#I think more people should be able to if they want to of course

[essycogany]

Sonic And Amy Are A Unique Couple

This is a quick Sonamy rant /ramble session. With a few added clarifications too. Enjoy!

This couple is more unique than you’d think. It’s cool if anyone disagrees. I'm all for a polite debate and respect your opinion. But if you're willing to hear me out, I'll be willing to explain myself as clearly as possible. Great? Awesome! Let’s get started!

Amy doesn't want to change Sonic. I will scream this until I'm not able to speak any more that Amy loves Sonic for who he is. She always has but it wasn't until IDW that she expressed it out loud. Still one of my favorite moments between them.

Does that make their relationship unique? Not really. What makes their relationship unique is what Amy loves about Sonic is kind of the reason they're not a couple yet. Sonic is an ongoing force that can’t be stopped or changed. Of course, he’ll allow someone to join him on a race, but he still keeps going. Not to say Sonic won’t stop to smell the roses (pun not intended) but he’ll do it on his own time. Amy always likes to take advantage of those moments and best of all, Sonic doesn’t mind. Even during their old chases, he’d slow down for her. Says a lot about the connection they have but there’s more

Their chemistry is…something for lack of a better term. Their back and forth is so interesting to me. Sonic does like Amy back. Notable examples here but to put it shortly, Sonic doesn’t know what he’s doing when it comes to romance. Sometimes he’s not into it and other times he’s chill. Sometimes Amy is ecstatic and other times she's bashful. I'm looking at you Sonic X.

Every time Amy’s occupied, is when Sonic wants her the most. Amy on the other hand wants Sonic to enjoy his freedom. Neither of them stops to think about how maybe they can have it both ways.

I'll also mention romance isn’t about “being tied down.” That paints romance as if it’s some kind of chain being rapt around your neck or being forced to be with the person. That is not romance. It’s keeping someone hostage. Something Amy would not do. Every time she’d joke around about marrying him Sonic didn’t take it seriously. Heroes included.

Sonic’s line in Heros: “Amy, knock it off. There's no time to play!” Dude knows Amy was messing with him. She was written to be girly, childish, adventurous, and cartoony. No, it wasn’t always executed well. Hello, Sonic Freeriders Amy! But I think this scene summons it up the best.

Important thing to mention as well is Sonic is an outspoken and honest character who rarely lies. It’s either you get the truth or you get nothing. He’s not the type to spare people’s feelings either, so if he had a problem with Amy in the past, he’d tell her directly. I do think she'd also stop if he genuinely told her to. The last thing Amy would want is to tarnish their friendship because of her actions. This loyal girl is so sweet.

Not to mention this is a popular trope in Japan too. The trope was what their relationship was based on.

Back to my original point Sonic and Amy aren’t a traditional couple. That’s a good thing. If they became canon their relationship wouldn’t change if they got together, but also they don’t need labels either. Romance isn’t or shouldn’t be a burden on you. That’s not how love works and that’s not what Sonic believes Amy to be. If that’s the case he wouldn’t be friends with her. Whether you ship Sonic with Amy, someone else, or no one, there should be no doubt Sonic values her friendship.

I’ll also add that Amy is just as up for an adventure as Sonic is. It’s why she loves him so much. They’re a power couple and love going out to travel, so there’s no staying in one place for these two.

In Sonic Adventure 2 you can tell Amy’s intuition when it comes to Sonic. Close to the end, she saw him looking a bit down and noticed his mood shifting a bit. “What’s the matter, Sonic?” “Oh, it’s nothing.” She knows him so well. I don't know what connection they run on but it’s inspiring.

These two don’t have a typical girl/boy relationship. I know some people say, “Well, why can't Sonic and Amy stay friends? Not every male and female relationship needs to be romantic.” You're 100% correct. Here are some examples.

The difference between other relationships is that Amy was created to be a Minnie to Sonic’s Mickey. Which is why these two are treated differently compared to others. Including in merch. There are more examples but I digress. The point is this specific pair is always going to have nuance even if they’re only friends. It doesn’t stop until Amy doesn’t love Sonic and even if it shouldn’t define her, it should still be a part of her. She might work without romance, but we already have other amazing female characters for that.

No one’s obligated to ship them because of this of course. Again, your opinion is still valid, and I will always stick to that point.

Last but not least is their friendship (or situationship) as a whole.

The funny thing is their friendship is what makes their romance the most compelling. The appeal to Sonic and Amy’s dynamic is how much platonic energy they have. Romance doesn’t always mean you need to be lovey-dovey. With Sonamy it’s their powerful friendship that makes the (somewhat not platonic) interactions memorable. You don’t have to choose romantic or platonic. It can be both. I wouldn't be a Sonamy fan if I didn't think their relationship was plain. I'm here because of how different they are.

And I love them to bits. Look at this panel and tell me it isn't running with situationship fuel.

Another fun detail is in recent years despite knowing Amy still loves him, Sonic hugs her back. Even the moments in Sonic X he carries her are moments he offers to. Even when it wasn't necessary.

Can’t forget about the recent asking Amy out to a dinner panel in IDW. He's never done that before. There's a familiarity between the two of them however you look at it. I LOVE them for it.

His moments of genuinely being excited to see her are not due to some development but because Sonic’s passion for Amy has noticeably increased. Why am I bringing these up? It’s because one thing that hasn’t been talked about when it comes to romance is actions. Sure, Sonic doesn't fully confess his feelings to her outwardly. But why do you have to be obvious and in people’s face when it comes to loving someone? In Japan, love is mostly shown through what you do more than what you say. That stuff can happen there but it doesn't always have to. The “Sharing an Umbrella, Amy,” line in Frontiers carries a lot more weight when you think about the implications.

Please read this post by @egalitarian-tomboy if you're interested in the implications of Sonamy in Frontiers.

The up-to-interpretation view of whatever they have together is the main reason I and so many people ship them. It’s not the fact that they are close, but the progression of their closeness. To make a long story short, the appeal of Sonamy is the fact that they don’t have to be traditionally romantic to be an interesting couple. Amy represents expressive love and Sonic represents emotional love.

Stay creative! 💜

[shizuturnspages]

Come to think of it, The child reader khaenri'ah has abyss powers, And I doubt very much that kaeya and Albedo will be able to contain the reader due to its abysmal power, since without memory it can double space, seriously corrupt people and brainwash. I think, he asked me how the Yandere would deal with the little reader. Since the reader will want to leave or escape at any time regardless of her own age :0

The Abyss That Calls

Synopsis: The Abyss calls to you. But so do they. And no matter how many times you try to leave— They will always bring you back. Pairings: [Separate] Yandere Dainsleif, Pierro, Kaeya, Albedo, & Capitano x Abyssal Khaenri’ahn Child Reader

Dainsleif

Dainsleif should have known.

From the moment he saw you, from the moment he recognized the Abyss lingering beneath your skin, he should have realized—

You were never meant to walk beside him.

And yet, he cannot let go.

"You are playing with forces you do not understand," he warns, gripping your wrist.

You glare at him, the space around you twisting, flickering in and out of existence.

"You should know better than anyone," you snap, "that I have no choice."

Dainsleif’s grip tightens, his expression unreadable.

"You do have a choice," he insists. "You are more than what the Abyss made you."

Your golden eyes glow—brighter than his own.

"Are you?"

For the first time, Dainsleif hesitates.

And in that moment, you vanish.

He curses under his breath, but he does not panic.

Because no matter where you run—

He will always find you.

Pierro

Pierro does not act immediately.

No, he plans.

You are a valuable piece—a living fragment of Khaenri’ah, a child with the power to warp reality itself.

You are far too precious to let slip away.

"You are restless," Pierro observes, watching as you pace within your gilded cage.

Your gaze flickers toward him, wary.

"You are keeping me here against my will."

Pierro smiles, but there is no warmth in it.

"You misunderstand," he says smoothly. "I am protecting you."

You scoff, but before you can retort, Pierro steps closer—

And suddenly, your mind blurs.

A pulse of foreign magic invades your thoughts, subtle but insidious, like a hand gently guiding you toward obedience.

"You belong here," Pierro murmurs, his voice like silk. "You know that, don’t you?"

Your breath catches.

For a brief moment—just a fleeting second—

You almost believe him.

Kaeya

Kaeya is not stupid.

He knows he cannot contain you.

Not through force, not through power—

But through trust.

"You want to leave?" Kaeya hums, tilting his head. "Then go ahead."

You narrow your eyes, suspicious.

"You’re letting me leave?"

Kaeya grins. "Of course. I wouldn’t dream of keeping you somewhere you don’t want to be."

You hesitate.

You should take this opportunity—

But something feels wrong.

Kaeya sighs dramatically, kneeling before you, voice dropping to a whisper.

"But I do wonder…" His fingers gently brush against your wrist. "What happens when the Abyss no longer wants you?"

Your pulse stutters.

"What?"

Kaeya smiles, but his eyes are cold.

"What if you go back and find that the Abyss has moved on?"

His grip tightens just slightly, his words like venom.

"What if you are truly alone?"

Your throat goes dry.

And in that moment of hesitation, Kaeya leans closer—

And anchors you to him.

Albedo

Albedo does not stop you.

Not at first.

He watches, studies, observes as you warp reality, as you bend space itself to your will.

It is fascinating.

It is terrifying.

And it is unacceptable.

"Do you understand what you are doing?" Albedo finally asks, voice eerily calm.

You scowl, stepping further away. "I am going home."

Albedo hums, nodding as if he accepts this—

And then, in an instant, he moves.

The space around you shifts, symbols forming in the air, an intricate alchemical formula closing in around you.

You snarl, trying to warp away—

But your body does not respond.

Your vision blurs. Your power dims.

Albedo watches you struggle, expression unreadable.

"You are remarkable," he murmurs, gently brushing a strand of hair from your face.

You try to flinch away, but your body refuses to listen.

"This is merely an experiment," Albedo assures you. "To see how far you can go before I must intervene."

Your breath hitches.

"You can’t do this," you whisper.

Albedo tilts his head.

"But I already have."

Capitano

Capitano does not play games.

He does not use words, does not rely on manipulation.

He acts.

"You will stay," he states simply, voice like thunder.

You glare at him. "You cannot control me."

Capitano steps forward, unfazed.

"No," he agrees. "But I can contain you."

The Abyss flares around you, but Capitano does not flinch.

Instead, he lunges.

You barely have time to react before his hand clamps down on your wrist, his grip like iron, crushing and unbreakable.

Your magic flickers.

Your breath catches.

"You are still young," Capitano says, his voice unnervingly gentle. "You do not yet understand your place."

His other hand rises, cupping the side of your face, his touch firm but careful.

"You will learn."

You snarl, thrashing against him, but he does not budge.

And when his grip tightens—

You realize that no matter how far you run—

You will never escape him.

[creature-wizard]

I keep thinking about the post talking about how scammers will try and tell you how they're going to prove they're the real thing, where the "proof" they will offer you is actually meaningless because it doesn't actually mean what they claim this means, and how this is essentially the way witch hunters operate.

Your early modern witch hunters would always be able to "find" witches because they had easily-filled criteria for what constituted evidence of witchcraft - things like bad weather, strange symptoms and seemingly incurable ailments, night terrors, etc.

Of course, they had no evidence that there was a causal link between any of these things and witchcraft. They just said it was evidence of witchcraft, and a lot of people just assumed they knew what they were talking about.

And so it is with claims that hypnosis and various trance states can help people remember past lives and repressed memories. People with actual doctorates claim that hypnosis can help you uncover repressed memory, even though its ability to do this has never been demonstrated. In fact, the more you start looking into cases where hypnosis was used to help people remember something, the more you find that people can "remember" nearly anything - including, very famously, alien abductions.

In Ritual Abuse and Mind Control: The Manipulation of Attachment Needs (essentially pro-Satanic Panic literature, for those who haven't read it), Valerie Sinason acknowledged the people who seemingly remembered alien abductions, then proceeded to try special pleading for people who "remembered" satanic ritual abuse. Sinason's defense was that SRA was more plausible than alien abductions, therefore we should believe it's actually happening.

Of course, "more plausible" does not equal "actually happening." Just because it's more plausible that I have the skeleton of Elvis Presley in my basement than an alien skeleton, doesn't mean I have the skeleton of Elvis Presley in my basement. And when your methodology for obtaining your so-called evidence is this deeply flawed, you might as well just say "it's true because I want it to be true" and then try to locate all the cultists in your town with dowsing rods.

Indeed, when other people start setting higher standards for evidence, SRA proponents' ability to find witches (or cult programmers, as we're calling them today) vanish. All they can do is try to guilt trip people for allegedly betraying survivors and claim that the critics are part of a malicious conspiracy.

I've both studied and personally been involved in controlling and manipulative groups long enough to recognize this song and dance for what it is - it's fundamentally an assertion that you're betraying the good guys and letting the bad guys win. It's always an act of desperation.

Many Christians pull this when someone tries to leave the faith. It often goes like this: Jesus loves you so much, how could you deny him like this? Also everyone who refuses to become Christian has been deceived by the Devil, and some of them are even working for him on purpose!

Many neopagans do it whenever someone questions or disagrees with whatever dogma their personal group has. It often goes like this: You're betraying the gods (whom you owe your loyalty because they're the gods), and you're letting our Christian oppressors win.

Many peddlers of woo and conspiracy theories do it like this: You're being closed minded (and therefore you're being rude to nice open-minded people like them). You're also just brainwashed by the people who don't want the truth getting out, and you're basically doing their bidding.

Anyway, since I think most of us here can agree that the witch hunts were unjustified and that thousands of innocent people lost their lives, I want you to picture someone saying:

"When you say the Devil's Sabbath wasn't real and the witch hunts targeted innocent women, you're invalidating and erasing the pain of everyone who suffered from the torments of witches. I agree that some innocent people were burned, but there were absolutely real witches working with the Devil to cast evil spells."

As you can see, this rhetoric can be used to defend and justify any bullshit-driven atrocity. Let's try this with another conspiracy theory I think most of us can agree is bullshit - reptilian aliens:

"When you say the Reptilians aren't real and they're based on antisemitic tropes, you're invalidating and erasing the pain of everyone who suffered at their hands. I agree that some innocent people have been accused of being Reptilians, but there are absolutely real Reptilians out there torturing people and killing them to drink their blood."

So in conclusion, we must always think critically about what people present as evidence, and not let them guilt trip us into lowering our standards. Remember:

Efficacy of the evidence-gathering methods must be demonstrated. The methods must be shown to be reliable, unlikely to produce false results.

Causal links must be established. Assertions that X causes Y must be backed up with empirical evidence.

Other explanations must be ruled out. Do not assume the most sensational explanation without ruling out more common ones. As the saying in medicine goes, if you see hoofprints, think horses, not zebras. Do not consider zebras until horses (and any other common equines) can be ruled out.

[yimpysdiner]

Ridiculously long analysis of Jimmy's dialogue (PART 2)

PART 1 HERE Continuing with the next section,

Mimicking?

The whole ordeal of Jimmy copying Curly's "yeah?" in speech has already been pointed out, but there's something else I wanted to look into. This section is gonna be relatively short but this interaction still sticks with me. It's fairly easy to miss as you can brush it off but given Jimmy often repeats words or phrases from those around him I find it interesting.

This interaction was so awkward that it has me thinking about it over and over so honestly this may be one big nothing burger and more so headcanon territory but hear me out.

Jimmy gets quiet here as either 1, he expects them all to die on that ship as he said before crashing it or 2, he's terrified of any sort of attention their whole ordeal may get if they survive. The awkward silence is only filled by him commenting on ladies. Daisuke is no stranger to talking about "beach babes" and as Swansea puts it, "thinking with his downstairs long-nose." Honestly, Jimmy is a scumbag and gross around women, but I don't think this is the sort of situation where he cares to be impressing any ladies. This reads to me as him trying to "fit in" with Daisuke in a way. The way he often mimics people and says things they'd relate to defuse situations and get on their good sides feels like a form of masking. I'm no professional, no idea what in specific this would be, but Jimmy strikes me as the kind of guy who finds it really difficult to positively navigate a lot of social situations, especially if he feels uneasy like he was here. This parts super rambly sorry, this is just something interesting about him to me, how he'll latch on to other people's personality traits and mirror them.

Lashing out

We all already know Jimmy's not a very stable guy, very small things irritate him, he has levels to his anger however.

His base line irritation is just little remarks like this, things that you would scratch your head at but they're small so you can't quite bring them up. It's not completely aggressive, but it's definitely not very friendly either

I won't shove all the same screenshots of him lashing out during the birthday party here, but there he only lashes out in front of everyone else when he's able to make it seem like he's in the right. He insults everyone to their faces, but he's able to pin all the blame on Curly, letting out his anger while also in some sort of way getting people on his "side." Here he's *already* sewing seeds of doubt about Curly into the other's mind, so his little plan to blame Curly for the crash later on only works out all the more in his favor.

Then there's moments like when he's giving Curly his pills. He isn't exactly yelling, more so going on with his angry, paranoid rambles. This of course is followed by the implication he beats Curly while feeding him his painkillers, physically taking out his anger on someone who can't fight back. Side note, the only times he ever gets physical is when they're in a position of being unable to fight back (drugging Swansea, the implied drugging of Anya, and of course when Curly is left defenseless.)

I believe this is the first instance of Jimmy actually full on yelling while having one of his tantrums, which is why I say his anger is written in levels. It's not all one flat base of him cussing like a sailor and screaming his head off, remembering this and *what* exactly makes him tick helps me when deciding how I should write him reacting to certain situations. There's other instances where he's clearly panicked and flustered, stuttering and rambling because of high stress situations such as when Daisuke is on the brink of death and it's all his fault, which we'll get to later.

Hopelessness

Something I noticed when going back through everything is Jimmy seems completely and utterly hopeless about everything in his life. It starts out in the cockpit scene, one of the very few times he's genuinely vulnerable.

This line initially just seems like Jimmy is some power tripping guy who likes being the right hand man to the Captain, which is entirely possible (and true, given how quick he is to assume the Captains role himself), but it leads me to suspect something else as well.

These are out of order, but I think like this is better demonstrates Jimmy has never really felt the sense of control over his life like he has until he got this gig with Curly. He feels comfortable like this, which is why Curly wanting to "throw it all away" in his eyes baffles him. I really wish the devs gave some insight to what Jimmy's life on Earth was, why *he* ran from it all to assume a position where he felt he was finally in the drivers seat.

When Jimmy is faced with the reality of what he's done, his first worry is when he gets back home, he'll be caged in the same position he was, back at square one with no control over his life, rotting in a prison. Even if he did get out, as he said, none of it will matter, not with an assault on his permanent record. Maybe he held onto hope that he and Curly would find something new to do, but because he made the choice to force himself on Anya, that'll never happen. His knee jerk reaction to that? Kill himself. Kill himself and take everyone down with him, because if he's not in control, he may as well be dead. "The Tulpar crew was never found."

Remorse

Jimmy isn't entirely uncaring for what he's done. He suffers delusions for each and every one of the people he fucked over, all except Anya. Instead, he sees visions of the child he created, the ever looming reminder of what he did, no matter how hard he tried to block out Anya from his mind, it will always, always haunt him. Him crying to Curly and pleading forgiveness from someone who can't properly give it to him anymore is already a sort of in your face scene, that and the scenes with the horse delusions.

I want to talk about Daisuke and Swansea actually, as he had a much more direct role in their ends. In his mind he can say, oh, Curly ran in and did that to himself, oh, Anya swallowed those pills and did that to herself. It's Daisuke and Swansea who show up more broadly as themselves in his delusions as he was the sole reason for their passing. As Daisuke is dying, he is incredibly distressed the entire time.

Daisuke being so prominent in his mind has always struck me as interesting, seeing him in the vent, a grave, in the graveyard, all the flowers, the real genuine panic when trying to fix what he did. He never wanted him to die, he obviously feels immense guilt in making him crawl through that vent.

As for Swansea, Swansea can read him like a book, and he lets Jimmy know exactly what he thinks of him before he's shot and killed. He appears in the graveyard with Jimmy, also leaving a lasting impact on Jimmy's psyche.

To say Jimmy feels nothing over what he's done, or that he wouldn't care about people dying or anything like that is wrong on so many levels when the entire last half of the game focuses on him having to literally fight his own demons. It all culminates into him saying he fixed everything, deluding himself into being a hero as some sort of final comfort to his broken mind before he offs himself, "saving" Curly after dismembering him as if that makes up for all his wrongdoings. Jimmy is so layered and interesting and human, and that's what makes him a fantastically written character. It's what allows you to see yourself in him and reflect, see those insecurities he harbors, those toxic traits he exhibits, every little ugly part of him meant to be a mirror to your own actions. Denying him his humanity and making him an emotionless, aggressive, constantly angry person strips him of everything he's meant to be.

Sorry for the huuuuge yapsesh, but I thought going over these would be fun, it also helps me keep my characterization of him as accurate as I can possibly make it. If you have any thoughts let me know!!! I am very very invested in him and I love to hear what others think of him, even if I may agree or disagree.

[luna-eclipse2000]

Your first Valentine’s Day with AOT boys + Hanji

Ft. Eren, Armin, Jean, Marco, Connie, Levi, Hanji

Notes: Connie’s is suggestive so MDNI, no pronouns used for reader

Eren

- He’s never been a fan of Valentine’s Day

- He just never saw the point

- But that’s not to say he hated the idea of buying a future partner some flowers and chocolates

- In fact, he would find himself day dreaming about seeing his partner smiling as they gaze upon the gifts he bought them

- And since he and Jean both got into relationships before Valentine’s Day, he knew he had to go above in beyond

- Not just because you deserve it, but because he wanted to stick it to that horse-faced bastard

You’re out with your friends for brunch, a Valentines tradition you’ve had for years because none of you had boyfriends before. All of you are taken now but that doesn’t stop you three from meeting up. Just as your food comes, your phone rings with Eren’s tone. “Sorry, give me a second.” You apologize before pulling out your phone to read the text.

Bird boy: Come to my place when you’re done with your friends. I got something to show you ;)

You know your friends will tease and press you to get more information just to see you get flustered, so you put your phone away and pretend it was nothing. But of course you’re now eager to get over to Eren’s place to see what he has in store.

Most people who send winking emoji’s mean it only to imply something sexual, but he does it to hint at something exciting. A surprise. Not to say he doesn’t mean it in the traditional sense, too. You’re also expecting him to do something big because of his rivalry with Jean.

However you’re not prepared for what you see when you walk into his apartment. There’s petals scattering the floor, unlit candles hang from the ceiling, pink and red ribbon hang along the top of the walls, an overly large teddy bear sits against the wall where the balcony is, and Eren stands in the centre of it all wearing a red velvet suit with black lining. “Eren Jaeger, what did you do?” You question with a smile, hands placed on your hips.

“Giving you the best damn Valentine’s Day you’ve ever had.” He answers like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. He then walks up to you with a heart shaped box in his hand. “Chocolate?”

“I’ll never say no to Lindor.” You answer and take out one of the wrapped chocolates. “Do you like it?” Eren asks. “You certainly exceeded every expectation.” You tell him. “I was going to light the candles but Armin told me the flames would burn the fishing wire and start a fire.” Eren admits. “And while that is the perfect way to describe my love for you, I don’t think the building manager would get it. Or care.”

You laugh, resting your head on his shoulder for a brief moment before looking at him again. “You can be so cheesy, you know that?”

“As long as you’re happy, I don’t care how cheesy I get.” He says before pressing his lips to yours. “Now go pose with the bear. I need to brag to Jean.”

Armin

- This boy does his homework when it comes to holidays

- He finds out what you like and what you don’t so everything will be perfect

- He writes a step-by-step plan for before, during, and after your first Valentine’s with him

- But when you meet him at the restaurant

- He forgets the entire plan

- Not a shred of it remains in his head

- And he becomes the shy, flustered, awkward Armin we all know and adore

You fiddle with your clothes as you walk up to the restaurant Armin suggested for Valentine’s. He had to take his grandfather to an appointment so he profusely apologized for not being able to pick you up himself, but promised thar he’d make up for it. This restaurant is usually pretty booked up in advance, especially for holidays, however he said he knew the owner so he and his friends get tables pretty much whenever they want.

“Hi there.” The hostess greets as you walk up to the stand. “Name for the reservation?”

“Uh, it should be under Armin Arlert.” You tell her. “I don’t think he’s here yet.”

“No, it doesn’t look like anyone’s been seated at your table.” She says after tapping on the tablet in front of her. “I can take you back now if you’d like, or you can wait for him up here.”

“I’ll wait for him, thank you.” You say and then stand off to the side. You look around at the restaurant since this is your first time stepping foot inside. It’s certainly very fancy and the food must cost a fortune. “They probably offer rich shit like calamari and the Grey Stuff from Beauty and the Beast.” You think to yourself.

The tables all have ivory tablecloths with gold details around the edges. You can even see a wine room closer to where the kitchen is. Each table has a rose in a vase in the centre of the table. Your gaze then falls onto all the couples in the dining room. Everyone is dressed to the nines, wearing obviously designer clothing and expensive jewelry. This causes you to feel a bit insecure and wonder if you should’ve dressed up a bit more.

Your clothing isn’t designer, but it still cost a pretty penny. You’re sure that if you bought your clothes with any of these people’s cards, they wouldn’t even notice the charge.

The bell rings behind you, signalling that someone has come in. You turn around and see Armin walk in carrying a bouquet of red, pink and white roses, and a red gift bag clutched in his right hand. “Armin.” You address your new boyfriend.

He turns to face you with a confident smile on his face but then he goes slightly slack jawed, a deep red blush spreading across his cheeks and to the tips of his ears. “I- Um- You- Uh, wow.” He clears his throat and looks away.

“Hey, are you ok?” You ask, reaching out and touching his cheek. “Yeah, you just… You look stunning.” He says, still not looking at you.

“Aw, thank you.” You say sweetly. “I was starting to think I stood out like a sore thumb.”

His head whips forward with what seems to be a mixture of confusion and fear in his eyes. “No! Not at all! You’re easily the best-looking here.” He then remembers the gifts in his hands. “Oh! These are for you.”

You chuckle at his awkwardness and take the items from him. “You’re so cute. You didn’t have to get me anything, you know.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I make things weird?” He asks nervously. “No, absolutely not.” You assure him. A look of relief washes over his still-red features. “I’m just saying it’s sweet that you wanted to spend your money on me.”

“Of course. It’s my job to spoil you.” He says, tucking his hands into his pockets. You’re extremely grateful that he even got you flowers let alone something that won’t die in a few weeks, but you start feeling guilty about not getting him anything. You didn’t think you were at the gift-giving stage yet.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get anything for you.” You apologize. “I don’t need anything, sweetie.” Armin tells you. “All I want is for you to have fun.”

You smile at him, feeling better but you’re still not 100% satisfied. So you take a step forward and press a soft kiss to his mouth. “Does that suffice?”

He doesn’t answer because he’s focusing all his energy on not passing out right then and there. When he finally does speak, it’s more of an incoherent babble than a proper sentence. You let out another laugh at his shyness.

“Oh, I see your date is here.” The hostess says as she walks back to her stand. “If you two want to follow me, I’ll show you to your table.”

You gently put the flowers into the bag and take his hand in yours as you follow her to the back of the restaurant. Armin is about 99% sure he just died and went to heaven.

Jean

- We all know that Jean is a hopeless romantic

- So you can bet that he’s been planning Valentine’s Day for a while

- Even before he got into a relationship, he would dream about what he’d do, where he’d take his partner, and what gifts he’d buy

- 100% gets his mother flowers and something else she likes

- Remember that trend about getting a bouquet of 100 roses?

- Yeah, he sees that as a challenge

- So you best believe this man has bought you a bouquet of 200 roses (or your favourite flower)

- You can barely grip the base it’s so big

- (Get your minds out of the gutter, ya nasty)

It’s been a long day at work and you just can’t wait to get home and see Jean. You just got promoted so it’s been pretty hectic trying to get used to the new change, and it doesn’t help that your new boss hasn’t warmed up to you yet.

You trudge up the pathway to your house and quickly open up the door. “Jean! I’m home!” You call out, tiredness dripping from your voice. You didn’t realize when you walked up to your house that all the lights were out. You were far too busy thanking the universe that the day was done. But now as you kick off your shoes, you realize that you can barely see anything. “Jean?”

You look towards the living room and see some candles sitting on the adjacent dining room table. You arch your brow in curiosity as you walk towards the candles. “Jean?” You call out again. The table has a red runner going down the middle with the fine china plates from your wedding sitting at each end.

You two only bring those plates out for special occasions because they’ve been passed down as wedding gifts in his family since his Great Grandmother’s wedding. Soft music starts to play, the kind that’s in those romantic movies when the male leads sees the female lead in a pretty dress for the first time. You see Jean walk out from the kitchen holding the largest bouquet of flowers you’ve ever seen. He literally needs two hands to hold it.

“Hello, my love.” He says, needing to peer around the flowers to see you properly. It also doesn’t help that the bouquet is wrapped in red paper with white lace as an accent.

You laugh at the comically large flowers. “Jean, what on earth is going on?”

“Oh, I saw a trend of people getting 100 roses for Valentine’s Day and knew that you deserved better than that.” Jean answers and then hands you the bouquet. “I can’t even seen you!” You say through your laughter. “But it’s very sweet of you. Thank you, Jean.”

“You’re very welcome.” Jean says. You take a moment to smell the flowers before lying them down in the centre of the table. “Now sit down. Dinner’s almost ready.”

“What is all this?” You ask, gesturing to the table. “Did you do something and need to apologize before I find out?”

“What? Of course not! Well, not this time at least.” He says. “You’ve been working so hard these past few weeks. You needed something to make you smile and I figured that Valentine’s was the perfect time. Besides, this is our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, of course I had to go all out.”

Your smile drops. “Ah, shit. Is that today?” He nods his head. “Ok, give me one second!” You turn and run towards the stairs.

“Hey, where’re you going?” He calls after you. “I’ll be right back! Give me thirty seconds!” You say while running up the stairs as fast as you can without tripping. You rush into the guest bedroom and open up the second drawer of the bedside table. You then move some old cards out of the way and grab the leather box you hid in here last month.

“That was longer than thirty seconds.” Jean jokes as you walk back into the dining room. “Well, excuse me, Mr. Time-Keeper.” You respond before holding out the box. “Here. I didn’t totally forget.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything, love.” Jean says softly as he takes the box from you. “You give me gifts every time you see something you think I’d like. Of course I had to get you something.” You say.

He opens up the box and gasps softly as he sees an antique watch. You two passed by a little shop while walking to your friend’s house and he couldn’t help but gawk at it. So you went back the next day and immediately bought it for him, not even looking at the price tag. He looks up at you with adoration in his eyes. “Thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome.” You respond. He places the watch down on the table before pulling you into him, placing a kiss on your lips. You instinctively wrap your arms around his neck to pull him even closer as the kiss deepens. He moves his hands to your waist and squeezes softly, showing you how much he’s enjoying this moment.

But the next second, the timer goes off on the oven, forcing you two to separate. “Guess we’ll have to finish that later.” Jean says with a smirk on his face.

Marco

- We all know this guy is a sweetheart

- He doesn’t plan anything extravagant, but it’s still amazing

- Adorable would probably be the best word to describe what he does

- He doesn’t do anything cheesy so don’t expect a stuffed animal holding a heart that says “I love you bear-y much”

- Unless you specifically say you want one

- But if you like plushies, you’re definitely getting one

- His gifts are simple: A small bouquet of flowers, maybe some chocolates or candy if you like them, and something else if he feels you’ll really like it

You sit in your dorm room, anxiously waiting for Marco to pop by after work for a movie night. You bought one of those projectors that connects to your computer so you don’t have to crowd around the small screen. Not that you’re not planning on squishing as close to this angel of a human as much as you physically can.

You already have the snacks set up: some cookies, gummy worms, those heart shaped candies and a bucket of popcorn with pink, brown and red chocolates. The second you hear his signature knock, you’re bolting to the door and throwing it open.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, darling.” He greets you as he holds a single rose in front of him. “Aw, thank you.” You say as you take the flower. “Come on in, everything’s set up. We just need to pick a movie.”

You lead him inside your room and take a seat on your bed. You made sure that your roommate wouldn’t be home for a while so you’re using their bunk as the screen for your movie. You’ve trapped one end of a white sheet underneath their bed so you have a flat surface to project the film onto.

“I also have this for you.” Marco says as he holds out a gift bag. It’s a simple Valentine’s-themed bag with a bunch of red and pink hearts on it. “You’re too sweet.” You coo as you take the bag from him. You remove the tissue paper and light up as you see a little dinosaur plush sitting on top of a brown book. You take that out first, placing it on your lap, before grabbing the book.

“What’s this?” You ask curiously, rubbing your hand over the faux-leather surface. “Open it!” He urges. You can see the excitement in his face so you open the book up and gasp as you see what’s inside.

It’s a photo album of moments you two have shared before you were together, and moments from dates. As you flip a few pages, you see candid shots of yourself that you don’t remember him taking. “When did you take these?”

“Whenever I had a chance.” He answers honestly. “I hope you don’t mind. You just looked so great that I needed to take a picture of you.”

“Of course I don’t mind. This is the sweetest gift anyone has ever got me.” You say. He smiles wide and leans down to capture your lips with his. “Now what movie do you want to watch?” He asks.

“Titanic.” You answer simply. “Ah, a classic. Excellent choice.” He says as he sits beside you.

Connie

- The only vibes during this day are comedic

- If you’re expecting this man to be super sappy and give you heart eyes, you’re dead wrong

- He gives you valentines

- Like the kind with cheesy puns that kids give their friends in elementary school

- But also expect his own homemade valentines

- And those make you just about piss yourself with laughter

You get home from work and prepare to get ready for your date with Connie tonight. But before you can take off your shoes, you see a small piece of paper with a picture of Spongebob on it and a heart-shaped lollipop taped to it. You bend down and grab the paper and read what it says.

Be my Valentine!

You laugh, wondering why it was on the ground. Then you see another a few inches away. This one has a piece of bread on it with another lollipop taped to the side. It says: Be the peanut butter to my jelly.

You laugh again and then realize that there’s a trail of little Valentines leading down the hall to the bedroom. Of course you follow without question. One says: You make my tail wag, while another says: You make my heart go doki-doki. Then you pick up one that nearly makes you fall to your knees from laughing so hard.

It’s a photo of Connie from when he ate a ghost pepper. It was a dare from Jean that he wouldn’t eat one whole. So he immediately ate the pepper and instantly regretted it. He’s chugging milk, it dribbles down his chin, and his eyes are red. Tears stream down his cheeks and under his nose is wet from it running. Printed beside the photo in Comic Sans are the words: You’re hotter than the pepper was (Trust me. It was spicy)

You find quite a few more Connie-made cards until you reach your bedroom door. It’s closed over until there’s just a crack so you push it open and just about piss your pants laughing at what you see.

On your bed is Connie, surrounded by rose petals and those stupid candy hearts with corny sayings. But that’s obviously not enough to make you laugh so hard your stomach hurts.

He clutches a rose in his mouth like a dancer and wears a pair of candy underwear. Yes, the kind thats a bra and pantie set. He’s lying on his side, propped up by his elbow and his other arm resting on his side. “Hola, mi amore.” He greets, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. You laugh even harder, needing to lean on the doorway to keep yourself up. He can’t even roll his Rs because of the flower in his mouth.

“When I gave you a key, I wasn’t expecting this.” You say once you catch your breath. “But goddamn. I haven’t laughed this much in years.”

“Glad to be of service.” Connie says as he removes the rose from his mouth. “Now paint me like one of your french girls.”

And you start laughing again.

Levi

- Hates Valentine’s Day

- He finds the red, pink and white decorations an eyesore

- He just doesn’t get the point of having a holiday dedicated to showing someone you love them

- If you love them, show them every day. Why do you need a holiday to do that?

- Knows that it’s just a marketing ploy made by companies to sell more products

- But when you two pass by a store with a Valentine’s display, he sees your eyes light up and knows he has to do something

You know that Levi’s waiting for you in your apartment, you told him to let himself in using the spare key. “Levi! I’m home!” You call out as you kick your shoes off. You can see his sitting neatly beside the front door, but you don’t bother to put yours beside his. “In here.” His voice answers from the kitchen.

You walk in and see some of your favourite flowers sitting in a vase with a red ribbon wrapped around the glass. You then see Levi putting some cookies on a plate. “Levi, what are you doing?” You ask, walking closer to him. “You hate Valentine’s Day.”

“Yeah, that’s why I didn’t buy any of that cheap shit from the store.” Levi agrees before turning to face you with the plate of cookies. You’re even more surprised to see that they’re sugar cookies. They don’t look perfect, but that doesn’t matter. “You better like these damn cookies. Had to watch five videos before someone explained how to cream butter in ways I understood. Seriously, would a fucking baker need to look these things up? People need to simplify shit more often.”

You can tell he’s rambling because he’s a bit flustered, although neither of you will say it. The tips of his ears are scarlet so that’s also a dead giveaway. “You didn’t have to do this.” You say, the gratitude evident in your tone. “Of course I did.” He argues, crossing his arms across his chest. “You seem to love this day and you do so much for me. It was obvious I had to do something.”

“You’ll never admit it, but you’re sweet.” You say before placing a kiss to his cheek. He grumbles, but you know it’s not because he’s pissed. He just can’t express positive emotions well. “Just know we’re not going out to a restaurant for dinner.” He tells you. “Those places hike up their prices because they know desperate couples will try anything to save their failing relationship.”

“You’re such a romantic, you know?” You say sarcastically. “So I’ve been told.” He responds. “Now go sit down. I made your favourite.”

Hanji

- We all know that modern Hanji is a science teacher

- So when your first Valentine’s together falls on a school day, you’re fairly disappointed knowing they do a lot of hands-on work that takes forever to clean up properly

- They feel horrible and send you a bunch of flowers to your workplace to make up for it

- But of course they have a plan for the actual day

- They’re nothing if not determined and stubborn

- If it’s a good Valentine’s you want, then a great Valentine’s you’ll get

You’re sitting at your desk, scowling at your coworkers as they talk about what their husbands and wives are doing for Valentine’s Day once they get off of work. You know Hanji doesn’t have a choice but to stay late after school finishes because they insist on not having their students sit at desks for an hour, reading over pointless worksheets none of them will remember the second the bell rings.

The janitor refuses to touch their classroom because it’s always a surprise as to what lesson Hanji Zoë jazzes up that day. You hear your phone bing from your bag so you pull it out to see a message from them.

Han Solo: Meet me in my classroom once you’re done work. I have something to show you!

You don’t know if you should be excited or terrified. But nevertheless, you’re intrigued and the day seems to go by slower from there. Once the clock strikes five, you pack up faster than you ever have before and practically run to your car. You know the code to get into the school since you’ve had to come drag them away from their desk more than once.

“Hanji?” You say as you enter the classroom. “Hello, my favourite person on the planet!” Hanji responds enthusiastically. “Come in, come in!”

“Why did you want me to meet you here?” You ask as you walk up to them. “And why is it so dark in here?”

“My last class helped me make something for you.” Hanji says, taking your hand in theirs after fumbling around for it. “Look at the desks.”

You face forward and then a second later, the desks light up. On each one sits a light board in the shape of a different letter to spell out “Happy Valentine’s”.

“Hanji… How did you do this?” You ask in amazement. “Well I figured they were learning how electricity works, so they could help make me this.” Hanji says. “They were more than happy once they got all their teasing out of the way.”

“But… Why’d you have to stay late if they weren’t using any chemicals?” You ask in confusion. “I love my students, babe. But they can be dumb as a stump sometimes.” Hanji explains. “Some of the currents were too strong while others were too weak. So I had to do some tinkering.”

“Thank you.” You say as you turn to them. Their face glows in the light from the desks so you can clearly see their adoring face. “You’re more than welcome.” They respond before kissing you.

[dyns33]

The new world

Happy late Valentine day to everyone !

Since it's love day, I had to write about a Pedro's character, of course, because I love Pedro with all my heart, and I picked one who really needs love : Joel Miller.

Before you scream, yes no Ellie in this story. I love Ellie. She's wonderful and the center of the show. But read and see.

Y/N wasn't stupid.

Maybe she was young when the end of the world came, but she had had time to learn a lot from her parents and teachers.

Of course, nothing would have prepared her for the spread of Cordyceps, or told her what to do when you found yourself alone in the world in such a brutal way.

Some could have said that FEDRA was doing a good job in Boston, allowing survivors to have a more or less normal existence, with the hope of starting a new family, sleeping in a bed, where they would die somehow peacefully, if hunger, despair or the soldiers didn't take them first.

Y/N really wasn't stupid. Even if she admitted that FEDRA had been useful at first, their violent and repressive methods could not continue. That was why she had joined the Fireflies.

A part of her, maybe the smartest, didn't think it was any use. The world was lost no matter what, humans would never be able to return to their previous way of life, there was no hope. But the survival instinct was stronger, pushing her to continue, looking for a reason to get up in the morning.

The fireflies or something else, as long as she felt a bit useful and she could stand.

What Marlene would call "the real purpose of her existence" happened during a patrol in the abandoned mall. Thinking the place was cleared of the infected, her friend Ben and she had not been as vigilant as they should have been.

When they had been bitten, Y/N had thought about taking her gun and shooting to go faster. But once again, the visceral desire to live prevented her from pulling the trigger. She was still forced to shoot Ben the next day, after he had transformed. Then she waited, again, several hours, and nothing.

She had hesitated to tell the Fireflies. Or FEDRA. But it was impossible to hide from them forever in the city, with the regular patrols and tests, and going out alone was suicide.

For Marlene, this was the most wonderful news since the arrival of the Cordyceps. A miracle. The possibility of creating a vaccine.

Y/N was not stupid. She knew how vaccines were made, before. She knew perfectly well what that meant, what Marlene was asking of her. For the moment, because after asking, it seemed obvious that she would not give her a choice anyway, ready to tie her up and take her to a base with the necessary equipment.

There was something touching about giving her this semblance of freedom. And thinking about it, Y/N had no reason to refuse. She had nothing, no one.

The plan was simple, repair a truck with a battery sold by a certain Bill, join the camp outside Boston, go west and then under the knife. Except that Bill's battery was dead. The idiot had still insisted on being paid, killing several Fireflies before falling. Greedy to the end, he had even sold the same battery to other people, who had joined the party to get their property back.

That was how Y/N met Tess and Joel.

Without giving them the real motivations for the mission, Marlene offered them a deal. If they took Y/N to the meeting point outside the city, they could have all the equipment they wanted.

This precaution did not last long, since barely outside, her secret was discovered. She could have died there, killed by the guard or by Joel, after he had beaten the poor man until he bled.

It was normal to be skeptical. Even if Joel Miller was obviously a skeptical, distrustful, solitary person all the time. He agreed to listen to her only because Tess insisted, almost immediately sharing the same hopes as the Fireflies.

In other circumstances, Y/N thought they could have been friends. But she shouldn't get attached, knowing what was going to happen to her. It was still hard when Tess was bitten. Her last words were for Joel, forgiving him for not being able to love her and making him promise to see their mission through to the end.

They found themselves just the two of them on the road.

And at first, Y/N thought it would be complicated, between the danger and the gruff attitude of her traveling companion, and at the same time it was a good thing, that she continued to have nothing important. Together, but all alone.

Except that after several months, long discussions, nights huddled together to warm up, to support each other, to protect each other, to open up to each other, she no longer felt alone.

"What do you plan to do after ?"

"After what ?" she asked, staring at Joel who was lighting a campfire. "When they've had their vaccin."

"Oh… You first."

"Hmm. I don't really know. I've never thought about it. But… A ranch, with sheep. Yes, I'd like it with a quiet place, away from everything, with my livestock."

"That sounds great. Why sheep ?"

She asked as many questions as she could until he fell asleep, forgetting that she hadn't answered him. Y/N stayed awake to stand guard and watch him. He almost looked peaceful, which was rare. She wanted to remember that.

The heavy feeling that accompanied her didn't improve when they arrived in Jackson. A haven of country in the middle of this nightmare, where they could have lived happily, next to Tommy and his little family. The brother had even offered them a house, convinced that something was happening between them.

"No, we… We're not together. Not like this." Y/N mumbled as she accepted the clothes Maria gave her, while Joel went to get new shoes.

"Really ? Hmm. What an idiot. My big brother is truly an idiot. I saw the way he looked at you, the way you looked at him, he really needs to stop moping and give life another chance."

Really, all this wasn't helping her at all.

As they were preparing the horse to leave for Salt Lake City, Y/N hesitated to talk to Joel. They probably both had communication problems.

"We could stay here… We don't have to go."

"I made a promise to Tess." he sighed. "You made a promise to Marlene. Don't worry, it'll be quick. We'll go, they'll take what they need and we'll come back here if that's what you want."

"… Okay."

Y/N wasn't stupid though. She knew that if she had dared to speak at that moment, they wouldn't have left. But he wasn't wrong, she had given her word. Maybe she had found a new reason to live since then, but she had to think of others.

When they arrived at the hospital, the fireflies on site knocked them out as a precaution, not knowing who they were. Waking up first, Y/N had the displeasure of finding Marlene.

It was humiliating to have to beg her to wait before taking her to the operating room, so she could say goodbye to Joel.

"He doesn't know ?" the leader of the Fireflies wondered.

"No. Just leave me, a few minutes with him. Just a few more minutes."

Joel's smile when he opened his eyes and saw her broke her heart even more. He tenderly took her hand and asked if she was okay, because he could see the tears she was trying to hold back.

He jumped slightly when she collapsed on top of him, her lips pressing against his. She had had childhood love affairs before, with some kisses that meant nothing. This was the first one that meant something.

"It's time." she whispered.

"Oh. Okay. I'll be right here."

"You'll think of me on your ranch, with your sheep."

"Sure." he answered after a puzzled silence. "I thought… I thought you'd be with me. Unless you don't want to. I mean, I'm… I'd understand."

"Joel… Joel, you have no idea how to make a vaccine, do you ?"

The little joy that was on his face gradually disappeared, as Joel began to understand what his mission meant, from the beginning. When you found a rat immune to a disease, you didn't take it nicely to take a few drops of blood and put it back in the wild. It took a lot of blood, a lot of tests, it had to be taken everything.

"… Think of me sometimes. Be happy." she repeated with a trembling voice, kissing him again before following the doctors, crying as she heard him screaming her name at the other end of the hallway, held back by Marlene.

When the drug entered her system, Y/N tried to think only of good things. Joel, with gray hair, living in a world without Cordyceps, surrounded by his sheep, his brother, his new nieces or nephews, new friends. Joel's smile. His serene look as he could sleep in his bed without the slightest fear.

She thought she was in heaven when she woke up in his arms, in Jackson's house. He hadn't aged a day, just like the last time she saw him.

"Joel. Oh, Joel. I'm glad you're here. Was it good ? Did the vaccine work ?"

"… No. Raiders attacked the hospital. I took you with me and ran. There's nothing left."

"… Really ?"

"Yes, baby. Don't worry, it's okay. It's not your fault. You stay here, I'll protect you. Okay ?"

Y/N wasn't stupid at all. She knew how to recognize a lie, especially after all that time on the road watching Joel at work against those who tried to attack them.

She guessed perfectly what had happened to Marlene and the fireflies. There must have been other people in the world who could make a vaccine. But it had been twenty years. Everything was already in ruins, there was no way to say that the research would yield any results.

A sheep ranch, with Joel, that was an absolute certainty. Their new world.

So she nodded, cuddling up against him, letting him rock her and place kisses on her neck.

[arwensarboretum]

I've been wanting to talk about this for awhile, but Ridley O'Bannon, specifically in the episode Impact (S2, Ep9) really BOTHERS me! 

Her decision to stay aboard the Global One is, in a word, selfish. I know she compares it to Thunderbird 5 in order to convince John, and she sees it as a home and it's important to her and I get that, but she created unnecessary risk that could have cost her life and John's. She could have ejected with the rest of her crew (which means it would have been acceptable even if the asteroid hit Global One as the Thunderbirds' focus is on human life), but she chose not to. Even if she'd been ordered to stay to protect the station or try to move it out of the way to save the financial investment it represented (and we have no evidence that she was), she was also making a personal decision, evidenced by her personal reasoning to convince John. SHE wanted to save Global One and she leveraged John to do it.

When she first brings it up, he refuses outright, because that's not what the Thunderbirds do. They save PEOPLE, not things. And she says the line that frustrates me: "I'm people. Save me." 

I can't see that as anything less than manipulation. She could be safe. This could be a non-issue, but she chooses to endanger herself to save her home and she chooses to endanger John by putting him in the path of the collision. Things get worse (of course) when Ridley needs to fire the station's jets and she and John have to travel the length of Global One while dodging debris, but all of this is unnecessary. Travelling through the vacuum of space, while debris rains down on them and any move could be fatal, all for a piece of equipment that was simply not necessary. His life and hers in peril for nothing. 

I understand Global One is important to Ridley, but her life and John's should have weighed more. I can't see her line as anything else than a manipulation of his values. She knew he wouldn't leave her because that's what HE does. He saves people. But this person didn't need to be saved, until she put herself in danger on purpose. And that just frustrates me a lot.

There's also the side note of Virgil and Alan, currently having issues with detonating the asteroid, and while it's not guaranteed (and they figured it out on their own), they might have benefitted from Thunderbird 5's sensor information. John could have been helpful to them and they might have been able to succeed more easily. I know the situation has to ramp up for the episode to maintain tension, but as an event that happened, Thunderbird 5 could have been better utilized supporting John's brothers rather than as a tow for a space station.

John watched the asteroid hurtle towards Earth with tiny Thunderbird 3 clinging to it and I can't help but imagine how John would have reacted if Thunderbird 3 didn't make it and he a) had to watch it from Global One and b) felt he could have done something to help from Thunderbird 5. Maybe EOS could have monitored any needed data and gotten it to 3 in time, but I still think about it.

Ridley manipulated John's core values for selfish gain in that episode, and that just really BOTHERS me.

I don't even dislike her otherwise, but that one action really negatively affects how I see her.

Note: this is not to reflect negatively on @gdf-ridley-obannon, @starman-john-tracy or @starmantracy. They're all great. Check 'em out.

[moonlit-imagines]

Headcanons for being Selina Kyle’s younger sibling

Selina Kyle x sibling!reader

warnings:

a/n: anon ur a star thank u for bearing with me <3 it’s kind of short!!!!

prompt: anonymous: “Can I please ask for some headcannons for what it would be like being Selina Kyle’s (Patterson) younger sibling?”

selina was severely protective of you

gotham was rough, but sometimes she forgot you grew up in the same gotham

“i don’t want you walking out there alone at night” -selina

“you do it all the time, selina. i have a weapon, i’ll be fine” -you

you wanted to work with selina, but she absolutely wouldn’t let you come anywhere near the iceberg lounge

“selina, i need a good job! can’t you just put in a good word?” -you

“it’s not a ‘good job,’ y/n, you’d have a better chance working in a restaurant or a grocery store” -selina

she really was looking out for you there, that was no place for you. dealing drugs and meeting high profile men who loved power. you would have hated it

you two lived together, but she carried most of the weight of the bills

she really urged you to go to school and get out of there, but you wanted the same for her

“i’m fine where i am, kid. it’s you i’m worried about” -selina

“don’t i know it” -you

you missed your mom, maybe that’s why she stepped up the way she did

“remember when mom used to bring us to the club? falcone used to bring us stuff to draw with?” -you

“yeah, i don’t really want to think about it” -selina

“you say that, but you still have the drawings” -you

she annoyed you sometimes with her overbearing-ness, but you knew deep down she wanted what was best for you

she’d kind of stalk you when you went out with friends

and she’d swear up and down that “wasn’t her”

“i saw a pink wig” -you

“lots of people have pink wigs” -selina

she’d pick your outfits for the day

(if you like her style) she’d lend you her clothes

she never lets you leave the house without a “love you”

when you found out she was wearing a mask and sneaking out of the house, you were mortified

“you’re gonna get yourself killed!” -you

“you have no idea what i’m doing, i’m fine” -selina

“selina, i know exactly what you’re doing. i can’t live without you—i don’t know how to!” -you

her team up with the batman to avenge annika worried you greatly, but she didn’t listen to you

but you were close with her too and heartbroken to find out what happened

“just dont end up like her, selina” -you

the batman saved you one night in all of this, as you had gone off on your own to prove to selina you were capable of helping

“you need to stay away from my sister” -you

“i’m trying to help her” -batman

“help her by stopping her from getting involved in all of this” -you

“she seems like she’s been involved long before i met her” -batman

she told you about her attempt to kill falcone after he died, you were glad it wasn’t her who pulled the trigger for many reasons

but after that, she convinced you that it was time to leave gotham

“of course i’ll go with you, i’ve been dying to get out of here” -you

after a few obstacles (the flooding of gotham and assassination attempts on bella reál and batman) you were finally able to get the hell out of gotham

and say a goodbye to batman

“i guess i should thank you for being there for her” -you

“keep her out of trouble” -batman

“are you kidding? she finally thinks i can handle myself since i helped save your ass, we’re getting into trouble together” -you

“alright, y/n, let’s go before he decides to follow us” -selina

you guys settled down outside of gotham, adopted a few cats, had each others backs

and soon selina reached out to your sister sofia, a new opportunity awaits

taglist: @summersimmerus // @wild-rose-35 // @more-multifandom-of-madness // @girlmythlegend // @shepsgotthoughts // @diansaprince // @theseawakes // @locke-writes // @deanzboyfriend // @zoeyserpentluck //

[fantasystrangers]

❛sometimes it takes a whole life. sometimes - a few years. but i don’t think i’d change that if i could turn back time, all things considered.❜ anton sighed again, shoulders dropping for a few seconds as he did. ❛catching up being hard aside, i can be very stubborn. and not in the good way.❜ he chuckled awkwardly, wrapping his arms around himself and looking away for a few seconds as he rocked forward and backward. then he sat still again. ❛nobody’s perfect, though. i’ll try my best not to be stubborn with you. as much as it’s possible.❜ he gave russell a soft smile. ❛now that i know i’m stubborn, i can try to do more good things with it than bad. you’re right. better late than never.❜

then he nodded. ❛both been treated and treated others myself. don’t get me wrong, i’m not a jerk... i don’t enjoy going out of my way to be difficult... but when you work together with other people and have friends, you’ll disagree about this or that sooner or later. friendship is a matter of handling that gracefully. i’m still learning how to do that, even now.❜ he fell silent for a few minutes again, thoughtful. ❛thank you. i should think so. i keep hating arguing with people, but if anyone wants to lock horns... well, at least i know how to defend myself.❜ he gave a chuckle.

❛ah, no, i understand. i’m not one, either. but if you ever need an ear to listen to you ranting, i’ll be right here.❜ anton was then quiet for a few seconds again, thinking. ❛sometimes a chat with a friend helps just as much, you know? even if said friend isn’t a therapist, they’ll be able to relate to your struggles. and you can complain about them together.❜ he laughed again.

anton then leaned on a hand, looking up at the sky outside through the nearest window with a dreamy little sigh. ❛maybe it did. not sure if i believe in that specifically, but... i do think it’s cool that you and i, of all the people out there, are here in this cafe, in this town, on this planet. not that i’d have minded any other planet, of course... though, earth is fascinating, i gotta say.❜ more thoughtful silence followed. ❛that being said... this is a bit random, sorry... but do you think we might be able to live on mars someday?❜ anton’s face became curious.

well, wasn’t this a turn for the better. so far, their conversation had been pleasant, and despite the hardships each of them had faced - life had shown anton that everyone had something they were struggling with, and that was normal - there they were, enjoying each other’s company. anton couldn’t help but feel a wave of peace and calm wash over him.

❛i’ve had worse luck with friends than with family... but when you grow up in a little world of your own and you break out of the safe little bubble much later than other kids your age, it’s hard to catch up. or at least it feels hard for a while. then again, everyone walks a different path. some people take longer to find a job that works for them, others take longer with friends. different people... people differently.❜

it took a few minutes for his breathing and his heart to steady. ❛i... no, it’s fine, i should’ve... i thought remembering those things wouldn’t bother me anymore. it’s not your fault...❜ he shook his head, as if shaking off the bad memories. ❛i know now why i seemed meek back in the day. i had trouble standing up for myself. and i hated hurting people and fighting with them, that made me agree to everything they said. i had no idea that wasn’t how i should’ve acted.❜ anton shuffled in his spot, straightening his back, making himself more comfortable as he faced russell once again.

❛thank you for the kind words. it means a lot to get to hear them. and, uh... i hope all of that wasn’t too much to take this early on.❜ as tall as he was, anton seemed to sink into himself for a moment, arms hugged close to his body as he talked. ❛i often don’t know how much is too much when it comes to recounting how i’ve felt in past situations i’ve told friends of.❜

his face lit up when russell pulled out his chair. ❛aw, thank you! thank you.❜ he thanked alex for their drinks, and once both he and russell were comfortable, he picked up his glass, gently clinking it against russell’s. ❛to the start of a great friendship. and to us. because, you know, in the end of the day, i think you’re pretty cool. space is cool, and music is cool, and you like them. so you’re cool, to me.❜

[aquanutart]

She is offering water to any lost travelers! However, it's so hot that the water has become tea, so she's adjusted accordingly!

[essycogany]

Why Shadow And Cream SHOULD Be A Duo

These are mostly Headcanons. They rarely interact, so I’m here to cover all of the things.

My first reason is they'd have the BEST DYNAMIC. Shadow is the mentor and Cream is his student. I know some people like the idea of him influencing her to be more violent, (which can be fun) but I prefer the idea of Cream solving problems in her own way whenever she's on a mission with Shadow. All of the crazy atrocities happening around her doesn't faze her in the slightest. She can be a tough cookie, but still soft on the inside and out. She doesn’t have to change her sweet spirit to be powerful in her own right.

Second reason. They would complement each other in the best way. Shadow could use someone to protect and I know Amy’s a good option, but there’s something about Cream that works better in my opinion. She’s younger, less experienced, brave, encouraging, kind, and ADORABLE. No, she isn’t and shouldn’t be a Maria replacement. I don’t want any character to have a good dynamic with Shadow just because said character reminds him of Maria. BUT Cream does have similar traits to her. More than Amy to an extent. The pink hedgehog is much more aggressive. Shadow would have a unique dynamic with Cream. Why? Because Cream is a literal child he needs to protect her at all costs. But she’s too stubborn to care about her safety. The older Cream gets, the more determined she is to go on adventures with him.

Because she’s so persistent, Shadow would feel obligated to teach Cream Chaos Emerald abilities. She would do terribly at first, but once she finally concentrates and takes her training seriously, she’d ace it.

The third reason I believe they’d be a great duo is because Cream would do her best to help him emotionally. But that’s not all. Shadow would notice how hard she’s trying and how much she struggles with failure. I’d imagine her taking it very badly due to a few issues in IDW and Sonic Dream team. Don’t get me started on the Metal Virus. She had to be the emotional support for Whisper (and the sweetheart did an amazing job) while she still struggled internally. Cream was the truest MVP during the Metal Virus.

But yeah! She’d definitely need someone with more experience with loss to help her with her self-esteem issues. Cream has so little confidence in herself when she shouldn’t. I know she has Sonic, Blaze, Amy, her mother, and many others but I believe Shadow would be the one to turn that emotion into action. He’s been through plenty. He wouldn’t just cheer her up (though he’d probably still try) but give her direct action base prof that she’s wrong with her training. She might not only need to be told she’s cable but also be physically shown.

I’d like to think she’d be able to pull as much weight for Shadow as he’d do for her. The tough love and support system. Like Sonic and Tails but with a Good Cop Bad Cop dynamic.

Cream still has Gemeral/Cheese and of course, they’ve already protected her the best way, but I’d like to think Shadow would be the one to teach her how to physically fight so she’d be able to help Gemeral. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about her too much. It’ll be like a training session. It helps that she’s already physically strong but Shadow would only help her enhance it.

She’d be an honorary member of Team Dark and would sneak into their missions. I’m not sure how Vanilla would feel about it but maybe this would be a situation where she’d find out when Cream’s older. Like a superhero reveal or something. Maybe Vanilla would have a long conversation with Shadow and Cream would stand up for him and take all of the blame. She’s loyal to a fault.

Their friendship also just sounds adorable to me. I can imagine Cream being surprisingly mature and intelligent and Shadow is always shocked. They'd talk about the different planets and stars together, daydreaming about a more peaceful world. Then instantly start kicking butt with Rouge and Omega and take down a giant monster and work with GUN. I think Rouge would question Shadow every time Cream came with them.

Rouge: Ugh! Shadow, why did you bring her here?! AGAIN?!

Shadow: I didn't. She came on her own.

Rouge: And you ALLOWED HER?!

Shadow: You can't say “no” to Cream. I've learned that the hard way.

It’s either letting Cream go with him or dealing with her whining for the rest of their picnic. Shadow isn't patient enough for that.

What kind of fun names would you guys give these two? Good Cop Bad Cop? Emerald Besties? Rebel Do-Gooders? Let’s give them a name!

That’s all the ideas I have for now. If you guys have any, I’d love to read them. My ask box is always open!

Stay Creative! 💜

[songofsaraneth]

i will say the one thing about my New Year's Resolutions post going viral is that lots of people have done my own resolutions so much better than me now lmao. blogger who made a whole website with ratings for their Fruit Adventures i love you. i barely remembered to take photos of all my fruits which are now just randomly scattered through my camera roll. tumblr user who managed THIRTY FOUR different pasta shapes in a year where did you find them it took me all year just to hit 20 and then i ran out of shapes available in the 2 cities i checked. showing up to your home with a bowl so i can get a little of each

[icewindandboringhorror]

sometimes looking at like Self Help Strategies lists for the symptoms I'm having is always just like:

thing that I already do

thing I have tried 10 times

thing I already do

thing that I don't have the money to do

thing I already do

thing I've been doing since I was 10yrs old to no avail

thing that is impossible given my situation

thing that doesn't apply to me

thing that I already do

thing I have already tried

hrmm, oh wait, maybe finally- OH, yeah.. okay. thing that I already do but it was just phrased slightly differently

thing I have already done

[housederiva]

Your art is FANTASTIC and the random observations/polls/interjections you make have really helped to fuel the DA fandom in positive ways! Which it definitely needed after Veilguard's release, lmao. It's always a pleasure to see you on my dashboard!

That's very kind of you to say oh my gosh thank you so much. I'm just bumbling around and every once in a while I say something people think is worth sharing, and I like sharing what other folks feel/make too! I'm glad I'm a not too much of an annoyance xx

I think my favorite thing about having this blog is the notes I see on other peoples posts I rb, it’s nice seeing all sweet things get things sent an artist way or conversations/theories carried on in a rb chain

It’s a big ol show n tell and it’s a wonderful reprieve from my normal day to be able to see other folks stuff too ✨

[irrelephant-elephant]

jfc I know there’s so many bigger things to worry about rn but also am I wrong to get fucked off that all the girliesTM think pink pony club is ‘girlhood’ ??? Seeing tiktoks of brides dancing with all their bridesmaids dancing to it captioned This IS the Pink Pony Club 💅👰‍♀️ #bridetok as if that’s what the song is about. Sure, call it ✨girlhood✨ or whatever, but only if your definition can comfortably include the original artist who performs on stage wearing a strap harness.

[snekdood]

saw the other day someone say that "mary sues are for people who think everyone should treat them like they're the best ever" and buddy, trust me, at no point am i under the delusion that people will be nice to me in a normal and sufficient way. this is how i *wish* people treated me, not how I expect them to or think they should. trust me i know humanity sucks and will never be cool and nice, dont you worry, dont need to prove my point more, making me retreat even more to a fantasy world because clearly there's nothing here in humanity for me so w/e