#comes back in video and hallucination form!!!

[sevgilimsatoru]

Error: 410 (Self Aware!AU Caleb Edition) Part 3

Part:1 Part: 2 Part:4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 A/N

Summary: A self aware!AU with Caleb and NonMC! reader. Tags: Caleb x reader, Caleb x NonMC! reader, Caleb x fem!reader, fluff, angest (slightly) Stressedout!reader. Hypersexual!reader Word Count: 600 words Inspired by: @ittybittyfanblog "If I kept you here with me like this.. Would you think I'm being too selfish?' "-Caleb, Love and Deepspace" Days had started blurring together for you now. Getting up, getting ready, making and eating breakfast, going to classes, coming back home, making and eating dinner, do homework, play love and deep space till 2 in the morning, sleep and repeat. You had grown accustomed to this routine now. It didn't even bother you that much except a few things that had started changing in your internet algorithm. Healthy diet, small exercise videos, self care videos and posts like these kept popping up in your recommended pages which was surprising considering the fact that you clearly remembered not searching up about all this. You groaned, finally slipping off your jacket and shoes as you walked inside your apartment, closing and locking the door behind you. Finally home sweet home. You walked out of the bathroom after showering, cracking your knuckles, you finally sat down on the bed. Just giving your tired muscles a rest. The silence being interrupted by a **ping** You picked up your phone to see a message from the game Love and Deepspace. It was a message from Caleb, "I missed you". As sweet as it seemed, that message made your blood run cold. You had never turned on notifications of this game. This and the other weird things that had been going on in your phone.., What the hell was going on? You quickly opened your phone, opening different apps and your saved documents. Had you downloaded some sort of virus? It didn't seem like it. You even ran an anti virus scan on your phone but nothing. Maybe it was hacked. Oh god, what was happening? How could you have been so dumb to get your phone hacked? There was so much important information saved in your phone. What could you do now? You couldn’t just run to your parents for help, you weren’t a kid anymore.. A slow melody broke you out of your thoughts, glancing down at the loading of the Love and Deepspace game. And there stood Caleb, so close to the screen, his arms crossed over his chest. "Calm down, [y/n]. It's alright." Caleb said, his voice ringing through your ears. What.. WHAT!? Were you actually loosing it or was Caleb actually talking to you? Okay.. maybe you were just hallucinating all this time. That’s.. worrying. Hallucinating and then hearing a game character talking to you, that’s not normal. Besides what sort of sane person gets attached to a fictional character like the way you were. Yep, you had definitely gone insane. Maybe you should get yourself admitted in a psych ward.. Who knows what your mind will make up next? Caleb was still staring at you, looking at your worried expression. "Hey hey- it's okay, just breathe. Like how I do it, breathe in.. breathe out.., in.. out.., in.. out.. and there we go- doesn't that feel better?" Caleb said, watching you follow his instructions. A small smile forming on his face. You sniffled, looking at him. Just looking at him for a moment, you shrugged, opening and closing your mouth like a gold fish. You couldn't think of what to say. "So.. I don't know what is going on but I can hear you, you are talking to me. How can I be sure that this isn't some sort.. I don't know hallucination." The smile that formed on Caleb's face was enough to calm your mind down. That easy, teasing smile. "Just trust me, alright? Keep breathing though. We don't want to be stressed out. You know I'll indulge you, ask me whatever you want. I'll answer honestly. Promise.." He said, holding out his pinkie finger towards you on the screen.

Tag list: @beewilko @browneyedgirl22 @aneertawrites @etsuniiru @demon-master-zero @angstylittleb1tch @mcdepressed290 @ittybittyfanblog @winwinwrites @alifyairl @huhleighna @calebsbeanpeeler @bookworrm1999 @mentaltrouble2201

[ematini]

Vi's character assassination in season 2 is still my biggest disappointment. She was my favorite character since the beginning and the biggest reason why I was so hyped for season 2. But instead of the continuation of her story, she was reduced to an obligatory presence because she was important to other character's stories. Mainly Jinx and Caitlyn. It's abundantly clear that the writers didn't care about her.

In season 1, time and time again we see her take initiative, do what she feels is right in order to save her sister. We see her fight Sevika alone, we see her talk Jayce into helping her storm the Shimmer factory. We see her fight Sevika AGAIN, and she would've very well go after Silco, if Jinx didn't intervene.

Where is all that agency in season 2? The last time we see her show an ounce of free will was in episode 1 when she refused the badge from Caitlyn. She wants to go after Jinx alone because that's how she's used to doing things. She's still a kind and compassionate character and knows that Caitlyn has been hurt enough.

We see a glimpse of that when she stops Cait from shooting Jinx because Isha is in the way, but afterward? She gets no development from that point all the way to the end. We get a 2 minute montage of her being a pit fighter, which leads to nowhere. No talk of it being a form of self-harm, no talk about her having hallucinations, no talk of her alcoholism. We, as the audience, know all of that, but what's the point of it, if it's not explored, reflected, touched upon? What is it, other than just a cool music video? Jinx comes along, and she's not miraculously fine.

Even her breakdown at the end of act 3. Was it completely justified? Absolutely, Vi had every right to break down after everything she's been through, but it's not a character development moment, because it's just brushed aside. It's a plot device, so Jinx could sacrifice herself. Next time we see Vi, she's miraculously fine again, even though she watched two people she cares about die.

Yeah, I'm gonna need season 1 Vi back.

[belit0]

HEAR ME OUT!!!

Okay so like, I just had a bombastic idea that always bugs me whenever I'm into a fictional media.

What if modern Reader gets sent to the Naruto universe but when she first sees the characters she only goes "Damn, nice cosplay, you look exactly like (character)!"

Like, she fr believes she got kidnapped and left in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of cosplayers and talks to the characters as if they're gen Z 😭😭😭😭😭 I think it would be so funny

(But the moment they do some jutsu she almost shits herself and thinks she's just having an horrible psychotic episode...)

JAHSDAKSHHDSAJHDSAKJHD NA CAUSE THIS IS SO FUNNY

Shisui

(Y/N) stumbles into a stream and nearly faceplants into someone crouching beside it, sipping water like it’s an anime opening.

-Jesus, you’re hot. Are you part of the same cosplay cult or are you like… a forest spirit trying to kill me with your jawline?

Shisui blinks in pure confusion.

-Do you need help? You look lost.

-I am lost. I woke up in a discount Studio Ghibli reboot with some 10/10 anime thirst traps and I haven’t had Wi-Fi in hours. This is either a prank, a mental breakdown, or I got kidnapped by really well-dressed weebs with a budget.

Shisui tilts his head, like she’s a particularly intriguing puzzle.

-You’re speaking strangely. Are you under a genjutsu?

-You’re the one in the lacefront and eyeliner, man, don’t come at me with “genjutsu.” That’s straight-up gaslighting.

Itachi

She finds Itachi meditating under a waterfall and screams.

-BRO. Not you doing the tortured emo anti-hero arc under a waterfall like this is a music video.

Itachi opens his eyes slowly, confused, water cascading around him.

-You should not be here.

-No shit. I was ordering a Starbucks oat milk latte like fifteen minutes ago and now I’m in “Hot Anime Boy Simulator 3.0: You Can’t Escape.”- She stares. -Also, can you like, not look at me like that? I have trauma and your gaze is giving me flashbacks to every mistake I’ve ever made.-

Itachi squints.

He doesn’t understand a word she’s saying but finds it spiritually exhausting.

Sasuke

He doesn't entertain her nonsense.

He's busy, thank you very much.

When he finally gets tired of her “delusion”, Sasuke does a full technique to prove he's real.

(Y/N) just STARES at the giant skeleton emerging from his form and ripping through the trees.

And then:

-Okay. Nope.- She backs away slowly. -Nope nope nope. That’s not cosplay. That’s pure sci-fi with a personality disorder. IS THIS A PSYCHOTIC BREAK? AM I DEAD? IS THIS HELL? Why are you all hot if I’m in hell?!-

She turns to a tree. -Hey Siri, call my therapist.

Tree: 🌳

-I’m hallucinating. I KNEW I shouldn’t have taken that edible.

Madara and Izuna

When (Y/N) opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the smell of pine.

The second thing was that the ground was suspiciously real.

Coarse, scratchy grass pressed against her arms, and the sky above her was a perfect blue—not the digital kind.

Birds chirped somewhere in the distance.

Someone was yelling.

Great.

She’d either been kidnapped and left in a forest, or this was the worst hangover of her life.

A shadow passed overhead.

She sat up slowly, blinking blearily at two men standing at the edge of a clearing, arguing like their lives depended on it—or maybe just their egos.

They were dressed in high-collared black cloaks trimmed in deep red, their hair flowing like something out of an anime opening.

One of them had his arms crossed, radiating judgmental older brother energy.

The other one looked like he’d either stab you or flirt with you.

Possibly both.

(Y/N) stared at them.

And then she snorted.

-Damn. Y’all really committed to the cosplay, huh?

Both men turned.

Madara’s gaze narrowed, slow and piercing. -Who are you?-

She points at Madara. -You must be, like, the rich kid of the group. You’re giving final boss energy. Uchiha brothers huh? You look exactly like them, 10/10, no notes.

-Who sent you?— Madara’s voice is grave, suspicious.

-Bro’s method acting. Oh my god, are you one of those “I live as my character” people? Do you sleep in your wig?- She gasps, then grins. -Wait, wait, don't tell me—are you filming a fan movie? Can I be the confused villager who accidentally seduces the main villain? Because I have range.

They look at each other like she might be an enemy with a screw loose.

-What are you even-

-You, Izuna guy- she turned to Izuna, eyes sparkling in awe, not giving them time to speak -You look exactly like him. Are you the one hottie from TikTok who does the transformation edits? Because if this is a prank video, you’re getting views.

Izuna’s brow twitched. -You know my name?-

-Of course I do. Izuna Uchiha, canonically dead but fanonically hot. There’s, like, ten thousand thirst edits of you. Your face is plastered across Tumblr like you invented cheekbones.

-Tumblr...? I'm pretty much alive, as you can see. What the hell are you even talking about...- Izuna, the god of flirtation, is too stunned to even react to the information of those edits.

Madara stepped forward. -You’re not from around here. Are you a spy?-

(Y/N) laughed.

Hard.

-A SPY? What am I gonna do, leak your next outfit drop to the Hidden Leaf Fashion Week? Bro, I don’t even know where I am. I was getting a latte. Then BAM—forest. It’s giving Kidnapped by Cosplayers™, not espionage.

Izuna stepped beside Madara, his expression both amused and confused. -She could be under a genjutsu.-

-Y’all keep saying that like it’s not just gaslighting with special effects.

Madara exchanged a glance with Izuna.

Then, without a word, he inhaled and weaved through a few seals. His hands moved fast—too fast.

(Y/N) was about to make another sarcastic remark about method acting when suddenly:

FWOOOM.

A wall of fire roared to life behind him, spiraling up into the sky like a dragon made of flame.

The air shimmered with heat.

Trees cracked in protest.

The sheer force of it knocked her backwards.

She screamed.

-OHMYGOD WHAT THE FU—

She scrambled backward on all fours like a raccoon caught in a spotlight, eyes wide as saucers.

-THIS ISN’T COSPLAY. THIS ISN’T A BIT. THIS ISN’T A FANFILM THIS IS ARSON WITH A FIRE GOD.

Izuna took a step forward. -Still think this is a prank?-

-I think I’m hallucinating. Or dead. Or in a coma. Is this one of those “you died and now you live in Naruto” fever dreams? I swear to god if Kakashi walks out next I’m gonna cry.

-Who's even Kakashi?- Izuna asks, utterly confused.

Madara crouched beside her with the slow grace of a predator. -You claim not to know where you are. Then explain how you know our names, our faces.—

-Because you’re fictional!- she snapped, hair disheveled, eyes wild. -I read fanfiction about you! You’re supposed to be from a manga. YOU DIE.-

Izuna frowned. -We. Are. ALIVE!... And you keep saying that. "Fictional." Is that a clan?-

-YES.- She pointed at him. -The Clan of Heartthrobs Who Ruin Women’s Standards Worldwide.-

Madara tilted his head slowly. -She's insane.-

-You’re not even wrong.

For a moment, all three just stared at each other.

Then (Y/N), still panting, stood shakily to her feet and dusted herself off.

-Okay. Okay, think. I got this. I just need to find a hospital. Or a mirror. Or a void to scream into. Do you guys have those here?

Izuna blinked. -A… void?-

-Never mind. Do you guys at least have coffee?

Madara and Izuna would go back to the compound deeply concerned.

(Y/N), meanwhile, would sit cross-legged under a tree later that night, staring at the moon, muttering:

-This is fine. I’m in Naruto. I’ll just marry a war criminal and vibe. It’s fine. I’m adaptable.

[gaytransgirl]

Common Side Effects Theory

I've been thinking about the mushroom. The effect it has on everyone who takes it, the hallucinatory Little Guys that come with it, all of the varying symptoms and how they manifest in each person over time. And I think I cracked the code on exactly how it works, all thanks to a certain clip. Frances keeps re-watching the same video from Marshall, and his exact wording made me stop and think.

"This might look like individual fungi, but their mycelium communicates with each other. If a fungus needs help, the network knows, and transfers sugars, water, and minerals to a friend in need. You think you're looking at a different fungus, but what you're seeing is a single intelligence."

That is what the blue angel mushroom is doing. When it heals someone, it integrates them into its mycelial network, and communicates with them. The little guys? They are the mushroom, simply manifested in a way that lets them communicate with their hosts.

There are a couple elements to this that I find particularly interesting. First, the question of "how does the mushroom integrate someone to begin with?", which is pretty self explanatory. When the mushroom is used for healing purposes, it accelerates stem cell growth, and in doing so, its spores have to work their way through the person's bloodstream. We even see a shot of this in episode two - when Connor stabs himself in Cecily's office, they animate a vein with blood cells, and a wave of blue rushing in before he starts to heal.

Once somebody is integrated, has the mushroom in their system, there's also the question about how the mycelial network responds to any forms of stimuli. Marshall describes the transfer taking place if a fungus "needs help" - a very cut and dry system when it comes to mushrooms, but one that's a lot more complicated in humans. Obviously, there are the forms of immediate assistance - regrowing open wounds and vital organs, bringing someone back essentially from death - but sometimes, there are problems that might require slow, gradual assistance. Sonia's dementia, for instance. It isn't actively putting her life in danger in that very second, but it's still a clear problem that needs to be amended, and so with time, she regains her cognitive function as the mushroom transfers whatever she needs.

However, life-threatening injuries, diseases, rashes, etc. aren't the only forms of negative stimuli that would indicate somebody as needing help. Stress responses can have physical effects on the body, detriments that the mushroom would recognize as a problem and attempt to fix. Marshall, that car crash victim - they're both plagued by their own forms of stress, and are the primary candidates for seeing these little guys beyond any specific moments of physical healing. Marshall has been constantly almost dying, gone to jail, had to deal with being hunted by all of god knows who, and the car crash victim has become a national sensation. That has to lead towards a lot of constant paparazzi interference, constant attention, and once he starts hallucinating a bit, it adds to his stress even further and creates a feedback loop. The very act of the mushroom trying to help is causing him more stress that the mushroom wants to amend.

Meanwhile, for just about everyone else, these hallucinations are absent. Sonia and Frances never see them outside of the active moments taking the mushroom, or the moments where any actual healing is occurring. But the mushroom still knows them, in a way - they're in the network, they appear inside those hallucinatory sequences, they're connected. Hildy doesn't seem to recognize the little men, either. But she's been in great shape. The only obstacle along her path has been Marshall, and even then, she's kind of dealt with him at every turn. Because no offense to him, he's a bit of a pushover sometimes.

What I'd say ties this all together, really, is the violent reaction Marshall had to touching the tincture in episode nine. Marshall had nothing wrong with him, besides maybe some residual effects from the tetrodotoxin. If he did, it'd make sense for that to be healed, but his reaction was so violent that it had to be something greater than just a basic sense of needing help. There's room for communication within that network, and once Marshall makes contact, the sudden expansion of that network immediately overwhelms him with what I can only call danger signs. His inherent stress, everything that he in his mind says is wrong, it's boiling over and communicating through the network. It's trying to help him, and struggling to do so, because the factors causing him trouble are so far out of his control.

And ultimately, it all ties into the general theme of the show, too. Down to its core, it's entirely submerged in the idea of human connection, moving past all these complex bullshit systems we've built to dehumanize others and manufacture a struggle, and as Bennett and Hely put it, "restore the human spirit".

This mushroom, this mycelial network, it communicates in a way that just can't comprehend human complexities. It can't make sense of this interpersonal stress, devoid of physical stimulants causing trouble. It's purely driven on the desire to provide health, nutrients, stability to those in its network.

It's not a bad way to communicate. It's what some people need. But we see from Reutical that it's not what people are ready for.

[restinslices]

.

Can I request a scenario where the lin kuei brothers, after rescuing the reader from an enemy who was torturing the reader, react to the hijacked!reader(idk, if you read/watched the hunger games especially mockingjay, if you didn't then hijacking in hunger games is a form brainwashing involving the venom of tracker-jackers(mutated wasps whose venom can cause hallucinations and can painfully kill a person) to alter the memories of a person in a negative manner), who reacts violently towards them and bring afraid of them, calling them a monster and verbally berating them.

I haven’t seen those movies in years but I watched some videos and looked at the wiki so I hope I got it right! I also added a Drabble for everyone as a “my bad” cause I took so long.

Also it is 5:09pm. The danger time (look at previous post. Weather shit) is until 7pm. I’m hoping we stay fine but bitch it’s raining and I hear thunder and saw lightning. Send help😭

Bitch I’m proof reading and my lights flickered-

Anger is much easier and better to feel than sadness or grief, so he forces himself to feel that instead 

The second he realizes that you've been taken by enemies, he's in a rage 

He's visibly more angry and harsh towards everyone 

He hardly sleeps or lets himself relax because that means he's not looking for you 

Someone could take a break to sit and he's asking why they aren't doing anything to help 

Once you're found he's relieved and wants to see you immediately 

All that stress slips from his shoulders when he sees that you're alive and safe 

That stress is immediately dumped back on his shoulders when instead of pulling him into a hug, you run at him and wrap your hands around his throat 

As you can imagine, he has no problem pushing you off, but he's thrown so off guard because why would he ever expect you to attack him?

You don't come to your senses and his confusion rises when you attack him again by jumping on him and trying to strangle him again 

If you weren't trying to murder him, he'd be impressed with how you hang on despite how many times he's hit you 

Having to knock you out takes a lot out of him mentally. I mean, come on y'all. You were missing for so long and instead of hugging and loving each other when you finally saw each other, you attacked him like a wild animal and he actually had to defend himself 

When he's told what Hijacking is, all that anger comes back 

Some sick fuck took you from him, tortured you in various ways and managed to change your memories to something negative. How could he not be angry? They destroyed you with such precision. It was sick. 

Bi-Han is advised not to see you again. Anyone could guess that he wouldn't listen 

He had hope that maybe you just needed rest, but that didn't seem to work 

You forgot you were strapped down and tried to run at him again. You fussed with your straps in an attempt to get free and yelled in frustration 

Bi-Han doesn't know what to say. In an attempt to comfort you, he says “we'll fix you”

“There's always something wrong with me, isn't there?” You sneered with resentment. 

He kept talking to you and it seemed like no memory was left safe. Every single memory was tainted. The image of him was tainted. Why? Why did this have to happen to someone as kind as you? Why not to him? Or, as dick head-ish it sounded, a random Lin Kuei member?

All his efforts go to finding a way to reverse it. And I can see him being angry at Liu Kang because he can't reverse it. It fuels a resentment he already holds for him

“Grandmaster, I have been instructed to not let you in this room” a Lin Kuei member said in his best stern voice. Bi-Han didn't have time for this. He had just been informed that somehow Liu Kang couldn't save you, which made absolutely no sense to him. Liu Kang, this powerful god that created the universe itself couldn't fix this one person in the universe? Someone who deserved to be saved the most out of everyone?

“Your Grandmaster didn't give you this order, did I?”. The Lin Kuei swallowed hard and tried to stammer something out, but Bi-Han pushed him out the way and went inside the formally blocked room. 

You looked over at him, still with hate in your eyes. Your brows were low, your mouth in a deep frown, your arms and legs strapped to the bed. Your face was less bruised than it was when you first arrived, so he guessed he was thankful for that. 

“You look like shit” you said. 

“I've been worried about you” he answered honestly.

“Bullshit. You lie. You always lie”

“Who told you that?” he stepped closer to you although he knew he shouldn't. “Our enemies made you think this. They lied to you. They tortured you because they knew it'd hurt me. Because I love you”. He wasn't sure he's loved anyone as much as he loves you. But you wouldn't believe him. You kept saying he was lying and you had no idea how much it killed him to see you, but not have you. 

You stared at him blankly while thinking. You smirked at him and motioned for him to come even closer. He didn't though. The various wounds he had kept him from keeping hope of you changing. 

“Do you think your father let out a sigh of relief when he realized he was dying and getting away from you? Your mother as well? Being around you is the worst torture imaginable and I can't wait until I'm set free too”. 

Kuai Liang vows that he'll find and bring you back home no matter what 

He's also uneasy and on edge the entire time 

No stone is left unturned. He's checking every possible area and is suspicious of everyone 

He knows you'll have some sort of trauma, so when you're found, he tries to give you space 

Just enough time for doctors to look you over 

When he visits you the last thing he expects is for you to do is scream and try to get away from him 

He tries to get closer to you and comfort you but you keep screaming and accusing him of trying to hurt you 

He's confused. He would never do such a thing to you. He hardly even play fought with you because he was so worried about him accidentally hurting you 

You keep clinging to the doctors and yelling at him to stay away 

He just doesn't understand how something like this can happen. He keeps trying to comfort you but you're terrified of him

He has to be dragged out because he doesn't wanna leave at all 

When he's told what's happened to you he's confused how this is even possible and he wonders if he can ever get you back 

It's not necessarily just “I want my partner back”. It's also “they didn't deserve to have their light taken away”

You stay terrified of him so he tries to stay away from you 

He checks in when you're sleep and he peeks at you when you're not paying attention 

A two way mirror is a way to watch you as well 

Honestly he'd rather have you angry at him than afraid of him

You look so broken and shaken and it's killing him 

The same way he vowed to find you is the same way he vows to save you 

Meanwhile he has other people talk to you for him. He's trying to see if maybe someone else can make you realize that he's not some monster that you've been brainwashed to believe 

It doesn't seem to work, but he keeps trying. He refuses to give up on you. 

Kuai Liang was warned that this could possibly be a bad idea, but he didn't care. What was he supposed to do? Not try? Just let you sit and rot? No. Maybe he didn't have any magical abilities that could cure you, but he could still try. 

He watched through the 2 way mirror as Tomas approached you. You were a lot nicer to him and more comfortable around him. As bad as it sounded, it made him feel awful that Tomas was your comfort instead of him. 

Tomas tried to ease you into a conversation about Kuai Liang and he watched you tense and sit up. Did you think he was going to rush in and attack you? No. There had to be some parts of you still in there. 

“Kuai Liang isn't a bad person. You've been lied to-”

“He killed your family”. 

Tomas cleared his throat, uncomfortable. “Kuai Liang was too young to-”

“They’re all killers!” You snapped. “They'll kill me! He'll kill me! Did he send you in here to weaken me?!” You looked around the room in fear and Kuai Liang stupidly ran in there to comfort you as a reflex.. He realized his mistake when he caught your eye and you fell out of your bed trying to get away. 

“HE'S HERE!” You screeched like a banshee and crawled to the farthest wall. “HE'S HERE! HE'S HERE!”. Tomas gripped Kuai Liang’s shoulders and pushed him away. He knew he shouldn't have been in there, but a part of him still fought back against the younger man. 

“GET AWAY! GET AWAY FAST! HE'S HERE! HE'S HERE! HE'LL HURT ME!” You kept screaming and clawed at your face. 

Tomas closed the door in Kuai Liang’s face with a remorseful look. The man stayed there and listened to you scream and destroy things around you. He didn't move or cover his ears. He deserved to listen. It was his punishment for not finding you in time. 

This is gonna sound bad, but when you go missing, he already assumes you're dead 

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst type shit 

He's no stranger to death and obviously he doesn't WANT you to be dead, but he prepares himself for if that's the case 

Don't think he's not searching tho. He’s always looking for you. He's not even eating 

When they find you he's so relieved 

He has the doctors tell him how you are because as much as he wants to see you, he knows he gotta let them do their job 

He feels so bad because all the reports he's getting are terrible. Each bruise he's told about shatters him 

He brings flowers when he's finally allowed to visit you 

When you attack him he's thrown completely off guard 

He doesn't even really defend himself at first because he's never had to defend himself from you 

At first he thinks you're angry with him because he failed to protect you. When he's told what really happened, he wished it was the first one instead 

He blames himself for not protecting you, so he'd understand that 

You being tortured and your memories being toyed with? It was terrible. He'd say he wished the tables were turned and he was tortured, but he'd never want you to feel how he feels 

He keeps trying to communicate with you but you keep screaming and trying to kill him 

Honestly he'd deal with all of that without any complaints. He just keeps being told it's not a good idea and not good for your recovery 

The insults, the foul language, the physical attacks, none of it hurts as much as the knowledge that there's a possibility he won't get you back 

He has gifts sent to you but never says it's from him 

He has old pictures sent to you too hoping that it'll spark something 

He'll keep trying to save you even if it kills him 

Tomas’ heart thumped hard and rapidly in his chest as he walked to your room, bouquet in hand. He knew flowers wouldn't solve whatever happened to you, but he hoped it'd cheer you up somewhat. He had finally been allowed to visit you after what felt like forever and while he wasn't happy to see how bad you looked, he was happy to see you alive. 

He pushed the door open and your frame came into view. Bandages covered the bruises on your face and body, but thankfully you had showered since you arrived. He hoped feeling clean gave you a sense of relief or peace. He just hoped you felt better. 

You saw Tomas and your brows furrowed- no. That couldn't be. You wouldn't look at him like… nah. 

“Tomas?” You said. 

“It's me”. He turned to set the flowers down and immediately heard people yelling your name. He turned, scared he'd see you having some sort of medical complication. What he didn't expect was to feel you shove him against the wall then onto the ground. 

“MUTT! POISONOUS MUTT!”. He screamed as he felt something pierce his shoulder. It was a scissor. He hadn't even seen you grab it. How were you that fast and why were you doing this?

“Stop!” he shouted. You stared at him with loathing and hatred, which was something he couldn't wrap his head around. He winced when you pulled the scissor out. 

He blocked you from stabbing him in the chest. You looked angered and pushed on your hand to try and stab him. “What's wrong with you?” he whispered, his eyes wide in fright. 

The scissor was ripped from your hand and you were pulled off him by multiple doctors and others who heard the commotion. He got to his feet and watched as you kept trying to break free from their grip. 

“MUTT! POISONOUS MUTT!” You repeated. “HE KILLED HIS FAMILY! HE'LL LEAD US TO OUR DEMISE! POISON! TOXIC!I HAVE TO KILL HIM!” You screeched and kept struggling. He held his bloodied shoulder in disbelief. 

What had happened to you?

Once again, apologies it took so long. My writing break was timed POORLY

[dis-harmony]

🏀 Slam Dunk Headcanons: Aesthetics Shohoku 🏀

Sakuragi 🏀

Sakuragi’s aesthetic would be a jock since he is part of the delinquent gang with the four of his friends.

He would always be like one when it comes to basketball even though he might have poor skills at it at times 😞

But don’t worry, at least Haruko would support him which hopefully she’s going to love his style if he is a jock.

He would at least spend a lot of time at video games or sports, but mostly basketball to achieve his skills. He is athletic tbh.

He might want to wear a jock strap or just a letterman jackets along with a Shohoku team uniform with it.

Rukawa 🦊

Oh, this bad boy is DEPRESSED.

Rukawa would be into either goth stuff or emo things so I’m guessing he could be an E-boy tbh.

Lazy boy would be E-boy 🖤

If it’s too pretty for him, he might at least be plain emo then.

He would always admire with grunge aesthetics so he would want to look cool on it and I bet he would be listening to punk or metal rock music.

I’m pretty sure if he wears those things, the girls would really see him so dark whether they love it or not.

Crack: If he’s h?rny, he would want to be an emo femboy in private… 💀

Haruko 🌸

Sweet girl is nothing but a softie! 🧸

She has various favorites of aesthetics that can be cutesy and Japanese-cultured like bubble bujo, babygirl, girly, cute party kei, cutegore, choco girl, pastel, fairy kei, heisei retro, jirai kei, kawaii gamer, Lolita, MANY MORE!!!

But mostly, she loves to be a softie in general.

This girl will do anything for a cuteness overload to Sakuragi so he would explode with cuteness in a chibi form ❤️

She loves to write love letters, eating some sweets, spending much time listening to cute music, cuddling her pillows and plush toys, and collect kawaii figures.

Her most favorite part of all is wearing cute dresses and hoodies when going out, especially if she goes out for a date with Sakuragi.

Ayako 🧢

Here goes this baddie… 😎

Her aesthetics would mostly be tomboyish but she would love to have such cool and cleavage styles to be cool like Mcbling moodb, gyaru, baddie, city pop, scene, vaporwave, and boujee

Tomboyish girl is cool!

Lots of people would go crazy about her ngl.

Best girl can get sporty too if she wanted to be like Sakuragi.

What a bimbo 💅

Mitsui ⚡️

Mitsui would be into these aesthetics that has to do with rock/heavy metal music.

But I think he would be into grunge like Rukawa does but differently ofc.

He does have a sense of fashion back in his time with his former delinquent gang which I would’ve thought he looked like he belonged to a heavy metal band tbh.

He would be into AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Kiss, Black Sabbath, and others..

If he can have that kind of aesthetic, he would wear leather jackets, studded belts, black jeans, hi-top shoes, and combat boots.

Akagi 🦍

This gorilla man would have a perfect sense of gangster stuff. 😎

GANGSTA ✨

Yes, he’s totally gonna have an obsession with gangster culture tbh.

This guy would be listening to rap music or hip-hop because of the violent lifestyle in USA.

He could wear a double-breasted suit so he can look like a total gangsta. Or he would just wear baggy clothes.

Ryota 7️⃣

Ryota on the other hand has so much experiences of aesthetics that can be weird and fun.

He would be some guy who might be used to those crazy and random weird things that he would like to see on TV or if he can play some video games like FNAF or Poppy Playtime.

POV: One day, Ryota came home from school and is literally crashed from having an amazing time of playing basketball with his team in the game performance.

But when he’s tired, he would sit and be on his computer all day but then hallucinate on weird scenery and stuff.

After that, he would end up having dreams that has to do with weirdcore.

Imagine if his teammates will turn themselves differently than normal, much to them becoming chibis.

Kogure 👓

I think this four-eyed boy would be a prep! 😊

His preppy style would be like sailor shorts, boat shoes, collared tops, and others.

This nerd would be really into college and old money stuff ngl.

Nerdy

I bet he would be quite obsessive with smart things once get himself preppy tho

I Think his favorite things about it would be like studying, vocabulary, advanced schoolwork, even many things that can make him reach to college (somehow if he would).

[thechaoticdruid]

[This Bites] (2)

Astarion x Chubby Female MC

Content/Warnings: Winnie freaks the fuck out. Astarion gets an owie. Asshole Brian strikes again. Nothing really crazy in this chapter.

Chapter One: Here it is.

Chapter Two: You are here.

Chapter Three: Lets goooo!

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Winnie fell back with a shriek as the vampire reached out, touching the other side of the screen. 

“Ah….Well that's not exactly the reaction I was hoping for.” He muttered as Winnie continued to stare in shock and disbelief, mouth agape.  “Hello?”

“I have got to be dreaming. This is insane.“ Winnie looked back at the screen before then putting her hand back on the mousepad and attempting to click on Astarion. 

“Hey! Quit that!” He said, swatting the mouse away from him. “I can see how this may be a little overwhelming, but I'll explain everything in a moment. I just need you to do something for me.”

“I’m not sure if I should be listening to you. You just murdered Tav!” 

“Don’t worry about them. They die all the time! They're used to it.” He said in an all too cheerful tone. “I, however, need your help. I'm trapped in this place and you're the only one who can free me.” 

“Still not sure if I should trust a hallucination…”

“Oh for gods sake I'm not a hallucination! I'm as real as you are. Don't believe me? Put your hand against mine. See what happens.” Astarion stared at her intently, keeping his palm pressed against the screen. Winnie paused, thinking it over.

Well It's not actually real after all, right? Probably just a dream…

Finally she placed her hand against his over the screen. For a moment there was no reaction, but then she felt a zapping pain in her hand as if she'd been shocked. Winnie let out a yelp, her hand about to retreat before Astarion phased through the screen and grabbed hold of her wrist. The female jerked back in fear, pulling the vampire out in the process. She fell back and let out a squeak as the male fell on top of her. 

Pink tinted her face as she felt his chiseled muscular physique pressing down upon her much more soft round squishy one. Her mind was flying, filled with shock, concern, disbelief, and a little arousal….

AHHHH IT'S REAL. THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO!!?!

I….I think I'm gonna faint!

“Finally.” Astarion grinned before getting off of the flustered girl. He breathed out, clenching and unclenching his fists as Winnie noticed his fingernails had become more claw-like now that he was outside of her computer. It was so nonsensical that this was even happening. This was a character out of a video game. How in the actual fucking hell was he standing right here?!

“Thank you. It feels like I've been stuck in a time loop for gods know how long.” The silver haired elf looked around her room, a look of pure glee plastered over his face.

“I'm sorry I'm trying to process this all without completely flipping out…” Winnie said, still rather shaken up. “You're a fictional character, you can't physically be here!”

“Well I am. Though if I'm honest everything up until about three days had ago felt rather trance-like. Like I had just woken up from a reoccurring dream.”

“Three days ago? Shit…” An idea began to form in Winnie's mind. Three days prior was when she installed that cheat mod and the game locked her out. What if somehow that was the cause of this!?

“I tried to snap the others out of it, but they were still stuck in the same routine, like some mindless thralls forced to repeat the same journey over and over!” Astarion made a spinning gesture with his hand before rubbing his temple with a sigh.

“None of them seemed phased in the slightest when I tried to speak to them. Not even a good slap did the trick.” Astarion smirked with a hint of mischief, the memory of slapping Gale repeatedly and yelling ‘WAKE UP’ coming to mind.  “So I had to get your attention.” 

“So you messed with my computer?” Winnie glanced back at her laptop.

“The little box portal thing you pulled me through? Yes.” He nodded. 

“And how did you even know about me?”

“You act as though we’ve never met, lover.~” His tone suddenly turned flirty and seductive. “Falling in love with you over and over was one of the few things that didn't grow old. Well that and murdering Cazador of course.” He chuckled with a smile.

“Oh…Well maybe I am just dreaming or hallucinating.” Winnie muttered under her breath. 

“I’ve been able to tell you were there the entire time, darling. That little portal thing of yours goes both ways.”

“You've been able to see me through the screen this whole time!?” Winnie bit her lip, fearful and a bit embarrassed of what he possibly could have seen.

“See and hear, yes. Although you always looked fuzzy from my end. Tav does resemble you a little bit, but you're much more….” His eyes scanned Winnie over, taking in her shape and stature. The girl was quite short, about five feet and three inches. She had short messy brown locks and dark circles under her chocolate brown eyes. A pair of black round glasses framed her round face. Her body was chubby and stocky and her only redeeming quality it had (in her opinion) were her large round breasts. “Voluptuous…” He finished after getting a good look at her.  Despite the meaning of the word Winnie immediately wrote him off as bullshitting as usual. She had played the game enough to know how he was.  

“But it is rather delightful to finally meet you in person. Honestly it feels like we've known each other for years.” 

“Alright…..I'll accept that you're actually sentient. And that everytime I go through the game you can see all my choices....” Winnie said, still coming to terms with the fact that a fucking fictional vampire  just came out of her computer.  “So…What happens now?”

“I see what this new world has to offer, I suppose.” Astarion let out a sigh, “I feel so much stronger here. Like I could do anything I want.” He grinned. Winnie felt very unnerved. He had this somewhat feral look in his eyes and before she could say anything he walked over towards her window like a dumbass only to let out a yell once the sunlight touched him. 

“Ah! Bloody hells!” He hissed before rushing to hide under her nightstand like a cat.

“The fuck are you doing!?” Winnie said before rushing over to shut the curtains. “Did you suddenly think you'd become invincible!?” 

“I assumed I was still under the tadpole’s protection, but it seems I was wrong…” Astarion said with a wince. His face looked a bit singed, Winnie knelt down by the table to look at him. 

“Hold on, I'll be right back.” She said before getting up and leaving her room. She rushed down into the kitchen, opening the medicine cabinet before grabbing some aloe vera ointment. 

Winnie eventually returned to see Astarion crawling out from the table. “Stay still. This is probably going to feel cold.”

“What are you doing?”

“Just patching you up, now hold still.” She unscrewed the lid off the ointment before dabbing some on her fingers and rubbing it over his burns gently. He winced a bit as she rubbed it in over the burns on his face, but eventually sighed in relief. “There. All better.” Winnie smiled slightly. 

“...Thank you….” He said, his tone a bit hesitant. 

“Yeah, well maybe try thinking before rushing into something next time?” She hummed before setting the ointment down on the nightstand. 

The vampire appeared to be staring at her intently, a small smile forming on his face before he cleared his throat a bit. Winnie turned and looked over at her computer before suddenly hearing the front door slam open. 

Shit.  

What the hell were they even doing back this early? Winnie’s mother had specifically stated they'd be home late!

“WINNIE!!!” She could hear Brian's voice shout from across the house. Loud stomping quickly followed.

“Who's that?” Astarion asked. 

“Fuck. You need to hide, now.” Winnie said before looking around the room frantically. She grabbed hold of Astarion's wrist, panic flooded over her face.  Astarion pulled his hand back.

“Now hold on one minute! I think I deserve an explanation!” 

”No time. Now shut up and get in the closet!” She quickly grabbed his shoulders and yanked him over towards her closet door.

“Excuse me!? I will not!” He scoffed.

“Get in the goddamn closet Astarion!!” Winnie growled before forcing him into the closet and shutting the door. Her heart was pounding. 

Not like she wanted to stuff him in there, but if Brian found out there was this strange man in her room she'd likely be called a whore and kicked out of the house. Brian was old fashioned like that. 

The door to Winnie’s room suddenly opened with Brian shoving his ugly head inside. 

“Your mother is sick, so we came back early. I'm going to need some cash because she ruined my new seat cover.” Brian held his hand out as if he expected her to immediately cough up a wad of cash.

Winnie immediately scoffed, “so let me get this straight your wife is sick and you're more concerned about your seat cover? Nevermind, no. I already gave you 200$ last week!” 

“Oh you ungrateful little bitch! I let you stay in my house for free! It's about damn time you start pulling your weight!” Brian snarled and pushed at Winnie’s shoulder, making her step back. Winnie glared at him. Her mother was the one who owned the fucking house, not him. 

“I need to be able to pay for classes! I can't just give you money for every little thing.” Winnie tried to reason with him, but it had absolutely no effect on the man whatsoever.

“You have your own fucking job and live in MY house for free! You better cough up some goddamn money by tomorrow night or you're out!” Brian shouted in her face before stomping out of the room and slamming the door. Winnie sighed, feeling mentally exhausted from that conversation. She stood there for a few moments until she was sure Brian wouldn't be coming back.

“Okay, Astarion, you can come out of the closet now.” She said as the closet door slowly creaked open. The silver haired male stepped out, flicking a sock off his shoulder before speaking.

“Charming fellow isn't he?” 

“Mhm, my mom sure can pick em.” Winnie replied sarcastically, crossing her arms. “That asshole has been a thorn in my side for about four years now. Anyway sorry about the closet thing. It's just better that he didn't find out I had some random man in my room. He tends to get set off by….well everything.” Winnie said before sitting down on her bed, her hand reaching for her laptop. She was rather curious to get down to the bottom of why and how this video game character gained sentience.  

“You know darling, if this man is causing you so much grief I could get rid of him for you? It wouldn't be too difficult.” Astarion said with a sadistic smirk, crimson orbs eyed the door to the hallway.  “After all, I'll likely start to feel peckish soon…”

Winnie’s eyes widened and a look of horror formed on her face. She quickly put her laptop to the side.

“No! No no no no! No killing!” The brunette stood up quickly. 

“What? Oh come on…I doubt anyone would miss the bastard, besides your mother can do so much better I'm sure.” The pale elf said with a grin.

“No, I mean it. You can't kill anyone.” Winnie said sternly.

“Not even bad people? Ugh! You're being completely unreasonable!” Astarion scoffed, his grin completely disappeared and was replaced with a look of frustration and annoyance.

“This world isn't like where you're from Astarion. People don't get away with murder here. And if you aren't caught it'll probably end up being pinned on me.” Winnie tried to explain calmly.

“Fiiiine.” The vampiric huffed, “I'll let him live. For now…” He murmured the last part under his breath. Winnie glared at him before returning to her computer. 

“So assuming you don't want to go back into my computer…” 

“I absolutely do NOT.” Astarion was quick to say.

“I'll have to figure out what to do with you, but for now I guess you can stay here.”  Winnie said, typing in Nexus Mods onto her laptop. Astarion went and sat beside her on the bed, spralling out behind her in a sort of paint me like one of your french girls kind of way.

“We can do whatever you'd like.~” He purred seductively. 

“Stop that.” Winnie said, her cheeks turning bright red as she tried to focus on what she was doing.

“Ugh, you're no fun.” Astarion rolled his eyes and got up off the bed.  The elf scanned Winnie’s bedroom, slightly curious of some of the strange technology the girl had stored there, but not too invested. Then movement caught his crimson eye. A small fluffy black feline emerged from under the bed. She had a pink collar around her neck with a little silver bed attached to it. Curiously the cat padded over, approaching Astarion and sniffing at his shoes.  

“What an adorable little snack.~” He picked up the cat who began to pur at the attention, “don't you just look delectable?” The vampire cooed, scratching the feline behind the ears.

“Astarion. Don't you fucking think about it.” Winnie hissed, immediately feeling protective over her cat.  

“Think about what?” Astarion rose an eyebrow and looked over at Winnie with a mischievous grin.

“I swear if you even think about eating my cat-”

“I would never! Honestly I'm hurt you think so little of me. As if I could harm such a precious little pet.” Astarion held the feline up towards his face, allowing her to gently headbutt against his cheek. Her purring sounded as if it was getting louder and louder. Winnie still kept her eyes on him, though perhaps she was a little paranoid. After all he did seem to fancy cats in the game. Likely felt a kinship towards them being that they were stealthy sadistic little predators who refused to let anyone be their master. 

Winnie sighed, today had been utterly insane. Forget how it happened. What the hell was she going to do now!? She's stuck with a vampire in her house who she has to hide from her asshole of a stepdad. She already knew off the bat there was no way he'd go back where he came from and releasing him out into the real world by himself was probably a terrible idea. 

He'd either wreak havoc or end up burnt to a crisp.  This was just great.

Fuck.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Note from TheChaoticDruid: Ngl the temptation to make this into an Astarion x Maddie (The cat) story is growing. I really think there should be more stories where Star has a cat cause the dynamic is just so cute. Astarion in this story is going to be a bit different because of how I set up that he literally has been through a bunch of different playthroughs that Winnie has done. I'm also planning on diving into the mystery of how the hell this even happened in the first place. Also eventual smut. Yes, it'll be here at some point. Also don't worry Brian's time will come.

Taglist: @the-disaster-in-waiting

[transdimensional-void]

Interesting parallels between Dany, Jon and Paul. I have seen some posts about how Paul and Dany being the 'white saviours' in their arc. What do you think?

glad you found my answer to this question interesting!

i actually highly recommend this princess weekes youtube video titled "Why Sci-fi & Fantasy Can't Fix Its White Savior Problem." she delves into the entire topic of white saviors in speculative fiction while discussing how paul and dany both fit into the trope.

as she discusses in the video (and clarifies further in a comment below it), paul atreides was always meant to be a deconstruction of the archetypical hero. (if you want to delve even more deeply into paul as "hero" i suggest this video by Jess of the Shire). in fact, it's quite clearly stated within the text of dune itself that paul being a "hero" is a bad thing for the fremen. as he lies dying, the planetary ecologist liet-kynes, who has dedicated his life to helping the fremen terraform their planet, hallucinates a conversation with his father in which his father warns him:

"No more terrible disaster could befall your people than for them to fall into the hands of a Hero," his father said. Reading my mind! Kynes thought. Well...let him.

and over the course of the series, this warning is borne out. in the wake of paul's ascension to the throne, the fremen way of life utterly disappears. their planet, now the capital of the empire, no longer belongs to them. the sandworms—their gods—disappear. fremen culture is eventually reduced to museum performances for tourists.

paul is even explicitly shown to be a false messiah. the prophecy that tells the fremen of their coming savior was planted by a branch of the bene gesserit called the missionaria protectiva. jessica, a bene gesserit, recognizes the signs of this when she first arrives on arrakis and later takes advantage of the groundwork her sisterhood laid to ensure that she and paul will be accepted among the fremen.

but what makes paul a tragic figure is that the moment he becomes aware of the path he is being lead down—to become this figure of prophecy, a hero, a messiah—he tries to resist it. yet he is trapped, by the deterministic prison of his own prophetic visions, by the millennia of planning and manipulations carried out by the bene gesserit which led to his birth, and by his own thirst for vengeance. also, he's only fifteen when he is asked to take on this mantle of hero-messiah-prophesied savior.

paul's failure to avert the devastating genocide that is carried out in his name is tragic...yet it doesn't make him any less responsible for his own decisions. he could have given up on vengeance, settled down among the fremen, and lived the rest of his life in obscurity—but he chose not to.

i think grrm has set dany on a similarly tragic path. she's so young, has experienced such massive loss, is the result of generations of intentional inbreeding to maintain her family's connection to magic, and when we first meet her, all she wants is a home, love, and security—things she has never had. despite all of these factors that make her a sympathetic character, though, dany is no less responsible for her own decisions than paul is for his.

her actions lead to ever increasing amounts of death and destruction. first, the lhazarene, then the people of slaver's bay, and probably, eventually, king's landing and other areas of westeros. she positions herself as a savior who is ending slavery and establishing a better, more benevolent form of government in astapor, yunkai, and meereen. yet, astapor is left in a state of utter ruin and devastation after dany's sacking of it. no one there is better off as a result of her actions. yunkai goes straight back to its slaving once she leaves, and she herself reimplements slavery in meereen as its queen. by the end of adwd, she's decided to abandon meereen like she did astapor and yunkai, so we can assume it will suffer a similar fate.

dany, like paul, is clearly meant to be a deconstruction of the white savior trope. in her own mind, she is a savior of the foreign cultures she invades and conquers (also note how similar her title "mhysa" is to "messiah"). yet the reality is that she has brought little to the people of slaver's bay other than death and destruction. and once she gets to westeros, who, exactly, will she be saving? westeros has no slavery. marching her armies and dragons in to claim the iron throne will be hard to spin as an act of benevolence rather than of conquest.

that being said...

as princess weekes points out in the video above, while the authors intended these two characters to be deconstructions of the white savior trope, the execution leaves something to be desired...because in both the case of paul and dany, there are large numbers of readers who take their claims of heroism at surface value, see them as straightforward heroes, and applaud their actions. they miss the context of them each being outsiders highjacking a foreign culture for their own ends. in some cases, the very types of people these depictions are most meant to criticize, are the exact same people who hold up these characters as their ideal...

so, are paul and dany "white saviors"? well...a lot of readers genuinely read them that way, even if that's not what the authors intended.

thanks for your question! i really enjoyed being able to discuss this topic.

[thispersonistired]

Anchorage (Landoscar)

Woke up to 3 notes on the other one. Thought I was still dreaming. Thanks guys! <3

So here's another one...

AU where Lando dies in an accident in ad 2022 so he and Osc are never teammates but somehow his existence still haunts him.

>---<

The mechanics and engineers still mention his name every now and then.

When Oscar gives feedback on the car, a mechanic says offhandedly, “Lando mentioned that earlier, yeah.”

When Oscar has a particularly bad result that came down to nothing but driver error, he's come to expect the inevitable, “Do you think Lando would have done better?”

Even when he got his first podium in Silverstone, and in the heat of the moment, Will, on the radio, had called him by the Brit’s name.

"That's P2, Lando! That's a podium, mate! We did— oh, sorry, Oscar, I—"

"It’s alright," Oscar had said, because he really didn’t care. And because, most of the time, it couldn’t be helped.

Everyone — the team, the sport, the world— had lost someone who should still be here.

In 2022, the world lost Lando Norris, the man who was loved by all.

Oscar never truly met him. And yet, months later, he is still haunted by the ghost of his presence.

And maybe that’s what’s driving him crazy.

Because there is absolutely no way on earth that Lando Norris is sitting in his driver’s room right now, curled up in the chair by the corner, napping like he belonged there.

Oscar freezes in the doorway, still gripping the handle.

Curly hair. Slight frame. Those familiar sleepy eyes he'd only seen a hundred times in McLaren youtube challenge videos, blinking up at him.

But they don’t see him. Rather, they're looking right past him.

"Oh, Jon, it can’t be race time yet. I’m just so tired!" The voice is unmistakable.

Oscar’s breath catches in his throat. His heart pounds so hard he can feel it in his fingertips.

Then— A hand lands on his shoulder.

"Spacing out, are we, bud? That’s what happens when you stay up doing God-knows-what all night." Jon’s voice is casual, amused.

Oscar flinches, his entire body stiff with tension.

"I—" He starts, but is cut off.

"I slept before ten like you said, I swear!" Lando groans, stretching in the chair like he’s done this a thousand times before.

Jon, as Oscar notices, doesn’t even react. Doesn’t turn his head. Doesn’t acknowledge him. Instead, he raises a brow at Oscar. "You?"

Oscar barely hears him. His attention is still stuck on Lando who swings his legs off the chair, standing up.

He’s walking toward them.

Straight toward Oscar who instinctively flinches, bracing for impact, but—

But Lando doesn’t stop. He doesn’t even hesitate.

He walks right through him.

Cold. It’s cold. A chill spreads through Oscar’s chest, his arms, down to his fingertips.

His stomach churns. He feels lightheaded, dizzy. This….this isn’t happening, he thinks.

He must be tripping. Maybe he took something bad without realizing it. Maybe he’s sleep-deprived, overstressed, hallucinating.

Because the only other explanation is that he’s completely, utterly losing his mind.

Jon, oblivious, claps a hand against Oscar’s back. "Actually, I think I’ll go grab you some aspirin. You seem a bit out of it."

Oscar doesn’t answer. He can’t.

Because Jon clearly hadn’t noticed the ghost that was just standing in the room and had just walked through the both of them.

When Oscar looks behind him, he sees just the retreating form of his trainer and no one else.

>-----<

A/n_ thanks for reading! I crave validation :3

[galadrieljones]

Zabel Interview, Team Delusional Round-up, re: the past few weeks (months?) 💫

(Based on an ask from @natural-blue-26! This post contains spoilers, pertaining to the script leak. If you don't want them, turn back!!)

First, let me say that @twdmusicboxmystery has posted an excellent video covering this topic over at her youtube channel. This post is jumping off of that, with some additional takes and analysis by me!

Also, note that I wanted to wait to post or to talk about this too much publicly until today, as I think there are a lot of genuine shippers who might be let down right now. Not all c*rylers are unhappy, unruly people. Many are shippers just like us, and even though I don't ship it, I support them. I am only putting this in the Team Delusional tag, so anyone who sees this is seeing it either because they follow me, follow the tag, follow someone who follows me, or they went looking for it themselves. I am not making drama or inciting a "ship war." If you're here out of anger, I suggest you turn back. I am just going to go over what I see.

The Facts

There has been a recent spate of events that have lead Team Delusional to a rare and more than modest resurgence. Until now, we were mostly just working with templates and symbolism, with a healthy dose of informed meta and speculation: We were seeing how the season 4/5 template was beginning to unfold toward the Grady arc, which includes Carol in a major role.

BUT. Let's check in with what's been going on over the past six months. A lot of this new resurgence starts with Emily's multiple trips to Europe for TWD cons in the past six months, integrated with her (yet unrealized) insinuation that she has been in studio recording one or more songs that Beth sang on TWD. Massive financial burdens aside, these are unusual undertakings for Emily. While she has done many fan cons over the years, visiting Europe twice in a four month period is bizarre (as well as expensive). She also talked openly and excitedly in the panel at French comic-con about how cool it would be if Beth returned. Further, Emily's "re-recording" of "Parting Glass" and possibly other TWD songs was a fairly big announcement for us at the time, but we haven't seen any more on it since. Speculation went everywhere from "She'll be singing in a flashback in Daryl Dixon season 2" to "Her songs will be part of the soundtrack" to "She'll actually BE in season 2, singing, in the present moment."

A lot of these things, if they were spread out over a 5 year period, wouldn't matter at all. But the fact that they're all taking place in the six-month run-up to Daryl Dixon s. 2, when we've already been able to speculate her tenuous return based on templates and other tells, is exciting. It's been almost ten years to the day of Beth's *death.* Why now? The timing on all of this is very suspicious.

Now, a few weeks ago, there was a LEAKED SCRIPT excerpt, which was claimed to be the final scene of DD 2.6. In the script, we learn that Isabelle has died and is appearing to Daryl in the form of a hallucination while he fights walkers in the Chunnel. This was confusing for many reasons. First, we already know, given their ruthless advertisement of the fact, that season 3 is already being filmed in Spain. So why are they headed to England? Also, where the hell is Laurent? Further, Isabelle's death, while unsurprising to many of us, creates some new questions. Many members of a certain *other* ship were ecstatic to learn about Isabelle's death, as Daryl/Isabelle ship rumors have been rampant in the fandom basically since season 1. Forget the fact that the same ship FREAKED out over Daryl/Leah three years ago (a clear nothingburger). Any time another female character even comes into contact with Daryl, a notable portion of fans must make their "displeasure" widely known.

Moving on. Yesterday, an article came out summarizing a yet-unreleased interview with David Zabel in SFX magazine. You can read it here. In the interview, Zabel makes the following comment about "C*ryl":

"The obvious thing to do, and the easier thing to do would be, 'Okay, now they're falling in love and they're a couple.' But I always felt like that would be a mistake, because it would feel like you were going into the TV book of tricks," he explains. "To me, there was never a question that [their connection] was something other than what it is, and what it seems to want to be, and why it works so well."

Zabel then goes on to hint at a highly-contentious romance with Daryl and Isabelle:

"What happened in season one was that you could see a connection forming, for sure," he says. "We didn't manufacture that but we left room for it. A lot of season two is about the development of that and where that relationship goes, and that little surrogate family of Isabelle, Daryl and Laurent."

Now, the full interview doesn't come out until September 4, at which point, we may get a clearer picture of what's going on. However, it seems that Zabel is politely declining the "C*ryl as romance" narrative. In the quote, he uses the excuse of wanting to avoid TV tropes; however, he then goes on to say (in a portion of the quote that is being wildly misinterpreted among the c*ryl ship) that "To [him]," there was "never a question that [their connection was something other than what it is." He then equates "what it is" with "what it seems to want to be" and "why it works so well." The misinterpretation is coming with that second part. "What it is" = friendship. Zabel is clearly saying that c*ryl "seems to want to be" exactly "what it is," aka: a sacred friendship and nothing more. He's basically saying that this already "works so well," and so why fix what ain't broke? Why create a romance between two characters who are clearly just very, very good friends when he could go another, more interesting direction?

Certain c*ryl accounts have misinterpreted that section of the quote. They seem to think he's saying that the c*ryl ship "seems to want to be" something else, something other than what it is. But if you follow the grammatical logic of the sentence, you can see that they're wrong here. It wants to be what it already is, which is friendship. Of course, to c*rylers, what it already is = romance, but that isn't canon. There's no proof of this. In fact, there's more proof to the contrary, that they're best friends. They're family. Carol was married to somebody else, raised a child with him, still holds a contentious relationship with the other man, allowed Daryl to toil away in the woods alone for five years because she needed to stay with her husband...

In addition to factual evidence from the show, the C*ryl Friendship Campaign has been going strong on social media for MONTHS. In her video this morning, twdmusicboxmystery also goes over quasi-recent comments from Angela Kang which are UNSUPPORTIVE of a c*ryl romance. The notion that this perspective is coming out of nowhere, which some fans are claiming as a way of blaming Zabel for either lying or betraying his fanbase (and the actors), is, frankly, absurd.

Please note that I'm not saying that nobody should ship c*ryl just because it isn't canon. That would be silly. I ship non-canon ships all the time. BETHYL is a non-canon ship! I've written whole fanfics for Beth and Daryl (well, I've tried lol, but most remain unfinished). It's one of the funnest parts of being in a fandom.

What I'm saying is that c*ryl is NOT CANON. It never has been. And the people who get angry about this, who want to get professionals fired over this, who think that they're entitled to getting exactly what they want, lest the show perish, are wrong. They're doing it wrong. It's totalitarian and, frankly, obsessive. This is not how you be in a fandom, and my interpretation here of the Zabel interview in conjunction with the C*ryl Friendship Campaign is that they are TRYING to let this highly volatile and frankly unpleasant faction of the fandom down lightly in an effort to get them off tptb's AND the actors' backs. They don't want to deal with this shit anymore. And by the way, they're actually not leading anyone on. They've been insanely clear here, in their rebranding of c*ryl to a platonic ship, as to what's happening and what's going on, and while I really do feel for the good people who may feel let down by this, I am GLAD to see that the showrunners aren't going to heed the demands of one tiny, loud faction of a giant fandom, and that despite the haters, they're going to tell the story they want to tell.

ANYWAY.

Over the past 48 hours, things have gotten...weird. Zabel's interview dropped less than a day after the TWD Skybound social media accounts appear to have...posted a Bethyl edit out of nowhere. @sweetz1919 also posted early this morning, bringing together a few more Beth-related posts on either official accounts or *near* official accounts, which post promotional material, and which are followed by AMC TWD. One of these posts is a repost on twitter by Scott Gimple, who so rarely posts on social media, that any time he does, it's like a unicorn, symbolically notable and certainly important.

Now, pertaining to the Zabel interview, another wide complaint taking place in the c*ryl camp is that Zabel is likely LYING or he is being taken grossly out of context, because if c*ryl isn't happening, AND Isabelle is going to die, then how could Daryl POSSIBLY get his happy ending?

THIS is where Team Delusional comes in. Of course, we have our theories. Most people think WE'RE the delusional ones. And maybe we are! Lol. I don't really care. Most of our theories are crafted through a TON of hard, circumstantial, pattern-driven, and symbolic evidence, evidence taken from IRL sources, and hypotheses made after paying very close attention to what's been going on and making LOTS and LOTS of connections over a period of many years. Me, myself, I've only been here for four, but some of you guys have been doing this for almost ten, and for that, I salute you! As I said earlier, TD has been theorizing Beth's "return" in DD2 based greatly on symbolic and template-driven evidence alone for a while. A lot of what we're seeing now on social media is playing directly into our hand.

Emily in Europe multiple times in a 4mo period, including a trip to Paris, with her latest stint being just a week before "official" filming for season 3 was set to begin? Emily re-recording tracks from TWD? Leaked script pages in which Daryl mentions Beth specifically AND suggest that Isabelle is going to die? Romantic!C*ryl = not happening? HOW could Daryl possibly get his happy ending now? The rest is TD theory, ie: WHY we think Beth will come back to manifest Daryl's "happy ending." Speculation and theories on how she could come back, the connection to Spain/England/France, that's basically all we talk about lol, each of us with our own interests and niche perspectives, all arriving at the same point.

SO while there is still no proof that she is coming back, all of this is a Good thing, actually. For us. Because while everyone is looking around, freaking out, wondering what's going to happen next, we are seeing and able to read a LOT of signs that others ignore. And rightly so! There's no reason the rest of the GA needs to think that Beth is legitimately coming back. That would overshadow Carol's role in season 2, which is significant. It's just important that the GA REMEMBERS who Beth IS, that she was important to Daryl, and that hey, people used to really like Beth, and they liked Beth and Daryl together, and that was hopeful, and nice for him, and he hasn't had much "hope" or "niceness" since, and wouldn't it be nice if he could have that again...? All of these things are really there to do just this: let the c*ryl ship down easy, and remind people that Daryl once held a very strong connection to a woman whose life "ended" too soon, and who has really never been mentioned again.

While I really have no idea what's coming next, I wonder if we'll begin to see more astroturfed discussion on Beth's *death.* How weird it was, what the hell was going on at Grady, etc. If we don't see it in promotional material, we may hear about it in-show. Because if Daryl is casually mentioning Beth (along with Merle and Glenn) to Isabelle's ghost/vision in episode 2.6, then this likely implies that he's told her about Beth before, and that he's talked to her about what happened. It implies that Isabelle knows who Beth is, which would be a truly insane development, since he's literally never talked about her to anyone, including Carol, as far as we know.

So anyway, as usual, we should all just keep our heads down, chins to our chest, keep hope alive, but with a balanced sense of anticipation. We still really don't know what's going to happen, so it's important to be rational, but it also won't hurt to have a little faith 💫

[seat-safety-switch]

For a couple years, I worked in a video store in a small town. In many ways, this was the culmination of a childhood dream: routine, unchallenging labour. If you were a particularly annoying labour analyst, all I actually ever “did” was ring up rentals, restock returns in the morning, and clean the windows. Customer service has its own way of filling the space left by the actual work, though.

People who have worked retail are a sort of elite corps. For one thing, you’re never rude to another retail employee for the entire rest of your life. You’ve been in the trenches, too, and even if you somehow managed to escape, you’d still have had that shared trauma to know how bad that shift could get for that shelf-stocker at Maybe’s Drugs off I-40.

I have all the usual complaints, but there’s something else, too. My unique problem is this: I had this one customer who came in every Monday morning, asking for the same movie. We never had that movie, which is the crux of our conflict. He – and I can’t remember his name anymore, even if the electroshock therapy had been effective – never took “no” for an answer, and would come back the next week. He’d ask for the same thing, by title. No other details: no barcode, no publisher, no actors. Not even a description of the plot (he hadn’t seen it yet, obviously.) Now, this was before broadband internet was widely available, so I’d have to dial up after hours to America Online, and see if the movie had been added to their database. It never did, except one night I saw some folks talking about it in a video store chat room.

Their customers, too, were asking for this film. Insistently. After talking about it that night, we decided that we would form a bit of a trade union group. If any of us heard anything on this mysterious VHS, we would share the knowledge with the rest of the group. That retail-worker camaraderie at work again, you see. Nothing ever came of it, but I did end up becoming good friends with a manager at a Hobart’s Movies in Ames, Iowa, and we were even roommates for awhile before he got a new job at Seaworld. I moved on, too, making my slow, but inevitably in retrospect, drift towards the coast. Still, the whole thing bothered me. For years afterward, I would turn on my computer every Monday night, long after I had left the job, and search for any clue as to the existence of this film.

Once, on a day off, I called a librarian, who got pissy at me for even asking about it, and demanded to know who had put me up to calling her as a prank. I hung up in a panic, but she called back for hours. Obviously, she was also undergoing the same situation, and I felt shame at having brought a momentary pain to another proud Retail-American.

Now, video rental stores are a thing of the past. Even in small towns, they have been reduced to just a fond memory and an abandoned corner of a strip mall. Maybe my customer’s quest doesn’t matter anymore. The aggregation of the world’s knowledge into one hissing, unseen beast at the centre of our collective technological hallucination is complete. If they don’t have it, pick a different one. All I know is that, one day, someone will find a copy of this movie, and I’ll be able to go back to that town and shove it in the ground where the video store once stood. On that day, I can finally rest, freed from the slavedriver that is Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol.

[sergeant-angels-trashcan]

I'm literally about to sleep but Kate and the 141 being a sense8 cluster is this anything

THE WAY MY EYES WIDENED HOLY SHIT

(Gonna ignore age differences. Maybe they all technically died and "breathed their first breath together" upon resuscitation I love shit like that anyway)

They would be in a cluster for the LONGEST time and not realize it. The guys would BE in the task force together and NOT REALIZE IT. But also. I love the angst. And I kinda want Kate to visit with Simon as he's buried alive. Because how fucking horrifying????? And his fear/panic is so great that it yanks her consciousness to him. Maybe this is before they are born as a cluster? But the trauma is so great that Simon's brain is reaching and reaching and reaching for the connections that should be there!!! And Kate is the closest geographically.

nooo no this is really interesting. i think the trauma could trigger the birth of the cluster, OR, Kate and Simon are kind of like...preemies? They can sort of sense each other but their sensate biology isn't fully developed so it's a very incomplete form of visiting/sharing (it would be interesting if trauma is why their cluster is all different ages? like they were all supposed to be in DIFFERENT clusters. Simon and Kate would have had the same cluster "parent" and the rest of the 141 would have been in separate clusters but trauma+proximity made those connections form with each other? Near death experiences? I'm thinking about when Gaz falls out of the helicopter. The sensate part of his brain is like FUCK I NEED CONNECTION and Simon's sensate brain is all untethered and goes oh HELL yes, FINALLY, cluster here we come! (sensate scientists are fucking feral over this cluster and the IMPLICATIONS )

BUT ANYWAY

simon is just like "sometimes I hallucinate a woman, it's a trauma response"

Gaz: huh weird me too sometimes. First I was freaked out, you know? But then I got used to her

Soap, joking: she's not American, is she?

Gaz, Ghost, and Price turn as one to look at him.

Price: what

So THEN they all think they are having a shared hallucination. Is that something that can be spread? Ghost seems like patient zero but he never said anything about her til now???

Naturally Kate chooses this moment to bebop in. "So I'm a shared hallucination? I don't feel like a hallucination." "How would you know?" Soap points out. "You've got me there. Counterpoint: Why would you create a hallucination that is American?" The four men lean back. Which. Well. "I mean, me hallucinating four hot British guys? Believable. Four hot British guys hallucinating me? Not so much." "You think I'm hot?" Soap says. They ignore him. "You're saying we are the hallucinations," Ghost says flatly. "Or, get this," she says. "None of us are hallucinations." Gaz makes a disbelieving hum. "Okay fine. Easy test." She sticks out her hand, palm up, wiggling her fingers. "Someone give me a phone." After some hesitation, Price pulls his out and slaps it into her hand-her oddly solid hand. She taps the screen for a few seconds before handing it back. "Okay, call me." "What?" "I put my number in. Call me," she repeats then disappears. "Cap, "Gaz says when he finds his voice. "Did that hallucination just put a number in your phone?" "Oh, thank Christ," Soap interjects. "I'm not the only one who saw her." Price looks down at the phone in his hand before answering Gaz. "Appears so." "You gonna do it?" Soap bounces of the sofa. "'Spose it could be a detonator. You call it, something explodes." (Kate, appearing on the sofa next to Soap: oh, PLOT TWIST! I didn't do that, though. Don't know how to. Do you know how to do that? Soap: yes!!! Kate: omg can you teach me? Soap: YES :DDDD loml i will teach you how to make SO many things explode) Ghost kicks him. Gaz tugs the device out of Price's hand. "Video call," he says decisively. Price hits call. It rings. It rings It-- A man's face fills the screen. He's familiar. He is not, however, hallucination woman. "Clinty-boo, can you tell me what you see on my phone?" "What?" "Just tell me what you see.' "Three very confused dudes and someone in a mask, who could be confused and a dude, I just can't tell for sure." "Cool, thanks!" The familiar voice chirps before a familiar face fills the screen. "See?" she says, proud. "None of us are hallucinations. Yay!"

Ok for some reason I see Kate in Egypt doing something slightly sketchy to get info on Rama tut with Marc Spector and Layla El Faouly and she is like "can you see those creepy British guys?" (They cannot) Kate says something about how they are glaring at her and saying they're a 4 hour flight from her, she better not be doing anything illegal, yada yada, they keep following her around or vice versa??? And Marc, apropos of nothing, says, "Yeah, they're your cluster."

"Of what???"

"Fellow sensates. You're sensates."

WhAT

(idk i just liked the idea of Marc being like oh yeah nbd. and kate is like no no i think it's a VERY bd. also Marc knows Ghost.)

when kate visits them she koalas on to one of them. they're so used to it that when they meet in person Soap just carries her around because she's not supposed to walk!!!!

when they visit her Gaz is the one constantly touching her, always has an arm around her. always shows up when she starts to get irritated at her PI work

Her sleep schedule is super fucked because Ghost (NEVER asks her to) sleeps better if she is visiting him. since she has a more flexible schedule (aka is not in the military) she'll stay up late and take naps at random times during the day so Ghost can get some sleepy snuggles companionship to help him drift off

price will visit when she's strategizing to offer helpful advice. gives her scalp massages when the young avengers are on her last damn nerve.

ok i've been sitting on this for a while so i'm gonna stop here!! i love this idea

[ladysmutwriter]

Quiero Sentirme Bien

David Leatherhoff x Female!Reader

TW: Step sibling sex (not really), smut, masturbation, short.

You looked at the divorce papers in the table, a lollipop hanging from your lips as you went through the pages.

Your father had married a woman a few years ago, letting her with her waste of a son into your house to live there, her son being older than you, having a shitty job and spending his free-time smoking marijuana all day in his room without doing shit. His mother was pretty normal, she seemed to love your dad but hey, shit happens- your dad falling into a deep depression after she filed divorce, you and David spending all day locked in his room smoking as to not hear your parents arguing, after all as soon as the divorce would be over he'd move out and you'd never see him again.

He was sorta fun to be around, always taking you out to eat junk food then go to the forest to climb on trees or do stupid stuff- sometimes he'd even give you these pills that made you trip balls, you two laying on his floor high for hours as you hallucinated.

It was night, and you were sexting this random guy you had been hitting it off with, your body covered only by your bra and panties as you looked for an angle to send a video, your hands unclasping you bra in front of the camera, fingers squeezing your breasts as you slowly moved one of your hands down, fingers applying pressure to your clit over your wet panties, the smell of arousal filling your nose as you felt pleasure run through your veins, little moans leaving your mouth as you kept toying with yourself in front of the camera.

Before you realized, your door bursted open -as David never knocked-, David coming in without realizing the situation with McDonalds on his arms, the food falling to the floor as he became frozen, door closing behind him as his eyes stared deeply into your exposed breasts, an instant tent forming on his pant as he turned to look at your flushed face, you breathing heavy from masturbating just a few seconds ago, your hand still over your panties. Staring back at him, you opened more your legs to give him a nice view, moving your panties to a side as your fingers began spreading your juices to your inner lips, ending by toying with your clit, brows furrowing as you felt more pleasure from him staring at you, frozen in place.

As if a switch was turned on inside his head, he slowly approached you, his eyes directing from your face towards your phone filming, taking the phone in his hand before pointing it at your cunt, his hand joining yours as he began penetrating you with two of his thick fingers, his mouth lightly opening as he felt how warm and tight you were, almost sucking in his fingers as the pumped in and out of you- your fingers circling your clit as you left out breathy moans. David stuck out his fingers from your cunt, directing them to your lips as you began sucking, the camera on your face. As you licked clean from your juices his fingers, he went to grab your hair, pushing your head to his hips as he pressed your face to his tent on his pants, groans leaving his mouth as you began licking over the fabric, your hands working down his zipper as his hands began to tremble.

Holy shit, he had watched step sibling porn before but never really thought about you this way- but seeing you so... Atractive, turned something in his brain, his thoughts going from you being nice to go around and ready to protect you from any harm to wanting to breed your womb, fuck you until you couldn't walk anymore, hearing your moans and choking you as he rammed inside you, going fucking feral on your soft body, he wanted to feel each inch, lick each curve of your body and savour your spit inside his mouth.

[respiratory-kristem]

Kris information!!

It's all under the cut :)

@fukuzawa-armeddaddyagency @justsigma-bsd @currentlyeatingrocks

@fedya-the-rat-god @casinoownersigma @purplelockscreen @reaper-beneath-the-moon

@oscarsgallery @sayuutoria

@discourse-on-decadence @futuremafiabossdazaiosamu @the-caged-jester / @juniper-bunch @sugarthebee

TW for abuse, death, substance addiction, mentions to gore, body disfiguration, s/h, violence etc etc

Misc stuff

Derogatory terms he calls himself:

Failure

Revived Corpse

Weapon

Flesh puppet [with a soul]

Puppet

Addict

Monster

Creature

Demon

Empty doll

A thing to be manipulated

Creature of bloodlust

Frankenstein

Corpse puppet

Favorite things / Likes / Things that’ll win him over:

Robert the Lion, his plush toy

Bread

Cold cuts

Cheese

Chocolate cake

Brownies

My Chemical Romance

Sparkly stickers

Trains

Whiskey, wine and beer

Praise

Bubbles

Knives, machetes etc

Really decorated guns

His Nintendo + Video games in general

Five Nights at Freddy’s

The colors purple, pink and black

Sparkles

Gay shit

Feathers

Coffee

Spicy food

Homemade Indian food

Schnitzel

Bunnies

Cats

Oranges, Mangoes and apples

Hobbies / Interests:

Gaming

Singing (but he never does it in front of anyone)

Mathematics

Drawing

Reading

Writing

Painting

Composing music

Weapon collecting

Gun customization 

Ability details

Tendrils act as extra limbs

Can summon about thirty tendrils at a time

Most of them come from his back, he can summon them from the ground in a 5 feet radius around him as well

When not in use, they can take the form of wings but when he deactivates the ability they all disappear. Injuries sustained remained though.

Favorite family members

Fukuzawa (obviously)

Sigma

Karma

Oscar

Atsushi (BEAST)

Extra information

His top three games to play FNAF, Monopoly and Mariokart!! Mario Party Superstars and Super Mario Wonder are close runner ups

He can cook contrary to popular belief. He can cook palak paneer, schnitzel, ramen and idli sambar very very well. He does often set things on fire in the process but it’s tasty!

He can’t feel high temperature. He has no sense of heat

He does start calling his old boss from the mafia “Boss” or his mother “Mama” when he’s in a bad mental state

He loves turtlenecks an unhealthy amount

He also loves chunky booths and certain chokers

He likes emo / punk aesthetics

He loves to wear dresses or fem clothing and does his makeup sometimes

He has worn a bunny suit on several occasions for fun

He will also wear dresses and bunny suits for his boyfriend too

He’s got quite a bit of money from Katie’s will/inheritance

He owns a house in Sweden

His left eye is extremely weak

Behavior patterns

A absolute sucker for headpats and pets. He doesn’t care about the feeling or motive behind them, he will melt into the touch and slowly grow more attached to the person giving them to him

He loves rewards. Food, clothes, anything. He loves loves loves rewards

Doctors make him spiral. Even seeing a long white coat will send him into a panic, and he hates medical equipment

It’s even worse with needles. He sees a syringe, a needle or anything of the sort and he’ll be sent into a panic attack or a hallucination episode

Weirdly he finds some comfort in basements. Because when he was in the basement in the mafia he was “safe” with his box and plush, he couldn’t be hurt by punishments or Boss

He loves cheese. Katie used to only really manage to sneak scraps of cheese, bread and cold slices of meat to him when Kris was forced to starve as punishment, which led to him to viewing all of those as “safe foods” and finding deep comfort in them

He’s used to being called derogatory terms such as ‘creature’, ‘weapon’, ‘monster’, ‘demon’ etc etc so he often tries to call himself those terms when he thinks he’s done a “bad thing”

Dissection was a punishment in the mafia so when he’s had a really really bad day he will gut/dissect himself to punish himself

He drinks a lot after bad days

He spends time on roofs and throws things off of them to release anger and stress

Easily manipulated because he just needs to be praised and given physical affection. Currently working on it

Has bad trust issues but if someone tells him something that feeds into his own insecurities he will believe it after a little convincing

Behavior patterns (fused)

He will grow attached to a person he views as “Boss” and absorb some of their personality traits

He will also grow attached to anyone who speaks German with him!!

He only really eats human flesh when in this state. Any other type of food makes him nauseous and he can only really stomach raw flesh and blood

He has a permanent smile stuck on his face so he uses his eyes and the glow levels in them to show his emotions. Plus when he’s excited or angry or deeply annoyed more black liquid will drip from his mouth

The liquid dripping from his eyes will always be trickling out. It doesn’t matter how he feels, it’s an eternal flow of neon goop

He can’t really feel any other emotion other than all-consuming destructive anger, intense overwhelming joy, or complete and utter boredom or annoyance.

He’s basically run by his thirst for blood and violence, and his need for death and slaughter

He has really spotty memories when he unfuses, being able to remember some things but not others. These amnesia barriers are really frustrating for him

Does not trust anyone. Will only act on his own impulses + bloodlust and orders from whom he views as “Boss”

He genuinely is a monster. A weapon to be utilized for mass destruction

[flipfliqyaoi]

Heyaaa, I got a Questionnn

What do you think exactly happened to Fliqpy in Double whammy? I mean the end part of the video

after the fight was over Flippy went back to his old self. When the bulb break off making sound causing Fliqpy to appear, he didn't, do you think it was like 'I just got over my trauma and I'm over it'. But Flippy got killed after that it could reset making Fliqpy to Appear again? Or Fliqpy just didnt disappeared at all?

ITS TIME I ANSWER THIS ASK LOL god I have SO MUCH to say about double whammy.... Since I've partially ranted of double whammy part 1+2 in my other yap sessions, I'll be moving straight to the part where Flippy ODed (part 3+4)

He hallucinates Fliqpy, having his own body, trying to kill him. which aligns with his fears of Fliq (shown in previous dream segments). But since they both still obviously share a body; Fliq also hallucinates from the pills, and I believe he hallucinated Flippy being a Tiger. The only people that he's learnt to have to kill at all cost, it's literally ingrained in his mind. He thinks he's still protecting as any other time and is unaware he's hurting Flippy, because if he were to be hurting him INTENTIONALLY it would completely contradict what his intents are, his intents being to protect the host from any form of danger.

Fliq is in reality hurting himself, so is Flippy. Yet they're both convinced they have the right to defend/attack, because in Fliqs POV he's just killing a Tiger as usual, it's his sole job. Meanwhile in the latter's POV he's defending himself from his 'worst fear'. They're rapid switching as shown in the episode too, both of them taking up the front. (Fliq triggering a trap and Flippy switching in instantly after to take the hit, rapid stuff like that)

They, most importantly Flippy, literally go through a whole reenactment of their war trauma, the stapler scene, the shop, the warehouse, it was all reenacted like a genuine battlefield between two teams. Hell, at the ending it was tens of duplicates of the two charging at eachother and causing a bloodbath. A warzone. He was being exposed to things that he would've been forcibly switched out for. In a way, it's like a metaphor for going through exposure therapy, facing his triggers head on, acknowledging how terrifying it can be, learning not to just ignore and avoid his problems when it's causing such a disturbance to his everyday life, and endangering himself + everyone around him. It brought out the fight in Flippy, we actually see him fighting for the first time and my god he is more than capable of it, seeing him reclaiming his life back after therapy — instead of him being immediately switched out of every stress factor possible (which is.... Very inconvenient in everyday life!)

It benefitted him in the long run; as he doesn't get triggered by indirect things like a lightbulb exploding anymore. Though that also brings up the question of how Fliq feels about "not being needed to protect as much" anymore, needing to tone down. Certainly an uncomfortable feeling since he's so used to doing his job his way, and now he's being told what to do. but y'know maybe after some communication he would come to understand the reasoning. Still very alert and explosive, but atleast he's not killing people or emergency front over the smallest of stress LOL

also i refuse to acknowledge the end part where he spontaneously dies thats not real in my mind I believe they lived more happily after getting help

[gravityskittles]

Chapter 3: Nothing Short of a Hurricane

Stan hummed to himself as he counted the stitches in the sweater he was attempting for the fourth time. He knew this attempt would undoubtedly also get frogged before he finished it; he could see dropped stitches already and multiple places where he had lost count and caused weird bumps and uneven rows. He didn’t really mind. It was much better than his first attempt, where the yarn had gotten so tangled he had thrown it overboard in anger and then had to wait to try again for another week before they came to a port where he could buy more needles.

His goal was to have it finished by the summer. The idea of the glow in his great-niece's eyes when he presented her with his version of a ‘Mabel sweater’ helped him push on through the various frustrations of learning a new skill. Not that he would tell Ford that of course. He cast a warm glance over at his brother, who was hunched over scribbling in one of his endless notebooks. No, as far as Ford was concerned, Stan was learning to knit out of pure spite that a twelve-year-old could best him at anything, and Stan intended to keep it that way. He had his image to consider after all.

The Stan O’ War II rocked gently on a swell and then settled again. Ford leaned back slightly in his chair trying to catch more of the light from their lanterns to see the page he was working on. The lanterns were a necessity this far north as the winter sun had set hours before, leaving only starlight behind.

Stan supposed they both could work in the cabin, but ever since Fiddleford had invented his portable heat shield last summer, Ford had insisted on working outside in the evenings in the hopes of catching sight of more nocturnal anomalies. The heat shield wasn’t perfect, but it kept the temperature above freezing on the deck and warm enough for a few hours a day of tea, coats, and whatever hobbies they were focused on at the time.

With a contented sigh he picked up his teacup and looked up at the stars. It still astounded him how lucky he was. In the beginning he hadn’t been sure he’d ever be able to shake the feeling that he had somehow cheated, and any day everything he’d gained since Weirdmageddon would come crumbling down around him like a spent dream. These days however, that feeling was so faint he only really noticed it on mornings his memory was a little foggier than normal, or nights when he woke suddenly out of half remembered nightmares.

To be fair, the first year had been rough. Unsurprisingly, not everything had immediately resolved itself after the kids’ thirteenth birthday when Ford had asked him to come adventuring with him. It had taken time for the two of them to figure out how to exist with each other again, and sometimes it had felt absolutely impossible to bridge the gap that had formed between them. Ford was so used to doing things by himself he would often start out on adventures without telling Stan what the plan was, or even what they were looking for. More than once, he had left in their rowboat to seek out an anomaly of some kind while Stan was sleeping. It took months for Stan to finally get Ford to understand how much panic he would experience when his brother vanished like that.

Even then he suspected his brother had only finally understood it the morning Stan had woken up completely without his memories again and, for a few hours, Ford had been convinced he had lost him for good. After that day his brother had gotten a lot better about waking him up or inviting him along, before leaving.

 It took even longer for both of them to agree they needed outside help. During one of the video chats with the kids, Mabel had pointed out that her grunkles were both staunchly ignoring the fact neither of them could sleep due to increasingly bad nightmares. She reminded them of the month Dipper lost so much sleep that he started hallucinating eyes following him everywhere, and Mabel drank so much caffeine that she became convinced Waddles was possessed. After that Stan and Ford had made her and Dipper start therapy. So, she reasoned, If they needed therapy, then Stan and Ford should have to go as well.

Ford had stiffly responded that the difference was that Dipper and Mabel were thirteen. Mabel had frowned and said something about how if anything, that made it worse, because it meant on top of the world destroying weirdness they had experienced together, Stan and Ford also had sixty or so years of other trauma.

Ford’s expression at that moment had made Stan laugh for the first time in weeks, and they had both begrudgingly agreed to look for another therapist similar to the one the twins were seeing. Much as he wished the kids hadn’t had to deal with quite so much weirdness that first summer, even Stan had to admit that Mermando’s connections had come in handy multiple times. Like really, where else were you going to find an ocean-based therapy network which already had a full understanding of the stranger parts of Earth and its sister dimensions?

Slowly, they had learned to live with each other again. And then, with more time, they learned how to thrive. Life now was an easy pattern, almost how it had been when they were kids. They picked up each other’s loose ends, filled each other’s empty spaces, annoyed the shit out of each other on the long days between anomalies. Ford recorded his research and plotted their courses while Stan cooked and kept the boat in order. They took turns being captain and one memorable day took turns punching pirates and cannibalistic mermaids (he was never planning to tell Mabel that particular story) and things had felt right again.

He still had his bad days, and so did Ford. They still grated against each other every so often and felt the ghosts of old wounds that would never really be gone. Sometimes, Stan would slip back into old habits and spend weeks refusing to communicate with his brother at all, instead trying to do things his own way to the detriment of them both. Sometimes, Ford would get that old paranoia back and accuse Stan of hiding things from him, or conspiring against him, when something went wrong with their plans or his research. After four years though, these episodes were less and less frequent and their apologies to each other were quicker each time.

He smiled to himself and took a drink of tea, grimacing a little as the whisky Ford had slipped into it burned his throat. Today had been a good day. The two of them had been following a pod of whales, navigating a large field of ice floes to chase down the occasional grey backs and spouts of water that stayed almost tauntingly out of their reach. The locals back at the last town they had docked in had told them about a strange unidentifiable whale that seemed to travel with the pod.

The glint in Ford’s eye at the third mention of this ‘not quite’ whale had been enough for Stan to pick up some extra supplies and suggest they head out early, hoping that they could celebrate the new year with a new cryptid finding. Now, the whales were resting just a few hundred feet off the bow and earlier Ford had been able to get some photos and sketches before the weak sunlight faded away. They were both hopeful that tomorrow they might be able to bait a drone of Fiddleford’s and catch some images of the cryptid under the water. Then the day after that would mean a video call with the kids, and hopefully a trip back to the coast to pick up a care package that Soos, Melody, and Wendy had sent for the holidays.

Stan smiled again and finished the last of his tea. Everything was perfect. Nothing short of a hurricane could ruin this New Year’s for him.

In the cabin, their satellite phone began to ring, startling him out of his reminiscing. A seagull flew up off the mast above him with an annoyed squawk. He glanced towards Ford, but his brother showed no signs of having heard the phone at all, instead seeming completely focused on the sketch from earlier which he was currently embellishing. Stan sighed and heaved himself up out of his chair to get the phone, taking his mug with him. Maybe he could at least grab some more whisky downstairs. It was the holidays after all.

It took a moment for the phone to connect. Even with the various extenders that Fiddleford had outfitted them with, communication was slow up here but, after a few seconds of waiting, he heard the line finally connect.

“Hello!”

“Stanley? It’s Martha.”

The voice on the other end of the line was so quiet he almost couldn’t hear it.

“Martha? What’s going on, is everything okay?”

“Have you heard from the kids today? I was hoping they contacted you and Stanford already.”

“Um.” He checked the calendar above the small sink in concern. Had they lost track of what day it was? “We weren’t expecting a call from them until the new year. It’s still the 30th right?”

“Listen Stanley I—” She broke off and for a moment he was afraid the call had dropped. A curl of dread was slowly settling across his shoulders, and he could feel his chest tightening.

“Martha are you there?”

“Stanley. Mike and Dipper had an argument this afternoon. It was…bad. Mike kicked him out of the house—”

Stan felt ice water pour over him. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe. This couldn’t be happening, not again, not to Dipper. Please let him have heard wrong, let it be a stupid prank, let it be literally anything but the truth.

“Mabel went with him. Mike just about broke her arm trying to stop her but they both got out safely. They took her car, but I don’t know where they’re heading. That’s why I was hoping they called you” Martha trailed off and after a few seconds of quiet asked, “Stanley, are you still there?”

He tried to speak, and at first no sound came out. It took all of his energy to force out the words “What the fuck Martha?” In a slightly strangled voice.

“I’m sorry! I tried to get Mike to reconsider. Really, I did but—He doesn’t want them back—says he never really wanted kids anyway. I wish it didn’t have to be like this, I love them both so much. But I love Mike, Stanley, and I love DC. We were never much good at being parents anyway, especially not the last few years. I mean, with Dipper being how he is, it’s probably for the best, right? You and Stanford, you’ll—you’ll take care of them right?” There was another long silence during which the ice-cold horror in his stomach began making way for a white hot anger.

“Stanley? Please don’t be angry, I just wanted—”

He didn’t care what she wanted.

“Goodbye, Martha.” He growled into the phone, “I hope you and your sorry excuse for a husband live to regret today for the rest of your lives!” The last four words were a shout, vitriol lacing every syllable. He hung up. Then set the phone down gently on the counter and stood for a moment in utter silence, still clutching his empty mug in his other hand.

He didn’t notice when he let go, didn’t hear the crunching of ceramic shattering against the floor, or the sound of running footsteps on the deck. All he could hear was his pulse thundering in his ears. Images slid through his brain faster and faster: the kids hurt, in jail, trapped in alleyways and car trunks. Mabel dead. Dipper dead. Both of them kidnapped—in a car accident—in the hospital—panhandling on the side of the road. Gone, missing, dead. He couldn’t breathe. 

He didn’t notice Ford’s hands on his shoulders, didn’t feel his brother pushing him down onto the couch, or hear his desperate pleas for Stan to calm down , to tell him what was wrong , to breathe . At some point he closed his eyes. Breathing hurt, his chest was tight, and his heart rate was too fast, and everything was wrong-wrong- wrong . The hurricane had come. He’d known this couldn’t last forever, and here it was. The final reveal of the universe’s joke come to call at last. Taking his family from him piece by piece, forcing them to relive his worst nightmare. His worst day.

Stan did notice Ford leave at some point and return with something he forced into Stan’s hands. The ceramic was cold and his fingers tightened reflexively around the handle. After a while Ford got him to drink some of it. The whisky burned and he coughed, for a moment focused on the spreading warmth. It wasn't enough to calm him down fully, but it was enough to pull him back into the present. He finally took a real breath and the tightness in his chest eased a bit. Ford’s concerned face swam back into view slowly as Stan opened his eyes, and the rushing in his head subsided until he could finally hear Ford asking:

“Stanley what happened? Who was on the phone?”

“Martha.” He said dully, voice sore from yelling.The panic and fight drained out of him slowly as the reality of the situation sunk in.

“The twins’ mom? What happened? Are they okay?” Fear began to grow in Ford’s eyes and Stan tried to pull his thoughts into some semblance of order. He had to explain it. Ford would know what to do. Ford had to know what to do. 

“Mike kicked Dipper out today. For good. Mabel went with him but—”

“Wait, Dipper!?” Ford looked shocked.

Stan paused and looked up with annoyance. Distantly he knew Ford didn’t mean anything by this but all the same he felt bitterness and old wounds began to rise to the surface. “Yes, Dipper.”

“I don’t understand—”

“I’m sorry Sixer, did you think Mabel was more deserving of being kicked out—”

“Jesus Stan, no! That’s not what I meant; I just don’t understand at all. Dipper’s a great kid— they’re both great kids!” He amended hastily. “But I just can’t think of a reason to kick either of them out. And Dipper is more,” Ford frowned, “traditional in terms of his interests and stuff.”

“Well,” Stan interjected gruffly, trying to shove his emotions to the side for a moment, “now that we’ve established which one of them you value more, would you like to hear the rest?”

“Stanley, don’t be difficult!” Ford spat back. Stan flinched away from him and Ford groaned, “Dammit.” He paused, scrubbing his face with his hands before taking a deep breath as if to steady himself. “I’m sorry, Lee. I didn’t mean it that way, you know that. It just surprised me. I never expected either of them to get kicked out, and I most certainly don’t think either of them deserve it. Are you completely sure you understood what Martha meant? Maybe she explained it poorly or you just—”

“She explained it perfectly well, Ford. Apparently Mike and Dipper had a fight about something and Mike kicked him out. She said Mabel trying to go with him set Mike off even more and he almost broke her arm.”

“But Mabel—”

“Yeah. Yeah she went with him. They’re together at least.”

“Better than me,” Ford mumbled so quietly Stan almost missed it. 

He opened his mouth to respond when his brother suddenly sat up and grabbed his arm painfully hard.

“Did she say what the fight was about?” Without giving him a chance to answer he stood up and began pacing, rambling loudly, “I bet it was the tattoos. I should have stopped them, when Mabel called me I should have told her to wait until they were eighteen. That's what a responsible uncle would have done. I shouldn't have encouraged it, but it seemed safe enough and I hoped the symbols might have a protective quality and I knew it would impress you when you found out. Oh god this is all my fault—again—how many of my family can I get disowned? I shouldn't be allowed near them I—”

“Hey,” Stan grabbed his hand trying to pull Ford back towards him. “Hey!” He said louder standing up and grabbing his other hand forcing Ford to stand still. “Ford, stop it! I have no idea what you’re talking about but it doesn’t matter. This wasn’t your fault. Mike didn’t kick Dipper out over a tattoo—he kicked him out cause well.” He trailed off, suddenly unsure how much Ford knew about their great-nephew. “Mike didn’t really like who Dipper was.” He finished carefully.

“What are you talking about?”

Stan sighed, rubbing absently at his chest which still felt weird and tight. “Dipper and Mabel are identical twins Ford.”

His brother stared at him looking confused. “I am aware that they are twins. What on earth does that have to do with anything?”

“They’re identical twins, but Dipper is a boy.” He stared meaningfully at Ford, hoping the other would figure it out.

“Yes. Dipper is transgender right? That's the word people use now? He told me a couple summers ago, but I still fail to see how this is relevant, it's not a big deal.”

It was Stan’s turn to rub his hands across his face in frustration. It was great to know his brother understood the situation but also just like him to somehow still manage to completely miss the point. “Correct! To you, it's not.”

Ford’s eyes widened. “Wait. Wait what? It's been thirty years and people still care about stuff like that?? I assumed it wasn’t a big deal anymore, no one in Gravity Falls seemed to care, you didn't seem to care. I mean I know it's slightly different but, the whole town came to Blubs and Durlands’ wedding two years ago, along with most of their extended family. I assumed while I was away things got better.”

“They did, in some places. In other places not so much. Gravity Falls isn't the best metric for the average American town, Ford. Do you keep up with the national news at all?”

“I keep up with science news.” He said defensively.

Stan rolled his eyes, this was an issue for later. “Okay well. Now that we’ve gotten that straightened out. Mike has always been a little more like dad than the rest of the family. He hates Dipper. He has since he found out Dipper was a boy. It's why they were sent to live with me that first summer anyway—so Martha could find the guts to divorce him about it. He left for DC before the kids even got home, something I bet Shermie would have disowned him over if he’d still been alive. Martha thought he was getting better so she tried to make them all play happy family again. Apparently, she was wrong. Mike kicked Dipper out today. Mabel went with him. Martha told me she doesn’t know where they are, and that she thinks it’s for the best if they don’t try to go home again.” Now the worst part, the part he was dreading telling Ford at all. “She asked us to take care of them.” 

Ford was silent and Stan couldn’t meet his eyes. Panic began to race through him again, he knew it wasn’t ideal. He knew his brother wasn’t always great with kids. He knew they were right in the middle of a scientific discovery, but. They had to do something. It was family dammit. He’d already wasted enough time as it was, he had to get Ford to listen, or at least to let Stan go get the kids by himself. “God Ford, I'm so scared. I know it's not something we were expecting but, anything could happen to them, and I keep thinking about all the shit that I went through. I know they have each other, and I know they’re probably better prepared but still. It's a big country and I keep thinking about them lost or hurt or dead or--”

“Right. So, let's go.”

He froze, looking up at Ford. “Just like that? You don’t need convincing to leave the whales or nothing?”

“I do wish to return here again someday, but for now, well, it's time to make up for past mistakes. Getting back will present some difficulty, given that you are still on the no fly list for North America, but we’ll figure it out. So, while I get us ready to head back to the mainland, give the kids a call. Tell them to stay put, wherever they are, and we’ll come get them.” Ford pulled him into a hug, and Stan let himself melt into it, relief washing over him as Ford finished calmly outlining the plan. “It will be okay Stan, I promise. No matter where they are, we’re going to bring them home.”