#doesn't matter what you think the real “truth” is. you don't. the only people who do are the real men who portray sz and ko. and that's fine

[unproduciblesmackdown]

(genderly) chill as hell if i was only ever glimpsed / detected like this

[tanicus-caesareth]

guarana drama, damage control

[fightzaynfight]

i go fairly long periods of time not actually looking @ the z°wens tag on here and every time i take a peek in i'm just like

[dodgeballstuckonthegymceiling]

Can you do headcanons for a young child reader who constantly follows jax around, loves physical affection, and thinks jax is their 'dad'?

(Obviously this request is plantonic, not romantic!)

I think I might've went a little overboard with this one! Way longer than most of my posts but I guess that isn't really a bad thing ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Jax unwillingly becomeing a parent

★ His first and only question was how the hell did a four year old get in this situation. The headset should have been way out of reach for you. Questions that will never be answered, I guess.

★ After making you cry the first time he spoke to you he tried to steer clear of you. That worked out horribly because you seemed to want to always be near him. Much to everyone's confusion.

★ "oh my! Looks like the little one has taken an interest in you!" Was Cain's response to seeing you huddled up near Jax. At some point he gets a child harness to keep you in his line of sight. It's just easier this way.

★ By the way he didn't mean to make you cry, he just didn't know how young you were and said something he would've said to an adult. Kids cry easily, what are you gonna do?

★ Jax stole a few pillows from Kinger for you to sleep with. Yes, you don't technically need to sleep but he's not going to tell you that. Nap time is one of the only times he can get a moment to himself.

★ He gets beyond pissed when you get woken up during nap time. To the point where he's barely keeping it together and wants to beat whoever woke you up with a chair leg.

★ If you want to be picked up, then he's picking you up. It doesn't matter if he's talking to somebody or doing something. You'll get picked up while he's doing something and without missing a beat he'll continue like nothing happened.

★ Instead of giving you the usual Jax treatment, he just tells you the most outlandish lies while trying to convince you that they are true. Sometimes he tells you something that sounds so true you don't question his bullshit.

There's a list of things he's told you!

If you push down on Ragatha's nose it will make a honking noise.

There's a secret room hidden in a closet filled with veggies for people who are allergic to meat.

Birds aren't real.

When he was your age, he was a year older. (It took you a moment to figure that one out)

Caine is the tooth fairy.

★ Jax isn't known for his empathy, but he does feel conflicted when you talk about small details from your life before meeting him. What color your house was, the lullabies your mother sang and the books you used to be read. It all makes him think.

★ You're family might be looking for you, not knowing where you are and that you're trapped. Do you even realize this? They probably think you're dead, that something terrible happened to you. Those thoughts make his stomach sink.

★ If he cares about you this much he can only imagine the grief your family feels. You will forever be a blissfully ignorant child not knowing the truth of what's really going on.

[ceilidhtransing]

Having spent pretty much the entire year immersed in studying Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, and genocide more broadly, my heart is bursting with the need to stress how much you should take Project 2025 seriously. This is a long post but please stick with me.

Don't take this post as an attempt to concretely predict anything. We can't ever fully know the future and I think it's silly to say with total certainty “if Trump wins then America will become just like Nazi Germany” - not only because the future isn't written yet, but also because Germany under the Nazis was a very specific regime with its own quirks and peculiarities and I don't think that even a worst-case-scenario Trump regime would look exactly like Hitler's Germany. No two regimes ever look exactly alike: it would use the same colour palette as all far-right dictatorships but be constructed from a different medium, like what a watercolour is to an oil painting.

But just because Trump is a very different person from Hitler, and a worst-case-scenario Trump dictatorship would not literally be “Nazi Germany all over again”, that doesn't mean that what happened in Germany isn't instructive here. Forget the specifics of whether or not Trump as a dictator would organise a state identically to how the Nazis organised Germany or whatever; on a far broader and more relevant level, there is a distressing number of similarities. And too many people are falling into the same thought traps as they did then.

Please don't assume that Trump is “way too incompetent” to achieve what's in Project 2025 or Agenda 47. They said the same thing about Hitler. They said that there was no way this showman could govern effectively - holding big rallies and making speeches that get people riled up isn't the same as being good at running a functioning state and achieving what you want. The New York Times even wrote after he became Chancellor of Germany that this would only “let him expose to the German public his own futility”. And in many ways Hitler was pretty incompetent. But that didn't end up mattering. The greatest crime of the Nazi regime, the Holocaust, was masterminded mostly by a whole load of people besides Hitler, who were delegated the nitty-gritty task of actually orchestrating it. Hitler's personal incompetence didn't prevent war or genocide.

Please don't assume that Trump is “just a wacky nutcase” who “can't possibly be a real risk”. They said the same thing about Hitler. The mainstream media gave constant coverage to all the crazy extreme things Hitler said as if he was merely a bit of a joke and not a massive threat. The Nazis were quite happy with this. To quote Goebbels repeatedly in his diary, “The main thing is they're talking about us.”

Please don't assume that being in power will “moderate” Trump and that “of course he won't be able to do all the crazy stuff once he actually has to govern”. They said the same thing about Hitler. It was a common sentiment in the early 1930s that all the sensible politicians around him would force him to moderate his stances. Fritz von Papen, the last Chancellor of Weimar Germany, persuaded President Hindenburg to make Hitler the Chancellor by assuring him, “In a few months, we will have pushed [Hitler] so far into the corner that he will squeak.” It turns out that power doesn't “moderate” people who are openly talking about a dictatorship.

Please don't assume that there's any truth to the whole “Trump has nothing to do with Project 2025 and trying to link it to him is just liberal hysteria” line. They said the same thing about Hitler. People repeatedly asserted that Nazi street violence wasn't really representative of the party leadership; it wasn't representative of Hitler. He was even subpoenaed by a very brave lawyer in 1931 in a bid to prove that recent violence by Nazi stormtroopers was committed with the knowledge and encouragement of the party leadership, with part of the prosecution's argument hanging on a pamphlet by Goebbels that promised a violent overthrow of the state if the Nazis couldn't come to power legitimately. Surely no legal political party could be publishing that. In a successful attempt to escape criminal charges, Hitler repeatedly lied that the pamphlet was not official Nazi Party material and that he didn't know anything about it. No Trump didn't write it, no it isn't an official GOP manifesto, but the links between Project 2025 and Trump, the previous Trump administration, and Trump allies are extremely well documented. Just the other day, Project 2025 co-author Russell Vought was caught calling Trump's disavowals of the document “graduate-level politics” and saying, “what he's doing is just very, very conscious distancing himself from a brand ... he's in fact not even opposing himself to a particular policy.”

Please don't assume that “there's no way something like that could happen here; we're way too educated and advanced”. They said the same thing about Hitler. The Germany of the 1920s and 1930s was one of the most educated and most scientifically and industrially advanced nations in the world, and its cities were some of the most progressive in the world. People were stunned and horrified that it was in Germany of all places - Germany, land of music and art and science and literature! - that fascism took root. Germany's economic and social advancement didn't stop about 40% of its voters choosing the Nazis. It didn't stop them taking power.

Please don't assume that Project 2025 is “just a wishlist” and “not actually a serious plan”. They said the same thing about Hitler. As is hopefully very clear by now, plenty of people did not think that the Nazis were capable of, or would dare to try, putting into actual practice the horrific ideas about race that undergirded so much of their ideology. “I like Hitler; he talks sense economically and I think all this stuff about Jews is just bluff and bluster.” “Every party has a loony wing, right? You have to understand they're not serious when they talk about this stuff; they're just telling their base what they want to hear.” “God have you heard this crazy race science shit about head shapes and stuff? It's hilarious! I'm sure none of them at the top really believe that; there's no way they'd be that nuts.” When a group of people like this tells you what they believe and tells you what they want to do with power, believe them. No matter how ridiculous they seem, they're not joking.

In the words of Hans Litten, the lawyer who subpoenaed and cross-examined Hitler in that court case in 1931, “Don't listen to him; he's telling the truth.” Litten was arrested on the night of the Reichstag fire in 1933 and spent the rest of his life being tortured in concentration camps before dying in Dachau in 1938 at the age of 34.

A tyrannical dictatorship can often be seen coming a mile away. I don't want to imply for a second that what the Nazis did came as a surprise to everyone and couldn't possibly have been predicted. There were people who saw this coming in the 1920s and 1930s and tried to sound the alarm while they still had a chance. But they were too often in the minority, taking the threat seriously while others had convinced themselves that there was no need for concern because the Nazis wouldn't really do all the things they repeatedly talked about wanting to do. Everyone should have seen this coming, but too many people wanted to believe it couldn't be true.

Don't let this scare you. Let it energise you. Talk to the people in your life about Project 2025 and Agenda 47. Push back against people who assert that “they'd never actually do all that stuff” or “Trump didn't even write Project 2025” or “it's not a real plan, just a list of crazy shit to get the base riled up”. Have conversations with folks you know who are on the fence about voting or about who to vote for and who seem persuadable. Make sure you're registered to vote, and keep making sure, especially if you live in a red state where people keep mysteriously dropping off voter rolls.

Now, again, please don't read this as some confident prediction that Trump will be a Hitler figure. I want to stress that is a worst-case scenario. If a Trump presidency is what happens, I would much prefer the best-case scenario: that he spends four years fumbling around and not really accomplishing anything and then gives up power at the end without much of a fight. But it would also be a folly to be smugly overconfident that the worst-case scenario “won't” or “can't” happen. It could. It has happened before. There is no reason it couldn't happen again.

[chillinglikeashilling]

I'm only on episode 8 of Jentry Chau vs The Underworld but I've been thinking about the parallels and contrasts between Jentry, Michael and Kit.

This would be too long if I tried to do all three so this is just my thoughts on Jentry and Kit

Spoilers below for episodes 1-8

It's so interesting to me because at first the show seems to tell us that Jentry and Kit parallel each other - both have been keeping a secret for most of their lives, both of them hurt people/caused damage because of their 'nature' (Jentry's powers are not 'naturally' hers but she's had them so long it doesn't really matter), both of them just want to be understood as more than a demon.

But as soon as we learn that Kit is a face painting demon those parallels start to break down.

Kit has intentionally killed people before, people who he lied to. He's been lying to Jentry from the moment they met purely for his own benefit and, importantly, to Jentry's detriment. He showed up under a guise that would allow him to get close to Jentry, with the explicit plan of falsely earning her trust and killing her.

Part of the reason Jentry liked Kit to begin with is that he didn't have all these preconceptions about 'the demon girl'. It's a similar reason she's able to get close to Stella quickly.

Kit was just a completely normal boy who was new in town, and who just happened to like all the same stuff she does. He had no connection to the fire, so she didn't feel like she was always actively lying to him. She felt normal around him.

Except then she finds out that he does know, in fact he's known about her powers since before she met him. Everything he has initially presented to her about himself is a lie, one intentionally created to appeal to her.

I think this is part of the reason, apart from the obvious, that Jentry is so uncomfortable when he's making the Jentry skin. She becomes intimately aware of how much work went into the artifice of 'human Kit'.

I also think this is why despite his generally good intentions, Kit is misguided in his attempts to court Jentry.

Kit wants to go back to the place where they were both open to a romantic relationship but Jentry can't get back to that place because it wasn't real for her.

He's not a normal boy, he probably doesn't like as many of the same things as she thought he did (if he likes any of it), and also he's a hundred year old demon who's killed hundreds of people.

I don't think Kit is lying when he says that his feelings for Jentry were real, but of course they were. He had the benefit of knowing the truth the entire time, he can trust what Jentry has presented to him because it lines up with what he knows. Jentry does not have any of that reassurance when it comes to him.

Everything Jentry learns about him now is like getting to know an entirely new person. Of course she doesn't like him the same way as before.

It is a tragedy for Kit. Having to lie to get close to people is heartbreaking not least because those people cannot actually like or be close to the real you, that version of you is a stranger to them. A stranger who has been lying to their face.

It's not his fault he's a skin painter, but the truth of the matter is by that sheer fact he was never what Jentry was looking for in the first place.

[felicity-worthington]

Why is “Doctor Odyssey” a television show that very cleverly shows the depth of the human condition?

So, I have seen some people say that Doctor Odyssey is fun (especially because of Ody3) but also just a superficial show with no plot and I have to politely disagree. I think this show is the opposite, it's just supposed to look silly and superficial at first glance, as you can see when they repeat the phrase "we constructed a paradise" in the weekly recaps.

It is supposed to look like that, it is the idea of a cruise itself, for a week you escape the real world, you enter a new constructed one, which is supposed to be paradise without problems. But here's the thing, here is why there's a doctor and two nurses on this ship: it's just an idea, it's not real.

We especially see this in the episodes "I Always Cry at Weddings" and "Quackers" and of course in the main storyline of Max, Tristan and Avery navigating their relationship and their constant struggle with what they really want in life.

Let's start with "I always cry at weddings" to deconstruct the idea of superficiality with the weekly funny themes and the show only being silly because it's quite obvious here I think. I mean, a man commits suicide in this episode because he's deeply conflicted about what he really wants out of life and how he thinks there is an incurable darkness within him. And we see him, his bride and his best man as an example of how this construction, this idea of heteronormative happiness is just that for a lot of people: just an idea that doesn't guarantee you happiness, but actually destroys lives (not everyone's, of course). And we start this episode superficially, with a couple about to get married on a cruise, the perfect wedding in perfect paradise. But as the episode progresses, we see the cracks and then it gets very real. The scenes with the groom breaking down in the infirmary, the bride talking to Avery and Max after the suicide and her mother's confession are all absolute tearjerkers in the best way. I mean, watch that scene and then tell me again that this show is just a silly Riverdale for adults:

This is actually one of my favorite scenes of the show because the delivery of the line "we need to help this boy" is just perfect, the actress did an amazing job. Also, the character herself says "she pretended her fears away", which underlines the show's idea that this is a paradise where people should just forget their worries, but actually real life catches up with you no matter where you are, you cannot hide from it.

The other example I was thinking of is the latest episode with the Quackers community, which is super silly in a lot of ways and I love that, don't get me wrong.

And then you have this older couple, the leaders (?) of this community, who seem extremely superficial and silly, I mean, going on cruises to go on a quack treasure hunt? So silly. BUT then the cracks start to show again as one of them, the husband (I don't know what his name was, so I'll just call him the husband and her the wife), shows a serious condition, the compulsive urge to swallow objects. When confronted, the wife literally denies it, unable to face the ugly truth. In her world everything is perfect, she and her husband are on a never-ending treasure hunt on paradise cruises, and when something real, something problematic threatens that, she can't accept it at first. And we see that again later in the episode when she refuses to leave the ship:

She wants to stay in paradise, in denial, on the surface. But that's not possible, you can't ignore real life:

But this is her and her husband's dream, an endless paradise in search of ducks, and it's hard to let go and take a deeper look at life and accept that floating through life is a nice idea and might work for a while, but it can't go on forever:

regarding her husbands condition:

Once again the theme of what we want (superficial) and what is really going on (what is behind the construction of paradise) is mentioned.

All of this, and all of the recurring themes I mentioned, are also at play with the three main characters and their constant struggle with what they really want out of life. In a way, their calling to help people is fulfilled by their professions, but then they keep asking themselves, "Is this enough? Is this what I really want out of life, taking one cruise after another?

The theme of constructed ideas versus what is actually going on is also seen in their throuple situation. Max and Tristan have probably always seen themselves as straight, and now they are getting a deeper look at who they are and what they really want out of life. And that is scary, and it often takes years to deconstruct habits and self-image.

But there is no unnecessary weird teenage drama in this show, it is very real. It is supposed to look superficial, you only have to look a little closer to see that it is not.

So once you deconstruct the idea that this is all superficial, you will see that yes, it is silly, so is life and we need those silly and funny moments in life and in this show, but it is also very, very deeply human in many tragic but also good ways.

[yuri-is-online]

i was just thinking about lovestruck ace, whose eyes always seem to be fixated on you during class, thinking about how cute you look and wondering how soft your hair is.

lovestruck ace, who feels as if he's going to have a heart attack every time you link your arm through his whenever you're walking together. 

lovestruck ace, who has to fight the blush on his cheeks whenever you use your fork to feed him when he wants to taste your lunch. 

lovestruck ace, who forces himself to stay still whenever you accidentally sleep on his shoulder during your hangouts. 

lovestruck ace, who thinks he's so good at hiding how down bad he is for you when, on the contrary, it's soooo obvious to everyone how in love he is with you.

You're just too good to be true//Can't take my eyes off of you

It's because he's bored. That's what he tells himself, that's what he whispers into his hand when he's playing with his magic pen in class, history is pointless and uninteresting but you write down every little thing Trein says like your life depends on it. He half wants your attention to be on him, half wants you to stay on task so he can steal your notes later as payment for keeping him off task all day. It's been driving him crazy just how badly he wants to reach out and touch some part of you, the itch to hold onto you by the back of your jacket or a single lock of hair just to be connected but only leave a ghost of his affection on you.

You'd be like Heaven to touch//I wanna hold you so much

Yet he fumbles when you reach to touch him, stutters about how embarrassing you're being as you walk along to the cafeteria. How he allowed you to pick up the habit of dragging him around is beyond him, his heart wants to give out from embarrassment from the attention everyone shoots his way when you walk with him like this. But he can't let it, he has to stand tall so they know he's in control, that they don't have a chance, that he's the only one you want to hold like this... he hopes.

At long last, love has arrived//And I thank God I'm alive

It happens so quickly he's convinced he doesn't get a chance to be awkward, but the thought of the indirect kiss still stays with him for the rest of the day. He tries not to keep his hand from touching his mouth and thinking thinking about what it would feel like to kiss you for real. He's heard of people describe the taste of a kiss... and he wonders if that's even a thing or if he'd be too caught up in the closeness of you to even notice it.

You're just too good to be true//Can't take my eyes off of you

The movie drones on in the background and Ace has forgotten all about why he wanted to watch it so badly in the first place, it wasn't for this no matter how much Deuce will tease him for it later if he ever catches wind of this. He finds himself matching his breaths with yours, wishing he hadn't left his phone on the side table so he could sneak a picture of you resting peacefully next to him... for blackmail he tells himself. For blackmail...

Now that I've found you, stay//And let me love you, baby

It's an open secret how Ace feels about you. His eyes follow you through every room you enter and linger long after you leave, there's an unspoken respect for your place at his side that no one mentions because they've long accepted the inevitable truth that his little world is spinning on a Yuu shaped axis and all he can do when approached is deny, deny, d e n y for fear of having it used against him in some imaginary contest of ego because of how well he seems to think he's doing. But they know.

Let me love you

Ace just can't take his eyes off of Yuu.

[milkiisss]

Shouto x Reader Fic Drabble

I've been brainstorming ideas for my Shouto x Reader fic, and I just wanted to share one of my latest drabbles for the story. This is just an idea, so it's subject to change.

You don't know what you were thinking when you bolted.

Well, maybe you did...

But you panicked.

Because how else is someone supposed to react when the number 2 pro hero himself—the same man the entirety of the internet adored—a literal work of art that looked like he was sculpted by the gods—

Turned out to be your fucking soulmate.

It all happened so fast. One second you're staring at Shouto Todoroki, completely and utterly frozen as you stare at each other in disbelief, and the next, you're shooting out of there so fast that your brain doesn't even have a chance to fully catch up.

But in your opinion, it could have gone worse.

Because the subsequent media storm was insane.

Every social media platform had practically exploded, and thousands of people were trying to figure out who the girl who resonated with the Shouto Todoroki was. Someone had apparently filmed the entire thing, catching the last few seconds of your quirks malfunctioning, but your face, thankfully, was way too pixelated and blurry to discern.

You had quickly become the most sought after person all across the nation.

And no one knew it was you.

But now?

Well, you knew the truth.

It was a mistake.

It wasn't real. It couldn't have been. Soulmate resonance like that doesn't just happen out of nowhere!

Clearly, someone else's quirk must have gone off nearby and caused the whole misunderstanding in the first place.

And now that it had been over a week, with no official statement from him or his media team, and the media frenzy beginning to quiet down—

You could breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that it was most definitely just a mistake.

Life is normal again. Or, at least, that's what you keep on telling yourself.

You've got bigger things to worry about now anyway.

Like your new internship.

The one you worked your ass off to secure. The one that's absolutely essential for your law degree. The one that had you embarrassingly crying tears of joy when you got the news over the phone.

So as you finally enter that sleek modern building, you feel as if you're walking on air. Your new ID badge is clipped to your shirt, and you feel giddy and nervous all at the same time. For the first time in days, you feel like everything is finally going back into place.

Stone & Steele Law Firm was a pretty small firm, but it was relatively known for heavily involving itself in hero-related cases and quirk law. Their reputation for handling high-stakes legal matters—everything from pro-hero contracts to cases involving quirk-related criminal activity—had earned them a solid name in the industry.

It wasn't at all a flashy or large building, but as you entered, you couldn't help but a little lightheaded.

After scanning in, you step into the elevator, pressing the number floor that you were told to head too, biting back an excited smile. Stepping back as the elevator doors close, you adjust your bag and run through your mental checklist of everything you want to accomplish today.

It's a new start, and as you fidget with the button on your blazer you can't fight the feeling that everything will be great, the sound of the elevator dinging drawing your attention, eyes naturally following the sound.

But when you look up, your heart stops.

Because to your horror, a man steps in, him, freezing at the sight of you.

Red and white hair.

Mismatched eyes.

The pro hero you swore you'd never see again.

Shouto Todoroki.

He's standing there, staring at you with the same wide-eyed, stunned expression you must be wearing. He recognizes you—there's no doubt about it.

And in that moment, all your rationalizations crumble, because that look can only mean one thing.

The resonance wasn't a mistake.

It wasn't a misunderstanding.

And this time? There's no running from it.

Or from him.

© milkiisss 2024. Please don’t plagiarize or feed my works into ai.

[merthosus]

It hurts, doesn't it?

Summary: After going through heaven and hell with your boyfriend Diego, you couldn't trust your eyes as you saw him an fives girlfriend going in a date with each other. Five told you he had a bad feeling about this so you both followed them in Diegos Van. Watching them cheating on you both, made you feel things you never knew you could.

This Story was inspired by this TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeKLJqmX/ (But I changed the roles a little bit)

"I understand you, down to your bones"

With each passing minute, you sink more and more into the seat of the old SUV that belonged to Diego. Just like your heart, your body slid further and further down to make what you saw unseen. “I can't believe it Five,” you mumble to yourself. Five is sitting next to you, his hands clenched into fists, eyes fixed on what is happening in front of him. He didn't answer you at first, too busy banging his leg uncontrollably on the floor. “I knocked the stars out of the sky for her and this is the thanks you get?” he says angrily.

You are watching two people eating in a restaurant. You've noticed for a few weeks that Diego has been behaving strangely and it was only when Five approached you to tell you that something wasn't going right with his girlfriend that you realized it.

You sit in silence for a moment, the disbelief weighing heavily in your chest as you glance between Five and the scene unfolding in front of you. Diego and Five's girlfriend were laughing, their body language too comfortable, too intimate. It felt like a betrayal too big to comprehend. The man you’d trusted, the one who had fought for you time and time again, was sitting across from another woman, completely at ease with someone else.

"How long do you think this has been going on?" you whisper, your voice barely audible, as if speaking too loudly would make the scene more real. Five’s jaw tightens, his eyes still glued to the two of them. "Too long," he spits bitterly. His leg continues to bounce with agitation, and his fists only seem to clench tighter. "I should have known. I could feel something was off, but I didn’t want to believe it."

You nod, understanding the sting of that realization all too well. You had brushed off Diego’s odd behavior at first, convincing yourself it was stress, maybe something work-related. You’d tried to ignore the little signs, dismissing the growing distance between you as temporary. But now, seeing them together, it all made sense.

Your breath catches as Diego reaches across the table to brush a strand of hair from the woman’s face. The tenderness in his touch, the smile that followed, it was too familiar. Too painful. You bite down hard on your lip, willing yourself not to break down completely.

"I just...I don’t get it," you manage, feeling the weight of the betrayal sink deeper. "We went through so much. How could he throw it all away like this?"

Five finally turns to you, his eyes softening for just a moment as he takes in your hurt. "Some people aren’t who we think they are," he says, his voice low and bitter. "No matter what we’ve been through with them." You swallow hard, feeling the sting of his words, because they were true. It hurt like hell to realize Diego might not have been the person you thought he was. The person who stood by you through thick and thin, who promised you the world, could betray you like this.

Five turns his gaze back toward the window, his voice suddenly cold and determined. "We have to confront them. I can't sit here and watch this any longer." You hesitate, your heart racing. The thought of walking into that restaurant, of facing Diego and seeing the truth in his eyes—it feels like too much. But as you watch Diego lean in closer to her, your anger flares. As he takes one hand up, to reach the door handle, you grasp his hand with a quick movement. "Don't", you say, stopping him from getting out.

Your hand lingers onto his. Five glances down at your hand gripping his, his sharp, icy gaze softening just a fraction. His leg stops its relentless bouncing, but you can still feel the tension radiating from him. For a moment, you sit in silence, neither of you knowing what to say. The world outside the car seems to blur into the background as the weight of the situation settles over you both. “Why not?” Five’s voice is low but laced with frustration. “Why are we just sitting here, letting them get away with this?”

You tighten your grip on his hand, your fingers trembling slightly. “Because I’m not ready,” you admit, the words barely audible. "I don’t know if I can face him right now. If I see him, see them together like this... I don’t know what I’ll do." Five’s eyes remain fixed on yours, searching for something—maybe reassurance, maybe strength. The pain in his gaze mirrors your own, a shared agony of betrayal that cuts deeper than either of you expected.

"I’m furious too," you continue, your voice thick with emotion. "But confronting them right now… It feels too raw, too soon. I need a moment to think before I... before we do something we can’t take back." Five exhales, the sound heavy with disappointment, but he nods. "I get it," he murmurs, his voice slightly softer now. "I just don’t know how much longer I can sit here and watch them act like none of it matters. Like we don’t matter."

You let out a shaky breath, your eyes stinging with unshed tears. "We do matter. We’re worth more than this. But if we go in there now, we might make things worse." You glance over at Diego and Five’s girlfriend, your heart twisting at the sight of Diego smiling, his eyes crinkling at the edges the way they used to when he looked at you. Five shifts in his seat beside you, his hand finally relaxing in your grasp. "So what do we do?" he asks, his voice hoarse.

"I don't know five", you whisper. Five heard all of the hurt in your whispering and his heart arches worse than before. You can feel how his fingers slowly start gliding into yours. "It feels like someone ripped my heart out", you describe it to him, still knowing that he must feel exactly the same right now. "Hurts, doesn't it?", he asks you. You were kind of happy that he was here with you. You don't even want to imagine what it would be like to catch them like this and sit in the Van alone.

"Might sound pretty dumb but I am very happy that you are here with me", you tell him, hoping he would get what you meant.

Five's grip tightens around your hand, his thumb brushing lightly over your skin as if grounding both of you in this moment. For the first time since you got in the van, he looks away from the betrayal unfolding in front of you and focuses on you. His sharp, cold demeanor softens, and for a moment, you see past the anger, past the pain. There’s something raw and real beneath it all—something only the two of you could understand right now.

"It doesn’t sound dumb," Five replies, his voice quiet but steady. "I’m glad you’re here too. I don’t think I could handle this alone." The weight of his words hits you, and you realize how much the two of you are holding each other up in this nightmare. It’s an odd, tragic comfort—knowing that someone else feels the same pain, the same betrayal. But there’s also a strange sense of strength in that shared sorrow. "I don't know how to handle this five, I feel so empty", you try to describe what you are feeling.

"I understand you, down to your bones", he says. The words made your eyes tear, you didn't want to cry. You always wanted to appear hard and unbreakable, that was what Diego gave you. A safe space, where you could let all your emotion out, but now the first man you ever felt safe with, shattered you more than anything. As soon as Five noticed you, breaking apart, he climbed over the clutch and sat beside you. "Don't cry please I can't look at this...", he mumbled as he hugged you. Now that he also was cheated on, he hadn't had the strength to contain his wall to cover his own emotions.

His arms glide around you, like a cloth trying to protect you from the outer world. As Five’s arms wrapped around you, it felt like the dam finally broke. You had been holding back, trying to stay strong, trying to process the betrayal in front of you without falling apart, but his embrace shattered that fragile resolve. You buried your face into his chest, letting the tears fall, the ache in your heart too heavy to carry alone.

“I’m sorry,” Five whispered, his voice rough and low, but full of sincerity. He wasn’t apologizing for the situation—he couldn’t control what Diego or his girlfriend did—but for the pain you were both feeling, the weight of betrayal that neither of you deserved. His hand moved up, gently cradling the back of your head as he pulled you closer.

The tension in your body slowly began to melt, your grief finding an outlet in the comfort of his embrace. You hadn’t realized how much you needed this—how much you needed someone to simply be there, to hold you in the middle of the chaos. And somehow, Five’s presence made everything a little more bearable. It didn’t take the pain away, but it made it feel less suffocating, less isolating.

“I don’t know what to do,” you whispered against his chest, your voice trembling. “It hurts too much, Five. How are we supposed to move forward after this?”

Five’s hold on you tightened slightly, his chin resting on top of your head. He was silent for a moment, as if searching for the right words. “I don’t know either,” he admitted softly, his voice wavering in a way that made you realize just how much this had affected him too. He pushed himself a little bit away from you, so you both were looking at each other. You look at his tear streamed face, imitating yours. "I don't get what I did wrong that he had the demand to cheat", you say with a broken voice.

"Don't... don't do this please", he grabbed your cheek, covering your face. He wiped away a tear with his thumb. Five’s hand lingered on your cheek, his thumb gently brushing away your tears, the warmth of his touch contrasting with the coldness of your emotions. His eyes, usually sharp and full of wit, now brimmed with a pain that mirrored your own. "You didn’t do anything wrong," he said, his voice raw and steady, though it cracked at the edges. "Don’t blame yourself for their choices. This... this is on them."

You stared at him, seeing the reflection of your own heartbreak in his face, the weight of his words trying to sink in. But the doubt, the sense of not being enough, gnawed at you. "Then why does it feel like I wasn’t enough?" you whispered, your voice barely holding together. "Like if I had just... done something differently, maybe he wouldn’t have—"

Five shook his head, cutting you off gently. "Stop," he said, his voice firmer now. "People like them... they make their choices. It’s not about what we did or didn’t do. We gave everything, and they chose to throw it away. That’s on them, not on us."

His words, spoken with conviction, made your heart twist. You wanted to believe him, but the hurt was so deep, the betrayal so fresh. How could you not question everything about yourself when the person you trusted the most shattered that trust?

Five’s grip on your cheek tightened slightly, grounding you in the present. "You are enough," he said, his tone unwavering. "More than enough. And if Diego couldn’t see that, then he doesn’t deserve you." You blinked, more tears spilling over despite your efforts to hold them back. "But it still hurts," you confessed, your voice barely a whisper. Five’s expression softened, the fire in his eyes dimming as he pulled you closer once more. "I know," he murmured, his voice low and comforting.

"It hurts so damn bad five", you say while laying your face more into his hand. Five’s thumb gently traced the curve of your cheek, his touch soft yet steady, grounding you in the swirl of emotions consuming you both. His breath hitched as your words echoed between you, the rawness of your shared pain palpable in the small space between your faces. "It hurts so damn bad, Five," you whispered again, leaning into his hand, letting the warmth of his touch soothe the ache inside.

For a moment, neither of you moved, caught in the weight of the emotions swirling around you—the betrayal, the anger, the heartbreak. But there was something else too, something that had been bubbling beneath the surface ever since this nightmare began. The way he had been there for you, how his presence was the only thing that made this unbearable situation just a little less suffocating.

Five's gaze softened as he watched you, his eyes still shining with unshed tears. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he leaned in, his face inches from yours, as if testing the waters, searching for any sign that you didn't want this—didn't need this. But you did. In that moment, with everything crumbling around you, the only thing you wanted was him.

You closed the distance between you, your lips meeting in a kiss that was soft at first, tentative, like two broken souls finding solace in the only place that felt safe. Five's hands slid around you, holding you closer as the kiss deepened, the intensity of your shared pain spilling into the tenderness of the moment.

It wasn’t just a kiss. It was a release, a way to channel everything you had been holding in—the heartbreak, the betrayal, the feeling of not being enough. And in that kiss, it was like you both found a way to remind each other that you were more than enough. You had each other, and in that moment, that was all that mattered.

You let yourself fall back, with him following you. you both melt into each other, something you never felt before, Diego couldn't give you before. His kisses get harsher, finding an output for his anger, as you did the same.

The kiss deepened, growing fiercer as the tangled emotions of anger, pain, and longing poured into it. You clung to each other as if you were the only thing keeping the other from unraveling completely. Five’s hands traced down your sides, holding onto you as if he needed the connection to stay grounded, to stay sane amidst the chaos.

Your heart raced as you felt the fire in his touch, each kiss pulling you deeper into a world where the pain seemed to fade, even if just for a moment. There was a sense of desperation in it—both of you trying to drown out the betrayal, to find comfort in something, anything, that felt real. His kisses grew more urgent, more passionate, as if he was trying to pour all his frustration and hurt into each touch, needing to feel something other than the overwhelming sense of loss.

And you met him, kiss for kiss, letting go of everything but the present moment. The SUV, Diego, his girlfriend—it all faded into the background. For once, you let yourself feel without thinking, without analyzing what any of it meant. It was messy, raw, and full of the unresolved emotions that had been tearing both of you apart. But it was also a release, a brief escape from the reality that had shattered around you.

Five pulled back, breathing heavily, his forehead resting against yours. His breath was warm and uneven, and you could feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he tried to steady himself. "This…" he began, his voice hoarse, but he couldn’t finish the sentence. Neither of you knew what to say, because words couldn’t capture what you were feeling.

You met his gaze, eyes still glassy with tears, and for the first time, you didn’t feel alone in your heartbreak. His thumb brushed over your cheek again, but this time, it wasn’t just to wipe away tears. It was something more—something that told you, in this shattered mess of your lives, you weren’t facing it alone.

But your bodies, pressed together, shuddered at the same time as a loud thud emerged onto the Car window. Five's head flew up and yours did too. Diegos eyes were watching you two, your hands still clinging onto five and his hand resting on your cheek.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!", Diego screamed.

New post in a while, just started my job! I hope you liked this one shot, let me know what you think!

[sorcerersandskillusers]

Card Meanings in the new, The Day I Picked Up Dazai art.

Ok so im currently still in shock that were getting new day I picked up dazai content so bare with me, but onece again Asagiri has included playing cards in his art so of course I have to break down what they mean.

Lets start with side A (the right side):

First we see a joker:

While Gogol is the obvious fit for the joker, the card also describes Dazai extremely well. He is almost always acting like the fool in any given situation, even in the mafia he loved to be as weird and funny as he could as well as tease and annoy the people around him, something jesters famously did.

In fact, his dynamic with Mori is very close to how a king and a jester used to work, where the jester was the only person who was allowed to openly mock the king and would usually heckle him. They also played a key part in psychological warfare, which we see Dazai specialises in.

I think the whole; wit, intelligence and unpredictability kind of speaks for itself.

Next card is the four of spades:

This one is also really fitting, it shows how after the day I picked up Dazai side A, Dazai settles into his little routine of going to bar lupin with Oda as well as how he finally has someone who he can trust and be comfortable around. Finally, it is a clear message of optimism, something Dazai never shows before he meets Oda.

Next the two of hearts:

This one is pretty obvious, it's Dazai and Oda spending time at bar lupin. It actually fits so well, there's not much I can say about it other then how it shows the love and care Dazai and Oda had for each other (platonically)

Now for Side B (prepare to cry)

The first card is the three of spades:

Whyyyyyyyyyy... why Asagiri. This one is also fairly obvious but it has multiple meanings. It most clearly represents Dazai suffering in side B as he has to run the mafia without odasaku and live in utter loneliness while destroying all the connections he never got to have for the sake of a friend he never got to meet.

“It was hard,” muttered the young man. “It was really hard fighting Mimic without you in the organization. I had no choice but to take over for Mori and make enemies of everyone around me to expand the business. Everything I did was for this world’s—”

It also represents the moment on the platform where he nearly tells Odasaku the truth and goes with him to bar lupin, the horrible decision to abandon everything for Odas future

The next card is... the ace of spades:

The ace of spade has many meanings, most of which involve change or transition, but by far its most famous meaning it death. I really don't think I have to explain this one, Beast Dazai having the card of death has a pretty clear meaning.

But the ace of spade does have a secondary meaning, and this one is a little more hopeful, as it shows Dazai passing the safety of this world onto Atsushi and Auktagawa.

Finally, (it's a bit hard to see) we have the ten of diamonds:

I want to focus mostly on the highlighted part because it's what really applies to BEAST Dazai, he lived his whole life to create a world where what matters most to him, that Oda gets to be happy and write his books, becomes real. This card doesn't apply to Dazai directly, more to the fact that he made succeeding in his mission his only priority and discarded everything else.

Bonus round Odasku card; the king of clubs

the only card thats seen on Oda's section and one that clearly represents Odasaku as a character.

"King of clubs represents a dark man, who is loyal and kind. He is a good businessman, shrewd with money and investments, but isn’t selfish. In fact, the King of clubs is a very devoted father, husband and citizen. In a broader sense, the King of clubs encompasses idealized qualities of a fatherly figure. This card is universally considered as a very good omen."

I feel like this sums Odasaku up very well, the devoted father and loyal friend parts are just him to a t.

(this is also the card I think best represents Fukuzawa)

Right, I think I got everything, if you disagree with this or find something I missed, please reblog or comment with whatever you want to add, or send me an ask. I love discussing, and hearing other people's views as long as they're respectful.

If you add something, please add it in the post not the tags, so I can reply to it (or in the tags if that makes you more comfortable)

[princesskenny1998]

Harry Potter | Draco Malfoy x Hufflepuff!Muggleborn!reader ~ Unobtainable, PT. 1

You sat at the long Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall, absentmindedly pushing a piece of toast around your plate as your friends chattered around you. Your eyes, however, were glued to the Slytherin table. More specifically, to Draco Malfoy.

There he sat, surrounded by his usual group of Slytherins: Pansy Parkinson practically glued to his side, Blaise Zabini and Crabbe and Goyle sitting nearby. Draco had that haughty, almost effortless air about him, his platinum blonde hair falling perfectly into place, his pale eyes scanning the hall with that signature sneer on his lips. He looked bored, as he usually did, but to you, even that bored expression seemed... alluring.

You sighed quietly, tearing your gaze away from him before anyone could notice where you'd been looking. It was embarrassing enough to have a crush on Draco Malfoy, of all people. A Malfoy, whose family made it very clear what they thought of Muggleborns like you. A Malfoy, who never passed up the opportunity to make a cruel remark or flash a superior smirk at you and your kind.

Yet, despite all that, your heart raced every time you saw him.

It had started in third year, a time when you were still figuring out your place at Hogwarts. You had always been a bit shy, more comfortable blending into the background than standing out. But one day, you'd caught sight of Draco in the corridor, his robes billowing as he walked with that confident stride of his, and something had just... clicked. You couldn't explain it, but from that moment on, you couldn't stop thinking about him.

It was ridiculous, really. He would never notice someone like you, a Muggleborn Hufflepuff who kept her head down and stayed out of trouble. Draco only associated with the elite, the purebloods. And yet, you found yourself daydreaming about him far more often than you'd care to admit.

"Are you even listening?" your friend, Megan Jones, asked, snapping you out of your reverie.

You blinked, realizing that you'd been staring blankly at your plate while Megan had been talking. "Oh, sorry," you said quickly. "What were you saying?"

Megan raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "You've been staring at the Slytherin table again, haven't you?"

Your face flushed, and you quickly shook your head, trying to deny it. "What? No, I—"

"Come on, Y/N," Megan said, laughing. "It's obvious. You've had a thing for Malfoy for ages."

You felt a wave of embarrassment wash over you, your cheeks burning. "I don't—it's not like that," you stammered, but Megan just grinned knowingly.

"Right. Sure it's not," she said, giving you a playful nudge. "It's okay, though. I mean, he's... he's not bad-looking, I'll give you that."

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. The last thing you wanted was for your friends to know about your hopeless crush. They would never let you live it down.

"It's just... he's so out of my league," you muttered, feeling the weight of the truth in your words. "He doesn't even know I exist."

Megan’s teasing expression softened slightly. "Well, I mean... yeah, he's a bit of a prat, to be honest. But maybe that's a good thing? You deserve better, Y/N."

You appreciated her attempt to cheer you up, but it didn't make the ache in your chest any less real. You knew you were setting yourself up for disappointment by harboring feelings for someone who would never look twice at you. But no matter how much you tried to convince yourself to get over it, you just... couldn't.

The rest of breakfast passed in a blur, and soon you found yourself in Potions class, seated at your usual table with your Hufflepuff classmates. Professor Snape was droning on about the intricacies of brewing a particularly complex potion, but your mind was elsewhere. You couldn’t help but steal a glance at Draco, who sat a few rows ahead, his posture relaxed, yet his concentration sharp as he took notes.

You had always admired his intelligence. For all his arrogance and disdain, Draco was smart—there was no denying that. It made you wish, irrationally, that he would notice your intelligence, too. You weren’t the top student in your year, but you did well enough, especially in subjects like Charms and Herbology. Maybe, in another world, he might have noticed that.

But this wasn’t another world. This was Hogwarts, and Draco Malfoy was... untouchable.

The lesson ended, and you gathered your things, heading out of the classroom with Megan by your side. As you walked down the corridor, you couldn’t resist looking over your shoulder, watching as Draco and his friends made their way toward the Slytherin common room.

"You really need to stop torturing yourself," Megan said gently, noticing the direction of your gaze.

"I know," you sighed, feeling a heavy knot of frustration settle in your stomach. "It's just... ugh, I don't even know why I like him."

Megan gave you a sympathetic look. "Maybe it's just because he's so... unattainable? I mean, people always want what they can't have."

"Maybe," you mumbled, though you weren’t entirely convinced. There was something about Draco—something that drew you in, even when you knew it shouldn’t.

Later that afternoon, you found yourself in the library, trying to focus on your Transfiguration homework. But no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t shake the thoughts of Draco from your mind. The way he walked, the way his hair fell perfectly into place, the way he looked so effortlessly put-together—it all swirled in your head, making it impossible to concentrate.

You sighed, leaning back in your chair and closing your eyes. Maybe Megan was right. Maybe you needed to stop torturing yourself. After all, Draco Malfoy would never look at you the way you wanted him to. He barely even acknowledged your existence. To him, you were just another face in the crowd.

But as you sat there, lost in thought, you heard a voice that made your heart stop.

"Y/N."

Your eyes flew open, and you turned to see Draco standing there, his expression unreadable as he looked down at you. For a moment, you couldn’t believe it. Was this really happening? Was Draco Malfoy actually speaking to you?

"Uh, hi," you managed to say, your voice coming out shakier than you intended.

Draco’s gaze flickered over your face, then down to the book in front of you. "You dropped this," he said coolly, holding out a quill.

You stared at the quill for a moment before realizing it was yours. You must have knocked it off the table without noticing. "Oh, thanks," you said quickly, taking it from him, your fingers brushing against his for the briefest moment.

Draco didn’t say anything else. He simply nodded, turned, and walked away, leaving you sitting there in stunned silence.

Your heart was racing, your mind spinning. Draco Malfoy had just spoken to you. He had picked up your quill. It was a small, insignificant interaction, but to you, it felt like the world had shifted ever so slightly.

For the rest of the day, you replayed that moment over and over in your head, analyzing every detail. The way he had looked at you, the sound of his voice, the brief touch of his hand—it was all burned into your memory.

But even as you clung to that small interaction, a part of you knew that it didn’t mean anything. Draco had only spoken to you because of the quill. He hadn’t sought you out, hadn’t noticed you for any reason other than that.

Still, you couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope.

Over the next few days, you tried to push the thought of Draco out of your mind, but it was easier said than done. Every time you saw him in the corridors, your heart fluttered, and every time he passed by without so much as a glance in your direction, that familiar ache settled in your chest.

You knew it was silly. You knew that you were setting yourself up for heartache. But even knowing all of that, you couldn’t stop the way you felt.

One evening, as you sat in the Hufflepuff common room with your friends, Megan nudged you playfully. "You know, you should just talk to him," she teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

You rolled your eyes, though the thought of actually approaching Draco made your stomach twist with nerves. "Yeah, right. And say what? 'Hi, I’ve had a hopeless crush on you for years, please don’t laugh at me.'"

Megan laughed, shaking her head. "No, seriously! You never know. Maybe he’ll surprise you."

You smiled weakly, though you didn’t share her optimism. As far as you were concerned, Draco Malfoy was as unreachable as the stars.

And yet, despite everything, you couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if, just once, he saw you the way you saw him.

As you lay in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling, you allowed yourself to dream. To imagine a world where Draco noticed you—not just as the girl who dropped her quill, but as someone worth noticing.

It was a foolish dream, you knew. But it was your dream, and for now, it was enough.

[lucky-slice]

Do you understand how much kevin respects neil? And i don't mean when it comes to exy, like sure there's a whole lot of you're not good enough followed by you will make court bluh bluh bluh, i mean fundamentally as a human.

Kevin and Neil's conversation after the truth of Neil's father is revealed drives me absolutely insane because I think it highlights a lot about how Kevin views Neil.

so indulge me for a bit....

I think a lot of people forget, in light of Andrew choking Kevin for not telling him the truth, that Kevin's initial reaction was to tell Neil to run.

*sorry for the quality - these are all screenshots off my phone

Kevin's instinct is to tell Neil to save himself, despite what that would mean for the team's success and for Kevin himself. This is significant to me for two reasons.

It highlights that Kevin genuinely cares about Neil outside of his exy potential. For most people, this would be a pretty obvious response to finding out your teammate has a guaranteed death sentence if they stick around, so it might not seem all that meaningful, but Kevin was raised in such an environment were you continued to play no matter what - even at the risk of death. Kevin is unflinchingly callous when it comes to exy and his teammates (*see his reaction to Seth's death), but he is frantic in his concern for Neil in contrast to his fairly passive response to basically anyone else's wellbeing outside of exy. Neil's death will have no real impact on Kevin. If Neil dies or goes to the ravens, nothing changes for Kevin. He is not at a greater risk of being hurt by Riko or the Moriyama's nor will his exy career be effected. That's not to say he would tell Neil to stay if he cared about him any less, but there is a desperation that implies a depth beyond just that of a teammate.

The fact that Kevin is frantic and desperate for Neil to leave, gives weight to his decision to keep teaching Neil in the aftermath of the revelation.

Neil doesn't want to run - he wants to be Neil Josten until the end. He gave Kevin his game and now he's asking him to keep it and Kevin obliges.

This is essentially Kevin promising that he will keep Neil's secret. He will allow Neil to wear his mask and continue teaching him despite the fact that Neil is essentially a dead man walking. This, to me, is Kevin ultimately respecting Neil and his choice. At any moment, Kevin has the ability to got to Wymack or Andrew and give Neil the chance at surviving, but that would mean betraying Neil.

Some people (certainly the foxes) would view refusing Neil's request as the proper and morally correct thing to do. But I think Kevin's immediate acceptance of Neil's decision is both immensely meaningful to Neil and also a signifier of a shared understanding between to two.

Imagine how impactful it must be for Neil, who has never had autonomy over his own life and has been marked for death basically since he was born, to be told that not only will his decisions and his autonomy be respected, but there is someone who will stand by his side on the court, knowing the whole truth, until the very end.

Kevin doesn't have much to offer Neil at this point. He can not give him a future - he'll be long dead before he can ever make court, and Kevin is a coward - he is not andrew, he can't stand up against the Moriyama's or Riko or Neil's father. Kevin can not protect Neil in a way that matters. All he can do is promise to keep Neil's secret and offer him a few more months of being Neil Josten.

I'm not including this to disparage Andrew or to suggest that he does not respect Neil, but this highlights that Kevin knows the decision to keep Neil's secret is one only Kevin would make. Andrew without a doubt would immediately try to get Neil to leave or attempt to get him into protection. I'm not passing a judgement of morality on what would've been the right thing to do, but I do think Kevin's reaction is indicative of the fact that Neil and Kevin understand each other in a way that no one else really will.

Neil and Kevin are a parallel's in a number of ways. Kevin lived the life that Neil was supposed to have and they are two parts of one story.

To them exy is not a game, but it's not really about exy either. It's about deciding to stay just to play for a couple more months even though you'll wind up dead because playing means you finally get to live after years of being a ghost. It's about playing to be the best no matter what, even though the consequences are having your hand smashed and the life you know completely demolished. It's about playing even though you're shaking with fear and anxiety because you need proof that your life, whether it be running to survive or living under an abusive hand, was not a waste.

Kevin agrees to keep Neil's secret because if the roles were reversed, Kevin would like to believe that he'd be strong enough to ask Neil for the same thing. This is obviously conjecture and a heavy heavy reading between the lines, but I'd like to think there's some truth there.

Finishing up with this line because it makes me a little emotional.

Kevin starts the conversation by calling Neil "Nathaniel" and ends it by calling him Neil again. Its right there in the text, "it was a promise". Kevin is offering Neil a life that is fully his - not his father's, not Riko's, but Neil's to do with what he would like, even if its only for a couple more months. If that's not respect, than I don't know what is.

[lennjamin-o7]

Thought it was time to return the curse upon you for once... (also inspired vaguely by the DMs from earlier so hehe)

AU where Techno is a superhero.

Not just any superhero, really. One of the best. He manages to keep the city crime free almost singlehandedly and does so without breaking a sweat. Though he does work together with another hero named Phil and the two are thick as thieves.

It's hotly debated among fangroups of civilians why Techno joined the hero ranks. Since he doesn't exactly make it subtle that he's an introvert, fame is off the list. Techno is kind of brash and awkward too, he doesn't strike people as the sort of guy who does it for something as vague as 'helping people' - he also might get a bit too excited about new villains for that to ring true. There are rumors that his family was killed by a villain and this is Techno getting revenge, but this rumor is never verified. Maybe money? Money is a pretty good motivator.

The truth is that Techno is incredibly bored.

Techno peaked in high school and is so incredibly gifted kid coded. (/hj)

And hero work is a great adrenaline kick, a thrilling situation to throw himself into. Especially villains who come up with wild schemes. Maybe, just maybe, it's even bordering on depression. He has to keep busy with hero work or he literally can't bother to get out of bed or motivate himself for much of anything.

Things have been better since Phil came along. Phil is, in a twist on the usual dynamic, the less experienced one when it comes to hero work (despite being so much older lol, Phil was a civilian hiding his powers before). So he's teamed with Techno to learn the ropes, and the two hit it off, and the team-up becomes permanent. Phil is the first and only person Techno considers a friend. And after befriending Phil, Techno gradually gets a few hobbies (he's cultivating a potato plant in the hero association dorm, he's reading books Phil recommends to him, he's playing chess with Phil on slow afternoons).

But Phil would still like for Techno to have more of an identity outside of his hero work. Techno brushes him off. It's almost a running joke at this point.

(Technoblade is not his real name. It's his hero name. Techno has no civilian identity, never bothered to maintain one. This is concerning to Phil).

Whenever Phil thinks he's made some progress, a new villain will pop up or something will happen and ALL of Techno's attention will go to that again. And then after it's over he'll be bummed out because Techno usually beats the villain very easily and it doesn't pose a challenge for not. What Techno truly needs is an archnemesis.

Good thing that one day, a new supervillain pops up in town.

He's cruel, and he's smart, and he's ruthless. And he's very, very strong. Strong enough to almost beat Techno into the ground one-handed during their first confrontation, though Techno manages to win just barely. It's as if this new villain knows all his moves, his weaknesses. It's exhilarating.

The new villain calls himself The Crowfather.

(Fangroups don't really debate on why Phil joined hero work. But if they did some digging, they might find out that Phil once almost died, and the only thing that kept him from dying was a hero saving him. Technoblade.

They might find out that Phil became a hero not because he cares about the status, or saving people. He just wanted to get closer to Techno. To repay him, somehow, any way he can.

Even if it means murdering a bunch of innocent people.)

Hey, Techno is smiling a lot more now that he has The Crowfather to go up against. And isn't that all that matters :)

[this was so rambly, i'm not very good at this and u can tell lol]

I've think I've kept this hostage long enough Shara Friend. It has been kept for my eyes alone long enough. Now, I freely share it.

Fuck yeah bored Super Hero Technoblade! You popped off with this. I love Sneaky Philza standing by his side and, if it makes him happy, standing against him as well. Who cares about the ants he has to squish to see Technoblade HAPPY. An easy and small price to pay for the guy who saved him.

Gosh, I love this. The DRAMA that would ensue when everything is found out. How will that go? Will Technoblade be appalled? Disgusted? Angry?

Or maybe, just a tiny bit curious about how interesting it would be to be a Villain.

Love it. Love it so much. I want to CORRUPT this version of Technoblade so so SOOO much!!!!

[quietzap]

how do you navigate your feelings towards ziam and cheryl/bear/kate/maya on top of this immense grief? i don't mean to be insensitive but i haven't found an answer for myself yet, i can't believe we'll never get answers now

(To anyone seeing this, read until the end before saying anything thank you.) Well. I'm gonna ramble a bit but bear with me. Spotify played Let Me and Common on shuffle the other day and I cried a bit. It's unfair. It should've never ended this way. But I had already accepted ages ago that we might never know the truth. I still have my beliefs. That Zayn and Liam were together. Maybe they had broken up who knows but if they did then I still truly believe their bond was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I've gone through so many emotions this past week. But seeing the posts of cheryl etcetc or people mentioning bear (Zayn was the only one who didn't fwiw), it didn't make me feel anything. Maybe bc I had already accepted we couldn't do anything about the stunts, and/or maybe bc it's still difficult for me to accept he's really gone or bc it doesn't matter to me at this moment. Or bc I haven't actually sat down to think about what it means that he's gone. I've just been thinking of the pain all of Liam's loved ones are in right now and will be in for the foreseeable future. And I include Zayn in this. I also don't really want to think about it bc I think I might get angry. We've all seen Liam's video on snapchat from last month, where he said he was stunting and forced to do things he didn't want to do and to send help. I often used to say that I didn't understand why the boys accepted this situation instead of just getting out, consequences be damned. Ofc it's easier said than done. But I thought maybe they thought it was worth it in some way. But then, Louis got out. Zayn got out. (In some way, I mean they have privacy and a real career, like Niall and Harry). I guess I will never understand why Liam was still the only one so stuck in this shitty situation. Why couldn't he live his life in peace like Zayn and only appear when he released music? Why couldn't he find a better team or why did he even accept to go along for so long? Why did people let him? Why?! That's what I want to know. Fucking why. And I want Liam's image/reputation to be redeemed. Anyway I digressed I'm sorry.

I just sincerely hope Zayn will be ok. Jaymi who was in Union J lost his soon-to-be-husband a couple months ago (Olly was buried the day they were supposed to get married last month). They'd been together for 14 years. And Olly died in similar circumstances (a fall from the 3rd floor of a hotel). And as incredibly awful as this is, knowing that other people are going through similar grief helps a bit, and I hope it will help Zayn and Liam's loved ones know they're not alone. (Edit: I'm not saying these deaths are linked, Olly's death is an accident, Jaymi was there when it happened. This paragraph is about not being fully alone in grief because other ppl go through similar things).

Idek if I've answered your question. I guess basically the stunts don't cross my mind coz it's not important to me. These past few years when Liam was alive it wasn't important (tho I hated it) bc I accepted the boys made their own choices. And now it's not important bc it won't bring Liam back and bc his loved ones matter more to me. Now, if I'm actually wrong about my beliefs then it is what it is and I feel for his exes/gf/child, and if the maya thing is true I still think addiction made him act that way and that if he'd got a chance to really get better this wouldn't have happened again. If I'm not wrong tho, I truly feel for Zayn who doesn't get to grieve the way he deserves to. Tho I'm glad he has loved ones who know the truth and who can support him the right way.

I hope this helps. Feel free to tell me if you want to discuss this further or anything ❤️

(Link to the videos of Liam from snapchat: x)

[low-budget-korra]

Arcane Hot Takes

1. The hate on Jayce is mostly for no reason. He was a good guy, genuinely nice and with no toxic masculinity. He never created Hextec to be a weapon or to destroy the world. And only got really mad when Jinx stole his creation and honestly? He had the right to be mad at that. He ain't perfect, he made mistakes but c'mon guys.

2. If you hate on s2 Caitlyn but idolize Silco, you're a hypocrite. The difference is that Caitlyn did all blinded by grief while Silco did blinded by the thirst for power

And speaking of Silco…No, he is not this revolutionary man some of the fandom make him out to be. He was a Mafia boss who filled the streets with drugs, divided and weakened his own community and even used child work in his factories. Yeah, he was not some Che Guevara freedom fighter. All he had was beautiful speeches abt it.

And also not this perfect father figure for Jinx, as he kept filling her paranoias and manipulating her

3. The writers made a miracle managing to end the show in a nice way, but the truth is that Arcane needed at least one more season to be perfect. 

In s2 they rely too much on characters' micro expressions and subtext. Which is not a bad thing at all, but in a first view a lot of things get missed

I already saw s2 three times, so if you think things were poorly explained, try to watch a second time. Better, binge s1 and s2 and I guarantee that a lot of stuff you think was outta nowhere, will make sense.

4. Caitlyn had the best character arc in season 2. Experiencing the phases of grief, getting radicalized and manipulated, opening her eyes and realizing what she was doing, a subtle yet important redemption.

And I Say "subtle" bc even if for me it was obvious, I know for a lot of people, it wasn't.

Also, the haters don't want her to recognize what she did wrong bc she already did, just not with those on the nose dialogues. The haters wanted her to be punished, which she also was. Girl was stabbed in the abdomen, betrayed by her right hand, was almost executed in front of her men, got beat up with a knife still in her abdomen and lost an eye. Yeah, I think she was punished enough and if you wanted more, just admit that you are a bit sadistic and move on

5. Arcane is fiction. Sure, it takes insp in real life problems but is still fiction. Its cool to be able to recognize the themes but project our world problems, anger and frustration towards the characters is stupid and makes you miss a lot of good stuff in the show. If you act radical abt the show, you don't have the right to judge someone that goes radical after losing her mom to a terrorist attack.

It doesn't matter if her mother was rich or something. In fact, Cassandra was one of the few council members, maybe the only one, who actually did something good for the Zaunites as she was the one that created those air filters for people in Zaun, the workers, be able to breathe without getting cancer or smt.

Yes, I know it's the bare minimum but she was the only one doing something. Heimerdinger in his 200y never did something like that and only tried to help Zaun when he was expelled from the council.

6. Vi didn know Jinx was wanting to off herself. Jinx already tricked her a couple times before and “breaking the circle” , from Vi’s pov could mean a lot of things. From offing herself to explode things again. She doesn't watch Arcane guys, she doesn't know Jinx as well as we do.

7. Having Zaunites helping Piltover in the battle wasn't lazy writing or disrespectful. It was literally about the fate of their world, y'all thing Ambessa and Viktor would stop with just Piltover? Who y'all think would be the next target? 

They also used the enforcers uniform because it is a tactical one, useful in a situation like a battle. I can hate on the police all I want but in a situation like that, I would rather go to battle with that stupid uniform and bullet proof vest than go on a simple tank top, jeans and converse.

And this shows how better the Zaunites are compared to Piltover and it's enforcers. They were willing to shallow their hate, their pride and help their oppressors for the greater good. That's a good heart, maturity and emotional intelligence.