#I think it’s because despite not liking them I grew up with them so there will always be some form of attachment

[solxamber]

Giving Them Chocolates on Valentine's Day with: Octavinelle

Go here for other dorms

Azul Ashengrotto

You approach Azul in the Mostro Lounge, your heart pounding against your ribs. He’s behind the counter, meticulously checking over inventory, looking as polished and composed as ever.

At least, until he notices the neatly wrapped heart-shaped box in your hands.

His sharp eyes narrow slightly in suspicion. “What’s this?” he asks, adjusting his glasses as he peers at the chocolates like they might explode.

You blink. “It’s chocolate.”

“I can see that,” he says, ever the businessman. “What I mean is—why?”

You resist the urge to roll your eyes. Typical Azul. Always thinking there’s some hidden clause, some kind of catch. You hold out the box a little more insistently. “Because it’s Valentine’s Day. And because I like you.”

The effect is instantaneous.

Azul’s expression shatters. His carefully maintained composure cracks like glass. His fingers twitch where they rest on the counter, and for the first time, he seems completely, utterly lost.

“You…” He blinks rapidly, his voice quieter now. “You like me?”

You tilt your head, watching his face turn a shade of pink you didn’t even know he was capable of. “Yeah. I thought that was obvious.”

Azul makes a sound. You’re not sure if it’s a laugh or a quiet gasp of disbelief. Either way, he clearly doesn’t know what to do with himself.

He exhales sharply, adjusts his glasses again—completely unnecessarily—and shifts his weight like he’s trying to ground himself. Then, as if desperately grasping onto something familiar, he clears his throat and straightens up, the businessman in him taking over.

“Well,” he says, smoothing a hand over his coat, “in that case, it would be highly inappropriate of me not to offer you a proper date.”

You blink, caught off guard by the sudden shift. “Oh?”

Azul nods, trying so hard to appear composed despite his ears still burning red. “Mostro Lounge serves only the finest cuisine. Allow me to treat you to dinner tonight. Naturally, I’ll cover all expenses.”

Your lips twitch. “You’re really making a date sound like a business transaction.”

Azul scowls immediately, crossing his arms as he actively fights for his dignity. “That’s not—! I just meant that it would be—! Ugh.” He sighs, pressing his fingers against his temple before looking at you again, this time softer.

“…I’d like to take you to dinner,” he amends, quieter now. “Because I like you too.”

Your chest warms.

Now you’re the one who feels a little breathless, your heart stuttering at the rare sincerity in his voice.

You smile. “Then I’d love to go.”

Azul exhales, as if he’s been holding his breath this whole time. He nods, then quickly busies himself with setting out a reserved sign for the best table in the lounge—as if planning everything right this second will keep him from combusting.

You watch him, amused, and so, so fond.

For all his smooth talk and confidence, he’s just as flustered as you are.

Jade Leech

You really should have prepared for this better.

Jade Leech was not the kind of person you could just walk up to, hand over chocolates, and expect a normal reaction. You knew that. And yet, here you were, clutching a heart-shaped box like it was a live grenade, stumbling through your words as his ever-present, knowing smile grew sharper with every passing second.

“So, um,” you start, regretting every life choice that led to this moment. “I—I made these for you. Because it’s, uh, Valentine’s Day. And also because I—uh—”

You stop.

Jade is watching you way too intently, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he waits so, so patiently for you to finish your sentence.

You take a steadying breath and just force it out. “Because I like you.”

For a long moment, he doesn’t say anything.

Instead, he hums, soft and thoughtful, as he takes the chocolates from your hands—his fingers brushing against yours, just barely. Then, without warning, he leans in.

Way too close.

Your breath catches.

Jade tilts his head, studying you like he’s greatly enjoying the way your face is rapidly heating up. “How interesting,” he murmurs, his voice low and far too entertained. “You’re quite adorable when you’re nervous.”

Your stomach flips.

Jade watches your reaction for a moment longer—dragging this out on purpose, the menace—before finally pulling back. And even then, not by much.

His smile softens, and there’s something almost warm beneath the teasing glint in his eyes. “I accept,” he says simply.

It takes your brain a full three seconds to catch up. “Wait—you—”

“I like you too,” he continues, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

You blink, still thoroughly disoriented, and Jade laughs quietly, clearly enjoying himself. “Shall I take you to dinner tonight?” he muses, tapping the box lightly. “It would only be fair, since you’ve already given me such a lovely gift.”

Your heart is fighting for its life.

“…Yeah,” you manage. “That sounds nice.”

Jade grins. “Perfect.”

And just like that, you know you’ve fallen right into his trap.

Floyd Leech

You’re pretty sure you’re about to die.

Because the second Floyd spots the chocolates in your hands, his entire mood plummets.

One moment, he’s just existing—normal Floyd behavior, a little lazy, a little restless. And the next? Oh. Oh no.

His grin disappears. His eyes darken. His whole posture shifts, and suddenly, he looks one wrong move away from squashing the nearest person to death.

“…Whatcha got there, Shrimpy?” His voice is low, slow, and dangerous, like a predator catching the scent of something it doesn’t like.

Your fight-or-flight instincts scream at you to run.

But you don’t.

You force yourself to stay put, lifting the chocolates a little higher in a silent please don’t kill me gesture.

“…They’re for you,” you manage.

Instant. Mood. Whiplash.

Floyd blinks. And then—all at once—he’s grinning again.

“Ehhh? Really?!” His entire demeanor flips so fast it gives you whiplash. Suddenly, he’s giggling, practically bouncing as he snatches the chocolates from your hands and leans in so, so close.

No personal space. Not even a little.

It’s our space now.

Floyd hums, inspecting the box like he’s debating whether to eat the chocolates first or eat you. “Y’know,” he drawls, tilting his head, “if these were for someone else, I probably would’ve squeezed ‘em real, real hard.”

Your stomach drops. “I—uh—”

“But they’re for me!” he interrupts, all teeth and delight, pressing the chocolates against his chest like a prized possession. “So it’s fine~!”

You exhale, shaky. “Great. Love that.”

Floyd chuckles, and before you can react, his arms are around you. Tight. Secure. Warm. He leans in close enough that you can feel his breath against your skin.

“Mmm… you’re mine now, though.”

Your heart short-circuits.

Floyd giggles again, sing-song and sweet, but his grip is firm, unyielding. “Forever n’ ever, right, Shrimpy?”

You swallow hard, helplessly flustered. “…Yeah.”

His eyes glint with satisfaction.

“Good,” he purrs, and somehow, you just know—

You’re not gonna regret this. (probably)

Masterlist ; Valentine's Event

[meinii]

Hiya! I don't know if you take requests, so feel free to ignore me if you don't! But my request is sylus x reader fic, where the reader isn't used to spending money. Like spending 50 bucks on anything other than food and Essentials was a waste yk. So she has a really hard time with him spending money on stuff she thinks isn't worth it. But he's all like but I want to spend the money on you. And she like *exe.crash* sylus that necklace is $100,000. Anyway I hope your haveing a great day! Also happy 💕valentines💕day if you celebrate! 🍾

“I want to”

tysm for the request ૮꒰ྀི >⸝⸝⸝< ꒱ྀིა I hope you like this! (happy late valentine’s day lol)♡

content: fluff

୨୧･｡｡･♡･∴･♡･｡｡･୨୧

you stared at the price tag like it had personally offended you

“five hundred dollars?” you muttered under your breath

Sylus, standing beside you, raised a brow “so?”

you turned to him, eyes wide “so? that’s way too much!”

he sighed, looking entirely unimpressed “it’s a dress”

“an expensive dress,” you argued “I don’t need it.”

he exhaled, rubbing his temples “you don’t need to need something to have it”

“yes, you do” you shot back, folding your arms

Sylus chuckled, amused “who told you that?”

“logic.”

he smirked, stepping closer. “your logic” he corrected

you sighed, shaking your head. “it’s just—I’m not used to spending money on things I don’t need.”

his smirk softened into something else—something more thoughtful

he reached for your hand, fingers warm against yours

“but I want to spend money on you” he murmured

your heart stuttered

“Sylus—”

“I can afford it,” he continued, squeezing your hand “it’s just money. and if I’m going to spend it, I’d rather spend it on you”

you swallowed

“but it’s unnecessary” you whispered

“no,” he corrected, tilting your chin up “it makes you happy. and that’s never unnecessary”

your face warmed

he sighed, stepping back, hands in his pockets

“listen,” he said “I know you don’t like wasting money. I know you grew up thinking you had to earn every little thing. but that’s not how this works.”

you looked at him, unsure

he met your gaze, unwavering “you don’t have to earn things from me. I want to give them to you because I can. because I want to.”

you swallowed

he sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck “just—let me do this, okay?”

you hesitated

then, finally, you sighed “fine”

his lips curled “so you’ll let me buy you the dress?”

you groaned “don’t push it.”

he laughed

but later, when you walked out of the store with the bag in his hand, you couldn’t help but smile

—

the spending didn’t stop there

one day, you opened your door to find a small box on the doorstep

inside was a delicate bracelet, the chain fine, the pendant small—a tiny crescent moon

you blinked, confused

then, as if on cue, your phone buzzed

SYLUS: open your door

you frowned, stepping outside

he stood there, hands in his pockets, looking smug as ever

“Sylus,” you started “did you—?”

“yes”

you exhaled “you really don’t have to keep buying me things”

“I know”

you looked at him “then why do you?”

he smirked, stepping closer

“because,” he murmured, reaching out to clasp the bracelet around your wrist “I want to.”

your breath hitched

he glanced up, watching you carefully

“does it bother you?” he asked, quieter this time

you hesitated

“no” you admitted

he smirked “good.”

you sighed, looking down at the bracelet

it was beautiful

and, against all logic, you liked it

—

you started noticing it more after that

the little things

the way he’d quietly pay the bill before you even reached for your wallet

the way he’d slip new books onto your shelf without saying a word

the way he’d drape his coat over your shoulders when it was cold, not even asking if you needed it

it wasn’t just about money

it was about you

about making sure you had everything you wanted—whether you asked for it or not

Sylus, you realized one day, is completely and utterly shameless when it comes to spoiling you

and, despite yourself, you didn’t hate it

—

but there were still moments where it overwhelmed you

like the time you walked into your living room and found a brand-new pair of shoes sitting on the coffee table—ones you had casually mentioned wanting weeks ago

“Sylus!” you called

he poked his head into the room, looking unbothered “hmm?”

you held up the shoes “what is this?”

“a gift.”

“Sylus”

he smirked “I saw you looking at them”

you groaned “you have to stop doing this”

“why?”

“because it’s too much!”

he stepped closer, crossing his arms

“too much for who?”

you hesitated

he sighed, running a hand through his hair

“if it was for anyone else,” he murmured “I wouldn’t bother. but it’s you. and i want to do this for you”

your chest tightened

“why?” you whispered

he tilted his head

“because you’re mine.”

your breath hitched

he exhaled, reaching for your hand

“look,” he said, voice softer now “I know you don’t need this stuff. I know you’d be fine without it. but that doesn’t mean I can’t want to give it to you”

you swallowed

“you don’t owe me anything,” he continued “you don’t have to feel guilty. this isn’t some kind of trade”

his grip on your hand tightened

“it’s just me,” he whispered “giving you things because I can. because I want to. because you deserve them.”

your heart clenched

slowly, you looked down at the shoes

they were really nice

you sighed

“okay” you relented

he smirked “yeah?”

you rolled your eyes. “yeah”

his fingers brushed over your knuckles

“good” he murmured

and when you put the shoes on later, feeling just a little lighter, you realized—maybe it wasn’t so bad, after all.

[vroomvroomwee]

This is an excellent point! Though, I would argue that he's not stupid, but he's also not dumb either. This is a man who uses a charming, approachable appearance (eg. the way he interacted with Charlie) to wrap people around his finger before he eventually shows his true colors. And I would bet that that line of thinking passes to his display of intelligence as well.

Valentino isn't stupid. Like he said in episode 2, he owns "every loser this side of hell" and you don't reach that level of success and power by relying on other people (Vox and Velvette) to handle his business and the more "strategic" aspects of ruling a domain.

So, the way Valentino masks his true intentions is the same way he masks his intelligence. He isn't stupid, he just WANTS people to think he is. He WANTS them to underestimate him and that (I would argue subconcious) technique works like a charm. It certainly works on Vox who, from the way we've seen, thinks he can "tame" Valentino (ep 2) and completely fails to realize the man is manipulating him the entire time. Vox's confidence and arrogance with how he thinks Valentino's petulance and whiny attitude is just how he is, blinds him to the fact that Valentino uses that arrogance to toy with him. If Valentino truly intended to barge into the hotel and start shooting everyone then he would have, he's not someone who can be tied down against his will. He's not someone who can be controlled or dissuaded from something when he doesn't want to be. When he wants something, he gets it. Which leaves the conclusion that he terorrized Velvettes studio because he WANTED Vox to come to him. Because he KNEW that Vox would. Whether because he wanted to ruin Vox's day, get his attention, have someone to bitch to or to string him about a bit and enjoy a show. Valentino knew perfectly well how revealing Alastor’s return would affect Vox and he withheld that information deliberately. That switch in mood from murderous to bratty when he disclosed what he knows is the moment he drops the act, the antics he was pulling for seemingly no reason other than fun.

I'd wager that he even has a grip on Velvette despite us as the audience witnessing how she doesn't take any of his bullshit. But, that's the thing, he KNOWS she isn't the type to put up with his theatrics, so he doesn't target her specifically. What he does is use her as a stepping block to instead achieve something else. He targets her studio not because he wants her company or to annoy her, but because he knows she will put that chore onto VOX'S shoulders instead. That's why he kills off Velvette's employees instead of Vox's, because he doesn't need to.

I also don't think it's a surprise that the two people closest to him apart from Velvette are Angel Dust and Vox. One of them is a member of the mafia who grew up in the early 20th century, a time where queerness was spurned and demonized, not to mention dangerous and illegal. Angel as a gay man has undoubtedly had a difficult life, he's proud of who he is but it doesn't mean everyone else was as well (his father, brother and overall society in general). So what does he think when he meets someone who flaunts his queerness with confidence and assertiveness, someone who not only is proud of his identity, but who actively uses it openly to rise to the top. Angel latches onto him, Valentino is like a drug to Angel's self-image. He is impressive in the way Angel hopes too be and to have Valentino's attention on him becomes almost essential, hence where the cycle of abuse and dependency begins.

And on the other hand we have Vox, someone who also grew up in the 20th century but whose life took a marginally different path. Instead of embracing his queerness to spite society the way Angel does, Vox masks it. He shrouds himself in this image of a socially acceptable heterosexual man, the type who would only be caught in a nuclear family, the type who would never "associate" himself with the lgbtq community and he uses that advantage as a shield, to hide his true identity because he views his bisexuality as a weakness, as something that would impede his ascent to power. Then, he meets this sinner who is unashamedly vocal about his queerness, from his words, his body language, his clothing, his mannerisms, everything about Valentino represents what Vox is afraid of - and that is being SEEN. To watch someone so freely express himself and yet be so powerful and influential like Valentino is also like a drug to Vox the same way it is for Angel. Valentino gives Vox the confidence, the FREEDOM, Vox didn't know he could be capable of.

And Valentino KNOWS this. He knows it about both of them. While they might be two sides of the same coin, completely different in how they handle being queer, they share one thing: Valentino. Valentino who represents freedom, bravery, safety. And what does Valentino do with that knowledge? He USES it. He's more than well aware of the effect he has on others and he holds no qualms in twisting their emotional dependency to his benefit.

He is manipulative, and worst of all he's smart. Not just socially, but emotionally he is incredibly intelligent. He simply thrives off of people underestimating him, he WANTS them to think he isn't smart and that's where the emotional intelligence radiates, he wants them to think that he's not as big of a threat as everyone makes him out to be, when in reality that line of thinking, that way of manipulation, makes him one of the most dangerous sinners in hell.

Ya know, Val more than likely isn't the brightest guy around. He's definitely dumb as tits when it comes to business stuff and basic operation.

But like...

Hear me out, I think Valentino is considerably more emotionally intelligent and perceptive than people assume him to be in both canon and the fandom.

He knows that throwing a temper tantrum at Velvette's department will get Vox to drop everything and come to calm him down. Though Vox condescends to him, he dishes it just as easily back and even anticipates that telling Vox about Alastor will set him off... something that greatly amused him in the moment after he dished about Angel and was ignored.

He knows well enough not to pick a fight he can't win with Charlie... which is surprising enough since he previously claimed he wanted to storm down to her hotel and murder everybody. Instead, he holds his tongue and slinks back to Angel, roughing up him and his mentality so that Angel will stop Charlie before she can do anything to correct the situation. It's actually pretty emotionally smart and manipulative.

Anyways I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I just wanted to say that Val is dumb, but he's not stupid. Not when it comes to emotionally reading others around him and acting on it. He has charm and passion, he can read people and understand their emotions and then he can use it effectively as abusively as he desires. And that's what makes him such a great villain in my opinion.

[yuseirra]

Alien stage "Wiege" spoilers!

I jotted down some thoughts and analysis upon having watched that video! I really liked the song(listening to it now, too) I'm sure there are a lot of details to spot (for example I read a comment that Ruler of My Heart was indeed, Luka's love song toward Hyuna, that he had a doll with a groom and a bride on the table in that one scene he was sitting facing Hyuna's photo.. I'm sure there are plenty of things like that) what I want to talk about is more of the general stuff and character analysis.

If you think about it, Mizi and Luka were the two characters who had the least doubts about their situation at the start of the story.

Mizi even applied to join the Stage herself; she grew up with a lot of love and care, so she was quite bright and cheerful and very naive. But after enduring all sorts of hardships, she went through the biggest emotional transformation.

On the other hand, Luka was probably aware from the moment he was born that he was created to be used up like a disposable tool. Because of that, he never even had the space to question his circumstances.

In the midst of that, he met someone he truly loved, and that person became his reason to live—but now, they’re gone.

So now, for better or worse, he's in a situation where he has no choice but to change and step out of the "cradle" he had been confined to.

Ivan, Till, Hyuna, and Sua all had their own thoughts about their circumstances from the beginning of this story—whether it was resistance or doubt, they had some awareness of the problem.

On the other hand, Mizi and Luka, despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum, were both characters who never questioned the nature of the Alien Stage when they first appeared.

Mizi was completely ignorant of its brutality at first, and gradually learns the truth and changes as a result.

Luka, on the other hand, was so accustomed to and overwhelmed by the situation that he never even considered the possibility that things could be different.

That’s why these two, who started at opposite extremes, ended up meeting in the middle. One started from the very bottom as Challenger #1 and climbed up, while the other was at the top as a winner but has now lost everything. (Honestly, more than the stage itself, it really feels like Hyuna was the reason Luka was alive. I was surprised by just how much he cared—way more than I expected. It seems like he didn’t even realize what he did wrong, or that it was wrong at all. If he really did kill Hyunwoo, then maybe it's because he grew up in an environment where survival meant competing with his clones, so the idea that killing a person was wrong never even crossed his mind.)

So what happens next…? I don’t know, but I feel like Mizi is going to survive in the end.

That'd mean if it comes down to a fight between them, then Luka’s chances of survival would drop, right?

But looking at the song that just came out, are they even continuing Alien Stage? With the rocket and all, something big might happen, and they could both make it out alive. Maybe this song is setting up that possibility.

If Mizi’s arc involves not necessarily forgiving Luka, but at least reaching a point where she can acknowledge his existence, I find that would be pretty compelling. That’s an interesting direction to consider. And well, Hyuna really cared about him—she wanted him to live. I don’t think Mizi would want to kill anyone either. And she cared about Hyuna so would she have her efforts go to waste?

I think the best direction would be for Luka to start questioning his situation, leading to more development in that regard. And as for Mizi, how she chooses to view him is key. Personally, I’d rather see them meet in the middle, rather than Mizi simply taking him down—because in the end, they’re all victims of the system.

They don’t have to like each other, but more killing at this point would just be a loss for humanity. Wouldn’t that just be playing right into the hands of those who set up and control this stage? I think the right choice is to resist that.

That’s my take, but I wonder what'd happen.

Also, the way I described Hyuna’s feelings in one sentence was completely spot on. I remember phrasing her feelings towards Luka like this:

I think Hyuna actually liked Luka too, which is why facing him was so painful for her.

It wasn’t pure hatred—it was torment because, despite everything, there were still lingering feelings.

She couldn’t forgive him, but at the same time, she could see how much he cared about her. It was hard to say he acted with malice—he was too cheerful, too unaware of what he had done wrong. (That’s just how he was raised and he didn't even recognize he hurt her, did he? He just looked so happy and unknowing;)

The thing here would be that she couldn’t hate him entirely. And since she had always really liked him as well, it made things even harder.

Isn’t that what it was? In the end, her genuine feelings won out, and "even so, I still like you" became stronger than her hatred. In the end, the love out-won the hate..

She must have really liked him for it to come out that way. I did see it coming, at least partially-

So I wasn’t entirely surprised by Hyuna’s response. (What really surprised me initially was Luka’s reaction—he liked her so much that he literally couldn’t contain himself! But thinking about it, that was sort of always there..; although they kept from showing it this directly. His reaction reminds me of an overjoyed puppy who didn’t know what to do with itself. To see him get elated that much... wow.)

Seeing them going as far as married/engaged if things were to be normal was a surprise too, I figured they would have dated! I was so sure about that but marriage? Luka must have really pulled it off, huh? I hadn't imagined them actually settling down together, but it's great when canon sets things in stone lol. So they could have been that way! Great! ...and see what happened.

Out of all the characters, Luka seems like the purest one. He just doesn’t know. (and he's supposed to be the eldest one of the bunch;)

He looks experienced, but in reality, he’s never thought beyond the framework he was given.

But that’s because he was never allowed to in the first place. His life never gave him that option, so it’s partly a survival instinct.

Escaping that is like breaking out of an egg. Since he grew up in an environment where it was simply impossible to even consider another way of life, I do think his circumstances can be taken into account—but now, he’s at a point where he has to change.

Given the pace at which this story kills off characters, he might be gone in the next video, but if he does survive, I feel like his arc could lead to something really interesting.

[freedelusionshere]

Hi!! Love your posts. I would love to hear about your S4 predictions!!

They change on a daily/weekly basis, but I'll try!

Semi-rational predictions:

Syd doesn't leave The Bear and Carmy apologizes and changes his behavior, treating her like a real partner. The reason they're in the situation they are is that Carmy is trying to lead in areas he's not good at. All the elements for success are there, Carmy has self-sabotaged, and no one has really stood up to him and Syd will.

We learn about Syd's past and why she's so reluctant to cross personal/professional lines and why she feels like she's had to be so independent and why she did Sheridan Road by herself. Remember, Emmanuel loves her but hasn't really supported her dream as a viable career, and suggests she work at the airport like her cousin, meaning, their extended family likely feels the same way.

I'm guessing Syd grew up with her mother in the kitchen or a culinary influencer, a social activist in the community, and those are some of her fondest memories she has as a child before she passed which Syd has taken on as part of her legacy.

Cicero tries to burn down The Bear (the stuff he was sneaking in in S3) to give the kids the insurance money since he's going to bail on them and wants to save face, and it fails. It also puts him out of the picture of influencing them going forward, and they have to find another investor.

Donna tries to tell Syd at Tiff's wedding to run far away from The Beef like she did (aka Carmy is not really your family, he bailed on me, his own flesh and blood), and it backfires on Donna, because Carmy is willing to change for Syd and not her. Donna and Carmy hash it out and Carmy confronts his mom and tells her Syd is off-limits and he will choose The Bear over family-family any day, so don't test him, and that this is what he wants and for her to stop trying to meddle and treat him like an adult.

Syd and Carmy finally collaborate on a menu/dish, and it's amazing and gets rave reviews, and is a perfect reflection of them together. (I don't really care if they ever get a star, TBH, because Syd is Carmy's star.)

Marcus and Luca get together and Marcus moves to Copenhagen or Luca moves to Chicago (his sister is here) and they open a bakery together that wins awards.

Shipper lens predictions:

We find out Carmy signed Syd's apartment lease. We know her dad didn't and it's why he compares the apartment to the partnership agreement and makes digs, because he knows it's Carmy, and he already suspects Syd likes Carmy as more than a business partner and knows that Carmy will go very far to back Syd's ambitions. Which is part of why Syd is so into Carmy, because no one has done that for her before. Carmy also meets Emmanuel in S4 who goes hard on him at first for being unable to provide financially for his daughter and then comes around when he realizes how devoted Carmy is to her. Carmy also might have some money socked away for a moment such as this, despite being bad at math; Cousin Michelle connections, etc.

Carmy tries to apologize to Claire, but Claire thinks Syd is who he was talking to when he was trapped inside the walk-in, and that he never really was himself with her (which is true, because she made him uneasy) and Syd is his work-wife and for him to go fuck himself. She will try to embarrass him at the wedding as payback since she was already doing that almost the minute she left Friends & Family (which Ted repeats) and lied to Tiff about him. Neil confesses his love to Claire and apologizes for meddling.

Donna brings Lee to Tiff's wedding which causes Donna and Carmy hash it out and he finds out Lee is his birth father. This leads to a long conversation about how Donna isn't a person he can trust emotionally and explains why they all babied him, because they had a secret and felt guilty but didn't want him to know. The mystery of the missing/dead Berzatto dad is revealed.

Carmy and Syd have sex on top of a table at some point, maybe in the restaurant after hours. After a reveal about her eating the blood orange hamachi heart-on-a-plate dish, and that Carmy remembered her from the James Beard Award he won for Rising Star which she attended while she was at CIA, or she saw him at The Beef when she was a kid. The basic idea is some magic realism here, that they've run into each other before she showed up at The Beef, and they have always somehow or another been connected and in each other's lives and always will be.

[oakandpearls]

How confusing it feels, but how wonderful it is to have the support of your mother.

Alright, everyone...gather around, I've got yet another story to tell about my mother and a bit of a ramble to go on. My mother is very much Christian, and very firm in her beliefs. I think that is wonderful for her as I too am rather firm in my own beliefs, but despite that we have always had a mutual understanding of not denying the other persons god exists. I do believe there very much could be a Christ out there, as she very much believes in my patrons Lord Poseidon and Father Zeus. I was helping her put away groceries earlier today and she told me about how she was starting lent today, 40 days of giving up something she loves, that being chocolate in her case. Keep in mind I was somebody who grew up Christian, turned to atheism and then dove headfirst into Hellenic Polytheism. Without even thinking, I blurted out "If you'd like, I can practice it alongside you this year". I don't know what exactly triggered it, but it somehow just felt appropriate to say and to do for that matter. I went on to tell her that I'd be willing to give up candy bars of any size, shape or form for 40 days because to me, giving up something I constantly and mindlessly eat would be much more of a sacrifice then giving up meat, which I rarely eat anyways. She basically went on to say "if you'd like" and chimed in "you could technically be doing it for Zeus!". She is so, so funny sometimes. Her support has always been undying and so clear, but sometimes she really does not make much sense. Nevertheless, I replied with "I technically would be doing this for Christ. You know I don't deny the existence of him, as you don't deny the existence of my gods." "Honey, that makes my heart so happy." is what she replied with. Her happiness is my happiness, I love my mother so much, alongside my father. I love them both more then anything in this whole entire world. It just makes me wonder about Christopaganism as a whole, and where I even stand as of now. I always claimed to believe in Christ too, which I do, but felt as though he wasn't "my god". But at the same time, worshipping Christ alongside my Hellenic patrons almost would feel...correct. With my families support nonetheless, it's very much something to think about.

[more-sonorous]

rag, boy, rag (can you teach me how to play?)- davey angst

(been thinking about David playing piano at a jatherine wedding pretty much nonstop recently so have a sliver of the long dissertation I wrote about it)

…..

The first time David Jacobs ever wanted to flat-out refuse to play the piano came when he was twenty years old on a lunch break between lectures, sitting on a bench in New York City with Jack Kelly by his side and a pretzel in his hand.

“Hey, listen, Dave– I’m real glad you could find some time to meet me.” Jack said almost seriously, absentmindedly brushing a few strands of his dark hair away from his perfect eyebrows.

��Of course. Though– I don’t see why this couldn’t have waited until Friday, you know it’s Kathy and I’s book club night.” He glanced up at his friend rather admonishingly as he tore a piece of his pretzel off, trying not to focus on how beautiful Jack’s honey-brown eyes looked in the sun.

David had planned to stop doting on this boy quite some time ago, but he’d done a rotten job of kicking his affections down. It seemed that at twenty he was more in love with Jack than he was at seventeen, which was simply no good because he was in love with Jack’s fianceé, too. There was no woman more beautiful than Katherine Pulitzer, and David stood by that belief. He also believed that there was no man more lovely than Jack Kelly, and so he found himself hopelessly head over heels despite his own reservations.

Jack’s easy smile turned almost nervous. “Well, it’s about the wedding, so I sorta wanted it to be just us.”

“Oh.” David felt his own smile slip and falter. He’d been dreading this moment and their intense eye contact instantly became too much. Jack was going to want to talk about his wedding eventually. He and Kath had been planning for weeks and according to Racetrack, they were both knee-deep in it and very excited. It was honestly a miracle neither of them had brought it up yet. Squirming in his skin, David firmly directed his sights on his own scuffed shoes. “Alright, what about the wedding?”

“Well– I want ya’ to be my best man.” Jack said, very simply, and when David didn’t smile or react at all, really, he cleared his throat. “Y’know, since you’re my best friend and all. You’re my best man day-to-day, so why shouldn’t ya’ be in my wedding?”

He swallowed the hard lump in his throat as his traitorous brain slammed him with images of Jack and Kath, happily dolled up in white and black, enjoying the best day of their lives as David wallowed in misery by Jack’s side. Just the thought made him feel a little bit nauseous, and that nausea only grew as he imagined himself having to stand up and give a speech about how happy he was for them. Of course, David was happy for them. He loved them, and they were happy, so how could he not be happy?

He was happy, but he was jealous and lonely and miserable too. There was no earthly way he’d give a speech that did Jack and Katherine justice. In fact, he’d been considering not attending the wedding at all. Finding an excuse. He didn’t need to be in the picture— he was horrible at masking his emotions. He’d just be a sad, morose lump, sucking all of the fun out of the night. They didn’t deserve that. But Jack was looking at him so hopefully and he knew that skipping his best friend’s biggest day was an offense he couldn’t commit.

David dug the toe of his boot into the brick beneath them. “I… I can’t make a speech, Jack.”

“That’s fine!” Jack reassured nearly instantly, grabbing Davey’s pant leg with fervor and leaning in like this was the most important thing he’d ever done. “Seriously, Dave, fine by me. No speech!”

How could he tell Jack no more firmly? He was starting to spiral into panic. “I can’t– I can’t stand up there in front of everyone at the wedding, either. I’m not– I’ll panic, and that’ll ruin your big day.” Now Jack looked positively distraught. This was falling apart fast. David gritted his teeth tightly and awkwardly, painfully took Jack’s hand in his own. “Jackie, I’m still going to be there–”

“But I want ya’ in the wedding, Davey. Not just at it–”

“I– um– I was thinking–” He was blabbering before he could think, some subconscious part of him trying to soothe Jack’s miserable expression. “Well, I was thinking before you asked me about this, that maybe I could just play piano for you? So… so you don’t hafta hire some other musician. And if it’s me, you can tell me all the pieces you want to hear sooner than you could tell a stranger…”

Jack seemed to pause, his eyebrows shooting up towards his hair. “You mean that?”

“Sure.” He steeled in a deep breath and tried to ignore the stinging in his eyes. He did not want to be a part of this wedding at all– he’d been planning to watch the ceremony and escape after a few minutes of the celebration afterwards– but he did owe it to them. They’d been nothing but good to him for years. “Besides, um… I think Crutchie’d murder you if you didn’t give him the best man spot. Or Racer. He’d kill you faster.”

“Pfft, Crutchie and Racer can kiss my happy ass.” Jack rolled his eyes as if to affirm his point, giving David’s hand a heart-wrenching squeeze. Something akin to hope was brightening his face, dimpling his cheeks, and David sort of wanted to disappear. “But… if– if you’re sure ya’ don’t mind playin’ for free, that’d work. Shit, it would really work. And Kath loves your music, Dave. Honestly, she’d be honored to have ya’ play– we’d both be.”

Then Jack squeezed his hands again, and David felt even closer to throwing up than he did before as he managed a stilted, awkward little smile. “You… you don’t have to make a big deal out of it. I’ll take any excuse I can get to play ragtime.”

“Wait, I thought ya’ meant just the ceremony.” Jack’s brow furrowed. “I want’cha to enjoy the party after.”

“There’s nothing I enjoy more than playing the piano. Especially not parties. I hate parties, you know.” He insisted, carefully, firmly. This was a truth– a universal David Jacobs truth– and playing the piano would be the only way he’d be able to distract himself from the misery of their perfection. “Besides, I know Katherine likes Brahms waltzes, and I’d– well, um, I’d be honored to play during your first dance. So… you’ve got me for the ceremony and the reception.”

“Gee, Dave.” Jack’s smile softened into something heart-wrenchingly personal and David looked away, at the pedestrians on the street and the shouting vendor they’d purchased their lunch from. “That means a lot to me.”

“Yeah, well…” He swallowed again. Harder. “Yeah.”

[fracturedodr]

For a short time, Bell's fear grew. Oh, she was angry. Terribly angry, and an angry Goddess was not something he ever wanted to see, much less an angry goddess of love.

It made him take a step back, trying not to slip back into too-fast breathing as he did so - some small part of him desperate to run just run just get away but Bell couldn't just leave Hogni behind. He couldn't abandon the man after everything he'd done, all the help. Much of Bell was still caught up in the memories of the deep floors (or the fragments thereof)

But then

Bell could hazard a guess what the aborted word was going to be, and it made something jagged and sharp and so very angry grow within him, piercing through the fear and making his fists clench, making him itch to say that yes, he did hate her, hated what she'd done, what she'd made him into, what she made him think with lie after lie, letting him believe that Hestia had been a monster because it fit her narrative - but he remembered the conversation he'd had with Hestia. Be careful, she'd said.

So he bit it back. For the better, it seemed - as Hogni was not as out of commission as he'd initially thought. Weak to her, struggling, just the same as him if in different ways, but not giving in despite what had to be a horrible horrible desire to.

Bell could only imagine it felt like the way he himself did when he very nearly ran back to Freya. Escaped his room and ran to the front gates before managing to hold himself still, just long enough to calm down, but shaking with the urge to run back to her and beg forgiveness. Well. At least he wouldn't be so much at risk of doing that, with how much she seemed to hate him now.

"I-it's not..." He began, shaky, but louder than the whisper it had been before "You don't m-manipulate, people you love." He didn't know much, but he knew that, at least. Gods defined things differently, yes, but. Surely that, at least, was the same?

Was it even love, then, if you manipulated them to be somebody else? Did Freya even love Bell, or just some fantasized version she thought she could just build him into as though it was no big deal?

"...I just wanna go home..." He muttered - tired, frustrated, scared - he wanted to take a long bath and then curl up to sleep somewhere hidden and easily defensible.

Smart...

Those praises were usually reserved for Hedin. When she was sure he was going to stay down, Freya began running her fingers through Hogni's hair, recalling how he enjoyed that. Her gaze was no longer on the elf though, but on Bell. She'd already revoked the promised affection, except the mindless physical touches.

"Why couldn't you just stay put? Why couldn't you just stay with me?" She addressed Bell, almost fully ignoring Hogni now. "Was your hatred for me that strong that you had to reject me at every turn? Why?" Her voice was getting sharper. "Was it because of that bi--"

Freya gasped, cut off as she looked down at Hogni, who'd suddenly wrapped his arms around one of her legs, almost knocking her off balance. She'd expected him to stay dazed--

"Hogni, let go!"

His shoulders were shaking, and he shook his head as he kept his hold. "I...it was...n...necessary..." his voice cracked, struggling. "F-for his s-safety...and f...for you..." She glared down at him, then grabbed his chin again as she forced him to look up at her--but blinked when she realized he was keeping his eyes shut tight. It'd be a struggle if she even wanted to try Charming him.

...Did she want to spend that energy?

Not really...

[wu-wakfu-undertale]

Re-watching wakfu for the first time in years and s1 Yugo was so silly???

dude discovered he could make portals at will and his first thought after actually acknowledging it is "i can do so many cool pranks with this"

[interestingturnofthetables]

It’s still completely absurd that Ford just happened to have a backup pair of glasses on his person when he fell through the portal.

I know it was obviously only included in the Journal to get around the whole dramatic glasses foreshadowing in the series and the portal scene in ATOTS, and for that reason alone it’s actually pretty funny and one of my favourite ‘random Ford character details’

But as a glasses wearer myself, who the fuck carry’s a spare pair of IDENTICAL glasses on their person at all times!??!? Is this something he’s always done? Since he was a kid maybe*? Possible something he picked up in his 20’s he never dropped? But even then, why??? When you’re going out somewhere and there’s even a small possibility you could break/lose your glasses I guess it comes in handy, but how often could that realistically happen to warrant always carrying them on you? Even in your own house!

That brings me to the actual situation of he’s literally been in his own house barely leaving it (on his own) for probably months by the time of the portal incident! There’s no reason for him to carry a spare pair of glasses around his own house! Of course there’s the possibility that he started carrying a spare pair with him some time after the Bill situation; maybe he thought that if he were to wake up somewhere dangerous without his glasses, he’d have easy access to his extra pair. But if that’s the case, he’s definitely forgetting the fact that if Bill’s plan was to break his glasses to leave him stranded somewhere without being able to see clearly, he would also know about the spare pair and break those just as well! So technically speaking that would be a worse idea than to simply keep them somewhere specific in his house! Given that he had that spare pair on him during the portal incident, that entire line of thinking didn’t cross either bill or Ford’s mind (which is the most nonsensical plot hole in an attempt to patch up a prior plot hole I’ve ever seen)

Only solid explanation here is that Ford’s just always been overly cautious for a good portion of his life. And since he never thought to take his spare glasses out of his pockets, he either never got paranoid enough about Bill’s ability to fuck him over, or knew he wouldn’t stoop to that amongst the other horrors (which, raises a whole bunch of other questions outside the scope of this rant.)

Either way, I guess his paranoia paid off. If he hadn’t been carrying that extra pair that day he’d probably be dead. So good for him I guess! Maybe I should start carrying an extra pair of glasses on my person too…

[happyk44]

Chewing on my thoughts like a feral dog because I'm running on like three hours of sleep and the brain be tornadoing, but like!!! Lewin and Renzou being opposite sides of the same coin or whatever. So similar in their inability to relate to other people, and yet Lewin being incapable of disliking himself over it because, despite everything Osceola taught him and knowing there's something wrong and different about him, he is unbothered by it. He accepts his deficits for what they are, violence and all. He knows he's off compared to everyone else, but that's just how it is. It's not a big deal. He makes due.

And then there's Renzou who grew up loved and isn't violent, doesn't really have those urges or curiosities, but he knows something's wrong with him, something that separates him from everyone else around him and it makes him hate himself and he gets mad about that too because it's not like he's hurting anyone so why is he so mad about it? Why does he care so much? Why does he want to fit in with his family? They fucking suck! But they love and care about each other and he doesn't and it drives him up the wall because their lives are the same, so why is he the only one who's broken?

[goblin-enjoyer]

*draws something for the first time in a while. “Man I suck at drawing! Maybe go back to being good at it if I draw more!”

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

*doesn’t draw

“Oh I got a neat idea for a drawing! Surely I have gotten better by now!” Loop post

[echojedis]

How do people do OCs, I can never get them to click properly

[todayisafridaynight]

lit cannot stress how much fuckability masato lost after becoming aoki like emo death is real and its so so tragic

[bratzboykai]

Like you absolutely grow up way too fast when you have a sibling with disabilities because you either start thinking or are influenced to feel that you have to be a parent or a grown up to help your sibling when truly your job is to be a sibling with some awareness that your sibling requires different kinds of care. And that can either end up making you direct resentment to the wrong person (aka your sibling and not your parents for neglecting your needs as another child in the home) or feeling like you have to handle responsibility at the same level as your parents that they should be shouldering and not you, even to the point where like all the desires you may have, you may even believe you have to set them aside to be of help.

And it sucks cause growing up you feel like you cant talk about any negative emotion about these circumstances or your environment, especially feelings of neglect or isolation, without looking like a bad person, feeling guilty about having these feelings in comparison to what your siblings is going through, like you're being selfish or a brat, and often as a result you end repressing it and putting it in your head that you have to ALWAYS be good so you're not adding more burden to the situation at home.

And its wild cause like parents need to instead foster siblinghood amongst their kids, not making them fit into adult roles or worse, doing the opposite of this and leaving them in the dark when it comes to what their siblings are going through and ultimately making them feel like an outlier. This would be far more helpful in the future for all siblings involved given that a majority of people with disabilities that have siblings, end up with their siblings being the people who are most constant in their lives, even more so than parents because we unfortunately are more likely to outlive our parents. When we have the opportunity to have space and desires for ourselves with support from family, to have fostered lives like anyone else where we have the ability and assured space for ourselves then family, I think making the switch to being our siblings main source of support and care wouldn't feel like an extension of that environment of, dare I say, enmeshment? that can happen. And not to mention I highly fucking doubt siblings with disabilities appreciate that their siblings act like parent figures all the time when all they went is a brother or sister, someone who treats them like a person with their own autonomy that their parents can sometimes unfortunately fail at.

It crazy cause like I think now that me and my sister are adults we understand that WAY more than our mom does LMAO I sometimes try to do things for her from years of habit and conditioning to always be looking after her and she'll be like "Stop. You're not my mom and I can do it" or "Hey I need space, go away and draw or something " and I'm like damn ur right ok! LMAO started realizing I could be far more of help to my sister as her sister than as her psuedo dad and it absolutely is true. Because now that's shes dealing with trauma, my sister doesn't trust anyone else in my house with her feelings or what she needs, let alone her words except me now that I've slowly started to change our dynamic. Everyone has to basically communicate with her through me now that's she gone non verbal with most people.

[steampoweredlovemachine]

let's give it up for f/os that you will probably never be able to define your relationship with but are an ultimate source of comfort anyways