#because if nothing else i felt like every character on the show had a purpose and that the overall chemistry worked so well

[bardengarde]

Every now and again I'd like to post my takes on the Trapper vs BJ debate, but I won't because I value my sanity and because I love both characters for different reasons- why do they have to fight???

[grandline-fics]

Hi can i request a Luffy x fem!reader where the pair are just two dumb idiots together like the reader has a personality like his (overly enthusiastic and optimistic) and they do everything together but they both dont realize that the like eachither (bc again dumb idiots) and the crew works tgt to make them both realize and get them to confess to eachother?

DESCRIPTION: You’re just as clueless as Luffy and the crew have to intervene to make you both realise your feelings

WARNINGS: none

CHARACTERS: Luffy

WORDS: 1,734

A/N:  Thank you for this request. I honestly didn't know how to make this work in the beginning but I'm happy with how this fell into place. Hopefully you like what I came up with

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

MASTERLIST | PROMPT LIST

———————

Once upon a time the Strawhat crew believed that their Captain was one of a kind. They took his energetic nature, clear motivation to only do what he wanted as his current mood directed without any thought beyond that, stubbornness, and still unwavering joy in the face of most things as the concoction that could only be Luffy. However they were all collectively shocked when you crash landed into their lives and promptly made them realise that everything that made Luffy his loveable yet exhausting self was also very clearly what made you you too and when you and Luffy first interacted it was like two points finally connecting, never to separate. 

All their adventures before you came along seemed like such a breeze, how naive they had been in those days to consider it difficult to keep up with Luffy’s optimism and spontaneity. After you joined the crew if felt like double the work. It didn’t matter if they had eyes on one of the chaotic pair you two created because without the vigilant supervision over both of you, it only assured a disaster that could have been avoided. It never mattered to you or Luffy because at the end of the day you two would be laughing and telling the drained crew that it had worked out in the end and that there had been nothing to worry about. After a while it wasn’t the lack of thought to the crew and their wants of an easy time on an island to explore that frustrated them, it was the fact that you and Luffy still hadn’t realised you had feelings for each other and continued to act like oblivious morons every single day while also so clearly showing them and anyone else you interacted that you were two idiots in love. 

“They’re doing it on purpose.” Nami muttered one day, arms folded tightly across her chest as she glared at you and Luffy running about the deck of the Sunny, laughing and chasing Chopper without a care in the world. Suddenly Luffy grabbed one of the masts and propelled himself through the air. Chopped managed to dodge but you ended up being the one Luffy tackled loudly onto the ground. There was a beat of silence before the two of you burst out into loud laughter once more, doing nothing to move out of the position you were currently in. “They have to be doing it on purpose. They’re evil geniuses.”

“Don’t give them so much credit. They’re both just blind to how they really feel.” Zoro disagreed from his spot in the shade, opening his good eye to look you and Luffy’s way. “Don’t know how many times the stupid cook and I have brought it up. Luffy just believes he loves them the same way he loves us as his crew.”

“Oh no, that’s a very different kind of love compared to what he feels for us.” Usopp said with a small shake of his head. He supposed that the only reason this whole matter hadn’t been resolved yet was because of your personality. Anyone else would have been more aware of the difference and clear feelings and actually talked things out with their Captain. Everyone seemed to let out a collective sigh of exhaustion and resignation. All of them wishing-more for their own selfish peace of mind more than anything- there was something to be done and help you both realise your feelings.

It wasn’t until a week later that the crew stopped at a new island to relax and enjoy while they waited for the Log Pose to set. While some took to resupplying the ships, others took to exploring. You weren’t exactly annoyed that you hadn’t gone with Luffy, you were just confused at why Usopp and Nami insisted on you joining them on their shopping trip and no one else coming with them. Had they had a fight with some of the others on the crew that you weren’t aware of? You certainly hoped not, you didn’t like the crew fighting amongst themselves. 

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Nami whispered to Usopp as they remained a couple paces away from you. Operation: Divide and Conquer might have had a good name but the strategy didn’t seem all that good except try and get you to confess to Luffy by either making you jealous or straight up lying. If they couldn’t get through to you, they would try the same tactic with Luffy.

“It has to!” Usopp hissed back, quickly throwing you a nervous smile when you looked over your shoulder with a curious tilt of your shoulder. “Hey let’s go in here!” He called out in a panic, pointing to the closest store. You stopped and shrugged, going along with whatever the sniper wanted. You had nothing to buy on this trip so you were just here for company and fun. Still this wasn’t what you’d thought would be on his or Name’s shopping list.

“Is someone getting married?” You asked, looking around the store filled with elegant gowns, robes and suits. Suddenly your eyes lit up as you hurried to hug Nami and Usopp tightly, so this was why they had insisted on you coming with them. You couldn’t fully understand why they were being so secretive but it didn’t matter given how overcome with happiness for them. “You guys! I’m so happy for you both! Have you told the others?! Are you getting married on the island?” 

“WHAT?! NO! ” Nami blurted out in shock while Usopp could only shriek at the implication. “We’re not getting married!”

“Oh…that’s a shame.” Your smile fell slightly. “I always thought you two made a nice couple. Guess I was wrong. So who is getting married?” You asked, staring intently on your friends who stammered and struggled to think of something. Operation: Divide and Conquer was crashing and burning around them and their brains all but blanked as together they rambled together while you patiently listened. Neither of them really knew what they’d told you or knew if it made any sort of sense but you seemed to accept it and continued with your day with the frazzled pair.

When you returned to the Sunny later that day you went to your usual perch of the railing near Sunny’s head. Silently you thought over what Usopp and Nami told you and were beginning to work it out in your head when Luffy appeared beside you with a bright grin. “Hey, what’s got you so frustrated looking?” He asked, oblivious to the rest of the crew on the deck; all of them pretending to go about their business when they were only making sure they were close enough to hear. 

“I’m thinking about Usopp.” You explained in a dazed tone, absently running your fingers along your bottom lip, deep in thought. Luffy frowned slightly while different sets of eyes glanced Usopp’s way, all confused about what he and Nami did while they were alone with you. “I’m trying to work out this wedding.”

“Usopp’s getting married?” Luffy asked. On the one hand he was happy but on the other hand he thought Usopp would have told him personally. “To who?”

“That’s what I’m trying to work out.” You mumbled before taking a deep breath, deciding to start from the beginning. “Usopp’s enemy wants him to marry their princess to avoid a great battle but he doesn’t want a fight or to get married so he needs to make them think he’s already married so they don’t get angry right? He needs Sanji to cater the wedding, Brook to preform the music, and Zoro to be his bodyguard so they’re out. Nami said because she’s giving Usopp the money for the wedding that’s the only favour she’s doing and won’t marry him as well because that’s not fair. Usopp said he can’t marry Franky or Robin because they’re like his parents and Chopper’s a reindeer and that’s weird. Which leaves us.” 

The more you explained the situation the more Usopp and Nami shrank towards the floor out of despair and embarrassment. Why had you believed that nonsense enough to now relay it to the entire crew who were now looking at them in bafflement. Through it all Luffy hadn’t taken his eyes off of you. He didn’t want Usopp to be forced to be married to someone he didn’t like but it didn’t stop him from quickly turning on his heel and looking to his friend. “Usopp I’ll marry you!”

“You can’t marry me dumbass!” Usopp shouted back making Luffy glare, all but standing in front of you to block you from Usopp’s stare.

“Well you’re not allowed to marry them. So it’s me or the princess.” Luffy told him with defiance in his eyes.

“Why can’t he marry me?” You asked curiously while getting to your feet, watching Luffy blink as he only now considered his fierce sense of protectiveness and possessiveness towards you. 

“Because I don’t want him to?” He suggested with a shrug. “I don’t want you to marry him, I don’t like it.”

“Well I don’t like you being married to Usopp.” You added, voicing your own reluctance and unhappiness at the thought of Luffy marrying…well anyone. There was a silent exchange between you and Luffy as though you were communicating in your own way through a look alone. Together you both grinned with a faint blush creeping across your cheeks as you both whipped your head towards Usopp and declared in unison.  “Usopp you’re marrying the princess.”

While it hadn’t been the grand romantic epiphany the crew had been expecting to witness, they could tell that a shift between you both had occurred. There was something a little more intimate between you both while you both remained your happy, energetic selves. No one on the crew had the heart to tell either of you that Usopp had been completely lying about the arranged marriage so they never mentioned it again. They were however all in agreement that if it ever was brought up it was to be brushed aside and explained as a story Usopp had been thinking of writing and nothing more. But from the looks of things slowly developing between you and Luffy they could all see that it was shaping up to having a happily ever after.  

[muxshwriting]

alone together

Seth Clearwater x reader

summary: your boyfriend doesn't realise his own strength. it doesn't usually bother you until you realise that he's leaving something more permanent with his hugs || warnings: bruises, being loved to death, mentions of insecurity (like one sentence), characters aged up to like 18ish || word count: 921 || masterlist

The moment Seth imprinted on you, he knew the rest of his life would be perfect. He'd heard from the others how amazing it felt to find your imprint but no one truly prepared him for when he first saw you. You'd been friends before he shifted but when he saw you again months after that, when he truly saw you, it was like nothing else in the world.

You spent almost every evening at the Clearwater's, your own parents understanding how much Seth meant to you. He quickly became your everything, your day was never good unless you saw him. And your day was never perfect until you were wrapped up in one of his hugs.

"Better?" His arms wrapped around you until they were pressing into your skin. Sometimes you needed to feel like your body wasn't yours, that you and him were one and the same so that his perfectness might rub off on you.

You hum in response, burrowing further into his neck and relishing in his warmth. The pair of you are sitting on the sofa at his house, simply taking time to be with each together without needing to do anything else. "Just a rough day."

His touch sooths you as his comforting weight around your midsection deepens and calms the feeling crawling through your chest. "You wanna talk about it?" His voice is muffled against you but the concern in it has your heart melting.

"No. It's getting better."

"Happy to help."

Almost a week later you're helping Leah bake some cookies for the pack at her house. Seth's out on patrol with a few of the other boys. You lean against the counter before going back to upright with a hiss of pain.

"You okay?"

Your eyes widen as you turn to Leah. "Yeah. It's fine."

"It doesn't sound fine."

"It's just a bruise."

Leah seems to relax that it's not serious. "Oh. How did you bruise your side? Fell off the bike or what?"

You laugh at her suggestion but don't answer the question.

"How'd you do it?"

"Um... It's from Seth."

"From my brother Seth? Your imprint? My little brother Seth?" Leah's face turned cold as her mind ran to the worst possibility.

"Not on purpose!" You're trying to reassure her but it only makes her more suspicious. "I had a rough day at work and stuff ad I just needed him to hold me. But with his wolf strength I guess he hugs a little too tight. I didn't even notice until a couple days ago."

Leah ran her hands through her hair, pulling at it slightly as she processed what she heard. "Does he know?"

"I don't want him to worry. Or not hug me because of it."

"Show me."

Slowly, you pull up the hem of your shirt, revealing the bruised and inflamed skin of your side and bottom of your ribs.

Leah has a sharp intake of breath as she sees the extent on your injury. "We might need to tell my mom about this."

You pull your shirt back down, gently wrapping your arms around you as if to shield yourself. "It's fine." You dismiss.

"It's really not." Leah argues. "Just let her check."

She's not giving in anytime soo so you concede. "Okay. But I don't think she can do anything about it. She's just gonna tell me to put a heat pack on it, which is why I have Seth."

Seth, at that very moment, comes back from patrol and waltzes in. "What do you have me for?" He presses a kiss to your forehead, wrapping an arm around your waist. It takes everything in you to not hiss as he rests his hand on the bruise as Leah raises an eyebrow at you.

"Don't worry about it." You kiss him back, letting you senses be surrounded by him for a moment before Leah clears her throat.

"It's not nothing. Tell him."

Seth, ever oblivious, asks "Tell me what?"

You sigh, reaching for the hem of your shirt but not lifting it yet. "You know how I had a rough day last week?"

"Yeah..."

"And you hugged me really tight cos I asked you to?"

"Yeah."

"It kinda left a bruise. But it's fine! Leah's making it out to be a much bigger deal than it is and all I need is my personal hot water bottle and it'll be healed in no time." You lift the hem of your shirt to show him and Seth immediately starts fussing.

"Babe, this is a big bruise."

"It doesn't hurt that bad." Just at that moment Seth rests his hand on top and you can't stop the groan you let out. "...Only when I touch it."

"I want my mom to look at it."

"That's what I said!" Leah cried.

The two siblings started talking over one another about the best thing to do, whether they should go right now, whether you should even move or if it's best for you to go to bed. Their voices grew louder than just talking and you felt yourself shrinking back from them.

"I'm sorry."

Seth's mood immediately charges as he cups your face. "You don't need to be sorry for anything, okay? I'm sorry I did this to you."

"I don't want you to be sorry."

"Why don't we just go upstairs and cuddle, yeah? More gently this time."

You nod in response.

"Mom can have a look later. Let's just do nothing."

"Do nothing together?"

"Of course."

[lujingheswife]

and it felt like home again.

summary: when he gets drowned in exhaustion and homesickness, the first thing he wishes for is home.

featuring: oikawa tooru

word count: 729

cw: gn!reader, timeskip!oikawa tooru, comfort, oikawa is just homesick, not proofread, intentional lowercase, a bit of fluff <3

author’s notes: wanna write a fic of a character feeling homesick and exhausted (because i was) and oikawa was the first person that came into my mind! hope you enjoyyy

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

it was seven o clock in the evening.

tooru limply stepped into his rented apartment, the familiar loneliness welcoming him with silence. his eyes felt droopy from lack of sleep, his body sore from multiple rounds of exercising and his arms bruised from the strong receives.

he should be used to this, which he is, yet it happened to be one of those days when he felt absolutely, dreadfully exhausted.

he would be lying if he says he does not want to go home; he really wanted to. the countless practices had always made him wanting to just pack his bags and leave. he missed his family and his mother’s home cooked meals, he missed enjoying authentic ramen at the restaurant near his high school, he missed being in the arms if his partner just taking his time to relax.

he missed his home.

tooru placed his bags by the entrance, not bothering to arrange them somewhere. he kicked his shoes off without caring to keep them nicely in the shoe rack. he let his legs drag him towards the nearest, softest place he could find to rest— the sofa.

the apartment was dark although illuminated by the light lingering in the evening sky. he heavily rested an arm over his eyes, a loud sigh escaped his lips.

the first person that came into his mind was you.

he wanted to see you.

tooru suddenly thought of his phone that was left forgotten in his bag. he slightly lifted his arm to take a peek at his bag, but ignored it after.

whatever, not in the mood...

just a little longer maybe.

when his eyes could no longer bear the weight of his consciousness, they finally put him into slumber.

he found himself in a dream. he was in a field of grass with nothing else around him. every direction he went showed no signs of obstacle, only an endless field.

what was he searching for?

where was he going?

he continued walking aimlessly.

ah... how long have i been walking for?

the sound of a bell ringing came to him from the front. it caught his attention, and his legs picked up the pace. there he was, running towards where the bell rung from in hopes of a destination.

a flash of light blinded him.

tooru jotted awake from the sofa as the sound of the ringing doorbell continued echoing the apartment. confused, he definitely recalled not ordering any food delivery today nor did he invite anyone to come over.

"coming," he called. he groggily dragged himself towards the door, not bothering to check his phone again.

his hand reached for the doorknob as he unlocked it open. he had not look at who the person is, yet the shoes definitely belonged to someone familiar. "do you need anythi-"

"tooru!"

what?

his once droopy eyes widened immediately at the familiar voice calling for his name. his head shot up from facing the floor, immediately locking eyes with you.

you stood in front of his door with a big backpack clinging onto your back like a koala and a luggage standing next to you. you were there, physically, in front of him, plastering a grin that he loved so much on your face. "you did not answer my call," you said as you pouted your lips on purpose, yet he was sure that you were simply amused at your boyfriend's reaction.

tooru remained speechless as he observed you top to toe, confirming whether its the real deal, his precious partner, in front of his doorstep. was it a coincidence that you somehow magically appeared in front of him like an angel during the times when he needed you the most? probably.

his hand left the door knob as he immediately pulled you into a tight, warm embrace. how surreal did it feel when he buried his face in the crook of your neck, enjoying the coziness he longed to feel. he felt you responding to his hug as you returned it, and he could feel your familiar scent tickling his nose saying, "it's been a while!"

he stayed with you for a little longer before getting pestered to help you with your heavy bags. he asked no questions, just clinging onto you like a helpless toddler and ended the day with a cuddle.

and it felt like home again.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

[antheshewro]

Levi Ackerman headcanon — (My) analysis on his intimacy

Each time I wander around Tumblr and I read about how AOT fans picture Levi in a sexual context, I see a lot of fanfictions of him being a dom and a master of sex—very dominant, rough, knows every single position in bed. Given that I respect people's personal headcanons when it comes to characters since those aren't absolutely hurtful to anyone, I felt like sharing my own headcanons on his sexuality.

If we read the manga and analyze Levi's background, there's nothing that tells us that he's a virgin or not. Unless Isayama would say he is (I don't think he specified it, correct me if I'm wrong), there's a big question mark on that matter. What I do believe is that Levi knows about sex. He is, to me, like Sheldon Cooper from The Big bang theory: he knows the basics. The media shows him as a bookworm, which leads me to think that some of his knowledge on that subject came from books that he read during his life. I do picture him as one that he began to read to fight against the picture he had about himself, as an Underground resident; later in life, he began to read because he enjoyed it and it relaxed him.

That being said, just like Sheldon Cooper approached the topic of sex, flirting and dating, Levi knows how men and women would flirt and the purpose behind it for example. He mostly sees it from his comrades and the people in the Underground, but even though he recognizes a certain flirty comment or attitude, it's just that. It's like he would talk about it like he's reading from a manual. That doesn't mean he lacks affection, he's one that always showed that he cares in his own way.

Here it comes the topic of sex. I previously stated that we don't know if Levi is a virgin or not unless Isayama makes it canon. In my honest opinion, he is. During all his life and since he was a kid living and growing up in the Underground, he mostly focused on surviving, filling his stomach and not getting physically abused (just like in the Bad Boy chapter). An important detail, however, is that his mother Kuchel was a prostitute. Now, houses in the Underground were surely cramped and small; think about when Kenny found little Levi, that house was surely small. Or even the scene in Bad Boy where he makes tea; that house most likely had a bedroom, kitchen and living room altogether. If it had other rooms, those were as small as ever. A kitchen that if two people fit inside would get stuck, or a bathroom that was a stall.

When Kuchel had her clients inside her house, I firmly believe she tried to protect her son by letting him hide somewhere. Little Levi learned to recognize the moments where his mother had to work, hiding in a spot where the men she "welcomed" there wouldn't see him or else, they'd leave and that meant no money. No lunch nor dinner. Or worse, some sick men would try to have his way with him (remember in Bad Boy when those men talked about him having the same "skills" as his mother and wanted to sell him? Also, he didn't seem to be unaware about what they were talking about. That means Levi knew about what his mom's job was).

Kuchel would teach little Levi to hide, cover his ears and wait until she was done. But sometimes, as we know, men are brutal with prostitutes. She got some violent ones, and as much as she tried to keep quiet, Levi would hear her. And when he would see how those men were doing to poor Kuchel, he got traumatized. He heard their lewd words, their slurs and curses, and that got Levi permanently traumatized. From that moment on, he would see sex as violence, pain, something hurtful. No matter if he would educate himself on the matter, the wounds would always be fresh. He got so sick of that scenery, that it was like something switched in him. With him joining the Scouts and everything he went through while being a soldier, he – of course – focused on his job and the people he unfortunately lost up until the final battle.

In terms of approach to his own sexual desires, I see him being conflicted. He's a man, a human being; he got aroused at least once, to me. But that would be it. He knows what his body is trying to tell him, but indulging in self pleasure would be just because he feels too overwhelmed by it. As if he feels itchy and needs to scratch.

He surely had women flirting and throwing themselves at him. Just like he said to Zeke, he had a few successes with ladies. But that didn't mean he slept with them; again, he could recognize he was popular and some shamelessly drooled after him. He knows what dates are (he said, somewhere in the manga, "hot titan date" which if we want to be obnoxiously meticulous, that means he knows what a date is. Oh well).

This is just a little rant and random headcanon I wanted to share after quite a long time of pondering if it was a good idea or not. Once more: that's just my personal headcanon on Levi. Feel free to agree, disagree or share your own if you want 🩵

[evilbihan]

I'm not going to acknowledge that person by name because I have no wish to interact further with her, nor to have others find her and give her any attention. But with Noob Saibot being brought back, I remembered this rancid take they had, quote: "Bi-Han is a man who has time and time again become Noob Saibot, a man whose endings have shown the Netherrealm is where he wanted to be" which is wild af to say.

Because Bi-Han doesn't just 'become" Noob, he is literally made into Noob. Quan Chi resurrected him as a wraith that turned him into Noob Saibot and now Titan Havik tortures him and uses some insane magic even Liu Kang doesn't know, to turn him into Noob. It's not like some magical girl transformation. We're talking awful evil stuff being done to Bi-Han against his will, to warp him into this being known as Noob Saobot, who is stripped of his humanity and almost everything that made Bi-Han who he was.

And Bi-Han never wanted to end up in the Neatherrealm. In the previous timelines he literally had no choice. He was forced into the role of assassin. He was molded into one practically from birth. In Mythologies when he goes into the Neatherrealm he's informed that his soul is already tainted with evil, which is why he can exist there. That's not because he simply woke up one day and decided to kill some Gods for shits and gigs. He had to do what he was ordered to do or be a traitor to the clan and marked for death anyway. It was a lose lose situation. If anything this shows that Bi-Han was never where he wanted to be. His strings were always being pulled by someone else. History is repeating itself now. And leaks even say that Liu Kang doesn't fault him for his desires, but only the ways he goes about achieving his ends. Which further proves Bi-Han doesn't have some nefarious plots in mind with the deliberate intention of landing himself in the Neatherrealm.

She said she doesn't hate Bi-Han, but then this reads as a deep missunderstanding of his character. And at that point, if you can misinterpret his character to that degree, you probably don't like him much either.

Another day, another take so stupid it makes me want to never interact with anything MK related ever again.

Oh, who am I kidding? The trailer already achieved that.

Needless to say, you're 100% correct and this person, whoever they are, is obviously not the sharpest tool in the shed. People who think Bi-Han wanted any of this are either being ignorant on purpose and want to misunderstand his character because they hate him or they're so blatantly stupid they don't understand the very simple fact that Bi-Han being turned into Noob Saibot always happened against his will in every damn timeline.

Does it look like Bi-Han tied himself to that damn wheel we see in the trailer? Does this person have the attention span of a goldfish and just missed the part where he looks terrified out of his mind when those drills/needles approach him?

For goodness' sake, I didn't want to talk about the trailer because watching it made me want to gauge my own eyeballs out. I never felt this sick looking at something in my life (that's coming from someone who plays horror and fighting games on the regular) and yet here we are and I'm talking about it regardless now. I hate it here.

But anyway, you're right. What more can I say? Anyone with even an ounce of common sense would know that. Anyone who has ever played any of the Mortal Kombat games should know that Bi-Han was forcefully turned into Noob Saibot. He was never evil. He was always a neutral character and he's still a neutral character in the New Era.

What more confirmation do you need outside of Liu Kang himself admitting that there's nothing wrong with Bi-Han's ambitions, only with his methods of achieving them? Ashrah says Bi-Han can be redeemed, Bi-Han said only people who don't understand him would mistake him for evil, the Lin Kuei all stand behind Bi-Han and support him... He isn't evil and he never was.

He literally saves Liu Kang's entire stupid trainwreck of a timeline single-handedly in this DLC and people still have the audacity to say he's evil?

I wish he was.

I wish Bi-Han would just sit back and watch Havik destroy Liu Kang's timeline along with all the pitiful hypocrites in it. I wish he'd let all of the fandom's pathetic favorites get torn to shreds and laugh.

But he won't. Because Bi-Han is a good and honorable man deep down.

Disagree and be wrong. It's as simple as that.

PS: Wasn't MK:Mythologies Sub-Zero all about Bi-Han trying to avoid ending up in the Netherrealm? He reacted with shock and concern to being told his soul is tainted with evil by Raiden and he was trying to turn his life around. There's even an ending in one of the older games where he kills Shang Tsung and leaves the Lin Kuei with the prize money from the tournament. Bi-Han never wanted to end up in the Netherrealm. Claiming anything else would be ignoring canon lore.

[helenakwayne]

And Then There Were Three

Thoughts on Bridgerton S3 Kanthony – spoilers abound (Alt. Title: Read Me Rant)

It was never my intention to watch Bridgerton. When season 2 came out, some of my best friends told me I needed to watch season 2, specifically. So, I did, starting from season 1, because context is important to me. I watched season 1. It was all right. I watched season 2. I had a new ship. I love Kate and Anthony, and if I’m entirely honest, I may love her quite a bit more than I love him. But I do love them together. I do think they work better as a unit than apart.

As every Kanthony shipper knows, Season 2 was unsatisfying. We felt precious screentime that should have gone to our leads was wasted somewhere else—something about rubies and American mines. It differed from the book, but we have made peace with it. We have two stories with the same, if slightly different, characters—more to love, right? But if there is something we’re all terribly happy about, it is the leads we got. Jonny Bailey and Simone Ashley have chemistry up to their yang; they make that enemies-to-lovers plotline sing, and they act out the hell out of their characters. They have both stated on numerous occasions how much they love their respective characters, and they do make them come alive in a beautiful way. Our complaints about season 2 mainly were about timing—did we have to make it all the way to a doomed wedding in episode 6? By then, Si and Daff were getting it on, leaving time to resolve everything else while we were barely reaching peak angst. We had no onscreen courtship. No onscreen wedding. No onscreen honeymoon. No onscreen Kate becoming the kickass viscountess she will prove to be (but I’m getting ahead of myself). No onscreen Anthony letting go of his psychological burdens. But our leads were together, so… yey?

Bridgerton as a show is not without its MANY problems, but I choose to watch it despite those problems. I won’t dive too much into those. What is troubling, however, is when they seem to waste outstanding opportunities that require minimal effort because of what looks like mere incompetence.

So, season 3 Kanthony… By some miracle, both Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey can come back for a few episodes. Jonny, we learn, made an almost superhuman effort to make it happen. Simone may have passed on a role to be there. They are fan favourites. They are the heads of the household, after which the show itself is named. They are excellent actors with a lot of chemistry. Episode 1, you establish they’re happy newlyweds, recently in from an extended honeymoon (and no, I do not think they went to India—not enough time); Kate’s adapting to her new role, but they both want more time to themselves, so, extended honeymoon. Ok, we can live with that. Is it frustrating that they only have about five minutes of screen time? Sure, but we can stomach it. Those were a lovely 5 minutes. They are happy and in love; they have a purpose and a somewhat logical explanation to exit the screen for a while. We can move on. We sit tight until Part 2 of Season 3 is released. We are told Kate will be pregnant! And… nothing else. So, we wait. And here they come. She is pregnant! She’s looking a bit nauseous from the ride, bless her, but Anthony is as besotted as ever, thinking naughty thoughts about his insanely hot pregnant wife and ready to shout his praises to high heaven. And that is awesome! As shippers, we are so happy for them. Look at them in bed! Aren’t they precious? Sure, their four-legged son is cockblocking Ant, and Kate is preoccupied about when to release the news, but they are the sweetest, hottest couple. Let us bask. Let us rejoice in the new Viscountess Bridgerton, running that household, caring for Greg and Eloise, crushing that party. She’s good at it, and she KNOWS it. She gloats, and she deserves it. You go, Kathani! You were born for this! And then, they have the sweetest, most perfect moment in which she tells Anthony they should announce baby Edmund is coming (because this needs to be Neddy, guys). He’s perfect in his speech, and she loves him, and he loves her. They tell the matriarchs, showing their excitement in different but complementary ways. And we love them. So. Much. So… where do they go? Where are they? Did they … poof away? We don’t know! One minute Kate was being the perfectest new viscountess, organising, hosting, wife-ing, mothering, sistering, being the meanest, toughest bitch in the ton, and then… where’s my Kate, you monsters? Anthony is wherever she is, surely, but wasn’t he perpetually busy? Wasn’t “dutiful” his primary descriptor? Remember all that paperwork he was supposed to be completing after the original honeymoon? Remember all that work he did on seasons 1 and 2? Remember all the planning and the family overseeing? Is he doing that? Where? Is Kate there, too? Well, we’ll never know. Let’s skip to episode 7, shall we? Because we must. This is Kanthony-focused, after all…

Episode 7 is a doozy because there’s so much… nothing for us. Do they look amazing? Sure. Look at visibly pregnant Kate. My brain immediately goes into protecting the Queen mode. But where is Anthony? Look, guys, I adore besotted, Kate-obsessed Anthony as much as the next shipper, but we love that Anthony because we know there’s so much more to him. We adore him because of how he grows for her. But this guy? He’s not exactly growing because he has no plotline other than being Kate’s husband and the father of her child. And if you’re here for just that, then all power to you. I am happy for you. Have at it. But that isn’t me. I need more. I need to see him trying to be who he has always been—the dutiful son, the protective brother, the respected viscount—while he is also Kate’s loving husband and Neddy’s amazing dad. The one-dimensionality of Anthony is killing me. Because we do get slightly more of that with Kate. The convo with Colin was her using all of her powers to save her new family once again. We saw a glimpse of Viscountess Bridgerton-Sharma being perfection in episode 5. But then it was taken away! It makes no sense for her to be seen running the household if she is there intermittently. Seriously, where were they? Was there an agreement that Violet would run Bridgerton House while Kate was away? Can you… I don’t know… tell us? But to add insult to injury, the things they wrote in. Ant saying he loves weddings? Kate saying theirs was perfect? You know what would have been perfect? WATCHING IT ON SCREEN. And as great as it was to know that Eddie did not marry the prince, but some dude in India who makes her oh so happy (good for you, girlie), Anthony goes on to propose leaving for India right now? NOW? With Kate visibly pregnant? With Frannie's impending wedding? Is this proof of a doppelganger? Has Newton cockblocked him to stupidity? Is this what happens when he ain’t allowed to munch to his heart’s delight? Seriously, what sort of OOC nonsense is this? And guys… gals… pals… I LOVE Kathani Sharma-Bridgerton being from India. I would commission an entire show about her life. I want to know everything about her background—from birth mom to Papa Sharma’s death to their coming to London. I want it all. Educate me! BUT THIS MAKES NO SENSE, ANTHONY! And finally… finally… as lovely as the nose-boop was, people, THAT MAY VERY WELL BE THEIR LAST SCENE ON THE SHOW. THAT WAS THE PARTING SHOT. THAT WAS IT. THE LAST DIALOGUE. And I cannot. The waste. The absolute waste. The awful writing. The missed chances.

Many would tell me to count my blessings, and I do. I will. I thank the people who made the clipped versions of seasons 2 and 3 so I can watch just my Kanthony without the extra plot. I appreciate the happy ending. And there are amazing fic writers who give me stories that are so much more fun, satisfying, exciting and fulfilling than this shoddy attempt at using two of the best talents in the business right now. Yey, baby Neddy! Yey, Viscountess Bridgerton-Sharma! Yey besotted Kate and Anthony! But, gods above… this SHOULD have been so much more.

[scarletcomalies]

broken reflection

Wanda Maximoff x Fem Reader

Word count: 5,342

A/N: This story is inspired by Elizabeth Olsen's character in Love And Death. However, I must clarify that while I appreciate her performance in the show, I don’t agree with nor glorify the actions of the real-life person she portrays, Candy Montgomery. Therefore, I made the decision to switch the character to Wanda Maximoff and create a “multiverse” storyline. I was inspired by someone else who did a similar switch, and I felt that it was the right decision for my own. With nothing else to add, I hope you enjoy!

Marriage was supposed to be your happy ending, but as your marriage deteriorated, an encounter with another woman opened your eyes to a new world of possibilities and desires you never knew existed.

Time seemed to pass at a frantic pace whenever you found yourself immersed in your most tormenting thoughts. The ceiling, which you watched as you lay in your bed, became your silent witness, as the moonlight streaming in through the window illuminated the cracks in the ceiling, which you could have sworn, you knew by heart by that point.

You caught yourself finding comfort in those seemingly insignificant details, but at that moment, they seemed to be the only tangible things in your life.

Because, no one had prepared you for this.

For as long as you could remember, the idea of marriage had been presented to you as something wonderful, as a kind of destiny that you had to reach in order to be happy and fulfilled. And very late you realized that, in your quest to find that sense of belonging and fulfillment you so longed for, you had fallen into the error of looking for in marriage what you should have found within yourself.

"I worked my ass off to give you everything you needed, I spoiled you rotten, and the one thing you were supposed to give me in return, you couldn't give it to me!" He exclaimed when he came home from work at nine o'clock at night, and you found yourself in the painful position of telling him again that no, you were not in the mood to try.

He had never told you anything like that, at least not explicitly. However, he always let you know by giving you those little looks whenever he saw those happy families with their children in the park, or disguised as a brief "we're working on it" whenever the subject came up in those absurd after-dinner conversations he made you attend. He never felt the need to say those hurtful words to you, until that time.

You could hear your mother's voice echoing in your head, "That's what you get for marrying so young, to someone so old." And yes, you were the youngest of all the wives who gathered after church on Sundays. From the way they talked to you, it was obvious that they thought you were so ignorant of everything just because you were young.

Before, every day of your marriage felt like a fairy tale, everything seemed solved, and you thought you had fulfilled your purpose. It wasn't until, for a change, some idiot friend of James' decided to pick on him by telling him that he was "falling behind."

What hurt the most was that he was looking for in children what you were looking for in marriage, both wrong because, you insisted, it was within you. That was why you refused to even try, in the first place. Being a father wasn't supposed to be just a compensation for his lack of fulfillment.

After failing miserably to go to sleep at a decent hour, you woke up at noon and realized that he was gone. It wasn't the first time he had breakfast out because you simply refused to wake up to prepare him something. The only reason it didn't bother him was because afterward, he took advantage to see other women. Oh, you knew, he didn't even deign to hide it.

Even if you weren't doing the same thing, you supposed you could care less anyway. Any semblance of love had vanished so long ago, but you couldn't afford to be as bold as he was, because you repeated, you were doing the same thing, seeing other women...

... or rather, another woman.

It all happened when one Sunday night, which you thought would end up as hell, was what started a part of your life that really meant something. Very chaotic and perhaps sick to consider it as such, but all you aspired to was those weekday evenings. Before, you had nothing to aspire to, no one you really wanted to give yourself to in that sense.

For a change, you were fighting with your husband. You were eagerly talking to the women about everything and nothing at the same time when he called you over to talk, and his expression was so serene that it was inevitable to think it was not good.

"You'll be happy now! I'm the laughing stock of all my friends because they know we are not even trying to have a child," he blurted out, his alcohol breath invading your nose, causing you a feeling of revulsion immediately.

"How fragile you are to accept a commitment as big as a child is, just because you can't stand the awful comments," you replied, almost in a mocking tone. He hated that, he hated that you seconded all the remarks in some way. His friends teased him because you refused to sleep with him, and you teased him because he cared. It was his nightmare and your delight.

"Not everything is about having kids! They know you're disgusted by me!" He clarified, and just imagining the kind of conversations they were having made you loathe him even more.

"We women are not trophies for you to show off. We are human beings," you replied, pushing him slightly, which was enough for him to fall like a sack of potatoes. "How empty-minded are you guys that the only remarkable thing you have to say is whether or not you slept with a woman, huh?"

He stood up awkwardly and laughed.

"Spare me your feminist talk, I'm outta here," he growled and proceeded to walk off to who knows where.

You let out a long sigh after watching his figure shrink in size until he became invisible to your eyes. Every time he was gone, you felt free. It was as if all your problems disappeared in the form of a loathsome person like he was.

You felt even too guilty because that day you wished he would dawn lost somewhere and never find his way back or have a horrible accident.

"What you said is too true," you heard a voice behind you, making you startle.

You looked around until you came upon Wanda in the driver's seat of her car, with the window open. You were so immersed in your discussion that you didn't even notice that she had been listening to everything.

"I'm sorry you had to witness this," you muttered, lowering your head.

"You know, I always thought of you as a naive girl who doesn't have a fucking clue, but I realize you have guts. Even more than many in there," she ignored your apology, and at her statement, you didn't know whether to be flattered or offended.

"I guess it only takes being ten years younger than you for you to condemn me like that," you shrugged, opting to feel satisfied. This was a great opportunity to prove yourself wrong.

"What are you talking about? That's a lifetime!" She exclaimed as she laughed. You really appreciated that she decided to lighten up what could have been another argument with a little joke, where she made fun of her own mistake. That definitely marked a before and after between you two.

"You're right, you were all here by the time Queen Elizabeth was born," you joked back, causing her to let out a loud laugh that even echoed throughout the neighborhood. It was her reaction that made you laugh even harder.

That day, she asked you to go with her in the car and get lost around the neighborhood. It was almost like a therapeutic session; she talked about her husband, and you talked about yours. You made them the biggest targets of ridicule and insults for maybe three hours, and only stopped when you went to a gas station store to buy snacks and subsequently find a spot in a parking lot on top of a building.

"Don't you sometimes wish you had met other people?" you concluded, as she finished telling you how her husband responded to a piece she wrote. With such indifference that it made you feel extremely indignant.

"All the time," she confirmed, nodding. "Sometimes I imagine what my life would have been like if I had married someone who cared about my mind and not my uterus, and who treats me like a diamond in the rough that values at all times, and not like a trophy that just shows off but leaves to rest in some closet as soon as everyone is gone."

"That's me!" you laughed, placing your hand above hers to squeeze it, as a sign of comfort.

"But I do have a better proposition for you, why don't you start by doing it yourself? Prove to yourself that you're more than what your stupid husband thinks you are, and maybe that will even give you the courage to walk away from him if that's what you want."

You felt a mixture of fear and excitement at the idea. Could you really do it? Would you be able to find the strength to stand on your own two feet and figure out what are your own dreams, even if it meant abandoning the security of your marriage?

You looked at her, who was smiling encouragingly at you, and you felt a surge of gratitude for the moment you shared. Maybe it was time to take a chance and see what else life had to offer.

"...Wow! Such wonderful words were not rehearsed before? You're a natural," you praised her. She blushed slightly at that. "Keep in mind that I'll think about it carefully."

"Think about it! Besides, my husband is an idiot and your husband is an idiot, what would you say if... we found that courage between us? That way maybe we won't settle for less," her voice became raspy in a matter of seconds, as she leaned towards you.

"Oh, sure! Keep in mind that I'm willing to support you...-"

"Look, regardless of that silly prejudice I had about you, when we were playing volleyball, and the sweat was running down your tight blouse... oh, you have no idea what it provoked inside me," she confessed. "Today when I saw you put that fucker in his place, I realized, I'm incredibly attracted to you."

You watched her for a moment, and noticed how her green eyes turned dark. Who were you kidding? If you didn't want James to lay a finger on you it was because it was women like Wanda that you coveted with your being to do whatever they wanted with you.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I was only going to volleyball to see you," you whispered, as if you weren't the only souls in that compound.

You weren't lying. You weren't a big fan of going to physically exhaust yourself after the mental exhaustion that being under the same roof as that disgusting man brought you. However, the mere thought of Wanda being there made you become the most passionate athlete.

"Would you be interested in having an affair?" She inquired without preamble.

Every day used to feel like a cycle of dreary routines from which you could find no escape, leaving you with a sense of longing for something different to shake up your existence. You never imagined, however, that said "something" would be an affair with Wanda Maximoff.

Instead, you adopted an exciting routine that was previously calculated, in order to be able to get away with it, and so far, not a soul suspected you.

However, you were also highly involved in the delight of each other's company, so there was no danger in going to the movies, shopping, visiting each other at home to simply read together, or sharing a lunch.

You hoped that, like you, Wanda would also feel that your presence had irrevocably improved her life, for it was evident that you found in her what you knew you would never find in anyone else.

And so the sleepless nights had become somewhat more frequent than usual. They were minutes turning into hours, until the light of a new dawn appeared through the windows of the room.

Your thoughts were mainly shaped by the failure of your marriage, which there was no longer any point in fighting to save, and how it all led to an affair whose most essential rule you had broken: don't fall in love.

Fortunately, you would fall asleep after your idiot husband left the bed and his scent gradually faded away. It was during those nights that you longed to find yourself on Wanda's chest instead, with her intoxicating scent invading your nostrils. For you, it was one of the most effective ways for you to sleep.

"Who is this?" You groaned, after the ringing of the phone had woken you from your slumber. It was when you saw the clock hanging on the wall that you realized it was four-thirty in the afternoon.

"Your mistress," Wanda laughed on the other end of the phone, replacing annoyance with a feeling of happiness that only she knew how to bring.

The more you fell in love with her, the more you knew this was doomed to fail. You could feel the impending apocalypse, the moment when she would break your heart because you were asking for too much. She was the only solace in a world that had lost all meaning, and you refused to lose her.

"Oh," You replied with a chuckle. "Are there plans for today?"

"I'm too excited to see the new Star Wars movie, and I was wondering if you'd like to go watch it with me," she proposed. "I know we went to the movies recently, but I really hope you don't mind..."

"Yes! You'd love to go with you," You exclaimed, with a huge smile plastered on your face. "If you want to go to the movies a thousand times, a thousand times I'll go with you."

"Yay, perfect! I'll pick you up in an hour and a half," she anticipated you. "See you then."

As soon as you hung up the phone, you set about taking a shower, putting on an outfit and applying makeup that would leave you sufficiently satisfied with your appearance. In a matter of effectively an hour, you were fully ready.

You were putting away the mess you had left behind when you heard your doorbell ring, and with great joy, you ran to the front door.

There she was, with a smile even bigger than yours, and she didn't hesitate for a second to throw herself at you and hug you warmly.

"You look beautiful," You complimented her, appreciating her green orbs and full lips that once kissed every inch of your being.

With a slight blush on her cheeks, she looked around, then grabbed the back of your neck and kissed your lips.

As if it was the first time ever, the softness of her lips against yours was an indescribable sensation that never failed to make you melt by her touch and surrender to her.

"And you look divine," she whispered, a few millimeters away, causing you to feel her hot breath as if it were your own.

When you finally broke apart, you were both breathless and flushed. You looked into her eyes and she returned your gaze with a look that was a mixture of passion and maybe, just maybe, a reciprocated feeling of love.

***

"Have you eaten yet, darling?" she asked, once you stopped in front of the cinema, whose line was somewhat extensive.

One thing you greatly appreciated was that concern which was represented through small actions, as in this case, they were questions of whether you had eaten, and at other times they regarded your sleeping habits or whether you had eaten something really healthy and not just fast food from some restaurant nearby. These were acts that may have been automatic and even inert to her, but to you they meant the world.

"I know that tone you take when you've just woken up," she began, referring to the way you answered the phone. "And since I only gave you an hour's notice, I guess you didn't get to eat."

You laughed at her conclusion, which completely evidenced how well she knew you and how interested she seemed in you, "You got me, but it's okay, popcorn will do."

"Not a chance," she countered, predictably. "Let's get you something to eat, and we'll smuggle it into the cinema to make it more fun," she proposed.

You nodded, knowing that she always found ways to make any situation more exciting.

Together you headed towards a small food stall near the cinema, and as you waited for your order, you couldn't help but feel grateful to have someone so thoughtful and considerate by your side.

Once your plates of food were delivered, you took care to hide them appropriately in your respective bags, and, after purchasing your tickets and popcorn, you proceeded to walk towards the cinema, completely satisfied with your successful smuggling.

Finally, you found your seats in the darkness of the theatre, surrounded by the fragrance of corn and butter. You looked to your side and saw Wanda already looking in your direction. It was there that you confirmed once again that the movie didn't matter as much as the fact that you were there together, sharing a fun moment where you could escape for a brief moment.

The film turned out to be shocking in every way.

From the very beginning, it kept you on the edge of your nerves with its intense and exciting plot. The pace of the film gradually picked up and the tension built up. The scenes were shocking and you were holding each other's hands tightly.

It was then that the unexpected plot twist occurred that left you gasping.

The iconic "I am your father" stunned everyone, especially the woman next to you, who was perhaps the biggest fan of the franchise in this room.

"No way," she whispered, and you noticed her eyes watering. "There is no way!"

You couldn't lie, you were just as surprised. Even though it all started as a way to keep Wanda company, you couldn't help but feel moved. You could say you were even beginning to understand what all the fuss was about.

Once the film was over, she stared into the void for a long time, still processing what had happened.

"Do you want me to drive?" You proposed, somewhat amused at her state, but also willing to help and understand her.

"No no, I'm fine, come on! I'm not a teenager!" She shook her head, heading for the passenger door and opening it for you - a gesture you adored.

"Thank you, ma'am," You thanked her, getting into the car. Once she made her way to the driver's seat, you decided to comfort her a little. "Sometimes you're a teenager... sometimes we are. I think growing up is overrated."

She took your hand in hers, and kissed it affectionately, "I wish it was like that all the time and not sometimes; I wish all the time I could have exciting experiences that constantly make me feel on top of the world. I wish I could give that to you all the time. If only we could get married... I swear I would make you the happiest, as happy as I know you would make me."

"Unfortunately you have Vision and I have James... society is slowly programming us to be another one of the bunch, another model of the housewives we're expected to be," You retorted, feeling infected by her melancholy. "That's why we have this, to escape from time to time."

"But I don't want it from time to time! You know something? I've had it with Vision," she stated, starting her car. "I'm sick of him not touching me, not listening to me, and just watching his stupid show."

Your eyes widened.

You never imagined hearing her say that. Sure, you complained about your husbands and the life they gave you, it just didn't seem feasible for neither of you to leave them.

But in the end, why couldn't you have what Steve and Peggy had, for example? And that's when you knew you could have it, you were just with the wrong people. The biggest question was, if Wanda got this person, was she going to leave you? Was it going to be really you?

And that was your biggest epiphany.

You didn't care if you could never have her the way you wanted her, just having her in your life in any way was more than enough. You wanted her happiness even if it was at the cost of your own, and that's when you realized that what you felt was love at its best.

"What are you going to do?" You questioned, once you came back to your senses. It wasn't until you got to your house that it happened.

"I'm going to take all the money he keeps hidden in that shoe box, get the hell out of this town and start over," she replied. "I've been thinking about it for about two weeks now, but I think it's time."

You felt a lump in your throat as you listened to Wanda's words. You couldn't believe that she was planning to go away and leave everything behind, and that on top of it all, she had her mind completely made up.

You had been through so much together, you had laughed, cried and shared unforgettable moments. But now, it seemed that all that would come to an end. You would return to that monotony where you desperately searched for something that could make the day different from others. You missed your home, your family, your friends... and it wasn't your husband, it was Wanda who made you feel that leaving all that behind was for the best.

And again, if she promised to do her best to find the happiness you knew she longed for as well, then this too would be worth it.

Tears began to well up in your eyes as you tried to keep your composure. You struggled for words, for inevitably, sadness gripped your heart. Goodbyes were never easy.

"What are you doing? Why are you crying?" Wanda asked, taking your face in her hands.

"It's just... I don't want to lose you, I love you and going back to the life before I met you is scary, but if that's what you want, then..."

"Don't be silly, you're coming with me," she interrupted, wiping your cheeks with her thumbs. "Wait, you said you loved me?"

You were surprised to hear Wanda's question, immediately mentally beating yourself up for not having calculated your words, but, to your surprise, you also felt a surge of joy at finally being able to express your feelings.

"Yes, I said I love you, silly!" You exclaimed, as if it hadn't been obvious enough. "Look at this godforsaken mess that you've made of me. You're like a bright light in my life, you're the only one who makes me laugh until my cheeks go numb, you make me feel alive, you taught me colors after I got used to so much black and white, you taught me a language I can't speak to someone else. You're everything I ever dreamed I could find in someone, how could I not love you?"

"We don't need to get married, we don't need a damn piece of paper to be happy. Happiness is the most important thing and we already have it," she said, moving closer to press her lips against yours for a moment. "I love you madly. Thank you for opening my eyes. You were my motivation for coming up with this plan in the first place, now that I know what it's like to really live, I refuse to go back to what came before."

"How are we going to do that?" You inquired, somehow reminding her that you too had an issue to disengage from.

"Meet me at midnight."

Once you returned home, you found the person you were unexpectedly certain you would leave behind in a matter of hours.

He had his feet up on the coffee table, his hair tousled and his tie undone, his eyes too focused on the television, which fortunately were struggling to stay open.

"You should go to sleep, or you'll have a very hard time getting up tomorrow," You suggested, knowing full well that you were only going to earn a complaint.

"It's my problem if I want to stay up all night," he grunted, straightening his posture to wake up a little. Even he couldn't deny that it was in vain.

With a scoff, you dropped your bag on the kitchen counter and headed for the bedroom.

You had to pack as soon as possible so that when James decided to go to bed, you wouldn't be caught literally displacing your entire life in a single suitcase.

You started with your clothes, which you folded into rolls so they would fit more effectively, and proceeded to take your beauty products, hygiene products, belongings that held sentimental significance, and sadly, space only allowed you to pack two pairs of your favorite shoes. It was a huge suitcase, the same one you used when you moved here, and you were even surprised at how much you could fit in it. You guess it was again going to accompany you in a new scenario, this time a successful one.

You heard James' clumsy footsteps approaching the room. By that time, you had the suitcase packed and hidden under the bed, waiting for midnight. It was only half an hour away.

He collapsed into bed, not bothering to change or pull the covers over himself. He just tossed and turned, with nothing else on his mind but sleep as soon as possible.

When the time came, you let out a deep sigh and carefully got out of bed, feeling your every movement like an explosion in the darkness of the room.

Once you felt more confident, you slowly bent down towards the suitcase you had hidden under the bed. Every inch you moved was a huge effort, but you knew you couldn't afford to be discovered.

Finally, you reached for the suitcase and carefully pulled it out. Each movement was as if you were touching a taut string, expecting that at any moment it might snap and make everything fall apart. Likewise, each step you took seemed to be heavier than the last, but without looking back for a moment, you kept moving forward, knowing that you were on the last step of your escape.

You heard footsteps approaching from behind and your heart began to pound.

No, no, no. You refused to turn around and look. You were too close!

You tried not to think about it, to convince yourself that everything was fine, but it was impossible.

Suddenly, a hand landed on your shoulder and you were startled. You turned around to face James, who was standing there, his eyes full of sadness and worry.

"Let me go, James. There's nothing you can do to stop me," you said quietly, trying to hide your fear.

"I know," he said in a calm voice. "I'm not going to stop you. There's no point in keeping this marriage if you're not happy. If I'm not happy. Go with her."

You were shocked to hear those words coming out of James' mouth. For so long, you had been holding back your true feelings for fear of hurting him, and that it would end badly. He already knew that, and he accepted it.

Your expression made him chuckle, "I saw you kissing before you came in," as if reading your thoughts, he confessed what you were wondering. "I just want you to know that I've been watching you for a while now. I noticed how happy you were coming back after spending time with her. Only someone very cruel would stand in the way of that... I'm not cruel, even though I haven't done a very good job of showing it."

You couldn't help but feel some gratitude towards James for being so understanding. It was a strange feeling, considering you were running away from him, but in that moment, you felt that you had finally found someone who understood what was going through your mind.

"You're not the only one who's been seeing other people. I've been seeing... men, too." He confessed, leaving you paralyzed, not knowing what to say. You never would have imagined James would say something like that to you. You felt confused, shocked, and at the same time, a little relieved. At least you weren't the only one who had been hiding something. "You should learn from me, I was careful about it," James joked, trying to lighten the tension in the air.

Finally, you found the right words, "Thank you, James. For understanding me, for being honest. I don't know what's going to happen to me and Wanda from now on, but I'm sure I'll find my way to happiness. And please do whatever it takes to find yours too, no matter with whom it is."

He simply nodded, an understanding expression on his face. "I promise I will, and I hope this isn't goodbye."

James and you hugged each other tightly, sharing an emotional moment that would seal the end of your marriage. It was amazing how this moment of parting was the one where you felt the most respect and compassion for him, and you could tell the feeling was mutual. It would have been easier if instead of condemning each other, you had been willing to understand each other.

Afterwards, he offered to walk you to the car towards Wanda, and you accepted. You walked together in silence, as if you both knew it was better to leave words behind.

The older woman was waiting inside the car, and both James and you laughed as her jaw practically dropped to the floor when she saw you. The confusion was palpable on every faction of her face.

James walked over to her and took her hand, looking at her lovingly, "Take care of each other as only you know how, love each other as you deserve to be loved, because you two are amazing people and deserve all the best in life." He told her sincerely, conveying his flooding desire to redeem himself.

Wanda was overwhelmed by your now ex-husband's words, and nodded tearfully. "Thank you for trusting me with something as precious as the happiness of this one right here."

James gave you one last hug before walking away, and Wanda's gaze was still fixed on him with equal parts sadness and gratitude.

You placed your suitcase in the trunk, and subsequently made your way to the passenger seat.

Wanda asked, "Do I want to know what happened?"

"Long story," you sighed, letting out the air you'd been holding in for far too long.

"Well, we have a long trip waiting for us. There's time," she started the car's engine.

With great excitement, your story with Wanda began this way, the person with whom you were destined to witness fulfillment at its greatest expression.

Together you started a business and lived on it, your daily routines never lacked for adventure and laughter. Every day your love grew more and more, and you never looked back, always moving forward together.

You fondly remember how each sunrise was like a new roller coaster of emotions, always full of new challenges. And in the most difficult moments, when darkness threatened to invade you, you clung to your union, knowing that together you could overcome any obstacle.

And so, with Wanda by your side, living each day with passion and enthusiasm, you knew you were exactly where you were meant to be, living your life to the fullest alongside the person you love most in this world.

[anathemaspeaks]

what was i made for?

character(s): toji fushiguro synopsis: toji doesn't believe he deserves love - until you come along. word count: 0.6k warning(s): none, it's purely fluff a/n: tried something new lemme know how you feel about thisss

reblogs, follows, and likes are appreciated :)

i used to float, now i just fall down i used to know, but i'm not sure now what was i made for?

toji who thinks he is not worthy of love. he is not a man deserving enough to have someone to care for him, someone who chooses to stay with him simply because they want to, not because they gain something out of it. all he did was cause pain, anyways. he was better off alone.

what was i made for?

his path had been one of solitude for god knows how long. looked down upon by everyone, barely surviving physically and mentally - a man, no, a monster who gave up his own son. people like him don't get second chances.

nobody can love a monster. nobody even wants to be around one.

taking a drive, i was an ideal looked so alive, turns out i'm not real just something you paid for

toji who had no one left in this world, nothing to live for, nothing but a shell of the man he used to be - the man he could have been. he was useless. empty. a man without a purpose. someone else's puppet. he didn't have any power over his own life. he was pathetic.

what was i made for? cause i don't know how to feel but i wanna try

vacant, brutal words engraved onto his soul. he was a monster, and he always will be. that is just how his life will be - his destiny. he would just be alive, never quite living, silently wishing he could end it all.

i don't know how to feel but someday, i might

and then you - who crashes into his life in all your frustratingly captivating glory and finds a home in his heart. you thought toji fushiguro was no monster, he was just a man who had been hurt and misunderstood far too many times. a broken man. you saw right through his tough façade. you were the first person who showed him how it felt to be seen as something other than a fraud of a human.

when did it end? all the enjoyment i'm sad again, don't tell my boyfriend it's not what he's made for what was i made for?

falling in love with you was the easiest thing he ever had to do. you, with your kind eyes and gentle smile. you, with your warm words and and comforting presence. you, who never pitied him. quite the opposite, really. a man who had been through so much, and who still fought so hard every single day, how could you not be wonderstruck and completely infatuated by him?

you, the only person who made him feel safe.

cause i don't know how to feel but i wanna try

toji, who would rather die than ever see you cry. toji, who doesn't really know what love is, but gives you the whole world. toji, who isn't used to healthy communication, but for you, he tries. toji, who still has a lot to learn, but is perfect in your eyes. toji, who is only happy when he's with you. toji, who is always there for you. toji hadn't been sure of anything in his life until you.

i don't know how to feel but someday, i might

toji who gets his spark back. he knows who he is, and it's all because of you. toji who fixes his life, but can he even call it his when it's all for you? toji who doesn't even have to think twice about it when he asks you to marry him.

and you don't have to think twice about it when you say yes.

think i forgot how to be happy something i'm not, but something i can be

toji who would gladly spend the rest of his life with you. he was a man who had nothing, but with you in his arms, he has the whole world. a man considered to be stoic and unaffectionate, absolute putty in your hands. you would always have him wrapped around your finger.

and he would have it no other way.

something i wait for something i'm made for

toji, who finally gets the happy ever after he thought he didn't deserve.

this is all based on a true story btw, we're getting married soon 💋

[sullina]

WE ARE SHAKING HANDS. DISTRAUGHT OVER HANAZUKI....

IT WAS SO GOOD

IT WAS A SIMPLE CONCEPT OF "there's a big bad thing. Our heroes have to fight it, using the unconventional method of expressing ones emotions in a healthy way" AND THIS IS SO GOOD

IT'S NOT OVERLY CONVOLUTED

IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND

BUT YOU CAN DO SO MUCH WITH IT

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY DIFFERENT THINGS CAN INFLUENCE ONES EMOTIONS???

and even just what we GOT from Hanazuki already speaks of the potential the show had!

there's Hanazuki, obv, who's a healthy moonflower. She can grow treasure trees with little difficulty, and she can grow just about every kind of treasure tree.

Kiazuki, presumably, used to be a lot like Hanazuki, but she was unable to grow even a single treasure tree, so the "big bad" got her moon and all her little guys, except for one, are gone. From what I remember of the show, i can extrapolate, that either the big bad got her too soon, destroying her moon before she was able to grow a treasure tree. And since all "little guys" represent the range of emotions and are, presumably, supposed to help moonflowers grow treasure trees, Kiazukis little guys were probably lost sometime between after she came into existence and before the big bad got her moon. This loss left her depressed and angry and cold, effectively cutting her off from her ability to grow any treasure trees at all. And then Kiazuki meets Hanazuki and she's the villain for a while, but once they become friends, Kiazuki relearns, or rather learns for the first time, how to feel emotions. You don't see this kind of character arc often. We don't know exactly what happened, except for the fact that her moon was destroyed, but it's pretty obvious that it was traumatic for her, but instead of being reduced to the perfect victim, Kiazuki was made cold and angry and a villain. And only when this is acknowledged (by Hanazuki in this case) does she start to heal from it. And just as important is how Hanazuki, instead of getting angry with her and pushing her away indefinitely, instead showed understanding and helped her, even when Kiazuki stole Hanazukis treasure trees. It would've been easy for Hanazuki and the show to just dismiss Kiazuki as a cold hearted villain with evil intentions, but they didn't. And I just love that so much.

Then, in a similar strain to Kiazuki, there's Kiyoshi. He experienced a different kind of trauma to her, where instead of outside forces taking everything away, his own friends betrayed him and pushed him away. it's been a while since i watched it, but didn't they also, like... have him wanted like a criminal? Pretty harsh stuff anyway. So Kiyoshi, alone and betrayed, he still felt one emotion, but that emotion was sheer hopelessness. It's the only emotion he could feel anymore, because what else was he supposed to do? He was on his own and his former friends turned against him, there was nothing he could do.

Maroshi was introduced fairly late, but it's pretty clear that his way is the path of least resistance. If something bad happens, his go to response is "oh well, nothing I can do" and he gives up. According to the wiki, he didn't have any treasures available to protect his moon with in the first place, which does leave me wondering why? Hanazuki recieved her first treasure pretty much right after she was born, and both Kiazuki and Kiyoshi got plenty of treasures, despite one not being able to grow any and the other only being able to grow black trees. Did little dreamer not give him any on purpose? Did he forget about him? Seems unlikely, but it's pretty obvious that Maroshi wasn't born right before the big bad struck his moon, since him, Kiyoshi and Kiazuki had formed the Garlandians.

Miyumi was introduced last, only appearing in one single episode. Her attitude seems to be denial, since she seems to ignore any problem she comes across until Hanazuki could finally make her open her eyes to the fact that her little guys were being kidnapped. I don't have much to write about Miyumi. I mean, she was in one single episode.

But the introduction of the new unknown villain who kidnapped her little guys was so interesting and could've been so big! ESPECIALLY, because Kiazukis little guys were ALSO kidnapped like that!

WHO WAS THIS VILLAIN???

WHY ARE THEY GATHERING LITTLE GUYS FROM THE MOONS???

ARE THEY STRAIGHT UP EVIL OR JUST TRYING TO PROTECT THEMSELVES LIKE KIAZUKI TRIED TO???

AND WHAT

EVEN

IS

THE BIG BAD??????

THIS SHOW WAS CANCELLED BEFORE ITS TIME AND I WILL FOREVER BE DISTRAUGHT ABOUT IT

ESPECIALLY, but not exclusively, BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH AN INNOVATIVE CONCEPT!!!!!!!!!

[dendrophalaen]

my thoughts on godzilla minus one

tl;dr i had a religious experience (positive) and it may be my new favorite godzilla movie

i'm going to try to organize my thoughts lmao i have never done a film analysis or review

story

i went in knowing next to nothing, so i was very afraid this was going to be heavy on the imperialist propaganda and reminiscing on the "good old days" of the japanese military

however i was pleasantly surprised to see that it was quite anti-government :]

loved the delivery of the themes of "all lives being precious" and "living on for yourself as well as for the sake of others" – not hammy or blunt!

FORESHADOWING OF THE EJECTION SEAT? chef's KISS we love picking up what the movie is putting down and getting to see the payoff

speaking of foreshadowing:

dr. noda: [takes noriko's picture]

me: oh no she's going to die

i spent like the last quarter of the movie with a headache because i was clenching my teeth and holding in tears after noriko's death ("death") AND koichi planning to blow himself up and orphan akiko

and all the ex-navy guys rallying together to defeat godzilla

i am not immune to classic story beats

semi-related i thought noriko would be covered in radiation burns, but then i realized a depiction of that would probably be insensitive

also the guys measuring radiation in plastic costs? come on now i know we weren't fully educated in the risks of radiation but there must've been some sort of better ppe

characters

i enjoyed like every character which is rare for me in a godzilla film

koichi just can't catch a break. this man gained so much trauma in a short amount of time, like he doesn't have ptsd because the trauma is ONGOING. i think he's my favorite and it's very easy to root for him

his introduction is of him as a shaky baby-faced pilot and then you find out he was supposed to be a kamikaze pilot like goddamn

i liked noriko's assertiveness ("hey i'm staying in your house now :)") and her ability to see kindness in koichi and sumiko

her struggle of wanting to become independent is very relatable. you could see the bittersweetness in her eyes showing that she felt guilty yet grateful for koichi's support........

i was surprised how quickly sumiko agreed to taking care of akiko? but it makes sense since she was (is) a mother and could not bear to see another child suffer, and akiko gave her life a new purpose

i would've liked more focus on the female characters and i don't think it's fair to just blame it on the era :playdead:

i really liked the chemistry between dr. noda, captain akitsu, and mizushima

dr. noda in particular felt like a nice foil/parallel to serizawa from the 1954 movie; he's also a scientist but he's much more personable(?)/"human"

dr. serizawa was my favorite in 1954 but he was very anguished and set on making reparations by killing godzilla (and koichi could be a parallel to him in that regard)

noda focused on protecting the living, not avenging the dead

ough mizushima. being a Youth who feels useless sure hits home

i'd say tachibana is my least favorite just by comparison to everyone else, but he's honestly so valid for his whole deal

visuals and sound

very elegant color grading, costuming, and set design!

i don't know film girl help

GOOD SOUNDTRACK the music set the scenes so well

i joked about getting my eardrums blasted by godzilla but he really was that loud. as he should be

godzilla (design, abilities, etc)

SWEET JESUS THIS IS THE SCARIEST GODZILLA BY FAR

godzilla: [shows up in the first 10 minutes with blair witch shaky cam]

me: the filmmakers are not messing around they mean BUSINESS

the rampage on odo island was rightfully terrifying

i love his texture and face. the scrunkliness of heisei with the horrifying pain of shin

i think his head is a bit small for his body, like if it was 5% bigger it would be perfect

loved the visuals of his scales flaking off after getting bombed

the nuclear fallout when he used his atomic breath in tokyo was awe-inducing

great use of godzilla as a war allegory

i saw the movie in d-box so the shotgun-blast of heat ray was intense

also coolest godzilla death. sick decapitation

the plan to imprison him in bubbles and give him the bends felt a bit silly in the moment but highlighted how desperate everyone was for ANYTHING to work

really liked how godzilla was more like an animal or unstoppable force of nature without a clear motive

i mean the only emotion you could ascribe is probably RAGE

sidenote i did think it was a lil funny whenever an object was flung through the air from offscreen. there goes godzilla having another tantrum

[thewiz9062]

Smiling Critters AU: Dogday's Psyche

NOTE: THIS IS NOT RELATED TO CANON IN THE SLIGHTEST. An accurate description of this au is that I took every playtime.co poster art and promotional material from the game and lit up the rest of canon in a bonfire. Meaning that EVERY character is part of one big cartoon. Thats it. No bigger bodies project, no child souls, no experiments, just a depiction of a cartoon. PLEASE do not ask me to do anything suggestive with anyone.

OK I know it's been a while since I posted one of these but bear with me here this one was interesting to write

So dogday

In my other posts, I've already made him a constant in everyone's lives (as he's the main character) but I want to go into how he thinks because that explains alot of his actions and most importantly, his interactions with catnap.

Tldr, dogday is elation (que demoic giggling if you get the reference)

Now usually when you see a happy go lucky character you immediately go "they've either had the happiest childhood ever and are genuinely like this or they didn't and they're faking it" and that was gonna be my original assessment with dogday. But yk.....that's bland. So i decided to mix the two: pretty bad childhood but they're happy....unhealthily so. Hear me out here:

In my au, dogday was abandoned as a baby at a foster home. So they "raised him" (they just did just over the bare minimum, I don't wanna villianize the workers though because they did have like a bunch of other kids there as well, not excusing them of course) but he was mostly left to his own devices. Normally this would dampen a child's spirit but dogday is quite a fighter, finding joy or happiness wherever he could. Whether it be picture books or TV shows, he found a way to make himself happy. And All the media he knew subtly shunned sadness or anger or anything of the sort. So now all dogday knew was happiness, as anything else was 'bad' and needed to be fixed.

The people around him didn't help his mindset either. After interacting with the other kids there, they usually had some semblance of an uplift in mood for the rest of their day. It usually didn't last long, though, because while dogday lived there their entire life, the others were there due to...unfortunate circumstances. He also could notice how the workers felt like he was a breath of fresh air compared to the other children, who mostly needed consoling, while dogday was 'self-sufficient' (they try I swear they're just not good at it)

So all in all, after 13 years of this dogday... was in a very unique state of mind. If you want a simple explanation, then he has this mental limiter. Anything happy or can bring joy can stay, and any other thoughts get snuffed out immediately. So he's not faking happiness. In a way, he just doesn't know anything else. Present him a situation where someone is sad his first instinct is to cheer them up, and usually it works, but in the situation it doesn't, he'll pretty much blue-screen. Cuz after all, it's always worked before, what else does he know?

So enter catnap.

Catnap is essentially his foil, and his main purpose is to help him see the other side of things because sun and moon dynamic yk I had to do it

Someone like catnap won't be cheered up normally, catnaps sort of nihilistic when it comes to problems, believing nothing can be done about it, cause in his situation he had no control over what happened, so why try and fix what he can't, that's meaningless. So letting his emotions pass by and move on is his way of 'comfort' So dogday's attempts at cheering him up doesn't work, and as Dogday does in those situations, he blue-screens. Normally when dogday fails to cheer someone up and he visibly panics, they'll give him a smile or a laugh, and seeing that instantly fills dogday with relief, even though he doesn't see that it doesn't reach their eyes.

Catnap won't do that however, because of his own coping mechanism. So dogday will panic, quietly spiraling into thoughts like "why isn't it working, what do I do, how do I fix this" and catnap reads his face and tells him to stop, he just needs a moment. Dogday wouldn't understand, he's never seen sadness be good for someone.

And from there his learning journey begins (aka how to feel other things)

God I love making them mentally unstable

[lucky-dreamfisher]

Controversial opinion: the weakest part of BATDR is the story

There’s no denying that BATDR is a better game in terms of graphics and gameplay. I’ve seen AAA titles with worse looks and design.

But I feel like BATIM was a superior game when it comes to the story.

Characters had no buildup. In BATIM almost every major character got some kind of backstory and buildup before we met them. Sammy had multiple tapes in Chapter 2, Susie had multiple tapes, Bertrum did, even Tom. The only character with seemingly no past was Allison, everyone else was a fully fleshed-out individual. People also sort of assumed that Boris was Wally because of how much character development and backstory Wally got through the tapes. This was retconned later in the books, but at the time of the game we all thought we had a significant amount of knowledge about the characters we meet in it.

When Porter got a character sheet posted on twitter, we all thought he’d be an important character. Instead he’s just... there. Show’s up for 5 minutes, passes on his power and disappears. Blink and you’ll miss him, he had no more screen time than Heidi. The two of them could easily have been replaced by buttons with the sign “press here for new power” and nothing of value would be lost. They have no past, and no role in the story. Compare them to Boris, where the entire plot of chapter 4 is about saving him. He mattered. The fact that he was there mattered.

And it’s not like there was no time to develop the characters. The game has dozens of notes and audio logs, but they all come from random people, who we never hear from again. You could easily replace some of them with memos about Porter’s backstory, or Heidi’s, or Betty’s. A lot of those audio logs are voiced by youtubers and I feel like JDS prioritized giving youtubers guest cameos over making the character they voice actually have a place in the story.

In BATIM the enemies were also thematically linked with the place we met them in. Chapter 2 takes place in the Music Department, so it makes sense that the main character appearing in the tapes would be the Music Director, and he would be the one we’re fighting at the end. Chapter 4 takes place in Bendyland, so the tapes are about a theme park designer and the enemy is that designer in the form of an attraction. In BATDR we have that one spider boss fight, but what is this, why is it there, how is it linked thematically with the rest of the chapter? I guess Shipley got slightly more reason to exist, but the idea of him was introduced in the last 5 minutes. There was no buildup.

Why even divide the story into chapters if these chapters have no underlying theme? Can you guys even remember what each chapter’s plot is about? I’ve watched the playthroughs 3 times and I still can’t, because it all just seems so... random. A collection of random scenes, random enemies, random tapes. This may have been intentional, because the current “master” of the story is Wilson, who has no relation to JDS the way Joey did, but story being bad on purpose, wrapped in 3 layers of irony, is still a bad story.

Finally: the ending felt underwhelming. it’s completely incomprehensible to someone who hasn’t played the previous game. In BATIM, Henry killing the Ink Demon with the End Reel made sense, because we had it explained to us what the ink demon is and how the End Reel works: Bendy was created as a living cartoon, and he has never seen “the end” of the cartoon. Henry also had a personal connection to both Bendy and the end reel, as Bendy was his creation, and the end reel came from the cartoon he personally animated, which was stolen to rob him of his achievements. In BATDR Henry just says “oh yeah get that one random gizmo and it will kill this random demon walking around that we know nothing about” but it didn’t have to be the end reel, it could’ve been anything. Could’ve been a gent pipe, could’ve been a bullet from the tommy gun, and it would’ve worked just as well. There was no thematic setup, and very little personal connection to Audrey.

It’s ok to omit some information that’s available in the earlier installments of the franchise, but that should only go for secondary objects and characters. The ending especially should feel like a natural conclusion of the journey you went through in the game you’re playing right now, not the one before it. It would have made much more sense for Audrey to defeat the ink demon by using her special powers, as those powers were built up throughout the narrative. Instead, it’s like she completely forgets she ever had them, and she’s handed the ultimate weapon that’s irrelevant to her character. Audrey has no connection to the reel, and very little connection to Bendy, as the game doesn’t ever explain to us Joey’s role in creating him, instead choosing to highlight Gent’s role in the experiments and Wilson’s role in separating the two versions of Bendy. It essentially feels like winning the final fight by using a last minute cheat, instead of something you’ve been actively working on and developing throughout your journey.

tl;dr BATDR is less of a story and more like a collection of random “wouldn’t it be cool if..?” moments, with no glue tying it together. BATIM was just better and I hope that the next game will follow the lead of BATIM storytelling more than BATDR storytelling.

[wheelerpilled]

OK IM SO EXCITED FOR 5x01 OPENING, I feel like it's been brushed over, like I've seen people excited that we get a 1983 flashback but I NEED to see people's theories on the further implications of this!!

______________________________________

Every opening scene in stranger things gives us information for a 'hook' for the season, which is why I really want to know about season 5 because it's just odd:

Season 1: something mysterious kills the scientist, leading us to wonder whats going on.

Season 2: we learn there are others like 11, and that Kali exists/escaped aswell, it's important.

Season 3: introduction of the Russian arc, and the attempted opening of the gate

Season 4: we learn about the Hawkins lab massacre and Elevens 'role' in it- revealing new backstory

________________________________________

Basically it's ALWAYS new information, so they wouldn't just be showing Will in the upside down and leaving it at that, because that brings nothing that we didn't already know to the table.

My point is that every one of these things is the hook for an arc within the season, we know the opening is Will in the upside down, but we don't know WHY. it has to be more than just a callback, they wouldn't waste the opening scene on something that doesn't add anything to plot, So I think this means we are finally going to get to know more of Will in the upside down (Ive read the comic but I mean what happens in the show, because I consider the stuff in the show more 'canon' and the comics are just a side thing)

we are finally going to LEARN more about his connection to the upside down, I think it'll probably confirm the theory that vecna was responsible for his kidnapping and not a demogorgan like the characters in the show assume.

___________________________________

Wills case is so different to the others who got killed in the upside down almost immediately and I do NOT believe it's simply because he's 'good at hiding'- like come on....those interdimensional creatures would beat his ass 💀

Also yes I 100% a demogorgan would NOT have slowly unlocked that shed door it would've ripped it apart to get inside let's bfr...something else did I and took Will 😭

I believe something had to have had sentience (probably vecna?) And doesn't kill him immediately, considering his further use, so it just leaves him alone for a WEEK?

I think he was purposely left alone, especially because we know he was singing in the upside down which would probably attract something towards the noise, Vecna definitely would've known because he can sense things through the vines and Will definitely wouldn't have known that

Even when Wills caught, he's not killed, he's taken elsewhere and is still alive, just unconscious? This is weird to me, a demogorgan wouldn't of done that, all depictions (apart from dart as a demodog) of demogorgans are shown to be immediately aggressive and attack unless locked in on a different subject (like in the S2 tunnels when the demodogs ignored them to run to the gate)

______________________________________

I definitely believe it was vecna, maybe making some sort of prototype for his plan to kill 4 people in season 4? I don't know, it's been awhile since I've scene S1 but I remember him kinda being like trapped vertically up in the vines with one in his mouth? I think there was definitely a plan vecna was trying to execute but it was foiled by Joyce and Hopper rescuing Will.

we know it's a hivemind, and that Will can feel the mindflayers presence, but at the end of season 4 he also states he can feel vecna hurting, which is weird because it's not like he could feel every individual in the hiveminds memories, he didn't feel the presence of every demogorgans current state and whatnot, only what the mindflayer felt, it's probably just because the mindflayer is also hurting because vecna is and he can sense that, but I thought Vecna would be smarter than to align himself into the hive Mind knowing it makes him more vulnerable, he can control them, but he isn't PART of them imo, because then if the mindflayer goes down so does he, and his 'underlings' would damage him whenever they're hurt, so I just don't think he'd do it, but Will can somehow still know how vecna feels, so I think he has some other connection to Vecna that'll be revealed in the opening scene...uh yeah sorry for rambling its dumb and I am NOT a good theorist

_______________________________________

I just want to know people's thoughts on what they think will be revealed in the opening, because I think it'll be that vecna kidnapped him, or something that reveals their connection, it'll be cool though!!!

Sorry this post has like no grammatical structures and its UNNECESSARILY LONG + probably annoying to read thanks for sticking with me 😭💗

[noroi1000]

Ooo could you please do a one shot where gojos partner is kidnapped and he has to save their life from a curse? I feel like a curse may target loved ones to get their real target to fight them.

Home

Paring: Gojo x reader

Summary: You've been kidnapped by a curse. A curse that wants to get rid of Satoru. And the only way to do that is to get a hostage. You are that hostage...

Warnings: Violence

Words: 3,1k

When curses are weak, they stay in a group. Then they can be stronger. A group of curses is stronger than one curse. Especially when one curse is weak.

There are also curses whose minds work better than others. These are not mindless. They don't attack without thinking. These curses are more intelligent.

They may have the ability to think. Rational thinking. They have instincts that tell them what to do, and they act to save their lives. Sometimes they even have the ability to speak. Even though their characters are different from humans. Curses are more brutal. They often have no qualms about killing. This is most often the case. But that's not all. Curses are aggressive, they don't follow the rules. Curses are capable of sacrificing the lives of others in order to survive. To win anything.

If the curses don't gather in groups, the curses do something else.

They use the human conscience. They take advantage of the connections between people.

Curses are able to take hostage, and in exchange for letting go, they will release a loved one. anyone. Conscience exists in every human being.

Even if most of the time it turns out that the curse won't let anyone out anyway. Why? Because curses want to kill. If they get mad, there's not even a slight chance they'll be kind and gracious. They play with human existence.

Curses are able to catch someone important to someone for their purpose.

Catch the closest person to lure someone. To get rid of those who make it difficult for them to do what they like.

They cover themselves with the human body, knowing that nothing will happen to them right there. No man who could kill a curse would do it to kill the person closest to him as well.

You always felt that one day you could become such a target...

So many intelligent curses live in this world. And you can't defend yourself against them. You are not a sorcerer. Not like Satoru.

All those intelligent curses that know the name "Gojo" could find out about you at any moment. And you already know that he must know a lot about your existence and your very close connection to Satoru.

Curses just die and are reborn. That's how it works over and over again.

Satoru kills a lot of these curses.

You are afraid of what might happen someday. But you know that when he's with you, you can feel safe. After all, he wouldn't let anything happen to you.

Even if you might be held hostage someday, just so they can defeat Satoru.

Anything can happen if you're not careful.

Curses are everywhere. But Satoru isn't always there to hold your hand to prevent you from getting hurt.

You know exactly that someday something bad can happen...

You don't want something like this to happen.

You don't want Satoru to get hurt.

You want him to fight the curse, and not care how you feel.

You know how important his work is.

So if you had to choose who would be safe, you or him. You choose his safety.

He could kill the curse without even thinking that you might die too.

But you know he won't allow it.

You've been together for such a long time that he keeps showing you that he won't let anything happen to you.

Even if you are able to sacrifice yourself for Him, He does not accept that sacrifice from you.

You both go home.

He will always do everything in his power to make things good for you. He promised you. Along with his declaration of love.

Hot tears streaming down his face when he saw you weren't home.

Broken window, drops of blood on the floor.

You didn't speak at all when he preferred you.

You didn't leave the house alone because all the things you would have taken with you were at home.

His heart started beating so much faster when he saw the mess in your bedroom. When he saw the glass on the floor that came from a broken window. His blindfold began to get slightly wet as he saw drops of blood on the floor.

The black material became wet against his cheeks, getting drier the longer he kept it on his face.

Getting wetter. There was discomfort. There was a sour taste in his mouth, as if something was stabbing his tongue. The clenched jaw didn't help the feeling.

In order not to burst into an act of desperation, sadness and anger, he stood with his fingers clenched in his pants. Nails digging into his thighs as he knelt looking at it all.

Can his body hold out even longer, holding back his true emotions? He shouldn't be inhibiting it in himself.

But also for something else, he shouldn't show it.

What happened now should be a good example of that.

His every enemy wants to take everything from him...

It doesn't matter if it's human or not. People who shouldn't be his enemies are. They will do everything to make him fall into the abyss of desperation and sadness.

Everyone knows he has emotions. Everyone knows that he also needs happiness, love.

But many of them want to take it all away from him...

Exactly the same as it is now...

They want to make him cry...

They did it...

Because the sight of blood when he knows it's your blood is terrible for him.

He couldn't control himself.

He was so happy when he came home. He wanted to spend time with you so that he would fall asleep in your arms later.

Now he can't do any of these things...   

He pulled off the blindfold, throwing the fabric on the floor, not even looking where it lay now.

He let the tears fall down. They didn't soak into the black blindfold now.

Nothing blocked the hot drops on his skin.

His lips twitched as he tried to hold back the whimpers that wanted to come out of his mouth.

When he finally let out a shaky breath, he bent over the floor, watching his tears bathe the floor, hitting the pieces of glass. Mixing with drops of blood. As he clapped over the worst mess.

He could think of nothing but his despair. And that he may never see you again. There's always a chance he won't find you.

He didn't want to leave it like that.

He was sure it was his enemy.

And an enemy he can kill, whether it's a human or a curse...

He has promised you protection. He promised you love.

He has already given you a declaration of your eternal love.

Holding the engagement ring he gave you in his hand, he studied the glowing metal along with the diamonds.

Everything for you...

A declaration to you that you will be together forever. You were supposed to be more than his girlfriend.

Turning the ring over, he looked at the dried blood on the bottom. It's as if it had been ripped from your finger by the claws. Pulled with all might to get rid of it.

It all meant one thing. Whoever kidnapped you, it's curse.

Curses do not like cursed items, especially if they are imbued with a powerful curse that comes from the energy of the sorcerer.

He imbued this ring with a very unusual curse.

As long as you had it on your finger, you were safe from Jujutsu techniques. And from curse attacks. Unfortunately, he couldn't put his infinity there. You could still be hurt because of it.

However, you couldn't be harmed by cursed energy.

But you may have been harmed by other items that are not of cursed energy, or are surrounded by it.

You didn't know the exact function of this ring. You just knew it could protect you. Nothing more nothing less.

Which means the curse pulled it off you with some tool. Or the curse fought the pain when it touched it. Anything to get rid of your protection.

He felt that nothing had happened to the ring. That's why it was just pulled off your finger.

He knew it even though he was already very tired.

He didn't sleep all night. He searched for the next half day.

He couldn't even come up with a lead that would lead him in your direction.

Was he going to give up?

Could he live with the thought that you are no longer with him? Could he live with the thought that he had lost you forever?

"You want me to wear this, don't you?"

"I care about you. I want you to wear this and know it's from me."

"Anything else this will give me?" You placed your hands on his cheeks as you sat on his stomach on the bed.

He smiled closing his eyes. He had his hands on your thighs as he lay on your back. He snuggled into your hands.

And that one feeling of a slight cold against his skin. It was nice. He felt that ring on your finger.

"It will protect you." He replied, smiling.

Something he likes better than seeing you near him? Your touch and you next to him. When you touch it. When you kiss him. When you talk to Him. He preferred that more than staring at you from afar.

"It'll protect me, huh..." You groaned as you ran your finger across his eyelid. Feeling his long white lashes brush your skin. "Fine. I believe you. Thank you for thinking about my safety, Satoru."

You lay down on top of him, kissing his lips softly before pulling away, hovering over his face.

"You always believe me..." He laughed softly.

"Because I know you always tell me the truth."

"What if I told you that being with me would put you in danger?"

"That's what I believe in you too." You replied, stroking the back of his neck. "But I know you won't let anything bad happen. The ring will protect me when you're not around. I won't take it off, I promise. If it makes you calmer."

He sat down with you on his chest, gently turning you over.

Putting his legs on either side of his waist, he gently laid down on top of you, holding you in a tight embrace.

Even the weight didn't bother you.

You knew that even in this position you could feel safe with him.

You don't want anything to happen to him while you're in danger.

You want you to live normally. Safely. Happy. In your home.

"Love you~." He murmured pressing his cheek against yours, smiling a slight red on his cheek.

"Me too." You held his neck as he hugged you.

Your memories must be even more pleasant. Not only this.

You are to live longer and longer. Together.

If you're alive, you're a hostage.

And he doesn't even think that you might be dead.

You always have to live for him. Just like he lives for you.

Now and always.

He doesn't even accept the thought.

He will whip curses until he finally finds you.

One curse in town, then another.

Another and another.

Everything that moved and was cursed, disappeared.

He didn't sleep, didn't eat, didn't drink.

He was walking around everywhere. He was looking for curses. He sensed their presence.

He killed everyone he met.

He couldn't think of hunger, thirst, or fatigue. He was only thinking about you.

That you're out there somewhere. Maybe Near.

You are somewhere and you are afraid. You can even suffer, beg for it to stop. That's why he wants to find you. As soon as possible. As long as he knows you're okay..

As long as he knows you're alive and you can still talk to him. That you can smile at him.

Next hour.

20 more curses.

Soon the 21st curse will be in his crosshairs.

He searched for 11 hours.

He's been thinking about your safety for almost half a day.

It could be the 21st or even the 210th curse he will kill that day.

People are afraid to go down to the cellars. That's why he knew that he had hit the seat of the curse.

He couldn't see much in the dark.

Standing on the illuminated stairs, he only knew that there was a curse somewhere here.

But his heart stopped when he heard a small voice.

Later, his pulse increased enough that he thought his heart would burst out of his chest.

"...You shouldn't come here, Satoru..."

He looked around for the light switch. But when he found it, he wished he had turned it on.

He felt something sharp pierce his chest.

As if something had pierced him right through. Even though there was nothing there.

He owed that feeling to the sight before his eyes.

You all lying on the floor, some blood on your forehead, peeling skin on your elbows, your leg visibly broken as he could see the slight dislocation of the bone under your skin.

Torn clothes that showed shallow cuts and bruises.

"(Y/n)!"

He started running towards you but stopped when you said something to him.

"Do not come...!" Tears started to run down your cheeks. "Please go away until it's not here... Please..."

When he saw your tears streaming down your face, he wanted to go over and wipe them away. Or he was willing to do what you asked him to do. If it would make you stop crying.

But he couldn't go from here...

He looked at your right hand, seeing that your ring finger was bloodied.

"Please don't move and don't say anything. I'll help you. I'll take you home... Just calm down." He said calmly, knowing that the closer he gets to you, the greater the possibility that something might happen soon.

"Satoru, don't come any closer... Please leave me here and go..."

"Baby, look at me. I'm not going anywhere without you."

"But it -"

"I'm not going anywhere without you. I'll understand it eventually."

"...I want to go home..." You groaned seeing him getting closer.

There's no way you two will come back...

Either neither of you will go back there, or only him.

If he leaves now...

"Honey, we'll be home soon. Just calm down. Everything will be fine. Just a moment. I'll take care of you. Do not panic..."

You saw his face contort in sadness. And the eyes are glassy.

"Go away! I don't want you coming here! Get out of here!"

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Nothing will happen."

"Go away! If you go now, nothing will happen to you! Stay away from me!"

"You think I think my safety is more important than yours?" he asked, taking larger and faster steps.

Two meters from you.

You started crying harder.

"I would never put myself above you. That you come home is more important to me."

"No...! Stop! Do not come! Please! I don't want us both to die! Just go from here! Just forget about me!"

Suddenly he stopped.

He looked at you as he was standing two meters away.

"You don't really want me to leave. I know you want to go home with me. I won't let anything hurt you. I'll hurt you if I go now! I will not forget about you! Do you think I could throw away everything we've been through together?"

"...I want to go home... But you can't stay here..."

"I can. You can't forbid me... You can't forbid me to stay here... I won't go home because I only consider it home when you're there..."

He took slow steps forward, and suddenly leaned in to touch you.

By now you knew it was too late...

You felt something pulling you back.

And sharp tails appeared above you, flying towards Satoru.

That's why you didn't want him coming.

He jumped back, landing a few meters behind.

You couldn't move, your ribs and spine squeezed by one of the curse's tails.

You just watched as the other tails stopped in front of him and above him.

Aimed straight at his body.

"You are a weak curse. But as befits, dirty fighting, hostage, teaming up. I can't believe that the strongest are the targets of weak curses." said the white-haired one, looking at your face winced in pain.

He saw your body lifted and then curse claws gripped your neck, squeezing lightly, then a little harder.

The sharp tip of your tail touched your head.

"Curses are always like this... I can even let my guard down, and then I will die as well as her... Curses are not honorable..."

Looking at Satoru, you were giving him a silent signal to go. To leave you.

Because no matter what he does, you're going to die anyway.

Even if he turns off infinity to save you, the curse will still kill you.

If he doesn't, your skull will be punctured and you'll just die.

No matter what he does, you'll still lose a life.

You saw him raise his hands to lightly join them.

"Then why do you think I'd let my guard down?"

He suddenly clasped his hands together and appeared right in front of the curse and his fist was aimed at the stomach.

In a split second, you were moved in front of the curse, and Satoru, knowing what was about to happen, quickly drained the energy from his fist.

But there was no way to stop his hand.

Just then his fist made contact with the top of your stomach.

Even as he tried to reduce the force he used as much as possible, he felt something in your body snap.

He heard the curse laugh as he looked at your face which was twitching. Drops of blood flowed from your mouth and down your chin.

You stopped breathing for a moment, unable to breathe in the pain.

With tears in his eyes, he quickly backed away and wanted to scream.

Your body hung limp in front of him. And saw your eyes slowly close. As you slowly surrender to the pain.

Out of anger and sadness, he placed two fingers in front of it, intending to shoot the curse.

By killing it, he will also kill you.

He looked at his hollowing hand and made another sign with his fingers.

"Domain expansion..."

When you were in this state, he had four seconds to catch you to keep you safe. And lest you start dying in his domain.

"Unlimited void..."

1 second.

He saw the curse not move or focus on him.

2 seconds.

He started moving towards you.

3 seconds

He was getting closer. He saw the curse let you go.

4 seconds

He grabbed your hand.

It was already dead for you, wasn't it?

You groaned, opening your eyes slightly, not feeling much pain. Perhaps it wasn't at all... 

Suddenly you felt a pleasant touch on your cheek.

"You woke up... Don't be afraid..." you heard Satoru sobbing. "We are already at home..."

[iguessitsjustme]

I have not been able to stop thinking about this since episode 9 aired and I read an excellent insight into Pat’s character this morning by @wen-kexing-apologist so I wanted to talk about Jeng because he is the character that I relate to the most. Granted, I am not a high level manager in my parent’s successful company, BUT I’ve worked office jobs and I’ve been in management positions and overseeing people. Please keep in mind that I am approaching Jeng as a white queer person who was raised (all over) the United States so I can only truly add the perspective that gives me. Also I wrote this while bored at work so I was definitely not nearly as articulate as I like, and this might not be anyone else’s interpretation and I completely understand if you do not agree with me here. With that said, here we go:

I am probably the most cishet passing person in the world. There’s no particular reason for this other than it’s just the way I am and how I like to present. I don’t risk my safety by presenting queer, I just don’t. I live in a big city, my family is incredibly supportive, my friends are queer, a good number of my coworkers are queer, I am not closeted. But people see me and they assume that I am straight. For the purposes of this post I'm focusing on sexual orientation rather than gender what I’m focusing on because my relationship with gender right now is basically the shrug emoji. Despite being out as bi since I was 24 many years ago, I still find myself constantly coming out to people because if I say nothing, assumptions are made about me and those assumptions are based on a heteronormative worldview that society has cursed us all to and those assumptions about me are wrong. 

Now let’s look at Jeng. I’m not gonna mention Pat because I fully believe that Pat’s response to learning Jeng is attracted to men was entirely based on his own repressed feelings and not entirely an assumption that Jeng is straight. Jeng passes as straight. I’m sure that’s due to a combination of his position, his family, and just his overall personality. We know that Jeng is out to people. He talks to his friend about Pat, Jaab asks him about his feelings towards Pat, and when he brings Pat home, Jeng’s parents see Pat and make some assumptions about what occurred. So a significant number of people in Jeng’s life know that he is gay and it’s not only a significant number that know but the people closest to him know as well. The other people that are able to clock Jeng in this show are the other queer people. Chot and Jen just know. They see how he looks at and interacts with Pat and can see the humongous crush that Jeng is nursing. So Jeng is working under the assumption that around these people, he is out. He might present straight and he might keep that up for work purposes, but he believes himself to be out to at least the other queer people near him.

Then Pat says this:

And Jeng breaks. And I get that. Jeng knows that Pat is gay, Jeng thought that Pat knew he was gay. Jeng thought they were on the same page. Other queer people in Jeng’s life have known he was gay without him needing to explicitly state that. Pat, the person Jeng has been flirting with and has confessed to (while he was so drunk he couldn’t understand Jeng you beloved idiot) had no clue. At least that’s how it appears to Jeng, who is now in the unfortunate position of needing to out himself. Let me tell you something, it is exhausting to have to constantly come out to people. Every new person that I meet, if I want them to know that I am queer, I need to explicitly tell them because if I don’t, they will never know. I’ve had people think that I’m just a really good ally before. There are times I wish I was so entirely and visibly queer that no one would ever doubt it, and I’m sure Jeng felt that in this moment with Pat. It just takes one look at his face during this scene to know that Jeng has been here before and he is tired and his heart is breaking.

How many people do you think Jeng has had to make a choice between outing himself or letting them work with false assumptions regarding his sexuality? How many times has Jeng chosen to closet himself instead of being who he is? How many times has Jeng been interested in another man but had no chance because that person didn’t know or care to believe he is gay? Just needing to make the decision on whether or not to explicitly say, “Yes, I like men” or “I’m gay” is tiring in and of itself, but then the actual saying of the words? Depleting. Especially to someone who you thought already knew. It hurts when people think I’m just a really good ally. I can’t imagine the pain Jeng felt at Pat’s surprise because to Jeng, that surprise indicated that Pat saw him as a good ally (again, I do not think that’s what was going on with Pat but this is about Jeng and his interpretation) and not as someone with interest in him.

Then Jeng learns later on that Pat just doesn’t understand how someone like Jeng can like him. It doesn’t make sense to Pat. How many times has Jeng been made to feel like his sexuality, coming from him, doesn’t make sense? I’m sure his dad had some things to say about it. I’m sure part of the reason he left previously was due to that. So while Jeng is out, it is a constant coming out process and then an entire new process to get people to believe it. Jeng’s sadness is mostly about Pat rejecting him, but I’m sure at least a small part of it is also the tiny piece of him that was so sure that Pat at least knew he was gay.

Jeng now believes that Pat has only ever seen him as his straight boss and that can’t change. Pat sees him as a coworker, not even a friend, not even a member of the queer community. Just a coworker and nothing more. The revelation that Jeng likes and is attracted to men, made Pat uncomfortable. Is it because Jeng doesn’t obviously present as gay? Is it because he isn’t as clockable as someone like Chot? Now Jeng has to think of not only all of his interactions with Pat, but also all of his interactions with the other queer people in his office. Does he have to come out to them too or do they already know like he thought they did? Jeng was so busy being the most smitten man in the universe, it didn’t occur to him that his giant, massive, all-consuming crush on Pat might not have been obvious. I’m guessing the straight people in his office have been working under the assumption that he is straight. Will he need to come out to them too? He has been handling this for who knows how long, but this time, this time it HURTS.

Jeng was so worried about crossing the boundaries by being Pat’s boss that he didn’t even think about how dating a man would impact his worker’s perception of him. I don’t think he ultimately cares about what they think of his personal life or his personality as long as they are able to function as a department. But when Pat asked if he liked men, Jeng had to start reevaluating everything. Not just his interactions with Pat, but his interactions with the world. No wonder he seemed so just completely and utterly tired this episode. When Jeng and Pat finally work through their little miscommunication issues (which makes so much sense and work so well with this show I can’t even begin to describe my actual love for it which is weird cause miscommunication is my least favorite trope), I don’t think Jeng will actually change anything about the way he presents himself to the world. He still has his family to think about, and he’s still, well, he’s still Jeng. But I think this gave him some things to think about himself that he probably already knew but didn’t think he would have to explain to another queer person. Especially not Pat. Pat is out at the office, but it wasn’t entirely his choice. Pat outed himself so he would stop getting put in awkward conversations about the women in the office. Jeng might have seen something similar to himself in Pat. Pat could potentially pass as straight, and in fact did at the very beginning. He let people think he was dating a woman. Pat was careful who he came out to at the office. Jeng probably thought that of all people, Pat would understand him the best. Not explicitly out, but not in the closet either. How heartbreaking for both of them that their experiences clashed in such a way. But once those two get on the same page? They are gonna be the cutest couple in the entire world and I am so excited to see Jeng, finally, finally, be able to express his love for Pat to Pat as much as he wants to.