#'Don't be scared. 'I' will protect you'

[kazunarei]

You've seen first ten pull now get ready for~

First single pull!!! (((φ(◎ロ◎;)φ)))(((φ(◎ロ◎;)φ)))(((φ(◎ロ◎;)φ)))

Now you must be looking at this like

'Wait Kazzie you were talking about Eiden rooms, how did you just now get him?!'

I pulled him in Bliss first. ˋ( ° ▽、° ) This is my main.

Of course since I pulled him first try off this banner that means when Demon King Eiden rerun comes up those 190 red gems are going into the void with nothing in return. _(:з)∠)_

Sadness . . .

[roses-and-revolutions]

DP x DC Prompt: The Watchlist

Batman has a watchlist. A list that contains every individual who could become a rouge and a contingency plan for if they did.  

And while they, his children, often make fun of his paranoia and him for having it, they totally understand why he did. They lived in Gotham, for Christ's sake. Where everyone’s just a pin drop away from being the city’s next big villain, forcing the bats to scratch their heads while playing cat and mouse with a sicko for a good few weeks. And while they won’t admit it, the list has helped them a few times. 

But that won’t stop them from making fun of any of the list’s new developments. Because you see, there was a new list. And it wasn’t just a watchlist. No, no, no. It was The Watchlist.

It was a new development after he and Robin went on an out-of-state mission to investigate some town in bum fuck nowhere Illinois. And it was under some pretty tight security as well, so they were expecting something good, like mad scientists or evil mayors. Not profiles of the kids who lived in the town. And while there were a few metas and vigilantes that made the list interesting, by the end of it all they just seemed to be teenagers. 

Until they saw Damian. They hadn’t seen him since he came back from the mission with B. He looked tired. Like ‘Tim hasn’t slept in a week and is surviving on just coffee beans’ tired.

“Ah, I see you all have found it. Good. A few of them will be arriving next week as they’re a part of Gotham Academy’s student exchange program. At least three of them will be staying in the manor with us. Father will need you all to be on standby and to be ready for any possible scenario. Please, for the love of all that is good, do not encourage them in any way, shape, or form. And please do not dismiss them either. The outcome of doing that will be much worse. Is there more that I should add? Yes. Will I? No, because you won’t understand. Not until you've seen what I have.” 

The demon child sighed, then looked them dead in the eyes. “Godspeed to us all.” Then walked away.

Okay, they were scared now.

[secriden]

There's something so wondrously momentous about Style only saying his "I love you" now, when he realises that all the secrets he was keeping from Fadel are already laid bare.

He says this a significant time after Fadel has said his (and, in the context of the wider narrative, after Kant and Bison) and for the character we have seen as prone to glibness, exaggeration and flippancy with his words, that feels incredibly intentional.

Because this confession was the only truth Style had left to give.

Fadel is finally done playing his (poorly thought out) game, done with his (already cracking at the seams) charade, done with giving Style more opportunities to pull at his heartstrings with his earnestness lies.

Fadel is demanding the truth, and tells Style exactly what truth he wants to hear.

And the thing is, there is truth in this: Style's motivations at the start were wrapped up in a deception specifically targeting Fadel.

I know we, as a fandom, harp on about Style "doing all that for a car", but something I would like us all to revisit is what Kant actually says to Style when he first asks Style to "hit on" Fadel:

Kant: You need to help me. You know I don't usually feel this way about someone. And then shortly later, after Style refuses: Kant: Hey, hold on. (Kant grabs Style's hand.) What do I have to do to for you to help me out? Should I pay you?

(Please forgive my inability to gif and watch Style's reaction to this.) Style is visibly surprised and intrigued. Kant seems to be serious about this request, and I think Style decides to test just how important it is to Kant by asking for the one thing he knows Kant will not give up.

Just look the expressions on Style's face. We didn't have the context of knowing Style back then as well as we do now, but this is the look Style gets when he's throwing out a challenge (to Fadel), when he's trying to ferret out some new insight (from Fadel), when he wants to see how someone (Fadel) will react to whatever outlandish (provocative) thing he's said or done.

And when Kant agrees, Style even checks again if Kant is serious about going through with it -- and it's this that convinces Style of the sincerity of Kant's request.

Yes, the car was a factor, and yes Style also wanted revenge and to humble Fadel, but at the centre of Style's motivation has always been a plea for help from a friend.

In episode 1: Kant: Under one condition. You have to make him head over heels in love with you. Style: I'll do it. Not just for the car, but someone like him needs to be humbled by someone like me.

But in agreeing to help Kant, Style really was damning Fadel to play the fool because Fadel's feelings (his heart) was a commodity that Style was fully willing to play with back then.

And there are aspects of truth here too. When Kant tells Style about Fadel (and Bison) being hitmen, Style decides he's done and wants out. Kant reasons that it's more dangerous for Style to break up with Fadel now, because it would look suspicious, but crucially this isn't enough to convince Style.

So Kant, once again, makes the plea to friendship and to his need for Style specifically, and it is this that causes Style to finally cave.

But in doing so, the things that Style agrees to are:

Kant: Work with me. Help me get more information about them. Once we get that, it's done. Captain puts them in jail, and we walk free.

So while Style may not be directly working with the police, he is working with Kant who he knows is working with the police. By proxy, Style is involved with the police, but in front of the empty pool, he makes it clear to Fadel just what that involvement actually entailed:

Style: Kant asked me to take you out so you could leave him alone and he could freely investigate. Fadel: What did he get out of it? Style: I don't know! That ain't my business! All I was asked of is to take you out.

And this, too, actually is true! Since finding out, Style has literally not discovered a single thing that could be remotely useful to the police investigation:

He's found out that Fadel likes to gym at night. He's found out that Fadel uses tenderloin in his burgers. That he runs in the morning before going to the market. That he attends a grief support group.

But these were all things Kant also already knew and could have given the police if it were in any way useful for the investigation.

Even his attempts to get Fadel to confess to his "other job" (something the police also already know) were clearly in service of wanting to save Fadel and/or convince him to give up the life of crime in the hopes that Fadel wouldn't have to be sent away from Style to prison.

But the truths are tangled up in misunderstandings and Fadel's own assumptions now; and also further tainted again by Bison's own hurt over Kant's betrayal. And Fadel literally cannot see -- because his eyes are filled with tears [see: @thisautistic's gifset + my tags] (good grief, Joong, the actor you are) -- the honesty Style is bleeding from the marrow of his bones.

Because the truth is that along the way Style has also found out that Fadel is a good older brother. That Fadel is still hurting and bleeding inside because his parents were murdered. That Fadel wears his favourite bands' make up in secret because he cannot bear the thought of other's judgement. He's found out that Fadel misses Style, wants Style, and hates himself for it. That Fadel is afraid to love. That Fadel is acutely aware of his own darkness and cannot comprehend an existence that would not involve someone (Style) rejecting it. That Fadel does not believe that 100% trust is possible, but that he will get himself drunk so that he can offer Style as much vulnerability as he can physically make himself give.

Because the things that Style did find out were all the ways Fadel's heart is soft and tender and precious and worthy worthy worthy of all the love Style has to give.

And Style will stand firm on this truth because this is the only thing he has left to give Fadel.

Because Fadel knows, now, all the ways Style was unworthy of his trust, but crucially has not figured out the most important truth:

Because in all the ways that Fadel has ever known he should want, Style actually IS worthy of his trust. Style knows the truth Fadel is hiding, knows what this man is capable of, knows the danger of being in his arms, knows the likely nonexistent future Fadel has to offer him -- and wants him anyway. -- Quoted from my meta post on the "One day, I'll be your 100%" line.

And as I alluded to in the tags on @yinwaring's insightful post: Style fully embodies the belief he espouses; because even in the face of a gun to his head and Fadel threatening to kill him if he will not admit that this, too, is a lie, Style refuses to give Fadel anymore dishonesty.

And this is because Style knows that the truth matters; now more than ever.

Because Style has had days to grapple with his worry after Fadel's disappearance. Style has had a week's worth of checking the diner only to face the regret he feels about not handling things differently. Style has had to recognise the terror of thinking he had lost something he never even knew he wanted in the first place.

And while Fadel had his realisation back in episode 4, Style never had to face this until Fadel vanished from his life and left a gaping hole in the shape of the absence of Fadel's smile.

So if this is what it takes, if this is the penance that Fadel demands of him, then it is a price Style is most happy to pay.

Because Fadel does not realise is that Style, too, now knows what it means to lose a love worth fighting for.

And in the war Fadel now feels compelled to wage against Style (because, yes, that's definitely still going on), the one damning thing Fadel has failed to recognised is that his only true weapon was leaving Style behind.

Which is why Style has already won. Not because Fadel's walls have crumpled again or because they don't still have a ton of things to talk through and work out (they really, really do), but because Style has already been stripped bare (and I mean this literally, like we all recognise THAT was the reason why Dunk is only in boxer shorts in that scene, right?? Like, I know we were joking about it, but seriously, that was so very intentional and a visual representation of Style being both stripped and, most importantly, freed from the lies he felt compelled to tell Fadel) and this means he has nothing holding him back.

And Fadel can wield his gun and his words and his anger and his hurt, but Style will die on the hill of the truth that he knew and understood and chose to love Fadel anyway, and saved this last confession for when he knew he could tell Fadel the truth without any lingering deception; and when the time is right, when Fadel is finally ready, Style will be there to welcome him back with open arms and, without any hesitation, an open heart.

[karlachismylife]

Don't know if anyone here needs or wants to hear it, but really, from someone who's been born into Putin's reign and is still living it. Life doesn't end there. Dystopia doesn't knock on your door the next day after inauguration.

No, it's not gonna be all sunshine and rainbows, and they most likely will try to make it worse, but shit like this isn't done in mere seconds. I might not understand it fully, because for me elections never have been "the time to decide", but please, try not to let the panicking consume you. Take care of yourself. Form communities and networks. This is the shit we lacked and now it's borderline impossible to organize on lower levels here (people still do it. people still fight for other people.)

This is not the end of the world, and if you keep going, it won't be the end of the world tomorrow, in a month and in a year too.

Also please remember that they all are old as fuck and you have big chances to outlive them. Don't lessen your chances by neglecting yourself and your community.

Sincerely, your fucking Russian that is very much living the "dark future" some of you are panicking about. Key word is living. And others are too. Helping people avoid being sent to war, helping people avoid being deported, helping women escape all kinds of abuse. Distributing food and protecting animals they are trying to kill. Fighting against ruining environment. Keeping extincting languages of some minorities alive.

We are living. You'll live too. You have it in you to stand together. I absolutely believe in you.

[zeroducks-2]

I feel like a lot of folks who insist that the rampant purity culture in fandom spaces is "not a real problem", and something "an adult with a job" shouldn't deal with, fail to realize that if you simply engage with a certain ship or a certain trope you are exposed to cyberbullying in the form of insults, death threats, rape threats, suibating, self-harm baiting, attempts at doxxing, loss of your livelihood.

Your traumas will be stepped on if you have any, and/or treated as a joke. Your coping mechanisms will be deemed wrong, bad, harmful to yourself and other people, and you will be shamed for having them. The work you have been doing for your mental health, regardless if you dabble in the hobbies you like because of past traumas or because it's just a past-time you have, will be kicked into the dirt because someone is grossed out by them and they arbitrarily decided you cannot express your interest in them.

It is a real problem. Being an adult with a job doesn't give you an "exempt from this" badge that will protect you from harassment if you engage with anything that antis deem immoral.

And there are no "two sides of the same coin" and "two versions to hear" when it comes to this. I don't care if you think someone liking something is "unhealthy", that's none of your business what another person likes. Antis do not "have a point", they never do, their reaction to seeing a dark trope or an "unhealthy ship" are never justified. Hurting real living and breathing people over fictional content is never justified!

[the-baby-storyteller]

Whumpees and caretakers with estranged/rocky past relationships.

Whumpee used to know Caretaker, but now they’re like strangers. Maybe they broke up years ago or became estranged, family or otherwise. What matters is it ended, and it ended badly. Each swore they wanted nothing to do with the other, and they would never talk, never see them again, and years pass.

But then one day Caretaker sees them. Or shall I say, Whumpee finds Caretaker. And they’re begging. They run up to Caretaker battered and bruised and Whumpee is clinging to their clothes, eyes shot to the heavens, muttering words of please please you have to help me please I can’t.

Caretaker’s first thought when they saw them was anger as the memories their face brought flooded in, then confusion when they took in their appearance. But now, it’s a stricken horror and what in the world happened and what is going on? Why does Whumpee look like this way, happened to them why are they begging me-

That same haughty person who left Caretaker or the family and gave them such strong glares of contempt is this…frail, shaking figure who looks like they’re on the edge of death? They haven’t associated in years, and memories of before still haunt Caretaker to this day, but right now all they can think is something is wrong with Whumpee, they’re hurt and came to me which is a big enough sign that something is wrong that I need to do something about it.

They fight through their shock and slowly gain enough sense to draw a hand down Whumpee’s back to try to appease them. They feel Whumpee shudder and flinch and they wince in turn. Being around Whumpee makes them…uneasy.

“P-Please-.” They hear Whumpee desperately.

They look down, into Whumpee’s eyes, and can see their fear. They know Whumpee remembers everything that happened, the fights that went down, the things both of them said. They know that even as they cling here to Caretaker, they’re afraid that Caretaker will shake them off in disgust and let them go back to whoever did this to them. Caretaker knows.

But what Whumpee doesn’t understand is that there’s no way they’re going to turn them away when they looking like that.

(Especially not when whumpee is begging them and looking at them with those eyes that they remember so clearly and they can’t stand seeing them be hurt and whoever hurt them is going to pay-)

[literaryspinster]

I just saw a commenter annoyed with Marie for being afraid to use her powers and... the only time i can recall her being hesitant to use her powers was when she didn't want to hurt Cate. Also, even if she was always afraid to use them she has a good damn reason because she's killed and maimed several people completely by accident. People are so goddamn weird on Twitter.

[pikkish]

For as much as I love Doom, I think we can all agree that modern Doom's writing is a bit of a dumpster fire of questionable choices and TAG especially so. So,

I'm gonna play Dark Ages when it comes out, and probably even enjoy it, too, but boy, do I have next to no faith that they're not gonna somehow totally screw over the story they themselves already established...

[lyknest]

so, who is writing TinnGun fake dating practice kissing AU. listen to my pleads ao3 gods.

[krys-loves-otome]

Krys Plays Otome #1: Xavier doesn't like me becoming a Sylus Girlie

Hey, thought I'd try a little something on this last day of 2024, which is basically something I did while I was still on twitter and kinda do on bluesky, which is to post random thoughts I have with the otomes I'm playing. I think this will be similar to my OC Brain Rot posts where a random thought strikes me and I just wanna blather about it for a while. If peeps like this, I might turn it into a semi-regular thing, but no promises.

For this post, I'm ramble a bit about something that happened while I was playing Love and Deepspace. Spoilers ahead, both for the game in general and for Sylus's Night of Secrecy Card.

So, for context's sake, I'm a newbie player. Started, give or take, about 10 days ago. Still getting used to mechanics and the story. Steamy banner dropped this morning and I got Sylus (he's been intriguing me lately and we're going to ignore what it took to get that card, kthx).

And I get to reading the story and (aside from the steam at the ending, which does get steamy and I do appreciate motherfucking Sylus's being a king and asking for consent the two times MC was given the choice) but before getting to the steamy part, the beginning portion was taken up with Sylus being domestic with MC as he stays at her apartment for a bit. It's super cute and I melted into a puddle at their domestic antics, but that's not what I'm here to talk about.

For further context's sake, Sylus has the lowest level of affinity currently with me, which is understandable as I haven't been playing for long and don't have a lot of cards with him yet (tho thanks to what we're ignoring about how I got Sylus's steamy card, I got two more 5 stars of him thanks to that lil adventure).

The highest affinity I have currently? Xavier.

When the story started taking place in MC's apartment, I also had a thought that in a previous chapter, it was made known that Xavier is MC's upstairs neighbor.

The fact that a wanted criminal was staying in the same building (from what I've gathered about Xavier thus far) probably wouldn't phase him, I don't think? But, the fact that MC has another man in her apartment…?

I also bring this up as a few days prior, Sylus had also visited the home screen café. I couldn't do much but bap at him as the affinity level wasn't high enough for me to do much more than bap at him (the kitten allegations, man…) but anyway… the game crashed during a bap session, so I restarted as I still needed to finish my dailies, and…

Guess who was on the home screen this time?

Xavier. Just standing there with his usual sweet grin and a whispered hello. Sylus wasn't there anymore.

Like, the characters just randomly showing up on the home screen is normal as I set it to be that way to keep me entertained, but still…

Game crashes and Sylus is gone, only for Xavier (who has the highest affinity level currently) to appear afterward? Did they fight off-screen?

It's why I'm thinking of Sylus staying at MC's apartment, while mind-meltingly cute, I also have in my mind Xavier staring out of windows at them (maybe pressed against the glass of MC apartment, while she's none the wiser with Sylus subtly closing the curtains or something.)

And now it's haunting me.

More specifically, Xavier is haunting me as I'm on the fast track to becoming a Sylus girlie and he's not happy about it.

[bittsandpieces]

Apparently people are trying to take my place, which I think is adorable. They can come submit an application when THEY know where you live and work. Real big sisters know everything about their siblings <3

-🥩🔪

got me kicking my feet n shit

[desultory-novice]

[Rec Links Mentioned During the Stream!]

Bandanna Waddle Dee Comic by Nora [a must read!!!]

Seriously, everyone read this whole thing right now. It's done without words and it is just... amazing!! The art will blow you away it's soooo good. And the story is really touching/powerful too!

Warnings: Has some scary elements / angst / character death

[More ...Problematic... Links Below >.>]

--

I CANNOT recommend these to everyone, but both of them have some ideas that Dess is very fond of. (Both are written in Japanese.)

Ruto's Magic-Sharing Marxolor fanfic: "The Hungry Magician and the Gear Wizard"

Warnings: Marxolor; R-18 (and adjacent) content!! (Please obey the rules and don't read any of the stories marked R-18 if you're under age! I do not want to get any authors nor minors in trouble! To be perfectly honest, due to how the magic-sharing is written, I would recommend not reading this at all if you aren't 18...!)

Marx and Magolor have a complicated "I like you but I don't like (having to rely on) you" relationship that involves the transference of magic power back and forth to keep Marx fed and Magolor's magic working; this exchange is ostensibly sexless but is written pre~tty much like a sex scene ^^; (there is some kissing etc involved too)

I'm mostly linking this not because I recommend any of my readers attempt to read it (unless you're REALLY into the ideas above) but because the author's HC of how Marx and Magolor individually interact with/view magic and exchange it is just...super fascinating to me and I want to see more magic-share Marxolor as a concept!  ; _ ;  (There's also some delicious Post-Crown angst in the beginning!)

-

Amajo(?) Mitsuru's MaruKabi Gijinka Comic: "Ultra Super Paradox"

Warnings: Marx x Kirby; female Kirby in a short skirt; there's some age hijinks going on with Marx (!) but the Marx that falls in love with Kirby is her age and their relationship remains entirely chaste; a few (unfortunate) fan-service-y shots; one page hot springs scene with the female Meta Knights; skinny twink Dedede (-_-); character death

In spite of it's issues, I really like this comic and it had major influences on my fandom writing (despite the fact that I write these two as just friends, myself) I particularly love Marx and Kirby's journey from "What's up with this reality? A second ago, we were fighting to the death?!" to friends to two people who truly love each other; plus I thought the author managed to string all the Super Star scenarios together in a compelling way... even Gourmet Race!!

[cerealbishh]

"You okay?"

"Mhm."

"Good, now go get ready and wish for the best."

[sysig]

It’s hard to put on a bright face, in spite of everything (Patreon)

[tenwhiteandalusians]

and then no one said anything about the fact that if i watched ONE MORE episode tenax pulls a "i'm not angry i'm just disappointed i'm hurt" about scorpus signing with the white faction.

[bylertruther]

some byIers be like "well, yeah everyone in hawkins from kids to teens to adults knew that will was gay and called him all sorts of slurs and made fun of his clothes and laughed at him but that's just because they had secret knowledge bestowed upon them by a higher power or something about him being gay. clearly it wasn't because will is visibly gay and does not act like other boys (aka is gnc) or fit in with them aside from his party who are also outcasts for different reasons. everyone knew that he was gay even though will has never tried or done anything with another boy, and it has NOTHING to do with how we're told in many ways that he does not act like, dress like, or like the same things as everyone else in literally under the first twenty minutes of this show. will is our conforming #hypermasc king who isn't ever scared of anything, has never needed to be saved (and definitely not repeatedly), never cries, never gets called slurs aimed at feminine men, is on par with hopper when it comes to being a manly macho all american man, and would fight anyone and everyone with pure ice in his veins. fuck you if you call him sensitive or acknowledge that he runs away and hides when confronted with danger bc obviously being scared and fighting in any not offensive&aggressive way is Bad and Emasculating and something to be Ashamed of. embracing will's canon traits is Bad and instead acting exactly like lonnie does is Good and makes you an exemplary ally btw. so is taking everything about will and plastering it onto mike instead somehow for mental gymnastics reasons that i will never explain to you bc i know it's dumb."

and somehow..... i'm supposed to respect some of u and ur opinions? 🤨