#do the other members even know this happened?

[askoverkill]

Offer Lupus a hug, that was a pretty heavy talk involving your death, even if Lupus is being a tad overly positive.

transcript below:

(You must have a history of hugging badly.) (You weren't aware of it, but everyone else knows.) (That's why nobody ever offers to include you.)

(But, kids need hugs and comfort.) (And you're the only one here.)

For what it matters, Lupus... I don't mind spending the last of my life with you here.

Stop saying that. You'll be fine.

(You don't understand why Lupus wants you around so badly.)

(Any other adult party member could have worked.) (You hadn't done anything to earn this role.) (Maybe it's your similar appearance?)

(Do you remind them of their real family?) (Are you related, after all?) (...No, probably not, you're not from Vaugarde.)

(They're just a random child.) (That happens to look just like you.) (And have the same accent.) (And clothes.)

(…) (Lupus isn't another one…?)

(No, that wouldn't make sense!) (The other Siffrin is your age and doesn't have a family to return to.)

(Stars, Lupus doesn't share your name, either.) (If anything, their name is closer to Loop's.) (And that sad star looks nothing like you.) (On account of being a celestial guide and all.)

I love you, Siffrent.

(...Lupus has snuggled deeper into you.) (Ah, you don't know what to do now.) (Your limbs tingle, and you're itching to leave.) (But you can't!!!!)

(There is a strange small child who you've just decided to take care of.) (An entire, living human, with thoughts and needs)

(Like a total idiot, you hadn't thought this through.) (You were trying to be nice!) (And now!!!! Look at what you've done?!!!)

(…It feels strange and… kind of nice to have someone so warm against you like this.) (It's not all encompassing, like it had been with Isabeau…)

(This isn't that bad, really.) (Is this what a hug is supposed to feel like?)

...Heehee, are you ready to go inside now?

Yeah, uh, sure?

[cranberrymoons]

also for the record i don't think anyone else realizes how entwined buck and eddie are with each other. like i think they know to an extent, because they are famously buckneddie about things ("maddie invites buck, buck invites eddie" etc etc) but i don't think that even maddie has a real sense of how much they are literally like. ACTUALLY parenting a child together. like for real and not as a "oh chris and buck are really close because buck is around a lot in a fun uncle way." and the amount of time they spent on facetime together, like i know some of it happened at work so the others are aware of it in a playful eye roll "hiiii eddie in buck's phone" kind of way. but not to the extent that they basically lived on the phone together for however long eddie was gone. and that buck is part of eddie's family enough that he is like. aware of the details of eddie's tia's health complications and is comfortable enough with her to have a one on one conversation with her about grief and loss and change. and let her cook in his kitchen and do his dishes in a way you would not normally ever do with a regular friend's parent or family member. and I think that if anyone else really realized all of this they would be like guys. you are..... literally in a relationship. like I think everyone especially maddie would have a lot less patience with them for not figuring out their feelings for each other yet. if she knew.

[notbecauseofvictories]

here’s my question: how do you have so many hobbies? i just started a regular office job and it’s fine and lovely but i get home and i want to turn into mush—no thoughts. i was super creative and thoughtful in undergrad bc it was my job to write for class and i miss it but it’s not like that anymore

I have two answers to this---one practical, and the other existential.

The practical answer is that, as with many things in life, cultivating a life outside of work requires practice. Three years ago, I talked about this with regard to reading for pleasure; it applies to other hobbies as well. So be patient with yourself! Get used to the job; get used to the grind of commuting and computers and meetings and emails. The more comfortable and used to it you get, the more energy and attention you'll have for other things. I know I bring up exercise with alarming regularity for someone shaped like a moldy potato, but it really is like exercise. I've been working on cultivating hobbies and things other than work since 2020. If you want to try…start small. 5lb weights. Don't worry so much about the powerlifters. (They started with 5lbs too.)

The existential answer is that one day, you will wake up on a Saturday---or maybe a Sunday, that works too---or maybe it will be late at night, as the clock flips over to 2am---you know what, the timing isn't important. The point is that you will be lying in bed, warm and snug and theoretically content with the world. Thinking of the day ahead or behind you, dwelling on nothing in particular.

Then, very suddenly a quiet, cold-blooded thought will swim to the surface of your mind. In that moment, you will think with a mounting dread:

Wait, is this...is this it?

It probably won't happen tomorrow, or next year, or even five years from now. If you have a spouse to espouse or children to parent, family members to care for, a highly-intensive job, etc. it might not happen for decades. The thought might rouse briefly, then sink back to the depths of your subconscious to sleep on. But at some point, you will look around at your life and you will wonder if this is all. If this is it. If life is just animal needs, paying bills, sometimes seeing your friends on a Saturday, and watching whatever is on netflix. And if that's all life is, just a finite count of days to be used and used up without any greater purpose or plan....where does that leave you? What are you, just some half-sunk and shattered visage? Will anything you love, you built, survive you? If not, what are all those days for?

....there are many, many ways to deal with this. You can go on a screaming bender, buy a shiny red corvette, travel the world, find religion. You can read deeply on any topic of your choosing, join activist groups or yoga studios, or give a TED talk; change your job, change your spouse, change your gender. I don't know if anyone has solved an existential crisis, but human history is littered with attempts.

Or you can swear at your fucking sewing machine because it keeps breaking the goddamn thread and you're just trying to sew straight lines what the fuck is with this motherfucking thing oh my fucking jesus

[catloverkid00]

ok I have to reblog this again because it started a whole rabbit hole for my brain!!!

basically I invented a little fix-it just for this comic cause it made me so sad!!!

so silver wakes up shadow to help with whatever world ending event happens (I've never played a game with silver in it so it's just vague to me) and he has to being sonic to the future to help too

and this sonic is from before sonic and shadow really become friends but shadow is very happy to see him (and tries not to show it)

so he acts standoffish and sonic thinks nothing of it, but over the course of saving the world he notices how sad shadow is, and he notices that shadow looks at him for a long time when he thinks he's not looking

so sonic gives him a hug before he goes back through the portal in his own time, and he gives him one of his quills

and sonic talks to tails in his own time to see if they can replicate silvers tech, and about a year later he's able to visit shadow again. they have a calm afternoon together (shadow has taken up gardening and has a small shack/house). sonic gives him another quill ("just in case you lost the last one!" shadow didn't but he won't complain having another quill to keep) and they schedule to meet up in another year

and basically that goes for a little bit before sonic and shadow in the og timeline get together (obviously I read this as a sonadow comic haha) and sonic is pissed future!shadow didn't say anything, so when he visits he yells, maybe throws a punch or 2, and shadow tells right back! ("do you know how hard it is to be the last one left!? everyone I've ever loved is dead and I can't even join them!" ya know, the big dramatic moment) but this is where shadow is actually able to express a bit of his pain, and sonic is able to understand some of it and he's glad that shadow talked about it.

sonic encourages shadow to allow others back into his life ("did your care for me erase how you felt about Maria? obviously not! you can meet others and they don't have to replace your memories, but they can be good for you too!")

I haven't gotten much further than that in my head to be honest. I like the thought that if something changes in the past shadow gets the new memories too, but it's not super obvious unless he tries to remember what happened. (for example sonic tells the shadow in his time that he's going to visit a future shadow, and when he talks to future!shadow he remembers the conversation but he also remembers that that memory wasn't always there)

the eventual happy ended of this little brain fic is sonic and shadow have more friends and stuff than when future!shadow lost sonic so he's not so alone, and at the same time future!shadow makes more friends in the future and so his little shack becomes bigger and eventually is like a house in the edge of a little village where he is a valued member of the community

oh and the quills thing! sonic gives him a quill each year he visits so shadow just ends up with a bouquet of them in his house and he keeps them on display like flowers. it's like their little thing

Snow white lookin' mf

[cheeseceli]

Perilla leaf debate

Pairing: ot8!skz × gn!reader (individually)

Genre: fluff, headcanons, established relationships

Request: omg could you do stray kids and the perilla leaf/shrimp peeling debate?? I’m so curious to know their reactions..

Warnings: mentions of food, hyunjin and lino are a bit dramatic, bit of jealousy, overuse of the word "guy"

A/n: I'm kinda late to the trend lmao😭 hope you still like it tho! | Daily click

Bang Chan

Honestly, he's a pretty confident guy when it comes to your relationship

He's chilling

Doesn't think too much about that

At most he just starts to observe the other person a little bit more to see if he's not suspicious nor anything

But he's pretty much... Normal😭

He just keeps going with his day lmao

Lee Know

This one, however, is not normal

Idk why the other guy thought it'd be a good idea to do that

First of all, Minho was already separating the perilla leaf for you

Extremely offended that the dude decided to be faster than him

So first, he gives him the death glare

He appreciates you too much to create a scene and ruin your day tho

So he really will only stare

And also starts doing everything for you extremely fast so no one has a chance to do it before him

Changbin

Gets sulky lmao

He probably saw this whole debate on the internet and started to overthink this

But at least he was like

"I'm glad this would never happen to me"

And then it happened to him

Suddenly all the comments he read about it start to flood his brain like war flashbacks

So reassure him a bit please

Even the other guy is gonna have to apologise 😭

Hyunjin

Lmao

The man who gave you the perilla leaf must have some sort of death wish

No other thing can explain why he'd do that

Right in front of Hyunjin as well?!

Hyunjin notices how the guy is ready to put the perilla leaf in your plate and take them instead

Says thank you with the most threatening smile ever

And then gives you a whole other set of food

You're confused and the guy is very quiet all of the sudden. Hyunjin seems pretty happy tho so idk

Han

He's dramatic but only because he wants to

Actually doesn't care about it

Thinks it's just a random debate the internet created out of boredom

But it's just so funny that it happened right in front of him

So he takes the chance to be funny about it

By the end of the meal, you're all laughing together

Felix

He's also chill about that

It's just food

And even if the other guy had second intentions about that

Which would be weird considering it's still just food

He wouldn't waste too much of his energy thinking about that

Feliz trusts you too much to even consider anything odd

If anything, he would ask the other guy to help him with his own leaf as well

Seungmin

He's trying to not think about that

Any other day, he wouldn't even care about it

But sadly, Felix showed him the whole trend

And at the moment he thought people were overreacting

Now he's not too sure...

Forgets it the moment you offer some of the food to him though

You both are still together and it's not a perilla lead that is going to change that

Even if he's now a bit super aware about this other dude

I.N

My brother here does not care lmao

He knows about the debate. He thinks it's a bit silly

Probably won't even notice

Not in an uninterested way

Just in a "this is not that deep" way

He's actually kinda glad people around him are taking care of you as well

You deserve the best treatment from everyone after all

Masterlist | you'll probably like: when you burn your hand

Reminder this is just fiction!! I'm not trying to portray real life and you shouldn't believe that this is how the members actually are. This is just for the vibe and the delulu!

Taglist (open!): @yuyubeans @dandelions-143 @sleepyleeji @jinnie-ret @sheraayasherrecs @rockstarkkami @urlocalmultigroupfan @aeinzzzketchup

Dividers by @im4yeons | images 1, 2 and 3

[narcjsistx]

— 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐃 𝐆𝐔𝐘𝐒!

✶ characters: sakura haruka, suo hayato, hajime umemiya

✶ 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ; take a look, trust me!

— SAKURA HARUKA

✶ we all know about his tendency to blush when it comes to something particularly tender or kind, perhaps even embarrassing. it's a habit that many members of the bofurin know by now, especially suo or nirei. but when is he with you? blushing is not so annoying anymore. haruka knows how to communicate, but often gets embarrassed doing so, especially when he has to express something to his girlfriend. talking then becomes difficult, but blushing is the solution to make you understand that he is enjoying the moment but simply does not know how to express it without seeming desperate (he is, you know it too, but it's better to make him believe that he's a strong and unbeatable boy) when he's with you he doesn't worry about having to justify his blushing, so forget about the usual justifying reactions he has with his bofurin friends! maybe it could happen sometimes with you too, but it's only because he loves you

✶ sakura's idea of love has always been quite twisted: he's never had anyone who genuinely cared about him, only people who found his behavior and especially his appearance strange. when he first met you and you complimented his eyes, he had no problem not hiding his annoyance from you. even the people in his past did the same, making him believe he was appreciated just to make the stab more painful when they turned their backs on him. but only with time, seeing your genuineness, he understood that maybe falling in love wouldn't be so painful, not this time. admitting he loved you wasn't complicated, the hard part was accepting and believing that there was finally someone who didn't disgust him. when he realize that you were interested in him too? he can call that moment the most intimate of his life

✶ the words "sakura haruka" and "relationship" have never gone together, he started having this thought as a child and as a teenager the situation certainly hasn't changed, maybe even worsened. when he met you he didn't even understand how the two words suddenly went good together, with you loving him and refusing to let go of his hand even to simply eat. sakura has never had a girlfriend and never really understood how it works with one, but with you he learned everything so quickly that already after the first month together you wondered how a boy like that had never had anyone before you. being a boyfriend, possibly the best in the world, has become so easy if it was about making you happy. even though he's a relatively closed person, he's understood that he can be calm, lovely and without barriers with you, even if breaking them is still difficult. seeing you're okay with letting him have his time only makes him fall in love even more

— SUO HAYATO

✶ although not everyone can say it, he particularly loves everything that concerns fabrics and matching clothes. even before becoming a couple you already knew how much he loved everything related to the chinese world, starting from tea and ending with the way of dressing, defined by him as particularly interesting. when you became an official cup one of the first "couple experiences" was to let you try on some of his clothes of chinese origin, choosing the ones that you considered the most beautiful or the most comfortable. spending the whole afternoon with his implied compliments is defined by both as probably the best moment you have had in the first weeks of the relationship

✶ i read somewhere that he doesn't particularly like using his phone in front of others, perhaps out of politeness or for some other unexplained reason. as friends you knew about this habit of his, but unexpectedly with you he never had problems opening his private chats, his photos gallery, even some of the few social media he has. when one afternoon you happened to be closer to his phone, he simply asked you to reply to a message that nirei had sent him asking to set a date for a training session. it surprised you a lot, but when he noticed your expression he simply explained that since you are his girlfriend he has nothing to hide or be worried about, so why forbid you from touching it?. from that moment you swore that your entire trust in the male gender was based on your boyfriend. to your boyfriend's misfortune, or maybe fortune, from that day you started taking his phone just to fill his gallery with stupid photos. he loves all of them, so is a win

✶ since you've been with him, you have no problem admitting that you think you're the safest girl in the city. hayato is so strong that sometimes you wonder if he really has a monster in his eye, because you can't explain how he can turn the tables in his favor in fights so easily. he doesn't particularly like that you've seen him fight, but it happened once when you accidentally met while you were shopping and he was on patrol with sakura. it was a pretty quick fight, but you were so surprised to see him so calm even though surrounded by so many people, some of them very cruel. he fought with sakura with his usual precision, but he can't hide the fact that he threw his punches a little harder at the boy who only tried to go towards you. a few days later you talked about this and he simply justified his actions by saying that they were natural, and that knowing you were there made him a little worried for the simple fact that he knows how bastards the guys from other gangs can be. he added that he did not doubt the fact that he knew he would not even allow you to pull out a hair

— HAJIME UMEMIYA

✶ this sweet guy has absolutely no problem showing you affection in public. what is there to hide from the world, the fact that he loves you so much? no no, the world needs to know how perfect he thinks you are. since the first day as an official couple it has been normal to have his hand intertwined with yours, his arm around your shoulders, even just his pinky on your body. no one in town asked anything about you, let's say you made your love visible even when you were just friends, so no one was surprised to see umemiya kissing you in front of the shops in town. even when he introduced you to the other bofurin as his official girlfriend, no one really reacted: hiragi's sigh was enough and he simply babbled something about how it took you so long to give each other a stupid kiss

✶ even though he's a very strong guy, even on a sentimental level, talking about his past, his family and the bofurin before becoming president was not easy. these are subjects that he considers deeply intimate, topics that only people so close to him that he could die for them know. when one evening he simply asked you if you wanted to talk about something important to him, you didn't expect to find yourself an hour later shaken by sobs, deeply sorry for everything he had gone through. you know how strong your boyfriend is, but thinking about him as a child hurt you, especially knowing now everything that was going through his mind in those moments. even though you spent the rest of the evening hugging each other and completely silent, umemiya vowed to make you his wife one day. he thought this while thinking about how much his mother would like you

✶ in bofurin many see their president as a bit of a role model, someone they know loves and protects them, a bit like a father. umemiya loves to talk about the guys in school, how he likes to see them all so united and jokingly bragging that it's thanks to him that they are like this. when he talks about it he really does sound like a father explaining his children's successes, and you sound like a married couple with children when you also comment on the things he tells you. when everyone started to understand the true bond that tied you to umemiya, in the way his gaze softened when you spoke to him, some automatically thought of taking you as a point of reference too. if umemiya trusted you, evidently you were also a kind and caring person like him. if before the boys of the bofurin had only a father, now suddenly they also had a mother: worrying about the little ones has suddenly become normal for you too, even scolding them when they did wrong actions. no one ever thought that you behaved in a wrong way, even though you were not someone with an official role in the school you protected it as if it were your home, protecting the other boys as if they were your children, even though they probably had three times your strength. if it was important to your boyfriend, it automatically was important to you too

[midnight1nk]

So, this week's episode...

[spoilers below cut]

Man I tell you, another heavy day in my production job. And on top of that, pollen season. There goes my allergies smh. Well, at least I get bit of a break, have some food with me, and I can finally watch today's episode. Let's see what we got! *sees thumbnail* 😶 .....I haven't even pressed on the video and my theorist senses are tingling already

"wait what?"

Alright, so I'm going to need you to follow along with me here, cool? Now, doesn't 4's pose seem familiar to you? Well, it should because that's exactly the same pose as the ringmaster 4 render from the early version of the WOTFI website. We all know it was really Mr Puzzles behind it all.

And now look at the ads! It certainly feels very similar to what happened in the "Mario PC Virus" episode, and y'know how I already pointed out how it could connect to the goop!4 theory. BUT y'know what other video had ads?

That's suspicious. That's sus. 💅 /ref

"Don't you think it's Ben trolling again? Or just taking creative liberties?"

No bc the thing is, it's the thumbnail and it's the Team who gave him the prompt in the first place. Ofc Ben can take creative liberties, but essentially it has to follow the prompt. How have I not started the episode yet?! *turns to the Team* I'm watching you.... /silly

(the following is my live reaction:)

and there's our beloved intro *claps like an excited lil kid*

A convention? oooooh

LOOK AT THEM AAAAA

ofc 3 talking about his villain self 😌↕️

Clench being a VTuber was not on my bingo card but honestly, good for him (and I do love Tari sticking out from the table hehe)

and MELONY! you got what Axol's been working on, Two Piece. Gotta love the continuity, dude. The cover looks great!

Melony: "At least, I hope so..." 🥺 Oh honey, Axol would've been so proud of you and what you've done. I can already imagine him singing praises to it and say "look at what my girlfriend and I have done! :D"

YES, let's spread the word!! ofc Mario and 4 would help, they care so much about their friends

ngl Mario's got a good tactic.

and there goes 3's eye lol (don't think about goop!4 don't think about goop!4 don't think about goop!4)

*wii sports theme plays*

YES YES YES oh I'm so here for it

look at them go :D

nahnahnah, Team. You think you can do a speed-up moment and for me not to pause it frame by frame? smh /silly

luckily for the rest of yall, I got you:

and yes, it did have some repeats that I think they're very interesting: "turns you muscular SUPER chad", "makes you rich", "become SWAG", "get your a bunch of friends", "become a member of society", "become a SIGMA", get a romantic partner ("girlfriend" (the one with Mario) or "boyfriend", "you WON'T NEED SLEEP", "become AWESOME"/"RESPECTED"

Ofc it could just be how much 4 wants to emphasize the benefits of getting the manga. But it certainly feels strange, doesn't it? *writing notes down like a madman*

also a win for the skittle squad

and ay, it's got 4's stamp of approval!! (curious that the Team used the old model instead of current one 🤔)

hehe look at 4 pouting while he sits 💙

SMG4: "This is how it works!" 4, bud, are you ok?

ok first off, WE GOT THE OG 4 MODEL BACK?! WHAT? and two, Mario has a point. 4 is taking things too far and really needs a wake-up call. I have a feeling as to why 4 may be acting this way....

oh. oh okay.

So they decided to bring parallels to show how much 4 and Mario's fighting is affecting her/reminding her of her family separating. Hmm. Alright, Team, which one of you decided to strike that dagger into my heart? 😭 /lh

And Mario walked away just like Melony's mom did *head in hands*

and that's 4 alright. He would say that "everything's fine" when it's clearly not smh

4, buddy no :(

SMG3: "The real villain is society..." Well you ain't wrong, 3

Wait a second. Enhance..... enhance.....

I see what you did there, Shadow 😔↕️

love that Toad's like right here too

OMG was that 4's "date" from the "Find Luigi" episode? IT IS.

I'm tell yall, 4 has a secret art account and is selling his work as merch/prints. I mean, c'mon

NO 4, people were waiting for Silksong for decades naurrrr

oh Melony, my girl :(

*pauses episode* ........they did not just do that. I'm rewinding that moment 2/3 times now, what do you mean I was right about my suspicions? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY JUST BROUGHT BACK IGBP?!

I need to walk away. I need to leave the room, do a cartwheel and dive into a lake, bc HUH?!

okok, let's breathe. goop!4 is gonna happen, and this is not just a "haha Ink is a crazy lil theorist wishing for this to happen". The fact that he said "nowadays" means that the situation is affecting him too. Ofc it would, that's his livelihood, his WHOLE PURPOSE as a meme guardian. But, other than that, it makes sense why he's doing this (I'll talk about it soon)

Mario: "SMG4, you're better than this! You've done enough damage." 😨 holy shit. it's like I got shot through the heart WTF. I might just cry in this episode

who keeps punching me in the FEELSSSSS 😭 poor Melony, those guys were absolute jerks smh (desperate times do call for desperate measures *ready to make swiss cheese*)

*head in hands* :(

at least they can apologise

*points at screen* hehe that's me :) I'm just a reporter

did I hear the peanut gallery audio from ace attorney? 👀 (<- ace attorney fan, don't mind Ink)

The Crew came? 🥹

EVEN SHROOMY?

OUGH that got to me, dude. They all came to support her and enjoyed the manga. I'm tearing up, dude.....

what did I say? Melony may have not had both parents as they were separating, lost Axol to the events of the Genesis/Revelations arc, was betrayed by who she thought was a friend who understood her, and despite it all, she's been so strong. Having friends, her found family...

man, this hit me hard and it's not even from the allergies, I tell you that

the truest supporters are the ones who care

this episode wants me dead /very pos

what's the lesson, Mario?

SMG4: "Is that we shouldn't care so much about fame and profit and instead be proud of our friend's work? No matter how successful it is?" yeah pretty much... "No"? wydm "no"?

....nahnahnah, you can't end the episode there, what the hell do you mean by that?

You can't close it off like that! What about my suspicions!? You can't just move on like that in front of my theorist self, c'mon!!

sitcom laugh track and everything, smh /silly

Congrats to SteveAlexAri12 for your art being featured in the end credits for this episode 🎉 cool art of WPNZ

um. Team, any particular why? just asking /j

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

Wow, this. This was absolutely fantastic omg. The writing in this was so good and I loved the tidbits of animation we got, like when Mario and 4 were picking up the pages to clean! This was somehow brilliant, and this is coming from a long-time viewer.

It' crazy's awesome that they brought Wolfychu back to do some lines this episode, and I was right about the Waggy cameo from Shadow (YES!). Also, EVAN! You make the cover of the manga? It looks SO GOOD, dude!! As always, great work with the writing on your end 👏

I've already mentioned Melony but we have to talk about the boys. Both Mario and 4 had good intentions to help their friend out. "I would do anything to not lose my friends" and that's exactly what 4 did. The algorithm has been affecting him so much that he didn't want Melony to go through it either. So, he went overboard with the crazy advertising and such, but he still cared for his friend. And a touch of self-doubt and insecurity from IGBP is back because he thought he wasn't doing enough. What good of a friend is he if he can't help out? The savior complex in him would say that he isn't good enough to help Melony, to "save" her from the low viewer retention. That he isn't enough, so he went desperate to have anyone take a copy of the manga. This isn't just about selling a book, it's that he's worth the friendships he has and they can always come to him if they need anything.

He doesn't want to lose them.

Ofc Mario cares so much about 4, they've known each other for years. Best of friends. If anything, Mario would know everything's not fine with 4's actions and thoughts in general. It's why the line, "SMG4, you're better than this! You've done enough damage" from Mario to 4 hits so hard. 4 was back to the "None of you understand the work I do" moment from Mar10, relapsing, and Mario needed to remind 4 of his true self, the one that cared for his friends without perfections. That instead of helping as 4 sees it, 4 was hurting Melony unintentionally, and he has to open his eyes to see that. Two sides, indeed.

Curious that the episode ended with the not "go cuckoo crazy" lesson instead of what 4 said. Goop!4 would eventually happen, bc at this point, yes. But what Mario said is exactly what 4's mindset is rn. 4 is bottling up his emotions and trauma and as long as he doesn't think about it for too long, everything's fine. As long as he doesn't reach that breakpoint, he's fine. In some way, he learned his lesson after IGBP but not quite. For one, he still doubts himself with the guilt of IGBP on top of it. And two, nothing is letting him move on from his trauma. His in-universe audience isn't letting him, Puzzles during WOTFI wasn't letting him, the memories he's been suppressing wasn't enough.

Why does he go through the extreme? Bc he thinks that it would solve everything for him. Like how he locked Puzzles in prison, thinking that Puzzles would remain there when we all know a prison escape is bound to happen. Like the Meme Factory itself was an elaborate trap. Whatever it takes to protect himself emotionally, as he's under the line from having a meltdown, he's fine. But what is that line? What is his breaking point? The thing is he wouldn't known, as shown in this episode, thinking he would still fix it. Everything's fine, he's fine.

And y'know what the cherry on top is? That, other than 4 and Mario enjoying the manga, Boopkins and Luigi were the first to be interested in Melony's creation, regardless of popularity. Very representative of Kevin irl and the deeper significance of IGBP.

....whoops sorry, I went on rambling for too long. I mean, c'mon, you should know the drill by now *points at bio*. If anything, this episode is the biggest piece of evidence for the goop!4 theory, I'm sure our local co-CEO of the theory Funkii (hey moot!) and other goop!4 enthusiasts would agree, YESSIR. Overall, this was such a sweet episode and I can't wait for more. That's all from me, and remember: numbers always go first!

*taps mic* ...well chat, how do we feel knowing that the star trio all canonically wore maid outfits? (well technically Madoka outfits from 4 & Mario but still)

[popqorn]

I compiled a list of all the times Xie Lian and Hua Cheng "met" while living in Xianle, complete with quotes! Note that some of these are just my speculations (I would love opinions on these!). All definite encounters are in bold and inferred encounters are in italics. I think I've gotten everything, but feel free to let me know if there's anything I missed!

1. When Hua Cheng jumped from the city wall during the Shangyuan Festival and Xie Lian caught him:

In his arms there was a child, his head wrapped in bandages, dirty and unkempt. He was curled up in his hold and watching him dazedly.

2. When Qi Rong stuffed Hua Cheng in a sack and dragged him from his carriage and Xie Lian rescued him:

After a pause, Xie Lian smiled softly. “The doctors will see to your wounds now. Don’t be afraid and lower your hands, okay?” That child heard but hesitantly shook his head. “Why not?” Xie Lian asked. He was silent for a long time before replying, “Ugly.”

3. When Xie Lian saved Hua Cheng from some neighborhood bullies and convinced him to keep living:

The kids by the door teased and teased. “Hey, ugly freak, are you sleeping at this shrine again tonight? Watch out, your mom is gonna beat the crap outta you when you get home!”

4. When they went to rescue Qi Rong and fell into the Land of the Tender's trap:

“You’re pretty good with that sword.” The boy gripped his weapon harder, and although he was still panting, he instantly stood at attention again. “Y-yes, sir.” “I wasn’t giving you orders, so why are you saying ‘yes, sir’?” Xie Lian asked. “When I ordered you to run, why didn’t you say ‘yes, sir’ then?” “Yes, sir!” that boy answered, but he realized that his response was strange and stood even stiffer.

5. After Hua Cheng was booted from the army and the first Human Face Disease victim was discovered:

Even with bandages wrapped all around his head, the boy still covered his face with his crossed arms, leaving only a bright eye peeking through his patched sleeves. “Y-Your Highness, I didn’t mean to…” he stammered.

6. After Xie Lian amputated a Human Face Disease patient's leg:

Xie Lian didn’t know how much time had passed. He woke from his haze with a start when he heard Feng Xin calling for him, and he sat up immediately. When he did so, he felt something slip off him, and he looked down to find a patched, worn blanket. Someone must’ve covered him with it when he was resting.

7. When Xie Lian lost his temper during an argument with Human Face Disease patients:

There was suddenly a disturbance in the crowd; it seemed a young member of the nursing staff had suddenly started beating up patients out of the blue, and now others were joining in the brawl.

8. While Xie Lian was holding up the golden statue to prevent the Celestial Pagoda from collapsing:

When he looked down, he noticed that not far from where he sat there was a small, lonesome flower. Xie Lian wasn’t very sure when exactly that flower had been placed there, and he reached to pick it up.

9. When Human Face Disease victims confronted Xie Lian and begged him to save them:

Then, the most ridiculous thing happened. He was clearly a god of heaven, but in that moment, a feeble voice cried out at the bottom of his heart… Save me—It seemed like someone was pulling those hands away, but at the same time not—he couldn’t be sure.

10. At the Royal Holy Temple after the fall of Xianle:

That boy seemed quite nervous, and with his fists clenched, he continued with what he meant to say. "Even though your palaces and temples are burned down…don’t be sad. I will build you many more temples in the future—bigger, more magnificent, better than anyone else’s. No one will be able to compete with you. I’ll do it!"

[earthsparked]

Unsurprisingly, Rung’s the first one to notice.

When Rodimus announced the Lost Light would be bringing on a cohort of humans as some kind of security advisors, or something, the mechs had responded in various ways. Mutters of resignation, irritation, curiosity. Whirl had been…Whirl.

We probably shouldn’t leave the humans alone with him, the ship’s psychiatrist had worried, the third time the mech had made one of the organics freak out with his jokes (“jokes”) about squishies, about the various graphic ways their entrails would gum up his inner workings. Half the poor dears outright disliked the mech, and many of the others were understandably terrified of him. What else were they supposed to think, when his only interactions with them were threatening to some degree or other?

So when every mech’s EM field tightened with concern one day in Swerve’s, watching as an overcharged Whirl swaggered up to where the newest member of their organic crew was chatting with Rewind, Rung vented softly and expected more of the same.

Only -

You blinked at the rather direct, messy threats coming your way by the big blue flier the others had warned you about. And chuckled.

You’re forgetting the bones. You guys always forget the bones.

The slag does THAT mean, squishy?

A knock of your knuckles on the table, as Swerve keeps cleaning the same glass over and over, watching this go down, clearly about to ask Ultra Magnus to intervene the second this crosses the line…

You laugh outright under the glaring optic. See, right there. We’re not just viscera. We have an internal bone structure! So when you step on me, it’s not going to be a squish. Not just a squish, anyway. More like a CRUNCH, and a gooey ooze, and some screaming of course. Then a drip, drip, drip -

You dip your fingers in your drink and let drops of it patter to the table, in imitation of that red fluid that is and isn’t like energon at all.

Whirl just…stares. You smile at him, earnest, a little playful. You know what you’re doing, clearly, but there’s nothing cruel to it. Your strange, alien, yet strikingly comparable EM field - which you supposedly can’t even sense, how odd - is as open and straightforward as any he’s encountered. You’re engaging. With Whirl.

Neurodivergent, your mental health records had said when he’d looked them over. He’s no xenopsychiatrist, he’d protested to Rodimus, but after being pushed into reading your species’ own research he has to admit the similarities between your kind and his are so striking, nearly unsettlingly so…

He can’t help thinking, what a lovely word the humans had made.

That differences exist and minds diverge, and it’s not wrong. It’s not stigmatized - or shouldn’t be, the humans say. It could make an old mech like him reminisce on the horrors of Functionalism, the crimes of their past…compared to that lovely word, neurodivergent.

So he knows that Whirl is being confronted by a species, or at least one member of a species, who diverges. Who sees differences as something to embrace. You’re still smiling up at Whirl as he snaps out some further defensive threats, but Rung sees it. Hears it. Wonders at it.

Fine, you can be Crunchy, he snarks, and after a few more vague insults, goes to pick a fight with someone more his size.

You make a face and try to explain as he turns away that Actually “crunchy” has a certain connotation in my society, and I’m definitely not “crunchy.” Uh, but I guess I’ve had worse nicknames. Bye, Whirl! you call, unperturbed. Nice meeting you! I like how blue you are by the way!

Do you realize that you’ve managed to get under the fractious mech’s plating?

Do you see the way Whirl looks over his shoulder as he’s finally getting dragged off to the brig for starting another fight - looking to see if you’d been watching? The same way he tosses out a joke, Hey Eyebrows - looking for a reaction.

Rung sees it, and nurses his drink, and wonders what might happen if he slips a datapad to you about empurata.

[aleese1111]

ong please please please do three wolves, one flame part 2 if you want ofc! I need geum seong je he's so hot in this story (I hope we end up with him)

three wolves, one flame two | geum seong je x union!reader x na baek jin

summary: in a city where stolen phones and bruised egos collide, a tense standoff between two gang members threatens to ignite—but when loyalty, exhaustion, and unexpected tenderness surface, the cracks beneath their rage finally show. as fists unclench and defense fall, they begin to realize that survival might mean learning to lean on each other—even when it hurts.

warnings: [slow burn] violence, language, blood, bruises, mild angst, mutual pining, toxic communication, vulnerable moments, mentions of crime.

author's note: this is getting toxic pal .. making me cry and stuff . requests ,,

✶ ᶻz .ᐟ , one .. two.. ??

the motorcycle garage reeked of sweat, oil, and burnt rubber—the kind of place where tempers sparked easier than engines. a dented workbench sat shoved into one corner, tools scattered across it like a graveyard of failed fixes. the overhead light buzzed with a dying flicker, and the air was thick with heat and fury.

“you’re fucking unbelievable,” she hissed, voice cutting through the space like a scalpel.

seong je stood across from her, jaw tight, fists clenched at his sides. “don’t start with me...”

“start? i’m not starting shit. i’m finishing what your idiot screwed up.” her voice rose to a full-blown yell. “you let one of your morons walk around with ten stolen phones like we’re not running an actual operation!”

“i didn’t let him do shit!” he shouted back, stepping forward. “he went off script! i told him to stash the haul. he got jumped, not my fucking fault!”

“then whose fault is it? mine?” her eyes burned, teeth grit. “you act like this is some damn street gang, not a business.”

“it is a street gang,” he snapped, voice heavy with sarcasm. “in case you forgot, none of us have fucking degrees or a retirement plan.”

“you know what i mean, seong je. we’re organized. we have rules. and your guy just cost us everything we pulled yesterday.”

“maybe if you weren’t so busy barking orders and being a condescending bitch all the time—”

she was on him in a second, finger jabbing into his chest. “say that again. say it again.”

he caught her wrist, hard enough to make her flinch—but just for a second. “you wanna hit me now? is that what this is?” his voice dropped into something dangerous. “you think i’m scared of you?”

“no,” she spat. “i think you’re scared of being fucking useless. that’s why you’re always trying to swing your dick around. to make up for the fact you keep screwing up.”

something snapped in his eyes—sharp, violent. “keep pushing me. see what happens.”

she didn’t blink. “already did. still nothing.”

they stood there, faces inches apart, rage vibrating between them like a live wire. neither moved. neither gave in. both of them breathing hard, jaws locked.

then, without a word, she yanked her arm free and stormed out of the garage. the door slammed behind her hard enough to rattle the frame.

@ . !

by the time she reached the bowling alley, her throat hurt from yelling. her boots clacked across the sticky floor as she passed the empty lanes, not sparing a glance at the clatter of pins echoing faintly in the distance.

she pushed the office door open without knocking.

baek jin didn’t look up.

“tell me again why we keep seong je around,” she said flatly, tossing herself onto the couch like a stormcloud ready to ruin the day.

baek jin wrote something on his notebook. “he does what you can’t.”

“like lose stolen merchandise?” she snapped, dragging a hand through her hair. “god, he’s insufferable.”

baek jin finally turned, leaning back slightly in his chair, eyeing her with calm indifference. “what happened now?”

“phones,” she groaned. “ten of them. gone. one of his half-brained cronies got rolled. didn’t even stash them properly.” her voice cracked under the weight of exhaustion and rage. “and he blames me for being too uptight.”

“because yelling solves everything,” baek jin muttered, returning to his notebook.

she flopped onto her side, legs draped across the arm of the couch, one arm thrown over her eyes. “he called me a bitch, jin. a condescending one. like he even knows what that word means.”

“probably heard it in a movie.”

she let out a tired laugh—just one breath of amusement. “he looked like he was gonna throw something.”

“you look like you already did.”

she pulled his jacket from the back of the couch and draped it over her legs. “i hate him.”

“you don’t.”

“i do.”

“no, you don’t.”

silence.

then, more quietly: “...he scares me sometimes.”

baek jin didn’t respond right away.

“then don’t fight fire with fire,” he said eventually. “you’ll both burn.”

she stared at the ceiling, lips pressed thin.

and maybe she was burning. maybe she'd been burning for a while.

the minutes ticked by in a slow crawl, thick with that kind of silence only known between two people used to each other’s noise. she had cooled on the outside—no more fire, no more raised voice—but inside, the coals still glowed red. she hadn’t moved from the couch. one leg was curled underneath her, the other bouncing softly as she scribbled something into her notebook.

her phone sat to her right, flipped over. a math worksheet lay to her left, partially filled, and next to it was a half-eaten bag of shrimp chips. baek jin was back at his desk, eyes flicking between his work and the occasional glance at her page whenever she cursed under her breath.

“that one’s wrong,” he murmured.

“i knew it,” she muttered, erasing with unnecessary force. “this whole formula’s stupid.”

“no,” he said, typing lazily, “your distribution is stupid. the formula’s fine.”

“thanks for the confidence boost,” she shot back, but there wasn’t much bite in her tone.

“anytime.”

@ . !

they worked like that for another hour or two—sprawled in silence, occasionally interrupted by the click of a pen, the flick of a page, or a question about variables. it felt weirdly domestic. familiar.

until the office door creaked open.

she didn’t look up. didn’t need to. she knew the weight of that silence the second it walked in.

footsteps. slow. heavy. the scrape of worn sneakers on tile.

then something hit the floor beside her with a loud thud.

a duffle bag.

she looked up.

seong je stood a few feet away, breathing hard. his white school shirt was torn near the collar, buttons misaligned like he’d thrown it back on in a rush. his tie was missing. his lip was split and barely crusted over. blood had dried in a streak down his cheek, and his knuckles were red and raw—some cracked open, others bruised deep violet.

but it was the eyes that made her stop.

not angry. not cocky. not blank, either.

tired. steady.

he didn’t say a word.

she blinked, then glanced down at the bag. the zipper was half open—just enough for her to see the corner of a phone box. then another. and another.

all ten were in there.

baek jin stood up from his desk, slowly walking over. he opened the bag fully and confirmed it, counting silently. “you got them all back?”

seong je didn’t answer. just nodded, once.

“alone?” baek jin asked, quieter this time.

another nod.

baek jin whistled low under his breath, impressed.

she was still looking at him. not speaking. not moving. her hand, still holding a pen, trembled faintly against the edge of her notebook.

he looked at her once. quick. just a flicker. but it was enough.

she turned back to her worksheet without a word.

the room held its breath.

seong je wiped the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand and walked toward the couch. he didn’t sit beside her. just near. close enough that she could smell sweat, smoke, and rust on his skin.

he let out a quiet breath and leaned back against the wall, sliding down into a sitting position, legs stretched out, arms resting on his knees. the buzz of the overhead light hummed back into the space between them.

she kept writing.

but she didn’t flip the page again.

after a moment, without looking at him, she reached into her tote bag and fished around. pens, a folded test paper, a lip balm, gum—and then, her hand landed on the small emergency pouch she always carried.

she pulled it out, unzipped it with one hand, and tossed a small box of bandages and antiseptic wipes toward him. it hit his leg with a soft thump.

“try not to bleed out on baek jin’s floor,” she said flatly. “he’s too lazy to mop.”

baek jin snorted from across the room but didn’t comment.

seong je glanced at the box, then up at her. for the first time all day, the corner of his mouth twitched—just barely.

she didn’t look at him.

but her foot shifted slightly in his direction, brushing the edge of his.

and for now, that was enough.

the silence that followed wasn’t tense anymore—just tired.

seong je stayed slumped against the wall for another few minutes, wrapping a few of the bandages around his knuckles with surprising precision. he didn’t speak, and neither did she. eventually, he stood again with a wince and stretched his arms out until his shoulders cracked.

“i’m heading to the pc bang,” he muttered, brushing dust off his wrinkled uniform. “if you’re planning to keep sulking, do it quietly.”

she didn’t reply.

he hesitated at the door, one hand on the knob, glancing back over his shoulder. “...i got the phones back, you know.”

“i noticed.”

“you’re welcome.”

she flipped another page in her workbook. “i already said thanks.”

he rolled his eyes and left.

the door clicked shut behind him, and with it, the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.

@ . !

the last of the arcade lights flickered off, followed by the clunk of the main door locking shut. the bowling alley was quiet now—emptied out, wiped down, and dark except for the faint blue glow of the vending machine in the corner.

baek jin pocketed the keys with a sigh, shoulders rolling back in the stretch of relief that came after closing time. “we survived another day of screaming kids and gutter balls.”

she slipped on her hoodie, tugging it down to her wrists. “barely.”

“come on. i’m starving.” he nudged her lightly with his elbow. “you ate yet?”

she shook her head. “didn’t have time.”

“perfect. my treat.”

she gave him a sideways look. “your treat is always eight thousand won and spicy as hell.”

“and you always eat it like it’s nothing, so what does that say?”

she rolled her eyes but followed him anyway.

the streets were empty at this hour, just the hum of streetlamps buzzing above and the low whir of a passing bus in the distance. they walked in silence for a while, their footsteps echoing in the narrow alley that led down to the backlot where the tiny tteokbokki joint sat—half hidden behind a metal shutter and marked only by a flickering neon sign that read 분식천국.

inside, it was warm and orange-lit, the kind of place where the plastic stools wobbled and the ajumma behind the counter always gave too much fish cake.

the tteokbokki shop was quieter now, the neon sign flickering softly as the last of the steam drifted from the pan. she poked at her food, her chopsticks moving aimlessly as she avoided looking directly at baek jin. she was still annoyed—still holding that edge—but not as sharp as earlier. it was always this way, after things had settled. tension dissolved, but never fully.

baek jin picked up a piece of soondae without looking at her, his movements smooth, deliberate. he took a bite, chewing slowly, while his eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than usual.

“you know,” he said after a few moments, his voice softer than it had been earlier, “you could relax every once in a while.”

she made a face, her chopsticks still hovering above the plate, and shot him a look. “relax? that’s rich coming from you.”

he shrugged, glancing out the small window at the dark alley beyond. the streetlights outside hummed, casting long shadows that filled the empty space between them. then, almost absentmindedly, he reached over and pushed the plate of rice cakes closer to her.

“i’m serious,” he said, quieter this time. “you don’t have to keep everything in motion all the time.”

her fingers tightened around her chopsticks, but she didn’t respond immediately. instead, she stole a glance at him—eyes narrowing just a little, studying him as if trying to read between his words. but he was already looking away, a subtle tilt to his head, like he didn’t mind if she didn’t take the bait.

after a beat, she finally reached for another rice cake. her hand brushed against his casually, just the barest touch, but it was enough to make her pause, fingers still lingering against his. for a second, she almost didn’t pull back, but then she did, almost reflexively, as if she hadn’t meant to stay there.

his eyes flickered to her hand, but he didn’t say anything. he just kept eating, quieter now.

she took a deep breath, trying to shake off the discomfort that crawled up her throat. “i don’t need your advice, baek jin.”

“i didn’t say you did,” he replied, voice laced with something she couldn’t quite place. was it amusement? care? it was hard to tell, but he didn’t seem fazed by her harshness. his gaze was steady, like he was trying to understand her through the quiet.

another beat of silence passed. her foot nudged against his under the table—accidental, probably. but it lingered, her heel against the side of his shoe, the warmth of her body close enough that he could feel the weight of it.

for a moment, neither of them moved. the air between them was thick in a way that wasn’t uncomfortable, just... full. heavy with things unsaid.

he cleared his throat quietly, shifting his foot away just enough for the pressure to break. she didn’t pull her foot back, though, and the moment passed without comment.

she didn’t look at him as she pushed the food around again. “you think i’m some kind of... control freak?”

“i think you don’t let people in,” he said quietly, his voice softer now, just a little too honest. “it’s like you’re always holding everything back.”

she froze for a second. his words lingered in the air, like smoke, and she could feel the weight of them, like the air had thickened.

her fingers tightened around her chopsticks, and she looked up at him, but she didn’t say anything for a long time. she wanted to snap back, to tell him he was wrong, but something in his eyes stopped her. maybe it was the way he wasn’t looking at her for a response, but just... waiting.

when she spoke, it was quieter than before. “i don’t need anyone to fix me.”

he gave her a quick, almost imperceptible smile, like he understood more than she wanted him to. “i didn’t say anything about fixing you.”

there was a beat of silence between them, but this time, it wasn’t awkward. it was just... there.

she grabbed the last piece of soondae, eating it in one bite. “i’m done. you?” she asked, her voice a little more like herself again—sharp, biting.

he smiled more openly this time. “you eat like a rat.”

she snorted, setting her chopsticks down with a little too much force. “and you’re a walking mannequin.”

when they stood up to leave, it was a little too quiet, but neither of them said much. she put her jacket on, pulling it over her shoulders with more force than necessary, like it was an armour she didn’t need.

@ . !

as they walked through the dark alley, the hum of the streetlights was the only sound between them, a quiet rhythm in the otherwise empty night. she kept her gaze forward, her hands tucked deep into her pockets, shoulders tense.

but then, that one small gesture—a simple adjustment of her collar—broke through the armor she had been building around herself all evening.

her breath caught for just a second. she hadn’t expected it. not from him. she hadn’t expected him to see her. not in this way.

his fingers barely brushed her skin, and in that moment, she felt the shift. it was like the weight she’d been carrying—unseen, unheard, but always there—just became too much to hold onto.

she didn’t stop walking, but her steps slowed, just for a moment. her heart hammered in her chest, too fast, too loud. the weight of her emotions, the ones she kept buried under layers of sharp words and brittle indifference, started to break free. slowly, quietly, without any warning. she bit her lip hard, the pressure doing nothing to stop the sting rising in her chest.

and then, just like that, she felt it. the quiet crumbling inside her. the tension, the anger, the sadness—all the things she thought she’d put away, forgotten or buried—spilled out in the form of a single, shaky breath.

she didn’t look at him. didn’t react. but something in her shifted.

then, without a word, a single tear slipped down her cheek.

she didn’t wipe it away. she didn’t speak. there was no need to. the weight of the past days, the anger, the fear, the exhaustion—it all sat heavy on her like a stormcloud.

he saw it. he always did.

and without hesitation, without asking or saying anything, he stepped forward and pulled her gently into his arms.

at first she froze, body rigid against him like she didn’t know how to be held. but then—like something inside her finally cracked—she melted forward and buried her face into his shoulder, her hands clutching the sides of his jacket.

that’s when the sobbing started.

not loud. not dramatic. just quiet, broken sounds pressed into his chest, like she was finally letting go of something she'd been carrying alone for far too long.

she was trembling.

he didn’t need her to say anything—he never did. he could feel the way her hands gripped his jacket like it was the only thing keeping her together. the weight of her against him wasn’t heavy, but it pressed into something deeper than he wanted to admit.

he’d seen her like this before. not often. only when everything else slipped.

and each time, it broke something in him he didn’t know had edges.

he didn’t ask what was wrong. he just held her tighter, like maybe if he stayed still enough, long enough, she’d remember she wasn’t alone.

that was enough for him. for now.

✶ ᶻz .ᐟ , one .. two.. ??

[zuko-always-lies]

By way of story, Iroh realized his mistake in the war, wants nothing to do with ‘conquering’. There is this thing called ‘discernment’ where he realizes he doesn’t trust Azula bec Azula showed she can’t be trusted anymore at one point. He doesn’t want Zuko to go down the same path. If it were the other way around, I’m sure he will help or protect Azula from becoming Zuko. Him talking to Toph is proof that he cares for ALL of the gaang. We cant have every scene of him talking to each and every member. He has a part to play and that’s just how the story goes. What most people probably didnt expect is that Zuko’s redemption arc has become pivotal and more popularly well received than the actual hero of the story. Kind of overshadowing Aang in a way which the creators kind of didn’t expect.

@phoebester

Book 1 Episode 1:

Zuko: "I'm going to go terrorize an indigenous village." Iroh: "not my problem, I'm going to take a nap. You do you."

And then for the reminder of Book 1, Iroh is totally OK with Zuko chasing, attacking, terrorizing the Gaang (and any other civilians which get in his way) and indeed aids Zuko in doing it. This, among other things, helps lead to Yue's death.

Even in Book 2, when Song saves Iroh's life and feeds Zuko and Iroh, and Zuko repays her by stealing her ostrich horse, Iroh just moderately disapproves before going along with it.

Iroh's actions repeatedly tell us that he cares little about what happens to children not named Zuko. The fact that he was pleasant to Toph one time, when that cost him nothing (and he didn't even know she was part of the Gaang), doesn't change that fact.

There is this thing called ‘discernment’ where he realizes he doesn’t trust Azula bec Azula showed she can’t be trusted anymore at one point.

Zuko is like the single least trustworthy person in the series, who manages to betray just about everyone at least once (including Iroh). It's hard to name characters who Zuko interacts significantly with who Zuko doesn't manage to betray or at the very least let down. Yet Iroh doesn't care.

On the other hand, there's no evidence Iroh ever loved or cared about Azula at all.

I think a lot of the discussion about Iroh’s disdain and hatred for Azula misses the real substance of the issue: Iroh not caring what happens to her is only a subset of him not caring about what happens to any child not named Zuko, as we most notably see with Aang, Sokka, and Katara.  Iroh doesn’t care about children suffering in general; he only cares about Zuko suffering.

[katnipp]

Can you do a Sophia x reader, where Sophia has been extremely busy over the past months and has been neglecting the reader. It leads to the reader taking her things from the dorm, she also stops contacting Sophia. It took Sophia a while to even notice, because she was so busy.

you didn’t notice— sophia laforteza

genre: ANGST😣

synopsis: after months of being overlooked, y/n quietly walks away. it takes sophia weeks to realize she’s gone—and even longer to face what that means

warnings: break up, emotional neglect, sophia is bad at communication 🙁

—

two months ago

y/n [7:13 pm]: good luck today!! i know you’re probably too busy to reply, but i’m thinking of you. always.

y/n [7:15 pm]: i left some soup in the fridge btw. please eat even if you’re tired. love you

seen two weeks later

⸻

it didn’t hurt all at once.

no, it was quieter than that. the kind of slow unraveling that happened in silences, in missed calls, in the way sophia’s replies went from paragraphs to one-word answers.

y/n didn’t take it personally.

she couldn’t afford to. because if she did, she’d fall apart.

she made excuses for her girlfriend — told herself, it’s just the comeback, she’s just tired, she loves you, even if she hasn’t said it in a while.

but love, when left alone too long, starts to feel like waiting for a train that’s already left.

and sophia had left.

not physically. but in all the ways that mattered.

⸻

three weeks ago

“you really don’t have to do this,” megan said softly, leaning in the doorway as y/n carefully folded the sweatshirt sophia gave her. the grey one with the soft sleeves and the tiny bleach stain on the cuff that she’d once joked looked like a heart.

“i do,” y/n whispered. “i can’t keep living in a place where she forgets i exist.”

megan’s expression twisted. “she doesn’t—”

“she hasn’t said i love you in over a month, megan.”

megan said nothing.

“i leave food. i text. i wait up. and she doesn’t even ask me if i’ve eaten anymore. not even that.”

y/n’s voice cracked on the last part, quiet and sharp. like something inside her had finally caved in.

“i don’t hate her,” she said. “i just… don’t think she sees me anymore.”

“are you going to tell her you’re leaving?”

y/n blinked down at the folded hoodie. her silence was answer enough.

⸻

one week ago

sophia sat in the van, eyelids heavy, makeup smudged under her eyes. the world was noise and flashbulbs and schedules and movement, always movement.

“where’s y/n?” she asked suddenly, half-asleep.

the other members blinked.

“what do you mean?” megan asked, voice cautious.

“she hasn’t answered my messages. did i do something wrong?”

megan glanced out the window. “you didn’t even notice she was gone?”

sophia sat up straighter. “what do you mean, gone?”

megan didn’t say anything for a moment. then: “she moved out. like, three weeks ago.”

the car filled with silence.

“why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“you didn’t ask.”

⸻

present day

when sophia knocked on the door of y/n’s new apartment, she wasn’t sure what she expected.

she hadn’t rehearsed anything. all she had was a half-finished drink she thought y/n still liked, and her heart sitting somewhere in her throat.

the door opened slowly.

and there she was.

y/n stood there in an old hoodie, hair pulled back, eyes guarded. beautiful. exhausted.

sophia couldn’t breathe.

“hey,” she said, voice barely audible.

y/n stared at her like she was seeing a ghost. “you remembered where i live.”

“megan told me. i… i know i shouldn’t have shown up. i just didn’t know what else to do.”

y/n said nothing. not yet. she didn’t close the door either.

sophia shifted on her feet. “you really left.”

“you really didn’t notice.”

it landed like a slap. not loud. just final.

sophia swallowed hard. “i was so deep in everything. rehearsals. promotions. meetings. i thought… i thought i could make it up to you after.”

y/n’s voice was flat. “there’s always an after with you. after the comeback. after the fanmeet. after the schedule. i kept waiting for us to matter again.”

“we did matter. we do.”

“then why did it take you three weeks to even realize i was gone?”

sophia opened her mouth. closed it. there was no excuse. only regret.

“i kept telling myself i was doing it for us,” she whispered. “all the work. all the sacrifices. but what’s the point if i lose you in the process?”

a flicker of something — pain, or maybe softness — passed through y/n’s expression. but her voice stayed steady. tired. “you didn’t lose me. not all at once. you let me drift.”

“i didn’t mean to.”

“but you did.”

sophia felt her throat tighten. “i still love you.”

y/n’s eyes welled, but she didn’t let them fall. “i loved you in silence. i waited and waited, sophia. i begged you in a hundred ways without saying a word. and you didn’t see me.”

“i see you now.”

“too late.”

those two words broke something in her.

“but if there’s even the smallest part of you,” sophia said quietly, “that wants to try again someday… i’ll wait. i’ll actually wait.”

“don’t wait,” y/n said. “don’t promise something you might forget again.”

sophia nodded slowly. “then just… let me earn the right to try.”

y/n didn’t answer. didn’t smile. but she didn’t close the door.

and before sophia turned to leave, y/n said, softer than anything she’d said all night:

“don’t text me unless you really mean it this time.”

sophia’s heart ached.

“i will,” she whispered. “when i do… you’ll know.”

⸻

later that night

sophia [unsent]: i can’t sleep. not without you.

sophia [unsent]: i wore your hoodie today. it still smells like you.

sophia [unsent]: i’m sorry i didn’t fight for you sooner.

sophia [unsent]: i love you. i miss you. i’ll wait.

she stared at the blinking cursor.

deleted all of it.

waited.

and meant it.

—

a/n: MORE. I NEED MORE REQUEST NEOW.

[kit-williams]

Ok resend of the other sfw Husbandry scenario

A Pre-Heresy Primarch ends up in the Husbandry World. Dealers choice on which one. Bonus points for dramatic irony if it's one of the dead ones and/or one of the ones who nobody would expect having time, patience, or chill to deal with baseline humans.

He was going to an audience with his Father. It was mid-day on holy Terra. How in the Void did he end up in the middle of a temperate rainforest on a damp and misty night in the beat between one breath and the next?! Fortunately he can hear the occasional sounds of distant vehicles pasing on some sort of paved road. Armored boots sinking into well soaked forest floor he began his measured treck through forested mountian terrain.

The most logical course of action was to find the road. From the road he can find some form of settlement. Which in turn will enable him to determine if he's on a human world or a xenos one. If it's a xenos world? He can begin cleansing it. If it's a human one? Hopefully it's already within the Imperium. That failing he can begin the processing of draging this world, kicking and screaming if need be, into the Emperor's light.

The screach of ruber folowed by dull sharp shatteing glass, the harsh crunch deforming metal metal and the dull crack of splintering wood drew him the rest of the way towards the road. Accompanied by the familiar scent of blood, the sharp scent of hydrocarbons and the piercing wails of an infant.

He reached the vehicle as a stray spark ignited the iso-octane and heptane around the engine. The adult baselines in the front seat were already dead on his scans. The infant's detachable crash harness served it's function admirably however. Instinct impelled him to rip off the door of the primative vehicle and peel back it's roof. A few quick slashes freed the infant harness and all from the impending inferno. He even dumped the lose blanket and stuffed toy into the harnes with the child as he pulled them out. Fifteen seconds later the car burst into flames.

The moment he looked down to meet the childs eyes he felt some thing all the way down to his soul. His first priority shifted, he needed to reach civilization to ensure the child's safety. Carefully cradling the crash harness in one arm he draped his cloak over it to protect the little one from the drizzle.

One short martch in the direction of the vehicle had been headed prior to the crash and a patroling of his sons intercepted him. The rain had even stopped so his precious bundel was uncovered. What he did not expect was for the Sargeant to take off his helmet and gloves off to rub his eyes in disbelief when he hailed them or for one of them to drop to his knees and begin the Litany of Thanksgiving for the Emperor's Deliverance. He certainly did not expect the final member of the squad to clatter to the ground in a dead faint.

@egrets-not-regrets @liar-anubiass-blog @barn-anon @bleedingichorhearts @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

@ms--lobotomy @nekotaetae @sleepyfan-blog @felinisnoctis @riokunova

@superunkn0wn @bookandyarndragon

SO I'm probably going to do something like this for all the Primarchs but for now I decided on Lorgar! (if ya'll can remind me in a week or so to come back to this please )

Lorgar coos down at the baby in his arms his finger gently pressing down on their stomach and chest as the rain picked up again. He's taken to cooing hymnals to Father to try and soothe the baby in his grasp. His sons are trying to wake their brother but the Sargent walks over to Lorgar. "Father we will need you to come to base."

"Do you know what has happened to me?"

There was a tension in the air, "We have to get to base first. I am not at liberty to explain."

"Why not." Lorgar said and his sons could feel the weight of his words... the full brunt of his authority in this moment.

The Sargent flinched under this direct gaze of his Father, "There is much I am not allowed to say. All I can say is that the situation is grave... things are not how they appear. There are those who know more and those who can explain what is going on better than I. I apologize Father that I cannot... but we must get the baseline infant out of the rain.

The walk to the base was filled with the sound of rain as it was clear to Lorgar that this was not a hive city as the rain was only lightly polluted but not enough to turn the rain acidic. His sons had tried to take the babe from him and he refused to be parted. Something was amiss as he was shepherded to a room seeing a council of his... sons? One was covered in symbology he only recognized in the ancient dark texts that Erebus was fond of... spikes growing from his skin and out of his armor.

"So you are here." One of them said with a reverence in his voice mixed with disbelief.

"Where is here." Lorgar said causing all but the spiked marine to flinch under his direct command.

"Calm yourself Father." The spiked Astartes says, "We will explain to you what has occurred. But please allow the medicae to check over the child." He gestures to a human that has entered the room and Lorgar hands them their carrier watching them gently take them out before laying them on a gurney before rolling them away. "Will you answer us this? Where were you before you arrived."

"I was going to see Father! I had arrived on Terra not that long ago. Why is this important." The air grew thick with Lorgar's displeasure at being questioned by his own sons and not receiving answers.

Finally one of the council broke, "You are on Terra. This is Terra circa M3."

Lorgar simply inhaled as his eyes darted thinking about the implications. "Oh. I see." He simply said.

"Will you tell us when you are from father?"

"Why does that matter." Lorgar couldn't stop the growl in his voice.

The son that had yet to speak finally spoke up, "Because we are not all from the same time. I am from before you have been reunited with the legion. He is from after you've been reunited, and he," He points to his twisted brother with distain.

"I am from M41." They practically purr with delight.

Lorgar inhales again digesting the information... this had a dozen implications that brothers far more invested in the sciences would have them rattling off... but this... "A test of faith... " Lorgar whispered before smiling and clapping his hands together, "Right! Well I've been told there are things I must know so I suppose we shall get started on that."

The air in the base relaxed from its ball of intensity as it all would surely be okay given that their Genesire was handling it well.

[megthemariner]

Rook Origins Prompts

Mercar

1. Was Rook born in Ventus? How did they end up in a battlefield as a baby? If this wasn’t how the Mercars found them, how did Rook end up being adopted by the Mercar family?

2. What is life like for Rook growing up? Do they like/love their adopted family? Do they even know they’re adopted? How do the Mercars treat them? Do they have any siblings?

3. For Mage Rooks, when is their magic discovered? What is their training like? Do they specialise in any type of magic, or further any research into magical theory? Are they interested in climbing the ranks of the Magisterium?

(3a) Do they enjoy the status and power given to mages? Does it make them uncomfortable? Is it normalised to them, as it’s how things are in Tevinter?

4. For rogue/warrior Rooks, what drew them to their preferred method of fighting? Do they like fighting? Was their father involved in their training? If not, how were they trained?

(4a) Was there an expectation that Rook would become a soldier, since their adopted father is a high-ranking Commander? Did Rook join the army? Did they want to? If they didn’t, how did their adopted father/family react?

5. Were the Mercars living in Ventus in/around 9:44 Dragon when the Qunari/Antaam invaded? Was Commander Mercar still an acting member of the military there? If so, what happened to them? If Rook wasn’t in Ventus at the time, when did they hear about it? How do they feel about Ventus being captured?

6. What caused Rook to see slavery as something that needs to end? Did the Mercar family have slaves? If so, does Rook start there, and convince the Mercars to free their slaves/pay them as servants? If not, what caused the Mercar family as a whole to break from Tevinter’s status quo and pay servants/free their slaves?

7. How did Rook first learn about the Shadow Dragons? Did they join a cell in Ventus, or find them in Minrathous? When did they join? What did that entail? Does their family know they’re part of the Shadow Dragons, or do they keep it as anonymous/secret as possible?

8. What was Rook’s first job or operation with the Shadow Dragons? Was it a solo job, or part of a bigger team? Was it successful?

9. Does Rook have a ‘day job’? If so, what is it? Does it help the Shadow Dragons, or is it just to keep up appearances/make enough money to make ends meet?

10. How involved does Rook become with the Shadow Dragons? Does this change over time? Do they move cities, stop using the Mercar name, or make any other efforts to hide their identity? If so, do they do this to protect the Shadow Dragons, the Mercar family, or both? Is it required of them as they get more involved in Shadow Dragon operations?

11. How does Rook end up with the Nessus job? Why are they chosen to “guard a visiting dignitary”? Who is the dignitary? Are they a secret member of the Shadow Dragons? If not, how did Rook get the dignitary’s cooperation while they went “deep into Venatori-controlled zones and brought him back, along with the rescued slaves”?

(11a) What led Rook to conclude that “the mission would fail without throwing caution to the wind”? What was their mission? Was it always the plan to free the slaves in the slavery ring in Nessus? If so, what would have caused the mission to fail? Has Rook always been the type to be bold and take chances, or was this new for them?

12. When Rook learns that the Nessus job brought attention to them (and the Shadow Dragons), how did they feel? What repercussions did this have, for them personally and/or the Shadow Dragons as a whole? Did they regret any of their actions? Were they told to leave for a while, did they volunteer, or was it a group decision? How did they feel about leaving?

13. Was Varric involved in the Nessus job in some way? If not, how does Rook meet him? Do they become part of the team to stop Solas right away, or does it take some time for Varric & Harding to fill them in?

14. Does Rook like travelling with Varric & Harding? What do they think of each? What do they think of the mission to stop Solas? Were they worried about returning to Minrathous as part of the mission?

———

For use as writing prompts, as an ask game, etc! Enjoy fleshing out your Rook's origin!

Ingellvar | de Riva | Thorne | Aldwir | Laidir

[jisung-shine]

can you please do nct reaction to you flirting with them? I hope your having a nice day <33

I love love LOVE this request...hopefully doing it three years later is okay LMAO I am so sorry

Please enjoy everyone!! <3

Mark💥

-OKAY LET'S GO!!

-Doesn't realize you're flirting, thinks you're just being friendly

-One of the other members literally has to smack him upside the head for him to realize

-Once he's aware he has a chance though

-Prepare yourself

-Corny jokes left and right

-His face is bright red, and he keeps cracking up every two seconds

-Please give this man some love

Renjun♟️

-Renjun would be very calm and collected (could never be Mark-)

-He's surprised when he realizes you're flirting with him

-But it makes him feel all warm and fuzzy inside

-The way you're complimenting him, slightly brushing his arm, it makes him giddy, even if he doesn't outright show it

-Renjun blushes ever so slightly, and won't stop smiling

-He's soft spoken to begin with, but becomes even more so when you start flirting with him

-He then starts dropping small hints to let you know that he feels the same

Jeno🐻‍❄

-LEE JENO RAHHH

-Anyways

-Jeno grins like a fool when you flirt with him

-He will kind of mirror your movements, like if you brush his arm, he will then brush yours in conversation

-Freezes up a few times mid conversation, remembering “oh yeah y/n is literally flirting with me”

-Will offer you his hoodie most likely

Haechan🐻

-Please take it (please) it would mean the world to him

-Oh man

-Haechan

-Immediately dials things up to 100

-When you start flirting with him, he immediately flirts back

-But like…a million times stronger than you

-Veryyyy touchy (if you're into that)

-"Guys oh my God y/n flirted with me today”

-Literally blowing up the Dreamies group chat

-"Guys y/n made eye contact with me for 3.5 seconds today!”

Jaemin🎀

-Will take every opportunity to hold your hand from there on out once he realizes you've been flirting with him

-NA JAEMIN

-Jaemin LOVES when you flirt with him

-He will simply melt

-Like for real, Jaemin will become a giggly mess

-He's all smiles

-You compliment him? Bro is literally butter

-Will flirt back guaranteed

-"You think I'm pretty? My face must be reflecting your own beauty, love.”

-Winks a LOT

Chenle🗣

-PLEASE JUST ASK HIM OUT ALREADY

-IT IS TIME

-THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND

-MY FAVOROTE GOOBER, ZHONG CHENLE

-ahem sorry anyways

-Chenle, will not know what to do at first when you flirt with him

-Accidentally makes a disgusted face at you, catching you off guard

-He's not actually disgusted, just processing what's happening

-:Wait what the hell…is Y/n flirting with me?”

-His heart beats a little faster, but he would be DAMNED if he ever let you know that

-Chenle try not to be competitive challenge: level impossible

-Once he's done processing…

-...Chenle immediately makes it into a flirting competition

-"You think I look good in this outfit? Oh yeah? Well YOU look good in every outfit so—”

-He comes off slightly aggressive in tone? But his words are super sweet??

-God I love Chenle

Jisung🎮

-Just…if you flirt with him, expect banter. Always.

-Park Jisung

-Lord

-This man

-Okay so he legit doesn't process that you're flirting with him at first

-Another one that doesn't realize what's happening

-He's just looking at you for a second before his brain registers that the way you're joking with him is, in fact, because you're interested in him

-Once he realizes, he flirts back

-Well, attempts to, that is

-Stutters a LOT

-Will pause and cover his face and smirk a little bit

-He kind of just…starts yapping?

-PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO HIM OKAY

OKAY EVERYONE

I hope you enjoyed that HEHRJQHFKSDJ

Have an amazing day, and remember, you are amazing and so so special!! 🎀💗

[cattofwatt]

The Headcanon’s! Part 1

Guess what I finally have these headcanon’s ready. Now these will be in a more “what they would do” headcanon’s rather than “what they are” headcanon’s. As I’m better with the former and I’m too basic to do much with “what they are”, and these will only be the party members and basically just anything that can be in Sam’s apartment.

Starting with the man himself!

1-he really really wants to get away from the term NEET, and will absolutely deny it whenever it’s even implied.

2-listen this apocalypse is the most he’s brushed his teeth and showered in weeks, look at him

3-he isn’t constantly upset his face just kinda looks like that, and his voice, and his demeanor, and-

4-I like to believe he’s just absolutely unaware (or in denial) about his stalker Lyle. He had no idea any of this was happening until this all started. Up to you to say if this upsets him or turns em on-

Ah the woman who everyone I’ve seen play the game go “that’s a woman?!” And change their entire demeanor to her

1-Imagine being the first person ever to see a creature in space yeah she was not quiet about it to her friends at all

2-she and Jasper both are/were ignorant to their feelings, in a comical way

3-she tried to ignore the changes in her in the months of viewing the visitor

4-I like to believe now she’s mainly just the pink sludge and it’s just in the walls everywhere in the apartment (she did say she didn’t “feel” the apartment change when Henderson did his ptsd thing. Implying that normally she would feel it)

Our child!

1-it just loves life and living in it. Look at that dumb grin nothing could ruin that

2-even when it was still a baby it understood completely what was happening in the room with the hole who wanted to eat it. It now doesn’t trust Sybil that much because of how she’s in a wall.

3-that hat and backpack is old stuff Sam used to wear when he was a little kid

4-In the denial ending it is living a very good life with its new Eldritch dad

Teeth boi!

1-fuzzy was a toy Ben (or even the little sister doesn’t matter) got for him and it’s his most precious item

2-he does still have that urge to bite but luckily he just does it to bad people. And counters, and anything chewable

3-he was already best friends with Sophie before all this, he was there for her at school when all of her dad stuff was happening

4-when he grew up he worked to help other cursed who have mutations that are infectious in nature and aren’t exactly controllable

5-he still thinks there is hope for his little sister

MY GIRL!- sorry this gal just loves this freak

1-she was always kinda twitchy and “weird” even before all this. She was the type to do the knife hand game for fun

2-her cursed form is basically just all her pent up store clerk anger let loose

3-her love of fighting and competition comes from never being good or better in her eyes, always seeing herself as lesser for some reason

4-that grin is permanent now but she doesn’t care one bit

5-only friends with Morton because he has sharp things

6-admires Hellen in the “crush me” way. But only to then try to win whatever situation that would be

Jason looking motherfuck-

1-she is a amazing gardener obviously

2-has no romantic feelings for anyone else, her plants have already taken that role-

3-she didn’t grow in size because of being cursed, it was really only the face thing, she was always built like this

4-(as we know) she is the type to answer a paragraph of text with “k”

5-nowadays (denial ending) she just gardens like regular,

6-oh this is a good one. The plant apartment may just be hers and she left it when it started becoming like it is now

Little rascal

1-is the type to say “ah crud” and then say something absolutely disturbing

2-if you give her to her cursed mother she just kinda ends up in a catatonic state being “forever held” by her mom (someone draw that)

3-nowadays she’s friends with everyone and tries to keep up with them, still close with Joel and helps him with whatever he wants

The..*gag* streamer

1-had a bad experience with Sam (because Sam identifies him as “creep” even before really talking to him. That could just be judging his appearance but that’s boring)

2-he is the type to do controversy videos on absolutely nothing.

3-he isn’t cursed (unless you get the random chance of course) he just kinda looks like that

4-is the kind of person online of when any female character exists he has to make a hot joke

5-his life has not changed after all of this

Grasshopper

1-minor kleptomania but he can resist it good enough

2-he can hop like a grasshopper but he finds it deeply embarrassing to do that so he never does

3-deeply unbothered by everything going on, he just wants his spoons please

4-he does what salad fingers does to spoons, just less in a creepy way more of a fidget way

5-can say some really offensive stuff but it’s never on purpose, likely just stating what he observes

6-he just explores nowadays getting junk

I’ll be honest he’s not that interesting to me for some reason

1-dnd lover. He has to be the dm though

2-also a LARPer, and he’s fucking amazing at it

3-he hates Roaches so much. Like just actual despair and distraught seeing it. The hate is not mutual

4-he was the best janitor on the job and the fungal area did mess with him more than he wants to admit

I will continue this soon!