#YEAH HE DESERVES TO BE THERE CAUSE LIKE STATED IN THE STORY HE WAS ANOTHER PERSON IN THE SNOWBALL EFFECT THAT LED TO HER DECISION.

[valleyofthelilly]

Prologue: Texts With Katsuki but You're An Exchange Student.

NEXT

Tags: Exchange student!Reader x Katsuki, Uncle Might, Bestie Izuku, Traumatic childhood, University AU, characters are 20/21, war never happened for the sake of our happiness, reader is mentioned to be from America but you can ignore that, this is an intro for context (?) i guess, will be an smau.

Life hadn't ever been kind to you, per se. The past decade had been peaceful, and with the childhood that you endured peace was the best it would get. So you appreciated and reveled in it. Living in whichever state your heart pleased and going to University with government funds, all thanks to the hero whom changed the trajectory of your life.

You should've known better than to get comfortable with this feeling, though. It was and always would be short lived. Registering for classes was the only thing on your mind at the moment. You were scrolling through different Practicum of Battle Tactics professors when your phone lit up with a call notification. A bright smile and blonde hair took up the entirety of the screen, courtesy of All Might. You picked up the phone and answered the call, brows furrowed all the while.

"Hey Uncle Toshi, long time no talk, everything alright?"

"Actually Young (y/n), we need to have a conversation, are you sitting down?"

Ah, there goes the aforementioned peace, right out the window. Cue heart attack starting now. If All Might tells you to sit down, chances are things aren't great.

"Yeah, what's up? You have me worried."

"I would tell you to calm yourself, but you reserve every right to worry in this situation. I regret to inform you that your parents are being released from jail in a month."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Fuck a heart attack, your heart stopped.

"I know, this is a lot to take in. I was told that this is the most notice they could get me as far as a release date went. I attempted to get it pushed back, or even reopen the case to see if they could get more time based on evidence found since their arrest." You heard him sigh a heavy, defeated breath through the speaker. "However there was nothing to be done on that front. I do have another option to present if you're interested." He paused, as if waiting for permission to continue before explaining.

"I'm listening." You breathed softly, anxiously.

Over the phone you heard him clearing his throat, followed by the sound of papers rustling. A sound of satisfaction was made as though All Might found whatever he was looking for. Having known the man like family since you were a child you understood first hand how messy his paperwork could get. You could only imagine the state of his desk at the moment, where you knew he was sitting due to the time difference. Part of you felt bad for interrupting his teaching schedule even though he had called you.

"Okay so," He paused as though he was reading something, "We can have you in Japan in three days. I can have the visa and your enrollment at UA University expedited."

You held your breath for a moment. You debated if you really wanted to go overseas for a year, or longer, depending on how your case played out. But the alternative was your family finding you and dragging you back to that godforsaken cult.

They had somehow survived albeit not as strong as they once were. The loss of their leaders, your parents, put a large dent in their "community" but didn't cause them to disperse. You couldn't imagine going back there.

"Alright, I'll start packing." Was the decision you made after a minute of silence. "One thing though,"

"And that is?"

"No one but faculty knows about this. I understand the importance of them knowing, should something happen. But I'm a charity case here. Everyone has read the news story about my family and then sees my quirk and eventually puts two and two together. I want a fresh start." You rambled, ending with an exasperated sigh.

"I can assure you, a fresh start is the least I can do for you. You deserve it." All Might replied sincerely and curtly, still audibly filling out and filing paperwork. You presumed it was for your transfer. "Though it will affect your quirk training, you understand this right? You can't use your quirk at it's highest output and expect people not to figure out who you are. The story was national news Young (y/n)." He sighed heavily.

"Well, yes, but couldn't you and your protégé help me train? He kept your secret for years, don't see why he can't keep mine."

"You raise a fair point. Speaking of Young Midoriya, I have a conference to attend on the day you fly in. He'll be picking you up from the airport. I've sent your flight information over already."

"Thank you Uncle Toshi, I appreciate you more than words can say."

"Don't mention it, kid. Like I said, it's the least I can do. I'll see you soon, have a safe flight!"

"Thank you! Oh-! How do I know who to look for? I have no idea what Midoriya looks like."

"Green. Look for lots of green." He said without any added context before ending the call. The line dropped and you shook your head confused, but got to packing.

~

A few days later when you landed, you understood, and you wondered to yourself how a person could be so green. Little did you know, this little green gremlin was about to be your new sidekick.

an: i'm so excited to actually churn out the texts for this SMAU but readers background/reason for being at UA is a big part of the story. i felt like it deserved its own little background. this isn't crucial to the story but will def help provide context later down the line.

[em0zombie]

the emperor reversed

Onceler X F!reader

MAIN STORY MASTERLIST

(also posted on Wattpad: @-beachboy !)

1. Fresh Start

It was a quiet ride to truffula forest, "Sorry about my mother back there.." Onceler apologized for his mother's actions. You wanted to smack him in the face for apologizing for his mother's behaviors, but you couldn't do that. His mother never liked you either, maybe she was scared of her son getting all successful and you stealing it- like you'd ever steal anything. "It's fine, Isabella needs to grow up and see that we both hold success in our future!" you place an arm around his, right arm up in the air, "Thneeds and Candyality!" He certainly was glad someone had trust in him. "Yeah, exactly!" Onceler responds and you grab both of yours blueprints from the back to look over them.

...

     "Are we there yet?" You groan while laying in the back. No response, "Oncie- I asked are we there-" siting up straight you see the view that you're in. All of the trees with pink and orange hues sway in the wind, you couldn't believe your eyes. "They're all, something alright..." your crus- friend speaks aloud. "Yeah!" You get out of the wagon and so does he.

     "Good job, Mellie..." you hand the mule a carrot while your friend watches. "Why are you staring at me like that! He needs to be given another treat!" "You're gonna make him gain weight that he doesn't need!" Once yells from the back. You roll your eyes and feed the mule another carrot, he deserves it after having to deal with the two of y'all this whole trip.

...

The house was pulled out and held the two of you perfectly fine, until it came to the bed situation. There was only one.

     "It's fine we can share no big deal!" Once said as you tried to hold in your excitement. "Better than when then the bar-bo-loots tried attacking us..." you mumbled while bringing your luggage inside. "Wait what?" Once yelled out, no response. Sighing, you sit on the bed wishing he was right next to you. God that stupid crush of yours was something dumb, you didn't mean to have it- it just happened? Growing up with the guy you saw how tall he was compared to other kids and how he had a kind heart to...some people?

Outside you can hear Once cutting down a tree which means he's starting to make more thneeds. From one of the windows you can see him dragging the tree, damn was he strong. He turned to see you staring at him, sent a smile your way that you returned back. You got off of the bed and took out your plans for your idea, Candyality.

The idea was basically a candy brand; lollipops, marshmallows, chocolate you name it! Your sweet tooth showed which Onceler would crack a joke about sometimes.

As you're going through your plans you heard bickering outside, Oncie and another man? Standing up you start to see a part of the house falling inward which causes you to scream while running out the door.

...

"What the hell was that?" The Lorax asks, Once almost yells at him again. "That was Y/N!" You hear the two yelling at each other from the back and you walk around to see the commotion.

"That damn wall almost fell onto me! Once, I thought you tied the foundation down-" you're cut off by seeing the short orange figure. "Who's this?" You point in confusion, the figure is appalled by finger pointing. "He calls him self the Lorax, he speaks for the trees." Once mocks. You bend over to see the man, "What an interesting species..." "Why didn't you tell me you had your girlfriend in there! I would never hurt a woman!" Lorax points at you, your eyes in shock. "Woah woah woah!" The two of you say in sync, "We're just friends!" Once states placing a hand on your shoulder. You nodded replying yet the Lorax sees otherwise.

"This man right here tried hammering pipsqueak into the ground!" You look at Once with frowned eyebrows, he doesn't like the sense of judgment coming from you. "Woah woah! You tied him to it!" he defends himself, "I would never hit this little guy! You however, I would gladly pound you and your mustache into the ground!" You couldn't help but giggle, he could never hold his temper. "For shame..." Lorax states, the other animals agree with him. "Look here I'm gonna chop as many trees I need to and you can't stop me!" You realized how bad this may start to get, "And replant them to help the forest stay as it is!" You lean onto Once's side, "Yeah!- what?" He replies.

"Yes! If we cut down trees we have to replant the same amount to keep the balance, and cut only a certain amount each time!" The Lorax becomes skeptical of this idea, but at least he keeps his trees. "I've done research and truffula trees only take 10 years to grow compared to any other tree that takes about 20!" Once is confused, "Are you on his side or mine?" he points to the orange man with his hammer. "Both." you state placing a hand on his shoulder with a mocking smile, you walk over to the Lorax.

"Believe me, I'll help replant them, I can see how much they mean to you." He still seems hesitant, crossing his arms you stand up and drag Once inside to have a talk with him.

...

Closing the door as you're about to have serious discussion with him, he yelps. "Oh what is it now? A spider again- Woah!" You turn around to see Lorax on the desk. "You've left me no choice..." he falls onto the ground, "If you do not replant those trees, all the forces of nature will be released upon you!" Once seems scared yet you're just confused. "You have been warned..." finally ending his monologue. You grab the door to open it for him as he struggled. "You have been warned..." closing it you turned back to Once. "Pound him and his mustache into the ground, really?" He places his hands into the air, "What else was I gonna say?!" You let out a small laugh and go over to the fridge, "What do ya' wanna eat?" You ask leaning and grabbing some stuff out.

...

"It was one tree, Y/N," Once sits down on the bed with his food stuffed mouth, "One tree! Not like I'm gonna cause chaos..." That's what you were most worried about, if it all went down hill. "Don't worry, if I'm by your side nothing will go wrong." Sitting by his side you eat some spaghetti, "And if you help me with my project as well!" Giving him a soft punch on the arm he looks back at you, "I'm glad to have someone like you by my side, you keep all of that hope inside of me..." You chuckle and eat, "Okay no need to get all sappy now..".

___________________________________________

Hi! Sorry if this chapter was pretty short, I'm busy with graduation and college stuff right now so yea 💀 I'll make a new chapter soon!! - Val

[thesupreme316]

I have had this stuck with me for a time now, wording this sucked.

So most/all AEW and WWE stars have taunts, iconic finishers, and submissions so I was thinking what if the reader used one of them ( Kenny’s V-trigger, HOOK’s redrum. Things like these) and their reaction to the move/taunt.

You can pick anyone and the number of people

AEW STARS REACT TO: You Doing Their Signature Move/Taunt

Pairings: Samoa Joe x Reader, Kenny Omega x Reader, Hook x Reader, Daniel Garcia x Reader, Dante Martin x Reader

Word Count: 728

Supreme Speaks: hey yall, sorry ive been MIA. School started and I've been student teaching, but also I'm starting to kind of lose motivation for this. but imma keep pushing through because damn it yall deserve it. but my inbox and messages are always open. please remember that you are loved, appreciated, and cherished.

Warnings: none i think. barely proofread this tbh

Taglist: @hookerforhook @hooks-martin @sheinthatfandom @triscillal @wwenhlimagines @kat04ie @batzy-watzy @cassie0sstuff

Backstory:

You are a very private person

You rarely discuss or even reference your friendships (or relationships)

But today?

You were feeling cocky and wanted to put it out on display

So during your match, while you looked at the crowd

And without another second going by….

You did the number one thing that your best friend (or significant other) was famous for

Something that was instantly recognizable 

Making the crowd go wild

And the person you’re referencing grin from ear to ear

Kenny Omega

Get better king

Proud is an understatement

MOTHAFUCKA IS PRIDEFUL

Especially with how he’s out of action rn

He’s happy that that someone is keeping his memory present in the wrestling world

As soon as you hit the V-Trigger

A smile is on his face and his jumping up and down in his seat

Will not have any critiques for you

I think you would be the only person he gives blessing to full on adopt it

Especially after he see how’s the audience reacts to you doing it

Puts up instagram and twitter posts stating how proud and amazed he is of you

Will not hesitant to put those marks and trolls in their place

Hook

The smirk on his face would widened at what he was watching

He was so proud of you doing his submission the Redrum

Wouldn’t run wild or anything but anyone can see that he is so happy that you used his move

He would tease you as you come backstage

“Personally, you could have squeezed harder”

Will post about it with no captions

I find him wanting to do a tag match where both of you can do it at the same time

Get ready for Hook to do your move and or taunt in the next singles match he’s in

Just as a little nod or hint of acknowledgement

But be careful cause he’s competitive and wants to see who can do it better

Dante Martin

REMEMBER THAT SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT HE USED TO DO ALL THE TIME

Yeah you do it

People were even amazed that you can move like that

Cause you don’t like flying

When he sees it, he immediately geeks out

“DID YOU SEE IT? HUH? THEY’RE AMAZING!”

I think he would spam on his instagram stories with videos of you doing and people’s reactions

The same night he would do your finisher to end the match

Would def tease you about it as if he was not running around screaming OMG

“Tbh, I had more height to my moonsault”

Daniel Garcia

THE DANCE

OMG THE DANCE

He is grinning ear to ear as he hears the crowd grow in cheers and excitement

Cause tbh you saw it as an idiotic move

But it makes him happy to know that he has your blessing

Would make you film a Tik Tok or reel with him while doing it

Tbh I can see him with a t-shirt of you doing it

Will now brag to his friends and ask you to “do the thing” like a proud person

Tbh will get jealous when fans say that you do it better than him

Then he forbids you from doing it

“I can’t have the student surpassing the teacher”

Samoa Joe

Once he sees you do the Muscle Buster once, he smirks but he acts like’s not proud

“Well, that was great for an amateur…”

Gives you tips about how to make it more impactful

Makes you join forces with him (almost think Athena and Billie Starks)

“Now you are ready to be a cold blooded killer…*looks at you skipping down the hall*…after some more sessions”

After you master the Muscle Buster, he makes you practice the Coquina Clutch

Once you master both, he’ll say that you are now ready for the dark side

Hates how you seem to do his finishers more seamlessly

OOOO

DON’T LET HIM SEE YOU DO THE WALK AWAY SPOT

THAT IS STRICTLY OFF LIMITS

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Vampire Captures Vampire Hunter to Use as Bloodbag part 47

Warnings: none

Part of him expected this to be another cruel trick, a way to shatter the last threads of his hope.

But eventually he found himself sitting in the backseat of a familiar car, driving down the highway with Alex behind the wheel. And the reality hit him.

Home. He was going home. It was really happening. The atmosphere was charged with unspoken tension and eerily quiet, neither the human nor vampire exchanging words except the few occasions when Mallory had to give directions to the house he was to be dropped off at – it belonged to his vampire-hunter friend Julia.

Mallory still vividly remembered the day he'd been taken, tied up in the very backseat he was currently sitting in as he was dragged into the life of a human bloodbag. It made his skin crawl to think about it. Everything he'd been through in over a month – he'd changed a lot. His hair had grown long and wavy, shoulder-length, and there was a bone-deep weariness that clung to him, a constant state of exhaustion he couldn't shake off. Would Julia still recognize him?

Finally, Alex's car rolled to a stop in front of an achingly familiar house, single-story and painted white, sticking out in the darkness of the night.

Mallory's hands were trembling with anticipation as he opened the car door and got out, shivering against the night chill that kissed his bare skin.

Alex came around to meet him, shuffling uncomfortably on his feet and looking like he wanted to speak, but wasn't sure how. So Mallory spoke first.

“Thanks… for the ride,” he blurted sheepishly. “And setting me free.”

Alex nodded grimly in acknowledgement, jaw working. “Yeah, you deserve it,” he mumbled guiltily. “Having you around wasn't all bad, but… I know it never would have been your home if you'd stayed at my mansion. So I'm sorry for keeping you as long as I did. And… for all the pain I caused.”

The heartfelt apology caught Mallory off-guard, and he blinked dumbly at the vampire standing next to him, not quite registering the significance of those words coming from the proud, cocky bloodsucker.

“I suppose this is farewell, then.” Alex took a step away from him, dipping his head knowingly. “Who knows, in your risky line of work maybe you'll encounter a vampire willing to turn you, and you'll end up like me. My mansion door is always open if you'd like to return. I could show you the ropes of how to feed properly, and–”

“--No chance, leech,” Mallory laughed. He knew Alex was being sarcastic, but the words brought up some unwanted thought trails he'd rather bury and not think about. Such as what life would be like if he was a vampire himself. “Honestly, I hope I never have to see your face again,” he added teasingly.

Alex flashed him a familiar fang-filled grin, walking around to get back in his car and drive off. “I bet you'll want to see me more than you're willing to admit,” he retorted, then got in and shut the car door before Mallory could clap back with something snarky.

Mallory watched him peel away, the car driving off down the street and leaving him alone standing in the cold night in front of his friend's house. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

He trudged up to the front steps of the house, cautiously knocking on the door and holding his breath anxiously. He could see his breath coming out in white puffs in front of him as he stood shivering, waiting hopefully.

One minute passed. Two. But finally, he heard shuffling somewhere inside, and a moment later the door swung open. Julia stood there with a hand on her belt full of stakes and silver objects in case it was an intruder she was answering the door to. Her eyes blew huge at seeing who was standing on her doorstep.

"MALLORY?" She shrilled in disbelief. She tugged him into the house and looked him over, jaw slack with shock. “You’re alive?!”

And Mallory fully broke down in tears, gushing about everything that had happened. He never thought he'd be outside of Alex's mansion again. But here he was, free. To start over. Put his life back together.

⏪️ Back Part 1 of Sequel

Masterlist

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things @togzy @floral-comet-whump

@whump-till-ya-jump @cravesunconditionallove @whumpwritinglover222 @nevermore-ramblings @mj-or-say10

@tippytappytyping

[leafjoon]

Between the lines - pt. II

words: 5k warnings: swearing, alcohol, age gap, slight angst, jealousy, mentions of cheating, smut, spitting, one slap, unprotected sex, daddy kink (barely). its also v fluffy n has aftercare

It was Saturday evening, and you decided to go out with your friends and enjoy yourself a little. You knew you deserved it after the absurd week you had. You finally turned those pages to Alex in time, cramming and staying home almost every night—the assignments you had neglected piled up, and you had to catch up.

But none of that mattered tonight. No, tonight you would have fun with your friends and let loose. Most importantly, you wanted to ignore the desire that had crept up on you for your editor since that night.

"Let's do shots!" your friend Rachel yelled out. You chuckled at her enthusiasm, deciding to join in. "Tequila?" 

"You know it," she replied with a wink. It was half past eleven, and most of you were already drunk.

After you ordered your shots, everyone quickly shot them down their throats, some scrunching up their faces due to the sour taste. "God, this never fails to fuck me up," you said.

As you were listening to Sophie rambling about in her drunken state, you spotted a familiar figure out of the corner of your eye. Squinting a little, you weren't sure if it was him. He looked like one of your ex-boyfriends. You quickly turned, not wanting him to see you.

Things had gone sour with him last year when you found out he had been talking to another girl behind your back. You were stupid to trust him. His lack of insincerity was evident to everyone else but you.

You huffed, not wanting to bring down the mood but getting agitated at the reminder of his existence and the insecurities he had brought out of you.

"Show me your phone," you said sternly, your nostrils flaring up. You felt insane for making such a demand, but your gut told another story.

"What the fuck? You've gone crazy," he said, letting out a chuckle.

"James. Just show me your last text, and we can forget about this. Okay?" you said, pleading with him. You wanted to trust him.

He looked at you, his face laced with guilt, and looked away. "No."

You let out a shaky breath. "Get out," you whispered. You knew exactly what this meant. You felt your chest tighten. 

"What?" he asked, confused and angry.

"Get the fuck out!" you screamed at him, tears forming in your eyes. "I don't want to see you." Your heart was thumping in your chest.

He looked at you and clenched his jaw. Grabbing his coat, he let out a huff of disbelief and left.

“(Y/N)?” Sophie called out your name.

Your eyes, completely zoned out, now focused on Sophie's face. "Huh?"

"Have you been listening to anything I've been saying?"

"Uh. Yeah. Sure," you said, nodding, trying to be convincing, and taking a sip of your drink.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes at you, visibly annoyed.

"Sorry, I'm just drunk," you told her, pouting a little and giving your drink to her as a peace offering.

Your eyes searched for the exit, beckoning you to take a much-needed break outside. A quick smoke and a breath of fresh air sounded good. You weren't a smoker, but this situation called for it. 

"Hey, can I grab a cig?" you asked one of your guy friends, Finn, as you pulled him in for a hug from behind. "Sure," he said, extending his pack of cigarettes to you.

When you went outside, you were met with a cool breeze. You lit up your cigarette, bringing it to your mouth, and felt slightly calmer as you exhaled the smoke.

Suddenly, you heard a voice from behind calling your name. “(Y/N)? Is that you?"

You froze. No. You didn't turn around, hoping he would leave you alone.

"Hey," he approached you with a slight smirk. "Started smoking, huh?"

"No, not really," you said in a dull tone, glancing at him for a split second and then looking away.

"Haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?"

 "Fine, thanks," you replied, slightly turning away from him. You hoped you didn't have to cause a scene to get him to leave.

"What, that's it?" he chuckled.

"I came out here to avoid people, James," you said, looking anywhere but in his direction.

"Come on, lighten up," he rolled his eyes.

Your head snapped. You were about to throw a snarky remark at him when you heard a low voice calling you. “(Y/N).”

When you turned around, a pair of gentle eyes met you. Your face immediately fell into a relieved expression, and you smiled. "Alex?"

James turned to look at him, eyeing him up. As Alex approached the two of you, he sensed your discomfort.

He talked to James and exchanged pleasantries. Alex wanted to snatch you away, not let him have the time of day with you.

"Do you mind if I steal her for a second, mate?" he asked, not waiting for a response. "Sure," James uttered, his intense gaze settling on him.

You and Alex started walking away from him, turning around the corner and settling in an alleyway.

"What a nice surprise." You said, your cheeks flushed. You took note of his appearance. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a brown blazer. His hair styled as usual, with a few strands falling on his face. He looked gorgeous.

"You seemed uncomfortable earlier," he furrowed his brows. "You alright?" he asked, squeezing your arm.

You shivered slightly from his touch. "I-uh. Yeah. Thank you for that. I didn't know how to get away," you admitted.

"Who was that anyway?" he asked, his eyes glued on your face, taking in all your expressions.

"Just some dickhead. You know how terrible college guys are."

He chuckled lightly. "I do. I used to be one."

"Oh, were you also a dickhead?" you joked.

"I don't think so." You laughed. He smiled, admiring you.

"So, you've taken up smoking in the three days we haven't seen each other?" he teased you.

"No," you laughed shyly. "Just really needed one right now."

"Care to light mine then?" he asked, his eyes glinting.

You brought your lighter close to his face, feeling his faint breath on your hand.

"Thanks," he blew the smoke the other way.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, sounding like you were interrogating him.

"Well, you know, sometimes we older people like to go out too."

You laughed, slapping his shoulder lightly.

"No, actually, I was passing through on my way home. Then I saw a familiar little head." 

"Oh. Well, that's lucky," you smiled.

His gaze lingered on you. His pants slightly tightened when he took notice of your flimsy outfit.

You were wearing a thick jean jacket covering your dark blouse. Your breasts peeked out of your top, revealing your supple skin.

Alex felt himself growing jealous, imagining the amount of men that leered at you throughout the night. A beautiful girl like you, he was sure they were foaming at the mouth.

You suddenly felt shy under his gaze and looked away. Your phone vibrated, and you took it out of your pocket, slightly humming.

"Where the hell are u?" Finn had texted you.

You checked the clock, and it was already 12:07 am. You felt a little tired and wondered if heading home would be a good idea.

"Friends?" Alex interrupted your thoughts.

"Yeah. They're wondering where I went." He nodded.

"Think I'm gonna go home, though. I'm getting a bit sleepy," you said, glancing at him and waiting for his reaction.

"Sure." He replied.

You tried again. "You know, the apartment I'm staying at isn't that far from this bar," you looked at him expectantly.

"Would you like me to walk you?" he said softly.

"Sure." You mimicked him.

After saying goodbye to your friends, you returned outside, meeting Alex by the door.

The apartment was only a fifteen-minute walk from there, but it felt much quicker than that. You had good company, after all.

You started shivering a bit, crossing your arms to emit heat.

Alex took notice of that and came closer to you. He removed his jacket and draped it over your shoulders, one of his hands lingering on your arm.

You felt your body tense at the close contact. He slowly let his hand fall as you were walking.

"Don't you live in a dorm?" he asked.

"I do. I'm cat-sitting for one of my friends. She went to visit her family for the weekend."

He nodded. "Is the cat behaving?"

You chuckled. "He's adorable. You have to see him."

A smile played on Alex's lips as you both arrived at your friend's apartment. The evening had been enjoyable, yet you felt a subtle disappointment as you stood there. You hesitated, not wanting to say goodbye.

"Do you want to come in?" you asked as you met his gaze.

His eyes flickered to yours. Silence stretched between you, and he struggled to find the right words.

"I, uh... It's getting a bit late for me," he finally said, his gaze momentarily dropping.

"Okay," you replied, your gaze shifting downward, a sense of vulnerability washing over you. You handed Alex his jacket, your fingers lightly grazing.

"It was nice seeing you again," he said, his fingers gently brushing a strand of hair that had fallen across your face. The touch lingered, leaving a trail of warmth.

"Night, Alex," you replied, your gaze fixed on him. As he turned to leave, the quiet echo of your thoughts filled the space, leaving you to wonder about the possibilities that danced in the corners of the night.

*

As the days passed, you were distracted by endless thoughts about your editor. It became evident, especially during class. Images of his warm smile, big hands, and fluffy hair filled your mind. You felt yourself growing more drawn to him whenever you weren't together.

When your professor dismissed the class, you realized you had been daydreaming about him almost the entire time and scribbling gibberish in your notebook. You let out a long sigh and started gathering your belongings, stuffing them in your bag.

Sophie joined you as you exited the class. "God, can he give us any more assignments?" she let out a huff of frustration. "What assignment?" you asked.

"Didn't you hear him?" she asked. "No," you shrugged.

She laughed. "What were you doing? I kept looking at you, and you seemed so zoned out."

"Oh. Nothing. I was thinking about my novel," you blurted out.

"How's that going, by the way? Is Mr. Turner treating you well?" she asked. 

Mr. Turner. Oh boy. 

"Sure! I mean-yeah, no he's great," you stuttered.

"Okay..." she glanced over to you. "So what are you doing today?" you asked, changing the topic.

You quickly returned to your dorm room, not wanting to run into anyone else you knew. When you entered your room, you kicked off your shoes, threw your bag somewhere on the floor, and flung yourself on your sofa. You groaned. What the hell were you supposed to do with these overwhelming feelings?

Flicking your phone open, you saw a text message from Alex. Your heart started racing. 

Hi. I hope you're well. I will not be available tonight to help with your assignments. Would it be all right if we rescheduled for tomorrow?

You felt a pang of disappointment as you read the text. You had felt so jittery all morning and couldn't wait to see him, and now this. Sighing, you replied to him and immediately texted Sophie. You needed to go out tonight.

*

You made dinner plans with your best friend and decided to try out a new restaurant that had opened downtown. The menu looked amazing, and the prices were pretty decent. Your parents had always been generous with you about money, but you made sure to save and indulge occasionally.

As you entered the restaurant, you felt a warm ambiance enveloped you. The smooth jazz tunes filled the place, and the hostess escorted you to a free table nearby.

When you sat down, you and Sophie excitedly looked through the menu and ordered your drinks and meal. While Sophie was telling you about her latest situationship, your eyes wandered around the restaurant, taking in the beautifully decorated place.

The warm lights cast a beautiful glow on your friend, and you listened as she told you about the intense chemistry she felt with this guy. "Ugh, I don't know, there's just something about him." her eyes sparkled.

"You mean the incredible sex you're having?" you said playfully.

She cracked up. "I mean…among other things."

"So why aren't you making it official?"

"I don't know (Y/N). I'm unsure if I want to be in a relationship right now. It seems like too much work. I got my plate full with everything going on," she sighed.

You nodded, glancing behind Sophie. She continued talking about how he wanted to see her all the time. Wait-You thought you spotted someone. Was that Alex?

Your gaze focused on him. He was seated at a distant table, laughing with the woman beside him. Your mouth slightly dropped, and your eyes fixated on them.

Frozen in your seat, you felt a surge of emotions within you, the sight creating a knot of unease in your stomach. What the hell? Had he canceled on you to go out with some woman? 

You swallowed thickly, and Sophie noticed the change in your demeanor. "Hey, you okay?"

"Uh-yeah," you replied. "Who do you keep staring at?" she said, looking over her shoulder. 

Then she spotted the man who preoccupied your mind. "Oh, is that Mr. Turner? Should we go up to him?"

"No! I mean, he seems busy," you lowered your gaze. 

"Yeah, I guess he's got a hot date," she giggled.

You nodded, taking a large swig of your wine. You prayed he wouldn't see you. The last thing you needed right now was for him to notice how stupid you looked.

You cringed, hearing their distant laughter and shared joy starkly contrasting to the quiet ache that tightened within you.

You decided to distract yourself and urged Sophie to continue telling you about the boy she was seeing. "Well, at least one of us is getting some action," you joked, feeling slightly bitter.

You tried to enjoy your meal and ignore the pit in your stomach. Forcing yourself to focus only on Sophie, you refilled your wine glass and continued talking to her.

Later in the evening, you noticed that their table had become empty. Glancing over, you caught a glimpse of Alex and the woman leaving, and an inexplicable mix of relief and regret washed over you.

You were thankful he didn't see you and talk to you, but at the same time, you couldn't believe he blew you off to go on a date. He didn't owe you anything. After all, he was only your editor.

That night, tipsy and emotional, you stumbled to your dorm room. How were you going to face him tomorrow and ignore your growing feelings? In your drunken haze, you decided that was a decision for sober you to deal with, and you went to sleep, comforted by the spinning room.

*

The next day arrived with a weight on your shoulders that matched the dull ache in your head from last night. As you walked to Alex's place, slightly hungover, the memory of him having dinner with another woman gnawed at your thoughts.

You awkwardly entered his house, exchanged a few words with him, and immediately buried your nose in your assignment, minimizing any chances of small talk. Alex finally spoke up after an hour of you struggling to make any progress.

"Is something the matter (Y/N)?" he asked gently.

"What do you mean?" you mumbled.

"You seem agitated today." He sighed.

"I'm fine," you huffed.

"Are you sure? We aren't getting anywhere with this assignment," he continued, face laced with concern.

You clenched your jaw. How the hell could you? Oh yeah, well, I thought I felt a spark with you, but that went to shit when I saw you having dinner with a gorgeous woman. Not to mention, I'm probably insane for even thinking there was something between us.

You sighed. "Nothing is wrong; let's just finish this," you murmured.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he pressed.

"Why not?" you said, annoyed.

"We've been stuck in this section for an hour. Maybe we should take a break, or you can go home and rest," he replied, his worried eyes meeting yours.

Oh, so now he's kicking me out. Fuck this shit.

"Fine. I'll go," you spat out, getting up and grabbing your papers and notebook roughly.

He stared at you, confused, wondering if he had struck a chord in you.

"Hey," he said gently. "Hold on."

You ignored him and continued gathering your things.

"(Y/N)."

Disregarding him, you shoved everything into your bag.

"Will you stop acting like a brat and tell me what's wrong?" he said, slightly irritated.

You looked at him in disbelief. "Excuse me?" You swallowed thickly. "You wanna know what's wrong?"

You huffed. "I saw you!"

His head tilted in confusion. "Saw me where?"

"The other night, with that woman," you blurted, the words leaving your mouth faster than your thoughts could catch up. 

You continued, "Am I crazy for thinking that- that," you stuttered.

Groaning, you ran your fingers through your hair.

"That what?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing," you replied.

"(Y/N)," he said, his voice softening, "why are you making such a fuss?"

Your attempts to brush off the situation faltered. "I-" Your voice caught in your throat. "It seemed like you were on a date," you finally said.

He stared at you for a moment, his expression softening. "I wasn't on a date. I was catching up with an old friend."

You couldn't meet his gaze, your eyes fixated on your hands. 

The weight of the misunderstanding pressed on your shoulders.

"Why does it matter if I was on a date or not?" he asked, a genuine curiosity in his tone.

"It doesn't. You're allowed to do whatever you want," you whispered.

"But you don't want me to, right?" he pressed, with a hint of concern.

You looked at him, your expression uncertain. "Whatever. I'm gonna go. Please forget I said anything," you mumbled, hurrying towards the exit.

"Hey, hey," he said, grabbing your forearm gently but just enough to stop you. "Is this why you've been so moody and distracted all day? Because you thought I was seeing someone?"

You shrugged, feeling embarrassed. "You canceled our session to see her," you mumbled.

He sighed. "Let's sit down and talk about this, okay?"

You mumbled an 'okay' and followed him to the couch.

He started, "I wasn't on a date, and I certainly don't want you to think I'm not considerate of your feelings. I did cancel our session to see her, and I apologize. She's only here for a few days before returning to Sheffield, where she lives with her husband."

"Oh," you said quietly.

"Maybe I should've communicated better," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"It's fine, I guess," you muttered.

"I'm sorry. You mean a lot to me, (Y/N)," he smiled at you, putting a hand over yours.

He scooted closer to you, his face merely a few inches away from yours, and your breaths mingled in the small space between you. Alex's eyes lingered on your lips.

Your heart started racing. With a slow movement, Alex leaned in, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss. You felt a wildfire of emotions as the kiss intensified, leaving you breathless.

Barely pulling away, he whispered, "How 'bout I show you how I feel about you?"

You felt a flutter of anticipation in your stomach and nodded in response.

His hand found its way to the back of your neck as he pressed his lips against yours again. His other hand settled on your thigh, his fingertips tickling your skin. His tongue slid against yours, massaging it gently.

He pulled away slightly, panting, "Do you want to go upstairs?" You nodded. 

He dragged you upstairs to his bedroom, the air charged with desire. His eyes were filled with an intensity you couldn't ignore.

Alex's hands found the small of your back, pulling you closer. His lips found yours once again, slipping his tongue inside your mouth, letting you taste him again.

He guided you to his bed, and you sank into the mattress, sprawling beneath him.

He settled on top of you and pressed his body against yours. His nimble fingers squeezed your thighs as his half-hard member rested between your legs. You gasped quietly when you felt him on your arousal, feeling his hot breath tickling your skin.

He sighed as one of his hands found its way to your cheek, grazing it lightly. You felt soft, just like he'd imagined. He gently pressed his lips to yours, and you opened your mouth, your tongues tangling.

You let out a sound when his other large hand came down to caress your waist, settling below your breast.

He broke the kiss with a smack, leaned down, and whispered in your ear, "I'm gonna make you feel so good, sweetheart," his words sending goosebumps all over your body.

As he left a trail of hot kisses and bites down your neck, he made sure to suck a spot, marking you. He wanted to ruin you. Pleasure you until he was the only thing on your mind.

"Alex," you sighed, bringing one of your hands to grab his hair, the other settling on his back, gripping the material of his t-shirt.

He smirked against your skin as his big hands roamed your body. He cupped your breasts roughly, pulling a whimper out of you.

Pulling away from your neck, his eyes settled on your face. His fingers flicked your nipples, playing with them. This made your arousal only grow more.

He retreated his hands and took off your shirt slowly, revealing your tits. He hissed, "Fuck. You're stunning," as he caressed your naked breasts. He leaned down to suck softly on one of your nipples.

"A-alex," you whispered, gripping his hair tighter.

He moaned, enjoying it in his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. He bit down softly on it, making you gasp and your back arch.

"So stiff," he muttered, making your face heat up. His mouth found your other breast, leaving open mouthed-kisses on it, his lips wrapping around your nipple.

His hand made its way down to the zipper of your trousers, and he asked, "Can I take these off?" 

You nodded, and he slipped them off you, throwing them on the ground.

He towered above you as his hand went down to your delicate panties, rubbing your arousal, feeling your wetness. The sight would be plaguing his mind for weeks on end.

"Already soaked for me, yeah?" He whispered, soliciting a quiet moan out of you. "Hm?" he looked at you. You gulped, "Yes."

He half-grinned as he pushed the thin material to the side and started stroking your slit. "So drenched," he gasped.

Your skin was on fire, and you moaned quietly. He started teasing your entrance and gathered your slick. He then slipped your underwear past your legs, throwing them somewhere on the bed.

"Spread your legs for me, baby," he uttered, and you obliged, feeling shy under his gaze.

He licked his lips at the sight and stroked your thighs tenderly before returning his finger to your clit. He rubbed it softly, emitting soft moans out of you. His other hand crept on your throat, resting there.

"Oh!" You moaned loudly when he found a spot that made your legs shake and started rubbing your clit faster.

He looked at you in awe, his mouth slightly agape. You were adorable, giving yourself to him completely.

He continued rubbing your bundle of nerves, drinking in all your reactions. He slipped a finger, and you threw your head back, gasping softly.

He pumped in and out of you, and his cock twitched in his pants. He felt painfully hard. He slipped in another finger with ease and stretched you out, his knuckles deep inside you.

Curling them inside, he hit a sweet spot that made your eyes roll. "Think you can handle a third one, sweetheart?"

You nodded, whimpering. Alex's hand snaked to your jaw, opened your mouth, and stuck his thumb inside. You made sure to suck on it.

He pushed his finger in, pulling out a loud whine from you and spreading you out like never before.

"Good girl."

He noticed you clenching around his fingers. "Like it when I call you that?"

You nodded. "Well, you have to earn it," Alex said as he fucked you with his fingers. 

Your chest heaved as his other hand went down to your pussy, now playing with your clit.

"Look at you, taking my fingers so well."  

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as he continued to pump in and out of you. "Such a perfect cunt," he mumbled to himself.

You grabbed his wrist roughly, signaling to him that you were getting close. He noticed you were clenching his fingers more, and your moans were getting louder.

He slowed his movements and gently slipped his fingers out of your pussy, leaving you empty.

"Alex…" you whined, your hands grabbing the front of his shirt. Breathing heavily, you looked at him through half-lidded eyes.

"What is it?" he teased you.

"I need you..."

"Need me? For what?" he asked. His cock needed stimulation so badly, but he wanted to make you beg.

You huffed. "I need you to fuck me," you whispered quietly, bringing him closer. "Daddy," you whispered.

He groaned, "Fuck. You're so greedy. Can't be satisfied with what I give you, huh?" he asked, unzipping his trousers, slipping out of them.

You started unbuttoning his shirt quickly, tossing it to the ground. Alex sighed as you roamed your hands on his toned chest.

He removed his boxers swiftly, exposing his thick cock, precum pooling on the head already.

You bit your lip as your hand went down to his member, stroking it, earning a few moans out of him.

He pulled your hand away after a few minutes and grabbed his member, positioning it near your entrance.

He teased your folds with his cock, gathering your wetness and rubbing your clit, letting out soft moans. 

He then tapped your entrance and started entering you slowly, filling you to the brim, the sensation bringing tears to your eyes.

You gasped and closed your eyes. Alex grabbed your cheeks. "Look at me," he said hoarsely.

You wrapped your hands around his back and pulled him flush against your chest. 

He started moving slowly, letting you get used to the stretch of his cock.

"F-fuck. You feel amazing," he stuttered.

You barely managed to keep your eyes open. You felt so full of him.

Your breaths mixed together, and you pleaded, "Faster, please," he obliged, fucking you faster, making you whimper loudly.

"You look so pretty, taking my cock," he soothed as he slammed his hips into yours, making you gasp.

It felt so good you couldn't contain any of your whimpers and moans. Filthy squelching noises filled the room, making you even more wet around him.

Your sweaty bodies were pressed against each other, and he engulfed your senses. He grabbed one of your breasts roughly, massaging it as his pace became fast and steady, fucking you deliciously.

You felt so fucked-out, your eyes were rolling to the back of your head repeatedly. You felt desperate for him. As he hit a delicious spot inside, you repeatedly cried out his name.

"That's it, baby, scream my fucking name."

He held you close to him as he slammed his cock in and out of you, making you feel every inch of it. He grabbed your jaw and ordered, "Open your mouth."

You did as told, your tongue peeking out, slightly panting. He pursed his lips and spat roughly on your tongue, uttering, "Swallow."

You swallowed, whining, and sank your nails into his back.

"Such a slut for me," he hissed.

You moaned loudly, clenching on his cock uncontrollably. You felt yourself approaching your climax, and he could feel it, too.

"What? You wanna cum?" he teased you.

"Please," you begged, nearing your release for the second time.

"Gonna have to do better than that, love," he replied, slowing down a little.

"Alex, please," you whined. "Don't stop. I need you," you pleaded with him pathetically.

"Do you, now?" he asked, stopping abruptly. He grabbed your jaw roughly, forcing you to look at him.

"No!" you whimpered, your chest heaving. "I'll be so good. Just let me cum."

"Where?" he asked in a husky tone.

"I-," you stuttered. 

"Go on, say it," he encouraged you.

"On your cock," you whispered, flushed.

He grunted, "Good girl," his hand immediately going to your pulsating clit. His other hand smacked your cheek harshly.

You whined, tears gathering in your eyes while reveling in the stinging feeling. Cupping it gently, Alex alleviated the pain a little.

"It's alright, princess," he soothed, leaning down to capture your lips in an open-mouthed kiss.

He started fucking your drenched pussy at a fast pace, making you see stars. As he grabbed your waist for leverage, you felt overwhelming pleasure pooling in your abdomen.

Your orgasm was building quickly, ready to snap at any moment, as he thrust into you repeatedly. Your legs were wrapped around him, needing him as close as possible.

His movements were becoming sloppy, an indication of his own climax approaching. Your skin was ablaze, and the way he was moaning was making you delirious.

"Cum on my cock, sweetheart," he said.

"Fuck, Alex!" You screamed and felt waves of pleasure spreading throughout your body as you orgasmed on his cock, convulsing. You were whining uncontrollably.

Your nails were digging into his arm, surely breaking the skin, but you were too cock-drunk to care.

"Fuck, your cunt is so tight," he groaned as he struggled to thrust into you. It only took him a few more thrusts for him to cum inside you, letting out a drawn-out moan.

His hot load completely filled you up, his jaw hanging slack. After he emptied inside you, he collapsed on top, burying his face in your neck.

As you both came down from your high, he pulled out of you gently. He couldn't help but look down at your pussy, admiring the mess he made out of you.

He loved the way his cum seeped out. No one could have you now.

He laid down beside you and stroked your waist. "You alright?" he uttered.

You were still catching your breath and opened your eyes slowly. "Yes," you sighed.

You turned your back to him, feeling exposed. You were still trying to figure out what to do now. Should you…leave or stay? Your thoughts were interrupted by him as he pressed his body against yours and draped an arm over you.

"We should get you cleaned up," he whispered, kissing your shoulder, his arm stroking your stomach.

"Okay," you whispered.

"Want me to draw us a bath?" he asked.

"I love baths…" you muttered.

He chuckled. "Perfect." He pressed a kiss to your head and headed for the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water reached your ears, and you sat on the bed.

Alex returned with a tender expression. He extended his hand, inviting you to join him in the bathroom.

You felt a bit shy, especially since you were still naked and not hazed by your lust anymore. Alex made sure to hold onto your hand, which reassured you.

You stepped on the cool tiles, and Alex asked, "You want bubbles?"

"Yes," you murmured. 

After a few minutes, you eased yourself into the hot water, and so did he, sitting on opposite ends of the bath.

The water had a comforting effect on you as your body melted into it. Alex broke the silence. "Why are you so far away?"

"I don't know. Why are you?" you replied. "Come here," he said, extending his arms to grab yours and turning you around, pressing your back to his naked chest.

You settled yourself between his legs, relaxing against his body, and he wrapped his arms around you. "Why'd you get all shy on me now? You were yelling at me an hour ago," he chuckled.

"I wasn't yelling at you," you furrowed your brows, growing defensive. "I'm just teasing," he whispered close to your ear.

You rolled your eyes. "Whatever," you puffed. "Why are you getting so defensive?" Alex said, holding you tighter. 

"Because, I have no idea what this means now," you mumbled.

He smiled, sensing your uncertainty. "Well, what I do know is care about you and…would love to take you out sometime. And do this again," he said, kissing your cheek.

"Me too," you replied, your cheeks flushed.

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm."

"Why don't you stay the night? It's getting late anyway."

"It's like 8 pm, Alex."

"Exactly. So late," he replied.

You laughed. "I have nothing to wear to bed nor do I have a toothbrush," you protested.

"I can give you a t-shirt. They'll look better on you anyway. And I'll go to the shop and buy you one. How's that sound?"

You giggled. "Okay, you've convinced me."

Leaving the bath, the air between you and Alex felt different, as if the weight of unspoken tensions had been washed away. Wrapping yourselves in fluffy towels, you talked to him effortlessly and discussed what you should eat for dinner.

The decision to spend the night together unfolded effortlessly, and you decided to get some Chinese take-out and watch a chick flick.

Later in the night, you found yourself nestled on Alex's big, comfortable bed and drifted off to a dreamless slumber, comforted by the presence of the man spooning you.

[narcoticwriter]

My Rankings of the Guilty Gear Strive Cast: Contextualized as Hell Edition (In No Particular Order)

Given the previous tier list where I didn't have many opinions on some of them, I have read the wikis, watched some videos, and have done my due diligence. Note how I didn't say I disliked any of them as the writing for this franchise is superb.

I believe that I have at least made a valiant attempt to atone for my previous sins, so I make this in good faith and genuine appreciation! I will ask again not to be stoned but this time, I can dodge. Friendly conversation, however, is more than welcome.

My yapping is underneath the cut:

They're Alright -

Ky Kiske: Firstly, I don't hate him at all. I just need him to apologize to his son because what in the Catholic guilt is his name? Really man? Really? He was really going through it, huh. The character arc of him being able to recognize this and make active steps to fix it is quite nice and I hope he succeeds for his sake.

Faust: His backstory is tragic in the way that it wasn't even his fault. The rampage after he snapped? Sure, he can take responsibility and atone for that, but the event itself that caused it? Entirely out of his hands. His character of seeking out truth over most other things and circumstances is also admirable.

Goldlewis Dickinson: From what I understand, he's a relatively new character on the scene and there's not as much stuff on him as for some others. However, I will give him this: he's the level of delusional about cryptids that you can chuckle at, but if he ever wants to go private in his business, it wouldn't surprise me.

Bedman (?): I am a simple person with simple likes and dislikes. It is heavily implied that Bedman (?) in his current state is precisely because of Delilah and the disjointed scrambling of the inner workings as a result. The story as to why hurts me and fuels the kind of emotion in me that reminds me that I'm a human being.

Asuka R. Kreutz: Oh brother... where do I even start? Not only is he the reason that this entire story exists as it is, but he's also trying to fix it... because he's (rightfully) guilty over what he's done. What the hell? Like, what the actual hell, man? I am genuinely befuddled by this man and the real kicker is that so is everyone else. And apparently, he's on the moon now. Absolutely insane to me.

These Guys Are Pretty Neat -

Sol Badguy: It continues to baffle me how he was apparently a man of science at one point in his life and also responsible for a good chunk of the cast implicitly. If there is anyone in this story who deserves a break, it's him, but unfortunately as the protagonist, that is a luxury that he cannot afford.

May: If I ticked her off, I would run. What business does she have slugging around an anchor like it's nothing? Also, I completely understand her deal with Johnny, but the instant she understands how he sees her, I don't know how she'll cope. Maybe she'll get it when it happens. Great personality though.

Zato-One: I've got one word for his backstory and entire deal: Jesus. So yeah, he and Eddie are pretty neat. I don't know what else to say. If I think any more about it, I don't know if I'll have the strength to go on.

Leo Whitefang: The trope of the loud boisterous personality hiding a bunch of self-flagellation and self-criticism due to heavy responsibilities and realizations is one that I have always been a sucker for. And how he thinks about it? Another part of why I think he's pretty neat. So sue me, I have distinct types.

I-No: She has a pretty abrasive personality and after reading her voice lines, I have to begrudgingly give credit where it is due. Some of those double entendes are pretty damn clever. I will also argue that she was never even given a proper chance in the first place, so she is warranted to pop off like she did. She also scares me. Do with that what you will.

Johnny: The man, the myth, the legend... and apparently the golden-hearted. Somewhat. The man's a womanizer, but he also takes some girls in for arguably decent reasons given the absolute state of the world at that time. And quite frankly, the unexaggerated swagger of the gambler is a favorite of mine.

Quite Likable and Mostly Enjoyable -

Axl Low: From what I've seen, this is a man that is simply trying his best with the somewhat shitty hand of cards that he has been given and somehow, he has not turned into a shitty person because of it. From what I've found, at least he got his happy ending with the person he loves the most, and that's enough for me.

Potemkin: I despair for Potemkin because he does not despair for himself. (A bomb collar? A fucking bomb collar? What the fuck?) He believes, but he also knows how hollow it is sometimes. He's a gentle giant who was forced into this whole thing and while he's taking it in stride... it hurts. It hurts.

Millia Rage: For starters, there are a lot of victims of the Crusades and I'm very glad that the story has shown how this can affect some of the characters in certain ways. Millia's ultimate choice of choosing a sense of inner peace (as well as herself) and sticking with her ideals resonates deeply with me.

Anji Mito: Anji is like me in certain ways, as I too have poked around in different places trying to find answers in ways that some people would call my methodology 'unorthodox'. However, my favorite thing about him is that he's also quite 'inconsistent' in the sense that his intuition and emotions have gotten him into less-than-desirable situations with those he cares about. He makes it work, but it's a breath of fresh air to me.

Bridget: I will say that while not parallel, the war within and the disassociation she felt on a somewhat regular basis is extremely relatable because I went through an experience like that. I also appreciate the self-discovery that has taken place within her arcs as well as how she seems to have finally rediscovered herself. It's nice to see.

Elphelt Valentine: There is an undeniable charm in the purposeful and genuinely authentic exaggeration of one's personality traits to the point of cartoonish and almost comical lunacy. There was going to be a pick like this for purely personal reasons as for taste at some point. I find her absolutely adorable with those antics. However... what the hell happened to her first husband?

Queen Dizzy: She has every right to hate people, but she is a ray of sunshine and genuinely? I would have tea with her. Period. She deserves everything that is good and kind in this world and more. Ky may have made their marriage public, but (in my mind) he has a lot more work to do to make up for a good chunk of what happened to her.

Cool to Me and in Their Own Rights -

Chipp Zanuff: I really know how to pick them, huh. For all intents and purposes, this man is in the wrong genre. Put him in a shounen and he will rise above some of the current game in that sphere. But here? Nah. Regardless of that, I find his attitude to be one that inspires people to not only do better but to find themselves at a higher station. Is the way he goes about it completely half-baked and hare-brained? Arguably. But is he trying? Yes. He's cool in my book.

Ramlethal Valentine: If all it took for her to say 'you know, people aren't really that bad' was taking a bite into a fast-food chain burger —that probably started off frozen and was made with some of the cheapest things that the chain could get away with— and immensely enjoying it, then clearly, she is going in this tier. I am also excited to see her live as a person and not a weapon. She rocks.

Giovanna: Alright, alright, it was the dog okay? It's the dog. That's why she's here. That's why she's in the tier. It's not because of her attitude about how other people think of her conduct, it's not because of how unapologetic she is about what she wants, it's not because of the potential backstory and lore, and it's definitely not because of how sick her entire movesets are in game.

Jack-O' Valentine: I could go into her backstory, I could gush about how adorable she is, and I could even profess my admiration for her zeal for life but... I find that I really don't need to justify this one. Besides, this says everything I want to already:

Sin Kiske: My boy, I know you were holding back when you called your father a 'shitty king' and I don't blame you at all but he needs to hear it all. However, this ain't about him, so I will say that Sin is a better person than me. If Chipp is fueled by determination, then Sin is fueled by unrelenting optimism and genuine empathy for everyone he meets. Even with the strained relationship with his father, he's still open and willing to have it work out! Sin, don't let the world snuff that out. It's a good thing to have.

Slayer: I love seeing married characters knocking it out of the park with the combination of an eternal lifespan, a lovely doting wife, plenty of projects and interests to speak of, and god-class powers in their own rights. Slayer ticks off all of those boxes, not to mention how fun he is... and surprisingly? I don't really mind him being a vampire. I would love to chat it up with him and Sharon over tea sometime.

Undisputed Favorites -

Nagoriyuki: Finally, some proper goddamn adaptation of Yasuke in the 2020s that isn't some sort of caricature or badly executed take, and this time, he has an inner struggle within him as someone out of time and fighting his urges to stay true to his beliefs and ideals. It certainly doesn't help that his disposition is rather calm and composed. Did I mention that he's a vampire samurai? I feel like that's also very important. So yeah, one of my favorites!

Happy Chaos: Folks, please understand that this man has had me passively gripped by the throat ever since he was released. He was going to be here regardless of what I've learned about him, and what I have learned is that the man at his core is hilarious. There's a difference between characters that 'instigate' in ways that hurt others in some sort of subtle and a man who genuinely fucks around and finds out with pleasure, and I am glad to say that Happy Chaos is the latter.

Baiken: To start off, I-No scares me, but Baiken terrifies me. I would not want to be on a bounty, I would not want to be within her living radius, I would not want to be around her when she's pissed off. This is a woman who has nothing to lose and virtually everything to gain. This is not to say that I dislike her though, quite the contrary actually! She has easily one of the most conclusive and well-done development arcs I've seen for a character ever and to be frank with you, I would love to see where she goes from here.

Testament: Testament fucking rocks. Now this is a character that I can relate to heavily. Testament has been through the highs and lows of the uniquely human experience and despite becoming a Gear and loathing humanity, has somehow managed to circle back to precisely what that is. They are everything I want to be in how I pursue my interests, treat others, and simply live life while also confronting the past and making peace with it. 'Testament' is quite apt of a name, if I say so myself.

A.B.A: Too many people are afraid of genuinely unhealthy, unhinged, and unwell women. I am not one of those people. Her entire isolation from birth aside, there is something admirable about her relationships with others. While it is not perfect nor seamless in execution, there are attempts made to not only have other meaningful attachments to others but to also improve her own very warped relationship with Paracelsus. The both of them have agreed to try and have committed to attempting it together, and this gives me a strange sense of hope in how perhaps I can do the same for myself.

Conclusion -

I've said it before and I'll say it again: You guys have something really special with the Guilty Gear franchise. The characters are a breath of fresh air in comparison to some of my other experiences, and the way that they are weaved and accentuated with music, art, and the care poured into them by their creator is nothing short of beautiful to me.

And to believe that this is a fighting game! Crazy. Anyway, like I've said, any and all friendly discussion is encouraged. I'm more than down to hear it.

[vampziry]

some things i’ve manifested using the law of assumption —note that i’ve been using it to manifest for years, i was around 8 or 9, so it’s a lot—

1- when i was 8, i remember leaving the church and going home. i really wanted to go to the mall that day because it was almost xmas eve and there’s a lot of activities in my country, i also wanted to see the big xmas tree by the electric stairs. i remember that i affirmed everyday only one affirmation, i didn’t pay attention but lately i realized that ive always been living in the end and didnt realize because my affirmation stated the desire already fulfilled. i affirmed the whole day, i even went to the backyard and looked at the sky as if i was talking with god or something similar. i started affirming around 11 am and by 5 pm my mom was getting ready and i asked her “where are you going?” and she literally told me: i received your school grades, they are all good for me so im taking you to the mall. i lived happily the whole week because i thought that was my first encounter with god or something 😂😂

2- this was in my freshman or sophomore year, i really cant remember the time really well in this one but i do remember that my friend and i had fought and i was really scared because he ignored me everyday and we used to be really close so i reminded my subconscious everyday for like 3 days straight that they were not mad, they were just dealing with stuff or busy (yeah the gaslighting 😘😘) and nah, by day 4 he talked to me again and everything was back to normal like nothing happened.

3- food. yes, the thing i manifest the most is food because i adore eating. i used to live with the assumption: my mom is bringing me chocolate/cheesecake or pizza from work today. EVERY WEEK. and it would happen, i got used to it and stopped assuming random things that had to do with food.

i cant remember any other one, dementia patient right here 🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️

as for my recent ones, ive got a bunch. im a very anxious person and tbh manifesting before was way easier than now. the pressure is killing me but i still managed to manifest stuff from 2021 to this day.

1- a boyfriend. yes, i manifested a boyfriend around april 2021. i didnt go into detail but he had everything i was looking for + he was amazing (at first ofc), he later changed and i had to start attending to therapy sessions cause i got diagnosed and im still traumatized. i forgot to script the loyalty part… so yeah he definitely did cheat and gaslit me. but he made me feel amazing while it lasted. we broke up around 2 months ago and we had 2 years together. i didnt manifest the break up, he did. which is good. the universe sent me signs cause days later after the break up i found out messages and stuff of him cheating the same week of the break up.

2- i manifested for my attachment to go away. note: im the type of person to get attached emotionally to people, i was emotionally depending on my ex, so as soon as we broke up i had a dream where somebody told me to just go out the day after and spoil myself. buy whatever i want and spend some money cause i was working so hard to buy the flight to go and see him. 4 days later when i found out he was with another person i cried in my way to work and i was feeling so well that day that i literally did my hair and makeup but it got smudged :(( but that was the last and first time i cried over him after everything was over. next day i woke up feeling positive and i suddenly let everything go. bad people eventually get what they deserve in life so i just got over it and im not attached to him or the old story anymore!!

3- i manifested new friends plus i contacted my old friends back. most of them were in bad terms with me cause i blocked them out of nowhere because of my ex, everything was so messed up but they forgave me and they are very good friends after all, they text me and hype me up every day so i cannot be more grateful :D

4- i manifested my sp :D after these 2 months i thought to myself: if that person could move on, you can too. so i did, although my sp and me are not fully prepared for a relationship rn, we’re both aware of our mutual attraction and promised to give us time until we were both fully healed 🫶🏻

5- MONEYYYYYY. yeah it sounds like im too ambitious when it comes to money but im soooo silly. i spend everything i get plus i need to pay for my own stuff at school. i dont like bothering my parents with my expenses —even though they are supposed to provide for me but i feel like a problem when i do that so—, i manifested money like 4 times this year??? first, my parents never give me more than 100 for my birthday and all of a sudden they gave me 500$??? i even posted about it my happiness was out of the roof. i went to the cinema w my friends to watch an anime movie that got released on my birthday yayayaya. later, i started working and got like 1,200 in the summertime and now i manifested more money this week TO SAVE. i literally by assuming got into the void and manifested a bag full of money. i wont stfu about it IM AMBITIOUS in a good way with money, i need to move out and start building my future (bro im still 17 😔)

6- clothes and makeup. uMmm im not a fan of makeup tbh buttttt i wanted to have some in case one day i decide to put some on, my skin has always been clear and pretty, my lashes are super long and my eyebrows are really thick so i only worry about doing a perfect lip combo. i got a box and 2 bags full of makeup <3 especially makeup of my favorite brands 😙😙😙 i also was able to buy clothes online very similar to the ones that i had on my pinterest boards ^^ but i kinda forgot to buy shoes.. BFFR 😭😭😭 ive been repeating the same 5 shoes, but im gonna buy some new ones soon!!

7- colognes and jewelry 😘😘😘😘😘 yes, im a fan of these too!! my dad gave me a box full of earrings and rings. but not any kind of earrings, LONG AND BIG EARRINGS W UNUSUAL DESIGNS just how i like them. and some cute rings w rabbit, figures, etc. the colognes smell really well!! i got the nicki minaj perfume in all versions, dior colognes and a box with like 8 different types of victoria’s sprays 🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️

8- a good school year. its only been a month but ive made friends and i find a lot of people WHO SUDDENLY KNOW ME, waving at me in the hallways and im like OH YEAH HI even tho idk who they are?? it feels so goodddddd i feel like an it girl omg 😭😭😭 and also my grades are MAGNIFIC, i got accepted in our honors program and im currently a staff cadet in our military program I DID NOT EVEN KNOW IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO ACQUIRE A HIGH RANK HERE BUT I DID ITTTT I DID ITTTT IM LEADING :D

yeah i cant remember more but thats all i’ve accomplished so far, see u dont need the void to fucking manifest 🥱🥱🥱🥱 gurllll-

[c-m-stuff]

Niece

Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

-Description: You and Spencer are married. You two have a beautiful daughter. Unexpectedly, your niece came to visit.

-Warnings: Fluffiness, angst, language, having a child

-Word count: 2472

-Note: (Repost from Wattpad, if you have any requests, send them in!) I loved to write this one! I had so much fun! I used a large amount of text from a great TV show. Also, your niece in this story is just a character. I love my niece, she isn't like this character at all. That being said, enjoy! TV Show: Friends - 10x5

Masterlist

_________________________

Y/N POV:

I was changing the diaper of our beautiful daughter, as we heard a knock on the front door.

'(Y/N)! Open up! It's your niece! I have to talk to you!' I was confused from the unexpected visit from my niece, I didn't saw in months.

I wanted to ask Spencer for opening the door, but I didn't even had to. He immediately understood, and went to the front door.

'You're not (Y/N).' I could hear Amy say. P

I sighed, she didn't even greet Spencer. Don't get me wrong, I love my niece, she just my total opposite. And, she says everything, she thinks. Without a second thought.

I finished changing the diaper of our one year old, and placed her gently in her crib, before making my way towards them.

'Hey Amy!' I greeted her, while sharing a hug.

'Ohh, you're here!'

'Yeah, so what are you doing here?' I asked, genuine wondering.

'Well, I have huge news.'

Just on that moment, the baby began to cry.

'Oh wait, hold on. Let me just check on the baby.'

'Wait, this is important! Can (Y/D/N) wait?'

Spencer gave me a look to say he could check up on her, but I gave him a smile, saying it was okay. I walked towards the bedroom, Amy following me.

I gently took her out of the crib, rocking her slightly. In the meanwhile, Amy was watching.

'So beautiful.' I smiled at her compliment, nodding in agreement.

'Oh, I know, isn't she?'

'No, I was talking about your bedding.' my previous smile quickly faded, hearing her confession.

'Alright, what's your news, Amy?'

'Oh! Umm... Well...  I'm getting married.' she stated, happily.

'What? Oh my God! To who?' I asked, completely shocked.

'This guy! He has a killer apartment.' she stopped talking.

'And?' I pushed her, hoping she would tell a bit more about the person she's getting married to.

'And, it's on fifth. And, the elevator opens up right into the living room.'

'No, what's he like?' I specified.

'Oh! He's okay. Do you remember my old boyfriend, Mark?' she asked, causing me to nod.

'Yeah.'

'It's his dad!' my expression immediately changed, processing what I just heard.

'His dad? Wow, he's gotta be-' she cut me off, continuing my sentence.

'Old? Yeah! But, he travels a lot, so he's hardly even there.' it was clearly, she was out for his money.

'Sweety, I need to tell you. It sounds a little bit like you like the apartment more than you like-'

'Myron.' she spoke, as I gave her a look.

'I told you, he was old!' she took the words out of my mouth.

'Honey, you deserve true love. Your soulmate is out there, somewhere. Someone that is your age, that is smart, that is fun and that you care about. Just like I found mine soulmate. You see, how happy Spence and I are? You can have that too.' she thinks about it for a moment, my speech clearly made her quiet a bit.

'You're right, you're right. I'm gonna do it!' she announced, excitedly.

'Great!'

'I'm gonna marry Myron, and keep looking for Mr. Right.' I bited on my lip, not quite what I was aiming for.

'Okay, let's keep talking.'

_________________________

Later:

After talking more, she finally understood what I was aiming for. Immediately after that, she left the house. We were a few hours further, as we heard another knock on the door. I went to open it.

'I took your advice, I left Myron.' Amy said, but I couldn't ignore the many bags that were behind her.

'Im so proud of you!'

'Thank you! So, can I stay with you?' I laughed, but inside, I was doing the complete opposite.

I didn't even said anything, and she walked herself, and her bags, in. She made her way straight towards the guestroom.

Just then, Spencer walked in. I sighed, closing the front door, and walked to my husband for some comfort. He instantly wrapped his large arms around my body, hugging me tight. He gave me a sweet kiss on my head, rubbing gently my back.

'Spence, I need to tell you something.' I sighed, once again, preparing myself to tell him.

'I know, love. I've heard you two talking.' he confessed, and I was glad he took it well.

'Are you really okay with this? I just want to help her.'

'I'm really okay with this, love. Don't worry about it. And, I'm so proud of you, you want to help her.' I hummed, contently.

'I love you.'

'I love you more.'

__________________________

The next morning:

I woke up with beautiful hazel eyes already staring in mine. Spencer was admiring me, just like I was admiring him.

'Good morning, beautiful.' he greeted me, with his morning voice.

'Morning, handsome.' I smiled, widely, and scooted closer to him.

He was hugging me, pressing my body into his chest, his arms around me, protectively. Then, Spencer peppered my face full of kisses, making me laugh.

'I love this!' I told him, as we shared a passionate kiss.

'I love you.' he replied, as we ended the kiss.

'I love you. So much.'

Suddenly, we heard crying from the crib. I wanted to get up, but Spencer pushed me gently back into the mattress.

'I got this.' we both smiled to each other, as I thanked him.

After a few more minutes, I decided to get up as well. I made my way towards the kitchen, seeing Spencer already preparing coffee.

'(Y/D/N) is okay.' he spoke, as I nodded, thankfully.

He gave me a cup of coffee, as I sat on the chair of the kitchen island. I sipped, as Amy walked in.

'Good morning.' she greeted us, as I saw what she was wearing. That was my outfit.

'Amy, that's what I was supposed to wear today, that's why I hung it on the closet.' I told her, thinking she must have took it when I was in the bathroom.

'Oh, sweety, you can't pull this off.' I bited on my lip, sipping again my coffee. Spencer watched me with sad eyes. I quickly changed the subject.

'Amy, you know what? I was thinking that maybe now it'd be a good time for us to sit down and, you know, talk about your future.' I suggested, while she took her purse.

'I can't. I'm gonna go get my eyebrows shaped.' she pointed at her eyebrows.

'I am not happy.' she added, before heading to the door.

'I see you guys later.' and, she was gone.

I rolled my eyes, and drank my coffee further. Suddenly, I felt two, warm arms around my waist. Spencer pressed a loving kiss on my cheek, holding me close.

'Love, you are absolutely stunning. Don't listen to her, you can definitely pull that off. You can pull everything off.' a smile appeared fast again on my face, hearing those comforting words from my husband.

'Thank you. Really, I needed that.' we shared another sweet kiss, before getting changed for work.

__________________________

Later:

We needed to leave in a quarter hour, as Amy came in. I had give her my spare key for as long as she's here. On that moment, my phone began to rang.

'Hello?' I spoke through the main speaker.

'Oh no, I hope you're feeling better! Okay bye.' we broke the connection, and I sighed.

'That was Mary, she's sick.'

Mary was my best friend, and always watches our daughter when we had work. The thing is, we needed to go to work and we had nobody who could babysit. I would've asked the team, but since we work together, they can't as well.

'Shoot, what are we going to do?' I asked the genius, as I began to stress.

'I can do it.' Amy spoke up, as I thought about it for a moment.

It didn't looked like we had much choice. We had paperwork, since Spencer and I made the agreement to work less cases, and more on the station, since we got (Y/D/N).

'Well, Spence, can I talk to you for a moment?' he nodded, and we went to the other side of the room.

'What do you think?' I asked him, and as answer, he gave me a doubtful look.

I couldn't blame him, I had my doubts as well. I mean, it's our child, we're talking about. But, I still trusted my niece.

'Look, I know you have your doubts, so am I. But, this is a big breakthrough for her. I'm trying to help her become a better person, and I think this would help her.' he thought about it for a moment, as Amy walked closer.

'Um, listen. I couldn't help but overhear, cause I was trying to listen. Let me do this, alright? I really wanna help you guys out, and plus (Y/N) is been so wonderful to me.' she gave us a pleading look.

Spencer was still doubting it, but eventually gave in. Amy squealed, visibly happy.

'Great! So how much does is pay?' I was almost proud of her. Almost.

'Amy, we're not going to pay you. You're just doing it, because you're kind. If something is wrong, call me immediately.'

She nodded in agreement, as we both said goodbye to our daughter. After that, we left for work.

_________________________

Later:

I unlocked the door, letting us both in. We just got back from work, and I was dying to see (Y/D/N). Amy had texted me that they were on their way, so I didn't worried when I entered in an empty house.

We weren't home for 5 minutes, and the front door swung open again. There they were. (Y/D/N), in the stroller, wearing a new hat, Amy bought her.

'How's my little girl?' I walked happily to our daughter, as she began to laugh at my touch on her little hand.

'What did you guys do today?' Spencer asked Amy.

'(Y/D/N), wanted to go out, so we went shopping and got some sushi.' she explained.

'That sounds like fun.'

'Yeah! Oh, (Y/N), I got you a present for letting me stay with you. Ready?'

'Yeah.' I answered, very curious about the gift.

She then took the hat off our daughter's little head, as her ears got suddenly more attention.

I putted my hand for my mouth, gasping at the sight in front of me. (Y/D/N) was wearing earrings. I can't believe, Amy did this. Now Spencer came looking, and was just a shocked as I was.

'You pierced her ears!?' I shouted, angrily.

'Doesn't it make her nose look smaller?' she stated, excitedly.

'You pierced her ears? How could you do this without telling me?'

'Well, if I had told you, then it wouldn't have been a surprise, now would it?'

'Amy! How-how could you do this? I told you we shouldn't have left (Y/D/N) with her!' Spencer now reacts more angrily, realizing what she did.

'I know, I know. You were right, Spence.' I agreed, but I could see, he wasn't mad at me.

'You are soo irresponsible! I am never letting you babysit ever again!' I yelled at her, the anger burning on my skin.

'Hey, you know what? This kid needs me, okay? She needs to have a cool fun aunt.'

'You're not even her aunt! You're her grandniece! I can't believe this! All I wanted to do was help you try to figure out what to do with your life, and this is how you repay me?'

'Well, I don't need you to help me, because I already know what I'm going to do with my life.' she stated, proudly.

'Oh yeah? Since when?'

'Since today. I am going to be a baby stylist.' we both looked at her with disbelief.

'That's not even a thing!' now Spencer yelled.

'Well, it should be. I'm gonna help babies learn how to accessorize, what colors to wear, what clothes are in fashion...'

'Baby's don't care about that!' I argued back, furious.

'Enter Amy!' she told us, as I just looked shocked.

'Spencer, get Amy's bags, she is moving out!' my husband immediately disappeared to the guestroom.

'You're kicking me out?'

'You put holes in our baby's ears!'

'Yeah well, at least now people will know she is a girl!' I gasped once again, my madness growing.

'I can't believe I ever even tried to help you. You are so beyond help!'

'You know what? Ever since I got here, you have been nothing but negative.'

'Excuse me?'

'You didn't want me to marry the old guy with the great apartment. Then, I tried to help your daughter to de-empathsize her flaws.' she pointed to (Y/D/N) her nose, making me even more pissed.

'And, suddenly, I am the bad guy?' she continued.

'Spencer, where are those bags?' I shouted, wanting her to leave as quick as possible.

'She has a lot of stuff!' my husband answered.

'When I moved in here, I thought: This is gonna be so great. Just us nieces, back together again like when we were kids. Just talking and gossiping like we used to do.' I began to relax more, trying to calm myself down.

'I can do that.' I stated, calmly, I was still mad, but tried to ignore it for a moment.

'You can?' she asked, more calmly herself.

'Yeah. I just kept trying to make you a better person, but you're-you're already a pretty perfect version of what you are.' she gave me a hug, as I hugged her back.

'Thank you. I've got to admit, (Y/D/N) does look cute.' a genuine smile crept on my lips, happy with the compliment.

'She really does.'

'Look, I'm sorry for what I did.' she apologized, which I didn't excepted.

'Thank you for apologizing. I appreciate it.' we gave each other a smile, finally finding a bit rest.

__________________________

Later:

Only two days later, Amy left the house again, as Spencer and I, finally returned to our usual routine. I have to admit, it's more peaceful now. But, at the other side, it was also fun to spend some time with her. Most of the time.

__________________________

[zyafics]

im gonna rant and speak my mind away because you have me running in circles 😭😫

you have to be tired of me repeating the same thing but omg im SO CONFUSED, if she got the grad housing she HAD to have a baby 😭 like grant as far as i remember already graduated (or did i make that up?) like yeah they could've moved in together cause they are family BUT it doesn't make sense since grad housing if for MARRIED couples and people with KIDS and john b said in his text it took college too long… she said WE and yes she can have a cat since she wanted one but that is not a reason for her to get a grad housing because that's not how it works!!!

again the sonogram/ultrasound being empty still i don't know… some doctors are shit so that could be one the doctor did a malpractice (see how crazy im going?) but its clear mentioned she was having a GIRL and when Rafe walked in he was literally SHOCKED a cat doesn't show you like that a cat doesn't make you go SILENT and then she says "this is emmy" LITERALLY THE NAME they chose for a girl. I don't know how all this is gonna turn out but i feel insane saying the miscarriage was not really a miscarriage but for a time it looked like that, because the emotional turmoil she was going through it was not for nothing.

i think and believe for a period of time since it happened she was actually sure she had a miscarriage but weeks went by and then she never got her period back and was confused bc again she was feeling like she was sick or something and went to cleo to rant her mind about it that it was a sick joke from the universe to be feeling just like when she found out she was pregnant and that on top of it her period was not coming so she felt bloated and annoyed (blaming it all on her period never coming) cleo being the reasonable human she is told her to go to the doctor, so they go and she tells the doctor what's happening and the doctor is like that's not normal so sends her to do some blood tests just to make sure everything is working and then when the Dr. get the results back he's as shocked as anyone if not more bc how the hell do you tell your patient who you received bc she was having a miscarriage that oh never mind she actually never had it?

all this happening while she had asked college to let her have online classes so one she didn't have to see rafe and two to let her heal from the trauma the "miscarriage" caused and ofc college agreed bc well people are not shit. when she finds out she never lost the baby she kinda loses it and moves back with her parents so they can help out, during summer and all she has the baby and all that stuff, emailing the school to explain the whole thing that had happened which had them confused and that's why they took to long to give her a grad housing so in the meantime she had been living with grant and that's why he was mainly helping them move in bc all their stuff was in his house 🙂‍↕️ and after finding out she never stopped being pregnant she decided to go to therapy to finally speak to someone (emmy being her motivation) bc she wants to be in a better state of mind and in general for when she's born. ofc rafe never knew any of this so circling back (just like you have me) when he gets into her apartment he's stuttering trying to process what he's seeing to add onto my craziness he has either his eye color and she's just staring at him and giggles (bc babies do that) and he breaks down and reader's regrets in that moment not telling him but it was necessary all that time a part they had to make things better and then they have a serious talk about all it and what they will do moving forward and the second chance part of the story begins

i don't want to get into what happens after but im sure ward will make another appearance but this time he's gonna be SHUT DOWN bc he deserves that, insert me in the story like "and Adriana beat his ass" im just joking or am i? 😏

anyways yeah that's all as if i just didn't write a full essay also im holding your words "trust the process" so yes im tweaking but im TRYING my best to be patient and chill but you can see i can't

hehehe

[zoguy1]

So, fun fact about me, I never actually watched Gravity Falls. I mean, I did. But I only watched it by proxy to my siblings, who were obsessed with it and watched it all the time. I'd also catch some reruns on TV from when the show was originally airing on Disney Channel or XD or something.

Anyway, now that the fandom is reignited with the release of the books, I've been seeing some things that dose kinda make me wanna rewatch the series. But I also kinda don't want to watch the whole series just for the few characters I'm interested in knowing more about. So instead I'm going to read fanfics of some of the ships that piqued my interest and *then* rewatch the show. Cuz I learned from doing the same thing with the Venom series was such a wild ride.

But first, I wanna document my memory of the show and what I've seen of fan content, cuz I kinda regret not doing that with the Venom movie before I watched it.

So, first starting with the main twins: Dipper and Maple. Two autistic siblings. Maple is all rainbows and sunshine and is so deep into escapism that she's drown in it while Dipper is a huge nerd. Maple has a few crushes here and there throughout the whole series, while Dipper has a crush on this high schooler. I thought they were in elementary when I first started watching the show and was surprised to find out they weren't and were starting their first year of high school by the end of the series. Idk if I remembered that correctly, though.

The next pair of twins is Stanley and Stanford. According to my friends, Ford is an absolute ass hat and Gruncle Stan is a single mom who works two jobs. Ford was the 'gifted child' autistic growing up and his special interest is the triangle man. Supposedly he had a bf, Fiddle, whom he accidentally traumatized and just left for Triangle Man. Meanwhile, Stan has an ex-wife, Edna the Owl Lady who misses him, but her aim is getting better. They are also soulmates who belong to each other and deserve each other. He's also dated Pickle Rick at some point. Possibly after Edna. But I refuse to believe that Stan and Rick were ever serious and that it was just a fling. Stan x Fiddle is also piquing my interest, I want to see Stan singing "You Only Want Me 'cause You Want My Sister" by Evelyn Evelyn.

Dipper and Maple's parents are never mentioned, despite the show being heavily family focused. So I imagine they had no fucking clue what the hell happened during their kid's summer trip to see their uncle and had one Hellova story when they came back.

Another notable characters is Wabbles the Pig, who's apparently better than Fat Nuggets. Guys, Wabbles, and Fat Nuggets came from the same litter. This show is all about not pitting siblings against each other, why are we putting Nuggest and Wabbles against each other? They're chill.

Zeus, who's just kinda there. He's the twins' autistic friend. Wendy, Dipper's crush and girl boss. Rodney, Wendy's emo bf. Maple's friends, and then that one bully character they tried to pair up with Dipper, but like, honestly no.

Oh yeah and Bill. Bill's whole ordeal is that he wants to take over the tri-state area, and absolutely fuck with everyone, including the audience, making them believe that there's old man Yaoi where there isn't. At least not in the way the fans think. Now I don't ship BillFord, but I am curious to know if there's any fanart of Ford and Bill's cannonical human design.

There's also the gay police that pulled a Bubbleen. Random ass Chomsky gnomes. Mermaids, vampires, and shenanigans. and the Mystery Shack, which kinda just exists.

I will now dive into fanfics and revisit this post to see how much my memory aligns with the fics.

[thornfield13713]

If you're wondering why Danse's armour is in such a state, it's because I left him with Hellfire armour in his inventory and he came out automatically wearing it, and apparently that doesn't change when you strip it off, but he just looked weird in Enclave gear. Even to Georgia, who is still under the impression that the Enclave were some sort of rebellious Brotherhood splinter faction.

And- yeah. Interesting point to get this, since this is apparently the last Brotherhood quest before Danse's personal quest, which is...probably going to mark the point at which Georgia leaves them for good. And Georgia- If she were to be honest here, she'd say she tries to avoid thinking about Haylen at all. Which- again, furthering the parallels with the Institute and how they try not to think of the humanity of the people who are suffering and dying so they can have their underground mock-utopia. Shaun is, in many ways, his mother's son. Georgia just has a harder time of it, because she's down in the mud and has to look all these people in the face. It's...part of why she hasn't moved against the Brotherhood yet, even though the Minutemen could, and she could probably justify it to the world. She's a lawyer, and one of her best friends runs one of the Commonwealth's major news sources, and another friend runs another - she could absolutely just shoot down the Prydwen and put out a story to cover it. And she knows it. When she first saw Liberty Prime, she was as close to that decision as she's ever come. But-

But she doesn't want to be a tyrant. She doesn't even want to rule. But there are people on the Prydwen who maybe don't deserve to die - not Maxson, fuck him, but the squires, some of the scribes, a few of the initiates, maybe even a couple of the knights. People are born into the Brotherhood, or join up to get out of rough situations, just like the pre-war military they descend from. She knows it's going to come down to a fight in the end, and probably a lot of people will die, but she doesn't want to strike the first blow, and she wants to minimise unnecessary deaths.

And, in the end, she probably won't be able to avoid it. I've been listening to Epic: The Musical lately, so that's probably shaping a lot of my narrative choices here, the tension between the desire to protect one's people and the desire to avoid causing more harm than necessary, and how sometimes the decisions you made to minimise harm only end up causing more of it in the long term. Which is definitely going to be fun when I get around to writing the fic.

[celestie0]

Girl look this is gonna sound like a love confession bc maybe it is idk I’m obsessed with ur braincells in another life your definitely one of my best pookies 😔🫶

Like the way I FELL in love with kickoff was so uncalled for bc what business do I have being this invested in an athlete frat college au when I’m generally all for the domestic angsty husband wifey shit anyway now idk how to cope when it’s finished so pls take my hand in marriage and we can have pillow talk abt them 💍❤️ thank you.

genuinely ur writing is chefs kiss though 👌 (let me kiss ur hands 😗) and I love love love that u actually seem to have real knowledge on what u write about like the soccer games and the all the camera stuff it gives the story sm more substance

anyway penny for my thoughts 🤧 ?

This fanart on TikTok: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSYaQwJQo

ok so basically when I first started reading the fic and I was talking to my friend abt all the frat shenanigans (WHICH I LOVE BTW IM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS FRAT BOY TROPE NOW) we both related it to this one fanart: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSYaCy7aX/

which then made a lot of sense bc it’s literally meant to be satosugu as frats (AAAAHHH 😫)

anyway so then I went on the account and discovered that first link right bc getos seggsy ass was the focus in the other one

and I just thought it was so fitting like the face is a bit off bc I think the darling artist is clearly a fellow geto girlie butttt the fit and stuff like yk how the insufferable man child was wearing fucking HO-HO glasses in the first chapter yeahh anyway hope u see it too and Imma do the good deed of passing word your fic onto the TikTok artist

forgot I was meant to be dot pointing

y/n

does anyone actually insert their name ? Idk I never have lol

love her

she usually ends up being my favourite character bc duh she’s girliepop

I struggle sm to read books bc like character names and stuff can throw me off so I prefer to dabble in GOOD fanfics every now and then (aka your masterpiece) or just indulge in smut when I’m ovulating 🙂‍↕️

ignore that

ummm so yeah I find books hard to get into since they start on a blank canvas and since I’m already obsessed with our marvellous blue eyed baby daddy fanfics are ideal cause they just build over that

anyway back to y/n I don’t actually remember what I was gonna say shes just bae

The slow burn holy shit especially the bed chapter like I kept going back and forth who’s gonna make a move only to fall asleep all bricked up at 2 AM 🥲

so well done

one random fav scene of mine is when he takes out the digimon credit card idk ur ideas and the way u write movement in scenes it just clicks for me

I like my shit my way. It’s all in my brain right these angst chronicles and I kinda just wanna see it written out bc I’m a lazy bitch and I cannot commit so I usually opt for like one shots or what not idk like “when he makes you cry” or “ when you use the safe word with them ft gojo, geto, toji” you know the gist of it

I have certain ideas in my head that I don’t like to compromise especially regarding y/n ig because I am her allegedly

but bro 😓

the way I folded for you omg 🙏

this deserves a list if it’s own lol but btw putting this out there I dont even except u to read through this shit I’m just in a yapping state of mind and I’ve come this far so ._. :

My first major red flag was the jeans

not my style okay I’d live my life in pretty little empire waistline lingerie night gowns if I could

First thought was “what in the white girl” butttt then my brain went “it’s giving Lana del Rey like when she was younger and was always seen by paparazzi just in a white tee and blue jeans + that one concert she did wearing jorts and a cute white top with hoop earring, chewing gum and smoking while singing summer time sadness like the absolute icon she is”

and bam I can fw it now 🤝

her hight is one thing I differ on tho cause I’m short so I blur my vision whenever u mention any kind of height or size related comparison with gojo bc ik it’s not accurate to me especially with that tree of a man and I want my moments too 😔

Shoko

I just don’t see her like that okay she’s so above gojos lanky ass in canon verse

but thennn as always u came through with the descriptionsss 🔥

the denim skirt

the sorority glitter cheeksss

hot.

okay I’m starting to sound 𝓁𝑒𝓈𝒷𝒾𝒶𝓃 my apologies

The age differences

honestly this wasn’t that much if a discrepancy I just found it a bit funny like todo as his homeboy lol

but yuji was so cute and I’m all for dad gojo but you’ve opened my mind to big brother gojo and I don’t see what’s not to like about it

As for the rest of the characters

Loved yuji as the bouncer (I didn’t know what that even was, again love how u actually know what u write about)

and also just that tiny crumb of megs when readers taking pictures, I can totally picture him as a soccer player

nanami was so odd to imagine but I settled on teen nanami with the emo hair and such

Choso

I just love chosos existence in this fic thanks for that 😌

OKAYYYYY this length of yap sesh should land me in a psych ward I spent a good hour and a half on this I’d say

but yes it’s due time I professed my ever growing admiration for you (💍 🔪)

I will check out if you’ve given fic recs but again I’m into the marriage pregnancy type shi and I do love me a good college au now more than ever so if u may 🤲

jk ‼️I DONT EXPECT YOU TO REPLY TO ANY OF THIS IM A BIG FAN REGARDLESS‼️

cannot wait for the next chapter (can he please dick us down hard already your edge game is something else 🫠)

xoxo 💋

OH WOW FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS ASK?? i appreciate the love for kickoff sm :”) even though it’s not something you usually read!! and yes 💯 to that fanart

haha i actually know close to nothing about soccer. i just ask chatgpt a bunch of questions about it when i write 🤣 but i know a tiny bit ab film photography cuz one of my close friends studied film in college :) i’m so happy those aspects stick out to you!!

HAHA pls the whole bed scene in ch8 was a lot of fun to write. i just love domestic lil convos between two people, and the lil digimon scene made me emotional to write bc it reminded me of how nerdy canon gojo is LOL (i miss him sm)

i’m glad you like yn too!! tbh she’s the center focus of the story in my eyes haha gojo is just a side character 💀 and wymmm my girlie is SHORT too 🤣 well idk how short you’re talking haha but in my head she’s 5’4 cuz that’s how tall i am lol

thank you sm for interacting so deeply with my silly lil story 😭💕 sorry if i didnt respond to all aspects of your ask but i read it all and was cheesing so hard plskdjdhd. so glad you’re looking forward to more!! also haha i saw your follow up ask too and YES gojo as a cat dad wasn’t something on my kickoff bingo card but alas here we are 🤣 much love from me 💕

alsooo i do have another series called “in holy matriphony” that is a fake marriage au gojo x reader :0 just mentioning that since you said you’re in the domestic marriage sorts of stuff. it’s kind of a silly n crack fic vibes tho LOL maybe not the serious angsty stuff but it’ll have angst for sure too :”) just if you’re interested bb!! <3

[a-trick-or-two-with-lepers]

Hair Song Ranking - by Production!

I'm back again with a somewhat coherent tumblr post! Can you believe it? Anyway, I know I've already done a Hair song ranking, but this time, I'll be talking about multiple productions: the Original cast recording (1968), the 1979 movie soundtrack, and the Broadway revival cast recording (2009). I know, same formula as my Godspell post.

I am aware that the film version omitted a TON of songs, but I'll be keeping those songs in the ranking anyway. I tried to match the songs up as much as possible, so I left out some that only appeared in one version. Also, massive spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen the movie- it departs from the original script in several major ways, and I think this impacts the message of the story both negatively and positively. (My asks and DMs are always open if you want to have a conversation about it 👀).

And now: my unsolicited opinions!

Aquarius- Winner: 1979 Movie. I mean. Can you blame me? This is, like, the most ethereal opening to a movie ever. The arrangement in this version is my favorite of any recording I've heard of this song. The extended intro leaves plenty of time for the audience to get excited- the bass and brass hit every time- and by the time the vocals come in, you'd better be ready to be astonished. The soloist is amazing. 'Aquarius' is by far the most popular track from the musical, and Renn Woods, who was just 19 at the time, sings it with such power. I'm a big fan of Sasha Allen, who sings this song (as well as many others) in the revival cast, and Ronnie Dyson's original take is iconic, but Woods only got one song in the show, and I think she deserves all the recognition for it. I highly suggest taking a look at this article if you'd like to know more about her experiences.

Donna- Winner: 1979 Movie. I was 🤏 this close to giving this one to the revival cast; Will Swenson is one of my favorite portrayals of George Berger. But not even he could hit the notes Treat Williams (rest in peace 😔) managed in this song. I also enjoy the instrumentation and backup vocals of this one the most. It's gonna be really hard to compare Treat to anyone else- he's top tier, for me.

Hashish- Winner: 2009 Cast. I almost gave this to the movie again, 'cause I do think it did the best job at what it set out to do, which is, I assume, make the audience feel like they're in the blunt rotation. Only thing with that is, this song is on the same track as 'Donna' in the movie soundtrack, and it pisses me off, because whenever I wanna listen to the former, I have to either sit through the latter (which I'm not too fond of) or use one of my precious Spotify skips! So, I'm gonna go ahead and say I like the revival recording best. Like I said, this track isn't my favorite, but I like that this recording in particular gets straight to the point and doesn't drag it out.

Sodomy- Winner: 1979 Movie. Ok. I know I'm riding high on the movie soundtrack right now. I'm aware of my bias. But it's not my fault they put a fucking church choir in this song. It sounds SO GOOD, and for what?? Also, love Donnie Dacus. He's so damn cute in the movie, and I really like his voice. It's just strong enough not to sound breathy, but not so strong it overwhelms the track. Woof, my beloved 🥰

Colored Spade- Winner: 1979 Movie. Or as I know it: ".....😶..... and president of the United States of Love!" Also, yes, another movie win. I can't defend myself anymore. The recordings are just so clean. Whoever played bass for this one really went at it. Not to mention, Dorsey Wright put his whole Hudussy into his performance. I will say, there's a weird noise at the end of the recording- I can't even explain it, but it's funny as hell. Go listen to it.

Manchester England- Tie: 1979 Movie/2009 Cast. Yeah, I couldn't choose with this one. I'd say the movie has a slight edge over the revival cast- mostly because it's gay as hell and has both Treat Williams and John Savage singing. I do love the revival version as well, though, because I think it's more what the original composition had in mind. The fake British accent-shtick is missing entirely from the film. Actually, this is one of those songs where the meaning in the stage version is completely different from the film version. This makes it really hard to compare them. So, you get a tie. (Side note: I need to watch this clip from the movie at least once a day to stay healthy. Doctor's orders).

I'm Black/Ain't Got No- Winner: 1979 Movie. Shit, man. You can't put Kurt Yaghjian in a song and expect me not to go crazy about it. (Peep the profile pic). Once again, the arrangement of this version rocks my shit to an absurd degree. Every soloist SLAYS it, the instrumentation is crisp as hell, and this version actually combines songs that are usually broken up in most stage productions. I'm not saying it's necessarily better because of that, but it certainly makes it easier to listen to cohesively. Also, I don't know. The choreography for the scene just matches so well with the tune. And yes, I know I shouldn't judge a movie based on its cinematography when comparing it to stage productions, but it's really hard to ignore with this one. Even without that, this is one of my favorite songs from the movie. It's genuinely perfect. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Also, John Savage is just really adorable when he sings "I'm invisible." Sue me. At least I'm honest!

Sheila Franklin/ I Believe in Love- Winner: 2009 Cast. This one isn't in the movie soundtrack, so you're safe from its reign for now. Woo! Anyway, Caissie Levy slays. The original cast may have gotten this one if it included the little intro where everyone sings their bit about Sheila- I love that part. But I think the revival cast deserves this win.

Air- Winner: 1979 Movie. "But tumblr user a-trick-or-two-with-lepers, this one wasn't even in the movie!" Ok, and? It's on the soundtrack, and it's the best one. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules. It's a damn shame this didn't make the cut, 'cause Annie Golden did a great job with it! She sounds absolutely adorable. The other two versions are almost hard to listen to for me. It's not like I think the singers did a bad job- they're both very talented and I don't hate their versions- but the song is written to be somewhat annoying, I think. The voice Kacie Sheik puts on for Jeannie can be a bit grating at times. Maybe that just means I'm more of a vocalist-enjoyer than an actor-enjoyer, but in terms of listening value, this one goes to the tragically unused movie version.

10. Initials- Winner: 1968 Cast. An original cast recording win! Yay! I don't even have a problem with the other two versions, I just think it's really funny that this particular recording came out while LBJ was president. Dissing a current president in your broadway production has to be one of the boldest moves I've seen in musical theater history- though, this show broke a lot of musical barriers, so I'm not surprised.

11. I Got Life- Winner: 1979 Movie. I don't know why I spent so long thinking about which version was my favorite for this one. The movie version is like, one of my top tracks on Spotify. The whole scene is fucking perfect. I know this is supposed to be a Claude song, but Treat Williams as Berger owns it. It ranked number two in my 1979 Hair song ranking, and I stand by that placement. It has become one of my favorite movie scenes. The absolute joy that emanates from his performance is really inspiring. I will say, I like how they kept the 1948/1968 bit at the beginning of the OG cast recording, and Gavin Creel sings this song really well in the revival, but I'd be hard pressed to give this win to anyone but the one and only Treat Williams.

12. Going Down- Winner: 2009 Cast. This is another one that wasn't in the movie soundtrack, and I am PISSED that we never got to hear Treat sing this. Regardless, Will Swenson has the charisma cranked up to 1000 here. I adore how he growls out "Lucifer." This has become one of my favorite tracks from the 2009 recording. It is NOT believable that this man, or anyone playing Berger in these versions, is a teenager, but I've never cared about stuff like that. Well, except for the travesty that is the Dear Evan Hansen movie. Yeesh... Anyway!

13. Hair- Winner: 1979 Movie. The title track! I can back this one up, I swear. First of all: this is usually a Claude/Berger song, and while I really wish John Savage sang more in the movie, a second Woof solo is always appreciated. They keep more of the harmony in the intro, which I appreciate. This particular version of "Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees" lives in my head rent-free at all times. I wish they'd used Hud's solo in the soundtrack, but I'm not too mad about it. Treat is, once again, hitting those high notes, and my ears thank him for it. Also, this is the only version that doesn't drag out the "why don't my mother love me" line, and I don't know why, but I kind of like it better that way?

14. My Conviction- Winner: 2009 Cast. This song is so cute. I love that someone of an older generation shows support in this show! And she's(?) trans?? Or a crossdresser. Never was sure which it was. Either way, I think all the performances of this one were really great, but Andrew Kober did it best in my opinion. Still, I'd love to see the unnecessarily horrified reactions to this in the 60s.

15. Easy to Be Hard- Winner: 1979 Movie. Yeah, I knew this was gonna win before I even started making the list. I'm sorry, I truly do love both other versions, and whenever I sing this song I use the original key, but the movie version is simply just. 😚🤌. That plucky thing they do with the guitar is so beautiful. The meaning of the song is amplified by how different the scene is from the stage versions. And the singer. THE. SINGER. FUCKING INSANE. Her name is Cheryl Barnes, and she owns my entire heart. This role isn't in any other version as far as I'm aware, and she doesn't even have a name. She just pops up and is like "hey lemme just blow you all away real quick." Fuck you Hud for being mean to her and her little baby. Still mad that he didn't get more flack for that on-screen. Point is- this performance is the best. I don't even like Jennifer Hudson's version more than this one, which is saying a LOT, 'cause I love that woman.

16. Don't Put It Down- Winner: 2009 Cast. This used to be a 'skip' song for me. But after listening to the revival recording more, I can safely call it one of my favorites. The harmonies are really clear in this version, and I find the satire of it really amusing. Crazy for the blue, red, and white! What a shame that they made it instrumental in the movie.

17. Frank Mills- Winner: 1968 Cast. I just found out this was sung by Martha Plimpton's mother??? I love her! This version is absolutely adorable. I really like her voice, and I think it captures Crissy's character really well. No shade to Allison Case, though; her version is just as, if not more, beautiful. The original just happens to be my favorite in this case. Also, I noticed how few wins they were getting and I felt bad.

18. Hare Krishna/ Be-In- Winner: 2009 Cast. This is one of those where I'd honestly be fine adding any of the versions to my playlist. The original seems like the perfect thing to get high to, and the movie version is accompanied by a literal drug trip scene, but this version is the clearest and most listenable to me. The harmonies are really present. I really like when they all sing, "Burn it, Berger, burn it!" Also, Dionne and everyone singing "Aquarius," is really beautiful and haunting. They're hyping Claude up, and then he doesn't burn it, and hhhhhggngnnnnngggghhh it's just really good.

19. Where Do I Go?- Winner: 1979 Movie. Is anyone really surprised anymore? This is hand-down my favorite song from the movie. Let me tell you why. The instrumentation at the beginning is like an auditory orgasm. The cinematography- I know, I know!- is really thought-provoking. The way every single person walking through New York just turns around, in sync, and stops, like they've suddenly realized how meaningless their lives are... And let me tell you. I fucking a-d-o-r-e John Savage's voice. I know most people won't- it's kind of whiny- but for some reason, I just can't get enough of it. It's so tragic that he didn't get more solos in this movie. Anyway, I have a whole ass analysis of this song on my blog, so check that out if you're interested. I also wrote an almost 40k word ao3 story using it as title fodder. Yeah, I'm shamelessly plugging my fanfiction. If I'm aware that I'm cringe does that make me less cringe?

20. Electric Blues- Winner: 2009 Cast. I almost gave this to the movie, because that really is my favorite version... for the most part. I think it goes on too long- I know that's because it fades into Claude's drug trip, but it gets tiring to listen to (for my short attention span, that is). That doesn't mean I don't really like the revival recording, though. Everyone has great energy, and this recording actually made me appreciate the song a lot more. Also, the end is really funny ("What the fuck! I was singing!")

21. Oh Great God of Power/ Manchester England (Reprise)- Winner: 2009 Cast. As far as I'm aware, this is the only one that actually has this song on the soundtrack. The original just has the Manchester England reprise. Anyway, I love this version to death. The first half is so gorgeous. I love how obsessed everyone is with Claude because, same. Also, I really like how they all sing "I believe in God!"

22. Black Boys- Winner: 2009 Cast. It took me a long time to warm up to this song. What made me finally like it was this recording. The scene in the movie was... strange, to say the least. But the women in the revival cast do such a good job with it. It's a bop!

23. White Boys- Winner: 2009 Cast. I know we're on a revival streak, but it felt wrong to split up the two boys songs. Besides, this is probably the best version of the three. Sasha Allen is fantastic as always. As much as I love Nell Carter's voice, the military recruiter guys singing in the track is too goofy for me to take it seriously.

24. Walking in Space- Tie: All. I knew this was gonna be a hard one to rank. I love all the versions so much. So, I'm just gonna take the easy route and talk about all three of them. The original is such a cohesive tune. It plays so smoothly, and I really enjoy everyone's vocal performance. It doesn't feel overdone at any point. The movie version is a bit long for my taste, but it's so good that it honestly has a right to be long. This part of the film drags a bit, but maybe I just don't like watching people suffer through war training. It's definitely impactful in that sense, though. I really like the first soloist; she has this lilting soprano vibrato that's very pleasant to listen to. I also like how militaristic the men chanting the colors sound in this version. Sasha Allen is the first soloist in the revival recording, and of course, she's perfect. She belts the whole thing, unlike the other versions' soloists. Her voice gives me massive chills, especially when she puts a bit of growl into it.

25. Four Score/ Abie Baby- Winner: 1968 Cast. All the love to Nell Carter and Sasha Allen, but this version is my fav. It's the least serious, which I think is what is was written to be. The soloist is doing this sing-talking thing, which I love, and she's funny as hell, especially at the end. ("Bang?! Ahahah, bang? Shiiiiit, I ain't dying for no white man").

26. Three-Five-Zero-Zero- Tie: All. Again, I'm not sure how to choose which of these is my favorite. It's just a really good anti-war song. Each one of the versions does it justice. I really like when a song makes me learn something, and I learned a lot from this song. For example: I learned what Viet Cong means, and I also learned that this song references a really interesting anti-war poem from the 60s titled 'Witchita Vortex Sutra.'

27. What A Piece of Work is Man- Winner: 2009 Cast. It was really hard to pick my favorite of the three. I didn't wanna hit you all with another tie, so I went with the revival cast. I think it has the smoothest transition into the Walking in Space reprise. The vocals are very clean as well. I wish they had kept this song in the movie; it's so pretty!

28. Good Morning Starshine- Tie: All. Dammit! I lied. I need to add another tie. They're all so good! The harmonies in the original are really, really nice. The movie version just puts me in such a good mood, and Beverly D'Angelo's voice is amazing! What a shame she didn't get more vocal parts in the movie. I really like how the harmonies start layering as everyone in the car gets into the song. This was one of the only moments I actually liked how they characterized Sheila in the film. But it was the revival recording that made me actually like this song- enough to want it in my playlists. Caissie Levy just has such a good voice. I also just love this song because it represents the last moment of hope and happiness in every version. It almost makes me want to cry, but I'll have to save my tears for this next song...

29. The Flesh Failures/ Let the Sunshine In- Tie: All. Welp. There goes my good mood. Fuck. This song... it doesn't matter who sings it. I will cry. Every time. It's so perfectly composed. In the original, when Claude sings his last few lines, he gets drowned out by the chorus, which symbolizes his meaningless death. Of course, the differences between the stage versions and the movie are stark, considering Berger dies instead of Claude, but the power of the message remains the same. The cinematography of this scene in the movie is so genius, it actually hurts to watch. The young men- the teenagers, the children- marching into the gaping maw of the warplane, Berger among them, singing a reprise of Claude's song. He knows now that he isn't seen as an individual by these people. He's a weapon. Disposable. He could be Claude for all they care. Fuck. It hurts just to think about it. The revival recording, though, might be the hardest to listen to. When paired with Aquarius Goodnights/ Ain't Got No/ Yip up the Sun, it never fails to make me sob. And I mean sob. The way Claude sings "Ain't got no" followed by gunshots, the way Berger screams for Claude, the brokenhearted singing of Sheila when she realizes Claude has died... I can't. I literally have to stop at Good Morning Sunshine when I'm listening to any of these albums if I want to continue having a good day, or else I'll be thinking about it all day. I truly believe this is the most intelligent and heart-wrenchingly stunning song ever written. Let the motherfucking sunshine in.

Well Gee Willikers. That was a ride. I love Hair like I love life itself, but BOY does that last song get me. Thank you SO SO SO much if you've read this far. I love you and I am kissing you tenderly on the forehead as we speak. I'm definitely in a bit of a Hair fixation right now- some may even call it hyper- and I had to have a somewhat productive outlet for it, so here you go! Hope you enjoyed ❤️

[vickyvicarious]

Thanks to y'all I finished the Marsh Masterpiece and you weren't exaggerating and, as you had pointed out, it sucks at depicting the aftermaths of assault (among the things that made my Syrian ass sigh as much as every other anti-middle eastern propaganda shit out there) bc it handles trauma so bizarrely? Holt is tortured by the caricature, and upon seeing Paul L who he admired react with terror about that same caricature, he proceeds to lose respect for him for being unmasculine. Paul proceeds to care about his kidnapped fiancee's state of purity above all. Marjorie is attacked by the bug in her own bed and her reaction to Holt's fear of the same bug is contempt. There was a rife opportunity there for exploration, like how shared trauma between lovers affects their relationship. Look at how the once meek and scared Harker forsakes his soul if his love is forsaken, how he called the vampires devils of the pit and now chooses to share a bed with a devil, or how the once bubbly and confident in her goodness Mina asks him to vow to brutalize her and internalizes her Fallen state as deserving. Boom, cause and effect- the villain has irreversibly changed them and their relationship and we see how they deal with that. With the Beetle, what was even the point?

The saddest thing about this is that it reminds me of how much HAS NOT changed in media depicting assault. It's for so many times JUST for shock value and/or demonization of a group of people. Modern police dramas and fantasy series are notoriously bad about this, though not just them. But yeah, great to know that people always loved sexplotation crap...

First of all: I sincerely apologize for my part in getting you to read the entirety of this book. (said jokingly, but also a little bit not, haha)

And YEAH, everything you said is so right. There's not just a weird handling of trauma, but this bizarre disconnect between all the characters. None of them have empathy for one another, even when the source of their fear/trauma is literally the exact same person (though 'caricature' is in many ways a better word, not like the Beetle gets much personality outside of a bunch of racist stereotypes in a trenchcoat), most of the time even via them acting in the same ways. And so the result is this story where none of the characters really connect with one another in a meaningful way. That's definitely not the only problem, but - as I saw in a meta from @animate-mush earlier today - in The Beetle, things just seem to happen to the characters, and the horror is more about their helplessness. In Dracula, the characters feel and do things all the time! Often, those aren't the right feelings or actions, or the characters wind up feeling like they're participating in the evil, thus fostering that horror of complicity. But in this book, our ongoing jokes that nothing anyone does affects the plot at all are... not really jokes, they're pretty true. If all the POV characters had done nothing at all, the Beetle still would have hypnotized someone else to steal Paul Lessingham's letters, still would have terrorized/kidnapped Marjorie, and still would have died in the train crash (setting aside the sequel-bait "or did they live after all...?" moment). Not only did they do very little in the first place, what they did was irrelevant. I guess you can say that ties into the theme of the horror, but, ehhhh.

And again, you are absolutely correct about the missed opportunity for conflict/growth between the couple. They spend almost no time together outside of flashbacks, and don't confide in one another at all, let alone explore their changed relationship. But also, to zoom out from just them... for a novel which is at least 70% people telling one another stories about what happened to them, no one actually reacts to those stories very much. In Dracula, Jonathan's diary provokes strong reactions in everyone who reads it, and directly/very importantly informs their next actions. Mina's account of Whitby gives Van Helsing the push to start the hunt for vamped!Lucy, and Seward's records give the clue that Renfield is connected to Dracula in some way. Even the Captain of the Demeter's log, read after his death, gives added context to the hunt and helps set them on their box chase which is of vital importance. The characters not only tell each other their stories - and write letters, and look up records - but they are changed and brought closer by the sharing of their experiences. The whole process is a unifying one.

The Beetle doesn't do any of that. After hearing Holt's account, Marjorie and Sydney unsympathetically take him to revisit the source of his trauma. Sydney, despite knowing she's telling the truth, tries to dismiss Marjorie the entire time she's talking to him. Champnell privately judges Paul Lessingham throughout his story. Marjorie and Paul don't really talk at all! Even when all of the characters come together for the final chase, they spend half the time talking over/insulting/arguing with one another. Both because they haven't all shared information fully in the first place, and because none of them have been changed or emotionally affected too much by one another's stories. The whole book reminds me of this excerpt from a critical essay about Dracula where the author claimed that there's a horrible bitter rivalry between all the suitors and their proclamations of love and friendship are lies. It's the worst bad faith interpretation of the text... and one Richard Marsh, seemingly, would have looked at and went "let's make that canon!"

Finally... it really is sadly true how little some things have changed. I mean, certainly, you can find a lot of much better depictions of trauma and aftermath (and companionship and less racism and better writing and-) nowadays. But equally, you can find plenty, scads upon scads, of the same kind of awful tropes as Marsh used (I can easily come up with some common ones in police detective shows especially). Maybe the worst part is that they can normalize terrible associations/expectations in a casual audience without them even realizing. And even in more nuanced stories, lots of people have very reductive interpretations. (See: the above mentioned Dracula essay. Or any of the many Dracula adaptations that claim to be more feminist or something while playing into just as bad and in some cases worse tropes as the original.) In a lot of ways, many of our modern tropes and interpretations around race/sex/gender/etc. are often not any more enlightened than Victorian ones were. Not always, of course! But more than enough.

[kmze]

Dry-ass (Sorry not sorry) didn't just cause damage to SC.She caused damage to the characters as well.Caroline and Bonnie were established as self-empowered women in s6.By the end of s7,they both were in a devastating state,emotionally, psychologically and physically.As for Stefan,the damaged,layered,dark yet intelligent and intutitive Stefan was gone.Instead,he was acting more Damon-like.While Damon played the bad guy for kicks,Stefan enjoyed being bad when he wanted to but he chose to be compassionate and showed empathy too. His IQ level had dropped severely and was getting easily outmanipulated,despite being a great social manipulator, although whether by choice or not that is up for debate.What happened to the "Better Villain"?Was it actor's choice?

His story was so close to that of Tyler's in s4-big bad with British accent,dumb revenge schemes,mom's death,keeping caroline out of the loop,going on the run.In fact,there were a couple of scenes which were similar to that of TC e.g When Stefan was watching Caroline from outside of her house like Tyler did in s2 possibly.The only difference was this time Caroline was with that low-life.Another was when Stefan and Caroline had a heart to heart.TC had a similar conversation in s2.The dialogues were so similar that I just didn't understand what the hell were they even trying to do.It's like playing out an old relationship using different actor and maybe creating a slightly different circumstance not for any narrative purpose but just for drama which was blatantly manufactured.No wonder Stefan's choices didn't make any internal sense for him.And since you mentioned about Stefan's ripper gene,I remembered how that was like Tyler's werewolf gene.Both were unaware of it until they were informed by a family member.I know the mythology may not be similar in any way but I think the writers had simply lost control over what and how much they would recycle.At least Klaus being a 1000 year immortal hybrid banishing Tyler made some sense.Why and how were all the century old vampires so scared of Matt F***ing Donovan banishing them from Mystic Falls???Just snap his stupid neck!!!With Tyler they never bothered to show how he broke the sire bond.They just told it.With Stefan,the phoenix scar was such a terrible plot device to separate SC.It reminded me of Elena being sired to Damon in s4.Hell even the tvd half of the crossover was unnecessarily contrived and melodramatic.They had Klaus tell Stefan something along the lines of- misery,paranoia will strip you off your desire to live- which was similar to what he had said about Tyler to Hayley after banishing him from MF.Klaus was giving unsolicited advice to Caroline and restricting her identity to simply being a mom while the narrative was desperately trying to convince that Stefan lacked emotional intelligence and wisdom to be in a real relationship.He was making unilateral decisions while Caroline was a whole another story. However,the TO half of crossover was much better written keeping the history of Klefan in mind.Not sure who wrote it but they gave the respect to SC which they deserved in just one episode that their own show didn't in 22 episodes.

Sorry this got so long.Talking to you brought back so many memories.

LOL Dry-ass I forgot that well deserved nickname *snort*

Yeah anon I agree, S7 was such a letdown season because I just don't think CD is capable of writing things she doesn't personally like, I remember even the first episode SC felt "off". I mean they were very cute but some of it lacked substance and the dialog didn't feel like them (except the last scene) and it was written by her (should have been my first clue about that season). Whereas 7x04 was vintage Steroline, the dialog, the chemistry even the story of teaming up to "babysit" the murderous heretics was so them (they love playing the game).

That's a really interesting comparison to Tyler in S4 though that I never really thought of, I'm getting into Tyler and Caroline's story in S2 so I'm going to look at for what you brought up in comparison to SC in S7. It doesn't surprise me that CD would do that either, like I said I don't think she cared enough about the S7 characters (her favorite was Katherine IMO) so going back to older seasons and rewriting it fits her MO. I absolutely agree on him being outsmarted that season like ugh, I felt a lot of that was CD making a concerted effort to not have minimal Lily and Stefan interaction and she never continued the ripper-gene talk (and yes the werewolf gene is genetic too). I also don't think CD cares about the character of Stefan outside of him being Katherine's prize. The revenge plot wasn't out of character for him but Julian was very *snore* it felt like murder-Thanksgiving was much closer to how Stefan usually operates as the "better villain to beat the villain". I just remember Dries talked sooooo much before the season aired about Damon/Lily/Stefan being the new "triangle" and we got like 3 scenes of that and then she was dead by episode 8!

I probably need to rewatch S7 to really remember how the storyline really played out, it's been a while so my memory is foggy but yes like WHO CARES WHAT MATT SAYS! Moron shot his fiancée accidentally and I'm supposed to believe supernatural creatures care what he says, please. I was more bothered by the show trying to undermine how much Stefan knew Caroline and vice versa, that was all Dries and I'm glad JP tried to fix it in the second half but still, I hope CD steps on a lego everyday for her transgressions.

[deus-ex-mona]

the anon who asked about your odd ships. now I wanna know EVERY take you mentioned but in case that gets very long / you don't want to talk about everything, I'm most curious about the canon ship you can't stand, that notp, and that poly ship. Though if you have the time I'd rather know all the takes 🤣

ask and you shall ✨receive✨~

dropping a cut here for length~~ because m a n did just those three questions get long sorry~~~~

the canon ship i can’t stand:

aside from the obvious (akechi x his m*t* s**t*), i don’t like the harucouple. i find their story pretty bland tbh, and i just find miou plain unlikeable.

questionable 10cm anime aside (‘cuz seriously, what was up with miou in that anime? she found out that chiaki died [from unrelated causes] after he saved her from drowning, and then proceeded to blame herself for his death??? even though akechi was like “ay girl his death ain’t your fault, so chill ok?” she just went ahead and made chiaki’s death all about herself, distanced herself from haruki with no explanation, then slapped him when he got all depressed and had an existential crisis that came about because she ignored him? like whaaaaat) the fact that miou is just too dang passive is pretty annoying. m

like, what’s up with that “zutto matteru yo, haruki-kun” nonsense? why is she expecting haruki to be the only one to put in effort to see her? take some initiative, girlllllllllllllll close that 10cm yourself dammit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he’s going to study abroad in the us of a, he has no time to hop on a plane to zip back just to see you. if you have the time to find him (like during your summer vacation), and if the opportunity presents itself (like, if your friends happen to get tickets for a trip to the ‘states and are gracious enough to give one of said tickets to you), go to see him yourself, dammit!!!!!!

and! the fact that they just picked up right where they left off 7 years later is pretty dumb. people change over time, you know? the person you thought you liked in high school may have very well grown up to become an adult that you barely recognise, much less still have feelings for. so the fact that they just??? got right together after those 7 years with absolutely minimal contact??? is just????? what???????????

so yeah. that canon ship i can’t stand is harumiou. stock shoujo romance ships confuse me h e l p

aside from that, yuko x her french husband ig, bc she needs therapy, not a man. prioritise your kids, yuko, not yourself. you’re a parent, so act like one, dammit!!!!

that notp:

every single aizo ship aside from lxl, daizo (as a crackship), and aiyui (read: ft4 yui, for the crack potential only), bc i really can’t see him with any girl (or any other guy for the matter, really). aiyuu forever, y’know—

also, hiyomona bc episode 6 of the [redacted] anime still makes my skin crawl. why would you ship mona with someone who says “you’re so cute, no wonder why the guy tried to assault you” h e lp. i used to think that hiyomona was kinda cute, but now it just. gives me the heebies sorryyyyyyyyyyy

that poly ship:

keikarenariken!!!!! the fast food quartet is just so cute together y’know~~~~? kei and ken even bounce off each other really nicely (cries in heart no chikai novel i totally didn’t forget about), and arikaren are just plain cute!!!!! ken and karen have nice interactions with each other, in a sense… soooo… they’re all just so precious and cute and i think they should all hold hands and feed each other extra salty french fries

and for another poly ship, kotahinakoyuryou! yukki deserves to have 3 gardening-loving lovers y o u g e t m e ? flower shop ot4, anyone? i just think the four of them should be girlfriends (yes, even kotaro) and weave each other flower crowns~~~~~~