#and also i'm the one living my life so i can see that already for myself

[coldsaturn]

I finished my reread of TSC in preparation for TGR, and I have thoughts

Jean's sassiness and the way he calls/insults everyone in his vicinity like they're an ant beneath his shoe

The starcrossed tragedy between him and Renee. They're the right people at the wrong time but there's no "in another universe" for them because this is the only one where Jean lives.

"Probably not,” Abby said. “My Foxes chose to fight back.” Yeah, fuck you too Abby. This is why you're not the counselor of the team.

"Loving something is not enough" book theme if I've ever seen one

Right on cue, the fact that rainbows aren't Jean's first little miracle.

The difference between a book centered on Jean and one centered on Neil is incredibly evident. Picking up on what I said about Neil being a protagonist full of agency, here we have the very opposite. For the entire book things happen to Jean and he is unmoored, swept left and right by the current, stubbornly stuck in that corner where he can only take and receive and submit. And again, it works so well because we've known him for two books already, and we get constant sparks of that righteous rage he feels inside that at some point has to explode. And when that happens, we'll get the turn we need to a character who starts exercising agency. But reality is never that sweet, because Jean is right, his cage is so much bigger than the one he had before, but it's a cage nonetheless.

Speaking of differences between Neil's and Jean's POVs, I know it's already been pointed out countless times in the fandom, but it will never stop being funny how Jean salivates while looking at beautiful people, whereas if you ask Neil to describe them he'll go "Huuuuuuh, 2 eyes, 4 limbs?"

"Oh, he thought. It’s so big." Guess where I still get teary eyed.

"Unsteady fingers put in the Raven digits over and over and over." GUESS WHERE I STILL GET TEARY EYED.

We meet Neil at a point in his life where he's hiding his real identity even from himself, and we don't get to see who he is when he's given the freedom to be confident in his own skin until the very end of TKM (even though it's only a little glimpse). At the end of TSC we finally see him crystal clear, and the guy is a mafioso through and through lmaooo People going "oh Palmetto recruited the son of a criminal" like no you don't get it, the father is not the problem here lol

The cultural disconnect between age of consent laws in California/S.Carolina and Italy slapping me out of the book (and fandom discourse)

Too much has already been said about Jeremy's mysterious past. What I will add is: Jean is clearly in dire need of proper, well-adjusted friends who can build a solid support network around and under him, but it's obvious Jean is extremely conflicted over the gap between them. He doesn't want to talk about his life, but there's also a real concern over the fact that these people cannot fully understand him because they come from a different world than his, and the result is that Jean wants to protect them from himself as well. For his character to grow he'll have to step away from his broken reality and into something healthier, of course, so he will get closer to how they live, but there's always going to be a gap between them because his life literally belongs to the yakuza. He has freedom, as Neil reminded him, but his life will be cut short if he fails to deliver what he was bought for. And that's something that the characters we have as of now can empathize with because they care, but cannot viscerally understand, and I'm not sure they will accept (see the mirror between Jean stopping them from calling the police, and Neil asking Jean not to involve the Moriyama). I'm not sure where the story is going, if Jerejean will always have this gap between them that they consciously cross for the sake of each other (which is a good love story in itself), or if Jeremy's mysterious past will somehow help Jean see him as someone closer to him, someone who can understand where he comes from. If the gap stays in place, we'll probably have the different kinds of love Jean can feel toward a romantic partner who deeply cares for him, and for partners like Kevin and Neil who got their hands bloody just like Jean did.

[grayskiesandink]

You know, i've always really liked Ink's concept of forgiveness/way to deal with conflicts and now with your jewish interpretation, i like it even more!

So, according to Ink's FAQ, Ink never tries to attack a enemy first and always tries to reconcile and understand where the problem is coming from, which includes him talking with the enemy in order to be able understand the issue and try to brush them in the right direction.

You may already now this but i realllyyy want to explain for anyone who doesn't, there's a concept in judaism called "teshuvah" (meaning "repentance" or "return"), it's a concept of forgiveness where the perpetratir undergoes a rigorous self-examination that requires engagement with the victim, by confessing, expressing regret and making an active effort to right thr wrong of what they commited.

I've always thought that his formula of dealing with fights to be very Teshuvah all around! In my opinion ofc

But anyways, i think the previous anon expressed their thoughts incorrectly because his need to "follow the script" is not a part of this headcanon at all. (it's actually a result of his abandonment issues, dissociative outlook on pretty much everything and always thinking what's best for the creators rather than what's better for him but i digress)

What i could however consider a part of this interpretation is his importance on life and the creations. It was said by comyet that Ink thinks all creations/life should exist because "it's fair", and that's actually one of the main reasons to why he decided to protect such creations in the first place! He loves them with all if his nonexistent heart and wants them to exist (this does imply that he protects AU's with bad endings but i'm trying to focus more on his want for living you know?)

yes !!! finally someone talks about Ink's fighting style...... It is so important to me that he's not this aggressor- in reality he'll do anything to not have to fight/aim to kill. He's a talker!! Fighting uses up his ink and that can always be dangerous (in how I write Ink- he does fight a bit more often but there's reasons for that. I still like to keep in mind his usual fighting style. and also my Ink is Not canon). It's really interesting to connect teshuvah with his fighting style... turning it around in my brain. honestly I always find thinking about forgiveness and how characters would deal with it super super interesting. I am always thinking about how Ink would deal with forgiveness. does he acknowledge his own mistakes... I think he'd more openly engage with his mistakes towards the Creators than he would for other people. is he haunted by his actions towards other characters. is he??? does he understand that's what he's feeling??? I NEED TO KNOW !! WAHGAG. Ink you're so cool and interesting I love youuuuu. I love thinking about Ink's worldview <3 I agree with everything you said about his attitude towards the scripts- I haven't seen it put into words often but there is something super intriguing about how at the same time he's both self sacrificial and selfish. I say selfish in the most non judgmental way to be clear, textbook definition of the word. How I see his desire to keep the scripts running is both out of deep respect for the creators and out of a desire to keep them happy so they keep creating (giving him access to the life force he needs). But, at the same time, this means everyone he cares about is put at risk (his dads!!!!!!). He's sacrificing his own personal attachments so he can focus on his own survival (at least, in part. I do think it's clear he just loves the creators). I do agree that his love for all creations is very Jewish of him <3. slaps the top of Ink. you can store so much love in this lad. soul or not. I think there might also be something to how he views everything as fiction- you can argue that he's fighting for the life of the creative work. the characters in it aren't like. real deaths. technically. idk. there's a lot to think about !!! I love answering these asks btw I hope that's clear. everybody feel free to come into my askbox and talk about Ink and also Judaism to me

[mishellii]

petnames headcanons .ᐟ.ᐟ

modernworld!attack on titan x fem!reader

including: eren, armin, levi, hange, erwin, jean, mikasa, connie & sasha

warnings: NSFW! minors do not interact; not proofread,,, as always, pretty self indulgent oops

likes & reblogs appreciated<3

masterlist

𐙚EREN.

���i have this fb image about him in my head that i just can't get rid of

★...... babygirl

★but hear me out

★most of the times when he has NO idea what you're on about or he's trying to tease u

★uses it mostly while texting tho!

★"that's literally insane bbg"

★he's so UGHH

★always greets u with babe

★he'd definitely use ur name as well but he loves loves petnames

★sugar, pretty girl, u name it

★thinks they're so cute

★when ur asking something of him or like giving him shit he'd hit u with a

★"sure, ma"

★and idk about u but that's kinda hot

NSFW.

★so so basic but he loves calling you baby during sex, even though he calls u that all the time

★i think he'd use such teasing words and soft n sweet petnames just fit so well with that

★"oh, now you're listening, baby?"

★"c'mon, pretty, you were all mouthy earlier, tell me."

★says ur name only when he cums :)

★and the usual good girl when ur finished

★c'mon we been knew

──────────୨ৎ───────────

𐙚ARMIN.

★love

★LOVE

★just love man he's so so loving in his words he wouldn't ever call you anything degrading

★"sure, angel, i'll get right to it."

★but most likely when texting??

★perhaps he's too shy to call u anything but your name in public but he's trying i promise

★also the type to call u something only the both of you would know the reason behind; something no one else would know why he'd call u that

NSFW.

★oh my sweet boy

★i am a sub armin believer, but more on the switchy side so he could definitely dom if he feels confident enough in the relationship

★"please, angel, let me cum"

★with that subtle manipulative tone barely noticeable because of his oh so gentle words

★"i know, darling, just a bit more, please?"

★also loveeees moaning your name and hearing YOU say his name cuz he feels more connected this way

★,,,sighs dreamily

𐙚LEVI.

★this little bloke

★refuses to call u anything but ur name in public like,,,, if there's other people, he's using your name there's no way around it

★except for the infamous brat of course (i'm bumping that)

★,,i'm not telling you again, brat."

★in the comfort of ur living space, where it's just the two of you, he might throw in something cute if he's in a particularly soft mood

★"Already did the dishes, love, go lay down."

★pretty confident when he's texting tho, but simply cuz the words sound too foreign coming out of his mouth

★"Sure, Sweetheart. See you at home."

NSFW.

★dom levi defender for life u can haunt me down idc i stand by this

★once he feels comfortable and secure enough in ur relationship, certain you won't run off, he'd definitely lose the no-feelings-attitude and become more playful and daring

★"hands above your head, doll, i'm not telling you again."

★he can be pretty mean and unfair ,,,

★just.... u need to give him what he wants before he gives u what you want u feel me

★"beg"

★-"please."

★"like a good girl."

★not opposed to throwing in the brat again if ur pissing him off

★i'd gladly piss him off

★gnawing at the bars of my enclosure rn

𐙚HANGE.

★AAAAA A A A AAAAAAA

★"darling, i'm almost done."

★i would go to war for hange pls someone hold my hand

★now i think they're not entirely intrigued by pet names but some do slip out when they're feeling soft or they're in a silly mood

★once hange stalked the internet for too long and found "the cuppycake song" and started calling u stuff like my snoogums boogums or hunny bunch to get on ur nerves

★when noticing you're down or not in the best mood they use comforting ones tho

★"you okay, dear?"

★texts usually with the basic babe cuz they think it's short and still comes across as endearing, right?

NSFW.

★ugh

★"legs spread, sweet thing."

★ hange's a switch me thinks but with a preference for dominating??? idk why i'm even talking about this but y'all need to get the idea

★"did i tell you to move, pretty girl?"

★ugh pt.2

★when feeling subby they'd mostly use ur name tho ??

★or a teasing "yes, ma'am" to get u even more worked up (if u weren't already)

𐙚ERWIN.

★mr.smith my god

★he's so sweetheart coded fuck off

★and always puts "my" infront of pet names to insure people know u belong together

★doesn't matter if ur married or not

★"i'm just finishing up work, my love."

★if he talks with someone else about you it'd be either "my lady" or "my wife"

★he's oh so respectful when he talks about u i'm going insane

★texting would be the same tbh

NSFW.

★ahem

★"there you go, sweet girl. that's it."

★HE'S JUST SO-

★like he loves ur name too don't get me wrong but once he knows how much u love hearing him say those things it'll be hard to get him to stop

★"let me hear you, angel."

★makes u feel so much with his words and soft voice i hate it here

★erwin smith the man u are

𐙚JEAN.

★"hey, good lookin', how's it going?"

★doesn't reaaalllyyy call u much aside from babe in public, cuz he's a bit more private about showing his love

★not afraid to step up and make it known you're with him tho

★"yeah, my girl's not interested, thank you."

★during texting too like

★almost same as armin in personal pet names like,,,, idk

★u got an embarrassing haircut ONCE he's not letting it go

★"sure, bowl cut, i'll be there soon."

★i mean it's endearing come oooonn

NSFW.

★"you're so good to me, beautiful."

★i'm almost convinced he's all about praising words and names in bed (can u tell i don't like degradation oops)

★making u feel so good about urself cuz that's exactly what he wants

★also something along the lines of

★"go on, pretty thing, i got you."

★such a charmer

★i want 14 of him rn

𐙚MIKASA.

★step back ladies, i got this 🫷🏼😌🫸🏼

★in all seriousness, mommikasa's pretty light on the petnames imo

★she's a softy at heart tho, so she'll definitely call u sumn along the lines of love or sweets

★mostly in the comfort of ur 4 walls tho !!

★such huge emphasis on my GIRLFRIEND when introducing you to someone or talking about u

★wants the people to KNOW you're hers.

★she don't play about u

NSFW.

★lord have mercy

★pretty pretty girl is a force to be reckoned with

★"yeah, gorgeous, you like that?" in her soft voice with that devilish undertone

★settling for the basic baby most of the time tho, cuz it rolls off her tongue so easily when she's with u

★if you're being good, she'll let you know with sumn like "that's my girl." or "you're my pretty girl, yes?"

★again

★BIG👏🏻EMPHASIS👏🏻on the "my" part

𐙚CONNIE.

★this douche is all in always everywhere

★literally only calls u shit because he loves messing with u

★it's his form of affection i promise

★"ey, smelly, come here."

★genuinely, he's so weird

★"pookie, i didn't mean it."

★when ur pissed at something he said

★but he CAN be sweet obviously but only ever with calling you baby

★he's one of the girls when he's texting you like

★"omg bestie tell me"

★or

★"dpwm girl"

★he's so dry but uses memes to even it out

★i adore him actually

NSFW.

★"i told you, beautiful, no touching."

★he's actually really sweet during sex i promise he's not always a dick

★he DOES love u and he's not afraid to show/tell u with touching u in the right places AND with his words

★"keep going, ma."

★also baby baby baby so much baby UGH

★constance springer in my bed this instant

𐙚SASHA.

★mrs.potato girl def calls u anything and i mean anything related to the thing she loves most

★food.

★sugar, pumpkin or cupcake

★she loves food and she loves you so how could she not :(

★i fear sasha forgets ur name sometimes cuz it's so natural for her to call u sweet nicknames instead

★it's pretty much her love language

★as well for pda but that's a topic for another day cuz i will not STOP once i start

★"hey, girlie" when greeting u in a high pitched voice like,,, she's so easy to love bro

★also definitely gorgeous. ure her gorgeous girl.

NSFW.

★pillow princess sasha confirmed👑

★no i mean she can definitely take the lead, there's not really a fixed power dynamic when ur with her, but i feel she most times prefers being taken care of (as she SHOULD)

★main thing she'll call u during the nasty is baby

★depends on what ure into but she's definitely into addressing u as "ma'am"

★also princess :(

★uses ur name more during sex tho!!

★feels it's more intimate and personal that way

★i want to EAT her

a/n: hope y'all enjoyed this veRY self indulgent lil thing aaaand i'll see u beans next time! uuuhbye bye xx

[silverynight]

Sweet promises

Tanjirou's life changes completely when a stranger saves him and his family from a demon.

He's taller than Tanjirou, and his eyes are deep blue that probably hide so many emotions in them.

"Thank you!" Tanjirou smiles again, slightly tugging the swordsman by his haori. "Please, stay over for dinner. It's the least we can do."

"My name is Tomioka Giyuu," he finally introduces himself as he watches intently how Tanjirou pulls his long, red hair into a ponytail. "And it'd be a pleasure to have dinner with you and your family."

"Great! I'm Kamado Tanjirou, by the way!"

He introduces his family and they all have a nice time as they eat; Tanjirou's Mom and his siblings are aware of what happened and are so grateful to Tomioka, they basically welcome him into their family instantly.

He leaves that day after pulling Tanjirou into a hug, but comes back a few days later and begs the family to move into a secure house he prepared for them.

Tomioka explains everything he knows about demons that day, and even though he thinks it'll take a while for another one to appear; the place seems rather hidden, he'll feel a lot better if they decide to go with him.

After a couple of minutes of Kie talking to her eldest son and daughter, she decides to accept the swordsman's offer.

They follow him.

"I think he's doing this because of you, Tanjirou," Nezuko tells him as soon as Tomioka gets distracted talking to Kie on the way to their new home.

"What do you mean?"

"He's quite taken with you already."

Tanjirou blushes, but shakes his head immediately.

"Of course not. He's just being a nice person."

Nezuko looks back at him with amusement, like she knows a lot more than Tanjirou, but doesn't say anything else.

***

The place is way bigger than the house they used to live in, but Tomioka assures them all that it's completely theirs.

"Also... it's very close to my estate," he informs Tanjirou, as his cheeks turn slightly pink. "So I can pay you visits every now and then if you want."

"I'd love to, Tomioka-san!" Tanjirou beams. For a moment, he feels like he's going to start sobbing because he's so happy. His family is safe now. He's still not sure what he's going to do for a living, but he knows he can get a decent job in no time.

Tanjirou starts working at a small restaurant a few days later, even though the water hashira assures him he can provide for him and his family, and he often does, but Tanjirou likes to keep himself active.

He likes to work.

As Tomioka later explains to him, that whole area belongs to the Corps, which is why Tanjirou often sees boys and girls wearing peculiar uniforms walking around and inside the restaurant.

"I haven't seen you here before," a female slayer points out, after Tanjirou brings a bowl of noodles to her and her friends' table.

"My family moved in a month ago!" Tanjirou smiles, prompting the girl to blush. "We love this place already!"

"I'm glad," another slayer says, grinning at the redhead. "So we get to see your pretty face often!"

Tanjirou gets so flustered he blushes to the tip of his ears, but nods anyway before going back inside the kitchen.

"You got a lot of admirers already," the owner comments with amusement. "I'm pretty sure you'll get married soon."

Tanjirou shakes his head, not trusting his own voice at the moment. His boss is a nice man, but the redhead thinks he's exaggerating a bit.

The water hashira walks in the restaurant a few days later. The owner respects him a lot, and he often offers Tomioka food for free, but the Pillar always insists on paying for everything.

"He's a hashira," the man explains to Tanjirou, even though the redhead knows a little bit about ranks already. "Listen, those slayers that came the other day are good people and do their best, but that one over there with the mismatched haori is the one who makes sure this whole area is safe."

Tanjirou looks over at Tomioka, who seems to be waiting patiently, and feels another wave of admiration for him inside his chest.

The water hashira meets his eyes then, and smiles at him before waving.

"Oh," the owner notices, looking back at Tanjirou. "You caught that one's attention too?"

Blushing to the tip of his ears, Tanjirou shakes his head rather fast.

"It's not like that!" He tries to explain. "He saved me and my family from a demon a while ago. That's why I know him!"

The man looks at Tanjirou with amusement and for a moment, that look reminds him of Nezuko.

"He doesn't smile at all... in fact, it's the first time I've seen him smile in years," the man continues. He prepares a special bowl and hands it to Tanjirou. "Go ahead, take this to him."

"Tanjirou," the smile on the Pillar's face turns even wider as the redhead approaches his table. "Nezuko told me you'd be here."

"There's been a lot of work lately," Tanjirou says then. "The slayers like to come here often."

"I know you like to stay active," Tomioka says after a couple of seconds. "But you don't have to work too much. I can perfectly take care of your family's expenses."

"It's okay, I like this job. Besides, you do a lot for us already," Tanjirou reminds him. "I saw the cute yukata you bought for Rokuta the other day. He loves it, by the way."

"I'm glad."

Tomioka has a particular way of looking right into Tanjirou's eyes that usually makes him feel flustered.

"I have to go back to the kitchen!"

The water hashira grabs him by the wrist before Tanjirou can leave.

"When do you have a day off?"

"Tomorrow, actually."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

When Tanjirou gets back inside the kitchen, still flustered, the owner grins at him.

"You should marry that one. He's clearly besotted already, and since he's a hashira, he can take care of you better than the other slayers that make heart eyes at you."

"Thanks for the a-advice!" Tanjirou stammers as his face turns completely red. "But we're just friends!"

"Are you kidding me? He looks at you like you're his entire world!"

Tanjirou doesn't argue with that because he's too flustered to speak, but he assures himself the man is mistaken.

***

This time, Tomioka says he wants to take Tanjirou to the nearby town, and even though he walks in the Kamados house to say 'Hi' it looks like he wants to spend time with Tanjirou only.

There are a lot of people in that town who know about the existence of demons and are very aware of who Tomioka is. Some of them even bow in front of him when they see him.

Tanjirou runs into a couple of slayers too, the ones who keep coming in the restaurant he works at.

"You look really cute today!" One female slayer compliments him as the others get closer.

"Thank you!" He smiles. "You too!"

"Listen, Tanjirou... I was wondering–Ouch! Why did you elbow my ribs like that, Kana? Oh, yeah... I mean, we were wondering if–"

"Are these your friends, Tanjirou?" Tomioka finally turns around before putting a hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"Yes, they come almost every single day to the place I work at and–"

"I'm sorry!" The three of them look over Tanjirou's shoulder and turn pale at the same time. "We have to go back training!"

He watches in confusion as they leave, like they just saw a demon. Tomioka leans closer to him before nuzzling against the left side of his head gently.

"Let's go get something to eat. I know another place around here."

"Alright!"

Tomioka makes sure to keep visiting him, especially him... which is nice. Tanjirou is sure they're good friends now and the water hashira enjoys his company a lot.

After a few weeks, however, the Pillar asks to see Kamado Kie and Nezuko. He talks with both of them while Tanjirou takes care of Rokuta and Shigeru. Takeo and Hanako are talking about how they have seen this coming a long time ago, which only confuses the redhead.

"What do you mean?"

Takeo rolls his eyes, makes a disgusted expression before saying: "Tomioka-san is probably going to ask Mom and Nezuko permission to start a courtship."

"Is he going to court Nezuko?" Tanjirou asks suddenly, not sure how to feel about it.

Hanako giggles, as Takeo stares at him like he's crazy.

"How could he? If he's in love with you!" His little sister says, still giggling.

"What?"

However, before his siblings can say anything else, Tomioka comes out of another room, followed by an amused Nezuko, and a very content Kie.

He kneels in front of Tanjirou and takes one of his hands as his cheeks turn slightly pink.

"Your mother and your sister gave me their approval already," Tomioka mumbles, looking a bit nervous. "I'd like to court you, but it's okay if you just want to be my friend. I'd understand, so don't feel like you have to say–"

"Yes," Tanjirou cuts him off, feeling himself getting red as he speaks. "I'd love for you to court me, Tomioka-san!"

The hashira is so happy he gives the redhead a kiss on the lips in front of his family. Most of them laugh happily, but Takeo makes a puking sound, although Tanjirou knows he's actually happy for him too.

***

Mitsuri has told Obanai multiple times that Giyuu looks a lot happier lately, especially during the last couple of meetings. Although she knows he doesn't care about it that much; she's still curious.

When she mentions it to Shinobu though, she agrees with her and says that she has noticed it too.

"He's not very communicative, so I doubt he'll say anything, even if we ask him," the insect hashira mumbles after a while.

"I'll try to ask him anyway!" Mitsuri says, and that's the end of it... that day at least.

Ubuyashiki calls them all to have another meeting and the love hashira is ready to ask Giyuu a little bit about his life, but she doesn't have to because this time, she notices the wedding ring on his finger.

"Giyuu... I think you should bring Tanjirou more often," Ubuyashiki says casually after he listens to their latest reports. "So you can introduce him to the others."

Tanjirou? Is that Giyuu's spouse? So Ubuyashiki knows him!

"I will, if that's what Oyakata-sama wants," the water hashira nods, although he doesn't look quite happy about it.

"Actually, I did invite him today so he'll be joining us any moment now," Amane cuts in then, looking a bit amused out of the sudden.

"Who's Tanjirou?" Kyojuro asks with curiosity.

However, the other Pillar doesn't get the opportunity to answer that question because Tengen also notices what Mitsuri did from the beginning.

"Is he your husband?" The sound hashira asks, a bit loud, but looking like he's having fun. "I didn't know you were married!"

"I got married... a while ago."

"He has to meet my wives!"

"Tanjirou is usually very busy... I don't think–"

"Giyuu-san!"

He gets cut off by the arrival of the most beautiful young man Mitsuri has ever seen. His eyes are red, but they shine with a bright shade of pink under the sunlight. His hair is long, tied up into a ponytail; it's a deeper shade of red than his eyes and looks so soft, Mitsuri is dying to ask him if he'd let her braid it.

"I brought you the bento I made this morning," he says sweetly to his husband before giving the water hashira a kiss on the cheek. He turns around and notices the other Pillars are staring at him with undivided attention, Gyomei even leans his body in the direction he heard Tanjirou's soft voice. "Hi! I'm Tomioka Tanjirou, I'm glad to meet you all. I brought you a couple of onigiri for each of you so you don't leave with an empty stomach."

Mitsuri loves him already and has the feeling the others do too, although Giyuu doesn't look happy about it.

"Tanjirou, it's time to go back home," the water hashira says rather quickly, as he places a possessive hand on his husband's tiny waist.

"Oh, alright! It was a pleasure to meet you!"

"The pleasure was ours, my boy!"

"Come back soon!"

"You can come to my estate whenever you want!"

Giyuu takes Tanjirou in his arms then and leaves as soon as possible; he doesn't even give his husband the opportunity to agree to any of the invitations.

Mitsuri has the feeling he probably did it on purpose.

***

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[storiesbyjes2g]

3.219 Less strikes again

At some point, I tore myself away from my parents and left the cemetery feeling renewed and happy. On my way back home, I made a detour to the florist. I couldn't leave their graves looking empty and neglected like we didn't care. Quite the contrary. I even bought nice headstones and put portraits on their plots. Too bad I didn't have a big enough picture for grandpa Winston. I'd really love to meet him one day, but I think he may have crossed over already. At least I have tiny pictures at home to look at and see where some of my features come from.

Alessia called, saying she wanted to talk. That meant she needed to get out of the house, so I sent Sophia a text saying I would be back later that night. At first, I thought we'd grab dinner, but Less and I hadn't gone out together in ages. We needed to make it count, so I suggested we go to a bar for old time's sake. We met at The Solar Flare in Oasis Springs, and she began telling me about this man she'd been talking to.

His name is Brent Peters, and he rents a trailer in Oasis Springs. He likes horses, is obsessed with vampires, loves a good argument, and hates smart asses. He also hates comedy, idealists, troublemakers, knitting, and rock climbing. So far, he sounded like a very interesting character, and I wanted to know more. She said in his younger days he had a bit of trouble of his own, often getting caught stealing. He got help, but every day is a struggle to resist that urge. They bonded over their love for athleticism. She thought it was a silly to appreciate, but she loved he didn't mind her being a homebody. Whatever she wanted to do, he was into it, and she loved that. I couldn't imagine Alessia ever changing herself to please someone, but I knew exactly how it felt to be loved and accepted by someone despite your flaws and shortcomings, and I was glad she had that. She said he's loyal to her, and they are taking things slow. As much as I loved to hear that, I still had concerns.

"He sounds wonderful for you, but... Like, how do you know he's not after your money?"

"Luca... I know you're concerned because of what happened last time, but this isn't that. Me and Jase bonded over stupid, meaningless stuff. Brent and I talk about real things. And I'm older and wiser now. But you, of all people, should understand how putting yourself out there involves risks. You moved in with Sophia after one date, and you didn't even want to be in a relationship. But you took the risk. The point here is I'm ready to take risks again. I don't know if Brent is after my money, or if he will kill me in my sleep, or if he'll run off with another woman. I'm still getting to know him, but I don't think he will. But I'll never know unless I try."

I say this every time I'm around her, but she has grown so much, and I love to see it. I still had concerns, but there was nothing left to say.

"Also, I'm moving out tomorrow."

"What?? Why?"

"I appreciate everything you've done for me. And I love how fiercely you protect me. But I need to handle things on my own now. All my life, I've had a safety net. Even when I moved out, I was living with that family. Someone has always taken care of me, and I feel like I owe it to myself, and my children, to be truly independent. I can't teach them what I've never done, so I need to go. I don't want you to make a big deal and throw a party or something. Just let us go quietly, please."

This is just like Mt. Komorebi all over again. She arrives at conclusions super fast and is compelled to action them even faster.

"But... What about the kids? Desi loves playing with them. And I love hanging out with them, too."

"That can still happen! It'll just require more effort now."

"Where are you going, anyway?"

"San Myshuno, for now."

That was the last place I pictured her living. Seems like the hustle and bustle would send her paranoia up the roof. But, renting an apartment is a good situation for her. Even though she wants to be independent, homeownership is a whole 'nother beast, not for the faint of heart.

"I'm gonna miss you, sis. I've really enjoyed getting to know this adult version of you. Can we make sure to do better at keeping in touch?"

"You better, big head."

[stujet9rainshine-blog]

@hugsandchaos I'm on a fucking roll.

"Danny admiring and tracing his fingers on Manny’s scars. Just picture it; Danny holding Manny’s face and looking at some of the less noticeable scars on his face or maybe his hands, and Manny is secretly loosing it on the inside because Danny is holding his face or his hand and being so careful, what the hell-- And the reverse is just as good, especially if Danny has the litchenberg scar because the death scar concept is awesome, but I think about Danny admiring Manny’s scars and Manny proudly telling the stories of how he got them a lot."

How about both?!

We got some drunk teenagers being affectionate. Manny's a little mellow since he's overwhelmed. But they're so touchy and in love?

Danny had never been drunk before.

Not really, anyway. He’d had a beer once (hated it), taken a sip of one of Tucker’s questionable mixed drinks (also hated it), and had definitely inhaled something ectoplasmic once that made him floatier than usual (jury was still out on that one).

But this? This was different.

Manny, with a smug grin and a twinkle of mischief in his brown eyes, had pulled a bottle of tequila out of his bag like it was the best thing he’d ever stolen.

Danny had eyed it warily. "That is a lot of alcohol."

"Sí, and?" Manny grinned, shaking the bottle teasingly. "Come on, give me fun Danny."

Danny huffed, arms crossed. "My parents are out of town. Jazz is gone. If they find out I got drunk, I’m dead."

Manny wiggled his eyebrows. "We’re already breaking rules, eh, Phantom? What’s a little alcohol?"

Danny had no real counter-argument, so, with a dramatic sigh, he let Manny pour them each a shot. One turned into two. Two turned into three. And then—

Well.

Now they were sprawled across the couch in Danny’s dimly lit living room, tequila bottle a little more than half-empty between them, warm and loose-limbed from the alcohol.

Danny was giggling. Actually giggling.

Manny, tipsy but still cocky as ever, threw an arm around Danny’s shoulders, his body very much leaning into Danny’s personal space. "You—" he pointed a lazy finger, "are a very, very bad influence, mi amor."

Danny snorted. "Me?" He flopped sideways, letting his head rest against Manny’s shoulder. "You’re the one who smuggled tequila across the border."

"Pfft. Details."

They sat in comfortable silence, tangled together on the couch, both of them excessively touchy in their drunken state. Manny’s fingers idly toyed with the drawstring of Danny’s hoodie, while Danny absently traced patterns over Manny’s arm, his touch light, almost absentminded.

Then Danny blinked as something caught his attention.

His fingers stilled as they brushed over a scar over Manny’s left eye—the one that slashed through his eyebrow, slightly jagged, like a wound that had been deep at one point. Danny had always wanted to ask about it.

So, with all the grace of a drunk man on a mission, he poked it. "How’d you get this?"

Manny blinked, looking flustered as he immediately failed to meet Danny’s gaze. "Uh…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I actually gave that one to myself."

Danny’s drunken brain latched onto that immediately. "Really?!" He leaned in, his eyes wide, very interested now.

Manny groaned, clearly debating if he should even answer. But Danny was looking at him like he’d just asked for the world’s greatest story, so with a deep sigh, Manny caved.

"Yeah," he muttered. "It was the first time I used the belt." He waved a vague hand. "Sliced my own eye real good. Papá used it as a ‘life lesson’ opportunity—" he made huge air quotes, "—but we didn’t realize ‘til way later that I lost most of my vision because of it."

Danny squinted. "Wait. You can still see when you use your powers, though, right?"

Manny nodded, relaxing slightly. "Sí. For some reason, when my eyes glow with the ancient tiger spirit or whatever, I can see perfectly fine."

Danny, still very much drunk, blinked slowly. "Wild."

Then his eyes shifted to another scar—one wrapped around Manny’s wrists, jagged and slightly raised, like something had cut deep and healed badly.

Danny didn’t even think before asking. "What’re these from?" His words were slurred but still heavy with curiosity.

Manny flushed instantly. "Oh. Uh…" He shifted, clearly debating how much to say before sighing. "I got those the first time someone cut off my grappling chains."

Danny frowned. "…What?"

"Apparently," Manny continued, "that counts as cutting my hands off."

Danny startled, sitting up a bit straighter. "You’re kidding!"

Manny snorted. "I wish." He flexed his fingers slightly, tilting his wrist as he examined the scar. "It hurts like a motherfucker."

Danny stared at the mark, his drunken mind running a bit slower but very determined about one thing.

So, without thinking, he grabbed Manny’s wrist, lifted it to his mouth, and kissed the scar.

It was a little clumsy, a little off-center, but very deliberate. Then Danny looked up, grinning. "There! Now it shouldn’t hurt!"

Manny froze. His brain shut down completely.

His hand immediately went to cover his face, but Danny still saw it—the deep, undeniable blush spreading across Manny’s cheeks.

Danny’s brain, now thoroughly drunk and invincible, took that reaction as encouragement.

With a slightly mischievous smirk, he grabbed Manny’s other wrist and did the same thing—another gentle, slightly off-balance kiss pressed against the scar. This time, he met Manny’s eyes while he did it.

"Díos mío," Manny barely managed, voice dangerously close to a squeak.

Danny beamed, very pleased with himself. "Tigre down?"

Manny made a wounded noise and flopped backward onto the couch, dramatically covering his face with both arms. "Ay, mi corazón, you are going to be the death of me."

Danny giggled, absolutely delighted. "Guess I better kiss all your scars then."

Manny groaned, his whole body going boneless from sheer overload. "You’re going to kill me. You’re actually going to kill me."

Danny, still drunk, leaned over him, grinning like a menace. "Better drink more so you don’t remember in the morning."

Manny, very much losing his mind, just groaned again and buried his face in a couch pillow.

Danny laughed and he spent the last several minutes draped over Manny with the grace of a drunk teenager, kissing every scar he could reach—big and small.

Manny, meanwhile, lay beneath him, eyes wide, looking like he was about two seconds from spontaneously combusting.

Danny, for his part, was thoroughly enjoying himself. Then, suddenly, a thought hit him. He sat back onto his heels so fast that Manny visibly inhaled like he could finally breathe.

Manny started to sit up, still looking very flustered, but before he could regain any sense of control, Danny reached for the hem of his hoodie.

"¡Aye!" Manny yelped, immediately panicking. "We’re both drunk! Don’t start getting naked!"

Danny scrunched his eyebrows, already halfway out of his hoodie. "I’m not?"

And then, with all the confidence of someone who had absolutely zero shame in his current state, Danny tossed his hoodie and t-shirt aside.

Manny made a noise somewhere between a dying cat and a strangled bird. "¡Aye, carajo! Danny! What the fuck?!"

Danny just grinned, voice slurred but full of amusement. "You showed me yours, I show you mine?"

Manny, wildly flustered, scrambled to catch up. "What are you talking about, idiota?!"

Danny let out a giggle—an actual, adorable, drunken giggle—and grabbed Manny’s wrists, pulling him close. "See?"

And then he guided Manny’s hand to his left side.

Manny blinked, his tequila-addled brain trying to process—And then he saw them.

His breath hitched.

Trailing up Danny’s left arm, spanning across his chest and stopping just at his collarbone, were the faintly glowing green marks—jagged, branching, unmistakable.

"Díos mío," Manny gasped, his hands moving before he even thought about it, fingertips tracing along the uneven lines, soft, reverent. "What…?"

Danny’s breath stuttered in his chest at the touch, but he managed to murmur, "Lichtenberg scars. Got ‘em when the portal activated with me in it."

Manny’s hands stilled for a second, his wide, golden eyes locking onto Danny’s face. "…Wait." His voice dropped. "You mean—"

Danny nodded. "It’s technically my death mark."

Manny’s expression cracked into something shocked and distraught. "Death mark?"

Danny exhaled, buzzed but still steady. "Yeah." He shrugged. "There’s only one way to become a ghost, Manny."

Manny stared, jaw slightly slack.

Danny continued, "But the portal also brought me back. I’m only half dead? That’s why the scar kinda… glows."

Manny’s mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. His brain had completely stopped functioning. "¿Qúe carajo," he whispered.

And then, before Danny could react, Manny leaned forward.

Danny barely had time to register what was happening before Manny was in his lap, head tilted downward as his lips gently pressed against the center of Danny’s chest, right over the faint, glowing scars.

Danny gasped.

Heat flooded his face, his entire body tensing. "H-Hey!"

Manny, completely unbothered, just shrugged against him. "You did it to me."

Danny opened his mouth, fully intending to argue—And then Manny grabbed his left wrist, bringing it up between them, and started kissing his way down the length of the scar.

Danny completely forgot what he was going to say.

Manny's lips brushed every jagged turn in the scar, trailing from Danny’s collarbone to his shoulder, then slowly down his arm, each press of warmth making Danny’s breath stutter.

Danny swallowed, voice shaky. "Manny…"

"Shh," Manny murmured, voice softer, deeper.

Danny shivered.

Manny kissed the inside of his wrist, lingering there for a moment before finally pulling back—just enough to look at him, eyes hazy but warm. "You’re incredible, mi amor."

Danny, drunk and overwhelmed, just let out a breathy laugh, his entire face burning. "I'm never drinking with you again."

Manny grinned—a little too pleased with himself—before flopping back onto the couch, dragging Danny down with him.

Danny landed half on top of him, groaning. "This is your fault."

"And?"

Danny huffed but didn’t move. "You’re ridiculous."

"Sí."

They stayed like that, tangled together, warmth buzzing between them, the taste of tequila on their lips and the weight of each other’s hands on old scars.

And if they woke up the next morning horribly hungover and very much still wrapped around each other—

Well.

Danny wasn’t complaining.

[buckydeservesthebest]

thanks @legalandnotease for your contribution, I'm going to make mine as well because this user @quimbolgees seems to love to ignore how ableist and victim-blamer Sam was for literally the entire series with Bucky.

Did it ever occur to you that Sam was also grieving? He too lost time off of his life, lost Natasha without closure and the other friend he gave up his health, life, freedom and safety to help abandoned him as well?

Of course, I know that Sam as well as all the victims of the Blip (which also includes Bucky) were going through the loss of time of their lives, time, maybe some family and friends, etc. Bucky was going through exactly that and also dealing with being in control of his own body for the first time in 70 years, with all the trauma of being tortured, stripped of his identity and forced to kill against his will, plus brain damage, C-PTSD, and on top of that losing the only family he had left and the only one who truly believed in him: Steve.

I personally know what it is like to deal with a grief that leaves an identity crisis for having lost a very close loved one, I have also lived the experience of seeing one of his possessions being misused by the person he had entrusted it to, oh and believe me, my family and I were so offended that we did not hesitate to go and claim that, and guess what happened?? The person realized his mistake, even though it was unintentional, but he never dared to use the extremely offensive comment of “this has nothing to do with you” because that is one of the lowest things you can say to a close relative of the deceased. This is why I can perfectly understand the way Bucky felt about seeing the shield in the hands of the government.

And how do you dare say Sam had no real rationale to give up the shield when Bucky knew of Isaiah’s existence and the shit he dealt with fer decades when he did exactly the same fucking thing Rogers did?

The thing is simple, Sam gave up the shield (I mean... to the government, what a bad idea) because the poorly written script made him think that the world would not want a black Captain America, this was before knowing Isaiah's story. But Sam as such never, at any time faced public rejection or a single comment that he would not be accepted for being black, even Rhodey asked him why he had not taken the mantle without making any reference to rejection for racial issues. Isaiah's situation was horrible and unfair without a doubt, unfortunately that kind of racism was quite common in the decade from the 50's to the 80's - 90's and you could not raise your voice, but in 2024 things have changed enormously, many black men were already in high positions of power as Rhodey, Nick Fury, etc, that's why once Isaiah's story was known he was immediately recognized as a hero by society.

But beyond the fact that the writing was so bad as to not properly cement this issue, *the real problem*, as I've tried to explain for numerous times now, was NEVER that Sam didn't feel comfortable taking the mantle as Captain America, BUT THAT HE GIVED UP THE SHIELD TO THOSE WHO COULD MISUSE IT, AND THAT IS LITERALLY WHAT HAPPENED. And again, after Steve's death, Sam remained in possession of the shield for a long time without having taken up the mantle as the new Cap, AND BUCKY NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT. HIS JUSTIFIED ANNOYANCE CAME FROM KNOWING IT WAS NOW THE GOVERNMENT WHO WAS IN POSSESSION OF THE SHIELD BECAUSE OF SAM'S BAD DECISION, AND THAT WAS WHY THERE WAS NOW A NEW CAP WHO WAS NOT THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB. *THAT'S BUCKY'S REAL PROBLEM.*

How Bucky managed to not grapple or try to understand Sam’s mental strife knowing what he did means he’s an obtuse little fuck when it comes to emotionally attaching himself to an inanimate object in lieu of feeling abandoned.

Like when you have never experienced the horrible experience of painful grief, and you just throw ignorant comments about it... 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

The attachment to the belongings of the loved one you lost and now feel like the only memory you have of them, IS TOTALLY NORMAL AND UNDERSTANDING, IT'S CALLED GRIEF AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO BEGIN TO HEAL, many psychological and thanatological studies have proven this on tons of occasions.

So please, if you have no idea what it feels like to live through this, then don't flippantly throw out offensive comments like this, which are an insult to people like me who still after years have not recovered.

But him feeling betrayed and hurt gives him no leeway to be a bastard to Sam as he was.

Expressing your displeasure at seeing one of your loved one's closest possessions being misused is not called being a “bastard” it is called wanting to defend that belonging when your loved one is no longer here to do it himself. And again in case you don't get it right, IT'S CALLED GRIEF AND IT SHOULD BE RESPECTED.

Releasing Zemo was a fucked decision because he was a murdering, manipulative piece of shit and was an entire stab in the back to the people who took him in and helped to deprogram him, gave him a semblance of rest where he’d known only war.

You love to deliberately ignore certain information to twist things in your favor don't you? I explained it before: THE BADLY WRITTEN SCRIPT THAT MADE ZEMO THE “GREATEST HYDRA EXPERT” MADE HIS ASSISTANCE NECESSARY IN THE MISSION TO FIGHT THE FLAG SMASHERS. THE BOOK “THE ART OF THE TFATWS” LITERALLY SAYS THAT BUCKY AND SAM DID THE RIGHT THING BY RESORTING TO HIS ASSISTANCE, do you understand this or do I have to repeat it?

And once again, do you understand that Zemo is not only responsible for T'Chaka's death but he was also an abuser of Bucky himself and one of the people who hurt him the most by framing him for the UN bombing, causing everyone to try to kill him throughout the movie, causing him to be held guilty without a fair trial, and later subjecting him to mind control which takes away his agency? In a just world part of Zemo's sentence should have been for all the damage he caused Bucky.

Oh and since you want to start with the false “Bucky betrayed the people who did him the favor of helping him” argument, let me burst your bubble and clarify that the reason T'Challa offered Bucky assistance in removing the Winter Soldier's programming from his brain, was not because of how magnanimous T'Challa is in wanting to help a poor man who had suffered too much, but rather that that assistance was given in the form of an apology for having spent it trying to kill him without being sure if Bucky was the one truly responsible for his father's death, and also in the form of thanks because thanks to him and Steve, T'Challa was able to get to the one truly responsible. The canonical comic Avengers Infinity War Prelude literally.

Bucky needing to readjust how he lived his life was solid advice. Seeking to put those in prison that his controlled mind and body put into positions of power was not sustainable.

Sam's “advice” has nothing to do with Bucky “readjusting to life”, all Sam did was tell Bucky that he is responsible and guilty for the acts he was forced to do under mind control and to overcome that he has to “do the work and put himself in the service of those ‘he wronged’ like the Winter Soldier”. As rightly said before by my friend legalandnotease, THAT IS CALLED VICTIM-BLAMING. BUCKY DOES NOT HAVE TO DO ANY WORK BECAUSE HE IS AS BIG A VICTIM AS ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE HARMED BY HYDRA'S ACTIONS.

Him being of service, being present in his life and surrounding community would be beneficial to himself as well.

NO, THERE IS NOTHING HEALTHY OR BENEFICIAL FOR BUCKY TO GO ABOUT PRESENTING HIMSELF TO THE PEOPLE HE BELIEVES HE IS THE VICTIMIZER OF, AS THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR MISDEEDS. Supporting Dr. Raynor's victim-blaming idea of victim-blaming in the interaction between victims, where one of them is presented as the victimizer not as a victim as well, is extremely harmful and damaging to both parties. Sam has never had experience as a victim of abuse, enslavement nor mind control, so he should know that he is NOT qualified to offer appropriate and healthy advice to a victim of this situation.

You don’t get to dictate how what Bucky said affected Sam and you don’t get to pretend that some of the shit he said didn’t reek of self centeredness.

I don't come here to pretend anything, simply that, unlike you, I fully share and understand Bucky's experience of what it's like to deal with a painful grief of losing a close loved one that leaves you with an identity crisis. And guess what? Every single one of Bucky's actions are totally in line with that. To say that this is “self centered” is extremely insensitive and offensive to a grieving person, BECAUSE IT IS NO MORE WANTING TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE BELONGINGS OF THAT PERSON WHO IS NO LONGER THERE TO DO IT HIMSELF. And when you add to that the fact that that possession (the shield) is in the hands of one who can misuse it and endanger someone, it increases by 1000 Bucky's justification for disagreeing with Sam's decision.

All the other points are already well covered by my friend… And in closing, we Bucky fans never minimize the trauma of all the other Marvel characters who have also suffered greatly, such as Rocket, Nebula, Thor, Yelena, Natasha, Isaiah, etc. Our outrage is based on the fact that unlike each of them, Bucky has never had the opportunity to be empathized with or understood by anyone other than Steve and just a comment from T'Challa, he has been blamed for his trauma and experiences over and over again, and forced to make amends for what his captors forced him to do. Bucky has been denied the right to be recognized as a victim, when the victimhood of everyone else has never been in doubt.

After watching the only scene in BNW that mattered to me, I wanna emphasize how important it is that bucky says one of the most emotionally mature things that a character has said in the MCU in a long while.

He asks sam “Why?”

He doesn’t correct Sam. Tell him he’s wrong. He doesn’t make the moment about himself.

It shows that Bucky fucking grew after TFATWS. a show where he is so self-obsessed (because of his trauma which isn’t inherently his fault) that he rarely considers Sam’s emotions.

Bucky Barnes has one of the best arcs in the MCU, and I think him even saying “I love you” is another sign that he is frankly pretty damn emotionally intelligent and either the writers or Sebastian Stan decided that it was important to include.

[primus-why]

I Feel TFOne Could've Handled This Better...

Hot take but I feel like folks have been really generous with the take that OP was unable to find ~the perfect words~ in the heat of the moment (and thus should be given some grace) when he told D to stand down and "not be like Sentinel"... namely cuz I don't feel that the narrative supports this?

Like-- after all is said and done, OP doesn't reflect on that part of their split. He doesn't have a moment where he seeks validation or voices his regrets over the choice of his words, it's actually cut-and-dry. The narrative (as it stands) supports that OP saw D-16 acting up, so he called him out and stood on business, down to the last scenes where he's basically like "yeah it's a shame but y'all knew I had to do it to 'em."

It didn't have to be much! I'm not saying to absolve Megs, just show OP looking at things from a different perspective/contemplating a bit on that tough choice and the morality of the moment. Some examples of what I wish we had:

B-127 straight up blurting the obvious by later chatting with Orion like, "Wait so you told your best friend that he was acting just as bad as the guy who enslaved us for our entire lives and was torturing him like an hour ago? Oof. Seems kinda harsh." Then have some of OP's regret show on his face.

OP asking Elita-1 after Megs is banished if he did the right thing. Have Elita back his choice up, saying, "You should have seen what he did after you were... gone. It was terrifying. I know it was tough, but you made the right call." OP is grateful for the support, but a conflicted look still flashes across his face before he steels himself to look out towards the horizon... and the future.

Have OP walk past other mechs/former miners who didn't go with the High Guard saying stuff like, "Wish I could've given Sentinel a piece of my mind!" "Yeah, but I'm glad he's gone for good." "Ugh I miss everything." "Oh, it was crazy! Megatron picked him up and then he rrrrriiipped-- oops, hey there, Mr. Optimus... Prime... sir?" And have OP wave hello, looking a bit sick when they leave.

Post-credits scene with Starscream going on and on, asking Megs when they'll be back to teach the upstart Prime a lesson. Megs grabs his face to shut him up. "Patience, Starscream. The Prime thinks I'm no better than Sentinel... but I'll show him. He wants Iacon? He can have it. In the meantime we'll take the rest of the planet! Then I'll come back, crush Prime under my heel, and we'll take Iacon too. Sentinel's reign will barely be a footnote, because I'm about to become Optimus Prime's worst nightmare." The vocal performance would really need to sell this-- like picture Megs saying something like that from a place of anger and hurt, not so much a place of genuine evil or malice.

Basically instead of Orion's assertion being backed up as black and white/good vs bad, I wish we had some different opinions/reactions from the characters sprinkled in there. Like you can't tell me out of allllll the miners who weren't strong enough/willing to go with the High Guard and ended up sticking around that NONE of them were like "eyyo honestly?? Kiiiiinda glad Sentinel is dead. Wish I could have helped, tbh." like come onnnnn...

And you can't even argue that he's not an active threat-- I don't think everyone would see things that way! It's not just about the threat he physically has, but the threat he represents and is very likely to act upon if given the opportunity! He has a proven track record of not only being sneaky and conniving, but also capable of dealing some serious damage/killing people bigger and stronger than him, plus he has the backing of the Quints. All he'd need to do is wriggle his way out of jail and run off to his sponsors, then he'd probably be back to hurt more people! (If the Quints didn't just kill him out of incompetence lmao). There's a lot of "ifs" here, but I think it's a valid argument that not everyone would agree on what is the right or wrong way to handle Sentinel once he was down long enough to, like, do something about him.

I feel the situation needed a bit of nuance. In some way I wish they had kicked the can and had D and Orion bicker while Sentinel escaped, then have D get frustrated enough by the loss of Sentinel to point fingers (and his fusion canon) at Orion, who then falls and becomes OP. (Megs could still show some of thar emotion/remorse right after he does it too.) Not only would this open the door for a sequel, but tbh the Quint might have just killed Sentinel anyways and sought to deal with the miners uprising themselves lol. (Maybe that could have been an after credits scenes too instead of the B-127 bit??)

Would love to see a moment in a sequel where they have a calmer moment after arguing for a bit. Have OP mention how Megs was out of line, that it hurt and even scared him to see him act that way, and Megs can quietly point out "you said I was as bad as Sentinel... is that really how you see me? After everything we went through?"

Then OP can fumble the bag again lmao like "D, I... I'm sorry, that didn't come out right... but you still took things way too far..."

"Why am I not surprised-- your opinion is what matters the most! Maybe that's why you became a Prime, since you're so good at acting like the world revolves around you--!"

*gets interrupted by someone else before another yelling match ensues*

[rowenabean]

.

[trans-yllz]

person supposed to be moving in this week has not signed the lease or told me when they plan to get here. old housemate keeps loudly moving stuff out at like 10pm on week nights. new housemate has various slightly inconsiderate habits that are kind of driving me insane. other housemate acts like he's the only person on earth who might have stuff going on while he continues to not pay rent. I'm going to light this house on fire

[britcision]

Alright fuckers I took another stab at it and did the thing, I may/may not finish the actual like, proportionate version one day but he needed to exist and hair hides all my arm related sins.

Please dear gods anyone whose art is even a tertiary focus Lycion NEEEEEDS a Knot All Men shirt I am beset by cursed visions but usually I write them or make cursed little dolls (yes there will be a cursed little Lycion doll with a cursed little shirt but the embroidery thread is fucking fighting me on Mithrun so I dunno when)

Also he has a smoothie

Because one of the many reasons I really do not draw much is I am aphantasmic and do not and cannot visualize so let me tell you every single aspect of this except the shirt just. Happened. What are poses. What are limbs. Bodies exist but WHY.

The shirt had to be a crop top tho for legal reasons that was extremely clear to me

(Hey fun realization tiny Lycion and I feel exactly the same way about all his lil elf limbs they're all wrong and we hate them WAS MY MISTAKE NOT TRYING TO DRAW HIM AS A FURRY. Fuck. I think furries are harder but I might try it.)

[meowhariel]

siiiiiiigh

[seaofreverie]

Anyway. 150 days left until I see TMBG.

[spamtoon]

(Out of nowhere, you are approached by a familiar lightbulb-headed Cog.)

Ah, it's you, cat. Thinking you're oh-so-slick. Muttering and whispering under those raggedy whiskers of yours... Thinking I am unable to hear it all...

Well, you've simply underestimated my fantastic hearing. You probably want to know the reason why I'm here, taking a 'break' from my incredibly important scientific breakthroughs? It's quite simple, really!

(She gets close, and squints her eyes.)

I know what you are.

Farewell, now!

(She then leaves the way she came from.)

(Spam giggles immensely, covering her face... it always seems like she's giggling, isn't she? This lasts... at least thirty seconds. Longer than usual.)

And I know what I am too, Sparky! You broke through something, that's for sure. Really, broke through...

(She looks down, continuing to laugh nervously.)

You know, I find it odd you Havent tried to bulb blast me into the stratosphere by now. I mean knowing how you acted with Frostbite. Is there something peculiar about me that you perhaps can't quite track? Something about me that you... don't know what I am?

I know, I know, I'm talking to nobody again. But you were there when I had a moment today with the one the only Frostbite The Bravecog. You may be remaining. Lurking in the shadows. Knowing about these thoughts that I'm thinking.

(The giggling resumes, lasting far shorter this time.)

Your brother's a piece of fucking barp, by the way

(She braces for impact for a few seconds, wincing while smiling, before comically looking around to realize nobody's there. She sighs.)

Wow, okay maybe toony superhero show logic doesn't apply in this situation. Cool.

WAIT I JUST FUCKING REALIZED WHAT SHE MEANT but like. Dude if she meant that then what's the point I mean the whole ahh sellbot department barping knows unless you're Really low on the ladder. Heheh... maybe she did mean what I thought she meant.

Oh i'm so fucking screwed. What kind of bitch gets filament fever

[autistic-shaiapouf]

Beginning to really wonder how much of my financial concern is manufactured and handed to me as opposed to something I'm genuinely concerned by

[halfdeadwallfly]

i

my mom said she looked at my schedule (classes, rehearsal, etc), factored in sleep and an hour of personal free time, and told me that i have 82 hours of free time a week to work on homework and stuff

which

great

but also

i