#I'm just saying these two together would be absolutely unstoppable

[grymkoena]

Do you love me?

[piracytheorist]

Twilight Eyes Project: "Secure a Wife" (part 2)

First part here

Naturally, "Twilight eyes" stay on during his side mission with Franky. Then he bursts into Camilla's party, wounded and disoriented enough to mess up his introduction.

And thus... slightly different expressions from manga to anime.

In the manga, it's full-on Twilight eyes. Brow going downward to the center, focused and narrowed eyes. The anime has the first two, though as of focused eyes... they make use of animation to show he's so shaken he can't focus his eyes on one place. His slip-up does look funnier when he's trying to present himself as Very Put Together™ as he does in the manga, but I think it's funny either way. Also, I appreciate the small extra whump bone from the anime.

Continuing on the humorous aspect, he switches all the way to reassuring Loid eyes as he tells everyone how absolutely, definitely normal his situation is. No biggie. Just a head flesh wound. He sleeps those right off.

"Loid eyes" stay on as he continues his ploy. Nothing to see here, please continue, are you having fun, my dear wife whom I definitely did not meet just a couple days ago?

Those eyes keep up until Camilla tries to embarrass Yor in front of everyone with details about her "past job"... and here goes.

Loid eyes. He will show everyone how proud he is of his wife.

But then, slowly, his eyes don't look so strained anymore...

... until they're outright sad eyes.

The direct proof (along with the short flashback) that what Twilight says there is the truth for him: he doesn't judge Yor, instead, he honestly supports and praises her for her dedication and her strength.

And when he finishes his praise, he looks towards the others... and the audience doesn't get to see his eyes.

Yor does.

And the truth she sees in his eyes is enough to not only bring tears to her eyes, but to also stay with her and give her strength multiple chapters/episodes later.

This smile isn't the one he actually gave her. But it's the one she remembers.

(Wrong angle in the anime, but we can forgive that)

They leave Camilla's party, get attacked by the smuggling ring, Twilight knocks a few of them out and tells Yor to run for it, Twilight eyes on as he keeps himself alert for any possible attack.

Yor voices her worries about the well-being of his "patients"... and what else can he do but put on the Loid eyes. Which I'm actually sure weren't necessary with her, lol.

Unstoppable force (Yor believing everything she sees and hears) meets immovable object (Twilight suspecting everything and everyone).

Subtle Twilight eyes as he starts to question... well, his own judgment, at this point 😆

They get attacked, and Yor kicks a guy into another dimension before he can hurt Loid. And!

I would just really like to know what his thought process here was. This look is on the verge between "Loid eyes" and "real eyes". But this next panel/shot feels like it's closer to "real eyes".

He was actually amused by how far she kicked that guy, huh 😆

They kick a few more guys' asses, then Yor drops the "why don't we get married" question. Twilight is, understandably, shocked and confused. It's actually something he'd planned for, but it came unexpectedly and just so freely and willingly from Yor.

When his mind picks up from the shock, he puts on the thought process.

And we get investigative eyes.

Twilight accepts, gives her the best marriage proposal to ever grace a screen, starts with Loid voice for "Even in sickness, or in sadness," and switches to Twilight voice for "No matter what hardships await us, let us be there for each other."

Twilight eyes as he finishes his vows,

And... this, as he thinks "Until my mission do us part"

I want to make it clear that I completely doubt he'd already grown any feelings for Yor already. Probably the only thing he'd feel for her at that point was that he sympathized with her mental fortitude and willingness to sacrifice herself in order to protect and support someone she cared about. The pleasant face he has at the end could be merely his expression of relief that the mission was going smoothly.

But then, isn't that what becomes the foundation of the feelings he'll grow later? The relief that she is the kind of person who will protect the peace he fights so hard to maintain himself? A relief that will grow strong enough to lead him into revealing true parts of himself to her?

There's definitely a lot to take away just from the way Twilight's eyes are drawn, in any case.

(anime only fan here, don't spoil me for the manga)

[ratatatastic]

lmaoooo maffhew wanting the knot immediately and having to wait for sasha to catch up with that is so deeply funny like. this omega is not subtle and you’re not a stupid alpha babe! can only imagine what benny has to say to maffhew about it once he catches on and stops banging his head against a wall

idiots to lovers is always great but especially when its two people who would be hitched with 10 kids by now if they stopped being dumb for a single second like its that easy and yet...

to me they very much fall around the same time (infatuation at first scent if you will) just that sasha takes some time to get there not because he's dumb (okay he's a little dumb) but in the sense that its like "this person is very interested in me, i can see and recognise that but theres so much cognitive dissonance in my brain right now between knowing that intrinsically and finding that hard to believe so i unintentionally play dumb because obviously i'm reading too much into things it cant be me they're interested in haha that'd crazy but they're being awfully touchy and flirty with me wow"

but also it takes two to tango and we have to acknowledge that and this is when i would love to bring up the ways in which this man decides is the best way to go about that because he is a catholic school girlie... there's so much hilarity to be had here especially because his flirting is very uh how you say... a little ass backwards if you will especially considering dynamics

"I make it a point to keep the door closed when we're alone in a room together! That's basically a clear invitation that I'm down to fuck!!! Im basically asking to be ragdolled on his knot!!!"

and Benny just pinches the bridge of his nose like "I don't know how to explain to you in a way you'll understand that not everyone went to Catholic school."

But saying that Sasha does side-eye the door knob heavily when Maffhew goes over to close it the first time and he starts sweating like he just got dragged into a game of 7 Minutes in Heaven he did not sign up for and he's 13 again and oh god he got paired with a really cute girl, and he hasn't even had his first real kiss yet and-

And then absolutely nothing happens because Maffhew is just waiting with a polite expectant smile (because his work here is done, he did the heavy lifting know it's Sasha's turn) and this is when Sasha's dynamic classes training kicks in and he basically scolds himself for even assuming in the first place because this is clearly a show of trust (correct) not an invitation for extra circular activities (incorrect buzzer noise) and it basically becomes "This Omega really trusts me, I'm honoured especially as Pack Leader that I'm able to be so accepted into such a private space with the inherent knowledge that I will not encroach their boundaries whatsoever because consent is verbal, this is not in any way an invitation to take advantage of them this is deep platonic trust I will guard with my life :]"

and if you listen closely you can hear the lovely sounds of Maffhew bashing his head into a wall about how much of a gentleman Sasha is but also COME ONNNNNN... you know... once Maffhew realises what's happening which (looks at my watch) is not due for another few months really

Battle of wills: unstoppable force (maffhews catholic school understanding of dynamic interactions) vs immovable object (overseas alpha cotillion classes)

And if you think it's an Oh! An overseas dynamic thing! It's not. The Euros are watching the horrible car crash in front of them and doing absolutely nothing about it because it's none of their business, but they will stare at it... maybe judge it a bit but definitely are observing from the tall grass.

and I'm also not saying that luosty lundy forsy and bobby have a current running bet of how long it'll take for maffhew to break sasha in but i'm also not not saying that... luosty goaded lundy in the midst of a gossip session ("It has to be 3 months, right?) forsy happened to be around so lundy turned to him for advice ("7 months.") and maybeeee bobby overheard from all the way over from his stall and puts in his two cents for what it's worth ("6. Captain nice but not that nice. Very impatient." "So 3!" "No. Impatience makes him double the time, and wait longer. 6 months.") (lundy finally settles on a good 5 months because he's indecisive)

And Sasha does eventually pick up everything maffhew is throwing down... eventually... and when he does it becomes more so I want to court this omega the way they deserve I will take this slow and romance them sweetly :) *smash cut to maffhew caterwauling like a cat in heat*

but also once again its not like maffhew is helping sasha in any way this is idiot4idiot and benny would like to enjoy the car crash with the euros but unfortunately that's his soulmate, thats his bestie, his littermate from birth who has been weaned on the same teat as they climbed over each other to get to it, the first girl you kissed in your childhood bedroom because somehow you started play fighting on the bed because she was like i could totally pin you down easy and then she does and you always noticed how beautiful she was but shes even more gorgeous when she's pinning your wrists to your hannnah montana duvet you promised yourself youd changed out before she came over but you forget and well she teased you about it and you cant help but giggle about how perfect this all is and it seems that the natural conclusion to this is to taste the strawberry lipgloss of her lips because whats a kiss between besties huh its tacky and sticky and it tastes like summer and just other apt metaphors to put here about the inherent -isms of their relationship that i nearly cant put to words properly other than girls having fun (they are fucking)

and well anyways benny is watching and he has a lot of things to say about how its been proceeding so far

"You should really use your words."

"I am!"

"Right because smelling like a fucking perfume shop in the middle of October is using your words."

"This usually works with most Alphas okay!"

"Sasha isn't most Alphas."

"Tell me about it." Matthew grouses before he peeks over to Sam, looking up from beneath his eyelashes—the exact way he knows both endears him to Sam but also absolutely miffs him all the same, "Worked on you, didn't it?"

"Oh, is that what we're doing right now? We're calling getting a lapful of a preening O in preheat in the middle of a roadie a normal way to go about these things."

"It worked didn't it?" Matthew reiterates.

"It would work better if you use—"

"Okay! Alright!! I get it!!!" He does not.

like benny here is unfortunately an active listening participant in the going ons of the fuckery if not because hes involved by proxy because of maffhew because who else will hold his hair back as he calls him a dumb bitch you know

[thisismeracing]

some professors are not here today so I'm free (for some hours at least) and I went through your jb22 tag and!! HUSBAND!JENSON IDEAS FILLED MY HEAD!!

and specially im stuck on the him being married to a woman in motorsport... I've thought stuff for her being either a reporter or an engineer🫣

reporter!yn:

they two would be teasy from the start, way before they started dating. when he first came to f1, it was her first year in the reporting world and my my, they instantly clicked!! he would be flirty mid interviews and she'd blush sooo hard, literally wouldn't know how to act

eventually he asks her out, maybe after a win of his because they had made a bet

"if I win today, you owe me a date"

"guess I'm rooting for your teammate now"

NO HOLDING BACK IN TEASINGS!!! and so they date and after some years, when they get married, they are literally one of the most iconic couples. she's grown more into him, is even more comfortable teasing him in front of the camera and he absolutely LOVES it (I just know he has that silly grin of his every time)

ofc he calls her darling nonstop

"Jenson, comments on [x thing]?"

"well, Mrs Button-"

MRS BUTTON ALL THE WAY

and he's such a romantic

and, lastly, when he retires he joins her in interviews and they are really known as Mr and Mrs Button, THE reporting duo

engineer!yn:

oh god, now this one is a match. it's the way they entered f1 together and they learn together, from each other. it's the way they've stayed many, many nights in the garage together, just to make the perfect car with his needs and her brains. and one of those nights, after 5 years of working together, them being alone there makes them kiss and oh, they are really inseparable now

their first time would be the making love type of thing, with so much longing

it's the "she fell first but he fell harder" for sure!! in every race weekend he'd bring her her favourite snacks while he just stays there and admires her working

small crash tw: in case of a crash, she'd be worried sick, but the moment he'd step out of the car, they'd be hugging nonstop

all that ofc behind closed doors, because he doesn't want people to think that she's where she is now because of their relationship

he wants people to see her worth, he wants to give her space to shine

but one day, he wins and she is up there in the podium with him and they can't hold up and they kiss at LAST

when they get married, before every race, he kisses her hand and specifically her wedding band in the most tender manner

when he decides to retire, she stays in f1 still, though wishing she was still his mechanic, as she was all 17 years in the sport

but then she suddenly sees him in the reporting role and she's like !!!! MY HUSBAND !!!!

and honestly they'd be simply unstoppable, with them exchanging knowing looks and smiling and just remembering all those years back, when they were just a rookie and an engineer

all in all, husband!Jenson, whichever case, is an extremely loving and caring man who would do everything for his wife. he'd always try to make her laugh, whenever she'd feel down he'd comfort her nonstop and he'd be her safe place completely

now now we all know that he's surely also a man that craves for his woman's pleasure and would do pretty much everything for it🫣🫣 can totally imagine after race sex to take out all his left stamina AND to celebrate...

-🌻

reporter!yn

jenson would totally ask about her if its ever a different reporter interviewing him. the two meaning jokes would make her forget what even the interview was about because let's be honest how does one stays chill after jenson freaking button hits on them?

"if I win today, you owe me a date"

"guess I'm rooting for your teammate now" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA DKGJSDKJGSKHJDSKJHSDH

I think this line is totally something that they would say on camera, live tv, and all, they crossed a line, but everyone loved their dynamic at this point so it wasn't a problem.

engineer!yn

the whole garage roots for them even when they're oblivious to how in love they are!!

I loved this scenario too oh my oh myyyy

asjfkaj after race sex, but also before race sex (its about getting ready and yk he believes that it can give him some luck hehe)

[smytherines]

Once again thinking about how Owen was still shaking and grabbing at the banana peel when Curt ran away. Thinking about how Owen tried to point out how absurd it was to leave a banana peel lying around in the first place, and Curt steamrolled him by saying "who gives a shit?"

How Curt dismissed Owen and treated him like a nuisance for chastising him for drinking and leaving shit on the ground, and for wanting to re-lock the safety barricades to limit the explosion. How Curt didn't have the equipment he thought he would because the color of the rocket shoes didn't match his outfit.

How the explosion was Curt's idea, and he could have simply used the watch to send the blueprints and they both would've gotten out of there safely. But he wanted to be cool. He wanted to be a badass. (and personally, I think he probably wanted to save face with Owen after having to get rescued and getting chewed out by his boss)

I don't think Curt was incompetent in A1P1, but I do think he was a cocky asshole with a bruised ego. I have to be honest, I don't understand the impulse to flatten his character into "He was an awesome babygirl but then a sad thing just kinda happened to him, schwoopsie" when his ego and hubris leading to Owen's demise is the entire point of the scene. Curt having faults and fucking up is what sets that character up to have an arc at all.

In the 54 Below concert there's a part of the spoken introductions where Tessa Netting says "when these two spies are together, they are gay and unstoppable," and the next line is "that is- until Curt's ego gets in the way." In the commentary for SAF there are several points where TCB mentions Curt's ego, his hubris, his vanity- because they are important pieces of the puzzle for understanding who this guy is. Without that context, the choices his character makes in A1P1 don't make any sense (which is why I think some people read him as just kinda being a dipshit)

There's a reason he spent four years blaming himself for Owen's death- it was his fault. It's a crucial part of his character development, and it makes him a much more interesting and nuanced character than "he just did a lil fucksy-wucksy" does.

I'm not even going to get into the way the fandom absolutely refuses to engage with Curt's alcohol use, or how they make up details about Owen to make him more of a cartoon character villain (like the idea that he orchestrated the events of the show specifically to hurt/kill Curt when he doesn't even know Curt is there until Curt interrupts the arms deal) or how they pretend that Owen doesn't have a canon traumatic event that informs who he becomes (which, to be clear, is someone who tortures and murders people- thinking of Owen as an actual human character instead of a Snidely Whiplash villain doesn't mean ignoring how fucked up he is)

I probably should have said all that anonymously through the confessions blog like everyone else is doing, but frankly there are so few Owen defenders everyone would probably know it was me anyways. Also I'm just confident I know the show well enough to defend my points under my own name.

I spent days telling myself to just ignore it, don't let my autism win here, but this show is so complex and well-written, and has so much space for a subtextual reading of it, that it really bothers me to see these weird, messy, interesting, fucked up characters sanded down to Good Guy vs Bad Guy

[crossdressingdeath]

Astarion: And? How have our dear friends been without us to guide and protect them? Kyvir: Obviously they miss us terribly. Astarion: Well of course they do! They were never anything without us leading them. I'm amazed they've even survived this long, honestly. Still, it is good to see them. And good for them to see us, side by side, flourishing. Kyvir: It is wonderful. I'm glad I get to share this with you. Astarion: And I am blessed to share it with you, my love. I may have power, but it would be nothing without you. You complete me. And together, we are unstoppable. So Heavens help the fool that tries to get in our way. Kyvir: None would dare, my love. Astarion: I almost wish they would. It's been some time since we've seen a real challenge. But you should go - mingle, chat, laugh. Have fun, my love. And if our friends drop any interesting secrets, bring them right back to me. Until then, I'll be here. But don't fret, I will be watching. I am always watching.

This conversation makes the fact that I could hear Batstarion flapping away in the background the whole time I was talking to everyone else even funnier. The least subtle eavesdropper.

But I am glad that you can play the ascended Astarion romance epilogue as you being perfectly content with your choice. Given how preachy it gets after ascending him I was worried about that. But nope, it's all good! You're hard at work taking over the city together and everything is going great for you. If your character is miserable in their relationship with ascended Astarion that's because you chose for them to be miserable, which is a valid choice but definitely a choice that you've made rather than the only option. It's just as easy to play it as you two being horrible spouses together. Absolute bastards in what is almost certainly an unhealthily codependent relationship, but absolute bastards who adore each other. It's so fun.

Also, I'm not going to lie, it feels a bit like Astarion maaaaaybe isn't as in control of this relationship as he claims and the PC isn't as helpless as some of the writing paints them. I feel like if there were even just dialogue options when the other companions ask you to do something with them (teaching Gale's class, helping Lae'zel fight Vlaakith's forces and so on) where you could say something like "Well, I'll have to ask Astarion first..." that would change the energy of the epilogue a fair bit, but as it is at least with a willing PC it feels a bit like Astarion's standing there going on about how in control he is and how you will be his obedient consort for eternity and then you're just sitting there not really paying attention like "Whatever you say, dear. By the way, we're razing one of Vlaakith's strongholds with Lae'zel after this and guest lecturing Gale's class next month" and he is going to agree because that is how this relationship works.

[makedonsgriva]

Hi, do you mind if I ask, what do you think are Damen and Laurent’s greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic? Thanks if you want to answer....

HI! Thanks for this ask because I have SO MANY thoughts, feelings and emotions about these two princes, it will take a lifetime for me to get it all out of my brain. Anyways, here we go:

Damen

In my opinion I think Damen's greatest personality strength is his unwavering optimism, will power and courage. Man was shipped to the enemy nation as a slave to his biggest enemy and he came back to his own nation to fight for his right with the said enemy ending up as his lover???? I don't think anyone understands the sheer INSANITY of this situation. Like I am being 200% honest here, I would have survived not a day in Vere had I been in Damen's position so y'know I gotta admire my man's sheer power of will and courage and hope.

As for his greatest weakness I feel like it can be attributed to his impulsiveness. Once angered, it is very difficult for him to assess the situation and take action calmly. He is hot headed and violent. And we see this impulsiveness of him getting him in trouble multiple times in the series.

Laurent

I think it's easy to say his biggest strength is that beautiful, boggling, labyrinthine brain of his. Laurent is smart. And when I say smart, I mean every letter of it. He uses his wits, he relies on his cleverness and he is not afraid to play dirty to win unlike his righteous husband. He knows that to fight twisted and sick people like his uncle, he has to come up with more twisted plans of his own. You gotta love a smart motherfucker.

His greatest weakness has to be his complete inability to ask for help and rely on others. Although I can't completely blame Laurent for this since as soon as Auguste died, he found himself surrounded by people who only wanted to take advantage of him. He HAD to be self reliant. Yet, just when I started to believe that he might be starting to trust Damen to take his help and win alongside him, he turned himself in to his uncle in Kings Risng lmaoo like I get the self sacrifice and there was no other way or what not but jfc my dude you don't have to do everything by yourself.

Lamen

Every other book I have read has rivals or maybe like one of them dislikes the other while the other person is "I never actually hated you." And I get the charm of it okay, I love that trope too but Captive Prince? The enemies to lovers we get is ELITE. We go from two dudes wanting to VISCERALLY end each other to ready to die for each other. From the absolute hatred, lack of trust, various murder and torture attempts to forgiving each other and falling in love. Realising that whatever the other did was justified and the only thing they can do is move past it. Overcoming all that hurt and pain to build something so strong, beautiful and intimate. That's THE SHIT okay. That's what makes Laurent and Damen's dynamic so special. The way they both grow together and come together to become an unstoppable force. They help each other so much, both in terms of achieving their respective goals and to have great character developments. They bring out the best in each other and fill in the weaknesses of the other. Damen is impulsive but Laurent knows how to reign him in. Laurent doesn't know how to accept help but Damen is there for him every step of the way. From reluctant allies to friends to lovers to divorced era to I'm gonna die for this man, they have it all. Captive Prince has the BEST enemies to lovers arc of all the books I've read till date. PERIOD.

This really got me yapping I'm sorry lmao!!! But yeah here we go. Hope you liked this!

[dc-and-arfrona]

Flirty

—-

Kid Flash x GN!Reader

Type: Fluff

Word Count: 800+

Masterlist

Summary: His flirting flusters a shy reader.

—

Wally West, the charming and quick-witted speedster known as Kid Flash, had a reputation for his endless energy and playful banter. And when he encountered a shy and reserved reader, he saw it as an opportunity to bring a touch of light-heartedness into their life.

With a mischievous glint in his vibrant green eyes, Wally approached you, his smile captivating and his charm radiating like a warm breeze. He couldn't help but be drawn to your quiet nature, sensing a hidden depth within you that he was determined to unravel.

"Hey there, beautiful," Wally greeted, his voice laced with an undeniable magnetism. "What's your name? Or should I just call you 'gorgeous'?"

Your cheeks flushed, and you shyly glanced down at the ground. Wally's flirtatious nature was unlike anything you had ever experienced, and it both intrigued and intimidated you.

"Um, h-hi," you stammered, your voice barely above a whisper. "M-my name is Y/N."

Wally's grin widened, his playful demeanor undeterred by your shyness. "Y/N, huh? Well, I've gotta say, I've never met anyone as stunning as you. Mind if I take a wild guess and say you're a superhero too, because you've got superpowers—I'm absolutely powerless around you!"

A soft giggle escaped your lips, a rare moment of amusement in the face of Wally's relentless flirting. His charm was infectious, melting away some of the anxiety that typically shrouded your interactions with others.

"I'm not a superhero," you replied, your voice gaining a touch of confidence. "Just an ordinary person trying to find my way."

Wally's eyes sparkled with a mixture of sincerity and mischief. "Well, Y/N, let me be the first to tell you that you're anything but ordinary. You've got a special kind of magic that captivates everyone around you."

As Wally continued his relentless flirting, a sense of warmth and acceptance washed over you. He had a way of making you feel seen and appreciated, his playful words acting as a shield against your shyness.

In the days that followed, Wally's relentless pursuit of your attention became a delightful game—a dance between his flirty remarks and your shy yet growing confidence. He pushed your boundaries, encouraging you to step out of your comfort zone and embrace the moments of lightheartedness he offered.

With each flirtatious comment, Wally chipped away at the walls you had built around yourself, revealing the vibrant and enchanting person beneath. His relentless pursuit became a source of joy and excitement, an adventure that allowed you to explore the depths of your own emotions.

And as you succumbed to Wally's charms, you discovered that behind his playful façade lay a genuine affection—a growing connection that extended beyond mere words. Together, you embarked on a journey of self-discovery and love, where Wally's relentless flirting became a bridge that led you to embrace your own unique magic.

In the realm of flirty banter and unexpected connections, Wally West and you would create a story of vulnerability, growth, and an unstoppable bond—a tale that would stand the test of time, fueled by the undeniable chemistry between the speedster and the shy reader.

As Wally's relentless flirting continued, a delightful dance of playful banter and shy responses unfolded between the two of you. You found yourself growing more comfortable in his presence, gradually shedding your shyness and allowing your true self to shine.

Wally, recognizing the positive impact he had on you, became even more determined to bring joy and laughter into your life. He planned surprise outings, whisking you away to amusement parks, picnics in the park, and spontaneous adventures that had your heart racing with excitement.

With every shared moment, your connection with Wally deepened. You discovered common interests, shared dreams, and a mutual understanding that transcended words. Wally's relentless pursuit had unveiled the vibrant, confident person you had always hidden within, and he celebrated every step of your personal growth.

As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, Wally's flirting evolved from mere teasing to sincere admiration. He confessed his genuine affection, his playful words transforming into heartfelt declarations of love. And in those moments, you realized that his relentless pursuit had been driven by something deeper than mere flirtation—it had been an act of genuine devotion and a desire to show you just how much you meant to him.

Together, you became an unstoppable team, supporting each other through the ups and downs of life. Wally's infectious energy and unwavering support bolstered your confidence, while your quiet strength and understanding grounded him. In each other, you found solace, laughter, and an unwavering love that brought light to even the darkest of days.

And so, the story of Wally West and the once-shy reader continued—an extraordinary journey of love and growth. Through Wally's relentless pursuit, you had blossomed into a vibrant, confident individual, unafraid to embrace the joy and passion that life had to offer.

Together, you would defy the odds, face new adventures, and create a love story that would be remembered for generations to come. In the realm of relentless flirting and undeniable connection, Wally and you wrote a tale of love, laughter, and the transformative power of embracing one's true self.

[noodyl-blasstal]

Hide and go Splat

It's @taznovembercelebration day 10 and the card I drew was "hide". Welcome to the world of hide and seek paintball!

Read below or on Ao3, you can find yesterday's prompt here.

-

"One, two, three, four..."

Taako runs, sprints even, hurdles some of the bales of hay and swings himself up into the tree he scoped out on the way here. Flip wizard! Unstoppable! Apart from...

"Ow!" Someone very solid and very in Taako's tree says as he slams into them.

An arm reaches out and snakes round his waist, pulling them tight together at the hip.

"You're in Taako's tree!" Taako says, not making any effort at all to move - he's absolutely not planning to get any paint on him today and the branch is big, but not large enough for them to leave any space between them. Also Taako can't lie, the sensation of a strong arm wrapped around his waist, a yielding hip pressed to his, not bad. Definitely not bad. If this guy would just take off his visor Taako could assess whether this was a first date or not. Chances look good based on the bottom of his face. Lup did say Taako should try being more creative about how he met guys, she’ll be so pleased.

"I'd say, arguably, you're in my tree, considering I was here first." Interesting, the tree thief has an accent.

It doesn't necessarily sound like an on purpose accent, Taako's fairly sure that it's a bad impression of Cockney, but it's interesting nonetheless. He's from the green team, although all his gear is definitely the darkest shade he could find. A few brighter stripes on his forearms and the green t-shirt are the only indicators that he's not just some tree stealing renegade and is actually meant to be here. Taako searches the memory banks, honestly, he was paying more attention to finding the best hiding spot than who else was playing, but he definitely remembered giving one member of the green team a lingering once over instead of paying complete attention to the safety talk. This seemed like the same dude.

"So, what's a guy like you doing in a nice place like this?"

The man snorts. "I thought that was supposed to be a complimentary line?"

"You laughed, didn't you?"

"I thought maybe you were trying to charm me into letting my guard down so you could get me?"

"The only thing Taako wants to hit is the target. Then he can go home and get comfy."

The man inclines his head like he's thinking about the prospect of getting comfy, hopefully with Taako. Lup's gonna be so proud if he manages to pick up a guy in a tree.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." He does sound regretful.

"Why not?" Taako's happy to chat, honestly, if he keeps a member of another team distracted it's still playing the game.

"The rules, Taako? The point of us being here today?"

Oh, he was a rules guy. Bad, terrible actually. Taako couldn't date a rules guy.

Taako sighs, loud and obnoxious (no one's nearby, he checked first). "What if you just didn't stop me though?"

"Why?"

"Cha'boy would really like to hit the target. Think of how nice the cheers would be. Ta-ko! Ta-ko! Ta-ko!" He chant whispers, throwing his arms up in imaginary triumph.

"And why would I want them chanting your name instead of mine?" Taako can't see the top of his face through his visor, but he can feel the questioning eyebrow that's definitely raised.

"You'd have to tell me what it is so I know how it'd sound chanted. Ta-ko is hard to beat."

"It's Kravitz."

"Kra-vitz! Kra-vitz! Kra-vitz!" Taako does a test whisper cheer. "Fine, yours is pretty good too."

"Thank you!" Kravitz sounds pleased that Taako's acknowledged the chant-ability of his name. "So you can see why I can't let you do it?" Kravitz asks. He even sounds a little sorry.

"Counterpoint..." Taako is nothing if not great at making airtight, logically sound arguments. "... Blue team sucks."

Taako's got him here, he can tell.

"Mmhm." Kravitz says, keeping his cards close to his chest.

"Greens can't beat blues, but the mighty reds can." He's never above using people's hatred of the blues for his own personal gain.

"You can?" There's the hopeful note. Taako wills Kravitz to let the hatred flow through him.

"Uh huh. If you let cha'boy tag the target we're sitting pretty. I can guarantee my teammates are out there taking people down as we speak and they always go blue first." He wasn’t lying, Lup and Barry worked together and rarely missed; Magnus was terrifyingly quiet for someone of his stature; and Davenport was a master of drawing enemy fire to the space they could have sworn he'd been a few seconds before - he’d find their position based on the trajectory of their shots. Edward and Lydia and whatever 'friends' they'd hired that week could only get so far with their money. Well... there was all the umpires they'd bribed, but Taako could barely think about that without acidy injustice rage boiling in his stomach and he was all out of Tums.

"I should just hit you." Kravitz sounds like he's trying to convince himself.

"Mutually assured destruction, handsome, Taako's dexterous, cha’boy is speedy." Taako's pretty sure Kravitz was the one whose ass he was more concerned with than safety earlier, It seems prudent to alert him to Taako's relevant skillset.

"Oh does he now?" There's a playful challenge in Kravitz's tone, Taako can work with this.

"You can find out exactly how flexible Taako is if you want."

Judging by the way Kravitz's hand tightens on Taako's waist, he might just want.

“What if we both hit the target?”

“If you think you’ve got the skills to get it from here, stud.” Taako winks, even though Kravitz probably can’t see it through his visor.

“From here? You can’t.”

“Watch me.” Taako grabs his slingshot and a paintball in a smooth motion.

“You weren’t lying about being quick.”

“I’d take my time with you.”

“What?” Kravitz sounds like he’s worried he misunderstood, but his arm hasn’t moved, so Taako assumes it’s not revulsion.

“Nothing!” Maybe that was too much, he needs to reign it back in, Kravitz might not realise this definitely is a date yet. “So, about my superb target powers?”

“How about we make a deal?” Kravitz seems to be wiggling slightly, like when Taako gets to talk about why all caramel is salted. Taako doesn’t know if he’s supposed to be able to tell or not, but the excitement is infectious.

“Tell me more, tell me more.”

“If you hit the target from here, I won’t tag you.”

“If I don’t?”

“I’ll tag you… and get your number?”

“You can have that either way, handsome.” Taako says,hopes it’s smooth enough to counteract the way he lurches across Kravitz, winds up, and sends the paintball spinning. He’s out of Kravitz’s lap by the time the cheer goes up a few moments later.

“Green takes the target!” The announcer’s voice is projected across the pitch. “The blue spotter is searching, but to no avail. He has 5 seconds of danger time left, 4, 3, 2, 1. The green player is clear!”

“Fuck.” Mutters Kravitz.

“Have you got a pen?”

“What?”

“I thought you wanted Taako’s digits?” Maybe Taako misunderstood. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“Can’t you just put it in my phone?” Kravitz wiggles for a second and grabs his phone from his pocket.

“Krav! What if someone’s tracking you?” Taako’s aghast.

“What if I see some cool birds I need to take a photo of? Or want to get a video of Lydia and Edward yelling at each other when they both get hit?”

“All good points.” Taako taps dutifully, grabs a terrifying mask-heavy selfie, and saves his contact to Kravitz’s phone before handing it back and grabbing his own phone.

“Hey! What if someone’s tracking you? You’ve got yours as well!”

“What if there’s a handsome guy whose number I need to get?”

Kravitz makes a pleased sound. “You make a great point, here.” Kravitz taps in his details then hands the phone back.

“So we’ve got at least another 10 minutes before the run back starts.”

“Seems prudent to stay here, wouldn’t you say?” Kravitz keeps his voice light, casual.

“However shall we pass the time?” Taako places his hand lightly on Kravitz’s thigh.

“I’m sure you have some wonderful ideas.” Kravitz’s voice is warm and rumbly and…

“You forgot your accent.”

“What?”

“You were Cockney like 10 minutes ago.”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” Oooh he’s fun to tease.

Taako takes his hand back. “Okay, well then, I guess…”

“That’s my hide and seek paintball accent.” Interrupts him.

“Run that by me one more time?” Taako’s going to marry this idiot. Right here in this tree.

“You know. An accent, a persona, to help with the…” Kravitz waves his hand in the general direction of the field and the occasional screams reaching them.

“Nope, cha’boy hasn’t got a clue what you’re on about. You’re perfect.”

“Fuck.” Kravitz hisses.

Taako’s about to ask what’s going on, but before he can he’s in Kravitz’s lap. This was moving slightly faster than the trajectory he’d assumed for them because of the tree and the need to hide and the witnesses and all, but he was absolutely on board with it. Toot toot, Taako and Kravitz are pulling out of the station. He places his arms round Kravitz’s neck. “Hey.”

Kravitz presses a finger to Taako’s lips. “Sssh.”

Less talking, more action, Taako can get behind that.

But now Kravitz is pointing, and, yes, there’s Lydia prowling around below them. Fucking Lydia. Of course she ruins this for him. A shot will give away their position, but if they’re careful… They exchange a look, Kravitz clearly doing the same maths in his head. Where Lydia is Edward isn’t usually far behind and that means two targets to take down. Good job there’s two of them.

“Oh Taako darling.” Lydia coos below them, focusing mistakenly on the pile of hay bales to their right. “I know it has to be you that tagged the target. Come out, come out wherever you are!”

Kravitz grimaces, matching Taako’s own. She inspires it in people. Taako wants to get her. Badly. But they have to get eyes on Edward first.

Taako shifts onto his feet and stands as quietly as possible. Kravitz looks up at him, clearly alarmed, and offers a hand for balance. It isn’t necessary really, Taako can do a tightrope blindfolded, a slack line backwards in the dark, run up a tree branch any day any time, but it’s nice. There’s a strong, welcoming hand, someone watching out for him, a handsome face looking up at him, someone that wants to help him do a paintball murder. That’s romance probably.

It takes them what feels like an age to get sights on Edward. It’s probably more like seconds of frantic scanning. He’s slotted between some hay bales further back than Taako would have expected, Lydia must be bait. Edward’s staring intently, poised and ready to fire. What he’s not ready for, is Taako giving Kravitz a nod, a mime, and them both dropping into place. Kravitz is fast loading, not as fast as Taako, natch, but he can appreciate talent.

Taako does the count down silently, uses his fingers to mark time.

Lydia screams when the paintball smashes across her chest plate, smearing her face too. Kravitz must have put spin on it somehow, beautiful clever man. Edward just looks disappointed when the red paint blooms across his front.

“Now that that’s taken care of?” Taako shifts back to the broadest section of the bough. “We should probably get back to, the, you know... ” He indicates the spot they’d settled in earlier.

Kravitz sits back down. “It’s important no one sees us.” Kravitz pulls Taako closer until he’s straddling his legs. “Better go back to the most streamlined position. We wouldn’t want to get spotted.”

Taako eases himself into Kravitz’s lap. “Safety first.”

Kravitz smiles, truly smiles, wide and goofy and toothy.

“I believe you were holding on, you know, to be extra safe.” Kravitz guides Taako’s arms back round his neck, drawing Taako in closer. “I’d better hold on too.” Kravitz grabs Taako’s thighs, pulls him forward firmly. He could get used to this, the man handling. Kravitz is strong, sure, but soft in the best places too, Taako can’t wait to explore every inch of him.

Taako leans in slowly, giving Kravitz time to move away if he’s misread the situation. Kravitz moves forward instead, eager and handsome and…

"MAGNUS!" Screams Magnus, as he drops down from a higher branch, hanging by his knees.

"No! Wait!" Taako puts his hand out too late. Magnus has already loosed his paintball, it flies straight for Kravitz's head.

"Fuck." Says Kravitz as it thwacks him square on the helmet. "Great shot." There’s a moment’s pause then he eyes Taako. "Now... Where were we?"

"Absolutely not, no, you're on your way to a date with a shower. You can meet Taako in the winner’s circle after."

Kravitz pouts. “But I'll miss you.”

"Well maybe you should have thought of that before you got paint all over you."

"I was a little distracted, if you remember." Kravitz has an edge in his voice, a hint of petulance, ooooh he cannot fail at anything.

"Not really, you'll have to remind me."

"Well I was somewhere around here." Kravitz catches on quickly, lifts a hand to cup Taako's face, stroke a thumb across his cheek bone. It's disgustingly tender. He hates how much he loves it.

Magnus rocks gently in the breeze. "Er, Taako? Sorry to interrupt, but I think I'm stuck."

[shmowder]

Noticed recently that there’s a lack of poly content on this blog and low key I’m shocked but then again I don’t imagine that there’s alot of poly content demand in this fan base but whatever I think it’s time to suggest the idea of a reader with two hands and those hands are for Daniil and artemy why pick one hottie healer when you can have both? Especially when said healers already have homoerotic tension with eachother! This is either going to be the most unstable polycule ever or shockingly calm one there’s really no in between in my opinion

Reader puts Daniil and artemy in a get along shirt and makes them hold hands everytime they fight

Putting them in a get along shirt? These men are making out in the corner of the room as we are speaking rn anon.

I get that the fandom plays on their rivalry for funsies and all but they're actually friends in canon, aren't they? They hold a begrudging amount of respect to one another and would've gotten along wasn't it for the families in powers toying with them like puppets on a string.

I mean Daniil was looking forward to meeting Artemy in a way, Isidor wasn't just an acquaintance to him but a dear colleague. Daniil held admiration for him and described him as selfless and kind hearted, Dankovsky actually complimenting someone!?

Daniil's problem is with the town and not Artemy or Menkhu's ways, Artemy just adores this town above all and took it personally. Otherwise, both of them always acknowledged how skilled the other healer is.

Then the whole murder thing happened, and it gave Daniil a false bad impression, leaving a bad taste in his mouth since Isidor was his friend.

They wouldn't be at each other's throats in a love triangle is what I'm saying, absolutely the opposite in a poly relationship even.

You'd have a harder time tearing them off of one another without them persuading you into joining, Daniil's honeyed words coaxing you, Artemy's heavy gaze undressing you.

A poly with them wouldn't be unstable or always calm, it will certainly have a strong foundation and a lively atmosphere.

Daniil wants his time alone? Artemy will keep you company instead.

Artemy is too overbearing? Daniil will keep him occupied while you get your personal time.

It's hard to feel neglected with Artemy and even harder to feel suffocated with Daniil. They balance each other out, they agree to disagree on certain things while their interests overlap on another.

They're absolutely unstoppable together, good luck winning anymore arguments if the two of them decided to team up or put their mind into something.

But they also share drastically different tastes and prefer contrasting lifestyles. Daniil wants the fame and recognition, he wants to live at the heart of the capital and keep up with the cutting edge technology. The conferences and galas, the upper crust society he wishes to mingle with just for a chance to spread the word about Thanatica even more.

While Artemy doesn't try to impress or appease anyone, he doesn't have anything to prove and couldn't care less about the legality of him preforming medicine. He has all this skill and knowledge which he will gladly put to use on anyone who asks for his help, no payment required in return. He wants a domestic quaint life in his hometown while he walks the footsteps of his father.

That's the one thing the two of them will always disagree about, and there are only so many weekly train rides between the two locations you can endure before it starts making you sick.

Artemy would want you closer in a way? He wants you involved in his life, in Sticky and Murky's life. His kids are part of him, it's a package deal.

While Daniil wouldn't only getting a fraction of your time, he is gentle with children but treats them as... children rather than humans or future adults. While nice, he won't form any deeper connections with them, more akin to an uncle than a parent.

The logistics of making it work will be very hard, not because of their personalities, they get along very well, but because of their contrasting lifestyles and differing ambitious.

The most tension between them there will ever be is when Artemy keeps making scrambled eggs while Daniil huffs and gets up to make his own sunny side eggs since that brute clearly can't follow instructions while Artemy rolls his eyes because once a Capital dandy will always be a Capital dandy huh Danya.

[tothepointofinsanity]

About the KyoSaya stuff. I adore character dynamics that bring out each character's ideology by juxtaposition. I adore it even more when the characters rely on each other for balance to be achieved, both thematically in the story and personally for the characters. I think the balance that can be achieved between Kyoko and Sayaka in a "best case scenario" is beautiful, and very good for both of them. Sayaka can reignite Kyoko's passion for believing in good, and force her to care about other people again, getting her out of her entirely self-oriented existence. And Kyoko can help Sayaka take care of herself and learn to be okay with doing things for herself, get her out of her entirely other people oriented existence. Together they could achieve a life of balance, keeping each other in check and being there for each other. A life where it is okay to be naive and want to help others and it is also okay to be selfish and do things for your own sake. Those ideas can exist together, i think. Sayaka in Rebellion seems to have taken Kyoko's ideas more into account. She doesn't hate herself anymore. I love Kyoko because she is able to exist without exterior validation. She lives for herself, and in that way she never has any regrets. However, Sayaka shows her she can't stay totally indifferent. Ideally, they would be able to live together with Sayaka accepting her own nature without hating herself, and Kyoko accepting her own softer side and not rejecting it. I don't know if you know anything about the game Madoka Portable (came out way before Magia Record), but there are some "routes" in that game where Kyoko and Sayaka manage to become close without Sayaka witching out. To me, Madoka Portable is some of the best extra content there is for Madoka Magica. There are tons of great character moments and KyoSaya absolutely rules in it. There's a quote Kyoko says in the game (unless i made it up, which is possible lmao). it's roughly her saying to Sayaka "Let's live the rest of our selfish lives together!". and that has got to be one of my favorite quotes from anything (even if i did make it up. i don't think i did?). God, relationships where you just want the characters to give in to each other, and figure out the rest together. I'm sorry this is SO ranty and all over the place.

The core ideal of KyoSaya being the yin and yang of each other is often highlighted, which I also enjoy.

I would like to think that these two are special to each other as a result — previously, Sayaka had never been actively (or in Kyoko's case, aggressively) opposed to before in her ideology of self-sacrifice as heroism, while Kyoko had never met a more persistent believer in goodness since her own experiences with her family and the church. Something akin to an unmovable object versus an unstoppable force, except both of them play both roles.

They enable each other and it's true that people with strong personalities often clash together as a result of their conflicted views. But it's where the angst and essence of KyoSaya comes in: they have to learn to not only compromise their values, but to also embrace each other to be at peace with the more extreme parts of said beliefs. Coexistence, yes. The scene where Oktavia makes her second appearance, there is a brief moment where red (Kyoko) mixes in with a crying figure of Sayaka to comfort her, before the mixture spills onto the ground, signifying both of their ends were made in this fusion and peace making.

Ah, I heard of the game before, since a while back I wanted to see if there was anywhere I could still play it on. I didn't look too in-depth into it, so I'm pleasantly surprised that KyoSaya would be hinted in it too. "Let's be selfish together!" is...so....one of my favourite embodiments of any couple dynamic ever o_o It makes sense since Sayaka was afraid of being seen as selfish for wanting someone to understand her and her frustrations, which Kyoko does. And Kyoko wants Sayaka, out of all people, to be with her because Sayaka made Kyoko learn to genuinely care and trust someone again. With Kyoko's trust, Sayaka could be less harsh on herself as a result!! The description that they have to give into each other and figure the rest together in a confusing and unforgiving world is quite literally the Most Thing ever.

It's devotion, ultimately. They are devoted to each other. Thank you for the ask, and no worries about it being a rant. This blog is for all Sayaka and Sayaka-related pairings enjoyers alike. ^^

[abyss-strikas]

The way I’m going insane with the power twins’ names cuz that’s so clever and absolutely hilarious Skarra could have had a field day if he founds out also IU lore👀👀👀👀? I love it cuz that’s so in line with canon (also the show should have gone a bit deeper with Automatic ngl cuz ain’t bro a long time player?) anyways loving the post ncksnncnfnd

(Post in question)

Dude, I already had names lined up for the twins because at the time, Liam was actually one of the twins but under a different name, Logan, and the second twin was just named Max. (I changed Logan's after the episode Altered Ego from Rookie Season, since there is a character of the same name). Just finding out that the writers DID have names for them in the script was astounding to know, especially since they easily could have done "Power Twin #1" and "Power Twin #2". I do want to say that I headcanon Norm to be the twin that hung out with Shakes at that charity event Skarra set up, and Stan is the one who messed up cause he was not paying attention at all (I could go over them at some point, but now I'm thinking of having Stan have ADHD, I think it would fit.) ANYWAYS–

I do want to stress that the names "Standard Power" and "Normal Power" are not canon, just a suggestion as to what Stan and Norm's full names could be. Still, it does lean in more with what the show writers' would do. If you stopped to count the puns in the series, there would be A LOT. Either way, I am going with those suggested names, but I do already have their new names lined up as well. I won't reveal that just yet though.

I think Skarra would have a field day with teasing the twins about their full names, if under different circumstances. The others might get in on it, but I could see Dingaan seeing it more as playful banter and thinking their names are cool. I feel like Dooma and/or Auto would tell Skarra to cool off on the teasing at some point, since they need to focus on winning games and he HAS to work together with the twins since they both got assigned to be strikers again.

It's kind of hard to say what they could and should have done with Automatic, but if they were planning both Season 7 and Rookie Season at the same time, they should have at least given more scenes to Automatic in Season 7 if it was going to lead up to Rookie Season. I can only recall Auto speaking in Perfect Match when he sees Skarra making another post for his charity event, and probably in Food For Thought when the whole IU team is arguing.

Automatic literally became sort of interesting to really interesting after Rookie Season. He was sort of interesting to me in the episode "Return to the Pirate Tower" because of his unstoppable throw-ins. I think if he was given that chance to play as a midfielder with Supa Strikas, thinks would have been very different. I'm sure Auto would have moved on since he's been with IU for so long, but a part of me thinks he still holds on to that resentment.

I sort of hope that if we ever get a new season, either for the main series or Rookie Season, we could have some scenes between Skarra and Automatic bonding over what Supa Strikas did to them. Maybe they would develop their own brotherly relationship, even if Skarra won't admit to it. I think Auto wouldn't mind it, but it would also feel weird to him cause the need to protect someone else was never there before, but now he's got this vicious chihuahua he's playing with and I just, I just think they would honestly.

Now, I kind of did have Skarra and my oc, Trent, also have a brotherly relationship, even if Skarra wouldn't admit to that either, I feel like maybe there were would be tension between Trent and Automatic until like the two of them bond over their experiences of dealing with Skarra, and they become pretty good friends after. Which makes it worse for Skarra since now he's got Auto greeting him with noogies and pranks, and Trent is greeting him with hugs, spinning him around cause he's much shorter than him, and getting embarrassed by him.

I'm rambling again, I apologize. But hey, I'm glad you enjoyed the post! I'd probably should make a separate post for all the IU headcanons I have at some point, WHEEZE. Or just Supa Strikas headcanons in general. Let me know!

[the-commonplace-book]

For the ship chart maybe you could do Victoria/Prudence or maybe Arthur/ Sally? Honestly love the level of analysis you put into these asks

Send me a ship for the ship bingo chart: Arthur Hastings / Sally Boyle ( We Happy Few )

Arthur and Sally you say? >:) Oh do I have Thoughts™ about Arthur and Sally (anon I’d like to give you a kiss on the mouth for sending them in) 

I’ve talked about Arthur and Sally before and this will come as no surprise to folks who were around last year when I was still in the throws of my first We Happy Few kick: I don’t ship Arthur and Sally and I think it’s good that they parted ways. I’ll talk about the one exception context in which I do ship them later, but for now let me elaborate on why in most scenarios Sally and Arthur absolutely do NOT work together. 

There’s a lot of appeal in the childhood friends, reunited and falling in love, trope at a first glance with Arthur and Sally, but in many ways their past and their respective unwillingness to let go of it is their downfall. Their arc plays perfectly into the narrative themes of We Happy Few. Their perceptions of each other are based on how they thought of each other as teenagers, not who they are as adults - or even who they really were as teenagers. 

Let’s look first at Sally. 

when we're together we're unstoppable. arthur and sally. sir galahad and the lady of the lake. the two musketeers  (Sally Note: Arthur!) i wanted to much to say, help, i've got a bloody baby. but he was so awful all i could get out was sorry sorry i'm sorry, and i want to help you and who even knows if he heard any of it. (Sally Note: Arthur!)

She is desperate for his approval because she respects his opinion, which makes it hurt so much more when he fails to give it. She imagines he’s right, whatever he says about her, because of course he is. She continues to bat her eyes and ask him for things because she knows he can’t say no, but she also continues to take shit from him because she really believes he has the best intentions. She thinks of him as kind and reliable, someone she can trust no matter what, and she does genuinely take advantage of that at times. Moreover, she struggles to accept that he has nuance beyond that and that he honestly had a nasty side that doesn’t line up with her image of him

When Verloc, or Byng, or any other man belittles her she blames patriarchy. When Arthur belittles her, she blames herself. She sees Arthur as smart, kind, and willing to help her with all her needs at the drop of a hat. But is he? Is he really? 

Is Arthur kind? No. Maybe he had more kindness in him as a teen, but Arthur is self-serving and avoids taking blame by painting himself as a victim of circumstance. He always has. Will Arthur help her no matter what? In the end, no. Because helping her came in conflict with point A about his own self-preservation. 

Speaking of Arthur, let’s take a look at how he thinks of Sally. 

She was being all lovely and slipped-the-surly-bonds-of-Earth Sally, only even more so, and then she said she was mates with Sir Robert B, or more than mates I suppose, and from then on all I could think about was that horrible night. (Arthur Note: And Then There Was Sally) The thing is, I don't trust her. She was always so wonderful when she was there, but a girl like Sally always has so many better places to be, and better people to be with, or worse people that she prefers anyway for some reason. And sometimes she'd just hide in Percy's old room in the attic and not come down. Who knows what's going on with her now? (Arthur Note: And Then There Was Sally) I should have said, "How have you been all these years, Sally? You ran off into the night with nothing, and now you're some sort of brilliant chemist. How did you survive? I wish I could have helped you. It would be nice to be friends again." Instead of all those dreadful things. (Arthur Line during The Faraday Cage) What if she is utterly sincere? What if she honestly does want me, and love me,  and need me? Do I have utterly no faith left in anyone? And she'd survive and I'd get killed. A girl like her shipwrecks, and the next day she's drinking margaritas under palm leaves. Yours truly is shark bait. (Arthur Note: I Am An Awful Person, But)

Arthur views Sally as being confident, flirtatious, always in control. While there is some truth to the notion that she uses men for her own gain, Arthur doesn’t ever take the time to examine why or understand the nuance of her choices. Instead he slut shames her for it. He gets upset at her for her “relationship” with Gen. Byng despite them having not spoken in fourteen years and despite the two of them having never had a relationship. As if he expected her to stay celibate for years just because he had a crush (he’d never say that, but it’s how he acts towards her) Arthur has always liked Sally, but Sally only finally decides she likes him when he can do something for her. Of course, Arthur being Arthur with his inability to accept blame without a caveat that shifts it elsewhere, doesn’t truly acknowledge that he is doing the exact same thing. He only seeks Sally out for help with the Letter of Transit. Everything comes back around to that. 

Then there’s the elephant in the room: What happened with Sally and Mr. Hastings

Arthur, in some capacity, blames Sally for what happened, even if he intellectually understands it wasn’t her fault. Sally, similarly, understands to a degree that it wasn’t her fault, but she still blames herself for it. 

what was i supposed to tell his dad, "no, you're practically my stepfather"? that would have gone over brillo. (Sally Note: Arthur!)

It doesn’t matter that her being sixteen made it legal. The fact is that Sally was young, barely of legal age, and staying with the Hastings after her entire family died. She had nowhere else to go. Mr. Hastings might not have been physically forceful, but it was coercion and he was absolutely 100% at fault. Sally has internal conflict about the whole incident and it makes sense. If she blames herself then it means she was in control, and Sally feels most secure when she’s in control.

Arthur has his own internal conflict about it. On some level he understands it wasn’t her fault (“I don't hate you, in the strangest way you're completely innocent.”) but he still yells at her about it when they reunite. He still lets it color his perception of her. His mum had died and he found his best friend (who he had a crush on) in his mum’s old bed with his dad. That had to have done a number on his psyche. 

I always used to wonder, if I'd run out the door after her, that day, what would have happened to us. Would we still be friends? Or was the magic all in my head? Who am I kidding? 16-year-old-me would never have had the courage to leave home!   (Arthur Note: I Am An Awful Person, But)

We don’t know whether this is something Arthur actually used to wonder, or if he’s just saying that now, but regardless there is an acknowledgement that at sixteen, he chose to stay with his dad. He didn’t run after Sally. And thanks to Joy, he never took the time to actually process what happened. Not until the events of the game. So he yells at her, he asks her why, despite knowing (to a degree) that she isn’t the person he should be asking that. But his dad is dead, and Sally’s here in front of him apologizing. So isn’t it easier to blame her? 

But what if…?

There’s this longing between them for their friendship to be renewed, but without accepting that they’ve both grown and changed as people (perhaps for the worse) and without acknowledging the past, there’s no hope for a future between them. Those barriers have to be broken down first. Sally was willing to try. Arthur wasn’t. Arthur believes that she chose her own convenience over leaving with him. Sally believes that Arthur left despite knowing she had a baby. 

Did Arthur hear her and just choose not to remember? Or did he really not hear her? We don’t know.

 Each character is an unreliable narrator in their act. Though I personally think he really didn’t hear her, I can’t imagine it changing anything. We know from Arthur’s act that he thought of Sally as surely having been less of a ‘loose woman’ in the past decade  (the “I haven't had sex with anyone in ten years! And if I did, it wouldn't be with that man.” line about Byng that we only get in Act I). He was faced with the reality of Sally and Verloc’s relationship in Haworth Labs via old notes, but it’s much harder to ignore a baby. A tangible result of her having had sex with someone. Arthur has an image he wants so desperate for Sally to fit, and she keeps contradicting it, but he just keeps hoping and trying. I could very easily see him responding to this news with a snarky comment about how she should ask her baby’s father for help or her good friend the General, if they’re not one in the same. (Gwen is very much Verloc’s baby is but Arthur doesn’t know that).

Despite how much they care about each other, and despite how much they may mutually wonder how things could have gone differently, even if they had an opportunity to sit down and have a proper conversation later, it would take a lot of time to be in a place where they could rebuild their friendship, and a romantic relationship would be toxic as hell if they weren’t intentional about making it healthy. Arthur doesn’t trust Sally as far as he can throw her and Sally isn’t exactly trustworthy. They’re both incredibly self-serving and both of them are incapable of acknowledging fault in any meaningful way. Arthur is awful to Sally and Sally takes it to heart, resulting in a horrid amount of negative self-talk about things she shouldn’t be blaming herself for, while she continues to ignore the problems she does have.

Arthur’s distrust, Sally’s fear of being trapped by a man, the mutual fear of the other person walking away, etc. etc. As much as I like the idea of them being in a healthy relationship down the line, it’s highly unlikely under most circumstances because they’re a wreck. It’s good that Arthur and Sally parted ways in We Happy Few. They both needed to let go of the past, and letting go of each other was a crucial step in that process.

The one exception in which I do ship them:

If it’s not clear yet, I’m in no way an Arthur apologist or a Sally apologist. I think they’re both messed up people who have a lot of growing to do, but I do have one context in which I ship them.

First of all, they would need a lot of time, a lot of personal growth, and a lot of intentional rebuilding of trust. They would have to learn to let go of their assumptions about each other and accept each other as they truly are. 

However, if they were able to take those steps, I could see them getting together a few years down the road once they’ve sorted themselves out as individuals and set new, healthier foundations for their relationship platonically. There may be room for a touch of romance after a decade or so.

Under the conditions that they’ve reached this healthier place in their lives, I think they would actually work well together. Arthur is the epitome of a male-wife and Sally is a working woman. He’s always admired her brilliance and finds it admirable how well she’s done for herself. He would support her in her career and she would support him in his, whatever that might be.

I think they balance each other out really well, too. Arthur is so caught up in what’s right and wrong. He sees people as either “good” or “bad” in most cases, where Sally sees everyone as being in that grey space between. This can cause conflict, but it can also cause growth if they take the time to listen to each other. Arthur needs someone to help him question that worldview. 

Sally sees people as tools for the most part. Most people (not all, but most) are means to an end in her eyes, and I think Arthur could help her challenge that in herself and try to be a better person simply for the sake of human decency. 

They have a shared love of literature and fashion, and admire each other in so many ways. Arthur admires her determination, intellect, and cleverness. Sally admires his wit, kindness, and ingenuity. While in the game they hold these things up as impossible ideals that don’t leave room for flaw, these opinions aren’t entire unfounded, and I think given time, trust, and honesty they could really help each other to be better versions of themselves. 

Also Arthur helping take care of Gwen is just soft. 

They wouldn't have an explosive romance. It would instead be the slowest of slow burns with a lot of hiccups along the way. It would begin with reconciliation and would take years of rebuilding trust and friendship. I could see them growing closer again over the years until one day they realize that Arthur comes over for dinner every night. He sleeps over on the couch more often than not. He’s practically living here already, so why not just move in? So the spare bedroom becomes Arthur’s room. Gwen’s a tween by now and is at that age where she’s meddling in other people’s love lives and thinks she knows what’s best for everyone. She’s thrilled at the idea of Uncle Arthur moving in. By her reckoning he and her mum are already a couple. It’s a while before Arthur and Sally acknowledge that that’s what they’ve become.

They’ve been walking side-by-side through life for years now and one day realize they’ve been holding hands along the way. 

For the art, I decided to draw them about 30 years down the line in the 90s ♥

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk :)  I’ll make a separate (shorter certainly) post for Prudence and Victoria. (edit: here it is!)

[echoes-lighthouse]

As much as I wanna encourage you in talking about ~Secret F/Os~ I am contractually inclined to ask about the Slasher Orphanage every chance I get so; 2, 3, 8, 19, 39, and bonus 32 for anyone of them that's figured that part of themselves out yet, please~

Okay let's go!!! It's dissertation time on the slasher kiddos I'm READY!!! (ask game)

2. Were there any traits or things about your F/O that you didn’t know about until after you got together adopted them?

Let's think about what the biggest surprise for each of them was, since I didn't really know most of them much before taking them into the house!

Brahms- how much he still relies on the doll even after his "true" self is revealed. Sadako- she was very stand-offish at the start, so it was a surprise when she ended up being cuddly. Michael- what hasn't been a surprise about Michael??? he helps Vincent with crafts sometimes, I think his connection with the others surprised me. Vincent- I don't think that Vincent has surprised me too much? We've had a slow development and nothing was toooo out of left field with him. Maybe I'm not thinking of it, though. Carrie- her sense of humour. It took me a while to get through to it, but she's developed a knack for saying unexpected things and making me laugh. Jason- the animals were a surprise. I found him with two squirrels on his shoulders once. He's brought birds into the house. He's unstoppable. Billy- absolutely terrible attention span for anything not related to his special interest: looks like he's paying attention but there's nothing registering Stu- he's good with the girls in the house: that doesn't mean I trust him with them, but he makes them both laugh

3. Have you influenced each other’s hobbies/interests? Do you feel you’ve “rubbed off” on each other’s personalities?

Oh, for sure. We all listen to more classical music because of Brahms, we do crafts for Vincent, we read horror books for Billy and Stu. I read them poetry, and we play the games that I like. I think we've all rubbed off on each other, to a certain degree.

8. What would the ideal future with your F/O look like?

It's hard to think about! I don't think I want a future in this selfship. It's just a single moment that stretches forever.

19. What is the pet policy in the relationship? Is one of you a cat person while the other is a dog person? Are either of you allergic or disinterested in animals altogether?

The house is divided, so the rule is that there are no pets! Jason brings in strays sometimes, but they have to stay in the barn once we find them. Brahms, Sadako, and Vincent are not fans of most animals: Carrie and Jason both like most animals, the rest of us are neutral or mixed.

sickness and sexualities under the 'readmore'!

39. How do both of you take care of each other when the other is sick?

The house kind of falls into chaos when I'm sick, if I'm being honest. None of us like a disrupted routine, and I'm the key figure in keeping the schedule rolling. Brahms won't get near me because he hates getting sick. Sadako kind of lingers around but doesn't approach either. Michael, Vincent, and Carrie are the ones who take over the cooking, and they make a good soup together. Billy and Stu take the chance to slack off on chores, but bring me books and magazines for entertainment. Jason takes the chance to get cuddles, he doesn't care about getting sick.

Brahms is so grumpy when he's sick that I hardly want to take care of him, but we get through it with a lot of deep breathing and intentional gentleness.

Sadako hasn't gotten properly sick while we've been together, just a cold once, and she pushed through it like a champ.

Michael doesn't show the fact that he's sick until he's literally passing out, so I try to keep an eye out and enforce bed rest when needed.

Vincent stays in bed when he's sick: he and his brother would switch the chores in times of sickness and it's still a habit for him. He won't tell anyone he's sick but he'll just kind of vanish and we have to figure it out.

Carrie has trauma around illness and also tries to hide it, while picking up extra chores. She gets really nauseous even with a mild cold and has a hard time eating. I do my best to support her and give her infinite juice.

Jason hides in weird places when he's sick. He wants to be around people but not right beside them, so he squishes behind the couch or under beds. Terrifying but cute!

Billy is my favourite when he's sick, if we're honest. He has trouble maintaining his walls and he gets hazy and just... softer. He reacts well to being taken care of, for once. As long as he has a steady stream of media, he's okay.

Stu is the person who insists he can't lift a finger with a cold. But I like babying him, so it's okay. He's a blanket burrito kind of guy, but also gets easily bored, he always wants someone to keep him company.

32. What is your F/O’s sexuality?

Brahms hasn't figured out, but he's probably straight with a demi lean. Sadako is ace/aro. Michael is bisexual. Vincent is.... demisexual? Maybe ace biromantic? Carrie is not ready for that conversation but I think she's a lesbian. Jason is straight but that doesn't mean I'm sure he'll stay that way. Billy and Stu don't use labels, but Billy is a 1 on the Kinsey scale and Stu is a 5. For what that's worth.

[allylikethecat]

If you're not too sick of them I would love if you could do gatty with 7 or 46 ♥️

Hello!

I could never be sick of this whole prompt situation! I've been having so much fun working on them! I do want to apologize though, I'm sorry that this took so long for me to finish - real life got in my way. I hope it was worth the wait! I filled them both separately, I hope that's okay- I like to think it means you're getting more bang for your buck! I'm not totally sure I love how #46 turned out, but I decided I need to stop fiddling with it and just put it out into the world and move on. I hope it's at least adjacent to what you were looking for! I have a few more kiss prompts in the works, a few intimacy prompts and a smut prompt (which is an area I need to work on in my writing, so it shall be interesting to say the least).

Thank you so much for the request and for being so kind and supportive of my writing! It really means a lot and I am so thankful to have found such a kind and supportive subset of The 1975 fandom to be apart of.

Warnings: there is mention of drug use / mention of past abuse in #46

Let me know what you think! Constructive feedback is always welcome and appreciated!

❤️Ally

7. Kiss…to shut them up

Matty had been talking for the last twenty three minutes. George knew exactly how long his latest tangent had run so far, having glanced at and made note of the time ticking away in the corner of his laptop screen when he noticed the flush in Matty’s cheeks and the fire in his eyes. So far he had barely taken a breath and George had given up trying to follow the track of his thoughts twenty two minutes ago. He was gesturing wildly with his hands, getting louder and more animated as he spoke, clearly building up the momentum, and getting more excited as he went. George tried not to feel too bad that he had been tuning him out, nodding along and humming in approval in what he hoped were the right places, his focus on his laptop, and the seemingly endless amount of emails he had in his inbox. No one told him that producing for other artists would mean going through so many emails. 

If for some reason the musical career ended up not panning out, which after five number one albums in the UK was unlikely, Matty could have a career as an American politician, George thought, he would be unstoppable in a filibuster, and he had already mastered the art of speaking constantly while saying a whole lot of nothing. He closed his laptop, hoping that maybe Matty would catch on, see that George was closing his laptop and that maybe that was his sign to take a breath, and that it was time to meet Adam and Carly for lunch, but Matty was still going, pacing around the room that served as their home office.

“Which ties it all together!” Matty said, waving his hands in the air as George turned to look at him fondly, his curls bouncing as he drove his point home. George had absolutely no idea what his point was. “Because despite what the critics might think, it really is the perfect example of postmodernism in literature-” George couldn’t take it anymore. 

Matty let out a surprised hum of approval as George crashed their lips together, sucking the air from his lungs as he deepened the kiss, running his fingers through his hair, tugging on the locks in a way that he knew made Matty weak at the knees. Matty broke away a moment later, panting with his nose pressed to George’s cheek as he tried to regain his breath. 

“What was that f-” he started to ask before George was kissing him again, licking into his mouth, and nipping at his lower lip. His knees buckled, overwhelmed by the way George was consuming all of his senses. George walked him backwards, pressing him against the wall, and suddenly it didn’t matter that his legs didn’t work anymore. He had George to support him. 

“You’re so cute,” George said and Matty flushed his cheeks darkening into an even deeper shade of red and he squirmed bashfully at the praise. He kissed Matty again, his eyes rolling back in his head as he clung to George’s shoulders, letting out a soft whimper of enjoyment. 

“I love you,” George said softly, speaking the words against Matty’s lips, their breath intermingled as Matty’s heart raced, his fingers drifting lower, digging into the meat of George’s hips as if he would float away if he let go.

“I love you too,” Matty said softly, his cheeks still flushed. “I was rambling again wasn’t I?” he asked sheepishly, realizing George hadn’t been listening to a word he had been saying, but not able to bring himself to care. 

“A little bit,” said George with a chuckle, the sound vibrating in Matty’s chest with the way they were pressed together. “It was cute though, and you’ll have to tell me again over lunch, I got distracted finishing up some emails and I’m sure I missed a few of the points.” 

Matty’s flush deepened. “Well, next time just tell me to shut up,” he said, jutting his chin out defiantly. 

“What do you think I just did?” George said, with a laugh, this one deeper, and Matty curled his toes in desire as he kissed his neck.

“I’m sorry I talk so much,” said Matty, feeling a moment of vulnerability as George mouthed at his collarbone, nose skimming the open collar of his shirt.

“Don’t ever be sorry for that,” George said, his lips ghosting against Matty’s sensitive, burning skin. “I love it when you talk.” 

“Even when you want me to shut up?” Matty asked softly and George chuckled and nodded his breath tickling Matty’s neck.

“Even then.”

46. Kiss…out of envy or jealousy

Matty swallowed hard, standing on his tiptoes as he scanned the crowd, desperate for a glimpse of George. He reached up to tug uncomfortably at the collar of his shirt, loosening his tie ever so slightly as he did so, feeling strangled by the fabric as he floated on the fringes of the after party. These things were much more uncomfortable sober, he thought desperately, he was pretty sure he was the only person not on something at the moment. 

Even George had smoked a spliff during the car ride to the next venue. Matty had declined when George tried to pass it to him, under the delusion that he wanted to keep a clear head. He was already feeling paranoid, like he was being watched. Each breath he had taken was carefully measured at the awards show, a conscious effort to keep his expression engaged and mild lest the camera pan to their table. If he had accepted the spliff he would have been convinced everyone could tell, that everyone knew he was high, that instead of legal marjuana he had relapsed, had gone back to the substances they didn’t even know he was clean from. He swallowed hard. Where the fuck was George?   

It was a stark contrast to his previous party experiences, his previous life experiences really. He couldn’t remember the last party he had been at, industry or otherwise without some kind of A Class chemical racing through his blood stream, lubricating his social interactions, giving him a personality. He felt almost numb now, anxiety thudding in his chest, simmering in his veins as he tried to remember who he was and how to be a person. 

A server walked past with a tray of champagne flutes and Matty snagged a glass with shaking hands, downing it quickly. Where the fuck was George? He thought, starting to feel frantic. He had gone to the washroom ten minutes ago. It shouldn’t have taken him ten minutes to piss. There was never a queue for the men’s room.  Matty had given him a smile and said he would be fine on his own, not wanting to seem so needy and codependent that he had to follow his boyfriend to the bathroom. He was a strong independent man, he tried to remind himself. He felt anything but. 

He thought for sure he would be able to find someone he knew easily enough, but they were in America and he was starting to realize maybe he didn’t actually know anyone else here. If he had met them before, it was during the dark times and he clearly didn’t remember the interaction. He knew he seemed unapproachable, curls falling his face, eyes downcast, the charismatic spark that drew their fanbase to him having flickered out as he pushed himself out of his comfort zone. He knew he radiated a general air of “leave me the fuck alone,” especially when he was desperate for anything but. He hated being sober. He hated that he had gotten clean, that he felt some kind of moral obligation to stay that way, that the rest of the lads had spent their own money on his treatment after he had nearly bankrupted the group with his addiction. 

He fiddled with his now empty champagne glass and wished for something stronger, or wished that he hadn’t built up such a high alcohol tolerance over the years, because despite his size he felt absolutely nothing after quickly finishing the glass. A second server walked passed and he traded his empty flute for a full one, drinking this one more slowly, giving him something to do with his hands, allowing him to focus on the feeling of the bubbles fizzing against his tongue, grounding him, keeping him present. That was something he was working on in therapy. Staying more present.

His frustration and anxiety started to move, turning to frustration and envy. George had probably ran into some he knew on his way to or from the restroom. George had probably bumped into someone and made a friend, the words flowing easily as he introduced himself. Matty knew that he had a reputation for being an extrovert, that he was the mouthpiece of the band whether people liked it or not. Whether he liked it or not. But George was the one that could talk to anyone, a casual sort of comfortable in any social situation that Matty wasn’t ever able to recreate despite the copious drugs he had poured into his body, desperate to be liked, desperate to be cool.

He was jealous, he realized sharply, he was jealous and it burned in his belly as he swallowed the rest of his champagne and set the glass on one of the high top tables scattered around the space, pushing his way through the crowd. Being jealous wasn’t going to solve anything, being jealous wasn’t going to make people like him, it wasn’t going to quell the anxiety embedded in his rapidly beating heart. Being jealous wasn’t going to make George come back to him faster.

He caught a glimpse of what he hoped was George moving through the crowd, talking to some kind of teen drama actress that had been a presenter at the show earlier that night. The jealousy flared, moving up his throat, blistering his vocal cords, he tried to swallow it down, feeling it molten and hot in his lungs. George threw his head back and laughed, smiling happily. George had gone and made a friend, George had abandoned him, like Matty was nothing more than an anchor weighing him down. George had gone and cut the rode, untangling himself from his mooring to forge his own path. 

It wasn’t a conscious decision, his feet moving on his own accord, it was like he was watching his body move from somewhere above, something, or someone else was controlling him like a recently unlocked newly playable character. Matty slid into position next to George, hand gliding across his back under his suit jacket to wrap possessively around his hip. 

He stood up on his tiptoes and pressed a kiss to the corner of George’s mouth, interrupting whatever he had been saying to the wide eyed peroxide blonde. 

George chuckled against his lips, turning his head to deepen the kiss, showing Matty that despite his initiation, George was the one holding all of the cards. 

“Someones feeling a little green,” he murmured, soft enough that it was for Matty’s ears only as he pulled away. 

“This is my boyfriend Matty,” said George, turning back to the girl, “he’s needy little shit and gets jealous when I’m not giving him my full attention.” 

Matty flushed at his teasing words, the bit behind them stinging slightly, but at the same time making him preen. The girl laughed. 

“What can I say,” said Matty, leaning into George’s side. “I’m the jealous type.”

[emilyskinners]

putting the core four into some of my favorite tv shows and why I put them in said show (this is just my opinion so don't lose your minds over it, if you guys have other shows you'd see the core four in lmk):

tara: cobra kai

look, hear me out for a second. we've seen what tara can do and this girl is five foot two for crying out loud, she has a lot of rage and trauma and anger. but this girl and cobra kai, she's turning into a fucking menace even MORE of a menace than miguel, hawk or robby when they were all in cobra kai. this girl would be fucking unstoppable and i support it all the way

sam: titans

come on, I've mentioned how she parallels with dick grayson, are you telling me she would not fit in the show? say what you want about this show but the first season was fucking awesome and it be really fucking interesting see sam's trigon nightmare, having a similar one that dick had in season 1 finale like look at the material! now i wanna write this fic so badly, someone stop me. also her and dick would be an unstoppable duo and be absolute menaces together, you can't tell me I'm wrong

chad: outer banks

okay, listen. him and jj would be the ULTIMATE himbo duo, like come on and chad would just so easily fit right in, and this mother fucker would throw hands with rafe and topper in a split SECOND and i support it so much. it would be so satisfying to watch <3

mindy: mtv scream

okay, maybe I'm cheating a bit but with this one but like come on..... horror is this girls thing and also the trio her, noah, and audrey would be would be fucking iconic together as a trio. and people mentioned how badly they want the cast of the scream tv show to be in the movies, I also really would like that but it would be unlikely so we have to stick with crossover fanfic for now. and also the fact i watched the season 1 finale earlier today and it came into my mind