#I just think about these two a lot and like. they're such good friends in my heart

[echolynn13]

SFTH Chaotic Highlights (OMG Is This A Joke)

Alright, I'm finally starting to make these for the longforms! These are gonna be quite a bit longer than the other two I've made, since these videos are (typically) longer and I have a lot of thoughts about them lol (edit while writing, less than halfway through the video - yeah, I have way more to say than I thought I would)

Before I even get into the video itself, I just love the bold move of having their first Youtube longform be one about nazis, let's people know the kind of humor they'll be getting from these guys lmao

Also shout out to the not insignificant number of people who fully didn't recognize AJ with hair

Luke's executive decision to grab a prop gun and just stand there like 🧍🏼

"If he was only a foot and a half taller, he would be a perfect nazi!" Still one of my favorite Luke short jokes, because if I was him I genuinely wouldn't know how to take that observation-

Not sure why Sam chose the puffy purple jacket for his villain character, but at least we get to call him Ze Blackberry now

I'd like to imagine as Sam was introducing himself, he looked over to Luke like 'oh shit right, he's still just fucking standing there, I should probably include him somehow' and to Sam that ofc meant flirting with him

Which btw is the strangest flirting attempt I've ever seen- "Beautiful little pocket-sized Aryan" and "Sexy little ferret" ?? Guys I've never flirted with anyone but I don't think he's doing it right

"Guten Abend" Luke/Hans isn't good at this flirting thing either, but at least they're both having fun

Two French brothers casually parachuting over Berlin during World War II, nothing weird about that

"Ja- yes- er, oui! I'm trilingual, I'm sorry" Idk if it's the language confusion or the fact he apologized to the nazi, but this was a great line

"The plan is working perfectly, we're making them uncomfortable. Keep it up!" Luke, who has done very little in that regard except respond to Sam: "Okay!!" *just keeps standing there*

"Hard day being a nazi?" Considering you're currently giving him a backrub and are probably about to fuck him, I'd say he's having a pretty good day

Before Luke's BAFTA winning portrayals of grief in The Evil Make-A-Wish Kid and The Grape Depression, we had AJ's sobbing in OMGITAJ

So glad this play was set mainly in France so AJ could show off his French knowledge in the best ways (skipping across the stage and singing)

Sam characteristically entering briefly as an unspecified beast that for simplicity I'm going to call a ram

Genuinely one of my favorite and most underappreciated moments in the video is Katherine assigning Luke's character a feminine name, which he clearly didn't expect, and he just takes a moment to reevaluate life, while staring at the comedically placed banana in his hand. 10/10 fantastic bit

"My husband has been captured" "You know this for sure?" "Well he didn't come home and he's a French spy so" Fair logic that was 100% correct

"I already have a husband" "Well Xavier will have to wait until he's officially dead then" rip Jean-Luc man, at least Sarah seems to genuinely love him and be loyal though, good for them

Tag yourself, I'm AJ fangirling heavy over Xavier as he walks onstage

"I could have mimed it but I did not" has and forever will live in my brain rent free, bro had no reason to do that but took the fucking opportunity

Also Sarah's friend (did she ever get a name?) is simping for Xavier more than Sarah herself, they could've just fucked instead

"I don't know the French word for mice" "C'est une souris, une souris, une souris" French lessons with AJ

I've already made a whole post about my love for pre-reveal Xavier, but jesus, can you blame me? This character is the actual reason I started being attracted to Tom in the first place, why is he so SMOOTH-

Also the fact Luke didn't even flinch when Tom tilted his chair back and just nonchalantly crossed his legs- This whole scene is perfect istg

"I'm just going to take a few pictures-" That's so real of you girl

"I am a man" Gonna start saying this in front of the mirror as affirmations in the morning, same tone and everything

Tom launching himself across the stage before he even has the chance to rebutton his shirt lol

"Look out! It's the nazi-looking guy!" Saying this about the actual nazi is so funny

Not me being genuinely kinda sad about François getting killed

Katherine getting into Sam's carriage with a pumpkin (For some reason??) and Sam pausing not once, but twice, and eventually deciding to proceed as normal and not question it

Jean-Luc: *crying because trauma* Katherine: "Aw.. If you're thirsty you could drink it!" Katherine might've earned her place as my favorite 5th SFTH member they've had

Big Hans showing up with an entirely different vibe from the last time we saw him- Maybe because he's not busy being gay with Ze Blackberry

But really, why is this nazi boy so excited about the french language while he's taking over their country

"Les coqs :D" Sir what is this energy you're putting out, it's confusing me

I like that instead of just saying something like "It's a French horse, why do I care if I kicked it" he's just like "German horses wouldn't give a shit, your horses are just weak"

"Very hairy chickens you have here" A joke they couldn't have made now-

I'd just like to point out that Big Hans didn't get shot from what I could tell, so he could technically still be alive. Idk what to do with that information, I just wanted it out there

Tom pulling his classic sexy-character move: Foot dramatically placed on chair

The cleaner just being like "what a fucking mess, god I hate my job" as if Xavier and Sarah aren't currently having a whole plot-altering revelation in the same room

Oh yeah, and this is also the moment I was very relieved Sarah was a better person than me (/hj) and didn't sleep with Xavier

Also, mostly unrelated, but Katherine's voice specifically as the cleaner reminds me of DHMIS every single time and idk why

"Are you quite finished??" "... Honestly, no"

"But who would do that? Who would do- It was me" He tried to be mysterious but Xavier really wanted credit for what he did

Sam the Ram returns! Very cool that their first video had classics of all kinds: Sam being a chaotic animal, AJ getting to be French, Tom being a sexy German, and Luke being an equally-attractive-but-not-quite-as-played-up woman

"I was tortured by two men gettig with each other next to me" "They're always doing that, the nazis" If SFTH can make nazis gay af, they truly can do anything

Why does Ram-Sam look so offended on behalf of the French after Luke's "It's in my nature" line lmaoo

"Where did you get my dildo!?" Amazing line from Luke, but really what was that thing??

And ofc Xavier dies as he lived.. Shirtless. Sexy evil bastard-

[murglor]

So, I want to point out that this is about @ly0nstea saying Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee were friends; you denied that; they identified the embrace and positive interaction in "Return to Omashu"; and you then wrote "Situationally she was miserable in Omashu, so the familiarity would’ve been relief for her. Beyond that, she at best just does what Azula tells her to do" and that "it's clear that [Mai's relationship with Azula] was half-hearted and one-sided at best." I disagree. In short, I think the relationship isn't one-sided because contrary to it being a creation of Ukano instructing Mai to cultivate that relationship, Mai has demonstrated she will happily disobey authority figures (Ukano and Azula alike), acts like she enjoys Azula's company more than anything else we see other than Zuko's company, is clearly seen as an individual by Azula more than anyone else in the show, and tells us (in Ashes) that being Azula's friend made her feel like she mattered. That last comment from Ashes could be because Azula's friendship gave Mai a position in society (which I gather is your interpretation), but she was already the only (later eldest) child of a high-ranking noble who was later made governor of a colony. It seems unlikely that whatever heightened social status is conferred by being informally Azula's friend and companion would make her feel like she "mattered" if her relationship to Ukano didn't. I think a much more natural reading is that Azula made Mai feel that she mattered by listening to her, appreciating her skills and sense of humor, entertaining her, and understanding Mai as a person in a way her parents (and the other people in her life) didn't. And that sounds a lot like a mutually beneficial, non-one-sided relationship ("friendship") to me.

"What the goal is in making Mai and Azula be really good buddies?"

Long Feng betrayed Azula (and Azula won), and nobody including Azula cares (or should care). Mai and Ty Lee "betrayed" Azula at Boiling Rock (and even though they were right to do so both morally and in terms of personal outcomes, I don't think betrayal is an inaccurate term). Azula responded by misplaying her hand with Ozai (when he's departing), having hallucinations, losing a fight to Zuko (arguably) and Katara (definitely) by attacking wildly without precision (abnormal for her) and without situational awareness (the grate/water), and completely melting down - which is to say, completely losing her fucking mind. The Boiling Rock betrayal has a major impact on Azula and her plotline. If it's just Ty Lee and Mai as minions who served Azula out of fear, the overreaction doesn't make sense. If it's two of only five or so people Azula allowed herself to love or care about (Ozai, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Ursa though she'll deny it, maybe Iroh), all of whom but Ozai have now chosen somebody else over Azula (and Ozai rejects her), that breakdown makes a lot more sense. A real friendship/relationship between all three of the Dangerous Ladies (with actual love/affection both BY and FOR Azula, although not expressed in healthy ways) both explains and justifies the ending of Azula's arc - she breaks down and loses everything. Oh, and under this reading, Mai's line to her ("I love Zuko more than I fear you") is not about Azula miscalculating. We've never seen any evidence that Mai fears Azula. They're both speaking between the lines, and Mai knows that what Azula will really hear is that Mai loves Zuko more than she loves Azula, and that will hurt Azula. A lot.

The Boiling Rock is so much better if it's a real breakup of an important friendship circle, not just two minions giving notice. A competently written post-canon world is so much more interesting for stories about Azula, about Mai, and about Ty Lee if they had real emotional ties to one another, not just a legacy of power imbalance, self-interest submission by Mai and Ty Lee, and poor treatment / imposed fear by Azula.

Friendly reminder that Mai and Ty Lee both enjoyed Azula's company and considered her a good friend, and that Mai was far more willing and eager to join Azula at the start of season 2 than Ty Lee was

[khaire-traveler]

hello! i'm not sure if you received my other ask asking about Lord Apollon worship, so i'll send it again, just to be safe.

my entire family is Catholic, and i can't worship Lord Apollo freely in my home. i have to keep him secret, and i have to pretend I'm still a "good Catholic" whenever i'm with my family, i'm scared of what they could do if they discover i'm worshiping "evil gods" (that's what my parents call them, but i don't believe they're evil at all). i am still forced to do everything a Catholic does, including praying to God.

do you think its ok to still pray to another god against your will if you're worshiping another god by will, like Lord Apollon? I'm not sure if this is ok. i'm still fairly new to this, i made a tiny altar to Apollon like 3 days ago. it's not much, just a candle (a 22 ounce candle btw, its BIG), some earrings that remind me of him, a seashell, two golden rings, and a perfume that I think he would like. as i said, it's not much, i still have to keep him kind of hidden, but I'm trying.

sorry if this was a bit long, i just have a lot to say and i think youre the perfect person to ask. thank you for your help and time!

(also, side note: i believe that Lord Apollon likes frappes because i offered him some of mine and i felt warm the entire day)

Khaire, I did get your other ask, Nonny, but my inbox has been very full, sorry.

There are many, many people who have to keep their worship hidden. For hundreds of years, worshippers of the gods have had to hide their worship away, lest they be persecuted or, worse, killed. This is to say that the gods tend to be very understanding of these things. Unfortunately, this isn't something the gods have no experience with. The gods have adapted themselves, I'm sure, to all forms of worship, and they will continue to do so for the rest of time, I'd imagine.

In my experience, the gods aren't cruel. They don't hold these things against people. Apollon is very kind, benevolent, and understanding. If you haven't made him aware of your situation, I would let him know; maybe he could offer some guidance or assistance as you get through this difficult time. It sounds like you still live at home and are maybe young. Things do get much easier once you're able to move out and start choosing life more for yourself. This is a great step, however, into discovering what things you align more with, outside of your family.

It sounds like you've given meaningful and thoughtful offerings. I'm sure Apollon appreciates them. And your altar sounds lovely, too! It's great that you were able to make one, but just know that if it ever compromised your safety, you could always use a digital altar instead. 🫂

I wish you well, Nonny. It's more than ok to have to keep things hidden. I'm sure it's ok to need to pray to a God you may not even believe for your safety. I would imagine Apollon would want you to be safe, first and foremost. He's not the type of god to value his own pride over the safety of his worshippers, in my experience (if that type of god even exists at all, really). Take care of yourself, and know that you have allies in the community. Welcome to Hellenic Polytheism, friend. You're safe here. 🧡

[skeletwinsauaskbox]

Little Fun Facts and Trivia about Lento and Presto for Absolutely No Reason Other Than I Want To :)

In my fic, I deliberately wrote the twins to be autistic. They don't know this, they weren't properly diagnosed like they should've been, and it doesn't come up at any point in the story nor is it a plot point. They're just like that because I can't think of either of them as neurotypical.

Papyrus is a pickier eater than Sans, and he's actually allergic to a few things. His allergies aren't bad enough to give him anaphylaxis or anything, but being allergic to something isn't very pleasant at all.

Sans is four minutes older than Papyrus. Yes, he's a big tease about it, but only when Papyrus is acting childish.

Papyrus has actually collected a lot of things in his life. As a kid, he collected puzzle toys and loved showing them off. At one point, he collected comics. Nowadays, he collects action figures.

Sans has the ability to freeze time. He mainly uses it when he's overwhelmed and needs space to let out his pent up emotions, but other times, he just uses it for dramatic effect.

Papyrus is the clumsier of the two brothers, and falls down the stairs at least twice per week. Sans isn't much better.

Papyrus cries very easily. He was especially sensitive as a kid. Nowadays, he has a better handle on it, but he still tears up easily during movie night.

Sans was an extremely cuddly kid who often crawled into Papyrus' bed in the middle of the night just to snuggle him. As an adult, he still really loves to snuggle and can get quite antsy if he doesn't get his snuggles from time to time.

Neither of the twins were told about the birds and the bees. They had to learn that themselves. Sans knows more about it than Papyrus does.

Related to the above, the brothers weren't informed much about puberty either and had to learn about it from him. And even then, it wasn't until AFTER they already hit puberty that he told them (in his defence, he didn't know the twins very well, so he just assumed their parents told them until proven otherwise). Their parents sucked.

Sans didn't complete his first sentence until he was 5-6 years old. Until then, Papyrus spoke for him.

Sans used to do Papyrus' homework for him, but it's not for the reasons you think. Or maybe it is, I dunno.

To this day, the twins still believe in Santa Claus. Papyrus still has the typical childlike belief, while Sans literally goes full conspiracy mode whenever Santa is brought up.

Papyrus has a bit of a temper, but he manages it really well. He's also secretly nervous about most of his social interactions because he's used to rejection from his peers. The only person he doesn't get nervous around or tries to impress is Sans, who's impressed by his existence anyway.

I've stated this before, but Sans is extremely ticklish. Funnily enough, he actually likes being tickled, at least by his close friends and family. To him, it's just another form of affection that makes him laugh.

Back when the twins were kids, they often left the house on their own to go on wacky adventures, mainly because their parents either left them home alone or did not keep a good eye on them.

Out of the two, Papyrus has better table manners than Sans, while Sans has a larger appetite.

Papyrus often forgets to take off his boots before going in the shower. Yes, this is pre-battle body. Yes, he did pull his bottoms off over his boots. He's a maniac.

Papyrus loves it when he gets head scratches. Meanwhile, Sans loves having his spine traced.

Neither of them can really function well without the other. Under normal circumstances, if they're separated for too long, Papyrus turns into an anxious mess while Sans shuts down.

The more you know!

[bumblingbabooshka]

Janeway/Tuvok Vibes

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

Aftermath au: Red Letter Day

Barney gets a call that Gordon Freeman had been found after ten years of being missing in action.

Word count: 4382

Notes: Another fic for my au "Aftermath" because I think its neat. I'm not sure what else to put here, enjoy the fic

Barney was beginning to remember how much he hated Winter as he stared through the warehouse window in front of him. Despite it being the beginning of March, spring was yet to come, meaning the snow was still falling with the temperature following suit. Barney had always hated the season, and as much as he tried, he could never come up with a proper reason. Maybe it was the fact it was cold, wet, and dreary, making any trip outside miserable, or perhaps it was the fact he was mainly cooped up inside all day, leaving him to get cabin fever. Or maybe it was a mixture of those two at the same time, along with the loneliness that came from them. No matter the reason, Barney kept quiet about it, realizing he had no ability to change the weather. All he could do was drink his hot coffee and put on a few more layers than usual. 

Barney took a sip from his mug as he looked away from the window, instead focusing his attention back into the room he was in. It was a storage room, full of random junk and scientific doodads Barney had no knowledge of. Boxes and crates were stacked up in piles taller than he was, stacked in such a way that it made Barney nervous even being near them in the case of them toppling over. Due to the lack of a radiator in that room, it was even chillier than the rest of the refurbished warehouse, making Barney glad he was wearing the warmest sweatpants he could find in his closet, along with a worn out grey hoodie, with the logo on the front being so faded that it was hard to make out as Black Mesa’s logo.

As he looked around, he was startled by the sound of a box slamming against the concrete floor, along with a short exclamation. “Oh, blast it!” “You alright, Doc?” Barney asked the other man in the room, watching as he bent over to pick up the fallen crate.

“I’m fine, just…hoping whatever was in here isn’t fragile…” 

Dr. Isaac Kleiner, or “Doc” as Barney referred to him as, was wearing a white lab coat over a robin-egg-blue dress-shirt and black tie, trading warmth for safety at his place of work. His glasses were slipping off his face as he moved boxes and rummaged through everything in the storage room, making it even more of a mess than it was before. 

“Where on earth could she have gone?” Kleiner asked, not necessarily expecting an answer. “There aren’t any vents she could have crawled in, are there?”

“I hope not,” Barney stated. “Last thing I want is that thing to fall on someone.” As Kleiner looked under a table, Barney spoke up again. “You think it ran off or something?”

“Oh no, I don’t believe so,” Kleiner stood up straight, “I’m sure she wouldn’t. After all, she needs to get fed eventually, so I imagine she’ll come out for that.” “If the thing didn’t eat someone's cat or something.”

“Hush!” Kleiner held a finger up to his mouth, causing both he and Barney to become silent as he listened closely. Barney attempted to hear what Kleiner was listening for, but to no avail, hearing nothing but silence. “Fie! I could’ve sworn I heard her moving around…”

Barney let out an exhausted sigh, “Doc, please, there’s plenty of those pests out there–”

“But there’s only ONE Lamar!”

“...Right.”

“Now, are you going to help me look?” Kleiner adjusted his crooked glasses, “Or are you going to simply stand there, doing nothing?”

“Uh…” Barney glanced away, thinking for a moment. “...No thanks.”

“Oh, you act like she’s some kind of wild animal.”

“It kinda is.”

“She’s been de-beaked and trained, and you know this!” Kleiner stated as he walked towards a filing cabinet near the corner of the room.

“‘Trained;’ I don’t think that thing is really…trained. My dog is trained, and I know you can train cats, but I don’t think you can train a literal parasite–”

“Oh! I think I’ve got something!” Kleiner said excitedly, “Help me move this cabinet, would you please?”

Barney reluctantly approached the metal cabinet as Kleiner positioned himself to the side of it, ready to move it as soon as Barney was. As soon as Barney placed his free hand against the side of it, he pushed, with Kleiner on the other side pulling it towards him.

Barney let out a loud yelp when something leaped at him from behind the cabinet, causing him to fall on his back and drop his mug on the floor. It was Lamar, the “Pet” headcrab that Kleiner had lost, and it was even uglier up close. As it laid on Barney’s chest, its six small, beady eyes stared back at him as he remained absolutely still, afraid of it trying to attack him. Its teeth on its stomach prodded at his stomach, along with its chipped, large front claws, which had colorful duct-tape covering the tips of them to prevent them from being too sharp. After a few moments of tense silence, Kleiner came to the rescue, picking up Lamar from where it rested on Barney’s torso, allowing him to take a breath.

“LAMAR!” Kleiner exclaimed, looking at his pet with relief in his eyes, “Oh, delightful! I’m so happy to see you weren’t left out in the cold somewhere…”

“Mm-hm…” Barney lifted himself off the ground, looking at his feet to see his knocked over coffee cup, with its contents spilled over. “Ugh…” 

Barney picked up his cup from the floor as Kleiner let Lamar go, watching as it waddled across the floor before jumping up onto one of the tables. Barney stared at it with contempt, the opposite reaction to Lamar’s rediscovery compared to Kleiner’s joy. 

“Do you even have a license for that thing?” Barney questioned as Lamar sat down on top of some loose documents. “If you don’t and animal control finds it, they’ll kill it–”

“I’m…in the process of getting one,” Kleiner stated, voice stumbling slightly. “And I hope no one finds her, cause if they do…I’m afraid of what you said coming true. I’m sure it will be fine regardless, at least she knows to stay inside.”

“...Sure.”

“Is everyone safe?”

Barney and Kleiner turned towards the doorway that led to the rest of the warehouse, seeing a lone, albino Vortigaunt staring back at them with her four maroon eyes. She was wearing a similar lab coat to Kleiner’s, with a borrowed pair of black dress pants, along with a fitted light brown sweater, with a hole in the middle of her chest for her third pseudo arm. She stared at Kleiner and Barney for a little while before Barney answered her question. 

“Yeah, we’re fine…” Barney sighed, glancing towards Lamar, “We just found Kleiner’s…pet.”

“Everything’s under control, Violet, you can get back to work!” Kleiner added.

“I see.” Violet’s gravelly voice seemed quieter than usual, making Barney’s brows furrow a bit.

“You alright?” He asked.

Violet seemed puzzled. “Hm?”

“Are you doing alright? I have noticed you’ve been a bit…closed off for the past few hours.” Kleiner inquired.

“We have been…distracted…” Violet responded. “I imagine it will be cleared up soon.”

“We?” Barney asked.

Violet didn’t answer. “I must get back to helping the others…the teleporter is nearly ready for its first test...”

“Oh! Wonderful. I’ll be there in a little bit.” Kleiner stated as Violet left the room. Barney remained puzzled, looking back at Kleiner with a feeling of unease in his chest.

“She said ‘we’.” Barney stated.

“I’m aware,” Kleiner responded. “You see, the Vortigaunts are able to tap into something they refer to as the ‘Vortessence’, and are thus all conne–”

“I know, Doc, I just…” Barney paused for a second. “If she’s talking about all the Vortigaunts, then wouldn’t that be a bit worrying?”

“...Maybe, but I'm not sure.” Kleiner stated. “Though, one of the members of the survey team we sent earlier today was a Vortigaunt, and that team hasn’t returned yet so…maybe there is a connection there.”

“Maybe.”

“Either way, I believe i’ll go and speak with her, just to make sure everything’s alri–”

Barney’s phone ringing from his pocket interrupted their thoughts, and when Barney pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open, he saw the number was from one of his coworkers at the hospital. “Sorry, I gotta take this.”

“You’re fine, you go ahead and I’ll go check in with the others.”

Barney nodded, watching Kleiner leave the room before he answered the call and put his phone up to his ear.

“Hello?”

Barney listened closely to the person on the other end of the phone, barely processing what they were saying. 

“What’s going on? 

Not going to believe what? 

So what, why are you telling me this?”

Barney listened closely, all before he felt his heart skip a beat. The sinking feeling in his chest was enough to render him silent, all before he let out a meek “I’ll call you later.”

Barney rushed out of the room, running past Kleiner in the process, nearly pushing him over as he approached the exit. “Barney? What’s going on, are you alright–” “They found him.” Barney’s voice shook as he spoke, with him barely being able to make out the words from how tight his throat was.

“Found who?”

Barney was already out of the building by the time Kleiner asked the question, leaving it unanswered.

Barney saw his own breath clouding in front of his face as he sprinted across the parking lot of the warehouse, nearly slipping on ice multiple times but not giving any time to care. When he reached his car, he swung the door open and crawled inside, starting the engine and speeding off without a single word. His thoughts ran through his head faster than his car was capable of going, slurring together without a single cohesive thought coming through. He didn’t care if he was a few miles above the speed limit; he needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. He needed to see if what his coworker said was right.

If it was truly Gordon Freeman that was brought into the ER, he needed to be there.

When Barney made it to the hospital lot, he rushed through the front doors, looking around before approaching the front desk, out of breath from both the physical and mental strain that was put on him. Through harsh breaths, he asked, “Is Gordon Freeman here?”, with pleading eyes focused on the woman behind the desk.

“Oh, hello Mr. Calhoun, I can look through the system for a ‘Gordon Freeman’, if you’ll sit tight for a moment.” She looked towards the computer in front of her, typing in something and looking through files as Barney waited, his impatience building up inside of him.

“Fuck this.” He pushed himself away from the desk, storming down one of the hallways despite the woman at the front desk telling him he wasn’t allowed to as he was off duty. Barney rushed past hospital workers, asking them if they knew where Gordon was, only to be met with worried and frightened looks along with no answers. Barney’s frustration only grew as he ran through the hospital halls, with the familiar building beginning to feel like a maze meant to confuse him. As he ran further into the hospital wing, he slammed against one of the doctors in the hall, causing him to topple to the ground as Barney tripped over his own feet.

“Sorry, I just have to–”

“Barney? What the hell are you doing back here?” The man questioned as Barney sped past him.

“I’m looking for Gordon Freeman,” Barney answered, turning around. “Have you seen him?”

“He’s in the ER right now,” The man snapped back as he slowly stood up. “You can’t see him until he’s out of surgery.”

“Surgery? Is he safe? Is he alright?” Barney questioned, walking closer to the doctor. 

“Yes, he’ll be fine, just…” The doctor let out a tired sigh. “Get out of here, you’re off duty and risking your job with a stunt like this.”

“I need to see Gordon, alright?” Barney explained. “He’s been gone for a fucking DECADE, and he’s been found again, I can’t just leave him–”

“Calhoun.” The man raised his voice as he glared at Barney with a look of both contempt and pity. “...Listen, just wait until he’s out and I’ll see what I can do, do you understand?”

Barney remained silent for a moment, letting out a sharp breath before nodding. “Alright,” He stated, defeated. “But he better be getting the best treatment in there.”

“I’m sure they’re doing all they can, they understand his reputation–”

“I don’t care about his reputation, if i’m right, that’s my goddamn friend in there.” Barney spat. “...Let me know when he’s out. I need to at least…make sure it’s…the right guy.”

“I’m sure someone will let you know.” The doctor stated. “...Now please go back to the waiting room before I call security.”

Barney did as he was told, reluctantly walking across the hospital premises and back into the waiting room, where he will stay for another few hours. He paced around the room, bounced his foot up and down, fidgeted with his hands; anything to try and pass the time as the minutes passed by agonizingly slow. After he had already been there for what felt like days within the timespan of a few hours, he saw a nurse walk towards him. “Mr. Calhoun?”

Barney’s head lifted up, looking towards the nurse before following her down a hallway. After a couple-minutes walk, they stopped in front of a door leading to a recovery room. “He’s in there,” The nurse stated. “He’s currently sleeping, so I ask you to be quiet and not attempt to wake him up.”

“...Yeah.” Barney hesitated before walking through the door, stepping into the room, seeing a curtain blocking his view of the bed. He paused, standing in place for a moment as he wondered if the face he was about to see was truly Gordon, or simply someone mistaken as him. He wondered if he wanted the answer, or if he’d rather live in ignorance, avoiding the crippling disappointment if it wasn’t the man he thought it was, but as he walked past the curtain, every worry in his mind ceased and his thoughts became silent as he looked at the man on the bed.

Sure, his body was covered with blood-soaked bandages, his right leg was in a cast, he had medical equipment around him, and he was missing his glasses, but his face was painfully recognizable. Barney choked back a sob, covering his mouth when he saw Gordon’s face again.

“Are you alright?” The nurse behind him asked, noticing Barney’s teary-eyed look.

“I’m fine.” Barney whispered before letting out a short chuckle and a forced smile. “It’s just…he didn’t change a damn bit.”

Barney hadn’t even noticed it had been an hour since he entered the room, being surprised when he glanced at the clock and saw it was nearing 10 PM. He sat on a chair beside Gordon’s bed, having moved it from the corner of the room to right beside it. His leg bounced up and down as he looked at Gordon, all before lowering his head and letting out a deep sigh. He wished to speak to him but he was out of words he could possibly say at that very moment, not to mention the wish to stay quiet so Gordon could recover without being woken up. He wanted to tell Gordon everything that had happened in his absence; how Kleiner started up another lab to continue Black Mesa’s studies, how Eli also set up one on the other side of the city, and how Barney had finished college and was able to become a nurse. Gordon missed so much, and even though Barney wished to dump every piece of information onto him, he realized that even the realization that it had been ten years would be overwhelming enough. Thus, Barney figured to start simple, and just talk, like friends, for the first time since the Black Mesa incident.

As Barney leaned back into his seat he felt the back of his head hit something that wasn’t there before, feeling bitter cold yet organic at the same time, like a corpse’s fingers curling around the top of the backrest. He swung around, half expecting someone to be there, yet he saw nothing of the sort, seeing only the beige wall behind him. Barney let out his breath, looking back at Gordon before realizing he should head back; his stress and emotional state must have made him paranoid, not to mention the feeling of his hair standing on end. He stood up, walking towards the door out of the room before taking one last look back at Gordon before he finally left.

Later that night, Barney paced around his living room, being watched by his pet rottweiler as he talked on the phone. “The Survey team were the ones that found him?” he asked.

“That’s what they said,” Kleiner stated from the other side of the line. “The Vortigaunt was apparently the one that found him, specifically.”

“I see.”

“Quite Miraculous,” Kleiner continued, “The fact that Gordon had survived there for ten years before being found.”

“Yeah…” Barney unsurely stated under his breath.

“Nevermind that, what are you planning now?” Kleiner asked. “Should we have some kind of party? A celebration should be in order for him being back, I’d say–”

“I think he needs rest, he’s…been through a lot.” Barney stated. “I’ve thought of him staying over at my place until he can find a place of his own or until he recovers, but we’ll see how he’s feeling.”

“Are you sure? I’m sure we can find a spare room in the lab for him.”

“I dunno if he’d wanna live in a loud lab with a headcrab, doc.”

“...I suppose you have a fair point.”

“It was just so…strange.” Barney stated. “They say it was a ten year coma, but I don’t buy it. I don’t buy it at all.” “What makes you believe that?” 

“The fact he was bleeding. The fact he had fresh wounds from Black Mesa,” Barney elaborated, brows furrowed and his free arm crossing over his chest. “Not to mention the fact he was found with that…suit on.” “What kind of suit?” Kleiner questioned. “Oh, do you mean the Hazardous Environment Suit?”

“Yeah. Why would he be wearing it ten years after the incident was already over?”

“Who knows,” Kleiner sighed, “I’m sure I can talk with Eli to see if he has any ideas on–” Kleiner was interrupted by a loud crash and squeaking coming from behind him, audible through Barney’s phone. “Goodness gracious, LAMAR, NO–”

“You alright Doc?” 

“I’ll have to speak with you later, Lamar got in the vents again–Lamar get DOWN from there, that’s not safe!” After that, the call ended, and Barney was left to himself once again. Barney sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket before he heard a deep ruff coming from his dog, who was laying next to the couch in the living room, with its white patches of fur on its snout showing its age.

“You hear that, Gordon?” Barney said. “You might get a new roommate…a…different Gordon.”

The dog yawned and rested his head on his paws as Barney walked towards the living room couch, sitting on it and resting his feet on the coffee table in front of it. He leaned over the armrest, scratching the top of the dog’s head. “Guess I’ll have to explain to him why you’re also named Gordon, huh bud?”

Gordon didn’t respond, instead just letting out a soft ruff again. Barney leaned back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling before folding his hands on top of his stomach. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining why his pet was named after his friend, he realized. After all, it’s not very easy to tell someone you thought they were dead for years.

As soon as Barney received the call that Gordon was awake the following evening, Barney rushed back to the hospital to visit him once again. As he drove across the city, worries he didn’t think about before began to creep up inside his brain. Even though he didn’t necessarily believe the coma theory the doctors had, nor did he believe even they believed it fully, he thought of the possibility of it being true, and if Gordon would even remember who Barney was after a full decade of sleep. It would be a surprise if Gordon remembered anything after that amount of time, but Barney pushed down his pessimism, trying to be optimistic just this once.

After making his way down the hospital hallway once again, he found himself back in front of the door to Gordon’s room, with a nervous feeling deep in his gut as he prepared to walk inside. He took in a breath and stepped inside, looking towards the bed in which Gordon was laying on, only to have his gaze met by two bright green eyes, ones Barney hadn't seen since ten years prior. Barney froze in place, staring back at Gordon, who appeared to be surprised to see him. As Barney sat down in the chair beside the bed, he swallowed hard, wondering what he could possibly say now that Gordon was awake. As he thought to himself, a question left his mouth that he wasn’t initially planning on asking:

“Where were you?”

The question lingered in the air like a foul odor, with Gordon’s brows furrowing lip quivering slightly, all while he curled his hands into fists. He turned away from Barney, looking down at his feet, thinking of something to say, though his hands didn’t once lift up to sign a single word.

“You…disappear for 10 years without warning,” Barney continued. “Leaving everyone to believe you were dead.”

Gordon didn’t make eye contact with Barney as he spoke.

“I thought you were dead and buried somewhere, Gordon,” Barney choked. “But…You’re here in front of me now.”

Gordon glanced at Barney before he felt arms being wrapped around his shoulders, tight, but not too tight to make it hurt.

“I fucking missed you, Gordon.” Barney said as he hugged Gordon, feeling the gesture being returned to him. Gordon’s hands shook, feeling weak and cold, yet he didn’t want to let go of the single shred of kindness he had felt since what felt like eternity. After a few moments Barney let go, sitting back down with red, tear-filled eyes. 

“...You…missed a lot.” Barney stated; Gordon nodded knowingly in response. “I’d tell ya’ everything, but…I don’t even know how to start.”

“Are they safe?” Gordon’s hands were shaking, but Barney could make out the message regardless.

“Who, like…Kleiner? Eli?”

Gordon nodded slightly, lips pursed in anticipation. 

“They’re alright,” Barney assured, allowing Gordon to let out a breath. “In fact…they’re excited to see you again. Kleiner especially, he’s hoping to get you back into his lab…don’t know if you want to do that, but the offer’s there.”

Gordon appeared to have had a weight lifted off his shoulders at the news, but the cold yet somber gaze didn’t leave his eyes. Barney planned to tell Gordon that they were among the few survivors of the Black Mesa incident, but he bit his tongue for the time being.

“...Never thought you’d be in the history books, did ya?” Barney let out a lighthearted chuckle in an attempt to lighten the mood. “You’re a hero in everyone’s eyes, now.”

Gordon shook his head, looking down and away from Barney’s gaze as he clasped his hands together on his lap. Barney stared at him with a look of confusion and worry, all before forcefully clearing his throat. 

“I’m just…happy to see you alive, Gordon.” Barney stated. “After…a few years I began to…to lose hope.” Barney paused for a second, realizing Gordon was still not meeting his gaze. “...Should’ve known you were a tougher son of a bitch than that, I guess.”

Gordon scoffed slightly before shaking his head again, still staring at his feet. Silence fell as Barney attempted to think of something else to say to ease the tense atmosphere, though his thoughts were blank and void of any ideas. Barney looked towards Gordon yet again, seeing he was raising his hands up to sign something:

“Missed you too.”

Barney smiled slightly, despite feeling as if he wanted to cry right then and there. He never anticipated he’d be this emotional in his life, yet here he was; about to cry for the second time that day. Seeing his legally dead friend after ten years of being missing in action was enough to warrant it, he supposed.

“I’m sure the others will be happy to show you everything they’ve been working on,” Barney said, with Gordon finally looking back up at him, before looking directly behind him, “They’ve been working on a new telepor–”

Gordon flinched, staring at something behind Barney before attempting to crawl backwards, nearly ripping off his IV in the process. Barney looked behind him, seeing nothing but the wall before he heard a loud thud coming from the bed. He turned, seeing Gordon had fallen off of the bed and onto the cold linoleum floor. “Gordon!” Barney quickly ran to his aid, holding out an arm for Gordon to grab, lifting him off of the floor. When weight was put onto his right leg, Gordon grimaced, using Barney as leverage as he was put back onto the bed. “Jeez Gordon, what got you freaked out so ba–”

Barney was silenced when Gordon hugged him without warning. Barney could hear him quietly sobbing into his shoulder, and as he returned the hug, he wondered if he had ever seen Gordon so touchy before; It was as if he hadn’t had human contact in days. This time however, Barney wasn’t quick to let go. The last thing he wanted to do was leave his best friend behind again.

Not this time.

[wmiescieinazumy]

i probably won't be able to finish this response before my next class starts but i can try lolol- yeah i didn't make it KSHFJSDK

Really sorry abt taking so long with responses </3 i'm not really built for long, back-to-back discussions, the fatigue catches up to me really fast

I'll respond referring to specific parts like this so it's easier to read for both me and you 😭

It really pains me, though, because the concept is amazing, just the execution that leaves A LOT to be desired.

I totally get the feeling. I think GO in general struggles a lot with executing and expanding on the concepts they choose to introduce. They could have done so much more with Keshin and Keshin Armed, done a better job at making the side characters from opposite teams more memorable (so you don't end up going "who tf are those people" when they show up in resistance japan in galaxy-), led and resolved certain subplots a lot more effectively... I love GO, I think it has so much potential and by god do i wish the writers took more time working on it. I can be pretty harsh on Chrono Stone because the premise really doesn't do it for me since I'm not a big fan of time travel stories. That, and the way CS does it leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. It doesn't flow well at all: the entire club is back really fast, then it turns out uh oh, tsurugi is missing we gotta go get him; yuuichi's appearance is out of nowhere and doesn't get brought up ever again; after that we find out about some random match that got used to make soccer illegal in japan; the team leaves again; fei conviniently remembers there's this super epic soccer manual in the future so now we're doing a museum heist; then we need to find someone who can read that goddamn soccer fanfic; we start jumping from era to era but we make sure to visit the torture facility island (god eden) in the meantime; suddenly after 30+ episodes we're on el dorado's side and nobody mentions that they tried to kill us for so long- it's a mess.

It's so fragmented and has little to no actual weight and consequences. Like you said, CS is aggresively plot-driven. The characters are dragged away from event to event like puppets and nothing they do makes any significant impact on the course of events. The plot idea came first and it's inflexible, the characters have to fit the mold; it's like trying to put a square-shaped block into a circle-shaped hole.

I see the appeal of CS and it's so disappointing that it's not as good as it could have been.

When it comes to Galaxy, I'm at the very start of the season because of other obligations and also the fact that i physically cannot make myself watch more than two episodes at a time. 😭 I spent all my energy reserves when i watched 17 CS episodes in a row that one time.

It's actually something I recall myself talking with people before - how Fei's only bonds (in Raimon) are Tenma and Kinako (more bc he's literally her son than because they're close or anything - speaking of which, what I NEEDED was for Kinako to become friends with Fei, and actually, yknow, put some work to get to know her kid, instead of running of info from Asurei, essentially - I wanted to see her organically grow to care about him).

I totally agree. Their bond in the show feels more like a conceptual connection rather than an actual relationship. In my older texts i sent to my friend i said that Fei's interactions with Kinako are mostly Kinako reaching out to him and Fei passively receiving without giving a lot back. It felt one-sided.

Kinako befriending Fei would have been so good... Especially when you start wondering about her background. What was her life like for her to agree to a stranger's request, not to mention one this outlandish? My personal interpretation is that her life up to that point must have been terribly lonely and devoid of deep, meaningful connections. I doubt a kid who agreed to be swept away on a journey, essentially into a different world, would have done so if they were happy with their life. The promise of a family member somewhere out there, someone who is supposed to love and cherish you no matter what would be extremely appealing to a child in a bad situation. It's really no different from people wishing they could travel to a world from their book and identifying with characters who leave their reality behind for their new life in a fantastical world. Exploring her motivations would bring another dimension to her character, because all of it being about blood-relations is a pretty shallow approach imo.

I would have loved if we saw Kinako finding her family with the raimon soccer club, and not just fei on the basis that they're blood-related. It'd make her inevitable departure SO much more heartbreaking. As a side note, i can't believe the anime didn't show us everyone signing that soccer ball for Kinako and just showed her already holding it. That's prime tear-jerker moment right there and they just let that chance slip by them. 😭

This is the "friendship is magic" show and it's honestly so sad that the friendship takes a backseat for the abomination that is the time travel plot.

Like, Fubuki mattered to everybody, and Fubuki cared about them, too - it was never something that you felt the need to question. With Fei I'd say the only person he genuinely cares about is Tenma, and even that relationship feels more like it's running on They're Similar :) than them actually being friends.

Great comparison to Fubuki! I 100% agree with everything you said here. Genuinely, if you asked Fei to name all of Raimon members i bet he wouldn't have gotten half of them /j And so on point about Tenma and Fei too. Their connection feels so surface level. One other character Fei also interacts with often is that blue bear mascot but like Torb, he's even more of a gag character. i honestly hate that bear sdfhsjkfhskjd whenever he wasn't chosen to be coach i was cheering

As I've said in that other post, even Shindou and Tsurugi aren't given all that much focus beyond their arcs.

Yeahhhhh CS really is the Tenma and Fei show huh. And even then it took them 30 episodes IN A 51 EPISODE SEASON to give Fei anything more to do other from being the chill exposition character. Waiting until the dino arc to start digging into his emotional state and past was a huge misstep in my opinion - this is (essentially) your secondary protagonist for this season for god's sake! When I got to that part i told my friend that if i wasn't insane I would have dropped CS a long time ago because it's ridiculous you have to wait so long to get to know anything meaningful about Fei.

And yeah. Also. Fucking Torb. Like, I don't dislike him, ok? But he's a randomass late addition that doesn't get much of anything, to be honest. He's just kinda there. Kariya should've had this miximax and I'll die on this hill. Especially after he gave Kirino that chance, it kinda felt like he desevred something for it smh.

Yeah fr 😭 And the mental gymnastics the show had to do to justify him going with them had me scratching my head. My guy one second was like "i gotta protect Big now that his mom is dead" and five seconds later he decides to fuck off. I found my direct quote from when i was watching: "just an episode ago he was all like "i will protect rockstar's son" and now hes like "its when you are alone that you find out if ur truly strong or not" sighhhhh".

I like your idea about his spot being given to Kariya! I said Kurama later in the response bc he's my underrated fave and i genuinely forgot that the position was for a defender LMAO Kariya would make a good fit here :]

Gamma is there to be used by Zanark, which pisses me off so fucking much I just can't.

Personally i have no strong feelings about Gamma one way or the other (definitely bc of his very limited screentime, this guy wasn't even given a chance to get to make an impression on the audience-) but i completely uderstand the feeling. The only thing i remember about him is that Zanark kicks the ball into his face during one of the ragnarok matches and that made me laugh. I was so out of it man

Like, I can genuinely believe that Zanark was always meant to join, but his arc is so fragmented that it starts to feel out of nowhere.

Once again, hard agree on Zanark. They really yeeted him into the backrooms and had him come back and be like "im on ur team now" and the rest went "ok". Like bro what was that. wdym you're letting him join just like that

Zanark was kinda my saving grace at the end because he is so fucking funny in the ragnarok matches. Genuinely woke me up from my stupor with all the insane lines and expressions they gave him. is his arc well-written? hell no, but so isn't CS so i was just like you know fuck it. comedic fave right there

the range of emotions chrono stone makes me feel and not feel is lowkey crazy (can you tell im losing my eloquence-)

All of this. But even aside from that, what I wished was for exploration of Shindou and Kirino's relationship, especially post-France. I don't remember, so correct me, did Shindou notice that Kirino was starting to doubt himself before they went there? Like, Kirino is very attentive to Shindou's emotional state, we've seen it, but I don't recall Shindou ever doing the same. I love him dearly, but it does feel like he takes Kirino's presence and support for granted. And, sure, you can chalk it up to Shindou's trust in Kirino being that strong, but there's trusting, and there's ignoring the emotional well-being of your best friend. Kariya was far more attentive and showed far more care for Kirino if my memory doesn't fail me.

AND WE'RE BACK WITH AN ENERGY BURST BABYYYYYYYY

I totally agree, I wish we had a deeper exploration of their bond than what the show has given us. As much as i love those two, I'll be the first to admit that their relationship is often portrayed one-sidedly, with more visible effort coming from Kirino's side. This could be a good set up for a conflict later on, but because it isn't, it just ends up making you feel sad. The curse of a captain and their long-haired best friend is real in the inazuma eleven franchise 😭

Shindou didn't notice Kirino's doubts before leaving for France, in fact, Kariya is the only character who did. It's a double edged sword for me. On one hand there's a point to be made about Kirino's tendency to keep his problems to himself (like how in the Kirino&Kariya subplot in season 1 he never told anyone about Kariya's bullying), and how perhaps he has gotten so good at it that even his friends don't notice when he's worried. On the other, Kirino doesn't make all that big of an effort to hide what he's feeling. In particular, he never tries to fake his expression or anything like that. He'd tell you that it's nothing, but you can clearly see there is something bothering him. And one you start guessing and guess correctly, you can easily get a reaction out of him that will give you a hint or tell you directly what is the problem (just like what Kariya did).

No one else noticing, especially Kirino's best friend, makes everyone look... kinda stupid. Some of them are supposed to have known Kirino for over a year now and you're telling me nobody noticed? I think that the writing is partially at fault here. Having Kirino internalize and hide his worries feels like an intentionally written part of his character, but the lack of reactions from anyone else is a result of weak writing imo. New raimon isn't as well established as the OG cast, and since CS already neglects its characters, i'm not surprised no one else reacts except for that One Character Chosen For This Specific Scene. I have a longer post in my drafts about this moment actually, I might finally revise it and finally send it out into the world haha

Like you said, Shindou has great trust in Kirino - he trusts him to handle his conflict with Kariya, he supports his efforts unconditionally during the France arc - which is very sweet to see, but it's definitely on a more passive side compared to Kirino's actions when it's Shindou who needs the support - visiting him at his place, listening and talking to him, keeping him company. Obviously, relationships aren't a 1:1 equal effort at all times - but I'm not discussing their relationship in the dimension of realism, but the quality of its writing. This lack of Shindou's POV in their relationship creates a disparity in how it's perceived by the audience.

Currently, with the way they're portrayed, it really does feel like Shindou takes Kirino's support for granted. And like I said, i would have loved if this was grounds for conflict further down the line, that would end up strengthening their relationship. What's interesting is that in the CS anime, we get the moment where Shindou tells Kirino he feels reassured that he's with him, BUT in the game this exchange is different, specifically Kirino's reaction. Since the inalog CS game script released i can screenshot those lines, but i knew about them before from my trips around old ina11 tumblr.

I have this moment somewhere in my drafts- Their expressions during that exchange are pretty telling. Shindou says his line with a smile, but Kirino looks upset when he replies "have you?". It gives you an impression that Kirino doesn't believe Shindou when he says that. And how sad it is that he feels so distant from his best friend that he doesn't believe him when he says he missed his presence?

In the anime he doesn't reply but the face he makes expresses a similar sentiment, but more on the sad rather than angry side.

But in classic CS fashion this exchange never matters lol

I'm gonna wrap this up somewhat ungracefully since it's late and i'm sleepy: goodnight („• ֊ •„)੭

still thinking about them. they're both wearing green sob

i love this scene so bad, kirino walks up to this nobleman with no fear, tells him like it is and when kinako sees it she jumps in to support him, letting him do the main talking and have his moment while she gets to taunt the guy (and use her upperclassman as a shield skshfhfkjs). her support of kirino during this arc was SO sweet. she liked jeanne too, she connected with her as well but she saw that as much as she wanted to miximax with her, it was not something she needed. but kirino did, so she selflessly decided to help him achieve that :( screaming crying throwing up

truly the duo of all time, if chrono stone bothered to give them more moments together

[hayconrisa]

ummmm post-canon grace x bam? can anybody hear me? i know it's a crackship but they actually have so much potential if you think about it.

[weirfq1]

with all these gaston crackships/rarepairs that are coming out lately it would be so fucking funny if he had a flig with all the main characters (ambar, nina, simon... hell luna too if you want) and they all know it except matteo

[averlym]

pleaaase may i have 28 and 29 aramour angst ✨ i crave it

28: “Move out of my way before I make you.” // 29: “You deserve better.” (prompt list here)

click for better quality!

[arolesbianism]

Finally fixating on some nugget relationships that aren't horrible for everyone I love friendship <3

[discoreptile]

As of yet unnamed game card art!

[kumakuma-circus]

i'm struggling to word my thoughts but i feel like p4 encompasses persona's themes of friendship best tbh. like. THERE ARE LITERALLY TWO P4 SONGS (snowflakes and never more) THAT ARE BASICALLY JUST ABOUT YU LOVING HIS FRIENDS AND NOT WANTING TO LEAVE INABA CUZ OF THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fingertipsmp3]

Ughhhhhhh I hate writing and I hate not writing and I hate myself

[pronouncingitwang]

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