#because we are her! but if they do make the last li also resemble a ff character

[kaleidoscopiclights]

I saw the pink outfit, and just thought it was cute. But MC's outfit in the cards gave me intense AC!Tifa vibes. Right off the bat. Within a glance. To the point I was doubting we weren't getting it. Lo and behold we are, but now I realize the pink dress is evocative of Aeris!

And it makes a little more sense if Caleb is the default in a sense, and Xavier is in the other way!

[starry-bi-sky]

im having more fem Danyal thoughts. But specifically I've been thinking about Dani in this au. Now, Fem Danyal is just the alt. version of Danny to my other DAG au, which means she follows that lore. that being said. Danyal and Dani already had a pretty rocky introduction in the first place, ANd if we follow canon's setup, Dani in fem!Danyal's world would be a boy rather than a girl. I'm gonna call him Ali for easier difference (my train of thought was Daniel -> Eli -> Ali). While Danny may resemble Talia more than Bruce, Danny and Damian still look very similar to each other. Their blood relation is unquestionable.

You can imagine how fem Danyal might feel, walking into her room one day after school, and finding a little boy on her bed who looks, at first glance, like the little brother she loves to death. If meeting Ellie triggered Kill Bill Sirens in Danny's head, meeting Ali bass boosted them. For a terrifying, fleeting moment, Danny thinks Damian is right there. That somehow, her clever, intelligent little brother found out she was alive and tracked her down.

She slams the door shut, completely at a loss for words. Her heart has nearly stopped a second time. Then she realizes: this boy's eyes are blue. Not green. He looks too old to be her brother. His jawline too narrow, his hair too messy. As he talks, his voice is not the same as the sparse few videos on the internet showing Damian speaking. This is not the child she helped take his first steps with, nor the child she watched utter his first words. This is not the boy whom she taught to pick up a sword; this is not her brother.

Safe to say, Ali gets a knife pulled on him much, much faster than his female counterpart did. He lives, fortunately, but their relationship is unsteady and rocky even after Ali betrays Vlad and joins Danny.

Danny is unsettled by him, not for being her clone -- although that plays a minor part -- but because every time he drifts into her peripherals, she keeps thinking it's Damian. And it spooks her half out of her mind. She gets her hopes up at the same time her heart drops, then she turns her head, and it's not Damian; it's Dani.

It's also why she won't call him 'Dani', it's one letter too close to 'Dami' and she's afraid she'll call him that if she's not careful. So when he brings it up jokingly, she immediately shoots it down; "I'll call you Eli." instead. (Ali thinks she's boring -- he thought 'danny with a y' and 'dani with an i' was funny. Frankly, so did Danny, but she's too uncomfortable with the idea of calling him Dani.)

When he asks her why, she lies and says it's to prevent confusion. When their relationship is better, "Eli" eventually becomes "Ali".

("Why Ali?" he'll ask her, with an ear pressed against her ribs while Danny coils one of his curls around her finger. She's steadily become more and more affectionate; Danny has the impeccable ability of making it seem so forced and stiff and natural at the same time.)

("Do you not like it?" She'll ask him, voice stilted and unsure. She's got her heart in her throat, but she's starting to stop seeing Damian whenever she looks down. "We can keep it Eli if you'd like.")

("No, no. I like it. Just... why Ali? Does it mean anything?")

(Danny will smooth her palm over Ali's forehead, scratching his hairline with her nails, and feel embarrassed. She'll be silent until he looks up at her, and then she clears her throat. "It means eminent; exalted; noble.")

(Ali stares at her in dead silence, long enough that she starts to grow worried. Then tears bubble up in his eyes, and for a moment Danny thinks she said something wrong. "I lied;" he croaks, "I love it.")

(She will hesitate, and then wipe the tears off with her thumbs. "Ali al Ghul," she'll mutter, "but that name is for you and I only. To the world, you're Ali Fenton." Perhaps she shouldn't be giving him her mother's last name, but he is of her blood now too.)

[vladdyissues]

anon from before. i feel like jazz is the odd one out because vlad doesnt hate her like jack but also isnt really interested in her like he is maddie and danny.... i could see him genuinely wanting to be a mentor to her though, based on canon interactions. just. at an arms length. hes not Obsessed with her but if he wants maddie and danny she'll inevitably be tagging along as well. i can imagine him daydreaming about dong questionable domestic things with maddie and danny all day while he sends jazz off to university. jazz is a bright, ambitious young woman! Surely she won't take offence of my treatment of her family if i bankroll her education!

I've actually been meaning to make a post about this point for some time.

Realistically, or at least in accordance with canon, Vlad should be more interested in Jasmine, who is the next best thing to Maddie, instead of Danny, who represents Jack and most resembles him.

But having the chief (male) antagonist of the series obsessed with the protagonist's teenage sister 1) detracts from the hero vs enemy dynamic, and 2) is honestly too creepy and predatory to get away with, even in a funny joke-around way. No way would Nickelodeon allow a middle-aged cartoon man to be obsessed, romantically or otherwise, with a sixteen year-old girl. The power disparity between them is too great, and that's just as humans. Vlad is also a mega-powerful half ghost completely capable of attacking and subduing a teenage girl. It pegs the red on the Uncomfortable Implications Meter.

But Vlad being obsessed with a teenage boy who happens to have his same powers is acceptable because they're more equally (narratively) matched. Ergo we get the soft "Uncle Vlad" side when it comes to Vlad's interactions with Jasmine. (I mean. Apart from that bit in Secret Weapons where he threatens to "waste"—TV Y7 lingo for "kill"—her with injected nanobots should she betray him.)

Speaking of which, she never got those nanobots out of her bloodstream.

But ignoring that last detail and focusing on when things were still somewhat amicable between Vlad and Jasmine, I could definitely see him trying to mentor to her, being invested in her future and her education. She represents all the things that Vlad admires in Maddie, specifically her intellect*.

* In order to maintain his delusion that Maddie is a genius who could never make a mistake, I think Vlad has convinced himself that Jack must have lied, duped, or otherwise "tricked" Maddie into marrying him, because there's no possible way she, such a remarkably smart woman, would ever marry such a bumbling idiot. He had to have deceived her. It's the only explanation.

Vlad has Maddie on a pedestal—which is also part of his objectification of her. He worships her, the goddess who could never (willingly) do wrong... the prize he can only ever admire from a distance, never to have or hold.

Anyway, I'm starting to get off track. I love this Badger Cereal equivalent of Vlad & Jazz. (Cheese Therapy?)

[samgirl98]

Forgotten Demon Twin 6/?

Prev | Next

Have good parents Fenton, as a treat

The Fentons and Waynes sat opposite each other.

Maddie had offered their guests some water and then sat with her family. Jack had been uncharacteristically quiet.

“So, Mr. Wayne—”

“Please, call me Bruce.”

“Mr. Wayne, what makes you think our Danny is your son? Where’s your proof?”

“I found notes written by my mother and grandfather,” the Fentons turned to Damian. They hated the resemblance. “They mention that Danyal had been placed with Madeline and Jack Fenton in Amity Park, Illinois.”

Maddie frowned, “That’s impossible. We found Danny abandoned on the side of the road. He never mentioned any family members.”

Maddie turned toward her son. He refused to look at her.

“Why now,” Jack asked, “We’ve had Danny for a long time. Why are you showing up now?”

“Like I said on the phone, I didn’t know about Danny. I didn’t even know about Damian until a few years ago. Their mother kept them a secret from me. I’m not asking to take Danny away. I want a DNA test to determine whether or not Danny is my son. Then we can take it from there.”

Neither Fenton said anything. They were worried. This man was rich beyond belief; if he wanted to take Danny, he could, and there was very little they could do.

“What do you want, honey,” Maddie asked her son. If he wanted the DNA test, they would allow it. If not, they would fight Bruce Wayne.

“I don’t know,” Danny said. He knew that Damian was his brother; he knew he was Bruce Wayne’s son. Danny didn’t know what to do. Should he tell his parents the truth? What if they rejected him? He didn’t want to leave Amity and his parents.

Bruce got up, “What if we leave so you can discuss it? This is my card. Let me know what you decide.”

Danny knew Damian did not like what Bruce was proposing if his frown and tense posture were anything to go by.

His mom took the card and showed the two Waynes out.

When she came back, she sat where Bruce and Damian had been.

“Danny, is there anything you need to tell us?”

Jack got up and sat by his wife. Jazz stayed close to Danny and took his hand. She nodded at her little brother, encouraging him.

“Mom, dad, when I said I didn’t remember my family, I lied. I know Damian is my older twin brother.”

Both older Fentons stayed quiet, silently urging their son on. They gave him soft looks.

Danny took a deep breath, “I didn’t come from a good family. It was a cult. I was exiled at seven because I was considered a failure. Besides, grandfather had his perfect heir in my older brother. Why would they need me?”

Danny couldn’t look at his parents, fearing what he would see.

“It wasn’t a coincidence you found me. Grandfather was also curious about ectoplasm and knew you two studied it. He sent me to spy on you guys and send reports about your work.”

Both Fentons breathed in deeply, surprised. Their little boy was a spy? Who would do that to a child?

Danny flinched at his parents' reaction but didn’t look up.

“I didn’t send them anything about the portal, I promise! All my reports were on public patents. The last time I heard from them was when I was ten. I’ve been sending them the same sentences in my report. I honestly think they forgot about me.”

Jazz squeezed Danny’s hand, showing her support.

“I recently found out about grandfather’s death and the dismantling of his cult,” Danny whispered.

“How did you figure that out,” Maddie asked. She was studying her son with shrewd eyes. They could be obsessive, but the Fentons weren’t dumb.

Danny flinched and then sighed.

“Damian visited me last night. He told me the news about our grandfather. He told me we were free.”

“Why didn’t you tell us, Dann-o,” Jack asked.

“I didn’t want to put you guys in danger, and,” Danny took a deep breath and looked at his parents, “I didn’t want you to send me away.”

Maddie hugged her baby boy tightly, “Baby, we would never abandon you! You’re our little boy. I wish you had told us earlier. We would’ve found a way to help or at least reassure you that you will always be a Fenton.”

“Yeah, Dann-o, you’re our son! Nothing will change that!”

Danny hugged his mom back, tears wetting her hazmat suit. He was afraid to let go even though his parents had just reassured him. After a few moments, they let go. Jack had gotten up to put his arms around his family.

“Now what,” Danny asked while wiping away tears.

Maddie sighed, “I supposed, if you’re up to it, we get a DNA test and go from there. But Danny, for this to work, you have to be truthful with us. Is there anything else that needs to be known?”

Jazz came to his rescue.

“Mom, dad, maybe we should leave it at that. After all, it’s been a long morning.”

Both elder Fentons looked at each other and nodded. They knew their son was still hiding things from them, but their heartstrings tugged when they saw his baby boy’s curved shoulders.

“Okay, why don’t you go rest, Dann-o? You look like a ghost!”

Danny barely stopped from flinching at his dad’s observation.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll call Sam and Tucker. I wanna see if they can meet up.”

“Whatever you need, sweetie. Now, do you want to do the DNA test or not? Either way, we’ll support you,” his mom said.

Danny knew it was better to get the DNA test over with. The big bad bat would get his way eventually. Besides, maybe it’ll get the Waynes out of his hair quicker.

“Okay,” Danny said, “Let’s do this.”

____

“Why did we give up so easily,” Damian demanded his father, angry.

“Damian, we have to be delicate about this. Danny was abandoned. All he knows are the Fentons, and he doesn’t want to leave them.”

“Tt, he’s a Wayne. He’s better off with us. Besides, he’ll get used to it.”

“Damian, what would you do if someone tried to take you away from me?”

“That’s different; you’re our real father.”

“Danny might not see it that way.”

Damian gritted his teeth. He would do whatever he could to go to his real father if he had been him. Why was Danyal being so difficult? His talents were better utilized somewhere else.

Damian saw signs of the fights his brother got into. There were craters on the streets. There were buildings under repair.

He spotted Phantom merchandise in the shop’s windows.  

Damian ignored the evidence of his brother starting a new life without him.

It’s your fault, the voice in his head said.

Damian ignored it. He hoped he wasn’t too late to have a relationship with Danyal.

Damian is going through it. The guilt is making him seem a bit douchy, but please remember this is a journey for him.

[zuko-always-lies]

What exactly were everyone's character arcs supposed to be?

This is an interesting question for ATLA, and one sometimes without a clear answer. Some characters have reasonably complete character arcs, and others simply don't, to a degree which is often not acknowledged today. A few are in-between. This not necessarily a function of screen time. Jet and Yue have reasonably complete character arcs despite only briefly appearing, while others with far more screen time do not.

Without further ado, I'll go through the characters one by one and try to give an answer:

Yue, as I said, has a story which feels complete with a beginning, middle, and end. She's a very duty bound person committed a political marriage to help her tribe, a person who was saved by the holy symbols of it in the first place. Then she falls in love with Sokka but refuses to break off her engagement out of duty. And finally she sacrifices her life out of duty to save everyone.

Jet also feels like he has an arc. You can take issue with how it was written and how it plays out, since he really got the short straw, but it's an arc. From being orphaned by the Iroh-aligned Rough Rhinos, to fighting the Fire Nation and going "too far," to trying to make a new start in Ba Sing Se, to correctly getting suspicious about Zuko and Iroh, to being brainwashed by the Dai Li, to dying fighting against Long Feng. It's not nearly as coherent as Yue's arc, but it's something.

Suki, by contrast, doesn't have much of an arc. I've heard before the concept of "character arc" being defined as "either the character changes or the audience's perception of them changes." Neither of those things ever happen with Suki. She remains unchanged, and we learn nothing really about her. The only meaningful character change which happens is that she and Sokka fall in love.

Aang quite obviously has an arc: grow into the position of Avatar, defeat the Firelord, befriend Zuko, and the end the war. And, of course, get together with Katara.

Zuko also has an arc, which the show probably spends more time on than with anyone else: change sides, become friends with the Gaang(although that bit was very poorly written), and reject his abusive father and instead start worshipping his uncle. And I suppose grow strong enough to beat the crap out of his sister, like he's always wanted to do.

Iroh, by contrast, couldn't have less of an arc. Any attempt to read an arc into the mess of extremely incoherent writing he was would require extreme charity. In the end, we're supposed to both accept he "changed" offscreen before the show(that his arc was already mostly complete?) but also that he was "always good" anyways.

Toph doesn't have an arc. 90% of her character development, such as it was, is confined to her first two appearances. After that, she's merely a hanger on to the Gaang. As much as people love her, there is so little to her story. Her character is better defined than Suki, but her story isn't.

Azula is supposed to have an arc. It's supposed to be about falling apart, going insane, and being lain low. But it was extremely rushed and shoved unconvincingly into the last few episodes, and the writers were uninterested in explaining what actually happened to make her fall apart, so I struggle to say she has anything resembling a coherent arc.

Ty Lee also doesn't have an arc. Her arc, such as it was imagined, was supposed to "betray Azula." Yet none of the character development she gets over the series leads in that direction, and we have every reason to believe she would have acted the same at the beginning of the series as she did at the end. And of course there was no "redemption" aside from switching sides for her.

Mai has slightly more of an arc than Ty Lee, but that's only because it involves her getting together with Zuko and eventually sacrificing herself to protect him. Otherwise, it's about as coherent as Ty Lee's arc.

Sokka's arc is an interesting one. I would say that there are four things they experiment with as the basis for his arc. First, there is his distrust for Aang, which is rapidly resolved. Second is his sexism, which is equally rapidly resolved. Third is unease over being a nonbender, but that's only rarely referenced over the course of the series, and is fully "resolved" in the truly awful episode "Sokka's Master" early in Book 3. Finally, there is the issue of his daddy issues and his desire to prove himself as a warrior. That is something his story keeps coming back to over and over again. However, it is almost entirely resolved in the Day of Black Sun episodes, where Sokka leads the SWT in battle, despite a couple weird later references in the Boiling Rock episodes. Thus, I would Sokka has an arc, but it's resolved well before the series ends.

Finally, we reach Katara. I don't think Katara really has much of a coherent arc in the series. In Book 1, it was all about her trying to become a master waterbender, but she achieves that by the end of the Book. After that, her character lacks clear direction. What's her story supposed to be about after that? Getting together with Aang? "Forgiving Zuko"? The daddy issues which show up for exactly one episode? The conflict with Toph which shows up for two? "Accepting that ordinary Fire Nation people are people too," even though she was always shown to be compassionate to ordinary Fire Nation people not actively engaged in genocide? The "mommy issues" which she often brings up but which are rarely taken seriously by the show, and are ultimately used to get her to forgive Zuko (two separate times!)? All of these seem completely unworthy of hanging her arc on, and I have to say, I don't think Katara has much of a coherent arc past Book 1.

If we had to order these characters in terms of coherence of arc from most to least, it would probably go something like: Aang, Zuko, Yue, Jet, Sokka, Katara, Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, Iroh, Toph, Suki.

[bengiyo]

Only Friends Ep 12 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Last week, Atom admitted to Cheum that he lied about Boston, and then Cheum reassured her brother and not once did she apologize to Boston for what she did or said to him. Ray and Sand started their boyfriend era, but Sand is pathetic and wants to give it up for Boeing. Mew and Top are back together, and Mew is still sorting out how he's doing to manage his sense of embarrassment and betrayal about everything that happened. Nick and Boston destroyed Atom together (not sexily) and Boston offered for them to be boyfriends until New York in the only couple showing anything resembling grace. Also, Yo and Plug got back together.

"Begin Again"

We finally got to have the threesome and Sand bailed.

Ray isn't wrong here! Sand does need to make a choice if he doesn't want to be with both of them.

Why does Top need to apologize to Sand about Boeing? FUCK THAT!!!

That was a lame apology, Cheum. Also, Boston, you do not need these fickle hypocrites for friends.

Reminder that Sand spread revenge porn about Top around, so I think we're even.

Did he just call roller-blading a vintage sport? How dare they

Boston is wearing a Faith, Hope, Love shirt.

Oh, Sand, pathetic until the very end.

I get wanting to cut down on group strife, but Top and Ray do not need to be friends.

Suddenly these hoes acting like they give a shit about each other? Mew is just here so he can be right about Ray needing to quit drinking and be monogamous with someone else.

Sand just called himself a dog? Not a slay.

Boeing and Boston? Mond scored almost every boy in this show!

I'm still with Boston here. He only offers closeness to Nick.

Here the two losers go again.

No one can go lower than Sand, so his advice is useless.

I'm so over this room full of assholes acting morally superior to Boston.

This group of people should not be playing truth or dare.

Well well well First adds yet another boy to his counter.

I hate that Mew asked Nick about his future just to dig at Boston AGAIN.

Ah, so this was for appearances for Cheum.

I did want Nick and Boston to break up, but not like this.

I did not read Mew as ready all the time, but okay I guess.

Is this fire to affirm that he wasn't lying about the story from earlier?

Oh lord I do not want Sand and Ray going into business together.

Suddenly Mix planning to cause problems.

Well that was... stupid.

Final Verdict: 7.5, I Had Fun, But It Has Problems. I'm not a fan of the final episode focusing on slut shaming Boston. I don't get why the other couples think of themselves as so superior to Boston. We spent an hour and 12 minutes taking a weird victory lap over Boston's apparent defeat. This is just so shitty. What a milquetoast way to end this. I would have rated this higher because I had fun for a lot of this, but the final two episodes pushing so hard for these hoes to end up monogamous only to end on a weird tag with the sultriest man who exists as GMMTV is so lame.

[mlove44lh]

Don´t hurt yourself

Chaprter 4 - Apathy

Masterlist

Previously chapter

Warnings: mention of cheating, angst, swearing, mention of miscarriage, mention of blood and hospital, alcohol use. This chapther it may be triggering for some people

Words: 4.337

“So what are you gonna say at my funeral, now that you've killed me? Here lies the body of the love of my life, whose heart I broke without a gun to my head. Here lies the mother of my children, both living and dead. Rest in peace, my true love, who I took for granted. Most bomb p*ssy who, because of me, sleep evaded. Her god listening. Her heaven will be a love without betrayal.

Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks.”

August

"The physical pain is a gentle breeze compared to the emotional pain that engulfs me now. The contractions still echo through my body like violent waves, and tears continue to stream down my face. But none of this compares to the tightness I feel in my chest. The image of what happened before still haunts my mind like a nightmare that won't go away.

It lasted so little, I didn't even have a chance to know him, to hear his voice, admire his eyes, feel his warmth against mine. I will never know which one of us he would have resembled more. My dearest dream has turned into a nightmare.

They promised me that this would be the last exam, just to make sure I don't have any residue left inside me.

"Residue". That's what he became.

I go through all the procedures while being completely on autopilot, I no longer care where they take me, the smell of ether is already ingrained in me and everything seems like a loop of the same thing. Doctors come and go from my field of vision, their voices distant as if they were whispers.

A lot of blood lost, they said.

I think of Lewis, I think I saw him this morning, but I'm not sure, dreams are becoming more and more similar to reality. I don't know if I can trust my mind.

"Mrs. Hamilton? Do you hear me?"

The doctor stares at me, even though he is close, the sound of his voice feels like it's coming from miles away. I try to focus on the moment but it's almost impossible.

"We can search for treatments for your condition, but for now, the best course of action would be for you to refrain from attempting a new pregnancy. So that we can investigate and make the best decision before proceeding with anything else." He pauses before continuing, perhaps waiting for a question. I must have a million of them, but I can't even manage to utter my own name now. “I will call your husband, if everything goes well, you'll be discharged by morning. I'll be around if you need me.”

I watch him leave the room, the hole in my chest makes me feel absolutely nothing, which ends up being more comforting than the suffering I felt when I came across all that blood. I go back to staring at the white ceiling and hope this all passes soon.”

There is nothing more exhausting than loving for two.

I look at the diamond that even after six years, still shines brightly on my ring finger. It would be so much easier if there was no love, but it seems like love was the only thing that remained, even if only on one side.

Everything else has gone away; happiness, respect, attention. The only thing that remains will be the hardest to let go, love.

How does she look through the eyes of my husband? How does he see her? Certainly very different from me, certainly much better than me.

I don't know if I want to forgive him for what he did, but I also don't want to regret not having tried to fight for us both. Forgiving him would mean accepting what happened and trying to move forward together. On the other hand, moving forward without him would mean trying to heal on my own and leaving him behind.

But I don't want to be alone, and I don't want to lose him, even though the feeling that dominates me now is that I have been alone for much longer than I thought.

I stare at the cold coffee on my table, I thought I'd be rested and that I'd be able to think more clearly after a night of sleep, but I couldn't sleep for even a minute, and today things seem even more confusing and painful than yesterday.

"I don't think you should ask for a divorce"

"What?!"

"Put an end to this and move on."

I stare at the woman sitting in front of me as if she had just said the most absurd thing in the world. And it really sounded that way.

“Can't you see the state I am in right now?”

“Yes, your sadness today is clear to me. Just like your happiness almost blinded me during these seven years.”

The cafeteria is more crowded than usual, people are moving back and forth, most seem late for appointments. Emma and I are the contrast to these people, we've been sitting for hours, and many of those minutes have been spent in complete silence. For some reason she was the person I called as soon as I woke up from the worst night of my life.

Emma became practically my confidante over the years. I met her shortly after moving to Monaco, on the first day of my new job. She has always been kind, always seemed to understand me, and it didn't take long for her to become more than just a work colleague. Even after leaving the company after a few years, I didn't stop keeping in touch with her.

I know she has been married for over 30 years, and I also know that she is a very intelligent woman. So it made sense to me to arrange this meeting.

"Have you been through this?”

She says with such certainty that I should forgive him that it's almost like a confession.

“I've been married for thirty-two years. What do you think?"

"And was it like that? Did you just forgive him?”

“No. It was a lot of struggle, we almost gave up.”

“What happened?”

“I was pregnant when he told me he was in love with someone else and wanted to leave me. Can you imagine that?"

Emma is one of the sweetest people I know. Imagining her going through that makes me even more disturbed.

“How did I not know about this?”

“No one knows about it. I promised myself I wouldn't tell a soul.”

“Why are you telling me now?"

"Because you need to.” The woman continues to stare at me as she takes a small sip of her cappuccino. “No one can make the decision for you. But know that if you take him back, you will have to forget what happened and never bring it up again. On the other hand, you can achieve so much more together.”

I rest my head in my hands. I thought this conversation would bring clarity, but I'm even more confused now.

"I don't know, Emma. It's so complicated.”

"It's not easy, Y/n. It's a marriage, everything requires sacrifices. And sometimes those sacrifices are our principles. But if you love each other and want to give it another try, the rest can be fixed."

The thoughts and possibilities rush through me so quickly that I can't focus on just one. I promised myself I wouldn't go through this, but experiencing it firsthand, it's much more complex than I imagined. It's not just a simple 'yes' or 'no'. What's at stake is much bigger.

"Why don't you go out with some friends? It'll help clear your mind. Sometimes a hangover makes us think better about life."

I chuckle at your unusual request.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I'm exhausted."

"Staying in this spiral of sadness and doubt that he put you in won't help you, that I know."

I look at the woman in front of me for a few seconds, but I don't respond to her. The idea doesn't sound as absurd as it did seconds ago, but I don't think my exhaustion and melancholy would allow me to do something like that.

The woman gives me a kind smile, but I can sense pity in her gaze, which only makes me feel more ashamed and guilty.

"I need to go now," she says.

Emma gets up and grabs her coat, and I do the same.

"Thank you for listening to me.”

"You're welcome. You know I'm here for you anytime.”

As we leave the coffee shop, I feel the cold wind of the day wrapping around me. I put on my coat before turning to the woman one last time. Emma pulls me into a hug that I wasn't expecting, but I nestle into her arms, grateful for the chance to see her and for her willingness to help me.

"You'll know what to do when the time is right. And know that you'll never be alone, no matter what decision you make," her voice comes out softly in the midst of our embrace.

"Thank you so much," I say.

We part, and Emma continues to look at me for a moment before she starts to move. I watch her leave the street as she walks away calmly.

I get into the G-Wagon parked in front of the café, and I spend a few minutes staring at the steering wheel in my hands. I don't feel like going home. Even though he's not there, the idea of being surrounded by his things and his scent makes me anxious.

I look around the car and can visualize him in the passenger seat, with his mischievous smile and sparkling eyes. I remember how we used to travel together, planning adventures and sharing laughter along the way. Now, everything feels different.

I left everything behind to come here, to rebuild my life by his side. I faced different people, different cultures, a different language, but I had him by my side, so I didn't mind the barriers I encountered. Because I knew everything would be okay as long as I was with him. I've never regretted leaving what I left behind, even though I left a lot.

I contemplate before reaching for my bag and taking out my phone.I skip through all the unread messages from Lewis and go to her name in my contacts list. I feel anxious as I wait for the call to be answered.

-

The amber liquid goes down my throat, burning, but it burns less than the last shot seconds ago.

I slam the glass back on the round table and pop the small slice of lemon into my mouth, feeling the sour taste cut through the burning sensation of the drink.

I've lost count of how many of these I've had already. But I don't care about drinking too much now, because for the first time in weeks, I don't feel as suffocated.

I could become an alcoholic if it meant finding some peace from my own thoughts.

I reach for my phone inside my bag and stare at the lock screen. The small icon of his photo stares back at me.

“35 New messages”

Since yesterday they haven't stopped coming. I haven't responded to our conversation, but I can still read the messages. A mix of “please” and “let's talk” and a bunch of other things that make me want to drink even more.

Alessia sits back in front of me after returning from the bar with a drink in her hand. She notices my serious expression and looks at me with attentive eyes.

"Are you going to tell me what happened now?" She asks, leaning towards me.

The busy bar isn't too far from Alessia's place, and the bustle around us are louder than I'd prefer. The piano music plays softly, and despite the chatter of people, I can still hear Alessia's words clearly. Ever since we met at this bar, Alessia has been trying to get out of me what she knows is wrong.

She knows me very well. Too well, I would say. It would be impossible to keep something as significant as this a secret from her, but I don't want to have to talk about it at the only time I can deceive myself and pretend it's not happening.

"It's complicated. I don't think here is the right time or place. I just want to be able to drink with my best friend tonight."

Alessia tilts her head, studying me intently. She knows I'm avoiding it, but she's also familiar with my stubbornness.

"Okay. But you're going to have to talk to me sooner or later."

I nod at her as I put my phone back in my bag.

"Tell me. How are the preparations for the move going?" I ask her.

I try to shift the topic of conversation, and fortunately, I succeed. Alessia's eyes light up when I mention my curiosity.

"An organized mess." She responds with a smile. "Everything is in chaos in the gallery, with boxes everywhere. I'm moving just a few blocks away but it feels like I'm moving to another country with so much to do. But I'm really glad I got that spot."

I can't help but smile as I listen to her. I know how much she's been looking forward to this moment, and her joy is contagious.

"The location is perfect, it will help a lot with business.”

"Well, I hope so. This effort has to be worth something. At least it's almost over."

"Do you already have the opening date?"

She nods as she takes a sip of her drink.

"I organized the inauguration cocktail even before starting the move." I chuckle with her. "It's going to be on Saturday. So make sure to arrange to go."

"Of course, I will."

The conversation with Alessia flows for a few more minutes as we share laughs and more drinks.

I'm already feeling buzzed, but the more we talk and drink, the calmer I feel. We're immersed in our conversation when the waiter suddenly approaches, placing an elegant glass on the table in front of me. The transparent liquid inside the glass shines under the soft bar light.

"A dry martini for the lady," the waiter says with a smile, pushing the glass towards me.

"I didn't order that." I say to the waiter, looking confused.

The waiter points to a man sitting at one of the high stools at the bar, who looks our way and raises his whisky glass in a suggestive gesture. He appears to be in his early thirties, with dark hair and a mischievous smile on his face.

"It was the gentleman at the bar who ordered it for you," the waiter explains before walking away.

I look back at the man in the bar, surprised, as he gazes at me with a confident look. He raises his whisky glass in a suggestive toast.

Alessia glances at the man and then turns her inquisitive gaze back to me, clearly confused about what's happening. I shrug and take a sip of the drink, trying to appear indifferent. The bitter taste of the drink mixed with the sensation of the ice in my mouth makes me realize that it's a well-made martini.

“Jesus, either he didn't notice this giant diamond on your finger, or he's confident enough to be an asshole.”

“Maybe he's just curious.”

She looks at me and just by her expression, I can decipher her thoughts. On a normal day, I would decline the drink, send it back, not touch it, or do something like that. But today, I just accepted it willingly, with a smile on my face, from the stranger who bought me an unrequested drink. So I understand the reason for her confusion in her expression.

Alessia is a smart woman who knows me well. I can almost hear the moment when it clicks for her. But she doesn't say anything, just shakes her head negatively.

“What's wrong? Why are you looking at me as if accepting the drink was a crime?”

“I didn't say anything.”

“You don't need to say anything with that look.”

She laughs.

“I just wasn't expecting that reaction, but whatever.”

The sound of Alessia's cellphone interrupts us, she reaches for her phone in her bag, rolling her eyes as she looks at the screen.

"Oh my God, they really can't do anything without me in that place," she says, getting up from her chair and preparing to move away. "Give me a minute, I need to take this call before the gallery catches fire or something."

"Sure," I say, chuckling as I watch Alessia walk away from the table until she's out of sight.

I turn my gaze back to the man who is still watching me, a small smile on his lips. His desire is evident, but my interest in him is as nonexistent as my desire for a dry martini tonight.

But I accept the drink, and now I gaze at the man with curiosity. Not because I want anything with him, but because I wonder what it would take for me to do to Lewis what he did to me. Definitely much more than an attractive man buying me a drink. I still know this, even though I'm angry and drunk to the point of not thinking about how it would further affect my situation.

I hate this stranger for making me go back to thinking about Lewis when I was managing to deceive myself so well for a few minutes.

I watch the man get up from his seat and slowly walk towards me. I don't know why he thought he was entitled to all these actions, and I have no interest in talking to him now, but I still don't move to stop him. I stay in my seat with my eyes fixed on him, waiting to see what will happen.

His posture is impeccable, and he seems to be over 6 feet tall. His suit is flawless, and the watch on his wrist looks expensive. He is an attractive man for more than just these things. But even so, I couldn't be less interested.

"I've been trying to choose a drink for you for a while." He says as he gets close enough.

"And what made you think a dry martini would be a good idea?"

"It's an elegant drink, and you seem like a very elegant woman, so it made sense." He smiles.

"Thank you." I smile back at him.

"I'm Henry," he says, extending his hand, expecting a handshake.

"Y/n." I say, extending my left hand to him. He looks at it while shaking it. The ring on my finger is not something that would go unnoticed, especially to someone interested in flirting with me. But that realization doesn't stop him from being here, with the same smile and the same posture.

"So, did I make the right choice?" he asks.

My drunkenness and thoughts make me take a few seconds to realize he's talking about the drink he sent me.

"Well, to be honest, that wouldn't have been my first choice," I laugh nervously. "I prefer something sweeter. But thank you, it was very kind of you."

The unwavering smile remains on his face. Meanwhile, I struggle to maintain minimal eye contact. Regret and anxiety flood me for having accepted the drink and not having avoided the conversation.

"Let me buy you another drink then, one that you like this time," he laughs. "I'm staying at the hotel across the street and maybe we could continue the night there..."

"I'm married," I say, hoping to make the man realize my lack of interest and leave. But that's not what happens.

"I noticed," he says, seemingly unfazed. "But you accepted the drink, so I didn't think it would be an issue."

He says it as if it were a simple math equation, as if it were obvious that I would want to sleep with him in exchange for a fucking dry martini, even though I'm married.

At least I have the answer for Alessia: he saw my ring and has enough confidence to be an asshole.

I don't respond to him immediately. I just stare at the man in front of me, trying to process the audacity of someone making such a crude assumption.

“Is everything okay?” I feel Alessia's hands on my back. She says to me as she glares at him, there is clear anger in her features directed at the man.

"Thanks for the drink," I say as I grab my purse and stand up from the table. I have to concentrate when I put my feet on the floor so I don't end up falling due to drunkenness.

I walk to the exit of the bar and head towards Alessia's car, which is parked a few meters from the front of the place. I hear her footsteps behind me.

"What happened?" she asks.

My heart is racing, and I don't even know why. What happened in there wasn't anything that hadn't happened before, but for some reason, it affected me to the point of wanting to cry. I didn't realize it would be such a big trigger for me.

"Nothing. I just..."

And then it happens. What has been pent up finally surfaces, and I burst into tears. The wave of emotion is so overwhelming that I can barely stay on my feet. I know there are people outside the bar staring at me now, but I couldn't hold it back even if I tried.

In an attempt to have more privacy, Alessia retrieves her car key from her purse, unlocks the passenger door, and guides me inside. She doesn't say anything, but holds my hand and waits for me to calm down.

I know my sobs echo through the car, but I couldn't keep them down even if I tried. I denied myself this feeling, and I knew it would take over me sooner or later.

I don't know how much time passes there. I am silently embraced by my best friend, who holds my hand firmly as if she feels that I might slip away at any moment.

"He cheated on me," the words come out between sobs. I watch her posture change beside me. "In September, Alessia."

"Son of a bitch," she whispers, and I'm not sure if it's directed at me or herself.

"I thought nothing was wrong. He was distant, but after everything, it was normal for that to happen," I break my gaze from Alessia and look down at our connected hands. "But then I found a fucking bracelet in his car. And a few days later, I found out who it belonged to."

"Did you talk to him?” Her voice is low, as if she's not sure if asking me something like that would be helpful or not in my situation.

I nodded at her before continuing to speak.

"I saw her, Alessia. I looked into her eyes while she confirmed to me that she was with my husband. I've never felt so ugly, ridiculous, and humiliated in my life."

I give myself a few seconds to try to calm down, but every time I start speaking again, the tears and despair come flooding back.

"He told me that I was distant, that I changed after the diagnosis. He tried to justify what he did" I say, feeling Alessia's hand gripping mine tightly, providing comfort. "I don't know what to do now."

I look back at her, and I can see the emotion in her eyes.

"You know what to do, Y/n. Look at yourself now, if this isn't a cry for help, I don't know what is. The only problem is that the only person who can get you out of this is yourself."

She pulls me into a tight hug, and we stay like that for some time.

"I'm so sorry. Truly, deeply sorry," She say, pulling away from the hug, but Alessia stays close to me. "I swear, I could kill him right now."

"I know," I manage to smile through my tears. "But I don't think that would solve much."

Alessia backs away from me when she realizes I have calmed down, and she starts the car.

"You can stay at my place as long as you want," she says, releasing the handbrake and preparing to drive out of the parking spot.

"No. I want to go home," I reply.

Alessia looks back at me.

"Y/n, I don't think it's a good idea. Stay with me for a few days, try to think about it away from him,"

"No, I don't want to run away. I shouldn't have even left home today." She keeps staring at me with the steering wheel in her hands. "Please, I need this."

Alessia looks at me for a few seconds before sighing in defeat.

"Alright."

The drive home isn't long. I try to calm down during the journey, but the closer we get, the more I feel the urge to turn back. I know I have to resolve this situation and make a decision soon, but I'm afraid of saying goodbye to the only good thing I've ever had in my life.

Author's notes: Thanks for your patience in waiting until now, and... CHAPTER 5 IS OUT NOW! GO, GO, GO!!

Taglist:

@slafgoalskybaby, @justanormalfangirlsworld, @ravenqueen27, @nakamotosmoron, @supersanelyromantic, @maryseesthings, @bebesobrielo, @tenaciousathleteoperatorgarden, @bbhyunee, @missamericana69, @thotsposts.

If you want to be put on, or taken off my taglist, please let me know!

[thegreymoon]

The Story of Minglan

Nice of you to finally warn Prince Huan of the shitstorm coming his way.

Poor guy, he really does not seem equipped for dealing with all the court shenanigans and a mad father.

***

OMFG, we finally get a name for this woman!

***

You always get the news last, from what I've seen.

***

LMAOOOO, of course he did 🤣🤣

So much rotten offspring! And so many indulging parents who spend their whole lives covering up their crimes and misdeeds.

***

Endless idiocy.

What conferred title? The only thing he is suited for is the executioner's block.

***

AAAAAA, THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS DRUM BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE SHOWN SOMEONE USING IT!!

***

It took her long enough.

***

And here we go.

***

LOL, they clearly didn't see anything??

How are they witnesses? Are they here to blatantly lie?

Also, isn't that kid the son of Wang Ruoyu? How could he have seen anything?

***

LOL, I've been saying!!

And they should have disciplined her long ago, tbh.

***

WTF?

Lies, lies and more lies. All lies.

It is honestly tiresome to watch.

***

Okay, I laughed 🤣🤣

Anyway, if Gu Tingye says he has a plan, then he has a plan. It's probably something underhanded, too, if he can't tell Changbai. I'm not worried. I'm not worried. I'm not worried.

***

This does not bode well.

Also, does anyone know what that band around her head is? Madam Zhang wore one too, when she was sick and after she had given birth.

***

LMAO, I love that his stupid ass is now offering to provide false testimony for Gu Tingye 🤣🤣

His heart is (finally) in the right place but he's just so dumb 🤣🤣

***

Ridiculously cute 💛

***

WTF?

Fucking Manniang again?

***

OMFG, IT IS FUCKING MANNIANG AGAIN 🤬🤬

WHY DIDN'T THEY JUST KILL HER WHEN THEY HAD THE CHANCE 😭😭😭😭

WHYYYYYYYYY😭😭😭

And now we all have to put up with her screeching some more 😭😭

***

I can't tell if she's outright lying or if whatever personality disorder she's got has convinced her that this actually happened because the truth is impossible to bear.

***

God, I cannot stand this woman.

To be this obnoxious and this shameless! Somebody, please stab her already!

***

How is her crazy ass anything even remotely something resembling a reliable witness fit to appear BEFORE A FUCKING EMPEROR?

I mean, the Emperor wisely excused himself on this particular day and the Prime Minister took over, but my point still stands!

***

Okay, now that this episode is done, I am 99% convinced that all this is some scheme between Gu Tingye and the Emperor because the whole thing just devolved into such disastrous chaos. There were these lowlifes, lying through their teeth on things that can be easily disproven (starting with Manniang) but Tingye, who is usually so thorough, careful and meticulous in everything he does mounted such a poor defence, it cannot even be called a defence!

They are definitely up to something and are letting these vermin dig their own graves in the meantime. I am pretty sure that is the plot twist people have warned me is coming, otherwise, none of this makes sense, all things considered. Gu Tingye was already caught once without an adequate defence when Madam Qin was falsely accusing him, there is zero chance he would have let it happen twice. All this is a ruse and he keeps hinting at it to Qi Heng and Sheng Changbai to keep them from doing something stupid on his behalf.

[sharpth1ng]

Hi!

So I rewatched scream recently after having read debaser four times (since November last year no I am not okay) and idk if you've already been asked this but: if you could write scream without making changes to the pov and stuff like that what would you change (if anything at all)?

Because when I was watching it I realised that I like the plot of debaser better (not necessarily because of the romance, but just on the murders and everything) and idk if that's just because you're an amazing writer (which you are BTW your writing is literally perfect I don't even know how you do it) or if it's because of how you made small details of the story make more sense or even because the killer pov works better? Idk

So yeah I'm really curious on how you would do it both on a story and on a cinematography level!!!

(also sorry if that did not make any sense I'm mostly rambling 'cause I have a lot of thoughts)

Hey, first off thank you that's so, so sweet! Second, this is a really interesting question.

Honestly theres not a whole lot I would change about scream, a lot of it is little stuff that wouldn't necessarily be a big difference in the final product. I wouldn't change much about the cinematography really, so many of the shots in this movie are made in homage to other horror movies and I love those. They feel like easter eggs.

Some examples:

Gale nearly hitting a blood-drenched sid and swerving around her matches the scene in Carrie (1976) where she almost gets hit by a car and they swerve (a bunch of the shots in these scenes are pretty matched to each other)

Caseys hanging and Pat's hanging in Suspiria (1977)

Casey's phone call and like, all of When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Billy sneaking in Sid's window and Glen sneaking in Nancy's window in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - especially because Skeet was partly cast for his resemblance to Glen

This isn't even a fraction of the shot references in the movie, let alone references in dialogue, cameos from other horror movies (Linda Blair has a cameo as a reporter and Sherrif Burke is also Sargent Parker in Nightmare on Elm Street), or just movies and pop-culture references seen in the background. Like it would take me forever to list them all. I honestly can't express how satisfying and dense Scream (1996) is as a fan of horror. It goes so much further than the movies actually explicitly mentioned.

ANYWAYS. All that was just to say I wouldn't change a lot about the cinematography.

A lot of what I would change has to do with tightened plot elements. One of the things that does frustrate me about the movie is how vague Billy and Stu's alibi's are after Casey's death. I don't need them to be perfect, but we know the cops talked to them the next day at school, and later when Billy is at the police station they seem surprised to find out he left his house that night. The fact that he either lied about that or left it out would have been a major red flag for the cops, and it just seems like something you would want to consider if you're planning to get yourself arrested and betting on being released. Basically I think that should have been something he revealed when questioned by the cops at school.

A number of other details I would change mostly have to do with off-screen events, but they would alter minor stuff on screen in a way that I think would make the plot more satisfying as it unfolds. Basically I just wish Kevin Williamson had decided who did which kill. It's obvious that he decided that it didn't need explaining since it was off screen and the protagonist wouldn't have access to that information. I don't even need it to be shot that differently, I don't need Skeet or Matt in the costume instead of a stunt man to give us a sense of who is who, I just want it to be physically possible for them to get around in a way that makes sense. It should be something that can be reasoned out in a consistent way if you pay enough attention.

This is particularly a problem for me with Himbry's death and hanging, and with the chase sequence at the house. Like Ghostface kills Kenny, watches Sid run away... doesn't chase her? Like he would be behind yeah, but also she's the main target and she seems to be running down the driveway. Instead he hides Kenny's body and goes back into the house? Why? Where did Randy go and why didn't he leave through the front door? Was Ghostface just waiting inside the house for Dewey instead of going and trying to find Randy or Sid? All of this feels a little sloppy to me since we know the phones in the house work. Any of those people could be calling 911.

Another moment like this is the one where Sid gets attacked in the washroom. A lot of people take that to be Billy given the fight they've just had in the hallway, but the timing of the scene seems to follow directly after that fight. Sid walks away from him, so if she's walking directly to the washroom he's behind her, how is he going to get into the washroom and hide in on of those stalls without her noticing if he has to come in after her? This also just seems unnecessarily risky for him, given how cautious he is otherwise.

I prefer the idea that this attack isn't actually a real ghostface, it's one of the ghostface copycats we see running around (one of the two dudes we see Himbry disciplining). In the original script the scene in the washroom comes directly after Billy and Sid's fight in the hallway, with the scene of Himbry yelling at the two fake ghostfaces following after the washroom instead of the hallway fight. To me this suggests that at least in the original script, these two likely got caught harassing Sid in the washroom and thats what Himbry is disciplining them for. I really don't know why the order of those shots was changed for the movie.

(side note could these dudes be more intentionally Billy and Stu coded? Lmao like my man on the left is literally wearing Billy's same plaid shirt)

Also as a side note- some people use the matching shoes as evidence that it was Billy in the washroom, but the movie deliberately shows us that several people have those shoes, one of the others being Sheriff Burke. These shoes are actually a red herring, so we can't use them as evidence.

So yeah basically some of what I would change is the order of certain scenes. I also wouldn't mind a better indication of the timing of things, some clocks in the background of certain shots would go a long way for me. I also would have liked for the movie to do a better job laying out the geography of Stu's house, so that we know where everything is in relation to everything else before the chase. I just think that works better for a movie like this with multiple moving parts.

Oooh another big one for me is the call that Randy gets to let him know Himbry has been killed. Who does he think is calling him like that? Why are they calling the house? It obviously has to be Stu, Billy has his hands full ( 💀 ) and it would be too much of a risk to bet that people in the house would find out in time to clear out when they need them too. Basically I just think the writing of that moment could be improved, but I also think it's likely written way it is because Himbry's death scene was a later addition pushed for by executives who thought the movie needed a higher body count.

Final thing I can think of (and its pedantic as hell) is that some of Randy's movie references don't make sense. Calling Billy Leather face? Bringing up Prom Night to argue that the killer isn't Sid's dad (when the killer in prom night is a relative of the original victim)? It would be fine if the movie was pointing out Randy as being a little full of shit but the franchise positions him as the Movie Guy who knows all the Movie Stuff, so they should at least make his references work better.

Lmao ok, thats probably enough, i've written an essay. Possible there's more I would switch up but thats the stuff that comes to mind right now!

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.197 thoughts

[Rider Kick!!!]

(Contents: speculation - Haruka, thematic analysis - life)

Tozuka, we need to talk about your sense for chapter titles. It's "ready, get set, go" not "get set, ready, go." Maybe it's different in Japan?

Anyway

HARUKA DEVELOPMENT!!!

Seeing that Haruka's soul is still her child self from her original backstory, I wonder if we'll be seeing a flashback of how her tragedy was averted. Given Isshin XII's statement that Haruka's heart hasn't matured, my supposition last week that Fuuko's soul resembling her appearance from when she just joined the Union symbolizes that she's the same person at heart seems to have been correct. The shape of a person's soul is a reflection of who they are; Andy is an old soul, Fuuko is a member of the Union, Lucy is a free spirit, and Haruka is a scared child. Cowardice has been a core trait of Haruka's the entire time, and while this arc seemed to suggest that she'd grown out of that between loops, this moment implies that just because she's braver doesn't mean that she isn't scared

Presumably the circumstances of her becoming Unbreakable contributed to her soul taking that shape, a moment in her past that she can't move on from. I doubt her father died the same way this time if at all, but even if it was just the shock of seeing her grandfather die of natural causes, I could see that rooting Haruka's heart in a particular time. It would also be interesting if Tozuka uses that plot point to elaborate on why Haruka got into cobbling, what inspired her to make that choice specifically, and how her relationship with Top developed after she saved his friends. I don't know if that's a story that Tozuka is interested in telling, but it's one I'm interested in reading, for sure!

The other major element of this chapter was Isshin XII's advice to Haruka. "Use the power of those who never merely live and die." Therein lies the thesis statement for this arc and possibly the entire series: "[humans] never merely live and die." We aren't alive just because blood pumps through our veins (Victor's original view) or because we have thoughts in our heads (Andy's original view); we're alive because we can form connections, because we can leave an impact on the world, because we can create

A beast lives on instinct. A beast kills and eats to survive and breed, and one day dies so that something else may feed and survive. As UMA Beast said, beasts do not desire coexistence. I would argue that they don't desire anything, their biology simply compels them to eat and procreate, even if they don't have what we would call an "understanding" of the purpose of their actions

A human, though, can eat to survive, but doesn't have to. Eating can be a purely utilitarian experience, just a way to fuel up the body for the next day, but people don't typically do that. People cook, they maximize the taste of the dish as well as the nutritional value if they even pay attention to it in the first place, and they partake of their meals communally. We do understand the purpose of eating, but that purpose is of secondary concern to anyone outside of a life-or-death scenario; instead, the priority is to enjoy our meals, whether it's through the company we keep, the flavor of the dish, or even simply the joy of creation

And that, I think, is where Unbreakable's true power comes from. Unbreakable isn't slapping two scraps of metal together and calling it a shield, it's an artform, a craft that one dedicates their life to, the culmination of skill and pride passed down for generations. It's not enough to simply know how it works; watching a knitting tutorial on youtube isn't enough to create a beautiful quilt, you have to understand the materials and the tools and the techniques intimately

There's no pride or craftsmanship in Beast simply growing Unbreakable armor. Does a tortoise build its own shell and take pride in it, or does it simply happen to grow around an otherwise oblivious reptile? As I've said a thousand times, Undead Unluck is a series about "the proof of a life lived," and the mastering of an art, the inheritance of a legacy, is just another in a long line of angles that Tozuka has chosen to tackle this theme from

Haruka's new Unbreakable, seemingly able to reconfigure her armor to match someone else, suggests that she has achieved that mastery and pride. Unbreakable is not about rigid conformity to one shape, it's about the ability to adapt to the scenario; "the reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the oak which breaks in a storm." Beast has no understanding or appreciation of the effort that forged Unbreakable itself, much less the armor it creates, and thus does not have the pride nor conviction to allow for it to be flexible or adaptable

Beast has Unbreakable, but he does not have the spirit to create. Beast devalues that which proves that one has lived, and that will ultimately be his undoing

Until next time, let's enjoy life!

[maxarat]

Sending you questions - my little joy.

— Legoshi - Transfem (she's my girl and I love her). Her name is Abelia Elisandra Tanaka, In honor of her great-grandmothers, Tanaka is my last name headcanon. [this concept is completely new, I will refine it]. Her alias - Jade. Jade is a gemstone that has the beautiful color of an emerald and the transparent charm of pearls [Leano's scales were bright green, while Miyagi's were pearly white].

"Abelia" is an elegant snow-white flower of the honeysuckle family that, beautiful in a simple and gentle way, symbolizes faithfulness and tenacity, Elisandra meaning "noble defender" or "divine grace".

— Hybrids are actually highly valued on the black market in the most horrific way... and their children, too, especially second-generation hybrid children. This happened to Miyagi when he was little, - pretty little wolf cub with cute scales like pearls...

His father Jason made it in time. That's how Abelia's second grandfather lost an eye and got a scar almost all over his face. Coriana carefully made sure that her granddaughter resembled a wolf girl as much as possible. One of the most common examples is the meat trade, gourmets who want to try a "delicacy", or animals with cannibalistic tendencies who believe that "hybrids aren't even real animals".

— Abelia's scales are actually extremely unusual - tricolor. The bright green and shining emerald is from her mother, the snow-white and iridescent mother-of-pearl is from her father, the transparent green and sparkling jade is a mixture of her parents, her scales look like gems scattered on her fur. This, given the color of her eyes, the soft shade of pink due to partial inherited albinism, makes me inclined to believe that she has a genetic chimerism.

— The only film in which Miyagi starred in one of the main roles and the one that indirectly caused the suicide of her parents... Abelia keeps the tape of this movie as her biggest jewel and watches it on her birthday every day, clutching her mother's photo (this is actually a clipping from a modeling magazine from her mother's heyday) to herself. It almost makes it feel like they're here.

This secret de Polichinelle of their family - both Gosha and Jason and Coriana know that their granddaughter keeps this movie and watches it every her birthday, (They never did. When this film was released, they betrayed their children's lands and trying to take care of a five-year-old orphaned child, which was the last thing they had left of their children).

•••

Ooh so does Legoshi still talk to his grandparents in this verse or does he go radio silent again? - Abelia has a great relationship with her grandparents and her grandmother.

When not at school does he live with Gosha or Miyagi's parents? - She lives with Gosha, but Jason and Coriana bought an apartment next to Gosha's apartment after her birth, and she often goes to spend the night with them since early childhood. We can say that Abelia lives with them all.

How do the grandparents get along? - they get along well with each other, they understand each other on a deeper level than others could ever do - their forbidden love, which turned out to be mutual, and the children who were born and whom they loved no matter what - and of course they are all united by their granddaughter, their little sun.

Also you make me sad talking about the parents and Legoshi's inner monologue!

Oh, I hate to upset you!! but unfortunately, angst and sadness are integral components of this AU.

Does this affect the plot as we know it? - this is a brand new AU that I've been working on quite recently (lol, I had this idea so long ago that I almost forgot about it), I'm still creating and you're the first one to know about it right away. Thank you very much 🩵💛

Also do you send asks out of preference or because you can't reblog? I don't have a preference either way I just want to make sure this is cause you have a preferance! - Oh actually, I love sending questions! For me, it's like giving someone a gift.

Omg I adore transfemme Legoshi! Abelia is such a good name for her! And it def sounds like your version of her has genetic chimerism. It would have to be that way for the partial albinism I think?

Your angst doesn't upset me, it's just successful lol. And your asks definitely feel like presents for me, I love hearing this lore!

[heidi891]

ML Season 5 Finale

It’s the show’s pattern that at the end of the season Marinette makes a mistake and must face the repercussions in the next season. She forgot to change back when meeting with Master Fu and she lost her mentor, and she had to deal with new responsibilities as a guardian with hardly any experience. She mistook Félix for Adrien and she lost the Miraculouses. What mistake has she made now?

She fought alone when she said that they should fight together when she was hiding in the kitchen. But what was she supposed to do? Although I totally understand that it would be great for Adrien to fight his own father, it’s already been established that when Adrien finds out his father is the villain in dramatic circumstances, it doesn’t end well. Adrien recognising his unstable state and giving up his powers was a sign of maturity. He also had the occasion to fight his father as Chat Noir and tell him off (S5 Representation). Of course it’s not nearly as satisfying as Gabriel knowing the truth about Chat Noir, but it’s also more in line with what the show has been telling us.

She trusted Gabriel. However, eventually it turned out OK. Gabriel was forced to listen to Emilie and chose to save Nathalie who died because of his actions. This wasn’t a selfless sacrifice, but it wasn’t a totally selfish action either. In that moment it was the best possible outcome, because he was dying anyway due to his own wrong choices.

Marinette lost the Butterfly Miraculous. I’d call it an accident, not a mistake, and you can’t really learn anything from an accident as opposed to mistake; but in the pessimistic variant this is her mistake and the consequence is Lila becoming a supervillain; Gabriel is “redeemed” and Adrien will never know the truth about his father.

Marinette lied about Gabriel dying a hero. I think that is the mistake that will have the greatest impact on season 6. What’s more, this mistake is related to Adrien (she doesn’t want to hurt him), just like her previous mistakes.

We can see signs that her mistake may have bad consequences in the future:

The scene with the shining, smirking statue (resembling Chloé’s statue) and Tomoe talking about continuing Gabriel’s legacy is rather disturbing. If it were Ms Bustier giving speech and the statue were less shiny and more serious, the scene would give less villanous impression. The statue is a clear, visible symbol of the lie.

During the kissing scene we can hear a little worrisome and sad theme. If it’s a happy ending, why is the soundtrack not happier? Marinette and Adrien seem very happy, but there’s the lie between them.

Also during the kissing scene we can see white butterflies flying around. It may look hopeful, because Monarch was defeated—but we also know that Nooroo is not free. That changes the idylic picture into something more sinister. Lila’s got a lot of information from Nathalie and the computer about Gabriel, Monarch and Miraculouses. She may reveal it in a villanous way to harm Ladybug and everybody else. She may pretend to be a new hero and accuse Ladybug of cooperating with Monarch. I hope we’ll be shown what Lila really wants and what she’s up to.

Adrien

Ladybug probably won’t tell Chat Noir about Monarch’s true identity to keep the secret safe. She may also convince Plagg not to say anything. Nathalie most likely will also stay silent not to reveal herself as the villanous Mayura. I think it will be Lila who will reveal that Gabriel was the villain. That will make Adrien realise that Nathalie and Ladybug haven’t told him the truth. He may feel betrayed, angry and resentful.

I hope we’ll see more angry Adrien. For a long time he tried to be a perfect son and in the last season he started to be more aggressive as Chat Noir. Learning to express more anger and frustration as Adrien, not as Chat Noir, would be much healthier than destroying the world with his superpowers. I hope that there won’t be too much Chat Blanc / Anti-Chat, because such plots aren’t really going anywhere, they only undermine Adrien’s ability to control himself and the future of Adrienette. In the last episodes Adrien grew up and managed to recognise that he shouldn’t transform in such an unstable state, so I hope he will continue to mature and be able to deal with terrible news without destroying everything. And if they’ll keep pushing the Chat Blanc narrative, then maybe Adrien shouldn’t be Chat Noir anymore, if he’s apparently that unstable, and maybe Gabriel was right all along, controlling his son so tightly.

Nonetheless I truly hope he will destroy that terrible statue.

Reveal?

I didn’t expect the reveal and I don’t think it’ll happen in season 6. Those few times we’ve already seen it, it turned bad, but maybe it can strengthen them with Gabriel gone, if they reveal themselves out of trust instead of it being forced by external circumstances or by Ladybug trying to control the situation.

The superheroes

Frankly speaking, I was sort of happy that at the beginning of season 5 Marinette had no additional Miraculouses and Ladybug and Chat Noir were again the only superheroes in Paris. I’m afraid that with so many superheroes season 6 will be rather chaotic.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 10 Portrayals of Dr. Seward

In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Lucy Westenra - Dracula’s first female victim of note - is desired by three separate men. First, the man she chooses to be her husband, Arthur Holmwood: he’s the single most boring character in the entire main cast of the novel, and yet somehow he makes it into multiple adaptations…most of which do very little to make him a whole lot more interesting. I fail to understand this. Second is Quincey Morris: he’s more interesting, in several ways, and is even one of the gents who slays the undead Count, sacrificing his life to avenge his beloved Lucy and destroy the vampire. He also almost never makes it into any adaptations, and even those that do feature him usually conflate him with Holmwood - I’m guilty of this, myself. And last but not least, there’s Dr. Jack Seward - the only one of Lucy’s Suitors I plan to discuss. In the novel, Seward is a young and brilliant psychiatrist and physician combined, and the head of a local mental institution. He’s a skeptical scientist, who needs to be shown the reality of the utterly horrific and fantastical nature of vampires. He is also the “caretaker,” for lack of a better word, of Renfield, which makes him important to the team due to his connections with Dracula’s Servant. It is through Seward, in the book, that we learn so much about Lucy and Renfield alike, and it is Seward who summons Van Helsing in the first place to try and help out. While many adaptations DO include the character of Dr. Seward, nearly all of them change the character from his literary origins. Most make him an older gentleman, and focus more on the connection to Renfield than anything else. Indeed, many times Seward is made to be either Mina or Lucy’s FATHER, rather than a potential suitor. Even a few that do stray closer to the novel sometimes excise important elements of his character. Give Mina and Lucy credit, they usually still resemble their original forms to some degree: Seward is essentially a 50-50 shot. He’s either going to match the book version, or he very much isn’t. With that said, let’s take a look at some of those attempts at Seward now. These are My Top 10 Favorite Portrayals of Dr. Seward.

10. Orson Welles, from the Mercury Theater Radio Version.

The Mercury Theater Radio production of Dracula is interesting in that - much like a few takes on Quincey Morris in other adaptations - it conflates the characters of Seward and Arthur Holmwood. In the radio play, Seward’s work at the asylum is barely referenced, and Renfield is nowhere to be found: instead, he’s depicted as Lucy’s fiance, and the only major connection he has to the book version (aside from the name) is that he is an old friend and student of Professor Van Helsing. The main reason this version makes the list at all is because Orson Welles plays both Seward AND Dracula in the radio play, which is certainly an interesting choice of double-casting.

9. Buz Setton, from Disney’s Dracula, Pages From a Virgin’s Diary.

In the Disney graphic novel, Chief O’Hara (hold your horses, Batman fans; I’m talking about the Mickey Mouse character) plays the role of Seward, or, as he’s called in the comic, “Buz Setton.” (Not sure why the name was changed.) There’s really not much to say about this version except that it’s expectedly amusing, and aside from the name change and the goofiness that lies abundant, it’s a more or less accurate depiction of the character. Also, Pete is Renfield. This makes me chuckle.

8. Herbert Bunston, from the 1931 Film.

The origins of Seward being reimagined as an older gentleman, and the father of one of the main ladies in the play, begin with the Hamilton Deane stage adaptation. When the play went to Broadway, Herbert Bunston was cast in the role of the good doctor. When Universal decided to make their film version of the story - based more heavily on the play, rather than the original book - Bunston was one of the actors from the stage version who got a chance to reprise and immortalize his performance onscreen. While I feel his work is a bit “stagey,” even by standards of the time, it’s clear he’s comfortable with the material, and fully immersed in the character.

7. Jose Seriano Viosca, from “Spanish Dracula.”

The Spanish-language version of the previous film is, in my opinion, largely inferior to the original. While a few things in it are certainly interesting, much of the cast, in particular, just doesn’t strike me as being as strong as the cast in the English version. There are, however, two chief exceptions: one is Lupita Tovar as Mina, or “Eva,” who I spoke of in a past list. The other is Jose Seriano Viosca as Dr. Seward. Viosca’s Seward feels so much more natural in his performance than Herbert Bunston, in my opinion. He’s got more of a sense of humor, too, which is refreshing compared to Bunston’s more proprietorial character. There’s also a wonderful warmth between himself and Tovar, as well; they really do feel like father and daughter in this version. It’s still not remotely close to the book, but it is, in my opinion, a generally more interesting portrayal to watch.

6. Patti LuPone, from Penny Dreadful.

This version strays about as far from the path as you can get; thankfully, the character here is still very interesting, so that ultimately doesn’t matter much. After two seasons of teasing Dracula’s appearance, the third (and sadly final) season of “Penny Dreadful” finally brought several of the characters from the novel to life. Among them is Seward, here reimagined as a female doctor, and an alienist (an early term for psychologist), who has some unusual ties to the main protagonist of the series, Vanessa Ives. Never thought I’d see an older Evita meet Dracula, but here we are.

5. Donald Pleasance, from the 1979 Film.

This film, like the 1931 Universal pictures, is based largely on the stage version of Dracula. Pleasance’s Seward is depicted as the father of the Mina character once again, and this time is very deliberately played up as something of a comic relief figure. He’s a somewhat bumbling character, who ultimately has to stand up to the challenges Dracula’s presence creates for himself and his family.

4. Mark Burns, from the 1977 BBC TV Film.

FINALLY, a properly accurate interpretation of the character from the novel! Burns’ Seward gets a lot of focus in this movie, as not only does he have the relationship with Lucy intact, but the character of Renfield is given some more focus in this adaptation as well. As a result, Burns gets more time in the spotlight by extension.

3. Daniel Weyman, from the 2006 BBC Radio Version.

Once more, not pictured in costume, because this was a radio version. Much like the Orson Welles adaptation, this version conflates the characters of Arthur Holmwood and Jack Seward together, so that he is now Lucy’s fiance and gets sole focus - no Holmwood or Quincey Morris in sight. HOWEVER, unlike the Mercury Theater rendition, we do get to see (or, rather, hear) him in the Asylum, and learn of his relationship with Renfield, which I think is a vast improvement in comparison, since you now get the best of both worlds.

2. The Version from Anno Dracula.

“Anno Dracula” is a series that takes place in an alternate universe, where Van Helsing and his team failed to stop Dracula, who is now effectively the ruler of England, acting as Queen Victoria’s royal consort. In this world, vampires are now the norm: at least 50% of the population are vampires. The interesting thing with this is that vampires aren’t depicted as naturally evil, monstrous beings; they’re just…people. Like anybody else. Some are good, some are bad, but they aren’t inherently diabolical. This is where Seward’s role in the first novel comes into play: it’s revealed that Seward is the only human survivor of the original story, and has basically gone insane after his experiences. He becomes none other than Jack the Ripper: in this universe, his attacks are a pithy attempt to destroy the vampires he’s come to believe are evil creatures. While Seward’s motivations and perspectives are tragically understandable, he is still in the wrong. It’s interesting to see this character in this light, and he’s one of the most memorable figures in the book, as we see the story from his side several times.

1. Richard E. Grant, from the 1992 Film.

A great actor playing the role basically as Stoker wrote it. For all the things Francis Ford Coppola changed in his version of Dracula, one thing that pretty much stayed true to the source without any deviation was Richard E. Grant as Jack Seward. This is pretty much exactly how I imagined the book character to be, and that’s really all I need to give this version top marks on the list. Case closed.

[halleyuhm]

Manuscript search tag game!

I was tagged by @oh-no-another-idea to find the following words in my WIPs: chocolate, eavesdropping, grief, gay, and super. Beware of little spoilers!

I'm tagging @e-klair @faeveries @rosellemoon and anyone who'd like to participate! This is such a fun tag game, so the more, the merrier. Tag me so I can read your excerpts!

Your words are oblivious, whimsical, queen, mess, and, in honor of the Ides of March, stab.

Here are mine :)

Chocolate, Lunática (rough translation from Spanish)

Cold sweat still drops down my neck, even colder than the snow melting on my skin, but I'm able to breathe again, and the colors have recovered their brightness. Tiaré's hands haven't left my knees. She only takes them off to clean my tears away. The loving touch rips a sob out of me. "I'm sorry. For the panic attack in the middle of nowhere." "For what?" She lets out a sarcastic laugh. "Honestly, Lex, this is the last thing you should be apologizing for. What about having us both out here in the middle of a snowstorm? Or the whole wolf drama and the lies? That's a good starting point if you want forgiveness. Oh, and the bitchy move of taking out your hearing aids so you couldn't hear me complaining? Doesn't that deserve an apology? Or an explanation for that time you were gone four d—" "I get it! Can I invite you to a hot chocolate next weekend and explain? Because it's too long of a story to tell when we are minutes away from dying."

Evaesdropping, By the stars foretold

"You were following me the whole time!?" Ruby's wrath sends a shiver down Zak's back. A rush of primordial power envelops her aura, even if her erratic hand movements betray she's not aware of the energy coursing through her veins. Zak takes a step back. The unpredictable nature of the Fæ is dangerous by itself, but Ruby has no magical knowledge nor, even worse, does she know what she's capable of. "Calm down, Resha" he whispers, holding his hands up even though he would much rather punch her unconscious. "A fight in the Academy will get me expelled and you killed." "I don't care! Nothing is worse than knowing you saw—" She sucks air between her teeth, swaying back and forth with the dragon dagger dancing in her fingers. "Was it fun, Zak? Was it fun eavesdropping on the poor boy with no legs and his desperate sister? Was it like one of your books? Or was the story so boring you will burn it to the ground as you do with everything else?"

Grief, Route LXVI

Her face is rounder than the last time I saw her and, although dark bags rim her long eyelashes, her irises sparkle with joyful hues of golden in green. There's remorse, sadness, something that resembles deep grief when she looks at me. But there's also that glimmer of hope, and that's what sinks my stomach into the abyss.

Gay, Route LXVI

"Okay, and what about...?" Gray leaves the question hanging for such an awkward amount of time I believe he wants me to finish it for him. I grab a lock of hair to braid it but realize I can't do it with just one hand, and I hold the sheets to control the trembles instead. "What about the videos?" I suggest. "No, I don't think they deserve much attention. Whatever you do in your free time is your choice, you know? I'm more worried about..." "Gray, please, you are making me nervous." "Your feelings," he blurts out. "For me." "Oh." I pinch the bridge of my nose to hold in a burning headache. "Okay, that was the most horrible lie ever. I thought it would be ideal if we fell in love with each other because that would add up to my perfect persona. So I pretended I liked you... It's so embarrassing. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable." "It's okay," Gray almost sings when he reassures me. "I was anxious about having to reject you." I gasp and place my hand on my chest as if I was offended. "Would you reject this gorgeous, honest-to-goodness human being? I'm shocked you are—" "Gay," he laughs. "I'm gay. But I would have said 'no' either way because I'm not into blondies." Maeve bends in two and drops the phone, choking on laughter.

Super.

Apparently, I haven't written this word in any of my WIPs except for an unpublished Attack on Titan fanfic, so there you have a bit of angst ._.

"I don't have a damn clue," she says. And when Reiner doesn't reply, she continues."At first, I thought I was right because I was searching for freedom. Such a noble quest! And when I realized you were also searching for freedom but from another perspective, I held to the thought that maybe my way was the best one. But I guess there's a point where boundaries get blurry and right and wrong mix up. And there's no time to try and discern something precise and simple in that mess. Probably what you're looking for doesn't even exist." "So what do you fight for?" She sadly smiles. "To protect those I love. Isn't that enough? You don't have to be a superhero: there are so many things worth fighting for with your bare fists. You can't see it because you are deep in a dark hole, but there's so much love in the world shining for you, waiting for you."

Thanks! That's all for now 💜

[spikewriter]

I am continuing my journey through Empress of China. It is not great TV. The costumes are certain worth the viewing because they are outrageously over the top, but 45 episodes in, it's pretty obvious that's where most of the money went. The script is pedestrian, often resembling the type of plots one would see on Dynasty back in the day. (There are cultural and trope differences but mean girls are mean girls, no matter where they are.)

Wu Mei Niang, who becomes Wu Zetian, the only empress regnant in China's history, has amazing plot armor, often doing incredibly stupid things that have no real consequences to her (or only temporary ones), or throwing herself into situations where it doesn't make sense for her to be there. In the episodes I'm currently watching, she's managed to go join Emperor Taizong on campaign. In armor. Really nice armor.

The Emperor's isn't bad, but for something she just happened to fit into, it's pretty spiff.

Of course, the series was designed as a vehicle for Fan BingBing, who was riding high as a star in China, and folks were tuning in to watch the costumes and the overwrought drama. (Seriously, how many ways are there to make a rival concubine miscarry?)

But I'm also sensing a pacing issue. The series has 82 episodes (originally 96, but that version is not available). Which means, at episode 46, I'm over halfway through and Emperor Taizong is still around. Wu Mei Niang still needs to go to a monastery following his death, return to court, become Emperor Gaozang's chief wife (after getting the existing empress deposed), start to handle things for him, and then take over from her son, Emperor Zhongzong, and reign on her own for 15 years.

She was part of Taizong's harem for 11 years (having entered the palace in 638 at about 14 and Taizong died in 649), and was with Gaozang for 32 years, then held power for another 22 years until her final illness and removal from power. But at 46 episodes, we're not through that original 11 years yet, so how much time will we have for the other 54, or will they simply stop as she becomes Wu Zeitan? Also, the series is pushing Taizong as the big love of her life, when there's very little evidence she slept with him maybe more than once. In fact, there is more evidence she had an affair with Crown Prince Li Zhi during the last years of Taizong's life. Which is why Li Zhi had her brought back to court from the Buddhist monastery where she and other concubines who hadn't borne children were sent after Taizong's death. So it's pretty obvious her actual rise to power is going to get short shrift in the remaining 36 episodes. But, if you're watch for the amazing costumes and Mean Girls drama, I suppose the politics of being the only woman to run the country in your own name isn't as exciting.

[bosesmikas]

zenmasters for the otp asks

Omg Anna! It’s been too long! Hope ur doing well!

1. Who fell for the other one first? Hyde for sure. I used to say Jackie because of season 3 but that mostly seemed like obsession looking back.

2. Was it love at first sight? Not at all lol

3. Was it lust at first sight? I can see that tbh. Even though Hyde and Jackie didn’t like each other, I highly doubt that neither found the other attractive.

4. What do physical trait do they love the most about each other? They both love each other’s eyes and smiles. Also their bodies lol.

5. What personality trait do they love the most about each other? Hyde loves that Jackie has a big heart and how genuinely tough she can be. Jackie loves Hyde’s honesty and heart.

6. What random everyday object/activity makes them think of each other? At the makeup salon, there’s a Led Zeppelin painting, making Jackie think about him. And with Hyde, some of Jackie’s favorite music will be sold in the store.

7. What is something they'd want to change about the other if they could? Hyde would probably change her bossiness and Jackie would change his closed off ness. But aside from that, nothing.

8. Do they get along with each other's friends and family? Despite Jackie’s…intenseness, W.B. really like her and thinks she’s a smart girl. Angie also thinks she can be kinda a lot, but does like her. And I think we both know how Red and Kitty feel about the two of them. They’re like parents to the two. Same with Eric and Donna (who are also like family to them)

9. Do their friends and family like their significant others? Obviously yes

10. Have they had romantic partners before? Also yes. (Tho Jackie is Hyde’s first (and probably only serious relationship))

11. Are they a healthy couple? If no, why not? For the most part yes. Minus last season 5 and most of season 7. They both love and support each other and inspire each other to be better people.

12. Do they have potential to be healthy if they're usually toxic? Yes. If in late season 7, they just talked about their issues instead of the writers reducing them to some forbidden lusty connection when they were so much more than that. I wrote a fic called Love that addressed their issues.

13. Do they have potential to be toxic if they're usually healthy? Yes. Season 7 for starters and the whole thing with the nurse and Hyde acting like the wounded party.

14. What song fits them perfectly? Paper Rings, All Too Well, Love Story, Cruel Summer

15. Do they like the same music? Not at all. But they do try to be open to each other’s tastes.

16. Do they like the same food? Some, yes.

17. What do they have in common? They both are so much more than what scratches the surface, they have awful parents, they both are brutally honest, etc.

18. What is their sex life like? They have a very healthy and active sex life. But they just talk and hangout more.

19. Would they ever lie to each other? Why or why not? In canon, they have lied to each other several times but after fixing their issues, I don’t really think so. Plus Jackie would always find out and vise versa.

20. Are they interested in marriage? Why or why not? In my eyes, they’re already married and pregnant with twins lol.

21. Are they interested in having children? Why or why not? Same as 21. But on a serious note, yes. They are both scared shitless tho because of their own home lives.

22. Do you have other ships that resemble your OTP? Dair, Bamon, Gwikki

23. Is there top/dom and bottom/sub energy? Jackie is a top.

24. Are there any kinks or fetishes they share or don't? Not really. They do try using toys one but Jackie hated it and Hyde was uncomfortable (mostly because his chick was). Jackie does dress in a cheerleading uniform and Hyde in a Led Zeppelin shirt (similar to Peraltiago on their honeymoon)

25. Are they sentimental about gifts they've received from each other? They both prefer gifts from the heart.

26. What holidays do they like? Halloween

27. How do they feel about Valentine's day? Jackie loves it because of dressing up but Hyde just doesn’t care for it. Similar to Gloria, Jackie kept trying to get Jay to dress up but for a while it didn’t work. One day, he sees his son and daughter dressed up as Mickey and Minnie and gets won over. Jackie would cheer and Hyde would try to get her to stop.

28. Are they jealous/possessive of each other? Same as canon. But for the most part, they’re both very confident in their relationship.

29. Do they like public display of affection? For sure.

30. Do they enjoy dancing? Hyde hates it but loves Jackie so he dances with her anyways.

31. What's a perfect date for them? Them going to a nice restaurant.

32. How do they comfort each other? Hugs. They’d both mostly comfort each other in actions rather than words.

33. Who is the big spoon and why? Hyde is big spoon obviously because look at them…

34. What's their favorite nonsexual activity together? Just talking to one another and also watching tv.

35. How do they deal with being away from each other for a long time? They usually call and FaceTime each other. Hyde would sometimes sleep with the pink pillow Jackie put in his room and Jackie would sleep in Hyde’s Zeppelin shirt (now I’m emotional and want to write a drabble on this)

36. What is their favorite place to kiss the other? Hyde loves to kiss her nose and Jackie loves his lips.

(Cheek, hand, closed eyelid, neck, nose, etc.)

37. Have they ever hurt each other on accident? Yes.

38. Have they ever hurt each other deliberately? Also yes.

39. Who gets hit on the most? Hyde but Jackie has gotten hit on a few times too.

40. Who tries to distract the other when they're trying to do something else? Jackie

41. Who is, overall, the smarter one? Both are equally smart

42. Who is the sensible mature one? Hyde

43. Do they fight a lot? Not really. They bicker but not fight.

44. How do they make up after a fight? Talking it out, a hug, then makeup sex.

45. If one of them forgot to log out of their SoMe, what would their partner do? Neither really logs out tbh.

46. How do they make each other laugh? Hyde would try to say something lighthearted to make her laugh. Jackie would try to sing to Led Zeppelin.

47. Are they extroverts/introverts? Hyde, I feel is an introvert in some ways. Jackie is an extrovert for sure.

48. Who would bring home a homeless animal? Neither. If anything, their kid would bring a homeless animal and try to convince them to keep it.

49. Do they match outfits for special occasions? For formal event, yes. Sometimes, Jackie would wear a sparkly black dress and Hyde, a black suit and tie.

50. Who would protect who in a dangerous situation? Both. Hyde would do anything for his chick but Jackie would kill for Hyde.