#Like there are things I can actually appreciate about him.
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gothicfied · 3 days ago
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can you write a squid game fic or head cannons of other characters finding out the reader is struggling with self harm? If so, thank you and I understand it is a sensitive topics and may be uncomfortable to write.
Squid Game season 2 characters x reader who struggles with sh
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Featuring: Thanos / Player 230, Se-mi / Player 380, Cho Hyun-ju / Player 120, Nam-gyu / Player 124, Kang Dae-ho / Player 388, Park Min-su / Player 125, Kim Jun-hee / Player 222
(Trigger) Warnings: Mention/Talk about sh, depression, and things of this nature, this is comfort/angst, not proof read (english isn't my first language)
Summary: Basically what the ask says
A/N: hey! I hope this is what you imagined, sorry if some of these are ooc😞🙏
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Thanos / Player 230
જ⁀➴ Before he really knew, he'd constantly make your life a living hell, basically making fun of your shyness. He'd make certain comments to which he knew you wouldn't react to or would try to persuade you to vote in favor of the game containing.
જ⁀➴ You'd constantly tell him off and to leave you alone. It didn't really help, though. Thanos would just sit down next to you and talk your ear off about what he wanted to do with that prize money.
જ⁀➴ When you stood up to leave, rollung your eyes at him, he grabbed you by your wrist.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Thanos blurted out, giving you an offended glare. "You know, it's really rude to just leave a conversation like that." When you tried to get out of his grip, your sleeves rode up your arm, revealing scars you weren't proud of or wanted him to see. When you realized it, he did too, immediately letting go of you.
જ⁀➴ Since Thanos knew what it meant to struggle with mental health he did actually leave you alone for now. But, after the next game, he approached you again and sat down next to you. "I'm sorry about yesterday." he said, patting you on the back.
જ⁀➴ He related to you in a way, but didn't want to ask you about what went on in your private life. Now you just appreciated that he seemingly didn't overstep any boundaries anymore and even checked up from you every now and then.
Se-mi / Player 380
જ⁀➴ You and her had been a duo ever since she came up to you and complimented your looks. Even if you denied it or not, she'd repeat it multiple times, winning you over with her charm quickly.
જ⁀➴ You two had the same mindset on a lot of things, originally voting 'O', thinking you were able to survive one more lousy game. That game was a death scare. Nothing about it was funny anymore. You appreciated your life too much these days to die like this.
જ⁀➴ When the second favor didn't go your way, both Se-mi and you now voting 'X', you felt helpless. One night, the two of you were sitting on her bed, just talking about your past and how you got to this point in the first place. While Se-mi was more secluded, only telling you that 'there are so much worse things she had to face when she got out' you trusted her enough to tell her about a sensitive time in your life.
"I'm not really secretive about this anymore," you pushed your sleeves up, revealing faded scars along your forearm, "but yeah. It was all pretty fucked up. The whole debt thing didn't make it any better." Se-mi looked at you with raised eyebrows, her fingers tracing the lines on your wrists. "I knew you were strong. Don't worry, we'll get out of here."
જ⁀➴ She put in double the work to protect you — She just wanted you to start a better life with that money and be happy, free from debt and all of it.
Cho Hyun-ju / Player 120
જ⁀➴ Hyun-ju noticed from the start that you were more secluded, more prone to cry, panicked easily. It was clear to her that you were struggling with this situation, perhaps even more than that. She made it her task to help you as much as she could, comfort you and keep you close to her and her group.
જ⁀➴ You'd often rant to her and tell her what bothered you after she reassured her she'd take care of anything possible. Hyun-ju was the anker you needed in this shithole and you just appreciated her very much. Everything she did seemed to be out of genuine interest and not just to gain your trust and abuse it.
જ⁀➴ Accidentally, Hyun-ju did catch a glimpse of the scars you were so desperate to hide. She didn't mention it, feeling like it wasn't her place to comment on it. Her heart did break for you, though.
જ⁀➴ From then on, she made sure to speak softer to you and distract you from all the horror around you.
Hyun-ju hugged you tightly against her chest, her arms engulfing your figure. "Tonight things could get a bit scary," she mumbled into your hair while she rested her face against your head, "I just want you to know now rather than find out later. I'll keep you safe, you know that." You just nodded, reciprocating the hug after a few moments.
Nam-gyu / Player 124
જ⁀➴ When he found out, as you didn't make the effort to hide them or anything, he did refrain from provoking you in any way. Nam-gyu related, as he considered his drug use not to be the best thing he could do to his body.
જ⁀➴ Both of you hung around in the same group, since Thanos really wanted you on his team, constantly giving you compliments and flirting with you. It annoyed him to a degree, scoffing everytime Thanos tried to talk to him about how pretty you were, how much he wanted you, give you the world. In Nam-gyu's opinion, he didn't get you.. didn't get what you went through, at all.
જ⁀➴ One evening before lights out, the two of you were teasing each other about something and laughed together — something that rarely occured amongst the other players.
"Want me to show you something?" Nam-gyu asked you, leaning a bit closer. Chuckling, you replied with a 'mhm' and watched him pull up the sleeve of his jacket, revealing skin tracks along the inside of his elbow. You raised an eyebrow: "Oh?" You took his arm to get a closer look, tracing his skin with your fingertips. "Well, we all have our stories, huh?" The man nodded at your wrists, making you look at them too, like you didn't already know what he meant.
જ⁀➴ The both of you grew close to each other, much to his amuse. He was a junkie, you were depressed.. it's like a disaster in the making. But, you didn't care. He was sweet and weirdly kind to you — Not in the way Thanos was. You made sure to hug Nam-gyu a few times more after that, in case it could be the last timd you'd get to do that.
Kang Dae-ho / Player 388
જ⁀➴ You were glad to be on Gi-hun's team from the start, since Dae-ho and you got along really well. As a former Marine, which he was super proud of obviously, he declared he'd protect you immediately after you met, making you laugh.
જ⁀➴ He was kind, strong and funny, but maybe a bit oblivious at times.
During the six-legged pentathlon, you two sat next to each other, cheering the current active team on. Yelling and screaming filled the area as they crossed the finish lind just in time, making everyone erupt in cheers. Dae-ho immediately hugged you with joy, excited to see the five live another day, at least. After pulling back witha laugh, you gave him a small high five with your sleeve rolled back. When noticing scars along your wrist and forearm, the former marine gasped pretty loudly. "What?" you asked with genuine concerning, fearing something was wrong with you. "Oh, I'm so sorry," Dae-ho pulled your sleeve back over your arm. "Dude," he looked at you with wide eyes "it's fine." You needed to hold back a laugh.
જ⁀➴ Dae-ho felt so bad to havs accidentally seen something you've been struggling with, that he couldn't help but apologize profusely. You repeated to him that it wasn't a big deal for you and that you were working on this problem, but he didn't stop nonetheless.
જ⁀➴ You thought it was cute how much he seemed to care for you and how often he came up to you just to tell you that he appreciated you. And Dae-ho did, he didn't just say that to make you feel better.
Park Min-su / Player 125
જ⁀➴ Min-su is just shy over all. When he noticed it, he wouldn't say a thing. He'd be dead silent, maybe even a bit scared to talk to you. He was just scared he'd make it awkward, somehow hinting that he knew about your scars. Min-su was just someone who overthought a lot and even you noticed it.
જ⁀➴ After a bit, it annoyed you — The sudden lack of his presence next to you, the fact that he wouldn't properly talk to you anymore, it was all just weird and confusing. So, you decided to ask him directly.
"Did I do something wrong?" your voice wasn't stern, but Min-su could tell that you were kind of upset. "Ah, no-" he quickly replied back, shaking his head, "it's really not you!" He looked at you with his typical innocent face, making it hard for you to keep pressing him about this matter. "Then what is it, seriously?"
જ⁀➴ He explained what he saw and said that he just felt so sorry. Well, at least he didn't speak to you because he didn't want to hurt or upset you, which was really thoughtful.
જ⁀➴ You'd expect that he would now be the one to comfort you or something, but no it was the complete opposite. Min-su seemed to worried about you and kept asking you how you were feeling or if anything bothered you. You had to keep reassuring him that those times were in the past and that he didn't have to be so worried.
જ⁀➴ It was really cute though, so you let it slide.
Kim Jun-hee / Player 222 (implied fem!reader)
જ⁀➴ Since Jun-hee and you were pretty close in age, you two had found each other right away. You kept telling her that she needed more protection, or at least an ally like you, on her side sincs she was pregnant. You weren't really serious about that, just chuckling when bringing it up, but ut definitely made Jun-hee trust you a lot more. It was a critical situation she was in and she was glad to have you by her side.
જ⁀➴ You even banged on the door in the middle of the night to make the guards take her to the bathroom when she was to shy to do it herself.
As ths pink guard brought you to the womens bathroom, Jun-hee held onto you, clearly being in pain. A few minutes later, you were washing your hands and tried to fix yourself up, looking a bit disgusted in the mirror. "What is it?" Jun-hee emerged from one of the stalls, chuckling. "Man, I look like a damn zombie. Look what this place has done to us." Instead of getting a reply, you noticed that she was staring at your arms, at your scars. You had taken your jacket off for convenience and kind of forgot about them. "Oh, I'm sor-" Jun-hee interrupted you, "No! No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stared like that!"
જ⁀➴ Obviously everyone had their struggles, but now her own kind of seemed insignificant next to yours. You were doing so much for her and she didn't even know that you were struggling. She should've thought of that.
જ⁀➴ When voicing that thought to you, you felt bad that you made her feel like that. With a hug, it was all sorted out. Jun-hee cared deeply for you and she could tell that you cared for her like that, too. It was nice to know that someone had your back in a place like this.
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alansparkshark · 1 day ago
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One has to wonder like, who actually kicked MC to the curb? Was it like a king who had his court wizards make a summoning circle? A god that pulled them from their world to make them save the world they got sent to? Cause it was mentioned towards the start that the entire class saw MC get banished for his "weak" skills, and then all the class just immediately found their first Public Enemy #1.
But does anything happen from that? Is the plot just "Yeah let's get some more strength and skill under our belts, get MC, and then commit this world's first and most devastating drive-by on the PoS that chucked him away"?
Cause that just sounds like what's being built up here.
-------------------------
Prez: So, (Class Mom), you sure this tent has divination protection?
Class Mom: Yep, tested it with everyone who can use detection magic, future sight, and (Goth Girl)'s Patron even agreed to test it and said the inside couldn't be observed.
Goth Girl: We better use this as often as possible... A month of my cell service... Gone as a cost...
Prez: Your sacrifice is appreciated. Now, with our privacy secured, let's start the first meeting for the plan.
Delinquent/Bully: The "Fuck That Motherfucker That Banished MC To The Asscrack of Geography" plan?
Prez: We'll workshop the name but yes.
Tomboy: Don't think (MC) is here though. Shouldn't we include him?
Class Clown: Eh, he's a big strong boy, he'll find out one way or another. Not like we can't fill him in next time someone's sniffs him out like the IRS.
Class Mom: I'm still surprised they found us here. Good thing (Prep Girl's Familiar) is immune to bullets.
Prez: Tell me about it. Now, back to the topic at hand. The Plan.
Football Club: I mean, what's there to plan? We could just speed run the quest they sent us to, get to meet them again, and rush 'em.
Prez: Not devastating enough.
*Half the class looks at him weird. The other half, including Momma, Goth, Class Clown, and Tomboy, nod in agreement.*
Prez: As we all remember, the only thing that stopped us from actively jumping on the bastard was the confusion of being in a new world. Once we got teleported to the castle, some were immediately angry with what happened to MC, myself included. Others took a few days to acclimate, but once settled in, everyone was in agreement by the end of the week. That alone, that we were all in agreement that MC shouldn't have had that happen to him, should tell you well enough that this shouldn't be a run-of-the-mill beating. All of us have ideas. Everyone wants to give them a piece of our mind. If we just go in guns blazing, it'll be over before everyone gets their licks in. So, we'll be taking these meetings to plan an itinerary of who wants to do what, so that we can make a day out of it and have everyone's input matter.
*Silence*
Bully: Dude... You've really been stewing on that ever since you sent that one deaths tare in the throne room, huh?
The standard 'entire class gets isekai'd to a fantasy world and the outcast MC is basically discarded' anime setting, where the MC, now assumed dead, decides to instead help the class of Heroes in the shadows, making sure they live up to what the people need.
However, the entire class knows that he's alive and are hellbent on dragging that son of a bitch back into the spotlight and to give him the recognition he deserves.
(And maybe because he was basically the entire class's Little Guy™.)
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fan-a-tink · 1 day ago
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Character Appreciation Week: Edwin Payne
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Edwin Payne is the kindest & bravest soul I have ever come across in fiction. He found the courage to forgive his killer, he dedicated his afterlife to helping other people, solving their cases and giving others the help he never received when he was alive. He endured decades of torture in literal hell and it only made him kinder, more desperate to help others, to protect others from the same fate. He brought Charles so much more than just a lantern, but warmth and light and comfort in his darkest hour, and Edwin was ready to let Charles move on, completely selflessly offering his friendship for a few hours thinking that's all it was ever going to be.
Edwin is also an incredible detective, and I love that he can spend his afterlife pursuing his interests, using his intelligence and analytical abilities to solve cases, and becoming like the great detective characters he always loved reading about. He takes his work seriously, but I know that he also takes pleasure in it, reveling in the questions and motions of detective work. He's actually the biggest nerd who made his special interest his profession and I love how much joy that brings him.
I love Edwin for how protective he is of his own space and for how he adopts a quiet confidence in himself as he discovers more about himself, his queerness, his relation to others. He is always very aware of the space he takes up in the world, the ghostly body he's been given, the version of himself that exists in the world as a testimony to his escape from hell and the endless cycle of being ripped apart over and over again. It's no wonder he is conscious of his body, and careful about who he lets into his personal space. But I also love that that never stops him from adding little flourishes to his movements, small gestures that become part of his very unique style of existence. By the end of the eight episodes you can really see in his movements that he is comfortable in his ghostly skin and confident about who he is. It is beautiful to see.
And finally, I love Edwin for how he loves Charles. His journey of discovery, not only of his sexuality but also of his feelings for Charles, of learning how to love and let other people in was so powerful and really hit a nerve with me. Out of all the incredibly brave things he's done throughout his after-life, confessing his feelings for Charles is by far the bravest one. He poured his heart out and made himself completely vulnerable in front of the person who had the power to hurt him more than anyone in the world. And I am so glad it was Charles, and that Charles responded with so much gentleness and acceptance. My heart sings when I think about how much Charles and Edwin care about and for each other, how gently they hold each other, how precious they are to one another. Their relationship is the definition of the secret third thing and I will forever be grateful to Edwin for being a part of that. I feel so hopeful knowing that he is finding his way through the great labyrinth of sexuality and romantic attraction, hopeful that I can navigate it too.
Edwin Payne, my precious boy, my beloved ghost detective, my favourite character to ever grace the realm of fiction. You are so loved.
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call-me-casual · 24 hours ago
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I’ve been thinking about them so here’s a Scott Tracy [TAG edition] headcanon dump:
1. This is a bit of a retcon of an older headcanon, but Scott is 26 at the start of S1, just at the edge of turning 27, and 29 on the brink of turning 30 at the end of S3. I originally put him as 27, but I will die on the hill that Alan is 17 in S1 based on the uk driving age and I think I’ve seen somewhere that an old magazine or something said the age gap between Alan and Scott was 9 years?
2. Probably not going to be very popular but I headcanon that in the world of TAG, Scott was never in the military or GDF. No bereznik, no nothing. Instead his possible “militaristic” behaviour comes from Jeff’s training and Scott’s tendencies to copy his father.
3. Scott may have the colouring and significant facial features of his father, but actually has a good amount of his mother’s traits, such as his lanky build and personality. He loves his dad dearly and aspires to be like him, but also appreciates the little things his mother gave him that didn’t leave him a simple clone of his dad. He also inherited a few traits from his mother’s side in general.
4. Scott’s behaviour is often him attempting to act like Jeff for the sake of the others. It started as him trying to figure out how to lead, but there was also an underlying factor of him wanting things at home to stay as similar as they could. This is “Commander Scott”, whilst his real personality shines when he banters with his family, expresses his own interests and feels more comfortable.
5. Linking to headcanon 2 is what I like to call “The silver prince of Tracy Island”. Scott is a valuable asset, and people know this. Even before iR, organisations and militaries were scrambling to try and get hold of the firstborn of the legendary Colonel Jeff Tracy. They think that the kid who wants to be just like daddy will be easy to manipulate. But Scott always turned them down out of a desire to stay with his family and his incredibly pacifist nature. One of these organisations was the GDF, at the time run by a not so nice man. Not long before the Zero-X, they attempted to basically kidnap Scott and force him to serve, but were stopped by an irate Jeff who came in and saved him. This incident lead to the man in charge being investigated and replaced by Colonel Casey not long after Zero-X. (This is partly influenced by an old thread that I can’t find for the LIFE OF ME-)
His brothers know what happened, they know that there are people who want Scott Tracy for their own gain, and they are determined to protect him as he’s protected them. Sometimes, one might find a brother or two sitting vigil over their brother’s rare instances of sleep. His royal guard.
6. Scott’s pacifist nature comes from the fact that his earliest memories include the fresh Conflict of 2040. He became aware of the destruction through Jeff’s own experiences and hearing many, many news broadcasts and conversations. Scott may have been young, but he understood the gravity of what adults talked about following the conflict, when it was fresh in everyone’s minds. Whilst he doesn’t remember this, it was monumental in forming who he is today. He’s not a TOTAL pacifist (as seen when he attempts to punch evil Indiana Jones-), but he is determined to never take a life. He knows his father’s regrets, and promised to never repeat them.
7. Scott is stronger than he looks. Yes he’s light as a feather and could almost be called a twink, but he’s actually mostly lean muscle. iR promotes training for strength rather than show, so Scott isn’t very buff looking. He does however, lack a lot of body fat and can sometimes struggle to warm back up. His uniform is thickly woven and padded inside as a result, and on windy days at the island, Virgil will attempt to swaddle his big brother in blanket-thick towels post-swim.
8. Despite only stating “looking up at the night sky” (ouch) and “swimming” as his hobbies in that interview, Scott does have a few things he enjoys! Flying is obvious, but he also enjoys playing football (the REAL one, where you KICK the ball), hiking, model making and using burner accounts to wind up the bigots of 2060.
9. Scott has some variation of separation anxiety, even if he’ll never admit it. If a brother comes home after a close call or particularly long/dangerous mission, he’ll essentially wrap himself around them and refuse to let go. Because he’s mad at himself that he couldn’t protect them more, scared of what could have happened, and needs to assure himself that he hasn’t lost his baby brothers the way he lost his dad.
10. When there’s a particularly annoying or just frustrating board member at Tracy Industries, Scott will perform a series of secret pranks to get under their skin without any real consequences. The investors fear the coffee machine after it got filled with non-toxic washing up liquid found its way inside. He sits with Gordon to brainstorm new ideas.
11. If picked up from under the armpits or grabbed by the back of his shirt collar, Scott will go limp and one can perform the cat “temperament test” on him. Beware that this only occurs when there is a level of trust, otherwise expect resistance.
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cosmerelists · 2 days ago
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Cosmere Characters as Hotel Guests
As requested by anon. :)
If Cosmere characters stayed at a hotel that was suspiciously like hotels in our world that I've been too, what would that be like?
1. Kaladin: The one who gets up SUPER early to do things
Kaladin is a morning person, as Shallan realized during their Chasm Field trip. Kaladin is the one up at the crack of dawn, hitting the hotel buffet and then embarking on the 19 tourist destinations he has planned before lunch. Honestly, the hotel barely sees him.
Kaladin: The hotel buffet opens up at 6am?! Kaladin: Wow, talk about burning daylight. Kaladin: Well, maybe there's a coffee shop or something that opens earlier...
2. Lightsong: The one who barely leaves the hotel room
Lightsong knows that the point of a vacation is to lounge.
Lightsong: Scoot, do you think you can call down and ask them to send up some more pillows? Llarimar: You have six pillows already, Your Grace. Lightsong: Yes, but I am trying to create a pillow nest, and right now it lacks structural integrity. Llarimar: ... Llarimar: Right away, Your Grace.
3. Wyndle: The one who is excited by all of the funky hotel decor
I'm thinking in like a Hilton or something, where it's not bad decor, but the hallway carpet is a strange pattern and the painting on the wall is a silver apple on a bed of tulips for some reason.
Wyndle: Wow! LOOK at this chair, mistress! Wyndle: Such a fine and rare specimen! Lift: And just THINK of all the different butts that have sat on it! Wyndle: ... Wyndle: I-I suppose that is a type of enthusiasm...
4. Siri: The one who is delighted by all the little sops and shampoos
I think Siri is someone who appreciates the little things, you know?
Siri: Wow, Vivenna, look! Siri: It's shampoo, but it's TINY! Vivenna: ...Yeah? Siri: It's so CUTE!
5. Vin: The one who wants to steal all the little soaps and shampoos
I mean, it's not actually stealing of course, but if you keep stashing all the little soaps and shampoos in your bag, then they bring you more, and you can end up with quite a few!
Vin: Is it a holdover from my days on the streets, do you think, that I feel such an urge to grab every single one of these tiny hygiene items and stash them in a big pile in my suitcase? Elend (sticking a shower cap and a makeup wipe in his bag): Maybe but then what explains me?
6. Rock: The one who is too excited about the hotel breakfast buffet
Look, I know that Rock can actually cook well and has good taste. But I also know that he loved crunchy soulcast chouta wraps. I just think he'd enjoy the novelty of it.
Rock: This melon, she's so crunchy! Sigzil (wearily): That's because it's not fresh. Or ripe. Rock: It's called texture!
7. Yumi: The one who is excited by having a TV in front of the bed
...It's me. I've never had a TV in a bedroom and I always think it's so fun and novel to have a giant TV that you can watch while in bed. A-And Yumi would be like that too, I'd bet! She loved the Hion Viewers!
Painter: ...At some point, we should probably leave the hotel room. Yumi: Ooooh, another episode of Law and Order is on next!
8. Wayne: The one who tips the cleaning staff well
Most people who tip leave a few dollars. Wayne leaves...more.
Maid 1: This guy took all of the hotel shampoo and left origami ducks in their place... Maid 2: He also tipped each of us $500, so he can be as eccentric as he wants.
9. Sadeas: The one who actually uses the mini bar
I assume that only rich, fashionable people use the very expensive mini bar that exists in some hotel rooms.
Sadeas: [Lounging in the hotel robe and drinking a martini] Sadeas: I bet Dalinar is making instant ramen in his hotel coffee pot or something right now. Ialai: What did I say about daydreaming about Dalinar on our vacation? Sadeas: ... Sadeas: Just saying. I'm fancier.
10. Vasher: The one getting drunk in the hotel bar
He's the one slumped in a corner, radiating darkness.
Vivenna: Aren't hotel drinks a little expensive? Vasher: Eh. Path of least resistance.
11. Steris: The one who sanitizes every item in the hotel room
Listen, Steris read about how the cleaning staff don't have time to clean the remote control or the light switches or things like that. That's why she has those huge boxes of sanitary wipes.
Steris: [ceremonially handing a box of sanitary wipes to each of her kids] Steris: Go, my children! [children yelling in excitement as they start wiping down everything] Wax: This...isn't why we had children, right? Steris: Actions can have multiple reasons.
12. Breeze: The one who orders room service
I mean, Breeze LOVES when other people bring him the food/drink he wants (mostly drink).
Breeze: I think my Soothing is getting even more impressive. Allrianne: Oh? Breeze: Why, I simply spoke through that phone and asked them to bring me up a glass of wine, and they're doing it! All the way from here on the seventh floor! Allrianne: ...It's room service. You pay for that. Breeze: Shhh, let me have this!
13. Vivenna: The one who unpacks fully
We're talking, hanging up all of your shirts, putting socks in the dresser, the whole nine yards. I have a friend like this and it's weird, right?
Vivenna: [humming as she puts all of her socks carefully into a drawer] Siri: [glances over to her own suitcase, which is somehow already a giant pile of clothes] Siri: Strange sometimes to think that we're sisters...
14. Wax: The one charged with a massive cleaning bill
Let's be real: Wax and his team bring massive destruction wherever they go.
Hotel Manager: ... Wax: ... Hotel Manager: ... Wax: ... Hotel Manager: How did a herd of rabid geese even GET into your hotel room?! Wax: I'll just write you a check.
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ropebunnykant · 3 days ago
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#liz im gonna be so real. as interesting as this is i think this is the first time i actually disagree w u#not even necessarily on the religious stuff but more on the bison stuff. bc i get a completely different read on him tbh#like i just don't think i would ever describe him as someone who enjoys killing ppl. 100% he has a violent streak in him#but imo that's not bc he has some inherent penchant towards violence that brings him joy but rather as a result of his upbringing#under lilly's roof. and also bc he's unstable as hell but i think that's also bc of lilly and probably what happened to his parents too#but i don't at all think he enjoys killing ppl. like one of the first things we're told abt him is that he wants out! he's so vocal abt it!#like he always wants to get things over and done with and get out asap! it's fadel who's meticulous and concerned! bison has always seemed#completely detached from the killing to me. the only time we saw emotion that kinda leans that way was in that first honeypot scene#but that imo that was a power thing and not a violence thing. and i think the fact that he FANTASIZES abt doing all these violent things#but in actuality does none of them proves that. he was angry and hurt and defaulted to extreme violence bc that's all he knows atp#but the reality is he did none of it. he easily could have. but he didn't bc he's NOT inherently violent in that way. he just doesn't know#how else to process his hurt. violence is all he HAS. like i don't think he was delighting in it at all i think he's just fucked up lmao#and while i agree that fadel is suspicious of lilly imo bison has always been presented as the thorn in her side#he's the one who questions her. who gets annoyed w her. who doesn't seem to give much of a fuck if the job gets done or not#he's the one who wants to get away and VOICES it. to her face. and while i do think that fadel probably KNOWS more#he's lowkey completely under her thumb in a way bison isn't. he doesn't wanna question her or doubt her and he doesn't want bison to either#now that could be bc he KNOWS she's crazy but either way i just completely disagree w the implication that bison is closer w lilly!#i think she KEEPS him close and butters him up more precisely BECAUSE she knows if she doesn't keep him docile he could be#a v big problem for her. fadel can be trusted to stay in line. bison can't be. so she HAS to give him extra attention. does that make sense#so while i do agree that bison believes what she says and takes what she tells them abt these 'bad people' at face value#imo that's more of a symptom of him just. not caring enough to question it than it is him wholeheartedly believing she's 100% honest#i'm so sorry 😞 u know i love u but this post was just not it for me </3
tags by @sunsetsover
first of all NEVER apologize for disagreeing with me, we're allowed to have varying opinions as long as we can be respectful about it which you very much were and i appreciate and adore the additions because i think you bring up some good points, even if we do clearly disagree. i'm gonna explain my personal reasoning for thinking the way i do, but my intention isn't necessarily to change your mind, just to back up my own thoughts on this because obviously i have reasons for viewing bison the way i do.
first of all, i absolutely agree that bison's violent streak is a result of his upbringing - and i actually would argue that his upbringing is also what led him to have a delight in it, which i do still stand by. because while i agree the instance we see in the first episode is very much also about power, i think it is also about the act of killing. to me, he has always seemed to be in a pretty positive state of mind when they're on the job, and while maybe that is just his way of detaching from it, i don't think he would involve himself so heavily in certain instances if that was the case. i've had this belief about him since episode one tbh, but i think what truly cemented it for me that bison enjoys it, was strangely enough, this gif that antania @riggerbison made from episode six.
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to me, this gif is a PERFECT representation of how both fadel and bison cope with the killing and violence they enact (and yes, i know they don't actually kill these guys, but the point stands!). because on the one hand we have fadel, standing straight up, detaching himself from it, not looking at the guy at all. and then we have bison, cradling his guy to his chest, looking right at him, even looking like he's making those soft, sarcastic "hey it's okay" noises you see so often in this kind of media. and to your point, i think you can totally view this as bison also enjoying the power in it as well, but i also think the two are linked in a lot of ways. especially because canonically, bison is a sadist! we know, in great detail, the fact that he gets off on hurting someone else. and while obviously there's a difference between hurting someone in a safe and controlled environment and hurting them to kill them or inflict real damage, i don't think (SPECIFICALLY IN BISON'S CASE!) that the two are entirely divorced from one another, either.
i also don't think this is negated by the fact that bison wants to get out, either. antania and i actually talked about this back just after episode two, but bison's desire to get out is less about not finding enjoyment in the violence and the killing, it's the fact that he has no freedom. bison is someone that has never had control and he desperately, desperately craves it, so of course he wants to get out from under the thumb of someone who forces him into a life of isolation. because that has ALWAYS been bison's main complaint. if memory serves me correctly, he actually only directly states he doesn't want to kill people anymore once, and that's in his outburst to fadel in episode three. and i'm not saying that he's lying there, but i think the fact that the sentence is almost immediately followed "i want a boyfriend!" tells us that it's not actually because he doesn't like the killing aspect, and far more about the fact that he wants a social life. he wants friends, he wants a boyfriend, he wants to be open and honest with those people in his life. but those two things directly contradict each other and while maybe bison does enjoy the killing aspect, it's certainly not enough to rid him of his desire to have a community.
and i do agree bison is the thorn in lilly's side! but i don't think that comes from suspicion, i think it comes from again, a desire for freedom. i don't think bison views lilly as evil or doesn't believe the things she tells him, i think it again comes from his desire for control. i also think he's ALLOWED to be the thorn in her side because again, he's portrayed (at least from the limited scenes we've seen) as her favorite. like she has a soft spot for him. and i actually agree, like you said, i think it likely comes off that way BECAUSE she knows she has to butter him up so he won't make the wrong moves. but i also think it gives him more leeway than say, fadel, who while more visibly obedient, is also the one that will openly lie to her, will make sure bison keeps things from her, and he's the one that we suspect has already disobeyed her once before. i think the difference isn't so much who's more under her thumb so much as it is who is more strategic about her. and i think the fact that fadel is more strategic about his approach, while bison is willing to be vocal, does show which one of them actually trusts her more. if bison didn't have some level of respect and trust for her, he wouldn't be willing to speak up at all - he'd go behind her back more readily in the same way fadel does. because fadel is the one going behind her back and around her - and that's infinitely more dangerous than the person letting her know upfront what he thinks.
obviously i don't expect you to suddenly change your opinion, but i do hope this explains my thoughts on it all better :)
just woke up in a cold sweat because i think i’ve realized exactly what all the fucking religious symbolism is actually pointing out and like hoooooly shit. holy shit.
the fact that bison wears a jesus shirt in his fantasies of killing kant has been nagging me since the moment i realized it and i think i’ve realized why it is - and the reason for all of the things pointing towards and symbolizing bison as jesus.
it’s because that’s how bison views himself. not as actually jesus and the second coming, no, but he views himself as righteous, as a reckoning for all these people that they kill. he believes their mother when he says they only kill bad people, and that’s why he gets so much enjoyment out of it, why he involves himself far more in it than fadel, who always detaches himself. it’s why he delights in the idea of killing kant now, fantasizes about it, because he thinks that’s what’s right. kant betrayed him, and he’s a good person. he’s righteous. so that means kant deserves to die for it.
and that’s why kant is judas the betrayer AND john the beloved. because when bison knows it’s coming and turns a blind eye, he views himself the same way as jesus turning a blind eye to judas’s betrayal. and he’s the one the makes kant into john the beloved finding the tomb empty first because he hides from him (notably after kant had confessed to not wanting to lie to bison anymore)!
bison views himself as righteous. as jesus.
but he’s not. because jesus would never take joy in killing anyone. jesus would never have fun with it, in the same way bison does. and even if he did, jesus wouldn’t want to stop to date.
but you know who doesn’t take joy in any of it? who detaches himself from it? who seems, in the very least, suspicious of their mother?
you know who’s birthday is on christmas?
fadel. and if fadel is jesus… then bison can’t be. actually, i think that might make bison far closer to judas the betrayer. and that’s just awfully poetic, isn’t it? because didn’t judas think he was doing the right thing, too, when he sold jesus out? when he took money in exchange for telling the soldiers which one jesus was? just like bison thought he was doing the right thing when he told kant to get fadel off his back. just like he exchanged his brother for a lover and took them both down in the process.
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alexanderwales · 2 days ago
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A writing idea I've been mulling is that of internal contradictions vs external contradictions. It's very possible that this just boils down to "Man vs Nature" and "Man vs Self", but perhaps slightly more specific.
The idea is that we give a character everything they say they want, then they find that it's not all it's cracked up to be, and that there are two broad genres here. The classic example of this is the movie Big, where a kid wishes he was a grown up. He initially enjoys it, then had to deal with some adult bullshit, and goes back to being a kid. So the standard is:
I want [this] -> I get [this] -> it's initially good -> turns out it's not what I wanted (yet)
But in the case of Big, and a bunch of other movies like it, there's some hidden aspect of [this] that has revealed itself. The idea of [this] was a naïve one.
There's a different version, which is mostly the same, which goes like this:
I want [this] -> I get [this] -> wow did I not actually understand [this] -> turns out [this] is still good, but for different reasons than I thought
Or a slightly different version:
I want [this] -> I get [this] -> wow did I not understand [this] -> turns out that my very presence or effort was enough to make a new/better [this] that does get me what I initially wanted
So here are our three types, with some examples, to make sure that I understand what the hell I'm talking about. I am going to use "weeaboo goes to Japan" as my example, because I think it's funny, relatively inoffensive, and something I haven't seen done in a fiction context:
Return - A weeaboo goes to Japan, realizes that anime lied to him, has various adventures, and returns home, having changed and given up his weeaboo ways
Adaptation - A weeaboo goes to Japan, realizes that anime lied to him, has various adventures, and comes to appreciate Japan as it actually exists
Synthesis - A weeaboo goes to Japan, realizes that anime lied to him, had various adventures, and the people he's met enjoy and appreciate his infectious enthusiasm enough that he changes ... maybe just a small town, to be slightly more realistic
Internal Contradictions
A different approach, which I'm not sure I've ever seen, is one where we follow a path like this:
I want [this] -> I get [this] -> wait, it turns out that [this] is just fundamentally incoherent and in tension with itself, and in fact [this] does not and cannot exist
I hope you agree that this is different from any of the above. It's not a fiction that our protagonist gets disappointed about. It's that the protagonist gets everything he wanted, and finds out that's not actually what he wanted. So this is our new class:
4. Contradiction - A weeaboo goes to Japan, realizes the anime was real all along, meets some hot pink-haired girl who is very into him, is lauded by all the otaku that bow to his superior knowledge, finds that this is ultimately a shallow, hollow kind of life that he does not in reality enjoy.
If the central idea of external contradiction is "reality isn't like that", then the central idea of internal contradiction is "the idea falls apart under its own weight".
I think to do this, you have to really understand the idea and its own internal contradictions, and it needs to have internal contradictions. If someone gets the unrealistic thing that they always wanted, maybe they're just happy! Maybe the unrealistic thing could never exist in the real world, but can be found in a fantasy. No, for this idea to work, we need a fantasy that falls apart on its own, and not in a malevolent genie way where someone immediately says "well obviously I didn't mean it like that".
A guy who wants to be loved by everyone. He gets his wish, everyone loves him. Lots of options for what the internal contradiction is, and I think it depends on the nature of the fantasy, but "they love me but do not know me, so their love rings hollow" is a good example, and I'm not sure even a benevolent genie could fix that without creating more problems. "They love me and they know me perfectly" is, I think, also the kind of thing that people would freak out about, since they know all the bad stuff, the things that our protagonist wouldn't want people to know, that he glosses over about himself.
A guy wants his country to have perfect freedom of expression, but also wants dogmatic adherence to specific ideas. These cannot both exist, so the whole thing must tear itself apart and be rebuilt with compromise.
A guy wants a woman who is strong and independent and speaks her mind, and also a woman who goes along with whatever he wants. He wants her to be sexually adventurous and also virginal. This is a case of external contradiction, where such a woman does not exist in large quantities and is extremely unrealistic. But some formulations are also internal contradictions, depending on how the story is told.
There's something that these all have in common with each other, which is that there are at least two things which are in tension. Maybe you would even say that this tension makes them external to each other. But I think that this is something that's often true about human desire: we want things that are in tension with each other.
For this to work within a story, I think your protagonist has to be a bit of an absolutist, someone who isn't willing to compromise, because most of the examples I've been able to think of do have compromise solutions, where you give up a little of one thing and a little of the other and meet in the middle. Sometimes, this means acceptance.
I'm not entirely sold on this analysis. I think that it's hard to find examples I couldn't argue are some different kind of external contradiction, or a dumbass genie.
One of the examples I was thinking of was Click, where the protagonist wishes for (primarily) the ability to get through all the boring parts of life, and we see how this comes into conflict with his desire to be a father ... but isn't this an example of Return? He does, in fact, return to his life before he got the magical remote. So there's an obvious internal contradiction, but the film just says "actually, you would hate that, it wouldn't be like how you thought it was".
So I've felt like this post was half-baked, but it's been baking for what feels like months, sitting in drafts, and I cannot bake it anymore. Hopefully it does not fall apart under its own internal contradictions, because that would be quite the blunder.
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okaysonny · 22 hours ago
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how would the crew heads confess to you? (lookism)
A/N: a follow up post to: how easy is it for the crew heads to crush on you? (lookism)
thanks for all the love on it :) takes place during the current story!
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✦ you're blissfully ignorant + their feelings are not reciprocated... (until you're aware of them anyway lol) because i like the #disbelief 👅
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1. ELI
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eli decides to take a leap of faith. he's not sure what to expect, but he's witnessed warren and sally's situation. he doesn't want his own love life to be a repeat 🫠
now that he's more sure of himself, more sure that he's allowed to feel someone's affections, he wants to know if his aimless pining for you really is aimless.
i think he'd confess to you in hostel's living room 🫡 (where warren + sally kissed) a simple but special place for him. it's where eli spends time with his family, and he wants you to be a part of that too.
he gets a pep talk from warren and sally first ofc! since they ended up together after all that tension, they remind him of their own experiences. warren would defo say something like: take it from me, gangdong's mighty...and romantic.
the gist of their speech is that: it'll be awkward, but better than waiting three years to properly confess. just be honest - if you don't try, you'll never know.
─ and if you get rejected? i'll be here with popcorn.
─ hush warren! don't listen to him eli. you've got this! (sally flashes a thumbs up 👍🏽)
he also gets motivation from amy and natalie <3 (you can do it uncle!)
eli can only smile bashfully. in the end, they're genuinely here supporting him, no matter what happens.
when the time actually comes, they all leave to give him privacy •ᴗ• (but they'd be listening through the door the whole time 😭)
his confession...is very cute and sweet 🥲 he doesn't have jake's guilt or johan's awkwardness, so he actually looks happy to be admitting his feelings, listing off all the things he admires about you.
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eli's daughter is the most important thing in the world - she's changed him for the better. so, seeing yenna so happy with you has made his heart flutter. (didn't mean for that to rhyme lmfaooo)
his feelings for you go beyond romantic attraction. it's also how well you've fit into his life, how it feels like you're meant to be there. bringing someone into his family's world is a big deal for him - but it would make him so happy to have you in it.
not that he doesn't love being a dad - he clearly does! but eli's life has been centered around taking care of yenna, handling hostel's issues, working hard to make ends meet...he's never really thought about who he is outside of that.
with you, eli feels like he can explore life more freely. he feels appreciated - maybe even a little carefree in a way that’s new for him. with you, even though the pressures and responsibilities are still there, he feels lighter. he remembers he has dreams and aspirations like anyone else. for the first time in ages, he feels like he can be just eli.
he hasn't properly liked anyone since heather - and even that's slightly different. this time, he actually knows what he's feeling. and if there's even a slight chance you'd want to be with him, he would do everything he can to make you happy - just as much as you make him.
eli acknowledges that it's a lot to ask, having a child in the picture. still, should that always prevent him from pursuing a relationship? if he gets that privilege, he would only want you. you would give him (and yenna) so much joy.
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eli's words are filled with quiet hope, his cheeks pink as his confessions spill out.
even if you don’t feel the same way, having you in his life, even as a friend, means the world to him. he doesn't want to lose that.
if eli can't be with you, he can live with it, but he doesn't want to wonder if he missed the chance to tell you.
2. JAKE
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this man is filled with such angst and anguish 😂🤦🏽‍♀️
BTW - i think by this point, you'll know his job + past actions. you were unnerved when he admitted it...but jake has faced the repercussions (partly). he still has interests and hobbies like everyone else, he's still good company. you can't bring yourself to fully judge him, because you've never been in that position.
jake wasn't going to say anything. it's less messy, less selfish, if he keeps his feelings to himself.
that doesn't stop you from occupying his head though. he can't help but wonder what you're doing. are you safe? are you happy? if not, could he make you happy? ...possibly?
still, he pushes these thoughts away.
it's only when members of big deal notice his spacing out and lapses in concentration that he thinks: okay...i should probably do something.
he'd rather hear your rejection than keep wondering if there's a chance...+ to not have you (unknowingly) interfere with his duties.
first things first though, he needs some advice.
he'd totallyyy go to sinu. i can picture it so clearly 😂 jake is a smooth talker, but he's never actually liked someone. he can't talk his way though this. (he can try, but he'd fail miserably)
sinu would be so chuffed that his (practically) little brother is coming to him for relationship advice. (i never thought i'd see the day...you're all grown up. and he wipes a tear 😭) given jake's lack of interest in dating, he's pleasantly surprised at his change of heart! you must have had a big impact on him.
jake asks if sinu felt guilty liking yeonhui, considering his role in big deal. he was perceived as a gang leader back then...did sinu ever feel like she deserves better than that?
sinu gets nostalgic and starts reminiscing about his relationship 😅 jake zones out halfway through, wondering why he even bothered to ask in the first place.
EVENTUALLY THOUGH, he reels it back in and gets #serious 🙂‍↕️ something like: how long will you let your role and past define you?
the gist of sinu's speech: sure, jake has done bad things. (...worst than most people) but he shouldn't let that hold him back. jake can still try be something better, he's not some heartless monster. there's no harm in being honest, he'll never know what could happen.
jake is gobsmacked... a man of passion indeed.
i think he'd confess to you at the sea side! (where samuel found out who jake's dad was) he'd rather watch the waves than your confused face.
he tells big deal to stay away from that area, because he has important business there. (jake knows they'd be spying from a distance if he didn't 😭)
i think he'd practice in the mirror beforehand...but it does nothing to settle his nerves (-.-)
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jake likes you. he knows it's unexpected and out of the blue, but he has to tell you.
you don't realise how amazing you are, how smart, how caring. it's the little things...helping jerry with his homework (god knows no one else can) or paying for your meals even though it's not necessary - he'll always let you eat for free. + plus the food is lowkey shit anyway <3
...or how well you get along with the girls. (they constantly tell him to ask you out 😪)
he knows he's not worthy. there's people who can easily give you their undivided attention. you deserve only the best...and he's the furthest thing from that. but he wishes he could be.
he doesn't want you to think he's the same person as before. you deserve someone way better than an ex-convict. jake wishes he could change the past - so badly. he regrets not trying harder for a better solution back then, just for the opportunity to take you on a date...to be with you.
jake wants to be the best version of himself. you make him think that being a better person could change some of his past...and eventually make him worthy of someone like you.
and if there's even a sliver of hope you feel the same way, that you'd give him the honour of being his first...everything, he'll do everything in his power to be a boyfriend you can be proud of.
he doesn't need you to say anything, jake would never pressure you for a yes or no. he just needed to say the truth, to be honest with you - and himself.
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jake kim, who's always so sarcastic and sure of himself, is suddenly so nervous and quiet before you. it's a side you've never seen of him.
there's a lot to consider. sometimes you'd never see jake, he'll be in danger a lot, and if he really had to - he'd be ruthless again to protect big deal. he knows that too.
even so, he's pouring his heart out, trying so hard for you...and you don't even think you're that great, to be honest.
you find your cheeks flushing at his words, and the earnest way in which he utters them.
3. JOHAN
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johan...i found him hard to write. i don't like this little mouse.
if you like someone, you should probably tell them. johan would rather die. but eventually, not saying anything has gotten more painful than the prospect of confessing.
he hasn't liked anyone since mira and that feels like...a lifetime ago. so, he (very reluctantly) goes to zack for help.
zack would be sooo annoying about it, he'll never let him live it down. johan seong coming to him for dating advice...another indicator that their worlds are healing ❤️ he shuts up though when johan threatens to beat his ass.
i think zack would give the same bs advice he gave to vasco in the blind date arc 😭😭
─ alright...you really wanna know? let me give you a piece of advice i told a certain knuckle head. Be gentle...but fast. Be manly...but kind.
─ wait...have you got together with mira yet?
─ all in good time johan...all in good time. (zack taps his noggin 🧏🏻)
so that was useless.
there is another person he can go to though...mother knows best, as they say 🫡 johan would invite you to have dinner at his place, just a causal meal...obviously 😁
─ so you're johan's friend! it's great to finally meet you. help yourself! (he got his cutie patootie genes from his mom)
johan's mom gives him playful nudges when your back is turned 💘 he silently pleads with her to cut it out.
now that he has his mother's seal of approval, he feels ready to...confess or whatever.
i think johan would confess to you while sitting at the river with eden + miro. (the one where lua pushed him in 💔)
unlike eli and jake, johan's confession isn't planned. he decides to tell you when it feels right. and this place feels right.
he'd be avoiding eye contact the WHOLEEE time 😭 his face would be so red too...a cutie patootie to the max.
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johan starts by talking about the little things, like how his dogs are always happy when they see you. eden and miro get so jumpy and excited when you come over, as if they can sense how much he cares about you. it's something he can speak about easily - they're a big part of his life.
and his mom - johan's mom is so important to him. her approval means a lot…and she definitely approves (of you). she really likes you, especially after that dinner at his house. his mom is his rock in so many ways, the fact that she sees what he sees, means the world to him.
johan hid behind a stoic facade for so long. he's grateful to zack and mira for showing him that having feelings for someone…it can be a beautiful thing. with you, he feels more okay stepping out of that shell. maybe it's the way you always listen when he talks…or how you're there for him without making a big deal out of it…or how you celebrate the small things with him. (aka…barely passing english)
the professions are still foreign to him. it’s not just about liking you, it’s about the vulnerability that comes with it. he’s afraid of how this might change things between you two. but, johan knows hiding it would only make things worse. he can’t keep pretending like nothing’s there. it’s been weighing on him for so long.
still, he’s ready to face that fear of vulnerability, to show you all the sides to him. he’s letting you in — not just with his feelings for you, but with his whole self, all the things he’s kept locked away. for johan, that’s a huge deal.
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the man who united all of gangbuk, who went toe to toe with gun park...is suddenly so shy and awkward right now. truly a rare sight.
he's mumbling almost every sentence and you have to scoot closer to hear him, which definitely doesn't help things.
johan is thankful for eden and miro's barking for once, it fills the silence that passes.
it's not the smoothest confession, but that’s exactly what makes it sweet - he's showing you a bit of his heart by saying nothing and everything at the same time.
4. SAMUEL
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he'd confess you're his fav BOOTY CALL maybe!
an actual confession of his: when samuel sees cheap instant noodle packs in the store, he can't help but think of big deal.
If it means I can eat better food later...I don't mind eating here now.
but he's annoyed the lavish food he can buy now doesn't quite fill him up the same way.
✿ who would have you blushing the most?
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A/N: first date headcanons next?? 🤷🏽‍♀️ if ppl like this one too
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sherewrytes · 18 hours ago
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𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕟 ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕤, ℝ𝕪𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕊𝕦𝕜𝕦𝕟𝕒 7
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↳ Sukuna x f! black reader
Summary: After the death of his grandfather, Sukuna Ryomen is left to shoulder the weight of his family, caring for his younger brothers, Yuuji and Choso. As he withdraws into grief, his relationship with Y/N, his girlfriend of a year, begins to crumble. When Y/N discovers the truth about his grandfather’s passing during a heated argument, it leads to a painful breakup. Now, both are navigating life apart, but Sukuna’s heart aches for Y/N. Determined to win her back, he must confront his pain and find a way to break through the walls he’s built. Can he rekindle their love, or is it too late?
contents: heavy angst, modern au, 18+, smut, dark romance, drug use, talks of depression and similar topics. (a lil )
fic warnings. ooc, profanity, mental health issues, toxic relationships, cheating, explicit smut, serious drug use, mentions of depression + more to be updated as story progresses.
Please read with proper discretion. this is a work of fiction. all characters are written to portray roles that are necessary to the plot and are in no way a reflection of their canon counterparts.
Taglist: @for-hearthand-home@clp-84@thelightknight21@favvkiki  @helightknight21 @dylsw @ria-s-writes @sleepymothafterhours 
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Here is another chapter cause I'm still writing out the other fics right now :)
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Previous
Chapter 7: Breaking Point
Y/N’s POV
It’s been, what, two weeks since I last saw Sukuna? Since he left my apartment I finally put my foot down. It feels surreal. Like he was here one moment, his presence filling every part of my life, and then, just like that, he’s gone. I can actually focus in class again, and my thoughts are less cluttered without his constant ups and downs. For the first time in a long time, I’m getting assignments done on time, and keeping up with my workload. But underneath it all, there’s this ache, a hollow space where he used to be.
I try to ignore it, but it’s always there, tugging at me, making it hard to concentrate completely. It’s the little things—his laugh echoing in my mind, the feel of his arms around me, his stupid smirk whenever he got under my skin. I find myself wondering if he’s okay. Did he come out of the hospital yet? Did he manage to finally piece himself together?
A part of me wants to reach out, just to check in. Maybe see if he’s doing better, if he’s still leaning on his friends, getting through each day somehow. But that’s not my place anymore, is it? I gave him so many chances to let me in, to let me help, and every single time, he shut me out. He made it clear he wanted to handle things his way. And I… I need to start respecting that boundary, as much as it hurts.
I take a deep breath, glancing out the window of the studio. The city is buzzing outside, people going on with their lives, completely unaware of the turmoil inside me. I sip my coffee, watching the people walk by, their laughter faintly audible through the glass.
Suddenly, my phone buzzes, pulling me from my thoughts. It’s a message from Utahime.
Utahime: You doing okay? Need anything?
I smile, appreciating her concern. She’s been there since everything happened, her presence a constant comfort, even when I didn’t realize I needed it.
Me: Yeah, I’m fine. Just… thinking too much, as usual.
Utahime: Well, stop that! We’re going out tonight. A distraction is exactly what you need.
I hesitate, looking down at my phone, my thumb hovering over the keyboard. I know she’s right. A distraction might help me let go of these lingering thoughts, these small pieces of Sukuna that I can’t seem to shake.
Me: Fine. Where and when?
Utahime: I’ll pick you up at 8. Be ready!
A part of me feels relieved at the thought of getting out, of being around people who remind me of who I am outside of Sukuna, outside of this relationship that became such a heavy part of my life.
as the car moves through the city streets, I press my head against the cool window, letting the world blur past me. The bass-heavy beat of W.D.Y.W.F.M. pulses through my headphones, each lyric tugging at parts of me I’ve been trying to bury.
Maybe you’re right, maybe this is all that I can be, the words echo, hitting a little too close to home. I close my eyes, feeling the weight of those lyrics settle in my chest. The memories start seeping in—the countless times I let myself believe that if I loved Sukuna enough, if I was patient enough, he’d eventually find it within himself to let me in. That if I just waited, things would finally feel right. But now I wonder… maybe it wasn’t just him. Maybe I should have known better than to believe that love could fix someone so broken.
But what if it’s you, and it wasn’t me?
The question pierces through my thoughts, stirring a bitterness I didn’t know I still had. He wanted to drown in his own pain, to shut me out every time I tried to pull him up for air. I couldn’t have been the answer, and yet here I am, with pieces of him still lingering, haunting me at every turn.
The Uber driver takes a corner, the familiar streets near my apartment coming into view. I force my gaze away from the window, back to my phone screen, trying to focus on anything but him. It shouldn’t hurt this much, but it does—knowing that for all the love I poured into him, it wasn’t enough to keep him from self-destructing.
The song fades as I arrive at my building. I thank the driver, taking a deep breath as I step out, feeling the city air wrap around me. The streetlights cast a dim glow on the sidewalk, and I let myself pause for a moment before going inside. I need to let him go, I tell myself firmly, as I push open the door and head up the stairs to my apartment. I have to learn to let go of the weight of him, of the what ifs and the could’ve been that keep me tangled in his memory.
I climb the stairs, my heart pounding faster with each step as I spot the car parked out front. The familiar shape, that old, dark-colored sedan that Sukuna drove everywhere... no, no, no, I think, my pulse racing. I’m not ready to see him. My body tenses with dread, the past few weeks crashing down on me in waves.
But as I get closer, I realize it isn’t him. The figure slouched in the driver's seat isn’t Sukuna—it’s Yuuji, his face drawn and pale under the streetlight glow. Relief floods me, only to be replaced by confusion and worry. I stride up to him, feeling the weight of all the things I know about Sukuna’s recent spiral pressing on me, unsettling and heavy.
"Yuuji," I say, my voice sharp, "why are you here?"
He startles, looking up at me with bloodshot eyes. I catch the shadow of sleepless nights, maybe even nights spent worrying about Sukuna. He tries to brush off the tension, but I can see right through him. He's younger, not yet old enough to be driving around on his own at this hour. That alone makes my stomach twist.
"I just… I didn’t know who else to talk to," he mutters, glancing away. The hurt and worry in his voice rip into me.
My gut clenches as I realize just how much of Sukuna’s pain has been spilling onto his family. The weight he’s putting on Yuuji, on Choso… it’s more than I ever understood. The anger, frustration, and heartbreak I felt these past weeks—they’re nothing compared to what Yuuji was going through. He’s barely an adult, forced to watch his older brother destroy himself.
“Yuuji,” I say softly, keeping my tone steady, “what’s going on? Why didn’t you call me?”
Yuuji looks up, and in that one look, I see just how much he’s been holding in. “I thought… I thought I could handle it, but… he’s just getting worse. I can’t even talk to him without him blowing up at me. He left some days ago, maybe more, and just stormed out. No one knows where he is. Toji, Choso, and even Geto…they all tried reaching him, but he wouldn’t answer. And then I remembered… you always knew how to reach him when he was like this.”
The ache in his voice cuts through me, and a fierce protectiveness rises up. I left Sukuna to deal with his pain, but it’s clear that his absence has left more than just a hole in my life—it’s tearing his family apart too.
“Yuuji,” I start, forcing calm into my voice. “I know things are tough, and Sukuna… he’s dealing with a lot. But you don’t have to do this alone. Have you told anyone else? Choso? Gojo?”
He shakes his head, looking at the ground. “No. Choso is dealing with enough as it is… and I don’t want them to worry more.”
He’s trying to be strong, trying to hold everyone else together when he’s the one falling apart. I know that feeling all too well. Sukuna and I broke things off because I couldn’t keep sacrificing my sanity for someone unreachable. But I never thought about how much worse it would get for those who couldn’t walk away, like Yuuji and Choso.
I reach out, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Yuuji, you don’t have to do this alone. You shouldn’t be doing this alone. Sukuna needs someone to get through to him, and it might not be me anymore—but we can try together.”
He stares at me for a moment, eyes wide and vulnerable. “Do you think… Do you think he’ll ever listen? Or is he too far gone?”
My heart aches at his words. “I don’t know. But we have to try.”
He nods, the glimmer of hope in his expression heartbreaking and determined.
I closed my eyes, gripping the phone tight. I knew Kenjaku could be difficult, even evasive when he wanted to be. Sukuna had a talent for finding people who were just as stubborn and reckless as he was. But I couldn’t back down, not now, not with Yuuji looking at me like he was counting on me.
“Kenjaku, I need to know. Yuuji’s here with me. He and Choso haven’t heard from Sukuna in days. They’re worried sick, and he’s…he’s not okay. I think you know that.”
There was a pause on the other end, the silence stretching uncomfortably long. I could almost picture Kenjaku’s calculating look, weighing his options. Finally, he sighed. “He showed up here a few nights back. I didn’t ask questions. He’s been sleeping it off on my couch, but I’ll be honest—he looks like hell, Y/N.”
The anger that had been simmering inside me now sparked, but it wasn’t toward Kenjaku. It was all for Sukuna—his self-destructive spiral, the pain he was dragging everyone into, and the part of him that still didn’t realize how much he meant to those around him.
“I’ll be over soon,” I said, voice steady despite the turmoil within me. “But please, don’t tell him I’m coming. I don’t want him bolting before I get there.”
Kenjaku’s chuckle was dry, but he agreed. “Sure thing. I’ll keep him occupied, though good luck getting through to him. He's really badly…. He’s fucked up, Y/N.”
I hung up, feeling a mix of relief and dread. When I looked at Yuuji, his eyes were wide, filled with a flicker of hope. He didn’t need to ask what I’d found out; the look on my face told him everything.
“I’m going to see him,” I said softly, reaching for my bag. “I’ll try to talk to him, to get through to him, somehow.”
Yuuji looked at me with a mixture of gratitude and worry. “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
With a final squeeze of his shoulder, I turned and headed out the door, my heart pounding as I braced myself for the conversation I wasn’t sure I was ready to have.
Yuuji nodded, taking the key from my hand with a somber expression. "I will. Be careful, okay?" he said, his voice thick with unspoken worry.
I offered him a brief smile, though I could feel the weight of everything pressing down on me. "I will. Just... keep an eye on things here, yeah? If anything happens, call Toji."
Yuuji gave me a small, reassuring nod before he turned to head toward the stairs, his footsteps echoing in the hall as he climbed.
I stood there for a moment longer, staring at the door. The tension was building inside me—this wasn't going to be easy. I had no idea what I was walking into, but I knew I had to face it. For Yuuji. For Choso. And for myself.
With a deep breath, I pulled my jacket tighter around me and left the apartment, locking the door behind me. The walk to Kenjaku's place felt longer than usual, each step heavy with uncertainty. The city seemed quieter tonight, the streetlights casting long shadows across the pavement as I made my way toward the familiar building.
When I finally arrived, I didn't bother knocking. Kenjaku had given me the code to the door ages ago. I typed it in quickly, the door clicking open with an almost too-loud sound. The hallway was dimly lit, and I could hear the faint murmur of voices from behind one of the doors.
I hesitated for a moment, my hand on the doorframe. This was it. I didn’t know what I was about to walk into, but there was no turning back now.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open.
I stood there, taking in the scene before me—Sukuna, looking completely worn down, his eyes barely open, his hair disheveled and his face a mess of exhaustion and defeat. The cigarette hung loosely from his hand, the smoke curling up into the air as Uraume stood nearby, her posture stiff, frustration radiating off of her.
"Uraume, calm down," I said, my voice steady but firm as I crossed the room, stepping closer to the couch where Sukuna was sprawled out.
He groaned in response, his hand sliding off his face just enough for his eyes to meet mine, dull and clouded. He didn’t look surprised to see me, but his expression was unreadable.
"Great, now I'm fucking seeing and hearing shit," he muttered again, his voice thick with fatigue and annoyance.
I didn’t react to his comment, not letting it phase me. Instead, I walked over and sat on the edge of the couch, just enough to be close but not invading his space. I glanced over at Uraume, who seemed to be holding her ground, but she took a step back, recognizing that I was the one who needed to handle this.
"Sukuna, stop hiding," I said, my tone softer now, almost pleading. "What the hell are you doing?"
He didn’t answer immediately, instead, taking another drag from the cigarette, his eyes drifting away from mine, focused on the wall as though he didn’t want to face me, or anyone.
"You think running away is gonna fix anything?" I continued, my voice low but insistent. "You think wallowing in this is gonna bring Jin back? Or fix what’s broken?"
His jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought he was going to snap at me again, but instead, he just let out a deep sigh, and the silence in the room hung thick.
"I’m not hiding," he muttered, barely above a whisper. "I’m just... tired."
"Then let us help you," I replied, my heart aching for him, but frustration mixing with it. "You don’t have to carry all this alone."
Sukuna shifted on the couch, his hand coming up to cover his eyes again, but this time, there was something in the way he did it—a sort of resignation, like he knew I was right, but couldn't bring himself to admit it. Uraume stood there, arms crossed, clearly waiting for him to make a move, but it was clear he wasn’t ready.
I stayed quiet for a moment, allowing him his space, but I couldn’t just leave it at that. He needed to hear it, and I needed him to understand.
"You're not alone in this, Sukuna," I said quietly, my voice breaking through the tension. "You’ve got people who care about you. People who are worried. And you don’t get to shut them out."
He didn’t respond immediately, but I could see his body language soften just a little. I wasn’t sure if he was hearing me, or if he was just too far gone to care, but I couldn’t give up on him—not when he was this close to losing everything, including himself.
"Sukuna..." I started again, but Uraume cut me off.
"You can only do so much, Y/N," she said, her tone serious, but a little softer now. "He’s gotta want it. He’s gotta find it in himself to get back up. And we can’t make that choice for him."
I nodded, swallowing back the knot in my throat. I knew she was right. But it didn’t make it any easier.
"You think he’ll listen?" I asked, barely above a whisper, not expecting a clear answer.
Uraume gave a small shrug. "Maybe. But only if he realizes he’s not beyond saving. But that’s up to him."
I glanced at Sukuna once more, feeling the weight of everything press down on me. His eyes were still closed, and he looked so damn defeated. Part of me wanted to scream, to shake him out of his spiral. But I knew that wasn’t what he needed.
What he needed was time and a reminder that he wasn’t the only one who had lost something.
Sukuna's smirk was laced with bitterness, and it was as if the weight of his guilt and self-loathing had manifested in those cruel words. His eyes never left me as he took another drag of his cigarette, the smoke swirling around us like a barrier, creating distance between us that I could almost feel.
I didn't flinch. I refused to let him see the impact his words had, but inside, I was crumbling.
His voice was sharp, cutting through the air, his pain seeping out in every syllable. "You think you can save me, Y/N? Don’t fool yourself. You know I’m worthless."
I wanted to shout at him, tell him he was wrong, but instead, my voice came out softer than I expected. "Sukuna, you're not worthless."
He let out a dry laugh, one that held no humor. "Yeah? Then why the hell did you leave? After we fucked, you tossed me out like I was nothing. Isn’t that what you think of me too?"
Each word felt like a blade to my chest. The anger, the resentment in his voice—it was suffocating. I could see the way his eyes flickered with something raw, something vulnerable that he kept buried under layers of pride and self-doubt. But he was pushing it all on me now.
I took a shaky breath, trying to keep my composure, but the truth was, hearing him say those things cut deeper than I ever anticipated.
I stepped closer to him, ignoring the thick cloud of smoke that hung in the air. "I didn’t leave because I thought you were worthless," I said, my voice trembling but determined. "I left because you pushed me away. You closed yourself off, pushed me out of your life like I was nothing. And I couldn’t keep pretending I didn’t see it."
His expression hardened at that, the smirk fading away as he leaned back on the couch, his eyes narrowing at me. "You think I wanted to push you away?" His voice was quieter now, but there was still that edge of anger behind it. "You think I wanted to feel this empty... this fucking broken?"
I shook my head, my heart aching for him even as I held my ground. "No, I don't think that. But that’s what you did. You kept pushing everyone away, even when they were just trying to help. I couldn’t be the one to fix you, Sukuna. I’m not your savior."
He looked away then, the cigarette trembling slightly in his hand. "Then what the hell am I supposed to do, Y/N?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper now, the anger gone, replaced by quiet desperation. "How do I fix this? How do I fix myself?"
I didn’t have an answer. How could I? He had to want it, had to find the strength to fight through his demons on his own. But that didn’t mean I was ready to give up on him.
"You can start by not pushing everyone away," I said, my voice softer now, almost pleading. "You’re not alone, Sukuna. Not yet."
For a long moment, there was silence between us. The tension hung in the air, thick and heavy, as I waited for him to respond. But instead, he just took another drag of his cigarette, looking lost in his thoughts.
"I never asked for any of this," he muttered finally, his words barely audible. "I never asked to be the one holding everything together. I never asked for... this pain."
I didn’t know what to say to that. I didn’t have an answer for him. All I could do was watch him, hoping, wishing he would find the strength to face what he had been running from.
But deep down, I knew it wasn’t up to me. It never was.
His words hit like a punch to the gut. The rawness in his voice, the way he almost choked on the words—it was as if he was tearing himself apart right in front of me. I watched him, frozen, my heart pounding as he looked away, refusing to meet my eyes.
"Just go, Y/N. Please," he said, his voice rough, barely holding it together. "You made the right choice. Don’t let guilt eat at you. Your love... it wasn’t enough."
I felt the sting of tears welling up, but I forced myself to hold them back. This wasn’t the time to break down. He was pulling up walls as quickly as I tried to break them down, and part of me wondered if he would ever let anyone truly see the pieces of himself he kept hidden. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, that it wasn’t about my love being "enough"—that he was worthy of love even in his darkest moments. But I knew, standing there, that he wouldn’t hear it. Not now.
"Sukuna," I began, my voice catching despite my best efforts to stay steady. "It's not about being enough or not enough. You’re worth more than this... more than what you think of yourself right now."
He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Don’t... don’t do that. Don’t pretend I’m some lost soul you can save. You’ve done enough. It’s... it’s better this way."
"Better this way?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended, feeling the frustration bubbling up. "Better for who? Because I don't think it's better for you. Look at yourself, Sukuna. You’re drowning, and you’re just... letting it happen."
He clenched his jaw, his hand shaking slightly as he flicked the cigarette into an ashtray. "Maybe that’s what I deserve," he said quietly, almost to himself.
The silence between us felt thick, suffocating. I took a step closer, reaching out, but he backed away, pressing himself further into the couch as if my touch would somehow make things worse.
"If that’s really what you believe..." I whispered, my chest tight. "If you really think you deserve this pain... then I can’t force you to change your mind. But I wish you could see yourself the way I see you."
For a moment, something flickered in his eyes, something soft and vulnerable, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. He lowered his gaze, the same smirk that once felt charming was now nothing more than a mask.
"Just... go," he whispered again, his voice so small it was almost lost in the room. "Forget about me. Move on. It’s better that way."
I stared at him, wanting to reach him, to pull him out of this dark place. But maybe he was right. Maybe I couldn’t save him. Taking a shaky breath, I nodded, my heart shattering with each step as I turned toward the door.
Before I left, I looked back one last time. He wouldn’t meet my gaze, his eyes fixed on some distant point on the floor, lost in his own torment.
“Goodbye, Sukuna,” I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips. And with that, I stepped out, leaving behind the man I’d loved—and the pieces of myself that still wanted to believe he could be saved.
Sukuna's pov
I watched the door click shut behind her, the silence settling thick in the room. My chest felt hollow, but the ache gnawed deeper, clawing its way up my throat. I turned to my side, curling up on the couch, pressing my hand over my eyes as if I could shut out everything I’d just done. I’d pushed her away—again—and for what? To prove some sick point that I was beyond saving? That I didn’t deserve her?
I could still smell her faint perfume lingering in the air, feel the warmth she’d brought with her now slipping through my fingers. It wasn’t like I didn’t want her here. God, I wanted her more than anything. But how could I let her stay, knowing what a mess I’d become? How could I put her through the hell I was living every day?
My mind drifted back to Jin and Gramps, memories that never stayed buried long. Jin would’ve slapped me across the head if he saw me like this, wasting away, hurting everyone who tried to care. But I could never forgive myself for that night, for not being there when he needed me. And now, I was dragging Y/N down with me.
The silence felt louder now, each second stretching painfully, mocking me. She’d tried, even after everything I put her through. She tried to reach me, to pull me out of this pit I’d dug for myself. But I’d thrown her love back in her face. Again.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, pressing my fists to my temples. I wanted to cry, to scream, to feel something other than this endless, numbing void. But even that felt like too much. All I could do was lie here, drowning in my own misery, pushing everyone who mattered further and further away
Kenjaku grabbed my wrist, yanking my hands away from my ears. "Look at me, Sukuna," he snapped, his tone harsher than I'd ever heard. "This is your last chance. No one else is going to fight for you if you don’t fight for yourself."
I kept my eyes shut, trying to hold on to the darkness, anything to keep from facing the weight of his words. What good was that going to do? The damage was done, and I’d burned every bridge around me.
I tried pulling my arm free, but his grip tightened. "You think you’re the only one hurting?" Kenjaku’s voice dropped, each word laced with a fury that broke through my wall of apathy. "Your brothers are terrified. Toji, Uraume—they’re all watching you tear yourself apart. And Y/N? She might be gone, but you know damn well it’s killing her too."
My hands trembled as I finally opened my eyes, meeting his stare. I could see the disappointment, the anger. But there was something else, something that looked too much like hope.
"Why does it matter?" I murmured, my voice cracking. "I’ve already lost everything. What’s the point?"
Kenjaku’s expression softened for the briefest moment before he pulled me up to sit. "You haven't lost everything, not yet. But if you keep pushing everyone away, there will be nothing left. Not your friends, not Y/N, not even your own damn self."
The words hit like a punch to the gut, and I felt a flicker of something I hadn't felt in months—fear.
I held his stare, my jaw clenched, trying to keep the defiance in my eyes. But Kenjaku didn’t look away, his grip on my arm tightening. "What did you take?" he asked again, his tone sharper, cutting right through me.
I tried to shrug him off, mumbling, "Just something to take the edge off. Why does it matter?"
"Because," he hissed, shaking me slightly, "you can barely stand right now, Sukuna. You're falling apart, and you keep reaching for whatever dulls the pain instead of facing it. So I'll ask you one last time—what did you take?"
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his demand. I didn’t want to admit it, didn’t want him to know how far I'd fallen. But the way he was looking at me, with a mixture of anger and something close to pity, broke through the wall I’d put up.
"Xanax... some Oxy," I muttered, barely audible, each word feeling like a confession. "And... a couple drinks." I looked away, shame burning in my chest.
Kenjaku's face twisted with a grimace, and he let go of my arm, taking a step back as if the truth was too heavy for him. "This is what you're doing to yourself?" His voice was low, thick with disappointment. "This isn’t numbing the pain, Sukuna. It's destroying you."
I sank back onto the couch, the weight of his words pressing down like a boulder on my chest. "Maybe that’s the point," I whispered, barely holding back the rawness in my voice. "Maybe that’s all I deserve."
Kenjaku knelt in front of me, looking me dead in the eyes. "Then prove yourself wrong," he said firmly. "If you can’t do it for you, then do it for them—your brothers, your friends, everyone who’s still here trying to reach you. But you have to decide to get up and fight."
My answer was simple, and final. "No."
Kenjaku stared at me, frustration flaring in his eyes. I could tell he was holding back from saying more, like he knew words were useless right now.
“You want to keep drowning?” he asked, his voice sharper, leaning closer as if to pierce right through me. “You think this is easier, huh? Wasting away until there's nothing left?”
“Maybe it is," I said, my voice hollow. "Maybe it’s the only way I can even get through this. The only thing that keeps my mind off... everything.”
“You’re just running,” Kenjaku shot back, anger finally surfacing. "You think the pain will leave you alone? It won’t. It’s gonna keep eating you alive until there’s nothing left, Sukuna. Nothing for you, and nothing for the people who actually give a damn about you."
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms until the sting cut through the haze clouding my mind. “Then let it. I’m not worth anything to anyone.”
Kenjaku exhaled, the fight leaving his shoulders. He stared at me, his eyes dark and steady. “You keep saying that, but it’s not true. You know it’s not true.”
Silence settled between us, heavy and unbreakable, until he finally straightened, his expression hardening. “Fine. You want to stay here, stay here. But don’t expect any of us to stick around and watch you throw your life away.”
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dcdreamblog · 1 day ago
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So is the Plastic Man who was in the All-Star Squadron and the Freedom Fighters the same guy who's still around today with the Justice League? The current one is so rarely serious in interviews I can't find any concrete information.
I know there's plenty of other Golden Agers who are still around, but he still looks exactly the same and so does this "Woozy" Winks guy who's in a lot of pictures with him.
Same guy. Same weird, WEIRD guy.
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(A recent "glamor shot" published by Mammoth City Magazine) Because his identity is publically available I can help clear up some confusion for you. Plastic Man's birth name is Patrick "Eel" O'Brien. Little is known about his birth family save some measure of Irish ancestry. His father was abusive and abandoned Eel at a young age to a Catholic nunnery. Eel counts the main factor in his fall toward crime being his lack of a positive male role model, meaning the most affection and attention he got was from street toughs and gangsters. He started by running simple errands, then couriering illicit goods, then dealing, by the time of his adulthood he was running a small outfit in Mammoth City, New Jersey. Everything went wrong when he was shot during a robbery of the Crawford Chemical Works. Blundering into a rack of barrels a large industrial acid was dumped all over him, even entering his wound. He was presumed dead but actually ended up under the care of an order of monks known as Rest Haven. Taken in and given asylum despite his criminal past, O'Brien discovered that he could morph his body in any way he desired, save for its color. Viewing the monks as role models in his new life, Eel gave up crime and decided to make the most of his second chance. His crime career was helped by Wolfgang "Woozy" Winks (as far as I can tell that is the man's legal name) a former small time criminal who became a bumbling if loyal confidant to the man of rubber. He was, of course, drafted into the All Star Squadron during the war where he gravitated toward working alongside Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters. He says that despite pitching it as wanting to be "as close to Phantom Lady as possible, mrrrowww" (sic) it was actually because like earlier in his life he respected Uncle Sam as a reasonable and appreciative male role model. For his famous sense of humor he was regarded as a trustworthy and respected member of the Freedom Fighters until the war's end. He was left behind when the Freedom Fighters made their exodus to Earth X, although the reasons have never been made fully clear as to why. He spent the next several decades working for the FBI, hunting down mobsters, killers and robbers under a low profile as to not upset the provisions of the Keane Act. At some point during this period he engaged in a prolonged affair with a woman named Angel McDunnagh (She is by all accounts a very kind and patient but utterly mundane woman. Do not go looking for her. Seriously don't. He tends to get testy if she complains about people snooping.) which resulted in the birth of their son Ernie Luke McDunnagh O'Brien. It just so happens that around this same time, Superman's appearance and the formation of the JLA rendered the Keane Act moot when Plastic Man reappeared on the scene. This lead to Angel and Eel separating and Eel becoming rapidly estranged from his son. Plastic Man would eventually be granted membership on the Justice League where he served with distinction and commendation, risking life and limb for his comrades, innocents and all mankind more than once. Even eventually making an effort to step back into his son's life. At this moment in time he is associated both with The Terrifics, a group of respected superhuman multiversal explorers as well as the brand new "Justice League Unlimited" initiative. As I have said many, MANY times before, I will not judge a man like Plastic Man by his attitude. Especially when there's not a damn thing wrong with his attitude. The man grew up in the shadow of the great depression, abandoned to a nunnery, became a criminal before he finished middle school, was mutagentically deformed and decided all of that was reason enough to turn into the GOOD GUY. And the psychological trade off the he makes is that he's kinda goofy. He has faced the worst of the worst from literal nazis on down the list, I say he gets to break the tension however he damn well feels like it.
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sexisbetteronthemoon · 3 days ago
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Can we have any insight into what’s going on in Lance’s head up until this point in the fic? What’s his opinion on Planet Red and Keith? (And the baby!)
thanks for the question!
ok, so, i spent most of the day thinking about how to answer this question and i'm still not quite sure? i might be overcomplicating things — i tend to do that, but it feels like a broad question since a lot has happened (it's a lot to cover lol). and i feel like i'll just be overexplaining things we already know. 😭 i'll be trying my best!
okay, this is going to be long and filled with spoilers, so if you haven't read sex is better on the moon to the current chapter (15), don't read this! putting this under a read more too.
so most of Lance's thoughts are in dialogue, actions, and subtext.
What Lance Thinks of Planet Red:
he's not jazzed about a planet that keeps trying to kill him, but it's also fear that stems from ignorance of the world around him. he complains a lot, but then there's the unicorn who brought him fruits (impressive), the kazoo bird that landed in his hair (cute, but embarrassing), and his baby girl, (the absolute best thing to ever exist!) so he understands there's both good and bad on this planet. he's also seen Keith handling animals and how it softens him, and that just makes him more appreciative.
the fact that they're dangerous animals sometimes, and Keith doesn't tend to show fear is also really reassuring to him and lessens his own!
then Keith teaches him things, and you'll notice a significant drop in his fear and complaints. and when Keith shows him the notebook, he reads the notes and realizes there's a lot more to observe about the world around him than the superficial. he starts seeing things differently. he pauses to look at creatures and plants.
and when Keith shows him the glowing flowers and moths, it's like the last nail in the coffin. he realizes Planet Red can be beautiful, and he comes to understand a little better why Keith likes it so much there.
What Lance Thinks of Keith:
at first, he's wary and unimpressed by what he sees, even a little afraid of Keith. he's just crash landed on the planet and he's scared and alone, and there's this wildman that looks more beast than man. keep in mind that Lance is the crown prince, and thus has never been treated like Keith has treated him in his life.
people always present their best faces (even if they're false or sneering) in front of Lance, and he's used to that. but then there's Keith who manhandles him and scoffs at him and throws blankets at him. he treats Lance like he is just another person who has to earn respect instead of automatically (forcefully) giving it.
and how does Keith start off? by being surly, rude, and intimidating.
Keith also calls him "princess", which leads Lance to believe that Keith knows who he is, and might even have something to do with the attack on his ship, hence the distrust in the beginning.
and then Keith keeps saving and protecting him (and despite Keith's bark, he keeps letting Lance have his way) even when Lance sometimes makes things harder for him. he's concluded that Keith is ornery and antisocial, but Lance begins to see that there's an actual person under all the hair and dirt. and he finds that Keith could really be someone he can depend on.
this leads him into revealing his name.
then Keith actually starts a tickle fight and calls him beautiful, which takes Lance off guard and makes him realize that Keith's not just the man that's helping him, but a man, with desires and wants, that thinks Lance is beautiful. suddenly, Keith isn't just "that mountain man who helps me", but "that man of flesh and blood who might genuinely find me attractive and i'm entirely alone with at all times".
at this point, Lance is well aware that Keith has an attractive body, given he's seen him naked a few times already and also been held against that muscle at night.
but finding someone attractive doesn't mean he wants to start something, and it goes for both of them. so Lance keeps his boundaries pretty clear and firm! he's very adamant in Keith not peeking at him while he changes, bathes, pops a squat etc.
at the same time, Lance is trying his best to get to know Keith, and Keith keeps resisting until he finally gives in at the swamp, where he tells Lance he's from Earth and lonely sometimes.
and when Keith gives him the comb for his hair, Lance learns Keith is thoughtful and actually listens to him when he talks.
skipping Keith's poisoning. Lance was terrified the entire time.
When Lance gets to see Keith's notebook with the various sketches of himself, he realizes Keith doesn't just find him attractive, but that he likes Lance. you don't just draw someone over and over without feeling some type of way, ya know? and Lance might be clueless about survival, but he's not socially inept like Keith is (and he learned survival from Keith, so he's not clueless about that anymore either!)
the most significant change happens after Keith takes Lance frog gigging. that night, it's the first time that Lance doesn't get on Keith's case about peeking at him. Keith is the one who brings it up and turns away, but Lance didn't actually say he should look away. before this, Lance was very quick about snapping at Keith. so... 👀 i believe this says everything.
from this point on, Lance starts flirting, flustering Keith.
it doesn't last very long, though, as this is when the pollen makes them fall asleep, there's the alleged dream of the yellow caterpillar, and Kosmo nearly dies, and then the bird woman shows up.
and now there's a point of contention between Lance and Keith, because Lance has realized Keith has a tendency to throw himself in harm's way to save Lance, while Lance wants nothing more than to watch his back and help in any way that he can.
Lance is also sticking up for himself and establishing himself as Keith's equal, such as when he tells Keith not to shove him again. he's pushing back against Keith who has so far done all the leading and decision-making. he's trying to prove that he can be a partner instead of a weight to carry.
then Keith starts putting distance between them, and Lance is hurt by that. thus far, he has been attempting to get closer to Keith, chipping away at his layers, and suddenly, Keith is saying that once Lance leaves, he'll never come back. we saw Keith be confused by Lance's sudden emotional distance and snappish attitude, and it was a direct reaction to Keith's claim that Lance "can forget about this place entirely".
and we're back to the glowing flowers and moths.
this was a very big deal. so far, Keith has proven himself to be kind of a hardass who drives them both hard for the sake of keeping Lance safe and them both ahead of The Six. but then Keith stops them at a pond for a little date (not a date, but so totally a date, we all know it). and several things become very clear to Lance
1) it's in the opposite direction of where they need to go.
2) they only have eleven days to get to Keith's cabin.
3) The Six are still around
and yet, there they are. because Keith thought Lance would enjoy it.
now, it's not a secret that Keith has certain feelings for Lance. Lance knows this! it's as obvious as the nose on his face! but Keith insinuated they would have no further contact after Lance leaves.
and so this date pretty much cements the idea that Keith is once again being socially inept and/or pulling away on purpose, and that it's up to Lance to make it clear what he wants between them. thus, the flirting picks up again, but it's like flirting with a brick wall tbh. Keith is NOT making it easy.
now, i'm sure we've all noticed Lance has a secret. seeing as we're heading toward it, i won't say much more on the subject, but HOO BOY.
What Lance Thinks of Kosmo:
perfect in every conceivable way. 1000/10. wouldn't change a thing.
What Kosmo Thinks of Everything:
Planet Red: lives here! it's perfect! plenty of food and room to play!
Lance: doesn't know how to use his nose, but still a perfect adoptive parent! beautiful! good hugs, excellent scritches! makes noises that make the tail go swoosh-woosh. always has food, love, and attention for Kosmo! 1000/10
Keith: also doesn't know how to use his nose. protective pack leader, but bad mate material. keeps ignoring pheromones potential mate is putting out. forgets to let potential mate eat first. doesn't participate in social grooming but allows attempts from potential mate. gives good scritches and always leaves best pieces of food for Kosmo. 999/10
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anon, i hope i didn't misunderstand your ask (i haven't eaten, so i'm not firing on all cylinders orz). if i did, then that's my bad. feel free to ask for clarification 😅 or if you wanted a specific scene, you can ask for that too!
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anyacad0 · 2 days ago
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I am a huge high cloud quintet enjoyer so it may surprise you to learn that I absolutely hate the quest “Clouds Leave No Trace”.
let me explain. I will admit that a lot of it stems from my issues with Jingliu as a character. I appreciate that she’s meant to be cold and detached, but what bothers me is that although she says considers herself to be a sinner alongside Yingxing and Dan Feng, she constantly acts like she’s better than them, criticising them, acting as if their choice was an easy one while hers wasn’t. Her humility feels incredibly insincere, and she becomes very difficult to empathise with as a result.
then there’s the quest itself. I split it into three parts.
one: redundant infodumping
For the first part of the quest, Jingliu, Dan Heng and Yanqing travel to different parts of the Luofu so Jingliu can bid farewell to her past home. It’s basically a plot device for her to drop some lore about Yingxing and Baiheng, which is fine on its own, but the problem is, none of the information she gives is new. All of it was stuff we could already figure out from character stories and other in-game text.
the second issue with this part of the quest is Dan Heng’s presence, or rather, lack of it. Considering he’s the main character tying the quintet subplot into the main story, you’d think he’d be important to the quest focussed on them. But he’s just… there. He says and does pretty much nothing. You could cut him from the whole quest and it wouldn’t be any different.
In fact, Dan Heng also suffers greatly from the timing of the quest. If we look at the voice lines for IL, it’s obvious that he’s a snapshot of Dan Heng shortly after this quest, since he knows Blade is the one who made Cloudpiercer. Ichor Of Two Dragons also seems to take place at the end of this quest. This is an issue because both release in version 1.3, making the quest which takes place in version 1.4 feel like a regression in his character development when actually the story was for some reason out of order.
part 2: Dan Feng gets mischaracterised to hell and back
This is the worst part of the quest by far. Jingliu does her self-righteous monologue and nails the coffin shut by giving the most biased description possible of the Sedition.
she first says that Dan Feng was trying to revive Baiheng. Dan Heng’s and Jingliu’s character stories reveal that this is probably not the case, and that his actual goal was to create another high elder,
she also says that the reason Dan Feng did what he did was selfishness and an inability to accept Baiheng’s death. She fails to mention the fact that the Xianzhou treated him like a convenient weapon instead of an actual person, that he hated how many innocent people died in the war between Aeons, that his people were going extinct because of said war, that he hated how he gave the Xianzhou the power to cause so much death, that he had probably attempted less dramatic rebellions in his past lives to no avail, that the high elder succession was incredibly screwed up and he didn’t want to have to pass that burden on to his next incarnation (granted that lasts part’s only implicit). Not to mention that she didn’t actually bear witness to any of the events she described, only the aftermath.
part 3: Blade monologue
This is the only redeeming quality of the entire quest
he acknowledges that Dan Feng and Yingxing weren’t simply upset with Baiheng’s death, but with the unfairness of everything in general
he expresses genuine regret
and the way he looks up to Jingliu after she tortured him is the only time where that story genuinely presents her as someone who’s done terrible things, showing how she managed to break Blade so badly that he feels thankful for it
in conclusion, do not play this quest if you want to actually understand Dan Feng as a character
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multiheadcanons · 2 days ago
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REQUEST- TF2 MERCS AND VALUED TRAITS
i want to make sure this doesn’t get lost in the tags, so i’m gonna put it up top so it can’t. i don’t even know if i got the prompt right, i had a WONDERFUL time writing these and i didn’t stop until i was done. that’s why it’s so stupidly long. i listened to dentures out by the proclaimers as i wrote these, and in my head i couldn’t stop repeating “nostalgia, i love you”. this was such a tender writing experience, to cradle these characters in my hands and write them with a gentleness i don’t give them anymore in my decade of thinking about these fictional men. this is my 14 year old self’s daily imaginings, mature and manifest. i hope the requester likes it. i LOVED getting to write it!
scout: scout likes a sense of humor. anyone he can crudely (or rudely) joke with without it devolving into a fist fight is okay in his book. and he’s so cocky, he needs someone with a good head on their shoulders to keep him in check. it’s hard for him to register when he’s pushing himself, or a situation too far. needs people who can keep up with him. he’s not particularly interested in, nor capable of metaphorically slowing down to keep pace. he is a tone setter. you can either get with it, or get out of the way. if you yourself are a tone setter, or the immovable object to his unstoppable force, you might butt heads. but he appreciates it for what it is. he actually really likes it. he enjoys a mentally stimulating conversation as long as both sides keep it respectful. generally, it’s really hard for scout to vibe with someone that is his total opposite. if you don’t see eye to eye on your views, he can get past that if you both have the same ferocity about your respective things. if you have the same views, it’s okay if you go about it differently than he does. you just have to agree somewhere and he can be flexible as needed. and understand that sometimes he sounds like an ass and is really not meaning to. he can’t be around sensitive people, his brain is not wired for them. and i would like to state the difference between someone with empathy and sympathy and someone who is sensitive. if he is worried about everything coming out of his mouth hurting you, very specifically you, he is going to resent you. that’s not to say if he genuinely says something out of pocket he’s not going to listen, but he knows everything he’s saying can’t be out of pocket.
soldier: soldier is, well, a soldier. there’s two ways to go about it. you can either fall beneath him, or rise above him. both of these are essentially the same thing with one key difference. if you are reliable and trustworthy, and he knows he can tell you something and it’s either going to get done or handled, you are a valued member to soldier’s battalion, regardless of rank. the difference as to whether or not he’s going to see you as an equal is through your battle sense. don’t think he’s not watching. he’s checking your verbal, mental, emotional, and physical battle sense. if you can’t cut someone down within minutes, he will probably not trust you with his largest issues. but he does know that you’re willing to try, and he does give credit for trying. he doesn’t register this himself, but he gets along a lot easier with people who are not high energy. he is really good at carrying conversations, and not very good at fostering social relationships. if you give him an inch he will take that mile, and it makes it easier for him to move at his pace, which is lightning speed. and don’t be afraid to put your foot down if it gets to be too much. he likes moxie.
pyro: pyro, in all reality, past the large flamethrower and flame retardant suit and the abyss of the mask’s goggles, is a very soft person. they do best with people willing to play along with their softness. they register, and don’t really care that they currently have multiple charges they’re fighting the united states government on. they need softness. they need kindness. anyone willing to show that for them consistently, without abandoning them when things get bad (or when the feds come knocking on the door), will always have a best friend in pyro. gift giver, and loves to receive gifts in return. it’s the fastest way to start on the right foot. they’re looking for a partner in their crimes. or at least someone who’s willing to lie to the police about their whereabouts. and this might seem obvious, but if you’re averse to fire they’re not gonna like you; and it’s not you, it’s the fact that your aversion to fire is spitting in their face, ripping their heart out of their chest, throwing it on the ground, calling all of your friends, stomping it into dust, and laughing about it as you walk away, is all. you might be able to offset that with a stellar gift though. have you considered ten gallons of kerosene? or a new ignition for their flamethrower? oh, or maybe some of those packets of dust you put in campfires to change the color. they would love that for battle.
demo: tavish i love you so much man. demo is a fun loving guy with a sharp wit, and a decent balance of his work and home life. he can’t really hang out with anyone who isn’t at least on a similar wavelength. like if we’re using the metaphor of being on the same page, you can’t be any further than a couple paragraphs ahead or behind him. in all forms of his life, really. demo spends a lot of time having to justify to his loved ones that he’s doing right by himself. if he can come to you, tell you something, and you take the moment you need to register what he said, and say “well, alright then. no more information needed. got it.” he might kiss you right there. likes people with the same zest for life. doesn’t have to be bombs, but it helps if you’re also in a dangerous job that kills you and brings you back regularly. you’ve got bonus points if you love the proclaimers. chatty cathy, loves someone who can’t stop talking. he’ll listen to you for hours if you’ve got something worth talking about. which could genuinely be anything. you just have to know what you’re talking about. this man has his what, masters? in chemistry. come at him with a masters degree worth of knowledge at minimum. in something. in anything. unload something on him in an hour or three that took you years to get to the point you arrived at. leave nothing out. you’ll leave him breathless and connected to your hip. expect the same in return. he likes pictures. he will take pictures with you. for the memories. he’ll write on the back, instead of a date and a name, what you spoke about.
heavy: heavy is a big guy, and heavy likes to cut loose sometimes. he needs someone who can handle accidental rough treatment. literally. and sometimes metaphorically. he does his best to not injure the shorter members of the team, but they know at this point that heavy is a man and a half, and to brace themselves if he’s approaching them, in case he’s decided to let loose. he stays away from anyone who is a third of himself or less unless you’re buffering that somewhere that counts. it’s why he likes scout. he might crush scouts lungs, but he has to catch scout first. and he will rarely, if ever, catch scout. and he can never catch scout the same way twice. same reason he has a fondness for pyro. he has no idea what pyro is. just knows pyro is one of the few teammates who can beat his damage output fairly regularly if they’re strategic on the field, and when he’s staring down a gas mask that has bloodier hands than he does, the cat plushie being offered as a gift seems really nice in juxtaposition, and he feels a lot more inclined to be softer when pyro seeks softness. needs people that can take care of themselves, he already has enough responsibility with his family. and he loves his family! that’s why he protects them. you need to protect yourself, you cannot rely on him. if you can show that you are something else if you are not strong, you’ll make a beginning mark at warming him up to you. if you are weak, but dexterous; frail, but strategic and vicious; frightened, but accurate in your judgement all the same— those are all giving him things to rely on with you. a relationship with heavy is a relationship of trust. mutual trust and self-trust. you have to be your own rock before he’ll consider helping you with your weight. or, you can also take the unconventional route and yknow… talk to him. tell him what your plans are. he’ll work with what you give him. he’ll tell you what he needs to see before he’ll give you the results you want. heavy is an easygoing guy! heavy does not invite difficulty where it is not needed! if you want something from him, ask! he is happy to talk! now, he’ll probably get flustered if you approach him and say “i want to date you give me the step by step instructions in detail also i’m a visual learner” but he’ll definitely sit down and chat with you about compatibility, and even if one of you find that the other may not truly be what you want or need in that sense; he might still like you enough to be your friend! he kind of likes being worn down over time.
engineer: engie’s dream idea of a partner, in any sense of the term, is a fresh brewed mug of coffee with a splash of milk on the coaster of his desk every morning and a list of some side quests he can do to get away from his desk and out of his workshop. he is looking for a fort he can take shelter in, metaphorically. engie builds machines because they’re reliable and consistent. his teammates, his friends are reliable and consistent. he is reliable and consistent. he is not someone who considers himself often. so if he’s watching everyone else’s back, he needs someone watching his. he needs someone who’s not gonna bend to his texan charms, or his anger, or his annoyance, or his condescension, and give him a frank reset when he needs it. he needs people who can not only weather a storm, but stand out and scream in it. he needs someone with his best interests at heart. but he doesn’t want a caretaker. he just needs someone who keeps a closer eye on himself than he does. it’s why he can’t entirely hate medic when the doctor can look at him and make an accurate assessment that he needs rest, or sunlight, or to get the fuck out of the base, or protein, or a word of comfort. you can’t be underhanded about trying to look out for him, because he’s from texas; he knows the southern hospitality game much better than you do and he’ll use it to deny deny deny. it’s why scout makes headway with him with his lack of any charisma to circumvent. he is almost never expecting a direct approach from anyone. you can’t buckle to his massive fucking brain and the 5D chess he’s playing in it. you’ve got to be strong, a confident decision maker, unwilling to play semantics with him, willing to bare your arm to a lunging dog and push in further to get the dog to let go when he latches. and don’t question yourself because he can sniff fear out of you like a bloodhound. he almost likes feeling like a robot, of going through the motions he knows. but he likes a firm reminder to look out for himself.
medic: medic is a man who has the world eating out of his palm. handsome, intelligent, charismatic if you don’t talk to him for long periods of time. medic can hate a trait in someone and love it in someone else. and almost everyone he’s met is itching to get in his good graces, so he’s oddly attracted to people who seem to not give a shit about him. he wants to know what’s rattling in that empty peanut head of yours. if he can actually get to know you at your worst first, he’ll be more approving of you at your best. likes someone who’s willing to lay their cards on the table, he will reciprocate. also a chatty cathy. this man is a literal doctor. went, graduated, got the license, subsequently got it taken away and everything. he has so much information running through his brain at any time, he’s always willing to add to his expansive knowledge. unlike demo though, he fact checks. so if you need to know what you’re talking about with demo, you sure as fuck better know with the doctor, because he’ll clock you on it every time, and you can only be wrong so many times before he thinks you’re an idiot. he hates idiots. on the opposite end, he LOVES people who are pathologically passionate. if you don’t have the flair to get down get away from him, because he’ll make you feel bad. gives real “HEY EVERYONE, BOO THIS GUY” energy. if he’s dancing and asks you to join, you dance with him! dance worse! the way his face lights up is euphoric. if you’re mad, go ahead and take it up a notch. scream at him. shove him! medic wants to see what you do. you like him? tell him you love him. whisper it in his ear during a meal as you pass by. he loves being treated like a lab rat. loves being the experiment as much as he loves being the experimenter. people fascinate him in that sense, that relationships are just a big game of doing things to one another and seeing how it unfolds.
sniper: snipes is a guy who can get lost in everyone’s eyes with enough time, but doers will always take him fastest. loves someone with a fire under their ass. take firm grip on him and don’t let go. don’t let go unless your arm is being cut off. then grab on with the other one. his own energy is normally so low that someone who can bring him up to speed is greatly appreciated. and affirming him you’re not going anywhere helps, but he is a man of action. don’t flinch if he asks you to hold the piss jars. don’t hesitate taking his rifle if he’s handing it off to you. don’t hesitate letting off a shot if you can handle it, because he’s watching. he’s noticing what you do and how you react. and the second he gets a whiff of “mmm actually i don’t know if i like this” those walls are BACK UP. you can always be friends though. he likes people with the urge to take initiative. he swoons for anyone who spares him enough “how are you, really”s. he just gets lost in vulnerability so easily. he’ll lose himself when you’re alone together. in your hands. in your eyes. he can’t help how red he gets, he’s living in la la land. he’ll have rom com soundtracks playing in his ears as he envisions what your kids would look like, and you’re just asking if he’s had lunch yet. and all of this would be so cute if he wasn’t staring at you like you’ve whispered knowledge unknown to man in inconceivable language in his ear. but all one on one interactions lead to epiphanies with snipes. it’s easy to become the one person he can’t stop thinking about if you’re around enough. but it’s hard to stick it out with him. he’s on the road a lot, for one.
spy: he’s so messyyyy he loves a manipulator. human relations to him are a very large game of chess. he loves a conniving, cunning, genuinely evil person. loves being used as a pawn, it happens so rarely for him that when the tables get turned baby he is BARKING LIKE A DOG WHERE IS HIS COLLAR. he wouldn’t even like you otherwise! how is he supposed to trust someone who’s not willing to turn on him? he just needs to know where you draw your line in the sand. what is enough for you to toss him to the wayside? because he guarantees he can accomplish it and more. it’s his insane confidence in himself that attracts him to people who could genuinely hope he gets hit by a car and dragged under the chassis for fifty miles without a stoplight in sight. and he plays it so coy. because he knows with enough time he will get the jump on them too. loves people he can play mind games with that won’t negatively backfire on what’s public about whatever character he decides to play. really does best without fluffy emotions getting in the way. those are harder for him to cope with. someone who is just unyieldingly kind to him is a fool. and he distrusts them greatly, because they don’t know the danger they’re in associating with him, and that puts everyone not only around them, but those with confidential identities around him in danger. and hates to mention it, but his son does work with him? and he won’t willingly state this either, but he does consider everyone on the team a… friend, in some sense of that word, except his son, and he will not be happy if foolishness gets them into a situation that’s bigger than he can handle on his own. at least if he is the pawn there’s nobody to ruin in that case but himself. and he willingly and knowingly takes that risk. it’s a vice he genuinely can’t help it he just loves sinister people. loves a villainous vibe. people who are too good should go get someone nicer. and when these doomed romances with literal supervillains implodes in his face, he is not crushed. he is not upset. he is exhilarated. remember how i said with enough time he’s gonna get the jump on them? yeah, he loves to be the beginning of the end like that. he gets a rush from being the omen. it’s not fun when the pawns are nice. someone’s trust will always, eventually, be betrayed with spy, and if you don’t betray him first… that’s on you. and even if you do betray him first… just wait. he’s got something for that.
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mrs-stans · 2 days ago
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Edward Norton Hails ‘The Apprentice’ and Its Two “Off the Hook” Performances (Exclusive)
The 'A Complete Unknown' contender said of the other film, which stars Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn: "I'm already starting to hear, filmmaker to filmmaker, people going, 'Have you seen that movie? It is absolutely fantastic!' And the word begins to creep."
BY SCOTT FEINBERG
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Edward Norton is currently racking up all sorts of accolades for his supporting turn in A Complete Unknown — for his portrayal of Pete Seeger in the Bob Dylan blockbuster, he was nominated for a Golden Globe, is nominated for Critics Choice and SAG awards and is likely to be nominated for an Academy Award — but during a recording of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast this week, he was just as happy to spend time complimenting another contender which has longer odds: The Apprentice.
In the context of discussing how the 1999 film Fight Club, in which Norton starred, was not appreciated upon its release — in fact, it was booed at its Venice Film Festival premiere and flopped at the box office — but has since come to be regarded as a classic, Norton volunteered: “I saw The Apprentice, and I can’t say enough good about that film.”
He elaborated, “[Director] Ali Abbasi I already thought was [fantastic]. I think [Abbasi’s 2018 film] Border is one of the unappreciated masterpieces of the last 10 years. It is an absolute masterpiece, that film. And I was like, ‘What’s this guy going to do next?'” The answer was 2022’s Holy Spider, and then, in 2024, the Donald Trump “origin story” The Apprentice, which explores the relationship between Trump (Sebastian Stan) and his conniving mentor Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).
“The Apprentice is being so under-discussed,” Norton argued. “That is such a brilliantly directed film, and those two performances are so off the hook. Sebastian Stan? That is a monumentally difficult and impressive performance. And Jeremy’s equally electrifying. Because they actually make you care. You actually empathize with Donald Trump and Roy Cohn; you really empathize with them! You really feel the human roots of the thing.”
Norton said he has expressed his admiration directly to the two actors, and that they confessed disappointment to him that it wasn’t being more widely seen. “And I told those guys, I was like, ‘I can tell you that it’s taking some time, but I’m already starting to hear, filmmaker to filmmaker, people going, ‘Have you seen that movie? It is absolutely fantastic!’ And the word begins to creep.”
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getindumdums · 3 days ago
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He’s even more unhinged in the series. He has a calm, monotonous/cheerful tone. Very innocent sounding. But the sh*t he says. Most of the time (unless he’s being passionately dramatic) he just lets things roll off his back (danger, Raphael’s wisecracks, etc.) And if you pay attention you realize how unhinged he is.)
87 Donatello has
Goes into philosophical rants about their existence. Their under appreciated treatment from the people they save.
‘Just so happened’ to have a personality modifier
Has fired guns/blasters multiple times. Has a
Roped Raphael into helping him steal a missile launcher (lied)
Had weapons (guns) on hand
Turned giant and fought a giant monkey (I just wanted to add this.)
Has torn a side of a van down
Has carried said van with his brothers. Easily.
A body count of 3. Actually. If you heard 2 from another post.
Dark turtle =Batman
attempted murder: Shredder
Is actually really GOOD at lying and bluffing. Has bluffed 3 separate times: pretended that he was trapped, threatening to blow up a -very real bomb- in hit hands, and another where he tricked the entire Triceraton army into thinking he was there ruler and sending them all FLEEING (he was shooting lasers from a device by his eye).
The taunts this boy CAN HAVE
Made an evil clone who was so sassy and egotistical (his personality enhanced) and he definitely gives rise Donnie vibes.
Has made a device that can freeze a specific person in time
Slapped a robot of his brother that attacked him, before realizing it was a robot
Hates fish
Like his brothers, is sensitive to touch
Makes inventions out of old computers, toaster, what ever is lying about.
Got ‘twice mutated’ like his brothers (Red Sky)
Operated a giant robot with missiles (each bro had one
Disguised himself as a Mafia member with his bros. Complete with a killer purple suit
I can go a while. Donatello and Raphael are my favorite <3 They give me such disaster twin energy!
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Here have some Donnie Quotes
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tobiasdrake · 3 days ago
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Dragon Ball Daima 01x13 - Surprise
And we're back. I think episode 12 was probably the halfway point for the series?
And holy shit. This is just gonna be non-stop bitching 'cause this is hands-down the worst episode of Dragon Ball Daima. I genuinely cannot imagine a worse episode than this existing.
This is worse than that time Gomah and Degesu spent half an episode watching Dragon Ball Z and nerding out over how much better of a show it was.
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This guy's so fucking screwed. Gomah's never been a credible opponent, and now he's got both Dr. Arinsu and the Dragon Team gunning for him.
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Degesu's reaction to shutting down Warp-sama is surprising. He legit acts like this is the most unthinkably vile thing anyone's ever done.
There's a bit of metaphysical whiplash going on here where it's like.
Oh shit! They're gonna, like, attack Warp-sama or kidnap Warp-sama or--
Oh, no. Warp-sama's just a machine. There's a switch in the basement they can use to turn Warp-sama on or off with at any time. It's fine.
BUT turning Warp-sama off is, like, the most heinous thing ever. Like, even for a bunch of fascists in the demon world, THIS is a bridge too far. How DARE.
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Neva over here still trying to make krakens seem menacing after we already beat one's ass last episode.
It's fine. He never opens his eyes so he might not have seen that.
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Yeah, crashing makes sense. Popping into Makai #2 just to grab the Dragon Ball and then skedaddling did seem a bit too easy. We already visited the former home of the Namekians. This is gonna be the former home of the Glind, then?
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Yeah, but we've defeated two Tamagami. I think we'll be fine.
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Bulma and Pansy nerding out about tech together is the best part of this episode. I haven't even finished the episode yet as I say this. I just know nothing's gonna top this.
^_^
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The mega-hamsters are adorable and I kind of love them. XD But also they're only a threat because Vegeta's the only one actually willing to fight them.
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I really hope this is going somewhere because we're halfway through the episode and this detour has, so far, been utterly inconsequential.
A "stranded in bear country" type episode generally serves the purposes of forcing a small number of characters into a tight situation where they'll have to interact with one another, building their dynamic with each other or forging one anew.
But we have the entire cast stranded in bear country and all we're doing is walking around going, "Sure is bear country around here."
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Man, they really do think "what if things were very big" is in and of itself, interesting enough to carry an entire episode premise.
Over two minutes of this episode is just watching this kid sit down and have lunch while everyone goes "OH MY GOD IT EATS LUUUUUUUUUNCH!?!?!?!?"
Toei. You do not have a manga to keep pace with. You do not need to insert filler.
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Just punch it really hard, Goku.
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Thanks, Vegeta. You're the only character not pretending to be threatened by this stupid filler plot, and I appreciate you for that.
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Sure, that might as well happen.
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I mean, you're using 0.25% of your speed right now, and also you can teleport. But sure.
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(sigh) Do I even need to say it?
Goku is choosing to lose this altercation.
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At least Vegeta's kicking things up to a Super Saiyan form. He's not faring much better but, like, I can believe he's actually trying to win. That's what's important. It's not about the results, it's about selling the idea that this character is committed to the task that they're doing.
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I dunno. Maybe you should just teleport and not be in this situation.
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Maybe you should just teleport and not be in this situation.
God, we had a whole episode re-establishing Goku's ability to teleport and everything. This is literally the one and only character in the entire cast who can't be put in predicaments like this.
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And now he's free-falling into a bag while screaming for his life.
This character who can both fly and teleport is trapped in free-fall and screaming for his life.
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And it all culminates in a desperate last second dive to save Goku from being crushed, because he refuses to teleport out of IDK sportsmanship or whatever.
This is so boring. It's the first episode of Daima I actually had to force myself to finish because it was unwatchably bad. Absolutely nothing happened. We got lost in bear country and then proceeded to be menaced by bears because we forgot how our powers work.
This would fit right in as an episode of Dragon Ball GT. The first arc, were Trunks has to go Super Saiyan to lift some breaks and everyone keeps forgetting how to fly. That's how bad this is.
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