#but glad I got to experience that era at the same time

[thegamingcatmom]

If yknow...

*listens to Rosyln by Bon Iver & St. Vincent*

Yknow.

[crystal-verse]

god i want. an au where it dosn't work. where it's just arr g'raha who's woken up, and he doesn't have all these memories and all these people keep looking at him like they're mourning someone. the world has changed and time has changed and all the people he knows have changed, but he hasn't changed, he was just sleeping, just sleeping, and the world nearly ended several times and apparently he helped prevent yet another end but he has no memory of this. they want him to join the scions. he does not know these people. (he barely knows the warrior of light, now, but did he ever truly know them in the first place?) his little sister is alive and well. she looks at him like a ghost. she's changed, and she's older than him now. he acts bratty and loud and brash to cover up the fact that he does not know anything it seems, and he is tired but he was sleeping for so long, so how could he be tired?

he doesn't know these people. they seem to know him. he wonders if he'd killed someone, when it was him and not that exarch who woke up. he wonders if it should have been him who was "killed" in that way, if it is him that lives and not that man who had known and become friends with all these figures from legend. he wonders if he'll always be fated to be a historian one step back from everything, because he simply cannot be a hero.

[pwippy]

i originally captioned this as "what do you mean no one really figures life out" but thats not really relevant anymore. i. uh. long rant ahead!

[imaginesig]

"I think he knows... he's gorgeous"

Paul Aron x singer!Reader

SMAU

I had such a hard time hunting down f2 wags so only Estelle is mentioned despite me wanting others-- sorry! Also the timeline doesn't fit reality but I do what I want and I made up a new gp for my own personal gain

Inspired by: Eras Tour Stockholm Night 1 Mashup

All songs mentioned are tagged at the very bottom

yourusername

liked by taylorswift, paularon_, user54, and 829,938 others

yourusername: I've taken my final bow on the eras tour stage today... I'm so upset it's over but so so happy to have had the experience. Taylor, you've been such a fantastic mentor and supporter! Thank you for bringing me along 🫶🫶🫶

tagged: taylorswift

taylorswift it ws an honor to have you!! Can't wait to work with you in the future 🫶🫶🫶

user1 omg collab????

paularon_ you were incredible! now hurry up and get to Melbourne

yourusername otw 🏃‍♀️‍➡️

taylorswift thank you for letting me borrow her on off season!!

user2 my fav opener!!!

user5 lmao Paul's comment 💀

user6 they're literally my fab couple on the grid

user7 same!! I need more songs about him

user3 im so glad I got you for my show!!!!

user4 ugh you put the rest of us swifties to shame

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Paularon_

liked by yourusername, kimi.antonelli, dinobeganovic, and 927,838 others

Paularon_: "I remember how we felt sitting by the water, and every time I look at you it's like the first time"

tagged: yourusername

yourusername you did not need to expose me playing mermaids

paularon_ you looked to cute, what's a man supposed to do 🤷‍♂️

oscarpiastri enjoying Melbourne then??

paularon_ you know it

hitechgp our fav couple 😍😍

user1 the rings 😭

user2 ok Paul with the Taylor caption

user3 he's every girls dream man

user4 I need to know where Y/n got her swimsuit-- I love that color

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yourusername

liked by lettiemng, olliebearman, taylorswift, and 783,939 others

yourusername: 🏄‍♀️🌺

tagged: lettiemng

paularon_ so nice to see you left me out of all the fun

olliebearman right

yourusername you guys had gp stuff

lettiemng plus being a surfing wag was way more entertaining and I got to work on my tan

lettiemng please teach me soon!!!

yourusername ofc ofc

user1 Aussie surfing is the best

user2 this post is to Pinterest

user3 you look gorgeous

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paularon_

liked by user5, user58, hitechgp, and 968,976 others

paularon_: thats P1 in Melbourne!! My good luck charm is back baby🍀❤️

tagged no one

yourusername THATS MY MAN

yourusername WHOOOP WHOOP

yourusername CELEBRATION TIME!!!!!!!

yourusername I LOVE YOU MY CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER

paularon_ I LOVE YOU TOO

user5 I love that they match each others energy

user1 Y/n is the gf we all need

hitechgp there's no way to beat Y/n, but congratulations anyway 👏

user2 yes sir 💪💪

user3 not him calling her his lucky charm 🥹

user4 ugh Pauls out here raising relationship standards one post at a time

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Time Skip: a few races later, about midseason

yourusername

liked by paularon_, danielseavey, user54, and 928,938 others

yourusername: I've spent these past few weeks traveling the world with the love of my life and the best group of friends I could've ever asked for!! I've enjoyed our endless lights of exploring, partying, and racing 🩵 To celebrate, my newest album, "Little Calm," will drop next Friday!!

tagged: no one

taylorswift so excited!!! I can't wait to hear the rest of what you cooked up, Enchanted is already so special 🫶

yourusername thank you for adding you special sparkle to the mix 🫶

danielseavey best writing season ever, thank you for reaching out

yourusername ofc!! It was magical to see how closely our experiences were and how they shaped into such a beautiful song

paularon_ so so proud!! I can't wait to hear it ❤️

yourusername I love you much ❤️ but you've def heard all of these to some degree

paularon_ but I can't wait to hear them all put together

lettiemng ugh the perfect soundtrack for our epic summer ☀️

lettiemng I say we have a windows down in the car listening session

yourusername yesssssss

user1 oh please have songs about Paul!!

user2 right I've listen to Gorgeous so much we NEED more

user3 and they weren't even together when she wrote it, imagine the stuff now!!!

user4 AHHHHH TAYLOR COLLAB

user5 yk its a good summer when Y/n covers One Direction and Billy Joel

user6 duality of man

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paularon_

liked by yourusername, hitechgp, user84, and 244,937 others

paularon_: wonderful album, kullakallis 🩵

tagged: yourusrname

yourusername ma armastan sind 🩵

dinobenganovic wonderful album, me and my gf love it!!

user1 Im not crying you are

user2 who's cutting onions in here 🥹

user3 "we can follow the sparks, ill drive"

user4 not Paul beating all of us (including Y/n) with the post

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yourusername

liked by user4, lettiemnd, user5, and 928,389 others

yourusername: "Little Calm" out now!!

tagged paularon_

user1 omg I NEED surfer Paul content

user2 this IS the summer of Y/n with this drop

paularon_ so so so amazed by you

yourusername so so so amazed by YOU

danielseavey on repeat 🔁

taylorswift adding to the pre-eras playlist now!!!

user3 this album is gonna own my sporty wrapped

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paularon_

liked by yourusername, user5, user9, and 893,039 others

paularon_: "Feels like I'm falling and I / I'm lost in your eyes / You make me crazier"

tagged: yourusername

lettiemng I just looked at my boyfriend and signed

olliebearman HEY

yourusername LMAO ESTELLE

username awww baby 🥹

paularon_ ❤️❤️

user1 God its me again

user2 yes marriage is scary, what if he doesn't treat me like Paul does Y/n

user3 live laugh love PaulY/n

user4 the paddock pic 😭 she's so us

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yourusername

liked by user3, taylorswift, lettiemng, and 829,093 others

yourusername: I'm going on tour!!! Dates/tickets on my website 🩵🩵

tagged: no one

user1 not the tour dates lining up so she can be at Paul's races

user2 we praise him for being the ultimate boyfriend, but Y/n is the ultimate girlfriend

lettiemng do I like that you'll be away from me, no, am I still so so happy, yes

yourusername 💋💋

paularon_ so proud!! You're gonna kill it

yourusername with your support?? Yes I am!!

taylorswift brb grabbing tickets now

user3 just got my tickets!!!

user4 im so excited

user5 wdym Y/n's going on her own tour?? Didn't she just drop her first album?? She's not popular enough for her own?? She's still out little secret??

user6 me fr fr

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Time Skip- a few more races

paularon_

liked by yourusername, hitehcgp, user54, and 839,928 others

paularon_ so blessed to win at my home race!! Thank you to my family for supporting me

tagged: no one

yourusername so so proud baby!!

paularon_ ❤️❤️

user1 this was enough to make me cry

user2 more points closer to the championship

user3 I love this!!!

user4 first I get to watch Paul win and tomorrow I get to see Y/n perform

user5 what a life!!

load more

paularon_

liked by user3, yourusername, aronralph, and 827,720 others

paularon_: ma armastan sind ❤️

tagged yourusername

yourusername ma armastan sind ❤️

user1 estonia won best show

user2 right im so jelous

user3 a Paul win and a love mashup?? I can't take it

user4 when will it be my turn

user5 looks like ill be sleeping in traffic tonight

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yourusername

liked by taylorswift, paularon_, olliebearman, and 823,929 others

yourusername: Estonia you've been my favorite show, but im a bit bias ;)

tagged paularon_

comments have been disabled

Bonus, sometime in the future

paularon_

liked by auroralf, dinobeganovic, lukebrownracing, and 983, 938 others

paularon_: "Home was a place, now home is a person and you're looking at rings 'cause you swear that you're certain"

tagged yourusername

yourusername ❤️

aronralf I've waited too long for this, congrats!!

lettiemng ahhhh im crying!!!

olliebearman congrats!

dinobeganovic so happy man!!

lukebrownracing party time!!

comments have been limited

~~~

Songs mentioned:

I Think He Knows by Taylor Swift

San Franciso by 5 Seconds of Summer

Fearless by Taylor Swift

You, Me, and the Beat from Liv and Maddie

Crazier from Hannah Montana

You're On Your Own, Kid by Taylor Swift

The Older You Get by Daniel Seavey

Enchanted by Taylor Swift

Live While We're Young by One Direction

Vienna by Billy Joel

Gorgeous by Taylor Swift

[skinnybritishdudes]

Having heard George talk so much and in such depth about his love for the show, his process, his interpretation of Edwin and his affection for him makes the idea of cancellation (I am not giving up yet) hurt extra. It's in the specifics, you know. There's that-actor-I-like-must-be-sad, and then there's having watched hours of Facetime-y videos where he talks about your favorite thing like it's his favorite thing, too. I would've been heartbroken for him anyway, but it's definitely sharper than it would've been without the Cameo Era. Honestly I just wish there was somebody I could yell at about it. It's not fair!

At the same time, holy shit am I thrilled that he got to read all those messages. He seemed genuinely surprised at how much attention people paid to the specifics of his performance and of the character, and every little detail of the show. He said in my last cameo that it felt good for him to see how invested in the show fans were because he was so invested in it, and I think that exchange was a rare and wonderful experience on both sides: for him to get the chance to know how much the show mattered to so many and that people really saw and appreciated his work, and for us to get to ask our questions and get such detailed and thoughtful answers from this sincere, unaffected young artist. Honestly, I've been in a lot of fandoms over a lot of years and this is by far my favorite thing that's ever happened in one. What an unexpected and unlikely treat.

He also said the week of Cameos felt like really getting something out of all that he'd put in to the show. So if this is the end for DBD after all, goddamn am I glad he decided to do that fundraiser. I'm so happy he was able to raise so much for a cause so dear to him, and I'm over the moon that he peeked his head in and let us tell him how great he is for that moment, too.

[alexissara]

5 Years Of Three Houses, 5 Years Of Loving Edelgard.

5 Years ago today, I was first able to enter the continent of Fodlan, I meet Edelgard and from there I fell for a character in a way I never had before. I was already a professional writer with published worked and focused on Character driven work but I was still blown away by what an amazing character Edelgard was. 5 years ago, I got Engaged at a queer con, I was playing my 2nd route of three houses having played from Three Houses. The game was with me at this wonderful landing point in my life, it was there during the rough covid era struggles, when I was deeply, deeply sick, I was sicker than I ever been, not with Covid but with stomach issues and was hospitalized multiple times in one month ending in a surgery. I ran a roleplay inspired by Three Houses in Thirsty Sword Lesbians which I played for many years, I dated one of my exes through the whole campaign and grew a lot closer to one of my current girlfriends through it. I refined a version of one of my favorite OCs Ever Lena to do a Three Houses OC AU version of her for a different roleplay and while that fell through she did end up being used for that previously mentioned TSL game.

I reviewed Three Houses after finishing all four routes, I wanted to be really through and experience every route, every story, every FF romance arc, etc before I reviewed it. I gave the game a 7/10, I think now I'd give it an 8/10 maybe but a review score is what I think of the game as an overall package. The life changing power of Crimson Flower was really the big deal for me. That was 10/10, that was peak, it was just that the other routes were nowhere near as good for me. Edelgard the revolutionary who is happy to cast herself as a villain if that's what it takes to change the oppression in the world, something that was so strong, so powerful that it was reflected into our world. She was so good at being a character who impacted a fictional world, the only reason things happen at all that people to this day get angry about people loving her, discourse about her, cast her off, make up shit, show their political asses, etc. What a fucking character to be hated so strongly, for so long by this rabid group. Keeping love from a small fan base over time is hard but maintaining hate as a fictional character, that's harder especially with a 24/7 culture war of new women to hate. However, she also maintained love, Edelgard is the most popular character in all of Fire Emblem, in the 5 years she's got the most fan art, the most votes in CYL, she clearly makes nearly the most money in the gacha given how often they make new versions of her or rerun her, she is the moment.

Of course, it is not just Edelgard I love but the Black Eagles as a whole from the classic roster to the extended family of Mercedes, Lyesthia, Shamir, Leonie, to the Hopes additions of Monica and Shez. Edelgard stands so tall but she doesn't overshadow her amazing allies in changing the world. Even the men, me a famous not man enjoyer, finds at worst like, kinda boring rather than like repulsive. Plus I really love Hubert and Jeritza both as characters and think they are lovely, brilliant characters I wouldn't want to see replaced.

Three Houses hit me in a way "better" games haven't hit me in. I still think about the characters, the world, the politics, the ideas, the lore, the romances, everything so often, daily. I love so much art, most of this little blog is me talking about art I engaged with and I struggle to think of another piece of art that took me by storm in the same ways that Three Houses has. I'd love to have another game sweep me off my feet and have me giggling like someone who just met their idol but even if it doesn't happen again I am glad it happened with Three Houses.

Then there was Three Hopes and I fucking love Three Hopes, it only exists in the context of Houses but Scarlet Blaze and Golden Wildfire blew me the fuck away. Both routes do a ton for the characters in the series, the plots are fantastic, bringing Monica back and making her one of the best characters in the Fire Emblem series was so fucking great, and I adore the Warriors gameplay. Three Houses was a gift that not only gave itself but Hopes which really just furthered helped put Houses in focus, tie in way more lore, way more context, and way more information. I could explore the world of Fodlan even more honestly, I still hope for Hopes DLC because I just love this game.

It was so amazing to see Edeglard freed of Those Who Slither in the dark and the way her revolution works if she could just have saved her lesbian best friend and probably girlfriend. I loved to see the new amazing paralogues, the way the war shakes out, how she operates free of enemies resting in her house, how the nobles react when Edelgard is a free agent, the way the church fights back in this new time line. It really exciting and it is fun to see how the world once again revolves around the actions and moves of Edelgard and how she sets Fodlan Ablaze with change but now with more time to do things more carefully. It is such a great alterative look.

I don't have enough glowing things to say about Three Houses but I do have some things to say for the future of my favorite video game series. I deeply hope the future of Fire Emblem is more like Houses and not like the games around it. Houses was a return to form and the first story that blew me away since Radiant Dawn. I want more games that have the style and budget and scope and ambition of a Houses. I don't really trust intelligent systems to bring me that kind of story, so I hope they work with Koei again in the future and let their writers do their thing,

I love the smaller scale Fire Emblems but I can play indie games and smaller budget SRPGs and get the scope and ambition of a smaller scale Fire Emblem but only Nintendo money can bring the kind of game Houses is to the table. I really want to see the expensive class system brought back hopefully without the sexism and the big roster of characters and so much of the little things that made houses so charming. I don't need multiple routes but I would like a good political message like Crimson Flower to be in the future. I don't know if I'll ever love a character not made by me or my loves ones as much as I love Edelgard again but I want them try and I want them to pull it off.

Happy 5 Years Fire Emblem Three Houses, you are something special. If you want to see more of me gushing about houses you can read my fics here https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexisSara/works?fandom_id=23985107

[celestetcetera]

🙋 i am curious

IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED ‼️

So me and @happistar were chatting a bit ago and the topic somehow landed on Hey what if there was a Disney Channel Original adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Y'know, cuz they love loosely basing those off things you'd read in english class

We ended up with an entire plot summary. Below the cut bc I will not spare a single detail

Okay so this would be set in peak Disney Channel Original era, aka 2000-2010s, in highschool bc of course. Our protagonist is Henrietta Jekyll, a teen girl, bc that's your typical DCO protagonist.

She goes by Jekyll, because she hates her first name, and occasionally Dr. Jekyll, because her friends & chemistry teacher call her that as a quirky nickname for being very determined to get a PHD one day.

Jekyll's a certified Nerd™ who excels in chemistry, gets straight As, and participates in like 8 different clubs. Truly the academic pride of the school! She’s also overworked and definitely needs to take time for herself.

Her besties are Utterson and Lanyon, who tbh we never decided whether they get genderbent or not. They basically make up your bestie friend group of the DCO. The only bullet point I noted about Utterson is that they're like that one kid in good omens -- clearly born to do taxes. We know they're going to law school

So Jekyll wants to be popular, but her nerdiness keeps getting in the way. Like for instance, homecoming is on the horizon, and though her friends asked if she would go, she insists she can’t because she’s got too much homework (and is also kinda nervous).

So, with encouragement from her chemistry teacher, Mr. Stevenson (referencing RLS ofc), she creates a potion that will draw forth her Cool Side. This creates her alter ego, who names herself Emma Hyde. Emma because it's the name she's always liked, and Hyde because uhh… first thing that popped into her head?

Hyde has the cool goth/emo aesthetic, and with her laid back personality, easily slots into the Cool Kids. Oh, and among these cool kids is Dani Carew -- your typical bitchy popular girl.

(Do NOT question how signing up for class works at all. Hyde probably introduces herself as a transfer student (more like transformation student hahaha) and that’s all she needs because paperwork doesn’t exist in Disney Channel Original Movies.)

Cue your school based alter ego shenanigans. Jekyll likes the thrill of being Hyde but she's also worried because Hyde consistently ditches class, doesn't pay attention, and mouths off at the teachers. The only teacher that seems to even remotely like her is Stevenson, but he just likes everyone really. Jekyll is also frustrated because her grades are suffering.

Once homecoming comes around, Hyde's the one that ends up going. She has a great time! There’s a bit of a “oooh who’s this cool new kid” Cinderella moment. Jekyll wakes up feeling so alive after the experience!

There's probably a romantic love triangle thing going on as well, bc what's your DCO without romance. Not sure if both Jekyll and Hyde to have separate love interests or the same guy falls for both of them, but either way it is accidentally very polyamorous.

Anyway, at some point some drama between Jekyll & Carew escalates and Hyde decides to "murder" her. Since this is a DCO she will not be beating her to death with her cane, and instead just killing her popularity by spreading around an embarrassing photo or something.

This causes Lanyon to take issue with Jekyll's experiments, claiming she's gone too far. They have a fight that culminates in Lanyon exposing Jekyll/Hyde as the same person to the whole school.

Upset, Jekyll/Hyde have a Confrontation style fight before realizing that they have to accept each other to be their true self. They create a "cure" that merges them back together for a DCO happy ending. The moral is you have to embrace both sides of your personality, and Jekyll learns that while her school work is important, so is taking the time to have fun like Hyde. Post-merge, she retains Hyde's signature emo eyeshadow, and goes by Emma as often as Jekyll.

In like the last 5 minutes Mr. Stevenson reveals that he made the same potion back when he was a teen, which explains his affection for Hyde. We see a pic of his Hyde side, which is appropriately Cool for the 1970s. He also comments that he’s glad to see Jekyll has learned to take some time for herself. The end :)

[verdemoun]

counter argument: the same rescue mission but he lives in this essay i will-

kieran lives but the gang have no use for a blind man.

there is the unspoken moment of realisation that everyone offers the gang something. even swanson, no matter the state he's in, is capable of burying someone. even if they don't believe in god, they know swanson is able to stay because in those horrible final moments they all may face at any time, swanson will read them their last rites.

kieran is blind, physically weak, and absolutely traumatised. he screams in his sleep. whenever someone touches him without warning it takes minutes for him to calm down enough to realise who they are. he can't work with horses anymore. he needs to be lead/half-carried to even touch them, which seems to be the only thing that brings him a moments peace.

arthur tries to argue, because he owes kieran his life. he is the only one who owes kieran anything. but he knows, deep down, if his own experience with the o'driscolls had left him in the same state, the gang would've left him behind.

then, horsemen apocalypse still happens - minus a corpse. because kieran still talked. everyone knows what happens to traitors. if not for arthur, he would have been killed right there.

instead, arthur convinces dutch to let him go. that anyone would've talked to escape what kieran went through. arthur takes him to brother dorkins, because the reality of the era is either a church or a sanatorium. brother dorkins welcomes kieran with open arms, and promises he will be kept safe and content.

kieran asks arthur to take branwen, because branwen doesn't deserve to be in a stable all his life. branwen would act similarly to buell in that you lose honor if you sell him

in the epilogue, you would be able to find kieran sitting in the church's garden in saint. it would lead to a cut scene where he says he's doing well and asks about the gang.

you would have the option to tell kieran the truth or lie. kieran would be obviously upset to hear arthur passed away but comfort himself (and john) imaging arthur would've been glad to know john and his family got out. while lying would lead to lower honor, kieran would be relieved to hear everyone was okay and hope arthur would come by one day.

either interaction would end with kieran smiling and saying 'see you round' and john would do a double take as he walked away before realising it was a joke and chuckling.

[the-lazyyy-artist]

Pairing: Satoru Gojo x Fem!Reader (Established Relationship) Synopsis: A family reunion and an annual office party set on the same day caused you two to miss each other's parties as each other's plus ones. Themes: fluff and a bit of a brain blurb. I missed writing and I missed this era of PTX (the song has been on replay for days!!) Author's note: this fic is kinda mid.

"Whyyyyy?"

You giggled at Satoru's reaction. He started to whine and fake cry the moment you told him that their annual office party and your family reunion were set on the same day, causing you to attend separate events and not be each other's plus ones. "Why must it be the same day?" he whined again.

"Baby, it was already planned months ago. I thought you knew," you respond, tackling him on the bed as he pouted. Indeed, he knew. He just forgot. "So, would that mean I won't see you in a pretty summer dress at our annual party by the pool?" he asked. You shook your head, pouting along with him. "I'm afraid I'm gonna miss it this year, sweetie. My grandparents are gonna miss you, too! They're really looking forward to seeing you again this year after our visit last year."

That made Satoru sulk even more. "I can just skip the party, baby," he told you, pulling you closer to him as he nuzzled against the crook of your neck. You sighed, leaning your head against his. "But you should be there, am I correct? Your presence in every office event is always required... well, everyone should be there."

"Can't you skip the reunion?" he asked, his blue eyes pleading. You laughed and shook your head. "I'm afraid I can't, baby," you respond, "everyone's gonna be there and I really want to see my nieces and nephews after so long."

And with that, Satoru sighed and nodded. "Alright, okay. We can't really negotiate this one because our events are equally important to us." He pouted and laid back on the bed. "Would it be fine if I call you from time to time then?"

"During the party? Of course!"

"Perfect," he said, smiling, "that would make me feel like we're still together."

The day of your events came, and Satoru drove you to the location of your family reunion. "I wanna say hi to everyone first before I leave for the party," he told you. This was one of the things that you love about Satoru. He always respected and adored your family. He once told you that he finally appreciated family events since he never got to experience one before, and he made sure to make an effort when you two visited your parents or your grandparents.

Once you two were out of the car, the first one to greet Satoru was your dear grandmother, who made sure that everyone knew that her favorite out of everyone in the family was Satoru. "Oh, my sweetheart! It's so good to see you again!" she cooed as she embraced Satoru. He leaned to meet your grandmother's small height and scooped her in a hug. "Grandma! I'm so glad you still remember me!"

"Of course! How could I even forget my granddaughter's handsome and charming boyfriend," she responded, pulling away from the embrace to pinch Satoru's cheek. She then pulled you two inside the venue and introduced Satoru to other relatives that he never met yet. He was smiling so wide, and he felt his heart was so full of appreciation as each one smiled and shook his hand, and made a few jokes, kids immediately smiling and asking questions about his hair or his height or who he was despite your grandmother loudly announcing that he was your soon-to-be husband.

Your parents then came to greet the two of you, asking about how the trip was, and then your father asked, "Are you gonna stay for the party?" Satoru smiled politely and shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm gonna skip this one out. Our company's annual party is also today."

"Oh, that's too bad," your mother said, "but I hope next time, you'll be here with us, okay?"

Satoru bid everyone goodbye, repeating the same answer if they asked why he was leaving. Your grandmother was slightly devastated by this and gave Satoru souvenirs from our hometown.

"Be careful, okay?" you reminded him, smoothing the sleeves of his Hawaiian shirt, "be sure to enjoy the party but don't drink too much."

"Oh, darling. Who says I'll be drinking?" he responded, wiggling his brows at you. You laughed and pushed his face away. "I'm serious! You might drown in the pool," you joked. He laughed along with you.

"Don't worry, I'll be responsible," he said, lifting your hand to kiss your knuckles, "and besides, Suguru would be there to help me out."

"Hmm, alright then."

The annual party was already in full swing after a few speeches and games, and Satoru already felt tipsy with the alcohol he'd consumed. Despite bragging that he can handle his alcohol very well, he'd still feel tipsy after a few shots or glasses of champagne. That's when he decided to give you a call.

Ring, ring, ring, ring, then a click.

"Baby," he said softly, walking away from the crowd, "how's my pretty girl?"

You smiled at the sound of his voice, walking away from the children's table. Satoru can hear the kids' peals of laughter through the phone, and then silence. "I'm good, just entertaining the kids. The grown-ups are now at the drinking table," you told him, cradling the phone against your ear. You heard Satoru hum through the speaker, and then he said, "I miss you here. It's no fun if I can't have you here dancing with me."

"We'll dance when we get home tomorrow."

"No, it's way different. I really miss you."

"Baby, did you drink?"

There was a pause. On the other line, Satoru was cradling a red cup in his hand, moving on from the champagne being served earlier. "Yeah, I bit of champagne."

"Not too much, okay?"

Then Satoru heard someone call your name on your end, and you let them know you'll be back in a second. "Go now, sweetheart," he murmured on the speaker, "I'll call again later."

"I love you, Satoru."

"I love you more."

In a turn of events, Satoru's world was now in a dizzy trance and his phone was out the whole time, taking videos of everyone being pushed on the pool and some jumping in, of people dancing around, taking pictures of Suguru, Shoko, and Kento, and a few selfies. "I'll show these to her tomorrow," he loudly announced as he took another swig of his drink. By the time he finally hit his limit, he was already sluggishly leaning against a tree, his phone out as he tried to call you.

Ring, ring, ring, then silence.

He took another look at his phone, and all he could see was a black screen. "Fuck," he cursed under his breath. Dead battery. How is he gonna call you now? He slowly moved away from the tree and uncoordinatedly walked towards Suguru. "Suguru," he slurred, practically throwing himself to the other man. Suguru was swift enough to catch him, then set him down on a nearby seat. "Gimme yer phone," Satoru slurred, his half-lidded and intoxicated gaze set on Suguru's shorts pocket, "gimme, please."

"Woah, slow down Satoru," Suguru cooed, fishing his phone from his pocket then snapped a picture of Satoru's drunk state. He snickered then returned his attention to Satoru. "Why do you need my phone, Satoru?" he asked, holding Satoru by the shoulders to keep him up. "Need t'call'er," Satoru slurred again, unable to keep his head up. Suguru sighed, then unlocked his phone again. "I don't have her number," Suguru replied. "No, no, I know her number," Satoru said, looking up at Suguru. Despite being drunk, he has perfectly dictated your number to Suguru.

Ring, ring, ring, then a click.

"Hello?" Your voice flowed out of the speaker and Suguru raised his brows in amusement. "Hi, this is Suguru. I wasn't sure if Satoru said the correct number but turns out he knows your number by heart."

"Oh, that man. Is he drunk?"

"Very," Suguru replied, looking down at his friend. "He wants to talk to you though."

Suguru handed the phone to Satoru, and then he started to whine. "Babyy! Baby, I'm s'sorry! I haven't called back. I miss you; I miss you s'much!"

"It's okay baby," you cooed through the phone, "did you have fun?"

"I'd have more fun if yer here, baby..."

Satoru suddenly hiccupped and then Suguru told him to sit up. "I miss you... do you miss me? Please tell me you miss me..."

"I do, I miss you so much..."

"I'm sorry I didn't behave myself. I got drunk and now I just miss you so much. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Please come home to me tomorrow. I wanna see you... Please stay forever..."

And you know you should be mad at him for drinking too much, but all you can think of is how Satoru still has you on top of his mind despite the chaos of the party.

"I'll be home tomorrow baby, and I'll stay forever. Don't worry too much. Now, I need you to rest up for tonight, okay?"

"M'kay..."

"And make sure you thank Suguru for taking care of you."

"Thanks, Suguru," he slurred.

"Hang up now, baby. I love you."

You heard Satoru chuckle and he started to make kiss noises from the other side of the line, and then Suguru told him to quit that.

"I love you more and more and most!"

[bokettochild]

lol I’ll guess that u listened to Monster while writing that scene? And yes I love Christian music. I care about the lyrics I’m listening to so Christian is what I tend to fill my playlist w. Plus, since I’m a Christian myself I like to support those artists and know they exist bc they’re less common than secular music.

On a LU note, favorite genres per boy? And do they focus more on lyrics or melody?

Oh fantastic! I was a bit wary of suggesting just the Christian artists I grew up on, but I'm glad to hear you enjoy it too! I tend to be more careful with what I listen to as well, but sometimes you don't get a choice (and that sometimes is when your room-mate doesn't give a darn).

For the LU boys:

Hyrule doesn't have a lot of experience with music, but most of what he hears in his era is folk music, much of it passed down from Legend's era (or just straight up written by Legend). He'd enjoy most stringed instruments, I think, but especially because stringed instruments are the best for group songs (the musician can sing too) and he loves the sense of community the music creates.

Legend would be a mix of folk and work songs, since, again, it's something he would have grown up around. He'd be pretty versatile about music though, but I think his favorite instruments would be the piano and the violin/fiddle. Still I think blues and jazz would be something he's really enjoy as well, or just anything really soulful, although he'd have to be in the mood.

Twilight is a country boy, need I say more? He's a fiddler himself, I think, but the banjo and guitar are special too. Mouth organ is a maybe, sometimes it's too much for his ears, but the way it compliments other music is something he really enjoys. French horn is something he really lives though (since it plays so prominent a role in Ordon's music)

Sky is accustomed to the lyre and flute family, but I think he'd really enjoy communal music like Legend, Twilight, and Hyrule. He'd probably get a rush from rock, but only in small doses, as I really can't see this man being a metal head. If he had the chance to hear a full orchestra though, I think he'd be utterly blown away and just dazzled! Same with a proper choir performance. He feels like the type of guy who'd enjoy a vocal arrangement as much as an instrumental one.

Time is a rock man. 80's style dad rock. He cannonically says things like "groovy", so this is cannon to me. (also @cantankerouscanuck got me hooked on the idea). He likes softer music too, but his happy music is the heavier stuff. The ocarina may be what he;s known for, but this guy performed with the Indigo-Go's, he knows how to handle a guitar!

Wind is a pirate, so like Legend, he's used to working songs mostly, but I think he'd also enjoy rock, like most 13-year-olds do at one point or another LOL. He'd be mostly versatile though! Anything with a beat makes him happy mostly (RIP Wind, you would've loved rap)

Four isn't much of a musical person, as none of the colors can agree and the chaos is a bit much, but when split, let's just say that they cover the full spectrum of musical interests :)

Warriors is one that I headcannon to come from a poorer background, so instruments weren;t much of a thing where he's from. Vocal arrangements and folk music were common, but because I love the idea of a Celtic Captain, there was a piper who came to town once and a bit and the music was much adored by a young Wars. Now that he's come city side, he's very fond of piano, but that deep love of the pipes will never leave him <3

Wild isn't much used to music, but I think he just likes anything you can play on an accordion, since the association with Kass and the Rito makes him happiest. Don't tell me that they don't all adore and treat "the champion's descendant" like one of their own! Rito village is his home away from home, but Kass's music is a constant no matter where he is. He'd like other music, I think, especially "exotic" music like what we hear played in Gerudo Town (Naboris' Theme slaps!) but the accordion is the sound of home to him.

[backtothe99]

(18Trip Translation) Tao Kinouchi SR: Welcome to Prison Island - This is how you get hyperfixated

Title: Literally means 'This is the entrance to the swamp', 沼 (swamp) is also a slang term originating in the mid 2010s which means you get addicted to some kind of media and can't get out of it. So, uh, hyperfixation? lol

Part 1

Location: HAMA House West Room

Chihiro: We have tomorrow off, so TaoTao, let's play Anigun like we promised tonight!

Tao: This is my first time playing a Full Dive FPS…

Chihiro: It's pretty much the same thing as mahorova, so you don't need to worry so much. It's okies ☆

Tao: mahorova?

Chihiro: Wuzzat? You've never logged in that?

Chihiro: It's a virtual space on the net— It's probs easier to experience firsthand than explain~

Chihiro: Alrightie, first we gotta put a patch behind your ear—

Tao: Alright.

Tao: It can measure brain waves and observe movements like this? That's pretty awesome.

Tao: (Things sure have improved since the era of polygon games where you'd put a metal rod in your shoulder if your arm broke.)

Chihiro: All done with the patch? Now you gotta pick an Animal to play as! (1)

Tao: Each animal’s got its own set of abilities and skills, and also different fighting styles, right?

Chihiro: Yeah. Chii always uses the cat. The Field Trickster ☆

Tao: (So Chihiro focuses on speed… In that case, I think a type that can switch between defense and offense depending on the situation would have the advantage over him.)

Tao: (What should I do? Since it's my first playthrough, going with a balanced type and seeing how things progress would be a safe bet…)

Tao: I'll… go with this bear.

Tao: (It's power-focused with high HP stats. Seems suitable for both DPS and tanking.)

Chihiro: You chose carefully~ Nice~! Looks like I won't need to go easy on you ♪

Chihiro: Round 1! GL~ Game Start!!

[Flashing]

Tao: (The scenery's changing…)

Tao: (I'm entering the game's world—)

Part 2

[Flashing]

Tao: Ah… Damn, I lost! You really are strong, Chihiro.

Chihiro: You're strong too, TaoTao! It was your first time playing, but you did real good ♪

Chihiro: You're a gamer through and through. If we keep going at it, Chii might lose…?

Tao: Should we try this multiplayer mode next time, instead of the training grounds? We can play against other users, right?

Chihiro: OFC! Let's co-op as a duo next ♪

-

Tao: … We lost. Sorry, I wasn't much help.

Chihiro: No probs! Chii's just enjoying this without caring if we're winning or losing.

Chihiro: TaoTao… Are you having fun?

Tao: I'm having lots of fun. Actually, we should try again.

Chihiro: Okies. For hardcore gamers, the real challenge’s at the top ♪

Tao: Alright– Let's go!!

-

Tao: Ah~Damn it, we lost! One more time!

-

Tao: I totally messed up my aim… Damn. And we were so close, too… One more time!

-

Tao: O-One more time! I'm really feeling it now...!

Chihiro: W-We're still going!? It's gonna be morning soon, y’know?

Tao: Is it already that late… Sorry for dragging you with me, Chihiro. You can go to sleep, I'll go solo for a while.

Chihiro: You sure...? Chii's heading to sleep first, then. Good night~

Tao: Good night. Thanks for hanging out with me.

-

Chihiro: *yawn*~ Morning… Woah, you're still playing!?

Tao: Morning. I'm starting to get the hang of it. I don't wanna forget what this feeling's like.

Chihiro: Th-That so? I'm glad you're that into it, but still…

Chihiro: Chii's done with breakfast, so I'm going shopping.

Tao: Mhmm. Stay safe.

-

Chihiro: I’m home~

Chihiro: Y-You're still playing!?

Tao: Damn, this guy's good! I'll show you…!!

Chihiro: You've been playing all this time. Isn't it about time for a break?

Tao: I've finally gotten used to the controls, and I'm getting the hang of shooting… Eat that headshot!

Chihiro: Hey, have you eaten? Aren't you hungry?

Tao: Not at all.

[Stomach growling]

Chihiro: Nopes, your stomach's growling.

Chihiro: You gotta put something in your body… That's it!

Chihiro: I got the tapioca drink Raiting gave me as a gift~

Chihiro: (I'll just hold it up to TaoTao's mouth—)

Chihiro: He drank it all before I could even say “Thirsty?”! Didn't even bat an eye!!

Chihiro: Is… His body seeking the nutrition!?

Tao: Anigun… Is so fun… I wanna keep playing till I die…

Chihiro: Hey TaoTao, let's take a break! Pretty please!

Tao: Shotgun secured— Oraoraora, eat lead!!

Chihiro: You'll starve and die, TaoTaoooo~~!!

NOTES: (1) this gets lost in translation, but chihiro makes to say animals in katakana as an english loanword and then corrects himself and says it in japanese, tao then repeats the japanese word. hence the difference in capitalization

[blacktofade]

ok i combed through your blog for long enough that i think this is a safe space to do a little discussion of ccs personal lives. if not, you don't have to answer this. but: i know we are all very happy for skizz to be able to go full time with youtube and twitch but i am 99% sure i know what company he worked for — i don't think it's ever been too hard to find the info so maybe most people do? but i've never seen anyone say it directly. if it wasn't common knowledge before, this is going to make it extremely easy to find out — anyway, that company is going through fucking massive layoffs and cutbacks right now, which was announced in private to employees the same day that skizz made his announcement. i don't know how well it lined up other than the day, but the major shit he would have been in either pushed him to jump into professional youtubing and streaming even though it isn't as secure for him as people on the outside might think, or at the very least made the decision feel much better in retrospect.

the graph of the company's stock crash is painful even if you are entirely disconnected from the industry, it is historically awful. like the situation for the company as a whole is not, at this point, bankruptcy bad, but it's not-entirely-unwarranted-comparisons-to-late-90s-early-00s-era-nortel bad. which is… Very Bad. they're cutting approximately 1 out of every 7 employees (15,000 people) over the next couple of months, and in just one day wiped out $30 billion-with-a-b worth of value from the market. it's an absolute nightmare for the people working there, because nobody knows if they're going to be one of the ones getting laid off yet. the company's giving early retirement packages to push out some of higher earning workers, and even if skizz made his decision to leave after knowing the layoffs were coming, the chance he was included in that is very small. but i do hope he got a good deal, if he could.

in conclusion: it's very likely this choice was even scarier than anyone in the fandom previously thought, so… idk everyone please subscribe to skizz on twitch if possible!!!!!

This is absolutely a safe space for CC real life discussions, mostly because I know I'm way more deranged than any anon could be. I know things that would make CCs sweat.

I'm also going to name and shame the company, Intel, because Skizz has mentioned it before, so I'm not considering it a secret -- plus he's no longer there. It's also real shitty what they're doing and my heart goes out to their employees. I dealt with something similar recently and can confirm that these guys will have to wait weeks/months to find out if their job is safe and it will be the most degrading, dehumanizing experience ever.

I keep hemming and hawing about my 1000 IQ assumptions (lmfao), but he 100% knew about the layoff. Whether he heard about it and bounced or whether he took a volunteer deal is up for debate, but there's no way he didn't know it was coming. These companies are not subtle and Skizz is a smart man.

I am quietly praying he was able to take a volunteer deal though, because severance packages at those kinds of companies are WILD. Like, for some actual example numbers, a coworker of mine got 23 weeks of pay (8 weeks base + 15 weeks for years of service), which they received as a lump sum. Skizz says he's been with Intel for 20+ years so he'd be looking at base + 40 weeks. Dude would most likely get a year's salary lump sum (minus taxes), which would definitely help him going the full-time route.

Intel won't be going anywhere anytime soon, but their employees are going to be overworked and underpaid for the foreseeable future and we should be glad that Skizz is free! He's his own boss and, yes, we should all go support him to show he definitely made the right choice! He's such a delight and I will continue to be unwell and horny about him!!

[paingoes]

Destroyer - Bingo

(Masterlist)

kind of a remix to an earlier section !

(Content: needles mention, dehumanization, objectification, conditioning, implied physical violence)

======================

The handmaids were probably the only ones totally happy with the new arrangement. For one, Paris was a lot cuter than his dad had been, much better for modeling. For another, he had given them total creative control over the wardrobe, a privilege that the Emperor would have never even considered. But above all, Paris gave them near infinite opportunities to experiment with this freedom. Every single appearance was turning into a production. 

“Feel this,” One of the younger ones, Sierra, smiled at Delta. She pushed the bundle of fabric into his hands, saying, “It’s vintage. Really vintage.”

Delta felt it. It was strong, starchy fabric. Dusty. 

“It’s from the Svetlanan feudal era. Before the Empire militarized and everyone started dressing like it was boarding school. Collector’s piece. I’ve been saving it in my closet for years,” She took it back, “I need to tailor it more, so we can’t use it today, but I have other pieces I made in the same style. Hold on.”

Delta nodded patiently. As she walked away, his attention drifted back to his own reflection in the vanity. His makeup was already done — and it was done up heavily. Sierra had a bit of an edgy streak, probably the reason Paris trusted her vision. Delta looked dangerous. There was a new sharpness to his features, not so gaunt as he was pointed. A permanent, severe expression was painted onto his face. He touched it lightly. He did not necessarily like the feeling of his painted skin, but found it kind of endearing the way the girls fawned over it. He didn’t want to ruin the experience for them by showing his discomfort. Besides, he was used to being prodded at. At least here they weren’t jamming needles into his arms.

=========

In the past, the late Emperor had severely limited Delta’s movement. On a standard exhibition, he was used to seeing the inside of cargo holds and bunkers. He was never out of arms length of his handlers. He’d only be taken out at the last possible second to deliver the killing blow, then immediately ushered back into hiding. The Emperor had been a very cautious and subtle man. His son was not. Paris would drag Delta straight into the war room on a leash. Everyone disliked this.

“Your Highness, please,” One of his advisors begged, the years of exasperation etched into her face, “No guns at the table.”

Paris ignored her. He collected his fair share of dirty looks from all of them, but it never seemed to dissuade him all that much. People were always more cautious with how they spoke to him when Delta was in the room. He would chain him to the chair, never out of his reach. 

Delta did not like the glares he got. The fear and disdain were normal; it’d be stranger if they were absent. What he hated was when they looked hungry. He moved a little closer to Paris. He was now glad for the chain attaching him to the prince. There was no easy way to remove him, should such a passion arise. 

He didn’t have permission to move or to speak, so all Delta really had to do to pass the time was listen. He kept his head down, knowing if he looked a little too attentive to what was going on around him, it would ruin the effect. But he could hear perfectly well and recognized all their voices. He was getting pretty good at predicting what they’d say, too. Just for fun, he made up a bingo card for the meetings:

A rear officer threatens to quit

Harlin complains about the stipends

Someone quotes Space Tzu

The hologram malfunctions

Tece calls for Canrad to be destroyed

His memory was good enough that he could fill it out in his head. Most days, he got bingo within the first hour.

=========

Paris slammed the bedroom door shut. Delta jumped. It had not been a good day.

“Ground invasion, yeah fucking right. Xyzyz doesn’t even have oil like that, they only want it cause it’s a heritage site. They’re about to go to war over nostalgia. Do you believe this shit?” Paris threw his jacket off, letting it crumple to the ground. Delta picked it back up.

“Xyzyz doesn’t have the climate to support a soldier population,” Delta said casually, then immediately regretted it. It had been bugging him the entire meeting, the lack of basic earth science. But Paris had a habit of thinking out loud when he was angry. Most of the time, he did not want an actual response. Delta flinched back, expecting to get slapped in the mouth.

“THANK YOU!” Paris threw his hands up in frustration. “Nobody ever wants to talk logistics!”

Delta blinked in surprise as Paris undid the loose chain around his neck. The hit didn’t come. 

“And did you see that dirty look Steff gave me when she brought up Bellarind? Like it was my fault it failed. I fucking told her, if you launch that strike, you’re on your own. I’m not backing you up. And she’s mad at me for making good on my word? I told her!” Paris flopped down on the bed. He propped himself up on his elbows, looking at Delta, “I’m not crazy, right?”

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy,” Delta admitted. At least, not for that reason.

Paris knew he was listening then. But he didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he was glad he had someone to debrief with afterwards, having considered himself wholly without allies among the council. Delta noticed Paris was much more tame over the next few days if he was just given time to rant. He would rest his arms and head on the foot of Paris’s bed, listening thoughtfully. Paris would even let him speak sometimes, but Delta understood that for the most part the prince just wanted the company. It was obvious he didn’t have anyone else.

~~~

Tags: @catnykit @indigoviolet311 @snakebites-and-ink @vivulapom @defire @scoundrelwithboba @whatwhump @pumpkin-spice-whump @deluxewhump

[comphetkoncass]

one-plus-one, easy math cass&kon, fake dating (no, really, she's a lesbian, this is a fake date) word count: 2557 also on ao3

“You… want me to be your plus-one?” 

Cass nods. She’s started talking lately, according to Tim, but she’s still pretty quiet. Kon thinks even when she gets more comfortable with speaking, she might still be a woman of few words – she seems the type to choose them carefully, the same way she’s precise with her movements. 

“Well…” Kon rubs the back of his neck, thinking it over. “I thought we weren’t dating anymore. I thought you were happy about not dating anymore.” 

Cass tilts her head to the side, and Kon knows she’s probably reading his entire soul. He squirms a little under her intense gaze. Then, “I am.” 

“Then…” He frowns. “Why are you asking me to be your plus one, if we’re not dating?” 

It’s a longer phrase, and Kon thinks she might struggle. But to his pleasant surprise, though she takes some time to consider her words, they don’t seem overly difficult. “...I need someone outside the family.” 

“And I’m the best choice?” he asks. “...Really?” 

“I was surprised too.” 

Kon barks out a surprised laugh. She’s learned enough for jokes, then, that’s great. She smiles, and he’s glad she’s comfortable enough to joke around with him still – he missed making her happy. As whirlwind and short-lived as their romance was, making her smile was a definite perk. He always got the feeling that joy was a rare experience for her. He just hopes she’s happy in Gotham. To him, it’s always been stifling – not least because Batman is an asshole. 

“So?” Cass asks, looking at him with intense brown eyes. 

“Ah, what the hell,” he finally says. “Sure. But I need to go shopping, I don’t have anything fancy enough for this kind of thing.” 

Cass smiles then – and holds up three separate cards in Bruce Wayne’s name. Stolen, he thinks, given the mischief on her face. Kon quickly discovers that, actually, there is a superpower better than his TTK, and it’s called money. He whoops in delight, and it doesn’t take long for them to explore Gotham’s downtown, going from shop to shop until they find the perfect outfits to blend in with high society. 

(Or, rather, how they think they could blend in with high society. Cass’s dress is probably too loose and flapper-style for the current era, and Kon’s probably has too much satin, but they match, and they make for a fun duo.) 

////////

In the end, Kon probably wasn’t the best choice for the Gala. But Dick and Tim are both gone on a mission outside Gotham, leaving Cass the only Wayne child to represent the family alongside Bruce. Kon probably wasn’t the first choice, either – and privately, Kon wonders if Cass is testing boundaries with Bruce, given he’d been all but banned from Gotham. If she is testing boundaries, he hopes she gets whatever she’s angling for, even if it’s just a little more freedom to hang out with friends. 

It’s not until halfway through the Gala that Kon starts to wonder if maybe Cass had ulterior motives after all. 

They’ve been talking and tasting the overpriced snack table for most of the night, almost-goofing-off but not blatantly enough to catch Bruce’s ire (or so Kon hopes). Kon’s been monopolizing Cass’s attention, something he’s pretty good at, if he does say so himself – he’s always been a charmer. 

But eventually, it wears off; that, or everyone waiting for a chance with Cass finally get bold enough to interrupt them. And while Cass is trying to throw a wad of caviar into Kon’s open mouth, at that. 

“Ahem,” a young man about Cass’s age says. “So terribly sorry to interrupt. May I?” 

“May you what?” Kon asks, straightening up. He wipes the tiniest trace of caviar from the corner of his lip – Cass is an excellent shot, and Kon’s pretty good at catching, so it’s not like she ever missed. 

Cass, meanwhile, stands up a little straighter. 

“Interrupt,” the young man says. “Miss Wayne, I don’t mean to take you away from… present company. But I was hoping for a dance. Perhaps a bit of light conversation.” 

Kon stares at the guy, raising a brow. 

Kon’s no body language reader. Not like Cass. But he knows her heart’s a little faster, in the bad way. The blood pressure raising way. He glances between her and the new guy, and ultimately decides, nah, he’s not going to let this happen. 

“Sorry,” he says. “Her dance card is pretty full. I could try to rearrange, but she and I, we’re pretty busy.” 

Cass looks up in surprise – an expression he’s not used to seeing on her face. 

The new guy, too, looks surprised. Kon thinks he can see his eye twitching. Kon bets his name is something silly, like Macadamian Rosegarden Cavendish the Third, and that he’s not used to being told no. 

All the more reason to say no, then. 

Kon sends him a friendly smile, then looks back over at Cass and extends her a hand. Time to go somewhere a little less approachable. “Speaking of dancing though – Cass and I should probably practice a little. I’ve got two left feet, see, and she's the best dancer I know. Cass?” 

Cass looks at Kon’s hand, then his face. Wordlessly, she takes his hand. 

Kon sends the guy a two-fingered salute, then is quick to walk with her to a less occupied part of the Gala. There’s a balcony nearby, one just big enough for the two of them. Kon makes a little more room by hopping up on the ledge, swinging his legs around so he can face Cass and the party inside the windows. 

Cass is quiet for a while, but she looks less tense out in the night air. He almost didn’t notice it beyond her heartbeat, but she’d gotten a little more tense when Macadamian Rosegarden Cavendish the Third had approached – a tension that hadn’t been there when it was just the two of them enjoying themselves. 

It takes a moment, but finally she finds her words again. “...Thank you.” 

“No problem,” Kon says. “Is it like that a lot, at these things?” 

Cass shrugs one shoulder. “Second gala,” she says. When Kon doesn’t quite understand, she pauses and elaborates, just a little. “...I don’t come to many. Not sure.”

Kon nods. That makes sense. “I hope you don’t have to go much more often then, because it must suck having to reject people so much.” 

Cass looks at the ground. 

Kon frowns a little. The wind disturbs her carefully ironed bob, and when she doesn’t try to remove it from her face, Kon reaches out with just a hint of TTK and does it for her. She looks up, equal parts confused and startled. 

“Sorry,” he says, putting both hands up and stopping his powers. “Just- Sorry. Got distracted. Wanted to help.” 

Cass crosses her arms in front of her chest. 

Kon finds his train of thought, then, and asks, “Do you usually get to reject them? Or do you end up dancing with them anyways?” 

Cass’s silence speaks volumes. 

Kon lets out a slow breath. It fogs in front of him in the chilly night air. “I’m sorry,” he says, sincerely. “That sucks.”

“Not your fault.” 

“Well… I’m glad I could come with this time,” he says. “So you don’t have to dance with anyone you don’t want to.” 

Cass nods. There is the tiniest hint of a smile again, and she tucks a lock of hair behind her ears. Then, quietly, “Even you?” 

It takes him aback for a second. Then, he understands what she means, and nods. “Well yeah, I only said your dance card was full to lose that jerk. You don’t have to actually dance with me – even though I will say, my dance moves are great, I’m an absolute party animal. I can do the Mashed Potato like nobody’s business.” 

Cass blinks, serious instead of laughing. “Mashed potato?”

Kon grins, standing on top of the balcony ledge. “I’m so glad you asked, I’d be happy to demonstrate-”

He’s pretty sure he’s not doing it exactly right, but Cass looks almost hypnotized by the way his heels click and his knees move in sync with an imaginary rhythm. He’s definitely doing the hands wrong, but he’s having more fun with it this way. 

“Dancing with yourself?” Cass asks, grinning up at him. "Not a waltz?"

“Way more fun,” Kon says with a grin. “I could show you how to do it yourself?” 

Cass just laughs at him. She’s already imitating his movement – in a way that flows better than he’s doing. Right – almost forgot, movement was her first language. Of course she’s better than him already. 

Instead of feeling put out, Kon just grins at her. 

She looks like she’s having fun again – and really, that’s all he wants. 

When she looks back up at him, her smile is everything. Kon knows she isn’t interested in a relationship – or at least, not one with him. Kon checks in with himself, gives himself a stern reminder not to read into anything. He’s here to make sure she has fun, and that’s all. 

Eventually, after teaching Cass the Twist, the Shopping Cart, and an attempt at the Moonwalk – all of which she masters immediately – Kon hops down from the ledge and moves to sit again. 

He looks up at the sky, and mourns the fact that Gotham doesn’t really have stars. “Thanks for inviting me,” he says sincerely. “It’s been really fun tonight. I haven’t gotten to go to something like this in a while, and the ones I went to before – they weren’t that fun, either, even if they were a lot less fancy than this.” 

Cass looks a little surprised. “But you’re so… exciting?” 

Kon chuckles a little. “Yeah,” he says. “But it’s still more fun here with you.” 

It takes her a moment to chew on that. Eventually, she moves to sit on top of the ledge next to him. They both look inwards at the party, watching ladies in fancy dresses dance with well-dressed men in suits. The fake laughter, the champagne glasses. Kon’s never been that familiar with the super-rich, but he’s had his fair share of parties. Especially back when he was Just Superboy. 

Ever since getting his name, and especially after moving in with Ma and Pa Kent, life’s been a lot slower. More balanced. He has room to breathe. 

Kon doesn’t know much about Cass’s life before being adopted by Bruce Wayne. But he hopes it’s been a relief for her, too. That whatever her life was like before, that she can breathe in this fresh start, too. He hopes it’s not constant vigilante work all the time. She deserves a chance to have fun and be a real person, too. 

When Kon looks back, he finds Cass staring at a young woman with a particularly daring backless dress in crushed velvet Prussian blue. 

Her cheeks are pink, he notices.

And he thinks, maybe he’s reading into this too much. But if he’s not, he thinks he understands her a little bit better. And maybe why she seemed to have a lot of fun on their date, and liked the idea of a romance, and a TTK castle in the sky, and a spark of real love with someone – but why something was missing. 

“She’s pretty,” Kon says, looking at the young woman, too. “Do you like her dress?” 

Cass turns to him, brows furrowed. She glances between his body language and his lips, seemingly puzzled. “I wouldn’t want to wear it.” 

“Sorry,” Kon says, realizing he might be confusing her by being subtle. “I wouldn’t expect you to, yeah, it’s not very practical.” 

Cass looks at him again, still confused. 

“...But,” he says, “It’s okay to like how it looks on her. It’s okay if you think she’s pretty.” 

Cass doesn’t say anything for a little while. Her face is still a little pink. 

“Pretty doesn’t matter,” Cass says, but her eyes don’t leave the blue dress. “It’s not supposed to.” 

“Sure,” Kon says. “But dancing doesn’t matter either. And it can still be fun. Pretty – sometimes pretty can be fun. Sometimes people like to look pretty just to enjoy it. Like art, or whatever.”

It takes a moment, but finally, Cass nods. “And she?” she asks. “She wants to look pretty so that someone sees her as pretty?”

“Something like that.” 

“Her date,” Cass says. Her eyes are laser-focused on the man locking arms with her. “She wants her date to see her as pretty.” She pauses for a moment. A long one. Then, in a smaller voice, “Not me.” 

Kon is quiet for a moment, not sure what to say to that. 

Cass’s shoulders slump. “I shouldn’t look. I wouldn’t want her to feel-” She frowns, looks over at the boy who had asked her to dance earlier, who Kon had helped her reject. And Kon recognizes her dilemma. The fear of looking, of asking to dance, when it’s unwanted. When there is a fundamental incompatibility. 

Cass shivers, and Kon sheds his jacket to drape over her shoulders. It’s satin, so it doesn’t do all that much to protect her from the cold, but Kon likes to think it at least helps. She pulls it closer, and looks more at ease immediately. 

“You don’t have to look if it makes you worried to think about this kind of thing,” he says, carefully. “But it’s not wrong to think she’s pretty, regardless of who she’s trying to be pretty for.” 

She looks up at him, still unsure. 

“Trust me on this,” Kon says, adding a wink for flair. “It’s okay if you don’t like boys. It’s okay if you like girls – hell, it’s okay if you only like girls. You’re not doing anything wrong.”

Cass looks in through the window, of the sea of wealthy Gothamites. Kon follows her eyes to the small, formal dance floor – where the only ones dancing are men-and-woman pairs. How they lean in close to each other; how the man leads the woman, how they’re pushed close together, how it’s impossible to miss the intimacy in the way they hold each other, even in formal dances. The way men’s suits cut neatly to their waists and flatter masculine figures; the way the women’s dresses accentuate whatever she believes her best features to be. The way they all follow the same type of dance, with no room for new steps. No room for fun. 

He thinks it cuts quite a picture against two vigilantes, teaching each other how to dance with themselves in the cold night air. 

“Someday you might get to dance with a girl,” he says. “Sorry if it might not be tonight. But someday.” 

Cass laughs a little, pink to her ears. “And you?” 

“What, who am I going to dance with?” 

She nods. 

Kon lets out a long breath, leaning backwards, elbows brushing the railing. He’s not sure himself. “I like dancing, just not the boring, stuffy kind,” he finally says. “As long as my partner’s having fun, I don’t really care how I do it, or who I’m dancing with.” 

Cass follows his eyes – the way he watches everyone inside the window, his eyes not particularly caught by any one person. 

“Okay,” she says, and accepts that as an answer. Kon thinks she reads something different in his body language – but if she does, she doesn’t tell him any different. 

"Let's stay outside a little longer, yeah?" Kon finally says. "I think I remember the Electric Slide. I've got the song on my phone and everything."

Cass grins, and Kon pulls up his phone. The Electric Slide clashes horribly against the orchestra inside, but he doesn't care. They've got their own dancing to do, and they'll be doing it to their own rhythm.

[relatableblorbopoll]

Round 1 of preliminaries, group 14

The first two places get a place on the bracket

Little reminder: there will be 2 more rounds of preliminaries, the losing blorbos of this poll still have 2 chances of getting in the official bracket

Propaganda under the cut

Oz Vessalius (Pandora Hearts)

"Struggles with self-worth, adores books, ADHD (though that’s not canon—but he fits the diagnostic criteria), his strongest/most important relationships are platonic"

Sound (My School President)

"Lonely gay teenager who tries to be cool and sauve but gets adopted against his will by a group of losers and then falls for one of the losers who gets on his nerves a lot because he was nice to him once and then he gets all awkward and flustered around the boy and tries to avoid him and antagonize him but the boy sees through it and they eventually end up together and he becomes the most annoying person in love ever"

Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

"adhd. possibly some autism too. a weird girl who got outcasted by being herself and sure has some WACK coping mechanisms to deal with it. self worth is IN THE DRAIN. gnc and not straight. writes fanfic. artist. goes through a depression era when at her moms house. loves her mom also. this is canon stuff i'm saying"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA she is so ASDHSUJD. Okay I started watching the owl house because I knew there was a WLW couple, so obviously I had to check it out. But upon watching the show, I got so emotionally connected to it, or moreso the protagonist, Luz, that it could go beyond some people's understandings... I remember that almost any scene showing her neurodivergent traits would hit SO. CLOSE. HOME. It would be unbelievable. I literally rewatched the show more than seventeen times one summer. She is just so goshdarn relatable man. She's the weird kid, has no friends, loves making anime edits, is OBSESSED with a book series, loves witches and magic and stuff, has ADHD, an attention span that is so high when she's engaging with something she likes doing and so low when she's bored. She's just so lovely. I know a lot of people found her annoying in season one but she hit close home to me. Season two was amazing as well and she started getting even MORE relatable!! She started showing her people pleasing, how much she blames herself, it was so sad but I was glad to see a character I could relate to so much on screen. I mean i personally didn't experience the loss of my father and I personally do have one friend whom I'm able to share my life with, but she's still super relatable. She can be so silly and so cool. And her impulsivity and the way she realized she doesn't know what she wants to do when she grows up also hit close home. Mwah"

Gundham Tanaka (Super Danganronpa 2)

"Goth autistic theater kid"

Saiki Kusuo (Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan/The Disastrous Life of Saiki K)

"He's very dead inside, especially in the English Dub, and introverted. But even so, he cares a lot for his friends, even if he never says it to them and he finds them annoying most of the times. He also be nosey and just insert himself into others' situations that don't involve him (obviously, he makes it so that nobody knows he's there and, obviously, he's also complaining about this all the time). He's canonically aroace, or at least aroace spec He's canonically trans. He was born as a girl but he didn't like it so he immediately turned himself into a boy with his psychic powers. An argument could be made about him being on the autism spectrum."

Drew (The Music Freaks)

"I don't like him actually I hate him and love him st the same time in fact but. This man is so real and such a horrible jerkwad to everyone around him. I mean I can't relate to THAT but I should mention he also gets jelous easily, he is in love with his best friend who does not like him back, he's all moody and grouchy and bratty. And so am I and I hate it lol."

[bengiyo]

23.5 Degrees Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last time, the school allowed them to restart the astronomy club, but many students believe in the superstitious rumors about the club, and refused to join. Ongsa and Sun joined the club, and Luna was eventually able to convince Aylin to join. Ongsa continued to fret over lying about her online identity to Sun, and ridiculously threw her phone away in the garbage. However, after much strife, she got her phone back and reconnected with Sun in her Earth persona. Meanwhile, it seems that Mawin may have a crush on Tinh. We left at Ton saying he and Ongsa dated before, and now I am working on my gameplan about how Euro can still win and be paired with AJ. I am also shipping the teachers.

Three days? Does Ton really get around that much??

Ton is so much. Oh my god.

I tell you these kids stay filming each other in ways I am not comfortable with. I am glad I came of age before this era of surveillance because I would not have survived.

Classic gay behavior: managing an organization’s finances to be closer to your crush.

Sorry, Ongsa. Now all of Thailand thinks you’re straight.

Blossom, what does Ongsa’s romantic history have to do with your debt? You better pay what you owe!

23.5 please don’t let me down on Mawin. Big Gay Boys need love, too!

Oh, Mawin, are you really ready to face the consequences of rule breaking for dick?

I’m invested in Aylin’s search for connection.

Hold on! Sun is a sports gay!

I am never going to complain about a silly pratfall in this genre. That’s a requirement.

This poor dog always looks like he’s hot.

They really didn’t think this sneaking into school thing through once the school president’s cousin was interested.

They really let Tinh film them breaking school rules. How silly is that.

The sisterhood of the traveling pants has arrived at the school.

Wow. They really fell on each other twice this week.

Look at the security guard being reasonable.

Ton is too much.

For a second I thought they were going to throw the teacher over the balcony to his death.

Hiding in a closet? It’s where many of us first meet and connect.

The finger touch with the light in the background was a really nice touch (ha!).

Alpha is a real one. She's maintaining discipline and giving her boy a shot with Tinh at the same time.

I don't know if Blossom should be feeling smug with the state of her game. At least she's being a good sport.

"Every girl would be into you if you were a guy." Sun, sidebar.

Oh ho! Chaoren knows about Ongsa's crush. She seems like she meddles. This is good for us.

I'm having a lot of fun with this. I was chatting with @ginnymoonbeam earlier when I had to pause about how specific this show feels for the lesbian experience and how that gaze is impacting even the male stories. I love how effectively Milk is playing a loser, and a lot of the GMMTV boys should be taking notes.