#apparently his family loves me and are super curious about me because I am the first girl--friend or otherwise--that he's ever brought home

[twig-tea]

Things from Wandee Goodday ep 3 I can't stop thinking about:

I love so much that we got some good friends with benefits tension around personal boundaries when Dee asked who Yei was and then backed off (but Yak told him anyway). And between the jokes about rimming, Dee demanding Yak pay more attention to his dick last episode, and starting this episode in the 69 position, I am very, very here for this show saying over and over that sex is not just one act.

[ID: Gif of the beginning of episode 3, whichi is a pan-to-shot of Dee and Yak laying in 69 position on the floor under blankets]

i loved the different responses to hearing someone you love is in a "Friends with Benefits" situation; Kao warned Dee not to catch feelings or read too much into the situation and Cher/Yei teased Yak for lying to himself about what the situation is. Both are super valid and speak to who Dee and Yak are, who Kao and Cher/Yei are, and all of their experiences with love. And it speaks to the closeness of these relationships too, that Cher noticed Yak's necklace gone immediately and Kao similarly clocked its addition on Dee instantly.

Super here for Kao being the ultimate support bestie at work, equal parts haranguing and backing Dee up. Their relationship is perfection.

I really liked Yak peace-ing out of their agreement when Dee dropped a huge request with no context, that was so valid and in the spirit of FWB (he didn't actually owe him a bigger conversation).

I've already reblogged a couple of other people (@negrowhat and @lurkingshan) talking about this so I won't belabour it, but I am judging Dee for not only ignoring Yak's boundaries by going to his workplace and forcing him to train him and then flirting with him during training sessions after Yak both made clear he's worried about being out at work and had ended their agreement. I hope we get more of an explanation for Yak's reticence about dating a man while aiming for the championship as well as his change of mind.

The conversations with Cher and Oyei have me so curious about their history! Tell me everything, show. I put these questions in tags on a gifset (but to put them on main: Where is Oyei and Yak's father (who is also a former champ but apparently uninvolved with this family business, if he's still alive)? What happened to Yak's mother that he doesn't know if he takes after her? Why can they go to Cher's family for financial help but not Yei/Yak's (to the point where they had to take out what sounds like a predatory loan during COVID)? What is Cher afraid of re: being seen being affectionate to Oyei, and where does that come from? Is this history related to why Yak is so worried about his relationship to Dee getting in the way of his championship? All of this is seeded so organically and I'm so, so curious. It also has me even more in my feelings about Cher and Yei calling Yak their son.

[ID: Gif of Yei saying to Cher: I own this place. What's there to be afraid of? From the set linked in the paragraph above]

[I have a clown theory that Cher and Oyei's relationship is why his dad is out of the picture and his gym is in financial trouble (because it prevented Yei from getting sponsorship despite being a champion), and why Yak is worried about being in a relationship with a man even though he knows his brother won't care...we'll see how much of this the show pulls together!]

The flash of trauma from Dee at the crosswalk was interesting too; where is that going? What happened in Dee's past and how is it going to affect the story in future?

[More clown speculation: Is it related to why Dee is so good with patients and passionate about ortho? Has he seen someone in his life become disabled due to physical injury?]

Speaking of, I really loved seeing Dee be good at his job and great with patients and their families. In addition to it being just nice to see and good for our understanding of his character, it sets him up to have a fighting chance in the contest too, since patients apparently get a vote.

I love love love the camaraderie and giggling between Dee and Yak around making Ter jealous and shoving their fake relationship in those gossiping nurses' faces. The way they are actually friends who like one another and enjoy spending time together is just really wonderful to watch.

My biggest question is: Will Dee get a chance in this narrative to show up for Yak the way Yak has been showing up for Dee? And how can that current imbalance be reconciled with this all leading towards Dee trying to get a placement to go abroad--and his self-stated toxic trait of always needing to win? [shoutout to @chicademartinica for laying that out succinctly in her post]

In the meantime, I'm having a blast.

[do-you-know-this-adhd-character]

Do you know this (noncanon) ADHD character?

SPECIFICALLY THE VERSION FROM DUCKTALES (2017)

Evidence below the cut!

There were two submissions for this one!

Submission 1: honestly i'm surprised dewey hasn't been submitted yet bc he's like. "classic adhd personality type". he's hyperactive, impulsive, easily distracted, and HATES being bored. the official character bio describes him as "quick to throw himself into dangerous situations without thinking" and in the pilot episode gets distracted mid-conversation ("stop! scrooge was trying to keep me out of trouble, but i was so caught up in- why is there a lamp on the floor?") what REALLY sealed the deal for this headcanon, however, was the rsd he displays, bc this kid desperately wants to be loved by everyone and is absolutely crushed when that doesn't happen. his dream world is a high school musical-type high school where he's the mascot and star (nightmare on killmotor street); he had a panic attack because he tried playing a heel in a wrestling match and the crowd kept booing him (rumble for ragnarok); and in one episode started crying bc he thought he disappointed his mom (raiders of the doomsday vault). (speaking of his mom, there's loosely enough evidence to point to her being adhd too, and you know what they say about it running in families.)

Submission 2:

i could go on for AGESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS about dewey and the adhd headcanon. i am going to write a bunch of stuff, but it probably won't turn out very well (i write worse when i'm passionate about something lmao) why i see him as adhd: he has EXTREME rejection sensetivity dysphoria, which to me is most apparent in the money tree and boxing episodes (which i have inconveniently forgotten the names of). he requires attention and love to feel fulfilled, and will go to great lengths to be praised. he hates failure and the idea of being a dissapointment, so he goes to great lengths to prove his worth. he tends to be stupidly stubborn, not backing out of something even if it would put him in serious danger. he's also very impulsive -- jumps into dangerous situations without thinking about the consequence, all that matters is that it's exciting! he's SUPER energetic, and a small detail i noticed is that he doesn't seem to fall asleep easily? he's very chatty, there's an entire episode where he gets involved in a gang of sky pirates because he really, really wanted to talk about a hat he found. a lot of his decisions are irrational or generally just based on strong emotions?? he's definetly more of a thinker than a feeler. ("stop assuming i know things, ok? baseline, assume i know NOTHING!") he exaggerates his emotions or the severity of situations a lot. very easily distracted (or at least pays attention to the wrong thing? like, when they're offered to test out godhood, when they're told they're going to do "god auditions", dewey seems to miss out the "god" part and just does a dance routine (his reaction to realising he messed up is too funny to me, and his dance was actually really good imo) he's constantly breaking into song, uses his name as a pun almost constantly, and has a catchphrase he uses regularly. it's his 'character trait' (i'm not entirely sure how this relates to adhd but like. it makes sense to me) WAY too curious for his own good. generally just really hyperactive? goofs off when it's not really appropriate. i feel like there has been moments where he's been shown stimming before. (ik huey has for sure i'm not totally certain about dewey tho) also he's voiced by BEN SCHWARTZ. that guy seems to want to voice adhd-hi characters that are represented with the colour blue. ICONIC anyways that's all for my silly rambling. dewey and huey are the ultimate adhd autism solidarity duo btw

[tawus]

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!! Tawus! We got 33 Q&A’s from Gege about Gojo! 😫 His parents are alive but they couldn’t raise him bc apparently it would ‘interfere’ with his education as a jujutsu sorcerer. 😔

Until you answer this ask I won’t be asking any ‘what-if’ scenarios with this new information. Omg Infidelity ‘what-ifs’ are about to expand.

And we love to hear that

🧿

This answer confirms Gojo has a huge dick.

🧿

Another one of my interpretations of his character that’s luckily turned out correct

🧿

Such ~mwah~ answers that I had to include them

🧿

I love cats also, but as a fellow Sagittarius, I confirm that we like dogs more…

🧿

Not surprising, given his super fast metabolism.

🧿

I don’t remember where, perhaps in that one answer about Gojo’s personality, I said the same thing. Good to know I’d interpreted him sufficiently well.

🧿

I’ve left this one for last for a reason. Gege’s answer about Gojo’s parents comes contrary to what I’d envisioned, which was that Gojo did have a loving mother and father at least up until his teenhood. The reason I was so sure of that is because Gojo, despite being in the league of gods with his power, does have a certain sense of empathy, compassion, and justice. These things don’t just come to be in someone as privileged as him. Someone else has evoked and entrenched those principles in him. It had to have been either his parents, or parental figures, or a childhood friend, or a mentor.

I screenshotted this question in particular, even though the one about his parents was a few questions back, because here Gege states that Gojo did have a mentor within the Gojo family. It had to have been like that. If it weren’t his parents, then there had to be someone else in his childhood who instilled those principles in him. It could’ve been an uncle, a grandparent, a sensei, or even one of the servants. But there definitely WAS someone.

Now, I am taking a callous step in suggesting that Gege himself may not have had the best relationship with his parents… And I’d said it more than once in the past that Gojo and Mechamaru are both his intentional representations, they’re two sides of Gege. Which is why I reckon Gege chose to not give Gojo a very strong bond with his parents. I personally have experienced both a good parent and a shitty parent. And I can trace a lot of my behaviours and tendencies to both my genes as well as how these parents brought me up. The society and the world is inherently harsh and self-serving. So the good and the noble qualities in us have to be instilled by someone in our childhood, for them to become a part of our core in adulthood. If Gojo didn’t have someone in his childhood teaching him compassion, teaching him that the strong must not terrorise the weak, and teaching him that human life has irreplaceable value — he would’ve turned out a scummy person, indifferent to the sufferings of humans; in short, he would’ve been a villain. Since he’s perfect in every way, he, from the start, has no way of sympathising with other people. So that sympathy had to have been taught.

Following Gege’s answers, I’m really curious who that mentor in Gojo’s childhood was. I hope that it’ll be addressed in the next Q&A 🙂‍↕️🪄

[tarotoftheendless]

Sandman Ships

Ok, so since the first season dropped on Netflix there as been a lot of Dream of the Endless love especially with how absolutely gorgeous they made him look thanks to Tom Sturridge already being a beautiful man. And Tom has knack for coming into his projects and serving absolute cunt... and depending on the project, he comes in, serves cunt, has sexual chemistry with everyone, and then either leaves or even just straight up dies. That's Tom for you.

And it wasn't any different in The Sandman. He comes in, serves cunt, looks hella tortured and sad, and then tries to be all dominating when he is in fact just an absolute cinnamon roll that needs a hug and or a decent fuck. Over a hundred years in a glass bowl will make one both touch adverse but also touch starved, so...

Anyway, there are a couple ships that I do get, one ship that I get but is controversial and then a ship I don't get at all because they had no chemistry at all.

First and foremost, Hob Gadling and Dream. This whole friendship is queer-coded. They have a meet cute, a curiosity about one another, flirting, denial, reconnection... it was so romantic it's ridiculous. So, yeah, I am on the Dreamling train for sure. The way they look at each other, the way Hob was super jealous when Dream left him to go fuck Shakespeare (you absolutely know that Dream fucked Shakespeare to "inspire" him), the way Hob came to Dream's defense when 1789 Johanna Constantine came with her men with demands, the way Hob tried to bring up the fact that Dream is lonely, the way Hob looked so sad when he realized he got stood up, the way his eyes lit up when Dream finally came. Yeah, Hob is head over heals in love with Dream. Dream might need some convincing, but he is intrigued and curious about Hob in a way that he can't quite put his finger on but it is not just friendship.

I am still mad that because Dream was captured that we lost out on seeing 1989 Dream... he would've been so goth and hot it would've been criminal. I hope they do an 1980's thing in the show at some point so we can see Tom go all out in a 1980's look and the goth/metal look from that era. Tom would look so good and Hob would just die for it like the rest of us.

The other ship I see with Dream is actually modern Johanna Constantine. I don't see many people talk about their chemistry here on Tumblr but I have seen a few fanfics on AO3, so, some people agree with me. Just the way they spoke to each other, how close they stood to each other, some lingering looks. Johanna is bisexual too, so, I see it. Their chemistry was off the charts. Also, he actually listens to her when she calls him out on his bullshit. She actually gets through to him a bit, it seems, you know. A sign of respect, which all good relationships need, romantic/sexual or not, to be a halfway decent relationship.

Now the controversial one; Dream and Desire. Yeah, yeah. They're siblings. I know. They still had chemistry. Dream pulling their head back? Yeah, that was hot. And they are literally more than gods. If the gods of mythology and lore are always marrying family members, why would more than gods beings not sometimes partake in relations with their own relations? They aren't human and therefore are not bound by the same laws and rules and morals as us humans are. I am not trying to make a case or an excuse for incest as a whole, because I am not, incest is bad, but I am saying that beings that aren't human might not view incest the same as we do when it comes to other beings that are like them.

I have not read the comics fully, but apparently Desire used to be Dream's favorite, like they used to be close, whatever that looked like... and then Dream got with someone and Desire started to fuck with Dream's love life... as far as I know the comics never say how Desire was Dream's favorite, but would it be completely out of left field if they had been romantic at one time? Dreams and desires have very similar functions, they as concepts work well with one another, so, it wouldn't surprise me is Dream and Desire had been intimate once upon a time... and that would explain why Dream and Desire had a falling out after Dream started to pull away and explore other romantic interests. It is just a thought. Like I said, I have not read all the comics yet.

The one ship I do not see and will never see is The Corinthian and Dream. Yes, Dream is a dark and brooding goth twink (I know the term is outdated, but if there is another term I could use to describe him better, please let me know) and then we have our charismatic Southern hospitable gay serial killer man that is one of Dream's own creations, a nightmare... and Dream is the Dreaming and if the dreams and nightmares are Dream's creations and of the Dreaming and Dream is the Dreaming... then this would be narcissistic... though we all know Dream is sort of self important... and Cori (I'm just gonna call him that for simplicity sake), is also very much in his "but what about what I want?" era... so, both have those narcissistic tendencies, but Cori is so fed up with Dream I don't see this ever being romantic or sexual. I didn't see the chemistry, it wasn't there. It is more of a parent child relationship. And whereas I don't agree with Cori going out and inspiring a literally army of serial killers, he is very much like a millennial older child trying to talk to their boomer parent about their own toxicity. Cori is disillusioned with Dream and the way he runs things in the Dreaming. Dream is cold, unfeeling, too focused on the status quo and Cori wants to change all that. This relationship never came off as sexual or romantic, I'm sorry. All the Corintheus shippers out there, I'm sorry, but I don't buy it or see it. maybe the comics it was more prominent but Tom and Boyd didn't play it like that. I know Tom tends to have sexual chemistry with almost every costar he has ever had, but Boyd was/is not one of them.

Anyway, that's all the ships that I have seen in The Sandman show and then the one that other people saw that I just don't see at all. What do ya'll think?

[spike-dearheart]

It would probably be greedy of me to ask for a little of everything for the wip ask game lol but you KNOW I'm super curious about hearing more for "meeting the parents and definitely not exploding with anxiety" I love your takes on Moist and Adora already, and am excited to see how you explore Adora's family!

@creativenicocorner Brooooo literally you can ask for any and all at any time hahaha

So this entire fic is like.... me spitting out a lot of Adora thoughts on paper. all her jadedness, all her grief, and all these IDEAS about what it means to try and exist when tragedy happens to you??

(also this DOES fit like a puzzle piece with the "Moist/Adora Wedding" fic that I don't have anything written down for yet but WILL happen one day, no doubt, lmao. But first I gotta use this fic to nail down my thoughts about Adora's parents)

I will subject you to multiple snippets because I have so many thoughts and feelings but essENTIALLY the plot is "Moist gets invited for Sunday dinner at the Dearheart house and him and Adora have a really really normal one about it as both of their anxieties skyrocket" because I do think it's just fun and interesting to see the normally VERY practical and in-control Adora in a place where she's like?? actually pretty uncomfortable??

(I think Adora values her privacy and as much as she loves Moist and knows he's gonna meet her family eventually, she keeps herself and her past and all the ways she feels about the past on an EXTREMELY tight leash, so opening up is like trying to open a walnut with nothing but tweezers)

Anyway, snippets under the cut because I get the feeling it'll be kinda long lmaoooo

Adora huffed and looked away, the words coming out of her mouth the way prisoners escape from a dungeon – in a rush and not too keen on being there anymore. “You’re being invited to Sunday dinner.” “Am I?” “Apparently.” Moist stared at her as she continued to stare at the wall with an uncomfortable tension in her shoulders, a low blush rising on her cheeks that she seemed determined to ignore. He flipped over all the words she’d said to him thus far, looking for clues until he was at last forced to inquire for further details. “And… who’s inviting me?” Moist cleared his throat, adding, “Since, as you said, you have no interest in asking me this?” Adora chewed her lip and answered through clenched teeth, “Mr. and Mrs. Dearheart.” “Mr. and—” Moist started, then cut himself off with a gulp.

annnnnnnd

In all his time with Adora Belle, Moist realized that he had conjured up a mental image for what the Dearheart home might be like, based solely on Spike herself. A large, austere gothic mansion had seemed to be the ticket, really. Someplace with crows atop it and big iron gates with spikes and killer dogs in the yard. Somewhere that had stayed trapped in mourning and tragedy, lots of black all over everything, sooty residue of cigarette smoke making every room a dark and sober thing. Instead of this. This simple, small place on an ordinary street. Sitting like an ordinary house that existed in an ordinary world. It had shutters with peeling paint which might have been a cheerful teal color, once, and it had a little mailbox with a bird painted on it, and a doormat that said “Wipe Your Feet!”

[pebblysand]

Hi Jo! Can you answer 9&33? :)

I was also qurious if Andromeda chose Black Tonks or Tonks Black and what would be Hermione’s reasoning :D

Congrats on the word count, I’m excited and can’t wait to read it! And I am also jealous of your progress, my thesis is…. in a rut 😅

helloooo! 👋

9. Thoughts on cliffhangers

hmm. very interesting question. i was trying to think of castles chapters that ended in a true cliffhanger there and honestly, i can't think of any. which is probably an answer in and of itself.

i think the closest i come to a cliffhanger in castles is probably the end of chapter 5 (when Giulia dies), but that's not even really a cliffhanger. a cliffhanger there would have been ending it with her getting hit by a curse and you not knowing whether she died or not, which isn't what i did. i announced she died at the end of chap 5 then told you guys how she died in chap 6, so even that's turning it on its head a bit.

i think cliffhangers are fine, as long as it's not every chapter/they are not overdone. i think when you rely on them too much, it pisses people off. plus, if you're going to have a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter in ff, you really need to be the kind of person who commits to an update schedule (so that people know when to come back) which i'm not. i think if you want a cliffhanger to land well, it really needs to be done with intelligence and not super frequently. i think @ala-baguette does them incredibly well, for example. a lot of writers (and, sadly, TV execs) seem to think it's guarantee that people will come back to see the next episode/season/series, etc. but i don't think it is.

i think what you need for the end of every chapter/arc is a) a resolution of some kind and b) something for the reader to wonder about so that they come back for more. making it work is about the dosing of those two. you can have the apparent resolution of one conflict, and then dramatically a character unexpectedly gets shot (i'm looking at you, the good wife), and that works - but only if you do it once. if you do it again and again, you lose your shock value. similarly, if you're writing a romance for example, you can have a very sweet scene where A and B decide to move in together, and that might be enough for your reader to come back to see how that turns out. and, it's not a Big Dramatic Cliffhanger in and of itself. but then if all of your chapters end with low stakes lovely conversation, maybe the reader will get bored after a while. so, i think as always, it's very much about having variety.

.

33. Give your writing a compliment.

i'm european (and i know you are too). we don't give ourselves compliments. we self-deprecatingly make jokes or find reasons to evidence the fact that we don't deserve them when we receive one 🤣.

no, jokes aside, idk. i think i'll say what people have said to me which is that i seem to be able to make them feel things.

.

regarding this: I was also curious if Andromeda chose Black Tonks or Tonks Black and what would be Hermione’s reasoning :D

honestly, idk. i don't think it matters. you can decide whichever way you like lol. i think that scene was more a reflection on the silly considerations that need to go into political campaigning, and how alienating being perceived by Other People can be, which is very much a theme in castles. at the same time, it's this strangely deeply personal thing of whether she should put her dead husband's name first, whom she loved, or that of the family she hated, and who were kind of the cause of her husband's death. and, the silliness of it is: it doesn't matter, not really. it wouldn't make a difference, in the grand scheme of things. it's like when political analysts go on about the colour of a person's tie, or the tint in the image of the background of a campaign poster. does it matter? it's a hard call to make because any sane person would say it doesn't, that it's what you say/who you are that matters, but then when you look at analytics and opinion polling and you realise that... it kind of does. that political marketing is a real thing.

and, for andromeda, she's being told it matters and so it starts mattering in her head, and then she can't decide. and, the interesting thing is, as well: they're making her into someone she's not because she doesn't go by both names. so, now, because it is foreign to her, it feels like there's a reasoning to be had, an intellectual argument to be made about either options, but there isn't. and, i think harry, being someone who a) isn't really intellectual and b) is on the outside, can recognise it doesn't matter, in a way that i think neither hermione nor andromeda can.

i think hermione would try to gather as much data as possible to choose one or the other. i think andromeda would spend endless hours wondering which one matters more: the first or the last? and which one she wants to matter more.

.

and, thank you that's soooo sweet! hang in there for your thesis! it's tough!! good luck!

[spaceman-earthgirl]

“What about this one?” Lena asks, fingers skimming the spine of one of the many photos albums Eliza has made over the years.

“Not that one,” Kara says, too fast, eyes darting away. Lena really is surprised that Kara managed to keep her Super-secret for so long considering how truly bad she is at lying. “That one is just boring old photos.”

Lena quirks her eyebrow, curious. “Are you sure?”

“Fine, that one, but you have to promise not to laugh.”

Lena’s even more curious now, especially because she sees Alex trying to hide her smile across the living room. “I promise no such thing,” Lena says as she pulls the book from the shelf. Her words earn a pout from Kara, just like she’d hoped.

It’s cute.

Lena settles back into the seat beside Kara, thighs pressed warm together, book resting across their legs. All afternoon, Lena has been listening to stories from Kara’s life with the Danvers, Alex and Eliza cutting in with their own anecdotes too.

Lena stores every new bit of information she learns away in her mind, falls a little bit more in love with every new detail she learns about her best friend.

Kara flips through the pages, explaining some of the photos and just admiring others. There’s nothing particularly embarrassing yet, there are more photos of Kara and Alex, looking more comfortable with each other than they have in previous photos, clearly becoming closer as they spent more time together. There are family photos, from when Jeremiah was still around, there are photos of Kara and Alex with just Eliza and one of both sisters covered in paint, arms around each other, grinning.

After how much Kara has lost, Lena’s glad she found the Danvers family when she arrived on Earth.

Kara turns the page, and Lena knows immediately that these next photos are what Kara had been trying to hide, based on the fact she turns to the next page before Lena can even look at this set of photos. Lena swats Kara’s hand away, can nearly hear the pout form on Kara’s face as Lena turns the page back.

Lena has to press her lips together so she doesn’t laugh.

“Why do you look so mad?” Lena asks, eyes trailing over a set of school photos - some of Kara alone, some of Alex alone, and some of the both of them - for any signs of what caused such a frown on young Kara’s face.

Lena assumes it’s something to do with why Alex looks so smug in the photos she’s in too.

Kara sighs, about to tell the story but Alex cuts in.

“I ate the last pop tart for breakfast that morning."

"I was saving it! You knew it was mine!"

Lena laughs, the sound escaping her lips before she can stop it. It really shouldn’t surprise her that Kara is upset about food, that hasn’t changed.

“Lena,” Kara whines. “You promised you wouldn’t laugh.”

“I did not,” Lena grins. “You look like you’re about to use your heat vision, you were really that upset?”

Alex is grinning too. “She told me she was never going to be happy again. Mom was so mad because she said it ruined the school photos. I personally thought it made them better.”

“I think it made them better too,” Lena says. “Can I have a copy of these?”

“I don’t like this,” Kara groans. “I thought you were meant to be on my side,” she says, addressing Lena.

“I am,” Lena smiles, words sincere despite the previous teasing. “Always.” She leans over almost without thinking, lips pressing a quick kiss to Kara’s cheek, toeing the line between friendship and ‘more’ that they seem to be on the edge of a lot recently.

Kara’s cheeks are red when Lena leans away, looking at her with such soft affection that Lena is sure she’s not the only one who has feelings for her best friend.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you a copy of the photos,” Alex says, definitely with a knowing look on her face as the two of them turn their attention back to Alex.

“You know what’s even better than these photos?” Kara asks, body turned towards Lena, ignoring Alex. Kara is grinning now, Lena’s pretty sure Alex isn’t going to like whatever Kara has to say next.

“What?” Lena asks, just as Alex cuts in, “you wouldn’t dare.”

“Come on,” Kara says, hand threading through Lena’s, tugging her to her feet. “I know where Alex hid the photos from her punk rock phase in high school.”

Alex literally jumps the couch in her haste to get out of the room, Kara’s hand letting Lena’s go as she chases after Alex.

Eliza walks into the room after the sisters have left, Lena can hear them crashing around upstairs now. Eliza looks resigned, this definitely isn’t the first time something like this has happened.

“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into,” Eliza smiles. Apparently Alex isn’t the only one who knows how she feels about Kara.

---

This was based on a facebook post I saw where a kid looks grumpy in his class photos because his dad ate the last pop tart and the kid said he was "never smiling again."

[harocat]

Do you like Yurio? I saw some of your posts about him and I was just curious.

(Please don't take this as an attack or something in case you don't like him. In my case I always try to avoid him because he's not pleasant for me and everyone loves him but honestly you seem to have interesting views of him but that's only my opinion)

I have kind of complex feelings on him, because like, as a foil in the series itself I think he's fine, but the ending and how it seemed to reinforce his worst traits was a big turnoff for me, and I very dislike the way he's played in fandom, ESPECIALLY wrt to his relationship to Victuuri.

Like Yurio does spend 90% of the series shitting on my favorite character, when said favorite character has done nothing to deserve it, so that on its own is kind of enough reason for me to not really want to engage with him? But I am okay with him for most of the series itself.

And I get that yes he's a teenager, but 'teenagers are just like that' doesn't really fly for me, because they're not. Teenagers can be rude and mean, but the level at which Yurio behaves and everyone just brushes it off as funny or cute is not it. And can you imagine someone acting like this in international competitive sports? Like why is this allowed lol. I get that it's supposed to be funny, and some of it is slapstick, because YOI is a silly show at times, but when he doesn't seem to grow past it at all, and like I said in that previous post, the ending reinforces his worst traits, it kind of stops being funny. Like I'm supposed to be happy Yurio won when he's screaming about how there's no gold medals for pigs to feed on in his fs? Because he had one internal monologue about agape in the previous episode. The scene in episode eleven where he makes fun of Yuuri to his face after his SP, which happens after he apparently discovers his agape? It was so mean. It was not at all funny.

And in fandom, this is exacerbated. So many people act like Yurio's behavior toward Victor and Yuuri for just like... existing, is justifiable. Yuuri especially is just existing (and is always extremely nice to Yurio), but in fics, even Victuuri fics, it feels like I'm supposed to buy that he's so annoying. Victor and Yuuri act like the couple they are and sometimes engage in PDA, and it's endless comments about how gross it is from Yurio. I don't actually think that's funny. I know kids sometimes get weird about PDA, but Yurio is fifteen, and reading over and over about how gross a gay couple is while enjoying my fluffy gay fanfic escapism is not fun to me. I don't see how using that joke over and over is funny, and it does not endear me to Yurio at all (though obvs I don't hold it against his canon self).

I do think people super over exaggerate their closeness. Yurio has a family. He has family who loves him. Victor and Yuuri don't need to be his parents, nor should they be because they are like... ten years older than him. IF Yurio chills out and they become close (if, because as is, in the series itself, they're not close and they have a long way to go), maybe he could be like a little brother figure, but he's not going to supplant all the other people in their life like I see so often in fandom (shoutout to how many fics I've seen where Phichit is totally erased and replaced with Yurio). And sometimes I'd just like to enjoy some Victuuri content without Yurio being shoved in* just to be rude for no reason to my fave characters. It's just not enjoyable.

*unfortunately official art is guilty of this as well, but imo this is probably due to the homophobic censorship more than anything else. :(

[ragingbookdragon]

When Will My Weight Be Too Much For You?

Barry Allen x Wondersis One-Shot

Word Count: 1.6 Warnings: Explicit Language, Slight Angst

Author's Note: Based off this ask right here! Enjoy! -Thorne

**********************************************************************

Diana said this is the way to leave my grievance where you can hear it instead of straight from my mouth. I must deliver it this way because if I were to see you at this very moment, I would say things that would be improper of a princess and a partner in our relationship. Bartholomew, I do not say this lightly, but your unattendance to the unveiling of the museum exhibit has wounded my heart. You promised you would make it in time to see me reveal it to the world. I know you are busy, believe me I know, but I had asked you multiple times to check your schedule to clear it. Please wait for me to contact you again, it should be within the next few days. I would like to exert this potent emotion from mind and body before we meet once more. And though this event has occurred, please understand that my love for you has not changed. I still love you very much, Bartholomew Allen and I always shall. Farewell. End of message. To repeat, please press the pound key.

Barry banged his head on the desk as the message ended for the eighth time that night. He felt like such a fool. Such a bumbling, moronic fool. (Y/N)’d called him the day before and reminded him and he still forgot about the museum exhibit being unveiled today. He’d been so caught up in the labs that day that by the time he’d actually gotten a break, it was past three—four hours past the event.

So much for having super-speed. He’d been late. Again. And this time, he’d upset (Y/N) so much that she didn’t even want to see him for a few days. And Barry wasn’t sure what he was more upset about—missing the event and hurting her or hearing the devastation in her voice from the message. Whichever it was, it hurt Barry to the core. The type of hurt that made even his chest feel sore and his eyes sting. And all Barry could do was sit and wait, planning out how to make it up to her, and hope that she still wanted to be with him after.

***

(Y/N) hefted the javelin by her head, cocking it back as far as she could before she threw it with all her might, taking out an entire tree in the backyard of Wayne Manor. It’d been four days since the museum event, four days since Barry hadn’t showed, and four days since she’d called in sick, instead of being at home, being at Wayne Manor. Oddly enough, it was the one place she could work out her emotion—there seemed to be no end to criminals and Bruce’s family didn’t seem too particularly bothered by an Amazon being present or watching her break the Joker’s legs—they enjoyed that.

With a heavy sigh, she collapsed into the grass, gazing up at the sky as she let her limbs sprawl out. She wasn’t angry or upset with Barry anymore. Well, there was a little annoyance, but the majority had been worked out. All that was left was the feeling in her chest that made her sigh all the time—exasperation. Barry was the greatest man alive, probably better than Clark Kent, but Gods if he wasn’t the latest man alive too. He was always late

Another puff of air escaped her, and she closed her eyes as the grass crunched near her. “Have you come to gloat?”

Someone chuckled. “You’ve been out here since four AM, (Y/N). Aren’t you tired?”

“Not particularly, Bruce.” She returned, cracking one eye open to see him dressed in his suit; he’d probably just gotten back from work. “Are you going on patrol soon?”

Bruce glanced at his watch. “It’s a quarter to six. Sun’s going down. I’m going to get ready.”

(Y/N) nodded, starting to rise. “Then I shall get ready too.”

“Actually, (Y/N), I think you should go back to Central City.”

She paused, looking down at him—though their height wasn’t much different, a few inches give or take—and asked, “Have I overstayed my welcome? I apologize if I have.”

He shook his head. “Never.” Reaching out, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “But I think you should go home and talk to Barry.”

An eyebrow arched on her head, though her heart was fluttering at the mention of Central City being home. “Why?” she was genuinely curious, or perhaps suspicious of his answer. It seemed like he wanted her to talk to Barry more than he wanted her to leave.

“Because Barry Allen is moping so much during League meetings that it makes me look cheerful,” Bruce scowled. “I’m sick of seeing the poor man so distraught over his mistake.”

(Y/N) frowned. “My intentions were not to cause such distress, I just—”

“You left him a voicemail that practically tore his heart out.”

“I just—” she stopped, gaping at him. “How did you know?”

Bruce blinked. “That’s not important. What is important is that you go home to your boyfriend and tell him you love him and that you’re not angry anymore.” He shifted his hands, grabbing her face gently but firmly. “For the love of God, (Y/N), please, forgive the poor bastard.”

(Y/N), with a pinched face, looked down on the man and grunted, “If you wish to keep your hands, I suggest you remove them. Now.”

“Just go home. Please,” Bruce griped, pulling away from her. “I’m so sick of looking at Barry moping like a lovesick drunkard.”

She waved in defeat. “I shall back my bag.”

Suddenly, her duffel bag was in her face. “Already packed,” he said. “Go home.”

“I am feeling the love,” (Y/N) laughed, tugging the tight strap over her body, and rose into the sky. “Until we see one another again, my dear friend.”

Bruce waved as flew off. “See you around, Vanguard.”

***

By the time she’d returned to Central City, it was well into the night, quite possibly the early hours of the morning. The city was asleep, few cars were on the road and even fewer skyscrapers were lit up with company. (Y/N) slipped into the apartment through the bedroom window, too lazy to walk up the six flights of stairs and through the front door like she knew she should, but no one was watching, so who cared?

Apparently, Barry did, because the moment her second foot touched the floor, she was being yanked to the ground, faster than she could realize what was happening. She thrashed beneath the weight pinning her to the floor, one hand wrapping around Barry’s wrist, the other his throat as she cocked one of her legs up underneath his pelvis and to her chest, shoving at him.

Tipping their weight, he went down, and she flipped atop him, then shifted her hand to grab his other wrist, holding them both beside his head.

“Peace Barry!” she comforted firmly. “It is me, (Y/N).”

Barry stopped squirming, blinking in the darkness. “(Y/N)?”

“Yes,” she answered, letting him go so she could reach up and flick the night-side lamp on. The room was illuminated with soft yellow glow, and she glanced down at him with an easy smile. “I cannot imagine how you heard me. I was dead silent coming inside.”

He blinked. “I was awake and rolled over. All I saw was someone in the bedroom.” Barry reached up, cupping her cheek. “You’re home.”

(Y/N) leaned down, brushing her nose against his. “I am home.” Smiling sadly, she added, “And sorry I left like I did…and for making you hurt. I hope you can forgive me, Barry. I should have acted maturely and not run from my problem like a child.”

“No-no-no-no,” he worried, sitting up, taking her with him. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

“But I—”

Barry shook his head, brushing his thumb across her cheekbone. “I broke my promise to you, (Y/N). You reacting how you did was understandable.”

“Perhaps to a human,” she argued. “But not for a princess. And especially one of Themyscira.” (Y/N) cupped his face in her hands and pressed her forehead to hers. “It was just a museum exhibit, Barry. You are more important to me than pieces of history.”

His blue eyes were bright even in the dull light and his smile was as wide as a mile. “I love you, (Y/N).”

She matched his smile. “I love you more, Barry Allen.”

“Well, I love you most,” he countered, and she giggled, shaking her head.

“Impossible,” she bantered. “My love for you knows no bounds.”

“Oh yeah?” he bet, wrapping one arm around her waist, whilst the other fumbled for the bedside, rising to his feet. “Hmm, my love is eternal.” He turned, (Y/N) sinking into the mattress as he climbed onto the bed, looking at her.

An evil smirk crossed her lips and Barry’s body flushed with heat as his cheeks darkened, and before he could even blink, he was being flipped, staring up as she gazed down at him. “H-honey,” he stuttered as her fingers deftly undid the buttons of his pajama shirt, spreading it open to reveal his toned chest. He really flushed when she bent down and pressed a kiss to the center of his chest, ebbing upwards to his throat, only leaving a trail of crimson love bites in her wake.

“Your love is eternal, hmm?” she cooed against his skin, heatedly kissing along his jaw to whisper in his ear. “Prove it to me.”

[pochapal]

I am in love with your liveblog (as a finished Umineko reader). Thank you for sharing your journey! One of the best parts of finishing Umineko is seeing other people theorize about it lol. I am curious- what did you know about Umineko going in? Also I’d love to hear about your favorite/least favorite characters thus far. Or if you’ve got a favorite moment so far too.

ah thanks! <3

as to answer what i knew about umineko going in - it's a super long murder mystery, someone compared it to the homestuck epilogues (the thing which made me choose to read it), and a sizeable portion of my mutuals are really into it. my only quote unquote "spoiler" that i kind of have going in which isn't too much of a spoiler is that at some point in the story the golden witch beatrice will make a physical appearance (if only because so many people use her sprites for their icons on the internet). other than that i really didn't have much foreknowledge, and i especially knew nothing about the characters/events/settings before i started.

my top five faves as of right now are kanon then shannon then maria then battler then jessica. kanon and shannon more because of the theories i have made up in my head about them than anything specifically they've done in the text so far (that said kanon being mad at gohda/the ushiromiyas is kind of iconic...that boy is very much teetering on earning the coveted blorbo status) but maria is objectively great, a perfect angel child who can and will never do a thing wrong in her life and is also correct about everything. battler and jessica get the last two spots because a) they're actually rather endearing as characters and b) they make up the remainder of the Least Evil People On Rokkenjima group.

characters i don't outright dislike but i think would be interesting to examine more are rosa and natsuhi. like they both occupy such interesting positions in the power-abuser-powerless-abused cyclical dynamic. individuals preyed upon within the ushiromiya hierarchy who exert power and abuse over those even lesser than them. very fucked up. very interesting.

despite what it may seem like i don't Hate george but reading anything to do with him is so pitifully embarrassing and unless he gets a character arc i would not be mad if i didn't hear from him again. it's like. Why Are You Such A Loser.

kinzo is evil and i hate him on principle but also he's kind of funny. wet pathetic old man so encaged in his ivory tower of abuse and violence and power and he is unironically engaging in a blood ritual to resurrect a murderwitch he made a faustian bargain with, not for any purpose other than to ogle over her one last time. he's garbage. he's trash. i hope he fails in the worst way possible.

i've got a couple standout moments so far. the first is the first sibilng argument in the parlor where they all gang up on krauss and then turn on each other. i cherish the ushiromiya failson/faildaughter petty greed thunderdomes like nothing else, even though i now know that most people apparently don't like these scenes??

other good scene is the dinner with the letter. love the way it's every emotion at once and maria gets to have her moment as the messenger of beatrice and also the adults once again tear each other apart, and also gohda's atmosphere gets ruined. i think i'm obsessed with seeing this family self-destruct.

maybe contender for another good scene is the jessica/natsuhi moment in chapter 8. not an absolute fave but i do appreciate seeing that other side of things.

my other standout is not exactly a scene but the atmosphere building in anticipation of the golden witch's arrival. the omens and the music and the slowly mounting sense of dread are so good. umineko is so well written i love it.

[belphies-cuhm-sluht]

I'm sorry if I'm bothering but I cant stop thinking about the brothers reacting to the mcs family accepting them as mcs bf before and after they find out the bro is a demon

The Brothers When MC’s Family Accepts Them As Demons (Headcanons)

These got super long, so I’m gonna put them under the cut. Thanks for the request, this was super fun to do. 

Lucifer 

The amount of stress he had going into this was ridiculous. He didn’t want to meet your family in the first place, he thought it was unnecessary and he would have much rather they not knew that he and you were dating. You insisted though, and he begrudgingly agreed to meet them when you went back up to the human world for your birthday. Everything was going fine until you slipped up and used his full name, and he was honestly… relieved. He had hated the stupid nickname you had given to him… “Luci”. It made him cringe, but nobody really named their child Lucifer, so apparently it was necessary. That one slip though, and he froze up, waiting for your parents to freak out… but they didn’t. Honestly, he wondered if your parents were even listening, but then your dad tried to make a dad joke. “So Lucifer, what was the fall like? Just joking, glad you could join us.” Confused. Kind of worried about your parents judgement, because, of course he loves you and wouldn’t want anyone to get in between the two of you… your parents are just… okay?With you dating a demon? Might need to take the second that your parents didn’t take. 

Mammon 

Not really all for meeting your family, but then again, that could be another way of getting free gifts or money. Definitely decides that he wants to meet them around Christmas, and make sure to let them know that you’re bringing your boyfriend, and that he likes gold anything or just flat out cash. He was nervous, but he wouldn’t let that show. Obviously The Great Mammon doesn’t get nervous, not around some measly humans. But these humans, these humans were important to you, and if he didn’t make a good impression, well… he could handle his brothers talking bad about him, but your family was a whole different thing. Christmas morning seemed to be going along without a hitch, the two of you had decided to just call each other by pet names so his real name wouldn’t slip… that is until his greediness started to show and he started pestering your parents about what he got. You lightly smacked his arm, whispering his name, hoping that your family didn’t hear you. “Oh, Mammon? Like the demon of greed Mammon?” Uhm… why weren’t your parents freaking out? “Don’t worry. We didn’t really know what to get you, so we just decided on money. I’m sure you won’t mind.” He’s on a whole new level of shook. Your family is so chill, he wants to come back for every holiday. 

Leviathan 

Getting him to leave his own bedroom was a job on its own. Trying to get him to agree to meet your family was a whole new level of difficult. There was no need for it, they won’t like him, he’s a loser… he gave all these excuses, and although none of them were true to you, he believed them to be true. You were on the verge of giving up and he saw that, he saw that you were upset about it, and he didn’t want to be the reason for you being upset so he finally said that he would. Only for a day trip though. His anxiety was already through the roof and he didn’t want to be stuck in a house of a bunch of people he didn’t know longer than 24 hours. That was no problem for you though as your family was having a small get together. It was a cookout and there would be a pool and everything, just a pleasant day of family fun. That’s how you sold it to him, and although he was still reluctant, he liked the idea of a pool. So now, here you were, goofing off in the pool. He was pushing you around the pool in a little donut raft, and he decided it would be funny to flip you off of it. You squealed his name when you came up from out of the water, forgetting for a second where you were, and your entire family was looking at the two of you now. “Leviathan… I know I heard that name before… isn’t that that one demon who…” “Doesn’t matter what he is, they’re both having fun. Burgers are up in five minutes, kiddos.” They’re not… shocked? Not running for the hills, having a panic attack. Nope, just burgers. He finally feels like he can really relax now, and that’s all that matters. 

Asmodeus

Pfft, worried? Not him. People love him. Your parents will too, he was sure of it. He was all for visiting your parents, actually, he was the one who brought it up. You were about to visit your mom for her birthday, and he decided that he wanted to come along too, since he’d never met your family before. He felt like you were hiding him and he didn’t like that feeling, so now he was coming to your mom's birthday and he even picked her out a gift. Obviously it was self-care set, but what else was he going to get her? It’s Asmo. Of course, your mother loves him immediately. He’s kind and he’s gentle and soft spoken, and he keeps calling her beautiful. He was a charmer, and everything was going great. The entire party went flawlessly, and you both thought that you’d get through the day without anyone finding out that your boyfriend was in fact a demon. That is, until your mother stopped the two of you for goodbye hugs, and she decided to become curious about his name. “Is Asmo your full name, or is it short for something else?” She was so inquizitive, and you bit your lip, hoping that he’d just agree that Asmo was his name, but, he had no shame. He told her that it was short for Asmodeus, and at first she looked shocked, but then she just shrugged. “Hmm, well… isn’t that something. You two get home safely, and come back soon, okay?” At first he thought that she just didn’t know who he was, but you explained to him that she knew, she just didn’t care. He kind of had a feeling it would happen that way though, so he was just as happy as he was before he came up to visit. 

Satan 

He’ll agree to visit your parents, you don’t have to bribe him, convince him, nothing. He just wants you to call him by his real name. He said he would be on his best behaviour, and that your family would have no reason to hate him unless they’re judging him strictly off of his name, but if that’s the case, then they’re shit anyway and he doesn’t want to associate with them. It was a Fathers Day party, and you were on edge the entire time. Your parents weren’t judgemental at all, but the name, his name alone would freak anyone out. He was a true gentleman, shaking your fathers hand and having regular conversations with him about different books that they’ve read. Things were great, and then dinner came along. Satan and your dad were still talking amongst themselves when he stopped in the middle of his sentence. “You know, Y/N never did tell us your name. Things have just been so busy, I’m sorry about that.” Satan didn’t hold back, he almost too proudly stated his name to your father, like he was expecting some type of freak out. It was your mom who chuckled lightly, shaking her head. “Ah, leave it to Y/N to date Satan. Well, everyone seems happy in the relationship, who am I to judge?” And with that everyone went back to eating. You were more shocked than Satan was, he just seemed really smug now, continuing his conversation with your dad. It felt like a giant weight had been lifted off your shoulders. 

Beelzebub 

Halloween, you chose Halloween. There was candy involved and he seemed excited about it. He was always so sweet and you really felt like you had nothing to worry about with him, how could anyone not like Beel? He was a big teddy bear, an absolute sweetheart. He wasn’t even nervous about meeting your family, and there was no reason for him to be. When he walked into your house everyone greeted him with open arms, warm welcomes, and soft smiles. Honestly, the only thing intimidating about him was his height, but everyone quickly got over that and it even became a sort of joke between him and your dad. “Oh, watch your head there, pal. If Y/N would have told me you were so tall I would have raised the archways a little more.” Dad jokes, and while you were embarrassed whenever your dad said anything, Beel seemed to love it. When snack trays went out, Beel devoured everything almost immediately, and it was only when he had cleared the entire table that he realized what he did, smiling sheepishly at you. Your family was clearly… concerned. Beel decided to take it upon himself to explain everything since you seemed so worried, and his plan was, if they freaked out, he’d just take you back to the Devildom to celebrate Halloween there. It was quite the opposite though, and your mom actually seemed relieved that there was a reason for him eating so much. “That makes so much sense. I was getting worried that someone wasn’t feeding you. Well, you can always come home anytime for dinner, alright?” So happy, he’s so happy. Ends up changing into his demon form for a Halloween costume which amazes everyone. He asks to visit your family at least once a week for dinner now. It’s a second home to him. 

Belphegor

Why visit your family when he can just sleep? Sleep is life. He’ll probably just zonk out at your parents house anyway, but that wasn’t the point. You wanted him to at least meet your parents once. They had asked you to come home, and you had told them before that you had a boyfriend and they really wanted to meet him too. It wasn’t particularly hard to say no to you, it’s just that he didn’t like hurting your feelings, and he felt like it was the least he could do considering he did… kill you once. He really did do his best to stay awake, not for your parents, but for you. He didn’t want you to think he was rude for falling asleep at the dinner table, which almost happened. Once everyone moved into the living room though, he couldn’t help himself. Leaning against your shoulder he slowly dozed off and your mom noticed immediately. “Just like your father, able to fall asleep anywhere and everywhere.” You heard Belphie scoff quietly, deciding that he would throw out a joke about being Belphegor, the Demon of Sloth. Of course, you knew that it wasn’t a joke, and you tensed up, waiting for your mom’s reaction to it. “Oh, well, that makes sense now. Do you need a pillow, or a blanket? A warm cup of tea?” He peaked one eye open, staring at your mom for a second before looking up at you and declining, almost too politely. He was kind of bummed out that your mom wasn’t scared of him. There was no fun in it. At least he got to nap a little longer though, and she brought him a cup of tea anyway, so he was still winning in the end. All is well that ends well.

[supercorpkid]

Two Luthors are better than one.

Supercorp, Kara Danvers x Daughter!Reader, Lena Luthor x Daughter!Reader, Lillian Luthor x Granddaughter!Reader

Word count: 3100.

If you haven’t you can check out It’s you against the world first, if you would like a little bit more of context.

You wake up feeling almost too rested to be true. You get out from under your blankets, and you expect to see blood and dirt everywhere, instead you’re cleaned. You look at your clothes and you’re wearing your favorite pajamas and they smell like home. Home.

It feels like you haven’t stepped foot home in a lifetime. So much has happened. So much pain and sorrow have taken over you and your family. You sit back on your bed, looking around. Can you even call this home if Lena is not in it?

You have slept too long. You don’t know how many hours you’ve slept, but that doesn’t matter. Five minutes would’ve been too long.

A small part of you believes Kara. Sure, it wasn’t all your fault. How could’ve been, right? How could you have been everywhere at the same time? How could you have gone for Lena when Kara’s location was right there? Still. Still-

You feel like an exposed wound waiting for something – no, not something, Lena – to care for it. To patch it up with an assertive and unquestioning ‘this isn’t your fault’.

“Momma.” You call and it doesn’t take long for you to see Kara’s face poking at your door. “How am I clean?”

“Oh.” Kara gives you a soft smile, walking in your bedroom. “You passed out from exhaustion before we got home. So, I had to give you a shower, and food while you were sleeping.”

“What?” You furrow your brows, confused. “I can eat while I sleep?”

“Apparently.” Kara agrees with her head and touches your face with a big smile. “It’s good to see your pretty face again. You were looking really, what’s the word? Dead.”

“I think I was dead for a minute before you saved me.” You exhale, finally realizing you are glad to be alive. “Thank you.”

You throw yourself in her arms and Kara catches you, giving you a little kiss on the head, then puts her cheek on top of your head, while stroking your back lightly.

“My baby.” Kara’s voice is so full of love, she doesn’t have to say anything else for you to understand what she means.

“I’m sorry about what I said.” You sigh, feeling there’s no more anger left on your body. You’re done fighting the world completely. “I was so full of rage I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Oh, my love.” Kara cups your face, making you look at her and her blue eyes meet yours. “When will you understand that you are my heart beating out of my chest? If you’re mad, I’m mad too. If you die, I will die too.”

“Momma, I love you so much, but I-I miss her. What if I can’t do it? What if I can’t get her memories back and she doesn’t-” You stop yourself, when a tear slides down your cheek.

“Then you can’t do it.” Kara says, and you furrow your brows in question. “And someone else will try. And if they can’t do it, we will live with this.”

“How?” Your voice comes out small. Kara forces a smile out.

“I don’t know, kid. But we will.” She kisses your forehead, and you close your eyes at the familiar comfort that brings. “What you can’t do is bleed yourself dry for this.”

“But it 's mom.”

“But it’s you.” Kara’s forehead rests against yours. You cry, and she cries too. Both of your hearts are beating so painfully slow. “And I can lose the entire universe, except you, my heart. And I can tell you with absolute certainty your mom feels the same way.”

“Not anymore.” You whisper and Kara’s forehead stop touching yours, as she brings you back into her arms in a comforting hug.

“We can always ask for help.”

You think about it for a second. You think about how much you wanted Kara’s help in battle. How much you needed her fighting with you side by side, because two Kryptonians are better than one. If that is true, then two Luthors must be better than one. Your Luthor is, um, unavailable. So-

No. You could never.

No. She would never.

Right?

You snap your head up, looking at Kara. She looks back at you, knowing that look on your face. The look of an idea.

“Yes?” She asks, unsettled. You super speed through your morning routine, and Kara snaps her eyes wide open at you, waiting for a response.

“I think I’ve got it.” You run out of your bedroom but come back a split second later. You kiss Kara’s cheek with a smile. “I love you. You’re the best.”

“I-I love you too.” Kara says, still surprised by your sudden change of attitude, and you leave again. This time for good.

“I have to say I’m amazed to see you, granddaughter.” Lillian says when you land in front of her. She tilts her head, and you almost salute her off. But you don’t have time for that.

“I have important pressing matters to discuss with you.” Your answer also seems to amaze her, as she raises her eyebrows at the sound of that.

“Do tell.” Lillian looks as interested as you thought she would. You never deny her your company when she appears in front of you. Once in every other month. But this is certainly out of character, so she looks curious. You look around, to be sure no one can hear you before you start.

“Some shapeshifters kidnapped Lena. They’ve mind-wiped her and hurt her, and now-now she doesn’t remember-” You think about it for a second. If Lillian’s going to help you, she needs to know exactly what Lena doesn’t remember. But what if Lena not remembering you and Kara is exactly what she always wanted? “Me.”

“Aliens.” She scoffs in disgust, almost forgetting you too are an alien, or half of one for that matter. “Let me guess. Supergirl imprisoned them in a cell and will try to turn them good eventually?”

“Well, not exactly.” You look down. Face burning at the thought of the words you’re about to say. At the truth that is about to be confined to Lillian freaking Luthor. “I-I killed them.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t have said that faster. Or have a more surprised look on her face. But slowly she comes down from her shock.

“I’ve been working on reversing their technology, but, well, I’m not much of a scientist as much as I am an inventor of sorts.” You say, receiving an agreeable nod from her.

“So what exactly is your pressing matter with me, dear?” Lillian asks. She knows what you want. It’s pretty obvious. And it’s also pretty obvious she wants you to ask for it.

“I could use some help.” You wait a beat. “Your help.”

Lillian’s nod is so tiny, if you weren’t staring at her with your undivided attention, you would’ve missed it.

“Do you still have your lab at L Corp?” She asks and you shake your head, agreeing. “What are we waiting for?”

It’s all she has to say for you to fly to L Corp with her. You look at Lena’s office to be sure she is there, before walking into the building.

“Oh, Mrs-Mrs. Luthor.” Aly shuffles in her chair uncomfortable, and you listen to her heart beating terrified and almost out of her chest.

“Hey Aly, Lillian and I have some, um, stuff to work on in my lab. You know the drill. Don’t let anyone interrupt us.” You ask and she agrees with her head, eagerly.

“Should I tell your mom-”

“No!” You stop her, before she’s half finished. “Please don’t disturb my mom. It’s all good here. Ok?”

“Of course, Miss Luthor-Danvers.” She agrees and you make a mental note to tell your mom, when all of this is over, to give Aly a raise. You thank her and make your way to your lab, with Lillian right behind you.

When you open the door, you startle yourself by the look of the place. You don’t remember the lab looking this wrecked ever before. There are cans of red bulls everywhere. Broken parts, and oh yeah, you punched a hole in your working table. Also, the amount of blood here is absurd.

“I see you’ve been working through mental breakdowns-” She pushes one can with her feet, almost too gracefully for the action itself. “Sleepless nights and-” She stares at some blood stains on the floor. “Wherever that blood came from.”

“Me. Mainly.” You point out, not entirely embarrassed by the truth of what she’s saying. You pick up your chair on the floor and point to the main computer. “You can start looking at the alien tech while I try to clean up the place a little.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Working with Lillian is not like working with Lena. It’s methodic, barely satisfactory, and it doesn’t leave space for any chat or contribution. You don’t care. You’re not looking for fun, but for results and as long as she gives you that, you don’t mind the deafening silence.

“How did it feel?” Lillian asks, after maybe two hours of uninterrupted silence. You raise your head from the new metal halo you’re making. “To kill them?”

“I don’t know.” You answer, truthfully. “I was dying with them.”

“Of course you were.” Lillian says like that’s the answer she was expecting to hear. Like hearing you had killed someone made no sense, and now with this little piece of information it all makes sense again.

After what it feels like another two hours, Lillian looks back at you with a nod. “Ready for testing.”

“Okay.” You pick the halo you made and transfer the new coding system she created to it. “I’ll make myself forget something with the mind wiper I invented and then try to bring that memory back.” You explain, but it feels stupid. It is self-evident the entire experience. “I guess I’ll forget my uncle’s name and you can remind me if it doesn’t work.” She agrees with her head. “Bye Lex.” You use your memory wiper, forgetting whatever his name is. Then you grab the halo, placing it over your head. “Ok. I’m ready.” Lillian presses a few things on the computer and nods at you when it’s over. “My uncle’s name is-”

Nothing.

“It didn’t work.” You sigh. Exhausted. “I don’t know his name.”

“I think I see the problem.” Lillian resumes working on the computer, and you wait.

“What is it?” You ask after a while, because not remembering is bothering you. “His name, I mean. What’s his name?”

Lillian turns her head back at you, to look at you from the corner of her eyes. “I don’t think not knowing will harm you more than doing so. You’re better off without this information.”

Ok, then.

“Done.” Lillian says and you do the entire process again. You sit on your chair, after erasing someone else’s name from your mind, and you sigh before putting the halo on.

“I hope this works.” You whisper, more to yourself than to her. “I miss her.”

Her eyes are filled with something that can only be described as pity when she looks at you again. Lillian blinks at you, trying to ignore your feelings. You swallow them down too. You put the halo over your head and give her a thumbs up. She turns to the computer again.

“Miss Finnick.” You say absolutely certain this time. A smile comes up your lips and, like it hasn’t been beating for all this time, your heart races on your chest, beating into your ribcage. Thank Rao. And Lillian, you guess. “It worked.”

“Luthors are geniuses, after all.” Lillian agrees with her head, and that’s all. She walks to the lab door, and you furrow your brows. “I think you can take it from here.”

“You’re not going to stay? You can tell her you did it all yourself and-”

“There’s no point.” Lillian stops you. “I won’t get any form of appreciation. And I don’t think she would trust something I made.”

“Well, she doesn’t remember me. She might not trust something I made too.” You say and Lillian gives you the closest thing to a full smile you’ve ever seen on her lips.

“Darling, look at your face. Lena might be distrustful of people, but no one is immune to your charm.” Lillian tilts her head, clearly saying this conversation is over. “Granddaughter.”

“Grandmother.” You salute her off, and Lillian opens the door of your lab. “Thank you.”

She doesn’t answer. You nearly repeat yourself, but she closes the door. She heard you. You’re sure.

Less than a minute after you called her, Kara is knocking on your lab door. You let her in with a smile, and call Aly asking her to send Lena to your lab without mentioning your name. Every second before Lena arrives is filled with anticipation and Kara has to hold you, so you don’t fly away, unable to hold yourself down.

“Listen, baby.” Kara whispers softly. “I’m sure it will work perfectly, but if it doesn’t-”

“Then we’ll figure out how to live with this.” You look up to her and she smiles at you.

“We will.” She repeats.

You hear the click on the door, when the L Corp id is accepted. You hear when the door unlocks. You watch the handle slowly opening. And what it feels like a lifetime later, you watch Lena coming in. You wait a beat for the expression on her face to reveal something. Anything. Love, hate, care, unfamiliarity. You would take anything. But Lena’s expression is unreadable.

“I’ve been wondering when I would see you again.” Lena says, directed at you. She apparently saw Kara after. “I suppose I have some thanking to do.”

That’s all. The silence lingers for another entire minute. Was that a thank you?

“But now, I’m dazed as to why and how you’re here in one of my labs.”

“It’s my lab.” You answer, taking your id card from your pocket and showing it to her.

“I suppose you’re right.” Lena agrees with her head. She takes something out of her pocket too. Looks at it for a few seconds, before showing it to you. “It’s you.”

It’s a picture of the three of you together. Old enough, but still not so old you would be unrecognizable. You were probably ten or eleven, and your faces are all smushed together, and all your smiles are so large you wish you would remember what made you guys so happy.

“How is this possible?” Lena asks, and you finally see it. Your mom, behind the façade of the strong professional CEO peeking out. And she is scared. She walks a little bit closer to you. “Was it-” She points at the large scar on the side of her head.

“No.” You say, and Kara pats your back encouraging you to say more. You breathe deep trying to calm yourself. “Alien tech, actually. I can explain it to you now, or…” You go to your table and grab the halo. “After we bring your memories back.”

“Oh.” Lena furrows her brows. She looks at the picture one more time, almost as confirmation. Like the picture is telling her that she can trust you. She goes to where you’re standing and sits on the chair you’re pointing to. You put the halo on her head and move to your computer.

“It’s Kara, right?” Lena asks and you stop looking at the computer, to look behind you. Lena is looking at your momma, who’s staring at her from across the room. Kara agrees with her head vividly. “Can you, please, stop looking at me like that? It’s, um, distracting.”

Oh great, she doesn’t even know who Kara is and already wants to sleep with her. Yes. That sounds like your mother alright.

“Sorry.” Kara’s face blushes completely. “I haven’t seen you in a long while.”

“Four days hardly feels like too long.” Lena says, and you smirk at her.

“Yeah, you clearly don’t remember anything.” You look back at your computer. “Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Lena says and you agree, doing exactly what Lillian has done. Lena is zoomed out for a few minutes, and you and Kara just look at her, patiently waiting to see if it worked.

You only know it worked when Lena looks at you, eyes full of tears, and she throws her arms around you so hard, even you with your super strength can feel it.

“I missed you so much.” You say, crying silent but happy tears, and you feel Kara’s arms around both of you. Lena kisses your forehead so many times, it feels like she's trying to make up for the past few days when she wasn’t around to do so. She only stops to kiss Kara’s mouth, also repeatedly for a few times, and you smile, between your tears.

“You saved me, babygirl. You saved me.” Lena says so softly, your heart swells on your chest.

“Not before they wiped your memories, though.”

It comes. As natural as the daylight. The patch, the care, the healing. Everything you were expecting, it comes.

“That was not your fault!” Lena says, assertively. And if you weren’t crying already, you would’ve started now. “Hey, baby-” Lena holds your face in her hands and smiles at you, so fondly there’s no way she doesn’t remember everything about you. “You did the impossible. You saved me, cared for me, and now you brought my memories back.”

“With Lillian’s help.”

“Sure. But that doesn’t take away everything you have done.” Lena wipes your tears and holds Kara’s hand lovingly. “I’m so proud of you.”

“She almost died to save us.” Kara adds, so Lena understands all you have done.

“You have to stop almost dying.” She begs, between tears, and you smile.

“Well, like Bukowski once said, ‘you have to die a few times before you can really live’.” You smile at her.

“He didn’t mean literally!”

“Rao, you two are such nerds I feel bad about getting in the hug and lowering the IQ of the hug.” Kara says and Lena chuckles, pulling her closer and kissing her dearly. “We’re fine.”

“We are fine.” Lena agrees.

You breathe in their words. You let them go inside of your body and let them fill you, head to toes. You’re fine. You’re fine. You hug Lena, smelling her familiar scent and you smile. You are fine.

[chromes-corner]

New Story Update: Some Predictive and Assorted Thoughts

hi ive had so many big thinks about the update coming on thursday so heres whats been going through my head regarding some predictions and hopes (mostly about choco and cacao so if thats your cup of tea come drink this up)

this is a super long post and there are some very minor spoilers (just stuff on affogato) under the cut so fair warning

design and aesthetic

ok im just gonna say it the art/design team put their whole cookussy into the direction and style of the environment/aesthetic. like maybe its just because im a slut for lonely castles (which is why i loved the vanilla kingdom location so much) but holy fuck dude the design of the cacao castle really scratches an itch in my brain. i just fucking. adore everything about the art from what we seen and im fully expecting to be blown away by the final product upon release. i am screaming. i am crying. dont even get me started on what i assume to be the title screen thats been floating around the internet because holy fuck. the composition. THE COMPOSITION. i am such a WHORE for composition theory and it gives me so many vibes i cant even explain. oh the themes of life and death and how they intertwine and compliment each other and how you cant have one without the other and i am. a nerd for this shit. okay so basically in conclusion i will kiss everyone in the devsis art department.

affogato cookie

YESSS BITCH BE EVIL!!!!! IM SO FUCKING EXCITED FOR HIM TO FUCK SHIT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i need him to interact with the other CoD. please god please please please. i want him to be so evil and fucked up he gives pom a run for her money. oh manipulative advisor of the king my beloved. i want him to do some evil shit and be completely unapologetic about it. i want to hate him so bad. i want him to be totally aware that hes a hottest guy in this bitch and to flaunt it. god. please.

caramel arrow cookie

ok so there hasnt been a ton of leaks or info surrounding caramel arrow, and im assuming theyll actually be released later into the season (maybe with an episode 14? who knows) but tbh im kinda looking forward to see what part they play, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY WERE THE MYSTERY COOKIE IN CHOCOS FLASHBACK???? like holy fuck im so interested in that and who they are in relation to the royal family. from what im seeing it looks like theyd have a captain of the royal guard type of deal?? like a sworn protector thatll probably be the antithesis of affogato?? idk whatever the deal i hope they dont get sidelined because i really want to know whats up with them.

the licorice sea

for those who dont know, according to the artbook, the “licorice sea” is apparently a big threat to the kingdom, but the choco wall kinda keeps it at bay. recently the crk twitter posted this

which is more than likely the aforementioned licorice sea. so my thoughts on this is that. it goes hard. like what the actual hell is going on here i want to know so bad. will licorice have anything to do with this. i think thatd be cool as fuck. like he rolls into the kingdom and hes like “yeah i choose fucked up necromancy today.” idk not a lot of thoughts on this but im very curious indeed yes.

CACAO AND CHOCO: TWO HALVES OF ONE JAM SWORD

alright, heres the big part of my thoughts and hopes, so buckle in if youre willing to give this a read.

obviously, a big part of this update (or, what im hoping, anyway) is an exploration of choco and cacaos relationship both in the past and as it stands now. i know theres a chance for the narrative to completely disregard this in favor of focusing more on a “present problem” narrative, that being whatever the hell is going on with the licorice sea and the problem of affogato cookie, but i digress. i think i speak for the whole of the fanbase when i say that we desperately want a closer inspection on the royal family and how it plays into the story and the characters.

SOME CONTEXT FIRST

so, in the art book, the dark cacao denizens are described as follows:

"Harsh climate doesn’t make for a developed sense of humor. What the Dark Cacao Cookies genuinely excel at is combat. From a young age they learn weapons or martial arts. When the time comes, an apprentice finally receives a sword to defeat a wolf on their own and complete the coming of age ritual. and although the Cookie was allowed sweet cocoa or delicate milk chocolate, it is only bitter food from this point on. The Dark Cacao consider bitter food a constant reminder of perils and death. As a result the Cookies are not afraid of crumbling, but rather despise dishonorable living."

"Having to cope with dangerous beasts and a harsh climate that makes farming extremely hard, all Cookies of the Dark Cacao Kingdom undergo rigorous combat training from a young age. With peril always lurking nearby, the locals tend to cultivate asceticism and abstain from pleasures."

keep this in mind as you read, as my thoughts stem from these cultural lore tidbits.

RANDOM THOUGHT

i just want to point out that the art book directly mentions “asceticism,” which, for those who dont know, is a form of not partaking in pleasures. the thing that really makes me curious, however, is that the word is specifically about sexual/sensual pleasures. i have exactly two thoughts on this:

1. are you telling me the cookies have sex

2. so like is it a shunned thing to have children?? assuming the cookies do, in fact, reproduce sexually??????????????????

(OKAY I KNOW IT PROBABLY MEANS SOMETHING MORE ALONG THE LINES OF “THE COOKIES DO NOT HAVE ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE ANOTHER” BUT MAN!!!! WORD CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

(also i highly doubt there is sexual reproduction in this universe but that is a topic for a whole other post that i will one day write. mark my words.)

anyways

THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN THE PAST

so theres been an image from the art book floating around for quite some time:

and many are hoping to finally receive some context for it. here are my thoughts on it: dark cacao was not a traditionally “loving” father. thats not to say that he was ab//sive, just that he was more than likely emotionally absent, if we are to believe he upheld the commonplace behavior of a dc citizen as described in the art book. 

so honor is a big thing in this society, and, according to the art book, death is literally preferable to living in dishonor. so, some thoughts (take a shot every time i say thoughts) and headcanons that will probably be obliterated once this update rolls out:

dark choco did not excel as a child. he wasnt a “failure” by any means, though. he was perfectly average in his studies and activities, but average doesnt cut it for the kings son. while already dismissive of the prince with his kingly duties, cacao only grew colder towards his son when he couldnt live up to his wild standards. young dark choco, seeking out the love and nuturing from his father, only received a cold, emotional barricade.

so he trained. and he trained. and he trained. dark choco was never seen without a sword or bow in his hand. he won tournaments. rescued villages. vanquished threats. the citizens loved him; saw him as a great hero. cacao did not see that. his son had yet to prove himself worthy of his title. no matter what choco did, nothing pleased his father. he eventually rebelled against his father, so set in his ways, claiming change was what they needed. cacao dismissed him as immature and not knowing what he was talking about. so one day he set out on a self-imposed journey to finally prove that he was a hero. a sword of great power lay somewhere. a sword that would give choco the edge he needed. i think you can figure out what happens from here.

THATS MY STORY PREDICTION!! IT WILL PROBABLY BE COMPLETELY WRONG BUT DAM I THINK ITD BE A GOOD ASS ARC!!!!!!!

THE PRESENT

choco and cacao: the line in the sand

as pessimistic as i can be (see my prediction bingo) i do believe the royal family will come to a clash in this story. and boy. they can either make this amazing or completely fuck this up. there is no in between. heres what i think both outcomes would be:

THE FUCKENING

a lukewarm reconciliation is exactly how you fuck this up. i will be real here:

dark choco should not be redeemed here.

yeah, i said it. but, do take note about how i said he shouldnt be redeemed here. i wouldnt mind seeing a redemption for him. eventually. just not quite in this arc. you see, this is a great place to begin the redemption. to sow those seeds of doubt into chocos head that maybe, just maybe, his path is not a linear one. a rushed redemption is poor writing and not satisfying at all, especially for a character like choco. he seems the type to strictly convince himself that the world is black and white and that you are either one or the other. he needs to start seeing those shades that fall in between, but slowly through his arc. all it would take is a bit of apologetic dialogue, a hesitation, or even a sabotage to his own team to save the heroes. something that gives him that fork in the road, but not something that shoves him down a different path. as the chapters continue, he should eventually find the freedom to throw away his map and to wander to where he desires. meeting his father again should just be a catalyst for this pivotal change to begin to grow.

CONCLUSION

familial trauma is a touchy subject. it is one to be handled maturely and with care, not something to throw under the table and heal through a couple half-hearted apologies. i hope the narrative team can deliver something reflective of the delicacy of this subject, and not just throw it all away because they said sorry and hugged and made up. i also hope they dont just... not give us anything on the matter. its an integral part of these characters, so to see it go to waste would be heartbreaking. i believe they are competent enough to at least give us something worthy of our time, something developmental to these characters who really honestly need the arc. im putting my trust in that.

so, with that being said, i suppose ill see you all on the 24th.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 303: And What, Pray Tell, Is a “One For All”

Previously on BnHA: The Todorokis (really just Enji) looked at their children and went “how can we screw up all four of them in uniquely different ways” and proceeded to do just that. Touya was all “just because practicing how to set myself on fire better hasn’t worked to win my dad’s affections YET doesn’t mean it will NEVER work”, because child logic. Turns out setting oneself on fire real hard isn’t so effective at winning affections, but is actually incredibly effective when it comes to burning oneself to death, so there’s that. Back in the present day, the Todorokis basked in their various misplaced (again, except for Enji) feelings of guilt, and were all “anyway but get over yourself already Enji, you still have to do something to stop this kid”, and Shouto was all “I’ll help too”, and Enji was all “(╥_╥)”, and Hawks and Jeanist were all “[surreptitiously listening in from outside the door]”, and that’s basically where we left off.

Today on BnHA: Hawks and Jeanist are all “mind if we join you on this family journey?” and proceed to stroll in uninvited with their puns and their perceptive insights. Hawks is all “so to sum everything up, we’re fucked, but at least you have us here to help you out! by the way, no clue why I’m the first person to ask this in three hundred chapters, but wtf is One For All.” We then cut to Deku, who’s still all “[(－－)]z”, and All Might, who is all “I’m just going to ignore the extremely loud racket going on right outside this room.” Which, btw, is happening on account of Bakugou, who is all “(╬◣Д◢)” as Satou, Tsuyu, and Mineta cart him away. Anyway so that’s a lot of antics, and also it looks like Hawks has gotten tired of the Todorokis refusing to put the pieces together on their own about OFA and so he is fast-tracking that shit. And meanwhile Deku is chatting it up with the Vestiges exactly like we all thought. And now we have to wait another whole week for updates on all of this. This really is not fair.

omfg lol

“our bad, we were kind of accidentally listening in on purpose.” like I said last week guys, no fuss. it’s a tradition

OMG

I am absolutely fucking floored. Hawks literally said that so casually that it’s impossible for me to rewrite it so as to be even more casual. that’s literally what I would write in the “today on bnha” section. in fact I probably will write that

(ETA: just for laughs I tried it and it really worked.)

a couple more things to point out about this panel: 

“TOP 3” omg yes. more like “top only” at this point, honestly. interested to see how that goes

Hawks’s phone is freaking the fuck out about something, calm down there

I know this is a standard Jeanist hair-fixing gesture that he does all the time, but I can’t help but form hypotheses about this being a stress reaction because Hawks’s hair is making him internally freak out. Hawks, if this man tries to get you alone with him and some hairspray and a comb, please for the love of god do not listen to him. get out of there and call the authorities

omg Shouto’s face

okay confession, I wasn’t really sold on the whole “Shouto has a schoolboy crush on Hawks” thing until exactly now, when I became 100% sold on it. that is adorable

and heck with it, gotta show Enji and Rei’s reactions here as well because lol

“omg my son who’s not my son, and he just overheard everything about me being a terrible shitty father and person overall, oh and plus my actual-son set him on fire and called him out on a national broadcast. I’m just gonna stare at him baffledly.” versus Rei, who is all “hmm, who are these people”

so Hawks is all “I got released from the hospital after one day for some reason so I made Jeanist drive me around places while we talked about life” but uh, heyyyyy, what’s Rei doing

okay, uh

SO FUCKING FORMAL OMFG. “SORRY MY KID TRIED TO BURN YOU TO DEATH, APPARENTLY HE DOES THAT” REI NO IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT

HAWKS IS ALL “I’M JUST GONNA LAUGH SINCE THAT’S MY DEFAULT RESPONSE TO BEING PROFOUNDLY UNCOMFORTABLE”

let me tell you a secret Hawks, it’s my default response too. ahahahahahahaha oh thank god Jeanist is helping her up -- AND MAKING A JEANS PUN, OF COURSE. IT’S BEEN ALMOST THIRTY SECONDS. MY MAN WAS DYING

“WTF IS ILLEGAL DENIM” he’s talking ‘bout them counterfeit jeans, Rei. Antoine Bugleboy knows

THANK YOU JEANIST!! OUT HERE ASKING THE RELEVANT QUESTIONS

damn straight. we’re not gonna sit around waiting another 300 chapters for this information on this man’s watch

now Hawks is telling Endeavor he used to watch videos of him all the time, and calling him his “childhood obsession” I can’t

OH MY SWEET STARS AND MOONS

1000% CANON. “SO CLOSE...” ARE YOU SERIOUS. YOU REALLY PUT THAT THOUGHT BUBBLE THERE AND EVERYTHING. “GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, SO JUST IN CASE YOU WEREN’T ALREADY AWARE, TODOROKI SHOUTO IS NOT ACTUALLY STRAIGHT.” HORIKOSHI KOUHEI I AM LITERALLY DUMBFOUNDED. THIS IS AMAZING

and meanwhile that look on Hawks’s face while he casually-but-not-really-casually-at-all asks this question. that phone app better be using his actual voice. I’m not sure I could take this scene in the anime at this point if it was like Alexa talking or something

that look in his eyes is basically saying that so far, based on the information he has absorbed up until this point, Hawks is prepared to view his former childhood obsession as a flawed but changed man. however I get the distinct feeling that depending on Endeavor’s answer now, he would be willing to drastically shift some of his opinions on him

(ETA: this is maybe my favorite panel in the entire chapter. the fact that his question isn’t addressed to anyone in particular, but his eyes are zeroing on on Endeavor. and the way his leaning-on-Shouto pose manages to be simultaneously nonchalant and yet ever-so-slightly protective. there’s so much going on in this one question and gesture and I’m mildly obsessed with it.)

however, Rei is all “that was me” and ONCE AGAIN WITH THE FACES IN THIS CHAPTER holy shit

Hawks definitely did not see that one coming sob. it’s so fun watching him frantically recalculate his ideas about this family every two seconds

DAMN IT HORIKOSHI I UNDERSTOOD THE PARALLELS ALREADY, YOU REALLY DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THIS

yes, Hawks, you get it. it’s not exactly the same, but it’s close enough. though unlike your shitty parents, Rei and Enji are at least trying

OKAY I SERIOUSLY CANNOT WITH ALL OF THIS

fljkdlaskfjlwkjl okay we’re doing the bullet-points breakdown here

first of all, the fact that poor little Shouto’s heart is still thumping away at this proximity and all he can think is “CLOSE” all intelligently as he stares at him with that face omg

and meanwhile Horikoshi has these STRATEGIC BANDAGES WRAPPED AROUND HIS CHEEKS TO HIDE ALL OF HIS SHOUJO BLUSHING omfg. SENPAI NOTICED YOU SWEETIE!!!

HAWKS YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO OBLIGATION TO WASTE ANOTHER SECOND OF YOUR LIFE WORRYING ABOUT THESE TWO ASSHOLES WHO NEVER SPARED YOU THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF REGARD OR CONCERN IN THEIR ENTIRE LIVES. THE NICEST THING YOUR MOM EVER DID FOR YOU WAS BUY YOU A $2 ENDEAVOR PLUSH FROM THE DISCOUNT BIN TO KEEP YOU QUIET, AND YOU WERE SO AWED BY THAT ONE ACT OF SORTA KINDA APPROXIMATE KINDNESS THAT YOU SHAPED YOUR ENTIRE WORLDVIEW AROUND IT. PLEASE LET ME PICK YOU UP IN A BIG HUG FOR JUST A SEC, YOU DESERVE THE WORLD AND YOU WERE ONE THOUSAND PERCENT JUSTIFIED IN LEAVING THEM IN THE DUST THE SECOND THAT YOU COULD

but all that said, he immediately recognizes that Shouto would also have had cause to do the same in his situation, and yet hasn’t. and so he has that much more admiration for him all of a sudden, which is just super sweet, and fully appropriate. Shouto does deserve props. I’m choosing to take this as an “it takes a lot of strength to be able to forgive, and people who choose to do that even though they’re not obligated to are really amazing" type of thing, as opposed to “people who don’t forgive other people who severely wronged them are bad.” and if I’m wrong and Hawks’s line here is meant to be seen as actual failing on his part, well then fuck that, but we’ll move on

SO NOW, DOWN TO BUSINESS!

I am so, so curious as to what kind of strategy Hawks has for this (if he even has any), so I’ll just be quiet now and read

so Hawks is summing up basically what we already knew -- that Tomura and his inner circle (curious that there’s no mention of AFO, because if Hawks doesn’t know about him, that implies almost no one does) are still on the lam with a few PLF stragglers and some High Ends; that a bunch of prisons have been “liberated” (I assume this means all of the inmates escaped, so if that’s the case then where’s Kurogiri??); that the HPSC is fucked; and that heroes are resigning all over the place, and so civilians are taking matters into their own hands

OH DAMN!?

does this mean we’ll actually see some international heroes?? I will LOSE MY DAMN SHIT omg

(ETA: apparently people who paid more attention to the first BnHA movie than I did recognized the silhouettes as belonging to some background characters from Two Heroes. so maybe they were just cameos and they’re not actually new characters who are soon to join us lol. oh well.)

anyway so Hawks agrees with the other Todorokis that Endeavor has no choice but to fight

awww

DON’T WORRY ENJI THEY’VE GOT YOUR BACK. WITH YOUR FLAMES, AND JEANIST’S PUNS, AND HAWKS’S BOYISHLY GOOD LOOKS, THE THREE OF YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MINDS TO

so Enji is very pertinently asking why they’re standing by him in spite of the... [gestures vaguely to everything]

oh my lordy lord

Shouto you had better do something to combat this soon, or this man will sneak past you on my favorite character ranking after all. his face. his cheeky lil finger gun. the fact that he sums it up so fucking simply. “if someone is trying to do the right thing, I want to support them.” exactly. exactly

(ETA: and one last thing I love but forgot to mention, which is the fact that Hawks calls it a team-up despite the fact that he is clearly in charge.)

meanwhile Jeanist is all “as for me, at this point I just straight up don’t give a fuck”

I can’t handle how fucking cool this chapter is you guys

so Hawks is all “you good?” at Enji. and Enji...

if anyone needs me, I will be building myself a discourse-proof fort made entirely out of problematic characters. I don’t even care. I will go on living my life very happily in here

lol at Natsu being all “BUT DON’T THINK THIS MAKES US FRIENDS”

I’m living for this weird and no-doubt entirely unintended implication that Natsu and them all are gonna join in the fight with the rest of them. I mean, they do presumably all have very powerful ice quirks. and Natsu has medical training on top of that, and Fuyu is skilled at getting eight-year-olds to behave which could be a useful talent for dealing with Tomura hahaha I kid, but I’M JUST SAYING. who needs hero licenses anyway

OH SHIT FINALLY SOME DISCUSSION OF AN ACTUAL STRATEGY. even if it’s just a PR strategy

WHAKLHL

and now for some reason we’re flashing back to Natsu and Fuyu’s attempts to navigate through the media crowd outside the hospital

well I guess this is why I’m not the mangaka. if I were writing this I would have done something trite and predictable like using that “One for All” line as an excuse to cut to Deku!! as opposed to this entirely unrelated scene!!

seriously though why do we need to see this lol

no one in this crowd has ever heard of Alexander Dumas huh. or even the popular 2007 Disney Channel original movie, High School Musical 2

so now there’s an entire page of Hawks saying they need to know what One for All is, and Endeavor having one of those patented Todoroki WHOOSH realizations lmao look at this

just wait until this man figures out that one of the scrappy new interns he took on three months ago was actually the main character all along

SKDFIOHWIERLKSJGLWLK!!

NOW IS PROBABLY A GOOD TIME TO ASK MYSELF WHY I CHOSE THIS CHARACTER WHO KEEPS DISAPPEARING FOR SIX OR TWELVE OR FORTY CHAPTERS AT A TIME TO BE MY FUCKING FAVORITE. WELCOME BACK SON PLEASE DON’T SCREAM YOURSELF TO DEATH YOU STILL HAVE A HOLE IN YOUR TORSO

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

(ETA: can we just take a moment to appreciate how Bakugou even got so close to Deku’s room in the first place though. in this giant hospital with no idea of where to even go. does he have Deku Radar or something.)

YOU SIX ARE OFFICIALLY ON MY HIT LIST!! SPARE ME YOUR GOOD INTENTIONS!! MY BAKUDEKU REUNION KEEPS GETTING POSTPONED WEEK AFTER WEEK!! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE HEROES WHERE IS YOUR CONCEPT OF MERCY

(ETA: btw just to be clear, I’m not actually angry lol; it makes total sense that they don’t want this rampaging feral toddler who was still in his own coma all of fifteen minutes ago to come and start screaming at the other coma child until he tears all his stitches out. if there’s anything we Bakugou fans should be familiar with by now, it’s being patient.)

also, Tsuyu wrapping her tongue around Bakugou’s still-healing torso wound absolutely can’t be hygienic at all. also wait is that Inko??

(ETA: pretty sure it is her. she got all of one line smdh.)

Iida is all “thank god Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight pulled through, I thought for sure he was a goner back there”

for the record this is actually really sweet to see how relieved he is. he’s one of the few people who saw the original injury close up, back when he was still at the battlefield and unconscious, so I imagine it really did freak him out quite a bit

JIROUUUUUU

“sometimes I just like to stand here and tug on my imaginary suspenders, what of it”

how come you guys get to loiter around Deku’s room but Kacchan doesn’t. god fucking dammit. AND WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN

I BET KACCHAN COULD WAKE HIM UP FROM HIS COMA WITH THE POWER OF RIVAL INTENSITY!! BUT NOOOOOOOO, [is dragged away back to my fort]

OH MY GOD!?!

"this seems to be an entirely normal and above-board situation that we have just stumbled onto”

I see Jeanist comes from the Iida Tenya school of respectfully using people’s full names

Jeanist becoming one of the main characters is the best thing to ever happen to this series

EXCUSE YOU, IIDA

BUT I’M SURE HE’D MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR KACCHAN THOUGH!! [elbowing my way back out of the fort] HAWKS, PLEASE --

DON’T GO ALL OMINIOUSLY PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER ALL ON YOUR OWN GODDAMMIT

“there’s absolutely no way this angry wriggling shoulder burrito kid here could answer literally all of my questions, so I’ll just ignore him”

OH MY GOD WE’RE FINALLY CUTTING BACK TO HIM BUT THE CHAPTER IS ENDING

[jumps up, throws a folding chair at Iida and the rest of the gang, and then runs]

oh my god. actually this chapter was awesome. but I’m so fucking mad at this cliffhanger though lol

at least we got a couple of answers! and some hints and teases! poor Deku looks so worn out even though he’s asleep dlwkjl my little green baby. and is it just me or is his quirk activated?? All Might’s all “I can feel it” as if it isn’t obvious just looking at him, why are you trying to be all mysterious dude

anyway! so at least we finally have confirmation and a date for those vestige antics at long last. looking forward to meeting Mister The Fourth next week so we can finally ask him “hey dude, what the fuck”

[juminsmysticmc]

Hi, this is me (again)! If you have time and motivation can you please write something in High school AU (i just love it so much). Maybe something with MC who is told by her mother that as a girl she doesn't have to be smart she just have to be beautiful, she shouldn't have her own opinion and should only find herself someone who will take care of her and rfa + minor duo heard that? But remember that your well-being is the most important and it's ok to take a break! We love you!

High School AU where the RFA overhears Mc‘s Mom saying to her that she doesn’t have to be intelligent but beautiful

Hey my love, thank you for sending in a Request! Just like the last Requests I will leave out the Minor Duo due to the busy time. However I will write it again if you want to, yes? Hope you like it, please give me your opinion!

Jumin

,,Sometimes I wonder how parents raise their daughters,’’ Jumin mumbled as he walked down the hallway with his best friend Jihyun.

Jihyun laughed at his friend’s words.

,,I mean, I’m not wrong, am I?’’ Jumin asked.

,,Today in music class, a girl chuckled and thought she was cute. The teacher wanted to know if she knew something about Beethoven and she simply looked at me and said, ,,Jumin-oppa, I don’t know, can you say it?’’, it was so disgusting!’’

,,Well, I think she just has a crush on you,’’ Jihyun laughed.

,,No, she doesn’t,’’ he corrected.

,,She just wants my money,’’ he said and with that they finally changed their shoes and went out, ready to go home.

Neither Jumin’s or Jihyun’s driver was there. Instead, a girl with her mother stood there.

,,No one cares about your good mark you got in math. The world doesn’t need a doctor like you! All you have to do is to find a rich man and do what he wants! Just listen to him and be pretty for him so that he always will love you. Everything else is not important,’’ the mother told the girl who was looking down.

,,See, I told you,’’ Jumin said, shaking his head.

However, at the second look he noticed that the girl who was looking down was you, the one who was always a bit better than him at school.

,,What your mother said is completely wrong,’’ Jumin said loudly.

,,Keep studying. An intelligent wife is more exciting than a dumb chicken like everyone else,’’ he said and with that Jumin finally saw his driver and dissappeared.

The next day, you saw him again.

,,Thank you,’’ you said.

,,You showed me that my feelings are important too. I will fight for my way thanks to you,’’ you smiled and walked off, making Jumin blush and keep up with you…

Zen

You and Zen were very good friends.To be honest, one of you just had to say something about a relationship and you guys would finally become a couple.

,,Okay, Hyun, my mom is here, so tomorrow at my house?’’ you asked him.

Both of you planned on studying together to start your dream of being in entertainment.

You wanted to become your boyfriend’s manager.

And of course, even though your prince was intelligent, you were the most intelligent of the two of you.

A few hours later, Zen did as he was told. The young boy already met your parents.

They were kind, much kinder than his mother. He saw your parents as second parents even through you often told him that your mom was manipulative and mean.

Zen rang at the doorbell. The loud sound was heard and a few seconds later an older woman opened the door with a smile on her lips.

,,Hyun! My favorite son-in-law!“ she joked and pulled him in, hugging him.

,,How are you? Wait, you’re here for Mc, right?“ with that she called you, her daughter, who a bit later stepped down the staircase.

You had your hair up in a messy bun, the one Zen loved so much.

You were wearing other clothes than the one you had today at school. It looked much more comfortable.

You and Zen could feel your mother tense up as you walked down.

However, you ignored her and went up, giving Zen a kiss and making him sit down.

And then you began to study, which ended with you both arguing about this one question.

,,You have to subtract this from here and add it on this side,’’ you explained.

,,No! Why are you doing it like that?!’’ Zen asked you back.

,,Gosh, Zen! Just do it your way and I will do it my way and later on we can check!’’ you told him, a bit annoyed by now.

Suddenly, your mom came in with a few snacks.

,,How do you dare?’’ she asked.

At first Zen thought that she meant him, but apparently she meant her own daughter…

,,First, you open the door like that! You look really bad! Totally messy! And then you also argue?! Don’t act as if you’re intelligent. Just do what he says and accept that! You don’t even know how to study! Just be an obedient wife!’’ your mom hissed.

At some point, Zen jumped up and grabbed your hand, storming out with you ,,I finally understand what you mean,’’ he told you before he comforted you.

Yoosung

You could almost say that Yoosung was kind of a stalker; he always followed you around, observed you, and dreamed about you, the girl of his dreams.

You were the most beautiful girl at his school, as well as the most intelligent and kind human being.

He never saw someone smile that bright, laugh that happily, or think that hard.

The young man was totally different and for you, he wanted to change.

One day, it was a cold afternoon and Yoosung could feel that it could begin to rain. He wanted to ask you if you were interested in going home with him.

And after a lot of hesitation, the boy finally approached you.

However, he was about to go again when he saw that you were talking to someone.

Yoosung didn’t mean to overhear you guys but he heard.

And his heart was crushed at the words you had to listen to.

,,I already told you that you won’t go to that school, Mc! Your studies may be good, but you should learn how to make kimchi and be a good wife! Just find someone who will take care of you and your family and both of you will be much happier,’’ the woman said.

,,I am your mother and  I know what you need,’’ she nodded and opened the door.

,,However,’’ you began ,,I don’t want to live like that! I am me!’’ you said, louder, trying to fight her. However, no one helped and the situation ended with you staying back while she drove off.

Even though Yoosung said that eavesdropping shouldn't be said out loud, he did as soon as he heard you sob.

,,What she said isn’t true,’’ he called.

,,I, for example, like independent people,’’ he said and was about to go away when you suddenly pulled him back.

,,Help me, please,’’ you begged him, your red puffy eyes on him while your trembling hand tried to stop him from leaving you.

Yoosung hugged you and padded your back.

,,I will help you. I will be here for you,’’ he assured you.

And so your long journey began...

Jaehee

You and the brown haired girl were best friends.

Well, deep in your heart you knew that you may have felt a bit more than that, but this was a completely different topic.

You and Jaehee did everything together.

You two went shopping together, went to school together, and hung out together.

You and Jaehee often wore matching outfits and ate the same lunch.

Jaehee’s house was almost yours too because you stayed there so many times. 

But Jaehee never really visited yours, after all these years, she couldn’t remember what your kitchen looked like, how your house smelled, and what color your walls were.

And the reason was that your mother was a quite strict one with everything else, but an open mind.

One day, it was the day of the school’s drama production. You played a big role in it because you were the one who scripted everything and helped the teacher a lot.

Jaehee never saw such an intelligent person.

Such a kind person.

And she never saw such a bad mother like yours.

Actually, it was kind of her fault, Jaehee thought.

Your mother approached her and asked her where you were staying.

And without thinking about it, Jaehee told her that you were behind the scenes.

Your mother walked there on her red high heels, the dress way too short for a theatre at a school, and her perfume almost too strong for her.

Jaehee could feel a headache coming up as she smelled the strong aromatic smell on her.

Without thinking about what she would see, Jaehee followed your mother, curious why she would search for you.

In that very minute, your mother observed how you were arguing with a boy. The older boy one class above you who actually had a crush on you, or so it was said.

And from the frozen expression on your mother’s face, Jaehee could tell that she wasn’t okay with the way you were talking to him.

,,ARE YOU CRAZY?!’’ she asked you, making Jaehee twitch at her sudden yell.

Apparently you felt the same.

,,I told you tons of times to shut your mouth!’’ she hissed.

,,The young boy was talking to you! You should have nodded and agreed with him! Don’t tell him to do it better or different! How did I raise you?!’’ she asked you.

From afar, Jaehee could see that your eyes were watery.

,,I only want the best for you, but what can I do if you ignore me? You should simply be obedient and make sure that you find someone who will just take care of you! 

Get out of these dirty clothes and apologize to him! Maybe he will show mercy!’’ she said, standing on her right leg and pulling the white Gucci bag on her shoulder again.

,,No need,’’ Jaehee finally dared to say something.

,,I will take care of Mc and then she won’t need to change,’’ Jaehee said.

,,Don’t worry, I will treat her better than you,’’ she scoffed.

Saeyoung

,,You are such a tomboy!’’ Saeyoung teased you and let you run off before Saeran could find you for taking his idea of making the garden more beautiful.

He never saw a girl like you at the school he was visiting thanks to a friend of his and his fiance.

The catholic school only accepted intelligent students or students with money, but he never expected you to be there. You were a little tomboy that was super intelligent and kind of rich.

Usually the rich people there were just dumb.

,,He got her,’’ Saeyoung laughed as you stopped.

He guessed that his twin brother found her from the other side, but he was so wrong.

Approaching you to make him calm down, he suddenly realized that the high, annoyed voice wasn’t his brother, but instead, a woman’s voice.

,,Again, you look like garbage,’’ the woman said.

,,Didn’t I tell you to look like a lady like everyone else and just try to find a good person who will take care of you? Instead, what are you doing? Walking off like that in dirty clothing,’’

Saeyoung could hear that the person you were talking to was annoyed.

,,Mom,’’ you tried, making the red haired boy even more curious.

,,No, mom, you will embarrass me.

Now, please go and put something else on and try to make someone like you in class.

Like I said, studying isn’t the most important thing as long as you have a person who will give you money and a house.

Look at me, I also didn’t study a lot, but your father came to like me.

My tights helped me to have you,-’’

,,The only reason why he didn’t leave yet,’’ Saeyoung said from behind, approaching the both of you.

His uniform was dirty from the place he stayed hidden and his hair was just as messy as yours.

,,I beg you for pardon?!’’ your mother asked you and began to play with her nails on the purse.

,,I said that her father didn’t leave you yet to make sure that Mc isn’t alone with you, a manipulative old hag.

Besides he is sleeping with your friend daily by now,’’ Saeyoung said, laughing and trying to pull you away with him.

,,How dare you-’’

Saeyoung laughed. ,,What? Make you realized that there won't’ be a man forever who will just like you for being obedient like a dog?’’

With that, he pulled you along with him until he reached Rikas place with a sobbing you holding his hand.

MASTERLIST 1

MASTERLIST 2

MASTERLIST 3

19.03.2021// 22:05 MEST

[fruitcoops]

Could you maybe write a “73 questions with Sirius Black” Vogue one? Or something like that.

Yes! I had never seen these videos before and it was a fun challenge to write. Hope you enjoy! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!

The house is large, two stories tall and painted a soft gray with white trim around the windows. Holiday lights have yet to be taken down and shine in all colors of the rainbow from the eaves as the camera crew walks up the front steps. The curtains in the window tremble for a moment, then a dog pokes her head through—she is all-black and curious, and looks quite large.

Dorcas Meadowes knocks on the front door; a moment later, it swings open and reveals Sirius Black. “Hey, guys, come on in! You can leave your shoes by the door inside.”

“Thanks, Sirius.” Dorcas kicks off her flats and follows him inside as he sets a dish towel on the end table and leans against it. “How are you today?”

“I’m doing pretty well. Morning practice was productive and I’m feeling good about our upcoming game.”

“We’re here today to ask you 73 rapid-fire questions while you lead us around. Sound good?”

“Sounds good. You can all come inside instead of freezing on the porch,” he laughs, waving them closer. The door shuts with a gentle click.

“First question: on a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now?”

“Hmmm. A solid seven.”

“Do you have any pets?”

“I do!” Sirius leads them into the other room, where the dog is curled up on the couch below the window; he picks her up and gives her a kiss on the head. “This is Hattie and I love her very much.”

“Cute! If you could do a dramatic love scene in a movie with anyone, who would it be?”

Sirius sets the dog down and thinks for a second. “Aside from my fiancé, I’m going to say James Potter. We would kill it and I don’t think it would be that awkward.”

“What’s the origin of your name?”

“Pretty much my whole family has star-themed names. Sirius is the dog star from Canis Major.”

“Brightest star in the sky, too. What’s one thing people don’t know about you?”

“I’m an introvert. Lots of people assume that I’m super social because of my job, but I’m very quiet in real life.” He walks back out to the entrance and takes the towel off the table, then moves into the kitchen. It’s well-lit and painted a deep, warm red. The countertop is scattered with knickknacks and picture frames—clearly, this is a place people spend a lot of time. Hattie, who followed them in, lays down by the oven with a heavy sigh.

“What’s your wakeup ritual?”

Sirius reaches up and pulls two mugs out of the cupboard. “I wake up around seven am and make coffee while Re is in the shower, then rinse off and get dressed while he makes breakfast. It’s a good system. Want some tea?”

“Sure. What’s your bedtime ritual?”

“I don’t think I have one,” he says as he puts the kettle on and ignites a burner on the stove. “Usually we read or watch a movie, then go up to bed and talk for a while. There’s not a big routine or anything.”

“Sounds nice. What’s your favorite time of day?” Dorcas sits on the other side of the kitchen island while he takes a box of peppermint tea down.

“That’s a tough one. I like the in-between spots, like just after sunrise or dusk. Three in the afternoon is usually pretty chill as well. Does anyone else want a cup?”

There are a few murmurs behind the camera and he takes two more down. “What is one thing no one knows about you?” Dorcas asks.

He raises an eyebrow. “If I told you, everyone would know, and it wouldn’t count.”

“Fair enough. Dream country to visit?”

“Anywhere. I think I want to go to Ireland first, though.” Small wisps of steam begin curling out of the kettle, but it doesn’t whistle.

“Do you ever feel pressure to post things on social media?”

Sirius makes a face. “I used to. Eventually I just got tired of it, you know? The whole point of social media is sharing bits of your life with people and it makes me happy to show off my dog, or Re, or my friends. I post things just for fun now.”

The kettle begins to hiss and he reaches back to turn it off. “Sneakers or skates?”

“Skates.”

“Vintage or new?

“Vintage, especially for t-shirts and sweaters.”

“Who is your biggest role model?”

“Pascal Dumais.” Sirius stops pouring for a moment to look up at the camera. “If you ever get a chance to meet him, listen to what he has to say. You’ll be better for it.”

“Wise words. How do you deal with negativity? Oh, thank you.” Dorcas wraps her hands around the mug and takes a small sip while Sirius passes the other ones to the crew.

“Honestly? I don’t give a shit. It used to really bother me, but I’m happy, I have a job I love, and my family cares about me. Why should I care what people I’ve never met think of me?” He sits on the counter and rests his elbows on his knees, blowing on the hot water.

“What are three things you can’t live without?”

“My dog, Remus, and my family.” There is no hesitation in his voice.

“Not hockey?”

“I’d be devastated if I couldn’t play, sure, but it’s not the central focus of my life anymore.”

“What’s one ingredient you put in everything?”

“Does salt count?” He winces as he takes a drink. “Ugh, burned my tongue. I put salt on a lot of things because I drink so much water that it throws my balance off.”

“What is something you’re completely bored of right now?”

Sirius rolls his eyes. “Gossip columns and tabloids in general.”

Dorcas hums in agreement. “What’s your biggest fear in life?”

“Losing my loved ones.”

“Window or aisle seat?”

“Window. Anyone walking by always steps on my foot or hits my elbow if I’m in the aisle. Plus, I get a good view and an easy nap spot.”

“What’s your current TV obsession?”

“Avatar: The Last Airbender, which I’m watching for the third time already.” He shakes his head. “It’s just so good.”

“Favorite app?”

He takes a second to think. “Spotify.”

“Secret talent?”

Sirius looks at her over the rim over his cup. “This is going to shock you. Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Hockey.”

“You’re the worst.” Despite her words, Dorcas smiles. “What the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?”

“Uh, probably going to Europe with some of the guys last year. We had a lot of fun, but it was crazy.”

“I can imagine it was. How would you define yourself in three words?”

“Tall, dark, and handsome.”

“And apparently not humble,” Dorcas teases. “Favorite piece of clothing?”

“Hoodies.”

“Clothing item everyone should have?”

“Hoodies.”

A door opens behind them and the camera turns; Remus walks out of the basement, covered in sweat as he wipes his forehead with the hem of his shirt and holds his skates in his other hand. “Baby, have you seen…” he trails off when he sees the group of people in the kitchen. Hattie’s tail thumps on the floor. “Um. Hello.”

“Hey, Remus, how are you doing?” Dorcas asks mildly.

The camera pans out to catch both Sirius, who is laughing quietly, and Remus, who flushes pink. “I’m good. I thought you were coming at ten?”

“It’s ten-thirty, sweetheart,” Sirius says, hiding his smile in his tea.

Remus glances at the clock before giving an awkward nod and walking toward the stairs. “I guess I’ll take a shower, then. Sorry about that. Uh, carry on.”

“What’s a superpower you would want?” Dorcas asks as soon as he disappears.

Sirius shakes his head with a grin. “Uh, teleportation. That would be really cool.”

“What’s inspiring you in life right now?”

“Ah, une grande question.” He thinks, then tilts his head toward the staircase. “Moments like that. And the Stanley Cup, of course.” He reaches back and knocks on the wooden cupboard.

“What cause is closest to your heart?”

“LGBT+ rights, especially trans rights. I’m privileged enough to have a platform and I intend to be loud as hell about that.”

“Good.” Dorcas sets her almost-empty mug on the table. “What’s one thing you’d say to your teenage self?”

Sirius lets out a long breath and drums his hands on the light blue ceramic of his cup. “I would say…it gets better. It really, really does. You’re going to feel super shitty for just a little bit longer, but then I promise you will be so incredibly happy that you wake up every morning and it hits you all over again.”

Dorcas nods, and the kitchen is quiet for a moment. “What’s a book that everyone should read?”

“The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkien.”

“What would you like to be remembered for?”

“This is going to sound so corny, but I want to be remembered for just being a good person.”

“That’s not corny. How do you define beauty?”

“Remus Lupin.”

“That’s corny,” she laughs, making him smile. “What do you love most about your body?”

“I’m a big guy, which can be a little bit intimidating, but it means I give really great hugs. I’m sure everyone saw the video that went around a while ago.”

“Cap Cuddles?”

He snorts. “Right. You’ve got Finn O’Hara to thank for that.”

“In your opinion, what’s the best way to take a rest or decompress?”

“Being alone,” Sirius says. “There is literally nothing better than getting home and sitting down with a book or something while I can hear Re doing his own thing and Hattie’s napping. It’s one of my favorite parts of the afternoon.”

“That’s the most introverted thing you’ve ever said.” Dorcas grins and finishes her tea just as a faint beeping noise begins in another room. “What’s your favorite way to experience art?”

“Through music, for sure.” He slides off the counter and walks down the hall, leading them toward the laundry room. He gives the camera crew a look as he pulls dry clothes out of the machine and heads back to the living room. “What? Did you think I didn’t do my own laundry?”

“You lost a sock,” Dorcas informs him, picking it off the ground and laying it on top of his head.

“Thanks, D.”

“What question do people ask that you wish they wouldn’t?”

“Lots of people have asked me when I decided to be gay, which is wrong on so many levels.”

“If you could master one instrument, what would it be?”

“Guitar or piano.” He dumps the load of laundry on the couch and opens the back door, holding it for the crew as they walk out into the sunshine. Hattie weaves through their legs and disappears into the bushes along the back.

“I might have to take your dog home with me. If you had a tattoo, where would it be?”

Sirius mock-glares at her. “Let me have my girl! Um, I would love to have a tattoo somewhere on my arm.”

“This might be a hard one. Dolphins or koalas?”

“Oh, that is hard. Probably dolphins. The ocean is terrifying but those little guys are just having a blast.”

“What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?” Dorcas asks as he picks up a tennis ball and throws it across the yard. Hattie emerges from the bushes and races after it in a blur of black fur.

“An engagement ring.”

“Yeah, it was.” Remus walks into the backyard and kisses Sirius’ cheek before bending down to catch Hattie in his arms. His hair is still damp from the shower. “Hello, sweet girl!”

“Who’s your favorite musician?”

“Queen.” Sirius laughs at her surprised look. “I’m gay, what did you expect?”

“True. What’s your favorite board game?”

“Monopoly.” Remus and Hattie disappear from the frame, but the bouncing sound of the tennis ball creates some background noise and Sirius watches them for a moment with pure affection.

“Favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“Least favorite color?”

“Orange.”

“Bowties or knot ties?”

He frowns. “Don’t they all have knots?”

“Smartass.”

“Yep! Uh, regular ties.”

“Bowties are superior!” Remus calls.

“Get your own questions!” Sirius laughs.

“Going off your music answers: records or CDs?”

“I don’t own a lot of records, so I’m going to have to go with CDs. I love the way vinyl sounds, though.” His eyes widen as he looks to the side. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Remus wheezes. “I didn’t need those ribs anyway.”

“For the viewers, the dog just football-tackled him into the grass,” Sirius says, and Dorcas snorts.

“Your hair is famously luscious. Blow-dry or air-dry?”

“Air dry.”

“Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee, but tea is nice in the evenings.”

“What’s the weirdest word in the English language?”

Sirius laughs. “There are so many. Uh, ‘jeez’ is the one that comes to mind first.”

“What about the French language?”

“Oiseaux,” he says in a crisp accent. “It means ‘birds’, and you pronounce about three of the actual letters.”

“Good to know. Do you prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate?”

“Dark chocolate.”

“Stairs or elevators?”

“Elevators. I don’t want to walk up three floors after playing hockey for two and a half hours.”

“Summer or winter?”

Sirius bites his lip in thought as they walk around the yard, where small flowers line the fence in beds and colorful pots. “I love summer because I have actual free time to be with my friends, but winter is hockey season. I don’t know, next question.”

“What’s a dessert you don’t like?”

“I’m not a huge fan of caramel. It’s too sticky.”

“A skill you’re working on mastering?”

“Will you ban me from more interviews if I say hockey?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, I’m working on keeping plants alive, as you can probably see.” He taps the nearest flowerpot gently with his foot; it has ‘Harry’ painted across it in sloppy blue letters. “My godson made that for my birthday.”

“What’s the best thing to happen to you today?”

“This, for sure,” he says with a smile. “I haven’t seen you and Marley in ages.”

“We missed you, too. What’s the worst thing that happened to you today?”

He pouts slightly. “Burning my tongue on tea.”

“Hugs or kisses?”

“Hugs! Though I’ll accept kisses from a few very specific people.”

“Do you have a favorite smell?”

He pauses and cranes his neck to look behind the cameras. “Re?”

“Yeah?”

“What shampoo do you use?”

“Uhhh…” There’s a moment of quiet. “It’s something with lavender, I think.”

Sirius turns back to Dorcas. “Something with lavender.”

“How specific,” she laughs. “What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?”

He smiles to himself. “There was a young woman, maybe sixteen or seventeen, that came to one of the games earlier this season. I saw her standing with a puck and went over, and while I was signing it she looks at me and says, ‘you are exactly what I wish my older brother was like’. Turns out, she was bisexual and her brother wasn’t super accepting of her. That was…” He shakes his head. “That meant the world to me. I’ll never forget it.”

“You’ve definitely made a big impact on the community,” Dorcas agrees. “What’s the last piece of content you consumed that made you cry?”

“I watched ‘Soul’ the other night and almost had to pause it at one point to pull myself together.”

“Do you prefer animated movies or live-action?”

“Animated, mostly because I wasn’t allowed to watch Disney movies as a kid, so I’ve been catching up as an adult and they rock.”

“What’s your nerdiest quality?

“I love watching documentaries.”

“Sweet or savory?” The back door creaks a bit as they walk back inside and the camera catches a few frames of Hattie and Remus running around the yard together.

“Sweet.”

“In ten years, you have a daughter. What age do you let her date?”

Sirius gives Dorcas a look. “Whenever she wants to. I’m going to impose curfews and stuff, but I’m the last person on the planet to police her love life.”

“Good answer. What’s a song you can listen to on repeat?”

“Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. Absolute banger.”

“If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be?”

“Arthur Weasley,” he says after a moment. “I would love to know what it feels like to get up in the morning and know you’re about to spend another day wrangling our team. It’s a miracle he hasn’t killed us all with his clipboard.”

“How do you know you’re in love?”

“Oh.” Sirius blinks at her in surprise at the sudden topic change. “Well, for me, I think it’s just…being comfortable around someone. Being able to spend time with them without saying anything and knowing you’re safe, no matter what. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

“What are you most excited about at this time in your life?”

A slight smile crinkles his eyes. “Getting married. That’s going to be awesome.”

“Who is your go-to for having a good laugh?”

“James Potter. He’s the best, and I love him.”

“Last question,” Dorcas says, sliding her list into her pocket. “Many LGBT+ people, especially teenagers, have spoken about how you’re an inspiration. Any words for them?”

Sirius hums in thought. “First of all, thank you for being so open and welcoming. I would never have expected the sheer force of people’s love to come through like that when so many people were saying horrible things. Second, to any kids out there who need to hear it: I’m proud of you. It takes a lot to be true to yourself and even if you’re still in the closet, you’re just as valid as the rest of us. Stay proud.”

“That’s a wrap.” Dorcas gives him a quick hug that he happily returns. “Thanks for letting us crash your morning, Cap.”

“Any time. Thanks for tuning in to Lion Pride, everyone!”