#gen can’t believe it’s been a whole year

[literallygwenstacy]

It’s only been a year how am I already getting nostalgic over this movie 😭

[punkishtoxtricity]

a comprehensive list of problems with lily orchards pokemon video

there is a point to where my criticisms just repeats so they’ll get different down the post

generation 1

-she claims that blue is a friendly rival when the whole point of him is that he’s a dumb kid. he’s a cocky 11 year old who thinks he’s better than you and grows to realize it’s not all about strong pokemon

-complains about length of dungeons such as lavender tower and silph co but for some reason likes rock tunnel??

-complains about other youtubers strategies for gyms that are usually meant for nuzlockes and challenge runs when she’s playing casual

-acts like she is so much better than everyone else for her strategy when it’s been done to a more extreme degree before

-acts like having butterfree on her team is some feat of strength

generation 2

-thinks silver is the worse character ever and all around a jerk

-complains about the ai of the game beating her when in reality her team just kinda. sucks

-complains about having bad pokemon and then doesn’t catch the good ones that the game literally hands to you

-straight up does not do kanto. has me thinking she just didn’t wanna fight red

generation 3

-this is the start of her being very weird about gardevoir. she calls ralts her child and then throughout the video has art of her being romantic with it which is. eugh. apparently she has incest accusations so i’m not that suprised

-calling magma and aqua the best teams of the series because “they don’t impede on the story”

-complains about the legendaries

-complains about the water routes and proceeds to throw out ideas that don’t make sense for an ocean

generation 4

-this is the start of her hacking in ralts as her starter. it’s very funny because it’s legitimately obtainable in every game she plays besides gen 5

-complains about parts of the game being too hard when she’s using ralts. which dies if it gets touched by a slight breeze

-whines about there being too much dialogue and then genuinely does not understand the story. common theme around all the story driven pokemon games

-she’s VERY annoying about the rivals. like they’re there for a reason

-the start of her acting like her calm mind strategy is the best thing ever. calls other youtubers stupid once again for their cynthia strategies. she can’t choose between gardevoir being the most broken pokemon and blaming ralts sucking on the game(the whole video is a big contrarian fest)

gen 5

oh boy. there’s a lot

-complains about there being too much story in the game and calls the game a peta reply. which is funny because peta is an american company and pokemon is japanese. (also the peta criticism of pokemon didn’t come around until AFTER black and white)

-compares a character who is a victim of abuse and has been indoctrinated by what is basically a cult to a podcast alpha male incel. looking at the allegations against her this also makes sense as to why she doesn’t like him

-whines more about there being too much reading. at this point i started believing she was straight up illiterate

-whines about the amount of rival fights and how it’s “impeding exploration” i don’t think she wants to play an actual video game she just want a pet sim

-misunderstands the whole moral of the game, being that not everything is black and white

generation 6

-complains about not being able to get gardevoirs megastone before the post game, so obviously she hacks it in.

-goes on a tangent about shiny pokemon and how their community is stupid, misunderstanding that people just do it FOR FUN

-also complains about something she calls “damage inflation” with the opponents being able to 1 shot ralts. this is all actually because ralts has god awful defenses, which she ignores.

-loses to what is one of the easiest gyms in the entire series. not really anything wrong with this i just honestly think she sucks at the game(skill issue)

-says x and y are the best games because there’s not much dialogue

gen 7

-once again spends the whole hour complaining about the amount of talking and then doesn’t analyze what the characters are actually saying. still believe she can’t read

-compares gladion to a hitler youth which is??? he’s hawaiian and light skinned but he’s still just an abused kid trying to find his way in lofe(doubt she actually read his dialogue)

-complains about team skill being “an unfunny joke” when the whole point of the team is that guzma was an abused kid who took in those in need and just formed a group of thugs

-still complains about “damage inflation” instead of actually changing her strategy or stepping out of her comfort zone pokemon wise because ralts sucks against the water trial

-goes on a tangent about how lillie should have been the main character while still choosing to mash through her dialogue

generation 8

-whines about dexit and calls dynamax the worst mechanic when it is in fact loved by vgc players

-calls milo a twunk (she doesn’t know what that means)

-a lot of the same problems of the previous gens, can’t read and doesn’t understand the story

-she’s also weird about gardevoir in this one. i think she just REALLY wants to fuck it

generation 9

-whines about dialogue some more

-literally all of the complaints at this point are the same. she can’t form an actual opinion of it bc she can’t FUCKING PAY ATTENTION TO WHAG THEYRE SAYING

overall

-she’s a racist creep to japanese folk outside of the video so hmmm

-has apparently assaulted someone so i see why she has no sympathy for the characters that are victims of abuse

-the weirdest about the pokemon and the characters. compares them to nazis a bunch

-is unfunny

anyway thanks for reading all the way through. the vid made me loose 200 brain cells and i will never stop hating

[miyamoratsumuu]

FIGHT FOR ME

Fight for Me by Barrett Wilbert Weed, acapella version, ft. Hitoshi Shinsou 

⋆ would he fight for you because it was for you, or only because you were acquaintances?

requested by @angeliicheartt : HIHI CUTIE!! i was wondering if i could get fight for me by barrett wilbert weed (heathers: the musical) acapella version ft. hitoshi shinso the loml 😚

⋆ shinsou hitoshi x female reader ⋆ written in 2nd pov, wc: 1.4k ⋆ this request is from the 400 followers event!! mha masterlist ⋆ other notes: mild swearing

it was lunch time at UA high, you and your circle of friends were on your way to the cafeteria. the school as a whole had just recovered from the war, meaning you were now in your second year. that also means you have underclassmen roaming the halls with you now. most of them are respectful, having admiration toward you and your class for having a large part in the past war. the rest of them though, you can’t say the same about them. as believed, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. though only some are thick-skinned enough to voice them out. it just so happens that a decent amount of your underclassmen are those kinds of people. 

since the final part of the war was shown to almost the whole of japan, most of said “opinions” consist of you and your classmates’ hero suits, contributions to the fights against the villains, and overall participation in the war. as you walk through the halls full of students of different years, more than often do you hear your name come out of their mouths. todoroki signalled for you to stop walking for a moment as uraraka wanted to put the textbooks she didn’t need anymore back in her locker. you were standing beside midoriya with shinsou on his other side. 

shinsou’s more so the “new kid” in class A. sure, he’s been in UA since you were first years, but he was only able to transfer to class A this year, after working with the class during the war. he started to spend most of his time with you, midoriya and some of the others. the two of you don’t have the closest relationship, but you acknowledged each other as friends. 

“she’s from 2A, right?” the voice of a first year caught your attention. from your peripheral vision, you could see her eyes looking at you. she and whoever she was talking to were behind you, slightly to your left. you didn’t know what course she was from, but you recognized the student she was with to be a first year in the hero course. you were about to completely turn away when the hero in training spoke up too.

“yeah, she’s one of the ones that didn’t have much to offer for the whole war.” he chuckled before continuing “dunno why they kept her in the hero course. her hero suit looks way too revealing and it looked like she hesitated a lot during the war.”

he stopped talking and it sounded like he was cut off. you were still about to face your underclassman to have a word with him, but someone seemed to beat you to it. turns out the first year was cut off after all. as you turned around, you were met with a sight to behold. shinsou grabbed onto the guy’s collar, effectively shutting him up. the chatter in the hallway seemed to quiet down too. you didn’t notice that your jaw was practically on the floor before uraraka tapped you on the shoulder.

“what happened?” she quietly asked from your right. 

“I..” you didn’t know what to say either before you lightly shook your head and stepped forward to pull your classmate away from the pale-faced first year. whispers and murmurs began to resonate around you. you were stopped in your tracks when shinsou spoke up. 

“you talk about her again and you’ll find the trouble you’re looking for” he pulled the underclassman closer by his collar, his words purposely seeping with venom. all the first year could do was nod and frantically leave with the gen course student after shinsou let him go. from where you stood, you could see shinsou continue to glare at the two until they were out of view. he scoffed and turned around to face you and your jaw-slacked friends.

people in the hallway began to mind their own business as footsteps and loud chatter were heard again. shinsou raised an eyebrow at the three of you, not including todoroki. he had a mix of a look of confusion and pride on his face, a huge contrast to you, midoriya, and uraraka whose jaws were practically on the floor. shinsou opened his mouth to talk, but uraraka and midoriya beat him to it.

“what was that?!” the two of them exclaimed in unison. earning a wince from shinsou and you, given that you were standing right beside the two. you subtly stepped to the side, slightly moving away from them as you continued to keep your eyes on shinsou in front of you. 

“the guy was talking shit, what’d you expect me to do” he said it as if the answer was obvious. midoriya was about to question him more when todoroki insisted that they have to head to the cafeteria already if they didn’t want to miss their lunch. he had a point, and so you all obliged.

as you all made your way to the cafeteria again, your steps were slow and you walked behind the group. you still pondered on everything that just happened, not believing that your friends could move on from it so quickly. why would shinsou do that? was it specifically because you were the one being talked about? or was he really just set on defending a friend? no, you weren’t that close. not yet, atleast. as questions continued to pop into your mind, little did you know that shinsou was starting to walk slowly, carefully trying to match your pace. you had only noticed when he lowered his head to meet your eyes.

“you okay?” his voice was laced with genuine concern as he continued to walk beside you, his eyes still trying to meet yours. you jumped, not expecting to hear a voice right beside you. you only had eye contact with him for a second before you lowered your head again. the sudden interaction flustered you, especially after what happened by the lockers just earlier. with the lack of a response from you, shinsou continued to talk.

“sorry about earlier. I acted on impulse, I hope I didn’t weird you out.” hearing that, you raised your head again to look at him. only he wasn’t looking at you anymore. his left hand was on the back of his neck as his eyes were drawn to the floor. you stopped walking and and shinsou quickly noticed you weren’t right beside him anymore. he stopped walking and turned around to face you. the brainwash hero was taken aback when you clutched onto your stomach and began to giggle.

“jeez, shinsou, didn’t know you were the funny type” you said in between laughs. confusion was apparent in his features as you wiped the tears from your eyes. 

“you quite literally almost fought for me. why the hell would I be weirded out by that? I should thank you, I almost slapped the guy myself. you saved me from the trouble with nezu, y’know.” shinsou’s confusion was instantly replaced with a look of relief, a small smile now gracing his lips. he shoved his hands in his pockets before meeting your eyes again. even after risking the chance of a punishment because of what happened with the first year earlier, he still had it in him to spare you a smile. 

“thanks, I guess. I was nervous I might’ve made the wrong first impression with you already.” you raised a brow at that.

“oh? the hitoshi shinsou worried about making a good first impression on me?” you began to walk forward, intending to stand right in front of shinsou. 

“I mean, you are one of the so called “cool kids” of UA. why wouldn’t I?” he challenged, taking a small step closer so his face was right in front of yours.

“yeah yeah whatever, kid.” you stepped to the side and began to make your way to the cafeteria again, shinsou following right beside you. 

“for real though, don’t worry about it. I’d do the same for you if ever the opportunity came.” as you continued to walk side by side, you placed your elbow on shinsou’s shoulder. you side eyed him, trying to gauge his reaction. 

“would you now?” he met your eyes again. he had a teasing tone, but the gentle smile was still on his face. 

“duh! as long as you fight for me, you could bet a million dollars I’m fighting for you as long as I’m still around.” 

“well then I’ll gladly do it over and over again. just for you.”

a/n: hope this turned out fine! tysm for requesting elle!!<3 'm so sorry I sort of left out the actual fighting part, I was too much of a coward to write it because I didn't know how to write fights at all 😭🙏🏻

[deviantly-inspired]

For the Sunday poll I ran, where the winning poll was "Dream thinks they're dating".

Rating: Gen (though Dream is implied to be feeling some spicy feelings).

+

There’s something wrong with Dream.

Hob isn’t sure what it is, but it’s enough to drive a man spare with worry. Dream is acting like a man possessed. Like someone starved. And Hob knows what it is to starve.

At first, he thought it simply Dream seeking to soothe Hob’s own nerves. Dream had only told Hob of why he missed their usual meeting nearly two years after his return. Hob’s not proud of the way he acted that day, but nor could he say he truly regrets it: his tears had been born of love, and Hob has never been able to regret love. He doesn’t quite remember what he’d said, but Hob does remember coming back to himself clinging to Dream like one might a miracle, the pair of them shuddering like leaves in autumn, soothing and being soothed by the other.

Hob’s own anxieties, normally well controlled, spiraled out. Panic attacks he hadn’t had since he’d come home from the front lines wracking his every waking hour. Dream had gone gentle with Hob then, reaching out to help ground him. Hob had extracted a promise from him after one of these attacks, snot on his face and his entire being thrumming with the knowledge that he could have lost the one he'd held so dear for centuries and had never known.

“Care for my old heart won’t you? I’m afraid it can’t quite take the beatings it used to. Please, Dream.”

“I promise,” Dream had said. Open and earnest, like he would upend the universe to keep his word. Hob had feared he'd bind his friend unduly with such an oath; that such a thing was no better than what had been done to him. But Dream had oathed so quickly and sure, eyes deep like the skies above, his voice shaking with some unnamed emotion as he'd held Hob closed and steadied the trembles with a surety that reassured Hob. He'd held Hob until he could stand steady on his own, and then, with more softness than even Hob had known his dear friend capable of treating him with, he'd guided Hob to sit and let Dream take care of him as Hob had never let him before.

And Dream had kept his promise, though Hob wouldn't have blamed him for letting his soothing words remain only that. Visiting more often, sharing more of himself. And Hob shared too, of course. Trading gossip and unhealed hurts like any other pair of friends. The panic attacks slowed, and then stopped, until one day Hob stopped feeling fear when Dream walked away, only anticipation for when he would return. Because Dream always does return. They’re so far removed from where they started that some days Hob can’t convince himself that it’s real. And then Dream will visit and smile and touch and it is real, now.

But it’s the touching that’s part of Hob’s worries now. Among other things. The small, casual touches that had begun have grown an almost desperate, possessive feel to them.

Dream will hold Hob’s hand, tight, like he can’t believe he’s allowed. He’ll crowd into Hob’s space and lean his weight, letting Hob take as much as his human muscle will allow. Like Hob is all that keeps him standing. Just last week on Hob’s old, ratty couch Dream had crawled onto Hob’s lap and burrowed his face to the crook of Hob’s neck like there was sanctuary to be found there. His whole form shook then, like he was trying so hard not to move, though Dream’s words were steady and low as he murmured commentary on the telly to Hob. Not that Hob remembers what was said, what with the way Dream’s lips brushed against his neck with each word. Hob’s never claimed a sainthood, and while he felt horrid for it, the weight and feel of Dream in his arms, even seeking comfort, was enough to have him reciting his chemistry tables.

His words lately have been worrying Hob too. It seems like he’s possessed by a need for Hob to understand how Dream values him. And while it’s nice (which is the strongest word Hob will allow himself to use, lest he damn himself) it worries Hob. Why does Dream need Hob to understand so thoroughly that Dream cares for him?

“Your gift with people is one I admire.”

“Your hands are not something one should scorn. They are the result of centuries of living. You need not an elegant form for them to be good.”

“You’ve come to mean more to me than I thought possible for myself to feel again. I would not lose you.”

And the gifts! Small cakes and indulgences that Hob is chagrined to know Dream’s spoiled him for. Coffees of the finest quality, made just how Hob likes it. Mementos from Dream’s travels to other realms that Dream tells the stories of, personal tales spun for an audience containing only Hob. A copy of one of the first books Hob had ever printed, the original locked behind glass in a museum but the gifted one just as real as the day Hob had printed it and realized he understood the words he was creating, could read them truly and not just need to trust it said what someone else told him it did.

It all feels so much like goodbye that old panic is making itself known. And here he is, baking decadent brownies in his kitchen at 3:15am because he knows Dream has a sweet tooth longer than Hob’s, worrying his poor heart to pieces at the idea of his dearest Dream leaving.

“Are you well, Hob?”

Hob turns with a smile, shoulders loosening. “Of course. What brings you here at this hour?”

Dream’s eyes scan the kitchen, lingering on pans of batter and mixing utensils.

“You were not asleep. And. You are baking brownies.”

“Worried about my brownies? Well, see if I share any this time then!”

“You bake brownies when you are upset.”

Hob sighs, shaking his head. Having it pointed out brings the anxiety back to the forefront. Hob wants desperately to ask Dream directly. To demand Dream stay and admit why he is acting as though he won’t be back every time he comes to visit. And Hob has had centuries to be brave in the face of fear. But this? This is different.

He glances up, gathering himself with a bolstering breath, only for Dream to be right in front of him. Dream raises a hand and cradles Hob’s face with it.

“What is troubling you, my heart? You know I will do all I can to aid you.”

Something in Hob’s brain flickers on. Some realization long coming.

“My heart?” Hob repeats back, slowly. Dream’s thumb drags soothing patterns on his cheek. Dream looks… bashful.

“You gave it to me to care for, did you not?” Dream says. “I vowed that I would. And I have. Haven’t I?”

Hob feels his eyes widen a comical amount.

“That was nearly ten years ago.”

Dream looks troubled. “If… you wish me gone then—“

“You don’t regret it?” Hob interrupts, the words nearly tumbling out in their haste to be heard.

The entirety of Dream softens. “Is that what has you troubled so? Of course not, my heart. Each moment with you is an honor.”

There’s a sound like ringing in Hob’s ears as almost a decade is cast in a new light. A flush rising up his ears and down his neck as the memory of the past few months in particular is re-examined.

“Will you kiss me?” Hob asks.

Dream’s eyes alight, though he tries to temper it. “We need not,” he says, even as he lists ever closer. “I know I’ve hurt you often in the past. If you aren’t—“

“The only thing I am right now is feeling foolish,” Hob interrupts. And then he’s closing the gap before Dream can ask him what he means, pressing his lips to the creature who’s held his heart for 600 years now, and has tended it so gently.

Hob can explain later, over brownies and decadent coffee. Dream will surely laugh. But for now, they’ve ten years of kisses to catch up on.

[tmntartblock]

TMNT LEOSAGI AU

FIND ME IN THE FUTURE

Chapter 2: Finding the truth

previous chapter | next chapter

After some weeks, after the physical scars had started to heal, Gen, the old friend of Usagi, came to visit unexpectedly. Gen had been part of Usagi’s military but left after disobeying the leaders. Leo had met him only once when he had just left and had the military after him.

“Gen… What are you doing here?” Leo asked. Hope raised in him. Was Gen here to tell that Usagi was safe and everything was just a horrible nightmare?

“Do you have that Earth leaf juice? I need that stuff before I have to flee again. The army is too active on this planet to stay long.”

“You mean tea? Uh, yeah sure”, Leo said and went to put the kettle on. Finally, after pouring everybody a cup, Gen opened his mouth.

“I’ve heard rumours of a prisoner bunny here on Earth. Is that true?”

“Prisoner bunny?” Leo stood from his chair, staring Gen, afraid of what the rhino might say next. Heart was pounding painfully in his chest. Prisoner bunny could only mean-

“I only know of one bunny who visits this Earth”, Gen said, eyeing the turtles that looked all shaken up, except Mikey, who was more focused on devouring his cheerios.

“You mean that backstabber Usagi?” Raph spitted, anger raising in his voice. “He betrayed us with some Foot ninjas couple of weeks ago and left us to die.”

“What? That doesn’t sound like Usagi”, Gen said and emptied his cup.

“I guess you can’t really trust anyone nowadays.”

“He… He sold us out”, Mikey said, voice quiet, trying to make the words hurt less. “Just like that.”

“There was clearly something going on. He said he was not going back to the Realm”, Leo said.

“Maybe they got him”, Gen said. “It was dangerous for him to come here out of all places. They knew where to look for him if he actually decided to leave.”

“So… you are saying he did not betray us?” Donnie asked.

“I can not be for certain. All I know escaping that hellscape is not an easy task and you have to run for the rest of your life. Not stay with your boyfriend.” Gen gave Leo a pitiful look.

“It’s not Leo’s fault that he’s ex is an idiot”, Raph spitted. Leo looked at him angrily. Raph meant good but it hurt that everybody had just accepted that Usagi was a backstabber and it was jus the truth that he didn’t care about Leo.

“Look. My intels told me that there is a bunny, held captive on Earth. That’s all I know and I wished that you would have more information but you clearly don’t. The Realm is breathing on my neck more than in years and I have to look out for myself.” Gen got up. “Thank you for the leaf juice.”

“Thank you for telling us even if it risked your life, Gen”, Donnie said.

“I still care about my friend even though we did not separate in best terms”, Gen stated, melancholy in his voice. “I can’t wait for the day that the Realm falls finally and we all will be free. Good bye.”

Gen created a portal and disappeared, probably as far as possible. Leo had no time to feel bad for the rhino because all he could think about was that the worst betrayal of his life might not be true at all. He hadn’t sleep for weeks. He had felt anger, shame, sadness, everything in a rollercoaster and all at once. Questioning all the love that he had so blindly felt. And now all those feelings were insignificant. Usagi was probably captured. Being tortured. Weeks of the anger turned to shame. How he could have believed such things of Usagi. Leo knew him better. Leo knew how honourable, how loyal and caring he was. And that one moment let him threw out all of that.

Leo felt hesitant. He remembered how Usagi had looked at him. Directly into his eyes. There had not been any fear, no hesitation. Leo was hurt and Usagi did nothing to help. Maybe Leo had read the whole situation wrong.

He had made a mistake. Why hadn’t he gone after him immediately?

“Leonardo. What are you going to do?” master Splinter asked with his husky voice. He had stayed on the side, like he nowadays did most of the times. Time had done its work and master Splinter had grown weaker. He only could stand ten minutes at the time without shaking.

“I will fix this”, Leo said and looked at his father with determination. Weeks of hopelessness turned into new purpose. “I will start my search in New York.”

“You can’t just leave us for your own little missions!” Raph yelled and pushed Leo’s shoulder. “Foot ninjas could attack any time!”

“You basically demolished them, Raph. They are not coming back any time soon. They don’t have a leader. You made sure of that.” Why Raph always wanted to push him back?

“You don’t know how fast they can reorganize themselves again. You’ve seen they don’t go down easy.”

“I have to do this Raph. I have to safe Usagi. Don’t do this any harder than it already is.”

“He left. Willingly. You saw it. Gen is full of shit.”

“Gen said that there are rumours of a bunny prisoner held hostage on Earth. Who else could it be?”

That shutted up Raph, for now.

Leo started to attack the scattered Foot ninjas, trying to get any information out of them but nobody seemed to know anything about a bunny prisoner even a sword on their throat.

After weeks of inspection, Leo came to the conclusion that Usagi was not in New York. The only other option seemed to be going to Japan, to Tokyo. Raph was not happy, he yelled at Leo for being irresponsible. Leo couldn’t give a damn about Raph’s opinion: Raph didn’t know what real responsibility was. He had never had to make the tough calls and gave bullshit for Leo for doing so. Master Splinter didn’t seem happy either. But for years now he had chosen to give advice to only when asked for it, so his words meant nothing now. The responsibility of the family was put on Leo and he was going to use it. Wether others liked it or not.

It wasn’t easy to leave them all on their own. The last time he had done it, he had to rush back to ruins, thinking that he’s brothers were dead. But his brothers were competent. They’d survive. The Foot was no threat anymore and Donnie had a good surveillance system. The family was safe. With these thoughts he packed a little bag and left, unsure of when he would return. He only knew he could not return without Usagi.

Leo had always wished to visit Japan but this way wasn’t the most pleasant. Tokyo was huge, full of possibilities and dangers. With his elementary level Japanese Leo barely survived and he had no help to gather any information about anything so he had to go in places cold turkey. That meant the stakes were higher, the risk of dying being more imminent than ever.

But Leo knew that he could not give up. Somebody had to know something. Leo attacked ninjas, trying to gather any valuable clues but again, nobody knew anything. He infiltrated the headquarters, searched every single prisoner cell but nothing. He wanted to give up. To go home to his family. But he couldn’t. Fear of failure burned through his veins.

Finally, after months and months of constant attacks from Leo, the head of the Japan Foot clan quelled after a fight and told that they had a deal to help transfer a bunny through a portal. They had forced Usagi to make a deal. Leo tried his best not to have the anger overconsume his senses. The blade of his katana was shaking on the neck of the leader.

“Does that ease your mind, reptilian? His freedom for your life.”

It did, for a second. But that meant Leo had been wrong and it may had costed Usagi’s life.

That’s it. There was no other information. They did not know anything else, the Foot didn’t ask questions for that good amount of money. Leo believed.

Leo went back home, defeated. Usagi was not anywhere on this planet.

The return was difficult. Everyone tried to act like he had not disappeared for months. Leo tried to cover his anger. He tried to act normal. Listen to Mikey’s rampant about his new comic book idea. Sit next to Donnie and hand him over screwdrivers and metal pieces. Let Raph use him as a punching back. But nothing took away the pain.

Disappointment was eating him alive and the only thought consuming his brain was that Usagi was not on Earth.

Usagi was not on Earth.

Usagi was not on Earth.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

previous chapter | next chapter

[hyunsvngs]

Okay friend. Here's the deal with Woojin from an adult stay who is realistic and (actually) unbiased in the situation. Stays constantly give him shit and tell him to apologize and now that he did, it still isn't good enough.

Short version: Woojin leaving when he did absolutely was shitty and he needed to take accountability for the additional stress added to skz during that time. He's taken accountability a couple of times and it's not enough for aggressive stays who for some reason beg for apologies all the time.

Long version:

Lots of stays use the "he was the oldest in the group" line all because he said he was young and immature and wasn't homie like 20/21? That is young and it is immature. He chose to think of himself first in this situation. It may have been the best decision. If he continued on when his heart wasnt in the right place, his performance likely would have tanked skz success.

Stays are also saying it's too late for him to come out with an apology when he originally did so about a year after leaving. If you don't want him to apologize, stop bringing up his fucking name in association with skz.

Stays claim he's doing this just for his comeback... he's had several releases and did well considering he's practically blacklisted in 4th gen.

Finally, stays love to use the fact that was caught following news about skz. Duh. He was in the group and trained with these guys during formative years. Do we really think he wouldn't care about them? We also don't know what kind of relationship they have because literally no one says anything. And they don't have to because it's not our business.

I get the need to feel like you have to defend your favs- I really do. I'm a skz ult and the whole woojin situation fucking sucked... for them. We have no idea what has happened behind closed doors since then. They may have made up or they may not have. It's not our business. It is likely that he wasn't allowed to speak up for however long die to contractual issues.

Bottom line: 1. Stop asking idols for shit that won't appease you anyway. If you didn't want an apology, you should have stayed out his comment section. 2. Stop taking things personally because you are all just fans who have no idea what's going on.

It probably sounds like I am biased toward Woojin. Believe me when I say I'm not. I am taking the side of stray kids and Woo over the side of stays who literally bully the fuck out of someone who did what was best for him in that moment. Yes it was selfish and it sucks that the boys had to endure that but support the boys without mentioning or tearing down Woojin.

thanks to everyone who sent me asks abt this btw, i’m replying to this one bc i feel like it’s thorough lol

i get what ur saying completely. woojin was still young when he left skz, and i can understand putting yourself first.

however, i can’t have any sympathy for someone who is time and time again using the success of his ex-group to promote himself. i understand following skz news, that’s not the issue here - it’s the fact that woojin seems to be using almost clickbait titles in his videos about the boys to get attention. skz were hurt when woojin left, and this was not just career wise but personally too. i don’t have any sympathy for him and i can’t understand him using skz for clout lol

[certifiablyinsanez]

My boomer mother told me once, “we thought we would change the world too”. And she isn’t wrong. Boomers were forefront of the hippie counterculture, the anti-war front for the slaughter in Vietnam, were home to the Gay Liberation Front, Stonewall, the Civil Rights Era, and the entire second wave of feminism that fought for our right for abortion, contraception and the right to self determination. They were the people that perished in the AIDS Epidemic and the ones who took care of those afflicted. When you look at the historic track record, boomers would seem to be our natural allies rather than those we are in constant conflict with.

This is something Gen Z needs to keep in mind, not for the future, but right now. Gen Z is often convinced that we are the generation who is gonna save the world. But I can say with confidence that this is not the case. Not only would that sentiment disregard historical precedent, it also allows us to disregard the ugly truth of what we are rapidly becoming. Gen Z is reactionary as hell. You’ll tell someone “we should have love for our fellow people” and some fucking keyboard warrior will say something stupid like “eVEn pEdO’s???”.

I never thought I would complain about cancel culture, but here I am. Because people can’t seem to differentiate between holding people accountable for reprehensible behavior versus having a whole “guilty before proven innocent” mentality. We all grew up in an imperialist, colonial society. White supremacy has not left a single inch of the earth untouched. Every single person has done something wrong in their lives; it’s a feature of the times we live in. It’s a feature of being a human person period. I’ve seen people harass an artist who has been extremely vocal about Palestine and has used their platform for donations and attention and people were in arms about something distasteful he did in like 2002. Be so ffr guys.

I see European Gen Zers saying the most abhorrent things about Romani people. They still actively call them a slur, and when called out they always reply “that’s just what they are”. Some brag about how desensitized they are to gore or sexual content because they were so young when they were exposed. I still remember kids at lunch trying to convince me to watch an ISIS beheading video and couldn’t conceive why I refused to watch it. I’m gonna say it.

So many of yall are just as apathetic and narcissistic as boomers, if not more so. Because boomers pretend, but yall are brutally honest about it. Sure a whole bunch of us believe in liberation and see how shitty capitalism is, but a good chunk are also so extremely far right that even my boomer republican father would balk at the things they readily say. I actually have had conversations with my dad as his queer communist child and I think we had more agreements than these right-wingers in my own generation.

This trend is enormously widespread with Gen Alpha but Gen Z isn’t clear of it either. The inability to fortify their own mental understanding using concise, accurate, and vetted information. In the 14 years I’ve interacted in fandom spaces (where this happens all the time), I’ve never seen such a trend as now where a singular person will just pull something out of their ass and people all over the internet just readily agree. People believe photoshopped photos every day. We make fun of old people for believing everything on the internet, but we’re equally guilty.

Listen I can go on for ages, but let me make my point clear here. We are quickly becoming the very thing we all hated most, and I’m sick of the mass facade that we aren’t.

End of rant.

[cap-ironman]

2023 Captain America/Iron Man Reverse Bang Masterlist

After months filled with creativity being crafted into fanworks, this year's Reverse Bang is finished! Thank you to all of our fantastic participants—congratulations on posting, and we hope you had a great time working together, whether this was your first Cap-IM RBB or not!

Here’s the final list of our 11 fantastic artwork entries and their accompanying works, all created specifically for this event. Enjoy exploring the new Stevetony content, and remember to show your appreciation through kudos, comments and sharing if you haven't already!

Mind the warnings for each individual work on their AO3 page, please.

Masterlist under the cut

Honesty is the best policy by BladeoftheNebula and Hkandi (Gen, MCU, art and 7549 words) ★ Team Masterpost

Steve's friends are throwing a Valentine's party and want to set Steve up with a date there, as he's one of the few single ones in their circle. Stubborn as he is, he decides to put in some effort himself and puts a tragically honest flier up on campus, not actually believing anyone will reply. Imagine his surprise when someone actually does!

For What Good is a Man by Perlmutt and ATOASTBW (E, MCU, art and 15,921 words) ★ Team Masterpost

It's Tony 58th birthday, but despite it being his special day, he's filled with uncharacteristic self-doubt. Luckily, he had his friends and family to cheer him up.

In particular, his husband was more than happy to prove his love for him, in more ways than one

just like binary stars by Fluffypanda and ArabellaAM (Gen, MCU, art and 16,105 words) ★ Team Masterpost

Tony's kingdom has been at war with the northern barbarians since even before he was born. When his men finally capture one of them, Tony's ready for everything: he's ready to learn their language, to get all the information he can about them and to finally win this war.

But falling in love with one of them? That's the one thing he wasn't ready for.

Not Part of the Plan by KappaMairi/Askafroa and AvengersNewB (T, MCU, art and 9001 words) ★ Team Masterpost

Omega Tony was not planning to go against the plan: to mate with Tiberius Stone, take care of his alpha's needs, to remember at all times that he was just an omega. Tony was not planning to fall in love and yet, somehow, Steve Rogers happened to him.

Only Paintings in the Building by ironycap, BladeoftheNebula and Neverever (T, MCU, art and 5,885 words) ★ Team Masterpost

His life would be a lot easier if he could just stick to painting other things. Landscapes for example. Landscapes were nice. But then again landscapes didn’t have that glint in their eye, or that body that had been built from hard engineering and years of trying to do good. They didn’t have that inherent charm and good looks that won them Sexiest Man of the Year four times. By comparison, landscapes were a joke. Steve causes himself a whole heap of trouble when he starts to paint pictures of Tony.

Push by ralsbecket (T, MCU, art) ★ Team Masterpost

remember to remember me by xWinterDreamsx (T, MCU, 5267 words)

“Look at me. Look at me.”

Tony looked. He looked and he felt, for a moment, that this can’t have been the first time he got lost in those blue eyes. It felt familiar, in a way he didn’t understand.

Reaching Out For Your Hope_ART! by KakushiMiko (Not Rated, MCU, Art) ★ Team Masterpost

Reaching Out For Your Hope by Becci_chan (T, MCU, 10,569 words)

Steve knew Tony could see and sense everything about him, but Steve had no idea what was going on in Tony’s head. He just hoped he got his point across. He wanted to help as well. Maybe they could support each other, have each other’s back in case of a fight.

Safe Haven by zappedbysnow and Gottalovev (M, MCU/Avengers Assemble, art and 20,868 words) ★ Team Masterpost

It's been three months since the Battle of New York. Four since Steve woke up in the future. Everything is still too fast, too bright, too glib. And then, as if it wasn't enough, Steve is dragged through a portal into an alternate universe. Other Him is happy, though, and that feels like hope.

Soar the skies, scorch the lands, build a halo of stars and lightning- ART! by KakushiMiko (Not Rated, MCU, Art) ★ Team Masterpost

Soar the skies, scorch the lands, build a halo of stars and lightning by Shipperslist (T, MCU, 14,770 words)

Crown Prince Anthony Stark does not want to be a king, and even less he wants to be Bound to a Guardian in some supposedly magical ritual. Turns out that he likes being the victim even less and…well. The Binding might not be so bad after all.

The Starkphone Sex Tapes by jetblackfeeling/wingheads (E, MCU, art) ★ Team Masterpost

The Starkphone Sex Tapes by purpleicedteas (E, MCU, 5563 words)

Steve finds porn too unrealistic to watch.

Tony gives him a helping hand. And mouth.

unravel by jetblackfeeling/wingheads (E, 616, art) ★ Team Masterpost

Spill into my hands by Missy_dee811 (E, 616, 7811 words)

As always, a flirt. “It’s nice to see you, Tony,” he said. Tony smiled. “You, too, Cap,” he said.

(Thor, Steve, and Tony agree to restart the Avengers. All is going well until there's a misunderstanding and Steve has to come to terms with the feelings he has for Tony and what they'll mean for them, and the team, going forward.)

[lucigoo]

Weekly Roundup: 29th April - 5th May

Whoop its Sunday, that went fast ... So, I have writte 12,456 words this week with only 2 uploaded, but I have a suprise at the bottom.

So, as always, recs first my good peeps <3 Water Whispers - Morg47 - Multifandom (Bagginshield, this whole serious is cute and clever, what if different valar created hobits, Morg47 has written the answer) Summary: It is a myth that hobbits cannot swim. It’s a falsehood that started when a group of men saw a hobbit slip into a river and sink straight to the bottom. They did not see the young girl come back out. They assumed she drowned.

That, as stated above, is blatantly false. Hobbits can swim just fine, thank you. They can also breathe water, effortlessly switching from water to air as they switch environments. They spend the first years of their life almost always completely submerged. They could never drown.

For hobbits were created by the Valar, Ulmo, the Sea-King, the Lord of Waters, the Commander of Rains. All water comes from Ulmo and all water leads to Ulmo. The hobbits understand this intrinsically. They really can’t fathom why the rest of Middle Earth is confused about this.

Ulmo loves his little sprites. He loves their large feet, perfect for paddling through his waves. He loves their dainty size and voracious appetites made flawlessly to mimic the element he commands. Water is always hungry; even the smallest amount can make a large difference in the world.

He created them and thus welcomes each new life into the world within his realm.

All but one. Smials & Eyries - Morg47 - The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien Bagginshield but mostly gen, another from Morg47's different valar creating hobbits series) Summary: The eagles and the hobbits have a pretty tight relationship. They should, they both serve the King of the Valar. When the hobbits are in need, the eagles help. When the eagles are in need, the hobbits help. It has always been this way and always will be, even if some hobbits claim to be angry with them for being a little late sometimes.

the bones, picked clean - galehautstomb - The Hobbit - All Media Types (Bagginshield, courting misunderstandings and lots of pining, so Bagginshield staples!) Summary:

“It’s not a merry mountain Bilbo,” Dís tells him, with all the sincerity of a general prepping their troops for war. “It’s hard-won and hard-fought and it’s spent centuries picking the bones of my family clean. You, you need to go break some bones of your own.”

(Or Thorin is betrothed, and it’s not to Bilbo, but the hobbit won’t go down that easy.) A Gift of Daisies - issaro - The Hobbit - All Media Types (Bagginshield, a clever and unique Soulmate fic) Summary: Every Hobbit was gifted a soulmate, a promise from the Green Lady that they’d never be alone. Sometimes though, the gift is a bit less straightforward than a Hobbit might wish. again and again and again - marzipan_menthol - The Hobbit - All Media Types (Bagginshield, BAMF Bilbo, he is also imortal so that helps) Summary:

As a fauntling, not even double digits, Bilbo Baggins falls from a tree and splits his skull neatly in two. He had been exploring alone, and so is left unbothered as he lays dead in the grass. He is still unbothered half an hour later when he sits up, stares curiously at the bloodstained earth, and scampers back home. He stands in the kitchen, happily munching a cranberry-orange scone and oblivious to Belladonna’s tears as she runs her fingers frantically through his blood matted hair.

or

Bilbo can't die, and the company finds out much sooner than he had planned (implying he had been meaning to tell them at all, but, well, Bilbo would be a fool to believe anything would go as planned on this confounded journey). the world is sleeping (my world is you) - katheneverwrites (mandolinearts) - The Hobbit (Bagginshield, the Hades/Persphone Bagginshield fic I never knew I needed until I DID!) Summary:

I asked Persephone, “How could you grow to love him? He took you from flowers to a kingdom where not a single living thing can grow.” Persephone smiled, “My darling, every flower on your earth withers. What Hades gave me was a crown made for the immortal flowers in my bones.” - Nikita Gill ---

“What do you mean, my friend?” There is a line of thought that surfaces in Gandalf’s mind, but he drowns it before it can take root. Surely not.

But Bilbo’s chuckle sets him on edge. The small, gentle god of harvest, nature, and flowers sits up straighter, and in his crown of flowers there is a wire of strong metal, his cloak is suddenly not colorful anymore but the deepest black and he is terrifying, horrific, powerful - “I married Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the World.” I hope theres at least on fic someone will like. All BAgginshield this week <3

Now for my fics, as I said there are only too, but still here they are. A Home, A Pack, A Place of Love - Chapter 5 -Chap 5 of the Corgi Bilbo/Wolfdog Thorin fic for your enjoyment I Loved Him First - Harry/Geroge, its bittersweet ive been reliably informed lol Summary:

It's Harry and George's wedding day. Everyone they love is here, at least those alive. But there are still so many empty seats.

Imagine thier suprise when they get unexpected guests from beyond the veil of life and death. As for the suprise, A Pasture Too Small for A Bovine’s World so Large has embedded fan art that I created for it, go and check it out cause Highland Cow Bilbo is the cutest imo. Anyway, I hope you all have a good week <3

[postguiltypleasures]

Betty La Fea La Historia Continua -Trailer breakdowns and Speculation

As you may have guessed from other posts hears, I am so excited for this series. Been watching the various promo videos and pictures. I decided to to a breakdown based what I have gleaned from all of them.

But first, embedding the videos I am talking about:

Red carpet announcement:

Teaser scene with date:

The Trailer:

The Names:

I am going to use the first teaser as a guide and information I have gleaned from subsequent ones.

The read carpet teaser starts with Marcela, who soon accompanied by Patricia, vamping towards the camera. Patricia knocks into Marcela and they laugh.

It is kind of negates the way that they were threatening moments before. I also want to highlight that in the subsequent promos they are rarely together. Instead Patricia is with Nicolas and Marcela seems to mostly confide in Nacho. 

These two are followed by Mario, who is notably alone.

There are rumors that in this version he will be more overtly villainous than in the original, and it seems in the promotions department is keeping this close to the vest. He is also alone in the names promo

(possibly taking a fake phone call like Nicolás frequently did in the original) and he doesn’t have any dialogue in either date announcement scene, nor the official trailer, though he appears in both of those.

He seems to be Armando’s friend again, but how close they are and if Mario continues to manipulate Armando in any way, the reasons are unclear.

Which brings me to the next grouping, the first group of all new characters. These ones are the members of Gen Z and they are Betty and Armando’s daughter Mila, Marcela’s protege Nacho, and Jeff, who from later appearances seems to work directly with Hugo.

(I think What We Do in the Shadows ruined the name Jeff for me.) I have a lot of questions about Jeff’s relationship with Hugo, starting with is this some kind apprentice ship? Does Ecomoda have lines that are now designed by someone other than Hugo?  I guess we will find these things out soon enough… Mila and Jeff seem to be romantically involved,

but where does Nacho fit in?

The next group is who I’m going to call the New Love Interests for the Old Love Triangle:

I only landed on calling them this after the Names teaser where we get this interaction:

Other than that, Pascual, who I sincerely believe is Marcela’s new love interest, is mostly not in these promotional videos. Note how Pascual gestures as to keep the attention on Majo and Esteban. Also note what a vamp Majo is!

As a love interest for Armando, she is something of a regression. Flaunting her sexiness and using PDA to establish control.

Her appearance makes us wonder is Armando really is capable of being in relationships unlike most of the one he had the original? (Despite the fact that he really wants to be with Betty). While watching these and preparing to write I thought of how different a “not Armando” love interest for Betty and Marcela is. Both need someone they don’t associate with the hurt they feel from Armando, but Marcela needs to learn new ways to be in a relationship, someone who is good a de-escalating and of course has minimal interaction with how the Mendoza/Valencia family/business dynamic. Betty needs someone she can have fun with, Marcela needs a whole new definition of fun. I can’t tell if Esteban is any kind of fun, but he is handsome and he and Betty are intrigued by each other.

Next appears Gutierez. He is mostly alone in the promotional material, a sign of Ecomoda not changing much over the years. (Though I do need to mention that in the main trailer, he appears to be reintroducing Freddy to Ecomoda, which implies that Freddy has left, but returns in some manner.) Honestly, he looks weirdly good in the cast returns video. Every other appearance he makes is a reminder of how much Ecomoda doesn’t care about being a healthy work environment. 

The next group is what I’m calling El Cuartel +.

We have three members of the original Cuartel, minus Ines, Sofia and Mariana. Plus Freddy and new cast member Carmen. When it came out I assume that the new member, Carmen would be a secretary, like most of the members. But later footage reveals that she is clearly Hugo’s current “modelo de tallaje”/ fit model.

As the previous series’ fit model was Jenny, a baby-talking-sadist often in conflict with the cuartel. It makes one wonder, what exactly is her relationship with the group? As a corollary, does the fact that Aura Maria is in the made to be promos footage, but no trailers made from actual footage, should we infer that she no longer works for Ecomoda? At least directly? I hope she and Betty are still friends, they have one of the most interesting dynamics in the Cuartel . And how about Freddy, their relationship, and his professional connection to Ecomoda?

The next entrance is for Hermes Pinzón and Nicolás Mora.

This is the most familiarly delightful interaction since Marcela and Patricia. They still have that the more things change, the more they stay they same thing with Hermes as the old fashioned patriarch, and Nicolás as the unofficial son, with all the complications that involved. It just also makes me miss Julia. Mario Duarte looks really good out of his Nicolás costume.

Then Hugo, walks the red carpet alone.

While later promos for that Jeff and Carmen now work in his studio, they didn’t hint at that at all here which could because they’re more interested in how those characters interact with the groups they were paired with and/or because any indication of what’s going on in that studio is too spoilery for the plot.

In any case I doubt Hugo gets along that well with his new colleagues. Not only does he have a history of being verbally abusive, but both the main trailer and the later names trailer it appears he has started venerating his late aide from the first series, Ines.

This is nice for nostalgic fans, but could be a pain to work with for new characters who just can’t live up to it. In the names promo Hugo’s Ines-branded poncho effectively covers Jeff and Carmen’s appearances.

Will this be explicit in the text?

Finally, there are Betty and Armando. It’s their story that we’re continuing to follow.

They both wear t-shirts which Ana Maria Orozco’ face getting into her Betty makeup printed on it. The come from different directions, quickly link arms and head down the read carpet.

Betty trips a bit and they laugh it off. I am sure that for whatever estrangement they have, this is a story of remarriage. They have a lot to renegotiate, but their connection is real, if also with a really messed up beginning.

So some further thoughts on the promos:

I am excited to find out what happened to Daniel. Is he dead? In prison? In any case I think his shares in Ecomoda went to his sisters and that was part of how Marcela was able to force Betty out.

But did Betty or Armando have anything to do with Daniel’s demise? Or was Marcela just taking it out on someone who she never liked? In any case I am speculating that Don Roberto’s divisions of share in his will is some attempt to even the playing field after realizing all the destructive power plays going on in that generation. Trying to get the best out everyone through manipulation. Classic Don Roberto. 

There is a cut in the trailer from Betty’s shocked face to Marcella’s angry face and I always have to do a double take on who I am looking at, because when the both have the straight, long black hair like that, it makes them look similar. It makes me wonder if one of the reasons for Betty bringing back parts of her old look is to separate herself from Marcela? Or feeling like Marcela once did regarding Armando.

There were famous fantasy sequences in the the original, which makes me wonder if their will be any in the new one and if so is anything we see in the trailers actually part of a fantasy sequence?  How many flashbacks to pre estrangement Betty and Armando do we get?

Has Nicolás been at Ecomoda this whole time? How long have Marcela and Patricia been back? While Nicolás and Patricia’s story feels like one of the more abruptly ended one in the original, how will the passage of decade affect picking this up?

[pandalexoxo]

i can’t stop imaging myself being transported into tokyo revengers. though, personally, i believe it would be bitter sweet.

TOKYO REVENGERS X MALE READER

i’d love to imagine meeting takemichi, and confiding in him that i know about his power, that, i too, have a secret. i would tell him that i’m not even from this universe. he thinks time leaping 12 years is weird? try telling him you’re from another reality (basically) where he’s an anime.

to sum up my thoughts (i wrote 13 paragraphs before deleting it bc this is suppose to just be a ramble lmfao, maybe i’m uploading it later and get your guys inputs) i just feel like i would try to be the sunshine guard dog protector, y’know? not necessarily swoop in to save takemichi (tho, i’d definitely swoop in to beat some characters asses just bc i have a personal vendetta) because damn! look at how badass and hot takemichi is, whenever he fights?! (that ass. thiccimichi 😩😼)

now, here’s where my heart aches and my brain fries from overthinking. do i tell takemichi that i watched the anime (read the manga too) and know who will die in the end? do i tell him that i know of the anime but haven’t seen it or read the manga?

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR TOKYO REVENGERS ANIME AND MANGA!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

so, we know that in chapter 275 of the manga (probably season 5 in the anime if we’re lucky) takemichi ends up dying by mikey’s hand, a blade through his chest (heart? stomach? idk i haven’t read the manga in a few months. i sobbed hysterically over his death and refused to open the manga back up. that was until chapter 276 came out, how foolish of me to believe takemichi wouldn’t stand back up like he always does. what a true mc)

funny enough, by using mikey’s hand, he’s able to time travel him and mikey, not just 12 years, but back to when they were kids (i think they were 8 or somewhere around there). thus they are able to help each other create their perfect ending.

though… this “perfect ending” can’t happen unless the characters who died stay dead. shinichiro, baji, emma, izana, draken. with these deaths, mikey indulges in his “dark impulses” and thus the kanto manji gang and toman gen 2 end up fighting to lead to takemichi’s death and end with the perfect book closing page.

it’s unfortunate. it makes me tear up, sob, want to throw up (maybe throw myself out the window) but everything needs to happen. not only the deaths but takemichi’s mental health diminishing needs to happen to. this (others teaching him how to fight and his visions) helps takemichi in the last battle to dodge, punch and get close to mikey.

though, how easily takemichi forgives?! boy just smiles off his pain and forgives others, especially in the final chapter??? he just has his beautiful dopey smile on his face when mikey recognized him and then they ride off into the sunset to save their future??? hell. no. i need everyone to put their fists up, stand in a line, and eat my fucking fist.

i need a takemichi villain arc series. would someone be willing to make that for me? what do you want? a cookie? therapy? a hug? emotional and mental stability? no mommy and daddy issues? (i can’t provide the last two unfortunately, still trying to figure that shit out myself lmfaooo. though, my dms are always open. i love chatting with people and sharing dark humor. muah!)

then again, this is why i whole heartedly admire takemichi. he may not be physically strong like the others but as mikey says, he’s incredibly mentally strong. he gets back up. he stays standing. he’s determined and won’t fall until he wins. he’s too kind. i love him so much guys you don’t understandddd. hina, please share, fuck i am on my knees, foaming at the mouth and barking.

ugh :( it’s okay michi. you get your perfect future, though, are you truly happy and at peace? just keep smiling, okay? anywhooo, you know, i could treat you better anyway! xoxo 😼🕺😽

[newspropaganda]

Welcome back to Roasting 101: Today’s subject—fake Yu-Gi-Oh! fans who don’t know the first thing about being real. This clown keeps crawling back like he has something to prove, but the only thing he’s proven is that he’s stuck in a loop of stupidity. I already know who he is—just another troll running the same tired playbook. You can tell from his posts he's probably got some messed up agenda. But here’s the thing: he milks the hate like it's going to make him matter. Newsflash, I’ve been hating this fandom’s nonsense since 2015, and nothing you’ve said has ever phased me. I’m the original OG, like Andrew Tate is to masculinity, while you’re just screaming into the void with your social justice warrior nonsense.

5D’s is peak fiction, and your whiny comments don’t change that. Over time, real Yu-Gi-Oh! fans will wake up to the greatness of 5D’s, but you? You’ll still be stuck in your echo chamber, crying about things you’ll never understand. 5D’s is the bread and butter of this franchise—more relevant than anything mainstream media throws at us because it’s a flawless show. You’ve clearly never appreciated it, and if you’d been around in 2014, you would’ve been booted from this fandom faster than that joke ScarlightCipher, who tried and failed to make a name for himself. Yeah, I crossed paths with him back in 2015—and believe me, I roasted him so bad, he never recovered.

You just got roasted, son. 5D's fans are on a whole different level, and your weak pity posts can’t touch us. There’s a reason I’m the WW5D’s champion when it comes to roasting. People like you fold under pressure while I’m out here on a higher level, making you cry with every word. Step your game up, or step aside, because 5D’s isn’t just a show—it’s a legacy. And you? You're just another footnote in it.

I bet 100 bucks he’ll be back under a week, trying to troll again. That’s why I blocked him—he’s too soft to respect 5D's legacy. Sure, it's a card game adventure, but unlike that Bleach trash, he can’t tell me anything. 2025 is going to be the year of 5D's, where fake fans crumble, and real ones like me rise from the ashes to reclaim our fandom. And don’t get me started on Zexal fans—they think they’re the ambassadors of the community, but it’s the first three Yu-Gi-Oh! shows that put in the work, week after week, to build this legacy. These newer gens don’t know the meaning of respect.

But hey, if you think you can roast me back, go ahead and reblog this post. Tell me why I’m wrong without being a coward. There are plenty of reasons you can try, but instead, you’re busy whining under some virtue-signaling post like that’s going to get you anywhere. This isn’t Twitter, where people hide behind fake maturity. I’m a Facebook guy—over there, we handle things like men. Here, it’s WWE Champion vs. Jobber, and guess what? You’re the jobber. I’m the heavyweight champion of the Yu-Gi-Oh! community.

Real men, like Andrew Tate, always said, 'Beta males like him are exactly why we need toxic masculinity back.' He'd probably throw in something like, 'Your lack of backbone is why the world’s getting softer—you need to wake up, hit the gym, and stop crying on the internet. Real men handle business, not feelings.

You see, this is why I can’t stand America when it comes to Yu-Gi-Oh!. It’s not just politics and BS—it’s the fact that people here are so spoiled. Andrew Tate was right all along: people are getting softer. I roast the community because they attacked my show, and yeah, I admit I’m a little sensitive about it. I’m probably a '1% beta male' when it comes to other things, but when it’s about my shows, I stand my ground. It’s not all anger, though—I learned that it’s better to love a show than to support its fandom. I put my content out there, and people can decide for themselves if it’s good or not. It’s their choice to block, ignore, or support me. Personally, I love 5D’s, GX, OCG Stories, Pyramid of Light, and Bonds Beyond Time, but Zexal, The Dark Side of Dimensions, and the Rush Era? Total garbage. They just don’t compare.

And let me make one thing clear: I don’t support what anyone else says. They’ve talked trash about me, my show, and why they can’t respect me—but guess what? They’re the beta males, not me. Why do you think VoicesOfChaos, a Zexal fan, turned into a trans person? Because Zexal was like the American government, telling them what to do. Zexal is like a system that makes people feel stupid instead of giving them hope. That’s why I’ve always hated it. As for The Dark Side of Dimensions, it was just overhyped by clowns who thought it was good. I’ll take Bonds Beyond Time any day—it was more human, more real than Dark Side of Dimensions could ever be.

#Roasted

[atopvisenyashill]

🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇷🐢🏝️ i got tired of complaining constantly on my main blog (@thewingedwolf is me!) about how sansa and rhaenyra did nothing wrong and also i needed a way to organize my theories and stuff. yes i have read all the books. yes i have (unfortunately) seen the whole show. yes i have seen all of hotd as well. so here we go. my stances are this, so you have an idea what to expect:

i am a catelyn, sansa, brienne, elia, lyanna and rhaenyra stan FIRST and a person SECOND

i would die for Gaemon Palehair, Lady Essie, and Sylvenna Sand, those are my canon OCs, and that’s why they’re my header.

maegor rhaena and aerea also could have saved westeros & jaehaerys should have been aborted in the womb.

Sansa and Bran are my favorites! I am a Sansa will be Queen in the North truther and a Bran will be the King in Harrenhal conspiracy theorist, It Is Heavily Foreshadowed In The Text and I stand on that!!

I'm well aware Rhaenyra has plenty of faults, I am saying that the greens (as in, the characters) do not like her because of her gender, and not for stuff she does that’s actually wrong, also, idc that she did all of that i simply think she’s fun.

Helaena really IS the one who did nothing wrong tho.

i am a Dark Daenerys believer. no, i don’t hate her - in fact, i really love her, although i do hate her show counterpart - I just think her arc is heading towards a dark path and being a villain protagonist is the more interesting route for her character.

House Martell will rise or I will piss in old man germ’s cornflakes.

I Will talk about the racism Dorne faces in the text and outside of it and neither your favorite house nor my favorite house is exempt from this. If you have a problem with that, keep it to yourself bc i do not care 🙏🏽

i multiship!! just bc i ship it doesn’t mean i think it’s gonna happen in the series, i just like the dynamic!!

i am in fact the annoying book jonsa truther they warned you about. i will Stay bitter about this. argue with the wall.

with that said, i also like theonsa, throbb, daemyra, laenyra, rhaewin, nedcat, braime, briensa, and a million other ones. faves listed here. several of them are dead dove-esque; what can i say, that's just george's style.

you decide whether it’s romantic or platonic when it’s an incest one, my opinion changes by the hour & im gonna fight grrm for making me think this much about incest.

i don’t like jonerys!!!!!! i'm sansan & sanrion ambivalent and i simply do not care about littlefucker like that. i would say i’ve thought positively about basically every other ship.

i’m in the middle of a reread, as of this moment (april 2024) i’ve kinda stalled on the beginning of a dance with dragons but i Have started a rewatch of the tv series as a form of torture.

i first read this series when i was 16 in like 2012-2013. i love to bitch about the takes i’ve seen. i sometimes reblog really old ass graphics bc they deserve new life even tho the creators are long since deactivated. i sometimes make graphics that look like they’re from 2014 bc we should bring that style back dammit i hate the typography movement going on rn.

big on tagging triggers so lmk (i’ll tag for all characters & major triggers but i’m fine with adding a specific one if asked and don't worry about it being a "weird" trigger - if sean bean's face or knives or wolves or whatever trigger you, i'm happy to tag for that!). my spoiler policy is that i’ll tag everything from this season as “hotd spoilers” and any of the Big Events with “episode title spoilers” but i can’t guarantee I can be consistent longer than like 2 days though i will try!! i Will be talking about any book canon events tho, the books have been out for years either you know how to avoid them or you know everything, i’m not tagging that.

i have a tag page that is more organized than the slapdash nonsense on this post, feel free to check it out here.

i may sound angry but i promise i am genuinely just here for a laugh. i just have resting bitch voice and no feel for tone and use the word fuck too much. it’s fine and unserious.

[everybodyshusband]

cold love hot blood

dewdrop, dewdrop & mountain (the band ghost)

mature | gen. | 7.2k words | hurt no comfort, self harm, graphic descriptions of blood/injury, dead dove: do not eat, self-hatred, circular narrative, water ghoul dew, unreliable narrator

—i posted this fic to my ao3 almost a year ago then took it down but it's going back up all because three whole people said they'd be interested to see it back up ksdfjsdfj please mind the tags, know your limits and if you're not in a place where it's safe for you to read this fic then please don't. compromising your safety for a work of fiction isn't worth it i promise you. come back later (or not at all if that's what's best for you <3)

*disclaimer that is mostly for the tumblr staff in the event of an(other) attempted nuking of my account: this is NOT "content that urges or encourages others to: cut or injure themselves; or commit suicide rather than, seeking counselling or treatment." i believe in and support recovery and this is a fictional narrative depicting a person who is not yet at that stage, which i believe is an important story to tell in regards to "joining together in supportive conversation with those suffering or recovering from depression or other conditions" as well as opening up a "dialogue about these behaviours" as they are indeed "incredibly important" and i do believe that "online communities can be extraordinarily helpful to people struggling with these difficult conditions." (quotes taken directly from the guidelines you so kindly sent me a few months ago)

snippet and ao3 link under the cut !!

It takes a while, but when Dewdrop doesn’t respond, Mountain’s voice drops in volume when he next speaks, presumably making sure no one else will be able to hear him. How considerate, Dewdrop thinks, his internal voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m not leaving until I know you’re going to be safe, and if that means I have to break this door down to get to you, mark my words, droplet, I will.”

With all the events of today swirling around in his head, Dewdrop barely registers the words; they float into his head, muffled, as if he’s underwater. He doesn’t know what drowning feels like in this body—and he knows he never will, that it’s just not possible for a water ghoul to drown, no matter how much he may wish he could—but he’s sure it can’t be dissimilar to this. He can’t hear. He can’t see.

He can’t breathe.

Everything’s catching up to him again. The emotions from earlier that caused him to do this in the first place—gone for the short while in which he turned his efforts towards self-mutilation are—now returning in full force. And that, along with the sting in his arms and thighs, and Mountain’s apparent concern for him are just too many things for his fucked-up, rotted-through, useless self to handle all at once. Dewdrop knows the earth ghoul doesn’t really care. All he’s doing is dishing out mandated, insincere affections in the hopes that Dewdrop will believe him and Mountain will be able to avoid the trouble of having to deal with the water ghoul properly later on after a reprimand from their Papa. After all, he’s just Dewdrop. Why would Mountain even care anyway?

Dewdrop really doesn’t know what to do. There’s so much happening in his head, and he doesn’t know how to handle any of it. He squeezes his eyes shut tightly, raising his arms to dig the palms of his hands as harshly as he can against the sockets. Maybe if he pushes his eyes back into his skull he won’t have to see the messes he’s created; the web of lies that Mountain has been slowly unravelling without Dewdrop’s knowledge, and the crimson glazed tiles he’s standing on. He keeps his eyes closed but removes his palms from where they’re putting pressure on the sockets and fights back the urge to scream. When he finally opens his eyes again, the room spins in front of him and he feels himself slump against the sink, trying and failing to catch himself with weak arms before he falls. He knocks something off the sink in his fruitless effort to keep himself upright, and whatever it is clatters to the floor alongside Dewdrop, smashing everywhere. It must have been the ceramic soap dispenser the new air summon had so painstakingly made barely a week ago. She’d spent hours fussing over every little detail, taking days to create a proper design, never resting until she was sure it was perfect. It’s broken now. Irreparable. Useless. At least we match, Dewdrop thinks, somewhat deliriously. His blade clatters against the broken clay as it falls to the floor alongside him. It’s not of any consequence. It’s only his lifeline after all.

[read the rest on ao3 !!]

[ninemelodies]

candle in the dark

also on ao3 astarion & tav, gen, no warnings. astarion finds tav awake really late one night. it's not a problem, until it is.

As he steps out of the trees, Astarion realizes there is something different about the camp. When he had left to hunt, the camp had been quiet and dark. The campfire was banked down to embers and everyone seemed to be asleep, or, at least, in their own tents. 

It took him a moment to realize that the difference was coming from Tav’s tent. The opening had been pinned up slightly, letting in the cool night breeze and a candle flame flickered in time with the wind. This wouldn’t normally be something worth noting - Tav had a habit to stay up just a bit later than the rest of them, but this was different. Dawn was in a couple of hours and they were still awake? 

It wasn’t like Astarion cared about Tav, not really, but they were the first person to be on his side once news broke that he was a vampire. So maybe he owed them, just a little bit. Maybe it was just because he wanted to make sure they stayed on his side. It didn’t really matter. Plus, in the off chance that they had fallen asleep with a candle burning, he had to make sure the idiot didn’t burn down their whole camp.

Quietly, Astarion creeps over. Through the tent flap Astarion can see Tav, lounging on their back and reading a book. 

The book Tav is holding looks like it has been through hell. The cover is torn and water has made the pages wavy and brittle. Tav doesn’t seem to mind. They flip through pages at an impressive speed. Astarion would think they were just skimming if it weren’t for the way they would pause sometimes, brow crinkling and frowning, as they parsed out a more complex paragraph. 

Astarion watches them read about ten pages before he decides to step inside Tav’s tent. “You know,” is all he manages to get out before Tav jerks and swears (in a much more colorful manner than Astarion had expected). 

The novel slips from their grip and lands on their face. They pick it up gently and stare at Astarion as they set the book to the side. “What are you doing here?” they hiss. 

Astarion eyes them carefully. Yes, he had startled them, but there’s something else in the hunch of their shoulders, in the harsh set of their mouth. They’re acting guilty , like Astarion had caught them with their hands down their pants. He smirks. “I was just going to tell you that you were broadcasting an invitation to every pest in the area.” 

“Like you?” Tav mutters, under their breath. 

Astarion chooses not to respond. 

When he doesn’t reply or turn to leave, Tav sighs and throws their arms over their face. They lay there for just a moment longer, before they take a deep breath. “Thank you, Astarion. Did you need anything else?”

When Tav put their arms over their face, their hair shifted, revealing the smaller pointed ears of a half-elf. Anyone with elf heritage could see in the dark, and Astarion knew, from personal experience, that reading a book without a candle would be no issue. The whole situation begins to strike him as utterly ridiculous. “You can see in the dark,” he states, incredulously. “Why are you reading by candle light?” 

The portion of Tav’s neck visible above their collar flushes a light red. They mutter something in response, so quick and quiet even Astarion couldn’t make it out. 

Astarion takes a step closer and crouches down next to them. “I'm sorry, darling, I didn't catch that. You’re going to have to speak up.” 

Tav sighs again, long and put out. They pull their arms away from their face and sit up to glare at Astarion. “I said that my mother told me my eyes would go bad, if I continued to read in the dark.” 

“Human?” Astarion guessed. 

Tav nodded. “She raised me on her own, I don't think she believed me when I said I could see just fine in the dark.” They shrug. “It doesn't matter anymore, she died several years ago, but I just…can’t shake the habit.” 

Astarion blinks at them. He's not used to Tav making offhand comments like that, ones that were kind of sad. That was his job. Rather than dive into, well, all of that , right now, Astarion deflects. “Well, far be it from me to judge your habits. However,” and here he leans forward, firmly inserting himself into Tav’s personal space. To keep his balance, he rests one hand on the book Tav had set aside. “I insist you get some sleep, seeing as how you are half-human and also our fearless leader. It wouldn’t do to have you die in battle because of some book, hm?” 

Tav stares at Astarion. Astarion does not miss the way their gaze drops from his eyes to his mouth and then back. Good, Astarion thought, it meant his plan to secure his own protection was working. However, this time he had a different reason for teasing Tav - he needed them distracted. 

Astarion grins at Tav, before standing up so suddenly that they lean away from him. 

“No, I suppose not,” Tav says, tone far more guarded than it was a moment ago. 

“Good,” Astarion says. He holds up the novel he had snagged so that Tav can see it. “I'll just be taking this with me then. You can retrieve it in the morning.” 

Tav’s eyes widen as they realize what Astarion is holding. They go to lunge for it, but Astarion is faster. He is outside of Tav’s tent and heading towards his own before Tav can even stand fully. 

“Sleep, darling,” Astarion calls over his shoulder. “If you die because you’re too tired to function, I will not be reviving you and I will make sure no one else does either.” 

“You wouldn’t dare,” Tav challenges. 

Astarion pauses and turns on his heel to look Tav in the face. “Are you entirely sure that’s something you want to test?” Tav's lips press into a thin line and Astarion knows he’s won. “No, I didn't think so. Now, sleep .” He waves his hand in a shooing motion and Tav rolls their eyes, but they do turn to head back into their tent.

By the time Astarion makes it to his tent, Tav’s tent is dark, the flap still pinned open for the breeze. Astarion can’t say for sure they’re asleep, but at least they’re trying.  

Astarion ducks into his tent and sets the novel gently into his pack. It seems important to Tav. He will keep good on his word and will return it in the morning. He is not a good person, not moral by any standards, he has stolen many things, some of them extremely precious and personal, but for some reason, the idea of doing that to Tav makes something dark settle in his stomach. It’s not good for business, he tells himself, if he makes Tav mad, then he will be on their bad side, and everything he has worked for so far will have been for naught. 

In the dull light cast by the moon, Astarion stares at the novel he had stolen. Dawn was still a few hours off, and he had been awfully bored lately. With a sigh, he settles on his bedroll, pulls the novel out, and begins to read. 

***

That’s how Tav finds him the next morning. Astarion finishes the last page and looks up to find Tav standing in the entrance to his tent. Tav’s green hair is frizzy, tangled, and mushed on one side where they slept. The bag that he can see under their eye (the other is hidden behind a dark green tattoo), is still darker than Astarion would really like it to be considering he’s staking his life on this person, but small steps. An hour or two of sleep was better than no sleep. 

Tav blinks at him, slow and groggy like they had woken up and wandered their way to Astarion first thing. “Did you…did you read it all?” they ask as their eyes drop to the book Astarion is still holding. Their eyes flick back to Astarion’s face and a frown settles across their face. “So you can stay up reading and I can't?” Tav crosses their arms and leans their weight onto one leg. 

“My dear, I am an elf. I don't sleep , I trance, and I had already done so before I went hunting last night.” Astarion stands and hands Tav their book back. “So yes, I can stay up reading and you can’t. It was a rather good book.”

“It’s my favorite,” Tav says. “There's a sequel, but the main character is different. The hero of this book is important to me, I can -” like they realized they were rambling, Tav cuts themselves off and presses the book closer to their chest. 

Astarion raises a brow, but whatever Tav was going to say, they don’t. “You can, what? You relate to the main character?” Astarion asks. “That’s rather concerning, given that he seems to seriously lack any common sense. You would think he wants to die, given the way he throws himself into any dangerous situation with no hesitation.” Tav stiffens across from him and it does not escape Astarion’s notice. Has he hit just a little too close to home? Would Tav hate him if he pressed just a little further? He hesitates before asking, “Is there something you want to talk about?” 

It’s not something Astarion would usually offer. It’s not like he really cares, he reasons, this is all just part of the plan to butter Tav up, to keep himself on their good side. And yet, there’s something nagging at his heart, telling him that this is serious, that there is an open wound that could fester if left alone. 

“No,” Tav says, shaking their head. “There’s not.” 

Well fine, if Tav didn’t want to talk about it, Astarion wouldn’t be the one to make them. What sort of person would he be, forcing Tav to spill their secrets when he’s keeping so many himself? Astarion knew the answer, of course. That's something the Astarion under Cazador’s control would’ve done. That Astarion would’ve pressed and sliced to the heart of the matter, until his mark was bleeding out and in need of comfort only he could provide. Knowledge of his mark’s insecurities, fears, and secrets gave him power and made them easier to manipulate and lure back to Cazador. But Cazador isn’t here, and Tav isn’t someone he’s trying to lure to their death.

Outside of Astarion’s tent, the rest of camp begins to stir. Astarion can hear Gale setting up for breakfast and Lae’zel sharpening her sword. 

Astarion cocks a hip and turns his most charming smile towards Tav. The weird moment that had grown between them had dissipated. “I'd get back to your own tent, less you want everyone to make their own assumptions about why you’re walking out of my tent, first thing in the morning, looking like that .” He examines the nails on his hand. “Not that I mind, either way, pretty thing that you are.” 

Tav seems to realize the implications as soon as Astarion mentions it and they hurry to back out of his tent. Red has crawled up their neck and settled into the tips of their ears, but their brows are furrowed and the corners of their mouth are downturned. It was the same face they had when they were reading, last night, when they had to slow to parse a more complicated paragraph. They’re looking at Astarion like he’s something they can’t figure out. Astarion isn’t really sure how to feel about that. 

“Yeah, sure, you’re right. Uh.. thanks for not…destroying my favorite book, or whatever.” They clutch their book close to their chest like a shield, turn on their heel, and scurry back to their own tent. 

They don’t emerge again until Gale calls for breakfast, and when they do, they look more put together than they did standing in Astarion’s tent this morning. They don’t bring any of it up again that morning, and they continue to not bring it up for about two weeks after that. 

In the meantime, their merry band takes out the leaders of the goblin army, save a bunch of tiefling refugees and reunite Halsin with the rest of the druids. They run into a vampire hunter and Tav does not turn Astarion in (to his mild surprise, no one else does either). They save a pregnant woman from a hag and they rescue some people from a burning building. 

Every little favor they could do, Tav would do. They weren’t always the nicest about it, either, which was the best part. Sometimes Astarion still grins when he thinks of the way Tav had shoved Minthara into that chasm or frightened that little tiefling kid to tears after rescuing him from harpies. In Astarion’s opinion, Tav was just enough of a bastard to make this adventure palatable. 

In those two weeks, Astarion doesn’t find Tav awake that late again. 

Of course, he doesn’t really check, why would he? There had been no more candles burning late into the night, no more tent flap left open, so Astarion assumes that Tav had been sleeping like a normal person should. He’s almost forgotten about the whole thing, until Tav nearly falls in battle. 

They were clearing some ruins of goblins when it happened. Astarion had been on a higher level than the rest of the battle, and was using his advantage to pick off the goblins that were swarming Karlach and trying to pull her down. He let loose another arrow and watched as it slammed into the side of a goblin’s throat, sending blood spraying onto Karlach’s boots. She didn’t seem to notice, preoccupied as she was with cleaving two other goblins in half. 

In front of Karlach, Lae’zel was fiercely holding her own in the open doorway, stopping a stream of goblins from entering the room and overwhelming them. Astarion couldn’t have helped her even if he wanted to, and he very much doubted she would appreciate it if he accidentally made her a pin-cushion. 

Tav was… Where was Tav? 

Astarion stepped forward, positioning himself just outside the torchlight, and scanned the battlefield. His eyes search for a flash of green amongst all the blood on the ground. He finally finds Tav in the back of the room, kneeling on the ground and struggling to reload their crossbow. Their sword has been knocked out of their hand and gleams a dull silver a few feet away from them. 

There are three goblins approaching them, weapons drawn. Tav glances up from where they’re frantically trying to pull back the bolt on their weapon and hastens their movements when they see how close the goblins are. Panic makes their fingers clumsy and they drop the arrow they were trying to load. When they reach for another, they find that there are no more. They throw the crossbow to the side and their eyes glow as the boom of Thunderwave ripples outward from their outstretched hands. 

The thunderous wave of force hits the three goblins square in the chest. One of them drops immediately, blood trickling out of its ears and eyes rolled back in its head. The other two barely stumble and continue advancing. 

Astarion moves before he can think. He fires an arrow at the goblin on the left, the one who looks a little worse off, and then he vanishes in a flash of white light. He materializes in front of Tav, dagger in hand. He’s lunging forward before the goblins have even realized he’s there. He stabs the one on the right in the throat before he yanks his dagger free and replaces it with his teeth. 

The arrow he had fired before moving finds a home in the eye socket of the other goblin. It falls with a clang, all its armor bouncing off the stone. Astarion pulls back from the goblin he had bitten, its throat still clamped right between his teeth. It gurgles, once, twice, hands reaching to try and stem the blood flowing from its throat, before it too falls. 

He spits out the flesh in his mouth and scans the battlefield again. Karlach swings her ax in an arc, catching the last two goblins surrounding her in the side and sending them sprawling. The one who took the brunt of the blade does not get back up. She brings the ax down on the head of the other with a wet crunch. Lae’zel is pulling her sword from another goblin. She eyes the pile of corpses in the doorway with disdain. 

Satisfied that it’s as safe as it can be, given their circumstances, Astarion takes a moment to take stock of himself. His hands are bunched into fists at his side, the grip on his dagger so tight it almost hurts. He grinds his teeth and takes a deep breath through his nose. He's angry, he realizes. So, so angry. He does not examine why. He also does not examine the second emotion wrapped in that anger, the one that’s making his stomach flip and his throat tight. 

Instead, he whirls on Tav. “What in the sweet hells were you thinking?” Astarion yells. His voice echoes off the stone around them, catching the attention of both Karlach and Lae’zel. 

They wisely do not approach. 

Astarion bends to furiously wipe his dagger on the shirt of a dead goblin before he sheathes it. He straightens and stalks to where Tav’s sword has fallen. “You almost got yourself killed!” He gives the sword a swift kick, sending it clattering across the stone in Tav’s direction.

Tav picks up their sword and sheaths it before standing. Their crossbow is already hooked to their hip. “I'm sorry!” Their hands are up as they try to calm Astarion. 

But Astarion isn’t listening. “I guessed you had a death wish, but I didn't think it was this bad! Goblins? Really? That's how you want your adventure to end? With a piddling little goblin dagger in your chest?” A rational part of his mind knows that they can always just bring Tav back, either with a scroll or by asking Withers, but that’s not the point . 

“I wasn't trying to die!” Tav snaps. 

“Like hell you weren’t!” Astarion snaps back, “I've seen you cast Thunderwave a hundred times at this point, and it has never been that weak!” 

All the fight seems to drain from Tav in an instant. They curl in on themselves just slightly, arms crossed and hands tucked under their armpits. They stare at Astarion and Astarion glares back. Now that he’s not yelling, Astarion can properly look at Tav. He immediately notices the exhausted glaze in their eyes and the dark bags under them, visible even through their tattoo. 

“Not trying to die,” Tav mumbles. “Just tired.” They sway a little and then their knees buckle, pitching them forward. 

They’re saved from hitting the ground only because they hit Astarion first. 

***

Astarion hears Tav’s breathing shift, recognizes the increase in their heart rate an instant before their eyes open. If they’re surprised to see Astarion sitting in their tent with their book in his lap, they don’t show it. 

For a minute they just stare at each other, daring the other to break the silence first. The only noise comes from the wind blowing through Tav’s pinned open tent flap. In the end, it’s Tav who speaks first. “If you’re going to yell at me more, you can leave.” Their eyes shift to the roof of their tent and they study the pattern in the fabric.

“That's a lot of gratitude for the person who kept you from face planting into stone.” 

Tav sighs and when they speak their tone is flat and tinged with sarcasm. “Thank you for saving me from a broken nose, Astarion.” After their thanks, they wait, shoulders tense and hands fisted in their bedroll. 

They’re waiting for Astarion to yell at them again, he realizes. He blows out a breath between his teeth. “I'm not going to yell at you again, even if I think you deserve it for being an idiot .”

Their shoulders relax and they release their fists. “If you’re not going to yell at me, then why are you here? No offense, but I didn't think you really cared that much.” 

Astarion gently sets aside Tav’s book before he leans forward. He settles his elbows on his knees and rests his chin on his interlaced fingers. “What makes you think I don't care?” Mentally, he’s going over their interactions, trying to find where his facade had slipped, where he had even remotely managed to imply that he wasn’t interested in Tav. 

There weren’t many things that Astarion felt he was good at, but lying and manipulation happened to be one of them. He had to be good at them if he wanted to survive under Cazador, and at the moment he wasn’t coming up with any reason for Tav to doubt his act.

“Because nobody ever cares about me,” Tav replies. There’s no question in their voice, no hesitation. They state that depressing piece of information like it’s a fact, something set in stone that they’ve always known is true. “I've been lied to, asked out or strung along as a joke enough times that I know when something isn’t right.” 

Astarion straightens. He hadn’t really expected for his plan to be found out like that, but he figured there was no point trying to lie about it now. He’d already crossed the line and yelled in Tav’s face. They were probably just waiting for the chance to throw it back at him and kick him to the gutter. “I won’t lie, it started out like that,” he agrees. “I thought if I could seduce you, get on your good side, then you wouldn’t kick me out of camp, you wouldn’t let anyone else here stake me in the night.” He studies Tav’s face for a reaction.  

Again, Tav does not show any signs of surprise. “You didn’t have to pretend to flirt with me to get on my good side.” They laugh softly. “You’re a bit of a bastard, but I like you enough without all of…that.” They wave their hand in a vague, all encompassing gesture. Tav’s smile shifts, grows small, fragile, and bitter, and Astarion feels a pang of regret for being the cause of the change.

That realization surprises him. Why does he feel like that? When did he genuinely start caring about what happened to Tav, about how they felt? He thinks back to that second feeling when he thought they were about to die, the one he had hidden underneath the anger, the one he ignored by lashing out. 

“I was…” he grimaces but forces himself to continue. “I was worried about you, at the ruins.” 

“You have a funny way of showing it,” Tav replies and Astarion throws his hands up with a huff.

“You don’t believe me?” Astarion demands. He nearly grinds his teeth into dust when Tav confirms that they don’t, in fact, believe him. It made sense, he had been lying to them for weeks now, there was no reason to suspect he wasn’t lying now. Except, now they’ve got these funny little parasites in their heads that are telepathically linked. Astarion reaches forward with his tadpole at the same time he says, “Open your mind, I can show you.” 

And Tav does, they let him in just enough that he can feed them the memory of seeing them kneeling on the ground with goblins approaching them. He lets them feel the anger, the physical reactions, he lets them see everything in that span between when Astarion had spotted them and they collapsed. When he’s done, he pulls his mind back and settles with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

“Oh,” Tav says. “You really were worried.” 

“Yes!” Astarion nearly shouts. “I’ve spent 200 years lying to people about every emotion I've ever felt. 200 years of stamping anything truthful into the dirt so that I could survive. Worrying about someone, caring about someone, would’ve gotten me killed. It still might!” Astarion doesn’t really know why he feels the need to explain, to defend himself and the reasoning behind his actions when he had just shown them . He stops, takes a deep breath and levels his voice back into a normal volume. “This is new to me. I don't know how to do this,” he gestures between them with one hand. “Whatever this is.” 

At some point during his rant, Tav had sat up and was staring at him with wide eyes. “Astarion -”

Astarion holds up a hand to stop them. “I don't want to talk about it right now,” he says. “This isn’t about me.” While it’s a true statement, Astarion just wants the spotlight off his past. He’s divulged enough tonight, and now it’s Tav’s turn. “This is about your appalling lack of self-preservation skills. What happened today?” 

Tav fidgets with a loose thread on their pants. “Told you, I was just tired.” Their eyes slide to the book Astarion has set aside and then back to the thread on their pants. “I've never been able to sleep well, but with everything that’s happening it’s been so much worse. It's like I can feel the tadpole in my brain, all the time .” They start to reach for the side of their head, but change their mind and instead tuck their hand under their leg. “I've been reading to distract myself from it until I'm so exhausted I can't keep my eyes open. After you found me that night, I didn't want another confrontation so…” 

Astarion makes a noise of understanding. Escapism is not something he’s unfamiliar with. “You’ve been reading in the dark, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” they reply. They shrug and finally look Astarion in the face. “I guess it just caught up to me today.” 

A flash of irritation makes its way through Astarion at the casual way Tav seems to shrug the whole thing off. Like it’s absolutely no big deal that they almost died today because they were too tired to reload their crossbow or cast a stronger version of Thunderwave. Astarion doesn’t say any of this outloud. He had said he wasn’t going to yell at Tav. “I would rather say so,” Astarion says, instead. “As the rest of this group of weirdos has decided to make you de facto leader, and I value being alive, which is somewhat contingent on your survival, you will get some sleep.” 

Astarion reaches over and shoves Tav’s shoulder. They fall onto their back on their bedroll with a soft oof . “You can’t sleep without a distraction, fine, but you are going to lay there, close your eyes, and let me read.” He is not asking. He is telling. Tav opens their mouth like they’re going to complain, but Astarion silences them with a glare. “Shut up or I'm leaving, and I'm taking the book with me,” Astarion says, and it comes out a little harsher than he actually means it, but he’s not going to back down now. 

He waits a moment, but Tav voices no argument, so he picks up Tav's book, opens to the first page, and begins to read in a soft voice. 

In the space between one sentence and the next, he hears Tav whisper, “I’m glad we’re friends, Astarion.” Astarion pretends he doesn’t hear it and continues reading. 

[jomiddlemarch]

A handshake is available upon request 

“There used to be offices. Actual fucking offices, doors, windows, generic black and white landscape photography in a black frame because they wanted to be a little edgy, architect-school-wannabes,” Nina announced at the water cooler, which had been moved out of what was nominally the kitchen-slash-lounge, so that it was less appealing to stand around and chat. They weren’t allowed to bring in their own water bottles however, because their bathroom breaks were strictly regulated and a full Stanley on even 50% renal function equaled more time away from their screens than they were allocated. The water cooler had tiny paper cones to drink out of and if you didn’t swallow the whole thing right away, the paper would start to turn into mush in your hand. It wasn’t compostable though, because collecting compost would take time out of someone’s schedule that didn’t generate income.

“Really?” Alina said, keeping her voice lower than Nina’s. Nina was a veteran, relatively speaking, having survived the layoffs in ’18,’19, and ’22 and she wore Grimace purple Converse to the office on casual Fridays. Alina was approaching the end of her 90-day probation and needed to keep the job for the benefits more than anything else. The pay wasn’t great but there was vision and dental.

“Yeah, that was before all this cubicle shit,” Nina said. “If you don’t believe me, ask Gen. She remembers—”

“They said it would build morale. We’d all be interacting and sparking ideas or some nonsense like that. Like they want us to have ideas,” Gen offered. She was a bit more circumspect than Nina, which wasn’t saying all that much. She’d been assigned to show Alina the ropes the first week and fortunately, they were becoming friends. Well, work-friends. “They also took out all the vending machines except the one on the 24th floor.”

“The one with the ancient turkey sandwiches?” Alina said.

“Doesn’t ever need to be restocked, does it?” Nina said.

“We’re all just drones now,” Gen said. “Look what they did to David—”

“He was lucky he didn’t get fired for finding that loophole,” Nina said. Gen could get ranty about David, whom she’d had a crush on for like a year and who barely spoke to her, even though everyone could tell he was interested. “It’s worse what happened to Alex. That’s an absolute fucking nightmare.”

“What happened to him?” Alina asked. She’d seen Alex around, a tall, impassive dark-haired man with a close-cropped beard in the standard corporate uniform—charcoal or navy pants, button-down, no tie, cross-body nylon satchel—though she’d thought if he ever smiled, he’d probably be quite the looker. Not that he’d ever look at her, just one step up from a temp. 

“You know he basically built the place from the ground up, but I guess he was over-leveraged, there’s some rumor about his mother being in a crazy expensive assisted living with like a private nurse, but he doesn’t talk about her. After the takeover, he couldn’t afford to leave or he wouldn’t, there’s no real agreement on that part, and anyway, they took his top floor corner office and stuck him on 11. He’s got a door but no windows, can’t even keep a goddamn aspidistra alive in there,” Nina said. 

“Shit, there’s tattle-tail Tatiana and she’d coming over,” Gen muttered, then plastered a broad and clearly fake smile on her face, ducking her chin slightly to make her pony-tail bounce. “Hi, Tatiana!”

“Your reports ready to be filed?” Tatiana, the ostensible division supervisor, said. She looked lacquered, like she’d been manicured head-to-toe and left under the UV drying lamp a little too long. She didn’t smile but made some kind of smile-adjacent expression that showed her teeth. She must have the high dental plan because she clearly had caps.

“Just about,” Nina said. “Talk to you later, Alina—”

“After work,” Tatiana said. Nina nodded, then winked at Alina when Tatiana turned to squint across the floor at the cubicle Matt sat in, his blond head towering over the felted-composite wall.

“Yes, I was just going,” Alina said, though Tatiana had lost interest and had pivoted, obviously intending to walk over to Matt and find some reason to interrupt him. He’d play up his Norwegian, acting like he didn’t understand her, when Alina knew he was completely fluent in English, but he’d figured out it was the easiest way to get Tatiana to move along without getting saddled with additional work.

“Alina, maybe you can do me a solid? I left a folder on 11,” Nina said. “Can you run it down for me before you finish your break—”

“Break’s only 10 minutes. You better hurry,” Tatiana said.

“Of course, not a problem. Teamwork makes the dreamwork, right?” Alina replied as cheerful as a cartoon princess slogging it out in the forest with gnomes or dwarves or a nosey bunch of rodents, aware it was Day 84 and that she needed Tatiana to sign off on her or at least not have a reason to dump her. She was also aware that Nina had no folder, but that there was an office supply closet with the folders they used on their floor and that it was right next to the only office on 11. The office that evidently belonged to Alex, former CEO, now cooped up with a withering aspidistra. He could maybe use a cup of what passed for coffee in what passed for a general collegial friendliness, if you discounted that they worked in a cold steel skyscraper engaged in the soulless corporate grind.

For @iamstartraveller776 who suggested Evil Universe Trope "no coffee-shops, bakeries, florists...only cold steel skyscrapers in the soulless corporate grind" and with thanks to Severance for making it mainstream :)