#both times ive gone there it has ended so badly

[quixoticanarchy]

if you can eat bread without Problems i hope you are grateful also if you're ever thinking of giving up that ability or something uh hit me up. i don't have anything good to trade for it but i think it's my turn with the functional digestive system. pls. anyone?

[tibby-art]

tibby you have no idea how much i want you to just straight infodump about kyle (huge monweek fan & i love his whole aesthetic) so im just sitting here waiting for more stuff

GODDD DUDE ive been so fixated on our campaign and its only been three sessions clenches fist. Ill yap under the cut

So the campaign takes place in 2009 in a small town in Illinois called Hollowbrook. Kyle was born & raised there, very normal upbringing, mom dad & little brother living in ur typical cozy cul-de-sac home, he's a pretty outgoing and rebellious kid though. Likes doing stupid shit like going to parties in the woods and breaking his arm doing skating tricks and going to the junkyard and smashing stuff for fun. Plays guitar badly in his garage. Goes to the local comic shop to talk nerd stuff like pokemon and world of warcraft and whatever.

6 months before the campaign takes place, Kyle is out in the woods with his younger brother Liam one night. Growing up, they've both been pretty interested in supernatural stuff and mythological creatures, so it's not uncommon for them to hang out there looking for bigfoot or whatever for fun. However, something goes wrong, something strange/magic happens, Liam goes missing and Kyle is witness to it all. He tells everybody what he saw, but no one believes him.

This sends Kyle on a pretty bad spiral for the next few months. The trauma of your younger brother going missing right before he's about to graduate high school, knowing you saw Something but nobody believes you, continuing to search for the truth while everyone slowly begins to move on. Kyle quickly becomes a lot more reckless and obsessive. He takes a semester off community college because he can't focus on school at all. He dedicates all of his time to one purpose and it's getting his brother back. He spends his days online at deep web forums discussing cryptids and magic, and at night he heads out to the woods to look for clues or creature sightings. He notices the forest is a little strange at night, but besides that, not many leads.

Only very recently does he meet the other three members of the party and discover the Hideaway, a magical portal that connects their world to a mirror dimension full of magic and mythical creatures. Kyle is convinced that this has to be where Liam went, and with a new lead & a team of chucklefucks he can continue to work towards that goal. :J Kyle's playbook is The Expert. He's the only player character who's lived in Hollowbrook his whole life so he knows pretty much everything there is to know about it. His casual interest in cryptids over the years + his recent obsession with it makes him pretty knowledgeable about that stuff as well. He doesn't have any magic abilities of his own (yet, that i know of?) but he wants to help the other three learn more information about the nature of their abilities, hoping that solving their mysteries may bring him closer to learning more about where Liam could have gone.

I'll share art I've done of Liam soon bc there is a Lot :J Towards the end of last session, Kyle revealed to the party that he's looking for his younger brother who went missing, however they haven't had time to discuss this in detail yet, so they haven't seen any photos of him or anything (Kyle keeps a lot of photos on his camera & printed out though lol. Also all of the characters have 100% seen Liam's face without realizing because Kyle has been putting up missing person posters everywhere)

soooo yeah thanks for being interested in my guy teehee i already have like 50+ drawings ive done of him in a month urm

i tag hollowbrook hideaway stuff as hh and there will be more stuff on my main blog where i rb other peoples art of their characters as well

[3grey-morals5]

vent(?)asf also poll at the end if u read it

am i the only one that has VERY specific interests inside of scp but also isn't very connected to the lore of said interests?

Like, first off I am extremely specific with the things I like and don't know alot of the BROAD info. For example I'm been obsessed with 035,049, and alagadda for the last 4 years or so, and newly fixated on sarkicism, but that's kinda it. Like if you asked me anything abt the mtf groups or the researchers i couldn't give you anything just bc I haven't looked into them and haven't really planned to. I know I SHOULD learn absolutely everything I can about every topic, but it's a very daunting task. Scp is huge. Am I being a fake fan or poser just because I cant understand alot of info on different aspects in scp? I want to, it's just scary.

second, even with the things I DO like (I'll use sarkicism and alagadda as an example, only because I'm somewhat happy on the knowledge I have on 035 and 049) I still don't know as much as other people into it. Am I even allowed to say I like alagadda if I haven't read all the tales and know the entire lore? Am I able to say I like sarkicism and post about it if I haven't even started reading En Memoria Adytumn(?) And get most of my info from what others say (I have read both tales - to my knowledge- containing derdekeas, so he's an exception ig). I don't want to be a fraud. I love my headcanons and making new stories out of stuff I know for my own universe, but I'm starting to think that they're moving me back in my "studies" of scp

All in all, I'm worried. I've felt like this for the whole 5 years I've been in this community, and it's never really gone away no matter how much I assure myself that it's okay to not know everything. I don't want to let anyone down or disappoint, I want to be the "ideal fan" of the scp universe that knows almost everything but I'm just not. I have barely anything to show for the time I've been obsessed with it, and it's embarrassing. Tbh i dont feel comfortable calling it a special intrest of mine anymore just bc from what ive heard, a special intrest is something youll learn anything about and are expertly versed on. I want so badly to learn everything I can, bit there's a lack of spark to do so. I think my pessimism is holding me back and I don't know how to break free. It sucks ass.

Anyways, thanks for making it this far. Just something I had to get off my chest. If you have any insights or opinions, please vote on what I should do. I think it would give me the push I need to get set on a decision and

[melobin]

“i love all 7 not just one” yet ur so dismissive abt a certain member which clearly isn’t loving all 7 goofy ass. no wonder ur friends with ninona 🤣 both y’all r ot6ers

me when i’m onto nothing the fact you can sit and assume you know how i genuinely feel about ot7 riize is crazy to me. you can continue to think what you want to because i can assure you both ninona and i do not gaf !! im far past the point of caring if people think i negatively of me over the situation with seunghan !! i know i love seunghan ! my friends know it too ! i do not gaf if random people on the internet think differently bc frankly why should i ? i run a smut blog girl im just here to talk about cock 99% of the time 😭

if i’m being completely honest here. i feel like people seem to struggle to grasp the concept that people handle things in their own ways. i’m a very sensitive and emotional person and over the years ive been trying to deal with that in a way where i don’t get hurt so easily. i’ve been dealing with severe anxiety for years i have chronic depression if i sat and thought about seunghan’s hiatus every day i would be completely miserable and worried and that’s not how i want to be i want to be okay i want to feel okay.

grief has never been something i ever get too emotional over it just doesn’t happen, of course it’s sad to not see him there but the way i handle things doesn’t mean i dislike him in anyway shape or form and i’m frankly quite tired of having to explain myself about this. at the end of the day, if seunghan returns it’ll be one of the best things to happen, it’ll make me incredibly happy, i don’t talk about my emotions often but if you want the truth there it is. if he, god forbid, ends up being removed from riize then it will hurt me and i will be upset. i’d rather spend his hiatus in a middle group of knowing there’s realistically a 50/50 chance of him returning and him not rather than sitting and getting my hopes up only to be hurt and upset after.

the way i deal with this hiatus is for my own benefit and my own sanity, i don’t want to be sad all the time, i just barely made it out of a depressive episode and i know if i sat and dwelled on him being on hiatus then i probably wouldn’t have made it out of it. the way i treat the other 6 members is the same way i treat seunghan, i feel the same way about them all, it’s just not as simple to show that when he’s not in gifs or videos or photos.

writing about him is not as easy because i haven’t seen him for months and as time has gone by the other 6 have become more visibly comfortable and free on camera and we never got to see that with him. i love writing for him, his porn plot fic is one of my favourite fics ive written and im always happy to write for him. i just tend to write more for sungchan and eunseok because those are the members i am more sexually attracted to, im a slut man idk what you want me to say. people rarely send asks about seunghan, they’re mainly about sungchan and anton and there’s nothing i can do about that. if people send asks about him, i answer them? if they don’t then i dont, i can’t answer something that isn’t there.

i don’t mean to post such a long rant but frankly i’m just tired of having to say the same thing over and over. no, i don’t care if you think badly of me over it, i don’t care for people who think they know how i feel about something and act as if their opinion is the be all end all. so thank you for sending this so i could freely express my feelings about this.

and DAWG leave ninona out of this as well !!! she expressed why she doesn’t write for him and i touched on my own feelings about writing for seunghan. i never once viewed her in a negative way, she’s one of the funniest people ive had the pleasure of befriending and no, she doesn’t hate seunghan either !

[lyrical-fics]

Can I request a fic inspired by kinda both I love you so (The Walters) OR/AND Francis Forever (mitski), Where the trailblazer has to leave Jarilo VI and Bronya or Seele or really any adult women are kinda sad Im asking for angst >:D

Feel free to ignore it if you don't vibe with this request! <3

I Miss You More Than Anything

Characters: Bronya, Seele, Serval

Song: Francis Forever

Synopsis: They knew you had to leave; you were a trailblazer, after all. However, they can’t just shake away the feeling of the feelings and memories the two of you shares together.

A/N: Yes, of course, anon!! I love Mitski very much, thank you for the request :D Also, a bit ooc Seele cause I have no idea how to write her, I’m so sorry. 😭 This is also probably a tad bit badly written, I’m using this to get out of my writer’s block and practically forced these words outta my brain 🥲

Serval

Serval knew of the consequences, she knew you would leave soon. After the incident that happened between her and the previous supreme guardian, she knew that she had to close off her heart. But here she was, in love with you; then you left. You left her and her heart that still ought to sing for you. But what can she do? You are a trailblazer, after all.

Serval didn’t cry when you left, knowing fully well what you do in your job as a trailblazer. But you can’t say she didn’t get hurt. She was hurt; so much to the point that as soon as she didn’t see your figure anymore, she ran to her workshop and cried the whole day; Gepard having to console her the whole duration of it.

She knows you wouldn’t come back and you couldn’t. So she faced the truth and tried to carry her life on normally.

Tried.

It’s 3am, she’s awake, looking at everything that reminded her of you. To the stuff that you left for her, unintentionally or not, to her very own workshop. You two spent a lot of time writing songs, talking and laughing together inside that building.

She wanted to sleep, but not when her mind is literally clouded by you. She needed something to pour all those thoughts out on. Now she’s writing a song about you again, only difference is— it’s no longer with you. She was used to this, composing music alone; until you arrived.

Oh, how she wishes she came with you instead and joined the trailblazers. But she couldn’t, she had a family here; a family that also loved her.

Serval’s stuck between her thoughts as she writes down lyrics for you. Lyrics you’ll never read. A song you’ll never hear. She can only chuckle softly as she feels her tears slowly drip down on the paper she’s writing on, writing one final lyric to finish the song for you.

“I’ve been trying to lay my head down, but I’m writing this at 3am.”

Bronya

Bronya wasn’t supposed to fall for you. She did her best to keep it all to herself, until you confessed your feelings for her. This was so wrong, she was aware you would leave that’s why she tried to avoid you. But how she wishes it didn’t end oh, so fast. Her mother dies by your hands, and you leave for another expedition. She should’ve expected it. So she’s left with a broken heart and a responsibility to shoulder.

She’s tired. So tired. Being the new supreme guardian gave her a lot of work to burden, more than she has ever handled before. Dark eye bags obviously appearing on her face. She hasn’t taken a rest in what, two days?

She didn’t cry when you left, that would destroy her reputation as the new supreme guardian, so she smiled softly and waved at you as she watched the train disappear.

Bronya would’ve finished her workload faster, if it weren’t for you lingering in her mind. They would have been by my side, encouraging me to finish this, she thought. They would have started helping me relax by now, she thought. Then she cried.

She didn’t need the whole world to know about what she has done for Jarilo-IV and the work she had to do. She needed your encouragement, your support, your praise. But you’re gone.

“I don’t need the world to see that I’ve been the best I can be, but I don’t think I can stand to be where you don’t see me.”

Seele

Seele was not worried a single bit when you left. You promised to return for her once you were done, after all. The first week of you leaving her was spent with numerous texts and calls with each other— until it stopped happening. She figured you were starting busy, so she waited. She waited, and waited, and waited. Numerous seasons passed by, but you never arrived.

Seele opens her phone and checks to see if there were any messages from you for the nth time that day, sighing as she sees an empty inbox. It’s been months since the two of you talked the last time, but she knows hopes you’d message her soon.

“Seele, don’t you think it’s time to move on? I don’t think she’s coming back sooner, she’s a trailblazer, remember that. They probably only said that to lessen your pain,” Oleg says, murmuring the last part, which didn’t go unnoticed by the girl.

“I’m working on it,” she replies blatantly, not even sparing him a glance.

“Look, Seele, if you don’t—”

“I’m going for a walk. Please don’t disturb me.”

She left with tears in her eyes. He was right. Maybe she should really think about moving on. You left and gave her empty promises, she should hate you.

And so, she gains a new goal. She straightens her back and continues walking around. Examining her surroundings, she notices that she ended up on a tree-lined path, the one that the two of you used to walk on. Looking up at the gaps of sunlight, she remembers your oh-so warm touch and smile.

Then she realizes.

“I miss you more than anything.”

[cyberdragoninfinity]

zane, ofc

ONE OF MY MOST ETERNAL FAVS

Why I like them/why I don’t: ZANEEEE oh i could write a thousand essays about how much i love him and why (and i have) but i will keep it brief for now. GX may have dropped the ball with the writing on half its series's cast but they knew what they were doing with zane. His character arc is so agonizing and he's such an interesting and complicated character. He threw so much away chasing after sky high standards and victory just to feel something and then killed himself when he knew he was at death's door and THEN had to face consequences of not actually dying and now having to start the long road to recovery. god. he's just fantastic. not a villain or even really a bad guy at his core but more of a performative bad guy. heel_turn_2.mp3. i love him so much

What I like about their appearance: the hell kaiser look is still just absolutely top notch yugioh outfit design. the black and silver...the ref stripes down the legs, it's such a kickass color palette that really compliments zane's dark teal hair (i also love how he and syrus really do have the same shape of bangs it's really cute)

Do I prefer their dub names or original names? going to be a Zane Truesdale preference-haver until the end of time i fear....it's just such a badass name it suits him so well imo. i do also like calling him ryozane after seeing a twitter oomf do it. the beautiful bridge gap between a dub and sub liker in conversation: just shoving both names together into one word <3

OTP: it has been a hot minute since ive gone insane about them but know zatticus/idolshipping is still an all time fav ygo ship for me. there is so much love there and also they are a fucking mess. ideal zatticus dynamic is a bit this to me i must say. they need a little sprinkling of divorce in there. they came like that

NOTP: idk man i think if you ship him with his little brother you should get a really big rock smashed over your head tbqh

OT3: do also enjoy the zane/atticus/fujiwara Elite Trio.... three guys who are mentally ill and nonbinary in three different directions. i need them to play dnd together so bad

Favourite card they use: tossup between Chimeratech Overdragon (such a cool as hell monster,) good old Cyber End Dragon (probably my favorite ace monster in all of GX and top three for all of yugioh period,) and, of course, Power Bond (*thinks about the truesdale bros and starts crying sobbing wailing etc*)

Favourite moment they were in: gotta be the zane vs possessed!jesse season 3 duel/zane's last stand of course. everything about it. when gx had a lighting and color budget and it shredded like hell. when zane goes out having summoned Cyber End, his ace and oldest friend, instead of using the Cyberdarks anymore, and all the thematic weight to that. the dub exclusive of zane telling syrus he's proud of him immediately before dying. absolute S tier yugioh.

Least favourite moment: HM. LIKE. i dont even hate it i think it's an engaging and fucked up duel but i will say the zane vs syrus s2 duel because it makes people absolutely fuck up comprehending both of these characters like. atrociously badly. see me after class.

im gonna replace the FKM last question with 'something you associate with the character' (song, animal, flowers, etc etc)' instead: hisuian samurott :^) the hell kaiser pokemon ever to me

[ucetheones]

Jey Uso X The Judgement Day!Polycule. | Found Family.

as you can tell, that segment really got my brain WORKING. because jey w tjd?? y'all know that's right up my mf alley!! ive only written jey x dom and like,, barely; but w.e!! eat ur fucking food <3

unedited cos yeah.

Joining The Judgement Day could've been the biggest mistake of Jey's life, it could've easily been the worst choice he's made. Turning heel again after such a short time being a baby face was by far the oddest part for the Samoan.

But, despite all the people telling him he was wrong for agreeing, despite all the ways it could've gone badly, Jey stood alongside them only weeks following Dominik's proposal. It was so far an amazing choice. 

Of course it wasn't truly as easy as just agreeing, they wanted to set boundaries from the jump. Jey did too.

He needed to know he wasn't trapping himself, he couldn't handle another situation like that of The Bloodline. He voiced this.

In turn, they made it clear should Jey want out, he was free to do so, they weren't taking prisoners. They were family. They also made it clear that they'd always fight with him, and never against him, no matter what issues they may be having in the back. 

For their unwavering protection and devotion, the faction demanded one thing. That one thing being Jey keeps the true nature of The Judgement Day's relationship to himself. It wasn't uncommon for co-workers to date, but it was uncommon for entire factions to find themselves together. 

Jey agreed. He had no issues with what they got up to. 

Unsurprisingly, bonding with Dominik was the easiest of the group, the younger man was much different than his on-screen persona. He was gentle, sweet, and incredibly tactile. On numerous occasions, Jey has woken up to find Dom wrapped around him, knocked out and drooling onto the spare hotel pillow.

The first time, Jey startled, jostling the sleeping male in the process, who merely pouted and shuffled closer. When Priest had returned to the room, Jey scrambled for an explanation, only to be met with a low laugh, and a quick, "Get used to it," before he was passing Jey a cup of still hot coffee.

After that, Jey found himself in that position at least twice a week while traveling with the faction. 

Slowly, Jey got closer with the rest of the group, he and Finn found an easy rhythm training together, while he and Damian worked out strategy. 

Rhea was harder to find an entry with, both tried countless times at conversation, and building a connection; but to little avail. It was starting to grate on Jey's nerves, but he knew it wasn't the woman's fault. It wasn't his either. Or maybe it was, he couldn't say for sure.

Still, it frustrated him to no end.

He and Rhea went on that way for nearly three months. Three fucking months. Until the first time he'd seen Jimmy outside of promotion. He hardly remembers locking eyes with his twin before the elder is pushing his way through the small crowd to try and talk to him.

Jey hasn't spoken to Jimmy seriously, since before he joined The Judgement Day. He doesn't want to talk to him, or anyone from his family for that matter, but Jimmy is determined.

"Aye, Uce! You don't answer the phone no more? What's up wit' you?"

Jey wants to tell him he got a new phone and number, wants to tell him he only kept the other phone for the day he felt ready to face his family again. 

He says none of this, because his breathing is picking up, and his hands are starting to shake.

Jimmy doesn't quit, to the shock of no one. 

"You join The Judgement Day and now you too good fo' yo' own twin? You know, bein' on RAW just temporary, baby bro. I'ma get you back." 

Before Jey can shake his head, and force out a reply, he feels Rhea's hand slipping into his; offering him both a lifeline and relief. 

"You think cornering Jey in a place where every member of his family is, was a bright idea?" Rhea's voice is firm, fierce in the way she only gets when one of her boy's is in potential danger. 

Meaning she sees Jey as such. She sees him as family. He doesn't show it, but he is slightly surprised. But he knows he probably shouldn't be, he wouldn't have lasted as long as he did with the group if she hadn't. 

Moreover, without looking, Jey knows exactly where Dominik, Finn and Damian are. He knows they're currently surrounding all exits should Jimmy try something. He feels comforted by the knowledge. 

Jimmy sucks his teeth, his tone clipped as he speaks, "you ain't his family, Rhea. Don't start tripping. Y'all can pump that family bullshit on RAW and have the fans eat it up, but you don't know Jey. You don't know shit 'bout him. You don't know how to comfort him after a bad day, you don't know shit 'bout what my twin been through!"

In reply, all Rhea does is tilt her head and hum once. 

"I know him well enough to know what he looks like when he's had a nightmare about the day you kicked him in the face. We know him well enough to know why Jey can't sleep with his back to the door anymore. We know what he looks like when he's feeling safe, and carefree."

Jimmy grows visibly upset at her words, a soft growl bubbling from his chest. The implications of what she said rang loud and clear.

All Jey can do is inch closer to the woman, his lips pursed as he gives her hand a gentle tug. A silent plea for something Jey isn't even sure of. 

Still, she seems to understand if the way she smirks is anything to go off of, "You might not have a Mami, but Jey does. And Mami? She takes care of her boys, unlike your Tribal Chief. Remember that next time you think you can just step to Jey when he clearly wants nothing to do with you."

They don't give Jimmy the chance to respond before Rhea is ushering him away. 

It should embarrass Jey that Rhea is younger than him, and had essentially taken on the role of protecting him, but it doesn't. 

It makes him feel warm inside, valued in a way he never felt amongst his own blood. She cared enough to stick her neck out for him, to show she wasn't going to leave him high and dry outside of matters of the business. 

Hell, he wasn't even aware Rhea knew anything about him, let alone such intimate things.

When they meet up with the rest of the group, Dominik latches onto Jey like he's afraid he'll vanish; effectively burying his nose into the Samoan's neck as he mumbles, "He's lucky Mami went over there and not me, he'd be meeting my foot up his ass, Amor."

Jey can't help but flush red before bursting into laughter alongside the others, the absurdity of Dom's words hitting them all at once, they all ignore the way the younger man sputters his defenses. Finn is the only one to offer him any apologies, ruffling his hair in the process.

Back at the hotel, Rhea pulls him aside. She's silent as she stares at him, before she's tugging him into a hug, her accent thick with emotion, "we've got you now, Jey. You can exhale, you know?"

His knee-jerk reaction is to question what she means, but she continues before he can, "you've been wound up so tight for so many years…you can let us carry some of that burden. You're not some tag-along. We sought you out, we saw you. You don't have anything to prove to us, or anyone else…"

At that moment, it dawns on Jey that in getting close with the others, he might've unintentionally been steering away from Rhea, trying to prove himself as an asset to her by working well with the others. As the only woman in their faction, her opinion was highly favored, one declaration of Jey being unneeded and he'd be gone. 

But here she was, telling him without fear that the opposite was true.

With a shaky nod, Jey wraps his arms around her frame, exhaling softly when he feels her fingers begin to card through his curls. An action he's seen her perform on Dominik to bring him back down to reality when things get too loud in his head.

Jey can see why it works for Dom, because it definitely is for him.

He's relaxing against the Australian woman, finding warmth in the gentle vibration coming from her chest as she begins to sway their embraced frames.

The first person to kiss Jey is coincidentally Rhea. They were all drunk, and incredibly touchy. Which was fine for the original members of The Judgement Day as they were all dating, but it should've been weird for them when Dominik demanded to sit in Jey's lap. It should've been weirder for everyone when Rhea leaned down and pressed a messy, albeit passionate kiss to his lips after doing so to Dom first. 

It wasn't at all weird that Jey didn't hesitate to return the kiss, earning a breathy moan from the Australian.

Instead Finn gasped loudly and began frowning, "Rhea! You skipped tha' line! Ya'know I wanted ta' be first! I was gonna ask Jey in tha' morning."

Rhea merely laughs, the sound slightly mischievous but excited, "Ya' snooze ya' lose, baby!"

Jey is quick to voice his confusion, along with his approval, "I ain't sure what's goin' on righ' now, but if one of ya' don't kiss me again, I'm leavin'."

In turn, Damian doesn't waste any time scooping Dom out of Jey's lap, passing him off to Rhea; before he's claiming Jey's lips in a kiss. The room fills with whoops and laughter.

It was undoubtedly different from kissing Rhea, if for no other reason than because he was leading the kiss with an ease Jey couldn't keep up with in his drunken haze, but he was hellbent on trying his best.

Before he can fully lose himself in the kiss, Finn is huffing and easily replacing Damian, quickly spurred on by the small whimper Jey can't hold back when their lips meet.

Much like with the others, the kiss is over far too soon for Jey's liking, but he's unable to express his disdain before Dominik is pushing his way past Finn and Damian to reclaim his place in Jey's lap. 

"Ah, the best for last! Unlike these animals, I'm a gentleman, with manners. So, Jey, may I have the honor of kiss—" the elder silences Dom by capturing his lips in a heated kiss, ripping a wanton whine from the male as his arms wrap around Jey's neck.

The rest of the night goes by in a blur of random kissing, ending in everyone passing out on Jey's bed; a mess of tangled limbs greeting them the following morning. 

From then on, things between Jey and the faction only grew stronger. They'd made things official a few days after that fateful night, Jey easily falling into the fold, completing their relationship in ways none knew they'd needed until the Samoan was taking his rightful place alongside them. 

The night Jey won the Intercontinental Championship, Damian and Finn were at ringside, cheering him on and keeping the members of Imperium at bay. 

Rhea and Dominik were noticeably absent, but Jey knew beforehand they'd be recovering from their own matches that night. 

He was pleasantly surprised when his girlfriend had slid into the ring, shadowed by Dominik who was beaming and gathering him in a tight hug.

Rhea gave a speech, declaring this only the beginning of their dominant reign on Monday Night Raw, with every member of their faction holding gold, it was only a matter of time before one of her boys would be plucking that title from Seth Rollins. 

Breathing heavily, his arm and title raised above his head whilst the rest of his family celebrates his win, Jey can't help but feel reaffirmed that he made the right choice in joining their mismatched family.

It worked in ways no one aside from the five of them would ever understand, and Jey was more than okay with that. He didn't need to explain himself to anyone. Not with his three boyfriends and spitfire of a girlfriend in his corner. 

[proxythe]

Another hc is I think Shinji loses a lot of weight during the 2 years just cuz he isn’t getting enough to eat and he’s getting sicker and then when he’s recovering he has to take a lot of time to be able to move again so he’s definitely not doing much strenuous activity and he regains weight slowly. I think what is able to really help him both gain weight and learn to be nicer to himself is he makes food that he himself would enjoy (its a long journey cuz he’s not used to being nice to himself and he’s very crabby about it lol) and I like to imagine him having a sweet tooth and liking cookies and cake a lot and he gets chubbier over time and Akihiko is like over the moon cuz Shinji is taking care of himself and it’s showing!

Then Mitsuru um because of fucked up angsty reasons shes had to prioritize her appearance a lot, a whole metaphor for keeping up a facade so she doesn’t reflect badly on the company, and she always is very controlling of what she eats and how it’d make her look. She also puts a lot of effort into her hair and makeup to keep up a perfect image of femininity. Then like during her social link she’s with Kotone just kinda exploring common shit for the first time and she develops a love of fast food and it frightens her cuz like. What’s happening to her she isn’t allowed to have this kinda indulgence and she certainly isn’t allowed to enjoy it either. But she’s supported and encouraged to let herself eat whatever she wants and she just explores a lot of options and eats what she likes even if it’s not some perfect shit that keeps her skinny I think Kotone and Yukari would collectively be like PLEEASSEEE DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY IF ANYONE SAYS ANYTHING WE WILL MURDER THEM WE HAVE OUR WEAPONS DRAWN. So Mitsuru gets fatter and also stops wearing makeup too and it’s very scary cuz she’s always had it ingrained in her that this is the last thing she’s allowed to be but she also feels her body and looks at her natural face and she finally feels like her body is her own and she loves what she’s made

Obviously we gotta have Shinji and Mitsuru bond over their new food revelations it’s part of repairing some strain in their relationship I think Shinji can definitely be pretentious about food and would probably have negative opinions of fast food like he’ll eat it cuz sometimes you just can’t cook but hes snarky about it. But when he sees Mitsuru likes it she figures he’s got something snarky to say and he’s just like "uh actually knowing what you’ve gone through I’d be pissed if you didn’t eat fast food let’s go get some borgers". He does make some of his own shit occasionally though like burgers and fries for Mitsuru to have and it’s a nice gesture but it just doesn’t capture the ENERGY of wild duck burger 🙄. Shinji would melt anyone if they said that though alsjka. Mitsuru in return would get Shinji some fancy ingredients and any special sweets that are all expensive (even though I strongly believe the happiest ending for Mitsuru is one where she isn’t really a part of the Kirijo group family anymore let’s just say she still has a way to get yummy snack akjsks). They candy is always really strange and tastes like shit 8/10 times and Shinji will eat all of it anyway and he will not share

Basically Shinji 🤝 Mitsuru: gaining weight and exploring what foods they like for the first time as a way of showing they’re recovering

i’ve thought ab this with shinji constantly (i’m not sure the oversized clothes i put him in have ever properly showed it tho 😭) but i’ve never imagined it with mitsuru !! i definitely draw mitsuru a bit thicker than she actually is but ive never put much thought behind it besides it looks better to me LMFAO … now i will have a reason to continue drawing her this way and more…

in general, the whole “gaining weight to signify growth” oh i could collapse i fear … literally the most perfect & beautiful hc for any fandom…

& guhhh i seriously seriously am in love w shinji & mitsu friendship so much. i always love to think about the respect they have for each other and how they can alwyas just get together if they want to chill … falls to my knees. them getting food together and it’s whatever they want bc they’re becoming so secure in their lives … ……. no judgement just vibes. post canon shinji lives au, i love u so much…

also the bits w aki, kotone, & yukari … clenches fist. sniffle. this is kind of in relation to all of sees but it works here so i’ll mention it: their entire group vehemently protecting each other even tho they’re all fully capable of doing so on their own (except probably fuuka & ken to an extent) is actually just a god tier level thought. big family ..

+ i love that u send such long asks Thank you so much… you’ve already said everything so i feel like there’s not much for me to add !! but i love this so much… 🫶🫶

[bytchysylvy]

ART VS ARTIST 2023 + yet another reflection

tw ed recovery

I dont know when I developed an eating disorder since it feels like its always been there, having off and on symptoms in childhood and in my teen years, but it wasnt until about 2017 where I started engaging in complete restriction. For years I've dealt with health problems that my doctors could never figure out the cause of, never looking into my eating habits (in fairness, I wouldn't have been honest at the time). I pseudo-recovered in 2020, where suddenly so many of my problems vanished nearly overnight. But then relapsed very hard in 2022, I spent the next few months basically being dead let alone making art. By january I could barely stand yet was told "we dont have to do anything about it". In feburary after failing to find treatment I decided to recover on my own and gave myself refeeding syndrome, avoiding hospitalization by accidentally misleading the er about the treatment I was receiving (which was none). In march my therapist reached out to an eating disorder clinic and by april I was in treatment. From then until the end of october has been a mix of php and iop treatment, having to take residency in seattle for awhile at one point. I've gone down to regular outpatient, things have gotten rocky again but at least I'm not where I was a year ago and will never be back at square one again.

I was really reluctant to do one of these art vs artist things despite wanting to for awhile now since I gained 50% of my initial body weight since the start of the year and have never been so self conscious about my appearance; I had to change my entire wardrobe, hurts man. But rehimboification gave me my ability to make art back and ive since made too many bangers to pick my top eight from. I did four sets of the cast, 30+ pages of comics, and returned to animation. ACT 1 is in its last third of work, ACT 2 is about a third done. I've picked up sewing (you can see the flag i made in the background) and plan to garden once its the season to do so. Im in an infinitely healthier place now both physically and mentally. My only regret is not getting help sooner and hurting myself this badly in the first place.

I'm thankful for what this year has given me back, but with being in therapy 12-30 hours a week while being in and out of work, I'm tired. I'm glad that this year of my life is over.

[lazulian-devil]

Thoughts on Book 9, halfway point

Okay so im in Book 9, right? End of Phase 1 of Skulduggery Pleasant.

And I remember, back when I read it as it came out, that I hated how it ended, how everything was so fixed on Darquesse, that I was relieved that she was finally gone from the story (lol) and that I went into Phase 2 weirdly exhausted. Book 9 actually made me abandon SP until something like Book 12 was out?

Now, according to my Kindle, Ive read 94% of Phase 1. Im somewhere around Chapter 56 of Book 9, so Im about halfway through.

And I have to say.

Its such a full book? So much happens? And its so all over the place? Okay we are here now, and now we are here. Brides of the Blood Tears, other dimension, back again, Darquesse, Mirror Image revival, future perspective telling us its all gonna be okay, and and and.

I think Im overwhelmed by this book. Last Stand of Dead Men was utterly enjoyable. But it felt like the book had purpose. Book 9 on the other hand feels like its desperately trying to write itself out of the godhood of problems it created. It wants to do justice to everything Darquesse was built up to be and yet still defeat her.

The problem is that the strategies are simply not very clever and knowing in which direction its going also makes so much of it appear cheap because it wasnt really relevant later?

Darquesse is both built up to be non human and yet appeals to humanity. And I suppose theres a point made there but its... shes just not fun? I think she never was as a villain. Her whole speech about how changing energies is not killing someone and then through like five minutes of group time she remembers "oh fuck, yeah nope that was wrong". Its so weird. Its so jarring. The character feels inconsistent in their own darn book.

Its not that its badly written. Tanith returning is great. Billy Ray is such an utterly human figure in this one and I genuinely feel bad for him (as he evidently truly loved Tanith as a Remnant). Skulduggerys treatment of the "other" Nefarian Serpine shows so much character growth. China is more and more actually an involved character. And a few others I cant remember.

I just.

I dont know. Its a weird feeling because many of the books I have read over the last dozen weeks were also in my head as "not actually that good storywise but well written" and some of that has turned out wrong! I always enjoyed reading them but some stories are much better than I remember.

But I think I arrived at this point in which the story is too large for the books. I care about the characters. About the world. But I dont know if I care about the stakes anymore. I dont know if Darquesse matters to me anymore. What does she even say about humanity? What does she reflect? That we can grow? That we are inherently evil? These are all things better illustrated by other characters.

Is it supposed to be a play on the Phase 2 reveal of Valkyrie being actually a Faceless One? Is Darquesse a shard of said ungodly evil? If so, wouldnt we have benefitted from said reveal in the Phase of its relevancy? Why is it so late?

I think SP sometimes suffers from the Star Wars "Skywalker" symptom of everything being connected at all times.

I dont know. This is weird. I still have 6% and around 50 chapters to go but Im unsure now. I stand before the mirror of literary interest and wonder if there is anything substantial to be seen.

And I know I'll enjoy the book. Its well written. I love Landy.

But having read them all in a row in such close succesion makes me realise how somewhat badly planned they are and how many massive plotholes there often exist.

Maybe the story got too big. I dont if i'll be exhausted. But Im a little worried.

[near-seth-experience]

Personal vents, dont mind me. I'm really going through it, and tbh I just need to lay everything out on the table. I think it kinda helps me process/ look at the full picture.

Lately, I've been feeling like the people I call my friends don't really give a shit about me. Every time I try to vent in one of our discords, I feel like I get brushed off (kind of like that, "Oh no! Anyway..." meme, tbh), and it's been ongoing for a long time, so I've stopped bothering unless something really gets to me. Recently though I've made it known that I'm struggling pretty badly, ive gone radio-silent and have been isolating, and next to no effort has been made to check on me over the course of the past 2 weeks. The closest thing I have gotten in acknowledgment was a gif or two sent in consolation.

On top of that. Only one person remembered my birthday and sent a message (kind of a bummer considering I keep track of all of theirs and have given gifts to them all over the past two years). The amounts of times I check on them and support them is severely disproportionate to their reciprocation, and I'm really beginning to feel like I'd be better off alone.

a friend-of-a-friend who makes me uncomfortable for multiple reasons was brought into a shared space and now it feels I'm being replaced by them.

I've been unemployed for over a year,

I haven't been on antidepressants or my arthritis medication in over a year,

I can't get a full night's sleep, I struggle to stand up/sit down, and it's even been a challenge lately to pull off a shirt or step my second leg into a pair of pants. My mobility is the worst it's ever been.

My psoriasis is completely out of control, both in terms of surface area and levels of inflammation. I'm constantly scratching my patches and breaking skin, making myself bleed. Seriously, it's this bad:

a collections agency is apparently on my ass now trying to get $4k out of me because last year my specialty pharmacy apparently didn't get paid properly for my arthritis medication through their copay assistance program.

I interviewed for a job on 5/1, was told they'd keep me updated two weeks later, and it's been a month since that, so I'm anxious that this job ghosted me, which really sucks because it's something that I could have done confidently and now I feel hopeless since there doesn't really seem like there's anything in my area that I am physically able to do. (I need an office job with next to no experience required, preferably not customer/public-facing)

My left foot has been swollen since March and my rheumatologist has been hoping that getting me back on the arthritis medication would resolve the issue, but the state's shitty Medicaid isn't wanting to cover it, and the medication manufacturer's support program wants to know info about my family's income to determine my eligibility (but I'm 30... they don't need my family's pay-stubs. Fuck that) so I gotta put my foot down and tell my doc that I'm at my wits end and he just needs to try getting me a different medication because at this rate I'm not gonna get any relief til 2025 at the earliest.

I'm stuck living with Trumpy parents who go to a culty church, and I feel as though I can't speak my mind or refuse their expectations while I'm freeloading under their roof and eating their food.

I made a happy pride tweet earlier in the month that talked about how and why I identify certain ways on a Twitter that's under one of my other anonymous handles away from family, and my sister stalked me, found it, and told me as much. (She's the least bigoted which is a silver lining but I don't share those personal details to family for a reason, so it felt like a huge breach or privacy, and i havent tweeted in two weeks because i dont know if i should block her, change the @, or remake the twitter all together. But it's tied to other stuff... so it's as if it's just... contaminated, i guess?)

I turned 30 and I'm still in the "years without relationship = years alive" crowd so this year's birthday was just another big wave of loneliness and feeling pathetic.

[chloeangelic]

OMG! The new chapter of ''Love Me Back'' is so much. How can something that starts like this chapter end up so badly? As with any good story, I knew the angst was around the corner, but what an ending.😳

I loved how you put her mental issues out in the open, with her thoughts and the therapy session in the first part of the chapter. It makes her more realistic, complex, and easier to comprehend. I totally get her. I share some of her thoughts, but at the same time, this chapter made me a bit angry. I hope the next part makes sense at the end. The mix of feelings this chapter made me feel is murky. Which shows me how well-written I found it and how much I liked it.

Self-worth can be a tricky thing, especially when starting a new relationship adds the fear of showing your true self and being rejected, a thing she's already gone through by the glimpses of her past relationships. Being told you're not girlfriend/wife material can create deep wounds, increasing her mental health struggles.

Their relationship is new, and they still have a lot to settle. I know WORDS are IMPORTANT, and they are needed, but seeing Joel show her with his actions what he wants (after all, he wouldn't let anyone get close to his daughter and develop a connection) while the reader is not able to acknowledge it, is frustrating. Not talking beforehand makes the whole situation way worse. The offer of take of Sarah, I feel like she might not be using her words yet, but she's putting herself out. She's trying to give Joel what he needs and be someone he can rely on, to be a team. The pain of Joel's rejection, coupled with his initial lack of attention, causes everything to explode. When, for once, she has the strength to defend herself and express her feelings, it's one of the worst moments.

I would love to read Joel's thoughts on the whole scene. He has so many fronts at the same time. I'm not excusing him because he could have handled the whole situation better (both of them could have). He also has his struggles and anxieties clouding his perception of the reader's emotions, making it harder for him to open himself and accept help. I hope the situation gets solved soon.

I trust you can pull out something from my ramble and that it wasn't too much, lol.😅 Thanks for the chapter! Despite preferring fluff, I'm a sucker for angst like the one you wrote.♥️

Ahhh im so glad you enjoyed it and got something out of it!!! i definitely think that new relationships are a massive catalyst for self worth issues because its such a vulnerable state to be in and youre so afraid of the other person finding something out about you thats suddenly a dealbreaker and just peacing out.

LMB girl has held soooo much back from joel, thinking shes shielding him from it, and it blows up in her face so bad cause she has this vault of crap thats bound to explode open with one little bad vibe from joel, even though theyre both misplacing their frustration. ive tried to make this fic as realistic as possible, and i think a lot of us have had periods of bottling things up and not being able to expect when the last drop hits

the whole series having such a mental health focus wasnt my intention when i started writing it - my initial idea was for it to be more FWB centered actually, but ive ended up including so much of my own experiences with self worth issues and subsequent healing, and that has made the whole thing more interesting i think

joels thoughts come out in ch 7!!!

so glad youre willing to suffer through my angst, and theres a lot of fluff coming up which is very uncharacteristic for me but we all need to see joel and his crab girl happy - they deserve it hahaha

thanks for sticking around, i love reading your detailed thoughts on the chapters <3 <3 <3

[caelumsnuff]

I wish I could get paid like $16,000 (after taxes) or more a month for mediocre plotting, weak characterization, and once-a-month subpar audio porn like this basic and uninspired creative. This is quite bitter of course lol because his work was a fixation of mine for awhile until I realized how not great a lot of it is if you think about anything for more than two seconds and I also watched a lot of the podcast and realized he’s not a particularly kind person either lol.

It does have a little bite to it, but i don’t disagree with you. once again, under the cut because i am so so opinionated and i love ranting.

God i wish i could get paid that much too like gahddamn.

I sometimes wish i could say that his work was just a hyper fixation of mine, but at some point along the way it became closer to that of a special interest. I have quite a lot of fun criticizing and analyzing his work now, critically engaging with it (both being critical of it and having my brain on while i listen so i realize how bad it is at times lol) has become something i enjoy thoroughly. Good brain exercise.

I never was a patreon and im not going to be so i don’t know about the quality of his audio porn but like. I have GWA for that LMAO.

I agree about the mediocre plotting, ive talked plenty on this blog about how his plots are so often mediocre. I think a lot of them fall through because of the fandom reaction to them, or even their potential reactions. Which is a shame because Im of the opinion that he writes darker stuff better, but he doesn’t even just fumble the ball like he fucking drops it sometimes. (Fucking Marcus. Kody.) (the weak ass shit with inversion having no major consequences. Kill some characters you pussy) I think one of the reasons his plots are mediocre is because of the lack of consequences, of actual gravity and stakes. We never kill anyone. No one sustains permanent injuries. We need some kind of fear lingering over us that is palpable and that feels probable, something that has us sitting on the edge of our seats. But he tiptoes around doing things like this, and it has happened so often that we have settled in our comfort that no one important is going to get hurt, and nothing is going to change radically. Honestly it’d be a great time to do so now that we’re comfortable, but i doubt he will. Kill a listener. Kill a major speaker. Give someone permanent injuries. Fuck up relationships beyond repair. Have some horrible secret be revealed, betrayal and hurt and all that jazz. I havent listened to the Avior finale yet, but from the opinions ive seen from people i respect i dont have my hope very high.

Yeah if you think about any plot related stuff theres a 90% chance the floor is going to collapse out from under you. Its actually genuinely impressive how badly this man can fuck up an allegory, gotta give him props for that.

I feel like his characterization fumbles as well a lot of the time, his characters start off with so much personality and quirks and then he starts really fleshing them out and then……. They get buffed and smoothed out. At least thats what it feels like with all the fluffy, no plot comfort audios with little plot in between for months at a time. I do genuinely enjoy a lot of the characters (or the earlier, more full renditions of them. Or just the idea i have of them in my head) but i still think lately they’ve gone down hill. And i hope thats a trend that ends.

I’ve said it in anons to other people so if thats why this sounds familiar, its because it was me lmao, but i don’t particularly care for Erik’s personality all that much. I tried watching his livestreams way back, but i didnt last long because his chat is fucking annoying ass all hell and he wasn’t entertaining enough to justify me staying (for reference, i watch streams a lot. Ive moderated streams, Ive seen very annoying chats. His is horrible). I watched the podcast for a while but i just got sick of his and odies personalities. Hes kinda boring and comes off as fake to me. I wont assert that i know what hes actually like, i dont know the guy and it literally could just be general dislike (we’re human, it happens). I just tend to separate the artist from the art with this one. Its whateves.

But aside from all that, i hope that you still find some kind of joy in staying here if you choose to do so. Maybe its the fanfics, or you critiquing and analyzing the frankly subpar content, or maybe you make art of your own or play with what these characters could be like little dolls in your head, as long as it brings you joy.

Thank you for the ask anon! 💕

[felidthing]

thinking about what sagespeckle's Good Ending is. she doesnt leave the clans for some reason. i dont remember why i decided that but maybe i was to get to know her riverclan family. it can be that now ig. she stays in the clans, maybe in windcan or maybe she moves to riverclan! idk ive never thought about that somehow. but what im trying to decide rn is whether she has kits of her own.

sagespeckle has lived her whole life with an increasingly tense relationship with her mother, no friends, no even civil relationships outside of her mother that she resents. people fucking hate her. so she's been living very guarded, she became mean and abrasive to beat other cats to the punch. she only starts thinking of herself as a person again when applescar starts talking to her. she's a young adult with no close relationships and no sense of self. i also gave her a crush on applescar/strike because yeah. that girl kind of just swooped in and pointed out that people shouldnt treat her the way they do. applestrike saved her life with that

anyways the gals become friends and the evil leaders get overthrown yadda yadda. applestrike is having her own crisis about societal structures. sagespeckle is just kind of. floating around aimlessly. plenty of windclan is celebrating their evil leader being gone, but he wasnt even the one that refused to apprentice sagespeckle. the real leader that got disappeared did that. windclans like yay! we're free and everythings okay again! and sagespeckle is just like. are you just gonna go back to shoving me around and confining me to camp? and then she meets her brothers and father in riverclan and her whole world shatters a little. but shes always known shes halfclan, so she of course had a father out there Somewhere, but its entirely different standing face to face with him and two more cats who grew up just a border away living their own lives

fuckkkkk this is getting so long. im gonna let it. i dont talk about sagespeckle enough. with the way im talking about this i think it would be really fun for her to move to riverclan. i think im gonna go for it on that one. im not sure what to do about her mother, from the start ive always intended for sagespeckle to be seen as in the "wrong" of how she treated her mother (whose name is weaselbelly by the way), not in a way that meant she was Bad, just wrong. because she was young etc. sagespeckle resented weaselbelly for getting into a halfclan relationship and having a halclan kit that suffered for her existence. its that kind of deal. weaselbelly never did anything wrong to her, she was the nicest cat in the clan to her, she trained sagepaw herself when willowstar refused to acknowledge her. weaselbelly named her sagepaw, not willowstar. sagespeckle chose her own warrior name. maybe weaselbelly should have left windclan with her daughter when they treated her so badly, but i cant really fault her for wanting to stay in a clan when pretty much all clan cats see their way of life as the only way they can live. especially windclan who i write as the most like. conservative

so sagespeckle moves to riverclan. she has siblings now. she knows her siblings mates now. she has friendly connections for the first time ever. right now im thinking that a "good ending" for a cat whos lived her life feeling deeply alone and hated, is for her to get a mate and have kits that she can raise with family members and watch them train as apprentices and live the life/childhood she never had. the other option is to just leave it at having her brothers and making friends and living in a clan that respects her. both are good in their own ways imo. im flip flopping between them rn. right now im on family-and-friends because her personality isnt the most conducive to motherhood. but also.... i gave her a crush......... i gave her a lesbian awakening.. and it could be nice to follow through on it.......

[nb-and-nd]

strongly considering leaving Twitter for good. because every time I open the app the only positivity I ever see now is from the kpop accounts I follow.

I really am about to just say "fuck this shit" and delete my account. I'm ready to straight up abandon that place. ive already lost contact with most of the friends i had there, and all the bad news has rendered my antidepressants essentially ineffective. and if things get even worse after this election I don't know what I might do.

there's next to nothing left for me there. everything I once knew is no more.

and honestly? I think I can say the same about the US right now. if ever I wanted to leave a place so badly, it would no doubt be this country. I'd rather be somewhere else, anywhere else than right here, right now. if I had the means, I would have BEEN gone, no second thoughts. I've been thinking about and looking for possible ways out of this since forever ago, and of course, to my immense disappointment, every other place I decide to look at is not much better off than us.

there's so much going wrong right now, so terribly WRONG. I genuinely have no clue what I want to do anymore, because nothing I'm currently able to do is enough. neither to help, nor to escape. I can't do anything.

im not even safe when i sleep anymore; it follows me in my dreams. and waking up every day to both the agonizingly slow ending of my world and the beginning of something worse doesnt get easier.

sometimes I regret being born. this is one of those times. because if I'd never been born, I wouldn't have to be trapped in this metaphorical house fire.

[lightwise]

I do think there's a number of interpretations/layers to this line (which made me get up from my couch and start pacing my living room crying before I could continue watching the episode).

I think in one way Crosshair is right--Clone Force 99 did die with Tech, because without him their family is now forever separated and fractured. There is no full reunion of the entire Batch in one place and at one time that is possible now if he is truly gone. Crosshair has been gone, Echo has been gone, but they both (intentionally or unintentionally) made their way back to their family eventually.

We also spent the majority of season 3 watching the markers of their old identities as "that squad" be stripped away. Hunter's signature red bandana with the Clone Force skull was switched out for an unmarked swath of red. Their paint colors had already been painted over from their original red and gray, then Hunter and Wrecker's paint gets scuffed beyond recognition, and then finally all of the boys deliberately scrape their armor down to the bare metal, leaving the bare bones of nameless, faceless armor that no longer signifies any particular emblem or ounce of personality. And the Marauder, their long time home and the one place in the world they could truly call their own, was blown up. By the time we get to the finale, their weapons and the armor on their backs is the only thing they still have that is "theirs" and ties them to their GAR days. Unless they just didn't show us, even this ends up being left behind on Tantiss, as their weapons and helmets are taken away by Hemlock and most likely not retrieved before they leave.

I agree that the concept of Clone Force 99 first died (or started dying?) during Aftermath when the war ended, Crosshair's chip was enhanced, and he turned on his brothers, forcing them to leave him behind and splitting them all up for the first time. For awhile they all still function like a military unit, with Hunter giving orders, taking on risky jobs that required their fighting skills, and not blending into civilian life at all.

By The Crossing, however, Omega has made it perfectly clear that they are more than just a military unit that happens to still be living together; they are a family, bound to each other no matter where they are or what they have been through. It's why Echo leaving has such a huge impact on her and on the team's dynamic, it's why they want Crosshair back so badly, and it's why Tech is willing to risk his life for his brother.

Crosshair takes a lot longer to come to this conclusion verbally, but he's always living it out through his actions once he returns. Taking care of Omega as they try to escape Tantiss the first time, and every moment after. Worriedly helping Hunter up out of the tunnels on Barton IV. Getting frustrated at Wrecker for needlessly putting himself in danger with the beast on Tantiss. Which then prompts him wanting Wrecker and Hunter to leave and allow him to finish the job on his own, knowing it's a suicide mission. He's acting out of guilt, yes, and he doesn't mentally believe that he truly belongs in the family of The Batch that Hunter, Wrecker, Tech and Echo had created for Omega while he was gone. But he also knows that Wrecker wanting to just storm in there and blow things up Bad Batch Clone Wars era style won't work anymore. Their old tactics won't work anymore, especially without Tech. Their wartime hubris and pride of having zero failed missions, of being able to waltz their way onto any battlefield and come away victorious and hardly breaking a sweat, is behind them. They've gotten older. They've lost people. They have failed time and time again. They have no guarantee of victory now. That Bad Batch, that Clone Force 99, has been gone for a long, long time. He was just the first person to verbalize it.

But Hunter and Wrecker then remind him that they're not going in blind, they know what they're up against. And they would do it all to rescue Omega. That she needs all of them together, because their bond is what is important. Their family sticking together, regardless of what comes. And that's what brings them to victory, for that last mission, before they are finally able to put their identities as soldiers away, or rather, setting them aside to allow new versions of their identities to be cultivated going forward. They might have hung up their armor, but as you said, their identity and legacy lives on through Omega and everyone they have impacted across the galaxy.

“Clone Force 99 Died With Tech.” Is that really true? The Answer is Deeper than you Think

In the series Finale of the Bad Batch, Crosshair shouts at Hunter with a harsh but memorable line, “Clone Force 99 Died with Tech.” But was that really true?

The answer could be both yes or no depending on the point of view.

From Crosshair’s perspective, he did believe Clone Force 99 died with Tech. A great deal of time had passed after he chose the Empire over his brothers. Like Omega told him on Pabu, “You’ve missed so much.” Crosshair was unaware all of the changes the squad had been through.

However, Crosshair knew exactly what was waiting for them inside Tantiss and that any attempt to infiltrate the base would be considered a suicide mission.

By sending his brothers elsewhere, Crosshair felt he was saving them. Given that his choice to remain with the Empire was the main source of his guilt, he felt that deserved to be the one to sacrifice himself. Hunter calling out this attempt as “Plan 99,” triggered Crosshair to forcibly reject everything they once were; thus giving us the line in question.

It’s important to note that by the time Tech enacted Plan 99, he had already come to the realization that they were more than a squad; they were a family. Tech sacrificed himself during a mission. So in essence, he saved his squad as a soldier. However, given the narrative of Season 2, there is a greater possibility that Tech quantified his decision as saving both his family and his squad.

Tech never thought he deserved his fate but understood it was the only solution. Plan 99 was implemented as an act of love. In Crosshair’s case, he felt he owed Omega; that sacrificing himself was an adequate punishment for his mistakes. That’s a huge difference.

Crosshair ultimately needed to forgive himself in order feel worthy of being accepted into the his old squad’s established family. We see this moment happen during the defeat of Dr. Hemlock.

During a tense stand-off on the bridge outside Tantiss, Crosshair had the ultimate test of faith. Plagued with doubts, he faced his worst fear; failure. With the encouragement from his brother, Crosshair pushed through his trauma and made a perfect shot to save his sister.

When Omega chooses to hug Crosshair after the battle was over, we clearly see the shock on his face that turns into relief. It was that in that exact moment that he finally forgives himself and is able to accept the love of his family. It’s one of the most touching and meaningful scenes in the entire series.

So, was Crosshair right? Did Clone Force 99 really die with Tech?

In my opinion, no.

Rescuing Omega from the clutches of Dr. Hemlock was their last mission as a squad. Their armor may have been metaphorically stripped of their old identities, but Clone Force 99 is irrevocably a part of them; just as one becomes a college alumni after graduation.

It’s also important to point out that Clone Force 99 was a title given to them by the GAR and the Bad Batch is a name they chose for themselves. A more accurate declaration would be that the concept of Clone Force 99 died when the Republic fell.

The narrative through the story of the Bad Batch is that the past is always a part of you. Your decisions and choices become your legacy.

Romar told Tech that Serennians existed before the war and the archive was a way to preserve his people’s history. Tech later explained to Omega that their squad existed before Echo and will still exist without him; that change is a fundamental part of life and they must adapt and move on.

Clone Force 99 and the Bad Batch may have been disbanded but their existence didn’t die.

They simply remain part of the Galaxy’s history and their legacy lives on through Omega and all people they’ve aided throughout their lives.

The skull patch on Omega’s jacket during the epilogue proves that.