#he just needs some character development is all

[queeleronwheels]

Biggest Byler proof is literally just the fact that Will and Mike are teaming up next season, because think about how that could play out (I'm probably not saying anything new here but it does feel good to see it all together in one post lol):

Mike unambiguously rejects Will early on, from like ep 1. But it's confirmed they're still teaming up well into later episodes, and Will's feelings are not magically going to go away when Mike rejects him, so what? His arc is "getting over Mike"? If that were the case (a criminally dull plotline that could have been avoided by not having Will fall in love with Mike in the first place, but let's entertain it for a second) they would not team him up with Mike this season. They would have paired him with someone else who helps him get over Mike. As it stands, it looks like he's going to be breathing the same air as Mike for the majority of the season. How the hell does that help him move on? It would essentially be nine episodes of watching Will pining and suffering over his confirmed unrequited love. Riveting television! Meanwhile, we're enduring Finn and Noah doing that shit they do with their faces when they look at each other, but instead of the fun will-they-won't-they tension that has provided thus far, it will just be irritating because we know they're supposed to be canonically platonic. Verdict: Absolutely ridiculous choice for the writers to make, 0/10 possibility of this.

Mike rejects Will toward the end of the season, after they've been teamed up for many episodes. So then the point of teaming them up was to let us bask in the tension—that the writers are fully aware exists given the popularity of Byler—only to pull the rug out from under us at the end? Not only is this just plain cruel to the queer community and those who want it to happen, but it also makes for completely pointless television even for the GA and Mileven shippers. Milevens would want to watch Mike with El this season, not Will, and the GA, having no investment in this ship, would not care for watching Mike and Will beat around the bush for 9 episodes only for it to come to nothing. NO ONE is asking for this. And they don't even have the old queerbaiter's excuse of "oh well we didn't mean to make them have sexual tension, that's on you guys for seeing things that aren't there" because one of them is canonically in love with the other. Verdict: NOT happening unless the writers' only goal is to be cruel to the queer community (which is honestly not even a possibility; go read @miwiheroes fantastic essay on the themes of stranger things if you need convincing of the writers' intentions.)

Mike never finds out about Will being in love with him and their relationship stays as is. Do I even have to entertain this one? This would go against the laws of storytelling. It would require an impossible lack of development, it would be a glaring loose end, and it would be just plain terrible writing. Chekov's gun, my friends. Or in this case...Byers' painting. They're pairing them up this season specifically so that this reveal can happen in an organic way. Verdict: Would bet my life on this never happening.

Will is no longer in love with Mike at the beginning of season 5. Their dynamic from the get-go is just broskis vibing in the Upside Down no homo. Will's arc last season was just because...because why? If they wanted to show us more explicitly that Will was gay, they could have done it in one shot last season. They could have shown him checking out some hot guy at his new school in Lenora. They could have had a coming out scene for him. Hell, he could have come out to his best friend. Being gay in the 80s is hard enough without being in love with your childhood bestie, they would have had plenty of material to work with for a queer character arc. But no, they made him secretly in love with Mike, only to say "never mind" in season 5? So essentially the whole purpose of that was for Will to 1) suffer for a bit, because he hasn't suffered enough yet and 2) prop up Mike and El's relationship? And now he's over it and maybe there's someone else in the picture that they're going to have to somehow develop in a satisfying way over one season? While Will is spending most of his time with Mike? Verdict: There is no world in which this makes sense and the writers would never.

I can't think of any other scenarios but feel free to send me an ask if you can think of one and would like me to comment on it. There is a possibility that all of this is a moot point if Mike and Will are not in actuality spending as much time together in season 5 as we think. After all, we don't know what season 5 holds. But to this I raise, along with the many BTS photos we've seen of Mike and Will together, this:

Which, if not byler proof (it is) is at least proof that they're teamed up together most of next season. Thus, the catalyst for this entire post.

SLEEP SOUNDLY, MY FRIENDS 💛💙

[hanaybuns]

thoughts on episode 1 (am i too late)

so after sitting on episode one for a while and really taking it in, i feel like i have a working opinion on it.

I initially thought it was a bit underwhelming. i was fully expecting a chiller, slice of life oriented first episode. but i at least thought it would have a few classic ososan gags. while i had some chuckles here and there, there were no real knee slappers for me. that said, i think this was intentional on matsubara's part. it's to set our expectations up for the rest of the season. i think it's interesting considering that his other gag comedy, charisma house, is filled to the brim with absurd ososan-like humor, but notably ososan is devoid of it currently.

i've been saying for a while now that this season would have a lot more slice of life. however, in my mind, there was kind of an unjustified expectation of profound and deep character writing to go along with it. after all, if we're swapping the gags for slice of life, there should be a similar emotional payoff behind it, right? "if i'm not busting out laughing, i should at least be busting out in tears" that kind of thing. i think i was expecting a more emotional first episode somehow, though honestly i've been reading Maison ikkoku so my head has been up in the melodrama clouds for a while haha. (highly recommend everyone please read maison ikkoku it's so good)

that said, after a second watch, the writing felt a lot more subtle and intimate than i initially appreciated. everything from watching the boys delay getting up and starting their day to watching them go to bed and deliberate what to do tomorrow, ultimately deciding to put it off to the next day. it felt serene in a way, getting to see the moments in between the gags. the best moment by far was osomatsu appreciating the scene unfolding before him, he doesn't need to write his wish down because everything he wants is already here. it was this silent, subtle moment that speaks to the kind of emotion the 4th season is going to express.

what's interesting is that we actually do see some slight pieces of character development even in the first episode. ichimatsu actually expresses something he genuinely wants (he actually has a whole drama track with chibita agonizing over this) karamatsu goes from begging his mom for a new motorcycle to deciding to build one himself. osomatsu even... suggests that they get part time jobs????

i've seen people say that this shift in tone is for the fans, and i see where they're coming from. initially, a huge draw of ososan was the crude humor and unique characters, without that, there's nothing to draw in new fans. matsubara is not trying to bring new people in, he's there for the people that are already watching... but while i agree with the notion that this season isn't trying as hard to draw in new viewers, i honestly don't think this writing is for the fans. many fans actually hated season 3 for the lack of gags. if this season was just pandering to the audience, it would be filled with the humor from season 1 that people loved.

i think this is really just matsubara doing what he wants to do with the characters. this video has since gotten rid of the captions (whyyyy????) but they were able to be english translated badly (so take this with a grain of salt please). in it, matsubara says something along the lines of that he feels he has become more human over the years and he feels like his writing has also become more human as well (maybe someone can translate it, it happens midway through if i remember correctly)

he also has said multiple times that he doesn't want to feel chained down to season 1, that he wants to branch out and do his own thing. while i do think that they've kind of abandoned the original premise of "showa era sextuplets all grown up" this is probably the most natural progression for the show to take. the pressure to compete with the first season stifles creativity, and so i understand why matsubara is choosing to make this drastic of a tone shift. that said, part of me definitely laments the loss of the roots that tied it to the original manga.

oh and of course... the op and ed... i don't even want to talk about it... they massacred my boy

i do like the songs themselves, bomba sheeh especially is very fun and i like it more than i thought i would... but every time they say bomb a sheeh, i keep hearing it as bomb a shit...

all in all, i look forward to what this season is going to bring. i'm still banking on some really emotional moments happening, but i'll wait a little longer for them. i think if we don't get some real character exploration this season, i'll be somewhat dissapointed. it did leave me wanting more in terms of comedy though, but i still have some hope for future episodes.

[luvingjeanie]

aot boys and a reader with small boobs

includes jean, eren, connie, armin

jean kirstein

“Small?” He murmurs, setting his phone down in his lap to look at you. Honestly, you would think you had insulted him rather than yourself. A look of what seemed to be confusion and disbelief tainted his stare. And for some reason he blinked like it would make him hear better. Which he realised didn’t make much sense.

“Yeah, I mean-“ You gestured, looking down at your own chest with disdain. You had just bought a new top, said top came with built in cups, that you didn’t even remotely fill out. That’s what brought this all on. “If I wanna fill out this top, I’ll have to stuff my bra or something.

“You said small.” He repeated in a whisper, glancing to his thighs, brows furrowed. Small doesn’t mean bad? He’s a little confused.

“Yeah, I did.”

He wasn’t good with words, for such an emotional guy who was so in love with you, they came out a jumbled mess most of the time, but he was gonna try, “I know they are. But, I- you know, I still like them. Small doesn’t mean they aren’t pretty and I can still grab them so clearly they aren’t that small?”

He stopped for a moment, scratching the stubble he was growing out, a shy habit you noticed he was developing, “Plus… they look nice in those bras you got. Bralays? Bralets? Whatever they’re called.” He mumbled, soft spoken despite his rough, dulcet voice.

“Yeah, baby, bralays. Sure.” You giggled.

“Shut up-“

✮ Baby, he does not care. To this boy, tits are still tits. All shapes and sizes are great. Sure, having a nice handful is wonderful, but smaller ones are just as wonderful. You don’t need a bra all the time, and he loves when you don’t wear one.

✮ Absolutely obsessed with those cute, lace bralets with no cups or wiring. Fully see through, a little bow in the middle, dainty straps. He’s began buying you them himself

✮ Expensive too. He doesn’t wanna see frayed lace or the bow falling off after only a few wears, your man is going to Victoria Secret. And he’s bringing you with him for moral support because he’s a very gentlemanly dork and doesn’t want people thinking he’s in there for more nefarious reasons.

✮ Actually, he might just wait outside. That sounds a lot better.

✮ SEND HIM PHOTOS!!!! He did not spend good money just to not see you wear it.

eren jeager

“Babe, I know they’re small. But I don’t care, I always tell you this.” He groans, huffing with a scowl and he stands behind you in the mirror. He really doesn’t see anything wrong with the dress you’re wearing despite how everything seems wrong about it to you. “Your tits are nice, they’re cute!”

“But, Renn-“ You whine, cupping your own breasts, “There’s gaps!”

“I can’t see any gaps.” He says blankly. “But gaps or not, you look hot.” He murmurs, speaking into your hair, hands on your hips, pulling your back flush to his chest.

Eren was a guy that really thought you over exaggerated your insecurities. Not because he thought you were being dramatic, but because he didn’t usually notice them, and if he did, to him they weren’t flaws. They were character. Like a slightly crooked tooth, or acne scars that never fully faded. Or, your small chest. That wasn’t a flaw, they were still tits, tiny or not.

“You’re sure people won’t see the gaps?” You asked for reassurance, blinking to him through the mirror.

“The only way they’ll notice is if they’re really looking.” He responds, patting your hip comfortingly, “And if they’re lookin’ that close I’ll punch them!” He grins.

✮ Fully does not see why you care, or why you’re insecure. Sure, he knows that most guys prefer bigger boobs, but he doesn’t care what you have, as long as you have them, size doesn’t matter!

✮ He can still squeeze, suck, bite, and kiss them, which he does a lot, which is enough for him!

✮ He will never beat the oral fixation allegations.

✮ There genuinely isn’t much to say, he’s a horny guy and would still think you’re hot if you were so flat chested your boobs literally caved inwards.

✮ He has also suggested you get nipple piercings on numerous occasions.

connie springer

“Get rich so you can pay for me to get a boob job.” You huffed, clicking your tongue as you scrolled through Instagram. Eyeing influencers and even your friends with pure envy. Sure, some tops look cute on you, but you could never in a million years pull off the more showy tops that they wore. Quite literally, you lacked the assets required.

“I mean I’ll try, but I really don’t see why you want a boob job.” He said back, grinning all toothy and happy, chin perched on your shoulder. “I like em’” He mumbled, reaching around and motioned ‘gimme’ as he squeezed the air around your chest.

“I’m lacking, Con, don’t pretend you don’t notice!” You groaned, head lolling back against his shoulder with the face of a woman scorned.

“You aren’t lacking! You’re just tinier, but that doesn’t matter,” He cooed through laughter, pecking your cheek. “You’re still like ten times hotter than any one ever, swear on my entire Pokemon card collection. And Jean.”

“You can’t keep swearing on Jean, Connie.”

✮ Connie, for such a silly, go with the flow kind of guy, is almost shockingly earnest when he wants to be. Not to mention extremely emotionally intelligent. Sure, he may not seem like it, but he does pay attention. And he knows you’re insecure, before you even really told him.

✮ He could tell from the way you always eyed your chest the most when trying on new clothes, or when you were most concerned with the fit of the boob area on a dress when you dragged him into a clothing store. He never brought it up directly, but he made sureeee to let you know how much he loved your chest.

✮ Copping a feel when he could with a cheeky smile and a kiss on your lips before returning to whatever he was doing, paying an almost overwhelming amount of attention to them as part of foreplay, calling them ‘his girls’, everything he could think of.

✮ When you do tell him, however, he’s constantly talking about the back pain he hears girls with larger chests complain about as a way to make you feel better😭

‘babybaby, but think about the back pain, that sounds like it fucking sucks’

armin arlert

“You look pretty.” He smiles, all earnest and soft spoken, watching you with fondness and admiration in his gentle eyes.

Pursing your lips, you cup your own breasts, then drop your hands, checking how you look from all angles. Sighing, you face the mirror again, arms dropped and allowing your eyes to flutter shut. You should’ve remembered this bikini didn’t come with the model’s conveniently not too small nor too big breasts. She quite literally had the nicest handful you had ever seen, and you, did not.

“What’s wrong? Is it too tight? We can return it and get another size?” He offered helpfully, noticing your lacklustre reaction to the bikini you had previously been so excited for.

‘Too tight’ pulled a snort from you, shaking your head. “More like not tight enough. The top is literally sagging because I can’t fill it out.”

“But the bottoms are fine?”

“Uh,” You skim the waistband of the bikini with your finger before nodding, “Yep.”

He nods, slow and understanding. But he doesn’t say much in the realm of complimenting your breasts, because he never wants to make it seem like a big deal, because it really isn’t. “Okay, well we can return it and then buy you the bottoms and top separately so they fit right.”

✮ He’s practical about it, he thinks making a super big deal about it, might make it seem forced, and he doesn’t want that. That’s not to say he doesn’t reassure you and compliment you, because he absolutely does, but he’s a natural problem solver

✮ If something doesn’t fit right, that’s the first thing he’ll focus on. And he’s ALWAYS blaming the companies and designers too😭

“I really think if they’re going to build cups into tops like this, they should at least offer different cup sizes. Do they forget that women are people with different bodies?”

ooo look at me being self indulgent again

if you guys want i'll do this for bigger chests too!!!

[atomicrebelfire]

I’ve read your last answer about emotional imbalance in narrative and lack of empathy to certain characters bc they’re not mains and what it immediately reminded me of is Karen!!! As far as I know people love her, and even though I wasn’t in the fandom for the seasons I’m about to mention I’m sure she got sympathy BUT in canon it really pissed me off in the earlier seasons when they had Eva or IVF arguments that Hen was the one 'set up' to be empathised with. At least I felt it that way. Because Karen’s worries and grief were legitimate and she had every right to them. But what we got was Hen venting to Chim, occasionally making some flippant comments about her marriage, talking about how exhausting or even unfair to her it all is. And then it’s all good because despite all that she’d mention how she understands and supports Karen or admits to her own mistakes and suddenly you can’t be mad at her and not empathise with her. And then everything aligns for her and ends happily.

It was pretty clear that it was expected from me in the story telling to feel for Hen because she’s main and she’s the focus of the story and I’m not against that. But it doesn’t mean I can’t feel more empathy for Karen because it does NOT equal to no empathy for Hen

yes, yes, YES. this is such a brilliant point 🫶 and thank you for adding this context into the conversation. You’re absolutely right. the story guides our empathy by focusing the emotional fallout through certain characters. Hen, Buck, Eddie — the show wants us to feel for them, even when they mess up. and to ignore their actions.

Karen was going through very real, very valid grief. She had every right to be upset, hesitant, and frustrated. But Hen, being the main, got the focus. Karen’s forgiveness was expected. And so was ours. No accountability. No centering of her pain.

Even in S7, Karen wasn’t wrong. But the show framed her as if she was being unreasonable for asking Hen to do more than just the bare minimum in their kid’s life. And then what happens? The very next beat is Denny getting injured. So we’re forced to sympathize with Hen. It’s emotionally manipulative. Karen was written as the counterweight to Hen’s development, not as someone whose own pain mattered.

Same with Buck in S8. Episode 8x06 gave us the conversation with Josh before the breakup scene, to remind us Buck was struggling with his feelings and to help us feel sympathy when we think back on the breakup. But when that didn’t land for everyone, suddenly we got the baking scene in 8x07. A soft reset to keep the audience on his side.

Meanwhile, Tommy? We got nothing. No POV. No voice. Just silence. So it’s easier to call him cruel or distant, because the story didn’t frame his pain as ours to feel. He’s treated as an emotional extension of Buck’s story. If his feelings can’t be quickly folded into Buck’s arc, they’re seen as disruptive. Or he’s missing completely from the frame.

And yes, the same pattern shows up with Eddie. The show is written in a way that insists we empathize with him. When he lashes out, we get context, vulnerability, sadness, Chris. Something to soften the blow. But when other characters are hurt by him, it doesn’t land the same way.

Empathy shouldn’t be limited to whoever the camera centers. This show is structurally weighted toward the fan favorites. And it’s incredibly lopsided, and not story-centric. The voices of side characters deserve to be heard and focused on. this show has no accountability when it comes to fan Favs. and side characters need to do the emotional labor.

So feeling for Karen doesn’t mean we hate Hen. Feeling for Tommy doesn’t mean we hate Buck. And not feeling for Eddie in certain moments doesn’t make us a bad fan. It makes us honest. that we are focusing on the story.

We’re allowed to question who we’re being asked to empathize with, and why.

Sorry for my ramblings. Sending you love 🫶🥰

xoxo

[fannedandflawless]

I think the character most reminiscent of James is Dudley. They have very similar character descriptions: Doting parents, arrogance, self-confidence, unapologetic bully streak, and has an eventual redemption. Dudley's indirect apology (“I don't think you're a waste of space.”) feels a lot more authentic than James' whole 'I'm a better person now, because I really like this pretty, smart, girl' era in 7th year onwards imo.

I can imagine Snape being on the verge of a migraine everytime he sees Harry with his eyes closed, but Dudley? Just his voice alone is enough to kick him into autopilot. Many a times has he nearly committed a rather horrendous crime. These kids are walking jumpscares smh.

Let Snape adopt them. He shall suffer through raising the visual and mental reincarnations of James that came to haunt him. A true nightmare it is that they are both the closest people to have some Lily in them, yet act nothing like her. A true disgrace to her legacy. Why would he let such torture be inflicted on him? Let's say Petunia and Vernon died, and Dudley is the closest relative to Lily so he has to stay with Harry or smth, and Snape is supervising them as they stay in his home in Spinner's End idrk. Would be double the hell if Dudley turned out to be a muggleborn.

i got a teensy bit away carries away, unfortunately ;-; it was fun to think about, though, so I hope you think so too.

Oh wow, I’ve never actually compared James to Dudley before, but now that you’ve said it… it does click.

The doting parents, unchecked bullying, inflated ego, all there. Dudley might’ve bullied Harry more frequently just by virtue of living under the same roof, with parental approval (or indifference) acting like a silent cheer squad. But, and this matters, Dudley’s cruelty never escalated to the level James took it.

James humiliated Severus in front of the entire school, in broad daylight, like it was a Quidditch victory. That wasn’t teasing. That was a public character assassination.

And while Dudley never really apologised, at least he developed some self-awareness early on. I’d argue part of it was the whole cousin bond, one he likely didn’t want to admit, but when Harry saved him from the Dementor, it probably cracked something open.

James, on the other hand, only rebranded when he fell for a girl who held him accountable. His change was driven by wanting Lily, not by understanding what he did to Severus.

Also, James and Sirius had a vendetta against Slytherin from day one. First train ride and they were already sneering. So for James, hexing a lonely Slytherin wasn’t bullying, it was being the hero of his own narrative.

Now, onto your wild scenario, Snape adopting both Harry and Dudley. I’m wheezing.

Dudley would be put into strict behavioural rehab from day one.

And Harry? Oh, if Snape agreed to raise his living, blinking James-lookalike, he’d have steeled himself thoroughly.

Discipline would be military-level. Both boys would have spotless cauldrons and trauma-triggered cleaning reflexes.

Snape would have migraines and mild vertigo weekly. Possibly require a therapist of his own. But, he’d never be cruel. Punishment, yes. Harsh scolding? Absolutely. But never out of control. Never abusive. He’d keep it within the line. There’d be care there, buried under sarcasm and potion fumes.

Parental affection? Perhaps not the cuddly kind.

But he’d be the type to quietly refill their pepperup potions at night, leave fresh quills at their desks before exams, and teach them Occlumency far earlier than needed, just in case.

In short?

A nightmare for him.

A structured life for them.

No one would be happy.

But oddly enough… they’d probably turn out all right.

[junplusone]

don't lie! a svt interactive series | ROUND 4

chapter warnings: language, main character death chapter word count: 1.2k

prev | series masterlist | next

TAGS: @ppyopulii @callis-corner @kkooongie @nerdycheol @helloiliketits @asyre @taesungx @imhereonlytoread @starshuas @avyskai @mochacoda @supi-wupi @purple-eustoma @wondering-out-loud @wooahoe @hanniesrock (fill out this form to be tagged!)

author's note: happy birthday to my dearest jay !!! also rae and calli bro ... u guys scare me /withlove

005 | SOONYOUNG: Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Did we all just get tricked?

012 | SEUNGKWAN: Probably not. Nobody in their right mind would have voted for him on just a hunch.

008 | MINGHAO, under his breath: You seem to have a lot of faith in all the wrong people.

[SEUNGKWAN hears this, despite MINGHAO’s quiet words. He rolls his eyes.]

012 | SEUNGKWAN: Hyung, don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll make it out of this game.

006 | WONWOO: We’ll see.

“THE DISCUSSION PERIOD HAS NOW CONCLUDED. PLAYER 006, A MAFIA, HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.”

005 | SOONYOUNG: What the fuck?

[WONWOO just bows his head. Guilt hangs over him like a cloud. SEUNGKWAN seems to freeze, lips moving but no sound coming out.]

012 | SEUNGKWAN: Hyung… you?

[There is a collective relief among the others that they’ve finally managed to eliminate a mafia member. However, nobody says anything. It had been clear how close WONWOO and SEUNGKWAN, and even CHAN, were from the very start of the game.]

006 | WONWOO, helplessly: I…

[SEUNGKWAN lunges at him, grabbing his collar with no hesitation. Alarmed, JOSHUA tries pulling him away, but to no avail.]

012 | SEUNGKWAN: How could you?

006 | WONWOO: I didn’t know! I didn’t know, okay? The sign said it was a game! How was I supposed to know we were all going to drop dead one by one?

[Something clicks. SEUNGKWAN loosens his grip slowly.]

012 | SEUNGKWAN: You chose Chan, didn’t you?

006 | WONWOO, desperately: I didn’t know–

012 | SEUNGKWAN: You chose Chan.

[WONWOO wipes a tear away just as SEUNGKWAN turns so he doesn’t have to look at his friend.]

004 | JUNHUI: Seungkwan, he didn’t know. He didn’t have a choice.

012 | SEUNGKWAN, bitterly: I wish you hadn’t said anything. I wish I just didn't know. Somehow this is worse than getting lasered into oblivion.

008 | MINGHAO: But it’s not exactly Wonwoo’s fault. It never is.

003 | JOSHUA: But that’s the worst part, isn’t it?

[SEUNGKWAN puts his head in his hands, doesn’t look at all when WONWOO’s body hits the floor, joining the casualties from the previous rounds. All friends, all held dear, all dead. Only JUNHUI and MINGHAO sit motionlessly. It’s a sight they’ve become accustomed to.]

010 | SEOKMIN: Well. At least we know Junhui’s hunches are infinitely better than Soonyoung’s.

005 | SOONYOUNG: Yeah, how did you know?

010 | SEOKMIN, at SOONYOUNG: Hey, sit down. There's still two more mafia. Just because we got one doesn’t mean you’re off the hook yet. 

003 | JOSHUA: Or you – [he points at JEONGHAN] – for lying through your damn teeth about your role.

002 | JEONGHAN: Oh, forgive me for trying to provide some comedic relief in these trying times.

[He is met with blank expressions, and throws up his hands in defeat.]

005 | SOONYOUNG: Guys, listen to me. It’s really not me. I promise!

010 | SEOKMIN: I don’t know about the rest of you, but I really don’t trust him.

008 | MINGHAO: You only think that because his lunacy meant your friend had to die. Do you have a more valid reason than that?

010 | SEOKMIN: Do I need one? You’d feel the same way if someone got Junhui voted off and he turned out to be innocent.

[MINGHAO frowns deeply.]

008 | MINGHAO: I’m not letting that happen. And he is innocent.

010 | SEOKMIN: And you know that for sure?

002 | JEONGHAN: Guys, let’s not fight. It’s not helping us at all. 

011 | VERNON, to JOSHUA: I think I’m developing a headache.

003 | JOSHUA: You think we can find aspirin here, wherever here is?

011 | VERNON, with a tiny smile: Let’s survive this sick game and then we can find out.

[SEUNGKWAN has not said a word this whole time. In fact, he has not moved an inch. But he has been observing one player in particular as everyone talks.]

“NIGHT HAS FALLEN. EVERYONE, LOWER YOUR HEADS.”

005 | SOONYOUNG, to himself: How am I even still alive?

“MAFIA, RAISE YOUR HEADS. ON YOUR DEVICE, SELECT ONE PLAYER YOU WOULD LIKE TO ELIMINATE.”

[The two remaining mafia lift their heads and lock eyes with each other. They nod, apparently in agreement, but they end up selecting different players to eliminate.]

“MAFIA, LOWER YOUR HEADS. DETECTIVE, RAISE YOUR HEAD AND SELECT ONE PLAYER ON YOUR DEVICE WHOSE IDENTITY YOU WOULD LIKE TO REVEAL.”

[A green light blinks on the screen. The detective is only mildly surprised, then wonders if he’s wasted his ability this round.]

“DETECTIVE, LOWER YOUR HEAD. DOCTOR, RAISE YOUR HEAD AND SELECT A PLAYER ON YOUR DEVICE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAVE.”

[The doctor is quick with this decision, certain he’s done the right thing.]

“DOCTOR, LOWER YOUR HEAD. MORNING HAS COME. EVERYONE, RAISE YOUR HEADS.”

[Everyone seems anxious, and with good reason. Any of them could be the next body on the floor.]

“NO PLAYER HAS BEEN ELIMINATED. EVERYONE, YOUR THIRTY MINUTE DISCUSSION PERIOD BEGINS NOW.”

002 | JEONGHAN: Wow, doctor. Your instincts must be real good.

011 | VERNON, to JOSHUA: Hyung, good job.

005 | SOONYOUNG: How am I still alive?

011 | VERNON: Yeah, how?

008 | MINGHAO: If you keep saying that, you’re going to die next round. Don’t jinx yourself.

[The players look a little relieved. However, the mafia shoot each other confused looks, wondering where they possibly could have gone wrong.]

004 | JUNHUI: Doc, did you save yourself?

003 | JOSHUA: Yeah, I had to. No way was I gonna live after exposing my role like that.

010 | SEOKMIN: Well, we need to vote now, regardless.

004 | JUNHUI, pensive: I’m still really suspicious of Soonyoung, honestly.

002 | JEONGHAN: Should we just do that and hope he’s right again?

005 | SOONYOUNG: God, can’t the detective just check me already? I can’t keep defending myself if you’re all going to corner me like this!

[The argument becomes more heated as everyone’s voices rise. At around the twenty minute mark, they decide to space out and avoid a larger conflict between themselves. JUNHUI and MINGHAO sit with their backs against the wall, contemplating.]

004 | JUNHUI: We really need to get this one right this time. It’s already the fourth round.

008 | MINGHAO: Hmm. I do wonder, though, how Soonyoung is still alive. Crazy, isn’t it?

004 | JUNHUI: Yes.

[JUNHUI shifts so his head rests on his cousin’s arm, a more comfortable position from earlier.]

004 | JUNHUI: Thanks for encouraging me to speak up. About Wonwoo, I mean. I didn’t want to. I was worried I’d get targeted, like Soonyoung.

008 | MINGHAO: That’s all right. That’s what I’m here for. And for what it’s worth, your instincts have always been good.

[JUNHUI chuckles. Across the bar, JEONGHAN speaks urgently with SEOKMIN.]

002 | JEONGHAN: We have to vote right this time. And next round. Then we can find a way to get out of here.

010 | SEOKMIN: Where even is here? Were Junhui and Minghao right? Are there more games?

002 | JEONGHAN: I don’t know.

[SEOKMIN sighs, clearly distressed. He tries his best not to look at the bodies on the floor and worry about he could be the very next one. He has never done well in situations like this, and he is more thankful than ever that he has his close friend by his side.]

002 | JEONGHAN: Seokmin, it isn’t you right? You’re not the mafia?

010 | SEOKMIN, horrified: No, hyung. God, no.

002 | JEONGHAN: Okay, good. I think I have a vague idea of what’s going on. I just needed to hear that from you.

010 | SEOKMIN, carefully: Are you sure about what happened during the role assignment, hyung? Tell me honestly. 

002 | JEONGHAN, a bit miffed: Yes, Seokmin. I am. I told you already.

010 | SEOKMIN, doubtful: Right, right…

[JEONGHAN and SEOKMIN lean against the cool granite, surveying the bar. Eight players, two mafia, and three regular civilians. How to tell them apart? How to win the game and make it out alive?]

“THE DISCUSSION PERIOD HAS NOW CONCLUDED. PLEASE PLACE YOUR VOTES ON YOUR DEVICES.”

005 | SOONYOUNG: Whoever votes me better get voted off next. I swear to god…

008 | MINGHAO: Well, don’t swear. You might have better luck then.

010 | SEOKMIN: Guys, come on. We got one mafia already, we can get the rest!

[JUNHUI nods in agreement. SEUNGKWAN sighs, finally moving himself to grab his device from the floor so that he can vote. He has made up his mind.]

prev | series masterlist | next

[sn0wp1anets]

oh hi mochi and clovis

okay i mean to be clear that's Insane. What the fuck is their problem we need to kill them etcetc anyway

why does he not even acknowledge bigb in his little pvp judgement. die?

that's a crazy thing for scott to say. i mean i don't think it's completely incorrect BUT i have alot of thoughts on pvp so. i mean he's right that joel is probably his toughest fight there or whatever like scott i would genuinely say is probably the best . hm. strictly smp pvper in the whole series? but yeah wrt raw pvp joel clears him it's not even rly close. lol. but okay w jimmy i think it's alot more ambiguous. wait let me find my pvp tiers.

i can't find my version with everyone else but it doesn't matter (probably next tier wld be scar impulse ren whatever yk ppl who do pvp but aren't as trained as these people. and then just the non-pvp players). and anyway the only thing that's actually relevant here is that within the 'good at pvp' tier both jimmy and scott are in the mechanical differences between any of them are so so so minor that they are basically equal. i mean i could attempt to make distinctions but for now all i'll say is scott isn't last in this tier and neither is jimmy. tldr they're p much equal raw pvpwise. however yeah i will concede to scott that esp in the life series he is more likely to win than lose against jimmy because scott's mental is better and jimmy is stuck in some kind of a negative reinforcement cycle and also just gets tilted more easily. but either way. scott you need to . die for that. i hope jimmy pvp kills him this season <3

3. i have nothing coherent to say anymore but it's so fucking fun that joel's Character Development and also pvp sweat arc has gotten to the point where scott's just scared of joel and is forced to respect his skill and take him seriously. (mandatory rpf lite side note: scott when his literal job is to look at stats of joel being good at competitive mc all day). but ouagshdhjs they're soo abnormal about each other ughhhhh can they fuck alrdy

[thesizeofyoursoul]

About Armand being Muslim or Hindu and my personal take (also a little bit about Assad and how he is/might be treated).

First of all, this isn't shade, I respect if you disagree, I just want to give my own two cents about things.

So, a lot of the arguments people used for Armand not being a Muslim is that he was impersonating Rashid, that he didn't pray the correct way, we haven't seen much of it, Arun is an Hindu name, that not all of Assad's characters are Muslims, etc and I wanna share what I personally think about all that. Also, I'm not Muslim, Hindu and don't have the same ethnic background as Assad, so I apologize, welcome, accept and appreciate if you correct me in case I accidentally said anything offensive.

I've seen both Muslim people say he was doing the prayer wrong and that he did it right, I don't really know what to believe. Still, maybe the reason for the innacuracy is because he only recently began reconnecting with his faith or reverted to Islam not that long ago.

It could be an accidental mistake in real life, made by Assad, the director, the cameraperson or whoever, like when Assad's accent slipped for a second on the Loumand fight. For example, if the problem is that he wasn't praying turned to Mecca, maybe it was because Armand was supposed to be in Dubai, but Assad wasn't and he forgot to adjust? I don't know where Assad shot that scene in real life, but it could explain it. Also, if that's not the actual problem, then just ignore this example lmao.

As for them not revisiting that, it could be because they haven't fully developed his arc. Rolin said he has a plan of multiple seasons for him, there's still a lot we need to see. And there's a huge religious plot on books 5 and 6 they can still explore.

Regarding Arun being an Hindu name: Armand was kidnapped, trafficked, emotionally/physically abused, raped, groomed, exploited, indoctrinated, brainwashed and developed severe amnesia on the books. Some of that has already been confirmed on the show. It's possible that his birth name wasn't Arun and his memory is cloudy, just like it's possible that the prayer was an act. That's open to interpretation, I guess. I personally think it's more likely for him not to remember his past (since vampires don't remember their human life that well and he already had amnesia as a human) than trivialize religion like that. I don't know why they would play with religion, OFF ALL THINGS, not to mention how tone deaf or straight-up offensive is to use a religion that's already so demonized (CHRISTINIATY was right there if they wanted to do that) for that, they know it's their very own actor's religion in real life too and how faith is a big part of Armand's arc and could've used literally anything else to show Armand was lying. I see it more as a seed they planted for the future (like Lestat using the Spell Gift on the soldiers) than a lie or just accidental, random and a coincidence.

Given the fact TVC has a lot of Christian references, it's possible that Muslim Armand would make more sense with the narrative since Islam is also part of the Abrahamic religions.

Assad might have played characters from different nationalities and religions before, but he did say Rolin let him give some input and use some of his own life experience. I assume if he had any saying in that, he asked his character to be Muslim and not Hindu.

The show is huge on intersectionality. Louis is a black, Creole and gay man. Claudia is a dark-skinned, black, sapphic woman. They could totally have a brown, South Asian, Muslim, queer man. All those sides can coexist on the show, just like they do in real life. They can even make him autistic(coded) as he is on the books, too.

Anyway, if we exclude prejudice, I believe we have more arguments for a Muslim Armand than an Hindu/not religious Armand. And now, more than ever, if they want to prove that they're really progressive instead of overlooking race, ethnicity, religion etc and other "complicated" and "controversial" stuff and they do respect their diverse cast, that's a great way to show support to Assad in the middle of such a prejudiced industry/world. That's not to say they can't have Hindu characters! The more representation the better! And religion and existential crisis are a huge part of the books, so to have different people from different backgrounds dealing with those on their own way would be interesting and a great contrast to explore (we even have a scene where Pandora said that the Christian God was never her God on the books and I love it). Still, there is a plenty of characters they can use/adapt for that, it's better to have Muslim people playing Muslims and Hindu people playing Hindu characters, respectively and not change what they have already teased with Armand.

[scrawdragon]

gandalf: (saddled up on his horse) get a pony, loser, we’re going on an adventure bilbo: bitch what

thats how it went right

i had that in my head for too long i needed to share it with the world

[tommygotwrittenoff]

i literally do not care about big emergencies on abc's 911. i want to see my characters talk to each other and have stories that are parallels to small, everyday (everyday for first responders) emergencies

[fiona-fififi]

Call me homophobic, but I don't actually think it's great representation to stick a complex, dynamic, newly-realized bisexual character permanently with a flat, boring, underdeveloped love interest just because that was the first guy who showed interest.

[takemeintoyourfuckingarms]

I actually agree with you for the most part. One could argue that he's had 100 years to develop as a person sure but I feel that discounts the past 150 ish years of him being the monster that we see him as in the series.

The first time I saw the episode and he explained the event that triggered his character arc was when an alien who had every reason to kill him or leave him to die instead saved his life, I was like ...that seems just a tad too easy. Like it's an explanation I can see him giving the turtles in order to gain their trust because he needs their help with something.

I think his character works much better if you assume that he's not actually as much of a changed person as he presents himself, he just realized that there was no way Earth could defend itself against more advanced extraterrestrial forces and pivoted to a different strategy in order to achieve his main goal.

Sure he says in FF that he's not proud of what he did in his past to all those mutants and aliens but I honestly don't really believe that. Bishop has always been a big picture only kind of guy so pivoting his approach in how he achieves his ultimate goal is a lot more believable to me instead of him suddenly growing a conscience because of one singular, albeit big and life changing, event.

That way, it's less of a redemption arc and more of a "same guy different font." I do, however, recognize that the show clearly does want the viewers to see him as being redeemed, though so the canon does render moot that part of my point. Regardless, I choose to interpret his character as only 'reformed' externally rather than internally, if that makes sense. Yes, he's changed his actions, disbanded the EPF and all that, and keeps up a decent appearance because he's a politician, but to me, he is absolutely the same condescending self-important ego maniac who at best sees his past actions as regretful in the sense that they were pointless now that he knows a better peaceful alternative was far more effective at achieving what he wanted or at worst has no regrets at all because he believes he did what he felt he had to at the time with the knowledge he had.

But yeah what he did to Captain Finn (I think that was the guy's name?) and how absolutely unremorseful he is about it in the episode Dragon's Brew, kinda made me sick to my stomach the first time I rewatched it as an adult. I cannot recall even a throw away visual or line in the show that even suggested that he fixed that. (Don't quote me on that but I might be wrong? I'll have to watch the later seasons again to double check.)

I do like that he saw some level of consequences at Stockman's hand, though. Having an episode devoted to him paying to some degree for what he did to Baxter was definitely needed. Maybe the writers felt it would be redundant to do more than one episode where Bishop has to face consequences for his past actions. The show is still ultimately about the turtles and given how long Bishop has been around you could probably fill an entire season with him paying for just a percentage of the atrocities he's likely committed in the 150 ish years he's been on the US government's payroll.

The point you bring up about his behavior towards Karai is also valid. The weirdness with how Karai and April are treated by older men within the show comes about every once in a while in an episode and kinda slaps me in the face with the reminder of "oh yeah this was written by men in early 2000s".

It's more of a writing problem than a character problem imo but honestly given how old Bishop is it would also be just as valid to see his weird behavior as what you'd probably expect from a 200 year old white guy in a 40 something body who has gone through most of US history as exactly that. Not just a white man but a one with a massive amount of federally backed power to boost his ego.

The Worst Thing Bishop Ever Did

Possibly the most fucked up thing we see Bishop do in the whole show happens in Dragon's Brew (s4e4)

(or rather we see the aftereffects of the worst thing he's possibly ever done)

It's revealed that a genetic experiment T9581, is actually a man that was mutated by Bishop and his team and has been imprisoned by the EPF for an unknown length of time. He's been confined there and planned to be used as a weapon by the US military (if we take into account Hun's line about stealing a "top secret military weapon shipment" earlier in the episode)

That's not the most fucked up part though. That award goes to the moment we find out that Bishop was this man's friend. He wasn't some subordinate like the guy we see Bishop threaten earlier in the episode. This guy was close enough to Bishop that Bishop was asked TO BE IN HIS WEDDING AS HIS BEST MAN

What. The. Fuck. Bishop?

It's so genuinely disturbing and vile. Bishop's cruelty doesn't end with aliens or mutants or anyone else that he thinks is a threat to the Earth or his work.

He was totally fine with mutilating a guy who probably saw Bishop as a good friend.

To make matters worse, this guy has a wife and kid who believe he's dead, but he still remembers them despite how much the mutation has affected his mind/memory. It's so damn sad and was probably the biggest moment I had where I desperately wanted Bishop to get kicked off a pier for what he put this man through.

[nabaath-areng]

I have way too many alts that I keep to myself (which is why I generally refrain from posting them), but I'm going to ignore that habit for a moment just because I'm feeling particularly insane about this guy.

[crescentfool]

reference sheets for my splatoon oc, sydney :) 🍊 (old ref sheet under the cut for funsies!)

from february 2024! never stop drawing everyone <3 (and remember it's OK to reuse old elements for story-based arts...)

[sparklyseblos]

matt cornett on my screen again we are so back

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAU Drabble - Progress

I am here! And I made this drabble! @spotaus get in here! We got a new update :3

This one i had to take the time for haha Also I am fucking dying it is so hot and warm and everything is moist and i hate it and please end me i am not made for this heat. and as i am melting so his my sanity and mental health

anyway hahahah it is warm :') I dislike the heat.

First drabble Prev drabble Next drabble

And no beta or edits. I write these in one go and hope for the best lmao.

*------------------*

Dream watches as the bear walks through the stream. looking at the water and following movements Dream can't see.

The bear eventually gets to some mysterious perfect spot and stays put. it opens its mouth and waits.

For a moment. nothing happens.

Then the fish start to jump and rush and one ends right in the bear's mouth. The bear bites down and starts eating.

It is fascinating.

Nature in motion.

Dream continues to lay right there on top of the branches as he watches the bear continue hunting and eating. at ease with what it does and who it is.

His phone ringing ruins the silence and Dream curses as he grabs his phone quickly checking who is calling now. He sighs at the sight of the caller ID and answers it "Hey Core."

The child, is core still a child?, sounds frantic "Dream? Where have you been!?"

Drema hums as he leans against the tree, watching the wildlife again. Good to see the bear has dismissed the noise he made and it went about its day again "out and about. learning stuff."

core sighs "Dream... the people here need you and-"

Dream hums "No they don't. They can do their chores and tasks themselves. I told you and all of them this before." he is not going to fall into the same trap as always. cutting himself apart to please others. He needs to figure himself out first.

Core sighs loudly again "Dream... If you like it our not. You are still the guardian of positivity to them! They are nervous and you can relax them."

Dream sighs annoyed himself "No Core. I can't. Or at least, i don't want that role anymore. Correction. I never should ahve had that role. I already told you that what i did before was a mistake." he had explained this so many times already. Explained that he shouldn't have tried to stop what Nightamre had been doing.

Yet no one understood!

They kept demanding him to keep doing what he had been doing before.

It is exhausting.

Dream sighs loudly and cuts off whatever Core is saying "I am not coming back to the omega timeline. Let it rest Core and move on. That is what i am doing." and he hangs up the phone. He leans against the tree and calls the number he knows by soul.

one ring later and "Dream! How is your break going? Seen any cool things?" Blue sounds excited.

Dream smiles as he leans against the tree already feeling relaxed. Just hearing his friend and hearing him respect what dream wanted makes everything right. The need to complain disappears and he focuses on the good "Yeah it is pretty cool. I am in a large forest. Saw a bear catch a fish with its mouth." the bear moves towards the side to eat some of the fish it caught.

Blue groans "lucky!! I am stuck in another reset. Kid got stuck somewhere in hotland and my bro and I are trying to figure out a way to hel them progress quicker."

Dream chuckles "You and your brother gave up on acting as if you don't notice the save, loads and resets?"

Blue hums "Well... yeah! I know it is a large risk and a big show of trust... but my brother explained to me that knowing I was there for him? With him in the resets and that i truly understood how it felt? He said it gave him peace and hope. that he felt less alone. And that got me thinking... Maybe... maybe Chara would feel better if they knew they weren't alone? That they didn't need to figure it all out alone? Papy had been unsure but he ended up deciding to trust my opinion and decision..."

Dream hums and nods "how did that go?"

Blue is silent for a moment before answering "Well... we dropped hints first and tried to ease them into the idea... then they ended up having a panic attack and apologising over and over again. We just sat down with them and we spoke it all out. they ended up sleeping over at our place for a while and would ask us everything about how we experienced it. So... I think it helped... thanks by the way."

Dream blinks and laughs "Why thank me?"

Dream can hear the smile in Blue's voice "Because you gave me the idea of it all! You were the one to trust me and share your worries with me. and once you shared those pains you felt better. You explained how the powers and responsiblity got too much and painful... That is when i realised. If you, an actual adult and god already felt like that... how would a child feel with so much power and responsibility but no guidance?" Blue is silent for a moment before he speaks "I know we aren't... we arent suposed to mess with the past or what happened or the anomaly but... How can there be any change if we don't try? Be it for the better or worse? At least we won't be stuck in the same loop anymore."

a moment of silence and Drema speaks quietly "What if they end up deciding to use this for bad stuff? To betray that trust and beleive?" what if blue gets hurt?

Blue hums "That is their choice. My choice was to be willing to trust and help. To beleive in the better and do waht i needed to do to take a step in the right direction."

Dream stares down before chuckling "You are truly one of the few between all of us who is sane and has healthy mental health."

Blue laughs "I have struggles too Dream. everyone has! we all do waht we can to cope. talking about struggles... did something happen?"

Blue is too damn smart and knows him too damn well.

Dream sighs "Smething did but... I honestly don't want to talk about it." he chuckles and rubs his new outfit. a more neutral grey with just a few yellow accents "You already need to listen so much to my problems. I want to be there for you too!"

Blue hums unhappily "dream."

Dream sighs and folds immediantly "just... Core calling again."

an even unhappier hum "We need to get you a new cross-multiverse phone. with a new number that Core doesn't know."

Drema can't help but laugh "maybe we can go shopping later? When your loop calms down a bit?"

Blue cheers "Yes! That sounds great! Oh! Did you want to come over for dinner? Chara is going to be friends with alphys and stuff which leaves me free early!"

Dream smiles "gladly. be there in a bit!" blue replies with his own goodbye and Dream hangs up. feeling much lighter and better than before. he opens a portal and makes the multiverse jump.

--

dinner is amazing and Dream takes some time to catch up wiht both Stretch and Blue. enjoying hearing more about the updates about their universe and how tlaking with Chara has helped them all a lot!

Dream is just happy with Blue is getting closer to the happy ending he deserves. To finally be free and explore the surface world he longs for so badly. Dream is also happy that Stretch seems to be doing better mentally. Dream may not be close with Stretch like with Blue but he still likes the other skeleton! Stretch is nice and can be a true sweetheart. Stretch just has to battle depression and hopelessness at the same time.

Blue once asked Dream if he could heal that for Stretch. a desperate plea from a worried brother. Drema had tried but he couldn't. He had once again remembered that it have been the purple apples that could heal mental illnesses. and he did not have a connection to those. Dream never told Blue that and just told him that Dream could only heal the physical body. That mental health was something that needed other and special care and support of loved ones.

Etiher way. it is great to see both feeling better and happier!

They relax and enjoy their time when Dream's phone rings again.

Stretch shoots it a curious look "I thought you muted that?"

Dream groans and nods "i did." he always does. one check later and a frown "Core again."

Blue sighs and steals his phone. he answers it and speaks right away "One. It is rude to call people at dinner time. two. Learn to take no. three. Stop, you are starting to appear obsessed. solve your own problems. It isn't Dreams issue." and hangs up again before handing it back.

Dream stares dumbfounded but Stretch just chuckles "Careful Blue. YOur protective side is showing."

Blue huffs but doesn't appear embarresed at all "Well! They should learn to take no and solve their own problems instead of trying to make it Dream's issue!"

Dream rubs his cheek "I am not much better... I keep asking you for your help..."

Blue looks at him and shakes his skull "Dream that is different. You ask for help. You accept if I am busy. Core demands help and doesn't accept a no." Blue smiles "See the difference?"

Dream feels himself relax again as he happily takes another bite. He enver needed food but it is nice.

a whistle "impressive."

Drema turns quickly and stares "Reaper."

Reaper grins and waves "Hey Dream. Blue and..." he needs a moment "Stretch right?"

Stretch looks a tBlue.

Blue shrugs at his brother "aparently I, or we for that matter, don't know how to not mess with things and cause alternative worlds. it is a long story. also. Don't touch reaper. everything reaper touches dies."

Reaper nods "it is why i float. Anyway. I had a moment and figured i should check in on the whole god thing and had to tell you guys soemthing but well... dinner." he waves at the table and grins "I didn't mean to be rude but..."

Stretch shrugs as he continues eating "I don't mind. talk god stuff. I am gonna keep eating."

Blue smiles at Reaper "I agree! You can just tell us now.. want a plate?" he waves at the dinner served.

Reaper chuckles and waves it off "I don't need food."

Blue huffs "neither does Dream but it is still a nice experience!"

Dream nods as he eats another bite "very nice. also. Blue and Stretch with all the timeloops are good cooks." Blue is already getting a plate and fork ready for the other skeleton.

Reaper blinks but takes the plate thankfully and carefully. he joins in and hums happily "It is great." and continues eating.

It is nice. a little strange but nice. Dream hasn't felt this relaxed and happy in a long time.

Reaper eats antoher bite before starting to speak "Anyway. I came with a mission." he eats antoher bite.

Dream nods and knows where this is going "Is this about... my job?"

Reaper nods as he eats antoher bite "Pretty much. Got any idea on what you want to focus on as domain yet?"

Dream sighs and shakes his skull "I... I hadn't... I had... wanted to wait with picking... until i foudn Nightmare and could talk things out first." he had wanted to pick soemthing together with his twin. make sure they still matched...

Reaper blinks but grins "you dont need to worry! you two are twins after all. if one of you picks a domain the other will automatically lean towards something that matches." he shrugs "god and twin magic stuff."

Dream blinks and feels a bit better. Their magic will always match?! That is great! That is fantastic and-

No.

Dream shakes his skull "Then I really don't want to decide without him!"

Reaper looks confused "But you will match anyway?"

Dream feels himself shake "Like with positivity and negativity?! No! I am not going to pick anything that can cause that kind of mess and split again!" He isn't going to do that to nightmare again!

Wait...

What if he can pick something that is the negative of the match? That would mean Ngihtmare immediantly gets the positive side right? But it hardly ever has only one opposite! Happiness can be the opposite of both sadness and angry to just give an example!

Or people often say love and hate are opposites but then people say it is love and indifference!

There are too many options and he isn't going to do it!

Reaper frowns "Dream. You can't keep going around without somekind of purpose. You are already heavily leaning on Blue as it is."

Dream looks away embarresed while Blue just frowns "Wait how do you know that?"

Reaper raises a brow "Because you are starting to get a boon."

Blue blinks while Stretch frowns "A boon?"

Reaper nods "Yeah. Gods can give boons to mortals who helped them. The more help and support given generally the stronger the boon. Normally these are given on purpose but well... with Dream's magic slightly all over the place." he just waves in their direction.

Blue frowns "what happens if i get one of these?"

Reaper hums "it depends on the god, the boon and the person. YOu could just be kinda like a workshipper if you get a tiny one. High priest kinda deal is also possible. But... with how involved you are with helping Dream? Probably an acolyte. Very strong powers... and pretty much automatically an outcode if not you just surpass that straight to something between mortal and demigod. Acolytes are powerful blue."

Dream shoots blue an anxious look before staring at Reaper "How do i stop that?!"

Reaper shrugs "Now you know about it? And you know you could do it? It is less liekly you will accidentally do it. especially if you don't want to. Boons are suposed to be a thank you kinda deal after all."

Stretch shares a nervous look with Blue but blue pats his hand "I am okay bro." Blue looks at Dream anxious "Dream... You know I love helping you. Really! But... i don't want to be an acolyte or any boon okay? I am just happy to be able to be friends."

Dream grbas his shoulders and stares at him "Blue. I promise and swear! I will never actively give you one unless you ask me okay? And I will try my hardest and best to never accidentally give you one okay?"

He wills himself, his soul, and magic to get the message. Blue doesn't want a boon. Blue doens't want a title. Dream doesn't want to give Blue either of these. Dream does not want to force either a boon or title on blue.

Reaper puts his plate away and floats at a distance "Sorry for the whole... bad news situation. I just figured... fi you are going to keep dodging picking a domain you need to understand this possibility..." he waits a moment before his phone gives a ding. he frowns at it "Work demands me again. Give it some thought. think about your domain and keep an eye on yourself." and Reaper disappears as if he was never there.

Blue frowns at where Reaper left and gives him a reassuraning smile "Hey. If you don't want to give me one you won't give me one. I trust you to not do it on purpose. And we will just make sure I stay in my own universe more! Not tempt fate!"

Dream frowns as he rubs his arm "Maybe i just need to pick a domain... but i don't want to accidentally force nightmare into a role he doesn't want..." it wouldn't be fair.

Blue frowns but Stretch speaks up "makes sense. fuck knows i would never have willingly picked Blue to also rememebr the resets."

Blue shoots him a look but Dream looks a thim confused "But i thoguth it was helping you?"

Stretch nods "It is. it is nice to have his support and everything" he smiles a tblue sadly befor elooking down "But it is a lot. the resets are a lot. i didn't... i didn't want to force him to deal with that." he shoots blue a look "I didn't want to force you to experience the same thing that i saw as hell. I didn't want to do that to you."

Blue frowns and goes to his brother to give him a hug. Dream relaxes and smiles a bit. because Stretch understands. Stretch understands why Dream can't make this choice just yet. Blue understands as well and... and trusts him.

Dream nods to himself and focuses. He doesn't want to give blue a title or boon. He wants blue to just remain his best friend. he wants blue to get the choice. He wants blue to get his chance to pick his future. He wants Nightmare to get his chance to pick his future.

To make their own paths.

To progress and grow in the way they want.

Dream smiles at the two brothers "Thank you two. for being my friends. real friends." he doesn't have many. which makes the two all the more special. and if they want to remain exactly as they are then Dream wants them to stay the way they are. because that truly gives them the chance to be and become who they want to be. instead of being what Dream wants.

Dream just hopes this will work. Because he also wants a chance to figure out who he truly is. And who he wants to be and what he wants. a chance to change and be. a chance to try and grow as a person.

Maybe that is all he ever really wanted.

*------------------*

Meanwhile Nightmare already figured his own domain out and is working on it. Also. No one tell Dream he already picked one. it just isn't as obvious. after all... Blue did mention that Dream helped him find a way to progress and move forwards :3

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