#and then Q shows up to pick him up/meet him at the end of the class & they're like. *recalculating....* and then it's like OH I see. Ah

[halfbaked00q]

we need to put James Bond more in the path of queer elders.

Like yes he may be a baby queer finally cracking open the rigid hard shell of his adult life persona to explore Other Modes of Being at 40-some odd years. But also that doesn't stop him from being one of the old guard, he still has a wealth of life experiences, and if anything.... I do think he probably either understands on an intuitive level or would quickly pick up/quickly click with the concepts of gender being Performative. So like that wouldn't be a barrier of entry, and just like. I think he would relate to queer elders better from a like comparable life stages standpoint.

but yeah basically lol, I just think it would be very instructive for him and also, like, that he'd find a lot of camaraderie with elder butches especially lmao. And especially again elder butch activists!! like, in some ways, both him & them have lived through a lifetime of wars that are not wars. And they both had to fight tooth and nail to get here today, but by god are they still alive and screaming in defiance in the face of those that would see them dead.

I think there's a lot he could relate to with them, but also, a lot he could learn from & about with them. Like, queer joy just Hits Different when you see it in queer elders.

[temptingfatetakingnames]

Open mic night was Eddie’s favourite night of the week. It wasn’t often that the group was able to make the drive up to Indy but everyone was finally available this time. Gareth, Jeff and Grant were going in his van. Steve was taking Robin, Argyle, Jonathan and Nancy. Steve hadn’t seemed too interested when Eddie had invited them but he owed Robin something and she forced him into being their designated driver for the evening’s festivities. It would be the first time the groups would be mixing and Eddie was incredibly anxious about it.

He loved Gareth, Jeff and Grant but they had no filters whatsoever and even though Steve might not be a douchebag anymore, he had still been King Steve and that didn’t just go away because they had fought interdimensional demons together. He also couldn’t explain to the guys the real reason he was hanging out with Steve without mentioning said interdimensional demons. So. Eddie was anxious. But it was open mic night and he was going to hope for the best. He fucking loved open mic night.

“Tell me again how you became friends with Harrington?” Grant asked from the back seat.

Eddie couldn’t help but sigh, he had explained (lied) to them all multiple times but they could sense that something was missing from the story.

“I told you! Henderson introduced us. You know how he always went on and on about him, had to see for myself.”

“And you hit it off? Just like that?” Jeff asked.

Eddie shrugged. That was the story and he was sticking to it.

“But why did you have to invite him to open mic night?” Gareth whined.

“Chill out. We’re going to have a good time,” Eddie said as he reached for the radio dial. He turned the music up louder, ending the Q and A portion of the ride.

When they pulled up at the bar, he saw that Steve and the rest of the gang were already there and waiting outside. He parked the van and went to meet them. Steve was standing a bit off to the side, arms crossed over his chest, scowling at Robin. He looked good. A simple black t-shirt showed off his arms and tight acid washed jeans showed off his ass. Eddie assumed Robin had helped him pick the outfit, he had never seen Steve wear black before. Nancy and Johnathan were holding hands and leaning into each other’s space and Argyle was finishing off the last few tokes of his joint.

Robin spotted him and the guys and waved them over.

“Hey, Eddie!” she said with a bright smile lighting up her face.

Eddie tucked one hand into his front pocket and used the other to wave back. “Hey guys, this is Grant, Jeff, and Gareth,” he said pointing at each of them in turn. “This is Robin, Nancy, Johnathan, Argyle and Steve.”

Introducing them all to each other might have seemed a little silly – they did all go to high school together. Well, except for Argyle – but it felt right, too. Eddie wanted them to get along and making introductions felt like a new start. They all nodded at each other, somewhat warily before moving to the door. They didn’t intermingle – group lines still clearly demarcated and Eddie sighed.

Wayne was good friends with the owner of the bar, so he let Eddie and his friends drink a bit. Usually just a pitcher or two of his cheapest beer, which was completely fine with him. Beer was beer as far as he was concerned and he wasn’t going to complain when he was getting it for free while he was still underaged. The place wasn’t too full yet, he liked to arrive a little early so he could get a spot near the front of the stage. He got everyone settled at the table and then dragged Jeff off to the bar to help him with the drinks.

“Hey there, my main man Moe,” Eddie sing-songed as he approached the man behind the counter. He was Wayne’s age with wrinkles around his eyes and grey in his hair. He and Wayne went way back, the best of friends even though they were complete opposites. Where Wayne could be quiet and standoffish, Moe was charismatic and brash – they balanced each other.

“Eddie!” Moe called back and smiled widely at him. “Good to see ya, how’s Wayne?”

“Wayne’s great! He says hello.”

“How many glasses?” Moe asked as he started to fill up a pitcher of beer. “You brought a big group this time.”

“Oh, uh – nine!... Please.”

Moe set the pitcher on the counter before turning to grab and stack a bunch of cups. Jeff picked up the cups and Eddie took the pitcher.

“Thanks, Moe.”

Moe waved him off, still smiling.

He and Jeff made their way back to the table. Eddie was pleased to see that the two groups were intermingling a bit when he got back. Robin was chatting with Grant and Gareth, which made sense – they probably had the most in common. Johnathan and Nancy were sitting side by side, listening. Argyle was currently a space cadet, staring at the popcorned ceiling like it was the night sky. And Steve – well Steve had his arms across his chest and was leaning back like he wished he was anywhere else. Whatever, he could be a grumpy goose all he wanted. Eddie placed the pitcher in the center and Jeff started handing out the cups.

“So, what’s the King been up to since graduating?” Gareth asked and then took a sip of beer. Eddie rolled his eyes. The question was innocent enough but the way Gareth asked it made it sound like he already knew the answer and it couldn’t be anything good.

“Family Video re-opened, so me and Robs have been working,” he said and shrugged, taking the question and the way it was asked in a surprisingly good stride.

“That’s it? Working at Family Video?” Grant chimed in with a smirk.

Everyone could read between the lines of what Grant and Gareth were saying – the great Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington, King of Hawkins High graduated but going nowhere – Working a menial service industry job that he probably hated. Eddie didn’t know if Steve had any other plans. He knew Robin and Nancy were all set to go off to college once they graduated but he and Steve had never really talked about their life goals. Maybe he was happy with an easy job and no stress. There were worse things, he supposed. But he also couldn’t imagine getting stuck in fucking Hawkins.

“Yup,” Steve replied. “That’s it.”

“That is not it, Steve!” Robin said from across the table. “Why don’t you tell them –” Her words were cut off when Moe walked onto the stage and announced that open mic night had officially begun.

A cheer went around the room and usually Eddie would be the first one to go up to the mic but he wanted Robin to finish her sentence. It was clear she wasn’t going to when the cheers finally quieted and a man from the back of the room approached the stage. Eddie listened but he found himself distracted; he hated mysteries. Puzzles needed to be solved or else he felt them like an itch in the back of his mind. He would need to bring the conversation back around to Steve later so he could find out what else the man had going on.

When the first performance ended to polite claps, Eddie jumped up to go next. He loved putting on a show. Moe always had an acoustic and electric guitar on the stage for anyone who wanted to use them. Eddie grabbed the electric guitar and strummed a few chords, testing it out before he went up to the microphone. He usually stuck to more rock and roll songs for open mic night over the heavier stuff he performed with Corroded Coffin. It was nice to be able to do both and he loved it when the crowd sang along with him. He finished his slowed down version of For Whom the Bells Tolls with an exaggerated bow.

A few regulars he knew went up after him. Jeff did a great acoustic version of Number of the Beast which Eddie had not expected to work at all. Robin and Nancy did a Blondie’s song together that wasn’t half bad. They had nice voices, and Robin at least managed to stay on key. Blondie was no joke.

They were on their third pitcher, the mood at the table loosened as they talked and sang and drank. Eddie and Steve only had one beer each before switching to sodas – a stipulation of Moes that anyone he brought to drink had a safe drive home. Eddie had never bent this rule, he appreciated Moe giving them a space to come and drink and he wouldn’t get him in trouble by driving drunk.

“Steve! Your turn!” Nancy yelled.

Steve shook his head. “I’m not getting up there. I’m only here because Robin made me come.”

Jeff and Gareth shared a look between them, rolling their eyes.

“Afraid to sing in front of us, Harrington?” Eddie asked. He knew that Steve wasn’t afraid of anything. His dumb bravery would put the strongest barbarian to shame but sometimes heckling worked and Eddie really wanted to hear him sing.

Steve just leaned back calmly. “Not gunna work on me, Munson.”

“Steve,” Robin whined and stretched out his name, “you have to sing.”

“Nope,” Steve responded.

Robin leaned over so she was practically in his lap and squeezed his cheeks together.

“You have to sing, Steve,” she said with the utmost seriousness.

Something passed between them because Steve’s eyes got large and frightened and Robin snickered. She had something on him! Something he didn’t want her to tell them and she was threatening him with it. Good job, Robin!

Steve sighed deeply before heading up the stage as the crowd hooted and hollered.

Robin leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smirk on her face.

“He’s probably going to sing Tears for Fears or Abba or something,” Eddie said to the group.

“My money is on Madonna,” Nancy chimed in.

Robin snorted. “Duran Duran!”

They all laughed.

Steve grabbed the microphone and took a deep breath, looking out into the crowd. His first note echoed in the room and the talking and laughter ceased immediately, all eyes turned and focused on the stage.

I get up in the evenin’ And I ain’t got nothing to say Come home in the mornin’ I go to bed feelin’ the same way I ain’t nothin’ but tired Man, I’m just tired and bored with myself     Hey there, baby, I could use just a little help

Not a sound could be heard from anyone in the room as they all listened in rapt silence. Steve’s voice was ethereal, perfectly pitched, beautiful. Eddie had never heard anything like it.

You can't start a fire You can't start a fire without a spark This gun's for hire Even if we're just dancin' in the dark

The thing was, Eddie liked Steve. He was a better person and friend than he could have ever expected of the former king. But he was a surface level person, what you saw was what you got. He could be sassy and mean and didn’t seem to dive too deeply into his own feelings. Steve was simple and he liked simple things. He was Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington for Christ sakes, he could not have the deep well of emotion and pain that he was conveying in this song.

But he did.

And he was.

Eddie turned to Robin and hissed in her ear as quietly as he could, “did you know about this?”

But she was looking at Steve just as dumbstruck as the rest of them and slowly shook her head.

You sit around gettin' older There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me I'll shake this world off my shoulders Come on, baby, the laugh's on me

Steve was baring his goddamn soul. And maybe Eddie had still been judging him too harshly on who he used to be – because they had fought a fucking war together. But it had always seemed to just…glide off Steve. They must have missed it – the darkness and loneliness in his eyes that Eddie was seeing now. They were all seeing it now. Nancy and Robin were both staring at him like they had never seen him before. Eddie was ashamed. How often did he lament people for thinking they knew him? For judging him on his looks before they even tried to know him? And now he had done it, too. But this was worse because Steve was his friend… and he hadn’t seen it. He had seen a piece of the man and assumed it for the whole.

Stay on the streets of this town And they'll be carvin' you up alright They say you gotta stay hungry Hey baby, I'm just about starvin' tonight I'm dyin' for some action I'm sick of sittin' 'round here tryin' to write this book I need a love reaction Come on now, baby, gimme just one look

This blew all of his preconceived notions out of the water. Steve was singing like his goddamn heart was breaking and no one in the world understood him. It was a masterpiece and Eddie was floored. Absolutely floored. He had heard Dancing in the Dark a million times. But Steve… The way he sang it gave the words such a deeper meaning. It was beautiful and haunting and pained. It changed everything about the song… and everything he thought he knew about Steve Harrington.

You can't start a fire Worryin' about your little world fallin' apart This gun's for hire Even if we're just dancin' in the dark Even if we're just dancin' in the dark

He held the last note, beautifully pitched, before he let it go. The room was silent, everyone as awestruck as Eddie. After a pregnant pause everyone erupted into cheers and whistles and Steve dropped his head as a blush starting creeping over his cheekbones – his hair falling over his face. Adorable.

Oh. Oh no.

No. No. No.

He did not just think that.

Appreciative eyes followed Steve as he made his way back to their table and Eddie bristled. He wanted to growl and bare his teeth at them all.

“You have the voice of an angel, my dude,” Argyle said.

“Thanks man,” Steve said as he sat back down.

Robin immediately attacked him, shoving him and screaming, “what the hell was that?”

“You wanted me to sing! So, I sang!” he yelled back.

“I didn’t know you could sing, Steve! Why didn’t you tell me?”

Steve shrugged. “Never came up, I guess.”

“Never came up!? Neve came up?” Robin’s voice kept increasing in volume and incredulity. Eddie was right there with her. “I am betrayed! Betrayed, Steve!”

Steve rolled his eyes at her dramatics. “Calm down, Buckley. It was just a song.”

“It wasn’t just a song though, was it?” Nancy asked quietly.

Steve tensed up and ducked his head but not before Eddie saw something dark move through his eyes. He wanted to ask if Steve was okay, wanted to drag him somewhere quiet where he could talk to him and ask him questions and find out what was behind his eyes – what was behind that song. Eddie wanted to split his skull open and peer inside and learn everything there was to know about Steve Harrington. He couldn’t take his eyes off him, was begging desperately in his head for Steve to look up, to look at him, too.

Who are you, Steve Harrington?

Eddie’s mind itched at the unexpected puzzle.

Part 2

[gooperts-gunk]

post-qsmp q!bbh's story so far...

back to back we have had new q!bbh story pieces, on mythcraft with lilithluvsya and as mr. x on arkanis, so im going to write down all of my own notes of what we have learned so far + my crazed theory talk :) this will be long!!! note: this is from the perspective of someone who doesn't know mythcraft lore and the only arkanis lore i know is from what i pick up in passing lol. i will do my best!!

starting with the halloween special on mythcraft with lilith and rurus in which bbh helps lilith solve a puzzle that leads to her finding and adopting a new child, we get to see an actual bbh summoning!! im unsure if the treats are a necessary offering or just a kind gesture, but the soulfire-esque flames or wisps seem to be a very specific detail...

the chant lilith says is "hear these words, hear my cry, spirit from the other side! come to me, i summon thee, cross now the great divide!" implying that if he's summoned, chances are, he was in the underworld or somewhere else. later on during technical difficulties, lilith mentions that "i don't even know the state of his soul at the moment! because usually whenever i summon a chant through those words," she repeats it, "his soul just acted a bit... weird! he usually doesn't act like that whenever i summon him. usually, the magic feels a bit more smooth, and it was very choppy this time. his soul just felt different from the last time i saw him. i can't put my finger on it." it's hard to say what exactly this means, (i've seen some people think it's about how he died with a split soul, he never got the other half back from purgatory as far as we know...) as we've never seen him be summoned before, but in this case, he just showed up on the chest crying out a confused "HELLO...?" but later on says "i could sense something was off, that's why im here." with his trickster confidence. he also mentions he's "been around, doing my thing. im very busy," and no concrete answer is ever stated. another detail is that halloween is said by lilith to be "the veils between our world meet once a year," meaning as far as we know he can only be summoned on halloween.

when he accepts the treats and attempts to leave he says "im trying to get back home!" a place of residence for q!bbh is implied, whether or not it's one we know of or even if it's an actual house is uncertain. when bad comes across a haunted house he says "oh my gosh! i had a house like this once, only it was red." which might cross out the place of residence being on the island. might, considering the house was later changed because most people hated the red lol. when bad is downed from fall damage lilith comments "why are you so fragile?! you're not usually, like, this breakable." bbh says "oh, as soon as i die, i get to go back home, so..." since we know how !bbh deaths work, (he can only perma-die once from a unique death, e.g. the combination of soul vulture infection and nuke radiation slowly ate away until perma-killing that version of himself, which means it was an entirely unique instance of death. so it's safe to assume that ever since he had fallen, he would have perma-died from simple things like starvation, but then can no longer perma-die from it again, with a possible exception of if it's starvation along with something else at the same time) we know that him dying wouldn't be enough to bring him 'back home' if it's implied to be the underworld or the mind desert, therefore, it would mean that if he dies during a summoning that the connection is immediately broken and he's back to wherever he was at the time. he's sometimes even excited whenever he gets downed, even saying "take me! take me home!" either because 1. he just really wants to get home for some reason or 2. he just really doesn't want to work for lilith.

but, we know he doesn't HAVE to work for lilith, because lilith states at the end after he's left to fellow mythcraft member nex that, "you know how im a witch? ... WELL... a long, LONG time ago... i made a mistake with my magic and i MIGHT have summoned a greater demon who turned out to be a TRICKSTER demon instead and KINDA reversed the contract on me and NOW im stuck with him until i die and i have to do his bidding whenever he comes around, but only whenever i create the first kind of contract for him to flip around. and he kind of... is around, and changes rurus a lot, and i have to work to make sure that rurus can transform back into a human one day because they're stuck in their bunny form..." which is a LOT to digest and she said it all in like two breaths lol. so in reality lilith is stuck with bad, not bad being stuck with lilith, and bad could peace out whenever he wanted because it's trickster demon rules and on top of that he can also transform humans into bunnies??!!

going back to where my previous notes were, when they arrive at rurus' house and bad seeing a painting of himself with 5 cracked eggs around him, he exclaims, "what the fudge is that?! THAT'S CRAZY!! who's the monster who made this??" meanwhile lilith is oblivious to whatever this means. he also steals the painting. rurus shows up! (rurus says he smells like sulfur, which is definitely the 'demon smell' ak!bagi mentions once she has a moment to speak with him after the chaos) rurus mentions making the painting and it was likely a gag that bad wasn't supposed to see during the lore stream but it's there now LOL and bad repeats the same horror to them as they're oblivious too, "it's you blowing up the moon! all the moons that you've blown up?" "oh, yeah, im sure it's blowing up the moon!!" he says in angry sarcasm, and then sobs a little. "i had eggs once..." both lilith and rurus inquire, and lilith is the one to say "you became a father?" in myth!lilith's defense, the residents have a lot of adorable baby creatures they care for and might sooner assume the eggs in question are cute creatures LOL "well i just said i had eggs, so..." "oh, you hatched them?" "ohhh he HAD eggs- lawren, he- he hit menopause, he said something about that..." I HEEHEE'D. idc if it's just a goof and not entirely canon im keeping it in here.

later on, when the trio complete the puzzles and find a well-decorated baby ghost named willow inside a willow tree, bbh's behavior to willow is very endearing and also straight-forward, casually offering some steak that he stole from rurus' house. he finds the way out of the tree for them by hearing a raccoon's chitter, and lilith comments "you're really good at talking to raccoons for some reason..." and rurus pokes further with "did you have a special relationship with a raccoon?" "yeah i- i speak raccoon." this of course is brought up from the perspective of both of them knowing his lore out of character and wanting to poke fun, but it's also a fun coincidence that it was a raccoon, as raccoons are very special to pomme. it starts storming, and rurus tells bad to give willow his hood but alternatively gives willow his soul lantern instead since his hood is a "...non-removable item...".

when they bring willow back to lilith's house, he continues stealing like he has been since he was summoned, but this time he takes a cookie from a cookie jar and passes one to willow before taking one for himself. when willow thanks him and says she loves cookies, he gives her another and says "you can never have too many cookies!" which would immediately make you think of his kids and their cookies, dapper especially as they're a total cookie fiend. as willow settles in he teaches willow the first and only lesson he's given to her so far: "whenever someone invites you into their home, you get to take whatever you want!!" he goes upstairs and shows himself and willow around lilith's house, rurus mentions a gaming chair, of which was a toilet. bad takes it and says, "i know someone who would love this!" which of course would be richas' gaming set-up that had a toilet for a chair because of a prank, if i remember correctly.

bad asks where his room is, making an assumption that his summoning meant he was going to move in. when lilith says he could stay at rurus', REALLY not wanting him here, he says "i can't have a room at both??" like the greedy little man he is. <3 willow is then shown her own room, where bad then proceeds to place the furniture he stole from lilith into the room for her.

the birth certificate is revealed! willow is lilith's daughter, and bbh is her guardian demon. (many were unsure if he was a parent to willow but lilith clarified on twitter that he's a guardian demon that will show up from time to time) rurus inquires if HE scribbled his name there, and he says "no, no! that's crazy. that'd be ridiculous." in a bit of a liar voice.

when he accidentally picks up willow's sign, he courteously says "im sorry," and gives it back, prompting rurus to tell lilith she could just ask and he'd give her stuff back. when she does in a cutesy way, he dodges it entirely by saying "no hablo inglés" and when lilith demands for the furniture in spanish, he says "i don't speak spanish". i wouldn't call it entirely parental as willow's not his kid, but as you can tell bbh has shown far more care and respect to this child he just met than his contractors. the trickster has priorities!

they tuck willow into bed, and bbh falls asleep standing up, when lilith starts shoving him saying it's time to get him to bed, he wakes up suddenly, yelling "night terrors!! night terrors!!" we know he's gone long periods of time without sleeping, but he's having night terrors when he does...

bbh has technical issues, and during that time, rurus and lilith have a back and forth about him and their contract which is summarized in the bout with nex above. rurus says "you know, i used to be able to swear before i knew him, and now i can't." "huh! that's a weird incantation." this itself is likely a joke about their out of character friendship, but they come up with the idea that he might have a literal swear jar that he puts people's swears in, never to be said again lol.

lilith decides to keep the portal open as bad loses summoning connection to their world (aka technical difficulties) so he can visit whenever he likes to be a guardian demon for willow.

this wraps up the mythcraft section of new q!bbh pieces! onto arkanis!

a lot of people were unsure if mr. x would be q!bbh, but it becomes VERY clear based on how he acts with familiar faces, and some late night conversations...

not much to note when bad / mr. x greets fit, but there's a very silly familiarity when he says he'd like to take fit out to brunch right before talking about torturing him... yeah sure man why not O_O when fit asks if he's considered being GOOD and not murdering people, bad says "i considered it, but my therapist says i should embrace my hobbies. im trying to listen to my therapist more." so he at least had a therapist in recent times to tell him this, because on quesadilla island when asked about therapy, he mentioned something along the lines of that he tried therapy once, but he'd get chased out of town by people with pitchforks.

to briefly dissect the cutscene, from what i've learned, bad floating is a sign that he's powerful in valigma! only people with magic in valigma can float, examples being araldo when we get to see him later, and also bia raux who is also brought up to bad when telling him the current lore after the event. also. the manor. the banquet. i love you builders, it's so eggpire-coded. that man can't escape the aesthetic of red vines even if c!bbh tried LOL and another fun detail, he has ghosties/souls bursting around him! it's become integral to his character :)

when mr. x encounters the brazilians and his escaped captive fit, all the fantasminhas float around him! it's super cute that the grim reaper got little ghost sidekicks, and then doesn't even recognize that they're ghosts <3 he mostly called denix a gremlin or goblin, but that's because out of character he DEFINITELY knew who the admin was, that's why he bullied them so much and not the others lol.

even though he's having fun annoying everyone as mr x., bad still takes moments for the little ghosts, like spam crouching with amora when she creeps up to him, him and denix bonding by killing a penguin?? and playing songs on the flute and they all surround him and dance. :)

when the find the button room starts, and bad does his npc voice, bagi immediately starts yelling, knowing the "you got this! you can do it!" all too well, and bad keeps saying it in recognition. while it was already true that ak!bagi is a continuation of q!bagi, this interaction itself can be enough to assume that mr. x is q!bbh if he remembers it like she does. when it's revealed it's a find the button room, she's even MORE distressed, "are you responsible for this? please- please tell me you don't..." "i would never!" he says like a liar, and then maniacally laughs. bagi also frequently calls him "bad" and not mr. x unlike mostly everyone else, seeing through the silly alias.

one interesting detail is how hungry mr. x is for totems!! every once in a while he'll mention how he wants more totems popped, in the valigma cemetary / cemetario do valigma, he asks quel for how many totems they have, when they say a hundred, he says "passa tudo!" and drops mobs on them. he really wants totems for some reason!! does he absorb something from it or did he just really hate foolish that day? lol

once the event is over, bad and bagi get to talk! bad becomes uncle to amora, bagi's daughter. amora is immediately very sweet to bad! bagi catches bad up on what's going on in valigma, telling him about araldo and bia, and bagi thinks because he's a demon that he could help the specialists understand and handle the magic themselves, "you see those pink blocks glowing that way? they're like some of the magic powers that this land has, but we can't just touch it and start doing magic all the way through the town. so, basically, there's powers everywhere that we don't know how to use and those two entities fighting each other, they use different kinds of power. so maybe you, being a demon and stuff... maybe you can teach us how to handle this." which, upon mention of him being a demon, he deflects by admiring a streetlamp. bad didn't act this way with lilith and rurus because they were already aware he was a demon since they summoned him, but he never confirmed anything to bagi other than the vague vastness of his age and his immortality, if i remember correctly. which is more than he's confirmed to other people!

bad points out bagi's smoking, "you've taken up smoking, im guessing it's been really hard?" "yeah! yeah, no, that was because, the things i lived before, you know..." "yeah i understand..." "it caused me a lot of trouble." if im correct in assuming this is about the island and losing the kids... :( which bad then segues into asking if there's an ikea. LOL

when jvnq starts taking bad to pac's house to steal furniture, he says "oh wow! you guys are all nice and close together, i like this. yeah, i hate having to walk really far." knowing that q!bbh tried really hard to get people to live close by to him when he was dying so someone would take care of his kids recontextualizes this as living far away being a regret he still holds </3 (not to mention, cc!bad himself regrets building his bases so far away)

when pac says he'll give bad more muffins and furniture if he teaches him how to fly and such, bad deflects by saying "yeah! it's easy, you just got to... you got a- you got a nice view!" and looking at the black hole outside his house.

later on, when bad gets transported by araldo, they seem to get along nicely and araldo wants him to do MORE chaos at some point, which i believe is worrisome if it's true that araldo is the problem in the fight between araldo and bia raux... but also very fitting for him. meanwhile, sent back to his friends, he has only good things to say about him, and also inserted some of his silly lies. the entire interaction feels reminiscent of the times he'd talk about the 'eyeball guy with the snatched waist' aka the watcher, or even cucurucho to a certain degree LOL

when gabe takes bad to space, bad comments that it's a first for him! "the moon is just like i imagined it'd be..." congrats !bbh for having your first moon experience, at least, as far as you can remember!

meanwhile, transported to the mr. x manor, bad gives a dizzying tour to gabe, denix, and amora! he introduces the skeppy room when asked about his bedroom, mentioning he doesn't really need to sleep, and he instead meditates on top of the skeppy. (someone PLEASE feed this man dapper's special cake recipe) he also introduces his chair and i have no doubt that people have shown a comparison of his chair here vs. his chair in the hall of grim but i'll put it here anyways lol. he's also very consistent because the vod i went to to get a screenshot of his hall of grim chair is the near exact same "and this is my chair..." when he introduces it.

when bad, gabe, denix and amora are in the maze that the experts + fit went through to get to the cemetary, they stop at a corner to chat and gabe asks bad "changing the subject a little, if you had a son now what would his name be?" (possibly more gender neutral than the translator says, which is how bad interprets it,) this likely was on the mind because a bit earlier while exploring the manor, denix asked him to give him a second name or middle name and bad hadn't answered. bad stops to think about it, before prefacing "well, i- i've had kids over the years, a couple, but you're saying if i got a new kid, right? what would i name... him... probably... how do you say 'gremlin' in portuguese?" it's the same, but alternatively gabe offers "duende." meaning denix's second name is probably duende now LOL but more importantly, for the first time, at least directly tonight, q!bbh was reminded of his children. gabe contextualizes why he asked, "it's because in this city... anything can happen, you understand? one day you're single, and sad, and the next you have a family." "no, that's true... yeah. i- i understand what it's like, one day you just wake up and you got kids, i totally get it... and then everybody dies, and you're left alone." OOGH. EEYOWCH. we don't know for certain how long q!bbh has been living after escaping quesadilla island, or if even in the end cc!bad is planning that he escapes at all, he might still be bound to it. but however long it's been, he's been carrying onto the weight of everyone disappearing, with only strange creatures (the bunnies, the penguins, cucurucho...) to keep him company once everyone is gone. gabe inquires about if his family died, and he covers up with "oh, no, im just saying that's the inevitable. that's what happens, sorry." ...top 10 sentences that are more depressing when contextualized by an immortal demon with a heart too big for people to comprehend... :( something that bad misses here is denix asking if he wants to adopt amora, but this comes back around!

transported again, while gabe walks bad towards the boat the experts arrived on, he says "valigma keeps many mysteries and lots of trouble, right? fights, in this case many fights, problems, death, pain, suffering, and then we decide to have a child despite all these problems; how can this be, right? it's a weak point." bad says "yeah, love tends to lead to lots of problems..." which would be specifically commenting on taking care of children. and from the perspective of his current situation, being without them... yowch. :( then bad falls into a ravine, shoved by denix, and amora saves him. :) but when he fell he purposefully avoided landing in the water. :(

later on they go to the leaderboard! there amora offers that bad can adopt her for a while, since she's "kinda an orphan" based on the activity of her parents other than bagi, and he accepts :) though knowing he literally can't be active either lol. from then on, amora calls bad "dad" for the rest of the night, and "pai bad" the next day when talking with some of the experts :)

some more fun stops later, they pause in the gallery as gabe explains more of the araldo and bia beef, to which bad says once more to "wine and dine" araldo... if u want it done right, do it urself, geez... chat, beat this guy up for me... he has a weakness for guys with power... another moment in this stop to goof around, bad says "yeah, im really good at cooking... people. meals." which is normal q!bbh and the least surprising thing he's said or done all night.

the night slowly comes to a close, after running into guaxi for a small reunion, he says goodbye with a bang when denix kills him and he logs out. they then contain mr. x's corpse in a box of glass, preserved for memories <3

if this is what post-qsmp has been like for q!bbh so far, IM SO EXCITED FOR MORE!!! and yes i HAVE spent at least 5 hours writing notes as i vod review!!! q!bbh on arkanis felt a lot like a classic day on qsmp with his character plus some pain and suffering, and q!bbh on mythcraft gave us some extra lore bits to think about!!! very very fun, im sooo excited for whatever ending cc!bad has been wanting to make for q!bbh, because if it means he's still kicking it going around to other worlds, all of his pain in tow, IM SO READY!!! thank you if you went through everything here it was a doozy and mostly for yelling about with other people since i haven't been on tumblr for a while and i miss the screams from here. :)

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Many Tiny Idiots, Some Irreverent Hotness & an Engagement

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Oct 2024 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Fourever You (Thai Thurs YT) ep 4 of 16 - OK so Hill has really been trying to pick him up from the beginning? I don’t understand why there’s any doubt around girls at all. He Gay everyone. Why is Tatch (2 Moons Ambassador) the only seme in Thai BL history allowed to actually just say "I don’t date women.”

Why is that so hard?

This show is definitely frustrating me, but I must admit that it’s the one I look forward to the most each week.

Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sun iQIYI) ep 6 of 15 - I am now only watching the uncut version, and I gotta say it makes all the difference. Please don’t watch the cut version of this show if you can possibly help it. It’s like cliff's notes of cliff's notes. I love the tiny side couple of tough kid + the dork of the music club. Ah the beach sequence. Condenced WAY DOWN, I see. We lost one of the most iconic lines in all BL but i think everything is improved by how much tighter the plot is in the remake (6 episodes became 1!). So I’m enjoying it. Weirdly, I'm not sure I would be enjoying it, if I hadn’t seen the original.

Is anyone watching this on iQIYI who hasn't seen the original? Just out of curiosity. Tell me how it's going for you, would ya? 

I'm doing a face-off style watch along of this new version versus the original 2014-2015 version.

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 8 of 12 - I don’t entirely get it. They were apart for approximately 11 minutes. I would’ve thought GMMTV would’ve drawn it out for longer and more angst. Smiley face kiss was cute, but the star of this ep was that gorgeous pale blue waffle sweater on Q. What a great color for Leng! 

Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) ep 7 of 12 - I do like that we’re seeing an honest exploration of poverty and hopelessness. I’m not sure how I feel about it inside my BL, tho I’m willing to persavere for this pair.

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 12 end - Someone said recently "just imagine what TutorYim could do with an actual script." And you know what? I agree. Because they sure as shit haven’t gotten one yet. And it’s getting quite frustrating. I’m having JaFirst flashbacks. Frankly, 2024 has been a year of unmitigated BL nonsense narratives. And I’m tired of it. I know it’s bog standard for the genre, but it feels like there’s been more than normal faff this year.

Summary 

An incredibly convoluted, disjointed, and badly-paced drama that is about(?) some writers writing a thing and some boys who knew each other when they were kids, lots of pretty sexy times, and not much else. The visuals are gorgeous, the side couples are overly appealing (with little to no screen time), the dubbing and sound is absurdly bad, and the fantasy novel (play within a play) makes no sense whatsoever while also managing to be the show that we all actually wanted to see instead of what we were given. 6/10 

In conclusion, I have no interest in attempting to understand or revisit this show, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it, but if you have nothing better to do…… the sex is good (frankly I have exes that satisfy all the same criteria). So there it is: this show is like a bad but still hot ex.  

Every You Every Me (Thai Mon Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - Nice to see Fiat in something again. Namping is very angel baby.  This episode made me think that this pair would do a great Thai remake of Love Tractor, and now that’s pretty much all I want in life. I enjoyed wardrobe in this episode. It looks like we get the same characters next week. Cool. 

Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) ep 6 of 10 - I guess everyone is messy slutty bisexual in this show? Do I care? Not even slightly. BLabies, I don’t think I’m gonna make it. I might have to drop this one.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 1-2 of 13 - I adore it, what a wonderful meet cute. I love a Taiwanese BL that starts with a gratuitous kidnapping, some chasing, and a bit of a fight sequence. We in OLD fashioned territory. 

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 5 of ? - I continue to enjoy it very much.

My Damn Business (Korea Sat YT) eps 4 of 7 - Oh! Is the sleazy boss gonna turn out to be actually a sleazy player? That would be an interesting twist.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 3 of 8 - I’m really not a big fan of my pain coming from Korea. I’m getting a whiff of To My Star 2 from this one. And that does not make me happy. I know: high quality high angst yada yada blah blah blah. But also unnecessary pain? No thank you. 

First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) ep 12 end - Of course, I love the part where Reese and Orca spoke each other’s languages.

Conclusion

Had this been produced a mere 3 or 4 years ago, I would’ve been quite enamored. But by comparison to what we’ve been getting, this is a lackluster offering. A has-been musician and a much younger composer meet, fall in love, and attempt to rectify his stalled musical career. Cute side couple of a Thai popstar + his Korean manager. Everyone is very fine and it was a fine show. I wasn’t disappointed, but I wasn’t impressed either. 8/10 

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 6 of 10 eps - It was a fun little confession and climax, there was crying, and a bridge kiss (been a while) all of this appeals to me even if they are tiny idiots (in the immortal words of @heretherebedork )

Eccentric Romance (Korea Weds Viki) eps 5-6 of 12 - More tiny idiot boyfriends who don’t realize they’re boyfriends. That’s it, that’s all that’s happening. Ostensibly there’s some kind of murder. But it seems to be acting more like set dressing than plot.

It's airing but...

The Hidden Moon (Sat WeTV) 10 eps - Supernatural romance (my ghost boyfriend trope) by Violet Rain (I Feel You Linger). A man is hired to write an article about an old mansion. He sees the ghosts of people who died at the mansion, falls in love with one of them. Was substantially recast. I loved IFYLITA except the ending so I think I'll let this one run it's course you can tell me if it's work tracking down... if they managed to land it. I have my doubts.

In case you missed it

Mew & Tul legit engaged.

Love in the Big City (Korea Viki) 8ep - Vicki dropped them all at once which means I did what I do under such circumstances and skipped to watch the final episode. (I am well aware that this makes me a monster. ) Anygay, that told me that I’m not gonna be bothering to watch the series. Now y'all can tell me how amazing it is and what I’ve missed and blah blah blah. But I’m comfortable with my choice. It’s ICRY 2.0 + HIV. And I’m not willing to play its literatti game. At some point I might watch it on fast-forward for the sex scenes, but I’m not at that point yet. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Still Coming:

10/27 Perfect 10 Liners (Thai Sun YouTube?) 24 eps! - New directing yet another university BL with engineers + their mentees. Based on a Jittirain novel. with a massive cast and massive run time. We will be watching this until APRIL of 2025!

ForceBook playing the same old characters = enemies to lovers tsunder/sunshine jock/nerd thing.

PerthChimonSanta are doing the cohabitation cool guy/dork trope.

JuniorMark are doing popular sunshine meets lonely sad boy (the only interesting pair IMHO).

I think Blue Canvas of Youthful Days has started on iQIYI but I only get it on Viki and that doesn't drop for a few days, plus...... CBL......? Not sure I'll report on this one unless it's really good.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

From Uncle Unknown which is truly terrible but this was so SO funny. I'm still chuckling when I think about it.

The first representation of shipping in a BL that I actually enjoyed. Also Dat's clear approval of being shipped didn't hurt. (Judge)

(lask week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many at-ings.

[scrunklyraven]

DIGITAL PAWS AU

MASTERPOST

The Dark Forest is a truly terrifying place, infamous among cats everywhere.

Bughop, once a loyal and courageous warrior, finds herself ensnared in this nightmarish place, with no hope of escape. Plagued by memories of her past, she struggles to endure the torment.

As Bughop navigates this wretched place, she discovers that not all cats can withstand the suffering. Many cats lose their minds, transforming into savage and twisted versions of themselves—unrecognizable, dangerous, and driven by madness.

Concepts and lore

Kaufmo Cricketbounce concepts

The “map”

Out of bounds

Unused concept art

Meet the characters !!

Meet Pomni Bughop!

Bughop is a cautious and jumpy cat who is trapped in the dark forest along with 5 other cats. Despite her initial skittishness, she demonstrates an innate sense of justice and often challenges the decisions of Foxteeth, the group's leader much to his annoyance.

Bughop is constantly plagued by a sense of restless anxiety. She is often found pacing back and forth, or compulsively scratching at the ground. Her behavior suggests an intense unease and a deep seated desire to escape

Meet Jax Rabbitthump!

Rabbitthump is a self-confident and unabashed cat, notorious for his cruel jokes and knack for picking on others' weaknesses, especially Tawnymouse.

No cat seems to know where he came from or what his past is, and he is quite content keeping it that way, relishing the sense of unease his mysteriousness creates among other cats.

Generally easygoing and carefree, Rabbitthump is never serious, except for those rare occasions when a critical event, like the tragic incident involving Cricketbouce, occured. Such incidents tend to make him uncharacteristically serious and even unnerved. Though, he’d never admit it.

Meet Ragatha Patchface!

Meet Gangle Tawnymouse!

Tawnymouse is a nervous and traumatized cat who used to be a Medicine Cat.

Due to consistent bullying from Rabbitthump, she is continuously on edge and always seeking to avoid confrontation.

Tawnymouse is naturally quiet and soft-spoken, and her behavior might be attributed to the fact she is always ready to flee at any moment.

She has heterochromia, a condition resulting from head trauma she sustained from an insedent with Rabbitthump The trauma has left her emotionally vulnerable and sensitive to any aggressive behavior.

Meet Kinger Frecklenose!

(Disc coming soon)

Meet Zooble (..............)

(Disc coming soon)

Meet Caine Foxteeth!

coming soon-

Official comic

Welcome to hell!!

F&Q

“Can I post fanart”

Yes yes yes!!!!!!!!! I’d LOVE that!!

Please tag me!!!!

“Can I put a self insert oc?”

Of course!!

“Can I write fanfics or other media?”

Yes! Yes! Yes!!

Show meeeee

“Can I ship characters”

Yes, but be responsible.

“Can I post headcanons?”

Of course! I’d love to see people’s interpretations of my work!!

(You shood totally tag me)

“Can I make animations (m.a.ps, amvs, pmvs)

Yessir!!

“Is there any ‘canon’ ships?”

As of now, no, but I’m kinda leaning to funnybunny or one sided showtime (heh) I really dunno as this is a wip and I’m really just getting familiar with the characters and lore

If I do end up putting ships just be aware that you are allowed to ship anything in fanart and I won’t be angy ❤️

With all that said I must add that this is a wip and there is a TON of unfinished storylines and plot holes that I need to fix. And a name for Zooble COUGH. So just bear with me…….♥

[wangmiao]

From being stuck in the snow together in 2016 to filming Tibetan Sea Flower - Nan Pai San Shu's "Obsession" over Zhang Luyi.

Thank you for noticing my tag in the other post about the friendship between ZLY and CMH, and showing some interest. So here we go! I guess besides why Zhang Luyi (ZLY) was picked, there's also the story about how everything started. I find it rather fascinating. DMBJ's author Nan Pai San Shu, aka Xu Lei (XL) told the story a few years ago, but he mentioned it again during a livestream when Tibetan Sea flower (TSF) just started airing. The next three paragraphs are based on XL's livestream and ZLY's interviews.

Back in 2016, on a very snowy day, XL was on his way to The Mystic Nine's filming location, and was stuck on a mountain road. After waiting for a while, he thought he should go and help direct the traffic. When he got out to do it, he surprisingly found another Good Samaritan already doing what he intended to do, and yes, that Good Samaritan was ZLY.

ZLY was on his way to The Mystic Nine's filming location too. It was actually not XL who picked him for the role of Wu Laogou then. He went to guest star in that show because his university classmate Bai Yicong, the producer of the show, asked ZLY to do him a favor and just stop by to have a meeting with everyone.

So that's how XL and ZLY first met in person. Because they got stuck in the snow for a LONG time, they talked a lot about DMBJ, from Wu Laogou to Wu Xie, and even TSF (ZLY already read some of the DMBJ novels at the time, and he finished all of them before shooting TSF). At some point, XL told ZLY that ZLY's vibe reminded him of a very important character of his, which was Wu Xie. ZLY was very moved and thankful. Since they had such a good long talk, they kind of made a promise to each other that they'd work together on a DMBJ project at some point. They also each made a weibo post about meeting each other as the traffic director in the snow.

In 2017, there was actually quite some rumors about ZLY being approached to play Wu Xie in Sha Hai/Tomb of the Sea (this is not to discredit other Wu Xie actors, because it's normal for a production team to approach multiple actors for a role in the casting stage), but since ZLY had several health issues due to being injured during the filming of another show, he really couldn't be a candidate for the role.

But XL never forgot about ZLY. In 2021, rumors came around again about ZLY being approached to play Wu Xie in TSF, and this time, he agreed.

During the airing of TSF, XL did a lot of livestreams and Q&A sections on weibo. There's one post where he said: "From the state in the beginning, the state of being lost, to the Sha Hai!Xie state in the end, the entire progress is shown in TSF. I needed an actor with extremely good acting skills. From TSF!Xie to Sha Hai!Xie, there're many occasions where Wu Xie's soul is in a dark place and he might fall for his obsession. Besides Pangzi being there to pull him back, it also needs Wu Xie's strong faith and goodness, and I think it needed acting skills to show it."

In another comment to a fan's question about the choice of Wu Xie's actor, XL answered: "Maybe it represents a kind of inner demons", which I think the inner demons part can be translated to obsession.

So you can tell, it does seem that XL had this obsession to have ZLY play Wu Xie no matter what. And he never gave up the idea ever since they first met, even though by the time they could finally work together in 2022, ZLY was no longer in the best age range to play TSF!Xie (hence, sometimes you'd notice those annoying filters used to mask wrinkles on his face).

I really haven't watched all of XL's livestreams and interviews, and from the very few ones I've watched, he mentioned where ZLY impressed him. Before the shooting started, ZLY double checked with XL to see if XL wanted him to play Wu Xie as a more straightforward northerner or gentler southerner (this is not to stereotype, but to reflect the cultural and language difference), and XL reassured him to be a southerner since Wu Xie is a from the south of China. ZLY was no stranger to playing a southerner even though he's a northerner himself, as some of his best characters were from south China. This was why he dropped all his natural Beijing accent, and showed a gentler demeanor (eg. Pangzi is a typical northerner, and CMH kept his Beijing accent).

Another thing is when they were shooting the real and fake Wu Xie scene, it was filmed without any special effects or even an extra actor. ZLY played both characters each time with thin air. It impressed XL a lot because it required so much more finesse and precision on the memory, timing, and movement.

Lastly I want to show you ZLY's goodbye message to TSF that was posted on Sep 24th. He's a very dedicated, sincere, and cultured actor that often uses handwritten stuff to say goodbye to shows nowadays. And he wrote what Wu Xie and Pangzi always say to each other, the good luck and good fortune thing: "Da Ji Da Li, Gong Xi Fa Cai"

Another fun fact is that ZLY is very good at calligraphy. He used to assign different fonts to the characters he played based on their characteristics. Because Wu Xie writes in 瘦金体/Shoujin font, ZLY wrote the message also in Shoujin font. I guess you can say that's another similarity between him and Wu Xie, that they can both write in this font (I'm no expert in calligraphy, so I found an article teaching people how to write in Shoujin font. It was definitely not an easy thing to do because it advised people to learn and practice certain fonts in traditional calligraphy for a few years before even going for the Shoujin font).

Thanks for reading! If you like ZLY's Wu Xie, that's awesome. If not, that's OK. It's totally understandable. Please also know that I have zero intention to compare his version of Wu Xie to other Wu Xies. I'm sure each Wu Xie is awesome, unique, and lovable in his own way.

[msjaeger]

That Wasn't In The Script (Actor AU)

//// Btw this contains hints to spoilers from the last episode/ chapter 139 so if for some reason you haven't watched it, DO NOT READ!!!!///

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

"So tell me, guys. How do you guys feel knowing that the Attack on Titan is officially over? Like, that show will forever go down in history!"

Allen, the host of the official Attack on Titan talkshow Attack the Talk, asked your castmates and yourself. You were currently sitting on the stage in between Eren Jaeger and Jean Kirschtein, with the rest of your cast, Mikasa Ackermann, Armin Arlert, Connie Springer, Levi Ackermann, Reiner Braun and Annie Leonhart. You could see a few of your old castmates, those who were killed off in meaning, behind the stage watching with smiles on their faces.

"Let's start with you Ms. L/n, shall we?" The audience clapped as you bashfully smiled at Allen. Sure, you were a main character in one of the best fictional TV shows of the century. But you sucked at public speaking. At least acting was really only your castmates and wonderful team watching at the moment.

You cleared your throat before speaking, feeling your friends' eyes on you and giving you supportive looks.

"Well, Allen, this franchise has been part of my entire life. Literally. I started this show when I was about 9 and now I'm 19. So it ending is almost like the end of my childhood, which may seem kind of sad but it was fun while it lasted and I got to meet these wonderful people that I can joyfully call my family." You feel Eren lift his long legs onto your lap and you stop talking and stare at him.

"Get your nasty ass feet off of my dress."

Eren shook his head playfully and gave you a charming smile. "Nah. You said we're family and family lets their family rest their feet on them." You knock his feet off of you.

"Yeah but not when they're wearing a thousand-dollar dress. Let me finish my little speech, Jaeger." Eren held his hands up defensibly, causing the crowd to burst out laughing from the scene of the dynamic between you two.

"As I was saying before bird-boy over here interrupted. It's easy to say that I'll talk to these people outside of the show and end up never speaking to them again like other casts do but it's different. I grew up with these people so throwing them away would be like throwing my childhood away as well."

The crowd clapped at your little speech, along with your castmates. Expect Eren was literally clapping in your ear. "You're so childish, Eren." You chuckle.

"Only for you, L/n." He grins.

"How about... Connie! How do you feel about the show ending?" Allen moves on to hear other, hopefully just as sentimental, speeches.

Connie ponders for a moment, trying to figure how to answer the question as truthfully as possible. He fiddles with his expensive tie before seemingly having his words together.

"At least we won't be drug tested every three months. I'm gonna be fried every day!"

"No fucking way he just said that." You whisper.

The crowd falls into an awkward silence at Connie's... revelation. You watch as Jean smacks the back of his head. "Shut your bald ass up, Springer. We're 19 and 20 so smoking gas is still illegal, dumbfuck." Jean whispers harshly. Connie's face falls.

"Oops."

"Um... I'll just... can we edit this out?" Allen asks nervously. The cameraman shakes his head. "We're live, remember?" Levi lets his face fall into his hands, mumbling profanities to himself.

"Time for Audience Q & A!" Allen changes the subject quickly. That seemed to distract everyone watching in the crowd as people began to raise their hands, hoping to be picked.

Allen hopes down into the crowd and makes his first decision. "You! With the... Y/n x Smiling Titan shirt?" You hear Eren cackle beside you as you elbow him. "Shut it, you howling witch."

A man who looks like he hasn't showered since the premiere of the show and seemed a bit too old to be fixated on a show involving younger kids was chosen. Not to mention he had shipped you with the smiling Titan.

"He looks like a Discord mod," Jean mutters in your ear.

"Jean, that's mean. It may be true but it's mean." Jean rolls his eyes and gives you a cocky grin.

"It's only mean if it's not true."

"This question is for Y/n." The man announced into the microphone. He had a lisp and not the cute and barely noticeable sort that Armin had. Jean and Eren slightly stiffen.

"Let him ask you some weird shit, Y/n. I'll beat his ass on camera." Eren mutters. Jean watched warily as you waited patiently for the man's question.

"Who is your favourite character from the entire show? And why as well." The man's spit sprays into the mic due to how severe his lisp was and Allen visibly winced.

You think for a moment.

"Probably Eren's character." Eren jumps out of his seat and starts acting like a child.

"Boom, she said I'm her favourite. You all can suck my di-" You grab Eren's sleeve and yank him back into his place next to you.

"Sit your grown ass down."

"Sorry."

"Someone please take the boy into his seat." Levi pleads quietly while rubbing his temples. He had dealt with Eren for the past ten years and still couldn't handle his... personality.

"As I was saying. Eren is probably my favourite character because of how tragic he is and what he represents. He wanted freedom so badly that he never realized that he was a slave to it, which is such a great parallel if you think about it. He purposely hurt his friends in order to protect them too, knowing that they'd be the ones to kill him. I could go on for hours about this but we're on a time crunch so I can't." You chuckle nervously. You feel Eren smiling at you widely from your analysis of his character.

The man seemed content with your response and sat down. "Alright, who's next?" A girl raises her hand and Allen seems to think she's normal enough and hands her the mic.

"Hi, my name is Amelia and just want to say that Jean is so fine and that he doesn't look like a horse most days." Eren, Connie and yourself had to stifle laughter as you watched Jean pursed his lips, contemplating how to take that comment. Allen sighs and raises the mic to his lips.

"Please refrain from... whatever that was."

More people asked questions that were surpringly normal and everyone on stage at least answered five times. A little boy, around the age of 9, eventually got the mic and he looked extremely nervous to talk. His mom gave him encouraging words and he took a deep breath.

"H-Hi my name is Jackson. I-I was wondering if I could take a picture with everyone to show everyone at show-and-tell." He asked poliety. Your heart melted at how adorable the little boy was. You wave up him up on stage.

"Of course! Come up here, little man." Jackson broke out into a toothy grin and ran up to the stage as fast as his little legs could carry him. Armin helped him up onto the stage and Jackson's mom came closer to the stage to take the picture.

Jackson stood in front of you and you placed two hands on his shoulder. You smiled and felt someone wrap an arm around your shoulder before the picture was taken. It was Eren.

Jackson, after the picture was taken, turned around and wrapped his arms around your waist. "Thank you so much!" He exclaims. You wrap his arms around him as well, "Of course Jackson. If it's alright with your mom, I would love it if she sent the picture to me.". Jackson's eyes widened.

"Mommy, please send her the picture!".

. • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊° .☆. . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊° .☆. . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊° .☆. . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊° .☆. . • ☆ . ° .• °:.

As the end of the talk show neared, Allen had returned to his seat and faced the camera.

"As the end of the last Attack the Talk episode nears, I wanted to do something special for the cast. I've gathered everyone going back all the way to season 1 right now and we are going to play a special video we've prepared for today. Everyone, if you could come out."

You watched as people you hadn't seen for years entered the stage. People such as Petra, Carla, Marco, Moblit. Everyone. You saw Sasha and Historia, who you hung out with just as much as the rest of the cast but you were still excited to see them.

Everyone gathers in front of the big screen, waiting to see what the crew has prepared for a final goodbye.

"You guys all worked hard, whether you were killed off in the first episode or survived until the very end. You all played a vital role in the story that is Attack on Titan and we all thank you. So we decided to put together a montage, if you will, to share your behind-the-scenes experiences one more time. I really hope you enjoy it."

You turn your attention to the big screen as it begins to play. The first scene was of you, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin as little kids. It was a scene from the very beginning of season 1. You guys were running around the town until you tripped over a loose rock and flew through the air. You still had the scar from the rough landing. You heard the director yell a stammered, "C-Cut! Someone gets the medic!".

The scene cut to the next, where Eren was yelling at Hannes for being a lazy drunk before he stumbled over his words, causing Hannes to burst out laughing. "Cut!"

Blooper after blooper, you watched yourself grow up. And it felt really weird. Nostolgic but extremely weird. There was a scene where Connie and Jean were supposed to be arguing about plans to kill Eren during Season 4 but things turned... odd.

"Bro if you don't watch what you're saying, I might have to dick you down!" Connie screams passionately. Jean scoffs. "You wish you could dick me down the way I dicked your dad down!" Jean screams back.

"Jokes on you, my dad got turned into a Titan!" You stare at Jean, who looks like he is about to run into oncoming traffic. He makes eye contact with you and begins to stammer quietly.

"We were joking, I swear!" He whispers harshly. You pat his bicep. "It's okay, Jean. I support you."

"Go to hell."

The scene shifted into a picture where Jean and Connie were about to be turned into titans in the last episode but instead of having their arms around each other's shoulders, like scripted, their hands rested on each other's asses.

You lean into Jean's shoulder and let out a muffled laugh. "Shut up before I make you bald as Connie." He threatened lowly. "And how would you do that, mate?"

"I'll shave your head in your sleep."

Your eyes widen in horror at his statement. "Please don't! I love my hair." You frown. Jean shrugged and stretched an arm around you and rested his arm. "I'm not an armrest, horsey."

"Fuck off."

The very last scene was when everyone had visited Eren's grave, a sentimental moment in the show.

Okay, not really.

"Bro really had to wipe out 80 percent of the population, huh." Mikasa scoffs beside you. You shake your head. "Right? Like if you're gonna wipe out humanity, do it right. He really let us stop him with only 20 percent left. Weak!" You look down at the grave.

A fork can be seen flying across the camera and hitting you in the head. "What the fuck?!" You screech, searching around for the culprit.

"Stop insulting my character!" Eren yells as he runs into the frame and tackles you. Before you could hit your head on the ground, Eren placed his hand behind your head to make sure you didn't injure your head. But he still had to get payback.

You could hear the director sigh from behind the camera and mumbling about taking a smoke break. Suddenly, Sasha had run into the frame as well and jumped on Mikasa and Connie and you watched as everyone began running around like children, tackling each other and laughing.

The video faded into black and remained blank until two words in white cursive faded into view.

Thank You.

_________-____________--______________---_______________----

Idk how I feel abt this because I've been dead on Tumblr for like a year or smth. But I forced myself to resurrect because Attack on Titan is over and idk what to do with my life anymore😜 anywho lmk if I should make a part two because this is really iffy for me.

[happylandvn]

We've had their NSFW alphabet but what about SFW? When you have the time but no pressure! ^^

Clown SFW Alphabet

Very affectionate, though his methods can sometimes be questionable. He'll do classic cuddles, kisses and pet names. But they will also lick half of your face, try to scare you, pick you up randomly and run around with you in their arms, jump into your arms, too, and of course, attempt to tickle you.

Exe

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

The type of friend that drags you around to do questionable things with them and get you into slight trouble. Any friendship with Exe starts with them deciding you have to be their friend now and can't escape.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He does enjoy cuddling. It's probably the only time he's quiet and calm. He likes laying down for it.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Not the settling down type. They can cook a decent meal if you give them a recipe and they know how to do minimal amount of cleaning, but they might try to turn it into some type of game.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He wouldn't.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Crazy enough to say yes if you asked for their hand three hours after meeting if they like you enough.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Depends. He's not very gentle on the surface. But if you're close to him and you're in need of gentleness, he will provide it, both physically and emotionally.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

They do like hugs. They believe a hug a day is how life should be lived. Their hugs knock the air out of you. Sometimes they pick you up.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

When they think the moment is right, whenever that may be.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Incredibly jealous. He will taunt people, try to freak them out, kill or torture them depending on who they are and what they've done.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Wet and sloppy most of the time. Lots of tongue. They can be small gentle on occasion, though. They like kissing you on the mouth and they'll take kisses anywhere on their body.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Not great. He tends to scare them. He gets along well with the brave ones, though.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Clingy. They like waking you up with kisses or small pranks depending on their mood. If it upsets you, they'll make you breakfast as apology.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Cuddly, nsfw, or sometimes full of blood and guts. Depends, really.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

They're a pretty open person. They don't tend to keep secrets. If they don't tell you something, it's probably because you never asked and they never thought to tell you.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

If he likes you, it's hard to anger him. He's a very cheerful, hard to faze person.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He'll remember what you tell him is important, but he might forget other things or remember them only partially.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

The first meeting, whether it was bad or good. He considers it special regardless.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

They will protect you against anything they believe could be a threat to you. If you're a capable person yourself, they'll be less protective. If someone or something were to cause you harm though, they will feel their wrath. As for themselves, they require emotional protection more than physical.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

A decent amount of effort, though some of them may be questionable. Would you consider a special seat at one of their vivisection shows to be a good present? They'd try to do something extra special for anniversaries and your birthday.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He throws things around carelessly and talks very loudly regardless of where he is.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Pretty preoccupied with his appearance, although his standards can be considered odd. He likes looking colorful and he'll show skin when he wants to be seductive.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Absolutely.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

They like how it feels when you trace their horns with your fingers.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Manipulative or sly people. They can't stand that. They'd rather someone state their intentions clearly, including you. Trying to manipulate them is a sure way to make them furious.

Doe

He talks in his sleep.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Although he likes receiving it, it can take a while before he starts showing it himself. And when he does, it tends to be in the form of acts of service. He can show physical or verbal affection, too, but it takes a bit of encouragement.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Quiet and reserved, but one who gives good advice and tries to keep you grounded.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He does like cuddles. You have to gentle with him, though. He doesn't like being held tight or having weight on him.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He thinks the thought of settling down is sweet, but he isn't sure how you might settle down with a demonic clown who cries all the time. He's very good at both cooking and cleaning.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He wouldn't.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Terrified. He's never even thought about marriage. Why would you even want to marry him?

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Very very gentle, like you're a speck of dust, waiting to be blown away by the wind. His touches tend to be feather soft and he always tries to make sure he doesn't upset you in any way.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He does like hugs, but again, not the tight ones. He never initiates them without being asked, but his hugs are gentle, barely there.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He'll only say it after you say it first. But he'll have a bit of a freaking out session before he does so.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He can get quite jealous, even from small things like people touching your waist or paying you too many compliments. He rarely, if ever, voices it, though. He just cries alone and curses his own fate.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Gentle, soft, often just butterfly kisses. If he must pick a place to kiss you, it would be your cheeks. He doesn’t have a particular place where he wants to be kissed. He will be particularly touched and flustered if you kiss away his tears, though.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Awkward. Doesn't really know what to do or say, mostly just stared at them nervously.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He doesn't tend to sleep, so he will be making breakfast for you in the morning. Then he'll serve it to you, hoping you'll like it.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

If he's not watching you sleep and you're awake, he loves nighttime strolls. If you convince him to sleep, he'll scoot over close to you, just an inch away from touching you and try to sleep like that.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He reveals things slowly and with reservation. Some things he'll never reveal at all unless necessary.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

It's near impossible to anger him, but if you manage it, he simply goes quiet and avoids people's gaze.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He tends to remember a lot! Perhaps not every little detail, but most things about you will stay in his memory.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

The moment you tell him he's special to you.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Not the most protective out there. He hates conflict and doesn't know how to fight. He'll act like he owes you the moon if you protect him, though.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Once you get him used to the idea of them, he puts in a lot of effort in attempts to not disappoint you. He tries to find out everything you like and then makes sure every gift, date and plan is suitable.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He cries. A lot. About anything and everything. And he runs away from confrontations.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He'd like to have more of a say in how he looks, but his nature prevents him from changing much.

Yes, pretty likely.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He loves praise. If you want to see him swoon, praise him.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Poor hygiene. He has a bit of an obsession with staying clean and he'll try to get you to stay clean yourself.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

When he does fall asleep, he sleeps very deeply.

[cyanide-mustard]

Chapter 10 ~ I don't have the words to describe (how much you mean to me)

On Ao3:

Chapter 10: Plant a Seed

Summary:

James talks to Mel and realizes something

Notes:

Translations are in the end notes A=𝜩, B=𝜣, C=𝝃, D=𝛴, E=𝜓, F=𝝇, G=𝝋, H=𝝺, I=𝛃, J=𝝣, K=𝝥, L=𝟄, M=𝟇, N=𝞖, O=𝝠, P=𝝮, Q=𝞈, R=𝞀, S=𝞏, T=𝞔, U=𝞒, V=𝞃, W=𝝸, X=𝞹, Y=𝞾, Z=𝞙

James decides that she needs a day away from Viktor and Jayce. Not because they were getting on her nerves or becoming too much, at least not in a negative sense; no it was because every time Viktor placed his hand on her shoulder, a habit he’d recently picked up, she wanted to scream out her love. Jayce had been quieter than usual, she tried to talk to him but she thought the second he started talking, she’d only stare at his lips, making her attraction even more obvious. If she spent one more day with them in that lab she would end up destroying everything, either literally (all their equipment) or metaphorically (their friendship). She just needs a day of distraction. All her emotions are too much, she just needs a day to get it under control. 

That is how she found herself in front of the door to Mel’s office, knocking lightly on the wood.

“Come in,”

James entered her office, seeing the other woman at her tidy desk, flipping through a small pile of paperwork. Her room was a level of meticulously clean which she herself could never dream to achieve. 

When Mel looked up there was a look of relief on her face. 

“Ah James, what a pleasant surprise” 

“I hope I am not interrupting your work”

“No this is just paperwork from the last meeting, but for you, I will always have time. What brings you to my office?” 

“Oh nothing, I just wanted to get out of the lab, it was starting to get…stuffy, and I think I have fallen in love with your office; I wish we had this amount of sunlight in the lab”

“Yes that lab is rather dark even on the brightest of days,” she shuffled some pages around before standing up “However, I know somewhere that is the exact opposite and I think you’ll like it a lot” 

“But what about your work?” 

“Don’t worry, it will take two minutes to finish later”

“Where are we going?” James asked, anticipation dripping from every word.

“The Conservatory” 

At her response, James reached for her hand and practically broke off into a sprint, Mel laughing affectionately at her spirit. Several people saw the two running down the halls, almost not believing the sight. Their laughter bounced off the walls as they made it closer to the conservatory. 

They slowed as James saw the large glass building, the gold accents made it shine just like the rest of Piltover did. The flora inside took over every space it could, some plants she recognized while many she did not. Vines crawled up along walls, flowers of all different colours, and shapes of leaves she didn't know existed. She thought of her plants back in her universe and felt slightly guilty that they were all probably dead by now. 

Mel guided her over to a plant, it’s a knobby little thing with very little green on it, its leaves more of a natural soft orange and James’ eyes are wide taking in all it has to show. 

“This is from Noxus, where I am from, it is small but resilient, it can grow even under the toughest of conditions”

“It’s beautiful”

Mel laughs a little.

“You are one of the very few who would describe it as such”

“In my house, I had many different plants, some that sprouted gorgeous flowers and others with vines that sprawled over my living room”

Mel, seeing how fondly James admired the plant, grabbed a pair of clippers and cut off one of the leaves.

“What are you doing?”

“Giving a piece to you. Replant it like you would a vine and it will grow soon enough”

"Thank you,” she said softly, “what is Noxus like?”

“It is very different from here, to say the least. Piltover still has the opportunity to decide what it wants to be, whereas Noxus seems to be very firm on who they are. Also, there is more magic there but they still haven’t managed to utilize it the way your two scientists have” 

“Those runes aren’t easy to understand,” that was a slight understatement. Neither of the two men fully understood the runes and arcane language and getting anywhere with hextech was a large part of decoding and pattern work. Nobody really understood them, rather they understood what they could do. James laughed before exclaiming “𝝺𝝠𝟄𝞾 𝞏𝝺𝛃𝞔”

“What?”

“Oh sorry, I think I just figured something out and I can’t believe it took me this long to realize. Could we walk back?”

“Of course,” she turned to the exit, “it is quite funny though”

“What?”

“You had that look in your eye, you looked like them,” she didn’t need to elaborate on who ‘them’ was, “I understand why you fit in so well with them”

Mel and James walk back this time, though James’ feet itch to run the whole time.

“Vik! Jayce! Look at what Mel gave to me!” James walked back into the lab, trying very hard to control her excitement from accidentally crushing the plant.

“What exactly am I looking at lásko?”

“It’s a leaf from a Noxus plant, I’m going to replant it and it’ll grow at home!”

“I have a packet of seeds somewhere in a drawer at home if you want to plant those too?”

“Oh yes, please! What kind of plant?”

“Ehh I do not know, some merchant in Zaun passed them along to me”

“Well, I’ll plant them and we’ll know soon enough” She placed the plant in a moist towel for the time being, “Oh wait that wasn’t the most important thing. I think I might be able to understand the Arcane”

“Really?!” This was the first time Jayce had spoken since she’d entered the room. 

“Well maybe, it was just a theory I had but runes are just like any other language, of course, it’s one that I’ve never encountered before and is completely different from any language known to any of us but it might still be understandable, or at least understandable to a point and then I can figure it out from there. I know it’s a leap but I think I should try”

Jayce went quiet again, so Viktor spoke up for him.

“Well I think it is a great idea, Jayce is better with the runes than I am so he can help you from here more than I can”

He pushed the two of them to Jayce’s workbench and then went back to his work.

James looked at him with bright eyes, Jayce always admired the keen interest she got when talking about languages. He reached for her arm to pull her closer before stopping midway, reminding himself to keep his distance. He instead passed his notebook along to her, watching her eyes take in all he knew about runes so far. 

“I think I’ll be able to get a basic understanding from this. If I’m able to get the basics, I’ll see if I can figure out how to create new runes,” she places her hand on his upper bicep almost subconsciously, “Is there anything else I should read?”

Jayce moves his arm away so her hand isn’t touching him anymore and he can see her eyes dim a bit.

“Yeah, I’ll bring it over to you” James tried hard not to flinch at his neutral, almost cold tone, devoid of the warmth it usually held. 

“oh...ok,” She said moving back over to her space, trying not to let the rejection seep into her voice. She made herself comfortable, practically hiding herself in the corner. She had grown so used to Jayce being naturally touchy and now that the absence of his touch felt holy wrong.

James tried not to over-catastrophize like she normally did. Everyone can have off days, but that didn’t mean Jayce was upset with her. But it still didn’t mean her mood wasn’t soured for the rest of the day. 

Jayce was like that for the rest of the day, quiet and physically distant, and James hoped that the next days would be better.

Translations:

“Holy shit”=“𝝺𝝠𝟄𝞾 𝞏𝝺𝛃𝞔” Lásko = love Viktor uses it for James

Taglist: @im-just-a-simp-le-whore

[uponawhitehorse13]

Ragna The Bloodedge SFW alphabet

Fem! version below

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Not really open with affection. Will accept anything you initiate though but gets a bit weird with hand holding due having lost both arms.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

As usual, always a bit annoyed but never willing to fully push you away.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Seems grumpy but actually enjoys it. Always big spoon.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Not being on the run would be a welcome change of pace for him. He’s not used to keeping a space clean but at least he’s good at cooking.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Tries not to hurt your feelings.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Never really thought about it. If you mention it he’s open to the idea as long as he picks the venue.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He can be pretty mean but will do a complete 180 if he notices he actually hurt your feelings.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Not a big initiator but will always hug back.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Once in a blue moon. He does say it often when he thinks you’re asleep.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He trusts you enough to not have to worry about other people. Will get aggressive if they’re too stubborn and don’t back away.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses are always short and soft, on the cheek or forehead. Sees it as a way of reassuring you.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Surprisingly good with kids. May act grumpy but actually has a lot of fun with them.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He’s used to staying low during the day so sleeping in is a common occurrence.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Most active at night but if you’re too tired he’s content to just keep watch while you sleep.

O = Open  (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say  everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He will tell you about his past but only once. It will be a very intimate moment but he doesn’t want to repeat it.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

May seem to anger easily but he’s actually a pushover and caves in to almost any demands.

Q = Quizzes  (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little  detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He does what he can to remember stuff you tell him but sometimes slips up with certain details.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Despite everything you go through, your first meeting will always be stuck in his mind.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He would lay down her life without hesitation for you.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He always puts in a ton of effort and it almost always pays off.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He has a lot of trouble being honest with his feelings.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Doesn’t really care. He just sticks with his reliable red jacket.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He has lost a lot of things in his life but losing you would hurt the most.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

You will definitely have to deal with Rachel appearing out of nowhere on your dates just to comment how terrible taste you have to end up with him as a partner.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He wouldn’t be happy if you started associating with the wrong people. He has a lot of enemies.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

If he’s sleeping with you he will completely crush you. It’s a subconscious thing he does.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Not really open with affection. Will accept anything you initiate though but gets a bit weird with hand holding due having lost both arms.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

As usual, always a bit annoyed but never willing to fully push you away.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Seems grumpy but actually enjoys it. Always big spoon.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Not being on the run would be a welcome change of pace for her. She’s not used to keeping a space clean but at least she’s good at cooking.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Tries not to hurt your feelings.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Never really thought about it. If you mention it she’s open to the idea as long as she picks the venue.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

She can be pretty mean but will do a complete 180 if she notices she actually hurt your feelings.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Not a big initiator but will always hug back.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Once in a blue moon. She does say it often when she thinks you’re asleep.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

She trusts you enough to not have to worry about other people. Will get aggressive if they’re too stubborn and don’t back away.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Her kisses are always short and soft, on the cheek or forehead. Sees it as a way of reassuring you.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Surprisingly good with kids. May act grumpy but actually has a lot of fun with them.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

She’s used to staying low during the day so sleeping in is a common occurrence.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Most active at night but if you’re too tired she’s content to just keep watch while you sleep.

O = Open  (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say  everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

She will tell you about her past but only once. It will be a very intimate moment but she doesn’t want to repeat it.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

May seem to anger easily but she’s actually a pushover and caves in to almost any demands.

Q = Quizzes  (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little  detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

She does what she can to remember stuff you tell her but sometimes slips up with certain details.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Despite everything you go through, your first meeting will always be stuck in her mind.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

She would lay down her life without hesitation for you.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

She always puts in a ton of effort and it almost always pays off.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

She has a lot of trouble being honest with her feelings.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Doesn’t really care. She just sticks with her reliable red jacket.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

She has lost a lot of things in her life but losing you would hurt the most.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

You will definitely have to deal with Rachel appearing out of nowhere on your dates just to comment how terrible taste you have to end up with her as a partner.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

She wouldn’t be happy if you started associating with the wrong people. She has a lot of enemies.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

If she’s sleeping with you she will completely crush you. It’s a subconscious thing she does.

[onlyrains]

walk you home .3

a/n: hi! i decided to make part 3 since an anon asked it and i miss write about yuken too xD this is inspired by my recent favorite arctic monkeys song, btw! enjoy!

— pairing: yuken odajima x f. reader

— t/w: mention of blood

part 1 | part 2

after the mini market incident a week ago, yuken started picking you up from school regularly. he even suggested taking different routes than yui several times so that he could walk alone with you.

you were, honestly, so confused by this situation. it felt like your encounter were became more than just mere coincidences. the first time you met him, it was by chance because yui was in a hurry and he ended up walking you home. the second meeting, you rarely went to the mini market just to get a drink, but he showed up, and even the high school Z guys were there. and from then on, it just became natural for you to be together with him after school. it surprises you how easily you've become comfortable and informal around him too.

of course, it also confused yui. she thought you were hiding something from her and she didn't stop teased you about it.

"i think you should ask him to go on a date," she said when you both were heading to the school gate where you could see yuken and sawamura were on their regular spot, chatting.

"why should i?" you replied, annoyed.

she laughed. "you need to make a move too so he'll know that the feelings are mutual,"

"you're kidding," you snorted. "what do you mean by 'feelings'? theres no feeling between me and him," you continued.

"well, why is he always pick you up then? and why are you always so giddy around him? that is so not you.” she paused. “stop denying, can't you?" she laughed and ran to sawamura, leaving you lost in thought.

"what a good day, eh?" yuken responded after he saw yui run to his best-friend with the brightest smile.

ignoring yuken, yui realized something the started to touched her boyfriend swollen cheek. "eh? what is this?"

you had just arrived there, and a deep frown appeared on your forehead as well.

"hi," yuken greeted you.

"what is that?" again, yuken was ignored.

"why is everyone ignoring me today?" he whined.

you unconsciously grabbed his chin to get a better view. there was a blood stain at the corner of his lips. "did you fight?"

"no. it's makeup." he replied, grinning.

you rolled your eyes then yui asked sawamura, "what happened?"

"it was just a casual fight, don't worry,"

"casual?" you answered him absentmindedly. you just never understood how a fight could happen in casual way?

yui held back her laughter seeing your concerned face. you couldn't hide your feelings in a moment like this and it was just too much.

she linked her arm with sawamura, “let's go, i'll treat your wounds at my house."

you looked at yuken—who's already looking at you—when yui and sawamura left both of you at the front gate, inviting so many eyes to look.

"so?" he smirks.

"what?"

"you won't treat my wound too?"

you sighed. however, you still couldn't bear to see him injured like that. "let's go," you said then he happily followed you.

"you should change your hobby, for sure,"

you could hear him chuckle behind you. "any suggestions?”

you turned your head to him. “anything but this,” you pointed his bruises while glaring at him.

he raised both of his hands to his head level. “okay, sorry for making you worry,”

you grunted. “it's not like that,”

“so you're not?” he gasped dramatically. you clicked your tongue and fast walking to your house.

your parents were never be home before you and it was also your first time bringing a guy to your house so you were so nervous and had a heavy-head.

he chuckled noticing your confusion as you two entered your house. “can i sit here?” he asked, pointing to the sofa.

you nodded once. “y-yes.” then ran to get the water and a first aid kit.

he looked at you in heart eyes—without him knowing, of course—when you returned with busy hands. he helped with the water then sat facing you.

you took a deep breath quietly before turned to him.

“it must be the first time you've cleaned someone's wounds,” he commented when you tapped a wet cloth onto his corner lip.

you glared. “i'm trying, okay,”

he chuckled. “okay.”

“it must be a very common thing for you,”

he stared at your few-inches-away face before smirking.

“don't move your mouth.” you warned him while preparing the antiseptic on a cotton bud. he watched your every single move intensely.

you tilted his chin up for easier access then began applying the cotton bud to his lip. reminder, his eyes were not leaving your face the whole time, but luckily you weren't aware of that.

“don't move your head, odajima-san,” you nagged.

“you said i can't move my mouth, not my head?”

you hissed and with a sudden burst courage, you placed your hand on the back of his neck, trying to keep his head still. at the same time, your faces were getting closer.

he was surprised but he didn't let you know. he giggled to cover it up.

“all done.” you said as you placed the cotton bud on the table and you returned to his face to make sure you’ve had all the wounds treated.

yuken still had his eyes on your half-opened lips.

“y/n,” he called.

“hm?” you stared back.

“would a kiss be too much to ask now?”

“huh?”

the next thing you knew, something squishy touching your moist lips and moving at a very slow pace.

you could feel his hands were rubbing your cheeks while he closed his eyes. it wasn't something you expected and definitely was not a bad thing either. it just made you suddenly forget how to breath and you couldn't move your body. you didn't know how to respond properly.

a few seconds later, he backed away and your body was still frozen. he wiped your wet lips with his thumb and smiled a little.

“sorry,” he said innocently.

“no,” you regained your voice. “don't be,” you continued.

he looked at you in surprised, then chuckled. “okay, i won't, baby,”

[halfbaked00q]

had a galaxy brain moment and thought to myself, self, what if I put "james bond's natural habitat is being Put Through His Paces" and "James Bond parkour as a hobby :)" together

so bit of background, I was like trying to figure out how Q could put Bond thru his paces, like yeah training courses probably exist but is that fun? and sure there's like those American Ninja Warrior courses, but again... is that actually fun? or is that about Competing. and also it's so prescribed and also kinda contrived, there's no, like, organic joy to it the way dog show agility courses somehow still manage to have a bit of that (e.g. like those tunnels they have the dogs run through, like, it's gotta have that bit of Whimsy).

but anyway! I figured it out:

so after Q has his hmm wonder what Bond is up to let's check CCTV moment and sees he's been freerunning as a hobby,. he starts designing routes & paths for Bond to freerun!!! he can either do this thru the ol' giving directions over an earpiece, or he pushes the route to Bond's phone and that's an extra layer of enrichment in that Bond has to like mentally map out the route so he knows where he needs to go before he starts off.

and-- maybe not always, but def frequently- there's a fun lil treat at the end :3 like, one time his end point is some cafe and there's a pick-up order for a lil treat waiting for him. Another time he ends up at a restaurant and there's a takeout order for two (*ping* meet me in ---- Park, and do make sure there's extra sauce packets). Yet another, his last stop is some antique store and there's a fun little trinket (idk... like rly nice cuff links or sth) that he would enjoy that has already been paid for.

And sometimes the challenge is "here is your starting point, here is your end point, figure out the best route between the two to get you there most efficiently with least use of x/avoid cameras as much as possible/make sure to do xyz on the way." This last one has the fun option of replayability (figure out different, maybe better, routes) & also "can you beat your own high score?" to it.

In conclusion: here's how we can Put Him Thru His Paces and also Enter Him In a Dog Show (run the agility course), AND also Give That Man a (real) Hobby !!!!!

[curator-on-ao3]

Again, cool response to the last question, so I'll let you pick from these options:

And there are things I have fan-fixed in my head to the point that I have to remind myself that the fix-it isn’t part of the actual canon: favourite one of these?

Or

Your/a favourite part of actual canon. Like, maybe something little but it's just so lovely and fitting to you and you're just happy that it exists?

I’ve been a little down on Trek lately, so I’m going to type as fast as I can to brain-dump, in show order, the first things that pop into my mind that I absolutely love in Trek canon:

Kirk calling Nomad his son, the doctor

Christine Chapel’s snark to Roger Korby about schtupping the androids

Mark Leonard’s performance in Balance of Terror

the Horta (a great mama)

“Edith Keeler must die.”

Captain John Christopher, United States Air Force. Serial number 4857932.

Tribbles

the lesson of The Cloud Minders that we must have empathy and listen to others when they tell us about their lived experience in an environment unlike our own

the cheap-ass animation of TAS

Q

Bynars and Minuet

Beverly Crusher’s frustration in Arsenal of Freedom (and the episode’s Good Ship Lollipop joke)

Picard shooting the other version of himself in Time Squared (to clarify: out of respect for those times when we have to stop ourselves from getting caught in loops/doing stupid stuff and we summon up the courage to break a bad cycle and move forward)

K'Ehleyr

Picard out-lawyering the Sheliak

Rachel Garrett; Yar and Castillo

Lal (but I can’t watch the end anymore, it hurts too much)

the Shakespeare and “Set a course for Betazed. Warp 9.” comedy in Ménage a Troi

Best of Both Worlds, I and II (Shelby inclusive)

every conference table discussion in all of TNG

Beverly’s jump in Remember Me (such a damn good episode)

the reveal in Future Imperfect (which one? all of them)

The Dancing Doctor tap dancing with Data

Darmok. And Jalad. At Tenagra.

Ro Laren

Troi saying, “You could have easily been right” to Ro in Disaster

Hugh, Third of Five

the fact that The Next Phase has so many plotholes and they’re forgivable because the episode is so fun and great

Scotty on the holodeck version of the TOS bridge and Picard joining him

Rascals!

Deanna’s “Ancient West” outfit

the Jefferies tube music and make out session in Lessons

Attached. Oh, my heart.

the Enterprise with three nacelles … and that absolutely perfect last shot of the series

“You exist here.”

Sisko’s casual, everyday affection for Jake

“Old Man”

Rejoined. Lenara Khan. The love. That kiss. The emotional stakes. All of it.

the three Ferengi hitting their own heads to try to fix their universal translators so the 20th century Earth military people mimic the movement to try to communicate

every second of Trials and Tribble-ations including Sisko working overtime to stop fuckmaster Dax, tossing the tribbles, Sisko meeting Kirk, “We do not discuss it with outsiders,” and so much more

Kira blaming Bashir for putting the baby inside her when … you know … behind the scenes

The Sons of Mogh helping with the harvest in Children of Time

Far Beyond the Stars — some of the best if not the best science fiction I have ever seen

the monster fakeout (and kindness) in The Sound of Her Voice, even though the end makes me cry

“Computer, erase that entire personal log.”

Solok

Sisko and Kassidy discussing their comfort levels about a simulation in which the reality was segregation

Janeway waterfalling off the sofa to be closer to Mark on the screen

“Warp particles!”

the lizard babies

the two Janeways in Deadlock

Remember (a painfully good Holocaust episode that doesn’t get enough credit and, yes, I know the path the script took and I’m glad it ended up as a B’Elanna episode)

“I don't know what I'm seeking.” “Then I believe you are ready to begin.”

“The child you spoke of, the girl. Her favorite color was red.” Also, Tuvok’s meditation lamp in the window for Kes.

hot damn, Counterpoint, yaaas

everything in Relativity

“The Yankees, in six games.”

Janeway going after Seven in The Voyager Conspiracy

“This is Lieutenant Reginald Barclay at Starfleet Command.” “It's good to hear your voice, Lieutenant. We've been waiting a long time for this moment.” “The feeling is mutual. Unfortunately, the micro-wormhole is collapsing. We have only a few moments.” “Understood. We are transmitting our ship's logs, crew reports, and navigational records to you now.” “Acknowledged. And we're sending you data on some new hyper-subspace technology. We're hoping eventually to use it to keep in regular contact, and we're including some recommended modifications for your comm system.” “We'll implement them as soon as possible.” “There's someone else here who would also like to say something.” “This is Admiral Paris.” “Hello, sir.” “How are your people holding up?” “Very well. They're an exemplary crew, your son included.” “Tell him, tell him I miss him. And I'm proud of him.” “He heard you, Admiral.” “The wormhole is collapsing.” “I want you all to know we're doing everything we can to bring you home.” “We appreciate it, sir. Keep a docking bay open for us.”

“Nice hair.” (Live Fast and Prosper)

Janeway and Jaffen in Workforce

the spot-on legal concerns of Author, Author

“Set a course. For home.”

(Nothing from Enterprise or Prodigy only because I haven’t watched enough of Enterprise or any of Prodigy)

Burnham and Georgiou forming the delta with their footsteps

the CGI on only the shields protecting Burnham from space

“Are we in session? Because I didn't know you were practicing again. Because if I have your undivided attention for fifty minutes, I can think of a whole bunch of other things we could be doing.”

“That's as depressing a trait as I've ever heard.” “I don't give a damn … I still don't give a damn.”

Cornwell beaming in, phaser aimed, taking command of Discovery

Cornwell phasering the fortune cookies

Cornwell’s voice breaking: “So my Gabriel is dead.”

Detmer’s little bounce when Emperor-as-Captain Georgiou takes command

Pike beaming aboard and instantly being all like MOJAVE to prove to the audience he’s the guy from The Cage

New Eden. Everything. Oh my God (pun intended). The visuals. Owo’s backstory. Pollard patching Pike up after he’s shot. The light at the end. Oh my God, yes. That episode. Yes.

Number freaking One beaming aboard and having her lunch briefing with Pike (Chris and Una’s decades-long friendship wasn’t canon yet, but it shows here so beautifully)

Gabrielle Burnham

“In case the shit hit the fan.”

Michael Burnham on truth serum

Book

Laira Rillak, everyone!

Q&A

season 1 Raffi Musiker

Fleet Admiral and Commander-in-Chief Kirsten Clancy

“You owe me a ship, Picard.”

“You need a feather in your hat.”

Riker greeting Picard

Hugh greeting Picard

the separate trio of Raffi, Clancy, and Deanna all telling Picard he’s shit

Rios singing in Spanish

President Annika Hansen

everybody finding each other in the Confederation Universe

Liam Shaw — a character with incredible highs and lows

Majel Barrett as the computer voice when the crew gets to the Enterprise D

“Somehow I figured you might.”

everything in Ghosts of Illyria

Spock and La’an’s mind meld

Spock and T’Pring in Spock Amok

“You cannot resign. The loss to Enterprise would be unimaginable. To me.”

“If you’re going to steal a starship, do it correctly.”

Neera Ketoul

La’an normalizing needing to eat all the time as a teenager (especially important for girls to hear)

Pike and Una visually checking in with each other so often that it’s in their cartoon versions (that whole episode, actually, including, “Riker!”)

That’s scrolling through episode titles and jotting down stuff I love off the top of my head, fam.✨

Thank you so much for this ask, anon! ❤️ I needed this positive energy in my life.

[canmom]

NieR Automata anime episode 7-8

Continuing commentary from [part 1], [part 2-3], [part 4-5] and [part 6].

So much to catch up on so I'll keep commentary pretty sparse this time!

Episode 7: [Q]uestionable Actions

Episode 7 serves to introduce A2 in the present...

It does this by using the premise of one of the more memorable sidequests in the game, where one of the Machine Lifeforms in Pascal's village asks you to save her little sister. In the game, this is an escort quest in the desert area, in which there is an extended conversation with the little sister android. Here, it's sending us to the Forest Kingdom early - no meeting with Emil, Engels attacking the city, or encounter with the alien ship just yet.

In the Forest Kingdom, we get a very compressed version of the kingdom's backstory and founding by Ernst, and the creation of the little robot baby Immanuel who's supposed to inherit it (these names aren't given in the anime, and only barely mentioned in the game)...

...but most of the forest machines have been massacred by A2. The machine interactions are played mostly for humour here, with the Little Sister declaring that she wants to start a family with one of the forest guards, and Pascal jumping on the concept enthusiastically.

We also have 9S finally warm to Pascal a bit through the old narrative expedient of 'sudden accident that lets the character save your life'...

A shot that raises all kinds of architectural questions we probably shouldn't get into. It's kinda clumsy but there's a lot of game to compress into a short time, so it makes sense to cut 9S gradually warming to Pascal.

Anyway, the star of the show is of course A2, who enters in her inimitable baby-stabbing way:

After an all-too-brief fight with 2B, A2 jumps out the window - something maybe a little more motivated because her Type-4O Sword breaks so she can't really stay and fight. This mostly serves to introduce the conflict with command to 2B and 9S, and motivate 9S to start digging around for dirty secrets.

One thing that isn't really addressed in either the game or this anime is that, according to the concert audio dramas, the androids sent after A2 previously were... 2B and 9S, and A2 got pretty damn good at beating them. Perhaps this explains why she doesn't bother to say many words to them here.

Other than that, we also get Adam and Eve discussing Sartre:

Much as in the game, Eve doesn't have much interest in Adam's books and philosophy, and Adam treats him condescendingly like a child. I mention this shot mostly because I think it's the first time the "existence precedes essence" quote actually appears in the story, for all its engagement with existentialist philosophy.

The final post-credits bit sees puppet A2 killing puppet Pascal...

...just before he can tell us about the dragons in the Kingdom of Night! Grah! They'll keep teasing us with this forever it seems like...

Episode 8: aji wo [K]utta?

If episode 7 took us to the Forest Kingdom zone, this one is focused on the Flooded City area. They clearly referenced the game pretty closely for the backgrounds - I could recognise specific locations, such as the ramp with a bus leading in to the zone.

Picking up pretty directly where episode 7 ended, 2B and 9S are sent on the trail of A2. 9S is getting pretty suspicious of Command already, and when 2B chides him to stay on mission, he goes behind her back. But not before they can hang out a bit at the seaside!

If there's one thing I can respect this adaptation for, it's that it understands the importance of quiet character moments. Fully half this episode is spent just on 2B getting persuaded to stand in water and this is entirely a correct adaptational decision.

Also a 6O lesbian moment:

The pair are looking for Jackass for a lead on A2, after Lily refuses to tell them anything. 9S gets them to split up so he can do some snooping. So 2B is the one to find Jackass, who gets to have the kind of moment that would have been hard to do in the game...

...hanging out in a swimsuit with scarf and combat boots, fishing with grenades, and offering 2B the deadly, delicious mackerel.

All these cute moments lead into a gradual turn towards horror as 9S is cut off from 2B. In the game, I recall this happens after the fight with Grün, which is almost entirely cut in this adaptation - the most we see is a silhouette that looks kind of like the defeated Grün on the skyline early on:

A reasonable thing to cut; Grün in the game is a cool boss fight but not very important to the story (a bit of a jarring nonsequitur really).

Anyway, after taking advantage of 21O to spy on command, 9S gets to hear the Commander talking to the Council of Humanity. They mention, rather cryptically, something called 'Contact Plan B' - which I don't remember being an element in the game and could be the first seeds of a story divergence.

Someone - it's Adam of course - sets up a comms jammer and 9S finds his way into a room full of fanart of him and 2B. I wonder if they put out a call for fanart, or even just scraped it from the internet, because the styles and skill levels are pretty damn varied:

Would definitely be curious if anyone has tracked down sources of any of these pictures.

9S gradually transfers into hacking space, indicated in this anime by black letterboxing bars, as the environment gets more surreal. Whoops! He's been nabbed by Adam. In the game, he pretty much just wakes up in hacking space after the battle with Grün so this is a cool variation.

Thanks to the final arc of NieR Reincarnation, we now know that all the variations of NieR are 'explained', in a sense, by an obscenely complicated time loop premise involving the records of humanity and the AIs assigned to look after them. So, is the game canon or this anime? Yes. The real question is whether the variation from the game is going to be limited to this kind of minor story reshuffling, or if they'll make bigger divergences in season 2. I wouldn't put anything past Yoko Taro, but I've got a lot of catching up to do before I find out...

The ending skit for episode 8 is just a letter from (game producer) Yosuke Saito followed by the mackerel bit, thus explaining the episode title: アジを食った aji o kutta, which can be translated as 'I ate a mackerel' but is also a pun on 'I experienced a flavour'. (It's mostly known in English as the name of the ending of NieR Automata where you eat a mackerel and immediately die).

Feels good to be back on this anime! More to come soon hopefully!

[lokiondisneyplus]

Potential spoilers below the cut, but a super interesting article.

Some non-spoiler pull quotes:

Tom is my producing partner in a true sense. Before we had any writers or directors, it was Tom and I for months building this story out. We had a 30-page document that was like, This is what the show is: TVA, He Who Remains — even Victor Timely was in that first document years ago. And it’s just carried through. -- This is maybe — not maybe — this is the first Marvel series to never have any additional photography. The story that is on screen is the story we set out to make. -- We were casting, and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was playing in L.A. and in New York, but it hadn’t gone nationwide yet. I think it was going the very next week. We had gotten a call from our casting director who said, “Hey, I’m about to put together a list for OB — just initial thoughts. But before I do that, I really think you guys should meet Ke, and I think it should be Ke. I think you guys should meet with him quick, because probably by Monday, he’s going to have a lot of offers for different things.”

Of the eight live-action TV shows that Marvel Studios has produced for Disney+ to date, only one has concluded with the explicit promise of a second season: That would be “Loki,” the outrageously entertaining series about Tom Hiddleston’s god of mischief and his metaphysical exploits in the Time Variance Authority.

It turns out, those plans were already in the works before a second of “Loki” had ever streamed. As executive producer Kevin Wright explains to Variety, he and Hiddleston began talking about Season 2 of the show while in production on the third episode of Season 1.

“As we were shooting the ‘Lamentis’ episode, Tom and I started having lots of conversations about how this world could build out, how we dive deeper into it,” he says. “A large part of what we wanted to do was not trying to repeat ourselves, and not try to play the hits.” At the same time, he adds, they also wanted to make sure didn’t start Season 2 by “fast-forwarding through the drama” of the Season 1 finale. 

And so much happened in that finale. To recap: Loki and his variant-turned-potential-soulmate Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) arrive at the end of time, where they meet the creator of the TVA, He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) — the variant of the supervillain Kang who won a massive multiversal war. To prevent future Kangs from emerging, He Who Remains has used the TVA to maintain a single, sacred timeline — pruning away trillions of potential lives in the process. He gives Sylvie and Loki an impossible choice: Replace him as the head of the TVA, or kill him and bring forth an infinite number of Kangs.

Loki wants the first option; Sylvie wants the second. She wins, kills He Who Remains, and boots Loki back to an alternate version of the TVA, where previous compatriots Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) don’t remember ever meeting him.

Variety has screened the first four (of six) episodes of “Loki,” and without spoiling anything, Season 2 picks up pretty much exactly where the first season left off — before then charting its own storytelling path. The full cast has returned, including Gugu Mbatha-Raw as former TVA judge Ravonna Renslayer and Eugene Cordero as TVA functionary Casey. And Majors returns as well as He Who Remains, in addition to another Kang variant, a 19th century inventor named Victor Timely. They’re joined by new actors including Kate Dickie (“Game of Thrones”), Rafael Casal (“Blindspotting”) and recent Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan as TVA technician Ouroboros, aka “OB.”

Behind the scenes, there have been some changes from Season 1. The series’ original director Kate Herron and head writer Michael Waldron both stepped back to focus on other projects. In their places, “Moon Knight’s” Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have stepped in as lead directors, and Season 1 writer Eric Martin stepped up as head writer for Season 2.

To delve into the second season of “Loki,” Wright talked with Variety about casting Quan just before his performance in the multiverse spectacular “Everything Everywhere All at Once” changed the actor’s life forever; what the future of “Loki” the show and Loki the character might be following Season 2; and how Majors’ arrest in March for assault did (or did not) affect their plans for Season 2.

What were the discussions like about how to approach Season 2?

I think we had to just keep reminding ourselves that the TVA is a great world, let’s live in the drama of what we’re creating there. Which means not fast-forwarding through the drama that they just decided to stop pruning timelines, but also staying in the emotional turmoil that Loki and Sylvie are coming into this season with.

Also, there were certain things in Season 1 that felt like they were maybe a risk, and we didn’t know how the audience would respond. Once we realized that they embraced it, it felt like a lot of freedom to go further.

What did you feel was a risk?

In a very early draft of the script that Michael Waldron had written, that first Time Theater conversation between Mobius and Loki was maybe a couple of pages. And then a lot of other big Marvel-y action things happened afterwards, and we all went, “That’s not the interesting stuff. This Time Theater conversation is interesting. That’s what the show could be.” If we are really diving into the character-driven philosophy and introspection of self, that’s quite different than the last 10 years of Marvel movies. Would the audience follow us along on that? 

Tom Hiddleston famously held seminars on the character of Loki for Season 1. Did he do anything like that for Season 2?

No, because we tried to bring back as much crew as we could from Season 1. It was largely the same team. Obviously, we went from Atlanta to London [for production], but a lot of our department heads carried over, so there was an institutional knowledge that was built in. And Tom is my producing partner in a true sense. Before we had any writers or directors, it was Tom and I for months building this story out. We had a 30-page document that was like, This is what the show is: TVA, He Who Remains — even Victor Timely was in that first document years ago. And it’s just carried through.

So even as Kate Herron kind of handed the reins over at the end of Season 1, there is an institutional knowledge that comes with us being the glue between the seasons.

You mentioned He Who Remains and Victor Timely. You finished shooting Season 2 in 2022, but did Jonathan Majors’ arrest for assault in March resulted in any changes to the show? 

No. This is maybe — not maybe — this is the first Marvel series to never have any additional photography. The story that is on screen is the story we set out to make. We went out there with a very specific idea of what we wanted this to be, and we found a way to tell it in that production period. It’s very much what’s on screen on Disney+.

It’s clear that Majors plays an integral role this season, and you just alluded that Marvel usually does additional photography on all its titles. So was there any discussion about making changes to the show, given the uncertainty about what was happening with Majors?

No. And that mainly came from — I know as much as you do at the moment. It felt hasty to do anything without knowing how all of this plays out.

How early into the writing of Season 2 did you decide to cast Ke Huy Quan as OB?

We were in London, so I had at least some version of our scripts. The way the process works, they’re always being rewritten, but OB was in there, and his introduction scene was almost exactly as originally written. I would like to say it was in early spring, which was maybe just two months before we started shooting. We were casting, and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was playing in L.A. and in New York, but it hadn’t gone nationwide yet. I think it was going the very next week. We had gotten a call from our casting director who said, “Hey, I’m about to put together a list for OB — just initial thoughts. But before I do that, I really think you guys should meet Ke, and I think it should be Ke. I think you guys should meet with him quick, because probably by Monday, he’s going to have a lot of offers for different things.”

So that that Friday, myself, Justin and Aaron, two of our directors, had gotten on a Zoom with Ke. We pitched him the show and this character. We shared that introduction scene with him and maybe the full script. And then we called in the big guns that Monday; Kevin Feige got on the phone with him and said, “Ke, I know you read the script. I know you talked to the guys. We really think you should do this. I really want you to join the Marvel family.” And he had already made up his mind over the weekend. It was like, “I’m there. I’ve been a huge fan of this for a long time.”

In Season 1, the show explored several time periods and locations outside the TVA, but in the first four episodes of this season, you stick to just 1880s Chicago, 1970s London and 1980s in the Midwest. How did you come to that decision to focus more on the TVA and building out its history?

Because that felt like where so much of our core character conflict was going to come from. There was so much intersectionality of our characters and what they think of the TVA. Sylvie wants to burn it down because the apple is rotten, as she says. Loki sees it as potentially the only form of defense against whatever else is coming in a war with Kang. Mobius and B-15, they’ve dedicated their whole life to it. They’re not quite ready to give it up. Renslayer feels like she’s been keeping it together, and you get a real understanding of why she thinks she should be the one to get this thing back on track.

We want everybody to be in the gray area — they’re neither good nor bad. They might make bad choices or heroic choices, but they are trying to figure out who they are. The TVA felt like the place where we could maximize that storytelling and learn more about those characters through that. But also stay tuned, because we are going to more places [in Episodes 5 and 6].

Do you think the TVA could start to appear in other titles in the MCU?

I would love that. Look, I’ve been siloed in on “Loki” for almost five years now, by the time this show finishes, and with every filmmaker who has put their hands on the show, we’ve all had the same conversations: It feels like the TVA could really be this exciting connective tool for all of this storytelling. And we’ve only seen a fraction of it. We’re dealing very specifically with this one smaller department with Mobius and B-15 and Renslayer, but you look out at those vistas — this place is infinite. The exciting thing to us is there certainly are more stories to be told there. We’ve carved out our own little corner of the sandbox and built something cool. We’re hoping that other people want to come and play with it.

One of the things I’ve most enjoyed about “Loki” is how it’s telling its own story, but have you considered bringing more of the MCU into it?

Yes, in both seasons of writers’ rooms. It always felt wrong to go too far outside of the box of things that would directly contribute to Loki’s character arc in these two seasons. So that’s why we get [Jaimie Alexander as] Sif in there [in Season 1], we play with the variants in the void and various levels of Asgard-specific storytelling. But while we’ve had nearly 12 hours of storytelling, it never feels like we have enough time. Eventually, just handling the stories of our ensemble and not shortchanging them has always been priority number one.

Now, Season 1 and 2 were always built to be two chapters of the same book. The hope would be going forward, there are more books that we can tell these stories with. I certainly think that we could start doing that.

Would there be a Season 3 of “Loki”? Is the future of the show finite or more open-ended?

I think it’s open-ended. We certainly did not develop this season going, “We have to tee up Season 3” — in the way that we did with Season 1, where there was a very specific, “Hey, we’re coming back.” But I also think that where this show goes, there certainly can be many, many, many more stories told with Loki in the “Loki” world, and in other worlds connected to Loki, the character.

Do you think Loki would ever rejoin the larger world of the MCU? 

That’s the hope. I don’t want to — yeah. I think the the sun shining on Loki and Thor once again has always been the priority of the story we’re telling. But for that meeting to really be fulfilling, we have to get Loki to a certain place emotionally. I think that’s been the goal of these two seasons.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

[rems-writing]

A thought-out reunion

Pairing: camboy!Hongjoong x sugardaddy!OC (name is Ajax)

Genre/Trope: smutty angst/friends to lovers

Wordcount: 2k words

Rating: nc-17

Nets: @mirohs-aurora-society @othersideoutlawsnetwork @illusionnet

Prompt (NSFW) from Illusion Net: "If you don't want me to jump you, then you should stop biting your lip like this!"

Kim Hongjoong was a broke bitch. Like extremely broke. He has tried everything. Grocery store stocker, barista, babysitter, bankteller, etc. Nothing stuck with him. His roommates, Wooyoung and Jongho, were disheartened to hear that Hongjoong was let go from every single job he had. Jongho offered him a job as a janitor in the gym he owns, but Hongjoong refused. One, he doesn’t want him to feel like he’s taking advantage of them. Two, he knows that his skillset surpasses beyond janitorial duties. Three, he thinks gyms are sweaty and gross. Four, his ex works there. 

His newly engaged ex to be exact. 

They didn’t end on bad terms! The breakup was mutual. However, Hongjoong finds it painful to face his ex and try to be on friendly terms with him. No matter what, he vowed to never talk to him until Seonghwa was fully married or Hongjoong himself moved on. 

Maybe then they could be friends. 

Today was boring. Like all the other jobless days he had in the past few weeks. He woke up, ate breakfast, produced music, and took a break from producing so he could eat lunch. His mundane, albeit peaceful, routine was interrupted when Wooyoung plopped down next to him in the dining room with an evil grin on his face. 

“What, you weasel?”

“I GOT THE PERFECT JOB FOR YOU!”

Hongjoong winced as Wooyoung spoke loudly. Right in his ear. Sighing, he put down his chopsticks and looked at him wearily. Wooyoung then placed down an ad and Hongjoong’s eyes practically bulged out of his skull. 

“ABSOLUTELY THE FUCK NOT!”

“WHY NOT?! IT PAYS WELL AND YOU GET TO WORK FROM HOME!”

“OVER MY FUCKING DEAD BODY!”

“COME ON! PLEASE?!”

“I’M NOT BECOMING A CAMBOY!”

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

Hongjoong became a camboy.

And Wooyoung was unfortunately right. It paid well.

Too well.

The first couple of months were awkward. He mainly just starred in Wooyoung’s videos either getting his dick sucked or being fed into the mattress. He’ll never admit it, but Wooyoung gave good dick. As time progressed, he started making his own videos. It simply started off as masturbation. Soon, it evolved into roleplay scenarios and getting fucked by this silicone dildo Wooyoung gifted him. He tried everything. From sticking it against a wall to fuck himself on it to straight up spreading his legs so he could thrust the dildo in and out of himself. Afterwards, he gained 500,000 subscribers within those months. He was extremely happy with the funds and viewers never insisted on showing his face. He decided that in his next video, he’ll do a Q&A session and show gratitude to his viewers’ loyalty by letting them pick what he’ll do next. 

“Hi, guys! Joongbug here. So I recently discovered that I have over 500,000 subscribers! Whoo hoo!”

He giggled when he saw the congratulatory messages pop up on the live feed. 

“I decided that for today, I’ll just simply answer any questions that some of you may have.”

From there, Hongjoong answered so many questions. The common ones were how did he get into it, what’s his favorite position, will Wooyoung star in the next video, and so on. As time passed, he kept answering more basic questions so the viewers could get to know him more. There was one particular question that had Hongjoong deep in thought for a while. 

“User jx_c asked me “Would you ever consider meeting a fan outside of this platform? No collab to fuck or anything. Just a simple meet-up.”

Hongjoong never thought about it since he had an intense fear of getting doxxed. However, since no one asked him to show his face, he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to show his face in real life. After all, this was just one viewer. He soon answered the question. 

“I wouldn’t mind meeting up with a fan in real life. All I ask is that you respect my privacy. That’s it.”

Hongjoong soon moved on from that question and kept answering more before he decided to call it a night. He thanked his viewers once more and signed off before shutting down his computer and putting it away. Since he already ate dinner and showered, he laid down in bed and scrolled through his phone. A notification popped up a few seconds later and it was from the platform Hongjoong was a camboy on. Furrowing his brows curiously, he clicked on it and saw who messaged him. 

jx_c: Hey. I was the one that asked that question. It might be a long shot, but fuck it. Do you want to meet up some time?

joongbug98: Hi! I actually would love to meet up some time. Is tomorrow a good time?

jx_c: Fuck it. Sure. I know this brunch place just a couple blocks from where I live. It’s the one with the pineapple souffle pancakes. 

joongbug98: omg I know that place! Yeah we can totally meet up there. 

jx_c: Nice! Aight bet. I’ll see you tomorrow. 

joongbug98: Bye byeeeee~

Hongjoong put his phone away and went to sleep with a giddy feeling in his stomach. 

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

The next day, Hongjoong was at the brunch place, anticipating jx_c’s arrival. He told him to meet up around 9:45 AM, but knowing him, he likes to be up early and is cordial. So at 7:45, he woke up and got ready. At 8:45, he left the apartment before promptly showing up at the brunch place at 9:15. 30 minutes before the appointed meet-up time. As soon as 9:45 hit, he started timing this person. 30 seconds later, he felt a presence sit down in front of him. 

“Holy fucking shit… Kim Hongjoong?!”

Hongjoong’s head snapped up at the velvety deep voice that apparently knew his name. He gulped nervously as he saw someone very fucking familiar sit across from him. He wrung his clammy hands and wiped the nervous sweat off his palms onto his jeans before clearing his throat. The words died in his throat, except for one name and one name only. 

“C-Cho Ajax?”

Cho Ajax was Hongjoong’s best friend from middle school. They did theatre together, shared lunch almost every day, helped each other with school projects, and exchanged first kisses together. During their last year of middle school, Ajax told Hongjoong that he was moving to the States to study abroad. He promised to keep in touch with Hongjoong. And he did! Up to a certain extent though. Somewhere along the way, the two of them were busy with their lives and the communication stopped. It was a natural drift. Now here the two of them were. Sitting in front of each like they just weren’t communicating last night when Hongjoong did that live stream. He suddenly wanted to puke. Never in a million years would he have thought that his best friend would see his naked body do many provocative things just for a bag. 

“I have to go. I’m sorry…”

No. Ajax wouldn’t allow that. He already let go of Hongjoong once when he had to move. He wasn’t going to do it again. Hongjoong barely brushed past him and he was found sitting back down at the table that Ajax reserved for them. Hongjoong felt flustered when Ajax wrapped his muscular and tattooed arms around his lithe waist. 

“Wait. Please. Please stay…”

Hongjoong wasn’t used to this new form Ajax had. He only saw the scrawny boy with huge glasses, an ugly bowl-shaped haird, anime shirts and cargo shorts, and braces. He also had a lot of acne and couldn’t even open a jar of pickles. As he angled himself to look at Ajax better, he realized that the boy he shared his first kiss with was now a man. 

‘I’m screwed.’ He thought to himself. 

Ajax had definitely bulked up. His frame was lean and his forearms were inked up beautifully. He wore a three piece suit that clung to his body effortlessly and his hair was fuller, thicker, and swept back. His face held a sharp jawline, intense eyes, and clear skin. Not a spot of acne could be seen. The one thing that hasn’t changed though?

His infamous awkward smile. 

“Before you ask, no I didn’t meet up with you just so I could see you again. I seriously didn’t know that it was you. I knew that your painted nail looked familiar, but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. I genuinely thought this was all coincidental. Now? It’s more like fate bringing us together. Hongjoong, I’m back. And I’m here to stay for good.”

Hongjoong didn’t say anything which made Ajax internally panic. He felt the nerves radiating off the smaller man’s body and he saw the uncomfortable look on his face. He sighed, realizing that his words probably meant nothing to him. He slowly loosened his hold on Hongjoong and his arms hung at his sides. 

“I’m sorry for not reaching out any sooner. I’m sorry if this was how I wanted us to reunite. I’m a man of my word. I won’t dox you. You can block me if you want. I just… I hoped to see you again. Seems like it'll be the last time.” 

Hongjoong’s heart broke a little upon hearing Ajax’s sorrowful words. He was sincere about this meet-up and genuinely wanted to know him for him, not the sexy camboy with the breathy moans. He wanted to leave so he could further save himself from the embarrassment. However, it has been five years since he had last seen him and he was not about to let this opportunity go. Swallowing down his embarrassment, he returned to his seat and held Ajax’s hands in his own. The man’s eyes widened yet he felt a flicker of hope in his heart as Hongjoong smiled warmly at him. 

“I’m so fucking happy that you’re back, Ajax. Come on. We have a lot to catch up on.”

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

That encounter was over six months ago. After that exchange, Hongjoong and Ajax met up some more. As it turns out, Ajax owned a theater company and jumpstarted many careers of so many actors and actresses. Hence, why he was a full on sugar daddy. That was their inside joke between the two of them. The more the days passed, the more Hongjoong found himself falling in love with Ajax. It was vice versa as well, except Ajax fell harder. The two soon confessed and Hongjoong found himself in a brand new relationship with Ajax. 

He finally moved on from Seonghwa. 

“Baby boy, I’m home!”

Hongjoong’s sock-clad feet ran across the hallway of the condo the pair moved into a few weeks ago. As soon as he saw Ajax hanging his coat and opening his arms wide for a hug, Hongjoong leapt into his arms. Ajax wrapped his arms around Hongjoong’s waist and Hongjoong wrapped his legs around Ajax’s waist and his arms around his neck. Ajax walked over to the living room couch and set Hongjoong down before kissing him deeply. Hongjoong gladly returned the kiss, tugging at Ajax’s dark locks. As soon as Ajax pulled away to catch his breath, Hongjoong decided to tease him by ensnaring his bottom lip between his teeth. Ajax chuckled darkly and traced the hem of Hongjoong’s shirt. 

“If you don’t want me to jump you, then you should stop biting your lip like this!”

“But what if I want you to… master?”

Ajax shivered at the name and threw Hongjoong over his shoulder before walking over to their shared room and placing him down on their bed. He crawled on top of him, unbuttoning his shirt slowly. 

“Alright then, baby boy. You asked for this. And I ain’t stopping until we’re both satisfied. But you’d like that, huh?”

Hongjoong answered Ajax by fluttering his eyelashes at him flirtatiously. That’s all it took for Ajax to lose any sense of self-control and dive right into the man that was Kim motherfucking Hongjoong.