#( look we talked about Zack treating her like a girl )

[ad-hawkeye]

a big list of my favorite little alkaid moments

[modern] being found absolutely conked out in the snow on the mountain. that's one way to have a meet cute i guess.

[modern] alkaid's "morning call service" where he calls mc each morning pretending to be a hotel help desk staff member reminding her to wake up... only to keep it short sometimes because he can't bring himself to wake her up

[modern] whatever sort of Beep inside joke they have going on where they pretend to make a reservation or selection for each other

[modern] alkaid requesting to do the ET finger touch thing when talking about aliens with mc

[modern] mc claiming that she's the dangerous one of the two when it comes to her and alkaid.

[modern] beanie and sparkles having cat play dates. alkaid also using "sparkles would like to see beanie" as an excuse to see mc.

[modern] the only time this alkaid had a murderous look in his eyes was when someone tried to hurt sparkles.

[modern] "hey don't feel down! as long as you try your best, you can definitely become a horrible person!" "......! well if you really think so, then i'll give it a try."

[modern] alkaid being a natural flirt to the point where he doesn't even realize he's doing it sometimes, but being unable to take what he dishes by getting blushy or bashful when mc flirts with him instead.

[modern, halloween] alkaid absolutely struggling to put on the angel wings for his costume and needing mc to help him get the second wing on.

[modern, halloween] mc lamenting that she can't resist eating some of the candy she makes and alkaid being like. oh no. no, that's not falling to temptation, that's just taste testing. and it is Totally your duty.

[modern, halloween] alkaid apologizing for being too forward even though all he did was say he liked mc's bouquet for him the most. someone lock this man up, we are NOT safe with him on the streets.

[modern, princess day] alkaid being "deathly terrified of screwing up" bartending for princess day for mc so he practices.. for hours…. and hours…

[modern, love day] if mc chooses to look at the scenic photos alkaid took at the carnival, alkaid will jokingly claim the ones of him and her are now his and yoink them away from her

[modern, love day] alkaid saying mc can act like a cat when she visits his place, only for her to meow at him and step on his foot

[godheim] alkaid asking for a hug before he overexerts his magic and then goofily proclaiming that he's "so scandalous!" before giving mc another side hug.

[godheim] mc and alkaid's banter where alkaid initially says "good girl" to her for keeping her eyes closed during his magical overexertion, only for mc to say "you're being such a good boy" to his frozen body in the carriage, where his eyelids just barely twitch in vague annoyance.

[godheim] speaking of being frozen. he heard and saw everything mc did while he was in that state. so that was definitely him responding to her. he also remembered her kissing him. he refuses to answer mc when she asks if he was conscious.

[godheim] zack calling alkaid out on wearing his old mage outfit simply bc mc likes it. alkaid just smiles and is like hey. quiet. you might wake her up and she'll hear. that's not how you treat the guy who saved your life 🥺🥺

[godheim] alkaid's support for ayn and mc during ayn's route and helping the two of them escape.

[godheim] during the hunting event, alkaid has to be forced into participating by lars' orders. even then he still doesn't participate and proceeds to buy all of the meat at the market place with the money he and mc made off of his magic tricks. he claims this is definitely not cheating. mc agrees.

[eden] there's not a ton for eden since that world's alkaid is the equivalent of a sopping wet pitiful cat, but there's something endearing about alkaid learning all of his social graces and dating etiquette from old books. the prefect had to sit and watch all of this like some sort of long suffering older brother forced to play dolls or whatever

[eden] alkaid panicking and running off when mc asked him to find the missing boy who called for help.

[eden] out of all of the things he could have chosen to wear, alkaid picks out this like. coquette?? pretty boy tuxedo? WITH a cunty little earring? good for him... good for him!

[eden] he also makes a bunch of little model dioramas with houses, gardens and people in them. if he ever went to the modern world he would LOVE michael's.

[eden] in his epilogue, alkaid remade his little lantern with him and mc in it because she was the only one who could stir any kind of feeling in him after losing his emotions. he gets very embarrassed if she finds this out.

[roboneco]

Something I noticed about the difference between the writing of boys and girls in lookism is that with boys

WE. GOT. DEPTH.

The "main" side characters to me are Zack, Vasco, Eli, Vin, Jay, Zoe, Mira, Mary, and Crystal. They are the ones who for the first 200 chapters or so I thought the story will revolve around (till god dog arc of course) I'll only talk about two boys and two girls to not bore you.

We got introduced to Zack as an arrogant bully and to Vasco as a kind hero but a biased one. PTJ could have just gave them character development and all would have been well but NO he decided to give them backstories. Vasco got a full one and Zack got a few panels talking about how he was always praised as the best and how that inflated his ego (remember a backstory is reasoning not an excuse for anyone's actions) till we got a bigger picture during Johan's own backstory that explained why he stopped boxing and turned from a kid who picks fights to an outright bully.

Now listen of course that was the right choice (to give them backstories I mean) but when you do that to every male character, I expect of you to treat the female characters the same way! But no.

Mira first is introduced as Zack's "girlfriend" later we discover she isn't and all we know of her is that she's sweet, courageous and hates fighting......wow she's perfect! No flaws to trace the origin of or to think of how to fix them! Ok PTJ I am now waiting for her backstory where we learn what gave her all these amazing traits and how she managed to be such a good person!

Oh.... apparently she's always been like that... because we didn't get shit. Like even the cult arc which was mainly Johan's anyways didn't give us anything about her. Sure stuff happened to her and she did a cool thing but there was no lasting effects on her that showed in the story. No trauma. No bitterness. No nothing. She is the same before and after the arc except.....of course her relationship with the boys got strained.....

UGHH! Ok ok ok cool cool cool COOL! What about Zoe! Zoe is a queen and her character actually developed and changed! She started as a mean girl who only cared about looks and now she is so understanding and sweet! She even sacrificed herself for Daniel!

Look all this is great. I have some problems with her arc (not all of it!!) but this isn't what I am talking about now. What I am talking about is her behavior is never explained.

"What is there to explain? She has bias like everyone in society. That's literally the theme of the comic. That doesn't need explaining" ok the same applies to Zack! He was shown as the stereotypical bully who then changes their ways and befriends the protagonist type of character. Yet PTJ chose to flesh him out with a backstory and introduced another important character through him (Johan my darling boy) and didn't find it important to do the same for Zoe.....

Like for real not even like one chapter that talks about anything in her life other than boys. Her backstory didn't have to be impactful or anything. I still remember Vasco's with fondness even tho it has nothing to do with the plot now what so ever.

I picked these 4 to talk about because arguably at that point of the story they were all of the same importance but the same applies to the others up there I didn't mention. Except Jay because no hate I feel like PTJ made him as fan service and doesn't actually know what to do with him.

[strayheartless]

@salternateunreality2 said that Zack fair was the Steve Irwin of FF7 and now I can’t stop thinking about it!

We talked a bit about how baby Zack used to bring random jungle animals home and got yelled at when the were agressive and/poisonous. Zacks dad having the patience of a saint as he took baby Zack back outside to go set it free and have a conversation about how tree frogs do not make good pets. Mama fair wishes he would grow out of it but at 13 just before Zack ran away he would still burst in with boa constrictors and the occasional jaguar cub that he’d found hit by a Shinra vehicle. He always had dog treats on him for the local strays and Cats seemed to adore him.

When he gets to Shinra it doesn’t get better. Angeal has had to stop too many briefings in the field because Zack has found and interesting (and likely venomous) spider. Genesis refuses to go into the field with him anymore because last time Zack started petting the wererats and feeding them cheese!

He brings home every stray he finds and it’s around the time Zack brings home a desert fox that Lazard gives up policing the issue. Apart from anything else, Zack seems to genuinely know what he’s doing with the animals he finds. He has a bunch of books and audio tapes on zoology; he’s uses all his money to buy the right foods and enclosures; he even has a fail safe of people to go in and check on the critters in his apartment while he’s away.

Kunsal’s his go to guy but Cloud absolutely gets dragged into it too. Both of them are country boys and used to wild animals and Zack only ever keeps the animals until their rehabilitated. Then he travels with them to put them back in their original habitats. Zack does have animals he keeps though

There’s a lot of spiders (Cloud dislikes them intensely),

the lame street dog he built a wheel chair for from Kalm. Zack named her Dude only to find out she was a girl so now she gets miss Dude (she seems to adore Cloud and follows him all over the building)

the two albino cats with wobbly cat syndrome called bink and bonk (kunsals personal favourites)

the angry looking Banoran Cave Toad named Genesis (Angeal’s personal favourite.)

Many many fish all with various stupid names.

That one stick insect named Paul… for some reason.

And a giant wutian planes Rabbit named flop. (Zack happened to “accidentally” register him as a therapy animal who’s main job is sitting on a certain General Sephiroth when he goes non verbal.)

[cottoncandy-cult]

Calmer Days

Zack Foster x LilSis! Reader

I'm finally getting around to transferring a lot of my stuff from Wattpad to here, so here is the first of many to come. Might event transfer my Zack Foster Scenarios book. But that depends, I might save that book and one of my others for my Ao3 incase they're too long to post without multiple parts of just one scenario. Oh how I wish the organization on here was better, and that we didn't have such a small word count limit.

Anyways TW: Lot's of swearing and references to child abuse (If you know anything about Angels of Death or Zack you know his story isn't a happy one.)

Zack was stretched out on the couch in his room on floor B-6, his younger sister was walking around trying to clean up a little. Unlike her big brother she wasn't a blood thirsty killer, just a quiet girl who loved her brother dearly. She had bandages around her right arm and around her waist, she was maybe 5 when Zack had been set on fire, in her attempt to help put him out she had been burned as well. "Why do you even bother? This place is a shit hole anyways, not like we'll be having guests any time soon " (Y/n) only smiled, putting an empty box in a trash bag. She was on decent terms with Danny, so usually when he went out, she'd ask him to pick up one or two things. "Because I'm tired of not being able to walk without stepping on something, besides... I can't help it..." The young girl looked down, Zack only sighed as he got up and approached her. (Y/n) had been abused much like Zack, despite being so young their mother treated her as a maid. She took care of most the chores, and if things weren't up to their mother's standards, she'd be beaten with a leather belt. Zack tried to stand up for her, but then they started using her to punish him.

Zack may not have remembered much about the night he was set ablaze, but she did, and her heart ached. Their whore mother brought one of her John's home, the bastard had slapped (Y/n) because the beer she brought him wasn't cold enough. Zack had immediately stepped up; the fight was verbal at first. But then he drug Zack to the garage, having locked the door that led into the house. But when (Y/n) heard his screams she ran around through the door on the side of the garage, she was horrified at what she saw. She wasn't sure how she caught fire, thinking back she figured when she tripped running into the garage that her arm had touched a puddle of gas. So, when she got close to put him out, she figured that's when it caught fire. Their mother had been the one to put them out, but she simply wrapped them up in bandages and dumped them off at the shitty house that night.

The two were all they really had, so he had no second thoughts of pulling the girl into his chest. He always felt guilty for when they were kids, how often she was hurt just because he messed up. "I promise (Y/n), no one will hurt you ever again. If they try, I'll fucking kill them." His voice was soft but gruff, the girl dropping the garbage bag in favor of hugging him back. Her body relaxed into it, the only time she felt safe was when she was close to her brother. She blamed him for nothing, he did his best and he couldn't help the positions they had been put in. "Thank you, bubba..." Her voice was soft, Zack petting her for a moment before going back to the couch.

(Y/n) smiled, picking up the bag and continuing to clean. She had the best big brother in the world, no one could tell her otherwise. "Hey Zack?..." The girl turned to her brother who flipped through the pages of a magazine, he couldn't read but he liked the pages. "What?" He didn't glance up, but she knew he was listening. "You'll never leave me... Right?" That got his attention, he looked to her with a raised eyebrow. "The fuck you talking about? Of course, I wouldn't leave you stupid." That made the girl giggle and nod, going back to cleaning. Zack smiled softly as he watched, then went back to his magazine. She was his sanity.

[ocean-anchored]

November 23, 23... continued

Saturday evening I went to Grape Fest with Sasha which was also really fun. It was super busy but we had a good time & some good laughs, I enjoy her company a lot, she's a good one. Sunday I went to a new church. I was a bit nervous but I'm glad I went. A girl my age sat beside me & we ended up talking afterwards, I asked if she needed prayer & we exchanged prayer requests & numbers. Later I met up with Daniel at Courtyard for a beer & then we went for nearly a 2 hour walk. It was pretty nice, he's really genuine & intentional. We had really great conversation about life & ended up getting pretty vulnerable. He's a good guy & I'm glad to have him as a friend. Monday I ended up going to Okotoks because Ed canceled our meetings. I told Danny I forgave him which was nice, we hugged it out & its in the past. This guy Braeden works there, I know he's just a young kid but damn he's nice to look at. I went to Anneriekes for late birthday dinner & visit with J. It was good but always all about Steve. It was nice to hear the update at least but man, it's like you try to keep her at arms length but after that night she's texted me like 5 times, sent me a bunch of stuff on IG it's just a lot. I feel bad but I just got to watch myself & my time. Tuesday night I went for sushi with Kamber - finally met up with her since like 3 months ago. I really love that girl too, she's so sweet & we always have such a great time. I'm really glad to have met her & our friendiversary is coming up too in January so I need to find that out. Yesterday I essentially got off for the week since it's US thanksgiving. I had a meeting & cleaned the house etc. Zack started texting me a bunch again. I really did plan to never talk to him again, but I was worried about him again... we ended up talking, went to nose hill & just had a brief talk. I could see it in his eyes. I understand his pain. I understand how much he doesn't want to live like this. It really saddens me. I stood my ground though & my boundary was clear. He knows if he does something again that I'm blocking his number 100% & he will never hear from me again. I think he gets it but who knows. I wonder why I do this. He's my kryptonite. He's that one person that could treat me horribly & I will always come back because I fell so hard. I find him so attractive that I can't not look at him. I hate it. I hate what he does to me, how he makes me feel. But I will keep my stance & I will protect myself. I deserve more & i deserve better, I know. Then Shane came over & we played some switch games. It was nice, chill. He bought me a vegas knights toque & signed Marchessau jersey. I was beside myself.. He does too much. He's too kind. I feel like I trust him but I don't want to hurt him & I know I'm in no place to be seeing anyone anyways, nor do I even want to. He's a good friend though, really does respect my boundaries which I appreciate. Anyways - that's all for now. Im heading out for dinner at the Keg and have a massage tomorrow morning. I'm becoming happier. I'm reading more, including an audio book. I'm spending more time on myself & my self care. Spending more time with nova going out, eating cleaner & have been exercising & working out a lot more, been essentially every day for just over a week now so I'm feeling pretty good again.

[silver-wield]

So, I had a Clerith tell me that we should be grateful that Aerith flirted with Cloud because it lit a fire under Tifa's butt by making her jealous. I told her that nothing Aerith did would affect the outcome of Cloud and Tifa getting together, and all that Aerith did was expose what a thirsty and selfish bitch she was.

Ew, sounds like something disgusting they'd say.

I was talking to my fam about this tonight. There's some actions characters take that are completely irredeemable and Aerith being all "Oh I miss Zack so much, but hey this stranger reminds me of him so imma chase him even though he has no interest in me I'll bother him until he gives in and even when I see he has a girl he likes who likes him back imma just pretend to her face that we're besties and the second she ain't looking I'll try and snag him from under her"

To put that shorter: being a two faced thirsty toxic bitch who refuses to take no for an answer makes you a shitty person who deserves to get stabbed.

These idiots like to treat the worst actions as positive. What Aerith did isn't okay and it genuinely makes me angry that a female character is being treated like a hero for being a two faced backstabber to someone she called her friend. This behaviour is not okay. Aerith's so called "reasons" for doing it are no justification or a valid excuse. I don't give a shit how sad she is about Zack being dead, trying to force someone to cosplay as him is shit. She isn't even treating him like his own person. If she tries to get on Cloud knowing that he and Tifa have feelings for each other then she is nothing but trash and I hope she dies quicker for it.

[fanfic-lover-girl]

No, it's fine. In the end, it really does not matter since these relationships are all fake anyway.

The original post was not an in-depth meta essay. I just posted it because I had a tiny bout of Suite Life nostalgia.

Maybe I have not explained myself well enough.

Again, you're making the claim that I said her feelings had to change to Zack or that I think she should start dating younger men I only brought it up because you made the claim Katara likes dating older men and impilled she wouldn't want a younger man with the comparison to Maddie.

My intent in my OG post was to compare how Maddie and Katara are similar. Katara's most explicit crush in the show was Jet who was older. Maddie also liked boys around her age. Maddie and Katara are also depicted as having caregiving roles to the boys who have crushes on them. That's the most surface-level comparison. They are also the older girls that the boys have love-at-first-sight crushes on. That's why I said Katara is like Aang's Maddie. Similar to why I said Meng was like Aang's Max. Katara can have crushes on younger boys if she wants but I don't appreciate how Kataang was handled by Bryke.

I mean, you also blow up the Aang kissing Katara senec as a much bigger thing than was and act like Katara and him didn't already have sences before hand and her feelings were clear she was just current confused because of the stress. Aang also realised he went too far and backed off, showing that he did understand how she felt.

Katara had never expressed wanting a relationship with Aang before the EIP. Sure, she had moments where she made eyes and blushed a little. The only time they directly talk about their relationship is EIP. I just watched the Day of Black Sun kiss scene again and that dialogue is barely romantic either. Before season 3, Kataang is mainly from Aang's POV. We see shots of Katara looking pretty and we see how much he likes her. But we don't get something similar for Katara. There are too many conflicted feelings on her side for me to say her feelings were crystal clear.

Her feelings of confusion in that moment were clear though and Aang kissed her anyway. That's called sexual assault. Anyone who tries to downplay that needs to have more empathy for Katara. I am not blowing up anything. It's a fact. I mean it's not the same as Aang being a stranger and hurting her, but it's still nonconsensual. And it's the second time he's forced his feelings on her. So Aang is developing a pattern of kissing her in the heat of the moment when they are not dating. And Aang never apologized for this on screen. His simply calling himself an idiot is not enough to warrant that finale end scene for me and others who dislike Kataang.

Also, are u trying to claim that Katara never pushed Aang to get better and that they didn't both grow together?

If I were to pick someone who pushed Aang it would be Toph or Zuko. Katara was a shoulder to cry on and an emotional sounding board. However, she tended to excuse Aang's actions (eg. The Storm) or treat him with kid gloves (eg. Bitter Work). They grew together the same way the whole Gaang grew together. Katara's growth had little to do with Aang. Aang got her to the North Pole but she faced sexism all by herself even when Sokka and Aang basically told her to stand down. She became a master waterbender on her own. Zuko was the one who helped her get closure with her mom. Katara has expressed her loss to Aang at least once with no empathy returned. But he only seems to be concerned when her grief explodes and she wants to take action.

Katara can act motherly towards anyone. Aang isn't an expectation, and she even makes clear she doesn't see him that way as she has again shown romantic interest in him since season 1.

Sure Katara can act motherly towards her friends. But you don't act motherly to a boy you have a sexual/romantic interest in unless you have a mommy kink. She has several, objective moments where she treats him like a baby brother. The most prominent image in my head is the Nightmares and Daydreams episode where she literally puts Aang to bed like a child. Even the end shot shows her smiling at him gently at his curled-up form the way a doting mom or big sister would. Season 1 Kataang is kind of sweet, with room for development. But season 3 Kataang is a total disaster.

Like, I really don't get where you're thinking it came out of nowhere at the end when it was an end game from the start and was being bulit up slowly. Season 3 in no where makes it look worse, so I'm confused about that part of your claim.

Just because a ship is endgame it does not mean it's good. Hinny and Romione were endgame and both ships suck in Harry Potter. Kataang was not built up properly. Katara acts motherly and we never see from her POV the progression of her feelings. Then season 3 happened.

I read this because I was curious about how the 2 relationships were similar and pointed out the ways I thought they weren't sorry that it went this bad.

It's fine if you don't see the similarity. These pairs are not the same and they come from two different genres. I have stated how Maddie and Katara are similar. Just because one is a puppy love ship and the other is an endgame canon ship, it does not negate the similarities.

Thanks for sharing your point of view. But my point about wanting Aang to have a better relationship arc will not change. I still think Aang would have benefitted from letting go of Katara and finding a girl who could function as his Maya. Or at least letting go of Katara temporarily and having some character development.

Aang vs Zack Martin

I mentioned the Zack/Maddie relationship in a previous post and now my Suite Life nostalgia is coming back.

Bryke should have given Aang the same kind of development Zack Martin got.

Katara is Aang's Maddie. She's the pretty older girl whom Zack gets a huge crush on when he first sees her. Like Katara, she plays a nurturing role for Zack by being his babysitter. Like Kataang, we see Zack/Maddie have sweet moments together. Maddie's 16th birthday episode is still one of the cutest episodes ever. But like Katara, Maddie shows interest in boys her age or older.

Meng is Aang's Max. The girl Aang's age or younger who has an unreciprocated crush on him. This girl is not conventionally attractive due to not hitting puberty yet, being a tomboy, lacking confidence etc. The girl ultimately learns to move on from her crush.

Aang needed a Maya. Someone who he needed to prove himself to. Someone who would not put him on a pedestal for being the avatar. Someone to challenge him and motivate him to become a worthy man. Someone who would become more than just a dream girl but a partner to compromise with.

Aang's Maya could have been Toph. Maybe a new character would be needed. But Katara could not be Aang's Maya. Katara is Maddie, the boyhood crush, who is idealized and pined over. The girl who coddles him and tries to spare his feelings. Part of Aang's journey in becoming a young man, like Zack's, should have been to let go of that crush. Sadly, this never happened for Aang and Bryke has shown us in the comics and LOK what a total disaster this was.

[hostiias]

@makoeycd​ ♚ INTIMACY STARTERS

“i promise i’ll be a good girl”

        Snap! The lace of her garter snaps against her thigh as Zack pulls it up and lets go, relishing in the slight red mark it. His mouth follows his hand, leaning down to lick at the red skin--soothing the irritation with his tongue and a pleased hum. “Good, I don’t want to have to punish you if you aren’t, baby doll~.” he hums, fingers dancing along the lace of her stockings and almost purring at how her skin feels like this. Cloud is always surprising him, but this is definitely his favorite one. She’s left her hair down, adding a blend of make-up that he can’t wait to see all over his lips and running down her face. Zack can’t say he likes hurting Cloud, but he loves making her come undone; cry with pleasure until she can’t hardly stand it anymore and begs him. 

            Her waist looks smaller in the corset-style lingerie she’s laced herself into and it takes his breath away. It’s all baby blue and floral; exposing her skin while giving her modesty over the dip between her legs and her chest. There’s a silver angel feather dangling from her ear and he knows; knows it means that she wants to be a girl--that right now she’s the woman of his dreams. Oh and how he loves her for all she is; laced up and whimpering for him. It doesn’t matter to him if Cloud likes to be a girl sometimes; if she doesn’t fit in with societies idea of what gender should or shouldn’t be--of what she is allowed to like or not like. Callouses slip from her thigh (regrettably forcing him to let go of the straps he’d been toying with) to grip at her hips and he digs his thumb into them briefly. 

              They continue their journey up until he can curl his fingers over her waist, gripping the dip of it and rubbing the soft lace over her skin. He’s been teasing her--light touches meant to inspire her imagination into thinking on what he’s going to give her next, but never giving her much. “Oh baby girl look at you...” He catches her gaze and licks his lips before slowly gliding his gaze back down. “I’m gonna eat you up~.” And it’s a promise as he shifts down, hands moving back to her perfect thighs (taking a moment to scrape his nails over any skin that’s exposed) and spreads them, nestling his head against her hip. He nips at the edge of the panties hugging her hips before he finally noses under them and he bites down. It’s not hard enough to draw blood--but enough to leave a nice indent in one of her most sensitive places. He growls low in his throat, stroking his tongue where he just bit. 

                “Do you want that baby~? Want me to dive under these pretty panties that look so good on you and use my mouth on that pretty clit of yours~?” 

[hostelsbigbro]

my opinion on the lookism characters expect i am brutally honest bc these are just little fictional characters !! pixels !! deadass !! do you need to agree? no !! it will not change anything, i am open to hearing your opinions as well !!

daniel most realistic personality wise and i slowly forget more and more about him because we are straying away from the main topic

zack best boy, he might not be everyones favourite but he has always been doing his best to emotionally become more intelligent and aware, he has so much potential and is the most loyal friend ever, i really hate how ptj dumbs him down bc lookism fans obviously go 'oh haha he is dumb!' bitch no he goes out of his way to love people and no one really seems to love him the same way give him a fucking break

vasco i really loved him but the more they show him the more unbearable he becomes like bro the FUCK they make him boring and cold for? dude is on the road of slowly becoming what he hates the most in this world, a bully.. like i know he is dumb but that much? bro

jace he used to be so smart and so sexy and honest to his mistakes but now he is an irritating jay park look alike that pretends he knows what he is talking about !!! he isnt a genius everyone around him is just dumb as hell

mira does she have a personality besides weak, controlling and easy to make sulky if things aren't exactly how she wants them to be?? no?? i thought so

zoe literally best girl she has grown so much as a person i am so proud of her i would kill logan for her <3

mary not gonna lie i dont remember much about her personality besides anger issues, cursing and insecure but she is beautiful and honestly whoever puts up with vinjin for years without going insane deserves a praise i am convinced she is incredibly patient

jerry does this bitch have a personality outside of jake, i wanted to like him but i fr cant whenever he comes in frame it will always turn into a dramatic soap opera about his love for jake and promises

jake actually the funniest AND kindest person bc how does anyone know Jiho and still try to see the good in him? he is better than me for sure because he can see the good in everyone no matter how irritating the person is

samuel my one and only precious lovely diamond baby <333 did it make sense? no ! however i would protect this wounded person with my heart no one ever seems to treat him nicely expect eugene who is a literal monster

johan this is my child and i am convinced he has never done anything wrong not once in his life time every crime he commited was justified, he is just a baby who has been alone for too long !! imagine trying to figure out how to be an adult from age 12 bro that is exhausting he needs a break

eugene a fucking bastard however.. he could manipulate you to love him !!! bro got shipped with his own brother i feel like this fandom is going to hell bc they did the same with jake and samuel anyway eugene is a bitch but one that will make you question yourself

vinjin i want to like him but then he opens his mouth

sally i love her !!! she has so much potential but lately ptj makes her be nothing else other than a weak crying brat!!! i wish they would just make her strong, smart and emotionally intelligent just like when she got introduced!!! still funny tho 10/10

heather fuck this r*pist! I have no sympathy for her

yenna best baby, bet she is kind

eli i want to write a book about my love for him

i got tired tbh thats it

[lexacoolfox]

I saw your bio about angel of death too!! May i request nagito X s/o who's like zack!!:D I hope i don't bothering you and have a nice day^^♡♡

Yes finally! Also your not bothering me, and thank you for wishing me a nice day! Your such a sweet heart adelia-Chan!

Nagito with a S/O like Zack!

Now it is modern time, you probably aren’t a murder but you can be, um…problematic.

You liked to beat people up when the looked to happy or mad. It made you feel good.

You obviously laughed like a mentally insane person when you did.

Now on the first day of school you saw a boy with white hair looking way to happy, he looked like a good target.

He noticed you right away and introduced himself with that smile, he sounded so joyful while doing it. That just made you want beat him up even more.

“Hello I’m Nagito Komeada!”

“Hey Komeada. I’m S/O. You got three seconds to run.”

The last part you said with a dark tone. He looked at you confused.

“Um…why would I need to run?”

“Cause you look way to frickin happy, makes me want to beat you up! I like to give people a fair chance to try to run away. As long you beg or scream for me not to hurt you to bad! I love seeing fear on my victims faces! Gets my blood bumping!”

He softly chuckled.

“Oh I’m not going to run away. I’ll let you do it. Come hit me! An ultimate like you hitting trash like me is an honor!”

You stumbled back and leaned by a nearby trash can and threw up.

“Man is something wrong with you. That’s the most messed up thing I’ve ever heard. You not running away or begging for your life. it makes it no fun. See ya later weirdo, I going to class I guess.”

Unfortunately (or fortunately) you both had the same class.

So you really couldn’t escape him, you had to listen to him insult himself and his thing on hope. Which kinda annoyed you.

You interested him and he wanted to get to know you. Like what your hobbies, your goals, or why do you like to beat up people who look happy.

“Is there a reason why your following me like a lost puppy?”

“Your interest me. Just pretend I’m not here.”

You saw a group of girls. They were laughing at another girl. They poured milk on her and laughed even louder. This brought back a memory from your childhood. A very bad memory.

You feel into a rage. You ran and proceeded to beat these girls to the point where they were knocked out. You turned to the girl who they were bullying you held out a hand for her to grab. You helped her getting up, patted her head then walked away.

Nagito followed close behind. You forgot he was following you. You went somewhere quite with a low chance of other students walking by. Then you grabbed him by the neck and shoved him against the wall.

“You better not tell anyone about anything you saw! Or else your gonna end up worse then those girls!”

“Oh I was never going to tell anyone anyway!”

“You better not be lying! I hate liars more than anything!”

“I’m not lying.”

You looked at him in the eyes. He was completely honest. You let him go.

“I thought it was kinda cool to see you standing up for that girl.”

“I wasn’t doing it for her. I was doing it cause it reminded me of something. Something I’d rather forget.”

“Even though, your speed and strength was amazing to see in action. You also held such passion in your eyes.”

You started angry mumbling not because he was annoying you but your were honestly embarrassed, you weren’t used to hearing much praise.

One day your class decided to have a party, you don’t know how they convinced you. But they did, you didn’t listen to the details just the time and place.

The party was a bonfire party.

Once you arrived you were the last one to arrive, they started off the fire. To where you started internally freaking out. Also frozen in fear.

At some point you were escaped into the back of the woods, Nagito noticed and went to follow you. He heard you near by. You found you punching a tree while yelling. You hade to stop cause of your hands

You wore bandages all over hands, shoulder, arms, and up your back a little, from a incident from a long time ago. You heard a twig snap.

“Who’s there! Show yourself!”

“Oops looks like I’ve been spotted.”

“Ugh! What’s with you and following me!”

“Well I noticed you left the party. I just wanted to know why.

He said sitting on a tree stump. You lean against a tree.

“Don’t tell anyone this. But. I’m scared of fire.”

“Oh. Well, how about we go to a near by gas station. We can get some snacks!”

“I don’t have any money.”

“Don’t worry I’ll pay.”

You weren’t saying no to free food. You guys got a couple of snacks and went to a nearby park to sit on a bench.

You actually had a nice conversation with Nagito. You actually were laughing a lot. For the first time ever somebody smile didn’t want to make you beat them up. Nagito smile made you smile.

You developed a crush on Nagito.

You treated him different from then on.

No threats were thrown his way from you. You didn’t mind when he talked to you. Anytime somebody gave him a nasty look for saying something. You punch your hand against your palm as a sign. You often lean against him when he talks to somebody. Anytime he says an insult to himself, you put him in a headlock and start giving him noogies while saying “why do you keep saying that! Do you got some screws loose Huh?!” You could say it’s tough love. Everbody knew you had a crush on Nagito. But you were to dense to notice your own feelings and Nagito was to oblivious to notice your change in behavior. Surprisingly you and fuyuhiko had a kinda Frenemy thing going on. You two acted like you hate each other, which you do. but you two had a lot in common so sometimes you got along. He’s the one to point out your feelings

“When you going to tell Nagito you like him?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It’s so obvious you have a crush on him. Which is kinda weird.”

“What’s a crush?”

He gave you a shock looked. Then called you an idiot. He explained a crush and then it made sense to you.

“So…how do I tell him.”

“Just tell him. Unless your a chicken.”

“Shut up! I’m not a chicken! I’ll go tell him right now!”

You stomped away looking for Nagito to tell him. You found him being Ganged up by some guys. You beat all of them up. Some puked from your punches, some passed out, some ran away. You picked up Nagito and threw him over his shoulder and started walking away with him.

“Um s/o can you let me down? I can walk on my own.”

“No.”

You went back to your place and threw him on your couch.

“Thanks for saving me back there. I didn’t think you would save me like that.”

You flicked him in the forehead.

“Of course I saved you. I love you dummy.”

He blushed at the sudden confession.

“I love you too.”

You blushed and pulled him to your chest. You cuddle him, so you guys are now a couple.

Here somethings you do now your a couple

You are always touching him in someway, simple hand hold, hugging, leaning against him, just anything works.

Your like his own personal bodyguard.

He helps you with your bandages when you need to change them.

He comforts you when there’s fire.

You give him random small kisses.

Everybody and anybody is too scared to flirt with Nagito.

When you two are anywhere like a booth at a restaurant. You have you arm wrapped around Nagito shoulder.

After a long time. You told him things about your childhood, which he understood and helped you deal with your trauma.

Bonus: for this to make sense. I ship fuyuhiko and Peko.

You noticed how fuyuhiko acted around peko. You and Nagito decided to play match maker.

Nagito invited fuyuhiko to a cafe to hangout. While you did the same with peko.

They arrived at the cafe both texting you asking where you were. Both of you texted something came up with your significant other so you couldn’t make it. They spotted each other and decided to hangout. Just according to plan. you and Nagito where wearing disguises to watch them. Nagito went up to their waiter after he took their order, saying he’ll pay for them.

When they learned that somebody payed for them and the waiter pointed who. They realized it was you two. You practically grab Nagito and made a mad dash for the exit.

Later that night you got to listen to a mad fuyuhiko, while receiving passive aggressive text from peko.

“Why you so mad? I’m just helping you out. I mean you helped me and Nagito get together. I’m just returning the favor.”

“What?! Are you implying I have a crush on peko! What gave off that idea?!”

“A lot of things gave off that idea. C’mon you like her. Don’t be a chicken.”

“I hate you!”

“The feelings mutual. Just go for it.”

“You don’t tell me what to do-“

You hung up. You put your phone on silent and went to sleep. Luckily it was Friday so you didn’t have school the next day. So they couldn’t bother you about it.

[lyntonier]

A train to Paris

Carmen Sandiego x Gray Calloway

Summary: Carmen is taking a break away from her work — helping out at the Orphanage and fighting crime — and decides to take a trip back to Paris, a location she quite enjoyed. During her journey she meets a familiar face she believed she would not see again.

A/N: This is set after season 4.

"So Carms, I hear you are off to Paris for the week huh?"

I smile into the phone, listening to Ivy's comment.

"You heard correct. Well, assuming nothing goes wrong, that is".

I had gotten a break from working at the Orphanage with my Madre, so I decided to take myself on a little trip. We had finally met about eleven months ago, and I had been helping around as much as I possibly could without a break. Well, I tell a lie, I had a couple days free from working with Madre, though I used those days to check for any crime around. I guess some habits die hard huh, this was meant to be my new start but I can't seem to leave fighting crime behind. It was my choice to work so much at the Orphanage though.

Madre had had enough and told me to take a week away and go someplace, so where better than Paris? The beauty of the city when the sun goes down and the lights come on again, the food, the art and architecture, the history, it's simply something I cannot forget. It's truly a once in a lifetime thing.

"Wow, I'm so jealous! I wish I could be there with you, it would be so much fun- Zack stop! Leave Julia alone. No- She probably does NOT appreciate that, so quit it... Yes, you, who else?!.......... Sorry Carms, it's Zach trying to flirt with Julia again".

Giggling at Ivy's scolding to her brother, I make a mental note to tease him about that when I next see him. He kept flirting with the poor woman, to which she would politely laugh and make an excuse to leave.

"No worries Ivy, it's alright. I must admit though, I do feel sorry for Julia in some respects".

"I know right! Gosh, he's so oblivious sometimes. I love him anyway though, no matter how much of a douche brain he is".

"It would be nice to be able to meet up with all of you again, it's been a while since I saw all of you properly. You'll have to let me know when you two both have some time off and I'll get hold of Shadowsan and Player, then we can all have a nice catch-up".

I hear Ivy sigh wistfully into the phone, light laughter leaving her lips.

"Honestly Carms, that seems like such a good idea right about now. I'm so tired with work, I got called out five times within the past two days, three of which were last night. I've not had a nice snooze in for ages and I could do with one right about now, haha."

"You do sound quite tired. When do you get off shift?"

"Uuuh, hold on....... Forty-five minutes, then I can go home".

"Well, you should treat yourself to a warm bubble bath and a long rest".

"I think I'll take that one and do just that. Ah- I've got to shoot, Cheif is calling for me. I'll call you tomorrow and we can talk more, yeah?"

"Yes, wouldn't miss it for the world. Tell the others I said hello for me? And I'll work on arranging a girls trip between you and me to somewhere, just let me know where you fancy going".

"Oh you're a star Carm, I'll be looking forward to that then. I'll decide tonight and let you know tomorrow, and I'll pass on your 'hellos' to the others. Talk soon Carm".

I smile into the phone, mildly disappointed that our conversation had to end so soon.

"Talk soon Ivy".

With that, I hear the beep of an ended call as Ivy hangs up the line. A sudden wave of exhaustion washes over me as I move my phone down to my lap, checking the time. It was 1:15 in the morning. Raising my eyebrows, I nod at my phone, surprised at how late it was. I should probably try to get some sleep as I'll be arriving at my stop in about seven hours from now and I would much prefer to not be falling asleep at every given moment.

Setting my phone down next to myself, I grab a blanket out of my carry bag and drape it over my lap, removing my jumper and folding it into four before placing it onto the seat to my left. Reaching up above myself, I pull a cord that turned off the lights in my little train booth, engulfing myself in darkness. The only form of light that I had at this stage was the gentle light from the moon, it would be full soon. Laying down, I place my head onto my jumper and pull my blanket up higher, closing my eyes and relaxing my body.

Right as I began to doze off, I felt a strange feeling of wariness make itself known in my gut, enticing me to sit up and evaluate my surroundings. Within a couple of seconds of having my eyes open, I heard a light tapping on my booth door. Someone was there. Averting my eyes to the glass section of the door, I keep my body motionless as I trace the figure with my eyes and their every possible movement.

If I stayed still then they would not see me and assume I was sleeping and most likely leave.

*tap, tap, tap*

"Excuse me, uh, I know you are awake.. can I come in? My booth has no heating and it's really cold out here".

Or maybe not.

Cautiously eyeing the door, I slowly raise myself from the seats and brace my hand into a fist, ready to fight off a possible threat. Standing tall, I cautiously step my way over to the door before grasping the cool metal handle with one hand and undoing a lock with the other. Twisting the handle, I edge the door open bit by bit.

"Hello... Um.. yes you may".

It was a man, not that much taller than me, and Australian. Or perhaps Kiwi. I couldn't see many of his facial features, other than the fact that he had a man bun and a couple bags with him. I wracked my brain for any vocal recognitions, however, nothing matched.

Standing aside, I made room for the strange man to come inside.

"Cheers mate, sorry 'bout how odd this is. I went to the train staff to ask about the heating and they told me that the booth I chose was meant to be closed, though the person on duty of closing it off didn't get around to it, hence me choosing the unlucky booth. They told me I would have to ask to share booths with somebody else seen as though all others are booked, and I saw your light go out, so I came here. Sorry and cheers again".

The man laughed, rubbing what I assumed was the back of his neck. His explanation seemed pretty truthful and his reasoning honest.

"That's no problem, sorry that you got a faulty booth, that must've sucked".

"Hah, tell me 'bout it" He joked.

Smiling, I close the door and return to my seat, watching as he put his bags in the overhead luggage area, leaving out a blanket of his own. Smart man.

"So, what's your name mate?"

"Carmen. And you?"

I see him whip his head around, before shaking it and laughing lightly.

"I had a friend called Carmen, though I've not seen her in a long time. My name is Grah-Grayson. Grayson".

I raise my eyebrow at his stutter, smirking lightly.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Grah-Grayson" I tease.

"Haha, as to you Carmen".

With that, we both fell silent, just basking in the pleasant atmosphere of the booth with the same idea of sleep on our minds.

Slipping back into my 'bed', I pull my blankets back over myself and close my eyes, listening carefully at everything around me. I hear some stuffing around, something dropping on the floor, followed by a second something, more shuffling, then a satisfied sigh. Peering over my shoulder, I see the outline of a body laying on the seat across from mine.

"Did you just take your shoes off?"

"Hm? Ah yeah mate, can't sleep with shoes on, that's just crazy".

Grah-Grayson laughs at his own statement, finding humour in my question.

I feel my lips draw into a thin line as I shuffle my feet around awkwardly, my shoes very much still on.

Am I crazy?

"G'd'night mate, thanks again for letting me in on such short notice".

"No, no, that's fine. Goodnight".

It felt strange saying goodnight to a stranger, though I had most definitely done stranger.

I feel my eyes shoot open rather rapidly, my heart pounding against my ribcage as I scramble to sit upright, taking in my surroundings eagerly before eyeing the strange man in the booth with me. I check the room once again for anything out of the ordinary, before removing the blanket from my body and standing, striding my way over the door and yanking it open silently and slipping out, closing it behind myself. I needed some fresh air.

Making my way to the end of the train, I open a door that leads to a small balcony attached to the carriage. Immediately the wind hits me, blowing my hair to the side.

Sucking in a deep breath of air, I relax my shoulders and close my eyes. I had a nightmare — rather a memory — that Coach Brunt had broken into my booth and tied me up, much like before, and decided that enough was enough and planned to end things then and there.

A pretty sad nightmare, huh.

I enjoy the breeze a little longer before turning around and opening the door, walking back into the train carriage and back to my booth. Opening the door, I am surprised to see Grah-Grayson awake and sat upright, watching out of the window at the scenery. It was early for him to be awake, it was about five in the morning and the sun had begun rising, casting a gentle glow in the booth.

"Ah, mate, there you are, are you alr-......."

The words leave his mouth as he stares at me in surprise, horror, happiness, sadness and recognition... a mix of everything. Exactly what I was feeling.

Tears fill my eyes as I gaze at the male before me. It couldn't be...

"G-Gray?"

"Black sheep..?."

Grah-Grayson stands up, tears in his own eyes as he stares at me intently.

Stepping forward, I feel my arms raising slightly and before I knew it I was lunging for him, sobs wreaking through my lips as tears flowed heavily from my eyes. Engulfing him in my arms, I feel him do the same with just as much ferocity. I hear sobs come from him too, his chest rising and falling quickly and sharply with each gasp of air.

Before anything could be said, I feel anger suddenly wash over me, leading me to remove my arms from around him and shove him away harshly, placing some distance between us.

A confused whimper leaves his mouth, clearly unintentionally, but before he could say anything I let months worth of hurt, confusion, upset and anger form into words and flow out freely.

"Gray where were you?! W-What did you mean 'don't tell her' that you woke up!! Do you know how long I waited for you to wake up in the hospital, unable to see you or hear from you, not knowing that you had long gone?! Do you- Do you know how long I WAITED fOR YOU? Three months Gray- three months that you were gone and I was waiting for you to wake up so that we could start over, so that I could know you were okay!" The words kept flowing out, no matter how much I tried to stop them. Although I didn't try. I couldn't bring myself to try. I started pacing back and forth as I rambled, making sure the emphasis on certain words came out.

"Carmen, let me explain, I-"

I cut him off, anger still clouding my better judgement.

"NO Gray, you don't get to explain until you hear me!! I searched EVERYWHERE for days, weeks, months for you, thinking that something had happened to you, only to be told by Chief that you had requested to not have your condition or whereabouts revealed to me! Why Gray, why..? If you were angry or upset at me and didn't want to see me, you could have just told me instead of making me worry like that! I spent so many nights awake trying to find out where you were with the help of Player, but nothing!! NOTHING!"

I heave out everything that has been resting on my shoulders, the feeling of relief evident on my shoulders as a weight had been lifted.

"Carmen I was never upset at you, more of I was upset at myself. It was my fault that you had been captured and lured in, I knew what was happening and I could have prevented it, but I didn't. I blamed myself for you being brainwashed and hurt, and for myself being hurt. I was such an idiot and I didn't want to do something that could hurt you again-"

"And yet you did.." I remark with a whisper, adverting my eyes as I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself and sniffling as I did so.

"I know and I'm sorry... I didn't want to interfere with your life, not after everything that had happened. VILE was caught and disbanded, you had information on your mother, everything was over and you had a fresh start ahead of you and I didn't want to get in the way of that. So, I changed my identity and lived away from the public eye, hidden away where you could not find me. It wasn't just a fresh start for you, it was one for me too... I asked for you to not be told of my departure, even though Cheif strongly suggested against it, the same with that Julia lady. I told them it was my only request, and they allowed it eventually. I now realise that wasn't a good idea and that it hurt you much more than I believed it could or would... I am so sorry Carmen.. I really am so, incredibly sorry.. I can't blame you if you are angry at me, I gue-"

"Of course I'm angry at you!! I finally realised after all of that time that I was in love with you, and I was prepared to tell you, only to find that you were gone! Those three months left in the dark were pure heaven compared to the.. the shitty, crappy, horrible feelings once I found out you were gone!"

I watch as Gray's eyes widen in surprise, as he stutters his next sentence, his face flushed from tears, much like my own.

"C-Carmen.. you- what did you just.. what did you just say?"

"That I realised after all of this time that I was in love with you, so very incredibly in love with you, and that I was prepared to tell you!" I growl.

We both stand there in silence, the cool feeling of my tears drying up on my face present. Sudden realisation dawns upon me at what I had just boldly announced. Smacking my hand over my mouth, I gasp, my eyes widening as the realisation finally sets in completely.

Nothing is said between us as we just stare one another in the eyes, waiting for the other to speak.

"Gray, I-"

I cut myself short as Gray abruptly strides towards me confidently, raising his hands to cup my cheeks as I step back, unsure of what was happening. Staring down into my eyes, Gray smiles gently.

"You always were a cheeky one, sneaking your way into my heart the way you did".

My stomach fills with butterflies at that, a small smile making its way onto my face, accompanied by little giggles. Soon enough, I was laughing uncontrollably into Gray's chest, him onto my shoulder.

The laughter died down soon after, we were just left with warm smiles on our faces.

Moving his hand across my face, his thumb stroking my cheek and his other hand caressed the back of my neck, he looks down at my lips before looking into my eyes.

"May I?"

That one sentence had my stomach doing flips as though I were a schoolgirl who just confessed her undying love to her crush and received the same feelings back, though I guess in some respects I was that schoolgirl, just a little older.

"You may".

With that, Gray leans down, pressing his lips gently against mine and pulling away. I did not feel those fireworks that people would describe a true-loves kiss as, rather I felt complete, safe, happy, joyous, excited, calm, at peace and so many more pleasant things, much better than those so described fireworks.

Leaning in for a second kiss, I met Gray halfway with just as much passion, more ferocity this time, however. Soon though, we had to depart for air, a gentle blush growing over both of our cheeks.

"Carmen, I-"

"Excuse me, are you two alright in there? I could faintly hear you arguing from next door".

Looking behind me, there was an older woman stood in the doorway, a concerned look on her face.

"Yes, we are alright madame, thank you for your concern. Sorry for the noise, everything is sorted now" I explain, turning to face the woman.

"Very well then, there is no need to apologise my dear, as long as you are both okay. Oh, and sorry for interrupting your moment"

The lady giggles cheekily, before making her way back to her booth while rambling on about young love, or something along the lines.

"We should probably close the door, no?"

"Yes, we should. You, mister, have a lot to explain to me, especially what you have been up to since we last saw one another".

I smile as I leave Grays embrace, walking to the door and closing it.

"As do you. We have a while till we reach my destination, so shall we?"

"Hmm... I say sleep and then explain at a later time, on a date perhaps?"

"Friday, 8PM at Au Vieux Paris d'Arcole?" Grey wiggles his eyebrows, a smile on his face as he does so.

Laughter bubbles in my throat as I sniffle, wiping away any tear streams on my face as I nod my head eagerly.

"Call it a date".

A/N: This is my first ever oneshot/story piece that I've done on here and I honestly do not know how good it is, or how bad it is. All I can hope is that it's decent. It was inspired by @wizardsoffthecoast who had mentioned something about this, so here we are. I hope you enjoy it!

(I do apologise for any spelling mistakes!)

[augment-techs]

Aisha: -Is in classes with both Hailey and Violet and finds them both exceptionally gorgeous--even after she found out about Zack's relationship with Violet.

-Bisexual. Only child who is very close with her mom, even though her Ranger duties put a bit of a strain on their once rock solid relationship. -Tried to get a belly piercing the same time as Adam, but for her, the infection rate was higher and she couldn't keep it--though Adam appreciated the effort and helped her through the recovery process with all her favorite treats; and she milked it for all it was worth. -Actually developed a bit of respect for Bulk in the classes they were paired up in because he never slacked off or forced her to do all the work, and they always ended up going to the library to work--and he always brought coffee.

Adam: -Has far more piercings than we see in comics. -Apart from the one in his eyebrow and lower lips, and ears, I hc he also has a belly ring, nipple piercings and a couple piercings on his upper and lower parts of his penis; plus, he has a couple white ink tattoos that he got just after becoming a Ranger--they're protection sigils. -He likes to play the drums, but prefers to play only if Rocky will back him on guitar--when he found out Skull could play the piano (and such) he had a little crush for a tiny bit, but honestly, it couldn't last; he's heard too many stories from the Ranger veterans and got a look from both Billy and Kim when they all played a game of 'Wed, Bed, Behead' and he automatically said 'Bed' when Skull's name came up. -The youngest of the Trio, he was NOT prepared for the Sentry Force Four's Zag finding him attractive; it was flattering, but NO.

Rocky: -In canon, he has two sisters and three brothers; I see him as the oldest. -He has a protective streak that would put Jason to shame, but he only really lets it out when Adam or Aisha get hurt on the field. -He's the guy who throws the ball in his old football team, but since moving to Angel Grove, he doesn't play on field, but rather appreciates the players off the field in the locker rooms. -Once had a crush on Matt, but since finding out he dated Kim, that attraction has dropped dead and he buried it on the side of the road. -Appreciates that Matt's two-thirds Spanish (of Madrid proper) and one-third Italian when Rocky is two-thirds Spanish (of Mexico proper) and one-third Greek--it's how they got through just shit-talking on the football field. -Bisexual with no particular preferences, but was the first of the Trio to lose their virginity.

Skull: -Oral fixation/stimming through biting or sucking on food, straws, his fingers, gum, etc. -Neurodivergent. -Queer. -Has some kind of anxiety and/or self-esteem disorder. -Part of a neglectful/abusive home; has one canon older sibling by the name of Stan Skullovitch that we see only twice in GGPR#3 and then never again. -Applies himself in arts and social classes--with a specialty in music. -Has a reasonably high IQ, not as high as Billy's, but his neurodivergence prevents him from revealing just HOW smart he actually is. -Would have made a wonderful Orange Ranger if Zordon would have given him a chance.

Bulk: -Exists somewhere on the ADHD spectrum, hyper-fixation based on history and as of recently appreciating the Power Rangers.

-Doesn't have a problem with self-image, but also doesn't believe most people like him for himself. -Comes from a neglectful household, parents from the upper-middle class that feed him and try to care about him, but can't show it. -Demi with a preference towards girls, but only if they can kick his ass; with boys it's more about that homoerotic aggression that makes people think, "NOW KISS!" -Would have made a stellar Purple Ranger if Zordon would have given him a chance.

Violet: -Technically never stopped dating Zack, but only because he never said the words and she still has hope. -Is hard on the Power Rangers because of the constant barrage of damage inflicted on Angel Grove that has repercussions nobody can seem to agree on. -Didn’t like Matt before he became the Green Ranger; likes him even less now. -Ended up as tech support in the theater department in her Sophomore year, which lead to her being assisted by Bulk & Skull; which lead to her having a scintilla of a friendship with them. -Is not a virgin, despite all the nasty gossip surrounding her spread by Marleau Eskin that Zack found incredibly demeaning towards her when they started dating. -Teaches ice skating for children and was surprised when Ernie asked her to teach some adult classes at the Juice Bar that Bulk’s ex Hailey ended up in with some exasperation being dragged in by her friend Tasha.

[disfordevineaux]

Hello ! So if you finished watching season 4, could you share your opinion on it ? Did it meet your expectations ? Was the ending satisfying ?

HELLO! Yes, yes I have. Pretty much the second it came out I was watching it. I have pretty much been in a gif making coma for the last 3 days since its release, and I think the fact it's over has now just hit me.

I really liked s4. It was rushed, yes, but that's understandable considering the context. S4 was clearly not the initial plan. Not many Netflix aminated TV shows reach S6 or past that, so I have a feeling they were going for 6 seasons but had to cut it short. It's better than it getting officially cancelled. Which is most likely why season 4 was full to the brim with actions and character development. So I'm not mad at the quick end but I would have loved at least one more season to really flesh the development and plot points. No more so than the Devineaux development in regards to the new Julia and Chase dynamic.

Before I go into that I want to address the solo Chase-ness that was fantastic. Chase got his ass kicked like 5 times this season, once by a chair.

And was clocked by a frisbee for good measure too.

Oh, and landed on his car another time. The pain in his face... I- help this man.

But he got to kick some of his own asses this season too ofc.

Anyway, Chase really stood up and said ‘I am a Himbo’ this season and it filled me with joy. Just look. veryveryveryvery handsome as always I approve of this message.

Enough said.

Let me get on with the big thing I want to talk about. The Chase and Julia dynamic reinvention.

If I’m honest, it did feel quick, due to time constraints, but not out of nowhere. My expectations for Chase and his growth was blown out of the water. I was incredibly impressed with his physical display for admiration for Julia in the end. His way of officially apologising, (as someone said on a rb of one of my posts), Chase is a person of action and his grand gesture of giving Julia the spotlight, as well as a few glowing compliments and a callback and twist of what he used to say, was a great twist on just an ordinary apology. I adore how you can clearly see that he means it.

It was monumental, if a subtle display of respect that clearly struck a positive chord with Julia, and only could have with Julia. Just look at her face in the gif above, PURE. She clearly seemed as though she had decided to forgive his past transgressions after his help in her rescue.

Most definitely helping in her decision to return to ACME to be his partner again. Know she isn't alone and that Chase truly has changed for the best. I love how Chase was complete rapture that she had decided to return, even going for a hug. The guy really went from S1 striving to be stoic all the time, to allow himself to wear his emotions and expressiveness on his sleeves. Just, good vibes right there. It felt like the s4 Chase we got was always there but hidden by his ego and by himself deliberately.

Wholesome stuff my guys. My heart was FULL. I tell you. FULL. I slapped my hand to my chest in awe. He even asked: ‘But your academic career?’ and was happy to be finally able to hunt down real criminals with her, as, and I quote, a family. Adorable.

Don’t even get me started on the fist-bumping. I would throw myself into a pit of fire for them.

And those inside jokes? I could be here all day. Their dynamic now, if not nearly displayed a much as I wanted, was nourishing to my soul. Just LOOK

And that is just one scene.

After the first time jump of 3 weeks, they appeared to be finally enjoying one another company, a true team. Then after 6 months, it seemed even more natural, playful too. They trusted each other's abilities and opinions. Sharing their belief that Carmen was good as well as supporting one another as good partners should, especially Chase. They look so comfortable in each other presence it was immaculate.

They appeared content, and I loved that most of all. Chase was genuinely interested in Julia’s explanations and it was heartwarming to see. Julia appreciating it too. Watching them interact as close friends now was such a treat. The last 2-3 episodes, in particular, Chase even asking her to continue and adding onto her historical divulges. Awesome stuff. And Julia running into Carmen just as she was about to punch Chase’s lights out was pretty sweet too, as well as her getting one in on Cleo, GO GIRL GO. Julia this season had so much more depth. Loved it.

Also, finding out Chase’s name is in fact a self-given nickname was right on theme with the show. So many people with real names we will never know.

Back onto the expressions and his enthusiasm. I mean LOOK. This dude- AND THE CAT JACKET RETURNS!

He just loves his wordplay.

Anyway- The effect Julia had on him was profound and just fantastic to see. He wanted to be better. Chase will no doubt rub off some of his own flairs onto her in due time I'm sure.

Chase working with carmen and the small interaction we got were great as well. Still a little rigid, but full of intrigue.

Chase wanting to go and save Julia, because he earlier felt as though this was all his fault, was precious too. And the whole Tigress and Chase fight scene was amazing. He trapped her inside a casket, iconic. And Chase showing up as Julia is like ‘omfg Devineaux is that you?’ As he just all suave says ‘fashionably late as always’ and pushes his messy hair back like HOOO BOY you lovely little stinker I would die for you. He was ready to fight 1 v 3. No one has the same determination as a Devineaux. For an ordinary guy, he is really able to keep up with the best, if not behind a tad I MEAN UM. DUDE SLID DOWN THE STAIRS AND JUMPED RIGHT INTO A HOLE. No second thought THEN SWUNG HIMSELF OVER NO PROB? Who is this athlete of a man?

Like my man, you are not graceful at all please let carmen do it.

In the end, he really did save them both which was vindication, Speaking of vindication:

Okay, I really went off track and hardly said what I wanted to say. I got carried away with gifs. I think I said what I wanted to say? Right now my brain is still mushie.

To finalize: I was content with the end. Zack and Ivy joining ACME as Carmen has some time to go truly find herself was an interesting idea. The 2 year time jump at the end left a few holes but hey, I’ll take it. Shadowsan returning to his brother was so nice to see, and Player all alone in the restaurant kinda broke my heart. The entire storyline with Chase and Julia was absolutely, revolutionary. It was what we deserved, what they deserved.

I think my love for Chase really made me live for the scenes and moments we got of him alone and interacting with others. Season 3-4 really were his crowning glory. I'm proud of him.

Also, I want to mention the Zack/Turtle scene because I nearly died when I saw it the way the turtle wiggles and the way he rUNS I- okay goodbye.

[wondersofdreaming]

Show Night

Characters: Henry Cavill x female reader

Word count: 1.446

Warnings: Pure fluff. Competitiveness. Blurting. Hidden relationship. A little teasing. Embarassment. 

Author’s note: This is a prequel to Game Night

Thank you @radaofrivia​ for your inspiration, motivation and for guiding me <3

Go read her stories here: Rada’s Masterlist

Divider by @firefly-graphics​

I do not own any characters in this short story, except the reader who is a figment of my imagination.

MASTERLIST

Feedback is appreciated.

“Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special treat for all of you. We have the entire Justice League here with us. Please give a warm welcome to Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher and Ezra Miller.”

The entire audience clapped. There were whistling, some were screaming at the top of their lungs. You were cheering just as loud. Watching your handsome boyfriend walk out and wave to everyone. A relaxed smile spread on his lips when his eyes landed on you.

You were at the Graham Norton show. Sitting on the front row. No one knew who you were except the man who owned your body, heart, and soul, and now also Graham Norton and his crew. The producers had wanted you to stay backstage, but you had been adamant on wanting to sit in the audience and watching the show live. They had relented in the end if you promised not to cause a ruckus, which you had sworn.

Graham starts asking questions about the Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and at some point the engagement ring for Amy Adams’ character ‘Lois Lane’ comes into the conversation.

“Did you in fact choose that ring yourself, Henry?” Graham asked and motioned to the monitor behind him, showing a closeup of the ring.

“I didn’t. I actually have no clue where it comes from,” Henry chuckled, his eyes searching for you. You could see he was a little nervous, as he was fiddling with the hem of his suit jacket. You put your hand on your chest and crossed your fingers.

It was your secret sign for him. A sign of your devotion to him, as you had promised to always be there for him. The idea came to you while watching your favourite anime show ‘Fairy Tail’.

“If you ever become nervous or need a reminder, then look towards me or the camera if I am not there. I will you show you this sign,” you had crossed your fingers over your heart, “Even if you can’t see me, no matter how far away you may be, I will always be watching over you.”(1)

It had been a day where Henry had had a long day filled with interviews right at the beginning of your relationship. He hadn’t wanted to ask you to come, which was the reason why you hadn’t attended, thinking he wanted to work in peace. He proceeded to come home and went directly for your lap, falling asleep in 0.2 seconds, and you had asked him to bring you with him to work, as you, an author, could work anywhere.

“… I think it is about time he finds himself a girlfriend, a woman to spend his life with,” Jason’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts. You looked up to see Henry squirming more than before. His jaw was tense as he was forcing a laugh. You felt his pain and wished you could sit next to him and squeeze his hand in yours.

“I have a lot of single friends, Supes. Say the word and I’ll introduce you,” Jason smacked Henry’s thighs with the biggest grin on his bearded face. It may have sounded like a joke to the audience but Henry knew that Jason wasn’t teasing.

“I don’t think my girlfriend will like that you’re playing matchmaker, brother,” Henry smiled. All the actors’ faces fell, even Jason was gobsmacked as his jaw dropped to the floor.

Then Henry noticed what he had just said. His head turned towards you with a look of utter shock. He had just blurted out that he wasn’t single anymore, without having consulted you. Your heart was racing, your secret had been revealed. In some way, it felt like a heavy stone having been lifted from your shoulders.

You didn’t know whether to scold him for not asking you to make your relationship public or to laugh at the horror he was sporting on that handsome face of his. You opted for the second choice, the people around you followed suit and started laughing and cheering.

“Well, you heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen, Henry Cavill is officially off the market,” Graham announced to the camera. “Now, Henry, you have to tell us how you two met.”

“We… eh… met through mutual friends. They were having a game night, and we ended up being paired together for charades,” Henry smiled at the memory. Looking at you, making you fall even more in love with him. Jason and the others noticed where Henry was looking and started shouting for you to join the group.

“Oh yes, please she must join us for the next part of the fun,” Graham pleaded.

Ray and Ezra both stood and went to stand at the edge of the stage. Each man gallantly offered a hand, which you took and was led towards the sofa. Jason moved to make space for you and was wearing a big grin, his eyes shining with glee.

After the rounds of introduction and you told what your occupation was, Graham went to introduce the little quiz game he had conjured. You were each given a button that made a sound. Yours sounded like a pig snorting, while Henry’s was a howling wolf.

“So, the winner gets to take home whatever is underneath this piece of cloth,” Graham said after he had told you the rules. He motioned to the covered box next to him.

“Everyone ready?” he asked. All the actors and yourself said yes. Henry was leaning a little forward, to be ready to push his button.

“First question: Who are the original members of the Justice League?”

You pushed your button faster than anyone, while Henry pushed his so hard it nearly flew off the table.

“Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash, Superman and Green Lantern,” you told Graham. (2)

“Go girly,” Gal cheered for you. She leaned forward and raised her hand for a high five, which you returned.

“Correct! Question number two: What is the Green Lantern oath?”

*Oink oink*

Again you were the fastest. Everyone watched as Henry let out an annoyed huff, but his face showed nothing but absolute happiness.

“In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight.

Let those who worship evil’s might Beware my power, Green Lantern’s light. (3)” You quoted.

You felt the other actors starring at you. Jason gave you a side hug and told you that Henry had found not only a beautiful woman but also an impressive one and that he was damn lucky to have you. You had smiled back and felt yourself being pulled back towards Henry’s side. He held a protective arm around you the remaining of the show.

“Seriously, Cavill. Don’t want to compete with your girl?” Jason asked teasingly.

“I’ll gladly just lean back and let her have her time in the light. Besides, I’m already winning because she’s with me,” Henry smiled proudly at you. You heard the entire audience all go ‘awwwwwwwww’, so did the actors and Jason went between you and Henry to hug both of you.

“Third question: In what year was the first Justice League comic book published?”

Again you were quick to push the button.

“Depending on whether you’re talking about the first time they appeared all together which was in The Brave and the Bold #28 (4) and published in 1959, while their very first own comic book series was published in late 1960.” (5)

Henry raised his eyebrows, clearly dazzled by your vast knowledge. 

“Correct again. Seems you know more about the Justice League than the Justice League itself,” Graham joked.

“I didn’t expect anything less from Superman’s girlfriend,” Ben said with an appreciative grin.

You felt Henry moving closer to you, hugging you tighter to his chest. It was the safest you had ever felt, and even though Henry hadn’t gotten one single point, he was still oozing happiness. Happy to have you by his side forever and ever.

“Here is what you’ve won,” Graham handed you the box and removed the cloth. Inside was Funko Pop figurines of every Justice League member.

After the show, you made sure that every single actor signed their respective figure, and you had pictures taken with them to remember the evening.

At home, you arranged the figures with how they look on the poster you had hung on the wall of your office.

“Another win for the team,” you said out loud. Henry walked in and hugged you from behind. He wrapped those big arms around your middle and whispered seductively in your ear:

“I’m the real winner here.”

1. This is a line from Fairy Tail episode 48 by Makarov Dreyar. I changed it a bit to fit the context.

2. Source https://ew.com/books/brief-history-of-the-justice-league-in-all-its-incarnations/ 

3. Source https://greenlantern.fandom.com/wiki/Lantern_Oaths_(Disambiguation) 

4. Source https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/The_Brave_and_the_Bold_Vol_1_28

5. Source https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Justice_League_of_America_Vol_1_1 

[cosmicjoke]

Alright, so onto chapter 2 of “No Regrets”.  

I want to talk a little about these opening panels, when Levi, Furlan and Isabel are being driven to HQ by carriage.  They seem unimportant, but I think they’re actually really important in understanding Levi’s psychology going into this new situation they’re all in.

We see the interior of the carriage, with Levi and the other two, along with an escort from the SC.  Furlan and Isabel are both looking out the window of the carriage, and in particular, Isabel seems incredibly excited and in awe of the passing view.  She’s stood up, with her face pressed to the window.  And in the next panel, we see her looking at a little girl with her mother, dressed nicely and holding a doll.  This really encapsulates everything Isabel herself has probably never had.  A reliable mother to take care of her, fancy clothes and toys to play with.  Essentially, an actual childhood.  We see Isabel’s face in the window, and her mouth is open in wonder, her eyes wide.  Like she can’t believe what she’s seeing.  It emphasizes the depravation and lack of privilege she’s endured all her life.  Meanwhile, by contrast, Levi sits there with his head bowed down, ignoring the passing scenery, looking deeply unhappy, even depressed.  When he does look up though, he sees Isabel looking out the window, and on the close up shot of him, he’s got an almost thoughtful expression, if still extremely dour.  No doubt, Levi is feeling uneasy and uncertain about the situation they’ve all gotten themselves into here, but I’m also sure that he’s unable to ignore the bubbling over excitement of Isabel, her obvious joy in being, at last, on the surface.  I’ll get more into this later in the post, when we see Levi really considering his friends and their dreams, and how it influences and dictates his own decisions.

But first lets talk a little about Erwin and his role in all of this.

Now at the time this series came out, Erwin’s actual, motivating reasons for doing what he does weren’t yet known, so it’s interesting to read into his actions in this story with that context.  I have no doubt that Erwin really DOES care about humanity, and wants to fight for it, and its salvation.  But as we come to learn from the main series, he places his own dream of proving his father right about the existence of human’s beyond the walls above what’s best for humanity, and it puts his actions in this story into an interesting, if harsher light.

No doubt, Erwin is a master manipulator.  He plays both sides expertly against the middle in this story, and I’ll get more into it by the end, when his actual plan is revealed to Levi.  But what I don’t see often discussed is how, exactly, Erwin got all the parts moving in the direction he wanted, to obtain a specific outcome, and how he pretty ruthlessly uses so many people as pawns to do so.  It’s obvious from the context of what we later learn in the story that Erwin first spread a rumor about having evidence against Lovof stealing funds in order to force him into tipping his hand by trying to make a preemptive move.  What I see people miss all the time, or at least, fail to discuss, is how Erwin also, at the same time, made it public knowledge within the Capital, that he would be going after a group of thugs in the Underground who had shown exceptional skill using ODM gear, and that he would be making contact with them as soon as possible to try and enlist them into military service, and how Erwin made these plans public specifically to encourage Lobov into seeking out Levi and his friends for the exact purpose of both implicating Lobov in a crime, and gaining Levi’s and his friends strength for the SC.  One, by hiring a group of criminals to steal from Erwin and attempt to assassinate him, so he could use that as leverage in case he wasn’t able to obtain proof of Lobov’s further criminal activities, thus having two means of getting rid of one of the SC’s biggest threats, and at the same time, also manage to score for the SC the exceptional skill of Levi and his friends through forced enlistment.  He even says to Zackely at one point “I intend to make use of anyone who has even the smallest potential during this expedition.”.  Erwin manipulated and had control of this entire scenario from the start, and from behind these scenes moved all of these people exactly how he wanted to, to achieve his goals.  That’s pretty impressive, but also pretty scary.  Well, I’ll talk more about all of that when we get to it later on.

Back to Levi and his friends though.

We see them arrive at the SC HQ, and a really important conversation happens between Levi and Furlan.  

Furlan seems like he’s almost bitten off more than he can chew here, beginning to express his concern to Levi about what joining the SC actually means, before Levi cuts him off, telling him he’s got no intention of enlisting, and that he only agreed to come along so that he could get closer to Erwin and then kill him.  I think Levi genuinely felt murderous towards Erwin at this point, and really means what he says here, at least about killing him.  Though given the end of chapter 1, with the significant look shared between Levi and Furlan, and Levi’s begrudging acceptance of Erwin’s offer, it’s obvious that Levi also agreed to come because that’s what Furlan wanted him to do, to give them the opportunity they needed.  Levi’s just feeling incredibly emotional here, I think, with the way Erwin treated all of them hot on his mind.  Furlan tries to implore Levi to forget about killing Erwin, that it isn’t necessary anymore because of his own plan, and the almost certainty that Lobov and his people won’t ever try to make contact with them again.  He tells Levi, if he just listens to him and follows his plan, “I know it’ll work.  Trust me, Levi.”  Furlan asking him to trust him pulls a meaningful look from Levi, seeming to break through Levi’s angry insistence on killing Erwin.  This is where the manga improved on Levi’s characterization and motivation by leaps and bounds over the visual novel, because in the next few panels, we see Levi walking away, with Furlan calling after him, concerned, but we get to see Levi’s inner thoughts, and he’s remembering specifically Furlan insisting to him that “one day, we’ll get outta this trash heap and live up above.”  We see Levi thinking about Furlan’s hopes and dreams in these panels, and he has a saddened, and guilt-ridden look on his face, like he feels bad about having dismissed Furlan’s plans back there in favor of his own plans for revenge.  We didn’t get any of this in the visual novel, instead the text there making Levi look like he refused to consider anyones position but his own in this whole situation.  But here, Levi is clearly concerned with and considering Furlan’s desires.  

We go into a flashback then, with Furlan explaining to Levi his plans, telling him that “nothing’s gone according to plan... But with you here we’ll really be able to raise hell.”  Furlan’s trying to explain to Levi that since he now has Levi’s strength to rely on, they can actually get something done once they get into the Survey Corps.  It almost seems like Furlan’s been planning on trying something like this, or at least, had some sort of loose plan about getting to the surface, even before he met Levi.  It’s obviously something he’s been dreaming about for a long time.

Then Isabel comes back, and she’s been roughed up and assaulted, and we learn from Furlan asking her if she went to see those “low-life scumbags again?” that this has obviously happened to her before, that she’s been associating with some bad people and it’s gotten her hurt.  She denies it and lies about having just tripped, but clearly neither Levi or Furlan are buying that.  Levi asks Isabel what happened to her hair, and Isabel reacts badly, running away and hiding in her room.  We get a close up of Levi holding a knife in his hands, foreshadowing his own intentions.  Later that night, Furlan hears Isabel crying in her room, and her chanting to herself over and over that she’s going to “kill you”, presumably meaning the men that hurt her earlier.  Furlan stands there lamenting that he thinks both Levi and Isabel are going “mad”, and that all they can think about is dragging everyone else down to where they are.  He’s obviously terrified that he’s going to lose both his friends to the savagery and ruthlessness of the Underground, that both of them are going to end up becoming lost to their own anger and pain.  He starts to say “That’s why I...” before Levi suddenly comes back in, holding a bloody knife, clearly having returned from exacting revenge on the men who hurt Isabel.  Furlan asks Levi “Did you kill them...?”, and Levi doesn’t answer, but we see a completely resigned, even sad look on his face.  This of course is the world Levi comes from.  It’s the world he was raised in.  A world of kill or be killed.  Levi must have figured, if he didn’t go out and kill those men that had hurt Isabel now, then someday, they would end up going too far with her, and kill her instead.  But Furlan clearly doesn’t understand, and doesn’t relate to that kind of mindset, despite coming from the Underground too.  Of course, Furlan wasn’t raised by Kenny the Ripper either.  This is how Levi was taught to deal with his problems, and Furlan can only see him spiraling into an abyss from which he fears Levi won’t return.

We cut back to the present then, and Levi is sitting up on the roof of the SC HQ, again remembering Furlan’s words about “This is our chance.  Trust me.”.  Getting to the surface and finding better lives for themselves is Furlan’s dream.  The fact that Levi keeps remembering it, keeps remembering Furlan insisting and pushing the idea of the possibility of living on the surface, shows that this is probably something he would talk about all the time with Levi, trying to get him to agree to it, to believe in it.  Once again, Levi is contemplating the hopes and dreams of his friends.  We get another close up of him holding a knife, and it represents, I think, his struggle between his desire for revenge against Erwin, and his desire to help Furlan realize what, to Levi, is probably an unrealistic goal.

We then get Furlan and Isabel joining Levi, commenting on how beautiful the night sky is, and asking Levi how he could keep it to himself.  Levi snips testily at Furlan that him and Isabel are so loud, that he’d be too irritated to get any killing done, and then Furlan looking clearly unsettled by the remark.  But it’s obvious, given the context of the previous panels of Levi’s thinking about Furlan’s dream, that Levi is just being peevish and saying things out of frustration and confusion.  He doesn’t really mean what he says here.  He’s taking his frustration out on Furlan by saying what he knows will upset him the most.  What this also tells us is that Levi is very much aware of how bothered Furlan is by Levi’s willingness to kill.  He isn’t at all oblivious to it, and given his resigned, saddened expression after coming back from killing the men who assaulted Isabel, I would say Levi even understands Furlan’s dismay.  That’s a glimpse at Levi’s famous compassion.

The next panels show the three of them bonding, sitting together and admiring the night sky.  Isabel asks Levi if the stars are as pretty as where he used to live.  I’m just going to chalk the mistake in continuity here up to this manga coming out before, I believe, Levi’s backstory of being born in a brothel in the Underground was established by Isayama.  Regardless of this mistake, this is an important moment between the three of them.  You can see the awe and wonder they all feel, looking up and seeing the sky fully for what has to be the first time in all their lives.  Remember, all three of them have lived literally underground their entire lives, with little to no sunlight, stagnant, stale air, hideously unclean living conditions, etc...  It must be overwhelming to them , just to see nature in all its splendor like that.  It’s after sharing this moment together that Levi tells Furlan that he’s decided he won’t kill Erwin for now.  He looks at him and says “I’m going to trust you.”.  And Furlan smiles at him, clearly happy and relieved.  This scene is really important, because we’re seeing Levi choose Furlan’s dream over his own desire for revenge.  We see Levi place Furlan’s desires over his own, which is totally in line with how Levi is in the main AoT storyline.  He decides his revenge can wait, that it’s not as important as helping Furlan achieve his goals.  What’s particularly remarkable about this, I think, is that it doesn’t appear that Levi ever dreamed of going to the surface himself, and likely that he never even considered it a possibility.  So just like Levi fights, later on, for a world without fear and violence, for humanity’s salvation, even as all his life experiences tell him it likely isn’t possible, we see the Levi doing the same here, deciding to fight for his friend’s dream, even as to him, it seems unrealistic.  It’s obviously a pivotal moment too, when Levi tells him he’s going to trust him, because this ties in hugely with the theme which applies so much to Levi throughout the whole series, of never knowing if it’s better to rely on himself solely, to trust himself, or to trust and rely on his friends and their capabilities.  Levi chooses, here, to trust in his friends, and that will obviously have it’s own ramifications down the line.  Again, this is an area in which the manga improves radically over the visual novel, which had no instances whatsoever of Levi struggling with the question of the choices we make, which is absurd, since it’s one of the driving factors behind who Levi is, and how he ultimately came to see the world as he does.  It was precisely this struggle between choices, between trying to choose correctly, giving so much thought and effort to our choices, and still sometimes coming out wrong, that shaped Levi into being able to accept his lack of control and instead of regretting it, using it to keep fighting.  

Anyway, I’ll get to chapter 3 tomorrow.  

[pizadowa]

generally a lil nervous to ask, buuut, since I’ve seen a few people chat about how Ivy/the sibs would take care of Carmen when she gets sick, but how would Carmen take care of Ivy if she got sick? I curious to see your take on this 👀 (Carmivy intended?)

oh anon don’t be nervous or shy, this is a very benign ask and I like to think I'm not intimidating 😢..😭

but anywhoooo ... I actually have thought about this before, so I felt like whipping up a quick Ivy POV ficlet rather than strictly talk about Carmen ... :)

-- --

Unlike Zack’s sensitive chemical makeup, Ivy's immune system is built like a supercharged ox, and when it comes to sickness she has vastly more experience being other people’s—namely Zack’s—begrudging caretaker than catching anything herself. 

In the nearly three years she’s traveled the world with Team Red, she can count on less than one hand the times she’s fallen ill, and each instance hardly interfered with their capers, not to mention her self-prescribed medicine of “toughing-it-out” has gotten her through even the roughest days. She's not exactly a fan of admitting defeat to a cold, nor being so useless that someone would need to take care of her, especially when that someone is almost always Zack. His questionable understanding of the human body means he's less adept at relieving any real symptoms and more so at keeping her company enough to distract her frazzled, sickly mind. It's not ideal, but it’s the only thing she knows, and it’s better than getting Carmen involved; Ivy would rather their getaway driver catch her sickness than their very important team leader.

So when she wakes up one day in their new HQ to immobilizing muscle pain, a presumably contagious case of the sniffles, and a very concerned Carmen seated at her bedside instead of Zack, she’s more than a little bit freaking out.

“Wh… Carm?” Ivy submerges part of her face under the covers, fearful of spreading her mystery contagion despite their distance. For extra good measure she directs her head away to her night table, taking note of a glass of water and tissues that definitely weren’t there before. “How long have you…?”

Carmen brings one leg onto the bed and curls her palms around it as she speaks, “Not too long. I was actually just wrapping up some sets when Zack ran in screaming like a banshee about you. It’s amazing that didn’t wake you up.”

Ivy’s vision focuses out of its watery haze enough to comprehend Carmen’s tight athletic wear and exposed skin that’s somehow less sweaty than her own. A cold-hot chill sends her into shivers. 

“I’m pretty sure that was the demon in my fever dream." She cringes at the sound of her own nasally voice wreaking havoc on her aching head. "Where is he, anyway?”

“I sent him out to the store and had Shadowsan tag along to make sure he doesn’t go overboard with the anecdotal home remedies.”

The imagery has Ivy falling into laughter that quickly becomes a strained coughing fit beneath her thick blanket. Carmen noticeably teeters away, which only adds to the discomfort in her chest.

“Ugh, sorry for the gross sound effects.”

“Don’t be. I had a feeling you wouldn’t be doing too hot in the morning. You were hardly eating and going to bed earlier than Shadowsan.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yeah. So, all-in-all, I was expecting this.”

“Double ugh.” She buries herself within the bed until the only thing she can see is threaded darkness. The weight by her legs shifts closer, and then there’s a gentle hand on her blanketed bicep. It’s warm even through the fabric.

“Hey, don’t sweat it. Actually, I guess do sweat it if you have a fever. Do you have a fever?”

Ivy’s about to answer when the blanket peels back and the hand that was on her arm presses firmly to her forehead. She blinks past the slender forearm in her view and over to Carmen’s determined face leaning closer with each passing second. For a moment their intense eyes cross paths, lock on to each other before softening completely, and Ivy is overcome with an urge to hold on. To what, she doesn’t know, but one of her hands takes the initiative and reaches up to Carmen’s wrist—which pulls away just as her fingernails make contact with smooth skin.

“You feel warm, but it’s hard to say,” Carmen contemplates aloud and returns to her previous spot on the bed. “We’ll need that thermometer once Zack and Shadowsan are back, but in the meantime, I’m here. Whatever you need.”

Ivy struggles to push a scratchy lump down her throat as she shoves her hand back under the covers. 

She's not used to this. Unless it’s Zack—who’s almost too obliging for his own good—she avoids asking for help as much as possible. She prefers to handle most things perfectly well on her own, and she’s since learned her hard lesson of what happens when you owe a debt to others. The very thought of burdening Carmen with something as dumb as a little cold sets her nerves even more haywire. 

“You shouldn’t be here,” she grumbles weakly.

Carmen shoots her a look like she's just said a profane insult. "I shouldn't?"

"Yeah, I'm all sick and stuff. Wouldn't you prefer to be...not...sick and stuff?"

"Checking your temperature is nothing. And besides, you were probably contagious days ago. If I got it, I got it.” Ivy’s face contorts into a sarcastic pout, but Carmen preemptively interrupts her griping with a raised hand. “I’m just saying it takes a bit more than that to knock me down, and if I’m fine now, I might as well help out. Seriously, I think I get sick even less than you do."

Ivy pauses to consider it, only able to recall taking care of a Carmen who has been downed by injuries and overexertion, not acute illnesses. Not even a little upset stomach from too much delicious food like she and Zack—though mostly Zack—are wont to do.

"Still, I don't wanna risk it." Ivy shuffles on her back to the farther side of the bed. "I appreciate your concern, Carm, I really do, but I'll be fine. Just send Zack in here once he's back."

"Oh." Carmen frowns at her in a way Ivy’s never received before, and for an intense split second she feels a strange pang of guilt. "Sure, but...this is the same Zack who thought the best remedy for altitude sickness was sticking a fan at the front of the tent to magically blow in more oxygen?"

"Uh—" 

"And who once drank a phony herbal miracle cure from downtown that made even his worst food poisoning look like a work of art?"

"Ew-uh, gross!" Ivy scrunches up her entire face, only relaxing it once she sees lightning behind her eyelids. "Okay, okay, I get it. You really don't want Zack taking care of me."

"It's not just that."

With great effort Ivy sits up out of her cocoon for the first time that morning. "What'd'ya mean?"

Carmen twists her torso completely toward Ivy. "You guys are always looking out for me when I'm down for the count. And you, you've been the only one taking care of Zack for how long?" 

Ivy offers a small chuckle of understanding. “Too long.”

"Exactly. So the least I could do is return the favor and pamper you for once. I may not be a doctor but I do cook a mean sopa de mondongo, and that's always helped me when I was sick on the isle."

"I don't even know what that is and I feel better already."

"Wait ‘til you actually try it. Funny enough we actually have all the ingredients, but not the basics for treating a nasty cold, go figure."

"Food is the priority around here."

Carmen snatches a glass of water from Ivy's night table and extends it over the bed to her. "Finish this, I'll go get started on the soup. The guys should be back soon with some medicine. Think you can hold out just a bit longer?"

Ivy takes the glass in her hands and peers down at its fullness with a warmth in her chest that crawls up her neck. “Yeah, yeah I think I can do that.”

"Good."

“Oh, and...I’m really happy it’s you here right now. Like, really really happy.” Ivy pauses. “Don’t tell Zack I said that.”

She peers up from her watery reflection to see Carmen beaming at her in silent affirmation, and she does her best to offer the same expression. She takes a few slow sips of her lukewarm drink, fully expecting Carmen to have left by now, but instead the other girl shifts closer on the bed. Closer into Ivy’s space.

"You know,” Carmen starts, her voice husked low despite not needing to, and Ivy can feel her heart beating across every inch of her body, “I'm told I give amazing massages, in case those muscle aches become too much trouble for you.”

She trails her hand along Ivy's covered thigh before lightly squeezing down her ankle, and the peculiar sensations have Ivy frozen with nothing else to do but gawk at her. She offers an unreadable smirk with lidded eyes that cast her mind further into delirium, and walks out of the room without another word.

When she’s fully registered that she’s alone again, Ivy wolfs down the rest of her water, barely managing to fend off a spell of wheezes, and quickly discards the glass to the empty sheets next to her. With a buzzing in her cranium that ripples throughout her entire body, she flings herself down to her pillows to smother her overheated cheeks with a shaky sigh.

"I should get sick more often."