#I know this will never happen for a variety of reasons starting with the fact that it would require a Disney character

[regallibellbright]

I am of the firm opinion that, until EXPLICITLY proven otherwise by canon, Kingdom Hearts Court Magician Donald Duck spent most of his childhood and adolescence traveling across the worlds on adventures with his Uncle Scrooge, and that's where he learned magic.

This is also where he discovered a lot of magical items, not to mention all the ones SCROOGE found, so honestly Donald doesn't even bother to keep track of all the treasures in the Duck Family's possession, no one does really, not even SCROOGE knows, he'll go digging one up because he needs one for a specific purpose/adventure and in the process he'll unearth like five similar ones he just plain forgot about.

Obviously Scrooge continued adventuring while Donald was off being a Musketeer, including at least one use of Zettaflare that is forever engraved in Goofy and Mickey's memories but for Donald was just in his bottom quarter of all-time adventure rankings, and obviously Scrooge continued finding fantastical treasures that he may or may not know the significance of. There's at least one magical sword that's currently being used at the Bistro as a knife because it never loses its edge.

What I'm saying is Scrooge McDuck is a Keyblade wielder and you cannot convince me otherwise. A weapon that can also open any chest is INVALUABLE to an adventurer like him, are you kidding? When he retired from adventuring in favor of being a full-time entrepreneur he just chucked it in the bin with everything else. Probably he managed to find one of the Foretellers' old Keyblades lying around or something. It'd just figure. No one told HIM he was needed for a war between light and darkness for the fate of all the worlds! Donald never tells him where he's been these days!

While I laid out this proposition to a friend on Discord, she agreed and added that Webby should get a Keyblade too.

Conclusion:

This is the current wielder of Ira's Keyblade. Scrooge had it lying around for a decade in some attic somewhere, Webby thought the unicorn was cool, and Scrooge figured, hey! Every child should have a good set of lockpicks for treasure chests and a means of self-defense, and it's not as though he's using it for anything important!

When Donald finds this out, he will be disappointed, but not surprised.

[itsclydebitches]

Just finished Good Omens 2 and I'm honestly boggling at the Aziraphale hate because yes, his decision led to the angsty cliffhanger, but it makes SO much sense for his character. Not just in a "Religious brainwashing and sunk-cost fallacy" kinda way but also a "Aziraphale has no reason to believe this isn't the perfect solution" way. That scene among the nebula is crucial because it establishes that Crowley loved being an angel—reveled in his ability to create and allow his creations to grow kinda like plants—and the only problem was that someone else was calling the shots, someone who wouldn't listen to his criticism. Aziraphale has also spent 6,000+ years watching Crowley do good, all the while forced to deny the fact that he's "nice" lest embracing his original nature get him into trouble with hell. Now, Metatron comes along with an offer that fixes everything in one fell swoop. Crowley can be an angel again, be nice without censure, his ideas and criticisms will hold weight because he'll be answering to Aziraphale, and they'll be together.

It strikes me that Aziraphale isn't there when Crowley sees Gabriel's trial, ergo he likewise doesn't see the (non)acknowledgement that there's an institutional problem up in Heaven. There just happen to have been two archangels who called it quits. Same when Gabriel blurts that phrase out to Crowley. Aziraphale has always been more blind to the ways in which Heaven is "toxic" (for very understandable reasons) and this season he's continually sheltered from new evidence of its structural problems. The plot just preaches to the choir: Crowley. He likewise wouldn't see the conflict Gabriel and Beelzebub have caused as evidence of an underlying problem because that's a problem he and Crowley will no longer share. Why would they be worried about Heaven still being unable to accept partnerships between angels and demons when Crowley will no longer be a demon? And that's something he presumably wants based on Aziraphale's memories of him and the ongoing admission that he's lonely.

The way I see it, they got what they thought they wanted at the start of Season 2. Heaven and Hell are keeping an eye on them, but functionally they're left alone. Crowley can spend all the time he wants with Aziraphale and nothing comes of that except that they're both continually named traitors and the higher-ups grumble about it. If Gabriel had never shown up, things should have been perfect based on Crowley's "Let's just run away and have each other's company" standards. Better, even, considering that they get to be together on their beloved Earth, rather than being bored out in Alpha Centauri without any sushi, plants, books, or Bentleys. And yet... Crowley doesn't strike me as particularly happy. Because, you know, based on that kiss he wants to be with Aziraphale, not just literally be with him, but the point of this post is that his "Let's run away and be an 'us'" falls totally flat when he doesn't explain that specific desire to Aziraphale; the desire to change what an 'us' means. From Aziraphale's perspective they're already an 'us.' That was the entire point of "our side" in Season 1 and now they can continue to be 'us' up in Heaven. Plus, Aziraphale likely sees this as a sacrifice on his part. He will give up his bookshop, his Earthly indulgences, take on the responsibilities of leadership (which I don't think he actually wants for a variety of reasons), and spend the rest of eternity in a place where he's felt so small because he thinks that's what Crowley wants. Crowley was happy as an angel. Crowley wanted them to be together without risk of permanent discorporation. They were able to achieve that after not-Armageddon and he still wasn't happy... so surely those two things together will do the trick. Crowley never actually articulates how he wants their relationship to change and the kiss comes much too late, when he's already rejected what Aziraphale must see as a perfect, selfless solution he's secured for them. Even if Crowley wasn't always moving too fast for him, an overture of romance isn't going to go well after that.

Is this crushing and angsty and devastating as a hiatus? Damn straight, my heart it breaking. But it's a good setup. More importantly, it makes perfect sense for their characters, particularly when they're still talking past one another. Aziraphale is someone who has always moved more slowly as a matter of course, as an angel he has remained immersed in the rhetoric of Heaven, his main avenue of breaking free of that (Crowley) has a huge communication problem (to say nothing of his own denial. He only made headway with the help of Nina and Maggie, seconds before Aziraphale shows up), and Metatron (in a no doubt incredibly manipulative manner) has just offered Aziraphale a job that presumably makes him happy AND Crowley happy AND allows him to maintain the moral this-is-how-the-universe-works perspective he's had since he was literally created. Of course he's going to say yes to all that!! And sure, there are problems in Heaven, Aziraphale isn't completely blind, but he can fix them now that he's in charge. How? Well... he'll figure that out later! Kinda like how he's been making plans on the fly this entire season. That seems logical from his perspective, right? It's not like he's gotten a crash-course in the concept of the master's tools never being able to dismantle the master's house...

[rie-092]

CHILDHOOD FRIEND

✶﹒ yandere! kim raebin x childhood friend! reader

honestly, i can't see kim raebin getting close to a woman who is completely stranger to him. so, let's just say that you were the daughter of their neighbour who is also his childhood friend.

we all know how introverted kim raebin was, so you had a hard time on getting close with him. because he always avoids you, or if you ever found a perfect time to talk to him, he always hisses making you blink. because for someone who looks like a bunny, kim raebin sure acts like a cat around you.

but wanna know how the two of you got close to each other? it's simple. it's because kim raebin accidentally saw you playing a guitar at a school event back when the two of you were in third grade. and boy, he was overjoyed! because this was the first time that he saw someone interested in music just like him!

at first, kim raebin was really shy when the two of you played or rather spent time together while playing various music instruments or making songs. but expect that after that, he would be so clingy. clingy to the point that he would follow you around like a damn puppy. at first, you thought that it was cute— not until you knew that he started stalking you around when you didn't hangout with him for a few days because you were too busy with school works.

what did you do? of course, you confronted him. but look, even though kim raebin has a problem when it comes on socializing with other people. it wasn't the same with you, because this guy knew everything about you. from your likes and dislikes, your habits, hell, even your measurements! that was the main reason why he easily changed the flow of the argument. he easily made you think that you are the one who's imagining that he was stalking you just because you missed hanging out with him, damn this smart guy.

kim raebin is so damn good when it comes to manipulating you into thinking that you were always the wrong one. forcing you to hang out with him without you thinking that he is actually forcing you. but, don't worry because kim raebin will never hurt you, he swear.

that's why when you heard that he got scouted on a certain entertainment company. you were overjoyed about this. because raebin will finally be able to achieve his dream and of course, you will be able to escape his clutches.

but, boy! kim raebin is a smart guy. because a year after kim raebin became a trainee, you got scouted too, by the same company that scouted kim raebin. how did that happen? you have no fucking idea. the only thing that they said is that they liked the song that you sent to them when you didn't actually send them one of your pieces. but who in the hell did sent it to them? you couldn't helped but to wonder. of course, it was a certain black-haired bunny who was overjoyed when he saw you confusedly stepped onto the company. and kim raebin— along with cha eugene who pestered raebin to introduce him to you welcomed you with the usual excited expression of his.

fast forward, when raebin debuted on testar, you also debuted and became the main vocalist, main rapper and lead dancer of your group. raebin liked the fact that everyone shipped the two of you. when does it start again? when you and raebin got invited to a certain variety show where the two kpop artists got partnered with each other and do certain tasks to see how compatible they were with each other. and seeing how the two of you easily do those tasks without even getting shy with each other, the host couldn't help but to ask the reason behind it. and when the two of you said that you were childhood friends. the internet got into chaos, fuck, childhood friends? everyone loves that kind of trope!

and now, he can visit you anytime he wants. seeing you and him eating together? it's fine, you were childhood friends after all! but seeing you getting partnered with a kpop artist who is not raebin? expect that everyone will criticize that idol because of that.

and raebin was satisfied with what was happening. he loved the fact that he was able to tie you down with him without you realizing it. it's fine even if you get into a secret relationship with other famous people. because once that was discovered by the public. he just needs to act pitiful and his and your fans will do the work to force you break up with whoever that guy was.

look, he likes you. he respects your decisions and choices but seeing you with other people makes his skin crawl. so, can you stay with him and do him a favour just like the old days, will you? because if you do that, he will gladly remain still and take care of you and protect your career.

“ i'm doing you a favour, you're just too irrational to see that right now, (first name).”

[glassrowboat]

Morning After

Authors note: This includes a variety of my own headcanons on these characters. The reader is gender neutral. This includes only the male harbingers, but I am willing to write one for the chicks too ^^

Capitano.

-The instant you stirred in your sleep, just the slightest twitch, and you were pinned to the mattress with a looming figure above you. His black hair tickled your skin, swaying back and forth from the sudden movement, but that was barely a concern when this man who had been so sweet with you last night was suddenly acting like a switch that flipped off in his brain. All you could tell was one discernable thing after the sudden surprise: there was no escape if he didn't want there to be.

-”Capitano?” You called out, voice hesitant and barely a whisper as fear choked back the ability to speak confidently.

-Immediately the tense nature that had over taken his form fell, shoulders no longer strung together as that soldier who had been pinning you down held you close and started apologizing for startling you.

-He didn't have to say it, he didn't want to, bit for a moment there the Captain had mistaken you for someone that crept into his chambers with ill intent. He's a soldier. War is what he's known for. This caution just comes with the territory.

-To make up for his own actions he makes sure you're well fed, given a hearty breakfast (one a little too big for you to fully eat but he doesn't mind giving you some Tupperware to take it home in) and tea.

-It's just he's a terrible conversationalist, barely talking as he just nods along to whatever you say, making you carry the flow the entire morning as he adds in an occasion “yes, interesting, or no.”

-At least he's handsome under that helmet.

Childe.

-Fell off the bed the moment he saw you, a shout falling from his lips from the surprise of the fall and well, this naked person in his bed.

-Why he didn't expect you to wake up and throw a pillow at his head for being so darn loud when you have a hangover? Well, only Celestia knows. Though he didn't bother to block it, simply accepted getting hit as it didn't even knock him back.. well that is if he didn't play along and dramatically fell down onto the floor.

-”Are you always such a drama queen?”

-”A guy can't play along with a joke?”

-Very sweet, but a little bit annoying as he asks about you in as many questions he can think of. What's your favorite color? What's your job?

-Admittedly Childe has never had a one night stand before so he doesn't know what to do in this position so when you give him a sweet smile and tell him to just to let you get dressed for now he goes to get a stray shirt for you.

-Definitely wants to see you again, and not just in the bedroom.

-”So where do you come from?”

-”Give me five minutes for fucks sake.”

Dottore.

-First off, what? He's aware each harbinger has their own little dedicated fan club, even him…for some reason. Yet for him to willingly bring someone, possibly one of them, to his bed? People aren't allowed in his personal quarters. Hell, he barely uses it himself, opting to sleep on that one couch in the laboratory. So why the switch in his normal behavioral patterns?

-(I personally see Dottore as a virgin so for this dweeb to lose it this way-)

-Admittedly, he's on edge from trying to remember what happened, the haze of sleep, and the shock of seeing someone he apparently trusted enough to bring to bed. It only made sense he was scowling at this sleeping body. It wouldn't be easy enough to just call it a new test subject, use the sheets as restraints to drag this stranger down to his lab and shove them in a cell but..

-Maybe not this time.

-Instead he gets up and throws on some clothes as quickly as possible, making sure to slot his mask in place despite the fact you have very obviously already seen what lies underneath. That and more.

-It has proven more useful than not to use that thing to hide his expressions.

- Depending on if he drank last night and that's what had him indulging in the warmth of another person's body, Dottore would have one of his clones stand by until you wake up. They can deal with the situation from there and take you home while he gets some caffeine in his body. An easy way to rid of a hangover and forget his newfound company.

-If it was a completely sober decision, Dottore no longer has the excuse that he simply got ahead of himself from the drink and would therefore be hostile in response. Unable to put up with this one bit, he would be telling his bed partner to get dressed and head home already so he can get back to work instead of watching over pointless little you.

-Don't try and say anything about possibly being emotionally attached, it would only anger him. Boy is not used to being open or vulnerable with anyone and you suddenly appearing and having held him so close last night would only set him off in the worst of ways.

Pantalone.

-First thing this man notices is he's just not as comfy as usual, somehow this mattress isn't right, he isn't sinking into the soft plush he spent thousands on. Not even his haze of grogginess was enough to make tossing and turning twist his body into comfort. (Goldilocks having motherfucker). So with a steady hand he reaches out to find his glasses on the nightstand, silver chains rattling on the surface as he pulls them close.

-A one night stand isn't an uncommon thing to the regrator, for him it's happened a small handful of times before but it's never something he's typically the better for in the morning. A man of his position caught slinking into a woman's bedroom as they drunkenly grope at eachother was far from a good look. Not to mention you never knew if the individual would keep their mouth shut.

-That has been a problem with one particular individual in the past that has henceforth been ‘dealt with.’

-But the person laying besides him was still conked out and wrapped in a good majority of the blankets the bedding had to offer. Well, a bit of a thief aren't they? Pantalone almost wanted to laugh but kept his mouth sealed shut, already knowing it's best not to wake you.

-Slowly he got up and out of the bed, trying to keep it from creaking too loudy, to put on last night's clothes. He'll take a shower and get changed into something clean later.

-With one last peak towards the stranger he spent the night with Pantalone slipped out of the front door.

Pierro.

-He's confused.

-Now he understands what happened, the sight of you naked and curled up into him is more than enough to make that clear; though your underwear basically on his favorite pillow definitely would have gotten the point across either way. But, like, him? You who look so much younger, livelier compared to what Pierro sees in the mirror every day after five hundred years haunting him.

-Maybe that joke the second made about people liking ‘older folks’ was based on reality.

-Would greedily allow himself to hold you in his arms for a time. It started with him first saying one minute, that's all he'd allow himself. Then that turned into five, then ten, then twenty. Eventually he would barely wish to nudge you awake even though he knows better.

-Don't go getting attached when there's so much left to do.

-When he finally did wake you up he did his best to make sure you wouldn't get startled, softly calling out the name he was given last night. It's just a shame you do, startling as your hand nearly wacked his face from sheer shock. (Though who can blame you? It's not everyday you blearliy open your eyes, vision still blurry as you take in a man with white hair and stars in his- wait is that the fucking Pierro? Oh fuck).

-The type to help you find your clothes and call for a cab so he knows you get home safely.

-Now all that's left is trying to figure out how to hide the hickey you planted on him.

Scaramouche.

-Let's be real here, you're not making it to the morning.

-He had no clue why he was allowing this, allowing a humans lips to fall to his own with such fevered need. In any other situation he'd be pushing them off, telling this person they're a useless worm that shouldn't ever have walked these lands if all they was going to do was use their life to paw at him. Oh but to worshipped was a delight.

-Kisses pressed to the wooden skin of his puppet body like small prayers to the God he will one day be. This is what humans are made for, aren't they? To give their all to a greater being. So readily Scaramouche let himself be tugged along as you pulled him to wherever you pleased, ready to lavish in the attention he so rarely got.

-A human isn't a threat after all.

-Yet when you tugged on his short, pulling them down just low enough for your mouth to eagerly await something filling it, everything took a turn for the worst.

-”Wait a minute, you don't have genitals?”

-And in a heartbeat you were struck with a bolt of lightning that had you dead on the spot.

[threepandas]

The Vod's List: Part 2

You know the worst part about the Republic standard hazard mask? No, not the "for dealing WITH hazardous materials" one. The "your species can be fully or partially CONSIDERED one, so to interact with the rest of polite society you gotta wear protection so we don't DIE" one. THAT hazard mask. From the set.

Yeah, you the worst part about THAT mask?

It's like someone really, REALLY high up in power DELIBERATELY made the who set as... well, for lack of a better term? Slave-like and uncomfortable as possible. As humiliating as possible. Like they WANTED the people who had to wear it, to suffer and be upset. And like? I KNOW it's probably just some really REALLY out of touch politician? Who's never had to WEAR one of these kriffing things in their karking LIFE?

But come ON! It looks and feels like a MUZZLE.

A BADLY FITTED ONE at that! Like? And don't ask me how I KNOW this? Because the holonet is deep and filled with weird wondrous horrors? Buuuuut... according to CERTAIN individuals. Who HAVE reviewed a VARIETY of muzzles for... personal reasons? And Bones bless! No judgment! According to certain Unnamed Experts of The Field, as it were?

.......these masks kriffing SUCK nifflestones.

Padding is shit. Airflow it terrible. Not customized for individual races AT ALL. Just? Mouth a "hazard"? Cover it. Who CARES if that means the individual kriffing suffocates. Or karking near DROWNS on their own threat or stress response. To say NOTHING of those who have to routinely either use their mouth's "hazard" or have it TRIGGERED by something pressing AGAINST their jaw!

It's a genuinely terrible design! Almost deliberately so. Keeps a lot of people from ever even bothering from leaving their planet's.

Why do I bring this up? Because working at the senate building is stressful. Dealing with sleemo plasbone's who like to shove me around cause I'm in a glorified MUZZLE is stressful. Knowing I recently infected an innocent man is KARKING STRESSFUL!

And you know what the Techganic response to STRESS is?!

Drool and STRESS BITING.

My ENTIRE fucking BLOODLINE was literally genetically ENGINEERED to fight in a FUCKING HOLY WAR! With BIOLOGICAL WARFARE. We BITE! We bite A LOT!! We are, in fact, SUPPOSED to bite! It's like the unsacred, technological abomination child of those ancient human tales of the "zombie" and the "ber-serker"!

Stress? Stress means we are in battle. Being attacked. Threatened. Stress means ATTACK. Bite and bite and BITE. Thanks the Bones and Blood, I've never been THAT stresssed. I even had to take a test for it! Anyone with a hair trigger is NOT allowed off planet. I'm considered absurdly calm. Chill.

Doesn't mean I WON'T.

Just that it would take A LOT.

But the drool? THAT is involuntary. Is the prelude you can't escape. The means of SPREAD. Of WARRING against the machines. Organic nanite against technological nanites. Host against host. Spread against spread. Ours was a story of PLAUGES. And it left no unchanged survivors.

I get that. I DO. The horrors of our history, the fear and terrors. The resistance forces who wanted no part in the war. Who tried to escape.

What happened to them.

I REALIZE that... that a single Techganic dropped on pretty much any planet can start a nanite plague that can't be stopped. That the more stressed we get, the more our instincts demand we Spread Ourselfs. The water, the soil, the air. Yeah, we can get DANGEROUS.

But we aren't ANIMALS.

We are not who we used to BE. WHAT we used to be. Show me the planet without blood in its past and I will show you a planet that has wiped its past away.

Which is all well and good...but...

I'M FUCKING DROWNING.

These karking hazard masks are so, SO stupid and I'm trying not to panic. My hands shaking. Because if I panic? I will be stressed. If I am kriff KARKING STRESSED, I will drool FASTER. And there is no room. My karking mask is FULL OF LIQUID AND NOT DRAINING FAST ENOUGH.

I struggle with the latches. They are wet. Because my hands are wet. My neck is wet. EVERYTHING IS WET. The mask doesn't even WORK to contain the "hazard"! My hands can't get a grip on the latches. My lungs are burning for air but I can't... if I try to breath now... I'll just get... just get!

I'm in a side hall.

Would anyone even find me? Oh Stars. I'm going to drown.

Except not. Quick heavy steps down the hallway. Two gaurds spot me after turning a corner, break into a sprint. Once again the Coruscant gaurds are a beacon of calm in my darkest moment. One gently pulling my frantic hands away from my mask so the other can quickly work out how to unlock it.

With a gush, air finally hits my face as the mask unlocks and begins to be pulled away. I sputter. Cough. I think I may be weeping. The hallways is spinning as air finally rushs back in. My front is DRENCHED and I hate it. It's so gross. There was nothing I could DO and I felt like an animal. Feel like a mess.

Every drop of it is deadly. The whole hallway will have to be deep cleaned.

Am I apologizing? I think I'm apologizing.

The gaurds are so nice. Talking in low, reassuring voices as the stay with me. They called a medic. Ask me about my hobbies to distract me. A playful argument on how to "properly" take your Caf. Which local diner is the best.

I am gently bundled off by the medic, once he arrives. Another of the Guard thank Stars. The Senatorial medical team are so... judge-y. The Guard's medical is patient and professional, though the only thing he can offer me to change into is the blacks that the gaurd wear under their armor.

Tell NO ONE... but I feel kinda cool. Look at me~ I'm all holo thriller and mysterious in these. I get to KEEP them too!

Not getting the mask back though.

It nearly killed me. That and my asshole coworker who deliberately stressed me out earlier. He... the Guard ARRESTED him. And... look, I KNOW I shouldn't smile. I shouldn't. His life is probably ruined. But... but the sleemo harrased EVERYBODY. Anybody he thought he could abuse? He DID.

Looks like he finally went too far.

I lay back. Not allowed to lean until the medic is SURE there is no secondary drowning symptoms. I grab the shirt that turned out to be just a touch too small and fold it up, drape it over my eyes. It blocks out the light pretty well. I get comfortable.

As I drift off... I'm unaware that the Vod around me stop bothering to pretend the AREN'T blatantly watching me. That the normally sparsely populated medicenter ISNT damn near full of every Vod not currently on duty. The cheif medical officer himself, carefully collecting what he can from my mask.

A dense crowd of eyes slowly run over black clad limbs.

Looking to THEM. Trusting THEM. Threatened, in need of back up. Look how TIRED she was. How vulnerable. Wearing part their uniform. Like a lover, having stolen their clothes.

She trusted them above the natborns. PREFERRED them.

Thoughts began to stir... they wonder...

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

Hi! I'm so glad to see you're accepting requests again.

If it's not too much trouble, and it's not against the rules, I would like a HC of Fuegoleon, Nozel, and William have an S/O who was previously in a toxic/abusive relationship prior to starting a relationship with them, and running into said ex who wants to restart relationship with said S/O.

Hiya~! ^^

Glad to hear that you're glad ^^ No worries, it's not against the rules. Hope you like these

Pairings: Fuegoleon x gn!reader, Nozel x gn!reader, William x gn!reader Fanfic type: Headcanons Genre: Hurt-comfort (?) Total length: ~1.8k Content warnings: Contains references/implied former toxic/abusive relationship between reader and their ex, reader experiences anxiety/uneasiness as a result of running into the ex, the ex used he/him pronouns, (though meant as a coincidence, some parts can be interpreted as stalker-ish behaviour on ex's part), the BC men are there to support/save reader from the situation at the end though, so happy ending

Fuegoleon

You’re out on the town, just spending time together on his day off. For a moment you wander closer to a small boutique as he wonders about which café to go to. And you hear someone calling you from the crowd, which causes you to instinctively turn your head towards the sound. But as you do, you instantly recognize your ex, and it makes your entire body tense up.

You left that relationship in the past for a good reason. For a very god damn good reason. And you never want to go back to it.

Plus, you’re happy with Fuegoleon. More than happy.

Thus, seeing your ex is one of the last things that you want to experience.

And yet, there he is. Casually coming up to you and starting to talk about how much he misses you and how you were the best thing to happen to him, and how he wants you back. Honestly, as he starts to ramble about how he has changed, you tune out, and all you can do is think about how you do not want to be there.

But Fuegoleon has been watching the entire exchange, which hasn’t taken more than some tens of seconds. And at first, the casual “hell” could simply have been an old acquaintance coming to greet you, which in itself wasn’t a cause for concern. However, as he sees your body tensing up, and hears the talk about “I want you back in my life,” it’s more than evident to him what’s going on.

He doesn’t want to cause a scene, however. It would just escalate the situation. So, he simply starts walking closer, and calls out with an audible, but not too loud voice: “My love, would you prefer a café or a restaurant?”

It causes both you and your ex to look towards him, and while relief settles in you, you can see your ex’s eyes shift between you and Fue.

There’s a wide variety of emotions flashing in your ex’s eyes, anger being one of them.

But as Fue wraps his arm around your middle and pulls you closer, making a clear gesture that you are together, your ex looks away and mutter something under his breath.

Lucky for you he’s not dumb enough to start a fight with a Magic Knight Captain.

“I’m happy where I am now,” you still say to your ex, mustering all your courage, which causes him to glare at you.

But as said, trying to battle with a Captain, and a Royal, is a losing battle for him. So, he mutters something else, and turns on his heels with hunched shoulders.

Fue then leans closer to whisper into your ear “are you alright?”

And honestly “I am, now that you are here,” you whisper back. Because you are.

You’d always be alright, as long as he’s there.

Nozel

You were coming back from the castle with Nozel, heading towards the Silver Eagle’s headquarters after running an errand with him. But he was stopped by a higher ranking fellow Silver Eagle who had a question to Nozel, so you decided to make your way to the base by yourself. It wasn’t a big deal honestly. And you had no way of knowing how long the matter would take.

Besides, you had things to do yourself. Too many things to take care of, in fact, which is why you got lost in your thoughts as you walked. But you were waken from them as someone called your name.

And as you looked up, you saw none other than your ex, wearing a smile and waving a hand as he walked toward you intently.

You cursed in your mind, because he was the last person on this earth that you wanted to see.

You had closed that chapter in your life, and you didn’t miss it one bit.

But something in you made you stop in your tracks, as your mind was running a million miles an hour.

Honestly, you didn’t know what to do. You weren’t prepared to face your ex. When you left, you thought that you wouldn’t need to see his face again.

And yet there he was. Talking something about how you looked good, and how he had “seen the error of his ways” or something, and was talking about wanting you back. Going to your favourite restaurant, that you honestly hated now. Not because of the food, but because of the memories.

In that moment, all you could think was running away. Which, in all honesty, made you a little angry. Because you were a knight for god’s sake. You should be able to handle this. But you weren’t able to get a word out as he just stood there with a stupid smile on his face and you just stood there, frozen.

Until you heard another voice coming from behind you, and the expression of your ex changed. From a smile into one of … near fear.

“What is going on here?” You could hear the ice seeping through Nozel’s tone.

“Nothing, I was just catching up with my-“

“Your what?”

You could practically hear the judgemental gaze and a quirked eyebrow you were sure that there was on his face.

“You don’t seem to know your place,” Nozel concluded. “Because you dare show the insolence of trying to court my spouse.”

You could see your ex’s eyes widen as he connected the dots.

“I’m sorry I didn’t realize-“

Silence. Nozel didn’t say anything, but the weight on your shoulder, and the weight of the sheer mana collecting round you told you that Nozel was putting his foot down. Without a word. Because he didn’t need to say anything.

And honestly, Nozel didn’t need your ex to say anything else.

He just wanted him gone. You wanted him gone. Out of your lives.

And your ex took the hint. Ran away with his tail between his legs. Which made you let out a sigh of relief, as Nozel looked around while removing his hand from your shoulder. But he didn’t move away from you. Instead, you could feel him still hovering close to you, as if guarding you.

“Stay close,” he said, but you knew what he meant with it.

He wasn’t a man who was good with words, especially in public. Rather he showed his care through actions. And the way he stayed close to you, spoke volumes about how he felt.

William

You were taking a nature walk behind the bass of the Golden Dawn. Though technically speaking it was a bit more into the forest than “behind the base”, since there was a hiking trail there. But it was relatively close to the base, and practically on your backyard.

In fact, many Golden Dawn members used to travel there whenever they needed time to think, or just a moment for themselves. There was even a particular trail that would take 3 hours to walk if gone through entirely, before entering actual headquarter ground, and was frequented by knights and civilians alike for its beautiful nature.

And the day was beautiful. Birds were singing, and wind was rustling the leaves of nearby trees as sunlight filtered through the foliage as you came into a crossroads of the path you were walking, and one heading to town.

“Hey!” Came a voice from the other path, which caused you to stop. Maybe someone needed help or directions, so of course you’d stop to help.

But the person approaching you waved, seeming okay. So, maybe it was someone you knew? You weren’t entirely sure to be honest.

Not until… he came closer… And you recognized your ex, wearing a hiking outfit.

Why… You grimace in your own mind.

This was one of The Least Likely places to run into him. So *why*? Why here? Why here? Why all in all?

You wanted nothing to do with him. You could have gone for the rest of your life without as much as hearing about him, but here he was, walking down just this hiking trail. On this exact day. On this exact time when you were there.

Fate must’ve hated you. Or so you felt.

“Mmmm…” you muttered, waving your hand and starting to walk again. “I have to go,” you quickly explained.

“Wait, wait wait,” he urged while quickening his own pace, and jogging up to you.

Then he started to talk something about having taken up on hiking because of fresh air doing good to him, or something, and how, though feeling happy about a new hobby, he still missed you and wanted to reconcile with you.

But you did not like the situation. You did not want to be here with him. You didn’t want to be anywhere with him.

“No thanks,” you tried while again quickening your pace.

“Please give me a chance,” he implored, and it just made you want to run.

Until you heard a familiar voice from the woods to your side.

“Oh I didn’t know you were also on a walk,” it was William.

The branches of his World Tree Magic carrying him closer to you, as if a saviour delivered by the forest.

“Though suppose it’s no wonder,” he mused while coming closer to you. “My songbird needs to fly,” his voice was soft and gentle, but there was a weight to his tone and words. As if a stern statement. “And who might you be?” He asked, after placing himself onto the ground next to you, and looking at your ex.

“I’m uhh…” he stumbled on his words, because the statement of ‘my songbird’ had been clear as day. “We used to date…” he muttered.

There was a pause. A pause that must’ve been unsettling to your ex, because even you could feel the tension in the air.

“I see.” William concluded. Leaving it at that.

He didn’t need to say anything more. Why would he? He had established that you two were dating, and your ex was only an unwanted encounter. It might not have been said with words, but the way William stared at your ex, without really staring; watching from the corners of his eyes, told enough.

“Honey…” you manged while turning your head to William.

“Let’s go,” he said to you, turning to you with a smile. “Together,” he added while over you his arm, so that you might link yours to his.

But before you turned to leave, he gave a glance to your ex. One last glance. As if to make a statement.

And your ex heard the message, loud and clear. He wasn’t much of a threat to a Magic Knight’s Captain. Actually, he was no threat at all. Your ex might’ve been a lot of things, but he wasn’t stupid like that.

You smiled, because luck seemed to have been on your side after all. And William really seemed like your guardian angel.

[beanghostprincess]

Sanuso with vampire Sanji not only has "I'll do what you can't do and you do what I can't do", but also "I'll feed you and you feed me"

Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod-

I love this. So much.

So I am not the biggest fan of writing Vampires AUs. I LOVE reading them but I don't think it's my style of writing?? So I never do. But-- But THIS??? Changing my life, honestly. Considering things. Thinking thoughts.

And it's extremely easy to make a plot for this!!!!!! The Vinsmokes are a family of vampires but Sanji is the only human thanks to Sora. Etc etc etc. Wano happens. Don't ask me WHAT happens but SOMETHING happens and Sanji starts slowly turning into a vampire. Worst time of his life for a variety of reasons (from not feeling human to being scared of hurting others and also all the bad things that come with being a vampire. Except for the sun thing because. Well. I want him to be able to be under the sun. Let's just say he's a mix between Vampire and Human).

It'd be so good to see Sanji starving because he refuses to drink blood and he wants to hide this from the rest of the crew. But Usopp inevitably finds out, of course, and he offers his blood to Sanji. And I am. Losing it because now I want to write a super homoerotic bloody scene in which Sanji is refusing to drink Usopp's blood because he doesn't trust himself but Usopp won't stop walking closer and closer to him saying that if he doesn't trust himself it's fine because he trusts him instead... And he says the whole "You cook for us all the time, so it's just fair. You feed me, and I'll feed you. Now drink before you are the first vampire to die out of stubbornness" thing.

I mean, vampires are like. Inherently romantic and erotic so this is just. Woah. Having a million thoughts. I need a MOMENT.

Also??????? Usopp being THE Vampire Hunter™ of the crew??? Imagine Thriller Bark Usopp x Vampire Sanji I am LOSING IT. Brain isn't braining. Maybe I die.

Putting aside the obvious nasty emotional bloody sex these two would have, Usopp would be,, So sweet to Sanji. Because he absolutely hates his situation and he isn't sure if he is ready to tell the others yet. Usopp is always offering him his blood and staying with him when he can't sleep and-- Adding little bat Sanji here??? Can Sanji turn into a bat??? Please yes yes. I want little bat Sanji to be the cutest thing and Usopp just. Loving him. His little bat boyfriend 😭 Usopp knows so many fun facts about bats while Sanji is like. So angry at first bc he has to learn how to change back and fly KJEJFJEFEKDJFNWLEKFNW They're so silly.

When Sanji doesn't feel human Usopp is always there to remind him that he is still himself after all. And Sanji is always scared of hurting him but also-- Have you considered Sanji only turning into a bat bc Usopp is even clingier with him then and he gets pats from his boyfriend? And he's always being so gentle with him too.

They mean the world to me!!!!!!!!!!! Vampire AUs my beloved!!!!!!!

[docholligay]

I Saw the TV Glow

I’m essentially always up for a weird horror movie, so when I saw the ads for I Saw the TV Glow, I knew I was in. I don’t generally look up anything about a movie before I go, and in truth, prefer when a trailer doesn’t tell me all that much about what’s going to happen in a movie. This fit the bill!

Non-spoilery: Go in as blind as possible to this movie. There were a lot of things I thought this movie was going to be about, and it was not any of them. What it ended up being about was fantastic. This movie is really really going to resonate with some people my age and the ages around it. I don’t know if it will be as effective for younger people for a variety of reasons. 

Bear in mind I saw this once several months ago, with spoilers below the cut. 

OKAY. We’re in spoiler zone now, so let’s get into this: This movie is about the experience of being gay or trans, specifically in the late 90s to early aughts. We’ll get more into that later, but I want to put it on the table right now. This movie is horror in a Twilight Zone sense. That is in fact my favorite kind of horror! But if you’re seeing it billed as a horror movie, you may not get out of it what you are expecting. 

The Pink Opaque is absolutely Buffy. So much so that Jetty felt called out multiple times: They use the Buffy font, there’s a cameo from a Buffy actress, etc. The movie is not trying to hide this very well. And the Pink Opaque is not a great show! It’s more of a carriage device for these two teenagers that have something in common, something that sparks a realization between them of who they actually are. 

Throughout the show, as Owen gets more and more involved in wanting to watch the show with Maddy, we start seeing quotes in the background that could absolutely be on a high school board, but also…are very much about what is needed inm order to decide to unbury yourself, and live in the Pink Opaque. The one I remember the most, is because it’s one of my favorite quotes. “Without courage, all other virtues are meaningless.” I think about this quote all the time, because I think it is true. You can be kind, you can be intelligent, you can be loyal, but if you are a coward, those virtues mean nothing at the close of business. 

It’s impossible for me to explain to people even 7 to 10 years younger tha  me how different the world was then. I made the choice Maddy made and decided to live in The Pink Opaque as myself, but I love that it isn’t shown as consequence-free either. There are a lot of entanglements and difficulties and fights that came with that decision. You choose to live that way, in 2004, and you get to be the hero, but the hero has to constantly be on guard for the monsters around every corner. And this isn’t even me going, ‘poor pitiful me’--my life was leaps and bounds easier than 10 years before me--but it is a very very different landscape. Fucking no one bats an eye at me being gay now, realistically. 

When Maddy comes back as Tara, and says this is who she always has been, and she had to dig herself out of a fucking grave to be that, I was there, baby! I am not going to get too much into my personal life, but the process of becoming Doc was not a bloodless one. Her coming back and telling him he can have it all, he just has to be willing to die for it--fucking loved that. I have so many memories of having the same conversations with people. We couldn’t have everything. My peers had to decide between having college paid for, having a place to live, and being out, and not everyone had the brass ones to go my way. I made an impulsive, insane decision, and I have never ever regretted it. My parents couldn’t have paid for college anyhow, so fuck it. But it was a choice other people had same as I did, and again, sitting in that dark school ‘planetarium” telling Owen he can live a harder but more real life, fuck. Again, without courage, ALL OTHER VIRTUES ARE MEANINGLESS. I do genuinely feel like this movie might be a miss for a generation whose parents and social circles were simply awkward about it at worst. 

Not scary in the usual sense, but I think a great psychological horror about the costs of doing business, in this life. 

You’re poisoned, you’re buried alive, and that line about, “And you’ll never even know you’re dying.” I mean, sometimes I feel like I was a near miss from living my entire life closeted, as bizarre as that sounds for someone who left home over the matter. I am a person who just makes decisions, and what if I had made the decision to shut that part of myself off, as Owen did? 

My favorite part of this movie is when Owen shuts that part of himself off, and we see him living his life, and he has a family but we NEVER SEE THEM. Because they aren’t a real part of him either, they are all a part of the set dressing of the life he has convinced himself he wants. He is going to be a man, he is going to live as a man and tell himself that’s what he really wants. And then to end up in the bathroom, to end up vomiting all that moon juice and knowing that he has been dying inside the whole time? I thought it was such a beautifully sad ending. 

IF I had a criticism of this movie, there would be a couple handfuls: 

It can be a little on the nose, now and again. I think Maddy-as-Tara’s monologue goes on a little long and loses some of its punch. 

It doesn’t lean quite as hard into the unreliable narrator that is Owen as it could, and so I could see people going, “Oh, Tara was completely right, and Owen made the wrong choice” when even within the narrative, it is telling us that to live in the Pink Opaque is to kill who you are now. That is…not nothing. Owen has, for example, a real relationship with his mother. That’s something that can be lost. Because both me and the author made the same choice, its easy for us to write it as ‘correct’, and honestly it was only on stepping back for a bit that I’m like, “Hm, while this does a better job than 90% of the movies about this I’ve seen, i wish it would have outlaid the cost a little more” but I would want to rewatch it before I made that a HARD criticism instead of a soft one. I was still figuring out everything about the movie, and so didn’t have a chance to really analyze it in this lens. 

I had another criticism, but I actually do want to watch it again before I commit to it, upon reflection. 

[new-tella-us]

Seduce Me Situations!

Cause I'm bored!

What are one of the boys' hobbies outside of their jobs?

James- Going to the library. Now this one seems obvious but it's not for the reason you think. James is a fast reader, he's probably finished off the local library in terms of new reading material however, lately, he's been going back through all the books he read after a particular book had so many double meanings the second time he read it. He now wonders how many books had other themes and meanings that he missed because he was too focused on understanding the literal and surface level takes. It makes his reading experience a lot more enjoyable.

Erik- Astrology/Astronomy. The stars have always interested this one as in the Abyssal Plains, the sky was always blank or cloudy. He likes studying the stars, both the science and the spiritual. He wants to know how they are created, what affects their lifespan, what they mean and what can they tell us about ourselves. He doesn't believe everything he's told but it's still interesting to see what impact stars have on humans.

Sam- Auto-repair and engineering. Sam really likes to fix things and put things together to make something that works. It's something he's liked from a young age but was never allowed to explore thanks to his father. But now he has all the tools needed to fix something. Even when on the clock as a policeman, you can never find him without his trusty belt and if you need something fixed, Sam is your guy to call.

Matthew- Okay cooking is too obvious. Literally all of Matthew's individual scenes in Seduce Me 1 and his unique episode happen in the kitchen. Let's try something else. And honestly? I would say zoology. Like some Casual (Not national) Geographic type stuff. Just random animal facts that he's gained from countless hours of research. He just REALLY likes animals. If he didn't have Simon Tabby as a constant menace in his house, he probably would have gotten a dog.

Damien- Video games. This is an odd one but I feel like Damien would be really good at video games. Like a wide variety of them too. From peaceful games like Stardew Valley to AAA games like Grant Theft Auto to the hundreds of thousands of RPGs. He's a completionist, he's a speedrunner, he finds every secret and every death because he hyperfixates on the game of choice so hard that he must find EVERYTHING. He also has countless packs and mods and saves on the Sims because of course he does.

Bonus Round!

Mika- Taekwondo! And just general body upkeep. This doesn't get talked about much but Mika knows taekwondo and I think she still takes classes. She might even teach classes. What started as training to learn how to defend herself turned into a fun hobby and a way to stay agile and active. Mika believes in self care but self care is more than just skincare and healthy eating. It's also exercise. I feel like she spends a good amount of time at the gym or in taekwondo class.

[thisbarbiereallylikesbirds]

Why Tang Shen is soo interesting to me

Okay with all the Nameless Trio content I’ve been posting I feel the need to let you guys know why I find Shen so interesting. This may be a long one but I have LOTS of thoughts so please hang tight.

“If we interfere Splinter will never move to New York and buy four baby turtles”

Donnie in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) S3 E19

First of all Shen is literally the reason the story happens in most iterations. If it weren’t for her death, Hamato Yoshi likely never would’ve moved to New York, never bought the turtles, and they never would’ve gotten mutated. Without her there’d be no story. And yet she’s barely ever mentioned in canon.

Now I could talk for ages about fridging women and why it’s a stupid out-dated, over-used, misogynistic trope. And I’m not even going to pretend that’s not what happened to her. But one of the main problems with fridging is the fact that after the woman’s death sets the plot into motion (usually for some sort of love interest) she’s eventually forgotten by the plot. Women in fiction deserve better treatment than that. Real women deserve better representation than that.

However there’s another way that characters who die before the story starts can be utilized. One that I’m absolutely OBSESSED with. And that is the idea of haunting the narrative. Two of the best examples that I can think of are Mara from She-Ra and Caleb Wittenbane from the Owl House. Both characters are dead before the series begins. For a while the only way that we know about them is through what the other characters tell us. And, of course, this is a very biased view of the person. Sometimes it’s very one dimensional. 

But even though we know almost nothing about them, they linger. They are everywhere in the story. So many things only happen because of them. Memories of Caleb are everywhere in Phillip’s mindscape. Hunter’s entire life is dictated by the memory of a man who died hundreds of years ago. And even the door, the things that brings Luz the the Boiling Isles and sets the whole story into motion only is opened for her because Caleb stole it from Belos and buried it in the backyard of his family home. We don’t know much about Mara but we know that Adora is in a way doomed to follow in her footsteps. 

“In every other universe Gwen Stacy falls for Spider-Man. And in every other universe…it doesn’t end well.”

Spider-Gwen in Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

So we’ve talked about out-of-universe stuff. But what about what’s in the actual story? Due to the crossovers we know that all the iterations of TMNT sort of exist in the same way all the universes exist in the Spider-Verse world. They all have their own dimension. I can’t help but think of the parallels not only between the worlds but the characters who live within them. Gwen Stacy dies in every universe but one. She knows this. Unfortunately, the universe where she survives isn’t exactly kind to her. She loses her best friend. She loses Miles. She loses her father. She loses any chance at having a normal life. 

In 2012 the turtles have a conversation with Shen where she is trying to pick between Oroku Saki and Hamato Yoshi. Of course they don’t know this at the time, but one of the choices will lead to her death. However, it will also lead to the world being saved from a variety of threats. But what if she did know? What if Shen knew that she would be sacrificing herself? What if she knew that in every other universe she was doomed to die? In every universe but one, that is.

Tang Shen is never said to be dead in ROTTMNT. But we only see her once in a movie poster. We know she exists but she has no relevance. As far as we know, she’s out there living her best life. So what is she like? What would a person be like in the one universe where she gets to live?

I really hope this wasn’t too long but thank you so much for reading this whole thing! If you want some content about Rise!Shen then visit the Nameless Trio tag on my blog, she’s one of the three main characters in that au.

[urfavoritesecretadmirer]

Stuff that would get us fake claimed bc this trend is so amazing in my eyes

(And no I'm not asking to get fake claimed bc apparently I'm not allowed to make jokes)

High alter count

We don’t have an exact number, but our overall estimation is pretty high (not in the thousands but yk 100-150).

Not being able to control switches

We can’t control when we switch but it’s usually in stressful/negative situations. We also can’t control who takes front.

Alter variety

Istg, people are weird when it comes to alter variety. It’s always “oh your alters are all similar? Fake!!” Or “oh your alters are all very different? Fake!!” Our system has a lot of variety.

Has a TikTok account

“Omg, a system with social media?! Fake!!” Believe it or not, we only started our TikTok in late June of last year. We’ve known we are a system since way before that. So yes, systems can have TikTok accounts. Because I guarantee there are thousands of systems on TikTok who are not open to being a system that you will never know about.

Posts about system stuff

Damn, I didn’t know it was illegal for systems to be open about being a system. I didn’t know my literal existence, labels I choose to use, etc were taking away from the “real systems”. My apologies, Mr/ms high and mighty ceo of Reddit moderation as your 9-5.

Has simply plural

“Omg an app for systems?! And you’re using it?! As a system?! Fake!!” I’m not allowed to use one of the few useful apps that can log switches, keep track of members, send messages, help you meet other systems, make polls, make your layout look pretty if you want, etc without getting fakeclaimed. It’s almost like it’s an app for systems, and systems use it. Shocker.

Uses pluralkit

“A system using a meaningful way of communication and another good way to keep track of members?! Fake!!” Apparently redditors think that pluralkit worsens amnesia barriers and derealization. Is this true?? If so tell me, but it doesn’t happen for us. Because obviously, I’m not fronting all the time. How am I supposed to feel derealization if I’m not there?? Also it’s not like our main account profile is by default the host. Our user has <3 and our systag in the name for christs sake.

Goes to school

I know, shocker, I have a life. I’m not physically incapable of having an education as a system. And believe it or not, I have decent grades too. Systems are traumatized, not stupid (directed at that one boy at my old school).

Doesn’t want final fusion

Excuse you, but this system has been here for me and has been around since I was five (I think). I’ve only now fully accepted the fact I’m a system. I think it’d be a bit rude to just say “alr you can go now” like I don’t wanna be alone tf.

Introjects

We ain’t Introject heavy, but ig even having two introjects makes you fake. This may be a shocker, but it’s more common to have other disorders alongside DID/OSDD than to not. This, and again, this may be a shocker, but it includes ADHD and autism.

In sys relationships

Me, the host, has personally never been in an in-sys relationship. But I think in our system there’s like, two? And then there’s a lot of ‘it’s complicated’ or ‘situationship’.

Decent communication

Obviously, it could be better, but we overall have decent and healthy ways of communicating with each other. Usually it’s talking out loud or leaving little notes.

Alter intros

Because apparently it’s a crime against being neurodivergent to share about your alters. We obviously can’t share everything for obvious reasons but we want yall to get to know us.

DNI alters

This may be a hard pill to swallow, but DNI doesn’t always mean the alter is some dangerous monster. It can mean that alter is too little to be online, it could mean that alter is a social anxiety symptom holder, it could mean that alter just doesn’t like talking to people outside the system/at all. These are just a few examples. Or maybe, that alter just doesn’t wanna be fuckin interacted with. But these alters should still be acknowledged. Why? Because healing is a thing. Locking them away isn’t healthy. Maybe they want people to know not to interact with them. But noooo, all DNI alters are awful people apparently.

Other mental health disorders

We have anxiety and depression (diagnosed and genetic), medically recognized ADHD, and tics. And yes, all of our alters have tics because it's caused by your brain and we share the same brain.

[bitterpngs]

...

...

...

… trust, huh?

TL;DR: what i want to highlight with this comic: satoru calling suguru "geto" / suguru crossing satoru's metaphorical line and permanently severing his relationship with him. kenjaku's plan in canon will never come to fruition in this au. what happens after is up to you :)

and yes ik the trust quote is in the context of the other 2nd years! i added it bc it fit, in a way.

this got long sorry lol i started to ramble

LAST NAME - what started this all and what i hope others picked up on was gojo calling geto by his last name, not his first: geto. even after everything geto did during jjk v0, gojo still calls geto 'suguru.' he's still 'suguru' to him. i wanted a scenario in which gojo would reject his first name - reject their past and their relationship. this whole comic idea sprung out of being unsatisfied with geto and gojo's canon relationship. personally, im not the happiest with how things were written in the story and feel like the author could've done some things differently. this isn't to say i don't like or enjoy what the author has written either. i just have mixed feelings.

KENJAKU - in case it wasn't clear, the door closing on page 14 depicts geto with stitches on his forehead - aka kenjaku. what that page is trying to convey is that the moment geto killed yuuta, the future where geto's body is used to box gojo ceased to exist. in this au, kenjaku's plan that we see in the canon timeline would never and will never work. by killing yuuta, geto crossed a line and permanently severed his relationship with gojo. if gojo wins here, gojo will dispose of the body properly. the panel after shows a closed door with the memory of who suguru was. the person who suguru used to be and the best years of gojo's life etc etc. but "broken" bc it's gojo truly realizing that's not who geto is anymore + the whole "severing relationship" thing. does this make sense.

what happens after the comic ends is up to interpretation though

GETO'S PLAN - i didnt focus a lot on the specifics of how this could've happened considering geto's plan changed in this au. how it happened isnt really important, you can come up with whatever you want. what i wanted to focus on, and what i hope people managed to pick up on is the situation itself - geto killing yuuta. sorry yuuta. i'll make it up to you.

i ended it here because it felt the best place, but here's some scrapped dialogue of a few seconds after: GETO: "… It was a necessary sacrifice, Sato-" GOJO: "don't you dare call me that" basically to emphasize the first name vs last name situation

GOJO N GETO - ive always felt uhhh. nitpicky, i guess. about the specifics of everything regarding gojo and geto. ive felt unsatisfied for a variety of reasons, and this was basically an idea that sprung out (a looong time ago) of a want for gojo to be angry at and feel more.. negative emotions, i guess, toward geto. i still do genuinely enjoy their canon relationship a lot tho. i enjoy the way they’re written together and individually, i just have different/multiple feelings about the same thing :)

RIKO AND YUUTA - erm there was a scrapped panel... you can find it on my blog if you're really curious but there was a panel of geto 'remembering' riko's dead body (a distorted memory, because the blood reflects yuuta's injuries). it's not necessarily that riko and yuuta are similar, it's that geto becomes a bit like toji in the end. just like toji, geto tries to kill a young teenager for the sake of his own goals. while toji's was selfish and geto's, in his own eyes, was for the greater good, there's still the similarity of killing a child. of stealing their future for their own goals. plus the fact that gojo killed both of them in a similar way.

TRUST - yeah i know the quote is in the context of the 2nd years fighting geto. still. gojo trusted geto to a large degree, despite everything he did. so. it's going here.

PG 4-6 - geto values and cares about sorcerers so so much. again, he was fine with trying to kill yuuta for his vision and all but i dont think he wouldn't feel some level of. conflicting emotions i guess. (i am very against the idea that geto wasn't... trying to kill yuuta? i don't really get that perspective at all. it'd make all of that meaningless imo. but this isn’t about that.) ok im done.

if you read this entire rambly thing, thank you :D hope you enjoyed!

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

33 47

Gale x Single Mom!Tav, Gale x Gwen, Gale x Tav

Baby Fic + Not a Date

Send Me 2 Prompts and a Pairing

A/N: You didn’t tell me which characters to use, so I decided to go with Gale and Gwen (a Single Mom!Tav I’ve had in my brain for a while). If you’d like a specific paring, send me another ask with the prompt and I’ll see what I can do.

So basics out of the way, this would happen some where in Act 1

Gale has a growing admiration for Gwen, but for a variety of reasons is pressing down any feelings beyond that (and admittedly not doing a very good job of it)

Gwen at this point has reunited with her daughter Clara and, knowing she’s safe, has unclenched enough to actually turn her attention to the very handsome wizard in her company

Gwen decides to leave camp for a moment to gather supplies and Gale comes with her with the excuse that he’d like to actually see what she’s buying so he can have some say in what he cooks for the group

The fact that it’s just the two of them goes unmentioned

It’s on the road they find an unfortunately familiar sight of dead bodies on the road, but a cry from the over turned cart capture the parties attention

Gwen immediately pulls the crying infant from the rubble; it’s clear enough what happened and whose bodies are lying at their feet

Gale has never considered himself the fatherly type, and he can’t say he ever thought of a woman portraying maternal instincts as anything beyond admirable

Seeing Gwen so carefully handle a new born, on top of how much she clearly loved her daughter stirs something in his chest (and for once it’s not the orb)

Gwen then all but plops the poor child in his arms before she goes searching around for something among the remaining boxes

Gale has no idea what to do and it’s obvious the child knows it as they start crying

That gets Gwen’s attention but instead of taking the child back, she just corrects him on the right way to hold them

Gale can feel actual nerves coming on, not a sensation he’s familiar with, but this isn’t really a familiar situation

Gwen remains unphased and suggest he start talking

He’s surprised as he’s been told more than once that his ramblings would only disturb people

Gwen counters that he’s voice is very soothing and the little one just wants to know somebody is looking after them

Gale hopes his cheeks aren’t noticeably red at the comment before turning his attention to the child and just starts talking

Miraculously, it works

The child calms down enough to Gwen to gather some of the supplies and the two of them to head back to the Grove where hopefully the child can be properly looked after

Gale finds himself carrying the child the whole way back talking about just about anything that comes to mind

Gwen can’t help but look back over her shoulder, suppressing a smile

He really couldn’t just be intelligent, kind, handsome, he had to be good with kids too, in his own way

If she wasn’t already set on being with him, that image alone just about seals the deal

[stardustizuku]

PART 5: The Core of Everything and Why Thomas is BAD

As I said.

The moment I realized that this show was losing its footing, was when they started to mess up Mairinette.

The moment I realized this was going to be bad show, was when they messed up the Love Square.

The moment I realized this show was going to mess up the Love Square, was the introduction of Rena.

But.

That’s not when I dropped the series. That’s not when I became disillusioned with it. Because, as I said, I could overlook that.

I don’t care, as far as this essay is concerned, if it’s a good or bad show. I don’t care if it has cringey writing. I don’t care if it’s a mess.

What I care about, is how it treats the magical girl genre. What it borrows from it, how it interprets it, and what it transforms it into as a westernization of the genre.

That’s what this is about.

The moment it fucked over the magical girl genre, was when they destroyed Chloe.

People have a variety of different opinions on Chloe. Hate her, love her, think she’s wasted potential, think she’s a villain beyond redemption.

But the mere fact, we can all think about her and have an opinion, proves she was the best thing the show ever had going for itself.

Not because she was likable, but because it spoke. It dared to say something. That something being good or bad, it’s irrelevant to this point.

It said something. For the first time, since the fucking series debuted, Miraculous Ladybug dared to say something. Make a bold statement.

I think we can all agree that the show was trying to do something with her. It build her up through many episodes as a sympathizing character.

I did have my suspicions that it was going to fumble her arc, when a lot of the time these small details of her character got introduced - just to be dismissed by the narrative a few episodes later.

She was always back to being a villain and acting in reprehensible ways, even when previous episodes attempted to give her character growth.

But, I truly wanted to believe. I kept trusting this show. Over and over again. Because it was finally, finally, saying something. And most importantly, it finally touched the core of Magical Girls.

But everything crumbled away when Mayura happened.

Marinette never gave Chloe a miraculous back again. And while she claims it was (mostly) because she’s not someone Marinette trusts, someone who reveled her identity to the world…I don’t buy it.

(Also sorta weird that Ladybug is the one who forbids it when it Chat Noir who continued to seek Chloe as Queen Bee, and it was his choice but…we know how Ladybug never treats Chat as equal at this point)

Time and time again Chloe showed she is very willing to help. Yeah, sure, she is not good at it. But it was also showed that her not being able to be good was linked to the neglect she suffered as a kid.

I mean, she couldn’t remember someone’s birthday because her own mother forgot hers. This clearly upset her. She wanted to care for Mrs Bustier’s birthday, but her own trauma was making it extremely difficult. And in an attempt to to rid herself of the guilt, she lashed out.

That’s a realistic way in which hurt people, hurt others.

But she also proved that, if given a chance, she is more than willing to resist those urges to hurt others. In Miraculer, she fights off an akuma. She wants to be Queen Bee, she wants to believe in Ladybug.

While her trauma makes her prone to lashing out to others, by having Ladybug in her life as a role model, she wants to be better. She wants to heal. She wants to be a hero.

In a GOOD series, this is a way of proving the MC that not everyone who is annoying or a missy, or has a different attitude than Hers, is a bad person. That are people who are willing to do good, if given the chance to do good.

But this is not a good series.

The reason behind this…can’t call it anything other than insulting take, is that Thomas claimed in various tweets that “bullies can never be heroes”.

This was the last straw for me.

I truly do believe I snapped and it was the moment I stopped watching the series altogether. This is spitting on the very sacred name of Magicals Girls and everything that came before it.

Never mind that Chloe is a neglected teen - this is show inspired by magical girls. Name ONE magical girl anime where the girl who’s kinda mean to the MC but WANTS to do better - is shown to actually be cruel.

None.

Princess Tutu has Rue.

Shugo Chara has Utau.

Sakura Card Captor has Mei.

Sailor Moon has - well not girl but Fisheye -.

Mermaid Melody has Sara.

Mermaid Melody PURE has Michelle.

Madoka has Homura.

Lyrical Nanoha has Fate.

Pretear has Mayune and Mawata.

Tokyo Mew Mew has Mint AND Zakuro-

THIS IS THE CORE OF THE MAGICAL GIRL GENRE

I don’t know WHO in the name of FUCK does Thomas think he is to imply he knows more about this genre than the women who created it. But he always hides under the defense of “this is a little girls show for little girls and they need to have a positive role model”

It’s not.

I have already said that Marinette herself has failed as a protagonist. Not only is she unlikable, she fails to represent anything. She fails to stick to a theme, she fails as both a role model and a flawed character.

And it speaks to me about Thomas incredible misogyny how he keeps treating this genre as nothing more than excuse to fulfill his thinly veiled fetishizes and power trips.

He has no right to be in show linked to the genre of Magical Girls, or anything related to its westernization.

Magical girls are about forgiveness. They’re about kindness and the power of perceived feminity. It’s about offering a helping hand, when the world is cruel to you. A magical girl doesn’t raise her sword first. She talks. She asks. She feels. And only after all has been exhausted, she fights.

It’s something you can’t get in media catheter to other demographics, where kindness and love is seen as weak or corny.

If a girl wants to be better, it doesn’t matter what she did before. She is allowed a second chance.

Even in Madoka, the “darkest” magical girl - she saves every girl who wanted to do better. She stopped them from becoming witches, because they didn’t want to. But they were forced to. Forced to become horrible monsters, until someone killed them. But Madoka saved them.

The fact is, even other children’s show about, borrowing or alluding to Magical Girls touch upon this theme.

Have Star and Eclipsa for example. Eclipsa is a person who’s done everything wrong in the book of Mewni magic. Even when she herself and narratives admit she has done wrong things, it still brings forth the main issue. She was hurt too. Her family was taken from her, her baby, her husband, her Royal linage, her magic, her own history got erased and rewritten. She’s shown as someone who did bad things but ultimately who meant well. In the end, she is granted by Star redemption. By giving her her child, and her wand back.

Steven Universe touches upon it too, via all the other gems that are from Homeworld, mainly Peridot and Lapis, who despite having a hard time, after getting kicked out of Homeworld, make an honest attempt to integrate into Earth

As I’ve said, She-Ra is perhaps the best integration of Magical Girls into western children’s show. The way they handle Catra is the perfect example of why I say that. She is the best example of someone who wants to do good but can’t because of the trauma she’s faced. She’s extremely sympathetic but her actions are undoubtedly wrong. Even so, Adora’s adversion is never towards Catra, but Catra’s action. Because she knows she’s a good person, but until she admits fault and asks for help - she can’t really help her. Even if she tried (and she did) Catra would simply lash out. This drives home the message “you can’t save or help does who do not want to be saved or helped” but it also reinforces to girls the idea that - no matter how late your change of heart is, that’s all you need. Admit your mistakes, try to do better, and you’ll find a place where you’re truly happy.

But, if you wanted a slightly more cynical look at it - we have the Owl House

That’s one of the few that say “some people are straight up evil, don’t try to sympathize with them or they’ll trick you”. Belos is bad news, period. No matter how human he may appear to be, he’s far more of a monster than the witches he hates. But that’s an adult man.

The teenagers around Luz’s age are just that. Teens. Amity is not a monster, Hunter is not a monster. And Boscha is annoying but not a monster either. Nor is she irredeemable. In fact, she’s portrayed in the last season as more of a lost child without Amity’s mean girl guidance. Yeah, she’s a mean girl but she cares for her friends, she misses them and cries when she reunites with them. That said, for every Boscha we had, we also had an Amity, a Mathomouel, and a Hunter. Three other mean or bully characters that were shown to be secretly good or with the need of nothing more than a push in the right direction to become good.

(Also, side note but if you’ve noticed, Magical Girl stories are extremely intertwined with queer stories. I do find it extremely odd that MLB never touches on any queer main story - aside from Marc and the subtext of Rose and Juleca. Which again, subtext. Most westernizations of magical girls make it explicit and risk cancelation over it. All more to say that the creators of MLB have a complete disregard and outright contempt to the genre they’re stealing from, if this is as far as they’d go.)

Their attitude towards Chloe, in comparison, is nothing short of petty.

Why would Chloe be beyond sympathy? Beyond empathy? Beyond an attempt to a second chance?

If she truly showed that she’s remorseful, if she truly tried to become better, why would a man like Thomas deny her that simply because “bullies can never be heroes”?

BULLSHIT. That’s a terrible terrible message to send to kids. We all want to believe the ones watching are perfect girls who get bullied and have never done anything wrong - but a lot of them aren’t. And you’re essentially telling them “if you made bad choice in the past you’ll never be a hero. You’ll never be good enough”

You’re hurting little girls. You’re hurting this genre.

THIS IS WHY CHLOE MATTERS. This is why I dropped the series when I did.

Instead of saying something important with Chloe, it doubled down and said “actually she’s a monster” even when it was shown she could be good, that she could be better.

And maybe I could understand it, if they hadn’t introduced Zoe.

She’s seen by the creators as a “watered down version” of Chloe. They realized Chloe was actually a good addition but they didn’t like how she was too much of a bully or too mean. So, instead of dealing with their flawed compelling character, they make a “nicer” version of her.

Yeah Zoe was mean but she was mean once (1) and because of Chloe’s pressure.

Which is. Bad. Writing wise.

Not because the message is bad but because it’s hypocritical. Why should one be praised for being mean because of peer pressuring but stopping - while the one doing it to impress her family, her mother, and trying to stop, be considered bad? Because one gave up the “mean” act sooner?

Again, terrible message. Healing and becoming a better person isn’t as quick as talking once to someone. It takes time, it takes effort, it takes work.

Why is someone who doesn’t struggle with being a good person be “better” than someone who tries to be good even when it doesn’t come naturally to them? Not to mention, by the point in time, Chloe was not only hurt by her mother’s neglect but Ladybug’s neglect. It makes sense she’s mean to others, she’s known nothing but neglect and abandonments from the people she looks up to.

Is it that weird she treats everyone she sees as below her as disposable, when the people SHE looks up to sees her as disposable?

Chloe deserves sympathy, if not forgiveness at least a chance to understand her.

The fact that Thomas spat on the very core of THE Magical Girl Genre. Shows what he is. An old dude, who THINKS he knows what little girls want. Who thinks a woman who was mean, is an evil creature that knows no remorse, and deserves to be hated forever. Not forgiven, or handed a second chance. But despised.

He is the type man that pollutes the genre. Who thinks he knows, but really no one wants him here.

Fisheye isn’t a a girl, but because of the LatinoAmerican dub I grew up believing he was. And his interactions with Usagi, to this day, left an impact on me bigger than you can imagine. Fisheye was someone who constantly made fun of Usagi, who was a villain in every sense of the word. They kept constantly trying to steal Mamoru from Usagi and made fun of her on the way out.

But Usagi, when she say how down and heartbroken FishEye was - she cheered them up. She invited them to her house. Shared with them her dream. In the middle of poor Fisheye having an existencial crisis over being nothing more than a creature without dreams, Usagi offered a helping hand and comforted them.

Because Usagi cannot leave someone crying alone. She recognizes that Fisheye is a bit mean, but just like Rei, secretly cares for others. In the end, Fisheye sacrifices themselves to save Usagi. They cry when Usagi’s dreams get shattered, horrified but finally understanding why dreams are important.

It sounds silly, but it changed my brain chemistry. Something inside me recognized at my 12 years old that you have to be kind. Because you never know what the other person is going through, because you never know the impact your kindness can have on others.

And this is why I love Magical Girls so much, why I love Sailor Moon so much.

Yet.

What this show did to the genre I love, it’s…it’s plain unforgivable.

ML is bad. For a number of reasons. But it fails to be what it promised to me. It failed me on the first day. And I still stuck with it. Because a lot of western series failed me on their initial take of a Magical Girl.

Star Vs wasn’t best. Steven Universe didn’t borrow enough. She-Ra’s transformation left much to be desired.

But they all gave me something. And what’s most important, it held its core belief.

“Women can help one another. And kindness isn’t weakness”

Miraculous isn’t that.

It disappointed and hurt me, because it believes the exact opposite. Marinette only cares about Adrien, and cares little for other women. She is antagonistic for any girl who shows interest in him.

In her eyes, kindness isn’t a priority. Her friends and teammates are all people she chose, not those who she had to learn to love and fight alongside with.

If She-Ra’s last season is the culmination of everything a Magical Girl should be in the west. Miraculous is the exact opposite.

It doesn’t only fail as a show. It doesn’t only fail as a Magical Girl show. It borrowed every last thing it had from the genre.

And once it was popular, it spat on it.

Miraculous ladybug hates magical girls. And honestly,

I hate it too.

PREV << MASTERLIST >> NEXT

[panicroomsammy]

Sam Winchester, queer coding, and CSA themes

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time but what finally got me to write it down was this post about Sam and queer coding. For this reason (and that this got ridiculously long) I will not be restating all of the points made in that post, though I do agree with them.

I think the reason so many people refuse to see that Sam is queer coded is that he is queer coded in unpalatable ways, including being csa coded. I am only on season seven, but I am going to try and break down some of the ways that he has been queer coded so far. I must begin by explaining what I mean by queer coding and what coding is in general. When I say the word “queer” I do not necessarily mean “gay” or “bisexual” or any other lgbt label. I mean outside the norm. This is because “queer coding” is not so much about purposefully portraying a character as a certain sexuality, but about othering that character from those around them. Sam is clearly an othered character. We will start, as all things in Supernatural do, with Azazel.

When Azazel makes his deal with Mary that ultimately results in the othering of Sam via his psychic powers, the deals are csa coded in a variety of ways. The most obvious is that he possesses Mary’s father’s corpse to kiss her and make the deal. Hunting families are already incest coded in that it is a secret and something that children raised in it are taught no one outside of their family will understand, and in this case hunting is something Mary is trying very hard to escape. Her love for John (who is also her means of escape) seems to be a love for his “innocence” in the way that he does not know of the supernatural. She tells Dean that what she fears more than anything is her own children being raised into hunting. This is a very typical incestuous family melodrama plot (that I could cite in many academic articles but alas this is a tumblr post). Besides the explicitly incestuous kiss and the familiar plot, there is also the way that Azazel obscures what exactly he is asking for in the deals. When he makes the deal with Mary, he has taken both the familiarity of her family and her route of escape from her. He then offers the escape back to her, in exchange for something. He never tells her what this “something” is. This is a more insidious piece of csa coding. Mary lacks the knowledge necessary to consent to the deal - the same way that a child lacks the knowledge necessary to meaningfully consent to sex. All demon deals in the show are sa coded in that they are extortive and about owning someone and depriving them of autonomy, but in this particular case Mary not knowing what she is consenting to is highlighted. He also phrases is as “permission” (to do what he’s going to do to baby Sam), similar to language of asking for consent and implying that whatever he does that she does not understand she will have allowed so she cannot take issue with it later.

Fast forward ten years. Azazel comes to collect on his deal. Two significant things happen - he feeds baby Sam his blood and he is caught in the act by Mary. Let’s focus first on the latter. Azazel kills Mary because she walked in on him with Sam. The way he talks about this in the show has a stomach turning amount of innuendo to it. Specifically, he says she had to die because “she walked in on us” to Sam. The use of “us” is very clearly supposed to invoke an abuser’s attempt to convince a victim that they did in fact have agency in the situation and were just as active a participant as the abuser, though the audience knows this cannot be the case as Sam was an infant.

When Azazel feeds Sam his blood this is without consent which already gives it a csa implication. The way that he made the deal with Mary in the first place does the same. Then there is the way that Sam feels dirty because of the demon blood in him. “Something that I could not control happened to me as a child and now I feel dirty forever” is glaringly a metaphor for csa. The way that Sam says “so he could bleed in my mouth” made me pause the episode and sit there for a moment because of how much it sounded like a euphemism.

Then Sam becomes addicted to demon blood. The parallels would almost make me laugh if they didn’t make me nauseous. Ruby forces herself on Sam sexually before she starts feeding him her blood, and then later it seems that their routine is feeding Sam the blood and then having sex. This creates an association between demon blood and sex. There is also a more sinister undertone to it if you read with this in mind. Sam’s desire for demon blood invokes, for me at least, queer desire. Unlike what some people on tumblr would like to believe, sexual desire isn’t something that people only start feeling when they turn 18. It isn’t even something that we only start feeling when we reach puberty. Everyone has a human body that is capable of feeling arousal from the moment they are born. This is a simple fact of life, but it is one everyone likes to ignore. With this in mind we can understand the quote “within childhood sexual trauma, the experience of violation may be viewed in the moment as uncontrollably stimulating and overwhelmingly arousing” from this post. When someone experiences violation as a child, they may at the time feel pleasure in it or desire for it to happen again. What I am saying is that his whole life after Azazel fed him his blood maybe Sam, for all his fight against being a freak, deep down felt some kind of desire for something even without knowing quite what. And then Ruby gave it to him. This is an unacceptable desire and therefore coded as queer (sexual) desire. But as it is not just queer desire but one associated with both childhood and non consent, which makes it unpalatable to many people who may otherwise enjoy reading for queerness in subtext, therefore the queerness here is missed.

Sam’s fight against being a freak is also part of his queer coding. Some may see this and take it at face value, but truly what queer person can honestly say they have never tried to fit into heteronormative society? When one is constantly told by society that they are wrong, they will try to change to fit - even if just out of a desire for safety. Sam trying and failing at normality (including the ideal heterosexual romantic relationship which is taken from him with Jess’s death in the first episode) is a glaring example of queer coding.

Yet another aspect of Sam’s sexuality that I believe leads to his queer coding being ignored is that the vast majority of sexual situations we see him in are non consensual and he makes it explicitly clear that he wishes not to be in those situations. The first time we see him in such a situation is the pilot where the woman in white forces herself on him and tells him that he will be unfaithful to Jess. At the time this felt pretty extreme to me for putting in the first episode, even for trying to establish that a character highly values their morality. From there they just don’t stop putting Sam in these situations. The next time this happens is with Meg touching Sam sexually while she has him and Dean tied up with no motivation other than that she wants to. She later possesses him, which is used throughout the show as a sexual assault allegory. The next time I remember something like this happening is Becky groping Sam and refusing to stop when he asks her in season four. Later in season seven she roofies him with love potion and kidnaps him. When Sam and Dean investigate the mental hospital in season five, one of the patients grabs both Dean and Sam and makes out with them at different times. While Dean goes with it and does not resist, Sam tries to push the girl away. While neither of these situations had consent, it is much easier for the audience to swallow Dean’s reaction than Sam’s, as Dean’s reaction plays into the notion that men cannot be sexually assaulted because they should always want to have sex with women, while Sam’s forces one to confront that men are capable of not consenting. In the very next episode a high school boy uses a spell to swap his and Sam’s bodies. While in Sam’s body the boy has sex with a woman. Throughout much of season six I would argue something similar occurs. While I’m a bit fuzzy in the metaphysics of what exactly is happening here, Sam is functionally anywhere from two to three people over the course of the season. Despite the fact that they are all technically Sam, I would argue (as a system myself) that any one person within a system using the body to do things that the others would stop them from doing given the chance is non consent. We also know that soulless!Sam slept around with a lot of people during that year and a half. Again, as a system, I would say that is noncon. There is also the fact that during all of this Sam-in-hell (soul!Sam?) was being tortured and more than implied to be raped by Lucifer. All of this makes Sam and sexuality a much less palatable thing to focus on than Dean and sexuality. (Though Dean has his fair share of sa coding as well he covers it up with jokes that make it easier to ignore. But that’s another post.)

The bottom line is that Sam’s demon blood addiction is coded as queer in that it is a desire that is taboo, but it is a bit too taboo for most fans to enjoy or even acknowledge, leading them to voice outright denial of it, with the unpalatable themes of rape surrounding Sam and sexuality adding to the lack of desire to discuss this aspect of the character.

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

I was reading your post earlier about LTHQ being a whale of fail while attempting to promote Louis and his music. I offer you another frustrating example of this incompetence in action:

I am a Peloton owner and on their equipment/app you can search for classes by artist across a variety of activities like biking, running, rowing, lifting, and yoga. According to their search feature you can select from over 160 classes featuring 1D songs. Or, you can take over 70 classes featuring solo Niall, over 65 classes featuring solo Zayn, another 20 or so featuring solo Liam, and - to the surprise of nobody, I’m sure - you have your choice of over 450 classes featuring solo Harry, including multiple “Artist Series” classes that dropped the day HS3 was released where instructors played just songs from that album. You could bike, run, stretch, lift, and practice your downward dog listening to that album for a solid week if you wanted to.

You know how many classes feature a song by Louis Tomlinson?

10.

10 classes, and all but 9 of those classes feature “Just Hold On.” (The 10th class features the original version of “Back to You”.)

Not one song off Walls or Faith in the Future.

I am not here to extol the virtues of being a Peloton cult enthusiast, but every single artist releasing music is getting played in Peloton classes. Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter are all over playlists right now, and the platform does a new Artist Series every time Swift farts. When Cowboy Carter first dropped you were hard pressed to find a class to take that wasn’t playing “Texas Hold ‘Em.” We all know what’s coming when Harry releases HS4. And it’s not just the pop music artists - Peloton instructors teach classes featuring music from every genre you can imagine.

In fact, I actually DM’d an instructor on IG who does regular pop punk and indie rock bike rides to recommend “Out of My System” for a future class. The song’s BPM is in the riding sweet spot and being under 3 minutes long makes it a perfect selection for a push/effort in a 20 or 30 minute ride. He’s British, and he’s played 1D songs before in pop classes, so he clearly knows who Louis is. He actually replied to me, and told me they don’t have any rights to play Louis’ music. Which means the likely reason those 10 songs featuring Louis are on there at all is because Steve Aoki’s team and Bebe Rexa’s team released the rights.

I know we can’t really play armchair quarterback with his career and decisions but I’m sorry, what the hell is Louis paying his team to do?

It is beyond maddening to see Louis so under-represented in a space like Peloton, which makes a conscious effort to celebrate and promote music. I think of WAOYF, and how popular that song would be with 3000 Peloton diehards busting their ass climbing a hill in a Tuesday morning class. It is such a missed opportunity to expand his audience, and a fairly passive one at that.

Instead, I can take one of 10 classes and listen to “Just Hold On” for the 200th time (and mix things up every few classes with “Back to You” when that starts to bore me. 🙄)

Anyway. Sorry for commandeering your ask inbox here. But it’s just so frustrating to see this happen to him over and over and over and over again.

(Love your blog, btw.)

This is an excellent example of missed opportunity.

Louis’ not having any songs on AllAccess is a good reason why listeners can request radio play in the USA until the cows come home, but never get to hear him on radio.

Even though Louies are doing a fun fan project with Written All Over Your Face right now, we can’t get it on radio for the general public to hear it. There is no official music video featuring Louis (only a fan compilation).

Always You and WAOYF are fan favorites, and in fact, Always You has over 100 million streams without ever being a single. There was no effort to push either song for radio play or general audience listening.

Peloton classes would have a much wider reach compared to playing 16 festivals. It is so frustrating to hear of missed opportunities like this. A global artist simply cannot be an artist who appeals only to a shrinking live fanbase.