#and there'll be no reply bc

[vcnatorr]

Sunday, November 13th ~~ Crackship AU

You’re just too good to be true

Pairing: Cheralynne “Hera” Alexander/William C. Clayton Tags: 5k, unbeta’d, enemies to lovers, college au, 10 things I hate about you reference, what’s the opposite of a slowburn?, Tristan Is A Dick, Clayton is also a dick but he has a redemption arc, idiots in love, drinking/alcohol, also mentions of vomit you have been warned

Authors note: I was gonna wait til the 13th to post this but it has eaten away at my brain all day so here it is. Know that I hate the crackship with a passion that burns so intensely it could perfectly toast a marshmallow. Also I haven’t read this back so any spelling/grammar/continuity errors are between you and this post bc I haven’t look for them :)

"There's absolutely no way."

"I could. I could do it - 100 pounds sterling says I could do it."

Clayton arched his eyebrows, smiling wide. Cocky, as he had a tendency to be. This time, though, he really did think he could do it.

"I heard she bit the last guy who asked her out." Tristan pointed out, looking at Clayton as though his idea was sheer lunacy. "He has a scar! I've seen it!"

"Well, more fool him for putting his arm where her teeth could find it." Clayton shrugged. He would not be so stupid. If anyone could take Hera Alexander to the Summer Ball, it was him, and he was going to do it.

"£100." He reiterated.

"You're on." Tristan nodded. "Gives me a little spending money for summer break."

Clayton chuckled, pushing up from his seat at the edge of the campus café. Hera had been sitting at a table on the opposite side of the courtyard for some time now, typing away at her laptop and periodically chewing on her lip. She was alone, but that was nothing new. She was always alone.

From what Clayton could glean, Hera had no friends, and no desire to make any either. She had been pretty popular in first and second year, to his recollection. She'd had some rugby player boyfriend, and had gone around with the rest of the rugby WAGs, but then she'd come back for third year and everything had changed. She was aloof, and standoffish, and apparently prone to violence.

They were almost at the end of the year now and things had yet to change. But whoever she'd been in first year had to still be in there somewhere, and Clayton was going to get it out of her. Though an extra hundred quid in his pocket would be nice, the satisfaction of being right would be even sweeter.

Sitting down at the seat opposite hers, Clayton smiled. "Hera - sorry, are you working on the British History essay?"

She looked up, holding his gaze for a solid five seconds before she looked down at her laptop again. "I'm not doing yours for you, before you ask."

"Oh, I wasn't gonna ask that - I'm a firm believer in hard work." He lied, giving her a crooked smile. "Actually I was just going to ask for your help - three years in and I still have the essay skills of a toddler--"

"So go and speak to one of the professors." Hera said, without looking up. "It's quite literally their job."

Clayton nodded slowly. This was going to be more difficult than he thought, perhaps. But he wasn't put off - he liked a challenge. "Right, of course - I'll do that." He wouldn't, but for an immediate change of topic-- "Are you going to Simba's house party this weekend?"

Silence; Hera's fingers hovered over the keyboard of her laptop for a beat, two, three, before they resumed again. "Why do you care?"

"When did I ever give you reason to think I didn't care?"

The typing stopped again. Hera gave him a look that might have sent lesser men running for the hills. "Nobody cares whether or not I'm at a party, Clayton." She looked down at her laptop again, shaking her head. "Are you done?"

"I'll leave you too it." He told her, like she hadn't basically told him to leave. "Hope to see you there on saturday."

Hera didn't look up at him again, nor did her typing stop, but Clayton was sure he could feel her eyes on his back as he went back to his table, the weight of her gaze heavy on him as he grabbed his bag.

"That looked like it went well." Tristan commented. Clayton thought about wiping the shit-eating grin right off his face, but he wouldn't. He would let him think whatever he wanted to think for now; it would make his victory at summer ball so much sweeter.

"Just you wait," Clayton told him, beginning to move away from the table to his afternoon class. "And be prepared to pay up."

~*~

Clayton had no idea what kind of sound system Simba had but it was enough to vibrate the walls, the floor, even his ribs as he pushed his way through the house. The house was packed with bodies, people hugging the walls and shouting into each other's ears to be heard over the pulsing music, others making impromptu dancefloors, barely able to move for how many people were there. Now technically Clayton was here on a mission: find Hera, if she was here, and convince her that human companionship wasn't as dreadful as she seemed to think it was. Alternatively, if she wasn't there, find someone who had Hera's number and get it from them, so he could text her telling her how missed she was.

But this was a party. Which meant he didn't want to rush himself. He might as well take the time to enjoy himself first, right? He thought that was only fair. He wasn't going to drink - he wanted to be clear-headed for talking to Hera so he didn't put his foot in it - but he at least allowed himself a few hours of time with his friends, a little careful flirting, a bit of a dance, before he started looking for Hera. He saw a flash of crimson hair pushing bodily through the crowd, before disappearing off into the kitchen.

Clayton gave a mock-salute to his friends and followed the path Hera had taken.

She had her back to him, and he was not even remotely surprised to find that she hadn't made any kind of effort to get dressed up. Non-descript jeans and a plain, long-sleeved purple shirt, which she was presumably sweating in, because with all the bodies inside the house it was practically sub-tropical. Clayton set his cup down on the countertop loud enough to alert her to his presence, but Hera didn't turn around. Instead, he watched her pour herself a drink that might as well have been all spirit and no mixer, before tipping her head back to take a gulp.

"You know, I think if you served that to someone else it would be attempted murder." Clayton commented, wondering if Hera would turn around to look at him.

She did, head jerking to the side, her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a party." Clayton shrugged. "Anyone's invited. At least, as far as I'm aware."

"No," Hera shook her head, and Clayton saw the grip on her cup tightening, her fingertips turning white with it. "What are you doing in here?"

Clayton looked at her, the picture of innocence. Or at least, that was what he hoped he looked like. "Like I said - it's a party. I came to get a drink." That seemed to irritate her even more, so Clayton cleared his throat. He could see the red rim around her eyes, the flush in her face that could just be the alcohol but could realistically be anger, or upset. There was definitely something wrong. Had her voice seemed shakey, or was he just imagining it? "And I... saw you come in here. You seemed-- I don't know. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine." She grit out, taking another drink from the cup in her hand, causing her face to twist. "Why wouldn't I be fine? My ex-boyfriend and my ex-best friend are making out next to Simba's pool. That's fine."

This was a turn up for the books: Hera Alexander had feelings. She had done her best over the last nine months or so to make it seem like the opposite was true, but there she was, a shine in her eyes as she finished her drink and reached for another one. Clayton stood from where he had been leaning against the counter, coming to stand behind her, taking a gentle hold of her wrist to stop her from reaching for the bottle again. This close he could smell her perfume, feel the warmth radiating off her body.

"You're better than the both of them - you know that, don't you?" He asked, his head tilting to the side so that he could see her face.

Her lower lip wobbled. She swayed for a moment on her feet before she yanked her hand away, turning on her feet and storming out of the kitchen. Clayton could've gone after, but he thought he'd better let her go, at least for now. If he pushed too hard he could quite easily push her the wrong way, and he was never going to win the bet that way.

He didn't exactly forget about Hera, but time did get away from him a little bit. It was until an hour later, midnight coming and going, when he heard shouts from a very concerned partygoer-- "Get her outside, oh fuck-- she's gonna barf, one hundred percent, move it!"

Clayton looked over towards the sound of the noise; he didn't recognise the kid with his arm around Hera's waist, but she certainly didn't look good. Her face was flushed, and she stumbled over her feet as she was herded towards the front door. Clayton didn't  bother bidding goodbye to his friends; he just hurried towards the front door, stepping out into the cool night air.

"Yup, that's it," The kid was saying, patting Hera's back as she puked into the flowerbeds by Siba's front porch. "Get it all out."

"I've got it from here," Clayton said, smiling at the kid as he rested a hand on Hera's arm, keeping her from falling over into a rose bush. "You go back in, enjoy the party."

The kid didn't need too much persuading - he scurried back into the house, leaving Clayton to try and hold Hera's hair back from her face. He grimaced; it wasn't the nicest job in the world, admittedly. Hera wiped her mouth with her sleeve, looking up at him - she tired to push him away, but Clayton held fast.

"Leave m'alone," Hera grumbled.

Clayton helped her straighten up, putting an arm around her waist. "Why don't we get you home? I brought my car, I can drive."

"I might throw up in it."

"I'll take that risk."

Hera eyed him sceptically, before eventually jerking her chin at him, which he assumed was supposed to be a nod. He led her a little ways down the street, digging around in his jacket pocket for his car keys. He helped Hera in first, reaching across her to buckle her seatbelt in. She pushed at his shoulder as he retreat, and he shot her a charming smile. "Safety first." He reminded her, before moving around to the driver's side.

Hera managed to mumble out an address, so at least Clayton had an idea of where he was going. He turned the radio down until it was a gentle hum in the background, glancing over at Hera every now and again, mostly to make sure she hadn't fallen unconscious.

"You never answered me, you know." He glanced over at her; she had the window cracked open, her head turned towards the cool night air that drifted in. "In the kitchen."

She didn't answer him for long enough that he wondered if she had fallen asleep with her eyes open. Maybe the fresh air was sobering her up a little, because when she did speak her voice was startlingly clear. "Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"Leaving a party to take me home." She looked at him only briefly; she couldn't take her nose away from the window for very long, apparently. "'s not very you."

So she thought she knew him? Clayton grinned. If Hera thought she knew him it meant she'd thought about him, and that would make this win even easier, in his opinion. "Is that so?"

Hera rolled her eyes; he caught it in the wing mirror, her face still turned out the window. She didn't say anything else, so Clayton continued, "Maybe I just thought..." He took a deep breath, deliberating on which lie to tell. "That it was about time someone looked out for you."

Hera scoffed. Clayton glanced at her again, but she still wasn't looking at him.

"I... have always quite admired you." He said slowly, keeping his gaze ahead. For some reason the words were hard to force out. Easier when his focus was on the road rather than her. "And it seems like you haven't had anyone to do that for you in a while. So why not me?"

Silence. Clayton didn't really know what else to say, and for some reason he still really didn't want to look at Hera, so he just waited. After a good ten seconds, though, he thought she might have said something.

She shifted in her seat. "'m gonna throw up."

"Oh, god."

Clayton pulled over, giving Hera the chance to half-climb out the window to throw up over the side of the car. Clayton held her hair back as best he could from the driver's seat, grimacing the entire time.

Hera got out of the car without any help once they arrived, barely waiting for Clayton to put the handbrake on before she slipped out. He ducked a little to look out of the passenger side window, calling out to her, "Need me to help you in?"

She shot him a withering look over his shoulder before staggering up the garden path to her front door. There was some fumbling with the keys, but she got herself inside; Clayton waited until the door closed again and the light in the front room went on before he left, half debating whether or not to double back to the party.

~*~

"Do you still need help with your essay?"

Clayton almost jumped out of his skin. Hera had appeared out of nowhere at his elbow as he waited in line at the campus café. There was no way in hell he could handle British Politics in the 19th Century without coffee.

From the place in front, Tristan glanced over his shoulder, eyebrows shoot upwards. Clayton smiled, looking away from Tristan and down at Hera; he hadn't seen her since the party on Saturday night, and he hadn't managed to get her number, so he'd gone a whole day without knowing how she was doing. Hungover, presumably.

But she looked fresh as a daisy this morning - in fact, she looked better than she usually did. Almost like she'd made an effort.

"Oh, shoot-- I never did get round to talking to the prof--"

"I can help you." Hera interrupted him before he could finish. "As a thank you, for the other night. But after that we're even. Got it?"

Clayton's smile only inched wider. "Sure. How about tonight, your house--"

"Your house," She said. "And tomorrow, after class. Okay?"

"You're the boss." Clayton smiled, watching her as she walked away. Only once she'd completely disappeared from view did he look over at Tristan, sporting a similar shit-eating grin to Tristan's own just a few days ago. "I hope you're ready to pay out."

Tristan grimaced, saying something that Clayton wasn't listening to. He was thinking about Hera, about the way she seemed a little brighter than she usually did. Tomorrow after class - he could wait until then. Just about.

~*~

Clayton directed Hera up to his bedroom, grateful at least that all of his housemates were out. They were the type to make jokes that Hera presumably wouldn't appreciate, and the last thing he needed right now was for her to be put off. He closed the bedroom door behind them, and gestured to his bed.

"No desk?" Hera asked. She was right - his room didn't have a desk. He wasn't exactly the studious type.

She was looking at him with one eyebrow raised in question. Clayton cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, unsure as to why he felt rather sheepish. "I prefer to work in comfort." He said simply, nodding again to the bed.

Hera pursed her lips for a moment, but she didn't say anything.  She pulled a pencil case and a notepad from her bag before plopping it down at the foot of the bed. "Come on, then."

Clayton didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed his own notepad, with his very poorly scribbled essay in it, and sat down next to her.

They were close enough that their shoulders brushed, as Hera took a highlighter and a purple pen to his work. She wasn't silent, though - she pointed things out to him as she went, scrawling comments into the margins and tapping them with the tip of her pen as she explained them aloud. Not that Clayton was focusing, of course; he could smell the scent of her shampoo, cherry and almond, mingling with the florals of her perfume. Her hair fell between them like a curtain, so he reached across, using one finger to tuck it gently behind her ear.

Hera blinked, looking up at him as he pulled his hand away. Her lips parted ever so slightly, as if she was going to say something, but she looked back down at the task at hand before any words formed.

They went through the rest of the essay, Hera writing a few key points underneath in her quick, looping handwriting.

"So it's awful?" He asked, turning his head to look at her.

"No," She said quickly, turning her head, too. There wasn't much space between them; he had drifted closer, her shoulder pressing into his chest as he looked down at the book. He was so close now that he could feel her breath fanning his face as she spoke. "Well. It is right now." She gave him a barely-there smile, just a gentle curve of her lips. "But we can make it better."

He nodded, but he wasn't thinking about the essay anymore. He was looking at her, eyes travelling down to her lips. He reached his hand across the space between them, the same one that had so delicately tucked her hair behind her ear, and used it to cup her face, the barest, feather-light touch of his fingers along her jawline as he leaned in to press his lips to hers.

And for a moment she responded, her lips parting beneath his, the notebook falling to the floor. But just as soon as it had started it was over - Hera shoved him away so hard he almost fell over as she stood, throwing her things haphazardly into her bag.

"I fucking knew it," She ground out, laughing mirthlessly. "I knew it, you only ever want one fucking thing--"

He jumped up, grabbing her hand as she made for the door. "Hera--"

"Just leave me alone." She whirled on him, snatching her hand back. "You've got your essay help, I did the work for you, well done. Now leave me alone, okay?"

He didn't know what else to say. He let her go, hearing her footsteps thud down the stairs, the front door slamming shut so hard that it shook the floor beneath his feet. He ran a hand through his hair - idiot. What had he done? He crossed the room again, picking up his notebook from the floor. His eyes caught a small smiley face, doodled in purple ink next to part of his work.

He was going to have to make this right.

~*~

"You're just too good to be true--"

This was incredibly dumb.

"--can't take my eyes off you--"

It was a gamble. A huge one.

"--you'd be like heaven to touch--"

He had a feeling it was going to pay off, though.

"--I wanna hold you so much. You're just to good to be true--"

Oh, good. She was looking. As well as everyone else on the courtyard, but that was rather the idea.

"--can't take my eyes off you."

The backing track kicked in at that exact moment thanks to someone Clayton had paid at the student radio actually doing their job, and maybe he should've used the school band but how was he supposed to know where they met up and when? He was organising this on a tight schedule, there wasn't time for rehearsals.

Hera was looking at him, watching from the bench she was perched on at the far end of the courtyard as he hit the chorus - he wasn't a bad singer, necessarily, but he wasn't in the glee club or anything either. Still, it had the desired effect: it made him look like an idiot in public, even more so when someone snatched the microphone off of him and asked him to please shut up.

He made his way over to Hera, the backing track cutting off abruptly. Apparently the student radio had gotten the message to shut things down as well.

"Alright, so they didn't like it." He shrugged, grinning at her. "What did you think?"

"You stole that from 10 Things I Hate About You."

"Maybe," Clayton nodded. "But apparently the ladies love Heath Ledger, so I thought I'd give it a shot."

Hera looked at him sceptically. Clayton took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. About last night. I didn't mean to--" He shook his head. "What are you doing now? Can I offer you apology ice cream?"

He held a hand out to her in invitation. Hera pursed her lips, looking at that outstretched hand, and before Clayton could retract it feeling like even more of an idiot than he did before, she took it.

"Okay. But you're driving."

~*~

Whether it was the ice cream or the grand gesture that softened Hera up Clayton didn't really know, but he was glad that she wasn't mad at him anymore. It had made him feel strangely torn up inside, twisted and knotted and just not right. Knowing that she wasn't upset with him evened everything out again, and for once, he let her talk, and he listened.

They didn't particularly have much in common, but he found that he didn't mind. She was easy to listen to; she was funnier than anyone probably imagined, and quite philosophical, once she got going. When they eventually got kicked out of the ice cream place Clayton offered to drive her home - and to pick her up again in the morning, if she liked.

May quickly turned to June, the rush of final exams finding him sat at lunch with Hera, occasionally studying (her more than him, but he at least pretended), mostly just chatting. In the middle of exam season the posters went up: Summer Ball, tickets on sale now.

"I assume you're beating off the men with a stick?" Clayton asked her, looking down at the flyer in his hand. The theme was Summer in Paris, which was pretty lame, but Summer Ball was usually a good time regardless.

Hera snorted, shifting her books to her other arm. Clayton took them from her, swapping them for the flyer. "Yeah, right. I only have one friend and that's you. Make of that what you will."

"I think it must mean you're an incredible person, to land me as a friend." Friend. He felt like he had to force the word out, struggling to get it past his teeth. "Go with me."

Hera snorted again. "Sure."

"I'm serious." He pulled her to a stop, so that they were face to face in the middle of the corridor. Like a stone in a river, the current of people moved around them, barely registering them at all. "Go to Summer Ball with me."

"As a friend?"

"As a date."

Hera considered him for a moment. Clayton had gotten used to these little interludes, where Hera would go quiet, the cogs inside her head turning. Her face broke into a smile, so bright he felt like sunbathing in the light from it, but she quickly fought it, offering him a smaller, almost timid smile instead.

"Alright, then." She nodded, glancing away like a school girl. "It's a date."

"I'll pick you up."

"You always do."

Final exams came and went; Clayton drove to Hera's house in his best suit, waiting outside as he had been isntructed to do. He leaned against the car, only standing up when he heard the front door open.

Hera appeared on the driveway, and when she turned Clayton felt his breath catch in his throat. Her dress was deep violet silk, tight around the bodice and her hips before it splayed outwards, the skirt falling just above her knees. It occurred to him that he'd never seen her in a dress before, nevermind heels; she looked amazing. But, then again, she looked amazing in her regular clothes, too.

"Am I late?" She asked, hurrying down the driveway. "I'm sorry if I--"

"You're fine." Clayton told her, his voice sounding more incredulous than he meant it to. "You look--"

"Ridiculous, I know."

"--incredible."

Hera blushed, pink staining her cheeks. She looked down, a lock of hair falling loose. Clayton reached out to tuck it back into place, doing his best to hide his amusement when her head jerked up.

"Come on," He said, opening the car door for her. "Don't want to miss the party, do we?"

The theme was just as cheesy as he had expected, but everyone seemed to be having a good time. Already a decent sized crowd on the dancefloor, but Clayton led Hera towards the refreshment tablet first, picking up the free champagne flute of off-brand fizz that the university had allowed them - one per person, of course.

"We should get our photos taken," Hera said, looking over towards the booth. "I don't think it's even that expensive--"

"You know, I never thought I'd be proven wrong."

Tristan's voice cut her off, and the two of them turned. He held out a few neatly folded bills, held between two fingers. "Well done, mate. Truly, I thought it was impossible."

Clayton's stomach dropped. The bet - he had forgotten all about it. Time had passed since then, things had changed. He had gotten to know Hera, had gotten to see her, properly see her, know her for how wonderful she was. Smart and fierce and tender, underneath the walls she had put up. He had asked her to Summer Ball because he wanted to be here with her, not because--

"Well?" Tristan laughed. "Aren't you going to take it?"

"I'll take it if you don't." Hera said with a laugh of her own, nudging Clayton gently. "What's it for?"

Tristan smiled, and it looked sickly. "Just a little gentleman's agreement. A bit of a bet."

"Tristan--"

"See, Clayton here bet me £100 that he could take you to the Ball, but I just. Honestly, I thought he'd never do it. More fool me."

Hera had gone still beside him. She was staring at Tristan, her breathing slow and deliberate.

"Will you please fuck off?" Clayton snapped at Tristan, only briefly looking at his way. "Keep your bloody money."

"If that's how you feel." He tucked the money back into his breat pocket, raising his palms in surrender. "I'll leave you lovebirds to it, eh?"

"Hera--" Clayton began.

She lowered her chin, her bottom lip wobbling again. He could see the frown etched so deep into her face, the hurt-- he wished he could wipe it all away, smooth out the lines with his thumb and take the pain with it. Before he could manage anything else she stormed off, pushing through the crowds still trying to get into the hall. Their outraged cries echoed behind him as Clayton pushed through them as well, back outside into the car park.

"Hera, please!" He called after her, breaking into a jog. How she could move that fast in those heels he had no idea. "Let me explain!"

"Explain what?" She yelled, turning on him. "Explain how you used me? How you humiliated me? How you tricked me into feeling-- into--"

"I didn't mean to-- it started out like that." He took a step towards her and she held her ground, but the look in her eyes told him not to try anything else. "It started out like that, yes. At the party, inviting you over, I was-- I was trying to get close to you."

Her chest heaved, but she held her chin high. Clayton took another deep breath.

"But after that, when I kissed you, I felt awful. I didn't want you to think of me like that, I didn't want you to think I was that guy. And I was. Before I met you, properly met you, I was that guy."

He took a slow, careful step forward.

"But since I got to know you better, all I want to be... the only person I want to be is a person deserving of you. I want to be your friend. More than your friend. I want to be whoever you need me to be, and that bet--" His own voice wavered, a lump forming in his throat. He shook his head, running a hand careleslly through the hair he'd spent an hour on earlier. "I had forgotten all about that bloody, stupid bet because you were the only thing I was thinking about. You're the only thing I ever think about, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making the bet in the first place, I'm sorry for everything since--"

He blinked away the tears in his eyes, and when his vision cleared Hera had come closer, looking up at him. She placed her hands on the lapels of his jacket, either side of his chest. His heart hammered beneath her palm.

"Do you mean it?"

"I'll spend the rest of my life apologising to you if I have to, Hera." He whispered. Tears tracked down her cheeks; he lifted his hand to wipe them away and she pressed her face into his palm. "I'll apologise as many times as you need me to because I love you. I love you."

Hera's hands curled in the fabric of his jacket, pulling him down until their lips crashed together. It was clumsy, desperate - not the best kiss in the world but the best kiss he had ever had.

When she pulled them apart she didn't go far; Clayton searched her face, his breath stuttering in his chest.

"I'm going to be mad at you for a little while," She said with a sniffle, looking up to meet his gaze. "But I love you too. So much."

He smiled, relief flooding his chest, making him feel light. He pressed his forehead to hers, savouring the touch for just a moment.

"Shall we get out of here?" He asked after a moment, pulling back just a little so he could look at her.

She was nodding. She smiled a little, glancing over his shoulder. "Yeah. The theme's shit anyways."

Clayton laughed, and Hera joined in after a moment or two, allowing him to tuck her into his side as they walked back to the car. Maybe the bet with Tristan had been stupid, but at least it had got him here. Holding the hand of the woman he loved as he pulled out of the parking lot, away from the whole sorry mess, and towards something better.

[byanyan]

brain is flitting from reply to reply like a drunk bumblebee so i'm gonna just. reply to whatever tickles its fancy at any given moment i think lmao

[therealvalkyrie]

guess who just responded to every. single. comment in her ao3 inbox?

THIS BITCH

[gayemoji]

jesus fucking christ.

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

OMG OMG SO I FINISHED READING YOUR MOST RECENT PETER FIC AND IM OBSESSED SO OMG I was wondering how you think pietro would react in that situation?? If he saw you flirting with another avenger? Maybe you coukd write something on that if that's okay?

hii!! AAAHHH THANK YOU!! and of course, love it :) thank you for requesting, hope you like it💌 I used steve, just bc he’s a total sweetheart and wanted to include him in something bc I love him

cave in

Pietro Maximoff x f reader

wc || 795

warnings || none?

masterlist + rules

taglist

link for the quill fic, if anyone’s interested

Pietro is the kind of guy that was often hard to read, the sort that hid his thoughts and feelings behind snarky expressions and remarks. Near enough impossible to get a sneak peek inside his brain. 

Recently things have taken a little turn in your platonic relationship. Ever so slowly moving towards the more romantic side. The thing is, you were both stubborn when it came to sharing emotions. Neither of you wanted to be the first in case the feeling wasn't mutual, even though it was clear you were really into one another.

It was coming to the stage where it began to get slightly awkward, the part of the relationship where it became somewhat tiresome. You wanted Pietro to crack first, much like how he wanted you to.

So today, after a quiet day at the compound, you join the rest of the team in the communal area, blending in seamlessly with a bottle of beer as you sit between Steve and Clint. Turning to face Clint, you see him emersed in conversation with Natasha, so you twist back around, noticing Steve sitting quietly to himself. "How's you?" you sweetly ask, politely including him. 

"I'm doing good, thank you," he smiles, crossing his leg towards you, getting more comfortable. " How are you?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good, thanks. Just a long day," you reply, leaning a little closer so he could hear you over the loud private conversations that filled the room.

Glancing over to the kitchen, out of the corner of your eye, you see Pietro make his way over with a bottle in hand, talking with Wanda. You discreetly follow his movements as you continue your conversation with Steve, peering over every thirty seconds, trying not to make your gaze obvious. 

"How did that house viewing go? That place in Brooklyn," you ask, speaking with genuine interest.

"I don't think it was the one for me. There'll be more, right?" Steve rhetorically asks with a wry smile, his beer bottle pressed under his chin.

Peeking over at Pietro, you see an expression you hadn't yet seen before, something bitter. He isn't usually the envious type, but when he notices you and Steve sitting so close together, with your legs crossed towards each other? That's when his mind starts to wander.

There was no reason for Pietro to be jealous as there's nothing going on between you and Steve. He's a generally sweet person to talk to, just all-around good company. But by the way, Pietro's eyes squint in focus told you he didn't quite understand that.

You watch him stealthily, secretly glancing over every time you take a sip from your bottle, waiting somewhat patiently for Pietro to say what was bothering him. He didn't have to speak in order for you to understand his displeasure, the envious expression on his face telling you multitudes.

"I'll be right back," Steve says, leaning closer at a friendly distance for you to hear him. "I've been summoned," he chuckles, excusing himself as he walks towards the kitchen. 

You scratch the side of your head, discreetly looking over to Pietro to see if he's still staring. To your surprise, he was gone. Searching around, you spot the back of him as he's about to leave the room.

You place your beer on the coffee table and subtly chase after him. "Pietro," you whisper, making your way down the corridor. "Pietro," you say again, slightly louder.

"Milovat," the familiar voice of Pietro calls. Following the sound, you see him leaning with his back against the wall, arms folded. "Wondering when you were gonna show up," he smirks, his gaze following you as you rest against the opposite wall. 

"You knew I'd follow you?" 

"Hm," he grins, nodding cutely. "Kinda counting on it. Why are you being so hard to get, draga?"

"Me?" you reply, your tone sounding offended. "No, that's you,"

"Nuh-uh," he says, his gaze fixed on you. "What's with all these games?"

"I'm not playing games, P. I don't-- I don't like games," you say sincerely, eyes softening. 

"With Steve back there," he points with his head, nodding backwards.

"We were just talking... he seemed sad," you speak sweetly, trying to reassure him. 

"Really?" he asks, his eyes sweetly widen as he straightens from the wall. "You're not just saying that?" slowly making his way over to you.

"Yeah, I mean it. I don't like him in that way," 

"Then who do you like?" he asks suggestively, standing a foot away. 

"Who do you like?" you tease, trying to coax him into answering first.

"You're so stubborn, draga," he grins as his hands reach for your face, cupping around your cheeks. He leans forward slightly, kissing the tip of your nose. Whispering. "You."

@ugh09876554444 @astermath @thewinterv @earth-elemental18 @lunnnix

[xianyoon]

EXTREME BIAS GAME : MAY 2024

꒰ message from ying ꒱

it's time to host ebg again !!! if you're new to ebg – you're most welcome to join us, we'd love to have you ! this event is open to anyone who enjoys genshin ( this will be a genshin centered event ! ) and mutuals and non-mutuals ( mdni blogs included – there'll be adults playing too ) ! if you're new to genshinblr, this would be a great way to interact with more people too :") i hope to see you in the signups list !!! signups will close once we get to around 25 people !!

sign-up form

on rules

the game will run from 03 to 10 may 2024 ! it will be hosted by me :)

participants are not allowed to interact with their original biases. their original biases do not exist to them during this game.

participants may reply to asks containing their original bias' name, but must not say it / describe the bias in any way.

players and non-players are allowed to sabotage each other. a list with everybody's original biases will be released !

sabotaging others who have the same bias as you is allowed , but you are not allowed to say the bias' name, or describe them in any way.

url changes are not necessary , but theme changes ( if it has your original bias ) are ! players are given 24 hours to change their themes if their original theme is of their original bias — before earning a strike .

players who lose the game will earn a forfeit ♡

non-players, i am counting on you to help me check on the players !!!!

on strikes

participants have 3 lives ! with each strike, one life dies. 3 strikes, and the player loses the game.

reblogging things with / directly responding to things that contain your original bias' / or their name will incur a strike. saying your bias' name / describing your bias will also incur a strike !

players are allowed to reblog the original bias list post at the start of the game. reblogging it midway through the game will earn you a strike bc it contains the name .

during this ebg, you can earn points by creating things about your assigned bias. ( eg. if my assigned bias is kaeya, and if i write something for kaeya (200+ words), i'll get 500 points! )

tag me (@xianyoon) when you create something! i'll assign you your points. each piece of work is standard with 500 points. use the tag #genshinblr may ebg 2024 so that i can track it better !

about points

500 points are awarded as a standard for each creation. for writing, it should be 200 words minimum, and for art, it should be lineart minimum. i do not accept doodles. for edits, it'll be at my discretion! each piece should have some effort put into it – not just created for the sake of earning points.

players can use their points from creations to strike people ! each strike costs 1000 points . each player is limited to one earnable strike each day . just send me an ask to strike someone !

players will be able to spend 2000 points to heal themselves as well ! the heals have no limit per day !

for 2000 points , players can redeem one hour to be free from ebg , starting from the period of time when i approve the redemption . the hour is consecutive and cannot be split up into different periods . this one hour can only be redeemed ONCE in the entirety of the whole game. if players start the hour without my knowledge, they will earn a strike.

[isa-ghost]

amfmn missa.. p please.. please mother … feed us

I'M BEING ENABLED PPOVERHEAT

He's an actual grim reaper. That's where he's disappeared to so often in canon, reaper duties. It's a very demanding job, you know.

Doesn't stop him from feeling terrible about being gone so often though. He misses his husband and kids and hates how often he's out of the loop :(

Fr though Phil and the kids make him so so happy after spending countless hours working such a sad job. It's also partially why he sings and makes art. That brand of fun is catharsis for the soul.

He has all his canon weapons but I ALSO gave him a reaper deathscythe. And boy is he gonna use it. Fucking AWOOGA MissaSinfonia when he's angry.

Btw as a reaper he can FEEL souls. He can see their power, their condition, feel the surface level emotions and personality of its owner. This will come in handy later in the fic. ;)

As per the post I made asking for Missa appreciation so I can characterize him properly: He's undyingly loyal, he fights hard and loves even harder, he's protective, silly, and goddamn can he flirt.

All his wet cat behavior is a result of getting too overwhelmed by The Horrors. He's seen A Lot as a reaper. But somehow Quesadilla Island and all its... Everything. Always manage to show him a new brand of What The Fuck he's never even imagined before. Hence all his screaming and weeping when he's caught up on what he's missed. Like how tf else is he supposed to react??

Somewhat attached to that, he and Phil rlly were a match made in Federation Heaven bc they both have issues with self-doubt despite being insanely skilled and sharp-witted. Missa is better abt it than Phil though. His only acts up when he messes up a lot or just. Doesn't have a clue how to handle a situation where it's dire that he does. It's more of an insecurity about being unprepared and failing his loved ones than it is a doubt he has skill. He KNOWS he does, he hates when it's not enough. That's how he differs from Phil, who thinks he has none at all.

Btw when you fuck with the people he's protective over, he gets PISSED. We're getting a LOT of pissed off Missa in AMFMN <3 Ofc there'll be a lot of reaper tears too, his husband is suffering and there's little he can do about it. :( But ohohoho when the sad turns into rage. BARK WOOF. Eventually he decides EK is catching these hands and scythe.

He also shakes hands with his husband on being a self-sacrificing little shit. And. Yeah this is gonna happen later in the fic. (He's not dying dw dw)

You have no idea how excited I am that I basically get to build his dynamics with Fit, Etoiles, and Bagi from scratch. I'm so hyped. People are welcome to reply with this with any crumbs we have of their dynamics in canon but afaik they've rarely interacted outside of very minor moments, so AMFMN will largely be a sandbox for me to establish what I THINK they'd be like. Which in my fic plan so far, is largely taking each character's personality and applying how I think they'd react to a situation, and how that would look when two of them are interacting in that situation. Ex: at one point Etoiles has to comfort Missa bc he's just having a ROUGH time with this saving Phil stuff. But Etoiles is NOT a comfort guy. So he does his Etoiles thing: hearing Missa out while also cracking his usual brand of jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood.

I also have a plot point planned with him and Bagi when shit is hitting the fan the hardest and OUUGHHH. That self-sacrificing shit am I right.

God I'm being so mean to him specifically in AMFMN though. Ender King is a sack of shit, he knows exactly who to harass most using Phil's body >:/

See in my AMFMN Fitza headcanons, I said they're each other's confidants. Which IS true. However, no one in the fic gets the honor of Phil FINALLY communicating with someone about his issues other than his husband. Missa is the person he caves and confesses things to. Missa gets the HC Deity lore and what's been happening to him lately. This is actually what Chapter 3 is :D

Also I am so sorry but I'm sliding a Missa Romantic Love Confession attempt into the fic and it gets interrupted by The Horrors. But yeah Missa is romantically in love with Phil, he just respects that Phil sees things platonically. He still wants to communicate his feelings though.

[mekkatoniks]

Alright y'all, first Sunnyblr post but this one is real important to me because it includes both something that is threatening TO ME as a writer and also something I see as mischaracterization which is something I despise. My apologies if I can't put this together in a better way, I feel real anxious right now lmao. You may have seen the clip, maybe two, of Glenn talking about AI. This has caused a major reaction, originally down on Twitter (bcs. of course) and I guess I'm here to provide the whole thing, in writing.

First thing's first I wanna reassure you that Glenn did not use AI in the writers room. He views AI as a threat.

I watched the whole interview when it came out and here's the summary: He says he was personally surprised by the quality of the AI at writing jokes, some time after Matt expresses that he doesn't view ChatGPT/AI to be "good enough" to really interfere with writers (may have to check up on this wording). They did not use this material in the show. Charlie and Glenn did this only to test it. This follows by him saying he thinks we're gonna get to a point where eventually we'll have to accept the way things are going (at the point we're at already I think we can't really fight AI here, but put protections in place for writers against AI and its improper usage, so using it to solely generate ideas, using it as a replacement for writers as a whole, etc), that it's a tool people will have to learn to use, but that ultimately there'd still need to be at least one human in the room to curate it all because there's never really going to be a fully finished product (which isn't an endorsement of that type of heavy AI usage, seems more like an observation and that AI will always still have limits).

Jay continues from this saying that even if it does create a fully finished product, there'll still be the appetite for people to tell stories to other people, and that for every big shift it stays the same. Jay is also in agreement that it'd be a tool but that it isn't something to be scared of, just more aware of; he doesn't view it as a threat. Glenn replies that he does view it as a threat and continues to talk cynically about it, saying we could be close to having just one guy and then your writers room is entirely chatbots (this is not spoken as a good thing obviously. It's kinda comedic but there's truth in it especially for cynical people I suppose). Matt makes a joke about that being Glenn's dream and Glenn laughs about it (it was pretty fucking funny) and is like "i'm a bit misanthropic ur right lol". When Matt begins speaking again Glenn jumps in to say that he is not saying that it's a good thing, which is more likely to be in reference to AI as well. At the end of the question Jay says he stands with the WGA and Glenn agrees. That is all that is said in that portion of the interview. So I suppose the end point is... he doesn't support AI, certainly not to the extent some are making it seem.

I get major anxiety when it comes to things like this - as in, people reacting to something in a way that indicates they have misinterpreted or don't have the full thing or anything like this, it legitimately makes me feel sick. I can understand people's reactions at least because AI is a threat! That's why the WGA wants protections for writers from the improper usage of AI, because they've drawn similar conclusions and want to prevent it. Fuck, I'm a writer. I of all people would understand how this affects anything. But this specific situation is not one that really calls for the type of reaction it has received? It's gotten to a point where people have started attacking him for real petty reasons like appearance because of it. It's immature, unnecessary, and really just low.

If I've had the most uncritical thinking moment in the whole universe and you think there's something really wrong with the way I have viewed the situation, that I've been the one to misinterpret it, then please be civil about it. Or even if there's a point you want to just bring up. Due to issues I have, I avoid posting about a lot of things because I'm always focused on getting things right and the idea that I may be getting it wrong, in a space where people can see (and let's be honest there's always a chance of seeing the most vile shit in response and I feel anxious over it for days which is unhealthy), is distressing to me. But I'm slowly putting myself out there lol, I mostly just came here to give comfort to anyone or assuage much of their anxiety as possible. I do not at any point want to look like I'm dickriding but this is something I feel has truly been perceived wrong by a lot of people! I think the timing of everything, being asked that question and answering it during the strike, has definitely contributed to a lot of this and tension is high for a lot but I genuinely think Glenn's answer as well as Jay's were nuanced for the time they had to answer it (they can't go on too long) and I appreciate that. Thank you for reading!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

My Tumblr Blogs

Ahem, if you ever wanted to find me (Meig) on other places on this site, here's an updated guide (I just added a new blog so)

this one, @a-dinosaur-a-day: for paleontology and ornithology fun. plus some miscellany bc this blog has the most followers by a huge margin. other people are authors on this blog, but they'll use a sign off to indicate they aren't me

@jewish-kulindadromeus: my Jewish blog. also has social justice stuff.

@zygodactylus: my dumping ground. where basically everything I like goes. also personal rants.

@anachronornis: my account blog, which I don't use very much. I just kind of keep my cute bird pictures there so they're in one place. but this is where I reply from.

and now, new and shiny, I have @punk-kulindadromeus, for music posting. basically where I'm gonna dump songs I like. and maybe songs I write. but definitely the first one. mostly punk and alternative, but there'll be some other stuff (I like a lot of Jewish music, for example).

so yeah! there you go!

[angelcake-69]

My first REAL post here...

And it's a fanfic...

And an xreader one at that...

Fanfic starts here ↓↓↓

A Kuroo x reader story where me(Casey), my best friend (Cheyenne), and you! (Y/n) are in tha world of haikyuu!! You and Kuroo meet when you convince us to become managers with you (bc ur shy🤭) and you fall in love... (From your perspective obvi)

Chapter 1) We're at Nekoma! :D

[Part 2] [Part 3]

Y/ns P.o.v

It was the second week of highschool, Me and my friends, Casey and Cheyenne, are first years. We were walking down the hallway as the teachers were reminding us and all of the other first years that we had to join a club. I sigh.

"Guys we should probably try to look for a club to join." I said before I turned to look at a bulletin board with club names.

"Yeah I guess so." Casey replied as Cheyenne nodded. We looked at the bulletin board together for a bit before I saw a flyer for the boys volleyball team manager.

"Hey guys! Check this out." I said as I pointed to the flyer. "We can be managers, all we have to do is pass out water bottles and help them with their moves, it'll be easy." I explained excitedly to them.

"Hmm... yeah okay." Casey reluctantly agreed.

"Yes please! 12 boys in short shorts? Count me in!" Cheyenne said.

We got some applications to fill out later before we headed to our

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•Timeskip ~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

At the end of the day we headed to the gym feeling a bit more nervous than we did before, and as we walked in we narrowly dodged a stray ball before the coach noticed us.

"Oh hello girls, what're you doin' here? The girls volleyball tryouts are in the other gym." He said.

"Oh we're not here for tryouts." I say before I hand him our application sheets. "We'd like to become managers for the team." I smiled politely as he takes the papers from me.

"Ah I see.. well since you ladies are already here why don't you stay and watch the tryouts." He said happily. We nodded and went to sit on a bench.

"I hope we make the team.. I mean I hope we can become the managers!"  I say to the others.

"Me too!" Cheyenne replied.

"You just wanna stare at the guys." Casey said.

"And? So what?" Cheyenne replied.

I giggled at them and I went back to watching the tryouts. Everyone here was so good, probably better than I'll ever be, it was fun watching them. They kept glancing at us, probably wondering what we're doing here. I kept looking around at the different guys there. There was quite a lot, I had a feeling most of the guys wouldn't make the team since most of them sucked. I continued looking around before a stray ball hit me, hard. I fell over with a quiet 'oof' Thats when a guy came over to help me, he was tall and tan with black eyes and matching black hair. I looked away, blushing in embarrassment.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he snickered.

I dusted myself off and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I said annoyed. I awkwardly walked back to my friends, still embarrassed about the situation.

"Someone's got a crush~" Casey teased.

I scoffed. "I do not have a crush on him. I barely know that guy!" I said, annoyed with their teasing.

"We saw you blushing~" Cheyenne said.

"I was embarrassed! I probably looked so stupid getting hit and falling over!" I said as my blush slowly came back.

"Yeah right~" Casey said.

"Ugh, I don't have a crush on him!" I quietly shouted at them.

"Mmmhmmm." They hummed in unison, unconvinced with my words.

"You guys are so stupid." I rolled my eyes before I smiled. "Hey I just remembered about the festival coming up! Are you guys still wanting to come with me? I bet it'll be so much fun!" I said, forgetting about their teasing.

"Yeah, duh. Of course we're coming!" Casey said and Cheyenne nodded.

"Yeah! We wouldn't miss it for anything!" She said.

I smiled happily. "Perfect! We should get matching outfits!" I said and they agreed. We continued talking about our plans for the festival as we watched the tryouts and we occasionally made jokes at the expense of the guys.

Hope you liked!! There'll be more to come!!

I also have this fanfic on Ao3, wattpad, and quotev!! ♡♡

[jaskierx]

little pre-warning for suicide (i'm fine though!!)

sorry if this isn't articulated very well but like. i got into ofmd only last october when season 2 was airing and i still remember it's bc i got a clip on tiktok of the "is that blackbeard?" "no, i'm blackbeard" scene which is SUCH a good fucking hook btw. and before watching it i kind of actually hated it LOL like people do with anything that's popular and Everywhere it just oversaturates sometimes. and it made me feel kind of silly to go back on my own opinion but i didn't even really dwell on that bc me getting into it also happened to coincide with a failed suicide attempt (that kind of funnily also included a gun that misfired like in-show lol). and like i was pretty understandably all over the place, but generally still in the "i want to live" moment that happens right after you nearly properly die. and the thing about suicide recovery is that you don't actually want to recover. so it was a really up and down left and right kind of situation and you're left feeling kind of like a puppet with no strings that's also been thrown into the ocean or something.

but then i liked this show that was funny and silly and i also got to see trans and gay people existing happily and normally which isn't necessarily NEW but it did feel really cool and unique to be able to go Oh and this is the moment where they would usually leave it to subtext and then they actually KISS and it's like woahhhh. i didn't know they could do that... and then as i was still processing what was happening with my own life and like mortality i got to see this character go through the exact same thing and come out on the other side of it ENTIRELY by himself and experience love and self determination and actualisation and i'm not saying it made me want to do it myself but it did feel like a really personal thing for me (hence anon also lol).

and for the few weeks it was coming out i got to sit there and think about how he was doing and it gave me another reason to not do something again. like i am so definitely not the only one who can say "this show saved my life" but honestly it literally did. like there's that thing when you're suicidal where the things that you're sticking around for are the only things you've got so they're as important as anything even if it's like... going to a concert the following week or something. or getting a burger. and i really honestly stuck around just to love this show and my cat.

it's been a few months now ofc and it still sucks and i'm not better or anything but being able to indulge in something fun for fun's sake is the biggest source of joy in my life and tbh it's not gonna go away just because there's going to be no season 3. when i'm feeling too much of particularly anything i have a handy little balm which i know everyone feels but still. a little gifset of ed always makes me feel better if i'm freaking out so it's cool i don't care if it's a bit lame. i'm a bit sad for season 3 and everyone being sad is also making me sadder but i still have a lot of love left so ah. it'll be fine :)

if anything i hope this inspires people to have a little boom in the numbers re: content now that we know there'll be no canon to possibly diverge from and we can make up our OWN season 3 ‼️ which will be fun :)

hi anon sorry i didn't reply to this yesterday i wanted to sit and think about what to say

and then i didn't really come up with anything lmao other than you're right and i love you and i love this show and it's so incredibly important to me and so groundbreaking in so many ways and has made me feel seen in a way that no other piece of media ever has. the queer rep is groundbreaking. the portrayal of ed's suicidality moved me beyond words. there are dozens of other people sharing stories about how ofmd helped them to come out or meet their partner or start transitioning or quit something that was making them unhappy. i watched s2 at a time while i was really struggling with post-covid symptoms. i've met so many incredible people through this fandom. i think about the show dozens of times a day. the show brought me so much joy and they can't take that away

they can't ever take away how special it was and how much it's changed people's lives

i'm very excited to see what the amazing fic writers in this fandom are going to give us in place of s3. i just wish we could've had the rest of the story david wanted to tell

[yakool-foolio]

Yeah I posted that bc there where some Xeets asking for “That one Rain Code video” but no replies.

(In reference to this ask)

Oh god is that what people using Twitter are being called now?

That aside, it makes sense why trends exclusively involving Rain Code might not pick up steam for a while. There's the more apparent factor that it's niche so not many people may see it and interact with it. Something else that's worth considering is that since the game is still pretty new, being only about half a year old, it's status hasn't really sunken into 'memeable' territory yet. Sure, a lotta people make silly textposts and videos that use different meme formats, but there haven't been any big running jokes that the community has formed as of current day. We don't have a 11037 or an Octagon or a seesaw effect making the rounds. Rain Code can be pretty ridiculous, but none of the crazier and sillier moments have evolved into the community's inside jokes. Maybe in time there'll be a quote from the game that takes the internet by storm, but for now we're just in our cozy little corner of the web. It's either a good thing or an inconsequential thing.

[tojikai]

this is not related to any of your work but i'll leave my parents' house and start living in a dorm soon. it will be my first year of university and i can't help but feel scared, it makes me so anxious since i'm a very closed off person. other thing that makes me nervous is the future, i'm so scared that it'll just be worthless and thinking about not making my family proud makes me even more terrified. they don't really say anything about it but i know i'm not the smartest nor the best daughter. i wanted them to feel proud while talking about me but i already feel like i failed that because my major isn't something like medicine or engineering. i don't know what to do with these feelings so i just wanted to vent. i hope everything goes well for you and i love reading your work, they bring me some kind of peace.

it can be hard to socialize when u're a closed off person, especially in uni. connections are important. but when u're already there, u wont even notice that u already learned to work with others. as for the course u picked, for me there are 2 important things to consider: what u love to do and what u're good at doing. that way, u get a high chance of succeeding in it !! it shouldn't matter if it's not medicine, engineering or architecture. bc at the end of the day, u're the only one who will live that life, the only one who will work that job and the only one who'll go through each and everyday doing it. if u dont do what u love, there'll be a high possibility that u're gonna get tired in the middle of the process and when u do, u might end up dropping it or discontinuing. and that is when the disappointment from parents might come. it doesn't sound good but that can happen. college is a big decision, bc it can decide ur future. be sure to walk a path where you will enjoy even i the middle of challenges <33 sending love and good luck to you !! sorry this reply took a long time but i hope it helps 😭

[earlydew]

family death cw //

update. i lost the most important person in my life earlier this week and i spent the last few days with my family, grieving and mourning the loss with them. it's all still very new and hard and real, but i think, i'm actually ready to face things fully and try to move forward ?? do things that give me joy and make me feel full without feeling so terribly guilty about it. i feel like that's what my mom would want anyway <3

this is to say i'm planning on easing my way back into writing here again and would love some new stuff! i will still be attempting to make a dent in everything i owe, but i think i need some new stuff to gain some momentum ?? nothing too distracting that takes my mind completely off off the things that have been going on irl, but i'm down for some light plotting, hc or just winging stuff!

so please send in memes, reply to my opens or like my permanent starter call if you'd like especially if we currently don't have anything going bc i'm thinking of doing another cleaning spree soon! ( also please softblock if you don't intend to interact. i promise there'll be no hard feelings, but staying mutuals w people who've never shown interest to interact ic or ooc makes me feel super anxious and makes me not wanna be here )

that is all! i'll work on the memes sitting in my inbox after i shower

[javaghoul]

choujin x anon here! 🫡

i def get what you mean about it starting slow, i also felt the same and kept trying to compare it to tokyo ghoul in my mind 😔✊ once the pace picks up tho, i started enjoying it a lot more! the plot is more confusing imo, at least currently (take this with a grain of salt, bc i may just be stupid 😭), but it's still engaging! i definitely wouldn't say it's as good as tokyo ghoul, but i still think it has the potential to be really amazing! the characters are great and the art is absolutely amazing (i mean, it's ishida after all 😩🙌) so im still loving it even tho it doesn't quite match up to TG so far in my opinion

and i think there's quite a few similarities between eto and one of the characters! (not sure if u want me to tell u who, i don't wanna accidentally spoil anything), but i haven't seen anyone post about it so it might just be me who thinks this..... 💀 imo both characters share similar struggles, they're both in a gray area in terms of morals as seen by others, and their aesthetics absolutely SLAP in a very similar chaotic way 😩🙌

i'm not sure if i have a fave character yet (i'm a bit behind rn oops) but i'd prob say either tokio or sora? tokio is kind of pathetic but i relate to him a lot 😅 i also rlly like a lot of the side characters like nari and maiko!

if you end up reading more of it, i rlly hope you like it!! i like seeing ur thoughts on tokyo ghoul stuff, so i'm excited to see what you think of choujin x and it's characters if you end up reading more 😄

sorry for typing so much 😅 i hope you have a good night!! 😁

Anon, sorry it took so long to reply!

I bought volume 2&3 (and lots of other manga actually because why not? You're a bad influence 🤣). I still need to re-read volume 1 because I know I won't remember it, but as soon as I do: I'LL POST 💪

I started following the Choujin X tag on here, and it is bleak. Makes me feel a bit sad because it's such a drop from TG...like there'll be some beautiful fanart with zero notes. Maybe we can revive/kickstart it 😁

Thanks for leaving out spoilers! I'll get reading and see if I can spot the Eto. I did read on an old blog somewhere that there's a lot of sneaky TG references throughout Choujin X.

Oh I liked Tokio too! He seemed the most "normal" which ... Is kinda ironic considering lol. I wasn't keen on his speccy friend though. I remember thinking he was too perfect 🙄

Don't worry about writing too much (u didn't) and I'm not exactly known for being stingy with my word count 🤦‍♀️

[talokanda-forever]

While I agree with you in the news aspect of this whole thing, I'd like to point out that (and this is my opinion based on experience) this is the take they do on situations that start and develop on Twitter. You might read a media outlet talking about the topic, linking the tweet and then a second paragraph related to something about the people involved so they can get you to click on a different article (ie. Linking it back to the polemic over the rebozo). That's how they work bc usually there's not much money to be out and about investigating. They just want to publish first so they get the clicks and therefore money and a good SEO position. The people behind the news are probably having to meet a quota of about 6-10 news per day so they also don't have the time to look into it. I see the treatment of this news is almost like another celebrity news (break ups, pregnancies, etc)

There isn't a tmz that's out with the information and talking with the people involved. I think, depending on what he does or says next, we might get the TV involved and trying to get a quote from the people involved and that's the most investigation there'll be, unless it escalates if more women come forward. Maybe other news outlets will pick up on it bc he's worked in marvel. I'm not sure international folks will get involved, especially because there's a language barrier. I'm guessing they'll just wait to see what happens and report on what Mexican media outlets say....

Again I might be wrong but this is my experience. It's a heavy situation and it's world shattering for the fandom but when you think about a news outlet they have to prioritize and put the money on other news like politics, crime, etc, especially if they're just digital and not an extension of a TV channel or something like that.

In regards to the victim's portion of the post you wrote, sadly, she did say she was assaulted by him in the replies to that same tweet (https://twitter.com/_ElenaRios/status/1667439041451642882?s=19). She also posted again after those tweets accusing him of power and emotional abuse and called him a narcissist.

*sighs* it's a lot.

Idk if this is any help but I wanted to share what I knew in case it serves anyone.

Thanks so much for that detail. I've been on the fringes of the world involving "SEO", "clicks," and driving traffic to particular sites in a previous life but was never that deep into the technicalities. 🙂 What you've called out is precisely my point. I have a huge issue with the dissemination of information that is not properly vetted. And any organization that doesn't have the time or resources to do so should NOT be considered a reliable source. Yes, it is all about the clicks, and making money. And even if these outlets aren't explicitly stating they are news organizations, they are at the very least implying it by their branding and the way they package their messaging. So the general public sees something "news-ish" and there is some expectation that it is reliable info. The lines become more and more blurred everyday. My fear (which extends FAR beyond this situation with Tenoch) is that although we have access to more information than we've ever had, I don't think that's translating into us being a well-informed, or better-informed populous.