#classic case of ‘i need these two to end up together’ fighting ‘i need to be with him’ jshsh

[the-travelling-witch]

Been a while since I checked in, how you doing Hun? Besides your move and internship that is! Lord of love!

hi, nice to hear from you again!! <3

i‘m doing pretty well, considering everything but i really want to do nothing for a while; since i activated a free trial for crunchyroll, i‘m trying to absorb as many animes from my watchlist as i possibly can

i caught up with spy x family already (it’s so wholesome, i‘m melting) and am now finally watching the reason why raeliana ended up at the duke‘s mansion after wanting to for a while; i really enjoyed the manhwa when i read it ages ago and i‘m basically squealing over it now again (@/watatsumiis would know, he‘s at the receiving end off my feelings hsjsj)

[ultravi0lence14]

Crush

dean winchester x fem!reader

2.6k | angst, fluff

summary: operation, have you and dean actually get along. that is all sam begged and pleaded to happen. though, it worked better than he initially had hoped.

sam believed that if he rolled his eyes anymore, they’d get stuck at the back of his head. he loved you, don’t get it twisted. it’s just that when you and dean were in the same room, things seemed to get a lot more. . . aggravating, to say it lightly.

the winchester brothers had met you around three years ago on a hunt in washington. a pesky demon is what brought you all together. well, it was more or less you and sam. dean was just an added on bonus that wasn’t really a bonus because you wanted to slap him across the face every ten seconds.

you and dean winchester hadn’t gotten along since the jump, and sam could easily vouch for the statement since he’d been in the middle of the lengthy feud for many years. dean was cocky, stubborn, and always had to be right, something you couldn’t stand. as someone who strived on being independent, a man like dean was a thorn in your side.

for years, anytime sam called you to help on a case, or you three were in the same place at the same time, you and dean would always end up in some kind of fight. whether it be his idea was better than yours or dean’s constant need to blare his music in the car it didn’t matter. you would always fight and sam would always dream of cutting his eyes out with a blunt butter knife

this hunt wasn’t any different. a witch had been using the residents of a small town in mississippi as her personal test dummy’s. droppings bodies left, right, and centre. so with a call from sam, you hopped on a bus and met the two brothers at their motel in kentucky, ready to join the hunt.

dean always teased you for not having a constant form of transportation, but you weren’t a douche who rode in a classic muscle car. especially one who was attached to it as a baby is to their bottle, so his digs just went completely deaf to you.

knocking on the winchester’s motel room door, sam greeted you with a gleaming smile on his face. arms extended for a hug, you cuddled into his chest and rested your head by his shoulder, catching a glimpse of dean shovelling a mini pie into his mouth.

when the older brother caught your eye, he just scoffed. hands moving to cross over his chest as you stepped away from sam and did the same.

“we really don’t need her help sammy.” dean practically snarled, mouth tilting up in a devious smirk. “she’s probably already got plans with all her little pals on the bus.”

sam just sighed, already mentally prepared for the kindergarten level digs you two were going to throw at each other. he almost left the room as he watched your shoulders square and your jaw clench. “oh very funny dean.” you retorted, hands resting in your pockets so you didn’t choke the man. “why don’t i just go slash all your tires? then maybe we can be bus buddies.”

“don’t you dare even think about touching my baby!” dean’s finger had lifted in the air in a pointing motion at you, and sam felt his hands lift up and slap against his thighs. “oh dear god, you guys are killing me! there’s people who need are help, and you two fighting like an old married couple isn’t going to help them.”

the sour look on your face when sam mentioned you and dean in the same sentence as married couple could’ve been made as a reaction photo, yet sam and dean didn’t acknowledge it as they led the way outside and to the infamous chevy impala.

nothing could ever prepare sam for the long car rides with you and his brother. it was either copious hours of bickering or a tense silence that had sam so uncomfortable he questioned if walking was a good idea.

this time the silence was so thick, sam genuinely reached his breaking point. Years of breaking up your arguments and having to be the middleman drove him to a dire conclusion; he needed to get you and Dean to like each other.

the plan was truly fool proof. force the two of you to work on the case together and boom, all the arguing and petty fights would be a faraway memory. sam had to contain his grin when he mentioned that interviewing the families is more of a one person job than going to the morgue. his grin didn’t leave his face even as he mentioned that he was better with comforting grieving families than either you or dean.

no words were spoken between you and dean in the car ride towards the morgue. in all honesty, you never knew what to say to the man. he was always angry, finding something to get mad about and always finding a way for it to be your fault.

truthfully, maybe that’s why you hated him. he never let you explain yourself, always jumping to conclusions and blaming you for the smallest things. if it wasn’t for his quick temper and communication issues, you’d probably have a huge crush on the man.

it was dean winchester at the end of the day. and as much of a dick as he was to you, you witnessed those moments he had with sam or with a family member or victim on a case where he wasn’t an absolute dickhead. it was sad really, how much dean hated you. sam spoke up and down that you and dean would be a great duo, yet you never got to prove him right or wrong since his older brother couldn’t go five minutes without arguing with you.

although, something you weren’t aware of was that dean’s thoughts were very similar to yours. he didn’t know why you got under his skin, yet he couldn’t stop thinking about you for weeks after you would leave.

the man knew there was nothing wrong with you. he was just stubborn, and pushing people away before he got too close to them was his specialty. what if you became someone special in his life? what if because of that, you died, and then dean would blame himself for the rest of his life.

it was easier to keep you at an arms length than to get too close, and yeah sam would say he was being childish, but dean didn’t really care. you hating him and staying alive was better than him meaning something to you and that being the reason you were dead.

the trip to the morgue was awkward for the better part. you were trying to rid your mind of any thoughts you had on dean in the car and the man in question was trying his best to remain a good foot away from you. both of you could tell that something had shifted in that stupid ten minute car ride, but neither of you wanted to bring it up.

sam knew something was up when he met with you and dean again. it wasn’t even close to his end goal, but he knew that he was getting close to the feud between you and dean to finally be over.

his final shove was suggesting that you and dean check out the home of moira carlson while he goes to talk to the sheriff in charge of the murders. an argument raged on, but begrudgingly, you and dean left together to go investigate the number one suspects home.

dean had gotten to the home in under ten minutes, and now you found yourself and dean sneaking around the back of mrs carlson’s home to slip in the back door.

a scoff could be heard behind you. and as you turned around, you saw dean with an exasperated look on his face. “jesus woman, can you breathe any louder?”

the pettiness of dean’s complaint just had you rolling your eyes, turning back so you could make your way to where the sliding back door was; unlocked thankfully.

moira carlson’s home definitely screamed evil witch who enjoys killing people. occult items and witchy like items were sprawled around the living and dining room. a big pot in the kitchen alongside weird looking herbs also tipped you off. you would’ve mentioned how cliche all of this was if dean didn’t drop and shatter a statue like a dumb ass.

“are you serious!” you exclaimed, whipping around to look at dean’s hunched figure, trying to clean the broken pieces of the statue in a hurry. “can you not be a complete oaf for one damn second?”

the eldest winchester just laughed humourlessly, standing back up with all the broken pieces in his hand. “i’m not the one stomping around like an ogre. she can be home for all we know.”

“coming from the guy with the cinder blocks for shoes.” you scoffed, both you and dean looking down at his monstrous boots. “all of this complaining is really rich coming from you, dean winchester.”

it seemed that at that very moment, dean had enough of your guys’ bickering. with a wild look in his eye, dean flew off the handle in a way that you probably wouldn’t be able to describe in full accuracy ever again. he started off with a disbelieved “really!” and then ranted on for longer than you ever could’ve pictured.

“how is it possible that you think i’m the one always complaining, miss whines a lot.” your eyes buggered out of your head as you looked on past dean. “you know, i’ve been keeping my cool for sammy’s sake but you are really a piece of work. i know i’m not the best person to be around 24/7 but cmon, can you not try and be civil for once?”

he kept going. yet you weren’t focused on whatever dean was saying, for moira carlson, in all of her evil witchy goodness, was coming up behind dean with a spell on her tongue that did not look friendly at all.

“dean.” you muttered, watching as the now ghastly looking woman got closer. he didn’t listen though, just threw his arms in the air and let his hands reside on his hips like a child. “oh so mature y/n. go on and interrupt me-“

“get down you idiot!” your body smacked down to the floor just as the witch threw dean across the room. poor bastard didn’t even have time to turn around. attempting to take shelter behind the sofa, you grabbed on to dean’s sprawled body and shuffled across the floor while trying to shoot at mrs carlson.

somehow, you got the two of you behind the sofa, propping dean in a sitting position before resting your body over the couch so you could take a shot. dean was frantically texting sam, warning his brother about what danger you two were in while wheezing in the air that got knocked out of his lungs.

with a mighty wave of her hand, the witch blew the couch into two pieces. dean’s body slumped back to the floor, too bruised and in pain to allow the man to even move a muscle. a loud cackle could be heard as mrs carlson moved in on dean, ready to deliver her final blow.

she was about to, if it wasn’t for your gun going off at the perfect time and striking her right in her forehead. the woman slumped to the ground beside dean, the man in question shimmying as far away from her as possible before you rushed over and propped him up on the nearest wall.

“oh god.” you mumbled, watching as dean nearly coughed up a lung. you knew he was okay, he took worse beating than this. it was just the fact of seeing him get thrown around like a rag doll that had an emotion bubbling to the forefront of your mind. one you never thought you’d experience towards dean.

waving you off, dean sat himself up straighter and took a deep intake of air. “i’m okay y/n, it’s fine. though you probably just saved my life.” dean all of a sudden had the realization that he didn’t need to be so closed off all this time. you could easily handle your own, and having someone like you would probably be the best thing that ever happened to him.

a sheepish blush rose to your cheeks as dean stared at you longer, and suddenly, you realized that maybe the man wasn’t as bad as you initially thought. deep down, you cared about him. yeah, you two could fight like cats and dogs, but so does everyone. at the end of the day, you would always be there for dean and he’d do the same for you.

“i’m sorry for how i’ve treated you these past couple of years.” your random word vomit had dean snapping his head up, eyes wide and mouth agape as he stared at your nervous features. “i know you have your own way of doing things and i shouldn’t pester you about everything. it sucks that you probably still hate me, but can we please work on us-“

“i never hated you.” dean cut you off so quickly it was almost like he couldn’t bare hold down those words any longer. your nervous face turned shocked, and suddenly dean had the confidence to say what he always wanted to. “ever since i was young, every person i’ve ever cared about either leave’s or dies, and i somehow just knew that you were special the first moment i met you.” a somber smile appeared on your face, and you found yourself moving closer and closer to dean as he continued to speak.

“i’m sorry i never gave you a chance sweetheart, but would you give me one now?” you didn’t have to be asked twice, for in an instant you perched yourself in dean’s lap and smashed your lips onto his.

dean didn’t take long to reciprocate your actions. hands moving to go around your waist and nestle in your hair while your own gripped tightly onto his t shirt. dean’s mouth was exploring all the places he wished he could’ve kissed you sooner. your soft lips, all around your face. when he moved on to placing sloppy kisses on your neck, you felt the vibrations of his voice against your skin as he kept mumbling. ‘so perfect’ and ‘you’re so beautiful, everything i could ever dream of.’

unknown to the two of you, sam had just walked in the front door and was ready to defend you all against the destructive witch. though to his surprise — and slight disgust if he was being honest, he stepped into the living room to see you and dean behind a destroyed couch. the two of you were heavily making out and dean just put it upon himself to wrap his one arm around the underside of your ass, hoisting you further up on his body and giving it a firm squeeze in the process.

“well fuck.” sam mumbled to himself, slightly gagging up his salad from lunch as he watched dean pull your head back by a tuft of your hair and start leaving trails of hickeys down your neck.

“yeah, that’s enough of that.” the youngest winchester just silently mumbled to himself as he walked back outside the front door, leaving you and dean in the middle of a random house to sort out all of your pent up feelings in a way he definitely shouldn’t be seeing.

[artbyblastweave]

So this was a one-and-done beat from Marvel Zombies 4, by Fred Van Lente and Kev Walker, which featured a zombie outbreak in the quote-unquote "regular" Marvel Universe, on the fictional Caribbean island of Taino (not sure if this is a deliberate historical reference or not.) Two panels after being introduced, these three are annihilated by an airborne cloud of zombie virus and stitched together into a shambling monster that rambles about how it fights for Truth, Justice, and the Corporate Way. That's ancillary to the point. Ignore that. What this gets me thinking about again is this concept that I have of Super Hero "Dark Matter" worldbuilding, which is the fact that basically every horrible deconstructive beat, every subversive cynical implication of the existence of superheroes you can think of, everything you'd associate by default with The Boys or Invincible (or, on the lighter end of the spectrum, Astro City,) all of that is probably already canon within the DC and Marvel Universes; canonized in niche little miniseries or cult-classic runs of niche characters. Often, canonized in ways that imply the existence of common, broad dynamics that exist within the world, outside the protagonist-centered provincialism of New York or Gotham or Metropolis; all sorts of shit going on that we don't see until it comes into fleeting contact with Spider-Man's knuckles. In this case, the logic is that if superhumans exist- indeed, if superheroes exist- then superhuman-backed neocolonialism would follow. These three aren't here to protect Taino; they're here to protect a fucking resort from the people of Taino, in the event that the American tourists need to leave in a hurry. They work for Roxxon, which is the by-default evil Marvel corporation, the name they break out whenever they want to quickly signal that they're doing a story about corporate malfeasance; what are the odds that these were the only three like this that Roxxon had on Payroll? The one corporate holding being protected this way? That'd be a hell of a coincidence. You can infer an entire ecosystem of these corporate thugs floating around in the background of Marvel, becoming an explicit presence in ones and twos when Mark Waid or Al Ewing need some vile corporate sellouts for a quote-unquote "real" hero (someone with their name on the cover) to beat within an inch of their life. But you start doing the numbers on how many times this kind of plot beat comes up, and you start to come to the conclusion that the Marvel and DC universes have, in fact, always been exactly as dystopian and fucked up as something like The Boys. It's just that in a single-author dedicated deconstruction, the story is allowed to actually notice and remember.

[theheartcollecter]

GHOUL

Fem!Reader x Monster!141

Chapter 5: Carmine

Warnings: masturbaition, eavesdropping on sex, some fighting (lmk if I missed any)

A/n: this one is a bit longer, hope you enjoy🫶🏻🫶🏻

Over the next few weeks the hybrids trained me, mainly Simon and Kyle. Johnny was too eager and John normally had paperwork to do. Simon was harsh but effective with his training and Kyle was more patient. The boys taught me code words to use on the comms and how to use a basic pistol in case of emergencies. I trained wearing a bulky tack vest full of knives and other things. The uniform they gave me was a long sleeve black shirt paired with cargo pants and boots. By the end of each training day I was caked in sweat.

“Gonna need to give ‘er a code name soon, sir.” The dragon hummed in response to Simon, the two men watching as Kyle once again tackled me to the ground. I’ll admit, having the feathered man on top of me was nothing to complain about. “Ugh,” I scrunched my nose at Kyle, who just grinned down at me, pushing him off. “What if I pick my own code name?” I suggested, “What’ll it be then?” Said John before taking a drag from his cigar, one that always seemed to be lit. I thought for a second before settling on “Carmine.” John nodded, “Alright, from now on you’ll be called Carmine in the fields.”

Later that night we discussed the mission, only two days away now. I had a bag packed and everything, the reality coming down upon me that in two days I’ll have to kill or kidnap Dain. I shouldn’t feel pity for him, he’s the one that got me into this.. mess. Although, this ‘mess’ might be the best thing that ever happened to me.

I laid in my bed, tossing and turning. I let out a groan as I eventually sat up, staring at the wall. I couldn’t sleep no matter what. I looked around me room until my eyes fell on a tiny book. I picked it up and sat back in my bed, the title was something old and classic. I read a few pages until rhythmic thumps were heard on the wall opposite my bed. I got up, book forgotten as I pad across my room, curious as to what the noise was all about. Johnny’s room was the only one near mine, Kyle’s beside his, John’s across from mine and Simon’s beside his. I thought Johnny might’ve fallen, the wolf had a clumsy side.

“Shite, Simon,” I let out a small gasp, my hand covered my mouth. Oh my god. I run back to my bed, crawl under the covers, but then.. “Tha’ feel good, Johnny?” Followed by the slap of skin, and sloppy kisses. I wondered if Kyle and John could hear it, or if they too were having their time together. It had been so long since I last got any relief, my core practically gushed at the sound of them. I shook my head, trying to forget about it and go to sleep.

I knew the boys had some kind of relationship, but I wasn’t sure of the extent. The things spewing out of Simon’s mouth were the sexiest I’ve ever heard, and Johnnys moans were like sirens. My breath grew heavy, I reached down into my sleeping shorts, my hand found my clit easily, circling the little nub. I moaned, slapping a hand over my mouth. Though it was unlikely the pair heard me over their own pleasure. Sweat slicked my forehead as my hand grew faster, my fangs bit into my lower lip, almost tearing into the plush. My cunt grew wetter with each noise they made. “Atta boy, ya close?” Johnny only garbled a moan in response, Simon chuckled, a sound that made my thighs close around my hand. I pressed on my clit harder, my hand grabbed onto my pillow, sheets, anything as I came. The grunts from the next room told me they too had reached their peak. Simon no doubt filling Johnny up. The image made my cunt pulse all over again. I sighed as I rubbed a hand over my face, before drifting to sleep.

The next morning I wake up to the smell of bacon, a food I used to love as a human, now the fried meat makes my stomach churn. I rise from my bed, throwing on some pants and a bra. I walk out to the dining room, the boys are all there except Johnny. John is in the kitchen plating food for the others, his green wing shining in the sunlight, horns look ethereal. “Mornin’ dove, want some?” He offers, I shake my head, sparing him the talk of how food tastes to Ghouls. I sit next to Kyle, who mutters a ‘Goodmorning, pretty’ before scarfing down his plate. Simon has his mask rolled up only far enough to eat comfortably, he locks eyes with me, my breath hitches. Shit, does he know? No, there’s no way he does. I advert my eyes as Johnny comes out of his room, sweatpants low and no shirt on, exposing his abs and a trail of curly dark brown hair that leads underneath. He’s rubbing his back, no doubt aching from last nights activities. I must’ve been staring too long because a sly smirk is plastered on his face when I look up. “See anythin’ ya like?” His tail wags slightly, I grumble and turn my head. “‘Nough. Tomorrow is the big day, mission starts.” John passes the wolf hybrid his food before digging into his own. Kyle’s black wings stretch out behind me as he yawns, leaning back and patting his stomach. “Mm, should cook more often, Cap.” The rest of the day is boring and long, filled with lectures and plans. My uniform is laid out on my bed, I stare at it but can’t help thinking: somethings missing. I find my mask and place it next to it, there, it’s perfect. I spend my night thinking of Dain, how will he react to me? Will it be easy to kill him if he doesn’t cooperate? Or will salty tears slide down my face when my Kagune rips him in two? Will I indulge in him? Eat his flesh?

Morning comes quicker than I expect, the sun hasn’t even begun to show and no birds chirp. I groggily turn off my alarm, a knock comes from my door, “Can I come in Bonnie? I got some coffee for yer sleepiness.” I grant Johnny access, the first time anyone’s ever come into my room, he walks over to my bed, placing the black coffee down on my nightstand. “Better get up and ready, Cap’ is kinda grumpy in the mornings.” He gives me a small smile, the bags under his eyes confirming he’s just as tired as me. I ruffle his hair, his soft ears flattening on his head. I don’t notice the faint blush that coats his cheeks. “Thanks, Johnny” I say between a yawn. He nods and leaves my room. The coffee is warm and goes down smoothly.

After a steamy shower I get ready, my uniform on, mask in hand. I put my silvery hair in a slick bun and then I grab my duffle bag and head outside my room. John tells me to load my stuff in the car outside, so I place my bag in the van and wait inside. After a few minutes I grow impatient, “What are we waiting on?” I say as I see everyone but Johnny is standing by the entrance. He comes running a few seconds later, “Okay, I’m ready tae go now!” His tag wags as he holds up a sketchbook in his hand. In the car we all settle in, John and Simon sit up front, taking turns driving. Kyle is passed out halfway through and Johnny draws in his sketchbook. I look over to see a unfinished sketch of Kyle, drool seeping out of his mouth and onto Johnnys shoulder, just like how he is in real life.

The trip in the car is long, but then we transfer to plane, and after that it was all a blur. We get to the site a few hours later, by now it’s dark out and the air is crisp. We head out of the trunk, there is a big building—like the base we came from— enclosed by fencing and guards with guns. There is few lights, making it almost impossible to see where I’m going. John makes fast movements with his hands, signaling us to follow him. Our movements are quick and quiet, I’m in front of Kyle and behind Simon as we walk. We sneak around to the back of the building, there is few guards but still some nonetheless. John hops over the gate carefully, then Johnny, Kyle flys over it, and Simon helps me up. I have to ignore the way his hands feel against my skin. The boys begin to move but I wait for Simon, who has yet to jump over the gate. To say I’m shocked is an understatement when Simon turns into a shadowy figure and passes through the gate. It must show on my face because I see his eyes crinkle, hinting at a smile. I turn and follow the rest of the boys. It happens all to fast, the boys take out the few guards, Johns gun firing, Simon turning into smoke then coming up from behind them and snapping their necks, Johnny using his claws and canines to rip apart soldiers and Kyle flying high above us. The walkie I was given is in my ear, and through it rings Kyle’s voice, “Carmine, the ghoul is inside the left wing!” This is my time to act. My time to finally see Dain. I put on my mask hastily as I run towards the left wing, Ghoul blood making me run inhumanly fast past multiple yelling soldiers, not giving them my attention, my mind focused on one thing.

In a crowd of panicking soldiers, blue buzzed hair and red eyes that mirror my own find mine. He looks surprised, confused and a bunch of other things I don’t care for as my rage bubbles inside me. My mask covers all but my Ghoul eye which encases in black as a sprint towards Dain.

Taglist: @sugarrush-blush @sleepisfortheweakpooh @caffieneaddictt18 @ghostly-fox-pawz (comment to be added/removed)

[margarine-archives]

General Dating HCs with : Royal Margarine Cookie !

notes : hello ! I apologize that this took a massively long time. For reasons unknown I had quite the difficulty writing for him for the first time. Though, I may start completing requests before or after I post his courting hcs ( it will depend if my mind starts blanking out again .. )

- the dragon rider can't go on a day without giving you atleast one flirtatious remark, or even a praise ! Whether or not you swoon over his words is up to you.

- how could he not ? he thinks of you as a divine god that simply roams around dragon city, and for him to successfully pull you ? He feels so complete !

- adding along to this, this cookie greatly enjoys classic, romantic gestures. He will not be embarrassed to remove his coat, covering the very obvious puddle, and assisting you to walk over it, all the while looking at you with such love, one that you could only ever see in romance movies, and could only ever be described in poetic novels

- before becoming his partner though, you need to be approved by buttercream first ! He feels that it is dictation that it's not only him who has trust and love for you. If you want to be his, make sure to give as much love to his beloved dragon ( wyvern ) as you do for him ( he won't admit the fact he gets quite jealous of her sometimes .. )

- he most definitely enjoys a partner that can beat him up if they wanted to, but also a cookie that's sweet, who's willing to embrace his affections ! If you travel with him on the way to dragon's valley, buttercream can sense the sickeningly lovestruck heart eyes he gives your way as you fight, supporting you from above.

- " hahahah !! that's my lover right there ! go mayhem on them sweetie ! ~ " he has most likely bragged about you during the travel too ( you don't know if he loves you too much or he wants to embarass you, you appreciate it nonetheless )

- tries to fight aswell to impress you too, but he's quite embarrassed of his low hunting score in comparison to the others ( you and tarte tatin cookie have a tied score together ! )

- although, he does not mind a partner that relies on him aswell ! in fact, it gives him a very massive ego boost. Of course he wouldn't mind in becoming your knight in shining armor ! Saving his significant other from any form of danger ! ( even if, in most cases, they aren't really harmful )

- " do not worry darling ! THE dragon rider has arrived to rescue you ! " and it's simply trivial things such as taking you away in unpleasant conversations, carrying you bridal style. He will be quite amused to see your embarassed face

- on a more serious side, whether you can fend for yourself or not, he is willing to sacrifice limb and body just for you to be alive, breathing, safe, who is still there with him. You had promised him you would stay until his very last crumb, he isn't willing to give up on that so easily.

- and as his partner, soaring through the sky or even going on lovely walks with buttercream is an everyday date ! ( he is a firm believer that a day is incomplete without a small date with you ! ), most of the time visiting the bar for a drink or two afterwards ( typically more than just two anyways .. ). Be sure to prepare yourself to bring him home, as he's too busy being a flirt with you than to think about resting up !

- alongside this, it's typically difficult to achieve privacy when he has a swarm of fans behind his tail, he tries his very best to make it up to you at the end of the day ~

- he is very understanding if your jealousy sparks up because of his behavior ( he can't imagine seeing you acting the same as him to any other cookie either ! ) and constantly tells cookies that he is most definitely taken by the loveliest cookie on earthbread !

- some of which are either not that much of a fan with him or isn't even a part of dragon city ( hollyberry, wildberry and pitaya dragon cookie ), which leads to more than just the citizens being aware of your relationship due to how obvious he is about it

- everyone can see how hopelessly in love royal margarine cookie is with you. The second longer glances he gives your way and the oh-so enchanting eyes of his that stares at you with such love and affection ! All his fans simply dream of being you !

- behind all of this though, he definitely has a softer side indoors ! He is reduced to nothing but a smitten man, clingy for his lover. Please give him hugs and kisses ! He feels himself falling harder for you every time you praise him

- the cookie feels as if you're too out of his league, and dreads the thought of you finding out his true identity, the actual weak and cowardice royal margarine cookie. Would you leave him if you had found out ? He would leave himself too

- now with royal margarine, he's insistent of you opening up to him, whether that be negative or positive. He thinks that it is a strengthening bond to open up and learn more about eachother !

- but because of his inner thoughts, he isn't as willing to open up about his feelings, maybe never opening up at all. The only way he'll ever open up to you is when he's drunk (which makes him feel lower most of the time), he feels like a weak cookie if he ever tries opening up while sober. He dislikes being a weak and simple cookie than his persona tells him to be

- he feels like a failure for not pursuing what he truly wants, and to be reminded of that as he opens up never makes him feel any lighter. Do not be insistent with it ( he will avoid such topics in every possible way ), give him some time to be more trusting of you. Sooner or later, you won't need alcohol just for this man to open up ( will only open up around 1/4 of how he feels but to him its a big step ! )

- he cannot avoid the feeling of being judged, to be completely seen of who he truly is. To even think about finally trusting you with who the true royal margarine cookie is like without getting wasted is a big enough step for him, for you to figure out that the royal margarine isn't as royal as he seems.

- He feels as if he takes any more than one step then he will truly break, he never wants to reach that point, especially if you are there to witness it all, the littlest thought of it makes him shiver from humiliation. He needs to seek out buttercream for some form of comfort, he wouldn't know what he'd do if you ever found out

- you do find out though, just not in the circumstances he wants..

- nonetheless, coward or confident, you continued to love and adore the cookie you chose to be with, and royal margarine cookie feels happier than succeeding his goal in becoming a true dragon rider. The cookie did not care if he could never pursue his goal, you and buttercream can never replace, nor can it ever compare the happiness that you both give him !

[sleepdeprivedsimp234]

do you have any headcanons about the dynamic between new york and florida? 👀

YES I DO :D

So like. I wouldnt call them friends, but they aren't necessarily enemies either?- so frenemies I guess

For some reason I think they'd bond over being sunbathers (New York = cat, Florida = Alligator).

New York definitely makes fun of Florida for being older than him.

New York: "Yeah yeah whatever old man."

Florida: "Hey! We're both old! That's not fair!"

New York: "Yeahhhh but at the end of day, who can bend over and touch their toes without throwin' out their back?"

Florida: "...Die-"

Usually being around Florida means being around Louisiana, and I do personally think that they'd all get along fairly well (Loui's friendliness scared the fuck out of New York.)

Oh my God these two motherfuckers are NOT ALLOWED in the kitchen together. Not because they're bad cooks, both Florida and New York are pretty good cooks, but they make the most monstrous, only-edible-if-youre-willing-to-take-some-risks, creations known to man.

Ngl these two would make AMAZING pillow forts and pillow nests.

Florida is constantly playing with New York's hair somehow. He just loves how soft it is. New York just puts up with it for some reason (the reason being, he loves it).

Florida, coming up to New York at a meeting: *grabs a hair tie out of nowhere and begins playing around with York's hair*

Cali: *confused glances at New York*

New York: "Don't say a word. Let it happen."

Florida is the one who introduced New York to fidget/stim toys (after Cali had introduced them to Florida) and now carries them around in case him, Loui, or New York needs one

Now as for how they contrast sometimes-

New York LOVES rock music, punk rock, metal, etc...meanwhile Florida, oddly enough, hates it and much prefers calmer and more upbeat happy music (he loves classical but don't tell him I told you that). Fighting over the aux cord in the car is always a thing.

Florida makes pineapple pizza just to piss York off

Sorry Loui somehow managed to sneak in there 😔👍

But yeah here's the headcanons :3

[allwormdiet]

Shell 4.11

And now the cooldown, thank god

The classic fade-in at the clinic, of course. Thank God Taylor's in one piece at the end of this arc

Holy shit, okay

Don't leave Taylor on pause while she's telling her bugs to do something, Jesus

Oh hey, power upgrade? Is that normal? I don't know if that's normal, but Taylor's fucking panopticon powers are getting even stronger

I like the banter

Oh hey, Danny gets to feel the sheer fucking agony of his daughter being caught in the crossfire of a supervillain attack, and he doesn't even know the full extent of what's been threatened towards her! What fun!

Wow, she didn't even last a week before the collision between her cape life and civilian life

Lisa is really fucking good at this, hell.

Taylor, love you, but if something makes you feel guilty to the point where it's borderline physical, that might mean you should rethink your choices at least a little?

Taylor is so lucky her friend is a dark empath or whatever they're calling it now

She hoped so bad that these two parts of her life would never come together, and now it has and she's got no contingencies or anything

Aww

The rundown of what we missed in the Bakuda fight fills in some of the gaps, and also it's a little funny that Taylor has claimed two and a half toes off of ABB's newest cape

Bakuda escaping makes sense, her takedown wasn't nearly as much a priority as the team's survival, but Lung's breakout feels like a low blow. Makes sense that the bombing campaign was a feint to break him out, but hell of a way to lose the progress that'd been made

And of course any hope at restoring the former equilibrium before Lung's arrest is dashed immediately

Escalation on top of more escalation seems to be the order of the day

Everybody needs to be cuddling Taylor to make up for the years of touch starvation she's endured at this point, that's a mandate and I will not budge on it

Current Thoughts

I hope the Undersiders actually get to cool off for a bit after this but somehow I doubt it, their luck isn't so hot

Here at the end of Arc 4 and I'm still a bit blown away by the pacing. I knew Bakuda was coming at some point before Leviathan, but the specifics evaded me, including the goddamn Bomberman cosplay, so here we are

Somehow I suspect things are gonna keep moving this fast if not faster for the foreseeable future, although I gotta be real I don't know what the hell kind of time frame this story takes place in if that's the case, barring I guess a timeskip? Ideally there's some time to slow down and cool off that isn't immediately ruined by the newest villain who decides to ruin everything

Interlude next, then my thinky thoughts on the whole of Arc 4

[unhealthy-reading-habits]

Like many people, I binged watched Season 2 of Good Omens on Friday. I had a couple of days to deal with all the emotions, and I’ve now reached an epiphany. What follows here is the mad rambling of a GO apologist.

Warning: Good Omens Season 2 spoilers ahead, do not read if you don’t want spoilers. I will be spoiling the ending of Season 2 in this post. Please go watch it first. I’m also going to mention the ending of two of Jane Austen’s works (P&P and S&S)

The epiphany: Good Omens is a romantic story. Both Crowley and Aziraphale asked for this heartbreak but both are so woefully naïve about what love is, they didn’t even realise what they were asking for.

What do I mean by this?

In episode 2 (S2), they both describe what they think a romantic scenario is, but both are only focusing on the romantic finale. They are not thinking about the build-up to that moment, which includes a heartbreaking separation which only then leads to those romantic conclusions.

They are actually describing the same romantic scenario of having a separation and then reuniting in love again, they just present the scene differently.

Crowley describes his idea of romance as two people looking longingly into each other's eyes in the rain. He does say “beneath a canopy” but follows the above line by saying that if you “get humans wet and staring into each other’s eyes”, this is what makes them fall in love, so Crowley is talking about confirming your love in the rain.

Examples in Richard Curtis films

Four Weddings and a Funeral - No cover, just rain kissing

Bridget Jones's Diary - No cover, just snow kissing

At face value, we think Crowley is saying the rain thing because of what happened at Eden, and I think that is part of it. But keep in mind that during the "before the beginning" scene and at the Eden scene, neither of them stared into each other’s eyes. They both kept facing forward.

What Crowley is actually describing is the romantic trope of the protagonist couple having a love-confirming kiss in the rain. The issue is the “confirmation” love kiss occurs after there is a period of separation or break-up in the relationship itself.

It’s sometimes called the “Second-Act Breakup” or "Third-Act Breakup" and the ending of Season 2 is a classic set-up for a Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario.

The trope often happens after the couple get into a big fight/misunderstanding/some event that breaks the two people up. The “under a canopy” bit isn’t the important detail here, the actual romantic scene Crowley is eluding to is the reunion kiss in the rain. To get a reunion kiss though, you need to break up properly first.

The romantic film story for the reunion kiss in the rain is only fully satisfying because it’s the moment after the horrible low of the two breaking apart, trying to forget the other person and thinking that they might not be together. So when the two characters do reunite at the end, it is a great romantic conclusion to the story.

Aziraphale described his idea of romance as going to a ball in a Jane Austen novel, where the characters realise they misunderstood each other, but the misunderstanding has to come first in this case.

It’s very obvious that the Good Omens 2 story is only halfway through and is written like a Jane Austen novel, which is blatantly said throughout the show.

[Side note: it’s been years since I read these novels so I’m hoping I’m not misremembering.]

Pride & Prejudice – Elizabeth angrily and rather viciously rejects Mr Darcy’s proposal mid-way through the novel and the remainder of the story is the “being separated” phase of the romance until they are reconciled at the end.

Sense & Sensibility – Elinor’s affection for Edward is disrupted by Lucy Steele’s presence as Edward’s fiancé half way through the novel. This “break up” of the courting between Elinor and Edward is only resolved at the end of the story when Lucy leaves Edward and he is now free to propose to Elinor.

The two most well-known stories by Jane Austen have a break up/separation scene about half way through, which the characters have to work through to then have the reunited happy ending.

For the Break-Up/Make-Up story, the two romantic interested need to finally realise/decide to disregard everything else, settle the misunderstanding and reunite, that’s the finality of the romance. To get this scene, you have to go through the break-up where the two separate first to get those raw emotions, which makes the reunited ending so incredible.

Yes, Aziraphale and Crowley have had fights and temporary lapses in their relationship, like the bandstand scene. But it’s not really them that are causing the break-up. It’s outside forces pressuring them, the environment around them making them act this way. They are also only fighting about something external (raising the antichrist, finding the antichrist etc).

This break-up is more personal, it is them individually instigating the break-up over their own intimate relationship. It’s not the usual song-and-dance, this is Aziraphale choosing a plan and Crowley choosing a different plan and both are too stubborn to relent.

It is Crowley and Aziraphale choosing to split because they cannot reconcile their opposing views about their own relationship and both choose to walk away from the situation.

There is a hypothesis about the “coffee” and Metatron’s maybe brainwashing here, but in my opinion, Aziraphale still chose his plan for their relationship over Crowley’s plan for their relationship. This was a conscious choice on Aziraphale's part.

This time, they were arguing about themselves, which led to a true break-up. An irreconcilable argument between them that they must work through so their relationship can mature:

Crowley still cannot understand that Aziraphale will never run away with him to be just the two of them. Aziraphale cares too much about Earth and humanity and wants to help people, so Aziraphale will never just leave.  

Aziraphale still cannot accept that Crowley is not and does not want to be an angel. Aziraphale is not listening to Crowley when he says he does not want to go back to how things were before because he is genuinely happy with just being with Aziraphale.

Aziraphale consistently reminds himself that Crowley is a demon because (maybe knowingly, maybe subconsciously) he still sees him as an angel.

Crowley’s good actions further emphasise what Aziraphale already knows, that Crowley is a good person, but it’s very difficult for Aziraphale to separate the concepts of “good” and “angel”.

Both of them are not accepting the other as they truly are. Their relationship needs a real break-up, caused by themselves so that they can learn to accept each other as their full authentic selves.

We have to endure the low points to fully enjoy the high points.

Neil Gaiman has been very clear he intends there to be a season 3 so this love story is only halfway through, and frustratingly the break-up scene is the end of season 2. It’s like ending P&P when Elizabeth rejects Mr Darcy’s first proposal, or ending The Notebook as Allie sees the newspaper article about Noah but not showing them getting back together.

We know Crowley and Aziraphale will end up at the South Downs cottage. It’s just an emotional heart-wrenching journey between the two points. But when we get that reunion between them, it’s going to be delicious.

P.S. Neil Gaiman, you goddamn tease, if you are going for a full P&P/kiss in the rain experience, I really hope we get an Aziraphale wet shirt scene

[rednleafff]

You better explain why leo and usagi at first became bf/bf and then broke up and then bf/bf (I think)???

Why did they break up at first?

I will try my very best to explain my idea for the Leo & Usagi story line

It will be a messy ride cause there are some parts that are missing + my English is mid so buckle up.

(Important information beforehand: this is just the base idea- things might change- but for now- it is what it is)

GOOD? FUTURE - Leo & Usagi

A little bit about Usagi yuichi first:

He’s a rabbit Yokai from another dimension, who came to this reality cause apparently his grand-grandfather was a battle Nexus champion, and Usagi is going - or at least tries to go the same path that he did, and to become the greatest Samurai there is.

He has limited time on this earth to achieve his goals before he will need to go back.

(I’ll explain later the dimensions hopping thing)

But to his surprise- to become the battle nexus champion is much more difficult than he expected - and furthermore - staying in this dimension is harder too-! So he gets a job, Between his training and fighting in the Naxus. Yep- at the pizza restaurant-

From a samurai to a waiter-

And that’s when he meets-

Him 🙄

(Around season 2)

In the classic way of serving the turtles table, Usagi got the first glimpse of Leo and instead of sharing a joke or something, the two somehow end up arguing a little bit about something, and from that day,

It was hate from first sight <3

Usagi tried not to serve them specifically but the universe had other plans and he always ended up doing it, he even asked

“You guys don’t have other places to go to??”

Which Leo replied

“I wouldn’t suggest to tell your customers to go to other places - not great for the business” or something along the lines.

It didn’t got better when the rabbit found out they were Ninja’s as well, and that Leo specifically used a sword similar to him- like- this loud mouth, arrogant- Kappa???

They were more similar that they wanted to admit.

In Leo’s end, he thought messing with Usagi was more funny than actually disliking him? He wasn’t a fan of him don’t get him wrong, he tolerated him at most-

Until some shenanigans happen- I think Leo was on another adventure with hueso that involved Usagi somehow and the two ended up fighting along side each other-

Which Usagi hated fighting along side a ninja but Leo? He thought he was pretty cool- and even tried to befriend Usagi, but the rabbit didn’t want to waste his time on building friendships when his time here were limited, and he will probably will end up leaving and never seeing them again, so he brushed Leo off, which only causes Leo to annoy the hell out of him even more.

I believe it’s only the beginning point of Leo starting to look on Usagi in a more positive light, so no crushes yet-

And from this point forward, the two will meet more and more by accident- or fate- hehe- and fight alongside at times, until one point that Leo said he could take Usagi out with ease- (he actually meant it as a joke- but Usagi took it seriously) and excepted the challenge- cause he will gladly fight and WIN against Leo who- he totally didn’t learn to appreciate a little bit and absolutely didn’t maybe like the times the hang out together- even though most of the time he was his waiter or they where in a life and death situation- that’s not the point-

And that’s when they started to fight aka train together. Their first fight , I’m not sure yet who won actually hehe- BUT since their first fight together, Leo took notes on Usagi fighting abilities, you know- just in case, and in their first fight, Usagi noticed how well Leo predicts his moves, a little to well-! And that’s annoys him as well- cause he’s not predictable!! Or so he believes.

So from fighting it became training, it didn’t happen often, cause each had there own life, but if they did train, it wasn’t in the turtle lair, but on a building roof top or something, and usually by accidentally meeting each other cause to this point- they don’t have each-others phone numbers yet-

BUT EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN THE SHREDDER ATTACKED.

Usagi, used to see the turtles at leastttt once a week in a random pizza night, suddenly noticed he haven’t heard from them two or three weeks already. Not that he care or anything- they weren’t friends- or something- sure did he enjoy talking with the Red one the most and likes the orange one good energy? Sure sure, just a casual relationship nothing more. Did he get a weird side eye from the purple one that made him feel like he kinda hates his guts? Maybe- he didn’t like them either! They were Annoying as hell too-!

And sure, maybeeee it was nice to talk to someone once in a while, and train with another person, who for some reason kinda gets him but he also wants to push him off a building, his dumb, smug face and his stupid very un-funny (funny) jokes Leonardo might - not be as bad as he originally thought. But again, not friends or anything-

So he totally wasn’t absolutely relived when he saw the gang again , some bandages up, some not, but something felt different, they acted the same but with sense of tension between them. They didn’t elaborate why they were missing for so long- obviously- not friends- remember? But just knowing they were alright was enough for Usagi.

His and Leo’s next meeting was a bit different. The blue one came to the restaurant alone, which did happen sometimes, but instead of going to mess with his boss, or think which Pizza will be the best way to say “I’m sorry”, he just set there all by himself for sometimes now it actually made him feel somewhat bad for him so he tried to- well- he wasn’t sure.

He came up to him and they started to talk a little, it was clear Leo wasn’t in a mood cause he said something like

“Why do you even care?”

He didn’t-! He just tried- to be- nice!

So he went- only to comeback not even 5 minutes later cause ok maybe he did care a little bit-

And they talk for awhile, it’s probably their first conversation that Leo is so open with Usagi. About he’s new role as a leader, which Usagi thought was great-! Being a leader is an honorable position, but Leo explains to him why it didn’t make any sense- which was like??? Usagi was used to arrogant, high confidence, mr. can’t do no wrong cause he’s great in everything Leo and suddenly hearing him being so- unsure of himself- was - odd. So odd that Usagi had to say something- and maybe he came off a little strong with his opinion statement which was

“Are you a complete idiot?”

Sue him-! He did continue by saying that- even though sure Leo wasn’t perfect, from the moments he saw, he has all the qualities

Of a good leader. And the smug he got from Leo kinda made him want to punch him in the face, but they end it on a good tone, couple of pizza boxes to go and finally Leo asked for his number, because APPARENTLY they were friends- and they should be able to contact each other if needed.

The next couple of months, they trained more and more together, Leo may or may not, choose to- run away from a problem by - literally being away from the house when he could, that’s when these two started to get a little bit closer and Usagi told h about his plans with the battle Nexus. He in fact didn’t believe Leo when he told h that he’s a battle nexus champion -

But he was also worried for him, apparently he and a raph were fighting - well 9/10

Of the time. He didn’t want this role and act like that- and when Usagi tried to talk to him about it, Leo would brush it off by leaving or changing the topic.

So imagine to his surprise when one day- apparently something something- aliens attack the human world - something something- everything is ok now- and Leo doesn’t pick up his damn phone even though he was the one to insist to have each others phone numbers so they could communicate!!!

No pressure, I mean what’s the worst that could happen? He did and Usagi will never know? Pfff yea right.

Right?

He wasn’t pleased to say the least when he found out what happened. And what state all the turtle were. He didn’t know to much, just that they were a little bit to hurt to get outside at the moment. That new guy Casey Jr invited him to come and visit, which surprised April the human girl that was with him, APPARENTLY- Our dear fearless leader Leo, didn’t tell anyone- ANYONE- about him getting close to Usagi, or training together?? Talking like- for literally hours?? No? No one? Well apparently that Casey boy knows something- even though Usagi never met him before-

It was devastating to find out Leo’s state, even though he acted - alright , and i guess he went through some character development cause the air between the got a whole lot lighter :)

Leo was also surprised to see Usagi, and then getting a while lecture about the point of a phone, which he replied that he got kinda destroyed, so any complaints send it to the manager of the Kraang, which Usagi didn’t really understand what’s a Kraang, and Leo wasn’t so quickly ready to talk about it either.

Some might say that from this point, Leo was kinda into Usagi, seeing a more caring side of him, after kinda admiring his motivation and fighting skills. Which wasn’t so great cause Usagi didn’t feel the same yet. He was wayyy to focused on his goal which ok- cool but like an imagine having your goal and a boyfriend?

Leo didn’t push to hard even though his dear brothers teased the hell out of him about it.

Once again- shenanigans happens. This time, Usagi tries again and fails to in the last battle of becoming the champion, and so he starts to take the training much more seriously. He tries to tone down with every diversion, and just to focus on this one thing-

But alas Leo. And it will become a problem, cause Usagi doesn’t want to go back home a disappointment, and the stress starts to get to him. He has this weird feelings towards Leo that he avoids, and nothing goes right for him, so he might be a little snappy and agitated. Something something- after some drama , new realizations , help from Leo and understanding that- his path won’t be the same as his grand-grandfather and it’s ok to fail and it’s ok to have goals but not to let them consume you and make you push other people away- especially the one you love,

Love? Yep apparently he like Leo

Well shit.

Leo doesn’t know Usagi will have to leave eventually, Usagi doesn’t want to let this- whatever this thing that goes between them to keep growing cause it will be doomed eventually- it won’t work - it can’t work! And yet-

They end up dating after some heartfelt confessions, Usagi tells him about the fact he has to leave this dimension eventually, and Leo tells him that until then- they can make the most of it.

Meanwhile he and the other turtles, help Usagi to train better for the battle Nexus, and he wins in the end, becoming a champion and all- but-

He didn’t admit out loud be he wasn’t happy with it- it was his only reason to stay here and now that it’s over?

And Leo helped him with it knowing that it will probably end with them breaking up and never seeing each other again- so why? Why did he helped him?

“Because it’s important to you”

He said,

“And you’re important to me”

Since when he was such a romantic?

They are about 19 years old close to 20.

And the portal to Usagi’s worlds will open soon and the next one will open only couple years later if at all-

(The portal basically opens with some magical phenomenal from Yuichi’s world)

they act like everything is ok up until couple of days before Yuichi leaves.

They like to pretend like everything was ok, even though they both knew they will have to talk about it eventually.

And it happens the night he suppose to leave- Leo admits that- if they could do it all again, he wouldn’t wasted so much time on teasing and would have asked him out a lot earlier, which Yuichi replies with

“It wouldn’t work, I wouldn’t say yes”

And Leo would answer with

“I wouldn’t stop asking then until you would say yes”

Y: “that’s harassment”

L: potato tomato

Y: I’m pretty sure the saying is “ potato potatoes”?

They laugh it off and then they will actually talk, I won’t write the conversation just yet hehe

It will be the first time they both admit they actually love each other (rather then liking)

Leo doesn’t ask him to stay, he can’t, ask him to give up his family for him.

Yuichi wants him to ask him to stay but he’s not sure he could really say yea to that-

It was doomed from the start, and they both knew that.

Fast forward ~

5 years later

Who’s back in town?

Out rabbit that right.

There are 2 portals with a gape of 2 weeks between them so he decides to come and visit -

The last couple of years

We’re

Something that’s for sure.

And he’s very very surprised seeing Leo with a freaking human baby-

But it’s very odd to talk to Leo suddenly. He really did change- and so did he.

He goes home after these 2 weeks

And thinks. About everything. About his life, about his goals, dreams, wants.

And in all of them he thinks about Leo.

The next time he visits it’s 2 years later. Yummi - the baby- is 4 years old and she’s a cheeky little girl, which isn’t surprising if Leo raised her.

This time the next portal will open only half a year away- and close for at least another 6 years-

In that time he’s doing a lot of thinking

Serious thinking about his future

Present

And past.

About everything.

One evening, the three of them are coming back home- Leo’s home- after some shenanigans. Leo has to play the soundtrack of high school musical 2 cause Yummi recently watched the movies and is very much obsessed with the songs + music in the car is a very effective way to make her sleepy. and the mission succeed! She falls asleep, leaving the other too with the tuns of “gotta go my own way” from the second movie- which they sing together very passionately cause nothing beats karaoke night !!

Just to make it clear- they are no longer together, they are “just friends”

They get home, Yuicihi putting her to bed while Leo checks up on splinter who’s also asleep and then comes back to Yummi’s room where Yuichi is still there, saying something like

“Thank you for the help, you really don’t have to do all this”

And Yuichi answers

“Of course I do. She’s important to you, and you’re important to me”

They talk a little bit more after that-

And come to the conclusion that they might - can - if the other one wants - to try - maybe - date -

Again ?

And when Leo asked him about returning to his own dimension, Yuichi replies that- he would like to stay as long as Leo is willing to have him here-

And from that point onwards- they are together again- :>

There is more stuff in the future but I digress-

Wow that was longer then I expected it to be- ops-

I hope everything is written clear enough- hehe

[lurkingshan]

Some Highly Recommended Kdrama

My pal @troubled-mind asked me if I had any recommendations for good kdramas to watch, and my answer to that is: literally always. I put together this short list for them and decided to share in case anyone else is interested.

Parameters for this list: modern setting, strong focus on friendship dynamics, mix of genres, avoid university settings, no one-sided romantic pursuits, and no terribly sad endings

Be Melodramatic/Melo Is My Nature (Viki)

Fantastic friendship focused drama about a group of close friends who all move in together in the wake of personal crises. A healing drama that includes a couple love lines. And an out gay side character (still extremely rare for mainstream kdrama, unfortunately). This one will make you laugh and cry.

Happiness (Viki)

Pandemic zombies attack! Now I am not really a zombie person, but I absolutely love this show. It’s about a pair of working class besties who decide to get married in order to win a housing lottery (one of them may or not be hoping this fake marriage turns real), then immediately get caught in a lockdown with all their new neighbors when there’s a zombie virus outbreak. Shenanigans ensue! This is more action thriller than horror, and the two main characters are some of my all time favs. The writing, plotting, and pacing are tight as hell and it’s a rare perfect 10 for me on that front.

Coffee Prince (Viki)

MY BELOVED. This is an absolute classic genderbend kdrama that I’ve watched several times. The show that made Gong Yoo famous. An honest to goodness queer narrative about a chaebol who meets a girl pretending to be a boy for poverty reasons, falls in love, and has a bisexual awakening. This show was way ahead of its time even if it doesn’t use our modern language (you will not hear the words trans, non-binary or bi/pansexual but trust me, they’re there). Also features a fun friend group who all work together at the coffee shop. I try to make everyone watch this one, and recently got @bengiyo and @kyr-kun-chan to watch and validate my read of the story, and they enjoyed it a lot despite the messy hets. Be warned though that this drama is old old, so you’ll need to adjust to the visuals.

Fight for My Way (Viki)

My all time favorite friends to lovers drama, this is a coming of age tale of two best friends and their long journey to getting on the same page about romance. Their dynamic is fantastic and the story is mostly set in their early adulthood as they try to establish themselves in careers and make sense of their bond as adults. Also features their close friends who form a fun little group with them. And Park Seo Joon, a god among drama actors.

Hospital Playlist (Netflix)

If you want excellent friendship dynamics, look no further. This show is all about a group of five friends who met in college and have stuck together for over two decades and all of life’s ups and downs. The story begins when they find themselves all working in the same hospital for the first time since med school and decide to restart their old band. Yes, there will be singing, and no, you don’t have to cover your ears - the cast is stacked with South Korea’s best musical theater talent. This drama is slice of life and takes us through a couple years with them as they reforge their bonds and each deal with their own family baggage and love lives.

Misaeng (Netflix)

My all time favorite workplace drama that has the unique distinction of being the only show to ever make me literally burst into happy tears. No romance in this one. Story centers on a former baduk prodigy (think if Reply 1988 Taek stalled out instead of becoming a master) who attempts to enter the workforce with no discernible skills. He bumbles and fumbles and alternately competes with and bonds with his fellow interns, and forms a deep and lasting relationship with his mentor. When I tell you this show is a master class in writing to create emotional stakes, phew! How else can you explain me getting deep in my feelings over the success or failure of an import/export company?

My Mister (Netflix or Viki)

This one is a bit darker, as it deals with themes of intergenerational trauma, abuse, poverty, depression, and general ennui. Not a romance, this drama focuses on the strange and unexpected bond that forms between a middle aged man and a younger woman working on his team. They meet at an important inflection point in both their lives and forge a friendship that changes them both. Really moving and utterly beautiful, with an ending that will make you feel happy to be alive.

Extraordinary You (Viki)

Time for a change up! This is a fantasy show in which the main character becomes self aware and realizes she is a side character in a manwha. Technically set in a school (inside the manwha) but not actually about that. She bonds with another side character who is self aware, and the two of them start working to change the story so that they can break free (and fall in love while doing it, naturally). The concept of this one is just so cool and they do a lot of interesting things with it, plus the visuals are stunning.

The Uncanny Counter (Netflix)

Because I know you liked Oh No! Here Comes Trouble, I’m adding this one about a kid who discovers he has superpowers and teams up with a little found family of grim reapers to fight evil. The family unit is great and there’s lots of good stuff in their various relationships with each other. This one is a lot of fun but also touches on the characters’ sad backstories and family lives.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Viki)

You said to avoid university settings but I’m adding this one in case you want to give a classic college romance a try. My fav in that category, it’s a sports romance between a weightlifter and a swimmer who used to be childhood friends and reconnect in college while they’re struggling with performance issues, body image, and romance. It’s a friends to lovers slow burn and they are utterly adorable.

If you like any of these, let me know and I can give you more recs!! Y’all can hit me up anytime, getting other people to watch my fav shows is one of my number one joys in life.

[thenewblackcanvas]

Spooky 3 (California Kings// Poly Chanlix)

poly chanlix (bang chan x reader x felix) themes: polyamory/throuple, fluffy, funny, two boyfriend shenanigans, mention of sex, alaskan king bed (not californian king), three parts of halloween with your boyfriends ♡ Spooky Season 2023♡

Part I: Costumes

“Ok boys,” you announced as you jumped onto the bed where the two were relaxing. “spooky season is upon us. It is time to decide on costumes.“

Felix sat up excitedly. “Oh yeah! We have to do something good.”

“Should we go trio again?”

Chan, who was watching tv, paused his video. “It’s one of the fun things about being together. You have to take advantage of it.”

You nodded. “Important question: are either of you opposed to wearing dresses?”

Chan seemed confused but Felix just shrugged. “Nah.” Chan echoed the same sentiment after a moment before adding “Do you have a good idea or do you just want to see us in dresses?”

“Yeah,” Felix added. “Because we’ll do it anytime.”

The thought made you giddy but you refocused. “In that case, we could always go classic trio. Powerpuff Girls!”

The men seemed less than enthused. 

You shrugged “Just a thought.”

“Hmm,” Chan hummed in thought. “What about Ghostbusters?”

“There are 4 Ghostbusters.” You frowned.

He groaned, rolling his eyes. “Ok maybe we just say Stantz is sick.”

Felix shook the mattress as he jumped up and down in excitement. “O! What about Batman, Robin, and Batgirl!”

Your eyes light up. “That’s a great idea!”

Chan sat up, now excited as well. “Good idea, Lix!”

“I wanna be Robin!” the younger says.

“I’ll be Batman. Robin shouldn’t go kissing my girl though.” Chan jests.

He starts searching for costumes on his laptop as Felix protests next to him. “Actually Dick and Barbara were together-” 

“Sure, Boy Wonder.”

Felix jumps on Chan as they begin to play fight. You laugh as you take the laptop and peruse through a list of trio costumes. Some are interesting though less fun than Felix’s idea, others have you cringing at the suggestions.

“Oh what about Woody, Buzz, and Jessie from Toy Story!”

Chan sits up from where he has Felix pinned under him, holding the boy’s wrists in his hand. “Oh that’s a good one too!”

Felix squirms under him. “I wanna be Buzz!”

“Trying to get with my girl again, Lightyear?”

“Buzz and Jessie are together!”

Chan knows that but has fun egging his boyfriend’s ranting on.

Next to them, you add both positively received ideas to the list, knowing you might have to deal with it more later since your boyfriends seem riled up now.

Part II: Party Party...yeah?

Three drunks at party can get rough.

Part of the time you three are glued together, somewhere in the middle of where the dancing is happening, grinding on each other in a way that has people that don’t know you questioning if they’re going to see a threesome and the three of you about to give them that show.

Or

The other times you are all lost in the dim party lighting unsure of when you separated. You become aware of the lack of warmth you’re used to and drunkenly look for your boyfriends. Thankfully, you find your oldest boyfriend with a trash bag. Somehow he’s managed to clean part of the kitchen in the time you lost track of him. With a groan, you take the bag from him. “We need to find Lixxie. I’m tired and the music is making me want to hit someone.”

He seems to sober up ever so slightly, recognizing you’re at the point where you can’t handle being around other people like this. Last time he and Felix insisted on you staying with them you ended up passing out in a linen closet and they couldn’t find you for three hours.

He takes your hand intending to lead you but you walk much faster. You want to find your third before you start crying. Alcohol and your emotions make for a rollercoaster when you aren’t careful. 

And with the way the three of you were downing "ghost shots" when you arrived, you weren’t careful at all.

Chan spots the blonde in his Robin costume. You didn’t see him at first but saw the man sifting through the bowl of candy as you approached. 

“You remember we have candy at home right?” Chan says making Felix jump. He was barely phased by the older being strangely close, instead, his attention turned to your purse. “Yeah, but this is free candy.” He gently tugs you closer to him by the strap. You’re confused for a second, not having paid attention too much thanks to how good he looks in his costume, until you realize what he’s doing. He unzips your bag, dumping his loot in. The purse is more decorative than anything else but he doesn’t seem to care much.

“Technically our candy IS free for you because I bought it.” Chan chastises though doesn’t try to stop him. Clearly, he wasn’t listening anyway as he took a final mini snicker before zipping the bag.

He finally looks up at you, whining. “Can we go home now?”

Chan rolls his eyes probably muttering how that is why you both came to find him but you're so endeared by him you just nod and take his hand.

Part III: Back to Bed

Coming into the house was already alleviating the pressure you felt. As if you couldn’t stand it anymore you started to strip as you made for the bedroom immediately. Felix follows suit, mask then cape, before basically breaking the back of the outfit to pull it down around his waist. Chan starts cleaning up behind you two silently.

By the time you flop back on the bed, you’ve somehow managed to pull yours completely off.

Chan sees Felix struggling with the tightness of the pants. You open your eyes at the grunt Felix lets out. As you watch Chan start to strip Felix you feel the sparks of arousal. Felix in turn helps your Batman do the same. Your mind starts to delve further into desire as he fixes Chan’s hair after undressing him. It’s short-lived as Felix pouts, putting his arms out to hug you but tackling you backward onto the bed instead. You laugh as you stroke his head. His hair tickles you while he buries his face in your neck. You look up, wondering why Chan hasn’t joined yet. 

Silently, he’s picking up everything on the floor. You watch for a moment as he flints around the room like a fairy, cleaning the tornado that is his drunken partners. You laugh to yourself as you get up. Doing as you did earlier, you take the discarded costume from his hand. He looks confused but lets you lead him to the bed. You sit on the bed, holding his hand to drag him with you as you scoot back. Felix finds you again with his eyes still closed as Chan lays on his back with a deep sigh. 

The alcohol settles in your system again as you feel how tired you are. 

Chan seems to feel the same. “Only two more to go.”

“Huh?” you look over to him, his hands behind his head and his eyes closed.

He opens an eye to peek at you. “Minho’s party is next week.” Chan states.

“And our company party is on Halloween.” Felix adds.

You groan loudly rolling to your side to curl into a ball. Somehow you’d forgotten it was only the 20th. “We shoulda just gone as ghosts.”

Felix laughs and he sits up resting on your side. “Sounds like more free candy to me.”

spooky season mlist * poly chanlix

[amphiptere]

a critique of the golden raven (spoilers, obviously):

so the pacing through the whole book is not great, it should be at least two-thirds the length that it is, there's just so much unnecessary rambling bits or scenes that progress nothing plot- or character-wise and it makes the book drag. I can get on board for scenes that don't do much for plot or character if they're fun and enjoyable or interesting or something, but that tends not to be the case.

and then the most high-tension part of the book is the foxes vs ravens game, which we see described by jean, across the country, watching it on tv. we really care about these characters! this match/rivalry is important and a vital part of the plot of the series. yes, we need to be removed from it a bit because this series is meant to focus and make us root for the trojans more than the foxes (though I doubt it will be successful for most people, sorry I just love the foxes too much) and so placing us in that game as a major scene in this book about the trojans would take away from that by shifting focus too much to the foxes. but depicting it the way it is doesn't work either. jean's invested in what's happening, that's good. but it's either got to be the climax of the book or not and as it is it sort of straddles that line of being it and not and that just doesn't work.

nora's books have never seemed to follow a classic book structure for tension, placement of a climax, etc., and I think if you just accept that they are like that then it's fine and I have never minded too much. but we need the most important moments in the book to be the ones about the main characters, or at the very least, affecting and creating character development for our main characters. this is a big moment because of the fall-out being that the ravens are out of the running as competitors and for how it affects their team, and we're invested in seeing how their team develops in this new order they have, so that is good. however, the actual events of the match, the violence and the fighting, don't do anything for the development of the main characters of this series. jean is affected by the ravens being gone as competitors and by his former teammates suicides, but not by how they attacked the foxes and not by how the foxes have been beaten up. the other trojans feel shocked at the violence and sympathetic to the foxes for what happened and for their injuries, but it doesn't shift their character in any way.

it's also just not a good reading experience to depict such a high-tension scene that we're so invested in through the eyes of someone uninvolved, across the country, on tv. for a scene this important, we need a narrator very invested in this personally (which could be jean, if he were there, I think he'd be more worried on a personal level for kevin and neil who he cares about, rather than just frozen with shock at everything happening), and we need to be at least partially involved in the fight, in person. the bare minimum would be watching it from the stands, helpless to stop it. better would be a teammate far away, reaching the fight as people are torn away from each other. best would be right in the centre of it.

we've had successful scenes before where the character hasn't been in the centre of the highest tension scene of the book. neil bursts into the scene with drake and andrew, but that scene is about andrew and does a lot for his character and for neil's with how he handles it and how it changes his relationship with andrew, so it works. even the end of the king's men, neil takes a back seat in defence, trusting his team to succeed and win. this sort of shows the culmination of everyone's character development, getting to a point where they work together well enough to deserve that trust and are skilled enough, and shows how neil has grown close enough to let others help him and not work entirely alone to get what he wants.

but those scenes all feature neil close to the action and very emotionally invested in it, and have immediate consequences for him, and show/create character development for him. the foxes vs ravens game in tgr is very emotionally removed and causes no character development, but is still the most intense scene of the book. there's not really any way to do this well with the POV being what it is and the characters being where they are but still, I wish it could have been handled better. then later we find out laila's apartment burned down and it's upsetting and they are all emotionally invested and it causes character development, but that's also off-screen and never a high-tension scene. this would be fine, I think, if the scene with the foxes were done better, or the scene with the foxes could be forgiven if the house burning were more intense: maybe they witness the arson. I'm not a writer so I really don't know about solutions too much, but yeah those are my thoughts as a reader. mostly I enjoyed the book a lot, these are pretty much my only critiques.

[twinkboimler]

August Fic Recs

people seemed interested, so here are some recs from the trek fics I read in August! I reread a few old favorites this month but I figured I'd still recommend them even though they're already incredibly popular.

MCKIRK

jim kirk's guide to starship management: how to work with people you don't like by espressohno. AOS mckirk. Explicit, 23,352 words. An anonymous hookup while on shore leave turns complicated when the Enterprise picks up their new CMO the morning after. Enemies to friends to lovers. So, so good.

Instinctive by laughter_now. AOS mckirk. Explicit, 9,066 words. Classic case of miscommunication - Leonard and Jim have sex for the first time, but they probably should have talked some things over beforehand. I was losing it the entire time, kicking my feet and shrieking. Very, very sweet.

SPONES

Eyeshadow by Lokak. TOS spones. General Audiences, 1,222 words. Fluff with some classic spones arguing and insulting each other. They do each other's eye makeup. Exactly what I want in a TOS spones fic.

MCSPIRK

My World is No Longer Hollow by existentialcrisistime. TOS mcspirk. Teen and Up Audiences, 2,097 words. Fluff, first kiss, and bedsharing. Post-episode "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" - Leonard is feeling exhausted and lonely. Established spirk to mcspirk, so sweet.

SPIRK

Beautiful James by spirkme. AOS spirk. Explicit, 8,742 words. Post-Star Trek Beyond. Yearning and accidental bonding. This fic re-contextualizes all three movies. Jim and Spock were so vulnerable with each other in this and it gave me so many feelings. The smut at the end was romantic and sweet, I really enjoyed this one.

Send Me the Moon by lily_winterwood. Tagged as both TOS and AOS Spirk. Teen and Up Audiences, 5,911 words. AU - 21st Century, Canon Divergence. Major Character Death. Vulcan is sixteen light years from Earth. Jim becomes pen pals with Spock, with a 32-year wait between each letter he receives back. Once I started crying, I didn't stop. Very good if you need a cry.

out of obscurity into the dream by spectralPhobia. AOS spirk. General Audiences, 87,794 words. A Tangled AU that did a really good job of building off of the plot of the movie but doing something new with it. I liked the world-building and how this fic used Nero.

Bitter Dregs by kinklock. TOS spirk. Explicit, 9,707 words. Spock's POV. This fic is for the episode "Plato's Stepchildren" - very poetic and just SO good at getting inside of Spock's head. Really nails the character voices for TOS Spock and Jim.

Sha Ka Ree by ThereBeWhalesHere. TOS spirk. Explicit, 180,505 words. Survival + time travel. Jim is a lieutenant on the Farragut and Spock is a science officer on the Enterprise, captained by Pike. After coming together for a landing party, Jim and Spock have to fight to survive on an alien world. Had to give this one another reread - there's a reason it's such a popular fic in the fandom, and it's because this fic is SO good. The plot is fantastic, and the slow build of their relationship hits every time.

Heated Consummation (AOS) by Gimmemore. AOS spirk. Explicit, 2,326 words. Porn Without Plot, established relationship, shore leave. Sex in front of a fireplace. This fic is a part of a series where each fic has the same set up, just for AOS, TOS, and TOS Movies. All are good, but this one was my favorite.

Halloween by BisforBread. TOS spirk. General Audiences, 2,300 words. Mutual pining, first kiss, fluff. Spock goes to the Enterprise Halloween party dressed as Jim. Fun and cute.

love is a drunk man's tale by BisforBread. AOS spirk, past Jim/Carol Marcus. General Audiences, 6,962 words. AU - Jim is a country singer and Spock is his manager. Mutual pining, angst, drunken love confessions. I enjoyed this, it's always fun to read an AU for something you don't see very often.

One on a Side, Two Together by JackHawksmoor. TOS spirk. Explicit, 17,108 words. Must be logged in to read. The accidental bonding in this is SO good. This was a reread - I really love this fic, especially how Spock really, really doesn't want to explain what the hell is up with the bond.

[final-girl96]

Broken World: Chapter Forty-five

Yn

I lost him. I lost Larson. This prospect had so many twists and turns it wasn't hard to get lost if you don't know where you're going. It's also easy for someone to hide especially if they know where to hide. I had my gun drawn as I did a sweep of every cell and door I came by. I could hear a taunting whistle echoing off the walls. That's what he did when he would hunt down the terrified women he let loose only to chase them down again. He would whistle the first part of Motzarts’ Queen of the Night Aria.

It has been stuck in my head for years. I still have nightmares once in a while of him chasing me down in the woods. It was definitely the most horrific case I had been assigned to. I was young, but I was the type he would typically go after. But he did. He honed in on me, latching himself to me like a leech. There were countless times that I've seen him standing across the street from my apartment. He would stand under the streetlight and stare up at me. It felt like I was in some old classic horror movie or something.

“Come on, detective, I want to play. Come and find me!”

A chill ran down my spine. I would honestly rather be dealing with a herd of walkers right now. This man was a certified psychopath. The corridors were dark, and some of them had a few walkers shuffling around. I would take them out as quietly as I could; I'd push my knife up through the bottom of their skulls and gently bring them down to the floor.

“You're getting warmer, detective.”

I was in a hall that was lined with cells on either side. It was almost pitch black, the only light coming from the small windows high on the walls every few feet. He could easily be in any of these cells. I made sure to have both my gun and knife out. I didn't want to fire the gun in here. The sound would echo through the whole prison and bring walkers right to me. But I also didn't want to fight this mother fucker hand to hand.

“You know, detective, I've missed you. You're the one that got away. We could have had a lot of fun together. You were different; special. So young and pretty. I would have treated you differently.”

I could feel my heart rate pick up with how close his voice was. He had to be in one of the cells. He would jump out at me, catch me off guard, and take me down. He was much bigger than me. Six-foot-six man who worked out on the regular was not something I wanted to deal with. He could literally pick me up and throw me. “Why don't you just come out so we can end this. I didn't want to play your game back then and I still fucking don't!”

A shadow darted across to the other side where there was a staircase. The creak of the door opened and then clicked shut. “Fuck.”

Daryl

Daryl was frustrated and furious about yn going after that crazy mother fucker. He wanted to go after her, but stayed behind to help T-Dog keep an eye on the last two inmates. Rick had run off after the short one and he didn't want to leave T-Dog alone. When Rick returned they helped get the last two inmates to a cell block that was clear.

The only thing they needed to do was take the bodies that laid on the ground in front of some of the cells. They had their hands zipped tied behind their backs and then were executed.

“I suggest you take those bodies outside and burn ‘em,” T-Dog told them before they all walked away.

“I'm gonna go find yn,” Daryl told Rick and started walking the opposite way. “Hold up, Daryl! I don't think that's such a good idea. According to what she said about this guy he's dangerous. We need to plan this out before we go any deeper into this prison. There could be a hell of a lot more walkers deep in.”

Daryl saw nothing but red, his anger boiled up and over, making him snap at Rick. “She fucking told you! You didn't listen and now she's somewhere in this fucking prison with a fucking serial killer! I ain't stayin’ here and waitin’!” Daryl didn't give a fly fick how loud he was being. He'll kill anything and anyone that gets in his way.

Yn

I waited a while before moving towards the staircase. When I opened the door the stairs only led down. I stepped back and looked around for anything I could use that would tell someone which way I went, if anyone comes looking for me at all that is. I was hoping they would come after me and not just leave me alone.

I made an arrow on the floor with junk I found on the floor and made my way down the stairs. The staircase was dark and cold. With my gun pointed out and my knife was held in my hand like I would a flashlight. My right rested, with my gun in hand, atop my left arm. If I needed to stab someone or something I would be able to do so, well, if it happens to be on my left side, that would be easier than if I got attached on my right side.

When I finally made it to the last step there was another door. I looked through the window to see the office spaces where the visitors would come in and where the staff would be. He could be in any of those offices. Hell, he could be pressed against the door waiting for me. I took a deep breath and swung the door open, quickly looking on either side to make sure it was clear. When I saw it was, I stepped out of the stairs well.

“I know you're in here, Larson! You know you're gonna die so just come out!”

I checked each office I passed until I got to the last one. It was the reception area where visitors would signin. I looked through the glass but didn't see anyone. My hands were shaking, heart pounding out of my chest.

“I think I want to start where we left off, Detective.”

A chill ran down my spine when his hot breath fanned against the side of my neck. He was right behind me. How'd he sneak up on me? The grip on my knife tightened and I spun around sinking it into his left right. “Ah!! Fucking bitch!” I ran for the stairwell door and flung it open. “You know I love a chase, Detective! It's just like old times between us! Just this time the dead are walking!”

[atamascolily]

Lily liveblogs: Thunderbolt Fantasy 4x02

In which a member of the Dong Li imperial family is a fanboy, Lang Wu Yao is really Going Through It, and the plot thickens.

Lin puts on his Mantis shell to go visit the Big Bad. Yi Piao Miao has resting bitch face, so his sneer is probably just the usual and not, you know, Lin's disdain for Locust, but I can't help reading it in anyway.

It's very rare for Lin to outright lie, so his statement that he killed one of Shang's comrades and took his form is striking. It's necessary for the con, and I guess it's true from a certain point of view (it's 100% what Piao Miao would have said), but it still feels a little weird because I'm so used to pointed half-truths from him and this is a bit beyond his usual spin.

"He didn't even suspect my real identity" is classic Lin Xue Ya double-talk, though--Shang certainly saw through Lin's illusion but he doesn't know Lin is playing both sides at the moment in an effort to troll Locust.

Even if Lin's descriptions of Shang are not 100% accurate (is he really drinking all day??), they're accurate in spirit; Shang is depressed and isolated, and Locust seeks to take advantage of that.

Lin is bluffing when he tells Locust he could take the Index immediately, but Locust doesn't call it, saying that he wants to avoid Xie Ying Luo's mistake. This suits Lin fine.

"Be careful what you wish for"--Locust, like Lin, is acutely aware Shang is ill-suited for remaining on the sidelines and seeks to wear him down through ennui. Never mind that Shang is probably a drunken master, given his skill set. But this hesitation is Locust's mistake, even if he doesn't realize it yet--either that, or he's caught on to Lin's true identity and is deliberately sidelining him.

Locust telling "Mantis" that he knows what he was up to with Jun Po is hilarious… too bad Lin has zero interest in actually doing his "job".

Once the Zoom meeting is over, Lin transforms back into his real self, correctly identifying that Locust has something else going on.

confirmation that Lin uses his sleeves for storage!!! yes!! (I mean, I was pretty sure he did, because I would store everything in my sleeves if I had his outfit, but it's nice to see it on screen)

Lin saunters off to give Shang a pep talk… his wording suggests he's going to tease him and also brew some sort of power-up to get him back into fighting form. Damn it, these two aren't even on screen together in this episode and their dynamic gets me every time. GIVE ME SOME COMEDIC HIJINKS, please, I need this in my life.

meanwhile, Dan Fei meets with the Dong Li emperor's younger brother, who is a huge Hu Yin Shi fanboy. He's basically Chao Feng's counterpart--flightly, vain, and preoccupied with his obsession--but more benign. I wonder if those two will end up getting hitched when Dong Li and Xi You are reunited.

he tells Dan Fei he'll organize a bishounen convention so she can recruit all the pretty people to join, hahahaha

unfortunately, our fanboy royal isn't interested in helping Dan Fei by taking her request for aid seriously, and his more level-headed advisor explains after he's gone that Xi You is sending spies for an invasion so there are no troops to spare (Huo Shi Ming Huang pondered as much in the S2 post-credits scene, so it isn't a surprise he's decided to go for it). War is brewing on multiple fronts; this is the calm before the storm.

love how Juan Can Yun skips when he sees his wife; those two are so cute. also love how Bo Yang Hou has now taken up residence there as the stern uncle.

Dan Fei decides they will go on a quest to retrieve… wait for it… a super-powerful legendary magical sword personally forged by Bai Lian himself (although not named directly) 200 years earlier. This was why Shang name-dropped this guy in the first episode, huh--it was a callback so we'd be primed for this beat.

(due to a linguistic quirk, the fansubbers translated "lotus" as "rosemallow", in case you're wondering why the sword's name seems so random)

anyway, new macguffin alert! love how no matter what the problem is in this show, it always involves a sword.

between Lin and Dan Fei, Shang's retirement isn't going to last, and that's probably a good thing if he's actually day drinking as much as Lin claimed to Locust. We all joke about letting him rest, but Shang's personality and temperament are ill-suited for just hanging around doing nothing… he's gotten what he wanted (sort of) but it's making him utterly miserable. Good things he has friends to drag him kicking and screaming back into the narrative… oh, wait, they won't even have to do that, all Juan Can Yun and Dan Fei have to do is tell him they're marching off into certain danger and he'll cave instantly because he's a huge softie and these are his kids now. Works every time.

in the demon realm, Lang Wu Yao is fighting the han jiao. Interestingly, Xing Hai wants to intervene; I guess even she has standards of fair play?? Instead of her whip, though, she pulls out her fulu (paper talismans) that she uses to control/paralyze people, which tells you a lot about how dangerous she considers the han jiao. (She did the same technique with Shang in S3 rather than fight him directly.)

Azibelpher continues to be a gloating dick, as usual, but we need him to deliver the necessary exposition.

the demons really love living weapons, huh… first the demon gods, now the han jiao, and only the Shen Hui Mo Xie can consistently stop either of them. Really makes you wonder what Azibelpher has planned for Lang, since he is clearly manuevering him towards some unknown end beyond merely becoming a demon…

I didn't notice this earlier, but the han jiao don't have back legs… they're just muscular worms with bat-like membranous wings (and we know from the opening credits they can fly). They're so cute it's hard for me to take them seriously as a threat. I also really want to know how they did the puppetry for them; it's incredible work.

love how Ling Ya can talk in sword form even though he doesn't have a mouth

Ultimately, Lang is right - the only way out for him is forward into the unknown… even if it means descending into his personal hell and forsaking his humanity. His pride and his rage and his pain won't allow him to back down, especially not after everything Azibelpher has done to him. Without Shang and Tian Ming, Lang is especially vulnerable to this kind of manipulation; Ling Ya tries, but he is all too easily overruled.

the moment where the triumphant music as Lang kills the monster abruptly cuts out and we have this awkward and grotesque segment of Lang taking out decades of frustration on its corpse, intercut with Azibelpher's triumphant gloating. ... it's so painful

further confirmation that Lang's powers are fueled by his emotions and that all of the suffering he's endured in his life are fuel for him now. (In other words, he might be half-demon by blood, but he's full demon now, as his hidden heritage awakens and overwhelms his human side.) Ling Ya is able to call him back to himself, but it's too late…

Lang Wu Yao's gasp as he realizes what he's done, staring down at his bloody hands… my heart… In that moment, he believes that everything bad he's ever thought about himself is true, that he truly is a monster… and that, more than anything else, is what triggers his transformation… that final piece of self-loathing and shame and disgust.

and he literally becomes the image of his father, who represents everything he hates about himself!!

meanwhile, Spider and Wasp arrive in the demon realm, and it's clear why their boss gave them magical weapons or else they'd be toast. Wasp is so happy to just kill things, I love that for her.

even with all the squabbling, these two are getting along better than I expected, honestly. Spider gets points for clever use of his chains, and Wasp is in heaven because she can slaughter everything in her path.

oh, and we meet a new demon, Ansarto, who is part deer, part spider, 100% nightmare fuel in the best possible way and I love him. In keeping with the "eyes" motif, he's covered them. I really want to know how they did his puppet; it's fantastic work.

because Might is Right and Wasp and Spider each killed a han jiao, they get special treatment, lol. Presto, instant banquet!

they re-used the dishes and cups from Seven Sins Tower for this scene, and either Mie Tian Hai imported his tableware from he demon realm or all of the TBF villains shop at the same Evil Wuxia Target, take your pick.

Spider is trying to play it cool and negotiate, but the question is who is really manipulating whom here? meanwhile, Ba Wang Yu just wants to kill people and doesn't give a shit about the details, so it's all the same to her. I love her so much. But I think this scene really demonstrates how, despite their differences, they arrive at the same conclusions--they're really not so different after all.

(also it's so refreshing to watch a female character just chow down with gusto on screen, even if demon food is a little heavy on the eyeballs)

of course Ansarto wants them to take down Azibelpher, which puts them squarely in the line of fire as plot threads converge. Either they're gonna get killed or Azi is going to convince them to join his side instead, and I honestly don't know which.

Oh, and the Murder Princess is going after Tian Ming in the next episode, so that should be interesting. does this mean a catfight over Lang hahaha

Preview shows a new character - a female demon with purple hair and armor - stomping on a han jiao corpse, a close-up of Demon Prince Lang, Juan Can Yun wearing some kind of mask (??), Shang looking nonplussed and Tian Ming playing her guzheng at sunset as soldiers arrive. Can't wait!!!

[ellas-journey]

The Red Oni & The Blue Oni

The moment I saw the confrontation of Jack and Tsugaru I realised that they were a pretty obvious omen to the Red Oni and Blue Oni. What is this Red Oni and Blue Oni? Well, a little classic story in the Japanese imagination.

Hamada Hirosuke wrote “Naita Akaoni - The Red Oni who Cried" that is a story that talks about a Red Oni that wanted to be friends with the humans, and so, his Oni friend, the Blue Oni, attacks the humans so that the Red Oni could be seen saving them. "Hamada's Oni are righteous and pure-hearted: the red Oni is friendly and prepares tea and home-made cakes for the humans, while his counterpart, the Blue Oni, espouses qualities of self-sacrifice by putting the needs of others ahead of his own. The blue Oni is considerate enough to leave the are so as to prevent his friend's cover from being blown. Such conduct among human was increasing rarity at the time the story was written." (Reider, 2003) This story ended up starting a trope trend, as we can call it, the Japanese media where we see two individuals either enemies or allies that represent the two sides of the spectrum of the personalities. And when we start to take notice of this, we are going to notice it everywhere. “This trope is about two individuals (or occasionally, factions or civilizations) that are significantly linked together somehow (such as through a rivalry, friendship, being siblings, co-workers, competitors, etc.) that have differing personalities and, with it, often different approaches to the world in general, especially whatever they might be competing in/for/over” (TVtropes) The Red Oni normally does have a more extroverted personality, associated with passion, wildness and defiance, most of the times being the “idiot hero” that does not care about criticism about them. The Blue Oni on the other hand tends to be the introverted one, associated with serenity, control, and authority, mostly being respected in a way that can be confused with intimidate. Now, have you realized something? Yes, in the case of two Onis the personalities are swapped. “While many expressions of this trope play it straight, it is also not uncommon for the Blue Oni and Red Oni to mix traits” (TVtropes) While Tsuguri, having the colour blue is the dumb one, Jack is the intimidating one. Also, we can see the contract in their fighting styles. “In a show where it's relevant, differences in fighting style may be something like Technician Versus Performer.” (TVtropes) (Which is extremely funny coming from the fact that Tsugaru is literally a performer)

It’s funny to think that the author decided to go with such a clear reference, and still make it so different. It also can make you think what Tsuguru does have store to surprise us even more. We need to continue watching the anime, or read the books to a better analyses of the characters, but at least we have a surface idea of their psych.

            REIDER, Noriko T. 2003 - Transformation of the Oni: From the frightening and symbolical to the cute and sexy. Asian Folklore Studies, Volume 62, 133-157. Ohio: Miami University. <https://www.jstor.org/stable/1179083>;

            TVTROPES. N.d – Red Oni, Blue Oni. Accessed August 28, 2023 <https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RedOniBlueOni>