#also all this time together means they've got!!!! so much trust in each other bc they know each other

[unxpctedlybleach]

[iamnmbr3]

I've been reading a lot of drarry fics lately and one of them got me wondering. In a hypothetical world where everything was pretty much the same but Harry and Draco did end up together, would Ron and Hermione accept their relationship even if begrudgingly or would they be antagonistic about it? And if they didn't accept it, with your perspective on canon Harry do you think he would choose Draco or his friends? 🤔

This is a fascinating question. (Btw huge shoutout to you and all the lovely people who send me so many interesting questions and observations).

So first off there's the question of whether Ron & Hermione would accept their relationship. (To some extent of course this depends on the context of the Golden Trio's relationship at that point; for example, if they've drifted apart or something then things might be different.)

But let's assume they all stay close and remain each other's found family as we see in the books. In that case, I actually think they probably would accept the relationship. Ron stood on a broken leg at the age of 13 and told Sirius that if he wanted to kill Harry he'd have to kill all three of them. And we see they have both risked their lives for Harry time and time again. They even followed him into a deadly Fiendfyre blaze even though neither was enthusiastic about saving Draco or Goyle.

These two have been ride or die for Harry since the age of 11. They love him. They might not agree with his relationship with Draco and they might well think that Draco is using Harry or that the relationship will end badly, but I don't think they would abandon Harry over it.

Now, Harry would probably worry about what they might think. Hermione was called a mudblood by Draco and tortured in his living room. Ron was bullied constantly by him and his brother was permanently maimed because of Draco's actions. He might worry that his friends might not understand or might be very angry. But I also think he trusts Ron and Hermione especially after all they've been through by the end of book 7.

I think Harry is someone with great force of will and determination who is not easily swayed from why he believes and is willing to defy people over those beliefs. At the same time he's someone who tends to be conflict averse with his friends. But only to a point. I mean, he sure wouldn't let the Draco thing go during book 6 despite Ron & Hermione's urging. I think if he loved Draco he would fight to be with him. And I think Ron & Hermione would not turn their backs on him over it. Ron probably says something to the effect of since he already had to go on the worst camping trip ever while on the run from a murderous maniac there’s no point in dropping Harry now.

Also, I think first he'd become friends with Draco before actually starting a relationship (even tho Ron & Hermione might start suspecting where this is going) so that would give him time to introduce the concept and start easing them into it. And they'd probably express reservations which Harry would either dispute or just kinda ignore. I think it'd take a long time for them to be truly won over though.

The person who's most worried is probably Draco. I think he'd be convinced that openly being with him would end up ruining Harry's life by permanently tarnishing Harry’s image and destroying his relationships with his friends. I think he would have a lot of anguish and guilt over any tensions that arose due to him and I think he might even try to convince Harry to end things with him bc of it and then he’d really try to get Harry’s friends to tolerate him for Harry’s sake.

As for what Harry would do if his friends made him choose. I think if he truly loved Simone he would put them first. I also think he’d choose the people/person who didn’t force him to choose. If Ron or Hermione turn their backs on him then I think there are already other tensions in that scenario and it’s a situation where the friendship doesn’t survive the war. Like maybe Ron and Hermione don’t work out long term, Ron regresses to his worst impulses and becomes consumed by jealousy of Harry’s fane and bitterness over feelings of inferiority and then the last straw is Harry getting together with Draco Malfoy of all people and they have a falling out. But yeah. I don’t really see it in canon. Ron and Hermione don’t like Draco but they don’t deeply hate him because he hasn’t done anything especially awful to them. Sure they dislike and distrust him and have a lot of negative feels about him. But they love Harry way more than they dislike Draco. They probably worry Harry is making a bad choice. But they don’t abandon him.

[voxmilia]

Do you have any HCs with inkblade and Ivy

YOU MEAN OISIN AND HIS TWO FAVORITE GIRLS? THREE OF MY FAVORITE KIDDOS? ONLY ALWAYS

I latched on so hard to "mean girl with the Garthy O'Brien accent" so I've adopted Ivy, she's one of my favorites, I literally write her on my rp blog, I have a character/timeline study for her in the works so I have many headcanons. Some of these are, as usual, created in conjunction with my friend Nick @starlingcity !!

I've had to cut this down like 3 times because I have so many thoughts about all three of them so literally ask me for more anytime!

Ivy was born in Leviathan. She doesn't remember it much; she and her bio mother (her mama, bc Fabian parallel) emigrated to Solace when Ivy was around 2 or 3. Her accent is sort of a mix of Leviathan and Fallinel, as her second mother (her mum) is a high elf.

She meets Oisin at Oakshield Middle School. He's sitting by himself, reading a spellbook and Ivy, who even before the rage never really knew how to express herself right the first time, tells him it's "too sad" to watch him all alone and insists she has to join him from now on. She does. They're inseparable from then on.

They develop minor separation anxiety after their first death in the Mountains of Chaos; it's tenfold by their revivication in junior year. Jawbone helps them both and also helps them find accredited private therapists.

Oisin has a panic attack for the first time ever during his first appointment with Jawbone, because Ivy isn't there and he's terrified she'll be dead when he comes out.

He has another one when Lucy's out for a summer trip, reconnecting with her family after a year dead, and he hasn't heard back from her in almost a day. Adaine finds him, knees tucked to his chest, arms and tail wrapped around them, just outside of Jawbone's office. It's their first real conversation beyond his initial apology to her.

He laments that he should be stronger than this, should know better. Adaine still doesn't trust him but she understands so she huffs and assures him that anxiety doesn't mean he isn't strong. She has anxiety and she's been in so many battles., defeated so many foes

"I punched a dragon in the face and I have anxiety!" (It makes him laugh. She hates that she likes the sound of it.)

Ivy, as bad as she is with words, is the first to apologize of all the Rat Grinders. Mazey is kind, too kind. Ivy sort of rambles. She isn't even sure why was she so unkind in the first place; she apologizes, says Mazey deserved better. They're not friends but they've buried the hatchet at least. (Years later, they run into each other at a Fig and the Cig Figs concert and smile at each other but say nothing.)

Oisin and Ivy kissed exactly once, at 14, the summer before their freshman year. They were two confused, curious kids who wondered if the warmth in their chests when they were together was meant to be romance. They hated it immediately and never attempted it again. Ruben is still convinced they're exes, though.

Oisin, Adaine, and Ivy end up in the first Bad Kid/Rat Grinder mixed group chat, beyond their initial mega chat with both parties. Oisin kept sharing memes Ivy sent him to Adaine, who would tell him to send Ivy one from Adaine in turn. He got tired of being the middle man eventually and makes them a group thread.

Ivy texts the chat one night that she feels sorry for Adaine, because Oisin is an awful kisser. Adaine tells Ivy to speak for herself. Oisin is too embarrassed to reply for almost an hour, to Ivy's joy

[shierak-inavva]

Listen.

I genuinely shipped Remy x Rogue from the series and some moments in the comics.

Erik x Rogue just happened to be another pairing I later shipped in addition bc I was fascinated by all of their interactions in the comics.

I knew Remy x Rogue were THE pairing though, so I left it at that.

Then ‘97 happened.

I love Remy and him with Rogue to bits…

but my heart has been beating SO ARDENTLY from all of the moments with Erik x Rogue.

I haven’t been so passionate about a non-status quo pairing since X-Men: Evolution (Cyclops x Rogue 😅), and my heart just ACHES so much for Rogueneto to have a canon happy ending since the comics keep fumbling that up.

anon, man, i get you. i’m new to this fandom entirely but i’m not particularly a fan of the rogue/gambit relationship from what i’ve seen of it—but then rogue/magneto is way more geared towards my personal tastes anyways.

i actually got into '97 BECAUSE i learned about the rogue/magneto relationship and i was so intrigued by the idea of it (my only knowledge at that time of these two characters was ian mckellan and anna paquin and i thought 'well god that's wild as hell i gotta see this' and then BOOM magneto was out here lookin like THAT and of course i got hooked are you KIDDING me) and i was instantly drawn to the dynamic between them and the intrigue of their relationship. getting to see them coming together at the end of episode 2 like that was...well, it cemented the whole thing for me, the girl who no one can touch and who can't touch anyone else, who craves physical intimacy and connection, finally having someone who can touch and be touched by her?? oh my god. the way she melted when he touched her hand, i'm still just unwell over it.

(also scott/rogue in evolution was super cute potentially so you're so real for that fr)

but i think what really draws me to them as a ship is how intensely and deeply their relationship goes in the comics. these are two people who forged a bond with each other that's lasted for years--even when they've been apart or with other people (gambit, for instance) they're still orbiting each other. rogue is always the one person to trust erik, to believe she can still appeal to him or that he can be reasoned with and erik is always there when and if rogue needs help, needs him. PERSONALLY i think that they've fallen together and apart in the comics like they have because they're both so similar and and both so self-sacrificing that they're willing to give up their own happiness together to try and make others happy, to meet outside expectations, and because i think they're both afraid of actually accepting happiness together. rogue is also, i think, not prepared for the kind of relationship/life that erik is offering her. he's intense, and his life is intense, and honestly if she were to choose to be with him it would mean accepting power and accepting the love of someone who wants to help her grow and evolve and be powerful because he sees potential in her and views her not just as a lover but as a partner and an equal. and for someone as powerful as magneto to see you as an equal....i mean i'm sure yall can do the math there.

i'd love to see them both fully embrace a relationship and a life together, but i know that's probably not gonna come together in the comics for us 😮‍💨 at least certainly not any time soon; but the relationship we've been getting bits and pieces of in '97 has the potential to be something really interesting and really satisfying, so i'm hoping they do more with it moving forward !!

[ghostherlig]

chapter 11 endnotes!!

some end notes and things (as promised 😌) in chronological order!! (under the cut for spoilers!! go read chapter 11 first!!)

the word choices in the crossword puzzle were intentional!! it's kind of johnny and taka's perception of each other, or things they like about each other-

"Succinctly, John kept all of his emotions right in his chest, and one day, he would die." this IS a john mulaney reference-- and also very true, john has trouble expressing his emotions

also a lot of john's inner monologue in this chapter is him kind of keeping his emotions to himself and being unsure how to express himself or if he thinks he even should-

kenshi also telling john that the only way for him to know what john is thinking or feeling is if john tells him, as opposed to taka in the previous chapter going into his head (with permission) and looking freely at john's thoughts and feelings- just a thing that shows how their sense of others autonomy differs between them

johnny's love language is acts of service and gift giving can you tell. can you tell that he loves to cook for his partners and that food is a big part of him expressing his love??

john being in a sweater was a heavy note in this chapter- i dont often describe what they're wearing and kind of leave it vague unless i think it's fun or important to the scene- but them all being in very comfy dressed down clothing was an intentional note bc it isnt often that any of them are ever in very comfy clothing like that.. so john being warm and cozy in a comfy sweater and sweats is a sign that he's comfortable, physically but also mentally and emotionally bc he's surrounded by people he trusts

almost everything taka does is intentional. he spends a lot of time thinking over his words/actions and whether or not they're appropriate, which often means that he misses a lot of the more comfortable windows in conversation- but also means that he often comes out of the gate with an intensity that others arent ready for- like when he barges into the kitchen/dining area and immediately asks if they've already had a conversation without him- and also why he immediately gives john and kenshi space to talk alone/without him

john and taka have known each other a long time and it was only recently that taka kind of went missing… but the little story about john first trying roasted green tea is that he had discovered it was taka's favorite at this little cafe place they met at and asked if he could try; taka, of course, obliged, despite knowing that john would most likely not like it very much.. and he was right. john made a face and set taka's cup back down before swallowing and reaching for his own cup of coffee. they laughed about it. but later, when taka just.. disappeared for a few years, john needed something to fill the little void there, and so he started make cups of roasted green tea. at first for the smell, but then he tried it again. and again. and again, and kept trying it until he had developed a taste for it. then he started drinking it for comfort on days when he needed it. little sweethearts <33

taka's nickname for johnny, koinu, means 'little dog' (or puppy) in japanese- taka based this off of his nickname for john and just decided that johnny got to be the smaller version bc… well… he is.

john having that breakdown and quite literally collapsing under the weight of his own emotions was a lot of his grief for sonya but also a lot of grief for himself- for the fact that he never had the chance to grief her properly in the first place. part of him still thinks if he had been given that time, that he may be better for it now, and he regrets his past decisions when it comes to that

taka's nickname for john, inu, means 'dog' in japanese, and it's a nickname he gave john back when they were just starting to work together- it was bc john had a lot of dog-like mannerisms and characteristics and taka thought it was cute.

it was very common when john and taka were working together that taka would push him to do things that he normally wouldnt if it was just bc he was uncomfortable with it- john always knew he could back out if he needed to, but taka's forceful nature was always helpful to him that way

john finally remembering what it's like to be empty of the worst of his grief and sleep without the weight of sonya's thoughts on his new relationship AND in the same bed as his partners is what finally got him to sleep well…

taka is making five flavor soup!! it requires a whole duck, a whole fish, dashi stock packets, baby shrimp, and konbu (which make up the five flavors) plus he throws in all kinds of soup toppings/ingredients like the mushrooms he was chopping!! it's his secret recipe that literally only he knows. not even takeda knows. it's secret.

taka's nickname for kenshi, kōneko, means 'little cat' (or kitten) and that's bc taka's first impression of kenshi (that we see from kenshi's pov) is that he was small in comparison to himself, and that the little face he made at the time made him look like a kitten who had gotten in trouble for stealing smth…

taka is not outwardly very touchy or lovey, and he often doesnt even say it back, so little kisses and touches are huge for him- him leaning down to kiss john and hanging onto kenshi and johnny are his sort of genuine cues that he does really want to be their boyfriend...

anyway, i think that's everything i wanted to touch on this chapter... if this was interesting at all lmk and maybe it'll be a regular thing?? 🤷

[abcd-em]

OMG, Em!!! I read your thoughts on the Divorce AU on Twitter and we need this fic sooo badly! I hope you share it w us one day!!

This AU has consumed for thots for so long bc @spideymichelle introduced me to the idea through the film Celeste and Jesse forever - I could not get the PeterGwen & PeterMJ potential of it out my head

Like just imagine IMAGINE!!!

Peter & Gwen who got married a little too soon, a little too young. They've lived together for years but the Spider of it all (maybe her dad dies idk), the differences between them and then both slowly starting to outgrow that relationship gets too much and they get divorced.

(Alexa play Wendy by Maisie Peters)

There's no love lost. They still care about each other. They still live together for a little bit while Peter gets his life/money in order. They still have all the same friends as before. They've still got history. That's still the person they thought they'd be with forever and yet...

Eventually Gwen starts dating again. Properly. She's seeing someone consistently and Peter takes that to mean it's time he did too, huh? He and MJ meet on a dating app, theres sparks and there's potential but she's recently returned to the city, had to upend her life in a very similar way, knows the look of someone going thru it and goes 'him. I need him. That mess. I want it' but also knows they can't be anything rn so they stay friends

And it's delicious and slow burn and the idea of being around someone you thought would be your person forever but they're not anymore and that's OKAY even if it hurts. There's new people out there and new experiences and that transient part of life doesn't last forever and there's a complicated relationship between Gwen and MJ bc what they have in common when they first meet is also such a big point of contention between them. There's MJ menacing Peter constantly and that trust/feelings building between them

And like??? The identity reveal could be???

JUST WALK WITH ME AND IMAGINE IT!!!! It could be so so good!!!

If you've read An Age Old Classic there's actually a snippet from the WIP of this that existed in my drafts for so so so long in there bc I really couldn't let go of the idea

[raeflora]

Hi! I was curious how you’d respond to the frequent criticism that Chair is all about sex? I feel like they connect on every level, not just physically. I’d even go as far as to say that if for some reason they could never have sex again they’d still choose to stay together forever anyway, but maybe I’m being too romantic :)

hi!! ohh tysm for asking this!! so icr if I touched on it in my chair v dair post at all, so sorry if I repeat myself, but I think this criticism is so stupid skafjksk. although chair do have sex regularly there's nothing inherently wrong with that. from the very beginning of their relationship in 1x07 it's established that they both like having sex with each other, that they're good at it and incredibly compatible. throughout the show sex is an important part of their relationship, but it's not the only part as these criticisms suggest.

s3 is all about them learning how to trust each other, and actually 3x03 and 3x14 both feature plot points about how they're not having sex. but as blair says in 3x14 sex is how, at that point in their relationship, she gets chuck to open up about how he's feeling about things. they don't just have a lot of sex bc they're horny teenagers/young adults, it's bc their physical connection helps their emotional one, so they're actually strengthening their relationship in the best and most effective way for them both.

in s6 they address this criticism head on (idk if it was said at the time too, but I think it's interesting that they had a whole plot line around it) by having chair not have sex. apart from their reunion in monte carlo they agree to not even kiss until they're in the right place for their engagement. their connection doesn't suffer bc it's on a much deeper level than just physical. they support each other, uplift each other, and sort out their individual issues so that once they're together there's nothing else that could try and tear them apart. they don't need to have sex to connect emotionally (they didn't even need to in s3 it was just that chuck wasn't in the same headspace to open up more easily like he was in s6 and blair knew how to get him there) they have a mature and functional relationship without any sex at all, proving to both themselves and viewers that they've never needed sex in order to work together, it's just a wonderful aspect of their relationship.

I agree with u that if, for any reason, medical or otherwise, current chair couldn't have sex again they wouldn't really care. they already know that they can have a functional and fulfilling relationship without sex, so to divorce over it would just be silly. they didn't break up when they didn't have sex before, so they wouldn't now. I think although it would be difficult at times bc they both enjoy sex with each other so much, but they love each other far more than anything else (except their children sksfjkdk) so as long as they're together they'd manage.

I wanna also say that blair and chuck both having high sex drives and regularly having sex multiple times a day isn't a bad thing. blair doesn't need dan to swoop in and fix her (their complete lack of sex is... telling imo about their connection in every way) bc there's nothing wrong with her. blair loves having sex with chuck. chuck loves having sex with blair. they both consensually and mutually enjoy their sex life, and they both have a similar sex drive. sex is a big part of their relationship, but not bc it's the only part. it's another similarity between them and shows how well suited they are, as none of their other relationships are as fulfilling on every level for them.

just bc chair got together through sex doesn't change the fact that we see their relationship grow and change and develop with and without sex. just bc they have a lot of sex, on-screen and off, doesn't mean they don't still have the strongest connection in the whole show. sex is the most important part of a relationship for blair, so it makes sense that the man she has the deepest emotional and physical connection with is her true love. the idea that all their relationship is is sex has been disproven in the show, and I think more ppl need to understand that's what s6 was showing so there's no doubt about the strength of their connection in every way

[stormyoceans]

monica monica monicaaaaaa!!! the latest photoshoot has provided great inspiration for several jimmysea series and AHHHHHHHH. like im so clearly imagining a mafia, assassin, or gang drama with them as friends or on & off coworkers that get assigned to kill each other but they can't do it bc its each other and HELP!!! 🫠

CCAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I KNOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW IM SO OBSESSED WITH THAT WHOLE PHOTOSHOOT IN GENERAL AND THAT BACK TO BACK PICTURE IN PARTICULAR I TRULY HAVEN'T STOPPED THINKING ABOUT IT SINCE THEY FIRST RELEASED IT AND NOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THEM GETTING ASSIGNED TO KILL EACH OTHER I FEEL SO RABID ABOUT IT

and you'll have to forgive me for hijacking your idea but my mind is going a thousand miles per hour so just. HEAR ME OUT

what if jimmy is an undercover cop who is sent to infiltrate one of the biggest crime organizations in thailand to bring it down from the inside and expose its leader. this mission is actually personal for jimmy because his mom, who was also a cop, was the chief investigation officer in a case related to it and when she got too close to discover proofs of the organization's involvement they sent people to kill her and her family. jimmy was the only survivor, just by pure luck, and vowed to take revenge

so right after becoming an agent he is assigned a new identity and approaches known members of the organization to gain access to it, but being in a gang means that you have to climb the ladder before being trusted with information, and jimmy is aiming at the top, so it takes him years to rise to a position of power. during those first years of petty works like small scams and car thefts and running illegal gambling spots, jimmy meets sea, who just like him is new to the organization and stuck doing these lower jobs, and they work so well together that after being paired up a couple of times they start to get a reputation for getting shits done. jimmy knows full well he shouldn't get attached to anyone, but slowly his partnership with sea turns into a genuine friendship, and the more he gets to know sea, the more everything becomes so much more complicated

ANYWAY. all this to say that at some point, after they've both made a name for themselves and made it closer to the top, something goes wrong (maybe jimmy betrays himself in some way or there's a dirty cop that gives him away idk) and the leader of the organization finds out about jimmy, so they kinda set him up: on one hand, they reveal his identity to sea and order him to kill jimmy; on the other, they tell jimmy they have proof that sea is an undercover cop and order jimmy to kill him (not sure if it makes much sense, but like. maybe they start doubting sea's loyalty as well, so if sea manages to kill jimmy, that's good, but if jimmy kills him instead, they know that's the one thing that's gonna hurt jimmy the most because sea is his only weakness)

THE POINT IS!!!!!!!! most heated encounter where sea is both so angry and hurt because of jimmy's lies and jimmy is desperately torn between sea and his revenge and they're shooting at each other and beating each other up and at one point jimmy has sea pinned on the floor and sea is screaming at jimmy with a bloody mouth to just kill him already and jimmy just can't, he can't he can't he can't, and then sea is pushing jimmy off of him and grabbing the gun that he had lost during the fight and pointing it at jimmy and he is shacking so badly he can't even aim it properly and does he even want to he knows he should because none of it was real nothing jimmy ever said to him was real and sea hates hates hates him just as much as he is in love with him and before sea realizes it he is throwing the gun away with a scream

AND NOW IT'S JUST THE TWO OF THEM AGAINST THE WORLD HAVING TO LEARN TO TRUST EACH OTHER AGAIN AND ALSO TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THEY'RE IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER AND IDK WHERE I WANTED TO GO WITH THIS BUT YWAH. YEAH

[forcebookish]

so I feel like topmew was really well done in the beginning but it all went off the rails very recently which means it was either 1) the writers had no idea what to do with them after the breakup or the more likely option 2) they listened way too much to the loser fans and started editing according to that. and if that's the case it's really sad bc all that fan feedback got them was by far the worst episode to date. and I'm not even just talking about topmew and the demolishing of mew's character but the pacing and editing was so strange and offputting. don't know if i'm making sense here but the whole episode felt both rushed and too slow at the same time. it is the first time I have not gone back to watch any scene and I most likely never will. it's just very disheartening bc topmew fans were the only ones actually WATCHING THE SHOW and this is what we get.

i think it's a combo, anon. like, topmew are badly written in this episode - there's a way that boeing could have been an obstacle in their relationship but this was not the way they should have done it. in fact, it would have been better if topmew actually got back together at the end of episode 9 and then boeing showed up, but his appearance at this time and mew SUDDENLY!!!! reverting to the same way he felt in episode 7 just makes the last three episodes feel like a waste of time.

this is only exacerbated by the cutting of the rage room scene. at least if that had been left in we would have been able to see mew's thought process and that he really is just as angry as he was back then (especially if they hadn't cut the fantasy scene where he beat top - which... honestly, that scene sounds stupid? sorry, i do kind of get why they cut it, because it seems like it should have been obvious during workshops that the scene didn't work whether topmew were received well by fans or not). up to this point, despite what a lot of fans say, they've done a great job showing that topmew love each other - but they seemed to just drop the ball in this episode just because mew is "hurt a second time." besides the flashback idea that i had, there wasn't anything that they could have done to make how mew acted in this episode reasonable because it feels like such an overreaction, because they just needed an excuse for them not to get back together.

and because that scene was cut, instead of using flashbacks (which seriously, oh my god, they could have, they have the footage; it would have been such a good way to remind the audience why they're still in love despite the way that mew treats top throughout the episode) they just left topmew out to include scenes that run on too long, are repetitive, and literally contain dead air. like you said, the pacing and editing was off-putting, both rushed and too slow is a perfect way to describe it. it just doesn't fit with the rest of the series, while the writing also doesn't fit with the rest of the series. and it seemed to be all to keep the audience from seeing mew/topmew in a bad light - which those people are going to do anyway, so it feels extra pointless. it just feels like a slap in the face to forcebook and foxmochis. it is disheartening, anon :(

and now it feels like i'm watching it out of obligation to forcebook rather than because i still like it. this fandom was already exhausting, but now even production is treating forcebook like they're not important? (well. they were already acting like that with the bts...) i feel like all i have to look forward to is that topmew actually stay together, but how are we gonna get there when this is what they're like and they've lost so much trust over so little?

and now the writers have lost my trust. i just don't know where the series is going now or if i care. i get that dramas can go off the rails near the end when writers run out of ideas like this, but it feels like so much has just been... dropped, or we're just getting filler. even the stuff that i liked in this episode was overshadowed by the poor editing.

like, i know i'm being dramatic, but this has been such a slog with a lot of triggering content and fan reactions, and i thought it was leading somewhere - i want it to still be, but i've kind of lost hope. and in the end, this is about forcebook's career and i don't want anything to jeopardize that. i hate to see their hard work being treated like this :(

thanks for stopping by, anon! you're absolutely right😔💔

[manofmanymons]

I love how cute the late chapters of the truthful route are

This is more me rambling than any form of serious post or ~anaylsis~ I'm just replaying the route and constantly sobbing over how adorable they all are

They get along so much better with each other and their partners than at the start or in the routes where bitches be dying and it is very much fun seeing them have so many positive interactions

Even their arguing is more productive barring when Takuma FIRST got back but admittedly that was MOSTLY just Kaito ksksmd like there's a lot more "think we should do this because this" "I see what you mean but also consider—" and a lot less "maybe we should—" "FUCK YOU SHUT UP YOU'RE WRONG"

Super love the scene where Ryo and Kaito are talking to Renamon and at first Takuma freaks out thinking they're gonna start a fight but then Shuuji tells him to calm down and just trust them and they end up just being like "hey what you did sucked but we're on the same side so let's work together" and Takuma is like

Like not even just the fact that those two of all people DIDN'T start shit but the fact that Shuuji wholeheartedly trusted them not to is SO insanely different from early game

Also the fact that after everything they've been through they can even still joke around with each other like there are just so many scenes where they're just being happy and silly in spite of it all

Minoru continuing to piss Ryo off by not treating him like he's older is so funny. Like they also clearly get along way better than before especially since Ryo doesn't take Minoru's dumbassery to heart anymore but that one scene where it was LITERALLY like "it's not what you said it's how you said it" had me dead jdjdnd they are such an old divorced couple. Not an old married couple. An old divorced couple.

I LOVE HOW YOU CAN PLAY TAKUMA AS THE WORST BEST FRIEND EVER AND JUST REPEATEDLY THROW MINORU UNDER THE BUS LIKE WTF MAN I THOUGHT YOU WERE RIDE OR DIE

Also love how pretty much all of them have at least one line that's just something along the lines of "we can do anything if we're together" because you KNOW none of them used to feel that way. Putting up with each other bc safety in numbers to actually genuinely trusting each other and being grateful for each other.

SUPER LOVE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO SHUUJI AND TRYING TO REASSURE HIM THAT HE'S NOT TOO MUCH OF A PESSIMIST AND IT'S GOOD THAT HE'S THE WAY HE IS AND IF YOU PICK THE WRONG DIALOGUE OPTION HE'LL JUST LIKE??? OPENLY ADMIT THAT HE KNOWS HE'S NOT THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB AND THAT AOI AND TAKUMA ARE MORE SUITED FOR IT BUT HE APPRECIATES THAT TAKUMA'S TRYING TO BE NICE

This is turning into a "random scenes I love" post but I love when Minoru calls Kaito weird for being happy about Miu bossing him around and Takuma telling him to knock it off because there's probably more to it than that. Also Minoru being like "dude how can you put up with this" and Kaito being like "how long do you think I've been her brother for" ksjskdn like it is so funny to think that Miu has always been a little dictator and Kaito has always just gone along with it

Also all the kemonogami are precious I mean they're precious in every route but I laughed so hard when I purposely picked a wrong dialogue option and Labramon yelled at Takuma for being stupid ToT

Falcomon and Dracmon kill me every time they're on screen. They're the funniest characters in this whole game. Again I mean they're like that in every route but I think the humor lands better in the route where there's not constant death happening.

Also also I'm sorry but them being afraid of the ghost at the school was so funny to me bc they've MET other ghosts at that point and also the other times they've thought there were ghosts it was just like...a digimon. It's like in ghost game when Kiyo is like AAAAAH GHOST and it's like bitch you KNOW it's a digimon.

Also also also Kaito lying about not being worried about Dracmon bc he doesn't wanna freak Miu or Takuma out but then after getting him back being like I WAS SO SCARED SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU

Also also ALSO also Ryo and Shuuji being alive so I can see all their battle lines with the other characters. And how even lines between characters change over time. I actually don't know what all the lines are and if the change is related to the chapter or to the route or to their affinity but I know for a fact that the lines aren't always the same and I am always delighted to see a new one.

ALSOx5 CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW ADORABLE THE MINASE SIBLINGS ARE FOR A SECOND? THEY ARE THE SWEETEST EVER.

Anyways these kids are the cutest friend group when their spirits are not actively being crushed by pointless deaths with no clear end in sight and it's just so nice seeing the kinda people they all are when they're not completely miserable and being pushed to/past their breaking points.

Like truthful may not be the most fun or interesting route but goddamn does it make me happy that the canon path is the one where they're actually allowed to grow and learn and be happy

[arc-of-smiles]

yuya sakaki for the character memeeeee

General opinion/How much I care about them:

I LOVE YUYA HELLO????? I CARE ABT HIM SO MUCH!!!! he's just such a kind wejhfbewb person. yuya is a very kind protagonist, so kind that he's just super naive because of it. i would argue he's the most, because he just trusts anyone automatically if they remind him of his dad.

however, i really hated a lot of the zarc stuff, not his fault by any means! it's the fault of the writing, he could've shined more if the writing wasn't so... yeah. especially towards the end of the series. he could've been more if arc-v didn't hold him back. he lost so much potential because of said writing. i wish he got to shine more, and entertain us more.

and in my hot take: i would've loved an ending where all of the yu's and the bracelet girls lived! but also, i feel like the most interesting ending would've been if all of them died. i feel like his character arc would've ended super interesting like that. idk, i'm just still mad abt the ending wejhfbwe, why not have all of them dead?

i also say this bc angst my beloved. BUT BUT BUT, i love yuya so much and i want him to be happy. he deserves to duel with a giant smile.

A ship I love:

pendulum....shipping... i've loved them for a long time. they make me happy, and they itch my brain in SUCH a happy way. i always liked them since i was a child. i love the dynamic of reiji being in love with yuya, but not showing it (if that makes sense). he will show his love through actions, and protecting yuya and basically laying his life down. reiji will do anything for yuya, he wants and needs yuya to be happy.

yuya always loved reiji too! but i feel as if he had a hard time showing his love too. both of them went through so much, and i feel like it will take them a long time for them to be together. as friends?? YEAH THAT'S AWESOME!! as lovers??? give them a handful of years, then they'll go on a date.

A non-romantic relationship that I love:

him and the other yu's. i personally interpret them with a brotherly/strong friendship relationship thing. i can go either way. in some aus i have, they're brothers... others they're just friends or whatever.

i think all of them would have a very funny dynamic. yuya would always try to break up arguments and try to keep them all happy. i think they should all go to an amusement park and make yuri go on a rollercoaster. IT WOULD BE FUN

The NOTP:

i really don't like yuto/yuya wehfbwehjJHWEBFWE LIKE I'M SORRY. i can't, i really can't. out all of the yu ships i rlly don't like them together. i also see them as brothers (in certain aus) but in general, i see them as platonic friends. that's it, i can only see them being platonic.

My biggest headcanon about them:

besides my semi-well known hc (if you look at my account), i hc yuya to be trans. however, since that's already well known, i will just share another one wefjhbwe.

imo, i feel like he would be a good cook... but can barely go grocery shopping. he will simply get too distracted, and get snacks instead of food to make.

he started out not so good, but he would constantly try over and over again. he would cook with yoko a lot! overtime, he did get better. when he goes grocery with his mom, she would have to keep yuya by her side. he would want to walk away and point at the snacks and beg for some. but no... they can make their own!

yuya's mind is scattered in stores, he wants to look at everything! also he can't follow a cook book, he will mess up.

An idea for a fanfiction I would like to write/read about them: (if I have none in my WIPs I'll make one up on the spot!)

i want to write a fic where yuya and reiji confess to each other, post arc-v! they're both adults, and they've been longing to see and talk to each other about these feelings.

angsty but full of love, i want reiji to be terrified of love. he's worried about messing everything up. and yuya is afraid of losing a friend.

trauma!

Something that makes me think of them: (a song, a character in another fandom, an animal, anything)

anytime i see a colorful jester i think of yuya, i'm trying to think of a song that reminds me of him... but i can't rn. like god, it was on my mind BUT THEN IT SLIPPED I'M SO MAD AUGHHHHH!!! my joyous boy, god i love him.

[acourtofthought]

I, too, find this theory bizarre because A) how would Koschei have done that and 2) why would e/riel be a threat to him?

Maeve is the only character who’s messed with a bone, and she did that by breaking into other fae’s minds, with extraordinary skill. Nothing about Koschei is even remotely similar? While we don’t know much about Vassa and the others he has trapped, we know he hasn’t messed with their minds because Vassa is very much aware of him, what he’s doing, and actively working against him/to free herself. If Koschei were messing with Elain, Azriel and Lucien, they why wouldn’t he have a tighter grip on Vassa, too? Why would he allow her to plot and scheme, and live with the BoE? Feysand showed that the mating bond cannot be destroyed, nor even messed with in ACOMF/ACOWAR. If the very present, strong smelling Elucien bond were fraudulent, that would be an extraordinary work of magic which would have surfaced/been tied to Koschei in other parts of the story. But as it stands, it’s just Vassa and the girls at the lake. Brillyan was the one hoodwinking others, and very clearly so. There’s nothing to support the feasibility of Koschei messing with or faking a mating bond. Koschei cursed vassa =/= he’s instilled a fake mating bond for elucien.

And then two, what, exactly, is so threatening about E/riel? We already know Az either doesn’t trust or doesn’t allow Elain to put herself in danger. So how could their pairing be a threat to anyone? Oh no, the spymaster and his lover who he keeps secrets from and doesn’t allow to participate in grave tasks! We’re done for! I’ve seen this theory before (as backstory for how E/riel will get a rowaelin retelling despite the fact that elucien already have it) and it’s just so unserious. E/riel is not a pairing who’ve shown that they can and would work together—and by work together, I mean actually work against Koschei together. Elain couldn’t have given a shit about Azriel’s bloody and broken wings in ACOWAR, Azriel couldn’t have given a shit about her desire to find the trove in ACOSF, and both of them have not shown that they can communicate openly with each other. The closest they got was when Elain said “please” when Azriel tilted her head up in the bonus. Outside of that? Casual jokes, conversations about the garden and…that’s it. Not exactly the type of intimacy a unit would need in combat/on a mission. Certainly not the intimacy we’ve seen in Feysand, Nessian, The Valkyries, hell even Feyre and Lucien were more open with each other immediately after Feyre destroyed the spring court and they were on the run from Lucien’s brothers. Can we be so for real—E/riel have displayed absolutely NOTHING to even hint that their union would or could mean the end for Koschei.

🧼💖 and bc I just cannot ✋🏾

Happy Holidays 🧼💖!!! Are you celebrating with family tomorrow? I was happy to see your tag this morning. I find it a bit baffling when people claim Elain and Az have had all sorts of deep, connecting conversations with one another behind the scenes. A. Why would that make any sense? For them to have these moments that prove they've been falling in love when we, the readers, aren't even witness to those moments? That's the entire point of a romance story, is it not? To fall in love at the same time as the couple. B. If that's the theory they're subscribing too then couldn't we say the exact same about Elucien? That all those times Feyre mentioned she was leaving them alone to "talk", they had a conversation about how she just needs time but after she "sows" her wild oats a bit they'll revisit the idea of their bond? That she told Lucien that she's not ready for anything serious just yet and to give her time? Of course I don't think that happened but we could literally make anything up about what went down "behind the scenes" to suit our narrative. Because if that were the case, Elain wouldn't still be hesitant around Lucien and she also wouldn't be shy or have her hands shaking around Azriel. He wouldn't have mentioned that he purposely avoids spending time with her. He wouldn't have commented that she has no idea the things he does. I don't think anything major has happened off page and the things we need to know right now are the things that we've been able to read about. And you made SUCH a good point. Az has never shown any interest in training Elain, encouraging her to handle dangerous situations, etc. Even Cassian was trying to get Nesta to train as early as ACOWAR. Have we ever seen Az suggest that for Elain? And what exactly do Elain and Azriel offer together that would be a threat to Koschei? Spying on him and torturing information out of him? There's nothing about that pairing that jointly creates a concern for him. And I know Koschei made that comment that "he's spent so many months preparing for you" but to me that is less about Azriel then Cassian ( considering Koschei then says "You fell for it rather easily, though you took your time making contact. I thought you'd rush in for the kill, brute that you are" and then he seizes locks up Cassian's muscles so Briallyn can take him. Then he lets Az free. So to me, Azriel never really had anything to do with Koschei. It was always about grabbing Cassian to use against Nesta. At this point, the connection to Koschei is Vassa which leads to Lucien which leads to Elain based on all the hints in SF. Yet E/riels will create an entire storyline to make it about Elain and Az when there are ZERO hints that they together have ties to Koschei while ignoring the text that it's actually Elucien.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

I love how you write dialogue when multiple characters are involved. Just ... you integrate everyone so well, it doesn't at any point feel forced, and — actually, hold on, let me pull up a fic for reference.

Ok, so in and they were hallmates (bc I'm still in absolute awe of that one and you're not escaping more compliments for it) we've got a vaguely omniscient narrator who makes us feel like we're watching the room from a spot on the wall. This means we don't get a lot of insight into one or multiple characters, beyond what's conveyed in conversation — which makes the conversation all the more important.

Like it's-one-of-the-fundamental-pillars-of-the-narrative kind of important. And you execute it so goddamn well. You don't overdo the dialogue tags, you provide information in a way that feels natural to the characters, the setting, and the conversation, and the transitions between characters and topics feel seamless — even where there's an interruption or sudden break, because it feels purposeful and makes the following info feel important to the reader. Example: when they've just started the game of Truth or Dare, and Red's going to type out the text on Blue's phone, and Green interrupts to ask how Red knows Blue's passcode. Red says: "We're roommates [...]. And we always order pizza from his phone so we can pool rewards points." This tells us so much about Red and Blue's relationship, beyond the obvious trust in Blue letting Red confiscate his phone for his own sanity. Beyond the words themselves, it tells us that they spend the majority of their down-time together, that they have meals together, and that they're essentially operating in a dynamic of helpulfeness and trust. When Blue towards the end invites Red to spend Christmas with him, it's therefore not forced or surprising, because this info about them and the implied closeness was already revealed.

Likewise, with regards to Shadow and Vio, pretty much every interaction drives home 1) that they're comfortable around each other and 2) that they rib each other and enjoy it. When Vio gives Shadow his dare and Shadow says: "What does shotgunning the root beer have to do with that?" to which Vio says: "Nothing, I just think you look silly when you do it" it shows exactly the above — sure, it's a game, but you wouldn't dare someone to do something if you weren't sure they'd be comfortable with it. The fact that Vio gives a dare an immediately admits "yeah I just think you look dumb doing it" and Shadow does it anyways tells us that, yeah, they're comfortable around each other (Vio's honest and Shadow doesn't take offence), and they poke fun at each other and have fun with it. The fact that this is so heavily reinforced throughout the entire fic makes the ending very unsurprising, in that of course they'd get together (though I'll be honest, when I first read it I was surprised they weren't together already, which I guess is also part of the point).

Anyways, I love the way you write dialogue and I'm studying it intently every time you post a new Four Swords fic (yes, I'm very much looking forward to the next chapter of this is our get-along fic).

kalh i'm so--

[nikkipettt]

I’m curious, how did you come up with Xiao/Albedo? they’re normally quite confined to their own regions story and lore-wise so I’m wondering how you thought to put them together 😄

Well, you see, last year, Albedo was my first banner character. He's been with me since. A month later, Xiao joined the team. Even though my main bread was Diluc, I used Xiao too because I liked him bc he was cool. So in the end, my constants became Albedo and Xiao.

Now, staring at them every day made me realize that their designs pair up so well. Cool! But then I also realized that their theme, their story, kinda complemented each other. The classic explanation would be that; Albedo's theme revolves around life and creation despite being what can be classified as a being "created through sinful means" (at the time, the Gold-is-related-to-Albedo speculation was only just a theory but you bet it made sense), while Xiao's revolved around death and destruction while being comparatively a divine being.

So I thought heyy they're kinda neat.

I wondered if people ship them because it was a really nice parallel. So I went ahead and browsed the tag on twit; didn't really see much. Just a handful. But tHEN I stepped into AO3 and I felt so validated because the even the earliest fics of the pair were so good I'm convinced I'm not the only one who sees their potential.

And now that they've got their respective character developments, it made me love them even more. I see them as individuals with astonishing parallels that's why I ship them!

It's true that they're confined to their respective nations, and they'll probably never meet, but I have a little bit of hope. No one expected Itto and Xiao to meet, nor for Klee and Yoimiya, Childe and Xinyan to become friends. I would've thought they wouldn't wanna deal with each other, but given their recent character development of opening up to others and learning how to trust others (which, for me, was another wonderful parallel), I don't think I'd stay too pessimistic about it. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but it's a nice thing to think about either way, and we could all use some nice things these days.

AH SORRY ABOUT MY ESSAY. I just love em so much :'D

[chaeryybomb]

nct dream reaction to their idol!reader girlfriend being shipped with another idol

anon: nct dream reaction to their idol!reader girlfriend being shipped with some other idol :) love your works btw. and thank you for this in advance

pairing: nct dream x idol!reader

genre: headcanons, fluff, crack

warnings: mentions of insecurities

a/n: dhsjdj technically my requests are closed rn but I decided I would write this out so I hope you enjoy this!

mark lee

confused boi™

tbh he wouldn't even notice you were being shipped with another idol until another member points it out

you were a special guest mc for the show and fans saw the cute interactions you had with the boyz juyeon

and soon enough fans started shipping the both of you together

in reality, you and juyeon were just high school friends and you were glad to see him again

fans on the other hand,,

mark didn't realise you were being shipped with juyeon until doyoung pointed it one day

and mark was all like

( ・◇・)？"nani? y/n and juyeon???"

he would then search up ynjuyeon on twitter because cough yeah

and found a shit ton of edits of the both of y'all

and now he's sad :((

he's sad that because no one shipped y'all together

"isn't your relationship a secret???"

"yeah but still :((("

mark sweetie y'all have neve interacted on stage before fjdjdndnd

he knows you love him and would never cheat on him

but boy is he going to be a pouty baby when y'all hang out next time

literally all he's going to say is:

"why do they ship you and him together?? why not me :(("

"mark they've never seen us in the same room before"

huang renjun

unbothered king™

at least that's what he tells you fhdjdj

he found out through a vlive fhdhdjj

it was one of the usernames and the username was like ynxyanan_shipper

and renjun mf squinted his eyes like

did I read that clearly ಠ_ಠ

he's like yn and wHO

chenle was beside him when it happened and chenle was like what's wrong

and renjun points out the username

and chenle starts lauGHING BECAUSE HE FINDS IT SO FUNNY

renjun smacks him on the head to tell him to shut up DHHSHDD

obviously he would take a screenshot of the username and sends it to you

and he's like

short king <3: do you hv something to confess to me

you: ,,, my love for you??

short king <3: blocked

you: HAHSAHS IM KIDDING

tbh you find the situation honestly really funny

cause you and yanan aren't exactly friends? you're more of acquaintances than friends

and you made eye contact one (1) time with him by accident at an award show and suddenly you're being shipped with him

when you call him the next time to hang out, definitely expect him to be salty about it fjdjfjd

"hey are you free to come over today?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask your BOYFRIEND yanan"

"renjun istg i will break up with you-"

lee jeno

oh baby boy is gonna be so so confused

he's going to be even more confused because you're being shipped with itzy's chaeryeong fhfhfjf

see you and chaeryeong were featured in an episode of a reality tv show once

and the both of y'all immediately hit it off and your friendship was just adorable

so y'all kept interacting every time y'all see each other

and y'all are now nicknamed as the 4th gen gfs because y'all are so adorable???

like the chaeryn ship ur most popular ship ever

so jeno is so confused?? like why is his gf being shipped with her??

he's like a whole ass puppy okay

you, on the other hand, find the chaeryn ship really cute so you don't mind it and you jokingly call chaeryeong your gf once or twice on live before fjdjfn

whenever you tell him that you're hanging out with chaeryeong, he will pout at you and give you his best puppy eyes

like he will cling onto you and try to convince you to now to go

it works like 13% of the time and you would cancel plans with chaer but most of time it doesn't and you would end up being late jhdjsh

but it will slowly become into an inside joke between y'all

like yk that one meme

"this is yn my girlfriend and her girlfriend chaeryeong"

kjdhkjshfs yeah that

but in all seriousness, jeno is really unbothered about you being shipped with chaeryeong because it basically has the same energy as him being shipped with jaemin

whenever y'all are having play fights, you jokingly threaten to leave him for chaeryeong jdsfjds and he immediately stops and says that's unfair

pls shower him in hugs and kisses later

lee haechan

definitely makes a fuss about it

i mean he knows that you aren't going to leave him and all but is he going to be dramatic about it? yes, yes he is

he finds out by himself because he was probably on twitter stalking your hashtag

when he suddenly stumbles upon and edit of you and ateez's san

he's like O.O wot is tHis?

screenshots the edit and sends it to you

hyuckie: yNNNN

hyuckie: THE LOVE OF MY LIFE

hyuckie: BABY

hyuckie: SUGAR BUM

hyuckie: DAISY PIE

you: what in, the ever loving fuck, is daisy pie

hyuckie: *sends screenshot* ARE U CHEATING ON ME

you: hyuck that pic is clearly edited

hyuckie: I KNOW BUT ARE YOU????

you: i-

he makes so much jokes about it that you literally have to shut him up with a kiss

jokes on u reader he's doing this on purpose to get those free kisses

the jokes stop when you actually finally meet san during a game show and shippers are like omg they finally interacted

and the amount of ynxsan edits just,, grow

haechan acts even salty about it and whines about why fan don't ship y'all together when y'all have made eye contact during the golden disk awards bc he was being a lil shit hdsjhfjds

"hey what if i keep staring at you during the melon so we can get into a scandal?"

"hyuck this is supposed to be a secret relationship-"

"yeah but-"

jokes on u he actually does stare at you at the next award show and thankfully did not get into any scandals, but fans started to ship the both of you!

na jaemin

the true unbothered king

literally does not care that you are shipped with someone else

because he knows that he is yours and vice versa

and plus you love him a lot so

he finds out from chenle, who did it out of spite because one day chenle was bored and wanted to cause some chaos

boi basically ran up to jaemin to shove an edit of you and treasurer's junkyu together and went like

"look hyung! ur gf is being shipped with someone eLsE"

"oh that's weird"

"rigHT"

"I thought people shipped her with treasurer's hyunsuk"

chenle is like

HUH???

"aren't you like,, jeaolous??"

jaemin just shrugs and says "hmm, not really"

jaemin knows that you are good friends wth a lot of idols because you're a social butterfly

so he truly doesn't mind when you get shipped with other idols bc in the end , he's the one holding you in his arms

plus he knows the edits and shippers are mostly harmless

and he trusts you

so he just fucks around with chenle jkldsfj

chenle is still confused bc he wants to rile jaemin up for fun but failed hjdshf

zhong chenle

if you thought haechan was dramatic, then you better buckle up for chenle's

so you see

fans already shipped u and chenle

like

y'all already have a dating scandal

and both companies tried so hard to defuse it

see you are an mc for a music show and you were interviewing nct dream

chenle, being the lil shit he is, kept giving you the heart eyes the entire time

and 6 months later, y'all got caught by dispatch on a daTe

ofc both sides were panicking but chenle was enjoying bc he's like "yeah this is my s/o and what abt it"

but y'all still had a dating ban so sm was this close in kicking him hfdsjfh

fortunately, they were able to cover it up as someone else so there's that

so chenle is aware that fans shipped the both of you together

so when he sees you being shipped with stray kid's jeongin

he was like "HOW DARE THEY-"

calls you to complain about the ship for 3 hours

and that is how you found out as well-

literally you don't even know jeongin so you just let chenle complain about it

he goes on and on about why fans should continue to ship y'all together so when he reveals the relationship the fans will be surprised but also not really at the same time-

"should i get into another scandal with you?"

"chenle no-"

park jisung

oh baby boy is going to be very, very confused

i mean he knows that shipping is a thing between fans

he's just confused why ppl would ship you and p1harmony's keeho

like you have never interacted with him so why would fans ship the both of y'all??

the dreamies mostly tell him to not take it serious but the chenle and haechan would egg him on

"get into a dating scandal with them"

"guys no-"

he wouldn't tell you that it bothers him because he doesn't want you laughing at him, worrying over a small issue

so honestly, it lowkey eats him up on the inside

until one day, you basically force it out of him because he's been acting weird for the past week

he finally confesses about the what's bothering him

and you tell him that you wouldn't have laughed at him

you know shipping idols is a common thing in the industry and sometimes it's uncomfortable knowing it when you're already in a relationship

but you also tell him that it's basically harmless because fans can't really force the both of y'all together

jisung would be insecure about the relationship because it's kinda of his first? so he just doesn't want to mess it up

just reassure him a lot and tell him that you won't leave him

and as time goes by, he just gets used to the shipping

[kitkatpancakestack]

Thinking about that incredible Buck + Eddie set of the shooting with that Bobby quote about believing he was listening to Athena die: I knew what my life would feel like without you in it...

Which, first of all, rude as hell...But second, I'm sitting with what feels like a hard truth that of the two couples, it really is Buck and Eddie who might not survive losing the other. There's the Christopher of it all, so they would technically keep living. But. Bobby or Athena would of course be devastated to lose the other. They would grieve, it would be horrific. But ultimately, I don't worry that they wouldn't survive, wouldn't figure out how to live after, to move on and carry their grief.

I very much have that worry with Buck and Eddie. And I think this is one of the lessons they've got to learn before they can finally be together.

This is a nuanced take and not in any way a statement that Buddie is better or stronger, not at ALL. Not really the opposite, but they are certainly younger and it shows here. Because I don't think "we always wanted to go together" is the measure of a healthy relationship, certainly for anyone not in their literal 80s.

Something about Bobby, Athena, Eddie and Buck and how grief — learning to not just technically survive loss, but to live, to find and embrace happiness after unimaginable loss — is something that ties them all together. How they're each in different places with their grief. How Buck's root trauma is grief and he didn't even know it (until he was 30 damn years old).

So, the Bathena/Buddie parallels are of course unhinged and romantic, and they are also deep and complex as hell. And it's the differences between them is challenging and kind of upsetting me at the moment, and I needed to share my pain.

Thoughts?

**Disclaimer before I begin: this is not meant to be discourse about what ship is the top ship, or what makes one of the couples better than the other etc. As yrames put it, it is a nuanced take I'm using as a vehicle to compare/contrast these couples.

@yramesoruniverse I absolutely love this ask. It's actually a concept I think about all the time.

(First I want to link the gif set mentioned, bc the parallel still has my head spinning all these months later. I still can't get over the intention of it, the way we had to parallel the dialogue to Buck and Eddie. Oh, the implications.)

Alright, now, let's talk about grief:

I have thought a lot about what makes Buck and Eddie feel so different to me compared to the other couples. Because, absolutely, I agree with you, I don't think either of them would "survive" losing the other. And by this I mean, I don't think either of them would ever go on to live a fully fulfilled life. There are two sides of this, I think, a side that is inherently romantic, and then a side you mention that is a bit darker in its naivety. I know your ask mainly focuses on Bathena, but I want to parallel Buck and Eddie to the other couples on the show as well.

Our three main established couples on the show are Henren, Bathena, and Madney. I consider these to be strong and dynamic couples, built off trust and love and mutual understanding. I think the difference with these couples is, we can imagine the individuals in the pair as existing without the other. Of course, this isn't to say losing their partner would not absolutely devastate them, but I do believe each individual in our established couples would be able to, eventually, pick themselves up and move forward, and find a way to interact with life meaningfully again (I'm rethinking my stance on madney, though, given 5A, I was Worried about Chimney, whew)

I'll focus mostly on Bathena for the sake of brevity and to stay in line with your ask. Both Bobby and Athena had families and lives prior to their marriage to each other. Bobby was married to a woman he was deeply devoted to, and even Athena was deeply devoted to Michael, despite the rough patches in the relationship she ignored (edit: she also dealt with the loss of her first love, Emmett). I absolutely love Bobby and Athena together, that's my mom and dad, and I think they were definitely meant to find each other, and I think it would take serious time to move on from losing each other, but we have precedence that it is possible for them. They both have a blueprint, so to speak, for how to navigate that kind of intimate loss and move forward. This has a lot to do with age and experience.

I want to mention 9-1-1LS briefly, here, because actually, the closest couple in the 9-1-1 universe I can think of that most parallels Buck and Eddie in this sense is Grace and Judd. Just like with our boys at the 118, it is an unequivocal feeling I have that neither Grace nor Judd would "survive" losing each other, either. Grace and Judd are also a younger couple, and have not had the "loved and lost" experience that Bathena has, so it could be a factor of age and experience yet again. That said, I recall a scene in an episode of LS, when Grace and Judd were caught in a truck and sinking and Grace was stuck, and Judd was fully prepared to sink to the bottom of that lake with her rather than save himself. Barring the existence of Christopher, I could see that exact scene playing out with Buck and Eddie when I first watched it. It's interesting to me, and so I thought it worth mentioning, that there's something about the extent to which Grace and Judd have seamlessly interwoven their lives that mirrors Buck and Eddie.

Buck and Eddie are . . . impossible to label. Hard to articulate. In the one sense of the "Don't go where I can't follow" mold of their relationship, I think it's beautiful to be committed to someone to such an extent, to feel another person so vibrantly in every area of your life, that there's no comprehensible reality you could experience that they would not touch. You bring up an interesting point, though, when you mention this being a not-so-healthy component of a young relationship, and of course there is Christopher to consider in all of this as well.

I find it interesting, though, in the ways Buck and Eddie have both experienced loss. Individually and with each other. Buck's entire existence is rooted in grief, as you say, and his entire adult life as of recently has been trying to overcome this grief that shaped him. He hasn't had to hold his loved one dying in the street (not until 4x13 anyway) but he's experienced the loss of abandonment, again and again. Eddie, on the other hand, has experienced the loss of a partner. He watched Shannon die. He's had to figure out a way to move on from this, and yet we do see him actively being able to move on from this, and still there is the feeling in my gut that whispers if it was Buck, it would be different, and honestly maybe somebody else can hijack this post and tell me why because I can't explain it. Likewise, with Buck, when he is faced with the real possibility of losing Eddie at the well and after Eddie is shot, the reaction is unreal. It's almost concerning. The depth and intensity of emotion in those moments is visceral. Based off those alone you have to be wondering to yourself how would this man survive if Eddie died?

I don't know if it's something they could ever learn to deal with it. I don't know if that's a kind of grief they could ever overcome. Or, they would, to the extent that they are present and functional for Christopher, but maybe not much beyond that.

Anyway. I haven't meta'd this obscenely long in a while, but I have serious thoughts about grief and how it connects people, especially the 9-1-1 characters, and especially concerning parallels between buddie/bathena. I'd be interested to hear if anybody else also gets this feeling around buddie that they don't get around the other couples, and why they feel that way.

Thanks for the ask! Always a pleasure♥️