#and who genuinely likes her and her music

[teaboot]

Things you can do as a security guard instead of acting like a dickhead: a vent post disguised as advice

Offer alternatives: IE, “Sorry, nobody’s allowed to hang out over there, but we have seats over here you’re welcome to use”. I recommend getting familiar with local parks, public seating, free food programs, outreach, mobile aid, etc., just in case those are needed.

Be polite: IE, “Excuse me, sir”, “I beg your pardon, miss”. This should go without saying but everyone deserves dignity.

Avoid phrasing requests as orders: IE, “Don’t stand in front of that” VS “Excuse me, could you move a bit to the side?”. This works best with an explanation, like, “There’s a sign behind you”, or, “you might get clipped by someone”. This helps communicate that you are asking for a reason, not just throwing your weight around. If you don’t have a reason, rethink whether or not you need to be doing anything.

Avoid directing blame or fault. Don’t say, “The owner says you gotta go” when you could say, “I’m not supposed to let people be here for X period” or “do X thing”. Again, try to have alternatives ready so people can use other resources or do something else instead of just abruptly changing plans.

Come from a place of compassion whenever you can. People are gonna tell you to get rid of the crazy screaming guy. They say that because they’re frightened and don’t know what to do. Your best approach is, “Hello sir”, followed by, “How are you today?”, “how’s it going?”, “are you doing alright?”, etc., depending on what the person is ACTUALLY doing / saying when you get there. You can offer help from there if needed, or leave them alone if they’re not in danger or a risk to anyone.

Remember you’re not a cop. This can mean whatever you need it to mean. For me personally, that means that with incredibly rare exception (like trying to sell to kids, contaminating other’s food or drink) I won’t report you for drugs. If I find you doing drugs on my site I’ll tell you a different place where you can do them instead and ask you to do them there. I have interrupted drug deals to ask the client and the salesman to both kindly move 15 feet to the left, I’m not kidding, I do not care.

Know who you can throw under the bus. Sometimes you gotta enforce rules and be the bad guy and if that’s the fault of some dipshit in a suit 200 miles away, you can say that. Sorry man, I can’t let you park your car on the lawn. I know you’re not hurting anyone and frankly I think lawn culture is stupid but there’s other parking stalls and if my boss sees you I’ll get a write-up for not doing my job. Shit sucks sometimes but if it wasn’t me telling you it’d be the new guy, and between you and me he’s an idiot and he’ll probably just report you to bylaw.

Don’t just act like you’re their friend, genuinely try to be a good friend. If you know that someone is doing something that will only result in a bystander phoning police, don’t let them go down like that. Let them know, “hey man, you seem like you’re having a shit time and I get it, I’ll do what I can, but we gotta have this conversation somewhere else ‘cause we’re freaking out the old ladies.”

Swallow your tongue. You can’t fix the world. People are gonna bitch at you about communists and 5G and gangster rap ruining the neighbourhood, that’s just part of the deal. Nod along, remain neutral, shut down any hate speech, redirect if you can, and keep a limit in mind where you’ll have to shut things down.

Accept that sometimes there are no solutions. Yes, that angry guy who blasts music will be back tomorrow. That homeless woman who asks you to help her find her dog that she hasn’t had in 30 years will ask again, and yes, you’re still going to take a description and promise to keep an eye out. That kid who smokes crack behind the building has been clean for a few weeks and still stops by to say hi, and you hope he’ll get his life together and be happy, but he also might relapse and OD before he hits 25. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can, even if nothing is guaranteed.

Be kind to teenagers. Being a kid is hard, and everyone’s on their ass all the damn time for everything.

Remember that the vast majority of bad people aren’t bad, just unhappy. The guy who keeps showing up drunk and puking on the carpet is unhappy. The lady who bitches about the service every single time and keeps coming back anyway is unhappy. The guy who leaves trash everywhere is probably unhappy. If they were happy, maybe they’d do better, but they’re not, and that’s kinda sad. You don’t have to let them get away with their shit, but they probably aren’t actually a worthless human being either.

It doesn’t matter if 12 is true or not. You need to believe it or you will become a harsh and bitter person. Look for evidence that people are not terrible and invent it if you have to

Don’t let yourself become a bastard

[deathofacupid]

BUTTERFLY EFFECT ୨ৎ track one : damage control.

racing grounds — series m.list. ᡣ𐭩 ferrari-racer!gojo x redbull-racer!sukuna x redbull-manager!reader. warnings — sukuna being remotely nasty, gojo being a narcissistic freak - they're practically the same, except one has anger issues, and the other takes it up the ass. cursing, allusions to sex. threats. reader gets called "babe." let me know if i missed anything! (呪術廻戦) : note — chapter one, and i'm locked in. 1.4k+ words.

"alright," you say, smoothing out the silken fabric of your dress. you watch the limousine, a sleek black beast, disappear around the corner, then turn your attention back to sukuna.

you're standing outside the grand, brightly lit party hall, the faint classical music already vibrating through the pavement beneath your feet, alongside him.

adjusting his tie, which seemed to have an inherent desire to strangle him, you look up to meet his eyes. "remember anything i said?"

his answer is curt, a single syllable of defiance; "no."

well, at least he's consistently honest, even if that honesty was infuriating.

"alright," you sigh, the weariness settling deep in your bones. "ferrari's going to be in there, okay? and a few other people who… well, let’s just say they have a history with you."

a grunt, a non-committal sound that did little to reassure you.

"that means no picking fights, no throwing hands. if they play mean, don't indulge. be the bigger person. i don't want a repeat of last time," you warn, your voice laced with a stern edge.

oh, god, just the mere mention of last time was enough to shave off another five years off your already stressed-out life. the chaos, the broken furniture, the… you’d rather not relive it.

"oh, c'mon," sukuna groans, his voice a low rumble of annoyance. "last time wasn't even my fault. they started it."

"no one mistakes 'dapper' for 'diaper'," you mutter, pointedly ignoring the faint pink that crept up his neck and warmed his cheeks.

"whatever." he rolls his eyes, a dramatic flourish that seemed to say he was the victim of some great injustice, and immediately went to loosen the tie you had just painstakingly tightened.

"behave," you scold, swatting his hand away with a sharp, decisive motion. "you're not a baby."

he's got that infuriating shit-eating grin on his face, the one that always made you suspect he was plotting something. "or, what? you'll punish me?"

you click your tongue, a sound of exasperation. "i'm serious, sukuna."

"so am i," he replies, his grin widening, making you doubt his sincerity.

"sukuna."

"alright, alright," he concedes, though his eyes held a mischievous glint that suggested he was far from reformed.

you glance at his hair, previously styled with gel into a sleek, sophisticated look, now unkempt and tousled.

"stop touching it," you add, glaring at the way he tugs his hand through it, effectively dismantling your efforts. "you look like you wrestled a badger, and somehow lost."

"ready?" you asked, turning away from him, the question more a weary exhale than a genuine inquiry.

"you sound like you're asking yourself, more than me," sukuna retorted, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement.

"be quiet. let's go." you pushed open the heavy, ornate doors leading into the grand hall, a wave of noise and flashing lights hitting you. reporters swarmed, their eyes immediately snapping to sukuna’s vibrant pink hair. you held your breath, scanning for any signs of imminent chaos.

his record, if you remembered correctly, was five minutes. five minutes before he'd launched into a tirade that involved at least three expletives and a threat to "rearrange someone's face." today, you were aiming for a new record: peace.

"mr. sukuna, how are you feeling about the upcoming race?" a woman, her face framed by a meticulously styled bob, asked, her microphone thrust forward.

"gonna fucking beat their asses," sukuna growled, his voice a low rumble.

you forced a strained laugh, leaning into the nearest camera. "yes, uh, he's feeling rather confident. they've all been training hard, so…"

a man with a receding hairline, his tie askew, pushed past the woman. "with gojo constantly stirring the pot, keeping up to date on the beef—"

"not beef," you interjected, your smile strained but polite. "it's all in good companionship."

he ignored you, his eyes fixed on sukuna. you wondered if your intervention had been a waste of breath. you’d seen enough of their practice runs to know the intense rivalry was more than just “companionship.”

"keeping up to date on the beef," he repeated, "do you have any words for him?"

"i'm not a pussy. he's here, ain't he? i'll tell him to his face."

your eyes widened. the reporter, sensing blood in the water, pressed on. "well, tell the viewers, too. don't want to leave them in the dark, right?"

sukuna paused, his lips parting. you quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him aside. "thank you, but that's all he'll be answering for now."

you dragged him to a relatively quiet alcove, your eyes narrowed. "hey, by any chance, do you remember the conversation we had, what? ten minutes ago? about behaving?"

"sure, and i said i would, if you made me. so, why don't you save us the time, and we get—" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"sukuna," you said, your voice eerily calm, "this is a thirty-story building with a roof. do not test me, because i will throw you off the top."

"ooh, don't tease. you know i like them feisty."

"sukuna."

he huffed, a petulant whine escaping him. "fine."

"i need a drink," you muttered, rubbing your temples. "if i leave you alone for five seconds, will you get into a bar fight?"

he shrugged. "depends."

you were exasperated. "on what?"

again, he shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips.

"stay. or. else." you pointed a finger at him, the threat clear.

"keep talkin' dirty."

you made a face. "ew." crossing your fingers, you left him behind, heading towards the nearest bar setup. anything, really, to calm your frayed nerves.

gojo and sukuna in the same room together was a recipe for disaster. all you had to do was make it through one night, and then you'd be good.

well, until the next public relations event. but, you'd jump off that bridge when you got there.

maybe, you needed a hobby. no, that was wishful thinking. as if you had time for one. your entire world revolved around the red bull team, and keeping them in check.

you pinched the bridge of your nose, trying to will the migraine away. you didn't need kids, not really.

not when you had sukuna, that toddler in a finely tailored suit.

you practically flagged down a waiter, eagerly grabbing a sparkling water off their tray. your phone buzzed in your purse, and you assumed it was your boss, checking in on the chaos.

drink in one hand, you reached for your device, but—

thud.

your phone went flying, and your drink hit the polished floor, splashing the person in front of you.

your face heated up, and you were quick to respond. so much for sukuna being the only problem. "oh, my god, i'm so sorry! i really wasn't watching where—"

getting up from picking up your phone, they said, "aw, don't fret, babe."

your embarrassment morphed into annoyance. it was a voice you didn't have to look up to recognize.

you took a half-step back, grabbing tissues from a passing waitress. "gojo," you greeted, dryly. "my apologies."

he pouted, flashing his oh-so-charming signature grin. charming to everyone but you. "hey, now, where'd all the groveling go?"

you pressed the napkin to the damp spot on his custom tuxedo. the cold liquid seeped through his expensive fabric, a dark stain spreading across the pristine white.

you rolled your eyes at him, too agitated to be sincere. "sorry about the mess."

"you don't seem too sorry. ah, well, maybe you'd rather show than tell?" he asked, teasing.

you inhaled sharply. "not here!"

"not here? how about a nice hotel?"

one thing about both gojo and sukuna? they loved testing your patience.

"quit that! somebody might hear us."

"you never worry about that when—"

you cleared your throat, loudly, as a couple passed by. "stop acting like we're a thing. it was once. and, i don't even remember it."

you'd yet to decide whether that was a good thing or not, actually. that was the black-out part of black-out drunk. maybe not having those memories ingrained into your brain did you some good.

"well, if you ever want to relive it…" he trailed off, smiling.

"why would i ever want to?"

he laughed, boisterous. "alright, babe. your call. literally." gojo handed you your phone, and you squinted at the screen, which had his number added as a new contact.

"how—?"

"you dropped it unlocked. lucky me," he sing-songed, and you snatched it back, turning on your heel.

you only got a couple of steps forward, lowering your voice as you called back, "if i had any sanity, you know i'd delete it."

sukuna caught up with you after a few minutes, and you sighed, looking over at him. "you good?" he asked.

"never better," you exhaled, clicking your tongue.

your phone buzzed with a new notification, and you made sure you weren't obstructing anyone's path as you checked it.

well, i'm pretty good at driving you crazy.

series taglist (11/50): @jeonwiixard, @paradisestarfishh, @seizecherry, @shinycrybaby, @n1vi, @gojosoups, @poopooindamouf, @susususukanana, @sukubusss, @beereadzzz, @mia-can-yap-too. ask/comment to be added!

[deerspherestudios]

THEORY!!

i have had this theory for a while now , but i feel like MO is based on the sleeping beauty. how so? 1.) Mychael's three hens parallels with the three faeries in the sleeping beauty 2.) Menu screen theme but thats more obvious lolol 3.) The princess in the sleeping beauty was cursed to prick her finger on a spindle's needle , when it was time for the curse to take it's action she was almost in a state of hypnosis[?] and walked up to the spindle wheel to prick her needle. NOW mc in MO is sort of hypnotized too because we see on day 3 how mc [sort of] willingly walked upto a mushroom ring [if your choices lead to that] and attempts to touch it. i think i've connected the dots..... /silly 4.) this might be a little farfetched but mychael watches us sleep.... sleep... sleeping.... sleeping beauty,,,,, honk mimimimi.... 5.) Maleficent cursed aurora because she was considered an 'outsider' and wasn't invited and welcomed to the grand celebration. guess who else is the 'outsider' [sort of]? MYCHAEL!! humans do not welcome him well! 6.) the forest themes... yummy.... i loved the aurora living in a cabin in woods parts of the movie... who else lives in a cabin in woods? you guessed it!! mychael!! 7.) my memory is hazy but i think one of hen's name is a direct reference to the sleeping beauty... primrose was aurora's name when she had to hide her identity as a civilian. thats what i think so far... i might've not worded some of it correctly but i hope this made sense! i really really reallyyyyyyy enjoy MO<3 thank you for sharing this piece of art with us :DDD have a lovely day i hope this ask finds you and doesn't get consumed by tumblr algorithm TnT <333

,,,I'm actually stunned speechless because hey? I kinda see it,,,?

I can debunk it wasn't based on Sleeping Beauty but I commend you for connecting dots I didn't even realize I'd made haha! It's just incredible coincidence you were able to find pretty decent comparisons here.

I don't usually add much to theory posts because that's the fun of theorizing but enjoy me yapping below if you'd like!

Of everything above, the only thing I can confirm is

4.) this might be a little farfetched but mychael watches us sleep…. sleep… sleeping…. sleeping beauty,,,,, honk mimimimi….

is exactly what I was going for; since Mychael did indeed discover you while you were sleeping (ironically the one point you thought was farfetched haha) and that's what made me choose the main menu theme!

The reason it happened to be a music box version of Once Upon A Dream is because (get ready for Cheea lore here) I played an OFF fan-game titled UNKNOWN as a teen, and in it was a music box version of A Cruel Angel Thesis; it changed my brain chemistry about music box covers ever since. (I don't even watch the anime 😭!)

In fact, I almost used the music box version of Waltz in E-Major, Op. 15 Moon Waltz by Cojum Dip in Astronought's ending scene!

It's also a major part of the reason I gave Mychael a kalimba! I recommend looking up music box covers of songs you know if you enjoy the sound!! <3

Everything else was a coincidence!

Also just an extra tidbit for people who read this: when I was deciding Mychael's favorite Disney movie, it made me think how much he'd want to be Prince Phillip, (I mean genuinely the movie was never about Aurora it was about the fairies lmaoo but I digress) especially after the finale with him defeating Maleficent with the fairies' help.

He'd never consider himself a princely hero but he wishes he could be. And something about meeting your soulmate in the woods by accident really spoke to him.

[dodgeballstuckonthegymceiling]

This was just an excuse to write something with Mammon in it, not gonna lie.

If you like my work, please consider commissioning me or leaving a tip on Ko-fi (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

Beelzebub, Mammon and Alastor x fallen angle Reader

Beelzebub

★ She's thrilled to show you all the things you've been missing out on. On one of the first dates you have, she hosts a feast. "Let me show you what you've been missing!"" She teases. Piling your plate high with various foodstuffs. Encouraging you to indulge.

★ As much as she loves you, you're a little sheltered. Bee would invite you to her parties. Determined to show you a good time. If someone says anything about you being an angle or asks why you're in hell; she'd shut them down by grabbing your waist and saying, “This one’s with me!"

★ On quiet days off, she invites Bel over and you all have a selfcare day. She puts some lo-fi music on and pours the three of you drinks. Despite her love of parties, Bee knows how important relaxing is. You need your quiet time and she respects that.

Mammon

★ Despite how self-centered he is, he has a soft spot for you. Probably because of your endless patience with him. Anybody else would have left, growing frustrated with his inflated ego and selfishness. Patience is a virtue, after all.

★ He spoils you with things you would never use. Like an overpriced, extravagant, necklace or some shiny artifact of his you looked at once. Claiming that he "thought you would take decent care of it." But you know it's his special way of showing affection.

★ Sometimes you wonder why he keeps you around. It's because, to Mammon, you're a rare treasure. Something he wants to keep all to himself. "You’re an investment” he’d say with a smirk. Be happy because that's a genuine complement coming from him.

Alastor

★ He takes every opportunity to tease you about how pure you are. “My, my, how did someone like you end up in a place like this?” he’d ask you. Grinning at how you hold your tung. Determined to stay polite despite everything.

★ Alator invites you to have tea, as you actually have manners. And a bit of polite company is always appreciated in such a place. He asks you with a formal invitation written in calligraphy. Between sips of tea, he talks to you about current events, like a proper gentleman.

★ Every once in a while, Alastor intervenes when somebody who isn't as polite as him makes you uncomfortable. Seeing as you're too nice to speak up. “Now, now,” he sings out with a chilling smile, “let’s not forget our manners.”

[callmemonster68]

jealous | p.sh - sunghoon

Sunghoon getting jealous

paring: !sunghoon x fem!reader 18+

wc: 1,799

warnings: nsfw content, unprotected sex

The atmosphere was tense in Y/N’s apartment. The soft music played in the background, but the sound seemed to not reach the two of them. Sunghoon was leaning against the table, arms crossed, eyes sparkling with anger as he watched Y/N fiddling with their phone.

Sunghoon: (in a cold voice) Who was that guy?

Y/N looked up, clearly confused.

Y/N: Which guy? What face? What are you talking about, Sunghoon?

Sunghoon: (narrowing his eyes) The guy you were laughing and talking with today. I saw you two at the café before you met me.

Y/N: (sighing) Ah, Minho? He just came to ask about a project. It’s work-related, it has nothing to do with it.

Sunghoon let out a dry laugh, shaking his head.

Sunghoon: Ah, of course. And did you really need to laugh like that? That didn’t seem like ‘work stuff.’

Y/N: (raising their voice) Are you hearing what you’re saying? I was being polite! I’m not going to treat people badly just because you’re insecure!

The tension in the air increased, and Sunghoon’s face became even more closed off. He took a few steps towards her, his eyes burning with jealousy.

Sunghoon: (low and intense) Insecure? I know you, Y/N. I know the way you smile… and that smile wasn’t for him.

Y/N: (staring at him) Oh, so now you even know the meaning of my smiles? Congratulations, you are a fortune teller!

He took her by the wrist, but gently, enough to capture her attention. Their faces were close, their breaths mingled.

Sunghoon: (hoarse voice) Don’t test my patience, Y/N. You know I hate this feeling… Of someone looking at you as if they had the right.

Y/N: (challenging) And you think that gives you the right to act like a crazy possessive person? You don’t control me, Sunghoon.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The music played, increasing the tension between the two. Sunghoon let out a bitter laugh and ran his hand through his hair, clearly struggling against his own feelings.

Sunghoon: (almost whispering) I just… hate the idea of losing you, you know? It consumes me.

Y/N felt her heart race. Despite everything, she knew that Sunghoon’s words were genuine. He was lost in a whirlwind of emotions. She approached, gently touching his face.

Y/N: Sunghoon… you won’t lose me. But you need to trust me.

He held her hand to his face, his eyes fixed on hers. Then, without warning, he pulled her into an intense kiss, filled with all the repressed feelings.

Y/N: (whispering between his lips) This doesn’t solve anything…

Sunghoon: (with a crooked smile) No, but it’s a start.

He picked her up, his strong hands gripping her thighs as he carried her towards the bedroom. His eyes were fixed on hers, Sunghoon’s gaze was intense, almost fierce.

Sunghoon pushed the bedroom door with his foot, his expression revealing something between desire and desperation. He placed her on the bed carefully, but his movements were urgent, as if he feared she might escape.

Sunghoon: (softly, close to her ear) You are mine, Y/N. It always will be… I’ll do anything to have you all to myself.

The grave tone of his voice sent a shiver down Y/N’s spine. The weight of his words was palpable, laden with an obsession that both attracted and made her hesitate. He ran his fingers along the line of her face, as if he were etching every detail into his memory, before bringing his lips back to hers.

The kisses started intense, full of repressed passion, but soon became slower, deeper. Sunghoon explored every inch of her mouth, as if he wanted to claim every part of it. His hands traced paths along her waist, slowly climbing up her back, as he pulled her even closer.

Y/N closed her eyes, feeling the way he held her body, as if she were something precious, something he feared losing at any moment. But there was something more: an almost desperate need to prove how important she was.

Sunghoon: (with a hoarse voice, as his eyes slid over her) You don’t understand, Y/N. Just the thought of someone near you, looking at you… I lose control. You are everything to me.

Sunghoon: (hoarse voice, as he ran his fingers along her jawline) I need you, Y/N… more than anything else.

She felt her heart race with his words, the serious and sincere tone leaving her speechless. Before she could respond, he leaned in and kissed her again, but this time the kiss was different. It was deep, intense, as if he were trying to convey everything he felt — the love, the fear, the obsession.

Sunghoon began to slide his hands over her body, his agile fingers reaching the hem of her blouse. He lifted it slightly, his movements careful yet determined, as he removed the piece of clothing. His eyes fixed on her, admiring her as if she were a work of art.

Sunghoon: (softly, almost like a whisper to himself) You are so beautiful…

Y/N felt her cheeks burn with the intensity of his gaze, but she didn’t have much time to process it because he was soon leaning in again, kissing the space between her neck and shoulder, leaving a warm trail wherever his lips passed.

Meanwhile, she brought her hands to his chest, sliding her fingers over the shirt he was wearing. With a hesitant movement, she began to unbutton it, feeling the warmth of his skin under her fingers. He helped her, pulling the shirt off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor without ceremony.

The skin-to-skin contact made them both sigh. Sunghoon’s hands traced every curve of her body, as if he wanted to know every detail, every inch. He slid his fingers along her waist, stopping only to unbutton her pants and slowly remove them, his eyes never leaving hers.

Sunghoon: (in a low voice, while watching her) I need you to know… how much you are mine, how much I want you.

She felt a shiver run down her spine as he spoke, the sincerity and intensity in each word being almost palpable. Sunghoon was not just in love; he was completely consumed by her.

With care, he removed the rest of her clothes, his fingers brushing against her skin in an almost reverent manner. He was taking his time, as if each piece removed was a moment for him to appreciate even more what was before him.

When she tried to pull him closer, her lips searching for his, he stopped her, holding her wrists gently.

Sunghoon: (looking deeply into her eyes) No, Y/N. Today, I’m going to show you how much you mean to me. I don’t want to rush… I want you to feel everything.

His words made her swallow hard. There was something in his voice, something in his expression, that made her realize how vulnerable he was at that moment. This was not just desire; it was something deeper, almost desperate.

He kissed her again, but now his lips explored every part of her — the neck, the shoulders, the breasts. He lingered in each area, as if he wanted to leave his mark, as if he wanted her to remember that she was his.

When it was his turn to remove the rest of his own clothes, he did so calmly, his eyes fixed on hers, as if he wanted her to see everything he was willing to offer. As soon as the last pieces were discarded, he approached again, the heat of their bodies now without barriers.

He leaned over her, their fingers intertwining as he looked at her with a mixture of adoration and intensity.

Sunghoon: (whispering) You are everything I need, Y/N. Everything I will always need.

He trailed his lips down Y/N’s neck, leaving a path of slow, hot kisses while his hands explored her body with reverence. Each touch seemed to carry a silent message: “You are mine.” Only mine.“

Sunghoon: (whispering against her skin) You are so perfect… I have no idea what I did to deserve you..

When their bodies finally united, there was a moment of pure stillness. Sunghoon closed his eyes, as if he were completely absorbing the sensation, while Y/N arched their body under his, a sigh escaping their lips.

Sunghoon: (with a hoarse voice, looking into her eyes) You have no idea what you do to me, Y/N. How much I love you… how much I want you.

Each of his movements was deliberate, full of care, but at the same time intense. He held her hands above her head, intertwining his fingers with hers, as if he wanted to keep her even closer. His eyes never left hers for a second, as if he wanted to make sure she felt everything he was feeling at that moment.

Y/N: (whispering between sighs) Sunghoon… I am yours. Always have been.

Her words seemed to ignite something in him. He leaned in to kiss her again, the kiss deep and full of passion. Each touch, each movement seemed like a declaration — he wanted to show her, without a shadow of a doubt, how important she was.

The rhythm between them gradually increased, both of them getting lost in the connection they shared. Sunghoon whispered fragmented words against her lips, praising her, saying how much he loved her, how beautiful she was, and how much he needed her.

When the final moment approached, they could both feel the climax building like a wave that could not be contained. Their gazes met again, and they held on even tighter, as if the world could collapse around them and it wouldn’t matter.

Sunghoon: (almost out of breath) Stay with me, Y/N. Always…

And then, together, they reached the climax, their bodies trembling with the intensity of the moment. The room filled with a heavy silence, broken only by their irregular breathing. Sunghoon collapsed beside her, immediately pulling her into his arms, holding her as if she were his anchor.

He ran his fingers through her hair, still trying to catch his breath, while gently kissing her forehead.

Sunghoon: (softly, with a tired smile) I love you so much… You are everything to me.

Y/N nestled against him, feeling the warmth of his body and the weight of his words.

Y/N: (whispering) I love you too, Sunghoon. I will always be yours.

They remained like that, intertwined, allowing the comfortable silence to speak for them. In that moment, all insecurities, fears, and doubts seemed to have vanished, leaving only the certainty that they belonged to each other.

✿ If you don't reblog and comment, you can be sure I'll be showing up in your dreams tonight... and I won’t be as sweet as in the story ✿

[lsd-astronaut]

Random headcanons of the fellowship bc I'm bored (mix of modern & canon)

✨Frodo

Scares the shit out of people by staring them directly in the eye without blinking but if you looked inside his mind, it'd be a rotating PNG of a fish, he just dissociates a lot

Would absolutely steal stuff in Claire's. He's really good at it.

Doesn't smoke, yet he is the one who gets asked the most out of the four hobbits for a light.

He strikes me as a stomach problems & back pain girlie.

🌻Sam

He looks like a bread guy for me. I like bread.

Full on conversations with his plants. Mainly gossip about the Shire, and how dashing Mister Frodo was looking today, can you believe it?

The only hobbit with a driving license (Frodo can't bc of depression and dissociation; Merry got pulled over and got his license revoked for having weed in his car; Pippin is a minor).

🍁Merry

You know these videos where a girl (usually) records her partner while they're cuddling and he's so whiny and talking like a princess, and suddenly he sees the phone and forces his voice like three octaves lower? Yeah...

Narrates everything that everyone in the fellowship does during the journey like it's a nature documentary. Stopped pretty quickly after Moria.

The Walter White of Middle Earth if he could get away with it, let's be honest.

🌱Pippin

Had a phase where he ate anything he saw. Mainly stopped after Merry made him cry by teasing him that if he kept eating ants, they would eat him from inside out. He still munches on flowers when he's bored. Aragorn has given up on telling him to be careful in case one is poisonous, but Boromir suffers mini heart attacks daily.

Accidentally mansplains to everyone he knows but that's because he gets very excited with his hyperfixations! He has no idea why he doesn't have any luck in love, and Merry is like "dude shut the fuck up..."

Is like these children who will constantly ask "why" to their parents, and Boromir tries to be nice and genuine for him but he eventually gets tired. "But, why?" "Because I fucking said so!" "Okay... but why?"

I feel like he cries pretty easily about everything and anything. He is just very sensitive, and feels emotions really strongly.

🗡️Aragorn

Hates parties; when he is forced to attend one, he will sit in one corner and sip on his drink. Gets really drunk and texts Arwen. "How was the party, meleth nín?" "Me, yes."

Hyperfixates on the weirdest things like Pippin, but his autism shows in the most deadpan way possible so he just stands there like "i like swords" and will emotionlessly list you all the characteristics of your weapon of choice. If you looked inside his mind, you'd see he is REALLY excited. He just doesn't know how to show it.

🏹Legolas

For some reason, I feel like he'd know a super random skill? Like ventriloquism. Recreates the "hi my name is snapple" video with Gimli just to fuck with him.

Can actually whistle with a leaf, idk how he does this, but it's the only 'instrument' he can play (apart from his voice if you want to get nitpicky with me) lol this elf does not have a single musical bone.

⛏️Gimli

Crystal girlie. Gives Frodo an encyclopaedia on all the types of healing properties and characteristics of every kind of gem and stone.

Really good medical skills. The rest of the fellowship regularly forget his uncle is Oín, so they're dumbfounded when Gimli gives advice to Aragorn, who is the only one that isn't surprised and actually listens to him when patching up Frodo lmfao

🛡️Boromir

Talks like someone out of a Shakespeare play and is dumbfounded when everyone in the fellowship is like "sup bro"

Keeps a heart locket with a picture of Faramir he likes to show like a proud dad does with his kids' wallet photos. Faramir was horrified when he learned of this and stopped talking to him for a month

Took to the hobbits like a dad who says he doesn't want a dog and then they're inseparable. Says he doesn't have favourites but Merry and Pippin remind him of Faramir and him when they were kids.

[toomuchracket]

talking marriage (birthday party!matty x reader fluff)

i know we have The proposal fic already for them, but here's the decision to pop the question being made. 1.9k, fluffy as fuck, ft. girly being both a bridesmaid and a sabrina stan. enjoy! <3

one hand already fumbling in his pocket for his pack of camel blues, matty pushes the door open, wincing at the brightness of the afternoon sun. the cigarettes are ignored in favour of shielding his eyes with his hand; only once he's stumbled his way to the nearest parasol-covered picnic table does he reach for the pack again, lighting one with practiced ease and taking a long drag. he exhales, leaning back and letting the sun warm the nape of his neck, and smiles as he listens to the music thumping away indoors, punctuated by off-key singing (alexa's) and raucous laughter (yours, his favourite sound in the world).

halfway through matty's cigarette - and during the opening remarks of his mental debate on whether to light a second one - the music changes; the melody softens, from upbeat pop to melodic soul, and your laughter fades along with it. a slight wash of loneliness passes over your boyfriend when your voice stops being audible, and if your phone wasn't currently tucked safely in his inside pocket he'd doubtless send you a text asking for you to join him outside. luckily for him, though, you're nudging the door open with your hip within a couple of minutes, the smile on your face and your pale yellow bridesmaid dress both lighting up the smoking area more than the sunshine itself.

matty smiles in response. “hi, darling.”

“hi,” you lean down for a kiss, which matty eagerly returns, and place two glass bottles on the table. “thought you might want this.”

“thank you, sweetheart,” he takes a sip of the coke, watching as you smooth your dress down and take a seat opposite him. you rest your head on your hand, angling the straw in your own coke and sipping it with a sigh. “you flagging?”

“little bit. s'been a long day. but a good one, definitely,” you intertwine your fingers with matty’s, beaming beautifully when he lifts them to kiss the back of your hand. “have i told you how hot you look, by the way?”

“reckon you mentioned it a couple of times, yeah.”

“wouldn't hurt if i reiterated it once more, would it?”

“not at all.”

“good,” you wink, and matty has to actively fight the urge to kick his feet in excitement. “because it's genuinely all i've been able to think about the whole day, how hot my man is.”

he lets one foot scuff against the grass at that. your man. fuck, how he adores hearing those words from your lips. “can always count on you for the correct opinion, darling.”

you giggle, and his heart soars. “nah, how hot you are is a matter of fact, babe,” your free hand comes up to rest against his cheek; he leans into it, lazy-happy, sighing softly when you stroke the stubbled skin with your thumb. when you next speak, your voice is as tender as matty's ever heard it. “beautiful boy. i love you.”

matty kisses your palm, then leans in to do the same to your lips. it's quick, and it's soft, but the mutual adoration still shines through. “i love you too, gorgeous. especially in this dress.”

“really?” you fiddle with the shoulder strap, in a way that matty recognises as subtle self-consciousness; so subtle, in fact, that he'd put money on being the only person who knows you well enough to spot it. “wasn't really sure about the yellow on me, to be honest. but frankie loved it, and it's her big day, so…”

“nah, it looks amazing. honest,” matty smiles. “you look like sunshine. my little sunbeam.”

“that is the sappiest thing you've ever said.”

“and you fucking loved it. can't keep the smile off your face, can you?”

“shut up,” you mutter, doing your utmost to bite back the smile in question and failing miserably. your cheeks have reddened, too, and you pull your hand away from matty's to try and fan them back to normal. “god, i'm roasting.”

your boyfriend pats the bench beside him. “d'you want to sit next to me, then? get out of the sun?”

“i always want to sit next to you,” comes your reply as you make your way round, so casually sweet and yet so beautifully devastating to matty. he tugs you close when you sit down, dropping a kiss to the top of your head and smiling to himself at the way you just melt into him. “made me sad that i couldn't at the ceremony earlier.”

he hums in agreement. “surprised you managed to stay standing so long in those heels. and wrangle the ringbearer.”

“oh god, don't even,” you shake your head, grimacing as you recall having to scoop up the bride and groom's toddler to stop him careening back down the aisle in the middle of the ceremony. “i love jonah to bits, but that was too much responsibility for me.”

“makes sense it was you watching him, though, darling,” matty absentmindedly drops a kiss to your temple, a smile growing on his face at the memory of the little one snuggling into you. “what with you being his favourite aunt and all. no chance of him crying when you were holding him, was there?”

“christ, can you even imagine?” you shudder. “i'm even stressed about it in retrospect.”

“i know,” matty nods. “s'exactly why i don't want children in positions of importance at my wedding.”

he doesn't even realise what he's said until you twist away from him, leaning on the table and looking at him with a furrowed brow - an expression that would make him nervous if he didn't know you so well, if he couldn't spot the way your cheeks are twitching the exact way they do before you beam. “you've thought about your wedding?”

“well, yeah,” matty replies shyly, taking a long drink of coke as he thinks about what to say next. “haven't you?”

“yes, i have,” there's a cheeky glint in your eyes, and a dimple-revealing smirk on your lips; as much as matty thinks you look gorgeous like this, he's pretty sure at least some of the butterflies in his stomach are nervous ones. “got a couple of questions about yours, though, if i may.”

he braces himself. “go on.”

“firstly…”

god, that smirk. he's obsessed with you.

“...when you say you've thought about your wedding,” you continue, tilting your head. “do you mean that you've thought about it recently, or is it an i planned this when i was like twenty sort-of situation?”

matty clears his throat. “recently.”

“recently as in the last year, or…?”

he shakes his head, biting the inside of his cheek to stop a smirk of his own. “recently as in the last week.”

“oh,” you raise your eyebrows in genuine surprise, and your boyfriend decides to stop repressing his smile - yours stays put, too. “okay. so, when you were thinking about your wedding in the past seven days,” you rest your head on your hand, cheekily pressing your leg against matty's under the table. “were you picturing anyone specific as the bride?”

familiar visions of you in white fill his head, the same visions he has every night when you're curled into him in bed, fast asleep with a leg strewn over his and your face tucked into his chest. “yes, i was,” he nods. “it's the same person i picture every time.”

“and who is that person?”

matty sighs, but smiles as he shuffles closer to you, so close that your lips are almost touching. “you're really gonna make me say it?”

“mhmm,” you nod slowly. “tell me, please.”

“well, cos you asked so nicely,” your boyfriend leans in, past your lips, hands moving to rest on your lower back as he whispers in your ear. “it's you,” he kisses your neck, over and over, trailing a path back round to look at you - they're soft, but still enough to elicit a series of breathy moans from your lips and flush your cheeks. “it's only ever been you, my darling.”

“really?”

“aside from shannyn sossamon when i was like seventeen, yeah. i mean, nobody looks as good in white as you do,” matty laughs, a soft breathy thing that matches your own giggle, and presses his cola-flavoured lips to yours even more softly. “seriously, though, i love you more than anything, and i'd quite like it if we made this thing as permanent and official as we can. d'you like the sound of that, babe? marrying me?”

still half-kissing him, you murmur your reply; not for the first time in matty's life, the deliberate poignancy of your syntax almost makes him cry. “i do.”

yeah, he's buying you a ring tomorrow.

but first - he closes the millimetres-wide gap between you, smiling into you at the way you sigh happily and deepen the kiss. your thumb strokes the nape of matty's neck while your tongue lightly traces his lips, and even though the kiss is nowhere near as sexy as some of your other makeout sessions, it takes every bit of your boyfriend's self-control to remember you're in public and he can't actually lay you down on the tabletop and continue kissing down your body to the apex of your thighs.

as it turns out, he wouldn't get the chance even if he wanted to; when the now-familiar acoustic guitar intro starts blaring from inside the party, you gasp into the kiss, pulling away from matty with an expression of sheer joy. “oh my god! it's juno! can we-”

“yes, darling, we can go back inside,” matty rolls his eyes in faux-exasperation, but he can only maintain it for about a nanosecond before his smile returns - how could he not, when you're right in front of him, all post-kiss glow and beaming smile and eyes full of adoration for him? “god forbid you miss your favourite song.”

“don't be sarky, matthew.”

“m'not! i like it too, babe. mostly just when you sing along to it, though,” he helps you stand, smoothing down your dress and then promptly ruining his own handiwork by standing up and squeezing your ass; you make to protest, but your voice trails off when matty leans in to kiss your neck. “particularly enjoy the bit where you grab me and reiterate how fucking horny you are.”

you laugh, turning to face him again. “you're such a boy,” gently resting your hand on his cheek, you use it as leverage to pull yourself up to kiss him quickly again. “i love you very much, though.”

“i love you too,” matty kisses your nose, fighting the urge to coo at the adorable way you scrunch it up afterwards. “even when you're not using pop music to let me know how badly you want to fuck me.”

“and they said romance was dead,” you hum happily, kissing him a final time before leading him towards the door; you turn back to look at him before you open it, with a smile so beautiful it genuinely hurts matty's heart. “you know, you're gonna have to put up with me doing a full performance of this every time we hear it for the rest of our lives. it might be embarrassing. it might be annoying. it might be at the most inopportune time possible,” you giggle, and matty falls in love with you all over again. “d'you still want to marry me, in spite of that?”

he's never been more sure of an affirmative decision in his life.

[the-offside-rule]

Sam Winchester (Supernatural) - Deal with a Demon

Requested: yes

Prompt: Sam meets a cross road demon to make a deal and is given the opportunity of a lifetime

Warnings: mentions of blood, demon

The moon hung low in the sky, painting the abandoned crossroads in pale light. Sam Winchester paced, his boots crunching the gravel beneath his feet. Finally, he stopped, drew a deep breath, and opened the small tin in his hand. The contents? A mix of graveyard dirt, bone ash, and blood, all emptied into the center of the crossroads. As he finished the ritual, he took a step back, waiting.

And then she appeared.

She stepped out of the shadows with a sway in her hips, her gaze sharp and predatory as she looked Sam up and down. She was striking—dark eyes glinting with amusement, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Well, well." She purred, folding her arms over her chest. "I’ve never met a Winchester before. I’ve only heard of you." Sam shrugged, trying to keep his tone nonchalant despite the nerves crawling up his spine. "I hope I can live up to what you’ve heard."

The demon’s lips curled into a wider grin as she tilted her head. "Oh, I’m sure you’ll manage. Now-" She took a step closer, her heels clicking against the gravel. "What does one of the infamous Winchesters need from little old me?"

Sam exhaled through his nose, his jaw tightening. "I want to make a deal." Her brow arched with genuine curiosity. "A deal? You don’t strike me as the type to go handing over your soul so easily. I would’ve thought I would meet your brother first."

"It's not for me." He clarified, his tone earnest. "There’s a demon on the loose, one that’s too powerful for anyone to stop it, the colt is out of bullets, and-" He hesitated, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I’m out of options."

At this, the demon barked out a laugh, an almost musical sound that sent a chill up Sam’s spine. "I'm sorry. Sam Winchester, the anti-Christ prodigy, needs me to deal with a demon?" She grinned wickedly, leaning toward him. "What’s wrong, Sam? All out of miracles?" Sam rolled his eyes, though the corner of his mouth twitched. "I’m not the anti-Christ. I’m only human."

"See-" She teased, wagging her finger playfully. "There’s your problem. You Winchesters forget that little detail sometimes." Sam’s expression darkened, frustration etched into his features. "Are you going to help me or not?" She tapped her chin in mock consideration, her eyes dancing with mischief. "You’re lucky I’m in a generous mood tonight, Sam. I’ll help you." Sam blinked, surprise flickering across his face. "Just like that?"

"Well." She purred. "It’s not like you’re offering me much of a challenge here." She took a step closer, invading his space as her voice dropped into something silkier. "But… I’m curious. What do you think I should get in return?" Sam frowned, cautious. "Whatever you want." The demon’s grin widened as she pretended to think, her finger trailing absently over her bottom lip. Finally, her eyes locked on his, and she smiled sweetly, too sweetly. "I want to see you again, Sam. On better terms. Maybe next time, you’ll be asking me for something more useful."

Sam blinked, visibly caught off guard. "Wait… that’s it?" She shrugged nonchalantly, though her tone was firm. "Unless you want something else?" He looked at her in disbelief. "You're name for one. I'd like to know who I am dealing with."

"Well, that changes things then." She leaned in, her face just inches from his, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "If I tell you my name, you obviously need to kiss me to seal the deal, but instead of your soul, I would like you to make a promise to me that we’ll meet again—one way or another." Sam’s brows furrowed, clearly torn between confusion and suspicion. "You’re not asking for my soul?"

The demon chuckled, shaking her head. "Not today, Sammy. Take the deal, or don’t. Your call." Sam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked her in the eye, the weight of his decision hanging between them. "Name first." She smiled. "Well, who am I to deny a pretty boy such as yourself." She held her hand out, a smile on her face as he eyed her hand. "Y/n." He sighed, lifting his hand to take hers. "You have your deal, Y/n."

She grinned victoriously, slipping her hand into his. The handshake sent a jolt through Sam, cold and electric, before she pulled him closer. Her hand rested on his cheek as she leaned in, pressing her lips softly to his. It was a fleeting kiss, but enough to make Sam’s heart skip uncomfortably. She stepped back with a smug smile. "Well, nice to see the rumours are true." She said, wiping her thumb against her lower lip. "And what's that?" He asked. "You just kiss so well." A blade appeared in her hand, its dark surface glinting in the moonlight. She held it out to him, her eyes glinting with something unreadable. "This blade will kill anything, archangel, demon, you name it."

Sam took it carefully, staring at the weapon in awe. "Thanks. Thank you, so much." Y/n's expression softened slightly, though her smirk lingered. "I should be thanking you. But until next time, Sam Winchester." And with that, she disappeared into the night, leaving behind nothing but the faint scent of sulfur.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Sam walked into the motel room, the blade tucked safely under his jacket. Dean was sprawled on one of the beds, cleaning his gun when he looked up, immediately narrowing his eyes. "Where’d you get that?" Dean asked, nodding to the weapon. "Don’t worry about it." Sam muttered, setting the blade down on the table. Dean’s brow furrowed, a knowing look crossing his face. "You didn’t—" He sat up straighter, pointing a finger at his brother. "You didn’t summon a crossroad demon, did you?"

Sam sighed, rubbing his temple. “Dean—”

"Come on, man! You said you were going to grab some food!" Dean cut him off, his voice firm. "How long did they give you?" Sam hesitated before shaking his head. "It wasn’t like that. She didn’t ask for my soul." Dean stared at him incredulously. "What, was it her first day or something? She forget that part?"

"She didn’t want my soul." Sam repeated, his voice quieter. "She just…wanted to see me again." For a beat, Dean just stared at him, processing. Then, slowly, a grin crept onto his face. "Hold on; are you dating demons again, Sammy?" Sam groaned, dropping into the chair across from Dean and scowling. "I’m not dating her." Dean laughed, shaking his head as he leaned back against the headboard. "That’s a new one, man. Next thing I know, you’re gonna be bringing her home for dinner."

Sam shot him a glare, but Dean just chuckled again, clearly amused. "Well, you always had weird taste." Sam sighed, staring down at the blade on the table. "Let’s just focus on killing this demon first, okay?" Dean smirked, grabbing a beer from the nightstand. "Whatever you say, lover boy."

Sam groaned again, but he couldn’t help the faint tug of a smile as he thought about the crossroads demon and her parting words. Something told him this wouldn’t be the last time he saw her.

[mehiwilldoitlater]

(requested by @silenthopper)

The first time he saw you, Bulkhead never planned to get so wrapped up in you. Damn, he didn't even plan to walk in the park that night, but Sari insisted since there were some cool activities in Central Park. Of course she never mentioned something like a ballet representation and didn't even plan on seeing it.

The first thing that caught Bulkhead's attention was the structure, an open-air theater installed just at the side of the artificial lake, and, of course, the music. Bless his heart, he wasn't so invested in knowing every detail of earth, but he had enough to recognize something beautiful when he heard it. When he finally got his attention towards that structure, he saw a young man, armed with a crossbow, running in a forest made of fake trees, meeting another, dressing something that reminded him of those black birds that he saw sometimes here and there. Prowl had called them crow? He didn't know, but that man had a strange, ominous look. They moved strangely, but it wasn't a strange bad; they moved pretty! Like seeing some birds moving here and there on the concrete, it wasn't made up; it had a purpose.

Then the lights went off, and the forest scenery changed; now the bright and full moon reflected its entirety on a lake made of fabric and glitters. The ruins of an old structure were covered in fake vines and wildflowers. Then, something white appeared, something soft, light, and swift.

Your white tutu stood out on the dark scenography; the small crown on your head shone like a star in the cold space, alongside the diamonds on your gown and your small slipper.

His jaw dropped open, amazed by the scene.

He decided to stay and observe, near enough to see and hear the music but not too close to bother anyone; he just sat there, observing. Bee and Sari, of course, couldn't understand what was so interesting about some people in costumes that like to dance, but there was something captivating for Bulkhead, and that something was you.

Were you real? You seemed pretty real, but you look so…non-human. Up on those two small feet, your graceful movements on the wooden floor, your expression too was completely different. He couldn't describe it, but the only thing that he was able to come up with was beautiful; everything about you was beautiful.

"What is it?" he asked, concentrated but curious.

"Ah, the opera house does these shows every summer. It's ballet…"

"Ah…and…what are they doing?"

"Dancing, of course. It's a kind of dance; I would never do that, but some people like it."

"She seems scared of that man, the one with the black feathers…!

"Uuuuh… It's the Swan Lake, I guess. A girl is turned into a swan by a bad wizard, and a prince tries to save her."

He wasn't sure that he had understood the thing; what he knew was that the curious man with the black feathers was bad because you, the princess, who has the crown and it seems logical, were scared of him, while the other male was protecting you from him… So in the end, Sari's story seemed true!

He had stayed there, curious and fascinated by this curious activity that humans seemed to have created on their own. He wondered if Prowl was able to move like that; he was the most agile of the team after all, and so he stayed there, now curious to know how the story ended, while his group decided to head up to some more interesting activities.

At some point the story had come to an end; the music roared stronger than all the night, all the dancers on the stage, the bad man, the prince, and the princess. Previously, something bad had happened because the prince danced with another one in a black dress, and you seemed like you were crying. He tried to understand the integrity of everything until…. YOU JUMPED? He stood up, panicking, starting to run to where he thought you must have landed! BEHIND THE STAGE!

Poor Bulkhead, he hadn't thought that this was all part of the show like he had missed the finale! He was so genuinely concerned about your well-being that he completely forgot that everything was just fake!

Behind the theater, while the orchestra started to play again after the roar of the applause, you and your companion were slowly getting down from the mechanic scaffold after the last scene; Odette and Siegfried unite in eternity by love in death. You both were completely breathless, just like everyone around. The cheers covered the laugh and the screams from the dancers, everyone so helplessly enthusiastic for the good result of tonight's show.

"Everyone! Everyone!" The maestro tried to hide his happiness too, but he was clearly over the moon: "All of you have been GREAT! But the show is not over! We must end the"

"MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

Suddenly the sound of metal steps startled you all, and the presence of one of those Autobots suddenly changed the atmosphere of the crew.

"Where's she?! Is she okay?!" He started to look around, everywhere! The maestro tried to stop the frantic searching of the bot.

"W-wha-whaT-STOP! Hey hey hey QUIT THIS!" he finally intervened, holding a ballerina all dressed in white, but putting her down gently noticing that she didn't had a crown on her head.

"CUT IT OUT! You can't stay here, out from the backstage!"

"She jumped! How can you not be panicking?! SHE JUST JUMP!"

"WHO JUMPED?!"

"The princess! THE PRINCESS HAS FALLEN! Is she hurt?!"

Everyone needed to make two plus two to realize what he intended and about who, the maestro had enough time to make the orchestra take some more time, excusing himself for some troubles.

"First, no one here is hurt. Secondly, of course she's fine! It's just a spectacle! Look!"

The maestro showed you and the other male looking confused at Bulkhead. Ah…it was true…you were fine! Thanks, Primus! He sighed in relief.

"Oh… Oh, I thought… Primus, I thought something bad had just happened!"

"Oh…" you finally took some courage to speak. "It's…fine. I mean, you must have been influenced by the story and—"

"Yes, yes, yes, everything here is amazing! NOW MOVE AWAY! Hero or not, you're stopping us! EVERYBODY BACK ON STAGE!"

He muffled an apology while everyone moved between his legs trying to get on stage on time, trying to look like it was just a small delay. That wasn't even backstage, he thought; it was the park ground… That grumpy man had no right to tell him to not stay there… Nah, those were some silly excuses; he was just too embarrassed to admit that he had looked like a fool.

You, on the other hand, couldn't have found this event quite cute.

The next day he came back; he found out that this kind of event was supposed to stay for a few more days, and he decided to take this opportunity to properly apologize to you and, of course, to the rest of the crew.

"Bring some flowers! And launched them!" said Bee, laughing. "On TV, they do this every time!"

And of course, that day, just a few hours away from the starting of the spectacle, everybody in that half-made backstage found himself under a curious rain of flowers.

"Look!"

"What's happening?"

"Some prank?"

By looking around, you spotted the figure of the same giant of the previous day, occupied by throwing flowers… A lot of flowers—the cargo of a small truck was full of them!

When you approached him, he was still focused on that, not acknowledging your presence from the other side of the small fence that delineated the area.

"Hi!" He jumped, throwing on himself a bunch of those flowers, surprised by your sudden appearance.

"Oh, um… Hi!" He scoffed away a few flowers. "Haven't you seen me there… You're very good at sneaky!"

"First time someone said that to me." You chuckled a little, noticing then his nervousness. "But I'll take that as a compliment! So… Are you still checking if I'm hurt?"

"No, no, no! I…wanted to apologize about yesterday; I didn't mean to ruin…whatever thing that was; I was just so so worried!"

"It's alright! Even heroes can make mistakes, right? ...so…" You moved away a few petals from your shoulder. "About the flowers…"

"Oh yes! My friend Bumblebee told me to throw them!"

"…AH! Oh my!" You started to laugh; Bulkhead still looked confused. "At the end of the show, not during the rehearsal!"

"Oh…,he scratched his head. "I had mistaken…again…"

You took one of the flowers, one of the few blue ones that stand alongside those sugary pink that prevail on the multitude, and put it on your ear.

"No, it's just the cutest thing that could have happened to us… So… Bulkhead, right? Can I presume that you enjoyed the show?"

"Oh! Enjoyed?!" His face converted into a giant grin, especially knowing that you knew his name. "I loved it! You were amazing back there! I don't need to breathe, but WOW, you were breathtaking! You were like…flying on that thing; you were…you are…um…"

He felt the weight of his words, feeling a rush of awkwardness on him, realizing that he let his mouth move faster than his thought.

"…I think you were so pretty…"

Your mesmerizing look was on him, and…you started to laugh again, mostly for the nervousness and the cuteness that this big robot had brought you. You were used to compliments, critiques, or children that think of you as some kind of fairy, but receiving a big amount of them from a big robot that saves the day as an occupation? That was…new! For a moment, he thought that you may have found him ridiculous, but then you offered him your hands for a handshake.

"Thank you, Bulkhead… I'm Y/N, by the way!"

From that day on, the biggest of the Autobots became the biggest of you fans, too.

You couldn't resist, but besides the fact that he was able to destroy everything thanks to his herculean strength, he was surprisingly adorable for his way of acting around you. When facing an enemy, he was unstoppable, courageous, and prone to the attack more than the thinking. But around you, he was completely different!

He was shy, unsure about how to say things and how to express them. He was clumsy, things that you had found almost cute, but he had tried several times to be careful about things that he knew people cared about.

You had tried to invite him to some of your shows, but he had to decline many of those invitations, with a heavy heart too. The theater was too small for him!

Well, he didn't know that the first ballerina of the opera house had a few friends here and there! And how could they deny the desire of one of Detroit's protectors to enjoy one of their spectacles?! When he found out that they did recreate a nice place just for him, he couldn't hold his joy!

You even found time to spend with him on some dates, as you love to say, just to tease him a little, a thing that made him look even more cute than ever!

But mostly, he loved when he could find some time to see you practice. He loved how concentrated you were when you needed to practice one of your performances; he loved the passion that you emitted from your eyes! You were a contrast, delicate and strong, gentle but powerful, elegant and passionate. He couldn't not stare at you, admiring your tiny foot supporting your entire body without a trace of fatigue.

He could have never even dreamed of doing something like that.

He had found himself, in his alone time, painting things that reminded him of you, like flowers, river streams, or those animals that gave the name of the first spectacles that he had seen you in. And yet, he never found the courage to give you one of those, too embarrassed that you could find them silly or stupid…damn, you would have found him stupid.

"You know, Bulkhead," you spoke on one of those many walks in the park near him, "I was wondering, would you save me from a deception if it was the case?"

"Uh? Why do you say such a thing? …ARE THEY TARGETING YOU?! ARE THEY NEAR?!"

You calmed him down, caressing his giant servos.

"No, no, Bulky, no! No one is targeting me! It's just a guess! It's just that you remind me of a knight… so strong, so brave… It just makes my heart bump a little!"

You made his spark completely go shut down… He scratched his head again, coughing a little.

"I'm…not sure if I'm a knight, but...I'm pretty sure if one of those boozos tries to hurt you, they'll face me first!"

He truly was your knight!

[skzartemis]

𝒰𝓃𝓈𝓅𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝒸𝑜𝓁𝑜𝓇𝓈

Day 7 of To.X

Pairing: Hyunjin x F!reader Genre: Fan x idol, Friends to lovers Warning: none

Artemis' notes: Happy birthday my prince!!!

Y/N had always admired Hyunjin from afar. His face lit up the stage, and his body seemed to speak the language of the music itself. She had been a fan of Stray Kids long before she landed an internship as a visual artist. Her work had always been inspired by the energy and emotion of the dancers she’d watched, but now that she was working alongside them, something changed.

Y/N was assigned to help with a special project—creating a series of art pieces for Stray Kids' upcoming concert tour. The very idea made her heart race. She'd be in the same room as him, and while she tried not to let her nervousness show, there was a strange flutter in her chest whenever Hyunjin was near.

The first time they truly spoke was an accident. Y/N was setting up some of her sketches in the studio when she heard his voice behind her.

“Is that your work?” His voice was warm, deep, and it made her heart skip a beat. She turned around quickly, startled, to find him standing just a few feet away, his gaze fixed on the large sketch she was working on.

“Oh, uh, yes. It's part of the project for your tour. I—I'm just getting started," Y/N stammered, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She wasn't sure if she was ready to show him her art, let alone have him look at it so intently.

“That's amazing,” he said, his smile softening his sharp features. "I can already feel the energy from it. The way you capture movement—it's like I can almost hear the music just by looking at it.”

Y/N blushed at the compliment, unsure of how to respond. “Thank you, that means a lot coming from you.”

There was a brief pause before Hyunjin shifted his weight, glancing at the other dancers who were preparing in the corner. "Maybe we could… collaborate sometime? You know, with your art and our choreography? I think the two could work really well together."

Her eyes widened. "You want to collaborate with me?"

He nodded, a slight glint of mischief in his eyes. "Yeah, I think it could be fun."

After that, everything changed. They began spending more time together. Hyunjin would stop by the art room during breaks, watching her paint, and sometimes offering suggestions, though his presence was enough to leave her distracted. She never imagined that the idol she had admired from her computer screen would show such genuine interest in her work, let alone in her.

And the more they spent time together, the more Y/N found herself looking at him in a way she hadn't expected—differently. She noticed how his eyes would soften when he smiled, the way his laugh was contagious, and the way his presence seemed to command attention without even trying. There was a charm about him, a magnetic energy that made it impossible to be near him without feeling her heart race.

But something else started to happen that Y/N couldn't ignore. She noticed the little ways Hyunjin's behavior began to change around her. He would ask about her day, not just the art, but her—her thoughts, her feelings, as though he genuinely cared. He would bring her coffee after long hours, his fingers brushing against hers as he handed her the cup, and though his touch was brief, it sent electric shivers up her spine.

One evening, after a late rehearsal, Hyunjin found her in the studio, still working on some final touches. The studio was empty, save for the two of them, and the soft hum of the lights above them.

"You should take a break," Hyunjin said, stepping closer to her.

Y/N looked up at him, her eyes tired but grateful. "I don't mind, I'm almost done."

He shook his head. "You've been working all day. You need to rest."

He didn't wait for her to protest before gently pulling her away from her easel and guiding her to a nearby couch. The warmth of his hand on her arm sent an unexpected rush of heat through her. As they sat together, the silence between them felt comfortable—so comfortable, in fact, that Y/N almost forgot to breathe.

For a moment, they simply sat there, watching the city lights flicker through the windows. Then, to her surprise, Hyunjin spoke, his voice quiet, almost hesitant.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you something,” he said, his gaze fixed on the floor. “I know I'm a public figure, and I'm usually surrounded by people, but… being around you feels different. You’re not like everyone else.”

Y/N’s heart skipped a beat at his words. She wasn't sure what to say. Her feelings for him had grown so quickly, and the idea that he might feel something similar was overwhelming.

“You make me feel like I can just be myself,” he continued, his voice steady but sincere. “Like I can just… be Hyunjin, not the idol. It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t treat me like a star. I like that about you.”

Y/N felt the room close in around her. She couldn’t contain the smile that tugged at her lips. “I like you, too,” she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

There was a long pause. Hyunjin’s eyes met hers, and for the first time, Y/N saw something in his gaze—something vulnerable, something real. He leaned in slightly, the space between them growing smaller, and before she knew it, his lips were on hers.

It was soft, tender, as though he was giving her the time to process, to pull away if she needed to. But Y/N didn’t want to pull away. She kissed him back, slowly, as if they were both savoring the moment they had been dancing around for weeks.

When they finally pulled away, both of them breathless, Hyunjin looked at her, his eyes full of warmth. “I've wanted to do that for a while.”

Y/N chuckled softly, her heart still racing. “I think I've wanted it too.”

From that moment, their connection only deepened. The lines between idol and fan, artist and muse, began to blur. They spent more time together outside the studio—quiet dates in cafes, walks around the city, late-night talks under the stars. Hyunjin became more than just the idol she had adored from afar; he became someone who knew her, understood her, and saw her in a way that no one else had.

And for Y/N, every moment with him felt like a masterpiece, a living canvas of love and connection. Their worlds had collided, not in the way she’d always imagined, but in a way that was even more beautiful than she could have ever dreamed.

Because in Hyunjin, she found more than a crush, more than a dream. She found a reality���one she never wanted to let go of.

Taglist

@toasty0703 @j-ji-jia

[pop-punklouis]

-

[danidoesathing]

I’m taking The Night We Met until people learn how to use it correctly. sorry I’m gatekeeping now. Just because the ship is tragically doomed doesn’t mean it’s tnwm. If they’re not worse off and regretting every second of it while still mourning the love they had then it’s not the Night We Met. You’re looking for Love Like Ghosts. or In the Wind. or I Lied or When the Night is Over or Drops in the Lake or like any other Lord Huron tragic love song. It’s like the main thing they write about. pick any other song. I refuse to let yall keep disrespecting Frankie Lou like this.

[nogooddeetz]

i can’t believe it didn’t hit me until yesterday that my hatchetfield equivalent is literally greenpeace girl? (i know her name is harmony shh) i’m not out on the street like her, but my job is to literally approach strangers via phone and try to get them to support our nonprofit and listen to all kinds of excuses and abuse from annoyed people all day

[xxbrightshadowxx]

Hi I am so sorry it took so long for a response for this. Life got hectic and I got caught up doing other stuff. I stopped using tumblr for a while to focus on tithed things but now i finally have the time to respond. Also if this any spelling or grammar issues I apologize it’s late at night and I’m finishing this up after a long day so I’m sorry.

But before that, a note: I also took a break because I wanted to see if there was a reason, after reading your post to find out what about season 2 Caitlyn bugged me. And I think it’s because I genuinely feel that Arcane Season 2 dropped the ball on Piltover vs Zaun class conflict in favor of Viktor’s arcane Jesus story and Ambessa. And yeah, they did have that that[class conflict] in seasons 2 but it was minimize and shoved aside which is unfortunate because it was one of the major conflicts in season 1. And the only person who still somewhat was connected to that plotline was Caitlyn. And because of how hard I believe they drop the ball for the class conflict I did place a lot of unfair blame on her, not to say she doesn’t deserve some but the writers shoved one of the biggest conflicts onto mostly one character in such short amount of time that, in my opinion, made her character weaker. I feel if they kept the class conflict as the main focus it would’ve done so much more for her arc. If you have any thoughts about this, feel free to respond.

First things first, I agree with your statement that Caitlyn was unfocused by Vi, the council, and Ambessa to use hextech and the gray. That we can agree on.

As for the grey, I have a few thoughts. First, don’t feel obnoxious for adding the link for you analysis about the grey, it was a great read. Second, I do agree with some of your points about her gassing the chembarons. I semi-disagree with the short-term effects considering Finn was gasping for air when Silco turned the vents on, but he was fine when the got the mask so I digress. I still disagree with the idea that Caitlyn could control a decent amount of the gas but I think that’s a personal opinion for me. Speaking of the hellfire music video, I’ll be honest, I don’t think it was the best choice to show the consequences of Caitlyn using the gas since it was such a pivotal moment for her arc and character in the story and it felt like it was playing it off. But that’s just my opinion on the subject.

Speaking of Ekko, I’m going to have to disagree with the idea of him being okay with Caitlyn gassing the chembarons. I disagree because the core part of his character is his community and the fireflies. He cares about Zaun and wants the best for his home and I don’t think he would be okay with the idea of enforcers coming down and gassing certain groups to find someone. Speaking of enforcers, he very much dislikes them. In season 1 he calls out Caitlyn and the problems in the system, saying they hunt their people like dogs which is similar to what Caitlyn is doing now to Jinx. Hunting her and willing to hurt others to do it. I personally think the reason they never had Ekko confront Vi and Caitlyn was because that would put the Zaun vs Topside conflict main focus and the writers wanted the main plot to be hextech and ambers as the big bad. But then again, either one of us could be right since it’s never discussed.

As for your other point, I am glad you acknowledged that Silco, Sevika, and Jinx are as complex characters as Caitlyn.

As for the consequences, for me Ambessa attacking Piltover and hurting Caitlyn was more of the council and Piltover’s fault for trusting her but it can also direct to Caitlyn. If you asked me back then if I wanted Caitlyn punished I would say yes but after some time I think I just wanted more time for the show to prove Caitlyn has changed and has come back from that dark area that drives her to do all those acts. It’s why I like the jail cell scene with Jinx and Caitlyn. It does a lot for her character and her choice to let go of Jinx. I also just wanted a little bit more time with Vi and Caitlyn reconciling again. Caitlyn did a lot of bad things that hurt Vi and as a big Vi fan(yes it does make a little biased, I know) I was expecting a bit more time before they went to forgiving each other. Also known as having sex. I honestly would’ve preferred if they just talked things out to properly reconcile instead of them having sex. It was such a quick shift after all the damage thah was made. I know, from your argument Vi has seen Caitlyn’s changed but for me, I think realistically it should’ve taken Vi a bit longer to properly forgive Caitlyn. But again, that’s just a personal thing for me.

Also quick tangent, I am so glad you are not one of those people who say Caitlyn hitting Vi is equal to Vi hitting Powder. The situations for both instances were very different and comparing them is just unfair.

You are right, Caitlyn can’t be punished by Zaun since their grievance is with Piltover and not her, she was just one of the many people who hurt them. Which is extra disappointing to me of how the conflict between Zaun and Piltover ended but that’s a time for a different post.

My opinion has changed from saying they failed to commit to making Caitlyn into a villain. I still think they failed to commit to her character but she is not a villain, you have proven that to me.

This ain’t the best rebuttal but that’s mostly because my opinion has changed a lot since I first wrote my post and the past ones. Some due to your arguments, which bravo. To sum this up, I still hold some grievance for Caitlyn but majority of my grievances are from the show itself and the shift from the Zaun vs Piltover plot to hextech and Ambessa and now it affected the writing and what’s established in season 1. I’ve liked this discussion. It’s one of the most respectful one I’ve been apart of. I’d love to still discuss more about it if you are still up for it after all this time. Have a good day/afternoon/evening/night!

Caitlyn Kiramman Discussion Response: @xxbrightshadowxx

**Discussion of Arcane so obviously spoiler warning for entire show**

***REALLY LONG***

Before We Begin: To anyone aside from the user I tagged who reads this, please don't post anything aggressive on here. We have all done plenty of mud-slinging, INCLUDING ME. I am not judging or ragging on anyone. But they responded kindly and respectfully and have just asked for the same, which I intend to honor. Thank you.

Part One Of Discussion

Good morning, I have read through your entire response and as promised have returned to give my response as well. First of all, thank you for taking the time to read and respond at all. I'm just another internet random and you certainly don't owe me a moment of your time. Second, thank you for leaving the door open for good discussion and debate. I linked part one of this with your response as well up top in blue, and will paste your response below. That way this doesn't turn into an enormously long post, but we can see what was said and the response on this page.

Your Responses:

Hello. I will not lie, this is very impressive. You break down information and your response is effective. It’s organized, you get your point through very thoroughly. You also did it without insulting me which is a lot more than some tumblr users and TikTok users could do for me. You’re right it’s clear you and I are on opposite ends of how we felt about Caitlyn in season 2. Some of your points did change some of my thinking towards Caitlyn and some I still have the same feelings to.

You’re right Caitlyn was not in the right headspace when she went against Jinx and has a lot of PTSD from her so she wasn’t in the best of mind when she hit her. I’ll agree with that. For your point that Caitlyn apologized to Vi through her actions I have to disagree with that. That’s because the show never truly acknowledges Caitlyn leaving or hitting Vi. Her saving Vander, she does get a point for that however her running to Vi when she was injured instead of Jink just shows she still cares about her not that she’s necessarily sorry. Her keeping Jinx in the bunker rather than Stillwater, and holding off on any judgement until Vi is awake isn’t shown to be Caitlyn doing that because she wants to apologize to Vi. Her letting Vi free Jinx, while that could show she’s apologizing and making amends, it falls flat because Jinx leaves Vi so it doesn’t feel as effective, at least for me.

As for the gray and Ambessa’s manipulation: I also disagree with. Ambessa, while she did orchestra the attack at the funeral and put Caitlyn in charge, Caitlyn chose to use the gray on Zaun. The gray is a gas. That is what I meant by nuclear/chemical warfare(should’ve been more specific, sorry) You cannot control a gas once it’s released. And the gray isn’t just a tear gas or anything it is a life ending gas that could kill people. We learn this from Viktor who was dying from it in season 1. And the excuse that it was Chembarons they were using it on doesn’t help it. It does not matter if the chembarons weren’t good people and were criminals. They were still people. You mentioned the deleted scenes that make Caitlyn look better and I actually haven’t seen them. I’ll look into them when I’m less busy. But you mentioned deleted scenes and how there are no proven longer term effects to such a ‘short’ amount. There is a deleted scene of Ekko bringing people to the firelight base, people that aren’t one of the chembarons that were coughing from the gray. People who weren’t chembarons were also affected by the gray. But then again, it was a deleted scenes so it is a weak rebuttal since it wasn’t actually in the show. You are right, the show doesn’t glorify the gassing but it doesn’t ever acknowledge the event after it happens. No one calls out Caitlyn on the morality of using the gray or the effects it could have on the people. She doesn’t get consequences for gassing people or hurting Vi. The show doesn’t even mention the hit again after it happens. When Vi does call her out, it’s not for her attacks on Zaun. It’s for listening to Ambessa.

About Jinx, Sevika, and Silco. I do believe you simplify their actions. I do give Jinx more slack because she is a product of Piltover’s neglect and oppression. Don’t get me wrong, she’s crazy and very violent. But all her issues stem from Piltover’s abuse Enforcers killed her parents during whah seemed to be a protest against Piltover. Silco did affect her and made her who she was but he wouldn’t have done that if he wasn’t already affected by Piltover. yes, Silco is awful. He wants more than anything to get revenge on Topside rather than freedom for Zaun which causes him to do things that hurt his own people without remorse. But the only reason he was the way he was from resentment for Piltover constantly treating them like crap as stated before in season 1. His resentment overtook his want for freedom for his people and it turned him for the worse. If Topside treated Zaun better, Silco would’ve never become the monster he was. And as for Sevika, it’s implied she’s also a product of Piltover’s neglect. The reason why the killed Vander is because Vander was bending to Piltover’s will. He might’ve stopped the enforcers going down there but Zaun was still fighting for scraps, they were still treated as less and Vi calls him out for it. Im not saying them attacking and trying to kill the kids makes it right. But what I am saying is if you want to say Caitlyn is complex then you have to admit that Silco, Sevika, and Jinx are as well. Caitlyn, she gets consequences for going against Ambessa by her injuries but she doesn’t get consequences for hurting Vi or gassing Zaun. Also, it’s not that I only love Caitlyn when she isn’t affected by the things she went through. It’s just that I don’t love how the writers handled the direction her character went through even though I think they could’ve made it work with their vision. As a tumblr user I like said: ‘they wanted the aesthetic of a person gone down the wrong path while still making them seem good in their eyes’.

To finish this long reply, you make great points in the defense of Caitlyn, some making me take on a new perspective. there is so much more I most likely missed or counterpoints you might have for me. I also plan to read through your analysis posts to see how you interpreted them. If you do and want to rebuttal I’d be interested to see what you have to say as long as you stay respectful to me and I’ll do the same for you.

End Your Responses

You disagree that Caitlyn ever truly apologizes for hitting and leaving Vi-

Okay I responded to your overall complaint that Caitlyn never really apologizes to Vi. I stated that while it is correct she never verbally apologizes, she does so through her deeds.

You responded to each point, explaining why you still don't feel that it was truly addressed and Caitlyn truly apologized:

"For your point that Caitlyn apologized to Vi through her actions I have to disagree with that. That’s because the show never truly acknowledges Caitlyn leaving or hitting Vi"

You then responded to each point:

1. We agree on Caitlyn helping save Vander. 2. You feel that prioritizing saving Vi over hurting Jinx was more an expression of still caring for Vi rather any remorse for her actions. 3. You feel that Caitlyn keeping Jinx in the bunker and holding off on judgement was not shown as an apology. 4. You feel that while allowing Vi to free Jinx could be seen as making amends, it falls flat because Jinx leaves. (you make a point of mentioning at it does so at least for you)

Okay, so I already mentioned the actions I consider her expressions of apology and remorse. But we need to talk about her words as well. There are three big moments that show her feelings about her actions in particular:

S2 E8 28:51- "I know!"

Vi has confronted Caitlyn over Jinx being locked up. When Caitlyn says it was clear Jinx was a contingency in the commune because Vi didn't trust her, Vi straight up calls her out-

"Can you blame me? How long were you sidled up with that shifty, self-serving war pig? She oinked poison in your ear and you just ate it"

Our timestamped quote is how Caitlyn responds. She is clearly upset and angry with herself. She knows what she did and is acknowledging her wrong doing in allowing herself to be twisted up and used by Ambessa.

S2 E8 28:19- "We can't erase our mistakes. None of us"

The conversation continues. Vi tells her that Jinx has changed and this is how Caitlyn responds. But again, we have to look at Caitlyn is actually saying.

"None of Us"

They have been talking about Jinx. Caitlyn is verbally equating herself with Jinx. The woman she hated so intensely it drove her to this point. The woman who killed her mother. And even though she is saying it about Jinx she is saying it about herself as well.

She is looking at Vi and saying in another way- "Nothing can erase what I did"

S2 E8 27:06- "No amount of good deeds can undo our crimes!...Hating you... I've hated myself. I just don't have the energy for it any longer".

So as we know, following her conversation with Vi Caitlyn goes to see Jinx in the bunker and they have this moment.

So once again, Caitlyn verbally equates herself with Jinx. This time speaking to Jinx directly. That is twice now she has placed herself on the same level as the woman who killed her mother, who she allowed her hate for to drive herself so far over crossing the line. Twice that she has expressed the belief there is no way that not only Jinx, but that SHE can make things right.

And perhaps most telling of all, it is not to Vi who she loves, that she admits she has hated herself. It's to Jinx. The woman who once haunted her literal waking steps, who she hated with such intensity that she cast aside everything she believed in, who killed her mother. I suspect guilt doesn't even begin to cover how she feels.

Okay. Now, I am well aware that none of that is a direct apology to Vi over what she did. My reason for mentioning those moments is that we have to remember Caitlyn is not a character known for outward display of emotion. Not that it doesn't happen, but no matter how you feel about her I think we can agree she is never really shown to be the overly mushy type. Look at the moment tells her father she could have stopped Jinx:

S2 E1 30:30- "I had the shot"

We at least agreed Caitlyn went through some seriously messed up stuff in season one. So she has been through all of that, now she is dealing with her mother's death and sitting on the couch next to her father. And this is all she says. Staring down at the ground with teary eyes she says this one thing, blaming herself.

She was never the sort that was going to fall on her knees and beg Vi's forgiveness. It just isn't in line with her personality or depiction. So keeping that in mind I would argue we need to view her actions I listed with this new context in mind that I have given:

1. She is aware and admitting she messed up and is clearly angry over it 2. She feels that nothing can erase what she did 3. She feels no good deed can undo her crimes 4. She is placing herself on the same level as Jinx 5. She hates herself for what she did 6. She is not the sort of character to express herself through her words

Saving Vander: We agreed on this one

Prioritizing saving Vi over hurting Jinx: I actually do see your point here even with this context. But, I think that the fact that when Caitlyn didn't have time to think and just had to tact, her eyes never left the woman she hurt so terribly in pursuit of her hatred even though the object of said hatred was there with her back turned. And I think that speaks greatly to the change in Caitlyn's heart.

Holding Jinx in the bunker and postponing judgement: So this is the first one where Caitlyn has any measure of time to think. When I say this is a way of making amends I don't mean Caitlyn saw it as-

"I screwed up, if I keep Jinx out of Stillwater and don't execute her maybe I can make things right"

Caitlyn doesn't believe she can make things right, as we have seen. She doesn't think anything she does can erase her crimes. And she sees herself in the same light as the woman who killed her mother. She hates herself.

Regarding this point, we have to remember Caitlyn is not the only person who wanted Jinx's head on a plate. The elite of Piltover, the families of every Enforcer she killed, there are countless people who would be baying for Jinx's execution. But Caitlyn keeps her close, and even though she was still The Commander at that time and had all authority needed to do so, she does not hurt her. She waits for Vi, because even if she can't make it right, she doesn't want to make it any worse.

Allowing Vi to free Jinx: So on this one you stated you can see it as making amends, but it fell flat for you because Jinx left Vi. You are of course entitled to your opinion and I understand if you feel that way. All I'd say I suppose is that just to remember what the weight of that decision actually means regarding Caitlyn. She set aside her hatred of her mother's killer, in favor of her love for Vi. Even if it would mean she lost Vi forever.

You disagree with my points regarding Caitlyn & The Grey-

Regarding the use of The Grey you raise several points:

1. You admit that while Ambessa orchestrated the attack on the memorial, Caitlyn made the choice to use The Grey 2. You clarify your overall complaint was her use of chemical warfare against the defenseless of Zaun regarding your point in your original post- "She gassed and used nuclear warfare against the defenseless in Zaun" (You clarified you meant chemical) 3. You state The Grey is not like tear gas, it is fatal. And that we learn this from Viktor who was dying of it in season one. 4. The use of The Grey is not justified just because The Chem-Barons are criminals, as they are still people 5. There were people affected who were not bad guys 6. The show does not acknowledge using The Grey, she faces no consequences for it, and when Vi calls her out it is for Ambessa, not for her actions in Zaun

Caitlyn made the decision to use The Grey on her own:

She absolutely did. No arguments. But I will say I think considering the context is extremely important and something that is often left aside when this comes up. I am posting a section of another post I did below that addresses this topic exactly. Part of this post was proving Ambessa set up the attack as well so ignore that as we already agree.

***START OLD POST***

Let's go back in time to the aftermath of Jinx's attack on the council and what their plan of retaliation entails. S2 E1 33:37-Ambessa smirking at Mel as Salo explains "I thought it prudent to solicit the advice of such an experienced veteran"

S2 E1 33:20- Salo finishes explaining his plan- "We flood the undercity with Enforcers, armed with Hextech"

S2 E1 33:18- Caitlyn immediately protests "innocents will be caught in the cross fire"

S2 E1 32:02-31:58- Mel agrees to a form of the plan after Salo continues to push. "I'll agree to endorse the invasion. But I draw the line at Hextech".

Okay. So we have established the Council's intention in clear and precise language with examples straight out of content- INVASION. But! There's a problem. Because what does Ambessa actually want? Fully weaponized hextech. How do we know this? Well she told us-

S1 E9 33:35- "If there is a chance hextech can be weaponized, we must have it" Ambessa says after being confronted by Mel

S1 E9 33:32- "Piltover isn't your testing ground" Mel responds S1 E9 33:23- "I can't believe you'd start a war just to cover your ass" Mel continues S1 E9 33:20- " I would set the world ablaze to protect our family" Ambessa admits

Alright so we know the Council's plan. And we know Ambessa's motivation, including how far she'd go to achieve it and that comes straight from her own mouth. She openly admits she'd not only start a war, but light the world on fire to do what she views as needed to protect her family. The council's failure to ratify Salo's plan of all out aggression counters her goal.

So how does she push it to that point? The memorial attack. She sent her man Rictus to assist the Chem Baron Renni, giving her the chance for revenge on Jayce during the memorial. She of course then came to the rescue with her people, killing Renni herself. We see evidence of all of this below:

S2 E3 5:48- Flashback begins showing everything we just discussed

Ambessa's goal: Weaponized Hextech at any cost

Council's plan: Invasion without Hextech

Ambessa's response: Organizes a full Zaunite incursion in the middle of a memorial service killing several and stoking hostility and fear to an all time high

Back to Caitlyn-

Okay finally we are back. So as I said, she protests the invasion plan but is denied. We see this clearly. The memorial attack occurs and of course we know from there Caitlyn forms the plan for the strike team, goes to the council, then she and the team go into Zaun utilizing The Grey and so on. So lets review the conversation leading her to create the team. It's after the memorial attack. She is understandably quite upset- no matter how much you don't like her they got attacked during a memorial for her mom- and she and Vi talk.

S2 E1 7:48 to 7:41- Vi tells Caitlyn "you need to find a way to call off the invasion... This battle was on your soil. Down there, you'll be on their terms" S2 E1 7:35 to 7:27- In response to Vi telling Caitlyn they need to change it when Caitlyn says "none of this is on our terms" Caitlyn says "I don't know how okay? She leaves this giant hole, and I'm just supposed to fill it. Like she was never here to begin with."

S2 E1 5:26 to 5:16- Salo is speaking to the others in the wake of the attack pressing once more for the full weaponization of Hextech. "We can't afford anymore handwringing. If we do not defend ourselves with Hextech, our principles will mean nothing".

And from there as we know, she uses The Kiramman Key and learns about The Grey. From there we get the "Heavy Is The Crown" sequence where the strike team is revealed.

Conclusion:

Caitlyn formed the strike team and used The Grey as an alternative to The Invasion. She only did so because of The Memorial Attack.

Ambessa conclusively and undeniably orchestrated the memorial attack.

Ambessa did so after declaring in her own words in season 1 after being accused of being willing to start a war "I would set the world ablaze to protect our family"

Caitlyn used The Grey because of Ambessa and the events she orchestrated.

***END OLD POST BACK TO CURRENT DOC**

So all of that mess to say, while I do of course agree that the end of the day Caitlyn made the choice. I all too often see this component totally left out. Ambessa intentionally and knowingly orchestrated not only an attack, but an attack during a memorial knowing it would enrage people. If she hadn't done we never would have arrived where we do.

Addressing points 2-4: Caitlyn used chemical warfare against the defenseless, it is fatal, and the use of it against the criminal element does not justify its use as they are still human beings.

Okay, the reason I am addressing three points in one is these all fall under the same issue. There has been quite a lot of criticism levelled at Caitlyn all under the heading of chemical warfare. All with mention of the real-world definitions and laws that classify such things, and the accusations of how she violated them. At the end of the day, this is all a work of fiction. So real-world technical standards of war crimes, chemical warfare and so on have no meaning in-world.

And that of course isn't to say there is anything wrong with analyzing fiction through a real world lens to a point. If you are interested as an exercise in curiosity I delved into how the use of The Grey would be classified per The Chemical Weapons Convention myself. To the best of my ability I deduced it would actually be called a "Riot Control Agent" or "RCA", not a "Chemical Weapon". It's linked below but I realize sending additional documents when I'm already on here writing novels is obnoxious.

Grey War Crime Doc

So setting aside the real-world standards at least for this conversation (you are of course entitled to stick to them for yourself as see fit), we can very much so talk about The Grey with what we are given from content.

Is The Grey Fatal?

Long Term Exposure: Absolutely it can be. We see the sketches of those Zaunites when caitlyn is using the key with those terrible injuries. Viktor actually isn't confirmed to be sick from The Grey itself but more than likely. There is all sorts of dialogue and plenty of evidence to back this up.

Short Term Exposure: There is zero evidence to support this. Every single person we see exposed during the Strike Team's use of it, during Silco's use of it, and during the final battle is either alive, or quite clearly died from something else. Of course as I said in the other post, we can speculate. But we can speculate about all sorts of things. Vi's repeated head trauma alone is very likely to end in seizures or CTE if we want to get into that. Sevika is a chain smoker. Jinx is infused with shimmer and looks like she weighs roughly 90 pounds who knows what her future holds. That could go on forever. But if short term exposure is fatal as you suggest, this is a list of characters who are going to die of complications, or should have died already-

Caitlyn

Vi

Jinx (I know but I'm of the camp that she survived)

Steb

Sevika

Piltover boy Ambessa uses as an anti-zaun prop

Heenot

And those are just the ones whose names we know. There are many things in our world that are extremely dangerous when exposed to excessive quantities, but quite mundane at lesser quantities. All evidence given by the show itself suggests The Grey falls into this category.

2. Did Caitlyn Gas The Defenseless?

First, lets review her named targets of The Strike Team:

Jinx

Associates of Silco (the chem-barons)

Shimmer

So at the very least, her named targets are not anyone defenseless. Now as we know, the deployment of The Grey was via the ventilation system Cassandra Kiramman herself created. This means two things:

-It wasn't being dropped as bombs, or fired from cannons or any of that. It was coming from specific points at chosen times. -Caitlyn had control of it. Not arguing what she did with it yet, just that she herself was the one "at the wheel" if you will. And we do get confirmation of this via the Hellfire animation with plans showing the controls and actual images of Caitlyn using them

I bring that up only to show that it was not just some sort of random flooding of The Undercity.

Moving on! So, we know they at the absolute least did not enter Zaun intending to target anyone defenseless or innocent, and that Caitlyn did have some amount of control over its use. Now we come to this quote by writer/creator Amanda Overton:

"It was strategic to a pin point. Still, is that forgivable?"

Now I know as I stated before in the original post, many people who are very unhappy with Caitlyn's story in season two have made up their mind to ignore/disregard this quote. If you feel that way, I cannot argue it because that is your right. But as she is one of the creators and she did say it, I factor it into my conversation and will continue to do so.

Now, we of course do have the address the issue of it being a gas, fictional or not. I absolutely agree that there was no way it could be controlled completely. And we do see this, in S2 E2 31:29 Smeech and his crew arrive at Margot's base to find the grey leaking out of the big statue's eyes and mouth to a point. But I would point out two things.

This is what it looks like outside-

It looks thick but some of that is regular Zaun smog we always see, plus Smeech and his associated while covering the mouths are able to speak quite freely with only a bit of coughing

2. This is what it looks like where they actually let it loose just on the other side-

So my point is this. I absolutely agree they could not guarantee it would only impact their chosen targets. But I would say that clearly the system they use is giving them at least a decent amount of control.

In Review:

Caitlyn very specifically names targets that only pose a threat to everyone's safety, Piltover & Zaun alike.

The deployment of The Grey is proven to be under her control to a point.

One of the creators of the show confirmed Caitlyn used The Grey in a strategic manner

While acknowledging and recognizing that The Grey cannot be contained completely, the evidence we see of that very thing suggests that environmental exposure is fairly controlled at least while dealing with Chem-Baron bases themselves.

So my question regarding this topic is as follows: Which of these two statements seems more fair and honest given this topic?

Caitlyn gassed the defenseless.

Caitlyn used the grey in a tactical and strategic fashion, but in her growing anger and hate failed to account for the potential risk to the defenseless of Zaun.

Because as I have said several times now. I'm not out to justify her wrong doing. Just to bring down the heat of the rhetoric around her story so it can be discussed fairly and honestly.

3. Was gassing the Chem-Barons unjust?

So this is again something that is going to come down a lot to opinion. But, we can certainly discuss it. To review a few pertinent factors:

Caitlyn's strike team is an alternative to a full invasion, as we saw.

The chem-barons have weapons and shimmer.

The Grey is only proven to be fatal with long-term exposure. Otherwise it is temporarily debilitating like tear gas.

So, Piltovan retaliation is coming. That is not up for debate. The chem-barons are extremely dangerous. If Caitlyn doesn't use The Grey, and they want to stop the invasion as we showed earlier, what is her option?

Fighting. Room to room, floor to floor, more than likely fatal fighting. Instead of using the grey and arresting everyone while they are coughing up a fit, more than likely a lot of people are going to die.

And we have to remember, while of course the Chem-Barons are people. They are very dangerous, and they are not good for Zaun either. We see Sevika trying to stop their turf wars because they are ripping Zaun apart. And this section of lyrics for Suckers put it quite plainly as Jinx is walking through the fracturing Undercity-

"Dirty little animals You cannibals, eat your supper One by one, all these vultures keep coming"

As we are given scenes of them destroying each other. These are violent, greedy, evil people ripping their home apart.

Something we should also address is that at least Chross (if not the other barons) has forced child labor somewhere in his organization. We see them being taken during the Suckers montage. So, does this mean if there were children in a base that got hit with the grey then they did as well?

Yes it certainly does. But keeping in mind that the alternative is for Enforcers who don't care who they hurt wielding hex-tech weapons to storm these bases shooting shooting at will, what is the better option for these kids? The Grey, or a bullet?

The show does not acknowledge using The Grey, she faces no consequences for it, and when Vi calls her out it is for Ambessa, not for her actions in Zaun

Okay, so this is kind of the wrap up regarding The Grey. So in review:

1. No in-canon evidence of being fatal from their use 2. It was used in the most controlled fashion they could 3. The alternative to the strike team was a full invasion, and the alternative to The Grey within the strike team was active and likely much more deadly fighting 4. The people they did target were dangerous, well armed, and posed a threat to everyone's safety

So what does all that mean?

It means that the use of The Grey, is not wrong for the reasons people have made it out to be. Not in this instance. Let's return to just the small bit of lyrics from "Hellfire"-

"Can I do the right thing for the wrong reason? Is it bad that I'm making friends with my demons"

Putting Jinx aside because her dynamic with Caitlyn is obviously much more complicated, the strike team's goals are good for everyone. Shimmer is a blight on Zaun. Ekko himself says so. And we have already covered the barons. Removing these things is undeniably good for Zaun. And with the alternative being an invasion or what would clearly be much more deadly fighting, I genuinely cannot fathom a way in which they could have done this better. What they are doing, is not the issue. It's why.

Caitlyn doesn't lead a strike team into Zaun to liberate the people of The Undercity from these threats that Piltover's negligence and abuse have allowed to flourish. That would be another issue entirely. She is there chasing her hate, her rage, and her need for revenge, and she doesn't see it because she can justify it under doing "the right thing". She doesn't see that its "for the wrong reason". And therefore is leading her down a darker and darker path, no matter how many lives it saved.

Something of note: Ekko is still in Zaun when this is going on. Now, I saw a post recently that suggested the writers left him out simply because they didn't want to address the fact that he would have to fight Vi and Caitlyn if he was present in these scenes. However, as stated I am more inclined to analyze the story I was given. Therefore, if you consider all the evidence I have presented, and that Ekko had not yet vanished to the AU, what is the only logical result? He at the very least tacitly approved. Because he was such a champion for his people, if this was all truly so terrible, I think we can agree he would have been in their business immediately.

So regarding your complaint, I would say my response is that The Grey isn't what she has to apologize for. That's why it isn't a focal point moving forward. Especially from Vi who was there beside her.

You disagree with my oversimplification of Jinx, Silco and Sevika-

So actually I can answer this one fairly easily. You are 100% correct. My sort of quick and dirty list of the actions of these three characters was exactly that. It lacked the detail it should have had. And given that one of things I have addressed frequently is the lack of context to Caitlyn's actions many people to demonize her unfairly, that was wrong of me. Your closing to statement to this section is one I agree with entirely-

"But what I am saying is if you want to say Caitlyn is complex then you have to admit that Silco, Sevika, and Jinx are as well."

In closing before your comments to me you revisit the topic of Caitlyn's consequences-

You see her consequences as for going against Ambessa only, not for her actions in Zaun or for hurting Vi

You don't love how the writers handled her character and story

You share a quote you agree with- "they wanted the aesthetic of a person gone down the wrong path while still making them seem good in their eyes'

Regarding Consequences:

Well as we have discussed this may just be one of those things we feel differently about. I think if you were looking for "eye for an eye" transactional sort of punishment that isn't what this story is.

But, I will try to give a clear list of what I see as consequences of her actions. I'll leave it to you to decide what heading they belong under. Keeping in mind of course that some of things are more nebulous in definition, such as long term mental health impact, but I feel that in a show like Arcane it is reasonable to assume these characters would experience such things.

Immense physical injuries: Fight against Ambessa

Immense guilt: All of it. As we established because she says in plain english, she hates herself. And if you really think about how this spiderwebs into everything that has happened there will likely be a part of Caitlyn that NEVER stops punishing herself for this

They almost lost the fight until Zaun showed. And Zaun initially didn't show yes because of their history but also because of the occupation

Mental trauma like you wouldn't believe: I mean take your pick, but the woman she was sharing a bed with while Vi was gone almost murdered her

Now, I see all of that as consequences of her mistakes and decisions in season two. Listed below is the Miriam Webster definition of consequence.

Now, I don't post that to be an arrogant jerk. I know you know what a consequence is. I post it because more and more I am getting the impression that many fans who feel as you do are looking for this:

And again, if that is how you feel, that is your prerogative. But the way I view the events that unfold, she will be living with the consequences of her actions for the rest of her life. And if you are looking for punishment, from who?

As stated, everything she did was entirely lawful. Now I am of course not saying that makes it okay. Far from. But she acted completely and totally within the bounds of the rules and laws set by this shows world. So there is no judicial punishment to be meted out.

And if you are looking for the other sort of punishment- retribution , then from whom?

Vi- Vi loves her. And Vi is also aware that Caitlyn spared Jinx's life at Vi's pleading and her entire life was ripped apart. Vi is also aware of what it feels like to lose control in a terrible moment and hurt someone you love (By the way I'm not one of those people equating Caitlyn hitting Vi to Vi hitting Powder. Clearly the actions of children versus adults, just saying Vi knows how that feels). Vi also saw who Caitlyn was before she lost her way. The same Caitlyn who saved her life repeatedly, and who comforted her after the fight on the bridge. The same Caitlyn who helped save Vander at the drop of a hat and who let Vi free her mother's killer, because she loves Vi more than she hates her.

Zaun- Regarding the grey, we have discussed that. As far as I'm concerned Caitlyn removed terrible threats from the streets of Zaun. Now talking about the occupation and Martial Law does Caitlyn owe a debt to Zaun? Of course. But Caitlyn's debt is not Piltover's. She shouldn't have to shoulder the last however many years of oppression and negligence because that nothing to do with her. The worst deeds of the occupation were done without her knowledge and away from her eyes. She was manipulated and used by an extremely intelligent and calculating war monger who stoked the conflict for her own designs. It doesn't excuse her letting herself be blinded to it for the sake of her vengeance. But she was hardly the head of the snake either.

And in closing regarding consequence or punishment, I'll say this. I know her near-death was because she fought Ambessa. But let's not forget what a victory for Ambessa and Viktor meant. Viktor intended to evolve all of humanity. Caitlyn willingly put her life on the line, and almost lost it, for a battle that mattered to the future of Zaun just as much as Piltover. And when it was all said and done,(although I acknowledge we never really get the specifics on how it works in terms a new councilor being chosen) Caitlyn doesn't sit in her mother's old seat. A Zaunite does.

You don't love how the writers handled it:

Nothing for this one that is entirely your right

"they wanted the aesthetic of a person gone down the wrong path while still making them seem good in their eyes"

So it's hard to dig too much into another person's quote. But I have seen something to the effect going around so I think I understand.

There has been a lot of commentary lately essentially saying it's like they were unwilling to commit to Caitlyn's villainous arc. That by continuing to use plot points and scenes that show her in a sympathetic light, they failed to stick the landing regarding her "turn to the dark side"

If (And I do mean if because this is someone else's quote and I don't want to put words in your mouth) that is what you mean I just cannot see it.

You yourself clearly outline Caitlyn as a good person in season one. So the way I see it:

Good person in season one + Conflicted person who makes mistakes in season two= Conflicted good person who makes mistakes.

They don't fully commit to her being a villain, because she never was one.

WRAP UP:

Good god I'm obnoxious. I feel like this is somehow even longer. I'm really sorry lol. Anyway, I really appreciate you for being willing to engage and discuss. If you are done I totally get it but I'd love to keep on if you are up for it. I'm genuinely enjoying the chance for some good respectful debate. Thank you for your time.

[caluupin]

Finished TGAAC around 2 1/2 weeks ago but only finished the doodles today. but still, here ya go!

[jewishdainix]

Calypso: OMG a handsom guy came to my island, I am so happy I finally have someone to love :D

Calypso, a few years in: *is on suicide watch*