#do they even know why they're keeping secrets?

[gloomysoup]

he's probably worried (not hiding anymore)

@steddiebingo christmas card prompt: secret relationship

rating: teen+ | word count: 717 | tags: post-s3, post- starcourt, coming out | ao3

The air is filled with red-orange flames and smoke as the mall burns to the ground in front of him. His head is still spinning, face throbbing, and he can barely breathe. The adrenaline is starting to fade, and Steve’s injuries are making themselves known. He stands side-by-side with Robin, neither of them saying a word. Everything has changed. Neither of them will ever be the same person they once were.

Steve has a fleeting thought that Eddie must be worried. It's gone just as soon as it was there when the paramedics are ushering them into the ambulance and taking them to the hospital.

Everything is a blur of sirens and lights, Robin’s hand in his, a shock blanket around his shoulders. Doctors and bright lights, wires and beeping machines. He gets set up in a room for monitoring. Robin is okay. The kids are okay. Everyone is okay.

Steve doesn't even register what's happening when the nurse says they're going to call his emergency contact. His brain still feels a little fuzzy, even if things are starting to become clearer.

Everyone is gathered in Steve’s room. Robin and Dustin are sitting at the end of the bed, on either side of his legs. Robin refuses to leave his side. Steve is thinking about Eddie again.

Steve is late for dinner. He's probably so worried.

There's heavy footsteps in the hallway, shoes squeaking on the linoleum. The door flies open, and a head of curls stumbles into the room. Eddie’s eyes find Steve’s quickly, wild and full of fear and concern. He quickly crosses the room, pulling Steve into a tight hug. The room falls silent around them.

“Christ, Steve, I was so worried about you,” Eddie whispers, his voice tight like he's trying not to cry. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I'm okay, promise. Just a little banged up, that's all.”

Eddie sucks in a very shaky breath, not letting go of Steve. “You're not allowed to scare me like that anymore, asshole. I can't handle it.”

“I'll do my best. How'd you even know I was here?”

Eddie pulls back, his hands resting on the sides of Steve’s face. “The hospital called Wayne.”

The door opens again, and there's Wayne. Steve notes that he looks tired, but the older man smiles when his gaze lands on Steve.

“Glad to see you're still kickin’, kid,” he says, the worry washing away from his face.

“Sorry, Wayne, can't get rid of me that easy,” Steve says with a grin that pulls at his cuts and bruises. Wayne barks a laugh at that, shaking his head.

“What the hell is going on?” Dustin says, finally finding his voice.

Eddie's eyes go wide as he suddenly seems to realize they are not alone in the room. Steve grabs Eddie’s hand with a smile and gives it a squeeze. Then he clears his throat and looks at Dustin.

"Wayne is my emergency contact,” he explains. “Has been for a little while now. I've, uh… kinda been staying with them from time to time.”

Dustin frowns, his eyebrows knit together. “But… why?”

Steve glances at Eddie, squeezing his hand again. He takes a deep breath. It's now or never. “Eddie is… my boyfriend.”

It's the first time he's said the words out loud. It's the first time they put an actual label on what they are, what they truly mean to each other. They've been boyfriends for a little while now, but they never actually talked about it. There was always so much sneaking around and secrets and keeping it under wraps. They were both scared.

Not anymore.

Steve isn't scared to hide Eddie away from his friends, from his family. The people who truly matter. Not when Eddie has never been scared of hiding him from Wayne, his family. He's done being scared, because he knows there's so many scarier things out there. He knows that monsters are real, and he knows it'll take a lot more than a boyfriend to run off his monster hunting family.

So he smiles at Eddie, and he calls him boyfriend. Because that's what he is. He's Steve’s boyfriend, and he loves him.

He's done keeping that a secret from the people who have always had his back, despite what they've been through.

[lamb-teaa]

` Choose Us, Choose Me

` pairing: colonel!Caleb x mechanic!reader

` tags: canon divergence!! strictly doesn't follow canon timeline!! but might seem similar?? idk tbh. anyway ANGST. full hurt no comfort. vague plot. vague relationship. vague mentions of betrayal and double agents. vvvery short scenario.

` teaa's note: having to wait for 22 Jan for Caleb's full lore to drop, imma indulge in my personal headcanon for this ficlet instead - a special (&painful) treat for all the Caleb girlies (and me ehe!) (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+

Your silence is the cruelest punishment he had ever endured.

Yet Caleb too remained silent as he watched you meticulously work on repairing his damaged bionic arm, not once had you uttered a single word since his impromptu arrival at your workshop stationed within the massive spaceship.

You merely glanced at him, your tired gaze instantly flickering towards his shortcircuiting arm before letting out a small huff of annoyance as you slammed the coffee mug on the messy table. Like a routine checkup, you wordlessly pointed towards the empty seat and began working on fixing his bionic arm back to good as new.

All the while the tense atmosphere remained palpable within the workshop. Even your trusty little invention-slash-companion robot, Brownie had jumped over the table, holding out all the necessary tools for you to fix Caleb up, yet the presence of the adorable little brown robot cat wasn't enough to shimmer down the tension in the air.

Your expression remained aloof yet the look in your eyes held a strong suppressed rage. Caleb winced when you purposely handled his arm a tad bit too roughly, shooting a side eyed glare at Brownie snickering at him, a clear message of 'you deserve it!' written all over your little companion's face.

Caleb was tempted to send the smug rascal flying across the room using his Evol.

...But he wouldn't want to risk facing your wrath, not when you're still mad pissed at him right now.

"...You know I had to do it." Caleb decided to break the silence first, his eyes locked onto your face, hoping to ease down your anger even just a little bit. "I was following orders."

You stayed silent, nonchalantly avoiding his gaze as your attention was solely on the holographic screen displaying the restoration process.

Caleb gritted his teeth, growing agitated by your lack of response. Why were you so stubborn? Why couldn't you understand him? Why do you have to subject him to this stupid silent treatment of yours?

Why can't you see he's doing all this for your sake?

"It's done." You finally spoke after a long tense silence, your voice cold and detached as you did the final adjustments on his bionic arm. His piercing stare was suffocating you and you wanted nothing more than to be out of his sight. "Now get out."

You had only turned around for a brief millisecond before his hand suddenly snatched your wrist, pulling you close to him. His taller frame towering over you, his face confronted in a mixture of anguish and pain - a sight that made your heart ache, but you refuse to show any weakness, not in front of him, especially not in front of a cruel man like him.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Caleb spoke lowly, struggling to suppress his own anger. "Aren't you tired of these charades of yours?"

You glared up at him defiantly, despite the slight tremble from his iron grip. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me." He scowled, his grip on your wrist tightened slightly. "How long are you going to play both sides? Do you think they're going to let you off easily once they find out you've been secretly colluding with the enemy?"

His heart sank in dread at your unfazed reaction, as if you've been expecting this to happen sooner or later, that the consequences be damned if it meant fulfilling your own secret mission no matter the cost.

Even at the expense of your own wellbeing.

"..Choose us." Choose me. Caleb shut his eyes briefly before letting go of your wrist, his voice strained with a soft plea as his hands gently cupped your cheeks, forcing you to look up at him. "I can guarantee your safety if you choose our side, please Princess. You'll die if you keep this up."

He sees the flicker of hesitation in your eyes, the conflict swimming in those alluring gaze that never fail to make his heart stutter. But as soon as that raising hope for you turn to his side came, it vanished in an instant when you slapped his hands away.

"I'd rather much die." You spat, your fist clutched the collar of his shirt as you glared up at him, the hatred and disgust written all over your face as your final words shattered his heart into pieces.

"Than to serve the likes of abominations like you.”

[inchidentally]

this is such a sweet quote and Lando's said exactly the same as well <3<3

but askfgsalfg why is this proving what I've kinda been suspecting and Zak doesn't rly fit in with landoscar and has largely not had as much to do w the driver partnership as he used to

we already knew from Andrea that Lando and Oscar do their own little separate debriefs and they were so excited about getting their own door separating them from everyone where it used to be in a shared hallway (including Zak)

but the golf, the dinners and the marketing stuff is all referring to Carlos' and Daniel's eras. Oscar couldn't even be bribed to play golf, is literally famous for not wanting to do marketing/contrived PR content and not being good at it, and the only "dinner" situation after Hungary was Lando and Oscar eating fast food with other drivers and then playing board games with Alex on the flight home ?? we also know that these debrief dinners don't happen otherwise bc Oscar usually goes home to sleep or out with Lily and Lando goes out being a very single guy or gaming w Max and BanKai etc. that post race debrief finishes and those two peace OUT. and tbh the amount that they've chosen to fly together to and from things now Oscar lives in Monaco, they've taken even more of that debriefing into their own hands!

like I just get the vibe that Zak doesn't rly have the boys club anymore and Andrea being Dad to his two kids is how things are rly being managed. even down to him sometimes wanting to be the bad guy that the two kids bond over hating sometimes even tho they love Dad really. that's just not a dynamic I see Zak fitting into. (and ngl probably some of the Daniel era in particular those tensions needed to be managed between him and Zak but aaaaaanyway)

I say this as someone who fully expects Lando and Oscar to have normal teammate fights at some point where there's the strong words to the media and angry radios etc etc - the fact that they decided so early on in their relationship to do a teammate version of 'private but not secret' couple thing of keeping fans and media out of their business, both good and bad, means they're absolutely discussing and strategizing about this (bc especially after alpinegate and taking Daniel's seat, it would've been very handy and easy for them to go a bromance angle!). which as a charlos veteran and also someone who knew the Max and Lando fight would blow over faster than anyone thought it would, I'm never going to be fazed by a fight between Lando and Oscar - but I'm also just not sold on it ever getting as out of control as so many people want/expect it to. and I feel that way partly at least bc I think there's been sort of a gen z gender neutralling happened to McLaren bc of this partnership (not as much of the usual of masculine/boys being boys energy*)

but also bc there's only one big personality/celebrity instead of two. off the track, Lando and Oscar perfectly compliment each other's personalities including how their friendship is a quiet thing rather than a big media-beloved bromance so they don't have the burden of managing fan expectations and reactions about it. you can kind of parallel it with the Lando and Max fight last season bc those two are genuinely involved in each other's lives as friends and spend the most time with each other than any other driver, including Lando being a regular fixture in Max's little family - but Max doesn't do PR at all so a lot of people still don't know how close they are. so the assumption was that their fight was this massive thing and the end of their relationship but a lot of us were like pfffff this'll blow over and Penelope's uncle will be back before she could even notice.

in the same way, Lando and Oscar doing all their bonding time out of the public eye and being the only two people who truly know how they feel about each other at any time means they are the only authority anyone should listen to! when they say 'fight over' they mean fight over! when they giggle and laugh waiting for a plane together after Monza or smile in relief at each other immediately after getting out of the cars in Hungary, then that's the truth! they're choosing not to let fans and the media in on this so that fans or the media can't feel they know better and contradict them!

and that's where I think Zak is more on the outside of things too. when even Andrea is like yea these boys are talking about things before speaking to their own teams then it feels like that's a real shift away from the explosive teammate dynamics everyone keeps referring to.

*which I'm not saying is inherently bad or toxic! esp since the dynamic of it with Lando and Carlos and Daniel was of scrungly little brother and adoring loud big brother <3

[aristarr]

"Another loss, ugh what a shame. Maybe next time, Dunbar." It's hard to see through the helmet but Liam knows that Raeken smiles, that mocking smile of his following Liam even in his dreams. He's ready to wipe it from this Devenford brat's face, when he feels Scott's hand on his shoulder and just throws a threatening look at Theo as the man leaves the field. He should calm down. He knows he should. Would be really bad to cause a fight now.

But easy to say than do and he's walking fast to the lockers, seething, with a strong desire to punch a certain Devenford player. Or...

"So early today, Dunbar" Theo points out, taking his helmet off, "can't control yourself I see?"

"You're alone?" Liam almost growls, his fangs already out.

"Woah, slow down little wolf. I am alone but I could be not. And you're here being half-shifted. Aren't afraid to reveal the secret anymore?"

Liam says nothing, staring at Theo, breathing hard. He is afraid but he can't help it. There's too much to handle right now. So he takes a few steps towards Theo, pinning him to the nearest locker.

"Woah, so needy today" Theo chuckles, keeping away Liam's hand, that already sneaked under his jersey. Liam growls again, leaving a few quick kisses on Theo's neck.

"So that's why you lost. It was me, right? The distraction?" Theo asks, making Liam even angrier. If the looks could kill, Theo would now lie dead on the floor. Like hundred percent so.

"You're silent, I'll take it as a yes. Couldn't focus on a game because of me - how sweet Dunbar. I appreciate that"

"Can you just shut up and do your job already" Liam barks out, kissing Theo's lips and Theo says nothing more, obeying to his favourite rival.

My piece for @officialthiamlibrary Thiam Secret Santa 2024 for @bererjs!!!! I really hope you like it!

When I saw "enemies to lovers" and "sports" I immediately thought about Heated Rivalry so here we are with some sort of a Thiam Heated Rivalry AU!! They're both playing lacrosse, Liam for Beacon Hills and Theo for Devenford AND!! they're both werewolves! And they both share a little secret🤭

Happy Holidays and I hope you enjoy your gift🙌🏻

[sulumuns-dootah]

Can I please request a whb king's reaction to actress/actor mc but this time mc is in a dramatically sweet or cringy romance movie as the main lead? With the ending being the main couple having a child time skip cuz like why not (asmo's breeding kink...)

WHB kings w/ a romance movie actor reader

⟡ Masterlist ⟡

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

As much as Satan tries to enjoy the movie, it's not exactly his cup of tea

It will be kinda hard for him to stay focused, but will try his hardest

If there's some drama and maybe fighting that ends with a kiss, he's immediately into it

Also, he hates to admit it, but he's jealous of your co-star

So to somehow keep himself entertained, he'll look for ways to trashtalk them and the things they say

(Pointing out that it's just a script they're reading is useless)

       ༺☆༻

I also don't see Mammon as romance movie enjoyer, but he doesn't hate them either

There are a few romance movies you can get him to enjoy and yours is one of them

Mammon is especially interested in the part where the main couple moves into their dream house

He can't help but wonder what would be your dream home

And don't get me started on the wedding ring

The one that he'll get you, should you want one, will be way bigger and better than whatever that tiny stone was in the movie

       ༺☆༻

Cheesy romance movies are Leviathan's secret guilty pleasure

Sure, he will watch your movie and even like it, but won't tell you he did

His envy gets triggered every time there's a scene between the main couple wiht them touching or kissing

Sure, it's just one kiss on screen, but how many rehearsals and failed shots were there before you nailed it? He doesn't even want to try to guess

If he sees your co-star anywhere around you again, he can't be responsible for his actions

       ༺☆༻

Watching movies with Beel is fun for the same reason it's frustrating to show him the movie you starred in

He'll watch the movie whole, but focus on the exactly wrong thing

It's always something random too

I imagine Beel's the type to make '(a scene)but it just zooms in on random items' movie edits

Will point out background mistakes like missing flowerpots or extras changing clothes mid-scene

Only when it's solely you, centered in the shot, he'll finally pay attention to your character

       ༺☆༻

Belphie tries really hard to stay awake, he really does

But to him unless it's anime, it's kinda boring

Where's the superpowers? the cursed beings? the jojo stands?

If there's Beleth with you in the room, it's to Belphie's benefit

Belphie'll be awake as you're settling in to watch the movie and by the time you stop checking in on him, he'll be out

And then all that Beleth needs to do, is nudge him awake before you start asking for his opinion

       ༺☆༻

Asmo loves cheesy romance movies!

They remind him of his past lover and some of them even have sex scenes

And sometimes you can even cach him on the verge of crying once the big movie climax happens :)

So now that you're playing in one, he's found the one he'll keep rewatching over and over

Ooh, but if there's a sex scene in your movie, the mood drastically changes

Screw the movie... Asmo suddenly feels like rewriting the movie and showing you exactly what he'd do differently (you already know where this goes)

And the movie time skip to children is absolutely one of his favorite parts

Too bad he can't actually make you pregnant bc of his past lover's curse bc he would absolutely love to have a mini army of mini you's running around Hell

       ༺☆༻

If you ask, Lucifer would tell you that he doesn't have a movie preference, but romace movies are one of them

Generally, any movie that he can watch with the rest of the Paradise Lost demons without them arguing over it is a good one

Lucifer loves learning about the human experience so any realistic movie is a nice way of him to find out more

As you show him your movie, he'll watch it carefully and remember from it way more than even you could

The final scene with the main couple and their kids makes him smile

Similarly to Asmo, he can't help but wonder what it would be like to have a mini halfling that looks like the two of you combined, running around

[lavender-butterfly-cookie]

Ok I got this idea from the y/n battle and I can get it out of my head a Y/N Cookie counsel like they talk about important stuff like what they go do to Dark Enchantress Cookie and the beast

Baker y/n is the leader and agent and Beast y/n is second as they are the most powerful and smartest and they called Dibse

But it is TOP SICREST like no offer cookies know only the y/n's is the only cookies know well aside from ferret cookie but that only because they are basically their mom

But the offer cookies are getting suspicious because shy y/n keeps missing stuff they like to do some ‘important stuff’ It them really them going to a meeting, and all of the y/n suddenly diaspore and come back like nothing is happening

And that it, loves your writing I hope you have a good day :)

Baker Y/N: Greetings Y/N's of the kingdom. Today we're-

Streamer Y/N: Sorry- can we quickly just address the elephant in the room?

Baker Y/N: Huh?

Ghost Y/N: Yeah no- Someone has to say it.

Baker Y/N: Say what? What are you guys even on about?

Merchant Y/N: Shy Y/N and Timid Y/N are bad at keeping this secret!

Both: Huh?!

Tarzan Y/N: *Nods*

Robot Y/N: Accurate. The two often slip up and have been drawing unwanted attention.

Shy Y/N: On accident!

Timid Y/N: Yeah, we can't help it!

Ancient Y/N: Yeah, cut them some slack guys. You know how they are, just be patient-

Beast Y/N: CAN IT, PAST ME!

Entity Y/N: Fight! Fight! Fight! Fi- OW!?

Batman Y/N: (punched them in the arm) Stop yelling. You'll give me a fu-

Lavender: Hey! No swearing!

Batman Y/N: f##k YOU!

Isekai'd Y/N: Wow, this is pure chaos.... Keep going!

Alien Y/N: Baker, do your job-

Baker Y/N: I'm trying!

Child Beast Y/N: Do better!

Child Ancient Y/N: Hey! They're trying their best!

Cowl Y/N: Yeah! Back off!

Baker Y/N: *Stands up* SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!

They look around the room, seeing all eyes on them. Then, as if in sync, Timid Y/N, Shy Y/N and all three kids begin crying.

Lavender: Great, you made them cry.

Baker Y/N: why- why are you even here?!

Lavender: Someone ordered 10 boxes of chocolate-

Beast Y/N: oh oh oh! That'd be me!

Ancient Y/N: I thought you didn't like chocolate?

Beast Y/N: I don't. I just wanna throw it down a river to contaminate it and waste a buttload of chocolate to spite everyone.

All Y/N's start yelling at them about what a low blow move that was whilst they chill.

Lavender: Why did I create you guys???

[mothballmilkshake]

Behind the Scenes Writing

This scene was never used, because I decided to start Stolen Moments with their dynamic already being established. The initial first ideas for the RadioApple series I had would have been a bit of a slower burn, but I decided 'slow burn but they're fucking the whole time' would be more fun.

In any case, this would have been set after they'd established a truce of sorts, a reluctant getting along.

“I might be out of my fucking mind,” Lucifer muttered, speaking as much to himself as to Alastor. Alastor raised a brow, glancing down at the man beside him, holding himself back from commenting on his lack of skill with a trowel through sheer force of will.

“I've long suspected as such, sire! What finally brought you to this conclusion?” he replied with a trace of mockery in his voice, canned laughter echoing in the air.

Lucifer's eyes flashed, glaring up at the taller man. It seemed like he was struggling with something, some internal battle that was rather amusing to watch play out on his face. Alastor tipped his head, his smile not moving an inch.

“For some god-forsaken reason – I want you,” Lucifer bit out, a record scratch betraying Alastor's surprise. Of all the things he'd expected the other man to say, it certainly hadn't been that. Lucifer ran a hand through his hair, smudging dirt into the blonde strands and knocking them loose as he gave out a little self-deprecating huff.

“Sorry if that's too blunt. I don't exactly have a lot of experience with the whole flirting thing – I was married to the same woman for ten thousand years, and I didn't know what I was doing at the start of that relationship, either. Look, you don't have to – to say anything, but it's been driving me mad, trying to keep it a secret. So now you know.”

Alastor blinked as Lucifer's voice trailed into a mutter, his eyes going back to the bulbs at his knees. He picked one up with slightly shaking claws, plunging it into the earth as the silence dragged on.

An egotistical sense of smugness welled in Alastor's chest. He'd been wanted before, of course he had, but to know that even the King of Hell had fallen for his charms? Why, it was enough to make a man preen.

Something else fluttered behind that ego, though. A heart-beat sounding a fraction too late, and before he could call the words back, they'd already left his mouth.

“So what do you plan to do about it?”

He wasn't sure why he'd said such a thing. He'd never entertained anyone else's desire for him – had in fact burnt a decades long friendship to the ground because of it. But there was something about Lucifer, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Nobody else seemed so capable of getting under his skin, of infuriating him so. Seeking out the king and pushing him to anger or irritation had become an underrated thrill in his day, a bright spark in an otherwise rather repetitive life.

Lucifer's gaze snapped back up to him, shock writ large in those yellow eyes.

“I – are you messing with me?” he asked, glancing around as if he thought Alastor had overcome his aversion to cameras just to pull a prank like this and film his reaction. Something twisted in Alastor's guts, an uncertainty he ignored.

“As hard as it may be for you to believe... no. I don't believe so.”

[astersofthesky]

VERY WELL SAID OP!!! Also to add, I've recently just finished rewatching season 1 and one thing that I also wanna add is that InHo is also greatly influenced by the games philosophy of "having equal chances for everyone."

(apologies for the badly cropped image!)

InHo, who was once an officer, was falsely accused of taking bribe from a criminal resulting to him entering the games in 2015 for his wife and unborn child. He saw the game as one last shot at life (a common feeling the players have when entering the game—even Gi Hun entered the game again for his mother).

In-Ho had seen the worst of the games and had also seen how people kill and deceive each other for money. And how the VIP's also sees the lowest of the low as some worthless betting horses to gamble for and get entertainment.

I just know he is disgusted by all these things, coming out as a player himself and as a former purveyor of justice.

So yeah OP, i agree that InHo never enjoyed watching or even handling the games. I bet he's just doing it cause he believes he's got nothing anymore. Or maybe the guilt is eating at him everytime he goes home to meet Jun-Ho and their mother so he stopped coming home altogether during 2020 (Ironically Gi-Hun's game).

I feel like it was guilt and fear of facing Jun-Ho and letting him know what evil things he did in the games is the reason why In-Ho came back and became the frontman. Or maybe he came back a regular pink guard and climbed his way up in the ranks (I wouldn't put it pass him) all because he thinks humanity is dead (his humanity is dead).

BUT IF THIS IS THE CASE, then the way he's obsessed with giving these "scums" the last "shot" at life clashes with his disgust in humanity right??

Comes in the hope, this secret hope he still cherishes inside his shredded yet fully locked heart that maybe humans aren't so far gone yet.

That maybe if we keep on giving equal chances to everyone, someone out there would show that the human heart is not only made to deceive and hurt and be evil.

Then come Gi Hun who was one step away from winning yet he came back to give up the game to save him and Sang Woo.

That caught his attention.

All his life he's known cruelty (even as an officer) to being the frontman and come this guy with all smiles and naivety and hope and kindness cause i juuust know In-Ho was intrigued when player 456 chose player 001 despite being an old man during the marbles game not even knowing what the game will be.

This man is full of love. And In-Ho knew it when Gi-Hun picked up Sabyeok's brother is okay and ensured that he and Sang-woo's mother are all financially and emotionally okay.

I bet In-Ho was feeling frustrated when Gi-Hun dialled their number and told he's gonna track him down not just because he'll be a threat but because he knows Gi-Hun is throwing out the chance to heal and be happy the way In-Ho was too cowardly to do to his brother and mother.

Gi-Hun will regret coming back the way In-Ho regretted saying yes to being the frontman.

Now, even joining the games, he got to know Gi-Hun more and not just from pictures and reports. But he gets to know him personally and In-Ho sees that as much as they're alike they're different.

They're different cause he thinks Gi-Hun is still naive for seeing the world in black and white but In-Ho sees the gray areas and some people does use the money for good.

They're alike cause this shows that deep down, In-Ho believes that greed for money is not the only thing keeping this people fighting and hoping the same way Gi-Hun believes that greed for money can be overcome by standing over on what's right and fighting for human lives and hoping in humanity's innate goodness.

Even Lee Byung-Hun said that unknowingly In-Ho might be rooting for Gi-Hun's belief to be right over his own.

Not because he's entirely wrong but Gi-Hun's belief leads to a hope he had lost when his wife and child died. When all he sees are cruelty atop cruelty (and even most of them because of his doing) and he's just numbed and he wants to care for Jun-Ho but can't and will never be able to come back.

And that's why In-Ho is a selfish coward 'cause he wants Gi-Hun to be right but he's scared that maybe, that the hope Gi-Hun brings, is only temporary.

That Gi-Hun will become like the people he despised the most.

That Gi-Hun will eventually become a monster like himself.

So he crushes everything that Gi-Hun cares about. He kills Jung-bae. He kills "Young-Il." He was already trying to nip the bud of hope in his chest cause he's scared to be proven wrong and be all broken all over again when he had already developed this numb, indifferent mask over the course of the years.

Cause if Gi-Hun gives up, then he can give up into the delusions of second chances as well.

If I say that I'm not used to people misinterpreting my favorite characters, I'd be lying. But the way they get so many things wrong about Inho's character is kinda pissing me off because you KNOW that most of them do it to cancel out the possibility of InHun being *something* more than what's shown so far. You don't ship them, that's fair, frankly I don't care. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion UNTIL your opinion is wrong.

Let's talk about a couple of things I've seen being talked about on tiktok (🙄)

“Inho joined the games because ilnam said that it'd basically be more fun to play than to watch so he followed his example." loud incorrect buzzer ! Inho has joined the games before, and not only that, he's also a previous winner, so therefore he's very much aware of what it's like to be a part of it, he's experienced them first hand, just like he's experienced the atrocities of it. they've changed him for the worst and possibly caused him a huge trauma —they're the reason he's lost faith in humanity after all— so, why would he crave to relive it just for the thrill of it? i, personally doubt he even enjoys watching the game.

“Inho didn't look at Gihun with love, he likes to watch him suffer” Short answer is no. He doesn't like to watch him suffer, neither he looked at him with love, not the pure kind of love at least. Two things can be true at once. Inho spent half the season staring at Gihun because everything about the man intrigued him; His determination, his stubbornness, his kindness, his hope, his heart that's full of love despite the pain he suffered, even the pain in his eyes every time someone got eliminated in front of him as if it was the first time it had happened, as if the cruelty of it all surprised him every damn time. How can someone, who's been through the same things Inho has been through, be the polar opposite of him?

now, the reason(s) that I think Inho actually joined the games for..

(yes I am an Inhun shipper, does that make my opinion a little biased? maybe. do i still believe I'm right? absofuckinglutely.)

Let me clarify this: Inho is NOT a good man, no matter the redemption arc he might get in s3, he'll continue to be a terrible person because nothing will ever erase the blood he's spilled and the evil men he's worked for. BUT at the same time, he's not ALL bad, not like the VIPS and ilnam. See, Inhun are the average "yin-yang" trope in fictional romance, (which I eat up every time and I find it very interesting when it's done the right way, don't get me wrong) Inho is bad but there's some goodness somewhere deep inside him. And the only person who's brought it to the surface is Gihun. Sure, he does think Gihun is naive, but he's also the only person who's actually challenged him, who's "forced" him to get his stupid head out of the dirt and look around him, even for a short while and Inho definitely liked what he saw. Honestly, it wasn't even that hard for Gihun to do so because the goodness in Inho wanted and waited for someone to pull him out of the dirt, he wished for someone, something to give him hope for humanity or.. anything. Anything that'll help him escape from his misery.

You can definitely argue that he joined the games to befriend Gihun, to gain his trust and stop his plans when the time comes, which is half true. But keep in mind that he needed to justify his choice to join the games. He's not a VIP nor the mastermind to simply get to do that without consequences. He's the frontman, the one who controls and manages everything. He's needed for the games to work and go by smoothly and successfully without unnecessary losses and problems. Gihun would only cause problems, Inho knew that very well and yet he chose to put him in it once again. He recklessly made that choice, risking pretty much everything because of his inner conflict. A part of him wanted Gihun to prove himself to him, that there's indeed good that'll save the world and the rest of him wanted to prove to Gihun that everything he so strongly believes in is merely a fantasy.

Joining the games and befriending Gihun was the only way for Inho to see the real him, without the heroic mask he puts on every time he faces the frontman. I think he believed that someone as extraordinary as Gihun will either break in front of him and he will end up disappointed by the human kind once again, or Gihun will change everything about the way he thinks for the better. But the problem is that Inho hopes for both of those things at the same time.

And that was Inho's arc in season 2. His inner conflict and how it will affect him, the game and Gihun later on.

[glitchedcrows]

I've never been a writer but I saw a post about Sirius' silver eyes and couldn't get this out of my head...so here's an attempt at something. (I also tried to write it into a @wolfstarmicrofic prompt)

first heartbreak - wolfstar - word count: 743

Remus chews on the nib of his quill as he re-reads the same sentence for the fifth time, ignoring the wet feeling on his lips as the ink is surely staining them.

He'd told the other marauders he had an essay to write, but really he just needed a moment to think. It had been impossible to keep his thoughts straight, all he could think about was those-

"Moony?"

His head snaps up and there they are, those eyes.

A grey storm pulling you into it's depths, keeping you trapped. They look colder today, or maybe he's just imagining because he feels cold looking at them. He watches as Sirius graze flicks down to his lips and he realizes he's still chewing on his quill. Sirius watched Remus wipe at his mouth with the cuff of his robes before meeting his eyes again.

"Can we talk?"

Sirius’ voice cracks a little at the end as he shifts nervously from foot to foot. He's clearly uncomfortable with Remus’ gaze on him which is exactly why Remus doesn't look away. He did this, Sirius did this so he can deal with the consequences. He resides to make the other boy suffer a little longer before he finally looks away, his voice coming out harsh and cold.

"No."

He can hear Sirius fidget on the other side of the table as he shuffles around to pack up his things.

He's not looking back up but he's very aware that he's being watched.

“Please, moony-"

Don't call me that!"

The words comes out as more of a growl and he almost flinches at the harshness of his own voice but he's bad enough.

"You lost any right to call me that when you decided to go and do this prank"

He says the last word with so much venom that, despite not looking at him, it's noticeable his Sirius flinches at the harshness of it.

"Remus…please I just want to talk.. just let me-“

"What?"

He can't help but interrupt as the anger builds in him. The moon just passed but the wolf isn't quite gone yet and Sirius is not helping him control his anger. He can hear the other boy open and close his mouth trying to get his words out.

"I just want to talk…”

But Remus has had enough, as he picks up the last book he finally looks up to meet Sirius' eyes and the mistiness of them is almost enough to make him falter. The grey of the storm is nothing new but they're not supposed to be accompanied but the ocean surrounding the storm.

But then he remembers how he once compares those eyes to silver. Silver which usually hurts him, but not this silver. Not those eyes, they were always so kind and made him feel safe. And the anger comes back in full force.

" You want to talk so bad? Sure let's talk”

And Remus can't hold it back anymore; he lets all his emotions from the past few days spill out. He lets Sirius have it all because he deserves to know how much he hurt Remus.

"Let's talk about how you did the worst thing imaginable and went and told my secret, huh?

Not only that but you went and told it to snivellus of all people! And for what? For a stupid bloody prank? You could have gotten him killed? You could have gotten me killed? If the ministry found out...do you even realize how bad this could have been? I TRUSTED YOU! And what did you do with that trust? Turned around and spat it back in my face apparently.”

Sirius opens his mouth ready to answer my Remus just raises a hand silencing him as he shakes his head.

"No. Just no. I'm done. Leave me alone Black."

He sees the impact of the name and a small part of him relishes the sight of the other boy's pain. He loves him so deeply and so dearly and that's why this hurts so much.

He turns and heads towards the exit. Despite hearing Sirius call after him he doesn't slow down until he's gotten far away from that voice. From those beautifully dangerous eyes. He doesn't know where he's going, just away from the hurt.

Sirius' eyes was the only silver that didn't hurt Remus. They were safe until they weren't. Then they hurt more than any other silver ever had.

[equinoxbloom]

To Know You

[FFXIV Write 2024 | Day 4 | Reticent]

She hadn’t realized she hesitated until he told her so, arm outstretched. Her hand descended slowly into this wide palm, featherfall, and she was struck by its warmth. She was always struck by his warmth. Her fingers curled. “Do you trust me?” he asked her, earnest in the privacy of the Borel manor garden.

“Of course,” she said, quickly for once. She hadn’t needed to think about it. After all they’d been through, how could she not? Her stay in Ishgard had been championed by House Fortemps but made possible by the weight of his support - given so delicately she and Alphinaud hadn’t seen it for far too long. Approval offered at a distance without favor; a serene confidence in their virtue that steadied their detractors. She had been implicated in regicide.

His smile was boyishly lopsided, then. “I am glad.” He didn’t tell her it relieved him to hear it. The Hero of Eorzea was as delicate as she was indomitable. He wasn’t certain which had surprised him more.

“Were you uncertain?” she asked, frowning. He tugged her hand, pulling her steps closer even as his gaze skated past her to confirm they were alone. He’d not forgive himself if he ever let her be found vulnerable on his account.

“I admit that, with you, I am rarely certain I understand your feelings,” he said.

“I’m sorry,” she said, though she couldn’t quite bring herself to look him in the eye. She wondered if he was fully aware of himself. Surely he had felt the way the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes of Ishgard followed him with bated breath. Surely he understood the way such an expression would set their pulses racing… set her pulse racing.

He laughed, soft and low. She was an impossibility. He wanted to steal her away. He wanted to watch her bloom. “I am not one to shy away from the effort required to reach worthwhile goals.”

She bit her tongue to keep herself still, levin dancing down her spine. His finger curled beneath her chin to draw her gaze to his, breath lodged in her throat to find his face so very near. Her hand still wrapped in his.

“Aymeric…” his name was hardly a whisper. She wanted to fall into him. She wanted to run from him.

“You so rarely tell me what you’re thinking,” his breath on her lips, she felt herself leaning into him. His hand tightened around hers. “You so rarely say my name.”

He stepped away. She let out the breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. Her hand was cold.     

[ivalice-tifalucis]

With the release of From The Rehearsal Room - Tokyo to Ramin's youtube I finally, finally, continue and finish this side project I'm doing.

Initially, I used AI to mastered it because the first version I got from bilibili were not in good quality but I wasn't satisfied and I found the much better quality. But with Ramin uploaded it to youtube, I re did all the mastering just with audacity for both Part 1 and Part 2. The Part 2 is still from the better version I found from bilibili, by the way.

What you need to do is just download the file and put it on your music player. The metadata is all completed as if it's whole legit album. Enjoy, guys!!

And I'm being weird so all the lyrics that are put there are from my listening although I still use what I found online but I still listened and compared. They made few ad-libs and changes and I notice because for the songs that I wasn't familiar, the lyric that I found online and what they sang was slightly different. Perhaps they sing the newer version of the lyrics or mistakes? Even each Sheytoons songs they sing one in both parts differ from the ones I found online.

Another sample from my favorite:

Source and Credits Part 1 | Part 2 (Ramin's upload) Album cover Photos

Vocal & Guitar: Ramin Karimloo, Hadley Fraser Piano: Ryohei Mori

[tackrusso]

show tempe gang crossover with the morris islanders would actually have been the best episode of bones ever. btw

[lisbonsteresa]

i'm going to SCREAM

[cold-neon-ocean]

2, 9 for LOK?

✨ love your fandom ask game ✨ 

2. A headcanon you weren't sure about at first but have come to like!

Ooh this one is kinda tough~ I'm generally rather removed from the fandom at large so I actually don't really know of a lot of popular headcanons out there, let alone ones I initially didn't like and came to like~ I really only ever consumed content about Baatar and Kuvira as they're my favorites, and with them I'd either like a headcanon outright, or dislike it outright. I will say, at least in the limited fan content I've consumed, there is a common idea of Baatar having gone to university in Ba Sing Se for a period of time. I've seen at least 3 folks use that in their writings for him, and while it was never something I was "unsure" about, I didn't initially include the idea in my version of him. I don't know who penned that headcanon first but I was always hesitant about being seen as "copying" anyone lol. I do like the idea though, especially with my very codependent versions of Baatar and Kuvira, some time apart like that during their "good years" would be rather interesting, since they have been in each other's lives for most of their lives, Baatar choosing to go where Kuvira can't follow- even for a short period of time, I can see her holding against him for a little while. Especially with her preexisting abandonment issues.

9. A ship that isn't your OTP but you enjoy

Once again I'm pretty singularly invested in Baatar and Kuvira but there are definitely some canon and fan ships that I like! Canon wise I'll always have a soft spot for Bolin and Opal, just because they're cute and I like the potential dynamic it creates with Baatar specifically. A lot of it is pretty contingent on my rewrite versions, but what can I say, I'm a bit of a sucker for puppy love. Lyn and Kya was an early ship I'd see in the fandom that I always was like *Kermit nodding gif* ooh yeah I like that, and I've also seen Lyn and Bumi which I also really like, but I never really delved into fan works of either admittedly. I'll confess that lately the crack ship of Baatar and Zhu Li has been on my mind, but definitely not as a positive ship in any way, more like a mutually waged psychological warfare that they aren't even trying to hide from each other kind. I don't remember what sparked the idea- I'm not usually one for crack ships as I tend to be pretty single-ship through and through, but it's been a fun dynamic to think about, especially the kinds of conversations they'd have.

[snekdood]

i honestly deserved none of the shit ppl did to me that lead me to this point

[shysuccubusstuff]

Yandere! Mr. Crawling

Content: SFW hcs + Established relationship + Overprotection + Manipulation + Baby trapping + clingy! Mr. Crawling + Gaslighting + Somnophilia + Stalking + Death + Breeding kink + Slight size difference.

Summary: Human! Mr. Crawling who tries to keep his deep love secret from you

Note: I hope all of you are having a good day!! I'm trying to do my essays but they're so boring... Let me know if you have any suggestions/things you want to say to me, I love answering to people!!

SFW:

Human! Mr. Crawling who falls in love as soon as he sees your face.

Human! Mr. Crawling who decides to try and keep you safe and protect you from all possible dangers. This ranges from leaving small gifts for you, buying you something to eat when he hears a rumble close to him, or buying you a drink if he has seen you working so hard on keeping up with all the classes, to sometimes intimidating the other guys that kept trying to get closer to you.

Human! Mr. Crawling who tries his hardest to speak to you, even if it's just a few words to make sure you know he's listening to you. Nodding his head and keeping his eyes completely focused on your face.

Human! Mr. Crawling who tries to make himself look smaller, crunching a bit and walking with his back a bit arched, not something that can be easily noticeable for others, but just enough to reduce the height difference between the two of you.

Human! Mr. Crawling who is finally able to make you feel safe with him, allowing him to get into your bedroom, even to the point of making a sleepover. He just had to try his hardest not to act in any weird manner.

Human! Mr. Crawling who keeps following you like a lost puppy. You can almost see two ears and a tail appear when he acts like a small puppy, being easily excited when you compliment him, even if it's for the smallest things.

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who begins to feel how his pure love becomes something more twisted the moment he realises more people keep getitng interested in you. He looks so kind when you look at him, but as soon as you turn your head, his gaze becomes much darker, his expression is always serious, his brows slightly furrowed as he tries to keep himself restrained.

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who takes advantage of you great "friendship" and starts to try and get rid of your friends. He keeps on interrupting when you meet with your other friends, creating different reasons why he just couldn't wait to meet you, as he truly needed you.

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who takes advantage of his sickly aspect to make you worry about him, calling you to ask you for small gestures, making sure that they are small enough to avoid you from refusing him.

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who is finally able to ask you out. He made sure to get rid of each and all your friends who could get in the way of your relationships, after all, he is everything you need, right?

NSFW:

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who had already seen you way before both of you met each other in class, his phone filled to the brim with pictures of you. The fact that most of them involve you in embarrasing positions while the rest are of your sleeping face. They definitely have no effect on him, hell no (just ignore the raging bulge he gets from seeing your lips slightly parted, totally normal reaction).

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who put a small chip on your phone while you were sleeping. How was he supposed to keep you safe if he didn't know where you were the whole day? Don't be so dramatic, he was just doing it for your sake :((

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who killed someone in front of you. He was stalking you around town when he saw that strange man grabbing you by your wrist and taking you to the closest dark alley. Before he could think, his hands were already gripping his throat, his face turning blue as his grasp got even stronger. When he finally was sure that man was no longer alive, he turned around, a happy smile on his lips as he waited for your compliments. He was now on his real height, allowing you to notice how he was over one head and a half taller than you, despite that, he made you pet his hair, forcing you to smile as the body of the strange man got colder.

Yandere! Mr. Crawling whose obsession only increases the moment the two of you decide to date. His arms are now always around your waist, his hands always touching you, no matter if you are alone or in front of other people. He just loves hugging you from behind, his dick rubbing against your ass, grinding against you as soon as he saw you do something he didn't like.

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who forces his cock inside you, filling you load after load just to prove that you're truly his one and only. He doesn't stop until he sees his seed dripping from your hole, your eyes rolling to your skull with fat tears rolling down your cheeks from the overstimulation.

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who keeps blabbering about impregnating you during sex, he doesn't even care about your gender, he WILL impregnate you. He will defy Mother Nature for you, filling you one after the other and not pulling out until the next morning.

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who masturbates with your clothes the moment he misses you, he doesn't care if you have been away for barely a few hours, he just misses his sweet darling so much :(( Not his fault that your clothes are filled with your sweet scent...

Yandere! Mr. Crawling who masturbates to your sleeping face while the both of you sleep together. He loves feeling you close to him, all relaxed as your expressions sometimes change to one of pure bliss... He hugs you from behind, beginning to grind against your ass as an attempt to keep himself in check. This of course doesn't work, which forces him to use his own hand to masturbate, slowly getting on top of you so he can get an extremely detailed view of your sleeping face.