#All of which I think deserves more attention than we give it credit for.

[curseofpower]

"It'd be super interesting to hear these counterarguments 👀."

@goopi-e Well let's see… where should I start? The mass assumption that Ganondorf just sort of left his kingdom for dead and stayed holed up in Hyrule Castle for seven entire years, (lolwut???) no longer caring about his fellow gerudos or even letting them know what the hell was going on?

Or something else? Maybe something a little dicier? Like the existence of gibdos? Or the fact he didn't save Nabooru after his moms decided her punishment? ... That last one might be a little self explanatory, though, if you understand his mindset.

Ganondorf is a man with a very strong sense of justice and a very skewed sense of morality. I think it's actually because he cared that he'd ever punish or let his people be punished like she was. Twinrova were his mothers too, so, it's likely he trusted their judgement more than anyone else's. A lower ranking pair of gerudo might not have gotten away with dealing justice in his name like that.

But I digress. I know I have to be missing something. I'm just very tired today and have a lot on my mind. Do feel free to let me know, though, if any of that interests you or if there's another thing I forgot to address that you want me to go into.

[spacedace]

Found this old snippet and don't really remember of the context for it outside of being a joking exploration of how weird the Fenton/Phantom family tree would seem to outsiders (not even getting into how relationships might be classified differently between the human side & the ghost side)

Anyway gonna drop it here as a prompt lol

Mind the quick reference to dismemberment, there's no gore or detailed description and no one is actually hurt, it's more there for comedic effect, but still wanted to give the heads up on it 👍

---

Nomad motioned to the towering, vaguely vampire-looking buff dude with literal flaming hair what the fuck, “Dan, this is everyone. Everyone this is Dan. He’s my…” Nomad trailed off and blinked, a look of confused befuddlement on her face as she let the sentence hang for too long.

“Huh…” She said considering, looking up at vampire-dude, Dan apparently, with a confused furrow on her brow. “You know this is the first time I’ve ever had to try and explain our relationship to each other and I’m drawing a blank and what exactly to call you. Uncle? Dad? Brother? Like, I think you could technically be considered all three.”

What the fuck did that mean??? Kon snapped his attention over to meet Tim’s masked gaze, the look of wild confusion Kon was sure was on his own face mirrored there. Around the meeting room confused and worried looks were being shared by the rest of the League. Which like, yeah, what in the Habsburgs was happening here for all of those terms to be applicable?

“Well, you’re Danny’s Mirror, so if you consider him your dad then it stands to reason I’m also your father.” Dan said, hand coming up to his - literally flaming, how did that work? - goatee thoughtfully.

“Yeah but like, I call Danny dad just to piss Vlad off.” Nomad countered, toying with her severed arm with her still attached hand. Kon didn’t think he’d ever get over how casual she was about being literally disarmed and just…not caring. “And I definitely don’t see you as a dad. Uncle?”

The giant of a ghost shook his head with a frown, “Implies that Danny and I are brothers, which could work but gives our relationship kind of a weird vibe. I feel more like his father than anything.”

“Gramps, then?”

“No.”

Nomad laughed, “Fair, wouldn’t want to take the title of Grampa away from CW. Besides we’re both half Vlad, so I think brother works best here.” She frowned, looking thoughtful, “Maybe half brother?”

Dan considered, “Half-brother could work. Though it gives Vlad more credit than he deserves.”

“Oh come on, can you imagine the look on his face if we went in together on suing him for child support?” Nomad asked, fanged grin wicked. Dan’s face lit up at the idea, and Kon felt like they were rapidly heading towards the two ghosts running off to go and go torment whoever this Vlad guy was rather then them help deal with the current demonic problem at hand.

“Can you please explain what any of that means?” Kon asked, more a squeak than anything else. He was starting to get a headache.

[sissytobitch10seconds]

I think it's kind of interesting that Viktor is overshadowed by his siblings both in the canon and fanon.

In season one I could understand it. Despite Viktor being the main character that literally drives the entire plot, everyone focuses on the other characters. People make fun of Luther for talking about the moon all the time. Everyone is almost creepily obsessed with Klaus and the Vietnam fling that he had. No one really talks about Allison, but her story is primarily linked with Viktor's since she's trying to heal their relationship (fandom misogyny too). I think that there's a decent amount of talk around Five since he's such a fascinating character. There's quite a lot of talking about Diego too, since he loses Eudora and spends a lot of time trying to take care of Klaus. But no one really talks about Viktor and the amount of shit that he goes through in s1. All the siblings other than Allison completely abandon him too, and Allison only wants the idea of a 'sister' that she's built up in her head since she lost her husband and daughter.

In season two, it makes even less sense to not talk about what Viktor has done. He has a queer love story with Sissy and we get to see way more development and chemistry for, Klaus and Dave had a montage and some sad lines from Klaus as opposed to an entire arc through ten episodes, but no one really does anything with it. Allison gets basically no attention for the same fandom misogyny issues as before. Five gets some attention because of the fact that he's exhausted and still dealing with the Commission (his fight scenes are amazing). Diego gets the same treatment as Luther did but a little more deserving because the plan to save JFK was stupid. Luther gets totally sidelined and ignored too, but people really hated him in S1 so I'm not surprised. Klaus gets all the attention again even though his plot outside of Ben possessing him is honestly really boring and makes me so uncomfortable.

Season three is where Viktor should have gotten the most attention. If we're considering the fact that the TUA fandom has a very queer audience, then they should be super excited and celebrating the fact that Viktor is trans. Not only that, but he's also working his ass off so that he can fix things for Allison and get her back to a timeline where her daughter exists or back to the sixties. I think a lot of people ignore that, giving Five more credit than he deserves for trying to fix the world when Viktor was doing that until Harlan showed up and he wanted to handle that first. A lot of attention during the debut went again to Klaus, which was actually warranted this time since he was plot relevant by showing us things about Reggie and discovering his powers. Diego got more attention since he was parenting Stan and fighting with Lila, which was nice. Five got some meme attention but nothing serious and Luther got a little bit of genuine love. But mostly people just posted the conversation where Viktor comes out to his family and continued to ignore him.

Now Season four is out and no one cares about Viktor. He stands up to Reginald and says all of the things that he needs to say, he fights like Hell to try and save Ben from the Durango and get him someplace stable, he owns a bar and got fucking KIDNAPPED. No one is talking about him, all people are doing is complaining about fivela and the ending.

Viktor moved to Nova Scotia probably to get better trans healthcare, but also because none of his siblings care about him. My man is a tiny trans man that got kidnapped and ransomed off the street and they couldn't care less about him when they show up, Five is taking notes about the room they're in instead of checking to make sure that his childhood best friend is okay. Luther may have made him best man at his wedding, but it was just because Viktor had only just come out and all the other siblings were non options (never been close with Five, butted heads with Diego who didn't even want the wedding to happen, not their Ben, and Klaus was officiating) which was the same reason Lila was Sloane's maid of honor. Diego and Viktor barely spare two words at each other despite their closeness in the comics. Lila and Allison say something briefly to him before they also fuck off further into the plot.

Viktor isn't liked by his family despite them trying to include him in it when it's convenient for them, and he's also disliked by the fandom. I went into the TUA tag and about half of the top twenty posts were about someone else with him tacked on as an afterthought.

[hey-haven]

I cannot be silenced! Yuuki Mishima you deserve better!!!!

Looking back I do think it’s kindaaaaa gross how Mishima was treated by both the writers and the fandom. I do think between this and Baby Reindeer (work with me here) people really can’t grasp the idea of a flawed victim.

When it comes to the media, people are more willing to accept a palatable victim. Someone who is either a completely helpless damsel in distress, or someone who can bravely fight back and overcome their abuser and grow stronger from it. But that’s just not how it really works a lot of the time.

I remember when Baby Reindeer came out, there were a good handful of viewers who would go as far as to say that Donny deserved the abuse he was receiving because he was essentially enabling Martha in some way. And then we peel back the curtains and learn the reason why he enables her is actually, arguably, far more horrific than we could have thought.

People didn’t like that he didn’t do the just and noble thing right away, but that’s frankly why I like the story so much. Survivors of abuse don’t just come out the other side fully grown and matured from their experience. They will have to deal with issues that have branched out from the seed that was the abuse. Sometimes we will learn to bite back as a way to cope. Sometimes we can become desperate, clingy, avoidant, angry, violent, paranoid, we can end up hurting someone else. It’s not good and people have every right to be angry when survivors do something bad, but that’s sadly how some people become after dealing with abuse.

So no, the perfect victim you see in stories are almost never real.

Abuse doesn’t make stable individuals. Quite the opposite really. I think it makes a lot of sense for Mishima’s story to go the way it did. Someone who was isolated for years because he was bullied throughout middle school only to become one of the main targets of an abusive, power hungry teacher? No yeah, I see why Yuuki became obsessed with fame and attention. I see why he is extremely clingy to the protagonist. It’s all obvious signs of a sad kid who finally found some form of connection and is desperate to hold on to that. Obviously what he did was not good, but the story makes that very clear. It’s not like they ever tried to excuse his behavior.

I think it’s gross how people whittle him down as some annoying pest, when the thing that made him so clingy and obsessive is years of isolation, bullying, and physical abuse/manipulation. I’m not saying you can’t find those aspects annoying, I very much get why it can be. Even I have moments where I go “dude I can’t keep defending you”. That being said, I do think people should be more willing to step back and look at the bigger picture.

Yuuki actually takes the steps to better himself without the Phantom Thieves changing his heart, which goes to show that he actually has a very strong will and moral compass even if it does lose its way now and again. His healing won’t be linear, but he is trying. I think that makes him a stronger person than people give him credit for

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

i just have to say it..

catra is not as deep as the writers and fans think she is.

i mean, sure, she's definitely an interesting character with a lot of issues people can relate to. but she's also.. pretty straightforward about all these issues.

i feel like fans like to see catra as this silent, brooding person who hides all her pain but that's not who she is. catra has always been very vocal about whatever troubles her. even when she didn't initially like scorpia, she still told scorpia about things that were troubling her. she complained to entrapta about adora leaving her (which was also a way to manipulate entrapta but my point still stands).

even her more tsundere moments where she's all like “ugh whatever it's not because i like you” is so on the nose. it's written in a way that hints to us that catra does like adora, but the rest of the context doesn't really get that point across.

so yeah, i'm not saying that catra is a boring or shallow character, but people definitely give a lot more credit to her character than she deserves. she's really not the kind of person who bottles up her feelings. i mean, she does not deal with her problems in a healthy manner at all but she also definitely doesn't bottle them up.

the characters who do bottle up their emotions are adora, scorpia and entrapta. maybe even hordak. we've already seen how scorpia reminds herself to push back her self-doubt everyday, and how she deflects any kind of emotional situation with jokes.

adora most definitely bottles up her feelings because she doesn't want to burden the people around her and she needs to be the strong hero that they're expecting her to be.

we never hear of hordak's disability and his relationship with horde prime until he unwillingly opens up to entrapta about it, so i think it's safe to assume that he doesn't really talk about his problems to everyone as well.

entrapta's case is a little confusing because i'm not sure if the writers intended her to make her a happy-go-lucky character who hides her pain, or if her character is just inconsistent. we get a few emotional scenes from her but they are never mentioned again and she seems happy enough after her problems are never addressed or given a satisfying conclusion.

but of course, catra is always the one portrayed as this dark, brooding villain who never talks about how much they're hurting. crazy how catra fans themselves mischaracterize their favourite blorbo. if you actually paid attention to catra throughout the series, you know that she's the kind of person to start venting about her personal stuff five minutes into meeting someone.

[laniusbignaturals]

What are your thoughts on Benny? I think he’s genuinely fascinating based on his characterization in All Roads as someone who can be both cruel and gentle when he needs to be (maybe his unofficial last name should be Chameleon instead of Gecko what with how he changes his behavior for any given situation). I appreciate the good bit of “sopping wet cat of a man with a foot fetish” jokes about him every now and then, but I feel like the fanbase neglects a lot of what his personality is like.

Interesting to me that he seems to be subjected to a phenomenon which I usually associate with female characters, where they’re the ratio between passionate interest and variations of “hmmm step on me mommy” is unevenly skewed towards the latter end. Although when people shower female characters near exclusively with uncomplicated erotic praise, we can generally call that sexist, whereas with Benny I’m like. Lmao. Sure, sometimes it seems like the tumblerized subsection of the fandom doesn’t give his character the credit it deserves, but that’s more of a frustration than an issue. Your average picrew icon doesn’t owe Benny of all characters more careful attention.

The way I see it, Benny really shines during his captivity at The Fort, which is a part of the game you only see if you decide to go against the grain and allow him to run off. Most players won’t make that decision, so, the side of Benny’s character on display in the Fort scenes - the vulnerable side - is turned into his primary characteristic by those players who do.

Benny as he appears in All Roads is certainly a far cry from the “pathetic wet cat” characterization you alluded to, but you can see fragments of that version of him. What defines him as pathetic in the comic is this weird rigidity which is out of place in his setting, Vegas. Paradoxically, Benny has hardline disdain for his community’s identity before they became a part of Vegas. He’s also vocally distrustful of chem users. At first, the reader is set up to see him as a xenophobic outsider of sorts. He’s Stringer Bell, right, the one who conforms, imperfectly but still, and enforces conformity on his whole group because he thinks it will benefit all of them. I know niggas just like that irl.

Buuuuuuuut Swank obviously thought Benny was willing to be challenged on this front. We did see him confront him about it, however sheepishly. So, Benny’s stubbornness on this front is probably a recent development. And, as we see in Benny’s later discussion with Chance, bathed in that beautifully rendered early morning glow, this isn’t just an ego trip for him, he’s emotional invested in his beliefs. Benny doesn’t insist on rejecting his tribe’s former identity because he hates it, or looks down on it. He’s just become enmeshed in a culture that makes him feel like there is no way for them to live on as they used to. To be forward-thinking is a good quality in a manager, so you can see why Swank and the others trust him. It’s just turned into a double edged sword by Benny’s overbearingness and pretension. The fact that, in the game, he’s canonically a cooze hound is funny when considered in this context. Gotta love a man who fucks for his self esteem!

This part’s just me spitballing: in his relationship with the Khans, Benny often seems to cast himself as the “rational, forward thinking one” in a way that reminds me of House, almost? They’re obviously not the same character or w/e, Benny still represents something very different than House, but it’s interesting how even after he’s rejected Robert, parts of the man’s leadership style still creep up in his own. The drama.

[roxygen22]

Still Here (Chapter 8)

Summary: Madison finds out about you and Timothée.

Catch up on previous chapters here.

"How are things going with Timothée?" Holly asked while the two of you were watching the kids play.

You looked over at your new friend with wide eyes. It had only been less than a week since Timothée bared his feelings and kissed you outside the Italian restaurant. "Oh, uh, we aren't-" you stuttered and tried to play dumb.

She raised her eyebrow at you. "It's clear he's head over heels for you. I knew it from the day he called about that lifejacket. And although I don't know you quite as well, it seemed like that may be reciprocated."

"Is it that obvious?" She nodded. You huffed. "It's...complicated. I don't know if he told you, but we were high school sweethearts."

"Awww!" Holly exclaimed with a pouted lip.

"But we split our senior year when I decided to go to college in California. I was determined to get out of town, and he wasn't ready to leave. I got out there, met someone, got married a couple of years later, and had Madison about a year after that. The ink was barely dry on my divorce decree when I moved back. I didn't expect to run into him so soon. I didn't even know he was still here."

"It's a small town, honey."

You laughed quietly. "I know, I know."

"Let me guess. You are worried that Madison will be upset."

"Very much so," you replied solemnly.

"They seem to get along quite well. She may be a little shocked at first, but I think you'll find that she wants you to be happy. Especially if you explain that he's not replacing her father. My parents were divorced, too. My mom started dating soon after. Looking back, I understand why. Just because the divorce made it official didn't mean that the marriage wasn't already over well before that. You deserve to be happy."

You nodded and stared off at the kids swinging on the monkey bars. Maybe Madison was more ready to handle the news than you gave her credit for.

Holly broke you from your thoughts. "Will we see you at the carnival tonight?"

"Yes! Timothée is going to swing by around..." you stopped at the sight of her wry smile. "Oh hush you." You tried to give her a stern look before busting out a laugh.

<><><><><>

You sat on the porch swing that was handcrafted by the man you were waiting on. You wanted to sneak a kiss before Timothée came inside to greet your family. The days since your dinner date left you longing for more. Instead, you had to settle for text messages and calling each other at night until one of you fell asleep.

You heard the unmistakable droning of his blue truck down the road. You stood and paced on the porch until he parked in front of the house. You bounded down the steps and ran to the driver's side. Timothée caught you and spun, planting a big kiss on your lips as he set you on your feet.

"Hey, baby," he gushed.

You blushed and looked down at the ground.

"Too soon?" he asked worriedly.

"No. I- I like it. I've missed it. Just like old times," you grinned, making eye contact once more. He responded in like measure with a grin of his own.

"Good. Now, where's my favorite 9-year-old?" He looked around for Madison.

"She's inside working on a craft project with my mom."

"Which means I can steal one more kiss." He grabbed you and dipped you backward. You stifled a screech at the speed of it all to avoid unwanted attention from inside the house. Once his lips pulled away from yours, he stared into your eyes for a moment and then rubbed the tip of his nose on yours. "I love you."

"I know," you said warmly. You kissed the tip of his nose and he brought you back up to a standing position. You walked up the stairs together and into the house.

"Timothée!" Madison cheered.

"Hey, kiddo! Whatcha working on?"

"It's a suncatcher made out of a frame, beads, and...what kind of wire did you say, Nana?"

"Chicken wire," your mom called from the kitchen.

"Chicken wire," Madison continued.

"Madison, this is beautiful," Timothée cooed as he gently grazed the baubles with his fingers. "When you finish, I'd like to buy it and hang it up in my shop window."

"Really?" the girl squeaked. You felt all warm and fuzzy inside watching the two interact. Michael had always gotten so grumpy about craft messes.

"Yep. Who knows, you may have a line of customers asking you to make one for them. But for now, you should take a break so we can go have some fun. Ready to go to the Founders' Day Festival?"

"Yep! Just need to get my shoes on." She ran to her bedroom. Your mother joined you from the kitchen.

"That was nice of you to offer to buy that," she said to Timothée as she gave him a hug.

"I'm just trying to get an original before she's famous." He winked. "I know talent when I see it."

Madison came running back in. "Ready!" She announced. Once all goodbye hugs and handshakes were distributed to your parents, the three of you walked outside.

"Pleeeeease, can we take Timothée's truck?" Madison begged. She loved sitting up high and seeing everything.

He grinned. "You like my truck, eh?" The girl nodded so hard you thought she'd fall over. "Tell you what. If she's still running by the time you're tall enough to reach the pedals, we'll take her out to the backroads by the lake and I'll teach you how to drive."

Your eyes went as wide as saucers. You were shocked - oddly, not by the paternal gesture - but at how sure he seemed of your future. Together.

Timothée saw your face and made a choked noise before adding, "Ehrr, if your mother is okay with it, of course."

You shook your head to clear your thoughts and face - like an Etch-a-Sketch. "Of course. That's where and how I learned, too."

"Yessss!" Madison squealed.

"But you still have some growing to do," you added while climbing in after Madison into the truck.

<><><><><>

At one point, you weren't sure who was having more fun, Madison or Timothée. They zigged and zagged all over the place together, from the concession stands to the rides and games. He doted on her the entire evening. The sight of him hauling around a large teddy bear looked a scene out of a movie.

"You are spoiling her," you playfully muttered under your breath to him while Madison was busy tossing rings onto bottles.

He shrugged. "It's fun. I want her to have a good time. She's had a tough year. She deserves to have some good memories of this summer."

"You don't have to do that, Timmy."

"I know I don't have to. I want to." He smiled.

"You're amaz-"

"[Y/N] [L/N], is that you?" You turned to find the source of the shrill voice behind you. It was yet another high school classmate, Ashley. "It is you! I heard you were back in town!" She gave you a hug and looked over at Timothée. "Just look at you two! I knew you would get back together again someday. You were such a cute couple in high school."

"Oh, uh-" you stuttered as you looked over at Timothée in a slight panic. Luckily she was interrupted by her child tugging her arm before you had to formulate a response.

"Well, I gotta run. Good to see you, [Y/N]. Swing by the the bakery soon so we can catch up!" She left as quickly as she had descended upon you. You waved half-heartedly and let out the breath you didn't realize you were holding. You turned back around and noticed that Madison was no longer at the game table...

...but standing right beside you. She looked up at you in confusion. "Couple?!" You both stared at each other with mouths agape before she stalked off to the courthouse steps. You turned to Timothée and handed him your drink.

"Here, can you hold this while I go talk to her?"

"Sure, I'll be right over here."

You slowly walked up and sat on the step beside her.

"You told me you and Timothée were friends. You didn't say he's your BOYfriend," she accused.

"We are friends, Madison. He used to be my boyfriend in high school. We are still trying to figure out what we are right now," you confessed.

"Is he why we came back here?"

"No. I didn't even know he was still here, honestly. We came back here because this is my home, and I needed help from Nana and Pawpaw while I figured things out."

"If you're with Timothée, then you and Daddy can't get back together," she stated flatly. It wasn't a question.

"Sweetheart, your father and I are not getting back together. We just aren't a good fit anymore. But that doesn't mean that Timothée will replace your father if things become more serious between us. It just means you have even more people who love you and want to look out for you."

"Do you like him?"

"I do, very much." You looked up and made eye contact with him as he observed from his perch by the Ferris wheel. He shifted in his seat nervously.

She nodded and went silent for a few moments.

"Does this mean he'll hang out with us more often?" she inquired, looking over at him, too.

"I'm sure he would love to hang out even more often than he does already, if you are comfortable with that."

"I think so. He's nice, and he's fun. And you're more fun when he's around."

You laughed and wrapped your arm around her shoulders. "I'll try not to take that too personally." She leaned her head into the crook of your neck. "I love you, Maddy. I want you to know you are my number one priority no matter what."

"I know." She stood and walked toward Timothée without bothering to wait for you. You quick-stepped to catch up. He paled as you both came toward him, not knowing the outcome of the conversation. You weren't exactly sure what was about to happen next, either.

Madison stopped just short of his outstretched leg. "So do you want to be my mom's boyfriend?" she asked directly.

Timothée's mouth dropped momentarily as he regained his senses. He glanced at you before looking back at the girl. "Uh, well, yes. I'd like that very much." He leaned forward and whispered, "Do you think I should ask her?"

Madison giggled and nodded her head. "I think she'll say yes," she whispered in return. She looked back at you and winked.

"Madison!" you heard a childish voice call from your right.

"Emerie! Can I go talk to her, Mom?" she asked, now thoroughly distracted from the conversation.

"Sure, just stick close to her parents. We'll catch up with you in a second." The girl eagerly ran off to her new friend.

Timothée stood and walked to your side. "Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to ask if you would like to be my girlfriend - again?"

You took his hand in yours. "I'd like that very much." He looked down and softly smiled before pulling you in for a kiss. A very public kiss.

The two of you walked side by side to greet Holly and Blake. Holly looked down at your clasped hands, then back at you with a knowing smile. "Good for you," she whispered as you all followed the kids around the fair.

<><><><><>

Chapter 9

Masterlist

Tag List:

@croatianprincess, @bluizh, @jindongdongie

[bottomlouisficfest]

We hope you’ve enjoyed the fics from weeks 9-10 of the Bottom Louis Fic Fest 2023! Every two weeks, we’re compiling all of the fics from that period into one roundup post so they’re easy to find for anyone looking to catch up on fics they missed. Enjoy these amazing fics and give them the love they deserve!

part time soulmates (full time problem)

A fic by localopa on AO3 | @voulezloux on Tumblr

12k | Mature | Tumblr post | Twitter post

sworn enemies harry and louis are soulmates. everything is going smoothly until the pain hits.

--

Spaces Between Us, Hold All Our Secrets

A fic by Whoopsiedaisiesss on AO3 | @shining-louist on Tumblr

6k | Not Rated | Tumblr post | Twitter post

The thing about Harry is, is that he is the most wonderful guy you´ll ever meet. He is kind, compliments you on things you are usually insecure about, which shows he truly pays attention to who you are as a person. And he befriends everyone. Except Louis. --- Or the one where Louis suffers from anxiety. His rivals with Harry makes this even worse. Until one day he accidentally calls Harry during one of his panic attacks. Harry just wants Louis to feel better. He always does.

--

Bend the Rules

A fic by youreyesonlarry on AO3 | @youreyesonlarry on Tumblr | @youreyesonlarry on Twitter

17k | Explicit | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 588: Lous hires a ‘ghost cooking’ service because his family is worried he’s not eating well and he wants to impress them by showing them what an amazing cook he’s become. The service includes sending a discreet cook to your house and have them get everything ready so that you only serve and take the credit. Problem is, his sisters (can be OCs if that’s more comfortable) get to his flat earlier than planned and the actual cook has to hide in the master bathroom for hours. Louis is mortified. The cook is amused and helps him to clean and well. Gives him a thorough service. Feel free to pick your fave as the cook.

--

The Writing on the Wall

A fic by stylinsonwritingpalace on AO3 | @stylinsonwritingpalace on Tumblr

7k | Explicit | Tumblr post | Twitter post

When BookToker Louis receives a gift basket filled with all his favorite sweets, wines, and stuffed animals alongside the new Harry Styles book, he's shocked at the story he finds in the pages. ----- For BLFF Prompt 85: Louis is a literature teacher who spends his free time either making videos on Instagram or TikTok (author’s choice) talking about his favorite books. His audience knows how obsessed he is with a specific author, from his poems to his novels, he reads and gushes about every single one of his works because he always feels as if they were written to him. That was why when he receives a special PR package with his favorite sweets, wine, and the author’s brand new book, it only took him hours to finish the whole thing. Only this time, to his shock, the story on the pages of the book were too familiar to him. It was the story of how Louis broke his ex’s heart.

--

Define me again

A fic by Hazzascul_07 on AO3 | @hazzascul on Tumblr

54k | Mature | Tumblr post | Twitter post

He's never felt so frightened in his life before, so fucking terrified for himself. And Louis. He looked down at their hands, which seemed to have been connected throughout the incident. He looked at the ring on Louis' hand, for the nth time that day. His heart hurt so bad now, he was terrified. He wanted to do so many things, he wanted to check on louis, if he- if he- God he couldn't even think about it. "Louis," he tried to whisper, but nothing but air came out from his mouth. "I love you, Harry," whispered a voice. But it was nowhere near him. Visions attacked his mind, rapidly flickering through like one would do the pages of a book. He was terrified. His entire life literally flashed in his mind, vision growing more and more weak and he fought unconsciousness. Memories and the picture of Louis lying unconscious in front of him altered and flickered, so rapidly that he felt dizzy with how fast his mind was whirring. What happens when you die? God he was so, so, so, fucking terrified. All his senses gave out, last thing he felt was Louis' hand in his and then, everything went black.

--

in deep devotion

A fic by ifthat on AO3 | @lovehl on Tumblr | @omegalouis on Twitter

11k | Explicit | Tumblr post | Twitter post

With no signs of presenting at the age of sixteen, no official designation by age eighteen, Harry was no match for the line of Alpha suitors Louis attracted with his sweet, gravitating disposition and breathtaking beauty. His presence commanded attention. His movements were graceful, his skin tinged by the sun, his smile infectious, and his eyes the color of the sea.

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You Were Always Mine

A fic by GoldenSunflouervol6 on AO3 | @sunflouervol6 on Twitter

6k | Explicit | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 45: A/B/O fic where Louis and Harry have a lot of mutual friends but they don’t get along (mostly Louis doesn’t like Harry). One day, Louis turns up on Harry’s doorstep covered in blood and asking for help. (Inspiration: Prompt #126 from the BLFF 2021).

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give my heart a holiday

A fic by Ashisinlove on AO3 | @ashisinlove28 on Twitter

14k | Not Rated | Tumblr post | Twitter post

AU where Louis and someone else both like Harry but Harry obviously likes Louis and is oblivious to the other person with scenes like Harry’s sitting with his legs on the coffee table and the other person wants to walk across and Harry doesn’t see them, so they have to say excuse me, but when Louis wants to cross he doesn’t even have to say anything because Harry sits up, puts his feet down, and gives his undivided attention to Louis.

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always tell the truth

A fic by anditsonlyforthebrave on AO3 | @HARRYSC1NEMA on Twitter

5k | Not Rated | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Harry is Louis' dentist and getting a wisdom tooth removed shouldn't be the end of the world.

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Wait For Me

A fic by cherrygelb on AO3 | @cherrygelb on Twitter

17k | Explicit | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Moving to a new place always comes with a few challenges. For Harry, it’s trying to start over after his divorce, while still doing his best taking care of his son. Though just like every parent, he is not infallible, so some mistakes are bound to be made, settling into his new role as a single-dad. For his son, Davie, moving means he has to get used to all the changes happening in his life through no fault of his own. Discovering a secret passageway on their new property lets him form an unlikely friendship with the young man and his dog he finds on the other side. BLFF 2023, Prompt 391: Harry’s son gets very attached to Louis! Maybe they just randomly meet at first (possibly neighbors?) and then the kid just keeps running back to Louis without telling his dad.

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Remember to give these fics kudos and comments, and spread their fic posts!

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All roundups will be linked here:

Weeks 1-2 Roundup

Weeks 3-4 Roundup

Weeks 5-6 Roundup

Weeks 7-8 Roundup

Weeks 9-10 Roundup

Week 11 Roundup

[starynightcreator]

It's Not All Bad

Chapters: 7-8

Characters included: Eddie Munson, Nancy Wheeler, and Steve Harington

Word Count: 4,887

No use of Y/N

18+! May be triggering to some!

Contains: Fluff, Angst, Kissing, Shy/ Anxious Reader, Sweet/Protective Eddie, Jealousy, Cursing, Alcohol use, Yelling, Heartbreak, Betrayal, & Friends To Lovers.

Summary: After a betrayal from your best friend and boyfriend, you find comfort in the arms of eddie.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. This is my first story and I'm a little nervous.

!Must give credit when re-sharing/ sharing. Don't take credit please and thank you!

PART SEVEN:

“They never deserved someone like you in their lives and karma will kick them in the ass so hard they won't be able to sit for years. I’m sorry they did this to you, they are awful people. Wait, if you hate parties then why’d you invite me to this one?”

“You’re sweet Edd’s, you always are to me. Also thank you for that, you are always being so kind to me, honest, real, and what not..Haha well they definitely deserve it. Oh Umm. Because I wanted to spend time with you.”“ Don’t thank me Star, I'd do anything for you and I mean it. Star you didn’t have to go to a party to spend time with me. I would have come over here for a movie night or done something you enjoyed too.” “Well it’s probably good we went anyways. Even if I got hurt. I needed to find out at some point right? Besides parties aren't all bad there is music, it’s dark enough people don’t pay attention to you jamming out, and it’s fun if you got someone there you know. Wait, you would have?”“I guess you are right. Yeah that’s true, well we can jam out here if you want I don’t plan on leaving. Of course I would have.” You thought for a minute and remembered you installed color changing light bulbs and you had a few funky light things. “Okay but i’ll be right back.”“Okay i’ll be here.” You then come back smiling with a small box. “I got the goods!”“Is that so?” You then start taking things out of the box and plugging them in throughout the room. “Yes. FUNKY LIGHTS!” You then dim the lights and switch the lights to where they change colors with the beat of the music. “Wow, fancy setup you got here.”“Thank you.” You then hand your phone to Edds to pick the first song. “Hmmm let see.Let’s go with this one.” He had picked the one he caught you jamming to earlier but stopped when you got caught (Talking In Your Sleep by The Romantics) “You did not just do that.” “Do what?? I just started a song.” You were gonna say more but you'd rather just jam. So you’ll just sass him later. “Fineee. Turn it up then pretty boy.” The next song was your turn to pick and you picked Just Dance by Lady GaGa, Colby O’Donis. You started to forget you weren’t alone and you just started having so much fun. At one point Eddie just stepped back and looked at you as if you were the only thing he ever wanted to look at again. You eventually turn around and notice which made you blush. You’ve never seen that look on his face before. Sure you caught him staring before but you couldn’t really pin why tho. So you went to your phone to pick another song (Song now playing was So Sweet I Could Die by Lucia & The Best Boys) as Eddie seemed to zoned out. But all of the sudden. “Star?” “Eddie?” You turn around smiling thinking he was going to point out it was his turn but instead. “Can I be honest with you?” “Always.”“I know this may not be the best time to say it but I don’t know when it will. Smack me if you must but I'm going to do it anyway.”“Ok Edds and i’ll listen.”“I like you Star yes as a friend but I also like you more than that. I want to be able to call you my girlfriend…My Star. You are my world and you deserve more than the world. You don’t deserve to be treated like trash ever.” Eddie started to walk up to you until he was just close enough where you would have to look up a bit, but he still didn't get in your face. You were looking down tho due to nerves but Eddie wasn’t going to settle for the top of your head this time. So he grabbed your chin and gently guided your face to look back at his. Which is where he saw your red cheeks. Which made him smirk almost instantly. “Star? Are you blushing at what I just told you?” You swat his hand away and look to the side doing everything to avoid eye contact. “No. It’s just the lighting.”“Oh Star, you've never been good at lying just tell me.” You thought for a moment and you thought why hide it anymore your single and have no intentions on getting back together. You had fallen for Eddie pretty much since you met him. So why keep hiding how you truly feel. So you look down but at Eddie's hands and you just go before you back out…

[rockinhamburger]

What exactly is empathy?

Back with more Nate meta - shocker! At a basic level, empathy is about widening our perspective to understand where someone is coming from. It doesn’t mean actions taken are acceptable or justified, but it’s an exercise in looking for insight and extending compassion. One thing I’ve noticed can go missing in analysis of Nate’s choices is the limited POV he has throughout the show. People are quick to judge him for his reasoning in the latter half of S2 without recognizing that he’s missing crucial insights, often because he is not in the scene which would provide it. I want to highlight a few examples that I think show this limited POV and, hopefully, indicate where he deserves some grace.

Of course, a straightforward example of this is the picture Nate gave to Ted for Christmas. Nate couldn’t help but notice it’s not hanging in Ted’s office, and that became emblematic to Nate of the abandonment he was feeling. We the viewers know that Ted has the picture on his bedroom dresser next to his picture of Henry. Nate doesn’t know this; he has a limited POV, so in my view it’s a lot kinder and more empathetic to give him grace on that one. But what tends to happen is that a detail like that gets sublimated into justification to continue criticizing Nate. For instance, instead of feeling sorry for Nate, feeling compassion for his limited perspective in that moment, the thinking becomes judgemental and defensive: Why should Ted display it in his office? Ted doesn’t owe Nate that. Nate needs to get over himself.

People tend to be similarly hard on Nate for the moment in 2x11 when he says, “There we go. Give Ted another idea he’ll take all the credit for.” We have a wider perspective than Nate does. We know that Ted doesn’t take the credit; in fact, Ted credited Nate for his decoy play back in 1x03. It’s a great moment that shows us Ted’s integrity - he doesn’t take the credit for that, even when Trent Crimm is audibly horrified that Ted would entrust such a thing to the kit man. It adds to our growing love for Ted as a character.

But crucially, Nate doesn’t hear a lick of it. Nate is yards away kicking dog shit off the field. His POV is limited in the scene, so he entirely misses that lovely moment of Ted giving him the credit. We’re also privy to the article Trent writes at the end of the episode, and he doesn’t mention in there that Nate came up with the play. Why would Nate have any idea that Ted gives him the credit?

“That’s the job, son,” Roy says to Nate. Putting aside that they’re roughly the same age, so it’s more than a little condescending, this comment from Roy doesn’t address the void Nate’s feeling of validation and approval from Ted. In 2x12, Nate says, “And I... I worked my ass off, trying to get your attention back. To prove myself to you. To make you like me again.” I wish people would take these words at face value instead of using them to continue justifying uncharitable readings of Nate’s behaviour. I wish more people would put themselves in Nate’s shoes and imagine for a moment what it felt like to be in the sunlight of Ted’s kind, supportive attention in S1 only to feel like he’d done something to lose it. Imagine wondering what you did wrong to lose the attention and care of the kindest, sweetest man you’ve had the fortune of meeting. Nate is feeling Ted’s absence so keenly by the time he lets it all out in 2x12. He feels invisible and occasionally even outright replaced. Ted laughs at the idea of him being a big dog, and god, that has to sting so much, and then he brings Roy in as coach. People are quick to gloss over this moment, but it’s a crucial one for understanding how twisted up Nate is starting to feel. If he truly thinks Ted doesn’t like him anymore, then imagine what it felt like for him to be the subject of Ted’s laughter and for Ted to subsequently bring in someone he wouldn’t laugh at? And in the episodes following, Ted’s giving Roy the attention Nate craves as the wins pile up, and to top it off, those wins are largely attributed to the Roy Kent Effect.

Ted isn’t there for Nate’s big moment of glory in 2x06. We know why he wasn’t because we got a lot of Ted’s backstory. Nate didn’t. He has no idea what Ted’s going through. One big takeaway from the show is that we don’t know what the people in our lives are going through, and that’s another reason to be kind and empathetic to each other. So yes maybe Nate should have been able to connect some of the dots, particularly once Ted confessed he’d had a panic attack. Maybe he could have given Ted some grace, but clearly Nate was going through some of his own toxic stuff that made him miss a few things, just like Ted. And really, it’s not like people are giving Nate grace given what we know of his struggles. Nate doesn’t realize the extent of Ted’s mental health struggles because Ted doesn’t let him in on it, just like Ted doesn’t realized the extent of Nate’s feelings of abandonment.

One moment I find so brilliant for highlighting just how much Nate wanted specifically Ted’s validation and approval (to make you like me again) is the fact that Roy gives Nate credit and validation for his big win. He tells Rebecca the win was all Nate (but, crucially, Nate isn’t in the room for that) and then afterward he says, “Oy, Nate, great fucking work today.” I think to Nate it feels more like getting validation from a friend or brother. It’s the kind of thing we like to imagine will make a difference and build us up, but usually it doesn’t quite do the trick, not when it isn’t coming from the person we most want it from - in Nate’s case, Ted, and on a deeper level, his father.

In 1x07, when Ted is at one of his lowest points in the series, he lashes out at Nate. We know why he did. We understand that he has to sign his divorce papers, to essentially quit his marriage, which kicks up a bunch of his emotional triggers around quitting due to feeling like his father abandoned him. We also know he’d been drinking. So, we give Ted plenty of grace in that moment because we have the full picture. Nate doesn’t. Of course, Ted apologizes for treating Nate like that the next time he sees him and Nate forgives him instantly. It’s a lovely moment that again showcases what a thoughtful character Ted is, that he can earnestly apologize. But it’s also a lovely moment that shows Nate’s capacity for understanding and forgiveness when he’s been wronged.

As has been discussed a lot since the end of S2 aired, this conversation outside the locker room in 1x07 is the last time Ted and Nate have a one-on-one conversation before the scene in 2x12. I think it’s easy to overlook this turning point in their relationship and to think that everything’s been patched up in the apology, but the damage from that moment in front of Ted’s hotel room is substantial. I did everything I could to make you like me again. I can’t help feeling like Nate looks back on that night in Liverpool and feels that was the moment everything changed, the moment the attention started to shift, when Ted stopped liking him.

I wish more people would extend to Nate the same compassion we gave Ted following his angry outburst at Nate in 1x07. We all make meaning from the limited perspective we have. Nate was lacking important insight throughout much of S1 and S2, and that was compounded by feelings of inadequacy and abandonment. And I think when it comes down to it, Ted knows exactly how that feels. Empathy widens perspective. Ted’s not going to bask in schadenfreude; he’s going to extend empathy and compassion because he gets where Nate is coming from. He won’t take his pain out on Nate, even though Nate did that to him, and if we admire Ted’s capacity for forgiveness and understanding, this is the test of our own.

I hope fandom can rise to the occasion in S3.

[guns-blazing]

Undertale Yellow and the Player

(secret fun value flowey dialogue)

uty is way less meta than undertale itself. it's really easy to brush over the player because of this. however, the player undeniably plays a large role in this game... and i find that role larger than most people consider.

the player obviously controls clover, but it's a bit different than in undertale. clover can make their own choices. they shoot in the overworld without prompting in vengeance. they never reject martlet's final offer in neutral. they always give up their soul in true mercy. the player can't control them there. chara and frisk make their own major choices in the murder route, too, but that's not until the final boss, while clover starts going on their own way earlier and way more overtly.

take martlet in vengeance, letting her go of their own accord. or take the conversation with red, which aligns with what i said in an absolutely hilarious way to me. clover Will commit this social blunder you have No Control

in times when the player does choose what they say or do, it's never out of character. this is different than in undertale. unlike frisk and chara, clover's personality will visibly adapt to what you choose- sparing everyone will make them believe monsterkind deserves happiness, killing everyone makes them believe monsterkind is evil.

(yes there's a few hints and a lot of speculation about frisk+chara's character, but all of that stuff is vague compared to clover's overt motives. especially that bit about clover being more evil in murder route b/c of player: i fully believe chara is the same way but it is way less clear if they agree with the mercy route when the player does it than clover, who dies for it.)

but your choices don't always match up with theirs.

clover doesn't know this. clover would have no reason to know this. but the player knows this, and they answer pretty easily. this is a pretty obvious red flag that Hey! There's something else controlling clover!

the game LITERALLY POINTS OUT that clover can't see martlet's puzzle!!!!!!!!!!!! like the writing is DRAWING ATTENTION TO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but we're so subtle, flowey barely registers us (see flowey fun value). in fact- the player hasn't been here the whole time. we don't show up until a later run where flowey's already been manipulating clover for some time. choosing to live with toriel, dying in waterfall and hotland, that's clover. and somehow, when this otherworldly entity takes over the body of someone flowey's been manipulating and controlling for untold resets... he doesn't notice. he doesn't know.

...does clover know?

if anyone would know, it'd be clover. (i mean besides ice bullets guy in one of the mo credits cutscenes cause they definitely know. just look at that face.)

they never seem to call attention to the fact they're possessed. but they never call attention to the flower that's bending time for them, either, so does that even mean anything?

i don't know if clover knows. and i don't think i have enough to speculate.

except ive been doing nonsense speculation the whole time! basing the existence of a player on flowey's secret lines? fine. basing it on the trivia monster in the mines? yeah that is kind of a stretch!! what, do i think alphys can edit the code of undertale because of that line about her crush in the code? no!! because i have a brain!!!

so here's a better question.

how are we able to reset after vengeance?

it has been commonly assumed that the being with the most DT in the underground can reset, but only to the point where they gained the ability to reset. it's why frisk can't reset to before they fell, it's why flowey can't reset to before he woke up in the garden.

clover gains the ability to save on the rooftop. they have to, because that's when flowey loses his ability to save. but when they reset, they reset to the bed of golden flowers. so ermmm what

well, three possibilities:

the i-guess-nothing-contradicts-it: the being with control over saves actually resets to when they first enter the underground. for frisk it's falling down, for flowey it's when he was born and being asriel didn't count, and for clover it's the start of the game.

the it's-less-meta-than-undertale: getting to the end and then not being able to replay the game would suck. so the devs didnt wanna do that. so they Just Didnt.

3: you know who DOES gain the ability to save and load when clover first enters the underground??!?????! YOU

when you reset after vengeance youre going back to when you first could save and load!! "erm that isnt til meeting flowey-" if you quit the game when fighting froggit and open it again you have travelled back in time to the start. you load your save. it's you. hell that's actually even good proof because why would flowey place a save point at clover falling down and why would he load to there without clover prompting him! that's YOU loading!!!!!!!!!!

you control the save throughout the game, you reset after vengeance, and you can make flowey reset after pacifist. the two times you can't control the save are when flowey loses it in the neutral ending and when clover kills flowey in veng. yes, these are without player input, but listen! we already know clover makes their own choices in spite of the player, and flowey makes his own choice here too.

in conclusion. this non meta game can meta **bows & exits**

[hopefull-mindset]

I’m eating up all of your Komaeda and Hinata analyses, they’re just so clear and detailed! This might just be my bias, but I’m wondering about your perspective on komahina gradually (hopefully) healing together. I feel like the majority of the fandom mostly focuses on how Hinata would help Komaeda, probably because it seems the more obvious and Komaeda’s worldview is the more obviously skewed. But I feel like Komaeda also has the potential to, at least to an extent, help Hinata heal from his experiences. I don’t doubt that Hinata learned something from the simulation, but he also has a flawed perception of talent and a very low self worth, and I bet it wouldn’t go away overnight. Of course, this comes with the assumption that they would get along again post SDR2, which could be another thing to analyze for sure. Let me know what you think!

Ah I’m flustered again with your kind words! Thank you, I try my best to make sure my point is well explained with backed up reasoning since I tend to suffer intellectually when people don’t do that themselves. Especially when it’s a claim that has no backing but everyone takes at face value *grumble* *grumble*. It doesn’t have to be confirmed canon to be a creditable analysis, a good analyzer doesn’t need to rely on the creator’s every word, but it also can’t just contradict canon itself (unless, if you’re dr3, you contradict canon already and so it’s expected to discard it as creditable). Death of the author doesn’t work like that and it just comes off arrogant, you’re supposed to be working with canon Jesus Christ. Unless it’s a very specific situation where the creator is just garbage at handling their own work, I don’t think anyone deserves that right.

Oops sorry I went off into a tangent. I’m getting a little pissed at what people think is an analysis at all.

Now, with them healing post-game… you’re gonna have to stick with me because this is a lot to speak about. We all want them to be happy together as fellow Komahina shippers do haha, so it’s not you alone that has this bias, but it’s not going to be as quick and easy as the anime shows it to be.

To start, it’s sweet that people do think Hajime can help Komaeda because he can, but they’re going in the wrong direction with this. Hajime is not his nurse, therapist, or at his personal beck and call. Everyone on the island is healing, not just Komaeda. They’re both adults and he doesn’t need to nanny him. Komaeda most likely is going to need more attention medically considering his already poor health and the severed hand of Junko, but mentally? Everyone is pretty much going through some version of mental instability.

Now that’s out of the way, you’re right. People do focus on how Hajime can help him over how Komaeda can help him because it’s more obvious to us. We’re all (hopefully) aware that Hajime had the most positive/impactful influence out of anyone in the cast because of his way of somehow worming into Komaeda’s heart due to their “special bond” and put on a different, more personal level compared to the ultimates. The fact that Hajime proves against what he’s believed in just by being Hajime also works in the favor that Hajime would be the most helpful for him to grow closer with.

I’m glad you brought it up because Komaeda would definitely be as much help to Hajime. A lot of fans have a bad habit of thinking Hajime is much more stable than the rest of the cast and has solutions to everything, when Hajime is also growing with them. Komaeda is deceptively perceptive in how he interacts with Hajime in game. It feels rude when he does target his thoughts toward Hajime and gives his own insight on Hajime’s own person, but he’s never wrong about him when you look back at what’s being said.

When he went on that tangent after finding out what was in Hajime’s file in chapter 4, it was uncalled for to dump that all onto a person at once, but none of what he said about Hajime was wrong. All of it that he said about Hajime admiring hopes peak and what Hajime thought he could be by attending, none of it was objectively wrong. To defend Komaeda in this instance though, he wasn’t being mean on purpose, he was spelling out his own thoughts after being hit with the worst news ever.

However, even in the FTEs when he brings up how similar they are and him being a “miserable bystander” like himself, Hajime always rejects him and by proxy rejects himself. He rejects the part of himself that’s clearly seen in Komaeda at every instance because it’s inconvenient to recognize. Now though, he needs to recognize this if he’s going to accept himself and do what he promised to do outside of the simulation.

To reject Komaeda is to reject himself, that’s why I think it’d benefit both of them to heal with each other and in my wishful thinking, become closer. Another tidbit, as unnerving as Komaeda can be, Komaeda’s uplifting words do clearly make Hajime feel better, especially in chapter 1, and is hurt when he’s the target of distrust or ridicule by Komaeda even after their relationship becomes rocky (oh Hajime, he doesn’t mean it like that). Komaeda is not in the greatest position to help anyone, but these two points would partly help Hajime the most.

To get anywhere near that type of intimacy to let another person get that close to your whole being, especially in their situation, it’s uh. I’m already wincing imagining it play out. Again, It’s glossed over how much work it’s going to take in general for them to heal as a group, but god a relationship like theirs? The only thing I can say is yikes!

Contrary to popular opinion (or unpopular considering what side of the fandom you’re on), it’s not Hajime that’s going to put the most obstacles and barriers between them, it’s Komaeda. Hajime is already on the path of self-reflection and growth, so while for him it’s going to be nerve wracking to try and connect with again, it’s not going to be impossible for him. He already went out of his way to try and understand Komaeda when he’s able to in-game, even after all that Komaeda had did considering his attitude towards listening to his final words when you interact with his cottage after trial 5. It doesn’t make his feelings any less complicated or any less harder for him to confront Komaeda, but he’s going to be more willing in comparison. Komaeda’s side of this is where the real mess starts.

Geez, where do I begin? For one, he’s not gonna be typical Komaeda the way the anime tricks you he’d be. I don’t think he’d be angry at anyone in particular after waking up and finding out everyone is alive. He never was angry at them in the first place, he just stopped idolizing them and did what he thought was right due to his anger at what they decided to become. Questionable I know, but that’s how Komaeda is. Instead, I think Komaeda would just be more lost than he already was, more so after finding out what happened after he “died” and their decision to move forward.

He already keeps to himself, but I think he’d do it more so. I’m not sure he’d know what to say to any of them anymore besides his honest thoughts, which never goes well. He could go back to praising their talents, but for what? Their potential Hope when they’ve already plagued the world with the despair using their talents? What a joke. Again, he can’t easily just let go of what’s essentially his lifeline so that behavior would probably be reserved for people like Naegi or Kirigiri.

Eventually him and Hajime are gonna talk and it’s not going to be pretty. Im sure you can imagine it. This isn’t me saying they don’t have that potential to reconnect because if you remember correctly, he quite literally only apologizes to Hajime in his final message and to his own confusion, says he still cares for him even after what he found out. It’ll just take way longer than just a couple months. It’s not going to be as smooth as it could be, but they’ll try.

Other than that, the only thing to really address is the can of worms that is romantic possibilities. He’s able to truly call him a friend when grown close enough to each other and does show visible improvement in this closeness in stuff like utdp/DrS or Island Mode, but that was already hard enough as it is for Komaeda. I’m not gonna deny that Komahina is “one-sided” in all technical meaning, but not in the way it’s usually used by others. It being one sided means nothing toward Hajime’s general feelings for Komaeda. He still cares about Komaeda regardless of other feelings, but one-sided shouldn’t mean that their relationship stays stagnant?? People use it as if it’s a gatcha to Komahina shippers, which is hilarious.

I don’t like using one sided to describe their relationship as it now has this connotation that Hajime is never going to love him back, and pretty much is an oversimplification of what’s actually preventing him from gaining feelings as well. One-sided is too jarring for me to place on their too complicated mess of a relationship. Kaimaki is one-sided in that I can’t see Kaito responding to her feelings the same way, but somehow they’re suddenly more possible because it’s heterosexual. Too stupid.

Romance should not be important in the healing stage and would probably make things more messy, putting too much importance in romance devalues their relationship to only their ship. Komahina antis are much more guilty of this than the shippers, but it’s a problem I’ve seen with both. If you were to really ask me if Hajime would ever love Komaeda the way Komaeda loves him, then that’s really up to how close Komaeda lets him understand and empathize with him. That’s the only real obstacle here and not one people address well enough.

Hajime could definitely love him otherwise if given the opportunity, but it would destroy Komaeda to let him in that close for him to disappear from his life because of his luck. Issues are complex. Anyway, I hope I answered satisfactory! I could’ve said more, but I’d like to hold those thoughts for another post and I would like to stay on topic believe it or not.

[sins-and-wins-with-vix]

Everything Right/Wrong with Ninjago “Rebooted” E2: The Art of the Silent Fist

Disclaimers: Show owned by LEGO. This is not a professional review/critique - it’s mainly intended for comedy!

Make sure to reblog, comment, and like, and tell me your thoughts!

- Theme ✅

- How convenient for the animators that Wu’s memories are all in third person ❌

- “No robots…” Lloyd forgets that Zane isn’t dead… yet. ❌

- Where did Nya get a green suit for Lloyd? ❌

- “There’s a reason [Wu’s] lived as long as he has.” Yeah, because he’s part of nearly every mythical, immortal creature in the book. There’s so many different forms of magical DNA in this guy that, frankly, I’m surprised he isn’t radioactive ❌

- “You guys go ahead. I will stay back and watch [the blades].” Wow, they didn’t even try to argue with him, huh? The DISRESPECT ❌

- Wait, why does Nya like Cole? We saw that the two were assigned as a perfect match, but we never saw hints of Nya actually liking him and now we’re supposed to believe she’s suddenly in love with both of them? What?? ❌

- “But Cole… Cole is not Jay (positive)…” OOOHHHHHHHHH🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

- Seriously though, this is such an awful line considering Jay is her canon love interest. And don’t say they didn’t know Jaya was gonna be canon because I do not believe there was a second they were actually going to make Cole and Nya a thing ❌

- I’m not even gonna sin them for tweaking Garmadon’s design from the end of last season because this one is objectively better ✅

- “Check out the new Sensei… lookin sharp!” Jay is a Garmadon simp confirmed and I really don’t know if that’s a sin or not anymore

- “SILENCE” *WHACK* Ohoh, I’m gonna like him, aren’t I? ✅

- How did Zane not notice the blades being stolen from in front of him? He clearly wasn’t sleeping, and Pixal later even says she wasn’t built for stealth ❌

- “Pixal? What are you doing?” “Discontinuing an old droid!” D*mn ✅

- Was that even a Pixal scream? It sounded a lot like Nya ❌

- “How about we take her apart to find out!” Jeez Kai calm down. Imagine what the others would say if he wanted to dismember a human ❌

- “Relax, not a weapon!” Then why didn’t they just bring them inside in the first place?!?! ❌

- “These nindroids are so much fas-“ Give me perfectly timed cuts for 400 Alex ✅

- “wouldn’t that mean shutting down Pixal too?” “Don’t tell Zane!” The ninja don’t even seem to consider Pixal as a living entity. They only even take her into account as a reference to Zane, nothing else. You can’t convince me they would be this chill about taking out the power if a human’s life was on the line. Basically what I’m saying is the ninja are racist ❌

- “We are all different, but I do not feel so different around you…”⬇️ ✅

- “Ever since we left I’ve been worried about [the students].” “Oh, Dareth’s looking after them.” Was that supposed to ease Cole’s worries cuz I’m pretty sure it made them worse ❌

- “Ya know, Cole, you don’t get the credit you deserve. You always put others ahead of yourself! I know the other ninja get all the attention but I just want you to know, you’re a good guy.” This is literally just the writers trying to convince us to care about Cole at a point in which such a small amount of the fandom actually did. I love Cole, I always have, but I think anyone who was in the fandom prior to the Wildbrain era can attest to how ignored he was as a character. This went off on a small rant so to clarify, I’m not sinning this because of how underrated Cole used to be (personally I think that’s more the fandom at the time’s fault than the show itself). I’m sinning this because it felt awkward and forced ❌

- “Don’t tell Jay.” Why? There was nothing inherently romantic about that line, or this situation in general, so what is there to not tell Jay? ❌

- “This is where all of Ninjago gets its power.” Zane mansplains something that even Dareth should be able to determine Pixal already knows ❌

- “I will call you Mindroid!” *angry mindroid noises* Worry not, Mindroid. One day we will join together and seek vengeance against all those who mock us with labels like “fun-sized” and “vertically challenged.” We are living versions of the pocket knife - cleverly concealed until the final moments in which we are revealed to deliver the killing blow.

- “Stupid technology!” Kai said, to the glass case ❌

- “oh who cares about probability!” this is character development… I have absolutely no idea where it came from or how Pixal developed but it sure is there ❌

- How unlucky was Pix that she just happened to land on the ONE laser we’ve seen throughout this entire episode? ❌

- *Mindroid breaks into office* “Great! Now they come in fun-sized!” ✅

- “This is no time for a lesson, Kai!” Actually, the climax generally is the time for the lesson, Jay

- The nindroids might have Storm Trooper aim but that doesn’t make it okay for the ninja to dodge in the worst possible way just to show off ❌

- Lloyd - beloved Green Bean - you’re supposed to cup the water in your hands, sweetie… not just stick your whole face in the pond like you’re bobbing for apples… ❌

- “This is why I took an oath of peace!” Why? So you and your son could get mauled by a giant, robotic dragon?? ❌

- Mindroid dies, and although killing him is 100% sinnable by death, this is actually a sin because he appears unscathed later on multiple times ❌

- Why does it take so long for Pixal to lose power? ❌

- “Your mission was important. I was not. I am to assist; I assisted.” The show never acknowledges how tragic this scene is. Well, it does, but only with Pixane, not Pixal as her own character. We constantly get to see glimpses of Pixal’s insecurities, but rarely see them built on or developed. ❌

- The only source of power for ALL of Ninjago is operated by this one tower and no one thought that was a bad idea ❌

- “We are compatible?” “Yes, yes we are.” ✅

- Look, Pixane is my favorite canon ship, but I still hate the way it happened. It was rushed, under-developed, and just didn’t feel right. ❌

- But also, Pixal only has feelings for Zane once it’s obvious that he feels that way about her so… recipromantic Pixal canon? ✅

Sentence: Mindroid coming for your kneecaps

[duskspring]

Flowers and Sentences - Mountain/Cumulus

Domestic December - Day 23

Summary: Mountain tries to put together a special day for Cumulus

Content (do let me know if I forgot anything!): Cuddling, napping together, ruined plans, romance

Word count: ~2.9k

A/N: When I made a post related to this chapter @chapel-of-rizztual made a nice addition to it in the tags that I simply had to use here, so credit for that goes to him

Mountain poured all his focus into keeping his hands still, something that was much harder than usual seeing the cold temperature. He was in the process of cutting some flowers for a small bouquet. He had helped them grow from seeds to full bloom over the course of nearly two years.

He’d come across this particular kind in one of the gardening books in the library. They had caught his attention immediately, the big puffy white petals reminding him of a certain ghoulette’s flowing curls.

He caught himself thinking of Cumulus more and more as of late, the closer he got to harvesting the fruits of his labor. It had started with him wanting to plant something new, then him deciding to grow them for her, then thinking he needs to make it a big gesture.

Thus, he’d asked Cumulus to meet him for dinner that night. He was planning to cook her favorite meal, give her the flowers and say some pretty words. Which words exactly? He’d figure it out.

Mountain delicately tied the flowers together with a light blue ribbon, making sure none of them were squished against one another. He was lucky it had finally stopped raining and snowing for a few nights, leaving the plants and ground dry.

He smiled to himself, proud that he could give Cumulus something he’d worked so hard on. She deserved nothing less.

“I knew you’d be here.”

Mountain instinctively dropped the bouquet and turned around in a flash, trying to cover it and the bush they came from. Of all people, of course Cumulus had to come find here and now. She was dressed up warmly in a beanie and gloves he’d seen her knit herself, as well as a thick winter jacket. She looked positively adorable in the getup.

“I am,” He said stilted, “Did you need something?”

“Yes, actually. About tonight…” She seemed nervous, somewhat sheepish. Mountain’s heart sped up, mind immediately assuming she was going to cancel on him, “What should I wear? Like, will it be something fancy or just casual?”

A sigh of relief left the earth ghoul’s mouth, his shoulders sagging with the release of tension, “Uhm… We could totally make it something fancy, but I’m onboard for whatever you’re most comfortable with.” It really didn’t matter to him. On one hand, Cumulus was worthy of all things special and he wanted to prove he could provide that. On the other, he really did want Cumulus to be at her most comfortable around him.

“I’d like an excuse to dress up,” The ghoulette blushed a bit, “Are you busy right now?”

Mountain gazed over his shoulder to the bouquet. At least one of the flowers had probably been damaged when he dropped it, “A little bit. Do you need my help with anything?”

“Yes but no. I just thought maybe we could meet up a little sooner. Watch a movie and have some warm drinks.” She was fumbling with her hands, sensing that she may be interrupting something.

How could he possibly say no to that? Any chance to spend time close to her was a chance to take. But if he stood up and went with her now, there was no way she wouldn’t see the flowers already. He really wanted to keep those a surprise for a little longer, so he had to work around it here.

“Absolutely, I’d love to. But I need to finish everything here first, so maybe you could go set up already and I’ll join you soon in just a moment.”

“I could also help you.” Cumulus smiled brightly. She’d never been big on gardening, but she was just as desperate to spend time with Mountain as he was for her. Besides, it did always look very calming when he did it.

“No.” He immediately said, regretting it as soon as he saw her expression drop, “I just need to…” He tried thinking of an excuse, “Dethorn a few plants. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

The ghoulette seemed to understand, but stayed a little disappointed, “Aha. Well, be careful as well then. I’ll go get everything ready in my room.” She still made sure to smile at him, trying to cheer herself up as well.

“Thank you. I’ll make it quick.” He mirrored her expression.

The second she disappeared around the corner of the hedge, Mountain turned around in a panic. He examined the bouquet he’d dropped, indeed finding two of them squished and muddied. He untied the ribbon, removed those two, before tying it all together again.

He tried to stifle his disappointment. He still had a few left, and the bush would keep growing in the future. But it wasn’t about the future, it was about tonight.

In a hurry, he made his way back to the ghouls’ den, making sure he didn’t run into Cumulus at any point.

“What are you sneaking around for?” Mountain nearly dropped the flowers a second time, startled by Swiss’ voice.

“Swiss. Perfect.” Mountain waltzed up to him. He nearly shoved the plants into his packmate’s hands, wrapping his own around his to ensure Swiss actually held onto them, “Do me a favor and put these in a vase. Carefully. They’re for Cumulus but I’m not giving them to her yet.”

Without awaiting a response, Mountain hurried away again. He didn’t want to keep her waiting for too long. Once he got to her door, he allowed himself a second to take a deep breath before knocking.

“Come in.” She sounded like her usual cheerful self.

Mountain opened the door, immediately hit with the sweet smell of apple and cinnamon. Cumulus was already laying on her bed, a white woolly sweater and light blue pyjama pants adorning her body.

“There you are.” She smiled, her eyes nearly closing with how wide it was.

Mountain felt frozen in place for a moment. He was always so mesmerised by her beauty. If he didn’t know she was a hellspawn, he’d easily mistake her for a goddess. Snapping back to reality, Mountain stayed just outside of the room to take his boots off in the hall, instead of dirtying up her space. Without care, just wanting to get to her already, he dropped his jacket on the ground next to the shoes. He then stepped back inside and shut the door behind him, making sure to not slam it too hard.

“What’s that?” He asked about the beverages that waited for the two of them on a little tray on her nightstand.

“It’s warm apple juice with cinnamon.” She sounded very excited about it, “A sister had me try it once. It’s really yummy.”

Mountain picked up the two mugs as he came down on the mattress, handing one to Cumulus and inspecting his own. A lot of the cinnamon was merely floating on top of the juice, probably the reason why there was a spoon in there. The warmth tingled his cold hands, the smell automatically making him relax into the bed.

He moved his arm around the back of her bed frame, silently inviting the ghoulette to cuddle into him. She did so as much as she could, without spilling any of the contents in her cup.

“Did you have something in mind to watch?” Mountain asked, a suspicion already on his mind.

Her smile told him he was correct, “A new romcom was recently released.” She said as if it was just a random fact and not a suggestion.

The earth ghoul had never really enjoyed those types of movies before he started watching them with Cumulus. Even if he thought they were incredibly cheesy, he would never deny her the chance to watch something she genuinely enjoyed.

“Sounds like a banger.” He agreed, his heart melting when she snuggled further into his side in thanks.

It emboldened him to put his hand onto her waist, underneath her sweater. She shied away from the touch, yet further into his side.

“You’re cold,” She giggled.

“Oh, sorry.” Mountain made a move to remove his hand again, but she snatched it and held him in place.

“It’s ok. I’ll warm it up.” Her eyes twinkled.

Soon enough the movie was on, the drinks had been finished and both ghouls had slid down the bed frame to lay down in each other’s arms. Indeed, snuggling up like that was a great way to warm up.

Even after the credits rolled, they didn’t move. They’d made their way into a spooning position, Mountain being the big spoon. The two of them fit together so well. Mountain, with as little movement as possible, snapped off the light on the bedside table. Cumulus didn’t react, quite possibly already asleep like he was so close to being. He pushed his face into her curls, enjoying the fresh smell of her shampoo. Its floral scent reminded him of his garden.

His eyes shot open in sudden anxiety. He had been so eager to get to Cumulus he handed a very delicate, very important bouquet to Swiss, who had no clue how to keep them safe. But it would be fine, right? He was told to put them in a vase, how could he possibly mess that up?

Mountain tried to force himself to relax, to just enjoy this soft moment. Swiss didn’t deserve to get doubted like this, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Cumulus turned around in her sleep, her arms coming around Mountain to pull him a little closer. His heart melted once more, any anxieties vanishing in the instant. He stayed there, nice and warm and so very sleepy.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he woke up to the sound of a commotion. Somewhere down the hall two people seemed to be shouting to each other.

Cumulus also stirred awake at the sound, but Mountain quickly shushed her, “Don’t wake up. I’ll go take care of it and get you when dinner’s ready.” He whispered. She hummed in agreement, rolling around as he got up.

Getting up groggily, Mountain nearly walked into the door as he rubbed his eyes. As he got closer, the racket down the hall seemed to be settling down.

“I’m sure Mountain will understand.” Dew’s voice sounded dismissive, at which point Mountain practically started running.

“Understand what?” He asked, even before he’d rounded the corner.

The kitchen was a mess. A dishcloth laid on the stove with a clear hole burned through it, a pan and something very charred laid discarded on the floor. But all of that wasn’t what caught his attention. The first thing Mountain noticed was a vase with very burned flowers sat less than a foot away from the stove.

He stared at them, not daring to step closer and assess the damage. That would make it too real.

“On the bright side,” Swiss carefully interjected, “one of them made it out alive.” He held the single left over flower out for the earth ghoul to grab. Mountain made no such move however.

“Who puts flowers right next to a stove?” His voice came out weirdly calm. Weird, because he was fucking fuming.

“Well, I didn’t think Dew’s would be this bad at cooking.” Swiss excused, before sighing and looking at the floor, “I’m really sorry.”

Mountain’s gaze still hadn’t moved away from the burned bouquet he’d build up to for so long. A part of him wanted to freak out, but he knew it wouldn’t solve anything.

“Get out. Both of you. I’ll take care of dinner.” He didn’t leave room for argument. Dew immediately scampered out, glad to escape a lecture. Swiss, on the other hand, stepped closer to Mountain cautiously.

“Where should I put-” The earth ghoul wordlessly snatched the flower from his hand before walking to the counter. With pain in his heart, he threw the burned flowers away and used the vase to preserve the final one. He put it away on the kitchen island away from the stove and got to work on the pack’s dinner.

The midday nap proved to have been a great idea. Cooking two separate times, once for the majority of the ghouls and then again for just Cumulus and him took a lot of energy. Although no one was forcing him to make two different meals, he wanted to do something special for his favorite ghoulette.

He went and set the final plates down on the dining table for everyone to dig in. He took a deep breath trying to switch his mental space towards the different recipe, almost forgetting he still needed to change into a more fancy outfit.

He jogged to his room to do so, putting on the one suit in his closet. It was a rich emerald green color. He put a simple black button up underneath and decided that as much as Cumulus deserved the best out of him, he did have to start cooking soon.

He walked back into the kitchen, freezing for the umpteenth time that day.

Cumulus was sitting on the counter, the stem of a very specific white flower being rolled between her fingers. Seeing them side by side, Mountain realized just how correct he had been in comparing the two. The bloom looked like a second, smaller version of the ghoulette’s glowing hair.

“I’m assuming you grew this,” She noted, not taking her eyes off of it, “It’s beautiful.”

“You weren’t supposed to see it yet. Then again, there were also supposed to be more of them so we can just forget about it anyway.”

That made her look up fast. She delicately put the flower back in the vase, walking up to Mountain and holding his face in her hands so he had no choice but to look her way, “Did something happen?”

Mountain leaned into the touch for a second before walking up to the trash can. Cumulus gasped when he held up the burned remains of the bouquet.

“Oh. Well, at least this one made it out.” She saw it from the bright side, gesturing to it.

“They reminded me of you.” Mountain explained further.

She moved a hand to her heart at that, truly touched, “Thank you so much.” Her voice was soft, her mind too filled with love to notice.

“At least there’s still dinner.” Mountain cheered up at her reaction to his somewhat failed gift. But the flowers had been only one part of the whole.

Cumulus clapped her hands, lifting herself back onto the counter to watch him. He’d taken his suit jacket off, so she got to admire the way the sleeves of his button up were rolled up, the muscles in his arms flexing every time he picked up a pan or cut vegetables. She’d asked to help out, but he’d insisted on spoiling her. Even if a part of her felt a little guilty at just sitting there, usually being the one who enjoyed taking care of others, she did appreciate the effort he was putting in.

She still did whatever he’d allow her to. She tasted small bits of the food so he could gauge her reactions and set out their plates and glasses at the small table that stood in the room.

While Cumulus was happy and calm, Mountain’s mind was racing still. He still didn’t really know how to word his feelings. He tried desperately to come up with what he’d say once they were seated. But there was simply not enough time.

“Done.” He sighed, a little tired but mostly disappointed in himself.

“Yay.” Cumulus beamed, ignorant to his internal struggle with himself. She hopped off the counter to quickly find her way to the table. Her chin leaned on her hands, elbows on the table and legs kicked under the table.

Mountain put their plates down and got the two of them something to drink before finally sitting across from her. He still wanted to come up with something, but as soon as he met her eyes any worry faded from his mind. He was content to simply be there with her.

“Cheers,” She smiled slyly, holding up her glass.

Mountain lifted his own glass and clinked it against hers, “Cheers.” He repeated.

After taking a quick sip, Cumulus brought one of her arms across the table in search of his hand. He grabbed hers, “I do really, really appreciate all you’ve done for me. Today and in general.” She smiled.

“There’s absolutely no need,” He lifted her hand to kiss the back of it, making her giggle a little nervously. He lowered it again very slowly, deciding that aimlessly searching for the right words wouldn’t help either of them, “Cumulus…” She looked at him kindly and expectantly. For a moment he thought of backing out again.

“I love you.” The two said simultaneously.

She giggled again, while Mountain sat awestruck, “Glad we’re on the same page.” She smiled.

“Yeah… But it so-”

“much more than that.” She finished the sentence for him. It was like she was reading his mind, knowing what he felt. Feeling the exact same way, “I know, dear. And I feel the same.” Her smile softened.

Mountain could only nod, not having expected it to go like this of all ways, “I’m glad.” He mumbled, grabbing her hand a little tighter.

[My Main Masterlist | Domestic December Masterlist]

[accidentally-in-fictional-love]

The Simon fic with the prompt hit me like a brick.

It was SOO GOOD, i really bow before you, you’re very good at what you do. The Hotel was such a nice little unique detail, really feels like you’ve given Simon more depth which i appreciate. Overall it’s such a nice change of pace from what i normally see written for him. Thank you for “fixing him” <3

ohmygosh thank you so much 💗😭💗 like I said in the notes I have a lot of feelings about him, and when I was thinking up how to tie the prompt to his canon I was wondering how to get the reader close enough to him to say it when we don't really see a ton of him outside of his villain plot, and what we do see is everyone just beating him down the whole time because they think he sucks.

It's good for short things where you can make him into whoever you need him to be for your plot and use those brief moments to still keep him in character however you interpret him, but since the prompt is intimate that made it a little harder for me to work up to, so I decided to go a little deeper and add him to my Deep Dive List of Characters I Really Enjoy and Need to Fully Interpret My Way.

More under the cut, it's finally deep dive time and I ended up writing a ton, here we goooooo

Okay so to start, here's what we do know about him from on screen things and context clues, things mentioned in passing:

He really is good with building things. Obviously the bomb collars weren't bought online, his credit card statements mention 'electronic equipment' and they have to figure out on the fly how to disarm them, they're something they haven't seen before. He also owns a giant satellite so he more than likely figured out how to hook it up to his minicam system so he could get the feed no matter how far they travelled, as well as keep his stream from being properly locked onto. He was only training in the Academy so he never actually made the bomb squad before he was kicked out, and it all just tells me he's gotta be smart, handy, his memory must be damn good to remember what he learned before his removal, and he for sure knows how to work with tech well enough that he didn't blow himself up while building the things.

He has a temper. It's seen the most when Jeannie is saved, that entire end of the stream did him no favours with him broadcasting how she felt towards him while everyone was on her side. When he hears her call him creepy he looks hurt, but to have everyone agree switches it to anger, panic, how dare she do this to him when he was finally getting the attention he deserves. When she's saved it's just insult to injury, she gets to bring him down this time to his face pretty much, have 5000 people join in on that, and when she not only lives he becomes the target of their hate before leaving him. It's no surprise he breaks his screen after this, he's just been insulted to high hell, and he's just learned that the man who did it got a second chance after doing way worse things than he did. I believe his temper stems from other emotions first, like sadness and panic, he only gets mad after everyone leaves, when the cops show up to save Kennex and them being on site could mean his arrest or worse, and when he's already emotionally vulnerable about venting about his black marks. He's never mad right out the gate, annoyed or frustrated yes but never truly angry, so I'll bet a lot has to build up first before his temper turns vocal or physical. I don't doubt a bit of this showed itself during the loan meeting, which got him the title of unstable if he started getting overwhelmed and worked up when things started going south.

He's desperate for attention and getting it makes him emotional. This one doesn't fully show until the end, but the entire episode is nothing but him vying for attention and approval and even respect. He's been nothing but rejected leading up to this, 'unstable,' 'unqualified,' 'creepy,' 'gives a bad feeling,' he had a bad psych evaluation, so when he finally gets that approval when he tries his killing game something clicks, this is it, this is what he's been yearning for. No more doubt, the viewers love it, he gets to enjoy seeing the people who hurt him get hurt, and having those two things overlap fills him with actual joy to the point that it makes him cry. It genuinely makes me wonder just how lonely he had to be and how bad his mental health had gotten for it to build up to this point, get this bad all around, and I truly believe that having someone there for him while all the bad things were happening could've avoided his turn to villainy entirely.

He truly believes that this is justice. They hurt him, insulted him, they deserve to pay. He really is a villain here, there is no denying that, but I also think he's probably completely isolated outside of work, and all that loneliness and isolation and pain can convince you to do anything, that what you're doing is right, and this time it convinced him that revenge was the best medicine. He thinks that using them to get him the attention he believes he deserves will also help his pain, no more reminders of being rejected, it'll be cathartic, and when people start cheering him on it only solidifies that thought. This is what they want to see, now he can deliver and feel better at the same time, two birds with one stone, no more villains out there to hurt him and others while he's finally respected.

He might work from home. When he sees Kennex during the stream he appears to look him up immediately, so he might have access to the trashed data from home, or he's made it so he can access it away from work, which again ties into how smart he is. This one isn't as big, but working from home would only isolate him more and send his mental health straight into the garbage with how much I already doubt he gets out, which would make his desire for positive attention even stronger; this is something I can relate to since my only means of social interaction is through my family and work seeing as I don't have any local friends, I know how your mental health can tank when it's just you alone in your room for days with no one to talk to, think pandemic times only it never ends, so I just know if this one is true then this is probably why he latched on so hard to every other point.

He's 'creepy'. This one I cannot fathom, since we don't get to see him outside of villainy stuff, but I will also fully admit that my DD bias also doesn't believe he was creepy enough to ditch before the date even started, that is legitimately so cold. I mean, he brought roses and packed a picnic, he was clearly trying, and he did want to meet someone enough to make a dating profile, even left it up after he was dumped, although I do bet he abandoned it after that since oh my god my heart would be so broken if that happened to me, writing that part of the fic nearly made me cry. Since she did leave before the date started he must've said or done something to give her that vibe, but like in the fic I bet it was something probably along the lines of not knowing how to talk to people and having it come off wrong; maybe he was overly affectionate right away and asked for hugs or a cheek kiss that first meeting, gave off the impression of needy/clingy right away and like she'd have no choice but to leave early? Like if she said something he would put her in danger and/or not let her leave? If something like this had happened before there would probably be more warnings in the forums for people to stay away, not just hers, so my guess is that a bunch of things happened that made her too wary, and that mixed in with the callout that he may or may not have seen hurt him bad enough to make sure she was on his list. She was probably the first match he made on the site as well, or really was his first date, so finally feeling wanted and then getting burned so bad did not help his already bad mental health.

Despite his knack for tech, he wanted to open a bar. This one is so interesting to me because why of all things would he want to open a bar? He was training to be on the bomb squad, he works part-time in Data Waste Handling, and he's smart enough to build things and quite possibly code and/or hack, so why a bar? This is another thing I really had to think about while writing since it stands out to me so much, and I think I might've been onto something with his desire to connect with people; they could've given him any reason to want that loan, it could've been to help get a better place or at least expand his trailer (my aunt and uncle did that and goddamn it turned into such a beautiful two-story house, no joke you can't even tell unless you already know), it could've even been to start a different business entirely based around the previous things they built up for him, and instead he wants to open such a social thing in a future where tech is already super advanced. I truly believe he was really trying to connect with people via this desire, his attempts to date, but thanks to his black marks haunting him as well as his social and personality problems it only pushed him further into his isolation.

I don't think he ever realized that not everything was terrible because of his black marks. As mentioned above I think his isolation and poor mental health convinced him that hurting people was the right thing to do, but I also think that he genuinely could not see that not everything was because of that bad psych eval. I think that he started rationalizing things away, blamed everything on the eval, and refused to acknowledge when something was actually his fault, creating a terrible personality that did not help his cause at all. I don't think he knew how bad he himself had gotten, and as such saw no need to work on himself, since it all went back to that black mark, so all that rationalizing warped his personality and made him bitter, stubborn, and cruel.

He really did kill someone. I had forgotten about this since it's only shown on screen so you have to pause, this one will be talked about more below.

Now, here's some things that the reader's presence and I changed based on canon:

He has a second job. We don't know how long ago the loan was, but I'm guessing it had to be recent and stacked on top of the heartbreak, which was only a couple months ago according to Jeannie. I don't think he'd have been a pretty good bartender with that little social interaction, so having him work in another bar to learn the ropes and teach him first would've been very good for him while he saved up. In my fic I never had it mentioned on his dating profile since DWH seemed more professional, and since he didn't actually get the bartending job he wanted he might not have wanted to add in Waiter to that section to make himself look a little better.

He doesn't drive, or at least doesn't currently own a car. It's a small detail, and Jeannie does mention that she bailed when he went to the car to get the picnic basket, but I wanted to give the reader an excuse to drive him around. This one was a purely plot-related choice but it works so well with how much things aren't going for him. Maybe when he got evicted he lived in his car for a while, it's how he was able to keep his computer and remaining things safe, and when he was buying his trailer he had to sell it to get the money? I can see that, I should've written that in the fic itself OTL

Jeannie asked him out, not the other way around. Since the reader was there to tell him to wait, he didn't rush into things, which he might've in canon, but he still did ask her to meet him at the park. I also chose to go the tech route instead of clingy route for their date because yeah it's such a bad start to tell someone you know where they work within five minutes of meeting them. Still creepy, but in a consistent-with-my-narrative misunderstood way since the reader knows him and how that wasn't his intention, in fact he probably thought it was okay because he was blinded by excitement and the fact that the reader already gave him permission to look them up, so he figured it'd be fine to do it again in case he did want to surprise her. Dumb of ass and clueless, not malicious or dangerous.

He needed encouragement to go through with his canon choices. He still would've done them, but having the reader there to cheer him on has him go into both situations with hope and more confidence than he probably had in canon, which only makes the fact that he still had to fail hurt so much more. He also probably went in with less volatile reactions, especially with the loan, since my version of him has him actively talking with people and has his emotions more under control, so I wanted to blame his rejection entirely on the psych eval instead of what had to be a mix of both.

His self-worth is directly tied to his canon situations. It isn't mentioned at all straight out in either canon nor fic but I dialed this one down; in canon he believes that people should've respected him, which screams delusions of grandeur based on too many times getting rejected mixed in with being unable to see the problems in his own life caused by himself, and blatantly ignoring them while blaming them on his black marks. In my fic the highest it gets is him believe that he deserved basic human decency after he keeps getting shot down over and over due to misunderstandings. This isn't a man who's about to become a vigilante for the views, this is someone who just needs anybody to be there for him, tell him it's okay, help him work through where he went wrong and adjust what he did so he doesn't fail in the future. Maybe one canon presence in his life could've led to this path and the episode could've gone entirely different with someone else while he lived a normal life, but sadly it isn't which is the entire reason I'm doing this deep dive in the first place.

He was able to open the bar with the reader's help. This one is only implied, as well as the fact that he now lives with them, but I feel like if he did have someone like that on his side then he'd have had a better chance at getting that loan, and he would be so much happier and social and mentally well thanks to it. Running the place would take up a lot of his time but it would also get him outta his own head a lot more, and having so many other people around directly interacting with him as the boss instead of sometimes ordering him around as an employee would really help him fix any remaining personality issues all around as well since he'd be more aware of how he was acting and treating others.

He killed someone in self-defense, not to actually hurt them. This was a big one, since it happened before the episode and he obviously was released prior to this, and I feel like if this was an actual homicide he kinda would still be in prison, right? His mugshot looks recent (only because of filming which I get but I'm rolling with it), so it couldn't be too long ago, but it's more than likely closer to present in canon than the five years ago I timed his eviction around, since I think if that happened too close then he would just be a mess. I can't see him getting his DWH job immediately after either thing happened, going for a loan after either is so out of the question as well, and killing someone and then going on a date is just ridiculous. For canon, my guess is that an argument escalated and that temper of his as well as the unstableness and reasons for his bad psych eval all came out at once, or maybe this was a test to see if he actually could kill someone, and it either had to happen before or while he was in the Academy like in my fic, or it happened in the two months leading up to the episode, even though I can't for the life of me explain him getting out so soon if he did do it on purpose. And that's fine, it does make sense if either of those are close, they needed something dramatic to put on his rap sheet and make him terrible so he's not just randomly jumping straight to murder, but I personally like the idea of him being broken down so much that this is just the icing on the cake, another black mark on his life that'll follow him forever, and it's only through him being acquitted and a miracle that he gets his two jobs a year or two later.

Things I'd love to explore in future fics:

He might actually enjoy streaming. This one is obvious but I wanna do my own take on it! I don't know if he would be the type to stick to only games, but there is someone I watch who does whatever makes him happy now as well as games, and I think Simon might mesh with that a lot. He would obviously put a lot of weight on the numbers aspect of it (again, very me-coded, it doesn't matter how much I do things for myself, having that approval makes all the difference in the world and I know he's the same), but the reader would help him try and get over that in time. When he's able to hire more staff and spend more time at home I think he would do random weekend streams, and if he got AH's version of the youtube play buttons he would definitely cry and put it on display with pride. He would treasure all his viewers, and make his streams very personal because of that, learning frequent viewers' names, doing stuff like giveaways and shoutouts, give all the appreciation back to them.

He would need to realize he needs to work on himself, no more excuses. While he is miles better in my fic, he still very obviously has depression, emotional issues, and relies too much on what others think of him, so him working on that and finding happiness in what he does have will do him wonders. Of course having the reader there every step of the way will also help him heal that much faster as he goes through it all.

I think that's everything! I did not wake up this morning expecting to write my first deep dive on Simon of all people lol but I'm glad I did, I relate a lot to parts of him, this is how I personally see him and how I wrote my fic based around all this, and I mean no harm if any of my thoughts conflict with anyone else's who checks this out 💗

Also as a bonus, I said it in the tags but the Hotel is real :D it's an ooooold restaurant in my small town directly across from where I live, and back when I was either in or just out of highschool they rebranded from the Hotel to what it is now, had to shut down and everything as they changed everything up inside and added in a bunch of new décor to fit the theme. Everyone calls it by the new name of course, but my family never really started, so whenever we talk about ordering from there we'll say something like, 'wanna get Hotel tonight?' I too have to correct myself whenever I accidentally say it around people who don't know about the old name lol

I always add in stuff from my personal life into my fics in some way, and since Simon wanted to open the bar I thought it'd be sweet if he and the reader bonded over something food related like I did with Joshua, instead of say meeting up for drinks instead and just getting afternoon drunk every Friday since it directly went with him wanting to be a bartender.

Maybe in the future I can do a drabble about a bar date before he and the reader get together, tie in that he also started to take lessons in preparation for applying for the bar he works for at the start of the fic, something sweet like that as they get closer 🥰

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 2 – WINTERIRON FAVORITES

odour of peace by Potrix

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: T Words: 874 Tags: A/B/O, Scenting, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: As a Beta, Steve might be able to read Bucky’s body language, but he can’t smell the sour, panicked scent basically rolling off of him, growing stronger and thicker by the second. Tony can, though, and he doesn’t even think before he moves closer to Barnes, led by basic instinct more than anything else. He ignores Steve’s concerned, “Tony,” as he comes to a stop only inches away from Barnes, and waits until Barnes meets his eyes before he bares his neck in invitation.

Reasons why I love it: Short and sweet, this fic is one that I always return to for a little pick-me-up. Bucky getting the comfort he deserves just warms my heart, especially when it's Tony offering it. Throw in some A/B/O dynamics and I'm a goner. A wonderful fic, definitely check it out!

Pretending by cagestark

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: E Words: 3,075 Tags: Female!Tony, Drunk Sex, Friends With Benefits

Summary: Bucky takes care of drunken Toni's every last need.

Reasons why I love it: This fic just makes me so goddamn soft. Bucky is so whipped for Toni, and it's honestly adorable. Plus, the smut and the humor throughout are absolutely superb. I love this fic to death, and I bet you will too, so please give it a read!

Fate Strings Not Required by Akira_of_the_Twilight

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: T Words: 7,032 Tags: Soulmates, Bodyguard Bucky, Meet Cute

Summary: “Hey doll,” a new voice said from Tony’s side. Tony glanced at the person approaching. Someone was working the rugged, bad boy look. The new guy rocked a leather jacket and blue jeans. His blue eyes lit up with joy as he approached Tony. “Something wrong here?” The new guy gave the first guy--the one insisting he was Tony's soul mate--a once over then turned his full attention on Tony. “You’re looking a little stressed, anything I can do?” Tony took the hint. Tony wrapped his hand around the new guy’s elbow. He kept his touch light and breakable in case he’d misread the cue. “Just some guy claiming to be my soul mate, babe.” The new guy’s eyebrows rose to his hairline in surprise. He chuckled and gave the first guy a smirk. “Strange. Last time I checked we were soul mates.”

Reasons why I love it: I'm a sucker for soulmate fics, and this one is no exception. Give me all the meet-cute, protective Bucky and little shit Tony shenanigans! One little warning though that Tony is underage when he starts dating Bucky, but they wait until he's of age for any below the belt touching. If that's not a squick for you, I'm sure you'll love this fic as much as I do!

Shameless by Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar)

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: M Words: 2,570 Tags: Flirting, Sexual Tension, Lust at First Sight

Summary: Prompt: imagine Tony and Bucky flirting everywhere, in the tower, out fighting random bad guy of the day over the coms, even out in public. it started as a game to see who could get the other to blush or fluster first but it dissolved into shameless flirting quickly. eventually it's Bucky who cracks first, pushing Tony up against a wall, kissing the living daylights out of him and using that super soldier strength to pick Tony up to hold against the wall. bonus if Clint walks in on them. Tony isn’t actually sure which of them starts it—he’d like to take credit, but if he’s learned anything it’s that Barnes is by no means a wilting flower. Besides, the start doesn’t matter as much as figuring out who’s going to actually finish it.

Reasons why I love it: Bucky and Tony engaging in a battle of wills about who's gonna crack first under the pressure of constant flirting? Hell fucking yes. Poor Clint being traumatized is just the icing on the cake. I love this fic so much, definitely give it a read if you like light-hearted fun!

Paths Are Made by Walking by Potrix

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: T Words: 4,744 Tags: Getting Together, Pining, Protective Bucky

Summary: The road to recovery is long, winding and a different one for every person walking it. Bucky chooses to help himself the only way he knows how; by doing what he does best. Or, alternatively; the one in which Tony is a mess and accidentally kick-starts Bucky’s protective mother hen instincts.

Reasons why I love it: I have a soft spot for Bucky being a motherhen and making Tony take better care of himself. This fic embodies all of that for me. And the pining is so sweet, it makes my teeth ache. A wonderful fic that I'd recommend to anyone who likes these boys being idiots in love!