#Honestly…Any iteration of him works for this scenario.

[swiftyangx12]

[D/N] = Designation (Meaning your name; Cybertronian name)

Cybertronian![Reader]

[D/N]: I only had Bumblebee for a solar-cycle and a half. But if anything happens to him, I’ll offline everyone in this room and then myself.

Bumblebee: ??? *Confused and concerned*

[manda-kat]

i have a creative question for you actually, idk if this is something you can help me with but how do you become obsessed with your characters? i think part of my slow writing progress is just that i'm not so excited about the project that i go out of my way to make time for it

Honestly that's one of my big problems too. Usually the reason I switch between projects so much is because I get bored of the current one. But I can tell you the things I do right before I get excited again and maybe they'll be a good place to start at least.

So I usually will be listening to music and imagining my character's singing or being animated to the song. That's a pretty common one I think.

I also do that thing where I imagine scenarios with my characters as I'm in bed trying to fall asleep. Usually I either imagine whatever happens next in the story (getting some work done in advance!) But other times I'll imagine things I know would never happen and only suit the mood I'm in. Because sometimes my mood isn't suited to the characters I want to think about. So if I want a story about a zombie apocalypse my characters can do that for a bit. Or if I want to have that story where they're trapped in the snow and have to cuddle for warmth. Or maybe two characters have a contrived reason why they absolutely have to kiss each other and- Uh. Yeah normal things. Not bad fanfic about my own characters.

I'm also down to change them at a moments notice if I think it'll make them more enjoyable to me. My tastes have changed and I don't find the same joy in ideas I used to love. Happy, for example, has gone through a ton of iterations and because of it I still want to stare at him doing stupid little things because he makes me happy. I've changed his backstory so many times. He started as a punchline in a comic strip. A bad comic strip. Then he became a vaguely fruity stalker, a cute sidekick, a traumatized punching bag, the comic relief, a blatantly fruity stalker and now he's whatever he is now. I may change him again tomorrow if I feel like it. Obviously with something I intend to publish I have to get some sense of canon, but I try not to become attatched to details that may be holding me back from being obsessed.

Also I base a lot of my OCs off of dreams I have. I think that also means they have connections to my subconscious fears and concerns.

I also try to watch or read things that are similar in genre or style so I get more inspired.

I don't know if any of this helps. I'm not sure I'm great when it comes to motivation considering starting and stopping projects again is my brand at this point. Honestly- you made your characters for a reason so there's something in them that tickles your brain just right. So if you're not feeling it, maybe chop them open and find those things and then make those parts bigger and more catered to your personal brand of obsession. That'll probably also help you build charaterization when writing too. Idk.

Anyway- goodest of luck on the writing! Thank you so much for saying such amazingly nice things to me! I treasure you!

[sunny-days-and-warm-mournings]

Please I want to know more about your Son Wukong AUs!

OH!!! OHHH!!! So my inbox really is working after all!!

As for my AUs, well, *fixes bones and coffin nails*

SO I have a LOT of Sun WuKong AUs in my folder, some more fleshed out some not. I think I have about 15 AUs in total if I count the other "What If" scenarios that circles around in my noggin, but the more prominent ones that I'll be showcasing in my blog are: Huānlè Jìjié Dà (of course), Kǎishèng Dàshèng, SāngQī Yǒngjiǔ, SāngQī Zhēngdòu, and Qíyuàn Zhízhèng Guān.

As you can see there's a shit ton of em, which may speak about my malaptive daydreaming mind but hey! I may do with my hyperfixations.

For Huānlè I've already explained some bits about the AU here as well as there, and I'll explain more in the future once I'm done with the lil comic I've been working on ;)

The others HOWEVER, they are a little bit more complex and are interconnected with each other in some ways. For now though, I'll explain the list I've included in this post.

1. Kǎishèng Dàshèng is an AU that is related to the Monkey King Hero Is Back (2015) iteration of the Xiyouji, and this AU takes place after Jiang Liu'er died (or implied to have passed away, but honestly even as it breaks my damn heart and the ending was there I know what it meant). Sun WuKong goes on to some type of redemption after failing to protect the little monk, slaying Yaoguai here and there where major trails and ambushes happen.

He can already activate his golden eye bc it unlocked with some of his abilities when he defeated Hun Dun (can't remember the guy's name right) and with some heavenly interventions SWK knew about the reincarnations of the Golden Cicada (I can't get in too much detail but I'll take it to my notes after some research) and the fates that came with it.

Long story short he was hailed as a protector of children AND a War God after much fuss with demons trying to thwart him, all the while fulfilling his failed promise of protecting Jiang Liu'er through protecting kids like him. The process of this is even more complicated and circles around the idea of quasi-exemption bc "I must protect these young mortals because I failed Liu'er" "I was not strong enough to even save him" "I have fallen from grace long before I was imprisoned" and more, it's not really a "an eye for an eye" thing because SWK chooses to protect and look out for children. He wants to not as an obligation but something beyond that, like a higher form concept of promise and the child's death that sparked this fire. The death of his kid wasn't a power up and more of a realization that "I failed so many people, I left, and what did I get from that? What was the answer of my goal in the end? " I can word that much better but I'm running out of time so—

"Sun WuKong always spat out his guts and fangs laced with fire and ambitions, until infant teeth dropped with his gore."

2. SāngQī Yǒngjiǔ is the darkest of my AUs, holy shit, I've taken everything from this man. You know how we set fire to ant hills because they bit us? Yes, that's how this AU ended up in. The story follows just as much as the beginning of the book, he goes to find the immortal, takes his cudgel from Ao Guang, causes some chaos in Di Yu; but Heaven wasn't having any of that. They did not like this monkey one but and ordered for the "exorcism" of the Huagoushan troops, not batting any more of an eye.

It was a full on genocide. No monkey survived in the fire Yù Huáng ordered to be put upon them, and the mountains died with tens of thousands of monkey individuals either curled up in ashes behind the long gone Shuilian cave or is not set apart from the dead earth.

And guess what? This made Sun WuKong so distraught and full of rage (and so much more emotions). He didn't "die" per say, but his stole was taken back again to Di Yu for judgement. The half-dead half-alive monkey razed great havoc upon Di Yu and almost beat the living shit out of King Qin'guang— who wouldn't? When the whole of your household and home are gone? Forget the crown of the Monkey King or his immortality, he was the patriarch and communal grandfather to the Huagou mountains.

It was Buddha himself who intervened the anguished Sun WuKong's war path and struck a deal with him to stop him from killing King Qin'guang off completely and risk upsetting the balance set in Hell, including the mortal souls and the monkeys' souls. They compromised by striking a deal that concerned SWK "dethroning" King Qin'guang for the time being until every last one of his monkey family's souls were set for the Samsara Cycle, otherwise known as the Reincarnation Cycle. If SWK does not accept this deal then he'd face a much, much, worse punishment that if compared to the genocide of his people and what could've been the Five Elements Mountain imprisonment, it would seem like child's play.

Sun WuKong disrupted what peace was in Di Yu, almost completely turning over the Cycle, and there's darker Hell to suffer for that.

So SWK accepted, rotten and burning unlike flesh and maggots but like nebulae and empty enclaves of world-birthing stars, and accepts King Qin'guang's place only for the small comfort of overseeing his monkeys handed to the Cycle.

It is estimated that that lasted for 6,000 years, possibly more. Sun WuKong spent that time suffering and wallowing in his anguish and loss. The genocide and SWK's reaction also sparked something to other Yaoguai that was near then, or in Pūrvavideha continent that felt the sheer force of horror, agony, pain, and everything else that came from SWK. He also does not a face, only a void where it was supposed to be.

(I can't say he got any justice at all. Or comfort or felt the sun on his fur again. I can't say he recovered.)

3. SāngQī Zhēngdòu follows almost the same plot as SāngQī Yǒngjiǔ, but it wasn't a genocide. This one isn't too fleshed out yet but he stayed as Warlord and wasn't imprisoned because of the Havoc in Heaven. If anything, his relation to other Yaoguai solidified some cases that saved him from being put under Buddha's palm.

Let's just say he hates Yù Huáng's guts (they're both mutually exclusive, which is the greatest idea ever that Heaven came up with ever since sending Erlang Shen's army to raze Huagou), and mingles with other forms of Yaoguai more than ever. There are lots of deals and compromises in my AUs and this one isn't an exception. Sun WuKong doesn't back down when his goal perceives what may be the return of some of his troops.

Hints: God of War, white fur and red robes. Ruler of the Yaoguai Kingdom and the allied sworn brothers

4. Qíyuàn Zhízhèng Guān is a little more lighthearted and purely for shits and giggles (which provides as a pit stop from all the bloody angst).

Sun WuKong is a lot more bastardly here and gives Heaven the troubles they deserve. It started on him being bored out of his mind and thought that the best solution for this is to: tell the Jade Emperor he was bored out of his mind and wants another job, and then wanting freedom without anybody's decree of agreement.

Basically he kinda miraculously convinced Yù Huáng to give him a "raise" from his title as The Great Sage Equalling Heaven (that he knew was an empty title, btw) and Guardian Of The Immortal Peach Orchard. Passive aggressively hinting violence if the old Jade wasn't going to cooperate until he got what he wanted.

Which he did! He became a supervisor for some surprisingly religious stuff related to prayer and worship. Archon and stuff that will lead to greater things in that future, which I won't tell you about just yet ;)

There's actually a fic out there for this bit as well as another AU!

Here are the links:

Peaches And Prayers

White Sun | 白日，甚至在子時辰之前

5. (Bonus) White Sun is an AU that explores the idea of rehabilitation of Huagou Mountain and the monkeys, and that Sun WuKong escaped from Buddha's would-be punishment for him after the havoc in heaven just the last seconds. I may rewrite it to be more accurate to the OG classic but is is what it is right now.

——————————————————————

And that settles it! I can explain in it better and clearer ways but I don't have too much time left, so here they are anyhow! A couple of my more than dozens AUs! I hope you like them and keep asking about them still <3

I will make more art and content for these AUs when I have a better schedule and when our tests are done, so please be patient! I know how to write them I promise JDNKSNS

Anyway, it's time for me to go now! I hope you liked my messy explanation @blastflight :)

[moongothic]

Hey anon, I'm so sorry but your ask is obscenely long so I'm cutting it down to bare essentials

Most of the Original Ask was just a copypaste of this forum post, quickly highlighting this comment too

LOOK WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT MORIA, YO! "Defeated by Gellard and returns in the Final Scenario with an even more grotesque appearance than when you first met him."

But yes, I am aware, I have read that exact same thread before (when I first learned about the Romancing SaGa inspo on r/OnePiece and wanted to learn more), and I did briefly discuss the Seven Heroes when speculating about Cross Guild and wherever the fuck that plotline is going

And I'm now going to add onto that original post, because boy howdy do I have some additional thoughts to get out of my brain

Okay so yes, Doflamingo would be the OG Iteration of Bokuohn, the puppeteer who manipulates people. But in the context of Cross Guild... That's Buggy. "Bokuohn is in control of the majority of the Seven Heroes' forces. Situated in the Steppes region, he owns a large landship, complete with an innumerable amount of slaves." That's literally just Buggy. Like he's not a master of psychological manipulation nor can he forcefully manipulate anybody like literal puppets either (the way Mingo could), but. Like scratch out he RoSa2 terms, replace them with the relevant OP terms and it's a perfect description of Buggy.

Bringing that up because I'm still interested in Cross Guild becoming Shichibukai 2.0 But Without The Government This Time, but if we wanted to have exactly seven former Shichibukai to make up Cross Guild and make sure we had like ones who could actually fill out the roles of the Seven Heroes from RoSa2... Yeah there's going to have to be some replacements Not just because otherwise Doflamingo would need to be broken out of Impel Down somehow (which I doubt will happen, also I don't think Crocodile would want him working for him anyways), but also. Jinbei's with the Strawhats. And I don't think he's ditching Luffy any time soon for Crocodile of all people, not when he finally fucking joined the Strawhats for realsies.

So Doflamingo could be replaced with Buggy, cool, sure. What about Jinbei then? Who will take up the role of RoSa2's Subier?

So a while back I wrote this speculation post about if the Burn Scar Man (who has the final Road Poneglyph) could be a Fishman.(PERHAPS specifically Davy Jones?) Bringing that up because during Kuma's flashback we did learn that Kuma got the Shichibukai Slot after Ace defeated one of the seven at the time. And we specifically got to see Ace talk to Jinbei about it, Ace being surprised Jinbei of all people was glad the Shichibukai slot was being filled again. Now obviously, our Firefist Ace defeating a Shichibukai makes for one great candidate on who the Burn Scar Man could be, as Ace could very easily leave someone with some severe burn scars. This is platantly obvious lmao. But it's the conversation with Jinbei that actually interests me, because like. Sure, Jinbei being a fellow Shichibukai, it might be odd for Ace to hear Jinbei be glad that one of his fellow Warlords is being replaced. But that comment could make twice as much sense if that Warlord had ALSO been a fellow Fishman and/or a Merman (and perhaps someone Jinbei might've known better?). Now indeed. We are going to meet the Burn Scar Man eventually, 100%, it's mandatory for the plot to move forwards. Which means we're going to find out who that guy is, and if the Road Poneglyph gets stolen from him, he might have to find something else to do with his life since there won't be any point in guarding it anymore. And hey. If Mr Burns does turn out to be a fellow former Shichibukai who also happens to be a Fishman/Merman and a master of Fishman Karate... Oh hey, what's this? "Subier - A half octopus merman who controls the flow of the ocean to use as a weapon." Like. IDK I think we could have another Cross Guild member on our hands here.

(Honestly, currently the only problem we have is Dantarg, whose role currently being held by Kuma. Like the only other known Shichibukai we have who could be "available" is Law but he hasn't really done any "bodymods to become stronger" and thus doesn't fit the description. Hell, that description fits Kid more than anything but he was never a Shichibukai either. Guess we gotta keep on hoping Kuma somehow survives and just doesn't return to the Revolutionary Army for some reason)

Hilariously the most interesting thing you pointed out was that comment in the forum thread about Moria, 'cause I hadn't even realized this before but

So we know Blackbeard had captured Moria and held him hostage for... weeks, months? Until he was freed by Coby as per Perona's plea during the raid on Fullalead. Interestingly though, although theoretically we know Moria and Perona should have escaped the island by now, we have not seen either, now have we? Which is kind of suspicious now that I think about it. Because like. It'd make perfect sense if Blackbeard and co had been torturing Moria during his time in captivity, right. Have they been feeding my beloved goth onion well? Realistically, probably not?

Like. Thinking about it. We know Moria got chumby after the trauma of losing his crew and all, so what are the odds he might have lost that weight now during his captivity??? What if he looks more like his younger self again, the one see clash with Kaidou??? Or, the more horrifying option. I mean zombies aren't like an inherent part of Moria's DF abilities, just the Shadow Manipulation. But for all we know Moria could have lost a limb or two, and depending on where the fuck Hogback is (dude is supposed to be a competent doctor, he should be able to stitch Moria back up)... I mean theoretically the next time we see Moria he could look like one of his zombies. Or worse.

[dirgeforthedead]

On the matter of Dirge & Enver // @dirgeforthedead & @banefulbenevolence

I think one of the things that I love so much with Enver and Dirge with this iteration is that, objectively, on face value, before they meet they are two absolutely terrifying and awful people.

They have both done horrifying, terrible things. They both have very few scruples, if any, about what they are and are not willing to do, particularly in any 'ends justify the means' scenario. They literally meet because Dirge has been sent to kill a patriar for disrespecting her father and Enver was there working on his 'seduction for power and wealth' angle. The only reason he doesn't die is because he's good at talking himself out of things and convinces her that he's someone worth knowing.

[ She decides she needs to figure out more about him to see if he's a threat to her father and his plans, to know if she can kill him or if she needs to find out more first, eliminate other threats, and then kill him. ]

It's about the way you would expect two absolutely horrendous people to meet and become associates of necessity.

[ Enver needs to at the least buy time so he isn't killed on the spot, and Dirge needs to know if he's an isolated threat or how far the spider web goes. ]

Now, you would assume, when they meet, they would also, quite decidedly, make each other all the worse by one Bad enabling and 'Yes And-ing' another Bad about every terrible, wicked idea that either one of them can imagine.

Which they do on one level, at least in the beginning because they cook up this plan together about the Elder Brain and the Crown and the tadpoles, the Absolute religious hoax, and everything they need set into motion to really Sell It--murder and mayhem in the streets, distrust of outsiders, and an army of cultists marching for the city.

But, over the course of knowing each other, they also??? make each other better??? in other ways???

Enver helps Dirge to find herself, to help her realize she's more than just an instrument of death and obliteration. He quite literally helps her find her voice, her ability to express her thoughts, opinions, desires, and needs, which is why her language in the 'Prayer for Forgiveness' is so similar to his own, honestly. She listened to him and then she would parrot things she had heard him say but in regards to whatever she wanted to express, and slowly she began to speak for herself, but always with a bit of a slant from his influence. He shows her patience and understanding and compassion--where almost no one ever showed him as much--while she is figuring herself out, and it means the world to her for reasons she can't even begin to explain.

What's more, both with this matter and in many other ways, he shows her that she has value beyond her ability to Kill Something Really Well. He values her opinions. He values her expertise in her fields. He values her.

She says that he is her heart, because she didn't have one before him.

And Dirge, of all people, shows Enver absolute and unwavering loyalty and devotion. Gives him ONE person that he knows would never betray him. Who respects him exactly as he is, even if/when the pretenses and performances are set aside. Who he doesn't have to seduce or flatter or charm to have in his corner. Someone who has never INTENTIONALLY or KNOWINGLY hurt him and is absolutely beside herself the times that she has. Who does everything she possibly can to prevent it or at least mitigate the damage--from managing her bloodlust to getting him charmed rings and trinkets she finds that protect from certain types of damage to giving him a cane with a hidden blade in it so that he has another way to protect himself from her or others.

Even if she doesn't speak and has difficulty expressing herself when first they meet, it's evident to Enver that she's simply been neglected in some regards, but not that she's any less intelligent.

In fact, he says that she is his equal, which is something he's never felt like he had prior to her.

And, over time, they both end up stumbling and fumbling their way through learning what it is to love and be loved, truly, unconditionally, beyond explanation or words--without wax, as Enver is fond of saying [ even though the saying confuses the hell out of Dirge for the longest time until he explains the origin of the phrase; please do imagine his amusement when she begins to sign letters to him 'without knives, Dirge' ].

At the end of the day, against all odds and expectations, even if not in every regard, they are both better for knowing each other, for loving each other.

I also think, from Dirge's standpoint, that whatever her 'Prayer for Forgiveness' might say to the contrary, when it would reach the tipping point and it was time to make a decision, even if the tadpole matter never happened, the path she chose the moment she chose Enver would always lead to her death because she would always defy Bhaal and refuse to become his Slayer, refuse to end the world.

After all, she finally had someone that she couldn't bear to lose.

As much as it pained her whenever her urges overtook her and she caused him harm, the idea of killing him becomes intolerable, inconceivable. She would have destroyed anyone and anything to protect him.

Including herself.

Now, was she on a path to Redemption, prior to the tadpoles? I don't think that I'd call it that.

But a path to Defiance? Absolutely.

And all because two terrible people met and became at least slightly better as a result.

[batsplat]

can we have a conversation about how much ktm is in shambles? cause i’m hearing they’re having so many problems financially and apparently even technically. it seems like they got stuck from the start of the season and they are just not progressing. i get that the last few circuits weren’t stop and go circuits that ktm prefers but the performances were really worrying. now, no offense to binder but he clearly has no backbone, but pedro already scolded them this weekend because they are not working the way they should, is there a chance they finally decide to take a risk and develop a project around him? because i feel like that’s what they need to do, a bit like yamaha or honda did for vale and marc. also i’ve thought about the fact that a lot of ktm engineers are leaving ktm for honda, if honda is actually working on a good project for 2027, is there a chance that perhaps a rider like pedro could get them out of the hole they got stuck into? cause i think that would be very interesting to see. of course only if he decides to leave ktm which i hope he doesn’t cause i’d like to see him become the first motogp wdc winner with a ktm. also i can’t really see where else he could go if one day he decides he’s unsatisfied with ktm

love asks that clearly come from the heart. I've been holding off on being too mean about ktm because in a way I do want to save it for after the NEXT race. we're in austria now!! ktm's home race! which they've actually been remarkably successful at, given they're the only non-ducati manufacturer to ever win in the modern iteration of this race in the premier class - first in that quirky last corner shoot-out courtesy of oliveira in 2020 and then in that bizarre slicks in the wet performance by binder in 2021. which, okay, unusual races and all that, but it's a track they should be doing well at!! binder got two second places here last year. if they flop here, then the alarm bells will really be ringing

I guess we can get into an argument about what 'flopping' would even look like. it's entirely plausible that, hm, the first 4-5 slots at minimum are locked out by ducati again - honestly, at the minute another ducati podium lock out feels like the expected scenario. I have heard there's a decent possibility of rain on sunday, but by this point of the year I've been promised rain quite a few times so I'll believe it when I see it. if it rains, sure, anything's possible. a positive result for ktm right now would probably be... a podium, right, which in itself is pretty damning - how are ktm still this bad at actually winning races? last year, binder got a podium at silverstone, which isn't a massively ktm-friendly track. this year, they didn't get even remotely close to that. the ktm defence argument goes 'well, look at what everyone else is doing'. silverstone is a very aprilia-friendly track and they had a pretty disastrous weekend themselves this year. the less said about the japanese manufacturers, the better. but... well, ktm was kinda supposed to take it to ducati this year. they finished last year on a very promising note, with what really should have been a 1-2 at valencia. (the fact that they didn't convert on that maybe should've gotten some alarm bells ringing about the ultimate potential of that rider line-up, but let's not get into that.) after binder's performance at qatar, ktm surely should have been determined to be in the title hunt. they are extremely not in the title hunt

the thing is, anon, ktm does know that pedro is their title winner. the idea of 'developing a project' around him is tricky - because to the extent that ktm is capable of that, they will do it!! they're not going to develop the bike in a direction that suits binder over him, for instance, or completely disregard his feedback or any of that. manufacturers can struggle with being reactive enough to rider concerns... my sense is that ktm likes to throw a lot of stuff at problems, it likes to flex its muscles and use a lot of data and come up with big update packages and all of that - and for all the progress they've made in their bike development, clearly all is not yet well on the in-season development front. (cf the whole chattering thing that ducati has gotten a handle on and ktm hasn't.) manufacturers do sometimes have a tendency to believe they know best and not listen enough to their riders, especially when there's a disconnect between the riders and 'the factory' that's actually designing the bikes. yamaha is an interesting example of that at the minute, where a lot of their current problems are so long-running that you can find their roots in stuff jorge and valentino were complaining about YEARS and years back. they've become a lot more reactive in recent years and did do a lot to tackle fabio's complaints about the bike's top speed... but by that point, they were in such a hole that just 'fixing the top speed' really wasn't enough to actually make a competitive bike. still, part of the reason why fabio's decided to stick with that project is he feels like yamaha is finally listening to him - and if they'd lost him, they'd really be fucked, so that has to count as at least a little bit of a W

in terms of the valentino and marc comparisons, they are just about different enough that it'll only take you so far. with valentino, the simple truth is that nobody today could do what he did for the yamaha project in 2004. he couldn't do that nowadays; it just isn't possible for a rider and his team to make that sort of instant impact anymore. motogp is so different now, with all the aero and devices and all the other stuff casey hates. the balance of power, if you will, has shifted pretty decisively from riders to engineers. also, valentino by that point was a fair bit more experienced and a lot of the credit has to go to his even more experienced team for what they were able to do with yamaha's carte blanche. a rookie, however gifted, just won't be able to provide quite the same level of direction. with marc... well, the honda was fantastic when he showed up! best bike on the grid! it's not exactly an analogous situation to pedro in that what honda needed to do was 'keep being good'. they did listen to marc's feedback and it did bag them enough titles to make it worth their while, but it also did not send their bike down a particularly happy development route for anyone else riding that thing - which ultimately as a manufacturer is not a situation you should want. honda was already losing the development arms race to ducati in the late 2010s, but giving marc a fast if capricious bike and relying on his natural talent to ride around the issues managed to disguise the problems for a while... or at least make them hurt less. all in all, I'm not really convinced 2010s honda is a model anyone should be particularly interested in copying

what ktm should do is listen to pedro, obviously. I assume they're already treating him as their championship contender elect, but if they're not then, yes, they'd be idiots. and given how long it took for them to actually confirm his place in motogp last year, I am open to the possibility that ktm are being idiots here. whether there's a workable system in place to actually make use of that feedback and continue to progress is more open for debate, and that's kinda what pedro went to the factory to check in on. pedro today was talking up a "big, big step" in the coming few races, in part due to the impact of their two test riders and the more ktm-friendly circuits to come, so it'll be interesting to see if it lives up to that. beyond that, who knows? ktm does have money and resources and a track record of success outside of motogp to give it faith, but of course this year has been a disappointment. (quick note: I have seen the stuff about ktm being in trouble financially and obviously that would massively change all of this, but at this stage it's quite hard to judge how seriously to take that - so the rest of this ask will assume that ktm will continue having a lot of money at its disposal. if they don't, my analysis is that they're probably fucked.) the first bit of the season made everyone doubt whether the bike was actually better than thought and the riders were simply not taking advantage of it - which a few signs last year like 'surely dani shouldn't be this competitive' and the whole valencia thing already pointed to. now, it's definitely less competitive than last year and even their superstar rookie can't do all that much with it, so that's not great. they do have a little time to play with here, but not that much. pedro's signed for 2025-26, but if ktm doesn't start next season more competitive, it won't take long for him to start looking around. and even though you can't do valentino 2004 things in quite the same way anymore, this is clearly going to be a project that needs an alien-level talent to actually get it over the line. they've kinda managed to fail upwards into a very strong set of riders next year and they should be able to extract a lot of them for bike development purposes, but also their rider management has traditionally been godawful so it remains to be seen how that'll work out

that being said, pedro will be fine! I mean, idk if he'll be ktm's first premier class world champion. if I had to put money on it, I'd say it's pretty likely, yeah? but the 'where would he go' thing isn't really a big concern. all the big names have kinda hunkered down (as have the teams who signed them) with two year contracts that take us very neatly to the next rule cycle kicking in, which everyone expects will majorly shake things up. while this whole japanese manufacturer situation is massively annoying, I would be shocked if at least one of them aren't regular race winners again in 2027, and hopefully will already be so before that. most manufacturers except maybe honda have at least one star rider they're intending to be a title contender in 2027, and ducati has two. they probably won't all stay in the same place (even if they all remain reasonably healthy in that time) and there's bound to be at least one manufacturer hunting for a big name. pecco will be in his late prime and possibly grey-haired, god knows what state marc will be in *taps wood*, we have no idea how the whole jorge aprilia situation will work out. maybe yamaha will be so competitive again that they actually decide they want TWO riders fighting it out for a championship and we get a proper throwback in blue to the good old garage cold war days - which is where my imagination sadly fails me because I can't picture fabio putting up a wall or yamaha not sucking. maybe, like you say, pedro is just what honda needs to... well, honestly I don't think he could get them out of this hole - but perhaps in a couple years time when honda is looking healthier again, he's the kind of rider that could make it a title winner again. it'll be a new world! if pedro is as good as we all think he is, then obviously any manufacturer would be thrilled to get their hands on him, not least to deprive the competition of having him. how old will he be in 2026? about nine years old, I think? if I had to guess, I do kinda see him being a title contender around 2026-ish, because I just can't quite picture ktm making the necessary leap by next year so 2026 feels like a good way of hedging my bets and trusting his sickening levels of natural talent to make up the bike difference. one of my big remaining doubts is... well, it's actually been quite a while since a new manufacturer has won a rider's title. the last time was ducati way back in 2007 when they nailed the new regulations cycle and also kinda lucked into signing the casey stoner, but ducati had already been regular race winners for quite a few years before that. capirossi was third in the championship in 2006. I suppose aprilia got vaguely close in 2022, but that was a chaos season we don't have much reason to expect to see a repeat of any time soon, and in the end they also didn't get that close. ktm really needs to be getting into race winning form soon if they want to be thinking about titles. it's ridiculous that it's been over three years since their last win in the dry, and nearly two since their last win full stop. if I were them, I would maybe consider winning some races, instead of continuing to lose them idk. let's see how they do on sunday, eh

[decaying-rose]

To preface, I only know half of the characters on this list with any depth, and a passing knowledge of how deathnote functions.

I hard disagree with most of theses takes.

Benoit Blanc, in his two appearances, has not come across to me as some super genius. In fact, in the second movie, we see him work out the murder almost in real time at the end. He does have not caring about the law going for him, but only in the case where he has an assistant to do the dirty work for him.

100% agree with BBC Sherlock dying instantly. Only gripe is that the poll specifies BBC Sherlock which is honestly an awful iteration of Sherlock Holmes. (Book Holmes might actually be in the running simply by pretending he hasn't taking the case and investigating it in secret)

Haven't watched Psych

No clue where any of the Mystery Gang but comes from. Except for maybe forcing the conclusion at the end. They just sorta seem useless in this scenario.

No clue who Waver Velvet is

Again haven't watched Deathnote

No clue what the first half is even talking about. Real reason Columbo would be successful is because he never gives anyone his full name. (Not even Peter Falk knew Columbo's first name). But yes, Columbo would just pester Light until he gave proof enough to prosecute. Real estimate would be upwards of a month. He actually does ground work and bureaucracy is slow.

Honestly not even sure why House is included. He's just a doctor that doesn't care about malpractice. So sure, he gets arrested for drug possession. Who the fuck cares?

Phoenix is only a good pic for this list if you've never played any of the games. He does not know what is going on in 99% of the cases he's been involved in. The only one he actually knows the outcome of is the first case of Apollo Justice. His only power is trusting that his client is innocent which allows him to pull proof out of his ass to defend them. In any investigative capacity he would be next to useless.

My winner (out of the ones I know) would probably be Blanc as long as Light doesn't figure out how to spell his name.

Please reblog to increase data size. Please also add how long you think it would take and why.

[frostcorpsclub]

MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM [P1827292Y2827228TH] [DATA RETRIEVAL FAILED]

SENT 5:15 AM

SUBJECT: Hello

-----

I cannot believe it. It's honestly a miracle the damn machine didn't explode this time. This is definite progress. If anyone is reading this however, I will not bore you with my own personal worries.

My name is not important right now, for I do not exist in your reality. That is, assuming this did not accidentally get sent to Austin in accounting again. I have recently been working on a device that can theoretically, as ludicrous as this may sound, send messages to completely different dimensions. I do not mean the childish dribble some call 'alternate timelines'. I mean iterations of the cosmos that do not even come close to matching my own.

So, if someone sentient does receive this, then please, tell me everything. Even the most unfathomably boring details of your likely meaningless existence. Any and all details would help greatly.

After all, a briefing the very first alternate dimension I may potentially visit would be most helpful.

-The Undertaker

A loud, crackling shriek rang through the basement of the Frost home. 

“No..no..NO! God fucking damn it!”

Jasper was filled with such white hot rage he thought he might cry. 

He knew gaming wasn’t the same as killing for real, his siblings reminded him all the time. Yet, supporting his team by farming monsters  while they went for the prize was still important to him. 

They were expecting him to be there and for his computer to work!

He was so flabbergasted that something got past his antivirus he didn't read the message at first, but every time he opened a new tab it would be closed. 

Whatever reason someone was trying to reach him was apparently of deep importance. 

Pushing back his chair, leaning in close to his monitor, he read the message over and over. Jasper couldn’t help but calm down as he assessed the fantasy-like situation he was in. 

He had to stop and look around for a moment, trying to differentiate his own cameras from one his siblings set up to prank him.

It wasn’t that this scenario wasn’t possible. Quite the opposite, the supernatural was very natural in his world, as he assumed it must be for his correspondent.

It was that he was filled with a boyish excitement that could make this situation go wrong for him in so many ways.

Letting out a sharp breath he unsheathed his claws and got to work. He hubristically decided that no matter what this was he wasn’t going to look like a fool.

MESSAGE SENT FROM [39.5501105.7821] 

                    

SENT 6:45 AM

SUBJECT: S.O.S 

----

I had previously exhausted all hope of hearing from civilization again. I have very little time and can only offer what you've asked for and nothing more.

I find myself in a frozen wasteland but I couldn’t tell you my coordinates. Blinding white as far as the eye can see. I can barely feel my fingers typing. 

What little sensation that remains is pain from the frost burning my bones inside out. The chill winds have dried out my nostrils. 

In these later days I’ve finally experienced new stimulation, at steep cost, what once was red and irritated is now rotting. My legs are encased in a sickly purple cage but I cannot stop trudging through the slush. 

If I do what awaits me is a fate worse than death. 

I……

Jasper was interrupted for the second time that night by a knock on his door. 

He waited for a moment to see if the person on the other side would just go away, only to be jolted from his seat by a familiar voice. “Jasper! It’s Mommy!” 

He swept across the floor as a puddle and undid his locks faster than he ever had before. Sheepishly, he opened it just a crack. “You’ve been in there for a while and I was just wondering if-” He knew where this was going and just wanted to get back to his endeavor. 

Jasper didn’t want to make his beloved mother upset either but sometimes you make sacrifices. 

“I’m busy, I'll come out later, sorry love you.” 

As he shut the door he heard her meekly assert that she was still going to bring him some snacks, but he couldn’t focus on that. He had to tell his new friend about the absolutely vile, uncaring, beasts he resided with. 

……take great risk in elaborating even this much. Typing while I walk is slowing me down more than the pain shooting up my legs with each step.

These lands are inhabited by beasts that only know their own hunger. 

Apex predators, better adapted to this tundra than I could ever hope to be. 

They travel in packs as I've learned. You wouldn’t know it, or that you were being attacked, until it was much too late. I got lucky and was able to fend them off with a flare. Nothing else would be able to see it out here so I didn't care about wasting it, not before one of the bastards took a chunk from my hip.

Although I couldn't help but feel like they were running from something much larger than myself. 

I pray you and I can meet before I meet it.

[alirhi]

10 Sebastian roles as boyfriends

Because... I'm bored and I feel like it. 😂 Probably some spoilers for, like... everything? So yeah... That.

Putting it under here for easy scrolling:

10: Chase Collins

Who doesn't love a goofball? In the first half of the movie, Chase is basically perfect. He's sweet, funny, not all caught up in his ego, and actually pays attention to what the girls around him are saying, not just to what he wants to hear. If not for the whole... it was all an act to get close to Caleb and try to steal his magic thing, Chase would actually be a damn good high school boyfriend. He's adorable and would be a fun date, but he's also only 18 so best not to start making long-term plans lol. Also, y'know... the whole psycho revenge/power grab thing.

9 Jack Benjamin

Y'all. Y'all. Words cannot describe how much I love Jack. Pretty sure I've made this clear. As a person/character in general, he's absolutely in my Top 3 - not just of Sebastian's characters, but any character ever. ❤ But as a boyfriend? Boy's got baggage. It's what makes me so protective of him, but seeing as how he's trapped in the closet thanks to his overbearing homophobic family and the insane expectations heaped on him, as the show left him, he can't handle an honest relationship. He's too easily influenced by all the wrong people, poor babe.

8 Chris (Destroyer)

On paper, undercover cop sounds cool and exciting, but even if you ignore the fact that he, y'know, dies... Chris got in too deep and kinda lost the mission, so to speak. Best case scenario, you're his sexy partner and in on it all with him and end up on the lam for the rest of your lives. Worst case, this man lies for a living, so can you even trust him? And... yeah. The whole dead thing. Chris is hot af but getting involved with him is a recipe for disaster.

7 Ben

Min and Hathor have mercy, I love Ben! He's smart, he's snarky, he's caring and loyal... he's an absolute disaster. He's another one who seems allergic to honesty, until his lying and avoiding nearly kill his girlfriend. Not exactly relationship goals lol. Everything before totally was, though! Ben's adorable, and I love how he stayed up all night to protect his girlfriend (from a ghost/demon thing... with a baseball bat. I said he was smart, not perfect, okay? XD points for effort lol)

6 Mickey Henry

I. LOVE. MICKEY. Oml I love Mickey. He's a spazz and - even more so than Ben - an absolute disaster of a human being, but I love him. Pros for dating Mickey Henry: he's fun, he's carefree, he'll cook for you even though he's kinda bad at it lol, he loves his son and wants to be a good dad, he wants his partner to be happy and to love life as much as he does. Cons, and the reason he's not higher on the list: He's a pushover; easily influenced by the toxic people in his life, and it gets him into a lot of trouble. Being easily influenced by toxic dumpster fire of a human being Chloe almost lost him the partial custody of his son that he barely even had. He's an absolute sweetheart, but he's a complete man-child, and dating him would often feel more like raising him.

5 Frank "Suffer Buddy"

Come on! You know he and Mickey had to be back-to-back - they're practically the same character! 😂 Frank is Mickey... slightly more grown up. He's still a disaster, but he's respectful of boundaries, he's caring, he's funny in a dry, witty way that I just adore, and hoo lordy that man is a giver! 🥴🥵 Honestly, if he didn't smoke and didn't ditch Daphne in the middle of a party hours away from everything familiar to her surrounded by strangers to go do drugs, I'd call Frank perfect. He listened, he respected her wishes, he tried to keep some distance between them when he found out she'd gone on a date with his best friend (it failed utterly and brought us to the "damn that man's good with his mouth" portion of the movie lmao but still)... I don't have a whole lot of experience with men who actually give a shit, okay? So Frank is like a goddamn unicorn to me lmao. But that drug thing... That keeps him at the bottom of the Top 5 for me. Sorry, bb

4 Bucky

I can already hear everyone on here raging at me for placing Bucky so low on this list, but hear me out: I love this man. I love all four iterations of this man. Flirty 40s Bucky was a doll (fun date, not commitment material). Post-POW camp 40s Bucky had a fire to him that set me on fire. The Winter Soldier can choke me any damn day. Unf. And TFATWS Bucky... Oh, lady above, 2023 Bucky is a gem! He's sweet, snarky, and broken. He feels utterly, wretchedly alone in the world, and everyone around him, including his only friend, is telling him to "man up" and "make amends" for shit that was never his fault to begin with, rather than helping him come to terms with all that he's suffered and all that he's survived. Bucky needs and deserves love. A relationship with him would be so solid, if he found the right person... But it would take a fuck ton of work. He needs someone strong, patient, and more stubborn than he is to prod him until he finds a better therapist and actually opens up, and to keep him on track because even good therapy comes with homework. He does have to "do the work," Sam was right about that much, but he was way off base with what that "work" is. Bucky needs help and understanding, and he would be an amazing boyfriend... if he found someone with the strength to help him weather his nightmares and flashbacks, and help pull him out of this PTSD pit he's been in since 1943.

3 Chris Beck

Big brains turn me on, okay? 😂This man is an astronaut and a surgeon! Yes, please! Come here, you sexy genius! He's smart, he's funny - pretty sure Sebastian is incapable of playing anyone who's not delightfully snarky lol. He's pragmatic when he needs to be but there's also nothing he wouldn't do or risk for the ones he loves. This man is husband material and I cannot be convinced otherwise! So why isn't he #1? Cuz of the whole... spending years in space, thing. Super cool job and I'd be his biggest fan on the ground, but god damn, I would miss him while he's away!

2 TJ Hammond

Look, I'm gender fluid and he's a little bit bi 😂😂😂 Let me have my fantasy, okay? TJ's definitely got a lot of shit to work through, but love brings out the best in him. Before that fucking closeted shitbag broke his heart and stomped on it for good measure, TJ was clean and sober for months, he was happy, he was playing piano again, he was pulling himself together. Not only would he be an amazing boyfriend, but his partner would get the extra joy of getting to watch their love and devotion to him be the thing that saves this beautiful man's life. It's not healthy overall to tie your self worth and will to live to a relationship, but if he found the right person who would be there for him through all of life's shit and stick it out, I think he'd be okay. Even after his lowest point and without the support of his family, TJ still had a dream and he still chased it. He's not just the sweetest person to ever grace our screens, but he's ambitious and business-savvy, too. Keep him off drugs and watch this man take over the world, I'm telling you!

So why is TJ only #2? Well, besides the fact that he's like 99% gay and I have no bits he'd be interested in lmao, there's also the fact that this guy owns my heart:

1 Will Franklyn

And not just because we get to see him wet and mostly naked lol. Will is fucking perfect. I would die for this man... because he's already shown that he would die for his love. He almost fucking did, and they weren't even together yet! He's smart and very aware, he's a writer so we'd get to bond/geek out over books together, he's not all full of himself (self-deprecating humor ftw!) and he's willing to help a total stranger despite actual mortal peril, just because it's the right thing to do. Fierce, intelligent, sassy, strong-willed, and a flawless moral compass? YESYESYESYESYES! Forget boyfriend - let me MARRY this man! 😍🥰

[ilikekidsshows]

Honestly, I'm completely with you on the whole SentiAdrien thing, but what about SentiGabriel? I've never seen anyone talk about it and I imagine we'd run into a lot of the same issues, but what if Emilie made a mistake that cost her husband's life and because she was already fading, she created a replacement to either revive her or reverse her mistakes? I think it would explain some stuff, but probably also create more questions, like, what about GabeNath? How does it impact their partner-/ P1

P2 relationship? Was Gabriel Agreste really like this or is that Emilie's perception of him or what she wants/needs him to be? How do Felix and his mother and the rings factor into this? It does seem a little weird though to have your main villain basically comatose for most of the show and what amounts to a glorified henchman fill her shoes instead, so this is really more of a sudden thought that hit me after the Adrien flashback in Wishmaker.

There are some issues with the idea of Gabriel being a Sentimonster, mostly having to do with what that would mean for Gabriel's credibility as a villain and, of course, his dynamic with Adrien.

While the idea of a henchman running the show while the evil overlord sits on their laurels or is unavailable is not that uncommon, it's more a fantasy trope than a superhero trope. She-Ra, in its first iteration, had the main villain Hordak serving Horde Prime, who barely showed up in the show. Similarly, the reboot has Hordak tinkering in his lab for over half of the series while his henchwoman Catra fights the heroes as the main villain and he, in fact, never takes over as the main villain. The closest superhero media has gotten to this is probably Darkseid from DC or Apocalypse or Galactus from Marvel, who all often send envoys to fight the heroes, but they are always somehow behind the plan and the henchmen do report directly to them or are preparing for their arrival. Doing a simple villain switcheroo isn't something that would fit the scale of the Agrestes as a threat. All the examples I have given are some kind of evil overlords, godlike beings or both.

It's not just that the trope doesn't fit but there's, of course, some theming issues as well. I have seen a post earlier that criticised the idea of Emilie being evil specifically in relation to a scenario where she's actually even worse than Gabriel, making our main villain literally the lesser of two evils. This would make it so that Gabriel wouldn't really be fully responsible for his villainy, if he was brought onto that path by his wife, and it has some pretty unfortunate implications towards how women are viewed that can be seen even in mythology, like the tale of Adam and Eve. Basically, the implication is that evil, evil women corrupt poor, hard-working men with their seductive feminine viles.

Gabriel being a Sentimonster that Emilie made that was accidentally made evil by her has similar connotations of Gabriel only being evil because of Emilie, meaning that this man's crimes were only caused by his lady love. Women are just fundamentally evil and corrupt the men around them. I doubt a show that tries to be feminist would go that route. Emilie recreating a beast of a husband has less of those implications but it's still kinda iffy. Never mind the Pygmalion associations of Emilie sculpting her husband into existence, even if only as a copy, and a copy with no agency at that.

As a side note, I doubt Amelie or Félix would be aware of it if Gabriel was a Sentimonster or that there's anything up with him regardless. Otherwise they'd try to capitalize on that to get what they want: the rings. However, I doubt the rings would be the Amokized object, since then Gabriel would be more alarmed over losing one and Nathalie would be able to sense the Amok, since I doubt she would be in on it, unless she also used to be Emilie's confidant. Instead, the rings would be symbolic of the pretend marriage bond to Emilie, which explains why Gabriel fiddles with them in order to center himself, with the Amok being somewhere more secure. The other option would be that even he thinks he's the real Gabriel Agreste and doesn't realize that the ring(s) hold his essence. The Gabriel in the show being a Sentimonster would mean that Emilie would want her actual husband, so Nathalie could keep the copy she fell in love with, but any relationship with Sentimonster Gabriel would be iffy in terms of consent because Sentimonsters don’t have agency.

Finally, the show has shown us that Sentimonsters' capability for emotion can vary, most Sentimonsters barely emote, while Sentibug's mood flipped on a dime and came across as more performative than real, and she was the best effort of Nathalie to create a versatile Sentimonster that could pass off as the real thing. We don't know much about Sentimonster behavior since they're often created for a simple, singular purpose, but Astruc has said that all relevant information has already come out, so Sentibug's strange emoting is most likely on purpose and relevant. Her missions was "pass off as the real thing", and even then there was something off about her.

This would serve to excuse Gabriel's inability to form a true parental bond with his son. As a Sentimonster, it is very likely that Gabriel would be incapable of loving his son selflessly and taking care of him properly, either because Sentimonsters truly do feel lesser emotions or because Emilie didn't give him that ability. You could argue that there's some symbolism with adoption with them not really being "blood-related", and that being why Gabriel abuses Adrien, but that's a pretty weird parallel to make, unless the show is actually going to side with the myth that a parent will always love a child of their blood more than an adopted one. I just think that we really don't need more media that vilifies adoption, adoptive parents in particular. In addition, adoptive parents don't have a magical condition that makes them incapable of feeling as deeply as real human beings, so it would be ineffective symbolism as well.

[prompt-master]

An Unseen Dream

Kokichi didn’t like making a habit of listening to Monokuma, he knew better than anyone else the trickery and danger that might hide behind every word that bear spoke. Every “hint” and every “gift” was nothing more than a push for this game to drive off a cliff. Sure, no one was being harmed. In fact, their goal was rather simple, they just had to date each other in ten day increments and then they could leave. That didn’t leave Kokichi lowering his guard though, any game that they were forced to play couldn’t be a good one. No matter how innocent the rules seemed to be. Kokichi felt everything that damn bear said was just a trick of misdirection.

... But when he heard there was a key that could open the door to fantasies of the participants around him, Kokichi was at the casino gambling his heart away.

The key was a gaudy thing, just holding it felt gross. “A key to certain places filled with greed and lust,” that’s what the casino called it. It made him want to gag, but it made him want to laugh all the same. Greed and lust… he was sure there were many that would use the key for such things. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that some fantasies must get more frisky than others. Especially with that skank Miu walking around. Kokichi wasn’t doing this for lust though. He wasn’t doing it for greed either. Kokichi told himself he was doing this for many, many reasons.

 He was doing it to win the game, because if he knew everyone’s fantasies then it would be a piece of cake to win their hearts within the time limit. This was a game after all, and if anyone would master the ins and outs of it, it would be Ouma Kokichi. 

He was doing it as a means of gathering intel. How could he know things would be alright just because he one some weird dating game? They were kidnapped. For all they knew this could be the first stage of many games. And if they were willing to kidnap for it, they were willing to hurt for it too. It left an annoyed feeling in Kokichi whenever he saw the others, far too relaxed for kidnapping victims. It sometimes felt like he was the only one looking ahead. And if the day came when these people were his enemy… knowing their secretive fantasies wouldn’t hurt. 

And sure.. Maybe he was doing it just for a bit of fun too. In a world of uncensored fantization, amusement surely awaited Kokichi. He could only begin to imagine the hilarious scenarios he could witness with just this key. As he flipped the key around in his hand he wondered if Kiiboy would even be able to have a fantasy. It was probably something boring, like being a human with a 9-5 job. 

Despite all this, Kokichi knew his main reason for buying the key wasn’t so important. He knew that no matter how much he lied to himself there would always be that curiosity for a certain detective and what was buzzing around in his head. He had been fascinated with Shuichi since day one. 

When the others had relaxed and accepted the situation with little to no issue, Shuichi kept his guard up just like Kokichi did. He could tell, he could see it in those tense shoulders. He could tell that between dates Shuichi was investigating every nook and cranny to try and understand who kidnapped them. And although the two seemed to think in opposites, Kokichi couldn’t help but wonder if maybe they were one and the same. Even in a dating game, however, infatuation of any sort was a risk to Kokichi’s safety. He tried, oh he tried, to let go of this but it was hard not to be allured by someone with the talent that Shuichi had. Kokichi was more than just a liar, it was more accurate to say that he was a lie himself. Lying was a part of him, he could never give that up, even when it pushes others away. But a detective… a kind, sweet, attentive detective like Shuichi? Could he one day get to the point where he could lie to his heart's content, but Shuichi would always be able to read between the lines? Could he one day have a playful back and forth with Shuichi, like a real life game of chess where the two one upped each other using only their wits?

Could he get someone who just… understood him?

Kokichi tucked the key under his pillow and fell asleep to thoughts of Shuichi. What sort of fantasy would Shuichi have? Would it be an awe-inspiring one where he had such confidence  that he could be a hero? Maybe Shuichi wished to achieve something grand in his life, and reach celebrity status? Maybe Shuichi would have more… fun thoughts in mind, the quiet ones think the loudest, after all. He drifted off to these possibilities until they were no longer words and instead were just vague thoughts about Shuichi in general. 

But when he opened that door, he saw Kaito instead. 

He spent the entire night playing the role of Kaito’s passionate pilot rival, somehow the gayest and yet straightest thing Kokichi had ever experienced. When he’d woken up, one of the first things he did was march over to Monokuma to ask what gives. Of course, in a fun, unsuspecting, Kokichi way. 

“What? You thought you’d get to choose which student you get to twiddle with? That would be waaaay too much power for one of you naughty brats, upupupu! If you want to see someone special you better work for it.”

Of course. Kokichi couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. There was always a catch with the tricky types. He would know.

So, Kokichi kept trying. Again and again.

Miu, Angie, Gonta, Tenko, Maki, Kaede (he’s pretty sure he played Shuichi in that one), Ryoma, Kiibo. He’d gone through so many god damn dreams. He’d even gone through Korekiyo’s (who he promptly kicked in the face and ran away from). What the Hell was so elusive about Shuichi’s god damn fantasy that he wasn’t able to get lucky enough to see? And as he progressed through the others… it only made him more and more curious about Shuichi. The dreams could range from sexual, to domestic, to platonic, all of which he could see Shuichi having. With how intense the others were, and how much Shuichi kept to himself… damn it all, he just wanted a little peek! He had spent basically the entirety of the first ten days trying harder to get into this one fantasy than he was trying to get along with Rantaro on their dates. 

It was the last day of this iteration. He had already won with Rantaro, so he was safe. But soon enough tomorrow he would have to wake up and woo someone else over in only ten days. Kokichi didn’t want to risk failing, who knows what the punishment could be. This would be the last try for a while, he couldn’t let this silly desire distract him from what was important. 

He wondered what awaited him behind the door this time. Whatever it was, there was a guarantee it wouldn’t be boring. For good or for worse. Keeping his guard up in case he was bombarded with some sort of insanity, Kokichi opened up the door.

…

There was no one there?

Honestly, Kokichi couldn’t help but do a double take. He was expecting a lot of things to happen. Not… nothing. The only sounds in the room were from the obnoxious Merry-Go-Round pony that did laps around the bed. Typically someone would… just be standing there, in front of the bed, already sunken down into their fantasy world. Kokichi glanced to his left, at the pool. No one. He glanced to his right, at the assortment of BDSM gear. No one. Was it possible to get a null result? Maybe there’s no repeats… so he was meant to experience someone he already saw, like Miu, but because he can’t repeat he just gets… nothing? He wouldn't exactly put it past Monokuma to put in place such a boring unnecessary rule.

Ah. Wait. There was a shift on the bed. Maybe he wasn’t alone after all. He approached carefully, unsure if the build up was part of his role or not. 

“Oh.”

In the bed was Shuichi himself. He wasn’t wearing his hat for once, instead it was down at the end of the bed. Shuichi was curled up in a fetal position, wrapped within the golden sheets of the suite’s bed. One of his hands was loosely holding onto the blanket, the other was placed below his parted lips. His hair was slightly tussled, bangs hanging over his face. Most of his face was pressed within the plush, expensive looking pillows. But the exposed bits that Kokichi could see revealed Shuichi looking simply… at ease. It had only been about ten days, but he had never seen Shuichi looked so comfortable and okay. He didn’t even know he could look so relaxed. Kokichi couldn’t bring himself to wake him up.

His fantasy was just… to get some rest. 

Kokichi laid down in the empty space of the bed left to Shuichi. He had never really gotten a moment to indulge in how nice this bed actually feels. He could feel himself sinking into the mattress. He wondered briefly if maybe it was only so relaxing because Shuichi wanted it to be. Kokichi tucked himself under the covers, which felt way too warm and soft for normal bed sheets. Even the movement of the Merry-Go-Round wasn’t grating on his ears anymore, it just felt like a humble background noise that lulled him into relaxation. This had to have been a part of Shuichi’s fantasy. Only he could create a fantasy world designed to ease your mind. He pressed his back against Shuichi’s, thinking about how this could possibly be the closest he’d ever get to him. 

Was this… really all he wanted? The others thought on a monumental scale. They were all so self indulgent, even Kaede. Even himself. But here Shuichi was, within the vast expanses of his imagination, the thing that brought him the most joy was the idea of getting restful sleep. Why did he dream so small? Kokichi gripped the blanket tighter within his fist, feeling the rise and fall of Shuichi’s back. 

“This dream could be real.”

Kokichi could make it real. 

-----------------

The next morning it was announced that ten days were over, and that no one had failed the first round. Now all they had to do was… the exact same thing again, but with someone else. 

Kokichi took his chance to enact his plan, jumping in front of Shuichi who was clearly trying to get to Kaito instead. 

“A-ah! Ouma-kun… hi.” Kokichi noted uncomfortable posture, although Shuichi always seemed uncomfortable. He took a step back. 

“Saihara-chan!” he cheered, hands behind his back. He wished Shuichi didn’t hide those pretty eyes, he always had to angle himself just for a glimpse of them under the brim of his cap. “Go on a date with me!”

Shuichi lifted a hand to his chin. He was thinking it over then, but that was alright, Shuichi had trouble saying no. His plan would still work. “Right now?” he asked.

“Ye-ap!”

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt…” Shuichi gave him a kind smile, “Would you like to go to the-”

“Let’s go to the library!”

“Huh? The library?” Shuichi was now looking down at him, seeming confused, “How come? I thought you would prefer something like the game room or the AV room.”

‘Because it’s not about me, silly.’ Kokichi’s smile was too innocent to ignore, “Wow wow, how cruel, does my beloved Saihara-chan think I’m too brain dead to enjoy reading?”

“Ah..! That wasn’t what I-”

He grabbed onto the end of Shuichi’s sleeve, “C’mon, to the library! You’re so damn slow, Saihara-chan!”

“Okay, Ouma-kun, I’m coming, just slow down..!”

You know, Kokichi suspected that despite being a detective, Shuichi wasn’t used to things being energetic. And while normally that would mean he’d get annoyed easily at Kokichi’s antics… it also meant that they would tire him out faster too. The rapid talking, the lies that somehow kept tricking Shuichi at first, the bouncing around, the dragging. By the time they’d stepped through the library doors Shuichi already looked ready to go back to his dorm. 

There weren’t many places to sit down in the library, so Shuichi immediately went for the table on the left of the entrance. Kokichi redirected him to the back right corner instead, tucking themselves down on the floor and leaning back against the bookshelves. 

“Ah… is there any reason we’re sitting on the floor?” he seemed genuinely curious, not upset.

Kokichi’s smile grew sly, “Isn’t it more romantic here?”

Shuichi tugged the brim of his cap down, but Kokichi could see his blush through his exposed ear. “M… mm” was all he could get out. 

“Do you have any recommendations, Saihara-chan? You must know some good mysteries after all, Mr. Detective.”

Shuichi was looking down at his hands, which were placed in his lap. But Kokichi could tell he wasn’t disinterested, just awkward. “Not really… I used to enjoy mystery novels quite a lot but… after becoming a detective, I stopped reading them.”

“Ooooh, got too boring for an experienced veteran then?”

“Uhm… not exactly…” So Shuichi didn’t like being a detective, then. Kokichi made a mental note of that. 

“But,” Shuichi continued, “Back at home, we really only owned mystery novels. So unless I was at the library I would read them out of boredom.”

“Hmmm, so you’re the type to finish a book even if it sucks.”

“Haha, well, you should give it a good chance, right?”

“If a book sucks, it sucks.”

Shuichi’s laugh was gentle, yet overpoweringly sweet. 

“So you’re a huuuuge geek then, have you read any books here yet?”

Shuichi shook his head, gesturing to the impressive mess around them, “It’s too much to search through… and everything is so disorganized. I haven’t really gotten a chance to try and choose.” So he was the type to become indecisive with a lot of options, then. 

“Plus,” He picked a book up from the pile just sitting next to them, and flipped open to a random page. He turned the book to Kokichi, revealing strange organic patterns cut away into the pages of the book; they seemed to run deep too. Not to mention the crusty yellowness to them that left the pages crunchy and wrinkly. The words that weren’t cut out of the book from the holes were faded, smeared, and difficult to read. There was a musty, moldy smell that hit Kokichi’s face as it wafted off the book, likely coming from the strange spots clinging to the cover and edges of the book. “These books have been left here for a long time, they’re waterlogged from mold and moisture, and have bad damage from insects eating the pages. So they’re essentially unreadable.”

Kokichi stuck his tongue out in disgust, imagining gross bugs crawling inside the books near them. It would sure make Gonta happy, though.

“Well, luckily for you, not all the books are damaged!”

Shuichi’s intrigue was instant, enough so that he didn’t hide his eyes as well as he normally does. “Really?”

“Look at what I found!” Kokichi pulled out two books from the shelf, he’d put them there earlier just for this moment. “Maybe I just have Ultimate Luck, I stumbled on these completely by accident. Ah, but, that’s a lie.”

Shuichi took the book from his hands, turning through the pages with a careful hand. Making sure it really was readable, “This is incredible, Ouma-kun! How did you find this?”

“I had to kill Kiiboy for it, just so Monokuma would owe me a favor for the entertainment! It was brutal too. Lots of sparks.”

“That’s… a lie, right?”

“Who knows~”

Once Kokichi noticed Shuichi’s eyes were scanning the pages of the book he fell into silence. Kokichi sagged down further against the bookcase, arm just barely brushing against Shuichi’s. He opened his own book, but truth be told that was just a lie. He didn’t read a single page, instead he just occasionally turned one so that Shuichi would think he was enjoying their little reading circle. Kokichi’s plan was good. Genius even. He deserved every right to brag. The library was the perfect place to get Shuichi’s guard down. Around the others, things were a constant flurry of chaos. But here it was quiet, peaceful, and smelled like old books. Top that off with making him read the most boring, uneventful book he could find? Shuichi was a goner. 

Kokichi flipped another page in his book, but his eyes were focused on Shuichi’s. Shuichi’s face was alert, but underneath his eyes were dark circles that looked honestly draining. No wonder he was so tired he fantasized about rest. Kokichi wondered if something made it difficult for him to fall asleep. A restless sleeper? A ghost in his dreams? A painful past? Maybe Kokichi was just projecting, maybe he was just having trouble adjusting to their new day to day schedule. Well, here in the library by Kokichi’s side it seemed to be easier to sleep. Because after a while his eyes became sleepier and sleepier. Kokichi shifted himself so that he was leaning further against Shuichi’s arm. Shuichi, too tired to be embarrassed or think it through, dropped his head down to rest on Kokichi. Before long he stopped turning pages, then his hands loosened around the book, then Kokichi heard the relaxed breaths of someone finally getting some well deserved rest. 

“You’re too easy, Saihara-chan.” he whispered. 

Soon Kokichi would get up and ask Gonta to carry Shuichi to his bed. Then he would make sure he was comfortable, and that no one would interrupt his rest. But until then… it didn’t hurt to enjoy this moment.

[therosecrest]

I finished reading the 1978 run of Spider-Woman, which I became interested in after I happened to read a little bit about her origins and saw a few excerpts from her early run. I was not very familiar with Spider-Woman beyond her inclusion in the New Avengers, in which, to be honest, I seem to remember thinking she was kind of a bitch. But I thought the original concept of her dual nature was interesting, and found her sense of isolation and otherness relatable and appealing. However, her early run explored this in the most superficial manner. I’m no stranger to the verbocious writing of older comics, but those issues’ presentation of Jessica’s struggle was simply shallow.

Conceptually, I really like this iteration of Jessica Drew, but in practice, her writing was vapid; a string of lame villains, dubious writing, and, my least favourite, mandatory love interests. This, too, could really work, if the writer could, cared to, or was allowed to write her with any depth. Is it any wonder Jessica, to whom almost all humans are instinctively averse, fell into the the arms of the first man in her life who was attracted to her? Not wholly out of attraction - which I never, ever believed - but a need for companionship.

The next writer, I believe, would wisely cut Jerry from the story, parting ways with Jessica due to an increasing sense of emasculation. I was pleased to see him go. Unfortunately, he was not the only unconvincing straight love interest. Honestly, Jessica Drew just does read as a lesbian character. I doubt much of this, if any, was intentional, but I do find her relationship with Lindsay a little homoerotic.

The main problem with the run is the directionless first half, which periodically saw her character and scenario suddenly change. Eventually, the writing (and art) improved, particularly with the pairing of writer Chris Claremont and Steve Leiloha. Jessica’s characterisation largely stabilised around this point as well. This version of Jessica is much more confident, closer to her modern counterpart. I think it’s unfortunate that much of her early characterisation was discarded, abandoning her spider/woman dynamic, but perhaps it was untenable. Perhaps they simply didn’t know what to do with it.

As for what’s next, it seems Jessica didn’t have her own run for a long time after that. Perhaps I will try to find a jumping on point for her modern run. I’m moreorless aware of her current situation, although I’ve never liked superheroes with kids, much less babies. Feels like a bit of an anchor. Due to the sliding timescale, rarely can they naturally age. They also tend to fix the character in a dynamic or scenario, I feel. Well, one way or another, I want to read more.

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Hi there! Just started reading your meta posts on Spidey and you've got me hooked! I've really enjoyed learning more about the webhead and how he's been portrayed over the years, so much so that I've now finished the Lee/Ditko era of the comics and am now starting on Lee/Romita Sr. On that note, I have a few questions regarding Spider-Man in the MCU and what the future could hold post-NWH (as someone whose interest in the MCU has always been passing at best and is, admittedly, not very knowledgeable of what's been unfolding).

1) Do we have any information that confirms how many more Spider-Man films Sony and Marvel/Disney will collaborate on after NWH? I've heard of various numbers and contractual agreements being thrown about, but I can't find anything concrete on the subject.

2) If speculated aspects of the OMD plotline (like Mephisto) hold true for this film, which scenario do you think is more likely: a soft reboot of Holland's Spider-Man that'll be more in keeping with his comic counterpart? Or, a farewell to this iteration of Peter Parker that'll see Miles Morales take on the mantle of Spider-Man for future installments?

Thank you for the kind words

1) So... this is a case of there may well be confirmed info out there but I've not actually checked. The way the deal worked in the past was essentially the team-up movies like Civil War and Avengers were 'Marvel's' stuff and the solo outtings were 'Sony's'. If that deal persists then it stands to reason that we're going to get Spider-Man as a guest or crossed over character in a movie that is unquestionably a Marvel IP. However, I suspect somehow they're going to use the muliverse they've been building to in-effect canonize the movies Sony has been making (Venom, Morbius, Let there Be Carnage, etc) as part of the MCU. This at the very least will in theory garner those movies more cash because their closer in the audiences' eyes to the cash cow of the MCU and at most might even allow for future crossovers into the MCU ala what is going to happen in No War Home. That is to say it is theoretically possible for Tom Hardy's Venom to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy or something

2) Honestly i don't see either scenario happening. Marvel have been replacing characetrs in the Phase 4 out of necessity not because they exactly want to or think it will be more profitable. They didn't choose not to continue with Steve Rogers, Chris Evans is inextricably connected to the part and didn't want to go on. So... legacy.

I highly doubt Holland doesn't want to do more with the MCU given his age, his career opportunities and his love of the character so there is no incentive to replace him on that front. And on a purely financial POV... Marvel know for a fact Miles Morales simply doesn't make the same level of money as Peter Parker.

As for soft rebooting him... I mean I guess that's more likely but we're talking merely in terms of comparisons. It is comparatively more likely, not that I think it is a real possibility. I think they aren't going to reboot anyone's history but continue on with the direction they've set (somehow). Possibly they will toss out that you want a more faithful Spider-Man? Well that's Maguire and/or Garfield who are now canon to the MCU, so your more faithful Spider-Man does exist within the MCU technically

[sanstropfremir]

what do you think makes someone have good stage presence? do you think it's something that can be taught or something one just naturally possesses?

i read your answer to the other ask. and re. super m, i like lucas. don't get me wrong. he's very much a hong kong beauty that i love (sm is really missing out by not putting him in more editorials).

but in terms of stage presence, he isn't a standout to me? maybe that's because he's in a group with, in my opinion, two of the best performers (taemin + kai). i put him in the same category as baekhyun. like you mentioned, he doesn't stand out but makes up for it by screaming. but for lucas, he's not the best rapper or vocalist and isn't given a lot of lines.

also, what do you think about nct's infinite concept? this is a bit random but wanted to group together since we're talking about nct members. nct2020 was a whole mess for me (as someone who absolutely LOVED nct2018 concept wise and thought maybe, hey this could work). watching nct2020, it seems... asjhdakjhlgds for a lack of better words. like if i was a member and wasn't taeyong/mark/ten/lucas/doyoung, i would be :/ there's definitely a reason why sm pushes them the most because they're just better in capturing the audience. the other members feel like glorified background dancers.

in my personal opinion, stage presence is how well a performer can convince the audience that they are alive, and that they belong there. the stage is an artifice. it isn’t real, nothing you do on it is real, all performance is just that: performative. a human being’s natural state is not on a large platform being stared at, obviously anyone put in that situation is going to find it difficult to act in a natural way. why do you think people hate public speaking? why stage fright is a thing? those of us that can make it over that initial hurdle of being looked at have dual challenges; we as the audience know this whole scenario is fake; what makes it real is our willingness to be convinced that it is real, and the performer’s ability to make us believe that it is real. a huge part of this is making their bodies move and respond in a way that we recognize. this includes making facial expressions. it also includes exuding the confidence that you belong on that stage. that we should be looking at you. this is no place for timidity or nervousness. yes, i do think this is something you can learn, it’s acting and anyone can learn to act. do some people have an advantage over others? absolutely, it's the same with any skill. are there some people that despite being on stage for years never learn? also yes. i don’t think it's a ‘you have it or you don’t’ scenario, like with all reductivist binary statements, it belittles the effort of the people that work extremely hard to get where they are. this is the fallacy of mozart***; those with a high level of natural talent cannot coast by just that talent alone - a true artist is dedicated to pushing their own boundaries and skills regardless of what others deem you as. no one is born a genius, but we all have predispositions that, if applied cultivation, can become fully fledged ‘genius’ level skills. 

i’m gonna put the rest of my responses under a cut because i got extremely deep in the weeds on that one, whoops.

i can totally see why lucas and baekhyun would fall into the same category for you, that's valid. obviously a lot of how effective someone’s stage presence can be is pretty subjective. my standards have a slightly different skew than the average kpop fan, since my life has been working and making performance for over a decade. yes, lucas doesn’t have the same presence as taemin or kai, and yea he's not the best rapper or best vocalist by far, but i think he carries himself extremely well despite that. he's got advantages from the start; he’s the tallest in the group and he’s pretty, but the few times that he is in center i am absolutely paying attention to him. ‘im the other one chilling with them other ones’? no idea what the fuck that means but i absolutely believe him. honestly i can't even remember any other parts of that song. if sm ever decides to give him more parts i think we’ll see a uptick in his skills. he really knows how to work a camera; his expressions and body language are already really strong and he exudes confidence like an overeager puppy.

i think nct’s infinite concept is ridiculous and a bit disrespectful to the original members who’ve done the lion's share of the work building the brand. obviously i understand why sm did it, when you have an established brand that you can keep plugging new members into you essentially never have to take the risks involved with debuting a new group ever again. plus with nct’s whole.....new culture + technology thing, they’re primed for any of the weird awful tech updates that are inevitably coming in the next decade. no shade on the girls in aespa, i just find the idea of debuting a girl group with overly sexualized ai robot versions of themselves into a world where the boundaries between idol and fan are already constantly violated uhhh...........distasteful. to put it mildly. i also think the concept is disrespectful to the new members that constantly get added in; because they get added into a system that has a clear working structure based on those original members, who are going to be in every iteration ever. because they’re the proven selling points. at least when you debut a totally new group you’re giving those idols a clean slate. any of the new nct boys will never really have a chance to truly establish themselves outside of that context. plus they will forever be plagued by exclusionist stans. if you’re lucky and charismatic and pretty like lucas you might get the chance to get beyond that (he made it to superm after all), but for pretty much everyone else? anon you said it not me.

*** i know this is not actually what the mozart fallacy is. hence the wording change. but as far as i'm aware there isn’t actually a name for this phenomenon so i'm calling it like how i heard it first described, which was using mozart as an example.

[hypmic-writings]

Hi! ☺️ Can i request a scenario where nemu’s friend ‘s been in love with samatoki and finally decided to tell him their feelings. For the ending, you can decide if you want it to be fluff or angst. Thank you and have a nice day 😊😊

Thanks for requesting! This was adorable and, like everything else I’ve ever written, got a bit out of hand. Hope you enjoy~

--

You watched closely as Samatoki, Ichiro, Sasara, and Kuko laughed and joked around at the table. Having taken a position in the kitchen, you were able to hear the discussion without having to be a part of it.

This lead you to a pastime you had recently become fond of – watching Samatoki.

You watched him closely as his face shifted through a range of emotions, noting how intense his scowl looked when he was annoyed, yet how charming his smile looked when he laughed. His silver hair was slightly pulled back and his sharp, red eyes watched his teammates closely as the conversation flowed.  

“Y/N, you’re staring again,” Nemu giggled as you quickly turned towards her, your cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” you mumbled, pulling out your phone in an effort to avoid her gaze. She laughed once more and nudged you gently in the arm.

“You can’t hide your feelings from me so easily, you know,” she said from the seat next to you. “Samatoki might be thick-headed, but I’m definitely not.”

You rolled your eyes at her, but took a moment to quickly glance back over at the table.

“I was just listening to their conversation. It’s not like I was paying any special attention to Samatoki,” you said, matter-of-factly. Nemu raised her eyebrow at you and shook her head.

“Oh yea? Tell me what they were just talking about,” she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. Your mind drew an utter blank and all you could think of was Samatoki’s jawline, and how good his outfit looked today.

“Um…a rap battle?” you guessed, knowing that this was the topic of 80% of their conversations. Nemu made a noise signaling that you had given the wrong answer and shook her head, bringing a hand up to her forehead.

“I don’t understand, if you like him so much, why not just ask him out?” she asked, pulling you over to the fridge so that you could help her put away the food she had bought.

You shifted your eyes quickly to Samatoki before bringing them back to your friend.

“I don’t know…what’s the point?” you asked, sighing. “He’s just going to say ‘sorry but I only think of you as a sister’ or something,” you grumbled, mimicking his voice. Nemu smiled encouragingly at you.

“Listen, I’ve known you since we were young and so has Samatoki. You’re a great friend and honestly, you make him a better person,” she iterated, tilting her head a bit. “And actually, I think you make him a lot less violent…” she trailed off in thought. You frowned a bit.

“What do you mean?” you asked, quizzically.

“Mmm, it’s hard to say exactly, but when he’s around you he gets a little softer. Like he doesn’t want to fight around you. Maybe he’s scared of hurting you?” she suggested. You bit your lip in thought.

“But he does the same with you, right? Wouldn’t that mean for sure that he thinks of me as a little sister?” you asked, sighing a bit. Nemu pouted and frowned.

“No, it’s different! I can’t explain it, but it is!” she exclaimed. You fidgeted with the hem of your dress as you thought about Samatoki.

It’s true that you had known him for an incredibly long time, but these feelings had never been this strong before. They had really only begun to form in the past few years. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to act natural around the boy when all he did was make your cheeks flush and your heart race.

Naturally, Nemu found out quickly, but Samatoki was non the wiser.

“Just go for it,” Nemu said, taking your had in her own and squeezing it encouragingly. “Plus, if you marry him, you’ll be my sister for real!” she squealed happily, making you blush once more and hush her quickly.

--

A few days later, you found yourself at the Aohitsugi residence once more. Nemu had texted you, asking if you wanted to go out, and you had agreed to meet her at her apartment. Unfortunately, she must have been running late, because when the door opened, it was Samatoki.

“Ah, S-Samatoki!” you exclaimed in surprise, your heart already beginning to beat a bit faster than normal. Samatoki casually took a step back, opening the door for you as he spoke.

“Hey, Y/N. Nemu had to run out for an errand real quick, but she said she would be back soon,” Samatoki said, pulling your coat from your hands and hanging it up for you. You took a deep breath and wondered if your friend had planned to leave you alone with him like this.

“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll just wait for her then,” you replied, trying to be calm, but finding your voice a few notes higher than usual. Samatoki frowned and looked over at you.

“You okay? Do you want some tea or anything? It’s pretty cold outside,” he remarked, closing the door quickly and following you into the apartment. You shook your head with a nervous smile.

“No, you don’t have to go through the trouble. I’m sure she’ll be here soon enough,” you said, waving your hands out in front of you. Samatoki shrugged.

“Whatever you say,” he said. “I’m putting on a pot for myself though, so I can’t promise I won’t make you some anyways,” he added, shooting you a small smile that made your breath catch in your throat.

You averted your eyes and quickly cleared your throat as you placed your bag on a nearby chair. There was a brief moment of silence as your thoughts raced. This was one of the very few times you had ever been completely alone with Samatoki. Maybe Nemu was right…maybe you had to clear the air with him. Regardless of how he felt about you, he deserved to know your feelings for him.

You would just have to deal with the aftermath.

You slowly turned from your spot towards the kitchen, clasping your hands together as your heart raced in your chest. Where you were once feeling cold when you walked into the apartment, you now felt like you were on fire.

You watched Samatoki for a moment as he poured water into the kettle. When he noticed you standing in the corner of the kitchen he looked up.

“Huh? What’s up? You look like you’re gonna throw up,” Samatoki said, a plain look on his face. You quickly covered your face with your hands and shook your head. Why would he say something like that!?

“No, it’s not…I’m fine,” you managed, taking a deep breath before looking back over at Samatoki. He had put down the pot and you know had his complete attention. His ruby eyes seemed to sparkle as the gazed at you and you willed yourself not to get lost in them.

“There’s something that I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while…” you began, slowly and trying to sound as sure of yourself as possible. “…I just never really knew how to say it…honestly, I still don’t think I know.”

You continued to hold his gaze as you bit your lip in anticipation.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, confused now. You quickly began to speak once more, afraid that you would be interrupted or lose the will to confess your feelings.

“I have feelings for you, Samatoki,” you blurted out, feeling the heat rise to your face as you quickly dropped your gaze down to your feet. “I’m not sure what brought them on, but…I like you,” you stated, a bit quieter now.

There was a brief moment of silence which made you slowly lift your gaze up to Samatoki’s. What you saw in his eyes was surprise and a bit of confusion. When he didn’t move or speak you frowned, your hand over your heart which was pounding hard.

“Do you like me?” you asked, barely audibly. When he realized that your eyes were now on him in anticipation, Samatoki moved his gaze away from you.

You could have been wrong, but you thought his cheeks appeared to be just the slightest shade of pink.

“What are you talking about? Of course, I like you,” he mumbled, crossing his arms in front of him. “I’ve known you forever. If I didn’t like you by now, you would know,” he added, his words sharp but his tone soft.

You could only let the words sink in and wonder if he was reciprocating your feelings, or if he had misunderstood you.

“No, Samatoki,” you said, working up the nerve to ask him as directly as possible. “I have…romantic…feelings for you…” you trailed off, dropping your eyes once more as the words you spoke were far too embarrassing to say to his face. You didn’t have to wait long for a response as Samatoki shifted in front of you.

“Yea, I got that,” he stated defensively. “…I’m not stupid you know…” he grumbled under his voice.

His words made you quickly look back at him, finding his face to be even more lit with a pink hue than before. He was turned away and had his eyes fixed elsewhere. This didn’t bother you though as you felt yourself break into a smile with a sigh of relief.

“Really? So you feel the same way?” you asked, bringing your hands together and gazing up at him with hope in your heart. He glanced back at you before closing his eyes and sighing, bringing a hand to the back of his neck.

“Yea, I guess you could say that…” he stated, lowly. You covered your mouth with your hand as you excitedly took a step towards him. He looked down at you now with wide eyes and shook his head.

“What’s with that face?” he asked, quickly holding his head high and keeping a straight face. You reached out and took his hand in your own, grinning at him, unable to contain your own happiness.

“I’m just really happy you feel the same way too! I was worried…” you started, but then decided it would be better not to tell him your worries.

Samatoki started slightly at your touch and gazed at you with wide eyes, his heart beating just a bit faster as you looked up at him with a loving smile. He turned away once more, pressing his lips into a thin line and feeling his cheeks warm up once again.

“You shouldn’t wait so long to tell me these kinds of things. Next time say something sooner, okay?” he said, turning all of his attention to the water on the boiler. You tilted your head in confusion.

“Next time?” you asked.

Before Samatoki could say anything else, the door opened and a voice called out.

“I’m home!”

You felt Samatoki jump at the sound and you quickly let go of his hand, taking a step back. You tried to leave the kitchen but before you could, Nemu popped her head into the doorway with a grin.

“Did I miss anything fun?”

[paradife-loft]

1&2 for general, ships, characters & story

General

1. If you had to join a sect, which would you join?

Ahahaha oh, oh no, the difficult question!!! *covers face*

Tbh I would. join the Lan sect and then be like, the most problematic Lan ever to Lan XD (”But James, don’t you have a reflexive fight me!!! response to rules and authority....?” yes maybe so shush now that’s why I said problematic.)

Like the thing is. I DO like being a nerd, and I DO like the idea of cultivating with music certainly moreso than with swords look I do not enjoy physical exertion a lot of the time, and I semi-regularly become full of emotion and start wailing to whoever’s nearby about wanting to live in somewhere as beautiful as the Cloud Recesses??? It is SO lovely there. Also the only other option I was considering, the Jiang, tbh gives me the impression that I would die miserably of humidity in Yunmeng sooooo :/

But also for real I am... a lot more chill with following rules when I agree with them about their purpose being to better you ethically and also to form a cohesive community, and I’ve chosen to adhere to them by my own will? Uhh, demonstrably lmao. But yeah I’d definitely still be Arguing about things and eating hot peppers in Caiyi town and playing the “it’s not really drinking if you neutralise the alcohol” game ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

2. Your three favorite characters?

*lies dramatically on the ground* How am I supposed to pick just threeeeee???

But ok, so, Jin Guangyao, and then *spins the roulette wheel for today’s picks* probably Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian, averaged out?? But I have a lot of feelings about Everyone ;u;

Ships

1. What’s your OTP?

*chinhands* Surely we all know this by now :P

2. What’s your NOTP? Or any other ship you hate?

Uhhhhh hhhhhhh hahaha ngl I usually feel guilty talking about notps in public??? Probably bc often as not it’s more about “90% of the content I see in the fandom is relatively fluffy and/or mundane and/or lacking in meaty conflict and therefore bores me to tears” oops.

But I will say tbh that I have a pretty visceral unhappy NOPE reaction to LXC/NHS in. Probably 95% of contexts ever. Unless I feel particularly into reading, like, sex-as-self-harm fic on any given day, lmao.

Characters

1. If you could date any character from MDZS, who would you pick?

Lol, none of them.

2. If you had to kill a character, who would you kill?

Save a sex worker or POW, toss JGS off a cliff :) (predictable answer but hey) (I mean, this is distinct from an answer to “who would I kill at a point in the story prior to their actual death,” but. I would be remiss at existing if I didn’t take the opportunity to say I would kill JGS given the slightest excuse.)

Story

1. If you could make one major story change, what change would you make? Why?

Ahhhh, hell. Actually, you know what? I would slightly revamp Qin Su’s character to have her be aware of her parentage since roughly the same time as JGY is, and have them both separately keeping that a secret from one another for roughly the same reasons. She’s disturbed by the letter from Bicao simply because of the implications around someone wanting to make this knowledge public. (On the other hand: she DOES still ask JGY about how Rusong died, and IS still angry and horrified by the attitude he takes to that question and the implication that he was the one who orchestrated that death, because wtf just because his parents were siblings doesn’t mean he should have been anything other than a happy, perfectly loved, alive child??? Get a fucking grip!)

...And then I think. if she does still end up dying* then it’s probably gonna be directly NHS’s fault, in this context? Because “oh okay I was not expecting her to be chill with that, that’s an unpleasant surprise; well I still gotta ruin JGY’s marriage somehow SHRUG”. But on the other hand I really really don’t love all the women dying, so maybe instead he just reveals her complicity publicly and destroys her reputation and turns her into a pariah? :/ Which is still unpleasant but at least isn’t. death.

Anyway the reason why is like. Partially just aesthetic preferences!! I like “morally questionable power couple” much better than I like “evil dude and morally pure innocent victim wife”. (I in fact very much dislike the latter. Looking @ u, late Numenor.) And also partially - I very much like the additional resonance of “JGY underestimates he sweet and kind people around him and doesn’t notice that they can also have sneaky ruthless streaks” that this would add re: Huaisang? While also for that matter foreshadowing the Huaisang reveal?

And, yeah, a lot of other changes I would “like” to make, honestly fall more into the genre of “things I would like as fix-it fics” rather than changes I want to make to the base story, because so many of the pieces I’ve gone “augh but what if that were different!” are just. structurally important to MDZS’s tragic and other thematic elements. Messing with this aspect to Qin Su’s story doesn’t have to make the base plot non-tragic, but does improve on a few issues I have with e.g. morally polarised female characters who all die anyway.

2. Which character would you bring back to life?

!!???!!? when are we talking, here! in what fashion?

....okay, so for the sake of not making my head explode with potential options, I’m going to limit this to cases of characters who are 100% confirmed dead, being brought back either as a fierce corpse or via sacrifice-summon, generally within the main timeline of the story (i.e. not several decades post-canon).

And of that set under those conditions, I’m gonna pick Jiang Yanli. Look. I LOVE the possibilities of fierce corpse!Jiang Yanli. As a scenario it’s both incredibly fucked up but also the possibilities for really emotional reconciliation between all three Yunmeng siblings in the present timeline??? Logistically I think this would have to take place in a bookverse-style “LWJ carries WWX off to the burial mounds post-Nightless City battle” situation... so like, in a fit of practically qi-deviating rage-grief, WWX reanimates JYL’s corpse right as she dies, a la Wen Ning? and then part of what he’s doing, half out of his mind, during the missing time in the Burial Mounds is working on bringing her spiritual consciousness to put back in there.

........there’s definitely more logistics to be worked out, most notably “where is she during the intervening decade?” but. I love the idea of Jiang Cheng’s anger being not only “you killed my sister” but also “YOU TURNED MY SISTER INTO A FUCKING ZOMBIE”. I love the idea of, eventually, her being ACTUALLY PRESENT to express some of her own opinions and feelings on how WWX & JC fighting over her death (& fierce corpse status) is rly fucked up. make them deal with her as an actual person who’s inconvenient in her wants and needs and willingness to always extend a hand to others, not just a place to hang all their messy emotions on! give her eventually a chance to bond with Jin Ling, and the awkwardness and grief about how much of his life she missed, interspersed with “!!!!! I get to have this back! feelings!”

Because also just in general, I’d really love to have her around to interact with all the characters in their fucked-up “one timeskip later” iterations, and her perma-dying really just robs us of that chance and it’s very rude!

Bonus: holy fuck what would it be like for all her talents and skills and weaknesses to suddenly be completely reversed? Extremely physically strong and capable now! But more likely to scare people than charm them. Can she still, like, taste food properly? Who knows. But wouldn’t THAT be a juicy situation to explore for her! :O