#I nearly put in a meme quote in that third one

[karamatsusquirrel]

Baby’s first self insert doodle on this blog!

I love @pinklemonfruit’s dragon AU! Her designs for the guys are so diverse and creative. She was kind enough to let me do some self insert scribbles with her dragon!Jyushi!

Erin met Jyushi when they were kids! She freed him from a trap, patched him up, and they quickly became friends. They were thick as thieves until she had to move with her family. Years later she’s back as an adult and immediately tracked Jyushi down to catch up.

She tries to keep to herself due to the nearby village suspecting her of being a wicked sorceress. She knows a lot about plants and herbs, makes brews and potions.

Least she’s got good company in the cute derg man! It’s almost like they never parted; her feelings for him are just as strong. Maybe even more so-

[espresseo-cafe]

a kiss & a dress shirt | johnny | oneshot

genre: syrup, fluff, valentine’s day special

pairing: johnny x fem!reader

bean count: 4.4k+

a/n: not me crying in singleness while writing this 🥹this fluffy coffee was meant to be posted a day ago but i kept rewriting because i wasn’t satisfied and now it’s longer than i expected lmao 👀 anyway enjoy my very late valentine’s day gift for you my beans ☕️💚

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people have been talking about the popular trio in your year. they even got other students from different universities seeing them outside the gates after classes.

among the three of them were the handsome and musically talented lee taeyong, the smiling sunshine and varsity football player nakamoto yuta, and the ever sexy, volleyball loving sweetheart photographer johnny suh.

they were always the talk of the campus since freshmen year and their presence emitted a strong pull that you only knew how celebrities did. were they that attractive? yes. although the trio were indeed popular, most of them were gushing on the so-called “twins”: taeyong and yuta, with the latter being a transferee from osaka, japan.

the third one, however, didn’t have everyone’s eyes on him as much as taeyong and yuta. he was still talked about though, and they’d talk about johnny suh being the sexy one out of the three and only loved- and i quote: only talked about his bread-like abs during sport events.

it was a biased statement and agreed consensus that everyone had to which you beg to differ. there was so much more to him behind than his muscular physique, you guessed.

as the recent saying goes: “in every trio, there is…”and in this particular trio in your year, johnny suh, who hails from chicago, was the one to have got your attention the most. he was your type, so much that he was the only one you noticed behind the sparkles that shone around the other two.

johnny simply stood out. and quite literally. he was mysterious like a cat, but aggressive like a tiger in the court.

you weren’t one to be so smittened with just anyone. your heart has never been swayed this much as far as you could remember. because you- out of your friend group at least- was hard to please and very choosy.

mina at the moment asked how you managed to have a crush on johnny. and you smiled so stupidly recalling how he stood in front of you and used his hand to block a powerful spike that nearly hit your face.

you remembered the gush of wind that swept in front and his perfume that was oddly refreshing despite it being mixed with sweat. looking up, there was one feature of his you definitely liked. and you simply answered, “he.. saved me from a spike.”

and by the time you looked up at her while your fork spun around the pasta, never have you ever seen mina with an expression that was close to a meme.

“that’s it?” she put down her spoon. “you fell in love because of that?”

you rolled your eyes, “i’m not in love with him, it’s called a crush. they’re different.”

she giggled softly, “well it’s leaning towards that, y/n. i’m glad you finally opened up your heart this time.”

lisa laughed at that comment, “clearly at someone real and not a fictional character. johnny’s in my photography major. he’s usually alone but he got people staring at him more than the actual professor in every lecture.”

“and you’re telling me this because?” you chewed on your food but still maintaining eye contact with her.

“because despite being the “sexy one”, i heard he’s single and is planning to ask someone out in our year for valentine’s.” lisa shrugged and snorted at how you choked on your meal hearing that.

mina gave you a glass of water and lightly slapped lisa’s shoulder, “you good? i mean, y/n, this is your chance to ask him out too.” making you cough on your drink. your best friends turning to each other and giving each other a high-five.

“they’re probably just baseless rumours, girls.” you wiped your mouth, trying to ignore whatever they were saying.

though at the back of your mind, going on a date with johnny suh was a wishful thinking. you guys were friends to begin with, acquaintances rather, through lisa and taeyong’s relationship.

the faint cheers and giggles from your table had johnny’s group of friends looking. taeyong smiled at his girlfriend lisa, who was obviously aware with the fact she might’ve told you about how johnny’s current relationship status was.

yuta nudged the sides of taeyong’s waist, “you think johnny will ask any of lisa’s friends? we could go on a triple date this year.”

taeyong sipped from his juice box, his doe eyes never leaving her side profile. “you bet, johnny’s already decided on who to take for valentine’s.”

yuta crossed his arms, his black nail polish evident on his fingers. he grinned while he stared at a certain someone. “he better not take mina, i got dibs on her.”

“who says i’m taking mina?” the guys immediately turned around to see johnny behind them. johnny took a peek the girls they just conversed about. “i’ll be asking y/n out for valentine’s.”

the two snickered at him, “about time. but you say it as if it’s your first valentine date ever.”

“please, i was asked more than you two combined but i expected that they always want one thing. so i declined.” johnny pointed out blankly and the guys knew already.

“shoot, a one night stand after the date?” yuta licked his lips before breaking out in a laughter. “well someone’s choosy. you are built better than us so i get what the girls want.”

johnny just smirked at the ridiculous claim he has heard quite a number of times. for once, he just wanted to have a normal date. the previous dates he went on before weren’t what he wanted or even looking for.

taeyong put his bag on the bench while they all sat around the table. “so what made you decide on taking y/n this year?”

johnny’s reddening ears caught the guys beside him off guard. that alone already confessed so many things. “i like her.. like a lot. i think it was since the beginning of the semester.”

taeyong’s smile faded when he felt that johnny was serious. and he knew whenever his best friend johnny is that serious about something, he’d do anything to make his point clear.

yuta, on the other hand, was just enjoying what he sees and decided to tease the boy a little more though he was quite scary. “so that’s why you did that move? when you saved her from the spike a while back?”

johnny coughed on his lunch, he was busted. never had he experienced anyone putting him on the hot seat before because that was his job in the first place.

the boys decided to tease him further more the whole lunch by saying you were probably asked by other guys already because today was the 13th. johnny’s eyes widened realising he’s lost track of time.

you should still be available, right?

his eyes searched for you, hoping you were still around and definitely still have the 14th vacant for him. he felt his heart beating out of his chest and didn’t stop its speed when he spotted you laughing with lisa and mina.

he didn’t care what other people would think. he knew the effect he had on almost everyone by being the tall, sexy, young man he was referred to.

but they wouldn’t know the effect you had on him at all.

they wouldn’t know how much he liked you. til today.

so he stood up, putting his nervousness behind him and walked up to where you were. “y/n.” you looked up to the sweet voice that called your name, so mesmerised with the fact that your crush is literally in front of you.

whispers and chatters of students around the cafeteria made you nervous. you knew johnny though you thought you were dreaming, you couldn’t stop thinking about one thing: ‘why me?’

johnny’s hand reached into his pocket and took out four tickets. those you recognised as movie and amusement park tickets respectively. “i don’t normally do this so i’m just as nervous as you are..” he scratched the back of his head, ears as red as his cheeks. “y/f/n, will you be my valentine this year?”

mina and lisa squealed in a happy panic while shaking each other’s shoulders, with lisa taking a photo to commerate a historical moment. “this is it!”

your ears heated up and your eyes never left his face. johnny too, couldn’t keep his eyes off of you. you were beautiful in a way he couldn’t explain. sure, you weren’t exactly his type before but now he was certain you ticked all of his boxes.

blinking a bit, your mouth couldn’t stop quivering into a smile. you were so lucky today.

johnny didn’t like the suspension that he was almost breaking into a sweat. were you going to say yes-

“yes.”

he gasped, and he bit his lip. “y-yes?”

“mhm.”

johnny curled his fists and punched one into the air. “oh my g- yes!” hearing his friends behind him howling and cheering, he sighed a puff of relief. then he regained his composure and said rather confidently, “thank you. i’ll pick you up tomorrow at 10am?”

“the movie’s at 9, johnny.” you shook the tickets before standing up to go to your next lecture. “so i’ll see you earlier then.”

he watched your figure leave the cafeteria with your friends, giving him a small wave and a smile. and he was dazzled. his crush on you was getting somewhere.

other girls ran up to him and blocked his way with questionable faces and tried to hand in their letters and chocolate to him.

“johnny, why did you ask y/n? i’m better!”

“she’s a nobody!”

“you could’ve asked me instead!”

“so unfair!”

“ugh do i have to wait next year again?”

taeyong could see the discomfort in johnny’s face but still found it funny how he never broke eye contact at you.

“boy’s smittened.”

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lost in thought, you weren’t sure how long you were standing in front of your full length mirror so early in the morning. sighing, you should’ve listened to lisa last night to wake up early.

and now she’s nagging at you with a toothbrush in her mouth. “what did i tell you? we’re all dressed up but you.”

you rubbed your eyes to remove the sand that built up overnight. “yeah but my clothes got dirtied by mina and her coffee.”

mina gasped as she curled her hair, pointing her curler at you. “in my defense, who puts their outfit on the dining table?”

raising your hands, you admitted defeat. “me, okay? i woke up late. so save me a lecture.”

the girls laughed, they knew you were nervous as heck for your first ever valentine’s date. it was a first that johnny himself asked someone out in public even though he was a very private person. but they also knew how you and johnny suh were a good match. it was undeniable.

so lisa took something out from a paper bag and gave it to you, saying to save it for tonight.

taking a peek at the item, you screamed in disgust and threw it back to her. “lisa!”

“what?” she laughed, her pearly whites and smile was so contagious that it made mina laugh as well. “might as well get on with it!”

you slammed the table with your hands, “ha? i’m not that vulgar! i’m as innocent as an angel!”

mina snorted like a pig would do and disagreed with you. “says someone who was staring at his shirtless volleyball pictures on instagram last night.”

your cheeks heated up so much that it crawled straight to your ears. “i- i’ll go get ready.” walking away to your bedroom to look for something else to wear. good thing you had a back up outfit.

“yuta texted, said that they’d pick us up in thirty!” mina turned her screen off after reading the notification.

“shut up mina!” your voice behind the door made her shake her head in satisfaction.

“the pressure’s real now, isn’t it, y/n?”

“mina said they’re almost ready.” yuta put his phone in the pocket of his jacket. then seeing johnny checking himself out on the rearview mirror as he drove to your shared apartment with the girls. “dude, chill, you look great.”

johnny smirked before parking briefly. as he and the guys went out of the car, you three came into sight all dressed up. and he swore he actually took a step back when his eyes set on you.

you sported a light lilac puff sleeved dress that had a knot around your waist. the ruffled hem of the dress reach an inch & a half above your knees. and you paired the whole outfit with white sneakers and a light yellow headband.

johnny blushed, and he feigned an innocent cough to cover up his growing flustered reaction. this.. this was what he meant with how you had that effect on him. he was quick enough to change his expression before the rest of the group looked at him.

mina, yuta, lisa, and taeyong looked at the both of you and just realised how your outfits matched. johnny’s outfit was similar with yours; an oversized purple dress shirt, a white tank, cashew coloured pants, a pair of white sneakers, and ending the whole fit with a pale mustard yellow bag.

johnny freaking suh was dashing this morning.

“we didn’t plan this, did we?” johnny broke the silence, before walking towards you.

he brought his hand out, asking permission to hold yours. you pressed your lips together and did what he requested. strangely enough, his hand had a very nice warmth.

he pulled you closer to his side, putting his arm around your shoulders gently. you could hear your heart ringing in your ears. he was too close for comfort but for crying out loud, he wasn’t just any person, he was johnny suh; the guy you very much liked.

“we’ll be late for our breakfast movie date, see you guys later at night.” he signaled his friends and yours, shaking his car keys on his free hand.

while you both turned to a corner a few streets away from your building complex, johnny released his hold on you. stunned, you saw how tensed he was after acting all tough.

that amused you a lot. because behind that intimidating and manly exterior, was a soft and nervous guy on a date.

you wouldn’t say you were any different either, because you were just as tensed as he was. “you okay?”

johnny finally looked at you, “sorry, i’m not usually like this.”

then it hit you.

“is this your first valentine’s date?”

“a proper one, actually.” johnny sighed while looking at his watch, “crap we got ten minutes ‘til the movie starts.”

your eyes widened and didn’t think for a second,. “well we don’t want to be late now, do we?” looking at the town just a few blocks away. “i’ll race you.”

johnny was in shock and broke out into a cackle. “okay. but don’t blame me if you lose.”

“don’t underestimate me, suh.” you grinned, already sprinting away from him. gosh were you happy you chose to wear sneakers today.

the movie was a re-showing of spiderman: no way home. and you heard that johnny was a huge spiderman fan. luckily for him, you were into movies from marvel. except for the recent ones, we don’t talk about those.

after the morning date, johnny had everything planned out. the next agenda was to go for a stroll in the park to take photos and to your surprise, he really lived up to his reputation.

you’ve come to learn that johnny got this passion from his mom, who also took great photos of him when he was younger.

johnny looked at his camera’s viewfinder and spotted you smiling under the rising noontime sun. he hitched a breath, you were so beautiful, and he found himself falling in love even more.

“you hungry? it’s almost lunch time.” you asked him, breaking him out of a daze.

“yeah!” his voice came out all funny, “i booked seats at a restaurant just there.” he pointed at a crowded street. “you good with sushi?”

he was sure his heart melted when you jumped in excitement. “omg i love sushi! let’s go!”

as you walked to the crowded street, johnny felt stares at him that made him uncomfortable. you weren’t oblivious to this though, your sharp eyes caught how even random ladies your age would fuss over the model like young man beside you.

hearing whispers on how handsome he looked and how he was an ideal type for all, you knew he was tensed. so you didn’t think twice to hold his hand and pulled him, walking across the crowd.

it was like how you knew his mind was occupied, johnny felt at peace when he felt your hand on his. “i heard we could get a discount if we go in as a couple.. for today.” he heard you say and your eyes smiled at him. “you good with that?”

finally, a considerate question. someone who apparently spotted his vulnerable self and someone who actually cared for him. you were so different than the previous dates he’s had.

“yeah.” he smiled at you, staring at your tinted lips that called onto him. then he mentally slapped himself for thinking that so early.

lunch was actually quite enjoyable, johnny kept the conversation going and he was unexpectedly funny. putting in one-liners and cracking a couple of jokes filled your stomach with laughter more than the food itself.

he was attractive, loved and intimidated by many, and he was idolised by many sport enthusiasts. to see your crush take you out for valentine’s and witness how he really is in person was something you’d like to keep. and he was just a normal goofball.

a cute kind of goofball.

“if you stare at me for too long i might as well kiss you.” he teased you while he plopped a sushi in his mouth.

“with that salmon sashimi in your mouth? no thanks.” you teased back, catching johnny off guard and he coughed. you chuckled and gave him a glass of water. “sorry about that.”

“that was unexpected.” he cackled, “but that only told me that you’re willing to kiss me.”

you only shook your head, “maybe. maybe not.”

again johnny was taken aback by you, did you have feelings for him for you to say such a thing? today was a friendly date, but would things be different if you both actually have mutual feelings?

he didn’t want to get ahead of himself yet he hoped something good would happen today.

“bill please.” johnny gestured to the waiter, taking his wallet out. his peripheral vision caught you taking your pouch out as well. “it’s okay, y/n, my treat.”

“but-”

“i know about the half and half payment situation going on. but since it’s valentine’s day, let me treat you.” placing his card underneath the receipt book.

“okay, but it means you’re treating me the whole day though.”you closed your wallet, smiling regrettably at him.

johnny just smirked, “unless i score another date with you.”

your cheeks heated up again. smooth, johnny suh. “alright.”

“let’s go to the amusement park?” he stood up, letting you go first to exit the restaurant.

you nodded excitedly, today was going to be a long day for you.

for the whole afternoon, you and johnny rode quite a lot of rides there was in the amusement park. even stopping for a cotton candy and a churro snack break in some of them. and just like johnny, never had you ever experienced a date as fun as this.

two of the last things you both did were the game stalls and bump cars. he bluffed saying that he’d win you a teddy bear even though he really liked it. it was then you found out that he loved stuffed toys. it should’ve been a turn off but for you, it wasn’t. it was actually adorable.

you both ended up carrying two giant teddy bears after being competitive with each other.

johnny brought out his digital film camera and took shots to remember the whole event. he was enjoying himself and couldn’t wait to actually have more with you- if there was going to be more anyway.

he knew he was in love you for the longest of time he knew you. and he couldn’t help but think you did as well. he loved the way you still looked so pretty after you hair was in a mess during the bump cars, smiling and having fun with him.

getting off the bump cars while the sun painted a hue of pink and orange, you both walked towards the turnstile to exit. he checked his phone for a bit while when he noticed people looking at your behind.

until he spotted a bright red stain on your dress. you probably didn’t know you had your period today. locking his phone, he took off his dress shirt and wrapped it around your waist.

for the bystanders who witnessed this, it felt like slow motion that it was a scene worthy to be penned for a romantic movie.

you gasped a bit at the very close proximity with him. “johnny?”

“excuse me for this y/n.” he said softly by your ear. “you’re on your period, so i had to cover your back before more people see it.”

his low velvet voice gave you goosebumps and then realised how embarrassing it was to have him do that. when your eyes met with his, his apologetic smile made you fluster so much.

what you didn’t expect was the now sleeveless johnny- was just as flustered as you were. not sure how long you were staring at his beautiful brown eyes, also at his plumped lips. you decided to break the awkward silence.

“oh my gosh.” you covered the lower half of your face. “i need to go buy sanitary napkins.”

johnny coughed briefly before letting go of your waist. “.. right. i’ll wait for you when you’re done.” taking one of the bears while the other one sat on the bench.

making your way to the girls’ toilet after purchasing a pack of napkins, you slapped your cheeks in embarrassment. your period should’ve arrived after the date. now johnny had to walk around in his tank top for the rest of the evening without his dress shirt.

his dress shirt.. ah whatever. you told yourself.

johnny’s expression lit up when he saw you exiting the toilet, still feeling bad for you but eased up when you smiled. “well since i do have my period, i’m suddenly hungry.”

he snapped his fingers and laughed at your reaction on everything. “great, one last hurrah. i booked a reservation at a french restaurant. heard ladies shouldn’t consume anything oily.”

your mouth went agape as he skipped away with the two teddy bears. “but i was craving for burgers and fries!”

“well you’re having baguette and framboise tonight, young lady.” he called out and laughed once again. and that actually made you chuckle.

“you pronounced ‘framboise’ wrong!”

after you both finished your meal at the fancy french restaurant, you still felt bad about his dress shirt while he must’ve felt cold throughout dinner. it must’ve been stained by now. johnny was quick to pay attention, he licked his lips and rubbed his chin as you both walked back home.

so, the whole valentine’s day was productive; morning cinema and breakfast, a scroll in the park, lunch at a sushi restaurant, amusement park, and a french cuisine dinner. a total package. johnny really outdid himself on this one.

he wished today didn’t end so soon.

and so did you.

“i had fun today, johnny. thank you for being my first valentine ever.” you bit your lip while doing a repetitive tiptoe movement.

johnny ruffed your hair, “i’m glad you liked everything. i hope we can do more of this.”

your eyes lit up, he enjoyed your company. “definitely. but hope this-” you gestured to your ‘accident’, “- doesn’t happen again.”

“y/n, don’t worry about it.” he spoke out, letting you know it wasn’t any problem for him at all.

you scratched the back of your head, “thank you, and i’m so sorry, johnny. i promise to wash it and return it to you.”

he held your shoulder, “it’s okay. keep it. i’ve got an extra one.”

“maybe you just want me to remember about it.” you playfully rolled your eyes and johnny chuckled.

“or maybe i wanted to imprint you.” he stared at your face, then to your lips for a few seconds before laughing. “i’m kidding.”

he waited for an answer but you just blinked at him, looking at his lips that was the distraction the whole day. he took that as a cue that maybe you also wanted what he thought of too. but he didn’t want to act recklessly.

it was quiet for like ten seconds. and ten seconds felt like forever. you felt like your heart was going to explode and johnny felt a rush in him to just go for it.

he put down his bag and the stuffed toy, pulled you closer to him. his hand placed around your back and the free one by your jaw. your face was close to his and you both could feel the tension that was evident in the air.

and even though it was like that, you loved how johnny had the decency to ask your permission before anything.

“can i kiss you?” he asked softly, his eyes trailed to your lips once more before back to your eyes.

the way you were lost in his gaze, how your eyes moved its attention to his lips, and a small nod was already a signal for johnny to make his move.

the grip he had on you tightened a little and you both shared a kiss under the lamp post that was outside your apartment complex. you didn’t know long it was until you and johnny’s smart watches alerted, saying:

“detecting abnormal heart rate.”

stopping almost abruptly, you both caught your breaths after a mutual understanding of your unsaid feelings towards each other, you and johnny softly laughed.

“does this mean we’re official?” you asked nervously, holding his forearms. johnny pinched your cheek as he hugged you gently, swaying you both around and you sniffed in a quiet laughter in his chest.

“well y/n, we’ve already imprinted on each other so.. yes, we’re official. my valentine.”

[katsidhe]

11, 19, 30

Ask game

11. Do you have any favourite writers? Do you have any least favourite writers?

I honestly don’t pay enough attention to specific writers to know or care episode by episode. In terms of showrunners, Gamble is my favorite: the psychological angle in s6-7 and the very clear emphasis on Sam Suffering is absolutely something I can get behind.

19. What does the djinn dream say about Dean? 

Disclaimer that I haven’t watched 2.20 in A Hot Minute.

What I remember most clearly is Dean’s contradictory need to see his happy family thriving, and at the same time to want to be the black sheep, proving he’s the reason they’re miserable. It’s a particular kind of deep, deep self-loathing, but there’s also that weird shape of being drawn to persecution in his dreams (like in 14.10): his happy family and his fictional girlfriend ~don’t understand~ the importance of hunting, of being a hero, and they don’t understand Dean. John, who has always meant hunting and therefore might have complicated that premise, is dead. For similar reasons, Dean’s djinn-fantasy of Sam is disconnected from and even a bit scornful of him.

It also puts forward Dean’s draw to suburban stability/respectability, the simplicity of the thing he wishes for his family, and for himself. He imagines a cookie-cutter kind of happiness. And then Dean discovers that all the people he’s saved are dead: this satisfies his deep-seated need to be a hero, to know that he’s doing tangible good despite his hardships and his loneliness and his sacrifices. That it’s worth it.

30. Is John Winchester redeemable? Is he complex? Is he in love with Azazel?

Well, yes to the third, obviously, the meme is simply too good.

I don’t really think John is a complicated man. I think he’s a Manly Man who lost his wife and became a paranoid gruff emotionally distant father (tm), and honestly that trope simply doesn’t hold my interest very well. The role he plays structurally in the Sam’n’Dean debacle is far more interesting to me than the man himself. I think John is pretty straightforward: he thinks he’s fighting a one-man war; he sees threats to his children everywhere; he plays his cards close to his chest. He’s a conspiracy theorist with the receipts, so is anyone actually surprised that he was a dreadful father?

“Redeemability” is such a strange and sticky question to me, and one that in some respects annoys me in its imprecision. Sorry, but I want to go on a tangent about this.

So, like, confined to fiction, we normally all kinda know what it means to be “redeemed”: there is an arc of realization that your actions were flawed, followed by a dramatic moment of catharsis where you join the good guys, or you make a big apology, or you throw the evil emperor into a pit.

Technically it’s possible for any character to get that. Like, hell, Lucifer’s “redeemable”, and it’s not because his dad was cruel to him or because he loves Jack or whatever. It’s because yes, it’s technically possible for him to be a better person, and even to sincerely offer amends. But it’s all about choice. The degree of effort and time and change that would be necessary to his quote unquote redemption is absurd in its magnitude. Lucifer’s never going to choose to change. He doesn’t want to change. There is not any space in the story SPN is telling for him to change. Thus, he’s functionally irredeemable.

The question, therefore, should be “can John be redeemed within the structural space of the story” rather than “can John as a person hypothetically be redeemed”, because the answer to the second is nearly tautologically yes.

John is dead. What would his cathartic redemption moment be charted as? What would the arc be? I’d argue there have already been two brief attempts at Redemptive Moments in canon, in 2.22 and in 14.13, and that both of them failed. I loathe his appearance in 2.22, because it’s cloyingly saccharine: it’s supposed to demonstrate that he loves his sons so damn much that he crawled out of Hell just to embrace his one true love one last time save them from Azazel. In 14.13, he apologizes. But this is utterly without practical narrative weight; plenty of his sins lie ahead of him, and he isn’t apologizing to his own young sons, but to future mirages of them.

I’m not sure that there is narrative space in SPN for John to be truly redeemed. The role John Winchester plays is not really even as a character per se: he’s a structure in his children’s lives. There is a good reason that in all flashback weechesters episodes, the most we ever see of John are his hands on the wheel, his shadow half-glimpsed in the car, his conspicuous absence. What’s important isn’t that he’s there: what’s important is how he’s shaped his children.

Supernatural is a show about trauma, and the generational trauma from John isn’t something that reads to me as “redeemable” on a character level. Rather, it’s a structural part of the Winchester mythos: the masculine figurehead of hunting/obsession/revenge/inscrutability. An arc in which John apologizes and goes with Sam and Dean to family therapy isn’t really imaginable in the story.

[polaristranslations]

Kissshot Ranking

000

"Oh yeah, Kissshot. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask you something, if you don't mind. You know how, thanks to those three vampire hunters: Dramaturgy, Episode, and Guillotinecutter—you ended up being completely and helplessly beaten up, right?"

"I shall turn you into charcoal."

You are way too lacking in delicacy, she said.

The iron-blooded, hot-blooded, cold-blooded vampire, the King of Oddities, Kissshot Acerolaorion Heartunderblade, glared at me—being glared at by her in her perfected form sent chills not just down my spine, but also through my blood.

But, charcoal?

"Now that I have become complete, I can even breathe fire."

"At that point, you're no longer a demon but a kaiju, aren't you?"

Well, I guess she was already like a kaiju.

Besides, if that middle-aged man in a Hawaiian shirt, Oshino Meme, hadn't taken out her heart, it was true that she probably wouldn't have had her limbs taken from her even if it took all three of the vampire hunters—at the very least, not as easily.

Oshino's skill in stealing her heart without the person herself noticing was nothing short of awe-inspiring, but in other words, it meant that he wouldn't have been able to do such a thing against Kissshot if he hadn't caught her off guard.

She wasn't just the King of Oddities for show.

Even if you took away the fact that I was currently her servant and had to view her in a favorable light, I would still say as such—and that was why I wanted to ask.

Though it was just simple curiosity.

"In the five hundred years you've spent alive—well, I suppose you weren't exactly alive, since you're a vampire—how would you describe the strongest among the opponents you've fought before? It doesn't have to be limited to vampires, and it doesn't even have to be oddities, either."

"The strongest? You mean, the strongest after me, right?"

Even the way she tilted her head was pompous.

Well, yes, the strongest after Kissshot herself.

Even though I asked about it casually, it seemed to have been a tumultuous five hundred years, so the predicament we found ourselves in this time may not have necessarily been her biggest crisis—had she had experiences where she felt even more cornered than now?

As a high school third-year who had gone through three consecutive battles against a bunch that were quite literally beyond human, I couldn't help but be simply curious—had there been anyone even stronger than those three?

There had to have been.

"I wonder about that. 'Strong' and 'weak' are just standards, after all."

Kissshot said, quite self-importantly.

What, are you planning on spouting some enlightened philosophy?

"For example... My servant. From your perspective, out of those three battles, which of them did you find the strongest?"

"Hm?"

"If you ask me, then just as I advised, it would be Guillotinecutter at the top, and then Episode, and then Dramaturgy. However, contrary to expectations, from your experience, the hardest fights were in the reverse order, were they not?"

"Hmm..."

Now that she'd said that, it could be true.

The fight against Guillotinecutter where Hanekawa had been taken hostage, and the fight against Episode where Hanekawa had nearly died... Just remembering them was utterly repulsive, but on the other hand, even though that class rep among class reps hadn't gotten involved, the fight against Dramaturgy that had driven me to the wall had been the one where I'd been the closest to dying.

In the first place, if that giant hadn't so graciously withdrawn from the fight, it was very unclear whether or not I could've actually won... I could believe it if he'd made the professional decision that "it wasn't worth it to get serious and injure this small fry that was just starting out". In that surrender, there may have been a plan to flatter this amateur and make me feel good about walking away.

Even if, on my end, I had my own excuses, or rather, circumstances, that it was my first battle...

"Are you saying that compatibility matters when it comes to battles?"

"I—and you also, now—we may be bad with the sun, but most beings that live on this Earth have no problem with sunlight. Meanwhile, there are beings that die from oxygen—would you define a being that dies from eating garlic the 'strongest'?"

So she was saying that even the strong had their weak points.

Even though garlic was just tasty—although, now it would kill me if I ate it.

Then, were poisonous mushrooms the strongest? The fugu? However, it was hard to think of poison, which only went into effect when ingested, as meeting the conditions for being the "strongest"—not to mention, with the fugu, we even went to the trouble of removing the poison before eating it.

Right now, the strongest person from my point of view would have to be Dramaturgy, but if I expanded my outlook, I could say that my past encounter with the flu had been an even tougher battle. A fever of 40 degrees that lasted for days on end. In terms of how many times I thought I would die, the vampire hunters barely amounted to anything..

"Also, if we're talking about mental damage, then the times I got beaten up by my little sisters were definitely more overwhelming..."

"Everyone is weak to family, after all. ...When it came to my first thrall, the original Oddity Slayer, I did not make him my thrall because he was strong."

In the first place, "fighting" was a rare occurrence over my five hundred years of activity—said Kissshot.

"Is that so? I always had the impression that vampires were battle-hungry, though."

"That is a mistaken impression produced by the media."

"'Mistaken impression produced by the media'?"

"With the specialists, 'tis hunt and be hunted. The reason you ended up with these three consecutive battles this time was because of that Hawaiian shirt's plan—it was a game."

I see.

Vampire hunters—so that's what it meant to have those hunters as enemies. It wasn't that fleeing was winning, but that you won by fleeing. From the perspective of the vampires who were on the side of the hunted, they weren't on equal footing to begin with.

It's because so many countermeasures had been put in place against her that she'd been stripped of her limbs and had her heart taken from her... For someone like me, who was just starting out—if the same countermeasures were taken against me, I would surely die in an instant. In fact, it was only because I was given time to take countermeasures and strategies that I was able to exploit the weakness of the professionals who weren't accustomed to the situation of "the enemy coming after them"—it wouldn't be good for the future if I thought that I was able to beat those three entirely because of my own abilities.

After all, my own abilities were but a fraction of Kissshot's abilities. If she was attacked, if she was marked a target for extermination because she was strong, then that may as well mean that she was weak... Like an endangered species that was hunted to excess.

"I guess it's like how your grades and your intelligence don't necessarily coincide."

Though there were people like Hanekawa whose grades and intelligence did coincide—putting aside whether or not they coincided for me.

"And as for if the culprit is stronger than the victim in murder cases, that would definitely be a no..."

It really made me think.

I'd secretly schemed to tie things up with the play on words of "Strength [tsuyosa] alone is not applicable [tsuuyou shinai]", but the current mood had become not so frivolous—perhaps it was time for me to dejectedly leave from the side exit [tsuuyoumon].

"In the end, it doesn't really matter if you're strong or weak, huh."

"Nay, of course it matters if you are strong. However, 'tis only in second, or maybe third place—competing with whether you win or lose."

There may be times where the strong end up losing, it would be an error in judgment to say that you should be happy to win while weak—although, there were probably a number of people who would prefer to be strong, even if they lose.

Then, what came in first place?

"Of course. 'Tis whether you live or die."

Even if you may be weak, even if you may lose.

Being alive is what matters most—said the immortal oddity. And I, not yet having returned to being human—being dead just by being alive—did not know what she was thinking as she said that.

[denqis]

Ok I hope this isn’t too vague (if it is, let me know!) but Kami and his s/o being cute together? Like cuddling and taking silly videos together and everyone is like EW GROSS but lowkey jealous because wtf they’re so cute together. Thank you!! I just want some disgusting fluff 🤧

OKAY LISTEN, LISTEN!!!! WHEN I READ THIS REQUEST AND WHILE MAKING THIS I TEARED UP??? i literally love denki so?much? he's my baby, my angel, my sun??? so yeah i probably went kinda overboard but thank you so so much for requesting this!💗

two halves of one idiot — kaminari denki x reader

- okay sO when you first walzed into that classroom, no matter how insecure or nervous you may have felt

- denki? boy oh boy, was he whipped

- he didn't show it, though, always making advances to every girl in your class

- you didn't care in the beginning

- but ever since he took your hand during the villain attack at the usj, you may have felt your heart skip the tiniest bit every time you caught a glimpse of him

- you got injured due to kurogiri's warp gate slamming your head against a rock, you were pretty much useless and a burden

- you felt dizzy and nauseous and denki, being the idiotic gentleman he is protected you by pushing you into a gap between two huge rocks, shielding you with his body

- when you finally decided to flee, he took your hand and rushed away, rendering you even more useless, slipping in and out of conciousness

- you felt bad for denki because he was handicapped due to you

- you invited him to lunch and took him out for ice cream once you were feeling better

- he didn't really like that you paid and wanted to pay you back for paying him back???

- endless spiral of idiocy

- both of you were broke and had gained a few kilos by the end of the week

- you definitely felt butterflies every now and then, especially when he purposely sat down next to you instead of sero or kiri

- you found out that the two of you enjoyed memes far too much

- it started with you quoting one of your favorite vines and he literally almost got whiplash when he heard it

- "OH MY GOD YOU LIKE VINES TOO?!"

- you greeted yourselves by quoting cody ko vines daily

- you'd stay after class with him, sitting across from him when he'd have extra study sessions

- jokes on you and him, he couldn't concentrate

- you'd snap the stupidest pictures of him, with instagram or snapchat filters and send them to him and his friends

- he'd notice you staring at him more and more and how you stuttered and blushed, it was so unusual

- he didn't change, still flirting with every girl around and you started feeling worse and worse, jealousy eating you up slowly but surely

- during the summer break you didn't meet up at all, due to you ignoring him, trying to fight your feelings

- but shit that day at the pool

- it came out of the blue and you contemplated on not going, but were eventually forced to

- you wanted to DIE when you saw denki in his tight swimwear

- the heat rose to your cheeks and your nether regions, you felt the distance you had put between the two of you

- he was so unsure of what to do, not even daring to look in your direction

- "dunce face what the fuck is wrong with you today?" bakugo was more pissed off than denki himself

- katsuki KNEW how both of you felt, he had overheard a pep-talk you were giving yourself about not freaking out when next to him

- let alone denki never actively pursued you so that must mean he's hella nervous around you

- denki suddenly felt everything crash around him, taking your hand into his just like he did back at the beginning of the school year

- all eyes were on the two of you, but you didn't care

- you were so very confused??

- until he stopped, nibbled on his lower lip and fiddled with his fingers, not meeting your gaze once

- both of you were tomato red, blame it on the heat or the sparks that were flying between the two of you (pun intended)

- you were about to raise your voice when he finally mustered up enough courage to smash his lips into yours

- he WAS A LITTLE TOO EAGER

- let's just say he almost lost a tooth and you almost peed your pants from laughing too much

- you couldn't stand up straight, holding your stomach and wheezing

- he was a pouty, upset little pupper after that, even more embarrassed than before

- "i like you too, idiot."

- that's when you leaned in, hands caressing his cheeks, lips lightly locking with his

- um... he was shocked, so shocked that he kinda mayhaps shocked you????

- he wanted to DIE, he felt so bad, but you liked the thrill

- you simply connected your lips again, moving so smoothly and naturally UNTIL

- someone cleared his throat, both of your heads whipped around and holy shit, oh no

- aizawa had just busted your asses

- "please, just please, never do that in front of me ever again. i don't want to have to update the whole teacher's office weekly on your relationship. you know how they can get."

- well since those kisses you tried to be not as touchy-feely

- but it almost turned routine that you two'd leave during breaks and could be found in the bathroom stalls

- SERO ONCE WAS IN THERE TOO AND HE'S NOW TRAUMATIZED FOR LIFE

- y'all sum dumb bitches

- actually recreating vines, throwing empty bottles down the hallway, giving iida several heart attacks

- recording yourselves doing dumbass tiktoks just for shits and giggles

- you hated tiktok, calling it knockoff vine and shit

- you're playing the sims together and he always sets your house on fire

- SLEEPOVERS

- y'all deadass in the same dorm but it's too far away

- in the living room you'd always be connected to him one way or the other

- your favorite is laying in his lap with him massaging your scalp/ playing with your hair

- and omg when he leans down to kiss you? you were a goner

- everyone in your class hated you two, you were just amplifying each other's stupidity

- running around screaming profanities when school's out and getting into detention

- pulling out sero's tape while he was sleeping, taping himself up and hanging him upside down

- no one was safe from the two of you

- you loved to play cupid too, spying on the others and their potential crushes

- you wanted to go on double dates is that too much to ask for?

- your otp was bakugo and kirishima

- partly because they were so cute together but mainly because bakugo would get SO riled up about it that he nearly killed you two every single time

- there was this incident when denki had gotten no sleep, zero, zilch

- so he fell asleep in class, recharging, literally

- he had this huge adorable pout on his lips, face all squishy and blushed

- you couldn't help yourself, even though the risk of a teacher coming in every three seconds was huge

- you leaned down and pecked his pout, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes

- he was the cutest thing you had EVER laid eyes on

- you adored this stupid dipshit so so much, your heart was overwhelmed with the love you felt at this moment

- the whole class just stared at you, looking down at your boyfriend and CRYING??

- "ugh oh my god, disgusting. grow the fuck up y/n."

- you looked at bakugo through the curtain of tears and raised a middle finger at him

- he was jealous, you knew he was, because the inferior dumbass got a significant other while he didn't

- you simply went in for another kiss, curling his locks in your fingers, when he suddenly pulled you in for thirds, starteling you so much that you fell forward, ontop of his desk

- he shocked you AGAIN and your foreheads budded, giving both of you a huge hematoma in the middle of your forehead

- he's so overprotective, every time you'd have to work in pairs and you weren't paired up with him

- get ready for pouts and long stares

- paper planes with little i love you's scribbled onto them

- air kisses

- dude you were so cheesy and obvious

- you were the only couple in your year and no one wanted to admit how jealous they were

- you always brought him lunches because

- "gatorade and nutella toast aren't breakfast, denki."

- your heart was so full of love for this dumbass that whenever he spoke you felt the need to kiss him and cuddle him to near death

- you run at him and jump and he'd ALWAYS catch you, dropping everything around him

- you always prank him into cuddling you, when you pretend to be asleep in the living room so that he feels obligated to carry you to your (or his) room

- you'd just wrap your arms around his neck and pull him on top of you

- you loved having him close, hearing his heartbeat and steady breath

- he showers you with stupid little gadgets and gifts let's be real

- "i bought you this pen you talked about three weeks ago!"

- he's so attentive 🥺

- I LOVE KAMINARI DENKI AND YOU SHOULD TOO

[jadedjxsung]

‘heather’ - h.h.j

i am sad and am listening to conan gray’s new album kid krow - this is inspired by ‘heather’ from that album. listen to it. it’s sad and i cry a little bit every time because i kinda relate to it too with my actual friends... anyway. this is kinda like me fictionally venting about it but through fanfic so i hope you enjoy this angst.

genre: angst, angst, angst. highschool au.

tw/cw: swearing, alcohol (kinda underage drinking? tbh i’m assuming they’re all above 18 so idk guess it depends on the laws where you live, where i am it’s 18)

pairing: hyunjin x reader i guess? kinda but also not really. you’ll see what i mean when you read the story.

just over 3k words

-

it was the third of december, a sunday, approximately 4pm. you and your best friend (whom you were definitely, absolutely not in love with) were hanging out at his house, having spent most of the day watching movies in the pillow fort you had made in his living room. your phone buzzed beside you, under the soft mink blanket.

“i gotta head home now.” you sat up, stretching, looking down at him. 

he was pouting. (god it just made him more adorable-) “come on, five more minutes?”

“i can’t jinnie, my grandparents from out of town are visiting and mum wants me there to see them.” he sighed. 

“argh, fine.” you both crawled out of the fort, and you reached the front door. opening it, a cold wind blew in. you were in a somewhat thin t-shirt. “take my sweater.” before you could even attempt to protest, he’d whipped the black sweater off and threw it at you. it landed over your head. you pulled it over your body, instantly swamped in the soft material. (it smelled just like him too, you tried to ignore the way it made your heart race.)

“thanks.” 

“you’re welcome. it looks better on you.” he grinned. you hugged briefly, and then began the walk home, head spinning as you tried to remember to breathe. after the dinner with your grandparents, you sat in your room, in his sweater, inhaling the scent and playing with the sweater paws. you fell asleep with a soft smile on your face.

-

it was the end of the winter holidays, spring rapidly approaching. school was back, and you and hyunjin were sitting in the cafeteria during lunch with your friends. it was loud, the mass of teenagers chatting loudly. you were listening to felix as he was talking about what had happened in drama, recreating the scene with jisung. you glanced at hyunjin, soft smile on his pretty face. it disappeared as he began staring, a look you’d never seen on his face before. you followed his gaze, hitching your breath at who he was (now very obviously) staring at. he was completely mesmerized.

of course it was a girl. admittedly a very beautiful one, clearly a new student. imagine, the definition of the soft girl aesthetic - perfect, slightly curled brown hair, oversized pale pink knitted sweater, half-tucked into light blue mom jeans rolled up at the ankle, white adidas finishing the look. round frame glasses, and the perfect smattering of freckles over her nose and cheekbones.

perfect, perfect, perfect. 

picture perfect.

as she walked past your table, you glanced at hyunjin. he was, as felix would say, ‘absolutely whipped’ - heart eyes, mouth slightly agape, relaxed facial expression.

you quickly exhaled. “shut your mouth before you start drooling.” you snapped.

he jolted out of his daydream at your sudden sharp tone. “shit, was i staring?”

“you’re whipped, bro.” 

“she’s sitting alone, i’ll go talk to her.” he got up quickly, moving away from your table. you observed his body language - you could imagine him giving her that charming smile, while it wasn’t as pretty has the one where his eyes crinkle up, it was still infectious and entrancing at the same time.

“sorry, y/n.” jisung murmured in your ear. though he was smiling, his eyes said otherwise. he knew how you felt about your mutual friend and was always sympathetic towards you.

“we’ll see how long this one lasts, i guess.” you shrugged. something was different about this one, you could tell. it used to be more puppy love, but this looked more like real, romantic love. and it kind of scared you a little bit.

“i’m gonna go to the library.” you got up, bag slung over one shoulder, putting on a podcast (welcome to night vale, a long time favourite of yours) as you sat down. you pulled out your english book and a sharpie, idly doodling patterns and writing down quotes as you hear them. you had a free period after lunch, so you stayed there until the end of the day, the covers of your english, history, calculus, physics, chemistry, and music book covers were completely covered in drawings, and you had little sharpie smudges all along your hands and arms.

-

things had been getting better for hyunjin (and worse for you) - he shared a few classes with the girl he learned was from england, called heather. and she was all he talked about - until she began sitting with your group during breaks. 

“hey, y/n, i know you missed english yesterday so i copied my notes for you.” she smiled, passing you a few pages of paper as everyone met at your table. even her writing was neat and tidy, everything laid out nicely. your notes were exactly the opposite of this, being an incomprehensible mess. jisung had already given you his notes, so you folded them and shoved them into your bag. more ashes for the fireplace, you supposed.

“thanks.” you forced a smile. “much appreciated.”

“no problem!” god, her smile was perfect too. perfect teeth. it made you seethe on the inside. and, she’d taken your usual spot at the edge of the table, across from hyunjin; now you sat sandwiched between jisung and felix. while their antics still made you laugh, it was getting harder to pretend to smile at hyunjin and heather. picture perfect heather. she was everything you were not - twice as pretty as you, and kind too. it just made you more bitter.

you sighed, relieved when the bell rang to indicate the end of lunch - and you were the fastest to leave, too. music went by faster than usual, as you were practicing for your solo pieces. as you were leaving, you saw hyunjin walking by himself.

this was a rare opportunity, and so you seized it.

“hey, jinnie. movie night at mine?”

he shook his head. “sorry y/n, i’m busy. heather and i are gonna be going to...” as soon as he shook his head you sighed, regretting asking. you didn’t bother to listen to his short spiel.

“that’s okay.”

“what about next wednesday? we can hang out at mine?”

“yeah, sure!” it was the first thing that had you looking forward to being around hyunjin in a while.

-

the next day, you didn’t see hyunjin or heather until lunch. you nearly turned on your heel and walked out.

heather was wearing one of hyunjin’s sweaters - of course it wasn’t just any old sweater either. one of his favourites, a bright yellow one that you had bought for him about a year ago. of course he would give her that one. fucking typical.

you breathed in and out a few times to try and calm yourself down. at least it’s polyester, right? not like the woolen one he gave you.

your breathing didn’t really work - you sat down, (accidentally) slamming your drink bottle on the table.

“you good?” jisung asked gently. you shook your head slightly. “do you want to go outside?”

“please.” you both got up, exiting the cafeteria with your bags. it was cool outside, and overcast. you both walked across the field, sitting at a picnic table.

“what’s happened?”

“she’s wearing the sweater i bought for him, like, a year ago.”

his expression softened. “oh...”

“yeah. god- i just- i...” you buried your face in your cold hands. silently, jisung hugged you as you began to cry.

“i can try talking to him if you want.”

“i-it’s okay, there’s probably no point.”

“you never know, i’ll ask him about the sweater for you.”

“much appreciated.” you sighed. you two stayed in that position for some time. he looked up, behind you, seeing felix approaching.

“felix is coming over, is that cool?”

“yeah, yeah.”

“hey, uhh, i wanted to see if y/n was okay.” he sat down at the table, across from you both.

“i’m not, but thanks for showing concern, lix.”

“can i ask why?”

you sighed. “long story short, i have liked hyunjin for years and he’s basically in love with heather and she’s currently wearing the sweater i bought him a year ago.”

“yikes.”

“mhm...” you sat slumped for several minutes. for the rest of lunch, jisung and felix sat with you. while they still cracked jokes here and there, it was strange for them to be as quiet as they were.

-

you felt a little better now that felix and jisung both made the extra effort to try and cheer you up. hangout sessions with them both were quite common - though today it was wednesday and you were looking forward to hanging out with hyunjin. just you two. no perfect heathers to distract your best friend. 

waiting outside the main building for him, you saw him and walked over. “oh, hey y/n!” he smiled at you. the eye crunch one. your heart instantly a puddle on the ground.

“hey, hyunjin.” you began walking to his place, and it was just like old times - plenty of teasing and hyunjin being overdramatic while you rolled your eyes at his antics. all was well and you felt the happiest you’d been in some time. 

all was well.

two minutes past seven, you and hyunjin were in his room, doing your own thing, occasionally showing each other memes or tiktoks. a knock on the door caused you to flinch slightly. of course, being his bestfriend of several years meant that you had been interrupted by both of his parents knocking on the door numerous times; this was an unfamiliar knock.

and who comes into the room, but perfect heather. with her perfect smile, perfect hair, perfect handwriting, perfect everything. 

“oh, hi y/n! sorry to interrupt, i’m happy to leave-” 

“it’s fine, see-”

“no, no, no, you can stay if you’d like.” hyunjin beamed.

“are you sure? i wouldn’t want to impose.”

“it’s fine.” you got up, walking towards the door, glaring at hyunjin. “i was just about to leave.” as the weight of your schoolbag met your shoulder, you shut the door. firmly. god, how you wanted to hit him sometimes. 

-

a week and a few days later, and here you are at 1am on a saturday morning, dissociating at a party, hosted by jisung’s friend chan. you’re sitting on an armchair in the corner, with chan’s dog sitting by your feet, head on your lap while you gently patted it and scratched behind it’s ears. it was loud, and not your scene, and you hate it, but someone had to look out for slightly intoxicated jisung and felix and you didn’t like the idea of them doing something stupid (which was a very likely thing to occur if you weren’t there to supervise them). 

your charges are sitting on a couch with changbin, not too far from where you were, only two or so metres away. on another couch, hyunjin and perfect heather, as well as minho and another dude they were friends with that you recognised from class but didn’t know the name of. (jeongoon? no, jeongin.)

you shift your gaze from jeongin (jeongoon??) to hyunjin and heather. he has one arm around her shoulder. almost like phantom pain, you shiver, suddenly feeling cold. he used to do that with you. emphasis on used to.

you sit, patting chan’s dog (whose eyes are drooping, you feel exactly the same), wallowing in your bitterness. it makes you sad. in any other circumstance, you’d probably be good friends with her. she’s the definition of an angel, yet something about her makes you tick. she’s such an angel but you dislike her. immensely. not hate. it was a shame, really.

it is also a shame that with the blue and red lighting, it falls perfectly on hyunjin’s features, making him seem more ethereal. oh, how you wish you were in heather’s position. if you were in her place, you would’ve kissed him, right there. (after years of nearly doing it but stopping at the last second before he noticed and anything happened.) he’s three metres away from you, but you can picture his face close-up. he’d look so much better up close. how you wish you were heather. 

gently lifting the dog’s head from your lap (quietly apologising to it too), you stand in front of jisung and felix. 

“i’m leaving. don’t die. text me when you get home.”

jisung pouts. “aww, do you have to leave?”

“i’m not really having fun, there’s no point in me being here.” jisung stood up quickly, clinging to your shoulder as he sways slightly.

“i’ll walk you home, it’s dangerous out there, y/n. big scary spiders and shit.” his eyes are glassy and wide.

“no. no, you stay here, ji, have fun. i’ll be fine.” you force a smile for the boy clinging to you, not unlike a koala. 

“but what if like- a huge fuckin’ spider eats you?! what would i do without my y/n?” 

you chuckle at his antics. “you’re probably more likely to get me eaten by a big spider than to protect me from one, you idiot.” 

a new voice caused you to tense up a little bit. “i’ll walk them home, you stay here jisung.” 

the dark haired boy loosens his grip. “okay, if hyunjin’s walking you home that’s fine. but you should definitely not tell him anything y/n.” he sat back down again, almost like nothing had happened. hyunjin follows you out of chan’s place, nearly losing you a few times as you quickly picked your way through the crowd. 

you stand on the footpath outside as he approaches you. silently, you walk together for about five minutes, both lost in your own thoughts.

“i feel like we hardly talk anymore, y/n.”

you huff, shoving your hands further into your jacket pockets. “i wonder why.”

“well, why?” he ignores your sarcasm.

“heather.”

“what about her?”

your feet stop. you exhale sharply. this had been going on for long enough, and internally apologise to jisung for doing the exact opposite of what he told you to do. 

“you want to know? fine, i’ll tell you. i have been in love with you for years but have been too afraid to say it, when you had these little crushes on others and always having these short little flings with them but it didn’t matter because you always came back to me. then perfect heather turns up and you very obviously fall in love with her which is fair enough, and i feel horrible because she’s so perfect and lovely but i can’t help but despise her because she’s the one you love, not me. and it breaks my heart because you’re both so nice and she doesn’t deserve me being an asshole to her like this but i can’t help it, her perfection just irritates me in ways that i can’t describe. 

it’s like you replaced me, but with the perfect girl that you fell in love with while i sit in the corner, upset and bitter, because i am ultimately a coward who doesn’t know how to confess to their best friend. also, you gave her the sweater i bought you, the yellow one, but clearly don’t remember that because i’m just not that important to you anymore. everything is heather, heather, heather, with you and regardless of the romantic feelings, i miss you and want to know what happened to my best friend.” 

your heavy breathing after your rant filled the silence. 

“y/n i...”

“look, you don’t have to respond. i just needed you to hear that. i’m tired of trying to hide how i feel.” you turn on you heel and began walking quickly - your house was only a block away. curse hyunjin and his long legs.

“look, i’m sorry, y/n. i am so sorry that you feel like that. i’m sorry that i became so focused on one person. i’m sorry i can’t return your feelings, but i still love you as a friend. can we still be friends?”

you stop again, keeping your gaze towards the ground. “i don’t know if i can ever see you as just a friend.”

“so... no?”

you breathe in. “no, hyunjin. we can’t be friends.” you look up at him. you’d never seen him look this broken, this tormented, and it was because of you. you hold your arms out, and he falls into your embrace. you can tell by the way he’s breathing and the quiet sniffles that he’s crying on your shoulder.

-

it is the 3rd of march, a saturday at approximately 2am. you and your former best friend (who you are very much in love with) are embracing for the last time in the middle of the street, almost but not quite outside your house. your phone buzzes in your jacket pocket, repeatedly. 

“you better pick that up.” hyunjin said softly, pulling away from you, forcing a smile. it makes your heart twinge at the sight. nothing like the radiant ones you are used to, that you might never get to see up close again.

you sigh when you saw the caller id, answering anyway. “jisung, what?”

“you should be home by now y/n. are you safe? did you tell hyunjin anything? i hope he protected you from big spiders and shit.” he was slurring his words a little bit - clearly he’d had a bit more to drink since you’d left.

“i’m almost home, ji. he protected me from all the spiders.” 

“okay well, that’s good. i’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“yep. stay safe.” you hang up and sigh, looking back at hyunjin. “look after him and felix for me, please.”

“i will.”

“thank you, hyunjin. you’re a wonderful person.” you begin to walk down the street, looking back when you reach your front door. you glance back, and see his dark figure, slowly walking down the street. you slip in your house quietly, and manage to hold your tears in until you reach your room. you sit on your bed, in his sweater, crying into the sweater paws. eventually, sleep takes over your body, your face sticky with tears.

[ehyeh-joshua]

Understanding the coming 2021 Economic Crisis.

TL;DR - the banks and hedgefunds have been screwing the US economy over and merely repeating what happened in 2008 is a good outcome at this point, with the worst case scenario being the complete collapse of the United States Dollar, and with it the entire global economy.

It's not an accident that Bank of America and JPMorgan have both issued Bonds totalling $15 billion and $13 billion dollars - both record breaking amounts - at the same time Warren Buffet has sold 100% of his JPMorgan stock.

To explain why goes back into the history of Wall Street greed; for decades they have been targeting companies to short-sell their stock (where a share is borrowed and sold, and replaced later at the lower price, causing a profit of the sale of the original share minus the cost of the replacement share and the interest fees on the borrowed share, which can be more profitable than holding the share for the person being borrowed from) on a massive scale; the goal is to make the victim company into a worthless penny-stock, and then force the company into bankruptcy by not having enough liquidity to pay off things like toxic debt, default on issued bonds.

They will even do it to their own; this behaviour was what truly killed Lehmann Brothers and Bear Sterns - Wall Street made hundreds of millions of dollars shorting those two all the way to the ground. In total, they made well over a trillion dollars shorting businesses that went bankrupt as a result of 2008.

There are hundreds of public companies - especially brick and concrete building based companies - that are affected by this, right now, on the stock exchanges; they've been hit hard during the last year, and Wall Street is betting that they will fail between Covid and the shift to online retail.

Then the second side of the attack comes in - they will replace the old leadership with their own team and blame the previous team for all the problems, ride the short term boost in confidence, then control the collapse of the business.

And knowing that the business will go bankrupt makes it safe to do a much more risky and profitable version of short-selling - counterfeit short-selling.

The difference between the two is that in a normal short sell, there is a share that is actually borrowed from someone else in order to be sold; in a counterfeit short-sale, they get a friendly market-maker - a company with the authority to create counterfeit shares as a normal part of trading (make a million of these IOU shares, and fill them with a million real shares milliseconds later in order to create liquidity in a stock, which is hedged by the sale of calls and puts options) to create these counterfeit IOU shares.

They can do this because in the actual transaction, although the money transfers instantly the actual shares transfer on a T+2 settlement system (day of the trade, plus two days) - it's a relic of the old days when physical share certificates had to be moved around.

The IOU share is treated as a legal share - to all legal purposes, you own the share. This is not a "Contract for difference" arrangement, in which you are just betting on the stock going up; this IOU, this synthetic share, is a legal share that is meant to be replaced by the real share during the T+2 system. When it doesn't deliver, it is called an FTD; a 'Fail to deliver".

But it is a fake share - instead of there only being X shares in existence, there are now X+Y shares in existence. This devalues the stock due to increasing the supply.

This is why the news media is going on about meme-stocks - a bunch of 4Chan and Reddit "retarded apes" figured it out and YOLOed their savings on these stocks, and because they refuse to sell the stocks and have bought as many of these counterfeit shares as they can afford (and a few actual retards have bought more than they can afford) and now Wall Street has been caught counterfeiting at least 140% of the shares (the absolute minimum, based on SEC fillings for institutional ownership of GME stock, which necessarily does not include the retail investors) ever issued by GameStop. If you go through the SEC's published data on FTDs, you see that typically hundreds of thousands of shares have failed to deliver each day in the case of GameStop. Hundreds of thousands of fake shares that have been sold and are now trading on the market, in dark pools or sat in some Ape's account.

Now, GME is not going to crash the economy, and this is from someone who fully believes the hype about a million dollars a share not being a meme; there aren't nearly enough retarded apes to make it so big that the dollar will crash, although I do think that GME will temporarily cause the dollar to halve or drop to a third of present value before it all gets spent as apes pay taxes and buy Lambos and houses and continue to make the badly judged options bets that made r/WallStreetBets famous.

The real big nuke is that Wall Street has been shorting the US Treasury Bonds market. Worst case scenario is seven times more Treasury Bonds - especially the ten year Bond - are trading than were ever issued by the Federal Reserve. Best case scenario they've only managed to double the Bonds in existence.

To explain just how terrifying this is:

Imagine that you are a major bank. You need liquidity - you have customers in so many sectors that you have departments to track what departments you have covering different sectors of finance.

So, you use the Treasury Bond; they are backed by the government so they can't go wrong. You buy them when you have money, sell them when you need cash; these things trade typically in total values of trillions of dollars each day. The whole system works because Bank A borrows from Bank B to pay Bank C who owe a Bond to Bank D who need a Bond for Bank E who owe Bank A a Bond; all the time all the members stay afloat, they can play hot potato with the Bonds.

As soon as one goes down, the dominoes fall.

"But what on earth could take out a Bank?"

The Mother Of All Short Squeezes.

GameStop going boom to a thousand dollars a share might take out a single hedgefund, but the damage stops there. And back in January, $1k per share was a meme amount even to the most dedicated autistic retard ape. These days, the apes realise that the economy is as screwed as it was in 2008, and they are using GME to hedge against another global financial crash, which contributes to why they want millions - it's no longer about Lambos and YOLO options bets, but about making sure their families don't lose their homes when banks go boom and the housing market crashes because the bubble pops. Its about having support systems for people who will be left with nothing.

Back in January, apes thought that it was just Melvin Capital - a single, not particularly big hedgefund only worth ~$20 billion in Assets Under Management. Subsequently, they discovered how deep in this Citadel group are; a group of companies that is ultimately worth a trillion dollars and handles 46% of all trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

Citadel are backed by Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan. Bank of America is involved as part of their own short-selling position on GME.

When GME squeezes, the US stock market will crash as the Depository Trust Clearing Corporation margin call small fry like Melvin Capital, large players like Citadel and eventually major banks like Bank of America and JPMorgan. (Goldman Sachs have hedged their short position and will survive, the other two however...)

How do I know this?

Last week, the Biden administration appointed Gary Gensler - who oversaw the fallout from 2008 - to being the head of the Securities Exchange Commission; the organisation who regulates the US securities markets.

Six months ago, the Trump administration gave the US markets a respite on collateral to be deposited to be held to cover investments on margin.

The SEC has been kept up to date with the situation - once apes figured out that this was going to cause a 2008 style collapse they started sending it all in to the SEC; sure, they want Lambo and tendies, but they also want the economy to survive. They've watched The Big Short, and serveral times a day you'll see the Don't ****ing dance" quote cited because they've realised that they have discovered what Michael Burry found out back in 2005. They are terrified. I've had sleepless nights over the last month, and I'm long GME because I think it is the only hedge against the economic collapse that could be on it's way. I don't want to imagine what someone who knows about this stuff and isn't long GME is thinking.

What gives me hope is that the SEC are rapidly changing the rules - there have been three massive legal developments since I started following the situation - in order to contain the damage that can be done from GME going off. I believe that the SEC is coordinating with long institutional investors - particularly BlackRock and Fidelity - GameStop's leadership (who are pushing to turn the company around and need this dealt with so that they can move forward) crypto-currencies experts and the Federal government to ensure a situation where retail gets paid (roughly a hundred thousand Chinese people and a Chinese investment fund are long GME - the US government cannot afford to give the CCP the propaganda coup of betraying the principle of free markets, the US economy would never recover from the blow) and the system has a systemic crash this year and rebuilds much better now that a decades old criminal practice is gotten rid of and the shares system is converted to blockchain and instant settlement to make sure the factors that led to this disaster aren't repeated. I.e. I become a millionaire and retire at 28, buy the dip knowing that things are going to recover from a massive but temporary crisis.

A "normal" bad situation, where this does not completely worst nightmare wrong? I walk away from GME a billionaire, but a loaf of bread costs a million dollars.

Worst case? Well, the bit before Jesus' return in glorious victory is seven years of hell on earth, under an economy where no one can buy or sell without the beasts involvement. How you get that is you arrange a global financial crisis to bankrupt nations all over the world and make your centralised one world economy look like the saviour.

Whatever you do, don't rush to pull money out the banks - that only screws everything over guaranteed because if everyone has a run on the banks you immediately get a short squeeze on the Treasury Bonds, which nukes everything. If everyone pretends that life goes on as normal and the Fed gets away with giving Treasury Bonds to those who need them to complete their chains then only GME goes boom, and the economy survives, and therefore hundreds of thousands of people will not lose their jobs and houses. But they need GME to go boom so that they can use it as a cover story so that they can get away with covering up the Treasury Bonds problem.

As always, none of this is financial advice, and while I'm not a cat, I'm also not a financial advisor, and this is written by a guy who has 19 tickets on rocket built by self-proclaimed retarded apes knowing he only knows of one actual physicist among them, having YOLOed his savings on hope that his affordable investment won't lose value even in the event of 10,000% inflation.

This is going to be my last post on the subject, because frankly, I'm scared. I've seen the Cthulhuoid monster lurking in the depths, and I hope and pray I'm wrong.

[somelazyassartist]

10 and 12!

10. Your favorite enemy and the enemy you hate the most.

I'd have to say my favorite enemy was the ghost of the lady that owned our party's mansion before we moved in. She was a pain in the ass to get rid of. Hallows didn't like her very much because she magically made Hallows physically age 20 years (lucky for Hallows it didn't do shit to her appearance cuz she's a really young Elf so she still looked exactly the same) and immediately said "fuck this" and escaped through her tower room window to get A) the Royal Guard including Ciggus who was not actually Hallows' son at that point in the story, and B) the local Priest who did all of the work and saved all of our party's asses. But I personally really liked that encounter and had a lot of fun with it.

My least favorite enemy was probably the Intellect Devourers we had to fight. Their hosts beat the absolute shit out of Hallows, and nearly made our Barbarian, Borylter, braindead by leaving him with only 1 intelligence, though he got better after a long rest. But I did enjoy the aftermath of that encounter, where Hallows had a really touching heart-to-heart with said Barbarian (only because, and I quote, "I would never admit this if you weren't too stupid to understand what I'm saying") where she admitted to him that despite how much she teases and antagonizes him, she sees him as her best friend and he makes her really happy to be alive again. Hallows would be lying if she said she didn't secretly wish he could have remembered her saying that. 

12. Your in game inside jokes/memes/catchphrases and where they came from.

+1 Chalk, The Great Table Debacle of 2019, Impromptu Therapy, Apples, and "Fine, but I'm not looking" are the five that immediately pop into my head, though I'm sure we have many more than that.

+1 Chalk: our party had found a magical forcefield that had a different effect on everything you sent through it. Hallows sent her familiar Morticia through it, rendering the cute lil bat unharmed but now invisible, our Tabaxi, Loki, ran through it twice and caught on fire both times (he had Hallows chuck him by the tail and the scruff of his neck like a battering ram for a third time, but nothing happened except him faceplanting into a wall), and Borylter threw a piece of chalk through there, which made the chalk faintly glow but otherwise be completely useless. We refer to the whole scenario as "+1 Chalk" because while it was highly entertaining, it was ultimately pointless, like the chalk itself.

The Great Table Debacle of 2019: we were exploring a dungeon and came across a room that had nothing but one huge banquet table full of food in it. After some poking around we found out that the table itself was magical and would replenish any food eaten off of it, and we all collectively decided we Wanted It. We debated- I shit you not- for ten straight minutes on how to get that thing out of the dungeon and back home. Our plan was to rip it apart and put the pieces in Ciggus' bag of holding, and then once we got it home we'd use the Mending Cantrip as many times as needed until it was whole again. Eventually our DM told us to just move on and if we really need to we can come back later because please can we just get on with the story. Quarantine cut our campaign short and we never did get to go back for that table.

Impromptu Therapy: For the first mission we ever did (the one that had our party meet in the first place), we were all collectively hired to go find some dude's missing girlfriend. When we eventually found her, she was 100% about to throw hands with every single one of us, including her boyfriend. Everything was reaching a boiling point and shit was about to go down, before I got my turn and I was like "can we, I dunno... Try to defuse the situation before somebody gets hurt?". The DM let me roll for Persuasion- of which Hallows happens to have a +9 in- and I ended up with a solid 23. So out of nowhere Hallows basically just asked 'em to sit down and she helped them talk out their emotions and ended up getting them back together, while the rest of the party dug around and stole stuff. Hallows actually became pretty decent friends with the girl afterwards, since they both work at the same theatre company.

Apples: at the start of the campaign Borylter decided that whenever he'd try a new food that he'd roll a d20 to see how much he liked it. Our Artificier happened to have some apples in his bag and offered him one, and, on his first time trying any new food, he rolled a nat 20. Apples being Borylter's one weakness was a pretty strong running joke in our party.

"Fine, but I'm not Looking": we had been fighting some Vampires on our first mission, and were in the middle of interrogating the last one alive. Borylter held him hostage while the rest of us pried the information for where the missing girl we were looking for was. When we got what we needed, we decided that the best thing to do was to finish him off. Only Hallows had any real objections, but gave in, saying "fine, but I'm not looking", and turned the other way. However- for important context- our player tokens were all these little paper dolls that had a very tiny doodle of each of our characters on either side (our DM made them for us and I'm gonna see if it's possible for him to send mine in the mail, but this is a rough idea of what it looked like)

That doodle was printed on both sides of the player token. So when I reached over and flipped Hallows the opposite direction to indicate that she had turned around, it just showed the same picture and effectively ruined my point, however it made Borylter laugh so hard he struggled to get through describing snapping the Vampire's neck, so I count that as a win.

[cavitymagazine]

𝖓𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖎𝖛𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖈𝖔𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖉

"this is what happens"; i don't want to say this is what happens, but this is what happens. this is what happens; maybe i'm afraid, maybe I'M afraid, it's too early to say, isn't it, it's always too early, it's never late enough, it never comes time, [because it's always time], and you never get away, no one ever said "don't explore too thickly", what's the implication...? that you'll get ensnared...? that you'll never get out, that you'll never find the sun again, that you'll leave with all you have, and eventually, when the collapse comes, when the collapse comes inevitable when the collapse comes, when it comes when it comes when it comes; it's over. it's already over. why don't you quit? why can't you? it's already over, it's already done, you've failed in every respect; with respect to him: he's failed. in every respect. he inherited his past, forfeited his future, and now he's done. now he's done. now he's done, it's just echopraxis, idle-passive-echopraxia. it's just rewritten. it's Memory, it's Memory dressing you down, it's faint Memory's hot breath in your ear, it's the torque in your brain, letting the chill in. it's what it did to you. it's no one's fault it's what it did to you, it's what it did to you to you to you to you; it's just all over again it's all over again it's all over again! and no one why can't stop and no one why can't stop and no one why end it all up before over again, end it all up before over again; now you've done it, now you've done it. complete the path, end the story, put a nice finishing quote up on it, frame the situation, endure the climax, suffer the consequence oh: it's over

-

ok: this monster of solitudes finally wilted and caught the bus downtown to procure a girl-boy, or a boy/girl, or whichever happened to be least convenient. the kid with the chemicals: K, x, E, crack or heroin, whatever. i'll be the first to admit i was looking for a mother substitute. it was suck suck nursing-time in my ugly depths and i was willing to prostitute myself for even a breath of fresh air, without exaggerating, if that tells you anything. my hypothetical pick-up line was something along the lines of, are you obnoxiously drunk enough that you wouldn't terribly mind if i kissed or held you for a few minutes? what a joke, i am a joke, hahaha. oh no. (parenthetically, i polished off a bottle of yellowtail chardonnay and a good third of stolichnaya vodka before i set out on my way, with a snack of leftover valium here and there.) i wound up in a Club, inexplicably, don't ask me how; i dared myself to enter, against my better judgment. there i stood, more myself than i can ever remember being, practically inanimate, eyes tightly shut while everyone around me swayed, jived, gyrated, grooved and swooned. i stood absolutely still. took a shot of wild turkey. felt nothing. eventually i was accosted by some skinhead for finishing his beer; he threatened to have his burly partner pummel me into a pulp. screaming in my ear over the cacophony. to this i did not respond. I didn't do what I normally would have done, which was laugh. I stared into his eyes, my default weapon. Red heat. He let me be. I loitered a little while longer, then left, without regret or a second thought, or even a first thought, truth be told. Security even inquired after my well-being, how charming--seeing my downcast countenance, carcass hunched against a wall, blank stare, barely standing unassisted, half-dead. Oh whatever. i got lost/drunk for four hours; crossed a street where civil servants were digging a ditch. a female police officer motioned me back, i ceded and walked up to her. bitching about "why did i cross the street when the light wasn't green". i replied, simply and honestly, that i hadn't noticed. she sneered and shot back, well, maybe you'll notice next time you're smack against a windshield. the unbelievable temerity and unbridled arrogance of cops. i told her to fuck off. "pardon Me?" FUCK YOU. i screamed, and a third time, in case she didn't get the message. to say the least it touched a nerve. we all have our limits. i almost wished i had brought my knife so i could tear out her throat. people don't know when to leave well enough alone and this i cannot forgive, regardless; i don't care what social station they occupy, who they might be--fuck them and their like to the ends of the earth. many a time the thought crossed my mind to capitulate, call it quits, throw up my hands and admit myself to the emergency room of the mental hospital... but the notion was dismissed as summarily as it was entertained. why submit myself to the probing and prodding of incompetent hired goons whose only concern is my immediate docility, the mere abeyance of complaint, complacency at heart; assimilation into the normative and thus Known categories? that is not my problem. enough of that. too drunk to conclude, good night and god damn. 

-

worst nightmare of my life this morning. won't recount the vulgar details, very mindfuck interruptus. i came to sitting in front of an end-table with a laptop on it, chatting with my ex-fiancee on AIM (not in a million years), before a towering landfill (outdoors). i nearly fall out of my seat, nonplussed, and a bum remarks, "you really shouldn't be hanging around these parts at an hour like ours." i pause, too stunned to find my tongue. i finally muster, what city is this? it's all a slur. he says Detroit. i'm in a dissociative fugue and don't know anything, or anybody. as if i'm not entitled to properly draw upon the faculty of memory; i can't make my eyes or tongue work right either (no depth-perception / i can only utter forth labials or noncommittal monosyllables). the alpha male of a pack of junkies waves me on and offers me a line of coke, i kiss some freaked-out girls and take the night bus back to the valley in a ... it feels like i haven't been inside my body in years, that i'm still indefinitely removed, and i repeatedly fail to successfully execute even the most perfunctory of flexes and maneuvers... nothing is distinctly perceptible, it's all incoherent argument and foreign hum grating on my addled nerves. underneath it all i'm somehow deeply traumatized, but i am not in a position to understand or accept this. i either have no mind or this mind is not mine; it is neither lucid nor obedient and communicates via elaborate hazards... concealed gestures i cannot divine the wherewithal of. i stagger back to my tiny apartment to discover there is a party in full swing, people fucking, people playing cards, etc. i open my fridge and it is full of hard liquor. i then realize i have been on a steady bender for two weeks.

[Author bio]

Elizabeth Victoria Aldrich made a twitter account in June 2019 to let people know her porn star girlfriend of seven years was dead after she had to ask someone on Facebook and got broken up with for being a bad influence (porn and coke binges were not her idea but let it be known she was a down-ass bitch)  by her not-boyfriend who looks like the doomer meme dude. Now you're reading something by her. Isn't life weird?

twitter: @eris_rlt

[bladekindeyewear]

HS^2 bloggin’ Patreon Commentary Catchup 2020-03-29

I know I’ve been sitting on half-a-dozen asks, but I’m gonna sit on those a little longer because after I’m done catching up on ALL the commentary I’ve missed I’ll probably be a little exhausted.

First the commentary on Chapter 5: YOUR 3Y3S H4V3 B33N CLOS3D.  I skimmed this before, just so I could leave a comment about what I’d been told about the suicide feeling / Jaspers funeral when she was “eight” being way too late on the timeline.  They still haven’t made any corrections to that HS^2 page.  Hm.  Are they just feeling the general vibe and tags to help the fandom guide things?  I’m wondering if anyone came to any of them specifically with that, since Patreon commentary doesn’t seem to cut it.  (Which I might be grateful for, from another point of view, because why would they favor paid methods.)

Sketches and Commentary: Chapter 5, "YOUR 3Y3S H4V3 B33N CLOS3D"

Starting commentary on why they played with the medium by opting for a Longpage with that update.  Unsurprising and understandable~

Ooh, they included the commission/sketch instructions for the image they asked from Xam.

I don't know what we did to deserve Xamag.

Yeah few people dispute Xamag’s awesomeness.~

Much of this conversation was written before they launched HS^2′s first chapter, huh?

With the "primary" version of its original protagonist dead in a wallet,

Did... did Terezi or someone else put John’s body in his wallet after he died?  I forget.  *checks back*

(Meat 35) That’s definitely a fair question. But I have one that’s much more important for her to answer. Terezi, are you seriously just going to leave the body here? “TEREZI: HUH?” Of course not. Terezi’s a practical girl, after all. She digs the wallet out of her blood-stained pants, and captchas the corpse. She holds it close to her heart, like a secret. Like John’s stupid last words: a confession whispered for her and no one else.And then she starts walking home.

(Meat 36) Terezi’s jaw tightens. She’s not ready to hear any words that remind her of those few hours with John. Her hand goes to her pocket, where she’s keeping the wallet. She traces the contours of it with her thumb and forces a smile.

[...] Here we both are. It’s a beautiful day. You’ve got your dead boyfriend in your wallet. And we’ve already managed to strike such a nice metatextual rapport. So hear me out. [...]  I ease the throttle back a bit, just enough so that I’m not whispering directly into her ear when she slips the wallet out of her pocket. She clutches it so hard in her palm that she’s digging dents into the leather, and bites her lip.

God damnit, that was an important fucking thing for me to forget.  I hope she preserved his corpse in a better way than just “wallet”.  And why the FUCK did Dirk think it was so important to bring him???? That’s not good, is it.

Back to the commentary, going to how the Dirk crew’s conversations especially cover the meta question of why continue the story at all...

This is actually a similar question to one explored by a series that shares a lot of Homestuck's creative DNA, Steven Universe.

Oh god damnit, what timing, huh?  And then they go on about what constitutes a happy ending and what’s supposed to happen after, how work might not be done, et cetera.  Hopefully these authors take a page from how SU:F finished, because Steven Universe managed to pull it back to uplifting pretty well.

These are two dangerous women, confined together long enough to learn all of each others' weaknesses, and sharp-edged enough to exploit them.

True enough.

Dirk, unfortunately, cucks the audience from seeing the scene's "true resolution." What an asshole. I've never been madder at this guy than I am right now. I bet he didn't even provide a warranty.

Pff.

On to the next commentary:

Sketches and Commentary: Catnapped, Part Three

Catnapped is some of the most fun I’ve had while writing, because Jasprose is just so goddamn fun. Cats don’t plan, they live in the moment. She’s always existing in that moment of pushing a glass off the table.

We can all agree with that I think.

Plenty they talk about here, but I’ll just quote part of anything about characterization... 

First, I actually really appreciate getting a lot at Jane's genuine sympathy for Dirk here. There was quite a bit of mutual fondness and care between the two of them – but, at the same time, they enabled each others' worst tendencies.

Hm!

Swifer remains the closest thing to a "straight man" this story has. (Not in the sexuality way. In the comedy way.)

Yep.

There was no universe where we left this story without Jasprose saying "owo what's this". You know it, I know it.

Jesus Christ, I didn’t catch that.

God, Problem Sleuth just has the worst commuting luck. He should put some of his rug money into a permanent locksmith. Checking back in with these scenes is always a delight. It probably took PS like two hundred off-screen panels to get to this point. Miserable.

Wait, that’s right, Catnapped 28 is shown before DDD 12, but AFTER Dad is shown marching up handcuffed in Catnapped 26.  And yet in DDD 12, Dad and DD come fetch PS from out of his office, when the handcuffed thing hasn’t happened yet in DDD.  You can’t DO that, authors!  It only makes RELEASE ORDER sense, not any sort of OTHER sense?  What about when people come to catch up or read this later!  Come on, that’s sloppy.  Unless they’re going to leave PS behind to stay trapped in his office MORE, which I wouldn’t put past them.  (But, wouldn’t make sense since the bullethole from C28 is already there in DDD12.)  Andrew knew more of how to be responsible telling an out-of-time-sync story, believe it or not.

Commentary ends with a few sketches, like Jasprose doing a The Mask impression, appropriately.

Sketches and Commentary: Chapter 6, "A Conversation Regarding Relevance"

Oh, it’s Jade time.

On alt!Callie’s starting Space rant:

I wanted to impress on everyone just how vast it is, and also to remind the audience that alt!callie has them at the same mercy that Dirk does. She can force us to listen to her pontificate endlessly if she so chooses. She’s slightly less insufferable than Dirk, if only perhaps because her text isn’t orange. 

Yep, mostly.

So here she is. Jade. We find out that not only is she conscious inside her own head, she is also incredibly chatty. And not too thrilled with her current situation. I know most of the audience isn’t either, considering the fact that Jade having no agency has basically become a meme at this point. 

NEVER. AGAIN. PLZ.

As Callie told us in the beginning of the chapter, it isn’t natural for people to behave like narrative devices. Even within her own thematic framework, Callie has a habit of defaulting to behaving like a person after all. 

Even alt!Callie still became a story nerd, not just original Callie -- she just became a different, more insufferable type of story nerd.

Plenty more discussion I don’t need to touch on...  keep in mind I’m omitting large parts of this in most cases, again, to respect the paywall.

A remark on Dave and Karkat being two emotionally-constipated early-twenties Bernie Bros, which... I mean.  Fair.

She definitely does love them, and she wanted to be with them, but also...Jade has a lot of other prospects. She’s actually the one character who seems to be enjoying her time on Earth c. Hitting up interspecies raves and getting around. We just haven’t seen any of that because none of those other people she boned are main characters. 

Maybe that’s why alt!Callie was so blind and dismissive of it?  Offscreen experience being less in the Light, therefore less relevant to her, even though that’s the exact attitude she’s ostensibly at war with?

Anyway Jade’s consciousness is huge.

Yep.

It’s been a while since we’ve had any sort of serious meta talk about classpects. Mostly because there’s really no use for classpects outside of the game, unless, for instance, you go around referring to everyone as the Prince or the Witch because you are a dramatic alien in a hood. It does make sense that a Witch’s powers would be more useful than a Sylph’s to a Muse. 

Aaaand that’s all the classpect mention we’re gonna get isn’t it? ;P

(Yes I know, the author told us to dial it back.  They ARE going ahead and prepping to answer some outstanding questions, though.)

Honestly, the Jade Situation is a tough one. To be sure, she has been sacrificed to the plot again and again, something that probably began as a coincidence and then later grew into a theme. Space players are destined to be huge, cosmic forces in the universe. Big movers. [...] But usually when we hear the story of big, god-like beings, we don’t think about the personalities behind them. What was it like for god to create the universe? Was he lonely? Did he regret it? Did he wish he could live in it instead? 

And Jade WAS too powerful not to sideline, by a certain point in the plot.  And before that, maybe trapped in a bit of a character arc where she had to get over some notions to step into the action.

I actually think Jade could have been okay with this. With being A Force For The Narrative. [...] But then Callie makes it personal.

Agreed.  If alt!Callie hadn’t been so shitty about it in general, they could have worked things out more meaningfully; but the immense resolve and effort it took to dominate Caliborn in her origin timeline has tainted her perception ALMOST as bad as Dirk’s.  Much of HS^2 is probably going to involve her gradually learning how to get over that in the background, the balance she needs to take ala the Ultimate Riddle’s lesson.

(Tangentially... it was said that it would have been nearly impossible to make alt!Callie dominate, even across ALL timelines.  What if alt!Callie had her timeline’s origin explained in HS^2 by a Third Scratch at this late date with the likes of Davebot running around to do it???  That would probably make me fucking mad.)

Back to the commentary.

Admittedly these last few chapters have definitely been “girls beating the crap out of each other” heavy, and I hope that’s okay.

PFFFFF

Callie and Jade aren’t really sure who makes a decision on what is considered “just” or “heroic”. Plot twist, it’s us. We do. But also the alpha timeline does.

Hmm.

More gorgeous Xam art. Initially we were going to make it more ambiguous whether or not she actually ate the peanut butter, but we decided to have it be a decisive moment of triumph.

Really?  Well, you could have made it visually clearer that the candy dropped.  A lot of people visually missed that.  This is a consequence of the back-and-forth artist-isnt-the-author art-commissioning going on, in part... Andrew was MUCH better at conveying what he wanted to convey BETWEEN panels than this crew, like comic book panels and their composition together; you can see that when comparing Homestuck proper’s sprite animation to that of fan adventures that used sprites, for instance.  These guys are at something of a disadvantage due to their disconnect.

Commentary on the Commentary

This commentary uses "she/her" to talk about the alternate Calliope possessing Jade, while the "other" Callie (remember them?) uses they/them. This other Calliope, presumably, has a much different relationship with her gender – and her brother – than the Callie we saw discussing the subject with Roxy and John. One of my favorite things about this update (I can say that, because I'm a second person who didn't write it) was that subtle hint about how different her Caliborn must have been to allow her to predominate in the first place. I'd be really interested in fan works exploring more about her (and his) past.

Hhhhmmmmmmm.

Not sure what else to say to that, but it does make me hmmm.

Sketches and Commentary: Diamonds, Dames, and Dads, Part 1

Probably not much plot-relevant here...

Oh pff.

They had full drawings of them going in for the kiss on standby.  They couldn’t resist making them.

Real talk, I have been looking forward to writing this story the most out of any other part of HS^2. Finally I get to combine my passions. Cheesy noir bullshit and old men making eyes at each other. 

Pfffffff.  Yes.

...the next three or four pages of this writing go on to describe how sexy this is and these characters and setting are.  I can’t fault a word of any of it.

The dream team is assembled. Nothing can possibly go wrong. 

Wow, I caught up on all this commentary quick.  See you next time.

[famder-news]

More News Monday

Hi everybody!! Welcome back to more news monday, I’m your host Mod Brit! 

Note: At the time of writing this, the new sanders sides episode hasn’t come out yet but please check Thomas’ channel for when it does!

mod: Brit (@romanticsanders) date: monday, June 24th 2019 topic: fandom and thomas updates warnings: discussion of angst, sympathetic deceit

1. Thomas Twitter/General Updates

The new episode of sanders sides is apparently coming out tomorrow so GET HYPED! Apparently this one will be containing a content warning so be advised and take care of yourselves y’all! Anyone have any theories as to what the new episode is gonna be???

Also we haven’t talked about this on the blog yet but last week, youtuber Daniel Howell came out!! Yay!! I saw some supportive tweets from youtubers (including Thomas!) all over Twitter and Instagram and as a long time supporter of Dan, it was really heartwarming <3 congratulations dan!

2. Fandom Updates

Everyone is still really jazzed about pride which is awesome!! And I’ve seen some amazing prinxiety art floating around the fandom tags which has made me (#1 prinxiety shipper) very happy. Also incorrect quote memes are popular as ever and they’re always very amusing to see!

It seems like a lot of people (including our fabulous mod wheat) are getting into good omens which is great! I haven’t watched it but i’ve loved david tennant since the tenth doctor days so i’m sure it’s amazing. Some top notch gay shit I’m here for it. 

Deceit has been getting a lot of love!! He deserves it, our precious snake lizard man. I love him. That’s it for fandom updates!

3. Theory Discussion

Today’s theory is a personal favourite of mine! Pride!Roman! This one is based on @dreamsshadowwashere‘s ficlet about Roman being a secret dark side!! 

Since Thomas introduced Deceit to the Sanders Sides sphere, there’s been a debate about the dark sides. Does every side have a ‘dark’ counterpart? Or are they completely separate entities? And of course with this discussion comes angst and many theories!! 

The pride roman theory based off of the original fic is essentially Roman is a dark side and has been keeping this from the other 3 and only Deceit is the one who knows. 

Now personally, I think this is a refreshing flip from the ‘Virgil being a dark side' theory although that one still holds a special place in my heart! There are of course reasons to dispute this: Such as the end-card scene at the end of the Halloween-Christmas episode in which Deceit pops up in Virgil’s room, as well as Virgil and Deceit’s already quite developed relationship. 

But, I think that Roman is an actor first - right? He would want to keep his secret from the others for as long as he possibly could in fear of rejection (what he stated was his biggest fear in MY TRUE IDENTITY). 

My Opinion:

Well, idk if y’all know this but i’m a GLUTTON for Roman content - any and all of it - so personally I really love this theory! It gives his character a lot of depth and PAIN which i’m obsessed with. What do you guys think though? 

Make sure to go over to @dreamsshadowwashere​‘s blog and check out their original pride!Roman ficlet!!!

4. Other Things That Happened In The World

You may not know this but I’m from Hong Kong and if y’all have been watching any international news lately, you may have noticed that some very serious political protests have been happening over the past couple of weeks. Young and old Hong Kongers are protesting against the government who are trying to pass the extradition bill, a bill which would allow law enforcement in China to seek out and arrest people in Hong Kong for ‘felonies’ - basically taking away our right to free speech and putting all of us in danger.

Without putting a damper on things, I just want to say: I am proud of my people. I am proud of my generation and generations older and smaller who are taking a stand and fighting for what’s right. There were 2 million people at the protest on Sunday (nearly a third of the population!) making sure our voice was heard. All I can say is: 加油香港！

Source: HKFP, my life 

Leave your thoughts in the reblogs and replies! We love reading them <3 if you have any requests for us, pls feel free to drop us a little ask or submission! See y’all next time x

- Mod Brit

[drmazel]

Genevieve, 8, 35, and 92 for the number ask meme!!

o fuk you mean i gotta actually develop my characters??

8. What are their good and bad traits?

Good traits: She’s empathetic and patient. She embraces her own emotions and the emotions of others. She has few friends, but the ones she does have know that they can count on her to listen when they need it, or offer sympathy/advice when they want it. Also she’s a good singer, but that’s a secret.

Bad traits: I know I just said she’s patient and kind but she’s also a terrible hot-head. She won’t tolerate an ounce of disrespect, and for someone that can draw a sword in 0.05 seconds, that’s usually a recipe for disaster. She also carries her burdens alone, and with a single whiff of someone she cares for being put at risk because of her, she will try to run away to save them.

35. Do they own a plant?

Travel too much, nowhere to put a plant, usually. She’ll never turn down a flower though, and will care for it until it naturally wilts away due to being plucked away from its roots. It deserves that much.

92. What was their childhood like?

Fucked up dude.

On the second moodboard post I had the quote she’ll say about being a “child of surprise thrice over.” That’s some crazy shit. I’ll list out the three instances.

1. Her mother and her mother’s husband tried and tried and tried and failed to have children. Her mother’s husband died from disease, and her mother was now a widow and completely unable to even attempt to have any children. Now with nothing to lose, her mother took desperate measures to try to make it happen. Best case scenario, something would work. Worst case scenario, she would die alone, which was going to happen anyway. 

But soon after her mother thought she had given up hope, she returned home from the market to find the means through which her wish could be granted. That was the first surprise.

2. A classic child of surprise story: Her mother was fairly far along in her pregnancy with Genevieve, and while out in the fields collecting berries for food and flowers for selling at the market, a forktail caught her by surprise. She had absolutely no skill or means to protect herself and absolutely would have died if not for the incredible luck of a witcher from the School of the Fox being in very close proximity. But she was penniless, so in return for the witcher’s services, she was asked to pay with the first thing she encountered at home that she did not expect. 

And since fate likes to play cruel jokes, nearly the instant Genevieve’s mother crossed the threshold into her home, she felt the unmistakable sensation of a child preparing itself to enter the world a month and a half too early. That was the second surprise.

3. Finally, when Genevieve was 14, after 8 years of training and preparation, she was deemed fit to undergo the trials and mutations to become a full-fledged witcher. She, of course, survived, but only, of course, just barely. After she recovered from the physical torment of the trials, Genevieve knew she had to see her mother and assure her she was alright. She hadn’t seen her mother in years, and she knew her mother had to be sick with worry knowing she was now old enough to undergo the trials that only had a 40% survival rate. 

She could not have possibly known, however, that just that morning her mother had encountered the one who had brought Genevieve into existence, claiming it was now time to pay back her due. Knowing her mother was destitute, this individual decided to revel in the beauty of irony, and ask for that unexpected encounter once again. And thus when Genevieve’s mother walked into her home and saw her daughter, now teetering on the brink of humanhood yet alive, Genevieve was not met with elation and embraces as she had hoped. 

Instead, she was met with a quiet acknowledgement of, “I didn’t expect to see you here.” And then her hand felt as though it was on fire. That was the third surprise.

[walkingtheplankonasinkingship]

Well, it’s Fic Writer Appreciation Day, so what better time to make a rec list that no one asked for?

These are just a few of my favorites. I definitely haven’t read all of the legendary KiriBaku fics, so I know there are some amazing pieces that I missed. I also limited myself to only 2 per author and 20 total, so I highly recommend checking out some of the other works by some of these authors!

Hopefully all the links and the cut on this works, because it’s gonna be long.

Students at UA

acceptance and denial by @vikingpoteto

It all goes okay when Kirishima decides to come out to his friends and it all goes wrong when decides that Bakugou is the best fake boyfriend material.

G. Fake dating while still at UA. First fic I ever read and I don’t regret it!

Pro Heroes

slow it down (go easy on me) by @newamsterdame

When a confrontation with a villain throws Bakugou through time, he's forced to face a future he never imagined, and maybe something he can't leave behind.

T. The time travel fic that puts all others to shame.

the fool’s rush by @chonideno

Settling down with each other is naturally what comes after being dorm neighbors for years. It’s time to navigate through adulthood together, to live the daily grind of being pro-heroes, to learn more than they thought they’d like to know about each other, about themselves.

T. Mutual pining with a side of hurt/comfort? Yes, please!

Coming Up for Air by @ellieb3an

Kirishima learns to cope with the trauma of having been trapped in his own quirk, and Bakugo helps him through it.

T. I don’t have any commentary to add that wouldn’t be a spoiler. Just know that I REALLY love this one.

Six Page Spread by @indigonow

They're 22 and Bakugou's finally gotten control over his public image. Think more..."bad boy" and less "explosive asshole".

E. Ongoing. At this point, I think every KiriBaku shipper is already reading this one, but it’s too good not to rec!

Black Out by @kiribakurecs

After a fight gone wrong, Bakugou suffers from irreversible amnesia. Kirishima tries to put him back together again.

T. Ongoing. It’s still early in the story, but I was hooked within the first two paragraphs.

Fantasy AU

such a funny pair by @ellieb3an

6-year-old Katsuki runs away from home and forms an unlikely friendship with the dragon hatchling that has been stalking him through the woods.

G. Nothing should be allowed to be this cute. It will melt even the coldest of icy hearts.

The King of the Mountain by @kobonibomibo

Rumors of the barbarian king are easy to come by, but few have actually lived to tell.

U. Nothing explicit happens, just jokes. But holy crap, I was in stitches from laughing.

what’s a secret amongst friends by @electricitylightning

The five times Bakugou nearly finds out Kirishima’s part dragon and the one time he actually does.

T. Chaotic Bakusquad shenanigans in the fantasy AU. What more could I ask for?

Other AUs

but i’ve got an angry heart by @newamsterdame

Bakugou Katsuki is not going to jeopardize his future a second time, and that means staying away from anyone who gets too close. Kirishima Eijirou has never learned how not to be close to someone. Of course, they end up as next-door neighbors.

T. Quirkless college AU. I don’t know what to say. Words cannot convey how much I recommend reading this fic.

neon season by @chonideno

how kirishima and bakugou share food, beds, bodies, and refuse to admit they want it to last

T. Quirkless AU. Fan fic is not an accurate description of what this is. This is a fucking experience. The mood is incredible and the emotions are intense. It’s a must read.

A Meme A Day by PorcelainRose

Kirishima's always been happy to meet people and make new friends. Needless to say, he's ecstatic when he's informed that he's finally getting assigned a roommate after a month of living alone in a dorm room. He's more than happy to welcome his new roommate with a smile and help him out with anything he needs. He isn't expecting, however, to meet a seriously attractive blonde with intense irises that shine with his favorite color, and who he also has trouble keeping his own eyes off of.

T. Ongoing, but updates weekly. Quirkless High School AU. Super cute and low angst, but it is definitely a slow burn. I look forward to this one every week.

Beating in Time by @patster223

To be honest, it never occurs to Kirishima to actually tell Bakugou that he’s a vampire. Bakugou is the most observant guy on the planet; surely he’s already figured it out. Right?

T. Vampire AU. What can I say, I love some high quality hurt/comfort content, and this is definitely it.

you and I might just be the best thing by @vikingpoteto

Kirishima has the bad habit of falling in love with assholes - and then he meets Bakugou.

T. Quirkless College AU. Kirishima is a pining fool and I love him!

will you lead me? by @kiribakus

If the wolf is going to follow Bakugou into town, the least he can do is pretend he's not a wild animal.

T. Werewolf AU. Perfection. The dynamics between the characters are great, the werewolves are done in a way that I love, and the worldbuilding is beautiful.

Make You Cry (AKA Major Character Death)

Finding home by Save1410

Inko gasped when her eyes fell on Katsuki. “Oh my lord! A kitsune!” His eyes were wide as she passed by her son and kneeled down in front of him. “Oh my oh my. Look at you poor thing!”

T. Baby kitsune Bakugou must find his place in the world after the death of his parents.

Winters Home by @red-rioting

After his release from the hospital the first thing he had done in weeks was buy a large bouquet of flowers, different varieties of reds and orange, from roses to tulips. All the flowers he knew Kirishima admired the most and drove out to the hiking trail, his feet crushing the brown fallen leaves that scattered the ground as he walked the trail.

G. A near-death experience temporarily brings Bakugou together with his lost love. I never cry. I made the mistake of reading this at work and had to hide my tears. It’s so good, if you can handle the sadness I highly recommend!

Non-KiriBaku

saltwater room by reapers

It starts —like all ideas that inevitably lead to one’s downfall do— with something akin to this: Midoriya Izuku. Midoriya Izuku and a five-story house by the beach, completely devoid of any entry-fee --save for the one where Todoroki has to pretend to be Deku’s boyfriend.

All-in-all though, not an awful price to pay for the vacation of their dreams, right?

Right?

T. Tododeku. Quirkless AU. Fake dating.  Kinda has the feel of the beachouse part of quote love unquote (which I also recommend even if it’s not technically on this list). Has some great character dynamics.

The Legend of DKFSTA by @kiribaku-some-cute-stuff

Sero gets roped the worst god damned slumber party game of all time.

T. Light Seroroki. Remember the game MASH? The girls make Sero play a game similar to that. There’s a ton of teasing and it’s funny as hell.

fall from the sky with several flowers by @gaybirdkid

Shouto struggles with his overwhelming emotions after Hanta is injured. He doesn't do well with being powerless.

T. Seroroki. Established relationship. Third years at UA. A beautiful piece about a painfully small rare pair.

[thesinglesjukebox]

BILLIE EILISH - BAD GUY

[6.93]

The Jukebox has thoughts on Billie Eilish? Well, duh.

Andy Hutchins: Nothing clicked for me with Billie Eilish until "Bad Guy." I understood the appeal intellectually, because it has sometimes been my wheelhouse: "Prodigy-cast makes off-kilter pop music from a perspective with more than a little precociousness and possibly a feminine spin that serves to disrupt rather than reify" is my jam for months at a time, sometimes. But some combination of prodigy and precociousness sometimes striking me as preciousness -- something that I've occasionally found issue with in the work of Sky Ferreira and Solange and Lorde and Cher Lloyd and fka twigs and Haim and Kacey Musgraves and Lana Del Rey and so many women who have occupied this same treacherous lane where deviating from delivering what is expected from a young woman making pop music can offend the sensibilities (or engage the biases) of even someone who has strained to stave off the stupidity of dismissing music made by young women and largely intended for young women -- and what I read as a deliberately dark and standoffish aesthetic put me off of Eilish, whose stuff just didn't compel me. Everything clicks for me with Billie Eilish now that I've heard "Bad Guy," which I reckon is pathetic on my part, because so much of the DNA of "Bad Guy" is in other work she's done that the things that differentiate it as The Hit and The Breakthrough come down to tempo and a kooky synth run in the hook that every third YouTube commenter thinks is stolen from Plants vs. Zombies. But "Bad Guy" is also an unassailable pop song and has come along at a time when bulletproof ones are not occupying the charts -- the closest competition in the current top 40 by my sight is, like, a Katy Perry song whose verses let down its magnificent hook, a bunch of drowsy-to-dire Khalid and Halsey tunes, a C- effort from Taylor Swift, and a microwaved Lizzo track that I've known of for a while and don't consider her best stuff -- and so it stands out even more from the pop metagame than the larger Eilish oeuvre does from a host of less realized tunes. And I'm a sucker for an unassailable pop song, especially one with a vocal initially delivered so low that it demands attention to the dial in the car but that is by turns brightly funny ("...duh!") and world-weary and campy to the hilt (the titular phrase being stretched to a titanium crocodile's rasp), a relentless bass line that sounds like a monster's heartbeat echoing in a cave, and lyrics that constitute a semi-sincere embrace of some Lolita tropes and a more powerful sarcastic destruction of them while somehow also being fully ready for Instagram captions and Twitter display names and ... well, no one's on Tumblr anymore. But that's hardly Billie's fault, and I'm not docking points for only barely failing to raise the dead with a virtuosic song that makes me this glad to be alive. [10]

Alfred Soto: There's a reason this song has become the breakout hit besides its insidious keyboard hook: Billie Eilish sings not mumbles the gender bending hook. Otherwise a ditty that the top 40 could use more of; its quietness is a tonic. [8]

Joshua Copperman: Sounds great, looks great (if possibly plagarized), memes great. The deadpan anti-sexuality of "might-seduce-your-dad type" is "Guys My Age" done right. The delivery of "my soul, so cynical" like even that is too earnest of a statement. The only weak part is the ending switch-up. But you knew all that already. Duh. Besides the cries of "industry plant!" there's also the ongoing sense that Eilish is a music writers' idea of what a 17-year-old Tumblr-born pop star would sound like. And sure, she's a young music writers' dream; I have a byline at Billboard because of her. But also, it's genuinely smart music that is mostly set to age well, even if it's hard to tell if it m a t t e r s. Who knows what 17-year-olds of any predilection towards seducing dads are actually listening to; I'm 21 and finding that out is only getting more difficult, if maybe not more necessary. If teens still control popular culture, if anyone does, who knows if this really does reflect them, or if its bottomless angst is mocked like Limp Bizkit? Is "Bad Guy" just "Heathens" for the late-2010s? Does this really represent the next generation? And which next generation; the shit-talking saviors, or the ones just like their parents and the radicalized alt-right kids? There's no easy answer to any of these, no "duh" to shrug them off. But there is Eilish and co. applying the daily grind of apocalyptic dread to smaller-scale topics. Processing death on "Bury a Friend," processing one's own body image on "idontwannabeyouanymore," processing changing gender roles here. Finding your place in 2019 is a lot for anyone. No one is getting it right. What Eilish does instead is turn that uncertainty to playfulness, confidently existing within the mess instead of trying to find her spot. [8]

Leah Isobel: I was on Tumblr in 2011, so "might seduce your dad type" doesn't feel as provocative as she might intend. (Also, Halsey did the exact same thing.) Besides, pop is a space for fantasy and role-playing, and she's not the first 16-year old bad girl to make adults freak out a little. What gets me is that the song itself is a brilliant production piece in search of an equally compelling melody; the biggest hooks here are an audible eye-roll and a Tim Burton rip. I love the idea of Billie as a goth-teen-pop star, and the choice to swerve into a spooky outro instead of a more traditional structure is genuinely a lot of fun, but this all feels like so much posturing -- normal for a teenager, but not that compelling to listen to on its own. [6]

Katherine St Asaph: If Billie Eilish is the Gen Z Fiona Apple, which I've heard from about three separate people even before the Discourse started, then "Bad Guy" is her "Criminal," down to it being creep flypaper. Everyone quotes that one dad line a bit too eagerly, like they're subconsciously thinking that if they have the pithiest take they just might get to be the dad. (It isn't even the most suggestive line.) There's a strong case for the dad being the bad guy, if only because he's, well, the guy. But "Bad Guy" lives in the world of teenage politics, where the guys just are and the girls get their badness thrust upon them, and their choices are to shrink away or play along. Duh. ("Bad Guy" : "duh" :: "Your Love Is My Drug" : "I like your beard.") But all this is pretty serious analysis for a fundamentally trolly song: half-mumbling the melody to a beat I'm pretty sure I made in a high school to go with a video project; rhyming bad/mad/sad/dad like a Mavis Beacon keyboarding tutorial (or whatever the kids have now; maybe they're just born typing); crooning an exceedingly Lana Del Rey-ish "I'm only good at being bad" then immediately cutting that crap for a bassy, fuck-off breakdown; filling only about 60% of the song with, like, song. [6]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Not the most impressive or cohesive Billie Eilish song, but it is the one most likely to remind you of how fun her music can be (that she included the Invisalign skit in the video helps). The coda is fine, but the best reversal is found elsewhere: the nonchalant cries of duh followed by a cartoonish synth melody, underlining just how playful the song's darker elements are. [6]

Josh Langhoff: Eilish sometimes sounds like the Cardigans if they only did Black Sabbath covers, "evil" squeezed between an extra set of scare quotes, and sometimes she's Nellie McKay on downers, ennui shaped like wit but without the laughs. Sometimes she's good and sometimes she sings ballads. And somehow that combination produced "Bad Guy," the elusive Somehow Perfect Pop Song That Sounds Like Nothing Else On The Radio. I can't say I love it, but all her murmuring and posturing makes Top 40 radio seem, after too many years, like a playground of endless possibility. What'd we do to deserve this and "Old Town Road"? [8]

Jessica Doyle: Yes. Some are red, and some are blue. Some are old, and some are new. Some are sad, and some are glad, and some are very, very bad. Why are they sad and glad and bad? I do not know. Go ask why that menacing bass and Eilish's whisper didn't deserve better lyrics. [4]

Tobi Tella: Billie Eilish's artistic direction and style of music makes it seem almost impossible for her to make a legitimate banger, but this fits in perfectly with the rest of her album tone-wise and also completely slaps. The simplicity of the production, literally created in a bedroom just adds to the perfect low-key vibe. The lyrics do make Billie sound a little like a teenager who will cringe reading them in 10 years, but as an 18 year old, sometimes doing stupid stuff you know is destructive and immature is FUN, and this completely captures that feeling. [8]

Will Adams: I love love love the idea of this shifty, close mic'd oddball dancepop song being as big of a mainstream hit as it is, even if it's one of the more slight offerings from the album. Extra point for the coda, where Billie drops the coy and reminds you how quick she is to put her foot on your neck. [7]

Pedro João Santos: The coda lamentably inverts the light heart of "Bad Guy": the colourful, whispered titillation conjugated with what's left unsaid, a sort of puerile pleasure dutifully translated by the Theremin-esque synths; not the heady, overlong consummation that it unfolds onto by the end. I must say I'm exhilarated that someone knew how to ape "Las de La Intuición" nearly 15 years on, although startled by the fact that it was Billie Eilish the one to do it. [7]

Scott Mildenhall: Done well, it's enjoyable to hear a musician having such fun, but especially so when one unexpected element of a song comes in to underline just how much fun they're having. In this case, it's the gloopy searchlight noise, playing out like the theme tune to a 1970s cop show set in space, in a way that cannot be anything but gleefully goofy. Such bold and playful invention is something pop music would suffer without. Extra points for the consideration to leave a gap before the outro so that radio stations can cut it out. [8]

Iris Xie: I still think this song should've been cut off at the 2:14 mark, because it said everything it needed to say. [5]

Katie Gill: That purposefully obnoxious "duh" sums up what Eilish wants to say more than the rest of the song combined (and is currently in the running for my favorite 2 seconds of 2019 pop music). This image of her as the bad guy isn't serious. It's bratty and playful, more her creating something she can have fun with instead of taking herself seriously. Unfortunately, that something interesting here is buried in a three minute piece that somehow manages to be three completely different songs which never actually coheres to a single whole. [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[lovelylogans]

I honestly love your story where Roman and Virgil make pancakes at 3 am and sing along to meme music together. It's such a feel-good story and its also really funny. (also i love the mental image of Roman wearing more casual clothes when he thinks he's alone) idk, the entire story thing is great and i still go back and read it randomly to spike my mood up. :D Idk if you do prompts, but if you do, could i maybe request a follow up scene of them maybe hanging out again? its fine, if not. its-

(2/2) - still an amazing story on its own either way

ao3 | other fics on tumblr | coffee?

warnings: memes, some low-self esteem, food mentions

pairings: platonic prinxiety

words: 1,325

notes: thank you so much! and yes, i do, but i do take quite a while on them (everyone is in the drafts, i swear!) as probably evidenced by how late i’m gonna answer this ask, rip. the opening of this fic came from phanalogical_falsehoods’ comment on ao3, which was really helpful with giving me direction on this one! anyways, on with the prompt fic!

Virgil had been getting slowly better and better at cooking pancakes.

He still burned a few, and some looked a bit too pale for comfort; he wasn’t Patton, but most of his pancakes were edible, so Virgil figured that was good enough.

The fact that it was nearing four am hadn’t escaped his attention, which was probably another way he wasn’t like Patton. Actually, it was definitely a way he wasn’t like Patton; Patton and Logan were the most inclined to being early birds; Virgil was much more inclined towards being a night owl, or just generally an insomniac disaster, regardless of Logan’s nagging. 

Virgil, at last, put the last of a pancake on the top of his stack, and nodded, before turning to the table to set it down to grab the butter and syrup, and nearly dropped the newly-completed pancakes in surprise.

“What are you doing up, Princey?”

Roman was lounging on the table, not quite with his usual poise; it mostly just seemed like he’d flopped back onto the table, his legs dangling off the edge. Paired with the hoodie he was wearing, his posture more like Virgil’s own, rather than something befitting royalty.

Roman twirled his wrist half-heartedly, and let his hand drop back down onto the table with a thunk. 

Virgil paused, frowned, and lowered his shoulders.

“Princey.”

He let out a loud gust of a sigh, made a vague hand gesture, and a ukelele appearing in his hand. It wasn’t with the cool, choreographed movement he usually did, or an excited reach; just a movement for the sake of movement.

He set the ukelele against his chest in what Virgil thought was probably bad form.

“Hey,” he sang, voice scratchy, as if he hadn’t warmed up, or drunk any water that day. “How you doing, well I’m doing just fine, I lied, I’m dying inside—”

Virgil cringed, and shifted his hold on the pancakes.

“Um,” Virgil said, highkey wishing he was like, a third as emotionally proficient as Patton was, “um—”

He hesitated, before he shuffled forwards, and set the plate of pancakes on Roman’s stomach. Roman turned his head towards him.

“Do you want, like,” Virgil said, and tried his best not to fidget. “What do you want to—? Do you want me to—?”

Roman blinked at the pancakes, and sat up a bit.

“Can we,” he began, and let out a massive sigh. “Can we do the thing we do where we just ignore our problems in favor of memes?”

“Yes,” Virgil said, relieved, because if Roman had wanted to break down and have a monologue about how his life was falling apart, Virgil would’ve had no idea how to handle it, but avoiding his problems by focusing on something funny and familiar was much more Virgil’s department. “Yeah, sure, we can do—do you want jam on your pancakes? I’m gonna make some more, I had extra batter.”

“Okay,” Roman mumbled, at last sliding off the table, keeping a two-handed grip on his plate. Virgil got the jam, and a big glass of water, and silverware, and set them all down in front of him, before turning the stove back on and getting another plate.

And—okay, sure, spoonfuls of jam straight to mouth. That was normal behavior, especially at four am after quoting that vine. Great.

“Could you at least eat the pancakes,” Virgil said. Roman stared at him, before tearing up the pancake, and effectively using the pancake bits as a spoon, staring at Virgil all the while, as if challenging him to say something.

Virgil blinked at him, and instead clicked on a meme playlist on his phone. 

“This is. A nice stick,” a modulated voice began over the speaker, and Roman smiled weakly through his mouthful of pancake and jam.

“Lemme smash,” Roman and Virgil both monotoned at the same time, and by the time the video ended, Roman was smiling, but it was a weak one, teeth barely visible, and what was visible was stained four-fruit red.

So Virgil was going to have to bust out the big guns, then.

“You asked for it! A whole video dedicated to the rainbow sponge!” The woman declared, beaming.

“Ever thought about how this is Patton in forty years?” Virgil mused, and Roman snorted inelegantly into his pancakes. Well. Pancake as a spoon, meant to transport heaping piles of jam into Roman’s mouth.

They listened, and the woman added, “Who said you can’t go straight?”

“We’re gay, Dee,” Virgil informed the phone, flipping his pancake, and Roman snorted again.

Virgil listened as the next video started, and he tilted the phone towards Roman, “This is the video that’s gonna end the water is wet debate, once and for all—”

Roman blinked. “I don’t think I’ve seen this one.”

“Oh, then you have to watch this one, the man zooms like he has a PhD in it,” Virgil said, shaking the phone at Roman a bit like how an exhausted mother would shake a jangly toy at a crying baby. “And don’t get jelly on my phone!”

“Fine,” Roman said, taking it, and Virgil turned his attention back to the stove as he listened to the passionate water is not wet debate, which had put Logan into apoplectics a month ago.

Roman, looking devious, proceeded to tap at the phone a few times, and Virgil heard the tell-tale whoosh of a sent message.

“Logan?”

“He’ll be furious,” Roman said happily, handing the phone back to Virgil. The message with the video link was full of kissing emojis and smirking emojis. It was blatantly obvious that Virgil wouldn’t have been the one who sent it.

“Well—”

“He’ll be frantically trying to convince all of us, who think that water is wet, that water is wet,” Roman said, digging his pancake bits into the jam again. “He will then be frustrated that he does not have anyone to debate this with, and will probably resort to attempting to remake that video to prove his point, only for us to reap the harvest of Logan attempting to use zooms on his camera. Tell me you don’t want to see that.”

Virgil paused, and tilted his head, lips pursed in a you right expression.

“Yeah, okay,” Virgil said. “Wanna watch a video Patton would scold us for?”

“Intriguing,” Roman said, cautious. “Scold us for what?”

Virgil hit play.

“FUCK YOU, BALTIMORE!” the salesman boomed, Virgil’s phone at full volume, and Roman choked cackling on his pancake. “IF YOU’RE DUMB ENOUGH TO BUY A NEW CAR THIS WEEKEND, YOU’RE A BIG ENOUGH SCHMUCK TO COME TO BIG BILL HELL’S!”

The swear-laden, r-rated car commercial continued, at full volume, Roman trying and failing not to laugh at it, and eventually had to wipe his tears away, before his gaze landed on where Virgil was standing, absentmindedly picking up a dish towel to clean up some spilled batter from the oven rack.

“I have an idea.”

This was stupid. This was so, so stupid.

And yet.

“When Logan and Patton aren’t home,” Roman snickered, before he took a breath, and Virgil squinted through his sunglasses as the familiar notes started up. Virgil didn’t even know Roman could play the trombone.

Obligingly, though, Virgil began to slam the oven door in time, and the notes got shaky and wheezy because Roman would start laughing, and then Virgil would start laughing, and they’d have to start all over again, until—

“What are you two doing?!” Logan demanded, sleepy eyed and scowling, rubbing his eyes, before seeing the way they were standing. Sunglasses on, Virgil in fitting pajamas, Roman about to start blasting the trombone in his face.

Logan paused, rubbed his eyes again, and said instead, “I’m going to believe that this is a lucid dream, and I am going back to bed.”

Wah-wah-wahhhhhh, Roman blasted after him, and Virgil had to tighten his hold on the oven door to keep from falling over in laughter.

taglist: @somewhatsanders @tommysandypantsisasolarnymph @erlenmeyertrash @lindesensate @lakesandquarries @lacandra @midnightcandy @jughead-is-canonically-aroace @analogicalisreal @stay-in–place @pinkeasteregg @kanejandkruge @livenarrator @thats-kat-with-a-k @magicmapleleaf @didsomeonesayprince @fandomsofrandom @mollycassmith @zerogettie @panic-at-theeverywhere @youtuberswithalex @faacethefacts @thathockeygirl77 @actually-al @dreamsshadowwashere @pebblesbrownie @i-will-physically-fight-you @senseace @romanamongthestars @starryfirefliesbloggo @deep-deep-blue @sandersideblog​ @i-am-avacado​ @absoluteamethyst​ @violetmcl​ @angeliclogan​ @imgaybutvoltronisgayer​

[snkpolls]

SnK S3E08 Poll Results (Manga Reader Version)

The poll closed with 368 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that this is the results of the manga reader poll. Anime only watchers are suggested not to read if you do not wish to be spoiled about certain events! Anime only viewers, click here to view your poll results!

RATE THE EPISODE 352 Responses

84% of total respondents gave the episode a 4 or 5 star rating. The episode this week was overall considered very enjoyable!

kinda average,some cuts didnt make sense,lets see if the next one is good.

This episode was so great, I really enjoyed it! But there are still things that are bothering me.

This episode was fricking amazing.

All in all, one of the best episodes in the season for me, hands down.

I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next ep.

Amazing as always! ❤️

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING SCENES WERE YOUR FAVORITES? 356 Responses

Eren making his move in order to protect his friends was the overall favorite scene of the episode. Closely behind is Squad Levi showing up to save Eren and Historia. Despite some upset about the change, the scene where Levi tells Historia she has to become the queen ranked third.

The hardest question for me to answer was what my most favourite scene was because frankly speaking, none of the “big” and “impressive” scenes made an impact on me. I just rewatched S2 and was blown away by how the last few episodes especially were so well done. I wish this season makes me feel the same way later on.

Historias Speech before Levi squad gets there had so much feels

WHICH CHARACTER INTERACTION WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 354 Responses

There were lots of good character interactions this week. Most shippers seemed quite happy with theirs. The most loved moment of the episode, however, was Mikasa joking with Historia that she should punch Levi in the face. Closely behind was Levi lamenting having to tell Eren to make a choice again, and in third was Historia’s speech while saving Eren.

ALL OF THE ABOVE. YOU CANT MAKE ME PICK ONE HOW DARE YOU

They cut it out T.T

Oof, too many can't chose. Historia and Eren, Mikasa saving Historia, Jean and Historia motivating Eren, Levi apologizing to Eren, Sasha and Eren, Eremin hand touch <3, Levi and Erwin, Hange and Historia, Jean and Connie stepping in for Historia.....

Historia refusing the plan to let Eren be eaten by Rod-EREHISU4LYFE

That beautiful "Danchou" made me WEAK.

I like two: Mikasa x Historia and Mikasa telling Historia to punch Levi.

Every Levi & Eren interaction! So many Ereri moments in this episode ~

Kenny

MikaHisu is sailing hard

Levi and Eren interactions were amazing ♥

bjitch you think I'm neutral enough about snk to pick one think again

Character moments and interactions are what truly make this series for me.

I really enjoyed Hange's contribution to the discussion about Eren's and Rod's fates. The music, the flaming titan in the background, Hange pointing at it, and the overall drama of the conversation was on point!

BEST TITAN STEAM WINDBLOWN HAIR: 357 Responses

Levi won this overall, but plenty of voters appreciated that we put Connie in the rankings despite being bald! ;)

ROD REISS’ TITAN IS ALL CGI - HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS? 356 Responses

Nearly half of voters were surprisingly content with the CGI and thought that it added more disgust and hugeness to Rod’s titan. Looks like WIT utilized the CGI well this time around!

Hi WIT what the fuck

I didn't really like the CGI in season 2, but to be honest I expected it for the turkey titan and holy hell does it look big 10/10

I don't mind it too much, but i think traditional animation would be better.

I remember this feeling of absolute horror and disgust when I first saw Rod Reiss' titan back in the manga but the memes over the years made me forget. Wit has very successfully brought those feelings to the fore again, and goddamn I get shudders even now and I've rewatched the episode twice already.

I'm halfway though... A part of me wanna see turkey titan moving. A part of me actually prefer worm titan coz it is more disgusting. Anyways CGI are overdone in this scene. Wonder if the face reveal will be as disgusting as the rest of the body

I was worried about it at first glance as the Colossal Titan in season 2 was too out of place, but it worked and probably helped that Rod’s Titan can’t stand upright.

It’s tacky but I’m here for it

Looks great in some scenes... kinda shitty in others :/

MEEEAAAAAATTTTLLOOOOOAAAFFFF

The cgi is disgusting but I like it like that. It's like your ugly child, you still like it. Plus if it's allows them to reduce the time and the cost of the animation I'm fine with it. I'd rather have an aime with a bit of cgi every year than no anime at all or a season every 4 years.

im scared

Yummy yummy meatloaf.

DO YOU THINK KENNY CARED FOR HIS SQUAD? 357 Responses

Overall, the majority of voters agree that Kenny cared about his squad. Only slightly less than half of those voters believe that he still valued himself more, though.

He was concerned for their safety but was also probably like "do you guys not have any self preservation?

Maybe? I don't know, lol. We didn't see him interact with them much.

Kenny probably cared about them a bit but didn't feel any deep bonds with them.

I think he mostly cared about Traute because she was his second in command, not to mention her nihilistic nature was exciting for him.

Idk

WHOSE PEP TALK TO EREN WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 355 Responses

HIstoria’s words to Eren while he was certain they were all going to die won for the best pep talk. Not far behind was Levi telling Eren to make a choice. Jean’s commentary about Eren never being able to do anything by himself also got a decent amount of votes!

YOUR REACTION TO EREN’S DECISION TO BELIEVE IN HIMSELF? 355 Responses

Overall, voters had a positive reaction to Eren’s decision to believe in himself instead of his friends.

EREN WAS GREAT AND I M SO PROUD.

Attack titan's big dick energy saved them all.

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT JEAN AND CONNIE’S COMMENTS DEFENDING HISTORIA? 351 Responses

73% of voters were happy to see Jean and Connie sticking up for Historia. 17% weren’t invested, while others think that the scene was shoehorned in and unneeded.

Connie and Jean are definitely best boys (and underrated imo) and I loved that they gave them this filler scene but I feel like it would've made even more sense if they would've animated the wall scene from Chapter 51. Still loved this though. <3

Poor Connie, he didn't know what words to use. I'm glad Jean helped him out :) They're great friends.

I felt like they (WIT) messed up a great scene from the manga and didn't add anything of a value to that scene

It makes a lot of sense that Connie would jump in Historia's defense to prevent her from taking another role given that he was there to witness her shedding one during Utgard. And while Jean's is great, it works better at cementing his tumultous relationship with Levi and how he works as the voice of Springlestein.

While I like the concept of the 104th kids showing their concern for Historia, the dialogue pretty much spelled out Historia's character arc and felt incredibly forced and on the nose

It's a decent part of a scene that shouldn't have been changed.

On the fence because it seemed very filler

Connie and Jean r protecting their wife

WHICH OF LEVI’S DOUBLE ENTENDRES WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 352 Responses

It was a hard choice, but the majority of you appreciated those classic double entendres--with “That’s what I call hardening” taking the lead while 34.9% of you made us feel really attacked.

EREN MENTIONED INVESTIGATING HIS OLD BASEMENT IN SHIGANSHINA - WHERE’S THE KEY? 353 Responses

41% of voters believe that Eren is still in possession of the key but that the detail is simply overlooked Because Anime™. 30% believe the key was stored away for safekeeping due to the potential of Eren getting kidnapped. A small percentage believe that either Levi, Mikasa or Armin had it the whole time. A few of you think Eren is hiding it in less appropriate places and make us very concerned.

Shit. Fuck. I completely forgot about the key...

Erwin has it

I never noticed that even in the manga LMAO

Hell if i know

I didn't even care before this question and I won't start caring now lmao

Plothole

Stolen by Rod when they took his shirt. He just hasn't realized it yet.

this question is going to haunt me for eternity

Eren hid it in his asshole. No one would look there, that smart guy!

He keeps key in his ass

In his ass

up dat booty

HOW’D YOU FEEL ABOUT JEAN CALLING EREN A “TOPLESS WIMP” INSTEAD OF A SHIRTLESS WONDER? 356 Responses

The votes on this question were relatively balanced. Most voters just see it as a translation difference with no other meaning to it, while closely behind are those who preferred “shirtless wonder”. A small amount are looking forward to hearing how Funimation chooses to script this in the dub.

DID YOU MISS LEVI’S SALTY COMMENT - “JUST HOW SHITTY CAN THIS DAY GET”? 357 Responses

The majority of voters agreed that salty Levi would have been nice to keep around. 33% didn’t even realize the quote was missing!

more salty levi is required

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM ANIMATING THE COLLAPSE OF THE CHAPEL AND THE GROUND? 354 Responses

Nearly 77% of voters were thrilled to see the chapel and ground collapsing. 12% didn’t think it was all that special.

WERE YOU EXCITED TO SEE EREN’S HARDENING POWER ANIMATED? 356 Responses

65% of respondents were happy to see the hardening in action and thought WIT did a great job with it. 14% were happy to see it, but felt a bit underwhelmed. 11% preferred the mystery in the manga.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SCENE WITH EREN CALLING ROD TITAN A MIDGET AND PUNCHING THE AIR BEING REMOVED? 357 Responses

Nearly half of voters aren’t happy that WIT cut this detail out, because it showed that Eren can’t activate the coordinate as he pleases. 23% are confident that the scene will be moved to on top of the wall in the next episode. 14% didn’t care.

Why didn't they do the scene with Eren yelling at Rod's Titan?

I don't think that comment would've fit the tone of the scene. I'm hoping that it will be made clear that Eren normally can't use the power some other way.

I am so so angry that this scene was cut!! Not only was it HILARIOUS but it was a small moment of reprieve from the heavy atmosphere and I am so bitter about its removal!

I’m guessing they’ll be moving that scene to the top of the wall in the next episode

I’m okay with what WIT did, but it would’ve been nice too to see it animated.

I’m just salty it got removed. I personally thought it was hilarious and added comedic relief. Same goes for hange telling Erwin she’s ok - they really cut that scene down.

I miss that it was removed, but it was a bit comedic and would've added some flak to the scene

Very very disappointed. But not because it erased the hint about how the axe works but because of Levi's reaction! Goddammit wit not again!

I don't remember that one o.o I should re-read the manga I think XD

They'll probably move the scene to the next episode or have an equivalently expository scene later.

WE FINALLY GOT  THE SCENE WHERE LEVI TELLS HISTORIA SHE NEEDS TO BE QUEEN - WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? 354 Responses

With the top two options being at nearly a tie, 25.1% still believe that the scene should have been included before the kidnapping - brutality included - and 24.9% were just happy to have it although the characterization of Historia and Levi feels changed. 23% agreed that the change was needed as Levi lifting Historia at this point in the story would no longer make any sense. 17% preferred the change and felt it gave Historia more agency over her situation.

Considering this scene took place after the kidnapping it wouldn’t make sense for Levi to get angry and attack her but the scene was pretty underwhelming compared to the manga. Although I’m just glad that this means we still get to see Historia punch Levi (even if he hadn’t really done anything to deserve it in this version).

I feel like Historia accepted her fate as the new queen way too fast.

They should’ve added it before the Levi Vs Kenny fight. It was important to both of their characters and I’m still pissed WIT cut Levi’s speech out.

While it would have been great to see a little more irrational side of Levi, the change fit in very well and helped establish the relationships of Squad Levi

It should have being either included in it original form before the kidnapping or dropped all together including payoff with punching and smiling. Now it makes little sense for Mikasa to suggest something like that or for Historia to feel that way, we also lost asshole Levi moment, which would had add a dimension to his anime version. But oh well.

They should’ve added it before the Levi Vs Kenny fight. It was important to both of their characters and I’m still pissed WIT cut Levi’s speech out.

Meh. Anime wants to have a cake and eat a cake. At least they are hilarious!

Why do you guys want to see a grown man throw around a little girl so much? Gross! Grow up! I couldn't be happier with the way that scene change went! As well as Mikasa's being the one to get Reeves' line about punching Levi - I think it both fits and is unexpectedly cute.

i wish they kept the scene like in the manga because it really builds up anger in historia that she later releases by her big AckerPunchTM

MIKASA TELLS HISTORIA TO PUNCH LEVI INSTEAD OF DIMO REEVES. WAS THIS A GOOD CHANGE? 357 Responses

At a pretty even split, the most votes went toward believing that the scene was okay, but still preferring the manga’s turn of events. 24% believed that the way WIT did it was funnier. 22% feel like Mikasa’s comment is out of the blue. 21% are just happy Mikasa saved Levi’s smile.

The feeling that I got from Mikasa's smile/smirk was that she JOKINGLY suggested that Historia hit Levi, mostly because she's not his biggest fan and she enjoys messing with people (for example, eating the bread in front of Sasha, and the funny expression she elicited from Historia by saying this). Mikasa is going to be surprised (and ofc delighted) when she realizes Historia actually took her literally lmao

Why did Mikasa told Historia to punch Levi? Historia has no reason to punch him since he did nothing to her. It doesn't make any sense for her to hit him just because Mikasa told her to, or at least it has so much less meaning than in the manga…

About the punch, I still prefer the way the event happened in the manga but IM SO FUCKING GLAD THAT NOW WE KNOW WE GONNA SEE THAT BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL SMILE

WHICH SCENE FROM THE PREVIEW ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? 358 Responses

32% of voters are pumped to see Rod’s gruesome titan face looming over the wall. 25% are excited to see Eren punch the brat out of himself, 20% are ready for Smol to chat with Tol an 14% are looking forward to seeing Eren fighting in his titan form again.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

A lot of people yelling at WIT. Sure, I miss some of the exclusions too but the pacing change was needed and stuff has to be cut. The important bits of the story are still all there. I think they're doing a fantastic job and I'm almost sure Isayama gave his thumbs-up for all the changes.

Thanks wit for giving us so much mikasa this episode. My daughter deserves all that screentime ❤️😍

i get meatloaf titan and eruri. i am a happy boi.

The soundtrack was fuking amazing 😚👌 as always

Since there were no questions about the soundtrack I'll use this place to try to convert everybody to the Sawanism. God the music was a masterpiece!

The CGI worm titan was such an alienating thing to witness that it took away from the horror of the situation. It might have looked really hideous as this creepy-crawly giant thing of a titan, but sadly it just didn't work. On second viewing, it didn't bother me as much as the first time, though, so I guess one can get used to it.

I don't know if any of the music was new or not but wow!!! It made those scenes feel so much more emotional

RIP Traute Caven, our nihilist queen

Levi is a much sweeter version of himself in the anime, I've noticed. In fact nothing is as dark as it was in the manga. But Accordion Titan is way creepier animated so no complaints there.

I'm kinda disappointed that WIT remove some Frieda flashbacks, (last episode with the possessed Frieda scene missing, and here Historia not thinking about her alongside Ymir) it reduces the impact she has on Historia's life/development.

I was watching it in the night, so it gave me some double thrills :D Rod's titan was really creepy and Sawano's music made him to be even more scary. In my opinion the animation was awesome. It looked much better than I expected. The whole extreme moments in the cave was also amazing and I truly liked them.

For once WIT did eremin some justice with their reunion touch (my heart!), every mikahisu moment was perfect (yes, even the one at the end where mikasa tells historia to punch levi) and I ADORED that they gave historia so much agency in her decision to become queen! Honestly if I had to watch Levi rough her up at this point in the series, I probably would've vomited. It would've been incredibly unnecessary (which is likely why isa changed it, don't y'all think?) and this way was SO MUCH BETTER. Plus jean and conny being so concerned for her was THE BEST THING EVER, they're just like "but dad, what about my friend's FEELINGS?" and I LOVED IT. That's snk at its core tbh. Historia definitely deserves it too. And her power walk into the briefing room afterward was everything! In conclusion! Eremin is real! Mikahisu is real! And erurihan is fuckin real! That "danchou" had me FLOORED and we already know how much both erwin and levi love hange so like.. get with the winning team y'all.

Armin described the moment Rod's titan came out from under the chapel as something like "the end of the world". Between the music and his nightmarish CGI look, I was sold on that description. Oh, and since I mentioned music, Sawano's at it again, the absolute madman! Will he ever stop coming up with good tunes? The answer is never.

My ovaries are ready for wet cast in next episode!!

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 337 Responses

Thanks again to everyone who participated! We’ll see you again on Tuesday!