#codependent frenemies

[halosmoon]

listen the writers were in their bl BAG when they were writing this show

cause like idc how close someone is to a friend/best friend, how long they’ve known them, how much they love them

THESE ARE NOT NORMAL THINGS PEOPLE WHO ARE *JUST* FRIENDS BE SAYING TO EACH OTHER

LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEEANNN WHAT DO YOU MEEEEANNNNNNNNNNNN

[ceslatoil]

I need Coronabeth and Gideon friendship like I need fucking air to breathe tbh

[luck-lasts]

finally started High School Frenemy, why did no one tell me about all the toxic yaoi

this is literally just a bunch of AO3 tags in a bromance trenchoat

[naniskys]

imagine how much shin loves saint. how he couldn't hate him even for what he did to him. the fact that he was never angry with the broken leg but the fact that he left him. how are they real

THIS THIS THIS 😭😭😭

and i love the way it was shown in the series (as someone who knew nothing about the og), at the start we see that saint is obsessed, he loves shin more than he loves himself, he's willing to get beat up and humiliated over and over for shin, and we just see shin enabling it

but then as the show progresses we learn just how much shin loves saint back, how much he needs him around the same way saint needs him, how he wasn't even angry about the broken leg !!!! but about saint leaving !!!!!

and there's hints of it all throughout !! the looks shin's constantly giving, and taking the kick for saint, even though he wouldn't accept his help afterwards, it's in all the little things that u can see that shin isn't as unaffected as he's trying to seem, that he's fighting himself to just give in and love saint loudly like he was so used to doing (until he wasn't) 😭 because yes he's angry and hurt because of saint, but that doesn't lessen how much he loves him

they're truly insane AAHHHH 😭😭

[clearancecreedwatersurvival]

Never seen a homoerotic rivalry I wouldn’t ship.

[kifkay]

Winx & Specialists Dynamics that are so Precious to me

it makes sense that in the show, winx and their non-boyfriend specialists don’t interact much. but!! i’m very insane about codependent found families, and I want them all to love each other. so here’s my take on some tet-a-tet dynamics:

rare pairings:

Musa & Timmy: childhood frenemies. they used to go to the same middle school on Melody, and as type-A tweens do, had an intense, “you’re the only person I match myself to” kind of rivalry. they lost contact after Timmy moved away, chilled out considerably, reconnected in Alfea and had a wonderful banter-filled friendship since. because of how fast they slotted back into a friendship, some of their classmates genuinely thought they were siblings.

Tecna & Riven: got up from a rough patch. from “I dislike you but we both love Musa, so we have to be civil” to “you have more depths to you than I expected” to “now that I understand you, I can’t help but admire certain things about you” to “bitch, you are the only person who is as weird and clueless as I am, ARE YOU READY TO GO TO THE ARCADE AND ANNIHILATE KIDS FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES”

Flora & Brandon: little sister, older brother vibes. of similar temperaments and views, they enjoy spending time over a cup of tea — talking about everything and nothing. it’s therapeutic, almost.

(no one in the group knew that Brandon and Flo were good friends. once, when the two had to team up during a mission, Bloom couldn’t even finish saying: “it would be a good opportunity for you to get to know each ot-“, before the specialist-fairy duo were re-creating the most complicated and choreographed hand shake ever. jaws were on the floor.)

Aisha & Brandon: they are sporties, and they like doing sport things together! they don’t talk aside from exchanging brief encouragements and advice while out, preferring to spend their time in companionable silence. sorta like those dads who never talk to their buddies, but somehow have the strongest and longest bonds ever?

Helia & Bloom: artist besties. Bloom drags Helia out on picnics, where they practice observational drawing (and tiktok trends that Bloom desperately wants to reenact but none of the winx are good at arts); Helia responds by taking her out to see art museums in Magix. it’s a fun dynamic of Bloom being the bubbly gold retriever, and Helia being her black cat.

Tecna & Sky: they didn’t have much of a relationship until year 4. somehow, they both got really, intensely into weaponsmithing and built a joint workshop. they found that they enjoy working alongside each other and value each other’s insights. sky goes to tecna when he needs frank, un-sugarcoated advice, and tecna accompanies sky on hikes and other spirited adventures, for “bonding activities” (because he told her she doesn’t get out of her comfort zone enough). it’s a relationship of deep mutual respect.

Sky & Stella: childhood friends. they knew each other as children and enjoyed playing together (which is how Stella also knew Brandon pre-Red Fountaine). at least, until Stella was unofficially banned from Eraklyon because shenanigans, and they lost contact. they still jokingly call each other “My Lady” and “My Lord”.

Stella & Nabu. Both are flirty and extroverted people, who enjoy the spirit of showmanship. They have a friendly rivalry going of who can fluster the villain of the week the fastest.

canon bf-gf dynamics (dating in canon, open to interpretation otherwise):

Bloom x Sky: liked each other since the first meeting; bonded over being the friend group moms. (on unrelated note: bloom gentle parents her friends, while sky goes all exasperated cig mom on his team and repeats things like: “you better go to sleep right now, or so help me Dragon I will take away your Owl pilot privileges-“)

they are not the most outwardly affectionate couple of the winx, yet they are so wordlessly devoted to each other. sky will follow bloom to the ends of all dimensions, when she gets a calling from powers as mystical as she. bloom will always believe in him and see him as his own man, unlike the many who see him only as his father’s son. they were entwined by fate, long before one had met the other; yet, there’s the trust, the respect, the faith so strong — that could have only come from friendship forged and tested by fire.

Stella and Brandon: the hottest power couple; sole reason behind 60% of all student fairies/specialists/witches queer awakening.

they banter all. the. goddamn. time. these dorks are speaking a whole different language.

they are also most comfortable in each other’s company, being able to be their genuine, less polished selves. stella and brandon are both performers bred and born, playing the roles of a noble princess and a knight. it’s nice, to have a safe reprieve from all that acting.

Aisha and Nabu. their love was one that sneaked up on them. their distance, set by a discomfort at the idea of an arranged marriage, bridged as they transitioned from being reluctant comrades to friendly rivals to unwilling friends to best friends to “if someday the moon calls you by your name, don’t be surprised — because every night I tell her about you”

Tecna and Timmy: partners in crime, ride or die, sunny faith in each other — even when the other person doesn’t believe in themself. I have a whole post about them, go read that ;)

Flora and Helia: they are so. they are. they-

icons. the most romantic couple, the one that sets the standards, the one that gives their friends advice. they are extremely attentive to each other’s needs and tender with each other’s feelings.

flora can recite helia’s poems in her sleep, and trace his drawings with her eyes closed. helia brings mielle presents every time he stops by. flora has tea with helia’s dad every other tuesday; she keeps note of every time helia and saladin are supposed to meet up, to be able to whisk helia away after and distract him from his troubles. helia knows how to care of flora’s plants, and sends her lovingly assorted gift baskets semi-regularly.

Musa and Riven. their relationship is push and pull, is joy then sorrow.

it’s all in a drag of a cigarette, in the vortex of a starless night, in the hoarse laughter. “of all the people in the world, why did it have to be you?” she’ll say and smile.

“ I’m afraid we’re doomed, lover,” he’ll reply, faux-casually, and smile back. both of them will know it’s the truth.

their relationship was not built to last, not for the lack of love or try. maybe they were too similar — both headstrong, unbending, bleeding hearts. maybe they were just different enough not to understand their hurts. nevertheless, it was not built to last — but neither of them would ever bring to regret it. love prevails, no matter in what form in comes, or something like that.

[transgenderenkidu]

erin and tess were found to be drift compatible when they were very young, so they were kind of raised in the ranger program. when they were in their teens tess ran away, only returning after the official end of the jaeger program for the last stand. while tess was gone, erin transitioned to focusing on kaiju science

dainix and falst both lost family to kaiju, but dainix has gone through therapy and falst has. not. which is a big part of why theyre not ready to pilot together - vengeance is an awful thing to bring into the drift

kendal also largely grew up in the ranger program, but unlike tess and erin his dad (vash) was in the picture (and also his copilot) and tried his best to raise him well. and then he died in a fight with a kaiju so. f i guess

to expand on the point i mentioned offhand in the aurora sentinel au post i firmly believe in a pacrim au that kendal and alinua are drift compatible, and so are tess and erin. dainix and falst are also drift compatible, but they're not quite ready to pilot a jaeger together - they'd have a big damn heroes moment about 2/3 of the way through the story, marking the turning point of their relationship arc and the solidification of their team status

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Yet Another Dead Boy Detective Fic Rec List

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

I've been having so much fun with these, so I've decided to make another! See above for links to my other fic rec lists. ♥️

Like We're Gonna Die Young (Again) by RoseGanymede95

The latest installment in the superb Codependency World Cup series has the boys attend a nefarious house party and grapple with old frenemies, 90s fashion and temporary amnesia. Also fleshes out their achingly sad backstories, but compensates with the triumphant return of Pierre the rabbit.

When I Picture You by Gruoch

Charles gets braceleted by the Cat King instead of Edwin and receives his heart's desire... being alive again. This author has a special gift for taking fun sounding premises and turning the angst up to 11. So excellent.

young blood (never get chained) by ghostinthelibrary

University AU in which half-demon Charles intervenes in Edwin's ritual sacrifice and inadvertently binds their souls together... I'm genuinely obsessed with this AU, it has so much potential for tons of delicious tropes. Human!Edwin getting a crash course in supernatural shenanigans! Soulmate vibes!Found Family! Demon lore! What's not to love??

Ghosts and Monsters by justafandomfollower

Charles is also sacrificed and the boys meet in Hell! Fantastic premise and executed really well. I loved Masterful Edwin taking charge and protecting Charles while inwardly despairing. Highly recommended.

back to back they faced each other by ShanaStoryteller

The Night Nurse has a theory about how Charles was able to rescue Edwin from Hell so quickly... I'm genuinely shocked I haven't recced this one already. Sorry guys, I forgor. Anyway, this has interesting "Guardian" (angel?) lore, great meta and we even get some temporary amnesia as a treat.

boyfriend jacket by skadii

5+1 times Edwin borrowed Charles' jacket. The characterisation is on point, and it has some great OCs (Kyle the snarky seeing-eye cat!) and really sweet payneland moments. Plus Charles' jacket doing its most to annoy the Cat King.

Looking Like the Sunrise by letters_of_stars

Edwin thinks he's cursed so he and Crystal must team up to solve the case of his Mysterious and Suddenly Appearing Rizz. Funny and sweet friendship fic with some quality Edwin-Crystal bonding and discussions of trauma.

The Case of the Anonymous Confession by Mayarenerose

College AU featuring Charles posting an 'anonymous' online confession about his complicated feelings for his bestie. The closet is glass, but Edwin is oblivious and Crystal is in pain. Cute and funny epistolary social media fic done really well.

the middle of something wonderful by KiaraSayre

Does what it says on the tin and gives us a trope salad of cosy vignettes, including a time loop, temporary amnesia, sudden corporality and Crystal and Edwin trying to get a good grade in Party. Wholesome.

My heart is like a haunted house (series) by halffulljampot

Charles (unknowingly) befriends the ghost of Edwin's mother and constantly gushes to her about his amazing best friend/boyfriend. Beatrice is a great OC and it's just nice (though extra tragic) to read a fic in which Edwin had loving parents. Read it for Family Feels and wholesome intergenerational friendship.

the first rule of fight club by e_va

The boys are captured by an evil underground fighting ring. The fic is from Charles' PoV, so the prospect of having to fight Edwin was especially stomach-churning. Still, we get Edwin being a badass and a brilliant surprise cameo I don't want to spoil.

The Case of The... by sophisticatedyet

Edwin borrows Niko's negligee and Charles' brain breaks. There's also a case and giant squids, but Charles' Distracted By The Sexy crisis is the main (hilarious) event.

in those heavy days when love became an act of defiance by aletterinthenameofsanity, JUBE514

Daemon AU and first meeting fic! Loved the worldbuilding, insightful character work and lovely use of Greek mythology. Honestly, this fandom needs more daemon AUs.

spinning around and around in an ocean of grief (your ladder came down to the sea) by Ingi

Prequel to DontOffendTheBees' excellent College AU, expanding on the boys being alive and in school together. Also has its own prequel about their first meeting from Edwin's point of view. This one, though, is a Charles' Bisexual Journey/Feelings Realization fic. So lovely.

head in the clouds but my gravity's centered by shadowquill17

Face Touching: The Fic. I just love non-sexual intimacy in fics and this one is so tender. I also love Accidental Kissing and Feelings Realization so my cup runneth over.

i don't want to rest in peace by handwrittenhello

Different First Meeting fic featuring Poltergeist Charles! Loved the concept, even though it made me sad.

the great snogging debacle of '95 by thatgayprince

Edwin disguises himself as a girl and Charles starts and then defers a sexuality crisis for 30 years. Funny, steamy and emotional.

a beautiful day to say goodbye by ofstitches

The agency take on the case of a depressed house. This is another bittersweet Edwin backstory fic with discussions of grief.

Smitten in the Stacks by cordelianoir

Adorable prequel to lolotr's equally adorable library AU. Meet cute featuring (platonically married) Dad!Charles crushing on the hot librarian who leads Children's Storytime.

Jenny Green: Butcher, Hot Mess, Reluctant Queer Elder by Money_Maker

Jenny-centric fic! The focus is on Jenny and her financial, mental and emotional struggles post-canon, but mentoring Edwin through his queer self-discovery becomes a big part of that. This turns into a really sweet friendship, plus Found Family Feels and some fun outsider PoV of the boys' dynamic.

I've always got more recs so watch this space! ❤️

[etoilesombre]

Hi im a new here i finally watched black sails after someone convinced me. And im changed. I'm. Yeah. I'm not who i was before. It's a bizarrely good show?

I'm so so so glad that so many ppl on ao3 agree with me that flint and silver need to fuck. Have fucked. Will fuck.

This will be all i think about for the next month or so.

If you have fic recs do let me know. I'm in dire need.

Hi my friend and welcome to hell! It's the best, right? ("Month" is a HIGHLY optimistic estimate about how long this will consume your brain...)

So honored that you asked for recs! I don't think I've ever compiled a general list of favorites, I had a great time and I think I'm happy with the results. This is by no means comprehensive, and obviously HIGHLY reflective of my own tastes, which are... uh.. I am known to not enjoy nice things very much. I invite others to reblog with their own favorites. Here we go...

Notes: These are in vaguely chronological order. I'm including word count and brief descriptions so you know what you're getting into but no warnings or anything, that's all on AO3. They are all silverflint and all explicit (I think, there might be one or two 'mature' in there but, this is the they need to, have, and will fuck list.) I didn't include any of my own work because presumably that's how you found my blog so you're aware, but I do have a pinned list, and if you want recs for mine or to talk about any of these just message, I will talk about silverflint all day.

Overall Recommendations:

The Most Unexpected Things by forbiddenarchives (~20k words) I think this one is a great starting point. It is very.. fic flavored fic, if that makes sense, in a great way. Hits the spot. The author's description is "season 2 if everyone were 5000% hornier" and that is accurate. Note this is marked as unfinished, but the place it wraps up feels totally reasonable to me.

As Good as Gone by spinninginfinityboy (~5.5k words) Complicated hot weird semi-hate sex on the way to Charles Town. A thing with a Spanish Dubloon that is emblazoned on my brain forever.

Combat by equestrianstatue (~10k words) A two part series, which I think captures the push-pull early frenemies vibe of s1-2 perfectly. Also the writing itself is stellar.

All alone in a moonlit shanty by PrimalScream (4.3k) Celebrating a good day hunting, Flint gets very drunk and tells the crew a dirty story. Silver tries to put him to bed, but he has different ideas. By far one of the lighter things on this list.

after the winnowing by princesskay (~14k) Set after Silver loses his leg, early in his recovery. Silk pajamas, multiple orgasms and overstimulation as well as their usual codependent fuckery.

What It Feels Like Not to Hurt by Robotboy (~9k) Another recovery fic. As the author says, it's 9k of slowburn watersports but really it's about Silver's pain and autonomy and humiliation and. Just. Even if it's not your usual cup of tea it's hot, give it a try.

vigia by doomcountry (~3k) A short, perfect rendering of their dynamic during early s3 raid times. Heartwrenching character study, excellent porn.

The Sack of James Flint by princesskay (~107k) So, yes, this is a novel length sub!Flint cock and ball torture series. I would make the argument that it is one of the best character studies in the fandom, for real. Absolutely worth your time, but fuck, it hurts your heart as much as your captain's balls in the end.

Concurrence by ember_firedrake (~2.5k) Mid s3. The first time they call each other by their first names. Now, that's not actually a thing I think they do, but, good porn and lower angst.

appreciation by nysscientia (~8k) Flint cultivates a certain aloof persona, but Silver sees right through it, and eventually they kiss about it.

Don't Fear The Ships (Fear The Black) by Farasha (~10k) - Silverflint use learning to sail as a coded way to flirt and talk about feelings (and eventually they kiss about it).

A Ship Is A Republic by Robotboy (~20k) A slow burn fic set during the inter-season sword training times. Love this dynamic, this author does power bottom Flint and sub Silver so fucking well.

deliverance is ours by the light of the stars by piratecaptainraven (3.1k) Flint sees Silver and Madi together, and doesn't stop watching when he should. They don't technically fuck in this, but its SO much pining, and the writing is poetic and gorgeous.

frail and fragile bars by ajaxthegreat (~21k) Possibly the hottest thing I've ever read, this rewrote my brain chemistry. Slow burn-ish. It captures that late season love and dependence and resentment and power struggle.

Cold, Dark, Depraved by notfelix (~10k) When fucking fixes absolutely nothing. This hurts in a way that feels, to me, similar to canon. I hate it (affectionate).

Opportunist by anonymous (~6.1k) This was part of the kinkmeme event (see below) and it fucking changed me. If I recommend one fic and only one fic to process the ending, it's this. It's awful. It's necrophilia and light cannibalism. It's the only thing I can imagine happening after, if Silver actually shoots Flint on that island. It makes me feel bad in the best way.

hand in unlovable hand by brinnanza, Jaynovz (~9.9k) Affectionately known as the worst ending AU, this is actually a great followup to the last one. How Silver copes, after Skeleton Island.

Bonus: AUs. I don't generally read AUs, but these two worked for me, in very different ways that still felt very silverflint.

did the twin flame bruise paint you blue by Jaynovz (138k) Novel length mod AU where silverflint broke up, and we see their relationship along two different timelines, before and after. Toxic fucked up goodness, lots of BDSM dynamics, bonus silvervane! All set in NYC.

holy ghost fire by ajaxthegreat (~52k) Appalachia horror au! The author clearly knows the area, and silverflint is already a ghost story, so it works really well. If you've ever been there you'll know how right it feels, if not, just trust me.

extra bonus: fic event collections and rec lists

kinkmeme

built on sand

beach blanket black sails

@jaynovz has also compiled a number of much more specific rec lists, which can be found at #jay's esoteric rec lists

[greenapplebling]

what in the codependent frenemies

[lol-jackles]

Hi, you mentioned TW recently and I remembered what a disaster it was. The lack of effort and interest in making things work makes me wish that production had never seen the light of day.

But it also made me think of the problem it caused, which now seems to have been overcome. I'd like to get your opinion on this: how do men/friends handle the situation when they work together and attempts to take over the business or franchise arise? I know that the business factor has to be considered, but my question is, once the issues are resolved, does the esteem and image remain? Is it a case of forgive and forget, or forgive but don't forget?

It is worth noting that in the TW case there were interviews and accusations, some of them false and outright lies, which to some extent protected and attacked the public image, and of course a legacy was at stake. On top of that, the way it was publicised was sordid and generally a real mess.

Is it easy for men to forget these actions, do they forgive or do they hold grudges?

I ask because I think you can shed some light on this doubt, and you are aware of the whole context. Thanks for reading.

Forgive but don't forget. When the boundaries between work-friend and actual friend are blurred, it often falls on the betrayed to take a step back and determine what are the facts i.e. did he sabotage me or did he act without me in mind?  Did he put his interest first and it resulted in me suffering harm?  Depending on Jared’s answer, it may change how he sees his circumstances.  Then there is the added complexity of competition for jobs in an industry with 97% unemployment rate. 

On top of that is the natural competitiveness among males, even between friends.  Men go through the competition phase with each other in order to determine hierarchy and once that’s established, they then “reconcile” and move into the cooperative phase.  The difference between men and women is men are not supposed to leave the cooperative phase while women have no problem going from competitive to cooperative and back to competitive phase.  It’s why “frenemies” exist among women more so than men.

Jensen goes back to competing with Jared because of the scarcity of jobs in the post-SPN era and due to the codependent-ish nature of their friendship, Jensen is also competing for Jared to show that he is good enough for Jared because from Jensen’s perspective, he has known for at least 2 years since before season 13 that Jared was leaving Supernatural and to him, that also means Jared has been leaving Jensen for 2 years. In my experience from witnessing some real life enmeshed and codependents, people like Jensen don’t feel good enough and so tries to take the “mature” route by avoiding talking to their friend while feverishly working at themselves or at their jobs.  In Jensen’s case, the prequel-turned-retconned-sequel.

Jared is not competing with Jensen because he has a thriving career, and in the post-SPN era Jensen’s actions didn’t cost Jared’s career, such promotion or a job. So it makes it possible for Jared to forgive Jensen if he choose to see the betrayal as mistakes that wasn’t malicious, but as business actions.  Plus Jared may feel he partially owes his success to Jensen for talking him out of breaking is SPN contract after season 3, thus saving him from getting blacklisted by furious producers for costing them lucrative syndication deals.

Finally, Jared can forgive Jensen because he’s a friend, not a spouse.  We can tolerate a lot of red flags in friends, my friend can be bad with money and make very questionable life choices, and if worse comes to worse down the road, I’ll just stop hanging out with my friend.  But those same red flags can’t be tolerated in potential life-partners because the stakes are so much higher: buy property together, combining finances, raise a child (or pet) together, and rely on each other 100% when times get rough i.e. ill health.

[lizzies]

i'm open to something (and that something is you)

Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman Fandom: Legacies Summary: Hope's been doing this weird thing lately. It confuses the fuck out of Lizzie.

The first time Hope did it, Lizzie wasn’t totally sure that she wasn’t just making a big deal out of something small again. She had, ultimately, written it off as some kind of brain-chemistry related malfunction, but before she’d come to such a conclusion, she'd had, of course, a teeny-tiny panic attack.

Well, that’s making a bigger deal out of it than it actually was. It wasn’t like ”a panic attack”, panic attack... She just lost her breath for a moment, shocked wide eyes staring at the sleeping face of her best friend as her cheeks flushed red.

They were cuddled up in Lizzie’s bed — Hope had told her a while ago that she considered Lizzie’s bed to be far more comfortable than her own, and with that sharing the blonde’s bed day in, day out had become a habit. Lizzie suspected that Hope just preferred Lizzie’s bedroom to her own because Lizzie didn’t have to share hers anymore since Josie moved to Belgium and Hope shared her room with Cleo and Kaleb, the former unofficially. 

(Of course, there could also be that Hope and Lizzie had become HopeAndLizzie ever since… the Incident , as Lizzie has started to refer to the whole “being sired to your best frenemy who you have really intense and confusing feelings for” thing, and so more often than not, where there was Hope, there was Lizzie, and vice-versa. Lizzie can’t figure out if she’s just meant to be codependent forever, or if this is just what female friendships are meant to be like, or if this is a secret third option in the size of The Incident, but she’s just kind of going with it. Beats being alone and gives her something to (over)think about.)

(continue reading)

[chaggie4ever]

What future conflicts do you see happening with Chaggie? Personally, I think it would continue with their whole "Charlie doesn't listen and Vaggie doesn't express herself" issues they had in S1. Plus, the whole trusting Alastor thing might come up. Your predictions?

Absolutely great thoughts! Predictions and talking about HH is the only reason I made a Tumblr account XD

I personally really want Lute to have a role. Charlie seems to hate her even more than Vaggie after the angel reveal. And I think Vaggie will totally be here for this rivalry XD she may have to keep Charlie from killing Lute! A role for Emily in Lute’s possible redemption would be a great addition as they model Chaggie perfectly. Or maybe even Adam’s redemption (I’m convinced he’s coming back as a sinner - his vocals and lines are too great he has to come back). I remain convinced that Vaggie and Lute were frenemies and/or lovers for centuries.

The Alastor stuff is definitely important and will cause conflict for sure. I’m thinking Lilith is involved too (both her and Alastor have been gone for seven years…). I could see Vox getting involved and publicizing Vaggie’s genocidal past and Charlie comforting her.

alas i got sidetracked. Back to Chaggie! I really hope they address their codependency, and Charlie's tendency to steamroll Vaggie… she needs to actually listen to her girlfriend and notice when she is uncomfortable and will need to learn to push a bit more when Vaggie is uncomfortable to make her express herself. Vaggie is one of a few main characters who we have NOT seen cry. She REALLY needs to XD maybe Rosie can be a couple's therapist?

also now that season 3 and 4 are confirmed, im betting on a Chaggie engagement season 2. And if they dont have some down time to have an on screen date or fooling around time imma blow up the studio (no not really). I love that they are established and not the centerpoint of the season - this helps normalize gay relationships. But I also have needs XD maybe Charlie had to wait for Lucifer to come back in her life before she could officially get engaged as queen of hell. Future queens of hell 🥰 this will also likely not go over well in heaven or hell after Vaggie’s exorcist past…

Also… thank goodness Vivi isn’t in charge of writing anymore as she has Satan kill Vaggie after they are engaged and I will kill everyone if this happens

Bonus headcanons (some are stolen):

- Vaggie’s wings come out when she’s aroused - stiffly XD I think they will transition from gray to silver over time as she redeems herself further

- Vaggie and Lute stand trial for crimes by the seraphim. Vaggie is absolved of her disobedience and halo and eye restored (or maybe a weird glowy version so she still keeps her eye patch most of the time). She never wears the halo but it lets her open portals to heaven and hell. Lute is cast out of heaven for killing a member of Lucifer’s family (Dazzle) and attacking them and her vigilante justice on Vaggie. She may lose her wings and an eye too. She will still have one arm as she does not love anyone to restore it (Vaggie’s wings grow back out of love for Charlie and because they weren’t cut off by angelic steel. Lute ripped her arm off and it can also grow back.. if she learns to love).

- Vaggie hides her wings 90% of the time because she’s ashamed of her past (I’d LOVE a B plot episode where Angel Dust helps her with this)

- Charlie is super embarrassed when she demons out when Vaggie teases her publicly (always subtle until Charlie ruins it)

- Vaggie and Nifty bond over shared violence

- They go on flying dates where Vaggie carries Charlie and she loves it. Sometimes Lucifer joins.

- Charlie has picked up stabby Vaggie on several occasions and walked away with her to avoid conflict

- Vaggie’s spear is an emotional support spear and she talks to it and Charlie is jealous and has tried to hide it

- Vaggie spends Sunday dinners with Carmella and her daughters and is basically adopted and Charlie is jealous but also really happy that Vaggie is making her own friends

- Charlie loves when Vaggie speaks Spanish in bed - I also love the theories that they keep ruining beds with Charlie’s horns XD

- EVERYONE has heard them having sex - Charlie is LOUD and sometimes sings + Vaggie avoids Angel Dust the week after particularly loud sessions

- Charlie will propose after a very awkward convo with Lucifer

- Vaggie eventually bonds with sinner Adam and maybe Lute too

- I have an aversion to pregnancy and children but some of the kid theories are cute and Vaggie seems to be the more feminine but I could actually see Charlie carrying 😉😇

Ok imma stop now before this turns into a whole fan fiction XD

[guess-that-ship]

Here's the bracket for Season 12!

As usual, the first round will start tomorrow at 9 PM EDT. They will be queued at a rate of four polls per day and last for a week.

Text under cut:

Round 1A

17. Star-Crossed BFFs v. 16. Grandpa and GILF Hunter

Winner will face 1. Under the sun in Round 2

9. Two Swords, One Oath v. 24. Master and Familiar

Winner will face 8. codependent bodyguard arrangement in Round 2

Round 1B

21. Bickering lambs, reliant rams v. 12. purposeful adoption, accidental family

Winner will face 5. Double Crossing my Dungeoning Party (GONE WRONG)* in Round 2

13. Anti-Government Gays v. 20. Of Petty Revenge and Impulse

Winner will face 4. Purple Light in Round 2

Round 1C

19. A Clashing of Elements v. 14. Fell Into Your Life

Winner will face 3. What goes around comes around in Round 2

11. pretective boy v. 22. Dad's little successor

Winner will face 6. Old(ish) men one-sided yaoi in Round 2

Round 1D

23. Survivors of Literally Everything v. 10. Imperial Frenemies

Winner will face 7. Traumatized dog × extroverted turtle in Round 2

15. See You on the Same Side of the War v. 18. Loser Besties

Winner will face 2. As I Know You Are in Round 2

*5's name had to be shortened so the title isn't too long, but for posterity, the full name is "Double Crossing my Dungeoning Party (GONE WRONG) (POLICE CALLED) (I FELL IN LOVE?!)".

[naniskys]

rewatching hsf ep 7 to get screenshots, and god everything about the flashback reveal of saint beating shin up is so !!!!! shin's utterly defeated expression at the start against saint's anger, shin's cries when he finally breaks and starts sobbing, saint stuttering in his movements when shin first cries out, the way you can feel his uncertainty and regret and the sudden clarity from seeing shin like this, how we can feel all of that without even seeing his face 😭😭 the way skynani so completely embodied these characters😭😭

but also the amount of love and trust shin has in saint through it all, because despite everything he's done, he still takes hits for saint, and protects him, and trusts him

i am so,,

[simplysedusa]

How do you think the girls and boys will make/maintain friendships? The relationships they have outside of each other intrigues me. Like the girls are instantly popular due to their heroic status but might have a hard time making friendships that don’t feel surface level. You mentioned before that Townsville’s acceptance for them is very conditional and I can see them developing a sort of trust issues as they catch on to this. Probably very few like Robin make their way inside their core group and know them outside of their superhero identities. The boys have it rough and they are aware that their reputation didn’t come out of nowhere and isn’t exactly unwarranted. All they’ve known is to rely on each other for all their lives and letting someone else in was never an option. Like the girls they trust each other unconditionally but still they wonder, one more than the other, about a connection that isn’t familial. A few of the school delinquents might feel bold enough to start talking to them but the boys have this thing about feeling used by people, so these losers trying to hire them to be their sort sort of super powered hitmen kind of rubs them the wrong way. One kid remarks ‘wow that was awesome how you handled [name of random bully] and they’re like ‘yeah it was.’

Asks like these always make me giddy, but I find it very difficult for me to formulate my thoughts because I have a lot to say and I wanna seem coherent, so bare with me, lol. 😁

Elementary school is easy for the Powerpuff Girls, everyone is friends with everyone so long as you're nice (for the most part). And when you're the city's beloved superheroes, making friends is as easy as breathing. Just look at how many girls they invited to their sleepover in "Slumbering With The Enemy".

Meanwhile, for the Rowdyruff Boys, making friends for them isn't even on their radar yet. There's a 50/50 chance they can't even define the word, "friend". Remember how I said Butch had the most codependent tendencies? All these three know are each other, and honestly, to them, they're all they need. I could see the boys "making allies" with those they believe to be on their level but given the current roster of Townsville villains, no one makes the cut. The Gangreen Gang (and my version of the Powerpunks) comes close, but they're frenemies at best. For my WIPs, the Powerpunks and Rowdyruffs (prior to being adopted by Ms. Keane), temporarily bond over some criminal activity until the Ruffs say some misogynistic shit and get their teeth kicked in.

Middle school age is where things get interesting. While I also feel that the Puffs have a few codependent tendencies amongst themselves, all three girls have strived to be individuals in their own right (as in "The Bare Facts", "Super Zeroes", "Three Girls and a Monster", etc.), so I'd imagine this to be the starting point of where their specific, individual friendship circles start to form. While attending school with superheroes would probably lose its appeal with middle schoolers, they'd still find the girls to be cool. Buttercup and Mitch would still be friends alongside the Floyjoydson Twins and whoever the athletes are. Blossom could be friends with Elmer, Clara, and others who are more studious. Bubbles would be the clique hopper who's still clinging on to her elementary school days, but her main clique could consist of the artists or the "weird kids". MTH has her main friend group be the kids from "Mojo Jonesin'" and I think that's perfect. Their only shared friend, and closest friend, would be Robin (and for my WIPs, Elmer and Mitch as well). The Puffs are still pretty young around this age, but they're also becoming teenagers (and that means, middle school drama *shudders*). This would be where the girls start to develop some edge to them. They don't seem as enthusiastic or peppy as they once were. They're not smiling as often as they used to. Perhaps they're a bit wittier. While the girls wouldn't mind saving the city and are still happy to do so, a few citizens of Townsville would see the differences between the 12-13 year old Puffs and the 5 year old Puffs and start complaining. For one specific WIP, the girls are homeschooled during this time so they're starving for social interaction. They've still managed to maintain their friendship with Robin, Elmer, and Mitch since Robin's their next door neighbor, Mitch sometimes stays the night when needed, and Elmer gets examined by the Professor due to his new glue abilities.

12-13 year old Ruffs would definitely get bored with each other and would want to start seeking social interaction elsewhere. Butch would be the least willing of the three to do so and start to stick to his brothers (mostly Brick) like glue. However, since the three get placed in a foster care group home for a few years, their opportunities to make friends are very, very limited and temporary. And again, no one really knows or understands what these three have gone through, so what would be the point? They'd definitely push people away with empty threats.

Now they're high schoolers. They've matured, but they're still teenagers. By this point, the rose tinted glasses are off and ineffective. The girls see how certain people react when Buttercup's caught sneaking out to go party at night. Or how annoyed certain people get with Bubbles' activism (protesting for animal rights, BLM, LGBT+, against genocides being committed across the globe (😉), etc). Or how others will see a clip of Blossom politely correcting an interviewer on robotic engineering and suddenly think of her as a pompous, arrogant know-it-all who needs to be humbled. How Townsville would see them at this point would be synonymous to how people view child stars who are maturing in the public eye. The girls have realized that Townsville's opinion of them could change at a blink of an eye, and that they had before (In "Major Competition" the girls are replaced by Major Man and are seen as less than. In "Down 'n' Dirty", an angry mob chases after a 5 year old for not bathing. In "The Rowdyruff Boys", the girls immediately assume that the city doesn't want them to defend them anymore after losing to the Ruffs. In the movie, the city (and the world) deems the girls to be bug eyed monsters. In "Save Mojo", animal rights activists interfere and temporarily stop the girls from fighting Mojo, deeming their actions to be cruel despite the evil schemes Mojo has attempted in the past). So, for the average peer, the girls would be friendly but cautious.

Another concern I see the Puffs running into would be clout chasers. Even if they're not as beloved as they once were as kindergarteners, these girls are still well known, they're practically famous. And anyone looking to better their social standing would see the girls as a perfect opportunity. Both Blossom and Buttercup are usually pretty good with sussing out acquaintances with ulterior motives (or at least Blossom, I could see Buttercup being manipulated somewhat easily), while Bubbles on the other hand gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, and often time gets manipulated for it.

I could see Buttercup having the most friends, I think she'd be the most popular of the three in a high school setting, but she wouldn't necessarily have many that she'd be able to be vulnerable with. It'd be pretty easy to make friends if you're partaking in sports, especially team sports in school. I'd imagine a few athletes get jealous and accuse Buttercup of cheating (despite the fact that in my WIPs, Professor Utonium invents a Chemical X tracker that shows when Chemical X is being used so people know when the Puffs or Ruffs are using their powers against other normies).

Blossom, to me, feels like she'd struggle the most individually in the friend-making department; I think she'd have the hardest time differentiating between when to be a superhero and when to just be a girl. She'd be popular in the sense that everyone knows her, and she's that smart girl you wanna pair up with for school projects, but not many would know her on a personal level. She'd be a bit of an enigma, and most would already believe her to be a narc (and simultaneously a hypocrite considering all of the crimes the Puffs had committed in the past).

Bubbles, on the other hand, would be the one throwing herself at others platonically and just casually trauma dumping about how she has the weight of the town's (and subsequently, the world's) safety on her shoulders, and how she feels that her childhood was essentially stolen from her. Somehow though, she'd have the most friends who know her outside of the superhero persona, but still less friends than Buttercup overall (or at least, real friends anyway).

In my HS WIP, the girls finally go back to public school during their sophomore year, so they might be a bit more naive, but you get the picture.

High school aged Rowdyruffs wouldn't be as hostile as their younger counterparts, but they're every bit as guarded. Any idiot who'd try to condemn them will be made into an example. Even so, there would be moments where they'd feel alienated, and perhaps this time around, they'd be much more honest about it.

Individually, Boomer might have it the easiest out of the three, since he looks like he'd be the least intimidating one and would be the most popular one as a star athlete of several sports teams. Even so, his reputation precedes him.

Butch, again being the most codependent brother, would be somewhat of a loner without his brothers around. He plays sports like Buttercup and Boomer, but his are individual based such as swimming, wrestling, and gymnastics. While both of these are great social outlets, I doubt many would go out of their way to talk to him. Butch (or Brick, maybe all three of them, idk) gives me the vibes of someone who'd sit beside you if you're all alone in a school library, the cafeteria, or a pep assembly (basically some place you can't easily escape) and just sit there in silence and see how you react. They'd see it as a challenge, filtering out who the pussies in school are and who passes the vibe check.

Brick's the most infamous of his brothers since he's the leader, so on one hand, he's the most feared. On the other hand, those who may not be the biggest fans of the Puffs might seek him out and attempt to befriend him through what they'd assume to be their mutual dislike/hatred of the girls (these people would piss him off, his past with the Puffs would be the last thing he'd want to talk about). Since Brick wouldn't be as involved in extracurriculars like Boomer or Butch, he wouldn't have as much of an opportunity. Brick's circle would be small, like two to three people tops. Most of his friends would probably be the kids he met in detention. Much like how he treated Bubbles in "Bubble Boy", I'd see Brick talking about the crimes he'd committed as some sort of vibe check.

In my HS WIP, most would steer clear until they've officially made up and befriended the girls. It'd be much harder for the boys to find friendships that aren't just surface-level (and that aren't the Puffs). At this point in their lives, I'd like to think they'd officially befriended the Gangreen Gang though, so that's something.

Adult Puffs and Ruffs would just cling on to whatever close friends they made in the past since befriending other adults is a challenge in itself.