#he continues to trust her with absolutely no reason to and it feeds into her own ruthless efficiency by making him her Guinea out of sorts

[makotonaegiunderstander]

do you ever go do autism crazy for something you can feel it in ur chest. like it’s hard to breathe almost it’s making you gasp for breath and jump around physically. got an adrenaline rush thinking abt Kirigiri.

[tomezatos]

so like basically in the REIGEN manga tome tries so desperately to throw herself into the center of this literal Superhuman world she sees and play the role of the eager young protagonist and its so endearing but in the end reigen has to come clean and she can’t keep using the spiritual premise as a crutch. not because she was wrong to have her whimsical interests, but because the fantasy of specialness can often be an escape from the isolation a person feels due to being unable to live up to societal ideals of normalcy, and yet in the end the fantasy can itself end up feeding directly into the isolation by obscuring your view of the other people in your life. you cannot prioritize the idea of being unique or special alone and that is the reason that the power structures in the story (as represented by roshuuto in REIGEN) so frequently fail short; because actually EVERYONE is a Pathetic Freak Weirdo Nerd Loser, from the handsome, popular rich boy, to the pretentious Dark!Reigen foil who takes himself too seriously, to all of the mundane teenage girls who the audience is initially tricked into dismissing as shallow, but also by the same token EVERYONE deserves to be loved and feel supported. 

because actually bonds with other people are the most important thing, and centrally this is also why REIGEN relies so heavily on bonds with others as something to create horror. the evil spirit mimics the voices of the ones you love and lures you in and when you’re at your most lost and scared and in need, that’s when you turn around and the face of the person you trust betrays you. tome only contracts the fatal curse in the first place because she cared about reigen and went back to make amends with him. because that’s the most horrifying, most terrifying thing, the thing that renders you absolutely helpless, isn’t it? it’s letting yourself rely on others and trust them to the point that it leaves you vulnerable, isn’t it? but you have to do it, if you want to achieve true connection then you can’t continue keeping up a veneer of Specialness and posturing as someone you’re not no matter how afraid you are of being seen as your true self. that’s the idea that really connects tome and reigen above all else. you have to be who you really are and you have to trust that you’ll be loved for it. and that’s horrifying! that’s an unimaginable, Forbidden terror! but it’s necessary. 

and also I think it’s so clever how REIGEN conveys this by only bringing in shigeo kageyama, the protagonist and most recognizable character who the reader has so many preconceived notions of, in at the last moment as a terrifying ghost who is impersonating him. I mean also it’s partially because shigeo can easily be made to look scary lol, because let’s be real, he can be pretty goddamn scary /hj BUT MOSTLY it’s to have him in his uniform, in his most recognizable and iconic form that the reader will cling to, and then have it be blown away by the post-canon shigeo, the real shigeo, the shigeo who has grown and changed and is no longer stuck in the role he once was. because to be vulnerable with others you have to grow and change and do away with old pretenses and dynamics that you’ve become dependent on. it can be scary to stop playing roles after you’ve grown use to them for so long, but you don’t need them - your most honest self will be the most loved. and also I love how just like tome could tell that it was the real reigen bcause he immediately ran into a spiderweb and yelled, you can tell that it’s the real shigeo because he’s immediately rude as fuck and he and reigen literally instantly go into their mean pithy little affectionate banter lol ok sorry anyway.

and also because you cannot really be any more or less special than anyone else and you need bonds with others, it’s true both that you have to rely on other people, but also that you owe it to them to be kind. reigen is literally a normal person working in the spirit business, so he has to rely on other people with the necessary abilities, such as dimple the spirit and serizawa the psychic, yes, but he also does his part to take care of the people who matter to him. roshuuto is so focused on appearances and power - as shown by how he goes on and on about connections - but when it comes down to it, he was not willing to save others (leaving hoshido in Reliance), and so nobody bothered trying to save him in turn. he only abandoned, and was abandoned. this is shown most acutely in the end by how roshuuto “has no other option” but to pass his curse on to someone else to save himself, while reigen “has no other option” to take on a curse to save someone else. reigen and serizawa accepting their responsibility as adults to protect the children around them is an extension of the idea that you are equal to everyone and are obligated to be kind to your loved ones and recieve kindness in turn. anyway mutual trust and communication is all that matters and tome kurata is The protagonist of all time Sorry,

[scoonsalicious]

Unwanted: Chapter 28, Unwanted - Pt. 1

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Summary: When your FWB relationship with your best friend Bucky Barnes turns into something more, you couldn’t be happier. That is, however, until a new Avenger sets her sights on your super soldier and he inadvertently breaks your heart. You take on a mission you might not be prepared for to put some distance between the two of you and open yourself up to past traumas. Too bad the only one who can help you heal is the one person you can no longer trust.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, violence, death

Word Count: 861

Previously On...: You're boyfriend's back and Jade's gonna be in trouble. Hey na, hey na...

A/N: THREE MORE CHAPTERS LEFT OMG HOW DID WE GET HERE?!

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Banner By: The absolutely amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917!

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

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Jade was dragging you through the hallways of the base by your hair as she frantically searched for an exit that would keep her out of Bucky’s reach. At first, you tried to keep track of the path you took, making note of turns and counting doorways as you were pulled down long corridors in case the opportunity to escape presented itself and you had to retrace your steps, but the route was so convoluted, and your head so battered, that you quickly lost track of where you were going, and any sense of direction you’d been able to hold onto. 

“I need eyes,” Jade said, more to herself than to you, and soon she was shifting directions. Within moments, she was throwing open a metal door that appeared to lead to a security center. Tossing you unceremoniously inside, she bolted the door behind her and heaved a heavy breath.

“What’s the matter?” you asked, your tone dangerously mocking. “If he loves you as much as you think he does, you shouldn’t have any reason to run from him.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” Jade chanted. She moved over to the row of security monitors and began quickly cycling through the screens. “Gotta find an exit,” she murmured to herself. “There has to be a way out where he won’t see.”

You took the opportunity her distraction provided to study the rest of the monitors, hoping to find some subtle way to contact Bucky, to let him know where you were or, at the very least, to try and find an escape route of your own. 

“How did he know where to find you?” Jade muttered as she continued to flip through the feeds.

You opted not to answer; you’d be a fucking idiot to reveal your distress bangle now. If you could keep it a secret from Jade, you’d ensure that Bucky would have the ability to find you, no matter where she ended up taking you. It would also let him know you were still alive.

You scanned the rest of the monitors, instead, and were shocked by what you saw: Room after room was littered in corpses; bloody, mangled, bodies where there had once been Hydra agents. Your eyes landed on a monitor in the far left corner of the room, and you saw him. Bucky was covered head to toe in the blood of his enemies, dual guns raised in the air as he opened fire on anyone who stood in his way. Though you couldn’t hear the words coming from his mouth, you could read his lips well enough to know he was screaming your name, searching for you as he tore through the facility, slaughtering every Hydra operative that crossed his path.

You had never seen him so enraged before. Yes, you knew that, as the Winter Soldier, he’d been capable of immense violence– you’d seen video footage of him in action, after all, but this? This was so much worse than that. Because Soldat complied. And Bucky Barnes? He was out for blood.*

You should have been frightened by the blatant display of absolute brutality, should have been repulsed by it. But instead, it excited you. It thrilled you, because you knew that he was doing this for you. To get you back, to keep you safe. He was willing to damn his soul to hell to protect you when you needed him. You should have been disgusted, but you’d never been more turned on by him in your life.

“Gotcha!” Jade exclaimed, drawing your attention back to her. She’d stopped her cycling through the security feeds on a non-descript door that, so far, seemed to have been spared from the ongoing carnage. Moving to a locker beside the desk, Jade reached inside and pulled out a handgun and several clips of ammo, tucking them snuggly into her belt.

“Come on,” she said, reaching out and grabbing your hair once more. “You’re my human shield for getting out of here.” She dragged you back out of the security station and into the hallway, looking both ways before turning left and sprinting down the corridor. It was all you could do to keep up; you had no doubt that if you faltered, she’d drag you across the floor behind her without a second thought. 

In minutes, you were at the door you’d seen in the feed. Jade let go of your hair and trained her gun on your head. “Open it,” she commanded. 

You winced in pain as you yanked on the door with your right hand, the left dangling limply and uselessly at your side. “Hurry up!” Jade shouted at you.

“I’m trying,” you grunted as you pulled. “The door’s fucking heavy, and in case you forgot, I’m down an arm because of you.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jade grumbled, reaching around you to yank the door open, herself. “Do I have to do fucking everything around here?” She jabbed the barrel of her gun into your back. “Go,” she urged.

You stepped into the darkness of the open tunnel and, doing your best not to stumble or jostle your ruined arm, began to walk.

<- Previous Chapter / Next Part ->

[toon-topaz]

The vampire if how overprotective does the rest of the cast get when they find out Subaru's not a vampire like one to ten scale

Oh boyyy this is gonna be fun Scale is gonna be from 1 (Doesn't give a fuck) to 10 (keep him on a leash at all times good god)

Emilia - Emilia found out at the beginning of arc 2, once she brought Subaru in for Beatrice to heal him. She then spends the entire series horrified at the lengths he will go to to protect her, or prove himself or whatever the hell he's trying to do. Especially after he got mauled by the Ulgarm, her worry for him increased tenfold, and then another tenfold after he challenged Julius. Her reasoning for leaving him behind in arc 3 is in part because she sincerely believes herself to be a bad omen, because of Subaru's continued offers for her to bite him (he thinks it'll be romantic and doesn't understand how weird that is), she thinks he might have some kind of brain damage after what Julius did to him. She believes she may actually end up getting him killed (little does she know, it's already happened, a lot), but also that she might lose control one day because damn, his blood smells nice. By arc 4, she understands his reasoning a bit more, but still hates to see him constantly putting himself in harm's way, and considers it extremely important for him to continue hiding his true identity. Despite not being the best liar herself, she's dedicated to keeping him safe, but will usually just avoid talking about it. In a way she feels kinship with him, as they both need to be careful about going out in public, due to her identity as a Witch of Envy lookalike, and his identity as what's essentially a talking prey animal. 8/10

Beatrice - Beatrice also knew the moment she met him, her ability to read Mana coming in handy for this. At first, she finds him more annoying and stupid, and even when she starts to like him more, her reluctance to exit her shell and bare her vulnerabilities prevent her from being too involved in what he's doing. After their contract, she's about as protective of him as in canon. Beatrice isn't a vampire, she's a spirit, and so she doesn't have any reason to be scared of herself losing control and attacking him. He's her contractor, she cares for him and his safety and will protect him with her life, but she also trusts him to take care of himself. She knows he may be reckless, but he's not stupid. 5/10

Rem - Rem finds out in arc 2, once it has to be explained to the staff that they need to somehow find a food source just to feed this one guy. Needless to say, she finds it incredibly suspicious, especially when in earlier loops Subaru keeps tailing Emilia and casually suggesting they have a taste of his blood. He has to be up to something. Not to mention, there's not only a ridiculously sweet scent wafting off of him whenever he accidentally cuts himself, but there's also constantly the smell of the Witch on him. She's fully convinced he's a Witch Cult plant, some kind of fabricated existence meant to be as tempting as possible. She does actually end up biting him, in the loops where she kills him, to punish him for daring to step foot in her sister's home. After the Ulgarm fight, she becomes one of his most fervent protectors, while also passively encouraging his reckless behavior. His weakness is also a strength in her eyes, as it gives him a unique kind of bravery she's absolutely in love with. She won't stop him from getting into trouble, but she will without hesitation kill anybody who dares attempt to harm her Subaru-kun. He could walk into Hell and she would follow him unflinchingly. Rem is hard to categorize, because her protectiveness of him is filtered through her view of him as her hero. She doesn't want to stifle him, but in the process enables a lot of his bad habits, opting to take action to defend him in the moment, rather than preventing him from getting into danger in the first place. It helps that she knew the moment she met him. 7?/10

Ram - Ram also knows right off the bat, and she's initially a bit wary, like her sister. Depending on how suspicious Rem is of him, her own concerns vary. She's a lot quicker to understand that he's just kinda stupid however. Ram does care for him, but holds no small amount of exaggerated disdain, usually teasing him for his weakness and taunting him with his status as food, with such charming nicknames as "cattle", "pig", and "snack". It's all in good fun, but it's also a subtle warning to him to not get careless. Sometimes she brings him grass, for their "livestock", and he responds to the jab by shoving it in his mouth while maintaining full eye contact. 4/10

Otto - Otto genuinely has no idea until, like, Subaru's knighting ceremony at the end of arc 4. He's absolutely piss drunk when he finds out, and it sends him into a goddamn crisis. He feels like a fucking idiot for not realizing his incredibly fragile best friend is not in fact, a vampire with a chronic health problem, but apparently he's been a whole other species this entire time. He's starting to wonder if Subaru technically counts as an animal, and the only reason they're able to get along so well is because of Otto's Divine Protection. Knowing this now, he sees how Subaru never seems to eat the same meals as everybody else, he's never shared a glass of blood with anyone, and no, that sweet smell is not just Otto's imagination. Otto's dedication is second only to Emilia's with helping Subaru keep his secret from everybody else, and he's a much better liar than her. He essentially crafts Subaru a whole fake backstory, makes it absolutely fucking airtight, and all but forbids him from speaking to strangers without at least one bug tailing him to report back to Otto. If he could he'd ground him to his room forever. About half the paperwork he does now involves forging Subaru's legal documents (which he apparently didn't have for a whole two-ish months??? He's lucky nobody bothered to check), birth certificate, Lugunican citizenship, etc. Poor Otto is about to have an aneurysm every time Subaru goes anywhere. 9/10

Garfiel - Garfiel thinks this is the coolest ever actually. He finds out while fighting Elsa, and at first he's pissed cuz y'know, she hurt his Captain, but once the dust settles he's actually thrilled to find out that the dude he looks up to is part of a long extinct legendary species he's read about in all his favorite stories. A lot of the heroes of legend were human, and he really admires Subaru's tenacity despite his weakness. Everyone's a little fragile to Garf after all, so the most he'll do is offer to train Subaru to fight or dodge better, and act as his bodyguard when he goes out in public. Alas, he's bad at keeping a secret. He will punch anyone who fucks with the Captain though. 5/10

Frederica and Petra - Frederica learns when she comes back to maid duty, and Petra needs to be informed once she gets hired. I don't have much to say about them, but Frederica makes sure Subaru gets proper nourishment, and Petra is a little weirded out that she can lift Subaru up with ease, but she's mostly chill about it. Sometimes they team up with Otto to keep an eye on him. 6/10

Roswaal - This fucking guy knew before Subaru even got here. He's been growing orchards in his backyard in preparation for the day his favorite little pawn would show up. His sacrificial lamb. He's been doing everything he can to put Subaru in harm's way, knowing he can just try again if things go wrong. He fully believes in him to pull through somehow, even as he actively throws him to the wolves. Not only that, but Roswaal is one of the only vampires alive who was once human 400 years ago, so he knows how it feels to be preyed upon, and yet he could not give less of a shit as long as Subaru helps him achieve his goal. 0/10

Part 1/2

[genichisojo]

Chihiro's Age and Being the Perfect 18 Year Old Protagonist

Today I will be breaking down Kagurabachi's Chihiro’s age and why he’s a great 18 yr old protagonist and acts his age. Please forgive if my current DC brain rot bleeds into this.

I think Chihiro’s core can attributed to growing up being loved and respected by his parents. One of the first conversations is Kunishige telling Chihiro that if he wants to be a blacksmith like him and carry the burden of the role’s consequences, “…If that’s how you feel, all that’s left, is for me to believe in you.”

I think when you grow up with a loving parent like that, that loving voice is always in your head. He reminds me of that joke that the reason Superman is so good is because both of his parents loved him unconditionally. But who do we get when you have loving parents who get killed in a traumatic way in front of you? Batman, hi! Hi, Batman! Hi! AKA “that nut from Gotham city” and Chihiro already has such a reputation. Not as a psycho, but he’s deemed dangerous and strong. He’s someone to keep an eye out for now. He’s been underestimated before this arc because of his age.

I personally think that had Kunishige never been murdered, Chihiro wouldn’t had ever chosen to wield a blade unless it came to a time of war. But he adapted to the idea easily because he’s been preparing himself his whole life to be responsible for deaths as a blacksmith. What’s the difference anyways when you’re the wielder? Probably a lot, but you’re a teenager and want one thing, and it’s the right thing in your mind so let’s just start moving.

He has assigned himself the responsibility to get the katanas back and get revenge, and he’s very set on it in a one track, 18 yr old way. When Char got taken, his mind was on getting her back. When Sojo was doing his shit, his mind was on taking him down. Then he immediately moves back into getting back the katanas, not really taking time to process literally losing a limb after already not fully healing from a hospital visit. He’s reckless with his physical health- typical for his age.

Older characters around him also treat him his age. Shiba doesn’t really leave him out of his sight if we’re real about it. He lets him fight on his own and trusts that Chihiro has a handle on things because he knows him and probably trained him. He would’ve gone in during the first fight with Sojo had Azami not stopped him. He is willing to hop in when things get bad, and he will always be there to catch him, but overall, he knows he’s old enough to handle physical strain. Still, there’s that famous moment in the train at the beginning where Shiba does warn Chihiro all the hatred he’s been carrying is “…gonna break you.”

Chihiro asks in return, “So you wanna stop me?” And neither of them says anything and continue to go about their mission. Shiba respects Chihiro and his choices, understands he’s an adult and this is what he wants, but he looks out for him because at the end of the day, he’s still eighteen. And his best friend’s baby.

We also have Azami who summoned the Kamunabi because although he he’s been told Chihiro can fight, he also knew that he had never fought another enchanted blade wielder before and knew the city damage could get crazy. In a way, I think it was also a way to keep an eye on him because he doesn’t want him to get hurt, either. Azami has been proven to be sentimental with his phone lockscreen. He kept Chihiro’s existence a secret because until KB’s starting point, he was a child. He’s barely an adult, and Azami who hadn’t seen him in a while, is still like I guess he can handle it, if Shiba says and then absolutely not.

My final point is that Chihiro treats children well. He talks to children in a way kids like to be talked to- like real people. Kids say crazy things, but he still took time to feed and talk to Char and take her seriously even before they were attacked. The same thing occurs with Mr. Inazuma. He gets down to their level, listens to them in the way his father listened to him, and he goes along with what they want while making sure they’re not going to die.

Chihiro was shown to have been a responsible child and he had to grow up quick to be able to accomplish his goals. In a way, an indirect goal of his is to protect the innocent- children. He knows what it’s like to be a defenseless child and to have nobody run to your aid, so he acts the most rational when other people’s lives are on the line. And when it all falls on his life, he lets himself get a little bit reckless because that’s just what allegedly blood thirsty 18 yr old boys do. I’ll come back to the allegedly later.

[ya-bug-boy]

Please do a part 2 this has me on the edge of my seat!

Warden Ingo x Demon Reader Part Two

As much as you wanted to depart right this minute, you looked at the state of the warden before you. Sunken eyes and thin. With an annoyed breath, you order him to follow you back to your cabin. He hesitates until you point out how weak he has become. You can tell by just looking at him that he hasn't rested nor eaten, his coat and clothes are drenched with river water, demanding next that he follows your orders until you can make a proper plan to find Akari. Begrudgingly, he follows you, wary mercury eyes watching the Zoroarks eyeing him.

Your cabin was nicer than he expected but it's because you had been living here for some time. He asks how you made it and you tell him plainly that you stole the cabin materials from Jubilife Vilage before they had made that gate. He's baffled at that.

As irritated as you are, you provide for the human. You make a fire, give him jerky and water to drink. Then you start a game of questions with him. You answer one of his questions and vice versa.

First question. "What involvement do you have with Akari?" Ingo says first. You roll your eyes and tell him plainly that you have no ill intent with the child. She seeks refuge in your forest from time to time when she's doing survey work. You clean her wounds, feed her, and let her rest under your pack's protection.

Second question, you ask him, "Who are you?" He then says that he's a warden of the Pearl Clan...and would consider himself to be an associate of Akari's. With that said, you start to list names of the Pearl Clan Wardens, watching his reaction when you say his name. When he asks how you knew it, you tell him, "Akari tells me everything. Including how the leaders force a young girl to do the most dangerous tasks that should be left for experts." You watch him shrink in size.

"Are you responsible for the sky turning red?" "Obviously NOT, human. And I'm absolutely certain that neither is she."

". . . so what is?" You close your eyes and huff, "I don't know. And I don't know where she could be either, if that was your next question."

And with that, Ingo looks defeated. You have no reason to trust him yet but he was the only link you had to Akari.

Your pack returns, one of them howling and clawing at the door. You open to look at them.

One of them is clutching Akari's hankerchief, the one she wears on her head. You're filled with dread. "Can you follow the scent?" you ask your pack. The one that presented you the cloth, closes its eyes and nods its head.

You look at him coldly, your tall form dwarfing him as you get close to his face. "I have no interest in the other humans EXCEPT for Akari. She is the only friend I have. . . and I see her almost as my daughter. If you care for her at all, you will either join me in my quest to find her or go back to the village." Before Ingo can interject you continue, "You will follow my exact orders. You will follow my orders to eat. Sleep. Rest. If Akari is important to you, then most certainly you are to her as well and I will not be held responsible for your death. Do I make myself clear."

Putting his hat back on his head, Ingo gives you a firm look. "I will not be a distraction. I swear to you."

You stare him down. He doesn't back down.

"We leave at dawn. Get rest."

[aurguries]

if i do what you tell me, will you love me?

pairing: heimdall x reader author's note: i always thought it would be interesting to write a little something with the concept of childhood sweethearts in terms of heimdall's character, especially since he has a hard time trusting people. but with someone he's known since he was a kid? he's a bit putty in her hands heh.

Your arrival is abrupt and abrasive all at once, involving an irritating combination of the door to his room being thrown open, and you striding in soon after, cheeks flushed, tone impatient. 

"We need to talk."

He remains unfazed, fingers leisurely flipping to the next page of the book he had been in the midst of reading before you barged in, feet still kicked up on his desk, all while you continue to seethe for reasons yet to be made known to him.

"And what seems to be the problem now?" he drawls out.

"Well, you wouldn't know unless you stop reading and look at me," comes your sour response as the door shuts behind you with a loud thud. 

Heimdall sets the book away with a sigh, lowers his feet back down to the ground, violet gaze now trailing after you as you march across the room to plant yourself on his bed with a loud huff. 

He eyes you with a tinge of amusement. "Or you could always just tell me. You can still ... speak, can't you?"

Your gaze flickers to his, tone cutting. "And you can still read minds, can't you? 

His mouth lifts into a smirk. 

"Now that you've kicked up such a fuss, that would be too easy — me poking around in that pretty, little head of yours while you sit there doing absolutely nothing. You know, I think I'd rather hear it from you, dearest. Go on then, form the words."

Heimdall watches as your eyes narrow into slits. 

"I'm not in the mood for whatever this is."

He hums and reaches for his book. 

"Well, neither am I. Come back some other time, then. Goodbye."

A moment creeps by.

Heimdall slides his gaze over to you. 

You remain seated, as he knew you would, arms crossed, lips pursed, still glowering at him. 

The sight of you like this, in so petulant a mood, brings him back lifetimes — to a different room, a narrower bed, and a smaller, sullener version of you sitting on top of it, pouting away, arms crossed, your little feet dangling above the ground. 

In some ways, you are still that same girl, and this is still that same dance.

"Shut the door on your way out, will you?" he mentions tauntingly. "Or, dare I ask, have you actually decided to stay?"

You relent with a roll of your eyes. "You're so difficult sometimes."

"Likewise, sulky."

As soon as the words leave him, he sees your lips curl into a strange, little smile, ire seemingly forgotten. His brows crease, your eyes gleam. By the time he's decided to delve into the depths of your somewhat depraved mind, it's too late.

"You know, I much prefer what you called me earlier," you sigh, tone coy and teasing. "Were you intending on trying something new or did it just ... slip out?" 

You suddenly seem far more exasperating than usual. 

"I have no idea what you're going on about."

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Please stop feeding your delusions."

"Make me." You smirk. "Dearest."

Annoyance seeps into his tone. "Do you actually have a problem you'd like to discuss or are you just here to waste my time?"

"You tell me," you say almost cheerfully, tone light, seemingly back in high spirits. "So, still want me to tell you what's bothering me, or would you rather just read my mind?"

"Or I could just throw you out."

You make a face at this suggestion. 

"I suppose you ... could. For now, at least. But given how we are soon to live together, I suggest you think of more creative ways to be mean to me. Can't exactly throw me out when we share a room, can you?"

You level your gaze at him challengingly. 

"Or is that the best you can do?"

Heimdall feigns a laugh. "You really still believe that?" 

This gives you pause. 

"Believe what?"

"That we are, soon to live together, as you so eloquently put it." He mock frowns. "You do seem rather ... unsure."

You huff. "So, you do know what's bothering me."

He scoffs, voice deadpan as he laments, "Your thoughts have been stuck on the same thing for weeks, haunting me at every waking moment. Only an idiot wouldn't know what's bothering you."

"And it's only just gotten worse," you tell him now, tone insistent. "Look into my eyes, tell me I'm not overreacting."

Heimdall stands, pretends to mull over your request before relenting with a sigh, making his way over to you. 

"Alright then. Now don't look away, hold it right there — let me concentrate — oh, I see — now that's interesting. You're very clearly ... overreacting."

You glare up at him. 

"This isn't funny. They're here, with her, in the All-Father's court. Why else except to try and wed their only daughter to the scion of the Aesir."

The corners of his mouth twitch. "My, my, I wasn't aware you held me in such high regard."

You lift your chin. "It is a mere fact. Nothing more."

"And so, so, eager to make me yours."

A rosy hue descends on your cheeks as you scoff. "That's not the point. Aren't you the least bit worried you might actually have to call her your wife instead?"

"Not in the slightest," he answers breezily with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The All-Father would never let me be bound to someone of such ... standing. I am, after all, his son, and as you so conveniently mentioned, the scion of the Aesir. So, as you can see, sulky, all that worrying of yours is really for naught."

And so are his words, it seems, because the look on your face hasn't changed. Except now — now you turn away, arms crossed, childishly refusing to look at him. 

Heimdall releases an exaggerated sigh, feels the bed dip as he takes a seat next to you.

"But, I suppose if it makes you feel any better, I did only agree to marry you, didn't I?"

The corners of your mouth begin to lift. 

"And?"

His brows crease. "And?"

You smirk. 

"Tell me how much you love me. Tell me you'd rather die than continue to live lifetimes without me. Tell me I'm who you love most."

He snorts. "What?"

You turn, gaze locking with his, eyes glittering deviously. 

"You want to make me feel better, don't you, dearest?" you purr, tone sickly-sweet. "So, read my mind and tell me what I want to hear."

What you want to hear. 

What do you want to hear? 

It isn't always an easy thing, sifting through the recesses of your mind. 

Your thoughts, they often greet him how a lover would — how you would — coyly leading him astray, teasing him, toying with him. Tugging, pulling, bending him towards your will, sometimes even tainting whatever it is in him that claims to be all-seeing, all-knowing. 

He sees you reach for him, feels you reach for him. 

"Won't you do it? For me?" you murmur as you gaze up at him through half-lidded eyes, body pressed close, grip tightening around the fabric of his tunic, effectively creasing it. 

"Won't you tell me you've loved me since forever?"

He feels your breath on his heated skin with every persistent plea, and foolishly allows his senses to give in to you, be overcome by you, thoughts and all, lulling him to do as you please. 

Heimdall hums, fingers tracing your spine. "And if I let you have your way, if I do what you tell me?"

He sees your lips curl into that strange, little smile once more as you lean in to place them at his ear, your voice a hushed whisper, and your words, all that he's yearned to hear. 

In some ways, he is still that same boy who sat across that smaller, sullener version of you, his own little feet dangling above the ground, longing to make you smile.

In some ways, this is still that same dance. 

[hello-god-its-me-sara]

and then i got brainrot

I’m just saying Jon randomly running into batcow bc she wandered a little far out or he’s unknowingly a little more close to the massive Wayne estate than he realized seeing a cow and getting a little homesick (he grew up around farms, rip it from my dead cold dead hands) feeding her his lunch or something and then receiving affection from her

Jon who was not received affection from anyone or anything (it seems) his entire life chalking it up to feeding her, you don’t bite the hand that feeds you of course

And for whatever reason he keeps coming back regularly and of course he brings food every time and bat-cow is very appreciative of it sometimes it’s the only food he has but it’s okay because he can take care of himself

At this point Batman knows what up

Well kinda

He’s definitely found Crane feeding bat-cow and giving her pets, either bc he followed her out or him and he can’t really figure out what’s going on but it doesn’t seem to be hurting anyone so he leaves it be

I mean probably on more than one occasion Jonathan has dropped whatever he was doing to feed bat-cow because they have a schedule now and he can’t be late or miss a day

So Bruce knows and probably use it to keep tabs on Crane Bat-cow trusts him so that means something right?

And one day for some reason Jon can’t bring food He doesn’t have any and can’t get any in time and so he shows up and he doesn’t have food for her

And he just starts crying because he can’t feed her not that bat-cow cares, she wants his company more anyways

So she just nuzzles at him

Meanwhile Jon starts crying harder because he can’t feed her and he she’s rubbing at him because she expects food and he doesn’t have food and what happens when she realizes that he doesn’t have food? she’s just a cow

how’s she supposed to know he isn’t randomly withholding food all of a sudden? what if she thinks it’s her fault? what if she stops trusting him after this? and she just keeps nuzzling at him and he keeps feeling worse and worse

At this point he’s spiraling because as far as he’s concerned this is a random cow he’s been feeding more weeks- months now he doesn’t know who owns her or who takes care of her so of course he feels responsible for her at this point, something he’s never felt before and as far as he’s concerned she might rely on him for food, which is why he started prioritizing feeding her because when you’re responsible for something, when they rely on you, wouldn’t you give them your last bite of food? and now he can’t even feed her and she keeps rubbing at him

And that’s how Bruce finds Crane sobbing and apologizing profusely to bat-cow about not having food while she’s trying to comfort him and is confused why rubbing against him isn’t working

shut up don’t psychoanalyze this this means absolutely nothing

In case it wasn’t clear the reason Jonathan is crying over the cow is not just because he can’t feed her he is convinced the only reason she’s giving him affection is because she expects food he’s Pavlovian trained her to expect food from him

So the other half of it is later, after Batman gets involved because he panics, Jonathan just cannot accept that bat-cow could like him and give affection and not expect food from him

The idea that anyone or anything could like him is absurd thus bat-cow can’t just give him affection

No the cow doesn’t like him what are you talking about he just feeds her, she wants food

And he continues to try to justify any further affection she gives him

Oh she won’t eat because she’s just fed but she’s still nosing at him? she wants pets she’s a cow of course she wants pets, what animal doesn’t want pets, no that doesn’t mean she likes him, it’s purely transactional what don’t you get about that why would you think that she likes him

Batman doesn’t know what to do about this denial

Because Crane obviously likes bat-cow

Bat-cow obviously likes him back regardless of what Crane thinks

And now he has a rouge with an unstable emotional attachment to his /c o w/

Unstable as in Jon goes error 404 if anyone insists that the cow likes him back

I mean what’s Bruce supposed to do with this new information force Crane into therapy? not do anything and ignore that Crane has a 50% chance of crying if bat-cow moos at him?

Jon is completely fine if you ask him (he is not) there’s nothing wrong with his attachment to bat-cow

[danceofthephilos]

Theory: Did Tadashi call the police on S?

The first beef between Langa and Adam gets famously interrupted by a police raid. It's the only time the police interfere with S specifically in the whole series and the plot thread is not followed up on, leaving this raid as a bit of an oddity.

What I'm proposing here is nothing but a theory - I consider it possible that this is intentional subtext woven into the show, but I would not be able to confirm it one way or another.

My proposition is that Tadashi called the police at this juncture, and that this is completely in line with how he expresses his concern for Adam throughout the whole series. Let's dive in!

Almost immediately preceding the police raid is this reaction shot of Tadashi looking stunned by Adam standing motionlessly under the flickering streetlight. It's when Adam decides that Langa not only could be but definitely is his Eve - even from a distance, observing through the live feed from the drones, Tadashi can tell that Adam is deeply affected by this.

When the episode aired and we didn't yet know a lot about Tadashi, I thought that this shot's inclusion was doubtlessly meant to imply that he is the one who put a stop to the race. With Kiriko's further involvement and the slow reveals about Tadashi's devotion to Adam, this could seem like it was a red herring. But... was it?

Let's dissect this bit by bit!

As I said before, this is the only time in the series that the police messes with S. But not only that! It is also the only time that S has been on the police's radar in recent memory of the characters:

So: why now? Why at this exact point in time? Is that really just some insane coincidence? Is it Kiriko? (It's not, we'll get to that.)

It's noteworthy that the S system shuts down immediately. As the police usually doesn't bother with S, this is not routine. It's a very swift response to something that is completely unusual if not unprecedented. It could be that Tadashi just has very quick response skills, but... It's undeniable that shutting everything off on time would be far easier for him to accomplish if he knew this would happen.

This is further supported by the way Tadashi just casually rolls up to pick up Adam, not stressed in the slightest by the unusual threat to their little operation (and Tadashi does stress about anything that could threaten Adam's reputation, we see it often.)

Adam also immediately points out the strangeness of this event, while we as the viewer are treated to a foreground shot of Tadashi's impassive, unconcerned face.

It is then Tadashi who looks into the matter. It is his word we have to trust if we want to blame the police raid on Kiriko. But... should we?

We know Kiriko as incredibly persistent in her pursuit of Adam. Would she really discover that Ainosuke Shindo walled off a whole area from police patrol, and then quietly accept it as that same area is removed from patrol once again? That should be raising huge red flags for her!

If Kiriko had a hunch of Ainosuke Shindo doing something illegal at the abandoned mine out of town, that should be her absolute first priority to investigate! It's her best bet at getting him to court!

But Kiriko herself never once mentions the abandoned mine, altered police patrol routes, or anything of the likes. To her, this is about perjury. She's only ever seen following the perjury and collusion trail; never once does she discuss anything adjacent to S. Even presuming that she's merely suspicious about the abandoned mine in general, without any reason to connect it to Ainosuke Shindo, the person whom Adam is in contact with to assure S's continued protection is the chief of police.

Kiriko is working with Chief Matsumura throughout the rest of the season, and until he intervenes to prevent her investigating the Shindo estate and sends her back to Tokyo in the finale, there's no indication that she distrusts him, nor anyone within the Naha police, at all. If Tadashi's account of events is correct, Kiriko grew suspicious of illegal activities at the abandoned mine, thought it had been removed from the patrol route by someone higher in the chain of command, and had it raided... only for her to think nothing of it when it was removed from the patrols again, and continue to completely trust the person who would have authority over these decisions without so much as following up with him about what happened.

If Kiriko is meant to be the culprit behind the raid, this is a huge plot hole. She should, by all means, have become a threat to S itself.

However! The only person who ever implicates her in this is Tadashi. If Tadashi was the one who called the police, Kiriko would have been an incredibly convenient scapegoat for him.

So then... isn't Tadashi a loyal dog? Why would he go against his master like this, so early in the show? Let me explain!

First off, it's important to remember that at the start of the show, Adam hasn't been attending S in years. People there treat him as a legend and many have never seen him. Recently, Adam has been focused on furthering his career and only consumed S passively via videos - no skater interested him enough to go out personally.

Tadashi supports this. Over and over we see him concerned for Adam's career and reputation. He believes that a 'normal' successful life is what is genuinely best for the man.

For years now, Tadashi has blamed skateboarding (and himself) for everything wrong with Adam's life. He believes that he led Adam astray and he is desperate to fix his 'mistake'.

Tadashi is not an outsider to the value system of the Shindo clan. As the child of a generations-long servant family, he grew up on the estate as well. He too spent his whole life internalizing the 'life lessons' taught by the Shindo adults. As Aiichiro's secretary, he might have spent more time with Adam's father than Adam himself ever did. Tadashi definitely listened to his views over and over and over.

And because of that, what Tadashi regrets about Aiichiro burning Adam's board is not that he didn't stop it or that he didn't stand up for Adam... It's that he taught Adam skateboarding in the first place and thus led to him 'needing to be punished'.

As such, it's no surprise that he opposes Adam's initial return to S. He wants to 'make up' for his 'mistake' by leading Adam into a normal life. Participation in S is to the direct detriment of that.

Tadashi feels no disdain for Adam, of course. On the contrary, he feels endless love and affection. He genuinely wants what's best for him. Well, what he thinks is best for him...

Which means that Tadashi is a product of the Shindo clan through-and-through.

And all of that wraps us back around to where we started:

After years of Adam doing well in Tadashi's eyes (no hospitalizations, yay!), this happens. Adam is affected in a way he's never been before - he's had objects of affection in the past, but none of them made him stop dead in his tracks like this.

Tadashi knows Adam. And he knows Adam is about to be obsessed.

So he panics and tries to rip Adam and Langa apart as soon as humanly possible. He wants to nip this obsession in the bud so Adam won't be distracted from work. So Adam will be able to live the perfect life that everyone wants for him.

It's even possible that Tadashi didn't stop at calling the police.

At the start of the tournament, we encounter a group of masked skaters who are hellbent on getting Langa out of the race. The way they talk about Joe here is dismissive. When they say to let him have the win they use the form ��れてやれ which is rather rude and dismissive - they're not doing this for Joe's sake, they just don't care if he wins. It's Langa they're after.

Now, it's possible that they just want to take an arrogant rookie down a peg. That seems like something thugs would do. But there is one person who has a vested interest in Langa falling short of Adam's expectations and not making it to the finale - that person is Tadashi.

The assault on Langa in this race is a similar oddity as the police raid - it's never addressed before or after it happens, standing isolated as a momentary obstacle that doesn't contribute to the overall plot of SK8. Being 'out of place' ties these two incidents together - and thus may tie them to Tadashi.

It might not be coincidence that Tadashi enters the tournament as Snake only after the assault team fails to take out Langa.

Entering the tournament shows that Tadashi is not afraid to go behind Adam's back if he thinks it serves Adam's best interests. But becoming 'Snake' means alerting Adam of his betrayals - to me, that seems like a drastic final measure after the sneakier ones failed.

The tragedy of it all is that even though Tadashi is deciding over Adam's head, going behind his back, and generally repeating his family's abusive mantra at him over and over.... Even though Tadashi does all these things, he genuinely loves Adam. Everything he does is for Adam's sake. Unlike the aunts or Aiichiro, he does not see Adam as a representative of his own power. He just loves him, but he expresses his love in the only way he's ever learned to do it:

By forcing him to fit the mold.

[thehauntingofharrenhouse]

SIGHING the age difference between margaery and sansa is p big for teenagers! margaery is closer to jon and robb's age than sansa's. margaery and her family actively pursued an interest in elevating her to queen from at least the first book if not longer, tywin was actively trying to arrange a marriage between cersei and rhaegar before the maggy scene, which takes place when cersei was younger than sansa is at the beginning of the series. ned and catelyn had barely discussed sansa's options before joffrey shows up; they might have thought of it later or they might have chosen someone else. the wealthy southern houses are ambitious, but starks rarely send their daughters south to marry. sansa has talent and big dreams, and cat would at least think to take that into account. likely cat was expecting to marry her into another great house, but we know cat wanted her kids to be happy?? and be children?? for as long as they can. she was surprised and a little upset that robb was wearing live steel, even tho he's nearly an adult by westerosi standards and competent enough to manage winterfell when she understandably neglects her duties while bran is in his coma.

this is not a bad thing!! this is reasonable!! and cat did teach sansa how to be a lady the same way ned taught robb and jon to be a lord, through example and demonstration. all highborn girls have lessons with a septa, not least to occupy them while the boys are practicing hitting each other with swords. sansa and arya were also given lessons with maester luwin, which is a significant advantage that not all highborn girls get. and honestly this solid foundation gave sansa and arya the tools they needed to survive thus far!!

catelyn was expecting sansa (and arya!) to continue her education at court, under the supervision of ned and with the help of septa mordane. and cersei did try to educate her in her own terrible way––catelyn could not have known how incompetent cersei was (honestly cersei had robert killed in an incredibly sophisticated way that would still be hard to prove in real court, she is a lot more together in the first book). ned resolved to end the betrothal as soon as he saw what joffrey was like, he definitely believed revealing joffrey's parentage would make this easy.

margaery came to king's landing with an army at her back, knowing there was a possibility, however slim, of the lannisters rejecting an alliance. she knew she was entering a city her family had been starving out for months!! she brought food!!! she was prepared. she knew exactly what she was getting into!! loras had almost definitely been feeding the tyrells information about the court for years, if only so they'd know what was going on lol.

the tyrells are absolutely the lannisters' foils, I think that's pretty clear? margaery is the political powerhouse cersei wants to be, and she has the support and respect cersei craves. loras is the new Best Tourney Knight who mostly lives up to the ideals jaime strives for without really trying, and his relationship actually is unfairly discriminated against instead of just creepy (affectionate). willas is the scholarly heir trusted absolutely, like his claim is so rock solid he is just left with the castle, and he has a more 'socially acceptable' disability (in tyrion's mind especially!). like they are both engaged to sansa even. and olenna is who tywin thinks he is, except she also has the power of being a reasonable adult who would prefer that people (not joffrey) didn't get hurt. then garlan is just a good guy, all the lannisters wish they had a garlan

for the record, also, sansa tried to 'talk up' joffrey because she was terrified. she does not like anything about joffrey at this point and is desperately trying to think of things to say that won't get her killed?? what olenna and margaery do so well, and what is indicative of their strength as politicians and the power of being nice to people, is put sansa at ease enough that she's willing to tell them the truth. like yes sansa was fully deluding herself at one point, accepting joffrey's apology for lady's death, but she starts to hate him as soon as he has ned arrested (and their household killed??). how many of us can say we have not gone a little delusional over a crush in middle school regardless of what our parents taught us. lmao.

cat and ned may not have prepared sansa to be queen but they are the reason alayne is still kind, and that is why she inspires the kind of loyalty littlefinger can't, which will prove to be her greatest weapon.

[kata-sans]

Raising Stripe

Chapter 17

Tweek and Craig were waiting anxiously in a pediatric waiting room. Butters had called them and given them the address to a reliable doctor that has been briefed on the situation. They jumped up as soon as the nurse called their name.

The nurse took the baby from Tweek's arms and began to measure and weigh him. She assured the couple that Stripe’s weight was healthy. She checked his heartbeat and fever. She wrote down all the baby's vitals and escorted the family into a room to wait for the doctor.

After five minutes the door opens to reveal Butters’ trusted doctor. They were equally shocked and relieved to see Nichole Daniels. “Hey guys, it's been awhile. I heard your baby is sick. Let me have a look.” Nichole said as she checked the chart the nurse had filled in. “Let's see, vitals are all good. Baby does still have a slight fever. Tweek can you set Stevie on the table and undress him.”

“His name is Stripe actually.” Tweek responded as he guided Stripe's arm out of his onesie.

Nichole giggled, “I should have known. He was Craig's guinea pig. Now let's see what's going on with Stripe.” She grabbed her stethoscope and placed it against the baby's chest. Stripe whined and pushed against Nicole's hand. “Aww I know baby, you don't feel good, but this is for your own good.”

She pulled out a special tool to check Stripe's nose and ears. Stripe was not having it, he was squirming and crying out. He was familiar with check ups, they usually ended with a sharp needle poking him. Finally she squeezed Stripe's belly and he curled up in pain.

“Well it looks like he caught a stomach bug. Luckily it's not serious. I'll write a prescription to help with the symptoms. Make sure to buy him pedialyte to keep him hydrated.” She handed Craig the note. “Now, I need to ask a couple questions. I understand that you guys are still new to parenting, have you guys considered vaccinations for Stripe.”

“We honestly didn't think about it but we always want what's best for Stripe. So yeah that's fine.” Craig answered honestly.

Nichole nodded, “I will have my receptionist schedule you an appointment next week when he's fully recovered. I read over the questions you answered about Stripe's milestones, he seems to be healthy in terms of development. I also noticed that Stripe's diet is strictly formula, is there a reason?”

“I th-thought he was still too young to eat solid food. Is there a list of foods I can feed him?” Tweek asked.

“Absolutely! Stripe is developing like a healthy baby so you need to reintroduce foods to him like a baby. Start with one solid meal each day. You can introduce baby cereal or a puree. Here is a pamphlet on how to introduce solids. If you have any questions just call me and I'll do my best to walk you through it.”

Stripe was growing tired of waiting as the adults talked. He sat up feeling dizzy. He wanted to be held and cuddled. “MA-MA!...DA-DA!” Stripe cried out before sobbing. Tweek quickly picked him up and began to console him. Craig rubbed Stripe's back trying to soothe him.

Nichole who was watching the scene awkwardly spoke, “I uh think you guys are good to go. Stripe is definitely ready to go home. Maggie in the front will set up your next appointment.”

The couple nodded as they continued to soothe the baby. Stripe clung tightly to his mama. He enjoyed the back rubs, it reminds him of when he was a guinea pig. His sobbing diminished into little hiccups and soon Stripe fell asleep.

Ch16

Ch18

[kiss-my-freckle]

Full Episode Commentary

2x5: Kill or Be Killed

Gif posts relevant to this re-watch:

Stelena's argument 1x4 parallels

They open this episode with a flashback of Mason. Katherine pushed him to trigger his werewolf gene, and she did this similar to the way Damon set up Tyler's fight in 2x2. The important thing to know about this flashback of Mason and the truth of what Katherine did to him… is Damon's realization that he's no different than Mason. He ruined himself for her when he was just another toy. He's no different than Mason and Trevor. That's why Damon is done with Katherine. 2x1 was the full-blown scale of this realization, that's why he broke wide open and killed Jeremy. He didn't need Katherine to tell him that she faked her death for him to know that he died for nothing. Katherine levelled his ass. He became a vampire for nothing just as Mason became a werewolf for nothing. It was all for Katherine and whatever use she found in them. Damon's entire existence was a lie. So this is where things start to get interesting for Damon.

"He kept coming at me. He got in his head that I was sleeping with his girlfriend." Mason has absolutely no idea Katherine spearheaded his kill, but he is describing vampire compulsion while telling Tyler this story. Katherine not only got him to trigger his werewolf gene, she used his friend to do it. She had Mason killing his own friend in self-defense to trigger his gene. Like wow. She sent 26 of her friends to their deaths for the sake of faking her own, and she admits to doing it without blinking. She gets Mason to kill his friend in self-defense to trigger his werewolf gene. This woman is no joke. She doesn't care who they care about, she only cares about herself.

"On every full moon, I lose control. If I don't sedate myself and chain myself down, I'll kill anything in my path. You have to be careful. All it takes is an accident, a car wreck. Any death at your hands, and you'll have a lifetime of this. You don't want it Tyler, trust me."

So yeah, it's painful to watch Mason because you're getting Damon's truth at the same time. That's what makes this gorgeous. Damon has already reached this realization. Mason hasn't. Tyler continues to hide the moonstone because Mason lies like Stefan does. He's lying about why he wants the moonstone, so yeah… Tyler's keeping it for now. They cut to Jeremy and Elena. He's gonna be the reason Mason loses his moonstone because Tyler's gonna run his mouth to Jeremy. Jeremy and Elena are talking about Tyler being a possible werewolf. They don't know much about werewolves, so they're not sure what to think about him right now. Jeremy tells Elena it shouldn't be hard to figure out.

"There is no us. I said that I wouldn't keep things from you anymore. That doesn't mean that I want you involved in it. This is dangerous, Jeremy. You have to stay out of it, okay?"

What Elena wants and what Jeremy wants are two different things. This is "do as I say, not as I do" hypocrisy. That's why I love it when Jeremy leaves Elena's room just so Stefan can enter it. It's do as I say, not as I do hypocrisy. What Stefan and Elena are doing is dangerous. And if they think Katherine won't find out, they're nuts because she puts Stefan's stalking abilities to shame. She basically infiltrates Elena's house the way Damon infiltrated the council.

Stefan: Okay, how about this? Today, when we're fighting, if I say "I can't do this anymore, Elena", what I'll really mean is that I love you. Elena: And when I say, "Fine Stefan, whatever", well that means I love you too.

This scene of Stefan and Elena basically shows how most of their argument is real. Because yeah… the easiest way to fake an argument is to have a real argument. It feels less scripted that way. Look at me telling ya'll how to lie lol. They're basically pulling a Damon repeat through Katherine. When Jenna stabs herself, it parallels Damon force-feeding Elena his blood. "Fool me once, shame on you." Since I'm on the subject of lying, this is now the second season Stefan and Elena spend lying to someone. First season Damon, second season Katherine. So yes, Elena gets very good at lying. "You're gonna pretend to be a mother?" Caroline is such a bitch to her mother, but these are my favorite storylines for her… the ones with her parents. "You know, there's pretending to be a mother and then there's reality. Let's not push our luck, okay?" I can't believe this came out of her mouth. Like damn.

Whenever I consider Damon in his human life with Elena, I consider all of these Mystic Falls events. "I think you're the one that needs to watch his back." This scene Stefan has with Mason is similar to his scene with Logan. In threatening Damon, Mason threatened Stefan because they're brothers lol. Mason basically does to Stefan what Damon did to him. He shakes Stefan's hand, then prepares the attack… only Mason is intent on taking down both brothers. If he takes down Damon alone, he knows Stefan will kill him. That's why he involves Liz. Suddenly, the guy that doesn't involve himself in council business involves himself in council business to get rid of the Salvatores. Mason is actually risking himself in the process. All either of them have to do is open their mouths to Liz about him being a werewolf. Damon doesn't because he plans to kill Mason himself. The one thing you don't wanna do… is try to kill Damon's brother a second time and have him actually be there for it.

"Stefan, please tell me you don't seriously think a hand shake just solved our problem."

Stefan is pissed that he can't see Elena out in the open as he has been, that Katherine is affecting his relationship so much that he has to see Elena in secret. That's why he acts as if Katherine is Damon's problem when she isn't. Katherine forcing them to see each other in secret isn't Damon's problem. "So thank you, because we don't have enough problems." That's why I consider this comment from Stefan self-serving. Katherine isn't Damon's problem, and he's putting his issue with Katherine over Damon's issue with Mason. He doesn't care that Mason could kill them with a single bite so long as he can see his girlfriend out in the open, that's how ridiculous he is.

Katherine isn't Damon's problem. Not yet anyway. Stefan is just pissed that he can't see Elena out in the open. He's gotta be secretive about it. So what's gonna happen is Stefan is gonna help Damon with Mason and Damon is gonna help Stefan with Katherine. Then yeah… they're gonna combine for Jules to save Caroline. Damon doesn't consider Katherine his problem until she has Jenna stab herself. Then he's gonna be like… yeah, we gotta deal with her. Damon likes Jenna. I think it's her equal part responsible parent and equal part fun that he likes. Anyway, they're gonna switch. Damon will help Stefan with Katherine and Stefan will help Damon with the werewolves.

"Stefan, please tell me you don't seriously think a hand shake just solved our problem." I can't stop laughing at Damon. He knows.

They cut to Jeremy at the Grill. He's about to push the werewolf issue with Tyler. It's insane to me that Aimee considers Jeremy damaged goods. This girl knew Matt had a girlfriend and still chose to hit on him. And when Caroline showed up, she decided to make out with Tyler because she couldn't hook up with Matt. So no, I consider Jeremy too good for her. As I was saying about Mason… he treated Jeremy like a dick at the mayor's wake. He and Tyler were bonding over their dead fathers, and Mason totally interrupted. Now that Tyler is on the outs with Mason lying to him, Jeremy is about to get some intel. True as it should be, people prefer honesty. I feel that's ultimately why Mason blames himself for Tyler when he returns in Ghost World. He lies to Tyler the way Stefan lies to Elena. You don't get to pick and choose what truths to tell. You're either honest or you're not. Tyler hosts a four person party. Him, Jeremy, Aimee, and Sarah. Sarah is totally hitting on Jeremy.

I find it odd that neither brother thought to make a move with Mason despite knowing he'd try to kill them. They actually gave him time to make his own move. So because he's dealing with two vampires and it's not a full moon, he's involving Liz. "I just thought that we were stronger than that." Elena is hilariously lying, and I'm like... is your love strong enough that you're willing to lose your Aunt Jenna? If so, carry on. As much as I love Katherine in season 2, this entire storyline is too much teen drama for me. Fake fighting just so Mama Katherine can have her man all to herself? Come on, you're 500 years old. Just wait til Elena dies in the ritual, then you can have Stefan all to yourself. I have a seriously problem with teens acting this teenish because this 500 yo acts teenish.

Damon buys Liz's problem with Caroline, so he has no idea about her problem with him being a possible vampire. But it's a good way to separate the truth from the lies. This show gets pretty tricky in that department because Elena is carrying on two separate relationships with two brothers. Just as Stelena keeps secrets from Damon, Delena keeps secrets from Stefan. Different in the fact that Damon knows most of what's going on because he's not stupid. It's hard to keep anything from him. Yes, her and Caroline had a moment, but she's lying without lying because it's easier that way. She's basically hiding her moment with Mason behind her moment with Caroline. So you get this fake Stelena argument where most of it is real. It's the best way to lie as Liz just did to Damon. Because Damon had his own moment with Elena that Stefan doesn't know about, he picks up on it and lies to Stefan about how he knows. It's a bit hard to explain, but it's the reason Damon pulls two separate responses. I've included my Stelena argument gif post for this scene. Every scene in this episode has an opposite scene. Damon and Caroline are beautiful in this episode. They basically rehash their carnival moment.

Caroline tells Elena that talking to Stefan is a bad idea. It's a bad idea because of Katherine, but in choosing that moment to argue with Stefan, Elena outs herself to Damon. She literally just confessed her undying love for Stefan to Damon in 2x1. Now she's, "Fine, Stefan, whatever." She should've known Damon wouldn't buy that. He also knows Katherine is the root of their fake drama because she was outside the Grill for their first fight. Damon drops it because he wants nothing to do with Katherine and he's not gonna admit to Stefan that he tried to kiss Elena. Stelena's lies have to push so far that Jenna stabs herself. Then Damon will get involved. It's not like Damon is gonna lose sleep over Stefan and Elena having to see each other in secret. They're the ones choosing to be stupid. Jenna isn't about the knowing, she's about the consequence. Elena's issue with being a doppelganger reignites. She wants to know if Stefan is using her to replace Katherine. He just got done spending the day with Katherine, and he never once called Elena to tell her, so yeah... it's an issue for her. "How could you hate her and be in love with me?" Knowing why he hates Katherine will allow Elena to see if he's using her to replace Katherine… for the things he hates about her. "You're reaching." Elena isn't reaching… just like Damon wasn't reaching when he told Stefan that Mason is supernatural. It's important to look at terminology to understand where all of this leads. Know what it means to reach because Elena knows exactly what she's asking. "I'm not… I'm not Damon." A contradiction because Stefan is the only one that hated Katherine. They both know Damon loved her very much. But like always, Stefan tries to use Damon to deflect. I'd rather just skip over this argument because I already did a gif post for it. Damon slams Stelena because they suck at communication.

They cut to this four person party. Jeremy is trying to figure out if Tyler is a werewolf. Jeremy is good at drawing, but he's not Klaus. Klaus is really good. Tyler is so startled by the werewolf drawings that he lures Jeremy into another room. He considers it a personal assault, so he assaults Jeremy. Their scene is written like his carnival scene with Damon. This is exactly how Damon would react to someone learning his truth. Damon and Mason are hilarious. Wow… Mason really screwed himself with this one. Had Damon not been distracted by the argument Stelena just had, he would've known that Mason roofied the drinks. Yeah, Damon is pissed. Liz realizes that a member of her vampire-killing council is a vampire lol. Like yeah, he totally killed vampires to sell himself as a human lol. I love Caroline's moment with Elena here, admitting she's not a good friend at all. She then notices something's up with her mother. Damon is pissed more than before because of the vervain, and so pissed that he's not thinking straight. He's acting impulively, which is what Mason wanted. He wanted Damon and Stefan storming him at once because he's the bait. It's like the easiest thing to do to an impulsive person. Get them to not think, to just follow you. Liz and two deputies. They inject Damon and Stefan with vervain. Because Damon has yet to build a tolerance, it's enough.

So the difference between Mason and Damon is clear. While Mason would stab Damon in the front rather than the back, he's not strong enough to take on Damon because it's not a full moon. So yes, he has Liz getting her hands dirty for him. It's really a cheap shot if you ask me. He literally has a woman doing his dirty work. Tyler tells Jeremy that Mason is a werewolf, but he's not… yet. He basically explains the process on how to trigger his gene. Tyler views Mason the same way Stefan views Katherine. He's not here for him, he's here for the stone. He doesn't consider two birds, one stone. Like duh.

Insane that Mason has Liz and her deputies taking Damon and Stefan into the Lockwood cellar where he turns into a werewolf… and she has no idea he's a werewolf. If she did, he'd be down there with them. "Old slave quarters from the original Lockwood house." The reason I was disgusted with Tyler when he took Aimee down there to make out with her. Mason tries to stay because he wants to make sure they die. He made a big mistake walking away lol. "Well, I'm guessing that he only has to worry about that during a full moon. Otherwise you're not as strong, am I right? Or you would have killed Damon by now." When Stefan confronted Mason, I knew what was gonna happen. It only takes one vampire to take him down. What I like about this episode is how Mason is written opposite Jules. The only way to drag it out painfully, is by hitting Damon's humanity. That's the only way to truly torture him. What makes this extremely uncomfortable for Damon, is knowing that Liz could have tortured him by threatening to stake Stefan to get her answers.

It's sorta like this… John and Anna repeat, only it's Liz and Stefan. I love what this does to Damon. He's not just gonna kill Mason, he's gonna enjoy it. Damon could use Caroline to connect with Liz, but he refuses to. That's another thing I love about this scene. He won't tell her that her daughter is a vampire. That's Caroline's truth to tell. Poor Caroline. She doesn't want her mom to find out about her, and Elena's like… I'm going in there to save them by myself then. Yeah, Damon is refusing to use Caroline to connect with Liz. He's hoping their friendship is strong enough. It's not… Liz hates vampires. She's literally getting ready to stake them when Elena comes in. "Mom." This is why I love Caroline's storylines with her parents. They're so insane. She just killed Liz's deputies right in front of her to save her friends. "Damon's right, you know. If there's ever time to break your diet…" I love how Caroline contradicts herself in her hate for Delena. In 4x7, she tells Elena that Damon is never right. Damon is right most of the time. The animal diet makes it take longer for Stefan to heal. It weakens every aspect… compulsion, healing, strength, even speed. That's why I'm so frustrated with season 4 Stefan. He's gonna go on the human diet to handle Katherine, but expect Elena to defend herself against Connor on the animal diet.

Mason tainted what Damon had. The ability to at least imagine Liz accepting him as a vampire. Because of Liz and Caroline, Elena now knows how Stefan can hate Katherine but be in love with her. He can't love vampires. She's watching Caroline out herself to Liz the way Katherine outed herself to Stefan. Liz's compulsion will follow, so that's included along with Katherine's compulsion on Stefan. Yes, Elena sees the full scope of things through Liz and Caroline. "I can't take this. Kill me now." Liz hates Caroline so much that she begs Damon to kill her. "Relax guys. No one is killing anybody." lol…

Jeremy: Why didn't you give it to him? Tyler: Because he wants it. I'm a dick that way. It's important to him for some reason but I don't trust the guy so I'm not just gonna hand it to him.

Tyler talks to Jeremy about this moonstone. I'm pointing out this part of their conversation because Tyler and Damon have a great deal in common. That's why Damon wanted the Gilbert device. He wanted it because John wanted it and he couldn't trust him. Sarah is the kind of girl I wouldn't party with. Tyler and Jeremy almost lose their shit because she falls down the stairs and plays dead. Some girls are cool to hang out with, but they get too stupid when they're drinking.

Damon is so sweet to Liz. The cellar may not be the Ritz, but she's getting star treatment. He's as particular about his sheets as he is about his clothes. "You have no idea how wrong you are about that." Two birds with one statement. What's beautiful about these scenes is that they're written opposite the carnival. Damon basically admits he was wrong for saying what he did when he tried to kill Caroline. A moment of technicality on Damon's part. Even though she is already dead, she's not gone. Damon is more than honest about vampirism, and he makes sure people know it. Now he regrets it with Caroline. It's kinda like his comment to Jeremy in Denver. Jeremy calls Rose a dead vampire, and Damon tells him that's redundant because vampires are dead lol.

"He can hear us wherever we are because he drinks this." Just so you undertand where I'm going with this... Damon can hear Stelena argue because he's on human blood, but Stefan can't hear Delena talk because he's on the animal diet. It's because of this, Damon is left with another secret to hold onto. It's because Stefan can't hear Damon and Elena that he's blind to the truth of her feeding him.

"Hey, Stefan didn't drink the people blood, if you were curious. But he needs to, and deep down you know that." I'm just gonna say it right now... everything you saw of Stefan feeding in season 1 matters in season 2 lol. As romantic as Stefan might think this moment is, she's basically feeding him because Damon just told her to. Imagine Damon telling Elena to feed Stefan her blood to survive Frederick. That's basically what I'm telling you, but you have to view it scene for scene as compared to the first season. That's why they argue at the fridge that Stefan still has stocked full of blood bags. And yes, they do repeat the Miss Mystic pageant. That's why Elena ends up at the stairwell in 2x8.

So yes, picture Damon telling Elena to feed Stefan as she did here. And yes, Damon knows that in order for Stefan to maintain, Elena will have to feed him. He can't moderate his blood intake drinking from blood bags, and they both know it. Elena is pissed, but she has to accept this truth.

Fans aren't gonna like what I'm about to say, but... this is every reason why Damon and Elena end up together. Damon doesn't need to sink his teeth into Elena to drain her, and people are consumed in different ways. Damon is pushing Elena darker just by pushing her into that room to feed Stefan. He's basically bleeding Elena of her humanity, slowly and gradually until she becomes a vampire. He is her death and her life, the problem and the solution. She argues with Stefan but listens to Damon because they have that connection. They simply build from friendship to romance. And yes, they've always been like this. He persuaded her to Atlanta, persuaded her to bait Noah, persuaded her into the tomb with him... because they have that connection. Their trust and understanding is at such a level that not even Stefan can understand it. Damon is simply able to get through to her in ways that Stefan can't.

I love this conversation Elena has with Caroline. She can't even go home, that's how scared she is of Katherine. Mason tries to contact Liz, but gets her voicemail. He's gonna find out soon enough. Tyler walks in to give him the moonstone because in order to let go of it, he has to let go of all of it. He's done letting it consume him. "I heard." This is Damon's way of telling Elena that he heard because he's on human blood. He wants her to know that he overheard her argument with Stefan.

It's important to know that Stefan's diet isn't the only important part of their argument where Damon is concerned. "Katherine took a little vervain every day and built up a tolerance to it. I could do the same with blood." Damon overheard this and started building his tolerance to vervain. That's why Jules' friend has a hard time dropping him. He got hit with vervain by Stefan in 1x4, hit with vervain by John in 1x22, and just got hit with vervain by Liz. He's done getting hit, put it that way.

So you get this loop back to 2x1. "It's you and me, Stefan. Always." Suppose I should point this out now. Damon and Elena are written in 2x1 and 3x1. Stefan and Elena are written in 2x5 and 3x5. Stefan stops being her always when he rips into her. That's why "always" comes into this scene when she feeds him. Elena's love for Damon is written opposite her hate, so she falls for Damon on her birthday.

Mason has no idea he's giving Katherine the werewolf sacrifice and the moonstone for Klaus' ritual. Something he won't realize until he watches from the other side. "What was that stunt today that you pulled with Damon and Stefan Salvatore? I told you to stay away from them." Katherine knows everything, and she's not happy about it.

The open and close of an episode. They hold off on Katherine until the end, until they're ready to reveal her connection to Mason.

I think it's funny, some of their full circle stuff in this episode. How is Stefan gonna vervain Damon and try to desiccate him for 50 years when the sheriff wants to kill them both lol

[calamari-minecraft-corner]

More writing time but with Spooky and Dream interacting early on uwu

“So uh- Pyre?”

“Mm?”

Dream glanced down at Spooky as they walked along the main road. Ahead of them was Cala and Fundy who were rambling about god knows what.

Spooky stared up, her yellow eyes staring up at the other as she was just examining him closely.

“I just gotta ask— why were you in that prison?”

Dream bit the inside of his cheek, letting out a sigh.

“It really doesn’t matter-“ he muttered out as he tried to walk faster to join the other two. He didn’t want to interact with Fundy but it was better than this oncoming conversation.

“Hey—“

Spooky grabbed one of the chains from his shackles and pulled him back some.

His heart stopped and he flinched hard, almost ready to strike her out of pure instinct but stopped himself.

He didn’t even realize he held his breath until exhaled loudly, noticing her tense up as she held the chain in her hand.

There was a moment of silence and Dream saw.. recognition in her eyes for a brief moment, as if she understood why he reacted that way. But it was gone before he could question it.

“Pyre, I’m not gonna hurt you,” she began, carefully letting go of the chain, “I don’t know what your whole deal is and I feel like you’re hiding stuff. However— I know one thing… and that is keeping Cala safe at all times.”

She gestured over to the halfling who was at this point petting Fundy’s pet fox named Winter. She was smiling happily and feeding them treats while Fundy was explaining something he couldn’t hear.

“I am very grateful that you saved her from getting killed as she saved you. Trust me— I am. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to know more and wanting to figure out what your goal is.”

Dream stayed quiet, about to speak before she continued, her tail flicking in annoyance,

“I love my wife to bits, but she hides a lot of her true feelings. She’s very kind and caring and so willing to help anyone, even if it hurts her and even if they use her to her advantage. She still has that bright smile besides that— and I want to make sure that she stays that way because I know first hand that the world isn’t kind… and I know you know that too. So if you hurt her in any way, if I see her cry or have a bruise because of you I will not hesitate to give you one of the nine hells.”

Dream stayed quiet, nodding as he bit his tongue not to make a snarky remark. He knew Cala was too trusting; you could tell her that a cat was in a tree and she’d be halfway climbing up before actually checking. But he also knew that she was too kind. Too civil… he wasn’t used to it. If anything maybe the reason why she was still so blissfully ignorant was because of Spooky making sure she wasn’t too damaged.

But he sighed and nodded, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes,

“I won’t hurt her. As of now we’re even— she helped me and I helped her, that’s all you need to know.”

Both of them glanced up as they saw Fundy at this point flailing at Cala, who was giggling as she was trying to teach his pet to play the kazoo.

“…I’m guessing Fundy doesn’t get the same lecture?” He asked, his his voice being bitter and laced with exhaustion.

“Oh- he absolutely gets the same lecture!” Spooky replied with a laugh. Dream raised an eyebrow down at her as she continued,

“I don’t trust both of you at all- but she trusts you! So I’m just making sure that the trust is warranted.”

Dream paused, and a bit of him eased that he wasn’t being singled out before he sighed,

“…Understandable. People are disgusting.”

“Gods you have no idea.”

[starsthoughtsonthings]

First off, apologies for - for some reason, I don't know, my brain just zoned out or something - having taken so long to pick the dialogue option here. Idk how that happened. I would have cut the few seconds of me just not picking an option out, but I use windows' own trimming thingie (within the photo-viewer) for cutting the clips and I don't think that has any feature for cutting out things in the middle of the clip. Might look into getting some program for it at some point, but for now you'll have to excuse my long time of selecting. Just... watch the owlbear-cub walking around in the back in the meantime, or something.

This doesn't happen as "early" as I would imagine such a scene, but I wanted to share this little part of a conversation (the thing continues as Astarion suggests using the tadpoles and taking control of the cult), because:

I feel like this is a very good example of how I imagine the dynamic between Astarion and Kori (my Tav, I want to start writing her by her name instead of always saying "my girl") to be during their, like, get-to-know phase. Like, Kori absolutely still does "the right thing" whenever possible, and certainly is rather naive, and I can absolutely see him trying to convince her of doing something at least a little less "typical good".

Usually it doesn't work in the end and she's still deciding to do the perfectly "typically good" choice, but it's probably still noticeable in the way she makes the decisions that she certainly considered what he was suggesting.

And despite not really being able to change her way of going about things, there's something so unusual, honest/innocent/naive about the way she's doing it - and how somehow, it always works out without being the death of anyone of their group - and of course there's also the fact that she's so foolishly trusting of him (and really easily fell for his seduction, of course), often offering him to feed on her, giving help to him and everyone without ever asking for things in return, and seemingly taking everything he says as what he actually means too, that it still - or maybe especially because of all that and how she just seems to actually be that "good" - ends up doing something to him and causing his "perfect, simple plan" (or something like that, it's been a while since I had the scene) to go a very different way.

[kylejsugarman]

I so wanna hear your thoughts on how au squared would change Jesse as a character esp S1 Jesse… like with how protective he is of kids I can’t imagine him being nearly as irresponsible as he was in canon, not with an infant daughter to look after. I’d imagine he’d try a lot harder to get and stay sober, my thinking is he relapsed from the stress of taking care of both Ginny and Baby, and then Ginny’s death just made everything worse as he scrambled to support them so his parents wouldn’t take custody, so he’s still in a pretty bad place and without a support system when Walt meets him. I also think Walt would lean a lot more heavily into the “doing this to support my family” angle to manipulate him, ex: “Do you want Baby to grow up without a future just because you’ve squandered your own? We’re doing this for our daughters remember” That kind of thing

u literally have the vision and the understanding and the insight, u completely understand where im coming from here. jesse is absolutely in a bad place when walt extorts him for the reasons u mentioned: he doesn't have ginny anymore, he can't trust his parents because he knows that for all their concern for baby they would take her from him in an instant, and he (believes that) doesn't have the skills or sobriety or schedule to hold down a job that pays well enough to support them. making meth is basically the best arrangement since there's no "schedule" and the money is good ("why do u do this?" "uh money mostly"), but that's obviously not great for his own drug use so it often comes down to "do i avoid drugs and potentially run out of money to feed my kid or do i peddle meth for good money and relapse constantly??" he tries really hard to be responsible, but it's a really stressful situation to be in and jesse finds himself lashing out in his daily life and self-medicating with drugs to cope with that stress. baby herself is basically the only thing in the world that makes him truly happy and he'll do whatever he can to give her what she deserves

walt, always the hypocrite, is disgusted with this choice even though he's essentially entering the drug business for the same reason and is constantly vocalizing his repulsion. insulting jesse for being a bad father is up there with demeaning his intelligence and berating him for using drugs in terms of go-to abuse tactics for walt, because he Knows that it cuts to the core. jesse will do Anything he wants if walt makes him believe that it's good for baby. in a sad way, jesse trusts walt on that front since walt has much more experience being a father, even though walt's parenting is extremely flawed and just continues to deteriorate as the series goes on, and sincerely believes everything that walt says about family (including walt's insults about jesse's capacity to be a father). walt knows how much jesse trusts and believes what he says, and weaponizes that a lot, especially later in the series once he truly witnesses just how much jesse loves baby and starts to lose his hold on jesse. the whole poisoning thing is so much more painful because the whole time leading up to it, walt is berating jesse for being in this business and getting involved with gus and mike when he "has a little girl at home waiting for him", but he emphatically decides to poison baby Because he knows it's the one thing that'll totally break jesse and get him back on his side. if jesse has reason to believe that gus hurt his daughter, he'll kill him and anyone else that walt asks him to. it's the perfect kill switch for walt, one that he built himself through months of eroding jesse's confidence and sense of self-worth.

in a lot of ways, au squared jesse is similar in that he lashes out a lot and is easy to manipulate through exploitation of his insecurities and the promise of love, but these things go deeper because jesse is even more insecure and even more desperate for love since he has so little support. he latches onto walt despite the abuse because walt is an adult who is at least providing some kind of guidance. he latches onto Everyone. while he may not be as completely reckless as his regular counterpart, jesse tries really hard to repress all of his feelings and anxieties when he's with baby just to avoid making things worse, and those bottled-up feelings manifest pretty violently and angrily once he's away from her and it can be hard to control himself. he just wants to do right by his daughter and keep her safe, but it's a huge struggle and everyone around him (walt especially) is ready to take advantage of this huge vulnerability

[late-to-the-magnus-archives]

A Special Day - a TMA fic

It's the big day. Jon and Martin will join to create one family, to become Blackwood-Sims for the rest of their lives, however that looks.

But this world is a mess, and Jon's red-string conspiracy board doesn't come close to solving it. Also, Jonah Magnus has the worst timing no matter what world he's in.

Part of the Magnus Monsterverse.

AO3

------

I drove my uni roommates absolutely mad with my notes. Post-It notes, half-used notebooks, scraps of paper torn from things. Sometimes I wrote on old receipts, or on the backs of syllabi, or (one memorable day) on the A4 sheet with a professor’s name, which had been taped to her door. I had nothing else to write on! It wasn’t as though she’d miss it, anyway.

My coworkers at the Magnus Institute had no idea how good they had it, really.

At any rate, it wasn’t really shocking that no one could understand my filing system. The confusion on Martin’s face as he witnessed my newest masterpiece spoke to that.

“Uh,” he said, staring at my handiwork.

“Wait,” I said. “I can explain.”

His mouth twitched. Martin Blackwood, the love of my life, was trying very hard not to laugh at me. “Right,” he said, and put his bag on the counter, carefully avoiding the strings.

“So,” I said. “Here’s what we have so far.” And starting on the left, I walked him through my system.

Red strings connected events and people. Post-It notes indicated category by color, and colored paperclips to indicate subcategories. The unknown was scribbled on white lined notebook paper, generally pinned according to how confident I felt about solving them—i.e., red push-pins meant I don’t have a damned clue, green push-pins meant possibly someday, yellow push-pins meant, I am about to give up on this—

“I don’t mean to interrupt,” said Martin, no longer hiding his grin. “But maybe we could cut to the chase a little? What’s all this for?”

“Oh,” I said. “Sorry. I thought it was obvious.”

“No?” he said, outright grinning now.

I took a deep breath. “So here we have all the players that I know of. Two Agnes Montagues, status unknown; at least one Jared, status known; two Jude Perrys, at least one Melanie, three Georgies, two Nolans, Crew and Banks, Campbell and Jane Prentiss, at least one each of Michael and Helen—”

“Oh, there were more,” said Martin. “They get absorbed.”

I stared at him.

“By choice,” he added. “Trust me, they aren’t upset about it.”

I lost a few seconds as the Eye showed me a merging I couldn’t understand, because they became one and yet they absolutely did not. Michael was legion, which meant Gerry was literally fucking a horde.

I shook my head. Back to reality. “Right. Well. Three Gerrys, sort of. At least one Manuela, something like eight Jonahs, at least one Tim, Peter Lukas, Callum, and Simon Fairchild.”

“I mean, there are more,” he said.

“Oh, I know!” I said brightly, and continued to explain my system.

Satellite feeds “monitoring everything,” Manuela had said. Leitner’s mysteries. Gertrude the unknown. The nonsense of us all being chosen ones. The precise mechanics by which we all ended the world—which included the fact that apparently, I had done it in a totally unique way. “What is the Veil, anyway?” I said.

“A… dimensional skin?” Martin suggested. “I don’t know. I mean, the Fears aren’t exactly like Smirke envisioned them, either.”

“True enough.” Smirke had definitely not imagined anything like what the Eye had become.

It greeted me happily and dumped a few episodes of of 1980s Ducktales in my head.

I needed a moment.

“Jon?” said Martin, concerned.

“It… it’s nothing. Sorry.” It had a catchy theme-tune, though. "Anyway. Here’s the thing. Whatever is happening here… for some reason, it needs us. I… am the only one here who ended the world the way I did. What are the chances? How can it be? It can’t! Why me? Why like this?”

He slides up to me, and as his arms wrap around, I melt into his warmth and his scent, the sandalwood aftershave, the slight crispness of his starched tuxedo jacket, the softness of his fresh-shaven cheek. “Because you’re unique,” he said, and his lips grazed my ear. “I won’t hear otherwise. I am marrying the most amazing man I’ve ever known in any universe.”

I close my eyes, resting my face on his shoulder. Although the tux, I will admit, is not my favorite texture. “Suppose I’d better get ready.”

“Don’t sound so enthusiastic,” he teased.

I laugh. Then I go to finish arranging my own fancy clothes.

#

It wasn't not a large ceremony, but I’m quite certain it would still give a stranger a bit of vertigo. After all, half the audience was doubled.

At least doubled.

It was important to invite them. To say I was intentionally letting go of any potential lingering unpleasantness, bitterness, fear. To say I was joining this bizarre, piecemeal family—and by their invitation to our wedding, they were joining mine. Speaking of wedding…

A lot of Roman traditions made it through to modern times, and oh, boy.

I was damned lucky I didn’t need to wear a toga. We did have to don wreaths of flowers and herbs (both of us, instead of the “bride”), and would be wearing veils when we made vows. But before that… well, it was damned embarrassing.

So first, the “groom” (we'd decided I would be, based purely on the fact that I am older) must kidnap the “bride,” who pretends to be against it to fool the household gods. I must drag him away (while he loudly protests) with witnesses, who would, in all likelihood, be hurling bawdy jokes and dirty lyrics our way in an encouraging manner.

Then, having obtained my ill-gotten bride, I cart them away to a room with a special couch where we are supposed to consummate. With all our guests in hearing range, just on the other side of the wall. Dear lord.

So we wouldn’t be doing that, but we would do the rest, and spend some time on the stupid little couch while they all enjoyed a reception outside. After, we would sign the contract, and we'd be done. We’d be married. I’d be a husband. Why in hell was I nervous?

Martin kissed my cheek. “See you on the other side.”

“Come on, damsel,” said Tim, and pulled Martin away from me to the other room, where he would pretend to defend his honor.

Michael stood with me. It had insisted on being my friendly household spirit (a ridiculous fulfillment of a ridiculous tradition), and now handed me a small bowl of salts. “To throw and distract Tim,” it said unnecessarily.

“Thank you. And thank you for, uh. Volunteering.”

It grinned at me with too many teeth. “I had to see it happen. Also, Gerry asked it of me.”

Well, that was news (but it didn't have to be, and the Eye offered to show me their conversation in the middle of absolutely bizarre multi-person in single-body sex anyone could imagine, and I shut that right down). “Why?”

Michael shrugged. “Oh, Archivist… is it so hard to  believe others would like to see you happy?”

It was, and I didn’t know what to say.

The embodiment of doubt shivered. “Delicious, but now, it is time to move on. Are you ready for your role, Archivist?”

“Absolutely.” Not at all.

It cackled. The laugh was… less of a headache these days and more an expansion of human sound. “Delicious,” it said again, and steered me toward the door.

#

Ridiculous.

“Oh no! My virtue?” Martin cried as if in doubt it existed at all.

There was laughter as scents and lights and so many voices hit me all at once (and the Eye tried to show me everyone’s everything and I begged It to scale back), and Tim stepped between us and smirked, faux-glaring. “Thou shall not have his virtue, foul fiend.”

Martin was all-in. “Who shall rescue me from my virtue! Oh, wait, I got that backwards…”

The laughter was good-natured. Cheering (a surprising amount for me, by name) to get on with it and give a show, and the vague but ubiquitous command to get em. And I was laughing (and hadn’t expected to, but the joy on Martin’s face—) and people threw flowers and Tim waggled his eyebrows and said, “Put em up, put em uuuuup,” (The Cowardly Lion! the Eye informed me), and I emptied the salt bowl at Tim’s feet.

“I am defeated. My one weakness… salinity!” he said, swanning away.

The hoots and howls rose, and someone banged a tambourine. I was cheered on. By name.

Martin gave me the naughtiest look I have ever seen, and that was saying something. “Oh, no,” he said, absolutely flat. “To be freed from my binding chastity!”

And I don’t know what took over me. Maybe my millennia-past youth in student theater, or maybe the shock of everyone’s praise, or maybe… maybe just him, his eyes sparkling, his grin huge and playful, his blush (he was blushing!) amazing and lovely. Whatever the cause, I lost my mind, and dove all-in. “Oh, I’ll free you, all right,” I said (and managed a growl, to his delight), grabbed his hand, and yanked him into me.

He was larger. Heavier. But I stood still like a wall as he fell into me, and my arms around him were strong. “Jon,” he whispered, and licked his lips.

“Let’s blow this Popsicle stand!” I announced, spending all my “cool” credits for the foreseeable future, and ran for the door, pulling him behind me as everybody in the room erupted in cheers.

#

They started music out there, and loud conversation, patient while we did whatever with this steamy tradition.

Martin sat with me on the special couch (loosely inspired by the ancient Roman lectus) and held hands, side by side, both smiling shyly, both red in the face.

“I can’t believe you’re going through with this with me,” I said. “I red-stringed your kitchen.”

He laughed. “I’ll take your red strings over anyone’s anything.”

“Madman,” I pronounced, and pulled him in for a kiss.

We took our time, just lying there; we would not be consummating in (relative) public, but it was all symbolic, anyway. Also deeply romantic. To lie there under him, our tux buttons catching on each other, our breath mingled, our lips red and swollen, while out there, people we knew or had known cheered us on.

“This is weirdly inebriating,” I murmured, worrying his lower lip.

“You are,” he murmured back, and made an indecent sound. “You’re making it very difficult to be public-safe.”

“Your jacket is long enough,” I said practically, and he laughed.

“Come on, you goon. We’ve made them wait long enough. Got to sign the paperwork.”

The final formality. The Blackwood-Sims family begins.

We exited the room to ribald cheering, to loud toasts, to Tim and Michael hurrying forward to put veils on us and replace our wreaths. Carefully, both of us holding the same pen, we signed the final paperwork, and it was done. To massive cheering, we grinned at one another, his veil making his eye color pop, and finally joined everyone else in a feast well-started.

Can a man made of eyes get pleasantly sloshed? I was about to find out.

#

I have never “partied.” I can’t even qualify that with like this, because I simply never have. After today, I sort of see the appeal.

In true traditional fashion, everyone stayed and ate and drank until they were completely blotto. Some took advantage of the couches places strategically around the room to sleep it off. Others hired drivers to take them home; still others disappeared into mist, or vanished into webbing, or accepted a trip (so bold) through someone’s conjured doors.

Martin was out, leaning on the table with his head on his hands, dreaming… well, um. Things not meant for others.

I was considerably less drunk than I’d hoped I’d be, but at least I’d had a short while of feeling blissfully buzzed, delightedly dozy, and we all had a very good time. And I was married. There was that.

Married.

I could absolutely not be happier than this.

I hummed as I clean up a little, not that it was my job, but it was the least I can do to thank the people who came together to make this happen. I gathered and stacked cups, hummed some more as I put trash into a bag, and ensured everyone’s airways were unhindered.

I was married.

I couldn’t help smiling like a fool as I moved between tables. After this, we were going home. I’ve requested time off from my new job (and Spider Martin is hardly going to argue) so we could have something of a honeymoon, though I wasn’t entirely sure where.

Martin wanted to go to Canada. It was a magnificent place, apparently—neither France nor England ever had control over it, and the lack of colonialism left the land pristine and the people varied and creative. The Canadian nation was evidently a loosely affiliated network of tribal associations, and it was a wonderful place to visit.

I wanted to visit. I wanted to see, all on my own, without the Eye showing me… and It wanted that, too. It wanted to see through me. It wanted my heart, my mind, my brain; I didn’t fully understand why I was so to Its taste, but the crucial point was that we—

I felt it happen before I saw it.

Felt the parting of air, the ripping of this dimension’s flesh. The opening of a portal: the one that happened before in Martin’s tiny kitchen.

No. Not now. Why was this happening now? I turned to find that hole in the air, and that older Jonah Magnus staring at me through it.

He took in the tables, the sleeping guests, and just slightly, wrinkled his nose. Oh, older Magnus looked worse for wear. His shirt was sweat-stained, and his hair all stood on end as though he’d been running his hands through it. I saw the ghost of young Jonah in his face, in his features, but this man was entirely different. A scowling man, a harried man. He did not look at me with adoration, for one thing, which was deeply appreciated.

I’d had a plan for this. Exactly what I would say and how. Instead, I blurted, “You came back.”

“Come through,” he snapped. “At once.”

What the blazes? “Why would I do that?” I snap back. “You’re interrupting my wedding, I’ll have you know.” (My entire planned conversation had at this point gone up in flame.)

He startled. “You wed?”

“Yes! Who are you? What do you want? What are you doing?” I said.

Magnus kept looking around the room, frowning more by the moment. “Most unexpected,” he muttered. “No matter. Bring your bride. Come through. Before it’s too late.”

“I don’t have a reason, do I?” Gods, I was messing this up.

He drew himself up straight, and I finally noticed how broad his shoulders were, and how defined his forearms. “Very well,” he said. “I wanted to do this the easy way.”

Those were never good words to hear. I took a step back. “Do what the easy way?”

His look was withering. “Save the world, you bloody monster.” And he held up a—

I—

Don’t know what—

Sirens?

Darkness.

#

I woke to Martin’s scent, familiar and lovely. My head was in his lap; this was a good place to be, a safe place, and I turned my face to press it into his wonderful, soft belly and hide from the world.

“Jon,” he said softly.

“Mmm,” I said.

“Jon,” said Jonah Magnus, and I went stiff.

I turned my face slowly to find young Jonah there. He had a violently black eye, and what might be some dried blood on the side of his neck. But his expression… it was not defeated. It was not upset. It was triumphant. “I knew he’d wake.”

Martin’s arms were around me, and he lifted me slightly, holding me to his chest. “You scared me a lot, Jon,” he said, almost lightly, almost casually, into my hair.

I felt absolutely… awful. It was almost familiar; in secondary, I’d driven myself half-mad trying to get the best possible grades in my final year, and ended up passing out from… well, a combination of poor decisions. Waking from that faint felt like this; difficult to open my eyes, difficult to remain conscious, impossible to really focus on anything.

Martin made the tiniest sound. A miserable sound. As if he’d been crying.

I would not be unable to comfort him now, and with my push of will, my body seemed to settle. I gripped Martin’s arm. “What happened?”

“You were attacked,” he said, and suddenly I was aware of flashing lights, of many voices. There was an ambulance outside.

Oh, gods. “What happened? Is everyone…”

“It was close,” said Martin. “But everyone is okay.”

“What happened?” I cried.

“Hold on, Jon,” said Martin, and turned to talk to the police officer who came over to see me now that I was awake.

I lay silent, held by my husband, fighting dizziness. Jonah said nothing, but did not leave, and I realized the dark spots on his shirt were… burned. Cloth singed black.

How? I… why couldn’t I see it?

The Eye was silent.

The Eye was…

“Easy, Jon,” said Martin, because I’d begun to hyperventilate. “You’re all right.

The Eye was silent! “I…”

“It’s fine,” Jonah whispered, leaning in, hand on my arm. “It had a shock, too, through you. It’s recovering. It’s fine.”

I stared at him. “Tell me what happened,” I whispered.

“When we’re out of here.”

I shuddered.

The policewoman leaned over. She looked incredibly uncomfortable, as if struggling to meet my eyes. “Hello, Mister Blackwood-Sims. I know this is the worst time, but we need a statement.”

“I don’t know what happened,” I say, because it was the truth. “We were… everything was done, and I was helping to clean up, and then… suddenly, I’m waking now.” Which was a lie.

“Hm,” said this policewoman. “We’ll be contacting you. Something happened, and hopefully, you’ll be able to remember more. Congratulations, by the way. Sorry this happened, whatever it was.” She did not say that as if she meant it.

“Thank you,” I said, because I had to, and hid my face in Martin’s belly again. I let the world spin around us, clung to my husband, and just held on until we were finally allowed to leave.

#

There was a lot of burning. Jonah wasn’t the only one; Martin fielded text after text as our guests checked in, verifying they were all right, offering aid.

I was amazed. I thought we’d be blamed for… whatever this was.

And what had it been?

Jonah walked with us to Jared’s car, and rode with us to Martin’s apartment, and sat with us in our living room while Martin took my jacket and gave me something cold to drink.

“I don’t know what triage looks like for eyeballs,” I said, trying to be funny.

And the Eye… responded. Washing stations, refractory medical therapy, surgical intervention by an oculoplastic surgeon or neuro-ophthalmologist or neurosurgeon providing a ventriculoperitoneal or lumboperitoneal shunt.

Oh… oh.

I know It felt me react, nearly weeping with relief, unable not to, glad and grateful even though I would have done anything to be free of it in my former life. Are you all right? I thought at It.

In response, It gave me an absolutely bizarre animated movie called, Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation.

I laughed weakly.

Jonah watched me, eyes lidded. “There It is,” he said.

Finally, I was able to turn my attention his way. “Explain. Explain now. If I have to order you by whatever absurd deity you have assign to me, so help me, I will.”

“Easy,” said Martin, pulling me against his chest, arms around me. “Not my favorite thing to say right now, but… we owe him.”

“Owe him!”

“I saw…” Jonah took a slow breath. “I wasn’t invited to your wedding.”

“No, you were not,” I said.

Martin kissed my forehead, and that was enough. I fell silent.

“I understand,” said Jonah, long lashes brushing his cheeks. “I hadn’t been supportive of your relationship. It’s only fair. But I was… nearby. I wanted to congratulate you after, and hopefully put all the unpleasantness away. I waited while those who were going to leave left, and I waited while you were doing whatever in there.” He said that with the dismissive tone of one who clearly would rather not think about us doing whatever in there. “But then I saw a shift.”

“A shift.”

“I’d seen them—we had, my friends and I—a few times when we began truly exploring what we could do in service of the Eye,” he said, “and I recognized it. Someone was wrinkling reality. Damaging the walls between worlds.”

I stared at him. “Multiverse is absolutely not a thing you thought in the 1800s.”

His look was… real. “It was, though not by that term. We’d uncovered that much. The point is, I ran inside, and found you facing something that really took me a moment to understand. I froze, Jon. I apologize.”

I stared at him.

Jonah sighed. “I thought, for a moment, it was my father, back from the dead to haunt me through a hole in the air. But that only lasted a moment; I knew him. Knew him.”

“He was you,” I said softly.

“Me with… many, many different choices made. And he was hurting you.”

“How?” I sat up. “What was happening?”

Jonah studied me. Then he looked at Martin. “Does he know?”

“You know he doesn’t,” Martin whispered.

“You’re both being very worrisome,” I said.

Martin produced his phone—screen now cracked—and opened the camera.

I startled… badly. My eyes were… I… “What the fuck?” I whispered.

“He had something I can only think of as… a prism,” said Jonah.

I shook, was shaking, could not calm my breath. It had been difficult enough to handle my brown eyes turning green, but this—

True polycoria, the Eye said, in which there is an extra pupil, reactive to light and medication, independently dilating and contracting with triggers, and with an intact sphincter muscle. Normally, this leads to handicapped vision, but in your case, it has improved it. Also—

I closed my eyes and my mind tightly.

Jonah was still talking. “It looked like a mirror, sort of, except that you were broken up in the reflection, as though the mirror's surface had shattered. And you were… you were breaking apart, Jon.” His voice cracked. “You were making these horrible cracking sounds, and… there was so much heat.” He shuddered. “Like sunlight through a magnifying glass, though I couldn’t see its source. I tried to help you, but, ah.” He indicated his burns with a small smile, as if to say all was forgiven. “So when that didn’t work, I picked up a chair and threw it at myself. It hit the thing he was holding, and it shattered.”

“That’s when I could move again,” said Martin, his voice so strained. “I was hearing it all, but I couldn’t… no one could move.”

“By then, there was fire all over, in random spots,” said Jonah, “but you’d stopped cracking apart and had fallen to the floor, insensate. We put out the fires. Evacuated people. The other me was… rather furious, actually.”

“He had an argument in some other language,” Martin said, and gave Jonah a sharp look.

Jonah looked far too thoughtful. “He did. He tried to tell me you were the end of the world, and if I didn’t help get you through the portal and to him, it might be too late. I said we’d already all ended it a few times, and didn’t need his help, thanks. He, ah. Didn’t appreciate that.”

“He pulled out a damned handgun,” said Martin.

A Tranter revolver from 1858, I was informed, which was a double-action cap & ball revolver invented by English firearms designer William Tranter in 1858. This model operated with a  dual-trigger mechanism, one to rotate the cylinder and cock the gun, the other to fire it. The first model of his own design used the frame of an Adams-type revolver, with a modification—

That told me something about other-Magnus’s time.

“He did,” said Jonah. “Fortunately, whatever hole he’d opened couldn’t handle bullets. He fired once; it ricocheted. Someone unseen behind him shouted, I told you that wouldn’t work! and then his hole collapsed.”

Slowly, I looked at the camera again. My eyes were normal. I’d willed them normal—or willed them to better hide. “You… you saved us.”

“I saved you,” said Jonah. “I won’t lie about my priorities here—you’d know, anyway, and to you, I will never lie. But… they are your people, so yes, I did make some effort.”

“How bad was the fire?” I can’t fully process all of this.

“It was lots of little fires,” said Martin. “Jonah helped, Jon. I’m not thrilled by this either, but it’s true. He helped.”

“I knew you wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t,” said Jonah.

There was a strange comfort in knowing that his self-satisfying bullshit would work to my benefit for now. More than that: to the benefit of my loved ones. “Thank you. I… I don’t know what would have happened.”

“Something I wasn’t willing to allow,” said Jonah, low, his young voice cracking.

Martin sighed. “It’s been… a day.”

I looked at him. “You can’t be all right with this. With… I just…”

“Jonathan Blackwood-Sims,” said Martin. “If you say you ruined our wedding, I swear I’m going to snog you until your face could melt marshmallows.”

I choked.

Jonah stood. “I really need to go get this looked at. I’m glad you’re both all right. Congratulations.”

I looked up at him (and we both pretended my face wasn’t already on fire). “I don’t… know what I owe you. I don’t know how to respond to this yet.”

He was so godsdamned eager. “I know. In time, you will. I’m sincere, Jon. I would die for you.”

“Please don’t,” I muttered.

Jonah smiled, still patient. “Many happy returns.” And he left.

Martin left me long enough to like the door, then sat with me again, and we clung.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “Don’t even fucking… I did this. Maybe not on purpose, but my presence is the reason—”

“And you are worth it, so you will stop,” Martin said, almost sharp, holding me so tightly it was like he wanted our ribs to catch on one another, like he wanted us to share a heart. “I feel so… useless.”

“Useless!”

“Here you are, you’re… you’re a god, apparently,” he said, and laughed weakly, “and you’re making things happen by just speaking, and there’s some insane plot going on with an alternate universe, and I’m just… I can’t even say boo! I couldn’t even move when it was happening!”

“Oh, Martin.” I breathed against his neck, kissing the curve, still scented with his cologne, though also now his sweat. I loved all of him, in any condition. “Without you… I know what I said to Gertrude, but I… I need you. So much. Please don’t think… please. Don’t think you’re useless. You’re anything but.”

“The only thing I can do is love you,” he whispered.

“That’s what I need,” I managed. “While you love me, I still feel human.”

He inhaled. Then he started kissing me.

We were both tear-wet, both smelling of smoke and sweat. Both smelling of chemical fire extinguisher, and alcohol. Both trembling from adrenal shock and whatever powers were expended against us tonight. But we lay on that couch together, and pulled off our sodden dress clothes, and held each other, and kept each other in one piece, and it may not have been a traditional wedding night, but it was perfect for us.

We were grounded.

We dozed, the couch's afghan draped over us, murmuring at each other about getting a steam cleaner in here and laughing at our indulgence.

I was so glad I could sleep. I still felt… dizzy, out of it, weak. Perhaps, like I almost blew apart.

What was that? What happened? It didn’t just hit me, either. Somehow, that hurt the Eye? How? How could that happen?

Maybe it didn’t hurt the Eye. Maybe it hurt the parts of It that… were affected by me. This personality. These preferences. This playfulness.

How horrible—yet my gut said that was true. What would have been damaged was not the eternal embodiment of the fear of being seen (of course not), but the… dare I say it? The good parts, or at least, harmless parts, or at least, more controllable parts…

The parts that liked me. That loved me

I was suddenly furious that whoever this other Magnus was, he’d tried to murder my friend. Oh, but since when had the Eye been—

I was suddenly flooded with a lovely recipe for warm vanilla pudding, because Martin liked that, and It liked Martin, and…

Fresh tears dampened the throw pillow beneath me, but I didn’t care. I held my husband. I still had my friend. I didn’t understand what happened... but I would. And when I did, whatever godly powers I had would be brought to bear.

This Magnus would regret the day he came after my loved ones. This Magnus would regret the day he didn’t finish the job. A god of guilt runs this world? For Magnus, I would make this world’s shame feel like a cool breeze on a hot godsdamned day.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“Muh-muh,” Martin agreed, already asleep, and I held my husband, and seethed, and took a truly long time to follow him into rest.