#And then post-beyond its like. Yeah. All three of them gang up on each other. That includes Spock and Kirk making sure Bones is as Fine as

[rayj4ck]

So I made a couple posts and a fic of this Rolling with Difficulty High-school AU idea that wormed its way into my mind like a fungus, and I definitely don't think I have the time or energy to make it a whole thing.

But I kinda want to make it a whole thing.

So here are some character headcanons as a compromise

Dani

Adopted by Otto in exchange for working for him in his scrapyard (and occasionally his "scrapyard")

In this AU, I like to imagine her getting her name by seeing an episode of Danny Phantom somehow and seeing one of the ones with Dani Phantom and being like "Oh yeah, that's a role model baby."

Wears clothes with a fire aesthetic, but dyes them all blue. Also dyes her hair blue. Says she doesn't really care but also goes through all the time and effort to dye the roots as soon as they start to show.

Says the car is hers, which is not true because it's still Otto's and also she doesn't have a license.

Carries a multitool around with her everywhere she goes. It's pretty big as is, and she knows how to use each tool in at least three different ways

Anyone who wants to use the shop room at school has to pay tribute to her in the form of soda, hot sauce, or money.

Yes, she does have a fireball tattoo on the inside of her arm. Yes, it is blue.

Barely scraping by in her classes, but only because she refuses to put any effort into them.

VR-LA

One day Dani's fucking around in the woods when she stumbles across an unconscious guy in a barely functioning car on some dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

So of course she's like

She drags Virla (not that she knows his name yet) into the passenger seat and drives the car (poorly) back to the scrapyard.

Otto says he'll keep the car but not the kid. Dani says "Ok, bet." and sneaks Virla back into the house every day for a month before Otto gives up and says fine, he can stay, but he has to work too.

Still doesn't have pretty much any memory, just his name and vague flashes now and then.

Really good at sleight of hand magic, but also tech and circuitry and that kind of stuff. He combines the two to make fascinating (and rarely ever dangerous I swear) electrical magic shows.

Trained dove named Bing

Also he has a prosthetic leg. When Dani found him he had one that was barely holding together, so she whipped him up a new one on principle alone. It has two secret compartments and a battery for his shows.

Acing all his classes while barely trying

Finbar

The tallest guy in school, teachers included.

Has a giant family. Like ten brothers and sisters, with his parents and siblings in the most chaotic house in the state.

The gang goes over to eat and hang out because it's the best food in (insert preferred range of measurement here). Dani still thinks she hasn't met them because whenever she goes she gets blackout hammered and forgets the whole thing.

Joins Dani and Virla in their jobs because it makes it a lot easier for him to stop by a grocery store and grab meal prep in the car.

Can and will lift Dani and carry her away when she's being too much of a little shit.

Everyone in school either has a story or has a friend who has a story of dating him and the gossip has hit self-sustaining critical mass

Despite this, his only relationship that seems to be provably happening is the on-again-off-again with Elyse.

Had to retake his senior year two or three times, but is managing to get through his classes now thanks to previous experience, and the teachers liking him.

Kyana

Also adopted, but by an apocalypse death-cult in Wisconsin

Trained from a young age to be a "soldier" when the "new world" comes around.

Gets one wiff of the fact that there's an outside world beyond the bunker she lives in and goes "I'm outta here."

Runs away, hitchhiking across several state lines before being found by Enok

Enok is like "Oh, a child. I guess she's mine now." One of the other members of his religion he's traveling with is like "I don't think you have to-" "[while already holding Kyana's hand] My daughter now."

Rounds out the PERASPRA crew when they're driving around and see her holding her own against some wolves on the side of the road. Dani tries to help out by shooting a slingshot but misses and almost hits Kyana before she catches it out of the air.

They find out she's starting at their school tomorrow and the friendship is solidified instantly.

Like a mountain goat, can and will climb anything.

Still in those training habits, so the fittest in the school, and barely not as strong as Finbar. Whatever team gets her in gym, the other just gives up.

Once her tragic backstory gets out, one of the biggest mysteries in the school is how she manages to be so sunny and upbeat despite the terrible stuff she's been through.

Is constantly (in a friendly if unaware of the pushiness way) trying to recommend diet and wellness tips for others

Doing above-average but not fantastic in her classes

Misc

Takes place somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Midwest America

A lot of illegal stuff going on. Dani, Virla, and Kyana's adoptions are all basically moot. Kyana's legal guardian is still technically the doom cult, so she's on the lam from them. Otto's junkyard is legit, but he also runs a separate smuggling business that all four of them participate in on occasion. Finbar's doing the best out of the four of them, but some of those romance rumors include things with teachers. It was after he was 18, but that's still not allowed.

Alright, that's all I got for now, but I'll probably come back and add stuff as I think of it. Feel free to throw in any ideas this sparks in you, and you have my permission to take this framework and turn it into fanart or fanfic if you want. Just send it to me because I'd love to see it.

[thefanficmonster]

Love For The Faceless

Corpse Husband x Youtuber!Reader(Female)

Warnings: Swearing

Genre: Fluff 

Summary: Y/N is a YouTube gamer who has recently gained a much larger following thanks to the streams she does with her friends. Naturally, considering her faceless and bodiless nature, people are starting to get curious about her. When she finally follows her friend Corpse’s example, a lot more than her hands is revealed.

Requested by anon, you know who you are 😉 Thank you so much for placing a request and hope this fic fulfills the expectations you have for it.

“Hey!“ I greet the lobby as I finally hop into the Discord call after quickly saying ‘hi‘ to my audience.

I’ve been a YouTuber for four years now and I’ve only recently started streaming, encouraged to do so by my best friend Rae. She’s the one who got me in multiplayer games such as Among Us and Phasmophobia which led me to meet her amazing gaming squad that consists of some of the most famous names on the platform. They are all wonderful people and I will forever be in Rae’s debt for introducing me to them. However, becoming friends with Felix, Sean and the rest of the team brought not only a more fulfilled life, but also a small boost in following. Who am I kidding, it wasn’t small. It was overwhelming, terrifying even.

My YouTube channel had a little over a million subscribers at the start of quarantine and now....now it’s closer to three million. Speaking of three million, I’m about to reach it any day now and it’s really hard to believe. I’m a gaming youtuber and I’ve never considered changing my genre despite expecting to not get any attention whatsoever, with all the big names on the platform. I was convinced not even as many as a hundred people would stumble across my videos and now here we are.

My OG subscribers are very supportive of my sudden growth and are defending me when my newer fans ask for a face reveal or whatnot. While we’re on that topic I might have to mention that not even my YouTube friends, and that includes Rae have seen my face. I’ve been faceless and bodiless for the entirety of my time on social media. Some claim I do it to grab more attention or for dramatic effect, but the reason is beyond that. I’m not shallow. Actually, shallow people are the reason I don’t show my face. I’ve never been the prettiest, but my middle school bully thought that I wasn’t lacking self confidence enough. As a result, I ended up with a not so handsome scar on my right cheek that starts from the corner of my mouth and nearly misses my eye. Yeah, it’s a long and pretty noticeable scar that has thankfully become less and less obvious as the years have progressed. Still, it’s not something I’d like to show to my viewers.

Eight ‘hi’s greet me back, each making my smile grow wider. “Sorry I’m late guys. Technical difficulties.” 

“Don’t worry.“ Rae’s voice dominates over the rest, “Corpse still isn’t here so we’re waiting for him.“

I mute myself on the Discord call and take a look at my comments. I’m most flattered by the comments about my voice. Seeing as how they don’t have much to compliment about me other than my content, they make the nicest comments about my voice, personality and humor. Those comments are the ones who warm my heart most. Even when people in my day to day life compliment my appearance I can’t find it in me to believe they are being genuine. I’d like to believe these amazing people are being one hundred percent honest when they tell me they like me for who I am and not for what I might look like.

“Sorry I’m late guys.“ A deep voice causes me to even physically jolt, switching my focus from the comments to the Among Us lobby where my eyes land on the newly materialized black avatar.

“Hi Corpse.“ Rae greets him.

“Hello mister who broke Twitter!“ Sean laughs, provoking the laughter of the rest of the players.

“Yeah, congratulations man. That’s a big deal.“ Felix chimes in.

“Thanks guys, but I think you’re forgetting we’re talking about a picture of my hand.“ Corpse chuckles timidly. I have noticed how shy he gets when someone gives him a compliment - like a snail slowly withdrawing in its shell. I find it adorable.

“That’s what makes it even better!“ I unmute my mic, sending my own congratulations.

“While we’re on that topic...“ Rae begins, waiting for the rest of us to shut our traps, suggesting she has something important to say. “Y/N, do you ever plan on doing a reveal like that? Not a face reveal. Just a body part reveal.“

I have no problem talking about the subject with friends but I get nervous when I’m supposed to discuss it with my fans. Seeing as how everyone, including myself, is streaming right now, I get a bit of a stutter in my speech. “Haven’t thought about it yet. But I guess a body part reveal is harmless.” I cringe immediately after letting the words leave my mouth, “That sounds so weird.”

Rae knows that I’m not too fond of my face, but I haven’t told her about my scar yet. I let almost all people I’ve met online think I’m using my lack of appearance for effect. For the mystery of it all. Mysteries attract people which equals attention. Attention equals views and the domino effect continues.

“Just a suggestion. No pressure.“ Rae adds quickly, knowing full well I get anxious when the subject is brought up in front of cameras. “Let’s get this game started, shall we.”

                                                          * * *

The idea dwells in my mind, sitting on the back burner even after I disconnect from the Discord call. I’m sitting in my gaming chair, which was a gift for my two million milestone, and weighing out the pros and cons of the action Rae suggested I take.

“It’s a picture of your fucking hand, dummy. How bad can it turn out?“ I say out loud, shaking my head at my indecisiveness. “You’ll be fine.”

In a blur, two pictures are already posted on my Instagram. The first one captioned ‘Took a leaf from my friend’s book. Did I do it right @ corpsehusband?’ and the second ‘Thanks, Rae. These are on you.’

Rae’s POV

As I’m watching a movie in my living room, I get a notification from Instagram, informing me that Y/N has posted for the first time in a while.

I scoff, “More like the first time in forever.”

The first thing that comes to my mind is the possibility of her reaching that three million milestone that’s been long time coming. I bring the glass of water that’s sitting on my coffee table to my lips, taking a sip as I tap the notification. The picture I see makes me hurry to put the glass back down so I don’t drop it. Y/N’s hand. Her fingers are covered with several thin rings each. And here I thought Corpse had too many rings, this girl has at least two on every finger! 

Then my eyes land on the second picture she has posted only minutes after the first and my heart drops. I struggle to get the water that’s been sitting in my moth down my esophagus while my mind is struggling with the task to comprehend the picture I’m looking at. 

Another hand is resting on top of Y/N’s. A hand also covered in rings but fewer and larger. The nails are painted black. 

I think I know who it belongs to.

Before I can even finish the thought, I’m dialing Y/N. She picks up after the second ring, sound cheery as ever as she greets me. “Hey Rae!”

“Don’t you ‘Hey Rae’ me!” I practically scream. I hate being kept in the dark about anything ever so this is just driving me mad. On top of all, she’s my best friend, for fuck’s sake. “Is that Corpse in the photo with you?!”

“Ugh....“ the cheeriness to her voice is all but gone now.

I go on with my rant, not giving her the time to reply. Not that she would reply. I bet she doesn’t know what to say. “So he knows where you live?! Or was the picture taken at his place?! He knows what you look like?! You have seen him! He has seen you in real life but me, your best friend, haven’t!!! You are breaking Covid 19 protection laws to take pictures?! Are you fucking serious, Y/N?!”

There’s a long moment of silence which frustrates me even more but I literally have run out of things to yell and the power to be angry. I mean, I still am, I just can’t express it.

“Rae, sweetheart, please calm down. You’re scary when you’re mad.“ This girl has some fucking nerve! She’s on the verge of laughing!

“Listen here you...“ 

“Rae, please stop scaring my girlfriend.“ That oh so distinguishable, oh so familiar voice interrupts me.

I am flabbergasted, for a lack of a better term.

“Now that we’ve got you quiet, I can explain.“ Y/N pics up the conversation, “Corpse and I have been dating for six, almost seven months now. We started dating around Easter after talking for quite some time. We moved in together at the end of September. All thanks to you, Rae. You’re the best.” She pauses to breathe in real quick, “There, all caught up?“

I’m in no less shock than I was before she explained. Actually, I think I might be even more confused now. It all just feels like a fever dream. “Yes...no. I don’t fucking know! I need details, Y/N!”

“Details later.“ Corpse makes his presence known once again, “We’re watching Family Guy right now. Talk to you later.“

“Love you, Rae!“ Y/N calls out before the line goes dead.

My arm goes limp, dropping my phone on the couch next to me. 

“Motherfuckers” I mumble under my breath.

Y/N’s POV

It’s been a week since Rae has stopped talking to both Corpse and me. I know she just needs some time to cool off. In the meantime, the rest of our friends were informed and, as oppose to Rae, were nothing but supportive and overjoyed. I bet Rae feels the same way though. Sean, Dave and the rest of the gang have confirmed that she’s incredibly happy for us and says she noticed a spark between me and him since day one, but she can’t help but be mad at us, and especially me, for not telling her sooner.

“Any regrets?“ I remember Corpse asking me when we hung up on her after dropping the bomb.

“Not being able to see her face when she saw the picture.“ I beam at him, feeling as content as ever.

He laughs, agreeing with me before leaning down to kiss me.

@susceptible-but-siriusexual  @simonsbluee  @save-the-sky  @hacker-ghost  @itsminniekat  @bi-andready-tocry  @imtiredaffff  @jazzkaurtheglorious  @hereforbeebo  @fandomgirl17  @chrysanthykios

[moonlight-breeze-44]

Leverage Finale.

Thanks to my friend @echo-bleu, I just finished watching all five seasons of Leverage. The finale was exceptional, and the entire show is so extremely important to me. I’m going to do my best to articulate what I want to say, but it may come out jumbled. I apologise if it does - but this is too important and too meaningful for me not to comment on. 

I started watching Leverage because Echo told me that it was the “original found family” and featured a borderline canon autistic character who was both badass and scripted extremely well. When I first started watching the show, I thought to myself: “What’s another favour for a friend? Maybe I’ll end up liking it, anyway.”

This may have been the biggest understatement of my life. 

Leverage is so important to me. It’s genuinely one of the most meaningful, impactful shows that I have ever watched, and its message(s) shine clear as day. 

Message #1: Family

The Leverage team is made up of Alec Hardison, an expert hacker with a huge heart and a desire to be surrounded by people he loves; Sophie Deveraux, an accomplished grifter with multiple identities who wants someone (or a group of someones) that takes the time to get to know the real her underneath all of the masks; Parker, an esteemed thief who wishes for a family that teaches her & helps her grow while loving her for who she is and respecting what she can do; Eliot Spencer, a badass hitter who craves to be recognised beyond the violence of his past and loved for who he really is and the heart he carries with him; and Nate Ford, an ex-upstanding citizen turned criminal mastermind who wants to see corporations like the one that let his son die be brought to justice, but knows he needs help to do it. 

Together, they make up a ragtag team of criminals that love each other and have each other’s backs in every situation. Together, they form the Leverage team. They form a family. 

Family is about love, about trust, about caring for each other and staying together even when things get rough. Family is Nate Ford, Sophie Deveraux, Parker, Alec Hardison, and Eliot Spencer from Leverage. 

Leverage teaches its viewers that not all family has to be blood. Some families can be found. This show, these characters, this family? It’s exactly what family should be.

Message #2: Hope

Leverage doesn’t just appeal to every person’s desire to stick it to the high and mighty. While that’s a big part of it, Leverage is also about so much more than that. Leverage is about finding a home in the most unlikely of places, among the most unlikely of people. It’s downright inspiring.

Leverage is about hope. 

Hope that it’s not too late. Hope that you aren’t too broken to be loved. Hope that you can have a home, a real home, the kind of home that you always dreamed of having. Hope that you can make a difference. Hope that you can achieve your dreams. Hope that you can love and be loved in return. 

Everything about Leverage is executed perfectly, and the hope shines clear through it all. In the midst of nothing, a gang of criminals found their something. They found each other. 

Nate tells Eliot in the season finale, “You know, I’d say to call if you need anything, but you - you never need anything.”

Eliot smiles at Nate and says, “Yeah, I did.” He looks back at Parker and Hardison, and the message is clear enough. “Thanks to you, I don’t have to search anymore.”

Sophie asks Eliot to promise her that he’ll protect them; keep them safe. 

Eliot says, “Until my dying day.”

That kind of devotion, that kind of love, is something that everyone dreams of. Some of us have it. Some of us don’t. But regardless, it is everyone’s dream to belong. Everyone wants to belong in a different way, and everyone sees belonging differently, but everyone wants people who understand them and cherish them like the characters of Leverage understand and cherish each other.

With this finale, Leverage is telling everyone who has ever wished on a star or prayed to an angel that their hearts aren’t foolish or naive for daring to hope. Leverage is telling everyone who has ever wished to be loved and understood that they can be. They will be. 

Leverage tells us that we’ll find our people, even if it takes us a long time, and when we do, it’ll all be worth it. 

Message #3: The OT3

Over the course of the show, Parker, Hardison, and Eliot’s relationship continued to be something that spoke to me and made me feel more seen and validated than I had felt in years. 

Going into this show, I heard from Echo and a few of my other friends that Leverage had an OT3 that was “as close to canon as possible”, but I’ll be honest with you - I didn’t believe them. 

All my life, I’ve been queerbaited and kept on the edge of my seat by TV show after TV show, waiting for some big reveal that never happened because the show producers didn’t care as much about my views as they did about the views of their audience that might be offended by it. It’s not something that I’m even bothered by, anymore, aside from the principle of it; this is just the way the world works, and I’ve learned how to enjoy TV shows despite it. 

Still, with that knowledge and experiences in mind, I didn’t go into Leverage believing that the OT3 would be this. 

The Leverage OT3 is so much more than I could have hoped for; all three of them “died” holding hands, and they said words to and about each other that are the equivalent of marriage vows in the real world. The OT3 is, genuinely, as close to canon as possible for a USA 2012 television series, and that is beautiful. 

I know I’m not the only person that has watched Leverage and felt this deep, emotional connection to the OT3. I know I’m not the only person that has watched Leverage and felt so validated, so represented, and to me, that’s worth everything. The OT3 was given time to develop, and the characters align perfectly with each other in ways that most of us never would have dreamed of a TV show doing. The Leverage OT3 consistently tells me and people like me that we’re loved, we’re valid, and they understand. We’re not alone. 

The fact of that matter is, regardless of how much evidence there may be of that on the Internet these days, it can be easy to feel like you’re the only one in the world that’s like you when it comes to relationships if you never see relationships like yours or the ones that you want to have onscreen at any point. It’s easy to feel like you’re weird or strange or wrong somehow for how you feel without representation, and Leverage, I think, knows that. 

Leverage casts light on and says I love you, it’s okay to anyone and everyone who’s ever experienced attraction to multiple people at the same time, who’s ever been in a poly relationship, who’s ever been in love with multiple people at once, who’s ever considered a relationship with multiple partners, and who’s ever realised that they are polyamorous. And that, my friends, is NOT representation that we get every day. 

This kind of representation is so rare, but Leverage did it. 

Leverage did so many things, and all in all, watching this show was one of the best decisions of my life. I finished watching with love in my heart and validation in my smile and beautiful characters sewn into my soul. I love this show. 

There are so many more things I could say about why I love Leverage and why I think it’s one of the best shows to exist ever, but then this Tumblr post would be as long as a dictionary. For now, I’ll just settle with saying this: 

Leverage is one of the most amazing TV shows I’ve ever had the honour of watching.

[baya-ni]

The Queer Appeal of Sk8

Recently @mulberrymelancholy reblogged a post of mine with a truly galaxy brain take about how Sk8 “is a show made for queer fans” and generally how sports anime often depicts love and relationships in a way that’s more accessible and relatable to ace/arospec people than other mainstream media does.

Just, *chef’s kiss* fucking brilliant. I urge you to read their post here (note I’m referring to the reblog not the actual post).

And basically, it got me thinking about this concept of Sk8 as a Queer Show, and the kinds of stories and dynamics that tend to attract queer audiences in droves, regardless of whether its queerness is made explicit or hell, whether that queerness was intended.

And that’s what I’ve been pondering: What are the cues, markers, or coding, in Sk8 that set off the community’s collective gaydar?

I obviously can’t speak for the community. So here’s what aspects of the show intrigued me and what, for me, marks Sk8 as a Queer Show beyond the subtextual queer romances: a punk/alternative aesthetic, Found Family, Shadow as a drag persona, and The Hands.

1.) The Punk Aesthetic

All three of the above screenshots are taken from Ep 1, and every single one of them depicts background characters. They’re nameless and ultimately unimportant characters, yet each of them designed so distinctly and so unique from one another, one could mistake each of them for the main character(s) of another story.

Of what little I know about Punk subculture, I do know this: that the ethos of Punk is heavily built around a celebration of individuality and non-conformity. Sk8 seems to have incorporated this ethos into the very fabric its worldbuilding, and the aesthetics and culture upon which it takes inspiration appeals specifically to a queer audience.

I don’t really need to explain why Punk has such deep ties with the queer community. For decades, queer people have found community and acceptance within punk spaces, and punk ideology is something that I think is just ingrained in the queer consciousness as both lived experience and a survival tactic.

Therefore, a show that adopts punk aesthetics is, by association, already paying homage to Queer culture, intentional or not.

Queer fans notice this- like recognizes like.

2.) Found Family

This also needs little explanation.

Too often, queer individuals cannot rely on their “born into” families for support and acceptance. Too often, we are abused, neglected, and abandoned by those who we were taught would “always be there for us.”

And so, a universal experience for queer people has been redefining the meaning of Family, having to build our families from scratch, finding brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers in people with whom we have no blood relation, and forming communities tied together by shared lived experience rather than shared genetics.

And this idea of Found Family is also built into Sk8′s narrative.

Like, for example, the way that Reki promises MIYA that he and Langa will “never disappear from [his] sight,” filling the void that MIYA felt after his friends abandoned him.

And in the way that JOE becomes a paternal figure for Reki, teaching him ways to improve in skateboarding, and ensuring that Reki doesn’t self isolate when he’s feeling insecure.

And in the whole Ep 6 business with Hiromi acting as babysitter to the Gang.

Hell, even ADAM (derogatory) is associated with this trope. Abused as a child, he finds solace in an underground skateboarding community and culture he helped create- his own found family (or some powertrippy version of it anyway).

Again, queer fans see themselves depicted in the show, but this time in the way that the show gives importance to Found Family relationships between its characters.

3.) Shadow and Drag

This is one that’s more of an association that I personally made. But I was intrigued by the way that Hiromi adopts his SHADOW persona. He wears SHADOW like a mask, and adopts a personality seemingly so opposite to his day-to-day behavior.

Further, the theatricality and general “gender fuckery” of his SHADOW persona, to me, just seemed so similar to a the characteristics of a drag persona (I don’t know a whole lot about drag but enough that I’m drawing superficial similarities).

There’s also this aspect of a “double life” that he, and actually all the other adult characters of the show, have to adopt, which is a way of living that I’m sure a lot of queer viewers see themselves reflected in.

4.) The Hands

Ohhhh the Hands.

One of the things I noticed very early on is the way the show constantly draws our attention to Reki’s hands, which I thought was a little strange for an anime about skating. After all, skating doesn’t really involve the hands, or at least the show doesn’t really draw attention to hands within the context of skating.

I count 3 times so far between Eps 1-9 in which hands are the focus of the frame.

First, when Reki teaches Langa how to fist pump after Langa lands his first ollie, second, when Reki and Langa make their Promise, and finally, when Langa saves Reki from falling off his board.

And you know what they say, twice is a coincidence but thrice is a motif (no one else actually says this I think I’m the only one who says this lol).

I’m not really certain why hands seem to be such a shared fixation among queer people (at least among those I interact with). All I know is that gay people are just fucking obsessed with them.

I have a Theory as to why, and at this point I’d love for other people to chime in and “compare notes” if you will, but I think it basically has to do with repression. And in the same way that queer people have had to redefine the meaning of family, we’ve also had to redefine intimacy.

Being overtly physically affectionate with someone of the same sex, even if they’re your significant other, or often specifically BECAUSE they’re your significant other, can still be dangerous, even now despite the “progression” of society. Queer people know this, this vigilant surveillance of our environment and ourselves, always asking ourselves, “Am I safe enough to be myself?”

Already, Western culture is pretty touch-averse. That is, it’s considered taboo to touch someone unless they’re a family member or a romantic partner. And to touch a person of the same sex in any way that could be misconstrued as romantic (which is most things tbh) is a big no no.

There’s just A Lot to unpack there.

But basically I think that queer people, by necessity, have had to learn to romanticize mundane or unconventional ways of being physically intimate so that we can continue to be romantic with one another without “being caught” so to speak.

Kissing and hugging is too obvious. But a handshake that lingers for just a second too long is much more likely to go unnoticed, braiding someone’s hair can easily be explained away as just lending a helping hand, touching palms to “compare hand sizes” is just good fun.

But for queer people, these brief and seemingly insignificant touches hold greater meaning, because it’s all we are allowed, and all we allow ourselves, to exchange with others.

God, I’ve gone off and rambled again. What’s my point? Basically that the way the show draws attention to Reki’s hands, and specifically how they’re so often framed with Langa’s hands, is one of the major reasons why I clocked Sk8 as a Queer. It’s just something that resonated with me and my own experience of queerness, and I know that I’m not the only one who noticed either.

~

So in conclusion, uhhhh yeah Sk8 the Infinity is just a super gay show, and it’s not even because of the homo-romantic subtext (that at this point is really just Text).

Because what’s important to understand is that Queerness isn’t just about same-sex romance.

Queer Love isn’t just shared between wives/girlfriends, husbands/boyfriends, and all their in-betweens. Queer Love can be two best friends who come out together, queer siblings who rely and support one another, a gay teacher who helps guide one of their questioning students, a queer community pitching in to help a struggling member.

And that all ties with another important thing to consider, that what we refer to as the “queer experience” or “queer culture” isn’t universal. In fact, it wrongly lumps together the unique experiences and struggles of queer BIPOC all under one umbrella that’s primary White and middle class.

So I think what drives a lot of my frustration about labeling a show like Sk8 as Queerbait is this very issue of considering queerness and queer representation within such narrow standards, and mandating that a show must pass a certain threshold of explicit queerness to be considered good representation.

I get that someone might only feel represented by an indisputable canonization of a same-sex couple. That’s fine. But labeling Sk8 as Queerbait for that reason alone ignores the vast array of other queer experiences.

The aspects of Sk8 that resonate most deeply with my own experiences of queerness is in the way that Reki and Langa share intimacy through skating (intricate rituals heyo). For me, them officially getting together ultimately doesn’t matter- I’ll consider Sk8 a Queer show regardless.

Similarly, @mulberrymelancholy​ finds ace/arospec representation in that very absence of an on-screen kiss. A bisexual man might find representation in Reki, not because he enters a canon relationship, but in the depiction of Reki’s coming of age, growing up and navigating adolescent relationships. A non-binary person might feel represented through CHERRY’s androgyny.

That’s the thing, I don’t know how this show will resonate with other members of the queer community, and it’d be wrong to make a judgement on Sk8′s queer representation based on my experiences alone.

That being said, Straight people definitely don’t get to judge Sk8 as Queerbait. Y’all can watch and enjoy the show, we WANT you to enjoy these kinds of shows, and we want you to share these shows and contribute to the normalization and celebration of these kinds of narratives.

But understand that you don’t have a right to tell us whether or not Sk8 has good or bad queer representation.

And even members of the queer community are on thin ice. Your experience of queerness is not universal. Listen to the other members of your community, and respect that what you might find lacking in this show may be the exact representation that someone else needs.

[averagejoesolomon]

We're back! Here's 5,000 words of our boys absolutely dominating the world of espionage. Should you feel so inclined, this chapter pairs well with The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy. Do with that information what you will.

If you're new around here, welcome to Full Circle! I know this post says it is chapter one, but this story actually starts in 1978, and I recommend starting there first. You can read all of Full Circle on Ao3. Enjoy gang!

TW: Violence; Blood

Chapter One

Even at the end of winter and even as the sun sets, this part of the States is always warmer than he expects. A dry breeze crawls across desert sands, catching on every cactus in its path until it lands square on Matt’s shoulders. He’s only just begun to shake the snowy misery of a Virginian March, but most of it melts away easy in a place like this. “I’m not saying we’ve gotta make a whole day out of it.” Dust smears against his fingertips as he slams the trunk of the car shut, leaving smudged prints behind. “I’m just saying it’s been a while.”

He hands Joe a fresh magazine to slide into the nearest available pistol. It zips into place with a resolved click. “It’s three hours east,” Joe counters. “And way too far south.”

Matt’s got a clear view of the horizon just beyond the edge of the parking lot and across the nearby highway. The straight lines and clear shots remind him of home. “So we spend a night in Austin.” The last of winter’s ice rests along the edge of his own pistol as he tucks it into the small of his back, but the Texas heat wins out and soon enough, the chill subsides. “We can afford a little detour.”

Joe’s silhouette is the only thing that breaks up the scenic view. It’s a stark shadow against a backdrop of purples and pinks cast along the underside of each cloud. Streaks of sunset catch in the shoulders of his leather jacket, but the body of it swallows the colors whole. Joe’s the sole spot of blind blackness in a night full of spectacular sights. “Nothing in Texas is a little detour,” he says. “This state could eat half of Europe for breakfast. Your idea of a little detour is a four-hour drive.”

Matt tightens up a strap at his ankle, checking for the knife that hides along the seam of his boot. “A four-hour drive is a hell of a lot closer than we usually are.”

“Yeah, it’s still four hours, cowboy.” Joe’s sunglasses catch a glare from the rapidly falling sun—a sharp starburst that flashes in Matt’s eyes, then flickers away. “Y’see, this kind of thing isn’t a problem in Manhattan. The city’s got everything a guy could need in a five—”

“—five-block radius,” Matt finishes for him. “I’ve heard that one before. But we ain’t in Manhattan. We’re in Texas, and when a buddy of yours wins an election, you stop into town and you buy him a beer. That’s the rule.”

The last time Matt saw Fitz, it was two elections ago on a dry campaign trail. It’s a rare occasion that Matt gets to offer his congratulations, rather than a consolation, but it’s likely he won’t get to offer either this time around. His old friendships keep fading faster than he knows how to patch them.

“Fitz doesn’t have time for us to buy him a beer,” Joe reminds him. “And, coincidentally, we don’t have time to buy him one.”

The world’s shadow creeps across sand, inching straight toward the two of them. “What’s so urgent, Joseph?” he says with a grin. “Got a hot date?”

“Yeah, and so do you.” Joe hikes his thumb over his shoulder toward an aging building across the lot. “There’s at least five guys named Vladamir standing on the other side of those doors and we’re about to dance with all of them.”

The sun finally winks over the horizon and as the world dozes off, a nearby sign flickers awake. It stands high above the rooftop, calling out to the few daily drivers that pass it by. The grinding buzz of pink and blue neon soaks into the dry Texas heat, outlining big, white letters that read ARCADE. “Y’think they know the Electric Slide?” Matt says. “Because we could really get a party going in there if they do.”

The harsh, florescent hues settle along Joe’s skin. These colors suit him better than the sunset ever could. “We get in, we get our information, we get out,” he says, holstering his own gun on his hip. “I don’t want to be around when the Circle decides to send backup, got it?”

That’ll be the end of it. There’s no room for jokes where the Circle of Cavan is involved, so Matt doesn’t make them. He just runs through his final checks the way Rachel Cameron taught him years ago, then nods. “Yeah, alright,” he says. “Let’s boogie.”

It’s high time to fish or cut bait, as his pops would say. Without another word, the pair of them scuff up their shoes as they start towards yet another tussle on yet another night, stuffed to the seam with personalized arsenals. Joe flicks the butt of a cigarette into the rocky gravel at their feet, letting the last of the embers burn themselves into extinction. Matt pulls a pair of dark, fingerless gloves over his palms, trying to spare his knuckles of any new bruises. Each footstep kicks up a new cloud of dust at the base of their steady strides.

They ain’t quiet. They ain’t trying to be. If there’s anything they’ve learned in the past few years of off-book brawls, it’s that they’re stronger than most, faster than most, and maybe—just maybe—they’re a little bit unbeatable.

Because the truth of the matter is that Matt’s a good spy. Joe’s an even better one. They’ve each got their individual place in espionage, but it don’t hold a candle to the way they work when they’re together. Something about them just seems to snap into place, every time and without exception, in a way Matt’s never quite felt with anyone else. When they’re out in the world, only one another at their backs, the pair reach a greatness that not even the meanest agents can match.

They’re as dynamic as a duo can get. They’re more in sync than most of the artists on MTV. They’re the ‘27 Yankees playing triple-A ball and if their missions were ballgames, they’d have mercy-ruled out of the majority by now.

But Joe ain’t in the business of mercy. So these days, neither is Matt.

The door squeaks on its rusted hinges. Matt’s the first one in, because Matt’s always the first one in. One look and he’s already got the entire building figured out. It’s all flashing lights, wood-paneled walls, and carpet worn down to its roots. Hulking arcade games line every available wall, their screens screaming out for quarters, and the room’s lone jukebox has been used and overused until the buttons have been scrubbed blank. There’s an exit toward the back. A storeroom to the right. Not enough windows. The entire space is buzzing with a low and constant hum.

Joe was wrong about one thing—it’s seven guys, not five, and half of them are smoking thick, gaudy cigars that fill the room with broad ribbons of wispy white smoke. Most stand along the edge of a pool table, game in progress with cue sticks at the ready. A few others huddle around a high top, laughing and joking in a dialect that brings Matt straight back to Leningrad. One of them even entertains a game of pinball, and seems to be doing pretty well for himself. The moment he steps inside, all conversation stops and all eyes land on him.

This ought to be fun.

“Howdy, fellas,” he jeers, easily sauntering into the room as though he was invited. As through these enemy agents are his very best friends. “Nice of you to clear the place out for us.”

Absent the cover of a crowd, Matt’s second-best weapon is his Nebraskan charm. Something about his smile disarms even the toughest of agents. The tone of his voice makes even the meanest men hesitate. He wears them both with a confidence that trumps the confusion in the room. This unthreatening uncertainty only earns him a few extra seconds, but when it comes to spycraft, a few seconds is all it takes.

It only takes two seconds to march straight into the center of these Russian goons. It takes another to find a spot just beside the Skee-Ball machine and dig his heels in. Seconds four, five, and six give him just enough time to grab a single ball from the machine’s return chute and toss it once in the air, catching it again in his other hand.

But soon enough, his time is up, and there’s a gun trained on him.

Matt’s hands fly up into a surrender. He loses track of whether the gunman speaks in English or in Russian, but the general sentiment boils down to, “Who the hell are you?”

Matt glances over at Joe. There’s a second gun aimed in his direction, but Joe’s got the kind of grin that makes people nervous—like he knows more secrets than they do, and they ought not to kill him before they can find out what they are. “Easy, boys,” he says, glancing over his sunglasses. “We’re just looking for a good time.”

“That’s right,” Matt cuts in, hands still held high. “What do you say, gentlemen? Anyone up for a game of Skee-Ball?”

What happens next is quick enough that no one sees it until it’s over, and it starts with the simple toss of a ball. It starts with Matt, and his few stolen seconds, and a perfect pitch.

The weight of the ball leaves his hands, heavier than he’s used to.

It curves to hit the underside of the barrel, smacking it towards the sky.

A bullet snaps into the ceiling just a little too late, and the entire room erupts.

The sound of shots fired triggers everyone into action. Big guys with grizzly scars charge straight at him, taking swings left and right, so he takes a step back until his calf hits the hard edge of the machine. He pops up onto the height of it and kicks one, two, three of them in the chest as they come. It’s two against seven, but Matt ain’t worried. It’s two against seven, but across the room, Joe Solomon is still smiling.

One of the taller Russians collects himself enough to make a focused effort towards Matt, cue stick thrown over his shoulder and ready to swing. Matt’s old peewee coach would have a few choice words to share about this guy’s form, but something tells Matt that he ain’t looking for tips. “I take it you’re more of a billiards guy, then?” he says, just as the guy takes a swing at him. It’s easy to dodge. “Alright, alright, all you had to do was say so, sweetpea.”

On the second swing, the heavy end of the cue stick lands straight against Matt’s palms, slapping against the leather of his gloves. It stings, but it doesn’t compare to the hurt that his dance partner is about to feel. “Do you want colors?” he says, cracking a grin. “Or stripes?”

The tall Russian curses in his native language, but Matt ain’t listening. Instead, he lands the long side of the cue stick across the Russian’s chest and shoves. He shoves until the Russian loses his balance, and then he shoves some more. Matt hops back down from his place atop the Skee-Ball machine and shoves the Russian straight across the room, knocking down another attacker in the process, until they land against the edge of the pool table.

The Russian is strong, but Matt is stronger. He holds his stance with the Russian backed against the table, squirming and wrestling against Matt’s grip. Just when Matt thinks he’s winning, he spots a flicker of recognition in the Russian’s eyes, and the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.

On instinct, Matt ducks.

A right hook flies over his head and lands square in the Russian’s nose. When Matt looks up, he sees another attacker with even more scars than the first, cursing over a punch that was meant for Matt.

The two squabble and bicker, which gives Matt just enough time to sweep the legs out from under the first guy. Before the second attacker even realizes what happens, Matt pops back up, wraps his hands around the guy’s neck, and flips him straight over his shoulder.

Crack. Russian Number Two lands flat on his back, splayed across the green velvet of the pool table. The wood splinters under the weight and splits the table into two, easy as a dried-up log on a cool autumn day. The guy groans, but he ain’t gonna be getting back up from that.

Dense billiards balls jump from the tabletop and squeeze out of their pockets, scattering across the stained carpet. Matt scoops up two of the striped ones just in time to feel a hand yank him upright by his shoulder.

In one swift move, he finds himself face-to-face with a shorter, stockier guy, cradling a ball in each hand. “Wasn’t aware you wanted to play too, sugar pie,” Matt says. “How about you get next round?”

They say the third time’s the charm, which is probably why this guy is able to land a solid hit, straight across Matt’s jaw. Bright, bold pain spreads up through Matt’s chin, cheek, ears, then down through his neck. A crack. A jolt. Throbbing.

Matt shakes off the strain, rounding his jaw in its socket once, twice, three times to make sure it’s straight. With the easy, strategic crack of his neck, he spits the fresh taste of blood from his mouth and sighs. “Alright,” he says. “If you insist.”

Heart pounding in his ears, Matt doesn’t hold back. He’s only playing by the same rules as the Russians when he brings the billiards balls up to each side of his attacker’s head and whacks them into each ear. This guy doesn’t fall as fast as the first two, but he’s disoriented enough that Matt can throw his knee straight into his groin. This, finally, brings him down to the knees.

Matt lays a hand on the Russian’s shoulder. “Sorry, buddy,” he says. “That’s a tough break—oh man, see that? I didn’t even mean for that one to be a pun. I just can’t help my—”

A pair of gunshots ring out over Matt’s shoulder.

The blaze of his blood suddenly runs cool. The throbbing in his jaw turns to ice. For the very first time, he imagines all of the ways that this night could go horribly and terribly wrong.

Matt’s quick to sprint towards a fight that isn’t his own, but by the time he turns around, Joe’s already knocking the pistol straight out of some guy’s hand, sending it skittering out of reach. “It’s not nice,” Joe says through a grunt, “to bring a gun to a knife fight.”

Joe ain’t a fan of patterns, but a person wouldn’t know it by the way he fights. A trained eye can spot every calculated dodge. Every expert strike. Joe does twice as much thinking with his gut than Matt could ever do with his head, and he fights like he sees the future. Matt can get himself out of any situation, sure, but Joe never makes the mistake of getting caught in a situation to begin with.

Still. Joe’s dancing with two angry Russians, both with knives aimed straight at vital organs. One of them charges and lands a lucky strike that grazes Joe across the cheek and Matt doesn’t much care for that.

So he makes an even fight of it, rushing up behind one of the attackers and grabbing them by the collar. The rigidity of the denim jacket scrunches in his hands as he pulls.

“I had him,” Joe calls out, easily stepping outside of the range of another swing.

“Sure you did,” Matt calls out. “And now I've got him.”

The man in Matt’s hands flails against the grip, swinging his knife around in an attempt to hit some sort of flesh. Matt much prefers to keep knives outside of his body, so he makes quick work out of finding a place to land. He bangs this guy’s head onto the closest available surface, shoving him face-first into a pair of bright yellow buttons, just narrowly avoiding a joystick.

The arcade machine lights up, spitting out a familiar melody that reminds him of late nights and the smell of new coins. “Oh sweet, they’ve got Galaga here!” The screen lights up his face with pale greens and bright yellows. “I’ve got the high score back home.”

Joe’s swinging fists with the raw end of a knife, but he still manages to point out, “You haven’t been home in a year.”

The guy under Matt’s hand groans, so Matt slams him into the buttons again. The machine lets out a charming pew pew in response. “So what?”

Finally, Joe’s able to knock the knife out of his attacker’s hand, grabbing hold of the wrist and twist, twist, twisting it back behind the back. He knocks the guy out with a single touch to the neck, leaving him to fall limp to the floor. “So,” Joe says, “you really think some nerd with a bag of quarters hasn’t knocked you off the board since then?”

“Nah, I’m buddies with the owner’s son.”

Joe takes off toward the last few guys. “Of course you are.”

“He says my initials are holding strong,” Matt calls out, loud above the sounds of a fight nearly at its end. “And not just on Galaga—I’ve got Frogger, too.”

“Right.” In the distance, Joe throws one guy into a claw machine, shattering the surrounding glass. It scatters and sparkles along the floor, catching every blinking light in the place. “And you’re under the impression that this makes you cooler, somehow?”

“Whatever, Wise Guy,” says Matt. “How many high scores have you got?”

Joe doesn’t respond, because Joe’s flipping another guy twice his size over his shoulder, slamming him straight across the Skee-Ball lanes. Awfully convenient timing.

“That’s what I thought,” Matt says, then offers the unsolicited advice of a champion. “The trick is to get the second shooter.”

“Uh-huh.”

Spy that he is, Matt senses that Joe may have stopped listening. He tries again. “Do you know about the second shooter?”

Joe’s perched atop a downed Russian, landing one, two, three punches to his face until they stop moving. “I can’t even begin to emphasize how much I do not care right now.”

Matt looks down at his own guy, barely conscious. “He just doesn’t understand the second shooter,” he laments. “If he knew how much easier the bonus stages were with two guns, he’d be on my side.”

Matt’s own Russian looks up at him with absolute bewilderment, so he just sighs. No one can keep up with the two of them, and these guys are no exception, so he slams his guy’s head in the Galaga machine one last time, and lets him fall to the ground.

Seven guys down. Two left standing. Just as it always is.

A quiet fills the arcade once more, interrupted only by the uncoordinated chirps of various unplayed games. They both clamber toward the center of the room, a little more beaten and bruised than when they first began the evening. Matt steps over the hunched body of one of the Russians, flexing his fists free of any lingering pain. Joe tries to swipe the blood from his nose, but it doesn’t do the job. The blood on his knuckles leaves behind an even bigger smear than the one he started with.

Matt looks around the room, scanning the bodies before him. He wonders if this is what his father’s battlefields looked like. “Looks like we’ve got our pick of the litter.”

Joe doesn’t waste time on wondering, his mind always moving toward the next step. Eternally trying to survive a war he wants no part in. “Start with any conscious ones,” he says. “If there are any left. See what they know.”

It’s as good a plan as any. When it comes to the Circle, there’s no way to tell a solid lead from a dead end. Time and time again, they find pockets of information that dry up before anything comes of them, and it’s hard to deny the feeling that this night is just more of the same. Matt and Joe could fight through entire armies but it still wouldn’t change the fact that the Circle isolates information to such a degree that not even agents twenty years their senior could identify it all. It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack—if one haystack suddenly became hundreds, and if each of them were located in entirely different countries all across the world. And if some of the haystacks had been burned up, others moved, and others shot outright for sharing information that ought not to be shared.

It sends Matt and Joe to Texas when they’re supposed to be in Istanbul. It lands them in an empty arcade, fighting guys twice their size, when they’ve got paperwork piling up on their desks at Langly. Sooner or later, they’ll have to face the fact that it’ll take more than a two-man team to take down something so immense, but for now, it’s Matt and Joe. It’s just Matt and Joe. They’ll interrogate the men they do have, rather than search for the men they don’t, because anything more is sure to paralyze them.

Matt takes a step forward towards the nearest available Russian, but he is stopped mid-stride by an unexpected sound. It doesn’t fit in with the rest of the noises pinging around them and with one glance at Joe, Matt knows he hears it, too.

They hear the click of a latch. The turn of a knob.

And a battle cry roaring at their backs.

They don’t think. They don’t have to. As soon as they hear the voice, the pair of them turn in perfect unison toward the storeroom. It’s the draw of their guns. It’s the pull of their trigger. Without a single shared word, both land a bullet to a kneecap of their surprise attacker—Matt to the left. Joe to the right.

Eight. A grand total of eight Russians, not seven.

The man’s screams turn from anger to agony, devastated that his sneak attack from the storeroom has only landed him a worse fate than his brothers. He falls to his knees first, but soon realizes the mistake he’s made and rolls onto his back, crying out toward the ceiling. His partners must hear him, but they do not dare face any additional wrath.

Matt stares at the pistol in his hands, no longer cold to the touch. It burns against his palm, even though the gloves, and for the first time, he registers the man on the other end. “Oh my god,” he says, distant and awed. He tests the weight of his pistol in his hand, then turns to Joe. “That was just like Galaga.”

Joe tucks his gun away. “Don’t start.”

“You were the second shooter all along.”

Joe doesn’t entertain this thought, which is just as well. They don’t have the time to spare on it. Instead, he approaches the man splayed out before them, squatting down to the right level. Joe’s voice is a quiet threat against outright screams. “What do you know about the Circle’s mission against the NSA?”

The screams continue, louder now. The part of Matt’s mind that is trained to translate realizes that the man is praying.

Joe speaks Russian nearly as well as Matt does, but he’s waiting for English. “My buddy and I,” he says, “got a lead from one of your friends about an upcoming attack on some very important data. I’d very much like to know why, how, and when that is going to happen.”

The man’s words dissolve behind tears. His god will be of no use to him now.

Joe cocks his gun. He doesn’t hesitate before placing the barrel straight against the roof of the man’s mouth. “It’s important you know,” he says, “that I’m not the sort of man to ask three times.”

“I know nothing,” the man says, words wrapped around a gun and an accent.

“You have three seconds,” Joe warns. “One.”

“I know nothing, I know nothing,” he pleads.

“Two.”

“You kill me or they do,” he says, but there’s a crack in his voice, and he’s close to a full break. “Please, they will kill me if I tell you.”

“And I’m going to kill you if you don’t,” Joe promises. “Would you rather take your chance with me now, or take your chance with the Circle down the road? Decide quickly.”

The man calls out, but Joe simply moves his gun to the chest now. It’ll be a slower death this way, and all three men know it. The tension of the possibility is enough to squeeze an answer out of the man. “Cameron,” he spits. “It will be an analyst named Henry Cameron. This is all I know. Please.”

Pistol unwavering, Joe glances up at Matt. It doesn’t take a single word between them to share the same thought. In this business, there’s no such thing as coincidences.

Matt nods. “I’ll call the girls.”

“Make it quick,” Joe agrees.

It feels dangerous, leaving Joe alone in the arcade, but not for Joe. If anyone can handle themselves against eight injured Russians, it is surely Joe Solomon. Matt's concern lies more with the other men, and all the ways they may come to regret landing on the other side of Joe's gun.

But that ain't none of Matt's concern. As he leaves the arcade, Matt hears Joe switch from English to Russian, trying to fish out any more information he can gather before they take off into the night. Matt doesn’t let himself listen.

Instead, he shoves through the same metal doors he entered through. The neon sign illuminates the edges of a payphone, jutting out from the side of the building. Matt brushes past the grime and graffiti to drop some dimes into the slot, dialing a number he knows by heart.

Her voice is a welcome familiarity beside the rush of the night, crackling across the distance between them. “Go for Bombshell.”

He doesn’t start with his name. The girls never need it from him. “I’ve got a question for you,” he says. “But when I ask it, you can’t panic.”

Abby’s easy on the other end, collected and calm in all of the ways an agent should be. It’s perfect. Not a word out of place. “Oh, but you know me,” she says. “Always panicking.”

It’s her typical tease. If Matt had the time to spare, he’d let himself sink into it, throwing it right back in her direction. Things being as they are, he doesn’t get the chance and cuts straight to the heart of the matter. “Do you know a man by the name of Henry?” he tries. “Henry Cameron?”

It ain’t often that Abagail Cameron is rendered speechless. Even when she is, it’s never out of a lack of words to say—rather, Abby often has too much to say, and she has to stop herself. Think. As silence fills the line, Matt knows that she’s filtering through the kind of classified information that he’s not supposed to hear.

So she starts simple. “What do you know?

And Matt lets her lead. “Very little.”

"How did you find out?"

"Haven't found out yet," he says. "That's what I'm calling you for."

She hesitates, but this is Matt. And Abby. It’s Matt and Abby, and there’s not much they can't say to one another, even when there is. “How do you know about the attack?” Her voice is just a touch lower than before, seeping with admission. “How did you know that someone broke into our father’s office?”

Espionage has a nasty habit of striking when least expected. No matter how much he prepares for a right hook, this business will always swing with the left. Matt just fought off a crew of highly trained agents, but Abby’s sentence is the first thing to truly punch him in the gut.

“I’m flying out to you,” he says, and maybe he ought to hide the urgency, but he doesn’t have the same filter Abby does. “Tonight.”

At once, her careful tone dissolves. Whatever cover she was hiding behind is lost to a barely concealed apprehension. “Matt, what’s going—?”

This isn’t a secure line. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Hey, Matt?”

“Yeah.”

He finally hears his friend, more than he hears the spy. “Should I be panicking?”

The answer is no, because girls like Abby don’t panic. The answer is no, because Matt can’t draw a logical line from an arcade in Texas to a robbery in Maryland. The answer is no.

But something about this stinks like stables in late August. So maybe Matt’s not sure what the right answer is. “I’m flying out to you.”

He hangs up the phone before she can get another word in, slamming it into the cradle with enough force to trigger a faint ring. In his mind, he’s already doing the math—time zones, flight costs, travel plans. Director Smith will expect them back in the office by Monday, and they can’t afford to raise his suspicion any more than they already have. It’ll have to be quick. They’ll have to be smart.

Matt’s hand still rests on the body of the phone when a shot rings out behind closed doors, assuring him that their work here is done. He doesn’t scare. He doesn’t even flinch. Some part of him knew that a bullet was the only way to end this evening.

One second passes. Then another. They're stealing slices of time anywhere they can get them.

Joe pushes through both double doors, chin up, making his grand entrance into the night. He’s got a fresh cigarette bouncing between his teeth and he brings the snap of his Zippo up to light it anew. “What’s the plan?” he asks into cupped hands, features lit aglow by the flame.

Matt fishes in his pocket for a set of car keys. “You win,” he says, starting back across the lot. “We’re not going to see Fitzy tonight.”

[bluntforcefem]

bug fables roleswap au!

hi thank you @cyanopicacyanus​ most beloved i would LOVE to! fair warning to anyone reading the text under the cut that this au explanation will have spoilers for the entirety of bug fables! so if you’re someone who wants to go in entirely blind and hasn’t watched/played bug fables yet- don’t click!

similarly, this covers similar things to the original bug fables stories, including the themes and plots of the requests. so watch out if any of those bug you! (Bug You haha)

the central focus of the au is the swap between the three main characters: leif takes vi’s place, vi takes kabbu’s place, and kabbu takes leif’s place. however, it gets a little more funky from there, in the nature of telling a fun and fresh story AND preserving major & important parts of their original personalities and backstories!

this explanation will go over the characters, and then specific moments & such that i think would change as well! ft. vi & leif getting to do crime, as they deserve

VI AS KABBU

vi, her sister jaune, and a currently unnamed friend of theirs are from a hive outside of bugaria, beyond the wild swamplands. they all decide to go to bugaria to explore - vi for money and exploration, jaune to see the art there. on the way there, in the same fashion as kabbu’s master and bit, vi and jaune’s friend dies to the beast to protect them while they run away.

vi and jaune, fueled by grief and anger at the loss, have a VERY LARGE blowout fight that ends in jaune leaving the swamplands for their home hive, and vi continuing on to go to bugaria! wooooo

what you get here is. vi largely keeps her desire to prove herself and get rewards from exploring, but there’s an added layer of: “if i can just prove myself as an explorer, i can kill the beast, and show jaune that she was wrong and trying to go to bugaria was worth it all along.” (even if vi doesn’t fully believe herself that the loss was worth it! character nuance my beloved)

KABBU AS LEIF

HERE’S WHERE THINGS START TO GET FUNKY! stick with me here folks, because ghosts are going to be real and in your home (and in bugaria.)

it all starts with a change with what the roaches in snakemouth labs are researching - instead of trying to achieve immortality with cordyceps (which is relegated to another lab, which is a special tool that’ll help us later), the roaches in snakemouth were attempting to achieve immortality by finding a way to bind spirits to exist after death, subsequently to re-enter their bodies. snakemouth was chosen for this for the high concentration of magic that allowed this to be possible - magic that permeated beyond just where the labs were. however, no corpse fit the conditions for spirits to re-enter them, leaving tens of spirits lonely and wandering. eventually, they all ganged up on the roaches who left them this way and killed them!

enter: kabbu, his master, and bit, who entered snakemouth den during the reign of elizant the first to find the artifact! the same beat as leif and his exploration team in canon. they get ambushed by a spider while investigating, and kabbu wakes up decades later when leif & vi rescue him!

what happened in snakemouth den was this: all three of the exploration team that entered perished, including kabbu. due to the experiments going on in snakemouth, and the roaches’ adjustment to the area and its energy, all three of their spirits sustained after death, and All Three Of Them Went Into Kabbu’s Body! kabbu is fully unaware of this until his request is done, in which the final battle of snakemouth labs is not a zommoth, but an amalgamation of lost ghosts that kabbu (and master and bit) refuse to acknowledge any similarity too.

instead of using the royal we and slipping into “i” during his request, kabbu uses “i” most of the time, and slips into using “we” when he sees the amalgamation and realizes the truth about what happened to him and his old family. i have given the kabbu ghosts both metaphorical AND literal this time!

tl;dr: the theme of snakemouth labs is ghosts instead of zombies, and kabbu is very, very haunted.

LEIF AS VI

remember when i said that the cordyceps being in another lab would be my special tool that would help us later? yeah! so. the most important part of this is that both leif & muse are still alive! it hasn’t been decades, for him - he’s been around during elizant ii’s reign.

leif and muse were an explorer (muse) and scientist (leif) duo exploration team that was sent by elizant ii to study the lost sands and find clues on the roaches and the everlasting sapling. they were pretty good at it! and one day, near the sand castle gate, leif finds a cordyceps colony that acts a little weird, has some sort of magical ability. so he takes it back to his lab for isolated study!

while he’s studying it, bandits from the lost sands attack while muse is gone, hoping to find research, etc. to hand over to the wasps. the cordyceps’ tube keeping it temperate and lively is shattered, leif is heavily injured, and it isn’t looking good for him or the cordyceps. so they reach out to each other, and fuse into each other, and the cordyceps “patches up” leif. both of them are still kicking around in there! it’s a very confusing case of identity for a while, but in a similar case to canon, the cordyceps Wants to care about muse and the people leif cares about. this time they’re just aware of what they are!

HOWEVER. muse comes back! and leif fills muse in on the situation, but neither him nor the cordyceps are particularly interested in studying himself or the effects it could have on his body, or any form of self-preservation related to it - they’re mostly just content to take their blessings as it is. This Does Not Sit Well With Muse! they argue about it for a while, it causes a rough patch, and they both agree that it would be better if they took a while to think about it by themselves. for context, this happens about six or seven months before the bug fables canon Starts.

leif is also SUPER banned from the explorer’s association & science groups for unethical science practices, particularly when the queen herself condemns his actions (mostly after he refuses to share the information he gained about what this could mean for the everlasting sapling. the cordyceps’ dislike of the roaches and what they did to it sustains post-fusion!)

leif’s request, then, centers around him coming to terms with the idea that he can be both kind to himself as he is (him and the cordyceps, him-and-the-cordyceps) AND make sure that this fusion is healthy for him AND continue his work in some form. it’s all about accepting that although his response was reasonable for when he had it and his experiences, muse was also very right about the fact that he needed to take care of himself after that! and it’s also about reconciling with muse herself. they do NOT get divorced i promise they’re happily married and have a kid

OTHER FUN THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

this is longer than i thought it would be! but hey, here’s my favorite part - getting into some of the major/minor plot changes that result from the changes in the roleswap!

all of the characters keep their attack types! for the reasons explained (gestures above) in their plot. however, kabbu gets a ghost-related TP skill after his request is completed!

leif & vi don’t have a legal explorer’s permit until AFTER snakemouth den. vi isn’t allowed to get one by herself, and when leif offers to be her partner, he’s reminded that he is SUPER BANNED from doing that! so they both sneak into snakemouth den illegally to find the artifact and prove that they can be an exploration team, and along the way find kabbu. inside your local fucked up cave you will find a free moral compass and friend

also: both kabbu and leif have a SUPER weird reaction to areas with heavy magic/the artifacts/roach technology! in this thread, they also have a super fun reaction to seeing each other for the first time, while vi is Literally Just Sitting There. sorry vi you’re on a team with not one but TWO fucked up guys (affectionate) on it

vi’s request is similar to kabbu’s with setting up the gravesite in the swamplands, but team snakemouth also helps her write a letter to jaune! i think in a post-canon world jaune eventually comes to bugaria to see vi and they (after a very long talk and bribery via vi getting jaune into this hive’s art gallery) reconcile too.

muse is HERE and i like her SO MUCH. this isn’t much of a plot thing but she’s alive in this au and everybody gets to see how like. Much she definitely made the first move, etc. i think her and elizant ii are friends they have tea on saturdays

if you made it this far - thanks for reading!! this is an au i love dearly and have put a LOT of thought into and i hope to write some fic for it sometime!!

[morethanalittleconfused]

I accidentally wrote a 5k fanfic about incidents caused aboard the ghost by differences between species

I've been reading a lot of those old tumblr posts that are like “what if humans are actually just really, really hardy and alien species would be just completely blown away with the shit we put up with without a second thought” and it's got me thinking about the crew of the Ghost trying to get used to each other at first with three humans that are all just absolutely fucking insane, even more so than even your average human.

Rebels spoilers ahead, as well as a trigger warning for blood, vomit and general injuries

It starts with Hera and Kanan. It’s just the two of them, aboard the Ghost, and it takes some getting used to.

At first Hera is shocked by the way Kanan's body seemingly has no limits. He has never once complained about the temperature of the ghost, even when they were running low on power and Hera could feel her limbs start to get sluggish from the cold. Two weeks later he somehow managed to find his way back to the ghost after being in -2 degree Celsius weather for a half an hour with no coat on. When he walked back through the hatch with snow blowing in his loose hair and a red nose and said “it's cold as shit out there” after Hera had been panicking about losing him for the literal entire time, she had to practically scrape her jaw off of the floor. She would have been dead after a few minutes, and yet here he was, now steaming from a shower and shirtless, bitching about how the caf maker was broken.

As time went on, she learned his body did have some limits to the heat. At about 35 degrees he got irritable and short, but that was about when she started getting uncomfortably warm, too. But he would tolerate it. And more. He kept impressing her with the things he somehow managed to pull off, in conditions she would have thought would kill him. He could get knocked around far more than she thought he should be able to, and would haul himself back to the ship with a grin every time.

The way his body worked constantly surprised her. She noticed it first in how quickly he healed, and in how much he ate.

He could eat literally anything. Things she thought were poisonous for most species. He loved chocolate, and would easily eat ten times the amount that would send her to the hospital to get her stomach pumped. He could withstand a ridiculous amount of alcohol, and could drink unprocessed coffee with no problem by the cup. Caf didn't seem to really affect him because his body processed it so fast. And he ate so. Much. it was ridiculous. The good thing was it didn't really seem to matter what.

Hera didn't need much food, but it had to be good. It had to count. Too much filler and she would lose strength. Her body couldn't process a lot, and if what she got wasn't exactly what she needed, her health went downhill, quick.

Kanan was not the same. He could, and would, eat anything. He didn't have any noticeable preference for plants or meat, or the quality of the food. If he could get his hands on it, he would eat it. He would eat food out of the refrigerator she would have considered to be dangerous. He put appalling amounts of random, unrelated food in a pan, cooked it, and acted like that was an acceptable thing to do. Omelets? She hated the very idea but he seemed to think they were wonderful.

And yet, for all that, they had once been stranded for over a week with only enough rations for one, and Kanan had insisted that she take the vast majority of the ration bars. She pushed back, and he then presented her with the absolutely shocking fact that humans can survive for over a month with no food. She was absolutely flabbergasted, and he took advantage of her stunned silence to press another ration into her hand, smirk at her and say, “I can take it. Trust me.”

Another thing she noticed very quickly was how fast he healed.

He could be bleeding openly one minute, and the wound seemed to close itself the next. She knew human blood had clotting factors far beyond that of nearly any other being, but it was ridiculous how fast he sealed himself up. Further into their relationship she got to see this close up when she accidentally touched some of his congealed blood on the floor of the refresher after cleaning him up. She had had to turn away and take a few deep breaths at the slimy, gelatinous texture. He had gently huffed out a laugh.

“Kinda gross huh?”

“Yeah... it's… unique.”

“I've always been kind of fascinated by the way it congeals so quickly. Handy I guess.”

Out of sheer curiosity she had run the end of a pen through the small puddle and been horrified to see that it mostly stuck together.

“It just… does that? Inside you? And that doesn't cause problems?”

“It can. If it clots when it's not supposed to. But mostly it keeps me alive.”

And it did. And though she wouldn't say it to his face, his ability to pull through seemingly anything took just one more worry off her plate. His wounds would be almost completely closed in often under a week, where she would have been dealing with bandages and salves for a month. He almost never got infections, and could keep going with seemingly incapacitating injuries.

They had once narrowly escaped a fight with a gang of imps and made it back to the ghost with almost no problems. She had a sprained ankle, so he had supported her most of the way there, and they had patched up each other's scrapes. He had needed a bit of training so he didn't just slap a bandaid on what could have been a potentially life threatening injury for her, but he did alright. It was only later, when they were sitting in the cockpit, well into hyperspace, and he had coughed suddenly, when things went sideways. She turned to see blood seeping out of the corner of his mouth, and more on his hand when he pulled it away. They both looked at it for a moment, then Hera almost blacked out as a sudden wave of adrenaline washed over her.

“Kanan you're- are you- let me make the calc- are you dying?”

“What? Oh- no I had thought I just cracked a few of my ribs but it would appear I must have broken at least one of them.”

“BROKEN? Your bone? Like in half?”

“I- yeah?”

“Chopper we need to get to the nearest med center right now. Tell them were coming. I dont care if its a fucking imperial light cruiser”

“Wait no lets not be hasty-”

“HASTY? YOU BROKE YOUR BONES KANAN”

“Okay i know it looks bad but really i'm not going to keel over and die right now. Make sure it's a safe med center and cheap too. I can wait.”

“Kanan your bones are literally broken.”

“Yeah. It's happened before and it will happen again. I've broken my arm twice. I've broken one of the bones in my lower leg. A couple toes. At least one finger. And don't even get me started on my nose. It didn't always look like this.” At that he had huffed out a small laugh, but then winced and brought a hand to his lower chest. Almost as an afterthought, he reached down and pulled up the hem of his shirt. She had started to avert her eyes at the sliver of hip he showed, but as he pulled the shirt up higher and revealed more, she felt the breath taken out of her. His skin was mottled a whole host of awful colors, angry and puffy. He coughed that wet cough again and said, “Maybe I do need a med center after all”

She was incredibly relieved when they dropped out of hyperspace and into the welcoming arms of medicine. She was less happy when Kanan was returned to her, that night no less, with only bandages around his chest and a note to “take it easy for a while” she was appalled to say the least.

His ridiculously resilient body sometimes created just as many problems as it solved, though. He got into bar fights after downing enough alcohol to kill a bantha, and got the piss kicked out of him. He ran headfirst into danger with little consideration for life or limb. He was reckless, and incredibly hotheaded, and overall behaved like a clown. She had no idea how the Jedi accepted humans into their ranks, if Jedi he was. Restraint, my ass.

His recklessness applied to food as well. He didn't really seem to mind what he ate, content with the knowledge that if it didn’t work out, he could always regurgitate it back up. Twi’leks could not vomit, like many other species. It was yet another bizarre human trait. The ability to purge substances from your body without them having to pass through your entire digestive tract and cause more issues had always seemed like a neat trick to Hera. That is, of course, until she saw it in action.

She was roused one night by a strange noise coming from the refresher, and she had padded to the door, only to find it open. Blinking in the harsh light, she saw Kanan curled on the floor, wearing no shirt. His hair was loose and hanging around his face, and he was panting heavily. She only had time to say “Kanan, what-” before he coughed and vomited into the bowl.

Her immediate reaction ricocheted from “Oh my god he's dying” to “I’m actually going to die just having to witness this” to “Oh stars he is actually dying” so fast she could barely process it. She was immediately horrified but had no idea how to help him.

“Kanan are you- do you need a medic? How- chop- CHOPPER! How do I help you? Are you hurt?”

He had turned and peered up at her with puffy eyes and a runny nose. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He tried to talk but his voice came out too rough and he had to try again. Even then it was strangely thick.

“Hera? Are you okay?”

“Am I okay? Am I okay Kanan? You're in here dying for stars sake and I have no idea how to help you and where the hell is chopper-”

“Hey. hey.” He turned away for a moment and took a long breath in through his nose. “Calm down for a sec. I feel like shit so you're going to have to talk slower. Are you hurt or something?”

“Hurt? No I'm not hurt i’m just- you- you're in here- I don’t even know-”

He closed his eyes and took another long breath in through his nose.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah i’m just… trying really hard not to throw up again.”

“Oh.”

He opened his eyes again and looked up at her again.

She shifted against the door frame. “But you're… okay? This isn't life threatening?”

He huffed out a soft laugh, then seemed to immediately regret it as he dropped his head between his knees for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and tipped his head back up.

“No. I'm good, I just ate something bad at that pub. And I also probably drank a bit too much as well. But I think it was definitely the squids fault.”

“Oh. So this is… normal?”

“More so than I would like. Yes.”

“Okay so…” she took a deep breath to calm her nerves now that it was apparent he wasn't in any imminent danger. “Do you need anything? How can I help you?”

“Some tea maybe. Some crackers. Anything ginger you have. It'll work itself out with time.”

She stood in the door, unsure of what to do, wanting to help him, and watched as he drew a quick breath in and closed his eyes again.

“Hera. Tea. Now”

“Right.”

As she dashed to the kitchen she heard the sounds of retching from behind her.

  There were some strange things about humans that became interesting as their relationship developed beyond mere captain and crew. His hair, for example. At first she had thought it was appalling, the sheer volume of it. It was everywhere. But all it took was threading her hands through it a few times, and hearing the wonderful noises he made, before she quickly changed her opinion.

Related to his hair was the fact that humans seemed to enjoy a certain level of pain, which she could not understand. He would moan audibly when she tugged at his hair, which startled her the first time, in the best way. Once, when she was feeling particularly adventurous, she had dragged her sharp canines across the delicate skin of his throat, and had been surprised to find the taste of metal filling her mouth, sharp and bright. She was even more surprised at the way he had shuddered and come apart beneath her, just like that.  

Then, later, when Zeb and Sabine joined the crew, there was yet another learning curve as Hera adjusted to another human as well as a Lasat, and Zeb adjusted to Kanan and Sabine at the same time.

Sabine was just as reckless. She was a fighter too, but she didn't have the force to help her out. Hera had more than a few small heart attacks in the early days of Sabine's presence before she fully appreciated that she could take almost as much of a beating as Kanan. Sabine had once walked over a half a mile back to the ship with a broken leg, and when Hera pressed her on just how she managed to do that, Sabine had gotten quickly tired of the argument, ending it with a, “I don't know what to tell you, Hera! I didn't have any other options! I had to do it, so I did.”

Hera was used to most of Kanan's strange human quirks, but Sabine presented a new and entirely alarming one, which Hera first came in contact with on a supply run. Sabine needed a monthly supply of medical supplies. Hera knew very little about menstruation, as that was a trait entirely unique to human females. Why their biology decided that it was necessary was completely beyond Hera, it seemed incredibly inefficient. Sabine made as little fuss about it as possible, but Hera had embarrassed everyone about three months in when Sabine asked hera to go get her data pad from her room. Hera had burst back into the common room, and only then was able to identify the smell Sabine was carrying with her that had been tugging at the edges of Hera’s mind all day. Blood. She turned on Sabine with a very distressed, “Sabine are you injured? Are you sick?”

To which Sabine had responded, with a distinct note of confusion, “No? Why?”

And Hera, without thinking, had said, “There's blood all over your bed? Did you hurt yourself?”

Sabine had gaped at her for a moment, then blushed ever so slightly. “I uh- I forgot to wash my sheets after... Sorry. I forgot about that before I told you to go into my room.”

Hera still had not connected the dots and was opening her mouth to further interrogate Sabine as to why her bedsheets were covered in blood when Kanan had jumped up and said, “Hera! Let's go for a walk, yes?” and pulled her gently out of the room, but not before she heard Zeb turn to Sabine and say, “So, why were you bleeding?”

Zeb apparently hadn't had much contact with the more alarming of the humans' quirks, as he had his own room, until Ezra showed up. Then Zeb had to learn for himself just how absolutely wild human biology was for himself. He arguably had a rougher go of it, because while he had the rest of the crew to help him out, he was literally sharing a room with a teenage human.

The first time Ezra got food poisoning was just about as rough for Zeb as it was for Kanan and Hera, except it happened in Zebs room.  Ezra was mostly self-sufficient, but Zeb had come hollering down the hall. He had broken the “do not open my door without knocking” rule Hera kept firmly in place, but she couldn't even be mad at him. Hera was just glad Kanan had been in his own bed that night. She had woken to see Zeb standing in her door, his fur standing up like a spine down his back, one ear folded inside out, panting hard.

“Hera the kid- he’s- I don’t know what the fuck happened but he- I think he’s hurt- or- or something but I don’t know how to help him- it’s Ezra-”

At which point Kanan, who had been woken by Zebs racket, slid open his door wearing only his sleep pants. He took one moment to assess the situation, looked down the hall and said, “Oh, Ezra’s throwing up. Do you want me to take care of him, Hera?”

Hera sighed and got up from her bed.

“No, you get Zeb some tea or something. I've learned well enough how to hold hair back at this point.”

Zeb, still looking entirely horrified by the situation, allowed himself to be led into the galley by Kanan. Sabine poked her head out of her door, decided this crisis did not involve her, and went back to sleep.

The same situation had happened the first time Ezra had gotten a bloody nose in the middle of the night. It was the kind Hera had witnessed with Kanan, and knew firsthand how horrifying it was if one didn't know humans noses just Did That sometimes. It was a middle of the night kind of bloody nose, where Ezra had presumably woken up with blood all over his face and in his mouth and in his hair and on his sheets, and had tried to catch the blood in his hands, which was all well and good until he somehow had to get down from the top bunk and open two doors to get to the refresher. That left Zeb to wake up to a room smelling of blood, with blood on the floor, on the door panel, and a trail leading to the refresher where he found Ezra leaning over the sink which was also, conveniently, covered in blood. All it had taken was for Ezra to turn his face toward the creature standing in the door and say “Zeb?” before Zeb was hurtling down the hall in a panic, calling for Kanan to come help him because the kid was dying.

Sabine, who had been up working on a project, was the first to respond to this particular “The human is dying!” call. She took one look at Ezra, standing in his pajamas with blood on his hands and said, “That sucks,” and turned back to her room.

Hera, who was making her way down the hall to check on if Ezra really was dying this time, had the pleasure of seeing Sabine turn back and say, “If you want a tampon to stop up the bleeding, they're in the bottom left drawer.” This worked surprisingly well at stopping Ezras bloody nose, because he was blushing so hard there was no blood left for his nose. Hera turned back to comfort Zeb, telling him she had reacted the exact same way the first time Kanan had woken up with a bloody nose. She saw him come out of his panic in time to realize she had effectively confessed to sleeping with Kanan, but wisely decided not to say anything. Nothing he didn't already know.

The humans were absolutely bizarre to spend time around. They ended up installing a wall in the galley that had live plants in it, not because they needed fresh plants to eat, but because their brain chemicals got thrown off if they weren't around plants for too long.

They had empathy for everything. Hera had once witnessed Ezra cry in a market when they passed a fruit stand with a deformed Meiloorun. When Hera asked why he was crying, he had looked up at her with these huge eyes, sniffed, and said, “I just feel so bad for it! No one will buy it!” They had, of course, bought it. Kanan tried not to get attached to anything, but he apologized for bumping into inanimate objects, and Sabine got visibly sad when they had to throw out a good piece of gear because it was broken or old.

They all three loved swimming. They were awful at it, just barely flopping around on the surface, but any time they were near even relatively safe water, they were in it, having the time of their lives. Kanan had once explained to Hera that humans have an extra fun little bit of evolution called the mammalian dive reflex, which slows their heart rate and lowers their blood pressure when they are in water, making it calming and enjoyable. Hera was skeptical until she watched Ezra calmly floating down a river on his back and wished she had that, instead of feeling nothing but panic anytime she had to float in water.  

They were mimics. They could replicate a stunning array of sounds, from animals to tech. Ezra's favorite way of annoying her was to make the noises her ship made when something went wrong, just to see how much she would panic before she realized it was him. They would sing along to anything, even if it was just instruments, and Hera would never admit it, but she loved Kanan's voice.

They could sleep anywhere. One of her favorite memories was walking around Chopper Base after a particularly exhausting mission and finding the three of them, Kanan in the middle, with one kid leaning on either shoulder, asleep, leaning against a crate. They had looked so peaceful, and yet she was again surprised at them. It was far too cold for her to even consider sleeping, there were fighters landing only a few hundred meters away, people running all over, and they were snoozing with smiles on their faces, just glad to be home.

And humans would pack bond with literally anything. She had thought Kanan was bad until she met Ezra. It was ridiculous. Her father had said that she was improper for developing a fondness for a droid, but the kid formed a relationship with everything that moved. It got them out of a few tight spots, sure, but she would never get used to having to sit still as some enormous predator loomed in their faces. The sight of Ezra staring down a cat the size of the ghost on some jungle planet, the cat's fangs mere inches from his face as it huffed at him, was something she would never forget.

They were wild and hard headed and strong and made her life so much more interesting.

Early on, Kanan’s strange human ability to adapt to seemingly anything had been a momentary point of contention between the two of them, and was still something she struggled with. It took time for her to be okay with the fact that humans and Twi’leks were just built differently. But it frustrated Hera how weak she felt compared to him. It infuriated her the way he could just walk off something that would have killed her. She had always striven to be adaptable and up for anything. She was strong, and she knew it. But she felt her inadequacies sharply next to Kanan. Early in their partnership they had been in the galley repairing themselves from yet another fight, when Hera had turned to see Kanan casually sewing his own skin up with a needle. The way he could just puncture his own skin like that, with nothing more than a wince and a hiss of breath, had made her see red for a moment and she had to excuse herself to the cockpit to take a breath. They had talked about it, and he had helped her to realize that she was, of course, strong. Humans were adapted differently, so it was entirely unfair for her to be comparing them. But they could compare emotionally, and she was one of the strongest people he had ever had the pleasure of knowing. The two of them were forged in war, and had been through incredible things. She had fought prejudice and overcome so many obstacles to get to where she was, the best pilot in the resistance, without question. As he had said the last part, she heard him smirk a bit, and looked over at him, bathed in the blue light of hyperspace, to find him with a little crooked grin on his face and his hair falling down around his ears. She had felt her guarded heart open a little bit more at that, and had to turn and gaze back out at the stars before her heart opened completely to this rogue of a man.

Later, pressed against his chest in a supply closet, hiding from some stormtroopers, she would marvel at just how fast humans' hearts beat. She knew they were supposed to beat about two times faster than a twi’lek, but his seemed like it was fit to fly out of his ribcage. She found herself thinking, “Is it supposed to be doing that? Is this why he's such a hot headed idiot?” Later she would discover it did not always beat that incredibly fast, usually just a bit faster than hers. It made him ridiculously warm, and also may have contributed to why he was so quick to anything. Not rushed. Not hasty. Just quick. Quick to anger. Quick to smile. Quick to fight. Quick to laugh. Quick to love.

Maybe that was why it was such a shock when he finally reached his limit. She had gotten used to him pulling through impossible situations. She had forgotten that they had limits, just like her.

And then, years later, a glimmer of hope. Ahsoka and Sabine, travelling the galaxy over, searching for Ezra. While Kanan was gone forever, she still had a chance to get one of her boys back.

And of course, there was always Jacen. Her beautiful little boy, who was soft and sweet and yet surprisingly strong, just like his father. And Hera was comforted to know that wherever this wild galaxy would take him, he had Kanan Jarrus’ blood coursing through his veins to keep him safe.

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Banner

One Shot- To The Stars And Back

Intro: Steve and Katie receive a message which Tony left before his death.

Warnings: “Language!” 

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

A/N: This was originally a full chapter, however I as I ended up publishing Stark Spangled Man I stripped out the flashback, and it left me with this little mini. It always sat in my head that Tony would leave personalised messages for Katie and Steve, along with the rest of his family, not just the generic one we saw at his funeral so here we are.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

“Happy?” Katie frowned momentarily as the man strode into her kitchen, followed by Steve. “Wasn’t expecting to see you today, not that you’re not welcome, of course you are.” She hastily added.

“It’s okay, Kiddo, I know what you meant.” He chuckled softly “The kids not here?” “Jamie’s gone to the park with Bucky and Sam, and Emmy’s taken Lucky for a walk.” She answered. “Why, do we need them?”

“No, I was just gonna say hi but I’ll see them tomorrow I suppose.” He smiled sadly at the thought of the funeral. “But, anyway, I came to deliver this. It turns out even, well, even when he’s gone your brother has me running errands.”

Katie smiled softly as he held up the box in front of her.

“He left three. One for you and Steve, one for Pepper and Morgan, and one for his Funeral….so…”

“His Funeral?” Steve frowned, as Katie opened a drawer and retrieved a knife before she walked over to the table. She had a feeling she knew what was in there, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she carefully slit the tape on the cardboard box and took a breath as she realised she was right.

Inside was an Iron Man helmet, one of his many spares from his suits over the years.

“He’s erm, ” she took a breath as she instantly recognised which suit this had come from. “He’ll have left a message or something, like he did all those years ago from Tennessee.”

Happy nodded. “He did. The boxes arrived at the house today. Along with instructions that if he had, you know, then they were to be distributed accordingly.”

“Thanks.” Katie set the helmet on the table and glancing into the box. There was another, smaller package inside, to which an envelope was attached. She smiled as she read her brother’s handwriting on the front. It simply said ‘Spangles’.

“We were just about to get lunch.” Steve tore his eyes away from Katie as he looked to Happy. “Do you want to join us?”

“Thanks but I should be getting back.” Happy declined the offer politely. “Stuff to do before tomorrow.”

Katie gave him a small smile, placing the smaller box on the table “Can’t say I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me neither.” Happy swallowed, dropping a hand to her shoulder “But we’ll get through it. We always do, huh?”

“I’ll see you out.” Steve said, as Happy gave Katie a hug before he nodded and the two men left the room.

Katie looked at the helmet which now sat on the table, and she took a deep breath before she picked it up and looked straight into the eye sockets. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, resting her forehead against the cool metal she held in her hands. She had no idea which suit this was from, but then again Tony had made so many of the damned things, it could be Mk500 for all she knew. The tears began to fall down her face as she screwed her eyes shut, head pressed against the helmet, before gently hands pried it from hers.

“Hey,” Steve spoke softly, dropping into the seat next to her, placing the helmet on the table. “Come here.”

She turned into him, pressing her face to his chest as she shook with silent sobs. His hand gently rubbed her back as he soothed her, waiting for her to calm down.

“Sorry,” She pulled back. “Stop apologising.” Steve shook his head, wiping her tears with his thumbs. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

Katie took a deep breath and glanced at the helmet, before she remembered something. “Oh, here.” She reached out for the smaller box, and nudged it towards him.  “This was in there for you.” Steve frowned and took the box, looking at the envelope. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes “That fucking nickname.”

“Open it.” Katie urged. “I wanna see what it is.”

Smiling at her ever impatient nature, Steve tore the envelope open. His eyes scanned the writing and his brow furrowed slightly, before his lips turned up in a soft smile and he handed the note to her.

Hey Old Man. My dad once told me that no amount of money can buy a second of time, yet he had a hell of a lot of expensive watches, so go figure. This particular one, however, I couldn’t auction for charity. I always intended to pass it to you, one way or another. And if you’re reading this note you’re getting it after my demise…so I best explain.

I did a bit of digging and it turns out that most of the guys involved in ‘Operation Rebirth’ and the Howling Comandos got one of these post the War. It’s a Wartime Rolex Oyster, probably worth a fair dime or two but the sentiment makes it priceless as you’ll see when you look at it. (Here’s a clue- check the back!) It only feels right that you have it. I had intended to pass it to you for your 40th,or your 107th, whatever you wanna call it, but again, as you’re reading this I won’t be there for that.  

I know Jamie’s surname is Rogers but there is half Stark in him so he’s not a complete lost cause, and maybe when he’s older you can pass this down to him. Or if you have any more kids that are boys, I dunno, maybe you can give them a strap each or something. Whatever.

I’m also assuming you’ll be reading this before watching the message I left as we both know Kiddo is an impatient brat so I’ll leave it there, I don’ t wanna spoil my heartfelt speech too much.

T 

Whilst Katie was reading, Steve opened the box and he gently took the watch in his hand. It was silver, with a black leather strap and a simple, classic face. He studied at it before he turned it over and he instantly felt a lump in his throat. Engraved on the back was the Howling Commando emblem- they had adopted the wings from his helmet which had adorned their uniforms in whichever place they chose- with the words ‘To The Captain’ arched over the top in copper slate writing.

He gently handed it to Katie and she glanced down at it, turning it over to read the inscription, her fingers running over the writing.

“Wow.” She whispered, wiping her eyes “I’ve never seen this before.”

“It’s erm, ” Steve cleared his throat, his voice thick, “it’s pretty…”

“Awesome.” Katie smiled up at him.

“Yeah.” Steve nodded as she handed it back to him, and he placed it back in the leather box, setting it to one side.  Seeing that had brought a wave of emotions crashing back over him. Nostalgia, slight sadness at the loss of not just Tony but his other friends, and pride.

Pride that even after he was gone they’d remembered him in such a touching and genuine way.

Shaking himself out of it, he looked at Katie and then nodded to the helmet. “Do you wanna do it now or…” She nodded and picked it up in a shaking hand, before she put it on.

“Retinal Scan authenticated” FRIDAY’s voice spoke “Greetings Mrs Rogers…accessing Stark Secure Server, hologram projection activated.”

Katie removed the helmet and placed it on the table, pointing it away from them as the footage beamed out from the eye sockets. She took a deep breath as the hologramatic form of her brother appeared and he smiled at them.

“Hey Kiddo.” He spoke, “Cap…”

Katie wanted to speak back, so badly, but she knew it was pointless, he wasn’t actually there. Steve gently reached for her hand and she linked her fingers into his.

“So, I thought I better record a message, you know just in case it all goes sideways tomorrow.” Tony sniffed, sitting down on a chair. “I’ve left one for Pepper and Morgan too and the gang, but I wanted to leave you your own. I hope that you’re watching this back and our plan worked, that everyone came back and we did it,” he took a deep breath, “but there’s a couple of things I wanna get out of the way before we get into the soppy shit. So, first off, I’m leaving half my shares of Stark Industries to you, the other half goes to Pepper who will more than likely keep it for Moo once she’s old enough. If you both come to the decision to sell then, that’s cool. It’s probably run its course anyway. If not then good luck taking it in whatever direction you choose, not that you need luck, you’ve proven yourself more than capable of running it pretty much singlehandedly over the last five years.”

Katie took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes with her spare hand, the one that was entwined with Steve’s tightened around his fingers.

“Second, most of the cash assets I have pass to Pepper, but I’ve left instructions that there’s some for you as well. I know you don’t need it but I want you to use it for the kids, however many you end up with. Tell them Uncle Nee wanted to leave them something. And thirdly, the house in Malibu. I knew we never got round to rebuilding it but I still own the land and I want you to have it, Kiddo. That was our home for years and I watched you grow up there into the strong, beautiful woman you became so it only feels right. Plus it’s where we buried that fucking turkey too so it’s probably haunted by the evil bastard anyway. There’s a fund set up as well which should let you rebuild it however you want.

I know you probably won’t want to move from Brooklyn, I mean Cap’s lived there pretty much all his life, well, maybe, if you don’t count the sixty-five years doing time as a Capsicle or the time in DC and then wherever the hell you were when, well, you know,” Tony waved his hand, “whatever, the point is you can rebuild it how you want and use it how you want, nice little holiday home maybe.” Katie took a shuddering breath as now her tears were falling thick and fast. She’d forgotten all about that house, their home that had been destroyed. The fact that Tony had never sold the land so she could have it back in some form was astounding and overwhelming at the same time.

“So now that’s dealt with, onto the good stuff. First off, Spangles.” Tony spoke and Steve shifted slightly “I know we’ve had our differences, but I just wanted you to know when it comes to Katie I trust you implicitly, I think I always have done in a way. I never really had any doubts in my mind since that day I spoke to you in DC. To be honest you’re such a straight guy I trust you with pretty much anything, well, maybe not quite, I’m still not sure about our driving but that’s a different story.” Tony winked and Steve spluttered a chuckle. The fact that Captain America was a bit of a speed demon behind the wheel and been a long running joke amongst the Avengers since the beginning. “You’re a good man with a good heart, everyone knows this, I mean that’s the reason you were chosen for the serum anyway isn’t it? Because it makes the good better. I know I’m leaving my girl in good hands, but just so you know,” he raised his fingers to his eyes in the familiar ‘I’m watching you’ sign and Steve smiled, “and that won’t stop now, because if you ever do let her down I’ll make it my mission to haunt you for the rest of your life.” Tony smiled “But I know you won’t. And because I know you probably still don’t believe me I wanted to tell you once and for all that I don’t blame you for any of the shit that went down. I Love you buddy, Take it easy.”  Steve took a deep breath and wiped his tears with his spare hand as Katie gently squeezed his other again as hologram Tony shifted in his seat and his attention turned to Katie.

“Kiddo,” he sighed, “I don’t even know where to start. I know I’ve said it and said it again, but my biggest achievement in life will always be how well and good and honest and…amazing you turned out, even with me as a role model. If Moo turns out to be anything like you when she’s older then…” he trailed off and shrugged, “well, I only wish I was gonna be there to see it, oh, and that reminds me, Spangles I’m counting on you to be there to vet all potential boyfriends for suitability.” Both Katie and Steve let out a watery chuckle at that.

“But yeah, where was I…oh, right…I watched how you took Emmy under your wing, then when you had Jamie and how they’re both growing into spectacular people, it’s awesome and I really couldn’t be any prouder of the woman you became. Never lose that will to do the right thing, never lose that Stark stubbornness, never lose that streak of ferocity that leaves everyone quaking in their boots. After everything you’ve been through, I’m just sorry that I’m bringing more shitty times to your door by meeting an untimely death, but I know you’ll get through the other side, you always do. Just remember, this was my choice to fight, my choice. So I don’t want anyone thinking they’re to blame. You know, I think, deep down, I’ve always known it would end this way ever since New York. And rather this than some crazy old bastard rattling round in a home not knowing what day it is.”

Katie took another deep breath as Tony wiped his hand down his face.

“Anyway, please make sure they don’t play any soppy shit at my funeral. AC/DC, Queen or Led Zep will suffice, maybe some Train, I dunno.” He winked and Katie smiled through her tears “And if Ross is there, give him this from me.” He raised his middle finger of his right hand before he chuckled. “But I don’t know why I’m recording all of this anyway as I’m sure it’s gonna work out. I’ll probably be sat here watching it back and grimacing at how ridiculously stupid I sound and look, but just in case…I want you to remember that I love you to the stars and back my girl, I always will, and I’m beyond proud of you.”

And with that the message cut off, leaving the kitchen quiet bar Katie’s shaking, soft sobs. Steve gently turned towards her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. She pressed her face into his chest, her hands sliding around his back where she gripped at his shirt her brother’s final goodbye to her echoing in her head.

**** Chapter 60

 **Original Posting**

[sapphire374]

Soy Sol: Chapter 12 (I'll Be There Through Every Step)

Wattpad Link

Ch.1 / Ch.2 / Ch.3 / Ch.4 / Ch.5 / Ch.6 / Ch.7 / Ch.8 / Ch.9 / Ch.10 / Ch.11 / Ch.13 / Ch.14 / Ch.15 / Ch.16 / Ch.17

Ámbar runs into her apartment with tears falling on her face. She tries to escape into her bedroom, but Simón catches her before she’s able to. “Ámbar, what happened? Why are you crying?” Simón guides her to the couch and she cries on his shoulder in the comfort of his arms. Tears smearing the mascara all over her face. “Remember when I told you I had a meeting with some students from Law school. Well, the truth is I wasn’t going to meet for any school project, I went to go talk to my biological mom,” Ámbar tells Simón. “Look I didn’t mean to lie; I just didn’t feel like hearing anyone tell me how bad of an idea it was. I felt like I owed that moment to myself, to discover more who I am before I married you.”

“Ámbar I would’ve never stopped you and you know I always support you on every decision and step you make. Us getting married means that we have to trust each other. You have to trust me that I’ll always be here for you no matter what. I know it’s tough, to try to discover more who you are. That happened when Luna was trying to discover from who and where she came from.” Ámbar nods and wipes away her tears from the tissue Simón gave her. “It didn’t even matter anyways since part of me doesn’t believe her but then the other part of me wants to. It made sense everything she said but still hurts, a lot,” Simón holds her tight as she tells him everything Sylvania told her.

“Originally I was considering on meeting Sharon as well to have some questions answered but I don’t want to end up feeling hurt again and in tears like today. Maybe I should just leave everything in the past… I don’t know,” Ámbar says. “I know this can be very hard for you but if that’s what you want, I think it’s a good idea, to speak to Sharon even just a little if you’re ready. Maybe it can tie some loose ends, and you can finally have some of those questions answered. That’s the least you deserve.” Ámbar stares to her lap and thinks about it for a second. Simón gently holds her hand and lets her know, “I will always be here, whether you decide to go talk to Sharon or not. I’ll be here every step of the way.” Ámbar holds out her arms and gives Simón a tight hug. She kisses him on the cheek and lays her gentle face on his shoulders again.

Jam and Roller

It’s the next morning and the whole gang is huddled around Delfi as she prepares their skating video. The nerves crowd the air as she finishes the project on her computer. “Done! It’s ready you guys,” she exclaims. Some are anxiously sipping their shakes while others are tightly holding on to their companions. Pedro stares in awe and shows how proud he is of his soulmate and the whole gang. “You guys this is just the first step into making this dream, the Jam and Roller, stay alive and come true. You all should be proud because we have finally came together, worked hard and did an awesome skating routine. We got this,” Luna announces. “On ready, one, two, three… Jam and Roller!!” the gang all chant.

Delfi presses the button on her computer and it’s official, the video has been sent to the competition’s organization. After sharing a group hug with Juliana, they resume to their posts. “Since today is a special day in which we sent the video, I’m willing to give you guys this day off. Enjoy it, you all truly deserve it after how hard you guys have been working,” Juliana lets the team know at the rink. Gastón heads over to where Matteo is at and says, “hmm well someone seems to be saved by the bell.”

“You’re right, speaking of which I’m so excited to finally sing that song, I’ve been working on for Luna. I spent all night practicing it hoping she forgives me, and everything can get back to normal. I hope this plan works,” Matteo chuckles. “Don’t worry amigo, everything will be fine and lately I’ve been seeing her in a much happier mood. I think she even probably forgot about the arguments and such,” Gastón suggests. “Yeah, I hope so.”

Luna rolls by Matteo and he doesn’t help but stare at her. “So, are you going to talk to her, or should I have to do it for you?” Gastón jokes around. Matteo takes his advice and heads to Luna where she is taking off her skates. “Hey Chica Delivery, are you getting ready for the concert I’m having today,” Matteo asks. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Luna giggles. “Glad you said that cause I may or may not have a surprise all planned out,” Matteo comments. Luna gasps and couldn’t help her excitement cloud the air. “Chico Fresa, I didn’t know you were the mysterious type?” Luna and Matteo begin to laugh in synchronicity. “Well, I guess there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me then.” Matteo’s phone begins to buzz. He picks it up and answers the phone call.

Once he has hung up, he lets Luna know he has to leave. “I’m sorry but I have to go now to start preparing for the concert. I would love to continue this conversation, but the surprise won’t reveal itself on its own hmm,” Matteo teases. Nina rushes to Luna after seeing him slip away. “Luna, what was all that giggling?” Nina whispers. “A special moment that truly felt like it hasn’t happened in ages,” Luna responds.

Jazmín and Delfi both sit together on the couch as they discuss their plans on how they’ll find out who the secret admirer is. “So, I was thinking we can look at all the comments of your recent video and maybe find some clues as to who the secret admirer is. I feel like they probably must have known you from your videos I’m assuming,” Delfi states. “Of course, they know me from my videos, I am the most popular on the web. Who honestly wouldn’t want to date me?” Jazmín insists.

A delivery man holding a large bouquet of flowers enters the Jam and Roller and hands them to Jazmín. Delfi stares in shock. Jazmín pulls out the card and reads “Mi amor, I chose these flowers because they represent the beautiful tones of your eyes and bring out your inner sparkle. I hope these make you feel the happiness I feel just seeing you.” Jazmín holds the card close to her chest and doesn’t help but cheer. “Oh my Jazmin, this person is head over heels in love with you,” Delfi says. “I know! Whoever this is, he already sounds so charming.” Delfi is beyond excited for Jazmín but can’t help but feel a little worried for her friend since they still don’t know who this person is. Why are they sending them anonymously? She finds this a little fishy.

Sharon’s Apartment

Ámbar knocks on the door, she shakily turns the knob when she hears the door unlock from the other side. “Come in,” Sharon states while her personal caretaker guides Ámbar to the dining room as Simón follows her in. “Don’t be shy and take a seat.” Ámbar and Simón pull two chairs and sit down in response to Sharon. She slowly takes a sip from her tea as the room fills with silence. Ámbar is beginning to have flashbacks of all the lonely nights she would have being with Sharon.

“It is a pleasure getting to see you again Ámbar, you hadn’t visited in 7 months. I was beginning to worry that maybe you have forgotten about me,” Sharon admitted. “No, it wasn’t like that, I have been just so busy with law school and managing the Jam and Roller. That’s all,” Ámbar replies. “You’ve always been busy, that’s never changed. I suppose that you’re here but not only to just meet me or stop by to say hello because you would’ve done that before. I can sense you’re here for something,” Sharon remarked. Ámbar turns her eyes towards Simón as a sign for help. “Ms. Benson, I don’t mean to intrude but Ámbar has decided to come here to ask about her past,” Simón answers. “I was wondering what made you decide to adopt me?” Ámbar asks.

Sharon takes a deep breath. “In the past, I had always wanted a kid, but it never seemed like the right time. When I heard Sylvania was planning to give her child up for adoption but didn’t know who would be fitting to be the parent of her baby, that’s when I saw it as a sign of fate. It was meant for me to be your mom,” Sharon takes another sip of her tea. “I’m a little surprised since you never seemed like the ‘loving children’ type. No offense or disrespect,” Ámbar comments. “You know I was a lot different before the fire, after that everything felt a lot stressful with life in general.” Sharon reaches out to hold Ámbar’s hand and feels the ring on Ámbar’s finger.

“You’re engaged?” Sharon questions. “Yes,” Ámbar responds. “And you never told me?!” Sharon shows her dismay and stays silent. “Well, it was pretty recent, I was planning to tell you I was just not sure when or how. It’s complicated and you know that plus you never liked Simon anyways,” Ámbar said. “I know we’ve never had such a close relationship but just know I’ll forever regret not being that loving caring parent you deserved to have. I know it’s too late, but I still care about you and love you.” Sharon begins to cry and tries to wipe her tears with her fingers. “I know madrina, I know, and I love you too mom.” Ámbar heads out with Simón since she thinks it’s for the best.

Benson Valente Mansion

Monica is seen gathering some tulle and fabric in the living room. She hears the door unlock and it’s Ámbar and Simón. “Oh, hello guys! I’ve already begun preparing some of the table arrangements for the wedding reception,” Monica states gleefully. Ámbar looks a little flushed and just nods trying to avoid crying. “Mija, what’s the matter? Is everything okay?” Monica seems concerned for Ámbar. When she notices Ámbar doesn’t say anything, she does what she knows best, she hugs her. Ámbar hugs her back.

“Well, I think I should leave you two in private,” Simón whispers to Monica. Simón leaves to the kitchen when they head to the couch as Monica gives Ambar the tissue box. “Have you ever felt empty inside? Feeling as if everyone you knew as a child and grew up lied to you. That your own story held in the hands of someone else. I feel like….. me trying to uncover the pieces are as if their edges are shattered and there’s no way on putting the puzzle together. Nevermind, this all might sound very silly to you,” Ámbar sniffed. Monica thinks for a little bit. “It’s not silly at all Ámbar, it’s normal to feel this way not being able to know your own story of how your life began. But just know it doesn’t make you who you are entirely. For example, when I look at you, I don’t see the girl who was manipulated by her madrina. I see a strong-minded, hardworking, caring young girl beside me who does an excellent job managing the Jam and Roller while attending Law school. Not anyone can pull off all those moves at once, and you do it so effortlessly. You may not know the full story and only some parts of it, but you are not your mother’s mistakes. In fact, I’m proud of you. After everything you went through, you still managed to seek the right path in life, and it worked. You gave it a second chance, you had what’s so important to have, and that is hope. So, when you walk down the aisle wondering ‘who am I,’ you’re Ámbar Smith, the one who overcame it all.”

Ámbar turns to Monica sobbing, but this time with a huge smile on her face, even showing her teeth. “How do you do it?” Ámbar asks. Monica looks at Ámbar with a confused expression. “How do you know exactly what to say at the right time?” Monica smiles back giggling alongside Ámbar. They stay wrapped in each other’s arms on the couch. Ámbar starts glancing at all the beautifully tied table arrangements for her wedding, how you can tell the amount of effort that was put in each one of them. That’s when it hits her.

When they break away from each other’s arms, Ámbar faces Monica. “Can you be the one to walk me down the aisle? You have always been there for me whenever I needed you these past couple of years and…. I don’t know how to say this, but you have showed me how it feels like having a mom. Why wouldn’t I want my mom there?” Ámbar starts tearing up again. “It would be an honor to attend it, and it truly warms my heart hearing you say that. Ever since our family reunited with you and Alfredo, it’s felt much bigger and cozier. I’ve got two daughters, Luna and you. I wouldn’t miss your dress fitting or wedding for the world.” They begin to hug again. Near one of the walls close to the living room, there’s Simón who couldn’t help but smile while spying on them. It makes him feel ecstatic knowing that Ámbar does feel like she has a family now and is not alone, not ever again.

Matteo’s Concert

All of Matteo’s fans begin to huddle up near the pit of the stage. Everyone is beyond excited to hear his collaboration with Viviana on stage for the very first time. Luna enters with Nina. Nina stays holding Luna’s arm, trying not to get dragged away by the crowd of people nearby. “So Luna, how have you been feeling about the whole thing?” Luna turns towards Nina and says, “A little conflicted not going to lie, but I’m here to support Matteo. I’m still a little bit upset at what he did calling me jealous and standing me up on our date, but I think I’ve put it past us. Today is a special day for him and I shall be here for that.” Nina nods in response.

Gastón rushes over to Matteo backstage. “Everything okay amigo?” Matteo picks up his guitar and nervously answers, “Yes. Once Viviana and I stop singing, you turn off the lights and have only the spotlight facing me. Just like old times when I had sang to her Alla Voy. I will sing this song I wrote for her, and it shall feel like we’re the only ones in the room. This night shall be perfect for her.” Gastón approaches him and smiles while patting him on the back. “Don’t worry you got this!”

The crowd starts chanting when the lights turn on as Viviana and Matteo approach the stage. They begin singing into their mics, Viviana doesn’t stop staring at him while Matteo’s eyes are fixated on Luna. He is in awe of how beautiful she looks tonight, even though he feels like Luna looks beautiful all the time.

Luna starts dancing along to the song with Nina, they don’t stop giggling and having a great time. Viviana starts noticing who Matteo can’t keep his eyes off of. She grows green with envy. She never liked Luna and was always hoping he would break up with her. She tries to get really close to him, even at times trying to have a sharing mic moment. Viviana throughout the song doesn’t stop making eye contact with Matteo and keeping him close. When she sees that this doesn’t Luna, or him she reacts quickly. Once the song ends, Viviana standing next to Matteo grabs his neck towards her and kisses him. She has her hand caress his cheek. The fans are screaming with excitement.

As for Luna, she’s speechless. It feels like the world has stopped and she has lost track of her surroundings. When Matteo pushes Viviana off him, he turns and sees Luna running out of the venue crying.

[krsnbgirl]

Fly High! || Kageyama x Fem!Reader || Part 6

Summary: Exams at Karasuno are finally finished. While you talk about exam results with Hinata and Kageyama, he notices something you’ve recently found out and the two of you grow a little closer now that he’s found out your little secret. Then fast forward to the training camp, you reunite with old friends and for old time’s sake, play a small game with them. 

Pairing: Kageyama Tobio x Fem!Reader

Genre: Rom-Com, Slice of Life, Sports

Warnings: None 

Word Count: ~3.4k

Author’s Note: Sorry for the delay everyone! I had a pretty busy weekend but part 6 is finally here! Thank you for reading and I appreciate any interaction that these parts receive. I hope you enjoy the update! As always, it’ll be cross-post on AO3! Stay hydrated lovelies! <3 

Taglist: @misnmatchedsox​ @monviemoo​ @love-beyond-words​

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 5.5 || Part 6 || Part 7 || Masterlist

The relieved sighs and voices of students echoed through Karasuno High as the student body wrapped up exams. The volleyball club was reaching its goal through donations thanks to the posters that you had made and posted up throughout the school and town. It first started off with just Kageyama and Hinata but then the rest of the team pestered you into making posters of them too. This only happened because Nishinoya had tagged along on your weekend photoshoot and ever since he saw the way you captured the two of them on camera, your best friend constantly bugged you to do one for him. When you guys got to practice, the rest of the team overheard his complaining and they all ganged up on her. You gave in when they all came together and gave you the cutest pouting faces you’ve ever seen with the exception of Kageyama and Tsukishima. Kageyama was minding his own business since he already got his photo taken while Tsukishima just scoffed but still met her gaze before shrugging as if to say ‘It’s up to you if you want to include me or not.’ In the end, the following weekend ended up being a whole photoshoot with the team to highlight all of their specialties as well as a team photo before getting the rest of the posters printed.

Although exams had ended, it was another practice day for the boys and Shimizu had pulled you away for a moment so the boys could get ready for their welcoming surprise for you. Word had spread that you were officially going to be their manager through Tanaka who couldn’t wait to share the news in the team’s group chat after he overheard you talking to Takeda after school earlier that week about your final decision. After gathering water for the boys, you were back in the gym and found that the team had lined up by the door to greet you. Shimizu joined the boys as Daichi walked up to stand next to you to make the official announcement. 

“So, we’ve finished our exams, and starting today, (L/N)-san will officially be one of our team managers.” 

You gave everyone a small smile as Shimizu walked up to you with your team jacket. 

“Here.” she said. 

Everyone watched as you held up the jacket in front of them before hugging it to your chest. They all gave you bright smiles with Tsukishima and Kageyama nodding their heads at you. Daichi ruffled your hair before leading the chant for everyone. 

“Ready and…”

“Welcome to the Karasuno High School Volleyball Club!” they cheered. 

With teary eyes and a new found determination, you bowed and exclaimed, “It’s a pleasure to work with you!” 

“ALRIGHT! (Y/N)-CHAN IS BACK IN THE GAME!” Tanaka cheered as he stripped off his shirt and began to wave it around. Hinata and Nishinoya joined in on his cheers as the third years walked up to you. 

“We’re looking forward to seeing what you’ll bring to the table, kiddo.” Asahi smiled and patted your head before grabbing his water bottle. 

“I knew you’d say yes, (Y/N)-chan.” Sugawara said and gave you a hug. 

“We wouldn’t have it any other way.” Daichi finished as Shimizu nodded her head and patted your shoulders. 

“Now all that’s left is the boys’ test results.” you murmured as you watched the boys begin their practice.

--

“(L-L/N)-san…” 

You looked up from your cellphone to find Hinata and Kageyama approaching you in the classroom. You weren’t going to lie, you were nervous to find out their test results because Nishinoya had already texted you that he and Tanaka barely managed to pass. You could only sigh as you read their expressions and put your phone in your bag to listen to what they had to say. 

“Trust me when I said we really tried our best! We didn’t mean for this to happen!” Hinata pouted as he slowly slid his results towards you. 

Then you looked at Kageyama who silently looked down in frustration and slid his exam towards you as well. Taking in a deep breath, you closed your eyes and flipped both of the exams over. Hinata ended up getting 21 and Kageyama received a 38 and before you could think properly, you let your head fall to your desk. A loud thud was heard and you could feel your soul slowly leaving your body.

“(L/N)-san?!” they exclaimed. 

‘I had such high hopes for them…’ you internally cried, ‘Wait a minute-’. 

Looking through their exams once more, you clicked your tongue and whacked Hinata on the arm. 

“HI. NA. TA. All of your answers were correct but you filled in all your answers off by one!” you hissed and he held his palms together to bow his head. 

“Once I realized it, there wasn’t enough time to fix it!” he pouted. 

You huffed then shifted your attention to Kageyama’s exam. After skimming through his answers, you pinched the bridge of your nose before handing their exams back to them. “Kageyama-kun, you need to stop having tunnel vision when it comes to studying...it seemed to be all comprehension rather than memorization…’

“...At least I tried and got a perfect score in Kanji... “ he muttered in defeat.

You took a deep breath and mentally reassured yourself that they couldn’t become textbook geniuses over night. Lifting up your head, you gave them an encouraging smile and shrugged. “There’s always next time, right? And if it helps you feel better, since you guys only failed one part of your exams, you should be able to make it to Tokyo in the afternoon. Usually the first exam is in the morning and if you have any other parts you need to work on, it goes on throughout the day.” 

Their eyes widened in realization but also paused for a bit to notice the small red mark on your forehead. 

“(L/N)-san, your head…” Hinata said as he pointed towards the small injury. 

You laughed and touched it, only to wince slightly and Kageyama sighed. Taking out the second carton of milk he got for himself from his bag, he silently gave it to you and motioned towards your head. 

“You idiot, you didn’t have to react like that and now you might have a bruise. Noya-senpai is going to kill us if he found out we were the reason for that.” 

You took the carton of milk out of his grasp and smiled in thanks as Hinata quickly read the mood change and realized what was going on. He knew that the three of you were growing close as friends because of the daily study sessions and constant chats during practice, but he didn’t think that Kageyama would catch an interest in you. Smiling to himself, he watched as Kageyama huffed and you chuckled in response before placing the cold drink against your head. 

“...idiot.” he murmured before walking away. 

“Yeah, yeah Kageyama-kun. Thank you for actually caring about me.” you replied in a sing-song tone and waved him goodbye as he walked out of the classroom. 

“Say...do you have a crush on Kageyama, (L/N)-san?” 

You jumped in surprise and let out a small ‘eek’ as Hinata smiled cheekily. He grabbed a chair that was near him and turned it around so he could rest his arms on top of the backrest. You puffed out your cheeks and wearily eyed the orange haired boy in front of you. Swinging his legs back and forth, he waited for you to say something. You didn’t expect for Hinata to catch on so quickly. But it wasn’t like he was actually right about it, you just weren’t sure what to think of Kageyama. There was something about having this unspoken understanding with each other that you haven’t had with anyone else. You had only recently noticed this after he had picked up his notebook. No one was able to relate to how your mind worked whenever it came to volleyball and yet Kageyama easily saw through the façade you put up to cope with the mental stress that came along with your injury. Was it a crush? You weren’t sure, but with the constant presence of him in your mind, maybe Hinata was right after all.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a crush...He’s someone that I think I can get along with very easily…” you muttered in thought.

“It’s okay to admit that you have a crush on him, he is pretty good looking even if he does come off as scary.” Hinata snickered. 

“I don’t know yet, it’s too early to tell Hinata.” you retorted and rolled your eyes, taking out your notebook for the next lecture. ‘Damn it, Hinata is sharper than I thought...’  you observed and tried to distract yourself. 

“You haven’t flat out denied it, (L/N)-san. Plus you can keep a secret with me! I can help you out with him too!” 

“HI. NA. TA.” you threatened and he sheepishly smiled when you held your arm up to whack him again.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but tease! I just have never seen Kageyama react like that with someone so I was just curious.” He quickly said while laughing with his hands held up. 

You sighed and busied yourself by twirling your pencil, “Who knows?” 

“What about this then to change the subject?” Hinata asked. 

You looked at him from the corner of your eyes as he smiled at you. “Since I might be the first one to figure out your little secret, let’s call each other by our first names!” 

You hummed in thought since you did feel immediately closer to Hinata after you first met. It also helped that you were the same age and you didn’t really have that many friends in your class. After taking a couple of moments to think about it, you smiled and nodded to his words. It felt good to grow close to someone like this again. 

“Sure, Shoyo!” you happily replied. 

Hinata cheered as the bell rang and he sprang up from his seat to get back to his class on time. “I’ll see you at practice then, (F/N)!” 

--

You stretched your arms as you stepped away from doing meal prep with the rest of the managers. The team had arrived in Tokyo earlier that morning and had been introduced to the members that were on Nekoma. You laughed at the fan club that Shimizu had garnered but wasn’t surprised when their attention went towards you. Nishinoya and Tanaka did their best to act as your bodyguards when they went over towards the gym where the camp would be taking place. Once the boys were in their zone, you found it nice to be surrounded by the other female managers and joking with them. The girls all ended up making a group chat to keep each other in the loop for the schedule and with the promise of continuing on once the camp finishes. 

You looked at your phone to see that the boys should be arriving soon, although you were  worried about Hinata and Kageyama’s safety after finding out it was Tanaka’s sister who was driving them. Hinata had texted you once they had finished and he told you that Tanaka asked Saeko to help out. Having your own experience with the older woman’s driving, you said a mental prayer for them. That woman really knew how to get to places and always cut the time by almost half of its original prediction. 

It was break time for everyone and you needed some time away to recharge. Walking around the grounds, you let your mind wander before coming back to an empty gym. Going inside, you hummed to herself before stretching out your legs. Your knee still felt tight, but you recently had her last therapy session. Your therapist said that you should focus on restrengthening your knee before seriously thinking about going back to playing the sport. You grunted as you realized you couldn’t bend her leg as much as you could before and decided you could just serve some balls across the court. 

“Oya?” 

You turned around to find Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kuroo walking into the gym after doing a couple of serves.

“Oya, oya?” Bokuto asked as they looked at you. 

“Oya, oya, oya.” Kuroo continued before smiling at you. 

“Ah, Kou-kun! Tetsu-kun!” You smiled and they ran towards you at the same time, lifting you up in their arms for a huge hug. 

“You goddamn giants, put me down!” you giggled. 

“I didn’t think you’d come back to the scene.” Bokuto smiled as he ushered Akaashi to join them. 

“I didn’t think I would either but I guess here I am.” you snorted and gave him a fist bump.

“Well it’s good to see you back, chibi-chan.” Kuroo added as he patted your head. 

“This is Akaashi by the way, he’s a setter on our team.” 

You smiled at Akaashi who gave you a wave and Kuroo walked off to pick up the ball. He smirked and tossed the ball towards you who caught it with ease. 

“How about a small rally, for old time’s sake?” 

Bokuto immediately brightened up and began to drag Akaashi to the other side of the court. “We’ll go against you guys!” 

“You gotta take it easy on me you guys.” You said and gave them an exasperated look. 

Kuroo raised an eyebrow at you when you walked up to him and snickered. “You say that, but your eyes tell a different story. You want to tear Bokuto apart on the court again.” 

Bokuto pouted and said, “Hey, that’s so mean (Y/N)-chan! Either way, we’ll still beat you, HAHAHA.” 

You playfully rolled your eyes and went towards the serving line without any objection. “What I’m saying is that you both tend to play on very intense levels. You need to tone it down because I’m still, oh I don’t know, crippled.” 

“Hey that’s nothing to joke about, chibi-chan.” 

“Whatever Tetsu-kun, let’s just get at it, shall we?” you smirked. 

“Oh and there she is, ladies and gentlemen. (L/N) (F/N) back in the game, oh how we’ve missed the Firecracker.” Bokuto playfully announced. 

“Yeah, yeah.” you  murmured before bouncing the ball up in the air for a jump serve. 

At this point the four members on the court zoned in on their fun game when the others of the camp started filing back into the gym to continue the mock tournament. They watched as the small and agile girl who was only (x) centimeters tall kept up with some of the best players in the prefecture. Your friends that have seen you play smiled in pride as they finally got to see the specific smile you had whenever you’re  on the court while those who haven’t seen you play were surprised at your skill. What not many people knew was that you had gone to the same Youth Camp as Kuroo and Bokuto and that’s how you became friends with each other. Your father lived in Tokyo and you stayed with him during the summers where he signed you up for volleyball. Ever since that day, it was the start of your journey with the beloved sport. 

The coaches called for the game to stop so they could get back to schedule and it was tied between the four of them. It was Bokuto’s turn to serve and you gave Kuroo a signal. He smirked and just as Bokuto served the ball, Kuroo let you take the game to its end. You quickly dived for the ball and hit it towards Kuroo who set it up in the air for you. Running towards the other side, you bit your lip and ignored the pinch in your knee as you jumped and spiked the ball right in the middle of Bokuto’s arms as they tried to block you. The gym watched in awe as the ball hit the ground and you let yourself fall onto your back. Slowly, the bystanders began to clap as Bokuto and Kuroo screamed in joy and ran towards you to help you up. Akaashi looked at you in awe as they surrounded you and the court began to fill in with teams to resume practice. 

“You still got it!” Bokuto cheered before picking you up in a hug and spinning you around. 

“That was some one of the most fun sets I’ve played in a while. Let’s play again this weekend if we can.” Kuroo grinned before ruffling your hair and meeting up with his team. 

“You were amazing, (L/N)-san. We’ll see you around.” Akaashi complimented before bowing and dragging Bokuto towards their respective team as well. 

You laughed and turned to look at Karasuno who was just staring at you in awe. Meeting the gaze of your best friend and still riding the high of adrenaline that you loved so much, you gave him a thumbs up and the brightest smile you’ve had in a while. Nishinoya took in a deep breath as he held in his emotions and was about to run towards you when the doors of the gym bust wide open to see that the anticipated duo had finally arrived. Their determined eyes landed on their team and quickly ran over to only change their expression to see that they had missed something. Nishinoya muttered them a short greeting before jogging his way towards you to make sure you were alright and they looked at Sugawara for some answers. 

The third year smiled and nodded towards your figure on the floor who was getting reprimanded by Nishinoya. You were laughing as Noya helped you stretch out your knee while yelling all of the things that could have gone wrong with that game. They looked back at you to see that you were sweating and your braid had slightly come undone. A volleyball sat snuggly in between your arms and Kageyama quickly put the pieces of the puzzle together. 

“She played?!” he asked with wide eyes and HInata’s jaw dropped. 

“And we missed it?!” 

“There, there. Maybe this can serve as inspiration to pass next time.” Daichi laughed as he slung his arms over their shoulders. 

“Who did (F/N)-chan play with?!” Hinata asked as they slowly made their way to their respective spot on the court. 

‘(F/N)-chan…? Since when were they on a first name basis?’ Kageyama thought as he listened in on Sugarawa sharing the details with them. 

“We came back into the gym because our break was over, only to find her playing with Kuroo-san, Bokuto-san, and Akaashi-san.” 

“Eh?! She was able to play against those three?! Woah, (F/N)-chan you’re amazing! I can’t believe we missed it!” Hinata cried as he hurriedly ran up to you and pouted. 

Kageyama was impressed and made his way towards the group to see how you were doing. Hinata had helped you up to your feet and you grabbed the carriers that held the team’s water bottled. You smiled at the both of them when Kageyama reached you and shrugged. “Maybe I’ll play with you guys soon, so don’t be too sad. To be honest, it was just a game on the whim. I wanted to serve by myself before anyone came and before I knew it, I got swept up in a mock two versus two with them.”

“How do you know them?” Yamaguchi asked as you smiled and passed him his water bottle. 

“We went to the same youth camp when we were younger. Well...just Bokuto and Kuroo though, I just met Akaashi-san today.” Haya explained. 

‘Just how good is her actual skill? If she played with Kuroo and Bokuto at a young age...I want to see her play.’ Kageyama sighed as he let his thoughts roam and grabbed his bottle out of the carrier. 

Coach Ukai called over to them and he instantly knew it was time to get focused. He and Hinata were already late so it was time to make up for all the time that they missed. Kageyama would have to find out about your past later either from you or Nishinoya because curiosity was eating him up inside. He needed to know because of how much he’s heard. The strong were always on the court and there was a part of him that wanted to find out just how strong of a player you could be, especially growing up with one of the top players from Tokyo.

[snowflake-of-destruction]

let's hear about FFVIII seifer, if you're still doing this XD

Why I like them: You know my tastes. A green-eyed man is introduced throwing fireballs around, is kind of a condescending jerk but in a fun way, instigates deep conversations on high ground while staring at the sunset...Well, before we even get to villainy, immolation, and redemption arc, I start going “Is this a favorite character?”  I’m joking...kind of. Some of that does factor in, even the fire. 

Okay, so my favorite thing about Seifer’s arc is that, in the limited focus he’s given, he’s complex and layered from the beginning, and his villain arc is a clear and fascinating illustration of “No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks” ….with a side of brainwashing.

Let’s break this down:

What are some of the words used to describe him by those that know him (by himself, by Squall, by Fuu and Rai)? Romantic. Idealistic. Sensitive. He is the one who believes in making a difference in the world--not just as a wish or goal, but as an imperative to do what your heart says is right even if it’s going to cost you--where Squall is just follow-the-orders-and-do-the-job. If you’re already reading this and objecting, I’m not saying Squall doesn’t care...obviously he does, defrosting Mr. Go Talk to a Wall and getting him to a place where he admits how many layers of mask he wears is his character development...but Seifer isn’t just a hothead. He wears his heart on his sleeve. 

Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to deny that Seifer can be an abrasive, self-serving, hypocritical jackass sometimes,  who can fight dirty, wants to “wreak some havoc,” and has a history as a bully--though, gentlefolk of the jury, I submit to the courts that he puts on a tough act like Squall does and they are both different flavors of trying to mimic toxic alpha male--but let’s not forget that some of his establishing character moments are throwing out his future to disobey orders because he sees that the higher-ups have possibly misjudged the situation and civilians could be in danger, and, again, going AWOL because he thinks Squall and Rinoa could be killed. And he calls himself the white knight and holds up a code of honor until the end, even though it gets twisted. He is about duty and honor, with honor even over duty.

Oh, this was only going to be the beginning. I haven’t even begun to touch on what I would want to touch on--this is just surface personality and the beginning of the game before we even get to joining Sorceress Edea, and even then not all I would say-- but this post isn’t actually supposed to be my Ted talk on what you missed if you just think of Seifer as a recurring boss fight. Let’s move on.

ONE MORE THING ACTUALLY. Even though we see a lot of Seifer at his worst, you can use Fujin and Raijin as a mirror. What do they say near the end of the game if we paraphrase/summarize? They knew pretty early on, before even the senseless slaughter and torture era that Seifer was going down a dark path with the sorceress, but they knew it wasn’t him and stayed with him, not because they agreed with his actions, wanted power, or out of fear, but to take care of him and try to break through to him--and not because they are saints, but because he, despite what had happened in the past year, is the type of person who deserves and inspires that kind of loyalty. Let’s think on that.

Now the rest goes under a read more, because I am going to keep rambling and be wordy

Why I don’t: He can be an asshole, and he’s an asshole in an embarrassing way. As in, if one is trying to say he’s not the little punk his KH counterpart is, you remember he still uses the insult chickenwuss (though that is a legacy insult/nickname since he’s known Zell since childhood--and, fyi, Squall uses it too) and he had a little gang in school. Even once he’s a military commander of an evil army set on world domination, he has some moments where his level of petty undermines him.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): The Dollet mission

Favorite line: Sorry, not sorry that the following is my favorite exchange of lines and that the prison torture scene is another of my favorite scenes. For context, Seifer has captured Squall, has him hanging up on the wall in crucified hero imagery, implied to be shirtless even though his character model isn’t because they talk about scar tissue or lack thereof from a recent shoulder injury/Squall being stabbed in the chest/shoulder area. Seifer has been electrocuting Squall for information. By this point, I might as well have put the whole scene here. Also, I am now going to blame Squall and Seifer text boxes in FFVIII for my own abuses of ellipses...

Seifer: " I was hoping you'd be there, Squall. So... how'd I look in my moment of triumph? My childhood dream, fulfilled. I've become the sorceress' knight."

Squall: [internal monologue] ...Sorceress' knight... ...His...romantic dream...? But... Seifer... Now, you're just a…[Out loud] "... torturer."

[Squall passes out.]

Seifer: "What did you say? [Steps closer] Passed out cold, eh? This is the scene where you swear your undying hatred for me! The tale of the evil mercenary versus the sorceress' knight!”

This isn’t just me all “mmm, tension.” Seifer has passed the moral event horizon, and it’s not just faceless NPCs that are collateral damage anymore. We’ve seen him on screen torture the protagonist, who is also one of the only people who he’s shown to have a real bond with that goes beyond superficial. Then we get this and see Seifer thinks he’s the good guy still, on a noble mission where he’s had to make painful sacrifices, and Squall is a representative of the power-hungry evil. Seifer’s been playing a different game, and had his will twisted via magic.

Favorite outfit: The Amano art where the white coat is cast off and he’s wearing the simple black shirt and black jeans under it. Symbolic? Maybe. I wouldn’t give up the coat though. I love the long white/gray coat, the outer embodiment of wanting to wear the white hat, but the desire easily getting tarnished, and the red cross that turns into a sword and becomes Seifer’s symbol and soon to appear other places, emblazoned nice and big on the sleeve. It’s the Cross of Saint James. TRADITIONALLY red represents the blood of Christ, the three lilies represent the honor of the apostle and reference Christ as lily of the valley, and the sword shape represents the torture that St.James suffered before his murder. HOWEVER, my opinion is that here it’s more vague/altered symbolism (For starters, there are other gods not the Christian God in this world) with a side of “looks cool.” We still have something that clearly calls to mind a mission from on high, innocence in the lilies, blood and blood cost, and then war/violence with the sword. And I love it. 

OTP: Seifer/Squall. I should not even start, but lest you think I am just in it for kinky torture scenes: We have these two who, in the beginning, are generally callous or mocking toward everyone, but make each other laugh/smile, see who each other are underneath and describe each other in “soft” terms even if they tease each other for it, repeatedly check in on each other to see if the other is okay, respect each other’s opinion and skills, and...you get the idea. In the words of Zell Dincht, I thought you two were rivals, but you’re all buddy-buddy. 

Pause for a second and let’s just say first impression. That opening fight where they scar each other’s faces? It takes place outside Balamb Garden and the area is shown so we see they are alone. Squall passes out. Squall wakes up in the infirmary within the Garden base. Squall has to explain what happened; people don’t already know. This kind of implies after Squall passed out, Seifer, bleeding from a head wound himself, picked Squall up and carried him home, allowing himself to collapse only when Squall was being safely tended to, because he’s that extra. This is his first (okay, second, after fireballs and face slashing) action in the game even though it’s offscreen. I mean, he could have also just called for help/ran for help, but that’s less fun.

 Seifer is so concerned with being a badass, but he’s admits to Squall all he’s ever wanted was to be the fairytale knight, not a mere soldier. Vulnerability and confession he wants romance....with the first time it’s brought up in game being while they are watching the sun set together, the traditional Square Red Sunset of Shipping. 

Seifer hesitates to defy orders, not for himself, but until he sees Squall is with him. Even though there were other “children of destiny” who all came from the same orphanage, Squall and Seifer were the ones who were never apart, never adopted until it was by a military/mercenary training program, and, even though it may speak more to brotherly than romantic from some angles, there’s a feeling of being the same, knowing each other down to the atoms, adopting an us against the world mindset that trumps trying to best each other when it comes down to it because they are the only constant. When Squall has his breakdown/ breakthrough of why he pushes people away/doesn’t let himself care/tries not to need anyone because people leave/are taken from him and he is scared he isn’t worthy of love and happiness until Rinoa challenges him, this may seem like a dismissal of Seifer, but you can also look at it from “I had no friends or family. I didn’t even have interest in speaking to anyone. I strived to be an unfeeling machine, because all emotion is pain...But also I couldn’t go 48 hours without seeing Seifer.”

Yeah, yeah, we know their main form of hanging out was beating the tar out of each other, but sometimes, especially in older media, this was its own brand of subtext. For more on how Seifer miiiight just view sparring let’s point out that “Isn’t this ROMANTIC?” and “Kneel” as a less easily interpreted as innuendo version of  “I want you on your knees” are battle quotes even in Kingdom Hearts sooo draw your own conclusion. 

We get a line where Squall makes it clear these were friendly matches looked at as pushing their limits beyond what they are allowed to in sanctioned spars, and he feels prepared to take on anything  now because of Seifer. Is it healthy communication  in real life? No! Is this real life? No! Plus, the facial scar was an accident, pretty clearly...on Seifer’s side...I could write another essay on how Seifer draws first blood, but it’s because on Squall’s failed block, AND THEN SQUALL GETS ANGRY AND RETALIATES WITH CLEAR PURPOSE AND MAKES THE OPENING SHOT INTO THE FIRST SIGN GOOD VERSUS BAD GUY ISN’T SO CLEAR CUT (even though they both shouldn’t have been going so hard in a friendly training match to begin with).

 Seifer’s later, repeated threats/expressed desire to give Squall additional scars once he goes evil? That is a different animal, and a horrible one, objectively. Not objectively? No comment. Okay, one comment. Mark you as mine. Two comments. He knows Squall’s lost some memories and he can’t stomach being the next thing forgotten so Squall needs physical reminders.

Hmmm, I was supposed to be talking about the ship, not just the sparring and scars. We can wrap it up with a Marge Simpson. “I just think they’re neat”

BUT ONE MORE THING

Squall’s jacket when he becomes Leon in Kingdom Hearts. His outfit is mostly the same, right? Except the back of the jacket now has a red patch of an emblem (of Rinoa’s angel wings, not Seifer’s cross...for the OT3 feel), and his fight with Sora he throws a fireball like Seifer’s signature. Just, you know, if you want bonus references/feeling.

Brotp: Fuu and Rai. They are willing to commit war crimes with this man, nurse him back from death’s door, and go into exile with him if he can’t return to a normal life even after a redemption arc. This section deserves to be long, but I am beginning to get talked out. Don’t take that as devaluing the friendship though. I’m glad he was allowed to keep his ride or dies in Kingdom Hearts. FRIENDSHIP! They love him, ya know?

Head Canon: What we see of him at the end of the game is a temporary situation and after he heals and refreshes for awhile he’d go back to Balamb and face consequences for his actions, and probably insist on consequences instead of leaning into “an evil sorceress bespelled me and slowly took my free will.” No hiding away in the wilderness. No crossing into and living his life in Esthar. No, “but in the end I broke free and would have been an active, onscreen part of saving the world if Square had let me join the party!” He would insist on being cast into a deep, dark cell. Squall uses pull to get him pardoned, but not before just, flat out, yelling at him for being a martyr.

Unpopular opinion: He did love Rinoa. It may have been a “shallow love,” but he wasn’t just dating her to pass time or because she played into his damsel who needs a hero mindset. There was emotion. He was prepared to die for her and Squall in Timber, and almost did--only being saved by Sorceress Edea...which wasn’t a kindness, but it all worked out in the end. Sure, he gets mind-controlled into using Rinoa as, basically, a human sacrifice and it isn’t Rinoa he wants stripped and brought to his room when we’re taking prisoners, but he cared about her. He does taunt her about their past relationship, but we’ve already established this is just part of his communication skillset.  Yes, I will elaborate more if asked, though it’s more feeling based than text based. 

A wish: If there’s ever a sequel, let him have put out the good in the world that was his dream and be seen as a hero. Let us see a matured and peaceful Seifer. 

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: My one fear if they ever remake FFVIII instead of just porting it, is that some of the creative team have said they like the fan theory where you are dead part way through the game and the rest is a dying dream or purgatory. It’s creative stuff; I will say that. It’s not my favorite, and I don’t agree, but those kinds of fan interpretations when they go in depth are super cool. PLEASE LET THE INTEREST IN IT JUST BE THE SAME AS MINE OF THINKING IT’S CREATIVE BECAUSE MAKING THIS  CANON WOULD BE SO, SO BAD FOR EVERY CHARACTER.

5 words to best describe them: stubborn, misguided, paladin, romantic, petty

My nickname for them: I don’t really have one

[lady-divine-writes]

Good Omens - “Saving Face” (Rated PG13)

Summary: A gang of bullies use Warlock to trap Adam on Halloween night, herding him towards a big, old, haunted house where no one goes ... and few who enter are ever seen alive again. (3904 words)

Notes: This is one of two stories I wrote for A Big Spooky Fan Zine. Be sure to check the rest of the collection for some amazing spooky works from other wonderful fandom creators :)

Read on AO3.

“Warlock … man,” Adam implores, backing away, hands raised in surrender “... come on. You don’t have to do this.”

Warlock grins at Adam’s trembling voice, his eyes wide with fear reflecting Warlock’s triumphant grin.

“Yeah,” he says, taking measured steps forward, eating up this moment. “I do.”

A pack of five boys in costume creeps up behind Warlock like the jackals they are. They’re not standing with him. They’re there to ensure their plan goes off without a hitch. This initiation into their gang will not only provide them with a minion in Warlock, whose father’s money and connections make the boy more valuable to them than Midas. But it will knock precious prince Adam Young off his popularity pedestal - a position he’s held on to for far too long.

Adam looks from Warlock to his cronies closing in on him, taking their time since they know he’s at their mercy. Talking will not help him, and he can’t fight his way out. Six against one? The odds are not on his side. So he does the only thing he can do.

He runs.

He turns tail and bolts, feet inside his battered trainers pounding the pavement, lungs burning from the strain he’s putting them through. But he has no illusions that he’s getting away, even when he gains a considerable lead. He knows how this gang operates. They’re herding him to one specific place: The Parsons House - an abandoned house at the end of this deserted lane; a monstrous, crooked, ramshackle nightmare overlooking the largest cemetery in their village. It’s the oldest house in this corner of the countryside. A worn, wooden sign attached to a single post that no longer stands upright proclaims it to be so.

No one ever goes there, regardless of the fact that its last known owner, Emily Parsons, lived for over eighty-three years inside, all alone, until the day she died of old age. But it’s been said that her frail body can be seen hanging from a noose in the upper attic window, leading to speculation by local townsfolk that the story of her dying peacefully in her sleep may be nothing but a tall tale.

This gang of boys (sans Warlock) have done this before - chased some poor, frightened soul that they hate to the house and forced them inside …

Kids that never came back to school, who were never heard from again.

In an act that could be described as simultaneously brave and stupid, Adam heads for the house, leaps over its rickety fence, and runs straight for the stairs.

All six boys crow when they see him skid to a stop at the base of the porch.

He’s right where they want him.

Whether he goes in himself or they grab him by his arms and legs and toss him in, he’s going in that house.

“Go on then!” one of the boys yells. “Get yer bony arse in there!”

The boys cackle, lending further to the impression that they are hunchbacked, sharp-toothed predators.

“And what if I don’t?” Adam calls over his shoulder, not fully facing them. Keeping his back turned to this lot is just as foolhardy as seeking safety inside this house, but he can’t turn his back on the house either. It has an essence - something he can feel deep inside his body, into the marrow of his bones.

“I don’t see you have much of a choice,” a different boy yells. “One way or the other, yer going in there. It just depends on whether you’re walking in or crawling in on two broken legs!”

Adam looks at the boys, stopped by the fence, with a slight smirk and a furrowed brow.

“How on earth am I supposed to crawl anywhere on two broken legs?” he asks.

“I …” The boy who made the original comment chokes on the rest of his sentence, realizing then how much that threat doesn’t make any sense. “I don’t know! You’re just gonna!”

“Adam … buddy …” Warlock grips the pointed tops of the fence posts and leans over “… my friends here are going to make sure you get into that house one way or the other. So you might as well get it over with.”

Adam answers Warlock’s comment with a hard swallow. He doesn’t honestly believe those boys are going to grab him up and toss him into the house. They’re too scared to even come past the fence, standing just beyond the splintered pickets, dressed in an array of stereotypical monster costumes – a werewolf, a vampire, a mummy, Frankenstein’s monster, and a ghost – each one blocking Adam’s escape.

Warlock is the only one among them not wearing a costume, opting for slate gray trousers, a white button-down, and the thick, navy wool coat he wears for school. With the exception of being only twelve, he looks, for all intents and purposes, like he’s going on a job interview.

Just an everyday average Joe.

That’s because, he’d explained, serial killers blend in, look like everyone else.

In reality, Adam has the upper hand. He should run inside and hide.

It’s a good plan.

A reasonable plan.

A solid plan.

So why doesn’t he make his feet go?

He searches for a weapon since it seems that fighting might become an option.

The house shifts on its foundation when a particularly forceful breeze passes through it. Adam eyes the graying wood slats falling from the siding, dusty windows clattering while shutters swing off their hinges, smacking dully against one another.

A rock flies in out of nowhere and strikes Adam on the shoulder. He stumbles forward onto the first creaky step. He glares at the house, as if of all the people there meaning to do him harm, it’s the house that decided to throw the first punch.

But it wasn’t the house.

He knows it wasn’t.

And the stakes in this game of cat-and-mouse have just gone up a notch.

“Go on already!” the boy dressed as a mummy yells, tossing a second rock straight up and catching it as it comes down like he’s warming up for baseball practice. “We haven’t got all night! We still have egging to do!”

“Well, why don’t you go do that and come back? I promise I won’t go anywhere.”

Adam ducks in time to miss the rock whiz by his head, coming close enough to nick his left ear.

“No more jokes, Adam!” werewolf boy growls. “You either go inside and take your chances, or we pound you into the dirt!”

Adam looks at the faces around him – mean, unfriendly, shrouded by masks and makeup, which makes these boys feel braver.

It also makes them more dangerous.

But they’re far from anonymous. Adam knows who the boys are underneath their masks. The vampire is Vince: the leader of the gang and the eldest, having retaken two grades twice. The werewolf is his younger brother, David. The mummy is Troy, their best friend from birth. Frankenstein’s monster is Leroy, and the ghost, in his thin white sheet, hiding him from absolutely no one, is Devin.

Yes, Adam knows them. He knows an awful lot about them, really. They’ve lived in the same village together their entire lives. They’ve been to each others’ houses at one point or another, hunted for eggs in the courtyard of the church every Easter till they were ten. But he doesn’t appeal to them. Because somewhere down the line, they changed. Rumors about them run rampant all over town. Outlandish rumors.

Still, Adam is far from impressed.

But Warlock … Adam had had high hopes for him. But Vince and his merry band of delinquents got their hooks into him.

Now, it might be too late for both of them.

Adam looks at the four short stairs leading to the porch. He knows the devils that wait for him if he doesn’t go up those stairs. He might as well try his luck contending with the unknown.

As a former Antichrist, a murderous spirit might be easier to reckon with.

He climbs unsteadily to the second step, ticking it off in his head.

Three more to go.

Somewhere above him, a shutter slams, causing him to skip step three and fall face-first onto step number four.

In the space of a second, he went from starting to nearly done.

He lifts a foot and plants it on the stair beneath him, raising himself up slowly as the plank bends in the middle. He brings his other leg up to the fourth step.

One more, and he’ll be standing on the porch.

Another breeze blows. The front door swings open, making all the kids present jump. Adam finds himself at a crossroads.

Whether he likes it or not, there’s only one way out of this.

He can’t make it past. He has to go through.

Adam flies into the house, the front door slamming shut the second he’s inside, as if receiving him.

Or swallowing him.

Then … everything grinds to a halt.

The wind ceases to blow.

The shutters hang limply, no longer bang.

The house stops its listing.

And from the pits of the boys’ stomachs to the tips of their toes, the earth stops spinning.

“What … what just happened?” David asks in a hoarse whisper.

“I think he went in there,” Leroy says.

“Went in, or was pushed?” Troy asks.

“Who would have pushed him? We’re all out here! Not a one of us has moved!”

“Maybe it wasn’t us,” Devin offers.

“Who was it then? Who was it!?” Troy asks, becoming unhinged. “Tell me!”

The sound of Adam screaming silences their arguing.

“Help! Help me! Vince! Troy! Devin! Warlock! Help me!”

“A … Adam?” Leroy says. “Is that …?”

“Yeah,” David answers quietly. “Yeah, that’s …”

“David! Leroy! Please!”

The boys have heard kids scream in this house before. And they’ve enjoyed it. It’s part of what they live for, why they do this every Halloween. But something about the way Adam is screaming is different. He isn’t just begging for help.

He’s calling out to them, each one by name.

Not only is it unsettling to hear Adam’s fearful voice calling for them, the thought of this house knowing their names sends chills up each of their spines.

Except for Warlock, who looks bored out of his mind.

Silence falls over the house again. A silence that drags on by the skin of its teeth and goes on for far too long.

Right when three of the boys summon up the courage to organize a search party, they hear another scream, this one worse than the last.

Adam again, but his screams have changed.

He’s beyond asking for help, gone from panicked, to bloodcurdling, to strangled, as if someone is pouring cupfuls of sand into his mouth. Above the sound of Adam choking for air comes a hollow, evil laugh, rising in volume and pitch, echoing around the walls and shaking the whole house.

“Vince!” it mimics, chuckling in between. “Troy! Devin! Warlock! David! Leroy!”

The boys stand up straight when they hear it, stepping back as the sound grabs at their insides and squeezes tight.

“We … we should go check on him … maybe?” Devin suggests.

“Yeah,” Leroy agrees. “Why don’t you go ahead and check on him, Vince?”

Vince glares at the boys flanking him side-to-side. “Nu-uh! I’m not opening that door for shite!”

“This was your brilliant idea!” Devin argues. “You’re the one who wanted to bring him here, despite the fact that we could end up dead! Or worse!”

“What’s worse than dead?” Vince asks.

“My mum could find out! I could be grounded till I’m married!”

Vince’s eyebrows snap in the middle. “B-but … you’re gay!”

“Marriage equality exists, Vince!” Devin crosses his arms. “Don’t be an arse, all right?”

“Point is,” Troy intervenes, “this was your plan from the start, so you should go check on him! Man!” He kicks at the pebbles beneath his feet. “I just want for one year to get some tricks or treats! I’m so tired of this shite!”

“Same here!” Leroy chimes in.

The five boys bicker back and forth. Warlock watches, gaze bouncing between them like he’s at a football match - a dull football match, one destined to end in a stalemate. He rolls his eyes.

He’s definitely done with this.

“Oh, I’ll do it!” Warlock says, blowing through the lopsided gate and trudging up the steps. “Ya bunch of pansies …”

“Yeah,” Vince says, visibly relieved. “Yeah, Warlock should go. It’s his initiation.”

“Oh, shut the eff up!” Troy says, unamused.

Warlock stomps up the stairs without a care, daring whatever is in the house that grabbed Adam to grab him as well. “Adam!” he yells, hand cupped to the side of his mouth to ensure he can be heard. “Adam! Where the hell are you?”

When Adam doesn’t answer, Warlock does the unthinkable.

He knocks on the front door.

The gang takes another step back.

“A-dam!” Warlock calls in a teasing, sing-song voice. “Come out here, ya coward! You trynna pull one over on us? Well, it won’t work. I’m gonna count to five, and then Vince is gonna come in and beat the crap out of you!”

“What!?” Vince yelps, his next step backward twice the size of the rest. “Oh, heck no! No no no no no no no!”

Warlock stops knocking. He puts an ear to the door. The boys watch, completely engrossed but prepared to run if anything else should happen.

If anything should eat him, then come for them next.

“Well?” Leroy calls up after a minute. “Do you hear anything?”

“I hear … something,” Warlock moves his ear from the center of the door to the seam. “It sounds like a …”

“Like a what? Like a what?” Troy screams, one creaky floorboard away from losing it entirely.

“I don’t know,” Warlock says, “but it sounds kind of like a … a …”

“A …?”

“... a … burp.”

The boys stare at one another, expressions wasted underneath their disguises.

“A burp?” David says. “Warlock, man! I’m gonna …”

The door breaks off its hinges and flies over their heads. The five boys duck down to avoid being beamed. When the coast is clear, and the cacophony of the door cartwheeling down the street dies down, they stand back up and look to the spot where Warlock had been standing, hoping to get an answer …

… but he’s not there anymore.

Not a scrap of him.

The gaping doorway stands open like a giant mouth breathing in the twilight air.

And Vince can’t stand it anymore.

“Warlock! Adam!” he bellows, then waits for an answer. When he doesn’t get one, he leaps over the fence and storms up to the house. “WARLOCK! ADAM! Come on out, all right? This isn’t funny anymore!”

Vince isn’t necessarily concerned with whether or not Warlock or Adam is alive or dead. He’s much more concerned with his sanity. He’s been to this house dozens of times, and nothing even close to this has ever happened. They have to be making this up. They had to have gotten together before tonight and planned on pranking him, probably hoping to see him mess himself.

Well, that’s not gonna happen!

He makes his way to the doorway with none of his gang behind him. He leans in, looks left and right.

“Warlock?” he calls out. “Adam? Where are you guys?”

He turns back to his crew, all of whom have migrated further down the walkway, preparing to run for their lives.

“They’re not … they’re not in there,” Vince says.

“You’re going to have to go inside then.”

“No way! Fuck that!”

“Vince …!”

“Don’t Vince me! They went into that house on their own! Ain’t no one to blame for that!”

“Adam went in because we threatened him!” Leroy points out.

“He wouldn’t have even come here if Warlock hadn’t invited him,” Vince counters.

“We helped! That makes us accessories!” Devin argues.

“Accessories?” Vince snickers. “What? Are you a solicitor now?”

“Just get in there, Vince!” Leroy says. “Or are you chicken?”

“I’m not chicken! I’m smart! I’m not gonna go in there and die because of fucking peer pressure, and not a one of you can make me!”

A tortured howl shakes the loose boards on the house, pulling the boys’ attention. But it doesn’t sound like Adam this time.

It sounds like Warlock.

“H-holy shit! Holy shit! Vince!” David yells, pointing at the house.

Pointing at Adam, standing in the doorway, two feet in front of Vince, his shirt front drenched in blood. None of the boys can tell if that blood belongs to him or not. Not even Vince, looking him dead in the eye.

But he doesn’t look too much worse for wear.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck!” Vince cries, stumbling backward, missing the stairs altogether and falling straight off the porch onto his tailbone. He lands with a resounding thud, sprays of liquid hot pain shooting up his back.

“What … what happened to you, A---Adam?” Leroy asks.

“I was given a choice,” Adam growls in a new voice as he steps out onto the porch. An inhuman voice. “To submit … or die. And I chose …” He lifts his arms and his body follows, rising into the air above the boys’ heads as Adam grins down at them “… to conquer.”

“Wh-where is Warlock?” David asks.

Adam laughs. “You mean him?” With a sweep of his arm, the limp body of a young boy flies out one of the windows, landing on the ground inside the fence. The five boys scream, staring into the open and unseeing eyes of Warlock Dowling, his face ashen, his mouth opened wide, locked in a horrified scream so that the only conclusion they can come to is that he was literally scared to death.

“L-let’s get out of here!” Leroy yells.

“Oh …” Adam chuckles “… you’re not going anywhere. You’re staying here … with us!”

“U-us?” Troy whimpers. “Who’s us?”

A fist busts through the floorboards of the porch, then an arm clad in rags and the shredded remains of what was once a flannel shirt. Another hand emerges, clawing through the wood to hoist up the rest - the head and torso of a corpse tearing themselves from the earth to do Adam’s bidding. Adam’s eyes - blistering red orbs glowing in their sockets - stare down at his tormentors, so frightened for their lives, they can barely scream. Vince scuttles backward to avoid the eruption. A hand explodes through the dirt beside him, grabbing hold of his ankle, and Vince launches to his feet. He manages a shrill wail as he flips over the gate and sprints off down the street, his four compatriots hot on his heels, one urinating noticeably.

Not until the boys are out of sight does Adam begin to laugh in earnest, his body lowering to the ground, carried gingerly by angelic power. He looks down as the glamour fades – the stain withdrawing, his eyes returning from the spell that made them transform. He pulls at the hem of his shirt, watching as the last remaining blood disappears from the fabric.

Warlock climbs up off the filthy ground. He was never really hurt, helped out the window and through the air by demonic intervention. “That was fun.”

“Better than what we did last year,” Wensleydale groans, clambering out of his hole in the porch.

“Hey!” Brian yelps, pulling off his sweaty mask and sucking in a breath of fresh air. “Last year’s costume contest was epic!”

“That’s because you won it!” says Pepper, pulling off her own oppressive mask.

“Yeah. And that was because your mum was one of the judges!”

“Doesn’t mean I didn’t have the best costume!”

“Don’t you children think that was a little much?” Aziraphale asks, walking out on to the porch from where he and Crowley had been hiding in the living room, peeking out through a downstairs window. He’d disapproved of this scheme from the start, back when the Them found out what those bullies were concocting for Halloween night, how they had strong-armed Warlock into helping them. “Wouldn’t it have been better to approach their parents about their brutish behavior?”

“Nah,” Crowley says, slipping an arm around his husband’s waist. “Woulda done no good. Most of the time, the parents are no better than the kids. Who d’ya think the blighters get it from?”

“Isn’t this all going to be moot when they find out that Adam hasn’t been possessed by the devil, and Warlock did not, in fact, get devoured by bloodthirsty zombies?” Aziraphale asks, grimacing at the absurdity.

“No,” Adam assures him, “because no one is going to find out until school on Monday after they’ve already called everyone they know and told them about it. I can’t imagine the amount of trouble they’re going to get into!”

“Yeah!” Wensleydale agrees. “Look at all of the rules they’re breaking! Bullying, assault, trespassing. With any luck, they’ll get grounded for life!”

“Or at least three months.” Aziraphale shoots his husband a significant look that takes Crowley a moment to catch.

“Oh! Yeah, right.” Crowley snaps his fingers, performing the truly demonic miracle of making sure five bastards get their comeuppance.

“Besides, something good is coming out of all this,” Pepper reminds them. “Mrs. Parsons’s grandniece will have a brand new house after we help get this wreck fixed up. It was nice of her to let us borrow it for the night. We must have sounded bonkers when we asked.”

“Not at all. She understood,” Aziraphale assures them. “She was glad that after years of people using her great aunt’s house to scare people that someone asked permission for a change.”

“I think things turned out exactly the way they were meant to,” Pepper says.

“Yup!” Brian concurs. “Let the punishment fit the crime, I always say.”

“When do you say that?” Wensleydale asks, beating dirt and cobwebs out of his ear.

“All the time,” Brian argues.

“I’ve known you my entire life, and I’ve never once heard you say that!”

“Then you haven’t been listening hard enough!”

“Pepper? Have you ever heard him say that?”

“Don’t know. I tend to ignore every third word that comes out of his mouth.”

“Ha-ha. Very funny.”

“You were right, Warlock. Go big or go home,” Adam says over the argument ensuing.

“Yeah.” Warlock smiles at his new friends. They were never angry at him for the part he almost played in conspiring against their leader. They offered to help him out with no arguments given. It was Pepper's idea to pretend to turn into the undead. Brian got their costumes together. Wensleydale found out about Mrs. Parsons's grandniece and suggested they give her a call. Then they spent most of Halloween night hiding out in this creepy old house when they could have been roaming the neighborhood begging for candy.

But the best thing they did was let him join their group even though he probably didn't deserve it.

“We went big." Warlock smirks, watching the five boys clamor down the street and, unbeknownst to them, to a two-hour lecture and three months in solitary confinement. “Let’s go home.”

[vynnyal]

Throwing random thoughts, headcanons, and a variety of pasta at the wall (but only those having to do with vessels and/or their biology this time): The Thrilling Third Installment™

...aka pretending i can be dark and dramatic jskhdfd

Thk's larger form is not the standard, but the exception. Thk was cited as being "raised and trained to prime form", which people take to mean pk assisted in the vessel's natural growth. However, that conclusion leaves a lot of unanswered questions, most important of which being “then what about Ghost?” In short, I think that train of thought is backwards. Vessels can't grow- they are ageless, and immortal. We know this due to Ghost, despite living as long if not longer than thk, being completely unchanged over the years. The only thing pk trained into "prime form" was thk’s mind and fighting prowess. Their body... well, I think it was mutated. Most likely either directly by pk, or ordered by him- and with the shenanigans happening over in the sanctum, I wouldn't be surprised if Soul was involved, too. In any case, it was in no means natural. Vessels are corpses reanimated by void; neither corpses nor void tend to make drastic changes on their own all that often. Whether pk predicted the vessel’s “issues” and intended to manually “upgrade” them from the beginning, it's hard to say. But... yeah. Unless Ghost goes out of their way to make themselves grow- if its even possible, now that pk is gone- its fairly safe to say, they never will.

...with that in mind, we are promptly gonna ignore that for the rest of this post lmaooo

Grown-up vessels wouldn't look like thk; while they are described as being raised into "prime form"... prime form, to whom? Rather than looking like an idealized pk soldier, it sounds much more fitting that they’d have an entirely different, natural adult form. Consider: their cloaks being longer and fuller, perhaps filling out into something with a more practical use to their “species”. Better yet, they could even grow up to be more beast-like. Feral vessels, YEhaW

The black egg temple is cited as being "built to sustain [vessels]", yet it can't be their lifespan that is sustained. Rather, it seems the egg is specifically designed to keep the radiance from tearing thk apart, physically and/or mentally. Ngl its p obvious, but worth noting.

Sorta-au where Ghost’s shade has 8 eyes, and/or is generally all-around more cryptid-looking.

@ the sharpshadow charm and the strange, 6-eyed creature their shade turns into: kudos to this post, they bring up something super interesting- the creature not only resembles the Shade Lord, but the lord outright becomes it during the Embrace the Void cutscene.

makes me respect the ol’ civilization a whole lot more if a single charm can turn a baby shade into a baby lord.

The concept of finding ghosts unconscious body, laying next to a corpse, while they battle in their dreams. Alt: when ghost enters the dream realm, their shade leaves their shell... And protects their body from harm.

If steel soul mode is taken as canon, just how did ghost and the shade meet? Alt: Ghost may never have “met” it at all, as it technically doesn’t exist in that mode- instead, its more of a metaphor than an actual entity.

What the vessels looked like- or were supposed to look like- before the void. Alt: a story following a child, alive and untouched, that somehow managed to be spared. They could even have a gender. Alt alt: the void intentionally spared them for some purpose, or even out of simple kindness- or at least, something that resembles kindness.

Re: the shade inexplicably having a nail: all the vessel's swords are crafted from “will-bearing rock”- of which i’ve come to lovingly call living stone- and as such, are of void themselves. That's how the shade seems to conjure up its own copy; it merely shapes it, from the ground, using void. And, while more of a stretch, Ghost’s nail being some sort of living stone/pale ore alloy could explain just how Ghost can do seemingly pretty crazy things with an otherwise ordinary nail. Better, while 100% a baseless hc, its material might actually enable Ghost to build it up and modify it to suite their size as they grow older. finally, a logical reason adult Ghost has an adult-sized nail-claymore. hdsfghjfghdsjf

On that same thought: Ghost outright invented the "art" of manipulating- or creating- living stone to make their nail. ...gimme a sec. The other escaped vessels have nails, too, right? Either meaning they also discovered this ability... or that theres some legitimate ground for the “vessel gang” hc. Or, yanno, i’m reading too much into Ari’s sprites but sHHhh

How did all the vessels know to race to the top? They seemed to be falling merely because they had just been born and had literal, actual baby strength; yet not only did they inexplicably risk everything competing to the top, they somehow knew death was waiting if they lost. Alt: pk just, bringing a fucking megaphone and telling them like a sports announcer.

What if Ghost made it, and instead of falling, they managed to joined thk at the lip? What would pk do? Push them off the edge??? Or just adopt them both?? Oh fuck au where they're raised as twin sacrifices. Or worse yet, they’re raised unequally, and one is trained only as an afterthought. As a backup.

Alternatively, pk keeps all the vessels au, only a few years later when they're grown. Pk now has a literal army of pure knights. Radiance is fucked.

Hm. If vessels were fully coherent entities from the moment of birth, why was there a crib in the white palace? Did... did they use it? I have a feeling team cherry made that asset before the abyss scene lmaooo alt: they did, uh, use the crib. Cue a very awkward scene of thk, clearly not a normal baby, staring at wl with like... idk, the poofy baby hat and pacifier. I can’t tell if the image is more funny or more sad rn shdfgfjsdgg

The og notes that inspired this post, in case my rambling makes more sense (and w/o the awful comic hjsfgjsdfhj): Oh oh OH i GET it now. The void is all about "will" and whatnot, right? And shades are "fragments of a lingering will"- will, like the one you leave after your death, but instead of inheritance its the vessels' desires...last regrets.... DAMN team cherry, that symbolism is clever as heck. That took me a while. Kinda funny how a will is, technically, a person's last regrets Like I knew they were last regrets but I didn't understand WHY. Duh, it's because they're literally Made Of Will. They are the vessel's "wills". I'm so stupid.

Ghost, walking thru the abyss, getting increasingly fed up / freaked out, ducking into a crack in the wall. They follow the crack into the Scream Chamber, pause, then exhale in relief that this was EXACTLY what they needed.

Ghost's shade rolling up its void-sleeves like “fuck it, ima defeat thk myself”

Why was thk's sword there? Was its pedestal decayed? Did it fall from their body? Was it place there as an afterthought, or hurriedly? alt: taking thk's sword before freeing them, but doing the mom thing like you're grounding them hdhfjchjch

I can’t believe it just occured to me now, but... as objectivley stupid as the vessel’s test was, Ghost... technically came in second place. What if that whole scene was a metaphor? Because really, it’s just too silly to take seriously. To do so isn’t too far fetched, either; many other elements in the game’s story are better taken as symbolic or metaphorical, anyways. Take the PoP cutscene- while it could’ve been a literal moment, where they just happened to find themselves standing around and took the moment to appreciate each other... imo it makes much more sense to read it as the concept of their faint ~forbidden love~ and parental pride itself. Or, better yet, the scene at the end of the 4th pantheon. Sorry, but I severely doubt that was an actual event. What I’m trying to get at is the significance of “second place” in the cutscene. My brain is too fried to chase down any other possible connections to this theme rn (if thats even what the theme is), but even without proof, the theory smooths out a few interesting tidbits related to just how Ghost could tough it out when all others failed. All except for #1, anyway. Either way I’m just happy to take this as an excuse to pretend that cutscene didn’t literally happen because like, l m a o

The story of a small group of vessels as they work together to escape hallownest. (aka the aforementioned vessel gang hc... im sure theres a more formal name but you get the idea). Its impossible to tell how long it took them to discover that near-invisible hole, the last exit remaining after the king ordered the abyss to be sealed up. Once they did, however, the remaining vessels were quick to make a desperate scramble to escape- only for the entrance to suddenly crumble shut, far, far too soon. The remaining 8 slowly made their way through deepnest, their numbers quickly dwindling as the jouney started to take its toll. The group was nearly wiped out by those terrible, spiney-legged creatures that used their own kinship against them. Only three finally escaped the deep, yet only two made it through the basin- the third, largest sibling, left to fight alone againt a hopeless battle, just to buy the others time. It was in greenpath, so close yet so far to their goal, that the second succumbed to the infection. It was a mercy killing, that nail through the heart. The last, after all of that, finally made their way to the very precipice of howling cliffs, hesitating for just a moment to gaze out upon the still-fresh ruins of hallownest. But only for a moment, before Ghost jumps down to begin their journey beyond this wretched place.

A vessel running from its shade as it tirelessly pursues them, the vessel refusing to put it to rest.

tw: suicide, + personal on main

Ugh ugh ugh ugh Either thk was fully conscious and in terrible pain for all those years... or they couldn’t feel anything at all. The former is horrible, but imagining thk waking up, chained, unable to do anything but wait for Ghost to heed their call? Did they turn their nail on themselves to help Ghost, end the pain, or some awful mix of both? For someone who has personally dealt with close friends and family that struggled with suicide themselves, hollowknight is one of the worst horror stories I've ever seen. And the fact that the story is so personal, so open to interpretation? The fact that each character is so genuine yet vague enough to be read completely differently to someone else’s biases? Its why hollow knight- the game, and the character- will forever be one of the most powerful stories to me.

in short, good LORD THIS GAME IS SO FUCKING SAD

[rachelbethhines]

Digimon Adventure Shipping Masterpost - Part 1

Digimon is the first fandom I ever got into where I started actively shipping characters, and Digimon is a treasure trove for multi-shippers since it features a large group of friends being forced together for long periods of time and being emotionally vulnerable while fighting for their lives and relying on one another. 

Now for this reason, I maintain that there’s a good basis for nearly every possible ship out there and I’ll be talking about most of them within the Adventure continuity. Just giving the lowdown about them, fairly listing their pros and cons, and explaining why someone might like them while others might not. Afterwards giving my personal thoughts on each. 

Now a few ground rules before we start. First off I’m only covering the adventure seasons and movies, minus the reboot and the newest anniversary film as I haven’t seen those yet. Secondly I’ll only be covering the main human characters of those films/seasons. Last off, I won't be covering crack and OT3s, just because this list is too damn long as it is. Characters must have interacted on screen before, be no more than five years apart, and this probably can go without saying, but they can’t be related to each other.   

Oh, and any antis starting shit will be blocked! 

So without further ado, LET THE SHIPPING BEGIN 

Tai x Matt (Taito)

Pros: If you like rivals to lovers, boy do I have a ship for you. Taito is like the typifier of this trope. They constantly fight, but are best friends, and when they do argue it’s usually over deeper things than just their rivalry/jealousy. Once the fighting is over, they tend to become stronger people with a firmmer relationship. They also hold a lot of respect for each other that only grows as they get older.  While not a ‘canon’ ship, (most of these aren’t) there’s a lot of gay subtext between them, especially towards the end of Tri. Now how much of that is the writers throwing the fans a bone and how much of it is just anime being anime, who knows.    

Cons: If you’re not a fan of the rivals to lovers trope than this ship may not be for you. You may prefer them as friends only, and hey that’s valid since they indeed are friends first and foremost. Also if you’re looking for a more officially canon gay ship/rep you may be disappointed with how they are portrayed. 

Personal Ranking (6/10) I’m one of those people who doesn’t typically like ‘rivals to lovers’. Just not my thing. However I’ve warmed to this ship over the years due to fanworks and the fact that Tri is indeed very, very gay. 

Tai x Sora (Taiora)

Pros: I don't know if this is the most popular pairing in the show, but it’s high up there. All throughout the first season and the second movie these two were heavily hinted at. Especially in the dubs. Sadly it came to nothing, but for a lot of people this was the first thing they shipped in the fandom.  But beyond just the hints, these two have that ‘childhood best friends to lovers’ dynamic that resonates with a lot of people. They’ve known each other the longest out of the group and were friends before getting stuck in the digital world. Now add in how they they compliment each other so well, Sora’s level headedness getting through to Tai stubbornness, Tai’s optimism and can do attitude encouraging the more doubt ridden Sora, and their shared interests in sports and kicking butt, and you can see how this pairing took off. 

Cons: The writers tried their damndest to sink this ship in season two by pairing off Sora with Matt. Much to everyone’s frustration.  Even Sorato fans agree that it was handled poorly. Since then, the writers of the fourth film and Tri have tried to keep things more open ended between the three of them, but for some it’s not enough and the bad writing can indeed kill this ship.  There’s also the usual reasons of simply not gelling with their dynamic or preferring them with other characters. Some may even like the unusual subversion of the lead guy not getting the girl but remaining good friends. 

Paronal Ranking (8/10) - Count me with those that first shipped them in season one when it first aired. That said, they were never my absolute favorites so season two’s reveal didn't hurt me as much as it did for some others. It’s still my preferred ship for the two of them, but I’m flexible and open to others. 

Tai x Izzy (Taishirou)

Pros: While not as popular as the previous ships, Taishirou is really cute. Izzy and Tai interact with each other a lot. In fact Tai might be the character Izzy is on screen with the most besides his digimon. They’re very much a comedy duo, but with enough underlining heart to heart moments to sell the idea that they have a working basis for something deeper.  Also Izzy isn’t afraid to call Tai out on his bullshit, which is good, but it’s not like Tai ever actually listens.

Cons: They are primarily a comedy team. Tai is very much a foil for Izzy’s more serious nature, but play for laughs rather than angst like it is with Taito. If that doesn’t jive with you then this ship isn’t going to appeal to you as much as some others. 

Personal Ranking (7/10) - I more drawn to this dynamic then say the aggressive sexual tension of Taito, so this was always going to rank higher than that one for me. 

Tai x Mimi (Michi)

Pros: Mimi is one of the more popular characters to ship with. She gets paired with nearly everyone in the group routinely. Now this isn’t the most popular ship featuring her, but it has its share of hardcore supporters.  I think it’s cause both she and Tai are the most outgoing and optimistic of the group. So it’s a case of two very upbeat people pumping each other up while also being forward enough to call out each others bull. 

Cons: If you prefer Mimi with someone else this is obviously not going to appeal to you. There’s also the issue of her not being with the main group in season two and therefore doesn’t have as strong a relationship with the others as she should. 

Personal Ranking (7/10) - I really like just about all of the Mimi ships and this is no exception. 

Tai x Joe (Taijyou)

Pros: If Mimi is over-shipped then Joe is under-shipped. All the Joe ships are underrated, imho. Heck Joe himself is underrated. He plays off most of the characters really well, including Tai. If you like ‘opposites attract’ then you can’t get more opposite than Joe and Tai and they’re really entertaining for it. Plus there also those more serious moments to suggest that they are good friends and have that basis to build off of. 

Cons: They’re again a comedy duo, and that might not be your thing. More than that though, they have the same arc. They’re opposites but they grow and develop in much the same way. As such, they don’t team up as much as say Tai and Izzy do. 

Personal Ranking (6/10) - I really like Joe, he’s one of my favs, but this isn’t the best ship with him. Though it still can be cute on occasion. 

Tai x T.K. (Taikeru)  

Pros: This pairing only works if we’re talking about season two or later, and that is where they have less interaction. But I won’t act like there’s zero basis here. They were stuck together in S1 same as all the others and did have lots of friendly interactions there, they do team up now and then in 02, and they are there with the rest of the group in Tri.  As far as dynamics go, both older Tai and older T.K. are very chill and laid back people. They’re more level headed, but always up for fun when they aren’t busy saving the world, so it’s easy see them getting along well with one another. There’s also the unrequited crush route if you wanna go that way with T.K. 

Cons: There is an age gap here. Now it doesn’t matter as much in later seasons or post series, but it can be enough to put people off initially. Especially since it’s the time period when that age gap would actually get in the way is also when they have most of their interactions with one another.  I call this a good for fanfiction but not so good for AMVs pairing. 

Personal Ranking (4/10) - Yeah not enough of them interacting when they’re both older to really sell this one for me. I’ve read the occasional fanfic with them, but I don't actively ship it myself. 

Tai x Davis (Taisuke) 

Pros: Davis and Tai are two peas in a pod. In fact they are so alike that the series comments on this several times and Tai even appoints him as the new leader. As such they get to bond over a lot of things on the occasions they do interact.  Also, while Davis is the same age as T.K., he and Tai only ever interact in season 02 when they’re both already young teens. So things are a little less awkward on that front.  There’s also the unrequited crush route, or post series fanfic, as always. 

Cons: They only ever interact in 02 where Tai’s role is greatly reduced, so limited screen time. Hopefully the upcoming anniversary movie will give us some more interaction between all of the 02 gang and the original group, regardless of shipping. There’s also the fact that age gap will be a hurdle for some people no matter what point in their timeline you have them hook up. Three or four years don’t matter when their both adults in their twenties, but it can make a difference in high school, so context is key with a ship like this. It helps that the show covers several years and all the characters age, but it’s up to you if that’s enough or not.  Then there’s people who just don’t like their dynamic and think they’re too similar to each other. 

Personal Ranking (5/10) I like it more than Taikeru, if only because Davis is my favorite character in 02 and like the rest of the new digidestined, he really doesn’t get enough love from the fandom. That said it’s still not that great of ship for all of the previously stated cons. I’ll give the occasion fan fiction or AMV a shot, but it’s all about context and how it’s presented. 

 Tai x Yolie (Taiyako)

Pros: She is the oldest of the 02 gang, and like Davis she only ever interacts with Tai in S2, so it’s a little less awkward to ship them than some.  Also she’s really assertive and outgoing and not one to put up with bull from anybody; so she she can balance out Tai’s impulsiveness in theory. Likewise he can calm her down enough to think, if we’re talking post Tri. 

Cons: They barely interact even in 02. They’re together in group scenes and there’s the potential they’ve interacted off screen, but there’s no ‘one on one’ screen time for them. Because of that, plus the small age gap between them, no one really ships these two. They’re the ultimate rare pair, and once again I hope the new movie will provide some genuine interaction between the 02 gang and the original group. Cause at the moment, dynamic wise, they’re kind of just a watered down Michi. 

Personal Ranking (4/10) - Yeah I’d just sooner just read about Michi, but the rarity of them does pique my interest just a little bit. I’m now genuinely curious how they would play out post Tri. 

Tai x Cody (Taiori)

Pros: Does anyone ship this? Ok, well in the interest of fairness, I did say the cut off was five years and that they had to interact at some point and they do fit the bill, so... Here I go.  If you wanted to, you could do a post series route with these two. One is a lawyer for digimon rights and the other is an UN ambassador for the Digital World, so they would work together often. So there’s some grounds there for a childhood friends become co-workers to lovers plot.  You can also pull a one sided school boy crush if you go for a pre-Tri route instead. 

Cons: Like with Yolie, Tai only interacts with Cody in group settings during 02 and never one on one. There’s the potential that they hung out more off screen, but unlike Yolie, the age gap between them is wide enough that that seems improbable.   Maybe, The Last Evolution will give us something more to go off with, just for their friendship sake if nothing else. After all these two will be working closely together someday according to the epilogue. 

Personal Ranking (2/10) There’s just not enough there. I might be interested in that future based story I pitched, but even then it’s a stretch. 

Tai x Ken (Kenchi) 

Pros: Ken is unique in the fact that he’s a former villain, and in Tri it seemed as if he had reverted back to his old ways. This ultimately proved not to be the case, but since Tai is the main hero of Tri, you had the basis for a hero/villain ship for a while. 

Cons: Like with all of the 02 cast, Tai doesn’t interact with Ken much. They appear in group scenes during 02 and that’s it. Even in Tri, it turns out that wasn’t the real Ken all along. Though his VA there is going to be his VA in final movie, which is cool I guess.  There’s better ships with theses two, and if you want a villian/hero thing there’s more options for Ken. Plus there’s the awkward age gap, tho it’s no worse then than say Taisuke.  Also Ken does have a canon partner in Yolie, if canon matters to you.  

Personal Ranking (3/10) Not enough one on one scenes to get a feel for their dynamic imo. 

Tai x Jun (Taijun) 

Pros: What do you mean Jun isn’t a main character? Yeah, I don’t care. She should have been given a bigger role in 02, but that’s a rant for another time. The appeal of Taijun is a pairing of the spares essentially. He’s Sora’s ex, and she’s Matt’s ex. (well sort of) But that leaves you with a tantalizing ‘let's pretend hook up to make our exes jealous only to fall in love for real’ plot.  There’s other routes you can go with obviously, but that one in particular makes the pairing more unique than other ships. 

Cons: Obviously if you don't like Jun as a character, then your not going to like this ship. She’s pretty decisive within fandom. 

Personal Ranking (7/10) - Yeah, I really, really like Jun y’all. Plus anything thing that sees her treated better than how Matt did in 02 is a win in my book. 

Tai x Catherine ( Taicat )

Pros: It’s cannon that Tai has a crush on her and her openly flirts with her. He also has an amusing rivalry with TK for her affections. It’s harmless cute fluff and interferes with the love triangle 

Cons: Catherine is a pretty bland character. She’s pretty and French and that’s all there is to remember of her. 

Personal Ranking (3/10) I suppose there’s a certain appeal to having a semi-cannon ship that is so barely explored that you could do anything you wanted with it and it wouldn’t be out of character, but beyond that I can’t see anything else to recommend it. 

Tai x Meiko (Meichi)

Pros: They have some cute moments together in Tri, though they are subtle. It does feel at times like the writers introduced her character as a means of resolving the Tai/Sora/Matt love triangle. Though they never follow through with that completely.  In terms of the dynamics Meiko is a complete woobie. A ‘moe’ is what I believe to be the term in Japanese. Shy, quite, cute, and in need of protection. So you get plenty of instances of Tai being the big hero and saving her. Tai himself is also much more subdued in Tri and therefore less impulsive and reckless, so he’s very considerate of Meiko’s emotional needs, much than he would have been had they met earlier. In a way she just shows off how much he has grown as a character. So basically lots of hurt/comfort angst going on. 

Cons: If you’re not a fan of Meiko, then you wouldn’t be a fan of this ship. She’s not as well developed as the rest of the cast due to only appearing in Tri, and she relies more heavily on her archetype to carry her interactions with the mains. So how much you’re predisposed to that archetype factors heavily in shipping her with anyone.      

Personal Ranking (5/10) I’m lukewarm to Meiko as a character. Her interactions with Tai can be cute, but she just doesn’t grab my interests the same as Jun does. 

Matt x Sora (Sorato)

I just realized that this very official screenshot from the fifth movie, has a poster advertising a band with the words ‘fucking night’ on it. This is suppose to be a kids show. Lol. Never change Japan. 

Pros: The ship is about as close to canon as you can get. They’re confirmed dating in season two and it’s movie, and there are hints that they wound up together in the epilogue.  Also there is a basis for the relationship given their interactions in the first season and Tri. They communicate well and trust each other. Sora comes to rely on Matt in ways she just doesn’t with Tai. He’s an outlet for her to let her guard down and share things, while she helps him come out of his shell sometimes. 

Cons: The writing for them in 02 wasn’t good. They got together with zero build up and it came across as very forced. Since then, both in the fifth movie and in Tri, the writers have been pushing a subtle love triangle between them and Tai. Leaving things more open ended to appease the fans who were angry over how Taiora ended.  Also, dynamic wise, they can be kind of boring on their own. Without Tai there, there’s no drama between them, and that can be a pro or a con depending on your tastes. 

Personal Ranking (6/10) It’s not a bad ship, but the writing in 02 lets it down and, I still prefer Taiora over all. 

Matt x Izzy (Yamashirou) 

Pros: It’s the ‘cool dude’ who tries way to hard to be edgy being paired with the nerd who sees through his bullshit, but they’re both level headed enough to work together if need be, and they do indeed work together as a team quite well. 

Cons: Izzy and Matt don't interact one on one often. Usually when they do, Izzy is sandwiched between Matt and Tai as they work on some problem or other. People who do even ship it, often just go all the way and make it an OT3 with Matt/Izzy/Tai. 

Personal Ranking (5/10) There’s a basis for something there if you want to explore it, but both characters have better options. 

Matt x Mimi (Mimato)

Pros: Well for one, it’s Mimi. She’s one of the few people who can get under Matt’s aloof exterior. It’s also a case of hyperactive girl paired with quite and closed off guy, if you like that dynamic. 

Cons: It has all the same cons as Michi. Mimi is absent in 02, she and Matt usually interact within a group setting, and there’s more popular pairings out there for both of them. So if you ship either one with someone else, you may not be inclined to ship this. 

Personal Ranking (7/10) I like Mimi, so I’ll always like this pairing to some degree, but it’s about the same level as Michi for me. 

Matt x Joe (Jyouato)

Pros: If Izzy is Tai’s foil, than Joe is Matt’s foil. They get a lot of one on one scenes and come to depend on one another more so than then they do with most of the group.  Plus it’s the geeky nerd paired with the cool kid. Joe isn’t confident but he holds a secret inner strength. While Matt appears calm on the surface but has a lot of issues underneath. So if you like ‘opposites attract’ then this could be for you. 

Cons: It’s a comedy duo, just like with Tai and Izzy. Though they do have their more serious moments and deeper conversations. Also Joe is pretty decisive in fandom. If you’re not a fan of his you’ll probably want to ship Matt with someone else. Or you can make the argument that Matt is too mean to Joe at times, though he always apologizes for it and tries not do it again. 

Personal Ranking (7/10) They’re two of my favorite characters in Digimon. While this isn’t my favorite ship for them, I’m all down for indulging myself every once in a while. 

Matt x Kari (Yamakari) 

Pros: The few people who ship this, do so because of the above scene where Matt has to protect her from Myotismon. Also if Taikeru exists, than it’s only fair if it’s counterpart does as well. You can do the same for this as you can do for that and either go a post season one ruote, or a one sided school girl crush. 

Cons: Outside of that one previously mentioned interaction, Matt and Kari get very little one on one screen time. Especially in 02 and Tri, where the age gap wouldn’t matter anymore. 

Personal Ranking (3/10) I rank this lower than Taikeru because there’s even less to go off of and I struggle to see how they’re supposed to work together. 

Matt x Davis (Yamasuke)

Pros: Same as with Taisuke, Matt is something of a mentor figure who grows to be a friend. And if you disliked Taisuke cause you found Davis and Tai to be too similar, then Matt has that shifting dynamic but with a different personality.  

Cons: It also has all the same cons as Taisuke tho. They don’t interact outside of 02, and there’s a bit of an age gap. So make of that what you will. 

Personal Ranking (4/10) I do genuinely like Davis and I think he gets along well with most people, but this feels too much like a watered down Taito to really care about it. 

Matt x Yolei (Yamayako) 

Pros: Yolei does mention in 02, that she helps out Matt and his band sometimes with their audio equipment. Therefore we know for sure that they hang out together as friends even when not on screen.  Dynamic wise, its a case of nerdy girl gets the cool guy. 

Cons: Near zero on screen interaction save for group scenes in 02, a small age gap,(tho smaller than most 02/Adventure ships), and its similarities to Mimato, is enough to put people off the ship. 

Personal Ranking (5/10) I like the ‘nerdy girl gets the cool guy’ trope, but beyond that there’s not much to them.

Matt x Cody (Imato) 

Pros: In fairness this about as plausible/implausible as Taiori, I guess. If you like a post series story about two hot dads hooking up or something, then this might appeal to you. Who knows. 

Cons: Unlike, Taiori, Cody and Matt don’t even have that coworker angle going for them. Matt’s a fucking astronaut! Which is stupid, but it is what it is. I can’t see any reason why they would wind up together outside of them being in the same social group. Cody is TK’s best friend, and he might hang out with Matt that way, but it’s a long shot. Also the age gap is right on the cut off, so that limits their relationship to only being post Tri. 

Parsonal Ranking (1/10) I don’t know why anyone would ship this, and I honestly don't think anybody does. If someone out there does, I’ll give it a look out of sheer curiosity but that’s it. 

Matt x Ken (Kenato)

Pros: It’s the two broody boys together. That’s it. They’re both sad and cute, with some anger issues that they’re both trying to work past. So on that point they can connect.  So basically soft hurt/comfort fics galore.  They also get a teamup episode in 02, so we see them interact one on one. 

Cons: They’re a bit too similar dynamic wise. If you don't like both of your characters in a ship to be moody and angst ridden then this might not work for you.  They also don’t interact much outside of their one team up episode, and like with Yamasuke there is an age gap. 

Parsonal Ranking (4/10) Count me in the ‘too much broodiness for me’ camp.

Matt x Jun (Junato)

Pros: It’s Jun. Also she clearly likes Matt in 02, and he seemingly likes her back their first episode together. They free up Tai and Sora to be together. Oh and if you like the hyperactive optimistic girl with broody cool guy, then this has you cover.  If you also a fan of the ‘assertive girl chases after her hopeless crush’ trope, like with Sonic/Amy, Kermit/Miss Piggy, or Bugs/Lola. This also covers that. 

Cons: If you don’t like that trope, or dislike Jun altogether then this of course isn’t going to appeal to you. There’s also the added problem of Matt suddenly acting like a douche to her for no reason after their first episode together. It’s like the writers set them up, but then when ‘oh shit!’ when they decided to go with Sorato at the last minute and had to work to shut this pairing down. It’s dumb, and makes both of the characters look bad. 

Personal Ranking (7/10) I like it more for what it could have been, rather than for what it became. 

Matt x Meiko (Meimato) 

Pros: I swear the Tri writers tried to throw in ship folder for Meiko with all of the OG cast. As if she was the potential solution to all of the love triangles in the show or something.  Just like with Meichi, this ship is all about the hero protecting the woobie.

Cons: Once again, if you like this ship it’s going to come down to how much you like Meiko as a character and the archetype she represents. 

Personal Ranking (5/10) Same score as Meichi for the same reasons. 

Now I have to start on a part 2 because Tumblr won’t let me upload any more photos... 

[yourmandevine]

Some stuff that made me happy in 2020, in no particular order

God send you no greater loss. It’s something my grandmother said a lot — a bit of highly Irish Catholic wisdom intended to remind you, warmly but sharply, that whatever you’re currently suffering through isn’t all that bad compared to what lots of other people are dealing with. That it probably isn’t too much to complain about, in the grand scheme of things. That you should, instead, be grateful for what you’ve got, big and small and everything in between.

God sent a great many people a great many unfathomable losses this year, and as hard as it felt at times, our family wasn’t among them; we’re lucky, in the big picture. In the past, people have recommended I try writing those reasons down, to give myself a list of stuff to be thankful for, for the times it’s tough to summon up the gratitude. I figured the end of the year was as good a time as any to make that list, to highlight the stuff that helped me get through this year — the reasons big, small, and in between.

So: here goes.

Peanut butter and jelly

I haven’t counted how many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I’ve eaten since March 11, which is good, because that would be an absurd thing to do, and a sure sign that I have succumbed to a very specific kind of madness. It’s also good, though, because I would undoubtedly be ashamed by the number; the figure would be titanic, like the unsinkable ship of same name, or the iceberg that sunk it.

Or, at least, I would be ashamed under normal circumstances. This fuckin’ year required whatever flotation device you could find, and you know what I found in the fridge and cupboard? A couple of slices of bread, some strawberry jam, and some goddamn Skippy.

Need a weird mid-morning “brunch” after not having breakfast because you went right from waking up to remote school with the 6-year-old? Crank up a PB&J with that third cup of coffee. Need to pack something in the diaper bag to feed everyone while you’re out at the playground for the afternoon? Stack ‘em up, son. Need a late snack after working the overnight shift filing weird bubble playoff columns? Three letters, one ampersand, one love.

I need to eat better in 2021. But I kind of needed to eat sort of like shit to get through 2020, and time and again, when your man needed it most, PB&J was there.

Sunday night Zoom sessions with college friends

I know that most of us started something like this back in March; I’m not sure how many have stuck with it. I hope the answer is “a lot,” because honestly, knowing that I’m going to end the week by seeing a few friends — some here in Brooklyn but mostly beyond our reach for safety’s sake, some who’ve moved away — has felt like a stabilizing agent on more than a few occasions. It’s important, and no small blessing, to have people in your life who really know you, weird messy ugly bits and all, and in front of whom you can let everything go.

That gallery view’s provided a place to vent, to seethe, to laugh, to cry, and to try to find some semblance of center before heading back into another week. I’m grateful for it, and for the people in those little boxes. Except for the time they reminded me that, when I was 18, I was pretty sure I was a Pacey, and they were all extremely confident I was a Dawson. They were right, but still: a bitter pill to swallow, then and now.

Olivia calling herself “Dr. Bloody”

She took out her little toy doctor kit and just turned into a cackling villain.

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Deeply disconcerting, yes, but also adorable.

All Fantasy Everything

What got me in the door was the conceit: three very funny stand-up comedians (Ian Karmel, David Gborie, Sean Jordan), often with a very funny guest but sometimes without, pick some topic or another and engage in a fantasy draft of their favorite aspects or representations of that topic. (It is, crucially, a serpentine draft. Now what is that? That’s a great question.) Some favorite examples: Mikes; Words That You Think Make You Sound Smart, vols. 1 and 2; Things You Yell After You Dunk on Someone; Fictional Athletes; Crimes We’d Like to Commit. Yeah. It’s that kind of podcast.

What kept me around was the friendship. Listen to an episode and it becomes really clear really quickly just how much the three hosts love each other, how much fun they have being around each other and making one another laugh. The warmth radiates, just pours out of the speakers; in a year where I sorely needed some good vibes, I appreciated my regular check-ins with the Good Vibes Gang to just ... unclench for an hour and a half or so. 

Drinking beer

OK, I’ll admit: This doesn’t sound great for me. It’s true, though. I really like beer. (We brewed one in our kitchen, which I realize is something of a “bearded guy in Brooklyn” cliche, but here we are. It was exciting to complete a project, and it tasted OK-ish.) At some points this year, it didn’t feel like there wasn’t much to look forward to, and sometimes drinking some High Lifes or Narragansett tall boys — with my wife in our living room, with friends on the computer, whatever — helped take the edge off a shitty day/week/month/year. I look forward to being able to do that outside with people again.

The Good Place

I am sure some very smart cultural critics and political thinkers and social revolutionaries have forwarded compelling arguments for why this show is Bad, Actually, because that seems to be more or less true about most things, whether because said thing is Actually Bad or because the economics of the attention economy on the internet functionally necessitate the composition and publication of pretty much every position on pretty much every issue, and especially ones that present a counterargument for why you shouldn’t like the thing you like, and might be kind of a piece of shit for liking it. But I liked this half-hour comedy about the way the universe might be put together, why we should try to take better care of each other, and how doing so might be a pretty great way to take better care of ourselves.

Andrew let me write about it a little bit for a big project we did before the series finale aired, which was really nice of him. I found myself thinking about this part a lot this year:

I also thought a lot about Peeps Chili, but that happens every year.

Taking pictures of my dog

Check out this flumpy goddamn champion:

“Lugar is a good boy” is the main takeaway here. They don’t all have to be complicated.

Schitt’s Creek

I know we’re not alone in this, but we inhaled this show this year. A half-hour comedy about people being laid low, learning how to deal with who they actually are, and finding some grace and community and opportunities for growth kind of hit the spot, I guess.

One of the most wholesale enjoyable ensemble comedy casts I can remember; Catherine O’Hara was already in Cooperstown, but what she made with Moira Rose only polishes her plaque. I’ll never be able to describe with any specificity the thing Chris Elliott does, but I know it has made me laugh since I was a child too young to understand the Letterman bits or see Cabin Boy in the theater, and it’s probably going to make me laugh until I am dead.

I love that people who, for years, never got to see themselves or people like them on screen got to see David Rose on screen and maybe recognize themselves a little bit. The idea that seeing the David/Patrick relationship might make them maybe feel a little more at home, a little safer and more whole, makes me happy. Sad, about the before, but happy, about the now and the what comes next.

Past that, I just love how what was ostensibly a family-and-friends production for a Canadian channel just got absolutely everything right—the tone, the look, the sound, the theme song, the cast, the jokes, my goodness, the jokes—and before long, the rest of the world just got it. Like catching a fastball square on the barrel. Something the show clearly knew a little bit about.

Finding new outdoor places it was safe to go

Necessity is the mother of invention, and the need to give the kids a place to be that wasn’t unnecessarily dangerous but also wasn’t inside our two-bedroom apartment led us to do more exploring than we had before. Shirley Chisholm State Park is great. Canarsie Pier was a fun place to spend a Sunday morning; so’s Canarsie Playground. If we got there early enough or made our peace with some rain, the beaches at Jacob Riis Park and Fort Tilden were pretty rad this summer. I lived in Staten Island from ages 8 through 18, and during breaks throughout college, and don’t think I ever hiked in High Rock Park — that’s dumb, because it was nice!

Even if all those little excursions did was kill a little time and reduce the overall stress level of the four humans stuck in our four walls, that’s not nothing. Some days this year, it was everything.

Cobra Kai

I know I’m late here; I didn’t rush to seek it out because I don’t consider myself a huge fan of The Karate Kid, or at least not a big enough fan to sign up for YouTube’s premium service. I checked it out when it came to Netflix, though, and I honestly can’t believe how much I enjoyed this show. Give me “dumb, but with heart” every day of the week.

I believe in Miguel Diaz; I believe in Johnny Lawrence; I believe I will be firing up Season 3 next month, and perhaps drinking some Coors Banquets in its honor. (I cannot, however, believe how the “get him a body bag” thing came back around, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Closing unread tabs

I’m a serial hoarder of links, and I am bad at finishing all of them. I’ve tried to get into Pocket and Instapaper, but I’ve never been able to turn that sort of workflow — open link, save to third-party service, go back to third-party service later to read, then delete from there — into something that felt instinctual, natural, or habitual. So: lots of tabs. Like, lots of tabs.

This was a dicier proposition than usual in 2020, because cutting my work week in half to be able to more effectively coparent two kids who didn’t have school or day care for most of the year meant less time to read things.

I tried to do my best to keep up with the important stuff for work, and to read at least some stuff about how other parents were dealing with their anxiety/anger/depression/frustration at having to be on 24/7 and work, and to stay abreast of (at least some of) what was happening in the world. Sometimes, though, I would wake up and realize I’d been holding onto blog posts about Really Interesting Rotation Decisions on the 11th-Seeded Team in the East or whatever for literally nine months, and I would go against my nature and just hit the eject button on a 25-deep window, and something amazing would happen: I wouldn’t get fired for being shitty at my job. I would move on with my day, and I would feel about 10 pounds lighter.

I still keep too much stuff open. (As we speak, I’ve got three different Chrome windows open on two different laptops. I choose not to count the total tabs.) But I do so knowing that, if it gets too heavy, I can experience the momentary joy of surrendering to the inevitability that I can’t catch everything. In that moment, I feel OK with my decay.

Reading writers I wasn’t familiar with before

Two in particular stand out in my mind: Nekias Duncan, now of BasketballNews.com, who does excellent film breakdowns and statistical analysis, and Katie Heindl, who writes basketball stuff of all types all over the place, and strings sentences together in a way that scratches an itch inside my brain. I’m grateful I got more chances to read them this year, I look forward to bigger and better things for both of them, and I’m hopeful that, if things calm down and our schedules go back to something approximating normalcy, I’ll have more bandwidth to hunt out more new voices in the year ahead.

The time I ambushed my wife as she was trying to break down and put away the girls’ space tent

Pretty good.

Siobhan learning to ride a bicycle (with training wheels, but still)

The moment passed pretty quickly; Not Exactly A Mechanic over here can’t get the training wheels to reliably work right without either loosening them too much or tightening them so much that she can’t pedal it. In that first moment, though, and for as long as it lasted, it was really great to see her get excited about doing something new, big kid shit, for the first time.

She was proud. I was proud of her. And then we went to a playground for a few hours. Pretty good day.

Tyler Tynes roasting me

Tyler did some incredible work this year — The Cam Chronicles is getting deserved praise as one of 2020′s best podcasts, and his reporting on the Movement for Black Lives was exemplary. It’s hard to top this, though:

You know what the messed up part is? I was excited to tell him what I was doing, just because I knew the reaction would be so violent. Like a body rejecting a transplant. So lucky to have such a dear, dear friend.

PUP

I’m late on everything, so I didn’t start listening to PUP until the spring of 2019, but I haven’t really stopped since. This year has been too sedentary too often; this band is too kinetic to allow me to stay there.

“Bloody Mary Kate and Ashley Kate” is never more than about 20 minutes away from returning to the front of my mind. I would fucking love for it to be safe enough to watch these guys live at some point, and I am absolutely going to take Steve up on his offer.

Someone sending me a shirt based on a joke I tweeted

First:

Then:

Then:

I’m not sure you should be rewarding my behavior, SnoCoPrintShop, but I appreciate it all the same.

Which reminds me:

Family dinner/family movie night

My wife works in Manhattan and commutes back on the train, and we've tried to prioritize getting the girls to bed early since they were little, so that doesn’t leave much of a window between when she gets home and they go in the tub for us all to connect; before everything shut down, we almost never really ate together. We’re still not great about it, but for a while now we’ve carved out Saturday as family dinner night, where we sit down to eat and talk about our “up” from the day — something that happened that made us feel good or happy, or something we’re looking forward to. (We used to talk about our “down,” too, but that kind of seemed like overkill. Why try to focus on more bad shit right now, you know?)

Then we settle in for a movie, with who gets to pick rotating each week. It’s mostly been Pixar, which has been great but also has its drawbacks; after she caught me crying during one of them (maybe the Bing-Bong scene in Inside Out? or Miguel singing to Grandma Coco?), Siobhan straight up told me, “You need to get yourself together, man.” We just watched My Neighbor Totoro, too, which they loved, so we’re probably going to try some more Miyazaki soon. It’s a really simple thing, but it’s one we rarely made time for before, and it’s been really nice to manufacture something positive that we can share and look forward to together.

Sometimes looking like a shiftless drifter

No shade to anyone who felt strongly about getting a lineup or whatever, but I haven’t really felt like going to the barbershop was worth the risk, and I continue to refuse to believe that my wife can actually pull off the fade she’s long wanted to give me. (It is also possible that she just means she’s intending to run my fade, and that I will before long wind up cold-cocked and slumped by my bride of nine years.) So I’ve just kind of been growing out my hair like it was when I was single, and sometimes been letting my beard get kind of out of control too, and, well, I sort of like looking a little bit like a Wildling, it turns out.

I have since trimmed things up a little. It didn’t go over well with my youngest. Oh, well. I’ll try to do better next time.

My wife and daughter singing the Pixies

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We don’t know all the words to too many lullabies, so we sing the ones we do know the words to. This will probably come back to bite us in the years ahead. For now, though: Pretty good.

Doughboys’ Tournament of Chompions: Munch Madness: Mac Attack

I can’t believe how invested I became in Nick Wiger and Mike Mitchell’s quest to determine the best menu item at McDonald’s in a 64-seed tournament that spawned hours and hours of delightfully funny audio featuring all-time home-run guests like Jon Gabrus and Nicole Byer, who gleefully feed into the often warm, sometimes antagonistic, always entertaining chemistry between the two hosts. I have also never found myself wanting to go to McDonald’s more in my entire life. I have hit the drive-thru a couple of times since, and the boys are right: The McDonald’s fountain Coke does just hit different.

Sound Only

I’ve lost track of whether or not a 38-year-old is considered a millennial, but I’m quite confident that I’m not exactly plugged into “the millennial lifestyle” as my teammates Justin Charity and Micah Peters discuss it on their podcast, which relaunched this summer. Doesn’t matter, though, because I love hearing Charity and Micah talk to each other even if I don’t know what they’re talking about.

Their conversation about Dave Chappelle was great. After listening to their Travis Scott episode, I felt like I kind of understood who he is and why he occupies the space he does in pop culture now. I had no idea how they were going to get me to give a shit about set photos from The Batman, but this they not only got me there, but wended their way toward blaming 50 Cent for needing to know who Groot is to have a conversation on the internet, which is something for which Abraham Lincoln did not die. The show is good, it's getting better, it’s fun to hear them talk their shit, and Charity’s regular bellowing of “I, TOO, AM AMERICA” has made me smile for four straight months. 

Siobhan’s letters and notes

She’s in first grade now, and she’s taken to communicating her feelings through the written word. A lot.

I won’t pretend that I loved all of these in the moment. I can only get so upset, though, when she’s already writing with such a clear voice. (And trying to use proper punctuation. (And drawing little cartoons to drive the point home.)

Palm Springs

I’m having a hard time remembering too many specifics about it right now, which probably means it’d be a good thing to rewatch over the holidays. But, as I’m sure many people noted many months before we got around to watching it, a comedy about living the same day over and over again, and about trying to figure out how to make your life mean something when everything seems meaningless, scratched a pretty particular, and particularly important, itch this year. It could’ve been twice as long, and I would’ve eaten up every second of Andy Samberg and Cristin Miloti together.

I’m pretty sure I cried, although this year, that doesn’t necessarily mean much.  Also, put Conner O’Malley in more things.

Joining our union’s bargaining committee

I won’t say too much about this, but I will say that becoming an active participant in the process of a labor union negotiating its first contract with management has been an extremely educational experience. It’s pushed me to have conversations, sometimes difficult ones, about our priorities as a staff and a company. It's helped me get closer with the other past and present members of the BC, and has led me to start developing relationships with members of our staff that I otherwise might not have had much of an opportunity to get to know.

The organizing work takes time, effort, and energy, but trying to do what I can to help take better care of my colleagues has been well worth all of that. Here’s hoping that in 2021 we can reach a deal that helps make our workplace even better, stronger, and more equitable for all of us.

Publishing a story about Stevie Nicks’ Fajita Roundup

I swear this is true: After I accepted my offer to work at The Ringer, but before I started, I told a friend that one thing I was excited about was that you had the chance to work on offbeat stuff here, in both the “kind of weird” and “not about the NBA” senses. That, I thought, might maybe open the door to me getting to write a story about a Saturday Night Live sketch I saw when I was a teenager about Stevie Nicks from Fleetwod Mac running a cheap Tex-Mex restaurant in Sedona, Arizona — a sketch that I wasn’t sure anyone else remembered, but that was stuck in my head forever.

That story ran on May 26.

A lot of people seemed to like it.

Accomplishing this goal was, as dumb as this might sound, a highlight of my year, and, honestly, a highlight of my career. I’d like to do some more stuff like this next year, time permitting; we’ll see. Whether or not I do, I got to do this. I’ll always have that.

[ckret2]

And I got so into writing out that Worst Case Scenario last night I forgot to mention my second misgiving with the whole damn prompt, which AS IT HAPPENS covers some headcanons I've been meaning to bring up AND is relevant to a prompt coming up in my list that I am gonna write, so I'm gonna devote a post to this:

The very scenario "x character gets upset over y character CHEATING!!!" is based on the presumption that, like... the characters give a shit.

In the case of Rodorah, it assumes that two giant animals, one of which is an alien, both:

1) are familiar with the concept of monogamy as humans understand it

2) believe in and adhere to the concept of monogamy as humans understand it

3) consider dating or banging anyone outside their relationship a breach of trust in regards to said monogamy

4) would have the exact same emotional reaction as a human to said breach of trust

Which is a lot of assumption to put on a dinosaur and a dragon. And also anyone who dates Ghidorah is automatically in a polyamorous relationship so monogamy is kinda out the window right from the get go, you know?

So I'm gonna dig into why all those assumptions are unnecessary to assume. Half based on canon and half covering fic headcanons.

Gonna go out on a limb and assume that we don't know anything worth discussing about the mating habits of pteranodons; but Monsterverse Rodan's also got a lot of bird in him, so let's go with that. Lots of birds are socially monogamous, but not sexually monogamous. What that means is that once two birds are committed to each other—went down to bird city hall and signed their bird marriage license, exchanged tiny bird rings, whatever birds do—they've committed to sharing a nest and splitting egg-guarding and child-rearing duties in that nest. They HAVEN'T committed to only screwing each other. Depending on the species, 10% to 33% of the eggs in the nest could have a different genetic father than the male bird in that couple. (And some even have a different genetic mother, which boggles my mind. Like did she fly all the way over to someone else's nest just to lay the egg like "I don't wanna deal with this one thanks" and they're like "that's fine have a nice day"? I'm sure that's not how it works but the thought amuses me.)

Operating by that definition, Rodan's image of "totally committed and faithful" would be "there's only one person whom I split daily chores with, and I can have kids with anyone."

(Some bird species are both sexually and socially monogamous... but then, some bird species also are only committed to one partner for one breeding season, then break up and commit to a new partner next year. There's variation, is the point—and more than that, "you can't logically assume that a species like this is going to be sexually/socially monogamous for life the way humans idealize" is the bigger point.)

The fact that Rodan's species, like all titan species, seems to be in a perpetual state of "less than two dozen deaths away from total extinction" would actually select against sexual monogamy, because a species that goes "I'm not having kids with anyone except my one true love. Who died a century ago," is gonna go extinct a lot faster than a species that goes "boy won't my one true love be excited when she hears about the prime real estate me and Ms. Krakatoa found to lay our eggs in."

And I've established in prior headcanons that because parents might die long before their kids are born and because volcanoes act as natural fortresses/incubators for eggs, Rodan's species doesn't share nests, doesn't need to protect or incubate eggs, and doesn't rear their young—so what would social monogamy even entail for them? It doesn't need to entail much of anything, if they even subscribe to it at all.

Ghidorah's species is alien so there's no need to try to compare them to their "nearest related species on Earth" because they aren't related to any species on Earth. But, if we're gonna use Earth species as a framework off of which to base their headcanons anyway: dorats/Ghidorahs, when taken all together, are like 50% snake, 30% cat, and 20% bat.

Snakes are the least monogamous bunch of animals you could ask for. During mating season, males and females both have multiple partners, females can lay eggs from multiple fathers in one clutch, and most species don't even bother incubating their eggs. (In the few that do, the mother does that without a partner.)

Domestic cats are into gang bangs. When a female cat is in heat, she will yowl to attract as many male cats in the area as possible. When a male cat wants some, he'll yowl in hopes a female cat in heat will zip over. They'll mate with multiple cats in a row, loitering around watching while they wait for their turn. They'll mate with whoever shows up. They'll mate with their own relatives. Cats don't care. Cats are gross. Get your cats fixed.

Most bats will have multiple partners. Some bats are polygamous—one or two dudes with a collection of multiple female partners. In both of these cases, males don't help rear the young. A few bats are monogamous and share parenting duties—but these are the minority.

So Ghidorah's most closely related species are three counts of "I don't care who you screw, I don't care who I screw, once a year there's like a month where anyone could screw anyone else at any time and nobody is safe. I'll screw you and then I'll screw a space chicken cyborg and then I'll screw myself, watch, I'm flexible."

One hopes they're a bit more selective than that, but those are the nearest Earth analogues we're starting with as our basis for their species.

Based just on that, between Ghidorah and Rodan, if one of them is gonna be fussed about the other having additional partners—sexual, romantic, or otherwise—odds are it ain't gonna be Ghidorah. Ghidorah's gonna be the clueless alien trying to figure out what weird Earth etiquette rule he broke while Rodan's upset—assuming Rodan cares either.

So beyond Earth animals: what's been established about dorats so far is that they live in big groups with multiple aeries. The basic dorat social unit is a flock (30-200 adults), not a nest (1-2 adults). Since they communally share nests, eggs from multiple parents will end up in the same pile, and so it's likely no one gives a damn about who's had kids with who. (And—although I haven't gotten into dorat reproduction yet—eggs are laid immediately after mating, so it's impossible to have dubious paternity in a dorat mating—which IRL, aside from "doubling the amount of parents looking after these kids," is one of the driving factors of monogamy in the wild.)

The Xilien military HAS witnessed aggression based on sexual jealousy between adolescent dorats, enough so that they think it's a threat to their experiments. The Xilien military is locking up dorats in cages and experimentally fusing them together. The Xilien military is not observing dorats in their natural habitat. The actual dorat breeder is absolutely horrified to hear of dorats behaving like that, because it's a sign of extreme stress and trauma. Viciously competing for mates and chasing off other potential sexual partners, therefore, is abnormal for dorats.

Using Ghidorah as they are now as an example of what dorats are like is dicey, since they've lived such a strange life and so much of their psychology is shaped by trauma—buuut, it's evident from them that dorats can feel romantic love, but we don't know what function it would've had among normal dorats. Maybe it's supposed to be a temporary thing that fades after a mating season, maybe it's supposed to encourage a few members of one flock to latch on to members of another flock and move as a means to discourage stagnation in the genetic pool of a single flock, maybe its primary purpose has nothing to do with driving reproduction but rather is supposed to strengthen social bonds between members of this naturally empathic species...

So the presence of romantic feelings doesn't inherently correlate with monogamy, or a desire for monogamy, or sexual/romantic exclusivity, or sexual/romantic jealousy...

So add all that together and what do you get. Of the two of them, Rodan is more likely to have a natural and/or cultural inclination toward any sort of monogamy than Ghidorah is, and even at that it's most likely to be romantic monogamy than sexual monogamy. Ghidorah's the one more likely to assume against exclusivity from the outside. However: to the original premise, if Ghidorah DID find out Rodan had taken another sexual partner (and let's be frank, it would be sexual because nobody in this fandom is writing a damn thing about infidelity plots that don't eventually fall back on "o noez Rodan screwed someone he shouldn't have," even when romance IS involved it boils down to sex, and yeah it's always Rodan—)

That parenthetical went on a bit of a tangent. Anyway if Ghidorah found out Rodan had taken another sexual partner, there'd be three possible reactions:

1) The LEAST likely: as in the potential scenario yesterday written on the "okay, let's assume that cheating is a thing for them" assumption: an apocalypse with a potential side of murder/suicide. In order for something like that to happen, Ghidorah's experiences on Earth would have to have pushed them into full Despite All My Rage I Am Still Just A Dorat In A Cage mode. Their baseline mental state is at about 45% on the "stressed caged dorat" meter. Right now they're hovering around 30% and gradually dropping. Being an enslaved war machine kept them at a steady 75%. They'd need to be at like 90% before they started flipping their shit over romantic jealousy. To get them to that level of stress, they'd need to be getting constantly harassed by Godzilla and human military units, psychically bombarded by Mothra, and on top of that probably getting gaslit to hell and back by Rodan re: their relationship status so they couldn't be confident of where they stood with him—and that leads into the other factor that's necessary for this scenario to happen. Rodan would need to 1) insist to Ghidorah that he's the only one Rodan's got any sort of sexual/romantic involvement with, and 2) convince him that the stability and continued existence of their relationship is predicated upon Rodan being interested in only Ghidorah. They'd need to be specifically convinced of these things first in order to feel lied to/betrayed if Rodan had a relationship of any kind with someone else, because they wouldn't naturally assume either of them.

Since we've got no evidence Rodan is a raging abusive asshole who would go out of his way to convince an ignorant alien that their happiness is dependent upon Rodan being exclusive and then go off and not be exclusive, this scenario isn't happening.

2) Actually likely scenario, bad outcome: Rodan comes home and Ghidorah asks where he's been all day and he goes, oh yeah, he found another member of his species today, they're gonna try to make eggs, it's great—because to Rodan that's no big deal, that's normal, he's got absolutely no reason not to tell his mate that he's banging another bird. Ghidorah gets nervous solely because they DON'T know what's normal here. They don't know whether monogamy or polyamory is the norm for Earth in general or Rodan in particular. Are they still a thing or is this Rodan's way of saying the relationship's run its course and he's moved on? Was he always planning to move on once someone of his own species became available? Was he expecting Ghidorah to expect that? Because they did expect that, they've always feared they were just a temporary substitute for a more desirable partner, they just didn't know if they were supposed to expect that. At which point they go "oh" and Rodan goes "'oh' what?" and they go "so is that it then?" and he goes "is what it?" and they actually communicate for thirty seconds and everything's fine. So hey the bad outcome isn't even bad. It probably just takes them a month to have that conversation while Ghidorah invents mental worst case scenarios.

3) Actually likely scenario, good outcome: Rodan comes home and Ghidorah asks where he's been all day and he goes, oh yeah, he found another member of his species today, they're gonna try to make eggs— And Ghidorah goes EXCUSE US if they're in a relationship with him and he's in a relationship with her then that means they and he and she are all part of the same flock and they are DEEPLY offended that he hasn't brought her by to meet them yet, come on, go get her, they need to know what she looks like so they don't accidentally get in a fight with her if they see her in Rodan's territory. Also they need to know where her volcano is so they can get their scent all over it.