#and the scenario completion is 99%

[michi-chelle]

i did it 🥹

[the-seelie-court-official]

had to explain to a good friend that her hormonal regimen does NOT actually "chemically castrate" her. even tho her doctors said it would because state law demands they do so. it's fear-mongering and ass-covering and misleading and we all know laws surrounding medical care for trans people suck.

so let's break this down logically:

it only takes a handful of live sperm to impregnate someone. using round numbers for the sake of simplicity, let's say the average ejaculation has 100,000,000 live sperm (according to webMD the actual range is 200-300 million) and let's also pretend spiro reduces your fertility by 99%, which is like.... completely ridiculous, best case scenario for hormonal birth control taken extremely consistently.

1% of 100,000,000 is 1,000,000. so you'd still have 1,000,000 live sperm per ejaculation. so you'd still be fertile.

let's break this down sociologically:

if spiro worked as easily reversible birth control it'd be free in those mint bowls at good restaurants

long story short:

please use actual birth control methods if you're having mixed genital intercourse and dont want a baby! xoxo

[minami-ff]

I Want My Kids to Have Your Eyes

Levi x Reader (fluff, sfw)

what a bold thing to say to your captain.

Moonlight hung over the hill like a comforting blanket as you both reclined an arm’s length apart on the soft grass beneath, bodies sinking into the earth. The day had been relentless, a gruelling mission that tested every ounce of strength. Now, in the quiet aftermath, you two found solace gazing upward at the summit’s view, shimmering like scattered diamonds against the canvas of the night sky.

The shared stillness remained comfortable, before you posed a soft interruption to the quietude, "Captain, do you ever think about your future?"

Levi's eyes briefly left the constellations above, attention shifting to you. "Yes, it usually ranges from the next second to the next few months. Which area of land outside the walls to explore, how defensive operations should alter for the next month, which day certain intelligen-”

“Captain-” You interrupted, then hesitated, the vulnerability of the topic making your heart race. "I meant a peaceful future, like having a family, kids?"

Levi's brow furrowed slightly. The thought of it was unfamiliar, impossible. "In this war? That’s far-fetched," he remarked, gaze returning to the stars.

A subtle smile grew on your lips as scenarios played at the back of your mind. "I know, of course, but don’t you ever imagine it? A life after the war, a future where Titans are just stories we tell our children." Levi's expression softened, a fleeting hint of wistfulness in his eyes.

"Like sometimes I think if I had children, I’d take them to play by the oceans, make adorable lunch sets," you continued, "how beautiful they would look if they had your eyes…" Embarrassment started flushing up as you realised you rambled on way too far.

His eyes widened imperceptibly, caught completely off guard by your comment.

"WAIT, that didn’t come out right. I didn’t mean having them with YOU, of course... definitely not…" You trailed off, a splash of pink painfully obvious on your cheeks. Get yourself together y/n, what on earth are you saying to your captain?

“Ouch.” A flicker of disappointment crossed his features. Levi cleared his throat, seemingly caught in the unexpected turn of the conversation. "Well aren’t you very in objection to that idea." he snickered, hiding a trace of sorrow beneath his face.

“Nevermind, I’m sorry, please forget what I said." You apologised in the tense atmosphere.

But Levi didn't dismiss it. Instead, his mind seemingly remained lost in contemplation. "How will your children have my eyes, if they don't have my genetics?" Determined to disprove your faulty reasoning.

You chuckled nervously, "I just mean I hope they’ll be a pretty colour, and delicate shape, like yours."

Levi displayed a rare vulnerability in his expression. He had never given thought to the aesthetic of his eyes; they were simply a part of him, a feature he never considered noteworthy. This was the first time he had received a compliment about them, and it left him momentarily speechless.

"At this rate, my most optimistic guesstimate is that I’ll be slaying titans till I’m 60." You broke the awkwardness joking, "in that case I might not be able to have kids, doubt any man would still take my crinkled self on a date anyway."

"Why not?" Levi replied seriously, his voice a soft echo in the tranquil night. "I won't be even a tiny bit surprised if you're still this beautiful at 85."

A blood-bathed blush adorned your complexion, stomach filling with butterflies and warmth, brain connections zapping around - wondering if he really thought that way, or,

“you’re just saying that.”

Levi sighed, “in all your years of knowing me, when have I ever felt obliged to tell a white lie, Comrade?”

"Right…” You muttered, with all sorts of thoughts doing laps beneath your skull, trying to continue the conversation as level-headed as possible. “Perhaps I'll meet my first love at 99,” a giggle escaping your breath as you joked.

Unexpectedly, Levi's response carried a weight that belied the casual banter. "Well. I think people can be in love without being in a formal relationship. You could easily have your first love now."

Your gaze laid upon his side profile, slightly puzzled by his logic, "but how can you be in love with someone without holding hands, saying mushy things, and all that?"

His head turned towards you, a moment of silence filling the air with eyes drilling into yours, revealing a sincerity that tugged at your heart. "I definitely can."

[lovetei]

may u do how the om brothers would act with a bimbo mc who's like ..... scarily dumb 💀 like think Karen Smith x10 (gn mc but i don't remember the gn word for bimbo😭i think it's like thembo or something but im not sure. english isnt my first language so i might have made some mistakes😅)

I think bimbos are cute 🤭🤭

I fully believe getting treated like this by them would solve 99 percent of my problems.

--------------------------------------------------

How would the brothers react to an MC who is a complete bimbo?

Warnings: Grammar errors, spelling errors, no proofreading, readers gender is not specified (even though bimbo is used to degrade a beautiful but unintelligent woman or frivolous young woman, I used "bimbo" in this scenario as someone who's attractive but unintelligent), slight dark themes, slightly deregatory

Versions: Demon brothers, Side Characters

Links: Masterlist

--------------------------------------------------

LUCIFER

At first, he found you annoying

How come your only solution to problems is "Be pretty"

It's insane how stupid you were, what do you mean you don't know how to spell the orange fruit?

But soon after, he started to find you interesting

After meeting you, he believed that it's not the professionals that are dangerous, it's the newbies

It's interesting how they can never guess what's your next move

When you two got in a more romantic relationship though, he started treating you like a complete child

You would sit on his lap in a meeting while swinging your feet and you asked him, "Luci baby~ what's the investment thing you're talking about? Is that like, shopping?"

He would just chuckle and squeeze your cheek softly, "Don't think about it, little MC don't need to worry their pretty little head over something so trivial~"

MAMMON

Even though people think of him as someone who's as stupid as you

He proves them wrong when he started to act like a complete mature man around you

No funny pranks or anything, he's just taking care of you because "How can his pretty little survive in hell without him, hmm?~"

And you'll just giggle at him and continue clinging on his arm

He would walk around the academy and each time, it's either he's holding you or your stuffs

Some people would find your things on his bag and he'd just shrug it off

Though at first, he thought you as a nuisance

He started to like it how you depend on him so much

"Mams how do I use this??"

"Mams don't leave!~~"

Oh, how his heart speed up whenever you ask him for help for the smallest of things

It's alright, MC, this strong demon will protect this pretty little human.

LEVIATHAN

He hated how you used to look at him like he's some animal in a zoo

"What?? How come little Levi don't like going in parties?!"

With those pretty, glossy lips of yours and that tiny brain in your head.

He hated how you wore your uniform, can't you see how innapopriate your uniform is?!

Is the skirt supposed to be that short?!

Is that shirt supposed to have only three buttons closed?!

Why is your pants so tight?!

But once you got close to him

Oh, the contrast between the two of you made others heart flutter

Other people saw it as "Discord mod x d kitten" in the best way

But his brothers

They saw it as "the nastiest pervert x the prettiest girl"

You don't want to know why

He'll just be there sitting with his arms around your waist grumbling, "Ah, people are so noisy... Let's just stay in my room, okay?"

If that's the only thing he'll say, you might find it normal but of course, he has to say something to ruin it

"This pretty sheep won't refuse me now, will they? After all the snacks and candies I've given them, this pretty sheep will sure come with me, right?"

SATAN

As someone who values knowledge and education more than anyone among the brothers

You must've thought he'll hate you

Well, you're right

At first

Everytime your test exams will come back, he'll be the one to sigh the loudest

But after the tutoring session Lucifer planned for the two of you, to help you increase your scores

It's been different

Well, it's not like you're studying, psh, never

Satan gives you cheat sheets or tells you the answers secretly

He'll be next to you every exam and his hand will secretly on your thighs, or sometimes, even higher

Then he'll caress your skin to tell you the answer

Of course, after exams scores are released you have to give him a reward

One kiss for every correct answer, that's the reward

But since you wished for it, he'll pretend to be a good tutor and act like you really studied instead of cheating

"Ah, my baby is so smart~ look, the only thing you got wrong is the last part! Butt that's okay, it's really hard, especially for someone as innocent as my baby..."

Then he'll pepper your face with kisses

ASMODEUS

You two are a match made in heaven and hell

The moment you arrived with those leopard prints, he knew you two will have fun together

Shipping sprees and all

The internet will break everytime you two post on social media

He'll help you get in the high society of Devildom

And of course, get you a pass to the freakiest parties in hell

You two are practically beasts in parties

The most breath taking clothes and the sexiest proportions, what a combo

And the two of you will drunkly stumble inside the house, well, you will.

He's the only person who knew about you and Satan's little deal too

"Hi my prettiest baby! How's my apprentice doing?!~" He said while squeezing your cheeks

Yes, your cheeks

It doesn't matter if it's the cheeks on your face or your ass

He's squeezing them

BEELZEBUB

He wasn't annoyed or anything

In fact, he's worried for you

"It's okay, MC. I will protect you, just tell me whoever says mean things about you."

He acts like your body guard

Always beside you whenever you have to go by yourself, we'll, not by yourself anymore

Always carrying your bags

Your little make up

Holding your clothes as you shop

Paying for you

Everything, who knew who might take advantage of you if he isn't there

That's not all

He's always carrying you too

"My feet hurts so bad! Beel!"

Is how all of it started

The next day, and so on

Everytime he sees you, he's scooping you up and carrying you on his arms

BELPHEGOR

He knew you were dumb

Please, he has this sense where he can find out if someone is dumb just by hearing them form a sentence

And so far, yours is the most... You know.

He's one of the most manipulative, but also one of the most protective

He hates it when someone else use his dirty tactics on you

But that stop him from doing those dirty tactics on you again

He just loves it when you're so... Naive.

He chuckles everytime you tried to think for yourself once in a blue moon and would ruin it with a,

"Shhh... Don't think about pretty, it's better when you're dumb and dependent."

And you, who sadly didn't take that as an insult, just nodded and made him chuckle even more

Gosh, he wonders how much it will take for you to break.

[docdudo]

Imagine how different the story would be if the reader hated being touched💀

Maybe for some trauma-related reason, or just out of personal preference, but, from the looks of things, the pack would NOT be able to handle it one bit

Like, they need to stay close, but the reader doesn’t wanna hold hands. They despise being picked up, they hate the cuddling, everything. I think the reader is already kinda iffy about all the constant touching, but a reader who is openly against it would stir the pot a TON

Not sure if they’d be confused, just be like “oh okay”, or completely struggle to get a hold of themselves, but it’s an interesting scenario to think about right?? :)

Yeah, that's a funny scenario kkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Like, you're right, reader is already very hesitant about this much contact, but they are also kinda used to hybrids? They had a few quick placements with hybrids before, and their classroom is like, 99% hybrids too.

So, they are relatively used to how hybrids behave, even if they are very hesitant about touch.

If reader truly hated touch and tried to go against others touching them, the 141 would probably be very antsy. It's in their hybrid nature to be touchy in the first place, especially with their new kid.

They would probably mess up a little, would still touch, but would try to give reader a bit of space. Not a lot, they would still hover near them. And if they went outside? That would still be non-negotiable, they are not risking anything happening to their pup.

I guess they would learn to adapt as they get used to eachother.

[chrrychills]

heya! do u think u could write about the sbg characters confessing to reader and how you think theyd do it?

i'll never love anyone the same .

main six « confessing!

ashlyn banner:

•she acts nonchalant, but she's internally freaking out.

•she's spent days weighing the pros and cons of confessing, and it got the point taylor had to beg ashlyn to just tell you already. her crush on you was so obvious (at least to your friends) that it hurt.

•you two will spend at least five minutes sitting in complete silence until ashlyn starts talking.

•she's not great with words– we know this. but she's spent a lot of time figuring out what to say, how to convey just how she feels about you.

•ashlyn's a realistic person, she knows rejection is in the realm of possibilities and dreads the scenario of it happening.

•she's a naturally blunt person, and that doesn't change while she confesses. it's charming, in a way.

•eventually, she'll just come out and say it because the overthinking is starting to frustrate her.

•"...i like you. i have for a while."

aiden clark:

•he's either super cryptic or really forward, it just depends on how he's feeling that day.

•it's most likely a spontaneous confession– he listens to his impulsive thoughts way too much.

•if he's nervous, he doesn't show it. he's staring at you with that stupid smile like he didn't just confess to you.

•unless you're a little brain dead, you probably noticed he had a crush on you. he didn't make it super obvious, but his eyes always found yours after he made a joke, and he was basically always by your side, regardless of where you were.

•aiden's observant. if you liked him back, he knew. he didn't comment on it, but he knew.

•it wouldn't be surprising if he confessed in the middle of a conversation, which there's a 99% chance that's what'll happen.

•if you were talking, he'd cut you off with "will you be my girlfriend?"

•if he's talking, he'll absentmindedly slip it into conversation and not realize what he said until you react to it.

•"that bio homework kicked my ass... hey, will you be my girlfriend?"

ben clark:

•he's so nervous and it's so sweet. he'll plan everything out because he's a sweetheart and wants it to be perfect.

•when he invites you to hang out, he seems a bit on edge and can't look you in the eye because you're so gorgeous and he will freeze up.

•100% gets you flowers. will also get you your favorite food– better yet, he'll make it. yes, his hands are trembling when he gives them to you.

•he'll spend the entire night before drafting up the most heartwarming message you've ever read. he feels kinda bad that he can't tell you directly, so he makes sure to communicate how he feels the best he can.

•blushing the entire time you read what he wrote. starts internally freaking out while you read because he's so scared you're not gonna like it.

•is literally giddy when you accept his confession. he gives the best hugs ever, so expect one of those.

•goes into detail explaining what he likes about you (pretty much everything) and how he feels about you. if you cry easily (me) there's a good chance you'll get misty-eyed.

tyler hernandez:

•it took him a while to accept that he had feelings for you, so it'll probably take him months to even think about confessing.

•honestly, you'll probably end up confessing before he does. if you don't, though, there's gonna be a lot of unspoken tension.

•he'll end up confessing for a couple reasons. one, taylor will not stop pestering him until he does because it's so obvious you two like each other. two, he gets so fed up with all the uncertainty and tension. he hates it.

•during the actual confession, he's a mess. his face is pink and he's obviously flustered but he'll get so defensive if you point it out.

•he's lowkey fumbling over his words until eventually he just blurts it out. he thinks it's the most embarrassing thing he's ever done– you think it's sweet.

•"i'm in love with you, okay?!"

•"...shut up– stop laughing!"

•he'll be so butthurt until you assure him that you feel the same way. he's still gonna be butthurt after, but he'll be too distracted to really care.

taylor hernandez:

•taylor's really in tune with her emotions, so she'll know pretty quickly when she develops feelings for you.

•she'll give it a month or so until she confesses, just because she's nervous and she really doesn't wanna mess anything up.

•her confession would be really thought out. she'd have your favorite movie, snacks and drinks laid on her bed.

•she'll try to keep it short and sweet, but taylor has a tendency to ramble. there's a good chance she'll go off topic and you'll just sit there, smiling and listening to her talk until she realizes.

•just like her brother, her face will be pink the entire time. she won't get defensive if you point it out, since you most likely look the exact same way.

•"i've liked you for a while now, but i just didn't wanna say anything. y'know, in case i messed something up between us or you didn't wanna be friends anymore- you still wanna be friends, right?"

•you'll have to tell her you wanna be more than friends. she doesn't wanna accidentally overstep by asking.

logan fields:

•he's the type of person that will go through every possible scenario before making a decision. that's why it took him so long to confess to you– he was nervous you'd reject him.

•when he does decide to confess, the first thing he's doing is hand making a bouquet from his grandparents greenhouse. taylor helps him by asking what your favorite flowers are.

•he's also a rambler, but he doesn't go off topic. he tries to keep it simple because he doesn't want to overwhelm you, and it works! he has to physically stop himself from rambling from nerves, though.

•when you accept his confession, he's smiling from ear to ear for a good week.

•his heart melts when he sees that you've put the bouquet he made in a vase, sitting proudly on your kitchen counter.

•audibly sighs from relief when he realized you didn't reject him– and gets embarrassed when he realizes that you heard him.

lacey's notes: guys i've actually never confessed to anyone before so idk...

i'm also running on a 20 oz redbull and two hrs of sleep ignore any spelling/grammar mistakes.

...maybe i'll edit this later (no i wont)

also thank you all for 100 followers yall are crazy ilyilyily

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

Because I think I might get around writing for most of the men at some point for the future au I wanted to see or already arrange how many kids they would have

Jin would have two kids in complete accident, he was very happy by his father's discontent at his heir's lack of kids but things happened, the person who celebrated them the most was the grampa. Maybe two boys or a boy and a baby girl.

Thoma screams girl dad, doesn't he? Just imagine him braiding her hair for evening tea and being a menace to any boys she brings home with Alan if they break her heart, he is still a delinquent at heart.

For Luca I'm split between wanting him to have two boys to mirror him and his brother or a spoiled girl he plays knight for, sigh, such a hard decision...

Kaito, how did he reproduce?

Alan, two kids, one of each, no hesitation, he has a ‘little princess’ who he is nervous of hurting accidentally when he holds her but is as much of a wild beast as his brother. They like going hiking and getting chased by their dad when they get too close to a lake or too far away from the path.

In Leo’s scenario i see him with a daughter that managed to soften out his meanness (while she is around so she doesn't pick up on much of his sass, kids don't make miracles) and left him with another on the way that I also feel would be another girl. He is just a bit annoyed he doesn't have to redo the nursery for content but whatever.

Sho I KNOW that in his fic I said ‘nephew’ but imagine a baby girl that was playing with her family before she was even born and had you two scattering to find a girl's name at the hospital. It's just the beginning of her mischievous streak. Sho thinks it's his karma from being a thug as a teen.

I don't know why but I can see Romeo having three kids? Maybe because Gucci had like five kids or it's to a certain degree to assure himself the MC wants to stay with him and wouldn't leave out of the blue 💔 attachment issues bb.

Ritsu originally only wanted one child, he was an only child and was happy getting all the attention, but not everything went as he planned so he got twin boys.

Taiga, why would you do this to yourself??

Haru already has a son, peekaboo, but when he grows up he accidentally has a boy who he starts giving some minor tasks around, separating some leaves for the animals, brushing peekaboo’s hair, plucking weeds, etc etc. Don't look at him like that! He need all the help he can get.

Towa has girls! They like fairy tales with happy endings and always bother their dad to tell them your love story. When they become toddlers they go through a vegan phase to mimick him and will cry if they have meat or egg on their plate.

Ren was 99% sure he was going to die a virgin. He ends up with a girl he plays games with everyday after work. Borderline ipad kid.

Can grandpa Ed even have kids? Lol if he has I think I could see him with just one vampy baby that sits next to him and drinks tears off a sippy cup while his dad watches iceberg videos. Another ipad kid.

Rui (if somehow you broke his curse) is someone who I don't think would have kids, or at least not planned jajs but maybe one girl that he ends up overprotecting from playboy men like him in his youth.

Lyca I want to say they have a litter just for the joke of him being a werewolf but he doesn't seem to have any siblings so the joke doesn't get far :(

I see Subaru with only one child if any. He loves the little thing but feels he is intruding on their privacy, whenever he touches his preteen/teen kid he feels sorry enough to apologize.

I see Haku as someone who would be pretty chill with his life after Darkwick and go along with it as it happened. If you two had a child, great; if you didn't, great too. Very go with the flow parenting too.

Zenji he is dead wth jajajaj

Yuri NEEDS a little child that is always so impressed with their papa and he gets to brag about being the best or something. Please just don't let him be a strict teacher so your kid will follow his steps, he thinks it's for the best of their future but you can coerce him into just giving a very lengthy lecture about anomalous medicine without tests.

Jiro HAS to have a boy that is so similar to his uncle 🥹 always cooing since he is able to vocalize and chasing his dad around to get uppies while he tends to the backyard filled with herbs.

[benchspkmnirlhub]

How to interact with Pokemon IRL blogs that are radically different from yours

Note: This will be assuming that both blogs are open to interacting with any other type of blog. If the blog you're trying to interact with does not allow interactions with your blog type, then I'm afraid this guide won't be of much use. Sorry.

It's been pointed out more and more recently that the Pokemon IRL community has become more and more compartmentalized, for lack of a better word. Subcommunities are having less and less interactions with each other.

I'm not mad at anyone, but this is a problem. Which is why I'm making this guide, to help facilitate interactions between subcommunities!

Part 1: Don't be scared

First of all, I know it can be scary to interact with blogs you haven't interacted with before. But what have you got to lose? Worst case scenario, they say you can't interact with them, and things stay the way they are. In most cases, though, you'll get a new person to interact with! It's near impossible for reaching out to be a net loss, because the worst thing that can happen is that nothing changes.

So go for it! Interact with that blog you've been eyeing! Make a new friend!

But you might not know what to say. And that's what the rest of this guide is for!

Part 2: Read the intro post

Intro posts are very important! They let you know a lot of relevant things about the blog. It can be very difficult to interact with a blog without an intro post, so make sure to make one and pin it!

With that out of the way, read the intro post of the blog you're wanting to interact with! Read through it fully, and see if there's anything that sticks out as a possible interaction point.

If you can't find anything, read through a few more posts. There might be something happening that you can jump in on!

Part 3: Differences in Canons

Your blog and the blog you're wanting to interact with most likely have some differences in canons. Maybe they're a PMD blog and yours is a Ranger blog. Maybe they're post-Sword and Shield while yours has them ongoing. Maybe they're a Faller blog and yours is someone who's a fan of the media that Faller is from.

And that's ok! Part of the fun of Pokemon IRL is that not everyone follows the same canon.

Luckily, one thing that is accepted canon for 99% of Pokemon IRL blogs I've seen, is the multiverse!

Not every blog takes place in the same universe. The website that Pokemon IRL takes place on is multiversal, and connects to a vast variety of worlds.

Don't be discouraged if someone else's blog canon doesn't match up exactly with yours. Use it to your advantage! If your blog and someone else's blog have a canon difference, that's a possible interaction! Have your character comment on the difference, and watch things play out!

Part 4: First Interaction through an Ask

If you found something through your reading that you see as a potential interaction point, then it's time to interact!

The easiest way to interact with blogs for the first time, from my experience, are asks, so I'll cover those first.

First, it's completely fine to have a "default" ask that you send to blogs you want to interact with. Heck, I do it myself, with Tropius' "what's your favorite thing about humans" asks.

Besides that, though, I recommend @-ing your blog in your ask. That way, they'll know it's from your blog, and you can spring off into a full interaction from there.

You can also send asks on anon, and then when they reply to it, reply back via a reblog on one of your blogs.

Any of these methods are perfectly valid!

Part 5: First Interaction through a Reblog

When reading through the blog of the person you want to interact with, you might see a post that catches your eye, one that you feel like you could interact with directly. In these cases, a reblog might work best.

Simply start a reblog to that post, add whatever your character wants to say, and post! And with that, you've initiated an interaction!

Part 6: An Example

Let's say that we have a blog called mcdeinosofficial, a regular person working at the restaurant McDeinos. And let's say that they want to interact with a blog called throughtheoceanoftime, a PMD blog that's about an Explorers protag team.

Reading through the pinned post of throughtheoceanoftime, the person behind mcdeinosofficial sees that they have a Deino on their team who's a chef. Having an idea for an interaction, the person behind mcdeinosofficial sends the ask "Please tell me that McDeinos doesn't exist in whatever whacko alternate dimension you're in."

And an interaction begins! The two blogs, now introduced to each other, can interact with each other freely.

I hope this guide helps you all interact with more blogs!

If any of you have any questions, please let me know, and I'll do my best to answer them!

[creamflix]

hi flix !!!! <333

for your holiday event can I have mistletoe with takuma (nice)? craving sm fluffy with our loser boy <33

you’ve received a gift! ⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ want to check out other gifts? ・:〃➜ click here! 

“...and then i told him that his idea of putting glitter in the coffee machine was —”

“taku,” you interrupted, pinching the bridge of your nose to keep your composure.

he blinked at you, mid-sentence, looking every bit the clueless golden retriever he was. “yeah? what’s up?”

you sighed, shifting your weight and subtly gesturing upward with your chin. “do you see what’s hanging above us?”

takuma tilted his head, his eyes squinting in concentration. “uh… a really bad attempt at interior decorating?”

you stared at him, equal parts charmed and exasperated. 

“it’s mistletoe, taku.”

his brows furrowed, his gaze snapping back to yours. “oh… ohhhhh.”

realization dawned slowly, like a loading bar stuck at 99%. 

“wait, like, the mistletoe? the ‘we’re supposed to kiss’ mistletoe?”

“bingo.” you folded your arms, leaning back against the wall as you watched his expression shift from confusion to mild panic.

“oh, uhhhh…” he scratched the back of his head, looking everywhere except at you. “so, like, does this mean we — like, do you wanna — uh…”

you arched a brow, trying not to laugh at how red his ears had turned. “takuma, are you seriously stuttering your way through this right now?”

“i wasn’t prepared for this!” he whined, his hands flailing slightly. “i thought we were just talking about coffee and glitter! and now — now there’s expectations!”

you couldn’t help but snort, his dramatics taking the edge off your own nerves. “it’s not a job interview, taku. it’s just a kiss.”

“yeah, but it’s you,” he said, then immediately slapped a hand over his mouth like the words had escaped without his permission.

your heart stuttered at the sincerity in his tone, but you quickly covered it up with a teasing grin. “woowww, so you’ve thought about this before, huh?”

his face somehow got even redder. “that’s not — i mean, maybe — i mean, you’re — you’re really cute, okay? and it’s not like i’ve been thinking about this exact scenario or anything, but —”

“takuma,” you interrupted, stepping closer until you were toe-to-toe with him. his breath hitched, and you couldn’t help but smirk. “are you gonna kiss me, or do i have to do everything myself?”

“i — uh — ” he blinked down at you, completely frozen.

you rolled your eyes, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and pulling him down until your lips met his.

it was soft at first, tentative, but then his hands found your waist, and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. his earlier nerves melted away, replaced by something sweeter, steadier.

when you finally pulled back, you couldn’t help but grin at the dazed look on his face. “sooo, how was that?”

“uh…” he blinked a few times, his lips still slightly parted. “ten out of ten. five stars. would recommend.”

you laughed, swatting his chest playfully. “you’re ridiculous.”

“yeah, but you like it,” he shot back, his confidence returning in full force.

“eh, debatable.” you tried to play it cool, but the way your cheeks burned probably gave you away.

“oh, c’mon,” he teased, leaning down to nudge his nose against yours. “you can’t just kiss a guy under the mistletoe and then pretend you’re not into him.”

“says the guy who didn’t even notice the mistletoe until i pointed it out,” you quipped, poking his chest.

“hey, i was distracted by your face!” he defended, grinning sheepishly. “it’s not my fault you’re, like, super cute or whatever.”

you groaned, burying your face in your hands. “takuma, you’re impossible.”

“yeah, but now you’re stuck with me,” he said, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

and honestly? you weren’t mad about it.

produced by creamflix on tumblr. all rights reserved. do not copy, steal, modify, repost — support your writers by liking and reblogging. ♡

[avelera]

I genuinely believe that in the alternate universe that we see in s2 ep7 jayce died in that explosion alongside vi because if you rematch season 1, jayce literally kicked the door open to his apartment and got hit with the brunt force of the explosion so I think that's how he died

Yeah, I completely agree and that was my first thought when I watched the episode (once I put together based on Heimerdinger saying he couldn't find Jayce that he wasn't in that universe, that did take until my second watch-through to piece together though I will admit).

Some people disagree and think he died by taking his own life after, but honestly, I think dying in the explosion is actually a kinder fate for him in that universe than going on trial after his dream, his life's work killed a child. Jayce does come very close to dying right there, as you also note. I actually think the door protected him in the canon universe, so if he'd managed to get it open, as he was actually trying to do, and if that had worked, he would have been hit with the full brunt of the explosion and likely killed. If Mylo had just moved a little slower and not gotten the door blocked in time, that also could have led to Jayce being able to get the door open and again, being hit with the full explosion that also killed Vi (is it bad to laugh at the thought of Jayce and Vi's first team being an immediate KO for those unlucky bastards?)

Some people point out Marcus running straight into the room indicates that there isn't a body in the hallway, but I actually think the opposite. I think it indicates there's no one out there for them to help (I think Caitlyn is fine, she's probably dazed and pointed them into the room, just to be clear). I think they then went inside to investigate the source of the explosion and determine if there was still a threat, and that's when they found Powder holding Vi.

If Jayce was actually able to be up and about, I'd imagine he'd be in there with them or shortly after, since those are his dangerous materials and he knows better than they do how to handle them. He'd also probably be desperate to get in there to head them off, so again, he's probably out of action in some way if he'd not in the room too.

Now, of course he could be knocked unconscious, like he was in canon, but even then, if he was unconscious, wouldn't the Enforcers stop to help him instead of running straight in? This to me reinforces that he can't be helped there. Granted, maybe he's awake and dazed and/or Cait is helping him, we really just don't know.

I also have a fic where I theorize the happiest possible ending for Jayce in that scenario would be a banishment he fully accepts, but that Viktor goes with him after seeing his notes.

So as much as I'm 99% certain Jayce died there (or ended his own life after but again, I think that's just so bleak, more than him just dying as well in the explosion, and as I said I think there's evidence that Marcus was moving past his body in the hall) but I like to imagine there's still a window of possibility open where he and Viktor departed Piltover together and there discovered a new dream, and that's why Heimerdinger couldn't find Jayce in that reality.

[yan-lorkai]

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A/N: My excuse for writing this is that 99% of my problems would be solved if I were adopted by Vil and Rook, plus it's October so my mind automatically went to several different scenarios involving vampires, you know. Though in the original draft Epel would just kill the reader mercilessly, but I decided to spoil myself a little and made it platonic instead. I'm not sure if I'll do a Halloween event yet, let me know what y'all think about it please. Part two.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Warning: Yandere content, platonic yandere, RookVi + Epel being their son, gn!reader, some randoms die, description of blood and members though it's not that explicit, reader gets surprised adopted, I think that's all. Let me know if I should add more warnings tho.

You never thought you would miss the sun and its gentle, joyful rays. You never thought you'd miss walking down busy streets and hearing people talking over each other, but in that moment you thought about all these completely mundane things as you ran as fast as your lungs would let you and your legs could carry you.

Whose idea was it to enter the abandoned mansion? You couldn't even remember anymore, panting, leaning on one of the walls to keep yourself upright. What mattered now was where you would escape and how, and if it was really possible. Your pursuers weren't exactly human as they did well to demonstrate by ripping out your friend's throat, laughing as the blood dripped from their fangs.

Maybe, you thought, heart pounding against your ears as you looked from side to side searching for one of the vampires, maybe I could break one of the windows and escape from here.

It wasn't a spectacular plan, but in your head filled with adrenaline and fear it made complete sense. There was no time for "what ifs", there was the here and now. And with that thought you forced yourself to walk once again, holding back the tears of grief and fear inside you, clinging to the futile hope that you would survive the night.

You opened one of the thousands of doors in that dimly lit hallway, biting your lip hard as you forced your eyes to see through the darkness in search of a window. But there was nothing there, no window, no bed or anything, just a very strange smell and the disconcerting sound of a clock.

The air around you seemed to change and you turned around feeling like something or someone had touched your shoulder. Your hand fumbled for the doorknob and you ran out faster than the devil running from the cross, leaving behind only a glimpse of blood and guts that you probably hadn't even noticed. But later perhaps you would understand.

The seconds dragged by, the blonde vampire's laugh still echoing in your mind as your friend asked for help, the expression on your other friends' faces frozen as they tried to escape. The look of disbelief on one of their faces as you abandoned him in order to save yourself.

You no longer knew how many doors you opened, how many exactly the same rooms you entered, how many times had you felt as if someone was watching your futile efforts to survive while silently laughing at your fearful humanity in the face of death. But you were already exhausted and your pursuers hadn't even found you yet - or, on the other hand, maybe they had but didn't want to kill you yet, like a cat playing with a mouse before ending its life.

In the distance, you saw a small silhouette. His lavender hair and almost angelic appearance would have made you trust him if you hadn't seen what he was capable of doing.

For a second, you thought he hadn't seen you and started to slowly walk away, praying that it was just a legend that vampires had super hearing. One foot behind the other, left then right. But then he looked at you, his little eyes seeming to sparkle and he laughed, loudly, extremely loudly.

Without thinking twice, you turned your back to where you had come, running as fast as you could across the little terrain you knew, every place memorized in your mind as you heard his approaching footsteps and cynical laughs. Every second passing like a cinematic scene in which the protagonist is chased by the killer in a generic horror film, everything jumbled together in your head as you panted and ran, and did it all over again.

You allowed yourself to look over your shoulder when everything went silent and the boy was no longer there. But even though you couldn't see him, you could hear him laughing and whispering something to someone else, to another vampire.

You were running too fast to stop when you reached the end of one of the hallways, crashing into one of the walls and sending a hanging mirror crashing to the floor, glass flying everywhere as you forced yourself to stand up and ignore the pain, quickly looking left and right to see where to go.

It makes a difference? You thought bitterly.

But you got back to your feet, tired, sweaty, in all your stupidity you raised your arms and screamed full of frustration. "I'm here, come kill me if you want, oh, mighty vampires."

Just silence and dark. You really felt like a mouse, searching for the cat's paws to avoid being crushed, searching for the cat's fangs to avoid being sucked to death, but the cat didn't seem to care about you enough. Or, initially that was what the feline wanted you to think, but footsteps were heard all around you, behind you, beside you, in front of you, you were surrounded and now they were really coming.

At least I'll punch one of them, you thought with a small smile.

"You're quite troublesome, mortal." A soft voice sounded in your ear, making you shiver all over and turn back to look for its owner. It was the same voice that announced their death to your friends, the same voice that in any other context would have made you smile, as it was a beautiful voice. "Swallow those tears, human, before I give you a reason to cry. Their deaths are your fault, your own death will be your fault for breaking into the home of the night lords and thinking such a transgression will go unpunished."

You touched your eyes and were surprised to notice small tears falling from your eyes, the vampire's words slowly resonating in your mind. It wasn't your idea to come here, but you didn't dissuade your friends even though you knew the legend that surrounded the house. Was it really your fault?

Fatigue seemed to finally be taking over your heavy bones, despite you trying with all your might to keep your concentration and hatred burning within you, despite you trying not to accept the fact that you would die that night.

"Do you practice this speech every day in front of the mirror?" You retorted, lips trembling as they curved into a wry smile.

A laugh. He was laughing at you like you were just a kid who was using the silliest insult they learned to offend people. "Is that the best you can imagine?"

You looked at him, tall, blond, wondering if such a freak had ever been human, wondering how someone could lose their morals so frivolously and take pleasure in killing and dismembering humans for fun. And you didn't answer him, biting your tongue hard to keep from shouting insults.

"Oh, but Roi du Poison, they're so cute." Another voice echoed, this time you felt a hand gently smoothing your hair with fingers so light you swore they were made of feathers, the pale face resting just above your shoulder, freezing you in the same second as the two of you made eye contact. "Can't we keep them instead?"

Rook still half hugging you, half enjoying the smell of your blood; his arms tightened around your waist as you tried to push him away with all the strength you could muster. Pushing and clawing his shoulders away, trying to kick him and fighting him.

But he felt like a block of concrete, motionless, hard and smiling so gently at you and your efforts. His hands continued twirling strands of your hair and drinking in your expression of discomfort, as if all this were normal.

"Yes please." The same boy from before asked, an excited gleam passing through his eyes as he looked from you to the other vampire. "You promised me I would have a little sibling."

Little sibling…?

If you hadn't had a vampire literally holding you so tenderly but firmly in that moment, his face resting on your neck, maybe you would have laughed and screamed that you wouldn't be the sibling of a murderer and that if you could you would kill them all with a stake. Or, anything sharp you had on hand.

But you held back, taking deep breaths, just waiting for the right moment to act. Maybe some of your other friends had managed to escape and would come back soon to help you.

The vampire, Vil, looked at your tired figure with attentive eyes. Excruciating moments passed in total silence, you being unable to hear your own heavy breathing or the way your heart beat as you waited.

You waited for his attack, for his mocking laugh. Your hands closed ready to hit the face of the first vampire who dared to try to bite you. It was foolish to think that this would do anything, if anything it would make them angry and kill you more slowly to see you suffer.

Vil looked at Rook, watching how he was intoxicated by the smell of your sweet blood and they both looked at each other, talking, arguing silently while Epel looked at his dads impatiently, shifting his weight from one leg to another, eager for an answer.

"Or you can let me go." You argued. "I promise I won't tell anyone anything."

But the three men completely ignored you, deaf to your suggestions and blind to your justified fear. Rook slowly released his tight grip on your waist and you felt as if you could breathe again, as if pressure had left your entire body, which was paralyzed.

"They're in your capable hands, son." Vil stated, hands resting on his hips as he looked at the boy.

Not so subtly, you move away from the reach of Rook's nimble arms, feeling exposed as all the vampires look at you. A different look; a look you don't give at your food, the bile in your stomach began to stir and you took a deep breath.

Epel, the youngest vampire, moved. His footsteps being so silent against the floorboards that if you took your eyes off him you wouldn't be able to see him approach.

"I was like you a long time ago," He murmured, baring his fangs in a small smile too intimidating to be casual. "but you don't need to be afraid, y'know"

"I don't kill people." You countered. "I'm not a monster like you."

Epel smiled once more, his eyes shining with recognition. "Every new vampire says that. I said that too and you say it now, but in the future you will kill, because that's what we do to survive."

One second he was in front of you and the next he was gone, leaving behind only a bad feeling of not knowing which side he would attack from. Rook and Vil watch the events unfold from a safe distance.

You forced your ears to work to their fullest, searching everywhere for him.

Suddenly, you heard him step on the shards of broken glass and you turned around, your closed fist making direct contact with his face. Epel staggered in surprise as if he didn't expect you to fight back, but soon he looked at you and smiled.

It was actually a dance, the way you dodged and tried to attack him. But the problem with dancing is that it requires good physical condition and you were running for a long time, running to get to that damn house and then running to try to escape the house, a false step took you to the ground in moments and Epel pressed his foot on your stomach keeping you pinned to the ground.

You continued to fight with all your might, but he was relentless. As immobile as Rook, so impossible to escape and face to face with your death, tears of anger and helplessness flowed from your eyes in abundance against your will.

You wouldn't be graced with death like your friends, but it would be a death all the same. A death without sunlight, destined to know that the people who care about you would be looking for you, looking for your body, without knowing what really happened that Halloween night.

"We'll have a lot of fun when you wake up, lil sib." He whispered, it was supposed to be something comforting, but it sounded extremely condescending.

Despite the difference in height between you and him, you felt smaller, much smaller in the face of the impotence and strength of that delirious look. "When you wake up I will show you the best plains, the best hunting places and you will understand everything from my perspective."

"I'll kill you when I wake up." You promised him, dryly, firmly.

And you don't break your promises.

Epel ignored your words as he knelt beside you, cold fingers holding your hands without much effort as his face moved closer and closer to your neck. His pink lips brushed against your skin.

"You fought well, but you must accept your defeat."

He bit your neck before you could retort, injecting his vampiric venom that would kill you in a few minutes, laying your body on the ground once again. The boy remained sitting next to you, watching every pained expression pass across your face and trying to remember if he reacted the same way.

A lot of time had passed and he couldn't remember. Soon, you wouldn't remember your unfounded fear either, soon, you and he could do what siblings do, whatever that is. For the past five hundred years he has been his dads' only child, but Epel likes to think he will make a good big brother to you.

"Sweet dreams, Yuu."

[ahli-stuff]

so im a sucker for tropes that humanize larger than life characters . Sue me!!

I know that the final showdown is about 99% almost completely canonically going to be between Atsushi and Akutagawa vs Fyodor but imagine . If u will:

Dazai and Fyodor having a Fucking Fist Fight

In this scenario:

Amenogozen is dead or occupied

Dazai is more injured and exhausted than Fyodor is.

Its destruction all around, smoke in the air, craters of stone in the ground—two men standing amongst a ruined battlefield. Dazai and Fyodor, face to face amongst the blood, sweat, and ruin that Fyodor had said he would always be above in mersault.

There’s a gun in between them, nestled in the dirt. There are no more pawns on the table, only two kings staring each other down on a wasteland checkboard. Dazai’s leg is broken. Fyodor is breathing hard.

Dazai lunges for the gun at the same time Fyodor does—in a mad scramble, he kicks out Dazai’s bad leg—Dazai screams in agony as Fyodor pins him down. The gun is kicked several feet out of reach.

But Fyodor is physically weak. The only reason why Dazai hasn’t already knocked him out cold is because of his broken leg.

Dazai elbows Fyodor in the chest so hard he breaks a rib. Fyodor chokes, his chest knocked free of air and ringing with pain as he tries to see Dazai through his rapidly blurring eyes.

He was flipped over in the scuffle, but Fyodor reaches down and grabs Dazai’s leg and digs his fingers to where he thinks the bones separate and presses. Dazai is so blinded by pain, he briefly lets go as Fyodor punches him in the face.

Dazai’s nose is bleeding, but Fyodor doesn’t have time to appreciate it as he pushes Dazai off—flips them over again—he is straddling Dazai with his weight on the former’s broken leg. His hands seize Dazai’s neck and grips with all his might.

Dazai’s hands claw at his face animalistically, scrabbling for purchase on Fyodor’s hair, eyes, anything. His eyes meet Fyodor’s—both of their swirling pairs of darkness are finally awake, alive, burning—and oh, this is what Dazai had meant, hadn’t he? In the silence of Dazai’s strangled wheezes and his nails dragging up dust, Fyodor realizes: this is what it means to be alive.

Dazai spits into Fyodor’s face. He lets go reflexively, yelping with disgust as blood-spit blinds him, while Dazai is gasping as he crawls for the gun; he’s halfway there before Fyodor blindly grabs one of Dazai’s legs. But it’s not the broken one—Dazai pivots his ankle and stomps with all of his might as Fyodor screams because several of his fingers as broken.

Dazai’s hand finds the gun.

[starqueensthings]

Episode 12 open discussion under the cut 👇🏼 BEWARE SPOILERS.

The loss of Crosshair’s helmet is so significant. The fact that he didn’t even bother to look for it, even more so.

The animators have always used helmets to represent a dichotomy. Pre Order-66, it was a symbol of a soldier’s individualism, as most troopers opted to paint their helmet to their liking; something to make them easily distinguishable from their brothers. Post Order-66, helmet-wear was used to signify the loss of a soldier’s autonomy. Yes, obviously for cranial protection as well (keep the melon safe during battle, you know), but once Order 66 was issued, aside from Batch members, seeing a clone trooper without their helmet on was a very rare sight.

In Season 1 Episode 1, Crosshair opted to keep his helmet on during the flight back to Kamino after Order-66 on Kaller, and through the halls of Tipoca city until they reached their barracks. I think the writers and animators were trying to symbolize that he had lost a large portion of his control.

Through the rest of the first season, Crosshair was largely hidden behind his new imperial helmet; one that was completely lacking resemblance or connection to his past as a member of CF-99. I think his Imp helmet was something that, at least in the beginning, he wore proudly; it was a symbol of his new role, his new rank, his future, his new ideology.

But in The Solitary Clone (S2 E3), after a poignant discussion with Cody, we see Crosshair look at his helmet with implied contempt, regret, and even possibly, repulsion. This was new.

In the first minutes of Season 2 Episode 12, we see him reprimanded by an imperial superior officer for not wearing it, which I found interesting. Keep in mind, Crosshair was also helmet-less when he met with Cody before their mission to Desix. Same scenario: waiting by the ship for a debrief from his commander before leaving for the mission. But this time, the writers opted to emphasize that his face was exposed.

Now, his helmet is completely gone. In a mission gone sour, it was eaten by an avalanche. And I found it very interesting that Crosshair’s first thought after emerging from the snow, was to find and save Mayday, a reg commander who he’d met only hours previously, and who took all of Crosshair’s imperial ideology and challenged it. He carefully puts Mayday’s helmet back on him, but doesn’t even spare a thought for his own.

In the final minutes of E12, we see Crosshair, and his face in all its glory, shoot his Lieutenant. An angry murder noodle move, yes... but also a desperate, frustrated one.

The presence of Imperial Crosshair feels diminished. The reemergence of Bad Batch Crosshair feels imminent.

*pls note that I used the term “reg” to reference Crosshair’s previous intolerance for regular clones, and was not meant in any derogatory sense*

[thegingerpowers]

I've got 99 problems. And 86 of them are completely made up scenarios in my head that I'm stressing about for absolutely no logical reason. Welcome to a woman's world.

[eriexplosion]

Okay so. I cannot take it seriously when people say that we weren't led to think CX-2 was Tech. Because no we were not just having foreshadowing of the creation of an Evil Bad Batch. The clues led directly to Tech.

We have to start with the fact that they didn't kill him off definitively. Start with his survival being debated (and there's no way they didn't know it would be debated because I choose to believe they are not stupid) then introduce a character that lasts suspiciously long and has weirdly intense beef with Crosshair and you already are inclining people towards believing this is Tech.

CX-2 goes through a speedrun of Tech scenarios with 1. the leg crushed by a heavy falling object, similar to Ruins of War 2. knocked over by an explosion leaving him dangling above the abyss from a line like Plan 99 3. going over a waterfall and crawling out in a shot that completely matches the scene from The Crossing.

One or two of these is a coincidence, all three together less so.

Plan 99 notes mixed into The Battle of the Snipers. Which the Kiners only explained as the notes 'sounding good in brass' and nothing else.

He gets distinctly Tech like dialogue and no I don't just mean 'domicile' though we do have to acknowledge that no one else in Star Wars uses this word on the regular. We also have the exact match of 'Who are you' to Decomissioned, and the matching of 'I have simply cut off her means of escape' to Tech regularly saying 'I am simply-' when explaining himself, which again is something no one else in the show shares. Tech has a distinct way of speaking that matches CX-2, especially as of Point of No Return. (And CX-2 doesn't really sound like Crosshair, because Crosshair is just straight up not as chatty as CX-2 and never has been.)

He gets a long, unnecessary scene with Phee where he suddenly forgets how to be a murder assassin and starts playing soft.

He doesn't shoot Hunter when he has a chance and chooses to instead shoot his own man, he doesn't blow up the Marauder while Wrecker is inside, and when Omega surrenders he opts to just wait for her to hand him her communicator. He doesn't even shoot Shep when Shep starts talking back to him, all of which indicated that maybe for whatever reason he didn't want to, bolstering the Tech theories.

Getting into an opinion rather than analysis here but: Evil Bad Batch is a stupid fucking idea, it serves no purpose whatsoever other than a cool boss fight that adds nothing to the story. Having a CX be someone, anyone they actually cared about would have been interesting and actually played into the themes of family and forgiveness that were set up earlier in the season. Instead it's just more people to kill off to zero interesting payoff. It's stupid.

Every person I spoke to offline thought that this was Tech. All of them. People that have never looked on social media, watched a theory video, anything. All thought CX-2 was Tech and were confused when he was speared. This was not terminally online theorizing gone wild, this was a very widespread thought and assumption.

So, if they didn't mean to do any of that and at no point intended to imply this was Tech and were solely trying to foreshadow their 5 minutes of Evil Batch fight? They did it poorly. When the majority of your audience actively believes you are leading to one direction only for it to be some other direction that you meant to lead them to, the problem is not The Audience Didn't Read It Right, the problem is you wrote it badly.

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

I've been thinking a lot about the scene involving "Clone Force 99 died with Tech" and trying to figure out why it STILL doesn't sit right with me even now, 5 months after the Bad Batch finale aired.

Because really, looking at the line and how Hunter and Wrecker respond to it from an in-universe standpoint, it does fit the specific scenario well. Crosshair is getting ever closer to Tantiss with a severely wounded Wrecker refusing to give up, and he's worried. So Crosshair drops that bombshell of a line, reminding his brothers that the squad has permanently changed, in an attempt to try to save Hunter and Wrecker by convincing them to leave him and find a way to contact Rex as he storms Tantiss on his own, because it's "what he deserves." Hunter responds by saying Omega and the clone prisoners need all of them - which (being generous with my interpretation) is likely meant to address the "I deserve to die alone" sentiment Crosshair expressed by instead providing him another purpose. Then Wrecker responds by saying they know the risks and aren't charging in recklessly - addressing Crosshair's original concern.

So I think I would ultimately be fine with this scene as-is if 1) it didn't end up being the last time the brothers ever reference Tech, and 2) it didn't come at the end of an entire season's worth of complete mismanagement regarding the Tech storyline.

Now, I admit my perception will likely permanently be colored by the fact that when first watching the finale and hearing Crosshair say that line, part of me still clung to hope that Tech would show up before the end credits, but in between heaving sobs the analytical part of my brain was going "...Really? A full season of baiting us and THAT'S how you're going to tell your audience Tech isn't coming back? If that's really the case so help me..." And we all know that really was the case 😫😤😭

(Screaming into the void. Starting to realize I do a lot of void-screaming when it comes to season 3, especially with everything after "The Return.")

But even setting aside how soul-crushingly painful that line is, what continues to drive me absolutely bonkers about it is:

1) Tech sacrificed himself so that his squad COULD carry on without him, whether that meant fighting or not, and yet again the narrative itself refuses to openly acknowledge this. Even if Crosshair isn't at a point where he can really accept this (and that's a valid stance for him to take), it would have gone a long way for the show (via Hunter or Wrecker in this case specifically) to still definitively highlight why Tech had done what he did, especially after an entire season that ended up only implying that Tech's sacrifice held the squad back from achieving their goals.

(Another fan told me that they believe the line was a good way to acknowledge how important Tech is because the squad will never be the same without him. While I see their point, I think if the show really wanted to push that sentiment it would have landed a lot better if worded a bit differently and stated during, I don't know, a memorial for Tech. With all Tech's family there. Not desperately thrown out there by Crosshair in the middle of a mission as an attempt to shock/guilt Hunter and Wrecker into saving themselves - after all, as noted above, the purpose of the line in context isn't specifically to honor Tech anyway.)

2) There's no follow up to address the fact that Tech sacrificed himself, in part, so Crosshair could still be saved - nothing to provide that vital reassurance to Crosshair that he was/is WORTH saving.

3) After an entire season of being excruciatingly vague about whether each Bad Batcher has fully grieved or not, they're STILL keeping it vague and robbing the characters of any cathartic moment to acknowledge Tech in a way that actually respects his sacrifice and shows his family - his squad - is acting to honor his memory.

4) Above all, IT'S THE ONLY TIME TECH IS REFERENCED IN THE FINALE OF THE SERIES IN WHICH HE IS A MAIN CHARACTER and it's not in a way that highlights his positive influence on his brothers, nothing to indicate that this mission to Tantiss would have been just as important to him as it is to the rest of them so they're going to pull together as much to honor him as to accomplish their objectives, nothing to make that reference anything more than a knife to the heart. (Oh, sorry, there is that goggles reference in the epilogue. With Omega, alone. Yet again, the brothers have no meaningful interaction about Tech.)

And the thing is, even if when Tech does come back (and I firmly believe he can), the show that is specifically centered around the Bad Batch should not have ended without providing meaningful closure for all of them. (Yes, I'm still banking on another clone-centric show being in the works; but Rebels clearly left the door open for further stories while still leaving things wrapped up for all the main characters at the end of that show, and that could - and should - have happened here.)

...Anyway, now that I've gotten all that off my chest, maybe I'll be a bit calmer during future rewatches of the finale 😅

... Scratch that, I'll probably need to spell out all my grievances about the CX plotline before I reach the point of watching the finale with relative calm 😬