#I don't know why we said this but I know it's true

[mochinomnoms]

unhinged and raunchy

In which your mouth runs faster than your brain and you say something absolutely and horrifically horny by accident. All quote come from this person's tiktok series "might as well"

Third-years x gn!reader

[tw/cw} — highly suggestive, crack, idk just having fun with it i guess

Trey Clover: "If I was a donut I'd be a Boston Cream the way he fills me up with his..."

Poor Trey. He's already not a morning person, but he's wide fucking awake now.

You still look like the sleep hasn't quite left your brain, but it's starting to process what you said in front of Ace at the table.

"Bro, right in front of my scrambled eggs?" He made gagging sound, grabbing his plate and grumbling as he elected to eat outside. "I don't wanna hear about your sex life, gross."

Trey sighed pinching at his noses as he eyed you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you sleepily leaned into his side.

"You're still half-asleep, aren't you?"

"Hmm...I...think...mm" You nodded, pressing a kiss to his jaw. "Yeah...cream...in me—"

"Okay let's get you back to bed actually."

"Oooh...gonna make me a dooooonut...creamy donut..."

It takes him a bit longer than usual to go through the rest of his morning routine. You're no where to be found until well into the afternoon, though Ace (unfortunately) has an inkling of where you'd been.

Cater Diamond: "Slow and steady sets the pace but fast and quick lets him get a taste~"

Why are you looking at him like that?? You're the one who opened your mouth!

"Seven help me, what was that?!" He was cackling though, almost sliding off the bench from how much he was in hysterics.

"I DON'T KNOW! SNRK—" You had burst into a fit of laughter, falling off the bench yourself into the sidewalk, covering your face in embarrassment.

"Ooh~ Got your CayCay on the brain, huh? You're lucky no one else's here and that you're such a cutie~"

Both of you were losing it by now, crumpled together in a pile on the ground, clutching at each other's shoulders between fits of laughter.

"Yeah, good thing your cutie's been drinking pomegranate juice and pineapple—"

"Pffpt—stooop!"

"—Cause I'm the only sweet thing you wanna taste~"

"BWAAAHAHAHA—"

Leona Kingscholar: "I call that man my coffee 'cause of the way I guzzle him down in the morning—"

A hand smacked over your mouth, but it didn't change the fact that the poor students sitting across from you looked like they'd just witnessed a murder.

"...A lil salt never hurt nobody." You finished your sentence against Leona's palm, muffled but loud enough to make the others cringe even more.

Leona's tail smacked against your thigh as he let out a grumble, gesturing to the others.

"Out. Now." The lounge was empty in less than 30 seconds, leaving just the two of you in Leona's favorite lounge chair, next to the waterfall.

"And you." Laying back down on the cushion, Leona pulled you with him, an amused smirk on his face. "If you're gonna talk big words, you better make sure it's true. I don't think you had your 'coffee' this morning, hm?"

You grinned back at him, turning to rest your knees over his hips.

"Well, I am thirsty, and if you're offering~"

Vil Schoenheit: "Callin' you face wash with the way you come all over my face—wooooah"

Both you and Vil froze mid-routine, he applying his make up primer and you drying your face with a plush towel.

"...I don't think that would be good for my skin."

"That's the issue with what you said? Nothing else?"

Vil scoffed, tapping the tips of his fingers to spread the product around his face.

You shrugged, folding your towel and placing it on the counter before you come up behind Vil, wrapping your arms around his waist. Nuzzling into his back, he felt you grin against his shoulders.

"Well, I mean, why don't we hold a little experiment real quick and see—"

"Absolutely not now, I have places to be." Vil clicked his tongue at your as you let out a whiny pout. "Now, now dearest. I said not now. I'm more than happy to make you a mess tonight, have patience."

Rook Hunt: "A pogo stick ain't got nothing on me with the way I'm bouncin' on it."

"Oui? Is that so?" Rook looked at you with amusement, though a pretty pink blush was on his cheeks.

You yelped, jumping in your seat, almost falling off the couch, as you glared at your boyfriend behind you.

"How long have you been here listening to me spew shit?"

"As long as you've been singing your desires pour moi, I am particularly fond of the one calling me a blessing between—"

"YOU'VE BEEN HERE AT LEAST AN HOUR?? Dammit Rook, you should be thankful I fucking love your weird ass."

"As am I, mon adorable filou~" Green eyes flitted down your body, the corner of his lips quirking up as he looked back up to meet your own.

"A pogo stick, hmm?"

"Oh, yeah. Go hard and fast just like—" You sighed, rubbing a hand down your face. "I should stop."

"Pourquoi? I find it rather sweet you think such thoughts of me!" Rook leaned in close, a coy smile on his lips.

I'd be more than happy to indugle in them, rien que pour vous!

Idia Shroud: "Call him a remote with the way he makes me louder with just his thumb~"

The clatter of a controller dropping on the ground and the sight of blue flames going pink made you shrink into Idia's bed as he turned in his chair to stare at you.

"Huh, I'll call you back later, 'kay bye." You rapidly hung up, crawling backwards as Idia clambered over to you and on the bed, reaching for your phone.

"WHO YOU WERE YOU TALKING TO? WHY ARE YOU TELLING THEM OUR BUSINESS!"

Curling around your phone and pushing him away with your foot on his chest (easily mind you, he was barely resisting), you batted your eyes.

"I didn't mean to. It just came out while gossiping with Cat—"

"YOU'RE TELLING CATER ABOUT OUR SEX LIFE?" Idia shrieked, collapsing on top of you, effectively trapping you to the bed with his weight. "How am I ever going to face him..."

"You don't even talk to him! You actively go out of your way to avoid him. I was just bragging about you..."

Idia mumbled into your chest, making you pause until he popped up and gave you a glare, tips now turning red.

"I'm not gonna help you beat the final boss of your dumb game anymore."

"Idia! Noooo I need you!"

Malleus Draconia: "Call me soil with the way he plows me—oooooh."

Malleus's arms where steadying you as you giggled, tipsy from the wine Lilia had brought out earlier. Evidently, humans are much more susceptible to the effects of fae wine, you didn't even recognize the man holding you.

"No, no, no, no. I don' wanna go with you, I want Mal...to plow...heh." You snorted, tripping over your feet.

"Come now beastie, wait until we're in my chambers." He was both concerned for how quickly you became drunk but also amused from the chatter coming from your mouth.

"I—hmm. Where's Mal?" The two of you managed to get to his room, though you pushed him off you and tripped over to the bed. "MalMal...He can plant his seed in me..."

You planted face down into the bed, still giggling as Malleus carefully moved you under the covers with a soft smile.

"A tempting proposition, perhaps we can discuss in the morning when you're right of mind."

Lilia Vanrouge: "Might as well call me a book the way this man opens me up before bed every night..."

"I'm begging you to stop, please."

"...Flipping my pages…"

"I really don't want to hear your nights with Fa—Lilia. Please."

Silver gave Lilia a pleading look, nodding his head to you. Lilia was covering a smile as he watched you tiredly blink up at the two of them.

The consequences of you staying up for two days to do homework and study for an exam, evidently, were having you say the most amusing things. Especially about Lilia.

"But-but-but, it's true! I gotta speak my truth man." You slurred your words, squeezing your eyes tightly and opening, as if it would help.

"He's soooo good! And-and I just love him so much Silver. Silver. Silver. SILVER!"

Silver tilted his head as far back as possible as you grabbed his shoulders with a wild look in your eye. Again, his eyes begged Lilia to intervene, though said fae was still watching with amusement.

"...I need him carnally."

"Father please."

"Okay, okay. Sweetheart, come 'ere. Let's get you to bed."

You let yourself get led away by Lilia, squinting at him in confusion until you realized who was holding you.

"Lilia! Yaaaay~ I was just talking about you!"

"Yes, and you can talk about me more in my room, alright sweet?"

comments and reblogs appreciated 🩷

[azzandra]

Aw, man, can't believe it's been two years since I wrote that.

When I reblogged and added my little commentary, I actually hadn't anticipated my comment to be reblogged by more than a couple of mutuals or be seen outside of my followers. I was just sharing a term that popped up in my head as a joke.

If I knew this glib comment I dashed off one morning without much thought was going to breach containment and take on a life of its own, I probably would have added a few disclaimers.

Since then, I've seen some people miss the point about what I was talking about in a few huge ways, so I'll clarify now a few points:

I have nothing against the cockroach wife dude.

I don't know if that story is true or not (there are some weird people out in the world, so I won't dismiss it out of hand, but like. come on) and I sincerely do not care that his spankbank was exclusively taken up by a cockroach woman. The part of his tale that we should take as a parable is where he solely and without being forced by anyone else hinged his entire sexuality around an imaginary construct that then made him incapable of being attracted to real human women. Remember, his story starts with him complaining that he can't get it up with his human girlfriend without picturing her as a huge cockroach. He did that. Nobody forced him to develop this condition. This is a lesson for the rest of us.

people going 'I think they're both pretty!' like that's the centrist silver bullet to this phenomenon.

Listen, yeah. I agree. Both versions are meant to be attractive, just to wildly different demographics. You know who doesn't agree? The guys I'm talking about.

The dudes I am referencing do NOT think both characters are attractive to different people. They think the original is attractive to NOBODY, and everyone else in the world is just PRETENDING that the first one is attractive in any way, and they're convinced everyone else also objectively knows the original art is ugly but there's a conspiracy to subject poor defenseless heterosexual men to pictures of butt-ugly women in order to brainwash them or something.

The guys afflicted with Cockroach Wife Syndrome are on some gamerbro qanon shit where their perception of reality is slanted to a comical degree, but they think their experiences are objective and unbiased, and they're making it everyone else's problem.

people smugly going 'OP has an anime girl in their icon' like that's some sort of gotcha

Yeah, man, I'm not opposed to anime girls. I'm not even opposed to hentai, or blender porn, or masturbation. I think everyone deserves to masturbate if they want to, and the way the world is going, we all probably deserve to masturbate a lot more (porn addiction isn't a real thing, my dudes). I accept that some people are going to jerk it to stuff that I don't find attractive, and maybe consider repulsive, and that's just going to be a fact of life from here unto eternity. We all need to come to terms to that.

But the Cockroach Wife Syndrome sufferers do NOT want to accept it. They want the entire world to have only one porn preference that aligns neatly to their own, and also they want all fictional depictions of women everywhere to adhere precisely to their porn preference.

And like, why would we do what these guys say? Now, me, personally, each time I see one of their yassified sexy edits of an already pretty female character, it always looks like the tackiest shit to me, like they're a toddler who got into mommy's make-up. I want to start a GoFundMe to send them to beautician school. I don't care how much they screech about it, they cannot convince me their aesthetic tastes are something to emulate, so I coined this term for them just so I had a name for their obnoxious behavior.

All that being said, in the time since I wrote this post, I discovered it gained some traction outside of tumblr. "Cockroach Wife Syndrome" was added to Urban Dictionary. There are people slinging around the term on twitter. I personally got jumpscared by running into it in the wild on reddit, which was how I found out people are actually using it. Honestly, I am not that hyped about this being my legacy (and I am so sorry to the OP of this post that I got them stuck with seeing every reply or tag someone ever makes about the cockroach wife guy, like I'm some malevolent storytime cuckoo who dropped disturbing internet tales in their nest). But ultimately, I think this one is actually on the thousands of people who reblogged it and considered that I described a phenomenon that they also observed.

Y'all stay safe out there, and remember to vary your masturbation material once in a while.

i wish i could see this picture for the first time again

[rafesbbdoll]

Can you do a rafe imagine where she’s a pogue but he’s always had a soft spot for her. He doesn’t fight or will stop a fight if she’s there and is always nice to her. She notices and decides to test the theory

soft spot . rafe cameron

wc . 1.3k

warnings: animal death, fluff, ruthie, NOT PROOFREAD

you were a pogue from the beginning, living on the cut, hanging out with your friends, and getting out of the stereotypical "kook type." you didn't have any issues with the kooks, only when they crossed your conversation with some bullshit ass excuse. but not even rafe, which was relieving based on his past but also confusing.

rafe hated your friend group, even more when sarah joined you guys. but rafe never once made a snarky comment towards you like he would kiara or sarah. he never argued with you. he never told you off. he was never mean to you.

it was a sunny day in kildare, right after a storm, the perfect surf day. everyone was on the beach; the kooks, the pogues, even the tourist visiting. you all arrived, hopping out of the twinkie, and setting up your spot on the beach. you were helping sarah set up the umbrella, thinking about tanning first. "it looks good but i want to get in a good tan before the sun goes down," you explained, laying your towel down, away from the umbrella. "honestly, true, but don't you want to enjoy the waves before they're gone?" sarah asked, grabbing her surf board from the van.

"trust me, i will, just after my tan," you said moving to lie down. just as you did, you and the rest of the group heard a loud truck rumble coming from the other side. it was the kooks. "couldn't they haven't picked a different spot?," kiara asked dryly, her face contorting in disgust.

about two hours in, everyone was in the water besides you and rafe. you were tanning on your side, while rafe was drinking his beer on the other. you were falling asleep under the sun, your eyes closing slowly. rafe looked over at your side, watching as you fell asleep. his eyes scanned what was surrounding you, making sure you wouldn't be bothered as you slept. a little bit later, the pogues came out of the water, laughing and chatting about the waves, unaware that you were still asleep.

rafe looked over at them approaching, standing up before yelling loud enough for them to hear. "hey! dickheads! she's asleep!" the group paused and looked at rafe in confusion. "why the hell does he care?," jj asked, throwing up a middle finger at rafe, to which he shrugged him off.

later on, you were fully awake, now in the water with the girls, waiting for a wave. "y/n?", sarah started. you looked over at her, waiting for her to continue. "yeah?"

"are you and my brother hooking up or something?", she asked. you blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what she just asked. "ew sarah, no. your brother hates me, just like he hates you guys," you said looking back out into the water. "i don't know, he just seemed concerned for you earlier when you were sleep. i guess we were 'loud' and he didn't want us to interrupt your sleep," she finished. you just shrugged, preparing for the approaching wave.

after the swimming and surfing, you all began packing up your belongings when you heard kiara exclaimed. "a turtle hatch! guys!"

you looked over, immediately dropping your things when you heard her, running to see. "oh my god! theyre so tiny," you said, looking down at the baby turtles. you all cleared a path for them, allowing them to travel safely with no issues. just then, you heard the rev of a truck engine coming from the kook direction, making your heart drop. “hey! there’s a hatch! go the other way!”, you yelled out in their direction. you couldn’t even imagine them to do something so cruel, but their actions just made you eat crow.

ruthie took toppers truck, almost hitting all of you as well as the baby turtles trying to cross. you all were left speechless, looking sadly as the turtles that were killed from their reckless actions, making tears form in your eyes. just then, you saw kiara stomp over to them, a deceased turtle in her hand. when you all followed her, you heard her arguing with ruthie, it getting heated quickly. you held a turtle in your hand as well, not dead but an injured limb. rafe looked over at you, watching you as you held the injured turtle in your hands, feeling sympathy for the animal and you.

after the altercation, you stayed on the beach, making sure that the turtles were safe. rafe along with the kooks were packing up also. “wasn’t fucking funny,” rafe said to ruthie. “what? rafe be serious. there are plenty of other turtles that exist,” she snickered, walking with topper to the truck. “top, control your bitch,” he said, taking another sip of his beer. “hey, watch your mouth, man. you’ve had too much to drink,” topper replied, getting in the truck before driving off. everyone left on the kook side, rafe being left alone with his beer. he looked over, seeing you still watching the turtles.

after the turtles got into the water safely, you stood up, beginning to walk away just before rafe ran up to you. you sniffled before looking over at him. “what? here to run over more turtles?,” you asked sarcastically, holding the injured turtle in your hands. you planned on fixing up the turtle before releasing it into the ocean. “hell no. don’t include me in that shit,” he replied, walking along side you. “let me help you, yeah?”, he proposed, pointing to the turtles in your hand. “i don’t like your friends, but that was fucked up.” you just nodded at his request. “yeah, sure. i was gonna clean it off and get it better before releasing it,” you said.

he led you to a nearby animal clinic, allowing the veterinarians to fix the turtle for you. you two were sitting in the waiting room patiently waiting. “why are you helping me anyway?,” you asked sarcastically “i thought you hated us.”

rafe looked over at you, taking a deep breath in before speaking, “i don’t hate you. just your friends.” hey, at least he was honest. you nodded, looking back at your fingers. your phone had died a while ago, so you were sitting in silence with him. it wasn’t awkward by any means, but it felt confusing too.

the veterinarian called you names, signaling that the turtle was all better. you smiled with joy. “thank you so much,” you smiled at the woman. she smiled back at you before you and rafe left. rafe watched your interaction with the woman, smiling to himself as your kindness. you and rafe had headed back to the beach, releasing the turtle back in the water, watching as it crawled towards its home.

rafe ended up driving you back to house, understanding that you didn’t have a ride and it was dark outside. “thank you,” you said sincerely looking over at him. you never knew rafe could have such a heart, so it made you happy, even if he did hate your friends. “no need. i’d do anything for you,” he replied, putting his truck in park. he looked over at you, you doing the same.

“maybe we could hang out sometime,” he suggested. you nodded in response, a small smile showing faintly on your face. “i’d like that.” he handed you his phone, opening for a new contact before handing it to you. you entered your number and contact name, titling it “y/n 🐢” before handing it back to him. rafe smiled at the screen before sending a text to your phone. “i’ll text you back when my phone is charged,” you said, noticing that the text didn’t send yet. rafe nodded before unlocking the doors. “get inside safe, y/n.”

maybe rafe wasn’t that bad.

i love

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I really want to know why Idia doesn’t think he looks good. I understand thinking you’re not exactly a model, but he’s at least cool looking. He’s mostly grown up with other scientists(they so far haven’t shown other kids in the isles of woe) so I don’t think the adults in his life would say something. The only thing I can think of is when his family would have to go to family gatherings with his extended family in the Olympus Corp and he was picked on by his cousins. Would love more backstories on that!

[Referencing this post!]

I think "cool looking" might be an opinion we have as onlookers completely removed from Twisted Wonderland. What looks like a nice design to the players is different than what looks nice to someone existing in the same world as that character. In-universe, Idia's particular set of physical traits don't seem to be perceived as "cool" at all. Several of his classmates are baffled that the Ghost Bride sees Idia as the perfect prince", and although some of this shock is definitely based on his character ("... [he] never leaves his room [...]"), it's also in part based on his looks. For example, Grim says, "He's all slouchy [...] he's got that apathetic look goin' on, not to mention his creepy smile..." Riddle also accuses Ace of giving "back-handed compliments" when Ace says Idia looks cool, which implies that Riddle and Ace's usual opinion of Idia's looks is that he looks... uncool. Eliza's retainers confess that they were "skeptical" when she brought Idia in and claimed he was her perfect partner; they didn't see his true handsomeness until after they dressed him up in a suit. Our own NRC boys don't even realize Idia's true beauty until the very end of Idia's Suitor Suit vignettes, praising him for how he wears his suit, his height, "bewitching" eyes, his mature and aloof vibe, and his "surprisingly decent" features. Just looking cool overall! "I was shocked when I say you," Riddle confesses. "It's so radically different from your usual look."

There's also the matter of framing to consider. The same stimuli can be perceived wildly differently by different individuals. What Eliza sees as "nonchalant" is Idia being apathetic. What Eliza sees as "healthy, lustrous skin" is the result of Idia's pale skin on account of never seeing the sun. What Eliza sees as "a charming smile" can also be perceived as "creepy" by others. What Eliza sees as "bright, shimmering hair" is true on a technicality, seeing as Idia's hair is literally aflame. What Eliza sees as "arresting lips" is Idia's natural but admittedly very odd lip color. Crowley describes this discrepancy as "an admittedly liberal interpretation". Our local weirdo Rook also reframes Idia's gloomy demeanor as "a certain lonesome beauty", which is "lovely in its own right".

I believe that a lot of Idia's lack of confidence in his appearance stems from the curse his family is burdened with. It's implied that many of Idia's physical traits (the flames for hair, the blue lips, the sharp teeth, etc.) are the result of said curse. These are all visual indicators branding the Shroud bloodline as traitors, even if the current Shrouds have nothing to do with the rebellion their ancestors incited. Thus, those physical traits are associated with shame, humiliation, and failure. Knowing his family's history and how that ties him to the Underworld and S.T.Y.X. forever, surely Idia must have felt self-conscious about it. He wouldn't want attention drawn to himself if he was ashamed of his looks--looks which are closely associated with the Shrouds' fall from grace. Indeed, there are several lines of dialogue in which Idia connects being anxious about how he physically presents himself with pessimism about his future or with relevant imaginary verbal jabs by his peers:

"Everyone's gonna auto-lock on me as soon as I go in! And then they'll switch to private whisper chat! They'll be all like: 'Who's that?' 'Is his hair on fire?' 'That's that cursed Shroud guy.' 'He's gonna pass on all his bad luck' Or maybe they'll say, 'Ewww! He's blue all over! Gross!' and start poking me with a stick! Nooo! Help meee!" (Idia's Ceremonial Robes vignettes)

"I know I'm not fit to stand in front of people in fancy places wearing fancy clothes! Never was! [...] No matter how hard I grind, I'm locked into the evil route with every bad ending ever and there's nothing I can do about it!" (Idia's Suitor Suit vignettes)

"If people see me in a tux like this... They'll have a field day! 'A wedding tux? More like a tokusatsu villain, ROFL.' 'What is this, a cosplay convention?' Only cool guys can pull off flashy vintage getups. Otherwise it's a fashion disaster waiting to happen. You know, like when you see a cool outfit online and buy it, only to realize it was just the model who looked swank." (Idia's Suitor Suit vignettes)

"Yeah, right. You're just saying that to be polite. Let's be real here. You're laughing at me on the inside. You're going, 'Who does this slouching, baggy-eyed loser think he is, dressing like royalty?' (Idia's Suitor Suit vignettes)

"AUGH, I'm like the monster in some tragic tale! A hidden boss just minding my own business, chilling in my cave, until I get driven out and flee into town, where all the people fear me... I'm just not cut out to be the center of attention. *sigh*" {Idia's Suitor Suit vignettes)

Notably, Idia remarks that he doesn't want to be compared to a "cool, sleek, sparkly" crew. He is constantly comparing himself to others, and especially in his Suitor Suit card. Idia laments that he's not gallant and heroic like his rescue squad (Ace, Riddle, Epel, and Rook), and he's not handsome like Vil, Leona, and Malleus. It seems that his idea of what is "cool" is defined by a combination of action and aura/presence, of which he believes he has neither. He prefers to stay cooped up in his room and is too meek to speak to people face-to-face; in his eyes, he's kind of pathetic and he's content with that. He's not willing to see himself as anything more due to his own underlying insecurities.

It's implied that Idia was primarily raised within S.T.Y.X. HQ or the Isle of Woe and rarely left (as he had to hack their security system to sneak out). It seems like they have their own community or city there, so it's possible that there are other children but we just don't see them due to lack of relevance. There's nothing to suggest there wouldn't be kids there. However, I doubt Idia really interacted with them if there were any kids his age; he'd be too busy being groomed to take over as the next director. Idia also harbors hopeless views on forming friendships, so I don't think he'd be reaching out to others to play. And when he's spending so much of his time studying and working with scientists primarily focused on their work, I doubt any of those adults care to comment on his looks. It's just not a thing that comes up in discussion. Alternatively, maybe the adults are used to it because they're all aware of the Shroud curse and they just dance around the topic so as to not make Idia feel uncomfortable.

Side note: I wonder if any shame Idia feels about his appearance is learned from his dad (and mom)??? Mr. Shroud is also super negative and literally wears a helmet to conceal his face (although we do not know the reason as to why he wears it). Mrs. Shroud also wears a helmet, even though she married into the Shroud family and technically lacks their cursed blood. Maybe young Idia saw his parents in those helmets and internalized it? Members of the Shroud family are cursed; you shouldn't look at them. That kind of thinking, perhaps.

I do think it’s possible that those in Idia’s extended family aren’t as kind about the Shrouds, be it for their looks or for their legacy. (They don’t exactly do glamorous work 💦) Unfortunately, we don’t know a lot about the Jupiters other than I guess they must still find the Shrouds’ abilities useful since they still extended an internship offer to him? I’d love to know more about the rest of Idia’s family though. Been really curious about how they’d feel about Idia literally playing God and reviving his dead brother too!

[everywishway]

Unions and the Defence of Supergiant Games

Hey, so I'm pretty sure everyone and their mom has seen takes on Hades 2 rn bc of what one of the VAs said. This is causing a lot more harm then good rn and, while I don't claim to be an expert on unions, but even just basic research shows Supergiant is largely innocent and this is a misunderstanding.

Supergiant stated they will not be recasting and also they don't fall under the companies that can not be working or supported during the SAG- AFTRA strike.

Being an indie development company, they do not fall under the issues SAG is striking and possibly can not even sign said agreement because they are an indie company (i'd have to fact-check that). This strike is supposed to affect larger companies like EA, Sony, X-Box, etc who are pushing for AI. Below is a statement from Supergiant about the statement made by the VA.

When similar strikes happened for both SAG and the WGA, other smaller companies did not have to halt production because their work did not meet the guidelines that the strike fell under. Spindel Horse and GLITCH are both indie animation companies that did not have to halt production.

One other example is Dropout.TV where they did not need to stop under SAG rules and guidelines, they did so out of respect. While Supergiant could, they don't have too and why would they? Fans have been waiting for almost three years now and they are polishing at a record speed.

Secondly is the term "Scab" being thrown around when it comes to who Supergiant hires, which largely comes from people not knowing what a true scab is.

A Scab ISN'T any person working in a given position when a strike is happening. It's a member of SAID UNION who crosses the picket line or does work for lower pay then the Union states.

Unions have several levels of entry that not all people meet. Being under smaller workers unions for starters along with proof of employment and others.

Supergiant, being smaller and indie makes it so it can hire people who aren't SAG members and help promote them to be bigger names in the industry along with eventually becoming possible members of the unions.

For example, Michael Kovach (famous VA for Jax from TADC, Several characters from Poppy Playtime, One character in Billie Bust Up (IDK), and most famously the original pilot VA for Angeldust from Hazbin Hotel) is not a member of SAG but supports the union and has been in multiple roles since the SAG strikes began.

While I have not done research into who exactly is being called a "Scab" in terms of the Supergiant controversy, please keep yourself educated about the term because it is super derogatory and may cause these people to never be able to join the unions. Being labeled a "scab", even incorrectly, makes it nearly impossible for people to join unions.

A lot of the "If you don't join a union then your against unions" mentality I've seen from people creates a harmful, uneducated stereotype that large corporations want. They want normal consumers to see Union Supporters as aggressive and hopping down your throat to deny you money. This villainizes unions in the long run.

Overall, Supergiant is not doing anything wrong and the mob mentality jump on them comes from a lack of educated perspectives (esp since a large portion of this community is the younger demographic with not much union knowlege).

While I don't see it happening, the large explosion of this on social media along with the VA's lack of understanding may cause Supergiant (or even other companies) to not work with them again after Hades 2 is complete. This is a huge liability that is harming their company and, if they do proceed to go this route I do not blame them, and neither should you. This is safety and security in their brand so more games we appreciate can come out in the future. The VA is a grown adult who has made decisions and will deal with the consequences when/if they happen. Please send no hate to Supergiant or the VA who I have intentionally left nameless so nobody can attack them. Thank you.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I know I've commented on this before and I know it wasn't even a different comment, just said on a different day with different words.

But it is IMPORTANT that we can have this conversation. It's part of reconciling what we have been with what we might want to be.

At the time, Trump wasn't even a thing yet, I forget what it was exactly, but I **think** it was the Ferguson uprisings. My wife and I were living together for the first time and talking about this A LOT obviously because it was all anyone we knew was talking about and the stuff coming out of Ferguson was both exciting and terrifying. I think I asked her where she wanted to go if we decided to leave. And she just looked at me and asked "where is it you think we could go where this couldn't happen to me?"

I really hadn't understood what I was asking her until I got that reply. The idea that changing our environment wouldn't help her, was only about soothing MY feelings of safety, not about what would actually MAKE HER SAFER, had genuinely not occurred to me. I absolutely learned this from my mother, the whitest person in my family, who moved us every time shit got rocky. And for a minute as I thought about that, I remembered what it felt like the first time she took me away from the land I grew up on. We were not indigenous, but I was raised on Maidu land, and many local children's ecology and outdoor hobbiest programs were run by folks on the rez for their own kids, while being open to the wider community. I spent A LOT of time on Feather River with my friends learning about everything from basket making to fishing to the water table, to agricultural techniques, to beadwork, to more than I could ever remember. And I learned to see the land I lived on as part of me in the same way I was part of it. When that was taken from me, I quite literally destabilized and went....grief striken I guess. For a long time. And when I finally "got over it" I did so mostly by accepting that while I might never get to go home, that little valley was a huge part of what made me myself, and I would never let that go.

The fear, the sense of looming threat, it had made me vulnerable to the idea that fleeing would help, whether or not that was true, but more importantly it had beought me upsettingly close to forsaking something that quite literally I know I am not me without. And all so that in another ten years my wife might look at me and say "is anything different?"

And we had a really long talk after all this, with a ton more to it that is our business not the world's, but what we ultimately came to was "this is our home. And we will die here, be buried here, and be mourned and celebrated here. And if that means we have to fight the abuses and oppressive actions of the people who are here with us then we will, but our home is worth loving in that way."

Ever since, whenever I hear white usa citizens talk about fleeing to some perceived more progressive nation, I hear "where do you think I could go that this could not happen to me?" I think "why don't you love your home, the land, the people, the world that was built here, enough to fight for it when it is threatened?" I hear "it is easier to run than to resist."

And I think that's what people reacting poorly to this post don't get yet. Maybe never will, I don't know. "It is easier to run than to resist" is a terrifying thought that comes from a place of fear and helplessness. And it is difficult to hear the people who have benefitted the most from that thought being inflicted on others that they truly believe it. That they may truly and sincerely not understand how devastating it is to be forced to make such an unthinkable sacrifice only to have that sacrifice treated as rational and right by people who have never had to consider it before (even if perhaps their ancestors did).

Reconciling the racial history of this country will require all of us to stop being defensive about the emotional realities of indigenous people, people of color, the descendants of slaves and other owned/indentured people, and so many other communities in this country. The guilt and discomfort must become safe to experience or we will try to punish those who trigger it by asking to be treated as people.

Given the state of the world, that avoidance response is not one ANY of us can afford right now. If yours is still causing you to activate in response to conversations like OP is trying to have, then likely you are still very much at risk of radicalization in ways even you may not recognize.

the reason that white Americans going "I'm going to move to ___" during all this insults me so much is not bc I care whether they leave or go. I think it bothers me deeply bc it shows such a... Lack of attachment to the land that so so SO many people suffered and currently suffer for.

The indigenous peoples here were mass murdered for centuries for their own land. My people were brought here in chains for centuries, then bred like they were lower than animals, just to work this land. People of color here and abroad suffer just to maintain this place's spot in the global hierarchy.

A lot of BLOOD went into this soil that y'all's ancestors wanted so fucking bad, a lot of privilege (whether you want it or not) was built through so much suffering for you to have. And as soon as the going got tough, your only comment was "well, I wish I could settle somewhere else now". 😐 It just is truly a slap in the face, that y'all don't even care that much about what was committed for you to stand where you are.

And maybe if people acknowledged that privilege more I'd be less mad, but no. They claim to not even know 😭 like all right then

[cosmosluckycharms]

Show☆Time

It'll all work out

It had been a couple of weeks since you last had your first true conversation with Dick.

He ended up not being able to make it to your performance (unsurprisingly) and your hope was wavering.

Tonight, you had to perform for a bunch of Gotham prep students.

You were nervous but also excited.

You had been practicing for a while, and everything was working out!

After a couple of minutes of rehearsing, the students started making their way in

You finished getting ready, putting the finishing touches

The curtain opened and you performed.

You noticed how one of your older brothers was in the crowd.

He was technically only older by like 2 years, but he was older.

You were so happy! Someone from your family finally came!

You tried not to break character and wave to him.

After the show, you were cleaning up with your friends.

Much to your surprise, Damian came up to you.

"Damian!" your eyes lit up in joy "Did you like the show?"

"TT it was acceptable." Damian crossed his arms and looked away

"YAAAYY!☆" You hugged him and spun him around playfully much to his dismay.

"Let me down!" Damian got out of your hold and walked away.

Rui put his hand on your shoulder "How about we go out for dinner?"

You and your friends decided to get bat burger to celebrate everything going well

You and Tsukasa were talking about plans for shows, and Nene and Rui had their drinks in their hands watching you both talk loudly about whether or not you guys need another confetti canon.

"I'm telling you, we don't need one more, we already have 2!" Tsukasa says, grabbing one of Ruis's fries

"third time's the charm☆!" you take a bite of Rui's fries as well

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but it's getting late, we should start heading out." Nene says, taking a napkin and clearing your cheek free of ketchup.

"Okie dokie!" you get up and clear the table.

After a couple of minutes, you all headed out to the fast food joint, drinks in hand.

"Okay, so you'll accept another plushie parachute but not another confetti cannon? We already have 5 of them!" you argued

"The difference is that confetti cannons are more expensive!" Tsukasa dramatically struck his hand on his chest, making you giggle

"I can afford it!" you were right and everyone knew it. Your monthly allowance was more than some people's yearly salary.

"G-guys quiet down! It's dangerous out here-!" nene tried to quiet you both down.

"Nene's right, we are heading towards an alleyway, it's dark out, and you never know." Rui added

"oh cmon, we are fine!" Tsukasa said, turning to look at Nene, only to hear you yell out

They turned to look at you

You weren't there. You had disappeared into the dark alleyway, and the cup you were holding now spilled onto the ground.

Your friends all looked at each other for a second before running behind you.

They saw you and tried to grab onto you, only for the goons to drag you away swiftly.

Rui ran after you, much to Nene and Tsukasa's dismay.

They ran.

They ran and ran to the manor.

They hated to admit it, but they needed to tell your family.

They'd all been at the manor a couple of times, for projects, performances, just regular hangouts, etc.

And from what you told them about your family, they disliked them.

They rang the doorbell.

Alfred opened the door, preparing for the worst, only to see Nene was out of breath and lying on the floor.

"Madam Nene and Master Tsukasa? What are you both doing here?"

"It's Y/N! She got kidnapped by someone!" Tsukasa said, trying to get Nene up from the ground.

"And Rui ran after them!" Nene added, wiping her dress free of dirt.

Alfred sat them both down and called your family and told them what happened.

After a minute or two, the vigilantes came.

"Why are the heroes here?" Tsukasa asked, looking at them

"Vigilantes." Nene corrected "Plus, they probably didn't have time for Y/N, they never do."

Tsukasa and Nene started bickering, being shut up by Batman clearing his throat

"Do you know where she is now?" Red Robin asked

"Yeah, we have her and Rui's life 360, it says she's in a warehouse." Nene showed her phone to him

"Probably holding her for ransom," Tsukasa added

"You're probably right, she's like, the princess of Gotham." Nene agreed

"you guys stay here and we'll go fetch her," Robin said, grabbing his katana.

"No." Tsukasa crossed his arms.

"No?" Nightwing lifted an eyebrow, looking towards Tsukasa.

"No. We know where she is, and we want to help her. We are coming." Nene argued

After much arguing from both parties, Nene and Tsukasa were allowed to come.

They all got into the batmobile and made their way over to the warehouse.

When they finally got near the warehouse, they had to park far away to not get caught by the cameras.

Nene started slowing down immensely due to a lack of energy and had to be given a piggyback ride by Red Robin.

They all ran in, nene still being carried by Red Robin on his back.

Rui was hiding behind a giant wooden box, calling everyone over to a blindspot cameras couldn't catch.

You were up, hanging by the leg, upside down, hands crossed like a bat.

"Y/N?!" your friends exclaimed in confusion

"Hey guys!" you giggled and waved

"Y/N, we're gonna help you get down," Batman said, already scanning the room for any attackers.

"Y/N!" Rui yelled, grabbing everyone's attention

"Shut it, you going to get us caught!" Red Robin covered Ruis mouth, dropping Nene in the process.

Before Red Robin could apologize to her, Rui continued; "Try to untie the rope! Or use something around you to do it!"

"She's going to fall." Red Hood stated already preparing for the worst

"She won't." Nene states knowingly

Robin points his katana toward her chin "Are you stupid? Of course, she'll fall, she's 35 feet in the air!"

Tsukasa ignored their threats "Do it, now!"

You immediately started undoing the knot, you had no idea what the plan was, but you were gonna freeball it.

You watched as everyone started arguing, causing a commotion.

Some goons started making their way toward them, you needed to do something, fast.

You yelled "Fire! Fire! Some bad guys are coming your way!" you still fumbled around with the knot, it was hurting to be upside down.

Before you knew it, everyone was fighting.

Nene was fighting a goon using her pepper spray, while Robin fighting twogoons who were ready to attack her.

Rui was making his way toward you, ready to catch you in case anything went wrong.

And Red Hood wasn't far behind him, preparing himself as well.

After a few seconds, you managed to untie yourself and were holding on to the rope.

"Don't look down!" Rui yelled

Hearing that, you looked down out of habit.

35 feet above.

You were scared.

You were slipping.

You had to get it over with.

Red Hood held his breath and watched as you jumped, thinking you were gonna plummet down to your death

...only for you to fall like a fairytale princess

This was normal to you, you didn't believe in physics.

You aimed for Rui to catch you, and you missed and landed in Red Hood's arms.

You looked at him with a gleam in your eyes

Red hood! Your favorite vigilante!

Before you could start saying hi to him, you saw in the corner of your eye Nene was struggling.

Sure, she had Robin with her, but she was a little weaker compared to the 3 goons attacking them.

You wriggled out of Red Hood's hold and made your way to the goons.

You could hear him yelling at you to not harm yourself, but you needed to help Nene!

You pulled out a comically sized hammer from out of your performer costume, which was around 3x your height, and started hitting the goons.

Red Robin looked at you in confusion, "Where did you get that from?"

"don't worry about it!" you swung around your hammer like a baton

You heard a gunshot.

You turned to look for where it

Came from and saw the bullet had almost hit Nene.

She was frozen in fear.

You saw the goon about to shoot her again, and you tackled her to push her out of the way.

The bullet ended up hitting the side of your stomach, making Nene's eyes widen.

Tsukasa and Rui made their way toward you and kept you from passing out

You passed out as soon as Nightwing got to you.

Your friends were all ushered out by Nightwing, who was escorting them to the batmobile.

He placed you on a seat, Rui was next to you putting pressure on the wound.

You were passed out from the pain.

As soon as you all got to the manor, Nightwing tried to get them all to go home.

Fortunately, Nightwing gave up on trying to get them all to go home.

Tsukasa was well trained in wounds due to spending some time learning about medical things when he was younger due to being in the hospital a lot when he was growing up, so he helped Nightwing patch you up.

It took you around half an hour to wake up.

You were in a guest room, surrounded by the vigilantes yet again.

Your head was lying on Nene's lap, who was stroking your hair.

There was a tense silence as if everyone was scared to talk.

Nene was the first to speak; "You shouldnt've done that."

"Huh?" You questioned

"You shouldn't have taken that bullet for me, you know." Nene continued stroking your hair, looking a bit sadder

"if I didn't, you would've been hurt. I'd rather me get hurt." You fidgeted with the bracelet on her other arm.

After a while, your friends went home as soon as the vigilantes confirmed everything was okay.

After a moment you realized,

"Where's my family?" You asked, looking toward Batman

"They're, uh, busy. In a meeting." He quickly replied

"Oh, that makes sense. Well, when they get home could you tell them I'm tired? I need to go to bed." You got up and left to go to your room.

As soon as you were out of earshot, the vigilantes conversed with themselves

"..does she not know we're..?" Red Robin asked Batman

"Apparently she doesn't. I thought she did."

The next morning, you were awoken by Dick bringing you breakfast in bed.

"We heard about what happened to you from Nightwing, we are so sorry we couldn't be around to help! We were stuck in a, uh, meeting!" He placed the plate on the bed tray placed on your bed

You were still half asleep when he explained

"Please meet us downstairs when you are done." He walked out, closing the door softly on his way out.

This was unusual. It was a welcome change.

Once you were done, you grabbed your duffle bag covered in charms and pins and made your way downstairs.

You saw everyone sitting down in a circle formation as if it was an intervention.

You sat down, putting the bag next to you.

"What's in the bag?" Tim asked, slightly intimidating.

"My performer outfit! I'm so excited for rehearsal-☆" You were about to talk about your day, but you saw everyone's guilty look.

"About that," Jason put a hand on the back of his neck "you can't perform for a while."

"WHAT?!"

"it's only for a month and a half. Until your wound heals. Doing your flips and shit could reopen it and make it worse. You need to heal." Jason said, trying to comfort you

"but-but-but!" you teared up slightly, you strongly disliked this.

"it'll be a month. No more, no less. You'll be able to perform again." Your father said

"Okay.." you were excited to get that month and a half over with as soon as possible.

oh god this was bad

guys im.trying to learn how to write better trsut

if this seems rushed its causw i dornr know how ro write help

guys trust more bug like angel coming soon🙏

anyways

taglist: @shirp-collector-of-fixations @maybeethan69 @iluvcatzz @tacendxx @ninihrtss @tsxukikami @d3sperate-enuf @staarflowerr @chaoticmoontimetravel @crazycaoticsimp @sugarrush-blush @kaitense1 @ryuushou @weebbuscuit @eyeless-kun @twismare @mirou-x3

[biscuitdolly]

˚₊‧ ꒰ა traits and habits that your future self will thank you for .ᐟ 🫧🎀🧁

📧 -> my first long post in a while 🫶 I've had my ups and downs recently but for the most part life has been pretty good.

O1 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ don't overshare.

you don't have to be nonchalant and mysterious, but take a moment to consider your words before you speak. (e.g. "will i regret telling this person this piece of information in the future?")

O2 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ learn how to listen + let people talk.

It's crucial to make others feel heard, even when you might not share their viewpoint. Never cut someone off on purpose whilst they're speaking, it can really hurt someones feelings. if you accidentally cut someone off, always apologize and let them finish speaking once you've said your point.

O3 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ learn how to say no.

i know it's hard not to be a people-pleaser, but learning to say no to things that don't align with you is so important. It can help you avoid uncomfortable, awkward, and even risky situations. Setting boundaries is hard but being taken advantage of is harder.

O4 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ nourish yourself.

Make it a habit to eat meals regularly. Reduce your sugar intake. Embrace healthier food choices. Establish a skincare routine. Treat yourself to a shower after a long day. Stay hydrated. These simple changes can be easily integrated into your daily routine and will significantly enhance your life for the better.

O5 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ process over outcome.

sure, while it's great to imagine our ideal life, simply visualizing it won't automatically lead us to success. It can certainly boost our motivation, but relying solely on wishful thinking won't take us to our desired destination. enjoy the process of achieving your goal rather than just focusing on the end result.

O6 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ focus on yourself.

this is super cliche, i know. but it truly has a significant impact. Picture this -> you're sitting for a math exam, and you glance over at your desk partner's work, only to see completely different answers. You've always admired this person, so you quickly assume your answers must be wrong and decide to change them to match theirs. When the results come back, you discover that your original answers were spot on, but now you've failed because you chose to follow someone else instead of trusting your gut. Just because others are taking a different path doesn't mean it's the right one for you, or that the other person is necessarily "correct". It's important to remember that comparing ourselves to others can lead to unnecessary stress and self-doubt. Stay true to yourself and your own journey!

O7 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ become knowledgeable.

during school, we all learn about basics like maths and english. Exploring fascinating subjects like philosophy, geography, and astronomy can really broaden your horizons. You can also research topics that relate to your interests, such as anatomy, colour theory, fashion history, etc.

O8 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ stop with the shit talking.

talking ill about others is possibly the most unattractive thing you could possibly do. Afterall, what goes around comes around, and it will come to bite you back.

O9 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ kindness is key.

smile at strangers, say hi to people you know in the halls. engage in light conversations and share compliments with those around you. Being recognized as "the friendly one" can lead to countless opportunities for friendships and relationships. Step out of your comfort zone a bit! Just a simple smile can brighten someone's day, often in ways you might not even notice.

1O 𝜗𝜚 𓈒 ݁ ₊ i can't relate to desperation ♪

he doesn't want you? that's fine, move on. certain things just aren't meant to be, so don't push it. if someone doesn't like you, there's nothing you can do about it. why waste your time on some dumb guy?

[genderkoolaid]

hey, this isn't at all meant to be a gotcha, but given the regularity with which you've spoken out against whorephobia (which i appreciate, to be clear!), i was surprised to see you reblog that adrienne rich quote? the admonition in it against "treat[ing] your body as a commodity with which to purchase… economic security" seems pretty unambiguously anti–sex work.

When I first read it I interpreted it more as "don't see body as an object that exists solely to do labour, treat yourself like a person" but upon rereading and properly clocking the "superifical intimacy" part now also makes me suspicious.

I'm not sure of Adrienne Rich's stances on sex work, so I don't really know if it's meant to be read that way or not. Either way I think there's still a good point in that quote, although we should still be critical of it. If her point in that quote is that we should treat ourselves as people with inherit worth, that remains no matter what we do or experience, then I think the only flaw there would be the presumption that doing sex work is uniquely synonymous with dehumanizing yourself, which isn't true. I really liked that quote because it hits on some Stoic ideas I like about inherent human worth, and similarly plenty to Stoics said a lot of dumb shit (I'm sure including about sex work). People using an idea in a poor way doesn't mean the idea itself is inherently poor, but it's still important to take note of why those people use it that way.

[the-fab-fox]

OMG. THIS IS WHY AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM IS A JOKE..

I am 36 years old and while I never took any Egypt-specific History classes in highschool or college (I want to be fair to these classes in case they do cover this. Though I doubt it. Still could be wrong.) and anything we did learn was focused on the way way way way past. So we would learn about the pharoes and their rule. And that was it. And then take when I was forced to go to church. Again. Same thing. The rule. The river. The stories. The splitting the sea.

So it is my theory that the reason Americans, at the very least, don't know this shit is because everything we learn about it is stuff from the past. And then media going on to represent it the same way then concretes it in our minds like oh "that's just Egypt. Pyramids and sand and maybe some small towns around their way off maybe but the big Egyptian cities can't possibly be near the pyramids.

And what's hilarious. I'm pretty sure we all saw maps that would have put Cairo right next to the pyramids. (If the pyramids had been stated on the map. To be fair, that was back in 8th grade and I'm 36 so it's been a few years LMAO. But even then, we were 8th graders. None of us were looking too clearly at maps. Much more likely our eyes were glazed over because they never teach you really how to look at maps (topographical, and the others, can't remember what they are all called. <-American education system at it's finest y'all.).)

So yeah. I blame the American "Neg-ucation" System.

It doesn't make us smarter. It's designed to makes us complacent. You don't think American highschool text books haven't taken out a shit tone of stuff that makes us look bad?

Recently... I read up on World War 2. Did you know the doctors in Japan that were doing horrible experiments not only on our pow's but also the Japanese citizens (from what I read on Wikipedia, so take this with a grain of salt until a Japanese person can confirm). But if this is true, and honestly I'm going to believe unless a Japanese person tells me otherwise, then guess what. We never learned about that when covering WWII. Or any other thing we covered. As far as we knew back in 6th grade. The Native American peoples grew to like and respect and work with us. Oh but how does that explain the trail of tears. Which we did have to cover. But ofc they painted that in a light that makes us not look as bad. Let me tell you. The Trail of Tears was fucking called that for a damn good reason. 😡 I've actually talked at length about what really went down. And I mean we see what the government is doing to the destitute and disenfranchised of our country. So I'm sure we can all imagine how doubled that was for the natives during that time.

So yeah. I'm not at all surprised that I had no idea about this. That's so hella fucking cool that you get to just pass by them. Obviously I know it's just common place for y'all by now which is totally valid. The same could be said about new Yorkers compared to the first time I walked around new York. Let me tell you. My neck hurt by the time we went home. Lol.

Gods. What's worse. If you look at what's taught now in Germany, from what I know from when I last heard it, schools in Germany teach about WWII and the Holocaust. But they don't leave out all the things that would make Germany look bad. No. They acknowledged the horrors and monstrosities because they know that if they don't, history will repeat itself. They wanted to be better than that and so they taught everything.

America is literally founded on censorship.

Americans are stupid and naive by default.

# by design

I want an America where we accept our horrors from the past and stop skirting past the uncomfy stuff that makes us look bad and learn everything as it should be—no filtering to puff us up—and learn really cool things like this.

Sorry op. This just really pissed me off about the fact that I could have known this but America keeps us in the dark about so much. It's so fucking frustrating and boils my blood.

If you would like me to remove this, please let me know.

downside: going to have to include a picture of the Giza pyramids in the slides for the lecture upside: i get to give people a crash course in why perspective matters in two frames, because

followed by

is such a funny sequence

[milkytheholy1]

You're My Best Friend

A/N: Howdy, bet you weren't expecting this! Mainly based in the Sonic movie-verse, which I've never written for so please be nice to me! Song featured is Best Friend by Queen! Hope you all enjoy

Movie! Shadow x GN Reader - PLATONIC - Reader is a Maria stand-in!

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

It had been two years since everything that happened in London, two years since the ARK was blown to smithereens. Two years since Shadow had been presumed dead along with Ivo. That's why it was such a shock to Sonic when he found out that his new best bud had very much been alive this entire time.

But Shadow wasn't at all as welcoming as Sonic thought he would be...

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

A bright light erupted into the sky, momentarily blinding Shadow's vision. Although one sense was down, his hearing was better than most, "What's wrong, Edgelord? Was that too much light for ya?"

"That blue hedgehog again," Shadow murmured. A small fight had broken out in an old Robotnik base, it had been a few years since Sonic and Shadow's last encounter, so naturally, with no place to go, Shadow tracked down different bases that Gerald had hidden away from G.U.N's records. Of course, he had no clue the blue meanie would track him down and ruin his peace.

"C'mon, did that really stun you?" Sonic gloated, blipping from one spot to another with his incredible speed. Shadow huffed and puffed, readying himself for a quick fight, "Why can't you just leave me alone?" he moaned out. Sonic looked appalled by the comment, "Leave you alone, erm, hello? I thought you were dead for, like, two years? I think that counts as plenty of time!"

A few swings and kicks here and there, but alas, both were still evenly matched. Shadow could feel the improvements Sonic had made over the years, he was stronger, faster and a little taller; a much better fight than before. Sonic rolled back from one of Shadow's punches, hopping from foot to foot, "C'mon, I thought we were friends now! We took down the Robotnik fam together, doesn't that, like, make us besties?" he begged.

"I don't want to be friends with you, you're annoying and your overwhelming kindness is too much to handle." Shadow spitted out, trying his hardest to get the blue idiot away, "Ouch, you definitely need to work on your people skills." Sonic joked. Shadow teleported into mid-air, it quickly shut Sonic up as he spun around trying to locate him.

Appearing within a second, Shadow kicked Sonic to the ground, "I wish to be left alone."

"Well, you certainly came to the right place." Sonic groaned, rubbing his head. He cast his gaze into the abandoned military base, it was dark, there was definitely something dripping onto the floor and the smell was horrific; a cross between a sewer and an old person's home.

"What is it about dark dingy places that you like so much, are you trying to be the next Batman?" Sonic asked, hands on his hips. Shadow retracted from his fighting position, but he was still on edge, "I have nowhere else to go, G.U.N wants me dead, the world thinks I'm a monster, my only family is gone. This- this is all I have left."

"That's not true, you have the Wachowski fam waiting for you! Dude, Knuckles would LOVE to have wrestling matches with you, plus I bet you'd love this movie, it's called Speed-"

"I don't care for movies and I don't care about joining your family. I had a family." Shadow grew more enraged, just because (Y/N) and Gerald were gone didn't mean he had no family at all, he couldn't, wouldn't just replace them.

"I know, I know, you had (Y/N) and Gerald. I'm sorry, I never meant to imply-" Sonic backtracked, slowly approaching the ebony hedgehog.

"You should leave." Was all Shadow said as he jetted off back inside the base. Sonic furrowed his brows, "Oh, ho hooo, I'm not giving up on a friend that easily!" he called out, quickly following.

The base Shadow once called home was dark and desolate, the only light coming from Sonic himself. This place was like a maze, Sonic kept rounding corners and taking the same turns, "Hey, S-Shadow, you can come out now! I've seen Oprah so I know a lot about having meaningful chats!"

Just as Sonic was passing by a meaningless corridor, he heard something, it was faint at first but grew in sound.

Ooh, you make me live

Whenever this world is cruel to me

I got you to help me forgive

Ooh, you make me live now, honey

Ooh, you make me live

Sonic followed the sweet and hypnotic melody, he eventually found himself outside of a room. It looked pretty similar to the one he saw at the original G.U.N base, complete with a small blanket fort, a comfy bed with plenty of toys and a record player sitting atop the dresser. The record gently spun, the tune playing loudly out of the small speakers.

Shadow stood staring at the device, mesmerised by the rotating disk, almost like he was living in another time.

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

"Come on, Shadow! What do you want to do today? We could go skating around the base again-"

"But we always get in trouble for that," Shadow reminded (Y/N), quickly cutting them off, "Oh yeah, hmmmm, what about baking?"

"Too messy, flour always ends up in my fur," Shadow replied, (Y/N) rubbed their chin in deep thought. (Y/N) snapped their fingers as a light bulb appeared over their head, "I've got it, we'll have a dance party!"

"A dance party?" Shadow mused, "But there's only two of us?" he reminded them, (Y/N) laughed, picking up his hand and twirling him to face the bed, "Silly Shadow, we have plenty of friends. Meow, Pumpkin, Alice, Doogle, report for duty!" (Y/N) shouted, standing up straight.

Before them lay a mixture of animals and dolls, all creatures that Shadow got acquainted with very quickly when the pair first met. Meow was a scraggly old cat, his whiskers had been pulled out, his fur was patchy and his ears torn, his eyes were covered in scratches and his tail had been slightly nibbled on. Alice was a small baby doll, her eyes flopped and rolled in different directions, her hair was knotty and had a dainty little bow mangled somewhere in the nest, her dress was covered in stains and her nails had been crudely coloured in.

Pumpkin was a plump orange cat with big green eyes and dark spots on his fur, his tail was long and winding, Shadow often found it wrapped around his neck when he slept. The final guest to their small party was Doogle, Shadow recalled (Y/N) talking about how Gerald had given them this small dog as a gift after one of their treatments. It was based on an old show that (Y/N) used to watch in the lab, personally Shadow found Doogle to be rather annoying.

"Let the party begin!" (Y/N) cheered, setting up the record player. Shadow watched as (Y/N) effortlessly let go of the needle, slowly watching as it sliced through the air.

Oh, you're the best friend that I ever had

I've been with you such a long time

You're my sunshine and I want you to know

That my feelings are true

I really love you

Oh, you're my best friend

"Come on, Shadow, you're not dancing!" (Y/N) chided the poor hedgehog, he watched as they swung their arms around and kicked their legs out.

"I-I don't know how to do any of that, maybe I'll just sit out for this one," he mumbled, a little embarrassed. (Y/N) blew out a raspberry, grabbing his hand in their left and Doogle's paw in their right, "It's easy! Me and Doogle will teach you." Shadow side-eyed the stuffed dog.

Eventually, Shadow got the hang of it, some might say he was even a natural at dancing. The small party was really kicking off, (Y/N) was swinging Meow in the air while Shadow shared a dance with Alice. It truly was a perfect way to spend a slow Sunday.

"Did you have fun?" (Y/N) asked, huffing and spluttering out racing breaths as they collapsed onto the small pillow fort. Shadow soon joined them, their dancing partners surrounding their heads, "I did, we should do it again sometime. Except Doogle-" Shadow muttered, pushing the dog away from his head, "Never Doogle."

"Awww, Shadow, everyone needs a friend, even Doogle!"

Shadow huffed and crossed his arms, a few seconds passed and the pair erupted into laughter.

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

Oh, you're the first one when things turn out bad

You know I'll never be lonely

You're my only one

And I love the things

I really love the things that you do

Oh, you're my best friend, oh

Shadow sighed, cutting the record off before it could finish. He turned slowly to Sonic, the light flooding his face, "I don't need a new family, but- someone once told me it's good to have friends."

Sonic's mouth bloomed into a huge grin, "Great! We'll take it slow, easeeee you into things. How about we start with a movie night? Oooooh, or a dance party!" Sonic walked out of the room with Shadow, daydreaming about all the things he could show his new buddy.

Meanwhile, the solemn hedgehog looked back towards the room, and there, sat upon the bed covered in dust lay a few old friends. His eyes trailed off to something on the floor, he zoomed over to it, gently turning it over in his hands.

Doogle.

Shadow smiled, this poor dog had seen so much of Shadow's anger, and for what? Sighing, Shadow placed Doogle on the bed with his other friends, "Everyone needs friends, even you Doogle."

[emmitaaa4]

People will really look at a character who was raised to be a doll—a pretty face to dress up, her dreams dismissed to gardens and pretty clothes, and an asset on the marriage market only if her beauty held—who was groomed to accept that her future would be determined by others’ maneuverings rather than her own, and still say:

“Ahh yes, it must be that the future of this character will indeed be defined by her looks in a black dress and by the unbreakable™ bond that was imposed upon her. 😍."

“… Matter of fact, the author was soo clever in making it so that others' superficial assessments of her character hold more weight in the narrative than her own declaration of belonging… its obviously meant to show us that everyone (but her) knows what's best for her; she does belong elsewhere. (Guys… what about someplace subtle, like Spring because flowers? Or Day because flowers need the sun?!)”

“The poor girl just doesn’t know any better: she’s exactly like her far-more-independent-and-headstrong sister who was wasting away in a Court where she was deprived of social interactio—wait, wdym she has a job, friends, is hinted at scheming behind the scenes, and calls the place a home... ? Sure, whatever, it’s clear that it's not significant, she's in denial; plus she can’t have a unique arc full of exploration & adventure unless she skedaddles away from the obstacles I dislike and never returns! Skedaddle to where, you ask? Easy: her mate’s court with her mate’s friends & her mate’s family, where she'll become her mate's High Lady... just like *drum roll* her sister! Notice how we don't question whether her mate's relationships are genuine and whether the life he's built (also ‘off-page’) matters?”

“Speaking of that MATE of hers, she is bound to come around eventually and realize that she was placed where she should be. I mean, he’s so hot, so she’s def super attracted to him and trying not to jump hi—what? You’re saying her body language shows otherwise? I mean how can you know, maybe she’s just hidin—oh... she' shown visible signs of attraction to another male? Enough signs that literally all characters, bar the oblivious one, noticed? Well then, it’s clearly because she’s projecting her longings for her mate onto the bloke; the bond means more than her pesky little rebellious feelings (Elain, we see you girl, no need to be stubborn!)."

“Btw, I cant believe you guys missed the memo, but the thing she had with that other dude? You know, the one the author gave her significant moments with and who did casual things like lending her his most prized possession & following the sound of her laugh & making his nightstand an altar in her effigy? Yea, it’s all a red herring. Turns out the author couldn't decide whether Mr. Distraction would be an incel or a fickle fuckboy, so she just went with both. Entitled, lustful prick—love him though! But SJM really fooled yall, it was all made so that readers (somehow) forget that she has a MATE who she is MATED to because there's this real MATING bond that she 100% cant break and that tells us that her MATE is the endgam—"

"...What are you saying? Are you really suggesting that the label of mates being all it took for many readers to overlook the on-page development of a romantic relationship between her & Mr. not-her-mate, in favour of said label, makes the bond more likely to be the red herring? Well, you're delusional... plus I thought that these two characters shared a brother/sister relationship up until it abruptly turned into "just lust" out of nowhere... right? Right. You probably just think it's a red herring cause her mate is red-haired. Ha!

You people need to understand that MATES are always the answer, period. They mean everything—why would you want a lesser love for your fav? It’s not like the author has put into question the nature of the mating bond & whether it indicates true paired souls, or like she spoke about how interesting she found the idea of bond rejections in her most recent interview—oh... damn. She did? But what about mates and the allegedly un-rejectable bond that could induce insanity by alleged cosmic blue balls?? Surely SJM wouldn't make a blanket statement reinforcing the status-quo of Prythian's patriarchal society just to have one of her heroines redefine it! I mean, let's be real, is Feyre becoming a High Lady despite there having been "no such thing" for millennia, or Nesta reinstating a female warrior force and winning the Illyrian-male-exclusive Blood Rite alongside an Illyrian woman and a ¼-nymph priestess, really THAT important? Why would the 3rd sister follow the pattern and subvert the status quo, when she could just make it easier for everyone & reinforce it by fulfilling the destiny she was groomed into?"

-----⊱ end scene ⊰-----

“Elain is pleasant to look at,’ her mother once said, ‘but she has no ambition. She will be an asset on the marriage market for us one day, if that beauty holds, but it will be our own maneuverings, Nesta, not hers, that win us an advantageous match."

Yet, here we are, expecting her story to be about fulfilling that prophecy rather than shattering it.

Elain’s story isn’t about conforming to the expectations placed on her—it’s about breaking free from them. And if you think a mating bond and a pretty dress are enough to define her or her arc, you’ve missed the point entirely.

[afflatusssss]

//HADES 2 UPDATE SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT !!! (Icarus x Melinoe)

UM???!! Excuse me???? *PULLS MY HAIR* MY GOD OKAY....FINE..I MEAN I GUESS I'M JUST GOING TO SIT HERE AND SCREAM RIGHT...JUST....there is NO WAY and i mean NO WAY you can look me in the eye and say icarus has no feelings for melinoe ; _ ; ) my god the yearning is driving me MAD !!!!

and okay, here's what I find really interesting. i know moros and nemesis are also going to be romanceable (i say also because, my god, after all the dialogue i've read, supergiant is definitely making icarus a romance option unless they wanna play some hilariously cruel joke on the shippers *cough* true believers)---but that said, the chemistry that mel has with icarus is...quite frankly, unparalleled. don't get me wrong, i like her with nem and moros as well, each ship delivers an interesting dynamic...but her relationship with icarus just really hits different. he's not a god. he's a mortal turned shade after an untimely demise, someone who was supposed to be nothing but a wisp of himself. physically, yes, but also just...he's living in his father's shadow as well. he still is. there's that kind of inherent pressure to it. SOUND FAMILIAR?? icarus and mel are parallels. it's CRAZY how good their narratives mesh. mel has displayed, on more than one or two occasions, a neuroticism and perfectionism born out of IMMENSE internal and external pressure---from herself, from Hecate (not with malice as we know, but necessity or duty), Odysseus, the shades/denizens of her father's domain, etc... EVERYONE is expecting her to live up to this image she never chose, and yes she wants to save her family and kingdom, but it's still a difficult life. she's also living under the shadow of a family legacy. mel and icarus, i think, understand each other in ways that even the game hasnt really explicitly stated, but you Feel it. in the way they talk to each other, try to reassure one another. icarus believes in mel, not in the "because you're destined to save EVERYONE, it's what you were trained and raised to do" way but in the "i genuinely think you're amazing, and so why wouldn't you?" way. likewise, mel has always believed in icarus. she never viewed him as anything less than his father. you see that in the way she encourages him to build his inventions, the way she praises all the things he makes her. and man idk just....mel has been living the crossroads for so long, it's really all she's ever known, which is why she's so desperate to help her Olympian family, why she wants to get out and Do Something; she can't stand still. icarus can't stand still either, heck, his whole motif is FLYING, all the freedom and longing that comes with it. you know why? in the greek myth, and yes it was already mentioned in a few lines, he was cooped up in a tower pretty much all his childhood because minos wanted to keep his father hostage. both mel and icarus know what it feels to be helpless, to want to do something, to crave this freedom and power---maybe set in different contexts but still. Still.

and okay moving back, i highly doubt icarus' feelings are one-sided. just....the way melinoe talks to him, responds to him. she lights up almost instantly. there's this softness to it, and i would argue (maybe my ears just deceive me) even a wistful longing??? of all the things supergiant could do with their story, why include ^^^ ALL. THESE. EXCHANGES. besides the kinda funny fact that it sounds like melinoe is trying to seek the approval of mom here, just...why??? why does she care this much???? it could be from friendship yea but....idk. just listen LISTEN to the way these lines are delivered when you can. there's so much left unsaid. it's so...different from her interactions with moros and nem??? like yes there's a warmth as well in certain moments, but there's also that kind of...awkward formality? it's like we're still seeing that version of Princess Melinoe when she's with them. she hasn't really put down her walls with nem mainly because she still isnt sure about how the goddess of retribution really perceives her---she hurls insults left and right, and what exactly can she make of that? moros, also, hasn't quit with the formalities. he admires and respects her, but he hasn't really peeled back her layers yet, the ones underneath who she is as a goddess and princess. but icarus has seen it all. he's been with her since her childhood, long before she was ready to be anything, much less a slayer of time and everything else. he wasn't very substantial in form, which is why they underwent that entire dangerous ritual that cost mel her arm: she cared about him so much, and it's clear she still does. i won't get into the tantalizing aspect of icarus' guilt and how that affected their relationship (not great for them, but delicious for the narrative) and this, my dear friends who have somehow made it this far into my delirious rant, is exactly why i love that he calls her "meli." not princess, the way moros and nem do. not "melinoe" the way hecate does. not "goddess" the way odysseus does. not "young one" in the way skelly does. or the kinda silly, super short "M" that hermes does. only two characters really have a special nickname for her that's similar to the kinds best friends give each other, intimate but playful. dora (who refers to her as "mel"), and icarus, who will always call her meli---it's his sign of affection, regardless of who she is. he's never called her anything different. okay yea it's like...1AM right now, I just finished a run and i'm high on waxwitch okkaaayyy ; _ ; )

[bewires]

hi rare case when the described problem is not just an america problem

this crisis is happening in western europe as well. I can't speak to the rest of the world bc I haven't lived and taught there but I can say with certainty that the same things people are saying in the comments here are true in german society and amongst german schoolchildren

but what I don't appreciate is making it sound like it's a deliberate attempt on the part of adults with poor literacy to remain stupid. why are we in this situation? it's not like people set out to be poorly educated, certainly children don't, and the children of the early 2000s are today's adults.

education systems in europe and the US are not equipped for the crises we face on multiple fronts:

-dwindling resources from our respective governments meaning shortages both in materials and (wo)manpower. when funding is state provided, the school's hands are also tied about fundraising and creating more positions. big issue in germany because the state believes it knows how many teachers are needed per school and they are wrong.

-integration of students with special needs in regular classes WITHOUT first adapting the system and educating the staff in how to accommodate said special needs, resulting in a) special needs students often not being given the time and attention they need for success, b) everyone else in the classroom also not being given the time and attention they need because staff is always occupied with special needs students (*)

-curriculum bloat meaning we keep adding more and more things that need teaching and have less and less time for each of them, as well as the repositioning of a lot of basic skills from "things to be taught at home" to "things to be taught at school" because one-income families are obsolete

-ghettoization of "problem" schools. this is worse in the USA but it happens pretty much everywhere, the school in your area will reflect said area's socioeconomic status

and finally, here's the big one that has changed over the last 50-100 years:

we expect everyone to finish school.

we expect everyone to complete a standard 12-year education and then take up some sort of occupation relying on those 12 years or go on for further education.

when ppl say "oh schools didn't have all these issues in the 70s and 80s, it's all the immigrants these days!" what they mean is that immigrants were expected (in europe) to get a low level degree when they were 15 and take up manual/low-level service sector labor of some sort.

when ppl say "oh well having everyone in the same classroom with only one teacher who could administer corporal punishment worked 70 years ago it must be all this soft pedagogy" (yes I have heard that) what they mean is that by and large the children of people in the agrarian and industrial sectors left school at 14 or 15, having pretty much only learned reading/writing/math, and a few things from the sciences or the social sciences at a much lower level than we do now, and took up the same sorts of jobs their parents had.

our expectation now is for a much broader cross-section of society to complete education, which is great. the system however is not set up to accommodate that expectation because the states in question have been throwing more students from a broader variety of backgrounds at schools AND raising the expectations of what said students ought to know at the end of their schooling continually to reflect where we are in science.

and then we gave everyone a small personal misinformation device to carry around that convinces them their opinion on every political issue is worth being screamed into the ether even if they have no fucking clue what they're talking about

(*) I do not mean child with ADHD and high verbal skills who struggles with classroom setting, I mean child who consistently gets up during class to verbally and physically assault other children, child who consistently directly insults me the teacher in vulgar terms for the entire class period etc.

I am sick of people sugar coating the education crisis of American Adults. It is killing us. It is killing the world. Being nice about the fact that half of adults would struggle to read harry potter is going end us up dead as a species.

I am sick of losers jumping in to defend adults who don’t read books. Adults who don’t seek out news. I don’t give a fuck about their feelings. I don’t give a fuck if this makes them feel embarrassed and ashamed. They should feel that.

The stupidity of adults are poisoning our children. They are not raising well rounded kids. This is the time to stop the drain before it’s too late.

[newtkive]

pixels [newt x reader - modern text au]

ch. 5 - everyone's gay

THE GLADE

[ 12:05 PM ]

tommy: hi guys :3

minho: don't piss me off

tommy: WHAT???

I JUST SAID HI

y/n: hi tommy

minho: great now im pissed

newt: hey guys

y/n: WTF DID I DO??

newt: don’t have to do much to piss him off

minho: -_-

what so now im mean??

tommy: well at times you can be rude

y/n: YEAH? WTF you told me my face looks like a foot the other day

minho: and that foot would have fungus

tommy: lol 🍄 🦶

y/n: WTF THOMAS

gally: he cooked with that

y/n: i’ll cook u on a pike shut up

gally: is it bc im 6’5”?

minho: bro wanted to brag about his height 🤨

y/n: i still don’t believe he’s that tall until i see it with my own eyes

newt: can you guys chill out

minho: no fr im meditating

y/n: can we talk about how newts name is newt again

tommy: y/n stop

be respectful of other cultures

minho: what culture????

british white man????

newt: my parents hate me i get it

y/n: doesn’t ur sister have a normal name

newt: ig

it’s sonya

minho: 💀💀💀💀

old lady ahh name

newt: u literally have a crush on her die

y/n: WOAHHHH

tommy: HEYYYY CUSSER

newt: cusser ??

tommy: yes you cussed

newt: i just said die

tommy: biggest cuss word of all time

newt: you make my head hurt like in the realest most tangeable way possible

minho: so like a real headache

y/n: u do that to me minho

minho: bro’s mad she has a goated best friend ?? wtf

y/n: and who’s this goated best friend???? bc it ain’t you

minho: -_____-

tommy: it’s me :33

y/n: ^^ literally

minho: ok newt ur my best friend

newt: i don’t pick best friends

y/n: what

minho: what

tommy: what??

y/n: well why not

newt: because of situations like these

y/n: it’s ok guys he didn’t say me bc he doesn’t want to hurt ur feelings 😂😂

minho: me when im a liar

tommy: well of course it’s me

im always there for newt

some even think we have a relationship that’s more than friends at times ❤️

minho: woah woah woah there

newt: it’s true

tommy: see im his best friend

newt: no not that part

this old woman at the library told me she ‘supports us’ when tommy came to visit the other day

y/n: and that woman was me

newt: you are quite old

y/n: WHAT UR OLDER THAN ME

tommy: kind of hurt right now :/

minho: you’ll get over it

we all know im his bestie

y/n: yeah. gay best friend

minho: oh so gays an insult now nice i know where u stand

screenshotting this for when you get famous and i have to expose you

y/n: omg you think i’ll be famous awww <33

tommy: it’s ok she’s a bit gay like all of us

i give her the pass

minho: who is all of us

tommy: you heard me

im gayest but.. easily swayed ;)

newt: the fuck are you talking about

minho: ok bisexual twinkatron 5000

y/n: a bit gay??? last person i dated was a woman im a box muncher more than you guys

newt: box muncher is fucking crazy

minho: newt you’re supposed to like,..,., say how you do it too

newt: why would i say that

minho: girls like that quality in a man

y/n: what are you even talking about

newt: i don’t like you minho

tommy: yaaas you love him

newt: not sure how i feel about you either

tommy: 😞☹️

minho: dont care didn't ask plus ur british

alby: Hey y’all

newt: there’s my best friend hey buddy

minho: WHAT

y/n: WHAT

tommy: AWWWW

alby: The fuck

Uhhh hey close friend of mine

newt: wow.

minho: see how that feels?

not so good

y/n: i can show you smth that feels good 😛

tommy: :////

minho: WTF?

newt: HUH

alby: girl..

y/n: KIDDING EW EW EWRWEWEWW SORRY IM SORRY OLEASE

im gonna BARFFFFFFF

I WAS JUST BEING SILLY AND RELATABLE

minho: ok now that’s just rude

newt: valid reaction to a preventable circumstance

minho: bro said cum

tommy: ??

minho: cirCUMstance 😂😂🙏🙏

alby: This is why you guys have no partners

tommy: omg partners so inclusive ❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🩷

y/n: I’m so sorry for my actions. I’m ashamed over what I did and said. It was vile, inexcusable and inappropriate. I am so sorry. Please forgive me.

alby: Not the apology tour

minho: ok well it wasn’t THAT bad

newt: no that was needed actually

tommy: you sound like a kpop idol in a scandal

y/n: if i was i’d say

Take care and try not to catch a cold! Fighting!

tommy: too accurate

minho: aw hell naw twice’s 13th member

y/n: damn you know the amount of members

newt: you say that as if he doesn’t have a poster of them above his bed

y/n: oh……

minho: OK ENOUGH

IM GOING TO BED

y/n: ITS THE AFTERNOON

newt: just let him go be with his poster

alby: He’s cranky he needs a nap

newt: that one unemployed friend at 12 pm on a tuesday

minho: shut

tommy: a nap sounds great right now

y/n: true i got 5 hours of sleep

newt: more than me

minho: bro always has to complain

newt: i complain? look at your texts

y/n: i can get you to sleep real fast

newt: who me or minho

y/n: EWWWW DONT MENTION MINHO

minho: IM RIGHT HERE

alby: Notice how she didn’t get grossed out about Newt

Interesting

minho: i know bro is geeked

y/n: im just being silly!

tommy: i’ll show you silly

:P !!!!

newt: wtf is that

im not geeked im locked in

y/n: stop talking like minho i swear

tommy: that’s me being silly :PPPP

y/n: girl… do me a favor

tommy: ok what is it?

y/n: click the button on the side of ur phone real quick

tommy: oh it locked the screen i think i pressed the wrong button? im confused

y/n: no no that’s the right button

now put the phone down

and walk away

newt: now who’s sounding like minho

-

heh.. hey.. (read that like the tiktok audio of that one lady walking into a party u know what im talking abt?!) im so sorry ive been away so long and making everyone pull their hair and wait in agony and anticipation bc u love my story (manifesting). i miss writing so im gonna try and keep up this time. also i didn't tag anyone bc idk who does and doesn't care anymore LMAOOO lmk if u wanna be tagged in the next chapter tehe

[squish--squash]

I think Sakura started dissociating after his flashback in chapter 172, and this is why (spoilers below, as well as mentions of dissociation):

so, let's start with him being brought from the flashback:

This immediately sets a red flag to me, because Sakura's reply is lackluster, pliant, and subdued. And when kiryu starts talking about his sister, while the other three look at each other with a silent speech bubble, Sakura is looking away, not with them. He may be looking at kiryu, but even then, the lack of speech bubble is suspicious to me. Especially since we get a panel earlier of a similar situation, but sakura does have his own speech bubble (despite everyone not saying anything)

and then afterwards, look at him when kiryu gets up to let akari in...

he's yet to say a word, even about a topic he had been involved with earlier and obviously cared about. he's simply watching kiryu get up. it's like he's not listening...

and next we have when akari gifts them all a delicious snack:

nirei and tsugeura are shocked, but sakura... look at him. his face is emotionless. I'm not sure he's even looking at the desert fully.

and next:

he's eating, but there’s... no reaction. this is a far cry from his expressive reaction to trying a Frappuccino for the first time in the last chapter. he's just sitting there, eating in silence. he has still not said a word.

and then:

suo is bringing up the mall trip again. smth all of them should be interested in. but sakura is still eating, face unexpressive and not looking at anyone. again, he hasn't said a word.

and then, finally:

he looks up. he's still a little blank-faced, but after kiryu yells his sister's name, sakura seems to finally register his friends again and look up. He's still not talking, but he's looking up now.

notice the little lines like suo has: sakura is listening again. he's still not expressive again, but as least he's moved to taking a sip of tea, and seems to be alert again

and then we have this:

sakura looks confused when his friends look towards him for his own input. this can read as him just being his usual, socially awkward self not being used to the spotlight, but I think there's smth else here as well in the way he looks at nirei and tsugeura beforehand. I think part of this comes from a lack of knowing the full picture of what's going on, only having just clocked back in as kiryu left again.

I remember the times I've dissociated after having anxiety attacks in middle school. I'd essentially clock out, and go entirely on autopilot. it'd feel like I'd put a glass pane between me and the world, and I'd just be disconnected from what's going around me unless smth can pull me back (like a loud noise, for example).

now, I'm not saying sakura 100% dissociated, as I'm not nii sensei and don't know the true meaning behind these panels. but the way sakura acts after being pulled from his flashback is.... suspicious to me, to say the least...