#didn’t realize I had so many opinions on this until now lol

[notsobravetoaster]

While I agree they should've told us, I'm not surprised at all that they didn't. You're supposed to build anticipation not kill it so why mention something your product doesn't have after all. But since the game is out, now would be a good time to do it

Ok I wanted to do it for quite some time now

Those are all I could think about/saw people throw around. I could easily talk more in depth about each one, so if you're not sure what I mean, don't hesitate to ask. I can't add more answers, so if u have other theories or believe it's multiple reasons, feel free to share them in the tags 👇👇

Reblogs for a bigger sample size will be appreciated 🙏

[iadore]

Long post. For anyone having Byler doubt right now let me share a few things I know are true and point out what I believe is the logical conclusion. (Some may disagree) Bear with me. It will all add up and hopefully bring some comfort.

Facts:

Before season 4 David Harbour spoiled that Will had feelings for Mike in an interview.

After season 4 vol 1 Byler exploded on social media. The pairing gained a huge following. Byler won ship of the year. Noah despite having less screen time than his cast mates won the people’s choice award for best male actor. People were so desperate to prove byler endgame they paid for fake scripts which led to the ST writers account agreeing to share scenes people wanted to read. The van scene was in highest demand.

Simultaneously, there is a rise in homophobia in the fandom. We all remember getting bible verses in our ask boxes after posting GIFs of Mike’s soupy face when he looks at Will.

The Duffers shifted from saying they were “tuning out the noise” to taking in fan feedback.

David Harbour was told the ending of stranger things.

A year ago (2023) he said people need to accept Mike is in love with eleven. Once again spoiling an important part of the final season. (Personally this was the moment I gave up on Byler happening and my heart broke. I was so sad about what they turned Mike into and that they used Will’s love to fix a hetero relationship. They never explained mike’s sudden cruelty towards Will. I felt it wasn’t bad writing it was just lazy and somehow that was worse. I stepped back from ST and moved on to other more queer friendly stories. It seems silly since this is just a TV show but I think everyone who ships Byler can attest to how invested you can become in these boys and the remarkably selfless love Will gives to Mike.)

They start filming season 5. Throughout the year we get bts pics. I peeked at these and tried not to get my hopes up again. I told myself the fact there were so many byler pics and so few mileven pics didn’t mean anything. Byler is more popular. Sharing pictures of them will get more attention, so I dismissed this as people seeking clout.

The cast says over and over the Duffers can’t please everyone. I figured this was them trying to let the passionate Byler fandom down easy.

Millie hints her ending in the story is not typical.

Then… the cast reads the final script. They all officially know the ending. Every detail of it.

Noah does his first panel in a long time. In which he says “you could never tell of [mike and Will’s relationship] was something romantic or just a really special friendship.”

Several posts on social media show up as people say they won’t watch the final season because Noah’s words make them think Byler is clearly going to happen.

David Harbour said in a recent interview that the Duffers are in tune with the audience and what they want in terms of pairings. Look above for all of the “subtle” (lol) hints the fans have been giving that Byler should be endgame.

My personal conclusion/opinion/guess:

Mike and Will are going to end up together. It wasn’t the original plan but after seeing the fans point out all of the obvious signs and show their love for the relationship it was the logical choice. Anyone who sees all the “Byler proof” has to admit there are real signs of romance on both sides whether they were intentional or not. Going forward all of the hints we’ve picked up on will have meaning, even if they began as accidents.

David Harbour didn’t know about the byler part of the finale until the final table read. He spoiled things twice before and they didn’t trust him to not do it again. Which was justified because he literally spoiled byler endgame in the last interview I mentioned. Dude can’t keep quiet. I’m sure he has believed he was telling the truth every time.

Most of the cast probably didn’t know until the final table read. If the season is written the way I think will be: we watch Mike over several episodes realize he’s fallen out of love with Eleven and find the courage to admit he loves Will (because man it’s so obvious). The only people who would need to know are Finn, Noah and Millie if Mike and Will don’t officially end up together until the end of the season (doesn’t mean we won’t get a lot of great byler moments in the build up. They seem to be having a lot of one on one time in bts pics.)

Keeping Byler endgame top secret even from the cast makes sense to me because there are people (who I sincerely don’t get why they watch ST) who will refuse to watch the show if the final season is centered on a gay couple. Also, one of the most popular mainstream TV shows on the planet ending this way will be talked about for years and have a huge impact.

Sometimes doing what the fans are begging for isn’t cheap “fan service.” It’s having the common sense and humility listen to thousands of people who love your show and admit Mike’s character was going in the wrong direction.

For fans of Avatar the Last Airbender: creators Brian and Mike originally planned for Toph to be male. Their head writer Aaron Ehasz suggested making her a girl, which they initially resisted. Then they rolled all of the qualities of the tough guy they originally planned into a twelve year old girl. They later had a lot of boys come up to them saying Toph was their favorite character. They said “Sometimes it’s more satisfying to be wrong than to be right.”

Personal take: there’s no reason to be upset at the original plan because they made the right call in the end.

I know it’s important to some people for byler to be the plan all along. And maybe it was, I have no way of knowing. But all I personally need is for them to do right by Will and Mike as characters.

EDIT:

because people were asking here's the link to the recent David Harbour interview: https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/stranger-things-season-5-loose-ends-david-harbour

[qin-qin16]

Wonder what it would feel like to have a soul bond with Ut sans someday, like- the fact that he trust someone enough to actually considering doing that is so wholesome.

Kinda wanna see how would he act when he realized he want to make a soul bond with reader, would he doubt himself? Would he just act on it? Would he just reassuring himself that maybe now is not the perfect time yet? There's just so many questions about how would he act on the situation makes me almost questioning myself lol.

I swear I love him so bad I wanna give him a smooch until can't think of the surrounding fiwhdlaizi2dnsoxgwxjayx

cw.: Sans x Reader, gn!reader, thoughts about soul bond, he is just a bit shy and anxious, fluff…

note: I didn't know if you just wanted my opinion or a oneshot, so I decided to write a little scene about it, hope you like it :D and I just realized that I never write for him before! Poor UT Sans.

He was always lazy — at work, with his puns, and even in his relationship with you -, but you didn’t seem to mind it. It had a certain domestic charm in a way.

However, he was being a little selfish in wanting a part of yourself just for him — a bit of your soul to bond with his forever. Yet, how could he express this to you? Do you even understand how precious and intimate this is?

Sans didn’t remember seeing anything like that in human culture; the closest comparison was marriage, but even that didn’t quite match the depth of soul bonding - and was unnecessarily expensive too. 

He tilts his head down, weary from thinking so hard about this. His weight seems to sink into the old couch, still tense with all the little engines working in his mind. You love him, right? So why the hesitation? Why is he so worried about your reaction? Is he afraid you might reject him?

No, you would never reject it — at least, not in the harsh way he imagined. You were kind and considerate, not someone who would cruelly laugh at his words.

“See? I told you I could match your lazy style!” He lifts his skull to you, seeing your figure appear in the doorway of your shared room — wearing one of his old blue coats and a black-stained shirt underneath.

Your proud smile in such a silly conquest made his own widen, finding your effort to amuse him funny.

“Well, I guess I’m not the only lazy bones around now.” He couldn’t resist the chuckle that escaped through his teeth when you snickered.

I can think about that later, Sans thinks as you come closer, your lips now pressed together but still showing traces of the wide smile from before.

However, he knows he can’t be lazy about this — especially when his own soul cries out whenever you're far away. I can think about that later, he repeats in his mind as he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close to him again.

For now, he is content with the domestic life you share, mostly because he can almost feel your soul’s joyful rhythm against his chest whenever you’re in his arms.

[maknaeswrld]

a life remembered | l.mh, h.js

wc: 4.6k

genre: soulmate au; reincarnation au; fluff; angst; poly!minsung x reader

cw: primarily Han pov; illusions to suggestive conversation; concert highs; anxiety/panic attack mentions; food/eating mentions; Bee (I feel like they need a warning lol, love them the most); arguing but bc they care (not between the soulmates); please let me know if I missed anything

part one: a life forgotten

Soulmates are a curious thing. Everyone has them, and someway, somehow, they always find each other.

When Lee Minho walked into JYP Entertainment for the first time, Jisung didn’t know what to do or how to react, and looking back on it now, it was comical. Minho was, in Jisungs opinion, one of, if not the most, handsome man he’d ever seen. It had struck a chord in him he’d chosen to interpret as jealousy.

When Chan told him he wanted to include Minho in the group he was creating, Jisung couldn’t decide if he was giddy or nervous. He’d met the other boy twice and couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling that they knew each other. It wasn’t until their third meeting, the first one in an official capacity, to learn the song Chan wanted to showcase, that Jisung realized why.

The small space of the practice room they were designated to made the group circle a tight one, Minho rushing in and dropping to the floor in the open spot between Jisung and Felix, accidentally brushing against Jisung in the process and shooting them both headfirst into a memory both could swear wasn’t theirs.

Water surrounded them in every direction, the sounds of laughter filling the air. The ship rocked gently as the waves pushed it along steadily.

Minho took Jisungs hand, leading him to the edge of the ship. 

“Where is your beautiful mind right now, my love?” 

And although it didn’t feel like he was talking to Minho, and there was no response, Jisung’s smile lit up his entire face, his eyes twinkling in pure content.

“Come back to the group, love. The boys are going to start their whining if you ignore them for too long.” Minho groaned.

Again there was no response, as if a chunk of their memory for this specific moment was still missing.

“You know how your boys can get.” Jisung waved nonchalantly, hand grasping at thin air before the two turned back to join the rest of the crew.

Practice was immediately derailed as they were brought back to the present, everyone looking worried as they surrounded the pair.

“What just happened?” Changbin asked, holding Jisungs shoulder to keep him steady.

“I’m not entirely sure.” Jisung couldn’t stop himself from seeking out Minho’s eyes, which were already on him, holding the softest expression Jisung has ever seen in his life.

“Please tell me you saw the ship too.” Minho whispered, voice unsure, hand grasping Jisungs for dear life and all he could do was nod. Minho started nodding along with him, the two slowly morphing from shock to joy as smiles spread across their faces.

Tears pricked at Jisungs eyes the more the realization hit him.

“We’re soulmates.”

````

Five years. 

In five years, so much had changed for Han Jisung. In just five years he’d met not only the love of his life, but also his soul brothers, a realization they came to some time after the soulmate realization, as Minho and Jisung saw the rest of the members in almost all of their past lives. 

In five years Stray Kids had also risen to a level of fame not one of them had predicted. They were living a life their younger selves could have only hoped to dream of, and they were so beyond grateful and happy to be able to keep doing music together.

But also within those five years, Minho and Jisung had come to the conclusion that something was missing. They were absolutely positive that they were soulmates, of that there was not even a shadow of a doubt, but there were too many holes in their shared memories, conversations that felt one sided, moments in bed with a gap between them that shouldn't be there if they were at peace with one another. But the confirmation that they were missing a piece came in a memory that surfaced much later than the rest, one with Jisung storming up to Minho’s door, fist banging in anger, wedding band adorning his finger but not Minho’s. 

That memory was one of Jisung being angry with Minho and not even knowing who he was, with Minho knowing of Jisung but not knowing him personally, of them both being in love with a person that wasn’t the other. Minho is positive he’d despise cheaters in every life, yet was accused of sleeping with a married person. Neither Jisung, nor Minho could remember Jisungs spouse's name, what they looked like, what gender they were, all they knew was that both of them loved them, and they both loved them as desperately as they love one another, and that was enough to convince them that the piece missing was a third soulmate.

They didn’t know how to go about it, they couldn’t even be allowed to share the truth of their relationship and thousands of Stays were claiming to be each members soulmates daily just for a chance of meeting them. The chances of finding their third and final piece was slim at absolute best. 

People always say trust the soulmate connection and that time would bring them together, but that was hard knowing you couldn’t remember someone you love. 

Han Jisung spent far too many concerts and fan meets searching the crowd in hopes that you’d be there, that he’d finally find you and the trio would finally be complete. Likewise, he’d spent just as many nights disappointed that you were nowhere to be found. With their fame came the higher likelihood of you being able to find them, but that also meant it’d be harder for them to find you. However, Chan and his soulmate, Riley, gave Jisung hope that he would find you.

Lee Minho wanted to find you just as badly, though he looked for you in the mundane. Whilst his partner expected you to reach out via their fame, Minho hoped more for bumping into you on the sidewalk or in a coffee shop, it made him feel more attainable. Minho knew that whilst Riley and Chan made it work, and even Bee and Changbin, there were just as many people that would be scared off by celebrity soulmates as there are seeking them. 

Another concert, another night of Jisung daydreaming about finding you in the crowd and whisking you away after to finally meet you and remember you. Riley gave Chan a knowing glare, the parental figures of the group concerned about their younger friend. Ever since the two soulmates came to the conclusion they have a third one, which isn’t unheard of but is fairly rare, their friends have been doubtful to say the least. 

No one likes seeing the kicked puppy look on Jisungs face whenever someone mentions that maybe there isn’t anyone else out there, or the way Minho gets defensive when they try to talk to him about the possibility of their memories just not having fully solidified yet. Both in the firm belief that five years connected at the hip was enough time to remember everything. But that didn’t stop the worried glances and strained smiles when they’d start talking about their ‘other soulmate’.

“They’re gonna be here tonight.” Jisung stated as if it were an absolute fact.

“You said that last night, Sungie.” Hyunjin muttered.

“Yeah, but I can feel it this time. They’re in the crowd right now, I’m positive of it.”

“Ji, you have an incredible soulmate already, why are you so eager to find another one?” Bee asked from their almost permanent place snuggled into Changbin. “I’m just saying, I can’t imagine dealing with more than one Binnie.”

“They’re not another Minho, they’re mine and Min’s missing piece.” Jisung argued. It was a conversation that felt all too familiar, and every time one of his soul brothers or other lifetime friends make comments, he feels himself getting just a little more hostile but also a little more defeated.

Maybe they were wrong, maybe there wasn’t a missing piece and they truly just haven’t had the best relationship in every lifetime. But Jisung couldn’t bring himself to believe that. Seeing how whole Bee and Bin, and Riley and Chan, were, how they didn’t have memory gaps or questionable moments and conversations, made him feel like there was no other explanation aside from another person to fill the void. It wasn’t like Jisung thought Minho wasn’t enough for him, he wasn’t seeking more from outside their relationship, he loved Minho with every fiber of his being, but he knew Minho wasn’t the only one he’d hold these feelings towards. And Minho knew it too, it was a long conversation to have, one that ended in tears but mutual understanding that they would always have each other and weren’t seeking out this third person for any reason other than them wholeheartedly believing they are also their soulmate.

As the time to go on stage got closer and closer, Jisung felt more antsy. He wasn’t sure why tonight felt different, but he couldn’t stop fidgeting. Minho tried to calm him down, but was just as on edge. 

The concert went smoothly, they always did, but Minho and Jisung both spent far more time engaging towards one specific area than they ever had before. It’s like they couldn’t abandon the section for longer than a few minutes and they always ended up right back there the second they could. Jisung felt better than he had in a long time, adrenaline pumping through his veins and a smile plastered on his face. He felt good, he felt whole for the first time in a long time. Jisung couldn’t explain it, but that stage was the most at home he’d felt since he first found Minho.

As they said their goodbyes to Stay and made their way backstage, the overwhelming peace Jisung had felt slowly faded. He couldn’t think of any reason why, but as he watched Riley smother his leader with kisses and Bee put his best friend into a headlock, he felt himself growing more numb. 

Minho wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling into his shoulder, relieving the aching feeling sinking in so fast it would have given Jisung whiplash if he weren’t already used to the other boys' affect on him, body and mind. Jisung could feel giggles bubbling up in him with each soft kiss placed on the base of his neck.

“You were radiant out there tonight, my love.”

“And you were very sexy.” Jisung giggled.

“Hey now! There are children present!” Riley scolded, breaking away from Chan to cover Jeongin’s ears. “Go foreplay somewhere else.”

“Yeah!” Bee shouted from Changbin’s back. “There’s dressing rooms for a reason!”

The look of absolute dismay Riley shot Bee was priceless, “That’s not what the dressing rooms are for.” 

“It’s not? Did you know that bro?”

Changbins ears were red. “Please don’t call me bro while talking about this.”

“How about we just all get showered and changed and go grab something to eat?” Chan suggested in a tone that left no room for argument, clapping his hands together and pulling Riley back towards his body. “And stop babying Innie, he’s worse than Bee these days.”

“I will never stop babying my baby, but I am hungry.” Riley muttered in agreement. “If y’all take too long in the shower, we’re leaving without you.” Riley pointed at Bee and Changbin, who’s ears somehow got even more red. Bee just winked at their best friend, shiteating grin plastered on their face.

Twenty minutes later, Jisung piled into the van with his bandmates and additional soulmates, Seungmin and Hyunjin discussing what they wanted to eat whilst Felix snuggled into Bee’s side, the two looking at memes while Changbin pouted.

Jisung felt more drained than he had in a long time, his social battery past empty and moved on to completely fried. Minho pulling him into his side eased some of the anxiousness starting to well up.

“No panic attacks after amazing shows.” Minho whispered.

Jisung buried his head further into the other mans neck. “I’m trying.”

“I know.” He kissed the crown of his head gently, smiling softly while tightening his hold. “I’m seriously so proud of you.”

The ride was uneventful out to the opposite side of the city, in hopes less people would recognize them so they could have their meal in peace. Minho and Jisung were the last of the group to venture out of the vehicle and towards the restaurant. They didn’t get too far before a voice rapping along to Han’s part to All In stopped them dead in their tracks.

“Y/n, please, you’re in public.” 

“You’re wasting your breath, you know how they are about their spotlight songs.”

Han’s eyes landed on the person rapping his line with such ease it was as if they’d written it themself. He felt excitement flood through him instantaneously, rushing over and joining them, singing along to the song playing quietly in the outdoor speakers overhead.

He watched your eyes light up as the two of you sang along together, ignoring your friends and focusing on one another. Not a thing in the world was registering to either of you as you both turned to Minho, watching as he rolled his eyes, smile already playing at his lips, joining in for the last parts of the song.

Your laughter filled the air as the song came to an end, and Jisung could swear it was already becoming one of his favorite sounds. 

“Took you long enough.”

Your voice was laced with amusement.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“You know I don’t like singing by myself.” You nudged his shoulder lightly, causing him to wrap his arm around your shoulders and squeeze tight.

“But your voice is so nice!”

A blush lit up your cheeks in an instant, mouth opening to respond when someone clearing their throat behind you drew the groups attention.

“Y/n, um, what?”

“Min! Sungie! Hurry your asses up or we’re gonna eat without you.” Bee shouted from down the way, drawing Jisungs attention just long enough for you to slip out of his hold.

By the time he or Minho could focus back on you, you were gone. No trace of a person having been standing with them, as if you’d been a figment of their imagination.

“Sungie…”

“I know.”

“That was…”

“Yeah.”

Minho was staring off into the direction you had to have gone in, itching to run after you. Jisung stared at his hands, in disbelief that just moments prior he was holding the final piece of his puzzle in those same hands.

You, the random stranger unabashedly performing one of their songs in the middle of the street, were the one person Jisung and Minho had been looking for incessantly. The person they knew they couldn’t remember. 

“Do you ever wonder what we’d be like if we didn’t find each other? What’d it’d be like if we don’t keep finding each other?”

Jisung was used to thinking these types of questions, but hearing you ask them out loud hurt more than him thinking them ever did.

“I’d rather imagine we’ll always find each other.” Jisung grumbled, tightening his hold on both of the bodies on either side of his.

“Okay but what if-”

“There are no what if’s, my love. We’ll always find one another, in every lifetime, even if some take a little longer than others. I don’t see a reason to dwell on the impossibility of not ending up right back here every single time.”

You snuggled deeper into Jisungs chest, hand squeezing Minho’s.

“I suppose you’re right.” You mumbled. Minho squeezed your hand comfortingly in response. 

Jisungs arms shifted entirely around you, squeezing as he rolled over to toss you in the middle, both of your soulmates wanting to hold you close. You sighed in content, snuggling into your boys happily.

“I am so dead serious right now, you two. We will absolutely eat without you if you don’t- why do your faces look like that?”

“We found them.”

“Found who? Why are you being cryptic.”

“We found our other soulmate.” Jisung said.

Bee’s mouth dropped open and within moments all of their brothers and Riley were there, bombarding them with questions.

“Okay, so is no one surprised that they actually have another soulmate? Is that just me?” Hyunjin said, a smack from Seungmin following shortly after. 

“Which direction did they go? We need to find them!” Jeongin said, already shifting from one foot to the other as if he were ready to sprint in any direction in a moments notice. 

“We didn’t actually see what direction they went in because somebody distracted us.” Jisung glared at Bee.

“Oh, I’m sorry I’m hungry and didn’t know.” They huffed.

“We were facing that way so they definitely couldn’t have gone in that direction.” Minho cut in, knowing a grumpy Jisung and a hangry Bee is never a good combination. They loved each other like siblings but damn could they argue until they both turned blue.

“Alright, everyone pick a direction and let's find our boys’ soulmate.” Chan said, “Go in pairs and meet here in one hour, no exceptions. Even if everyone comes back empty handed, we have to at least try.” Turning to his first and last children, his eyes and tone softened. “Is there anything we can use to recognise them?”

Jisung immediately jumped into a full description, followed by Minho simply saying, “Ask if they know ‘All In’. They were singing it with us just now.”

Nods all around as people started pairing up.

“Okay, I’m going with Ji.” Riley stated, looping their arm through Jisungs. “Channie, you take Min. Bin and Bee, separate. I am not dealing with soulmates getting distracted and off mission right now.”

Before Jisung could even think about protesting, he was being swept away by Riley in the first direction he would have guessed you ran in. Jisung struggled to keep up with the pace set by Riley as they ducked into shops and restaurants, checking bathrooms and fitting rooms as they went. Riley wanted to cover as much ground as possible in the one hour timeframe given, which Jisung was appreciative of. However, Jisung hoped Minho and Chan were having better luck, or anyone else for that matter.

He wanted to find you more than anything. Knowing he had you in his arms was enough for him to get addicted to you, and if he stopped for a moment and focused on his memories, he was sure you were already fitting yourself into almost every single one..

Every one sided conversation suddenly being completed, all those nights spent with an unnecessary space between himself and Minho being filled by you. Your presence for those four minutes he got with you had already led to a downward spiral of need to be close to you, to hold you in his arms once more.

In combination with the presence of you in old memories, as if you’d always been there, there was also a small onslaught of new memories, ones without Minho but including you. Ones that further solidified your rightful place within his life.

As another memory flashed behind his eyes, he took a seat on a bench outside of a small corner store.

“Are you okay?” Riley asked, always a mother hen.

“I’m fine, just, check this one without me, I need a moment.”

Riley seemed to understand and didn’t ask questions as they pat him on the back and wandered into the store.

“Do you believe in soulmates?” A voice whispered in your ear as hands made their way around your waist. “Because I feel like we’ve met before and I’d like to get to know you again.”

You could smell the stench of alcohol emanating off the stranger feeling you up in the middle of the dance floor. Rolling your eyes, you ripped his hands off you, turning around and shoving him back for safe measure. 

“I do believe in soulmates, and you sure as hell ain’t mine. But the guy who is doesn’t really take kindly to strangers touching what's his.” 

Before the idiot could open his mouth again, Jisungs arm slid into place across your shoulders, pulling you in for a downright make out session right in the middle of the bars dance floor.

When he finally pulled away, the dude was nowhere to be seen.

“Took you long enough.” You said teasingly.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” He smiled gently, and then led you to the booth he’d been watching you from.

You shook your head as you splashed water on your face in the bathroom, your best friend, Lia, pacing behind you.

“I thought you wanted to avoid them?”

Lia was the only person you’d confided in after coming to terms with the fact that your soulmates were not one, but two international superstars.

“I did, but, I don’t know. It was like being like that with them was so natural I didn’t even register that we don’t know each other. It felt right.”

“Do you think they know?”

Sighing, you lightly tapped your head against the wall, eyes squeezed shut. “I don’t know. If they don’t yet, we’ve met now, it’s only a matter of time before I start filtering into their memories.”

“Do you want to keep hiding from them? Y/n/n, they know now, there’s no avoiding them not remembering you anymore. Don’t you think avoiding them now will just cause unnecessary pain?”

“I know that! I do. But, I’m not sure I could handle being in their world, and what if they end up resenting me for ruining the good thing they already had? They’ve been together for so long, and then I just blindside them with my existence? What if they didn’t even know they had a third soulmate?”

“Then they do now and they’re probably looking everywhere for them. Those two don’t seem like the type to resent you for coming into their lives, but they might if you enter it just to disappear forever. I get the feeling now that they know, they’ll never stop looking for you. Do you understand that?”

You opened your mouth to answer when the door to the bathroom swung open.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just looking for someone.” The stranger looked flushed, as if they’d been running, but even so you could tell they were stunning. “Um, neither of you happen to know the song All In, do you?”

You and Lia shot each other confused but nervous looks, which seemed to be enough for this stranger who finally let the bathroom door shut behind them, leaning against it and eyeing you both.

“So which one of you is the runner?”

“What do you mean?”

“One of you just met your two soulmates and then booked it while they had their backs turned, which was it?”

Lia threw her hands up in defense, pointing at you in the process and backing up.

“Traitor.” You mumbled, causing her to stifle a laugh.

The stranger blocking the exit landed their gaze on you, “I ran too.”

Of all the things you were expecting them to say, that was definitely not on the list of possibilities.

“It’s scary,” They continued, pushing off the door and walking towards you. “But the separation is worse. I promise you, it’s better than you can possibly imagine. The company takes good care of us, and while we aren’t allowed to be public, we go pretty much everywhere with the boys if we want to. They don’t do anything to risk our relationships.”

“I’m sorry but, who are you and what do you mean by our?”

“Oh! I’m Riley, I’m Chan’s soulmate. And Changbin found his as well, their name is Bee. I went through the running and being scared of falling for someone in the industry but Bee was already in the industry themself when they found Bin, so it was slightly easier for them. Sorry, I’m rambling, but my point is we’re both here for you and we both understand how you’re feeling. And that those men you just left in the dust are two of the best I’ve ever met, and they’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

That comment shocked you to your core. 

They’ve been looking for you.

“How could they be looking for me, they couldn’t have even known about me.”

Riley seemed to hesitate. “To be honest, none of us believed them. For a while we really just assumed that they found each other at such a young age they’ve never experienced anything but one another, so the whole third soulmate thing was just sort of a way to come to terms with the fact that they wanted a change of pace or something. But, here you are, and we stand corrected. 

“They may not have known you, or known how to find you, but they’ve been searching for their ‘missing piece’ about as long as I’ve known them.” Then Riley quirked their head in a very parental like motion. “You already knew, didn’t you.”

It was phrased as a question, but was completely an irrefutable statement.

“How long have you known?” Where you were expecting harshness or judgment, you received only the sound of sheer curiosity.

“Almost a year now.” You mumbled, arms wrapping around yourself for a sense of security. 

Riley blanched. “A YEAR?!”

You just nodded. 

“Damn hun, I would’ve lost my mind if I’d known who Chris was for a whole year. How the hell did you manage that?!”

“By convincing themself that Minho and Han were already happy and better off without them, that they’d just throw a hitch in their lives that they didn’t need.” Lia stated, you could practically hear her rolling her eyes at you. Riley’s eyes softened at her words.

Grabbing your hands in one hand, Riley brushed a stray piece of hair out of your face, gently cupping your cheek. “I know exactly how you feel. When I found Chris, I ran too. I didn’t think I could survive his work schedule, the expectations placed on him, all the fans claiming him, but he is so worth every single difficulty and so much more. I know you’re scared right now, and it’s probably worse for you because it’s just Chris and me, but Min and Ji already adore you, they could never be happier without you than they will be with you, I can promise you that much.

“I understand if you’re not ready yet. I wasn’t ready for a long time myself, so if it’s okay with you, I want to give you mine and Bee’s numbers, you can reach out to us with any and all questions, concerns, whatever. Heck, if you just want to use them to get to know us, that’s fine too. I didn’t have anyone to help me, but you have us, we’ll help you all the way. Think about it, okay? All three of you will be so much happier together. You aren’t meant to be apart.”

You felt tears stinging your eyes again. You knew Riley was right, you’d always known you’d be happier with them, but you also knew there was no way for you to get their attention, no way for them to actually find you, now that you had, now that they knew you, you were truly out of logical reasons to avoid taking your place by their sides.

Because soulmates are a curious thing. Everyone has them, and someway, somehow, they always find each other.

next part: a life eluded

a/n: ahhhhhh part two, I feel like it’s been done for a while but I’ve been like nervous about it idk, anyways I hope you enjoyed!! I know it’ll run for at least two more parts with potential for spin off(s) on the others finding their soulmates or even ‘prequels’ of Riley and Chan as well as Bee and Changbin🫣🤭 please feel free and encouraged to leave your thoughts and opinions and also lemme know if you’d be interested in being tagged in upcoming parts? ciao!! 🫶

[hughiecampbelle]

In Another Life I Did Everything Right (Roman Roy x Baby!Roy)

Character/s: Roman, Connor, Kendall, Shiv, Logan

Word Count: 1,761

Inspired By: the popsicle I was eating lol

Requested: Can you write something with Roman and baby!roy? Whatever you want to do is fine. I really love your baby!roy writing and I adore Roman - anon

A/N: I took a lot of creative liberty lol, I hope you don't mind! Feedback is always appreciated my loves! 💜💜💜

It’s always the same memory, the same dream, that comes to him when the weather is warm, and humid, and he falls into a fitful sleep. It’s a realization that comes to him each time he sees your face: how young you are. Not the chubby cheeks of childhood, yet you remain untouched by adolescence. Though he knows he was a much younger man at the time, he is all grown up now. He feels his age, how old he must seem to you, how worn. Tired. He stands in the grass, the sun bright and willing to burn. He holds two plastic pouches. He knows what they are. He knows what you’re going to say, how worried you are that they’re beginning to melt: popsicles. They wouldn’t have been allowed in the house at all. They wouldn’t have made their way into the shopping cart, nor found a home in the freezer, had it not been for Connor. All his doing. He used to know the story, but tonight he can’t recall. Did you ask him for them? Were they a surprise? How could they have been hidden so well from the disapproving eyes of your father? It doesn’t really matter, he knows, but so much of this dream has become lost to him. It’s been so many years. He can no longer rely on his memory. This day has been contorted over the years, malleable and pliable, until, as far as he knows, it no longer resembles what truly happened. You’re on the pavement, legs dangling off the edge of the pool. The water is clear and, unfortunately, not as cool as you’d like. You wait, hand outstretched, for your treat. He makes you pick. Left, right, left right, left. Finally, you choose left. He smiles. Not then, but now. How big that decision must’ve felt, how harrowing it was to decide, blindly, the flavor. Older and wiser puts things into perspective. Time is funny that way. He’s grateful you remain untouched by this. Let this be your big decision. He tears yours open: orange. There is no mourning, there is no disappointment, though there is a mutual understand red is the best. He holds his up to the light, the wrapper giving way to a dark inky color. He’s glad you picked what you did: no one really liked grape all that much. 

He wants to talk to you, to ask you questions, to understand where it all went wrong, but he is limited. The dialogue has been chosen for you. This is a reenactment, a loop, a labyrinth of muscle memory he must abide by. He settles beside you, legs crossed, listening to your teeth break through the ice and syrup. He wasn’t a spiritual person. He didn’t believe in God or Heaven or Hell. He didn’t have anyone or thing to turn to when things were hard, when times were tough. Sometimes he wished he was. A different person who could pray and believe and have faith. The cynic in him thought it was bullshit. The optimist, weak and tender, fought back as best as it could. There has to be something, right? There has to be something after all this? Life, mortal life, was so small in comparison to the time before and time after. How could there be nothing? He wants to ask you what you think, if there is God out there and, if so, how vengeful they must be. You were young, yes, but you grew up. There were so many opportunities for him to ask you, your views and opinions, and he didn’t. He wasn’t thinking as he was now. He didn’t have the perspective. Instead your voice slices through his thoughts, a knife to watermelon, it all becomes a sweet, sticky mess in the middle of his cheat. Where’s mom? You don’t have to clarify you mean your mother and not his. Logan’s latest ex-wife. They lasted longer than anyone expected, separating just a few weeks prior, when Spring turned to Summer. He speaks, and though he cannot hear himself, he knows his lines. He wishes now he’d been nicer. Kinder. Instead he is full of teenage angst and decides a snide comment is the best option to ease your growing unease given their recent split. Like all of your mothers, Connors and his and yours, they’ve left their children in the care of your father, though he understand this thought is cheap and really, only Connors mother couldn’t help it. Still, two out of three? 

Did you see her today? You watch him, and wait, and your eyes are big, and there is melted popsicle down the front of your shirt. Yes, he admits, for a moment, but refuses any further details. Mascara ran down her face. She wheeled two large suitcases out of their (now Logans) room and down the hall, towards the stairs. He’s not sure where she was going, or for how long, and he suspected you wondered the same thing. Were the popsicles, similar to the cake Logan had bought Connor, some sort of bargain? A peace offering? Sorry kid, mommy and daddy are splitting. Here’s some sugar! Was this Connor’s way of making things better? He noticed the absence of his older siblings lessening these recent months. He found Shiv helping you with your school work, patiently listening to you ramble on about grade school drama: Leah liked Tommy, but Tommy liked Madison, who wasn’t your friend anymore because she was no longer sitting at your table during lunch, so Tessa was your new best friend. Kendall, with whatever he did to busy himself all day, took his evenings to hang out with you, trying his best to have something in common with a ten year old. Connor, who had never been lacking in your life, became an even more involved presence. Wrapped up with his own affairs, and probably several affairs, Logan had little time for his youngest. So here he was, doing his part, hoping a little attention wouldn’t leave you screwed up like the rest of them. 

He wants to ask you what you think of all this. He should have, at the time, but he was uncomfortable. Uncomfortable that, finally, you were earning the Roy name. Your mother was just another wife, you were just another kid he didn’t like or want. You weren’t special, you weren’t going to change him. Uncomfortable because you were a child and children had big emotions. What if you cried? What if you got upset? He didn’t know how to stop it. He didn’t know how to help. You wouldn’t know it at the time (how could you?) but your mother would move on. She’d remarry a few years down the line, and have more children, and leave you behind. Her second husband wasn’t a fan of your father. By association, he wasn’t keen to you either. Roman never asked, even when you got older, how you were dealing with it all. Not just this, but everything. Adolescence. He figured, like the rest of them, you’d move on. Recover. Find your way. You couldn’t. You were in Logan’s custody sure, but it was her you wanted. Holidays, and birthdays, and events, you wanted her. Instead he decides the conversation is over. The in-between is murky. There are popsicles, there is this grimm realization, there is regret, and then what?

He isn’t sure what it is that keeps him reliving this day over the others. There were plenty of times he spent with you, though usually you were drinking, attempting to run away from the family, your bloodline, your future. He saw you so rarely, you were such a different person when he got the chance to really look at you, talk to you. Logan shipped you off to boarding school the school year after your mother leaves. It’s prestigious, and sterile, and ruins any of that person he’s sitting beside. Somewhere between here and then you changed. Not just growing up, though is any other big brother really prepared for their baby to get older? You grew harder, colder, bitter. You drank more. You disappeared often. Your grades suffered, though that kind of information was kept mostly between you and the school. Every so often, Connor would send out a group text saying he was going to visit you. Roman, at least, knew what that meant: you got into trouble and needed someone to clean up a mess you made. Everyone had grown up and adjusted as well as to be expected. They were waiting, impatiently, for you to catch up in maturity. You were a teenager expected to act like an adult, treated like a child. You begged Logan to come home. Your school was far away. It was lonely. It was brutal. But it was the best education anyone could ask for and he believed you were being a brat. 

You wanted to see your mother. It had been years, at that point, since you last saw her. Occasionally you’d receive a cold phone call, but that was all you were allotted. That’s the story, anyways. No one really knows why you went out that night, why it was so urgent, only that you were drinking and you weren’t wearing a seatbelt. They found the car wrapped around a pole. You took your place in the family mausoleum. As far as he knows, your mother doesn’t visit. But they do, all of them. This was years ago, a little over a decade. You’d be all grown up by now. He still sees you as a ten year old. He always will. Maybe he dreams this day, over every other, because it was before everything turned sour. Maybe he just likes the taste of popsicles. Either way, it’s always a treat. He wants to ask you everything he didn’t get the chance to, but he can’t, and soon he will wake up. He’ll wake up in a cold sweat and make a point to visit you sometime soon, taking this as a sign that you’re lonely and looking for company. For now, he looks at you, really looks, and takes you in. You’ve been talking this whole time about what you’ve been learning in school, what Shiv has been helping you with. He will nod. He was bored then, wondering who would take over babysitting duty, but he isn’t now. He soaks up every word. He misses your voice, your mannerisms. So much has changed since this day. So little has changed, too.

[bigtittiecomitte]

What are your thoughts on this video?? This was recommend to me and I watched it and I didn't really care for it..maybe it's just me but it feels like this person seems more salty about V not getting together with N instead of giving actually criticisms of why he didn't like the finale, in fact I've seen most people act act this way when it comes to the finale..it's been mixed since it released and more people have lately been finding reasons to find Nuzi *Problematic* and a bad ship with saying the whole N is dating is "sister" (Cyn) because of Uzi and the solver being in one together in the same body even though that's NOT the case!! Idk, part of the reasons I was never able to fully ship Envy was because of some of the toxic fans and V fans and how they treated Uzi as a character..even after the finale Uzi is still getting undeserved mistreatment and hate and it's truly unfortunate. People need to see and realize that although Nuzi is canon people are still allowed to ship whatever they want canon or not, and just because Nuzi is canon doesn't mean anybody can be a dick and jackass. People also shouldn't be sending threats to Liam and Glitch because of the finale, yes the finale was flawed but that doesn't make it okay to to doxx or hass the studio or creator, MD is Liam's show and he should allowed to do whatever he wants with this show, I've said this in my own post but I think many in this fandom truly took this show for granted and didn't really deserve it..although I'm grateful for Murder Drones and will forever cherish it as it's my comfort show, this fandom is truly a mess and I know that's all fandoms..but the MD community is just so toxic and I wished it was a much better and healthier fanbase. :(

https://youtu.be/mQ5xnKYHGoc?si=6bSwQpiPV10beX-b

I saw the video and holy fuck Media Literacy is DEAD

I’m all for hearing people’s opinions but it really does piss me off when people just start saying crap without properly understanding the characters they’re talking about

For anybody not wanting to check out the video, basically the guy is saying that N and V should’ve gotten together and N and Uzi should’ve just stayed friends or even have a “sibling dynamic” (pretty much stuff we’ve already heard before lol). The issue is that if you have been watching the show with your two eyes you would know that N and V getting together in the end would actually be WORSE for N and V

N and V’s relationship is very catered to the past, present and future. In the past, N and V had a thing for each other in the manor (maybe even dated) then we have the present where N and V are now genocidal robots with the intent of killing worker drones for oil. N still has a crush on V prior to meeting Uzi while V tries to protect her and N by continuing on their path of death due to her trauma of Cyn and everything that happened in the manor, she tries pretending to forget his name and hides secrets from him, which makes him upset and lash out on her. Then we cut to the future, N and V are now friends and living in the bunker with the rest of the worker drones, they’re healing but they’re doing alright now that there’s finally no hiding secrets from one another

The problem with a lot of people complaining that Envy should have been canon instead is the fact that their entire relationship throughout Murder Drones is all about moving on and the fact that not all romantic relationships end with them being happy together. N and V could never have what they had in the manor again because not only have they moved on from each other but they’re also building up their platonic relationship brick by brick. N and V were never proper friends and never got the chance to rekindle until Uzi came along, which another thing I want to talk about

I see so many people hating on Uzi for being the reason as to why N and V didn’t become endgame but if it wasn’t for Uzi. N and V would’ve never ended up where they are today like if they never met Uzi then they would just end up killing all the worker drones and dying after all the oil is gone, N and V wouldn’t even get to rekindle their relationship because it would be stuck to how it was before Uzi came along. The reason as to why Nuzi became endgame and not Envy wasn’t because Liam favoured one ship than the other but because N and Uzi were actually communicating. They were friends and understood each other’s trauma and feelings, which is what made them work. N and V didn’t have that until N lashed out on her and she got her character growth

The only part I can somewhat agree with is that we should have seen V apologise to the real N (she did apologise but it was to a fake N instead) but I’m at least happy that real N was there to know that she was being sincere with her words. They’re all traumatised characters, none of them deserved what they went through

He says that Uzi should’ve stopped having a crush on N which leads to N and V getting together and I just full on stopped the video because how are you seeing the interactions between N and Uzi and thinking that Uzi should have just stopped having a crush on him when N’s feelings for her were also the same, them not being canon would have actually made no sense because of all the moments we had got of them, hell even them implied to be dating in Episode 7 lol. N and V getting together in the end would have been way more rushed than the ship of what some envy shippers actually claim to be rushed

Not only that but him calling V “jealous” of N and Uzi being in love because apparently that’s what she wanted with N, like hell did V tell you that? She’s happy for them even if she doesn’t look like it (I mean I don’t like seeing couples in public either lol)

Nuzi being canon doesn’t mean you have to stop shipping other ships that you find better and it’s totally ok to be disappointed that Envy wasn’t the main ship. But it doesn’t give people the right to just make fake screenshots of Liam’s twitter and blaming Nuzi shippers for the reason as to why Nuzi became canon (apparently we all did a meeting and pay for Nuzi to be canon lmao). Remember that fanfiction and fanart exist my dudes, support your local AU’s too

Basically Envy is a very tragic ship and it was always written that way and guys please stop mischaracterising V it hurts

[rainiishowers]

hey, I loved the reaction you wrote for when the mc did the exhange program as a child and then came back to meet the brothers again a few years later

I was wondering if you could write something like that for the dateables as well?

it's totally fine if not though, no worries <33

A/N: Hi! No problem at all, that was one of my favourite requests, so I’m happy to do another one :3 (Hope you don't mind me adding Luke lol)

Scenario: MC came to the Devildom as a child exchange student and touched the hearts of all the boys. However, they didn’t stay in contact with any of them after the year was up. 10 years later, a certain human calls Barbatos and invites The Royals and the Purgatory Hall Trio to meet up with them in the human world

Genre: Fluff

Content: GN! MC (They/Them), partner uses They/Them as well, platonic relationships between boys and MC, angels age slower than humans, Barbatos has ✨dream visions✨ Brothers Ver.

------ Diavolo

Naturally, the prince was ecstatic that MC even still remembers him (it is pretty hard to forget someone like the literal demon prince), much less wants to meet up again. He will absolutely get a bunch of things that he remembers MC liking, constantly sending them pictures and asking for their opinion to ensure they still do, so it isn't really a surprise gift. He tries his best to focus on his duties, he really does, but it is pretty hard to when you get to see the human that you missed after 10 years in a few weeks. First thing this man does when they all see MC? Give 'em an inescapable hug that he will not stop until he realizes that MC is a human and does not have the lungs of a demon. Diavolo is very happily asking how MC is, and listens like a proud father when MC recounts life events (and offers words of praise whenever the life event they described was challenging, like “you’re very resilient for being able to face that”, etc).

He’s happy MC found love and introduces himself warmly to their partner. He’s not overtly threatening, because he does trust MC to date good people, but he does keep some tabs on the partner.

Barbatos

He was expecting the message because he had gotten flashes of the reunion in his dreams, so it didn’t come as a total shock to him, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit happy about it, despite the trouble MC had caused him in the first exchange program. He told everyone in a timely manner and was busy working to ensure nothing was destroyed while Diavolo and him were gone on the days leading up to the visit. (Thankfully Lucifer reassured him that the brothers would keep anything too drastic from happening).

Has to (gently) pry Diavolo away from hugging MC to ensure the human doesn’t die. Will make pleasant small talk with MC, asking how they are, what they do now, etc. He’s glad to see how MC matured despite there being a year in their life where a lot of very traumatizing or negative things happened. Despite taking a sort of break from his butler duties, he still very much prepares some tea and desserts he brought to the human world, unable to break away from the lifestyle of serving people before relaxing.

Upon meeting their partner, Barbatos will remain calm compared to the brothers. He's lived long enough to know that they aren't of any threat, so he doesn't worry about it too much, perhaps might even introduce their partner to new desserts and such things

Solomon

Let’s be real, he probably went to the human world to protect MC from any harm on many occasions, probably even talking to them sometimes. For the purpose of this, let’s say he had interacted with them in the past, he does tell the others this, feeling slightly smug about it.

He’s says how much he missed them despite literally talking to them a few weeks prior to the meet up, subtly asking questions that will get them to talk about things he remembers talking to MC about, and being like “oh yea! I remember that!” He offers his input on occasion. He has seen how MC matured but that doesn’t stop him from teasing them, and sort of treating them like a kid.

Has done extreme background checks on MC’s partner and deduced that they are no harm to them. He’s glad MC found someone they admire and share affection with, perhaps would share some (odd but teachable) anecdotes about his experiences in love

Simeon

When Barbatos invited him, Luke and Solomon to go to the human world to visit MC, he was surprised, yet excited. He suggested Luke bake and bring some pastries MC liked, perhaps getting a gift for them himself if they like to receive them.

Lingers in the background as he waits for an opportunity to speak. His joy is much more subtle than Diavolo’s, but the hug he gives clearly shows how happy he is to meet with the human again. Simeon teases MC just a tiny bit with Solomon, engaging in the playful banter, but makes sure Solomon doesn’t tease too much.

Surprised and delighted to see MC’s partner. Introduces himself warmly, and is slightly amused at how they seem so confused with his angelic warmth. Encourages Luke to offer a dessert to their partner. He doesn’t catch onto anything sinister, but he might ask for Barbatos’ opinion about MC’s partner later.

Luke

While in a baking lesson, Barbatos tells him about an opportunity to talk to MC again, and he is ecstatic, probably seeming like he was on a sugar high to the outside eyes with how much he was bouncing off the walls before focusing all his attention on the pastries Barbatos and him were making, before starting to make other various pastries he made with MC. He was still a bit young due to angels and humans having vastly different aging patterns, but he was still excited to show MC how he improved.

Brings a basket full of treats all cutely wrapped up. Probably the most thrown off by how MC aged much quicker than him. Looks at Simeon in confusion like “how is MC so much taller than me???” Other than that though, happily shows off his newly acquired skills in baking while catching up on all the things he missed with MC.

With his own personal development, he had learned to not be so distrustful of people, so he kind of just mimics Simeon’s actions while greeting MC’s partner. He probably pulls MC aside later to ask some questions purely because he’s worried, but MC assured Luke that he just needs to get to know their partner more.

[karizard-ao3]

Are there any early drafts or deleted scenes from what we've already read in single parents?

I do indeed! There are so many for the Halloween chapter alone that it would be equivalent to a whole other multi-chapter fic (but shorter) lol.

I'll skip Halloween due to the sheer volume but I'll share some other bits below the page break!

1.

Eren was used to the pang of loneliness that struck him any time Mikasa vacated his general location. He’d suffered through it ever since they were 3rd graders and the girls would sometimes spirit her away at recess to play four square or practice dance routines, paring their usual trio down to a pair. He’d soldiered bravely through the ache in high school when it wasn’t a tutoring day and he had to watch her leave school with one of her other friends while he stayed behind for practice. He’d been kind of a dick about it in middle school, sulking at lunch while she enjoyed her clubs and refusing to speak to her at all. And then there was his 20s, when the pain of her absence became so familiar that he didn’t even realize it still hurt until she’d shown up on Armin’s doorstep and the bruise on his heart winked away. 

2.

Eren didn’t like Eduardo, and it had nothing to do with the fact he had been married to Mikasa and everything to do with the fact that he had not appreciated being married to Mikasa. It had been Eren’s opinion from 3rd grade onward that Mikasa Ackerman was wife material and, while the reasons he believed that and his own personal stake in her marital status had changed, the conviction remained. There was some kind of deep and serious flaw inside of Eduardo, and Eren wanted nothing to do with him.

3.

I'll stop after this one, but here is one of the original attempts at the opening chapter! It didn't feel right so I redid it.

He was the first one to arrive, even after he stopped by the supermarket for a bottle of wine. It was strange, he realized as Armin let him in, but they hadn't seen each other in person since before Adri was born. Her mother, Eren's ex-wife, had never wanted to go back to his hometown for the holidays, so they always spent them with her family, who were local. Sometimes his parents came out, sometimes they stayed home and spent the time with his brother, Zeke's, family. As a result, Eren and Armin's friendship had been borne along through the passing years on the backs of various messaging apps.

"It's so good to see you in person!" Armin said, ushering him inside.

"Yeah," said Eren, handing him the bottle he'd brought. "It's weird seeing you outside of Facebook."

Armin's wife, Annie, poked her head out of what Eren assumed was the master bedroom. Her face was only half made up. "What time is it?" she frowned, looking at her phone. "Is my clock off?"

"I'm early," said Eren.

"Ah," she said, giving him a quick once over. "Nice shorts." Then she disappeared back inside the bedroom to finish getting ready.

Eren looked down at his ensemble. "I should have changed out of them," he said.

"No, you look youthful," said Armin, holding back a grin. "Lots of my male students wear those short shorts."

"My niece picked them out," said Eren.

"How old is she now?" Armin asked as he carried the bottle of wine into the kitchen.

Eren followed him. "Thirteen," he said. "She knows everything, yet somehow she's always wrong."

Armin chuckled, setting the wine on the counter. "I'm going to go finish getting the backyard set up. Want to help?"

"Sure," said Eren. "So… do I know anyone coming tonight?"

“Maybe,” said Armin. There was something a little too innocent about his smile. Eren frowned at him as he followed him through the sliding glass door and out into the sun.

“Who’s coming, then?” Eren persisted.

“You’ll see!” said Armin.

Eren cocked his head at him. “Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me?” he said.

Armin's eyes widened into shimmering, guileless orbs. "I'm not keeping anything from you," he said.

He was so full of shit. Eren scowled at him, but Armin just laughed, gesturing for Eren to help him with a folding table. "Don't worry about it," he said.

"Whatever," Eren grumbled. He knew Armin and he was never going to get the truth out of him while he was busy masterminding. He just hoped he didn't have to wait too long to find out what Armin had planned for him.

They finished putting out the food and cups and plates just as Annie emerged, garbed in a roomy summer dress, and began mixing the punch.

"Did you fill the cooler?" she asked Armin.

He snapped his fingers. "I knew I was forgetting something," he said. "I'll go do it."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Annie looked up. "Party time!" she said.

"I'll get it!" said Armin.

"I'll fill the cooler, Annie," said Eren as Armin bustled to welcome their guests. He wasn't quite in the mood to mingle. He really wanted was to go home and hang out with Carla and Adriana.

"Armin can do it," Annie said.

"No, no. You're the hosts. He should entertain your guests," Eren protested, holding up his hands. "Please. Let me do it."

Annie regarded him with a shrewd eye. "Okay," she assented. "Everything is in the garage. Ice in the freezer, beer and soda on the other side of the washing machine."

"Great!" said Eren, giving her a thumbs up and hurrying away as Armin led a pair of chattering couples in to see Annie in the kitchen.

In the dim, cool privacy of the garage, Eren took a moment to shut his eyes and breathe. It had been a long time since he had seen anyone from his youth. He’d skipped his ten-year reunion because Carly had objected to missing a day or two of work to go with him, to being home alone with their small daughter, and to Eren bringing Adriana with him and letting her stay with his parents or brother while he went to see his old classmates and verify that he had not become the biggest loser of the bunch. He kind of thought she just didn’t want him to go to the reunion, so he hadn’t, and now he was wondering if anyone even remembered him anymore. There was only one person he'd want to see from high school, anyway, and she had fallen off the face of the Earth after grad night. She'd left to spend summer abroad and he'd heard from her again. He sighed, locating the empty cooler and moving it next to the fridge so he could fill it with ice. Then found the drinks next to the washer, like Annie had said. There were cases of beer, assorted soft drinks, and hard seltzer. He did his best to fit a balanced selection inside the ice chest, then lifted it up by the handles and hefted it out into the yard. More people had arrived while he was tucked away out of sight. He cast a furtive glance over them, but he didn’t recognize any of them. They must be Armin’s colleagues from the college, and their spouses. Oh, shit, he thought. Was this going to be another one of those evenings where everyone was coupled up but him? This is what he got for getting divorced before any of his friends. He was definitely going to try to cut out of here early if a good reason to stay didn't present itself soon.

He got himself a beer and went to join Armin and the small circle of friends he was laughing with. It was awkward standing there, nodding along as they all talked about people Eren had never met and laughed at jokes that he didn't think were funny. He peeled away from the group, unnoticed, and went to find Annie. She was leaning against the kitchen counter, rubbing her stomach while drinking a diet Coke and scrolling through her phone. She looked up when Eren came in.

"Can I hide out in here for a few minutes?" he said.

Annie gestured for him to pull up a stool. "Not vibing with the professors?" she said.

Eren sat down, resting his elbows on the counter. "Not really. Is the woman Armin wants me to meet from the college?" he asked.

Annie glanced at him. "She teaches there part time," she said.

"What's she like?" said Eren. "What's her name?"

Annie shook her head, pretending to lock her lips together with a key. "I'm sworn to secrecy," she said.

Eren threw his hands in the air. "What is Armin's problem?" he said. "Why is he like this?"

"He thinks it's fun," said Annie.

Eren grumbled. "I don't," he said.

Annie shrugged. "I just like to see him happy," she said, downing the last of her soda. "Okay. Time to resume my hostly duties. You gonna stay in here?"

"No, I'll come with," said Eren, joining her as she rejoined the party. Armin detached himself from the cluster of colleagues he was chatting with and hurried over to kiss her cheek.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Fine," she said, her eyes softening.

"You're sure?" said Armin.

"Stop," she said, patting his cheek. "You're hovering."

"Sorry," said Armin with a sheepish smile.

Eren looked back and forth between them, then narrowed his eyes and inspected Annie's stomach. Her dress was too loose for him to get a good gauge on whether or not it looked any different.

"What are you looking at?" said Annie.

"Nothing," said Eren. "Want me to get you an alcoholic beverage from the cooler? I'm going to get myself a fresh beer."

Annie studied him with a cool eye. "I'm not drinking tonight," she said.

"Right," said Eren.

Interesting.

Eren left them to their other guests and went to the cooler. He considered his drink options before deciding to go ahead and have one of the hard seltzers because they had a grapefruit one and he liked that. Then, he wandered over to the food table to load up a plate with crackers, salami, and cheese. The midsummer sun was starting to go down and it was about Adriana's normal bedtime. He wondered if his mom was even trying to get her into bed at a decent hour tonight, or if he was going to return home to a crabby, strung out three-year-old. Maybe he should just make his excuses and go home now. It didn't seem like the mystery woman Armin had selected for him had arrived yet and he didn't really care enough to wait around to see if she showed up. He looked down at his open can of seltzer. It would take more than two drinks to get him buzzed, but he probably should still give himself a little time before he got behind the wheel, just in case. He had a daughter to raise. Okay, so he'd drink it, follow it up with a soda, wait another half hour or so, then go home. He calculated the time that would take in his head. Goddamnit. He was going to be stuck here forever.

"Ugggggggggh," he groaned, grabbing his plate and turning around to find Armin so he could go wedge his way into whatever circle he was in. But he couldn't see Armin. His entire field of vision was obstructed by a doe-eyed brunette with a wide, toothy grin.

"Eren!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his middle and squeezing all the air out of him. "You magnificent idiot! Armin didn't tell me you were going to be here!"

"Sasha?" he croaked. "Sasha, I can't breathe."

She released him. "Are you in town visiting?" she asked.

Eren shook his head, too busy replenishing his oxygen supply to reply right away. Sasha bounced on her toes, waiting for him to reply. "I moved back with my daughter," he said.

Sasha tilted her head. "What about-?"

"We got divorced," said Eren.

"Oh," said Sasha, sympathy creasing her face. "Why did you split up? Did one of you cheat?”

“Not that I know of,” said Eren, frowning. “But who fucking knows? She didn’t really say why, and I didn’t ask.” His eyes darkened. “I have my opinions on why she left, though.”

“Oh, so she dumped you,” said Sasha, her face drooping even further. “That must sting.”

“Oh my God,” said Annie, walking up just in time to hear that last bit. “You’re so tactless, Sash.”

“Eren doesn’t mind,” said Sasha.

“I kind of do,” said Eren. He didn’t love talking about the end of his marriage, even if he was relieved to be out of it. It had taken him a bit of time to get to that point, and he still felt like an unlovable failure that he hadn’t been able to make it work despite his best efforts to make her happy. It was demoralizing. And it was making him wonder why he’d thought there was any point coming here to meet the woman Armin was trying to set him up with. A sudden thought struck him and his eyes narrowed. Armin wasn’t trying to set him up with Sasha, was he? “Hey, Sasha, you have a husband, right?” said Eren.

“It’s almost our sixth wedding anniversary!” Sasha chirped. “Why?”

“No reason,” said Eren while Annie smirked at him.

“She’s not here yet,” Annie mouthed, reading him like a book. She was so uncanny. Christ.

“Congratulations on being happy and in love, Sasha,” said Eren, doing his best to keep his bitterness in check. Maybe he should slam his seltzer so he could leave earlier.

"Thanks!" said Sasha. "Let me know if you want me to set you up with anyone. I'm trying to find Mikasa a boyfriend right now."

Eren nearly solved his unfinished drink dilemma by almost dropping the can. "Mikasa Ackerman?" he said.

"Our old tutor! Yeah!" said Sasha. "She moved back to town a few years ago."

Eren's heart began to thud in his chest, heat flooding his cheeks. She was single? Like him? She had moved back home? His old high school crush who he had finally worked up the courage to kiss on grad night and then never heard from again? "Is she coming tonight?" he squeaked.

"I don't know," said Sasha. "I'll call her."

"No need. She already texted me she's on her way," Annie grumbled.

"Oh my god," said Eren, wheeling around and going in hunt of Armin. It didn't take him long to find him chatting with a cluster of fellow scholars. Eren grabbed his shoulder and Armin turned to see who was summoning him. All it took was one look at Eren's pink face and the beads of panicked sweat that sparkled on his temples like crystals to ascertain what had happened.

"Goddamn it. It was supposed to be a surprise," said Armin.

"She's really coming," said Eren, covering his mouth with his hand. "I'm going to see her for the first time in thirteen years and I'm wearing fucking short shorts."

"I just told you to make yourself look good," said Armin. "I did not tell you to dress like a hoochie."

"Oh my God," Eren groaned. "Do I look okay otherwise? What if she won't talk to me? She just disappeared off the face of the earth, Armin."

Armin glanced at the sliding glass door behind Eren and waved at whoever was standing there. "Well, she's reappeared," he said. "Hi, Mikasa!"

Eren's heart stopped. Then, a soft, even voice he thought he'd lost to the past answered, "Hi, Armin!"

[reikamasama]

Heya!! I've noticed you've had your reqs open for a while now, so I hope you don't mind writing my idea for me!! Lol

Soo.. could I get some general hcs for the hazbin hotel cast (whomever and however many you feel like doing) with a Cerberus!reader? Preferably sticking to a more platonic theme

No pressure, ofc!!

Thank you for the request when! I’m not to educated on Cerberus but i tried my best to make some general head canons for the main hazbin crew although its not proofread i hope its to your liking !!

Alastor

Cerberus!reader grabbed Alastor’s attention right as they joined the hotel, the concept of having 3 heads with all different emotions and feelings was odd to him. He had many questions but the gentleman he was, was not going to stress you with so many question’s until he got closer to you. As he decides to build up his relationship with you he would drop questions here and there — this way he learns more about you.

When he gets to know you, he would grow to enjoy asking your opinion on things, three opinions will always be better than one! (Unless it hurts his ego somehow, but that was a rare occasion)

He would cook a lot of food and use you as the taste subject. He makes you sit in the kitchen as you watch his process listening to some jazz while having a chit-chat with him is a weekly routine at this point and he’d be confused if you weren’t in the kitchen by Sunday afternoons to try his cooking. He will ask you multiple times if you would want human meat in your food, if you refuse he will defeatedly accept the loss — but he won’t stop asking you just because you said no (and if you say yes he will happily purchase the best kind of meats he knows and sometimes bring you along to purchase them! You also get introduced to Rosie this way)

Since Alastor has taken a liking to you he would randomly pat your heads as well as purchase gifts for the three of you. He made sure they were always tailored to your liking.  He would also ask you to join him on his walks sometimes, and if anybody made you uncomfortable he would reassure you that you’re safe with him.

“So, what do you think?” 

He stands in front of you expectantly, as your tastebuds get filled with a tasty dish you’ve never tried before, you are not quite sure what kind of dish it is — you only that it’s some kind of steak. You take a long second really thinking before the three of you in sync say;

“This is spicy.. is it supposed to be like that?”

“I’d like to have some more flavor just simple things like salt and pepper would do well!

“I like it, it’s perfect!”

The three of you glance at each other and then at Alastor who stands there with a slightly concerned grin.

“Uh huh you don’t say.”

And after that he made sure to tailor the food to the each of you! He thinks of it like a puzzle in some sort of a way, if the three of you are satisfied then he finished it 

Husker

At first husker didn’t really care for Cerberus!reader, they were probably gonna be like any sinner anyway, someone trying to be better — only to drink their sorrows away.

When he realizes that none of you drink alcohol he changes his opinions on the three of you!(if you do drink alcohol… Nuh uh :3) He tries to actually entertain you whenever you enlighten him with random visit at the bar, chatting about topics the three of you’ve been thinking about lately. 

He would definitely grow a bit protective of you and would use nicknames like kid, champ, bud to address you and would give you thumbs ups to quietly show you he’s proud of you.

He would allow you to touch his ears and his tail if you’re curious about them, and in return he gets permission to pat your head whenever he pleases.

He would show you multiple card tricks and would always wear a smug expression on his face whenever he saw the three heads getting fascinated with his simple tricks — that definite made him more confident as you praised his tricks!

His deck quickly mixes together with the flick of a wrist, you watch in amusement as the cards go back and forward in a very mesmerizing pattern. Husk clears his throat before he starts;

“And now, watch as the cards mix..”

The three of you have your eyes fixated on the cards spinning round and round. Until he stops and then spreads it out in a half circle before picking up a card making sure its back is facing you. The three look at you in anticipation waiting for him to show the card she chose.

“Was this your cards?”

He flips the cards and show them to you; two of you look in excitement as he shows them their cards they had chosen earlier, they bombard husk with questions but then the third head speaks up;

“Wait, those are only two cards! Where’s mine?”

Husks chuckles before he grabs something from the back of the third heads ear,

“Oh sorry! Forgot i left the card here!”

Niffty 

Niffty takes a quick liking to you, and as soon as she gets a moment alone with you she will show you her bug collection and give you a bug that in her words “matches your fur and compliments all of the eyes you have”. 

She would sew you some small accessories.. yes they might have had sticks and bugs used in the materials but it’s the thought that counts! Besides it doesn’t even look bad, she would normally place them behind your ears or somewhere on your head. 

If you can’t find niffty? Expect her to be messing with one of your heads, she loves to climb up on them and just sit there, following you in your daily life as you’re out and about. (She is an automatic free-escape pass from Valentin[hoe]!)

“I was thinking!! What if you join me for cleaning duty tomorrow! I’ll even pay you… three queen roaches!”

She says this with starts in her eyes as if it’s the best offer she could ever give you, and who are you to say no? You can easily spot dirt and dust with the help of your other heads and you can help Niffty reach tight spots

“Why not!”

Charlie

When Cerberus!Reader first joined the hotel she was very chipper just like she is with any other guest, but the fact that you had a very intimating look but still acted better than half of the sinners inside the hotel was something she was extra excited about!

She bombards you with questions and asks a lot about how the three-head thing works, did she need to fix the room so it fitted all of your standards? If you all ate same food or not? When you guys decide outfits, do to often disagree with what your going to wear. Etc.

Would try to have therapy sessions with you! I believe one of your heads would be.. not so pleased with this whilst another one would vent their heart out. (Also Charlie would definitely try having karaoke sessions with all of you and would adore the way the three of you are able to harmonize even if you don’t always get along)

Her pen taps along a board before she looks at the three of you;

“So you have a problem getting along.. mm have you tried telling each other why you are annoyed?”

“Well these loudmouths are nothing but trouble! They can’t keep their mouth shut even if the world was ending!

“Wha— says you! It’s not my time you keep being a buzzkill”

“You both are annoying! Just shut the fuck up before i start fighting yall.”

After that the bickering grows and Charlie has to step in to help calm the three of you down.

Vaggie

When Cerberus! Reader joins the hotel Vaggie is very cautious, three heads— three problems! She will keep her distance and give you some glances but never actively act rude towards you since you haven’t actually bothered her. 

If you give her time to get used to you and get to know you she will grow to trust you more and more, and she would give you words of advice when your not sure on what to do to show her appreciation towards you. But when the three of you argue with each other she will give all of you a bonk on the head.

Would train the three of you to become better fighters and when you fight against heaven you’re a real pro, she’s very proud of you even if she dosent show it to well!

Her angelic sphere pointed to one of your three necks as you lay on the ground defenceless; she has just beaten you guys in a fight once again, 

“If you guys were better at working with this body, maybe we’d win?”

One of the heads scoff

“Pff, as if! If you would follow my lead? It would’ve been as easy as pie!”

“We havnt even baked before how could you say it’s as easy as pie..”

Vaggie sighs as the bonks each of your heads talking about how the three of you needs to learn on how to get along.

Angel dust

When Cerberus!Reader joins the hotel he will quickly point out the uneven fur and would quickly take the role as a ‘big brother’  to the reader. He would bully the three of you multiple times but only in a friendly teasing way.

He would have sleepovers with you, he enjoyed gossiping with the three of you as he would give you a ‘makeover’ mostly by brushing your fur and giving one of your faces makeup as he would recommend you shampoos and conditioners to keep your fur looking more fresh.

Would ask your opinions on outfits even if they are revealing, since he is like a brother to you it’s not that strange. He would most definitely not throw any sexual comments towards you and if anybody else does so, they get a beating.

Will randomly come into your room to check up on you,( and borrow some of your clothes) he most definitely steals a lot of your stuff and whenever you have a sleepover he would just put it of as if it was nothing. Will also multiple times tell you not to drink and go down the path he went.

“Ow! Be careful you dunce!”

One of your heads mutter as angel dust tries to brush through your matted fur struggling with every brush stroke he makes.

“Well maybe if you’d be more careful i wouldn’t have to fix it so damn often!”

It all comes from a place of love though!

Sir pentious 

When Cerberus!Reader join the hotel, Sir pentious gets a good feeling about having you around right away, your demon form has three heads and he is very snake — like with makes him feel less out-of-place with the rest of the crew.

If you joined around when he joined he never made any plans to kill you with his weapons (in episode 3) instead he would order angelic weapons from Carmilla and then try to teach the three of you how you could make weapons! As long as one of you learn the most simple of things he will feel super achieved and want to teach you more and more things as you slowly get better and better. 

Would make weapons for you and give you a tour in his evil lair (/his ship). 

His egg boys would absolutely adore you and frank would normally hang around the three of you the most, even calling you boss in front of Pentious — he woudnt even mind!

“Sso you ssee, if you take these parts together.. and then place them like that.. it will create a blasst-gun, but if you move thiss piece it will create a bomb weapon, do you get it?”

“Yeah not to hard to remember”

“Uhm.. wich piece did you move again?”

“Nope no! I’m completely lost right now!”

[huntquinlan]

Hi❤️ Happy new year. I hope I not intruding, but I read some of your tags on an elucien post where you said you have been in the SJM fandom since crown of midnight. Which means you have survived almost all the shipwars. So I just want to know, some stuff

Like was it as violent? Lol

Did you ship Rowan and Aelin? if not who did you ship? What about the other couples, did you ship them correctly? What about with Tamlin and Rhys? Did you guess that ferye was going to end up with Rhys ? Where they even ship wars at that time?

sorry I am asking so many questions, I just want to know how it was then and find out your experience.

hi darling! happy new year! 💖

yes, i was reading TOG back when it originally came out, and ACOTAR too! I used my main back then and tragically used no tagging system lmao. i also had an ACOTAR aesthetic sideblog for a short period of time but ultimately deleted it. I survived the heir of fire into queen of shadows hiatus (a badge i wear with honor). rest under a read more because i like to talk a lot

the caveat though is that i was 12-13 years old LMAO (remember folks, TOG was originally YA - I was the target audience up until QOS/EOS). so my memory of the fandom is kind of hazy but the discourse and ship ways were a very real thing back then too, i just didn’t spend a ton of time on them because i was like 12 and didn’t care that much. i don’t remember there being as many death threats and anonymous troll blogs, but back then on tumblr you’d just make a call out on your blog and tag the person you wanted to fight with (this was pre-direct messaging on tumblr! and discord).

i shipped rowan and aelin from HOF, yes! it was super clear to me that they were going to be endgame, even though it broke my doraelin heart. i liked chaol and chaolaena fine but dorian. dorian is still one of my favorite SJM characters to this day. i also REALLY liked malide (manon x elide) but once lorcan became a MC i realized there was zero chance of that happening in canon and that we were getting elorcan💔(though don’t get me wrong i like elorcan!)

back then the TOG fandom was killer, there were a ton of active people, artists, and editors making mood boards and things. and lots of infighting of course. it’s really pretty quiet now, all things considered

i read the first ACOTAR right when it came out while waiting for QOS, like most SJM fans did at the time. we were desperate for any clues/hints for TOG (even though there was no indication the series were connected). but ACOTAR didn’t really have a prolific fan base until ACOMAF, and then it exploded with the first wave of feysand girlies for a while at least. most original fans have dropped off since ACOWAR unfortunately. I did too actually. ACOWAR didn’t have a super great reception from what i remember (looking back it was kind of similar to the reception that HOFAS got lmao, but on the nicer end). and by ACOFAS a lot of people were frustrated by the lack of forward momentum in the story. also people wanted KOA at that point and were like “fuck this noise” lmfao.

i didn’t ship feysand until ACOMAF and actually was super mad at first because I liked feylin in ACOTAR (and I still like Tamlin! he’s an interesting character!!) but it grew on me a lot. i actually thought like a bunch of people that the reason rhys was surprised at the end of acotar was because he sensed feyre was pregnant lmao. i casually shipped moriel too like most people at that point. i don’t remember having a strong opinion on nessian, but i did ship elucien!! there also was definitely drama over the 180 from feylin to feysand (no new points have been made since acomaf came out, it’s a dead horse). i don’t remember any ship wars when only the first ACOTAR book was out, but it wasn’t super popular on here initially so idk. there def were people into rhysand but most TOG people were like “….why does he look like maeve??”

take all this as a caveat as my memory of the fandom spaces i was privy too though! my words are not word of god. i was a pretty casual fan all things considered and super young so i wasn’t in the thick of it, i was there for vibes and because no one i knew IRL was reading TOG or ACOTAR so i wanted people to talk to about them

i relistened to all of the acotar books last fall when a good college friend got into them and i was like “oh!! i remember those books!!” and then listened to ACOSF for the first time. and then i read all of CC and was super obsessed, and finally made a sideblog so i didn’t piss off my mutuals on my main! which brings us to present day

p.s. i dug out my old copies that i had from the TOG series from under my bed in my childhood bedroom while home on holiday. 13yo jade is astounded that these are worth so much money now - and she thought they were popular 10 years ago!! i got TOD from the library because i was broke when it came out and didn’t like that it didn’t match the others the same way. and i didn’t buy KOA with the original color when it came out because i didn’t like that it was that weird yellow color :( i’ve also started rereading QoS, I haven’t reread it since it came out (no joke).

[ambrossart]

soooo, genuinely speaking, does evelyn actually have a real little crush on vic as well or is it all a childhood thing? obviously she’s hopelessly inlove with henry and she’s got this weird thing with patrick, and while she gets jealous about vic and very possessive, i time to time wonder if it’s all a real crush or just something from her childhood that had carried into her teen years? and, this may sound stupid lol, but in your opinion, does your paper men patrick have any past serious relationships or serious longings for? obviously before evelyn, but i mean like a genuine liking for. not the mind games with evelyn. part of myself believes he used to be capable of having a genuine interest and passion for someone and part of me doesn’t. i hope that wasn’t a weird or confusing question, id just like ur thoughts and opinions!! have a great day/night!

There was definitely a time when Evelyn thought she was in love with Victor Criss—that he was “the one who got away” and everything—but I think now she realizes it was a silly childhood crush, nothing more. Unfortunately, Vic always kept Evelyn at such a distance. Even if he didn’t always mean to, he did. So her feelings never had a chance to develop into anything stronger.

Evelyn currently has no romantic feelings for Victor: 1) because of her feelings for Henry and 2) because Victor hurt her really badly, and she still hasn’t forgiven him. (Vic’s also never acknowledged what he did and apologized, so… yeah there’s a lot of unresolved issues there.)

Despite all that, Evelyn still cares about Vic as a friend; and yes, occasionally, some residual feelings flutter to the surface. It’s a nostalgia thing. No big deal. I think Evelyn misses the simplicity of liking Victor. The innocence of it and of that time in her life. And I think her jealousy toward Christie is less about Vic dating and more about the way he treats her. Vic always had a cruel way of shutting Evelyn out, so to see him being so open around Christie, it stings a little. It stings a lot.

What’s so special about Christie?

Lastly, regarding Patrick, this question (or at least a similar one) has been brought up before. Let me see if I can find the post.

One second.

One second.

Here it is!

Short answer? No, Patrick doesn’t enter into relationships because he doesn’t view people as “people.” They’re just playthings to him. Some toys he likes more than others, but he has no real emotional ties to any of them. He plays with them until he’s bored, or until they break, and then he throws them away and moves on to someone else.

[veronicaleighauthor]

The Heroine After My Own Heart

For awhile now, I have wanted to write a post on Jo March and the whole Should She Have Married Laurie, or Was She Right in Marrying Friedrich Bhaer? We all have different opinions and mine actually varies depending on the source. If I’m reading the book, I kind of wish Jo had remained single as Alcott originally intended. If I’m watching the 1994 or 2019 adaptations, I’m Team Bhaer all the way. If I’m watching the 2017 adaptation, I’m Team Laurie. I’ve come to realize I have nothing really new or enlightening to say on the subject of Jo’s romantic prospects or marriage. I also realized the whole Laurie versus Bhaer doesn’t even matter. In the end, what’s important is that I’m Team Jo and I should be grateful Alcott created such a fantastic heroine. Is she hetero, part of the LGBT community, Asexual? Who knows? She’s open for interpretation – and I love that. There’s no single way to view her because Jo defied societal norms from beginning to end.

This post will rather be about my love for Jo, how I was introduced to her, and the impact she’s made on my life.

I was fourteen and I had agreed to help with a church yard sale and I did. It wasn’t super busy, so I wandered about and stumbled upon a VHS copy of “Little Women” 1994 for sale. Louisa May Alcott‘s autobiographical account of her life with her three sisters in Concord, Massachusetts in the 1860s. With their father fighting in the American Civil War, sisters Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth are at home with their mother, a very outspoken woman for her time. The story tells of how the sisters grow up, find love, and find their place in the world. Intrigued by the cover and the description on the back, I bought it. When I watched it, Jo March became The Heroine After My Own Heart. I had been writing seriously for three years and was astonished that I had yet to be published (I was convinced I was going to be a best-selling author before I was out of my teens, lol!). Throughout the movie, Jo’s single-minded ambition to be a writer and published and make money, resonated with me. I wanted that. I wanted to write myself into money.

I went to my Home Away From Home, BooksAMillion, and bought a copy of “Little Women.” The movie was different from the book in many ways, but it captured its spirit. I devoured the book, a couple of series connected to it, written by modern authors. I bought the soundtrack, other books by and about Alcott, and watched other adaptations. Jo – tomboyish, odd, comical, bookish, klutzy, weird Jo – was my literary idol. She was one of the first literary She’s not like other girls. I mimicked Jo in many ways, adopted her beliefs, borrowed from her story for my juvenilia, and wanted to be her more than anything. I was much shyer than Jo and didn’t really struggle with a bad temper, but Jo made it okay for me to embrace my own interests and weirdness. Others may not understand, others may laugh, others may criticize – but there’s nothing wrong with being different.

Years passed and I met other literary heroines who I fell in love with…but Jo was still The Heroine After My Own Heart. I return to her time and time again, for inspiration and hope for my own brilliant literary career. Unfortunately for me, it took a little longer to figure out my writing niche, than it took Jo. I’m getting there. I’ve also accepted that I’m shy and an introvert and I don’t have to mimic my favorite heroine. My personality, beliefs, mannerisms, quirks, etc are fine. One of Jo’s best qualities is that she always remained true to herself, and we should too.

So, check out “Little Women” 1994, I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it.

Until next time.

[jayflrt]

this is long sorry 😅

saw you guys talking about fanservice and i have some opinions about it. for starters i do think they were told to up it since members who didn’t really used to partake in it are doing so now. why i have no idea (i actually have a theory about it being because they’re all technically legal now, however that’s another convo) but it’s definitely more than it used to be. that being said i feel like it’s a thing with enha too. they have never been the type to tell us no, unfortunately, so if they think that the y/n type fanservice is what people want then they’re gonna continue doing it. and it is what people want sadly. since their debut they’re priority has been making fans happy even if it’s not what they themselves particularly want. it’s an issue i have with them actually because they need to start saying no and setting boundaries 😭 they are kind and people use that kindness to get whatever they want.

next is that their fanservice still isn’t that bad. it’s more than it used to be most definitely, but in comparison to some other bg’s? they are still relatively tame. it’s the fanbase that makes everything so extreme. like i have absolutely no issue with fanservice, but i cannot stand the reaction to it. not only does it generally make things seem more intense than they actually are, but sometimes it makes the guys look bad? like ik that people write him this way a lot on here (lowkey have a bone to pick with some authors and how they only portray him this way as if he has no actual personality traits), but the fact that people have genuinely called heeseung a fuckboy, cheater, playboy, and toxic as if they know anything about his personal relations? the way that’s he’s discussed you would never guess that off stage he a hopeless romantic loser (affectionate) 😭. and even outside the members that people have a tendency to say whatever they want about (heejake) it’s gotten bad. hoon for example has done a little more fanservice then he used to, but that doesn’t mean logical thinking should be going out the window. we all know that weverse translations are not accurate so why were there multiple hit tweets of him allegedly saying he wants to sleep with a fan, when in reality he was talking about a damn phone lockscreen? and nobody bothered to correct themselves? 😭

i partially blame how bad things have gotten on how young a lot of the fandom is and how they don’t know how to find a balance with things. because imagine my surprise seeing people call enha the most fanservicey group they’ve ever seen lol. y’all ever heard of vixx?

you guys also mentioned send off and dear lord. i think that was the true y/n takeover of the fandom. once people realized that enha genuinely like their fans and find interest in hearing about their lives ex. them asking us to post about our days on wv, watching engene vlogs, etc. they absolutely ran with it. i have been on entwt since enha debuted and never in my years have i seen so many people obsessed with the prospect of enha perceiving them? my entire tl got taken over by people making the same repetitive jokes about the boys being cheaters and selfies. like what do you mean we have celebrated 4 birthdays with jungwon and have never had an issue with canceling the selca day until this year and it was “oh but it’d be a cute surprise!” like you know what would be even cuter? him seeing cute sweet birthday messages under his tags and not your faces 🤗

anyways my main point is that while fanservice has increased it’s not the boys’ fault that things have gone to shit lol

i have noticed that sunghoon's been doing a lot more fanservice than before !! i remember i'd always say it's such a good day to be a jayhoon stan bc they never do fanservice 😭😭 but now hoon's playing up the parasocial relationship hard 😡 i do think it's honestly just belift seeing how their fanbase is like and trying to cater towards them more. since fanservice and the y/n treatment works then that's what they're gonna keep doing to retain their growth. but yeah i totally agree that i hope they can set more boundaries :// some of the fancalls feel so uncomfortable to watch because i feel like they're being held against their will 😭

that's also true!! i think engenes have a history for exaggerating things and making things more extreme than they need to be 🤧 like that fansign where people asked them if they're okay with their gf going to the movies with other guys or texting other guys LOL they definitely knew what was up and knew we'd like to hear some jealousy so they catered to that !! omg yeah i've heard some atrocious things they've been called and it makes me feel a little uncomfortable bc if that was being said about a random stranger,, i wouldn't like that person at all!! or i'd think they had incel mentality 😭 the fact that those get pushed on enha def feels weird but in terms of fanfiction i do think people are just writing them based on a trope, so i give authors the benefit of the doubt that they don't actually think that way !! but yeah the tweets that make them out to be sleazy....... like we don't know these men at all so these are very weird assumptions to make about people

the fate tour was definitely the rise of the y/n stans 😭😭 like EVERYTHING became about interactions and everything became a selfie trend (which i don't mind as long as it's harmless but having ensd on jungwon day???) but yeah idk if people realize it but the focus is slowly shifting from stanning enha as a group for their music and artistry to stanning them because they're boyfriend material and give their fans the y/n treatment 😔

[crescencestudio]

Devlog #27 | 01.24.23

Hi everyone!

Wow, it’s been a while! I didn’t realize how long it’s been until I had to go searching for the last devlog to see what my progress has been since then LOL. I hope you all have been well and that 2023 has been kind to you so far <3 

Before we start, I wanted to show our holiday art in case anyone missed it! For the end of the year, we met Fenir under the mistletoe and many people gave him kissies (someone also grabbed his face).

We also wanted to celebrate Lunar New Year with bunny Aisa 🥰

Now for the actual updates. I’ll put them below the cut, so I’m not clogging up everyone’s feed! 

Writing

Last time we talked, I said I was making headway on Druk’s first draft. That was a lie LMAO. I’ve switched from Druk to Fenir and have been spending most of my time getting Fenir’s first draft finished. I am VERY close to finishing the first draft—I only have one chapter left.

I think by the time the first draft will be finished, we’ll be sitting at around 30k words; however, this is before I’ve put in things like fun little romance scenes, choices and branches, etc. So Fenir’s route is shaping up to be in a similar range to Kayn’s \o/

Regarding Kayn’s route, we are sitting at 50k+ words wee! I’m super happy with where the script is at right now, especially for it being the developmental phase ^^

Art

golden hour in alaris ✨ 

In general, the BGs needed for the demo are wrapping up. Because I anticipated this part to take the longest (since there’s just SO many BGs), it means I’m going to be balancing more of my focus on the updated demo as well—focusing more on updating the CGs, coding the soundtrack and VA in, updating the script a bit, cleaning that godforsaken bug, etc. I don’t have a solid estimate on when the updated demo will be ready, but I will update you all immediately when I do <3 

Recently, Vui finished up Etza’s room as well as the Market date BG. He also has been working on the Cafe BG, which in my biased opinion looks sososoosososo cute. I just have the sketch right now, and because of Lunar New Year, he is on a (much deserved) break. But I’m very excited to show you all (because obviously I’m going to show you because I have no impulse control and I get excited over everything) the final product! 

kayn’s updated demo cg

I’ve continued to work on CGs. Some of it has been updating demo CGs, while some of it has been working on CGs for Kayn’s route. As you can see, with updated ones, my style has changed a lot since the demo. So I’ve slowly been going back in for each of the LIs demo CGs and updating them! It hasn’t been too bad, but I am nervous about the duo ones lmao. I’m not very good at composition that involves more than one subject, so we’ll see how those go ha... ha...

I sat down and actually planned out and did the math for the CGs required for Kayn’s route, and it’s looking like it’ll be around 8-10! Because this amount will be consistent across routes, it means the final CG number for Alaris will be around 48-60 CGs. Looking at that number makes me want to cry a bit, but I know I’ll be working on these throughout the entire year, so it hopefully won’t feel as overwhelming as it looks on paper.

I have most of the sketches finished for Kayn’s CGs (and even some sketches/finished pieces for some of the other LIs), and it honestly hasn’t been too painful of a process, so hopefully it stays that way lol! 

Additional Notes

Something I’ve had to start thinking about is getting beta testers again.  I bring this up mainly because once Kayn’s route finishes the developmental phase, I’m going to start creating the beta version of their route. Additionally, the new demo will need beta testers.

I’m realizing now with the scope of Alaris, I’ll probably need.... a lot lol. The Alaris demo has a bug that didn’t come up for my beta testing team but has affected some players, and the bug literally makes a part of me die every time I think about it. The demo was much smaller in scope compared to the full game, and I kept the beta testing team small because I didn’t think I would have to make it super super big. But now, I’m realizing the more people involved with the beta testing process, the better so I can ensure a cleaner product.

I’m still not sure how I’ll go about “recruiting” beta testers. It will most likely be a tier available in the upcoming Patreon, but aside from that, I’ll have to give it more consideration!

“Market Research”

And then of course I have been playing visual novels and simping---who do you think I am?? I recently finished V’s route in Mystic Messenger. Wow, that was a ride LOL. I don’t actually have anything drawn up for him, but the experience was so wild, I felt the need to share anyways. 

I started playing Piofiore, though! I’ve surprisingly been enjoying it. Nicola is my bbg. I only have Dante and Gilbert’s routes left, so we’ll see if one of them changes anything!

It was also Toasty’s birthday recently, and while I hadn’t planned on drawing anything to celebrate, I did because a sleepy Toasty was too powerful to ignore. 

[novafire-is-thinking]

Okay, okay, okay- may I pretty please have your thoughts on TFP Soundwave🫶🫶🫶

I recently finished the 40th chapter update on The Echo Garden and for the love of all that’s holy I can’t stop thinking about how convoluted and well thought out the author made Soundwave along with his backstory.

I would absolutely love it if you shared your thoughts on either the canon TFP Soundwave or the Soundwave from The Echo Garden, but I’m not even sure if you’ve read the fic, so your analysis and overall opinion on TFP Soundwave would be much appreciated.

And maybe, just maybe, add in a little bit of a review on RiD2015 Soundwave and how well you think the writers incorporated his character in the show.

Have an amazing rest of your day👋✨✨✨

I’ve never read The Echo Garden, but your excitement has me intrigued. 👀 I want to share my Soundwave’s backstory sometime, but this is neither the time nor the place to do so.

Anywho, TFP Soundwave. I have many thoughts about him—too many to fit in this ask. But I will share what I can.

one aspect about them i love

I can’t say everything, so I’ll go with his design.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

He is an opportunist and a manipulator like Starscream—just quieter and more calculating. He didn’t start out loyal to Megatron.

one (or more headcanon(s) i have about this character

I wish I could share the really good ones I have, but because of TF Big Bang rules, I can only share the headcanons that aren’t exclusive to my BB fic:

His resting face is “perpetual death stare.”

He’s a triple-changer. (possibly implied in the novels)

He injects his energon straight into his system.

Similar to a horse, he can lock his knees and sleep standing up.

His body temp runs a bit colder than that of the average Cybertronian.

He has an unusually high pain tolerance.

He keeps his own medical records.

His holoform basically looks like Silco from Arcane, but with a lot more purple.

He does not fear scraplets. He knows what range of frequencies they can hear and which ones repel them.

His origins are tied to the Quintessons in some way.

one character i love seeing them interact with

None. He’s a genuine loner, and all of his interactions with others in the show or novels are boring to me.

one character i wish they would interact with/ interact with more

Optimus. In the novels, Soundwave seemed to hint at a minimal respect for Orion at one point, and if history had gone differently, I think they could have done great things together for Cybertron.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

Soundwave will play music for Shockwave over a private comm channel when working in the same general area so that they can listen together.

Again, I am limited because of BB rules. 😢 I promise I have a whole stack of interesting headcanons/AU thoughts for Soundwave. I just can’t share them until September.

Nothing like an ask game to remind me how boring canon Soundwave is compared to the version I’ve crafted in my head. lol

Now, for RiD15 Soundwave, my beloathed…

He started out so badass, but he was quickly demoted to “loyal lapdog” status in my mind.

But if I isolate him to the show alone, I think he’s a good antagonist. He was a force to be reckoned with, and it was fun watching the Bee Team get thrown around by him for a while.

Also, the way Soundwave handles Steeljaw is one of my favorite parts of the show. SJ was trying to cozy up to Soundwave and assert dominance, and Soundwave just dealt with him like he would an annoying pest. For the first time in a long time, Steeljaw realized he wasn’t the Alpha in the area anymore. lol

Soundwave didn’t have to pick the guy up. He could have checked out the fuel rods without moving him. But no—Soundwave literally grabs Steeljaw with a single tentacle and lifts him up like a cat that’s in the way. He had to put him in his place:

ALSO, my favorite part: Soundwave was one of the only—if not THE only—character who evoked fear in Steeljaw:

^ The proper reaction to Soundwave

Overall, Soundwave in RiD was a decent antagonist for the audience the show is aimed at. He was a real threat, but his motive was simple and expected. Personally, I was disappointed, but I still found things to appreciate about him during his time on-screen. (Mostly because I was already rewriting the show in my head)

[yooniesim]

SO lilsims*e went on a rant about defending early access creators during one of her last lives (4/24 - around 2 hours and 24 minutes) and let me tell you, it was quite something to watch someone completely misrepresent an argument like that.

I didn’t expect much of her, since she's friends with "charging 3 dollars for nipple overlays" littled*ca, but it was so low of her to claim that the people who are against editing a mesh for five minutes and putting it behind a paywall for WEEKS can't make CC of their own, specially since a lot of the people against EA are creators of amazing content here on simblr.

ps: it's also funny to watch perma paywallers get blamed for being the worst (they are), but it's not exclusively perma paywallers that doxx people 🫣🫣🫣

I've never watched her in my life and im not gonna start now lol. idc, she can have her opinion or w/e, she's entitled to that. but I know she upset several ppl with how she spoke to them during this stream (you're not the first person to tell me this) so hopefully she doesn't talk to any of her other followers like that in the future.

anyways, unconnected to her bc idk her, just going off some of the other things you said- it also confuses me when ppl say those critical of early access don't know how to make cc. We do know how to make cc, that's the problem. If we didn't, we wouldn't know about LODs or poly or hat chops or the amount of effort it takes to make an item. The ppl that don't know how to make cc are generally ok with it and I've had a few ppl tell me they became disillusioned with early access once they learned how to make cc. Or people that couldn't afford dlc and then when they finally got it one way or another, realizing that the cc they had was just slightly changed from items they get from ea's packs. I've heard both sentiments a lot.

also, yes, perma-paywallers have now become the boogeymen/scapegoat that creators can point to to make themselves look better whilst at the same time not doing anything to actually help. many early access creators only mentioned the doxxing ring to assure people that they would never do that and they are safe. that was the theme of most of their posts and there hasn't been a peep about it since. And I've never seen any big early access creators talk about their fellows (early access) that have also doxxed people or held any scummy business practices for that matter. Such as manipulating patreon's billing system for their own benefit to charge people twice. They never speak about any of the problems of the system and just go "permas are the real problem" without ever suggesting anything to be done about the permas or even just making their followers more aware of what the problem is or how to stay safe.

I don't really expect this to change. Right now, the sims 4 community is dominated by and built on a system of monetization. This includes not only paywallers of cc but simstubers that are fueled by ad revenue, sponsorships, and stream donations. They are all connected, to each other and to EA. And at the end of the day, it all comes back to money. So it will not change or be dismantled until the Sims 4 dies and they move on to the next thing that makes more money. I haven't found any solution for this other than just not paying them a cent, blocking them preferably, and keeping your own circle of people/followers aware of who isn't safe while just hoping for the best.