#I genuinely have no idea how to approach the topic of talking about the characters from my book/interps of the greek gods

[gingermintpepper]

Extracts from The Greenhouse Floor

[hiraethwrote]

there's a lightness in him

summary: finally, the day has come where you get the chance to meet gojo. but megumi doesn't handle it as well as you had hoped

[ loner!megumi x popular!reader ]

cw: college au, modern au, f!reader, fluff, gojo cameo, some angst, aged up characters, no use of y/n

word count: 2.9k

You really wanted to meet Gojo.

For reasons unknown to you, Megumi became even more quiet than usual whenever he was brought up — nearly blatantly refusing to talk about him at all.

Your curiosity was obviously peaked — who was this mysterious individual, who through unfortunate circumstances had ended up basically raising what had turned out to be your perfect boyfriend? Was this where Megumi had gotten his closed off demeanour from? Were shared dinners around the dining table spent in utter silence?

The few things you had gathered about Gojo: he was NOT Megumi’s dad. That was the most important thing you’d learned. Because how dumb were you when you simply assumed the adult man he lived with was his father?

You had also learned that there was a new level to Megumi’s frown that always grew deeper whenever he talked to Gojo on the phone. Granted, he was never happy whenever he was on the phone, but it was something entirely different when he talked to his… guardian?

“What do you mean you haven’t met his family?!” Kasumi exclaimed in pure disbelief once you told her, head tilting up from her doomscrolling.

“As far as I understand, there isn’t much family to meet. It’s mostly just this Gojo figure.”

“And that’s his dad?”

“God no, he’ll bite your head off if you assume so, but whoever he is, he’s the closest thing he has to a parental figure.”

She tried to blink away the worst of her surprise. “But you’ve been together since high school.” It seemed like she wanted the statement to be a question, but it definitely came out more as a judgemental remark.

“Look, his family situation isn’t ideal,” you trailed off, thinking about the few things he had actually opened up to you about — both his sister and his absent father, and you had quickly understood family was a fragile topic for him. So whenever you dared approach the situation about Gojo, you just wanted to be cautious in case there was anything serious he just did not want to talk about.

However, lately, the idea of anything seriously worrisome being the issue had slowly ceased to exist. Megumi genuinely only seemed to be annoyed with whatever it was Gojo said or did — nothing graver than that.

“Does that mean you’ve never been to his house?” Yet another shocked question fired at you.

“No, I’ve been to his house plenty of times,” you chuckled. “It just so happens that Gojo is never home. He’s apparently sent out of town a lot for work.”

She quirked an eyebrow, shaking her head and turning her attention back to her phone. “Your boyfriend is kind of a weirdo, not gonna lie.”

A small, smitten smile automatically grew on your lips. “Yeah, I guess he is,” you said, probably mostly to yourself.

“I have to go now.”

“What, already?” You whined, bottom lip sticking out in a dramatic pout as Megumi got up from his seat beside you. He met your pleading gaze, leaning forward to capture your lips in a tender kiss to ease his departure.

“It’s probably gonna take a while today,” he sighed, walking over to the door. Before his hand had even managed to clasp around the handle, you were already at his side, staring at him with doe eyes while your arms were tucked behind your back — like you always did when you wanted something.

“Then why don’t I come along?” batting your eyelashes at him.

Whatever your ulterior motive was, he was weak for the look you gave him — sucking in his cheeks to smother the smirk you were slowly pulling from him.

“You wanna come along?”

“I wanna be with you as much as possible!”

“You gonna help with errands, too?”

Your innocent smile was pushed into pursed lips instead. “I can watch?”

He instantly let out a taunting scoff. “Cute,” he sighed, placing a quick kiss on your cheek and opening the door to leave. Before he got too far, you already grabbed ahold of his wrist.

“So, you’re going home for these errands, right?”

And once you said ‘home’, Megumi immediately understood why you had suddenly decided to be so persistent in tagging along for his duties, when you always preferred he just get it over with so he could return to you once he was done.

And his body slowly started to tense up, because unlike you, Megumi really did not want you to meet Gojo.

Why? Well, Megumi could list hundreds of reasons why he wanted to shield you from the menace he had lived with most his life. But he knew those reasons were all superficial, and he never really dared put into words what really plagued him about the situation.

“Megumi,” you spoke his name softly, slowly letting go of his wrist. “I want to meet your family.”

There it was again, your genuine interest in him — somehow always catching him off guard despite you proving it to him from the very first moment. He just didn’t feel deserving of it.

It was written all over your features just how important this was to you — guilt striking him as he couldn’t understand why he had been so selfish as to deprive you of meeting his family, when he had no real reason to.

But what wasn’t he willing to do for you? With a clear of his throat, he tried to set aside his ever present anxiety about the situation, grumbling a low “fine” as he pulled out his phone to send a quick heads up to Gojo.

“Wait, really?” The fragile sentiment in your voice was replaced by an airy relief, not quite expecting him to surrender so easily — especially considering how long you’d bothered him about it all.

“Has to happen eventually, right? Might as well get it over with.”

The nonchalant shrug of his shoulders and the look in his eyes was all it took for you to feel your stomach tickle with butterflies — you saw he was trying to power through his stubbornness for you. He wasn't going to let his own struggles triumph how important this was for you.

“You’re just so-“ endless giddiness spilling over in your expression, unable to finish your sentence. You cupped his face and placed the sweetest kiss on his cheek, before you rather abruptly interrupted your own actions by yanking him after you towards his car.

For the entirety of the ride, you held a mostly one sided conversation, hoping your casual talk would calm him down — but it didn’t stop his knuckles from slowly turning paler when his fingers gnawed at the steering wheel, hoping you didn’t catch how his teeth were grinding against each other.

But he wanted to try — for you.

Pulling into the driveway, surrounded by the familiar scenery of the neighbourhood he grew up in, none of his nerves seemed to disintegrate. Even when he opened the door for you (like he always did) and you laced your fingers with his, the nerves remained knotted inside him.

“If you really don’t want to do this-“

“No, ‘s fine,” he interrupted you softly, reactively squeezing your hand to ground himself. “Let’s just get-“

A blaring voice shouting your name cut through the sad tension, both you and Megumi jumping at the sudden outburst.

Capturing your wide eyed glare, you were met with a freakishly tall man staring directly at you with the most intense blue-eyed stare one could imagine and untamed hair of the purest white — and lastly, a somewhat off putting grin that was overflowing with outgoing charm.

This was Gojo? The Gojo? The very same who had raised your stoic and quiet boyfriend? The one who seemed to have too much pent up energy in his body, despite the size of it? This was not at all what you had expected.

You were about to take a polite bow to introduce yourself, but Gojo simply waved his hand. “No need for formalities. Feel like I know you already.” His smile never wavered, even when he took a step back to let you in.

Megumi was already grumbling to himself, unable to stop how his fingers clenched harder on your hand as a reaction to Gojo’s first appearance — and heat was rising up his neck, slowly colouring the tips of his ears red with embarrassment.

“So glad you finally managed to convince him,” Gojo nearly sung, leading all three of you into the kitchen. “I’ve tried desperately since that day he first visited you. But Megumi never listens to me.”

He was so far from the character you had created in your mind, taking some time let the new impression replace the old one. He leaned so casually against the kitchen counter, while Megumi acted on instinct and pulled out the stool for you, taking a seat next to you.

“I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when he came back home that evening, and he smiled. You know how hard I try to make him smile?”

“Oh, it’s not so hard,” you laughed along, turning to look at your boyfriend only to see he was looking at Gojo with chronically furrowed eyebrows. The lump in your stomach formed immediately, hating just how displeased Megumi appeared to be — reaching out to grab his hand under the table, head turning to look at you, smoothing the crinkles on his forehead. You started to believe he wasn’t even aware of the way he was looking at Gojo, because all evidence of annoyance was gone when he shifted his eyes towards you. “He smiles plenty.”

“Hmpf,” Gojo pouted, arms crossing loosely over his chest. “Well, maybe you just share the same bad sense of humor.” The comment caught you a little by surprise before the genuine laugh slipped past your lips, while Megumi went back to shooting him an ugly scowl.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you too for a while.”

“Is that so?” His tone sounded accusatory as he met Megumi’s eyes. It didn’t take a genius to understand the subtext that Megumi had served him excuse after excuse on why he’d never introduced you.

“Yes, but my schedule is crazy busy,” the lie rolling of your tongue so easily, Megumi almost believing it himself. “Something always came up whenever we tried to make it happen.” It was a small gesture, yet Megumi’s heart fluttered lightly at how you tried to make this as comfortable as possible for him.

“I’m very pleased you finally got the time,” he beamed, seemingly buying into the lie.

And then the conversation flowed as smoothly as butter. He asked questions about your studies and your family, showing a real interest in your life. And he was funny — the clutching-your-stomach type of funny. You didn’t even notice when Kuro and Shiro walked into the kitchen, Shiro lightly nudging your hand for pets before both of the dogs laid down by Megumi’s feet.

But the conversation consisted mostly of your and Gojo’s voice, Megumi only contributing with a weak “hm” or “sure” whenever fitting, which definitely put a thorn in the atmosphere of the company.

“How about we get around to those errands?” You suggested, bringing an end to the constant rambling you knew Megumi had probably prayed would stop.

“Yeah, we probably should,” he mumbled lowly, quickly jumping out of the seat he had been glued to since you arrived. “I just have to get something upstairs-“

“Just go,” you giggled, knowing he was about to ask if you were alright with being left alone for a second.

Megumi hurried away, leaving you and Gojo alone. It didn’t take long before he broke the silence again.

“He’s not usually this cold towards me.” His tone had completely changed, now full of sentiment, one you could only assume came from genuine love for Megumi. “It doesn’t look like it, but I’m sure he secretly likes me. The death glares are at least kept to a minimum when it’s just the two of us.”

“He has a tendency to be a little cranky.” He smiled then, a small and almost shy smile.

“I’m going to make this quick, because he’ll be back down any second,” he took a deep breath as he straightened his posture. “After you came along… I’ve never seen him like this.” Your breath hitched in your throat at the slightly ominous statement. “There’s a lightness in him I’ve never seen before. You clearly mean a lot to him, which is why he exaggerates his frown. He’s just being protective.”

With further clarification, your shoulders found rest, starting to shuffle towards the front door, Gojo close behind. “Believe it or not, he brings me lightness too.”

“No, I believe it,” he smiled as Megumi came down the stairs, both of his dogs following him. “I see it in you too.”

“Ready to go?” Megumi asked in a monotone voice, already having put on his shoes and opened the door.

“It was nice meeting you, Gojo,” you bowed.

“Looking forward to the next time.” Megumi didn’t manage to fully conceal the quiet groan that escaped him, both you and Gojo deciding to not pay it any attention.

“I’ll be back in a few days,” Megumi sighed, already halfway down the pathway, simply waving goodbye over his shoulder.

“I’ll miss you!” Gojo yelled dramatically after him, your boyfriend never sparing him a second glance. While he opened the car door for you, you decided to pay Gojo the decency of a smile and a tiny wave.

Megumi did not hesitate to start the engine, his childhood home quickly disappearing behind you.

Then silence hit — thick silence, nearly suffocating on all the thoughts you could so clearly tell was swarming Megumi’s mind.

“I like him,” you breathed, leaning back on the headrest.

“Yeah? I’m glad.”

“You don’t sound glad.”

“Sorry.”

His eyes were glued ahead, as if there was nothing more interesting than the boring scenery and the asphalt going straight ahead.

“Megumi?”

“Hmm?”

“Why didn’t you want me to meet Gojo?”

He didn’t answer — he only let out a deep breath through his nose which you suspected had been trapped in his lungs since the moment you first pulled up in his driveway. Then he pulled over, the car slowly rolling to a halt.

Your pulse quickened, eyeing how his hands had left the steering wheel only for him to pick at the skin around his nails — a nervous tick you only saw him do when he was extremely anxious.

“I don’t want to mess this up.”

His confession was quiet, and had it not been for the fact that there was not a sound in the car or any distractions outside, you would not have been able to hear it.

“Meeting family… it brings expectations. And if I am to mess this up-“

“Don’t say that, you’re not going to mess this up!” You cut him off, hands cutting through the air to intertwine your fingers with his, stopping his bad habit.

“You don’t know that.” His voice still came out low, eyes directed at your hands. “After last time-“

“Stop it,” you interrupted again, bringing one hand to his face to force him to look at you, breaking your heart when his eyes had turned glossy. “We’re past that now, okay?”

“I know we are, it’s just-“ he took another deep breath, “for some reason, I just felt like that if I kept you from meeting him, I could contain the damage and disappointment if I were to screw it up.”

“I didn’t know you felt this way,” you sniffled quietly, fighting not to let the tears take over. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know,” he averted his gaze again, back to fixating on his lap. “Scared, I suppose.”

“You’re not in this alone. You can always talk to me about these things, okay?”

“Mhmm,” the weak sound was barely heard.

Once again you cupped his face, wanting his eyes on you when you said “I’m on your team, Megumi.” His nostrils flared, not wanting the tears to spill. “Please just let me be on your team!”

Yet again he took another deep breath to steady himself, slowly beginning to nod along before leaning into your touch. “Okay,” he whispered.

He didn’t say it, but you could sense how he had actively reached within himself to fint sparks of confidence to give himself over to your request.

Megumi was just used to doing things on his own, never depending on anyone but himself. And up until he met you, that had worked perfectly fine. But faced with a relationship, he had found himself between a rock and a hard place, where exposing himself emotionally to another human being was necessary for it to work — and you were worth every ounce of dedication. Every other aspect of his life had turned miniscule in comparison to you.

He hadn’t exactly made it easy for you to cooperate when it came to his feelings. But that stopped now, fully surrendering to the fragility one could not avoid in a relationship. He knew you’d be there.

“You want me to drive?”

“No, it’s fine,” he sighed, the evidence of tears gone as he sat back up in his seat. He removed your hand from his face to place a soft kiss on your knuckles.

“You’re not still going to run errands, are you?” Your pulse finally started to calm down when you spotted a small smirk lurking at the corner of his lips.

“Not a chance.”

“My place and order in?”

“Sounds perfect.”

tags (taglist is open)

@sad-darksoul @nyahctrl @ssetsuka @aceakariii @chxlexauriana

@ps-forgetmenot @thejujvtsupost @acowboykisser @rixo-19

@aestheticallyvini @iheartlinds @rory-cakes @tiffanyandrson

a/n okay idk what's happening but i'm not quite vibing with my writing lately... words aren't wording iykwim... however, did yall catch me teasing some angst in here tihi?? look forward to that

[kentobb]

The Bet (Part Two)

Characters: College!Sukuna x Female Reader

Genre: Angst

Warnings: Foul language, Kiss. Sukuna being an idiot.

Author’s note: Thank you for everyones comment! It meant a lot for me. Did a part two thanks to the feedback 🩷 I love reading your comments. Feel free to leave a feedback or how you feel in the comments.

Part 01 Part 03 Part 04

Sukuna walked into the library, his heart pounding a little faster than usual. He was there under the pretense of needing help with his project, but deep down, he knew he didn’t really need it. He just needed to make progress with you on this stupid bet with Gojo. As he walked through the aisles of books, he spotted you from a distance. You were sitting peacefully, engrossed in a book. The sight of you so absorbed in your reading made him feel a pang of guilt. He was about to disrupt your tranquility for his own selfish reasons.

He approached you quietly, not wanting to startle you. When you looked up and saw him, you greeted him with a warm smile, ready to help. Sukuna couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed. What kind of person was he to use you like this? Would you mind? Would you not mind?

“Hey,” he said, trying to keep his tone casual. “Thanks for agreeing to help me.”

“It’s no problem,” you replied, closing your book. “What do you need help with?”

“Uh, just some research for our project,” he said, sitting down next to you.

You nodded and opened your laptop, quickly pulling up some documents. “Alright, let’s start with the basics. What part are you struggling with?”

He glanced at the screen, feeling a bit like a fraud. “I guess I’m having trouble narrowing down the sources. There’s just so much information.”

You smiled and began explaining the research process to him, breaking it down into simple steps. You had a way of making even the most complex topics seem easy to understand. As you talked, Sukuna found himself genuinely enjoying the conversation. Your voice was soothing, and your explanations were clear and concise.

“See, it’s not that hard,” you said, looking at him. “You just need to organize your sources and make sure they’re credible.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Sukuna said, smiling. “Thanks…you’re really good at this.”

You blushed slightly. “I’m glad I could help.”

You continued working, and Sukuna found himself relaxing more and more. He started cracking jokes, trying to lighten the mood. You giggled at his comments, and he was immediately struck by how beautiful your laughter was. He felt his cheeks warm up and quickly looked back at his laptop, hoping you hadn’t noticed his reaction.

“So, what do you like about reading?” he asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

Your eyes widened, surprised that he is actually making a conversation with you, that he is treating you like a decent human being…as if you were important. Your heart warms at the thought that someone is actually talking to you. You smiled, “I love getting lost in different worlds and stories,” you said, your eyes lighting up. “There’s something magical about books. They let you explore places you’ve never been and meet people you’d never know otherwise…”

“That’s cool,” Sukuna said, genuinely interested. “Maybe we could go book shopping sometime. You could show me some of your favorite authors.”

Sukuna glanced at you, who didn’t seem to take his suggestion seriously. You shrugged and gave a half-hearted smile. “Yeah, okay,” you said, clearly doubtful.

He felt a pang of frustration. “No, really,” he insisted, trying to sound more sincere. “I’ve been meaning to get into reading more. Maybe you could help me find some good books?”

You raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “You’re interested in reading?”

“Yeah, I mean... books are cool,” he said, mentally cursing himself for sounding so unconvincing. He then had a sudden, seemingly brilliant idea. “How about we go book shopping right now?”

You laughed at his suggestion, thinking he was joking. But when you saw the serious expression on his face, your laughter died down. “You’re serious?”

“Totally serious,” he said as he smiled.

You hesitated for a moment, your sixth sense telling to you bail out and go back to your dorm, to drown yourself in books. Your thoughts want to win, telling you that he is just doing this out of petty, that he is just using you—

“Hey…” he said softly, standing up. “Let’s go. It’ll be fun.”

And this time, you decided to ignore your sixth sense. Slowly nodding and smiling, “Okay, if you say so.”

You both left the library and walked to a nearby bookstore. Sukuna was mentally cursing himself the entire way. This was not his scene at all. But as you both entered the store, he found himself distracted by your excitement? Who would have thought that the shy girl who hides herself from the world is smiling and giggling over some books? You moved through the aisles with ease, picking up books, reading the backs, and smiling at titles that intrigued you.

He watched you, feeling a strange lightheartedness. Seeing you so animated, so genuinely happy, was not as unpleasant as he had anticipated. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

“So, what kind of books do you like?” he asked, trying to sound genuinely curious.

“I love fantasy and adventure,” you said, holding up a book with a dragon on the cover. “And sometimes a good mystery.”

He nodded, pretending to be interested. “That sounds cool. What’s that one about?”

You began to explain the plot, your eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Sukuna found himself smiling, not because of the book, but because of the way you talked about it. Have your voice been always this beautiful? Have you always been this pretty? He picked up a random book and glanced at the back, not really reading the words.

“This one looks interesting,” he said, trying to keep the conversation going.

You looked at the book he was holding and chuckled. “That’s a romance novel, Sukuna.”

He quickly put the book back, feeling embarrassed. “Right, not exactly my style. What would you recommend for a beginner?”

You thought for a moment, then picked out a book and handed it to him. “Try this one. It’s a good start for anyone new to reading.”

He took the book, looking at the cover. “Thanks, bookworm. I’ll give it a shot.”

Both of you walked to the register together, and he paid for the book. As you stepped outside, he noticed a cozy coffee shop across the street. The warm lights and inviting atmosphere seemed like the perfect place to continue the conversation.

“Want to grab a coffee?” Sukuna suggested, surprising himself with how much he wanted to prolong your time together.

You looked pleased and nodded. “Sure, that sounds nice.”

You both walked over to the coffee shop, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeting both of you as you entered. Sukuna wondered what kind of coffee you would order, trying to guess your tastes. When it was his turn, he ordered a black coffee, simple and strong. You, however, surprised him by ordering a hot chocolate.

The cashier rang up the total, and just as you were about to reach for your wallet, Sukuna handed over his card, paying for both of you.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you said, looking a bit flustered.

He shrugged it off, trying to play it cool. “Consider it a thank you for helping me with the project. And the book recommendation.”

You smiled, your cheeks tinged with a slight blush. “Well, thank you, then.”

Both took their drinks and decided to take a walk, sipping and talking about random topics. For the first time in a long time, Sukuna felt genuinely content. Both of you discussed everything from favorite movies to childhood memories. Sukuna found himself opening up more than he expected, and he was amazed at how easy it was to talk to you. As you walked, Sukuna couldn’t help but compare this feeling to his usual encounters with MeiMei and his other hookups. With them, it was always superficial and fleeting. But with you, it felt different. More real, more meaningful.

Eventually you both arrived back at the dorms, and you turned to him with a grateful smile. “Thanks for today, Sukuna. I had a great time.”

Just as you were about to leave, Sukuna impulsively grabbed your arm, causing you to look up at him with those doe eyes that always made him feel like he was going to melt. He hesitated for a moment, feeling a strange mix of nervousness and excitement.

“Hey, sorry, can I have your number?” he asked, his voice a bit softer than usual.

You blushed and looked down, shyness making you even more endearing. You nodded and took his phone, carefully entering your contact information. When you handed it back to him, fingers brushing slightly, sending a jolt of electricity through him.

“Here you go,” you said, your voice almost a whisper.

He looked at the new contact in his phone and couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, bookworm. I’ll text you later.”

You nodded and you chuckled over your new nickname, still blushing. “Okay, see you.”

As Sukuna walked back to his dorm, he felt an unusual sense of happiness. It wasn’t just that he had a good time—he had plenty of fun at parties and with friends. This was different. He felt a genuine connection, something he hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever.

Sukuna stepped into his apartment, feeling strangely lighthearted. He placed the book you had recommended, "The Alchemist," on the kitchen island and headed to the fridge to find something to drink. After rummaging through the contents, he settled on a cold soda. Just as he closed the fridge door, Yuuji jumped out from behind it with a loud "Boo!"

"Jesus, Yuuji!" Sukuna exclaimed, nearly dropping his drink. "What the fuck, man?"

Yuuji burst into laughter, clutching his sides. "You should've seen your face, bro! Priceless!"

Sukuna rolled his eyes, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, yeah, hilarious."

Yuuji’s eyes drifted to the book on the island. He squinted, recognizing the title, and then smirked. "Wait a minute... Is that a book? Sukuna, since when do you read books?"

Sukuna felt a blush creeping up his neck. "I read," he muttered defensively. "Stop being stupid.”

Yuuji snorted. "You read, huh? Bullshit. You don’t even read what you eat.”

Sukuna glared at his brother, but Yuuji's smirk only widened. "Saw you today at the library… with this girl… what was her name again? Y/N? Yeah… Y/N.”

The blush on Sukuna’s face deepened, and he struggled to maintain his composure. "We're just working on a project. That’s it."

Yuuji wasn't buying it. He leaned in closer, waggling his eyebrows. "Sure… does that project include going to bookstores and coffee shops? I saw you, idiot. I was buying some shoes next to that bookstore.”

Before Sukuna could come up with a retort, Choso walked in, catching the tail end of the conversation. "What's going on here?"

Yuuji turned to him, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Guess what? Sukuna’s been hanging out with the bookworm. And he bought a book… because he “reads.” He said sarcastically

Choso raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Sukuna doesn’t even read the bills—”

Yuuji laughed, “Right? That’s what I said!”

"It's not like that," Sukuna protested, feeling cornered. "We're just working on a project together, and she recommended the book. That's all."

Choso nodded slowly, his expression turning mischievous. "Sure….”

Yuuji laughed, clapping Sukuna on the back. "Come on, Kuna, you can tell us. Do you like her?"

Sukuna could feel his face burning. "It's not like that," he insisted again. "We’re just...classmates."

Choso and Yuuji exchanged knowing looks, clearly enjoying their brother’s discomfort. "Sure, sure," Choso said. "But just so you know, if you need any dating advice, your little brothers are here to help."

“She seems like a good girl." Yuuji added with a wink. "I bet dad would like her.”

Sukuna groaned, wishing he could disappear. "You guys are the worst."

Yuuji grinned. "That's what brothers are for. So, when's your next study date?"

"It's not a date," Sukuna grumbled. "And I'm not telling you."

Choso chuckled. "Alright, keep your secrets. Just don’t get too distracted from your actual project."

Sukuna rolled his eyes. "I swear, you guys are so fucking annoying.”

Yuuji and Choso exchanged another amused glance but let the subject drop, for now. Sukuna grabbed his book and retreated to his room, trying to escape their teasing.

When he got to his room, he sat down on his bed, still holding the book and his phone with your number on it. He realized he was smiling like an idiot, but he didn’t care.

Sukuna found himself smiling at his phone more often than he'd like to admit. You and him had started texting regularly, and he genuinely enjoyed the conversations. You are easy to talk to, and he found himself sharing more about his day than he ever had with anyone else.

He liked updating you on his progress with "The Alchemist," surprising even himself with how invested he'd become in the story. He shared memes, too. You had a surprisingly sharp sense of humor, and your texts always made him laugh.

During practice, Sukuna would sneak glances at his phone, chuckling at your latest meme or comment. His teammates noticed, and curiosity buzzed among them.

"Yo, Sukuna, who are you texting so much?" Geto asked one afternoon, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Sukuna shrugged nonchalantly. "Just a friend."

Gojo, ever the instigator, leaned in with a smirk. "Is it MeiMei? Got a booty call lined up or something?"

Sukuna's smile didn't waver, and he simply shook his head. "Nope."

Gojo raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the genuine smile on Sukuna's face. "Hmm, really now? That smile of yours seems pretty genuine. Are you sure it’s not someone special?"

Sukuna looked up, meeting Gojo's eyes. He knew his friend was fishing for information, but he wasn't about to give in. "Just a friend," he repeated, but the slight blush on his cheeks didn't go unnoticed.

As practice ended and they all headed to the locker room, Gojo exchanged a glance with Geto. "What do you think?" he whispered.

Geto grinned. "I think our boy might actually be falling for someone. And it's definitely not MeiMei."

Back at his apartment, Sukuna sprawled on the sofa, phone in hand. He shot off another text to you, telling you about a particularly funny moment from practice. Almost immediately, your response popped up, and he couldn't help but smile again.

Sukuna: "You won't believe what happened at practice today. Gojo tried to dunk and ended up flat on his face. Classic."

Bookworm :) : "Haha, I can totally picture that. Is he okay?"

Sukuna: "Yeah, he's fine. Just bruised his ego a bit."

Bookworm :): "Poor Gojo. Btw, how's the book going? Any new revelations?"

Sukuna: "Actually, yeah. I'm starting to see why you like it so much. It's kind of... inspiring."

Bookworm :) : "Told you. It's a great read."

Sukuna: "You're a great recommender. Maybe you should suggest my next read."

Bookworm :): "I have a few ideas in mind. But only if you promise to actually read them."

Sukuna: "Deal."

As he put his phone down, Sukuna's thoughts drifted to you. You were different from anyone he'd ever known—intelligent, kind, and genuinely interested in the things he had to say.

The morning sun filtered through the classroom windows as students filed in, preparing for another day of lectures and notes. Sukuna was already seated, tapping his pen against his notebook, when Mahito walked over, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"Hey, Sukuna," Mahito said, leaning against Sukuna's desk. "Big party today at my place. Spread the word, yeah?"

Sukuna nodded, matching Mahito's grin. "Got it. Should be a blast."

As Mahito walked away, Sukuna's eyes drifted across the room until they landed on you. You were quietly arranging your things, completely unaware of the whirlwind of thoughts running through his mind. He knew it wasn’t your usual scene, but the idea of you being there intrigued him. He took a deep breath, gathering his courage.

He needed to make progress on the bet, because… this was about the bet… is not that he wanted to see you, is not that the idea of you has been consuming his mind. As he approached you, he tried to act casual.

"Hey," he greeted you, taking the seat next to you.

You looked up from your notes and smiled, a gesture that made his heart skip a beat. "Hi, Sukuna."

He cleared his throat, trying to find the right words. "So, there's this party at Mahito's place today since its a long week. I was thinking you should come. It'll be fun."

Your smile faltered slightly, and you looked a bit uneasy. "Oh, um, thanks, but I'm actually busy tonight.”

Sukuna raised an eyebrow. "Busy? Doing what?"

You hesitated, then sighed. "I'm going to a museum. They have a new exhibit I've been wanting to see."

"A museum?" Sukuna repeated, trying to hide his surprise. "You're going with someone?" He asked, his heart pounding.

"No, just me," you giggled, cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Seeing your flustered made Sukuna feel a pang of guilt. Here he was, trying to use you for a bet, and you were genuinely one of the sweetest people he'd ever met. "Hey, that actually sounds interesting," he said, surprising himself with his sincerity. "Mind if I tag along?"

You blinked, clearly taken aback. "You... want to come to the museum with me?"

"Yeah," Sukuna said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Why not?"

You looked down, clearly embarrassed. "I don't know, Sukuna. I feel like... it might not be your thing." You gave a small smile, “You’re just being nice…you don’t have to do this.”

He laughed softly. "Maybe not, but I'd like to give it a try. Besides, it's better than going to some noisy party, right?"

You bit your lip, contemplating his offer. "Alright, if you're sure."

"I'm sure," he said, his smile genuine. "So, what time should we meet?"

You smiled and he swear he almost melts.

The afternoon sun was gentle, casting a warm glow on the bustling city streets as Sukuna and you walked side by side towards the train station. You looked adorable in your floral satin dress, your outfit modest and tracing your curves. Your hair was down, two loose strands framing your face. Sukuna found himself captivated by your natural beauty and the soft, unassuming way you carried herself.

You pulled out a map, your fingers tracing the route you needed to take to reach the museum. You glanced up at Sukuna, a shy smile playing on your lips.

"Thanks for coming with me," you said softly, your voice almost drowned out by the city's hum. "I know you had that party you could have gone to instead."

Sukuna shrugged, a small smirk forming on his lips. "There are always going to be other parties. I'm not worried about missing one." He paused, looking at you earnestly. "I want to create new experiences, you know? Do something different for a change."

You looked at him, your eyes wide with surprise and gratitude. "That's really sweet of you."

You continued walking, the conversation flowing more easily now. Sukuna asked you about your favorite museums and what you liked most about them. You animatedly talked about the different exhibits you have seen and the stories behind them. Sukuna found himself genuinely interested, watching your eyes light up with each new topic.

As you sat next to each other on the train, your shoulders occasionally brushing, Sukuna leaned in a little closer. "So, what's the best part of the museum we're going to?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

You thought for a moment, then replied, "I think it's the interactive exhibits. They make you feel like you're part of the story, not just a spectator."

Sukuna nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Sounds interesting. I like the idea of being part of the story."

You smiled, feeling more at ease. "Yeah, it's a lot of fun. I think you'll enjoy it."

When you arrived at the stop, you continued the walk towards the museum. The city was bustling, but you both managed to carve out your own little bubble of conversation and laughter. Sukuna found himself enjoying your company more and more, appreciating the way you saw the world with such enthusiasm and wonder.

At one point, both of you stopped at a small park to rest for a moment. You took out your map again, double-checking their route. Sukuna watched you, amused by your determination. "You really like being prepared, huh?" he teased gently.

You looked up, blushing slightly. "I just don't want us to get lost."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'd follow you anywhere."

Your blush deepened, and you quickly turned your attention back to the map. Sukuna found your reaction adorable, and a warm feeling spread through him.

As you approached the museum, Sukuna could see the excitement building in your eyes. You were practically bouncing on your toes, and he couldn't help but smile. It felt good to see you so happy.

"Ready for our adventure?" he asked, holding out his hand.

You hesitated for a moment, then took his hand, fingers warm and soft in his. "Ready," you replied, your smile bright and genuine.

The party was in full swing at Mahito’s place. Bodies moved to the beat of the music, the air thick with the scent of alcohol and sweat. Mahito and his friends scanned the crowd, puzzled by the absence of Sukuna. Gojo, always observant, finally spotted Yuuji and Choso lounging by the snack table.

He approached them with a smirk. "Hey, you guys seen Sukuna? Mei Mei’s been blowing up his phone, and he’s MIA."

Yuuji, munching on a handful of pretzels, grinned. "Oh, Sukuna? He’s got a date tonight." He chuckled.

Gojo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A date? With who? The fuck?”

Yuuji leaned in, lowering his voice dramatically. "The bookworm.”

Gojo’s eyes widened with amusement. He couldn’t believe that Sukuna has actually made progress with you. Was Sukuna able to pull anyone he wanted? He thought to himself "You mean Y/N? No way!"

Choso chuckled, shaking his head. "Yup, that's the one. Heard she is a good girl. She is good for Sukuna.”

Mei Mei, standing nearby, overheard the conversation. Her eyes narrowed with jealousy as she processed the information. Without a word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the party, leaving a trail of stunned onlookers in her wake.

Gojo, oblivious to Mei Mei’s reaction, clapped Yuuji on the shoulder. "Man, Sukuna must be working hard for those hundred bucks, huh?"

Yuuji’s grin faded, replaced by confusion. "What do you mean, hundred bucks?"

Gojo laughed, taking a swig of his drink. "Oh, you didn’t know? We made a bet. Hundred bucks says he can’t hook up with her."

Yuuji’s expression darkened, his hands balling into fists. "Sukuna did what? He put a price on someone’s feelings? On her? Are you guys fucking insane?"

Gojo, realizing he might have said too much, raised his hands defensively. "Hey, it’s just a bet, man. Nothing serious."

Yuuji rolled his eyes as he searched for his phone, “I swear sometimes yours and his brain are there as a decoration.”

Gojo realized that he may have put Sukuna in trouble and tried to ease problem, “Yuuji, come on. It’s just a silly bet.”

But Yuuji was already dialing Sukuna’s number, his face set with determination. When the call went straight to voicemail, he turned to Choso. "We need to find him. Now."

Choso nodded, his playful demeanor gone. The two brothers pushed their way through the crowd, urgency in their steps. Gojo watched them leave, a sense of unease settling in his gut.

“Fuck…”

The museum was an eclectic mix of contemporary and classical art, its walls adorned with pieces that ranged from the breathtakingly beautiful to the bewilderingly abstract. Sukuna walked beside you, casting sidelong glances at you as you moved from one exhibit to another with an easy grace. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, though he was secretly nervous about how the day would unfold.

As you stood in front of a particularly strange piece of modern art—a series of seemingly random splashes of paint on a massive canvas—Sukuna tilted his head, trying to make sense of it. "I don't get it," he admitted, glancing at you. "What's it supposed to mean?"

You laughed softly, a musical sound that made Sukuna's heart skip a beat. "Honestly? I don't get it either," you confessed. "I like to read about the artists and their intentions. Sometimes it helps to understand what they were trying to convey."

Sukuna felt a wave of admiration wash over him. "So, you learn about it to understand it better?"

You nodded. "Exactly. Sometimes things don’t make sense until you dig deeper and get to know the context behind them."

Sukuna found your words resonating with him on a deeper level. He realized that getting to know someone—or something—often required patience and effort. It was a lesson he hadn't fully appreciated until now.

Both of you continued walking through the museum, and Sukuna found himself genuinely interested in the art, largely because of your enthusiasm and insightful commentary. You moved from exhibit to exhibit, discussing the pieces and sharing both thoughts. As you walked, shoulders occasionally brushed against each other, a subtle but intimate connection that neither of you seemed to mind.

He was starting to enjoy this more than he expected.

At one point, both of you stood in front of a serene landscape painting, both of you lost in its tranquility. Sukuna glanced at you, noticing how the light played off your features, giving you an ethereal glow. His heart pounded in his chest, a feeling of warmth spreading through him. He was falling for you, and it was happening faster than he could comprehend.

After you had explored the entire museum, you stepped outside, only to find that it had started to rain. The drops came down heavily, quickly soaking the ground. Both of you looked around for shelter and found a small alcove with a roof that provided some protection from the downpour.

You shivered, wrapping your arms around yourself to stave off the cold. Sukuna, without a second thought, shrugged off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders. "Here, take this," he said, trying to sound casual despite the fluttering in his chest.

You looked up at him, your doe eyes filled with gratitude. "T-Thank you," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the sound of the rain.

Seeing you still shivering, Sukuna hesitated for only a moment before he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a tight embrace. "You're still cold," he murmured, his breath warm against your ear. "This should help."

Your heart raced, your pulse quickening at the unexpected contact and he could feel it. You looked up at him, eyes wide with surprise and something else—something that made Sukuna's heart ache with a strange, new longing.

Without fully understanding what he was doing, Sukuna reached up and gently cupped your cheek, his thumb brushing against your soft skin. Your faces were inches apart, and he could feel your breath mingling with his own. In that moment, everything else faded away—the night, the rain, the cold, the world around you. It was just the two of you, lost in a bubble of warmth and closeness.

Slowly, Sukuna leaned in and pressed his lips to yours, a gentle, tentative kiss that quickly deepened as you both gave in to the feelings that had been building between you. Your hands found their way to his chest, clutching at his shirt as if you needed something to anchor herself to reality. This was your first kiss, and it felt like a dream—one that you never wanted to wake up from.

Sukuna felt his heart swell with emotions he hadn't known he was capable of feeling. He kissed you with a tenderness he hadn't shown anyone before, savoring the sweetness of the moment. When both of you finally pulled apart, both of you were breathless, foreheads resting against each other as you tried to process what had just happened.

Sukuna was speechless, unable to find the right words to convey the overwhelming feelings swirling inside him. He could only look at you, his eyes reflecting the depth of his emotions.

Just then, his phone began to vibrate, breaking the intimate silence between you. Sukuna fumbled to pull it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen to see Yuuji's name flashing. He hesitated, torn between answering the call and staying in this perfect moment with you.

You gave him a gentle smile, understanding the conflict in his eyes. "Um…you should answer it," you said softly, stepping back slightly to give him space.

Sukuna nodded, still feeling dazed. He answered the call, his voice unsteady. "Y-yeah, Yuuji, what's up?"

“We need to talk. And it’s serious. Go home.” Yuuji said and Sukuna is worried about his brother tone.

His mind kept drifting back to the kiss, to the way you had looked at him, to the warmth that still lingered from your embrace.

You both walked in silence toward the train station, the only sounds between you were the patter of rain and your own footsteps. The air was thick with unspoken words, each of you lost in your own thoughts about the kiss. You couldn't help but feel a pang of insecurity. You worried that Sukuna regretted it, that maybe he saw you as a mistake—an odd, nerdy girl who didn't match his level. You bit your lip, glancing at him from the corner of your eye but finding no clues in his expression.

Sukuna, on the other hand, was wrestling with his own confusion. He had never anticipated falling for the girl he was supposed to win over for a bet. His heart felt heavy with the realization that he had genuinely fallen for you, but he was at a loss for how to navigate these new, intense feelings.

When you arrived at the station, boarded the train, still wrapped in silence. The ride felt interminable, each stop only heightening the tension between you. As you finally reached the stop and walked toward the dorms, Sukuna felt a growing sense of dread. He didn't want this night to end, didn't want to leave things unsaid.

Outside your dorm, you began to take off Sukuna's jacket, but he gently stopped you. “Keep it," he said softly, his voice betraying the turmoil inside him.

You looked up at him with your wide, doe-like eyes, then quickly looked away, misinterpreting his silence as rejection. You thought he must be disgusted, regretting the kiss, and that made your heart ache.

Sukuna watched as you fumble with your keys, a million thoughts racing through his mind. He was about to turn away, but then he heard the lock click open. Something snapped inside him, and he muttered, "Fuck it."

In a few quick strides, he was back at your side. He took your face in his hands and kissed you again, this time more passionately, with all the feelings he had been holding back. The rain poured down around you, drenching you both, but neither of you cared. The wind whipped through the corridor, making the moment feel even more intense.

When you finally broke apart, both of yoi breathless, Sukuna rested his forehead against yours. "You're cute," he said, his voice soft and sincere. "Text me when you go to bed, okay?"

Your face lit up with a genuine smile, your worries melting away. You nodded, unable to find the words to express how she felt.

Sukuna gave you one last lingering look before he turned and walked toward his own dorm. His heart was pounding, and a small smile played on his lips despite the rain and cold.

Yuuji and Choso sat in Sukuna’s apartment, a heavy silence hanging between them. The dim light from the kitchen cast long shadows, making the space feel tense and charged. Yuuji kept glancing at the door, while Choso leaned back on the couch, arms crossed, his face set in a stern expression.

Finally, the sound of keys jingling outside broke the silence. The door opened, and Sukuna walked in, looking tired but content. He paused when he saw his brothers, sensing the confrontation waiting for him.

"Hey," Sukuna greeted, trying to keep his tone light as he shut the door behind him. "What's up?"

Yuuji stood up, his face a mix of frustration and concern. "We need to talk."

Don’t forget to leave a comment <3

[mouse-fantoms]

On top of being robbed of so much Juke content we’ll never get, what I think about alot is how Juke would have been approached more if it went further.

One of the (many) reasons I love jatp so much is it makes me believe their characters are real, that they have background, they have their own goals and ambitions to them, they’re fleshed out.

That moment of Flynn going “my girls got a crush and his name is Luke” and Julie going “what no?! Luke’s a ghost😳.” And Flynn saying “a cute ghost” and Julie giving in and saying “…with a perfect smile☺️” and adding that Luke is “cute air” which implies she has indeed given this Luke crush idea some thought.

That moment of just two best friends talking about the others potential crush like that’s such a good moment bc I genuinely believe that I am watching these two genuine besties just have that kind of talk with one another bc that happens!

Like that moment we have with our friends when they’re like “hey I got something to tell you 👀” or they approach you like “so… umm… I’ve been kind of noticing your behavior lately around this person.” It’s the realistic little things like that which is why I appreciate this show so much.

Julie having the line of “what no! Luke’s a ghost!” Means so much that, on top of acknowledging “hey he’s got a cute smile, and he himself is cute” she also acknowledged “…he is a ghost though…” but then our Julie being who she is (we love her for it) went “but he still do be cute though 🥰” like this is a genuine teen girl in high school having a crush

And then later on when Reggie and Alex bring up how Luke and Julie ooze chemistry (and the way that throughout the show when Julie and Luke are being cute and them, the looks that we see Reggie and Alex give like Juke and then each other is so good bc I genuinely believe like “yeah these boys are all friends with one another so of course they’d react that way to their other friend showing an interest in their fellow friend”) Luke’s like “no come on I have chemistry with everyone I sing with” HE DOES THE SAME THING JULIE DID WHEN THE EXACT SAME TOPIC EAS BROUGHT UP TO HER! (Soulmates your honor!)

Him denying it, like Julie did, implies too that he also had the thinking of “…she is alive though and I’m not” (I mean me personally I feel like Luke didn’t truly realize he liked her until later on even if there were signs earlier, just bc he seems like the kind of person where like music was his absolute everything like even if the Sunset Curve fangirls were always like ‘omg Luke is amazing 😍’, I just get the vibe that he would never really notice the advances towards him bc he is just so consumed in music and that is his whole existence, so when Reggie and Alex see that Luke appears to be falling for Julie it’s a big deal bc they’re probably like “Luke has NEVER shown any interest ever so the fact that a girl has replaced music in his life THIS IS A MASSIVE DEAL”)

And then the moment when they’re on Julie’s porch and she tries to hold his hand but ya know CANT (huge what a gut punched) and then she awkwardly looks away and he’s like “…this is an interesting little relationship you and I have” and they’re just there for a moment just looking and smiling at each other (THEY’RE FLIRTING SO MUCH WITHOUT SAYING ANY WORDS UGH TAKE ME 😩)

I am sat there genuinely believing that these are two teenagers who even though they know they’re not *supposed* to feel a way about each other, they still do. Like that scene is their confession to one another and it’s so sweet and genuine bc in that moment where Julie tries to hold his hand, they’re brought back to reality as to what they are and yet, they can’t help but still like one another and appreciate each other bc of what the other person has changed so much in their life.

AND THEN, that scene in the beginning of the last episode how Julie asks to talk to Luke (and Reggie and Alex immediately are like “oop leave them be 👀 they’re having a moment” being the greatest friends that they are) and they’re both standing there, in each others presence, it takes a moment for Julie to say what she wants to but they’re just two kids who ended up in each others lives and they know they like each other but they know they can’t act on those feelings yet they still just have this love for each other is so enduring and charming. The way Luke tells her “anything Julie you know that” MAKES ME MELT like ugh 😩 their dynamic and friendship has grown so much with each other from episode 1 to like now and it’s so just ugh it gets me

When I think how Juke could have been approached if we had gotten a chance, I would have loved to see the new like “glowing touch” development and how that would impact their dynamic. (I just imagine Reggie just hugs Julie all the time bc he can (he just seems like such a hugger and I feel like he’d give good ones🥺) and Alex also will gives her side hugs (they just take advantage of being able to physically touch her bc they don’t know how long they’re able to do it for with their new ghost development)) I feel like Luke and Julie would just be a bit apprehensive since the hand holding thing on the porch, and maybe their hug was just a one time thing.

Would have loved to see Carlos referring to Luke as “Julie’s boyfriend” (he was there for edge of great and stand tall THERES NO WAY he’s thinking anything of than “the sleeveless one is indeed my sisters boyfriend”) would be extra great too with like Luke being in the room and Carlos just says that and Julie quickly trying to make him not talk about it bc it’s embarrassing 💀 her just being like “Carlos, he’s a ghost” and him being like “…hey with you having a boyfriend are you going to have less time with Dad and I bc you’ll be busy kissing him?” And Julie’s face just goes pale as Luke takes the time to take himself out of room meanwhile his face his like bright red

Would have loved to see when Carrie’s redemption is happening and it’s Julie and Carrie and Carrie’s like “sooooo 👀 I’ve seen how you look at your guitarist” and she immediately tries to shut it down but Carrie is like “Jules, we may not have been that close in the past year and some but we’ve known each other for how long? I can see your tells!”

I just think a lot about how this ship, even though they’re not meant to like each other yet they do and still care about each other, would have been approached more if we got the chance

[whydidoth]

As someone who frankly watches too much hbomberguy, I was fairly startled by the tone he adopted in his latest video in regard to his own sexuality. He has been openly bisexual, coming out (as far as I’m aware) on his channel five years ago in a video on adaptations of HP Lovecraft, but his bisexuality overall hasn’t been particularly present. Even in instances like discussing the queerbaiting of Sherlock or the ability in Fallout to officially play as a bisexual character, he tends to approach the topics in such a way that if you didn’t already know his sexuality, you’d probably just assume he was a good ally. Genuinely, I would not be surprised if casual viewers of his channel had had no idea. I saw someone else suggest that he centered his own bisexuality so much at the start in order to dissuade accusations of him targeting Somerton for being gay. While I think this is certainly plausible, on a pure narrative level, I can’t help but see this most recent video as a book ends to his one on Lovecraft.

In that video, he talks about the value of adaptation and how adaptation at its best doesn’t recreate the work but is a response in concert with it. He speaks very personally about how the film Cthulu embodied the deep, crawling horror of being an outsider in a way that he resented as a kid. As a queer adult, he came back to find not only catharsis but also that it understood the essence of Lovecraft and of his own experience in a way he had been unable to when he was younger.

In his video on plagiarism, he emphasizes how the harm extends past the simple act of stealing someone else’s work, and how plagiarism goes on to suppress genuine dialogue among new voices with new ideas. In some regard, this is a direct response to his original thesis, and the response is one of despair. We are without adaptation. We are without queer voices and narratives.

This shouldn’t be where things end, and I don’t think he would have bothered uploading this video if he had seen no hope for things going differently in the future. I know it’s fun to revel in the scandal of this call-out, but ultimately, we’re witnessing a tragedy. In addition to supporting and giving small creators a shot, I think we should also take this as a chance to be less hesitant about promoting and sharing our own stories.

I have a youtube channel that’s been sitting in the corner collecting dust for a year now, but I’m going to try picking it up again. I’ll be putting a link to both hbomberguy’s video on Lovecraft and my own channel in the notes, and I would encourage everyone to similarly shamelessly self-promote in the comments—literally everything from soundcloud to twitch to personal blogs, go nuts. Let’s all make sure the future is over-saturated with authentic, marginalized voices, yeah?

[thevampiremars]

My thoughts on the trans rep in "The Star Beast"

This episode is haunted by the spectre of Good Representation™. Representation is a topic too expansive and nuanced for me to interrogate fully, so I'll just say I'm sceptical of the approach and the way it reduces trans (or otherwise marginalised) characters to plot points or blandly by-the-book portrayals. Also the idea that any single character can accurately represent an entire demographic is tenuous. Anyway.

Throughout the episode there's a huge focus on how beautiful Rose is, which is... I mean, I'd hardly be the first person to point out how Weird people (cis people especially) can get about how trans people look. And I get that this is probably a deliberate attempt to counter transphobia, to stress that trans people are cherished and deserve the world. It is a sweet sentiment I suppose, but it can come across as a bit... insincere? patronising? fetishistic, even? You have to recognise that correlating a person's worth with how beautiful you think they are is problematic in and of itself.

I actually really like the scene where Sylvia is stumbling on pronouns and worrying about whether or not it's okay to call Rose gorgeous. It's cute. It's genuine. I wasn't sure about the boys on bikes scene that preceded it – I thought deadnaming Rose was a clumsy way to establish that she's trans – but I've watched the episode again and my opinion has softened. I think it works well to have the malicious misgendering side-by-side with the accidental misgendering, showing that, yes, there is a difference. I know this already, but cis people who get confused about terminology and etiquette might benefit from watching this.

Speaking of pronouns... haha. Yeah, I did not like the "are you assuming he as a pronoun?" "my chosen pronoun is the definite article" exchange. Very awkward and nonsensical. It could have worked with some tweaking, but as it stands it feels more like a transphobic joke than actual dialogue. Ditto "male-presenting Time Lord."

Side note: why are some people so thrown off by the Doctor's gender? It's really not that complicated. The Doctor's pronouns vary depending on whether we're talking about an individual incarnation or the Doctor as a whole, encompassing all incarnations. If we're talking about a specific Doctor, they've all been he/him so far except for the Thirteenth and Fugitive Doctor (both she/her). If we're referring to all Doctors as one entity, it makes sense to use they/them since they're not consistently one gender or another. The Doctor is technically nonbinary I guess but only because they have the ability to regenerate into any gender. They're genderfluid only if you squint.

ANYWAY.

Is Rose nonbinary? Again, the "binary, binary, nonbinary" line just felt like a joke. Plus it doesn't make a lot of sense as a plot point/reveal. Rose's gender shouldn't actually be relevant because what's important for the meta-crisis thing is that she's Donna's offspring. There's also the fact that Rose had been presented as a trans girl until that point – no indication that she's nonbinary. Yes, it is possible to be a nonbinary girl, but it seems more likely to me that RTD just thinks nonbinary and trans are synonymous. Which is not the case.

The thing is, as I've alluded to already, Rose is an example of trans rep written by cis people for cis people. RTD's heart is in the right place, for sure, but he doesn't really know what he's talking about. I would say I appreciate the effort? But I don't know what the effort was in aid of exactly. I suppose it's nice for cis people to be told it's okay to stumble on pronouns sometimes, and to be shown that transness isn't a horrible and scary thing. I dunno. It's frustrating that trans people in life and in fiction have to educate and inspire and reassure cis people all the time... but we live in a society, don't we? And I'm sure there will be plenty of young trans people thrilled to see someone like them on TV, even if the execution could have been better.

[skyeblue8]

Okay, I don't normally talk about this, but I sincerely wish to have this discussion because I never no how to approach it. This isn't due to any real occasion or something prominent happening, it's just that I hear it frequently and don't know how to go about it without hurting anybody.

I hear a lot of people claiming Viv's transphobic due to her treatment of Sallie Mae, trans background characters, possibly something with Blaire White, etc. Now, I want to know how much of this is credible in the idea that, first of all, no trans person typically thinks the same in terms of this, and, secondly, I don't think there's necessarily a problem in not making a trans person too prominent in the sense that their presence is normalized rather than being made a spectacle of. Third, I don't know how much of that is genuine concern or just general upset at Viv.

Despite what I talk about on here, I generally don't wish harm on the creator and try to distinguish genuine controversy from what's essentially heresy. Part of the reason why I need people to kind of guide me through this confusing topic that I struggle to navigate through myself. Thank you.

[emeraldhub225]

a sketch of the au dream or something where Sonic reads shadow a bedtime story every night, this time it's raining and Shadow's tucked inside sonic🥰💙

I have no idea how to finish this sketch...I tried everything and it all sucks. Anyone is welcome to use try again😆

And recently I've been thinking about this so much, and maybe I should write a fanfiction. I have really cute ideas and settings for this

So it's going to be an AU where sonic and Shadow don't cross paths too much, meaning they aren't really rivals and only do things together when things get serious (events of sa2, heroes, Shadow 05, and 06 happened and all)

Sonic always sleeps in an alleyway by default and Shadow finds him someday. He questions what he's doing, and Sonic convinces him that sleeping outside is really fun. And he would tell him a bedtime story of he joins in. The truth was that Sonic didn't like sleeping alone and wants someone by his side.

Shadow didn't like sleeping alone either and from that night he always slept in sonics company. The alleyway is like a dead end sort of thing with cobblestone floor, it's quite wide. Sonic and Shadow have their own sides of the end, (I THINK ITS SONIC ON THE RIGHT AND SHADOW ON THE LEFT I FORGOT😓) and someday they sleep sitting up, sometimes lying on the floor, but they didn't care sonic was used to it and Shadow was artificial and stuff.

Their character would be quite innocent and they would have respect for eachother. A variety of topics come from the stories, giving the two hedgehogs interesting things to talk about mid reading😁

Say one night sonic isn't there and since Shadow got so used to falling asleep with stories, he couldn't sleep that night🥺🥺

I have more 🥰🥰🥰 here are some things that lurked within my brain

""Mommy? How did you and dad meet?" She questioned, distracted by playing with her toys and legos, but still curious for an answer. "Oh, we fell in love with each other. And kissed. Then got married. You'll get married too someday." The mother sighed as she couldn't tell her all the complicated details. She..."

"Married?" Shadow calmly interrupted Sonic's story.

"Yeah, parents have to get married." Sonic pointed out the obvious.

"So if I don't want to marry anyone, I just need to not have children." Shadow thought.

"I don't know much about these things... whether I'll marry someone or not, I know I'm not ready."

"Now that I think about it, I kind of want to know who I'm marrying." Sonic continued.

"Have you kissed anyone?" Shadow asked, genuinely wanting an answer rather than give him ideas.

"You know me, I'm always out on the run. Don't have time for those sort of stuff." Sonic weakly chuckled.

"You're not running now, are you?" Shadow unintentionally suggested.

"'Know what, if I were to marry anyone, you'd be my first choice. And for kissing, I'd kiss nobody. If marriage can go without it."

"Why?"

"Uh..." Sonic blushed, wondering what part he meant.

"Y-you're pretty strong. I'd like having a fighting partner as my husband." Sonic made up an answer.

"And if we marry each other, we'll get children, won't we?" Shadow smirked.

"Come on, we don't want a whole family sleeping down here. I only like it when it's the two of us."

"Hey... if we had children, they would be just as powerful as us. This means you would get more fighting partners." Shadow thoughts trailed off.

"What should we name them?" Sonic joined in.

"The next heir to the ultimate lifeform... hmm.... Shadow Jr. Sonic Jr for our second born."

"Heh. You're not too good at thinking of names, huh. Can't say I know any better." Sonic chuckled.

"And don't forget, you can't have any kids without kissing." Shadow added.

...

"You want one?" Sonic was slightly disgusted.

"Just one. We'll never get another chance." Shadow smiled.

"Or are you too scared?" Shadow teased.

"I'm only doing this for another fighting partner, okay?!" Sonic shuffled over to approach Shadow's face. He panicked.

"Man, this is scarier than I thought." He shivered.

"I must be that special, hm?" Shadow tried to get rid of Sonic's fear.

Sonic wiped that smirk off of his face by swiftly pressing his lips against the other's.

"Wait... t-that's what a kiss is?" Shadow turned red.

"You've been living under a rock, haven't you?" Sonic turned away, embarrassed. "Go outside one day."

Idk if you want more😁😁😁🥰

[decepti-thots]

for so long I have felt like a weirdo for thinking that the jro pregnancy stuff is deeply unhorny. but I am going to say it now: it's only horny in the way that the alien franchise is horny: there are definitely people who are horny about it, but it's primarily about the non-sexy aspects of pregnancy. i get that it's a funny joke but a non-insignificant people genuinely act like it's "the writer's barely disguised fetish". birth is weird and scary and fascinating, even more so in robots. im probably more defensive about this than I should be but it's kind of upsetting to me that this is where the discussion always ends

I'll put this under a cut so as not to spam anyone's dash bc yeah I went off on this ask haha (positive).

I actually felt so insane about this very topic I ran a damn poll on my NSFW sideblog and the thing is: the majority of folks voting agreed no, it's not inherently, textually horny. (I would know; I know horny when I see it, ffs!) Which vindicated me! Because I agree it's so ridiculous a thing to unironically, sincerely insist is super horny, given the text, lmao.

Like, it's extremely obsessed with pregnancy, but this is not the same as 'a fetish', and tbqh I think the 'fetish' joke just shields any actually interesting discussion of what it's doing. I think the Alien comparison here is actually really telling; it's absolutely a visceral thing, a thing concerned with the body and how it functions, sometimes against our will. And it's not unconnected to sexuality or eroticism in how those things are discussed more broadly, in the sense it's talking about a thing that intersects with those elements in the abstract, but it's not. Like. It's not a "fetish" thing, and if the characters it involved weren't referred to as 'he' in text I think less people would be calling it that, and actually it kinda sucks that every time I bring it up I have to block people who see 'pregnancy mentioned' on my completely sfw posts as an excuse to go off on their personal fetishes in detail, or their desire to speculate on the imagined fetishes of the writer in equally graphic detail. (BTW, it's genuinely uncomfortable seeing people obsessively speculate on the imagined fetishes of a creator, I think. We should all do that a little less in public.)

I mean not to be a total killjoy or anything but like... treating pregnancy in itself, even in the most abstract way, as inherently fetishistic and inappropriate (the people reblogging my innocuous posts about pregnancy metaphors with fucking trigger warnings! 'mpreg trigger warning' being a normalized way to tag pictures that are just Trans Dude Who Is Pregnant!) is uh. I mean we live in a world where pregnant people are often massively marginalized by society period, and seen as somehow inappropriate for public life, and especially anyone who is remotely GNC. Like the idea that something is inherently obscene about a pregnant person is, shall we say, not apolitical. It is in fact a thing that people actually have to fight against in real life. I mean. Fandom doing this to a text that in fact is most notable for treating pregnancy weirdly neutrally in these terms is... frustrating! I think we all lose out when we refuse to engage with weird, funny texts that have things to say about these topics that fall outside our expected frameworks, like, say, 'this is A Fetish TM'. That's limiting! If we want to talk about what IDW1 phase two does with gender, we cannot do that properly if every time we talk about MTMTE we get weird about it doing sexless genderfree pregnancy metaphors, and instead make them funny mpreg jokes, tbh! IDK! Seems counter intuitive! And I genuinely think MTMTE/LL's bizarre approach to the thing is so interesting precisely because it's so odd and offputting. What if we actually examined it. I think we can find some good stuff in there, frankly.

And truly the especially frustrating thing is that the comic itself, for all it is objectively weird and hilarious and 'why the fuck is this even HERE' about it... is just never that. Like. I posted those excerpts because it IS weird and it IS wild and it IS quite funny in its way! It's alien robot body horror in a kids' cartoon franchise turned to an unexpected end! But you know what it actually manages, somehow, to never be? One: weird and misogynist about pregnancy. Two: weird and transphobic about it involving vaguely, ostensibly 'male' characters. Make all the mpreg jokes you want I guess, but MTMTE is many bizarre things but it never gives one single shit about the gender binary, and tbh I think it's genuinely kind of embarrassing the fandom saw a comic that did insane robot body horror pregnancy shit and was like. Okay well. But the mpreg tho.

Like. I've joked for years that I want to do a transmasc read of the pregnancy stuff Roberts did in TF seriously, same as I think a transmasc read of how Alien presents fears around "male pregnancy" in a trans context would be great. And for all my jokes, I genuinely would, actually. I think it's legit very interesting how Roberts manages to divorce the presentation of horror of pregnancy from gender in a way that mitigates the gendered subtext somewhat and gets at the loss of autonomy in a broader sense.

anyway it truly sucks that fandom is so fucking shitty about this. to give a little extra context, i talk about a particular transmasc humanformer AU sometimes that involves pregnancy and. i have had to Delete Some Fucking Asks about that thing, which. well that happens in normal regular real life and people talk about it like a fanfic trope (derogatory). so. i am a little sensitive to people getting Like This about the topic, aha.

sorry i went off on one anon, can you tell. i also find this frustrating. i relate. i am totally with you. god it would be so much less interesting to read it as horny so like, why is this the ONLY MODE we seem to have tbh

[voxofthevoid]

hi, sorry for bothering you, i just wanted to say i love the way you write 5u's relationships with other characters. your ita/fushi are perfect, a nod to their canon relationship while still maintaining focus on 5u. beautiful 🤌

and past stsg! i am not a big fan of them (mostly due to their fans smh) but it's definitely had a big impact on Satoru's personality and i just love how you tackle the topic

last but not least, Nanami. i started liking him more because of the way you write him. his relationships with Yuuji and Satoru are so different and so important to me. Nanami is such a good mentor figure for Yuuji and i love how you depict their relationship 🥹

and and and, using Nanami to show more inhuman side of Gojo is so good 🤌 i still think about that post comparing the ways Yuuji and Nanami see Gojo's eyes. Nanami is perfect for it because of how long he has known Satoru for, while Yuuji only sees Satoru the person. Satoru shows the human side to Yuuji more and it's so precious to me and i need to stop before i'll start ranting about how they humanise each other

sorry for ranting 😅

You're not bothering me in the slightest! This was wonderful to read 💗

I have a tiny doting crush (phrase courtesy of @thelionshoarde) on itafushi and genuinely enjoy their canon bond, despite not having much of an urge to explore it myself. And I like maintaining their importance to each other regardless of how AU or canon divergent a fic gets. I have far less personal investment in satosugu (read: 0%, thanks to the fans and also my raging dislike of Getou himself), but like you said, it was a significant influence on Satoru and I'd rather do that justice; whether I approach it as romantic or platonic depends on plot reasons.

It's an absolute honor to hear you started liking Nanami more because of me 🥺 I love that tired sad man an unwise amount, especially his relationship with Yuuji. I could write essays on his death scene alone. And in terms of goyuu, he does make an excellent outsider PoV who recognizes Gojou's darker side and overall danger (I'm very fond of the idea of him having a blast radius that Yuuji has firmly planted himself in) but with a degree of resignation regarding his relationship with Yuuji because neither of them is the sort to let themselves be talked around to sense. And I think Nanami would logically grasp that Yuuji's seeing—being shown—a side of Gojou that most aren't privy too, and the way Yuuji humanizes all of Gojou would also be novel to him. It all makes for some interesting outsider impressions.

Don't apologize! Feel free to rant in my inbox anytime!

Also, I love your new pfp. That's an adorable Yuuji 💗

[au-set]

Mahoyaku on Halloween (high on sugar)

I had only read the first season of the main story so far, so this is completely based off how each character had been perceived by me through that small part of the game, as well as some login stories too~

Idea

Mitile and Riquet asked about fun festivals and events from the Sage's world, that's when Halloween was brought up. The duo went and bugged Figaro and Mithra for days after that and so they're celebrating Halloween in the middle of June... Arthur heard about the idea and was fond of it since it can help the Sage feel more at home. They do understand their longing feelings to go home after all. 

Now screw that normal stuff, chaos underneath.

Owen's ego gets destroyed

No, please, he just wants to have sweet stuff...

Sage: Halloween? Oh! People dress up in scary customers then go from houses to houses to scare others and get sweets~ <---- the reason why Owen is interested (it's called Trick or Treating by the way~ ♪)

Owen: Humans fear at the sight of me, I don't need a costume.

Arthur: You need a costume so people won't be scared to approach you.

Owen: Then what's the fun of that? I want to see the sheer horrified expression on their fa-

Arthur: If no one approaches you, you can't get chocolate.

Owen: I ca-

Arthur: No stealing.

Owen, now willingly puts on the costume:

Arthur got that ozthority

Grandpas, hoho, what are you talking about? 

They blended right in with the kids you can't tell me otherwise. Heathcliff, Mitile, Riquet and Faust (too tired to notice) fell for their disguise and really thought they were just genuine children asking for candies. This went on until Bradley called out their mischief. 

Bradley: Oi you grandpas, what are ya doing actin’ all scared n’ then askin’ for treats? 

White: Looks like we have been caught, Snow…

Snow: Hoho… this wouldn't do. 

The twins start to cling onto Bradley and attempt to steal his candies instead.

Bradley: No、 get off me ya ジジ！Those are for the kids! 

Snow: We are kids~

White: Yes, we're kids~

Mithra being a babysitter is common knowledge so I'll make it more unhinged + he's forced to socialise

Christmas? Crisis?? Charcoal?????

Mithra, to a kid: Do you know if you're a naughty kid, you'll get charcoal instead of candies on Horror Where?

Mithra, offers the kid some charcoal:

Kid,visibly confused: ???

Rutile: Mithra, I think that is for Crisis, not Hollow What. 

Mithra: Oh… really?

Mithra, turns back to the kid: The demons will find you and replace your candies with charcoal. (Probably picked it up from Snow and White's weird topics) 

Rutile: Mithra, I think that's Satan (Santa), not demons.

The kid ran away at the end.  Mithra would probably also dress up as some lazy ghost in bed sheets. Not those ragged white clothes, it's literally his blanket. (He wants sleep.) (Sage, please run, he's trying to find you and hug you so he can sleep.) Off topic HC: Rutile and Mithra always get holiday names wrong

Bunny babies

Arthur talks about how he wanted to be a bunny boy when he was a kid and dressed up as a lil bunny boy for Halloween (I read this somewhere but I forgot whose HC it was ;;) He convinced Oz to join him so they can be father and son bunbuns. It took a lot of nagging, begging, convincing…

Ozzyyyy bunnnyyyyy and Artie

Mainly looked over the stall the Eastern Wizards had put up in the market since the Easterners preferred to stay at one place (except Shino, he went around flexing on other kids) Oz was a little embarrassed at first, seeing how ‘playful’ he looked with those clearly visibly, fluffy bunny ears and it's little tail. When Arthur saw how Oz was getting bored (he feels bad), he approached Nero and made him teach Oz how to make cotton candy. Nero panik. Nero rejected at first but had no other choice. He got the hang of it really quick. First, make some magic sugar stars, insert it into the centre of the machine, then the colourful powder… swirl the stick around and… done!

Kid 2: Oh…! The cotton candy made by the bunny tastes better than the pirate’s!

Nero: Oi you litt-

Oz: subtle smile in hapi

Arthur obviously organised this whole thing mainly with the help of the Sage. Most of the time Arthur is in charge of keeping everything in control but the Sage said they will take care of it so he can have some fun too. He’s so precious, took this chance to do some un-princely stuff and act more chaotic. Those include: scaring his subordinates, having a little excessive candy, Uncle Vincent might’ve been a victim too and he tried to scare Oz, it did not work. Although his childish mischievous self may be out, he nonetheless still dislikes nightmares so—he was pretty easy to mess with too. Arthur himself was fine with this fun, Oz though. Oh he was not having any of it, you can see it in his eyes that he wants to protect Arthur even though it was harmless.

Owen pt 2

Loves how busy it is and definitely found himself a few delights from the dark, scary atmosphere. The constant laugher does tick him off though but for chocolate, he can endure.

All of the Northern Wizards as well as everyone else in the manor agreed to let him be the ‘non-older wizard’ (aka set him free to join the kids) just in case he decides that this town should be no town. Well paid actor

Adult figure, giving him a few sweets: Your costume looks so cool, ya even got eye contacts on?!! That's amazing!

Owen, creepily smiles under his hat but it all seems like natural acting: =)

Adult figure, continues to spoil him with chocolates: Super in-character. Love it!

Owen: walks away satisfied

Of course that idiot would thank NO ONE and thinks he deserves whatever they give him Also he's wearing an even more authentic pilot uniform but in black

Most loved Knight—Cain

Kids swarm towards him the entire night, even the knights of the Central Kingdom who Arthur asked to join the little festival all came to him and offered... alcohol??? (Miscommunication 101) Definitely ended up in some cabin by the end of the Halloween night after giving out all of the candies he had on him, now drunk… At one point in the night, he thought he was actually being haunted by ghosts due to his injury from the Calamity. "Master Sage... Master Sage...? I can hear your voice but I can't see you nor feel you nearby..." You enjoyed the colours that drained his face before tackling him down. Seldomly, Cain would check up on both Arthur and the Sage (making sure Owen won’t mess around with the Sage).

Nero's baking and candy making~ ft. Bradley foolery

Actually made most of the sweets for the ‘older wizards’ to give out to the kids in town and extras for Mitile and Riquet. Initially, he refused to join the banter but then again, the kids won't stop bugging him too… Nero is the lead that took responsibility as well as suggesting the sweets stall in the central market. It was also his first time making sweets from the Sage’s world too and found it fascinating. Time to time, Bradley would help out when Oz is on break (obvious reasons). Whenever he gets the chance, he will lie to the kids saying the red cotton candy is made out of some magic beast’s organs or something twisting, and the purple is threaded from their brains. Nero does not approve: bonks him.

Bradley: Yo it's darker out than usual. Those stinky grandpas are busy too, I’ma go steal some stuff, you keep yer eye’ out for me, alright’?

Nero, who's clearly tired already from all of this: don’t go n’ do something stupid. Look, the kid’s grandparents r judgin’ ya already.

Bradley, who has a soft spot: God damnit.

C'mon at first look Shino definitely is the grim reaper

At the same time, I want to see Shino running around as that masked guy from spirited away. A lil midget chasing down the citizens of the neighbourhood. I'm sorry.  He would use his actual scythe as a prop. At first, Snow and White disapproved since it would be dangerous but: “It's dark out in the night and everybody's in masks, if anything happened to Heath I can quickly jump into defence.” Thus, here he is, showing it off to all of the kids in the market. Shino is very proud of it. (Still kept an eye on Heathcliff though.) 

HEATHCLIFF AHHAHAHA

Isn’t enjoying any of this at all. Too many surprises, scary noises, eerie valleys and stalls decorated in weird bugs, spiders, ghosts, scarecrows. Sure, he enjoys tinkering with machines but NOT THOSE??? As much as he refused to join them, he did at the end since he didn’t like the idea of being alone in the manor too. Shino tries his best to prevent Heathcliff falling victim to the pranksters despite telling him how he's “disappointed”, deep down he’s quite worried.

Shino: Why don’t you dress up like a Grim Reaper with me? You know, you won’t get scared if they can’t even find the courage to come near you.

Heath: You might be right…

Shino: We’re going to look so cool!

They proceeded with this idea… at the venue: Heathcliff, in fact, got called angel of death (just sounds a little more elegant than grim reaper in my head). The duo started a crowd by accident and Shino took all of the opportunity he could to grow his fame while Heath talked to those little curious ones at the side. Shino would butt in and say something prideful for Heathcliff and get their awes. Heathcliff mainly stayed out of the pranking due to Shino, not because of his costume. Aww yes guys when you're at the end of the life line, Heath will magically show up, bridal carry you to the other side of the river <3 NOW YOU ALL BETTER SAY HAIL HEATHCLIFF SAMA - Shino, probably

Faust is a tsuntsun

He doesn't want to be here. He hates it. He wants home. Even after rejecting the Central Wizards' requests for 12 days straight, he showed up bringing the most candies and even wore a little cat headband that Heathcliff gave to him because he said "I do not own a costume for an occasion as bizarre as this". While tending the stall, he found himself happy and invested crafting sugar paintings (畫糖) for the little ones. He would take their requests and draw it on the spot for them. Faust secretly practised the art in his room using his magic hehe so now he’s pretty skillful~ Maybe he would’ve even carved a few apples too.

Figaro papa :>

That one father who's super supportive of everything. He'd help out Chloe a lot with the making of the costumes. Partially, just partially also because he can choose the design. The cat hairband was his idea and simply asked Heathcliff to give it to Faust knowing he wouldn't accept it if he knew Figaro is the mailer. Figaro dressed up as a plushie protector for Halloween. He's a prideful frontline fighter than protects your plushies, pillows, little things you call your loved ones when you're deep asleep in the night. At the end of the month, he pulls out his 'non-branded, non-sponsored germs killer spray' and cleans them up for you. Figaro is no more than your plushie guardian.

RUSTICAAAAAAAHHHHHHH RUNNNN

You know damn well he's still terrorising pedestrians, except now he does it looking even more handsome. 100% asked Chloe if he can dress up as “My bride's groom” or “My wife's husband”

So he now got a zombie-like tuxedo on…~ definitely pleased every woman he found to be his eye candy. Sage told him about the ring pop proposal thing so now he brought some around and started asking pretty ladies to be his fiancé of the night. (Chloe forbids him from caging people) Yes, Nero made them. 

Chloe carried the event

He made everyone's costumes! Gets mistaken as a kid when he's out being the ‘older wizards’ role and giving out candies. Honestly, he doesn't mind. Not only would he give out sweets, he would probably wrap it in custom wrappers he had sewn some wrappers too kind of like a souvenir. Like a handkerchief wrapped around the candies with a ribbon? I'm not sure how to describe it. I'm not sure what he would dress up as for Halloween to be honest, searched up some ideas and Alice in Wonderland would kind of be a theme he'd go for… not sure! 

Murrrreaaww- woof woof! grr “mom im scared”

Even after the event Murr still wears the costume Chloe made for him inside the manor. Yes, he's a cat. Yes, it has fluffy ears and a tail. Yes, the Sage (me) asked Chloe to make it a dog since he barks too. Yes, he barks in his cat costume.  At the event, Murr went and meowed at little kids, using magic to make candies materialise in the air. He's basically the light of the whole thing, setting off orange fireworks in the air ever so often. When he's bored though, he does go and trick some children by turning their candies into flowers. He does turn it back, don't worry~

Shylock just needs to give out some unconditional love

Due to his long term interactions with lustful adults and their constant high demands and desires, interacting with the harmless, pure children somehow warmed his heart. Shylock was more gentle and softer, when a youngin requested him to do something he would happily do it for them. Whether it be magic or asking if they could touch his costume. Meanwhile, the Sage (us) are judging and recalling all the times he made the Sage BEG. Of course he noticed and made the Sage a drink after the event.  Murr stuck around too and teased Shylock from time to time about how the kids can easily sway his feelings. When it comes to playing tricks, he simply hid mentos in cokes. The panic in their eyes kept him entertained throughout the night. (let's pretend that exists there) Shylock chose to dress up as a fox. Hearing how the Sage described their depicted behaviours applied on humans, he thinks that he'd be suitable. 

Lennox being a true baby

“Why don't you dress up like a shepherd?” - Faust, probably. “What do you mean, Faust様?” “You don't look like one.” Determined Leno face. (In my opinion, he looks like a soldier at passtime.) Also when he forced himself to smile during Halloween he got praised (it was scary), but he thought the people were cheering him on for his charming smile (it is charming too). 

Ruchiru & Michiru

Rutile made at least 20 kids pronounce "Halloween" as something that's not "Halloween", the Sage tried to fix the damage but it has been done. This is "mixer 2.0".

Like Cain, Rutile is welcomed by the children! One of their other favorites. Soon did join Cain in the cabin and the reason how that knight got back to the manor.

Now, the Southerners aren't ones to play tricks on people but in an occasion like this, they couldn't pass up now, could they? Mitile hiding behind Leno then jumps out throwing candy looking pedals at peoples face, just wholesome...

If you made it here, thanks for reading!~ ☆

[nageki-the-friendly-ghost]

Tell us everything

Welcome to the Hitori fucking Dies AU

Okay so I don't have pretty much anything plotted out yet but the concept is "hatoful boyfriend except hitori managed to save nageki in the fire and died in the process"

Tw for all the usual hatoful boyfriend topics (suicide, familial death and grief, medical malpractice, likeable characters making pretty awful choices)

Also spoilers for if I ever make this for real. I'd want it to be structured similarly to hatoful boyfriend where most major plot reveals happen late, so by explaining the ideas from the start of this AU I'd also kind of be spoiling every major plot twist. But I don't know how far I'll get into the project (I have had a REAL hard time focussing on writing recently) and I want to share all my ideas immediately lol

Obviously there are many logistical issues in this au that would need to be worked out- why bbl wouldn't just happen immediately if Nageki was alive, for instance. Bear with me pls

Also please note that I haven't consumed every single piece of hatoful media, mostly just the two games and sections of one of the manga. There may be some things I missed out on that.

But here are the ideas I have thus far

The first sticking point is that I think there's a high probability that if Hitori died in the fire Nageki would just attempt again because he still believes he needs to sacrifice himself and would just feel even guiltier. BUT I also think it could be equally in character for Nageki to refuse to let Hitori's sacrifice be in vain and find enough resolve to escape and keep living and find a better solution

But of course, Nageki could never have a normal life while infected with the charon virus, nor would he be content with one while he's aware of the Hawk party's plans

He'd have to go on the run, obviously. Here's where you get another interesting possible choice of Nageki somehow managing to join the Doves. But frankly I don't think an incredibly sick 15 year old with extremely limited life experience is going to be good at going on the run. I think he'd manage to stay hidden for long enough. For the purposes of this au he doesn't die from his sickness immediately but it was definitely a risk. (Let's assume that Shuu originally planned for Nageki to live much longer than he did in canon so he received some genuine medical care in between the experiments)

However. Nageki is homeless and unable to tell anyone about what was done to him or get help. He can't go to any birds because the Hawks are searching for him, and he can't warn any humans because they'd just die if he spoke to them

Surprise! This is where this also becomes a Kazuaki lives AU!

I think Nageki meets Kazuaki mostly by random chance in the street. Now, in canon I'm not sure if Kazuaki was kicked out of college at this point and that's why he was out there in the rain or if he was out there for some other reason (edit: been informed that he IS still in college when he meets Hitori in canon, which works great for me). I'm choosing to believe it's the latter for the purposes of making this au work- Kazuaki is living in a dorm at this point but is close to failing his classes and is out in the rain for some reason. Roll with me here.

Nageki stumbles across Kazuaki. He'd probably be hesitant to approach due to the aforementioned danger

But Kazuaki is obviously not in a good state, and if there's one thing Nageki hates its feeling like he can't do anything when people are struggling. And part of Nageki is purely running on What Would Hitori Do mode right now. So obviously Nageki tries to figure out what he can do to help

I think suddenly being shown kindness by some random kid who is clearly in a similarly awful state might draw Kazuaki out of his head enough that he could end up trying to help Nageki instead, out of genuine concern, a sense of understanding, and a desperate need to be important to literally anybirdie on earth

This is the first time Nageki has talked to anybirdie since Hitori's death, as well as the longest Kazuaki has talked to someone in weeks

Nageki needs a place to stay that no one would think to look for him and where he's slightly less likely to immediately die. Kazuaki needs to interact with another living being regularly, and has an empty dorm room and a meal plan he's barely been using

cue incredibly dysfunctional found family slowburn- They feel obligated to each other (which eventually becomes genuine care and protectiveness) and end up functioning better as a result

(This could possibly end up being very codependent, because what relationship in hatoful doesn't have a LITTLE unhealthy codependency. Staking the whole of your recovery on another person's wellbeing is NOT sustainable. But overall WAY healthier for both of them than Hitori and Kazuakis canon dynamic in that they both make it out alive with no deception necessary.)

Kazuaki starts attending classes again so that they can stay housed. He struggles and still can't thrive, but he just barely stays afloat with Nageki's support and renewed motivation. Nageki does what he can to make the dorm more habitable without leaving. Nageki's presence is a secret for obvious reasons, but it's a pretty easy one to keep since Kazuaki is so isolated to begin with. Nageki's trapped again in a different way, but Kazuaki's awful living space may honestly feel like a relief after the sterile lab. Months, maybe even a full year, pass

Eventually, Nageki trusts Kazuaki enough to tell him about everything- the charon virus, St. Pigeonations, Hitori's death, all of it. He tells him that one day, if he can live long enough, Nageki will find a way to expose what's going on at St. Pigeonations to the world and bring an end to it

Nageki likely tells him out of a sense of guilt- this is what he's gotten Kazuaki into, and he deserves better than all the extra trouble Nageki comes with.

But Nageki also won't be talked out of his plan, and when Kazuaki realizes this, he's not going to let Nageki be in danger by himself, not when it means Kazuaki would be left completely alone again

Kazuaki hasn't dreamed about his future in years, had no plans past college for how his life could go. What difference would it make if he started working towards becoming a teacher?

Kazuaki had no significance to the Hawks whatsoever. And teaching is completely in character for Kazuaki when he's in a slightly better mental state (see: shrine au) so no one would likely question it. No one EVER pays attention to Kazuaki or takes him seriously- which could make him a very, very good information gatherer

(And Nageki IS still sick, and maybe, just maybe Kazuaki can find out if the doctor wasn't COMPLETELY lying about doing research into curing it– if only as a contingency plan to keep his bioweapon from getting out of his control. Maybe if Kazuaki poked around enough, he could find it and hand it over to a non-evil doctor. He doesnt tell Nageki about this idea though- Nageki would refuse it outright, and Kazuaki couldnt bear the dissappintment if he told him and then failed)

Nageki... is apprehensive about this plan. But it's the only one they have, the only influence he can possibly exert to try to stop the Hawks without walking immediately into their clutches. His need to do what's right overrules his need to do what's smart.

But he begs- Kazuaki can't do too much for him, can't sacrifice his own wellbeing to keep Nageki hidden, and he can't do ANYTHING that might get him caught. If Kazuaki ever doesn't come home, Nageki is flying in right after him. Nageki has lost three families now- he WON'T lose a fourth, no matter what.

Kazuaki promises. We'll see if he's able to keep it.

WOO okay that's the main part I had planned out. But here's a little more.

I haven't thought as much about ghost!Hitori yet but. Oh man. Ghost Hitori

I think he'd be a lot less bitter than canon Hitori since he achieved what he set out to do (save nageki) but I do think he'd still have regrets enough to not be able to move on (leaving Nageki completely alone, not rescuing him earlier, knowing that there's still danger and being able to do nothing to help it)

I think he'd be less detached from the world and more driven to help others- especially the students, the kids, who were being used unawares of the horrors of the school. If only, if ONLY one of them could hear his warnings

(eventually, years later, Hiyoko can hear his warnings)

I'm also curious about how Shuu's plans would change with Nageki alive- with a burnt medical center and no liver cells to work with, he doesn't have samples of the charon virus. Would he still plan on turning Ryouta into the new carrier when the original carrier was still out there and needed to be recaptured? Lots to think about.

How I'd want to present this, ideally is as a fan game of alternate routes based on these changes

In true hatoful boyfriend fashion all of this is just the backstory to get to where all the characters are at the start of the game. The main plot is about all of the butterfly effects that occur in Hiyoko's experience due to entirely new plot threads occurring

[nocturnal-phantoms-fandoms]

Fic Writer Questions

Tagged by @squintclover - thank you so much!! Loved your response!!

🍓 How did you get into writing fanfiction?

By loving the story so much I wanted to be in it, lol. My first few attempts at writing ff were with self-insert OCs, but that was in my native language and mostly unpublished. Im trying to recycle some of those ideas, but Im not sure how will it go.

As for fics written in english and without OCs - like everyone else, by reading other fics.

🍇How many fandoms have you written in?

If we count the first few attempts - I took a look at my docs and counted 7 fandoms. Some parts of those were published somewhere on the web but I genuinely forgot about their existence.

If we count fics published recently on tumblr/ao3 - only HP.

🍈 How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

Technically? A decade. But idk if that counts if it wasnt published and probably never will be and had self insert OCs.

I started writing my first fics in english after I got into that one fandom which was during the pandemic, so that would be around 3-4 years - but posting since… December 2023.

🍎 Do you read or write more fanfiction?

Definitely read.

🍌 What is one way you've improved as a writer?

Im not making the characters as OOC as before? I hope

🍑 Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

Trying to fit too many things into one project that do not fit bc they are too self indulgent or just bad writing bc require sacrificing either plot or characterization. Being too ambitious, having too much plot that needs too much effort to make it make sense, and will not pay off bc nobody will read it (bc idk if i will ever finish it. and if i do it will not be written in english).

🍍 What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Just one? There are so many weird things Ive been researching or googling.

Did they have 3-in-1 shampoos in 1979. Language of flowers. What the ancient roman beds looked like. Names and their meanings. Ancient roman’s attitude towards (homo)sexuality. Phosphorus and phosphorescence (this was literally to check if this one sentence in canon is factually correct). Did ancient romans have pets. Different gems’ looks, usage and meanings. Ancient Roman dog names. Different astronomical events / discoveries in years 1975-1980 and in year 1957. Layout of certain types of houses.

🍉What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Any comment is a nice comment <3 tho I like to be let known the person felt something while reading bc its still so abstract and bizzare for me that it happens 😅

🍐What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

As you can see from the research question I have an ancient roman au wip. I was genuinely surprised there were only a few ancient roman aus in the marauders fandom.

This one published wip is about a surprise pregnancy that isnt immediately regarded as great news and celebrated (which i think isnt a common way of approaching the topic.) I also wanted to write sth about abortion and miscarriage but i dont know if I will get around to actually writing those.

And Im trying to recycle my old OC-focused long fic which also is deeply unpopular (i understand why but also i feel like im fighting in the trenches)

🥭What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Thats about something. Has a deeper meaning and everyone in the comments talk about how deeply they were moved by it. Or how clever the plot was. Or how the deeply and insightfully the characters are analysed. Or how beautiful the language is. Or. Like. Is written and finished and publishable.

🍏What is the easiest type?

All I know is funny dialogue, self indulgent fluff and this one type of hurt/comfort that is also super self indulgent. Also putting all the effort into fitting in as many references / easter eggs as you can that i know nobody will notice.

🍑Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

On my laptop, usually sitting at my desk, or on the balcony if the weather permits, whenever I feel like ignoring the things im supposed to be doing instead, I guess.

So far I’ve been using google docs but I’ll be probably moving on from them in the nearest future. For organizing ideas/wips and short fics I use Notion - its good for organizing but not that good as a writing program.

🍋What is something you've been too nervous/ intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

Smut, lol. Also more taboo topics like abortion and miscarriage mentioned above.

🍇What made you choose your username?

I translated my first ever username to English. ok, no, my first ever username was Leila Moonlight and i still think its pretty but now i also think its cringe. Tho I was - what? - 11? 12? So maybe I can be forgiven that it looks like a HP character. Nocturnal Phantom - the username actually use now - is still a bit cringe, I picked it bc I was a night owl (lol) and tried to lean into this nighttime-spooky aesthetic, but also its tumblr so im embracing it. I recently picked a nickname Nyx for my mutuals' convenience - and that is the greek goddess of the night. I commit to the bit.

No pressure tagging: @polaroidcats, @hiddenmoonbeam, @soloorganaas

[imaginarianisms]

here's a few things the rpc has REALLY gotta get back into doing !!

Reading Each Other's Rules !!

Communicate Communicate Communicate Communicate & Not jumping to conclusions about people & assuming other people's character & intentions & Ask what they mean & if you need clarification on something Ask Them. i promise you things would likely go a lot more smoothly & bad experiences with people not communicating with me/you/us that could've been avoided or at the very least reduced if we simply spoke to one another & less feelings would be hurt.

Stop Vaguing People & Getting Involved In Shit & Being Mean To People For Petty Shit When Things Can Literally Be Communicated In Private Respectfully. civil discussions can go a really long way. if the disrespect or offense in question isn’t malicious, there’s no need to approach the topic maliciously. you’d be surprised at just how much can be solved by just asking someone to clarify something.

Understand That Just Because Someone Writes Something Or A Character Does Not Mean That They Condone Or Endorse Them Y'all Why Are We Still Having This Conversation In The Year 2024

don't like something or you genuinely can't handle a topic? use the tools at your disposal to curate your own space (there's two magical things on your screen: the scrollbar & the block button that you can use that can be your true besties frfr) that's Your responsibility tungle dot hellsite dot com user, not anyone else's.

respecting others & understanding that's another human person sitting on the other side of that screen that has hopes & dreams & feelings the same way you do.

telling your friends how lovely & talented they are & how they portray their muses !! there's a whole lot of negativity going on, the best thing we can do is lift each other up & treat each other with kindness & compassion !!

commenting on peoples' posts, hcs, art, edits, etc., telling them you see it & that it looks good, it's cool, it's entertaining, etc., bc we as content creators can't read your mind & as nice as it'd be for us to always serve ourselves with our work, realistically people Will lose motivation to continue creating after a while without some kind of support. if you Like Something then SAY SOMETHING!!!!!!

sending each other's muses messages about other muses they're talking to, characters from their canon if applicable, their worldbuilding & generally getting actively involved in the narratives & worlds other people create & encouraging people to discuss them. there's nothing i like more than doing that, it feels great.

asking random unprompted questions about your friends' characters without fear it's "too much" (THAT'S YOUR ANXIETY BRAIN TALKING!!!!! DON'T LISTEN TO IT SOMETIMES OUR BRAINS LIE!!!!!) provided the question isn't invasive or rude, ESPECIALLY if the character is an original and/or fandomless character.

sending heartfelt & honest words of positivity about other people & the work they do, not chainmail, not lazy generic shit, but out of real kindness from the heart.

Drawing People Fanart / Making Graphics / Making Drabbles of their characters / ships / OC's !!!! please !!! really !!! most people adore it !!!! i Promise you that taking the time & putting in the effort to show someone that the work they do inspired the stuff you do will make anyone's fuckin day. it'd make me explode & die tbh.

Telling!!!!! Other!!!!!!!!!!!! People!!!!!!!!!!! That!!!!!!!!!!! We're!!!!!!!!!! All!!! Doing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jobs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually Interact With Each Other. i have no idea what's going on these last few years but years ago we used to interact w/ each other a lot more than we used to. send asks & memes & prompts to each other, ask each other questions about the muns & their muses & actually take the time to interact with your moots & muses.

acknowledging our mental health!!!!! you're not a robot, you're a human being!!!!! be okay with the fact that folx need space & time! it's okay to not be in the mood all the time, you're a living breathing human being that matters, respect that.

make sure Other people feel included in discord servers, rp groups, multi-way threads, events & just overall & not just the few people you talk to. it's perfectly normal & understandable that you may vibe with some people more than others, but only talking to other people you're familiar with can lead to your other moots feeling left out. your moots aren't numbers on your follower list, they're people & writers & they deserve reciprocity & vice versa. if you're not going to engage with someone then why follow them. that's literally the whole point of being moots.

surround yourself with people who actually love you.

acknowledge each other's artwork, graphics, metas, threads & worldbuilding in your own portrayals & works. PLEASE. PEOPLE !!!! DON'T!!!!!! KNOW!!!!! YOU!!!!!! LIKE!!!!! THEM!!! IF!!!!! YOU!!!!! SAY!!!!!!!! NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!! TELL!!!!!!!! THEM!!!!!!! THEY!!!!!! MATTER!!!!!

Literally Just Being Fucking Nice To Each Other Openly For No Reason Or Prompt

understand that there's a glaring, obvious hatred of & disregard & a subconscious bias & avoidance of characters of color (ESPECIALLY black & indigenous / native characters of color), elder characters, really young characters, characters with strong cultural and/or religious influences that aren’t easily digestible/palatable/dumbed down/fetishized especially if they're tied to a marginalized community, female characters who don't automatically ship and/or smut with you, disabled characters, mentally ill & neurodivergent characters who aren’t concentrated into Edgy Aesthetics TM & nothing else, t.wo s.pirit, t.rans, n.onbinary, g.enderfluid, a.gender & i.ntersex characters (especially queer characters of color), fat characters, nonhuman characters, especially characters who's marginalized identities intersect with each other, characters who aren’t cis and/or heterosexual and/or p.erisex skinny white people in their 20's ... i could truly Go On but actually practicing what y'all preach & opening up your minds to new things & portrayals, ask yourselves Why you don't interact with or write any of these characters if that applies (which likely does) & start showing up for these muses & the muns that portray them, ESPECIALLY muns of color, because these are stories that NEED to be heard, loved, respected & most of all appreciated.

[scarlet--wiccan]

This is about an old topic, but whatever. One thing I’ve always specifically hated about the Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver book is that to me it seems like a complete rip-off of Darker Than Scarlet (but way worse since it’s more shallow, surface-level, superficial, it’s not willing to take risks and everyone is ridiculously ooc), and it's so obviously a rip-off that it genuinely confuses me that no one’s pointed out the similarities yet:

- About a white man with black hair & a black beard, a thick purple metal costume and a big headpiece who’s a Fantastic Four villain trying to control Wanda because of her status as a Nexus to serve a higher being by at first subtly controlling her life and sewing division between her and the people around her

- Is surrounded by the concept of Nexus beings and Wanda (+ Pietro in SW&Q’s case) being the child/ren of science and magic

- It also includes Wanda turning “evil” and getting more powerful because of that and getting a new design for it (her villain design in Darker Than Scarlet and her Chthon one in SW&Q)

I contemplated not answering this message, but I think it highlights the weird attitude and poor literacy I've been noticing in this fanbase over the last few years, which do go hand-in-hand with the inappropriate conduct I spoke about in this post. I'm not accusing you, the person who sent this, of anything-- but to be honest, I feel like I've been inundated with this kind of take since Scarlet Witch #1, and they're almost always unfounded and incorrect. I'm sorry, but I just think you're wrong, and I think you'd be a lot less miserable if you would approach this run in good faith-- which I believe it deserves, based on Wanda's character treatment-- and gave it a more thoughtful, informed reading.

The comparisons you are making are a big stretch, in my opinion. Immortus and the Wizard have little in common outside of general design elements, and their motives in these stories are not at all the same. Wanda struggling to control the Darkhold's full power is neither logistically nor thematically similar to what she went through in Darker Than Scarlet, nor does it turn her evil in any capacity. And revisiting established lore and recurring motifs with long-running characters is standard practice-- The story told in SW&Q and the last four issues of Scarlet Witch brought up existing concepts, yes, but it expanded on them with new ideas, pitched the twins against new villains, and sought to resolve several long-standing tensions and imbalances.

Whether or not you think the story achieved those goals or executed them well enough is one thing, but calling it a blatant rip-off is just false.

Orlando's dialogue and narration are sometimes difficult to get through, and SW&Q was absolutely rushed. I'm not sure if it was superficial, but it was certainly dissatisfying in many regards-- but I'm actually quite tired of hearing that Wanda, Pietro, or Max were "out of character." I will maintain that their personalities and emotional responses are completely in line with how they've been written over the last twenty years. These relationships are messy by design, and sometimes characters have to go through rough patches to reach the desired resolution. Again, it was rushed, and ending was poorly executed, but I think it makes a lot more sense if you read it and Scarlet Witch (2024) as one long piece intead of two separate stories.

I'm not trying to be harsh or talk down to you. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, and I'm not writing rave reviews, either. But I have found, time and time again, that most of the criticisms directed towards this run are poorly founded, and even more poorly delivered. I see emotional, incendiary reactions and out of hand dismissals far more often than genuine, honest critique of either the story or the technique with which it is told.

[hms-no-fun]

was it intentional making dave and kanayas changes reflect the names of the rejected/lost endgame ships? Dave is now davecat (ala davekat) as he loses karkat in the fallout of all this, and kanaya becomes Mary, the remaining half of Rosemary now that rose has died. was this intentional? And, further, assuming this wont be expounded on later in the fic due to its entirely meta nature, how do you feel the changes reflect their characters, with Dave INCORPORATING the phonetic match of davekat, and kanaya Explicitly Removing the rose? Or is all this just nonsense?

the davecat/davekat pun is intentional, and kanaya choosing "mary" out of rosemary is also intentional, but i hadn't actually thought much about how they mirror each other in their relationship to their relationships! dave doesn't think of himself as catdave of course, but the presence of that pun in the reader's mind certainly helps reinforce the fact that davekat didn't explicitly *break up.* actually you know what i'm gonna go on an extended tear about some dualism because i want to, regardless of how on topic it is

i've said before that i wanted godfeels kanaya in 3.2 onwards to echo kanaya in homestuck^2. in hs2, her divorce fever manifests through the adoption of a nun's attire and a distant longing for her wife. kind of a "when will my beloved return from the war" type thing.

i remember folks having a problem with that interpretation of kanaya being passive in a ooc way? but i think it's notable we never got far enough to see her in action, and let's remember that she's still ON the ship headed to deltritus, to rescue rose and kick dirk's ass. so you know. it's hard not to be passive when you're stuck on a ship waiting to arrive at plot

(which is a criticism of hs2 i appreciate, even if i don't entirely agree for a number of reasons we definitely don't have time for)

so anyway, the thing about hs2 kanaya is that her wife disappeared without talking to her. it's not just that she's separated from her wife, fundamentally there's a betrayal involved-- which the characters (and thus the readers) sublimate into anger at dirk for having manipulated and controlled rose into going down that path in the epilogues... but i think it's genuinely up for debate whether or not rose was, in fact, altogether 100% mind-controlled by dirk. is she really under his thrall, or is she playing into the role because it's better than dying of existential migraine? or because she's bored of her life on earth c and wants to spice things up in the bedroom with reaaaaaaaaaally extended foreplay? rose has always been a melodramatic bitch after all, that's what everyone forgets loves about her!

[relitigating long dead fandom discourse voice] just because rosemary means a lot to you as Queer Representation doesn't change the fact that gay people also suck! like they literally got married at age 16, have some fucking perspective

of course to my mind it's even an open question whether rosemary divorce fever in hs2 was straight up an agreed-upon longform romantic roleplay. i mean what better way to larp your femknight in shining nunarmor ravishing you romantically from the clutches of the weeaboo dragon fantasy than Literally Making It Happen In Real Life? you see i liked hs2 precisely because it had an ambiguity of purpose in its characters that lent itself to all sorts of juicy interpretations. yeah they probably plodded around in that a bit too long, but let's not pretend that the fandom ever approached hs2 with even a sliver of patience or good faith to see its ideas through to the end

u h h h h h h h wait what the fuck was i

so anyway mary in godfeels is similarly betrayed, but in a very different way. the question of why rose didn't bother letting kanaya in on any of the things she knew is wrapped tight in barbed wire. contemplating it is an unavoidable act of self-harm. it's a question that can't be answered, but will linger forever. mary has to wonder if killing her wife was truly necessary, if there was another option, if rose's visions were truly infallible... or if rose just couldn't think of a better way to end things between them. those are just a few of the many questions that can haunt you when a loved one dies unexpectedly

so mary is a post-rose kanaya who has to choose between obsessing over the loss of her wife or moving on into a completely new existence. now then, on the flipside of that you've got dave, who doesn't have that same dividing line between his First Real Relationship and the rest of his life. he says to himself "karkat will wait for me," and so presumably intends to find his way back to earth c sooner or later. but he also has to live in the present, deal with his own shit, continuing to grow and change in unknowable ways. so where mary has to accept that it's okay to become a person her wife would not recognize, dave has to confront whether he can live with himself if he becomes someone that karkat won't recognize. he has to interrogate whether or not his boyfriend's unconditional love will remain unconditional as the two of them grow and change apart from one another.

so yeah, there's some juicy dramatic resonance in the davecat & mary puns. which, you know, will almost certainly have no intersection with june's situation or dana's situation or lenore's situation hahaha