#genuinely though i feel awesome and i can DO MY JOB NOW

[unusualshrimp]

sorry for not shutting up about caffeine but it's genuinely changing my life

[moonstruckme]

I know we have emt mauraders (and I absolutely love them with all of my heart), but I can't get the image of fireman James out of my head. He's just so beefed up and just has that build about him. You know? 🫠

So true babe <3

cw: reader is trapped in elevator for a bit

firefighter!James x fem!reader ♡ 753 words

It took you some time to work up the courage to press the HELP button. Your building’s elevator has always been a bit scary, shuddering and screeching ever since you’d moved in, so you’d hoped for a while that it would just fix itself, remember that it was supposed to be moving and deliver you safely to your floor. No such luck.

You’re endlessly glad that you’re going home and not running late to work when it takes the fire crew another twenty minutes to show up. You’re guessing elevator rescues aren’t at the top of their priority list. When someone finally bangs on a door somewhere below you, you scramble up from where you’ve been sitting on the floor. 

“Fire department,” a man’s voice says.

“Hi,” you call back, feeling immediately stupid for it. Were you supposed to say your job description back or something? 

“Is everyone okay? How many of you are there?” 

“It’s—it’s just me.” 

“Alright,” the voice says, “we’re gonna get you out of there, just give us a second.” 

You hum back though he probably can’t hear. There’s a lot of creaking metal and muffled voices, and then the door to your prison squeaks slowly open. Most of what you can see is clearly elevator shaft, but there’s a small opening at your feet. Once it’s a couple of feet wide, a curly head pops through. 

“Hi,” the voice from earlier says. It comes from a lovely face, all tan skin and warm eyes and a radiant smile, like this man finds everything about his day genuinely cheering. “You alright in here? Injured at all?” 

It takes you a second to find your voice, and even once you do it sounds pitchier than normal. “No, I’m fine. Thanks.” 

“Perfect.” Somehow, his grin seems to widen, which is a bit much for you right now. Suddenly you’re kind of dizzy. “Okay, I’m just going to have you scooch on your bum over here and stick your legs out, yeah? I’ll pop out so I can lower you down.” 

He’s going…he’s going to grab your legs. Okay. Awesome. This is totally your everyday. 

Some of your hesitance must show on your face, because the man’s expression softens. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even introduce myself,” he says. “I’m James. What’s your name?” 

You tell him, so quietly you’re not sure he can hear, but James nods anyway. “Y/n, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You’ve already been stuck for god knows how long, and I’m sure you’d like to get to where you’re going. This is the easy part, okay?” 

“Okay,” you echo. 

James gives you an encouraging smile, retreating from the opening. “Alright, just set your legs out here,” he calls up. 

You sit down on the elevator floor, slipping your feet through so your legs are dangling in open air. A second later, strong hands grip the undersides of your thighs. 

“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” James says. “I’m gonna ease you out, and I just need you to lean back so you don’t bump your head on anything, yeah?” 

You hum in response. He starts pulling you out of the elevator, his grip moving up your thighs to your bottom once it emerges. Your heart thunders, both from the intimate contact and from trusting your weight wholly to someone else. Soon you’ve cleared the opening. Another set of hands cups the back of your head to ensure you don’t hit it on the elevator floor, and then you’re sitting up, your hands landing on James’ shoulders for balance. They’re really quite substantial, you can’t help but notice, wide and full of thick, corded muscle. He tilts his head back, grinning up at you. 

“See?” he says. “Easy.” 

A dizzy little laugh escapes you, and James’ grin takes on a whole new quality. Something curious about it. He hoists you up in his arms, grip transferring to your waist so he can lower you to the floor. 

“Thanks,” you manage, looking up at him. You look at the other handful of firefighters around too, the embarrassment of your situation finally sinking in. Your face heats. “I really appreciate the help.” 

“Anytime, sweetheart,” James says. As the others start packing up equipment, his attention stays on you. “You sure you’re alright? Where are you going from here?” 

You do your best to give him a smile of your own. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m just going home. I live on the sixth floor.” 

He hums. “Best take the stairs this time.”

[uzurakis]

HERE TO SEND YOU BLUELOCK HEAD CANNONS! >:D

Can you do headcannons of the guys and how they would be like if they were teaching us how to play soccer? Hope this is interesting for you ^^, if you're interested to make them thanks in advance!

TEACHING YOU SOCCER?!

featuring: michael kaiser. itoshi rin. oliver aiku. isagi yoichi. bachira meguru.

n. yees darling, i was invested to write this (it's a challenging one because i don't really play soccer myself). hope i nailed it though, thank you to u too <3

MICHAEL KAISER. "nice shot!" kaiser exclaimed, clapping you on the back. "but don't get too cocky, mein liebling."

"learned from the best, i guess," you teased, nodding toward kaiser. "after all, my boyfriend's the world's number one striker, hmm?"

kaiser's eyes widened in mock surprise, a beam spreading across his face. "well, when you put it that way," he said, puffing out his chest with pride and sliding back his golden locks. "i suppose i am pretty amazing."

"ah, but if i'm the world's number one striker," he continued, trying to tease you with words, "then that must mean you have to kneel before me, right?"

you lifted an eyebrow, unable to stop snickering at his exaggerated claim. "huh, is that so?" playing along with his joke. "i guess i'll have to remember to bow down to the soccer king himself."

the guy grinned, clearly enjoying the playful exchange. "that's more like it," now his voice filled with mock superiority, typical kaiser. "but don't worry, i'll be a generous king."

ITOSHI RIN. "fine, i'll try my best, but just so you know, i'm not really good at teaching," rin confessed, feeling apologetic because he’s not used to teaching others. and now, his girlfriend wants to learn how to play soccer.

rin took a deep breath, trying to muster up some confidence as he began to explain the basics of dribbling. "uh, alright, first, dribbling. just try to keep the ball close to your feet for now," he instructed, a bit hesitant.

"oi, dont look at me, look at the ball," he reminded you. "sorry," you chuckled, truly didn't realize you weren't paying attention. come on, just look at him. "if i’m being honest, you look really hot like this," you teased, but, it’s true though!

rin's cheeks flushed slightly at your comment, but he quickly regained his composure. "focus," he replied. though there was a hint of annoyance, you couldn't help but sneak a glance at rin's face as he continued to give you instructions, his cheeks flushed slightly from your earlier comment.

suddenly, rin's voice broke through your reverie, snapping you back to reality. "i said focus!"

OLIVER AIKU. "keep your eye on the ball and follow through with your kick," aiku instructed while you attempted to pass the ball to him.

even when you struggled or made mistakes, aiku remained patient and supportive, offering gentle guidance to help you improve. "try to angle your foot a bit more next time," he suggested, as you missed the mark with your pass. "you're doing great, sweetie. just keep practicing."

by the end of the session, you were exhausted but thankful for aiku's patience and support. he wrapped his arm around your shoulders, a proud smile on his lips.

"you're making progress, sweetie," he soothed, genuine and affectionate. "with a little more practice, you'll beat me out here."

BACHIRA MEGURU. "okaaay, let's start with some dribbling drills," he said, bachira was overjoyed since this meant he had another friend to play soccer with. "try to keep the ball under control as you move around me, kaay?"

you nodded, determined to give it your best shot. as you began to dribble the ball, you stumbled a bit, but bachira was quick to offer a push. "nice job, baby! you're getting the hang of it," he cheered, clapping his hands in support.

with each effort, you gained confidence and dribbled past bachira with greater ease. bachira congratulated you on your small wins every time you successfully escaped him. "woah, that was awesome! baby, i’m so happy!" he exclaimed, giving you a high-five.

"great effort, babes! keep it up, and you'll get it," he encouraged, his words filling you with determination. “lets keep playing together!”

ISAGI YOICHI. "hey, it's okay," isagi said gently, stepping closer to you. "here, let me show you."

he moved behind you and gently guided your legs into the correct position, his touch firm yet gentle. "see? keep your body low and your touches light," he explained, moving your legs in rhythm with the ball. "you've got this, angel.”

with isagi's guidance, you began to feel more confident, dribbling the ball with increasing control. whenever you made a mistake, your boyfriend always offered gentle correction and encouragement.

"nice try, but try to keep the ball closer to your feet," he would say, his tone encouraging. "like this," demonstrating the correct form before guiding your legs to mimic his movements.

@uzurakis

[aishabbbb]

You're just so cute!

Part 2

Strawhats x Affectionate! Reader

Can be read romantically or platonically(except for Chopper! He is platonic.)

Enies Lobby mentions for Robin, but nothing spoiler worthy.

Characters: Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brook

CHOPPER

We already know how he is with compliments😭

Will insult anyone who does

He just gets sooo embarrased.

But that doesn't mean anything to you.

So he has to get his A game on.

"You have Luffy's smartness!" "You are even more unfunny than Brooks jokes" "How are you more of a crybaby than Franky?"

"You smell worse than Zoro." "You're eyes are creepier than Robins!" "Why does Nami has less anger issues than you?!"

Ends up insulting the whole crew just to get you to knock it off.

But these attacks don't work so he stops them(Nami, Franky, and Usopp get mad at him for dragging them.)

He will never get used to them fully. But you can praise him without him immediately insulting you.

Once in a blue moon he might just accept it.

But that is rare.

Feels happy when you notice things others do not.

He likes praises from you as much as from Robin.

ROBIN

She is an enigma.

You cannot tell how she takes it.

She always gives the same response: a gentle smile and a thank you.

That is the extent you witness

But her head is always going haywire

Before Enies lobby she feels like you wouldn't be saying this if you knew her backstory.

She doesn't blame you, just can't believe it is actually genuine out of insecurity.

After enies lobby, at first she might think you don't again mean it because it might be out of sympathy.

But she realizes quickly that it is truthful.

She genuinely appreciates every compliment you give her after that realization.

Like Nami, she loves when you praise her character because being known as a demon child and evil since the age of 8 does wonders on ones self esteem.

She will still think she is somewhat undeserving, but her confidence and self esteem build up over time.

She will reciprocate any praise back.

When she doesn't actively try to compliment you, the praise is beautiful.

But when she is actively trying, they come off as kind of creepy.

Think Ishigami noticing Chika's Shampoo.

She will act exactly like Ishigami if you say that it is creepy(but say she wants to die in her head.)

Do not blame her she is trying!

FRANKY

Lets be real. He is the complimentor of the strawhats.

You can't compete where you can't compare.

When you start your complimenting campaign, he takes it as a competition.

If you praise someone, he comesback with two. If you point something out no one else noticed in your crewmate, he actually noticed first because he raised them, taught them to read, and gave birth to them.

You two always get into compliment battles. You say he is cool, well you are not just cool but awesome. If you think he is the best shipwright, well now you are the most SUPER best (crew job) in the world!

You just yell at each other, but instead of insults, it is just nice things. Nami has to threaten you two to shut up.

Yall get stares if you do this in public

You get annoyed with his antics, so you curate a plan to get him to stop.

We all know he can be a bit of a crier(he just has a lot of feelings.)

So you keep track of why he cries everytime, trying to find a pattern.

You find his weakspot.

"Franky, you are honestly such a good peeaon. I wish you were my older brother. You'd be the best brother in the world."

Cue water works.

He cannot respond to you other than a thank you and a weak compliment back.

But it is clear to anyone that you won.

This doesn't stop any compliment battles though.

BROOK

Other than Luffy, he is the only one that doesn't reject the praise at first for some reason.

From the jump is chill about it and appreciates it.

This makes it easier for you.

But you have to put up with so many jokes.

I'm sorry I cannot do skeleton jokes, so I got these off of google

"Wow you are always so calm Brook!" "That's because nothing gets under my skin! YOHOHOHOHOOOOO!!!"

"You can play any type of music! Wow!" "But not church music." "Why not?" "Because I have not Organs! Yohoho!"

😐

Listen, i never said you won't have ANY difficulties.

He isn't as insecure as others but it still makes his self esteem better.

The praise makes him more confident in himself.

After being alone for so long, he deserves all the praise

He shows off his musical skills to you a lot kore than anyone else since who doesn't want to hear thet are the Shit.

[literatureloverx]

Just use this blog! I would love to get your thoughts in Chuuya since you do such an amazing job with Fyodor. Would be awesome to know your ideal types for the other bsd guys (..well chuuya mainly)

Such a cutie patootie request 🥹 I love it, and I’ve been wanting to write about this for a while now!

I’m a bit nervous about writing a character who isn’t Fyodor, but I really hope I can meet your expectations. ❤️ I would hate to disappoint. 🥺

Just a heads-up: I’m also planning to write about Dazai’s, Nikolai’s, and maybe even Akutagawa’s ideal types at some point. ❤️

Chuuya x fem!reader, Chuuya x ideal type!reader.🧡

Chuuya’s ideal type

In my character analysis post for Fyodor, I mentioned that Fyodor is not a "darling-neutral" character, which suggests that he has a very clear and non-negotiable ideal type.

However, this is certainly not the case with our beloved Chuuya.

Chuuya is genuinely "darling-neutral," but I’d like to depict an ideal type nonetheless, as I believe he has some aspects he would greatly admire in a woman.

Although I can’t recall where I read it, it was mentioned somewhere that Chuuya appreciates elegant people with a good sense of fashion.

When I think of such a person, I immediately picture an elegant woman who knows how to carry herself effectively and gracefully.

A good sense of fashion often indicates high self-esteem and self-worth.

This leads me to believe that Chuuya’s ideal type would definitely be someone confident.

It’s important to clarify that confidence doesn’t mean being loud or mean.

Imagine someone who is elegant, feminine (but not hyper-feminine), and confident.

This person would not be gracefully meek or silent but would act, look, behave, and move with class and confidence.

Given Chuuya’s own pride in his male strength, his keen sense of fashion, and his confidence brimming with pride, I believe he would fall for such a person almost immediately.

However, his ideal partner should not challenge him in a way that disrupts his sense of harmony.

This is precisely why he says he hates Dazai; it’s not that he hates Dazai himself, but rather the constant challenges Dazai presents that unsettle him.

Chuuya is a proud man in every possible way, and he wouldn’t easily tolerate disrespect or undue challenge.

In terms of physical appearance, I don’t think that attributes like hair or skin color, height (even though he is 5'3"/160 cm), or weight would be of significant importance to him.

However, I don’t believe he would be attracted to someone who is obese. Don’t get me wrong—he is strong enough to carry someone regardless of their weight, but it’s simply not his vibe.

“If a person’s body is prominent, it should be due to athleticism.”—Chuuya, probably.

Still, I don’t see him caring much about your fitness level either.

When I said he is "darling-neutral," I genuinely meant it.

I believe that Chuuya could easily fall in love with a shy, more masculine, sincere, or careful partner.

He has a beautiful and deeply humane heart, which allows him to see the best in his partner, no matter their characteristics.

However, this is not in a naive way—he would guide his partner to the right path if he sensed something might be off.

On the emotional side, Chuuya loves challenges, but his life is already filled with them. He might seek rest in his partner’s arms rather than being constantly challenged.

He would likely get bored with someone who is only loving but not truly engaging, as he is not a passive person himself.

Chuuya is active in whatever he does.

Chuuya is active in everything he does, so he needs a partner who can at least keep up with his lifestyle.

As a feared man and a valuable part of the Port Mafia—an executive, no less—his position should not intimidate his partner.

This is why I believe he wouldn’t keep his situation a secret.

He wants a true partner, someone loyal to him who also has a life of her own with meaningful activities, so she doesn’t feel alone or isolated when he’s not around.

His ideal partner should be independent and capable of taking care of herself, but also willing to let him take care of her—not because she needs it, but because she wants it.

This is how Chuuya expresses his love, through grand gestures and physical affection.

His partner should accept this wholeheartedly.

Loyalty is one of the most important aspects of Chuuya's relationship with his partner. He is loyal until the end of time, and he expects the same in return.

Then there’s his expensive wine collection—he’s not a heavy drinker, but he enjoys a good glass of wine now and then, especially when celebrating or unwinding after a long day.

He would expect his partner to share these peaceful moments with him. His vulnerable state when he drinks and relaxes gives him a sense of domestic warmth.

I’m not sure if this is a common interpretation of Chuuya’s character, but I see him as a somewhat possessive lover—perhaps not possessive in the typical sense, but definitely territorial.

Sexually, he may be very possessive, but in other aspects, he’s more about asserting his territory.

Because he won’t take it lightly if someone flirts with you or eyes you, you’ll need to be someone who can maintain a certain distance from others when necessary.

This is why I envisioned an ideal type for Chuuya who is classy, carrying herself with elegance and confidence, rather than someone who is chatty or bubbly.

Chuuya is territorial, and while you’re free to do as you please—go shopping with friends (he would even give you his black card), meet them anywhere, or engage in any activities you like—he barely has time for himself.

So, when he does have time for the two of you, he would expect you to set everything else aside to spend that time together.

That is why he needs someone who is ready to make sacrifices when needed.

Edit: I practically forgot to mention any real sexual content about his potential darling, so here they are:

I don’t think he would care whether his partner is a virgin or not, but if you are, he’d be very proud to be your first and would strive to make your first experience as beautiful and sensually unforgettable as possible.

However, I can’t see him being attracted to someone who is "too open" with sexual encounters, like someone who sleeps around.

This simply doesn’t align with the image of a woman who carries herself with confidence and grace.

[madridfangirl]

Star crossed lovers (Jude Bellingham fanfic)

Chapter 4

(Series Link)

Jude * female reader

Warnings: None. Slightly mature language in parts.

Synopsis: A chance encounter in a tiny Madrid cafe with the newest superstar of her fav club. The two couldn't be more different, yet both feel the pull toward the other. Would this girl be the one he finally falls for? Would she make him change his ways? Even though she resists him every step of the way, would he fight all odds (& her) to have her in his life? Or would life come in the way of these star-crossed lovers?

…………………………..

Jude let go of her hands, which fell in her lap, and took two steps back to look at her. The mood needed some lightening up.

‘Look at you, shooting me down two nights in a row. One would think I played for Barca, not Madrid.’

This made her look back at him. His silliness made her smile, she couldn’t help herself.

‘There is no way I would be sitting in your kitchen if that were the case.’

‘Finally, the sass is back. Hallelujah!’

He mimicked his celebration, with his hands raised, quite proud of himself in the moment.

She tried kicking his knee to wipe that smirk off his face but he dodged just in time, both laughing by now.

‘Let’s get some food in you. And more wine, definitely more wine. Then we will talk.’

They moved to the living room couch with their dinner and drinks, and settled on watching an episode of Friends. Both knew the show by heart and it served as the perfect distraction. The food was lovely too. White sauce pasta was her ultimate comfort food - she had no idea how he chose this or if it was just something his cook decided to make.

But what helped the most was the wine. It tasted like little drops of heaven. She knew it would be some fancy ass bottle she won’t even be able to pronounce so she didn’t even bother checking the name.

It had started raining by then, she could see the downpour through the French windows facing the backyard. And in Madrid, when it rained, it poured.

While she was looking outside, he cleared the empty plates and came back to the couch with re-filled glasses.

‘Agnes will drop you back later, don’t worry. He’s awesome at driving.’

She turned around and thanked him with a genuine smile, taking the glass from his outstretched hand.

‘Now, tell me, why so intent on shooting me down?’

He tilted his head towards her, patiently waiting for a response. Ananya looked down wryly, while her fingers played with the fabric of the couch.

‘It’s not something I set out to do. But, you and me, we are so different. Don’t you think?’

‘Why do you think so?’

‘Isn’t it obvious? Our jobs, our worlds, our lives, our circles, our priorities - every damn thing is different. There is nothing in common.’

‘Or we are two young, lively, ambitious people, enjoying life in a new city while still being connected to our families back home. That’s how I see it.’

She shook her head in frustration.

‘C’monn, Jude. I am sure you can see my point. You can see what I mean.’

He scanned her face for a few seconds, before conceding.

‘Alright, cool. Yes, we are different. Why is that such a bad thing though? Don’t opposites attract?’

‘Only in movies. And novels. Not in real life. Practicality always wins in real life.’

‘Don’t believe in romance then? In love and fairy tales?’

‘Romance, yes. Love, yes. But not in fairy tales. Not in Price Charming or a White Knight. Not in some star crossed lovers kinda story.’

‘That’s too much scepticism for a 20 year old, y’know.’

She just shrugged in response. He wondered if there was a story behind it. If something, someone rather, made her feel this way. But that thought was so unpleasant that he quickly snapped out of it. Conversation for another time.

‘Ok, let’s stick to practicality then. Let’s break it down. Why can’t we give this a try and see where it goes? Why do we have to think 50 steps ahead on day 1?

‘Define giving it a try.’

‘Dating.’

‘And what would that entail?’

He had been leaning against the back of the couch but sat upright then, and looked at her quizzically.

‘You are asking me what dating entails?’

‘No. I am asking what dating you entails. Would it mean going to your matches, going out in the city with you, to be clicked in public with you? Yeah?’

‘Well, yeah, I guess.’

She sighed, and he put his glass on the table, utterly confused now. When she spoke next, her voice was small but firm.

‘The thing is, just the thought of that, of so many eyes on me is nauseating. It makes me want to run. I can’t handle the pressure of being in the public eye like that. Of being under constant scrutiny. The media will dig out every photo, every text, every said and unsaid thing. And not just that, the fans Jude. Some of your fan girls will absolutely detest my existence, for not being deserving in their eye of the most sought after guy in all of Europe maybe. And I live here, right in the epicentre of all this. It won’t just be virtual. It will be everywhere around me.’

Ananya took a big sip from her glass, almost gulping down the remaining half in one go. While he sat still, trying to process everything she was saying. She continued immediately after.

‘Also, who’s gonna take me seriously at work then? Do you know how hard it is to get into investment banking? There are so few women who graduate to leadership roles in this field - the glass ceiling is present and real. And I am just starting out. I worked my ass off to get here. But they will all just look at me as your…, as some kind of floozy..’

He didn’t let her finish. Jude grabbed both her hands, held them together between his and squeezed firmly.

‘Shhhhhhhh, calm down, calm down babe. I hear you.’

She breathed heavily, gradually opening her eyes as he kept making shushing noises in the meantime.

His eyes were kind and sincere, seeking hers. She nearly got pulled into them but managed to regain her balance. He spoke softly, with understanding.

‘It’s not that bad for some guys, y’know. Tony was telling me how Jessica has pretty much been able to do her own thing here, without much glare. Same for quite a few other guys.’

‘Jude, they are not you. And please don’t make me explain what that means, you already know it.’

Yes, he knew what she meant. She could see it with the resignation in his eyes.

It was his turn to look away to compose himself. She couldn’t resist admiring his face from so close, as he was lost in thought.

‘How about this - we don’t tell anyone. No one. Just you and me. We meet either here or at your place. I will find a way to get there without being seen. No media. No fans. No pictures. No drama. No pressure. Till we are ready. Till you are ready.’

His eyes had changed shade again, filled with resolve now.

She considered every word and replayed it over in her head.

‘That’s not ideal for you, though, is it?’

‘Maybe it is. The media finds enough fodder to rip apart my life and my family’s as it is, let’s not give them more juice. It could be a good thing dove, seriously.’

She scanned his face to see if he really meant what he said. When she couldn’t find any evidence to the contrary, she let out a little sigh.

‘You are sweet.’

‘You are pretty.’

His instant response threw her off-guard. The look of surprise on her face and her failed attempt to speak was deeply amusing to him. Along with the little blush that was starting to creep up at the top of her cheeks.

She pulled out her hands from his hold, gathered herself and tried to look admonishing. He just laughed at her response and flashed her his biggest smile, all 32 teeth visible.

Ananya was convinced he was just trying to distract her from the conversation. The darned thing was, it was working.

‘Can you please be serious, Jude?’

‘I say it as I see it.’

He retorted, meeting the challenge in her voice.

Just then, his phone rang loudly and they both jumped from the suddenness of it. He looked at the phone, then looked at her indecisively.

‘Umm, it’s my Mum.’

‘Go talk to her, she must be calling about the match. What are you waiting for?’

He beamed happily at her, almost thanking her for understanding. Then quickly answered the phone, moving to the next room. She could see him through the glass windows, walking up and down, practically skipping with joy while discussing the match with his mom.

It was such a sweet moment. He looked like a 5 year old little boy telling his mom he came first in a school race. The love was practically radiating from his being.

She smiled, then busied herself with her phone. Giving them their privacy.

Her insta was filled with messages of shock, awe and jealousy of them getting to watch the Classico live. She chuckled and scrolled through all, reminding herself to respond later.

Roma had sent her a few messages too, asking her how it was going. And throwing in some deeply suggestive comments in between. Ananya could tell her friend was drunk. If only she knew what was really happening here, she would probably murder her.

What was really happening here? She was ruining what was probably the best day of his life yet by discussing her complicated thoughts. He could have been celebrating with his teammates right now, or with anyone else. He deserved to have the moon tonight, not what they were doing.

Guilt set in and she kicked herself for coming over in the first place. He would have been upset but surely he would have found ways to get over it quickly.

The constant pattering of rain outside served as a good distraction. She walked over to the French windows and settled down on the comfy floor seating. The cushions were cozy and the throw was soft; she pulled it up till her waist and shut her eyes for a bit.

She still hadn’t told him the other piece of her hesitation. It was a trickier conversation - she didn’t know how to articulate it, or if she even wanted to. She didn’t know how he would react to such vulnerable admissions. Tonight was so not the night, such horrible timing.

Just then, she heard half-frantic footsteps in the background and moments later she saw him turn the corner.

‘There you are. Thought you ran away without telling me.’

She elbowed his side lightly as he settled down next to her on the floor seating, leaning against the cushions.

‘You think I would do that?.’

‘Been trying to run since yesterday. Don’t trust you yet.’

They were side by side, facing the windows but turned slightly towards each other. Ananya chose to not address the last comment.

‘How was the call? She must have been happy.’

There was the little boy again, smiling from ear to ear, radiating such affection for his mom that it made her heart flutter.

‘She was over the moon. But she’s always like that - twice as happy as me for anything I do. Same with Jobe. She’s just a bundle of love.’

This was just cheating at this point. How was she supposed to resist him like this? But she had to get it off her chest, before it was too late. Before something happens that she can’t go back on.

His eyes turned yet another shade, intense. She could feel them roaming over her now.

‘Listen, about earlier.’

‘Oh yes. Sorry for the interruption. You said there was something else. Tell me.’

Her fingers dug into the cushion as she struggled to articulate this sensitive topic. He watched her movements closely, letting her take his time.

‘I came out of a serious relationship, in fact the only relationship I have been in, about 6 months ago. It was hard, coz I thought that person was THE person I will end up with. He said all the right things, did all the right things but eventually when it came to it, he didn’t have it in him to fight for us enough.’

Jude grabbed a nearby cushion too, resisting the urge to bite on it or rip it open. He could tell her scepticism had a story behind it and this seemed to be that.

‘Not gonna bore you with more about that. But long story short, the idea of being with someone is a bit daunting for me right now. A lot of my fundamental beliefs have been shaken, including my ability to trust in my instincts, which I thought I was good at. I am still trying to piece myself back together block by block. That was another reason to pick Madrid - a complete change of environment. I am not…as in I don’t have any feelings for him anymore but it’s myself that I am trying to understand better. Not sure if that makes sense but that’s what it is. ‘

Just my luck, he thought. The cushion was living on borrowed life in his hands at this point but Jude was proud of the way he had kept his face calm and neutral.

‘Thank you for sharing this with me, couldn’t have been easy. Look, I get it. Coming out of a long relationship can be hard. I have also been in one. Though, I don’t think I was ready for it at the time and I can’t claim to have been a good boyfriend either. But we all learn and grow from our experiences, right? Can’t stop trusting our instincts. Think of it this way - you knew all this yet you are here tonight. Something pulled you towards me. Don’t let your brain deny that.’

Well, she wasn’t denying the pull she felt towards him. She was trying to make sense of it with him. But he still hadn’t gotten the full picture. She needed to spell it out crudely so he really gets it.

Ananya looked straight at him for this - so she could see his reaction closely.

‘Jude - I don’t think I am ready for anything physical. And I don’t know when I will be ready. Or if I will be ready. That’s what I have been trying to tell you.’

She watched the realisation dawn on his face then. Well, finally, she thought. When he didn’t speak for the next 30 seconds, she chimed in again.

‘Look - I know this is atypical and I know this won’t work for you. I get it. We can look at last two days as a different experience and just call it a night. It’s absolutely fine.’

His head shot up at her, and his tone was sharp, for the first time tonight.

‘Sorry - what do you mean you KNOW this won’t work for me?’

‘Because it won’t work for most people in your position.’

She said calmly, trying to keep an even tone.

‘IN MY POSITION? You mean a footballer right? And you know this how? Let me guess - media, social media and gossip pages, correct?’

‘Jude, I..’

‘Tell me this - have I done ANYTHING in the last two days to make you uncomfortable? Did I push you, touch you or even look at you when you didn’t want me to?

‘Please don’t say that. You haven’t. That’s not what I..’

‘Then why, why did you of all people assume I was some sex-crazed animal who is only interested in fucking anyone with….’

She crossed the distance between them, kneeled in front of him and covered his mouth with her hand.

‘Stop, please stop. I am sorry. That’s not what I meant. And yes, I shouldn’t have drawn any conclusions from the media. You are right. Pls I beg you, just calm down. I am so so sorry.’

She could feel his heavy breathing on her hand, but atleast he didn’t push her away. The fight drained out from his eyes slowly, replaced with hurt. Which killed her even more. She moved her hands to his shoulders, gently stroking both.

He spoke in a small voice then, the twinkle lost from his eyes.

‘What did you mean then, if not all that?’

‘I meant that, someone like you, who has the world at his feet right now, who has enough high stakes as it is in his day job, why would such a person want this kind of a restricted set-up? I am sure models, actresses and all such sexy women must be throwing themselves at you left, right and center. You could be with anyone you want to be with.’

He seemed to believe her explanation, from the way his shoulders relaxed and his expression softened.

‘Clearly, not anyone.’

He pointed in her direction. When she didn’t say anything, he reached for her hands lying on his shoulders. And gently, fleetingly brushed his lips on the back of both.

She gasped & shut her eyes, willing herself to not melt. Failing miserably.

‘I believe I have the right to decide who I find sexy. And dove, you are the reason I struggled to sleep last night. Haven’t stopped thinking about you.’

Ananya wanted to hide from his gaze which was burning her even with her eyes closed. But she was transfixed.

‘Plus you are smart, a little lippy, highly opinionated, well-read, brave, vulnerable, honest and so so real. Gosh, I love that about you.’

He requested her to look at him. She obliged.

‘I would take you right now if you were in the same headspace. God knows I have thought about it. But, if taking things slow is what you need and the alternative is you walking out that door forever, then let’s go at a turtle pace. Can’t let go of you.’

He pulled them both up to their feet, standing a few inches away from each other.

Then, he opened his arms for her, inviting her in. She looked between his arms and his face which had an expectant smile, then back to his open arms.

‘Come here, come to me.’

Next second, she found herself against his chest. Strong arms wrapped around her in a gentle hold, pulling her further into his chest. While her hands went around his broad back, clutching at his jumper.

This wasn’t like anything she had ever felt before. His scent, his warmth, his breath, his presence fogged her mind and made her oblivious to everything else in the world.

Jude kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek against it. She bit her cheek to not let out a moan, but failed, making him smile.

‘Feeling what I am feeling?’

‘Yes.’

‘Will you give us a chance, then?’

‘You haven’t left me with a choice.’

‘Finally. Two wins in the same night, I am truly on a roll.’

She giggled against his chest at his silliness, and he followed suit. Feeling his laugh reverberate through his whole body was a feeling she couldn’t describe in words. It was something pure, something ethereal.

They swayed in each other’s arms for minutes, not wanting to let go. Not wanting to disturb the peace of the moment.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she grudgingly removed her cheek that was placed against his chest, and looked up at him.

‘It must be late. I should go now.’

‘If you want, you can take the guest bedroom. And leave in the morning whenever you want.’

‘I have some work in the morning, have to send out some stuff to the New York office.’

‘Agnes can pick up your laptop and bring it here.’

‘Jude - I really don’t think we should be under the same roof tonight.’

‘Don’t trust me?’

‘Don’t trust either of us right now, to be honest.’

He flashed her a mind-numbing smile.

‘Already can’t resist me? I knew it.’

‘Shut up and let me go.’

‘Five more minutes?’

‘Fine.’

She rested her cheek on his chest again, while his went on her head. His arms gently stroking her back, building a cocoon of comfort. They stayed like that for more than 5 mins.

……………………………………………

There you go - hope you are liking the story so far.

Feedback is very very welcome :)

[leviathanofdeath]

rotb spoilers i talk abt Noah in depth bc im autistic and its 1 am

(this is also strictly talking abt the movies)

idk bout yall, but i really like Noah and his character and the way he interacts with everything thrown at him., I really like how (because of Mirage's chill personality) he wasn't completely overwhelmed by the existence of robot aliens. sure he was freaking the hell out abt the car driving by itself but yknow he caught on pretty quickly. and this is also due to the fact that he wanted to save earth as well. and specifically he wanted to help his brother. can we talk abt the fact that he was so willing to go against his morals just to scrounge up some sort of cash to help his family. as soon as he got into Mirage he was like "I don't wanna do this" and he was trying to get out the car. I also really like the relationship Noah had with his little brother. trying to be that light in his life and give hope. doing everything just to help his little brother not be in so much pain. it was just a nice touch to show us how truly compassionate and caring Noah is and you could really feel that through the performance, imo. you can tell they've both been struggling for quite some time. you feel sorry for when Noah gets immediately rejected by that security officer, and he's completely honest and trying to explain how he deserves a second chance (and he does) and he's probably repeated those reasons a thousand times in the past. he almost completely doubts himself until his brother reiterates that they're always gonna be there together and theybcan do it. and even though it sounds unrealistic, me and my sister have said the same thing to each other so it feels all the more powerful to me. it's a completely different approach to a character in the movie series and I cannot appreciate it enough.

and can I just say, sorry to the sam likers out there, I like how Noah doesn't just immediately insult Mirage trying to save him or befriend him. they actually have a strong ass bond almost right off the bat. sam was always yelling at bee everytime bee came in to save his ass (I hated this bc bee can do no wrong ok) but when Mirage was fighting scourge all by himself JUST to buy time for Noah, literslly risking his life for Noah. literslly becoming a suit of armor for him. Noah was nearly in tears, watching mirage's optics fade becsuse they've already become so close. Noah and Mirage have the silliest banter because they just get along so well. I know it's kind of stupid to compare the two (sam/bee and noah/mirage) but my point is simply: they connect so well together and I really fucking appreciate that. we've seen it with Charlie and Bee where they genuinely care for each other and now we see it again with Noah and Mirage. its just so nice to see the two get along swimmingly. even after they save the world, Mirage meets Noah's brother and everything and Noah begins to fix Mirage up as well. showing that they've become closer after the entire incident.

and Mirage. I just gotta say he is seriously the star of the show. Pete Davidson did an amazing job with him. and Mirage's personality fits with Noah so incredibly well. They've got the same type of style, use the same slang, stuff like that, and they compliment each other. Mirage is so genuinely interested and curious about Noah that he comes off as extremely friendly, defensive, and playful. He doesn't hesitate to risk his life for Noah and he gives Noah a little gauntlet to at least keep himself safe when they're apart. he even tells Noah off the bat that he can turn into any car and be sold so Noah can have money for his family. Maybe its the fact that Mirage has been cooped up and told to stay hidden for so long that he can't help but appreciate the first person to "reawaken" him, but regardless their relationship is just extremely refreshing and nice. The way they can bounce off each other is awesome. God i love them so much honestly I can't think of a better duo than these two theyre just perfect for each other whether its platonic or more

[cosmic-metanoia]

Femininity Concepts in FFXVI

***Spoilers for Final Fantasy XVI***

Well, here I am again, now focusing on the female characters.

Like I did in the previous post, I will focus on the female Dominants first then highlight some secondary characters that really stood out.

*Jill - Come on, we gotta start with our beloved gal. She demonstrates this silent but strong (and even fearsome) spirit. She's very supportive of Clive but is not afraid to voice her opinions. She possesses a natural elegance and grace but demonstrates her fierce capabilities on the battlefield. She has a knack for negotiation and relating to others. We really see her unveil her dark side when she confronts her past head on in the Iron Kingdom. What's fantastic is that she asked for Clive's support and understanding but made it clear that she would be the one to face off against the Crystalline Orthodoxy's head priest (his name escapes me). Jill may not always make background commentary but her words are carefully selected and measured.

*Benedikta - She is your classic femme fatale that plays with men to further advance her position. Yet the one who she is in a love/hate relationship with is the one she can't have. She is ferocious yet what makes her different is that she contains this hidden sorrow and just wants to be genuinely loved. The way she frantically panicked when she lost her Eikon honestly brought tears to my eyes. She ended up with the wrong crowd and played this game of political chess in a room full of powerful men yet she instantly realized how useless she was to them in that moment of losing her most valuable piece.

*Side note: Let's hope that Leviathan the Lost is another female Eikon when the DLC hits in the next few months!! <3

*Jote - Okay, this awesome woman is HIGHLY underrated! She is incredibly enigmatic and we learn so much about her from the thoughts of other characters but never from her own lips! Initially players may brush her off as some unimportant maid servant but we see that she is so much more - a shield, a formidable fighter (though never witnessed!), a healer, a scout, etc. She's basically doing the jobs of Tarja, Clive, and Gav wrapped up in one! Yet her eyes give away her feelings towards Joshua and especially when she frets over his health. Yes, she longs for him but what makes it unique is that she loves him for who he is, not for what benefits his Eikon brings to the Undying that worships him.

*Mid - A freakin' prodigy. I mean, she is the head of the hideaway engineers! An occupation that is stereotypically masculine. She is 100% focused on her tasks and is not your typical 16 year old gal for sure. Her genius inventions, zest for life, and fast-talking mannerisms has all of the hideaway family wrapped around her finger (true, also because she is Cid's daughter). That whole scene with Joshua kneeling to kiss her hand upon meeting her cracked me up - she's the last woman who requires a chivalrous display but what I love is how she laughed and pulled him up and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

*Charon - What can I say, this woman does not take s--- from ANYONE. She's even intimidating to some of the men at the hideaway which is absolutely hilarious. She is a hardened woman that commands respect but has her softer side which takes time to reveal. Money is on her mind but eventually she learns that there should be more to life - using her abilities as a cunning merchant to help a cause greater than herself.

*Tarja - Like Charon, she also does not accept any B.S. and takes her job as the non-magical physicker very seriously. What's great is that she isn't a nurse but the actual (and only) doctor of the hideaway. Her extensive knowledge is incredibly valuable and the hideaway would definitely not have survived without her.

*Vivian - A woman held in high-esteem who is so focused on the garnering of knowledge that she even gets targeted by assassins. Her intelligence certainly tips the scales in favor of the Cursebreakers to gain the upper hand.

*Anabella - I have a huge post written about her but I figure it's worth mentioning a particular aspect. She possesses quite the evil ambitions and is able to persuade not just the theocratic Sanbrequois emperor but powerful men from other nations - NOT just through her looks but through her conniving strategies. She longs for a powerful legacy forged by the greatest possible noble blood and even views herself as the prized breeding cow.

Some other examples of different aspects of female characters include: Eloise who is an astute businesswoman who conducted deals and contracts while her brother Theodore (sob) became her trusted porter; Martha who is the tough protector of Martha's Rest - the Rosarians put their trust and faith in her; the same with the Northreach residents when it came to Isabelle. What's great about her is that she is a courtesan but we see her blossom into a strong and trustworthy leader that many held in high esteem.

Even the stoic Dorys is the commander of a Cursebreakers squad.

I love how the story had female characters each with their own drives and ambitions whether they were motivated by a just cause or for evil reasons.

[selfundiagnosed]

update uhh they scrubbed the super awesome pro lgbt wink wink nudge nudge social media accounts for Kum & Go because all Kum & Go’s are being replaced by Mavericks. theyre Utah based and very concerned about the sexual connotations of the name “Kum & Go” so by next year be prepared to say goodbye to beautiful Kum & Go. the purity panic is murdering an actual absolute legend. All of my hard work i spent growing the Kum & Go tiktok account from 0 to almost 200k like no trace of it. i have no car and have had to quit my irl job because of it & was considering doing remote work through social media marketing again and i would only be able to cite my experience with Kum & Go but they silently wiped all my videos off the account. im so like. even if not to work a job it would be cool to have all that work still up. Like fuck idk dude. that was kind of my hope for 2024. i cant rlly work without a car so i was like if i get mentally better i can go back to doing that and it would be a lot easier than having go figure out something else. which like we cant all have our ideal worlds but the bus doesnt come anywhere near where i live so it just sucks. i know how this website feels about corporate accounts but fuck. Kum & Go was. It was fucking awesome lmfao i was genuinely proud to be a corporate account if the corporation was Kum & Go. they were so focused on being in on the joke of their name and did so much help to the community in recent years like hiring associates who just came out of prison. people with records. People with weird hair colors and visible tattoos and piercings. associates had amazing benefits. & like our social media department worked with a gay man who streamed on twitch to sell a shirt that said Kum & Gay rights like in the purity panic i thoroughly do believe like it was impactful and meaningful. did lots of fundraising for LGBT organizations like locally Iowa Safe Schools and their annual GSA event for lgbt iowa teenagers in GSAs. now the company is being killed! and ik its a corporation a company & intrinsically flawed because of that, i had my own personal gripes with this aspect. But like fuck. I remembering being on tumblr sneakily as a 12 year old and seeing the tumblr heritage posts of ppl discovering kum & go… like i knew i wanted to do a Denny’s tumblr-esque thing around this tjme too so when i had to opportunity to work on their tiktok account and build it up from scratch it felt like the universe handed me the opportunity on a silver platter. im just like fuck this fucking sucks. heres the article idk if i can get a link without a paywall though :/ anyway. RIP to a legend. go find the nearest one and buy the epic kum merch while you still can this year guys :/

[marinerainbow]

Since you asked me about my Mario au tell me about yours!!!!

Thank you so much for asking me!!!

Hum... Well, my AU is nowhere NEAR yours or anybody level of awesome. But I hope you still like this! ^^

So, to begin, I do want to pinpoint that I do believe in MatPats theory that Rosalina is the daughter of Luigi and Peach. I know that MatPat has a reputation of WAY overthinking things, and I don't agree with all of his theories, but I like this one. And the reason, as he also put in his video, for how Rosalina can be the same age as Peach, how Peach can be alive even though Rosalina's mother is dead, and why she would choose Luigi over Mario, is because the Mario Universe's galaxy basically resets itself every 100 years with various differences; Rosalina is from a previous cycle of the galaxy, and since now she's a part of the ship and with the lumas, she is nearly immortal.

The reason I took the time to get into that theory is that I applied that to my AU. The galaxy resets itself every 100 years or so with little differences here and there, hence the various inconsistencies throughout the Mario Franchise. (This is partially so I can have the excuse to have multiple Mario AU's and just claim it's another galaxy cycle 😅 but also because I genuinely think this is cool ^^) for now, we'll talk about the current galexy cycle. Or at least my version of it.

Since there is SOOOO much to dissect in the Mario universe, I'll try to cover a little bit of everybody. Or at least the main crew. If you want individual headcannons, feel free to ask! ^^ I'm gonna do this in bullet points since I feel that format will be better for this.

The World

Even though Rosalina states 100 years as the galaxy's cycle time in Super Mario Galexy, I'm gonna stretch this too... 1,000 years, at least. Because think about it; one century isn't as long as you may think. Peach, Mario, Daisy and Luigi can all be born and grow old to be 100, and maybe not even die considering the oldest person alive is 117 years old, a whole new galexy is supposed to be born within one or two generations?? It doesn't exactly sit right with me tbh. So even though it's explicitly stated in the Mario canon... I'm gonna toss that out the window for my AU 😅😅😅

I know that the Mario TV shows are considered non-canon, but I do draw inspiration from them; in the sense that in this cycle at least, Mario and Luigi did originate from Brooklyn and accidentally found a magic pipe that took them to the world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario and Luigi, after getting over the initial panic, decided to lay low and continue their jobs as plumbers in this strange world while trying to find a way to get back home (as plumbers, they can get closer to pipes anywhere and can easier find a pipe that can take them home). It wasn't until that they witnessed Bowser kidnapping Peach while fixing the pipes of her castle that they were promoted to heros.

Speaking of Princess Peach's World, everything is bigger here. Like, everything. From the plants, the wildlife, the coins, and even the people. That's why we have gold coins as big as Mario's head, and why Bowser Jr., a b a b y, is half his size. I headcannon Luigi to be 6'2 and Mario to be 5'3, which although is still small for the average man... Princess Peach is 7'3. Yeah. Which compared to Bowser, that's still small. They truly are the land of giants. Toads are considered some of the smallest inhabitants of this world, as well as other characters such as Fawful. (I heard that Nintendo made Mario's official height to be 5'1, which would make the other characters a more reasonable size when you do the math... But this is a different cycle of the galexy (*cough* my personal AU) so XD)

From now on, I'm gonna refer to the world as The Strangelands. This is the world as a whole, not one specific land like The Darklands or The Mushroom Kingdom. They have their own separate space and galexy from us, hence why we aren't affected by the galaxy rebirth. The land where the fairies of 3D world come from, however, is also a separate universe from the Strangelands, and that's part of why their pipes are transparent rather than green. Ever since Mario and Friends and Bowser discovered the land of the fairies, it's become more accessible... And yet Mario and Luigi still can't find a pipe back to their world 🥲

Building up on that; the boos are a separate entity from ghosts. We see in Luigi's Mansion both boos and ghosts of various shapes and sizes. The boos have never been alive, or at least not as humans or toads or anything. They are the natural born citizens of the Strangelands' underworld- or rather, The Underlands, as they are called in this universe. It's where you go when you die regardless of the kind of person you were in the Strangelands, and King Boo rules over the afterlife. He sets up haunted mansions up in the land of the living both for fun and to 'recruit' more ghosts... Since boos are aggressive towards Mario and Friends when they enter the houses, use your imagination on what this recruitment process entails.

Peach, the Toads, and the Mushroom Kingdom

I'm gonna say that for my AU, Peach is an adopted Strangelands human of the Mushroom King and Queen. For whatever reason, they couldn't produce an heir, but found Peach when she was a baby. That's why Peach looks different from the toads.

The clothes and building materials of the Mushroom Kingdom are made from the fibers of the kingdoms own mushrooms and toadstools. It allows the clothes to grow back when they get torn or something, and the houses and buildings can easily recover from an invasion (afterall, we were able to create bricks out of fungal mycelium that can literally grow. Why not have the same be true for the toads?) The clothes are also pretty soft despite not being cotton, silk, or anything of the like. Which is why Kamek and Luigi canonically love Peach's dress... And also it's because her fashion is on point.

As we know, Peach is becoming bigger than just a damsel in distress. In my AU, Peach took a vow of pacifism when she took the throne, believing that that was the true path. However, the more that Bowser kidnaps her and the more threats that she encounters, Peach has been starting to get tired of it and learning how to defend herself with Daisy as her mentor. She's still the sweet, kindhearted princess and would rather avoid conflict. But she's not afraid to fight some koopas anymore. (Bowser thinks it's hot-)

According to the original games' manual, the goombas were traitorous toads of the Mushroom Kingdom. The reason why they look so different from the toads is because the magic in the Darklands corrupted their forms, making them closer resemble the very fungai of their former home.

The Mario Kart and sports games take place in the far future, when Peach and Bowser are finally on peaceful relations like she had always hoped. She now always invites him and his family to the tournaments. It took a while for the toads to trust him, considering his reputation, but in good time, he was accepted in the Mushroom Kingdom again ^^ in fact, Iggy helped invent the gravity defying wheels we see in Mario Kart 8.

Bowser, the Koopa Kids, and The Darklands

Toadsworth and his wife, the grandma toad in Mario RPG, are basically the Kameks of the Mushroom Kingdom; being Peach's advisors and teaching her what magic they know. Granted, their magic is more light than Kamek's, but it was how Peach was able to change her citizens back to normal after Bowser turned them into bricks, stones, and horsetail plants in the first game/kidnapping.

Speaking of horsetail plants; they are considered illegal in the Mushroom Kingdom with how deadly they are to the citizens. They can make a toad gravely ill just by being near them, and is the most effective poison against a toad, being able to kill them in mere minutes after consumption. And, with various things in the kingdom being made of mushrooms, the horsetail plants can also potentially destroy the very foundation of the city. Bowser intended on taking the mushrooms of the kingdom and turned some of the citizens into the plants to keep any potential survivors away from the princess, and once he took full control he would turn the toads that were bricks and stones back to normal since they know how to create these mycelium inbued buildings.

Mushrooms in real life can boost plants' immune systems and even defend them when they are connected to their 'shroom network. The same applies to the mushrooms of the kingdom. In fact, because these are magical mushrooms, it makes Peach's Kingdom not only the healthiest, lushest and most colorful place in the Strangelands, but it also means her land is the most valuable for agriculture. Not only could you grow whatever you want in the kingdom's soil, but it can also thrive. If the Mushroom Kingdom was in charge of our farming, we would have so much produce we wouldn't know what to do with it! Those $6 boxes of strawberries could go down to as little as 50 cents! No wonder people are constantly invading Peach's kingdom!

The initial reason why Bowser kidnaps Peach in the first place was A) part of his plan to conquer and rule all of the Strangelands, and B) because her lands' mushrooms are valuable for the reasons I stated above and then some. However, at some point, he fell in love with the princess in pink and his kidnappings became less hostile (as in, unlike the first time, he'll leave the toads alone for the most part. He'll still cause destruction, but he doesn't go out of his way to kill anyone. Except the Mario brothers since they are constantly in his way and wrecking his plans). He wants to court Peach, but after the first time, he's pretty certain that she only sees him as a monster. So he thinks that the only way to get her to even look his way, let alone get her to talk to him, is by force. But as we see in the Super Mario Wonder promotion video, we see Bowser is starting to try more gentler tactics of charming Peach when he offers her flowers. It doesn't excuse his actions, but my version of Bowser just wants Peach to love him back.

He does love Peach for her, but he also gained memories of a past incarnation of the galexy where they were genuinely in love. He's not sure how these memories exist, or why they only came to mind when he first met Peach, but it did spur him to find answers, and that led to his falling for the princess (in this world, there are only a few characters who remember their pasts lives. Kamek is one of them, and he used an experimental spell to jog Bowsers memory, and later on the koopalings and Junior once he perfected the spell. And that's how Junior knows that Peach isn't his mama without her or Bowser telling him otherwise. But he and the koopalings still want her to be their mother)

The reason why we see so many dry koopas in the darklands is because the darklands are the closest connection to the underworld. Like you're more likely to find a pipe to the underworld in Bowsers castle than in Sarasaland or sonething. That's also part of why Bowser and King Boo have developed an alliance. Boo has taught Bowser the secret of his paintings, hence Super Mario 64, and provides him a way to utilize his citizens who have passed away. In return, Bowser agreed to allow King Boo reign over part of the Stranfelans whenever he takes over. As long as each of his kids still get their own kingdoms.

Speaking of the Koopalings; kamek only casted the spell on them after their own first encounter with Peach. The kids were confused as to why Bowser would go to such lengths for Peach, but when they got to interact with her, she was... Actually, very nice to them. Almost maternal. Peach couldn't believe Bowser had children and was even afraid for them, considering she's only seen his tyrannical side. For the brief time she interacted with them, she expressed concern and care for their wellbeing and even got to play with some of them like Lemmy, before Mario rescued her. That was enough to convince the Koopalings they needed Peach in their lives, but once they got to remember the past cycle where she was their mother, they really started to get involved in Bowsers schemes to get her back... Even if they are exasperated with him not just talking with her 😅

Wendy: Dad, trust me. Us girls love it when a guy just walks up to us and tells us how we feel! You need to try it!

Bowser: Hm... Maybe-

Bowser: Wait! Have there been boys talking to you, Wendy!?

Wendy: -_- Dad, if there were, Roy would have beaten them up by now.

Bowser: Well, as your father, I need to get a beating in myself! Where are they!?

Wendy: *facepalms*

Edit: I originally said that Bowser requested Kamek to jog his children's memories, but I realized the plothole in that; if he knew that the kids knew that Peach was only their mother in a past life, why did he look so guilty, shocked, and was almost crying when Junior confessed to him that he knew Peach wasn't really his mama? So I fixed it, and Kamek did it on the koopalings request instead, when they snuck in his lab and read his notes on this whole thing. Bowser only finds out later. (Also, Bowser up above is threatening to beat up the hypothetical boys that talked to Wendy not only because he's protective, but because he figured out she's a lesbian and isn't tolerating some guy putting the moves on her. Wendy hasn't told him yet, he's just waiting for her to come out if at all. He's intense, but he's got the spirit.)

In this galexy cycle, Bowser birthed Junior himself (I saw a headcannon floating around that koopas can reproduce with another, or by themselves, and I love that ^^), but adopted the koopalings in different times. Ludwig came first, followed closely by Iggy. Larry. Mortan. Roy and Wendy were adopted around the same time. And finally Lemmy. Junior was born a little before Roy and Wendy came into the picture, and has very vague memories of first being introduced to Lemmy. Other than that, as far as he's aware, his siblings have been with him from the beginning.

As for the Koopalings' ages, I do mostly agree with the mainly agreed census that their order of appearance in Super Mario Bros 3 is indicating their ages; Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Mortan, and Larry... I say I mostly agree with this because I actually headcannon Lemmy to be the youngest of them all next to Junior. Just- LOOK AT HIM!? He's so baby!! I know, he could very easily just be immature and short for his age... But he is the true baby of the Koopalings in my heart.

Rosalina and the Lumas

As for Kamek, he's been working on this memory spell for some time. The past... 50 or so galexy cycles, in fact. It's only before the lumas sacrificed themselves in SMG that he finally cracked it, after experimenting on himself and other koopas (one cycle, he even accidentally wiped all of his memories and had amnesia for the rest of his life. Fortunately, he had all of his memories back in the next cycle and made a mental note not to do what he did to cause that again 😅)

As stated above, Rosalina is from a previous cycle where she was Peach's and Luigi's daughter. It did take her some tie to get used to witnessing new timeliness where her mother fell in love with Mario instead, or stayed single. Bowser being her mothers love interst especially threw her off. Though, because of that, she has developed a tiny sense of a big sister role with Junior and the Koopalings. It grew when she got to meet and interact with them in Mario Kart, though she keeps her secrets from them; they don't know that she's technically their sister from another timeline.

By the end of Super Mario Galexy, Rosalina has made her presence known to the cast, and has decided to be more hands on from now on as her role of watcher of the galexy. She comes to the Strangelands to physically check in more often, and that allowed Peach to invite her to the kingdoms events. Rosalina hasn't told Peach of her true identity, though the princess does feel a strange, maternal warmth towards her that she can't explain.

The reason why Rosalina and the lumas were so involved in SMG was because of the black hole. It was unexpected, and they stepped in hoping to help Mario stop it, but he couldn't. That's why the lumas sacrificed themselves to emergency reset the whole galexy before it's scheduled time. It's because of that emergency cycle that the cast are still around rather than being reborn as their ancestors and clearly remember everything.

Just because Rosalina has accepted her role as watcher of the galexy, doesn't mean she's too happy about it. I mean, she has to watch her family who don't even remember her continue on with different lives every 1,000 years, and is unable to communicate to them who she really is... I think Rosalina might have even developed depression at some point. She loves the lumas, but she still wishes she can truly be with her family. Even if they aren't her family anymore.

After the events of Galexy, Kamek wants to find Rosalina and figure out what the hell is going on. He remembers past lives, but doesn't know how it's even possible. But he knows Rosalina has to know, and he wants answers. He's also hoping to find a way to get everyone to remember their pasts for his own reasons. But since Rosalina lives in a spaceship, it's kind of hard to accomplish that... But hey, with the strange stoic women being invited to the Go Karting tournaments, as well as the koopas, it gives our favorite wizard a chance to finally confront Rosalina...

This is all I have so far, aside from character headcannons. I also have my own original concepts and characters. You know Princess Boolina (the poll is still going, but I'm gonna refer to her as Boolina since that's the winning name), as well as a kingdom of music with a king, queen, princess, and prince. I'm not sure if I'll develop the second one more. It depends on whether or not people would be interested and if I can figure out how to fit them in the Mario world. But I hope you like this AU! It may change as I develop it more ^^

Part of the need for the emergency reset was also because of people like Kamek trying to change the course of this cycle. In this iteration, or at least the one before the lumas sacrificed themselves, Peach was supposed to end up with Mario, but thanks to Kamek, Bowser kept getting in the way and trying his way of courting her and getting her back rather than letting this cycle run its course, to the point where he made up his own universe and caused the events leading up to the blackhole consuming everything just to have his love back. After these events, Rosalina has decided that she should keep a better eye on Bowser and Kamek in particular...

[your-average-queer-teenage-mess2]

One of my favorite types of stories out there, is the one where the story shows multiple different perspectives and scenarios in which the same SPECIFIC real-world problem is explored from different angles. Bonus points if the problem is categorically something that mainstream media is incentivized to overlook.

Example: so I just watched Beetlejuice 2, and I legit really REALLY loved how the story of "girl/woman feels isolated from society because of problems in her own life that are legit too much for her to handle, gets involved with guy who really fucks her up", which in the real world, happened too many fucking times to count, got explored in this film through three different stories, WHICH ARE ALL REAL.

Jeremy's the edgy asshole you thought was really awesome when you were way too young to recognize red flags when you saw them, who you thought was so charming and cool because he was just so sweet at first, who dragged you in when you just wanted someone to listen and ended up locking you into genuinely dangerous situations because he just didn't fucking care. That's real. That happens. And I'm glad it was shown.

Rory's the exploitative fucker who will find you when you're in a low point, love-bomb you when you're too emotionally drained to do anything but cling onto his support and manipulate the hell out of you in order to turn you into a codependent object for his use. Now, the Rorys of the real world are usually not as often in it for the money as much as they are for the emotional validation that comes from satisfying their savior complex, but there definitely ARE cases in which they financially exploit their partners. That's real. That happens. And I'm glad it was shown.

Beetlejuice is (and this one I actually have quite a familiarity with) that equally broken enabler who feels so much more free than you to walk around fucking other people's shit up according to his whims in ways that genuinely terrify you but you don't dare to say anything about, who keeps clinging to you and saying that you and him "understand each other so well!" And you can tell that his behavior is basically what your behavior could be if the societal trauma forcing you to repress and turn your untreated mental illness onto yourself was gone, so that you genuinely DO feel a sense of comradely with him, even though he's fucking scaring you, won't take no for an answer and treats you as an equal target as anyone else for his own issues which he insists on turning into everybody else's problem. That's real. That fucking happens. And I'm SO FUCKING GLAD IT WAS SHOWN.

Also, another reason I'm glad this specific scenario was shown- women in media are so often portrayed as these perfectly put-together centers of reason and balance, and GOODNESS am I glad to see a movie that for once actually explores what it looks like when they get crushed under external pressure. Because like. That happens a lot. There's a lot of pressure to living as a woman in society. It often crushes women. And people really only want to explore that in specific case studies of discrimination and abuse. But not here, and I love that.

And also, like. Presenting MULTIPLE socially-outcasted women who's personality isn't immediately turned into a prop that is then used to further the development of their male love interest IN THE SAME STORY? LOVE THAT LOVE THAT LOVE THAT.

So anyways, yeah, that's why I consider Beetlejuice 2 to be an incredibly feminist story which does an amazing job as showing female characters as real people while also presenting specific gendered struggles which they face. Love that.

[indecentpause]

Find the Word Tag

tagged by @oh-no-another-idea to find the words celebration, proud, listen, jaw, and height! thank!

from The Black & Blues:

celebration:

You cradle the phone against your cheek like it’s a precious artifact, like if you’re not careful the voicemail will disappear, the job offer along with it. Oh man. Oh man! You got the job! You take a moment to jump around the room in celebration, then you call her back. “Student center, Elizabeth speaking.” “Hi! I mean, hello. This is Meara Ryanne calling back about your voicemail? I’d like to accept the job offer.”

proud:

You can do this. You have to do this. You’ve worked so hard to get here. So you muster up every drop of fury and energy and sound that’s been buried deep in your chest from the moment you heard that first Green Day album when you were eleven, every lonely day at school and every night you cried yourself to sleep and every time your mother hit you and your father called you a faggot, and you force it out, and fuck, you do it. And it sounds awesome, even if two of your fingers are bleeding and you feel like you’re going to collapse by the end. David makes multiple copies of the session for you. One for each you, Danny, and Jaisyn, so you each have a physical backup of the electronic copy. One he keeps in the studio in case your computer crashes or your dorm burns down. The sun is painfully bright when you get back outside, but all your friends are so hyped, and even though you’re exhausted, you’ve never been so proud to be a musician. And you are going to sleep for the rest of the weekend.

listen:

“Do you really think [therapy] would help?” Josephine offers an encouraging smile. “I think the right one would.” “What if it’s not the right one?” Because that’s what scares you. That they’ll think you’re not doing enough. That they want you to quit the band because they think it’s too much stress. Worse, that they’d be homophobic. “Then you talk to your social worker or whoever’s in charge and tell them it’s not a good match and you need someone else,” Kris says. “If the clinic is a safe one to be at, they’ll listen. And I know without insurance it’s a lot harder, but if it ends up not being safe, we’ll help you find somewhere that is.” You rub at your nose with the back of your hand and sniffle a little, but you don’t cry. Finally, you nod, once, firmly and a little aggressively. “Okay,” you say. “Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll try it.”

jaw:

Monika smiles, bright, genuine. “That’s great! And you’ll be okay with the crowds?” Your brow furrows a little, but it’s a genuine question. “No, that’s not the kind of thing that triggers them. It’s… it’s having too much quiet. It’s getting stuck in my own head that causes most of the problems.” “So keeping busy is what helps most?” You nod. “Hm.” She taps her finger against her jaw a moment and says, “I know you work a lot, and that with the night shifts, it’s hard to get out during the day. But what if you had a standing meet up outside band practice? With a friend, with Josselin, with a group. Volunteering somewhere? Maybe having that to look forward to could help. What do you think?”

height:

For the first time in your life, you’re grateful Dicky taught you how to throw a punch. You storm up behind them, trying to ignore the fact that you’re skinny as hell and hope that having the lucky genes that made you taller than average is enough to scare them off. The scariest things about you other than your height are your battle jacket and the black and chrome studded bracelet you wear. You never got into dyeing your hair or piercings like Dicky and the others. First it was because you had to stay under the radar. Now it’s because you’re happy with how you look. “Hey!” you bark. The bullies turn around and the kid looks up. “The fuck is your problem?” you snap. One of the bullies holds his hands up and says, “Whoa, man, nothing’s going on. Chill.” “If nothing’s going on, you won’t mind leaving, will you?” “We–” “Will you?” you press.

tagging @winterandwords @frostedlemonwriter @abalonetea @albatris

@mecharose @bluejay-in-write

to find the words lose, wait, dance, and float!

[therealjoejoemamakujo]

TF2 Mercs W/ a Sad Reader but it's My Personal Headcanons

This is very scary.. it's almost like posting an opinion on the internet.

Anyway-

The trilogy

THIS LEANS MORE TOWARDS RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS BECAUSE WELL... THEY'RE MY OWN HEADCANONS.

SCOUT:

Freaking out a little bit

Really depends on how big your meltdown is

He'll might ask if you need anything

"What can I do???"

He'll stay with you and try to cheer you up, but he can be serious about it too if you need him to.

He'd just stay close to you the whole time to make sure you're fine

DEMO:

Will also become upset even if he doesn't know why you're upset

Might just be like "☹️" as you vent because like I said, if you're upset, he's upset (trying so hard to empathize tbh)

He'd probably offer you a drink bc as I've said before, it's what he does when he's upset (it's what he does with anything, though, so..)

Will give you a hug if you need it or ask for it (gives some great ones, full stop)

He'll also stay by your side for support

HEAVY:

Heavy will sit down with you and listen to you talk about whatever's bothering you.

You have his full attention for as long as you need it

Like Demo, he'll hug you, and the hugs are always awesome (no surprise there, I mean look at him)

He'll reassure you that you'll be fine

If he has to work, he'll make sure to check up on you in between jobs

SOLDIER:

He might actually stop talking once he sees that you're genuinely upset

Don't expect complete silence because he will interject with every two words that come out of your mouth

"What?" "Why?" "I don't get it."

He's trying the best he can because he barely understands what people are saying when it's not the national anthem

Still, he will give you (very) rough pat on the head

"'Keep your chin up.' Ghandi said that. >:D"

SNIPER:

A reoccurring theme with him, but he doesn't know what to do

Wants to reach out to you so badly it's not even funny

If he actually does, then he'll just hug you while you cry, or vent, or whatever it is you might do

"You'll be a'right."

Supportiveness all around

Will drag you around with him afterwards because he doesn't wanna let you go yet

PYRO:

They will listen to you quietly, not saying a word as you speak your mind

Once they know you're finished talking, they'll reach out and hug you tightly

Also expect pats on the head

(Sorry y'all, I don't really have anything for Pyro other than this.. can't think of anything)

MEDIC:

No, he will not drop everything for you.

Sounds mean, but he's a very busy man

That being said, he fully invites you to talk to him anyway

He likes listening to you vent about anything and everything

He'll pause work every now and then to ruffle your hair or comment on something, letting you know that he's not dismissing you

If he happens to finish with his work, then he'll drop everything and hold you because he's just been dying to do so

ENGINEER:

Will feel sad to see you upset

He'll try to finish his work as quick as he can so that he can talk and listen to you

He'll put his hand on your arm or thigh and just rub it reassuringly to calm you down

He'd also look you in the eyes the whole time so that you know he's listening (someone get him brown contacts now)

Once your finished speaking, he'll pull you in for a hug and stroke your hair

SPY:

I imagine he would pull you aside if he sees you're upset, not wanting to bring light to it in front of everyone else

He'll then sit you down and listen to you talk (probably after prying it out of you)

Will nod every once in a while to show he's listening, and he'll also make eye contact or at least keep his focus on you the whole time

He'd offer advice on things depending on what you're talking about

Afterwards, he might offer to let you stay with him in his smoking room, just so you can be with him

(Not even sure if I agree with myself on some of these, I sometimes can't remember what I think of them smh)

[shadowxamyweek]

Hey I know you don’t like the Archie sonic that much, and that is understandable, but I would implore you to at least read Sonic universe 59-62. It is fucking awesome, and you don’t have to read the rest of Archie to understand what is going on. It made me bow to the king.

Hey @sharkrad08222222! I didn't forget this ask, I just needed a day off to sit down and read XD

Honstly, I'm glad you sent this in. You're right- I'm not the biggest fan of Archie, but I've got to give credit where credit is due- Shadow Fall is a lot of fun. If anyone else would like to read it, you should check out this Applebees gift card. ( @biolizardboils I'm never gonna get over that joke XD)

So anyway, here's Shadow Fall

As an aside, I'm really glad that many of the original Archie Sonic crew were able to move over to jobs at IDW and stay on Sonic. I cannot imagine the horror of watching that whole... everything... happen. As someone who has been in a similar (abet still different) position within my own field, it's a genuine nightmare. Furthermore, the fact that many who made that move from Archie to IDW are still there, and that we haven't heard any ill-will from those who have since left/retired- maybe it's the optimist in me, but I want to believe that everyone's doing okay at IDW, and that's good.

Anyway, you didn't ask, but I decided to kinda make this *a thing.* So many people, myself included, sometimes squint at Archie/IDW and go eeeeeeeeh a lot. That does the entire story a disservice though. There's so much fun in these comics. Better yet, you can feel when the comic team is having fun, too. There's moments where the dialog or the art is just immaculate and you can tell that people were really excited about these parts. It's a joy to see.

So, I'm gonna talk about some of the joys I saw in this, or things I just really liked and kinda would like to see again.

1- Shadow and Team Dark's relation to G.U.N.

I like this. I like this a lot. I like Shadow not being afraid to be a snarky bitch, I like the fact that Shadow doesn't really enjoy working with G.U.N, I like the fact that G.U.N doesn't trust Shadow let alone the rest of Team Dark really. It's an alliance by necessity. Each member of Team Dark stays together because they WANT to stay together, but they only stay with G.U.N because, for one reason or another, they have deemed that their best possible option for now. There's a palpable tension that has a lot of history and can still be used in really fun ways like this. I deeply enjoy it.

Speaking of Team Dark-!

2- We Love a Bunch of Freaks

You're honor, that's a family. I love the dynamics. I love the trust and camaraderie and banter. I love the way they rely on one another and make sure to be there for one another. They took what is visible in the games and cranked it up to a 12, but it feels natural, especially when you take into consideration just how LONG these comics had gone on for. I talk about the history between Team Dark and G.U.N, but there is a history between Shadow, Rouge, and Omega as individual people too, let alone being a team under the thumb of a military force.

This is love right here, and I love it.

3- I Missed the Critter Smiling

Shadow smiles... so much in Archie. I love it. And for those of you who are confused and might think this is out of character, I point again to SA2. He smiles rather frequently in that game, even if it's a smile that says 'oh I'm going to enjoy beating your ass.' He also smiles a bit in Heros, Battle, Rivals, and SHtH05, though not as much.

4- The Art, Story, and OCs are Fun

The art is FUN! That first set of panels in particular- I love that. What a clever way to set that up! That's what I mean by you can feel that people were enjoying themselves working on this! Plus, this comic doesn't shy away from horror. I know we got that (beautifully done I might ad) in the Zombot arc, Scrapnik Island spinoff, and Dr. Starline with Surge and Kit. Like, whoever liked horror and had the inspiration for this stuff at Archie either made the transfer to IDW or heavily influenced some of the people on that team, because it's the same vibe. It's a classic, timeless sort of horror that I enjoy most, and it's very palpable here.

As an aside, they did a REALLY good job of making you like these new characters off the drop. I'm not saying I don't like the OCs of IDW (although I don't like Lanolin and, frankly, I don't think I'm SUPPOSE to like Lanolin. She's that perfect example of wanting more to be right than she does to help and I LOVE THAT because you get those people even in the best of causes but anyway). Eclipse though? As soon as that freak showed up on page and I read what he was saying, I loved the little gremlin. You feel for him, and for the Black Arms, which is excellent. They are still CLEARLY the bad guys- they don't HAVE to eat people, they CHOOSE to- but like... damn- you wish there was a way to make things right, and when you watch it all fall apart, you grieve a little. I'm sure if I read more of Archie I'd find more OC's I was meh about but it's just something I was thinking about as I kept going back and looking at Eclipse's body language and facial expressions. Like- look at this bugger-

He lobbied on Shadow's behalf for Black Death to NOT kill him because he so desperately wanted a 'big brother' who could join his 'family' and meet all the new babies and everything. He wanted so badly for Shadow to like him and like being with the Black Arms and make a new life and lkajsdfl;jasd augh....

5- Shadow feels like Shadow

Oh fuck yes.

Mind you, there are other times in Archie where the characters DON'T feel like a natural progression of their game counterparts. I've seen and read moments where Archie Shadow feels very... wrong... but in this? You're 100% right. They are VERY themself in this and it's a treat, a little hard candy for the soul to suck on. I am delighted.

6- It's The Little Things

Maybe it's just because I get the volumes and not the individual comics, but I don't see the fanart submissions or the Q&As. You use to find those sorts of things in all kinds of publications. I remember when I was getting my first game magazines in the mail, there would be stuff like that. It was always fun to page through.

I would adore if they brought those back, but I can also see why they wouldn't. While I think the fandom has gotten much more relaxed in some ways, in others, it's still nutty and weird and, frankly, a little terrible sometimes, but maybe that's just all fandoms. I dunno.

Anyway, it was nice to see that sort of stuff again. I missed it <3

So yeah, this was a lot of fun to read

Thanks again for the recommendation. I deeply enjoyed it.

It's wild too, because there are so many people who are now a part of Sonic's comic history that I remember on here just... goofing off. @bumblekast's Ian Flynn went from working as a writer at Archie to being a head writer at IDW, but I remember reading random posts of theirs online. @chibijenhen and @spiritsonic I remember being on Deviantart and following them. I remember finding bits and pieces of @tysonhesse's work online. I just, all these people, kinda showing me that, if I wanted, I could give a shot at tossing my hat into that ring, too. I ended up going a different way career wise, but now, I'm seeing all these awesome people AGAIN in an online space I'm in and going, 'You know... maybe I can try this for real.'

I don't know. It's just... it's been giving me a lot of hope, and hope is nice, especially when you're stubborn enough to foster it and give it reason to grow.

Maybe one day, that'll be my name in the credits, if I work hard and I'm lucky.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, yeah? <3

[mylittleredgirl]

finally, m*a*s*h update!

season four disc two! ("quo vadis, captain chandler" to "dear ma")

there is a LOT going on in the frank and margaret department

i kind of tipped my hand here when i posted about my new obsession, but even if you are not circling the drain on this doomed ship... the Unresolved Breakup Tension is fuckin WILD in this disc

she literally punches him in the face!!! how was that not a breakup!

but then he buys her something or does something to charm or impress her, and it works! then he blows it again!! rinse and repeat!!!! i am 👀🍿

sam and diane from cheers are still theeee platonic ideal of slap-slap-kiss but these clowns definitely walked so they could run

i literally jumped off the couch when his wife found out, aaaaa it's so juicy

I'M SORRY i realize this doesn't speak well of me as a person, but those long close-ups on her face as she voluntarily eavesdrops on him dismissing their relationship (twice!!) and her heart gets fully crushed??? i could eat popcorn to this all day.

this is the kind of dysfunctional relationship that my artist friends would choose in our youth so that we could Suffer and Make Art, so i really hope margaret is writing terrible poetry about it

anyway, we're peroxide-roots deep into GIRL WHY??!??

and then bj very gently explains to radar that well, see, frank and margaret both kinda suck and we're in the middle of nowhere, so they're all they've got

and i had to spend three or four days staring at the ceiling about it, because YEAH. it's not just that they're each other's only rank-appropriate source of star-spangled orgasms

(and they both care far more about military hierarchy than they do about marital fidelity)

but they are so consistently unkind to everyone around them that they have no other choice for any human connection full stop.

i'm not even talking about their ongoing bullying war with hawkeye and trapper or bj, because that's dirty pool on both sides, but i could count on one hand the number of times either of them have interacted with a subordinate nurse or enlisted man without threatening them. like they literally would not have anyone else to talk to.

but the reveal that she still wants to MARRY HIM? oh god. ohhhh honey. noooo.

that fake proposal prank was so genuinely mean. mostly because they ruined her hot date! 👏 let 👏 margaret 👏 fuck 👏 random 👏 dudes 👏

"isn't general barker the one who wanted you to spank him?" lmaoooo

OKAY i swear i can talk about other things:

hawkeye continues to just NOT pull without trapper here. the nurses are fully dismissing or ignoring his efforts, and honestly is he even trying that hard?? have we seen him get even one date?

i've been trying to come up with an "intricate rituals" joke about hawkeye and trapper but where the rituals are... girls. you get me.

i re-watched the pilot and the desk ep (for frank/margaret reasons DON'T JUDGE ME), and hawkeye and trapper LITERALLY end the pilot handcuffed together, and in the next episode talk about sharing a nurse. how am i supposed to take this???

speaking of nurses, you know that little 🙄 you have to ignore in 2024 whenever the women on m*a*s*h get called honey and sweetheart and baby on the job (though tbh i worked on a construction site and an ad sales office in the 2010's and got the same treatment -- but in the modern day it's done ironically babe)

BUT when potter calls margaret "good girl" after he gets shot??? total opposite feeling. i literally had to pause and take a moment. he's her dad now.

also when he tucks radar in???? everyone's dad actually

in loving memory of radar's other dad though, two important points:

how proud would henry have been of drunk & disorderly radar??

and henry's "i've always wondered if i might be radar's dad" bit is genuinely 900% funnier now that we know radar's mom looks EXACTLY like him.

i don't think i have ever circled back to talk about klinger, who became so so so awesome

it's so funny that in klinger's very first appearance and 30 times since then, he has been told straight up that wearing women's clothes will never work to get him out of the army. there's no explanation for his commitment to this particular form of passive resistance except that he genuinely loves it

the swamp rats built a still and klinger got a sewing machine and learned a craft. he's so good at it!! his looks are 🔥

i feel uncomfortable when i see him in fatigues tbh. it happened a few times in this disc and i would like it to Stop actually

also precious baby father mulcahey... Protect Him.

i LOVE that everyone showed up for his church service when the grand poobah chaplain was in town. they love each other!!! (also the life magazine jeep shoot!!!)

"quo vadis, captain chandler" was really good. i'm still over colonel flagg's whole deal but i now understand why everyone loves sidney freedman, and the guest actor they had playing not-jesus was incredible

bj continues to be the best little brother hawkeye could have asked for

also he maybe invented cpr?

i didn't say much about him here but I LOVE HIM and also his off-screen wife

forward and onward!!!

[a1brix]

A "What If Uzi Died Instead of Nori" Fanfiction

This a first final draft of the opening scene of a new fanfic to post on AO3. I don't expect this to garner much attention in tumblr, but if you see this, please give comments and critiques! I feel like the ending was a little bit weak, and I have no beta readers...

---

"Mom! Check this out!"

Nori slowly turned from her desk to see Uzi hopping around proudly, holding a gun-looking thing in her hands. Nori sighed internally. That thing was the likely culprit to Nori's charge deprivation; That loud welding noise last night was constantly pulling her off sleep mode. And it was probably a new invention of Uzi's that Nori most definitely doesn't approve of...

She shook it off and smiled. If it would make her daughter happy, then she would entertain the idea of what kind of weapon her little girl had come up with this time.

"What have you got there?"

"My latest weapon!" Uzi began to wave the gun around, pretending like it was some sort of sword. 

“This cool-as-heck railgun!”

Nori stifled a yelp as the barrel whizzed past her head several times. She kept her smile though. The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to stop sharing these things with her. 

She loved seeing Uzi be with her…

But she was still quite uneasy about it! It's not every day your child makes something this... dangerous. Her eyes twitched a little when the barrel approached her again. Nori noted to herself to let Khan show Uzi some gun safety sometime soon, or at least how to keep the barrel pointed away from anyone.

Uzi smiled proudly back at her mom. "Pretty awesome, huh?"

"Sure, Uzi..." Nori reached forward, carefully pushing the barrel down so it wasn't pointed at her face. "Just... Please, try not to point that in anyone's direction, okay?"

Uzi stared blankly.

"Oh right... sorry, Mom." She said, tittering. "I forgot, heh heh..." Uzi set the railgun down on her desk carefully.

"Well... what do you think?"

Nori leaned forwards to inspect it a little. She didn't want to encourage the thought, but... "I can really tell how much thought you've put into making it a lightweight. The design itself is very sleek..." Nori did genuinely admire the craftsmanship. Khan really has been rubbing off on her daughter, hasn't he? She chuckled a little. 

"Although I am surprised you made it violet... and with stickers?"

Uzi crossed her arms and huffed. 

"Hey, I think it looks cooler that way! Don't ruin it for me!"

Nori shook her head, cupping a hand over her mouth and chuckling into her palm. "Well, I wasn't implying anything!"

"You're literally laughing at me!"

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are!"

"So, what if I am?” Nori gave her daughter a playful smack. Uzi stumbled theatrically as a response, before retaliating with an onslaught of light jabs aimed at her mother. Nori held up her arms in defence, laughing softly.

“As your mom, it's my job to bully you for impractical aesthetics!"

"Bite me!" Uzi exclaimed, now giggling. "As your daughter, it's my job to make fun of you for being lame!”

Nori gasped in mock horror. "How dare you?!" She grabbed her daughter by the shoulders, and Uzi squirmed in response, still laughing. "That's it, you're grounded!"

"What?! No!" Uzi cried out, trying to worm out of her mother's grasp. "This is injustice! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Really? Did you do your homework?"

There was an awkward silence before Uzi’s eyes hollowed, displaying underlines.

"Ah! There it is!" Nori laughed, pointing a metal finger at the lines. "The proof I need!"

“Mom!! That’s cheating!”

Nori laughed again. Uzi was smart, but could never outwit her mom. Well, not yet, anyway. She awaits the day her little genius finally pulls one over on her… but in the meantime, Nori couldn't help but have a little fun with this.

"Yep, it's true. You are grounded. That's also for making me stay up all night with all those sounds, you little gremlin."

Uzi grunted. "In my defence, I was working on something awesome!"

Nori rolled her eyes, playfully pushing her daughter away. It was times like this Nori wished she had a popcorn bucket. These kinds of shenanigans with Uzi were more entertaining than old human movies… and the "definitely-not-pirated” anime Uzi always wanted her to watch? Speaking of, she should really introduce Uzi to some new stuff.

"Well, I hope it's worth giving your poor mother a sleepless night."

"Sorry... But hey, I promise it's good." Uzi picked up her railgun and smiled. "It's going to blast some murder drones' heads off."

Nori chuckled, but it lacked warmth. She still has to care for the safety of her daughter. Just imagining the thought of her little girl facing a murder drone made her—

"Don’t go, please...”

Those words came so suddenly. Too suddenly.

Nori’s eyes hollowed. Something was crawling up the back of Nori's processor. An awful feeling, weighing down on her entire being as she blanked out for a moment. She couldn’t let the cracks show through though, even if just a little bit. 

Her teeth clenched, and Nori swallowed hard. She forced that feeling down.

Uzi maintained her grin.

“Go where?" Uzi asked. "Oh…! Outside? I mean… Yeah. I'm definitely planning to take this bad boy outside once it is fully done, but—”

Nori flinched.

"I SAID DON'T GO THERE!"

There was a clattering sound that caused Nori to blink. Her eyes glanced down to see her hands grabbing onto Uzi’s wrists tightly, with the railgun now discarded on the floor.

A few moments passed before Nori looked up to see Uzi staring right at her.

For the first time in a while, fear was etched into her little girl’s face.

“...M-mom?”

Stop ruining everything.

Nori let go of her daughter's wrist immediately.

Uzi clutched her wrist, looking down at it while rubbing it gently.

No... She promised would not lose control again. She could not bear to hurt anyone again, especially not her own daughter. Uzi did not do anything wrong. Uzi was only being herself. 

And this was just supposed to be some fun teasing.

"Did you not like what I said…?" Uzi looked up, her eyes void of their usual cheerful light. Her tone of voice seemed too frightened to hide its waver, almost sounding like she was about to cry.

A painful static suddenly blared inside her. 

Nori stumbled back, grabbing her head.

A good mother wouldn't do this to their own child.

"Mom!"

Nori's optics widened as she saw her daughter scramble to take hold of her.

"Are you okay?!" Uzi asked.

Nori is okay. Nori will always be okay when Uzi is around.

"I... I... " Nori stammered, “I’m so sorry, Uzi.”

Nori hugged Uzi. Uzi did not reply, but Nori had her daughter with her. Nori wasn't alone. Everything was okay as long as Uzi was here. Nori wouldn't lose her, right? Uzi was her everything, her reason to live for, her ray of hope when everything turns dark. It would destroy her if she could never see those sweet purple eyes again.

In her presence, Uzi will always be safe.

A smile formed as Nori looked up to her daughter’s face again. 

Her visor was completely shattered on the right.

On the left, her remaining purple eyelight flickered weakly.

Everything will be okay…

"Uzi…" Nori smiled, “We can still fix this..."

She pushed the shattered glass away with her foot.

Nori was still okay…

Her eyelight darted around.

"M-mom… What is happening?"

Uzi was still there…

Nori held her tight. "I... I don't know, but we'll be okay."

Uzi's head fell forward, hitting her shoulder.

Uzi…

“Mom… Why…”

Uzi looked up at Nori, before her light flickered out.

Uzi... it still hurts.

"Why did you kill me, Nori?"