#hes such a good character and needs more focus

[thekitsandthekats]

i don't see the point of season two being to set up season three. i genuinely think that the writing is good and the choices made in this season add to the overall story while also being something that can stand on it's own.

season two, to me, is about three things: the collective, consequences and human nature. outside of red light green light, every game we've seen has been a team game. every game is designed for multiple people to win. the voting is a group effort. people have to come together to vote to stay or leave. it forces everyone to be involved and encourages them to think of the person next to them. this is where the focus of the collective comes in. when spend so much time with the games and the team's playing because the season is about their grouped success. its also an incredible tool to use to show the split in emotion. how people who were cheering to play one more game in hopes that more people die, turned around and hoped for their success. and to speak metaphorically, its about the power of the people fighting against a system. the great evil system of capitalism.

the voting system and the illusion of choice fall into the idea of human nature. inho talked about this in the limo before taking gihun to the games. he said that the players chose this, that they will always choose this. they will always chose to play the game because it is human nature to gamble, to be selfish. the season is about looking at the nature of humanity and what people will do when you put them in an impossible situation. gihun thinks they would chose to save themselves and everyone, inho thinks they will chose to serve themselves and forget everyone. this is why inho joined the games. to prove a point to gihun that look this is humanity, this is how they are and how they always will be, selfish.

then this brings me to gihun and his revenge trip . one of his biggest character traits is that he is always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, to trust that their intentions are pure. and as we've seen that is almost never the case. twice now he's been fooled by someone wearing a 001 number, and it doesn't dawn on him because he naturally looks for the good in people. on top of this, gihun believes he's doing the right thing. by trying to stop the games for good, he believes that people’s lives will be better, that they will no longer be under the thumb of capitalism and greed, that they will be free. but he is also out for retribution. not only does he want to stop the games, he wants revenge, he wants those in charge to pay. to do this he needs everyone. he needs the collective, and he needs to trust in their nature to be one of wanting to do the right thing. again, to get metaphorical, to take down a system like capitalism, to fight against the rich to live to exploit the poor, then the poor need to band together and rise up. or at least that is what gihun thinks.

that's why we focus so much on the ensemble of characters in the story, all of whom are different, endearing, frustrating, and so on, and yet we care. we care about all of them getting out, we care about their collective survival because the season has pulled all of us in to care. we're a part of the revolution because we as the audience have been roped into gihun plans too!!

that's why i think consequences are a big idea too. we know that the consequences of squid game are the deaths of thousands of people. we know that inho thinks this is a small and necessary sacrifice to make. we know that gihun disagrees. until he doesn't. inho asks him before the rebellion if he's willing to sacrifice the few for the many and gihun says yes. he contradicts his own ideals in the moment and so inho must show him the consequences of that. this is to speak to the consequences of trying to fight against oppression, almost to say that no the system will always win. it will tighten its security, crush you under its booy and always come out on top.

i think 011's story is really the only part that explicitly feels like a set up for season three, or like a sleeper agent kind of thing, where she'll pop up exactly when she's needed.

with inho and the boat crew, i actually really love what they did there because the whole story line was a waste of time. you're supposed to feel like it was a waste of time because it literally is. the captain is wasting their time sailing them in circles, never coming to the island. they go around and around and so the plot itself goes around and around, and by the end, even the reveal of the captain reads as flat and expected, and i love that. i think it's really interesting story telling, and granted i might be reading into it but that is the beauty of media and interpretation. i like to think that the writer did that on purpose so we feel exactly what the boat crew are feeling, that all of this is a waste of time.

i also understand that the season isn't flawless, that there might be some things that could've been done better but i honestly believe that season two of squid game is just brilliant.

twitter is actually so frustrating because i think people are deliberately misunderstanding what squid game is and what it's supposed to be doing. of course the pacing, the tone and everything about season two isn't going to be the same as season one. because things are different now. gihun is suffering from incredible trauma, junho was shot by his brother and is desperate to find him, it's been three years since gihun's games, of course things are different! it's not going to just be games and death, it needs to be a story, a JOURNEY, like we need things to develop, grow and be different! like is that difficult to understand?

nothing about season two is boring because all of it is deliberate. yes, all that stuff in the first two eps before the games is deliberate! the attention given to the voting system is important and deliberate! junho and his suspicious captain and his band of military men on the boat is important and deliberate! because as we've seen with season one, the writing is incredible and i don't see that changing for this season and the final season. if you just wanted dramatic games, death and all that then idk go watch season one again. or maybe ask yourself why you wanted just deaths and games and all that because its giving vips, its giving a refusal to understand the bright, glaring metaphor

[jd-loves-fiction]

𝐊𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚

❏ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Aventurine x GN!Reader

❏ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fluff + ANGST!!!

❏ 𝐰𝐜: 1.6k

❏ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Aventurine has been distant since returning from Penacony. He finally decides it's time to tell you all you deserve to know... or as must as he can bring himself to, for now. His real name seems like a good place to start.

❏ 𝗮/𝗻: Full disclosure, this was meant to be smutty but I got lost in the sauce (angst and Aven's incredible character writing) so all aboard the sad but fluffy train instead :)

The heavy oak door slides open smoothly, the sound of expensive leather shoes tapping against wooden floors as Aventurine sighs far too heavily. When you look around the corner at him, he’s taking off his hat before tugging off his shoes. 

“Hello,” you breathe softly, hand upon his chest while pecking his chapped lips. He offers a low grunt in response as you draw back to look him over, “Riney?”

He seems to flinch, an anguished expression there in a second and gone the next, covered by that deceitful veil of a smile, far too cheerful to be genuine, “Darling–”

Your finger meets his lips before he has a chance to pretend like nothing is wrong, along with a stern but fond look. You take his coat and begin leading him further into the apartment, urging him to sit on the couch.

Ever since Penacony he’d been… distant. Not that your relationship had ever been especially intimate before, at least not emotionally, but something had changed on that planet. You’d catch him watching you more than usual, looking away when caught unlike usual; see him reach for you out of the corner of your eye only for his hand to drop before it touched you; he’d begin to form a sentence with a strangely serious look on his face before slamming his mouth shut in obvious frustration.

The night he’d returned… you could tell there was something itching to make its way out past his trembling lips… but knowing he’d be meeting with the rest of the Stonehearts early the next morning you told him to rest instead; to tell you another time.

It’s been weeks. And with his increased workload, the subject just hasn't come up – that's what you told yourself anyway. Clearly there was something he wanted, needed to say, but your relationship had never been one where you’d be allowed to push him for an answer and vice versa… you learned that very early on.

So you dont push him for an answer, kneeling between his legs and caressing his cheeks, “Tired?”

He nods wordlessly, eyes barely open, subtly leaning into your affection. He must be truly exhausted, “Come on.”

“Hm?” The look on his face when you pull away so suddenly to stand breaks your heart – like he’d been broken out of a trance, “I’ll run you a bath.”

Your feet itch to shuffle nervously, afraid you’ve pushed too far. He seemed receptive, but what if he’s done letting you in?

“Okay…” Aventurine whispers, taking your hand and letting you pull him along towards the bathroom. You don't comment on the dazed look on his face.

The man sits by as you warm the water, softly rambling about bath salts and scents you think he’ll enjoy, and other topics he cannot bring himself to focus on as the storm that has been building since Penacony starts boiling over.

You deserve to know. He must tell you– but what if– no. You deserve to know. No matter how much he would rather keep your relationship as is instead of risking ruining everything by telling you the truth, he cannot keep it to himself any longer.

If you call him that name again, in that sweet, lovely voice of yours, he might snap.

“Water’s warm.” He snaps out of his haze, managing a small smile in acknowledgment, before standing up to take his clothes off.

The urge to turn away and busy yourself in order to keep yourself from staring is ludicrous – you’ve seen him naked more times than you can count. That's how this all started after all. And yet you give in, fiddling with shampoo bottles in order to give him space.

“What? Don't tell me I've gotten so hideous you can't even look at me?” He calls out cheekily, hoping to lift the weight that had settled in the air between you.

“No!” You answer, turning to Aventurine just as he pulls his shirt over his head, not even bothering with the buttons. Eyes yearn to linger on the hills and valleys of his alabaster skin, but they instead settle on the brand at the side of his neck; ‘slave’ it reads. That was the topic of your first argument. Or what could have become an argument if you’d pushed any further. “Not at al.”

Your eyes over him with such open fondness, knelt by the bath you prepared simply because you know he’s tired – Aventurine has to look away, lest he blurt out something he’ll regret.

The temperature of the water is just right and yet it seems to burn him, unknowingly cold as he’d become from the anxiety running through his veins, as if chastising him for taking so long to just say it; to bear it all to the person who’s cared for him the most in years; who’s seen through his lies and never pushed, gazed upon his scars and never questioned…

“...Riney?” He’s sitting in the water, straight as a rod, head down, hair over his eyes and you worry if the water’s too cold, or too hot, or if he has any injuries he forgot to tell you about. Your hand reaches to sweep his hair from his eyes, before it’s caught in his grasp, “Aventurine?”

He shakes his head slowly, his grip soft and yet trembling, “Please… don't call me that…”

“What… should I call you then?”

Silence.

A long silent moment of a million thoughts running through both your heads.

And then, like a stab through the heart, “Kakavasha.”

It’s not a word you recognize. The synesthesia beacon didn't translate it. It must be Avgin. His birth name.

“Kakavasha.” You repeat quietly, testing the pronunciation – hoping you’ve got it right.

His head snaps in your direction so quickly it makes you jump, seizing you by the shoulders, hands dripping warm water. Beauty eyes wide, pupils dilated, lovely lips agape, “Did I… say it wrong?”

“No it’s– it’s perfect. You’re just… the first person to say it in so long.” His hold on you eases.

“Talk to me.”

Kakavasha looks at you now and truly sees you, clearer than he ever has and wonders for a moment if you’re real at all. If he’s still a boy in a cage with a collar around his neck. He quickly decides that, no, you have to be real. His mind isn't so kind as to imagine something as lovely as you.

“I’m sure you know most of the story but,” his hands move through the water, scooping some onto his shoulders just to have something to do, “I’m from Sigonia-IV. I’m the last Avgin and my name is Kakavasha. There’s so much more I want to tell you. So much more you deserve to know. About my sister, my mother, how the IPC found me. But I don't know if I–” he looks down at his hands.

“You don't have to say it all right now. Just let it come out.” You get to rubbing his shoulders, processing the information and aligning it with what you’d inferred over your months together, “But… what exactly made you decide to tell me?”

He heaves a deep, tortured sigh – this is the hard part. As if admitting he’s the last of his species and giving you his real name wasn't hard enough.

“Penacony… turned into much more of a mess than I expected.” He considers his next words very carefully, unsure if it'd be more cruel to tell you or not to do so, “I was… expecting to die there.”

A sharp intake of breath passes through your lips, hands flinching away from his figure – it’s a lot to process but, somehow, someway, it’s not entirely surprising.

“Well, I’m very glad you were unsuccessful.” Your attempt at humor is transparently tinged with both love and fear, lips trembling at the thought… that he’d be gone. Without ever telling you any of this.

Without saying goodbye.

“What happened there… it’s all very confusing but it made me realize that I wanted someone to know who I am. On the inside.”

“I wanted you to know.”

“Me?” You question meekly, suddenly unsure. He’d always been a guarded man, beneath the surface that is.

His hands rise out of the water again to cradle your face in warm, wet palms, beautiful singular irises boring into yours with a sincerity you’d thought him incapable of until an hour ago.

“There’s no one who deserves to know more than you.” 

Waterline burning with tears you move to kiss his forehead amongst wet strands of gold, lips linger to ensure that he is real, he is here with you, opening up in a way so seemingly impossible it makes you a little dizzy.

“I guess we have to start somewhere… Tell me about your sister.”

The air between you is forever changed, both lighter and heavier somehow. But also brighter, warmer, like the gentle sun rising over the deserts of Sigonia-IV. 

Everytime he speaks of his family, he gets a dazzling glimmer in his eyes, like he’s a boy again, playing with his sister, carefree and gentle.

And when he speaks of what came later, it’s lost, his expression turns sour and grim, like he’s in that cage again, doing everything to get out. He’s no less handsome with that expression as any other. In fact, the more you learn, the more you realize that losing him would’ve broken you. The depth of his clever mind, the fondness of his gaze, the shining sincerity of real laugh. It would be a shame to lose it all.

He blushes red as a rose when you tell him, suddenly upon a random morning, unprepared and for the first time in a long time, unwilling to raise his walls at your assault on his fragile, vulnerable heart.

One day he’ll tell you how his heart thunders in his chest like it might burst right out and leap into your own chest to meet yours, when you say his name so softly.

Kakavasha.

[amywritesthings]

I saw your post about people coming to tumblr. I agree with that but don’t you think the people who age up are lowkey pedos?

Hi there! I'll presume this question is out of good faith, so I will answer the same. In the past several years, I think a lot of people have spent more time on the internet throwing around the word 'pedophile' because it's a very gut punch term that evokes panic and deep emotions -- as it should, because it's an incredibly serious accusation.

I ask this: when you started Attack on Titan, did you see Isayama as a pedophile when he aged up Eren and his friends to 19? The aging up in Haikyuu? Or My Hero's epilogue? (I presume your answer is no.)

A lot of people in fandom space right now would rather focus on a witch hunt if someone aged up a 2D, not real, fictional character (say Eren/Armin fic but they're in college, or BakuDeku pro hero fic) than actually focusing on real life victims and advocating real life change.

Why? Because it's harder to do the latter and takes real effort. It's easier to accuse someone anonymously on the internet than actually critically think about real life horrors.

So no, they're not low-key pedos. That's a serious accusation that holds weight, and I need people to start seeing just how insane it is to accuse people of this.

[aperrywilliams]

Satellite Call. Part I: What You Kept Hiden from Me (Spencer Reid x Fem!BAU!Reader)

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Author Masterlist | Series Masterlist

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Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader.

Words count for this part: 3.2k

Series summary: Your world crushes when Spencer is arrested. Between finding a way to get him out and keeping you afloat, there is something else you need to focus on, too. And even when you thought things couldn’t go worse, a tragedy makes you question if you can make it through.

Part I summary: One of Spencer's trips to Mexico ends badly, and you don't know how to react and what to do.

Series warnings: ANGST (with CAPS). 18+ (MDNI). Some heavy topics will be discussed and shown here. Prison arc, but mostly from Reader's perspective and Emily’s. More detailed under the cut.

Spencer lies to his wife. Drug consumption (against their will). Pregnancy symptoms. Spencer is in jail for more than three months. Hospital visits, doctor’s info dumping (not accurate). Alcohol consumption. Arguing. Strong language. A lot of crying. Emotional breakdowns. A car crash happens (as in the CM storyline). Character dies. More hospital things. Miscarriage. More angst. Depressing symptoms. Mourning. Self-doubt. Suicidal ideation, and almost consummated. Emily is everyone’s emotional support.

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Spencer thought you would be outside the correctional, just as Penelope is now, waiting for him. But you are not. He either didn't ask JJ why you weren't with her picking him up from inside in the first place. Spencer just assumed you didn't want to be in there, and he understood your reasons. You stopped visiting him because it was hard to see him locked up like that and not do anything about it. Or at least it was what you said to him in a letter Emily handed him during a visit time when you didn't show up. It was a month ago.

After a tight hug with Penelope, Spencer couldn't help but ask.

"Where is she?"

JJ, Luke, and Garcia exchange a troubled look, something Spencer sure does notice. When he sees Garcia's glassy eyes, his gaze settles on JJ and Luke for answers.

"Spence, she—" JJ doesn't know how to express a fact she knows will break her friend.

"Man, she - we should go to the hospital right now." Luke chooses to point out what to do instead of why.

"What?! Why? What happened?!" A frantic Spencer starts to question. What the hell had happened to you? Why are you in a hospital? There are too many questions in his brain right now.

With a hand on his shoulder, Luke gently propels him to start walking to the car.

"We are going to tell you everything, I swear. But let's go to the car, okay?" This time, it's JJ's turn to speak, trying to make Spencer move.

Spencer hasn't felt so confused and afraid even in the four months of being locked up in jail.

---------------

Five months ago

Exhausted. It's the definition of how you feel after the draining case you just ended in Tampa. The jet is quiet enough to assume everyone is sleeping. But although the evident tiredness consumes your body and brain, you can't bring yourself to sleep. Instead, you look at your front, where your husband is reading a book. His eyes look heavy, but you know he can't sleep either, not before decompressing first. And for that, a good book tends to work most of the time.

It's amazing how you can love someone so much. After two years of marriage and a couple of years as coworkers and friends before that, it isn't easy to think of Spencer as anything less than your soulmate and the love of your life.

You are lost in your thoughts, and you don't notice Spencer's eyes on you, a lazy smile on his face.

"Where did that pretty little head go?"

You don't know if the blush on your cheeks is from being caught or from Spencer's loving tone. Maybe both.

"Nowhere in particular. Just wondering."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-mm."

"Care to share?" Spencer asks with curious eyes.

"Well," you start, smiling at him. "Since you brought it up and knowing we have two days off, what about a getaway out of the city, huh?"

It's not a sudden idea. You and Spencer have been thinking about doing something like that for a few weeks. After a chaotic couple of months at the BAU, you both need time for yourself.

Spencer's eyes softened—a little pout on his lips.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, but I promised my mom's doctor I would be in Houston tomorrow."

You don't remember Spencer telling you that. Could it be that you had forgotten?

"Oh. I didn't know. Something happened to Diana?"

Spencer shakes his head.

"No. Just the usual. The doctors are adjusting the treatment, and we're doing a follow-up, that's all."

Another source of stress for Spencer in the past months has been Diana's health. After an important decline, he got her mom into an experimental treatment in Houston. Spencer fought hard to get her admitted, and even if you weren't sure about it, you supported him in everything related to it. That's why you won't even protest losing another chance to spend time together.

"I'm sorry," Spencer apologizes when he sees you haven't said anything. Reaching for your hand, you hold it and squeeze it reassuringly.

"It's okay, Spence. You must be there. And maybe it's a good chance for me to have a long beauty sleep," you shrug. In all honesty, your body has been yelling for uninterrupted sleeping hours in the past weeks.

"I promise we'll make up for the lost time when I come back, okay?" Spencer offers, kissing your hand. You nod and give him a soothing smile.

Some weeks later, the loud ringing of your phone wakes you from your sleep. Not fully conscious of your surroundings, you pat to the right side of the bed, expecting to feel Spencer next to you, but it's empty. Then you remember you are alone because Spencer had to go to Houston again this week.

"Hello?"

"Did I wake you up?" A confused Emily asks at the other end of the call. You check your bedside clock, and it reads 11 AM. You have been sleeping for twelve hours now.

"Yeah," you rub your tired eyes. I think I caught something. My stomach feels funny, and I was so exhausted last night. What is it? Do we have a case?"

"No, but- Have you heard from Spencer?" Emily asks cautiously.

"He called last night and told me he would come back today." There is a tense silence between you both. "Emily, what's wrong?" you ask.

"You should come to the BAU." It's all she says, and you know something bad happened.

Everything has been a blur since Emily's call and your arrival at the BAU.

As you bolt into your boss's office, you see her, David, and Penelope there, a troubled expression on their faces.

Emily is who delivers the news. Spencer has been arrested in Mexico after a car chase and caught with drugs in the trunk.

It's like she is telling you a movie plot. There is no chance she is talking about Spencer, your husband. No, it can't be. Your husband left two days ago for Houston to check on his mom, as he has been doing in the past month.

But as much as you want to deny what you are hearing, Spencer's mugshot, appearing on Garcia's screen, is screaming the truth.

You think you might throw up. And you do. Quickly excusing yourself, you run to the nearest bathroom to empty your stomach.

It's the same Emily Prentiss who enters the bathroom after you and holds your hair as you keep kneeling before the toilet.

"We are going to bring him back. I swear. Everything is going to be okay," Emily assures you, rubbing your back.

You want to believe her, but not knowing why this is happening makes it hard to think clearly.

You insist on going to Matamoros with Luke and Rossi, and no one dares to protest. You're visibly upset and confused, but staying in Quantico is not an option.

On the plane, Emily sits in front of you. You know why.

"I swear I didn't know anything, Em. I'm as confused as everyone," you confess. "And it's killing me. I know Spencer never would do what they say he did, but either I can explain why he was there."

"I know, but you must have caught something. Has Spencer seemed nervous or extremely quiet lately? Maybe a phone call or something that made him change his mood."

You think for a moment. Spencer has indeed been more pensive in recent weeks, particularly since Diana joined the new treatment. It's also true he's told you less and less about how things are going with her. But you assume it's because he's been worried about everything going well and not because something bad was happening.

A memory suddenly appears in your mind. One night after arriving from the BAU, you were making something to eat, and Spencer left his phone on the counter while he took a shower. You looked at the device, thinking it might be from work, but the name 'Dr. Medina' appeared on the screen. You didn't recognize the name because, according to what Spencer had told you, her mom's new doctor was Dr. Hammond.

"After he checked his phone, he quickly called back, but he went to the bedroom to make the call. I didn't pay enough attention. I should have done—" You trail off, and Emily rubs your arm to comfort you.

"Hey, don't. We don't know if that has to do with what's going on, so let's not get ahead of ourselves."

It's easy to say but almost impossible to achieve, especially when, upon arriving at the Matamoros police station, in one of the cells, you see your husband lying on a bench with his eyes lost in the ceiling.

"Spencer?" you mumble, but loud enough to catch Spencer's attention. He sits and looks at you with eyebrows furrowed as if trying to remember who you are. Some feet behind you, Emily, Luke, and Rossi stand, witnessing your interaction.

Without saying anything, Spencer gets up and walks over to where you are, only separated by his cell bars. With that closeness, you can see the several cuts all over your husband's face; his clothes are torn. But what shocks you are Spencer's red and lost eyes. He is visibly high.

"Do you know who I am?" you ask almost in a whisper, scared of his answer. Spencer nods slowly, his eyes shifting from lost to sad. He recognizes you.

"I'm sorry." It's not much, but you can't hold it against him right now, not when answers are required in the first place.

"Baby, it's okay. We're going to get you out of here, okay? But you need to talk to us. Can you do that?"

It's not until a couple of hours later Spencer fully returns to himself, the effects of the drugs leaving his body.

For the sake of the case, you stay out of it while Spencer tells the team what happened. You don’t want Spencer to feel uncomfortable admitting he has lied to you for weeks.

After Emily conducts a cognitive interview to get details that could help, Spencer returns to his cell. When Emily, Luke, and Rossi leave the police station to search for evidence, only you are left there with him.

Spencer looks embarrassed, and you can feel the gears in his head turning as he tries to find a way to talk to you. When he comes empty of words, he addresses you instead.

"Can you please say something?" His voice is tentative and pained.

"I don't know what you want me to say," you reply honestly.

Spencer sighs deeply. "Tell me whatever you're thinking now. Yell at me, tell me I'm a fucking liar, that I dragged you into this mess, tell me I'm a terrible husband."

You consider his words for a moment. Is it true everything Spencer says is what you're thinking? It probably is, but you don't feel like you have the energy to bring it out the way he wants. However, there is one underlying question that has been on your mind since all this started.

"Why? Why you kept it from me? You don't trust me enough to tell me those things?"

"No, don't say that. I do trust you," Spencer rushes to say, but he knows it's a weak defense considering the circumstances.

"Then I don't get it. Why, Spencer?" Your tone isn't accusatory but sad. You could have helped him if you had known. But he, for some reason, decided against it.

"I was trying to protect you," he says and shakes his head. "I know it sounds stupid now we are here, but it's true. I didn't want you to worry about my mom's situation. I'm so sorry."

Spencer is probably telling the truth, but it doesn't make you feel better. Not seeing him behind bars like this.

The helplessness of not having anticipated this situation and now being unable to do anything to solve it eats you up inside. Despite that, you know Spencer is having it worse. So you, as his partner and who loves him the way you never loved anyone, decide to put your feelings aside to be his support at this difficult moment.

"It's okay," you assure him, placing your hands between the bars to hold his. Spencer is quick to respond and grabs onto your hands as if you were a lifeline to him. "We'll figure it out."

Spencer's eyes fill with tears as he repeatedly murmurs, 'Thank you' and 'I love you.'

You have always considered yourself a strong and tenacious woman. Since you were a kid, you have been independent and able to overcome everything that came your way. But adult life has continued to test you, and this has been no exception. When you find out Nadie Ramos has been murdered and all the evidence points to Spencer, you're about to break down. Still, you can't because if you do, who's going to support your husband? You have to be strong. Some reprieve emerges when you learn Ramos is an American citizen and Spencer can be prosecuted on American soil.

Baby steps.

The jet is mostly silent, save for Emily's occasional page-turning or Luke's typing on his phone. Rossi seems to be sleeping. You and Spencer are in one of the back seats. Spencer's head is in your lap while you absentmindedly play with his hair, looking at the night sky out the window.

"You think Scratch is behind this?" Spencer asks, pulling you out of your thoughts. You consider your answer for a couple of seconds.

"I do. I mean, it's such a damn elaborate plan. I can't think of anyone but Scratch."

Spencer assumes a sitting position and examines your face. He knows you are upset. Cupping your cheeks, he looks directly at your eyes.

"I have no words to say how sorry I am. And I promise to make it up to you for the rest of my life when this is over."

You close your eyes and take a deep breath. When you open them again, you are met with Spencer's expecting gaze.

"I know you will." And you really think that. "I love you, Spencer. I'm sure we are going to get through this." Your voice trembles with emotion, but your words seal a promise you mean to keep.

"And I love you. So so much. God, I'm so lucky to have you." Spencer's arms envelope you in a tight embrace. You melt into him, breathing his scent. It's the way you usually use to ground yourself. It's hard right now because, once the jet lands in Virginia, Spencer will get snatched from you, for God knows how much time it will take.

When the BAU elevator doors open, you find JJ, Penelope, and Tara waiting for you all. Spencer has his cuffed hands covered with your FBI jacket so as not to attract too much attention. Garcia is the first to rush forward and hug him.

You only have fifteen minutes. Then, the police officers will take him to the station to book him and leave him in a cell.

JJ and Tara hug him, too. You assume they are giving him reassuring words, something you know he needs right now. From your peripheral, you see Emily exchange glances with Stephen and retreating to Emily's office. You can't say what's going on, but curiosity gets the best of you, and you follow them. You know Tara, Penelope, and JJ will keep Spencer occupied for a couple more minutes.

"What? Is the bureau abandoning him?" You hear Emily ask, visibly upset.

"They said Reid traveled with his personal passport and didn't inform the office. That's enough for them to step aside," Stephen explains.

"So we don't have legal support," Emily confirms, and Stephen nods.

You can't help but interrupt the conversation.

"What? Spencer will not have a defense?" Both Emily and Stephen startle and turn to see you. While Stephen gives you an apologetic look, Emily is quick to speak.

"Not provided by the FBI, but it doesn't mean Spencer will be alone in this. We'll find a lawyer for him."

"They do want to bury this, don't they? It's bad publicity, and Spencer will fall for it," you start to complain, your breathing picking up speed.

"Hey! We won't let that happen, do you hear me?" your boss steadies you and makes you look at her with both hands on your shoulders. "But for now, Spencer can't know. Not until we get this figured out."

As in cue, you look through Emily's window and see Spencer still chatting with JJ and Penelope.

"This is a nightmare," you mumble. Emily squeezes your shoulder.

"We're going to solve it, I promise."

You see Spencer looking around with a frown. Penelope and JJ are still talking to him, but Spencer seems to be looking for something, better said, someone: you. Cautiously, you descend the stairs to join him. You know you don’t have much time, and you know you can’t tell him about the lack of a lawyer.

“Hey,” Spencer calls when he finally sees you.

“Sorry, I went to talk to Emily about something real quick while giving you time with the team.” You don’t want to delve into specifics and hope Spencer doesn't ask about it.

“Thank you. Can we talk more privately?”

“Sure.” You both move to a corner with fewer people around. Spencer’s eyes trail every part of your face as he wants to engrave you in his memory. At the lack of words, you frown. “Spencer?”

“I know this isn’t going to be easy. I’m terrified, and not just for me. I’m scared about how this will affect you and us. I just want to say that I love you with all my heart, but I will understand if this becomes too much. You don't owe me anything. Don’t feel obligated-”

“Stop! Stop right there. Don’t even try to finish that sentence,” you rush to cut him off.

“But-”

“No. You are my husband. You are the love of my life. You are the person I chose to share my life with. In thick and thin, remember?” You cup his face so he can look directly at your eyes. “I’m not going anywhere. Physically, we’ll be apart, but I won’t rest until I get you out, and we'll be together again, okay?”

Spencer’s eyes fill with tears, and so do yours. He leans down to catch your lips with his. He can’t hold you - he’s cuffed - but for now, you can do that work. Lacing your arms around his neck, you deepen the kiss, and you can feel your tears mixing.

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise,” Spencer mumbles on your lips.

“I know you will,” you mumble back before kissing him again.

Emily clearing her throat takes you both out of your bubble.

“I’m sorry, guys, but it’s time. Police are here,” she apologetically announces. You look at Spencer, and he nods. It's time. With a last lingering kiss and an ‘I love you,’ he turns and follows Emily down the hall. Spencer doesn't turn around because he knows if he does and looks at you, he won’t be able to leave you there.

You watch him walk away and wonder if this nightmare will end soon. You don't know if you'll have the strength to hold on to him and yourself and if the love you share will be enough to keep the hope of a better tomorrow alive.

------------------

Next part

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[just-your-average-shiz-student]

Agreed to everything, but I think another aspect of the narrative that creates this double standard when it comes to Glinda and Fiyero – despite the fact that they’re extremely similar in some of their flaws – comes from the audience’s perspective regarding actions seen and unseen.

I see it as an accidental effect (I don’t think the musical meant for Glinda to come off half as unsympathetic as she does to the people criticising her actions, nor Fiyero to come out as unscathed as he does in their perception), but real regardless. The core of it is:

We see Glinda reject the offer from Elphaba.

We actually get to see their falling out, the cruel words exchanged in the beginning of the song, the tears, the brief hope, the heartbreak and the separation.

Similarly, contrary to Fiyero, who we don’t get to see doing all the horrible things being captain of the guard would demand he do --

(I need people who call him a double agent to shut up; he’s been doing it for years! He’d have to do questionable and outright bad things regardless of his real moral posturing or actual acts of defiance here and there, otherwise people would’ve gotten suspicious and potentially imprisoned or executed him)

-- Glinda does get to show the audience what she’s been doing this whole time! That’s what Thank Goodness is! We see her doing her work as a mouthpiece for everything that the Wizard believes (or at least what he needs the Ozians to believe), all while Madame Morrible is silently watching, a constant shadow keeping an eye on her every step.

Spewing propaganda against a woman she not only knows has done nothing wrong but who also has a deep emotional significance to her is, indeed, objectionably terrible, but it’s also a job that requires way less direct violent action than what Fiyero is doing, and yet people choose to focus on all the wrongs GLINDA has been doing and all the ways GLINDA has betrayed Elphaba, while Fiyero’s wrongs seem to go unnoticed or even dismissed.

Because contrary to Glinda’s, we don’t see them.

And in storytelling, having something not be shown is almost the same as it never happening in the first place, at least for the person experiencing the story.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m painfully aware that some people are just more willing to point fingers at Glinda and justify every single thing Fiyero’s ever done because of the usual “Woman does bad thing: Evil; Man does bad thing: He had his reasons” mentality. Nothing new.

However, I also think that the way the musical is structured contributes, albeit unintentionally, to this perception of their characters. The second act in particular has some pacing issues, and I feel like it’s not given nearly enough time to resolve or even explore all the subplots and loose ends left by the first act.

I’m not bashing it, Oz, no! It’s my favourite musical. But I am more than glad that the film format allows for much more time focusing on character motivations and each step they take before acting. It worked wonders for Part One and I have high hopes that it will continue to do so in Wicked: For Good.

[Wicked Act II spoilers]

[edited for tone and clarity of purpose, apologies for initial crudeness and frustration]

Okay, obviously I'm biased, but I'm gonna need the Fiyeraba shippers to please set a lot of your people straight about some things. I've seen way too many people trying to say that Glinda is just a selfish bimbo and that Fiyero is a virtuous and selfless figure more worthy of Elphaba's love. I'll set aside for now the idea of "worthiness" in this context. But let's start off with Fiyero joining the Wizard. Hoo boy...

Yes, he was initially somewhat less tolerant of the propaganda against Elphaba than Glinda was; yes, he was secretly trying to find her so he could run away with her or whatever. But honey: those facts DO NOT fully absolve his actions as the Wizard's top officer, or selfish recklessness throughout Act II. I see so many popular threads and posts romanticizing and whitewashing with "oh but he didn't REALLY join the Wizard, he just pretended so he could try to get to Elphie! It's all for love, and he sacrificed everything for her!" As if the literal captain of the literally fascist forces responsible for the oppression of Animals wasn't equally responsible for said oppression?? Hello? Fiyero really didn't think of seeking out Elphaba in ANY other way that DIDN'T involve becoming *checks notes*... the trusted leader of the troops committing all the abuses she's fighting against in the first place???? Like it's cool and all that he helped with Brrr, and it's all well and good that he planned on betraying the Wizard as soon as he found Elphaba (which took literal years, so I guess we're left to assume he was prepared to just keep doing fascism indefinitely if she didn't show up????), but uh... it's kind of concerning to how eager some of you are to make excuses for this dude volunteering as the head of the Ozian Gestapo??? smdh

He didn't accomplish anything from it either, by the way — like yeah, we get it, he did everything he did whilst silently fantasizing about running away with the Witch he was being paid to hunt. Fine. But I can't be the only one who doesn't buy that as an actual excuse???? Like, guys: nobody forced him to join the fascist army — even with crazy ulterior motives. He wasn't coerced into it; it wasn't his only choice or anything. Searching for Elphaba did not somehow compel him to go and volunteer to follow (or to give!) orders in the name of the dictator who was trying to have her assassinated the entire time. He could have just not done all that. (Genuinely so curious how the second film plans on covering that material tbh)

Glinda made several questionable decisions that can be (and have been) debated, but she is still very unambiguously a victim. Her position in the Wizard's regime was foisted upon her. There are things we can discuss, but I find that many folks need reminding that Glinda would undoubtedly have been disposed of (or worse) if she failed to make herself useful. I mean hell: she wasn't even supposed to meet the Wizard in the first place — she was only there because of Elphie. If she'd tried to resist, it would have immediately gotten her labeled the Witch's accomplice. As soon as she'd chosen not to get on the broom, her fate was out of her hands, and all available options were varying degrees of horrible.

That's not the case with Fiyero. He went to the Wizard all on his own; no one ever cornered or forced him into it. Thinking Animals are people, and having a crush on Elphaba, simply did not stop him from carrying out the regime's orders — for years. It's not clear exactly how long he's been captain at the start of Act II, but the clear implication is that he's been a soldier for most of the time skip. I've seen Fiyeraba accounts with headcanons about him acting as a double agent, secretly doing stuff to help Animals — and that's a great idea, it would indeed serve to make a lot of his actions way more palatable — but until we actually get to SEE some of that (maybe they'll add it for the movie version of Act II; we'll have to see), there is nothing in the story to suggest that. He certainly didn't do a damn thing for all those Animals who were enslaved and caged in the Wizard's palace — and we don't see a single other Animal outside of there in Act II, so as far as we know Fiyero has participated over those years in the near-total removal of Animals from Ozian society. In the name of "finding Elphaba". Not fighting for her cause. Just finding HER. For HIMSELF.

It's fine to have a ship you like, obviously — and there is genuinely a lot to like about Fiyeraba, I don't dislike the idea of them as a couple or as friends — but come on guys: please stop those out there idealizing Fiyero as somehow a clear "morally-superior" alternative to Glinda, lol. The dude had power, access, and opportunities, for years, that he could have wielded in any number of really selfless, revolutionary ways. He didn't. And I propose (apparently controversially): he simply didn't want to. And that — at the end of the day — is (much as some would like to deny it) true to his character. He always WANTED to be self-absorbed and shallow, and all his actions are consistent with that. Elphaba saw depth and discontentment in him, yes: but (and I cannot stress this enough) when given the chance, he channeled that in the wrong direction. He didn't confront that and become a better person — for the most part he just displaced and projected it onto Elphaba as an object of obsession, and put on an even thicker pretense than before.

All his actions — regardless of the complexity he has deep down — are those of a man who never gives one fuck about anything or anyone, except (kinda sorta) Elphaba. But even then: at no time does the care he has for her seem to extend to caring about any of her wants or needs outside of sexual validation from him, or how she might feel about his actions, or indeed the impacts of those actions upon her, her cause, or anyone or anything else. I don't think it should be all that controversial to say: he doesn't think through the wider repercussions of anything he does — thoughtlessness is just one of his core character traits. He doesn't think ahead or see meaning in anything outside of what can temporarily excite him, in the moment. I think people place a little too much weight on Elphaba clocking him with regard to his internal pain, and seem to expect (understandably of course) that she is not only right, but moreover that he will grow from that in a positive direction, based on her influence.

But he doesn't. If anything, we get a surprising inverse: he pretty much proves her wrong. Not to say he didn't have hidden depth and all that, like she said: but his hypothetical heart of gold proves not to really amount to much in practice. He doesn't grow out of his shallowness and his self-centeredness: he grows into it in a way that he hadn't quite yet in school. Where once he was only masking an internal listlessness, after he's been cracked open by Elphaba he decides to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow, not just coasting by. He performs in new ways — as a soldier, eventually as a "fiancé", etc. — but by Act II we meet a Fiyero who has staked the last remaining shred of humanity in him on the vain pursuit of the only object of his desire that has ever been unavailable to him, and firmly chosen to say to hell with everyone and everything else.

When put to the test, Fiyero sacrifices Glinda, the Animals, and all else that Elphaba actually cared about, to pursue his own unresolved crush from college. Mostly to get in her pants, really — as harsh as I'm sure that sounds. But let me be frank: that is literally all he ever accomplishes in the show. He gives her dick one time, and one of his castles, and that's it. That's the culmination of his years trying to find her — years in which he actively worked as one of the stormtroopers (or even the one commanding them) committing untold crimes against Animalkind (who, again, it seems have been all but erased from Oz by Act II): y'know, the very crimes Elphaba sacrificed her life to try and stop????? He spent the most important time of his life — of his own free will — being a fascist soldier, but he "did it for her" somehow, so according to some, it's perfectly fine. Heroic, even. Yikes??

But let's make something very clear (since my original version of this post caught a lot of flak, including slurs and other rudeness):

I like Fiyero. I find his role extremely interesting (I could do a whole dissertation on him, but I'm especially a fan of the way his proving Elphaba's assessment of him wrong presents a fascinating parallel and contrast with Glinda, which I think is lost on a lot of people). But PLEASE stop with all the misguided Glinda slander and idealization of Fiyero. By all means, thirst! But don't give me all this bullshit about him deserving Elphaba more, or being super deep, or being really principled or noble or whatever else. He does have layers, and quite intriguing ones, but his insides are straw — he isn't meant to have some deep, overwrought emotional core or motivations; he has passions that he acts upon when given the chance. That's it. And that's fine. Actually kind of refreshing in a story rooted in simple children's fantasy but rife with intensely complicated personalities. Fiyero makes it his mission to represent denial of depth and embrace of raw, spontaneous desire — and I for one love that, and wish others appreciated it.

And in all seriousness, shipping wars aside: by the end of the story, it's Glinda who is ultimately vindicated, and has — for all her faults — made the necessary choices to fulfill Elphaba's wishes, bring down the regime, etc. And all that despite herself. She's miserable: not just because of the mistakes she made, but because of her correct moves as well. Fiyero is simply not — and could never be — that person. And that's okay! Like I said: I am not anti-Fiyero. Fiyero's willingness to throw it all away for the sake of sheer, overriding passion is a huge part of what people like about him, of course — and it's an obvious factor in the attraction between him and Elphaba, because she has her own flavor of that impulse as well — but I'd actually argue that it's not romantic, it's his fatal flaw. And thematically that's fantastic! But I just don't believe that it somehow means he "deserves Elphaba more" because he "gave up his life for her" or whatever. In part because NOBODY truly "deserves" Elphie tbh, not 100% (and I question anybody who claims otherwise), but ultimately because I don't accept the idea that his fleeting acts of passion make up for all the shit leading up to them (or even proceeding after them tbh). At least Glinda managed to do what Elphaba always wanted in the end — but I would die on this hill even if Gelphie didn't exist.

You don't have to agree with my analysis of Fiyero and his choices, relationships, etc. — that's fine. What isn't fine is trying to portray Glinda as some kind of spineless traitor whore for the Wizard and Fiyero as a conscientious hero who earned Elphie through self-sacrifice. That's just not the story that was written. It's WAY messier and more interesting than that.

[raayllum]

Can you explain why Claudia is so upset with Terry when they reunite after he leaves? And why Terry, of all people, looks so guilty with her that he can't even look her in the eye? It's one of those things where you know this should all be reversed, but isn't. Why? Why is the betrayer so hostile to the betrayed?

God I loved the messy as fuck whatever they had going on Claudia and Terry dynamic in S7, and I think there's a few reasons why

One of the cruxes of Claudia's character is that she is attached to seeing herself as a good person, and others as not-good by comparison. This means that she can engage in the exact same behaviour and justify it while assuming that others' reasonings couldn't possibly measure up.

This cognitive dissonance is not exclusive to Claudia (Callum and Rayla in particular have a tendency to justify each other's choices in ways they don't with other characters, i.e. Rayla viewing dark magic use being 'evil' except when Callum is using it and he's the 'goodest' person she knows) but the focus on 'my view of myself' largely is. Most other characters in TDP are focused on "I still view this other person as a good person," not being focused on "I view myself as a good person". But Claudia is, and it's this core desire being increasingly pitted against "I will do vile, awful things to keep my family together" that are constantly duking it out.

When Claudia finds Soren and Terry waiting for her, it's clear that not only has Terry joined her brother, but has turned against her (as he could've left and then just fucked off somewhere else). This association with Soren, I think, is one of the things that gets her haunches raised, since Soren made it very clear what he thinks the last time they saw one another in 4x07:

SOREN: You have to stop trying to release the greatest evil this world has ever known. CLAUDIA: I knew you wouldn't understand.

All Claudia hears is "there's something wrong with you." That she's the bad guy and on the Wrong side (which, to be fair, Soren also calls her and Viren bad humans when trying to wake Rex Igneous in 4x09). And, by extension, that Soren is better than her. More correct, more moral, more Right.

And Claudia cannot stand feeling judged. She cannot stand being treated like 'the bad guy' (because of course from her perspective, everything she does is right) and she struggles to hold a conception of "I did something genuinely wrong and can still be a good person" (see: "We're not going to the dungeons Soren, we didn't do anything wrong") usually leaning into one or the other, and normally the latter.

So Terry being with Soren is also "you think I'm wrong, you think I'm bad, and you think you're Better than me" (vs Aaravos' "believed we could be better, so he gave us magic"). She thinks the pair are there to stop her, and she's not wrong, on a certain level.

So when Soren makes a gesture of good will, openly contingent on Terry wanting to spare her ("You're here to save me? How generous [...] I can change, and you will help me. Did I get everything?" Karim vibes), it's just seen as "you're showing off how/why you think you're Better than me" and was, quite frankly, never going to work.

Soren setting down his sword came closer, as it's more reciprocal, and it also symbolizes Soren setting down his mantle/duty (the same sword that killed Viren the first time, presumably). But Soren makes another mistake; the same mistake he made in 4x07:

Dad is dead, Claudia. You don't have to do what he wants anymore.

Set down your staff, Claudia. Dad's staff.

But while Claudia has been doing stuff for Viren, she hasn't done what he wanted in a long time. She's been doing what she wants ("You are not letting go, Dad!") for a hot second, and now alongside Aaravos. (I need to write a scene on her and Aaravos' talk in 7x06, but that's for another day.) And that has included taking down elves and dragons as a whole (and any elf that doesn't help her) for a while.

The dragons and the elves, all the arrogant fools blinded by the searing light of their own self-righteousness.

They are wrong, and she and Aaravos are right ("So much we can make right"). This is a very black-and-white viewpoint in many ways, one that some characters are faster as dismantling than others, but I have no doubt that Arc 3 will push it to its breaking point for all of them. Soren and Terry have thrown in their loyalties with the elves and dragons, since Terry was previously a "good elf Exception" alongside Aaravos because they were both helping her and, as previously discussed, Terry has now turned against her, and all the baggage Claudia carries about such a thing is now dumped onto him by proxy (which Terry doesn't necessarily know or understand).

So what does he look so guilty over?

Honestly? The illusion plan. I'm sure he's worried that Claudia might get hurt, and that things might escalate / go south, but he is ultimately there with a plan that is not what he wanted. What Terry wanted was to find the real Lissa and give Claudia a real chance to connect with her mother and maybe change her ways. But it's not real. It's deception, and he knows it.

TERRY: You lied to me! AARAVOS: I never lie. I simply said we needed a big feather and a very small feather. That is all. TERRY: No. You say you never lie, what you do is worse. You tell people half-truths and let people fill in the rest. You make people lie to themselves. It's deception. It's manipulation, and it's wrong.

She betrayed him, and now in his own way he's betraying her.

So what makes him decide to turn around and do something... similar, shall we say? There's a few things. The first is that they're on a time limit and have no way to reach Lissa. The second is that it's plausible the others were going to do it anyway, and Terry accompanied them because 1) he couldn't stop them, 2) he felt responsible, and 3) hoped that his presence would make a positive difference to Claudia.

The second is the other half of what Aaravos says to Terry, I think.

TERRY: I'll tell Claudia. AARAVOS: Oh, it will change nothing. She loves me. [...] And what of Claudia, then? She knows so much more than she tells you, and she keeps it that way to protect you.

Now, Terry rightfully understands that Claudia wasn't keep things from him to protect him; she did it to use him and to keep him from leaving ("I knew he'd leave once he found out"). However, Terry being willing to live in a half-truth and employ one on Claudia because he genuinely believes it will help her, because he thinks it's a truth he needs to withhold to protect her ("You have to promise me that no harm will come to Claudia" is most easily kept if she backs down)... that I can believe, especially since it lets him believe that she's capable of change/quitting. He wants to Save her, not use her.

That doesn't mean he thinks it won't Hurt.

[faerghusfucker]

hello tumblr user faerghusfucker, I love your character design takes. The detail in the Felix hair take fascinates me, because I personally know nothing about hair. Do you have any other hair-headcanons about other characters in the game?

hello tumblr user maxthewickedgoblin!!! the answer is yes i do, and i just need to preface this post by stating just how excited this ask got me. i got it in the middle of working on a pile of assignments and i decided to make answering it a reward for when i finished them all bc this is a topic im so passionate abt that even just giving myself time to THINK more abt it is like a treat.

also this is the first post im making from my computer instead of my phone lol, i anticipate itll be a long one so. it's real keyboard time. btw if yall want me to expand on any of these more you need only ask and i will yap for all eternity. i hold this information in my soul all the time i love yapping abt this shit

An Eclectic Collection of FE3H Hairstyle Headcanons

ingrid's father doesn't allow her to cut her hair. it's like unwieldy long pre-ts and it looks super split ends-y, probably to make her more "marriageable" and appealing to the noblemen that he sends her proposals from. In both houses and hopes she defies his wishes by joining the army, and i think her cutting her hair is a symbol of that defiance as well. she is COMMITTING to the knighthood thing, marriage is of no concern to her, and so she changes her appearance as a result

similar thing with mercedes!!! she has the same marriage conflict as ingrid does (it's a little different with her tho, ingrid loves her father and mercedes. well you know), and i think the hair thing caries over too. she becomes a nun post-ts in houses and cuts her hair way shorter, but there's also a noticeable lack of the fluffy, wavy texture it has pre-ts. idk if this would be a requirement for nuns in the church of seiros, but it seems that in turning herself fully over to her faith, she also reduced her focus on worldly/selfish things such as fancy products for her hair and spending hours on styling it, so maybe that's why it's so much straighter in addition to being shorter

i know i already yapped abt felix FAR too much so here's a cutesy one lol i think he lets ppl play with his hair if they want to. he lets mercedes brush it and put braids in it when she misses emille and he didnt protest too hard when annette wanted to put flowers in it for the ball (spoiler for my ball felix design). he also takes SUPER good care of it. of all the characters in the game except maybe hilda, his hair routine is the most detailed. you know he has special brushes and oils and shit, his hair is SILKYYYY

you didnt think i JUST had blue lions headcanons, did you???? SURPRISE

i think dorothea's natural hair texture is her post-timeskip houses one, and in every other design she's curled it. i mean come on, she was a diva in an opera company, of course she knows how to do her hair super nice, and she carried that skill with her to the academy to try and attract a good spouse. but as we learn more about her and she grows up a little more, she starts to drop her flirty facade and be more authentic instead, and you guessed it, wearing her natural hair more :3

linhardt is VERY picky abt his hair length. obviously hes autistic and so he probably doesnt like how it feels when the cold air hits his neck. but at the same time, when his hair gets longer than his shoulders it tangles too easily, and it's far too much work to brush all of that hair. his hair has to sit AT his shoulders (in hopes he gets too busy with the war effort to cut it and so he's in-between haircuts in that one. he hates it so much. someone give my dear son a trim)

ferdinand's hair grows CRAZY fast. did you guys see the length of it in the houses timeskip????? unreal. like linhardt he starts out very meticulous with it-- a nobleman must be well-groomed, after all-- but once the war starts and he loses his territory i think he gets a lil depressed and kind of just. doesnt do it anymore lol

this one's a little out there but i think hubert is blind in his hidden eye and thats why he puts his hair over it. hes never told anyone abt it bc it would be a major weakness in battle if someone knew he had a massive blind spot. this is part of the reason he takes so well to magic thats super big and destructive so he doesnt need to be super precise abt where he's hitting. he struggles with weapons A LOT so he makes sure hes an absolute beast in magic to make up for it

marianne never learned to do her own hair, but she learned to braid horse manes after spending so much time with them and so she just applied that knowledge to herself. after getting closer to hilda, she very nervously and quietly asked if she could show her how to make her hair look nice, and homegirl JUMPED at the opportunity (hilda had been wanting to fix her gf's hair up for so long but she was being nice abt it)

lorenz lets his father cut his hair for him. need i say more

byleth (both of them) trims their hair with a dagger, and they've gotten really good at it. mercenery work doesn't pay well enough for things like hairdressers, and they've never really given much thought to their appearance until arriving at the monastery and having everyone ogle at them all the time.

that SHOULD be everything but i'll probably think of more later. i legit thought of a few new ones as i wrote them lmao. i'm actually going to school for game design rn and specializing in concept art so this is the type of shit i think of. for my career lmao it's super fun. please spam my askbox with headcanons or questions or whatever the fuck i love to talk and i think it's bonkers other ppl like to read what i write lol. see you next time with that felix drawing :3

[megamindsecretlair]

Writing Tip #7

Whewww.

Seven??? How yall let me get up to seven?? Lmfaooo. I am so overjoyed that my tips are helping. So I'm back with another one!

Keep in mind that you're in charge of your own media experience. I bring up many examples but this is not aimed at anyone. If you feel itchy, bring it up with your higher power, not me 😚

Today, we're learning the art of lingering. And how to identify where the "story" is so you have a more well-rounded fic. This is a long post, so forgive me!

Learn to Linger

This goes by many names. "Promise of the premise" is the most common in screenwriting and novel writing circles, but it's essentially the idea that first sparked this whole get down. A professor gets with his student, meeting the parents for the first time, or a Mafia boss runs across a helpless, sweet woman. Whatever it is, it typically goes in your summary to get people excited.

However, I am noticing that some of us promise one thing and then deliver something else. It isn't necessarily bad, I know we want to keep the mystery alive, but you have to respect your readers.

There comes a time when a writer has to decide if they want to tell a story or focus on a vibe. Do you want to have fun or do you want to explore this in a more professional way? Both are valid, both are good choices, but you cannot have it both ways.

If you want to have fun and do whatever you want, this tip isn't really for you. You're in charge of your own media experience and you will not hurt my feelings by bowing out now. Be honest with yourself 👏🏽

For those that want to level up, gather round, gather round 👏🏽

If you want to take this a bit more serious (does not have to mean you want to publish, only that you want to exercise this creative muscle), then we have to learn to linger.

There's nothing inherently wrong with being in a rush to write smut. This site will make us believe that we *have* to write smut to get engagement. This is false. If you like writing smut, great. If not, that's still great 👏🏽 but if the only thing you want to write is smut, you can do that too. 😉 and keep in mind that YOU can be the change you want to see. If you want more fluff, write it. 👏🏽

Smut is less about the actual act. Anyone can do that. Dick goes in vagina, both climax, boom the end. No muss, no fuss. But to tell a *story* with smut, it's about the build up, the anticipation, the banter, the teasing, and the lingering touches.

If you're promising a werewolf fic, I need to see some werewolf shenanigans. I need some lore, some world building, or some pack dynamics. If you're promising a fantasy, I need to see Terry casting spells and waving a wand around. If you're promising a wounded Terry fic who relies on the kindness of strangers, I need to see him getting patched up and building that bridge to the reader/OC.

If you're writing a professor/student fic, I need to see him being a teacher or at least wrestling with the fact that he's boning a student. Because while fantasy is nice, there would be real world consequences if they were discovered.

If you're writing a Mafia boss Terry fic, I need to see him do some Mafia shit. Order a hit on someone, kill someone himself, pay off the police to hide his activity, throw some monkey wrenches into his plans. But sorry, no woman worth her salt is gonna bust it open for a gangster if she's been a goody-two-shoes her entire life or *just* got out of an abusive relationship. No matter how damn pretty he is.

It is okay if all you wanna do is write smut. 👏🏽 It's okay if you want to make the character "out of character" and interpret how you see fit 👏🏽. It's also okay if you want to write original fiction with Aaron Pierre or Laz Alonso or John Boyega as the face claim. But if you're promising me Terry, I need to see Terry.

Develop some headcanons for your chosen character. Gather clues about their background from the movie or show they're from. But if you don't want to do that, be up front that this is out of character.

I may be alone and this is definitely a personal pet peeve, but if you're writing Fontaine from They Cloned Tyrone or Terry from Rebel Ridge, I want more of the *character*. No one is perfect. I'm not perfect. And my characterization may not be 100% the character, but I'd like to think that I at least have him about 85-90% right 🤭

Stories need a beginning, middle, and end. The possibilities are endless but be honest about what you're trying to achieve. If you just want to write about getting your rocks off with Terry, by all means 🙌🏽 you don't need all the extras on top. Just make it modern/slice of life and have at it 👏🏽

But if you want to tell a story and you want it to stay with people and you want to craft a connection between Terry and Reader/OC, then you're gonna have to do some extra work. You may have to research, you may have to outline, you may have to think of what the characters want and toss in obstacles preventing them from getting it.

Whatever it is, you can't get from point A (the beginning) to point Z (the smut) without some build up. Without setting the scene. Without *showing* how we got there. Because if you're promising Mechanic!Terry who *just* met Reader and in the next paragraph they're in the back fucking, just write them fucking. He ain't got to be a mechanic. He could be some random in a bar that Reader picked up. And that's still okay 👏🏽 I will read 100 variations on this theme if you're honest, but if you promise and then don't deliver, that's not respecting your readers.

The point is to have fun, first and foremost, but have fun crafting and telling a story. Not just popcorn smut porn. The payoff (the smut) will hit so much harder if you learn to linger and draw out the story.

I am not an expert 🙌🏽 but try it. See what happens. Stretch that beautiful, big brain you have 😚

If you liked this tip, let me know. Let me know what else I can cover. Find more about my process and more writing tips at Behind the Megadome.

[tumblingxelian]

"Are we discussing the writers intentions with Jaune, Jaune as a general character or the audience reception to Jaune and are we singling out a specific audience or the collective?"

All three really. The collective.

To start, I'm fascinated by how Jaune seems to contrast the girls in terms of their development. His growth is very loud and in your face in specific moments like Jaundice or the prom or Volume 3's finale.

Hell, his moment in the Battle for Haven has him not getting the trauma induced power up to punch Cinder hard but rather to heal Weiss. After that, he's to the side healing those who need it. It's a big moment but his only moment aside from a small passing mention of his semblance.

It feels like peaks and valley when it comes to the times when he gets the focus.

All while the girls have each of their journeys spread across the whole show's intended run. Ruby's arc of trying to move forward too much has always been there but with weekly episode releases and hiatuses between seasons, it's causes even those who are well meaning to overlook it.

I don't know if that came out right so make of my thoughts what you will.

OK so its too hot for me to do any recording or other projects but I can answer asks, so let's get to this (Cracks bottle of cold water over my head) Let's do this!

So, Jaune is certainly a divisive character and while I have warmed up to him somewhat over the years, and while I adore RWBY I often feel he can be a disruptive element, but also one that does in fact serve a purpose. Keep that in mind for my response going forward.

So, touching on your stuff first, it is interesting, though I would argue against the idea that the girls don't also at times have very loud character development.

Weiss's shifter after talking to Port, her summons, the Atlas party, ETC. Blake running away & confronting Roman, her everything with Ilia, the final confrontation with Adam and the Bees kiss as just some examples.

Interestingly Ruby and Yang are on the more quiet end of character development scales with stuff building up slowly and quietly. Though not without their big moments, Ruby's eulogy and explosion, Yang's confrontation with Raven and the bees kiss, ETC.

Still, I think I see what you mean in how these things tend to be framed and handled in a much more varied way than media usually does.

IE, Jaune losing it at Cinder in V5 is basically him lacing the temperament of a Huntsmen that his allies have and it accomplishes nothing on his end as far as "Badass confrontation" goes and instead he only starts to grow after leaning into the role of support & healer, even defaulting more to Yang as leader in V7 during their rescue work.

Overall and I said this in my Bees essay that CRWBY like long form story telling, and that influences a lot of how RWBY is written.

In these regards Jaune does feel interesting/odd because he does have several... Archetypical moments of character growth as you say. What's interesting to me and what I think the writers are going for is that how good some of these even are for him can be questionable.

What I mean is like...

Jaune went to Beacon with a very "Idiot Shounen hero" attitude towards things. He cheated his way into an elite school and kind of just assumed it'd work out. He didn't try that hard in classes till he was being blackmailed, rejected help out of pride and even when he did seek it out it was only after he had a "win" under his belt that wasn't even wholly his but he doesn't know that.

The thing is, very little ever went Jaune's way on these things either in the short term or long term.

IE, he short term he showed up at Beacon and nearly died and or failed (Subversion of his shounen expectations.) But then he was helpedby a cool girl who ineplicably liked him and said he had a lot of Aura! (This falls in line with his Shounen expectations!)

But then it turns out he still sucks at classes and having what a girl who has a crush on you says is a lot of Aura doesn't mean much when surrounded by other people who also have a lot of Aura and have been training all their lives (Subversion again)

He then manages to retain his pride and defend his team and wins a battle "All on his own" except he ignored Glynda's advice and only won because Pyrrha guided his hand. Though after this he did swallow his pride and get help, its sort of net neutral?

Moving forward he wasn't that involved in the plot, but his stuff in V2, was very "Standard" school stuff, but then it was followed up by his love interest also being his mentor being a problem because Pyrrha fulfilled the trope of the mentor dying. Jaune was also cut out of that entire conflict (Wisely) because he's not actually the main character and he'd only get in the way. (Subversions all round! Be it for the cool girl liking the Shounen loser, him not being the MC, Pyrrha being his mentor and the tragic "Brightest of their generation" before she was his love interest and so on!)

Just within the first three volumes we see that there's this dichotomy of Jaune trying t and sometimes even getting to play much more standard story beats "Straight" that RWBY usually avoid. Only for them to then get blindsided by RWBY's more subversive elements.

But the key thing here is you only notice the latter if you pay attention to the whole, and not the individual moments. This is a problem I had with Jaune till about V6/7; because despite my insights here I do think the execution has been murky more often than not.

Still, with the above in mind, I think one can easily where how things flow out from there, with Jaune trying to play these self assigned roles and getting these moments of "Standard storytelling."

Only for something to come along later and put a spin on it.

V4 Jaune gives a nice speech to Ruby but it ultimately just serves to reinforce her burgeoning issues because he also missed her tendency to repress and when placed in a scenario like he would have been with Pyrrha he froze up and couldn't act, IE Tyrian almost getting Ruby.

He finally got his big speech and rage at Cinder, but was actively being told to chill by Qrow and Cinder gives near zero fucks and rather than getting a power up he gains a power that assigns him a support role over a "badass" role.

We also get to see something in V6 which I thin is often neglected in Jaune analysis, that boy has a fucking temper!

We've seen it with him shouting at Pyrrha, at Cinder and then outright attacking Oscar. But he always calms down afterwards and no one seems to hold it against him, but the thing is this means he never really works on it. The only thing that can shut it down is his own sense of shame rather than actual self control like say, Yang has.

But I digress, my interpretation of the writers intent but I basically think Jaune is meant to serve four purposes in the narrative:

1: Counterpart & foil to Ruby as leaders with very different skills & roles in universe. 2: Counterpart & commentary on shitty male authority figures who needs to unlearn toxic masculinity. 3: A longform subversion of the typical "idiot Shounen hero" who gets by on gumption and lots of natural talent. 4: The closest person we get to a wholly normal person in universe, as even Oscar has an ancient wizard in his head.

These are all interesting things and I can see what the creators are aiming for, or so I believe. However, I do think the execution of all this is often murky.

The short form stuff I mention above is some of the hardest to grapple with cos until you see it pay off it just seems like standardized story tropes, and even then the emphasis these ideas require to work can be disruptive to other characters narrative importance.

What's more while interesting and impossible to fully comment on until the story is wholly done, it is hard to say how strictly necessary some of these ideas are to explore given RWBY's limited run time. & the fact some of them could be divided up and given to more temporary characters who don't need as much narrative real estate.

Thus I can definitely get why people often find Jaune frustrating. Hell, I can often find him frustrating, especially because I think some of his traits are meant to evoke a degree or irritation with him. But all of this also feeds into why he can be such a divisive character.

As for people who just project onto Jaune and make him super harm big badass, ugh, idiots unworthy of consideration who frankly shouldn't be watching RWBY, I have nothing to say to them.

Anyway I hope this was coherent, thanks for the ask, sorry it took so long!

[utilitycaster]

I was reading your posts about interesting moments in CR3 and different possibilities that could’ve added positively to the campaign and the party split was an interesting point. Honestly I can’t help but wonder that if we had one party who

1- met guests who had a positive relationship with different gods (there are 12 Primes right? Why did both parties end up interacting with Pelor) to broaden the knowledge through player-player interactions

2- were sent to a place with a mix of religion and culture and explore a region with NPCs offering a different viewpoint

Because honestly as much as I enjoyed the split, I felt kinda bummed out that both parties experienced even more negative feedback re: the gods: Deanna forced to come back by a god or the village being taken over and forced by a religious group. Even more so when it was Pelor in focus both times and he is one of the harshest ones.

If one party had a different experience, because none of them had any personal experience and were mostly working off their own hurts when asked ‘should the gods be killed’, then maybe the debate when they reunited could’ve been different. Instead of Orym being the only one to say ‘Ludinus is bad guys.’

It felt like having someone be horrified at their gods being killed would be a good shock to the ‘meh’ reaction the party was constantly having. Or the guests being meh about it too (or it just being a weird comedy improv moment).

I wasn’t on tumblr, but were people wondering why both instances were negative religiously? Do you think it could’ve impacted the group positively if Matt had made the encounters different?

Hi anon, I mean this as kindly as possible but I have repeatedly been saying for literally over a year at this point that the issue is not that Bells Hells lacks a pro-god member. I feel like I get questions like this every few months and I say something like this every few months and I know it's a fandom and I don't expect everyone to read every post on my blog but like, I do have to read every post on my blog and it's getting tiresome.

Bells Hells had a pro-god member in FCG and were frequently pretty belittling and unkind to them about that, frankly, until the moment of their death. I also think (and iirc Aabria has clarified out of game) that Deanna is not in fact mad at Pelor. She has a lot of issues with the actions of other worshipers, and she has complicated feelings, but I would not under any circumstances say her perception of the Dawnfather was negative. I also think she is something of a Keyleth case, of "if I do not let out this anger towards a deity, it will be directed towards the person I'm actually mad at, whom I love, and that's much harder to face and process, so I will be shaking my fist at the sky instead." I also think that the character of Bor'Dor is a great example of the awful manipulation that the Ruby Vanguard took part in and how like most cults they destroy the lives of their followers, rendering them unable to see outsiders as anything but the enemy, and that most people don't escape.

If you are dealing with people whose genuine reason for enabling what amounts to either genocide or extinction of a species, depending on your perspective, is "I asked for help from them [in a vague and indirect sense] and never received it", having someone else say "well I had help and it was great" is not going to change their minds. The thing that would have fixed Bells Hells is, as someone else said, having significant ties to the world outside of each other, who they've at most known for 2 years and change. As is they have little investment or care for any of the other people of Exandria while claiming to be their voice. You do not need a love of the gods to make, as Caduceus said, the kind choice. You do need a love, or at least an effort made in the direction of love, for the mortals of Exandria and Ruidus, and they do not have that. And from an outside perspective again we can discuss that this is largely a failure on the DM-ing side but within the context of the story that is the problem, that this is the behavior of people who spend more time arguing in favor of people who are long dead (after uh. trying their own genocide) than in the presence of the many common people on Exandria and Ruidus who are alive.

[juchily]

Yellowjackets official trailer thoughts

The SOS message was crossed out to be changed to "SOS going *deeper*" so caves??

Mari's in danger lol

theyre putting together the feast thing I can see at least Nat and Van are I can't tell who the others are

they saved one of the seats from the airplane to turn into a seat at their new camp, just thought that was a cool detail

Lottie gets bloody, probably eating something (think that's her? Looks like her coat too)

second winter hunt outfits so we'll get some sort of look at the second winter

when the girls are jumping (Misty, Akilah, etc) they're chanting "Burn"

Tai shoots someone, probably Ben

Misty is sowing the seeds of deceit into the group, we can see it looks like she's telling Shauna that Nat might know where coach Ben is but just isn't telling them and might not deserve to be the leader. It's really interesting because she's selling out Nat here for supposedly lieing about knowing where Ben is. Maybe she acts the way she does in the adult timeline, being buddy-buddy with Nat because she regrets it

this is what probably leads to Shauna doing her coup thing

Natalie goes back to the plane wreck, she seems shocked? I wouldn't image Ben's actually hiding there so I wonder what that's about

Nat gets beat/hit, guess it's a trial against her (WHHHYYYYY)

and then they go to hunt Ben down I'm guessing to "give the wilderness what it wants"

they let out lanterns, five specifically with Lottie being the head of whatever ceremony this is supposed to be. They're dressed in the same robes as during the new feast

Shauna gets to bury wilderness baby now that the ground is soft again, maybe Nat going back to the plane wreck is to finally bury Jackie's bones

What *did* they tell people when they got rescued? We know Lottie went nonverbal, a good few of them if not all of them probably did at least immediately after. We know they stayed low besides Taissa with her senator stuff but that was even longer after the initial rescue by two decades. They "prayed/preyed" but what else did they tell officials? Will we get a look at an interview scene either for a live show or by the cops maybe?

Shauna is *not* chill this season and I love it but also nat deserves so much better right now

Lottie bites into a piece of meat during the festival thing I think?? The girls are all screaming

Shauna gets a letter with the symbol on it. Note that before this scene we see someone with a letter/file thing in their hands, they're light skinned wearing a gray hoodie, Shauna in the second scene is wearing something different + Shauna also gets a cassette tape (I believe that's what it is)

Someone is picking up a Queen card from the ground, a road (Hilary Swanks new character?)

Tai and Van are out in public, looks like they're talking, they're dressed in all black clothes it looks, idk what's going on anymore

Shauna goes to Misty it looks like about the letter she got and Misty is on the case (dressed in what's probably adult Nat's jacket)

it looks like there's a person in a bag or covered in some sort of sheet?? I have absolutely no clue what this scene is but it's interesting for them to add

Callie and Misty... The duo I never knew I needed. Callie does not believe any of Misty's shit

Ben screaming, like hes definitely being eaten alive i just can't get if he isn't

Lottie gets out of the ward?? Maybe it's a scene of adult Lottie getting out of the ward after she was first put in it after the rescue

misty's cute bright green watch I can't, and really?? Is that underwear as a mask she's a carpet muncher your honour

looks like adult tai eating sea food?

That odd scene of Misty looking to stab Shauna again

Hillary Swanks character running (the only thing I can think of with the focus on Melissa in the trailer and it seeming that she gets more screentime this season is that its adult Melissa)

Tai and Van are running?

we see an arrow hit a tree, which is dod because they don't have a bow and arrow and I know for a fact they don't know how to make a bow and arrow, so unless this is in the adult timeline, very interesting

a very gory scene?? I really can't make it out it might be Tai? It also might be a hand coming down to cover the person's mouth??

infighting during the second winter

weird fire supernatural shit

ghost jackie <3

Nat is horrified

Tai is crying hysterical horrified in adult timeline (lord if something happened to Van... It could be something about Simone and Sammy—was that the kids name?— too)

shauna crashing out adult timeline too

Lottie screaming, like normal

close up of either Melissa or Shauna's eyes, tweaking out or something

Van like falls or something?? Like she's had a heart attacked

Akilah is not having a fun time... what

Travis with the gun

misty + Shauna rode trip? It looks like they're driving into a group of gravestones

Mari sprays something?

Tai suffocating an old man in a hospital with a pillow with Misty in the doorway... I don't even know what life is anymore. Sleepy Tai? Misty having a drug trip or nightmare??

Shauna pulls a knife on Melissa (we get to see them interact a fair share in this trailer so I'm interested in that dynamic. New Shauna ship just dropped everyone)

we see a shot of a see through phone in a drawer, very reminiscent of those old phones that you would see back in the teen timeline

Shauna in the lake being pulled down, the water is red

looks like someone breaks the shit out of their leg or dislocates it

mari gets pushed into the ground

I literally have it on the slowest playback and I can't tell what's going on

Travis is in pain, Lottie is smiling. I'm intrigued.

Hillary Swanks character says to a person above her "you really are insane)

We see someone biting another person who's probably alive (maybe the person above hillary's character was Shauna and then Shauna bites her)

young Van falling into a white duvet? After rescue maybe

van tai adult timeline kiss

a door opening, looks very wilderness like

We see a shot of a rabbit

Misty is exploring somewhere it looks like it's underground

other tai smiling holy shit that freaks me the hell out

The man with no eyes... Also freaky I recommend not going through the trailer on slowest speed and pausing alot because the freaky music mixed with the freaky shots is overall, quite freaky

Lottie looks to be getting choked

So uh... Yeah.

Anyways, I hope we get to see more of Simone and Sammy, the no eyed man, I'm really interested in what this season has to show us with Nat and Misty's dynamics as well as Shauna with everyone overall. Nat definitely deserves a lot better. I wonder if Lottie stands up for her at all, doesn't look like Travis likes Nat too much in the scene with Nat on the ground bleeding...

The song choice was great, can't wait to see the rest of the soundtrack! The overall vibes and cinematics of this season looks awesome and it's probably going to be way more traumatic and gorey than the others if the writers have anything to say about it

And most of all... WE BETTER SEE THE VAN TAN!

Edit:

To add to things I want to see—

the acknowledgement of Doomscoming in some capacity

+ Javi's death...

Jane Widdop please come back to play ghost Laura Lee 🙏

more Callie

it'd be cool to see Lisa again (Nat's funeral 👀)

PRE CRASH SCENEEEEEESSSS

[sterifels-blog]

call of duty characters - how they react to you falling asleep against them.

alex "ajax" thompson

•ajax isn’t exactly used to seeing anyone vulnerable, especially when you’re asleep on him– so his initial reaction is a stiffening of his posture as if to check if you’re genuinely okay. you’ve been on high-stress missions for days, and your sudden nap is a sign you’re either exhausted or hiding some deeper fatigue that he won’t push you about right now. he’s the type to make sure you’re safe first before anything else, so while you’re napping on his shoulder or chest, you’ll feel the gentle shift of his arm around you, as if he's trying to make sure you don’t slide off the couch where you fell asleep.

•as a man of few words, he won’t wake you up, but he might mumble something low under his breath like, “guess you needed that.” he’ll continue to monitor the situation—always keeping an ear out for any movements or sounds that could alert him to danger. ajax might not be part of ongoing operations, but when you're around, his protective side kicks in full force, even if it’s a little reluctant.

•he’ll sit still for what feels like forever, and when he’s sure you’re safe and sleeping soundly, his grip on you softens slightly, but he doesn’t budge. if he shifts too much, you might stir, and he’s not about to deal with a 'grumpy' you. so, he’ll lean back in the chair or on the couch, even if his body aches from sitting so stiffly. his focus shifts from mission plans and tactical decisions to making sure your breathing stays steady, watching the rise and fall of your chest with an odd sense of peace.

• if you wake up to find his dark eyes staring down at you, expect a quick “you okay?” but nothing more. he’s not about to dive into emotions, but there’s an unmistakable gentleness in his voice. if you seem embarrassed, he’ll smirk just slightly, a silent acknowledgment of your vulnerability, but that’s all.

• ajax doesn’t get affectionate often, but when you’re lying against him, exhausted, he’ll offer the barest hint of warmth—a protective hand on your back or a quick but reassuring squeeze of your hand. he’s not into grand gestures, but these little acts are how he shows care

alex keller

• keller is a quiet yet reassuring presence, so when you fall asleep on him, he doesn’t rush to wake you. instead, he lets you rest your head on his shoulder or lap, his eyes scanning the surroundings with sharp, trained focus. the world around you might be filled with tension, but keller is one of those guys who finds comfort in the stillness. he won’t fidget or try to get up; he’ll let you sleep, knowing it’s been a long and grueling time for you both.

•if you shift a little or murmur in your sleep, he’ll smile softly to himself, his usual stoic expression softening. “relax. we’re good here,” he’ll say in that calm, unshakable tone. keller doesn’t do overtly sweet things, but you’ll notice him leaning into the moment, staying still even as his body is tense, preparing for whatever mission comes next.

•there’s a soft, almost hesitant warmth to his touch when he adjusts your position to make sure you’re comfortable—he never wants to disturb your sleep, but if he has to move, he’ll do it carefully, his large hand sliding over your back, keeping you steady without waking you. his concern might not be voiced, but it's clear in his movements. he's a man of action, not words (sometimes).

•in the safe house, after long missions, when you doze off unexpectedly, alex might keep a quiet vigil over you. his thoughts may wander, but he never stops checking for your safety, even as you sleep like a rock in his presence. he'll offer you a blanket or a jacket if the air turns cold, a silent acknowledgment.

•when you wake up to find him still there, he might ask, “feel better?” his eyes will meet yours, no judgment or fuss, just simple concern. if you look groggy or confused, he might add, “you needed it. don’t worry.” but there won’t be any teasing or push for explanation— he's pragmatic like that.

captain john price

•you and price have had a long, exhausting few weeks— missions, briefings, and constant tension—but now you’re outside, lounging on a lawn bed by the pool, the sun dipping low in the sky, painting the world in golden hues. it’s a rare moment of peace, and price is content just to have you near him.

•as you relaxed, the heat of the day still lingering in the air, your eyes had started to flutter. the sound of the pool water gently rippling lulled- and before you know it, your head was resting on his chest, the familiar scent of cigars and his cologne comforting in the warmth. price doesn't move, not immediately— he's too content with the stillness, watching you with a soft, almost proud expression.

•after a while, price’s cigar burns down to its last inch, and with the slightest, almost imperceptible grin, he takes his old, worn hat off and gently places it over your eyes, shielding you from the afternoon sun. his rough, calloused hand lingers on your head for a moment longer than necessary, a subtle gesture of affection, though it’s not like him to make a big deal out of these moments.

•price doesn’t move much, not wanting to disturb you, but every so often, his eyes flick to the pool, then back to you, his mind half on the world around him and half on the rare luxury of this moment with you. he'll hum a low, contented tune under his breath, the sound almost drowned out by the distant chirp of birds and the light splashing of water.

•you'll both take a nap together because his old ass can't keep himself awake for that long, either. not when he's finally got you all to himself, away from the chaos of everything. being back in a domestic environment is something he adapts harshly to, after each mission. but this time around, it's a little easier— with reason.

captain john "soap" mactavish

•after a particularly brutal mission, the helicopter ride back to base is nothing short of tense, but when you fall asleep next to him, soap’s hardened exterior softens immediately. he’s not one to openly express care—he’s always been about the mission, always the leader. but when you rest your head against his shoulder, there's a protective warmth that floods his chest, and he can't help but shift to accommodate you. his arm, though bruised and worn from the day's battles, instinctively drapes around you, pulling you a little closer, like he’s got to protect you at all costs—even in the quiet moments.

•soap, despite his rough demeanor, has a massive soft spot for those he considers his own, and you're no exception. he’ll look down at you with a slight smile, his tired eyes scanning the surroundings but making sure you're safe. he might mutter something to himself, something in his thick scottish accent, almost like he’s reassuring himself as much as you: "aye, ye’re alright, hen. get yer rest.."

•if you shift slightly in your sleep or start to stir, john will instinctively reach for your shoulder to steady you. his hand, large and calloused, will gently pat your arm or rub your back without a word, the kind of motion that’s familiar and comforting, like it’s second nature to him. he's been through so many missions, so many battles, but holding you close in this moment makes him feel like he’s got something real, something of his own worth protecting. his voice, usually loud and commanding, lowers to a soft hum. "you’ve earned yer sleep, lass."

•he’ll occasionally glance down at you as the helicopter rattles through the air, his gaze softening each time. he’ll probably mutter something like “i've got ye” under his breath, as if to remind you— and himself —that he's there for you, and nothing will harm you while he’s by your side.

•when you wake up, the helicopter’s interior has grown quieter, the hum of the blades a steady backdrop to your grogginess. soap’s arm is still around you, his presence grounding you as you come to your senses. he won’t make a fuss, but you’ll notice a subtle tenderness in his expression. "hope ye got a good rest,” he’ll say with a gentle grin, his usual cheeky tone a little more softened. "you’ll need it for what comes next."

david "hesh" walker

•hesh is a bit of a softie under his tough exterior, and he’d never admit it, but when you fall asleep on him, it’s like the world stops for him. his first reaction might be a slight chuckle, followed by him adjusting his position so you’re more comfortable, even if that means bending in ways that aren't easy for him. he's the kind of guy who’ll let you nap on him without a second thought, but he’ll occasionally glance down at you with this unreadable look in his eyes.

•he’s got this protective side that isn’t super obvious, but it’s there, and it’s in full force when you’re asleep on him. you’ll catch him softly muttering things like “yeah, we got this,” as though reassuring both of you. he’ll keep his movements minimal so you don’t wake up too soon— he knows the value of a good nap, especially in their line of work.

•if you stir in your sleep, he might smirk a little. “didn’t mean to make you move,” he’ll joke, but there’s a certain softness in his voice. when you wake up, you’ll catch him looking at you with a raised eyebrow and a small grin, almost like he’s trying to hide how much he cares. “you’re good, right?”

•if you seem restless, he’ll toss an arm over your shoulder to keep you close, offering the kind of silent comfort that comes naturally to him. "shh.. relax.. i'm right here, just shut your eyes." he’ll whisper, and you can tell he means it, running his fingers through your hair.

•kisses your forehead as you sleep. it's a silent action, one he knows you won't remember come your waking; but that's entirely the point.

derek "frost" westbrook

•frost is the type of guy who’ll act like he’s bothered, but deep down, he’s probably thrilled that you feel comfortable enough to fall asleep next to him. if you’re in a safe house, curled up on the couch or leaning against him, he’ll give you a look at first; but it’s not disapproving. instead, he’ll just throw his arm around you with a smirk, muttering, “you’re lucky i’m nice.” but there’s no malice in his words—he actually enjoys the company.

•he’ll give you a gentle nudge if you start to lean too much one way or another, trying to avoid you from slipping off or looking uncomfortable. his hand will rest on your head for a while, just making sure that you're alright. he’s not about to make a big deal out of it, but he does care about your well-being.

•if you wake up and look a little embarrassed, frost will throw a playful grin your way. “don’t worry about it. i got you.” his tone is light and teasing, but underneath that, there's a layer of genuine concern. if you get up or look restless, he might toss a blanket over you without saying anything, not because you need it, but because he knows it’s a small way to show that he’s there.

•second note: he loves pulling you against his chest, and tucking your head beneath his chin.

dipaolo

•dipaolo is a natural protector at heart, and when you fall asleep on him, he takes it very seriously. he’ll gently adjust his position so that you’re lying more comfortably, never rushing, never shifting too quickly. he’ll let you rest, even if the mission around him is still ongoing. he’s the type to give a quiet sigh, almost resigned, as though he’s just going to wait for you to finish resting so that he can do his job— or for the job to finish so that way he can hold you on the rest of the way back home.

•there’s a warmth to dipaolo that you don’t see from others. even if his eyes are sharp and always scanning the environment, he’ll subtly make sure you’re comfortable, maybe even offering to rub your back or neck if you seem stiff. "you look like you could use a little rest," he might murmur, though he won't push you to sleep more than you need, even though he thoroughly enjoys having you snagged to his side.

•if you're asleep on him, he knows where you are, always. simple solution; he won't have to worry.

•he’ll be the first to offer you food or a drink once you wake up, something to help you regain your energy, and he’ll do it without asking, always anticipating your needs. his gestures are simple but filled with care, whether it’s covering you with a blanket or making sure you’re hydrated.

•on the way back, he's ditched the seat belts, keeping you close to him.

elias walker

•elias is no stranger to tough situations, so when you fall asleep unexpectedly, he doesn’t make a fuss about it. he’ll simply let you rest, adjusting his position slightly so that he’s comfortable without disturbing you (he's not sacrificing his back for your sake). his protective instinct runs deep, and you can tell that he’s not just letting you nap for the sake of it— he’s watching over you.

•his usual calm demeanor doesn’t change when you’re near him, but there’s a quiet gentleness in his touch when he adjusts you or shifts his arm around you. elias is a man of few words, but if you wake up groggy or disoriented, he’ll be the one to reassure you. “rested now? we’ll be fine,” he’ll say simply.

•his favorite thing to do when you’re just beginning to wake up is tilt your chin up, and softly rub his thumb alongside your jaw. type of guy to rub the sleep out of your eyes for you, and then cradle your heavy head to his chest.

•elias might even hold you in his arms a little longer than necessary if you're restless, letting you find your peace, all while keeping an eye on the surroundings. his actions are silent but caring, a subtle contrast to his more intense nature.

enzo reyes

•enzo’s got a reputation for being a little rough around the edges, but when you're with him in a hunting blind, you start to see a different side—a side that’s way more soft and attentive than he lets on in other situations. as the two of you crouch in the quiet of the woods, waiting for the perfect shot, he notices you shift and yawn, clearly exhausted from the hours of stillness. you don't even realize when your head starts to droop, and before you know it, you’ve fallen asleep against him, your shoulder resting against his chest

•at first, enzo’s a little surprised, but then he lets out a small, affectionate chuckle, the kind that’s a mix of disbelief and fondness. "guess you couldn’t last much longer, huh?" he doesn’t want to wake you, though, especially not when the air is chilly and you look so peaceful leaning against him. so, he adjusts his position carefully, making sure you’re secure and don’t slip off the bench you’re sitting on.

•the longer you stay asleep, the more relaxed he gets. enzo's usual alertness fades, and instead, he settles into a more comfortable position, keeping one arm around you loosely, almost like it’s second nature for him to keep you close.

•you might shift a little in your sleep, mumbling a bit, but enzo just lets out a low chuckle and adjusts the collar of your jacket so it isn't choking you. his movements are careful and deliberate, trying not to wake you, and there’s a warmth in the way he holds you steady. he murmurs under his breath, “rest up, sweetheart. i've got this."

•enzo doesn’t let go of you immediately, when you wake up. he keeps his hand resting on your arm or back, rubbing it gently, his thumb brushing over your skin in a soft, almost absent-minded way. "you good now? you know, i don’t mind you napping here. i’m comfy, too."

erikson

•erikson is a bit of a contradiction—he’s gentle and charming, the kind of guy who makes you feel like you’re the only person in the room without ever needing to say it out loud. the moment you fall asleep next to him, he doesn’t see it as an inconvenience but an opportunity to be close to you. he’ll pull you towards him carefully, his arms wrapping around you with a tenderness that reflects his true nature. it’s almost like he’s afraid of being too rough, so he keeps his movements soft and considerate, ensuring you’re comfortable.

•you’ll find that erikson doesn’t try to control or possess in the way others might; instead, he settles into the moment with you, as if savoring the peace you bring. he might lean his head back against the armrest or wall, his eyes drifting shut, but always keeping you near, his fingers lightly brushing your skin as if he's memorizing every part of you. his touch is delicate, never forcing you to stay, but always making sure you feel secure and cared for.

•if you stir during your nap, he’s quick to adjust his position, making sure you’re still comfortable, maybe pulling you in closer just a little. his smile, soft and warm, will appear if you meet his gaze when you wake up. "you okay?" he’ll ask, his voice light but full of genuine concern. he’s not just asking because it’s polite; he wants to make sure you’re not just physically okay but that you feel safe and content in his arms.

•even if you’re not technically sleeping—just resting with your head on his shoulder or your hand in his— erikson’s presence is soothing. he doesn’t crowd you, doesn’t pressure you to be anything but comfortable in the moment. he simply enjoys being close to you, letting the calm wash over both of you.

•if you fall asleep completely, he’ll stay quiet, keeping his breathing steady so you can rest. his hand might gently stroke your hair or rest on your side, nothing too intense but enough to reassure you that he’s right there. he doesn’t need to be possessive or overwhelming— he’s secure in the fact that you trust him enough to fall asleep near him.

farah karim

•farah is all about strength and resilience, but when you fall asleep on her, a softer, sisterly side of her emerges. she doesn’t show it outright, but there’s a deep care in the way she handles the situation. if you’re leaning on her during a long night in the safe house, she won’t push you away or disturb you. instead, she adjusts her position carefully, making sure you’re comfortable without waking you up. she might drape an extra scarf or jacket over you if you start to shiver, murmuring quietly to herself about how you "never take care of yourself properly".

•if this happens during downtime on a mission, farah is quick to take on the role of protector. she’ll keep an eye on the surroundings, rifle resting across her knees, while letting you rest on her shoulder. she might sigh softly, shaking her head with a small, affectionate smile, as if you’re her little sibling she has to watch over. “you never know when to stop, do you?” she’ll whisper under her breath, though there’s no real frustration in her voice— just care.

•when you stir or wake up, farah’s expression is calm and reassuring. “you needed that,” she’ll say, her voice steady but warm, like an older sister who always knows what’s best. if you try to apologize, she’ll wave it off, giving you a firm but kind look. “don’t. you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. rest is just as important as the fight.”

•farah might tease you a little if the situation allows for it, but her words are always meant to encourage rather than scold. “don’t let the general catch you like this,” she’ll say with a raised eyebrow, but her smile gives away her affection. if you’re still groggy or upset when you wake, she’ll quietly offer some advice or comfort. “you don’t have to carry everything on your shoulders. i am here. let me help."

•by the time you’re fully awake, farah’s already back to being her composed, no-nonsense self, but the way she looks at you—steady, protective, and full of quiet affection—makes it clear that she’s got your back, no matter what. she treats you like family, always ready to stand by your side and make sure you’re okay, even if she doesn’t say it outright. you mean the world to her. more than you'll know.

frank woods

•woods is the kind of guy who'd act like he’s annoyed if you fell asleep on him, but deep down, he secretly enjoys it. he might grumble under his breath, but when you’re knocked out on him—whether it's in the back of a jeep or leaning against him in the safe house—he’ll stiffen for a moment before letting you settle in. woods doesn't do vulnerability well, so having someone depend on him like this is a rare moment for him, and he’s reluctant to admit it, even to himself.

•his rough exterior doesn’t mask the care he’s quietly showing. he’ll gruffly put his arm around you, making a big show out of it, making sure you stay in place, but it’s not just out of duty. he’s also making sure you’re comfortable, though he won’t ever say it. if you wake up, you might find him looking at you with an eyebrow raised and a smirk. “that comfortable, huh?” he’ll tease, but underneath it is a hint of softness in his voice that he doesn't often display.

•he might? throw a jacket over you or offer a blanket if he sees you shivering, all while muttering under his breath about not letting the mission go to hell (but, he's the type that as soon as you fall asleep, he's cracking his extra handwarmers and slipping them into your gloves, and into your boots). woods is a man of action, so when you fall asleep on him, he makes sure you’re safe and protected—even if he’s still grumbling about how inconvenient it is. “ain’t no one gonna get you while you’re asleep on me,” he’ll mutter, though the sentiment is clear.

•if you wake up in the middle of a tense situation, you’ll see him scanning the area with a sharp focus, his protective instincts on full display, but when he catches your eye, he’ll give you a wink and an assurance: “we’re good.”

•nonchalant, but the most caring of out them all, by far

gary "roach" sanderson

•roach doesn’t say a word when your head drifts onto his shoulder in the back of the humvee. the engine hums softly, the tires crunching over dirt roads, and the faint chatter from the team up front fills the air. he freezes for a split second, caught off guard, but quickly adjusts himself so you’re more comfortable. his body language softens in a way only those close to him would notice—shoulders relaxing, his posture slightly leaning toward you to provide more support.

•he’s not one for grand gestures, but his care is in the details. roach tugs his sweater off and drapes it over you, careful not to jostle you too much. he doesn’t mind the cold seeping through his shirt if it means you’re warm. his hand hovers for a moment, debating whether to brush the stray hair out of your face. instead, he settles for tucking the sweater collar closer around your neck to keep the draft out.

•the others might glance back and chuckle at the sight, but roach ignores them completely, his focus entirely on you. he’s silent, as always, but the way he keeps still—despite the bumps and jolts of the humvee—speaks louder than words. every movement is calculated, making sure you can rest without interruption. he doesn't want you to wake up.

•when you stir a little in your sleep, maybe shifting or mumbling, he tilts his head slightly to check on you. there’s no dramatic display, just a quiet vigilance, his gaze flickering between you and the terrain outside. if the vehicle jerks or lurches too hard, his arm instinctively comes up to steady you, his gloved hand resting lightly against your shoulder to keep you from slipping.

•when you wake up, blinking groggily and maybe a little humiliated by the reality, roach doesn’t make a big deal out of it. he doesn’t say anything, just gives a small nod and a faint, understanding smile. his sweater stays draped over you until you hand it back, and even then, he doesn’t let you apologize. he simply takes it, shrugs it back on, and taps your arm lightly before resuming his quiet watch.

•for roach, actions always speak louder than words. you won’t catch him teasing or making a fuss, but the way he lets you rest on him—how he adjusts to make sure you’re safe and comfortable—shows just how deeply he cares in his quiet, unassuming way.

general shepherd

•shepherd’s got a lot on his plate, so when you unexpectedly fall asleep on him, it’s not something he’s used to. he’s far more accustomed to being the one calling the shots than being in a position where someone is leaning on him for comfort. however, when you do, he takes it with a stoic expression, still sitting straight-backed like a military leader should, but his gaze softens for a moment as he watches over you.

•he’ll take a deep breath, continuing to keep an eye on the situation, his mind constantly working through plans and contingencies. but when it’s just the two of you, and you’re asleep on him in his office, he allows himself to relax, just a little. shepherd won’t disturb you, letting you sleep while he keeps his vigil over the room or the window. he’s not one for outward displays of affection, but you’ll find that his protective instinct runs deep, and he quietly ensures that you’re safe and secure.

•if you wake up and find him still there, he’ll just nod in acknowledgment. “we’re still good,” he’ll say flatly, though there’s an unusual calmness in his voice. shepherd isn’t one for pleasantries, but his subtle care comes through in these moments when you’re least expecting it.

•if you seem stressed or worried when you wake, he might offer a few words of encouragement, his tone more fatherly than commanding: “you're fine. come here." he pats between your shoulderblades, rubbing his hand up and down your spine as he works on some extended paperwork that's overdue.

•still an asshole at heart, though.

gabriel t. rorke

•when you fall asleep on rorke, he doesn’t make a big fuss about it, but you can bet he notices. if you’re on a couch or somewhere relatively quiet, he’s the type to pull you into his lap without a word, letting you settle against him while he leans back and continues whatever he’s doing—usually watching TV or lighting up a cigarette. his arm naturally falls around your waist, holding you in place like it’s the most natural thing in the world. he doesn’t mind the weight of you resting on him; if anything, he seems to like it.

•as you sleep, he’ll occasionally glance down at you, his expression unreadable but with a hint of something softer than his usual tough exterior. he might absentmindedly run his fingers along your arm or brush a hand over your hair, his touch surprisingly gentle for someone who carries so much darkness with him.

•if you start to stir or move in your sleep, he won’t say much, but he’ll adjust you without waking you up—propping your head against his chest or tucking you closer into him. the glow of his cigarette and the low sound of the TV fill the space, but his focus is split between what’s on the screen and making sure you’re still comfortable.

•if you wake up, his reaction depends on the mood. he might smirk down at you and say something teasing, like, “you always this needy?” but the way he holds onto you even after you’ve woken up tells you he doesn’t mind in the slightest. if you apologize for dozing off, he’ll scoff and shake his head, taking a slow drag of his cigarette. “don’t sweat it,” he’ll say casually, his voice low and gravelly. “not like i had anywhere else to be.”

•rorke might not be the overly sentimental type, but in moments like this, he’s surprisingly accommodating. he likes having you close, even if he doesn’t always say it outright. the way he keeps you secure in his lap, one hand resting protectively on your hip, shows that beneath the hardened exterior, there’s a part of him that relishes in your trust and closeness.

james ramirez

•ramirez isn’t used to this. he’s always been the guy working alone, the silent operator who keeps his head down and his rifle up. so, when you come along, leaning against him during the quiet moments of a post-watch, trusting him enough to fall asleep on his side, he doesn’t know how to process it at first. gor a split second, he freezes, his brain running through a hundred scenarios, none of which included this.

•but as the seconds tick by, he adjusts—just like he’s always done. ramirez doesn’t move a muscle, his breathing slow and measured, knowing even the smallest shift might wake you. you’re tucked against him, and the chill of the night air doesn’t seem to bother him anymore. without thinking, he lets his body warmth do the work, keeping you steady and warm while the cold tries to creep in. his arms remain loose but ready, just in case anything stirs in the distance, his focus now split between his surroundings and you.

•he doesn’t say a word—he wouldn’t dare break the calm. but his thoughts are racing, wondering why you trusted him of all people to let your guard down like this. it’s foreign to him, but not unwelcome. ramirez adjusts the angle of his shoulder ever so slightly, ensuring your head isn’t at an awkward tilt, his movements precise and deliberate. his gloves are off, resting beside him, and though he’s tempted to place a hand on your shoulder to steady you, he keeps his discipline. for now, his proximity will have to do.

•every sound in the distance feels sharper, his eyes scanning the darkness with even more vigilance than usual. if anyone or anything comes close, they’ll have to go through him first. he feels the slight rise and fall of your breathing against him, a quiet reminder that, for once, someone sees him as more than just a soldier. he refuses to let go of that.

•when you stir slightly in your sleep, he glances down, watching your face for any signs of discomfort. he shifts ever so slightly to keep you comfortable, his voice barely audible when he mutters, “it’s alright... i’ve got you.” he knows you probably can’t hear him, but it feels like the right thing to say.

•by the time you wake, ramirez hasn’t moved an inch (bro is 🗿). he glances at you, his expression unreadable at first, but there’s a flicker of warmth in his eyes. he doesn’t make a big deal out of it—he wouldn’t know how—but there’s a soft, almost hesitant tone when he asks, “sleep okay?” it’s not much, but for someone who’s used to being alone, it’s everything.

john "soap" mactavish

•soap doesn’t just tolerate you falling asleep on him—he absolutely thrives on it. when you drift off, curled into his side, he doesn’t hesitate to make you as comfortable as possible. you’re on the couch in the safe house, wrapped up in a couple of old, mismatched blankets he found, with his arm securely around your shoulders. his other hand holds a steaming mug of coffee, and his fingers idly trace soothing patterns along your arm as you snooze. he looks completely at ease, even as the rest of the team bustles around.

• “look at this one, proper knocked out,” he’ll say to kyle, grinning wide as he leans back, shifting slightly to pull you closer. “must be my charm, eh? can’t resist relaxin’ when ol’ siap’s about.” he’s not shy (at all) about showing how much he loves having you close; in fact, he basks in it. he’s practically beaming, his voice warm with affection as he chats with the grin of a fox who'd just gotten into the henhouse.

•if anyone comments, he’s quick with a cheeky retort. “aye, they know who’s the comfiest bloke in the room. jealous, gaz?” he’ll quip, but there’s no hiding the pride in his tone. he doesn’t care what anyone thinks—if anything, he’s thrilled to show off how comfortable you feel around him. it's like bragging rights, but tenfold.

•if you stir or shift in your sleep, he’s immediately attentive, pulling the blanket tighter around you and leaning down to check on you. “shh, you’re alright,” he murmurs softly, his scottish brogue low and soothing. “go back tae sleep, love. i’ve got ye.”

•when you eventually wake up, soap greets you with the biggest smile, his blue eyes sparkling. “mornin’, sunshine. sleep well?” he teases, but his tone is so full of warmth that it’s impossible to be embarrassed. he’ll ruffle your hair gently and nudge the coffee mug toward you. “-'ere, take a sip. you’ve earned it.”

•soap loves these moments of quiet intimacy, where he gets to dote on you in his own affectionate, unapologetic way.

keegan p. russ

•keegan’s possessiveness is immediate the moment he feels your weight leaning against him. if you start dozing off next to him, he doesn’t just let you fall asleep on his shoulder—he pulls you fully into his arms, shifting you until you’re sitting in his lap, wrapped up in his hold. his arms are firm around you, one hand resting protectively on your waist while the other cradles your head against his chest. it's as if he’s daring the world to come and disturb this rare, intimate moment.

•he doesn’t care where you are—in the safe house, out in the field, or even in a damn helicopter. the second you relax against him, you’re his, and no one else is allowed near you. if anyone so much as glances your way, keegan’s icy stare is enough to send them backing off. “she’s fine,” he’ll mutter curtly, his tone making it clear that no one is to interfere.

•keegan’s movements are calculated to keep you comfortable, and he’s surprisingly gentle despite his rough exterior. he’ll adjust your position slightly, making sure you’re fully supported while still nestled securely in his embrace. his gloved hand will stroke lightly over your back or your hair, a quiet, soothing gesture that feels incredibly intimate coming from him. if you stir or mumble something in your sleep, his voice drops low, barely above a whisper, “shh, i’ve got you.”

•when you’re asleep in his arms, keegan lets his usual guard down, his intense eyes softening as he watches over you. this is one of the few times he allows himself to be vulnerable, holding you close like you’re the most precious thing in his world. and you are—to him, you’re more than his teammate; you’re his to protect, his to care for, his everything.

•if you wake up, his grip doesn’t loosen—if anything, it tightens slightly, as if he’s reluctant to let you go. “stay,” he’ll murmur, his voice low and gravelly, almost pleading. there’s a possessiveness in his tone, but it’s layered with so much love and devotion that it feels more protective than controlling. he won’t let you leave his lap until he’s absolutely sure you’re fully rested and okay.

•keegan might not say much, but his actions speak volumes. the way he holds you, shields you from the world, and refuses to let anyone else near you—all of it screams that you’re his, and he won’t let anything or anyone take you away from him.

kick

•kick is the kind of guy who would instantly notice when you're starting to drift off, and his protective instincts kick in before anything else. the moment you start leaning on him, he moves, pulling you closer until you’re fully in his arms, practically cradled against his chest. there’s a possessive edge to how he holds you—like a lion, keeping its cub safe. he doesn’t care if anyone notices; all that matters is you’re his, and you’re safe in his grasp. bro adores you more than his ego will ever let him say.

•his arms are firm and unyielding, ensuring you’re not going anywhere. if you make the mistake of shifting or trying to move, he’s quick to pull you right back, his hold becoming even tighter. there’s a low, almost inaudible grumble that escapes his throat if anyone dares to look your way, a quiet warning that you belong to him, and anyone else is unwelcome. he's not a man to hesitate instigating.

•if you- or when you start to fall deeper into sleep, kick is the type to softly hum or whisper comforting words in your ear, keeping the atmosphere calm and soothing. he might tell you, “rest, i've got you,” his voice quiet but heavy with affection, the type of words that let you know you’re more than just a teammate—you’re someone he’s fiercely protective of.

•when you wake up, he doesn’t let go right away. his grip is still tight, and his eyes soften as he looks down at you, taking in the rare vulnerability you’ve shown him. “you good?” he’ll ask, his voice rough but filled with genuine care. his arms loosen only enough to let you breathe, but if you try to move away, he’s quick to pull you back in.

könig

•könig freezes when you first fall asleep on him, unsure of what to do. the massive austrian, already awkward in social situations, is completely out of his element when you’re nestled up against him. but it doesn’t take long for his protective instincts to kick in. alowly, carefully, könig adjusts you so that you’re more comfortable, pulling you against his chest like a shield around you. his sheer size envelops you, and he lets out a deep, steadying breath as he realizes how much he likes having you this close.

•he’s hyper-aware of his surroundings, keeping an eye on everything with an almost predatory focus. no one else is allowed to come near while you’re in his arms—not a teammate, not even a passing glance from a civilian. if someone approaches, könig shifts slightly, his presence alone enough to send a clear message: stay back. he doesn’t even need to speak; his imposing figure and the protective way he cradles you say it all.

•he’s surprisingly gentle with you, his gloved hand resting lightly on your shoulder or softly brushing over your hair. every movement is deliberate, careful not to wake you. if you murmur or shift in your sleep, könig might quietly murmur something in german, his voice deep and soothing, though you can’t quite make out the words.

•if you wake up and try to move, könig gently tightens his hold on you, his voice low and filled with quiet urgency. “stay a little longer,” he’ll say, almost shyly, though his grip is firm. he’s not ready to let you go, not when you look so peaceful and vulnerable in his arms.

•you’re his anchor, and he doesn’t care if the rest of the world sees it. when you’re asleep on him, könig’s softer side shines through, though it’s buried beneath his usual stoicism and protective nature.

kyle "gaz" garrick

•gaz is caught off guard at first, but he adapts quickly, a soft grin spreading across his face as you drift off against him. whether it’s in the privacy of his quarters, or lounging in the common room, he instinctively shifts to make you more comfortable, leaning back slightly and draping an arm around you. he doesn’t mind being your pillow; in fact, he finds it endearing that you trust him enough to let your guard down like this.

•gaz is naturally calm and easygoing, so he doesn’t make a big deal out of it. he’ll glance around to make sure no one’s about to interrupt, but he doesn’t get territorial. if someone makes a comment, he’ll just flash them a cheeky grin and shrug, his eyes soft as they flick back to you. “what can i say? she’s got good taste,” he’ll joke lightly, but there’s a quiet protectiveness in his tone.

•as you sleep, he’ll absentmindedly rub small circles into your back or run a hand through your hair, his touch gentle and soothing. he doesn’t wake you, knowing how important rest is, especially during missions. if anyone needs him, they can wait; right now, his priority is making sure you’re okay.

•when you wake up, gaz greets you with an easy smile, his brown eyes warm. “good nap?” he teases, his voice light and playful. If you apologize for falling asleep on him, he just chuckles, shaking his head. “don’t worry about it, love. you looked like you needed it.”

logan walker

•logan’s love for you is quiet but deep, and when you fall asleep near him, he can’t help but draw you closer. the second you start dozing off, he gently shifts you into his arms, making sure you’re comfortable with a sense of natural care. he doesn’t let you go, pulling you against him in a way that feels protective yet soft. the moment you’re nestled against him, he starts brushing his fingers through your hair, the gesture almost instinctual, like a reassurance to both of you.

•as you rest against him, logan’s movements are gentle but deliberate, making sure you feel safe in his hold. his fingers glide through your hair, combing through it slowly as if savoring the moment. he could do this for hours without a word, but you’ll feel the way his touch speaks volumes—calming, soothing, and possessive in the most comforting way. he loves feeling you relax in his arms.

•if anyone dares to approach, logan’s sharp eyes are already on them. he doesn’t need to say a word; his silent warning is enough. he brushes your hair again, this time with a little more firmness in the motion, as if reaffirming that you belong to him in this moment.

•when you wake up, his first action is usually to smooth your hair back, a small, soft smile appearing on his face as his fingers trail over the strands. "rest easy?" he’ll ask, his voice low and warm, the hint of affection clear in his tone. he’s always so careful with you, never wanting to wake you too suddenly.

•if you start to pull away, he holds you closer. “hey, what's the rush?” he’ll murmur, his fingers continuing to stroke through your hair as if the simple act grounds him. the possessive side of him is subtle, but it’s there in how he refuses to let go. when you’re asleep in his arms, you’re his, and he’s not letting anyone take that from him.

mace

•mace is tough, no doubt, but he’s a sucker for moments like this. the second you fall asleep on him, his tough exterior melts, and he pulls you closer like he’s shielding you from the world. mace isn’t the type to be soft in front of others, but when it’s just you two, he becomes surprisingly affectionate.

•whether you’re in the middle of a mission or chilling in a safe house, mace holds you with a sort of possessive tenderness, like he can’t bear the thought of anyone else getting too close to you. his grip on you is tight, possessive, but he’s careful, not wanting to hurt you. if you start to stir, he’ll press you back into him, a low grunt escaping his lips as he secures you in place.

•when you wake up, you’ll find him staring down at you, that mix of love and possessiveness in his eyes. “you’ve got to stop falling asleep on me like this,” he’ll say, but there’s no real irritation—only affection, the kind of unspoken care he doesn’t know how to show.

•if you try to move, mace’s arm is already there, gently pulling you back. “i’m not done holding you yet,” he’ll grumble, as if the thought of letting you go for even a second doesn’t sit well with him.

•side note, he loves tracing his fingers over your hands. when you're awake, he'll guide your fingers up to trace against his alligator scars. he loves the lazy swipe of your fingers against him. it's a sort of satisfaction.

marcus burns

•marcus doesn’t waste any time when you start to doze off. the second you lean against him, he’s pulling you into his chest, his arms wrapping around you with the force of someone who’s not willing to share. he doesn’t say much, but there’s an undeniable possessiveness in the way he holds you, his grip firm and reassuring.

•when you’re asleep, he stays perfectly still, making sure you’re comfortable but also staying hyper-aware of everything around him. it’s like he’s simultaneously watching over you and protecting you from the rest of the world. if anyone dares to get too close, his glare alone is enough to send them away, and he’ll mutter something under his breath about how “you’re with him, and that’s that.”

• when wake up, he’ll be there, his arms still wrapped around you. “you good?” he’ll ask, the roughness of his voice softened just enough to let you know he cares. if you try to move closer, he’ll pull you in as close as possible, refusing to let you go easily.

•there’s a quiet, protective energy around marcus, and when you fall asleep on him, it’s his way of showing you that you belong to him in the most unspoken, but very real, way possible.

marcus "lerch" ortega

•marcus is a greedily possessive guy through and through, and when you fall asleep on him, he lets it be known. he’ll pull you into his lap or his arms and hold you close, his large frame making you feel completely shielded from the outside world. his hands rest possessively on your back, one hand occasionally brushing your hair or running across your shoulders in soothing strokes, but it’s clear he’s not letting anyone get too close to you.

•if you start to stir or try to shift away, marcus isn’t having it. he pulls you back to him, his grip tightening as he mutters, “stay put, sweetheart.” he doesn’t say it like an order, but the possessiveness is unmistakable in his tone. you’re his responsibility now, and he’s not letting go.

•when you wake up, you’ll find him watching over you, his face softening when your eyes open. “you’re alright. resting’s good for you,” he’ll murmur, his words laced with a quiet affection he doesn’t always show. he’ll let you sit up, but you’ll see the reluctance in his eyes as you try to leave his embrace.

•if you try to stand, he’ll grab your wrist, tugging you back with a gentle but firm motion. “no, stay right here with me.” his possessiveness might come off strong, but there’s an undeniable love behind it.

•kisses your forehead when you settle back in.

nikolai belinski

•you don't exactly fall asleep against him.

•nikolai is a grouchy, no-nonsense kind of guy, but when you fall asleep in his hangar, he can’t bring himself to scold you for it. the first time he notices you slumped against some nearby crates, he sighs loudly, muttering to himself about how you’ve managed to fall asleep in his domain. still, he doesn’t wake you up. instead, he grumbles under his breath as he carefully scoops you up, holding you tightly against his chest as if you’re the most fragile thing he’s ever handled—even though he’d never admit that out loud.

•he finds a spot among the chaos of the hangar and sits down, pulling you into his lap without a second thought. his arms are firm and unyielding around you, holding you so tightly it’s as if he’s trying to shield you from the cold metal surroundings. as much as he grumbles about it, there’s a protective possessiveness to how he holds you, his chin occasionally brushing the top of your head. “what are you doing falling asleep here?” he mutters softly, though there’s no real bite to his words.

•while you sleep, nikolai refuses to move, sitting there like a solid fortress. he doesn’t bother pretending to be gentle—he’s all rough edges and gruff care, but the way he keeps his arms around you, ensuring you’re warm and safe, says everything. if anyone happens to wander into the hangar and see the two of you, nikolai is quick to bark at them to leave, his glare sharp and unrelenting. “out. now,” he growls, his grip tightening protectively around you.

•when you stir awake, his first instinct isn’t to let go but to hold you even closer, as if to make sure you’re still there. “finally awake, hm? took you long enough,” he says with a smirk, his voice teasing but layered with a gruff affection that he can’t quite hide. he brushes a few stray strands of hair from your face, his touch rough but careful, like he’s still figuring out how to handle you.

•if you try to get up, nikolai won’t let you go right away. his arms tighten around you as he grumbles, “stay put for a bit. you’re not going anywhere yet.” his voice is gruff, but there’s a quiet warmth behind it, the kind that makes you realize just how much he cares. even in his grouchy, no-frills way, nikolai’s possessiveness is clear—when you fall asleep in his hangar, you’re his, and he’s not letting you go

•makes you wait until he's finished working on his helicopter- giving you the small assignment of handing him small tools, just so later, he can easily pull you back into his arms.

nikto

•nikto’s first reaction when you fall asleep on him is a sharp exhale, the kind that conveys his usual grouchy frustration. he glances down at you, frowning slightly as your head rests on his shoulder. “you’ve got to be kidding me,” he mutters under his breath, eyes flicking back to the road ahead. he’s on a mission, not a leisurely drive—and here you are, completely oblivious to the world, using him as a pillow.

•he wants to be annoyed—really, he does—but there’s a part of him that softens in spite of himself. he shifts in his seat, trying to adjust without waking you. It’s not exactly comfortable for him, but he’s not heartless enough to shove you away. his hand flexes on the wheel, the other twitching slightly like he’s debating whether to push you off or pull you closer.

•“you’re lucky I’m not throwing you out of the fucking truck,” he grumbles, but his tone lacks any real malice. there’s a pause as he glances at you again, and with a resigned sigh, he carefully maneuvers one arm to rest across your lap, anchoring you to him in case the ride gets bumpy. it’s a subtle but protective gesture, even if he’d never admit it out loud.

•if the mission goes long and someone radios in, nikto is quick to shut them down. “i'm handling it. don’t bother me,” he snaps, his voice sharp and irritated. he keeps his answers short and clipped, making it clear he doesn’t want anyone interrupting this rare moment.

•when you stir, nikto tenses slightly, his grouchy exterior snapping back into place. “you awake now? good. about time,” he says, his voice gruff, though there’s a flicker of something softer in his eyes as he glances your way. he doesn’t say anything about the fact that you were leaning on him, but the way his hand briefly lingers on your arm before returning to the wheel speaks volumes.

•if you apologize or try to explain, he cuts you off. “don’t. just stay awake next time,” he grumbles, but there’s no real bite to his words. his hand brushes against your knee for a moment, grounding you both in the present. beneath all the gruffness and irritation, nikto’s protectiveness shines through in small, subtle ways that speak louder than any words he’d dare say.

phillip graves

•graves is the kind of man who can’t help but smirk when you fall asleep on him. he leans back in his chair or against the couch, letting you settle against his chest like you belong there—which, to him, you absolutely do. his arm snakes around you, holding you securely as he tips his hat back slightly, giving anyone nearby a look that screams, don’t even think about interrupting.

•as you sleep, graves doesn’t just sit still—he watches you, his sharp eyes softening as they trace the peaceful expression on your face. he’s got that southern charm in spades, and it comes out even in the way he gently brushes a strand of hair from your face, his touch light and deliberate. “damn, sweetheart ’,” he mutters under his breath, a low chuckle escaping him. “could’ve at least warned me you were gonna knock me out like this.”

•when it’s time to wake you, graves doesn’t bother with something as boring as words. instead, he leans in close, his lips brushing against your forehead first—soft and slow, testing the waters. then, he moves to your temple, your cheek, and finally, your lips, his kisses warm and lingering enough to pull you from your dreams. “rise and shine, darlin'.” he drawls, his voice low and teasing, but there’s a genuine affection beneath it.

•he’s absolutely grinning when your eyes flutter open, looking at you like you’re the best thing he’s seen all day. “mornin’, sunshine,” he teases, his southern drawl thick and playful. “you were out like a light. couldn’t help myself— you’re just too damn cute when you’re sleepin’.” his fingers trail along your jawline as he speaks, his touch lazy but deliberate, like he’s got all the time in the world to focus on you.

•if you try to pull away, which, i would too girl, graves just tightens his hold, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “now, where do you think you’re goin’? you just woke up. stay here a little longer—can’t let you run off after leavin’ me like that.” there’s no real protest in his tone, just that teasing, possessive edge that makes it clear he’s not letting you go until he’s had his fill of holding you.

•he’ll keep teasing you the entire time, but it’s all underpinned by genuine love. and when you finally manage to pull away, you can still feel the ghost of his kisses lingering on your skin, a reminder that graves never does anything halfway—especially not when it comes to you.

rodolfo "rudy" parra

•the moment you start to drift off on him, rudy’s first instinct is to adjust himself so you’re more comfortable. he’s a gentle soul at heart, and his natural charm shines through even in moments like this. he carefully shifts you against his chest, his arms wrapping around you securely but not possessively. he cradles you like you’re the most precious thing in his world, his touch featherlight but steady.

•rudy isn’t the type to get overly territorial or possessive—he’s too tender for that, knows you can hold your own —but he does make sure that nothing disturbs you. if anyone comes near, he simply gives them a small, polite shake of his head and a reassuring smile, silently asking for peace for the both of you.

•as you sleep, rudy finds himself relaxing too, the soft rhythm of your breathing lulling him into a sense of calm. eventually, he settles back, letting himself rest alongside you. his head tilts slightly to rest against yours, and his hand absentmindedly strokes gentle circles on your back, the motion soothing for both of you.

•rudy hums quietly under his breath, the melody something familiar and comforting. it’s not loud enough to wake you but enough to fill the silence in a way that feels warm and intimate. it’s one of those rare moments where he lets himself enjoy the simple joy of just being with you, no mission, no chaos—just peace.

•when you wake up, rudy is still there, his eyes half-lidded with sleep but full of warmth as he looks at you. “you’re awake,” he says softly, his voice rich with affection. “i guess we both needed that, hm?” his smile is small but genuine, a glimpse of the quiet love he has for you

simon "ghost" riley

•when you fall asleep next to simon, it's a calm, quiet kind of intimacy that doesn’t need any grand gestures. he’s the type to let you rest without making a fuss, keeping his focus on his own tasks. he might be reading a book or going over some intel, but there's a subtle shift in his behavior the moment you fall asleep next to him. he adjusts slightly, making sure you’re comfortable but not doing it in an overly obvious way—he just wants you to be settled, and he’s more than willing to make small changes to ensure that.

•his hand, though, tells a different story. as you sleep, it’ll find its way to your thigh, fingers gently brushing along the fabric of your clothes in a way that’s more soothing than anything else. it’s not possessive, not in the way some others might be, but it's a protective kind of touch—a way for him to silently reassure himself that you're right there, safe in his presence.

•he won’t stop reading or working, but there’s a quiet attentiveness in his gaze whenever he looks up from the pages. his eyes will drift to you now and then, checking that you’re still okay, maybe adjusting the way he’s holding you, or if you shift, making sure you’re still comfortable. he’s not going to wake you up or disturb your rest, but he’ll keep an eye on you, ensuring that no one and nothing gets too close.

•when you wake up, you might notice how his gaze softens a little when you stir, but he’ll stay silent for a moment before offering a subtle smile. “you sleep okay?” he’ll ask in that low, gravelly voice of his, his eyes scanning you for any sign that you’re not alright. his hand won’t leave your thigh right away, not unless you shift or try to get up, and even then, there’s a reluctance to let you go. he’ll ease you out of his embrace gently, not wanting to disturb the peace, but his focus will always linger on you in a way that says you’re safe, you’re his priority, and nothing will disturb this calm while you’re here.

vladimir makarov

•makarov is a man who doesn’t do affection easily—he’s cold, calculating, and distant. however, when you fall asleep near him, especially with your head resting on his shoulder, it’s a rare moment where you see a different side of him. he doesn’t immediately pull away or brush you off; instead, he allows you to settle into the space he’s made for you, though he’s not about to offer more than that. there’s an unspoken message in the way he lets you rest—he’s not a man who is overly touchy, but he trusts you enough to let your head rest on his shoulder.

•his arms 100% stay at his sides, and he won’t pull you in closer, nor will he cuddle you—he’s simply allowing you this brief moment of peace. his posture remains rigid, not exactly relaxed, but it’s as though he’s guarding you in this silent way. the fact that he doesn’t push you away is a significant gesture on his part.

•if you stir or adjust, makarov will remain still, though his gaze might shift to make sure you’re still comfortable. there’s no rush to move you, but also no soft caress or comforting touch. he doesn’t do that. instead, his presence alone is solid and reassuring. you might feel the slight tension in his body, a constant reminder of who he is, but there’s also something oddly protective in the way he lets you stay close.

•when you wake up, his eyes will meet yours—sharp, calculating, but also with an understanding that, in this moment, you were able to let your guard down with him. he might not say much, but there’s a flicker of something in his gaze that tells you he’s content with this quiet moment. “rested?” he might ask, his tone neutral, but the way he says it suggests more than simple curiosity.

velikan

•velikan is a man whose size and strength are intimidating, but when you fall asleep on him, his rough exterior falls away just a bit. he’s not the type to let anyone close easily, but with you, he’s different. when you settle next to him, his massive arms wrap around you without hesitation, drawing you closer to him. his embrace is protective, solid, and there’s a comfort in it that you won’t find with anyone else.

•velikan’s hold is gentle, despite his intimidating presence. he doesn’t crowd you, but he doesn’t let go either. his body is warm, and his heartbeat steady, acting as an anchor for you as you rest. if anyone were to dare approach, his gaze alone would send them away, but he doesn’t need to say anything—his protective nature speaks volumes.

•if you wake up or shift, velikan’s grip will tighten slightly, almost as if to say, don’t go anywhere. he’s not about to let you leave so soon. when you stir, he’ll remain quiet, his eyes watching you with an unreadable expression. he’ll make sure you’re comfortable again before you fully wake up, adjusting you if necessary.

•when you do wake, belikan’s presence remains, unwavering. he’s still holding you, still close, and he doesn’t seem in any hurry to let you go. “sleep well?” he’ll ask in his deep voice, though there’s no rush for you to answer. he simply wants you to know that if you need more time to rest, he’ll give it to you without question.

vance

•vance is a surprisingly relaxed guy when it comes to moments like this. when you fall asleep near him, he doesn’t fight it or pull away—he simply adjusts, pulling you in a little closer, letting you rest without hesitation. he’ll shift his posture so you’re more comfortable, making sure you’re tucked against him in a way that feels natural. his arms, though strong, are surprisingly gentle as he pulls you into his side.

•there’s a tenderness to vance that you just don’t see often. when you stir or adjust, he’s quick to make sure you’re still settled, and if anyone dares to interrupt the moment, vance’s expression is enough to send them walking away. he doesn’t say much, but his quiet presence is more than enough to make you feel safe.

•if you wake up, vance won’t pull away right away; he’ll just let you stretch out, and he’ll give you a casual smile. “how you feeling?” he’ll ask with a warm chuckle, his voice light and reassuring. there’s no pressure to get up, and if you just want to rest a little longer, he won’t complain.

•kisses your cheek, brushing your hair out of your face.

[haleigh-sloth]

But which one do u prefer isagi getting worse or getting better

I think my heart truly just wants Isagi to continue being the shining light that he's been described as. One of the entertaining things about the manga I've enjoyed a LOT is watching Isagi just be Some Guy playing soccer and watching everyone do one of two things: be inspired and use that as a catalyst for change OR be fucking insane and use that as a catalyst for becoming self-destructive and miserable.

I was going back and forth on which route the story would take, but then I saw translated answers from a recent panel Kaneshiro did where he mentioned some things about the next arc, one of which including Isagi and Sae "teaming up". So I'm unsure how Isagi "getting worse" could contribute to that.

But I'm preparing myself for multiple possibilities. I'm less convinced of Isagi "getting worse" in the sense that he becomes an insufferable asshole (he's already done that and been called out on it point blank and reflected and changed his attitude--so revisiting that would be stupid and redundant) and I'm more convinced of Isagi facing a similar problem to all the other characters in Blue Lock where he focuses a little too much on winning and loses sight of what brings him joy from playing soccer. Like yes winning feels good and that's what started his story--being devastated about not winning. But he also plays soccer because he loves it! And I do think the development in the current arc shows that he may be losing sight of that a little, which is okay. He's gotta go through some internal conflict at some point, and that's the most likely and most reasonable conflict I see. Him saying "I'll just be a tool without emotions and feelings so we can win" is not like, the worst development ever, because he's even said he wants to see what happens if he views himself as a machine on the field focused on victory and not worry about who scores what goals. This is just one of his many experiments on how to overcome obstacles on the field, it's not really any different from previous arcs.

HOWEVER--the difference between now and previous arcs is his environment. Kaiser for one, creating a hellish environment for Isagi and forcing him to explore his ego in different ways and see what makes him win. Kaiser is also a self-serving dick, and so Isagi just dished out what he'd been taking from Kaiser the whole time. And now they're both just setting all that aside to win, which to me is whatever, it's fine. Kaiser has issues and some soul searching to do but that's nothing to really do with Isagi anymore since he somewhat overcame that obsessive behavior toward Isagi.

To me the one factor that would really shake things up and make Isagi act differently from previous arcs is Rin. Rin is really desperate and falling really low and showing no signs of getting over this obsession with Isagi. He and Isagi both view each other as this impenetrable wall that they can't break through or climb over. I'm seeing Isagi still focus on beating Rin and I COULD see Isagi carrying that a little more than usual in future matches and making it harder for him to remember why he's playing soccer in the first place. He said he let go of his rivalry toward Rin but then right before teaming up with Kaiser he said "I can still beat Rin". So clearly neither of them are willing to let this rivalry go. I think Isagi is absorbing Rin's feelings (which are just really intense and out of proportion to reality--which is why this particular rivalry isn't great) and letting them affect him a little more than previous obstacles he's faced.

So I'm prepared for the route where Isagi is still the way he is, Rin gets worse on his own and eventually needs help and Isagi being the shining light that he is breaks through to Rin the way he did everyone else. Then I'm also prepared for the route where Isagi can't really break away from Rin (because Rin won't leave him alone) and he kind of spirals alongside Rin and before we know it they both need help and both need to be reminded of why soccer is important to them.

Also important to note that Isagi has reasons for playing soccer that feed his ego and bring him joy, which is good. He might just need to remember. Rin on the other hand has never really had that from the beginning. He'll take a lot more work and effort from everyone around him to pull him back up.

Short answer: I'd prefer Isagi staying fine, but I don't hate him getting worse, because if he does he won't be the only one (thanks Rin!).

[sapphiresaphics]

I don’t think you understand how background characters work.

Like… comparing Huck to Gert is quite disingenuous don’t you think? Huck has a major role to play in the series (he’s not only the first to be “saved” by Viktor’s cult, but also the first to be turned into an automaton) and we check back on him from time to time. He has multiple speaking lines.

Gert isn’t that type of character. She’s there for worldbuilding and flavor and she has like one speaking line.

It’s also weird you singled out Lest because out of that entire batch of characters, she’s the one we can glean the most about just from her dialogue. She knows Mel, and Mel has used her in the past to listen in on conversations and help her. And while Lest is willing to do this, probably for money, she has her limits. Ambessa showing up spooks her and she gets nervous that Mel is going to cut her loose and throw her to the enforcers. Which speaks of an inherent distrust in the system, most likely because she’s from the undercity. And we know that because she talks about hearing of Viktor’s cult and encourages Sallow to go check him out. At her core, Lest wants what’s best for both cities. She initially doesn’t want to help Mel because she thinks Mel is only looking out for herself, but when she learns that the whole undercity will be affected too she opens up and helps her. Additionally she’s soft spoken and discreet. She’s good at playing to people’s egos too.

And I got all that from ONE scene with her.

So what the fuck are you talking about? Not all background characters have the same level of focus. And season 1 isn’t beyond this either. We know nothing about many of Silco’s goons. We know nothing about many of the counselors. We know nothing about many of the chem barons.

And it’s WEIRD you include Caitlyn’s dad on there because we actually know LESS about him than we know about Lest! All we know of him is he loves his daughter and is sad when his wife dies and he dislikes Vi as a result. That’s about it. We don’t see NEARLY enough of him to know much more than that.

And like.. the focus on the piano guy? The reason we focus on him in the end of season 2 is BECAUSE he’s a nobody. He’s not a soldier. He’s a musician. Hes someone fancy in a concert hall trained to play piano. We don’t need to know more about him. His role is to show how the upcoming war is affecting the people we don’t usually think about. The little people who you gloss over and ignore, willing to put their lives in harms way to defend an ideal. He has NO STAKES in the fight, but he’s willing to join up anyway. THAT is his purpose.

Same with Gert. She’s from the undercity. She’s one of the Jinxers. We see her fighting back against the establishment during the Paint the Town Blue montage. She’s one of the citizens Jinx frees from prison and one of the first to put her hand on Jinx kindly. And through the AU episode we learn that if all was right with the world she would’ve just been a musician too. Playing music for a band. But instead because of the shit Piltover has done she’s fighting for her freedoms. And that’s WHY it’s impactful that she comes back. Because through these little vignettes and glimpses of her as a background character, we can understand her stakes in this fight.

Like, I’m sorry but I just don’t think you know what a background character is or why they’re important. They don’t have to be fleshed out to an umpth degree to service the story.

The thing season 2 of Arcane did the worst is its quality of characterization in both main characters and side characters. No, cutting to background characters doing things occasionally is not developing them. Sure, you can jump to piano guy and gert occasionally, but just showing us what they're doing does not tell us who they are. I could describe to you the character of Finn or Huck or Babbette or Caitlyn's dad. But who is Lest? Who is Loris? Who is Maddie? Who is Steb? They even drop the ball with this in regard to more central characters. What was sevika doing while Jinx was away? What happened to the firelights, and how did Ekko respond when he got back to them? What is Jayce doing pretty much ever? Characters being so complex is what people loved so much about season 1 its what made season 1 feel like a show that could stand on its own but season 2 truly just feels like a long league cinematic and its worse because of that.

[canvas-madness-txc]

💜

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Remember: The burning sensation is part of the process.