#“this is a real life friendship. this person has a KID.” ok some of them have girlfriends/wives too but that isn't stopping u from writing

[lewisainz]

absolutely sobbing at that one post going around saying nfl rpf is disgusting harmful etc but then it's being circulated and praised by blogs who heavily engage with and/or write (insert athlete here) x female reader fanfic .... are you guys just saying words for the hell of it or are u seriously that dumb .....

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Another Dead Boy Detectives Fic Rec List

Netflix sucks and I'm sad, but the Dead Boy Detectives fandom continues to be awesome, so here are some more very quick fic recs!*

Tonight's the Night You Fight Your Best Mate's Dad by Opossum_Subatomic

Everyone's Alive College/University 5+1 things fic featuring Charles bringing Edwin coffee and slowburn payneland. Also Family/Wedding Drama involving Everyone Thinks They're Dating so acute is verges on Fake Dating. This author is seriously fantastic, everything they write is gold.

You should also check out Kissing Lessons, which is a high school AU that does what it says on the tin while also giving non-binary Monty and polyamory.

Ornithology by Rosie447

Monty gets a job working at Tragic Mick's. This one's not actually payneland, being gen and Monty-centric. I know, gasp. It's a fantastic and very sweet exploration of Monty discovering his sense of self post canon and works as a great metaphor for recovery from toxic family/relationships. Also, the ex-animal solidarity and bonding with Mick is lovely.

what some circumstance stole by Chrome

The Sandman crossover featuring Edwin and Hob being kidnapped and tortured together. Their friendship is really wholesome with eventual Father Figure and Found Family Feels for the whole agency and background Dreamling.

dandelion wine (life and death in summertime) by world_wanderer

Payneland Right Person Wrong Time AU in which neither of them die but they still meet and become friends. The May/December friendship is sweet but tragic, with a bittersweet ending. Superb.

Mirror Image by Anonymous

Charles' afterlife gets taken over my an evil shape-shifting doppelganger, leaving him with plenty of time to regret never talking to Edwin about his feelings. Angsty but with Feelings Realisation and the Power of Love and Friendship vibes.

my healing needed more than time by babyseraphim

Case fic with de-aged Charles! Baby Charles is precious but be prepared for discussions of childhood trauma/abuse.

The same author has also written I'm So Aces at Babysitting, which is a really cute two-chaptered AU featuring Charles and Edwin babysitting the kid versions of each other, with bonus Crystal and Niko doing the same. It's very wholesome and the author writes little kids really well.

Pouring into me by tragedy_machine

Love me some "Charles wants to date Edwin to figure out his feelings but gets turned down" fic. Feelings are hard, OK?

thank u, next by KiaraSayre

Edwin fucks and Charles seethes. It's very funny and also features some interesting worldbuilding with the Fae.

Like We've Never Known Hurt by dearheartdont

Just cute established relationship PWP and praise kink. So good.

all of these hollows by handwrittenhello

The boys are alive again but sans memories. Can they still find each other and prove their devotion to the Night Nurse?? While also evading heavenly and hellish forces trying to keep them apart??? Very interesting concept executed well.

Suo Gân by emryses

The agency takes on the case of a traumatised Edwardian ghost searching for her missing baby... Read it for Edwin family feels.

Where Primroses Bloom by PantryJesus

Reading aloud as a love language and Watership Down feels. Idk, I'm now convinced that Edwin is kind of rabbit-coded with the whole "if they catch you they'll kill you. But first they must catch you" thing. A lovely well written fic.

I'm so sick of online love by Hse11z5

College/University AU where the boys meet through a dating app. It's cute.

you can have the best of me, baby (and I will give you anything) by aletterinthenameofsanity

Again, it's the Friends with Benefits but with real feelings and mutual pining for me. Now has a Charles PoV companion fic.

True Love's Kiss by Asidian

In which Charles curses himself with a Sleeping Beauty enchantment in order to confirm his feelings for Edwin and Crystal is the real MVP. I love this one because the boys are both SO stupid but in very different in-character ways.

I also recommend Promised, in which they kind of play the Green card angle to keep Edwin out of Hell? Which honestly needs to be more of a trope. And Tight Quarters, starring the boys trapped in a magic circle, leading to Forced Proximity induced Feelings Realization (in more ways than one! 😉).

Something I Can Turn To by DontOffendTheBees

I love some domestic fluff, in this case as an Everyone's Alive/Childhood Friends AU in which the boys are poor but happy living together. I liked how they both survive their respective traumas, but Reality Ensues.

I also recommend Lived My Whole Life Before the First Light for a lovely but melancholy Soulmate AU that goes for the "seeing colours" trope for extra wistful angst.

Dining at the Ritz by TerresDeBrume

Meeting the Parents fic in which Edwin's parents are awful and Charles is Not Having It. This has Everyone Thinks They're Dating and autistic Edwin stimming representation, plus discussions of racism, classism and ableism. The fic is also part of a great Modern AU series in which the boys attended St Hilarion's at the same time and Charles saved Edwin from a non-supernatural but still almost deadly prank. Highly recommended!

The Case of the Couples Retreat by juliasfanart

Listen, I can't get enough of undercover fake dating/relationships at a couples retreat, OK? Some minor angst but overall very cute and fluffy.

acu (aysar cinematic universe) by ObsessedWithFandom

The agency is hired to solve the mystery of Charles' death and bring his killers to justice. I'm genuinely obsessed with this series; I love its OCs and Charles having an exboyfriend gives Edwin a fun crisis. Plus haunting Charles' killers is very satisfying and cathartic. Just imagine they're Netflix execs, y'all.

*Not actually quick, as it turns out. 😅

I love doing these lists because I always think I've only got a few recs and then I look back over my recent bookmarks and I've got a metric ton of great fics to rec. You guys are so talented. ❤️

[morganski-19]

Chills Right to the Marrow Part 42

ao3 link| part 1 . . . part 39, part 40, part 41

“And I know he doesn’t mean any of it,” Wayne explains, taking a long drag of his cigarette. “I’m just tired of it.”

Hopper scoffs. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

Wayne needed to get out of the house. Do something other than go to work. Go somewhere where he can just calm down from it all. Not have to get in the middle of a fight or have one.

Eddie doesn’t fight with Wayne as much as he does with Steve, but it’s there. Wayne’s just used to it. Knows how to bite back enough to get Eddie to stop. Has the history where Eddie knows where to draw the line. Where to stop.

But Steve just lets him yell. Lets him scream and insult and hurt. Does it right back, not giving a shit what happens afterward. It’s giving Eddie exactly what he wants.

“I know why he does it. He’s angry and in pain, so he takes it out on us. I just wish he would stop. It’s not helping anything.”

“Hey, dad,” Jim’s kid pops her head out of the doorway. “Can I go over to Max’s?”

“Yeah, see if Jonathan can take you.”

Jim’s kid, who Wayne knows by at least three different names and can’t for the life of him figure out which one is the real one, shakes her head. “He already said that he is busy.”

Jim rolls his eyes. “Course he is. Give me like twenty minutes and I’ll drive you over.”

“Ok.” She lets the door swing back shut.

“Jonathan Joyce’s son?” Wayne asks. Willing to take a moment off from dealing with his own stuff.

Jim nods. “Her oldest. He hasn’t been busy since Wheeler broke up with him. Probably just getting high in his room.”

Wayne scoffs. “You let him do that?”

“He’s an adult, he can make his own decisions. As long as I don’t catch him while on the clock, I won’t do anything. I’m more worried about him.”

Wayne doesn’t know much about Jim’s personal life. Other than before he met Joyce, back when his kid was in the hospital. He knows that him and Joyce have been together for a few months now, and that they merged families. But he doesn’t know about his relationship with Joyce’s kids. Jim doesn’t talk about them a lot.

He’s pretty reserved, Wayne realized. Which isn’t a problem, Wayne can be reserved most of the time as well. But it was nice to have someone to relate to. Someone his age, who can understand his viewpoint more. They’re on the same understanding level.

Wayne’s never been the type of person to make and keep a friend. There were the people he grew up with in high school. People he worked with. His neighbors. But beyond basic friendliness, there really wasn’t a bond. It was different with Jim. Their understandings turning into camaraderie. Maybe turning into friendship.

It’s almost stupid to think of it that way. Two men in their fifties becoming friends. For some reason, it doesn’t sound right. But Wayne has liked being able to lean on someone during this. Someone that isn’t the twenty year old that he lives with.

He sees the kids all rally around each other. They way that they are there for each other. Adapting with their new lives and moving forward, together. Able to cope with the changes of their lives as a group, rather than the individual.

It would be nice to have something like that.

“What do you mean?” Wayne offers, hoping Jim will open up.

Jim exhales a line of smoke. “He doesn’t have many friends. Only this one kid that he met out in California. But no one here. Other than Wheeler, he just had his family. I just wish he had someone to talk to about all of this. But he just shuts himself in his room and gets high. And don’t even get me started when I try to ask, he just snaps and pushes me out.”

“I have some experience with that.” He flicks his cigarette. “Honestly, it just takes time. If you keep showing up for them, they eventually start to open up to you.”

“I guess.” Jim stubs out his cigarette.

“Mr. Munson,” Jim’s kid calls out the door again. “There’s someone one the phone for you.”

Wayne tosses his bud into the ash tray, nodding. He heads inside, following the kid to the phone. “Hello.”

“Hey, it’s Steve. Sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No, that’s ok. What’s happening?”

Steve sighs. “Eddie hasn’t come out of his room all day. He’s locked the door and I can’t get him to come out. I thought maybe he might for you.”

Wayne rubs a hand down his face. “I’m heading back. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Ok. See you soon.”

He hangs the phone back on the receiver. Double checking that he has everything.

“That was Steve, wasn’t it?” A voice Wayne doesn’t recognize comes from behind him.

When he turns, he sees what he is assuming is Jonathan. Wearing clothes that look like they’ve been slept in. “It was.”

Jonathan scoffs. “So he calls our house now, great.”

“Jonathan,” Jim tries to scold. His voice rounding around the edges, trying not to be too harsh.

“No, I’m sick of this. It’s always Steve this and Steve that. I don’t get why he’s so great now. After all that he did. After that shit he pulled over spring break with Nancy. I don’t get what’s so great about the guy that he’s suddenly revered.”

“Oh my god, not again,” another voice comes from the living room. “You need to give it a rest, Jonathan.”

Wayne makes his way toward the door, feeling very out of place right now.

“Will, you don’t know what he said.”

“But I know what he’s done since then. You haven’t heard the things he’s done to protect the rest of us. You’re so blinded by the shit that happened three years ago to think that he could have changed.”

He hears a door slam as he makes his way to the porch. Letting out a long breath when he makes his way to his car.

“Sorry about that,” Jim apologizes.

“Do you know what that was about?”

He wants to know. Surprisingly. He’s living in Steve’s house. Trusting him with Eddie. If there was something that happened, especially whatever it was with Nancy. Considering that she and Steve seem to be really close now. With all that flirting he’s been doing with Eddie.

He needs to know that whatever Steve’s intentions are, they’re not going to screw Eddie over.

“Not really. I think it’s just an old grudge that he’s let fester.”

Wayne shakes his head. “Thanks for the smoke. I hope things get better for you.”

“Same goes for you. See you around.”

tag list (closed): @the-they-who-nerded, @insteviewetrust, @croatoan-like-its-hot, @jettestar,

@tinyplanet95, @steddie-as-they-go, @slv-333, @littlecelestialmoth, @thatonebadideapanda,

@fandomsanddeath, @marismorar, @wonderland-girl143-blog, @glass-bottle03, @gutterflower77,

@here4thetrama, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @jaytriesstuff, @cryptid-system, @manda-panda-monium,

@resident-gay-bitch, @anaibis, @xxsutherlandxx, @forevermineliv, @mugloversonly,

@gregre369, @n0-1-important, @different-tale-student, @spectrum-spectre, @tartarusknight,

@devondespresso, @swimmingbirdrunningrock, @cheertain, @anti-ozzie, @autumncrocusandladybug,

@greeniebean911, @cr0w-culture, @stillfullofshit, @connected-dots, @daisynotquake,

@morgannotlefay, @a-little-unsteddie, @dolphincliffs, @maskofmirrors, @me-and-my-sloth,

@papergrenade, @waelkyring, @sweetheartprincess28, @katouasobj, @astercomoasflores

[gold-rhine]

ok but like i still cant get over what they did to tingyun in hsr. like. first of all we didnt even get to know her, we literally spent like 5 minutes with her as tour guide. and then she died and turned out the entire time she was possessed by a giant evil woman! so we literally never knew her. but the devs wanted to pretend that players care that she died and made the entire cringe af funeral quest, where they realized that oh fuck players dont fucking know her, so they sent in NPC dude we never met before to info dump how great she was and how he loved her.

and now they resurrected her and they still refuse to let her have any internal life or interesting conflict??? like shes just placid and friendly like ooh my one regret is that i missed on our friendship :) woman you were killed and now corrupted with abyss because of the players, have some fucking reaction to it????? like she cant have any emotions or conflict bc she has to be a sweet wifey 100% of time i guess.

and like insane that they even did like "person getting split into various aspects of personality" thing, bc usually this trope is used to show conflicting sides of same person and have them hash out internal conflict. but tingyun gets the most shallow boring shit like oh this tingyun likes tea and this one likes dancing :) like are you kidding me

how about instead there is tingyun who is scared and confused and doesnt understand whats happening and just wants to go home and hide forever, and another tingyun who is angry at the traveler bc for real they are the only reason she got possessed and killed in the first place, another tingyun who is people pleaser and manipulator whos first instinct is to be friendly and hide her own hurt, and so on, until they all talk it through and agree to direct their anger at the abyss. and like the whole now she has abyss as part of her thing, thats another classic where character gets confronted by their "shadow self" they cant beat, but have to take in and accept their trauma, etc, and instead she just fights generic mobs. like????? she has so much potential for interesting exploration, and they gave her like negative amount of characterization. insane

[narutocharacterpolls]

ROUND THREE

HATAKE KAKASHI vs HAKU

Reasons for submission under the cut

Kakashi

relatable as an adult

he is just an overworked guy who was told to watch some kids w LOTS of issues

needs therapy

good presence and guidance in Narutos life

interesting

cares about and is dedicated to his students very much

he is just cool

he is trying his best despite what he has been through in the past

is up for having fun but still knows when to be serious

was a narcissistic shit but grew out of it

has good intentions

sexy

wonderfully complex and well developed character

incredibly resilient and supportive

a sad and deeply broken man

always willing to give his life to protect them and his other precious people

just wanted everything to be ok for once in his life

hated Danzo

his friendship with Gai is adorable

the way he teases Tenzo is fun

he’s known as cool and aloof but in reality he’s a huge dork

Gai would want him to win

Haku

cried when he died

a quote about Haku: "He was a pure spirit – as true and clean as a newly fallen snow."

he really manages to leave a long lasting impression

gender non-conforming/androgynous

he is SO memorable because he's part of the first real antagonists of the Naruto series. There's a good reason why the Wave arc is so beloved and is rarely skipped in rewrite fanfics of the series, and part of that magic is Haku

incredibly strong and intelligent

good at healing and using needles in long-ranged combat

Haku is very loyal to Zabuza

he is so dedicated that he was willing to die for Zabuza, not realizing that Zabuza saw Haku as one of his loved ones and not just a tool

was the perfect enemy for Naruto and Sasuke to face because they were kind under it all

Haku helped awaken Sasuke's sharingan and Naruto's tailed beast chakra by serving as a life-threatening challenge

ultimately too soft to kill Naruto or Sasuke and just puts Sasuke to sleep with a needle technique

Naruto realizes that Haku is not so different from him, being an orphan that clings to the one precious person that helped them not feel so alone

gave weight to what it means to be a ninja in this world to Team Seven

[henceforthidothyap]

Aromanticism/Asexuality in Heartstopper

Alright, so I just finished season 3 of Heartstopper (I know, I'm super late to the party but I have the attention span of a fruit fly bear with me) and the aroace representation was EVERYTHING to me. Isaac's journey, what little we get to see of it, is insanely realistic. I know that Alice Oseman, the creator of Heartstopper, is aroace, so it makes sense that this is some of the best rep I've seen.

The way he feels left out within his friend group is so painfully true to life. He has a fantastic friend group and they're all super supportive, but they're all paired off. Isaac is on his own more often than not, feeling like a third wheel or ninth wheel in the larger friend group setting. The first season, most of them were single, and we see a lot more of Tao, Charlie and Isaac hanging out together as a trio, but in the third season Tao and Charlie are almost always paired off with Elle and Nick, respectively. You can see how Isaac tries to recreate the dynamic they once had when everyone was single, but how the romantic relationships invade every aspect of that.

His outburst with Tao mirrors everything I've had breakdowns about myself. With an amatonormative culture that puts so much emphasis on romantic relationships and finding the one, ending up alone while all my friends are happily paired off is such a big fear of mine. I want to lean on my friends for comfort, but they're also the source of my pain, which makes it so hard. It's so easy for people in relationships, especially in that honeymoon phase, to neglect their friends and as an aroace person, I struggle to be understanding with this because I don't understand those feelings. I value friendships over every other relationship and it's so frustrating when I don't feel like I'm getting that same energy back. Isaac does such a good job of dealing with these feelings for so long (an entire summer! insane!) that it's only natural for that patience to wane and snap.

What he was talking about at the aquarium was so real too. Figuring out that you're asexual and aromantic is such a joyful but also devastating moment. As a kid (at least for me as someone who's AFAB), you're always told that you'll grow up and get married and be so happy. But realizing you're asexual and aromantic means that this picture-perfect ending you've always assumed will be yours might not be anymore. Being aroace in an inherently amatonormative world means that your path will automatically be so different than everyone else's. Coming to terms with that is painful. It feels like your future happiness has been ripped away from you and it'll be impossible to find it again. It takes a lot of support from people you care about and most importantly a lot of time to become ok with that. I believe that Isaac will find some manner of this and I'm curious to see if there will maybe be a QPR with him and James (I've not read the Heartstopper comics if it wasn't obvious).

Shifting gears a little, Tori is also important representation. I know that she's asexual from the fact that she's the main character of Solitaire (a book I need to read still), but I also think she's on the aromantic spectrum at least. Being uncomfortable with relationship labels isn't an inherently aromantic thing, but she seemed to be struggling a lot with understanding a different kind of love than the sibling love she has for Charlie. It would make so much sense to me for her to be demiromantic, an identity that could always use more representation. I love that Michael's only goal is to be happy with him and Tori side-by-side and is doing his absolute best to understand what's going on in her head. Figuring out identities is so stressful, and that support is everything! I will definitely be reading Solitaire at some point because I need to see more of their relationship ASAP.

This has been an excited rant from someone who cries every time they see aroace rep on TV because it's so rare and even more rare to be done correctly.

[legallybrunettedotcom]

i want to know everything omg! what are your favorite characters on gossip girl? who do you hate the most? and what your opinion about this show in general. 💓

I really need to do a rewatch, I probably forgot a lot of plot points, but... Blair was always my favourite, my number one girl. I didn't like Serena, I think I just didn't like Blake Lively, and I hate to be that person that's like oh she always had bad vibes, I knew it from the start, but idk I just never got the hype around her and her acting was so bad. I think I end up disliking a lot of characters on any tv show just bc I hate the actor's acting choices, like why are you doing that face? that was so unneccessary lmao. I think I also maybe projected onto Blair a bit, like someone who is always trying their best, putting in 110% and someone else just swooping in and winning with zero effort, but... let's not unpack that here. Them together are obviously one of the best frenemies put on screen and I suppose both the tension and love that can exist in female friendships was portrayed really well imo so I don't really want to point fingers at either of them as like the root cause of the friendship problems, like one of them being the shitty friend and other the martyr. Like sometimes you are a shitty friend and sometimes your friend is the cunt, that's not the end of the world. I can see the same thing happening now that there's been a sort of SATC renaissance if i can call it that (even though SATC is a show that is consistently popular, like I don't think it has ever fallen off and then had some sort of resurgence but ygwim) where ppl are aggressively hating Carrie, like she was the devil. Plus I find it difficult to look at fiction through real life eyes, like asking why would this person do this? well they did it bc this is a show and we need an inciting incident to move the plot forward yk?

Blair and Chuck were made for each other, I loved their dynamic. With that said, Chuck is obviously not a good guy. I think at the time, as a kid, some things flew over my head, but looking back he is scary and creepy and you'd feel unsafe in his presence. I suppose he was entertaining, like you got this 15, 16 year old kid talking about stock exchange and dressing like Hugh Hefner, it kinda is funny. Even though I was rooting for Chair (was that their ship name I can't remember) endgame, I did actually enjoy Blair and Dan together, I think it was a cute moment and they worked well together. I don't think their relationship was for shock value, they actually had kind of a proper enemies to friends to lovers arc. I liked Dan, but also looking back... kind of a creep as well, his obsession with Serena was weird and the reveal of him as GG was disappointing. I gotta admit I never watched the show with anticipation of GG being revealed, I personally was like ok if it happens, happens, if it doesn't, fine. I never was interested in looking for clues on who GG might be. I think the show would've been fine ending without that reveal tbh. Definitely one of the more underwhelming and disappointing show finales out there.

I loved Jenny, I loved Juliet, I think she was the best antagonist. I kinda didn't care about Nate that much. I loved that the show delved into the life and drama of the parents as well, sometimes more entertaining than teenage lives. Honestly, can't say I hated anyone, which... funny considering I opened this with a politer version of calling Serena a bitch lmao. But despite GG being looked at as a silly teen show, I think all these characters were pretty complex and no one was really entirely good or entirely bad. I think what carried that show was great costumes, great set design and charismatic actors. I actually read some of the books and yk they're fine, can't remember much of the details, but I think actors made it much more than it is on paper, which also I feel is a sign of times. Like not to lump these actors with actual movie stars of the past, but we can definitely see an actor is not a star anymore, they're a product. The show had a lot of plot holes, but... idk I can't say I'm intense abt plot holes unless it's truly insanely dumb and demeans the audience.

I don't know if you've checked out the reboot, I watched like first half of first season and it wasn't good. They tried to fix a lot of problems of the original, especially in matters of diversity and class consciousness, but the problem with a lot of "socially conscious" media nowadays is that their writing ends up consisting of slogans instead of yk actually good writing and dialogue. The original was quite scandalous for its time, like I've seen ppl say their parents wouldn't let them watch it. It was like SATC for teenagers. The reboot didn't have that edge, but I also don't think this is a uniquely GG problem, I think it's just the times. Television doesn't connect us anymore. Which I know is ironic saying this on Tumblr, on a fandom site, in an era where there are so many streaming platforms producing many many many tv shows and programmes and it all being actually more profitable than films, BUT you can't tell me our relationship to TV is the same as it was 20, 30, 40 etc years ago, or even just 10 years ago.

But yeah, all in all, I love the show, I love the fashion, I love the bitchiness and I think it came at the right moment in my life. If you want to share your own opinions feel free to do so, my inbox is always open. Like I said, haven't seen it in a long time, so my memory isn't super fresh, but I think I'm due for a rewatch. <3

[fantasy-mixtapes]

Fabian Aramais Seacaster S3 Playlist: side a

Here he is! God's favorite popular kid!! Song descriptions down below, spoilers for fantasy high junior year ep. 1-10

Genres include: dance/electronic, alternative, rnb, pop-punk

1. Stop, Justice

So many times we rise and fall After a while it's coming all together Together So many times we rise and fall Wondering if we'll find it all together Together Remember all the nights and days we spent together Together It's so easy to forget how to surrender But nothing's ever stopped Music and lights, rhythm and melodies Take us to the top

Is this about how Fabians friendships and newfound love of dance helped him become a happier better person? yes.

Is it also about how often Fabian fell during the Night Yorb battle? also yes.

2. Social Climb, I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

Oh, come break some hearts now Tear them out File in for amusements with the crowd Oh, but be advised Participation is required Doin' things not typically allowed Feels like we're having a good time It's true, a wonderfully good time when I'm with you

Fabian Seacaster, The Most Popular Guy in School, Maximum Legend, making my skin crawl blowing off Mazey's twister game to hang out with Ivy THATS NOT YOUR HEARTTTTTT, THATS NOT WHO YOU AREEEEEE. AND I KNOW he was doing it for the mystery but oh my GOD he was too good at playing that part

3. Call It What You Want, Foster the People

You've taken your words And you take your judgments And stick 'em onto everything If it don't conform to what you were born into Then you run the other way You say, "Now what's your style? And who do you listen to?" Who cares? Well, the rat race ladder climbin' fake fake smiles Got nothing on me, yeah, yeah

Ok, so this is a little unorthodox for me because I usually only put songs from the characters' perspectives on their respective playlists, but I can't get this scene out of my head. In my mind, this is Mazey's perspective from the chunk of that first downtime when Fabian invites her and everyone else in dance class to Seacaster Manor, and Fabian starts to really come out of his shell.

Think of it like a slow-burn montage of the two dancing (literally dancing) around their potential feelings for one another. The song has a really nice groove to it, and it matches up with Mazey's cool and earnest personality.

4. Stronger Than Ever, Raleigh Ritchie

Hate me when I'm gone I'll make it worth your while when I'm successful But, when I'm here I need your kindness 'Cause the climb is always stressful I'll leave my peace in pieces all around The decent people back at home 'Cause I'm a big boy, an adult now or nearly If I pull the wool back from my eyes I can see clearly The world is at my feet and I am standing on the ceiling,

Alone in that big house, trying to be the best at everything, pushing himself harder and harder. The song is so perfect it speaks for itself

5. Thing Called Love, Kevin Ross

Don't know why you love me so much, oh When I can't say I deserve us Like a rocket's failure to launch I just let it self-destruct And it's not right (No) And it hurts twice when it's good-intentioned But that's life (Right?) Or is it my pride that wouldn't listen

Ok these last two are just directly in reaction to episode ten scenes so be warned.THE SCENE WITH FABIAN AND MAZEY IN THE KITCHEN??? Talk about the right person and wrong time and god; it rips my heart out. Like how he earnestly talked about how worried he was for her safety. THE WAY SHE JUST SAYS SHE HAS A CRUSH ON HIM. THE WAY LOU REACTED????? shoot me dead

6. Pieces, Sum 41

I tried to be perfect But nothing was worth it I don't believe it makes me real I thought it'd be easy But no one believes me I meant all the things I said ... This place is so empty My thoughts are so tempting I don't know how it got so bad Sometimes it's so crazy That nothing can save me But it's the only thing I have

"breaker breaker, Fabian Seacaster looking for his papa Bill Seacaster."

[richincolor]

New Releases

A whole bunch of books releasing today to get us ready for our summer beach reads. Which of these is on your list?

Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jiménez MTV Books

Mac has never really felt like he belonged. Definitely not at home—his dad’s politics and toxic masculinity make a real connection impossible. He thought he fit in on the baseball team, but that’s only because he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Finding his first gay friend, Cammy, was momentous; finally, he could be his authentic self around someone else. But as it turned out, not really. Cammy could be cruel, and his “advice” often came off way harsh. And then, Mac meets Flor, who shows him that you can be both fierce and kind, and Mikey, who is superhot and might maybe think the same about him. Over the course of one hot, life-changing summer, Mac will stand face-to-face with desire, betrayal, and letting go of shame, which will lead to some huge discoveries about the realness of truly belonging. Told in Mac’s infectious, joyful, gay AF voice, Hot Boy Summer serves a tale as important as hope four gay teens doing what they can to connect and have the fiercest summer of their lives. New friendships will be forged, hot boys will be kissed…and girl, the toxic will be detoxed.

Better Must Come by Desmond Hall Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Deja is a “barrel girl”—one of the Jamaican kids who get barrels full of clothes, food, and treats shipped to them from parents who have moved to the US or Canada to make more money. Gabriel is caught up in a gang and desperate for a way out. When he meets Deja at a party, he starts looking for a way into her life and wonders if they could be a part of each other’s futures. Then, one day while out fishing, Deja spies a go-fast boat stalled out by some rocks, smeared with blood. Inside, a badly wounded man thrusts a knapsack at her, begging her to deliver it to his original destination, and to not say a word. She binds his wounds, determines to send for help, and make good on her promise…not realizing that the bag is stuffed with $500,000 American. Not realizing that the posse Gabriel is in will stop at nothing to get their hands on this bag—or that Gabriel’s and her lives will intersect in ways neither ever imagined, as they both are forced to make split second choices to keep the ones they love most alive.

Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho Disney Hyperion

Agnes Chan never expected to be the punchline of her own life . . But how else do you explain getting accidentally run over and seeing a lifetime of careful preparation, endless training, and all your hopes of a track scholarship to college destroyed in a split second? Not to mention the only witness to your humiliation being your #1 archnemesis, Royce Taslim. So, when Agnes finds a new answer to her scholarship predicament in the form of an international stand-up comedy contest for teens, the last person she expects to be up against is also the last person she wants to - Royce. Because for years Royce has represented everything Agnes extreme privilege, popularity, and physical perfection (ok maybe she doesn’t hate that part so much). Behind the scenes, though, Royce’s flawless façade fades away, revealing someone Agnes never expected—someone who shows her that perhaps the best parts of life are the ones you aren’t prepared for—and as the competition heats up, so do things between these two rivals. But will the pressure to win be too much for them to handle—or will Agnes (and Royce) get the last laugh?

Spin of Fate (The Fifth Realm #1) by A.A. Vora G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

The world is governed by Toranic Law, an ancient magical force that segregates people into upper and lower realms based on their morality. It’s said that if the sinful lowers commit themselves to kindness, their souls will lighten, allowing them into the blissful upper realms. But Aina, one of the few lowers to ever ascend, just wants to go back. Desperate to reunite with her mother, who remains stuck in their horror-infested homeland, Aina joins the Balancers—a group that defies Toranic Law by bringing aid to those condemned to a life of suffering in the lower realms. Alongside Aina are two new recruits: Aranel, a spoiled noble spying for the upper authorities; and Meizan, a ruthless fighter trying to save his clan from extinction. Before long, Aina, Aranel, and Meizan find themselves in the midst of a brewing war. On one side, a violent lower king is bent on destroying Toranic Law; on the other, the upper authorities will do anything to stay on top. The trio must face both sides head-on if they want to stop a conflict that could break not only Toranic Law… but the universe itself.

Death’s Country by R.M. Romero Peachtree Teen

Andres Santos of São Paulo was all swinging fists and firecracker fury, a foot soldier in the war between his parents. Until he drowned in the Tietê River… and made a bargain with Death for a new life. A year later, his parents have relocated the family to Miami, but their promises of a fresh start quickly dissolve in the summer heat. Instead of fists, Andres now uses music to escape his parents’ battles. While wandering Miami Beach, he meets two photographer Renee, a blaze of fire, and dancer Liora, a ray of sunshine. The three become a polyamorous triad, happy, despite how no one understands their relationship. But when a car accident leaves Liora in a coma, Andres and Renee are shattered. Then Renee proposes a radical idea. She and Andres must go into the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend’s spirit and reunite it with her body—before it’s too late. Their search takes them to the City of the dead, where painters bleed color, songs grow flowers, and regretful souls will do anything to forget their lives on earth. But finding Liora’s spirit is only the first step in returning to the living world. Because when Andres drowned, he left a part of himself in the underworld—a part he’s in no hurry to meet again. But it is eager to be reunited with him… In verse as vibrant as the Miami skyline, critically acclaimed author R.M. Romero has crafted a masterpiece of magical realism and an openhearted ode to the nature of healing.

Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams Labyrinth Road

Ten years ago, Malik’s life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended. At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself— one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries. In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what’s left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.

Queerceañera by Alex Crespo HarperTeen

Joaquin Zoido is out and proud of it. And while he knew his dad and sister, Carmen, would be super supportive, he wasn’t quite ready for them to surprise him with a queerceañera, a coming out party to celebrate him. Between all the talks of tastings and venues, and the chirping of his family’s RSVP texts, the question of who will be his chambelán is on everyone’s minds. What Joaquin is decidedly trying to not think about is whether his mom is going attend or if she’s finally replaced him with her favorite godson, Felix—the boy who made Joaquin realize he was gay and who was his first kiss. But when an impromptu lie snowballs into a full-fledged family-group-chat rumor, every Zoido from Texas to Mexico starts believing that Felix is not only Joaquin’s chambelán but also his brand-new boyfriend. To avoid the pity and sympathies of an ill-timed breakup, Joaquin and Felix strike a deal—they’ll stay fake boyfriends until the party. Yet, as the day draws nearer and old feelings spark anew, Joaquin will have to decide whether a picture-perfect queerceañera with a fake boyfriend is worth giving up the chance of something real.

The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté Page Street YA

Written as a collection of vignettes and poetry, The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a creative nonfiction reflection on Black girlhood. The debut YA title, by award-winning author Angela Shanté, is a love letter to Black girls set in New York City and serves as a personal and political critique of how the world raises Black girls. As Shanté navigates the city through memory, she balances poetry with vignettes that explore the innocence and joy of childhood eroded by adultification. Through this book, she illuminates the places where Black girls are nurtured or exploited in stories and poems about personal and political boxes, love, loss, and sexual assault. Many entries are also studded with cultural footnotes designed to further understanding.

This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves. Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation. But things aren’t so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled “obscene” or “pornographic” and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors. Noor can’t sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politics—and small-town love—be her downfall?

The Boy From Clearwater: Book 2 by Yu Pei-Yun, illustrated by Zhou Jian-Xin, translated by Lin King Levine Querido

After his imprisonment in Green Island, Kun-lin struggles to pick up where he left off ten years earlier. He reconnects with his childhood crush Kimiko and finds work as an editor, jumping from publisher to publisher until finally settling at an advertising company. But when manhua publishing becomes victim to censorship, and many of his friends lose their jobs, Kun-lin takes matters into his own hands. He starts a children’s magazine, Prince, for a group of unemployed artists and his old inmates who cannot find work anywhere else. Kun-lin’s life finally seems to be looking up… but how long will this last? Forty years later, Kun-lin serves as a volunteer at the White Terror Memorial Park, promoting human rights education. There, he meets Yu Pei-Yun, a young college professor who provides him with an opportunity to reminisce on his past and how he picked himself up after grappling with bankruptcy and depression. With the end of martial law, Kun-lin and other former New-Lifers felt compelled to mobilize to rehabilitate fellow White Terror victims, forcing him to face his past head-on. While navigating his changing homeland, he must conciliate all parts of himself – the victim and the savior, the patriot and the rebel, a father to the future generation and a son to the old Taiwan – before he can bury the ghosts of his past.

Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire by Paula Yoo Norton Young Readers

Paula Yoo’s latest is a compelling, nuanced account of Los Angeles’s 1992 uprising and its impact on its Korean and Black American communities. On April 29, 1992, following the acquittal of four police officers charged with the beating and arrest of Rodney King and the earlier killing of teenager Latasha Harlins, the city of Los Angeles erupted in violence. Many of these events were centered on the city’s Koreatown, where tensions between the Black and Korean American communities had simmered for years, fueled by economic challenges and redlining and enflamed by sensationalized and racist media. Based on more than 100 personal interviews, Rising from the Ashes follows these events through the eyes and experiences of the families of King, Harlins, shooting victim Edward Jae Song Lee, and dozens of business owners, journalists, police officers, firefighters, activists, and other community members. Deeply researched and compulsively readable, this is a vivid, propulsive, and moving story of a pivotal moment in recent American history that continues to resonate today.

[glngrbred]

OK, so gen alpha is doomed, We can all agree on that, in the US specifically kids on average are not doing well (academically and behaviorally), and on top of that there is a growing mental health crisis in kids the age of my younger brother, like kids 10+. kids younger than that are doing better, that's not even weird to say. The issue is probably a combination of really small children post 2010 having consistently unregulated screentime, and also covid breaking up developmental patterns for kids, and sorta giving kids a habit of being on their devices for 18 hours a day. that's causing social issues and behavioral issues since their parents ALSO HAVE UNREGULATED SCREEN USE 24/7 and are NEGLECTFUL. if your kid is spending 10 hours a day on screens YOU ARE ENABLING THAT AND NEGLECTING THEM! Kids are literally not capable of regulating screen use on their own!!!!! and teenagers are BARELY able to, like if your teenage son has a learning disability like i do, they probably don't know how to regulate their screen use. the point is, people in the US are doing a disservice to the kids by completely ignoring issues that break up typical development. Like, being on a phone for 10 hours a day prevents you from making/building meaningful in person relationships, especially if that time is spent binging entertainment (or to a lesser extent playing video games). If 90% of kids in the Us spent 10 hours a day in their bedroom laying on the floor face down, it would be a national health crisis. being on your phone, just rotting, is barely better than that. Like, unless you are spending 10 hours a day doing regimented research on social media, like watching an entire crash course or something, you are not gaining any skills. Period. Like, you are just straight up losing your life to entertainment, friendships breakdown, your health goes the same way, your mental health is statistically probably doing the same thing, you are rotting.

If you are a parent, do a screen detox for real this time, get a therapist to help you, and find a way to spend time with your kid in a way that will benefit them in the future, help them study, take cooking classes, teach them some skills from your trade, Anything. Just please for the love of god help them find something to do that won't be exhausting, and WONT NEGLECT THEIR NEEDS!!!

-Sincerely, a barely adult who is just barely not rotting anymore <3

[italianpersonwithashippersheart]

Thoughts on RPF

I realized that I've been in the BL sphere a long time and I am now entering a new fandom (stray kids - still not going in the tags way too much x reader stuff that isn't my cup of tea at all) and I never made a post about my thoughts on RPF and how they changed etc. And since both spheres do have a pretty sizable RPF fandom I wanted to write my thoughts on a single post.

I used to be totally against it. We all seen the articles about the ruined friendships and how difficult it was for them (I am thinking about the One Direction boys and the likes). But then I entered the BL sphere and encounter Thai BL (and other spaces BL and K-Pop alike) brand of fanservice. And meet some lovely people who made look at stuff from another prespective.

So my current thoughts on the shipping of real people are the following:

Fanservice is not queerbaiting (Let's just get this out of the way) - Fanservice has been used everywhere in het shows and movies, even recently (see Bridgerton stars of the new season playful flirting in interviews and that Blond girl from Euphoria with the "romance" speculation thing for her het romance movie)

Shipping celebrities is actually nothing new. People have been doing that kind of stuff with het celebrities since we started having celebrity. I am pretty sure gossip magazine were at some point half founded by it. No one ever felt the need to make this into a weird horrid thing until people started to ship same sex people.

ANY FAN behavior that involves sending hate (or protest trucks or whatever else) to a real person celebrity or not is wrong. The reason behind the action is irrelevant, crossing that line because a real person you don't know didn't behave the way you wanted it to is wrong the why doesn't matter.

Shipping is a fan thing, don't ask about it to the celebrity during lives, don't always wonder about the ship or where the other person in the ship is. It's a fan thing, it stays in the fandom.

If the people you are shipping tell you to stop, STOP! If they say honestly we are just friends. They are just friends. Believe what they are saying. Even if that means you might fall for a lie, or whatever.

If they are queer it might not be safe for them to come out. And an acutal confirmation might ruin their carrear. Act accordingly.

Don't assume you know them, or that your opinion and vibes are what's actually true. Also the phrase don't assume other's people sexuality means don't presume any sexuality, straight included it doesn't just mean don't presume they are queer.

Don't make it your all life. There are things that are more important than shipping. I promise. If you base your full existence based on this one ship you will be miserable.

Platonic Love is still important and valid and not everything needs to be romantic.

FINALLY: My personal thoughts on whatever pair braind or ship of real people you see me mention on here is this. I love their realtionship. I like seeing men being openly affectionate and loving. Calling each other baby, and saying their relationship is important. I think it's doing great things in normalizing closensess between men and also platonic displays of affection. It would be neat if they were queer/dating (and some of them do have vibes beyond the ship thing that make me go 👀🏳️‍🌈❓). Because celebrities being openly queer is potentially game changing for large numbers of people. But so long as they are not assholes it's ok if they are just allies who don't behave in a toxic macho way. I don't know them, this is just for fun. If they are queer/dating great, amazing even. If they aren't 🤷‍♀️.

[lol-jackles]

(Li 1) I revisited a former favorite tag of mine, the tag "jaawy" at the tumblr blog likestarsonearthj2. After years of shock at JA's true face, I wanted to see for myself how his real horrible self was obvious but I couldn't see it in his pics & gifs under the tag (short for Jensen Ackles Always Watching You, the blogger's tag for when JA is looking at JP). And... it's like a completely different person! Was he "on" (acting like he cared abt JP I mean) nonstop? BTS, onstage? I just... wow.

I've always said the J2's codependent-ish friendship came first, and the (platonic) Wincest came afterwards. Writers write what they see in front of them. It's why I don't blame Tinhatters for thinking they’re in a relationship or J2 shippers for shipping them.

Jared was 22 when he was suddenly a lead of a show and responsible for the livelihood of 300 people (150 crewmen plus their families) to pay their rent and their kids’ colleges.  I would be surprise if Jared didn't turn to Jensen for support and became dependent on him to some degree to quell his anxiety.  Except people are not medicine and eventually Jared would realize that.

Jared might feel that he owes Jensen because he convinced Jared not to quit in season 3 or 4 due to mental health issues. If Jared had broke his contract before the show was syndicated (and why Kripke was "losing sleep"), then he would have been blacklisted by furious producers for costing them lucrative licensing deals because shows rarely survive without their lead actor. Jared publicly credited Jensen for convincing him not to leave and now Jared is a lead on another successful show, so Jared’s success is in part due to Jensen even though Jensen was looking out for himself at the time.

Jensen needs Jared to stay with Supernatural not only to keep the cash cow going, but to benefit from Jared's work ethics and business acumen. As the "Taker" in their codependent relationship, Jensen relied on Jared to assume or soften the negative consequences for his actions as well as compensate for his under-functioning.    Jared the "Giver" was a people-pleaser and cleans up the messes other people have made, lie or make excuses and pretend things are OK when they’re not.  Givers like Jared don't empower, instead they enable and make things worse.

Jensen knew 2 years before the series finale that Jared was leaving SPN, and from his pov, Jared has been leaving him for 2 years. In my experience with acquaintances who are Takers, they do not feel good enough for their Giver, and becomes resentful because they feel the Givers undermines their sense of competence.  Then the Takers tries to take the "mature" route by avoiding texting or talking to their Giver while feverishly working on themselves or their jobs.  in Jensen’s case, the prequel spinoff project.  Jensen planning a prequel spinoff without Jared’s knowledge is his twisted way of being “good enough” for Jared. 

At least that's my take based on witnessing some real life emeshed and codependents folks.

[asherlockstudy]

wouldn't it be crazy if rhett or link one day watched Close from A24 . it's them fr

Ok for real now.

I didn't know about this movie and I literally just found it and watched it after your mail. And........................ are we sure the screenwriter isn't in some way aware of Rhett and Link and their friendship? Because I am not sure at all it's entirely coincidental. It is wild.

First of all the kids are called Remi and Leo. Their personalities are reversed in comparison to Rhett and Link (meaning Leo is like Rhett and Remi is like Link)but still! Remi and Leo?!

There is an element of rural lifestyle in the movie despite it being modern and the parents all loving and open-minded.

Leo looks like Rhett did as a child and as Shepherd. The resemblance is uncanny.

Remi looks a bit like Link too.

Leo is the one who gets in denial mode and tries to make other connections through sports and such. Remi never denies or confirms anything and Leo's growing distance leaves him lonely. He retreats to his toys, drawings and playing the flute.

Leo is the dreamer of the two, imagining big things for Remi's future whereas Remi is timid and humble.

Much like Rhett, Leo simply can't not stare with hearteyes whereas Remi (Link) can be more subtle despite the depth of his feelings.

There is this implication that Remi's entire life revolves around Leo.

Leo has an older brother while Remi is an only child.

Remi's mother is a nurse...!

Leo even has a wetting the bed accident what the freaking freak is going on here

That movie would make them utter wrecks. It also reminds me of how often Link mentions Brokeback Mountain while always clarifying he has yet to watch it, which makes me suspect he wants to but he dreads its ending.... Makes you think...

[storkmuffin]

"how do you view the whole 'leader/captain' thing and the 'maknae' and the eldest hyung type of interpersonal hierarchy they push a lot in kpop boyband reality side content?" how do YOU view it? 👀👀👀👀 And in particular how does it contrast with your experience of regular day to day life?

Another excellent question!

The whole obsession with hyung v maknae is to me a reflection of Confucianism that's become militarized as a result of S. Korea's history with military dictatorships and the fact that we force all young men to live as active duty soldiers for a significant period in their 20s, and continue with being in the reserves, with regularly being summoned to military bases, into their 30s. So much of Korean civil society is militarized, and we, the civil society and women, keep trying to push back and uh, not succeeding very well.

In civil society, at major companies, they keep trying to get rid of titles altogether. Rather than like, Part Leader, Group Leader, Team Leader etc etc up the hierarchy, some major companies have just flatlined everyone's title to be 프로 (Pro), because there is a recognition that for business, when you're trying to gather the best ideas for profitability or product performance, having junior people crushed under the weight of older people's authority isn't a great communication method. At my company they have motivational posters that provide guidelines on how to have 'effective meetings' one of which is DID EVERYONE GET AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO TALK?

In families, more and more, eldest daughter (unnie) types have rejected the unreasonable demands for self-sacrifice or the parentification of that birth order position, and to say, OK why is it that we are raising spoiled men, who are maknae, who stay self identifed as babies into their 40s?? Who is that good for?

So like, I understand the need, perhaps, in an 8 person band, for someone to be 'the spokesperson' or speak for 'the group' either to the media or maybe to the company if they want to behave as a collective. Why can't it be though, a natural, organic thing, where a question is asked at a press conference and the person who wants to answer answer it?

In the two boygroups I've ever paid attention to, namely Stray Kids and Ateez, there's an additional wrinkle in the power dynamic in that the "Captain" Hongjoong or "Dad" Bang Chan is kind of the one with producer chops, the one who composes the most, who has the most participation rights in how the sound is ultimately directed, compared to other members. And that makes me wonder about say, what the relationship really would be between HongJoong and Mingi, who also contributes lyrics, or whether a real friendship would actually be possible between Bang Chan and Lee know, or Lee Know and Han, given that both Han and Bang Chan have 'producer' credits that Lee Know doesn't.

AND - sorry I keep doing this flip flop all the time - ON THE OTHER HAND - I wonder if Kpop is taking the cue, in some ways, from the classical music orchestra world, where there is a "First Violin" who does a bunch of things as Concert Master. The concept of the concert master (the First Violin) are to be the chief intermediary between the musicians and the conductor. They dictate bowings to the first violin section that always carries 'the tune'. They're supposed to be capable of playing solo passages in the absence of a guest soloist. They are charged with understanding the conductor's ideas and communicating them in technical terms to the rest of the orchestra. They lead the tuning of the orchestra. That sort of thing. In a vocal troupe of 8, that's also a dance troupe of 8, do we need a Concert Master? Maybe so!

In terms of the side content - I think it might be about appeal. If you have a maknae who behaves as a maknae (like I.N. of Stray Kids, or apparently, Jungkook of BTS), you can draw in the youngest fanbase possible, you can activate the protective urge of older fans, and you can also generate moments of 'cuteness' for longer than you can for the group than if everyone was the same age. OR, if you have a maknae who doesn't want to do that very much (Jongho of Ateez) there's a little spark of fun that comes from his creating this tension, like he's going to hulk out and overthrow the whole system when the maknae-ing gets to be too restrictive for him.

Shonda Rhimes tells this story about being the youngest in a huge family, where all fights were resolved between older siblings with a resigned, "OK fine, let's give it to the baby." Maknaes are useful for group dynamics in this same way, I imagine, depending on the group.

[mytragedyperson]

hii! i need a I get this out of my mind, so anyways imaging bakudeku (mha) to heartless by Kanye west 😩 something about it just makes me think about their dynamic and I love it

OK yeah I get that completely and, while I can hear it from both POVs, some elements are just Bakugou to me. So let's get into it

- as an AU after Bakugou tells Midoriya to jump off a roof and hope for a quirk in a next life or whatever it is he says along those lines, and after he meets All Might, he basically wakes up and realises how poorly he's been treated. He tells his mum and decides he wants to transfer school's which he does do.

- here he makes a friend, one shinsou Hitoshi, a kid who's bullied for having a villain quirk

- so we have midoriya, who admires or is fascinated by all quirks and heroes and so isn't scared of Shinsou, and Shinsou who has never had someone treat him kindly

- Midoriya helps Shinsou train for UA so they both get in the hero course. He uses his analysis to help Shinsou find a fighting style he can work with and they learn together

- Shinsou is the first to believe or at least tell him he doesn't need a quirk to be a hero and basically helps him build up his self esteem

- so when Deku gets to UA he's slightly more confident

He also decides to just ignore Bakugou and acts like he never knew him

Bakugou does not take this well but he's not as angry about Deku being there in general, he's still annoyed he has a quirk, but more than anything he's angry that he left, just transferred schools without a word. He hasn't quite accepted yet that that is on him in a way so he's mad at Deku

Especially because without Deku he was actually quite lonely

And then Deku has a friend in Shinsou which makes Bakugou quite jealous

so they still have their rivalry

and then at some point, quite by accident and without noticing, they start to become friends, or as close to that as Bakugou can have at this point. They talk out their issues, Bakugou finally acknowledges and takes responsibility for his own actions of mistreating Midoriya, and he acknowledges and truly realises how wrong what he said to Midoriya about jumping off the roof was

Also, yes, when one of them wakes up from a nightmare at 3 am they do call the other . They've known each other longer than anyone else, been through serious shit, know things about each other their other classmates don't. This causes a strange kind of trust where, even if they don't get along, they know they can call the other

Bakugou still has issues and still falls back into old patterns because it's hard to learn that but he's trying and he does grow to see Midoriya (and some of their other classmates) as equals.

Also Shinsou knows Deku used to be quirkless, was bullied by Bakugou and got All Might's quirk. So, he's not the biggest fan of Bakugou and doesn't fully approve of him and Midoriya's budding friendship. He's a protective friend.

The dekusquad (minus maybe Todoroki, who may ot may not understand the big deal) are also kinda cautious due to how Bakugou treats Midoriya at first.

But, as he makes steps to improve and become a better person and hero (he doesn't want to be like Endeavour, he still overheard Todoroki and Deku's conversation), the Dekusaquad slowly start to warm up to him.

Shinsou still doesn't because he knows how bad the bullying was but Deku swears him to secrecy, mainly to help protect the secret of him having All Might's quirk at first.

Look I'll be real with you, I like redemption but it's not gonna easy. This is Bakugou. Bakugou is a lot of things and prideful is the biggest one. Somehow he also manages to be insecure (maybe not the right word but I feel like, despite acting strong, he often feels weak, and when he feels particularly weak (like after he was kidnapped by the League), he tends to lash out. There's also his need to be the best, because it's expected of him, because he has a strong quirk and, for a long time, he was the strongest, the most powerful of his peers. The big fish in a small pond effect but not entirely because his quirk is powerful and he doesn't just rely on his quirk. He thinks things through

And Deku, in some ways, is easy to lash out at, especially now that he pushes back

And in a weird way he grows to respect Deku for that, for pushing back

This turned into a slight tangent but, yeah, I definitely can see this as Heartless.

To me, it is fitting

Deku kinda wishing he could just leave this toxic friendship and managing to

Honestly "you know some things but that's the old me" could be true for either depending on the situation, either Deku becoming more confident and standing up for himself or Bakugou slowly changing and becoming a better person

Also, the thing that actually made me think of Bakugou was "You got a new friend, well, i get homies / but in the end it's still so lonely" because Bakugou isn't dumb. He knows his middle school friends are only really hanging out with him for his quirk, Izuku was the only one that didn't, not in the same way or not fully at least.

It's definitely them early on in UA. I do imagine as they grow as people and heroes they become friends but that's admittedly because I love a happy ending where everyone is friends, not always possible, but in this case, after a lot of apologies, self-imporvement and probably therapy, I think they could make it work, unlike in the song

Editing this because I had another thought and that thought was this is just villain or maybe not villain but not a hero either Deku. This becoming his attitude towards society and Bakugou. Maybe Deku can't help but reach out to Bakugou when something happens at UA while he's attending and Bakugou answers and, against their better judgment, they actually talk but nothing ever changes

Edit: Feel free to request a song and any character or ship (platonic, romantic or any other relationship) and ill do the same for that. My asks are open. You can also request for other fandoms in my pinned post

[narutocharacterpolls]

ROUND TWO

HATAKE KAKASHI vs ZABUZA

Reasons for submission under the cut

Kakashi

relatable as an adult

he is just an overworked guy who was told to watch some kids w LOTS of issues

needs therapy

good presence and guidance in Narutos life

interesting

cares about and is dedicated to his students very much

he is just cool

he is trying his best despite what he has been through in the past

is up for having fun but still knows when to be serious

was a narcissistic shit but grew out of it

has good intentions

sexy

wonderfully complex and well developed character

incredibly resilient and supportive

a sad and deeply broken man

always willing to give his life to protect them and his other precious people

just wanted everything to be ok for once in his life

hated Danzo

his friendship with Gai is adorable

the way he teases Tenzo is fun

he’s known as cool and aloof but in reality he’s a huge dork

Gai would want him to win

Zabuza

is an icon as one of the first real antagonists of the Naruto series

there's a good reason why the Wave arc is so beloved and is rarely skipped in rewrite fanfics of the series, and part of that magic is Zabuza and his bond with Haku

is a massive threat, being an incredibly strong ninja who fled from the Mist village

while recovering, he grumbles but stays put as Haku heals him with herbal remedies, showing that he has a soft spot for his charge before things go downhill

despite his love of fighting and his ferocity he still has one weakness: Haku

he saved Haku when he was orphaned and kept him by his side ever since, helping him survive the cruel world

Haku only considered themself a tool for Zabuza, but in the end Zabuza realizes that Haku isn't a tool to him. Haku is his precious person

Zabuza kills Gato and the thugs that kept the land of Waves in poverty

kills them all with just a knife in his mouth, half-dead as he takes on a crowd of men

his death, alongside Haku's, helps cement the cruelty of the ninja world to a young Team Seven

the fact that he showed up only in the first arc and is remembered to this day really says smth

pushed the MCs and the audience into realizing how corrupt the shinobi system is

big sword