#but he was always talking about all the ‘great’ things he’s done

[grimaldiapologist]

Hi, my freeranged and appropriately enriched audience. I need to talk about something real big bad and I think I've already ended all of my friendships for this reason, so I'm doing it here instead.

This scene? After Colosseum?

There's so many things going on in this scene, and for the love of everything that is holy, in order to talk about any of it, I've clipped Macrinus out of the picture because he doesn't exist.

I'll start with the fact that, while these two are described as somewhat pathologically paranoid, this is the first day we see them living through that gives them significant reason to be worried. Most days, they seem to coast by being both terminally naïve and endlessly isolationist in terms of their company, focusing solely on each other and themselves, particularly their hedonistic pursuits, while assuming that everybody they surround themselves with loves them, for whatever reason. Everything is going great for them as far as they're perceiving it. They don't know the audiences are not cheering for them - they take every cheer as if it was aimed at them. Presenting Acacius at the Colosseum for the first day of the games? They receive no applause beyond what the audience is already dishing out upon their introductions. But producing Marcus Acacius has the audience heated, and these two somehow think that's for them. They're idiots. Morons. They're so stuck in their own delusions of grandeur that yes, while they do recognise they're in Rome and Roman emperors have a terrible tendency to catch a blade, they don't seem to be actually living that reality at all.

What we know from the script is, however, that they have never truly known stability or safety: his whole life, Geta has been shielding Caracalla from their father's explosive anger. Caracalla, presumably, has witnessed this if nothing else, though I'm curious about that golden tooth within this context. I'm sure he's caught some inbetween there, too, because Geta can only afford so much shield from a grown man. And they've never had any protection from any of that. Nobody would stand up to an emperor to protect a prince; they were his rightful property. He could do with his boys whatever he pleased, and Geta's sole duty has been, it seems, not to survive, but ensure that his brother does. His pain has never mattered. His rights, needs, wants, wishes have never mattered. Caracalla's have.

I'm sure they used to be at each other's throats like the wolf pups that they are when they were younger. But what you can see with them in their early adulthood is that this is something that does not apply anymore. They'll hurt anybody else, particularly anyone they perceive as hostile to them, and most often it's done just for fun and pleasure. This makes Caracalla's fetish for watching violence particularly interesting - what with the complex relationship kinks and fetishes can often have with prior trauma, feelings of powerlessness, and attempts to regain control - but that's for a wholly different meta there. What I'm getting at is that it's always others they inflict cruelty upon, and enjoy, but never each other; there is an absolute dynamic between them, it's them against the world, them for one another. Geta's first duty is to protect Caracalla, and Caracalla trusts him implicitly. At least before this scene.

While script!Geta has less patience for his brother than Quinn's Geta does, there is never any doubt there who and what his priority is. Caracalla comes first to him. So, it's safe to say that with Dondus screaming, when he flings his water in Caracalla's face, it's never with the intent of hitting him. I have sensory issues and I'll be the first to admit I've thrown things when my processing threshold is violently crossed and it's something you just don't second-guess, like someone hitting your knee joint with a hammer. But regardless of intent, the consequences are so very interesting. And I'm sure Caracalla, even, knows that this wasn't intentional. Dear gods though, look at his reaction.

This is the face of someone telling you you have crossed a line that cannot be uncrossed.

And, for the sake of my sanity, I need to make sure everybody understands that Caracalla's way to emphasise just how much things have broken here is to say absolutely nothing, leave the room, and go cry under a table. Terrifying. But I digress; what is terrifying is Geta, after this has happened.

This is the face of a man who has crossed a boundary of his own, and it has quite little to do with the previous. Yes, Caracalla is angry at him, and there will be consequences in some form. Again, for now, the consequences are that he's chosen to become inconsolable and hide under furniture, likely much as he did when their father had his rages. But Geta, for the first time in his life, broke out of his role of a protector, and the one to be beaten.

He's realised that Caracalla is not untouchable. And for ages, he doesn't move, because his whole world has shaken here; and what he does then to justify his actions is blame his brother for them. Caracalla did absolutely nothing to earn what he did to him, but it's now his fault, for being so unstable. A liability. How could Caracalla make him do this to him, truly.

This evening, Geta's been brought face to face with his reality: he is not loved. He is not untouchable. While he can mandate the word of gods, he is not, himself, regarded as a god. Not like he deserves. Not like he should be. He's suffered so much - but he is a great man, and he knows this. He's not stupid, and he's a conqueror, albeit from his comfortable seat at home. But he deserves better.

And what, pray, is standing in the way? What is holding him back? His brother is. Caracalla, who is always embarrassing him. Who is his first and last responsibility each day and each night, who needs him to watch his every move, to keep him safe not only from the world but from himself and his own instability, his insanity, his unpredictable actions. Without Caracalla, Geta could be focusing on being an emperor. He could be achieving so much more than he is, if he wasn't his brother's constant, eternal keeper, his babysitter, his court jester. And he deserves more, doesn't he? He deserves to be remembered.

So, let Macrinus (who doesn't exist as you can see from the screenshots) handle Caracalla this time. Geta has an empire to think of.

And this, this is what interests me about this scene more than anything. For Caracalla's part, things seem at a glance much more benign, though no less broken: the one thing he took as certain as air has fallen apart - that his brother would always stand for him first, and would never lay a finger on him to hurt him. His brother, who bled for him, protected him from their father, and has ever since looked after him, elevated him to the highest status, aside from some... minor symptoms of hubris, of course. But while all of this hurts him, deeply, fundamentally, it isn't enough to make him immediately see Geta as his enemy.

And I can't stop asking - should he? Should he now regard Geta as his enemy? His whole world is collapsing. It's from this very moment onwards (yes, this one, specifically) that he begins to show symptoms of acute psychosis: delusions, paranoia, severe lapses in reality, memory, and continuity. He doesn't look like he sleeps either, but of course, other factors come into play with that part. (And gods know I don't blame him for that.)

Geta was his foundation, his bedrock. They were in this together, whatever happened. Yes, they bicker, but they've always known how that goes: Geta's patience is endless with Caracalla, and Caracalla's thirst for violence is not turned towards him, even at its worst. Geta has no issues turning his back to Caracalla in the state that he is while the man is wielding a sword and doing god knows what with it in the background. Not for one second does Geta flinch when coming between Caracalla, his sword, and a man he's already condemned to die, because Caracalla would never harm him, either.

But after this? After the first blow, however small? What then?

I'm just asking questions here. This could lead onto the next subject - the way Caracalla's whole demeanor changes when he inflicts the first wound on his brother and finds that he bleeds just the same - but I'm keeping that to me for now.

[ink-stainedkiss]

This isn't necessarily a request (unless you like the idea😍) but i am WEAK for saiki kusuo being happy and laughing, as ooc as it sounds IDC HES MY BABY AND HES HUMAN THEREOFRE I CONCLUDE THIS BOY CAN HAVE HIS DAILY DOSE OF GIGGLES.

Like, i read the fic you made on saiki finding readers thoughts funny, and i BAJDJSJAJDBS I SQUEALED.

Just imagining him breaking character, or AUDIBLY laughing, is so so sweet bro im not even joking. He'd only ever be comfortable doing it infront of his mom probably, or his close friends. EVEN SO.

Just needed to get it off my chest. 🙂 if you ever make more fics with happy/giggly saiki i might actually marry you. 🙂🙂🙂

This one goes specifically to you queen😍 and No. I’m going to marry you🫵😼

Missing You

Synopsis: Saiki starts to feel a bit weird when you are out and he realizes he misses you. Now to find a way to get you home faster…

Merry Christmas for those who celebrate! I hope you all had a great time because I sure did. Sorry my activity has been a little slow these past days have been busier than expected, so this one’s going to be a bit short. Also thank you all for the likes on my later posts! It feels so amazing to see you guys enjoying my other works. Anyways, please enjoy this tooth-rotting fluff of our beloved Saiki💕

“You on the phone”

“Saiki on the phone”

*Saiki is wearing his telepathy blocking ring in this, so he's speaking normally*

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.2k

Everyone knew that Saiki was not a dependent person. He was the furthest thing from it. He loved his alone time- actually scratch that. He craved alone time. It was just his luck that he was always surrounded by people that caused him so much mental pain. To Saiki’s surprise, he had found someone he tolerated. Well it was more than that, but you guys were just friends, so he couldn’t say anything. He realized you were the only one that didn’t put Saiki through a problem which he had to solve. There were no long adventures when you talked to him in the halls. No using his powers to fix something you had done. He was able to act perfectly normal around you. Which is why he grew such an affection toward you. He grew so comfortable that he told you about his abilities and like he expected you took it well.

Today was one of his favorite days. Where he was able to hang around your home without a care in the world. Whatever his friends were up to outside of your house was not Saiki’s business, nor did he care about it. He had developed a routine when you text him to come over. He would arrive at your house, wear his germanium ring and let his worries wash away. It was the closest thing he could get to being a normal teenager and he was damn sure going to use his time wisely. Whenever Saiki stayed at your home, you would ask to do something, nothing crazy. Something simple like baking a batch of cookies, watching a movie on the couch, or if you were very bored, you would ask to do Saiki’s hair, which he never denied. Because, well, it was you. How could he say no?

Today was a bit different. You had mentioned you needed to run some errands and you promised you would back around noon. Saiki was fine with this since it meant he would have the house to himself. You trusted him greatly so you didn’t mind if he stuck around while you were out. When you left he gave a small nod and then the house was silent. Today was very different because something felt off. He had been reading a book on your shelf out of interest, but for the past five minutes, he had been rereading the same sentence over and over. Something was tugging in his head, but he wasn’t sure what was wrong.

Today was different because he felt so off without you in the same room as him. He checked the clock, realizing I had only been an hour and a half since you left. You wouldn’t be back until later, so Saiki had to find something to distract himself. Today was different because tried to cure his “boredom” with his powers. He turned on your kitchen sink, watching blankly as he made shapes and animals out of the liquid. When that didn’t stop the tugging, he moved onto your room. He felt slightly better resting on your bed and he played it off as being tired, but no. When he kept checking the clock to see if it was any closer to noon, he came to the horrifying conclusion that he missed you.

It was such a foreign feeling. Saiki? Wanting someone to be around him? Well that’s what happens when you sneak your way into his heart. The psychic couldn’t stand it anymore and grabbed his phone, clicking on your contact and placing the device to his ear. The small buzzing reached his ear and he felt a small fragment of relief when you answered after the second ring.

“Hey Saiki, what’s up?”

He sighed, a bit humiliated he felt this way.

“Nothing.”

“Then did you need something?”

“When are you going to be home?”

He said home like he lived here with you, but if you minded, you didn’t make it obvious.

“I should be there in maybe three hours.”

That did not help.

“Can you get here sooner?”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“Yes.”

Might as well since there isn’t anything else getting you here faster. Saiki thought.

A small gasp sounded through the speaker, “I thought you said nothing was happening?”

“Just get here fast.”

And with that he hung up the phone.

—

You raced to your house, hoping you wouldn’t find it in ashes or hit by a tornado. Maybe you were being dramatic, but why would Saiki call you and tell you to come home quickly? It was shocking that you didn’t get pulled over at the pace you were driving home. When you pulled onto your street, you were thankful to not see any smoke, but that didn’t make you slow down. You slammed to a stop in your driveway, panic flooding your veins. You unlocked your door at lightning speed and the second it was open, you called out,”I’m here! What happened?!”

You shut the door behind you, scanning for some sort of danger, but you find your house was still intact. You were so confused. You were expecting some sort of freak accident with Saiki’s powers, but everything was in place.

“Nothing wrong.”

You whipped around, finding Saiki had teleported behind you. You blinked in confusion,”What are you talking about? You told me to get here quick and I-“ “I lied.” Your arms dropped at your side in defeat,”Then why am I here right now?” He gave you an emotionless stare,”Because I wanted you to be.”

Still in shock, you looked around, finding a scattered book on your couch. It was odd because Saiki is always the one to be neat. You turned to the boy, noticing how he was hardly making eye contact with you and he clearly wanted to say more. You recalled his words over the phone, then it all clicked.

“Saiki,” your words were barely above a whisper,”Did you miss me?”

The things that happened next were a blur. In the blink of an eye two arms were wrapping around you and you could feel Saiki’s head in the crook of your neck. He didn’t respond to your question, but this was enough to answer it. Honestly, you were a bit nervous. Was this really the same Saiki? The one who barely let people stand close to him, was holding onto you like a lifeline. You felt a long sigh escape his lips and instinctively you reached one hand up to rest in his pink hair and the other embracing him over his shoulder.

“I didn’t know how else to get you here.” He confessed gently, making your heart melt,”You could have just asked, Kusuo.” He tucked himself more into your neck, almost hiding his face from you,”But you were busy.” You rolled your eyes, “It was just getting groceries, I would have dropped everything if I knew you wanted me here.”

Saiki didn’t know how to respond, instead he used his teleportation to take you both to your room. You let out a grunt as you back hit your mattress, but your attention changed to the boy resting on you. He looked so at peace and you couldn’t believe this was still the same person. (It’s not like you were complaining.) As you softly played with his pink hair, a small idea popped into your head. Maybe I should go out more often if this is what I get to come home too…

[enchantedchocolatebars]

Witte Solstice - Chapter 27

Cover art by @leespinoodle.

Fic written by me (enchantedchocolatebars) and @leespinoodle.

Summary: It's winter in the Boiling Isles, and Caleb prepares to celebrate the solstice with his wife, his friends… and hopefully, with Beardo Philip! Philip swears he'll never partake in the satanic holidays of those demonic witches. But when Caleb invites him over for the solstice… maybe he'll find himself making an exception.

Ao3 version

The table was quickly taken over by talk and laughter as the guests began conversing and passing dishes around.

Caleb bowed his head, hands clasped, and quietly said grace to himself. Out of respect for him, Evelyn held off on eating until Caleb was done.

'Look at them eating that atrocious garbage...,' Philip practically gagged out in his mind as he scanned the table, watching some of the witches smile while trying one another's cooking while others freely fill their plates.

Meanwhile, Philip's was clear of any food.

'They're sickening,' he shuddered, shifting his gaze to Caleb, who he watched say his grace.

Gazing at his plate, his eyes widened.

He was genuinely surprised to see…

"Psst, Caleb," Philip whispered to his brother. "Is that... Are you about to eat... How did you...?"

Beside the traditional Boiling Isles cuisine on Caleb's plate, which he enjoyed but was only able to eat in limited amounts, was plenty of English cuisine that he had been able to throw together with human-friendly ingredients.

There was black pudding, of course, and pan haggerty, pease porridge, and cottage loaves, among other things.

"Is it the pudding you're eyeing?" Caleb asked. "Well, you know it's one of my favorites, so of course I had to make it while I was cooking. Would you like some?"

'Hmph! Of course Caleb cooked the pudding,' a well-pleased Philip thought to himself. 'It's the closest thing to English food.'

Philip soon began to take note of the other English dishes that surrounded the table.

Inwardly, he gave a satisfied chuckle.

'Heh, take that, vile witches! Our food is far more superior than yours!'

Caleb could talk endlessly about his love for living in the Demon Realm all he wanted, but Philip always had a hunch that he still maintained his roots to humanity in some way or another.

It brought him great joy to know that he was right.

"Perhaps...," Philip carefully answered in a gradual tone, ensuring that he didn't reject the offer immediately.

"But I'd like to know, did..."

'Come on, Philip, you can do this.'

"Did..."

'Her name merely has six letters.'

"Did..."

'Your plan! Your plan, Philip! Think about your plan! You can't botch up this opportunity to win your brother back! Just say her name already!'

"Did Evelyn..." Her name made Philip sick to his stomach, but he managed to keep his disgust inside.

"Assist you in cooking them? Not that it matters. I'm just curious to know if you prepared the pudding alone."

"The pudding was all me," Caleb said with a smile. "But Evelyn helped with the vegetables. We split most of the cooking."

"I see...," Philip said as he slowly shifted his eyes at Evelyn.

The corners of his mouth and his mustache moved up as he met her eyes and gave her a smile that seemed to be genuine.

However...

'Ha! Hear that, witch? Caleb cooked the pudding on his own! He realized that you were incapable of making English food and decided to refuse your assistance.'

Being a vile hag from the deepest, most darkest pits of Heck, Evelyn would have soiled the meal somehow, possibly killing his brother in the process, or so Philip believed.

The brunette gave his gaze to Caleb once more. "Jolly good then!" A peppy Philip picked up his plate and held it at his brother. "I would be delighted to try some."

Caleb filled Philip's plate before passing the dishes down the table for the rest of the guests to serve themselves.

Taking his full plate, Philip placed it down in front of him and began to stare at the sausages as if they were sprinkled with poison.

He was aware that Caleb had cooked them, but they were also prepared using ingredients from the Demon Realm.

This vile place.

Who knows what slew of demon diseases he could catch by simply taking a bite.

Philip's uncertainty continued as he squinted at his plate, and the guests who were serving themselves and sharing their dishes began to stare.

Whispering quickly commenced back and forth at the table.

Lifting his fork, the brunette lowered it to the pudding, cutting a morsel of the meat as he pierced the piece with his fork and slowly raised it to his mouth.

After a silent prayer to the Lord to send his soul to heaven, lest he pass away from this meal, he finally puts the piece in his mouth.

Slow and awkward chewing begins from Philip as he works the piece of food back and forth between his cheeks, acting as if it had the consistency and texture of a three-day-old overcooked slab of beef.

This goes on for nearly twenty seconds until he eventually decides to swallow.

Philip then swiftly shuts his eyes, ready to be greeted by the angels who guarded the golden gates of Heaven.

… As one blue eye peeks open, the other slowly follows suit.

The brunette blinks twice.

Philip was genuinely surprised to see himself still at the table, with everyone still staring at him, of course.

"I'm... alive?" an astounded Philip quietly and rhetorically asked, placing a hand on his heart to ensure that it was still beating.

"Uh...," one guest began. "Why… wouldn't you be??"

"I mean...!" Philip swiftly raised his fork high, shifting to a more cheery tone. "Delicious! Can't wait to finish the rest. Mmm!" He grinned and rubbed his stomach in circles.

The guests slowly turn their attention away from the awkward human as they go back to serving and sharing their food.

A sigh was breathed out by Philip, relieved to see that he was no longer the center of attention.

Looking in Caleb's direction, he directed a smile his way.

Caleb frowned at Philip's odd reaction, but quickly switched back to smiling once he noticed Philip was looking. He could see Evelyn rolling her eyes in his peripheral vision.

This was probably going to be a long night.

[local-lamppost]

Sonic 3 Initial Thoughts

So I saw Sonic 3 and I really liked it. Adventure 2 has my favorite story of the franchise so even a loose adaptation was great to see (they even referenced Shadow the Hedgehog by having Shadow's origins be a black comet).

The only part I had a problem with was how they shied away from everything being GUN's fault. Gerald was hired to create the a weapon, a life form that could also cure his granddaughter's illness. Then the project gets out of hand and GUN wants to cover it up, so they kill everyone and imprison Gerald to keep him working for them (and they later kill him anyway in an amazing cutscene). GUN spends the whole game doing their best to keep the cover up going and doubling down. They are the real bad guys. This is still in the movie but it feels glossed over.

I loved Maria and Shadow's dynamic. We didn't get too much time with them, but the way it was shown-that Maria was the only one in the facility that didn't see Shadow as a monster/alien/things to be studied and Shadow being someone Maria could play with. I wish they had included a line about Maria wanting to experience the world beyond where her grandfather went for research, that she and Shadow planned to explore the world first hand when it was finished, and Maria's last words of protecting the world. Being the world's protector despite everything the world has done to him is Shadow's most important trait and I feel like it could've been touched on more.

The fight between Shadow and Sonic was amazing. Shadow goading Sonic into killing him, pointing at his heart the same way Maria and Tom have done to each one, and that connection being what snaps Sonic out of his anger was perfect. Then going on to watch the sun (a still living star) rise over the earth while they talk. Gorgeous.

Knuckles and Tails were relevant! This is always something I worry about in sequels that add to the cast, but they were handled perfectly. Knuckles being the guardians and having the final say of giving Sonic the power. Tails being the brains and moral support, as well as peacemaker between Sonic and Knuckles. It all evened out very well.

Lastly, Stone and the Robotniks. While I have mixed feelings of him being alive in the movie's present, Gerald is a fantastic villain. His line of "You're not Maria, Ivo" was brutal. I was wondering how they would work out a living Gerald with access to a living grandchild still wanting to destroy everything, but having him purely treat Ivo as a shell throughout was perfect. Ivo himself just wants to be cared for, something he thinks only family can provide for him despite Stone being right there. It's this familial requirement for affection that allows Gerald to use him and for Stone to be forced out, and if they do bring him back (which I really hope they don't) what his new dynamic with Stone would be now that he knows Stone really does love him.

All and all, a great film and I'm excited for the fourth. I'm really excited to see how Amy and Metal Sonic are handled, especially now that SEGA is writing her as an actual character lately.

[lorax-devito]

ok well I wasn’t saying that you were harassing him so thanks for being one of the normal people who don’t send him threats

Also I’m not supporting Israel

I’m also i not supporting Palestine

many people in my family have worked for a thing called the red cross foundation and basically it’s whole thing is ‘we take no sides we just help the people who need it’ and that is always my mentality towards wars

none of the innocent civilians caught up in the middle of it deserve to die no matter what side bc they don’t make the choices which,from my understanding,is sort of Noah’s point of view as well.He apologised and explained many of the misunderstandings and that’s what annoys me when ppl haven’t done actual research into it but yeah that’s that

also u don’t think your homophobic or anything bc I haven’t been stalking your account to see all of your posts about this situation I just know @hawkins-batman would do a better explanation than me so I tagged them

And about the thing of all the companies who support all that,you can’t really expect everyone to do al that research and just avoid all of this stuff,it’s great if you do it and want to but you exactly expect everyone to do it

and finally I get what your saying but in my country theres not a lot of propaganda about this and no-one really talks about it so I agree something should be done but trying to cancel celebrities isnt going to do anything.Donating to food banks and that will help

it baffles me that I’ve actually seen ppl say “the people in Palestine would be so upset with us thay we let Noah do this and that” like girl I doubt they even know or care about who Noah is they are probably fighting to survive😭 please stop being little keyboard warriors and go donate to smth to help it instead of using the war for likes and attention or just no doing anything it’s pathetic😭

and before you come at for that last bit,I don’t mean you I mean the silly little ppl on Pinterest and that saying ‘he should be killed’ and all that shit

some ppl need to get a brain and if they actually cared about the war thay deeply then go and fucking help in some way instead of bullying people online

I will like to say this 'Cause a lot of you are forgetting what Noah did the last year and how he is pro-israel and think (or thought) zionist is sexy. Is sick that all you have a fake activism. and still choice to still support him after all. Free Palestine till a fucking netflix series its show to you.

[lafortezaboy]

hey babes i'm sorry to hear that you have a time during the holidays 😢

this is actually my first time ever requesting !

can i request some dani x tmasc reader please 🙏

thank you lovely! you're a sweetheart, and holiday things did get a little overwhelming so i've only just gotten around to this, but i hope you enjoy! and, i'm honored to be your first request!!

content / warnings: established relationship, reader is an influencer, reader uses he / him pronouns, reader talks about being trans / realizing they were trans, there's no explicit transphobia but there are mentions of it, so please keep that in mind before reading

it wasn't often that you spent the night at the dorm. while you loved all the girls in your own way, with five other people living there, it could get chaotic quickly, and sometimes you and daniela just wanted to spend some time together. but when you had texted your girlfriend, asking if she wanted to come watch a new show with you, the texts you'd gotten back were worrisome.

daniela was never truly down. sure, she was just like everyone else and could be upset or sad, but her bright personality nearly always outshined in the end. unless something serious was wrong, she could shrug off anything. so getting the text that she didn't want to leave her bed? you'd told her you'd be there as soon as you could be, knowing that something was up.

getting to the dorm was no trouble, and sophia wasn't surprised to see you at all when she opened the door. that alone confirmed it, that something was wrong, and you needed to find out what. as soon as she saw you enter her room, she was lifting the blanket up for you, and you were slipping in beside her to pull her close, pressing kisses to her cheeks and the tip of her nose, telling her that it was okay, that you had her now.

you couldn't tell how much time passed as you held her, waiting until she was ready to talk, if she was willing to at all. you didn't mind the silence, though. you could hear faint squeals from one of the other girls – megan, if you had to guess, and you could hear the light noises that came with sophia making dinner. but daniela was what you focused on, on the way her hair felt so soft between your fingers, how her head rested perfectly in your neck, the comforting scent of her perfume. you could have fallen asleep, honestly, but when she shifted to look at you, she had your undivided attention.

"can i ask you something? about . . . about you, you know?" the way she asked the question clued you in pretty quickly, because you'd heard it before, from friends and family who were confused, from people who didn't understand. but her tone didn't feel the way theirs had, daniela seemed hesitant, but still a little curious. so you gave a little nod, fingers still running through her hair. "how did you know? that you're a man?"

the way she said it reassured that she meant no harm by it. others had worded it in such a way that had made you internally groan, fully expecting an argument by the time you were done. but she said it so surely, like she had no doubts, and that was partly why you felt the answer come so easily.

"well, for a while i didn't," you admitted, gazing up at the ceiling fan, watching the blades spin. "i knew i had always liked girls, and i was always a tomboy, but the gender stuff didn't really come in until puberty hit, and i started hating the way my body was changing." her arms tighten around you then, and you lean a little into her more, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead to show that you were okay.

"i started hating myself too, for a while, but i have great parents, and the second they realized i wasn't okay, they got me into a therapist. but i wasn't comfortable at first, because i had a woman therapist, and it just didn't feel like stuff i could say to a woman? so i asked to switch, and then they gave me this male therapist. and i could talk to him about stuff, you know? like sports and cars and video games, and all these things i had been taught that were the standard guy things, and i felt really comfortable with him. but i was jealous too, because i was going through all these changes and i didn't understand why my body couldn't look like his. why my voice couldn't get deeper or i couldn't grow facial hair, why i couldn't get taller. and eventually, i opened up to him about that, and he gave me a whole bunch of stuff to read about gender and sexuality."

you let out a small sigh then, and you could feel daniela's eyes on you, checking for any signs of discomfort. your arm just squeezed her a little, hoping to reassure her that it was okay. "so i read all the stuff, and it kinda just clicked to me that i was trans? and i think that i really knew a few months into transitioning, when my dad called me son like he did my brother, and it just felt right? like i didn't have to be the person i felt like i was forced to be, i could just be me, and my family would love me and have my back."

daniela's hand had made its way to your chest, and after you finished talking, yours came up to hold it, bringing it to your lips gently. "is there a reason you wanted to know, dani?" you asked, glancing over at her. the way her eyes avoided yours told you the answer, but you waited, wanting her to open up in her own time.

"this morning i . . . you know i watch all your tiktoks, like a lot," she started, and you let out a little hum. she did do that, she loved seeing the things you posted. "and there was one where your shirt was off, and i thought i would get to see people drooling over you in the comments and get all cocky because you're mine, but there were a lot of people being gross." it didn't take you any time to realize what she meant, and you just nodded a little.

"yeah, that happens all the time baby," you told her softly. she huffed then, arms tightening around you once again. "well it's bullshit, and i don't like it ," she grumbled, and you couldn't help the little laugh that escaped you. "i don't like it either princess, but it's there. it's always gonna be there, in some way or another. there's always going to be some asshole who wants to hurt people, but just because they try, that doesn't mean that they do get to hurt me. like, i'm comfortable in my own skin, and i'm doing what i love, surrounded by the people i love, and i have the most perfect girl anyone could ever ask for as my girlfriend. some losers on the internet aren't going to ruin my day by being dicks in my comments."

she was quiet for a moment after, and you simply let your fingers begin running through her hair once again. eventually though, her hand came up, tilting yours to the side to press a soft kiss against your lips. you kissed her back in an instant, lingering as long as she'd let you, but she pulled away much too soon.

"you can't ever change, okay?" she said, hand still on your cheek. "because if you change, they win, and then i'd have to beat them up. and i don't really want to go to jail, but i will." you laughed before you could stop it, and she quickly joined you, pulling you closer to her. you wrapped your arms around her completely then, rolling the two of you over so you were hovering over her. she moved with you, and once she was flat on her back, she looked up at you with such devotion in her eyes that your breath caught in your throat.

your fingers came up then, brushing her hair behind her ear gently as you looked at her. "i won't let them win, i promise. because if you do go to jail over me, i'd lose sophia's approval. and i really like being allowed over, because then i get to do this." and she seemed to read your mind because hands were cupping your face as you leaned down, pressing your lips against hers gently.

[athousandbyeol]

keep up the thamepo [episode 3]

this episode is deliciously insane. so many things happened and there are so many things I want to say. but in this post, I think I want to focus on some little details about thame and po/thame and jun the most.

at this point, i shouldn't be surprised at how good thamepo is at switching the narratives, allowing us to perceive the story from both ends. but I'm still pleasantly blown away by every watch. I'm really happy that thamepo is courageous to show the story from two sides. i think it gives us (the audience) the liberty to choose or relate to the side we favour more. maybe it doesn't work that way for others, but I love how these multiple perspectives allow me to weigh the characters from both sides and not only one, somewhat giving me the chance to either 1) be biased of one side or 2) be open to both. i just think it's very well-executed and thought out. kudos to p'mui and her team for thamepo's wonderful structural premise.

it's such a treat that we're introduced to the friend arc in thamepo. it's about time we entered the minds of the members, while still laying out thame and po's thoughts and traits in the open. maybe it's just me (or how I actually write my stories) but I'm so amazed at p'mui's storybuilding and characterbuilding. i find it so fascinating because nothing feels rushed or uncertain. every choice she and her team made was perfect for the past three episodes. I'm in awe, really.

but the thing that surprises me the most in this episode is how the story is mainly focused on jun and thame, but with the lingering presence of po as the 'healer' or 'fixer'. he exists as a binder that glues thame with his members. and it's fascinating to see how po somehow camouflages himself to every member's personality and need, offering a different approach (with thame's guidance). po and thame made such a great team. i understand now how and why they'll fall (heels over head) in love with each other in the future.

1. after thame, jun loves mars the most

i was a bit scared last week because I never foresaw someone from mars to betray thame. it was never in my head. so when I saw last week's teaser, I believed jun wouldn't be the person some might assumed he would be. but thamepo has always been a surprise and very good at twists and turns, so I tried to be more open about it.

so… jun's a bit like a diva to me? he's kind of… a lot (at least to someone like me, jun intimidates me beyond my comfort zone). throughout this very awkward exchange between thame and jun, one thing I realised after I watched the episode again was they were actually covering up each other.

thame was trying to send jun a signal. jun received it. but he didn't think it would be a smart choice to talk about it in front of the reporters. so that's why he steered the conversation to (presumably) thame's benefit, in hopes the media wouldn't doubt him (because at this point the news of thame going on a hiatus was already released by the company). i think it's more of jun trying to save thame from further damage than breaking their friendship apart even more.

it's very smart of p'mui and the team to 'paint' jun as the bad guy initially because he did seem like a person that might stab someone's back for his benefit. i think it's the typical stereotyping of characters that appear aloof or unbothered—this coldness that jun exuded—many might assume jun would definitely go against thame.

but he didn't.

and it's an exceptional twist! (for me, it really is!)

thamepo is breaking the norms i see in many dramas of the past and like I mentioned, it's so refreshing to look at the story from multiple lenses all at once, but it was unveiled at the right pacing and time. very, very well done!

another thing that i find very interesting is when po carried out the interview with jun, even though it was mentioned that this was scripted, I believe this is everything jun wanted to say to thame.

again, they're switching the perspective here. in the previous episode, we knew that thame followed the script he was given because he lost his voice. his words no longer hold importance in the company. everything thame said to po for the interview was what the company wanted him to say. we (the audience) are aware that those were lies.

but here, i believe this is what jun wanted thame to know. he might never get a chance to say it to thame in this manner (because I see that jun is the kind of best friend who would say he hates thame when in fact, he loves him the most). it's 'PR' friendly but it holds this sincerity; everything that jun silently wishes for thame (when he embarks on a new journey in Korea).

it's amazing how they give us two things to ponder about the significance of these scripts: 1) a forced responsibility for thame, and 2) jun's inner voice that he couldn't express aloud (perhaps because jun doesn't want to sound/look sappy in front of thame [very very best friend behaviour right there hahaha]).

it's so heartwarming to me that thame isn't alone, after all. like baifern to po, jun is thame's best friend, someone he can confide in. I'm glad jun saw everything that thame tried to hide from the members. I'm glad jun really saw him.

and i have to say, this scene made me smile because thame is so leader-coded through and through. he took the blame for jun because he didn't want khun pemika to 'punish' jun (and take away jun's chance at debuting). thame's selflessness goes beyond everything I have in mind. I'm so excited to see to what extent thame helped the other members in the past because that would be one of the reasons for them to reunite—they just love thame as much as thame loves them.

along the way, thame might think he lost jun, but that's not the case. i guess both of them just needed something (or someone) to break the (very fragile) wall separating them. these two have so much love in their big hearts, but they aren't the best at communicating. so this is when po plays an important role as their messenger.

po is so crucial to mars because he advocates communication and peace. honestly, it would save po from a world of heartbreaks if he just minded his own business and got the documentary over with. but he is just selfless and has too much love and is too kind for the world—so he definitely would want to help his nongs. the bond they'll share is going to be so beautiful and heart-wrenching. God knows what will happen to po and mars (and us) once the company forces another separation between them (I'm ready to jump and cry my eyes out).

i can't help but think maybe some of mars's fans ship them (and I can see why xD). but these two are better off being the best frienemies. (but maybe in an alternate universe… who knows… they might be a thing…) [slaps myself] [drags myself away from the mic] ok that's enough delusional talk for today…

2. thame and po; "i find comfort in you"

when messages from the company buzzed into thame's phone endlessly, thame was visibly restless. he knew what he did was causing more damage to the company. but damage to the company equates to chances for his friendship to mend. so, thame took every chance he had to seize it, despite the circumstances.

in this scene, po addressed that thame should at least give a call or do something to clear the air. but I think thame has better judgement and control over the issue, that's why he ignored it and turned off his phone. clearly, thame was searching for a distraction. he didn't want to think about this problem now. he just wanted peace. and being with po gave him peace.

so they did this activity together; thame threading the thread into the needle while po was doing another fixing. it's a therapeutic activity for thame, and we can see how he immediately relaxes once po stops pushing the idea of confronting the problem right now. it's so thoughtful of po, and I'm happy that thame noticed it too.

all the while, his eyes were always at po. he was looking. studying. understanding. i think thame found so much comfort just in po's presence because of po's quietness. he's such a grounding figure, and I think it helps thame both grasp the essence of reality while also indulging in this dream-like sensation whenever they're together.

the stares… thame's smile. oh. by now I know, thame's feelings for po are certain. but how about po? i don't know about others, but to me, po's still struggling. still healing. still scared. but he's slowly opening up again towards the end of this episode. it's so bittersweet.

it's also very heartbreaking how po quickly apologised because he thought he caused another trouble for thame—and thame did the same, insisting he was another damage po needed to fix. these two deserve each other because they'll help each other realise just how important love and sincerity are. these will be their strongest suits when they're in a relationship, but also be a double-edged sword if they don't overcome their weakness: communication.

some words don't have to be spoken to be understood. this is when thame and po are speaking the language of love and affection. but they tend to keep everything to themselves whenever danger arrives. i hope they can deal with this together because if they don't, it'll be another gut-wrenching heartbreak for them.

i don't know if thame is aware of how po's world has turned downside up whenever he offers a promise of sincerity and comfort. i also don't know if po is aware of how thame's world has turned upside down whenever he offers a promise of peace and assurance. i hope they do. someday.

3. messages po didn't send — "i see you in ways I didn't before"

early on in episode one, we were informed that po was a clingy lover. it might be one of the things that earn despised (I'm just assuming this because they made po being clingy as a negative for his character).

po was restless. he knew thame would handle it well with jun, but he couldn't help but worry. it's clear that thame has become an important figure in his life, but to what extent? i think po's still clueless about it, too.

these messages, he kept typing and deleting. he wanted to send them, but he didn't want to come off as 'clingy' in thame's eyes. he didn't want thame to be annoyed or—hate him—for worrying—for caring.

but i believe, in one way or another, thame will enjoy this attention from po in the future. the messages po will send to thame definitely will help thame emotionally. it's going to be so vital in their upcoming relationship as they have to be secretive about it. these texts will save and heal them. i hope it won't destroy them, though…

throughout the episode, i was a bit frustrated because thame—friend—how can you not save po's phone number? or at least give him a call from po's phone so that you could have his number immediately?

but when i watched this episode again… i realised… perhaps the reason why thame didn't save po's number—not until his friendship with jun was salvaged—was probably because it was at this point that thame was certain of his feelings for po.

thame has always had feelings for po, even from the first event he saw po briefly. but this was the time that thame knew he liked po, romantically. some might say it's too fast, but for someone like thame who might never have a chance for romantic relationships throughout the years of being in mars, meeting someone as incredible as po, how could he not harbour feelings?

when thame said he wanted to remember po's number, it was him wanting to remember po's existence forever—he wanted to keep po in his memory for a lifetime. it was thame accepting that he's in fact… in love with po.

the severity of his emotions is still on the surface, but it's more than enough for thame to act on it—to have po in every way possible. thame wouldn't want to forget his saviour, his future lover.

when he repeated the number after po, it echoed and reverberated not only in thame but also po. maybe at this point, they're almost reaching the same line, but po needs a little more push to come clean with feelings. and I have a feeling next week will be po's trigger in accepting his fond feelings for thame. (the smile on po's face is so precious... :( I hope he has more reasons to smile now because of thame...)

but at what cost?

if i can make speculation, next week's episode will be rough and heartbreaking because thame's going to confront someone who holds a grudge against him—the fire in the group—dylan.

it's either dylan will burn thame to ashes, or thame will let dylan burn him to cinders, or po will tame dylan's fire for thame. it could be all. and I'm so excited about every possibility.

[ihfmseatsoch]

ok ok ok so if i may be so bold as to request something, ive been enamored wiht the idea of an older, controlling, borderline abuse boyfriend jimmy, like he and reader live together on earth, and reader goes to college, while jimmy works physical jobs trying to support them both. he's a SHITTY person though, so hes jealous of any man the reader talks to, reads through their phone, makes sinde comments about their weight and appearance, and (im totally not projecting here) eventually pressures them into dropping out, for like his perfect little live in partner/gf fantasy sjdhasd feel free to do whatever with this, but this specific scenario has not left my head for days

WHEEE this was fun to write ^w^ i rushed this a bit but i just didnt want you to have to wait any longer... :p

—

Jimmy Zare x fem!reader

reader uses fem terms (girl, girlfriend)

genre: how do i categorize this.... fic that makes you feel bad or horny depending on how you handle verbal abuse lol

word count: 1.8k

warnings/content: age gap, domestic abuse, manipulation, arguing, fat shaming, several references to the readers body/appearance, jimmy being the biggest asshole oh my god i hate him (i want him so bad it makes me look stupid)

(is it bad that writing about jimmy yelling at me turns me on... WOAHHH who said that .....😰 also dont kill me for the weight shaming part IM A FAT GIRL !!!!!! i like when evil men are mean to me !!!!!! RAAAH)

—

"He's a good guy, he can actually be really sweet!"

That's a sentence you find yourself saying out of complete muscle memory at this point whenever someone questions why your boyfriend–... well, they question an awful lot about your boyfriend.

For example, why he's over twenty years your senior whilst you're still going to class on the weekdays. Why he doesn't allow you to see your friends, wear certain clothes, leave your apartment without him, and why he takes up so much space in your brain, completely distracting you from your own life and goals.

You've missed at least four assignments this semester alone. It's stupid, really. You thought you'd be done with obsessing and crying over boys after you graduated highschool. It's completely immature for a so-called adult like yourself, but then again, you're hardly into adulthood at all.

Jimmy, on the other hand, has a lot more life experience, many of those experiences negative. That might be why you've taken some form of pity on him, going so far as to move into his apartment so you can take care of him when you're not busy. He needs someone to make sure he doesn't fall off the deep end.

The thing is, it's become hard to fit him in your schedule, but whenever you're unable to make time for him after he comes home from work, that familiar scowl on his face indicating it was another shitty day, he throws a fit.

He'll accuse you of everything under the sun; Infidelity being the primary thing.

"You don't love me. There's someone else, isn't there? It's that one kid that asked you to help him 'study' last week, isn't it? No? Give me your fucking phone, then."

This is what you come home to everyday, so it's nothing new. In fact, you're pretty used to it by now. Though today, Jimmy seems particularly pissed.

"Where have you been?" He crosses his arms and leans against the wall, eyeing you up and down like he always does when he's about to grill you on something.

"Sorry..." You mutter, way too tired to deal with one of his moods again. "Traffic." You answer simply, not having enough energy to overexplain yourself like you normally do.

"Uh huh. Traffic." He mimics you in a way that already tells you he's not buying it. Great.

"...It's the truth." You shrink into yourself at the way he's looking at you. Contemptuous as always. You're in for another argument, it seems. A million, desperate pleas run through your mind;

'Please don't give me another lecture about how you're my only financial support, and how grateful I should be. Please don't ask to see my phone. Please don't tell me to drop out.'

But, of course, you can't actually change the outcome of this. You're gonna get yelled at. Belittled. Degraded.

"You're two hours late, and you're gonna tell me you were just stuck in traffic?" He pushes himself off the wall and walks towards you.

"You're never home when you're supposed to be, and when you are home, you're all tired and upset.” He pokes a finger into your shoulder, hard. "What do you think that looks like from my point of view?"

"I'm sorry." You rub your face, exasperated. God, you wish he would shut up sometimes. Sure, he can be amicable, but lately... he's been a raging dick. Yet, you can't help but cling to the memory of his good moments. "I'll try to make it back on time tomorrow."

"Yeah? And how many times have I heard that before?" He sneers, "You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"

The way he accuses you so confidently, so sure of himself... it's insulting. Does he really think that little of you? "College has been kicking my ass, Jim. You know that. I'm not hiding anything from you, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, college this, college that. Always complaining about fuckin' college," He scoffs, his eyes stay narrowed, still glaring. "How about what I'm going through? You think I'm having a great time every day at work, hm?"

"No, I–" You stammer, hating the way he's turning this around to make himself the victim. Oh, woe is him, having to provide for himself and his girlfriend. How tortured he is. "I know, alright? I'm sorry. I just– what else do you expect me to do?"

"Be here. Like you're supposed to be. And I expect you to stop acting like I'm the bad guy for asking you to be a decent girlfriend."

Jimmy's voice raises slightly as he takes a step closer, towering over your sheepish figure. He nudges your shoulder again, even rougher this time.

"I'm busting my ass every day to put food on the table, and you can't even have the decency to show up on time, let alone look happy to see me?"

"I– I am happy to see you! I am, I'm just– you don't get it. I want to be here, but... I'm not even halfway through this semester, and–" You stumble over your words as you attempt, in vain, to defend yourself. It's not like he'll ever feel sympathy for you. It's always about what he wants. What makes him happy.

Jimmy rolls his eyes at your attempt to reason with him. It's as if he doesn't even register a word you say. "But what? What's more important to you, huh? Some stupid classes, or the guy who keeps a fuckin' roof over your head and feeds you? Be grateful, goddamn it." He snaps, grabbing your arms and giving them a forceful shake.

You flinch from being handled like you're not even a human being, much less one with feelings. "Stop, please, I'm– I am grateful, I really am..." You're not lying, either. To be honest, his guilt tripping works wonders on you. Are you really acting unappreciative? He wouldn't be this upset if you were in the right...

He seems unfazed by your frightened demeanor and continues to hold a firm grip on your arms. He looks you up and down, not even having to say anything for you to know he's judging you, as a girlfriend and person in general.

"Oh, you're grateful? Then maybe you should act like it for once." Jimmy gives your arms another firm shake, a harsh reminder of who's in charge here.

"I'm not asking much of you. I just want you to be here, and you can't even do that. Do you think I'm just gonna sit back and accept that bullshit?"

"No..." You shake your head, looking down at the ground in shame. Were you really that awful? You didn't want to be a bad partner, it's the last thing you ever wanted. If you could make eye contact without feeling guilty, you'd see Jimmy's face light up with satisfaction as he finally notices you're not even bothering to put up a fight anymore.

There's a condescending lilt to his tone as he speaks, "No one will ever love you like I do. You know that?"

You nod, knowing there has to be some truth to his claim. He takes care of you, doesn't he? He keeps a roof over your head, gives you money for groceries, and he's not always that unpleasant to be around...

He's a good boyfriend. You're the problem. You always are.

"Exactly."

The grip on your arms eases, moving them to place a hand on each of your shoulders, contrastingly gentle compared to his behavior only moments ago.

"You oughta thank your lucky stars you have a man like me who puts up with all your bullshit. You get that, right? How lucky you are to be with me?"

You know he's right. You were blessed with someone who still loves you, despite your many shortcomings. You're too fat, the acne on your face and body is repulsive, the way you do your makeup is weird... all of this being things Jimmy has told you directly. At least you have an honest boyfriend, isn't that what every girl wants?

He gives your shoulder a pat, like he's treating you like a small, petulant child. "You realize I could have literally any girl I want, right? Pretty, skinny, smart ones, even. But I chose you. Because I care about you."

He pauses, letting that sink in.

"But it would help if you'd actually put the effort in to look decent." He adds as an afterthought.

You've internalized every single snide remark he's thrown your way, reminded of them every single time you look in the mirror. Yet he still loves someone like you. Someone so difficult and embarrassing to be with.

"Jim, I don't... I don't know how I'm even gonna be able to free my schedule at all with school and stuff..." You mumble guiltily. You know he wants you to drop out, he's suggested it more times than you can count.

"That right there, that's why I'm frustrated, goddamn it," He says with an exacerbated sigh. He moves one hand from your shoulder to pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Why don't you get it? Dropping out isn't the end of the world. Just quit and stay home. Done. Easy."

"It's not that easy... I want to get a good job and help out too, you know..."

It's true that you want to pull your weight around your shared home. With your combined income, it'd make everything easier. But... with how shitty college makes you feel, leaving you beaten down and tired by the end of the day...

You find yourself listening to Jimmy on this for once.

He can tell you're seriously contemplating it this time, which makes him feel... more in control. He's got you thinking and believing exactly what he wants you to. Soon, he'll be able to get you to obey him without another word from you.

The thought of having you as his subservient, stay at home girlfriend is more than appealing. It's his goal to mold you into what he wants you to be.

"Yeah, yeah, I get that, I know. But you're stressing yourself half to death, and for what? Some stupid degree? Listen to me, I'm not gonna ask you again. You're just creating problems that don't need to exist. Just quit. You'll have plenty of free time that you can spend with me."

You can't deny how tempting the idea is. Hesitantly, after several moments of pondering the hypotheticals and what-ifs, you speak up,

"...I guess... dropping out wouldn't hurt too much."

He perks up at that, barely being able to contain a delighted grin. You're actually putting him and his wants first, and acknowledging that he's right. You're doing as he says, without any of the usual arguing or excuses. He'll finally have his dream complaisant, docile girlfriend to come home to every night.

It only took a month or two to finally get you to cave. You'll be easier to control from now on. Hell, maybe you'll lose some weight with some free time on your hands, stop wearing that shitty makeup...

"Good girl," He says in a patronizing tone, like he's addressing a child, "That's what wanna hear."

God, you really hope this isn't a bad idea. Jimmy looks pleased for once, so...

This decision can't possibly ruin your future too badly, right?

—

[zariahthechocolatecookie]

Alrighty, done with season 7! That was quite the season - so many things happened! And it was a pretty darn good season, too; for me, I'd say this was a solid 8/10 season. So many parts of it were phenomenal, but some parts, especially in the earlier episodes, just didn't do it for me. So, yeah, let's get into it! Beware, there are spoilers beyond this point, read at your own risk!

Alright, so, let's start with the awesome parts - because there were a lot! Claudia has always been one of my favorite characters, but this season moved her all the way up to #1 favorite. Her character arc in this season is absolutely phenomenal. The way she came to terms with her struggles and her grief and loss. How she was able to do what she felt was right, and trust in her own choices - even if us, the viewers, or other people don't agree with them.

I fully intend to make a longer post about Claudia later because I haven't seen NEARLY enough people talk about her story, but that's probably enough ranting for now.

Probably because of Claudia, all the characters that were part of her story (Soren, Terry, Aaravos) really shone this season. Terry's choice this season, as well as Soren's, were just spectacularly done. And, surprisingly, my opinion on Aaravos really changed. I came into this fully believing he was a manipulative, lying bastard - and he totally still is! But he has a heart now, and I felt oddly sad when he died.

Now, let's see here, other good things... Ezran's whole storyline was pretty good. I feel like it could have been made better in a few places, but it was enjoyable! The second half of Callum's arc - basically everything after Astrid showed up - was done wonderfully, we could really see his struggles. The last two episodes were amazing, I don't have any complaints. Oh, and Astrid was great - can't forget about her!

As for the not so great parts... I feel like my struggle is that the stakes didn't feel high enough, all of the time. This is supposed to be the "dark" season - yet Rayla and Callum spent half of it happily picnicking in the Silvergrove. The only people that died were the Archdragons, despite them baiting us with the deaths of Lujane and Callum. I might make a post about this later, it'll depend on how irritated it makes me. Also, the Nova Blade just... Came out of nowhere, and didn't really do anything. That part also felt kinda pointless.

But, despite my complaints, I really enjoyed this season!! It was absolutely wonderful, and I'm sincerely hoping they make an act 3.

[just-a-little-silly]

New year, New Arundhati (??) [lmao not really but hey!! small redesign!!]

Taglist!!

@queengiuliettafirstlady @ike-garden2024 @sh0jun @welp-back-on-my-bs @colourless-hydrangeas @oda-princess @obeymetalesandikemen

Yippee!! And as always please let me know if you want to be added or removed from the list💛!!

More about Aru under the cut!!

To be entirely honest, there isn’t much I’m changing about her apart from her appearance (slightly). I also feel like I could have done a better job talking about things than I did in her previous bio but for the most part, things stay the same. I might just not be great at writing these lmao.

I want to emphasize that Aru is playful, warm, and at times, silly though she can be distant at first. Yes, the transition to the Sengoku Era was rough and Arundhati is fundamentally changed by it ( I believe anyone would be) but while she does become distant / detached at first, she manages to overcome that in time. Her “ruthlessness” and “tunnel vision” (as I put it in this post) all stem from the fact that she was thrown into a hostile world so unlike anything she’s ever known.

I think it’s also worth mentioning that she spent two years with her first mentor/guardian/teacher/boss Mochizuki Chiyome and even though she ended up being a mother-figure to Aru, was not particularly motherly. Chiyome’s training was harsh and it is somewhat of a miracle that Aru could pick up anything at all but it gave her the necessary skills to survive as a ninja in the Sengoku Era.

However, Aru at heart ( and to those who are close to her) is a compassionate person though she struggles to express it initially but give her time and she will find a way to show you she cares by taking the time to learn what it is you like. She’s observant, awkward and if she’s just met you but stick around long enough and you’ll see that she’s actually pretty silly, playful and genuine too.

Now for some Arundhati trivia because it’s important to me:

• She LOVES thrifting

• She has insanely sharp hearing.

• Very fast, agile. Not as strong. She can use a sword pretty well but she really does prefer her poisons.

• Has horrid handwriting. Even Yoshimoto, a man who manages to find beauty in almost everything, is taken aback.

• Her handwriting is so bad that Shingen came close to hiring a member of the Mitsumono specifically to decipher Aru’s reports because they were starting to drive him up a wall.

• The part of her backstory where she’s engaged to a man named Gaël remains the same (you can read more about it here though its not very much as I haven’t written all of it out)

Its worth mentioning that it was an extremely toxic relationship (I simply don’t go in depth in the previous writing of it) that had been falling apart for a long, long time.

• She’s strategic but sometimes said strategy will go out the door if she’s hit with an intense emotion. It’s rare but it happens and when it does, she has to rely solely on whatever skills she has at her disposal to get out of the mess she threw herself into.

(Im bolding the next one bc its so so important (= funny) to me)

• She can keep up with Sasuke’s STEM jokes. Has used physics related pick up lines on him before.

ie. “Sasuke, are you a quasar? …because you’re the hottest thing in the known universe.”

And that’s when he knew she was the one.

They really match each other’s freak in every sense.

Though there are moments where he’ll fluster her and she’ll shut down + vice versa.

• She has tattoos!!

—> A sun design on her left shoulder. Her name written in Tamil in her grandmother’s handwriting on the back of her hand. An intricate flower and another sun pattern on the right side of her hip going down her thigh (a pretty large tattoo at that.)

• She’s allergic to peaches. (but she has eaten some to prove a point to Kenshin. she regretted it afterwards).

[I’ll add more later!!]

[gx-gameon]

I’ve been thinking about the post-canon digital world arc for this au. I don’t know if this will ever be officially I’m just playing with some concepts right now.

But some of the DM crew and some of the GX crew are pulled into a digital world and forced to use the deck master style of dueling.

Here are the pairings I’m playing with (this is after the Gx crew knows Jaden’s identity as Jaden Moto.

Yugi and Jaden - Yugi, upon realizing that they are in a digital world and will be using deck masters again and dueling for their lives, makes a mad dash for his son. He’s been through this song and dance before. He knows they are about to be split up. Right as the ground opens up below Jaden’s feet Yugi tackles the kid and the two go down together. He’s sat on the sidelines for to long. If these people want to attack his son then they are getting both of them.

Atem and Jim - this one might seem out of left field. But I wanted so weird pairings. I think Jim is calm and collected and him and Atem would mash well together. They handle business and keep moving forward. Jim is also someone who will give his all to help his friends and is very loyal to Jaden. Both traits earn him Atem’s full approval.

Seto and Chazz - Chazz is determined to impress Seto Kaiba. (He’s basically already family but he’s never got to duel along side Seto and this is a big deal) however he needs up with Ojama Yellow as his deck master through their usual shenanigans. (He loves to Ojamas but he’s trying to show off here) but they do turn out to be quite helpful especially when paired with Kaiba’s crush card. I can also see them having a cool moments since they both play XYZ canon cards.

Joey and Jesse - these two are having a blast. The Crystal beast are out and roasting every opponent that comes towards them and Joey is loving these spirits. It takes a bit to get their decks to sync up but over all the two are having a great time. There is a little stress because Joey has seen what Jaden will do if anything happens to Jesse. But he quickly forgets that worry because who’s taking down Joey Wheeler? Nobody that’s who. They spend most of the time talking about Jaden and Joey roasting any opponent sparing the Crystal beast to join in.

Tristian and Axel - Tristian is a weak duelist and while he’s learned quite a bit over the years he’s still not a duelist. I wanted to pair him with someone strong. Both are fighters. Tristan is always willing to through hands. They are also to characters who are willing to make the sacrifice play. (Tristan more that Axel) Axel is also super intense and not every character from DM would be able to play off that. While Tristan is giddy he can also buckle down and get things done.

Téa and Alexis - while I don’t normally like “pair the girls together cause they’re girls” but I think Alexis deserves to be with another girl for once. Also I think the character work here could be really fun. Alexis misses her friends (this is probably the first time they have all gotten together since the tournament arc) she’s struggling with her desire for things to go back to the way they were and her need to move towards the future. She started to learn this lesson with Jaden in their final year, but I think talking with Téa and learning how friendships change over time but that doesn’t mean they are gone. Friendships also require both sides to put in an effort. There is a lot of growth to be had

Mokuba and Hasselberry - honestly this is probably the weakest pairing. Mokuba has been head of torments for years now and Hasselberry has just graduated. Hasselberry is a charge ahead break down all obstacles kind of person, while Mokuba is a lot more meticulous. He’s used to dealing with long game business buyouts. He can duel well but not at a professional level. He does however know the rules inside and out. I can see them having a great moment when Hasselberry want to charge ahead in their duel only for Mokuba to slow him down. Pointing out a super obscure rule that leads to a winning combo. They are opposites that work well together

Duke and Atticus - the “pretty boys” of their series. Defiantly putting on a show every time they have to duel. When they meet up with the others everyone is a little haggard from their experience and then these to strut out like runway models

Serenity and Aster - once again this might be a strange pair but hear me out. Serenity, while far more knowledgeable than she was in battle city, is still not a duelist. Pairing her with a pro makes sense. Also Aster is a gentleman, he also loves being a hero. I can see him trying to duel for both of them and trying to protect Miss Serenity. (Although doing so might put him in over his head) Serenity is also nowhere near the Novices she was in the digital world arc in season 3. She has a working deck. She just doesn’t play on the level of Joey, Yugi, Atem, and Seto. I like the idea of her also having a fusion deck. Maybe one themed around angels.

Again right now this is just an idea. Let me know if you think any other pairs would be fun. I’m open to some changes.

I also need to figure out everyone’s deck masters.

[okie-dokie-wo]

Bill Lawrence gives an update on HBO comedy with Steve Carell, Phil Dunster

COLLIDER: How are things going with the Steve Carell comedy series for HBO? How far along are things with that show?

LAWRENCE: That show starts shooting in spring of next year. I created that with Matt Tarses and we have an amazing writing staff. The staff that we put together now usually have a cool, healthy combination of young, newer writers and people that have run their own shows, so that there’s a lot of experienced people there. When people are nice and say, “Hey, you’re getting to do a lot of stuff,” I always try to make sure to say that it’s because I get to work with super talented men and women, and often talk to nice people like you and take credit for their work. But it’s going great. The staff has been working for over a month now. We’re starting to cast up off the pilot script with people I’m really excited about. I think it’s gonna be a blast.

COLLIDER: What made you want to cast Phil Dunster on that show? Is it a character that you feel is well-suited to him, or is it a character you think will show a different side of him?

LAWRENCE: I think it will show a different side to him. This is gonna sound way too preachy, but with network TV, where I started – I’m a dinosaur who’s been doing it forever – you used to do a TV show where you’d have 26 episodes the first year sometimes. That gives you 20 episodes of television to figure out who the characters are and make the show work and find the chemistry, and then you explode from there. Everybody that watches old TV will go, “Oh, wow, the first year of Parks and Rec was so different from the second. The first year of Scrubs was so different from the second.” Nowadays, 26 episodes is almost three seasons of a streaming show and to catch an audience in that landscape, sometimes you need to find yourself hitting your stride so fast and finding character chemistry in the voice of the show so fast that for me, it’s almost a cheat sheet to hire actors and actresses that you know and are fans with, and in your head you know how to make them funny and know what they’d be really good at doing, even if it’s not something that you’ve done before. Quite honestly, at this stage of my career, if someone is also an awesome person to be around, I think you’re crazy not to keep hiring them. What I know about Phil is that he’s hyper talented. He’s not like Jamie Tartt in real life, at all, any more than Brett Goldstein is like Roy Kent, at all. To tailor a part especially for him is gonna be a blast.

Source: Collider

[girlwithateachercrush]

1. Started roughly around last year, last year I was really nervous about participating in his class and one day I was confident enough and he told me well done after class, about a month later I developed feelings. As for initiation, he mainly started it first but now I'd say its 50:50

2. Every single day atleast 5 times an hour

3. He suits cool and slightly chilly weather, sunrise and morning dew but no rain. As for myself, probably the sunshine

4. He loves horror and sci-fi films and I love "thought daughter" films

5. Yes I do, She's Thunderstorms by AM, A lot of Isabel Larosa for obvious reasons, the entire submarine EP, So many by Lana e.g Burning Desire, Yayo, DYKTTATUOB, Watercolour Eyes, High by the Beach, American, Blue Velvet, OTTR, Tulsa Jesus, Dealer, Freak, Honeymoon, Arcadia, Million Dollar Man, Honeymoon, Freak, Margaret, California, NFR, Thunder, Violets for Roses, did I say Honeymoon?

6. I can't say it on this app LMAOAOA

7. Definitely, we would either go to the theatre we have always talked about or just a cozy night in with a film and then lots of deep conversations

8. Sadly I wear a uniform but I try to modify it so the skirt is shorter, I'd wear cute hairstyles and jewellery

9. When he started calling me by my nickname and stayed with me all throughout the last lesson because I was being targeted by a group of boys in my year at this time

10. Yes

11. Yes sometimes but mainly verbal and emotional :)

12. I've told them a little bit about mine and he's only mentioned his family like once

13. Definitely not, although my overthinking always tells me they do even though I know they have boyfriends and crushes on people their own age 😂

14. That I'm attached to him and would literally do anything for him

15. I don't mind what he wears cuz he looks good in everything, but I feel like he'd look amazing in just a white collared shirt, a little unbuttoned with the sleeves up and basic black trousers so not really different to what his style is but he'd look great.

As for myself I would probably wear a pretty and flattering outfit (probably a party dress but nothing too OTT) making sure I looked gorgeous for him but definitely not outshining the bride :)

16. Sadly no, he's not on any social media publicly as far as I'm aware

17. Yes, always

18. I think he's perfect the way he is but if he grew out his beard a little he'd look scrumptious

19. Light pink: happy and bubbly

Dark blue/indigo: missing/longing

Purple: focused/confused

Cyan/light blue: proud of myself

Orange: Seen/recognised

Red: ...yk

20. I personally LOVE everything vintage. We would both fit perfectly in the 50s-60s.

21. Every time I go somewhere I make sure to look good incase I do bump into them but it hasn't happened yet.

22. It was winter and I was feeling depressed and thinking about him so I started girlblogging lol

23. His favourite book, colour, music artist, every single thought he's had of me, his favourite flower, everything <3

24. Honestly very shocked and surprised, even though he is VERY fond of me and seems to favourite me I would still be really shocked, but definitely blush and tell him I felt the same way.

25. Yes, he got me into Foo Fighters!

26. Yes I would date them, no red flags

27. I feel like people would either love our ship or hate our ship no in between

28. Literature, listening to music, writing, just anything in general reminds me of him

29. Wondering if he feels the same way about me and wondering how much he talks about me when I'm not around

30. Yes a lot, eye contact, the way I speak, facial expressions, body language, making him laugh, doing the things he loves that I do

31. For us to go out somewhere together in the summer for a day :)

Yes ik this was in may 2024 but I thought it'd be interesting to share

May TC Challenge

I couldn't really find one for May and I'm super bored so here we go

How did your relationship start? Was it you who did most of the initiating?

How often do you think about them?

What kind of weather matches their vibes? What about yours?

May the fourth be with you! Do they have a favorite movie franchise? Do you?

Do you have a playlist dedicated to them? What are your favorite songs on it?

What's your go to fantasy/day dream about them?

If you had the opportunity, would you go on a date with them? (If they're married/taken, imagine their partner is out of the picture) If so, what would you want to do?

Do you dress up on the days you see them? How so?

What's your favorite memory with them?

Have you ever thought about a future with them?

Does your tc give you physical affection?

Happy Mother’s Day to all who celebrate! Have they ever told you anything about their family? Have you told them about yours?

Do any of your classmates have a crush on your tc?

What’s something you wished they knew about you without you having to tell them?

If your tc was invited to a wedding and asked you to be their plus one, what would you wear, and what would you want to see them in? (Theme of the wedding is up to you, so you can choose your outfits)

Do you have any photos of them? Either those that you've found on their social media or ones you've taken yourself?

Have you ever listened to break up songs/love songs and thought of them?

What style/haircut/tattoos/facial hair/etc do you think would suit them best?

Which color would you assign the feelings they give you? (Ex: happy -> yellow or something bright)

Which decade would they be best in? How about you? (Based on fashion, technology, art, music, the fun stuff.)

Have you ever run into them in public? (Or tried to?) How did it go?

What pushed you to create your blog?

If you could know anything about your tc, what would it be?

How do you think you’d react if they confessed their feelings to you?

Have you ever done/read/watched/listened to something you may not have been interested in because they like it?

If your tc was your age, would you date them? Do they have any red flags?

If your life was a book series/tv series/movie and you had a fan base, would your fans realistically ship you and your tc? (Got this one from TikTok lol because I love the thought)

What’s something that always makes you think of them?

Let’s chat for a sec! What’s something you’ve been dying to talk about regarding your tc?

Do you flirt with them? If so, how?? 👀

What’s something you’re manifesting happening between you two? (If you don’t manifest, what’s something you hope happens?)

[wellhungspeaker]

sometimes i feel a little weird doing fandom-y things for rhps (because ive never been in a fandom this small before also because it just feels a little weird sometimes) and ill doubt myself and think "does everything NEED a fandom?? scoffs" even though. im hyperfixated super crazy style.

but then i remember that i have no mouth and i must scream has a fandom and i realize that life (fandoms) finds a way and if there is at least one person who likes something, there's probably going to be fanfic about it and some kind of ship WILL be involved

[silverselfshippingchaos]

I fucking HATE how the fandom treats m.ine. it's so bad 😭

[kelpiemomma]

Melli in the gear station family au is like that one lovingly overbearing family member who comes to see you at your job and tell you that you're doing a great job, except he needs an excuse to tell Akari & Rei their doing a great job so part of his getting lost is intentional and part of it is genuinely accidental (hc he has an absolutely terrible sense of direction and gets lost in a straight line, Zoro from one piece style) so when they find him and help him he's like "you two are SO GOOD at your jobs, the BEST employees here, honestly" and like half of the ten most recent gear station reviews are from Melli praising Akari and Rei.

Ingo and Emmet ask them if he needs to be banned from the subway and the younger twins are like "no, he's fine. Embarrassing but he means well and it's all good." (They have a hunch that Melli Knows Them which is why the kids are fine with hanging around him and helping him, but also all three of them are so at ease with each other that they had to ask just to Make Sure everything was fine even though they were Pretty Sure there was no issue)