#YOU'RE SO COOL I WANT TO TALK TO YOU MORE ALSO !!!!!

[deathlygristly]

The spousal person and I chose each other when we were 18. We're 44 and 43 now (I'm seven months older than him which I'm sure scandalizes antis, like I could roll over on my own while he was still a fetus so clearly I am preying on him) and we are still very happily monogamous.

Here's the thing though.

We're both autistic, neither of us grew up religious (well, the spousal person went to Catholic school K-8 but he never believed in it), we both lost a parent before we met (my father died when a month after I turned 7 and his mother died when he was 17, a few months before we met) and on our first date when we were 18 we both agreed that we did not want children and that we cared more about being happy than about outward markers of success and status.

Now 25 years later we don't have kids but we do have a lot of cats, and I often tell him that my dream is for him and the kitties to be happy and he says his is for me and the kitties to be happy. :)

We got married when we were 21, in a drive-thru chapel in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. No rings, no fancy outfits, no guests, nothing like that. Just paperwork and then driving around to the window for the officiant to say the official words, lol. I didn't change my last name.

I've been learning more about autism lately and listening to the Autistic Culture podcast and things, and maybe it's the autism, I don't know. Neither of us really understand conformity or social pressure. Neither of us are real good at socializing long term with other people. We like our routines and our rituals. We're comfortable with each other and very much not comfortable around strangers. Dealing with other people is A Lot for us.

The main thing though is that it was all completely our own choice, from the moment I emailed him and asked if he wanted to hang out without our other friends to now, when I am sitting here with a cat in my lap and he's in the kitchen making a dinner that we both talked about and chose, and then we'll eat it while watching two kdrama episodes that we talked about and chose.

Also I get really confused about things I see on here about marriage and relationships with dudes, because I don't recognize any of what the haters are saying. The spousal person does all the housework except vacuuming. I don't do all the emotional stuff. We take care of each other and support each other. He's really cool and fun and I love him more than the universe and when we're watching a kdrama and something funny happens and he laughs and I look back at him and I hear his laugh and I see his face....it's the most beautiful perfect experience in existence and I want to be near him for always.

But if you didn't choose it, if you felt pressured into it by society or religion or family, if you don't even like the person you're building your life with, if you don't support each other and you don't talk and you don't feel free to be yourself and you're just performing to please some weird external Other....yeah, I can see that being awful.

If what you really want is monogamy and lifelong commitment, you absolutely cannot force it on an unwilling pseudopartner. Domination is not commitment. Abuse is not commitment. Performing to please an external other is not commitment.

To me commitment isn't hard at all. It's the easiest thing in the world. It's just hanging out forever with my most best friend who is also the coolest cutest human to ever exist in all possible realities.

But based on what I've learned about other people since I got internet access...it's not going to be easy if you can't accept yourself for who you are and if you care more about conformity and social status than your own happiness and if you haven't taken responsibility for your own emotions and you aren't willing to work on healing your own trauma.

And if you do work on healing your own trauma and take responsibility for your emotions and get comfortable with who you are and with respecting other people as their own unique self and you find that what you want is polyamory or being single or whatever, go for it! That can be commitment too, to a steady set of multiple partners or to yourself and your own integrity.

I don't know. I think the point is that domination and abuse and forcing others never works and never results in long term happiness, no matter the number of people involved. You gotta respect the autonomous selves of others if you want mature committed relationships, of whatever kind.

Gotta stop here because he says dinner is ready. :)

everybody talks about men in trad marriages having affairs with their secretaries but it’s worth noting a lot of women back then had side pieces too. you can force a woman to submit to you legally but you can never force her to love you or maintain fidelity against her will. you can get rid of no fault divorce and get rid of abortion but you can’t get rid of fun.

[skhv67]

SFW and NSFW Relationship Headcanons with Nam-gyu and Thanos / Choi Su-bong

wc: 2k words overall

tw: NSFW (only +18 please), substance abuse topics, fluff, angst

nam-gyu

• SO, in the beginning this man is not gonna trust you in the slightest no matter how friendly and nice you seem. BUT he won't appear distrustful, if anything he's gonna be friendly with you to see what you have to offer that he could take from you.

• No love at first sight, I don't think he usually thinks outside business or convenience, so it's possible that in the beginning he uses you for his benefit. But as he gets to know you, the connection deepens and he stops seeing you as an object, he's down horrendous.

• Not a single person around him will not know about you, I feel he talks about their partner to anyone willing to listen to him.

• His love language would be physical touch and gift giving. Hands on you ALLLLL the time, he's CLINGY clingy. He'd also use the contacts he makes from the club to take you to cool or fancy places or get you expensive stuff.

• Unfortunately he's an addict and of hard drugs so this will affect his mood and life style 100% in the worst ways. I doubt he'd stop even for his partner because he's exposed to these substances in his job at the club all the time. Still, he doesn't seem the type to offer you to join him in this, the most he could do is offer you weed as a one time thing to have some extra fun.

• Will probably try to sabotage the relationship constantly because of his addiction, because he believes you deserve something better or because he's having insecure thoughts against you. Reasure him!! Drugs can make you paranoid and fuck your mind up so he's gonna need tons of reassurance that what's on his mind is not real and that you love him.

• Unfortunately it will be impossible to not find him during a trip. He's obviously happy when he's not sober, but I think if he was with you during these moments he'd feel guilty and try to harm you verbally to make you leave him or will just hurt himself.

• Suuuuuper prideful. If you've hurt him or you've argued he's definitely more prone to be hostile and close off instead of trying to solve the problem. Like the scene of him eating Thanos pills after he died, he'd probably dismiss your importance in his life to try to make himself feel better about the situation (he fails). He'd probably need someone super patient and understanding of his personality so this doesn't end up in a break up.

• Despite this I feel there's gonna be a lot of splits during the relationship, ypull be apart at least for a few days until one reaches out. He'd rather die than calling you while he's sober to ask you to come back but this man is definitely calling you during an episode and begging you to go help him.

• Masks his pain and protects his true feelings with desdain. In his worst moments (never to your face of course, only when he's using substances by himself), he will insult you and make himself think he's better off without you. This is only a way of self harm, he'd probably sob after thinking that because he'll make himself believe you don't love him and that he's not enough for you.

• Might look like he only looks for his own benefit (which he usually does with most people) but if you've won a spot in his heart he's such a puppy. He'd give you whatever you asked, and he's so soft spoken and sweet when it's just the two of you.

• If you're down for it, he'd want at least one subtle matching tattoo. He's already got a few and as soon as he realizes his feelings he'll be wanting to have you in his skin the very next day (and it'll happen even if you don't want to match with him).

• Hes the jealous type but he won't show it in public. The most he'd do if he got jealous in public would be not talking to you until you're home. A toxic trait of his is that when he's jealous he gets mad at you instead of the other person. He's aware it's not your fault, it's just a reaction of his insecurity.

• If you're ever sad or have a problem he'd handle it. He's not good with words or feelings so his way of comforting would be trying to get revenge on whatever has made you sad. If it's no one's fault he'd be a bit more awkward about it but he'd just hug you until you stop crying.

NSFW

• Heavily sexually driven relationship. He's the type to be infatuated with someone to the point to wanting to be inside their skin and what better way to do that than through sex :D Obviously he won't want you just for this but he sees sex as the most perfect way to show his feelings. He usually struggles with talking about his feelings sober, so this is the easiest way for him to be vulnerable with you.

• He's quite sadistic and if he feels safe with you he'll be less scared of showing this side to you. He loooves calling you slut or whore and overall has quite a degrading dirty talk. If you're sensitive he'll try to bargain about praising you while still using degrading pet names but he's totally fine with dropping this and leaving this side of him outside bed business if you sit down with him and reject it.

• Please fuck this man at least once while you're high. He doesn't want you to do this stuff often like he does but give him a treat every once in a while

• He's into sexting, specially when he's outside hanging with people or working because he's bored out of his mind. Spam this poor man with pics wearing revealing clothes (doesn't ask for nudes just in case he loses his phone) and he'd be texting you the nastiest shit in the middle of a hangout. The best part of this is that this man can't have a poker face for his life so you can clearly picture him smiling and trying to cover his face while looking at his screen.

• Loves worshipping you but let's be honest here, this man loves being praised. He doesn't ever feel appreciated enough so talk about how much you need him and he'll have a boner before you finish talking. If you praise him while he's degrading you in bed he might get a bit shocked at first and even a little shy but this will make him cockier and more confident in himself, which translates in more pleasure for you

• Treats you like royalty during aftercare. And once he's finished and goes back to bed with you, take advantage of how soft he is before he comes back to his shell. Maybe trace his freckles or his tattoos and caress him tenderly and you might even make him want to cry.

choi su-bong / thanos

• This man does NOT have a type, he will try to get with you no matter what. Girly? Into it. Masculine? Into it. Soft spoken? Into it. You curse like a sailor? Into it. You even dare to be unappealing to him? Don't careeee

• In the beginning it's gonna be like all the other relationships or flings he's had: chasing after you trying to charm his way into getting a date. He probably won't even think at first that you're gonna be so special to him but when you two connect he will make you know from minute one that you two are already together.

• He's quite shallow. Not in the sense that he will only care about your looks but they're important to him. As he doesn't have a type, this doesn't mean he won't like you if you don't fit with certain beauty canons, don't worry.

• Quite more thoughtful and softer than Nam-gyu. He might be a bit self absorbed but he's still quite understanding of feelings and he'd handle you with utmost care always.

• It's absolutely impossible having an argument or being mad at this man. Unless you betray him tremendously (please don't), a relationship with him is quite lighthearted and you won't have to be walking on eggshells around him because he never takes anything too seriously.

• Once you two make it official this man is putting you in all his music videos and cd covers. He won't be scared to show you off to his fans either, or to anyone. There's no louder man in this world so you better believe everybody's gonna hear about you (mainly against their will).

• His love language is words of affirmation but you probably expected it because this man is yapper3000. Expect corny improvised raps about you and just pick up lines even when you're already together. Will be flirty with you most of the time so don't worry about the relationship getting dull at some point (he'll make sure it won't).

• He's a user but I feel like he doesn't let it be a problem for him like Nam-gyu does. He sure uses substances for stress or when he's in pain but mainly for fun, and it doesn't really leave any awful consequences on him. It wouldn't affect your relationship and he would be quite protective with you about it, he wouldn't even let you try them under any circumstances. If you already do drugs, he still will worry about you but won't say anything about it unless it gets serious.

• Lives for impressing you, he loves to get a geniune praise or reaction from you. He'd probably push himself to be better just to make you proud of him, because he has you in a bigger pedestal than himself.

• He might be disrespectful to other people but if he loves you best believe you're never getting rid of him, he's the most loyal person you're gonna meet. Won't say a bad word about you under any circumstances and will make sure you know where he stands with you.

• I'm deeply sorry for you if this man gets jealous in public because he's gonna make a scene. He's definitely gonna try to fight the other person to 'defend your honor' so please keep this kid out of trouble.

NSFW

• You could quite literally convince this man to do whatever the fuck you want during sex, seriously. He obviously has his own kinks but whatever you want to try he's up for it. He won't be weirded out about anything and is willing to take whatever role you propose him.

• Make out king. He loves sex but what he loves more than sex is starting it. Both the initial make out and the foreplay are where you'll find him enjoy himself the most. Might elongate the make out session just to do some dry humping tbh, he won't feel ashamed of cumming in his pants. Geniunely, try to make this man ashamed of anything, I dare you

• The give and take is quite balanced in your relationship but he'd be lying if he said he doesn't have a preference for being between your legs. As I said he's more into foreplay than sex itself so good luck when he's trying to get the seventh orgasm out of you only with his tongue.

• The sex is QUITE dynamic... He's too active, the most slow he's gonna be is when you're making out. Enjoy getting manhandled to the moon and back, and good luck with the next day's leg pains.

• Quite chill with aftercare, probably cracking jokes or trying to make you laugh just being himself while he cleans you up. Will watch some TV with you or play some games when you're both finished because he's still quite active.

dividers credit: muffiinss

[erinwantstowrite]

Hi! Purely out of curiosity because I am always interested in people’s thoughts on the subject, how do you feel about “batcest” in au’s where the children were never adopted/didn’t meet until adulthood/etc? Any pairing with Bruce makes me genuinely nauseous, but I feel like I’m more lenient with situational stuff with the kids since they’re closer in age/didn’t grow up together in my very loose understanding of canon/not actually related/etc. (ie: I think Steph and Cass are cute together even though they’re both “batfam” members, etc etc)

please feel free to ignore this if it makes you uncomfortable! I just really love your writing and this seems to be a subject you’re passionate about, so I just wanted to know more of your thoughts. Hope you’re having a wonderful day!

anon in the nicest way possible, it's disgusting even then.

because it doesn't matter if they didn't know each other as little little kids, they are family in every sense of the word. it would be the same as two characters who are siblings having being raised in two different households as children getting into a relationship even though they knew each other later. it spits in the face of adopted families by claiming that they aren't actually family, and the people who defend batcest are hurting people who are victims of the exact dynamic that they're shipping. it's gross, like genuinely vile. knowing their canon relationship and "changing" it to fit what they want is nasty because they *had* to change it. they know it's wrong if they had to "fix" it in order to ship it. it implies that this person thinks they should be in a romantic pairing in canon, too, but they're trying to justify it to themselves.

and with Steph and Cass, Steph is a friend of theirs. she dated Tim previously and they are not related. she didn't want Bruce to adopt her, she doesn't consider them siblings. yes there is a found family dynamic but it's not the same as the others, who are not only legally family in most cases, but have considered each other family for years and years and years. they call each other their siblings. yes, even jason and tim. tim and jason are only a couple years apart, but jason is still family even if he died? tim considered himself dick's brother and his relationship with bruce was rocky sometimes but he also considered bruce like a father figure, and later on he was adopted so that was always there. they are siblings.

and in some of their dynamics, it's pedophilic dick and damian, dick and tim, jason and damian, tim and damian, even dick and jason because dick was an adult when he met jason. automatically that puts you in a spot where you deserve the deepest pit of hell. truly. i'm not religious but i hope they get their karma. i don't care if it's fictional, this reflects who they are as people in the real world and that's why i know these people are gross monsters. not to mention these people don't understand boundaries (shocker) and have and probably will again, ask me to include a batcest ship in LoF or to draw batcest for them. they have asked for peter and damian. one person claimed that peter and jason would be "cute" because of peter thinks he's cool and has "an innocence" about jason's life and what he's done. another asked for peter and dick. the blood related father and son. so it truly doesn't matter to them, i can guarantee it to you. the way i look at it, no matter which way they are shipped, you are automatically associated with the rest of them. nothing justifies it and it's wrong

and because i know someone is going to try to start an argument with me: i can't stop them from writing it. i know that. and you can scream at me until you're blue about your opinion on the matter, but i do not care and you will be wasting your breath. i am not pro cecsorship because it is a slippery slope and people will dig their claws into that. however. i can let them know that they aren't welcome on my page, i can talk about my opinion on the matter, i have every right to block them and say whatever i want. if you don't like this post, i'm telling you to block me so i don't have to take the time to do it myself 🫶

[00valentina-writes00]

i saw your recent post about werewolf!abby and i'd like to make a request 🫣

i've been addicted to vampires since the release of s2 of castlevania and the nosferatu movie, so hear me out: vamp!abby

if you could write hcs or a one shot about vampire!abby i would be grateful 😓🙏🏻 (btw ik you're on hiatus, take care of yourself and write my request in your own time!!)

✞⛧ Vampire Abby headcanons! ✞⛧

Warnings: mentions of blood, vampire type shi

✞⛧ Abby has an almost haunting beauty in the darkness, her pale skin glowing softly in the moonlight, her eyes gleaming with a hint of the predatory hunger that stirs beneath her calm exterior. When she looks at you, there’s an intensity that makes you feel seen, even in the quietest moments.

✞⛧ She’s fiercely protective of you, but in the way of someone who’s trying to keep you safe from the dangers of her world. She can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you, The fact that she feeds off of you is a delicate balance for her, and she’s careful not to take too much, often pulling away when she senses you’re on the edge of feeling faint.

✞⛧ Abby has an incredibly sensual side to her that comes out when the world is quiet, and it’s just the two of you. Her kisses are slow, deep, as if she’s savoring every moment. When she’s with you, everything else falls away, and she lets herself be human for just a little while longer.

✞⛧ The first time she feeds from you, she’s gentle, almost apologetic, her fangs grazing your skin like a lover’s caress. She’s hesitant, afraid of hurting you, but you reassure her with a soft whisper, “I trust you, Abby.” Her eyes soften, and for a moment, you see the vulnerability she hides so well. The moment of intimacy, when she sinks her fangs into your neck, feels like a bond being formed deeper than any other.

✞⛧ You both share quiet moments in the dark, where she can’t be in the sun. She likes to curl up next to you, the two of you lost in each other’s presence. Her head rests against your chest, and you can feel the coolness of her skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of your own. It’s a comfort to her, one that grounds her.

✞⛧ Abby struggles with guilt. She hates the thought of being a danger to you, of being something other than the woman you fell in love with. When you reassure her that you’re okay with it, that you want to be with her no matter what, her heart—cold as it may be—feels a little lighter.

✞⛧ Every now and then, Abby will go a little too far in her thirst, but you never blame her. You know it’s not something she can control. She’ll be apologetic, her voice thick with regret as she checks on you, always making sure you’re okay. You tell her that you’re more than fine, because being with her is worth every moment.

✞⛧ On nights when she’s craving more than just blood, she’ll lean in and press a kiss to your lips, a soft promise of everything she has to give. Her love for you is endless, a never-ending tide she holds in check just for you. You are her anchor, the one thing in the world that keeps her tethered to something more than the darkness that surrounds her.

✞⛧ Abby watches you when you’re sleeping, her eyes soft with affection, but also tinged with a trace of longing. She can’t rest like you do, her mind always alert, her senses hyper-aware, but she finds comfort in the way your breath rises and falls, in the warmth of your body beneath the covers. Sometimes, when she’s sure you’re deep in sleep, she’ll reach out a hand, just to feel your pulse, a quiet reminder that you’re alive and with her. She hates that she can’t sleep beside you, but in these moments, she allows herself to just… watch.

✞⛧ There are no reflections of Abby. Mirrors are strange for her, never showing her true self. When she stands before one, all she sees is the emptiness. It’s a constant reminder of her condition—who she’s become, what she’s lost. It’s not something she talks about often, but there are days when she feels the weight of it, especially when you catch her staring at herself in the glass, that emptiness eating away at her. It’s in these moments that she leans toward you for comfort, craving something real to remind her of her humanity.

✞⛧ Abby sometimes worries that she makes you cold. Her presence is always a little too chill, her skin too pale, her body too unyielding. She knows it’s hard for you to stay warm when you’re around her, but she doesn’t want you to feel like you have to sacrifice comfort for the sake of being with her. There are nights when she notices you shivering despite the blankets, and her heart clenches in worry, even if she tries to hide it. She tries to make up for it with little gestures—heating pads, warm drinks, a cozy embrace—hoping that she can make you feel safe and loved, even in her cool, immortal form.

✞⛧ Abby appreciates, but also hates, when you stay up late to spend time with her. You know she can’t be in the sun, so when the world is quiet, and it’s just the two of you, she’s more herself. But sometimes, she feels the guilt of it. She doesn’t want you to be drained the next day because you stayed up too late with her, indulging her when you should be sleeping. Her eyes soften with both gratitude and regret when she notices how you yawn or rub your eyes in the early morning hours. Still, she can’t help but cherish these moments, relishing the rare quiet time she gets to spend with you. She’ll whisper “you don’t have to stay up, you know,” but deep down, she loves that you do. She’d never say it aloud, but it means more to her than you might realize.

✞⛧ When Abby kisses you, it’s like the world stops. Her lips are cold—eerily so—but when she kisses you, it’s like she’s melting into you, her chillness blending with your warmth. She’ll always pause at the moment just before kissing you, her gaze intense, like she’s savoring the moment, making sure you’re ready. It’s the way she lingers after, her hand on your cheek, brushing against your skin like she never wants to pull away.

✞⛧ The first time she kissed you in the dark, it was a total accident. She was trying to be all suave, taking the opportunity when the room was dimly lit, but she misjudged the distance and ended up kissing your cheek instead. Of course, she pretended it was intentional, pulling away with a smirk and saying something like, “You look good in the dark.” But you could tell she was a little flustered, and that’s when you knew. This girl was a softie in disguise.

✞⛧ Her voice gets so much deeper when she’s turned on. Like, ridiculously low and gravelly. She tries to play it cool, but it’s so obvious when she’s looking at you with that hungry expression, and you swear her whole demeanor shifts into something more predatory. Sometimes, just hearing her voice say your name in that tone is enough to make your heart race. “You drive me crazy, you know that?” And you’re like, yeah, Abby, I know, but you’ve been doing that to me for weeks now, and I’m still not complaining.

✞⛧ There’s this one ritual where Abby has to touch you before she leaves for the day. It doesn’t matter if she’s only going to be gone for a few hours, she always needs a moment where she kisses you goodbye and lingers for just a second too long. It’s like she’s trying to memorize your warmth, your scent, just in case. She’s cold, but when she’s with you, she gets to experience the warmth of someone who truly sees her

Crack headcanons:

✞⛧ She forgets she’s a vampire sometimes. Not like she forgets about her immortality, but she’ll be standing there in front of the fridge, just blankly staring, when you’ll walk in and she’ll be like, “Right… I can’t eat pizza. It’s just… I really want to.” The same thing happens with chocolate cake. She’ll always look at the dessert longingly, until she’s like, “Wait, I can’t do that, I’m a monster.” You’ll just look at her like, “You’re so dramatic,” and she’ll sulk while you eat it in front of her. Good luck getting her to admit you’re right.

✞⛧ Abby tries to drink from blood bags like a civilized vampire… but ends up gagging every time. She’s just trying to be “normal” by doing the whole “blood in a bag” thing, but it never tastes right to her. “I’ll never get why people like this.” You’ll find her in the kitchen late at night, scrunching her face up and pouring out the blood in disgust. Meanwhile, she actually prefers the taste of your blood, and she knows you’re not even mad about it. You’re used to it by now, but you still get a little too smug when you see her struggle with a plastic bag of blood.

✞⛧ She definitely tries to prank you by pretending to be a “drama vampire.” She’ll dramatically throw open the door one night, a cape on (she doesn’t even own a cape), her arms spread wide, and she’ll swoon over the fact that she can’t go out in the sun. “It’s tragic, my love! To never feel the sun on my face again—my soul is doomed!” You roll your eyes every time, but she insists on doing it at least once a month to “spice things up.”

✞⛧ She’ll watch Twilight or something and completely go off about how unrealistic everything is. “There’s no way they’d sparkle. Have you seen how much sunscreen would be required to make that work? No thanks.” She gets so into these rants, and you can’t tell if she’s mad about how inaccurate it is or if she’s just jealous that they can go into the sunlight. 

✞⛧ Abby has a weird obsession with garlic bread. The irony isn’t lost on her, but she loves the smell of it. It makes her crave… something. Not blood, not quite. But the warmth. The butter. The toasted, crispy edges. She’ll actually have a whole argument with herself in the grocery store about whether or not to buy it, because it’s not like it can hurt her. It’s just hilarious that it’s so good when it’s supposed to be her mortal enemy.

✞⛧ Abby 100% uses her vampire strength to “accidentally” break things just to mess with people. She’s trying to open a jar? Snap, it shatters. Trying to move a chair? Crack, the leg falls off. When people look at her like, “What the hell, Abby?” she just gives them this deadpan stare like, “What? I didn’t mean to do that.” You know she did, though. She finds it funny, and at this point, it’s just how she gets her kicks. She’ll literally claim she’s “still getting used to the strength,” but you’re not buying it anymore.

✞⛧ Abby’s totally the person to destroy her own furniture just to “test” how strong she is. She’ll lift the couch or randomly break a chair in half, and when you ask, “Why, Abby?” she’ll act like it’s just a normal day. “I just wanted to see if I could do it.” You’re over here trying to salvage the rest of your living room, and she’s already moved on to “testing” the strength of your bookshelf—don’t ask how that goes.

✞⛧ She absolutely terrifies anyone who tries to flirt with you. Abby doesn’t even need to say anything. The moment someone even glances at you for a second too long, she’ll appear out of nowhere with this eerie, dead stare like she’s about to break them in half. You don’t even have to be involved. Just knowing Abby’s lurking in the background is enough to make people reconsider their life choices. She won’t speak a word, just stands there like a stone statue, and then—nothing happens. They leave. Mission accomplished.

✞⛧ Abby’s idea of “romantic” is sitting in a dark room with you, silently holding you hostage with her gaze for hours on end. “I’m not staring at you,” she’ll say, “I’m just… thinking.” You’ll try to go about your business, but she’ll just sit there, eyes locked on you like she’s plotting something—anything. Her intense, smoldering gaze? It’s a mix of love and mild discomfort. You can’t tell if she’s just plotting how to make your heart race or if she’s seriously wondering if she can get a bite in without you noticing.

[earlysunshines]

secret rhymes - 39. victorian child (half-written)

a/n: fun fact i have been sick for the past WEEK. my voice has been so so so raspy and dead and i literally sound like im gonna die and or smoked thirty packs of cigs AND im also coughing like a bitch. yeah. ik a bowl of congee HATES to see me coming (I made a whole pot... i finished that pot in less than two days...)

hanni shuffles a bit and groans, stirring weakly beneath the covers. you’re worried that the rag in her forehead might slip off, so you hold it in place as she groggily blinks.

“what…” she nearly croaks. “i’m gonna be… late…”

“han, it’s okay. the rest of your group talked to the managers and called me here. i’ll take care of you for now, okay?”

“hyein?” hanni questions, pulling her blanket closer.

“…close?” you nearly chuckle.

“yunjin is that—“ hanni finally opens her eyes fully, taking in the sight of you—half amused and half worried—staring down at her. her eyes widen slightly. “y-y/n? what are you—“

“you’re burning up. you have a really high fever, one-o-one.” you sigh, looking at her with pity. “everyone was worried sick.”

“one hundred one degrees? how is that even possible—“

“—fahrenheit. you're not dead yet, don't worry.”

her face is already flushed from her fever, but when she fully registers you—the slight scrunch of worry in your brow, your hair cutely clipped behind your ears, and the loose koala graphic t-shirt you have on—her face is even more flushed under the cloth.

she can barely react, too exhausted and feverish to do anything more than stare and breath. she closes her eyes then, defeated, and sinks deeper into the bed.

meanwhile, you sit beside her, adjusting the cool compress on her forehead that slipped off while she had woken up. her skin is burning up, her breathing slow and heavy, and the way she barely stirs at your touch only makes your concern deepen.

the rest of her members had left her in your care, all of them thanking you like you had saved their lives.

("you're the best, seriously." minji says as she hugs you tight, pulling away and patting you on your shoulder. "I wasn't sure what we would've done... this album is really important and especially the song we have to record today."

"it's nothing." you say casually. "i feel bad that hanni can't go and record with you guys, but i feel even worse because she seems pretty unwell."

hyein gives you one last big hug, and then the rest of the group joins in to trap you. you giggle and hug them back, surprised and amused by the gratitude of the situation.

"i'm sorry for calling you so suddenly, you seemed really tired." hyein mumbles.

when she called you at nine in the morning (five minutes after you had to fight to wake up) you were more than just tired. an unknown caller id called you three times, the same amount of times it took you to respond with slight annoyance until you heard the familiar voice and realized it was hyein calling.

"it's fine." you respond, because after figuring out that you had to wake up for hanni, it was more than fine. "I'll take good care of her, thank you for trusting me with her and also with... uh, being in your dorm."

danielle shakes her head, then smiles. "after hearing about hanni talk about you so much and meeting you in person; you're very much welcome in our dorm anytime."

you smile even wider at that comment before ushering everyone out. "okay, go, go. i know how recording's can be, and how the schedules are, so go. i don't want you guys to get in trouble or anything." you urge. before they leave, they make sure to give you all their contact information to give and receive updates.)

you glance at your phone to see no messages from any of them, then back at hanni, watching as her lips part slightly with a soft breath. you sigh, adjusting the blanket so it sits over her shoulder before shifting to sit on the floor beside her bed, your back against the frame. it's quiet, other than the faint hum of the heater, occasional rustle of the sheets, and soft groans as she shifts slightly in her fevered sleep.

every few minutes you reach up to check the cloth, replacing it with a freshly dampened one and alternating between the two cloths four times. you don't mind waiting—watching over her like this, making sure she's okay.

and even though hanni is barely conscious, barely functional to form a thought through her exhaustion, she notices the way you linger and the feeling of the temperature on her forehead changing here and there. she notices every quiet action showing that you care.

—

a little over thirty minutes pass and you switch the rag on hanni's forehead one last time, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her damp skin before standing up. she barely moves, lost in her sleep, but you hesitate for a second before deciding to head out to the kitchen.

"i'll be back, han." you say softly, placing your hand on her shoulder.

the dorm is quiet, save for the occasional hum of the city outside. you roll up your sleeves as you get to the kitchen and unpack your tote bag, taking out each ingredient carefully. you begin chopping ginger, mushrooms, garlic, and pre-cooked chicken—staples for the congee you're making. the sound of the knife against the cutting board fills the space as you work, focused yet extremely mindful of who's resting in the other room.

fifteen more minutes pass and you've already started boiling the rice with your chopped ingredients. you're nearly done as is. suddenly, you hear soft, unsteady footsteps and turn, catching hanni in your sight as she emerges out from the hall.

she's wrapped in a crewneck and blanket draped over her shoulders, her eyes still heavy with exhaustion. she blinks at you, sluggish and dazed, before speaking tiredly,

"y/n, you… why are you... here?"

you immediately lower the heat and rush over to hanni, your hands hovering uncertainly between steadying her shoulders or guiding her back to bed.

she tilts her head slightly, looking at you through half-lidded eyes.

"you didn't answer me." hanni mumbles, giving in and leaning against you to support herself. "how did you even... get here?"

"you're going to pass out, you should've stayed in your room." you sigh, guiding her toward the couch gently. "hyein called me. she said you were sick, and I was worried." you adjust the blanket around her as she settles into the cushions, still looking up at you with something unreadable in her expression. "I came as soon as she called."

"but—"

"no." you interrupt, kneeling in front of her to get her comfy. "I only have a few online things for a class, so don't worry. i basically have a free day, why not spend it on you? just focus on getting better, han."

hanni doesn't argue. she just watches as you stand and return to the kitchen, resuming your work.

the warm scent of whatever it is that you're cooking fills the air while you season further. hanni pulls the blanket tighter around herself, gaze locked onto your back as you move. the way you check on her between stirring the pot, the way your brows knit while adding a few more mushrooms—it's like you were made to do this, to care and be attentive to even the smallest things.

something tugs at hanni's heart.

once the congee is finished, you ladle some into a bowl, letting the steam rise before setting it on the counter to cool. you run to hanni's room to grab the bowl with damp rags and return to her side, setting it on the coffee table as you sit next to her. you place the rag on her head against and she lets out a small sigh at the cool relief, her eyes barely open as she looks at you.

"the food is still hot," you murmur, reaching out instinctively. your hand finds its way to her cheek, brushing against her heated skin as you check her temperature.

hanni leans into your touch. it's barely a movement—soft, fleeting, and she probably isn't aware of it either—but you feel it like a spark. the warmth of her skin lingers against your palm longer than it should and your thumb brushes against her on its own. you swallow, but she doesn't seem to notice, too tired to register the weight of the moment.

you drop your hand after a second and she turns her head slightly on the couch, still watching you through drowsy eyes.

"thank you," she mumbles. "really... you didn't.. have to.. have to do all this."

you shake your head, leaning back slightly and meeting her with the same look she has in her eyes. "it's nothing."

"no, but i mean it," she insists, her voice barely above a whisper. "you took..." she breathes in slowly, sinking deeper into her blanket before continuing, "time out of your day just to come all the way here—to take care of me."

you let out a small laugh, shrugging. "well, you're a friend I care a lot about."

hanni blinks, something unreadable flickering in her tired eyes before she lets out a quiet hum. "i— thank you. I'm glad we're... friends."

you don't know how to respond to that. the way she says it feels like there's something more beneath the surface, but she's also terribly sick so you could just be overthinking everything. before you can dwell on it further, hanni shifts, resting her head against the couch.

"lucky me." she says softly, already halfway to sleep.

you exhale, watching as her breathing starts to even and her blinking get slower. "right," you start, "you have to eat something. i think it should be cooled." you look away from her, breaking the tension filled with something uncertain but not unwelcome.

hanni watches you grab the bowl and sit up, scooping a small bite and blowing on it a few times before holding the spoon towards her. she hesitates before finally parting her lips, eating without a complaint despite being sluggish.

"good?" you ask quietly.

she nods, chewing slowly. "mhm. you're a good cook."

"i know," you tease, earning a weak chuckle from her.

you bring up another spoonful, but before she takes it, you notice a bit of rice stuck at the corner of her lips. without thinking, you reach forward, brushing it away with your thumb.

hanni stills. her eyes flick up to yours, surprised, but she doesn't pull back. neither do you.

"you're being extra nice today," hanni mutters, voice tinged with something unreadable.

you huff a small laugh, reaching for a cup of warm water. "you're sick, hanni. what kind of person would I be if I wasn't?"

she lets you tilt her chin up slightly even when it earns a weird turn in her stomach. she also lets you assist her in sipping the water, wiping away at the drop that rolls down to her chin.

"i, uh, um. there was this, um, time." you start nervously, trying to break the dreadful tension in the air. "my friend back in new york, he... he got sick and his parents were away. i had to take care of him like this. so don't worry about... me taking care of you. it's nothing. i just want you to be okay hanni."

"you're lovely, y/n." hanni sounds and looks drunk with a mix of just completely tired. it's almost amusing how cute she looks.

for the next hour you sit beside her and finish some assignments on your laptop. every so often you glance her way, checking her temperature and switching out the rags. hanni doesn't say much, just watches you everytime she wakes up, eyes flickering between your hands on the keyboard and the quiet concentration on your face.

"i feel a lot better now," she finally says, breaking the silence and halting your typing.

you glance at her and smile. "yeah?"

she hums in confirmation, her eyes fluttering closed as sleep starts to take over.

hanni motions for you to scoot over, and if this were any of your other friends you'd tell them to back off because of their sickness—with hanni, you shift closer. and then she leans on you a bit, the weight of her head pushing against your arm. you don't say anything else, just watch as she drifts off, her features relaxed, her breathing soft and even.

she looks peaceful—so pretty even while she's overheating and feverish.

carefully—without moving your arm—you reach for the rag again, switching it out for a colder one. you do it over and over, making sure she's comfortable. even though the room is quiet, and even though she's asleep; you don't feel alone.

if anything, you feel closer than before. your heart can't decide if it likes the feeling or not.

masterlist ; previous - next

taglist ! @namojoon @ly-gushka @layonaiguess @artrizzler19 @yerimbrit @sixflame438 @nwjnsloona @saysirhc @nimnia @somedaydream @trovao-penguins @modanisgf @c-yerim @starstruckgoateepuppy @tzuyusdoughnut @kaypanaq @peranoo @haerinkisser @electronicluminarycoffee @yoohtonyy @secretcessy @keiji-jin @awkwardtoafault @syronns @linnnsworld @inybits @ynwrites

[genderqueerdykes]

I have PCOS and I’ve heard conflicting things about whether I can call myself intersex. I’ve seen people say that since it’s just a hormone thing, it’s not really intersex and since I wasn’t given surgeries as an infant about it, I’m not really intersex. I don’t want to step on people’s toes but I’ve also heard that since because I have hormone things that a majority of cis perisex women (I’m transmasc but all stuff online talks about cis women so) don’t have, I would be considered intersex. Sorry if this is weird, I’m just worried that if I started calling myself intersex, I’d be appropriating a label that doesn’t belong to me

PCOS is an interesex variation, you're all good! i also have PCOS :)

long winded ramble here but i haven't posted much about this before, and i have some thoughts

people who try to separate intersex variations between "hormonal" and "biological" conditions are gate keeping. that's another needless binary- many, many intersex conditions affect hormones in specific. you do not have to have mixed or ambiguous genitals to be intersex. hormone imbalances are more than enough. people who think that there's a difference between "hormonal" and "biological" intersex variations don't know what the word "biological" means, so you're free to disregard conversations like that

a lot of people are very misogynistic & intersexist and think that because there are women who pass and don't show any signs of their PCOS outwardly that they're "basically" or "just" perisex women. it really just comes down to misogyny and for some reason. idk i've met people who are... jealous of intersex people ? i used to know someone who was SO upset that they weren't intersex that they would go on long rants about how THEY should be able to call themselves intersex but not perisex women who "pass as perisex" because those people are "just perisex women and not real intersex people".

the ENTIRE REASON THIS PERSON WAS BEHAVING THIS WAY was because they wanted to call themselves a hermaphrodite. that was it. they wanted to use a slur they couldn't reclaim and were so fucking upset about it that they would bitch and moan about how a perisex cis woman with an internal teste who doesn't "LOOK" intersex shouldn't be able to call themselves intersex, but they should be able to do it because they "LOOK INTERSEX". like absolutely fucking unreal

like let's be real, this specific behavior is about misogyny, NOT caring about intersex people or furthering our rights & acceptance. people getting butthurt over PCOS being considered an intersex variation are raging misogynists & intersexists and its time we called it out. you can be intersexist if you're intersex. we are not immune.

like i've seriously seen people get so fucking upset that they can't use the term intersex for themselves that they take it out on other people. i've seen people who want to call themselves hermaphrodites so bad that they'll literally mock and harass intersex women who don't "look" intersex. it's disgusting. idk why people think intersex is like this Cool Exclusive Club but it's not. you're not stepping on anyone's toes by identifying as intersex if you have PCOS, a literal intersex condition, don't worry! OTHER PEOPLE are stepping on YOUR toes. you are intersex. i'm glad you took the time to ask! i just want to let you know that you do not have to take people's shit over this. PCOS is an intersex variation. people gotta learn to cope.

[queenhawke]

i do get interpreting the s4 grimpop scenes as romantic and again i so want to stress that i am not a Hater HOWEVER.....

imagine being friends with someone for more than 10 years. imagine being BEST FRIENDS, and calling yourselves that frequently. imagine basically being joined at the hip and also you have this creative partnership and you're making such cool things together bc you're The Best Friends 4ever.....

and then your best friend gets a partner. and that's cool! you want your friend to be happy, after all.

but then they spend less time with you

and they talk less to you

and they do creative projects with their partner

and then, at some point, maybe at their wedding, they refer to their partner as their "best friend"

and you realise you've been replaced! because this society values romantic attachments more than platonic ones, because as much as you loved them and they loved you, you were never going to be their number one priority. think about how devastating that is! it's one thing to realise someone loves someone more than you, it's another to realise they were always going to love someone more than you, that your love was always going to be inferior, just because of how our society is structured. that you're forever doomed to just be the third wheel now

that, to me, is even more heartbreaking than if they were in love

[bonefall]

Ok, im back with more names. The bog was hard to find, so I’m basing it off of the area of Carrington Moss, which is in the area I think BB takes place if I’m reading the maps right

Also bc we’re talking about Shadowclan

Ok, so the names

First of all: Fen, Bog, Mire, and Peat, all names for this biome. There’s also marls, a rock found in the area

Again, I’ll only be using names I don’t remember being in the series (the obvious one being moss. It’s all moss)

Asphodel (bog asphodel), rosemary (bog rosemary), cranberry, cotton (cotton sedge), blackberry, bluebell, foxglove, iris, a plant called Mad-dog weed, also known as a water-plantain, admiral (red admiral), pipit (meadow pipit), partridge (gray partridge, but very rare) bullfinch, and bunting (reed bunting)

Close but you're a bit off-- Carrington Moss is, confusingly, an example of a moorland!

Specifically it is a lowland peat bog. Upland peat, lowland peat, blanket bog, dune heath, upland heath, lowland heath, maritime heath... all of these biomes are completely different, but all of them are referred to as moorlands.

Also, those names for the biome are not interchangeable. Those all have more specific meanings;

Fen: An alkaline wetland. Fed by fresh groundwater or runoff, these biomes are a lot richer in nutrients and the water is higher in oxygen. Because of this, they often have a much larger diversity of plant and animal species. Fens can sometimes become bogs over time.

Bog: An acidic wetland Thick moss, lots of dead matter, mostly a result of still water building up over many many years. Since the water is low in oxygen, you won't find many fish in these, and generally bogs are home to specialists who can handle the conditions.

Mire: Wet, muddy land that's hard to walk on Only synonymous with "bog" if you're using it in the informal sense of "being bogged down," not in the ecological sense-- a bog is a mire, but not all mires are bogs. You could have a mire made out of glue, tar, or caramel, if you were writing a really cool fantasy series.

Peat: A dark brown material formed from partially decayed plant matter. Essentially what happens when the top layer of moss or grass dies in a really wet place, is quickly grown-over by living plants, and then rots slowly underneath. A VERY important component of a bog, extremely useful as fuel.

For ShadowClan I'm actually modelling wetlands in and around Delamere Forest, specifically, because I ran into the issue you did of the British-English dialect having a lot of "overlap" in region names and scientific terms. If you want to go scouring for cool prefixes to suggest, you can check out Blakemere Moss, Black Lake, Mouldsworth Gap, and Abbots Moss.

Most of the plants you mentioned still grow here, though! Some other fun prefixes I've been thinking of though;

Lime (type of tree, no relation to citrus!)

Linden (another name for lime, which there are two types of)

Sphagnum (Important type of moss)

Snipe (type of bird that picks up its babies and flies away with them)

Coot (funny name bird)

Chaser (type of dragonfly)

Podzol (ashy soil found in places where plant decomposition is inhibited)

Quiver or Quake (Describing the movement of thick moss that has formed over the surface of stillwater, Q is a really rare letter in WC names)

Vetch (Common type of plant with a name I think is really cool)

Nymph (Baby dragonfly)

Skater, Skimmer, or Strider (Bug that hunts by gliding across the surface of water)

[everestgale]

Skeptic for the ask thingy? :D

I'm getting through these so slowly 😭 Sorry for the wait! Time to ramble about everyone's favorite detective bird-

[Send Me a Character and I'll List Ask Game]

favorite thing about them

Weirdly, it's the contrast between how intelligent and logical Skeptic is as a character vs. how absurd and irrational the Construct is. The way Skeptic fights and seeks universal singular truth in a world that, by design, does not have any... which was so masterfully highlighted in the Cage and the new Den. I remember genuinely exclaiming "SKEPTIC NO, STOP-" when the tunnel began collapsing (though in fairness, Hero is the one who started it). And the way Skeptic blamed himself for not "thinking it through," because that's how he thinks the world around him should work:

"Why for the love of everything did I not think about the stability of the tunnels?! I'm supposed to be smarter than this! I'm supposed to have a plan for everything."

And the entire dialogue with Hero following that line, too-

...Long story short, there is something very tragic but incredibly appealing about putting a character, who is all about facts, logic, and deduction, into a world that shifts based on your perception where nothing is certain. Sorry Skeptic, love you Skeptic </3

[What's up with all these asks getting so long... more under the cut </3]

least favorite thing about them

Rewritten and deleted lines from the Prisoner. Hands down. It's one of the few things I dislike about the DLC, and I choose to not accept it as canon. I really, really miss that triumphant "I knew it!" followed by "She couldn't tip her hand to Him. He wouldn't have let us leave." It really highlighted Skeptic's intelligence, along with an innate desire to trust the Prisoner, to think of her as someone with a plan. She wouldn't just cut off her own head like that, and he knew it.

I understand that this was done to make the lead-up to the Cage easier / more natural... but I feel like there were other ways to do it! Hero is right there, and he just watched Prisoner cut her head off, he could be disturbed and panicking about the whole situation and really want to leave, which would feel quite natural too! And then perhaps Skeptic was sure that Prisoner had a plan, but after you choose to leave her behind... he isn't so sure anymore, which could lead to him slowly losing his mind and devolving during the Cage. That would've been perfect, at least in my opinion!

Honorable mention goes to the fact that, even after the Pristine Cut, he still feels a little underutilized to me. I talked about it in my Paranoid character ask, but Deconstructed Damsel -> HEA should've had Skeptic instead of Paranoid (T v T)

favorite line

"You have the attention span of a fly. How are we supposed to unravel the mysteries of this place if you're so easily distracted by empty promises?"

Honestly I feel you, Hero, I also have the attention span of a fly-

And of course, how can I not mention: "Yes, yes, don't believe a word she says. Just go in, take the knife, and do what you're supposed to. Wink."

brOTP

I already talked about how I really like the Grey Brothers (Skeptic + Smitten) dynamic in Smitten's post, it's very fun to imagine these two as very different people who have very little in common... but who still care about each other.

But I also want to mention Skeptic + Hunted. I liked the idea of them being comfortable in each other's spaces even before the extended Den. And with them working together so well in the Den post-Pristine Cut, I think they would have a pretty close friendship.

Everest trying really hard to explain a dynamic they like, without resorting to just "they cool. me like them"-

OTP

For the record, I HC my Skeptic as aroace (or demiromantic asexual, I haven't fully decided yet). That will not stop my QPR-Skeptunist from completely taking over my brain <3

There is something very appealing about their dynamic - Opportunist is trying to get on Skeptic's "good side" and is interested in how intelligent Skeptic is (and how he could utilize that intelligence for his schemes), while Skeptic is curious about Opportunist and that rat brain of his (/aff), trying to see what's beneath those layers and layers of masks that Oppy likes to wear. In a way, they are both almost trying to outsmart one another, but from a place of curiosity... which could lead them to slowly enjoy each other's company :]

Also, this ship is really funny, and it's hilarious to imagine all the stupid scenarios they find themselves in- OH, and I wrote this on them like a month ago:

"I do genuinely feel like they would, not always but often, enjoy each other's company and yap - we all know that Skeptic is listening to Oppy's endless rambles to understand that gremlin mind of his, but I feel like he would come to like Oppy's weird plans and logic as a sort of 'new perspective' - and Oppy really appreciates someone acknowledging 'his genius,' and maybe in turn, he would also listen to Skeptic's esoteric rambles on stenography (it feels like they would be interesting, and depending on the topic, Oppy could actually be genuinely interested in Skeptic's yap in like a "oh, this would be helpful for my next scheme" kind of way)"

...I like this ship way too much for how little they interact in the game (which is "not at all")

Honorable mention almost goes to ParaSkep, courtesy of @/wintergrofyuri and @/itsonlypolite. It's so close to clicking with me (it feels like a dynamic I would like, I want to like them)... but it's just barely not it, I don't know what exactly, but something is missing / just not quite clicking with me (T v T)

nOTP

Don't think I have any nOTPs for Skeptic! I haven't seen any ship with him that I disliked :]

random headcanon

I already mentioned like 3 headcanons in this post: the fact that my Skeptic is aroace (or demiromantic ace), the fact that my Skeptic knows shorthand (and writes exclusively in it), the fact that Skeptic is actually a yapper who likes to explain and go in-depth on the topics he finds interesting... /silly

Let's add another one! I like the idea of a linguistics nerd Skeptic, who is really into the etymology of words (I talked about it in this post where I talked about voice's hobbies!), sounds like the kind of thing Skeptic would be interested in.

Are any of these HCs based on anything from the game? Nope! These are all entirely based on ✨ vibes ✨.

unpopular opinion

To be honest, I don't know what counts as an "unpopular opinion" for Skeptic. I don't think I have any? At least none that I feel strongly about, most of my opinions about Skeptic are either directly based on the lines from the game OR are completely irrelevant silly HCs based on nothing but my own likes lol

song i associate with them

I very rarely listen to just instrumental music (outside of lo-fi and a couple specific artists)... but none of the songs I listen to really fit Skeptic. And so my first instinct is... the original Objection! theme from Phoenix Wright-

Also Open the Game by Jiro. Not the kind of music I usually listen to, but a friend suggested it to me as "music that fits Skeptic" a while ago, and I agree with my friend, I think it really suits him in terms of musical style :]

favorite picture of them

...I'm going to be honest, I'm currently debating if I should give Skeptic a major re-design (because something about his current design just irks me). But if I had to pick an image for Skeptic that I made, it would be this-

...I don't think I shared this before (I probably will in a doodle dump of "voices in dresses" sometime in the future), but this is Skeptic in Alice in Wonderland's dress. A few friends and I joked too much about how awful of a time Skeptic would have in Wonderland, and so this was born!

[kosei-on]

A post for those who don't understand why people ship Sonadow

I see people be confused about the why's of Sonadow. Why do people like it? Do you seriously ship it? You've seen the same things and you've watched the cutscenes and damn it all it just doesn't make any sense. Maybe you've read comments from people insisting that xyz interaction between Sonic and Shadow means they must like each other and you saw the comic panel where Shadow is carrying Sonic and it doesn't mean anything to you, and you handwave any explanations off because you don't see how anything in the canon means they want to date. Perhaps you've perused the relationships tag on Ao3 and saw that Sonadow is by far the most written-about ship in the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom. So why? Why???? Do people ship this??? Someone tell me why!!!!

If you want to know let's get cooking fellas.

1). LGBT ships are king.

Historically shipping and fanfic served as a way for LGBT people to get representation from media that uh, didn't want to do that. This has been true for decades, it's tradition and so deeply engrained into fandom culture that there's no two ways about it. The people writing fanfic tend to be female, queer, autistic, and any other sort of 'othering' you can think of. Gay ships are always more popular, and usually, M/M ships are more popular than F/F ships unless you're Madoka Magica or otherwise your cast is full of women, which Sonic is not. The boys usually get the spotlight, and you can argue that characters like Amy and Blaze kind of don't even really know each other.

2) Enemies to lovers

People LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE enemies to lovers. Currently, on Ao3 there are 165,000+ written works that are enemies to lovers. It's an extremely popular trope that's a tale as old as time. Does anyone hear pride and prejudice?

3) Teenage girls really love Shadow.

This one is self-explanatory. I feel like I don't need to explain what would happen if Shadow were a human and not a hedgehog. I suspect in some ways the obsession with Sonadow from some people is a desire to 'fix' and support Shadow in ways he isn't in canon (i.e. romance, opening up, talking about feelings, etc.) I'm not a teenage girl and I write fanfic, but I would be remiss to not speak on the fact that uh, yeah they're the ones usually doing that lol.

4) Shadow is perfect fanfiction bait.

-broody

-dark past

-doesn't talk about feelings

-traumatized in some way

-cool

Fanfic tends to center around the more 'complicated' characters in media, especially characters as popular as Shadow. If you read fanfic this is just something you can intuit. Shadow feels ripe for fanfic picking.

5) Sonic and Shadow are perfect opposites

this one is also self-explanatory, but fandoms tend to love pairings where there's the "dark and gloomy" one and the "sunshine" one. There's kind of no one gloomier than Shadow and no one sunnier than Sonic. They're the perfect odd couple.

Tl;dr: Sonic and Shadow are the perfect gay enemies to lovers odd couple for people online to get obsessed over. It's a lot of popular tropes shoved together in a delicious stew that can be reheated and served over and over again. Eat up! Do it! Embrace Sonadow!

[ngage2003]

Alright. So, here is a fun question.

What the fuck is up with Brian's/"Hoody's" continuous use of religious-coded phrasing?

⟦Note: I am Jewish and not that familiar with a ton of Catholicism, and am mostly just going crazy here. Don't take my theory too seriously unless you agree with me in which case do.⟧

⟦Also, content warning: graphic verbiage towards the end, also heavy religious discussion, duh. (Also maybe sacrilege?)⟧

What I mean specifically is his use of the term "Deluge" in one of his videos, the association between himself and the word "Advocate," and most importantly, him calling the face connected to the Operator "The Ark."

Footnote: Face as in the center of the Ark is the "mouth" of the Operator, (in other words, how it eats) and the Ark as a whole is the closest thing we see to a representation of what it is, an unfathomable monster, like a face can be seen as a representation of a person/personhood.

These names are on first read are just seemingly randomly chosen, but I think there is some small sense here, if a bit abstractly. Based on comic 3.5 of Marble Hornets, ToTheArk, we know Brian is stuck talking in codes, so lets try to unravel this one.

Lets start with the simplest.

】 Advocate

Brian calls himself "Advocate" in relation to an old video of himself where he is talking to Alex, but due to the glitchiness on the video I believe you could kind of take this as a general statement about himself. Regardless, what the hell does that mean?

When we use the term "advocate" in plain speech, it means a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy, but there are specific ties with it under Catholicism. There is variation depending on what translation you use of course, but one example of religious use is in one title of Christ as "our Advocate with the Father" (I John 2:1). Another is how the word advocate is used in relation to the Holy Spirit, (John 14:16,) as another advocate to more or less "help [humanity] and be with [them] forever".

"Ok, cool I guess," you say, "but uh what does that have to do with Marble Hornets?"

Well! While Jesus is off having a Phoenix Wright case with God/being god's messenger pigeon for humanity, Brian is helping someone himself! Specifically, he is helping Jay, the person all the ToTheArk videos are for, for the most part. He is quite literally guiding him around, what for we could debate, but he clearly has his own abstract chess game going on and leading Jay by a metaphorical carrot on a stick is part of it.

I believe this is why Brian calls himself the Advocate. He is with not only Jay but also Jessica, while also being on the former's side, (he doesn't want him dead like the Operator does at least,) and also helping and/or guiding him. I mean, he gets him out of his house before Alex burns it down, as example, and he gives Jay the name of the Operator, along with hints that Alex is dangerous/doesn't exactly have his best intentions. Hell! In Entry 78, if you're comfortable jumping that far ahead, he even gives Jay a knife to free himself with, and his camera back. This of course accidentally leads to Jay's death, but I don't think Brian wanted that to be honest, not with how he hates Alex and the Operator. Brian is just unfortunately human rather than actual divinity, and probably couldn't plan for that.

Let's move on.

2.】 The Deluge

This one is in my opinion the least clear, which is why I stuck it in the middle, but I am still going to give it a shot.

The "Deluge" video is a ToTheArk video where we see a flashing light, weird audio, and then the words, "watching you," along with the description being "///". Purportedly, if you speed up and reverse the audio, it is saying "Alex" over and over again. Combining it with the ending words, we get "Alex [is] Watching You."

What is the Deluge in Catholicism though? Well, simply put its the Great Flood, specifically that really swag one (/sarcastic tone) that God summons for 40 days and nights to drown everyone for being too sinful or whatever, except for his favorite boy, Noah, and his family, who are inside a big boat. Awesome. Cool. Makes sense.

We could get up in the semantics about the "ark" of Noah and "ToTheArk" but A) I have a whole chapter on ToTheArk and The Ark, and B) I personally believe the Ark is named for the Ark of the Covenant so lets just scrap that idea.

Instead, I believe that in this part, Brian is making a comparison between Alex and the Deluge. After all, Alex did kill the cast of Marble Hornets in kind of rapid fire succession like a quickly rising Deluge would, all except for Jay who he had emotional ties to. (And Tim but Tim's survival is complicated and isn't purposeful.)

"Wait!" You cry, "how do you know that Alex killed everyone in rapid fire succession??"

Well, technically I don't, but I do know he tried to kill like 3 of his friends in literally the same 24 hours, which would make sense as if the extremely close cast of Marble Hornets noticed other people were missing and they were last seen with Alex, that would get suspicious, but I digress. All of these killings take place in the hospital in my opinion, where the Operator seemingly has some power, or at least is able to appear more regularly like other places in Rosswood and Alex's house.

First of these was the least successful, Tim, who Alex led to the hospital in Entry 56 and then beat into unconsciousness with a stick that is canonically a pipe based on cast commentary. We see him (or in my opinion, Masky,) scrambling around at night then, using the camera to find his way in the dark, before hiding against a wall. It is very likely to me that he stayed here over night. There are some strange parts of the tape though, like Alex being randomly in the hospital at night, as if he was looking for Tim for some reason.

Regardless, there is then Brian in Entry 51, who is led to the hospital before the Operator snatches Alex away for a moment. (In my opinion probably to Operatorture him a bit because he was hesitant to kill Brian because he actually knows him as a friend (Entry 84) but whatever, coughs.) Brian then wanders around the hospital with Alex's camera before finding Tim huddled up against a wall, much to his confusion, before the Operator shows up and some weirdness happens and Brian dies while Tim/Masky disappears.

Now, we have seen Masky go to the Hospital after Operator encounters seemingly to cope, so maybe this was coincidence, but there is some dialogue in Entry 51 that makes me believe this isn't, especially based on Entry 22, where we see Alex seemingly leading Seth either to his death by the Operator in a strange dilapidated building at night. (Hey, that sounds a bit familiar?) That dialogue is :

Brian: Where’s Seth at? Alex: Uh, we came out here yesterday and he wasn’t feeling too good so he just stayed home today.

Hey that is convenient. You brought him here yesterday and now he just magically isn't feeling good.

In my opinion it is kind of obvious here that Alex probably killed Seth and Brian along with trying to kill Tim after merely finding a convenient place to do so. This was all in the span of 24 hours or less, kind of much like a certain flood might.

This moment is definitely a subversion though, (as use of christian imagery often is in Marble Hornets) as rather than the Flood being a tool of God to destroy the wickedness of men or whatever, Alex is becoming a tool of the Operator to feed it.

And finally, 3.】 The Ark

Wooo Boy. The Ark. Ok. okOkOKOK.

Now, we all know what Brian named the face/mouth of the Operator "The Ark," but what IS the Ark in Catholicism? Maybe you're raising your hand right now and saying "ah that thing Noah went on" and you are technically correct but also wrong. There is a far more important Ark in Catholicism than that one.

Lets talk about the Ark of the Covenant real quick, specifically what it represents rather than solely that fun little golden box, as much as I would love to talk about it and the arks of synagogues.

Ok so I am probably going to mangle some theology but stick with me. There are two Arks of the Covenant in Catholicism, the one of the Old Testament, (the first book of Christian canon which more or less covers backstory,) and the New Testament, which is more or less Jesus's teachings.

Sidenote: The Old Testament is NOT the same as the Tanakh/Hebrew Bible. The former is one scripture while the latter is technically three, and even if it shares some similarities with the Torah, (the first part of the Tanakh,) the two are pretty different and both have their own wildly differently translations and cultures around them.

The Old Testament's covenant is of similar design to that of Judaism's, being a symbol of the covenant between God and his followers, built by the holiest of man's hands but carrying divinity in the form of the commandments within it.

The Ark of the Covenant of the New Testament though is a bit different, as it is Mary.

She literally carries the covenant between God and man, the connection between him and his followers. She builds it inside her, acting as both carrier and partial creator to this firm bridge.

I believe, Brian gave the Ark its name, because in a sense, it is its own sort of womb.

The Ark is a close off yet impossibly living environment, one that bridges between our reality and the true center of whatever it and the Operator are. It feeds by leeching off of the world outside it, reaching through Rosswood and growing and gorging. Much like the natural parasitic nature of an embryo or fetus to its mother, it is tied to our world, dependent on it, dependent on us even as it warps and robs people of themselves.

Whatever is beyond the Ark, it is something as unfathomably monstrous as divinity, a holy tapeworm that siphons off nutrients from our world, warps it to fit its needs, literally shifting around the land to get closer to satiating its hunger, apathetic to the rules and limits of our world.

-

Even as we get to this answer though, we still technically haven't answered our original question.

Why is Brian of all people using this continuous religious-coded phrasing?

Well, this I believe in part has to do with how the Ark feeds. It is as much stomach as it is womb, digesting you slowly, acidity peeling back your layers until it eventually gets to your core, your most fundamental beliefs and self.

Alex's core was Jay in a sense, which is why he refused to kill him, at least until the Ark and Operator fully broke him down at the end of season 2, at which point he fell apart completely as a person in season 3. (I.E. he stopped shaving, he didn't get new glasses when Brian knocked off and presumably broke his in Entry 67, he started constantly corrupting film.)

Brian's core is still in tact though, even with how ruined he is by the Ark and Operator, left only able to speak in codes.

I think Brian was raised with a strong sense of wrong and right. It is also why he becomes so obsessed with Alex dying, with Jay surviving, with taking on this great burden of playing this complicated chess game against this paranatural entity and stopping all this. Right and wrong were simply taught to him at a very young age, ingrained into him, and his compassion and empathy, (the things that led to him goading Tim into helping because Alex needed actors and inviting Alex to dinner because he was lonely,) were torn away by the Ark.

I think his moral compass could in part be so strong be due to, or at least in conjunction with, the fact he was raised religiously. I think he probably strayed a bit from his religion in College as most people do, but it is still something integral to him, something at his core that he knows even when nothing else is making sense.

This is not to say I think Brian is still religious now, (I doubt you could look into the center of the Ark and still be religious honestly,) but it is why he clings to religious metaphor in the middle of all his strange codes.

That is my headcanon.

Thank you for reading.

[thydungeongal]

ik doing game recs isnt your forte but this seems worth a shot since its relevant to some things you do talk about. Are there any non-dnd games youd recommend to someone coming into rpgs whos less confident in freeform RP but more familiar with tt war n skirmish games?

Ik its one of those things where dnd might on paper be an actual suggestion but in practice its like ive seen you say where every group seems to want to ignore most stats and especially in combat try and make ""theatre of the mind"" work when it feels like its be easier to all involved if we just dropped some little guys on some graph paper but everyone seems desperate to avoid that

Yeah, if you're coming from the direction of tabletop wargames and skirmish games then yeah D&D would actually work. But I think there are other good options if you want a game that's explicitly about moving dudes on a grid and doesn't pretend otherwise (I have a huge rant in my back pocket about "theater of the mind" and how it's actually one of the biggest lies ever concocted by D&D's designers and the fact that the player base has bought that lie is maddening, MADDENING I SAY).

First of all, I'm going to hype up Tactiquest by @level2janitor again. It's a game very clearly inspired by D&D in its genre and it's a very neat RPG that is very much about teams of fantasy folks hitting each other on the grid. The current playtest edition is also completely free!

Beacon is a tactical fantasy RPG that is basically like. What if we took the mech combat of Lancer and made the mechs fantasy RPG characters instead? It's a very tactically deep RPG with a sort of a Final Fantasy meets D&D vibe to its setting, and there's a lot to love there.

Speaking of Lancer, there's also ICON by one of the creators of Lancer. Also grid-based, also heavily about tactical combat. Very cool presentation. Yeah

And finally, Trespasser: Dark Fantasy Tactics. This one is fun because it combines so many influences from all around the tabletop RPG space: there's a bit of Dungeon Crawl Classics, 4e, there's domain management, there's a pretty clear campaign framework to follow. It's filled to the brim with so much cool stuff I really hope to be able to take it out for a spin some day.

[brotherwtf]

Hey, imagine that John is dominant and Gale is submissive. They both are in the red room to do BDSM. John bound Gale at the bedrail and whipped and put the ice on his body.

imagining it!! God big fan of dom Gale on this blog as you all know but dom John is just so good and scratches something in the brain that we don't quite understand at this time

Gale who's both a really good sub and a really huge brat, can be good and behave if he wants to but also loves to talk back, especially when it makes John treat him with a firmer hand like he likes

John's not mean, per se, but he's definitely firm, tells Gale off when he's being bratty, holds the back of his neck and whispers in his ear that he needs to behave, John knows that Gale can be good, where's his good boy? and Gale always whimpers and whispers that he can be good, he can be such a good boy

but your scenario is so fucking good, John tying Gale to the bed, maybe he's on his front, his hands tied together with a silky black rope to the bed post, legs spread with a spreader bar and John whips his ass, whips it and slaps it until Gale's crying and jolting forward, cries out in pain and pleasure at how much it hurts, but he also can't help but moan when John puts a big hand on the nape of his neck and growls for him to keep his head down

Gale feels like he's on fire, his body is thrumming and alive like a fucking live wire and John's feather light touches before he brings the whip down make his skin jolt and jump and he always lurches forward whenever John brings it down on his skin, moans at all of the praises that John gives him as well, calls him so good for taking it, takes it so well like the whore he is, and Gale absolutely loves it

he has ice in a tumbler on the night stand and he takes a couple of pieces out, gently smearing the cool water back and forth on Gale's welted skin and it causes Gale to scream and writhe in surprise, the shocking cool of the ice paired with the searing heat of the welts John has left, John keeps a hand in his hair and tells him he can take it, he's just helping to cool him down, and all Gale can do is nod

maybe John even fucks him against the headboard like this, hands bound together and over his head like he's praying for mercy, slapping Gale's already inflamed ass and whispering absolute filth in his ear "you're so pretty like this, all red and open and ready to take me. You're so good, such a good slut for me" he would say, punctuating his words with a slap to Gale's ass that has him moaning in ecstasy

it's the one time he's able to relinquish full control to John, lets John fully have his way with him, and he couldn't be happier, damn maybe I should write sub Gale more

[harryhighkey]

hungover with in-ho

headcanons of a morning with a hungover fem!reader and her older bf hwang in-ho

this is different from what i normally do but wanted to try it out, lmk what you think pls!

__________

you would wake up to the aircon a few degrees cooler than normal, but the blanket and sheets are tight around you, so you're cosy. in-ho is very observant and knows you sleep better with a cooler temp in the air but kept warm by bedding. he wanted to make sure you got a good sleep when you finally got in last night so he made sure the room was cool before tucking you in.

you open your eyes and see your water bottle is on the bedside table filled with icy cold water, a box of painkillers sit beside it for the hungover headache in-ho was sure you were going to wake up with after how drunk you were. you take two pills and gulp it down with water. you sigh in relief at the cold water coating your throat and treat yourself to some more mouth-fulls. you think about getting up but you're not ready, instead you drop your head back to the pillow and groan at how hungover you feel.

because you slept in late, in-ho is already up. he's still in the clothes he went to bed in. he's tired from waiting up for you, drinking a coffee in the kitchen. but as he hears the sound of your water bottle being placed down followed by you groaning he comes back to the bedroom. he's annoyed with you. you left yesterday at 2:52pm and had told him you were only going out for a few drinks with friends and would be back in a few hours. then you got home at 3:24am. you'd also completely ignored your phone the whole night, which meant all of in-ho's texts and calls had gone unanswered. you didn't do it on purpose, you were just drunk and having fun with your friends.

"what happened to 'just a few drinks'?" you open your eyes again at the sound of your boyfriend and roll onto your back to see him standing beside the bed. he doesn't sound happy and his face matches his pissed off tone. your voice is whiny and croaky from just waking up as you answer him. "don't be mad at me, i don't feel well." he almost folds. almost. but he's been harbouring over this all night and morning. "i was worried. you didn't answer your phone once. do you have any idea how many times i called? i had no idea what you were doing, if you were safe-" "in-ho, please." you interrupt him, lifting the sheets and pulling them over your head to hide away.

he'd get back into the bed then, determined to let you know last night wasn't okay. he's extremely overprotective when it comes to you, that paired with his control issues had him panicking last night. he grabs the sheets to see your face again but you keep them locked over your head. you both know he could overpower you, so you speak out instead. "you can come under and talk, but you have to whisper under here, it's the one sacred under the sheet rule."

he rolls his eyes and sighs. but because he loves you, he gives into your game. he's still annoyed but your silly act of defiance has softened his resolve slightly. he joins you under the sheets, both of you now laying on your sides and facing each other. you know he's angry at you so you're trying not to laugh at your older boyfriend giving into your playful suggestion. he sees the smile you're trying to hide and then it's his turn to try not to laugh. you crack first, your laugh sounding out and his does right after. you are sunshine to him, even annoyed at you, he finds it impossible to not be lit up by you.

"come here." he snakes his arms around you and pulls you into him, you easily melt against him, your hands coming to his face as you kiss. it's intense, firm but quick. your lips come apart with a smack.

you keep your hands on his face, your fingertips leaving tiny patterns into his skin as he talks. you watch as he frowns again, this time it wasn't complete anger, it was also out of stress. "i was worried about you." subconsciously, his arms tighten around you. you nod. you explain to him what happened, how you honestly just lost track of time. he scolds you for not sending him an update that you would be out late, ending it with a "...i have to know you're safe, baby."

"i promise next time i will." you assure him. "next time?!" he's already stressing over the thought of you out drunk into all hours of the night again.

you distract him by kissing him again. it turns heated quickly, his hands slipping under your shirt.

between kisses and skilful hand movements, you now find yourself under him, topless. "we better get out of these sheets, you're about to do a lot more than whisper, my girl."

it's lucky the aircon is still set at a lower temp than normal because you two build up quite a sweat once you're both naked and you & in-ho spend the rest of what's left of the morning with him buried inside of you.

[bisexualbaker]

Finding friends and things to do on Dreamwidth

I made a different post about this at an earlier time, but honestly, I think I can do better now.

Anyway! One of the things that sucks about moving social media and/or blogging platforms is not knowing if there will be enough activity for you at the new place. Be it from old friends, new friends, or interactive communities, there's a lot of ways you could find activity at a new place, but finding at least two of those categories can be tricky in itself.

Luckily, Dreamwidth has a few shortcuts for you already!

Adding new people to your reading page and finding new friends:

addme: Straight up a place to find new "mutuals" on Dreamwidth, with no particular focus; a good place to start!

addme_fandom: Same as above, but with a specific fandom focus! Interested in a particular fandom right now and want more people to talk about it with? Here's a good place to find fellow fans!

fandomcalendar: This is a community dedicated to announcing fandom events, which can include fandom-specific friending memes. (I'll be linking this one again later, as well.)

Getting started on Dreamwidth:

newcomers: A community dedicated specifically to helping Dreamwdth newcomers find their way around on a new site! I believe it was launched around the time Cohost was being shut down, so a lot of the people there now are Cohost "refugees", but it's still a good place to start.

dw_news: The official Dreamwidth news community. I highly recommend following this one and the next one, which will help you keep up with what's going on around Dreamwidth. DW News typically only posts a few times a year, but maybe that'll change if a bunch of new users come by...

dw_maintenance: Keep up with the mechanical goings-on at Dreamwidth! If there's a planned site outage or if DW is updating code, you can find out more here; if there's something funky going on at Dreamwidth but the site is generally still usable, it's also a good place to check.

Things to do on Dreamwidth:

dw_community_promo: The official Dreamwidth community for promoting Dreamwidth communities! People will promote new communities here, as well as events going on in established communities. A good place to find out about new things in general.

followfriday: A place to share links to check out once a week. Did you find a cool community that you want more people to know about? Link it in the comments here!

justcreate: A place where you can talk about things you're working on. There's a weekly check-in/reporting post, but sometimes people also organize body doubling sessions and other productivity-boosting things.

queerly_beloved: An anti-exclusionist queer space to get together and talk about all things queer, including intersectional matters. Hosts a weekly recommendations thread, but more and other content is very welcome!

Fandom things to do on Dreamwidth:

fandomcalendar: I linked this above, and I'm linking it again: Want to know about fandom events that are going on at Dreamwidth? This is a good place to do it! It'll also fill up your reading page in a hurry; you might be surprised at how many events are going on at Dreamwidth, or are at least connected there!

fictional_fans: A community for all fans and fandoms. If you've got a post you want to make about fandom in general, or a specific fandom that doesn't have its own community, this might be a good place to check out.

fandom_on_dw: Pretty much the same as above, honestly, but it's good that there's more than one place that hosts this kind of thing!

Anything else?

Search Interests: Individuals and communities can have lists of things they're "interested in". If more than one person has that thing listed, it may turn into a hyperlink that you can click to find other accounts with! You can also use the Search Interests function pretty much the same way. Simply type "cats" into the search bar, hit enter, and a bunch of accounts that have "cats" listed as an interest will pop up!

The Latest Things Page: Literally the latest things posted publicly anywhere on Dreamwidth. There's a list of commonly used tags at the top, if you want to narrow things down at all, but in the mean time, it can be pretty neat to see what J. Random Dreamwidth User just posted about!

The Explore Tab: Useful links for Dreamwidth in general. In addition to linking to the Latest Things Page, it can take you to a random account, the FAQ page, and more! Worth checking out if you're feeling lost.

And that's all I can think of at the moment! This should help you get started at least, and help fill out your reading page a bit.

If you still have questions or want to do more, you can check out my Dreamwidth 101 tag; I'm also happy to at least try to answer any questions myself. I'm pretty sure I've got a few "Dreamwidth for Tumblrites" guides linked in my Dreamwidth 101 section, if nothing else...

[wishing-well-art]

Hi! In all fairness i see where you're coming from, I'm a big disliker of most arcane criticism because they tend to ignore the good stuff about the show, this post was more of like a "damn thats a shame" after the arcane hype/hate died down, but thats on me, i should've tagged my criticism better.

When I mean they never sit down and talk to each other, i mean they never really unpack stuff like why Jinx really saw Silco as a father figure and the good and bad he did for her, and Vi understanding Jinx's mourning. Or the hard times Vi went through in that prison cell and how that affected her mindset when she joined the enforcers or kept trying to push Powder's identity onto Jinx, or Vi feeling like her identity was lost after not being able to protect her family, or Vi admitting why she resented Jinx so much for taking her sister away, stuff like that. Essentially what is the core conflict of season 1.

The verbal fight in the mines was good relief for them, but it only scratched the surface of strictly the enforcer stuff and was kind of just sister-ly name calling (ie chickenshit tricks, ill kick your ass again). The girls are extremely emotionally constipated and a serious (non-lethal this time) verbal fight where they unload their very personal negative feelings from season 1 might have worked for them: Vi calling Jinx her biggest failure, Jinx maybe yelling back that Vi actually failed her, the deep cuts. But because so much has happened and they still inherently need each other they would go lick their wounds and come back together to talk about what they really meant.

Yes Vi saw Jinx's body being taken by Silco and she could've been two and two together after the fact, but it would've been cool to see that conversation where Jinx actually tells Vi what was done to her and her side of the story.

Jinx did realize Marcus took Vi away, but she didn't know that Vi was literally around the corner running back. She didn't know Marcus had to drug her and drag her away right when Silco found Jinx. Vi never told her her reasons for leaving and walking around the corner, which is what I originally meant, she never found out Vi was just trying to cool off. Jinx could've easily thought that Vi walked away and kept walking away until she started doubling back and Marcus jumped her, which isn't the same as 'Vi walked around the corner so she didn't hit Powder again and sat there for a little bit before she saw Powder in danger and came sprinting back and was knocked out."

I wouldn't call demanding a serious drama have a comedic character or demanding an action movie have a 10 minute paint scene a reasonable comparison because the characters in arcane do talk a lot and show emotional moments, the tea party scene was perfect in that regard. I don't think they needed to have all the emotional conversations in the world, they are again, very emotionally constipated and it would have been out of place, but they did had a lot of down time in the commune, and it would've been the perfect arena to have one big heavy conversation. Honestly I think they could've just expanded the conversation about their mom to also include everything else from season 1 they needed to talk about. Those little moments of "you actually want my opinion?" were so good, because it's the girls being vulnerable but not opening up all the way, which is in character for them. And I think handfuls of moments like that, where they're being awkward around each other and trying to quietly accommodate for the other sister until either it all boils over or they just start talking and can't stop; that would've been perfect. But the big thing about the commune conversation ("we could stay here") is that the problems they were working through also needed to be about what went down in season 1.

The core of season 1 is that they didn't understand each other. Time and imprisonment separated them for too long, and with everything else happening around them they miscommunicated, and that had fatal side effects. But season 2 is about them coming back together, but in order for that to happen they needed to talk about what went wrong in season 1, and it would've also made the ending for them hit harder in contrast, because it would mean they did at least get that closure in being able to finally understand each other in some semblance.

The season was also very different, with them leaning into the arcane, magic aspects of the show a lot heavier, with the multiverse travel and Viktor's jesus powers, going over their trauma in a quiet safe environment wouldn't have felt out of place because honestly season 2 isn't really a tragedy anymore. It has tragic moments, but a good amount of endings felt triumphant for the characters, even if it was self destructive. Plus the commune wasn't really safe anyway, so it would make those quiet moments hit harder.

This really is mostly just a list of "man it would've been cool if that happened" stuff though, overall I liked the season

The one thing about Arcane season 2 that I'm still a little bit mad about is that Vi and Jinx never really talked. They had a total of 2 conversations in season 1, one where they got interrupted and Jinx was never able to tell Vi what happened in the 7 years Vi was in prison, and the second where Vi still had no clue what was going on. But that's fine, miscommunication that befalls tragedy, it's intentional, and character-wise Jinx wasn't in that kind of headspace for that to happen. But then season 2 rolls around and at no point in season 2 did they sit down and talk about what went wrong, why they made the decisions they did, and try to understand each other. We never even got a loud fight where they unloaded all the negative feelings they had towards each other, or a quiet painful confession that they felt like failures towards each other. They had so much down time that we should've seen all that, the fight in the mines and the talk in the commune should've been that, but they only barely skimmed the surface. Did Vi even find out about Jinx being injected with shimmer? Did Jinx ever find out why Vi left her that night? No, they didn't, and that's just such a shame.