’ll get to more on why that is later, this is an all day event, fucker). I always thought Caduceus was an unusual complement to Molly, with both of them exhibiting very different personality traits, but sharing a very important core of morals. But that was never a dynamic that I ever wanted to try to push on you or expect from you. It just sort of bloomed in this beautifully organic symbiosis between them, and that’s so fucking dope I honestly can’t get over it. I love when muses get together based on pure fucking chemistry, and these assholes did it. AND THEY DIDNT EVEN SHIP AT FIRST. THEY WERE JUST … the most wholesome fucking bromance, holding hands under the table and twining tails to keep track of each other in the dark like wot in tarnation in this. And then they got nasti. 

I’m highly particular about portrayals. I respect everyone’s writing, but I won’t lie, there are some people whose shit just resonates with me and those are the ones I crave to write with. The level of detail, the exploration, the logic of their backstory and how that comes to inform who they are, and the ability of that writer to manifest the nuances of that shit in their writing …. I analyze the shit out of people’s writing. And yours blows me away with an invariable systematicity, from your lengthy, beautifully composed headcanons to the way you craft his reactions to Molly and Fjord in little situations. You allow him this vulnerability that destroys me, and this crystalline innocence, and you strike this really extraordinary balance of that low INT/high WIS that I adore? It’s one of my favorite personality tropes, and it’s not always a simple one to portray, but you crush it. Every time. 

There’s a rare depth of his emotional makeup that you write. And the way you introduce that emotion, that journey to how Caduceus arrives at that sensation or sentiment always keeps me rapt. Like, even the way you color the way he blushes and why is always a new punch in the gut. And this asshole blushes a lot. You have a way of writing that brings a real profundity to even mundane things, and that’s a magic that not a lot of people posses.

AND IT DOESNT FUCKING HELP THAT YOU WRITE SO MAGNIFICENTLY THAT IT MAKES ME WANT TO SUPLEX MY OWN ASS BECAUSE I PHYSICALLY CANNOT DEAL WITH THE AESTHETIC ARREST OF YOUR WRITING. LIKE. I love challenges. I love people who challenge me to fucking up my shit, and you inspire me to write, and to want to fucking get better. Like I stare and study at the shit you write and I’m like how did this dick pull this out his ass like that. GET GOOD, MINT YOU LITERARY TROGLODYTE, YOU HEAVING, HUMPING HUNK OF SHIT, YOU GOTTA UP YOUR GAME FOR MOLLY’S BOYFRIEND.

And I fucking love the way you write him, wow, the end.

THE MUN: Sometimes I think of you and go, ‘this asshole has no right.’ But like, in a good way. Like I’d Beau punch you in the arm to display my confused frustration at how incredible you are? Like, I can talk about how incredibly talented you are (your art and your cosplay get me right in the kokoro), but also I really admire the fuck out of you as a person. When you told me you were an old man, believe me I’ve heard that one before. You’re an old soul. In the most brilliant way possible.

Part of the reason that I love RP so much is that for me it’s an exercise in understanding the human condition. I’ve studied and worked as a social scientist, and I am greatly attuned to learning about people and their characters based on the way they write. I’m sure you’ve heard that fucking classic adage “write what you know” but in all actually most people can only write what they know. Because it’s within the scope of our understanding. Muses always echo in some way an aspect of their mun. And it always spoke well to me of the integrity and the reason Cad always displayed. Turns out that’s the shit that really resonated with you. Turns out that’s shit i really admire about you and Cad both.

Emotional insight like that isn’t something a person just knows. It takes a lot of reflection and consideration and contemplation and meditation and observation and imagination to understand that shit, much less bring it to light in the context of fleshing out a character in a way that augments and enhances them. And in a way that makes sense. That’s really the core of what I love about your writing and interpretation. You write integrity with the insight of someone who is determined to embody it. And that’s admirable. And the level of intricate creativity you always bring is endlessly fascinating. 

You’re a good fucking person. You’re an extraordinarily uncommon sort of person. And I count it as a fucking windfall that I get to fraternize with your ass and your heart-destroying firbolg.

DO I;

FOLLOW THEM: bro yesRP WITH THEM: CRIES BRO YESWANT TO RP WITH THEM: dude, I would write with you on any of your muses ever, with any of my muses. Honestly, I’d follow your ass on any muse you write even if we don’t write, just to watch you fucking craft them. That’s how much I admire and respect your ass.SHIP THEIR CHARACTER WITH MINE: It’s the Titanic of my emotional loins

WHAT IS MY;

OVERALL OPINION: Literally, if you’re not crying about Seb or Seb’s Cad, have you really fucking lived today? 

**note: mun’s answer are all to be completely honest. don’t send url if you don’t want brutal honesty.

[50shadesofmittens]

So I went on vacation for a week

Meant I had minimal internet, but more time to write. I’m now happy to say that I’m at the point where unless something goes very wrong, I’m going to be editing the next chapter of Three Times They Don’t for only grammar, purple prose avoidance, and humor. Not at the same time, of course, but it means I’ve gotten more done. Yay!

It also means I have a bunch of stuff I cut from the chapter which I want to post here. So if you’re interested, just bear in mind some of this was cut for good reason:

He hadn’t spoken to me since that night at Ullanor, and I doubted he remembered me at all. And only a few millennia ago I learned that Magnus had been framed for a crime very personal to me.

Ten thousand years had passed for me as well, and I had far worse failures and far greater offenses behind me. I can honestly say I had no idea what to feel about him now beyond ‘potential major security breach.’

…/…/…/…/…/…|…\…\…\…\…\…

“So, you do know where to find it?”

“…Ehh… Iiii… It’s not quite…” The book may not have “I know where they are, but… I don’t keep those books in the library…” And frankly, I didn’t want the nerdy gene-father of the Bloody Magpies anywhere near my oh-so-irreplacible personal library that would be super easy for a bookworm kleptomaniac sorcerer to steal from. Or just steal.

“So where can I find them?”

“I… I keep them in the-” A brilliant realization struck me. ’The Screaming Angel’ was amongst those I did copy down and keep in the palace. The Black Library version had better printing, but there was another option.

“Keep them in?”

“Uh, sorry. I found a special hiding spot for some of the Who books back when their fate was being decided, just incase someone got too… trigger-happy and decided to burn them before a decision was made.” Stored alongside several other books with multiple copies. “C’mon, I’ll show you where they are.”

…/…/…/…/…/…|…\…\…\…\…\…

My standards must have been so low they were underground if mere possession of a wholesome moral code was all it took. Well, that and copious muscles. Admittedly fine muscles. And regularly wearing no sleeves, while still being non-threatening, or at least less threatening than every other pair of bare arms in the palace.

…/…/…/…/…/…|…\…\…\…\…\…

In the silence that followed Magnus’ smile fell, the mood started to creep from enchanting back to awkward, and I decided to break the ice and extend the magical moment. “Anyways, nasty revelations and temper tantrums aside, I’m glad we asked about his past.”

“That was a wide berth of fascinating information.”

“But there’s still so much more I want to know.”

“I’m curious about what it was like when he came into his powers- what sort of impression the various shamen left, if they had any messages or wisdom to impart, if there were any clues as to what he was before then.”

“I want to know what the various cultures of Earth were like, especially the contrasts between them. That’s such a huge range of history, there’s got to be civilizations that rose and fell under similar circumstances with huge, contrasting factors between them.”

“That’s an unusual thing to fixate on.”

“Yeah, but think of it this way- if we know what the differences were between cultures with some constants between them, we can analyze the differences and figure out which were the cause of massive societal differentiation, and which were the results. And with so many centuries, there’s got to be plenty of examples to look at. Like- it’s one thing to get an opinion from scholars who share biases from living in the same era, it’s another to get a first hand account.”

“There are original sources, you know.”

“Yeah, but if we’re going to do a second round of historical tales, it’d be a great time to learn more, well, history. Although, honestly I didn’t think it would be possible for us to get the whole tale of the Emperor’s life in one setting. After all that time, there must be thousands- no, millions of adventures he’s had throughout the eras!”

“Probably less than you think. It would not surprise me if he stayed too far from any local societies to pay much attention, only came out when he sensed a warp predator to vanquish.”

“You don’t think he did anything of interest in those years?” I said.

“Of course not, but you can’t honestly think he just blended in through multiple ages of human history. I can tell you from experience, people tend to notice. And when you have the sort of magnificent presence Father does, it gets even harder to hide.” Magnus said.

I knew then that Magnus would be amazed at how many places an advanced superhuman could hide. How many backwater planets and bustling hive cities we could disappear in. How many places a man could go to get fucked.

“Um.”

For an hour or a year, it didn’t matter to me back in the days when I had escaped from wonderland, but was still falling down the rabbit hole. I had nothing to drag me away. But that’s what happens when someone is betrayed by everyone they-

“Why is your aura all…” I blinked, realizing that Magnus was talking to me, “tense?”

“‘Tense?’” The word came out harsher than I intended, demonstrating his point. Carefully I relaxed my jaw, unclenched my fists, and let out a long breath. It had been a tiring day, and it was better not to let my mind go down a dark route.

“Your emotions are intense enough to…” Magnus trailed off, “Well, they were practically broadcasting themselves just now. But you seem to have calmed down rather quickly.”

It was an acquired skill. One I needed to keep myself from going postal through the palace. “Nothing too bad, I hope.”

“It is a bit disconcerting.” Magnus admitted, “In my experience, one cannot have such an ability without also possessing a warped view of reality.” I thought it a testament to Emperor’s skill with genetics that his son was rather pretty even when he was being petulant.

“Ah.”

“N-not that that’s a bad thing, of course.” Magnus said, quickly. “I just mean- well,” His voice dropped to a mumble, “Oh gods, I’m no good at this.” Raising his voice again, he said, “I mean, hey, why don’t we go, um, find something to distract- I mean, something engaging to do while we wait out Father’s temper tantrum?”

…/…/…/…/…/…|…\…\…\…\…\…

He glanced about at the books on the top shelves and the conspicuously empty bottom rows. “Well the basic principal at the heart of our system is keeping the irreplaceable stuff out of fortress-pillow fights.” I hadn’t meant to be so honest, but the words came out anyways. In my defense, I was not prepared to face Magnus today.

…/…/…/…/…/…|…\…\…\…\…\…

Magnus’ scowl dropped, and he looked at my helmet- not the face of it, but the entire symbol of the Custodes- with wide eyes. Not like he was reading my mind, but like he was reading into me.

…/…/…/…/…/…|…\…\…\…\…\…

Magnus looked away, face flushed slightly. I’d like to think an unspoken understanding passed between us. Magnus eventually turned back to me, but he looked so handsome in the aftermath of that moment of wisdom that I didn’t want to break the spell. Briefly, I wondered if he’d grant me a hug if I asked for one, if only so I could get those muscular arms wrapped around me.

…/…/…/…/…/…|…\…\…\…\…\…

There were more questions I wanted to ask. More things I knew the man I was pretending to be would say.

I wanted to kiss him, right then and there. Wanted it too much for it to be a rational thought. To this day, I’m not sure why you didn’t. Then again I still had my helmet on, and headbutts have never been terribly romantic.

“Erm.” With Magnus’ natural disposition it was hard to tell if he was blushing as hard as I was. “I’ll just… hey, do you want some popcorn?”

“Uh… … I-” He cut me off before I could finish.

“Why don’t I go make some snacks? It’s not like this garbage is going anywhere.”

“I can go get food. Menial tasks are usually my job.”

“No no, I don’t want you to think I can’t take care of myself. It’s fine, I’ll just… go.”

With that he teleported away. I remained for a moment, and my eyes drifted towards the Aquilla symbol on the walls. mind blank yet already certain of what I was going to do.

Six thousand years ago, I never wanted to leave the palace. One day a little under six thousand years ago, I ran away from the palace with no desire to ever return. That vow lasted until the Imperium fell apart, and nobody else was able to stand in the way of a tyrant. But even then, I barely returned to the palace.

I had to leave the palace and the planet before I could put those ghosts to rest.

I spent centuries running from the pain and betrayal in my past. But the ghosts of my brothers weren’t strong enough to keep me celibate for millennia, even if I’m finding old memories rising from the grave more and more these days. It always happens when I’m back in the palace, or when someone reminds me of all I lost.

It’s been a little under six thousand years since I slept with someone who was stronger, or as strong as I am. I’m not sure if it’s because I was never ready to be vulnerable or because it’s so hard to find someone who fits the bill. Now the palace had someone who was beautiful and sexy, someone who- I was sure- wanted me, but also wasn’t so crazy as to pursue any whim of desire. I thought that ‘Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to reclaim one more lost piece of myself.’

I knew that a psyker could easily make me feel things that weren’t my own. I knew this could be a trick for Magnus to manipulate me. I wasn’t underestimating or discounting the possibility. At the time, I just didn’t care.

Rule one: Always make sure you to full, uncoerced consent. The vast majority of Imperial Citizens don’t feel safe telling a superhuman ‘no,’ I had to make sure to avoid those.

          Well I certainly didn’t have to worry about that with a Primarch who could bench-press me

Rule two: Always make sure you want to give your full consent. Especially if you might not be able to back out later.

          That was a good point…

Rule three: Make sure you both go into it knowing exactly what to expect from the other. Don’t assume a once-off is the default, and don’t assume you’re promising monogamy.

          I could easily abide by rule three.

I reached the kitchens quickly. The nice gold ones that the serfs only entered to clean where Astartes lived out whims of being warrior chefs. I found Magnus with his back turned to me and a bowl hovering six feet in the air. Something clicked into place somewhere deep in my mind.

In the seconds before I spoke, I thought to myself, ‘For someone who’s spent a good deal of time avoiding physical contact with some very fine and eager men, I’m about to be rather forward with my affections.’

What came out of my mouth was, “You know, we never did finish our little… discussion.”

The room had seen enough destruction that parts were constantly being replaced, but throughout all the renovations the floor always had a checkered tile pattern.

           //More content here I never included

“Mmmyes, I think that’ll do nicely.” I said, lowering my voice to a purr, letting more of my weight fall against him and perusing his body further.

Magnus responded with jerk and a noise somewhat like an elephant trying to hit all the notes in “Amazing Grace” backwards on a trumpet within three seconds. The pan in his hand flew through the archway opposing me and hit a wall in the hallway with a loud clang.

The sound echoed while the two of us stared at each other.

“I’m sorry, what?” Magnus asked.

“Um-” I look at him. Surely he cannot be serious? Magnus has never-

All at once my world goes cold. Besides me the Magnus of the Tower says, “I mean- I’m not, not complaining exactly, I just want to make sure that you- you said- you were just joking, right?”

He sounded half-bold at first and the illusion of confidence faded away at the end, but I barely processed his babbling. Instead I studied the man in the kitchen. Would I still want him if I hadn’t loved another who shared his name? How much of my desire was genuinely for the person who’d served a Chaos God for ten thousand years and how much of it grew as an extension of what I once had with another Magnus.

Because I still didn’t know how much the different fragments of the Fifteenth Primarch shared together and how much was cultivated by the experiences and memories of each individual. But it only took a few tiny similarities to make the confusion- the way Magnus flicks their hair back when it falls in the pages of a book they’re engrossed in, the way they sway ever so slightly when a story has enraptured them, the way their face goes slack when they see a sight of true wonder.

None of those things had anything at all to do with a person’s humors, temperment, or maturity. I knew that, and yet such small details could easily blind me, make me see an enduring history or a fire-forged bond of trust where none existed.

But as Magnus shifted uncomfortably in the face of my silence, I realized that any proposition from me would be unfair to Magnus. Because I hadn’t finished my rules, and one of them was very important today.

Rule six: Don’t lie about who you are. If you can’t be honest to the people you know, then go find a stranger who’s looking for a stranger.

The rule was mostly an extension of rule one, but in this case the issue wasn’t whatI was so much as whoI was to Magnus.

Should the Crimson King return to Tzeentch, anything he learned would come to the direct attention of the gods. Or what if I told him the truth and he forced me to lead him to the other fragments of Primarch XV, devoured them and made himself whole.

…/…/…/…/…/…|…\…\…\…\…\…

And then a baneblade rode through a hallway just a few dozen meters away from where we were.

“…Well, I’d better get back to work. Please- if you want to take anything else from here, let me know before you do.”

“This should be enough.” Magnus said, levitating roughly three quarters of the books in the closet.

[lalainajanes]

@thetourguidebarbie and I were complaining about the Polyvore alternatives and I found this truly awful dress on one. Celeb AU fluff was born.

Lookin’ Sharp

She’s exhausted, the consultation she’s walked out of had been a battle, one she’d had to smile through. Caroline’s dealt with difficult people before, had eagerly tackled this latest job. She’d never been one to back down from a challenge but then she’s never met a woman who thought a shapeless shiny mint green caftan was a good look for a Golden Globes after party.

Until today.

She really should have listened to Kat when she’d warned Caroline that socialites were the worst people to style. Caroline had brushed off the words at the time, figuring that her client’s reputation – sweet, agreeable, super committed to using her dad’s money to help ex-cons – would mean she’d be an easy paycheck. She’s mentally listing jewelers who like her, hoping she can find a necklace spectacular enough to distract from the chosen dress’ awfulness. She’s thinking diamonds the size of golf balls might do the trick.

“It’s a lost cause, you know.”

Caroline’s heart lurches when the words ring out, her body tensing. She whirls, dropping the armful of garment bags she’d been lugging out to her car. She hadn’t recognized the voice – she’s never heard Klaus Mikaelson say so many words at once. At least not in real life.

He’s a few paces behind her, hands up and a contrite expression on his distractingly handsome face. “Apologies,” he murmurs.

She relaxes, but not completely. She’s pretty sure Klaus isn’t going to stuff her into a trunk but he’s still a very big deal for a girl trying to make a name for herself in Hollywood. Caroline presses a hand over her chest, takes a deep breath. “You scared me. Do they teach you how to walk like a sneaky ghost when you sign up to play a superhero or something?”

He smiles, “I wasn’t making an effort to be silent. Perhaps you were just preoccupied?”

That’s possible. The fitting she’d just left had not gone well. A client who flat out refused to listen to sense, who appeared to see something vastly different than Caroline did when she looked in a mirror, was proving to be really freaking frustrating.

But she couldn’t exactly tell the client’s boyfriend that, could she?

She pastes on a sunny smile, “Well, award’s season’s just about to go into full swing. I have a lot on my plate. I’m sure you’re very busy too.”

Caroline hopes that’s a subtle enough hint. She’s curious about why he’s followed her out, hadn’t been lying about having an extensive to do list. She’s positive she hadn’t forgotten anything, that the four trips between condo and parking garage haven’t been in vain. She can’t exactly go making demands though, not from a guy whose next movie is projected to have a 100 million dollar opening weekend.

“Not for a few weeks yet,” Klaus says, crouching to gather her scattered things. Caroline hurriedly follows, brushing off the pebbles and dust from the bags he hands her. “I’m just supposed to smile for the cameras and look pretty. Make people forget about the… incident in Las Vegas.”

She chances a glance at him, unsure of how to react to that statement. She’d never have thought he’d make such a direct reference.

Caroline knew there’s no way she’d be able to be blasé if photos of her naked body had been splashed all over the internet. Then again, she’d never play strip poker with total strangers.

It hadn’t quite been a full frontal shot - Klaus had been lucky, and a champagne bottle had been left on an end table - saving the pics from being fully NC-17. Had circumstances been different they might not have even caused a stir. Klaus Mikaelson’s resume had a couple of racy film and TV appearances from before he’d left England on it, not that Caroline had googled him.

Okay, fine. She hadn’t googled him recently. And she definitely hasn’t watched the compilation of all his sex scenes on YouTube since she’d met him in person.

Unfortunately for Klaus (and really unfortunately for his publicists) the timing of the photos of his drunken debauchery leaking couldn’t have come at a worse time.

He’d been voicing a character in an animated feature when they’d come out, a gruff but loveable lone wolf who learned about the power of friendship. That, plus a superhero blockbuster on deck, meant he had to appeal to the broadest audience possible.

The pictures were the opposite of wholesome, damage control was necessary. He’d been volunteering with soup kitchens, had adopted a rescue dog. Had gone public with a relationship, one with a textbook good girl, and had been seen holding hands and getting fro-yo and generally being snuggly.

In public, at least. In private, from what Caroline’s observed, the relationship isn’t the warmest. Klaus has usually been in the background, glued to his phone and making noncommittal grunts when asked for an opinion.

Caroline’s not sure how to address the Vegas incident without putting her foot in her mouth so she decides to go back to his original statement. She straightens, folding the stack of dresses over her arm, “What did you mean about a lost cause?”

He’s edged closer when he stands. She keeps her eyes trained on his face, not on the way the fine weave of his shirt clings to his shoulders. “Just that your work’s not going to end up on any best dressed lists. You’ve tried to steer her towards flattering and age appropriate but she’s remarkably convinced her perspective is the right one. It’s not just clothes, if it’s any consolation. It’s everything.”

Wow. It certainly seemed like there was trouble in paradise. Caroline does her best to be diplomatic, “Personal style is a funny thing, I guess.”

He grins, head tipping to the side, “That’s an impressive non-answer. My publicist would be proud.”

“It’s a gossipy industry. Badmouthing clients is going to lead to fewer opportunities not more.”

His eyes sharpen, “Ah, speaking of opportunities, I’d wondered if you might do me a favor.”

A favor? That seems suspicious. “What kind?”

He laughs softly, “Nothing nefarious, love. I’d merely like a ride.”

“A ride?” she repeats, eyes shifting over to the black SUV she knows belongs to Klaus.

“In your backseat. Covered in a few of the bags you brought with you. Passed the paparazzi that are staked out on this block. They need to think I’ve spent the night, you see. And I’d really rather not.”

This conversation just got weirder and weirder. “Did you… I mean, it’s not any of my business if you guys are fighting but maybe talking it out would be better than fleeing?”

He looks at her as if she’s said something crazy. “We don’t talk. Well, no more than necessary.”

“Sounds like a healthy relationship,” Caroline quips. Her eyes widen and her teeth snap shut in horror. Had she seriously just said that? She’s so freaking fired.

Klaus surprises her though. He laughs again, louder this time, the sound echoing off the concrete walls around them. She’s confused, and frozen, unwilling to say anything that might make things even worse. When he calms he shifts closer, relieving her of some of the bags. “We’re not in a relationship, sweetheart. Not really. It’s a contract. A mutually beneficial agreement. I raise her profile, she makes me look like a fine upstanding citizen. Everybody wins.”

Huh. While Caroline knows those kind of arrangements happen, at least intellectually, she’d never expected to be a party to one. “That sounds…”

“Awkward?” Klaus supplies, “tedious? I can assure you it’s both. We’ll have an amicable breakup in April, pledge to stay friends. I’ll be done with press and can disappear for a bit.”

A thought occurs to Caroline, one that she doesn’t like. “Wait, did you fake adopt a dog too? Because that’s not cool.” She’d seen snaps of him walking the dog, some kind of Labrador mutt, and it’s really freaking cute.

“No, Munch was legally and truly adopted. He’s likely being given too many treats by my assistant as we speak.

Caroline nods sharply, satisfied, and fishes out her keys so she can pop the trunk of her car. “Good. If you were a faking a dog adoption I’d have to assume you’re a garbage person and I would not let you in my backseat.”

“Big fan of dogs, are you?”

“In theory, yes. Not in practice just yet.”

She begins loading up, carefully arranging things for maximum space use. She feels Klaus watching her carefully but she focuses on her task. Now that she knows he’s single the little devil on her shoulder is urging her to flirt. Whispering that the worst thing that would happen is that he wouldn’t reciprocate.

And if he did? Well, Caroline wouldn’t mind seeing him naked again. Would be seriously onboard with touching him while he was naked.

“Perhaps you’d like to meet him? You could come in for a bit once you’ve dropped me off?” he asks.

Caroline rears back, nearly hitting her head on the open trunk.

Klaus makes a soft noise, concerned, and his palm brushes over the back of her head, lowering to settle on her shoulder. “Careful. No need to injure yourself. I’d much rather we have dinner than take a trip to the emergency room.”

Maybe she had hit her head. “Dinner?” she parrots. “Like, together?”

He nods, a smile curling his lips. His thumb strokes her neck, an absent gesture that’s unfairly distracting. “You, me, the dog begging for crumbs. We’re working on it but his manners aren’t the best just yet. If that goes well I hope you’ll agree to do it again sometime.”

Clearly, Caroline hadn’t needed to talk herself out of flirting. Klaus didn’t share her qualms. Unless this was another step in his image rehab. She shifts back until he’s no longer touching her, crossing her arms. “Is this another contract kind of thing? Dating someone who’s not super rich so you seem down to earth?”

Klaus denial is immediate, “No, nothing like that. I’ve just spent an awful lot of time studying your face, wondering at the comments you’ve been holding back. Your face is remarkably easy to read when you’re frustrated.”

Whoops. Caroline makes a note to work on that. Her clients were a self-absorbed group but it’s possibly someone would notice her inner screaming at some point and she couldn’t have that. At least not until she’s more established. “I suppose I could eat,” Caroline says slowly.

Klaus expression warms, his pleasure evident. “Lovely. Just let me program my address into your phone.”

Caroline hands it over willingly, doesn’t shy away from the brush of his fingers against hers, letting her body brush against his more than necessary as she returns to packing up.

Half-assing things isn’t in her nature. If Caroline’s going to flirt (and oh boy is she ever) she’s going to do it right.