#but for now... it'd be easier to talk separately about them

[violetsareblue-selfships]

good morning!! ^-^

[freestyle-crocodile-trashpile]

Boy...

Summary:Sukuna uses your hatred and fear to his advantage

Type:Scenario:??:Sukuna & M!Reader

Version:Jjk

~

He'd been watching you, enjoying how you were separated from the rest of the village. You hated them, yet you were too scared to do anything. He liked to pick the scared ones from villages. He acts like the devil on their shoulder, see bow far he can push them. Then he'd kill them or make them his. You were exhausted, doing the same thing every day. You'd go to work, get glared at, then go home. You had no one waiting for you at home. Perfect.

He waited, stalking you. He hid from you, not wanting you to see him to soon. But he knew you knew he was there.

It was hard to hide glowing red eyes. Especially at night.

Every day, you grew closer to leaving, but he didn't want that. He wanted you to take revenge cause he knew it'd kill you on the inside. The more guilt you felt, the easier you'd succumb to him. To your king. He even had Uraume go in and treat you nicely so you wouldn't leave just yet, he made Uraume stay long enough to make you fall in love, to have them be your only hope left for the village. To have someone to hold. Just so you'd stay. So he could break you.

There's nothing better than a heartbreak for him.

He'd watch as you hugged Uraume, thanking them for being so sweet. He watched as you made food for them, hugged them to sleep, everything. You never took things farther than a kiss on the cheek, to scared of intimacy to move farther. He was alittle disappointed, you were to scared of touch, of being to rough to do more than hug. But it was amusing, watching you fall so hard for his loyal servant.

To you, Uraume was the best thing to ever happen to you, and maybe they will be. Or, they'll be the death of you.

You had someone at home, waiting for your arrival. A date with the king. He was siting with Uraume, talking about you. Uraume was telling him how to go about this, but he knew what to do. How to break you.

When you got home it was the first time such warmth filled you. Uraume was setting down some food for you, giving you a sweet smile as they gave you some tea. You thought nothing of it, to inlove to think otherwise. You two sat across eachtoher, talking before they looked past you.

Time froze as you felt the imposing figure behind you, sending shivers down your spine that sent fear straight to your core.

"My lord has been meaning to talk to you,"

Uraumes voice broke your fear, it was so calming before you processed the words. The food you were chewing was forced down your throat as you swallowed, almost choking. You didn't need to turn around to know who was behind you, the shadow was enough. Besides, it'd be rude to not bow before your king.

His hand pushed on your head until you were bowed properly, you didn't even know when you had been moved to properly face face him. His hand pushed your forhead to the ground, only being gentle to not scare you anymore. He needed to slowly break you, not do it all at once.

"Oh you poor thing....this village beats you down, don't they?"

His words were oddly smoothing, fooling your broken mind into thinking he cared. All you wanted was alittle care, some real warmth from someone. The longing makes people mad, into making them think a monster would ever truly love them.

The coldness of his hand sent chills down your spine, making you jolt away before his palm cupped your jaw, making you look up at him. His head shook in disappointment as he saw your water works.

"Now now, no need to cry."

His thumb wiped away your tears. It was odd, his chilling hand bringing you comfort. It made your tears stop, making you look up at him as if he had showed you the most kindness in the word.

"The village.. they hurt you, correct?"

You gulped, breaking yourself out of the trance and nodded slowly. He didn't seemed pleased with that answer, a slightly scowl forming on his face as his hand gripped your face tighter.

"Y-Yes! They...they hurt me..."

He loosed his grip on your face, his own face going to a sympathetic look. His massive hand, cold yet comforting, cradled your face.

"Poor boy...let me teach you how to fight back."

Your eyes narrowed, a small look of uncertainty on your face as you thought about it. It didn't want drama, you wanted to stay with Uraume. And he knew that. Looking at Uraume, he stared at them for a moment before looking back at you.

"If you don't now...they might do the same to Uraume, you wouldn't want that would you?"

Your eyes widened, an odd sense of adrenaline going through you. Your body tensed, head lifting away from his hand as you shook your head again.

"No...I don't want them near Uraume,"

As you looked back at them, staring at Uraume tenderly. He smirked, knowing he had you right where he wanted. Your king leaned down to your ear, his breath cold, making shivers go down your spine again.

"Then listen to me, boy"

You were foolish.

You listened to him, hurting the villagers just like they did to you. It started with arguments, then small shoves, then to fights, and now....now you have blood on your hands.

It was a small village, news went around quickly that you killed someone. But you had already killed another. The guilt was already starting to eat you.

You even tried to keep it from Uraume, acting clueless about it and keeping them away from the gossip.

Of course the town couldn't prove that it was you, and couldn't do anything to you. But the more people you killed, the more it drove you insane. You regretted it immediately after, but he made you believe it was for you and Uraume. He lied to you, made you a killer. When you couldn't kill anymore, your lord helped. He finished off the village.

You were scared, it was a blood show outside. Making you back away and hold Uraume close, hoping to protect them. Your lord laughed, finding it amusing that you cared so much about them.

He decided to keep you around, you did good. And there's much worse he planned to do to you, the killings didn't effect you as much as he wished. But he'd destroy you, make you nothing but a pathetic broken man who hated himself, who regretted everything he's ever done. Who trys to hate the king, but can't leave. You can't leave him. You'd be leaving behind Uraume, it breaks you so much. And he loves it.

~

[A/N:I hope you enjoyed]

[pillowspace]

csd ask about that cool concept you had for the end of the fic? may we know any more about it? :3

OH. HEY WAIT, DID I EVER SAY WHAT THAT WAS? I don't actually know what you're referring to exactly, but I can guess

Y/N was never actually from that universe. The CSD universe. They were never even from it. I don't know if you remember the frankenfate au but this was a little secret I held that made frankenfate funny to me, because... because Vale kinda was from a soulmate AU. It just wasn't of the soulmarks or red string variety.

Y/N had a destiny in a modern mer!DCA world, but they were taken from their universe as a toddler to eventually give Sun and Moon a weakness years down the line. I... I know it was William Afton's doing, I think Henry had trapped him someplace and he needed the power of multiple gods to escape or something like that? So he was using Eclipse to get his way, but he secretly had plans to also kill Eclipse once it was all done? That was probably it??

Being brought into this universe, it was like... forcefully jamming together two soulmates when Y/N's narrative was meant for a different Sun entirely. Y/N would find this out later, and although it'd be horrifying to them, they'd eventually decide that it didn't matter if this bond was planned with ill intent, they cared about Sun and Moon now so they had to HELP them! Once William or whatever the hell I planned to call him had trapped both Sun and Moon and gotten what they needed out of Y/N, William would just... send them back off. You've completed their role in this universe. Bye bye now.

So Y/N would've been sent back to their original world. Lost and horribly confused. They were only human. They didn't know how to go back. They're still reeling from realizing that they had been a trap since the moment they met Sun. They could just... stay here, even if they're too scared to approach their own family. Knowing how their life was meant to play out, it's not hard for Y/N to stick close to the sea and soon meet the Sun and Moon they were fated to meet. And it feels like something's clicked, they had always been drawn to water, but they also feel so... empty. Their wants conflict with their fate because a god had decided to tamper with it. They miss their universe, this isn't the home they were raised in, they want to go back!!

And then they meet Michael and Elizabeth. Two gods who Y/N had met in godly disguise before, so they don't recognize the siblings. But Michael recognizes them, and after some conversations, Michael picks up on the fact that Y/N isn't some parallel version but instead the very same person he had met before. So Michael makes an offer. I can't get you directly back to your universe, it doesn't work like that. But it does work like a staircase. Each step is a different universe, and if you'll let me help you get through each world having fulfilled a goal, you'll be able to move on to the next. At the end of that journey will be the universe you truly see as home.

Y/N agrees, and later has a heartfelt goodbye with the mers. I'll... note that the mers don't really talk, so it was just Y/N thanking them, apologizing, and wishing them well in life.

Truthfully, I know I had a reason for how this happens, but I can't remember it: CSD Eclipse also travels with Y/N. They're there, I can't remember why 😭 But their dynamic is... easier then. The two (three?) of them bicker back and forth, but that's a lot healthier than whatever Eclipse had going on previously.

Fun fact!! One of the universes they would end up in on their journey back to the CSD Universe would actually have Sunna and Meno. Y/N would've gotten to meet them separately. Eclipse would've had... feelings about that universe.

I didn't want to drive in the idea of soulmates being this big and necessary thing, so Y/N would eventually come to learn after their happy ending with the gods that the mers are now happy with friends of their own. Everyone got what they wanted, even if the whole rhythm of life got disrupted into a new story.

SO? SURPRISE? CSD Y/N WAS FROM A MER UNIVERSE THE ENTIRE TIME? I hope this is coherent, I'm fighting for my life to sound even remotely coherent in any of this

[perpetualexistence]

Sea Monster AU: Agony of a Sea Witch

It sure has been a while since I've made a post for this AU, hasn't it? I know I said I would get this done in time for Mermay. But it's only technically two days away, so I consider this to be Mermay in my heart. That and it's Pride month so now this is just my contribution of incredibly toxic yaoi to Pride month!

What's with the song choice you might ask? And the title? Don't worry about it. Noah'll be fine. Probably.

But yeah this is like 3.5K words so I hope you guys enjoy my blood sacrifice Sea Monster AU update!

Content warnings: Murder mentions, toxic relationship, Alejandro being manipulative as per usual

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With his new body comes new risks. He can't afford to have his legs suddenly turn into tentacles on land. It'd be even worse if they transformed in front of Alejandro. So he's not leaving this cove until he's convinced he can leave it without instantly outing himself.

He starts with turning his legs to tentacles and back. A lot of it has to do with wanting them to transform. Which is good because otherwise this would be a pain.

As the adrenaline fades away, he's more cognizant of how weird it is to feel each leg split into four separate limbs, and then come together again. He shudders at the sensation, but over time he gets used to it.

It takes him all night until he's finally comfortable enough to make his way back home. He sneaks back in at one point only to be caught by an older sibling. They express their concerns about his recent behavior. He manages to get them off his back for now, but they're clearly still worried.

It's summer break at this point, so Noah has plenty of time to learn more magic. He lies to his family about taking summer classes so they don't question his time away. He tells the same lie to Alejandro so that Alejandro doesn't insist the two spend more time together.

That lie he's much more worried about. Not only because Alejandro is more volatile, but also because he knows that Alejandro is going to ask him about how his revenge went.

The intent lie Alejandro believes, so he won't have to explain why he did it. But he'll have to lie about how much he enjoyed it to cater to Alejandro.

Except it doesn't really feel like a lie. Because there's a part of Noah that knows he did rather enjoy it. When his mother asked him whether he was getting a job over the summer or staying at school, he almost admitted right there that he wouldn't need to get a job. Their biggest money problem is gone.

Noah has been considering a lot of people 'problems' now. It's easier to feed a problem to a ravenous sea creature than a person. He knows, on a logical level, that this is wrong and is a very concerning line of thought. But he's been through so much that he feels like he's done more than enough to earn it.

When he goes to talk with Alejandro, the large eel does pick up on his hesitation in taking pride in his kill. He's...surprisingly sympathetic towards Noah's reluctance. He admits that doing it in cold blood for the first time hits a lot harder than simply watching it. It's not something for the faint of heart.

It's why Alejandro was so happy that Noah was willing to try it out. Once you get over the morality of it, it's such a delightful, vindicating experience. Alejandro would love to be there one day to witness Noah finally let loose. Noah deserves it, truly. However, Alejandro won't force it. He's not that crude. If Noah does want to go further down the path of might then Alejandro will be happy to guide him along. Until then, Noah can take his time with it.

Noah leaves that conversation with zero suspicions from Alejandro, but so many questions. The way Alejandro phrased it was oddly sweet and felt like an earnest attempt to comfort him. But it was still encouraging murder. Even if it was arguably justified. And satisfying.

At least it made it clear that shrinking Alejandro was the only way to go. Once he was less dangerous, Noah could figure out what to do with him after.

But first of all he's got to figure out this new body of his. Knowing how to switch between human to cecaelia won't mean anything if his new tentacles keep slapping him in the face every time he tries to use them. Or using suckers to attach onto rocks when he did not mean for them to get adhesive. The retractable fangs are rather annoying since he keeps cutting his tongue with them. Not to mention the excessive amount of saliva that seems to come with it.

The most difficult part is learning how to operate eight lower limbs instead of two. It's also the most exhausting. Chef's training had done little to improve his endurance. Even worse since he's underwater where his whole body feels sluggish.

Slowly but surely, he starts getting better at swimming with his tentacles. He doesn't have the finest control over them, but he can swim with them and go in the direction he actually wants to go in. He isn't sticking to everything he touches with his tentacles, either. He considers that progress.

He'd still like to know how being an octopus was supposed to protect him from a giant electric eel. Sure, he can swim better now. That doesn't do much against someone who can easily outpace him. Or just zap him.

He knows the basics about octopi. He knows they can make ink clouds to confuse their enemies. Which might work for about five seconds until Alejandro goes around the small cloud. The more useful thing is the ability to camouflage. It'd only work when standing still. But if the ritual to shrink Alejandro means he has to go out to open waters, he NEEDS a way to hide himself. He wouldn't be able to afford Alejandro catching him collecting something, or worse, with tentacles.

Through trial and error, Noah finds out that his whole body can go invisible, not just his tentacles. All the better for him. He anchors his ability to camouflage with his desire to disappear. It's an easy feeling to pull up. He usually wants to stay out of most interactions, and his desire to get away from all of this is enough to get him invisible. The harder part is stopping it. Because it means letting go of the feeling. Noah can't really calm down to let go of it because Alejandro has him on high alert at all times. He just forces himself to think of something else, and it works.

All of this is just taking more time away from preparing the ritual. He hasn't even had the chance to read over it properly. He very badly wants to jump the gun, but that'll risk getting caught in a body he can barely control. But being unprepared for the ritual, and the lives it'll probably require given this book's track record so far, is also a huge risk. And during all of this, he's still going on hunts with Alejandro. Risks all around, and Noah feels like he's this close to snapping completely when he's pulled in different directions.

So when Owen sends him a text asking if he wants to hang out over the summer? You know what? Sure. Why not?

Noah deserves a distraction from all the things he's putting himself through. Is this distraction also risky? Yes. But it's not as if he's going to go out in the water with Owen. There's plenty to do in this incredibly isolated town that only advertises its incredibly visible beaches with the extrovert who has constantly been inviting him to going to another yacht party in Alejandro's hunting grounds.

God Owen would be so screwed if Noah wasn't setting up Alejandro's menu.

At least Owen doesn't push so much into what's going on in Noah's life once Noah makes it clear that's not happening. It's nice to actually have the ability to say no. Not the illusion of choice Alejandro brings. It's easier to forget all the things he's done when the most he has to worry with Owen is avoiding a nose milkshake.

Well, there is the fact that Owen is also still insisting on Noah coming along to group hangouts. More people means more lies and more suspicion. But it also means more chance to be in the background conversation. Not do anything.

Noah misses not having to do anything. So against his better judgement, he says yes.

He lets himself get swept into the hurricane that is Owen, Eva, and Izzy. He appreciates Eva not asking any questions from him and just letting him exist. Plus watching her go off on people is fun. Izzy, for all the rabid energy she brings, is more than happy to make all the choices for what they're going to do. He's more than happy to just let her. Owen's both enabling all the chaos and making sure everyone's doing great. He doesn't question Noah wearing a scarf during the humid, sweltering summer. He just scoops Noah up when the heat exhaustion starts getting to him.

And Noah? He's just there. There's no expectations that he does anything. He snarks and they don't complain about his personality.

It's such a nice break from all the murder and deceit. It takes away from the time he could be spending to solve this problem. But if he doesn't give himself this he's pretty sure something's going to snap inside of him. So he fits it in between the magic and the hunting and the hanging out with Alejandro that the eel still insists on.

Hanging out with Alejandro does make hunting more bearable. And Alejandro more bearable. Alejandro still enjoys reading with Noah and bringing him smaller treasures.

Still, now that Noah's started to hang out with other people, he can how conditional spending time with Alejandro is. There's a stark contrast between being with people who could kill you on accident with their shenanigans, and being with someone who would kill you on purpose for trying to pull shenanigans.

It nags at him. Constantly. He doesn't want it to. He wants to relax for once in his life. He can't have that with Alejandro like this. He needs to stop distracting himself. No matter the cost, he has to go through with this. He's done too much now. He just has to keep playing this game a little longer.

He doesn't realize Alejandro's picked up on anything until they're on their way back from a hunt.

The conversation started off simple enough. Noah was making snarks about the people Alejandro had thrown into his gullet. They were long past having any sanctity for the dead.

Alejandro was pushing the boat that was carrying Noah along...and then he began to slow to a stop. They were nowhere near the shoreline. It was just open waters.

Noah asks what's going on. He's trying to sound as casual as possible. Maybe if he keeps faking it, he'll actually begin to calm down.

Alejandro promises it's nothing major, really. It's about a few things that have been bothering him, that's all. He's noticed some new things about Noah.

At first Alejandro thought they were great changes. He does find Noah's scarf cute, and he's very fond of Noah's new interest in Alejandro's passions.

But he's also noticed that their conversations have started to become more awkward. Like Noah isn't completely there for the conversation. He's just curious about what could be on Noah's mind.

Noah's immediately concerned as he now has to come up for an answer for this. It's just him thinking about school, that's all! And the whole murder thing! Giving that serious thought. That's the only thing on his mind.

Alejandro smiles at Noah. He wants to believe Noah. He does. But there's one other thing that's bothering him.

Noah's scent.

The day after Noah came back from his first kill, there was something new to it. Something charged. And salty?

It's very strange. Alejandro was willing to be patient for an answer from Noah. To an extent. The real problem, though, are the newest scents on Noah. They're all human scents. From different people.

Noah would have to be especially close with these humans for an especially long time for their scents to intermingle. Yet Noah hasn't mentioned anything about other humans. Given what happened the last time Noah was getting close with other humans, Alejandro is very interested in knowing what explanation Noah has for this.

Noah knew he shouldn't have let Owen bear hug him so much. Or let Eva carry him around no matter how convenient it was. Or let Izzy constantly invade his personal space. Even though the only way that he could have stopped any of them would have been not to be near them at all.

This was on him, really. For letting himself get distracted. Now he has to figure out what to tell Alejandro. If he tells the truth, he'll be dooming his friends. Alejandro will force him to make an impossible choice. It's what he always does.

He's racking his brain for something, anything to get him out of this mess. Alejandro is waiting for an answer. He does not want to be in this situation. He would give anything to get out of this situation. To just disappear.

"Que es esto?"

Noah looks up to see Alejandro looking down at him. There's some mix of confusion, horror, and anger in his eyes. It's worrying since Noah hasn't given a response yet. His eyes are also darting around Noah. Around?

Noah brings his gaze back down to the boat to figure out what Alejandro is looking at.

Then he looks down to realize that on instinct, he's camouflaged with the ship.

Oh.

No.

Noah's body acts before he can think twice about it. He jumps into the water. Staying on that boat would be a death sentence. At least this way he has a chance at getting away and figuring out SOMETHING.

He knows Alejandro is calling for him and he doesn't care. He's never transformed while invisible and he doesn't want to take any chances now. He's barely gotten any distance until he feels the hairs on his arms raise.

Invisibility means nothing to electrolocation.

Noah is grabbed and is pushed away from the surface. Noah lets out a shout as air bubbles escape him. He switches to using his gills since Alejandro wouldn't notice those anyways. He has a clear view of the fury on Alejandro's face as they swim deeper.

Alejandro demands an answer NOW. He won't return Noah to the surface until Noah shows himself and agrees to explain. Alejandro will keep him here until he drowns if he must. Because he needs to know how Noah knows magic.

Noah thrashes as he tries to get out of Alejandro's vice-like grip. Alejandro doesn't know about the gills, but he'll figure it out eventually. The most he can do is buy himself some time. He's terrible with coming up with plans on the spot but he's got no choice to learn through trial by fire.

He refuses to respond. Speaking would expose his gills. He can hide somewhere and wait Alejandro out if Alejandro thinks he needs to go to the surface for air.

Alejandro is still demanding an answer. How does Noah know magic? That would explain the new scent, but not where Noah got it from. Alejandro has scoured these waters thoroughly. He's the only sea creature here.

So how? And why? They've been having such a good time together. Alejandro didn't even know he could enjoy spending time with a human. Yet he waited with bated breath for Noah's visits. He had been looking for every excuse to keep Noah alive when he fully recovered from his journey here.

Then, when Noah suggested these hunts-

"What?" Noah asked. Holding his cards to his chest be damned. He could NOT let Alejandro try to make Noah out to be the bad guy.

"When you suggested the hunts." Alejandro repeated. He seemed too agitated to even notice that Noah shouldn't be able to speak underwater.

"I didn't suggest them! I never asked for this! You made it clear it was help you or die!"

"I never said you had to help me. I only said you had to give me a reason to let you live."

And no. No, that's not how that worked. That can't have been how that worked. Noah can remember the threat on his life.

"You made the offer to help me hunt all on your own. You could've offered only to spread my legacy and I would've accepted it. You chose to be just as vicious as me. And I was so delighted that you chose me over your own kind."

That's not how that happened. Because if it was, then Noah could have avoided all of this. If it was, then Noah might have been able to reason with Alejandro from the beginning. Noah wouldn't have any blood on his hands. He would still be a good person. Instead of whatever he is now.

It takes more effort than he dares to admit to keep his voice flat. "If it was a choice this whole time, then why didn't you tell me?"

Alejandro paused for a moment. He looked like he wanted to search for Noah's expression. There was none to give with the camouflage. "I thought you'd be happier this way."

How dare Alejandro? How dare Alejandro?

He can't stack the cards against Noah and then blame Noah for not playing the game right. He can't say Noah could have communicated better when he was the one who made Noah feel as if he couldn't say anything at all.

Months of pent up aggravation are bubbling to the surface. He wants Alejandro to hurt. He wants Alejandro to bleed. It's the only way this monster will understand the extent of what he's done to Noah.

Noah feels the transformation happen, and he welcomes it. He's revealed as legs become tentacles. The blue rings on his tentacles glow bright and fierce. He can feel Alejandro struggle to re-adjust his grip. Alejandro is transfixed by the glowing rings. Good.

He uses his tentacles to push at Alejandro's hand to give him room to escape the grip. It's working somewhat. It gives him enough room to sink fangs deep into Alejandro's finger. This was for every time the damnable thing had ruffled his hair. Every time he was given a playful pet or a light jab. Every agonizing moment of patronizing.

He can taste when he pierces through the skin. He keeps going. As hard as he can. Noah's saliva is pouring into the open wound. It's small, but it's something.

Alejandro shouts in pain but doesn't let go. Noah can see the water around Alejandro's tail crackling with frustrated electricity.

Then, Alejandro's grip loosens. Noah bursts out of it. Finally, his sacrifice was good for SOMETHING. He tries to swim away from Alejandro's range.

Alejandro uses the same hand as before to block Noah's escape and bring him back to face the merfolk. Noah is expecting to be squeezed again and tries to get off of Alejandro's palm before it happens.

He does escape. Alejandro's hand closes around where Noah had just been a couple of seconds ago. Alejandro looks...confused. His hand is trembling. He reaches for Noah again, but the hand is slower this time. Much easier to avoid.

"What...what did you do to me?" Alejandro asked.

Noah's rage is marred with confusion. Alejandro's arm slowly falls to the side. Limp.

That's when it clicks for Noah. He'd never looked up the exact species of octopus he was. He'd been far too preoccupied with other matters, and he thought it would never come up. Yet here he was, with glowing blue rings and a bite chockfull of saliva.

Except it was never saliva. It was venom. And now they're both finding out how deadly Noah had made himself.

The fear in Alejandro's eyes is satisfying. Noah's finally managed to turn the tables on him. Even if he never wanted it like this. The plan had never been to kill Alejandro. Just to contain him. Alejandro would have killed him if he thought he had to. So whatever's about to happen is just going to happen.

So long as he keeps telling himself this, he can ignore the sinking feeling in his gut.

He can't ignore the gray mass of flesh barreling towards him.

Of course.

Noah should have realized it was always going to end like this. He's not going to be fast enough to outswim that tail. He's been martyring himself this whole time. Might as well go all the way. At least the few people he cares about will be safe from his stupid, horrible mistake.

His last thought is wondering if there ever was a way this could have ended differently.

The tail hits him. Electricity courses through his body.

He screams, and it goes dark.

(For all of you curious, Noah's a blue-ringed octopus! I would have shared a picture earlier, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise in case you knew about it already. Here is a lovely little picture of an incredibly deadly octopus the size of a golfball that can kill a human in minutes!

[lloydfrontera]

from your idea are they gonna fake marrying too? 👀 also i feel like lloyd would go 'ha ha ha javier is doing this to keep marbella happy yeah he isn't in love with me. nope it's out of duty'

about this post

well they definitely aren't planning on it, even they feel like it'd be a step too far. i mean, swearing to be at each other's side for the rest of their lives, putting the other's well-being above their own, sharing their hard times and their happy moments, growing old together,,, yeah no why would they ever do that it'd be crazy 😳

so they just. plan on fake dating for a little while and then eventually claim it just didn't work out between them.

except that every time either of them approach arcos or marbella to break the news they end up chickening out last moment cause they're just. so excited. and happy for them. how can they dash their hopes and dreams like that.

lloyd goes to marbella and tries to talk to her about it, but then she starts telling him how happy she is he found someone he wants to spend the rest of his life with, how she hopes with all her heart they'll experience the same happiness in their relationship that her and arcos do, and quietly confessing how she can rest a bit easier now that she knows there will always be someone taking care of him even when she's not there to do it anymore, how relieved she is that javier will now be a part of their family officially and that they'll have one another to keep each other safe. also she was wondering if he'd prefer a spring or an autumn wedding?? spring is lovely of course, but she does think he looks absolutely dashing in an autumn color pallete. and oh right, was there something you wanted to tell me dear?

uuhh, not really. autumn sounds perfect actually, says lloyd with a smile, feeling the echos of his internal screaming reverberate inside his head.

javier goes to arcos and asks if they can talk in private, but the moment they're alone arcos just. hugs him tightly and then tells him he has nothing to worry about, of course he has his permission and blessing to marry his son, truly lloyd is already an adult, he doesn't even really need to ask arcos but he's glad javier came to him. he cannot even begin to express how happy he is that javier will now be part of the frontera family in the eyes of everyone, how he'd always thought of him as a son and that he's sorry his hesitance to not take over the place of javier's parents stopped him from expressing it as he grew up. that he's so glad he and lloyd found happiness in one another and that he hopes they can grow old together in peace like he and marbella are. and finally that he knows its selfish of him but that he's so very relieved it's javier who will marry his son, for he knows there's no one on the world he'll be safer with and that will grant him a peace of mind like no other when it's time for him to go. and oh look at him rambling like an old man, was there something else you wanted to talk about son?

... no sir, that was all. i promise i'll take care of him says javier, very, very carefully not looking at the oh so close throw pillow he wants to scream into.

so like. what are they supposed to do. tell the truth?? not marry each other??? not swear to spend the rest of their lives at each others side???? sure they defeated the king of hell, but please be realistic there's only so much they can do.

and god yeah that is exactly how it would go. these two would be staring deep into each other's eyes as they say their vows and be thinking 'he's only doing this to keep them happy he doesn't feel anything for me this is just him being a good son/knight'. but no, i do want them to be together for real before they get to that point, that'd be so embarrassing for them lmao

also in my head they both already moaned extensively about their feelings for the other and their hopeless situation to julian separately. so now he's burdened with the knowledge both his hyung and best friend are complete idiots who absolutely deserve each other. god. someone put him out of his misery. he's absolutely holding this over their heads once they pull them out of their asses and realize they could've been making out for months now and how stupid they truly are.

[a-libra-writes]

I goofed this post alfksakfk (iykyk) so! Back to it. This is very fun to think of! also ignore my romeo + juliet indulgences

So, Asa's always been a fairly indulgent and lenient father. He hadn't minded your going off on dates, as long as you were home at a reasonable hour. Yes, you're an adult, but getting your own place was still out of the question unless you were staying at the dorms at college. He never had to worry about you, either. The boys were always the same; college boys, sons of the rich acquaintances in your family's circle, some newcomers at the country clubs. Always the same types.

He never thought his princess would even think of getting involved with gangsters and bootleggers. Asa kept that part of his life very separate from his family. Even if you knew, your mother hadn't a clue. She wasn't the one who'd go along with Asa to the Maribel Hotel for years. Initially you loved it because it meant going to a fun, exciting place with your father, and getting fawned over by the staff. Then it meant getting to see the Marigold Room.

"Listen," your father began gruffly. "I know what you girls get up to nowadays, but - if you're going to be dancing, best do it here. Stay with your friends and no funny business, understand?"

Always too permissive, not that you had a habit of raucous drinking and partying. Getting access to the Marigold Room made you something of a hot commodity at school now, and it led to something else: a cold, club-shaped metal pin being dropped in your palm.

That's how you met him. This too-skinny, too-smiley, too-chatty violinist who played at the Lackadaisy club. You nearly made him forget about the next performance.

You sought him out the next few visits, but it was just easier to meet outside the club. That was like going to the next step with Rocky. He wasn't just some guy you flirted with for a night, you actually wanted to take him on dates. You knew lots of places to take him, and there was just something so .. so cute about how earnest and endearing and affectionate he was. There was no stuck-up airs or obsession with this family or that or thinly veiled condescension. He wasn't dating you because that's what was expected. And while you had plenty of swanky cafes to take him, he had all sorts of places you'd never seen on the "other" side of town.

(There's so many stars once you drive a few miles outside of the city. You two fell asleep naming them and just talking... then woke up hours later in full panic. You snuck back into the dorms at the crack of dawn, covered in mosquito bites and beyond giddy.)

Uptown girl with downtrodden city boy cliche? Yes, absolutely. Neither of you cared.

News that Atlas May was shot frightened you. You'd heard it before reading it in the papers - well, overheard your father's shock as he talked to someone on the phone. Your first thought was some kind of police raid on the speakeasy, and if Rocky was hurt. Asa didn't want you going to the clubs after that, even the Marigold room. He seemed spooked. That was fine - you were seeing Rocky more in the daytime hours, anyway.

Right, your father still didn't know about him ... at least he was too distracted with work to notice your happy mood and the pep in your step lately. Your mother certainly did, and she was harder to avoid. She was so sure it was some college boy. "What's his name, sweetie, we can invite his family for dinner. Oh! Maybe have a lovely afternoon boating. Or brunch at the club, with the Robinsons? What do you think?" Honestly, you'd rather throw yourself from a window.

You'd heard about the troubles Rocky was having at the Lackadaisy, and a few times you asked why he just doesn't perform at the Marigold Room. Okay, you were half just saying that because you wanted to see him more, risky as it'd be. The other half is you were a little worried about some of the things he was getting up to. You noticed the scratches and dents in his car, and his own bruises and messy clothes.

(He'd never wear the clothes you bought him during these little bootlegging adventures, though. He didn't want to mess up the things you so lovingly picked out. They were also the only nice ones he had.)

On that topic, it's really fun to dress Rocky up. You aren't trying to be patronizing or act like he's a charity case, but - he just looks so nice cleaned up, and look, you can't take him to a nice cafe when he both looks and smells like he rolled in dirt (and ... syrup?). So, sure, you bought a shirt here and tie there and maybe a jacket and well obviously he needs pants to match that and it really means nothing that they just happen to fit so well, you definitely weren't measuring him when he was asleep or anything. Rocky isn't bothered by it at all, he loves the gifts and attention. And it kind of does something to him when you smooth out the creases and make sure the tie is straight and hook your arm around his and walk down the street, totally happy and proud of him, not embarrassed in the slightest.

You know he wouldn't fight it if you kept him some kind of dirty secret forever. It'd hurt him so much, of course, but Rocky would let you do it. You knew he'd just smile and pretend it was fine, like he does when you mention your parents keep trying to set you up with this hotshot lawyer's son. You see the flickers of disappointment and hurt when you joke about how your parents would kill you if they knew where you were right now, then he tries to cover it up.

Rocky deserves better, you know. And this really isn't a fun little fling anymore, is it? It's getting serious. He has so much love he's nearly bursting from it and you really, really don't want that to be ruined.

God, what are you going to tell your parents? "It's fine, he's only been a bootlegger for almost a year, before that he was a perfectly honest dirt-poor fiddler! We're disgustingly in love already and he's better than all those snob-nosed spineless trustfund bozos you keep setting me up with!" Yeah that'll go over Thanksgiving dinner just great.

As if fate's sense of humor couldn't get any better, it's Mordecai who finds out first. That shadowy, really unsettling (and actually kind of dorky ...?) gunman your father keeps around. Mordecai is good at remembering faces. When Asa introduced you two, he knew he remembered your's. He saw you once or twice at the Lackadaisy, though he hadn't known who you were at the time. You stood out because you were actually chatty with that ridiculous violinist, where most were exasperated with him.

Mordecai recalls that, and Asa idly complaining about his daughter always ditching the dates her mother set up for her, when he spots you and Rocky out and about. Broad daylight, not trying to hide, but certainly not where the more affluent friends and family of Asa's would go. You were even dressed down and weren't wearing any jewelry.

Yeah, he's not getting in the middle of this. Even as things heat up between the Marigold Gang and Lackadaisy.

Note, Rocky is very aware of who your family is. You never hid it back when you met him, and as far as he's concerned, you're the picture of innocence and can't be blamed for anything your father or the gang do. He's trying to be cute when he calls you 'princess' or 'my lady' and it is cute, but... you also feel kind of guilty. Reciting plays and poetry is fun and games until he brings up Romeo and Juliet again. It used to be romantic, but now it just claws at something in you. "Rocky, come on, you remember how that ends, right?"

(Oh, and there's a matter of keeping this all hush-hush from the Lackadaisy crew, who already know Rocky has a sweetheart because he can't shut up about you, but they don't know who you are exactly. It's best Mitzi or Viktor doesn't catch sight of you, because they'll spot the family resemblance right away..)

And then there's your father finding out. It had to happen eventually, especially with Lackadaisy getting in on the Marigold's suppliers. He makes it clear to Mordecai that if some accident were to happen to "that boy", then you're young, and you'd get over it. This is just some late teenage rebellion, he tells himself. A fling you'll forget all about once the excitement wears off and your school work picks up. Mordecai isn't so sure about that.

He actually tried to warn you about it, but the thing is ... Mordecai is Mordecai. He's staring intently and of course he cornered you as you were leaving the hotel at night and he's deadpan as he says, "I'd begin reconsidering your choice of paramours; there isn't any way that this will end well for him."

"Mordecai Heller, are you threatening me?"

"What? No?" He's startled by the tone of your voice. Did you just pull a knife on him? From your purse? "Put that down - I'm giving you practical advice."

"Oh. .... Maybe next time, don't do it in a creepy alley?"

It's like ice water drops on you when your father brings it up. He just lets out a heavy sigh, the most perfect cliche noise that says he's not mad, just disappointed. Right away you know he thinks this little dalliance has only been around for a few months, if that. "Really, pumpkin? What about that lawyer's son we told you about, he's not half bad looking. Or that rowing team captain, you remember him? He really took a shine to you. Look, I know a guy with a cousin whose son is--"

You get the whole lecture: You're too good of a girl to run around with unwashed gangsters and besides, what about your studies? Think about what your mother would say. Do you really want her finding out? Or the country club, or god forbid, her little society ladies? He'd be sleeping on the couch and you'd be in a nunnery. Some scrawny hoodlum isn't worth all that trouble, is he?

Asa doesn't raise his voice and actually get angry until you defend Rocky, until you actually say his name. He actually slams his fist on the desk, making the candy jars and his name plaque rattle. The conversation is done, so you leave. And of course you go straight to Rocky and don't come home on Sunday for the usual family brunch, or the next one. Your father makes excuses for you. It's little consolation, because you know exactly what the gangsters he employs are capable of. And you don't think for a minute they'll spare Rocky. Why couldn't he have just taken the job at the Marigold Room ...

Onto pleasanter things. One of the greatest nights in your life (so far) was the massive city charity gala that the Maribel Hotel hosted every year. It stopped being fun for you years ago, but this time you had a date. You told Rocky to leave it all to you. Yes, your dad was attending, but he was always off schmoozing with his associates. Besides - this year's theme was a masquerade, no gangsters would be there, it's crowded, and you had Rocky dressed to the nines. No one would notice! It'd be great. This was a little secret you'd been hiding for a month, you just knew he'd love all the music and the ridiculous fancy foods and you just wanted to share something magical with someone you loved. Because you were very, very sure you loved him.

And Rocky looked so handsome you just couldn't keep away from him, and you two danced and laughed at the prissy food and absurd people like you'd imagined. Anyway, it was cut short when you were nearly spotted by Mordecai - who looked wonderfully out of place without a mask and dressed like a funeral director, but you'd laugh about it later. You grabbed Rocky's hand and just ran, and bolting up the backrooms and stairwells of the hotel you knew so well.

Maybe you should have been deflated. A silly, childish desire for a fairytale evening came crashing down thanks to reality, even if you knew Mordecai wouldn't shoot Rocky dead. But it was hard to feel too disappointed when you both were still giddy and laughing, gleefully stealing 'hidden' champagne from the general manager's office and climbing your way up the rickety fire escape - even with your heels and his suit you spent way too much money on - and spending the rest of the evening making out and giggling and watching the city from high above.

[lunatic-pudge]

Postal Doe Headcanons (Cause I Love Her)

-Aight, so, I know Postal Doe is supposed to be the female counterpart Postal Dude, BUT, I think it'd be cooler if she was her own separate entity. She's a bad bitch who deserves to be her own person

-Which leads me to my next headcanon that Dude and Doe are twins. When they were younger, they were very close since they were really all they had due to having a wonderfully shitty childhood. Caring for each other cause their parents couldn't be bothered too. While they did have similar intreats, there are some differing things between them.

-For starters, Doe wasn't a religious nut like Dude was. No matter how much people tried to indoctrinate her, it just didn't work like how they wanted. If the family was going to church, she was doing whatever she could to avoid it. If people tried to corner her and tell her how she's gonna go to Hell if she doesn't repent, she tunes them out and dismisses them. This has put a strain on her and Dude's relationship, especially when they got older and Dude's schizophrenia started to worsen. Now, Dude and Doe know everything about each other (obviously, they're twins and have always been there for each other), she knows about his deteriorating mental health, she knows she could just ignore him and his ramblings about how she's gonna burn in Hell for all eternity and that he doesn't want that for her, but Doe found it easier to just distance herself away from her own brother.

-When they were in their early twenties, the two had a huge falling out which resulted in them not talking for a few years. Doe took this as an opportunity to skip town and have a little reset on her life. Also, before the falling out, she was there for Dude and the Bitch's wedding. She never liked the Bitch, finding her to be stuck up and just not a good person for her brother. The Botch was quick to help drive a wedge between the siblings cause she hated Dude interacting with other women, even including family

-It was a rough start at first. Having to start from the bottom and work her way up. She was able to make a name for herself in the Arizona punk/metal scene. I can see her being a musician, playing the guitar and bass, and even being a bit of a singer as well. Being apart of several bands throughout the years. She would have side jobs on the side to help keep money coming in and was able to get herself in a more comfortable position than what she used to be in.

-Definitely a lesbian, but I can also see her being asexual. An asexual woman enjoyer? I'll let you decide on it. I just know that she likes women and isn't afraid to admit it. She's had her share of lovers in the past and WILL flirt with you if you are a fellow baddie. I need this woman to be with a cottagecore girl ASAP. I really like the opposites attract trop

-No back to the more sad stuff! It took a bit for the news of what happened in Paradise and Dude's hospitalization to get back to Doe. To say she was shocked when finding out would be an understatement. Poor thing felt horrible. She has basically abandoned her brother and had let him get worse. She tries to get in contact with the mental hospital, but they wouldn't let her visit him. She had to go on with her life knowing what her brother did and how she wasn't there for him like she should've been

-Doe tired to get updates on Dude but the hospital was rather unhelpful and uncooperative with her. When Dude got out of the hospital, Doe was able to get back in touch with him. It had taken a while for them to repair their relationship, but they're on way better terms now. Doe does what she can to help Dude. Doe wasn't happy to be dealing with the Bitch again, but she put up with it for the sake of her brother. Homegirl celebrated when Dude and the Bitch finally divorced. It was a dream come true

-Now while Dude and Doe were able to patch things up, they aren't very involved with each other's lives. They do get into some disagreements though, like Dude's health pipes. She gets on him about using them but he argues that he can do whatever he wants. I can see them also just being like typical siblings and picking on each other. But for real, Doe does not like that her brother smokes crack. She'd rather he smoke weed but he really can't cause it makes his schizophrenia worse

-Conclusion: I want Postal Doe just as much as I want Postal Dude❤️

[valenfield-inspo]

Valenfield thoughts:

-They've both been through So Much Shit together that it's almost impossible to surprise them any more. They're still careful, because you have to be, fighting bioterrorism, but you get the idea. They both have their own codes and signals for shit, like shorthand. This includes things like a code for using different colored signal flares, or to use when they're talking over the radio.

-They both carry around some sort of multitool, possibly on a keychain. Honestly, they'd carry around a damn toolbox (or explosives- because hey, if you can't unlock the door, blow it off its hinges!) if they could, but usually that gets in the way of all their guns.

-They both know how to pick locks, now, tho Jill is still better at it than Chris is. Jill insisted he learn. He still probably carries around a tool that can saw through locks, when he can spare the inventory space. If he can't: explosives it is, then! Any time Jill hears a muffled explosion somewhere, she just kinda smirks, like, "Yep, that's Chris". It's honestly kinda comforting, at this point.

-They both carry around magnums, because those things are POWERFUL in the RE-verse. And they're easier to carry around than heavy weapons, like grenade launchers and such. (That was one thing that bothered me in the RE movies like Death Island. Leon shows up, and the most he packed for a bioterrorism mission was a few pistols?! The fuck?! Why wouldn't they have him go in heavily armed?! Of course, I guess you could ask the same for the BSAA troops in RE6...)

-They have little weapon charms of one another, because Chris thought it'd be cute. Chris has one of Claire, too, and she of him. Both Chris and Jill have one of Rebecca. (I could see Chris also having one of Sheva and maybe Piers, but the Piers one makes me sad.)

-Speaking of charms: Them having a little shooting contest/date at the Merchant's shooting range (because the Merchant totally survived RE4; or at least, his business practices did). Which might be how they got the gun charms. Anyway, it was cute 💖 Sometimes it's just nice to relax and shoot at targets, y'know? Especially when you don't have to worry about ammo.

-They both have nightmares, and they both know how to calm one another down from them. They'll just lay in bed, afterwards, just talking with one another, if they can't sleep. It helps.

-🍮

The 1st one I definitely agree that nothing would surprise them much anymore considering what they have faced together and separately, but they would still have their guards up for sure. I definitely could see them having their own codes of communicating with each other on the job b/c you never know who could be listening in as their trust of the BSAA is wary enough as is. I mean they have been stabbed in the back before by their captain in STARS. I could even see them using codes in non-mission things. They could read each other's stares like Chris glancing at Jill and gesturing his head at the exit doors with "Hey wanna get the hell out of here, since the next set of speakers here are full of shit and they have enough asskissers praising them tonight, what's 2 less people?" and Jill nodding and smirking subtlety with "Yeah there are better ways to spend the evening". 😏 🤭

The 2nd one now you know they're always prepared for anything so I could definitely see them carrying multi-functional gadgets or tools. Both definitely wouldn't leave the house without a swiss army knife at the very least. Omg at the 3rd, I bet Jill had a heck of a time training Chris on picking locks. Especially with how much bigger Chris' hands, he would get frustrated pretty easily there, 😂. So yeah he would have the "Fuck it" moment and blast the lock open! 🤣

The charms thing is cute, little mementos with who they have worked with. On the shooting range one, oh they definitely love those. It can be therapeutic and keep their aim sharp. The Merchant would make things more fun there! Ah the nightmares never end, I think they've even accepted that but are comforted that they have each other to get through them on those rough nights. The talks do help. I think they may try watching TV but they'd avoid the news and horror flicks, but I think the laying together and talking is much preferred until they fall asleep. Thank you for sharing Nonnie, feel free to send more whenever you'd like! 💚🩵

[mrs-nate-humphrey]

dan x nate.... using these three prompts in one (using multiple is usually easier for me to work with than one, but if that's not for you, take your pick!):

‘when i said “coffee”, you did know i meant sex, right?’

‘you know what you do when you’re scared? you buy a night-light. you don’t go have sex with the guy you are supposed to be separated from!’

‘we are never gonna be able to tell anybody about this, are we?’

They were supposed to meet for coffee. That was it- Dan's coffee machine was shiny and alluring on the countertop where it rested at the loft, Nate's home away from home. (Dan was alluring too, though not as shiny. Not that it mattered, Nate thought - nothing was going to come out of it anyway.)

They were supposed to meet for coffee - Dan had a new nutella mocha recipe that he wanted to sample on Nate - but somehow they found themselves outside, on the roof, sharing a joint, passing it back and forth. Every time Nate's hands brushed against Dan's, it felt electric, a sharp string of current jolting through him.

Enough so that it felt like 2008 again, enough so that the words that left his mouth didn't feel as heavy as they would've under any other circumstance. "Dan, I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" Dan had asked. Eyes wide and innocent, like a doe - hooking Nate in like they had, all those years ago.

There had been a time when Nate had thought there was no future for the two of them, a time they'd slept together and Dan had published something scathing enough that it'd felt like a slap to his face, Blair and Serena comforting him in the aftermath, Nate vowing to never talk to Dan again. Looking at Dan's eyes now it feels like none of that happened. Like they're back in high school, like Nate never kissed Jenny, or dated Serena, like Dan never dated Blair or fucked Chuck, like their string of shared exes doesn't mean anything.

Nothing in my life feels like it means anything, Nate thought but did not say. He leaned in, instead, and Dan met him halfway. A gentle press of lips. A sense of calmness, of things being right, a serenity Nate had only ever felt while sailing, in the middle of the ocean looking at the never-ending blanket of blue around him. Dan was that, now - stretching all around him and enveloping him, and it felt safe.

They paused only to breathe, before moving in again. Dan's hands began to unbutton Nate's shirt, after a hesitant moment waiting for Nate's nod, for Nate to murmur, "Yes, Dan, please."

Blair and Serena don't even talk about Dan anymore, and Chuck isn't in his life and hasn't been for ages. Nate knows that if this goes sour, there's nobody he can talk to about it who would listen.

Echoing the thought, almost like he's telepathic, Dan murmured, "We are never gonna be able to tell anybody about this, are we?"

Somehow hearing Dan say it eased the tension thrumming through his chest. "I don't know, dude. You gonna do a tell-all again?"

Dan flipped him off, and Nate laughed, feeling lighter than the summer breeze. He grasped Dan's wrist, casually but carefully.

"Let's go inside," he murmured. Waiting for a dramatic pause, and then Nate looked up at Dan through his eyelashes. "I think you owe me a coffee."

"You're messing with me, Archibald," Dan said, but he was laughing too, and he let Nate pull him back into the house. Like he'd let Nate pull him and take him anywhere.

[tranquilpetrichor]

i'm inside your head

synopsis: y/n's ability to read minds with a simple glance and communicate telepathically gets them into some interesting situations.

cast: fem telepathic!reader (uses she/they) x gyuvin ft. gunwook & ricky

genre: fantasy, superpowers!au, angst, comedy, fluff

wc: 2.8k (2,845)

warnings: mentions of crowd anxiety, reader has a period, cursing, descriptions of illness, mentions of discrimination against people with powers, brief mentions of family members insulting each other, people y/n isn't close with tend to use only she pronouns with y/n so fair warning, touching grass jokes, events of fic are in non-chronological order, this attempts to go by the korean high school system, lmk if i missed anything

a/n: first zb1 fic and it was kinda a word dump stemming from one of my crazy ideas LOL. the inspiration from this series came after seeing the character nahida (from genshin) and her ability to read the mind of any sumeru npc with her skill. i also thought it'd be kinda cool to explore the different scenarios that y/n could get themselves into if they could do that.

if you were to go back and ask six-year-old y/n what superpower they would have wanted, they would excitedly have said, "mind reading! it's so cool to know people's thoughts!"

the eighteen-year-old version of you knew better than that, though. since the age of seven, your abilities had only continued to develop, and if you tried enough, you could communicate telepathically with people.

telepathy's fucking annoying sometimes. but it has its perks too.

you can recall many anecdotes, ranging from humorous to depressing to gross, that were the consequence of your telepathic abilities.

1. so he does have a crush..

year 2 of high school

if there was one thing you learned today, it's that kim gyuvin was not great at hiding his thoughts.

when you wanted to focus, it was natural for you to suppress your mind's tendency to peer into the minds of others, but depending on how active their thoughts were, it was difficult.

so that was how you learned in your science class that your cute lab partner wanted to ask you out, but never had the chance to really talk with you until now.

that was all accompanied by a cascade of other thoughts like y/n's such a talented student, I'd love to even be friends with them, and that's a cute necklace.

hm, kinda cute, you thought to yourself. truth be told, you were a little hesitant to make the first move romantically, but a tiny little push couldn't hurt, right?

you innocently whistled while scribbling down a few more notes—you couldn't make it too obvious that you knew his secret. but since the two of you had to make a joint presentation presenting your findings from today's lab, you figured that it would be a lot easier if you exchanged contact information with him.

and hey, he was cute.

you tapped gyuvin on the shoulder and smiled, showing him your lab paper with your personal info written in the right-hand corner.

"i’ve finished this part of the worksheet—here's my number and kakao talk id so we can talk more. let's work hard on the presentation together!"

his lips formed an o of surprise, and you swore that he was blushing. "alright then! uh, thanks for giving me your info!"

AHHHHH wait wait wait oh my god what just happened was all you could hear in his mind. a subtle smile bloomed on your face. science class just got a lot more interesting.

2. a (mostly) clean separation

year 1 of high school

you actually didn't enjoy telling people about your abilities. it wasn't that people with powers were so uncommon (you forgot the exact figure, but you thought it was about 2 percent of south korea's population that did).

no, it was the specific nature of your abilities. people tended to make assumptions about you as soon as you trusted them enough to drop this info.

it was as if you were suddenly someone not to be trusted, even though you were acting no differently than you had before.

although, their assumptions were understandable. you couldn't say you had never abused your abilities for personal gain, but it was something you didn't want to make a habit of.

revealing to your friend, gunwook, your secret had caused a minor but turbulent period of conflict in your friendship.

he clenched his fists and released them with a sigh. "how did i not connect all the dots? i'm hurt that you've kept this from me for so long."

6 months was a long time to keep a secret, but you were cautious by nature. you knew that not everyone liked people with superpowers, and that some still faced discrimination and greater scrutiny.

besides, you wanted people to get to know you for things outside your powers.

"i'm sorry, gunwook. i had my reasons. i thought you would judge me harshly, and i've had several negative experiences of this happening."

you paused to catch your breath, and continued, trying to silence his troubled thoughts, but it was getting increasingly more difficult. you held a hand to your head.

"look, i'll understand if you want to stop being friends."

he grabbed his water bottle and drank some of the liquid, presumably to calm down. he was facing away from you, and let out a sigh.

gunwook was actually quite level-headed most of the time, which was why it pained you to see him trying to hold back signs of emotional distress.

"y/n, i don't want this to ruin a great friendship. it's just, i have to take time to think about how my perception of you has changed. i don't want to say anything i might regret. this is a... personal issue."

if it was personal, you weren't going to pry. it was up to him to decide if and when he would tell you.

you got one final glimpse of his thoughts before he bid you goodbye.

"not a monster.. they're not a monster. they're not..."

as he walked away, all you could hear were the autumn leaves crunching beneath his feet and the wind that drowned every noise out so easily.

3. the donut order

year 2 of elementary school

there was no better feeling for you as a kid than the chance of getting a treat after school, and since you had quite the sweet tooth, there was no better place to go than the donut shop.

"which one do you want?" your mother had said, gesturing to the display case of donuts. back then, you could barely see the whole thing, so you had to stand on your tippy-toes.

your gaze settled on one particular flavor. "chocolate, please!"

"you got it, kiddo."

your mother's thoughts were creeping into your mind. this had happened a few times before, but now, they were clearer.

i think i should try something new. lemon sounds good. oh, i'll get another donut for him too, maple. i'm sure hayoung won't mind an oreo. shoot, i don't think i have enough reward points. maybe next time.

"mommy, i think you're getting a lemon donut and bringing back a maple for daddy, and an oreo for hayoung!"

she nodded, but her eyes soon widened with surprise. "yes, that's—wait, how did you know? we'll talk about this later."

you wondered if you had said anything wrong, but quickly returned to the thought of getting a donut.

the employee working the counter was busy refilling certain sections of the display case and seemed to give no indication that she had heard the conversation between you and your mother.

"miss?" your mother asked politely, and the employee looked up. "i'll get one maple, one lemon, one oreo, one chocolate."

"will that be all?"

"yes."

"okay, one maple, one lemon, one oreo, one chocolate," she repeated for confirmation, grabbing each flavor mentioned and placing them in a large box. "you can insert, swipe or tap your card here."

your mom took out her credit card and followed the instructions on the kiosk.

"would you like a receipt?" the worker asked.

"no, thank you."

"alright, thank you and have a good afternoon!"

you followed your mother out the door, watching her quickly stride towards the car. after both of you got in, she sighed.

"y/n, you've always been a pretty smart kid, but i wasn't exactly ready for you to be a mind reader. i'm pretty sure that's why you knew what i was ordering."

you grinned, eyes wide with curiosity. "so i can really read people's thoughts?"

she hummed thoughtfully. "well, let's make sure. i'm thinking of an animal right now, what is it?"

pink giraffe with wings. she should be able to sense that thought.

"a pink giraffe with wings... but that doesn't exist."

she sighed. "what am i going to do with you, my dear child?"

4. money before morals

year 3 of middle school

you were walking around campus after school, wanting to enjoy a few minutes to yourself. you had your headphones on, not wanting to be disturbed.

however, a figure began to approach you. as you took in his facial features, you suddenly recognized him.

that’s jeon jaebeom. his dad works for the school administration…

he walked in line with you, so you started walking towards a more crowded area to try and get away from him. you could hear him yelling.

“hey, wait! you’re the one who can read minds, aren’t you?”

you took off your headphones and glared at him. “ah, so someone was looking at something they shouldn’t have. keep it down, will you?”

he chuckled, and you wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face, even if it would get you in trouble.

“but you would be useful to me. i’d like for you to help me cheat on our next math test. see if you can get the answer key or something. i’m close to getting a c in that class, anyways.”

you groaned. what an idiotic request. “and why would i do that? so i can get expelled on your behalf?”

he shrugged. “because i’d pay you.”

you did a quick scan of his thoughts.

this bitch would be stupid if she actually did it.

hm, why not play around with him for a bit?

you looked at him quizzically. “how much?”

“100,000 won. you could probably buy a pretty nice meal with that amount.”

it would be useful, but i can't stoop that low to get it, you thought.

you laughed and pretended to thoughtfully consider it for a couple of seconds.

“i don’t think so.”

jaebeom glared at you. “what, you want higher? come on, isn’t this a good enough amount?”

you were truly annoyed and just wanted to blast your music again. why did you even remove your headphones, just to hear him say some nonsense? at least you were the same age as him, so he couldn't say something like "respect your elders."

it was time to go home.

“no, i don’t want your money, i want you to leave me the fuck alone. i’m not someone who stoops that low just to pass one test, but apparently someone thinks i’m a ‘stupid bitch.’”

he sneered and walked past you, shoving you as he did so. “fine. no one would trust someone like you anyways to help because all you’ll do is read their thoughts and manipulate them."

you staggered sideways, trying to regain your balance. you scowled.

really, you should have known better than to entertain a conversation with someone as spoiled as him. he shouldn't have soured your day, but in your defense, the middle school you was bad at picking the correct battles to fight.

still, you wondered if no one would trust you after all.

5. i'll be your destination

year 2 of high school

you groaned, trying to get up from your bed, and failing. usually, when your time of the month rolled around, the cramps weren't so unbearable, but of course, it had to be more painful than usual this month.

your sister had already gone off to school for the day, but your parents had allowed you to stay home, thankfully. they'd gone off to work, but they left soup that you could reheat in the microwave.

you grabbed a cup and filled it with water. you were bored, but you didn't want to risk getting any of your friends in trouble by texting them (seriously, how hard was it to silence a cell phone?).

although, there was one thing you could potentially try...

hey gyuvin, what class are you in right now?

you didn't expect an instantaneous response or one at all. then again, the more often you contacted someone telepathically, the easier the process was, and you would say you and gyuvin had developed a pretty strong bond.

oh, hi y/n! social studies. you sound like crap by the way, haha.

you could practically visualize his smile. if you had the energy and were with him in person, you'd playfully elbow him.

ugh, so mean.

you just thought of elbowing me, so who's the mean one? ok but seriously, are you sick? fever? your attendance is usually pretty good. or wait, it's that time of the month?

bingo. should i give you a cookie or something for getting it right?

no, but you could give me a kiss...

you smiled. he always got away with cheeky remarks like this.

what an idiot.

heard that.

hey, wait. you have work to do.

it was some boring worksheet and it's done, i swear. besides, i'd rather help you feel better. is there anything i can do?

you've learned that despite initially pegging gyuvin for a jokester, he was incredibly caring and emotionally receptive.

well, talking has already helped me so much. but if you really want to do something... then i want to hear you sing. it doesn't have to be long.

hey, if it makes you happy,

in your head, you heard his boyish voice, singing one of his favorite songs.

i'll be your destination, tell me your favorite song...

he continued the lyrics while you finished your soup, and you felt more relaxed. even the worst days could turn bright whenever he was in your mind.

6. don't spoil the ending!

year 3 of high school

watching dramas was a slow process for you, and it was another reason why you had to block people's thoughts sometimes.

because occasionally, a certain friend would be thinking about the ending of a show you weren't caught up on...

hey y/n.. guess who finished alice in borderland!

park fucking gunwook. i'm trying to finish this essay, don't you dare. and let me finish season 2 in peace.

come on, you're good at filtering out my thoughts anyways. i think you'll like it.

i have 4 more episodes to go. it's so tempting to just read spoilers online.

clearly, not god's strongest soldier—you should finish soon. honestly, we should have just had a watch party. gyuvin and ricky still need to finish season 1.

true. it's hard to watch a whole show together.

you typed another few sentences. perks of being busy, right?

despite that, you'd noticed that gunwook did manage to finish a few more dramas throughout the year.

being on student council sure does take a lot of time.

still, you get all the work done.

speaking of work, i'll leave you alone. finish the essay, and then we can talk about dramas.

fine, i guess it's time to be a good student.

yeah. but touch some grass every once in a while, i heard the cherry blossom trees are nice this time of year. i honestly think we should have debate club outside.

well, you're indeed the president, so you could probably do whatever you want. anyways, see you soon.

you laughed. nothing like friends telling you to touch grass, right?

quickly, you resumed your research for your argumentative essay, realizing how enjoyable (and yet distracting) it was to talk and reconnect with friends. maybe you'd have time to watch one episode tonight...

7. information overload

year 2 of high school

family reunions weren't always the greatest place to be. of course, there was a lot of good food, whether it was homemade cooking, or people used another catering option.

but the downside to a large family reunion was an abundance of thoughts to read, which was the case anywhere that was crowded. however, family reunions made you quite nervous.

people's thoughts began to creep into your headspace, the voices semi-recognizable.

she got so fat.

i wonder where he's working? some tech company, i've heard.

auntie's boyfriend is so ugly.

dinner looks good.

can we go home? now?

he'd better get into a sky university.

i hope the kids don't crash into the wall..

of course, it had gotten easier to block these thoughts out, but you could never get rid of them a hundred percent. people had more on their minds than you'd expected.

if your mind was too muddled, it just induced headaches and sometimes, other symptoms such as suddenly feeling nauseous. that's why you couldn't be in crowded places for too long, and you usually had some sort of water bottle with you.

damn, you thought. i need somewhere to be alone.

you tried not to invite conversation as you found your way to the bathroom, shutting the door quickly as you entered.

you sunk to the floor, leaned against a wall, and closed your eyes, glad to be able to rest, if only for a short while. a peaceful smile appeared on your face.

you'd long accepted that your experiences as an adolescent weren't ever going to be entirely normal, whatever that meant. your powers were a blessing and a curse, a gift and a tool for destruction.

of course, it was up to you to decide how you would use them in the future.

but as long as you had people in your life that accepted and cared for you no matter what secrets you held, you'd be alright.

[dianadeadwing]

After the amazing and fun art storm of roudiseweek here’s a sappy courtship Boblin drabble fic I wrote back when I was really in the boblin feels.

Warning for fragmentary sentence construction.

Word count: 2,147

Tw: vague mentions of Bob’s mom’s death / fear of losing loved ones

--

He doesn't tell his Dad. He doesn't want to hear about all the things that could go wrong. All the things that he did wrong. Right now meeting Linda sits like this perfect little crystalline moment in his head. Almost as if he'd watched it in a movie and everything that had happened had just enfolded completely separate from any action Bob could have taken.

Not for the first time Bob thinks about how significant days start the same as any other. It's not like the movies with a sense of overwhelming dread and dramatic dips in the music. The day starts with tooth brushing and burnt coffee and too bright incandescent lighting. It starts feeling normal and just...

--

Once when he was twelve sitting on the bench after school. He remembered thinking that his dad was late. Later than usual. Because he was often late. There was so much going on. Mom in the hospital, and Dad trying to balance that and the restaurant. Sometimes Bob just thought it'd be better if he walked home to make it easier on both of them. But his Dad always showed up eventually, stubbornly, pretending everything was normal.

So he waited.

And waited.

This time until dark.

---

"So Bobby," Linda chirps, her soft fingers trailing along the hair on his arm. And Bob thinks about how no one has really called him that since--

"I--" It comes out his mouth without warning. Stupid. Stupid. "Do you really mean--? Do you really want--" And, God, he wishes he could be confident and assured but this has to be a mistake.

Linda, vibrant, firework, sparkler, Linda can't be looking at him with eyes all lidded and that smile and she can't why would she--

"Want to buy me a drink?" Linda answers in all the confidence he lacks. Her eyes glitter in the dimly lit bar, eyelashes lowered looking at him like he matters at least a little bit. "I definitely, want you to buy me a drink."

And her smile is wow. Wow. Wow. wow.

"Um," He must have been staring for a moment too long. Linda doesn't seem to mind the attention but her friend giggles lightly into her own beverage. "What would you like?"

He's helpless, stupid, starstruck by her.

"Mmm..." Linda pretends to think and there's so much mirth behind her eyes as they meet his own, "Something this big," She moves her hands about a foot apart, winking one eye to make really sure of the distance, "And full of alcohol!"

"Yeah," He says immediately and turns to flag down a waiter. He can't think of a single drink that exists on the planet so he just tells the waiter to keep it coming on him. Linda giggles.

"So Bobby," she starts, and he's too caught up in her to notice the large glittering engagement ring on her finger, "What is it you do for a living?"

And that, that he can answer, so with a big smile, a true honest to god smile he meets her eyes and says, "I cook."

--

And miracle of miracle he sees her again. and again. And again. Every time he thinks this surely must be the end. Someone like her so full of life and laughter must be fed up with someone like him. But she isn't she keeps coming back. She keeps laughing at his dumb jokes. And he tells her about all of the things he hopes for and all of the things he's afraid of and he swears she listens.

--

It hits him one day. They are sitting in a drive in snuggled up close movie theater watching something about robots and Linda hums under her breath while periodically kissing him under his ear before turning away pretending she hadn't done a thing.

He never asks her what she wants out of life. He's talked at length about his own dreams of starting a restaurant. Of making all of these interesting and flavorful burgers. Of washing his own dishes and locking the door with his own key. He's never asked her what she wants. What she dreams about her life looking like. And that's important if they are doing to be-- If they will be-- If all this is to keep going forward.

"Lin," He starts. But Linda is a firework, glittering and explosive so she derails him.

"What, Bobby? Can't focus on the movie?" Linda laughs and her eyes are lit up from from explosion on the screen he definitely hadn't been paying attention to.

"I--" Bring it back, this is important he tells himself, "Linda? What do you want? I mean? In the future? I want my restaurant but what..." He gestures vaguely, "What's your dream."

And Linda just smiles at him big and bright, like he's being a little bit dumb and he probably is, he usually is, but he can't really think of why this time.

"It's not a thing." She says still smiling like she's in on a joke he's not even close to getting, "I just want to be happy."

---

Happy.

He can't remember the last time he was really and truly happy. And then there she is. And he can't help but feel every piece of himself light up every time she so much as looks in his direction. He's working as a grill cook at some random dive to pay the rent and singing at the top of his lungs. So much when he finally quiets down there's actually applause. Wolf whistles.

At the end of his shift a coworker whispers "Must be some girl you've got."

And Bob can't help the sappy smile on his face, "She is."

---

And the first time she stays over at his little studio apartment he spends way too much time cleaning and trying to make everything perfect. He lights candles. He plays music really low and even gets her flowers. He has to make everything perfect. He has to convince her to see past every little glaring flaw and stay with him regardless.

Bob feels selfish and arrogant but he can't help it. He's somehow tricked her into being with him this long if he can just keep it going possibly forever then he never has to go back.

It's funny how before didn't feel so bad but the thought of going back to life before Linda makes him feel like death now. There is no going back. He can't. He knows what it's like to love someone.

---

And of course, she's bright and funny and a million miles ahead of him. The moment she enters his apartment and sees all the silly little candles she blows one out. Makes a little wish under her breath and turns to him with a big smile.

"I love you," She says before he can even say hello.

And instead of being cool and composed and acting like he's been there before he wraps her up in his arms to keep her from seeing how close to crying he is.

"I love you too," He whispers into her shoulder and hopes she can hear him over the sappy jazz he is playing.

---

And he just can't. Every day feels like he's getting closer and closer to the sun. He feels its warmth deeper and deeper in his skin, his bones, his soul. And he can't lose her. He can't.

But he could.

---

"Pop," Bob says. He's picking at a little crusted-on stain on the countertop of his father's diner. He can't look at him for this. He doesn't want to see what's there. He's afraid of it.

"What?" His father responds tersely, "You've been wound up since you got here. Just spit it out."

To his credit, Bob doesn't even bristle at his tone. He's too in his head.

"I want you to meet someone." And it's surprising how easily the words come out of his mouth. It's the truth but it's also. It's something else.

"Oh," His father responds. And it's uncharacteristically silent in the once bustling diner. It's after closing usually there's the sound of dishes hitting together rags on counter tops. But now nothing.

"Linda." And in spite of his own nerves, he looks up to see his father. He thought he'd be embarrassed or ashamed or something but all he is... "I-- she's my girlfriend," He smiles without meaning to, " I care about her a lot."

He didn't know what he expected but the smile on his father's face is big and genuine and not even a little bit bitter.

"I'd love to meet her." He says.

---

And they get along like. Well, people that get along really well. Linda's very good at stuff like that. Walking into a room and making everyone comfortable and at ease.

The first time she meets Big Bob she wraps him up in a hug that leaves little Bob and his father surprised.

"How are you, Big Bob," She says, laughter in her voice acting like old friends, "Hah, love the mustache. I see where Bobby gets his lip wig from."

How can she do that? Enter a room of strangers and be totally at ease? Bob had been so nervous to have Linda meet his father. He'd been so nervous about so many things and then comes Linda showing him that he had nothing to be nervous about after all.

Bob finds himself elated to see the smile lit up on his father's face.

–

Linda gets them drink for drink into the night. There may have been some singing and dancing on tables. He doesn't even notice when his father leaves them to their own devices.

--

"Linda's a great girl." Big Bob says the next morning over coffee.

"I love her," Bob says in return and he hadn't intended to say anything of the sort it just comes spilling out of him unwilling to be unheard.

Neither of them says anything after that. It's just morning sounds of doors opening and garbage trucks. But Bob can see the sad little smile on his father's face.

--

"I was twelve," Bob tells her one night, they are half naked snuggled up in bed together in that sweet place between sleep and wakefulness, "When she died."

"Your mom," Linda says calmly, because she's good at these things but he feels the ways her shoulders square up under his bare fingers.

"Yeah," It squeaks out, "And um, Dad was never the same. I was never..."

Linda props her chin up on his chest and Bob feels himself drawn into her as he always is. Her eyes are always laughing but with something else brewing beneath. "Tell me about her."

And he can't help but laugh. Like, it's so easy. Like it's not daggers. Like it's not a reminder of all he lost.

But still, "She was happy. We were happy." he leaves out and then we weren't.

---

Linda has sort of moved into his apartment. From the moment he met her honestly. She's terrible at keeping track of her things. Something of hers is always lingering around his apartment. At least he assumed she always was forgetting things but maybe she was just always leaving open a reason to come back.

He realizes after what had to have been a least a month that she hasn't left. Every morning she's giggling at him over coffee, wiping leftover food from his mustache kissing his cheeks, nose, and eyebrows before he heads off to work, straightening the collar on his shirt.

Every night he lays in a bed that smells like her. Hears her chattering away in another room or grinning at him while talking on the phone. She's so beautiful it hurts. And he can't go back to before. He absolutely cannot imagine being without her. He doesn't know who he even used to be.

--

It's not a big affair. He wishes he'd thought about it more. Been able to plan things and give her something special. But they are just ending the day together wrapped in each other's arms on the couch. Linda is telling some good-natured story about something that happened at her day job. her whole face lighting up and bearing down in anger at the appropriate moment. And he kisses her before she finishes a sentence.

"Bobby," she snorts undignified and he loves he loves her so much he's shaking with it, "Were you even listening?"

"No." He blurts of and she gives him a half-hearted little slap feigning offense.

"Last time I--"

"Marry me." Bob blurts out. Pulls back, "I mean, will you--"

And she's just laughing so hard there are little tears in her reddened eyes, "Absolutely."

And then Bob can't stop laughing with her.

And it's like hitting rewind on a cassette tape, a VHS. Back to the start, one, two, three. Only this time he hopes for a better ending.

[daz4i]

yknow what i have nothing to do and need to distract myself from *gestures vaguely* and i mentioned it a few times in the last few days so i may as well talk abt that one theory i like

first of all let me say. it's not my own original theory lol i can't remember where i saw it first but it's p common so it'd be a bit hard to trace who was the first to bring it up

second. i know it contradicts some themes or at least some messages bsd is going for. which is why i don't think it's too likely (on the other hand some elements in the story can def allow a plot point of that sort to happen without being contradictory asdfhg matter of perspective ig)

ANYWAY the actual theory:

dazai knows he's in a story and aware that he is a character

backup for that theory:

honestly not much. a minor fourth wall break for laughs (the "wow~" scene. you know the one) isn't really proof, but if it was true it'd add some depth to that scene i think!

the main thing i think is cool abt this theory is how it recontextualizes a lot of things about him;

the thing that made me think abt making this post is that collection of dazai saying "you can't kill me" at various points of the story. most of them have context for each scene (atsushi can't kill him bc nlh will nullify the tiger, fyodor can't kill him bc he has the power of friendship, etc), but the fact the same line repeats multiple times makes it stand out to me

so consider this: dazai is confident that he won't die because he knows he can't die before the story is over, bc that's what the narrative decided. that's why none of his suicide attempts ever work (tho you already know my opinion on why that is, in the context of the story itself). he keeps trying tho bc man. it's tiring to be aware

that being said! well. we know he's been suicidal from a very young age. he sees no meaning in the act of living. and, being a character in a story, knowing that your life is all fake, can certainly make one's life feel meaningless, huh.

and ofc, alienation from those around him, since he seems to be the only one aware of the story. he is quite literally separate from the human experience bc of this

also some more angst :) i do firmly believe dazai feels a lot of guilt, more for meta reasons than him really showing it. guilt is a very big repeating element in no longer human and its protag yozo, whom i think dazai is obviously very inspired by. soooooo now consider this :) guilt over odasaku's death. in the context of the story, there is no reason for him to feel that, more or less. maybe nothing beyond "if only i called ango out earlier" "if only i got there in time and got him help", he didn't actually cause oda's death, not more than mori did for example, and he did the best he could too.

buuuuuuut what if he's a character in a story. he doesn't know if the story is about him yet, but given how other people around him don't seem to notice they're characters, it must be, right? the narrative depends on him. and, in that narrative, odasaku ends up dying. if he didn't exist, odasaku could live (really interesting to think abt that in the context of beast, too)

actually since i brought it up. beastzai definitely seems to know he's a character. he knows his existence doesn't mean much, i mean his whole universe is just an offshoot of the main one, literally an au of canon. that's even more meaninglessness on top of canonzai's meaninglessness, and he experienced both of them at once. no wonder he ended up killing himself damn 😩 (sorry this is a joke. ik he killed himself for some noble reason. but also i bet this made it easier)

an awareness of this level can explain some things like how dazai knows things are gonna play out in certain ways - he knows he's in a story, so he knows the narrative has to end in some satisfying way. the main characters have to win, so the doa have to lose. fyodor can't kill him. and we're back to the start

problem with this theory:

that thing i mentioned abt themes and messages in bsd. a lot of the story seems to tell us dazai is HUMAN. having him aware of everything on a meta level, imo, may cheapen that message, bc that quite literally makes him More than others in the universe.

then again the story (and asagiri in interviews lol) also seems to show again and again that he is exceptional and knows best so eh. like i said, matter of perspective

how i think it might work:

no longer human lmao

yknow how it was said The Book was created by an ability (and that's probably why it caused a singularity when beastzai touched it). well. what if the whole narrative we're following, in a way, in the universe of bsd, can count as an ability too. like a combination of The Book and poe's ability, kinda. (i've seen some theories in the past abt how asagiri is gonna be the final boss of bsd lol and that he would indeed have an ability that's just. *gestures at everything* this)

sooooo while nlh can't take him out of the story physically, it nullifies his ignorance to the situation. in a way, he's out of the story because he sort of watches it from an angle others can't

ok i officially ran out of brain power. i might add more in a reblog at some other point but for now these are the only thoughts i have. if you subscribe to that theory as well, or even just thing it's cool, i would love to hear some of your ideas - what other parts of dazai and his story do you think this changes? what does it mean about his relationships with other characters? please share if you have any thoughts on the matter!!! :)

[cyle]

Speaking of toggles, are you planning to undo existing toggles such as the ability to turn off best stuff first, snooze tumblr live, don't allow tumblr to put posts you liked on others' dashes?

i get why toggles aren't sustainable for major, site-wide UI changes, but undoing these specific toggles would make the site just like any other social media platform (all of which are better funded and better run btw) removing any incentive i have to stay here, even though it has been my online home for so long and i'd so prefer it to stay that way.

i just hope you don't destroy the site completely while trying to make it profitable and let at least some toggles stay.

funny enough, i was talking about this already a bit today, and i've written a couple of proposals about it. basically: none of the dashboard preference toggles' functionality and effects would go away, we'd just consolidate them into fewer, more clear options.

for example, instead of having three separate toggles for different dashboard recommendation injections, we'd have just one. and it'd be named better. similarly, i'd want to rename "Best stuff first" to something clearer, because i don't think it's adequately communicating what it does. there's a lot of work we can do to just make the confusing mass of settings easier to navigate and understand, and move them to places closer to what they control. we have a dashboard tab configuration experiment going on right now that moves that stuff to the actual dashboard tab bar, instead of being buried somewhere else.

an important distinction, when thinking about this stuff, is separating "toggles and settings" from "configuration and affordance" in an interface. a core part of tumblr is being able to customize and curate your experience, and that's not going to change as long as i can help keep us staying true to that guiding principle. nobody at tumblr wants to change that. however, the actual functionality of how that manifests can come in many forms.

for example, we're working on ways to build communities and custom feeds on tumblr, and the very simple straightforward way to do that is to make a big form that you can fill out. but that's intimidating, almost nobody wants to put forth that much effort anymore, for good reason. instead, we could make the initial creation process one-step and simple, and move the configuration and customization later as an evolving flow, making it feel more like a game or a sorting/organizing exercise, which is something people on tumblr love.

but a lot of these kinds of changes are radical for those of us who've been on tumblr for years, and have learned how to do things "the hard way" (as i call it). that's the difficult thing to overcome: how to make this stuff easier and more friendly for more people, without breaking too much of the work that people have already put into the platform.

[maochira]

BACK AT IT AGAIN MAO!!!

Feeling that 'enemies' to lovers with Yukki who are just really petty because they both chose a table in the library and leave class as quickly as they can to reserve that table all for themselves.

Sooner or later though, finals are coming up and y/n can't find a table to sit at because there are so many people in the library. They stand at the entrance of the library, frustrated and anxious. Then they get a tap on their shoulder, Yukki observed them pacing anxiously around the library and decided to end their petty fight and ushers them to what he called "their table".

Yeah go crazy from there ig ( /ω＼)

I'm a sucker for enemies/rivals to lovers I SWEAR

Requests open! - masterlist

Tags: gn!reader x Yukimiya, somewhat rivals to lovers, a bit of fluff I think, this became longer than I intended WHOOPS but I'm not complaining

Every day is another race for who gets to sit at that one table in the library. Ever since the school year started, it's been like this. And while it pisses you off whenever Yukimiya ends up getting the seat, you still look forward to this challenge every day. There's always a bit of adrenaline running through your veins during the last minutes of class and whenever you run to the library.

Usually, if you don't make it to that onr seat you just choose to sit down at another one. Hust today, every single seat is taken. You left the classroom a bit later than usual because your teacher asked to talk to you, which took a bit longer than expected. You already knew Yukimiya had taken the seat you always fight for, so you didn't even bother to check there.

You walked twice through the entire library to check if any other seats is available, but no. This was to be expected because finals are getting closer, so more students choose to study in the library instead of at home.

Yukimiya saw you walking by both times and he wonders why you didn't even get close to where he's sitting. Usually, even if he got the seat before you, you'd come up and say "congratulations" in a teasing tone before you'd look for another seat.

When you walk by a third time, Yukimiya notices the mix of frustration and anxiety on your face. It makes him feel somewhat guilty because he knows you've been putting a lot of effort into studying to get good grades. Fighting for the table has always been more of a lighthearted thing anyways, so he wouldn't mind ending that pettiness now.

You're about to leave the library when you feel a tap on your shoulder. You turn around to be surprised by Yukimiya standing right there.

"You don't have to leave. We can just share our table." There's a slight blush across his face while he speaks to you.

You were about to question why he called it 'our table', but you're so relieved about the opportunity to finally get a seat, you quickly agreed to his offer. "That'd be really nice."

As soon as you finish speaking, Yukimiya grabs your wrist and drags you to your table. While you set your bag to the floor, he grabs a random chair that's been standing next to a bookshelf and puts it next to his.

Even though you're classmates and you have these daily races who gets to this table first, you and Yukimiya have only had one somewhat proper conversation in the past. Despite that, sitting next to him feels weirdly comfortable.

At first, you study separately withoutsaying a word, but after about thirty minutes both of you realize it'd be more helpful if you studied together instead. It's a little awkward at first because you don't really know how to talk to him, but it gets easier quickly and you soon notice how your cheeks always feel a little warmer each time Yukimiya's hand get close to yours to take the pen out of your hand, so he can write something down on your paper.

He could absolutely use his own pen, but he doesn't. It's obvious how he's doing it to get a bit closer to you, but he uses "not wanting to write with another ink on the same paper" as an excuse.

Studying together is something you could definitely get used to. How didn't the thought of sharing the table cross your mind earlier? But you're glad Yukimiya got the idea today.

You end up staying in the library for way longer than you usually do. You lost track of time so easily because being with Yukimiya was so much fun and it made studying a lot less draining.

After a couple hours, you leave the library together. You're close to the bus stop when you see Yukimiya's bus approaching already. He's about to storm off, but not before he gives you a short hug.

"We should do this more often. See you tomorrow, bye!" Yukimiya says before running off to catch his bus. His last words send butterflies right into your stomach and you can swear there's a bright blush on his face when he turns his head to look at you one last time.

[ultraericthered]

I posted before about how more extreme and cartoonishly deranged artwork like what Takahashi got around to giving him in the Battle City Finals would've aesthetically improved Yami Marik's original depiction in the manga of Yu-Gi-Oh!. But then I got to thinking: was there anything Takahashi could've done to improve it textually too?

I don't think any changes would need to carry over to anime!Yami Marik. Studio Gallop could do whatever they wanted with him: if they'd rather he be an evil shadow entity born of the Ishtar family's generational trauma and suffering and conjured up into existence by Marik's psyche in his childhood after his back got branded, he could be. He's perfect like that. But for Takahashi's version of the story, I always found that explanation to be a little too out there and full of holes (Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura are ancient souls inhabiting their respective Millennium Items, so how does Marik's split personality happen? Why don't all Millennium Item holders have dark alter egos in this case, especially Pegasus who literally replaced one of his own eyes with the Millennium Eye?), so he needed to rework the idea.

The editted panel up there reflects what I'd have done: Yami Marik's not talking about his other half and his trauma as though they're separate from him, as for all intents and purposes, he's Marik Isthar as well. I think that rather than be a split personality that Marik gained through his childhood trauma, Yami Marik should've been the original personality of Marik. That Marik as a child endured so much abuse and trauma that the psychological and emotional damage kept building up inside him until his father's punishment of Odion right in front of him just made him finally crack. He attacked his father not just to save Odion, but to then take everything out on him, stabbing him and flaying him alive and enjoying every second of the thrill it'd give him. But the weight of what he'd done would then hit so hard that it'd make him mentally black out and reconstruct an innocent, "sane" personality so as to avoid dealing with the consequences of that act, and in this state of mind, blaming the Pharaoh for it all becomes much easier for Marik. So Odion would then be trying to keep the darker nature of Marik 1 repressed, but that darker nature would always be beneath the surface subtly influencing Marik 2. Much like the character of Shinobu Sensui from Yu Yu Hakusho, Marik's DID is a defense mechanism to protect his daily mental state and self image, but his original personality is the one that went mad and committed murder, and he ultimately cannot erase that fact.

So then when Marik is split into two characters in the Battle City arc's back half, the struggle between the two would be one where they both share the exact same memories and carry with them the exact same trauma, but one personality responds to that past trauma by embracing the mental instability it created in him and using it as an excuse to lash out at the entire world for funsies and gratification while taking no responsibility for his actions while the other one comes around to taking accountability for everything and accepting that while he'll always carry the trauma, it's better to manage it with loved ones who care for him, let go of the hatred, and focus on who you want to be and the life you want to live in the future rather than keeping yourself stuck on the past. 'Cause that's basically what all the finalists share in common with their character arcs: burying their pasts and looking to the future (though in Atem's case, his future is intrinsically linked to his ancient past). So when Marik 2 forfeits the final duel and rejects Marik 1, it'd be Marik saying "This is the person I want to be now. I don't want to be you anymore! I rennounce you and everything you wanted to do with your life!", leading to Marik's old insane persona vanishing into the shadows, ceasing to exist. Yami Marik being a wholly natural personality who's supernaturally enhanced rather than a supernatural entity gives Marik's personal triumph that much more weight and make it even more rewarding.

Had Takashi gone that direction, Marik would've really been the Matt Engarde of the series narrative - not as strong as the main villains to directly precede him and directly followed him, but he'd still work. As it is, he does still work....just not as much when it's his alter ego.

[icanseethefuture333]

How bts views each blackpink members ?

I feel that'd be too many people to do a reading on so I'm going to keep it general and just do a reading on what BTS thinks overall of Blackpink.

What does BTS think of Blackpink?

They could keep their interactions with them very brief. In public they're not allowed to really interact with each other because people have outdated views and think that men and women can't be friends or work with each other without there being something romantic/sexual attraction between them. It could be awkward whenever they come across each other. Although, they do admire their creativity and musical expression. BTS doesn't like the comparisons that they get with Blackpink because they feel people can appreciate each of the group's artistry without it being a competition. They take the constructive criticism though and focus it on improving their skills. BTS believes they have a healthy rivalry with Blackpink. A lot of BTS members love YG artists or wanted to debut at YG, so they have no hard feelings towards with them. They could also feel they are holding up to their label's title or what YG is well known for, they think Blackpink totally fit the style of a YG group. In the future they could want to do some sort of collab if the company allows it. They are considered some of the top groups in the industry and they think it'd be a great family project. There'd have to be a lot of convincing and persuasion though in order for that collab to ever happen for BTS and Blackpink.

What does Blackpink think of BTS?

Welp I heard one member say "They're hot!" (And no I won't state who 😂). One of the girls could think BTS are very attractive, she might have been an ARMY herself. Blackpink sees BTS as all very successful, rich, and handsome group of men. "Do they ever rest?" They could be amazed by their drive or ability to work so hard consistently. It is rumored right now that V and Jennie are dating, so I believe that is what this Two of Cups is representing. They could be separated at the moment or not talking as of right now. (Clarified by Five of Cups, Nine of Pentacles (reversed), & Nine of Wands) there's some friction between Jennie and another member right now because of her dating V. I think this member liked him first and Jennie knew but got with him anyways, so this member is in her feelings about it? She feels like a friend betrayed her (phew not the girls fighting 😭, alexa play "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy & Monica).

Moving on... Blackpink see BTS as stars. They are a group of people that went from underdogs and had to strive for their success. Again with both groups wanting to collaborate.

Would it be possible for BTS and Blackpink ever to collaborate in the future?

Hell no. If they did, they could start working on it and their companies would pull the plug on it immediately. So to avoid the disappointment and waste of time, they just won't do it. BTS and Blackpink just won't be able to complete their goal or bring it into fruition. Especially not both groups, it'd be easier maybe for one member of each group make a song or share a stage performance but they're not even willing to do that. Too much sabotage going on from their companies. They know their fanbases are too toxic for this to ever happen and could lose a lot of money if they released a song together.