#at this point like we can't keep going on like this

[glorioustidalwavedefendor]

Please don't cite Bergeron. It's the token shitty sci-fi story in about half the school literature anthologies in Texas (the other half have The Cold Equations, which IMO is just as unenjoyable), and it's set up as a lesson against the whole concept of civil rights and reducing inequality.

I guess a story is like a very small island, you can only find what you bring :-)

If it makes you feel better I did not read it in school

My father red it to me as a bed time story wenn I was a wee little critter and it was not meant

as a lesson against the whole concept of civil rights and reducing inequality.

Very much on the contrary

So I will keep on quoting it wenn ever and where ever I feel like it

As is my right

And you can block me, as is yours <3

-

-

Sight words, that wasn't No Child Left Behind.

That is true

In 2001, then-President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act, which required federally funded schools to adopt Reading First, a phonics-based approach. NCLB, partially inspired by the 2000 National Reading Panel Report, mandated that students be taught to read using these scientifically grounded methods.

That was the kids' *parents* phoning the teachers and principals up every night wanting to know why their kid was reading so slowly and having to spend so much time decoding. So what do they do? By popular demand, they dropped phonics and went to sight words. Boom, happy parents.

How convinient

It's the parents fault

Not the teachers being stubborn and uneducated ...

Progressives and teachers’ unions, however, rejected Reading First. Instead, they promoted Balanced Literacy, which framed teacher-directed instruction as outdated and focused on a student-centered approach to reading.

School districts spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on curriculum materials that include this theory. Teachers are taught the theory in their teacher preparation programs and on the job. As long as this disproven theory remains part of American education, many kids will likely struggle to learn how to read.

-

-

And for what it's worth, teaching? It's literally the easiest degree in any college. It's for jocks who can't even get a Kinesthesiology degree (which is the science of bodybuilding, in case anyone cared) and people who went to school expecting it was going to be *exactly* like Animal House. The best and the brightest are either going into STEM or business, and those who were taught math to be *hard* instead of for understanding wind up in the humanities and social sciences.

I have no idea how true that claim is, but I do agree that it's not our best and brighest who are teaching our children and that is a problem

-

-

If you want reform, you need to start with the parents and teachers,

Just the teacher

As my parens learned the hard way, there is very little a parent can do against a teacher that is helbend on torturing a student

Ergo there is very little a parent can do against what a teacher wants and does or fails to do

Of course, in order to have our best and brightest teach our children we would have to pay our teachers better and that will never happen

-

-

and please stop referring to a story that's an anti- civil rights talking point.

I was today years old. That is disgusting.

No Child Left Behind is one of the worst things to ever be incentivized in schools. It was signed into law when I was 14. Reading Rainbow was my show as a kid. LeVar Burton played a big part in why I became an avid reader to date. The joy of it. It's an adventure around the globe and through different time periods without stepping on a plane or time machine.

Children parrot behavior. In grade school, I always wanted to read the same amount of books as my teachers (50 books) and managed to double that each year. Before No Child Left Behind, book fairs and Scholastic catalogs were a serious matter like your grandma's Fingerhut catalogs. Libraries were (and still are) a wonderland.

Reading comprehension and proficiency in schools has been declining for decades. A crisis. The joy of books isn't pushed anymore and I'm always saddened by it. It's one of the reasons why I post my book reviews and recommendations on here, as well as posts from others to encourage reading and (novel) writing. Kids will parrot your behavior while the education system sadly fails to return as that example.

[bloodybreakupscene]

-> 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃.

robert (bob) reynolds x reader

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ [desc.] :: although he isn't aware it's even a thing, you're bob's comfort person, his safe space.

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ [a/n] :: haaiii this is just fluff and cuteness i love bob he deserves the world,,, go watch thunderbolts* for this cutie 💔

bob has always struggled with his self confidence, from youth to the age he is now he's never felt really.. worth it. he always figured he was just there, no real purpose. however, after the whole, void-sentry thing, he's felt fine, content, basically, but there's some days where he feels as if he's better than he is, and most of those days are with you.

“your hair looks nice today.” you say, both of you at the kitchen sink together.

“wai- what? me?” he asks, pointing at himself as if there's anyone else in the room with you.

“mhm,” you nod, putting your washed plate on a rack so he can dry it with the small towel in his hands.

“i, wow, thanks, hehe,” he giggles, small smile on his face, “you look, nice too. well, you always do.. that was corny, sorry.”

he tilts his head back down, face flushing red as he rambled for a bit. “thanks for helping me by the way.”

“it's no problem, i really don't mind.” facing back to the plethora of utensils you've been washing. he faces his feet but all he can think about is you, which he finds stupid now because you're literally right there.

“since everyone's out right now… wanna go like, watch a movie?” you ask, walking up next to him, body nearly up against him.

you don't notice but he surely does.

“i.. uh .. yeah. yeah i would.” his hands fidget with a towel as he follows you into the watchtower living room, like a puppy trailing its owner.

you sit on the couch and grab the remote, bob sitting next to you, you ask if there's anything specific he wants to watch and he shakes his head, “no, no, i'm fine with whatever,” smiling in that goofy way he usually does.

he tries to disregard his pink dusty cheeks but it's hard when he physically feels his face heating up. he loves talking to you, he loves listening to you, just everything, he thinks.

this feels nice, being around someone, back when he left the vault, he was so consistently on edge, that there was danger around every corner. which granted, there was, but now its all a distant memory; something he can shove– “no, can't do that anymore”

“huh?” you turn your head away from the screen.

“oh, nothing, sorry,” his eyes looking at the screen instead of a blank spot on the wall. he feels so safe with you, also very sleepy. he swears he wasn't this tired when you were both doing dishes, what happened?

his head leans over to the side and he slouches down more. he's never felt so comfortable before. did we get a new couch? he thinks.

not even five minutes pass and he's leaning on your shoulder, legs nearly half off the couch like he's some sort of house cat. your body is so comfy, comfy and warm.

he must've been sleeping for at least an hour because when his eyes open again credits are rolling and his head is on your lap. if he was more awake he would've apologizes profusely but he couldn't really care less right now. not when your hands are in his hair and you're massaging his scalp.

your hands play with little parts of hair and he feels so relaxed. his arms are splayed over your legs as well and he shifts his own legs onto the rest of the unoccupied couch. he thinks you fell asleep too because the moving hand remains still but still intertwined in his locks.

“OUR TEAM BOND IS STRONGER THAN EVER!” alexei declares–loudly, as he always does when he sees his two favorite valued team members passed out on the couch.

the others pour in nearly a hundred times quieter than alexei and groan at the volume of his voice for what seemed the 34th time that day.

bob doesn't flinch or even stir in his sleep, the warmth and contentment being enough to keep him in slumber. however, the same could NOT be applied to you. eyes blinking open staring at the Thunderbolts*™ that just entered the tower.

“team bond? what? what the hell were you guys talking about?”

“nothing, nothing. go, continue with..” ava takes a swig of water from a cup, “your little cuddle sesh and whatnot.”

“were not..? like barely..” you roll your eyes, now feeling the weight of your friends eyes on you, “ok whatever.”

john snickers, ��pfft, we all know where that'll go,” he leaves the room, the others pour into their respective rooms but yelena stays.

“i'm glad you two have each other,” her voice uncharacteristically soft.

“even if it's not like that,” she teases, “i give it two weeks– confession, heartfelt, whatever shit they do in the movies.”

“okay–thanks yelena, you can leave now.”

[superhoeva]

Adding to the freak! Jack Abbot thots…Jack Abbot who does anal with his freak gf…yeah…NEED DAT IMMEDIATELY! I’m talking he eats ass, uses plugs, double penetration, and fucks you in the ass after you beg him for it. Yeah…Yeahh. And yes; we already have DMs about this but idc I need dat man bad!

tw: language, smut, porn with a little plot, freak!abbot, butt stuff/anal, bodily fluids (mentioned), f!reader, oral (f receiving), rimming (f receiving), toys (plugs), unprotected sex, creampie; please remember this is fiction <3 mdni/+18.

there’s an odd sense of beauty in the fact that jack senses you’re ready for it before you do. the man has eyes everywhere, and with most of them pointed at you, it doesn’t take long for him to pick up the hints that your body bares free to him.

though he waits until you actually say it to take the next steps.

little by little, jack breaks you open. slobbering all over your pussy and thumbing at your ass until you're sobbing out a beg for him to stick something inside you. dragging the slick from your slick down to your puckering hole with the tip of his tongue, and circling it with soft laps.

he damn near cums in his pants the first time he fingers your ass. god, the noises you make as he uses lube and gentle gotta relax for me, darlin's to coax you open well enough to take two of his fingers. it takes a thumbs and a few wet kisses of your clit but you do just as he requests–relax enough through a few waving orgasms to take his third finger.

even jack switching from his fingers to plugs is a process.

he tongues your hole and stretches you with his thumb before sliding in the plug with the help of a mixture of spit and lube. soon after taking a moment to admire how the protruding jewel looks against you, he slides into your pussy, and fucks you at the edge of the bed from behind.

you make jack's head toss and hands grip at your hips like he'll never let you go whenever you cry out how full you feel. how much you like how full you feel. he fills your pussy that night, afterwards slipping out the plug at the same time he slurps his dripping load from your slit.

the first time he fucks your ass, there's a literal ton of lube and you're in charge. you control it all and he doesn't move until you tell him. he's already breathing hard breaths through his nose with just the head inside but he doesn't push anymore until you whimper out for him to keep going.

you both groan loud when he's fully inside.

you're shaking at the stuffed feeling, while jack's clenching his jaw and trying not to burst. his cock moves slow but firm inside you, only able to pull out a third of the way before he sinking back balls deep.

it's after a few thrusts that jack has to pause with a hand on your stomach.

"s'alright if you can't..." he starts, huffing through his strained timbre with a pinched brow. "...but i need ya to relax, gorgeous, or i'm not gonna last worth a damn."

"'m trying," you whine out, and he can barely rip a hand from your waist to cradle your face. "it's just a lot."

jack would chuckle if he could think of something other than the manner of him twitching inside your ass.

"i know, baby. i know," jack nods, "but i can't–fuck... i'm, like, this close to losing my god damn mind..."

shit. now, there's a twinkle in your eyes that tells him he probably shouldn't have said that–

a long fuuuck groans out of jack at a shifting of your hips, cock pulsating as a wave of unexpected static eclipses him. a broken, beautiful chorus of moans exit him. in fact, a few borderline on being whimpers.

he doesn't realize the tender thrusting he's started until he sees you halfway through his climax, your body jerking with rolling eyes as his balls empty themselves inside you.

he'd have a half a mind to lean over and grab the vibrator but the fingertips he's slathering over your sopped clit are enough to get you there. pussy leaking and spasming around nothing, you're coming with a clench tight enough to make jack lightheaded.

"hoooly shit," he has to blink a few times, collapsing half his weight on top of your body as you settle in the w.

the both of you are trembling, and jack makes you take two more deep breaths as he inches himself out of you. his cock slides free a mess, covered in a mixture of his cum and stringy lube, and he shakes his head when he looks at you to find you already peeking down at the sight with a pleased grin.

jack snorts, exhaling an astonished huff before kissing you deep.

"sorry," he mumbles, forehead glossy with a layer of sweat. "i'll try to last longer next time..."

(spoiler alert: he does not.)

freak!abbot tag | freak!abbot asks

© 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐚

[paintedrecs]

"Creative inbreeding" is such an apt term. It is, quite frankly, why I've pretty much given up on reading fantasy YA for the time being. A lot of the popular ones I'd been picking up - widely discussed, pretty covers, interesting summaries - are nearly indistinguishable from each other in terms of actual writing style.

Lead characters with copy/paste personalities. A love interest that hits all the popular tropes, even if the relationship doesn't really work within the story structure. A narrative arc that hits all the key stops along the way, like it's following a map. The same types of descriptions of food, clothing, towns, etc. I set the book down when I'm done and can't even remember who the author was without flipping back to that nicely illustrated cover.

I don't mean to criticize the authors, because obviously they're working hard, and it's amazing that they got their books out into the world. I'm just...tired of reading so many of the same stories, with different hats.

Part of it, I'm sure, is that people are writing what they think sells - and agents and publishing houses are probably picking up specific stories for the same reason. It's like Disney doing endless remakes of stories that were originally something creative and inspiring.

But you can tell when you're reading something that's sort of just...cobbled together from all the other books that person has encountered from within the same exact genre. They're assembling bits of everyone else's voices instead of developing their own. It might be readable, but it's not terribly memorable.

In one of my college lit classes, our final exam was to read excerpts from various literary works and write a short essay response identifying the authors and explaining our reasons. It wasn't a test to check whether we'd read and memorized everything by these authors - it was to see how closely we'd been paying attention to the ones we had read and discussed in class.

For instance, the Jack London excerpt wasn't from White Fang or The Call of the Wild - it was a paragraph from a short story we hadn't read, where you could pick up on setting, style, themes, tone, etc to say hey...I think this was probably written by him.

I still remember that exam because it was a pretty cool exercise that showed how distinct an author's voice can be, even for ones that carry over into different genres. (Jack London is a little bit of a cheat if you go "oh it's set in Alaska.") It's like hearing a song you've never listened to before and recognizing their voice, or identifying a painting without having to look at the signature.

And yes, you can see this in fanfiction, too: I used to enjoy trying to identify authors in fandom exchange festivals, before the anon switch flipped off and they were revealed. Sometimes I was wrong. Sometimes I got it right, and it was so fun!

My favorite fic authors do often have a distinct tone and style that they carry through their writing, even while drawing from canonical sources and keeping it "in character." Just like the paintings from two artists sitting next to each other in front of a bowl of fruit will depict the "same" subject on the canvas, but with their point of view and personality in the brushstrokes.

Which is all just to say that I agree, so strongly, with the need to not only read if you're going to write...but to read widely and across genres. Across time periods and languages, too: I very much recommend reading stories from other cultures and other countries, to develop a wider view of the world.

If you only read modern YA fantasy written by US-based authors, your stories are...going to sound a lot like theirs, even if you don't intend them to.

If you read a ton of fic, you'll probably learn how to write something that aligns well with what everyone seems to like and gravitate towards in fandom. Maybe that's the goal. But even if you don't have the drive or the energy to write or try to publish original works, all the advice from earlier in this thread will help you in fandom.

If you want to write a story that isn't an entirely unique concept but IS your unique voice, you have to develop that voice through wider experience.

I've seen fanfic authors brag about how they never read at all, fic or otherwise...and quite frankly, it shows. You can only improve through practice, and some of that practice includes studying and learning from others, which can really be as simple as just sitting down with a cup of tea and a stack of books.

They don't have to be "literary." They don't need glowing 5 star reviews. They should just be what books are meant to be: a way for you to dive into a whole bunch of different worlds and time periods and discover the huge range of creativity that's out there for you to enjoy.

fascinating that when you tell people "you have to learn the rules to break them" when talking about drawing/painting etc everyone nods and agrees but the second you say "you have to read books if you want to write better" there's a horde of contrarians begging to be the wrongest people ever all of a sudden

[missmaymay13]

complete mess - w.smith

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

w.smith x fem!oc | 3k

masterlist

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

The rink is cold. Not just the kind that stings your nose and cheeks—this cold is bone-deep. Lonely. The kind that settles in your chest and makes your heart feel hollow.

Will leans against the boards during warmups, his stick clutched loosely in one gloved hand. The San Jose Sharks crest weighs heavy on his chest tonight, heavier than it ever has. He should be proud—rookie year, NHL dream realized, playing on the biggest stage in the world.

But all he feels is empty.

Because when he glances up at the stands, he knows she's not there.

She used to be. Every game. Every practice, when she could swing it. Always in that same hoodie—his hoodie—her coffee clasped in both hands like it was the only thing keeping her warm. Or grounded.

April Murray. The girl who knew him before all of this. Who sat with him through draft night, who helped him pick out his first apartment, who walked him through his first panic attack when the pressure of being Will Smith, top pick, future of the franchise became too much to breathe through.

And he let her go.

No—he pushed her away.

He doesn't even remember when it started. Maybe it was after the third game of the season when the headlines started turning. Promising, but inconsistent. Maybe it was when the media began comparing him to players he'd grown up idolizing, asking why he wasn't already there yet. Maybe it was the fourth night in a row he stayed late watching film, trying to be everything for a team that didn't even know how to support him back.

He started canceling plans. Ignoring her texts. Tuning her out when she tried to talk to him about anything not hockey. He blamed it on stress, on timing. On things she couldn't understand.

But she did understand. She always did.

And eventually, she stopped trying.

"Will, I'm not asking you to give it up," she'd said once, quiet and careful. "I just need to know that I still matter to you. That we still matter."

He'd scoffed. Cold. Tired. Empty. "I don't have time for this right now, April."

"Right. You never do."

She didn't cry. Not in front of him.

She just left.

He thought she'd come back. She always had before.

But this time—she didn't.

It's been three weeks since she moved out. Since she left her key on the counter and didn't say goodbye.

And Will? He hasn't scored a point since.

The team says it's a slump. A rough patch. The media calls it nerves. Rookie inconsistency. But Will knows what it really is.

He's a mess without her. A complete f*cking mess.

The kind that can't be taped over or fixed in the weight room. The kind that doesn't go away with a win.

She was the only thing keeping him grounded, keeping him human. And he treated her like a footnote to his career.

Now he's skating on autopilot. Eating alone. Sleeping in a bed that feels too big and too cold. Going home to a condo that still smells like her shampoo and can't be aired out, no matter how many windows he opens.

After the game, he sits in the locker room long after the others have cleared out. His head in his hands, the sharp scent of sweat and gear clawing at his throat.

His phone is on the bench beside him. A message unsent. It's been there for days.

"I'm sorry. I miss you. I don't know who I am without you."

He doesn't send it. Because it's too little, too late.

And maybe she's already moved on.

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

Will used to call her his "safe zone." Not to her face—he didn't know how to say that kind of thing back then. But she was. Every time the weight of being Will Smith, the phenom, got too heavy, he'd end up at her off-campus apartment. No questions. No lectures. Just soft music playing from her speaker, ramen on the stove, and her voice cutting through the noise like sunlight through blinds.

It didn't matter that she had three midterms the next day. Or that she'd been pulling double shifts at the campus bookstore just to make rent. When Will called—she answered.

Always.

The first time he cried in front of her, he was sitting on her tiny futon, head in his hands, the pressure of the Frozen Four and NHL scouts looming over his shoulders like ghosts.

"I'm not ready," he'd said. "Everyone thinks I'm ready, but I'm not. I don't even know who I am without hockey."

April didn't try to fix it. She didn't tell him he was wrong or feed him the same lines his coaches did. She just crawled in beside him and pulled his head into her lap, running her fingers through his curls until the shaking in his chest finally stopped.

"You're still Will," she whispered. "You're still mine."

And for that night, it was enough.

She missed her sister's wedding to fly to Denver for the Hockey East semifinals. She called in sick to her internship when he had food poisoning and was throwing up between classes. She sat in hospital waiting rooms when he got concussed freshman year—even though no one would tell her if she was "family."

She was. She always had been. She just never needed the title.

And what did he do when he finally made it?

He forgot.

He let the weight of the NHL chew up his time and spit out his patience. She became background noise—until one day, she was gone, and the silence was deafening.

Now he walks through his condo like a ghost, brushing past memories like cobwebs. Her hoodie still hangs on the coat rack. Her mug is still on the counter. The photos are still framed on the mantle—Boston, Denver, Nashville.

She was always there.

Until she wasn't.

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

The worst part wasn't that Will forgot their anniversary. Or that he left the pasta she made untouched on the counter three nights in a row. It wasn't even that he stopped texting goodnight.

The worst part was how he used to care.

Back then, it was little things.

Him dropping off coffee before her 8 a.m. class. Reminding her to eat during midterms. Crawling onto her dorm bed with his laptop open just so she wouldn't feel so alone during late-night study marathons.

"I'll quiz you," he'd offer, head on her stomach, eyes fluttering half-shut from practice. "Just don't make me read the long-ass definitions."

She'd laugh. Toss a pen at his forehead. He'd grin like she hung the stars.

That Will—the one who saw her, who wanted to take care of her too—that's the one she fell in love with.

But the version she followed to San Jose? The one that let hockey consume him? That Will barely remembered she existed.

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

She tried to be understanding. God, did she try.

He was under pressure. Rookie year. Big expectations. So she didn't say anything when the late practices turned into full nights at the rink. Didn't complain when he forgot to call. Didn't show him the tears after another solo dinner eaten over the sink.

She told herself it was just a phase.

He loved her. He was just overwhelmed.

So she picked up the pieces. Of him. Of their life. Of herself.

Every rescheduled date, every night he stumbled in hours after midnight with nothing but apologies and excuses—she forgave.

She was fighting her own battles too. Online school had been brutal. Isolation made it worse. Her professors didn't care that she lived on Pacific Time. Her friends were all back in Boston. She'd built a whole life there—one she gave up for him.

But she didn't tell him. He already had too much on his plate.

So she swallowed the words every day until they burned holes in her chest.

Then one day, the letter came.

She almost didn't open it—thought it might be another bill or course notice. But her hands shook as she peeled it open.

"Congratulations. You have fulfilled all requirements for graduation..."

She reread it six times. Finished. Done. Four years of work in two and a half. Through COVID. Through relocations. Through loneliness.

She looked around their apartment—no, his apartment—and realized he didn't even know she'd been close. Hadn't asked. Hadn't cared.

The excitement turned bitter in her mouth.

So she did what she never thought she would. She packed a bag. Called the one person she knew would understand.

Grace.

Will's sister picked her up from the airport that night.

Neither of them spoke for the first five minutes of the drive. Then Grace reached over and took her hand.

"You should've told me sooner."

April's voice cracked. "I didn't want to make you pick sides."

"I would've picked you anyway."

April didn't leave a note. She didn't need to.

He wouldn't have read it.

And to this day, she knows he still doesn't understand.

He knows he pushed her away—knows he f*cked up—but he doesn't know what day it was. Doesn't know the meaning it held. Doesn't know that he missed her biggest moment—because he never thought to ask.

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

The air was crisp. Familiar. Healing.

April stood in her cap and gown, surrounded by the people who mattered. Grace. Her old roommates. Her professors. People who saw her, celebrated her, even when she wasn't holding anyone else up.

They took a photo.

Grace posted it later that night.

"Proudest sister moment. Congrats to April for finishing her degree in record time. You're everything and more."

April's smile in that photo was real.

She never saw Will's reaction.

But Grace did.

And she never took the post down.

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

Will wasn't even looking at Grace's Instagram when it happened.

One of the rookies was scrolling beside him on the team plane, laughing about some TikTok when he paused and went, "Yo, isn't this your sister?"

Will looked over.

And there it was.

April. In a cap and gown. Grinning, radiant, unrecognizable—in the worst way.

"Congrats to April for finishing her degree in record time."

The words blurred.

Four years. Two and a half. She never told him.

He didn't even know she'd finished.

Didn't know the day she left was the day she got that letter.

Didn't know anything.

His stomach twisted into knots.

And worse—Grace knew. His own sister knew and never said a word.

The next few days, Will couldn't get the image out of his head.

She looked so proud. So sure of herself.

So gone.

His hands shook every time he picked up his phone, hovered over her name. But he never hit send.

When Grace and the family came to San Jose for a home game, it started civil.

Until it wasn't.

It was after dinner. Everyone had gone back to the hotel except Will and Grace. The air was stiff, sharp with unsaid things. Grace stood at the window, arms folded, jaw tight.

Will broke first.

"You couldn't tell me?" His voice cracked. "You let me find out on fcking Instagram*?"

Grace turned slowly, face hard. "You didn't exactly ask."

"Are you serious right now?" he snapped. "She graduated, Grace. I didn't even know she was close!"

"And whose fault is that?"

His hands clenched. "You knew. You picked her up from the airport and didn't say a word. That's—" he choked, voice rising, "—that's a betrayal."

Grace's eyes burned. "No, Will. You betrayed her."

The silence cracked like glass.

"You think I wanted to keep it from you?" she spat. "I had to pick up her pieces because you left her so f*cking shattered she couldn't breathe without crying."

Will staggered back like she'd punched him. "Grace—"

"She used to be everything to you," Grace pushed forward, voice shaking. "She gave up her life, her school, her friends—for you. She didn't ask for much, Will. Just to be seen. Just to feel like she still mattered."

"She did matter," Will argued, weakly.

Grace laughed, bitter and cold. "Then why didn't you act like it?"

He couldn't answer.

"She didn't tell you how hard school was getting," she continued, relentless. "She didn't tell you how alone she felt. You stopped asking. You stopped caring. She cooked you dinners you never touched. She sat alone in your apartment every night waiting for you to come home—hoping you'd remember she existed."

Will turned away, chest heaving, blinking hard against the sting in his eyes.

Grace wasn't done.

"She left on the day she got her graduation letter. You didn't notice. You didn't text. You didn't even call."

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I didn't know—"

"Exactly," Grace snapped. "That's the problem. You didn't know. You didn't even try to know."

Will dropped into a chair, like the weight finally hit him. Hard.

"She won't go near a rink," Grace added, quieter now. "Not even to watch me coach. She says it makes her sick. You make her sick."

Will stared down at the floor.

"She loved you so much, Will. And you broke her."

The room buzzed with silence. A silence full of anger. Of grief. Of truth.

Will couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. The guilt closed around his chest like a noose.

He wanted to scream. Cry. Take it all back.

But the past didn't give do-overs.

That night, he didn't sleep. He sat in the dark of his condo, scrolling through old photos, old texts, old videos.

April in Boston. April on the beach. April half-asleep in his hoodie, laughing at something he'd said off-camera.

He didn't even know that version of her anymore.

And she sure as hell didn't know this version of him.

He was a complete mess. Without her. Because of her. Because of him.

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

Three Years Later

The Boston air smelled like old memories. Like the streets they used to walk, fingers laced between them. Like the rain that had soaked their jackets on late-night campus runs. Like the laughter that once echoed through the Smiths' home when everything still felt whole.

Will was back, older now. Calmer. The NHL didn't rattle him anymore. He'd weathered the pressure, the slumps, the spotlight. But no matter how far he came in his career, he never quite got over her.

He didn't even try.

He never fell in love again. How could he, when no one else even came close?

Grace's engagement party was loud—too many people packed into their childhood home, voices overlapping, champagne flutes clinking. Everyone was glowing, buzzing with joy.

Everyone except Will.

His chest had been tight the entire night, breath caught just under his ribs. Because she was here.

April.

She hadn't changed—at least not in the ways that mattered. Still graceful without trying, still holding herself with that quiet strength. But she was sharper around the edges now. More careful with her smiles. Especially when they were aimed at him.

She didn't look at him the way she used to.

He spent half the night trying to catch her eye. Half the night staring at the empty spot next to him at the dinner table where she should've been. Where she used to always be.

And the other half? He spent wondering if she hated him.

He caught glimpses of her—drifting between rooms, helping Grace in the kitchen, laughing softly with people he didn't recognize. But every time he inched closer, she slipped away. Like a ghost. Like muscle memory.

He almost gave up.

Until he saw her again—alone—in the kitchen.

She was restocking a bowl of crackers, hands moving mechanically, a furrow in her brow like she was willing herself to focus on anything but the memories pressed into these walls.

And then she froze.

She didn't need to look. She felt him.

Will stood in the doorway, hands shoved in his pockets, voice barely above a whisper.

"Can we talk?"

She didn't answer right away. He thought she might say no. Thought she might walk past him the same way she had all night.

But finally, she gave a small nod. Reluctant. Steady. And without a word, they climbed the stairs—like muscle memory.

His childhood room looked exactly the same.

Posters on the wall. Hockey trophies collecting dust. The twin bed still creaking under the weight of too many conversations never finished.

April sat on the edge, hands resting in her lap. Will sat across from her, just barely touching the opposite end of the mattress. The space between them felt like a chasm.

He couldn't look at her at first.

Couldn't even breathe.

He wanted to say so many things—had rehearsed them in the mirror, in hotel rooms, on empty plane rides across the country. But now, nothing came out.

Until—

"Congratulations," he said quietly. "I never got to say it to you. Not on the day. Not in person. But... I want you to know I'm so proud of you. I was then. I still am now."

April's eyes flicked up. Just barely.

He kept going.

"I don't know how I f*cked up so much that I let the one thing that was always so good to me slip away. But god, April. I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve any of that."

His voice cracked.

"You were always there. Always. And I—I took that for granted. I let the game chew me up and spit me out and I just... I let you disappear without ever realizing what I was losing. And by the time I did—it was too late."

He finally looked up. She was watching him.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't cry. Not yet.

"I replay that year in my head all the time," he whispered. "And I think about everything I missed. Everything I should've seen. The way you kept trying. The way you kept choosing me. And I didn't even see how much it cost you to do that."

His hands trembled in his lap.

"I should've asked. I should've noticed. And I didn't. I didn't even know you graduated until I saw it on Grace's f*cking Instagram. And I should've been there. For that. For all of it."

The silence between them buzzed.

Then April's voice, soft but sure:

"It's okay, Will."

He blinked.

She was staring at her hands. Then she looked up.

"I used to think it would never stop hurting. That what you did—what you didn't do—would follow me forever." She paused. Swallowed. "But I grew up too. And I see it differently now. We were young. You were drowning. And I was too scared to admit that I was, too."

She looked down again, her thumbs rubbing circles over each other.

"You hurt me. A lot. But... I know you didn't mean to."

They stayed like that for a long moment.

Then slowly, like gravity pulled them together, they leaned forward. Their foreheads touched, eyes closed. Breathing in the moment. The years. The ache.

His voice came out like wind through a cracked window—shaky, fragile, but certain.

"I still love you so much, April. I never stopped. And I'm sorry I did that to you."

He felt her inhale, felt her hands twitch against her thighs. Then:

"I still love you too, Will."

It wasn't loud. It wasn't dramatic. It didn't need to be.

Because even after all this time— Even after all the distance— They were still in sync.

[toastytrusty]

i think it finally clicked what about cassian and luthen's relationship i find so compelling. when cassian officially joined the rebellion at the end of season one, he effectively surrendered all of his autonomy to luthen. "kill me or take me in." he literally put his life in luthen's hands. he clearly had very little will to live, and beyond giving luthen the choice to kill him, he gave luthen the choice to give him purpose again. and not Just purpose, either, but full control over the rest of his life, as well. he became part of the cause because he felt he had nothing else left, and was either going to effectively kill himself, or let someone else dictate every single thing he does until he dies anyway, now with a reason behind it, now able to plausibly deny it being wanted. it's simultaneously an admittance of defeat, where he is telling luthen that he won, and an act of defiance, where he is challenging luthen to discard him rather than use him. and obviously luthen would rather use him.

but then there is the bix aspect. cassian's hopelessness at the end of s1 implies that he did not, at that point, see bix as an adequate reason to keep going. not as a reason to stay alive, not as a reason to stay present in anyone else's life. it was not worth remaining an individual, for her sake or his own. and obviously a lot of that is from the insane depressive grief that the whole Ordeal of s1 + losing maarva was. but still. he was very closed off, and singlemindedly thinking about his own ability to give himself to the rebellion. which makes his protectiveness over her in s2 all the more compelling. he is repeatedly getting worked up over her well-being, and acting out in ways that are possibly jeopardizing to the rebellion. it's such a fascinating transition, and regardless of how they got there again, i think in season 2, cassian sees bix as his last place to be human. the one person in the galaxy he can be an individual with, rather than a tool. which is why, in my current, ever-evolving understanding of these characters, i think he gets so contradictory and confused about what he wants from her. he wants her to be strong and a soldier so they can go to war together, because the war is so terribly important to him, but he also wants her to prioritize her own safety over anything else and never put herself at risk, because if he loses her he loses himself. this is necessarily the conflict between them.

which comes to the incredible exchange between cassian and luthen about bix in episode 6 of s2, where we can see how much this conflcit is affecting cassian. he can't stand that luthen is potentially putting bix in danger, and can't stand that luthen is treating them like droids, rather than people. but then. then luthen Reminds cassian. he reminds cassian that he already surrendered his autonomy. he already surrendered his individuality. "we're not who we were when we started." cassian chose this; chose to change for this, chose to give up being a person for this. he doesn't get to now choose to put bix, his one haven, over it. she needs to be able to handle herself, because cassian asserting himself by worrying about her compromises their entire system. "you will have to decide when it becomes too large a problem." but cassian's response is the most important part: "no. that's gonna be up to you." he's essentially turning it back on luthen. if luthen expects him to remain compliant in the way his role calls for, then luthen needs to be fullfilling his side of it, and making sure cassian has an environment that he Can remain compliant in, without compromising anything. "you want my blood? you help me solve this." he is finally standing his ground on something to luthen, asserting himself in a way that is basically begging luthen to let him submit again. he wants to be part of the cause; he still wants to be able to lose himself in it, but he also needs bix, and will not give up the life he knows is possible to share with her.

[sailoreuterpe]

One point: in "manual" offices, we don't have the codes to scan. Our machines are like angry coworkers who hate each other and never talk: the credit/debit machines, the postage meters, and the scales are all separate technology, so we can't print either a survey code or a tracking number onto your receipt. For tracking, we give you a separate little label to take home. For the surveys, please either call or go online to https://www.usps.com/help/contact-us.htm. We don't get as many reviews because they take longer, and that affects our funding. The assholes in charge have been viciously cutting manual and other rural offices and routes to "lower costs" because they don't see (or care) that we service some of the most vulnerable people in the country. Manual offices need good reviews as well.

Besides all that, please, please, please just use the USPS. Please buy stamps, change your address, mail packages, whatever you can. Please help me keep my job and keep a important service going, despite the right's attempts to destroy and privatize a vital institution as old as the country itself.

The US Postal Service

I am going to ask you all to do a small but important thing. When you go to the post office to mail a package or buy stamps or shipping supplies, get a receipt.

At the bottom of the receipt is a link and a QR code to fill out a short survey about your "customer satisfaction" with the post office. You are going to fill out that (it takes less than two minutes) and you are going to give them a glowing review each time!

Why? Because they are looking for reasons to make budget cuts despite the USPS being in the constitution and a valuable public service. So we are going to make it unequivocal that we like the postal service.

Because we do!

They send medicine cheaply, they take ballots for voting (which Republicans hate). They are the only shipping service in many rural areas. AND they are basically all that is keeping UPS, FedEx etc's prices down. Privatization means everything will be more expensive.

The post office is ours. It's our right. And the workers there are also being treated like shit right now. So support them in this very simple, easy way. And do this every single time you go there. Please. (And please reblog this. Let's overwhelmingly flood the system with positive feedback.)

[ofmdlovelyletters]

Prefacing this by saying this blog is adorable and I love that people are spreading love to their friends. That being said, it makes me (someone who doesn't really know how to start talking to strangers and is just kind of there in the fandom space) and I assume other people in the same situation feel so spectacularly alone and left out lmao

This is definitely hard. It can feel really lonely when it seems everyone else has already found their friends and/or their place in the fandom and you haven't. Your feelings are valid, and we hope things improve and you're able to find some great fandom friends soon. If seeing this blog gets to be too much, you can of course block or filter it so you'll no longer see the letters on your dash.

If you're looking for advice on how to start talking to strangers, here are some tips we've gathered, many from people who describe themselves as introverts who at one point also didn't have many friends in fandom. We also encourage people to reblog this post with their own advice.

Share your thoughts in tags in reblog of fandom posts. This is an easy way to show your personality and your interests without having to directly engage with someone, and may make others more comfortable and interested in engaging with you.

Participate in ask games, both by reblogging them and by sending in asks to others who do. It's always fun when the dash lights up with these so we can get to know each other better. The key is to both share your own answers and to send them to others to keep the game going. Can't find a good ask game? We may have something in the works. 👀

If you have a creative side (writing, art, gifs, fiber arts, whatever!), share it! And if you don't, show your appreciation of those who do by commenting or, back to that first point, reblogging with enthusiastic tags.

Never underestimate the power of a simple text post! It doesn't need to be some deep, analytical meta like you're writing an essay for school. You can share a detail from the show you've been obsessing over, or a personal head canon you have, or a song that makes you think of your favorite character. Drop it in the tags and see what happens!

And if you're feeling brave, DM somebody who you'd like to get to know better! You can try referencing a post they made, or something on your dash that made you think of them. It's not a guarantee you'll be immediately best friends, but you never know until you try.

We will add that all of these tips are simply a first step. Making friends in fandom does require consistency, putting yourself out there, and actively engaging with others. It can be scary, we know! But there's an old cliche that you get out of fandom what you put into it, and we've found that to be very true. It may not be easy, and it may take some time, but if that's really what you want, it's absolutely worth it. Take those steps for yourself. You deserve it.

We do also want to emphasize that even if you "only" are "just kind of there" in fandom, you are still valued and important. Love of the show is the only thing that keeps the fandom going, and if you have that, you're doing plenty.

And again, if anyone has any tips on how to start talking to other people in fandom to feel more engaged and find your place, please share them! We're eager to hear.

As a crew. 💌

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

Enhypen's Shadow/Moral Compass Reading

Disclaimer: No facts, all alleged. This is my interpretation of the cards and energy I work with.

 Not sure what I can get here but going to pull a bunch of cards to see if I can get a full picture of where their moral compass stands and how shadow like they are. Hopefully it is nothing too creepy.

I can't control what I tap into to, so I may get nothing, or some creepy stuff. Some of these idols may not operate too much in their shadow side. This could also be their potential, but don't necessarily operate in it in the physical. I am reading energy, but they can also be as shady as I mention below. At the end of the day. I am just sharing my interpretation here.

Also, we all have a shadow and dark side and, in this industry, higher ups like to play with idols/celebrities moral compass. It is how I feel it works, if you want fame and money it comes with a price, so it is understandable if some showcase strong shadow sides. I am not here to look down on them. Just to see how they operate in this industry. Remember, we are not in their position, and we could very well operate this way if we were. People with money and power do things differently and have different set of rules. I am just here to see where they stand and understand where they come from. I am not here to villainize them. Alright, excited to get to them this weekend!

Heeseung

Alright, so looking at his spread. I am not getting anything too dark with him. There are a couple of problems here, but overall, his energy seems light. I will start with the fact that he got 4 of Cups with three different Tarot decks I pulled, so that energy is strong with him. There is this sense of lack, of not being emotionally fulfilled with what he does, or this overall lack of excitement he has. And there could be this need to fulfill that void he has.

I see him kind of wanting to step away from the industry or just all that entails. But with the King of Pentacles. This is someone who does want to have material wealth and be successful, so when I see this energy in this reading. It can give me someone who may do shady things to get the success they want. This along with the 6 of Pentacles. I see that card as paying people off, or just him offering things to others for something in return. I don't see him as someone who does crazy shady stuff, but just little things that he may not want to be brought to light regardless. But who knows what extent those secrets can be.

I can also see a CEO trying to offer him something, but I can see him turning it down and not wanting to be a part of it. I can't get details of what they offer, but he seems to not want to partake in it, or do the weird sh** they do to claim success. I feel he had to do some weird sh**. He may have done it in the past, but he kind of doesn't see the point in it now.

The 7 of Cups and 10 of Wands came out in reversed, which shows he is isn't in a state of delusion as much anymore and is starting to see the reality of things and maybe how messed up things can be, but he seems to not to want to carry all the burden and responsibility anymore. I am just getting, he is done with that stuff. He seems like someone who tries to help others and wants to show a tougher appearance than he is, but that tends to put a lot of burdens on him.

He tends to focus more on helping others and saving them, rather than saving himself. I can see him as someone who does not stick to one idea, persona, his values change. There is a lack of a strong identity with him, which can be confusing to others and himself. He can falsify information to make himself and others look better or appear that way to keep everyone involved happy.

He can be dark about how he sees the world and struggles to be optimistic. He tends to have high standards and can get obsessive over things and overanalyze things over and over again. It is like nothing is ever good enough, that could be for work and I can see this in relationships. It is like he has an ideal in his head, but it can never reach into the reality. I am getting he has a lot of obsessive and intrusive thoughts. So, that could be a problem for him, and he struggles to calm his mind.

Also, don't care what anyone says, this dude is Psychic or highly intuitive. I keep getting that and got it again. Moon in Virgo's tend to be, so that doesn't surprise. But throwing that out there. He may struggle to control it though, which may be why he may drink or does drugs to numb it out. There is this tendency to want to seek this thrill and excitement but can never reach it. He tends to lack that happiness within himself, which is why he can never find that happiness, because you can't get satisfaction or fulfillment from external sources.

Also, if I were coaching or doing a reading for Heeseung. I would tell him to work with animals more, maybe he is animal whisperer lol But something about him and animals seem to be beneficial for him, or there is a strong connection, because that energy pops up a lot. But if he worked with animals that would be good for him. I also see him being ashamed of things in the past or he just gets embarrassed easily. I am getting there is something he has done he is not proud of and wants to keep that to himself, or he doesn't share that with people. It could be addictive patterns (drugs/drinking) he does, sex for favors he may have done, along those lines. Anyway, I feel like I got a lot here, let's end with my keyword deck, but he is a bit compromised, but overall, not too bad energy wise.

Nothing too crazy with the keyword deck. I see he doesn't really self-reflect and do some inner work, maybe prefers to distract and numb himself. I see negative thinking patterns he has. It is hard for him to be optimistic and hopeful about things. I see him wanting to end things and release things from his life. And take his power back and get in control, so that is good. Anyway, I can see him being a good person overall, just has his struggles, but that is everyone. Thankfully this one was not as complicated as I thought it would be, his energy was rather light and easy to read, so that is good.

Jay

Okay, his energy is a bit harder for me to grasp than Heeseung. I am not going to lie, I thought I would get darker energy from him, but there are some problematic things about him. But I do see the King of Cups here, which does show someone caring, emotionally stable and loving towards others, so that is a good card to get for this reading. In this one deck for that card, the man's leg is being wrapped around or tied to an octopus or snake leg, not sure what that is, not the point, and then he has the 8 of Swords, both these images gives me someone trapped or tied to do things they may not want to do. He may feel stifled a bit. There could be this inability to express himself and share his true feelings.

I do see him as an opportunist. I see him being indulgent and will do what it takes to get what he wants. He can be cold and calculated when he needs to be. He is someone with a lot of knowledge, very smart. I will say he can be very harsh and mean with his words. This Venom card in the deck showed up in shadow, so he can be downright cruel and cut someone with his words. He is also confusing to others. There is a lot of knowledge he has, which is great, but he may use that to harm and hurt others rather than for the betterment of himself and others. He is just overall so hard to understand, even I am struggling to get this spread.

I am getting he can be contradicting and can confuse people on purpose to hide his true nature. Trying to get information from this dude is so hard. If he has dark secrets. He does his best to hide it. I am not sure how it is with other readers, but for me. Jay does not like me and he does not share much with me, especially his dark secrets, so if he does. I won't be able to tap into that, because he is good at hiding that from me.

He is someone who likes to accomplish a lot and achieve a lot. He is very ambitious and there is this sense of liking to control things, even the narrative. How he appears is important. He could like to show a facade. I see him not revealing a lot about himself. Trying to keep things surface level. I am not sure many people know much about him on a deep level, maybe even the members. It is like he gives you a taste of the information, but doesn't reveal it all. He will tell a story, but it is not completely true, maybe a piece of it is. There is an arrogance, superiority complex he has, a know it all energy. I am also getting his stories don't always add up or make sense, not sure what that means, but getting that information. He does have abandonment wounds I am seeing as well, or this desire to go it alone and not get help from anyone, since he never really got that support growing up.

With this Underworld card, he does like to keep things under the surface and if he does shady shit (which I think he does) he would not reveal that or share it, even energetically it is hard to get that information. It seems he likes things to be hidden and kept in the dark. It is hard for me to explain things, but to him he embraces that there are things that should be kept hidden from the public and he is fine with that. There is this messy and destructive energy he does have. He could enjoy causing problems every so often. I don't see Jay sacrifice himself or his desires for anyone. He goes after what he wants, and no one will stop him. I don't see him being a victim of anything. This dude is a fighter and is pretty tough, so he does not give me that energy of being a victim of the industry. His energy is very boss like, which I like to be honest. He gives me that he is in the headspace of thinking all that pertains to the industry and the weird shady stuff they may do is just business. He kind of detaches from it all. He has the personality to handle this business. I am going to stop and go to the keyword deck, because I spent too much time trying to understand this boy.

Okay, so with this Nurture Partner in reversed, it gives me he is selfish, and doesn't tend his relationships, be it romantic, platonic, familial. With the shadow work in reversed. I don't see him doing that and just more so embracing that shadow side of him. I love that I got the Fun card in reversed, meaning he can be overly serious and struggles to make light of life and things in it. I see him really wanting to be respected and appreciated. And doesn't like others to look down on him. He can be a bit egotistical.

I wasn't sure what this obsession card was that showed in reversed for him, so pulled three other cards for clarifiers, and it still does not make much sense. I got 5 of Wands, which could indicate his energy being all over the place and he can't really fixate on one thing. I got the 7 of Swords, which shows someone who has a secret, but doesn't want to reveal it. And the 8 of Cups, which shows me he doesn't have an obsessive nature. He tends to always be heading for a new direction or doesn't look back or maybe doesn't regret things too often, if ever.

Okay, this took way too long and he is only the second member. So, do I see him as morally compromised, yeah, but will he reveal or does he regret any of it, no. Unlike Heeseung, who I feel has regrets, not getting that from Jay and he will keep what he has done to himself, not sure he even reveals it to the members.

Anyway, I feel they have every right not to share anything they don't want to, so I can only get what the energy or their higher self wants to share. I am not the type to invade their space as much as I already do. I got respect that and I for one am not the type to keep digging, just not me. I go with what I get and keep moving, especially when I spend more time than I want on a person.

Jake

Oh man, I am kind of creeped out with this spread. Yeah, this man is a Scorpio and this energy shows it. Man, I was fooled to think this man was really sweet, but he is not giving me that vibe with this spread. It seems like a false persona from this spread. This is the thing with Jake. He is so charming, but that it is hard to see the more manipulating side to him, but his energy here exudes manipulator.

I just got he gives a false sense of security. I don't like that message at all. With this Artificial heart card, that card itself shows he is fake when it comes to his emotions and how sincere and loving he is. I don't think he is that tapped into his emotions and can be pretty cold. I am sorry I don't like his vibe and his energy creeps me out. Ugh this sucks, because I fell for this trap of him being sweet and kind and this spread just doesn't give me that at all.

All I get is that he is fake. He is very smart and using that to manipulate. He gathers knowledge from others or he is observant of others, including his partners and he can use that to harm or hurt the person he has knowledge on. He can be downright spiteful and mean, degrading with his words. He does it in such a subtle way it is hard to tell he is doing it.

I got the House 8 and Scorpio card, both these cards show someone who operates in the shadow side, once again he keeps getting manipulative energy. I see obsessive tendencies, the ability to stalk others, probably partners and obsess over them. I see this intense desire for sexual pleasure. I mean that isn't surprising, as that has been picked up in his energy many times before.

I can see him indulging in things, be it drugs, sex, a person, just to escape and avoid his problems or avoid looking at himself and reflecting. He rather just put his energy into something else and fixate over that. He has a stalking, obsessive energy, so if you date him. He can be a bit much and overwhelming and there is this need to know every little detail about them, the finest detail. Whoever dates him, watch out. I can see him, if he is on tour, or out of the country, or a way from his partner. He would have someone stalk his partner. It may be even a saesang, he may pay them to do it lol

I see the company hiding the sh** he does and keeping from the public. So, he may have done stupid sh** but we will never know. I was trying to understand this temperance card, because it made no sense with this spread, so what I got is that he has to appear, or the company makes him appear more stable and calmer than he really is. It is like an act. How ever he shows himself to the public in not how he really it. It is just to protect his career and assets, but dude is messy behind the scenes. I look at this one card, and all I get is the song Heartless by Kanye West. I don't know the lyrics, but if you do, than you will understand that song message. I don't really, just that he can be heartless and cold.

I saw the image of this one card and the phrase "all that glitter is not gold" came to me, which means stating that not everything that looks precious or true turns out to be so. I take that as he is not as sweet as he appears. Ugh darn, man this boy fooled me. There is this desire for power and power over others. This can be due to his own abandonment wounds and maybe not feeling as loved or appreciated as a child. And I don't see him wanting to change. It is like he wants to control the narrative and keep that power. This takes me to that one reading of them, I think it was their thoughts on being an idol part 2, I mentioned he likes having power over others, even fans/females, it is intoxicating for him to have all these female fans swoon over him. I can't believe I forgot all this, damn he is so good at manipulating even his energy.

Alright, now to the keyword deck, so I am getting this dude's moral code is flawed af I don't see this man having much morals. Damn, that sucks to get and disappointing, but whatever going to still enjoy him as an idol. I won't meet him in person, so don't care too much, but will keep my distance a bit. Well, he is intentional with what he does, so yeah, the idea I had that it was subconscious was bs. He knows what he is doing. I am getting once again, this lack of wanting to change or accountability on his part. He lacks boundaries, not sure he has them. He is messy and isn't very stable, whatever that could mean. He creates a narrative and facade about himself. Also, he needs to be careful who he is messes with, because he might meet his match, or someone may seek revenge of some sort, or give him back what he did to others. Anyway, there that was, moving on. Anyway, I mentioned in an ask, I might date him. Changed my mind, that is a big ass no now lol

Sunghoon

Ugh, I feel this one is going to be hard and I am dreading going into this one for some reason. It seems overly complicated with him. I don't even know where to start. Man, this group may be the hardest one for me to get through. I spent two and half hours on this already and I am only on the fourth member lol Luckily, I enjoy this, but damn, this group is wild.

So, I will start with what I already got from him is that I do feel he was pimped and is by maybe his Mom or others in the industry, so because of that he may lack boundaries when it comes to sex and power that goes with it. I see a lot of things being hidden with him. I can see things being unlawful or paying courts and judges to be silenced with him, yup seeing that. So, how I came to this is I see the 7 of Swords paired with the Justice card. Justice is about law and order and the courts and then you have 7 of Swords, manipulation and secrets and hiding information, you see where I am going here.

I don't know who this Queen of Cups is. That is not Sunghoon's energy, nope. That is a woman in his life that has a strong presence ad power over him. I don't see this as his Mom, as she represents the Queen of Wands. This is someone he works with that may help him with his career and may be the one who puts him in position to sleep with others to obtain opportunities. Or she could be someone who tries to help him and is sensitive to his struggles and trauma. I had to clarify who this was. I got the 4 of Pentacles, which is someone who protects his career and tries to keep it intact and I got the 4 of Cups. She could offer him these concocted drinks or be a supplier to him for that which can help him get career opportunities. So, there is that.

I see him as someone who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants and to be on top and claim the fame and attention he desires. Because well, he didn't get it from his Mom, just saying. With the 7 of Cups, like Jake, there is a facade around him and things not being as it seems. I do see him being controlled or just someone who follows orders from others and doesn't go on his own volition, unlike someone like Jay. He might create problems in his life, or there tends to always be a struggle with him. There is this sense of wanting power, even though he seems to follow others, especially what women say. But it seems he wants to obtain that control one day. I see him needing to remove this dark energy or dark side of himself, or he needs to transform this energy and heal, but not sure he is willing to do so.

There is this desire to accumulate wealth and appear a certain way, but there seems to lack substance with him. It is very surface level with him. I doubt anyone, including the members can have real deep conversations with him, or he reveals his inner deep thoughts to them or anyone. I don't see him as someone who communicates very well. Also, there are just many lies that surround him and his career. It can be hard to get the truth about him. This dude will not speak of any of his deeds, nope, never doing that, well can't say never, but his energy is like nope, keeping that to myself. So yeah, his isn't too lengthy, pretty straight forward about it, but obviously girl does not get full blown details, as there is a reason they are secrets. I am only shown what the messengers and their energy wants to share. Anyway, glad this didn't take too long.

Ya'll he got the morally dark card, so that tells me all I need to know. He is dark ya'll and morally compromised. He has stepped into and done shady ass shit *sighs* Whatever shady stuff these idols do that you may think they do. He may be one that has done it all. You can't get any more clarification than that card that came out. I do see it from his side. It is due to trauma and not healing his past or what has been done to him, and if you have shitty parents or one, it is hard to be a good person. When parents are morally dark too, as I do think his Mom has very little morals.

I see a power struggle here. I believe this is with his Mom or could be the company. I see the card conflict resolution, so I can see the company trying to silence his problematic behavior, silencing people, trying to control the situation as much as they can. I do see the law and courts again, trying to silence information there. It seems he can be pretty hard to keep things in control and could be hard for Sunghoon to do so. Man, the company has their work cut out for them with him. He is problematic, but he is a good asset to the company, so don't see them hating him all that much, and the company heads are problematic too, so well, it is what it is. Anyway, his went exactly how I expected, so there was that tea.

I do like, that unlike Jay, Jake and Sunghoon don't give af about revealing their tea so I appreciate their authenticity when it comes to their energy lol I give them that. And as I mentioned, their childhood sucked, so what do we expect. I get that people have control over themselves, but in this industry, it is hard to heal and grow, so just saying. Because the environment does not allow for that.

Alright, I can only hope the maknae line is a bit more pure and light, because the three above was hard to get through, but fun, but I like a break from this weirdness and darkness.

Sunoo

Going to start, I feel this will be another hard one, as he is hard to understand. I am saying this before pulling any cards. Okay, I am not getting anything dark with him at all, sorry, not seeing anything here. All these card seem light, so not much to share with him, which I like.

He got the 4 of Wands twice. This is someone with good energy and good vibes, overall positive person to be around. With the 4 of Swords he is someone pretty calm and to himself. Also, with the 9 of Pentacles, he sticks with himself and is pretty independent and does his own thing.

With the 7 of Cups and this thinker card. He is very in his head and can be delusional about things and not see things for what it is. If there are shady things going on in the industry. He doesn't seem to be aware of it. It is like they hide that from him. There is a naive, innocent energy to him. Kind of childlike, like this need to protect him. With the medallion and Agape card, this is someone honorable, traditional, I can see this as someone with overall good morals.

I will say the darkest I see, is he isn't truthful and could spread lies about others. I see that. I see him spreading lies about someone to get revenge, or somehow being spiteful. I can say what he say can hurt others and cause problems for others. There is some more he wants to do and venture out, but he seems controlled and confined by his contract, not sure why, but I get that. Anyway, not much here, so going to my keyword deck now.

So, he did get the Morally light card, it is in reversed, so it can be hard for him to operate in that energy, but it seems he leans more that way. I can see this as this industry can be very toxic and can be hard for people to stick to their morals and I see him trying, but it can he hard not to cross boundaries. As you will get little opportunities is you don't. There seems to be chaotic energy around him that seems to make it hard for him to operate in this energy.

He did get the card flirting lol So, he is a flirt I guess, not sure why that popped up, but okay, that energy can cause problems I am guessing. How I see this is when it comes to relationships as I mentioned he has this playful side and can flirt with lots of people, so he isn't the type to get too serious, but this can hurt someone he may date and cause problems. It is like he flirts with the idea of being with someone and entices them but ends up backing out causing them a bit of hurt and pain. So, that can be a bit of a problematic behavior for him.

I see him struggling to emotionally connect with himself and maybe others. I believe this is due to a lack of stability in his family life growing up, or the fact that he didn't get as much love as he wanted as a child. And this could be why he struggles to commit to serious relationships. So yeah, not bad with him. He works more on the lighter side, with some problematic behavior, but nothing too toxic. So, his was a bit short.

Jungwon

*sighs* So, this going to be hard for me as he is my bias and this spread goes against what I have gotten from him before, so it seems he has fallen for the trap of sleeping with others to get an opportunity. I am heavily getting that with this spread. This seems recent, to the point, it could have happened when they were in La for coachella, damn man, sucks to see this, but when I pulled two of Wands, I was skeptical if that meant what I thought and then got the Temple of my Body card, and that confirmed it for me, as that indicates sexual favors to me as well and using your body in a sense.

I see a Queen of Pentacles here, so it could be the person he slept with. I don't particularly think he wanted to do it, but felt it was something he had to do or contacted to do. I have to card that talk about contracts, so it was part of the contract and deal. Fuck this industry if true. I am sorry, this pisses me off. I see him wanting to keep his status and stability, so he felt he needed to do this. For Jungwon, obtaining material wealth is important to him, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised he went this route, because he felt like many idols do it is the only route to obtain the opportunities they want.

I also got the House 8 and Scorpio cards, this is what I got with Jake, so this is diving into the dark or going into some secretive and taboo stuff, so it seems he is dabbling in it now from what I get from this energy. I don't like the vibe of these three cards, the child wounded, damsel and the bride in the cage card, it is giving me victim energy, having some sort of trauma, or doing something that can be for him. I hate this. I see him now being aware of or having access to how dark the industry can be or the shady stuff. It is like he may think why do they have to do this sh** like really!? He gives me he wouldn't enjoy doing this shady stuff, or crossing boundaries, but feels it is necessary to continue his career.

It is like now he is an insider and knows what it takes to achieve success and what must be done. I can see him not being honest about this. I can see him being harsh and critical to himself and others. I mean I always got the vibe he can be mean and harsh at times, nothing too crazy there. It seems more to me that he lashes out, rather than someone who just bullies' people for the fun of it or someone who is overall mean all the time. He has his moments. It is more so if you come at him. He will come at you, and sometimes harder. I see him as someone who does things for others but doesn't really try to help or do things for himself. I see very little self-reflection. He rather put his energy towards others and help others, than help himself, which is sweet, but working towards yourself is most important.

I also see him as someone who likes to give out insight and help others with his words to deal with struggles and pain. He is a wise individual, so sharing what he knows is important to him, or something he is aware of what he can do. It is like he likes to spread a message to others or speak to others. So, overall I don't get a bad vibe from him, a bit compromised for the sexual favors, but that doesn't really bother me, because I kind of see that as part of deal now, and I don't see sleeping with others as that shady imo. You can see that another way.

Okay, for the keyword deck. So, not getting anything to dark here either. I see this need to fight and defend himself, not sure what that means. Okay, I get it, he has this energy of needed to say something back or defend himself and his character. As I mentioned, you step to him. He will come back at you. His words can hurt as I mentioned. There seems to be lots of challenges he has to face at the moment, or obstacles he is facing. There is this inability to express himself, even if he wants to. I see him struggling to get counseling or getting anything out of it. I can also see that he may do well counseling and helping others, but he doesn't do it for himself.

He tends to others but not himself. I see him opening himself up to others and listening to others. It seems he is trying to open himself up to the universe and be more carefree and have faith in things. I am not sure why this is popping up, but yeah, there that is. So, that was unexpected to see for me, never thought I get that energy from him, but I shouldn't be surprised really. I would say with him, it is sexual favors, but overall, he tries to be of service and help for others, so overall he tries to do right by others, but not sure he does right by himself, so he should work on that.

Riki

Okay, last but not least, please be quick and light. Well, there goes that, this looks complex af. I do see the Devil card here, which does mean he can operate in more shadow energy. I just get the sense he has addictive patterns. He has a possessive energy. With the Devil and the 9 of Cups. It gives me someone who indulges in things a bit too much, it can be drugs, drinking, or even a partner he is with. He has an obsessive nature and can fixate on a particular thing.

He may lack a bit of self-control. I do see he may not like a Queen of Pentacles. Someone he works with. He feels attacked by her and there is this need to push away and resist this person. It could be that QOP's that showed up for Jungwon, maybe she wanted him to, but he was like nah, I am good.

I do see opportunities for him to sleep with others and party, but I don't see him engaging in that and wanted to distance from that. I see him having hard boundaries when it comes to that. I see him as someone who overextends himself for people he cares about and tries to help them, but forgets to help himself and tend to himself and his needs and he may get upset when they don't appreciate his effort, even though they do no ask for it.

I see him having a vivid imagination. Overthinking and overanalyzing every little thing. He could be harsh and critical of himself. I see him being overly emotional, pretty turbulent emotionally, having his ups and downs. I do not see him listening to advice from others, or struggling to seek advice or help. He prefers to just find a quick fix to numb his issues. I see him feeling shamed and vulnerable and exposed somehow and feeling humiliated, it seems to be this King of Pentacles that I pulled for a clarifier, don't know the details, but it seems they are odds, and he wants justice for that.

He seems like the type that does not want to follow what others do and goes against the trend and likes to do things his own way, so he may not be the best listener and struggles to stay in line. So, overall, nothing too crazy for him. The only thing is addictive tendencies and maybe taking substances he shouldn't be taking or partaking in toxic habits. That is the most I get from him.

Okay, to the keyword deck. I see him as someone who really likes to be loved, cherished and appreciated for the work he does, because it seems he does put in the work and feels he should get that appreciation, so if he doesn't, he can get moody and temperamental.

I got the obsession of course, so he does have strong obsessive energy, as I mentioned it could be a person he likes, or substances that can fill a void in his life. With the Nurture Partner card, as I mentioned he tends to the need of his person or people he cares for but tends to not do anything for himself. It is like he lives for the other person. He struggles to help himself, but tends to others.

I see the shine your light card, this shows he can be authentic and light and should do his best to spread that towards others, or that is what he likes to do. Is to be a positive force towards others. I do see there is some shadow work he needs to work through, but he doesn't address it, or is blind to it, or just avoids doing the work.

I got the Fun card reversed and I am not sure what that meant. He comes off playful, so I was surprised to see that and the clarifiers were the 5 of Swords and 10 of Swords, so there are mental struggles with him. It seems it is hard for him to have fun or enjoy being an idol with all the mental struggles and conflict it brings. He lacks that playful approach because his thoughts just weigh him down. I see him trying to escape his problems by indulging that is about it, other than that I say he operates more on the morally light side. I don't see him as a toxic person at all.

Okay, this was my longest to get through, this was hard, but interesting to dive in. But also fu** this industry, because it does seem it is getting to most of these members, and they seem to be struggling. This industry is toxic af and destroys the souls/spirit of these idols. Hopefully you enjoy this rollercoaster of a ride. Anyway, next group will be Stray Kids, so stay tuned.

[aurelian-zagarra]

Oh my gosh, I adore Lilia, but why is he so incredibly difficult to read? I hit a serious art block while working on my next fanfic piece, so I decided to switch gears and work on a psychological analysis of him instead. But the fact that he’s a fae complicates everything.

I keep going back and forth: did he simply learn to mask his emotions over time or has he genuinely processed and moved past them, evolving into the playful bat-fae we see today? I honestly can’t tell if his behavior is sincere or a coping mechanism - something akin to what Cater does. At this point, I feel like I’d need to sit him down for an actual therapy session just to begin classifying any potential disorders... but I can't because HE ISN'T REAL.

And the most frustrating part? I was so sure he’d at least show signs of PTSD - but guess what? Not a trace of symptoms. Maybe in the past, sure, but now? He’s healthy. Functional. Stable. I’d even go so far as to say this chaotic, possibly scandalous bat dad is the most emotionally balanced character in the entire cast. And let me add this: he’s the one holding the entire Diasomnia household together. Why is Silver so composed and well-mannered? Because his father is an absolute legend who handles problems like a responsible adult - a miracle.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m genuinely mad that Lilia is well-adjusted.

[taeyongdoyoung]

t-t-teach me

summary: college life sucks. but at least you get to study with the hottest guy on campus... pairing: soobin x reader genre: college au, slight angst, smut, colleagues to study buddies to lovers warnings: academic setting, studying, mild allusions to anxiety/insecurities, reader is older than soobin, kissing, praise kink, size kink, handjob, fingering, lots of touching, protected sex (gasp), manipulation if you squint but it's all consensual, some lyrics references as usual author's note: someone on social media commented that soobin's "t-t-teach me" part in love language lowkey sounds like "t-t-touch me" and i couldn't get it out of my head so here we are... word count: 2.2k

Your college life is pretty boring. Study, eat, study some more, eat again, sleep, repeat. So, when your most handsome colleague (in your humble opinion) asks you to help him study for the upcoming exams, you are tempted to agree.

"Pleaseee, Y/N," Soobin begs so cutely. The way his glasses are slightly tilted doesn't help your case. "I can even pay you!"

"I don't want your money, Soobin," you shake your head, determined to play with him a little longer. After all, it is not every day that such a hot guy acknowledges your existence.

"What do you want, then? I'd do anything, I really need to pass, my whole future depends on it."

"Well, shouldn't you have studied throughout the year?" you tease him. "Instead of, I don't know, partying or whatever it is you and your squad do."

"I don't even go to parties. I'm just in my dorm playing games all the time."

"Case in point," you tsk, pretending to be disappointed.

"Okay, I realize I should have taken the courses more seriously, but can you please consider it?"

"What's in it for me?"

"I told you already, the sky is the limit. Just t-t-teach me the material," he stammers sweetly. "When the professors do it, I literally can't focus and understand anything."

"You do realize this isn't an easy task, right? We have less than a month until finals. Even if I do help you study…I can't promise you'll pass."

"Where's your confidence, teacher?" Soobin pouts.

"I haven't agreed yet!"

"Oh, but you just did," Soobin is too adorable to say 'no' to.

So, this is how it starts. Every day, after your lectures end, you go to Soobin's dorm to study. You use every method that has been helpful for you throughout the years. Highlights, flashcards, quizzes, you try everything and anything in order to help Soobin understand the material. At the end of each week you prepare a short test that is meant to aid Soobin in revising the most important information. The first week, his results are disastrous. You honestly don't see any hope but you promised him you'd try your best so you keep modifying the material in order to improve his understanding. The second week, his results are still below average, but slightly better. By the third week, he has definitely reached the expected pass level.

"My God, Soobin, this is amazing progress!" you praise him honestly.

"Really? You think I'd be able to pass?" he asks, still worried about the upcoming exams.

"If you keep up the great work, you surely will," you are confident that he'll make it. "We have one more week until the first exam, I'm sure we'll manage to cover some more ground and revise the essentials."

"Yeah, I think there's still enough time to stick to the plan you made," Soobin nods thoughtfully.

"Here's an idea that might be motivational. If you pass all your exams, I'll reward you."

"Reward me how?" Soobin eyes you curiously.

"However you like."

"What about me paying you back?" Soobin reminds you of the original deal.

"You can just buy me dinner at that sushi place near the university," you suggest simply.

"Sounds good. I'll do my best to pass."

"I know you can do it!" at this point, you genuinely believe in him and are amazed to see how much he's improved.

The exam period starts sooner than you'd like and you now have less time for your study sessions with Soobin, prioritizing individual preparation instead. Honestly, you kind of miss seeing his pretty face every day and explaining things to him. Talking about the material out loud has been helpful for you, as well. The final exams pass by in a flash and now you only have to wait one more week for the results to come out.

"How do you think you did?" you ask Soobin on the phone.

"Ugh, don't ask," he complains. "Even though I felt like we covered all the material, having to explain it in my own words and provide examples was so draining. I have no idea how I did but don't get your hopes up."

"I see," you reply with a sigh.

"I'm not gonna ask how you did, because I'm pretty sure you nailed them," Soobin shuts down any possibility of boasting before it even started.

"Hey, the exams were pretty difficult for me, too," you mumble shyly.

"Yeah, yeah, talk to me again when you flaunt those 100 points."

"Just because I tend to get high results most of the time, doesn't mean I don't struggle," you express your feelings a little harsher than intended.

Soobin is stunned into silence.

"Sorry, that was insensitive of me to say. I guess I never realized how much effort you put into studying."

"It's okay, I'm used to being misunderstood," you answer sheepishly.

"Just because you're used to it, doesn't make it okay. Get some rest. You sure deserve it."

"You too, Soobin."

And with that, the phone call ends. Tensions run high as you anxiously check your email once every two hours for results. You probably care more about this than you should. Only this time your own results are not the only thing on your mind. You really want Soobin to be satisfied with the work he's done. Because you feel like you poured more energy into helping him and you would really hate to see him fail. Not only because you'd feel responsible for it, but because you genuinely like him and want to see him happy.

After what feels like forever, the results are out. Of course, you can only see your own due to privacy reasons. But you know Soobin has also received the same email as every other student. It is only the content that varies. You quickly check your stats and though you didn't get a 100 points everywhere, as Soobin jokingly suggested, you are still pretty proud of yourself. You eagerly grab your phone, meaning to call Soobin when you stop yourself in the last second.

What if he didn't pass all the exams? What if he doesn't want to talk about it? So, instead, you wait until he contacts you first. Luckily, you don't wait long.

"Come over" is the simple message he sends you.

You put on a jacket and practically sprint to his dorm. Is he okay? Is he inviting you over to celebrate or to drink his sorrows away? Your mind races and so do your legs as you near his room. A hesitant knock on his door. A quiet "It's open".

You cautiously enter and study Soobin's expressions in an attempt to read the room. He doesn't look depressed but he doesn't look ecstatic either. What's going on? You just need to know, the uncertainty is killing you.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Soobin asks you coldly.

"Uh…good news?" you mumble, feeling more nervous about whatever he has to say than about your own results.

"Good news is I passed all my exams. I got between 60 and 75 points on most of them."

"That's…incredible! Congratulations, Soobin!" you exclaim proudly. "I'm really happy for you! Wait…what are the bad news, then?"

"The bad news is…you promised me a reward," he whispers darkly.

"Why is that bad news?" you are utterly confused, as you sit down on the couch next to him. "You deserve to be rewarded, you worked so hard to accomplish this."

"That's true, but…I'm not sure you'll like the way I want to be rewarded."

"Anything is okay," you vow, not knowing what's in store for you. "I'll keep my word."

"Oh, I know you will," Soobin smirks and crashes his lips against yours, shocking you completely. Is this really happening? Did you just…both pass all your exams and are now kissing with the hottest guy in your university to celebrate?

"T-t-touch me," he begs so prettily who are you to reject him?

"Where do you want me to touch you?" you easily agree.

He grabs your hand and slides it under his shirt so that you are now caressing his abs. Fuck, his skin is so smooth and hard.

"You're so pretty," you mutter what you've been thinking every time you see him.

"I try to look my best for you," Soobin admits.

"Shut up," you shake your head in disbelief.

"Yes, teacher," he teases you.

"Don't call me that," you groan.

"What would you prefer? Ma'am?"

"Ugh, no, that makes me feel old," your eyes roll.

"Well, you are older than me. How about noona?" Soobin blinks cutely.

"Oh my God, do you ever shut up?"

"Touch me somewhere else," he doesn't ask this time, he demands. You don't even have the time to ask where he'd like to be touched before he's grabbed your wrist again and moves it right on top of his clothed cock. You're seriously gonna die. You're gonna die right in this moment and you won't even go to that cute sushi place. "Take my jeans off."

Your hands are shaking but you do your best to follow Soobin's orders. All your academic knowledge is completely useless in this moment. What you lack in practice, you try to make up for with enthusiasm. Stroking his length and licking him softly seem to do the trick and Soobin grows harder under your touch.

"Why are you so pretty?" you can't help but marvel.

"It's both a blessing and a curse," Soobin grunts loudly. "Wait, stop."

You immediately halt your movements, letting go of his cock.

"Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?" you ask nervously, almost getting teary-eyed at the thought.

"What? No, you're doing amazing, I just…didn't want to come yet."

"Oh, I see," you reply, even though you can't see shit. "When do you want to come?"

"Wrong question, teacher," Soobin disregards your preference for not being called that. But in this moment, you no longer care. "Replace the wh-word with another wh-word."

"Hmm," you ponder out loud. "Where do you want to come?"

"Inside you. If you'd let me."

"Erm, I'm not sure…" you try to find a polite say that you are not really interested in getting pregnant at this point of your life.

"Relax, I've got condoms," Soobin laughs at you gently. "We can save the risky activities for after graduation."

He's already thinking that far into the future?

Soobin touches your folds gently, trying to ease your worries.

"Does it feel good?"

"So good, Soobin," you confess.

"Yeah?" he smirks proudly, as his long finger stretches you open. "Bet I can teach you a thing or two myself."

"I believe you," you sigh wistfully, as you near your high.

While Soobin puts on protection, you try to think of a logical solution as to how this will work. Honestly, you are too wet to care but his enormous size is still intimidating. Your brain seems incapable of coming up with a formula, so you give up entirely. Thinking only makes it worse.

When he slides inside of you, the feeling is so overwhelming you need something to keep you from falling apart.

"Talk to me," you beg.

"What do you want me to talk about?" Soobin asks.

"Anything."

"Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax, morphology, phonetics and-"

"Oh my God, really?" you scoff in disbelief. "Exams are over, let's put that behind us."

"What's your love language?" Soobin wants to know.

"Probably words of affirmation. What's yours?"

"Same. Quality time, as well," he responds.

"Oh yeah, definitely," you agree.

"You're taking me so well," Soobin immediately puts the newfound knowledge to use.

"You're fucking me so well," you whisper sincerely.

And this is all it takes for you two burst in each other's arms, experiencing pleasure like never before.

Once you've dutifully helped clean each other up and are cozied up underneath the sheets, the time for a more serious conversation arrives.

"I don't wanna lose this," Soobin gestures in the air between the two of you.

"We can keep studying together," you reply dumbly.

"That's not what I meant," Soobin chuckles. "Wanna spend time with you. We don't have to be studying, we can watch movies and I can teach you how to play games and…other stuff."

"I like the sound of that," you smile warmly.

"Actually, I have a confession to make," Soobin blurts out.

"Oh?"

"Deep down, I knew I'd pass the exams somehow," Soobin whispers. "I just couldn't be bothered to study. Needed an excuse to get close to you."

You can't even be mad at him.

"I have a confession, as well," you say in return. "I agreed to help you because I wanted to know more about you. I could tell you're smart."

"Is it the glasses?" Soobin pouts adorably, tilting his head to the side.

"Nah, you just give off that…sexy nerdy vibe. Glasses or no glasses."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is. From one nerd to another."

"I can live with that," Soobin flicks your nose playfully.

"You still owe me sushi, by the way. For helping you study."

"Oh, teacher. Sushi is not the only thing you'll be eating tonight."

The End

[rootbeerrex]

@saedyne LET'S FUCKING GO SOMEOEN WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT IT THIS MEANS I HAVE PERMISSION TO BE UNHINGED ABOUT THEM LMAO ok so I wrote this whole post this morning and fun fact I was almost late to work bc I lost track of time while writing it BUT I WASN'T SO IT WAS FINE anyway. here it is.

jackbat nation how do we feel about a dana/dick b plot. I think it would be funny to make Tim's parental life worse. his ex-step mom who is still living with him + his adopted dad + bio dad who are co-parenting him starts dating his sort of older brother.

-they meet bc dick needs physical therapy after his gunshot wound in war games, and he can safely get it from her without identity questions bc she already knows. dick starts flirting with her almost instantly bc Vulnerability? no no no I must instantly cover it with my irresistible charm.

-Dana is unimpressed bc she's had patients like this before, and she can tell he's just trying to distract her from her job. it doesn't work. (plus she is still "on a break" so with Jack, and she is Loyal and wouldn't cheat on him)

-Eventually he finishes physical therapy but they keep hanging out together bc they became Genuine Friends, and they enjoy each other's company.

-then one day they come back from an outing with tim (they are his escape from all of Jackbats fighting) and walk in on Jackbat in a. questionable situation. Dana turns and walks right back out the door, and Jack runs after her being like "it's not what it looks like!!!! I'm not gay!!!!!" (Bruce audibly scoffs at that)

-dick rips the fuck into Bruce ("how fucking could you he is still MARRIED she was WAITING for him she never would've done this to him I can't believe you would destroy a marriage like this" "oh because you care about the sanctity of marriage so much. remind me, when was the last time you spoke to Emily?" "don't you fucking DARE talk to me about Emily" )

-Dana decides Ok You Know What Fuck You I was a good person I didn't cheat I was willing to stick it out for our relationship and give you time to work your shit out but you clearly don't care about us so we are over. I have better options anyway.

-Dana files for divorce and dick and Dana start dating

- jack's misogynistic ass is so jealous cause YEAH he said he didn't wanna be in a relationship anymore and he was already moving on but that doesn't mean he wants HER moving on >:(

-Bruce calls him out on this bullshit and says she's a grown woman who can do whatever she wants and then he privately pulls dick aside and is like "you're not doing this. stop. you're making everything worse. plus she's a civilian. you can't. this is stupid. I know you're only doing it bc you're mad at me about the way I handled things with Jack so you're trying to cause drama to prove a point." and so dick is ofc like "GOD Bruce not everything is ABOUT you sometimes I have my OWN thoughts and feelings about things ever think about THAT huh?????" and like. yeah it's not ALL about that. they genuinely like each other. but this conversation does for sure make him want to date her even harder just to spite him.

-tim is fucking miserable because Jack and Bruce are mad at each other, Bruce and dick are mad at each other, jack and dana are mad at each other, and dick and Jack are mad at each other. The two pairs that aren't beefing are dick and Dana because they're currently in the honeymoon stage of their relationship, and Bruce and Dana because Dana blames Jack for the cheating, not Bruce, and Bruce blames dick for Dana and dick dating. because he's totally normal about when grown women make their own choices.

anyway how do we feel about this? I know it's A Lot and there's really no canon basis for Dick and Dana but honestly I just think it would be really really funny. I tried to be pretty accurate with Dana's characterization but also she isn't very centered in the narrative while Jack is alive so it's hard to make sure I'm getting it right. if anyone has any critiques about her please let me know, I don't wanna get her wrong

+ this tag from @starcrossedconverse

I think I agree, I think they almost definitely won't end up together because this is a Deeply Unhealthy basis for a relationship and they'll both eventually realize that. tysm for the input <333

[punanami]

Baby we are talking about stereotypes. Toji fits black stereotypes more than any other race. why are you acting brand new to the parallels? If it look like a duck and quack like one, it's a duck—so yeah we are going to write Toji in the way he presents. That's typically what writers do lmfao.

If you don't speak Japanese yourself you are going to need more than just a google search to grasp what you are trying to argue against.

Osaka ben is just the dialect of Osaka, yakuza speech takes it further to the point it's disrespectful. That is why I said it's considered rude or disrespectful the way he talks. Plain ole' Osaka ben isn't rude, it's just a different dialect. So no there's no 1:1 with the way he or the yakuza speaks to US southern dialects. US Southern speech is known for "manners" and politeness—yakuza Osaka speech is not that.

Also for clarification him talking hybrid is him taking both with Tokyo dialect and the Osaka yakuza dialect—in his speech the VA uses both. But again, Osaka dialect and yakuza dialect are NOT one and the same. I can't stress that enough, yakuza dialect is layered into whatever regional speech that person has be it Osaka or Tokyo or wherever else. Toji just happens to speak in both Osaka yakuza and proper Tokyo Japanese as a blend.

I honestly think this knee jerk reaction of yours is from not actually reading what I wrote because I literally said "y'er" instead of "your" is more accurate too. So you are trying to make this grand point of "why don't we have toji speak like xyz which also works" and answer is: we already do—and people have definitely complained about that "cowboy speak" "y'er/t'/n'" speech too btw.

I can't believe I have to say this but the use of aave doesn't have bigoted implications nor is it lazy, are you crazy? you would only say that if you thought aave usage in itself was negative—which is bigoted in itself so I would really check yourself right now. AAVE is just a dialect of speaking its not inherently negative but its usage has a lot of slang too and therefore considered rude in certain contexts much like yakuza/delinquent speech. everyone code switches, lets not forget that.

The English dub of anything is pretty inconsequential in most cases, especially games taken overseas and marketed to a mass audiences. Devs will keep core story but change intents/meanings/phrases to what is most popular or relatable for that particular audience and what will sell the game, rather than what is the most 100% accurate. You are more likely to get the most accurate translation from a fan manga, which cares more about accuracy than a game dev trying to sell a game.

Additionally, I am not relating Toji 1:1 with yakuza neither—just parts of his speech. Yakuza are still very traditional in customs and have strict guidelines. Toji's whole character was defying traditions, the status quo and not identifying himself by any membership to his family or otherwise. He doesn't fit perfectly in the Yakuza box either. He fits in more with western individualism ideals.

My reply wasn't looking for allowance or approval. It was to correct your very incorrect assertion that aave isn't appropriate for Toji's character when it very much is for a multitude of reasons. IDC if you don't like it, I'm saying its accurate.

Furthermore this...

and of course it makes sense to use some slang when it comes to Toji. but it gets to a point.

This convinces me you are literally being contrary to be contrary because you don't want to be wrong. I literally said in my reply "don't make walking stereotypes." So we literally are saying the same thing lmfao that it makes sense to use some aave/slang for toji. lmfao! glad you agree which really invalidates everything else you were saying about it not making sense for toji to use aave slang because 95% of American popular slang comes directly from aave.

Your entire response lacks the capacity for nuance I fear... because mentioning gege is super relevant as you said "nowhere does toji talk like this" and I am making mention to the actual way Toji speaks according the the JP anime which is according to gege's interrpretation of his own character. Also the fact that gege is very aware of black stereotypes and influenced by them as they show up in the actual JJK manga with gojo and Miguel—so yes this also speaks to Toji being written with certain black stereotypes in mind.

It's definitely seeming like the problem isn't the fanfic authors but your own biases of what you, as a non black person, are deeming is "too much aave". Black people, including myself, who use aave in our day to day don't even purely speak it where its every other word. code switching is very much a thing. christ sake no one is writing him like that lmfao.

good god.

people will write toji and make him talk with hella aave and EYE think it’s weird. outside of the fact that it just doesn’t mesh w his character and he literally doesn’t talk like that AT ALL I also think it’s weird that he’s the only one who (within some corners of the fandom) is characterized as talkin like that and u rlly gotta wonder why..

[usermaddiehans]

not like this

featuring : evan ' buck ' buckley / edmundo ' eddie ' diaz ( buddie ) , henrietta ' hen ' wilson , howard ' chimney ' han , maddie buckley han , ravi panikkar , robert ' bobby ' nash , athena grant - nash rating : t word count : 2,229

premise : buddie , locked in a bedroom , while all their friends chant for them to kiss. it does not go over as easily as one may expect.

content warning(s) : excessive drinking

author's note : saw someone ( shoutout @offscreeneddie x ) begging for a buddie parallel to the one scene of nick and jess from new girl where people are chanting for them to kiss and nick is like " not like this ! " ( it's s 2 ep 15 " cooler " ) anyways it's been in my head ever since hope this works out put this in whatever timeline

what started out as post - shift drinks has somehow unraveled into some sort of party at the diaz house. thank god chris is staying the night with a friend , because the 118 squad had made a mess of the place at this ungodly hour. every liquor bottle has been emptied , every beer drank. the only ones sober are bobby and athena ; the former making sure his squad didn't get into much trouble , the latter likely curious for the free entertainment. even maddie showed up at some point , probably because chimney told her she was missing all the fun.

they started playing some game , eddie doesn't know how it began , but he's suddenly being pushed into the bedroom. chimney is using all of his might shoving him into the room ; maddie behind him , forcing her brother in next. buck seemed to fight it less , but that could be chalked up to not wanting to hurt his sister. before the best friends can protest any further , the door slammed shut behind them. gigging outside followed.

eddie blinks. he looks to buck , who is sitting on the edge of his bed now. he moves to the door , trying the handle to find it won't open. it won't budge. clearly , their friends were prepared enough to lock them in somehow. he bangs on the door , though it doesn't do him much.

" how long you think they are gonna keep us in here ? " eddie asks , putting his back to the door.

" oh , just until ... " buck's words are cut off by chanting.

kiss ! kiss ! kiss ! ah , yes , that's why they were shoved together. they lost whatever the bet was , and somehow the price they needed to pay was to kiss. it was probably the alcohol talking , but eddie swore he even heard bobby chanting along. he of all people shouldn't be trying to get his crew to kiss each other , but the 118 never was good with strict protocol , after all ...

eddie bangs his head on the door. buck flops on his back onto the bed. the chanting continues. eddie wonders if their friends will grow bored eventually.

" if we kiss , they'll let us out , " buck muses , his eyes locked on the ceiling. " i'm sure hen would've kissed chim to get it over with , and they both have wives ... " meanwhile , chimney's wife was one of the loudest voices outside the door. eddie wondered if she'd be this loud if it was anyone else. maddie did love to torment her brother , all in good fun or so she claimed.

" can we not and say we did ? " eddie asks.

" they'll know. " he doesn't know how , but buck's right , eliciting a groan.

eddie pushes off the door and plops next to his friend on the bed. for a moment , they both lay there , staring at the ceiling as they ignore their friends. eventually , they exchange glances , chucking to one another. this is ridiculous , they know. still , they can't help but smile.

after a couple of minutes , the chanting has dulled. hushed conversations take its place. if they listen closely , they can hear hen explaining the situation to a confused ravi ; the young firefighter confused what the big deal is. he was merely along for the ride , roped into their shenanigans time and time again somehow.

eddie knows better than to check the door again. their friends were stubborn and unlikely to give up anytime soon. thus , he laid there for just a little longer , contemplating their situation. what if they just fell asleep , right here right now , in his bed ? it was big enough for two , after all ; even two men their size. he didn't think it'd be awkward , he realizes. he'd slept in much worse conditions , after all ; what was sharing a bed with his best friend ?

they'd still be locked in here in the morning ; their friends abandoning them barracked in the bedroom if they left. buck and eddie were firefighters , they could easily break down the door if they tried. however , eddie didn't want to replace the door or its frame again ...

he threw an arm over his eyes , a groan escaping. " why all this ?? "

" i don't know. " he hears buck silently laugh. " maybe they think you haven't been kissed in a while ? "

eddie felt a shift next to him. he uncovered his eyes and looked next to him ; seeing buck now propping himself on his side , looking back at him. he couldn't help mirroring the position. it was just so casual , a little goofy.

" even if that were true ... " it was. they both knew. eddie wasn't trying to date. he was too tired of feeling like he was performing , only for it to end in disaster time and time again. it wasn't worth the trouble. " why you ? "

buck's shoulders bounced with a nonchalant shrug. " i'm the best kisser. obviously. " they both laughed. " plus maybe no one else can handle so - called eight pack. "

eddie rolled his eyes at the apparent nickname. he thought it started as some one - off joke ; at least it never actually caught on. " be quiet. "

" what ? " he could hear buck trying to hold back a laugh. " i've seen your abs ! i'm not intimidated by them ! " eddie wanted to push him off the bed in that moment. still , his friend continued on. " you'd be hotter , if you were just a bit less broody. "

eddie rolled his eyes. " oh , yeah ? " a tinge of disbelief coated his tone.

" yeah ! " buck answered , perhaps a bit too excitedly. " like so much hotter. and a cute kid on top of that ? girls would be lining out the door , for sure. "

" if i was less broody ? "

" oh , yeah. "

something about buck's smirk made eddie's heart skip a beat. he blinked. wait , why ? he'd been called hot before , attractive. it was an acknowledgeable truth , perhaps , but coming from buck ? all of a sudden , something stirred in his chest.

he sat up abruptly , earning a confused look from his friend. " what are we supposed to do ? " there was a sort of panic in his question.

" kiss , " buck answered simply , sitting up. now they sat on the edge of the mattress together , side - by - side , their shoulders now touching.

eddie made no effort to move , not even an inch. he became overly away of the point of contact , but he refused to acknowledged it. instead , he stared at the door. he wasn't sure how much time had passed. would they really have to kiss to get out of here ? would that be so bad ?

he looked at buck , who seemed to innocently look back ; yet why was eddie's heart suddenly beating faster and faster ? eddie's gaze flickered between buck's lips then his eyes for a brief moment. he caught himself quick enough to look away before forcing himself to stand.

eddie tried the door again , already knowing it wouldn't open. he used a little more force than before. jiggling the door clearly made enough noise to draw attention from their friends outside.

" did you guys kiss yet ? " maddie called out.

eddie tried the door again , which was correctly interpreted as a ' no. ' he was beginning to consider if a new door would be so bad ; then the chanting picked up again. kiss ! kiss ! kiss !

" fuck ! " he shouted under his breath. even if he wanted to , he couldn't knock down the door. there were too many people on the other side to safely do so. his hand rubbed at his forehead as he thought of what to do next.

" eddie. " his name sounding like an impatient plea behind him , following the sound of bedsprings. next , a sturdy hand on his shoulder forced him to turn around. " let's just get this over with. just kiss me. "

" no ! " the word coming out harsher than he expected. " i'm not gonna kiss you. " eddie's tone clearly distressed. he couldn't kiss his best friend. he just couldn't.

" kiss me ! "

" buck , stop. " a plea of his own. his scanning every feature on the other's face.

the other shook his head , practically rolling his eyes. " god ! diaz , just kiss me already !! "

" no , " it came out almost pained. " not like this ! " eddie stunned even himself with his own words. he blinked , head shaking slightly , but never breaking eye contact.

buck looked back at him , confusion clear. " what's that supposed to be ? "

" nothing. i just , " eddie was suddenly struggling with words more and more. his lips parted , only air escaping. " i didn't mean it like that. " his eyes shut , trying to collect his thoughts somehow. why was this so hard ? " we can't , like that , because ... " his eyes opened , blinking quickly. " that's not ... do you know , like ... "

he gave up , finally averting his gaze. he ran a hand through his hair , loosening strands in the process. outside the door , the chanting continued. eddie's eyes searched the space for any way out. he froze , an idea. he held up a hand , as if stopping buck from saying anything , as he walked away.

he approached the window , throwing the curtains aside. he slammed the window open with ease. how this didn't occur to him earlier , he wasn't sure. maybe he didn't feel the need to actually escape until this exact moment. he thanks god he lived in a single - story house as he climbed out.

he hit the ground with a soft thud. he didn't even dare look inside to see what buck's reaction might have been. instead , he made his way to the front of the house and let himself in the front door. ( because , of course , no one in their drunk stupor managed to like this door. ) he was greeted by the chanting once more , louder without the door as a sound barrier.

" we're done ! " he called out as he marched past his friends that lingered in the living room , making his way toward the bedroom. he found it was a chair propped against the handle that kept them locked in ; he wasn't surprised. he quickly dislodged it and swung the door open ; revealing a still very confused buck in the same spot eddie left him mere moments prior.

he directed his attention to bobby and athena. " i'm sure you two can get everyone home in one piece. "

bobby and athena nodded , accepting their role. neither looked all that guilty. the captain likely joined the chanting out of boredom than anything else.

hen and maddie looked unimpressed , borderline upset the plan didn't work. they were likely the masterminds behind much of the plan , if eddie had to guess.

ravi and chimney looked the most embarrassed ; both just going along with the plan. ravi likely didn't even know what he was getting into tonight. he never did with the 118 , on - or off - duty.

eddie motioned for everyone to get their stuff , and slowly but surely everyone gathered themselves. they filed out the door after a few minutes ; buck always the one lingering behind. eddie debated on offering him the couch , like he always did.

" good night , eddie , " buck offered him a weak smile.

everyone else was outside , out of sight. eddie stopped buck as he turned to walk away , suddenly pulling him close. without another thought , he was kissing his best friend.

to his surprise , buck was kissing him back ; and for a while , they were a mess of mouths , of arms twisted together. time stood still as they seemed to find their place in one another. it was like something naturally falling into place , like there was no question in the action , no hesitation.

locked in together , forced together , the idea felt so wrong. eddie couldn't breath. it was like the concept of kissing his best friend never crossed his mind before then ; but when it did , suddenly it felt too important a thing to waste. they shouldn't kiss because they were being told to. no , he suddenly wanted to. it was craving something he'd never tasted before , never allowed himself to.

he was tired of performing , and he refused to let this moment turn into a performance for their friends , their loved ones. he needed to let himself be raw , open , vulnerable ; in a way that only made sense with buck. thus , in the silence of the now empty house , he had to take the opportunity before it slipped away ; before he could think better of it.

as they parted to finally catch their breath , their foreheads remained together ; eddie's hands lingering on buck's waist , like they belonged there. their eyes found each other with ease. both in a state somewhere between surprise and acceptance.

eddie stole one last tender kiss from the other's lips before introducing distance once more. he just barely kept buck within reach as he finally admitted. " i meant something like that. "

his gaze averted , he made himself let go. he gave a curt nod , pulling himself a way. he knew better than to ask for anything more , end it there. maybe things would change ; for better or worse , eddie didn't know.

he gave buck a half smile , a final goodbye for the night , before he turned his back. he hid glassy eyes as he disappeared down the hall. tomorrow was certainly going to be a new day , and he'd face it when it came.

as he closed the bedroom door , eddie heard the front door open once again ; followed shortly by maddie's voice. " buck , are you coming ? or are you staying here ? "

" ... i'm coming. "

[yandere-sins]

The Octopodes' Tale - Prologue

Yan-Poll #40 #MerMay 2025 Special Prev. Part

My, my! I was surprised to hear you were going to look after my 'pet'! Who would have thought that your next journey would lead you to us?

I, for one, am happy it did.

What, surprised? Well, I never said witches don't need help from humans. We just prefer not to, surely, you understand that, right? We are mostly independent, after all. It's our job to give you guidance, not the other way around. You didn't need my help much last time, but maybe this time you will? Let me know if you are unsure where to go, and I'll be willing to help you... for a smile fee. After all, you'll take care of my beloved mate for me, won't you? We are in a little predicament, so surely you won't abandon us, right?

I could tell you so much about my beloved. My Leo is the most pure-hearted, sweetest male in all of the ocean! He likes to dance for me and put up displays of color, catch me food while I work, and hug me for hours sometimes until I put him back in his place. So make sure to feed him his food directly by hand—that's how he likes it! I know his tongue can be sharp, but I promise he'd never bite off a finger. I would know; I trained him, after all. Oh! If you scratch his back, he will give you little hickies! It's the most adorable thing! I love him so much!

Of course, I'd prefer it if you'd return him to me... it's been so lonely without him. He can be quite a needy leech if he likes you, but he's the sweetest little male I have ever met. We spent so many years in harmonic togetherness, his absence has been truly sorrowful. Now that I can't reach him, I don't even know if he's keeping his tentacles at bay. Hopefully, no one has taken off his restraints; make sure to check that! As you know, we octopuses die easily upon mating, so you must always keep that in check. For you, he's just a test subject.

But he's my whole life.

If something were to happen to him, I wouldn't know what I would do. We are meant for each other, you understand? So whatever you do, try to keep him alive, alright? You don't often find a well-trained pet like him, so he can be quite valuable! And I need him like you need air to breathe.

Maybe you should think about returning him to me instead of doing your silly little experiments. We could both benefit from it. I may have what the facility wants you to find, and you have what I want. What do you say?

However you decide, I hope you know what you're doing. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, right?

But I trust you, I know you'll make the right choice. You are a smart human, aren't you?

I can't wait for you.

And with that: welcome back to MerMay!!

Yes, my favorite month of the year, and well, I have two very interesting specimen for you this time, although it depends on your choices if you're meeting them both (which I truly hope!) or suffer at the hands of the facility like all the others. At least, you won't be alone (;

It'll be almost the same game as last time!

At the end of each chapter, you'll get to make a choice which can either progress the story or lead to a bad end. Mind you, there are no secret routes or choice combinations you need to make. One path goes forward, the others are more or less literally "game overs". So, choose wisely! However, as she has some personal agenda, this particular sea witch from above will help you reach the end of the story if you make a wrong choice, and sometimes, bad ends are still interesting and full of information! I wouldn't blame you for choosing them :D

At this point of time, I have not plotted the story to its fullest, so... length may vary. But I plan to just go as far as I possibly can to make a fulfilling story (:

One thing is different: Polls will only be three days (and I will post as soon as I have a new part). I want to make the most use of yan-polls, stories, and this month, so with the new option to shorten the length, I decided to reduce it to three days instead of seven. Hope everyone gets to vote even with the shortened timespan!

Warnings ahead:

This story revolves around heavy sexual themes (Non-/Dub-Con, Talking about Pregnancy, Mating, Breeding, Eggs/Ovipositor, Tentacles, Dom/Sub Themes, etc.) and violent themes (Possible Major and Minor Character Death, Blood, Biting, Murder, Fighting, Licking (yes that is an actual violent act this time), Guns & Shooting, etc.). Also: both love interests are yandere, meaning the following themes are included: Possessive/Obsessive Behavior, Stalking, Kidnapping, Overall Crazyness, Gaslighting, Manipulation, Mental Breakdowns, etc. And the very last point: The mermaids are monsters, as such beware of Tentacles, Beaks, Sharp Teeth, Teethed Tongues, Animalistic Behaviors, Claws, Monster Anatomy, Monster Behavior, Toxin, and also Witchcraft.

Please always read the warnings on each individual post and stay away if they are not your cup of tea!

If you have questions, please feel free to ask. I appreciate comments, asks, and responses always ♥

I will have fun, and I hope you guys will, too! ♥

Happy MerMay and Happy Choosing! ♥

[bookdragonlibrary]

I want to list them all below : (My interpretations and others I saw here (that I also reblog for most of them if you wanna check) and Twitter)

First, Thomas Astruc confirms Marcaniel isn't official yet. That's why they said "my friend" et didn't kiss in the episode.

Nathaniel has the bi flag as paint stains and Marc Anciel is a pun: (M)arc-en-ciel means rainbow in French and has a rainbow theme in his character design.

Nath's father comments are heteronormative with a rush het couple making more sense for him than a slow burn because it's gay. (We can say friend ennemies is indeed what people want to read, especially these days, but a gay x homophobic doesn't make any sense... I don't have any thing against friends to ennemies) plus the heteronormative view that love is higher than friendship (which is also a kind of love)

Comics aren't a serious art like same sex couples aren't mean to last from homophobic perspective

People don't want to read that = comics as they don't want to see queer characters in media (just like other minorities) because it feels forced to them (whenever the couple is good written just like Sun-Heart and Rain-Piercer seem to be)

Sun-Heart + Rain-Piercer = Rainbow = being queer

Marc's mother having rainbow earrings to contrast with Shirel's ones and a sunny dress. Could imply that Marc's parents are supporting him (both as a writer and as a queer) Does he father wear sunglasses?

When the knights show their true faces (reveal identity) but also love reveal with their true feelings

Being afraid of the teachers, friends and family reaction to the comics = coming out. Heaving on parents in Nath's tone.

That's the story of all of us = all the characters in the room, as queer teenagers discovering themselves, could relate to the story

The fear and hesitation of Nath of drawing something true to his heart but also revealing for others

The unfairness of the knights for loosing their powers because they show who they truly are (gay) = queer people loosing their human rights (or even being killed) for being who they truly are

Hiding things whenever his mother enters his room which is really blank outside his desk (where he creates) as to not say too much about him to his parents

In French : "your mother will never love comics" than also sound like fags with BD / PD

"Maybe we should keep this issue for ourselves" = for the two of us or just their queer circle where they're safe

"It's the most beautiful thing we've done together" "What we did is true and genuine" = love is beautiful and genuine even in same sex couple whatever people may say. And they're also speaking of their art like it's their baby?

Parents found the script = parents found gay porn/romance

Noble and real art as opposed as pop art could be seen as straight romance are always cute and same sex romance inherently sexual you have to protect your children from (even if it's just kiss and hands holding)

Destroying the evidences to save his friendship with Marc (any clue?)

Wanting to force yourself to try something else to become someone else like the homophobic comment "how could you be sure if you didn't try the other side?" / "you didn't try hard enough" and of course conversion therapy for queer kids

Breaking up the art team up to not be forbidden to see the kid that "make you queer" from the parents' point of view

"My friend doesn't hide who he truly is" = self explanatory

"Nath's will change his mind when he's ready" (to come out) "He can't change his mind if his parents didn't change too = homophobic parents are the problem, not the queer kid that doesn't need to change

"Their work could change people mind" = having characters from minorities in media could make them appear like real people and not the stereotypes attached to the minority and indeed change people's mind for the better

"you're going to go straight" = self explanatory (but only in English)

"Convert your son to your vision of the world" = conversion therapy + homophobic view of the world disguised as wrong tools to protect your kid from the homophobic world

The ruler could be seen as the control parental authority. Plus her weapon is a stamp she used as an architect on her creations, symbolise how she sees her son as her propriety she created just like her drawings

"you will never do comics again" = you won't be queer anymore

"he's done nothing wrong" = there's nothing wrong of being queer

"You're the one that convinced him to make comics" = you're the one that made my son queer (of course it's a lie, both with comics and makin Nath bi)

"You'll never get near my son again" = so he won't be queer anymore if his love interest isn't in his life anymore

Nathaniel coming out of a litteral closet because he's done hidding

Caprikid draws a carabiner which is a secret way for queer people to recognise each other, just like tumblers and shoeslaces

Reading the comics = coming out to his parents

His father realises it was genuine feelings and was moved. "It's perfect like that" = "you're perfect like that"

"I finally understood. You're really put your heart in those drawings" = this is the real you. "I apologise. I love you, my son". = I love you as you are

Family hug + Marc = acceptance plus his parents might have understood their son is in love with Marc

Gay kiss with a rainbow = self explanatory

"I nver thought making a comic would have such an impact in real life" = sometimes you are harassed by people for making queer stories or about other minorities even if you're not part of it yourself

"We were attacked for it when we were just talking about love" = harassement or physical/verbal violence on the Internet and in real life just for the person you are or supporting those minorities

"Deep Darkness or someone else, the Great Hate hasn't been defeated" = even if you turned or defeated one homophobic, that won't stop the whole homophobia situation in the whole world

"They can keep the fight! / "Kinda like us!" = for your human rights in the real world and for the love to win at the end

Hero revelation = coming out to each other (love declaration off screen with Nath's delight face?)

Tell me if I missed some and I will add them!

they really went; how many queer allegories can we cram into 22 minutes huh