#THE ONE FLAW HE HAS AS A CAPTAIN!!! BAD COMMUNICATION!!!

[hauntingblue]

So roger gave the hat to shanks(to become pirate king after him I guess?) But didn't make it??? Lmao

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Captain's Orders 1

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, controlling behaviour, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: The Captain takes it upon himself to change your life.

Characters: Steve Rogers

Note: I am still dizzy her and there but feeling a bit better.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You wouldn’t call it doom scrolling. That’s not what this is. You try not to search out the depressing headlines or the studies of the human character assuring you of your race’s inherent flaws. Yet, all those boastful posts about engagements, weddings, and promotions still make you feel crummy. 

Jealous? Sure. You don’t have any of those things and it isn’t as if you can hope for as much, either. You’re in a dead-end job, living in cramped apartment with your sister and her irresponsible friend, and your romantic life is next to non-existent; not that you’ve been looking. None of that is meant for you, otherwise, you’d have had some glimmer of interest by now. 

It’s like quicksand. Not very quick but it pulls you down lower and lower. Sinking and sinking until all you can see is the muck. There’s no way out now, you’re waist deep in it. 

You click under your favourite communities and start a new post. You don’t make many. Mostly you read and judge silently. You’re a lurker. Like in many facets of your life. You watch, you don’t do. But you’ve had a shitty day and you need to just let it out. 

Your fingers move as your thoughts boil in your head; your nagging manager, your lazy landlord, and your immature roommates. Nothing ever goes your way. Everyone else has it figured out and you’re just left to rot. You try! You do. Resumes, profiles on friendship apps, online courses; free, of course, it’s all you can afford, but you do try to improve yourself. It just doesn’t work. 

You hit ‘post’ and close the lid of your ancient laptop. It’s as thick as a book. The battery doesn’t hold a charge and the fan is as loud as a jet. You fall back onto your bed and look around your tiny room. That’s all you have. This space is as much as you can call your own and not really. You rent it, it can be taken away with one of those red stamped notices. 

You yawn and drag yourself up. A whole shift and you didn’t bother to have more than the bland break room coffee spewed from the off-brand pod machine and a couple sticks of gum. Tia got herself sushi before her shift but she can just ask her parents to send her money to cover her Door Dash addiction. 

You plod out to the kitchen. Your sister closes the fridge and cracks the tab of a beer can. You’re sure it isn’t her first.  

“I didn’t hear you come in,” Shea bobbles her head. 

Funny since Donna pretty much hollered at you for interrupting her TV show. You all pitched in on the flat screen yet it’s never your turn with it. You shrug and go to the cupboard. It’s not sushi but the spicy shrimp ramen isn’t too bad... 

“You work?” You ask. 

“Pfft, no. Didn’t I say I was going to lunch with Mason?” 

“Did you?” You take down at bowl. She probably did. You never remember. She’s always got a date or a party or a fall back. If she can’t make rent, she’ll smile a cute guy and get some money. 

“He bought me some shoes! You’ll never believe.” 

“Right,” you try not to seethe. 

You’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. You’re eating sodium-laced noodles and holding back tears against old people wanting to print out their life story from a corrupt PDF. She’s pretty. She doesn’t have to try. Shea is all the proof you need that some people are just lucky. 

You put the electric kettle onto boil and the smell of burnt—something makes your lip curl. You pop the lid and look inside. It’s brown. What the hell? 

“What’s wrong with this?” You ask as you flip off the switch. 

“Donna!” Shea yells, “what did you do to the kettle?” No answer. Your sister hollers again. 

A door swings open and Donna stomps out with a huff. Her face is green as she has a mask spread over it and eye masks pasted beneath her lashes. 

“I’m getting ready--” 

“The kettle stinks,” you reach for a pot and find none. They’re all stacked and waiting to be washed. You snatch one off the top and flip on the faucet. 

“Oh, I heated up some bone broth in it. I’m doing a cleanse,” she smirks. “Tasted kinda weird.” 

“Bone broth?” You scoff. See. You try, they can’t even clean dishes. “Great.” 

“I’m sure it’s fine, just rinse it out,” Shea says. 

You scrub the pan and ignore her. You glance up as she slurps noisily from the can. Pre-drinks. Her and Donna are going out. Again. They can afford to because they don’t buy their own drinks. They don’t need to. You went out with them once and paid for all of your own, even though you’d have been happy enough with a single round. 

“Have fun,” you dry out the pan and slam it on the burner. 

“Jeez, maybe you should loosen up?” Donna chides. 

“Yeah, come with us. Dance it out,” Shea drawls. 

“No thanks,” you twist the knob and light the burner. “I have work tomorrow.” 

“Call innnnn,” Shea insists. 

“I can’t,” you sniff and step back to wait for the water to boil. 

“Boring,” she chirps. 

“Yep, I am,” you cross your arms. Your annoyed. When the go out, you’ll have to clean up this mess. You can’t handle another bout of fruit flies. 

You put the noodles in and let them soften. You stir in the oil and powder then retreat to your room with the bowl of boiling cholesterol. You let it cool and put a video on your phone. You don’t want to think. 

You eat deliberately. You savour the processed flavouring. You can’t go out sneak a midnight snack; Donna ate all your cookies. You label all your stuff in thick marker and she apparently can’t read. 

You hear them leave. They’re loud. They leave the television on. At high volume. 

You go out and shut it off. You need to sleep soon. Opening always comes after a late shift. Otherwise, how else would the corporation keep you disempowered. 

You open your laptop. You’ll but on some lo-fi while you charge your phone. Heck, the fan is like white noise on its own. 

The little red number at the bottom of the page stops you. You left the browser open. Someone actually responded to your post. You click and your stomach drops as you read the first sentence. 

‘Sounds like you cause a lot of your own problems. Maybe try some mindful exercises and get out more. You should also consider making some friends.’ 

You read it over and over. You’re angry. Hurt, too. But most that first thing. You can’t stop from replying. 

‘You got all that from me venting? I wasn’t asking for advice. I walk to and from work and I have friends.’ 

It’s mostly true. You do walk. Most days. And your sister is a friend, isn’t she? By association, so is Donna. 

Before you can look up your favourite twelve-hour lo-fi, another notification pops up. 

‘Looking at your post history, your diet could use some improvements. More veggies. And walking is a good starting point but you need to increase your endorphins. I’d be happy to send you some helpful guides. They’re easily searchable on the internet. We live in the age of information, you should consider taking advantage of that.’ 

Wow, what an asshole. He’s smug and obviously better than you. You click on his username and scroll through. Just as you expect. He posts in fitness communities. Not any videos of him but sharing tutorials and recipes for high-protein smoothies and fibre-laced juices. He wouldn’t know flavour if it puked in his mouth. 

You his ‘esc’ and go back to your own post; ‘thanks for the advice. Have a good one.; 

That’s it. You’re not arguing with some faceless douche on the internet. His response is as quick as the first. 

‘A helpful link.’ He hyperlinks the words. ‘You should at least stretch in the morning and go outside on your breaks at work. You might work long shifts but it’s no excuse to be lazy. If you’ve been in that role for so long, you should have more than enough references to move on to something that doesn’t make you miserable.’ 

You don’t answer. You know if you do, you’ll just embarrass yourself. Judging by the few pics of his real life and his cadence, he’s got everything. He just thinks it’s a matter of mindset. There can’t possibly be anything else which could make things more difficult for people. You just don’t work hard enough. Duh, everyone always says so. 

You close out of the page. If he replies again, you’ll block him. Simple as. You put on a lo-fi track and dim the screen. You roll over and tuck into bed. You fall asleep in a ball of stress; you have to wake up, shower, do all that human stuff, then make yourself face another eight hours of hell. 

⭐

“I hate working at the fucking copy desk,” you hiss as you take your bag from the cubby in the break room. “Good luck.” 

Darcy gives you a look as she sits at one of the tables, waiting for her shift to start. You grit your teeth as you should your purse and grip your jacket tight. You punch your employee number into the clock then head out. 

As you march down the aisle of toner, a customer tries to stop you. “I’m off duty.” 

“But I need a keyboard.” 

You ignore them and keep going. 

“I’m going to tell a manager, young lady!” 

You don’t care. Besides, why are they looking for a keyboard in the toner aisle. The signs above with the giant letters clearly show that the computer accessories are in the opposite corner. 

People are stupid. They might be able to read, technically, but they definitely lack comprehension. Just like Donna who can’t keep her hands off your snacks. 

You walk home in a simmer. If you let your temper get away from you, you won’t be able to hold back when you walk into the inevitable shit show waiting for you at home. Shea and Donna hungover, probably having got into more of your sparse groceries, and amidst a brand new mess for you to tidy. You won’t not this time. 

You have a mission. Go to your room and don’t come out. 

As you enter your building, you find the elevator non-responsive. A tiny post-it is stuck to the doors. ‘Out of Order’. Couldn’t have made something a bit more legible? 

You take the stairs. The hallway smells like onion and dirty clothes. You take out your keys as you get to your door, ignoring the rabble coming from the apartment next to yours. Before you can get your key in the slot, the door opens. 

“Heyyyy, she’s back,” Shea greets. You blink at her in confusion. Is she already drunk again? 

“Starting already?” You ask as you try to get past her. 

“Hm, no,” she says tritely, “you have a guest.” 

You roll your eyes, “don’t be a bitch, alright?” 

“No, really,” she grins. You stop and look her up and down. She isn’t falling apart like usual after a Friday night. Her hair is done, her makeup too, and she’s not in her sweats.  

“Is it mom?” You whisper. 

She snorts, “you’re stupid. No, it’s your friend. Steve.” She backs up with a shimmy, “I think some people call him Captain.” 

You make a face. What? 

“Who...” 

“Ahem,” a figure appears by the corner of the kitchen counter, “I didn’t mean to intrude.” 

You crane to see over Shea’s shoulder. The man behind her is tall. And familiar. Steve Rogers. Your expression contorts as your lashes flutter in confusion. 

“Not at all, Stevie,” Shea spins, “I’ll give you two the room. So nice to meet you.” 

She squeezes by him and touches his forearm as she does. He doesn’t react. She giggles and flits off. Her door shuts but you can tell that the latch didn’t catch. She’s listening. 

“Should we go outside? Get some sun?” He asks. 

You glance at him again. You’re lost. 

“Do I know you?” You grimace. 

“After all day under fluorescent, you should really get out--” 

“I-- I’m sorry, can you slow down and explain--” 

“Outside. Privately,” he says. 

You peek past him then look into the hallway behind you. You search your mind for an explanation. The only place you know him from is the internet or a history book. 

“Like I said before, going outside can really help with mood issues.” 

You hesitate and your mouth falls open. It can’t be... 

“Was that you? Last night?” You shake your head. 

“How about I buy you a smoothie?” He offers. 

You snap your mouth shut. He can’t be serious. This can’t be real. 

[mandatory-blog-stop-asking]

thinking about Emma Frost again. let's imagine for a second X-Men matters and my opinion must be shared.

When I was a kid I really respected and liked Professor X. I thought his stances on issues were calm and reasonable and I thought his efforts were, while ultimately fruitless, the best ones in the fictional conversation about inclusivity and race and all that. this is a subtle reference to the fact I only watched the cartoon and the movies as a kid.

When I grew older and learned English I started engaging with the comics and realized that oh, turns out the adaptations are superficial at best and fladerizing at worst, and there's a lot more to Charles than Being Correct. He's actually in fact a scathing critique of control and flawed leaders of good faith ideals, and how you're supposed to grow over those who created the words you use to free yourself from tyranny. Professor X is a jerk, Magneto was right, all that.

But over time I realized how much that erases Emma Frost, villain turned voice of reason extraordinaire.

Emma starts her tenure in X-Men as Claremont's personification of everything that is bad with high society, accosted by Sebastian Shaw, which is that but male. Emma is genuinely awful when Claremont writes her; a GOOD awful, on purpose, but she's not supposed to be relatable. She has her own mutant school, her own team of mutants, her own answer to Cerebro. She's the most genuine Evil Xavier we get for a full two decades. and she's great at it! Even if the hellfire club almost always truces with the X-Men for the sake of fighting a more important battle, there's no question that you're not supposed to root for Emma.

And then in the 90s something changes, Claremont goes away for a second, other people approach the character, and the question becomes, why are we treating her like evil Xavier? She's building community. She's giving a voice to the disenfranchised. She's training them and she's caring for them and at no point is she asking of them things they actively disagree with, which can't be said of Charles. And so starts the process most every X-Men villain goes through: humanization, complexity, redemption. And fuck does Emma redeem herself.

Ten years into not being a caricature of high class, Emma has accrued a tragic backstory, several positive projects in canon, renown as a genius, positive relationships to several characters, and a main team spot in a highly acclaimed, influential run as of New X-Men. A whole new generation of readers introduced to Emma, new powers, new MO, new everything. Other characters are changing drastically, usually backwards, to accompany the movie's success -- Magneto is evil again, Jean goes back to being the Phoenix, Charles is a lot more like Captain Picard. But Emma? Emma gets to keep going. She changes things wherever she goes.

She hooks up with Cyclops, her daughters become their new Cerebro, she becomes the new heavy-hitter, the Hellfire Club becomes more Shaw and Shinobi's deal than hers... obviously, this isn't consistent. She's got low points and moments that don't agree to her new character. But this woman, who started as commentary on how the rich will destroy you for fun, is now a key positive portion of the world because at some point in time, she had a point -- Charles *isn't* the end-all-be-all of the matter of teaching young mutants, Erik *isn't* the best way forward as far as mutant armadas go, there *is* nuance to their dualistic conversation, the dichotomy is only enforced because they're loud, but she can be louder, she can be louder than any of them--

And then Krakoa hits. Yes, there's a full ten years of bad X-Men stories, many of them including Emma, at least one of them including Emma genociding a few Inhumans. But then Krakoa hits, and every character gets a new project.

Cyclops? Seeing the world move on in ways he might not approve of. Wolverine? Being happy, and realizing he means to fight to keep it going. Erik? Charles? Apocalypse?? Seeing how strong their "dreams" are when they compromise, and realizing oh, I am willing to do *anything* to keep this going, quite literally anything, there is no crime predicted by man or god that would be beyond my reach if it meant paradise would not be lost.

Emma? Emma keeps doing what she's been doing from the word go. Keep it fabulous. Keep the children safe. Don't fall for the lies. At some point someone will invade your privacy and try to take everything away from you. Your job is not to simply destroy them. Your job is to showcase to them how this too was accounted for.

Emma, alongside her planning, her alliances, her leading of the resistance, her unfathomable internal strength and her willingness to see the world for what it is, won the war for Krakoa. Charles wanted things to stay the way they were, Erik wanted things to be the way he dreamed they could be, Apocalypse wanted things to impress him.

Emma wanted them to be safe and sound. Emma wanted the children to be safe. And when Krakoa rose and left, now fully developed and having outgrown her as well, she picked herself back up and went to train a new generation.

There's always children to keep safe. There's always a new generation. The work is never finished.

Yes, the O5 have their own version of Xavier's dream fulfilled, but Emma is the only one who managed to keep herself genuine while evolving. In a room with religious zealots, war criminals, villains and ancients evils, Emma could always look at Kitty Pryde and think to herself, look at what we're doing, my friend. Look at what we have to work with. We're not saving them from themselves, we're saving everyone they're willing to sacrifice.

I wish those adaptations would make Emma Frost sound like she does to me. She's not just a third option to the Professor X-Magneto dichotomy. She's a person asking why is this a dichotomy in the first place. She's too busy actually caring about people to bother with the bickering.

For the children, they said when they wanted her to join their little utopia. For the children, she sighed back, realizing that if she didn't say it, quite literally no one else would.

[windvexer]

On what I'm going to call "peer positioning" in witchcraft, and the scary empowerment it can bring you

I think a lot of people who get into witchcraft have a problem with being able to see themselves as peers & equals to the powers they cultivate around them.

I see this most often discussed when it comes to gods. "Just because your god asks you for something doesn't mean you need to do it!" Etc. I think we've all heard that.

But today my thoughts are on the tarot, and how some people seem to treat tarot readings as "the truth" or "the answer" that then must be followed, even if they (the living, breathing, human practitioner) don't really agree or don't really want to do that.

I'm really big on the analogy of a witch as a monarch, and the concept of various powers (like gods, spirits, tools, and spells) being counselors in the throne room.

In this context, it's easier to adopt the mindset that all of these powers have their own personalities, abilities, and goals - and that they can & will provide conflicting information when you ask for advice. (Especially ancestors - so opinionated!)

Imagine Captain Picard sitting in the meeting room with Geordi, Riker, and the rest of the space nerds.

Captain Picard is like, "the power core is failing and the away team is stranded on the planet. I think we should use the nebula to hide until the Gromflomites stop searching for us." And then Geordi is like, "but Captain, the engines would never make it! We have to go rescue the away team immediately!" And Captain Picard is like, "damn... Wow. I really wanted to go to the nebula, I thought it was the best choice :/ but if you're saying we literally don't have to worry about the Gromflomites..." Then Riker is like, "Captain, no. Geordi isn't saying the Gromflomites aren't a problem, he's just expressing his top concerns as Chief Engineer." And then Picard is all, "oh, so... this is conflicting information? Did that mean I did a bad reading on Geordi, or that negative spirits are stopping me from being able to communicate? Is Riker possibly a trickster?"

If you're captain of the ship, monarch of the kingdom, (etc.), then it might be important to ask yourself:

Am asking for input from my counsel of allied powers, and then making choices for myself?

Or, have I inadvertently signed over my decision-making process to these powers?

And I think it all kind of comes back to "peer positioning," or, witches being able to develop a spiritual framework within which they are equals to the powers around them.

Since beginning practicing witchcraft in earnest, I have often demanded a course of direction. Instead of asking, "how do I accomplish this?" I would ask, "what do I do?"

And the answer was the same every time, deeply infuriating, but also very scary: "Do whatever you think is best."

I think that's the problem of being the captain of the ship. Once your counselors are done giving their input, you are the one who has to make the final call.

Lately I've really been on a kick about witchcraft as a path of empowerment, and I think that viewing spiritual input as just that - input - is a vital part of the process.

Even if you are a true-blue believer in the magical power of tarot, tarot is still just one counselor sitting in your throne room.

Even if you have tutelary spirits, guardians and guides, gods and angels, providing blessings and support - they are not sitting at the head of the table.

You are.

I think that a framework of allied powers as peers and equals is relatively basic, and does have its flaws. But I also think it can be helpful in a variety of ways:

It can provide a system of understanding why allied powers can give conflicting advice, or even seemingly bad advice that doesn't align with our personal desires.

It can provide a tool for processing spiritual input.

It helps restore a sense of personal authority to a practitioner.

It can help a practitioner reclaim control of a path that's grown a mind of its own.

It aids in practicing that most oppressive of skills - liberated autonomy.

I just think it's something to consider. At the end of the day, most of us have probably got to make our own calls.

[I'm making this post because in the past few months I've been helping witches consult the tarot, and they've been giving feedback like, "so this is what I should do, right?" or, "what is it telling me to do?"

I can basically see the huge reblogs where people are explaining that a period of time where they signed complete personal autonomy over to their god was the most empowering and spiritually electric time in their lives,

and I want you to know, I'm not speaking about vows and oaths made to entities that gives them control over your life. I'm talking about situations where witches put down their autonomy so they can have both hands free to shuffle tarot.]

[another-argo]

Argo (Boat) Castellan-Commodus-Harvenson

AGE:

"15- and that means I'm not a kid. So don't try to call me one- kiddo, baby. Nothing."

WEAPON:

"Dagger, but I can kill you with anything."

FATAL FLAW:

"No? Why would I tell you? I guess I'm impulsive? Or anxious? I don't know."

DEATH COUNT:

"One. I'm finally back all the way."

KILL COUNT:

"Lots of people. If you keep asking it'll be one more."

[ALWAYS OPEN TO INTERACTION!!]

^ I MAY NOT RESPOND! ALWAYS TRY TO INTERACT BUT I GET BUSY AND CAN'T ALWAYS GET TO RBS/ASKS!!

TAG LIST

>>ask if you want to be added/deleted!!<<

@reyno-solis-real

REYNUZZ 🐺: furry. haha. hurt Judas (not chill) but is dating Theo (?) I'm.. neutral.

@pain-is-forever

Theodore Woods🐍: doesn’t.. like me anymore. I’m so sorry Theo.

@nobilis-of-norway

Damien: I don't remember him much, he seems cool. Appearantly my dad?

@unlicensed-field-medic

Solace☀️💊: Tell me about my gods damned medical past. Camp medic and should probably get a nap

@the-great-emperor-commodus

Dad 🗡🛡: Commodus! He's a bit scary, but I think he still likes me.. right? I think he's mad at me for moving out..

@the-eclipsed-sun

Apollo???: literally the sun god? lives in Commodus's house? I haven't seen him in a long time. He doesn't really like me..

@sophia-hunter-of-artemis

Baby Sister 🌙: I love her so much. She's perfect and I will protect her with my life.

@judas-of-eris

Brother #2: Cool guy, my other older brother, adopted me after Theo- but I love them the same!

@daughter-of-thanatoss

Glitter Supplier 🌹: my sister!! I love her and I live with her! she's so cool and also brought me back to life

@onlymythologypersonincamp

Eve 🌙: Does make me a bit nervous since I'm scared of the dark. And I still feel bad. It was all my fault...

POWERS:

Shapeshifter! (Works a bit different than Frank. Has limited amount of changes before they start to have issues.)

After a few shapeshifts, they start to become more susceptible to suggestion (being forced into an animal) and also keep some traits of animals they are forced into until they rest (ex: cat ears or a tail)

(also some powers due to Kronos being in his body; time control, being able to communicate with all humans and animals, and prophecy)

BACKSTORY:

After the titan war, Mr. D and Chiron decided to wipe their memory- for the safety of the camp (and of Luna, who desperately wanted to be with their older brother). This caused Argo to get really angsty and make a deal with Kronos. Upon his deal, he also let in Eris.

This possession caused Argo to kill LOTS of people. In an attempt to stop him, Theo cut off his arm and killed him ( :( ), and Argo went to Tartarus for his murders (and because Kronos and Eris dragged him there).

Argo was revived by Rose- but not all the way.. which came with side effects. Argo has since then been struggling with Kronos, Eris, and his other fractured personalities Luna and Atticus.

OTHER BLOGS I RUN!

(someone fucking stop me)

@forged-in-fire-and-brimstone

@captain-and-crew

@gay-heartbreak

@stuck-in-an-aquarium

@dontgivethechildwine

@pomegranate-nightmares

ALSO:

This blog may deal with SH, body issues, spiraling, and just negative thoughts! I will try to TW as I go, but be warned!

OOC under the cut <333

Hiiii! I'm Rammi/Ram ! (He/They)

No NSFW! Nothing creepy! This OC is a MINOR! (flirting is okay just stop if asked please)

Sometimes I won't respond.. I lose my phone for days/hours on end. oops.

DNI if you're bigoted in any way because I don't deal with TERFs, racists, homophobes, acephobes, zionists, etc. etc.

BLANK BLOGS GET BLOCKED

ALWAYS OPEN TO DMS/RESPONSES TO OPEN STARTERS/BEING MENTIONED IN THINGS!!

okay! that's it! be good people ^.^

[phantomdialogue]

˗ˏˋ. ݁₊ ✶ ˖ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 - 𝟒/𝟓 ☆ . ݁ ˖ˎˊ˗

off-campus series book 1

premise: garrett graham has failed his philosophy midterm and his future with the hockey team is in jeopardy if he can't get his grade back up. lucky for him, he catches a glimpse at the bright red A on the top of hannah wells' paper and decides he desperately needs her help. lucky for hannah, she needs help getting the attention of the guy she's had a crush on all semester and dating, or rather fake-dating, the captain of the hockey team would really help with that. when they strike up a deal, they might both get what they want, or find they wanted something different from the beginning.

couple: garrett graham and hannah wells

tropes: fake dating, college romance, sports romance, ice hockey player x music student, enemies to lovers (ish)

CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING!! - includes themes such as physical and verbal abuse (familial), sexual assault, and more.

available on kindle unlimited

review below!

review:

i will stand by the thought that this is what icebreaker wanted to be but just isn't. this book has its flaws. don't get me wrong. but do i still love it? hell yeah. i think it's such a fun book and yet it still has a tone of seriousness to it that doesn't feel out of place. you smile through a lot of it, blush through the smut, and get sad in the darker parts.

garrett graham... i understand the hype. he is the most perfect example of a golden retriever douchebag that isn't actually a douchebag. he's hilarious and so sweet when he needs to be. the scene of him with hannah in the bar made me smile so much (before things went downhill of course) and his backstory is just so sad. i want to wrap him up in a blanket and just keep him warm.

hannah wells, oh i love you. hannah is such a fun character because she's a pushover until she reaches her limit and you get to read how she slowly becomes less and less of a pushover and it's so great. i also love that she isn't completely controlled by her trauma. it obviously still effects her and for good reason but it's not the singular defining trait of her character like a lot of other characters with that trauma can be written as.

this book checks a lot of boxes that could be a bit more cliche and overdone but it does it in such a fun way with such good characters that you don't mind it. the plot isn't entirely special and unique and the writing isn't my favorite but the characters and the banter and the relationships between everyone really makes it such a fun easy read that i look forward to continuing the series.

q & a:

are they endgame? - i adore this couple. i really do. i think they are really good at reading each other, garrett especially with hannah, and it's clear that they have an easy time opening up to one another. with that in mind, they still do have some little flaws in their communication that would need to be ironed out for them to last but i think they can 100% figure that out and stay together in the long run. they have a very sweet companionship with each other that is really a key part of their lives and they are understanding of each other's priorities and schedules that that wouldn't become a problem.

did i cringe? - yes. BUT i think it's more so just from the style of writing. a lot of the reason that this got knocked down to 4 stars is because the style of writing just isn't my favorite. there is a lot of modern slang and almost kind of "gen z" voice to the story that i think can feel out of place at times but i did still thoroughly enjoy the book and really adored all the characters we were introduced to (minus a few of the bad ones of course).

favorite part? - like i said above, the characters really stole the show for me. garrett and hannah are both really interesting characters with complex backgrounds and their stories are shared with each other in a very heartwarming way. even the side characters (who will later get their own books) all had little elements about them that were so endearing and shined through the page. i really fell in love with the characters and that's what made me love the book as much as i did.

least favorite part? - the pacing felt really off. i almost arguably wish that it was longer but only for the last 40% of the book. i wish that some of the angst had been dragged out more than immediately being resolved and i wish that we got a bit more of garrett's perspective during the final conflict because i think it would have been really fun as a reader to know about what he was doing rather than find out at the same time as hannah. but it wasn't the worst pacing. i really did enjoy the book still and it didn't entirely take away from the book.

favorite quotes (some spoilers here, of course, but minimal):

“I kiss each of my biceps and then point to the ceiling and thank the big man upstairs for creating such a perfect male specimen.”

It’s like that pond I skated on when I was a kid—from a distance, the ice looked so shiny and smooth, until you got close enough to it, and suddenly all the uneven edges and crisscrossed skate marks became visible. That’s me, I guess. Covered with skate marks that nobody ever seems to notice.

“I want to murder him in his sleep, A. No, I want to murder him when he’s awake so he can see the joy on my face when I do it.”

“Anything. I don’t care.” I’m startled by the intensity in his voice, the emotion now glittering in his gray eyes. “I just need to hear you sing again.”

I suddenly wonder how I ever made it through life without Hannah Wells’s sarcastic barbs and annoyed grumbles.

“Hey, come on, don’t cry,” he begs. “It breaks my fucking heart to hear you cry.”

But right now, all I want is for this girl to smile at me again.

I’m not a fragile piece of china to him. I’m just… me.

Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them. How you went about your day and hung out with your friends and fucked other people without having this one important person in your life.

“How did I go so long without noticing you, damn it? Why did it take seeing a stupid A on your midterm to make me notice?”

“Baby, I could watch you watching paint dry, and I still wouldn’t be bored.” Garrett Graham, my own personal sweet-talker.

I didn’t let a single person in, not even my closest friends, and then you came along and I realized just how fucking lonely I’ve been.

I feel like I can drop my guard completely and not have to worry about getting hurt or taken advantage of or being afraid, because Garrett Graham will always be there to love and protect me.

I don’t look back these days. I only look forward.

[darklinaforever]

I think this kind of person really doesn't understand the Star Wars community to compare to this kind of other case... Star Wars is a huge franchise that is being inspected from all sides by a bunch of sick people. Also, if this person thinks that there are racists who haven't watched The Acolyte, it's really because they don't know this community. We all know that there are tons of sexists and racists who consume Star Wars, including the latest Disney shows. This person greatly underestimates the self-destructive side of certain people in fandoms... And comparing The Acolyte's hate campaign to Captain Marvel will always make me laugh. Fans have been asking for several years for her to finally be treated properly and get her own movie. We're talking about a fictional character established for many years who has finally had the right to an adaptation (not crazy but not ultra bad either). The Acolyte was a completely new product with new characters in an already established franchise and was almost revered as a bible by some fans. It's not the same context at all, nor the same type of community. Not to mention the pathetic second campaign trying to prove that no one wants a renewal of The Acolyte which... actually proves the opposite. And I think once again that kind of person doesn't really understand the Acolyte community. I haven't seen any fans of the show so far claiming that it was great. The show has undeniable flaws. But he has very good potential. Shit.

[moiteneia]

Federation Report: Experiment 0010.

The two guinea pigs, 0001 and 0010, have shown themselves to be very promising. Being twins, we were able to closely observe the changes in their bodies upon contact with Perfection. However, they still demonstrate serious personality flaws.

01 is an intelligent and calm girl, observing her surroundings before making any decision and can distinguish puzzles from false riddles. However, it shows weakness with animals and is aggressive towards physical experiments.

As for her brother, 10, he is an unsociable and protective boy, showing high levels of anger when we approach his sister. He demonstrates the same level of intelligence as his sister, spending hours on our puzzles to deliver them perfectly solved.

Given their levels of aggression, we decided to separate them, promising each other that if they obeyed, the other would not be being attacked.

From there, we were able to move on to the ARENA experiment.

There, we put the best cobals we collected to face each other in pairs. By uniting 10 and q!Bbh, one of our oldest guinea pigs, we achieved spectacular results.

This was the first time the experiment was given a "name". q!Bbh seems to have become fond of the child and named him "Dapper".

0010 doesn't seem to show the exact feeling of affection or protection for q!Bbh, just being understanding and calm. The two seem to get along well and q!Bbh managed to use 10's aggression to capture and kill his opponents more easily. This seems to have made the child crueler than Perfection would have liked.

The Federation then determined that 0010 would be sent to the prison where we send the rest of our failed experiments, while we will erase part of q!Bbh's memories so that he does not remember the experiments accurately and hinder our efforts to achieve the perfection.

0010 in prison demonstrated irrationality. Having had contact with cruelty, he became manipulative and used fear to obtain protection and what interests him. So much so that he used a fake cell phone to attract and win over gangs who, interested in contact with outsiders, approached him.

This cell phone gave him a new nickname, "Cell". The Federation has not yet decided whether names are bad aspects for our experiment, but momentarily it seems that this will not affect our experiments.

However, two failed test subjects managed to manipulate 0010. Although he managed to escape from our prison, he demonstrated confusion numerous times and his irrationality, along with the intensity and impulsiveness of his actions, blinded him.

Last time we saw him, the duo, along with a third individual, they had arrested him in a type of cave on a small island. He only had in his possession a gun with a single bullet.

Fearing that we would lose one of our most promising results, the agents rushed to rescue him. However, upon arriving on the island, he had somehow escaped.

The Federation determined that we must get it back immediately before we lost everything we had gained in years of experimentation. The agents have been thinking about using 0010's sister to lure him, as we did to keep him obedient, however, we don't know exactly through which channels we could do this.

For now, our main mission is to continue the experiments with the other test subjects and track where "Cell" or 0010 could be.

xXx

Report Update: Arrival of Brazilians and "q!Cellbit/0010".

We managed to track down the location of experiment 0010. He was on his way to Australia on a boat with the prison duo and two other test subjects.

We immediately tried to attract the ship with our mechanisms, however, we were surprised. Subject 0001 managed to reach communication and sent a message to the ship's captain, trying to warn them to stay away from the island, as they were heading towards danger.

It appears that 0001 has been following the investigation for the past few years, looking for her brother and a way to join him by escaping. Luckily, we managed to find out before she arrived to meet her brother. We immediately erase all her memories involving him and will keep her locked up until further notice.

Now, we need to revisit the experiments of 0010, or q!Cellbit, as he appears to have given himself, and find out how far he is from his latest progress while still in our domain.

We also need to know if it is still of use to the Federation so that we can achieve Perfection.

[bbcghostsliamrip]

Essay/Rant on why the captian is good repensentation which is now in one part not two because it was character limit per block of text so I just put spaces.

Hello, I have seen a few diffrent opinions on him in regards to repensentation most of it is good but some people don't like it which is perfectly fine but sometimes when I see complaints about him as a queer character it's missing something very important a key word which is context,I see the point that he never says he's gay outloud and the coming out scene is not explicit coming out I suppose which yes if he was not a very repressed man who was living during a war in a time when it was illegal to be a gay man and he died tragically in a way he is ashamed of that is also connected to his military position which is also very important to him and of course his love his gay, illegal love who he died trying to see, then yes that is a great point but in this context I think it was done very well like everything I just said there is traumatic and he is extremely repressed it's not going to be a big party with flags everywhere it's not him it's not where he's at right now, and yes a very repressed queer perosn who only comes out at the end of the show and has a tragic love story is a commonly used thing in the wrong way because of censorship and things if the captain lived now as a character in a TV show set now where he is alive and well now then he would not be very good repensentation but like I said context is so so important, I also think while he's not the ideal because as some points get made his coming out scene was not really explicitly coming out it was at the end of the show and he's played by a straight man (as far as Im aware), it's important to have repensentation of all queer people those who are loud and proud and those who are not there yet or can't be because of things like safety it's also important to represent people in history, queer history, the war was real and there would have been queer people in it we have always existed we always have been here and there could have been a man just like him who was scared and repressed and lost his love and that story deserves to be told too. Aside from the context points I think his journey with his identity was good subtle but good he trusts the ghosts enough with it now and that took A lot to get there, you can see it in the show I don't think the character development in ghosts is bad in general but I don't think it's amazing it's flawed it has huge mistakes but that's for another time the captian dose have character growth and he dose become more comfortable one detail I love is how after he comes out he then dose not try to hide that he is attracted to the weather man like he did try to hide before he acts just like all the other ghosts do about something like that and that shows that he is more comfortable now and all like that detail, speaking of details another thing that went into his character is details what was it he said some beach a quuer sort of beach I don't know you know what I'm talking about though all like references they have to "gay things" gay culture? Maybe idk what to call it, but not in a stereotypical for the straight audience to laugh at way but in a way that it's showing he's gay showing that it's an important part of who he is it's part of him you know and the queer audience will catch all that and it's ment to be like that it feels like they had this character becuase they wanted queer people to see themselves in it to feel included and represented not just to have a gay character who they can make puns about,

stereotype heavily and use for the straight cis audience to laugh AT work was put into him to make him a queer character for queer people to see and to see themselves and there community and to love but at the same time as this they don't make it his whole identity his whole character he's not just a sterotype with a "perfect coming out story" he is a real person he is a complete complicated character like we all are who had struggles who has a story a personality his coming out story can not be perfect because it never is being queer can be really hard with the world we are in especially in that time his story is complicated and not perfect to you because it's not the situation is not he is not it was not a good situation but he has a new family now and they are all amazing and love eachother, he is a real character not a template for writing the perfect coming out queer storyline, another point now this one is absolutely fair enough (they all are you ofc can have your opinion I'm sorry if it sounds rude here it's currently 2 am and I tired) is that he is played by a straight guy (which just a question do we know that Ben is not lgbt because just cause he has dose not mean he can not be queer it's Lgbtqia+ yk, should not be assuming someone is anything) which I understand some people don't like this they want our community repensented by our community but if there is a straight actor to play queer roles Ben is a great one for it he obviously takes so much care and love with the characters to do there gay justice. Ok that's it I'm so tired but I'll defend my lovely ghosts any time please don't get annoyed at me I just want to put my points out there you can disagree all you like 

Also just to clarify I am queer also trans and not sure of sexuality but it's not straight gay or bi I think just in case you though I was a cis straight person giving such strong opinions on repensentation which ig they can do and no one ever has to tell you there identity on a tumbler post that's not your business but in this case I prefer to put that as a note 

[twothpaste]

wellll i gotta ask about our boy Bronson wiiith 12, 21, 25??

YEAAA BRONSON!!!! (Putting answers below a readmore because they're long 🕺)

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I assure y'all I'm very normal and not at all unwell regarding All The Shit I Made Up About Bronson. The blundering apocalyptic naval admiral who accidentally got his own fleet destroyed, defected like a coward, and never faced the consequences. Who tried to make amends by serving as the White Ship's captain, but never washed his hands of blood. Dude who has no clue how to navigate grief, 'cause he couldn't face it himself when folks who trusted him died on his watch. So wracked with subconscious guilt he just wants to stuff his head in an amnesiac hole and spend the rest of his days as a humble bumfuck Nowhere blacksmith. Again, normal about Bronson. Nothing to see here.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I love making him lowkey pathetic when push comes to shove. He's a capable leader if things are running according to plan, an easygoing and sensible person generally, people do respect him, etc. But when faced with truly difficult dilemmas, he ends up floundering uselessly. Falls back on old habits, like feigning control over the situation, trying & failing to order people around, throwing up his hands and hoping everything works itself out. There's several situations in TSS where Bronson, despite all his barking bravado, is clearly the least effective team player - and it cracks me up! (Deep down, after a lifetime of shit flyin' disastrously off the handle despite his best efforts, he's painfully aware of how little control he really has… 🥲)

I'm having a hard time thinking of anything I don't like about writing him. He comes off a little stiff & stagnant sometimes I guess (granted I've been writing him at the grizzled & curmudgeonly age of 61 dfgdfhg). Not certain I've managed to convincingly convey the value he brings to his community, since he's often bumbling about, or giving lukewarm advice. In TSS I wanted him as a sort of linchpin, holding the whole operation together with his steady & familiar presence, even though he goofs up a lot? I've def had a lot of moments with him where it's been hard to thread that line, and I'm not sure I pulled it off. But even still, Bronson's never been unfun to handle as a character ❤️

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

When I first played Mother 3 as a clueless little 17 or 18 year old, Bronson was one of the few Tazmilians who really stuck out in my mind. He leaves a pretty strong impression in Chapter 1, huh! Still in high school, I was embarrassingly bad at relating to or connecting with adult characters. But even back then - and definitely now - I think what I liked about him was how flawed he is, how human his writing felt. Dude tries so hard to help find Hinawa, ends up too late, and absolutely blunders like a jackass when it comes time to relay the news. He fucks up royally by throwing Flint in jail, too, but you can tell by the way he talks to Flint that he bears no ill will or animosity. Puts up no protest against the Pigmasks & Tazmily's industrialization, but he's one of the few villagers who remains neighborly as ever toward Lucas. He's really just some guy tryin' his best to do right by his community, handling shit in the only ways he knows how. His failures are so honest, I can't really bring myself to blame him too harshly. Throughout the game he always somehow feels like a trustworthy ally, even when he's just lounging on the beach while the world goes to hell. The most lovably ineffectual Real One ever.

[wildwinterlunas]

OP, as an Ana support main, I'm loving your headcanons and theories/thesis. Can we discuss her skins and voicelines? I'm extremely fond of 'Captain Amari' and 'Sniper' skins. More importantly the way her biotic rifle looks in every one of them.

Alright, I've been meaning to update my Analysis on Ana.

Ana is such an interesting character to me because of how flawed she is, combined with the fact that she's one of the only character who self corrects and admits to her mistakes.

I have made it obvious that I think the fandom tends to forget about Ana's flaws and the mistakes she made in the past. There is a reason we never see any pictures of Ana with a teenage/young adult Pharah, there is also the note that she is very much a parallel to Sojiro;

She knows from experience.

Ana is a very flawed character, but she's one of the few of the old guard to fully realize where she messed up. Though it isn't without pushing from both Cassidy and Jack, she meets up with Pharah, in person, and makes amends with her. She indirectly apologizes to Cassidy about how he was treated, how his life turned out. She acknowledges that she has caused damage both to the people around her and the world at large.

We see in a lot of voicelines and interactions that a lot of character look up to Ana and I think that was the main cause of a lot of her mistakes, she needed to be the example, the person to follow and that lead her to having a very bad work-life balance. Not only that but we see that her reluctance to let Pharah follow her dreams not only effected her relationship with Pharah, but with Cole as well;

This interaction to me depicts a distance between Cassidy and Ana. I think people forget that both Cassidy and Pharah are in the same boat of only recently rekindling their relationship with Ana. Something we are seeing Ana struggle to do because, out of Ana, Jack and Gabe, Jack is probably the most in touch with emotion and people. While Ana tends to isolate herself.

But I think what's important about this aspect of Ana's character is again, the fact that she is willing to change;

She openly acknowledges when and how she messed up, not only that but she wants to make up for lost time, she just can't at the moment (because Talon are being bitches).

Now as for skins I can't really do anything in depth because I don't have the skins but;

I do really like both skins but I do have a nit pick for the Ana skin. From what I've seen of it there are no notches in the gun counting how many people she's killed, which is something she canonically did, again this is a nit pick but I wish this skin had that. Other than that I just like how the skin looks, specifically the outfit itself, it's practical, it fits Ana's personality and the set out of the colours is nice!

As for the sniper skin this is essentially the pre-Overwatch skin for Ana. Like with that Captain Amari skin, it's very practical, more so since it camouflages with the environment of Egypt. It does a good job of communicating what Ana was doing before Overwatch!

Sorry this took so long to answer, needed a lot more time then I realized to put this together.

[fizz-pop-thwip]

I do agree with some of your points. However, I think something you are missing here is, characters have flaws. And those flaws are important to who they are and what they stand for, excusing them is doing a character no service. Tony IS guilty of several of these listed but that doesn't make him a terrible character it just makes him an complex one. (that's the opinion I hold anyway, clearly not others.)

Some of these arguments are just petty ones made at Tony because of an unreasonable hatred but some DO have some genuine base behind them that I'd like to note myself.

1- Misogyny

I do NOT think its nitpicking whatsoever to say his misogynistic jokes are bad. I agree that it doesn't make him overall a terrible person and is rather a reflection of the time he grew up in. Part of me feels like it would almost be unrealistic for him to not make a joke like that every now and again, considering his playboy persona. We also know based on the plenty of screen time he has, that he would never act on something like that or even something close again though, hardly nitpicking and really is a genuine critique.

2- Peter Parker

Now, I will make you laugh. Even if they were joking around, it was still very much a dangerous battle. Sure, nobody was trying to seriously harm each other because of their history and respect for each other, yet a man still lost his ability to walk. Accidents happen. (I'll come back to that later.)

Tony did manipulate Peter into the fight. Not maliciously I suppose but very much still did. I don't think peter WANTED to say no, to Tony. Based on the info he was given I think he very much wanted to help his idol but Tony showing up to his home and not telling peter about the real reasoning behind the fight and what was really going on, is a VERY dirty play.

He didn't LIE about the information sure but he very clearly withholds the full story, its obvious that peter doesn't have a full understanding. Peter wouldn't have helped him if he really knew what the accords were about and that on its own is text book manipulation. E.g. Cambridge Dictionary: "controlling someone or something to your own advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly"

"Steve Rogers: Look kid. There's a lot going on here that you don't understand. Peter Parker: Mr. Stark said you'd say that. Wow. He also said to go for your legs. Steve Rogers: Stark tell you anything else? Peter Parker: That you're wrong. You think you're right. That makes you dangerous."

He only has been told about how to fight, and vaguely why hes fighting through the lens of Tony alone. He wasn't provided with the accords to read though himself, hes just helping his idol take down 'insane captain America' like tony frames it.

Again, Tony did have Peter in mind, he didn't want him to get hurt, he put him on the bench when it got to much but it wasn't okay to take a - 14 year old, by the way, not 16- kid to Germany, lie to his guardian and put him in danger even if he thinks he can handle it. Although I will say, he did a much better job of trying to keep peter safe in homecoming, even if he lacked communication.

3- Sokovia accords

It doesn't seem like you support his choice to support the accords but I have heard this argument before from other people so I'll note-

Steve fought for his right to fight for good. That's why he took the serum, that's why hes Captain America, that's why he joined the Avengers. Because it puts him in the position to be able to help as many people as possible, the best he can. Tony wants to sign the accords to protect the team (and his own sudden guilt complex), Steve doesn't because it stops his ability to help as best he can and most likely be forced to do bad things under the governments. Steve is not, and will never be compliant in something like that. I understand Tony's motivations, I do, but I cannot find justification in signing up to government control because you have the realization that there have been casualties.

Having repercussions to things like Ultron (which even if it was an accident, Tony did create.) or having MUCH more intense training before letting people on the field is important, but the government - the very same one who tried to nuke NYC- is not the right people to do so. ESPECIALLY not Ross

4- Steve disabling Rhodey?

Steve was only forced to 'escalate' since, Tony was trying to- for lack of a better word- oppress, on command of Ross, sure but still willingly done. His goal was to get Steve to comply to the accords and bring in Bucky who would have been shoved in some kind of mental facility and prison for the rest of his days. You think Steve's going to roll over, show his belly? He fights when necessary, this was necessary.

Everyone (minus peter) was there of their own volition and understanding of whats happening. There are 2 sides to a fight, the both fought willingly. And then to say Rhodey is Steve's fault is MAD considering it wasn't even someone on his team who shot him, it was Vision who was too worried about his boyfriend to pay attention.

Anyway, all love no hate. Thats all I have to cover, I would say some of the arguments you debunked are so ridiculous they seem made up but I understand how it feels to have someone shit all over your character with unrealistic claims 💔

So I wanted to point out the usual nonsenses coming from Tony Stark antis and luckily enough, one of them made a post quoting pretty much most of their popular "arguments" (if I can refer to them as such), so let's take a look at this user’s main points and see how solid they are.

"Let's talk about the horrible shit Tony has done in the MCU"

Please keep in mind the "horrible shit" term all along during your reading.

"MCU Tony has mortared a city full of civilians"

Okay so first point and it literally never happened. USA's government did that to Wanda and Pietro's town, not Tony so I hope it wasn't too painful to pull this nonsense out of your ass.

"Been a complete dick to all of his teammates"

Oh no... he was mean to Steve and his coworkers during their first movie ? What a complete tragedy, what a heartless monster. Please stop the violins, otherwise I might weep.

"Made multiple misogynistic comments about women mainly Natasha (looking at you prima nocta scene)"

Okay so you gave only one example to back this up and it's when he was obviously joking with his friends. Even if that joke may be in very bad taste, that doesn't make him a horrible person like you tried to demonstrate, you're just nitpicking.

"Manipulated a 16 year old into getting into a war with his former teammates"

A) "a war" please don't make me laugh. For most of the only fight Peter take part in, both sides were joking with the other while fighting and weren't even fighting seriously, they were just trying to incapacitate each other. Things only get messy after Tony ordered Peter to step back.

B) Tony didn't manipulate shit. He hid no vital informations to Peter and while bringing a 16 year old to an arrest was indeed a stupid decision, he knew Steve wouldn't harm him and that Peter was strong, competent and equipped enough to deal with him.

"Thought he was completely justified for trying to kill Bucky for something Bucky did unwillingly cuz he was fucking brainwashed"

Why the fuck are you lying ? At no point Tony justified himself for this. He tried during the whole Civil War plot to ease things with Steve and this even after his best friend got disabled for life because Steve escalated the situation at the airport, only to learn then that his friend lied to him all along about his parents' death.

At this point Tony just didn't care anymore and while he was obviously wrong for trying to kill Bucky, it's not like he had no understandable reasons to go after him. Brainwashed or not, most people would try to obliterate their parents' murderer if he stood right in front of them.

"Repeatedly mocked Bruce Banner who was filled with self loathing and even tried to kill himself because of how much he hated being The Hulk"

Firstly he joked with him, not about him. Secondly, Tony was the only one who respected Bruce from the start and never treated him like some ticking bomb ready to explode.

"Created most of the villains in the MCU (Mysterio and Co., Vulture, Aldrich Killian, The Maximoff Twins, Justin Hammer, The Flag-Smashers etc)"

Okay, where do I even begin on that.

Quentin Beck was a narcissistic asshole who got mad because his boss called his invention "B.A.R.F", that and Tony tossing it aside because this tech was way too expansive for its very limited applications. So not Tony's fault if Beck had an ego more fragile than a soap bubble.

Hammer tried to destroy Tony's image and Stark Industries first, so Tony defended himself by revealing he crippled a man by trying to replicate his tech. Hammer fucked around and found out, not Tony's fault if he's an hypocritical idiot.

Concerning the Flag Smashers, the reason they became terrorists wasn't caused by Tony bringing back half of the universe, it was due to the Global Repatriation Council's disastrous resources management.

About Toomes, Tony had no prior knowledge of the contract he signed with NY and even if he did, leaving dangerous alien tech in the hands of random people is quite a moronic idea, as evidenced by what they did with this tech for years. Not Tony's fault if Toomes is delusional and sucks at his job.

Aldrich Killian ? Be fucking real, he became a super-villain just because Tony ignored him, an archetypal greasy-haired nerd who literally drools as he talks, for a pretty chick on New Year's Eve.

Like obviously, when a serial killer stab someone to death, the most logical reaction is to blame those who assemble knives at the factory rather than the murderer himself, makes perfect sense to me.

The Maximoff Twins, my god this argument again... Yeah let's blame the guy who designed and sold weapons to his government rather than, oh I don't know, the fucking guys who used them against civilians ??

"Which also means he's also had some hand in the deaths caused by all these characters"

Literally none of the characters you quoted became super-villains because of him.

"Created Ultron"

He intended to create a security system against other alien invasions and it resulted in a genocidal robot, which only happened because Wanda mindraped him some hours before. Tony is responsible for Ultron's creation, Wanda for what he became.

And I don't want to see anybody whining in my mentions that he already planned to design Ultron prior to her mindraping him, not when she had this fucking grin after seeing Tony taking the Mind Stone with him.

Let alone when she threw this line, later in the movie : I saw Stark’s fear. I knew it would control him, make him self destruct.

She knew letting him take the Stone would cause something awful that might also kill him and she used her powers to make him even more paranoid. She's responsible for Ultron going from "A suit of armor around the world" to "Genocidal Murder Bot", not Tony.

"Thought it was a good idea to have a newly created AI be exposed to The Mind Stone which caused Ultron to kill JARVIS and go rogue

A) Which again wouldn't have happened if Wanda hadn't mindraped him the same day.

B) He didn't consciously exposed Ultron to it, the Mind Stone corrupted the AI on its own, something Tony and Bruce had no way to predict.

C) Still not his fault anyway. Ultron is sentient, he takes his own decisions. Tony being his "father" doesn't change anything to this state of fact.

"Profited off of war by making weapons of mass destruction and selling them"

Something he's spent over a decade to make amend for, notably by closing his weapons division and dedicating his life and resources to helping people and saving the world.

"Bought illegally obtained vibranium stolen directly from Wakanda by Klaue"

False too. All we know is that they met each other at the time Tony was still designing weapons ; and that Klaue told him he was looking for something new. At no point was it implied Tony illegally bought vibranium from him.

"Technically responsible for more vibranium being stolen from Wakanda by Klaue due to Ultron"

This vibranium was already stolen by Klaue when Ultron met him.

"Being responsible for everyone who died in Sokovia's death because he made Ultron"

So following your reasoning, I guess Jeffrey Dahmer's parents are responsible for every murder their son committed from his own free-will ? Did I get that right ?

"Being unwilling to help Steve and the others fix the Blip cuz muh daughter"

My god, how dare he... being against playing with time and rather trying to accept what happened while taking care of his family.

And this when we know screwing up with time can cause world-ending events.

Truly a proof of how horrible of a human being he is, indeed.

Btw I like how you ignored that Tony changed his mind and helped them afterwards.

"Supported The Sokovia Accords which need I remind you all Tony is technically responsible for The Accords being made because A. he's the one who killed Wanda's parents (blah blah blah, a lot of false attributions later...) causing her to kill Crossbones and a building full of people"

Still isn't him who dropped those mortar shells on her house. Just like it's not him who pushed Crossbones to go suicide-bombers, wrote the Sokovia Accords and incited 119 countries to sign them.

"and B. he is literally responsible for what happened to Sokovia BECAUSE HE MADE ULTRON"

Already answered to this shit, let's continue.

"Referring to Wanda as "a weapon of mass destruction" in Civil War"

Lmao because she isn't ? No one forced Wanda to join a terrorist organization, pal. Just like no one pushed her to act as a weapon of mass destruction, by using her powers to send Hulk on a rampage across Johannesburg or by enslaving Westview.

"meanwhile HE is the REASON SHE has her powers in the first place"

Sure, Tony whispered in her ear every night to go serve as a guinea pig for Nazis in order to get her revenge on him. I forgot this part of Wanda's backstory, silly me.

"Falsely imprisoning the heroes that didn't sign The Accords because he's a cunt"

Tony don't have any power or authority to imprison people, and the heroes he stopped got incarcerated because they indeed broke the law, you jackass.

"Being technically responsible for all the deaths caused by Wanda in Wandavision and DSATMOM because if he didn't kill her parents with his mortar..."

I don't think you know what "technically" means.

"then her and Pietro wouldn't have went to Hydra thus not getting their powers from The Mind Stone"

You know what would have actually prevented all the deaths Wanda caused ? Her not willingly joining Nazis to get her powers and going on a murder spree.

"And you are probably thinking "But he sacrificed himself at the end of Endgame !""

To save the whole universe indeed. That and quite a few other things, such as :

Outright refusing to help terrorists and getting tortured as a result.

Risking his life to save Yinsen.

Saving Afghans villagers from terrorists.

Saving Pepper and SHIELD's agents from Obadiah Stane.

Actively saving people on a daily basis, and this for a decade.

Developing a shit ton of armors to protect people more efficiently.

Saving New York and the world overall from Chitauris.

Stopping Killian from taking over the USA.

Curing Pepper from the Extremis treatment.

Designing Veronica with Bruce.

Fighting Hulk to protect Johannesburg.

Saving the world once again, alongside the Avengers.

Awarding promising students with the funds to develop their own projects and inventions.

Granting his tech to Peter and designing for him two suits that allowed him to save many lives.

Saving Stephen's life from Ebony Maw.

Helping the Avengers to travel in other timelines.

"Let me ask you this : If Strange had hold Tony that the only way to defeat Thanos is if Tony sacrificed himself would Tony do it"

It's literally what happened during Endgame, you fucking bozo. What do you think was the meaning of this scene ?

And it's not like it was something new, he was always ready to die for others' sake, right from the start, did you even watched the first Avengers movie ?

No wait, even better : Have you at least watched the beginning of his first solo movie ?

I wasn't expecting anything from Tony antis but sucking that hard at watching a movie is quite impressive ngl.

"Bottom line is MCU Wanda sucks and Tony Stark sucks"

Yeah no shit, that's pretty easy to say when you're making up lies to support your hate boner.

So in conclusion, this dude has no idea of what he's talking about and neither does Tony antis in general for using these bs as arguments.

[percontaion-points]

Gate Crashers chapters 29 & 30

Click here for the rest of the series!

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions

Chapter 29

Commander Gruber sat alone in Magellan’s conference room, although alone was a relative term. Telepresent at the table were holos of Captain Tiberius aboard the Bucephalus and Captain Ridgeway, still on the surface of Solonis B. Floating above the middle of the table was footage from inside the Cave of the Creators. 

I swear, it’s like the author has zero sense what it is that people actually want to read in his book. 

Like I swear that there is a plot here… Somewhere. Buried under all of this padding. 

“Eventually, we gave up and went back to the shuttle for a boring laser—” 

Maximus’s ghost cut her off. “Boring? I always thought lasers are pretty exciting, myself.” 

[Image description: A screenshot from the cartoon Futurama. In it, Dr. Zoidberg, Dr. Farnsworth, and Hermes sit at some sort of formal event. Dr. Zoidberg has his claws cupped around his mouth, clearly booing at the person on stage. It is captioned with “Your joke is bad and you should feel bad.” End description.]

“Their annual celebrations have a somewhat … deleterious effect on the male population. Women outnumber the adult men almost three to one.”

 “There must be a lot of lonely single ladies floating around, then,” Maximus observed while managing not to lick his lips.

Dude, this is seriously up there with pedophilia and general grooming. These people think that you’re gods who fell from the heavens. Don’t.

“There must be a lot of lonely single ladies floating around, then,” Maximus observed while managing not to lick his lips. 

“Not really. Their marriage customs are polygamous, to account for the dearth of males,” Allison said. 

“Hmm. Never held with polygamy.”

 “Really?” Allison could barely conceal her surprise. “I thought building a harem was the alpha male ideal.”

 “Well, it would certainly have benefits, but strategically, I just can’t see wanting to be outnumbered in every fight. Nope, I’m a one-woman man.”

 “One at a time, you mean.”

 “Well, yeah. Why, what did I say?”

I don’t know… I kind of feel like this says a lot about the author. The idea that he thinks that this is supposed to be FUNNY. 

His attention then turned to the world they’d just departed. The earthlings almost certainly had another designation for the planet, but the civilized galaxy knew it as Culpus-Alam, set aside many generations ago to observe humans in a controlled setting. 

The experiment had run unattended for many cycles as the tribes of humans developed distinct cultures. The next step was to facilitate contact between the tribes and observe their interactions. The hope was to learn enough to better predict humanity’s eventual integration into the galactic community.

And you think that this is a GOOD sample size? That it’s up to date? 

“Very well.” Noric straightened his spine and stood at his full height. “Hedfer-Vel, you may begin the operation.”

Chapter 29 summary: Rather than to continue to follow the ground-team as they break into the room, we instead jump to people watching this unfold on the ship orbiting the planet. The only consolation is that at least we jump in after they’ve already broken in. 

What they find in there is what Allison describes as a “bird blind”: it’s being used to observe the locals from a distance, and without interaction. However, they also found these creepy androids, which they think will be used to raise up children without any sort of interaction. 

Eventually, the other captain tells Allison that they have marching orders, and it’s not to play anthropologist on a primitive, backwater planet. 

At the end of the chapter, we jump over to the evil aliens who have been following them. He tells the readers that the planet that the two advanced humans left was an experiment started to see how humans would react when they were introduced to the aliens. However, as I said, it’s a flawed experiment simply because it’s so out of date. At the end of the chapter, he implies that it’s time to end the experiment… via killing all of the people. 

Chapter 30

D’armic sat cross-legged on the floor of his small quarters, sipping yelic root tea to try to excite his nerves.

[Image description: 10 stop signs grouped close together on a grassy embankment. End description.]

As the high-space portal opened ahead, he resolved to ask them. Personally.

Chapter 30 summary: We’re back over with D’armic. There were a lot of pages in this chapter, but the only thing of actual value was him discovering the smouldering remains of what once was the primitive planet the humans recently left. All of the life down there was wiped out, leaving the planet more or less in-tact… Although obviously uninhabitable for probably a millenia. 

D’armic does some magic voodoo and looks backwards in time. He somehow comes to the conclusion that the humans are the ones who did this, and vows to find them and demand answers. 

[joejoeba]

Aight bet-

Spill your thoughts on p.4. I need to know your thoughts on the characters, opinion on the story, literally a n y t h i n g to brainrot with you over pls

Here is my thoughts on the part itself bc Josuke and Okuyasu need a whole post to themselves lol also THANK YOU for enabling me also this is very long and rambly

Thoughts on part 4 Diamonds Don't Break Baby:

What i like the most about the part is how minor the conflict should feel, but doesn't, and how it keeps that feeling til the end.

Ok so part 1, we have Dio the super evil Vampire and his huge army of minions, and only super sunlight powers can stop him.

Part 2, super EXTRA evil MegaVampires that will dominate the world, sunlight powers aren't enough, only hypergenius Joseph can stop them.

Part 3 oh fuck it's DIO again but capitalized now, and he's even stronger now and there's Stands involved and only Jotaro with his Star Plat- you get it. High stakes throughout, every villain needs to be a worldender to challenge our incredibly strong protagonists!

Part 4 is... a serial killer in a single town, targeting only young women with nice hands. Comparatively, it doesn't matter on the same grand scale; it'd be tragic for the families if women kept disappearing, but it hasn't garnered specific attention thus far, and it's not as bad as Dio murdering infants or what have you. Should be boring!

But it's not, BECAUSE;

Part 4 is way more slice-of-life than the other parts and it really works in their favour (though it deeeeefinitely has pacing issues). Yeah it IS only this one specific small town that's at risk by Kira, but we get to SEE the town through the episodes and get to know it more as a community. I don't want bad things to happen to this small town because its very charming and I like the people that live there and the fun adventures they have. I couldn't care less about the Island in part 2 (Air Supplena?) or Jotaros home town, but Morioh becomes sort of dear to me throughout part 4.

The risk is also a lot more relatable, because I can't imagine an immortal world stopping vampire taking over my town, but I CAN imagine my best friend disappearing because some creep decided to stake a claim on her. It's "less important" than The Actual World, but not to *me* in this hypothetical scenario.

It's like if parts 1-3 were Avengers movies with respective protagonists (captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk is what comes to mind for the first 3 Jojos lol), part 4 is a Spiderman story. The first three are the Thanoses up to no good and it's very action oriented and less emphasis on downtime and character interactions, and part 4 is Spiderman and his best friends try to keep this one part of the city safe from a single elusive murderer.

The huge grand stakes Avengers movies aren't BAD, but I just can't get into them when i can't relate to the stakes as much (they were BARELY even friends dont get me started). I feel much more imvested watching Spiderman try to juggle homework and chores for his mom while he tries to defend innocents.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO;

THE PROTAGONISTS Josuke my beloved etc

I don't know what more to say really; Spiderman type hero! The previous Jojos (and some later ones) felt a lot like power fantasies, with how much stronger and smarter they are than their obstacles. Josuke is much less so (he doesn't even have authority over his bank account!). He gets to be goofy and have skewed priorities, and he gets a lot of help from his friends along the way. Being a flawed helps him be way more human (he gets it from his daddy, Joseph gets to be a loser too sometimes) and getting help lets us know other characters and root for them via Josuke.

Josuke also isn't, like, the lazer focus of his part, everyone gets a bit of spotlight! Knowing more characters properly makes the stakes a lot higher imo -like, I like Caesar, and Avdol and Kakyoin, but we BARELY got to know them as characters, terribly under-utilized, and therefore their deaths didn't hit as hard- what hit much harder was the reaction to their deaths. I started out hating Rohan, but when he sploded (unbeknownst to anyone) i was UPSET, because, i mean.... he's a part of the town!

It also helps when Josuke cares so much himself. His mom? Obviously loves her, in 4ad he lists her as a specific reason for his grudge against the protag-antag. Koichi? That's his friend! Josuke helps him with girl problems and has it out for Yukako for a while for how she acted towards him. Old man Joseph? Heck Josuke is probably pissed as hell, but from the first time they meet he STILL cares about his shitty new dad. Okuyasu? Well....you already KNOW-

Okay so another favourite part of DiU is Josuke and Okuyasu and their friendship, i mean OBVIOUSLY, i don't shut up about it lol. But lemme just-

Okuyasu follows a pretty standard Jobro script at first. He's evil, gets beat by Jojo, not evil anymore also they're friends. The difference to me is that after their initial meeting, nothing reqlly keeps them together except the fact that they enjoy each other's company. That's it! No trip to foreign lands or training together, just two dudes who genuinely like each other and want to spend time together. We don't really get to see that with most other duos, except Johnny and Gyro in a way (and Johnathan and Speedwagon? Mostly just Speedwagon lol). So in true jobro fashion, Okuyasu was going to die to further his Jojo in some way, which he did. EXCEPT, this is part 4, its Morioh! This is the season where we get to have nice things and hope pays off and love takes you higher and whatnot! This time we get a little miracle and Okuyasu gets to help save the day and be happy (and so does Rohan, and Koichi etc etc!), and THAT'S how I think the part sticks the landing. You invest yourself in the characters and the town and DiU in general, and it pays off and you get a feel-good happy ending. Part 4 was NEEDED for some levity, especially in between part 3 and part 5 (part 5 being a veritable fuckin tragedy). All the other endings (part 2 is debatable) are pyrrhic victory, but part 4 feels like you REALLY won and it's all worth it.

And during the final fight -bear with me this is corny as hell- it kind of feels like you're one of the background characters, part of the town? I wanted Kira to go down!! And when he DID go down it was thanks to group effort (and, eventually, it was a small part of the town that killed him! Fittingly!) Woo yeah, we did it! Kira's dead and you get to feel the joy of it, and I love the final shot of the boys squatting outside a konbini because I was so glad they got to return to their funky daily lives. What a bizarre summer!

It just hits a good spot of being like, relatable, not as bleak as Jojo can sometimes be, mundane (but not), and kinda nostalgic of being a teenager doing crazy shit.

Also the Great Days OP is just ACES

LET THE VOICE OF LOVE

TAKE YOU HIIIGHEEEER

[xostrawberry-milkyox]

Hello, I was wondering if you could do a quick thing on some of the popular Gintama men and why they would get broken up with based off of actual bad traits they have in the anime. Like Hijikata would probably get broken up with cause of his dedication to his job. Just why you think they’d get broken up not a headcannon or anything. Came to the realization that Gintama has no decent datable men 😅

I'd actually argue the gintama men aren't 'undateable' but just difficult when it comes to dating. It's only a slight difference and why I constantly say in hc's that they require a special kind of lover.

This also just further proves on why I think Sorachi-sensei never intended to make a canon couple. He created such flawed characters (both men and women), it's no wonder they're all single. It takes a lot to be with these men.

But anyway since they're difficult, here's why someone might break up with them.

(some reasons overlap due to characters having similar experiences/lifestyles).

Breaking Up w/Gintama Boys

• laziness - there are very few people who would put up with laziness. even the people close to gintoki run out of patience at times with how lazy he is.

• gambling - gintoki has multiple unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with his trauma. gambling is one of them. while gintama uses gintoki's gambling addiction for humor purposes, the sad truth is it's considered a disorder.

as well as something veterans and those with substance abuse being more prone to. this is also behavior that requires a lot of patience to handle. some may find it exhausting in a romantic setting.

• alcoholism - another unhealthy coping mechanism. I cannot stress enough that a relationship with gintoki requires an incredible amount of patience. dealing with these addictions can be very stressful, for everyone.

• trauma - he snaps at others easily, he still has nightmares, he has a hard time expressing his emotions, ect. trauma does a lot to a person.

• sadistic - sadism is all fun and games in the bedroom. but gintoki still has his sadistic tendencies outside of the bedroom as well. he says pretty harsh things at times. if his partner ends up being emotionally sensitive, they won't be able to handle gintoki's sadistic nature.

• trauma - we may not have seen how the joui war affected him. but it'd be no surprise that losing friends in battle, never being able to wield a sword again, and finding gintoki and the devastating impact of losing shōyō had on him, katsura, and takasugi would haunt sakamoto. we at least know he's always reminded by the physical scar on his hand.

• stupidity - at first glance as a merchant, one would think sakamoto is really smart. but as we got to know him, we know that's not true. even those close to him get annoyed at having to correct his errors. especially when he makes pretty massive ones (renho arc for example).

trauma is a heavy weight to carry and can be overwhelming when someone doesn't know how to help.

• irresponsible - mutsu. mutsu is constantly annoyed by his behavior. he's always going off to host clubs and ignoring his duties as captain.

• dangerous lifestyle - he's a literal terrorist. it's one thing to be prepared to be with a terrorist. it's another to actually be in the relationship. if a partner cannot handle katsura always putting himself in danger, but also putting themselves in danger just by being with him, it won't work.

• most likely to cheat - sorry sakamoto stans, this goes in line with his addiction to host clubs. it's become routine at this point. he has to be head over heels madly in love with his partner for me to see him stay loyal. otherwise if he eventually gets bored, he'll fall back into old habits.

• trauma - katsura's nickname on the battlefield was 'runaway kotarō'. so you can probably guess how he handles his trauma. this means lack of communication in terms of this topic by deflection.

if a s/o feels that they’re distance to katsura by not knowing him, it could lead to a break up. though really some unwanted topics should be respected. this only applies to a nosy s/o who doesn't respect privacy (just saying I'm not going to act like a s/o is always innocent, everyone has their negative traits).

• dangerous lifestyle - again, a literal terrorist. one that's even worse than katsura. he's even willing to go off by himself as a means to not be hesitant in his actions by those close to him.

• stupidity - similar to sakamoto. having to constantly solve issues that really shouldn't be problems at all can be tiring. katsura lacks common sense at times, it takes some patience to deal with.

• smoking - someone can get into a relationship knowing their partner smokes. but it's another thing when you're actually in the relationship (like the terrorism). he'll blow smoke in his partner's face because he finds their reaction funny. second hand smoking is a thing, and smoke stinks.

people have broken up with others due to smoking, so this one's not really a surprise.

• workaholic - it's as you mentioned, he's always busy with work. he'd have little time for dates or even things like dinner together since he comes home late. not only does he work so much, but he won't talk about it (I'll get into later).

• trauma - takasugi handles his trauma in the worst possible way. violence. I'm not saying I think he'd be violent towards his partner. but imagine seeing someone constantly killing others for revenge purposes. if his partner isn't already desensitized to violence, they'll never survive being with him.

• smoking - same thing as takasugi. either his s/o smokes themselves or can handle him smoking for it to work.

• dangerous lifestyle - hijikata gave up on the woman he loved because he was going into a dangerous job. it'll take a lot for him to feel comfortable enough to be in a relationship tbh. considering this, he's also likely to never talk about work.

• sadistic - think of gintoki, but worse. even if his partner can handle harsh words, sōgo has a bad habit of bringing s&m outside the bedroom. not everyone is into public humiliation. his s&m fantasies may be overwhelming.

never, he doesn't want his s/o worrying about the dangers he's in. so if they don't feel comfortable accepting this, the relationship will eventually fail.

• dangerous lifestyle - he doesn't talk about work like hijikata. mostly because it just doesn't interest him. the most his s/o can get out of him is 'what do you think? you want me to tell you I killed someone? that's pretty sadistic of you.'

• dangerous lifestyle - he's constantly on the lookout to get stronger. constantly seeking to fight new opponents to gain more fighting experience. he's a yato, abuto can handle it because it's literally in his blood to feel comfortable on the battlefield.

his condescending attitude could be a turn off and something a s/o doesn't want to deal with.

but say he's with a s/o who doesn't come from a fighting clan. they can be strong but if their love for fighting isn't as strong, a burn out could end the relationship.

• ungrateful - if someone doesn't live up to kamui's strength standard, he will consider them weak. the moment a s/o falls behind he's not going to wait for them, he'll leave them in the dust. mock them and say things like 'if you can't keep up, you must be weak. 😊'

it's harsh and if his s/o doesn't have a competitive spirit, they may just leave.

[frozenambiguity]

Perhaps words are unnecessary for the captain to feel what troubles the redhead. Kaeya feels it in his soul, that hint of surprise that blossoms on pale features, although the shift is almost imperceptible.

“I don't need your protection” because I am strong enough to walk alongside you. Fight alongside you. Carry the weight of the world and the truth alongside you. Love alongside you.

That is what he had meant to say. For once, his words had been as direct as they could be, not carrying a double meaning. Perhaps Diluc is not accustomed to having the truth be delivered on a silver platter, always searching, always digging for a hidden message amidst that which seems superficial.

Have a liar constantly lie and when they finally tell the truth, no one will believe them — is that how the saying went?

Perhaps that is what is happening.

But, from the knight's perspective, the true meaning of his words is being twisted to fulfill the redhead's narrative. It is not that if Diluc pulls him by his hand, Kaeya will not follow him. He still eagerly will. He is always searching for the redhead's comforting guidance. It only means that, sometimes, Kaeya wants to be the one pulling him by the hand, too. Away from the darkness that entices, away from spiraling thoughts. He is not fit to be a savior, he knows that much. But if Diluc can find a safe haven in anyone, let it be in him.

Is that too much to ask for?

The seed of doubt is planted. What can he say — what can he do — for Diluc to truly understand what he means? Understand him? When did they become so bad at this? Twisting each other's words without even realizing it, being too careful around each other to the point it immediately backfires and pulls them away? The distance is suffocating. How come those two children used to read each other's minds without a single word being shared, and now these two desperate adults keep interpreting the supposed truth as they see fit, through their own lenses?

As Kaeya dwells over it, the redhead appears to have a sudden change in spirit. Almost abruptly so, as if forgetting how miserable he had been just a few moments ago. The vulnerability is no longer there. Kaeya cannot help but feel like he has helped raise that bridge, almost as if he had been the one giving the orders. No longer does he have access to that rawness, that unfiltered truth, no matter how small of a sample it had been. It is taken away from his hands, without notice. Just like sand — the tighter he clings to it, the faster it falls.

He fights, he desperately fights, to control his expression. There is surprise, confusion, and frustration, despite the kiss on his palm and cheek. Swiftly, Diluc releases himself from Kaeya's grasp, ready to put his mind and spirit in... whatever else.

«... ... ...»

Kaeya simply stands there, immobile as he digests what has happened. His brow is furrowed, hands tightly pulling at the couch's material as he watches the other turn his back and walk away. From him. From whatever they had shared just now.

What kind of dramatic, dark comedy is this?

If Kaeya is serious, his words are interpreted differently.

If he is playful, his joke is taken seriously.

Surely, this dramatic, dark comedy is not one he finds pleasure in participating in. But... Is that not something he has learned, recently? That, if you do not like the play, you change the script?

He silently listens to what the redhead has to say. Of course, he says the right thing. Unlike Kaeya, most of the time. That only makes him feel more guilty. No. Do not justify yourself to him like that, Diluc. He knows that. He really, really knows that. And he understands what you mean. But how come you do not understand him? Or, if you truly do, how come they keep having flaws in their communication?

Don't turn away. Don't run away. From me.

Once Diluc is up the stairs and nowhere to be seen, Kaeya throws his head back, supporting his neck on the couch, staring at the ceiling. A deep sigh — deeper than the ones he has released in a long while — escapes him. Only then does he allow his eyes to rest for a bit, closing them so that he may focus on a solution.

They cannot keep carrying on like this.

So much sweetness and reassurance had been shared between the two these last few months — year —, but what did it matter if at important times such as these it fell flat?

«... ... ...»

It is time to change strategies. Swiftly, the captain is up. He grabs some paper and a pen to quickly write his note. He does not bother giving too many details. His focus is clearly elsewhere, on someone else. Sorry, Jean. But just for today...

When he senses Diluc's presence, he follows, putting on some shoes before going out the door, letter neatly rolled in hand. There, he is greeted by a gentle scene. A small smile appears, though his heart is so heavy that it quickly dissipates. One step after another and the captain is standing next to the vigilante, side by side. There is a distant look in his eye as he hands Diluc the note, waiting for him to retrieve it and give it to Ava.

Ava... A companion he had used to make a joke earlier, who now he even refuses to directly acknowledge. There will not be a teasing remark about how much Diluc loves her, or how she seems to be in a good mood now that they have reunited. Nothing.

Instead, Kaeya will simply stare at Diluc, waiting for him to finish the task he obviously thinks has priority over their conversation from earlier. After Diluc is done, Kaeya will stare at him some more, with an unfamiliar seriousness to his gaze. He wants to keep Diluc grounded with his stare, keep him present, focused. If he needs a few moments of silence to do that while staring at each other, he will.

And when the time is right, he will question:

«When did we become so bad at this?»

No more running.

"I don't need your protection."

Although logically Diluc knew he meant that Kaeya wasn't a child any longer and didn't need him to coddle him like one, the straight rejection surprised him and hurt him equally. He knows it isn't a means to tell the redhead he isn't needed anymore; as if proving his doubt unnecessary, Kaeya touched him tenderly and kept him comfortable on his lap, brushing his hair away to clear his face and said as much in words. There's a kiss on his forehead, one that eases the pain a little. But he wonders how to convey his thoughts.

Maybe, he wasn't using enough words after all.

He thinks about what he could say to get his thoughts across, eyes trailing down and staring into space, unfocused and closing as he tries to find his words. He couldn't start if he was uncertain himself. Their definition of protecting might differ slightly, though it was partly due to Diluc's loaded statement. He didn't mean to feel as if he was hovering.

Were his feelings a burden?

... ...

...Ah.

He was in such a bad mental state.

Before he could continue with his line of thought, he heard Kaeya speak again. It takes a moment for him to bring himself back to the present, hearing Jean's name and the mention of Ava. There's an immediate denial at the tip of his tongue, but when he gives it a thought, he swallows it and rubs his cheek further into his hand. Any other day, he would tell the man not to skip work when Diluc could easily stand on his feet and see him again at night.

Diluc decides to let himself be pampered for the day as Kaeya insisted. Long fingers pinch at his lover's sleeve, taking his wrist, and pulling his hand over his face to kiss his palm.

A walk with Kaeya sounds nice. A leisurely stroll down the river, or a hike to a hill. If only his mare was still around, he would have loved to go riding with him a bit far out, where there wouldn't be as many people during noon, and enjoy the warm sun. But his daydreams can only go on for so long when the other keeps talking, and this time Diluc blinks his eyes open, red irises dark in the other's towering shadow, but sharp nonetheless, staring at him.

Hmm...

Diluc takes it as his cue to sit up, already missing the body heat that made the cold morning feel like a fever dream. But he doesn't want to leave Jean without a quartermaster who disappeared out of nowhere, and he knows the maids are about to arrive soon.

"Naming sense aside," he teases, a little smile on his lips, cupping his face and leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I'd like it if you stayed." Diluc stands, patting down the creases on his shirt. "Use any paper you'd like over there while I get my gloves." And he's already walking towards the stairs, taking three steps up before he stops, turning to the other. An honesty-themed day...

"Kaeya," he calls, catching his attention.

"I know you don't need protecting," it lingered in his mind, and he wanted this to be clearly understood. "But even if you ask me not to, I will continue to do it." A breath, holding tightly onto the railing. "Whether from enemies, when you need help with something. If you need a shoulder to lean on or want to talk. I hope you know you can rely on me, the same way you let me lean on you." As you're doing now. His heart speeds up, fingers drawing along the railing. "Because you are important to me, I want to protect and take care of you. If you're suffering, I couldn't leave you alone." It was how he said 'I love you'.

Without waiting for an answer, he quickly climbs up to his room and looks for his gloves, putting them on and taking his time tightening the belt on it. He put the back of his hand against his cheek, making sure he wasn't too warm or blushing, letting out a soft breath. Taking a small bell tied to a soft blue ribbon, he goes back down and takes a glance at Kaeya before he walks out the door, assuming he'll follow once he's done writing his note.

Standing further out, he raises his fingers to his mouth to blow a loud, clear whistle. It only takes a few seconds for the loud sound of flapping and a cry in response, lifting his arm and letting her perch on him.

"Good morning. Looks like you went hunting already." Smiling softly, he gives a few scratches in places she usually likes as a prize for listening to his command. "Good girl." He lifts the bell he brought with his other hand, giving it a few jingles, the soothing sound making his bird shift. "You know where to find Jean. She'll have treats for you when you get there."