#I just wanted to talk about it before the actual reveal. idk if I believe what I've written here myself either

[yuseirra]

This is just a running thought in my head, but the phone call in the first volume of this series really bugs me...there's something about it, I can't really put my finger on it..

I was just thinking about something. In the first volume, when Ai contacted Kamiki from the phone booth, Kamiki already knew about the existence of his children, right? It wasn't the first time he was hearing about them. The conversation went along the lines of, "Our kids are pretty big now, why don't you come see them?" This means that by the time the kids were around four years old, he was already aware of their existence, but hadn't met them yet.

And it seems he wasn't receiving Ai's address for the first time either. Ai mentioned, "Here's the 'new' address," implying that he knew the previous addresses and had been in contact with her. Judging by their conversation, it wasn't the first time they had communicated since they separated.

At the time of their separation, Ai said something like she wouldn't keep their children. But at some point, Kamiki must have found out about their existence. Either that, or it was Ai who's told him. Since Kamiki was near the hospital on the day of their children's birth, he must have known about the children at least from then. Ai might have told him, "I would like you to come," or he might have found out on his own. At the very least, from then on, he knew that their children were born, and she was raising them. Ai knew that Kamiki was aware of their existence on her end too. (Even in the main story, Ai contacted Kamiki in secret. If you look at that conversation, it's clear they hadn't completely cut ties.)

When did Kamiki and Ryosuke first meet? If their first encounter was near the hospital.. -I'm making a really tilted and quite a favorable assumption here- do you think kamiki would've known Ryosuke's true colors?; What if he really didn't know what kind of guy he was and was capable of doing and just thought of him as a fan of Ai's? I'm sorry, this doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? but just bear with me for awhile here. I don't really believe my line of thought here as well but I've just been trying to make sense of everything..

What if Kamiki called Ryosuke just to lament, drinking, after being heartbroken by Ai's refusal to get back together from her call? (There are bottles in a small cut showing them together.) Kamiki might have been saying something like, "I don't understand why we can't get back together, even though I'm being shown the children. I can really raise them well." If they exchanged contact information around the time the children were born, it means they've known each other for at least four years. If Kamiki was a person who could have harmed Ai out of resentment, there should have been a previous connection between these two guys, right? For they'd have met for that purpose.. However, at that time, Kamiki was just a middle schooler... How could someone in the age difference between a middle schooler and a university student pinpoint and meet like that? Did he find someone online who intended to harm the Ai and approach them?; Even if that's the case, it doesn't seem like the first time Ai's told Kamiki about the kids. If there were four years in between, there should have been a reason for not doing anything significant. Considering how easily Ai's shared the address without even the need to be inquired from him, it doesn't seem like Ai's intentionally hid it from Kamiki. If there was hatred from that time, the public phone conversation wouldn't be so casual. When Ai speaks, Kamiki is asking if they can get back together, and Ai refuses. This implies Kamiki still wanted to be together at that time. If Kamiki had been overly obsessed with her about this, Ai wouldn't have contacted him so comfortably, would she? Knowing the possible outcomes, why would Ai contact someone who's obsessively clingy and show them her beloved children?

The bouquet is the problem here, that bouquet appears everywhere in the scenes where kamiki's involved, he did send one to Akane too. But... Kamiki didn't really do anything to Akane directly, did he? Nothing bad's happened to her much except the time she almost fell off the stairs. Could it really just be that he sent it without any ill intentions? I mean, it was just before the dome concert...maybe he really did want to congratulate Ai about the dome; Maybe he sent the bouquet to Akane after seeing the broadcast that Akane and Aqua were dating, and because Akane's acting career was going well, he sent it with a feeling of "Take good care of my son." At least, there’s no evidence that Kamiki ever tried to harm his own children. On the contrary, he seems to be in a position of accepting it even if his children try to kill him (Mephisto's lyrics ARE SPOILERS, I'm telling you). If he was interested in his children, he would have watched Aqua's TV programs. Considering how well he understands Aqua, he must have been interested in various aspects.

Actually, the idea that he deliberately revealed Ai’s address to have Ryosuke kill her<—there are so many strange things about this if you examine it. It seems more like he carelessly let the address slip while drunk. If it’s true that he revealed the address, that is. When he was feeling down after being rejected, Ryosuke might have said he would go congratulate her on Kamiki's behalf, so Kamiki could have told him the address then (Yes, this speculation sounds stupid... I also think it’s unlikely...he can't be that dumb but). Even if they met for the first time at the hospital, they could have been friends for about four years and he might have been too drunk to judge the situation.

No matter what, he probably didn’t want to kill Ai. Considering the past, even if she broke up with him, Ai did a lot for Kamiki. She was not just an ex-lover, but also literally the light in his life. Even if she didn’t love him (which was his assumption, but that proved to be wrong too), he was aware that she accepted and cherished him, gave birth to and raised his children well. If he harmed her, what would happen to his children? He doesn’t seem that crazy at that point. And if he really wanted to harm her, there would be no reason to wait four years... If the reason he couldn’t find her was because he didn’t know the address, the fact that Ai just naturally reveals her address to him doesn't line up with it. If he felt betrayed and wanted to harm her, there would be no reason to wait so long and he would have continuously harassed and spied on her, but there was too long of a gap.

I think a lot will be revealed in the next chapter. Anyway, this part was confusing. I might be thinking excessively favorably because I don't understand the psychology of a crazy person, but Kamiki seems to really love Ai a lot? Even after so many years, he can't get over her and seems to be suffering from her death. He seems to know very well that Aqua would hate him about causing her death and thinks that he deserves it all. Does it make sense that he would think of scaring Ai by sending Ryosuke? It seems likely he leaked the address since Ryosuke did find her and he's like the only one that could have that information. But if kamiki really intended to scare her, it's unpredictable how sending this random other guy would turn out to end up like. Also, it's inconsistent for someone who claims to have a parent's heart towards his kids (I don't think this is a lie. There isn't a reason to lie about this) and loves Ai so much they'd talk about marriage with her to send someone else to scare her. It doesn’t add up. This seems more likely to have been an accident, but perhaps I'm like this because I want to take him positively. I just don't know.. but things don't really make sense for me regarding this incident.

Even if Ai's said they couldn't date again, she was allowing kamiki to see their children, it's not entirely a negative thing. I think kind of feeling this'd initiate'd be more about feeling heartbroken and sad (which is why he drank), rather than feeling angry and wanting to torment someone...yeah... That part was strange. It could use more elaboration. It should, too.

Anyway, if we assume that kamiki really didn’t intend any harm, he might be someone like Aqua in essence, being unable to forgive himself for providing a cause in the first place. He could be lying about the whole wanting to scare Ai and all thing thinking "It’s all my fault, I'm a bad person," because he doesn't want to live. This character doesn't really want to live in the first place. I think he rather wants himself to be hated.

Additionally, if I were the author, the upcoming chapters would likely be the fun parts that I’ve really wanted to write.

It would be the "Now I can tell!" parts. If what I think is correct, the entire idea we have had about Kamiki in the beginning could be totally flipped. That'd be so fun as the writer, seeing all the readers going "oh my gosh what the heck?? so this was how things were all along?" I'd do that, actually. Since he is the protagonist’s parent, he wouldn’t be a character that's written with hate.. The author has experience in writing romance, so I think he'd be capable of writings stuff like that, that'd be his forte. Depending on how the past is filled in, the explanation of his actions could be extremely varied.

Even as I write this, it seems unlikely. However, the circumstances presented in chapter 154 are not easy to accept based on Ai's previous actions and common sense.

[goldfades]

★ RIZZLER P ─── PB⁵ (part 2/2)

౨ৎ ─ summary | part one -> y/n is a youtuber and on the cancelled podcast, she reveals she has a crush on paige bueckers. y/n gets invited to her first game of the season and they have a lot of fun! part one!!!!!!!!!!!

─ warnings | literally nothing but banter and fun, slight paige slander (but its from kk and ice so its ok), idk what else. oh brooke and tana being protective but its in a sweet way. also i love this mini series i loved it

─ ev's notes | sooo im trying out a semi-new format, lmk if yall like it!!!!!!!

⇨ missing out on updates? check out my wcbb masterlist!

Paige 💕 (paigebueckers) started following you.

Paige 💕 wants to send you a message. Hey, I heard you were into D1 basketball players? 😉

The message stuck out to you, your stomach dropping as you read the message request. You couldn't help but grin as you read her playful message, the nervous energy in your stomach now morphing into a thrilling anticipation. With shaky hands, you tapped on the message request, your heart pounding in your chest.

You couldn't believe Tana's advice had actually worked ─ talking about them on a podcast was the best rizz, apparently.

With trembling hands, you typed out a response, trying to come across confident despite the fluttering of nerves in your stomach.

Y/N 🎀 hi, you saw the episode?

Y/N 🎀 god i'm so embarrassed, sorry if you keep getting bombarded with questions from my fans lol. they mean well i swear 😫

You exited out of Instagram and tapped on iMessage, quickly getting into your group-chat with the girls.

we ❤️ white claws

y/n | GUESS WHO DM'D ME

tana | PAIGE BUECKERS???????

brooke | it better be paige or ur just blue balling us atp

y/n | yes it was paigeeee! *sends screenshot*

brooke | omgggg she's flirting with you!!!!

tana | what did i say bro?? what did i say?????

y/n | tysm tana ur literally the fucking best

As you were typing out your message to the groupchat, your phone buzzed. You looked up at the message, a smile spreading on your lips.

Paige 💕 Haha, yeah, I saw the episode. Don't worry about it, it's all good :)

Paige 💕 And no need to apologize, ur fans are really funny lol

You closed your phone, shutting your eyes as you swallowed a squeal of excitement.

The thrill of talking to Paige was almost overwhelming, but in the best possible way. You'd thought she was attractive since you'd first gotten into basketball back in high school (yes, it was because of your ex but that's besides that point), and it was surreal now that she was not only talking to you ─ she was hitting on you.

──

It had been a few weeks since you'd began talking to Paige and since then, you'd exchanged phone numbers and were talking every single day. She was sending you good morning texts, she made sure to do an fit check every morning, and you found yourself eagerly awaiting each message from her. The thrill of talking to Paige hadn't faded; if anything, it had only intensified as you got to know her better.

However, you knew since the season was beginning she wasn't going to be as free as she was before. You didn't mind, of course ─ you were just happy you were able to talk to her at all. These last couple days had been busy for her and you hadn't been able to talk to her, but this morning you'd gotten something in the mail that you were sure you didn't order.

You ripped it open to reveal Paige's jersey, and it was even signed at the bottom. You couldn't believe it, your heart swelling with warmth at the unexpected gesture from her. Holding the jersey in your hands, you couldn't help but smile at the thoughtfulness behind her gift.

As if on cue, your phone began buzzing in your pocket and you pulled it out. You quickly accepted the Facetime, a grin on your face as you answered.

"Oh my god, you're insane."

"What? You got the jersey?" Paige feigned shock, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she grinned at you through the screen. "I have no idea how that got there."

You chuckled, shaking your head in disbelief. "Yeah, I got it. Thank you so much, Paige. It's... it's amazing."

Paige's smile softened, her eyes warm with affection. "You're welcome. I just wanted to show my appreciation for you, you know?"

You felt a swell of warmth in your chest. "Well, it definitely made my day. Thanks, P. I really mean it."

Paige smirked as she took you in through the Facetime. "So, I guess you'll have to wear it to my games now, right? You can't let this signed jersey go to waste."

"Is that an invitation, P?" You teased, raising an eyebrow playfully as you grinned at Paige through the screen. The idea of attending Paige's games in her signed jersey filled you with excitement, and you couldn't wait to cheer her on from the stands.

Paige chuckled, her smirk widening. "Yeah, you down? You know our first game's on Thursday night, I'll get you floor tickets and everything."

You didn't think she was serious but the more you thought about it, the more you realized she might actually be serious. The excitement bubbled up within you at the thought of attending Paige's game, especially with floor tickets.

"Are you serious?" you asked, a hint of disbelief in your voice.

"Well, uh. I know it's a long flight but I wanna see you. I'll fly you out, I'll show you around and we can spend some time together, and stuff." Paige's usual confident demeanor was replaced with a touch of nervousness, her eyes searching yours for a reaction.

"Paige, are you sure?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. The idea of spending time together in person was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, and you couldn't believe that Paige was offering to fly you out just to see her.

Paige nodded, a shy smile tugging at her lips. "Of course, I would. I mean, if you want to."

"Yeah, of course I would. You're sure?" You spoke softly but earnestly. Flights were expensive, especially when they were as last minute as this.

Paige let out a dramatic sigh as she nodded. "Yes, bro. Yes or no?"

"Yeah, of course. Gosh, so impatient." You teased as Paige laughed through the Facetime.

Paige chuckled, her laughter filling the screen as she rolled her eyes playfully. "Okay, good. Now show me how my jersey looks on you, put it on for me."

You blushed slightly as you nodded, taking the jersey as you walked up the stairs of your house. You couldn't believe it ─ you were flying out to meet Paige in less than a week. You were going to meet Paige Bueckers in less than a week.

──

"Y/N L/N is flying out to see your ass?" KK's voice sounded shocked as sat up on the bed, her eyes wide and her jaw slightly dropped in disbelief.

Paige kept her eyes on her phone as she nodded slowly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. She tried to keep the whole nonchalant thing going up but her friends could see right through it.

Paige couldn't help but smirk at KK's shocked reaction, though she attempted to maintain an air of nonchalance. "Yeah, she is," she replied casually, her fingers tapping away on her phone.

"She's coming to watch us play, like on Thursday?" KK repeated slowly as she tried to process the information, her eyes still wide with astonishment. "Seriously?"

Paige shrugged, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, seriously. Why is it so hard to believe?"

Ice, who had been lounging next to KK, chimed in with a smile. "Sounds like you're getting serious, P. Bringing her to a game? That's basically a relationship milestone."

Paige rolled her eyes playfully at Ice's comment. "It's not like that, Ice. We're just friends."

"Does she know that? You're such a fuckboy, Paige." Ice rolled her eyes as she exchanged a look with KK.

Paige couldn't help but laugh at Ice's teasing, though she couldn't deny the warmth spreading through her chest at the thought of you. "Trust me, Ice, she knows. And I'm not a fuckboy, I'm just... being a good friend."

KK chuckled, nudging Ice playfully. "Come on, Ice, let's not scare Paige away from the relationship talk."

"Bro, fuck off," Paige groaned as she sighed, leaning back in the gaming chair.

Paige knew she liked you but at this point, she'd only been texting you for a month and before she could be official with you, she'd have to spend time with you in real life. Plus, you lived in California and long distance was not the ideal for her.

"Are we getting those live show tickets or..." KK began as Paige sent her a glare. She put up her hands in defense as Ice let out a small laugh, shaking her head in amusement.

"Don't worry, we can ask her Thursday," Ice teased as she leaned back in the bed, her grin widening.

"Bro, you better leave her alone-"

"Ooo, she's getting possessive already. You have to remember it's Y/N, bro, she's definitely going to have some fans too." KK laughed, joining in on the teasing with a playful smirk.

Paige rolled her eyes at her friends' banter, though she couldn't help but feel a hint of amusement at their antics. "Guys, come on. Let's not make a big deal out of it."

KK chuckled, nudging Ice with her elbow. "Oh, come on, Paige, we'll behave."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Paige retorted as the girls laughed.

──

Y/N 🎀 posted on her story !

You were incredibly nervous and the noise of the crowded stadium didn't do much to calm your already frayed nerves. It was your first time meeting Paige in person, and the anticipation had been building up inside you since the moment you boarded the plane to Connecticut.

The plan was to originally go to a pre-game dinner but it didn't really work out because of the traffic and the hectic schedule leading up to the game. Instead, Paige suggested meeting directly at the stadium, where she would give you a tour and introduce you to some of her teammates before the game started.

As you made your way through the crowds, your heart pounded with nervous excitement. Thoughts raced through your mind, wondering if Paige would like you in person as much as she seemed to over text, if you would have enough to talk about, and if you'd be able to keep your nerves in check. You were a nervous wreck, your stomach twisting in anxiety.

You couldn't help but feel a knot forming in your stomach as you scanned the crowd, searching for Paige among the sea of faces. Suddenly, you spotted her standing near the entrance to the court, her eyes scanning the crowd with a look of concentration. Your breath caught in your throat as you made eye contact, and a wave of relief washed over you.

God, she was even more attractive in real life. Her hair was in her signature braided ponytail and had worn some light make-up, her lashes long and her cheeks pink with blush.

Paige's face lit up with a bright smile as she caught sight of you, and she began weaving her way through the crowd towards you. Your nerves melted away as she drew closer, and before you knew it, her arms wrapped around you in a light embrace.

She was even taller than you expected ─ she practically towered over you, but her embrace felt warm and comforting. As she pulled back, you couldn't help but admire the way her eyes sparkled with excitement as she scanned your outfit.

"You're wearing the jersey!" She exclaimed as her eyes took you in, she had no shame in the fact she was checking you out. You didn't miss the way she bit her lip and how her eyes lingered, your face flushing with warmth at her gaze.

"Yeah, I wanted to show my support," you replied, trying to keep your voice steady despite the fluttering of nerves in your stomach. "Plus, it's pretty comfy."

Paige grinned, her smile widening at your response. "Well, you look amazing in it. Maybe even better than I do," she teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

You couldn't help but laugh at her teasing, your blush deepening as you looked up at the taller girl. "You're such a flirt,"

Paige bit her lip as her head fell back as she laughed, her laughter filling the air around you and sending a shiver of excitement down your spine. "Nah, I wasn't even trying that time."

Before you could reply, you felt a tap on your shoulder. You turned around to meet the gazes of two girls and a boy, their expressions nervous and excited. "Oh my god, we are such big fans!"

You smiled instantly as you turned your attention toward them. "Aw, thank you, guys. That means the world, would you like a picture?"

The trio's faces lit up with excitement as they nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!" one of the girls exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

"Can she take the picture?" One of the girls asked as she gestured toward Paige. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, her hands in her pockets as she exchanged a glance toward you.

"Uh, sure."

You and the fans gathered closer, posing for the picture as Paige stepped back to frame the shot. With a quick press of the button, the photo was taken, capturing the moment. As the fans thanked you both and walked away, chatting animatedly amongst themselves. You glanced toward the blonde as she began laughing, shaking her head.

"What?" You asked as she drew closer to you.

Paige shrugged. "I just kinda forgot you're like famous, or whatever. It kinda gives me like... an ego boost, not gonna lie."

You couldn't help but laugh at Paige's comment, her candidness adding to the lightheartedness of the moment. "Why?"

"You're like this really pretty girl who's super funny and has like, a whole fanbase. And you flew out to see me, you told everyone on your friend's podcast that you had a crush on me and now you're here, just casually hanging out with me, wearing my jersey like it's no big deal," Paige explained, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.

You laughed at her explanation, feeling a warmth spread through you at her words. "Well, to be fair, you're also this incredible basketball player who's basically taking the WNBA world by storm. And you invited me to your game, so I'd say we're pretty even."

"You're boosting my ego even more though, I hope you know that," Paige replied with a playful grin, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

You chuckled, feeling a sense of ease settle between you. "Just returning the favor," you teased, nudging her playfully.

"Okay, I'ma let me show you around now," Paige grinned as she gestured for you to keep walking. Her hands found your waist and began guiding you through the halls, her touch unexpected but undoubtedly welcome.

You couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement at the contact, her touch sending a jolt of electricity through you. With Paige's arm around your waist, guiding you through the busy stadium corridors, you felt a sense of intimacy that was both thrilling and comforting.

──

As you sat in the stands, surrounded by cheering fans and the energy of the game, your heart raced with excitement. You stole glances at Paige on the court, marveling at her skill and grace as she played. Despite your nerves, you couldn't help but feel a sense of pride knowing that you were there to support her.

She was so attractive (even while running around and sweating), she reminded you how much you loved hoopers. The way she moved, the intensity in her eyes as she focused on the game, it all captivated you. Even in the midst of competition, she exuded a confidence and poise that was undeniably attractive.

Your eyes stayed on her the entire game, not paying much attention to anything else. You were so enamored with Paige that you hardly noticed the passage of time. Every movement she made seemed effortless, every shot she took seemed destined to find the net.

As the game reached its end, with the score neck and neck, Paige seemed to rise to the occasion, her determination shining through in every play. And when she sank the winning shot in the final seconds of the game, the crowd erupted into cheers, the sound reverberating throughout the stadium.

You couldn't help but leap to your feet, cheering along with the rest of the fans as you watched Paige celebrate with her teammates on the court.

As the crowd began to disperse and the energy of the game slowly subsided, you made your way down to the court, eager to congratulate Paige. As you approached her, a wide grin spread across her face, and she pulled you into a tight hug, the euphoria of the win still palpable in the air.

Paige didn't care if people took pictures or if people decided to gossip about it later; all she cared about was you being there in that moment.

"You looked really good out there," the words came out of your mouth before you could really process them. Paige pulled out from the hug with a laugh, her arms still around your shoulders.

"And you looked really sexy in the stands, wearing my jersey." Paige smirked playfully, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she teased you.

"I felt like a NBA trophy wife, I was clapping all cutesy cause I knew people were taking pictures of me," you quipped, feeling a rush of excitement at Paige's playful banter. Her laughter was infectious, and you found yourself grinning in response.

Paige chuckled, giving you a playful nudge with her shoulder. "Well, you definitely looked the part," she teased, her tone affectionate as she leaned in closer to you.

You laughed along with her, feeling a sense of warmth and comfort in her presence. "Guess I'll have to start practicing my trophy wife wave for next time," you replied with a playful wink.

"Ooo, next time? Does that mean you'll visit me again?" Paige teased, raising an eyebrow playfully as she looked at you.

You couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for her at her words. "Of course," you replied, your voice filled with sincerity. "But only if you make me a WNBA wife, P."

She squinted as if she was thinking about it, earning a playful shove from you. "I'm just playing, you're the only girl."

"I'd hope so," you scoffed as you playfully rolled your eyes, unable to hide the smile tugging at your lips.

Paige grinned, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Well, lucky for you, you're my favorite girl," she replied, her tone soft and affectionate.

"So there are other girls?" You teased as she groaned playfully, earning a laugh from you. "I'm just your favorite-"

"That's not what I meant, you're the only one who's wearing my signed jersey, that I sent directly to your house and you're the only one who gets good morning texts and fit checks." Paige countered, her playful smirk widening into a genuine smile.

You couldn't help but laugh at her response, feeling a sense of warmth and happiness fill your chest. "Yeah, I guess you're right," you replied, your tone light and teasing.

Before Paige could reply, she saw Ice and KK approaching from behind you. She sighed as you turned around, meeting their excited gaze.

Paige sighed playfully as she turned to greet Ice and KK, who were clearly eager to join in on the conversation. "Hey, what's up, you two?" she greeted them with a smile, her eyes flickering with amusement.

Ice and KK exchanged a knowing look before KK grinned mischievously. "So, are we interrupting something here?" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Paige rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips. "Y/N, this is KK and Ice. Don't worry about them though, they're just stupid freshman who think they're the shit-"

"Bro, says you!" KK shouted as you laughed, exchanging a smile with Ice.

"I know who you guys are, P talks about you a lot," you said, offering a friendly smile to KK and Ice. "Nice to finally meet you both."

KK's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh, really? What does she say about us?" she asked eagerly, leaning in closer with a playful grin.

Paige let out a groan, shooting you an amused glance before replying, "Only good things, I promise."

"Yeah, she loves you guys." You smiled as you glanced between Paige, KK, and Ice. "Always talking about your antics and how you keep things interesting."

"She talks about you too, like nonstop." KK began before she earned a shove from a very flustered Paige.

Ice continued, "We thought she was lying until we watched your episode with Tana and Brooke, then we were confused cause you like Paige?"

"Why are you saying it like that? Paige?" Paige mocked Ice, earning a laugh from you and KK.

"Cause Y/N's like a whole baddie, like a 20/20 and you're just like... mid at basketball," Ice explained as Paige sent her a playful glare. "People are gonna be really confused until they see how much you make, then they'll be like ohh,"

"Shut up, bro," Paige replied, but there was a fondness in her tone as she exchanged playful banter with Ice. "It's not about basketball skills, it's about the person."

"Sure, sure," KK chimed in with a grin. "We all know you're a catch, Paige. But hey, if Y/N's into it, who are we to judge?"

You laughed at the girls banter, exchanging a smile with Paige as Ice and KK did the same. "Y/N, we have a question."

"Oh no, bro," Paige groaned as KK nudged her slightly, telling her to be quiet as you nodded, laughing softly.

"Can you get us tickets to Tana and Brooke's shows? Please, we really really wanna go," KK asked, her excitement palpable.

You couldn't help but chuckle at KK's eagerness. "Sure! I'll reach out to them get you guys some," you replied with a smile, already mentally making a note to message Tana and Brooke about it later.

Paige rolled her eyes playfully. "Great, now you're getting my girl to do favors for you," she joked, earning a laugh from both you and KK.

"Your girl?" Ice responded as she raised her brow. "Okay, I see you P, already locking it down."

Paige's cheeks flushed slightly as she playfully nudged Ice. "Shut up, Ice. You know what I mean."

KK leaned in with a mischievous grin. "Oh, we know what you mean, Paige. You're just too scared to admit it."

"Okay, well. Thank you so much, Y/N, you're even more stunning in person. I'll leave you guys to it, now," Ice smirked as she grabbed KK and began walking off the court, toward the team.

Paige let out a sigh before she turned over to meet your eyes, a softness to softness to her expression that made your heart flutter. "Sorry about them, they're like that all the time," she said with a chuckle.

You shook your head with a smile, feeling a sense of contentment settle over you. "No, no, they seem really sweet. They remind me of Tana and Brooke though," you laughed as Paige nodded.

"Uh, sure!" Paige teased as you shook your head in amusement. "I need to go take a shower but um, maybe you can come over?"

Your smile widened at the request as you nodded. "Yeah, sounds like fun."

Again, her hand found the small of your back as she led you toward the team. She was soon reminded of a team celebration they were planning on doing later and the girls insisted on bringing you, she realized that you had become their favorite, too.

But she couldn't blame them, you were perfect.

──

tana mongeau (tanamongeau) started following you. Brooke (brookeschofield) started following you.

tana mongeau wants to send you a message. hurt her and you die, got it blondie ?? not joking btw

Brooke wants to send you a message. Heard you & Y/N had a fun time this weekend! You seem like such a sweet girl, would love to have you on the pod sometime. Promise we'll keep it PG 🤗

Brooke Oh and go huskies!!!! 😁

Paige glanced at her phone with a slight groan, shaking her head. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me,"

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[synergysilhouette]

"Batman: Caped Crusader" review

Binge-watched this show, and I wanted to be one of many people to share my thoughts on this--plus I was spurred on by getting a wish of mine granted from the show. Make sure to check out the show if you can!

The animation is beautiful--I know this is a weird comparison, but soemthing about the animation reminds me of 2010s Scooby Doo animated films, and I kind of adore that.

The voice acting was...fine--I can't tell if it was poor performances or poor direction; Hamish's Bruce Wayne sounds too raspy/rugged some of the time, like he's still playing Batman, and many of the other actors felt like they were just reading lines rather than performing lines, not enough emotion. IDK if they're more used to live-action work, but voice-acting is a different ballgame, since your voice is all you have to convey the character. A lot of performances fell flat for me, but it wasn't 100% unbearable, just underwhelming. I have some people I'd recommend instead (both familiar to the role and otherwise), but I don't wanna start anything.

LOVED Harley (but not her costume)--Jamie Chung had one of the better performances in the group, and I really LOVED the angle they did for Harley; I feel like the media often flanderizes her as the goofy crazy chick, so seeing her actually utilize her psychology skills (like I've been asking for!) is so satisfying. That said, the outfit has GOT TO GO. Gold and black is gorgeous, but it ples in comparison to her black and red look. And a weird nit-pick; when I first saw the stills, I was under the impression she was wearing a carnival-esque mask rather than face paint, and I find that idea a lot creepier. I wish we'd gotten more of Harley's antics--and even seeing her get close to Bruce in the way she did with Barbara and Renee--before revealing her as a big bad to the public. And I appreciate that she isn't 100% evil; she is doing what she believes is a noble cause, just doing it in an illegal and unethical way. I needed a backstory!

Not enough Batman--Maybe it's just me, but it definitely felt like there were some episodes where Bruce and Batman were supporting characters and more focus was on the GCPD. While I don't mind it too much, I enjoy superhero shows for the superheroes, not the heroes; this is why I had a love/hate relationship with "Gotham."

Batman (and Bruce) isn't quite likeable enough--In earlier incarnations, Batman was more kind and caring before becoming more emotionally closed off with time, but here he's that way from the get-go. Not to mention that Bruce Wayne puts on a facade around everyone, even people he trusts (he probably did that anyway; I can't remember), and his session with Harleen really frustrated me because I don't expect his walls to come down immediately, I don't expect them to be this high this early. I wanted him to be a bit warmer and transparent, rather than curt and cold like he's usually seen in the show. I feel like this is an issue often seen in comics, too; people prioritize Batman's "coolness" and thus push his feelings to the wayside.

Using underrated and familiar villains--I'm sure the real experts are gonna chew me out for this one, but as someone who got into comics in the 2010s and didn't catch up on the acclaimed 90s series, it was fun to see villains I loved and villains I didn't know; one of the best things a popular property can do is use underrated characters, since it helps the show feel original and fresh (thus why "Teen Titans" is so enjoyable; the whole franchise is underrated).

Too modern for the 1940s--I can't put my fingers on it exactly, but the vibes feel too modern; I assume the 1940s was for aesthetics, but since everything else feels updated (from the way people talk to Harley and Renee seemingly being open about their feelings for each other), I don't think it was a wise choice to have it both ways. I see no reason not to have it in modern-day, but I suppose you'd have to get more creative with technology.

Barbara and the Robins--First off, I should've gambled with someone that Jason would be a redhead; I'd have made SO MUCH money. Secondly, I'm not crazy about how all four kids are orphans; If I recall correctly, both Carrie and Stephanie's parents were alive when they joined the Batfamily. In any case, I'm confused on why Barbara is significantly older than them when they're all supposed to be within the same age bracket (I think; someone has told me otherwise since posting this, so I could be wrong). Not to mention, a part of me worries that because of the quartet's young ages and Barbara getting so much screentime as a lawyer, we won't get any of them as Robins or Batgirls unless something drastic happens, and/or we get a time jump.

Overall, I think my biggest gripes are the voice acting and how Batman/Bruce Wayne is written. That said, I enjoyed the show overall. IDK why HBO Max dropped it. Hopefully season 2 will introduce Poison Ivy, Catman, Tim Drake, Ghostmaker, and Gardener, since the finale already showed us a certain someone who IS coming to Gotham.

[matan4il]

Update post:

Today is the 180th day of the war. Almost 6 months since the Hamas massacre started this war. And still, when I came across a video clip of TV announcers broadcasting on Oct 7, 2023 and I heard the words, "hundreds of Israelis have been killed" (even as I know that the number was actually greater than that, something that took time to confirm back in October), it still felt like it just happened, like it's still hard to believe it's real, and not a nightmare that we might wake up from any moment now.

A combined terrorist attack (vehicular and then stabbing) took place over night. A 26 years old Arab man drove his car into 4 policemen, injuring them, one initially was in a serious condition. The terrorist then drove on, stopped by another group of police personnel, where he got out of the car and tried stabbing them. He was neutralized.

Obviously, everyone in Israel has heard about the aid workers killed in Gaza. IDK yet how it happened, what the details are, we're all waiting to hear, just like other fair-minded people are (I'm not talking about the anti-Israel crowd, who have made up their minds before the incident even happened, they come pre-programmed with the belief that everything wrong is both Israel's fault and intentional). For now, it looks like a huge, tragic mistake, based on misidentification in the middle of the night (such mistakes sadly happen. The accidental death of 3 Israeli hostages in broad daylight was an example that it does, and other "friendly fire" incidents that have happened to Israeli soldiers are another. That's war, there's tragically no army with zero mistakes on its record). I am SO sorry for the innocent people killed, and their loved ones. I feel for them, for their pain and loss.

That said, how do I know it wasn't intentional? For one thing, because World Central Kitchen is actually one of the few humanitarian aid organizations that tried to help both Palestinians and Israelis. Which is one reason Israel very much wanted WCK to be a major factor in aiding people in Gaza in the long run, not just during the war, and the last thing it would want, is for these workers to be hurt, and for this organization to stop working there. The other thing is that we know an incident like this might provide enough international pressure to force Israel to stop the war, while our hostages are still held in the hands of brutal rapist terrorists, and while Hamas still exists, and threatens more massacres like the one we saw on Oct 7. What logical country would sacrifice the safety of its 9.8 million citizens (and the 8.4 million non-citizens it sees itself as responsible for, too) just in order to kill 7 random people, who were perceived as helping it, and who aren't even a part of the group that supposedly this country is targeting? It's not a logical call to make. Anyone who thinks Israel did this intentionally, is treating the Jewish state as if it's a comic book evil villain. I wonder why. When a humanitarian aid airdrop accidentally killed at least 5 Palestinians, and at least 18 were killed during another, I don't remember that anyone was quick to say it was intentional without so much as an investigation, or that those responsible for it must be stopped, rather than that they must study what went wrong, and continue while taking precautions that it won't happen again.

In Belgium, a home for Holocaust survivors has been vandalized with supposedly pro-Palestinian graffiti, reading "Gaza free" and followed by a swastika. This is pure antisemitism, very thinly veiled.

Here's a reminder that if Hamas is allowed to continue existing, and ruling Gaza as a dictatorship, that's not just a threat to the lives of Israeli and Jews, it's also horrible news for Palestinians. IDF soldiers found in Gaza documents that reveal how Hamas had tortured and brutally executed one of its own commanders back in 2016, based on the accusation that he's gay. Anyone who claims to be pro-Palestinian, but is silent about the human rights abuses that Palestinian suffer at the hands of their own leadership, is not that at all, they're just exploiting the Palestinians to demonize Jews.

This is 22 years old Dor Almog (right) and his best friend, Amit.

Amit invited him to the Nova music festival, but he had to miss most of it due to an exam he had. Dor planned to study, and then join his friend at the end of the party, but he fell asleep, and was woken up by the sirens alerting everyone about the thousands of Hamas rockets fired at Israel at 6:30 in the morning. "That was the last time I saw Amit," Dor said about the moment his best friend left for the party. "We've been friends since the age of zero." Amit went to the party and was murdered by Hamas terrorists. Dor and the rest of Amit's friends decided to get his tattoo on their body, and that at some point they would travel to India, which was his dream that he didn't get to fulfil. Dor fought to be called for reserves duty in Gaza. He's the only soldier who survived the deadliest incident there, in which 21 Israeli young men were killed, the last operation his unit was supposed to be a part of, before being discharged. When the explosion took place, he was in a building that collapsed, he fell two floors, and the building crashed over him. "I smiled, because I thought I was about to die, and be with Amit again. But then I literally saw a light at the end of a tunnel, and started crawling there." He was kept in a coma for 5 days, to help his body cope, and only 2 days after he woke up, was he told the news about what happened to his friends in the unit. "That was the real blow." When asked about being a hero, he said, "I'll be that when I get back on my feet."

May Amit's memory be a blessing.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[sammylvsfairys]

too sweet.

maybe you really are too sweet for him.

pairing: aaron hotch x fem!reader, boss!aaron x secretary!reader.

genre: fluff, co-workers to ???

warnings: inspired by too sweet — hozier, english is not my first language !!

a/n: should i do a part two?? idk....

requests are currently open!

y/n was everything aaron wished to have. her voice was sweet, with an almost instinctive affection, treating everyone with a tenderness like she was their new nanny.

y/n always had a smile when talking to someone; sometimes aaron thought how lucky y/n was not to see the horrors he saw.

aaron, in one way or another, always ended up with the same thought: he did this job so she could go to sleep without knowing what was outside her window at night.

five knocks on the door that sounded like a melody; aaron instantly knew who was behind it. even before giving permission, y/n had already entered.

"brought your coffee," the smile on her face was so angelic that it somehow turned aaron's stomach.

on the tray was a coffee cup along with eight sugar packets, the same amount of sugar y/n put in her own coffee.

aaron had almost unintentionally memorized how she took her coffee. eight sugar packets plus cream, so her mouth wouldn't taste the bitterness of the caffeine.

a smirk formed on his face as he watched y/n leave the tray on his table. it disappeared as aaron realized its presence.

aaron took one sugar packet and placed it in his drink; it was a shame the other seven would end up in the trash.

"lot of paperwork?" she asked, trying her best to engage in small talk.

"uh... yeah, something like that," aaron said, automatically punishing himself for his response. he couldn't believe how easily he forgot how to talk when he was around her.

y/n chuckled foolishly.

"i could help, you know? it's kind of my job," she said. "plus, then you could get home to jack earlier."

aaron couldn't help but blush; the fact that the first thought that crossed his mind was «y/n thinks about me» truly revealed his priorities.

aaron coughed, disguising his embarrassment. "i don't see it necessary."

y/n laughed. "you never see anything as necessary."

«not with you» he thought, «not when it's you. i never see anything else as necessary with you by my side.»

"you don't need to see... these kinds of things," aaron tried to say.

y/n just scoffed, "come on, i work at the fbi; i've seen worse things even if i didn't want to."

y/n carelessly took the folder from aaron's hands, not caring much about how the men in front of her was her boss.

aaron knew deep down y/n knew she was different; she wasn't dumb. she could see the change in attitude with others versus with her. and somehow, that was what scared him the most; that someone could see him, that y/n of all people could see him.

"the unsub used a bottle of whiskey to kill a woman?" y/n said disgusted.

"i told you it wasn't pretty."

y/n shook her head. "that's not what surprises me; what surprises me is why whiskey? that's the worst drink ever created."

aaron tried to suppress his laughter.

"weird way to view a brutal murder."

"what? don't you agree with me?" y/n asked disappointed. "whiskey is the worst drink."

"it's actually my favorite drink."

"you're sick," y/n said with enough disappointment in her voice. "first black coffee and now whiskey?"

aaron tried not to laugh.

"what's your favorite drink?" he asked.

"tea? i don't know," she said unsurely.

"i meant alcoholic."

"i don't drink alcohol."

aaron tried to feign surprise, but there was none in his system; it was expected of y/n.

"and you shouldn't either, honestly, alcohol makes you dumb," she said matter-of-factly.

aaron allowed himself to smile. "i prefer my whiskey and black coffee."

y/n smiled. "didn't expect you to change, honestly, maybe i'm too sweet."

"or maybe you're not too sweet, but you're just sweet enough for me."

y/n scoffed with a blush on her cheeks.

"maybe..."

[sokkigarden]

Hi babe. I have a special request cause I'm SAD! Can I get a jamie x reader where Jamie is always there to hear about readers failed dates but he's actually hopelessly in love with her? Then romantic reveal? Lots of kissing? Idk do what you want with it

tysm for sending this in! i didn't forget about this ask i swear! this drabble was sitting in my brain for days and i finally wrote it all out in a haze of productivity LOL. i hope you like this and i hope you aren't sad anymore eeee <333

i've loved you for so long

jamie tartt x female reader | 1.2k words | friends to lovers

“ugh i can’t believe i went out with him again! especially after the whole handshake thing.”

jamie looked over at you as you snuggled into his couch cushions, recounting yet another disastrous date you had just come from. he wanted to be a good friend and listen, but he was finding it hard to pay attention. his mind was aflutter with his own messy thoughts.

should he tell you the truth?

he loved being your friend and being there for you, especially on nights like these. he loved how your cheeks got flush as you talked too fast, giving every detail of the story. he loved how you clutched his throw pillow, still dressed up from your date but heels discarded by the front door. he loved how you spread your legs across his couch, like you owned the place. in a way you did. in a way, you owned his heart, his whole being; home and prized possessions be damned. 

he loved that he was the first person you wanted to talk to after a failed night out. among your many months of friendship, you had been a comfort to him in so many ways. he felt lucky to believe you thought the same of him. 

to put it simply, he loved you. everything about you. 

and he was a coward to not say anything. sitting in angsty silence as you talked about being wine-and-dined by other men every other week. he knew what you wanted, and he wanted that same thing, with you, so why couldn’t he just let himself admit it?

he hummed as you continued, nodding along to your story when appropriate. your feet were in his lap, and he ran his fingers gently along your calf, watching in the lowlight as you shivered at his touch.

“i should’ve known when he dropped me off with a handshake that it wouldn’t work out. a handshake! who does that!” you exclaimed. “like if you don’t want to kiss me, there are other options available.”

you huffed, awaiting his response, but suddenly the image of kissing you himself was all jamie could think of. up against the door to your flat. in the boot room. out on the pitch after a win. while cooking dinner together. in the morning between his sheets.

“that’s crazy,” he said absentmindedly. clearly not the response you were expecting from him.

“hm?”

“the fact he didn’t kiss you,” he added, speaking without fully thinking about what he was saying. “i would’ve.”

you rolled your eyes, shaking your head at his words. “thanks, jamie.” 

you clearly thought it was all a joke. as you let out a soft chuckle, you caught him staring at you intensely. jamie always gave you his full attention, but in that moment he couldn’t help himself. he knew he wore his emotions on his face but he refused to look away. 

he held your stare for a moment, before glancing from your eyes to your nose. his gaze lingered on your lips for a beat too long before he focused back on your eyes.

you broke eye contact first, looking away shakily. you pulled your feet off his lap and warning bells rang through his head. he’s messed this up. you were retreating from him, and he will never get to fully tell you how he feels. hell, you probably won’t even be his friend after this. 

he bit the inside of his cheek, trying to stave off the negative thoughts coursing through his head. he was brought back into the moment as he felt you shift closer, having set down the pillow you’d been holding. 

he didn’t dare to make a move, sitting frozen as he watched you come closer. he held his breath as you ran a hand gently through his hair and pressed an experimental kiss to the side of his mouth.

as soon as your lips touched, it was like jamie finally woke up. he took the opportunity in stride, kissing you like he’s wanted to for ages.

you were warm against him, and soft. so soft. he wound his arms around your torso, pulling you closer. he kissed you like it was his only chance to prove his love to you. your hands tangled in his hair, scratching your nails across his scalp. he felt alive for the first time. he didn’t want this moment to end. 

he pressed open mouthed kisses across your jaw and neck. he found a spot just beneath your ear that made you hum, low in your throat.

“you’re either an extremely good kisser or you’ve wanted to do this for a while,” you said, your voice a bit breathless. 

jamie’s conquest of your neck paused and he pulled back slightly. you wondered if you had ruined the moment. 

he looked deeply into your eyes as he affirmed, “both,” before seizing your lips again. you melted against him, and he wondered what he was so scared of. why he hadn’t done this sooner. 

“i’ve wanted you for so long,” he mumbled against your lips. 

now it was your turn to pause, as you broke apart. you blinked several times as if trying to clear your head. 

“jamie,” you started, and he felt his heart drop. here it comes. rejection. “you know i’m not just looking to hook up right? i keep going on these dates because i want to find something more.”

his eyebrows knitted together as he processed your words. did you really think all he wanted was to sleep with you? 

“do you really not know?” 

you shook your head in confusion. “know what?”

“how much i love you.”

jamie saw your eyes go wide and your mouth opened but no words came out. so there it was. he’d finally said it. there was no going back. he didn’t want to think about just how screwed up he was if you didn’t feel the same.

you slid your hands over his shoulders, clearly trying to process his words. finally you spoke.

“i didn’t know you felt this way.” 

jamie pulled away, creating distance between the two of you. he didn’t want your pity. he didn’t want you to let him down softly. he just wanted to finally be honest with himself, and with you. he hoped he was strong enough to face the consequences.

“it’s okay if you don’t,” he replied. “i just… it had to come out eventually i guess.”

you grasped his hand, running your fingers across his knuckles. you stared at the plains of his palm as you spoke.

“i was only going on so many dates to distract myself. to get past my feelings for you.” you finally glanced up at him. “i didn’t think i had a chance.”

jamie shook his head in disbelief. “how could you not? you’re everything to me.”

he squeezed your hands, holding eye contact, hoping his feelings crossed his face like every other emotion seemed to. in return, your eyes glistened in the lowlight. 

“we’ve always just been good friends,” you said, “and i’m not like the girls you normally date.”

suddenly jamie swept his arms around you, embracing you in a hug, burying his face in your hair. you hugged him back just as much.

“you’re so much more than that.” he murmured. 

you brought your lips to his once more, pouring every emotion into your kiss.

and in that moment, everything finally clicked into place.

song inspo: i've loved you for so long by the aces !!

friendly reminder that my inbox is always open for requests, but i might not write out drabbles for everything. i'm also open if you just want to chat about jamie, or ted lasso in general! <3

[ganondoodle]

not sure if i have talked about this before but i also really hate how gorons are treated in totk

they are one of my fav and i know they are unpopular and were always kinda slot into the "big fat stupid rock people" role, but i do think totk is one of or the worst case yet; all regions get some life threatening event (ignoring how stupid it is to put the issues you need to solve in the exact same spots as in botw with most changes being also reversible so the actual changes to the environment of the map are largely some small rocks sprinkled about) and they get .. drugs (haha)

like i dont wanna downplay anything but their problem being that they are obsessed with eating (>_>) some drugged rock that makes them mean and lazy (even if the reason is fine ... if i remember right and didnt make up that they had to dig elsewhere for food bc of death mountain losing its lava flow, the execution is my problem -like the vast majority of this game is a ok to great idea with passable to horrible execution of it) and arent even a danger to you (which i thought at first when you approach goronia the normal path and two gorons start to walk towards you if you come near saying creepy shit- i thought they are gonna attack me or lure me into a trap but again .. only to find them wanting me to pay to be let through (i think??) and all other drugged ones are largely just ... eating or lying around ........

like it would have been cool if that drugged rock stuff made them actually agressive, like the friendly easy going rock people being turned into something akin to a starved animal after eating poison bc they were at risk of starving sounds alot more .. impactful and scary (even if it would still be about food, which idk about you but the only kind of fatter npcs, even if non human, being made all about food is .. hm, aside from other possibly bad implications from this, but im trying to roll with the idea of it)

and then poor yuno being put in a stupid (stereotypical?) wrestler outfit and hes LITERALLY being mindcontrolled is so ...... ugh (again, idea is ok but- you get it) and then him being told by two CHILDREN that that obviously not zelda might not be zelda and it not only being the only time that idea is openly said until its "revealed" that hhhwhat?? it was a fake one?? in the mid battle of the "story" and he doesnt even believe it (both bc haha hes stupid and cant understand such a thing and also link not being able to tell anyone ... even his friends ....... ) is just so disrespectful, its ok not to be the smartest guy in the room (tho in totk pretty much anyone is made so much dumber for no reason...) but it being so clearly the gorons that get treated like this just annoys me so much, you know no one of the other races would be treated like that

(not to reach a little but it also plays into how koga is portrayed, like i love him to death and there are things that largely the gameplay only implies of him not being that incompetent, but hes clearly meant to be laughing material, the boss of the band of 'evil' assassins being lazy, incompetent and 'childish' is funny right?? and although i hc that the either super thin or super beefed up appearance of yiga members are just an appearance like their disguises of normal people to seem more unified and less indentifyable- that is still only a hc and then koga being the only character that is visibly fatter (aside from ... the gorons and .. king dorephan??) it puts a pebble more onto the pile of pebbles of little annoyances)

also yuno saying, post mid "story" battle, that no one actually knows anything about ganondorf aside from him being evil and it going complete ingored and never mentioned again feels like the type of thing a games does when they are critized for soemthing and instead of changing it they put a line in the game essentially saying "yeah we know but we are not gonna do aynthing about it lol" (like thinking of the line ashe from league of legends, whos design has been critized alot bc shes running around in a stupid tiny dress in the snow lands of their world, got when her dialog was updated that made her say sth like "yes im wearing a little dress in the forever winter land, deal with it lol" which perhaps was supposed to be a joke but it just feels like a "lol we know, fuck you")

[quitealotofsodapop]

I had an idea, but idk enough about the Camel Ridge Trio in the book to actually consider if it's a feasible idea or not. This ties into the various asks about Wukong revealing to the Pilgrims that Macaque is his mate and he was effectively abandoned by his friends and family without being aware he had done so.

So... like I said, I'm not sure when the Camel Ridge trio come into the book or even how their interaction with the Primgrims went... but I like the idea that perhaps it initially started out as seemingly friendly. Perhaps, despite them believing Wukong to be a traitor, they were initially willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and introduced themselves as Wukong's sworn brothers and 'real family.' Wukong, more aware after all this time, is seeing red flags but tries to wave them off because he's just so happy too see his brothers again after all this time, even if the way Azure seems oddly possessive with his interactions with Wukong and Wukong is visibly a hit nervous because alarm bells are going off but he's not sure why because that's Azure, his brother!

The first pilgrim to notice this and become sus, however, is Zu Baije. He is, by far, the most emotionally mature and experienced person when it comes to matters of romance, and he can recognize what's happening a mile away. Mainly because once upon a time, he'd been in Azure's shoes and had sworn to never let himself get that low again. He keeps quiet, silently watching the two interact, noticing how Azure likes to put his claws on Wukong's shoulder in a possessive manor or how his smile seems a little too false and strained when talking.

Things come to a head when it's time to leave, and Azure is not willing to let Wukong go, even going so far as to grab at his arm and make him flinch, yelling that he belongs with them, his brothers, and not as a Divine Pet! At that point, Zu Baije has had enough. If anything can make Wukong, of all beings, flinch in fear, it's got to go! He forcibly puts himself between Wukong and Azure, demanding Azure keep his paws off his brother and just what makes the giant lion think he has the right to force Wukong to do anything!

"He already told ya he needed to go on this journey for his freedom and redemption and why that's important. You've got no right to deny Brother Monkey his autonomy like that!"

"Cute words coming from a Marshall who is holding him prisoner on a divine leash!"

Afterwards, Wukong will probably have one of his rare breakdowns and confess that the whole "coup against the Emperor" thing Zu Baije had been holding over his head since the moment they had met had been Azure's idea and Wukong had been the figurehead to the rebellion, the person they rallied behind, while Azure pulled the strings from the shadows. And that means Zu Baije and Sha Wuking both have a sudden epiphany that Wukong, while not innocent, had not been at fault for the war!

It takes them a long while to convince Wukong that he'd been deceived and molded into a scapegoat by Azure before he was abandoned

I just want some protective Zu Baije stamding up to the Lion Man because Wukong is most definitely in turmoil

ohoohohohooh

Protective Zhu Bajie my beloved

The LMK Camel Ridge Trio deciding (mostly from Yellowtusk and Macaque's suggestion); "Hey this monk guy sounds cool, lets hear him out for a dinner" and letting the Pilgrims into their city with open arms.

Tripitaka is super on edge, cus in the book; Lion Camel Ridge is a literal city of man-eating demons decorated like the house from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This monk hyperventilating, using his hat like a paper bag to breathe into.

Dinner goes smooth enough, but convo quickly gets heated especially when the Trio start speaking as though Wukong is there to stay.

Wukong himself, although initially touched that his sworn bros seem to have forgiven him, politely explains that the reason he's on this Journey in the first place is so he can grow as a person. He can't see himself growing if he's in the shadow of his past.

Azure does not like this.

Azure: "But brother! You need to stay! With the heavenly host you will forever be seen as no more than a convict. Here in Camel Ridge you are so much more! A hero, a warrior, a revolutionary, a paragon for our kind!" Wukong, uneasy: "Gee, I'm really not sure I should-" Azure, gets on one knee and clasps his hands over Wukong's: "Not only that. You can be our King. Forever more." Wukong, oblivious to Azure's implications: "???" Zhu Bajie, sus from the start: "OKAY THAT'S IT! WE'RE LEAVING!" (*picks up Wukong like he weighs nothing*) Sha Wujing, trying to be polite: "Thank you for the meal Mr Lion sir! But we really have to continue on to-" Peng and Yellowtusk: (*move to block door*) The Pilgrims: (*share looks of "oh sh-t"*)

Azure: "I'm afraid I have no intention of you leaving with our brother leashed to your hands."

And ofc a huge verbal and physical altercation occurs over the matter.

Depending on the AU; this could be when Macaque gets involved with the Pilgrims and tries to mediate, only to agree with his brothers that Wukong's travel companions do have an unfair incentive on him (the circlet).

In Post Jttw Stone Egged Au; this is def the point where Macaque decides: "Man, screw y'all. I'm going with these guys. I ain't hanging around another half-millenia without my mate." And Macaque is sick of seeing Azure treat Wukong like he owns him! At least the monk gave him the option of leaving (even if the weenie almost immediately got eaten).

Macaque and Azure 100% have their own Kaiju battle over the matter.

[on-leatheredwings]

i've found your account only a few days ago but ever since then I've been STUCK here rereading your fanfics, especially ones with damian. i wasn't even a dc fan (heard about some stuf, watched some films and cartoons, but that's it) but now im reading comics since im Obsessed and need more batboys in my life (rip my productivity😔)

Anyway, after Sleepover i'm curious what will Bruce (and maybe even Thalia) think of batboys strange behaviour towards reader. He's smart, so he definitely notices it early on, but how he'll react....

I can see him being weirded out (like he was by Jason's anger issues, before his death), but he also can be an enabler, since Robin (literaly any of them) had a hard life, so if those relationships can help him why not pretend that everything is normal? you'll be safer in a Wayne's Manor anyway

All in all, thanks for a new hyperfixation 💞💞

P.s. About games:

1. Boyfriend to death 1&2 - since you're into yanderes you might want to check this game out. I prefer the second game, but the first is also fun. But beware the trigger warnings!!

2. Long live the Queen - more of a raising sim than dating sim but you still can romance some guys and girls.

,3. Hatoful Boyfriend - mostly a comedy, but there is a yandere.

4. The Royal Trap - it's been a long time since i played it, but it used to be one of my favorites so i'll just mention it.

5. Higurashi - once again not really a romance sim, but its an interesting horror mixed with a slice of life

;A; AWWWW THANK YOU IM SO HAPPY YOU LIKE MY STUFF.... THAT MAKES ONE OF US GIJSDOFAFGHFOJDSD

and yes yes get into DC!!! (girl who hasnt even read a full run since like. injustice)

damn now you got me thinking and excited. incoming spiel

i agree entirely about bruce just knowing how Bad things can get, so to make things simpler, he's like "yes, your darling(s) can stay in the manor, boys. 🙄"

mmm yes..... when it comes to bruce noticing the batboys are yandere, i think it's always sinfully delightful to just have him be reluctantly okay with it. 😈 it's also easier narratively ngl but i also like the idea that the batfam is all just corrupted.

bruce's thoughts are that they (his sons) fight for vengeance and justice but this is where they could use some leeway.... we all need our vice... they fight so hard for gotham, they deserve a little treat (getting rid of your human rights)... it's very "Dad who wants his sons to have happiness even if its not healthy" of him. in fics where bruce is a yandere, well, he's the exact same way so he can't judge. although if that's the case, i like the idea of bruce just being like "yes what we do isn't right. let's not talk about it. just don't kill <3"

still wondering what i like more. a yan!bruce who's self aware what he's doing is wrong but he just refuses to think about it. or a yan!bruce that justifies it all because of his paranoia, Tower of Babel style (if you don't know, that's when it's revealed batman has plans to subdue/kill the justice league just in case they go rogue.)

for the batboys depends on their personality... for damian, he's so resolute in things that i prefer when he just believes 100% what he's doing is okay, if not actually righteous. ^_^

hmmm talia.... I'M STILL UNSURE HOW I PREFER THAT AS WELL... i think talia being a you-arent-good-enough-for-my-son mom is a little cliche but also. she kinda would say that. you'd have to prove your worth somehow but idk how tf darling would do that LOL. in the end, i think talia is just relieved/comforted that her son indeed feels desire and wants love and will continue the family legacy (regardless if youre afab/can biologically have children.)

no THANK YOU FOR THE ASK!!! AND THANKS FOR RECS!!!! heheh yeah ive checked out btd and im not averse to the warnings its more like im not that most of into the designs ngl. fox guy seems cute? AND LMAO FUNNY BC IM ON A HIGURASHI REWATCH (never played it tho)

[puckpocketed]

caps fan here!

as follower of pld (the few, the proud, the courageous!), i was wondering if you had any thoughts about how he might fit in with our team, assuming he's going to be 1C with Ovi on the left and one of Wilson or Mangiapane on the right, and basically taking the former Kuznetsov/Backstrom spot on the halfwall on PP1. my thinking is that he can easily return to being a 60 point player just by the increase in ice time alone this coming season, and maybe even flirt with 70 if he has a triggerman like big O on his wing.

as someone who knows a hell of a lot more about PLD than i do, is that just wishful thinking because i'm a caps fan? what do you think?

The PLD Post, Part 2: mask-OFF

Hii!! (we are SO brave and SO correct). i am so sorry this took ages to answer, i was trying to decide how serious to be. I will admit, I was hesitant about going mask-off and hitting up the microstats and revealing that i do seriously think he can be better than he was bc that shit is kinda lame ESPECIALLY when defending a clear failhorse. but at this point any rep i have as someone with good opinions must be gone considering how many media scapegoats i've attached myself to (i got a fucking. c.gauthier ask the other day aslkjdkljas) so. mask is coming off. we've hit somewhere between well-considered manifesto and vibe check so . um. enjoy!!

I remain optimistic going from everything I've heard and from what you're saying here! But, big big asterisk. He absolutely needs to take ownership of his lack of engagement. when he speaks in media availability I believe him when he says he wants to change. The will to change is there, idk if it’s possible that any player would be satisfied with their performance being the way his was. There’s a lot that needs to be unpacked about his lack of production, the Character Issues, and what his role might look like going forward. You and any other Caps fan who reads this will have to tell me if the fit is right. Hockey talk below the cut lol!!

So before I start I have to say I know dick all about the Caps except:

You're dragging that old man (Ovechkin) to Gretzky's lawn (record) to set it on fire (break it before he retires)

Everyone is pining away for your very very injured 1C who is also Ovechkin's boybestfriend/perfect set-up guy/work wife

There's. intricate pre-game rituals?

So I'm not sure I can speak to how he will fit with your (our? i AM picking the Caps up fr given every acquisition/draft pick they've made) team with any depth or specificity. also i don't think i'd call myself a PLD expert. like. i just got here !! I haven't been following him since he was drafted or anything!! I have, however, consumed TOO MANY Kings games this past season and I can give you a broad look at what actually happened with them and why I think it didn't work out. I will not be making any overtures about being unbiased. My biases WILL slip through because I think Dubois is a sweetheart and I find the mental exercise of defending him fun <3 I’ll give you stats and observations and I will build a story that runs counter to what the prevailing media narratives say. While I stand by my opinions, they're also just one of many available interpretations of what happened.

character concerns

Everyone will be bringing it up at the first speed bump of the season, the first bad game he has. Please be prepared to have a crisis of faith and also be deeply disappointed in him. god knows I am, like, all the time <3 But... I always want to dig deeper when it comes to dominant narratives, because in following multiple teams I’ve become acutely aware of just how miserably Bad media can be at reporting on teams that aren’t their own.

I hear “Locker room cancer” accusations bandied about and I’ve yet to see anyone produce a primary source for this — podcasters, journalists, even people on nhl broadcasts will throw these words around so casually, assuming they’re correct because everyone knows the story. Some confounding factors in the character narratives arise when you scratch the surface. People who've worked with him speak well enough of him. Todd McLellan called him “misunderstood”, and had nothing bad to say about his character.

Matt Roy, who also just got picked up by the Caps, has recently said he’s a great teammate. MORE proof if you want to hear it directly, Roy went on Dropping The Gloves and had this to say about Dubois (transcript by me):

[on what actually happened] Honestly, I don’t know. I mean if you asked him he would say he had a down year. But it’s nothing like — I feel like the media paints this picture of him, and to me it couldn’t be further from the truth, you know. He’s a great teammate, he’s a great locker room guy, he gets along with everybody. So, in terms of all that I don’t know where the media is getting all this stuff. If I hated the guy I probably wouldn’t have come to Washington. He’s one of my friends on the team and I really think he’s going to have a bounce back year. I think he’s really going to be good for the team.

Matt Roy signed with the Caps of his own free will as an RD, a contested free agent in a sparse market, knowing Dubois was already here. He could’ve gone to plenty of different places. Why the hell would Roy sign here long-term, clearly wanting to play and win, if Dubois was as disliked as some pundits would have us believe??? Credible reports (and not just speculation) point to PLD’s other teammates liking him!! 

And here’s some propaganda; I direct you to this extremely sweet video where he gets asked about assisting on Akil Thomas' first NHL goal (and a bunch of other first NHL goals). He is so, so genuinely happy for Akil, who battled through injuries that set back his development for years. Just LOOK at his smile!! He can’t hold it back. (Others have said this but it looks like a little v. Like :> !!!! HELLO !!)

How does all of this happen when, supposedly, he’s a low-character asshole and a “locker room cancer”? It doesn’t line up for me.

On the other hand, I have seen Dubois cruise. He really can’t seem to bounce back from a poor start, and if you were just looking from the outside in, the scoresheet this year reflects this. The critique is fair; I’ve turned this over in my head enough times. there are less physically gifted, less skilled players, who are working so hard to stay in this league, and Dubois’ poor showing does feel somewhat like, idk, something I’d be mad about usually.

Here comes the “but”. Call this next bit the narrative section, because I’m showing my ass here: I think Dubois gets a lot of scrutiny because of his infamous Shift, which went a specific kind of viral, under the exact right conditions, and it has just. defined his career. And okay… I am not denying that the shift happened, but plenty of guys in this league have taken shifts off. come on. the season is long and they're only human. I’m not excusing it either! It was bad and he deserved his benching. Ideally, he one day becomes a player who always puts effort in. Working hard is one of my favourite traits in any player, and usually this would be enough for me to dismiss him as not worth being invested in.

and yet…. the reactions to his floundering performance feel so much like they’re about expectations as seen through the lens of The Shift. They’re calibrated differently because he went 3rd overall, and he's got this big body, the speed, the skill — it's the fact that he's got the tools and seemingly squanders them. All of this is amplified by the contract he's sitting on and his run of short-term stays on teams. Does he get this much scrutiny if he went in the 2nd or 3rd round? Does he catch this much heat for his low energy performance if that one shift clip hadn’t done all that damage? We’ll never know obviously but . I do wonder.

Final word on the character stuff is that we don’t know what truly went on in those locker rooms and i don't want to give more air time to baseless speculation. What we can examine is the hockey. The hockey tells the truth <3

the 23-24 la kings

Assuming the plan is to give PLD a look at 1/2C while he’s on the Caps, I think he’s a complementary type of player. The way he is right now, I don't think he can drive his own line or pull people up. He works with the calibre of lineys he's got and will produce the expected outcome. That sounds so obvious, but what I’m saying is I don’t think he’s capable of miracles like the best playmakers in the league, he's not about to make your guys look 15 years younger. In this vein, I look at his many first NHL goal assists as a symptom of what kind of linemates he was being paired with all season, and how unstable the situation was. His drop in point production IS more complicated than "he's just a piece of shit". From this article, the best summary I've seen of the Situation PLD was in:

LA acquired a player who had been a top-six center (and at times, winger) his entire career playing with established NHL talent. Yet after investing multiple assets to acquire Dubois and sign him to a significant contract, the team decided to put him in a third-line role where his most common linemate was a first-year NHL player who wasn’t expected to be on the roster in Alex Laferriere. Those two had a revolving door of wingers throughout the season. Moreover, Dubois’ most common on-ice teammates after Laferriere at 5-on-5 this season were Matt Roy and Andreas Englund. Gee, I wonder why he didn’t produce?

Context about Roy and Englund: Roy is a quiet but capable d-man who is defensively geared with a bit of offensive upside (j'adore. does things the right way and is very responsible and good. will throw hits but doesn't chase them or headhunt. I think playing away from the Kings’ more passive system will unlock more of his offensive potential. Matt Roy you will be SO good for the Caps I truly believe mwah mwah); and Englund is a leg weight/goon who, going by every single stat I can pull out, makes his d-partners Worse (with affection <3). Point here is neither of them being on the ice was particularly conducive to a lot of scoring chances.

As I said in my previous post, I think Dubois absolutely needs finishers. At some point there was hype around his shot but I didn't see much of that at all on lak? Eye test says: he was unwilling to shoot, and when he did shoot it felt like there was low/no commitment, no power behind it. Comments on his shooting called him “too deferential” at different turns. That’s just an insulting way to say a guy likes to pass and I truly think it circles back to the expectations thing. Would there be anything wrong with him not being much of a shooter this past season if he was another player? (Can't we just say he passed a lot this season without bringing value judgement into it? leave my failhorse ALONE!!!! like must a man score goals ,can't he be very very sweet and happy for the rookies he assisted ? wailing about it forever.)

More fun stats from that same article:

#1 on lak for passes that led to high-danger scoring chances, and scoring chances in general <- again, not a miracle worker. did not have finishers who could capitalise on these chances. its so fucked up what they did to my failwife

one of the best on lak in actually carrying the puck into the o-zone. (another reason i quite liked watching him!! transition forwards my BELOVED) everything I've ever observed about him off the cuff holds true here: he draws penalties this way, because he's fast and when he's locked in he is pretty good for controlled zone entries <3

Dubois had a career high in even-strength assists per 60, this is all in spite of his weird linemate situation and his reduced TOI and the power play mess (more on this later). he might have been deferring, but I truly think the lack of stability + good finishers, and ice time held him back from being more productive.

jim hiller

Building off that last point: even worse on the stability front, which I did allude to in the initial PLD Post, was what happened when Jim Hiller took over. You must understand one of the first clues that we were working with a different animal of a head coach is he was NOT afraid to line shuffle, and shortly after he found short-term success with that, they started running 11 forwards and 7 defensemen (you can see where it started precisely if you scroll back in lak lb because you'll find ME yelling about it LMAO). This shortened forward bench resulted in mid-game line shuffling, as in it was uncertain as to who they would be playing with from shift to shift. Hiller is on record saying he thinks it was beneficial, per this article:

It’s all about getting his deep forward corps engaged in the game. That’s sometimes difficult if you’re running four full lines and there are penalty kill or power play opportunities that alter the flow of the lines. Especially for the group of forwards who don’t kill penalties – think Kevin Fiala, Viktor Arvidsson, Quinton Byfield, Pierre-Luc Dubois – it’s an opportunity to get them extra shifts and engage in the game. “Some of our other players who don’t penalty kill, you know they can lose the flow of the game, so they enjoy it more I know,” Hiller said of having 11 forwards in action. “We’ve talked about it a lot. We really just think for our team, the way it is right now, that gives us an advantage getting those players more ice time.”

(and ok sorry to go off about my gripes with how the kings are run but .They were doing this into playoffs. This article was written during playoffs. god. CARL GRUNDSTROM, WHO HAS NEVER NOT PLAYED HARD, PLAYED 25 SECONDS IN GAME 2. all this while they were trying to get people 'engaged'. Idk. Maybe it did work for some players. I wasn’t behind that bench. But sitting one of your most energetic and committed forwards during a series in which you’re trying to come back from being down several games was a CHOICE!!!! also like what if you didn't double-shift QB. what then. And we all know how that series ended. lak coaching/management i am beating you with a pillowcase stuffed with bricks . <3)

Much was made of the Hiller takeover. I liked it at the time. In his first couple of media availabilities post-TM, Hiller emphasised bringing back "fun" to the game for many of the players who were slumping — and a reportedly tense locker room during the big skid that lost McLellan his job. It was all very Ted Lasso of him. Hiller also introduced a new way to rate Dubois for his performance every night, separate from the scoresheet. I made jokes about PLD's very special star-chart, everyone who knew about it was making jokes about it. This merit system was tailored towards communicating with Dubois what he did and didn't do well, and while no one ever went into depth about it we do know a few things:

It measured things outside of +/-, goals and assists, and was likely a score out of 5 per metric.

One of the metrics was about hits/physicality, another one was likely ‘compete’ levels.

He alluded to being measured on penalties drawn?? Or something??

Anyway it sort of … worked?? The change in Dubois was pretty immediate, the moment he was given some clear direction to work in. He played some of his BEST games of the year in the wake of this change. He got involved physically, he was not losing steam, he was drawing tons of penalties because he’s huge and fast and has good hands and IF he puts his mind to it he can truly be a transition monster.

CUE THE LINE SHUFFLING… imo, much of the progress made seemed to be lost, and the rest is history.

NOT saying Dubois is free of fault here. Needing that extra motivation to get physically involved is kinda wild, and I understand why for some people it’s a bridge too far. EYE am here for the laffs though and it's really funny that the communication came in the form of super special individualised performance evaluations/a glorified sticker chart. This is why he’s my temperamental desert flower. Wilting violet. Soggy kitten. <3 and for the record I truly don’t think I’d care if he put up 40 points per szn for the rest of his career. I don’t care because he’s a sweetie and the Bit i do when defending him is too funny. I don’t think I’d care if everyone was right about him — I just don’t actually think they are.

the power play problem

So okay, as per part 1 (my last email <3) we know Dubois thrives net front. It’s where he scored a bunch of his goals on the Jets. Every stat and the eye test supports this. So how come Lak had him stationed on the half wall doing jackshit, if he was on the power play at all?? I will admit I drove myself half crazy studying power play structures and watching LA Kings games back before coming up with a garbled, half-formed idea about how LA runs their PP. I was going to attempt to explain it here — had to do with Kevin Fiala and Dubois being lefties and how that's just an awkward passing sitch — but it turns out more than one person has had this thought and MAN I love being validated by actual hockey people. I fully thought i was making shit up in my head for a good week or two, and was seriously considering scrapping this portion . but it’s SO important for contextualising the production drop, so here goes !!

As early as September 2023 there was a story published about PLD’s role on PP1 — a place where he certainly should’ve belonged as a top-6 guy with plenty of ppg’s under his belt. From this article, which explains the issue very very neatly, and much more eloquently than I could ever hope to:

The addition of Pierre-Luc Dubois was a big one this summer; at first glance, he should be a great addition to the power play. But when digging deeper, the Kings might struggle to fit him onto the top unit. Dubois played mostly as the net front player for the Winnipeg Jets last season, the role Gabriel Vilardi often played for the Kings last season. So, it’s an easy one-to-one switch in that spot, right? Not necessarily. Dubois has all the talents to be an effective net-front player. He has the size and strength to battle in front, with the skill to effectively pop down low and create chances. However, his handedness is a big problem for this role. The Kings run their power play primarily on the left side with Kevin Fiala — Anze Kopitar when Fiala is hurt — which necessitates a right shot down low. When a right shot player pops out on the left side, there’s an easy passing angle for the half-wall player and more options for the player down low. Quick passing is key for a successful power and a left-shot can’t move the puck quick enough down low. They would have to either move too far into the corner or take the extra second to step out from and open up their body to create an effective passing angle. Time that would slow the power play down too much and allow the opposition penalty kill to get back into position. There’s also minimal shot threat from a lefty down low. We saw both Vilardi and Viktor Arvidsson frequently take the pass down low and quickly turn it into a shooting opportunity, something a left shot wouldn’t be able to do.

It then goes on to suggest 2 solutions that aren’t appealing at all:

Flip the power play entirely to accommodate Dubois net front. Not great as they dont have the players for that, and if they tried it they’d be hamstringing Adrian Kempe’s one-timer.

PLD on the bumper position. This one’s hard to swallow because that displaces Kopitar to PP2, there’s his position as captain and the optics of moving him off his spot.

In this article it is once again suggested that LA MUST flip their power play and figure out how to get PLD net front. In this article they point out how useless he was playing on the wall down the stretch, and how the only reason he seemed to be able to produce something was because he’d taken Kopitar’s spot in his absence. This article calls to attention Dubois’ worlds performance, where team Canada utilised him net front.

Big picture, the Fit

Do we see the problem here yet? It’s not the flat narrative I was sold by the national media, random assholes on twitter, and podcasters who don’t actually watch Kings matches!!!! Do we see how weird and messy and complicated it is, beyond “hey he’s just a sack of shit who isn’t trying hard enough”. Rob Blake himself has come out and admitted that they didn’t put Dubois in a position to succeed. And absolutely there was effort required on his end — a different player might have sucked it up and adapted to circumstances, a different player might never have needed that extra bit of communication, a straight up better player might have dragged his less skilled lineys up to a higher level. But the problem has always been two-fold: LA was trying to coach and manage a completely different player to the one they had in front of them and expecting good results; and Dubois was unable to keep competing with all he had in the face of that. I think both parties are at fault here. And I think, given the chance and the right circumstances, Dubois can hit 60 points again.

Okay, circling back to the big question of Fit. Will he be able to work with Ovechkin? Hard to think he could fail with one of hockey’s best goal scorers on his wing, if he does get a look at 1C. People who know the Caps better than I do, does this sound workable? Is Dubois going to be too difficult of a nut to crack for your coach? Your locker room?

And, of course, the power play issue. Maybe Dubois learns to be better on the half wall! Idk!! Maybe it was a matter of coaching and he thrives in Washington running your PP1 from there. For my money… I like him better playing net front or bumper. Do the Caps have the bodies to accommodate this? I did ask someone familiar with the Caps PP to explain it to me so I could try and figure this out but ouuuugh. My head is spinning. Someone smarter than me please jump in. I am TIRED . We don’t know what it will look like, what they’re planning to do with Dubois on the power play. You guys probably have a better idea about what’s possible than I do <3

Conclusion?

PLD is fast, big, a passing threat and a formidable net front presence when he’s given the opportunity and playing his A-game. As far as I can tell, his B-game is garbage </3 His poor performance is more complicated than people think and I’m pretty sure only the LA Kings beat reporters + the 12 kings fans on twitter know this. Most of them still dislike PLD anyway bc his low motor. I don’t blame them, I’m just more inclined to be forgiving because I love redemption arcs and I think he’s a good person. i would love to be wrong about his low-effort B-game LMAO but im trying to be realistic here. I want him to fit in and be embraced by the Caps so bad <3 Your coach sounds like he wants to help PLD succeed and is up for the challenge. The vibes from my friends who follow the Caps are always good, I’ve read through various tags and it sounds like a place that will take him in whether he likes it or not. I might be stupid but I believe in him !!! and I’ve laid out all the hockey bullshit for you to the best of my ability. Given all of this… do you think he’ll do well?

[worlds-oldest-teenager]

I’m interested. How do Apollo and Artemis’s desire to protect each other drive a wedge between them?

I'm glad you askeddd. Thank you for being my first anon ever btw. (@crowmakeska-boom idk if you are the anon but anon, whoever you are, sorry for the wait). This is probably not a very good meta cause it's mostly vibes, gut feelings and filling in the blanks with below the bare minimum of textual evidence but oh well. 

First I'd like to talk about why I think Artemis and Apollo's relationship is kind of distant. They're a confusing duo. When you first meet them in the titan's curse it may seem they don't like each other much or atleast Artemis seems to not be paticularly fond of her brother. Calling him “irresponsible”, “lazy”, “big headed”. But reading between the lines reveals how much the two of them care for each other, especially on Apollo's part from all the illegal help he was dishing out to the questers.

But then when you read some more, their relationship just feels a tad too distant to completely take what they say as just banter. When we see them on Delos in Blood of Olympus the distance is literal. They're recycling banter that's getting old and you can tell that even if it had been lighthearted before, it’s definitely getting on both their nerves now (stolen from fsinger lmao). They’ve both been playing the part for a long time but it feels like they don’t have the closeness anymore to recognize they’re both just playing parts. 

So what happened?

I think it's their need to protect each other that's causing this rift between them. From my point of view Artemis & Apollo are protecting each other from different things but Olympus is at the core of it for the both of them.

The twins have a very different experience of Olympus. Since her introduction Artemis seems pretty critical of Olympus. According to the hunters she's the only one who can get the ball rolling during solstice meetings and she's shown to not really act the Olympian way. Taking the sky off the shoulders of a mortal girl. Shrinking herself down to make the human heroes feel more comfortable and demanding they get rewarded.

It wouldn't be far fetched to assume that she's never fit in with Olympus and doesn't agree with most of the views of her family.

Then there's Apollo.

Who fits in so perfectly with the messed up inner workings of Olympus or so people think. He's perfected his mask over the years and no one is the wiser about the abuse he's gone through or even the fact that this isn't actually who he is.

To me, Artemis wants to protect Apollo from Olympus' true nature. In her head she's got every part of Olympus figured out and for the most part she has. Even if it's not something that works for her I think she would want to protect her younger brother from knowing what the kind of people he surrounds himself with are truly like.

I feel like Artemis would be conflicted on it for other reasons too because if Apollo is aware of the kind of people the Olympians are and he's alright with that, what kind of god is Apollo?

So she'd much rather think of him as stupid and irresponsible cause those atleast mean that it isn't he isn't a bad person. But I feel deep down she doesn't really believe completely that what she knows of her brother is correct.

But then she sees the way Zeus loves Apollo and cares for him and in her mind it's the right decision to let him live this way. He is safer now than they ever were as children.

Apollo on the other hand wants to conceal their father's true nature from Artemis. We know that he cares deeply about appearing fine on the surface because of how others would worry and who would worry more than his older sister.

Artemis and Apollo may be the protectors of youth but the first ever youth they protected were each other. It's the foundation of their relationship and caries on into the present day. Both of them feel a desperate need to protect each other.

I would go so far as to say that this is THE relationship they have with each other. The both of them never find comfort in each other, only protection. You can tell that comfort is not something they usually derive from each other from the way they're both completely blindsided by simple things like an "I love you" , a hug and just concern in general.

Comfort from each other is not a priority for them no matter how much they crave it. The twins purpose to each other is to protect.

So of course Apollo would never tell Artemis about the way Zeus hurts him.

I also think there's a little bit of denial on Artemis' part on just how abusive Zeus is. Cause Apollo is dropping hints. Even the way Artemis talks during Blood of Olympus makes it clear that she understands Zeus is gonna massacre the guy. She just doesn't want to believe it will be permanent.

And it's got a lot to do with the fact that she wants to protect him. Because if she acknowledges this isn't a situation Apollo is gonna come out from unscathed that means that she's incapable of protecting him. That means that she's failed to protect him before and cannot protect him again.

So she'd much rather pretend that Zeus is persuadable and not that bad. That it's Apollo's fault Zeus comes down so hard on him and if he were a little better and a bit more like her he could be safe.

And this would hurt Apollo because Artemis can pinpoint exactly what Zeus is like. But instead of comforting him she confirms for him that this is his fault. That if he could be better none of this would happen. Artemis helps prevent but never helps heal because helping her brother heal means he was in a position to be hurt in the first place.

All this mess and miscommunication and disbelief stemming from the fact that they love each other and never want to see each other hurt creates an impossible distance between them.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Slowly but surely they're trying to comfort/ seek comfort instead of just protect each other.

I wept on my sister’s shoulder. I felt like if I let go of Artemis, I would fall back into Chaos. Huge parts of my identity would shake loose, and I would never be able to find all the puzzle pieces. “Whoa, there.” She patted my back awkwardly. “Okay, little fella. You’re all right now. You made it.”

Apollo's trials sucked. But I'm glad it's given the twins the opportunity to bridge the gap between their relationship again.

[doonalli]

hi !!! i lauv ur analysis’ of yttd !!! would you consider doing one for maple :)?

Woah my first ask!!! Thank you!!!!! Maple is such an awesome character there is so much that I could say about her, I even went a bit into it with Mai's analysis Maple's character is such a tragic one honestly, and there is a lot I could talk about, but writing this on the spot I obviously won't be going as in depth as usual, although I really do want to write a full analysis on Maple sometime, but 3-2 seems just around the corner so idk if I'll get the time....

Regardless, for right now, I'll talk a bit about the way Maple is presented, how that plays into stereotypes, and most importantly how she subverts them too

Maple is immediately presented as a very girly girl, right as we enter her room we are hit with loads of pink fluffy furniture, and she particularly has a keen interest in tea, all things that are traditionally feminine

Even her fight follows this with its emotions gimmick, playing into how women are seen as hysteric by the people who don't respect them

and further playing into that girly stereotype Maple has a deep love for Midori. It's a common trope for women in media to be nothing more than the love interest for the men around them, or for them to fall head over heels for the men they love.

But for Maple this is revealed to be much more sinister, with it actually being something programmed into her, rather than her own true feelings

let's not beat around the bush here, Midori is by no means a good person, AT ALL, but compared to Maple's love, Midori's affection is incredibly twisted, with the prime example being how he talks about Shin

In Kanna's route Midori talks about how unfortunate it is that Sou had to die, as he wanted to kill him himself.

And with that context I find it interesting how when Maple ends up powering down and "dying" Midori takes her and goes to "revive" he with "the power of his love"

It's just peculiar to me the difference between them and how Midori treats them. On that point though, another thing to note with Maple is hands.

To even enter the discussion room a pair needs to hold hands. People holding hands can often be used as a sign of affection, or intimacy, even Ranmaru himself falling into this.

But when Midori decides takes her to get "upgraded" he notably grabs ahold of her wrists, rather than her hands.

Grabbing someone's wrists is usually done because it exerts more power over them, compared to holding hands where it's a mutual act from both parties, and can be let go when either party desires it.

He could have grabbed her by the hand, or any other place honestly, or nankidai could have simply chosen not to show it at all, yet a specific focus was put on Midori grabbing Maple's wrists.

It's clear Midori doesn't treat Maple with care like the green books suggest

Nor does he make any attempt to understand her emotions or sympathise with her like the manual says

I mean he literally gave her the manual in place of a love letter to her, clearly not caring enough to actually write something for her. It doesn't get more ironic than that.

And it doesn't stop there for Maple, as when she is upgraded into Maple 2.0 she is forced into fighting her friends, in particular Mai

And this leads to partway through the fight where she fully cuts off her last remaining hand, which with the context of everything I've said also cuts off her chance of simply holding someone's hand...

But its not all bad for Maple, after all if Anzu survived the way she'll reconcile with Maple is by holding and shaking hands

(fun fact: Nankidai showed an old version of the sprite where Sara reconciles with Maple on stream once and in that sprite she also held Maple's hand, but that was changed before release)

And by the end of her story, Maple is able to fight back against Midori and put the first crack in his facade, even pushing through his "I love you"s and outright stating that she won't believe him. She pushes back on this idea of being defined by her love and is able to truly show herself as a strong person able to stand up the abuser in her life.

And Q-taro will even call Midori out on his mistake here, on how he underestimated Maple, because of his prior expectations,

And coinciding with that, this happens after Maple's monitors all break, monitors that were all linked to emotions, and put them neatly into boxes. It's not like Maple suddenly becomes emotionless either, she still hesitates when Midori says he loves her after all, but it isn't as easy as just reading it on her face, because she isn't defined by her emotions either.

Maple is more than the stereotypes that can be pushed onto her by the people in charge, (or the people who program her,) and the way she is able to fight for her own power says a lot, and proves that she is so much more than what it may seem on the surface, after all, she is human too.

================================================

Thank you again anon for the question, this IS shorter than the others i've written due to me writing it on the spot but i really hope i was able to fufill ur expectations even just a bit I'd love to revisit Maple someday, hopefully we'll be able to see more of her in 3-2 too (or YTTS or a minisode or a page in the updated artbook or SOMETHING) but for now I really enjoy her place in the story and her portrayal and maybe i've been to do her some justice and was able to show some others that too!!!

[three-headed-monster]

https://www.tumblr.com/three-headed-monster/757931492212146176/question-for-the-masses-what-are-our-thoughts-on?source=share

I'm so so curious about this too, I feel like he's been described as smart a fair few times, either by scouts or his brothers etc

There's also one of the Monday question videos (I think it's the "who would you choose to narrate your life" one) where one of the guys says he's really intelligent but I can't tell whether he's being sarcastic or not lol, he doesn't sound sarcastic but still, I feel like you never know with those guys

ANON REVEAL YOURSELF I HAVE MUCH TO SAY ABOUT LUKE HUGHES AND HIM BEING SMART

idk if i've spoken about this before, but i've been writing a luke hughes centric rpf fic and my god, did it make me do a lot of research on like umich as a college and specifically, what luke was doing in college.

on his roster page it says he's an intended sports management major, but he never actually declared, making me think he probably either didn't have the grades to or never finished the pre-reqs. maybe because he knew the nhl was always going to be there for him, he never officially went down that route.

the BETTER explanation for why he never declared is because he wanted to do something else with his degree because would you believe me when i say this guy was taking courses a level above his year of study the entire time? he talks a little bit about some of the courses he took in this athletic interview, history of college athletics and greek history. a quick google of those courses shows that those are very like NICHE history courses, that are not pre-reqs for sports management but are just like mid/upper-year history and classics courses that people take for fun. luke hughes you are not slick, tell us more about your history obsession.

anyways, for realsies, it's all in good fun. i think he's definitely smarter than he gives off, and my least favourite thing is him being characterized as a "dumb himbo" in things. like sorry but who hasn't done the "23nd" thing or forgotten to close their trunk before driving out of their garage at least once. doesn't scream himbo to me, just screams very forgetful human sometimes lmao

[theediviners]

𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘢 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘥 - 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴

Collaborative reading between @daarlingdatura, @neptunianspell, @astrodoll2, & our newest member @m00nt4r0t !!

PILE ONE @daarlingdatura

So while I was shuffling I heard the number 8. So I do believe that a majority of the people in this pile likely have 8 spirit guides.

So first of all, your twin flame is actually one of your spirit guides. What I’ll do here is break down the 3 most prominent spirit guides and talk about who they are, what their energy is & why they chose you. GUIDE #1 Your Twin Flame their energy? We have: the comic, aletheia, the healer, and the temple. The moon rx, the 10 of cups, temperance rx, and the 6 of cups.

So as we see with the comic and the 6 of cups, they are a very jokey type of person. I get the idea they could purposefully prank you sometimes by making cards fly out of your deck- or maybe even blowing on the back of your neck. I’m really getting peter pan energy here lowkey. I feel that your twin flame gatekeeps a lot of information & energy for you. They lowkey do a lot of transmutation for you as well, they upkeep a lot in the physical and spiritual realms for you. Whenever you feel alone, just know that your other half is right there with you. I do see herer that this is also a very nurturing and healing energy, your twin flame is likely very sweet. They could bring sweets into your life. I keep seeing red roses and red indian paintbrushes (flower). I also believe that your twin flame brings a lot of hard truths to you. Unfortunately, they are very jokey.. and like to do it in ways that piss you off. I feel that they want you to learn to loosen up and laugh sometimes. You can get so caught up in your stress, anxiety, day to day mundane life that you forget to smile.

I don’t think I really need to elaborate on why your twin flame chose you, like… they are you.. So I will move on to the next guide now.

Guide #2

This guide doesn’t seem fully ready to reveal to you who they are yet. Although I did just hear the name “nathan” so idk if that will resonate with anyone.. But- anyways.

Let’s get into this guide’s energy,

The Storm, The Poet, The Heart, The Thread Creation, The Secret, Truth rx The Hierophant rx, The Lovers, The Chariot, Justice rx, Judgement

So, this is a very groundshaking and uncomfortable yet comforting and genuine energy. You are karmically connected in some way to this spirit guide, as the thread card literally has a red string in it. (The red string of fate.) Perhaps you were lovers in a past life? (im seeing a theme here lmao), anyways…. I feel that this guide brings uncomfortable and life altering truths and situations to the forefront in order for you to find completion. They may be rather harsh, and when you act out of line they may be a fan of “poetic justice” lol. I definitely see that they are hard on you and want to see you doing right by yourself and others. I Feel really as if they are a life line in many ways. In some of your lowest times they can bring in energy, resources, and other needed things in order to help you stay afloat. It seems like even if they don’t act like it they do genuinely have a soft spot for you. They could rally like the color blue, I keep seeing blue bonnet flowers. I also heard bluebells? I feel like they want you to make better decisions and be more clear with your intentions as well? They feel like you slack at times in friendships or important connections or overlook details that you deem minor but actually mean a lot in the long run. I also see that this is a very non-traditional type of spirit guide in terms of how they teach or guide you with the way the hierophant is in reverse here.

I asked why did they choose you?

I have here the lovers, the queen of cups, and the 10 of swords. It’s possible that in a past life you died before him, or perhaps he mistreated you? He wanted to make things right. They really care for you and want to help you heal a karmic cycle they created.

Guide #3

This honestly made me really emotional. Your third spirit guide is some kind of mother figure. This feels extremely sacred to me.

The Eternal Child, The Heart, The Orphan. The Moon, Ascension, Entanglement, The Path. The Queen of cups, the ace of wands rx, the 9 of swords rx, strength, the high priestess

This energy is beautiful and nurturing, this feels very ephemeral. It’s interesting because it really to me feels like this is a divine mother energy. It’s possible you have been neglected in many lifetimes as a child- including this one. You may not have had much and she has always done her best to provide for you ever since you were young. I’m not sure if you were neglected physically as a child- or like ever dealt with malnourishment or hunger- but I do see that she did what she could. I saw when I closed my eyes before I began shuffling a woman with flowing black hair. A blue dress, and very beautiful pale skin. It was interesting, because that’s how the high priestess looks in my tarot deck. She is an energy that might feel confusing at times, not purposefully- but because it is extremely lunar. This is someone you have known over and over. I would not be surprised if this was not a human. I honestly keep thinking of Hekate. I don’t want to jump to conclusions though. As I am not well acquainted enough with Hekate to speak on this. Anyways. She is here to bring you wholeness. She helps you work through your anger and anxiety, she may be a very comforting presence for you. Someone you can lean on & talk to about absolutely anything. Light a black or blue candle and maybe leave some cornflower as well around the candles. She seems to like hard candies as well? Peppermints, swedish fish, banana laffy taffy?

She chose you because you are her child, and she wishes to protect you.  -------

PILE TWO @m00nt4r0t

intuitive messages from your guides!

you have a specific flow to you that your guides do not want you to move against or change for any reason. if your flow changes, then you are being asked to flow with it instead of against it. you are also being asked to start of slow/gentle with something, and then pick up the pace naturally over time, sort of like a race but this doesn't have to be in terms of competition. something about your dreams is significant. you could be getting important messages from your dreams, although they may be very confusing and difficult to decipher. for some reason i am not under the impression that it's important for you to decipher them right after you wake up, but more-so over time. somethings may not make a whole lot of sense to you right now, but it will eventually. also, if you have not been meditating, you're being asked to incorporate meditation into your daily routine because it cleanses and purifies your energy and thoughts. my heart felt activated and then i heard a mini explosion from outside so i think there's going to be something that happens to you very soon that makes you very very happy, and you'll feel very loved; you'll also have a lot of love to give back as well.

who are your spirit guides?

[the hanged man + two of pentacles + six of wands] before i pulled any cards, i kept being called by the ocean but i wanted to make sure that was accurate so then i pulled the hanged man which is correlated to pisces energy. so your spirit guides could be from the ocean or it is literally the energy of the ocean that is guiding you. there is so much unknown information about the ocean and what it holds within it, which is making me think that there are aspects to your spirit guides that they wish to keep hidden. that, or their energy just goes so deep that it's inaccessible to very many people who are scared to go that deep. your guides may also be a bit playful but also very serious; i'm getting laborinth energy. they may make things purposefully confusing in order to test your imagination and expand your mind. your guides are spirits who are very adament about their time and energy and they're also very well known to the public, so a lot of people may know about this spirit/deity/god/goddess. the most obvious one that came to mind is aphrodite because we all know she was born from the sea and quite literally everyone knows of her. however, she's not the only guide i'm picking up on. there's someone else who is helping you financially, but they aren't the type to give you everything you ask for right away. they'll have you put in effort and revaluate why you feel you need this and make you question what you're truly working for and if it's even worth it. also, your guides seem to be the type to sort of toss you into new waters to test your adaptability. i can see them being like "oh, you've never wrote a song before? okay well here's a music offer that you can't deny and you're going to write a song by this date at this specific time and you're going to do it whether you think it's good or not." they may not be that harsh, but i do see that they want to test your abilities and have you expand your horizons. this is because they see all of your potential and they want you max it out! they're going to bring you success and even public recognition in some way or another.

the energy of your spirit guides!

[strength + three of wands reversed + eight of pentacles reversed] i think your spirit guides like to downplay their energy? they kind of give me trickster energy but not in a malicious way. like i said i do think they're playful with you lol. but i'm also getting that they like attention and they may require a bit more effort from you than other spirits would require. they don't want to be forgotten about. however they do have a disciplined energy to them and they don't want anything to be too in excess. they care very much about self-improvement and they do want to see you put in work for what you want and work into your relationship with them. your spirit guides have the energy of growth and expansion and this is what they're here to help you to do, as well. i feel like they may not give you things as easily as you may wish they would; they want you to meet them halfway or 3/4ths of the way, to be honest. they definitely do like to test your strength and see how hard you're willing to work and how far you're willing to go. you may get frustrated with them sometimes, but i think that they feel proud of you whenever you do?? they like whenever you stand up for yourself, as well as when you set boundaries and put your foot down; this is also what they're teaching you to do. they see a lot of potential in you and they want you to fulfill it, and you can't fulfill it if you're getting everything you want by the snap of your finger. you can't challenge yourself and expand when you're sitting in your comfort zone; this is the logic they go by. although your spirit guides can be a bit playful with you at times, they feel very stern and they do have high expectations of you. they have this idealized "perfect" version of you and they are pushing you to reach that. i do feel like there's a mixed energy and your other spirit guides (who are more playful) tell the other ones to chill out and cut you some slack. i can sense a bit of conflict among your guides, but i do feel like they balance each other out!

why your guides chose to guide you!

[three of pentacles reversed + death + king of swords] your guides chose to guide you because there's this "loner" energy to you. even if you're working with a lot of people, you sort of go off on your own and do your own thing. you prefer to work by yourself and your guides know this and like this about you because you're less likely to become distracted and influenced by others. you're also someone who has gone through many different changes and transitions, which proves that you're fit for the growth and expansion that your guides expect from you. since the king of swords is sitting by death, i do think that you speak clearly with them and those who are on the spirit realm. you're able to understand signs and synchronicties which is obviously extremely useful to them. they don't have to send you a million different versions of the same message in order for you to get it, you're quick at understanding their language. also, since you usually prefer to be/work alone, you don't have others in your ear telling you that you're "crazy" for believing in the divine or trying to convince you to do something else aka straying you away from your purpose. your guides chose you because you tend to view everyone as equal, even if they are extremely rich, very beautiful, very talented, etc. you don't like to put people on high pedestals in life. this doesn't mean you don't recognize that some people just simply do certain things better than others, but you don't treat people differently according to these types of things which your guides really like about you. your guides chose you because you're prepared for battle, although you do not instigate it, and you come hard with the facts and truth rather than trying to hurt people's feelings. you do not need a whole friend group behind you in order to feel powerful and stand your ground. overall, your spirit guides chose to guide you because you are a very easy channel and you're able to decipher messages clearly, you're very powerful and able to get things done on your own, and you're very fair when it comes to how you treat people.

--------- PILE THREE @astrodoll2

I specifically got that you have 4 spirit guides💐

Spirit guide #1

This is someone who you had a very close friendship with that later on formed into a relationship in a past life, this is someone who you experienced a lot of love and fulfillment with, you guys always had a good time together and many fun memories, this is someone who cares about you deeply, this is a soulmate, they choose you to guide you to the right directions, you can call on them whenever you need strength to keep pushing forward and whenever you need clarity on a confusing situation they will bring you the answers. Whenever you go through heartbreak especially romantically you can call on them to bring you love or make you feel loved in that moment, the message I got from them is “I’ve never met anyone like you” I see that they were very in love with you when you were together. They want to remind you that the people you meet are not coincidences and they are bringing you closer to your life purpose. Also know that you’re never alone because they’re always with you. Their energy is very warm and inviting.

Spirit guide #2

So sadly enough I actually have 2 of your parents here as guides whether it may be you lost someone in this life or these are past life parents you once had so this one is your mother

She choose to be your guide to help you heal, she’s coming up as the warrior, she is someone who is very strong, considering I have both your parents here and I can see the difference in their energies I feel like your mother was the one who was a little more stern or strict than the father, but it was because she was very protective over you, she always the best for you, she’s here to help you form boundaries, forgive others who hurt you so you can have peace of mind but know when it’s time to walk away. She will remove others from your life when they no longer serve you and I promise you she is very picky with who she allows in your life, she wants you to learn your own lessons of course but she still has this very protective motherly energy over you who worries a lot. With the message of “we just can’t be together right now” I feel like she misses you alot, you can call on her when you need help with spirituality, your psychic powers, when you’re giving birth or creating new things/ artistic abilities, also to help heal your inner child. I don’t know if the name Marina is significant to you but I heard that.

Spirit guide #3

Your father from a past life or current if you lost them in this one, it’s interesting because even if they’re not here physically they still have that fatherly provider energy, if you ever need help with finances call on them and they will help bring the right opportunities to you, they may attract alot of fortune to you if you ask for it, they love watching over you which is why they chose you they’re just as protective as your mom but have more of a playful energy they may have been those type of adults that refused to grow up or lose their childish side, and because of that they like bringing light hearted events into your life, and making you laugh. They miss you greatly and this is someone that for some reason you guys may have not had closure maybe in a past life it didn’t end on the best terms and they deeply regret that, maybe they weren’t as present enough or feel like they didn’t give you enough which is probably why they also chose to be your guide, to give to you the things they couldn’t on earth. They want to remind you to get out of your head and this imprisonment you may put yourself in at times, you’re free to do whatever you want don’t let anxiety hold you back, but on the other hand if there are doors closed on your face know that it’s for a reason or simply not the right time.

Spirit guide #4

(I say she here but remember to switch the pronouns to whatever suits you)

This is your higher self, they seem very mature ofc because they’re experienced but they seem to purposely hand you challenges to see if you’ve learned your lesson or not, like if you’ve been put in many similar situations with people or circumstances and you know what the outcome will be are you going to choose a different path or are you going to have to make yourself repeat the same lesson?, they are that inner voice that guides you, if you want to connect with your higher self more mediation and being in a quiet place Is recommend. They get frustrated with you when you don’t make long term plans, miss opportunities because you think the results will be too slow, they also want you to make better financial judgments and decisions. Your higher self is funny she is someone very direct so if you ever need an answer to something she won’t sugar coat and will make sure the answer is right in your face so you have no excuses but to take it for face value. Her message is “you’ll hear from me soon” so watch out for any downloads you may receive soon or any synchronicities/signs know that they’re from her trying to tell you something. She loves when you introspect because that’s when you’ll hear from her most since this is a very mental energy. All the answers are within.

------------ PILE FOUR @neptunianspell

who are your spirit guides?

your spirit guides consist mostly of ancestors and one deity whose name or role i cannot identify at the moment but i hear that they appear often in your dreams. you come from a long line of hard working, strong people that had to sacrifice so much in order to make a living. it might not resonate for immediate family but rather generations that had walked the earth long before you were born. they seem a bit possessive over you? in the way that they are so attached i could feel them right from the moment i started pulling cards. i know that guides (based on my knowledge) have left their ego behind but yours are making me feel some type of rage. they could be angry at those who have caused harm to you and whenever something similar happens, they take immediate action. i wonder if the deity i was speaking could be one that harbours a lot of force like ares or athena, because now I am starting to feel very driven. i don't get much information if i am being honest, as if your guides would prefer more privacy (and something is telling me they want you to keep certain details to yourself as well). it's a weird thing for me to say but they are honestly cool??? like the type of guides anyone would want to have because they are so inspirational and badass yet humble? they have a very grounded energy which isn't overwhelming yet it creates an impression. this reading is all over the place and disorganized and so is my way of expressing the channeled message but i always take it as a sign that there is something that needs to be discovered by the person who is receiving the reading. now, when i think about that specific deity my mind goes to a hawk and i am sensing that they are the one you should go to for advice and direction in life. they follow you every step of the way, trying to pull you towards the right side and sending a specific angel number you frequently see. they might even visit your dreams as a hidden figure who is half present, half distant and you can't make out who they are. as for your ancestors, most of them could be women and their role is to help you grow specifically? one of them is tougher than the rest in particular and any time you make a wrong choice, that is either morally incorrect or immature, they give you somewhat of a spiritual slap. it comes as the air being knocked out of you or tripping over nothing. another one comes to you when the night approaches and watches you in your sleep, most of the messages received then being sent by them!

what are their messages?

lovely, you are doing a great job with your healing! i know thongs haven't been going exactly the way you've expected or you believe your progress is slower than you would have wanted but that couldn't be further from the truth. all that tough energy from before has now turned into an ocean of love and warmth, your guides wishing you could feel how proud they are of you! you need to take more breaks, especially after you work or you put your energy into something draining and allow yourself to enjoy just the present. they also want you to continue shadow work and introspection and make it a main focus in the few months to come. i got the ten of cups and in my deck, the image represents a parental figure embracing her children in a happy, content way. this shows me that you should pay attention to your own inner child's needs and wants. play with it more! try to think about the positive moments from your past and really embody that innocent energy, no matter what your age is. i am just feeling as if you should not pay that much attention to the future but more the present moment and past moments that have a special place in your heart. there is always calm before the storm and by this, your guides are telling you there are great things to come, it's just that you need to be still for now. there is a male in your life represented by the emperor that has to go is what they show me. whether it's a friend, coworker or a lover, someone with a masculine energy has been causing you to feel tired, as if they suck you dry of energy. it doesn't have to be a male, it can be a woman too whose personality is very similar to this card's.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for the way this friendship ended?

It's over and done now but I still feel guilty. I met this person on tumblr years ago, like ten, and we got close, sort of big sister/little sister sort of thing since we had a bit of an age gap, I would try to give advice, we sent each other parcels, that sort of thing. Last summer, I even flew to visit them for quite a few days and we had a really good time. They confided in me about being nonbinary and after I went home, I spent more and more time every day sort of fielding...their drama. About their family and their mental illness and their gender identity, they sort of just spouted it all out and I tried my best to be really supportive and not put them down even when it was complaining about how their parents got takeout from the wrong place. (Yes, a rant that I received at least once a week.)

It got worse from there. I ended up staying up until 3am, 4am, having these long text conversations about the problems in their life, and since they talked about suicidal (and I talked them down SEVERAL times during the course of our correspondence) I never disagreed with what they were complaining about, even if I did think they were actually in the wrong. I didn't want to upset someone who seemed in a very delicate place.

Anyway, one morning I wake up and they're telling me they want to make a cake to reveal their gender identity to their parents. Specifically a blue and white and pink cake. I asked why they wouldn't use the colors for the nonbinary flag, since that was, until that moment, what they had always told me they identified as, and they got really mad, said I was transphobic, didn't message me until later to inform me that after telling their therapist what I had done, they could move on. So I was a little confused since it seemed that they had decided they weren't nonbinary anymore, and this argument started over a hypothetical cake. Also I was a little frustrated that they had--the night before--given me the list of things they were going to talk about with their therapist and instead spent that time complaining about me, who at that point was so sleep-deprived from staying up late every single night just trying to keep them from feeling suicidal...idk I was frustrated.

Anyway, after a few days, they contacted me, and I told them that I couldn't keep doing the whole sounding board thing. I couldn't just be the person they complained at, and it wasn't fair to me that they were placing so much stress on me every time they would talk about being suicidal and use me as a way to come down instead of someone in their house who could actually physically be there. I also admitted that I would lie to them and say I agreed with their complaints because I wanted them to stay happy with me and not feel attacked. They replied that I was obviously very untrustworthy and we could no longer have any sort of relationship because of what I had done. And we basically cut all contact. They deleted all their social media and I was forbidden from texting/emailing them so I literally have no idea if someone I cared enough about a year ago to spend the money to fly to visit is still alive.

I just don't know. I feel super guilty about it all and AITA for this? I thought I was doing my best to be supportive but I just screwed everything up and lost a ten year friendship because of a make-believe cake.

What are these acronyms?

[kairithemang0]

it always hurts to think about the fact that Tatiana was the one who said “Owen” when he came out from behind the curtain and not Curt. Curt just stands there, shocked. He’s terrified, he freezes. The first thing he says is “how are you here”, and then “why are you here”. I swear, this poor guy. And the fact that Tatiana, who has only really heard stories of Owen, and maybe saw a few pictures if Curt kept any and decided to show her (I’d like to think he did keep a picture of Owen on him, dunno it’s cute) just knew that it was Owen. It’s just the way that Curt freezes, the way he walks back just a bit when Owen starts talking, just trying to figure out how Owen, Owen who’s been dead for 4 years, could possibly be here, and not only that, could be the deadliest man alive, the man who tortured him days prior. I’m rewatching the scene now, it’s been a minute, but the way Curt stutters at “how are you here” is so painful. He left Owen, he wanted to put Owen behind him and he wanted to move on, meanwhile he’s being confronted by Owen mere days after he finally got back on his feet. I feel like “you’re dead” is more of him trying to get himself to believe Owen is still dead now, I think in some way he’s experienced this before, some type of hallucination trying to make him believe Owen is still there. And yet here stands the real Owen, who is not only alive, but wants him dead and wants to go against everything they ever believed in. Ugh the way Owen insults him is everything to me, because in some way it is true, Curt is arrogant and impulsive, he probably did feel like the dumb one on the team at multiple points. Ughhhhh what if these were insecurities he actually told Owen? What if he was able to open up to him about the fear he’s arrogant and impulsive and was made to feel stupid by the people around him and Owen reassured him at the time he wasn’t and now he’s the one telling him? Sorry I’m overthinking this scene I just love it. And then the one time Curt gets something right HE STILL INSULTS HIM. Off topic but Curt’s “rocks?” Is so cute to me idk why it just is. Rocks? Gah I love them. Owen’s little annoyed slow turn after “huh” is everything to me IM SORRY IM LOSING MY MIND.

Ok I meant to do this months ago but here’s my overthinking of the line of “I’d be god, what kind of a world would that be?” You can’t really see exactly who he’s looking at, but I swear it’s Curt. He’s looking directly at Curt and saying that a world where he’s god would be better than this one. At least that’s how I’m reading it. honestly I doubt Curt or Owen believed in god at that point, through all they’ve been through, for all the things they’ve done, though the fact that at this time homosexuality was seen as “sexual perversion” and against the will of god. I dunno, I’m really overthinking this. I don’t know where I’m going with this tbh, frankly that’s all of my posts

the way Curt hesitates at “good thing we’re here to stop you” is interesting to me. Does he want to stop Owen? I mean yes of course he wants to stop this plan of his, but does he want to actually hurt Owen at this time? I think he’s still processing the fact Owen has been the DMA, that Owen tortured him. I think at his time he isn’t set on killing him, that maybe things could work if he somehow gets Owen back on their side and thinking clearly. I think once he kills the informant, that's when he really questions it. The informant isn't just some random person who they need to kill to get out of some warehouse, he's someone Curt knows and may not be close with but does care about. Owen didn't need to kill him, he just sort of wanted to.

I think the fact Curt at first wanted to go and destroy the compound is interesting, he knew what was going to happen by then. He knew one of them wasn't going to make it out alive and that this wasn't going to end well. I'd love to see a Tatiana staircase scene with Owen, I don't think it would be as emotional, but I think it would reveal a lot more about Curt and Owen's relationship. Tatiana, even if Curt hasn't explicitly told her he and Owen were once together (i think he did personally), it would be interesting to hear Owen's point of view on that. Actually I may write that... hmm.

Well here are some really incoherent thoughts for yall