#and is also one of my favorites cause that scene destroyed me

[goldrushgold]

the mighty fall

... they fall in love

[rosaq]

how I see pearlrose (it's one of my favorite ships and I promise this isn't hate):

rose and pearl were in love with each other but pearl wasn't in love with pink diamond, she was only in love with rose quartz. so pearl was in love with the parts of pink diamond that became more predominant when she turned into rose + that fed into the fantasy they created for themselves

see how in the gif below pearl sings "we became our fantasy" when pink turns into rose quartz? and her demeanor immediately changes when pink turns into rose. her smile widens and both of them hug each other and start holding hands + pearl starts blushing

I think this is intentional — just like in "a single pale rose" pearl and rose hug and hold hands but when rose turns into pink diamond, the physical intimacy stops. that's not to say they're uncomfortable with each other, only that rose quartz and pearl seem far closer and intimate. the very first time we see pearl talk to pink she still calls her "my diamond" (which is a title used with superiors) even though this scene takes place near the end of the war and pearl has been a rebel for more than one thousand years

now let's get into the batman and alfred/robin allegory:

Rebecca and Ian, while discussing Rose’s “Batcave,” brought up the scene when Pearl couldn’t talk about Rose’s full details during “Rose’s Scabbard.” Incidentally, yes, Pearl is Alfred if Alfred was in love with Batman. It’s very important to note that we’re talking about Batman here, NOT Bruce Wayne. She loves BATMAN. 

— Steven Universe Podcast, Volume 3, Episode 1

Rose plays Batman on the ground. Pearl is Robin (and Alfred).

— Steven Universe: End of an Era, page 77

so pink diamond = bruce wayne and rose quartz = batman; pearl = alfred and rebel pearl = robin. rebecca and ian seem to want to make it clear that pearl was only in love with rose (batman). and pearl also seems to see herself as two separate people: the servant and the rebel

it makes a lot of sense for pearl and rose to create an escapist fantasy for themselves on earth as a way to get away from their awful realities. the idea that their lives on homeworld were someone else's lives was something they both took comfort in

But I've been... imagining things, even when you haven't asked me to. I imagined that I ran away and met you here on Earth, a Rose Quartz. And I'm not yours, but, I make you so happy anyway! Isn't that ridiculous?! Tell me to stop! 

Rose: Please don't ever stop! 

—Pearl, Now We’re Only Falling Apart

and that was the fantasy: pearl was a rebel who ran away and met rose on earth. rose was made on earth. pearl's presence makes rose happy even though she doesn't belong to rose.

rose is delighted when pearl shares this with her bc she loves this fantasy just as much as pearl does (and also bc it made her realize that other gems, like pearl and garnet, want to escape homeworld. she realizes that she wants to fight for them). but obviously this fantasy is incompatible with their actual lives

later on pearl would also get caught up in the idea of being rose's knight. she romanticized the idea of putting rose above all else, even herself; she romanticized the idea of having a princess to save. so she put rose on a pedestal, not because rose was a diamond, but because of this fantasy she created for their relationship

This is an Ancient Sky Arena, Connie, where some of the first battles for Earth took place. It was here that I became familiar with the human concept of being a knight, completely dedicated to a person and a cause.

—Pearl, Sworn to the Sword

in this fantasy rose quartz can't be pink diamond. rose loathed herself so this suited her just fine: she wanted to be the rose quartz from this fantasy, the gem who was made on earth and was a compassionate leader and healed instead of destroying. she thinks pearl is right to love only rose quartz bc she thinks pink diamond is unlovable

let's take a look at the movie: at first amethyst and steven think rose quartz is the solution to getting pearl's memories back. so amethyst shape shifts into rose and sings for pearl, but pearl won't stop looking at greg throughout the entire scene. then they understand that they don't need rose to be around, they need greg to disappear. so steven fuses with greg and greg disappears into the fusion, allowing pearl to finally get her memories back. greg is pink and steg is rose. when greg (pink) disappears, pearl manages to look beyond her assigned duty

it's also worth noting that pearl wasn't the only one putting rose on a pedestal. rose put everyone around her on a pedestal, including pearl, because she thought they were all so much better than she could ever be. so while pearl saw rose as a sort of princess to be saved/protected, rose saw pearl as a superior and as someone who was so much better than herself

The fact that Rose says "my Pearl" to Pearl... A lot of people wonder, "oh, she belonged to Rose". No one calls their Pearl my Pearl, people only say that to their superiors. So there's actually a lot more going on in that scene.

—Rebecca Sugar, The Truth About Rose Quartz

but this whole fantasy thing was very unhealthy and meant they never dealt with how their actual roles in gem society affected their relationship. they wanted to sweep all the ugly parts under the rug and pretend it didn't exist—and it was so easy because only the two of them knew the truth and they were all too happy to feed into each other's fantasies. it created a communication barrier between them that made it extremely difficult for them to communicate and understand each other's low self worth and insecurities. pink's final order to pearl was a way to keep the fantasy going post-war which pretty much doomed them bc pearl was unable to talk about anything she went through and rose never opened up to anyone about her past. but they needed to talk about it to heal and move forward

I believe pearlrose is supposed to parallel rupphire in this sense: both are interclass gem relationships, but rupphire never ignored how their roles in gem society affected their relationship; so much so that by the end of the show garnet's main theme becomes "the truth" while pearlrose's main theme remains "the fantasy"

this fantasy only starts to fall apart when pearl manages to tell steven the truth about pink diamond: pearl finally has to confront the fact that rose quartz and pink diamond were the same person. by letting the fantasy go, pearl was able to address the unhealthy aspects of their relationship and understand her own repressed feelings + rose's struggles. only then is pearl able to start healing from everything that happened

[aromacaque]

Quick S5 Analysis and Theory

I AM GOING TO RAMBLE ANALYSIS BECAUSE THEY ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY

I cannot stop thinking about the way Wukong reacts to Macaque when he goes "oh no 'gee thanks for saving me macaque!...'" cause if this were before the S5E2, he would have snapped back at him, like he always does.

We know Macaque does this solely to rile Wukong up. It's how we're introduced to his character in S1E9 and he does it throughout the series. This is why he did it here too (or at least partially), BUT WUKONG DOESN'T TAKE THE BAIT THIS TIME.

While he's obviously still reeling from seeing the memory of their fight he was forced to watch,

you can still see that, for a split second, Wukong almost does snap back, but he instantly rethinks that and decides to be passive

Macaque, again, pokes at him trying to get a reaction, but this time Wukong doesn't even think about snapping back. He simply responds casually/lightly (before then realizing that MK is in danger)

This tells us possibly two really important things

Macaque sacrificing himself in S5E2 was a turning point for Wukong's perception of him. An increase in personal trust/faith/etc.

2. Seeing the memory of their fight made him rethink his behavior toward Macaque

For the rest of the season, they don't get a lot of moments because of, well, Everything, but we see Wukong is not only more willing to show concern for his wellbeing, but also seems to be more open/emotionally vulnerable in front of him than before (in little moments, anyway).

Granted that has been building up since S4E11, arguably before that but I'm not going to deep dive analyze season 3. He's being more communicative with Macaque in S5E1 about MK too. In other words, not completely shutting him out or pushing him away, which seems like their natural progression from S4E11 as well.

All of that being said, this brings me to The Scene. Which I am completely normal about because there's so much to unpack about it and I am so normal about that. Evidently.

First of all, they wanted to hold hands during their final moments. MK and Macaque are the two most important people in Wukong's life, I feel like that speaks for itself.

BUT it's Wukong who reaches out here.

This is Wukong's first major attempt to bridge the gap between them, at least in such a direct way. In my opinion, it's almost a wordless forgiveness on top of acknowledging how Macaque has changed and improved himself, as well as his reciprocation of that behavior. He wants to fix their relationship too, just as he has seen Macaque willing to do the same.

This moment being interrupted was actually a good thing. It's a good visual reminder that, despite them both wanting to reconcile, they aren't Quite there yet. There's still a lot left unsaid between these two, most importantly Macaque's death. (I'LL GET TO THAT. HOLD THAT IN YOUR BRAIN)

For macaque, this moment has another important meaning.

AND NOW I GET TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITING TOOLS HELLO PARALLELS!!!!

In S2E7 we are introduced to this shot of Wukong on a pedestal over Macaque, turning his back on him and abandoning him. This is firmly established in that episode as one of the main reasons Macaque resents Wukong.

He is also portrayed as above him, subsequently nodding at Macaque feeling inferior to him.

In S4E11, we actually watch how this dynamic destroys their friendship. It is a MAJOR reason for their falling out. Macaque feels neglected, overlooked, ignored. Promises are broken and trust is lost. To him, Wukong is selfish, self-righteous, egotistical, uncaring, etc.

Obviously we as the audience are aware Macaque has a rather skewed perception of Wukong that seems to be influenced by his projection of his own insecurities, but that is a whole other analysis for a different time.

In S5E10, this shot is paralleled. Visually demonstrating that Wukong isn't forgetting about him this time. He looks for him. Macaque is being considered in a way he had previously believed was lacking in their friendship.

Not only that, but they are on level ground. Balanced and equal.

Macaque is reluctant to reach back out. His trust in Wukong is practically non-existent, has been for a while (understandably), so it's a little hard for him, but he reciprocates because, like Wukong, he's acknowledging that he has changed. He wants to try to fix this too.

TO RECAP!

They know they both want to fix things

They can see and have acknowledged changes in their behavior on both sides

Wukong seems to be less prone to arguing back, which will most likely make Macaque less likely to try and provoke him. All in all, they will be more civil with each other and most likely argue much less.

They are being held back by things left unsaid.

WHICH LEADS ME TOO...

WHERE DOES THIS LEAD THEM IN S6?

The obvious is they need to address Macaque's death. If they don't do it in this season it's bad writing and they are dragging it out for too long. It's the obvious natural progression here.

This is where they will have an actual, long overdue constructive conversation. It is literally singlehandedly the only thing preventing them from reconciling at this point.

Now, the problem, is how this would happen. Because we all know neither of them are going to randomly apologize out of nowhere. It's gonna take something to push them into that direction. And that should be how it happens otherwise it'd most likely feel forced in the script.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO A THEORY. A GAME THEO-

I'm not going to get into the nitty-gritty details of this particular theory, but just know that I am a firm believer in the "Macaque was consumed by his own powers and that's what killed him" theory. I do think Wukong played a substantial role in his death, enough for Macaque to reasonably believe Wukong killed him, but ultimately it was less Wukong directly killing him and more indirectly causing it and not saving him.

That being said, Wukong and Macaque's relationship is a major subplot in this show with a considerable amount of focus. They have been slowly building to their inevitable mending relationship since Macaque's first episode, which means that they're going to want to reach that climax in a pivotal emotional moment. Not a random conversation smacked into an episode.

And what is going to be plot-relevant next season??

MACAQUE'S CHAOS POWERS.

S5 built up to Macaque being an established member of the group

(Also the VO here being "change can be terrifying" is absolutely foreshadowing to some degree)

Now, there's also something else I need to address. Macaque has gone out of his way 3 separate times, 4 if you count the LBD fight, to save Wukong. On the other hand, Wukong obviously cares about Macaque, but ultimately hasn't had many opportunities or reasons to try to save him specifically.

With all of those details in mind, I think Wukong will need to take direct action by either saving him/protecting him/etc. because I think it would be a high-stakes moment that inevitably kickstarts an apology/conversation between them. Maybe it's something that reminds Wukong of their fight or that macaque can die (hence the chaos powers potentially harming Macaque in some manner or maybe a potential difficulty controlling them reminds Wukong of their fight, something along these lines).

Why this route?

Macaque has regained Wukong's trust. He basically says as much in S5E2. And while it's fairly obvious with Macaque's behavior and choices that he has learned from his past mistakes and is working on his faults, he definitely needs to acknowledge his wrongdoings. However, I think that would naturally happen during any conversation they may have (or the aftermath) regarding his death and their feelings.

That leaves Wukong because he made a promise to Macaque that they’d spend eternity together and that he would protect him and their home. A promise he broke multiple times and has not made up for yet. He needs to mend that and make it right to solidly regain Macaque's trust in order to reconcile.

[shycloudkitty]

A personal theory on why Leon's favorite color is blue💙

Okay, so just right off the bat I'm gonna say this is a personal theory that I had for months but didn't exactly said it out loud cause I wasn't sure at the time and now the more I think about it the more it's true.

Maybe this is a personal hc? But I mostly think this is done on purpose in games to show what's going on in his head.

So, Many of you who played the game Or watched the movies have noticed Leon wearing blue all the time, right? Like what's up with that yk? Like does he even have a wardrobe with different colors? 🤷🏻‍♀️

In OGRe2, Re2r, Re4r (dark blue), Re6 (I know it's purple but just hear me out!), Vendetta, Death Island (DI)RE & Infinite darkness (ID) . Leon was seen wearing blue in all of these. Except Damnation Leon, Degeneration, OGRe4.

Personally, I believe it's a way for Leon to connect to his 21 year old self who still had the innocence, bright optimism, good morals and strong sense of justice.

EDIT: I forgot to add the most important thing, his police uniform that he wore was blue aka when he was 21 & a rookie. That's why it's a way to represent his young self

Think about it, everything changed for him that one night in raccoon city. He saw the most ugliest parts of humanity on the day that was supposed to be his first day on the police force. He saw how deeply corrupt the entire system was, how an entire city got destroyed cause of this. He was never the same again.

Now, I will try to put my thoughts into words and explain what each versions is telling about his mentality.

I think after Re2, the blue color stayed in his life to show that even though he changed small part of him, that bright eyed rookie was still alive deep down.

Re4R: he's seen wearing a dark blue compression shirt. (I'm sry in advance if I get his outfits name wrong, I'm terrible at men's fashion) . It's dark blue cause well, obviously this game was kind of just after Raccoon city incident. So, the wound is still fresh in his heart, he's not that optimistic, so the dark blue mostly indicates his ongoing internal conflict, trying to make sense of what's actually right & wrong.

Also, in English literature, blue is mostly associated with melancholy. And well, it doesn't take a genius to see that he was clearly depressed.

RE: ID - I think he got better here, since his suit and shirt were navy blue. I think...he made peace with what happened (somewhat not fully ofc) cause a part of him was still resentful about what happened, like in that scene of Leon yelling at Jason. But in this one he was more determined than ever to not let that incident repeat ever again.

And I think it's kind of reflected in his colors, that he had a much clear mindset.

RE 6: Okay, Ik Ik it's purple, I get it🙄. But hear me out before you sue me👀

Ada's color is red and Leon's color is blue, mix it together and you got purple. Tada. Still part blue you see☝🤓

Yeah, it's definitely done to show his feelings for Ada, I think he was ready to be with Ada, so much so that he had already let her in his heart and just...change that part of him (rookie one, the most vulnerable) that he kept protected. Keep in mind guys, that Ada's color stayed red always.

But at the end when it was clear, she didn't want anything with him (at least not personally). He finally gave up and made peace with the fact that him and Ada would never cross that boundary. Poor guy🥺❤

Also...I think it's a lightning trick too cause in most scenes of the game, where there's dim lighting you feel like he's wearing a blue shirt (where he's being himself and doing his job and not forced to face his feelings). But in the end scene with Ada where fire is everywhere, lightening is too bright (shirt turns purple), and then he's forced to confront his feelings for Ada head on.

RE Vendetta: Now... This one is interesting. So I know it's not obvious but if you look closely, he's wearing a blue shirt under that black jacket. Now before y'all ask me why was I trying to look under his black jacket- It's cause I'm a pervert for Leon okay? Y'ALL ARE PERVERTS FOR LEON TOO OKAY?? DON'T JUDGE ME.

*ahem* Anyways, you can see that he lost significant weight. Hungover and wasting away, waiting for his inevitable end. It's obvious that he's extremely depressed more so than he was in Re4r. But there was also something interesting that I just couldn't ignore.

How tightly his black jacket was hugging him and how he had zipped it up to the top so his blue shirt is barely visible, but it's there. And despite my pervert-ish wishes his zip didn't even budge down even a little bit. Like damn, okay a girl can't even see his pecs🙄 maybe it's an animation thing idk

I think, it shows that behind all his bitterness and skepticism about the world he still has that rookie part in him, but now it's just...surrounded with so much bitterness that it's fighting for it's survival like Leon. Waiting for his heart to turn into ugly and full of hatred and when that happens...Leon would be no more.

RE DI: Well, it is obvious that Leon has gotten in better shape and getting his vacations (at the least) . And it shows! His jacket and shirts were both blue, and def lot brighter shade than the previous ones. It does show that he is trying to heal from the trauma and trying his best to accept his past self.

I mean, look don't get me wrong he's still a skeptic & has changed a lot, which is a whole another topic in itself. But I would like to think he has started to embrace his past self once more and is starting to head in a more positive way to approach his life.

Masterlist| Ao3 account

This concludes the end of this rant😊😊. Thank you all for coming to the end of my ted talk. If y'all have any theories to add into mine I would love that. I had this thought lying in my mind for months actually but since I don't usually write hcs or theories & stuff I kind of stuffed into the back of my brain.

Now on a whim, when it got too much I finally decided it's time what my personal opinion on this. So, I hope you enjoyed reading this, cause I certainly enjoyed writing it!

Have a good day, guys!

-Bella

[scariusaquarius]

rehab. 23.

Avenger! Bucky Barnes x Winter Soldier! Fem! Reader

Summary: While on a mission to find any more possible super soldiers that were a part of the Winter Soldier program, Steve and Bucky make a discovery in an abandoned HYDRA base that was cleared out a few years prior to their mission. They discover the Reader, a long-forgotten soldier that was still asleep within a functioning cryostasis pod; still awaiting orders. While Bucky isn't happy about it, he is put up to the challenge of helping to rehabilitate the soldier in Wakanda where she may be able to become a person again.

-

A/n: The scene that is in this chapter is a bit dark and may be a bit ooc, but I think it would be cathartic for Bucky to do this. I personally don't think that Bucky would make many rash decisions like this, but i DO think it kinda fits the character profile of Bucky for this particular moment. Let me know what you guys think!! Also, if you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee! If you would prefer to read Rehab on Archive, you may do so right HERE!

This is an au where Bucky joined the avengers but still rehabilitated in Wakanda (sometime before Infinity War [canon divergent cause NOPE]). I am NOT fluent in Russian, so I did use google translate cause I couldn't find a good translator that I trusted. If anything is wrong, PLEASE let me know!! Also, I tried to list as many warnings as possible so you know what the story will contain as chapters are posted. Stay safe!

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Genre: Slowburn, Enemies to Lovers/Friends to Lovers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Humor, Drama, Dark Content Rated: Explicit Warning: Angst, Dark Content: Graphic Depictions of Sexual Assault, Blood and Gore, Mentions of Manipulation, Kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, Body Horror, Nonconsensual Body Modification/Scarring, Emotional and Physical Abuse, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts/Ideation, Graphic Depictions of Human Remains, Mentions of Sexual Coercion/Manipulation, Death, Misuse of Drugs/Forced Drugging, Self-Harm (Graphic Depictions and Mentions), Nightmares

-

Author: ScariusAquarius

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rehab masterlist. chapter 22

In the dungeons of the Wakandan Kingdom, Wanda, Clint, T'Challa, and Steve were all standing in front of Jack Rollins. The man was still out of it, his eyes still glowing red as Wanda kept him catatonic, and T'Challa glanced over at Steve as he spoke.

"Isithunzi almost completely destroyed the heart-shaped herb garden, Mr. Rogers."

Steve winced gently, opening his mouth to begin listing off every apology he knew in the book, but was stopped by T'Challa raising his hand to signal for Steve to just listen.

"She is not in trouble...but we have moved her back to the labs for the time-being with Shuri and Mr. Stark. I aim to have the bill sent directly to Stark Industries."

Clint chuckled lightly, shaking his head as he spoke.

"I bet he didn't see that coming."

T'Challa, however, was the one who smiled smugly as he regarded Clint with an 'i-told-you-so' look on his face.

"He was the one who offered to pay."

Clint's smile fell from his face, and they were both interrupted by Wanda humming softly.

"Shall we get started?"

Steve's frown deepened, nodding to Wanda, and she released Jack Rollins from his controlled stupor. His eyes blinked heavily, trying to gather his bearings, and when Jack Rollins was present, his gaze landed on Steve and a sneer spread across his lips and cheeks.

"It seems that we meet again, Captain Rogers."

Steve's body bristled at the man's voice, his blue eyes steeling as he gazed long and hard at him. At first, Steve wasn't sure if he wanted to grace the man with a response, but Steve swallowed his pride to reply back curtly.

"So it seems."

Rollins grinned before glancing around and asking with a cocky tone to his voice.

"I see that Barnes is not with us...couldn't handle seeing his favorite Handler, could he?"

Clint shared a look with Wanda as Wanda's finger crackled with power, her anger rising with his arrogant demeanor and words, and with a gentle touch of his hand on her wrist, Clint calmed Wanda before she took a deep breath to center herself again. T'Challa, however, stayed emotionless the whole time Rollins spoke. Steve replied sharply, shaking his head slightly.

"We're not here to talk about Barnes."

Rollins laughed cruelly, raising his brow a bit.

"Right, right, we're here to talk about my favorite asset, aren't we? That's why you've been hunting me...to make me pay for training and enforcing HYDRA's greatest creation, isn't it?"

Clint quipped, his gaze becoming stern as the softness immediately left his face.

"Don't think so highly of yourself just yet. Makes you look arrogant."

Although Rollins didn't show it, there was a flash of confusion that flickered within his eyes before leaving, and T'Challa finally spoke.

"Where are your operatives hiding within my kingdom? Seeing as you planted someone within, there must be something more that you are wanting other than the woman, no?"

Rollins chuckled, shaking his head as he kicked back the best he could in the chair that he was tied to.

"Now, why would I ever tell you that? I promise you, there's not a single thing that you will know: not now, not ever, and not even with the help of your little witch."

Rollins closed his mouth, his tongue subtly fiddling within the orifice for the false tooth that held a hidden pill of cyanide, but when Rollins found that the tooth was missing, his smirk completely vanished as a sense of dread filled him.

"Look familiar?"

A hand came from around him, a subtle chill going through Rollins as Natasha peeked her head around from behind him, a smirk on her face as she showed the false tooth and cyanide pill that was pinched between her two fingers.

"Oldest trick in the book, but unlucky for you, the most well-known. You're not getting out of this one so easily, Rollins. I'm almost sad you wanted to leave so soon."

Although he didn't show it, Rollins was beginning to grow anxious. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, he glared up at them all as Natasha crushed both the tooth and the pill, rendering his final escape useless. T'Challa's face contorted into one of annoyance, repeating.

"I will not be so nice this one final time: Where are your operatives hiding?"

"Fuck you."

Rollins spat out, and T'Challa's eyes flicked to Wanda, who immediately raised her hands. Rollins tried to resist, growling and hissing as he thrashed in his seat, but he was no match for the Avenger's telepathic abilities. His eyes glowed red, and he mumbled out almost robotically as his body relaxed.

"We have a unit hiding within the Serpent's Valley awaiting orders...three are within the kingdom disguised as scientists."

Steve then asked before T'Challa could ask another question.

"Where is the rest of HYDRA?"

Rollins, even though he was under the influence of Wanda's power, smirked just the slightest.

"Spread throughout the globe."

"Exact locations. Now."

Clint ordered, and Rollins' face contorted into pain as he tried to resist. However, Wanda wasn't having any of it. A frown came across her face as her fingers twitched and curled, red tendrils exiting and entering his head repeatedly, and Rollins' whined slightly before he began to list off every location that he knew.

The moment that he finished, Steve waved his hand, and Wanda immediately stopped controlling him. There was a slight bead of sweat running down Rollins' temple, and when Wanda backed away, Rollins immediately began to go on a tirade.

"Just what do you think you will accomplish, huh? You can try all that you want, but HYDRA will always prevail! The Winter Soldiers belong to us, and when they remember, it will be over!"

Steve just turned around and stomped out, unable to listen to Rollins anymore, but his echoing voice made Steve pause for a moment.

"It will never end, Steven Rogers! You can kill all of HYDRA, but you will never kill what we have accomplished! We will be reborn again and again, and there's nothing that you can do to stop it!"

Jack's voice was abruptly cut short, and it was only then that Steve began to walk away again. When Steve finally exited the dungeon, the handle to the door was bent into an imprint of his hand and a crack appeared in the wall from the force of him slamming the door shut.

-BUCKY-

The air around him was cold; freezing him to his core, but nothing like the cold of cryostasis. Snow covered the ground around him, thick and slushed and colored brown from dirt beneath his boots as he stood in the middle of the road.

Although it was nighttime, the moonlight heavy upon him, there was a bright and fiery orange light that flickered before him as Bucky stood in front of a car that was flipped and raging with fire.

He remembered how it happened.

Bucky remembered the order given to follow Doris, to sit and wait for her to pass, to do whatever it took to get the asset back. He remembered how he had stepped behind the rushing car, watching the way Doris' eyes had widened within the rearview mirror at seeing him before the explosive he had shot at the car exploded. He could hear the crunching of metal as the car flipped harshly onto its hood and was set ablaze.

The smell of burning rubber and flesh was impalpable, filling the air like a rotten perfume as the wind blew gently, and Bucky could only watch; trapped in his own mind, his dream, his memory.

The screams of pain were unmistakable; cries of horror and fear echoing around the emptiness of the night, and Bucky remembered that he did not feel anything but empty.

His steps were slow and deliberate as he approached, the black smoke blending in with the darkness of the night as it rose to the heavens that neither he nor the asset would ever reach. When the Soldier approached the car, he could hear the woman's sobs clearly as if he was truly here in this moment as if it wasn't a memory but real life.

'Mom?! Mom, wake up! Mom, please! I...I can't feel my legs...I can't breathe!'

The woman was hyperventilating, her legs crushed beneath the dashboard that had caved in from the fragility of the frame of the car, blood gushing around her from the extremity of her wounds. She was folded almost completely, her ability to breathe compromised, and the woman did not seem to notice that he was there. The asset was crying harder, pleading.

"Momma, please wake up! We...we gotta get out!"

The traitor would not respond. The Soldier knew that the second that the car had exploded and flipped that the woman was dead upon impact. Now, all that she had become was a pile of putrid burning flesh, her skin beginning to grow blistered and black as the fire slowly consumed her.

His metal hand grabbed the passenger door, ripping it clean off of its hinges before he grabbed the asset by the back of her neck. Despite her alertness, the bloodloss and pain was making her delirious.

Bucky remembered how she had screamed when he forcefully pulled her from the car, not giving any mind or sympathy for her broken legs. Her screams echoed around him, but the Soldier paid no mind.

Nobody would hear her. Just as it was supposed to be.

In order to ensure the asset was not dead, the Soldier spun her onto her back, her eyes unfocused and wild as she choked and cried.

"Momma...Momma...!"

She would not survive very long, and it would not be acceptable if he failed in his mission. Allowing the woman to drop carelessly onto the ground, the Soldier turned to the car to ensure that the traitor was, in fact, dead before the Soldier grabbed the asset by the scruff of her neck and began to drag her down the street to the waiting vehicle.

He was not sympathetic. He felt nothing for the woman as he carelessly shoved her into the backseat, her moans and whines inciting nothing but indifference to the Soldier who only cared about fulfilling his mission.

Once she was secured, the Soldier slid into the front seat of the vehicle and began to drive to the extraction point, passing the car and never giving it another glance.

He remembered how (Y/n) became sick, choking on her own vomit before she was able to spit it out, but the Soldier did not care, even as the light of the fire disappeared from the rearview mirror.

"Well done, soldier. Bring her inside."

He remembered the emotionless agent gesturing for him to get out when he arrived to the (L/n) residence, his enforcer waiting to escort him to the basement where the lab was situated. The Soldier was carrying the woman, her eyes fluttering as she glanced around tiredly before he placed her upon the table where scientists began to surround her.

He stood by, watching as she became coherent slightly, her voice filled with fear as she whimpered.

'What's happening? Where's my mom?'

One of the doctor's who hadn't been on the project long had looked perturbed when he looked down at the woman, asking the main surgeon who looked annoyed to be in the lab.

'Isn't this Robert's kid?'

The surgeon had waved him off, Bucky watching quietly as he stood against the wall; still and awaiting his next order.

'Go page him. Administer the sedative and begin operation.'

As the doctor prepared, Bucky remembered the way the woman had looked at him finally, asking with desperation.

'Who are you?'

That was when the surgeon became upset, demanding the asset be quieted, and Bucky remembered how he had done nothing; could do nothing but watch the whole time they operated upon her. He watched the whole time they administered the super soldier serum that was specifically tailored just for her; watched the way her legs painfully snapped back into place and healed as they worked.

Yes, Bucky remembered it all.

When Bucky woke up, he woke up with a gasp. His heart was racing, adrenaline coursing through him, and though Bucky wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep; the exhaustion of the last few days catching up with him, Bucky couldn't help but to cry and clutch at his head.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry...I'm so fucking sorry."

He was inconsolable, sobbing hard into the darkness of the room he had taken refuge in before a tendril of red light found him. Bucky glanced down, watching as it brushed against his leg, and the feeling of gentle calmness filled him.

It did not completely wash everything away, the tears still falling, but Bucky was no longer panicking. Wanda's gentle voice within his mind uttered a single word.

"Dungeons."

Bucky knew immediately. His resolve slowly came back, his body tensing, and the man stood up from the harsh cold of the floor. His shoulders were squared, his long hair hanging in front of his eyes before he glared at the door; an inexorable and deep-rooted anger filling his body.

If Rollins wanted HYDRA and the Winter Soldier, then Bucky would give it to him one-last time.

His steps were silent; moving like a ghost through the quiet kingdom as he made his way to the dungeons, and when he entered, it was silent. With Bucky's enhanced hearing, however, he could hear Rollins breathing; his beating heart that was slow as the man dozed.

Bucky's vibranium hand was clenched, his breath muffled by the mask upon his face, and when he arrived at Rollins' cell, he watched as Rollins slowly opened his eyes. A smirk filled his face, his eyes arrogant as the man greeted him.

"Привет, Зимний Солдат." (hello, winter soldier)

Bucky didn't respond. Instead, his hand gripped the door and tugged with enough force to break through; his anger unshakeable and the adrenaline enhancing his pre-existing inhuman strength. Once inside, Bucky tugged the door shut, and turned back to Rollins. Standing before him, Bucky delivered to the man a single statement.

"Пришло время твоего наказания, товарищ." (it is time for your punishment, comrade.)

Rollins' arrogant look was wiped from his face. Instead, an expression of anger came over him, his words hissed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Bucky stated firmly before rearing his fist back.

"Завершаю свою миссию." (I am completing my mission.)

His first connected with Rollins' stomach, the man letting out a gag as he doubled over, and Bucky could not capitulate his assault. In truth, Bucky's mind became empty and quiet as he beat the man; blood covering his knuckles and bones shattering beneath the weight of his fist.

If Rollins shouted in pain, Bucky silenced him swiftly. If Rollins cried, Bucky delivered more blows. If Rollins made a single sound, Bucky was quick to make Rollins remember how silence was the only thing acceptable.

When the man was completely beaten and broken and teetering on the edge of consciousness and passing out, Bucky finally stopped and stood. Tearing his mask off, Bucky's lips were curled back in a sneer, his teeth clenched and nostrils flaring. Rollins, however, let out a weak chuckle as he looked in Bucky's general direction despite not being able to see him due to both of his eyes being swollen completely shut.

"What...makes you think...you can save her?"

Bucky stayed silent, his fists clenching harder and his metal arm whirring and clicking loudly as the plates shifted into a tighter formation.

"You...are no better than we are...you...you dirty slut."

With a swift kick to Rollins jaw, the man was out cold, his jaw broken and hanging limply. His muscles were taut, tightened almost painfully from his anger, and Bucky took a moment to calm his hyperventilated breaths.

"I never said that I was."

Bucky quietly exited the cell, forcing it closed again, and he froze when he felt a presence within the hall with him. Turning his gaze, he found Tony staring at him.

Bucky was silent, regarding Tony cautiously, and Tony slowly stepped towards him and stopped to look into the cell. After a moment of observing the scene, Tony finally looked at Bucky and asked him.

"Did you get it out of your system?"

His tone was flat-no mockery or anger detected. It caught Bucky off guard for a second before the man looked away, muttering after a pregnant pause.

"Yeah....for now."

Tony sighed, but there was no gravity behind it. Rubbing his jaw, Tony hummed.

"Guess it was gonna happen at some point or another."

Bucky shook his head, his voice low as he replied, a strange feeling of being cornered coming over him.

"He deserves worse."

Tony's voice became quiet, agreeing.

"Yeah. Maybe he did."

There was a silence that came between them and stretched for a long moment; heavy, like old scars that hadn’t quite faded. It went on for another minute before Tony glanced at Bucky and forewarned him.

"Listen, Barnes, I get it, but you don't get to lose yourself again. Not now."

Bucky clenched his teeth, offended as he glared at Tony.

"I didn't lose myself. I chose this."

"Yeah, well, that's the part that worries me."

Tony shot back, his eyes narrowing slightly as he glared right back at Bucky. Bucky scoffed before spinning around toward the entrance of the dungeons, hissing.

"If you have something to say, Stark, then just say it."

Tony was quiet, ruminating over what to say. After a moment of staring back into the cell, his voice became soft again, stating.

“He said you can’t save her.”

Bucky tensed from his words, his steps towards the door faltering just the slightest.

“You think you can?”

Bucky stopped in his tracks, but didn't dare to turn around to look at the man.

“I have to...if only to amend the things that I've done.”

Tony nodded slowly.

“Yeah. That’s the answer I was hoping for.”

There was no judgement nor venom within Tony's voice, but instead a strange sound of almost understanding and exhaustion, and it made Bucky confused. Staring down at the ground, Bucky didn't know how to respond.

Bucky lingered a moment longer—letting the echo of the past fade before he made his way back to the surface and left Tony standing in front of the cell.

-

STORY NOTES: Wanda, Clint, T'Challa, and Steve are in the dungeons with Jack Rollins. While Wanda continues to keep Rollins under her control, T'Challa informs Steve that (Y/n) almost completely destroyed the heart-shaped herb garden. Steve, feeling guilting, tries to apologize but it rendered quiet by T'Challa. T'Challa informs Steve that (Y/n) is not in trouble, but has been moved to Shuri's lab with Tony. He reveals that Tony offered to pay for the damages himself after Clint tries to make a joke, which makes Clint's jab backfire.

Before the man can become even more distracted, Wanda asks if they would like to begin the interrogation. She releases Rollins from her control, and once he is oriented, he directly addresses Steve. He asks where Bucky is, but Steve is firm in telling Rollins that Bucky is not the point of the conversation. Rollins agrees, instead making a jab at (Y/n), which Clint quickly responds to. Before Rollins can say anything else, T'Challa asks Rollins where his operatives are hiding. Rollins refuses to tell him, and in order not to compromise HYDRA, tries to take the cyanide pill that is within a false tooth. However, he is dumbfounded when the tooth and pill are missing. Natasha reveals that she took the tooth and pill out, remarking that Rollins wasn't going to get out of interrogation so easily.

T'Challa tries to ask him again, but this time, Rollins curses at the king. T'Challa gestures to Wanda, who uses her telepathic ability to force Rollins to tell everyone where his operatives are hiding. Rollins reveals where his unit has hidden themselves, as well as where the planted agents are, and Steve immediately asks where the rest of HYDRA is. When Rollins gives a vague answer, Clint demands the exact locations, and Rollins is forced to answer every location that he knows. When Wanda relinquishes her control, Rollins becomes angry, propagating that HYDRA will never cease to exist and will prevail. Jack is abruptly cut short by unknown means, and the scene changes.

Bucky is having a dream of the memory of him retrieving (Y/n) when he was the Winter Soldier the night Doris and (Y/n) tried to leave for Baltimore. It is revealed that the car they were driving was bombed and flipped, Doris dying almost immediately. (Y/n), however, somehow survived despite both of her legs being crushed from the accident. He remembers how (Y/n) begged for her mother to wake up, and how the fire had already begun to consume Doris' body. He remembers transporting (Y/n) back to her home where Robert's lab was situated, hidden within the basement where many HYDRA agents are waiting. Bucky remembers being present for the whole operation before he finally wakes up from the dream. Bucky immediately begins to cry, apologizing quietly before Wanda reaches out to him with her power, calming him before telling him exactly where Rollins is.

In a moment of rage, Bucky decides to go to the dungeons to confront Rollins, slipping into his Winter Soldier mindset easily (although not truly becoming the Winter Soldier and maintaining his conscious). When Rollins greets him, Bucky asks if he is ready for his punishment, which Rollins immediately becomes enraged. When he asks what Bucky was doing, the man responds by telling Rollins he is completing his mission before beginning to beat Rollins unconscious. It is alluded that this cathartic act of violence goes on for a while, and when Rollins taunts Bucky for one last time, Bucky knocks the man out before leaving the cell. Waiting for him, however, is Tony.

Tony asks if Bucky 'got it out of his system,' and when Bucky flatly replies, Tony subtly dismisses him. Instead, he tells Bucky that while he understands where Bucky is coming from, he doesn't get to turn into the Winter Soldier and 'lose himself'. Bucky denies this, stating that he chose to do this to Rollins, and Tony is quick to respond. The moment becomes heated, Bucky snapping at Tony to say what it is that he wanted to say, but Tony deflects. He asks Bucky if he wants to save (Y/n), in which Bucky confirms. Tony simply responds by saying that he was hoping for that answer before ending the conversation, and Bucky leaves the dungeon, leaving Tony standing in front of the aftermath of his encounter with Rollins. End scene.

TRANSLATIONS:

Isithunzi - Xhosa for [the] shadow/shade

Привет, Зимний Солдат - Hello, Winter Soldier

Пришло время твоего наказания, товарищ. - It's time for your punishment, comrade.

Завершаю свою миссию - I am completing my mission.

TAGLIST: @tilldeathripsusapart @vicmc624 @mgchaser @aash3 @samfunko @seventeen-x @valckenaux @babybeeelle @sc4rrc @cjand10 @bane-y-zane @notsostrangerthing @thenameswinter99

[mapoeggplant]

skip to loafer chapter 68 + shima analysis // spoilers

acceptance of the monster: how facing the past is necessary when the goal is a brighter future

i think that those who have been following me for a while have seen all my analyses and random insights about shima. i have immense affection for him and he will always be one of my favorite characters ever. and chapters like this remind me of how important he is in my life. 

chapter 68 is very straight to the point, but it also hides some small and big changes that started to bubble up from previous chapters. for the first time, we no longer have small, not very explicit scenes from shima's memories or him being so afraid of finally facing the past: now we have the naked truth, laid out in front of us, so that we can understand a little more about how the childhood that shaped shima's entire life until now was.

unlike what i imagined, i didn't get angry with taiga now that he was introduced. of course, i don't think his actions were right or that he didn't influence shima in a negative way, but his appearance at that moment served as both a salvation and a tragedy for shima's life.

there are many layers to be analyzed. we know very, very little about taiga, but we can understand that he didn't have a very good relationship with his family either — the moment he talks about his parents' disappointment in him for giving up acting shows us that he was probably also forced to do something he didn't want to do. he is also the result of a desire imposed on him, causing him to rebel as the years went by.

in a way, meeting shima is like meeting your past self. i don't see much evil in his actions or see it as something malicious. i think he recognized in shima's face the same nervousness that he himself felt every time before his rehearsal, thus proposing that he also have an act of rebellion to feel a little freer.

however, the evil of all this is that taiga, without knowing anything, ends up entering shima's life at a time when he is most fragile and hurt by everything he has been facing (whether it be his abusive relationship with his mother or his growing fear of acting). shima sees taiga as an equal, someone who understands all the pain he has faced but managed to escape from it, while he’s still a prisoner. he sees the older boy as an inspiration, as a friend he longed for, who would show him what a life away from cameras and rehearsals would be like.

shima is still too young to understand everything that is happening around him, and too young to see any kind of problem in following his new friend. having a destructive act at a time of such fragility gives him a certain strength, because he understands this as the only way he has to face his mother and go against everything that is imposed on him. going out with taiga, even if secretly, is a message to his mother: you no longer have control over me.

unfortunately, we have known the result of these escapades for a long time. ririka, also worried about shima, decides to follow him and ends up being targeted by several online attacks. even though shima was the one who “took” her there, ririka, a beautiful and successful girl, is the perfect target.she is the one who suffers the direct consequences, and of course this is closely linked to the sexism that is rooted in society and how much people wait for a girl to make a small mistake so that they can destroy her in some way (i talk more about this in my exclusive ririka analysis).

now shima no longer has to face just two monsters: they have now multiplied into a thousand, becoming even stronger. the consequences of his rebellion come in an aggressive form, with his mother’s abuse and the new tarnished image he obtained in his artistic circle. his mother’s anxiety comes from the fact that shima would no longer get big roles, either because of this transgression or because he missed so many rehearsals, which did not lead to any improvement in terms of acting. blinded by all the anger she feels inside, shima's mother's direct response is no other than to attack her son.

child abuse is extremely common in the arts, whether by parents, the press, the public or co-workers. shima is just one of many young actors who have had to suffer the wrath of a parent who is disappointed by a dream that they themselves forced their children to have. and of course, this would result in years of being afraid to be who they are, to speak out and to live a normal life without carrying immense guilt. the prison that he has placed himself in for all these years is the evolution of the bonds imposed by his mother.

the turning point does not happen in this chapter itself, but in a sequence of long events that led him to where he is. it is impossible for shima to change overnight: it takes a lot of work and a lot, but a lot of analysis (even if it is self-analysis) to finally understand and be able to heal all this pain that he has been held hostage by for so many years. and the second part of the chapter shows exactly that.

shima is no longer afraid to face the monster of the past because he is no longer alone. he finally understands that there are people around him who care about him and fight to stay by his side. having people's support and love gives him the strength to move forward and continue this arduous battle of growing up. shima now understands what it is to be loved to the point of being happy about a past fight, as it resulted in an even closer relationship with mitsumi. he understands that being loved is being able to look back on the past and no longer feel pain or guilt, but to recognize the one who suffered so much, with no one by his side.

he now takes on the role of the monster, but no longer to affirm his guilt, but to be able to show his past self and all the other monsters around him how it is possible for him to be happy. how it is possible to decide things for yourself and follow your heart. how it is possible to love so many people and be loved in return. how it is possible to look at a person and feel an immense warmth, an inexplicable desire to keep fighting, all so that he can be by their side. 

shima is finally reaching out to his past self, so that they can form a new future together.

before i finish, i would also like to touch on an important point that i see the possibility of being discussed in the future: shima's current relationship with his mother. chapter 67 brought something very important, which was shima's recognition when he admitted that he felt a certain pity for his mother, due to all the comments he heard about her. deep down, he feels a certain empathy for his mother and no longer sees her as an unbeatable villain. he has been slowly trying to change his relationship with her, and the first step is to invite her to watch the play he chose to be in. this in my opinion shows shima's desire to forgive his mother in order to move on, but also seek some kind of forgiveness from her (which can be a result of many years of manipulation, since he still thinks he is guilty for a lot of his mother’s pain). i feel that we will still see a type of closeness between them and a deeper conversation, so that shima can finally feel like he belongs to a family again. this can be a triggering moment to a lot of readers, so if it does happen, please be mindful of it. 

the layers that not only this chapter but this whole new arc has are much deeper than we imagine. building a character requires love, patience and conversation. you need to listen and understand what your character wants. respect is needed so that the story can grow. takamatsu misaki has a huge affection for her characters, for her story and for everything she has been building since 2018.

we're so lucky to be able to follow such amazingly beautiful story.

thank you so much for reading 💛💛!! don't forget to support sensei if you can! always here to discuss more about the chapter!

[lost-romantique]

Top 5 Moments from each Helluva Boss Episode (Season 2.5)

What better way to welcome the upcoming New Year than to give everyone my favorite moment from each Helluva Boss episode that released this year!

I would love to know what your favorite moment from each episode in Season 2.5 is, so feel free to go ham!

Full Moon

While absolutely heartbreaking watching these blorbos unknowingly trigger each other as their miscommunication reaches a whole new level of disaster. Blitz's tirade in particular, is my favorite, the sheer emotion, the anger, the betrayal, and the pain coming out of his voice is immense. Brandon Rogers, the voice actor you are...

" What?! FUCK you, Stolas! You spring this feelings bullshit on me, are you fucking kidding?"

"Can I get a FUCKING minute to think after everything you put me through, you pompous, rich ASSHOLE?!"

"Treat me like one of your little butler imps?! You can't just dismiss me like that! I mean, you royal fucks think you can do this EVERY TIME, like you can just play with our feelings because we're smaller and not as IMPORTANT! Well, I'm not letting you, BITCH! LET'S GO!"

Apology Tour

My favorite scene from Apology Tour is also my favorite heartbreaking scene from Helluva Boss in general. Blitz puts down the cake Verosika left for him, puts his hood on, and walks down the staircase as he's forced to see the carnage he unknowingly caused by hurting people the way he does.

This scene in particular, where Blitz watches Stolas supposedly having the time of his life dancing with BTB kills me because it's one of the only times we see Blitz completely give up Stolas, his "heart".

Ghostfuckers

Ghostfuckers is still most definitely one of my favorite episodes from Helluva Boss, and the scene where Millie comforts Blitz is one of my personal favorites. When Blitz feels like he's nothing more than a monster that destroys everything he touches, Millie tells him he's wrong because he gave her, her entire world.

"He gave me so much: a career, a husband, a future, and now... he's my best friend."

"You... you don't hate me?"

"Naw, never."

"Look. What I said earlier, you've just always been so unbothered by everything. Almost bulletproof and, I guess I never realized how much I depended on that. I didn't know how to react to you being reduced to…Bethany. But I should've respected you like you always do for me. I'm sorry."

Mastermind

Mastermind has so many memorable moments: from the beautiful Stolitz duet that I'm still obsessed with to the little cheek kiss at the end. However, no scene can beat the desperation and terror of this scene.

Just when Blitz came to the full realization of his feelings for Stolas, he now has to watch the love of his life die for his sake. Blitz sounds so scared, so desperate. He never wanted to die, but he especially doesn't want someone he cares about to die for him, for his sake.

"No! No, th-Stolas, you- you can't! You can't do this! Stolas please! Get the FUCK off me! Stolas! STOLAS!! Stolas! Fucking-use your powers, do something! Stolas!"

Sinsmas

Sinsmas was filled with so many great and beautiful moments, but this scene in particular means so much to me. We've now reached a point in Blitz's character development, where Blitz allows himself to dream of a happy life where he and Stolas can eventually settle down with their daughters.

It's a real full-circle moment for Blitz because it really shows how much he's grown as a character. Full Moon Blitz would never allow himself to dream of such things. However, Blitz, right now, has grown so much to the point where he is now able to believe that he himself is deserving of love.

"You okay, dad? I can handle this one. You know, if you're not up for it."

"Really?"

"Nah, fuck this. We're going home."

Honorable Mentions

Full Moon - When I See Him

Apology Tour - Blitz & Stolas' Argument

Ghostfuckers - Blitz's Lament

Mastermind - Blitz's (Supposed) Execution

Sinsmas - Stolas & Blitz's Dance

[valsverse]

"love is homemade."

summary: after a long study session at the library, you find yourself feeling absolutely exhausted. thankfully, your loving boyfriend comes to the rescue by.. baking cupcakes?

pairing: percy jackson x gn!reader

word count: 1.3k

warnings: a little profanity, but that's about it.

you stumbled your way to the door of your apartment, your tired eyes struggling to differentiate between the numerous keys on your keychain. you tried each one in turn, only to find that none of them worked. with each passing moment, your frustration grew, and you couldn't help but curse under your breath at the inconvenience of it all.

after a grueling study session at the library, your mind was still buzzing with facts and figures about the "wonders" of biology, making it difficult to focus on anything else. all you wanted was to collapse into your bed and sleep off the exhaustion of the day. you're about to test another key when something pulls you out of your daze.

a familiar line from one of your favorite songs, playing softly, but surely coming from inside your apartment. it was the same song you recently added to the shared playlist that you and percy had compiled over the years. as you place your ear next to the door, you could also hear the unmistakable sound of pots and pans clanging together, alongside another noise that you couldn't quite identify.

your mind starts racing for an explanation. you hadn't invited anyone over.. and the only one who has the keys to your apartment.. is percy.

you step back for a second, processing this information, and start testing the keys again, this time with more care and caution. after several attempts, one key finally clicks into place. you let out a sigh of relief before slowly pushing open the door, bracing yourself for what you might find on the other side.

despite your best efforts to minimize any noise, the door lets out a loud, grating creak that makes you cringe. you quickly regain your composure, scanning your apartment. as your eyes adjusted to the dim light, you took in the scene unfolding before you.

there, in the kitchen, was percy, stumbling around the counters in a chaotic but endearing way, surrounded by a mess of ingredients and utensils. despite the chaos, the air was filled with the delicious aroma of your favorite cupcakes. your shared playlist was playing softly in the background, accompanied by the ticking of your oven. you took in a deep breath, savoring the scent of the cupcakes and smiling at the unexpected surprise. any fatigue you had beforehand was slowly being washed away.

percy, however, seemed to be unaware of your presence until you took a step forward, making your appearance known. he stumbled backward, causing a cacophony of clattering pots and pans. his comically wide eyes met yours, clearly surprised to see you there. you got a good look at his face now, which was smudged with frosting, making him look like an overgrown child.

"why are you here?!" he whisper-shouted, even though it was only the two of you in the apartment. he quickly made his way towards you, wiping his hands on a rag that was on the counter.

"'cause it's my apartment?" you respond, shrugging off your coat.

"oh, let me get that for you," he quickly offers, taking your coat and hanging it on the rack. "but i thought you weren't supposed to be back until six?

"yeah, it's almost seven."

percy looks at you, then at the clock, and swears under his breath.

"now about that," you gesture towards the kitchen and the mess that was waiting for you. he followed your gaze and seemed to just now realize the destruction that he had caused. despite the chaos, he offers you a smile, clearly proud of his efforts. "just wanted to surprise you. knew you'd be tired after studying." he explained.

"but why?"

"'cause i love you?" he responded, shrugging nonchalantly. you didn't say anything for a moment, but a small smile began to form on your lips.

"well, thanks, but maybe next time don't destroy my kitchen?" you tease, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. he chuckles, his arms wrapping around your waist.

"yeah, i'll keep that in mind," he promises, still beaming from your earlier compliment. he leans in to give you a big smooch, but you lean back, causing him to frown.

"i did all this hard work and i can't even get a kiss?" he asks, his tone playful but with a hint of disappointment.

"you have frosting all over your face," you point out, trying to hold back a laugh. his pout only got wider.

"well, you're gonna be kissing my lips, not my face, so i don't see why it matters," percy retorts. "now c'mere."

he gives you a second to pull away, and then captures your lips in a giddy kiss. you laugh against his lips, a little surprised at his eagerness, but you don't stop him.

he kisses you repeatedly, savoring the taste of your lip balm and reveling in your embrace until he finally rests his forehead against yours when he's satisfied. you both stand there, holding each other close, lost in the moment and not exchanging any words for a while.

suddenly, he jumps back as if just remembering something. "SHIT, THE CUPCAKES!" he exclaims, causing you to flinch at his sudden outburst, but he quickly corrects himself after seeing your reaction and repeats in a softer tone, "i meant, shit, the cupcakes," before scrambling back to the oven.

you watch him as he rushes around the kitchen, checking on the cupcakes, making sure they're not burnt. he turns around to face you, his sheepish grin apologizing for the sudden outburst. "sorry about that," he says, wiping his face with a nearby towel to remove any frosting leftover.

"it's fine," you say, trying to sound nonchalant. as you walk into the kitchen, you take in your surroundings. various pipettes are scattered on the counter, bowls filled with frosting are placed haphazardly, and suspiciously shaped finger swipes are evident on them. "guess we should wait for them to cool down?" you suggest, and percy nods in agreement, pointing to a sticky note hung up on the cabinet. "that's what the recipe says too," he confirms. you immediately recognize the recipe as sally jackson's, thanks to the familiar handwriting. percy must have called her today just for this occasion.

you get pulled out of your thoughts by the sound of the sink turning on. "i'm gonna clean up here, for using your kitchen and stuff," percy announces, gathering a bunch of used spatulas and bowls. "you can relax on the couch, ill be done soon." he offers you a warm smile.

despite his offer, you don't want to relax on the couch. instead, you want to spend time with him. especially since he did all of this for you. "well, it's quicker to clean with two people, right?" you suggest.

after a few hours, the kitchen is sparkling clean, your exhaustion has vanished, and you and percy have just put the finishing touches on the cupcakes.

you're now both sitting on your comfortable couch, each about to enjoy your creations. percy has his arm around you, drawing you closer to him, and you feel safe and content in his embrace.

"whatcha doin'?" percy asks as he observes you meticulously removing the bottom of your cupcake and placing it on top.

"cupcake sandwich," you respond with a smile, holding your completed creation up for him to see.

after a brief moment of contemplation, percy quickly copies your movements and crafts his own "cupcake sandwich." he clinks his cupcake with yours once he's done, as if making a toast, and you both bite into the sugary treat simultaneously.

while it doesn't alter the flavor, the whole cupcake sandwich method is undoubtedly the superior way to enjoy a cupcake, as percy now realizes. the cupcakes may not be perfect, but as they say, love is homemade, and you'd much rather have a cupcake baked with love than one purchased for $1.99 at the supermarket.

"by the way," you remark, pointing at percy's face, which is smudged with frosting from eating, just like when you first caught him, "you still have frosting on your face."

"shit."

a/n

i feel like my writing has declined lmaoo. break is over tho! but updates will be inconsistent since classes are kicking my ass rn. i hate school, i'm sorry malala.

xx, val.

[moonrisecoeur]

thoughts on this post aka detective leon and serial killer reader. warning for dark content obvi, mentions of weapons, blood, bodies, murder. also sub leon makes an appearance as usual lol. fem!reader too!!

sorry for the wait lol i’ve been folding laundry anyway let me cook

you know that fucking cop is onto you, he knows more than you want him to but for some reason, even when you know you’ve messed up and are sure you’re gonna be caught, you’re not. no one knows about the evidence you accidentally left behind, clues that trace back to you. when you go back to try and ruin the crime scene to throw the police off the scent, it’s all gone. just a dead body and all of the blood you love to spill.

it bugs you a little bit. where did it go? but you watch as the cops search the crime, hiding in the bushes behind the house when you see the cop you… you just know is the one who did it. he looks like he’s seen that crime scene already, and there’s something bunched into his pocket. that looks almost like your glove that got caught on something and left behind as you were escaping.

you realize he’s looking you dead in the eyes as you make painfully awkward eye contact with him. he smirks and looks away. you wonder why he isn’t telling his colleagues about how he saw you, you wonder why he seems almost amused by you. it’s driving you mad.

you’ve seen him before. you recognize him now. you don’t know his name, but he’s got blonde hair, long enough to cover his blue eyes. looks like a doll. he’s a detective, always showing up to crime scenes in those pretty, expensive suits. he wears a nice watch, cleans himself up well.

you get your hands on his file, all of his records, the time he spent as a patrol officer, back when he was younger. his hair was shorter then. his eyes a bit brighter. he was cute. and now… he’s much more than that. he’s distinguished.

—

leon saw you once, before you could run out when you realized the cops were coming in. he remembers how you looked. bloody, gloved hands holding a kitchen knife. you didn’t see him, but he saw you. he sees you again in the bushes, and you see him this time. it’s a moment where everything stops, and leon feels his dead heart pitter pattering like it hasn’t done in years.

you kinda lose the light in your soul when you become a detective. he’s more somber now than he was when he was on patrol, but what can you do?

he finds out everything he can about you, cross referencing the evidence he finds that everyone else seems to miss with every little thing he can gather, in hopes of figuring out your name, or anything about you, honestly.

he’s come to the conclusion that your sloppiness is caused from the pleasure you take in killing. you leave too much evidence behind, too many clues, christ it’s like you want to be caught, but leon can’t help but be fond of you now that you’re intentionally leaving clues for him to find. little messages like ‘for my favorite detective, ♡’ on notecards next to the body. no one knows what you mean. leon’s becoming more obsessed by the minute.

he’s learned everything about you, every motive, every killing, why, when, how you did it all, and his coworkers know nothing. they’re not even sure how many you’ve killed, much less know anything about you.

it’s betraying his morals, sure, but who really cares? he’s killed people before, he’s no better than you. sure, he tried to convince himself he did it to protect the innocent, but he’s got his own thirst for blood. can’t really blame you for doing for fun what he does for work. you lose your morals anyway when you’re a detective.

he covers for you, gives excuses and ideas to lead the other detectives in the wrong direction. destroys evidence for you. lies for you. he’s desperate for you attention, and he finally gets it when you come into the police station.

you’re not disguised, not dressed to hide your identity. you look.. normal. you smile at the person working the front desk. you’re polite, charming, courteous. leon almost passes you by before double taking and realizing that it’s you.

“well, hello, it’s nice to meet you, detective kennedy,” you smile, reaching out your hand for him to shake, which he does awkwardly. you realize that he’s a lot less cool than he seemed when you first saw him. his lack of social skill is almost charming.

“are you… what are you doing here? are you turning yourself in o-or something?”

“i wanted to see you,” you say simply to him.

he blinks, confused.

“do you want to speak with me? or should i just go, detective?”

“i.. i think we should talk,” he smiles back eventually, “i want to talk to you. really talk.”

you meet him later, after his shift. you tell him your story, your motives. even though he knows them, he lets you talk. he likes listening to you. he tells you about his work, what he’s done to protect you, and when you ask why, he shrugs, “you’re too pretty for prison.” he matches your bluntness.

it takes everything in you not to burst out laughing, amused by leon kennedy’s mind, how his brain even works.

he continues, “but listen, if you’re gonna keep… you know, killing people, you need to run it by me after the fact. i need to get there and make sure there’s no evidence that other detectives will find. don’t worry, i’ll get you a burner phone and everything. just call me when you do it. i’ll help.”

“hmm.. alright. now.. do i owe you anything for your.. protection, detective? should i.. show you how appreciative i am that you’re helping me get away with murder?” you lean in close, suggestively. leon can’t help that he’s easy to seduce.

“i.. i think you don’t owe me anything, but.. if you’d like..” he stutters. you smile. he’s so cute to play with.

he takes you back to his place. you tell him he wouldn’t like yours, with the victim you have tied to a chair in your bedroom. he raises an eyebrow, and you try to calm his worries by saying, “its fine, i drugged him so he wouldn’t wake up until tomorrow… do you wanna watch me torture him?”

“i’m… okay, baby,” he says, his voice gravelly and soft at the same time.

you hook up obviously when you get back to his apartment, and it’s the best sex of his life. maybe it’s because he likes dominant women already, but there might also be something thrilling about a woman putting her hands around his throat who’s very well capable of squeezing until he stopped breathing entirely.

thankfully, you don’t asphyxiate him. you lay in his bed with him afterwards, and there’s something so strangely normal about the way you curl up into his side as he draws shapes on your back with his fingertips.

“are you ever.. gonna kill me?” he asks, out of the blue, stirring you from your drowsy state.

you look up at him, and he’s worried you’re considering it. there’s a gun on his nightstand. he panics. you would never get away with it, he’s sure. your dna is all over his body, his clothes, his apartment, surely you’re not that sloppy of a killers.

“i haven’t decided yet,” you say simply, resting your head on his chest.

“o-oh…”

you chuckle, sensing anxiety and tension in his body at your response to his question, “i would only ever do it if i thought you were gonna betray me or something, pinky promise. no matter how… beautiful you would look dying..”

he gulps, and you feel endeared by his fear. he’s.. cute when he’s nervous.

the next day, he wakes up. he puts on another suit, and another fancy watch. he drives you home before he goes to work, and he kisses your forehead before he gets back into his car, “am i gonna be seeing you again tonight?” he asks.

you chuckle, “i’m counting on it, handsome. trust me when i say i look very good in red.”

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#55: The Future Generations (1.06)

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

The CRM was so convinced that they were creating a better world for future generations but they failed to see how they’re actually destroying and traumatizing the youth and those that survive their horrible attacks. But fortunately, Rick and Michonne see right through them. 👌🏽 And what I see within these next scenes is the most gorgeous shot of Richonne of all time 🤩...

Beale and Rick continue their meeting and Beale reveals that, similar to Okafor, he also sacrificed people he cared about, his home, and the whole city of Pittsburg for the “greater good” of saving Philadelphia.

Then Beale says, “It’s not exactly tearing into a person with your canines, but it’s not nothing. isn’t that right?” Why do I have a feeling that of all the soldiers he’s asked that same question of what’s the worst thing you’ve done, Rick gave Beale the craziest answer he’s ever heard lol? 🤭

Rick replies, “No it’s not nothing, sir...My dad taught me, for better or worse…some things have to burn to bring things back.” And Beale agrees with that line of thinking, saying, “It was that. The sword that kills is the sword that brings life. I killed my past and a whole city so another could live.”

Whenever I hear Beale talk about the sword bringing life I always think Rick would agree with him it’s just Beale’s talking about the wrong sword.

Also, it’s interesting hearing Beale say he killed his past because the CRM nearly killed Rick’s past too by taking away the images of his loved ones from his mind. But fortunately, the sword-wielding woman who gives Rick life helped restore what the CRM tried to take from him. 😇

Beale tells Rick the first secret which is that the most likely outcome is they’re all gonna die. And then we see Michonne enter an auditorium where a projector shows a bunch of photos of little kids as a robotic-sounding soldier goes over the Child Evacuation Protocol of their horrific Operation N1W.

Then y’all, we’re hit with a stunning shot of Rick and Michonne in that candlelit bed scene, and the lighting and framing of it all is perfect. 🙌🏽

And of course, now that Michonne is no longer facing away from Rick they’re back up on each other as expected. 😊 Michonne looks up at Rick with her ring-clad hand on his face as she says, “So, we’re born this way.” And the eye contact. 🫠 My goodness, they invented chemistry. 💯

They cut to several more clips of Richonne kicking butt in TWD that just further hammers home that they’re cut from the same cloth. And then Rick smiles down at Michonne and says, “I guess so.”

I love that Rick and Michonne found someone who matches their crazy and their fighting spirit so much to where they can both just know 'we were born like this and that’s okay.' In fact, being a bit certifiably crazy is part of why they’re still here. 👌🏽 And they're crazy about each other which is part of what makes this story about 'crazy love' so golden.

Back in the echelon briefing, Rick learns that according to Beale humans only have 14 years left before extinction and that’s why the CRM does what it does.

Rick inquires about what they do and Beale says, “We’re trying to beat the odds, Grimes.” Then they cut to more TWD clips of Rick and Michonne, and I like how intercutting between Rick and Michonne clips really makes it feel like these two are one being. The baddest being. 😌

Michonne is appalled by what she is learning in the auditorium and Rick is appalled by what he’s learning in the briefing as Beale finally shares what the CRM is really up to. Beale says that they destroy other communities for resources, strategic superiority, and the CRM's favorite line “to ensure the city’s secrecy and security above all.”

I like the parallel clips they use of Rick looking up at a helicopter in TWD season 8 and in TOWL ep 1, as he learns that these helicopters he saw were likely heading out to cause some serious destruction. 

Michonne sits in the auditorium as it's revealed that the CRM intends to evacuate 10% of the children before the area is gassed and its population is liquidated. And you already know none of this is happening on Mama Michonne’s watch. She’s going to fight for these kids and her kids because clearly, this 'last light of the world' doesn’t care who they hurt.

gif cred: @nerd4music

And I know after having been gassed herself, Michonne is especially horrified that they intend to do it again to tons of innocent people.

Meanwhile, Beale tells Rick they have spies throughout the world to monitor and potentially sabotage others. Jadis must have been trying to win Spy of the Month, the way she stayed sabotaging Richonne and team family back in the day. 😒

Beale says the CRM was behind destroying Omaha and in 18 hours they’ll destroy Portland to become the supreme force on the continent.

And then we’re blessed with another great shot of Rick and Michonne in bed as Rick says they’ll tell the Civic Republic the truth about what the CRM does, like the bombing.

Rick says “if they won’t who will?” as Michonne intently says, “No one” and I admit I’m not the craziest about this dialogue but what it lacks in subtlety it more than makes up for with the stunning visual.

Because then Rick notes that they don’t leave people behind and Michonne affirms that this is what they do and y’all the visual of her sliding her ring-clad hand in his hair as they look at each other…Put it in the Louvre. 🤩🖼

This gorgeous visual right here is truly my favorite Richonne visual of all time. 👏🏽 These two are some serious stunners and this shot is a mesmerizing work of art. 😍🔥

gif cred: @lousolversons

Beale continues to give Rick the 411 on what they’re about to do and he’s so emotionally removed from the fact that he’s talking about wiping out a whole city of people. That alone lets you know his brand of crazy is a major problem and Rick can sense that too as he starts to reach for his knife.

Beale also says they’ll continue to take the resources of even more communities they find, which means eventually they’ll end up on ASZ's doorstep.

As Beale says, “Maybe we get to survive'' there are quick clips shown from several surviving members of the TWD cast. Michonne then radios Rick in the auditorium while she listens to the soldiers talk in a cold and disconnected manner about the trauma they’re bound to put these kids through.

In the final bedroom scene, Rick continues to go over he and Michonne’s plan and he lets her know to key the walkie if anything changes and then he’ll get back to her when he can. Hearing that is always sweet to me because even with the stuff he has to take care of with the plan, he wants her to be assured he’ll get to her if she needs him.

gif cred: @nat111love

Looking like a beautiful mermaid, Michonne says, “if I can be gotten back to.” 🧜🏾‍♀️ And then Rick’s walkie goes off in the briefing. 😬

Beale notices and Rick is quick on his feet saying it was just Thorne. Back in the auditorium, Danai does a great job communicating Michonne’s horror even through a mask as the CRM soldier continues their cold and emotionally detached speech even calling the stuffed animals “comfort items” to “furnish” the children with. 

As the projector lands on the final image of a young Black boy (which I like how Danai wanted that pic to be the final one to connect to Michonne’s kids RJ and Andre) we then get more TWD clips of the adorable Grimes kids. And I like how each clip feels like it embodies a different season - fall, winter, summer.

There’s Carl smiling on those train tracks. 😭 Judith smiling and hugging Michonne in the snow. 😭 And RJ’s adorable little smile at the beach. 😭 And then, having seen enough, Michonne makes her way out of the auditorium. 

I feel like here is a good time to note something regarding the CRM too. I know some felt like the handling of the CRM was rushed in TOWL and wanted it to be explored more in the show, but I think the CRM/Civic Repiblic was actually intended to be more of an arena for a far more personal story being told in The Ones Who Live.

This show was more about Rick and Michonne navigating a journey to overcome a lot of internal imprisonment, and the CRM was always explored in relation to that more contained and personal story of these two characters finding themselves and each other again.

At least in TOWL (I can’t really speak on any other spinoff show in the twdu since I don't watch them) we’re always seeing the CRM through the lens of how it impacts Rick and Michonne specifically. The CRM makes Rick lose himself, they make Michonne nearly lose her life when they gas her and her friends, they almost cause a major wedge in Richonne’s relationship and nearly keep them from going home together.

The CRM had done a lot of damage throughout the miniseries so it’s not like their impact isn’t felt, it's just not necessarily dived into on a grander scale outside of Rick and Michonne because this is Rick and Michonne’s story.

gif cred: @nat111love

This miniseries was always meant to give Richonne closure, not launch the next ten years of the twdu. So for me personally, I was more than fine with Richonne getting substantially more focus than the CRM stuff.

Also, one of the main things to acknowledge about the CRM is that it makes everyone lose themselves. All these soldiers become faceless cogs in the machine, devoid of caring about anything other than the mission.

We see this with Pearl becoming a convert and becoming so obsessively mission-minded. That’s what the CRM does to its soldiers - strips them of what makes them human, so they can just obediently go along with these heinous acts for the so-called greater good. So in a sense, the way the CRM felt faceless and distant might’ve been the point. That’s what you have to be to belong to this military.

And lifeless and distant is what the CRM nearly made Rick. However, what we saw in TOWL's actual core plot is that Rick did devastatingly lose himself but he found himself again when his other half reentered his life.

In fact, Rick is fully cognizant of the fact that his beloved wife and son are why he didn’t succumb to losing himself and being in the same emotionally numb state that Beale, Okafor, Jadis, and Pearl ended up in.

And in his final confrontation with Beale, Rick makes it known the ones who truly give him something to live for. 😌👌🏽

[mirrorball-leclerc]

snow angel - track five

series masterlist // previous // next

MAY 2023

yuki tsunoda what's the saying?

lily muni he we ride at dawn!! yuki tsunoda yes, thank you, lily. WE RIDE AT DAWN FUCKERS!!

max verstappen i for one did not know norizz cheated on her with one of her friends.

pierre gasly WHO WAS IT RHEA?

rhea reynolds not important. mick schumacher her childhood best friend. rhea reynolds MICK?!

mick schumacher the people deserve to know the truth!

alex albon that is so much worse than just a friend.

esteban ocon i hope you destroy him with your new album.

mick schumacher oh it's bad.

lance stroll on a scale of multi-21 to abu dhabi 2021. how bad is it?

rhea reynolds probably abu dhabi 2021.

george russell a woman scorned is a man's worst nightmare. good for you.

daniel ricciardo that shit was awfully british of you russell george! george russell I AM BRITISH!

pierre gasly kika says she can't wait to hear you tear this man apart.

max verstappen she's coming for his weave. is that the saying?

rhea reynolds eh, it's an old one but it works.

logan sargeant THEY GOT #FUCKLANDONOWINS TRENDING ON TWITTER!

charles leclerc i hope this resurfaces when rhea releases new music.

lily muni he by the way, where's our sneak peak??

mick schumacher i'm afraid you guys aren't ready for the album. it's so sad.

charles leclerc A WIN FOR THE SAD BITCHES (ME!)

rheareynolds posted new stories

"i bet you couldn't believe. when you realized i'm harder to forget than i was to leave"

he looks like he's hard at work but he's watching deadpool

liked by taylorswift, gina_schumacher, vancityreynolds and others

rheareynolds to the person i can irrevocably be myself with, i love you. i'm sorry this is how the world found out.

tagged: mickschumacher

view all comments

📍mickschumacher ich liebe dich

↳ rheayreynolds ich liebe dich auch

user1 oh my god they're so cute.

user2 what the fuck- they're so adorable.

oscarpiastri oh thank god. i don't think i could handle another rumor that we were dating. i have a girlfriend.

↳ rheareynolds you'd be lucky to date me!

↳ oscarpiastri sure, we'll go with lucky

lancestroll and this is the part where everyone thanks me and lily because we're the reason those two are even together.

↳ user3 thank you for your service lance and lily

user4 it's literally black cat gf and golden retriever bf

arthur_leclerc oh good. i don't think i could handle keeping this a secret any longer.

↳ olliebearman because bigmouth leclerc is the reason i found out and i don't even know rhea!

vancityreynolds gross get this shit off my feed

↳ rheareynolds and to think just yesterday you were asking me "when can i see mick again?"

↳ vancityreynolds i have to deal with your pda in person what makes you think i want to see it on my instagram feed?

↳ mickschumacher that's a very valid answer.

↳ rheareynolds kiss ass

↳ mickschumacher it's why blake likes me more than you

↳ rheareynolds TAKE IT BACK SCHUMACHER! I'M BLAKE'S FAVORITE!

user5 blake 🤝 mick 🤝 handing the reynolds craziness

maxverstappen1 orange just stormed out of the motorhome. he's heading for aston martin, nevermind he's coming for me.

↳ maxverstappen1 he's shouting for me to come outside. i will not.

↳ rheareynolds coward

↳ maxverstappen1 and you just couldn't wait until after miami?

charles_leclerc congrats but also could someone like, tell orange to stop causing a scene? this is very embarrassing.

↳ georgerussell63 he has found his way to the mercedes motorhome. we are in danger.

liked by vancityreynolds, estebanocon, blakelively and others

mickschumacher the prettiest girl ever.

tagged: rheareynolds

view all comments

📍rheareynolds hey, i love you!

↳ mickschumacher hey, i love you too!

user6 this, this couple means everything to me.

lilymhe STOP! THIS IS SO FUCKING CUTE!

francesca.cgomes aww mick, this is so adorable!

user7 i want someone to look at me the way rhea looks at mick

↳ user8 she genuinely looks so in love with him

pierregasly he's making the rest of us look bad.

↳ mickshumacher i have to humble all of you somehow.

↳ alex_albon NOT LIKE THIS SCHUMACHER!

user9 aww guys regina george found her forever.

vancityreynolds don't fuck this up schumacher. i know how to use a katana.

↳ mickschumacher that's not as threatening as you think it is. i saw you scream over a spider. but i wasn't planning on it.

user10 the picture of her with the tums is so funny. why did she even have them in the first place?

↳ user11 because she's rhea and she does random shit like this all the time.

blakelively so that's where ryan's tums went...

↳ rheareynolds it was an emergency blake! esteban needed them!

↳ estebanocon liar! you stole them for 'funsies'

user12 i never remember blake and ryan liking one of lando's posts about rhea.

↳ user13 or commenting, they must have known he was going to fuck up eventually.

↳ user12 or they just didn't like him for rhea.

JUNE 2023

liked by yukitsunoda0511, lilymhe, francesca.cgomes and others

rheareynolds snow angel THE ALBUM OUT 08/18 snow angel THE SINGLE OUT 06/09

view all comments

pierregasly 69? really

↳ rheareynolds i’m a comedian gasly.

user1 it’s literally the 8th! the single is out tomorrow!!

lilymhe his peace ends now

↳ rheareynolds babe he hasn’t known peace since bahrain 2022. you’ve made it your goal.

↳ lilymhe i would be a horrible best friend if i didn’t fulfill my duty

danielricciardo album of the year i fear

maxverstappen1 his peace is over. i will be playing this everyday until the end of the season

↳ user2 trust max to terrorize no wins with this album. we thank you for your service.

↳ maxverstappen1 glad to be of service 🫡

user3 oh i just know this album is going to hurt

yukitsunoda0511 will i find myself crying to this album?

↳ rheareynolds perhaps?

mickschumacher you killed it!

↳ rheareynolds i literally love you.

francesca.cgomes i fear she ate with this

oscarpiastri this post has reached the target. i repeat target has been reached.

↳ rheareynolds good. thank you for your service mr.pastry!

↳ user4 i love this duo so much

alex albon WAS YOUR GOAL TO BREAK OUR HEARTS??

logan sargeant I AM A PUDDLE OF TEARS ON THE FLOOR!!

charles leclerc i was so right in claiming snow angel.

yuki tsunoda DUDE I GET TO SCREAM THIS SONG IN CANADA! LET'S FUCKING GO!!

lily muni he she went to the taylor swift school of heartbreaking track 5's because WHAT THE FUCK??

mick schumacher i warned you guys.

oscar piastri can't wait to play this song right next to his drivers room.

max verstappen CAN I FIGHT HIM?? LET ME FIGHT HIM??

george russell YOU ARE NOT WEAK! HE'S WEAK!

daniel ricciardo FUCK MEN! FUCK LANDO NORRIS!

george russell YOU ARE SO WORTHY! HE ISN'T!

lily muni he RHEA, BABY, WE LOVE YOU!

rhea reynolds aww, i'm glad you guys liked the song.

max verstappen what's stopping me from crashing into him in canada??

yuki tsunoda what's stopping me from biting his ankles?? pierre gasly what's stopping me from running him over with my car??

lance stroll there are tears in my eyes rhea. this isn't funny

esteban ocon i can confirm there are tears in his eyes. but they are also in mine.

charles leclerc i haven't been able to stop crying since i first heard it. arthur is worried.

mick schumacher it'll be even worse when you hear the album. i cried the first time.

mick schumacher and the second, and the third mick schumacher IT'S A SAD ALBUM!

max verstappen i will fight him. we are defending rhea's honor.

rhea reynolds no, max, it's okay. i'm over it, i promise.

lily muni he it's okay, i can fight him.

yuki tsunoda and me. he will never see me coming. rhea reynolds NO! NO FIGHTING! logan sargeant what about crashing into him?? rhea reynolds NO! oscar piastri slowly torturing him with the song?? rhea reynolds umm, i'll let you people do that one thing.

daniel ricciardo A WIN FOR US! A LOSS FOR NOBITCHES!

alex albon operation make norizz miserable starts now.

taglist: @emilyval @ihateyougunthersteiner @lesliiieeeee @firetruckstuckley @33-81 @landonorizzz @yoremins @nikfigueiredo @badassturtle13 @cataf1 @silentreader128 @taylorsatl @alessioayla @greeneyesandsunshine @wisteriafence @mrscharlesleclerc @sesamepancakes @localwhoore @vettelsebastianvettel @Pinksstrawberry @yourbane @bborra @aandreea2005 @nichmeddar @asparklysoul @landossainz @scarletwidow3000 @cha-hot @ssararuffoni @cherry-piee @vroomvroommuppett @shineforever19 @kissesandmartinis @luckyladycreator2 @blushmimi @namgification @moonyzsworld @casperlikej @reader-22s-blog

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¡leclerc-s speaks! am i making lando too big of an asshole? oh who cares, it's a fanfiction.

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

[openphrase123]

i just finished this fic! it's good!

and because it's all done i want to like... be a LITTLE self indulgent and talk under the cut about some miscellaneous things that i ran into while writing it. don't click the readmore if you're interested in the fic and haven't read it yet i'm about to spoil the Whole thing.

also there is an epilogue to this fic now - go read that before this post if you're getting to this before the update!!

so!! i haven't written fanfiction in like FIVE YEARS. it's been a while! part of that is because i was doing original stuff and part of it was i was in a creative slump. so isat kind of dug me out of that and i owe it my thanks. i've been able to do a crazy amount of original work since starting this fic, it's brought back my creative discipline. in like seven years when my video game comes out you can thank isat for that probably

i originally set out thinking this was the only fic for isat i was going to write. and then as i was writing this i fell deeper into it. i kind of got out of isat a little disappointed in how it ended?? but now that i'm here i'm like ah it's fine. just cause i would have done something different in dev's position doesn't mean it's bad. it does mean i can write a bunch of fanfiction exploring things i wish had been tackled more in the game though LOL

i said this in one of the chapter authors notes but i DID start out curtain call hating loop with every fiber of my being. (as in i liked them as a character UNTIL the act 6 reveal which i thought was lame) and then i played through the game a second time knowing the loop twist and went "oh nvm this makes sense" so a lot of the loop stuff in this fic was actually written twice. originally i was just gonna have them soulmerge with siffrin and not be present at all but then i was like. no. i do want to keep this lighthearted and that's too depressing of an end for loop. i do have a loop postcanon doc so i'll go repay them for their slapdashed involvement in curtain call someday

i'm in a weird position with curtain call in that i wrote the themes and major conflicts Directly After playing through isat the first time. before i could really marinate and analyze the characters fully. so there are a lot of scenes and points where i think i wouldn't characterize certain people like that if i were to rewrite this from scratch? however i don't disagree with what i've written either - it's just an interpretation that i don't necessarily think is my favorite anymore.

neither is any of the worldbuilding i did for any of this - it works for curtain call and i think it was nice but i don't necessarily think it's my current interpretation of what the culture and people were like? i like the wishes being permanent thing, i like the language stuff, but i'd probably go in a different direction if i went through this again

i do actually still think "the forgotten island was destroyed by a volcano" is my solid headcanon explanation of what happened to it. in my heart. i think like - with siffrin as a character especially it's very important that he's always missing something, that it's not idyllically happy for them at the end of everything. so even if he can remember more from their own past, it's - you know - there's no way to go back. only forward.

in the vein of this i probably could have killed siffrin/loop's entire childhood family but i did not. mostly because i did think it was fun for him to have to explain all of those cultural taboos they broke to survive. which, of course, was not a big deal - any good parent would rather their kid be alive than lawful - but what is isat other than a vehicle to make siffrin work through every moral compulsion and spiral they experience

i had a thought halfway through writing the fic that i was stepping on the very good and beautiful odile friendquest by making the island real and having a lot of siffrin's personality dictate how it went. but i ultimately decided on keeping siffrin very close to their country, more than odile is to vaugarde, because siffrin actually DID live on the island when he was a kid and that i think is a Different type of "longing for your country" trauma than odile's. i think they can still drink over the feelings together though

writing bonnie is very fun but very emotional for me. the bonnie&siffrin age gap (preteen to late-20s) is the exact age gap between me and my niece so every time i need to sit down and write something for them i think about her and how much she's a little baby growing up. this has nothing to do with bonnie it just makes writing bonnie really hard for me

if the entire history of my ao3 account was not an indicator, i'm a very big fan of writing romance, but i did not want it to take over curtain call at all. i also could have left out sloopis entirely and almost did, but thought "you know. with the way loop functions in this fic. i should at least let that be open ended" cause sharing a body with a version of you who is dating some other guy is gonna get messy no matter what. it's just not necessarily something i had time to or the urge to explore here. think of it as a fun spiritual nod to the fact that isafrin is technically open ended in isat (<- cop out answer)

i think i'm pretty vocal in how much i am absolutely insane for the flashback "happiest i can remember being" conversation. who let them do that. i think a lot of how i worked with mirabelle and siffrin's relationship in this fic kind of revolved around that. important to me that it ends with mira checking in on him and getting the answer she was looking for all along <3

overall i'm happy with curtain call. glad i am done with it though. there's so much that's running in with it at once. i'll probably wait a month and reread the whole thing to myself front to back before i start having fond memories of this. i mean it's always gonna be the fic my nephew was born during and i'll always remember having a panic attack in the airport right after posting chapter 7 but it's gonna be weird letting this one sail off into the ocean of the internet. however feel free to ask anything about the fic, i wrote this in a lil hurry on a bad day and probably didn't cover everything

goodbye, curtain call!! i love you!!!!! i'll miss you!!!!

[looks both ways, waiting for most people to leave]

also. if you've read this far. i hope it's not too gauche of me to link my personal project. if you've read over 100k words of this you might enjoy the game i'm developing? i've been working on it for almost a year but i just started the devlog last month. it's still in early baby stages as far as a full video game goes but if you liked this you'll like the game when it comes out (similar nickname culture, timeloop trauma, petty interpersonal drama, very stupid jokes, natural disaster angst)

also there isn't a lot on the devblog yet, i've mostly been doing programming on it, i JUST started visdev i'm sorry if it's uglyyyyy (FOR NOW)

anyway i'm trusting you with that link. i'm going to use my professional name on that project when it airs don't cross the wires pretty please just pretend that's a butch-y cis woman's game <3 guard the closet door babeyyyyy

[2skyflorix2]

Siciria Analyzes The Most Complex Stick Figures Known To Man (part 3)

ooki, so here's part 1 and part 2 (Blue and Red)

This one is for Yellow :D

Also, I am thinking of ending this after 5 parts (after this we'll have part 4 Green and part 5 TSC)

...depending on factors I might keep going after part 5? Like maybe Purple or something? But uhh anyways...

SPOILERS AHEAD

-

Okay, so Yellow is essentially the resident "nerd" of the group. He likes redstone, command blocks, strategy games, and coding. He canonically has glasses as well (when his face is visible), and he is quick to implement his ideas, especially during battle.

Examples:

He was quick to throw his staff at the minimize button because he understood where Greenscreen was getting his power from.

He was quick to begin making a plan to escape the piglins (whereas Blue froze instead - check part 1).

Yellow is someone that can understand what needs to be done and do it efficiently.

But, er, sometimes...

...he can get carried away. His inventions and mind can get away from him sometimes and cause consequences for him and his friends. Prime examples of this are the lucky block episode - (he literally got POSSESSED because he took apart a lucky block and used the glowing magic orb thingy to make gifts for his friends) and the Actual Short: Upgrade, where his invention essentially destroyed their house.

But now I kind of want to talk about more recent occurences with Yellow. As most of us know, there was a comment on one of Green's vids that said that Yellow had lackluster acting, and another one saying he was useless in the skit, both hearted by Green. In my opinion, the "useless" portion is fine (the comment was probably talking about Yellow's role in the skit), but Green could have responded better to the one about lackluster acting.

And this got me thinking - Yellow's probably really insecure about this kind of stuff. He is already the least popular out of the Color Gang (and Purple, Chosen, Dark, King, and Corn Dog Guy) - I'll explain my theory as to why in a second (hehe).

AND...I've also been seeing a few comments and fanfictions saying Yellow is the "worst fighter" or "least athletic" of the group??? These mostly stem from his kind of unconfident fighting stance in this scene...leading to him getting clapped (even tho everybody got clapped without the weapons).

And now my theory as to why Yellow is liked the least.

In my humble opinion, all four of the fighting quad had roughly around the same in the beginning. Of course, Second is the main character, and he lives up to that title, so he'd obviously have way more fans. But each of RGYB have different personalities that appeal to different segments of the audience.

But we obviously don't like it if our favorite character isn't having screen time or any contribution...and we also don't like it if another character that isn't our favorite is getting more screen time. Like Yellow in Animator vs Animation.

He's the one who hacked into Dark's computer and brought Alan's cursor to the Outernet, and kept a level head while everyone else was freezing.

And he's the one being wanted by Rocket Corp, while the other three were cast aside. He has a larger role in AvA than Red or Green or Blue, and I think many of us kind of dislike him for that. Heck, when I first watched the Showdown, I disliked it slightly as well.

-

I know this one was less of a character analysis than the other two, but I really wanted to talk about this with Yellow. Feedback and additions are appreciated!

[mari-lair]

The idea of Kou being Mitsuba's yorishiro is so fun, so full of posibiliities, but for as popular as the theory is, I don't see many people go wild about how it could add to Kou's narrative with Hanako.

The potential is off the charts! I know the manga no longer care about their relationship, but i sure do, so I'll ramble on some of my favorite delusions.

Hanako already has a lot of conflict handling the idea of ripping out Tsukasa's seal, and while I do understand killing him brings out Hanako's trauma from his Amane days, it is clear the main reason he doesn't want to do it is cause he still has affection for his bro and doesn't want to kill him forever. He had been hiding and trying to create some distance from his brother for decades and he still lost the 'I don't care' war.

Kou is someone he only started to distance himself from this year. He hasn't spent much time with Kou, all things considered, but he is already so hopelessly attached. Can he kill Kou to get his dream? I personally don't think so.

I do think he would try something reckless though, maybe try harder to make Kou exorcise him, which would not go well.

If Hanako being unable to destroy Kou is a 'strong feeling, just trust me' kind of deal. Kou is a 'he canonically would not be able to exorcise Hanako, no matter how much he wants to be able to' kind of boy

A confrontation also has a possibility of paralleling this scene, and I would go crazy:

Cause that scene was to make Kou wake up, and notice murder is serious, not easily forgivable.

Kou had a whole arc about grieving and the value of being alive since then. So Kou would not be as naive.

He would understand just how awful the idea of Hanako's goal involving his destruction would be, just as much as how badly exorcising Hanako would affect Nene, and that's one hell of a conflict.

TLDR: this ain't an analysis/prediction or anything, they just make me ill and I go crazy when i think about them

[motherofplatypus]

Revelator Quick Review

Okay, so i was right that they let Vincent off scot free, not surprising tbh. Anything BUT punishing the adults who commit crimes, right, thomas?

Anyway, lets do it in order. With the training scene and how people react to Adrien, it's clear this is supposedly be the FIRST episode. Or at least very early. There's no coherent timeline this season, just throw a dart and see where it lands.

Then we change scene into Tom and Sabine being called by someone with the front of the shop being vandalized. Mari learned about the video and decided to meet Vincent bcs "You [Tom & Sabine] told me to talk things through."

First off, loads of BS, especially when the first 3 episodes (Illusthater, Sublimation, and Daddycop) shows exactly how unwilling you are to even talk.

Second, "[Vincent] can't be that bad of a person"? Girl, a liar that exist to ruin your life? You have 5 seasons worth of experience with someone exactly like that, please don't kill your brain cells this early.

And Adrienette went to see Vincent. Tom and Gorilla The Best Man In The Show were also there. Finally, responsible adults.

The interview was cringe, and obviously gonna be editted. And yeah, things turned to worse for Adrienette.

Alya came to Mari to comfort her. She made a pep talk about how journalist fact check everything and tell the truth, something she forgot to do the last 5 seasons with Lila.

Alya then decided to help by disguising herself with Mirage to find the truth, essentially using her power for personal needs. But she pulled the "If its not akumatized villain, Ladybug said we can help" card, and Mari eat her own words bcs it benefits her. Will you say that if it were someone else who's in trouble?

I can see how people gonna use that scene to salt on how its a double standard for Chloe, but, moving on.

Alya succeeded. Vincent sad, got akumatized into Revelator, yadayadayada.

I must say tho, the inner world scene was by far my favorite. Lila creating copies of herself in that world? Amazing visual.

So they fight. Rena was also there for some reasons. Shouldn't she only appears when she's called? Why Chat didn't question why Rena was already there to begin with? Sure, from our perspective it makes sense, but not from in-universe perspective.

Ladybug got hit and Rena learned the secret about Gabe, and boy was she pissed. She gave a scolding to Ladybug and then back to end Revelator.

Ladybug used the cure charm, but it didn't erase Rena's memory, so she gave Chat a quick pep talk and now he can use Miraculous Chat Noir that...destroys memory.

This is one of those things that you know wasn't thought out clearly, because:

1) It's existence is just another status quo anchor like Bunnyx and Second Chance;

2) The limitations is very vague. Does this only work on an akuma? What's the time range between knowing something and having it erased? What about everyone else who learned about something but not related to the heroes, like that booger guy? Do people who knows his secret also have their memory erased?

3) It removes the stakes of having identity or information about the heroes revealed.

4) It removes the well earned drama between Mari and Alya.

Then Vincent deakumatized. Ladybug gave pep talk, and done. No, the guy didn't get punished for defamation, causing vandalism, privacy violation, and child exploitation, because the writers forbid an adult facing consequences for their own action.

"We only punish teenagers here." -The show's motto on the writing room wall.

Overall, as something to watch goes, its entertaining, and that's important for a show. But for a long time fan, this does not meet expectations, if not outright disappointing.

The whole episode is just going around in circle. Even with Chat having new power, it meant almost nothing since akumas that requires memory erasure is very minimum. And it's irrelevant as well since Bunnyx can do the same as well with time travel under the excuse of "Sorry, not the time yet" and she has been doing it since S3, so they really don't need that power.

4/10. Apparently Alya is Team Chat Noir if they go with Civil War plot line.

[ennablue]

A text that i developed during Yotha and Faifa's chapters.

To much energy drinks + scattered thoughts= this

Emotional child neglect and its representation in Petfect 10 liners

Child emotional neglect is defined as the failure of one or both parents to respond adequately to the emotional needs of the child.

The mother didn't choose to stay with her other children (and the other one was taken away for the most disgusting reasons), she has kept one of them separated from the others, the father is emotionally absent for Yotha and Newton because he is still screwed by the divorce, the mother abandons Faifa even though she lives with him and then she leaves him with his father without looking back…

In short, the mother is the main cause, but the father doesn't help either. Because attitudes like the following one…

do not help your children overcome their problems/trauma. Not talking about a problem makes it even worse and that's how things explode, because no one talks about it!

Feeling invisible to their caregivers, these children learn to repress their emotions , which often results in a constant sense of rejection.

This can be seen every time Faifa hides his true emotions or when Yotha represses his love (romantically and platonically, cause he avoids making friends much more than the average introvert) and hides it behind the walls he has built.

When a child does not receive attention, quality time, acceptance or empathy, he or she may experience a deep sense of disappointment, anger, betrayal and loneliness.

Disapointment about the situation/their parents:

Just look at the false masks they are putting on at the end of this scene, how they are avoiding each others eyes because of the pain they're hidding behind their lies. Faifa lying with that fake smile and Yotha with that seemingly indifferent, but sad and lost look.

Anger + betrayal:

I always get the feeling that Yotha, despite loving his brother, at times has resented him for being the one who had left (for leaving him behind) and at other times, I think he hated him for being the one who had "taken his mother".

In that scene he does not believe that Gun is the one who has chosen to stay away from him, everything points to the fact that he believes it is Faifa's fault (as if he assumes that he is the one who “steals” the people he loves or at least, the one everyone chooses over him. Or just because when they were kids they didn't get a say in who stays with mom and who stays with dad and thought that Faifa was doing the same).

At the same time, although Faifa also loves his brother, the fact that his mother has a marked favoritism towards him also makes me believe that there are grudges towards Yotha on his part, after all, he had to destroy himself so that his brother's trauma “would be overcome” (which I don't believe, because as we can see, all the brothers should go to theraphy individually and as family).

Then, we would have Yotha's hatred towards his mother for taking his brother and returning him wounded, for leaving him behind along with Newton, for hurting his father and for breaking up all the family members (but especially Faifa's part, because the opinion that matters most to him on the matter is Faifa's, but as we know, the two brothers never talk sincerely about their wounds).

Faifa also feels the same way, as can be finally seen (because he's tired of excusing her actions) in the last chapters.

(Someane should give him permission to kick that bitch's ass!!).

By the way, another reason to hate the mother would be the fact that she'd only just met Gun and is already calling him son and paid more attention to him than she ever had to Faifa. My heart sinks when I see the poor guy's face at his mother's actions...

Bitch, how can you call yourselve a mother!?!?

Loneliness:

Yotha was living with his father and brother, but still alone. Faifa was abandoned while living with his mother and then, when he moved back, even with the others around he had no one (everyone was focused on their own pain).

This situation may result in two troubling patterns of emotional functioning (these are sometimes mixed).

1) The child may turn inward

Very negative about their life (pessimists)/themselves (low self-esteem)

Yotha:

Faifa:

Tirelessly seek love and recognition from others, where any form of appreciation or belonging may seem preferable to indifference.

On one hand we have a brother who begs for love, helping everyone and not being able to reject them (he doesn't want to make anyone feel unloved/despised, like he's been made to feel).

Furthermore, it can also be seen in his initial interactions with his mother how he also settles for crumbs of love from her.

2) The child turns his attention outward

May camouflage his insecurity with overconfident, arrogant or aggressive attitudes, using these defenses to hide his most painful feelings.

Overconfident:

Well... just every time Faifa acts this way.

Arrogant/aggresive:

Every single one of Yotha's fights and the attitude he has to keeping people away (you know, the one that makes him seem like an assasin...)

In summary, we can say that Faifa and Yotha are both one face of the same coin (child neglect) and they should tell their mother to fuck off (especially for Faifa's sake), yell at their father and tell him to get his shit together, kick Newton a little bit (cause he didn't act like a old brother), and finally, the siblings should go to individual and family therapy.

If you come this far, thank you for reading my nonsense!!