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amalthea-13 · 2 months ago

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Stolas and Valentino

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, and other forms of abuse. If you cannot handle this post, I completely understand. Please scroll to save your mental health points.

Introduction

Hello all, if you're here you know who I am. If not, it is I, Amalthea, the Ultimate Stolas Kinnie and Stan. Back at it again, being forced to defend Stolas purely because people cannot read. This essay may be long so buckle the hell up ya'll.

I want to make it clear; I have no desire to discuss this topic. I have no desire to have to spoon feed to literal adults the narrative of this show.

I have no desire to explain basic logic to a a fandom that should be mature enough to dissect a piece of media beyond the surface level.

Despite my love for literature and media analysis, this entire fandom has exhausted me of any desire to continue refuting the same damn arguments. If you need context please check my reblog to a post accusing Stolas of being a Sexual Abuser here. Play nice in the comments and do not antagonize the original poster. Play nice, I mean it. Be rude to them and I find out you follow me? You will be blocked.

This essay will be discussing the differences between Val and Stolas. I want to note that I am not going to feel good while typing this. If I cut points short and you want to expand on them in a constructive way, please do reblog and add on. I can only do so much.

Stolas And Blitz's Dynamic and Agreement

When it comes to these two, many people get it twisted as to what their actual agreement is. So I will be taking Stolas's direct words from Murder Family. I want to note that Stolas and Blitz are implied to have been discussing the terms of this arrangement while I.M.P. was still functioning. Meaning prior to the agreement, Blitz got free access to the book for at least a month or more without any obligation to Stolas physically.

All of these things matter because many people like to imply the agreement is all Stolas's fault, when in actuality they have been discussing this arrangement and it's terms for at least a month.

The arrangement is as follows, these are Stolas's exact words;

Stolas: Then, let me keep it simple: Once a month, on the full moon, you return the book to me, followed by a night of…paaassionate fornication~ Aaand you get to keep it all the rest of the time, hmm? Sound fair, my little Imp?

Many people have misconstrued this to mean Stolas will withhold the book from Blitz and hang his power over Blitz's head. This cannot be further from the damn truth.

We find out during Full Moon that Blitz was able to come and go as he pleased within the arrangement and still keep the book from an interaction he has with Moxxie;

Blitzo: Well, it's the-- first of all, fuck you. It's the Full Moon, I got to meet up with Stolas tonight. Felt like dressing up a little since it's been a few months since I've been inside of his feathered ass.

Moxxie: A few months?!

Blitzo: Yeah, the bird started giving me more ways out of our monthly fuck-sesh. He'd be all like "Oh, Blitzy, I know it's the Full Moon tonight, but you don't have to come if you don't want to, Blitzy", so I've just been taking breaks from having to plow his feathered ass into his fancy ass mattress.

Note Blitz's language here because it matters. Firstly, both Blitz and Moxxie note Stolas has let Blitz get away with this for several months. Mind you, Blitz has had the grimoire the entire time and maintained ownership of it, even after the events of Seeing Stars when Blitz lost the grimoire to Octavia.

I.M.P. has remained functioning the entire time despite Blitz not fulfilling his end of the agreement. So while through Blitz's lens it may have felt like Stolas held power over him, Stolas never in any regard implied he would or ever did utilize the power he had over Blitz. Therefore, no, you don't get to paint Stolas as a sexual abuser when he actively is not participating in that behavior.

If when I was a child, I accused my parent of harming be, but there was no active physical harm going on, I cannot call that abuse just because I feel like my parent might hurt me.

If someone is eyeing me in a bar, but makes no attempt to bother me, touch me, or come into my space, I cannot accuse them of sexual harassment just because I feel uncomfortable.

These examples are different, but there are specific definitions to the words "abuse" and "sexual harassment", there is specific criteria for both because they are serious crimes.

Just like being a "sexual abuser" has specific criteria that needs to be met in order for it to actually be sexual abuse. The user I responded to accused Stolas of abusing Blitz, but unfortunately for all of you I had to recently refresh on my sexual harassment training for my job and therefore I am well acquainted with the topic and what the legalities regarding it are.

I want to remind everyone, that Stolas and Blitz are not in a formal business relationship. Stolas isn't Blitz's "boss", but an asset. That's all Stolas is, Blitz is still the boss of I.M.P.

For a baseline definition lets establish the type of sexual harassment Stolas is being accused of which is quid pro quo sexual harassment as defined the Department of Administrative Services; "One party forces the other party to offer sex in return for recruitment, promotion or salary raise within the first party's powers, and threatens to demote, cut the salary or even fire the second party if rejected. In Latin it means “this for that”. This is usually the most blatant kind of sexual harassment. This occurs when employment decisions are based upon an employee’s willingness to grant sexual favors in exchange for working benefits such as promotions, increases, preferred assignments or punishment such as being demoted or fired. This type of harassment, typically involves a harasser who has authority over the victim. According to federal guidelines, a single “quid pro quo” advance may be considered harassment if it is linked to an employment benefit."

This is the definition of "quid pro quo" sexual harassment and is a very real issue. I will try to be graceful and faithful to this definition throughout this essay. If I do anything you deem unacceptable or inappropriate, please DM me or comment and I will have no problem holding myself accountable for that.

Now the main thing with "quid pro quo" sexual harassment is the person being harassed needs to be forced into the situation.

Question 1: Was Blitz forced to sleep with Stolas for work-related benefits?

Based on the canon of Helluva Boss, no, this is fundamentally untrue. Firstly, Stolas and Blitz only slept together when Blitz wanted to as noted before;

"He'd be all like "Oh, Blitzy, I know it's the Full Moon tonight, but you don't have to come if you don't want to, Blitzy", so I've just been taking breaks from having to plow his feathered ass into his fancy ass mattress."

Blitz's own words. He was allowed to come and go as he pleased within the arrangement dependent on his own consent and comfortability.

The second major thing with "quid pro quo" sexual harassment is that the person is threatened with some type of punishment and or consequence for not complying.

Question #2: Did Stolas ever threaten Blitz with his status or ever utilize it against him in relation to their arrangement?

Again, based on the canon of Helluva Boss there is no substantiative evidence to prove Stolas ever threatened or held his power over Blitz's head.

The narrative goes out of it's way to show us this is all Blitz's interpretation of their relationship, something that is not set in reality as displayed in how Blitz views Stolas during his Bad Trip.

While Stolas is in a position of power, he never exercises it.

On top of that, within I.M.P. Stolas is merely a resource, not a "boss" over Blitz. The companies policies, pay, and schedule are not dictated by Stolas.

Therefore, these two do not fall into the realm of criteria for this type of harassment, but I will set that aside.

Power Dynamics in Stolitz

When it comes to the power imbalances within Stolitz, I want everyone to know I understand why people feel so passionately about the dynamic these two have.

It isn't quite a boss and employee relationship, but it is someone with power being in an arrangement with someone else who doesn't have access to the same resources.

However, I need us all to remember these men are both close to their 40s and had ample time to decide whether this agreement was worth pursuing or continuing.

I ain't saying it doesn't have it's issues, but I do worry many of you are projecting your personal traumas onto these two.

Stolas is not the boss who hurt you.

Just like Blitz isn't the person who abandoned me or hurt me, hence why I can sometimes be hostile towards him.

Neither of those things should cloud our judgement and or analysis of the show.

I'm sorry for what happened to you that you feel this strongly on this topic, but your lived experiences and hurts cannot be applied to everything.

Just like my divorce related trauma is not applicable to Octavia and Stolas, your lived experiences with an awful boss are not applicable to Blitz and Stolas.

Many times within the show Blitz makes it clear this was his choice. He chose to sleep with Stolas and chose to pursue a prolonged arrangement with him.

Putting aside the circumstances of Murder Family, Stolas and Blitz had been discussing the arrangement and terms for roughly a month before Stolas proposed what he proposed.

Blitz was already planning to pursue this venture of his own free will and volition, regardless of how you want to analyze the situation. He used the grimoire that entire month and therefore, he was already planning to have something with Stolas, the terms just had not been set.

None of us were in the rooms when the terms were discussed, but conversations were had and therefore, Blitz is complicit in this arrangement, he was willingly complicit by utilizing the book and entertaining the idea with Stolas.

This is a staunch difference to a "quid pro quo" sexual harassment, and is just two adults with resources exchanging them for favors. As Stolas said it's simply favors for favors and no one is getting punished for not complying.

As much as Stolas is guilty for taking advantage of the arrangement, Blitz is just as guilty as noted by my mutual @yasmiralotta 's post Blitzø 👏 and 👏 Stolas 👏 both 👏 used 👏 eachother 👏 to get 👏 what 👏 they 👏 wanted. This essay details the way they BOTH utilized one another.

I have no desire to break it down any further than that.

Vox and Angel

Discussing Valentino and Angel is a difficult subject for me. Just due to how- graphic and explicit the situation really is. However, if people want to keep making false equivalency's between him and Stolas I will have to explain what Angel and Val's dynamic is.

As of right now, we do not know the exact terms of Angel and Val's agreement. What we do know is Valentino is Angel's boss and dictate's what Angel can and can't do on studio grounds.

We know within the show that Angel's work conditions are beyond deplorable.

Firstly, he works 16 hour shifts.

Secondly, he is physically abused for not complying with what Valentino wants.

Lastly, Angel is bound to Valentino for the rest of his afterlife. Therefore, he is under Val's control.

Angel is often physically and sexually abused for not complying with Valentino's orders.

This is the actual definition of quid pro quo sexual harassment. More specifically Angel has to perform a certain way or he gets physically harmed. Even when Val says he wants to go to the Hotel to kill Angel, Vox stops him because of the optics regarding it and offers to call in the lowest earners to supplement Val's need to kill someone;

Vox: Well, lemme call up the lowest earners this month. *walks to TVs*

Valentino: Ohh, you know me too well. *chuckles and blows smoke*

Val keeps his employees in place based on their numbers. Don't perform well? Well you're either going to be abused sexually OR killed. That is someone exercising their authority to an extreme degree.

Angel's daily life involves some type of sexual abuse.

Conclusion

I apologize for not- expanding more on Val and Angel, but I do think my point is made pretty clear.

Stolas and Val are NOT the same.

Stolas is by no means anywhere NEAR as cruel or vindictive as Valentino is.

Angel becomes paralyzed with fear if Val's even upset with him.

Blitz openly insults Stolas to his face and walks out alive.

In a room where fire is surrounding him, Angel could only worry about Val being mad at him.

In situations where Stolas needed help, Blitz was able to reject him and handle his daughter.

These are vastly different situations and therefore should be given that respect. Dislike Stolas, love him or hate him, I don't care.

However, making stuff up about Helluva Boss with no research and or analysis is actually asinine.

Amalthea out!

#helluva boss #justhellaversethings #stolas #stolas goetia #stolitz #helluva boss stolas #helluva boss blitz #stolas x blitz #blitzø #hazbin hotel #tw: sa #tw: sa mention #tw: abuse

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pharrell-the-formation · 1 month ago

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Hello everyone. In honor of Pride Month, I'd like to talk a little about one of my oldest stable headcanons in this fandom: the concept that Marco Legrand might be a closeted homosexual in deep denial. I want to point out right away: don't take everything you read from here on out as a serious theory about the game. I'm well aware that this was not the authors' intention and is just my interpretation of the facts given to us. Harmless fun :)

So, let's start from the beginning. A phrase that has become a point of no return for many.

(Strangely enough, the English translation made it a little less suspicious with him not addresing Evan directly, like he did in the original).

I once mentioned it on this blog, but I feel like it’s too important for us to ignore it here: during the dialogue about Evan's deceased father, Marco will state that he was not uninterested in Caleb... it would be a different matter if he were alive and Evan was a girl. Another dialogue (where he shares a failed plan to seduce Ferguson's imaginary daughter) fully confirms the suspicion that he would be interested in the politician's daughter in that very sense. Of course, for the sake of authority and getting a position in the Ministry, of course!

I do not want to state that everyone who says that they would be together with their friend if they were of the opposite sex are necessarily latent queer people, because in psychology you can't generalize. But this still raises questions, because here you can't say that Marco could respect Evan as a person, since he just met him. But okay, let's assume that he joked like that in the context of his desire for a promotion. Marco is clearly not a person who is distinguished by witty humor.

The more you interact with Legrand in the game, the more you see the idea that he loves to mention women at any possible opportunity. He clearly strives to create an image of a successful, charming womanizer around himself. The problem is that in some places it feels forced. Let's look at this example:

Evan asks the most standard question that can be asked at work, and Legrand for some reason immediately answers that he does not think about the boss, he thinks about girls. I find this extremely unnatural, nothing prevented him from simply answering that he does not care, that he has a negative attitude or whatever, but for some reason he once again drags women into this and the idea that he is some kind of Casanova.

If we draw parallels, then in the series there is another playboy character: Peter Pranger. His situation is even more aggravated than Marco's, he makes remarks towards the fair sex or intimacy with them in almost every conversation with him, but you can see the difference in his delivery. Peter seems ultra-horny, but quite sincerely interested in women. He describes their features, his feelings, reacts to specific situations (he sees Nora - describes her legs. Frank interrupts his plans for a date - he declares this). There are no questions for him, he looks natural in his environment.

What about Marco? Let's talk about Emma.

Emma, Emma... this will sound harsh and possibly rude, but... remind me, why didn't Marco try to make a move on her? In conversation, he gives a very clear reason - Hazer is pretty, and even though he knows about her reputation, she annoys him as a person. In theory, this does not raise questions, normal reason, but

a) Marco knows that Peter, the main sponsor of his entertainment in the office, is in love with Emma.

And Legrand had never been above any pranks before: he even laughed at the time when his victim broke his spine. Literally everything built into his image implies that pretending that he is trying to steal Peter's beloved in front of him would have been a trifle for him and a natural continuation of all the previous ridicule. And yet he never tried to do this. His fourth prank could have been this, but he comes up with a dodgy plan to convince her to seduce Dong and steal his clothes.

And b) if Evan gets closer to Emma in a civilized manner and comes to his friend to share news and an interesting story, Marco, completely unexpectedly, will shift his ground and suddenly ask whether he should sleep with her too. So he is (at least in words!) would be quite capable of this.

I assume that his first admission about Emma is quite truthful, and later he began to adapt to the situation and to his friend's behavior. He is (remember?) a womanizer, sleeps with women, so he must be interested in this, especially since Evan raised this topic. As in other dialogues, he seems to forcibly mention this image. He wants you to know this, to know his stories about his romantic life, where even instead of saucy details, he ultimately concentrates on humor, telling his bro how he brought a girl home and they fed sardines. Is this all? No, not all.

The route where Emma becomes his stepmother.

For me, this is almost the loudest and most illustrative example. Within this route, Legrand receives a call from his father and complains that his father is pressuring him again with marriage and children. He is already fed up with this and comes to the realization that he needs to deceive his father, that he followed his instructions and did what he asked. Logically, we can make a prediction that he will probably find himself a girl, either one of his acquaintances or a bribed one, and convince her to play along with him temporarily. In such a situation, and, again, if he already made a decision to lie, this seems to be the only working option, simple and understandable. But instead, for some reason, Marco turns to his friend, gives him his father's number and persuades him to call and say that, well, I'm an acquaintance of your son, he found a bride, by the way, I'm the son of Redgrave, the very same one, believe me. Just think about how surreal this idea is, even in its concept. Imagine yourself in Henry's place, some stranger calls you, claims that he is the son of a bigwig in the political world and tells you stories about how your eccentric child suddenly decided to mend his ways and to get off the wrong track. Would you believe him? Better tell me at what point you would hang up. Even Evan in the game reasonably refuses this crazy plan, and then the colleague pays him just so that Evan agrees. If we believe his words, he gives the last money he can give.

Let's leave out the fact that somehow Marco's father falls for this masquerade, it doesn't matter now. What's important is that Marco is subsequently completely uninterested in how Evan resolves the situation there. It would be expected that he would at least find out who he had picked as his imaginary bride, but he emotionally distances himself from this event and decides to focus on other matters. I also suggest, keeping everything described in mind, to look at and analyze the ultimatum for the businessman's inheritance, the main motive for Marco's presence in the Ministry from the beginning.

"The demands are still the same - get married and have children. Or get a promotion. But with your attitude towards hard work, getting a promotion is fantastic, so I'm waiting for grandchildren!"

No one, absolutely no one will like the idea of forcibly dating someone and by no means will enjoy the unvoluntary conception of offspring. You understand Marco and do not condemn him from this position, and his decision to work seems normal, but here again the details are curious. Lazy Legrand, really lazy guy, this is evident throughout the game in small references and even in his own actions, AGAIN chooses a more complex and confusing path, avoiding a simpler one where all that is supposedly required of him is to show his vaunted charm and flirt, meet or drag into bed some pretty young lady. The game itself gives an interesting detail with the fact that Henry Legrand set this condition for him only because he wanted his son's marriage, he never believed that he will be successful in his career path and clearly does not want this, being more interested in continuation of his family line.

So, in my interpretation of things, everything leads to this idea: Marco does not like women. He does not accept this and hides it, concerned about his reputation, telling tales about his relationships and avoiding those in practice.

Also, taking into account all this background, his attitude towards Evan seems peculiar to me, because at some moments he literally trusts him to the point of stupidity, actively tries to make him part of his secret plans, and at other moments he can suddenly subject him to impulsive, unjustified cruelty. As if he wants to keep him close to himself, but something in him really fights it and because of his inability to deal with his emotions sensibly, he can take it out on Evan and those around him.

(Text on the screenshot - "I see you and Legrand are birds of a feather! Alright, the prank isn’t that bad").

Thank you all for your attention!

#beholder #beholder game #beholder 2 #marco legrand #evan redgrave #emma hazer #peter dong #henry legrand #marco legrand x evan redgrave

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roomwithanopenfire · 15 days ago

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six sentence sunday

hi everyone! it's been a hot minute, but i've missed sharing! thanks for the tags @monbons @thewholelemon @prettygoododds and @facewithoutheart!! and thanks so much to everyone who's been tagging me the past few weeks. even though i haven't interacted with everyone's posts much lately, i still really appreciate being tagged in them <333

Here's (actually!) six sentences of my soon(ish) to come COBB fic!!

I force myself to look away from him and focus back on the lecture, something I’m sure is alluding Snow if his furrowed brow is any indication. Eighth year means we’re past basic spellwork and focusing on more complex topics—spells with double meanings and ways your intention can change your spell's effect. I’m sure that when you can’t cast any spell, it’s hard to grasp subtleties of intent, I think smugly, taking in Simon’s glorious face of confusion. His pencil eraser rests behind his teeth, and he taps the fingers not holding the pencil on the desk. I force myself to look away.I shouldn’t be indulging this hopeless crush.

Despite how absent i feel like i've been from the fandom lately, I am very very excited to share this fic!! And super excited for you to see the art that'll go with it!!!!

However, i've also been dabbling in other fandoms these days. Some of my musing about that below the cut for those who may be interested.

Well, I have read many hundreds of thousands of words of buddie fic in the past couple of months. Which has transitioned to writing buddie fic, but even though i have like 30k+ words worth across two different works, nothing really feels sharable. (I wish it was, because let me tell you, my omega!buck fic is so well formed in my head, but in my head does not translate to on the page. but if you have omega!buck questions please ask i am full of emotions about him atp)

ALSO i've jumped right back into making EDITS. I forgot how much fun they were and after seeing plenty of different buddie edits on tiktok, before i knew it, i had downloaded like at least 30GB worth of scenepacks.... and the rest is history. I've posted two edits here on tumblr if you wanna see. (one) (two). But I have like seven now total that are posted on my tiktok. (posting on tiktok is weird, but NOBODY SEES THEM on tumblr. like i have 63 notes on that second edit, but on tiktok it has like 30k views right now and almost 10k likes which is a hell of a rush for someone who used to get like a couple hundred views when i'd posted like once every 4 months or so.)

Anyways, i want to be writing more again so bad, but all of my ideas feel big and impossible. i want to write something short so i can have that sense of completion but everything I want to write is long 😭

tags and hellos!!!

@alexalexinii @aristocratic-otter @argumentativeantitheticalg @artsyunderstudy @arthurkko

@blackberrysummerblog @best--dress @bookish-bogwitch @the-beard-of-edward-teach @confused-bi-queer

@cutestkilla @drowninginships @emeryhall @fiend-for-culture @hushed-chorus

@ileadacharmedlife @theimpossibledemon @larkral @lovelettersto-mars

@nausikaaa @noblecorgi @orange-peony @raeny-day @rimeswithpurple

@run-for-chamo-miles @rbkzz @shrekgogurt @simonscones @supercutedinosaurs

@sweetronancer @talentpiper11 @valeffelees @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @youarenevertooold

#six sentence sunday #my writing #lily rambles #carry on #i have also just been Full of anxiety and self-doubt lately #i kind of feel like i'm doing everything in my life wrong and that's like not great 🙃 but whateverrrr

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enkas-illusion · 2 years ago

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Games at the Fair

Fandom / Pairing: Jujutsu Kaisen / Nanami x f!reader

Rating: Fluff – nonetheless, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Theme: Friends to lovers (more like situationship to relationship I guess??) ; non-sorcerer au

Content warning: fluff, jealous Nanami, flirty stranger Choso x reader, suggestive, mentions of smut

Summary:

You've been conflicted over your situationship with Nanami Kento ever since the two of you shared a moment two weeks ago. The elephant in the room has been left unaddressed so meeting your crush/friend for the first time in two weeks makes you feel some type of way. The stars align when a hot stranger named Choso tries to woo you at the fair, you decide to indulge in his advances a bit to force a reaction out of Kento instead of talking to him like a sensible adult.

Author's Note: Hello, this is my first attempt at writing a one-shot. Borderline giggling-in-your-bed, kicking-your-feet type fluff but love is cringe so it is what it is. All characters are in their 20s. If you enjoy it, feel free to like, reblog or comment. Open to criticism, just be kind about it. Thank you for reading!

-Eren’s Birdie

Song dedication: Yes or No by Jungkook / Love Talk (English Ver.) by WayV

Your eyes wander to the cafe door once again when you hear it open. You think you're being sneaky with it but your desperation did not go unnoticed by a certain loudmouth.

"He'll be here, chill already! Kento is a man of his word," Gojo teases, making the rest of the group giggle.

"Yeah well... okay whatever." You reply curtly. Your gaze moves up from your coffee to look at your friends, only to find Satoru, Suguru and Shoko all looking at you intently.

"We were pretty drunk that night but not so wasted that we’d forget everything. We saw you two leave the club together and you're kinda painfully obvious about your infatuation... So what's up with you two?" Suguru inquires calmly.

Geto often swears he couldn't care less about gossip but he's annoyingly attentive when it comes to catching hints and linking pieces together when there's any sort of drama encroaching.

You consider rolling your eyes but for some reason you feel like a criminal caught in an act... there's only so much one can evade before they gotta surrender. So you give in and lean forward towards the table but not before glancing at the door. Only this time, it's to make sure Nanami isn't the one walking in.

"Well, that night, if you guys remember, Kento was the only one who had decided to stay sober since he assigned himself as the driver-" You began, only to be interrupted by Gojo.

"Yeah and for what?! He booked an uber for the rest of us anyway when he left alone with you." Shoko smacks him on the head as if to shut him up. You side-eye him as you continue your story.

"Anyway... so, having had one too many shots, I was right up there with you guys. But when I started feeling a bit uneasy, Kento offered to drop me home and come back again." You realise you're fidgeting with the sugar packet on the table nervously but you stop the action as you look up to see all three of your friends leaning in, waiting for you to continue. It almost makes you laugh but you hold back because you know the odds aren't particularly in your favour with this story, and you’d hate to be teased for it by them later tonight.

"And then he drove me to my place. I invited him up for a cup of coffee-"

"At like 2 in the morning?" It's Suguru this time.

"It was the alcohol talking, okay?" You sigh and he simply shrugs, urging you to continue.

"We did end up having some coffee and we talked till like 4am? I’m not actually sure but it was late late. By that time, I was neither buzzed, nor uneasy. I was well aware of everything that was happening... and it just so happened that we kinda kissed and then he blurted out some excuse and left." You mumble towards the end of the sentence; so much so that if your friends weren't as invested in this story, they would've probably missed what you'd just said.

"HOLD ON- what do you mean kinda kissed and left?" Satoru almost yells. "Please elaborate." Suguru adds.

"Well, it just happened, okay? I don't know how to explain it, one minute we were talking and the next minute he held my face and pulled me in to kiss me so sensually, yet so softly that I honestly don't know what to make of it! But when things got heated, he excused himself cause he didn't think it was right to take advantage of me when I was drunk. I tried telling him I wasn't but he just left. He said he'd talk to me later but he has texted me about everything BUT the incident as if it never happened and do you know how annoying it is cause it's been TWO WHOLE WEEKS!" You sigh, out of breath, only now realising you could probably give Eminem a run for his money with how quickly you blurted everything out.

"Jeezzzz... that's bad. How can Ken fumble so badly?" Gojo laughs in disbelief.

Shoko adds, "He clearly likes you, and it's obvious you like him too - yet both of y'all are pussies who are too scared to do anything about it. It's the most frustrating trope of all romances if you ask me."

"Well, what do you want me to do? He has to be the one to initiate it. He's the one who left me hanging." You state, matter-of-factly.

"Whatever it is, figure it out asap cause here comes your man." Satoru gives you a sly smile before waving and smiling at the door. You turn to look at Kento walking in. He's wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up halfway and you mentally slap yourself for instantly feeling aroused at the sight.

"Hi," his voice breaks your trance as you greet him back along with everyone else. "Sorry for being late, I had to wrap up some things last minute at work." He adds. Maybe you're being delusional but it sort of feels like he's directed it specifically to you.

"No worries Kennyyy, we've got our tickets right here, we can walk right in front of the line at each ride." Gojo waves the tickets proudly as Kento makes a less than pleasant face at his friend's stupid nickname.

"Thank you Satoru, what would I possibly do without you." Kento says it with a straight face, making you snort quietly. Your eyes meet for a split second when he looks at you and suddenly you're reminded of how nervous you're supposed to be around him.

"Let's get going? Would still hate a big crowd even if we had the premium passes." Suguru interjects as you all pay and leave.

You hand Kento a Matcha-flavoured cold coffee. Although it's common knowledge that it's his go-to drink of choice, he raises an eyebrow in surprise while accepting it. "Thank you." He gives you a quick smile as he walks out the coffee shop, next to you.

But wait a minute... Your brain goes into overthinking mode as you realise you seem too pliant. Bringing him his favourite drink, making those eyes at him, laughing at his jokes, seemingly ignoring the elephant in the room for his convenience.

And before you could rationalise with your own self, you clarify, "We knew the guys would want to rush to the fair as soon as you arrive so Shoko thought it'd be a good idea to order yours beforehand."

Lies. Pure bullshit. But two can play this game so that’s exactly what you were planning to do.

The carnival was a short walk away and Gojo generously allows everyone about 20 minutes to do their own thing before calling them to where the roller coaster is.

Suguru and Satoru had split from the rest to check out the Mirror house and Horror house. You lock arms with Shoko as the two of you seemingly share a single brain cell when you rush towards the candy stall. This stall in particular had been on your list ever since Shoko had heard that they had candy in every flavour imaginable. Nanami tags alongside with his hands in his pocket, comfortable with being left out.

"Let's get the basics out of the way. The sweetest, tooth decaying batch for Satoru?" You wonder out loud.

"And half sour, half spicy for Suguru?" Shoko adds and the person attending to you suggests a few options. While you're busy choosing for the boys, you hear Nanami speak for the first time in what feels like forever. "What are you planning to pick for me?"

"Kento you're never really picky about food so I don't really know what you enjoy… I'm the wrong person to ask…" Shoko says awkwardly. She was trying to give you an opening. He looks at you to check if you caught onto the fact that the question wasn't for her to begin with.

"Hmm… since you're here, it'd be best that you pick whatever you like." You give him a half-forced smile.

He looks like he’s about to retaliate but his mouth closes as soon as it opens and it has you wondering what he’s fighting his own mind over so hard. Was it really that conflicting to decide whether he liked you or not? You push the unnecessary thought to the back of your head, not really wanting to dive deep into the feelings department at that moment.

Instead he turns around and picks a mixed bag of chocolates that ranges from pure milk to 99% cocoa. You would've picked the same for him and it kind of makes you happy that you know him so well. Maybe you were being a bit mean now, but nevermind - this is the plan, to rile him up so much that he has no option but to realise that some issues need addressing.

Once you pay for the candies, you buy a few more snacks from other stalls before you see Gojo's texts on the group chat, calling everyone to where the roller coaster is.

Like Gojo had said before, the premium ticket really does push you to the top of the line. You barely have to wait for a few moments for them to do the basic machinery check before the group of 12 people that you're a part of is let in.

As if following an unspoken agreement, Shoko and Suguru sit together at the front but Satoru is too much of a dumbass to get the memo. As soon as Kento sits on one of the seats, Satoru climbs in next to him. You quickly sit behind Kento to avoid further embarrassment.

Shoko turns around and her face almost looks murderous when she stares at Gojo. He only shrugs back at her. Seriously, how can someone be so smart yet so oblivious and clueless when it actually counts???

You're too busy to notice the person next to you. But you turn your head when you see their seatbelt being secured in place along with yours.

"Well if it isn't my lucky day," the guy says as he looks at you, "... sitting on a roller coaster next to a pretty lady."

You're amused by the compliment. You know this all too well — the easy to flirt, charming, hot guy who knows exactly what to say to get the girls swooning. The tattooed sleeve and dishevelled hair only feed into the fuckboy image and you know better than to be serious so you decide to humour him.

"And why might sitting next to pretty ladies be of any consolation? Don't tell me you're scared of a carnival ride." You feign shock.

"Nah, it's a relief. We get the hand holding part out of the way, and when this is done, we can move onto better rides." He winks at you.

"And who says I'm holding your hand?" You raise an eyebrow at him.

"And why wouldn't you want to?" He challenges you, copying your tone. He makes a waving motion over his face and body as if to present himself to you. It kinda makes you laugh as you visibly cringe.

"Alright, fine! We can go the usual route of dinner and a movie first!" He adds.

"My god, you're relentless!" You're fully laughing at how unserious this strange man is.

"Actually people usually call me Choso but I think I can get used to Relentless." He puts his hand out and you shake it briefly.

"Hi Relentless, I'm y/n," you reply, smiling.

"A pretty name for a pretty lady," he says, repeating your name. You hear the first signal that secures the seatbelts in place. Choso puts his hand out and you look at him.

Your eyes briefly wander to the front to check if the stranger's words had any effect on Nanami. Even if it did, you're disappointed to see that he wasn't showing it at all.

"I don't remember saying yes?" You question playfully.

"Will it improve my chances if I say that I'm terrified of roller coasters?" He retorts.

"Are you? For real?" You ask, surprised.

"Nope." He snorts, still holding his hand open invitingly. You laugh before swatting his hand away.

"I don't hold hands till the 10th date!" You joke as another signal blares and the roller coaster slowly begins moving towards the drop.

"So does that mean I can hold your hand after 9 more dates?" He teases.

"Guess you'll never know unless you try." You tease him back.

Just before the dip, you swear you saw Kento look back to give Choso a quick stare down, but before your brain could note it for later analysis, the adrenaline overtook as soon as the ride commenced.

When it ends, you quickly say your goodbyes to Choso before you regroup with your friends. You'd stay here all night if you were to decipher each of your friends' emotions but more or less everyone made a what was that!? face, except for Kento. His face had pure annoyance written over it. You were almost surprised by how obvious his usually unreadable face was.

You change the subject to talk about random shit as you walk towards the games section. When the rest of the group starts chattering about whatever, Nanami pulls at your arm to slow your pace to let the group walk ahead. You slow down as you fall behind and he finally speaks up.

"Care to explain?" His voice is calm but laced with irritation.

"Explain what?" You frown.

"I thought we..." he trails off, as if he's unsure about the right words to use. You decide you’ve had enough of him wanting to say something yet saying nothing at all. So you decide to do it for him.

"Yes, I also thought we had something going on but it's okay, you take your time, ignore me for 2 more weeks if it suits you and run away again the next time something happens." You say, mostly calm but almost not. It's only now that you were letting your annoyance take control because you were upset. Clearly. The last two weeks had been awful, mentally playing a game of ‘he loves me, he loves me not’ each time he texted you.

Kento's eyes soften as he runs his hand through his hair, "I'm sorry, I should've reached out. I got busy with work after the weekend and later I figured I could just talk to you face-to-face when we met today."

Excuses. Not good enough.

"You had plenty of chances to do just that in the last hour or so. I like you Kento... I don't know how many more hints you want. But I'm kinda disappointed..." you look at him.

Nope this is enough, best not to take shit any further, you decide. But that's the problem with confronting someone, you always test the limits of how much you can poke a person till they burst, "I hate indecisiveness. At least Choso knows for sure what he wants and makes his move on time."

The puppy eyes he was looking at you with up until a second ago fade away and his jaw tightens as he gulps whatever words he had on the tip of his tongue. Speaking of the devil, as if on cue, you see Choso near the games section, only to find him already looking at you.

"Date 2?" Choso grins at you, "Tell me sweetheart, do you like stuffed toys?" You nod.

You can sense the tension as Choso ignores Kento who’s standing right next to you the whole time. You walk further away from both the men, suddenly finding the display of the soft toys a bit too interesting. Shoko is looking at the stacked toy pyramid and you ask her what prize is for what game.

"The dolphins and elephants at the bottom are for whack-a-mole," she says, pointing at Satoru who's frantically trying to win it.

"The random tier above it, ugliest by the way, is for the ring hoop thingy," she points at Suguru trying his hand at the game.

"And the top tier with the fluffy teddy bears is for Target shooting," she points at the stall where you were just a minute ago. You turn to look at Choso and Kento both picking up rifles to begin shooting their respective targets.

No matter how annoyed you may be at him, you can never ignore just how beautiful the man is. His forearms look delicious as he adjusts the rifle to his shoulder. You peel your eyes away from Kento’s veiny arms with much difficulty and focus your eyes on the target.

Each person gets five shots. Five clean shots to win the teddy bear. And both the guys take their aims in tandem. It almost feels like watching two teams take penalties during a FIFA world cup finale, not knowing who's gonna win.

You know Kento is competitive but he's always a good sport even when he loses a card or board game to you. Once again you’re surprised to see him groan out loud in frustration when he misses the last shot, whereas Choso gets a perfect score, winning the teddy bear.

Choso brings the big teddy and hands it to you, "Let's exchange gifts? My teddy for your number?" You smile at the soft toy in your hands. Before you have a chance to respond, you hear Kento’s stern voice coming from behind Choso.

"No. There’s no way in hell I’m gonna let that happen." he declares. Hell of an awkward situation to be in as Choso, you and Shoko all stare at Kento, who looks visibly angry.

Kento points at the Panda at the very top, the biggest prize of them all, "What the hell is that one for?"

"Oh... No one tries that ‘cause it's the hardest, Beat the bar challenge. You gotta hang onto the pull up bar for 3 whole minutes so it's basically an impossible prize." Shoko explains.

"Okay." Is all Kento says in return as he walks towards the man in charge of the bar challenge game. He gives the man a token and pulls up his sleeves even further as he grabs the bar.

You stare in disbelief as the countdown lights up on an LED display next to the bar as he hangs to it. It has you baffled that Nanami is doing this out of pure spite and jealousy but you'd be lying if you said you weren't turned on by the change in his demeanour, seeing him all worked up like this.

As he passes the two minute mark, without any sign of struggle, a sizable crowd gathers there to see if he really takes the panda home. Towards the end, Gojo and Geto start the 15 seconds countdown, hollering and hooting to cheer at their friend.

When Nanami's eyes meet yours, his cocky smile only grows when he sees you cheer on him as well. The tiny crowd roars when the 3 minute mark is crossed.

He half-yells a, "Just to be sure" as he does a muscle up with ease before jumping down from the bar. You're impressed but you still mouth a ‘show off’ as you roll your eyes at him jokingly. He walks towards you with the prize panda in hand.

The panda is about three feet tall and extremely fluffy — no wonder it was the top prize.

Kento, not so politely, pulls away the bear Choso had won for you and instead holds his panda out in front of you. He looks to the side to find the other man and with a smug smile tosses the bear back at Choso, who catches it with quick reflex.

You're still processing the whole thing because you kinda want to memorise every moment - this is so out of character for the stoic man you've always had a crush on. You've liked him for how calm and composed he is but seeing him like this has almost multiplied your attraction to him tenfold. Guess you pressed all the right buttons.

He pulls you out of your reverie as he says, "Is this decisive enough for you?"

And before you can answer, he pulls at your waist with his free hand till you're flush against his chest.

His head leans down to your level as he kisses you more passionately than he did the first time at your place and you can't help but feel weak in your knees. You feel as if your brain is going to short-circuit any minute now but you kiss him back, relishing every moment of it before he pulls back.

"I'm going to assume that's a yes." You can't help but blush as you look down to avoid his eye contact. How can you possibly stay mad when he has so clearly declared his intentions with you in front of everyone.

"Satoru, I take it you have your car this time. I’m gonna ask for a raincheck on drinks night." Nanami says to his friend. You feel dazed as you simply look at your three friends with equal amounts of embarrassment, shock and excitement.

Reading between the lines isn't hard. Kento might as well have said 'I'm going to fuck her and I cannot wait one moment for it' cause that's what his words seemed to imply.

“Why am I even surprised?" Gojo sighs.

Shoko punches his arm, "I'm pretty sure they couldn't care less about those drinks."

"Righttt," Satoru grins at you and says, "Have fun! Kenny has a really big penny. Saw it in the gym locker room once."

"SATORU!", you scold him.

"Hey dumbass, maintain some decorum." Suguru cringes.

"It's okay, she's about to find out anyway." Kento says coolly as he intertwines his fingers with yours and starts marching towards the gates.

You stare back to see you can't find Choso anywhere. Makes sense, you note to yourself. Then your eyes land on your friends and you grin with all your teeth. You turn your head to the front again as you look up at your man.

Up close, you notice the tiny beads of sweat on his forehead from all the exertion at the pull up bar. Holy shit, you wonder, everything about this night couldn't have gone any better... but you have a hunch, he's about to prove you wrong all night long.

#erensbirdie #jjk x reader #jjk x you #jujutsukaisen x reader #nanami x reader #nanamikento x reader #jjk nanami #jujutsu nanami #nanami kento #nanami fluff #nanami smut

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marycatizkewl · 3 months ago

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Hai?? Hello!! This is my intro!! ^_^

Creds to the person who made the Aqua Teen Hunger Force pic on the top!!

Maryska/MaryCat/Riska/Risk/Trash-Chan/Kitty-Chan/Kitty/Envy/Vio/VioHazard/Violetta/ZombBomb/Oriko/Zombii

Well other names r great also! Some ppl give me nicknames of their own!! Like Mars or Mary! Get creative with it if u like! :3

I am a lesbian & agender!! Pronouns:She/It/Zeeb (They/Them is okay also. Idc!! Don't ask why I use "Zeeb" if u dont wanna use it.. THEN DONT USE IT!!)

Interests!! X3 (I got too many so here is the ones I am into rn!! Just ask if im in it or smthing!!)

Total Drama

Watamote

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

Code Name: Kids Next Door

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

Regular Show

Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Vocaloid

PJSK

Lucky Star

Outfit7 (Talking Tom & Friends)

Road 96

Salad Fingers

SML

BoJack HorseMan

Moral Orel

DHMIS

Welcome Home

DDLC

Shoujo City 2D/3D

Danganronpa

Dandy's World

Cookie Run Kingdom

Andy's Applefarm

PASWG

Cartoon Network

Lalaloopsy

Forsaken

Class of 09

One Wheat Mark

MLP/Equestria Girls

MouthWashing

Object Shows

Ongezelling

964 Pinocchio

LPS Nintendo DS games

Splatoon

Sanrio

OHSHC

MUSIC

PEN15 (that show with Maya Erskine so please don't come at me.)

(Like I said, I am in too many fandoms. These r the ones I can list rn!!)

DNI LIST!! >:/

No DNI list!! I block freely!!

But I don't feel comfortable talking to tcc or pdf shippers.

Before u interact!! >_<

Sorry if I sound mean or sarcastic sometimes!! I am not trying to be. (I am rlly nice I swear.)

I am neurodivergent! Idk why that's important for u guys to know but.. yea!!

I have a moe art style!! NO I AM NOT A FCKING "4CHAN SUPER PROBLEMATIC L0L!C0N FEMCEL WANNABE" pls dont compare me to those things. :<

I am a minor. I have no problem if ur like 17 or 20 just pls dont be weird. I dont need that problem again. :/

I <3 music but when I say, "I don't support the artist/band" I actually mean it. I am not a gooner. I hate hyperpop/scenecore music that promotes or glorifies sh or ed.

I am okay with being moots with anyone!!

I have so many kins. (Like 50 of them.) JUST BC I KIN A "BAD" CHARACTER DOESNT MEAN I DONT KIN THE WHOLE INTIRE CHARACTER!! (For example: Tomoko Kuroki.)

That's it!! I am not gonna put my socials on here bc I change them now & then. But u can ask for them!! I am totally okay with that!!

#pinned intro #interests #pls interact #fhfif #fosters home for imaginary friends #aqua teen hunger force #mlp #sanrio

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i-heart-hxh · 1 year ago

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Hi! 😅 What is your least favorite stereotype or generalization about Killugon/Leopika that you see often in the Hunter x Hunter fandom? It doesn’t have to be the most common ones, you can say some that you just personally don’t agree with!

Hello! I've seen other peoples' answers floating around, it's interesting to read different takes on this topic!

I want to preface this by saying I think one of the great things about fandom is that everyone is able to explore their own ideas freely and create the kind of content they want to see in the world, so while I have my own personal tastes I don't want to discourage anyone from creating what makes them happy, even if it's not my thing.

I'm quite picky about characterization personally, though I don't think my tastes/opinions are too unpopular.

With KilluGon especially, a lot of what bothers me boils down to making their relationship/dynamic way more uneven than it is in canon. One of the things I value about their relationship is that they're the same age, similarly value and care about each other, they have around the same strength/level of talent, etc. It's so special that they managed to find someone who matches them so well, someone they can truly consider an equal.

So, I find it off-putting when people drastically change the balance between them so one is much bigger/stronger/older looking or acting/has more power in the relationship/etc. (or vice versa of course). It just doesn't feel like their dynamic any more at that point. Of course they have different personalities so they'll have different ways of interacting with each other, and I'm also not talking about normal height variation (though I personally prefer them to end up around the same height, give or take a few inches on either side), but when there's a strong focus on some form of inequality between them in the dynamic, it's very unappealing to me. A lot of times this comes from trying to force them into stereotypes they don't fit.

I've talked about this extensively in meta form, but the common belief that Killua's feelings are much stronger and heavier than Gon's really bothers me, too. While I agree that Killua clearly seems to have a better understanding of his feelings and what they mean (I think he's ahead of Gon in this because of his introspective personality/higher awareness on the topic), that doesn't mean Gon's feelings towards Killua have less weight or meaning.

His mental health deteriorating in Chimera Ant Arc and him lashing out that one time doesn't erase all of the tons of kindness and affection he gave Killua prior to that, and it's clear that Killua is incredibly special to Gon. He even states that out loud multiple times to Killua! The ways they show it are different, but in my eyes they adore each other equally, and I do see that extending into a romantic sense as well--even if Gon still has to "catch up" in terms of understanding the nature of his feelings.

I also think some people don't know how to portray Gon in contrast to Killua, and he can come off as bland and generic instead of his amazing complicated self, or he gets treated like he's not intelligent in his own right.

Also, I totally get why people make this kind of thing (because I love tragedies in other stories), but I personally can't deal with endings where Gon and Killua don't ultimately get to be happy together. They've just been through so much already, they clearly want to be together, plz don't separate them ultimately... 😭 I know people gotta explore the angst, and to be fair I definitely like the angst in the context of what they've been through/what they might still have to go through to be back together again, but I just can't deal with unhappy endings for them. I also don't like seeing them in relationships with or even romantically interested in anyone else even temporarily, but that's just me being extra picky, LOL.

I don't engage with LeoPika works to quite the same degree even though I like the ship, but I get irritated when people try to push heteronormativity on them too much because of Kurapika's appearance. People acting like it's just a regular ol het ship or putting Kurapika in effeminate roles his personality doesn't fit at all are confusing to me.

I hope that's helpful! I'm sure I have plenty more pet peeves saved up from all the years I've spent in the fandom, but those are the major fandom trends I don't care for.

#hxh #hunter x hunter #killugon #gonkillu #leopika #gon #killua #kurapika #leorio #asks #anonymous #my posts #long post

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tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang · 1 year ago

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Hello! I just wanted to share a few thoughts after seeing the Takeomi hate come back once more. Feel free to ignore it :)

The whole Takeomi debacle is kind of fascinating to me because on the one hand, it's definitely in part because he never really got to shine in the manga (I do wonder if Wakui was rushed to finish the story and chose to make him worse in the character book to more or less wrap things up).

On the other hand, however, I often wonder if it isn't a case of the fandom getting attached to their initial expectations, only to get sorely disappointed down the line. I remember the rain bringer chapter, when he was introduced: at the time the fandom was getting really excited to see new (and older) characters and it gave birth to a lot of theories, based only on these few lines and his design. It might be a bit caricatural to put it like this but it seemed at the time that many people expected him to be some kind of sexy mafia boss with a complicated backstory, so when he was revealed to be kind of a ''loser'' / mostly a normal dude with a different kind of complicated backstory, the expectations took a serious blow.

Anyway, this is just my two cents on the whole thing. I remember I was also disappointed to see him (and Sanzu) pushed to the corner and never brought back again, I would have loved to explore their characters a bit more.

And obviously, everyone's free to like or dislike any character (to each their own after all) for any reason. Takeomi's example just periodically invites itself in my mind 😅

I think the main reason is as you said, he never got a chance to sign or any kind or redemption for what he did. Even in the good timeline, it's shown he works with his siblings so must be on good terms with them but we don't get to see him actually interact with them and we don't know what exactly changed or how it changed for that to happen.

I remember the hype of when he showed up and thinking he was going to be a really cool character but he just never had his moment and his character suffers a lot from the whole telling and not showing thing. Like we know he was very important to the first gen black dragons but we don't get to see him in action or know what he did besides come up with good strategies. The rest of the first gen black dragons don't have this problem because we either see them fighting or they have loveable personalities/ have done a lot of good. Unfortunately Takeomi doesn't really get this, instead we get told he's important, have a panel or two of people cheering for him, see how he got corrupted then see how bad he was towards his siblings.

Speaking of his behaviour towards his siblings, the other issue he faces is that we never get to see the other people at fault. His dad and seemingly his grandmother are arguably a lot more at fault for what happened since they forced a child to raise his siblings. Takeomi didn't want to be "like a father" and he shouldn't have been forced into taking responsibility for them. This 100% doesn't excuse Takeomi's actions and he is still at fault, but I think the adults in situations, who should've been the responsible ones deserve some blame too. But because we never see them, it's harder to really hold them accountable.

Then we have the character book, Takeomi was already hated before that released but that's what really cemented him as being bad. Most of the character book profiles are light hearted, they either give us some funny moments or they show a softer side of the characters. Or they just give some basic info that we kinda already knew. But Takeomi's? (And somewhat the other black dragons) it just paints him as being so much worse then I assumed.

So I don't think it matters if anyone likes or dislikes him, as long as they don't harass anyone over it or be rude to anyone with the opposite opinion.

#it's just a hc but I'm still convinced he acted that way and was hard on Sanzu because that's how his dad and nan acted towards him #tokyo revengers #tokrev #tokyo rev #tokyo revengers spoilers

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miraculousverse · 1 year ago

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Six strings of a broken heart

Part 1

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug (AU)

Pairing: Luka x Felix

Notes/Warnings: non miraculous AU; the characters are in high school, except Luka who is two years older, finished high school and now is taking a year off; Marinette and Luka dated and recently broke up; Felix lives in England and had a good relationship with Adrien; slow burn; my first attempt at writing; I need to share my love for these two dorks with the world lol; Adrien is a little sunshine;

***

Felix remembers how the first time he met and spoke to Luka, he nearly rolled his eyes so hard he almost saw his four past lives.

Adrien finally convinced him to go with him to see his friend’s performance at their school’s charity event, organized by the students to help spread awareness about the importance of self-care and emotional well-being.

“The soul speaks through music when words cannot be heard,” was the sentence that made Felix want to tell the older Couffaine sibling to shut up and look the other way.

First of all, Felix hated all these douchebags high on their own spiritual cold brew, blond roasted coffee farts, who dedicated their lives to mastering the art of pretentious jabbering.

And secondly, and perhaps most importantly, Felix resented everyone unable to engage in concise and rational conversations.

If your words “cannot be heard,” it’s either that the other person is an idiot or you’re the one incapable of constructing a coherent argument.

Luckily for Felix, his interaction with Adrien’s school friends was limited by their involvement in the event, and he was soon left to himself, free from attempts at polite but entirely meaningless conversations with people he barely knew and would probably never see again.

He mostly stayed upstairs, observing the crowd and watching the students perform in the talent show—the main driving force behind this charity event.

Felix hated every second of that lame performance. At some point, he was so bored that he even considered finding Adrien and talking to him instead.

But Adrien was busy backstage, helping the “Hello Kitty” band get ready for their performance. They were going last, a detail Adrien apparently forgot to mention, and Felix, who against his better judgment promised his cousin to stay for their performance, had to sit through the entire charity event to see Adrien play the damn synthesizer.

“Ah… it’s Kitty Section,” Felix mumbled under his breath when the principal announced the last group coming on stage. The band members wore colorful masks and shoulder pads, looking so incredibly dorky that Felix couldn’t help but chuckle into his plastic half-empty cup as he took a sip of the lukewarm sparkling water. Somehow, Adrien fit perfectly among them.

Their two songs, despite their cliché lyrics and generic pop sound, were still the highlight of the event. Although there was hardly any competition.

***

Apparently, Luka wasn’t a fan of caffeinated drinks and preferred tea instead because “coffee made his sleep worse.”

“I enjoy bubble tea from time to time, but it’s a little too sweet for me,” Luka smiled as he ordered a matcha latte, standing next to Felix at the counter. Felix never asked him if he liked coffee or tea. He just told him to go ahead and order first.

After the charity event, the group headed to the nearest coffee shop, and Adrien, buzzing with excitement and joy, dragged Felix with them, reassuring his cousin that it would be “a ton of fun.”

Felix glanced at the group of high schoolers behind them in a large cozy booth, noticing that Adrien sat next to Marinette, who blushed furiously every time the blond turned to her with a big smile.

“Same as him,” Felix gestured to Luka’s latte and paid with his card. Luka was still standing next to him, waiting for Felix to get his order, and for some reason, Felix felt slightly uncomfortable. He felt like something was expected of him, like small talk or anything that would make this situation less awkward. He wondered why Luka didn’t go sit with the group. There were two seats available next to Marinette.

“You play guitar very well,” Felix finally said when he realized that the barista was taking too long to give him his order. “It was nice. The show and your group’s performance.”

The compliment sounded robotic, and Felix hated how stupid it made him feel. He probably looked like a socially awkward idiot.

“Thank you.” Despite everything, Luka’s gentle smile seemed sincere, yet his eyes had a glint of mischief in them. Felix thought that Luka didn’t believe him but appreciated the effort Fathom was making.

Finally, Felix was handed his drink, and they walked toward the group, who were too busy monitoring social media, looking for any mentions of the event. Alya was reading out loud the comments under her post in the LadyBlog, and Felix was happy that everyone’s attention was on her.

“You didn’t get any dessert?” Marinette asked when Felix took the seat next to her, but she was quickly satisfied with his brief “no” and turned back to the group when Luka joined Felix. There was a sudden but very subtle shift in the air, and Felix couldn’t stop himself from glancing at Luka. The blue-haired boy was smiling softly, but Felix noticed how his fingers tensed around the paper cup. Just a little and for a very brief moment, but Felix caught that.

Oh…

Felix turned back to the group, only half listening to what they were talking about. He was happy that they barely talked to him, and he only had to engage in very surface-level conversation about England’s climate and his favorite subject at school.

“And do you like Paris?” Felix wasn’t sure if Rose was genuinely curious or was only trying to be polite because everyone else was starting to accept that he wasn’t going to be very talkative and were thankfully getting bored by his one-sentence replies. If he was lucky, Adrien might give up on his quest to socialize Felix with his friends.

“It’s pretty. A lot has changed since my last visit,” Felix said and heard a light chuckle and turned to its source. Luka was looking at his almost empty coffee cup with a smile and then shot a glance at Felix when he felt his eyes on him.

“I thought that we should visit the Eiffel Tower while you’re here,” Luka smiled innocently, and Felix couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The guitarist seemed very chill, but Felix caught the mischievous spark that lit behind his eyes for a second.

Felix absolutely hated that tourist spot.

For a moment, Felix doubted his judgment of Luka and was slightly disoriented because immediately after that quick exchange, Luka was called by his bandmate, and he turned away from Felix to discuss their performance at the event.

And once again, Felix had to hold back the urge to roll his eyes when Luka made a comment about the “heart guiding you through the music notes,” but this time Felix was suspicious that this cringy behavior was genuine.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous fanfic #miraculous ladybug luka #luka x felix #felix agreste #miraculous felix #miraculous

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cowboylikeyouu · 11 months ago

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intro post 🐥

hello there !! you can call me amy or cowboy :)

i'm a german law school drop out & have little to no responsibilities until i go back to uni in october, so i practically live here, on discord, & various other social media sites.

the only sideblog i have is for german stuff, everything else happens on here (update: the international tour for cats the musical came to my city and it brought the cats obsession back full force. if there's one thing to know about me it's that cats the musical turns me into the most annoying version of myself, i have never been less normal about anything. so, naturally, i have a cats sideblog now. but everything else REALLY happens on here xD) "everything else" includes, but isn't limited to:

💜fandoms💜

marvel (mostly mcu but i'm slowly working through some comics)

cats the musical

hunger games

x-men

harry potter (both golden trio & marauders, although i'll always be more of a golden trio girly)

star wars (mostly og trilogy & mandalorian)

good omens (fuck neil gaiman)

our flag means death

sherlock

skulduggery pleasant

grey's anatomy

spatort

-> i also started watching supernatural for the first time, so i'll probably talk about that as well, but pleeeease don't spoiler <3

💜ships💜

winterhawk

drarry

stony

dinluke

reddie

ineffable husbands

caitvi

gentlebeard

wolfstar

cherik

poolverine

hörk

tuggoffelees

alonzostrap

demelurina

any other cats ship rlly these guys are hard not to multiship

harringrove

gelphie

any wlw ship that involves natasha romanoff but especially maria/nat/pepper

-> i'm a multishipper though, so you can pretty much talk to me about any ship, i can enjoy almost anything!! these are just my favs <3

the only exception is winterhawk, they're my absolute otp and i can't stand one of them being with someone else so please no ships involving clint and/or bucky except for winterhawk! especially no stucky.

💜other shows/movies i really like💜

how i met your mother, interstellar, shameless, hamilton, newsies, little women, httyd, dreamworks movies in general, disney animation, 10 things i hate about you, fleabag, scorpion, the parent trap, dance academy, bojack horseman, she-ra, and a lot more !!

💜music💜

my music taste is a mess, meaning that i will listen to almost everything, but rarely commit to the full discography of specific artists. my top 4 are probably:

green day

taylor swift

hozier

the front bottoms

though, and then pretty much everything else that goes into these directions. but again, i can enjoy almost anything else as well.

💜random things i love💜

coffee (comes with being a hawkeye stan)

the color purple (comes with being a hawkeye stan)

pizza (comes with being a hawkeye stan)

concerts

yapping

summer

crocheting

funko pops

paulaner spezi

buying books & never reading them

cowboy like me by taylor swift

long hair bucky barnes

covering every inch of my room with posters & stickers

baggy pants

going to the cinema

long walks

all kinds of birds but especiall chickens & pigeons

not giving a fuck

most of my tags are pretty self explanatory i think, #tweet people w kindness has everything about my twitter fic and #first light everything about the winterhawk interstellar au i'm currently working on! (it's kinda on ice rn, i gotta work on my winterhawk big bang fic (it's probably gonna stay on ice bc now i'm thinking about writing cats fanfic, help me pls)

proshippers pls interact <3

#winterhawk #clint barton #my fics #poolverine #deadpool and wolverine #ao3 #law school #marvel #tweet people w kindness #marvel comics #comics #x men #x men comics #avengers #taylor swift #letterboxd #amy talks #cherik #other people‘s art

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verbosenerv0sa · 5 months ago

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hello hello

what do u think about recovery..im thinking about it...or atleast i did untill my brother triggered me AGAIN so im not sure yet

how are u what are u up to?

finn xoxo

hello hello to you too :D

I'm just doing my best, like always. I've been a little more successful in my creative endeavors lately, which feels awesome (writers block sucks) especially since my brain has mostly just been depressed and anxious and stuff lately :/

Recovery is a very personal decision, and I'm probably not the best person to ask about it, but I appreciate your trust in me. I've put some thought into this, I hope something I've said can help you organize your thoughts. 🧡🧡🧡🧡

If you aren't genuinely ready for it and wanting to stick with it in the long run, it will probably hit you like a truck when you change your mind. That's where the biggest issue comes from. You could consider dipping your toe in the water with a personal plan for partial recovery, some simpler steps rather than trying to quit cold turkey. I'm afraid if you're thinking of just throwing out the scales, stop counting cals, and switching to full-fat condiments in one day... Do I even need to tell you that's signing up for trouble? If you attempt to "recover" while the ed is stilI strong as ever, it's going to give you hell. If you struggle at all with binging, quitting cal counting can worsen that (in my experience, that is - for some people there's a chance it would actually help, but I can't really wrap my head around that). You quite possibly don't know how to "eat normally" anymore, and if you try to without preparing yourself, you might end up feeling horribly guilty and end up hurting yourself more trying to undo the "damage". If you're feeling truly ready and want to reach for real recovery, it's important to start with the hardest and most crucial part there is: Telling people. Tell your family, get a therapist you like and trust in on it with you, and don't hold back on the details of what you've been going through. I can't even imagine recovering all alone, and that's not necessarily because you need support (although you should have it!) but because if you're not able to open up about your ed, it probably means you aren't ready to give it up.

Some starting points you could try to make your ed less destructive (or test how you're feeling in private first):

Continue controlling your food like normal, but aim to maintain your weight or lose much more slowly (depending on your stats, this would most likely mean eating 1,300-1,900 a day).

If you tend to exercise a lot, try doing a little less of that. Don't work yourself into the ground every time you work out, don't work out every day, etc. Especially if you're underweight, harsh exercise can be very dangerous.

If you pvrge, put your best effort into quitting that. It's one of the most destructive aspects of an ed, and if you can stop that, you're already well on your way to minimizing so much of the damage.

If you want to remain on Tumblr, and let's face it, leaving Tumblr wouldn't be easy, try making another blog and interacting with other communities. Is there a fandom you can be as passionate about as you are with you ed? Try checking out the recovery communities! (Please don't interact with recovery spaces from an active ed blog - you might expose someone vulnerable to edblr content and inadvertantly harm them.)

Talk about your ed with one or two people you trust, and make sure they understand that you want to recover but aren't sure you're ready just yet. Avoid anyone who has the influence to force you into a treatment center or is likely to "out" you without consent.

I hope this helps, and appreciate you reaching out - Getting your thoughts out is a perfect first step, and I hope nothing I've said discourages you. Living with an ed means you've got real strength inside of you, never weakness, and you can put that strength towards some really great things in life, but it's so important to be ready and understand what you're trying to do and why. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. 🍀

#Verbose blabs verbosely #Verbose gets an ask yippee!!!

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heroes-in-the-dark · 4 months ago

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Hi there! A random tale of inspiration...

I was big into anime years ago and took a break during covid due to combination of working in healthcare and deployments as a nurse. As I got older, like 20s and 30s, I started doing all the things my girl friends did. We went out often and it was very "sex in the city", a kind of mindless hopping around to bars and wearing uncomfortable heels. I always felt a void, doing these things, as I had previously spent so much time doing art and reading manga before. I still had a big creative itch.

A few weeks ago, after almost 5 years stagnant from anime and art, on a whim of holiday boredom, I picked up MHA and by season two I was totally taken with Tokoyami. I thought he was wonderfully displayed in the sports festival, and the dark coolness he had was a magnificent balance for the turbulent force that he housed in Dark Shadow. The duality of his character, with Dark Shadows power, yet the gentleman’s manner he always exhibited, along with his character design drew me in. I started my search for fandom, and came upon your blog which has been a nightly reader for me for sometime.

You have keen way of taking the reader through his prospective of adventures, and it is nice, as I have been trying to find a forum to offload some fan girl energy for him. I see all the work you have put into this series over such a lengthy time, and want to thank you as I know an undertaking of this body of work is not without discipline and you have a vibrant fan streak for him and his role in the MHA universe which shines through.

With your permission, I would like to share some fan art for your series for genuine admiration of the story. My only regret is it seems I am a tad late to a dimming fandom for him. The internet appreciates you for keeping this one alive.

Bests always, another fan.

Hello there! Apologies for the late response, I'm not as active here as I used to be, but I'll still come around to post chapter updates and art! Speaking of which, I LOVE fanart of the series, and im always incredibly happy whenever I get some. It's a big motivator for me, seeing how passionate readers are for my little story haha.

I watched and read a LOT of anime and manga in middle and high school. I've been keeping up with bnha since almost the beginning, but it wouldn't be until partway through college that I posted my very first chapter of Heroes in the Dark. I started writing the sort of stuff I wanted to see in the series, and I'm always going to be happy that I did. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow really are such standout characters that don't get nearly enough screentime, and so I'm glad that so many fans like you can flock together and have a space where we can talk about him and think of his adventures and struggles.

HitD was my first fanfiction, but I've always loved to write. By all means, it's so rewarding as a writer to hear such high praise and feedback from a reader. I'll admit, I've stepped back a bit from the bnha fandom, but I still love knowing that people are still interacting and having fun with it.

Again, I'm a bit scarce these days, so it usually takes a while for me to get back to people, and if you've ever left a comment on the series and I didn't respond back, please don't be offended. I get easily overwhelmed by online stuff, and I'm not a super social person, but I still really appreciate the fact that fans like you can get so much enjoyment from my writing.

So from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!! 💕

#ask response #bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #hitd #heroes in the dark

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directdogman · 2 years ago

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hello there dog!!! firstly, i just want too say im incredibly proud too see how far you have come, dialtown is so special too me, and for not only that game to be so loved, but also for you too be so involved in the community, is amazing keep up the great work! i do have a question, i am working on a theory pertaining to my favorite characters gingi/milton, and if i may, i have a couple questions about him specifically, if you don't mind of course :) 1. what made you come up with the design/personality of gingi?

2. what are your personal feelings/thoughts on gingi? are you satisficed with them as a character? or are there anything you wish you could change now? 3. this is a wierd one but, gingi generally does not really care what he looks like/what others think, so im really curious why hes so meticulous with making his phone/type head, and if he is so bent up about it, why not try to get someone like Oliver to make him a more proper one? instead of replacing the rotten flesh over and over

4. idk if you can answer this one, but i dont think it can hurt to try...was gingi around, before callum lost his mind?

if you cant answer this, then i have another, what flower would best represent gingi?

Milton question:

ok so....did Callum just straight up cheat on his Marla with Milt?...or am i mistaking something? what i read on the wiki says that milton and Callum had a romantic...fling?

2. did norm know milt? where they friends?

3. does mingus know at least some of the extent of miltons involvement with callum?

4. are there any plans with milton? he seems like such a cool character with crazy potential

that's my questions done, again thank you if you answer! and if not, thank you for making a truly special game, cant wait too see more gingi and dialtown in the future

1)Design for Gingi was primarily based on Frankenstein's aesthetic applied to a the chupacabra. Personality was largely ripped from quite a few unpublished stories/ideas I had before making DT. There's a few protagonists in other things I'd written as potential new game/story ideas that are eerily like Gingi.

2)I'm really really happy with Gingi as a character and I wouldn't change anything that I've established. I like how Gingi starts the game and changes by the end because it's pretty vast, but also not a complete change (and it happens very very gradually.)

TBH, outside of Gingi's interactions in DT, the fandom doesn't really know anything concrete about Gingi due to Gingi's poor memory. Until Gingi formed real human relationships, there was nothing to anchor to, just fragmented and barely remembered individual interactions. Honestly, the bigger picture is really interesting and I'm very happy with Gingi as a protagonist and I'd love to make sequels to DT as I've had concrete ideas for where the character would get up to in potential sequels for years now!

3)Gingi's flesh-head is a bit of a mystery. Gingi doesn't have the same adverse reaction to rotting things that most people do, but does have a general chip in its shoulder about being judged as lesser by others. Gingi (generally) does not make efforts to change its appearance to be seen as less repulsive by others, as we can plainly see from the fact Gingi often forgets (or refuses) to wear clothes.

4)I have all the main character date of births written down, so I could tell you Gingi's exact age... but it's more fun if I don't.

FOR MILT:

1)I'm not really sure why the wiki says that. There's no canon materials that state that Crown + Milt had an affair together. I think someone just read between the lines and stated their hunch as a fact.

2)Norm and Milt met but didn't know each other well. There was a cut mention of Milt in Norm's dialogue, but after a lot of head-scratching, felt the topic was too forced. Norm wouldn't have volunteered the information unless it was relevant to the scene and Gingi would not have asked.

3)Mingus knows about Milt, though not intimately. The only person alive during Mingus' lifetime who could've talked about Milt to her was her grandmother Marla, who was a husk of a person for Mingus' whole life (and in particular, talking about Milt would've hurt too much for her given their closeness.) Mingus knows about Milt from her obsessive study of her paw paw's presidency, but not much more than any historian/social studies teacher would. A lot of information I'd consider very important about Milt was never put to paper.

4)I'm not 100% sure why the fandom likes him as much as they do, given how little of him the fandom has seen (and how little information there is about him out there so far.) I just wanted a few references to him included in canon so I could potentially reveal more about him one day without fans wondering how this SUPER important character had never been mentioned. It's incredibly likely that I'll show more of Milt in future DT stuff due to how instrumental he was in Crown's decision-making + rise to power. There would be no practical way to expand on Crown without discussing Milt more.

There's a much bigger picture that the fandom hasn't seen much of that Milt is very important to, though it isn't often relevant to the modern day events of DT. Understanding Milt isn't important to understand DT itself, but is to understand both Crown and exactly how the world (and by extension, Dialtown itself) ended up exactly the way it did. And with time, I will discuss that some more.

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itoshiierae · 8 days ago

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matchmaking ask game 💌 congrats on 600 followers rae!! well deserved with how amazing your works are 🫶🏻

name: cherry 🍒

fandom: blue lock

description: i’m an introvert, specifically an intp. so usually in real life, unless someone approaches me first, i don’t really initiate conversations. i have social anxiety and will do absolutely anything to avoid social interactions 😭 i’m also really honest, maybe too honest that i might come off as too straightforward or mean. i prioritise telling people the truth, even if it hurts — but that doesn’t mean i invalidate their feelings, i make sure to comfort and understand them first. i’m usually really quiet, but when i’m with someone i’m comfortable with or close to, i yap a lot. sometimes i could just sit in silence with someone and just enjoy it, it’s comfortable. i’m also really awkward and chaotic, i think that’s basically it.

dealbreakers: my dealbreakers are inconsiderate partners — ones that don’t put in any effort at all, especially when it comes to understanding their partner. i’m okay with my partner being career oriented because i’m the same, but if they are unreasonably negligent then it’s a huge NO for me — they clearly aren’t prepared for a relationship. i dislike immaturity, and by that i mean that i dislike manchilds 😭 another dealbreaker of mine is someone who is all bark no bite, saying that they will fix this or that but never actually do so. i don’t like someone who half-asses everything they do, i need someone passionate and serious.

ideal type: my ideal type is someone who is mature, especially emotionally (i’ve been diagnosed with depression so they really need to understand me. i’m afraid i’ll be too much for them to handle 😓). this is really unrealistic, but someone who is very observant and attentive — someone who can tell what i’m thinking just by observing my body language. i get really drained sometimes and i get overstimulated really easily, so just actions and silence could easily comfort me. someone who can see through me and i mean really see me, not who i try to be when i force a smile. i like someone who can take care of me well, someone hard working and passionate, and someone who reassures well. i actually love people who aren’t talkative, instead they listen well. someone whose eyes says everything amidst the silence. i’m tired of wearing the pants in my relationships lmao 😭 also, loyalty and unspoken trust. i like someone who understands instead of doubting or questioning me in a patronising manner. i’d also really love if this person sees me as an equal instead of putting me on a pedestal in a relationship.

hobbies: writing, gaming, reading and sleeping (if it counts) i don’t really do much 💀 i also like working, just doing what i do to keep myself busy

favourite songs: hello? — clairo, been like this — doja cat, GEMINI — ethan low, 11:59 — JEY, dance — offonoff, knee socks — arctic monkeys, chaconne — enhypen, goyeol — dosii

love language(s): in order — quality time, acts of service, physical touch (tbh these three are pretty much tied) followed by gift giving. i’m not too fond of words of affirmation because i have a hard time trusting others and i’m traumatised from someone obsessive who tried to love bomb me 😓 i’d rather have my partner show me than tell me.

celebrity crush: i don’t have one at the moment 🫶🏻

i’m so sorry if this is long 😭 i got carried away. congratulations again though!! this matchmaking event is sooo cool i love it 🫶🏻

#entry 7: congrats! your perfect match is… 💘 KUNIGAMI (PRE - WC)

hiii my fellow mootie cherry!!! 🍒🩷 thank you sooo muchhh!! 🥰 anywayyy, i could genuinely relate to everything that you said bc i’m kinda like that too 🥹 in rl, i would never initiate conversations— unless other people do it first bc i tend to get easily overwhelmed & drained unfortunately 😫 and i always have this little tendency to just… idk hope(?) people will naturally pick up on it when my mood shifts or when my body language starts to shift when i’m uncomfy or upset without me having to outright say it. sooo yes, i get you okayy??? i really, really do ☹️ just know that you can always talk to me & i’ll be here for you if you ever wanna talk about anything <33

sooo here’s why i decided to match you with kunigami (pre-wildcard). you’re someone who craves emotional maturity, safety, consistency, and someone who won’t make you feel like you have to carry everything on your own. you’ve been tired of being the one who always wears the pants, who always holds things together — and kunigami?? he’s exactly the kind of partner who’ll quietly hold space for you without expecting you to “shrink” yourself (if you get it 🥺) he doesn’t get loud when he’s angry. he doesn’t throw words around that he doesn’t mean. instead, he shows up — and he actually listens!!! he holds his ground, but never tries to overpower you.

ohh and if we’re talking emotionally??? he’s definitely stable, grounding, and deeply respectful <33 even if he isn’t super wordy, his actions will always make sure you feel understood even in silence. he won’t put you on a pedestal, and he’ll see you for who you truly are 🥹 he’s emotionally present without being performative, dependable without being controlling, and naturally has that grounding energy that puts you at ease. no second-guessing or needing to constantly prove yourself — just someone who stays throughout both your good & bad days 🩷

and when the world starts feeling loud, especially when you’re overstimulated and can’t even bring yourself to explain why, he’ll just know!!! he won’t ask you to speak before you’re ready or demand answers. instead he’ll stay close, quiet if needed, while offering the kind of presence that says he sees you, even when you don’t say a thing 🥹🫶🏼

#matchmaking ask game 💌#rae’s ask game 🎮#🫂 mootie: sinsxo 🍒

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violettathepiratequeen · 4 months ago

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March 24th, 2025

Hello there, gentle viewers! Welcome back to Buffy Slays, where I’ll be going through all 144 episodes of BtVS over the course of a year, highlighting as many of the GOOD moments, lines, character choices, worldbuilding moments, etc. etc. as I think people will have the patience to read.

So, here we go!

Season 1, Episode 9, “The Puppet Show.”

Sunnydale High School's annual talent show serves as a backdrop for murder when Buffy must catch a knife-wielding stealer of human organs. Meanwhile, the new principal is a discipline-loving brute who forces Giles to run the talent show and orders Buffy, Xander, and Willow to perform. (Pulled from the BTVS Wiki.)

If you're reading along and haven't finished the show, consider this your Spoiler Warning for discussion of future episodes and major plot points in any and all of these posts.

Episode Number: #9 Episode Ranking: #135 out of 144. Writer: Dean Batali & Rob Des Hotel

Top 5 Quotes:

“There are things I will not tolerate. Students loitering on campus after school. Horrible murders with hearts being removed. And also smoking.” –-Principal Snyder

“A dramatic scene is the easiest way to get through the talent show, because it doesn't require an actual talent.” —Willow

"I'm looking into that, but my investigation is somewhat hampered by a life in the theater.” —Giles

“I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh. At.” —Principal Snyder

“It could be anyone. It could be me! It’s not, though.” —Willow

How “The Puppet Show” Slays:

Principal Snyder enters the scene. I’m not actually aware of the general public’s opinion of him, which is interesting, because I think I have a general idea of what the fandom thinks of almost everything else, from all the chats and discussion boards I’ve seen and been a part of. But Snyder is a mystery to me, so I can say without anyone else’s influence… that he is the absolute worst, a bully who openly hates kids and particularly hates Buffy, and finds joy in causing others pain (um… because that’s what a bully is). And yet I love probably every single scene he’s in. His dialogue is ALWAYS a riot. He knows he’s hated, and kind of enjoys it. He tries to do his job well, he just doesn’t think human emotions fall into the category of things he needs to be aware of. And no matter how much he denies or seems oblivious of supernatural stuff, a later episode will reveal that he actually works very hard to keep all that hidden from the public. Not unlike Buffy herself. So yeah. He’s awful, and we cheer when he gets eaten. But he’s fun and a dynamic addition to the high school years of Buffy and I can’t be sorry he’s here. Even if Flutie will always be my favorite.

Giles’ horrible fate of being a director. A job where he has to interact with people and organize silly costumes and awards, and not act like he’s dying inside every time he has to give a false compliment. A job he tried to beg out of, claiming that his librarian status was intended to limit his contact with students. A job his three kids laugh at him for having, but he says that if they’d participated, it would have made it more bearable. Because he loves his kids, and really, he does an okay job being a director. Not a great or inspirational one, but he does get everything done, he’s not cruel like Snyder, and Cordelia runs to him when she’s terrified to go on, and he does his best to offer encouragement. He may have never wanted children, but he adopts every stray to come across his path, and that is a phrase I will be repeating every time a new Scooby is added to the group.

Buffy resists getting bullied again, when she’s caught staring at Sid in class, and Cordelia tells her they could tour together in the freak show. She smiles and tosses her hair, clearly pleased with herself for such a sick burn, but Buffy is so focused on the dummy it’s like she forgets the words as soon as she hears them. She just… has no extra brain space for Cordelia.

Xander, on the other hand, somehow ends up being the one to interrogate Cordelia about the murder of Emily. He’s in obvious agony as Cordelia rambles about the horror of it all, but they are walking and talking together, and bickering like they always do. Because this is what their relationship will sprout from.

When Buffy wakes up to Sid in her room, she screams, and her mom comes running. Buffy in a panic babbles that there’s something in her bed, and her mom checks, to find nothing. It’s a scene that kind of breaks my heart, in a good way, because… Buffy already confessed to being really freaked out by dummies, so the fact that she wakes up to one creeping around her room is probably scarier to her than any demon. And if it had been a demon, no way would she have made her mom check the bed, she would have pushed her mother away and slain the thing herself. It’s Buffy being half-asleep and terrified of something that’s been a childhood fear, and when her mom asks what’s wrong, Buffy is a little girl again, needing her mom to check for monsters to make sure there’s nothing there. There’s a bit too where Joyce asks if Buffy didn’t just have a nightmare, and Buffy tries to protest, but then, probably because she’s more awake now, concedes that yes, it was just a nightmare, and just tells her friends the next day of Sid’s visit. In later years for this Slayer, there will be nothing that will make her scream and alert her mother, but here… here she’s still young, she’s still new.

The red herring that Snyder might be the demon. I don’t know if it actually fooled anyone—I remember on my first watch I thought he was a suspect, but I wasn’t confident—but it’s the fact that we kind of WISH it’s him; it would be so much easier if Buffy could just slay him and he wouldn’t make her life difficult anymore. But nope, he’s human, and they have to suffer him for another two and a half years.

Buffy is the first one to realize that Morgan isn’t actually talking for Sid, Sid is talking for himself. It takes her friends a painfully long time to believe her, but she’s right. And then again when her friends suspect he might be the murderer after all, she swears he isn’t. And she’s right again. Even if it’s weird and crazy and makes no sense, her instincts of what’s true and what isn’t are right on the money.

The curtain rising on the talent show. That everyone forgot because there was a demon and Giles’ head was almost chopped off and the fact that Sid finally gets to rest in peace. It’s such an amazing tableau that Snyder, of course, doesn’t understand at all, and honestly the Scoobies should have just done some improv with that scene and called it their act.

But instead, we get a taste of their Oedipus act. Their awful, apathetic, totally inappropriate dramatic scene. It’s an absolute delight to see these characters who are so BRILLIANTLY played by their actors pretend to absolutely suck at acting, and not care at all. They don’t need glory and applause. They just need to not get yelled at by the principal.

Xander Harris is a Bro:

Xander suggests Willow play piano for the talent show. Buffy doesn’t even know she plays, and Willow balks at the idea of performing for other people. And the words “Willow” and “piano” will never come together again during the entire rest of the show. But I love that it’s just something he knows about his best friend, something she has shared with him, that he thinks she could do onstage.

Sid hits on Willow with some gross sexual remarks, and Xander shuts it down. Of course Buffy follows it up with threats about destroying the puppet, so she kind of trumps him, but he’s the first to come to Willow’s defense.

Willow and Xander go to rehearsal together to laugh at the acts. Buffy was with them in the opening, before they got roped into the whole thing, but it just makes me happy whenever I see them just hanging out together and sharing a common goal, like they did before Buffy came into their lives.

It’s a joint effort to save Giles from getting his head sliced through, but Xander is the first one there, grabbing the robe to stop the guillotine, and holding on until the demon is in place to have his head chopped off. Xander is also the one to realize the demon would even want Giles’ brain, not Willow’s.

Giles gets rid of a complaining Cordelia by just staring at her hair until she gets paranoid and runs off. He notes with glee that Xander’s trick worked, and I think Xander’s such a bro for letting Giles know a very helpful tip of getting rid of Cordelia that is neither cruel, nor an outright lie.

The Talentless Show:

Buffy: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.

This was never a high-ranking episode for me, but I think my favorite thing about it is the talent show itself. The first thing we see of it is Cordelia singing horribly off-key, and Giles watching like he’s in his own personal hell. This is not gonna be a fun, wholesome episode about the magic of show biz, or secret talents being uncovered that the whole school will clap for. This is not gonna be a fun thing that the mean principal threatens to take away, and we’ll all have to band together and save our show.

Nope, it’s gonna be torturous for some, actual punishment for others, a big deal, probably, to every character who isn’t important, and so cringy that Buffy will beg her mom not to attend. Of the few acts we see, including the main trio’s, ALL of them suck, and there’s not a speck of talent to be seen.

And if it were the main focus of this episode, there might be kind of a cynical message in there, about rejection, or not being as good as you think you are, or no one cares about your artistic endeavors, or who knows what else. But it’s not the main focus of the episode, and that’s the other reason I think it’s the best part. It’s a backdrop to everything else. There’s murders going on, there’s a new principal out to get Buffy and friends, there’s a talking dummy and a demon trying to harvest organs, and the talent show is just kind of… there.

While investigating all the weird goings-on, Giles is seen lugging costumes around, getting awards in order, helping people with their acts, soothing Cordelia’s stage fright, managing the lineup to ensure the sets can move on and offstage when they need to, and hating absolutely every second of it. And then completely spaces on the actual night, and has to be reminded that the curtain is going up pretty soon.

Willow, Buffy and Xander are forced to pick an act, and they pick something they can put as little time and energy into as possible. Their costumes consist of white togas over their regular clothes, Buffy rolls her eyes the entire time she’s on, Xander has no inflection in his lines whatsoever, and Willow flees the stage in terror.

And the reason all of this is so great is because BtVS is not a high school show. The characters are in high school, for the first couple years, but that’s just a coincidence. That’s just the time of their lives that all this crazy stuff started happening. High school is a horror, and there are demons to battle every day, but ultimately, it’s not as important as other high school shows insist it is. It’s just something to get through, and survive, so the rest of your life can begin.

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And that’s a wrap on Episode 9! Thank you so much for reading this far!

Previous: “I, Robot… You, Jane.”

Next up: “Nightmares.”

(Credit for GIFs in this post: @detectivedawnsummers)

#buffy #btvs #the puppet show #s1 #season 1 #buffy meta #buffy slays #violettathepiratequeen #episode 9 #buffy the vampire slayer

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kissbentennyson · 1 year ago

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Hello there, how do you do? ＼⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠)⁠／

I recently found your blog and got to say I was so excited to explore it, hehe! Nowadays it's hard to find some Ben 10 account so I was really happy when I come across yours.

Anyways though I wanted to request but since I got no idea for now I think might interact with you since you sound like any interactive person (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

Yk what made you write for Ben 10 fandom since you know not many fall in love with their childhood interest later in life. Honestly I get into Ben 10 again when few days earlier my cousin was watching Ben 10 online and I end up watching one episode with him too and thus my old love for series and character rise again 🐀

Would like to see your answer. Anyways have a wonderful day ahead and don't forget to eat your meal. Byeeee!

Hi! I am so sorry it took me so long to see this! I have no idea how long this has been sitting in my ask box, I'm not active on this blog anymore. I was unaware that it's still getting just as much attention as it did when I was in high school. Just a warning, this is a very long response.

To answer your question, It's not that I fell in love with it later in life, but that I never stopped loving it.

I am autistic, and have had the same handful of interests since I was younger. Ben 10, Transformers, DC, Marvel, Devil May Cry, to name a few. Most of my interests were influenced by the people I grew up around. like my abusers. I also have a biological who is only two years younger than me. The two of us have always had the most of the same interests our entire life, but my interest in these things was always more intense than his. To the point my bio family found it annoying.

For context, we didn't know I was autistic growing up. We didn't have health insurance for most of my developmental years. It took being taken into foster care for my most of my health- mental and physical- to be cared about, addressed, and treated. It also doesn't help that my cousin (son of a very close family friend) is also autistic and we have different care needs. Because I didn't present exactly like him, my behavior was ignored. Written off as me being quirky, whiney, needy, annoying, antisocial, and stupid/ditsy.

Having the same interests as your younger brother is a doubled edged sword. On one hand, you always have someone to talk to. On the other, despite being more into something than him my interest wasn't taken seriously (because I am AFAB) and he was always got the toys and books (that he would never even read) about said interests. I always had to sit and watch as he got to enjoy things about our shared interest- and I was always left out.

I remember when my grandmother got him an Omnitrix toy that came with these tiny plastic figures of all of the aliens, and when you placed it on the Omnitrix, the toy would say the alien's name. I was so jealous, I wanted that toy so badly. But, siblings being siblings, if my brother found me playing with it he would throw a fit and get me in trouble. This caused me a lot of stress and anxiety growing up. Not just because It was invalidating, but also because I was being denied access to my special interest in a way.

However, there is one thing that my brother and I don't share. I love to read and write. To the point it was an actual problem when I was growing up. I would stay up on our bunk bed, reading and writing for so long that I would miss meals entirely. But, It was something they could never take away from me for force me to share with my brother. I have been writing about my special interests since I was in the 6th grade. Of course, my mother threw away most of it, and its all in notebooks rotting in some landfill now.

When I was 16, I made this blog and started posting reader insert fanfiction here- which I had already done for another fandom once before (@honeydew-mel0n). Actually, I was posting on both blogs at the same time! Before that, I had a Wattpad that I posted on (Still do, actually, haha.) I stopped posting on this blog after I graduated high school as I had collage classes to focus on, and eventually a job.

I no longer post here, not because it's no longer a special interest, but because I'm going to be 20 soon. I don't feel it's appropriate for me, as an adult, to continue to write such content about characters that are minors. It now makes me uncomfortable to do so. However, I am going to keep the blog up because many people like it and continue to read it. I'd never want to take that away from anyone. I do have a bunch of old drafts saved that I might post, but only if people would want to read my unfinished drafts. There is also a part of me that wants to keep exploring the Benzarro plot I was writing- but I probably won't

I hope this makes sense, thank you for asking!

-Sunshine

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