#his life was funny when you forget he was real and was actually suffering from mental health issues

[kimtiny]

A collection of Lincoln related drawings

[plague-karm]

Right time to analyse this shit because god dammit I have been silently making theories about this show the second I saw the premise I’m about to become the most annoying person on the planet on god so LETS GOOOOOOO-

First things first the animation looks fucking phenomenal (let Kevin Temmer cook, that man can do no wrong). Also Caine the guy ever, he is the silly and I love him wholeheartedly, he’s just a fucked up little guy who’s living his best life fr.

And also NEW CHARACTER HELLO.

They do be circling though.

THE SILLIES ARE HERE LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOO 🎉🎉🎉

Smiling Gangle spotted ten seconds before disaster, no thoughts head empty indeed.

ALSO I WASN’T EXPECTING STUFF OUTSIDE THE CIRCUS BUT IT’S A WELCOME SURPRISE WHOA

They have come to steal your credit card information.

The thoughts I had of Ragatha being the lone brain cell keeping everything together were completely correct I CALLED IT- (it has been said by Gooseworx that she has been there the second longest so she’s probably gotten used to the zaniness by now…maybe)

A door that leads to a void?

Maybe it has something to do with this room in the teaser trailer? Possibly.

Tumblr sexyman spotted.

''If there was a way to leave I'm sure we'd have all left by now''

They're ✨suffering✨

This caught me off guard when I first saw it lmao (holy FUCK I love Zooble's design, they're everything to me).

''Welcome to your new home...AND your new body...''

So they're aware that they were human before they entered the circus? That's interesting considering what happens in a few seconds (I'll get to that soon). It's also worth mentioning that Gooseworx has stated that their clothes ARE a part of their bodies.

Case in point...

At the end of the character introduction compilation Gooseworx posted to their YouTube channel Pomni is heard saying something along the lines of

''How do I...take this...headset off?!''

I saw a few people theorizing about her talking about a VR headset and that was how she entered the circus to begin with (I had the same thoughts until very recently). However, considering how much of the visuals and character designs are based on old media (also a teaser image was set up as the menu screen for a retro game), I'm beginning to think that this isn't the case.

So it's incredibly likely that Pomni is actually talking about her jester headpiece since she can't take it off.

This scene is probably the first time Pomni sees her new body, pinwheel eyes and all.

''I'm fine with whatever, as long as I get to see funny things happen to people''

I love him he's so unbothered.

I'm sad that we didn't get to hear any dialogue from them but I can't wait to see them in the pilot! Kinger is love, Kinger is life.

''After a while you start to realise that you really can't leave, and constantly chasing an unattainable goal will start driving you a little crazy''

She's a little fucked up actually wow who saw that coming.

It sounds like Ragatha tried to leave a few times and just resigned to her fate after a while, her description DID say that she was the ''sweetest little optimist in the digital circus'', so maybe she's told the others that escaping is impossible and that they should make the best of their situation instead? (Also the framed picture of the right looks like some kind of void, a lot of void imagery here).

Also, Gooseworx released this image a short while ago and it has the same background that Ragatha had while she was talking so she's DEFINITELY talking to Pomni here.

''OH GOD! WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER MY NAME?!''

EXCUSE ME? Okay time for some more speculation. I knew that their names definitely weren't their real ones but I wasn't expecting them to forget them!

Now, since the premise is said to be centred around Pomni and the others getting messed with by AI and their traumas, maybe instead of forgetting what their names were, they actually REPRESSED their memories from when they were human due to the trauma they went through? (Which would include their names)

I don't buy that they've COMPLETELY forgotten who they were (Zooble is aware that the body they're in isn't the one they used to have so I'm guessing everyone else knows that too.)

I'm guessing that their human lives absolutely SUCKED and they've now repressed their trauma to the point where they can barely remember who they were in the human world, this is just speculation.

''Thank goodness this is all a dream, right Pomni?''

What a sassy little guy (it's so weird hearing Michael Kovach sound so reserved, he's normally feral as hell playing these kinds of characters). The little mannequin symbol on the door is probably there for when new people stumble into the circus.

She's definitely seen some shit, I wonder what it could be though?

OH MY GOD THERE'S MORE OF THEM 😭

Wow this background looks...oddly normal. The only thing I can think of this being is Pomni witnessing a flashback of her human life before she showed up in the circus.

''You completely lose sight of who you are and why you're even alive and when you reach your breaking point something REALLY terrible can happen''

OH? Okay speculation time again. This is the closest hint we've gotten to what exactly one of the gang's traumas could be. Ragatha may have forced herself to stay positive in really shitty situations during her human life which likely lead to a lot of negative thoughts which eventually lead to her doing...something, I'm not sure what though, maybe it lead to her losing an eye? (Maybe her new body represents that?) I'm not sure. Maybe this is why she's been in the circus for as long as she has, instead of dealing with her feelings and existentialism, she instead continues to try to be someone who's more adjusted than they actually are.

Again, this is all just speculation, maybe it's just an Infinity Train type of thing where they can't leave until they learn to accept what they went through and how to work through it healthily idk.

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? Well, I'll tell you what I think it is.

I think it's this weird tar like tentacle thing from the teaser trailer, I don't see what else it could be.

And I'm 90% sure that whatever it is, it's connected to this room, and I think that THIS is gonna be where we'll be seeing what the gangs traumas are (Ragatha looked TERRIFIED when she was grabbed so if this was the case I wouldn't be surprised). I'd also like to speculate that this could possibly be another AI. There's Caine, Bubble, and whatever the hell those little shape creatures are, so it's very likely that other AI does exist, we just haven't seen them yet.

But who knows? I'm probably looking too much into it.

Woah new background, he is angy.

I would go into another theory I have about how their designs may hint at what trauma they have but I've spent over an hour writing, compiling trailer screenshots, and speculating every individual frame while suffering with chest pains I wanna go to bed

Holy shit that took WAY longer than I thought it would. I cannot WAIT to watch the pilot, this show has become one of my most anticipated projects of the year over the last few months and I can't wait to see what it has in store.

TL;DR: The trailer looks fire 10/10 can't wait for the inevitable Pomni plushes.

[stormblessed95]

I'm kind of excited for tae to join jeju! This is no hate at all, but I think the first two episodes were a little boring tbh. I know jimin was sick and that couldn't be helped, but his suffering (bless his poor heart) was honestly the most entertaining part of the NY trip because the rest of it was just a few cute interactions and eating. Like at the little cabin, they cooked there, but it didn't seem like they had anything else planned and there was nothing around for them to do, so jimin fighting for his life on the toilet actually seemed to make it more entertaining. Or when they went for a hike, but we didn't really see them doing anything there or having any deeper conversations, jimin fighting mosquitos was literally the entertainment. Or when they went on the yacht (once again don't blame jimin for getting much needed rest for his body), we didn't really see anything beyond them just messing around. Even when jimin played Who, I really hoped we'd be getting some deeper conversations about the song or the concept or just anything music related. I do think some of the grocery store moments were funny with jungkook having total adhd brain and wandering off and the bickering over parking and the kayaking was also fun. I saw comments from regular non-shipper armys who enjoyed it, but also hoped there would be some deeper content in the following locations.

I know it was unplanned and unscripted, but I guess I was expecting vibes like ITS, but I forget there were a whole 7 members, so there was always someone to be entertaining doing something. I also shouldn't be surprised given its jimin and jungkook LOL. Like jimin who admits to sleeping in until noon (obviously when he's not working) and spending a lot of time on his phone, and jungkook who will go live and just react to content without anything planned and enjoys just being a foodie, and also the two of them who admit to staying up and doing nothing or sitting on their phones together. Idk, I just feel like they have the kind of relationship where they can sit around doing nothing together and are both very much homebodies, which is good for them, but not super interesting to watch. I just lowkey feel like tae will inject some much needed energy and third party interaction into the dynamic. From the teaser clips we've gotten of jeju, it looks like that's where we'll see them doing the most activities (boating, climbing, snorkeling, etc.) besides eating, out of any of the destinations. Obviously jimin feeling better will help too I'm sure.

I'm glad you are excited anon! Personally I enjoyed the slowed down feel to it, more slice of life esque vibes. This is the real us vibes. Which I love slice of life shows too. I too am super excited for Jeju!

[fokron]

sorry I'm still reeling from reading the Natori cousin arc (up to chp 115 bc that's far as I can find the scans).

They really hit us with:

Natori explicitly trusting Natsume with knocking him out of yokai-magic induced hallucinations of his traumatic childhood memories.

Hiiragi literally saying that could only work with someone Natori trusts UNCONDITIONALLY and kinda implying natsume is the only person that applies to in natori's life........ o k a y!!! catch me sobbing!!

After natsume knocks natori out of it natori is like: "sorry for being so weak and a loser lmfao I'll walk u out so u can get back to ur day" and natsume says "Nice Try But I'm Helping You Idiot."

a Yokai-illusion version of Natori (built from the yokai seeing into Natori's soul) literally tells natsume how he was lonely and scared and ostracized as a kid and desperately wanted specifically a younger relative who could see the same shit he sees. and when REAL natori pops up and dissolves the illusion and is like haha don't listen to that thing lol and natsume is like isn't it built from your soul tho and natori doesn't rlly argue against it that hard........................ okay.

Natori blaming himself for mitsuru not being able to exist + no younger relatives getting born in general bc it was so feared that they could get the sight like natori like GOD the self hatred is so thick here fucking hell.

and let's go back to natori desperately wanting a younger relative who also had the sight so he wasn't alone. Natsume. literally natsume. his relationship to natsume. I'm biased bc I headcanon their relationship as sibling-like but I feel there's a lot in canon to back it up and POINTS POINTS POINTS LIKE THIS RIGHT HERE...

Also not super relevant but important to me specifically Nyanko offhandedly saying "good grief you and this kid" but like. to natsume. so referring to natori as a kid which he normally only does with natsume. could be specific translation or me misinterpreting it but um. Nyanko softening up to natori.

And there's a scene within like. a single page. where nyanko transfers from natsume's shoulder to natori's head to natori's arms which shouldn't be as funny and sweet to me as it is but it is.

(tho should be noted whenever I get back into natsuyuu, I usually do reread/rewatch it in order. so I don't remember if nyanko softening up to natori happened a while ago or whatever lol)

and ofc we cannot forget THE REASON NATORI TOOK ON THE JOB IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS MOSTLY FOR A CHANCE (just a possibility!!!) TO HELP NATSUME W/ THE BOOK OF FRIENDS..... and was willing to suffer thru uncomfortable childhood memories about it. Bye I'm actually going to throw up.

[skaruresonic]

Being a Cream fan is suffering. The writers aren't hiding that they don't like her. Hello Advanced 2 anyone???

I can imagine.

She's milked for both humor and angst. In most cases, the fact that it's Cream specifically who is suffering/the butt of the joke is the intended takeaway behind the humor or angst.

People try to rationalize such moments as "she's just a child," forgetting that Cream is also her own person and has a personality beyond the expected behavior of children her age. Shunting her into the box of Child(tm) and leaving it at that is like reducing Amy to Girl(tm). Or Shadow to his Black Arms blood. You're not wrong to say those elements factor in, per se, but you are being overreductive by focusing only on those isolated elements of their characters when they're not overall terribly important.

Apologies for the self-indulgence here, but before we proceed to talk about IDW 66 and 67's B-side story, I'd like to bring up Cream's chapter in my visual novel as a counterexample:

In a nutshell: OaS is a slice-of-life where Sonic goes about a normal Sunday, visiting his friends and helping them through their problems, alongside some funny shenanigans. He spends about half the game spending time with Knuckles, Amy, and Cream, respectively.

Chapter three sees his relationship with Cream evolve from friends to Big Bro-Lil Sis(tm) as he endeavors to look out for her the best he can and listen to her little kid problems. Math is hard. :<

You'll notice in the conversation Sonic and Cream have after they sit down to eat their carnival food - about halfway through the video - that "lol Cream's just a dumb kid" is the exact attitude I was trying to avoid.

On the contrary: I wanted to respect her agency while also emphasizing that her status as a child is something worth respect on its own. Just because her problems may seem trivial from an adult perspective don't mean they aren't real to her, and I hope I've portrayed it so that Sonic gives her the respect she deserves.

The gist behind the chapter's more humorous moments isn't to point and laugh at Cream, but rather make light of the awkwardness of Sonic navigating being a big brother figure.

That's why stuff like Cream spouting waterfalls really rubs me the wrong way. Folks will argue "she's a child" while neglecting the important nuance that it's not typical of Cream to wail like a toddler in the games... As well as the other important nuance that if it had been Games!Cream in IDW!Cream's place, Rough and Tumble would be ground into paste before the roast finished.

The only punchline here is "Isn't it funny how Cream tried so hard to do right by her mother and some bully destroyed her work in an instant? LOL and then Vanilla went mama bear on them." When you drill down to the core of the underlying idea, you'll find it's just... meanspirited. The book is making fun of the fact that Cream is suffering what is, in her eyes, a humiliating failure.

It's not humor generated by Cream's personality, or the mood whiplash incurred by beating up bad guys one moment and tending to the roast the next, or inviting the bad guys to dinner after giving them a thorough ass-whooping, or anything like that.

How much better would it have been if, instead, following the food fight, we cut to Vanilla returning home to find an immaculate dinner table and two very twitchy skunk boys playing maid in fear of the goddess of destruction's wrath? Cream cheerily greets her mother while Rough and Tumble trip over themselves putting Vanilla's groceries away. Meanwhile Cheese and Chocola give them the evil eye. Vanilla is confused as G-merl pulls out her chair for her, but in no position to protest.

Imagine how amusing that could have been! Nope. The book has to point and laugh at Cream in a "ha ha bitch you thought" kind of way. Can't join in on the laugh track if we have any love for Cream ourselves.

To borrow the stans' logic, it's actually pretty fucked-up that you're meant to laugh at a child for crying in such a situation. At best, you're made to feel sorry for her, but given how the scene is framed to be absurd, it's probably a safer bet to say you're intended to laugh.

That's before we remember Cream doesn't sob buckets in the games. It took being kidnapped, taken to Eggman's creepy robot depot and watching Emerl gleefully tear Phi robots apart for her to sniffle quietly.

Sniffle. Not wail like a toddler. Because the games have this thing called "a sense of decorum," you see. xP

People contend that Cream's a pacifist based on her refusal to engage in Battle until Emerl gets hurt (and then they conveniently ignore how she stepped up and kicked some ass; rip), which overlooks the context that she was probably sick of fighting after having been forced to spar against Emerl and Amy to the point of exhaustion.

---

P.S. IDW!Vanilla wishes she was half as scary as OaS!Vanilla. Yeah, I said it xP

[dojae-huh]

Why SM "doesn't protect" its idols. An explanation from a corporate lawyer. Google translate again. (source)

Why "SM does nothing" or how to find the guilty in the real world.

From the point of view of a fan and fan feelings, of course, you want justice for Seunghan, because he did not deserve all the wave of hatred towards himself and "friends" who are ready to leak personal correspondence for the sake of profit, so you can always help and report hateful comments or support the guy who is being bullied for literally living a normal teenage life.

From another point of view, in situations like this, I always find it very funny to watch the wave of fan hatred towards agencies that allegedly "do nothing". Just today, I have come across several comments indignant at why SM does not punish haters/sasaengs/choose the right one. And as a corporate lawyer with a focus on litigation in a company from a related field, I also want to make my contribution. So, why do agencies "do nothing"?

Let's start with the basic legal concepts, the cornerstones, which everyone somehow forgets at such moments. An idol is an ordinary citizen of his country, the same individual with equal rights before the law, like his sasaeng or hater, like an ordinary office worker of the agency. SM is a legal entity. An ephemeral concept created by capitalism for the purpose of carrying out activities for the purpose of making a profit. Any entertainment agency is equal in its rights with an ordinary grocery store on your street, a restaurant or an entire dental clinic, which are also legal entities. Got it?

Now let's delve a little deeper into the boring story of how this situation actually looks. A hypothetical hater leaks personal photos and private correspondence of an idol on a social network. Who does this harm first of all? An individual. From a legal point of view, in this case alone, several completely different types of offense can be distinguished (which are provided for by the provisions of the Korean Law on the Protection of Personal Information, the Law on the Promotion of the Use of Information and Telecommunication Networks and the Protection of Information, articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Korea): violation of the secrecy of correspondence, violation of privacy, dissemination of information defaming the honor, dignity and business reputation of a citizen, causing moral harm, causing damages. And any citizen has the right to protect their rights under the law in two ways: within the framework of civil and within the framework of criminal proceedings.

How does it work?

Within the framework of civil proceedings, a citizen can apply to the court with a claim for recovery of damages that were caused to him in connection with the dissemination of information defaming his honor, dignity and business reputation. For example, now the whole country is discussing the personal life of an idol and his public image has fallen so low that advertisers have terminated contracts, demanding a penalty, because now their product is being boycotted because of this idol. These are the idol's losses. The idol can also demand moral damages for the moral suffering caused, because he was worried, did not sleep at night and generally fell ill due to the disclosure of personal information. And the idol also has the right to demand a public refutation of information that discredits his honor, dignity or business reputation, if the person who disseminated such information does not prove that it is true. It is unlikely to prove this when videos and photos of the idol are posted online, right? After the idol makes these demands, the court, taking into account the evidence in the case file, in accordance with the principles of reasonableness, adversarial proceedings, and based solely on its own conviction, will make a decision indicating whether the case file really contains evidence that confirms that the idol has suffered moral harm and material damage, and how much money the idol will receive from the hater as compensation.

What are the pitfalls here? There are many. The idol must first find out who is distributing this information. It is unlikely that anyone can file a lawsuit in court where the defendant will be listed as "Naver account owner *". Even if the idol sends a request to the office that owns the social network with a request to tell who the owner of the account is, no one will tell him anything, because this is personal data that is protected by law. What if the idol magically finds out the hater's personal data, but it turns out that he is a citizen of another country, permanently residing there? Well, good luck to a South Korean idol suing a hater from Brazil. This is just one hypothetical example, but when there are ten, a hundred, a thousand such haters? Litigation becomes impractical. If the hater does live in Korea, and miraculously the idol finds out his personal information in order to sue him, then a long process begins that cannot be resolved in one hearing. The number of hearings increases and the gap between their dates increases too, because the parties need to prepare documents that will prove their position, and the court has a schedule of hearings

review of cases, because there are thousands of court cases, an idol is not the only one: today there is a divorce, and tomorrow a dispute over construction. Therefore, when once a year some idol or entertainment company issues a press release that “the hater was punished in accordance with the court’s decision,” no one notices how the statements contain no information about the essence of the case or the date when it happened. Because the hater could have written a controversial comment a year, two, or three years ago.

Another option is criminal proceedings. Under South Korean law, such cases are considered exclusively at the request of a citizen, because this is a private law charge. That is, no one except an idol can go to the police and think that their statement will be accepted for consideration and a criminal case will be opened. The idol attaches to the statement all the information he has about the unidentified person - here they are, the blessed screenshots with insults that are sent to Kwanya 119 - and then�� That's it. The idol can no longer do anything, because now only the police have the powers established by law: they will find out the personal data of the owners of social networks upon official requests (here, by the way, the idol will be able to get acquainted with the case materials, find out the details of the account owner and also go to court with a civil lawsuit!) and if suddenly this turns out to be a resident of Korea, then the investigators can quite happily initiate a criminal case, go and have a conversation with this person, offer to apologize to the idol in order to try to resolve the issue peacefully. Or otherwise, transfer the case to the prosecutor. The prosecutor will look at the materials collected by the investigators and decide whether there is enough evidence to charge in court. Insufficient - the case will be returned for further investigation and the consideration period will be delayed; sufficient - the prosecutor will go to court with the charges, where the situation will repeat itself. The court will again look at the case materials, listen to the parties and decide whether there is any violation in the person's actions and to what extent.

Notice how there is no agency anywhere in these chains? But it is all very simple. Because legally they are not a party to any of the above relationships. Yes, the artist who has a contract with the label is harmed and this affects the artist's image, because the idol on stage and the person behind him are inextricably linked, and this also directly affects the group, namely, what is legally called business reputation. But within the framework of legal concepts and the evidentiary process, there is a distinction between causing damage to the business reputation of a group, all rights to which belong to the agency, and damage to the honor, dignity and business reputation of an idol, that is, an ordinary citizen who, by law, must protect his rights himself, just as a sasaeng or hater, or an ordinary office worker would protect his rights… Therefore, most often agencies, understanding this entire chain that directly affects their profits, and also taking into account the incompetence of idols, whom the label raised almost from childhood, taking all the responsibilities of their independent life upon itself, create things like e-mail boxes or Kwanya 119, where they can send documents, which will then be reviewed through lawyers for the advisability of working with them. An agreement is concluded between the idols and the agencies or a power of attorney is issued, according to which agency representatives can file lawsuits on behalf of the idols, find out about the progress of the police case on their behalf. And agencies also write letters to social networks, forums or news portals demanding that they remove articles or comments that violate the law, but they do this in a claim procedure that does not oblige anyone, so a social network may well refuse a label if the article or comment complies with their site usage policy and does not violate the law. No entertainment agency has the right or authority to punish anyone, demand money outside of court, and even more so to find commentators from the Internet and threaten them with reprisals. Because here a completely different process of close attention from government agencies to the company itself and their activities, and not to their idols, begins. This is a labor-intensive process that most often does not bring any benefit, because it is impossible to disclose specific data about the case and the personal data of haters, and template statements that the agency will take measures in accordance with the law or that someone has already been punished will not benefit anyone, because they do not contain specifics and any confirmation for the public. Otherwise, every entertainment agency in Korea could issue statements every Saturday stating that five or six haters were punished in the previous week. Would there be any level of trust in such statements? Not to mention that no legal entity is required to disclose such information or report on their legal cases, and fans demand statements from labels simply… because they think everyone owes them something. Of course, some agencies issue such statements once in a while.

per quarter. But for people who understand the whole process, such statements are just empty replies.

I could provide links to the provisions of the law and Korean law textbooks for each action I described, and even translate them from Korean, but then this post would look more like a thesis on Korean procedural law, and I'm too lazy, so here's a short conclusion: are entertainment agencies obliged to do anything in such situations? According to the law, no, but they will do it anyway, because it affects their profits and the image of their artists, whom they want to keep for many years. How effective are the methods for solving these problems? Well, not as effectively as we would like, but this is a problem of the law and its enforcement, not entertainment agencies. Should fans report all this? The expression "a bad result is also a result" does not work here, so no, there is no point in this. But why agencies (don't) issue statements regarding scandals at a certain time and in certain wording is a question that needs to be decided not only by lawyers, but also by PR people and public relations specialists. However… this is a completely different story.

[razette-moved]

We finished season 3 of Bungo Stray Dogs. We are basking in the Wan! episodes before the agony of the next seasons. Cant even find relief in the manga; the manga readers are coping hard in the tags! youre all so brave!

Thoughts so far;

Dazai is a mood. Theres so much wrong with that man. hes suffering. his smile is a knife. All ive seen is the anime and Im kinda desperate for more, so Im gonna have to invest in all the light novels immediately.

Atsushi being told to run away from Akutagawa immediately on sight, and then meeting him 20 minutes later is hilarious imo. he did not run on sight. do you think they tell all newbies that? If it were me I wouldnt have even recognized him. Id forget his name and his face immediately. Dazai wouldve stepped in and Idve been, oh i thought hed be taller.

Atsushi and Akutagawa passing therapy tips and tricks back and forth is great. Theyve been fighting the whole time nonstop. theyve only fought like 3 ish times total so far. theyre already so over each other. theyre fed up. get this guy outta here!

Why do they ask for kunikidas advice and then not take it? its not really a critique, i actually find it funny. its a coin flip. he's right or hes a stick in the mud. Man is coping hard. he cares so much. he cares too much.

I like to pretend the tanizaki siblings arent blood related. not real sure that fixes anything but im coping.

i dont really think i should go read the classics just because im watching an anime, right. Theyre worth reading on their own; im just lazy. but i kiiiinda feel like doing so would give me better understanding of this story? I can tell im missing a whole dimension by not doing so. is that wrong?

I think im gonna have to cave and call Chuuya my favourite character. Every scene hes in is great. there should be way more of them.

Im the kind of person who loves like 95% of all ships. youd be a little hard pressed to find a ship i dont care for. Im usually only neutral at worst. unfortunately skk is has consumed my soul.

calico cat man is trans. or intersexed. cant change my mind.

The americans are hilarious. southern belle. evil preacher. money man. work a holic ability. but theyre not treated as just a joke. theyre all great characters.

when life gives you lemons use them to make bombs.

lemon balm pun?

there are not enough kajji gifs.

I wonder what Jun'ichiros training looks like. He is way too good as a potential assassin to not be receiving any. I wish we could see more of him and kenji

I told my partner about kouyou x yosano. they said theyd sell their soul for it. then they squinted at me and asked if it was a crackship that never meets in canon. I said I have no idea.

Actually the ranpoe ship is SO CUTE. What do you MEAN he keeps trying to write better and better mysteries to impress beat Ranpo? And Ranpo is delighted every time. Ranpo defeats each one and then slips a complement between singing his own praises. do you think Poe lives for it? i do.

tbf Edgar Allen Poe the irl author is actually one of my favourite authors. someday when I have money im gonna start collecting.

Fyodor creeps me out. I know he is supposed to because he is a villain, but i always feel bad about it. I want to like him as a villain more than I do. i think villains should me more appreciated. a well written villain is like nice butter to steak.

I think those are my loudest thoughts so far. Im waiting to hear good or bad news from the manga readers before I start reading the manga. I am much weaker and cant handle the pressure.

anyone want to talk about their favourite parts?

[irissweatersbearthoughts]

WWDITS S5 ep 1 & 2 thoughts

HI, my friends!!!! **SPOILERS AHEAD!!!** Pls slide by, this account will not be safe for spoilers (for whatever current eps are out, i am closing my eyes for teasers on new eps).   Current thoughts, ep1 , HOLY MOLY I,,I really feel bad for Guillermo, they make my boy suffer so much. Though I couldn’t help but laugh knowing the other coworker at Derek’s place would not look up, while there is a literal blood scene on the floor. But, also why is this man still cleaning toilets, when he was given a huge sum of money, sir go get urself something nice... AJSNAs. Nandor was so cute on the carousel, and omg when he broke the door it actually scared me. I keep forgetting that these vampires can be scary sometimes, but we all know Guillermo would be the one to survive in the end. And lord puppy eyes for the guide, let her wIN, I support womans wrongs but Nadja baby pls.. AJSNA Ep 2, Again great, I just, I really love Lazlo and Nandor bonding more as per usual. It was so cute when Lazlo admitted he was jealous of Nandor’s hypnosis powers, and honestly, I feel like Nandor is getting more powerful not in just that, something is happening??? Idek...very nice for Nadja to find a place that reminds her of home, I was really going awww, especially when the guide mimicked her happy spin, reminds me of when Lazlo mimicked Nadja’s little dance as well. Also don’t think I forgot, fucking I, How the hell is baron Afanas keeps getting pretter in every frame, and me crying cause the sire was making himself a little circus with popsicle sticks, IM GUNNA CRY AND THROW UP. Why can’t I live in that house it’s not fair. Now for more Lazlo and Guillermo bonding.,, but honestly these new eps made me laugh and worried at the same time. We are in for some more Nandermo trauma, The writers of this show really popped off and I CAN’t-

In conclusion I’ve rewatched these 2 eps, twice already, I will partake in a 3rd watch, when I first watched I felt like life was not real, I’m so so happy! I ran to tumblr to check what everyone had to say, yall are so smart and funny! I want to draw but my hand is still sore from yesterday, I have so many things I want to doodle! More art in the future! Thank you for yalls support, feel free to tell me ur thoughts, sending Hearts! ❤❤❤ 

[mmslooney007]

The (long-ish) Rant Review No One Needed Or Asked For™ - Unchained Love

Y'all had the keys to success but threw it all away,huh?

Character-wise

Bu Yinlou is a lazy(?) girl who couldn’t care less about status or luxury, but is coveted by the eventual Emperor. She wants to be free, which is super fair as she was almost sacrificed (as tradition dictates for childless concubines of late emperors), and seeks to be free from the walls of the Imperial City.

Xiao Cheng Duo is the Chief of the Zhaoding Bureau, seeking to carry out his revenge on his twin brother’s murderer. Also not a real eunuch-- this causes Conflict™ for not only the Wang Hedi stans (jkjk), but for covetous Emperors and lonely Empresses.

The Emperor (played very well by Peter Ho) is driven by his obsession over Yinlou. Viki commenters and avid dramalanders, we can’t even call ourselves clairvoyant for calling it when baby boy entered the scene-- it’s just the way life goes.

Plot-wise

It went from making sure Rong An (the lonely Empress) didn’t take control of the crown, to getting baby boy to take the throne, to taking the other clan’s leader’s title/power away because he was crooked (and also suspect #1 of “Guess Who Murdered My Brother”), to dream getaway with not-my-man-yet/get me away from the, now, Emperor, somewhere in the mix was the lantern festival, which was the exit before “Operation: Make Yinlou a Seductress,” then we proceeded to take a right to the fakeup (fake breakup, or something else-- you tell me), to Lantern Festival again. Well, actually, no that defo was not the order of events-- but my point is this: I think we could have shortened this to 28 episodes.

Who doesn’t like a good whodunnit? Who doesn’t like political upheaval in drama? Who doesn’t like women fighting for their right to be treated as fellow humans and not objects? Who doesn’t like Hedi men who have power like that, having fight scenes like that, and women who are equally capable (looking at you WanWan) out here colluding? And y’all had the whole forbidden romance going on, but you fumbled. 

This was funny as all get-out imo, but man. This suffered from the drama curse. I personally feel like it dragged on at times and really honed in on the romance more than developing the storyline a bit. As much censorship that went on, you could have developed the scheming. I wish the Empress did more and they went in more on her wanting to possess Xiao Duo like they did Yinlou and the Emperor. I wish we had a bit more of Yinlou’s dad colluding with the King (Prince?) in West Shu. I wish we had more insight of the intel gathering. I wish they (he?) fell in love a bit slower. 

Forget Bones to Pick...

... I got a whole skeleton. Listen, my girl Yinlou was not out here leaving that armoire open during this. She was never a Bruno Mars feature. And y’all expect me to believe she was out here wearing his ring on her neck?! Where? Where. Y’all expect me to believe she was going to suddenly care for her abuser like that?! All cozy-- where? Tongyun wasn’t going to open up her mouth about the coercion to the most powerful man in the palace? The overplayed fakeup?! (Which ok sure she was being monitored but blink twice or drop a card to let ya husband know?) And why didn’t y'all keep the cards going? The wigs-- they never moved. Wet, wind, or sleep. Gorilla glued my guy. Minus torture. Her cousin didn’t die after being stabbed like that? But the Dowager didn’t make it, or Eunuch Bu, or any other arrowed foe. But why’d y’all bring him back since he contributed nothing to the plot after his being rescued from the grave?

Listen, I’ve got grievances. The emperor living as long as he did was at least three of them. The other ten being the amount of times the newlyweds could have left!

Takeaway

Yinlou I’m pissed too. He should’ve given me the twin swords.  

My Rating...

6/10 on a good freakin day

Clown shoes go *squeak* *squeak*

[twisted-up-in-wonderland]

I know this just supposed to be a funny meme, and it totally is, and I love it, but I still feel the need to sort them how I think the actual 7 sins would go. Because my brain got stuck on it. 😂

Wrath with Riddle, Greed with Azul, and Vanity/Envy with Vil are fine, A+. (Both Greed and Vanity/Envy are green because I ran out of colors. RIP 💀)

That leaves Sloth, Pride, Gluttony, and Lust.

I know Pride was probably a play off of lions having prides (I mean, he IS super proud don’t get me wrong, but my guess is the pun was the real seller here) but Leona fits better with Sloth. He’s always napping and slacking off, and has even been held back because of it. He has Ruggie do so much for him because he doesn’t want to do it. Once he is motivated he is very talented, but he would rather sit back, relax, and take super long cat naps. Like, I love Leona but the dude needs to chill on the melatonin. Now, I personally believe a HUGE reason for this is that Leona suffers from depression, and I know from experience that depression makes it so hard to make you want to do anything. But, on the surface level, the lack of activity and ambition makes Leona the perfect candidate for Sloth.

So who would get Pride then? Believe it or not, I would actually give Pride to Idia! I know this seems like a crazy one, but hear me out: I know Idia is in the dorm based off of Hades and the Underworld and everything but the sheer absolute gall. The arrogance. The ego. The PRIDE. To think that you can defy death itself and bring back someone from its clutches just because you say it’s so. Not to mention that, when he’s talking about his skills in gaming and tech, Idia can get pretty boastful there too. Downright insulting to those he deems less skilled than him (ie basically everyone). He may be a nervous wreck when it comes to social interactions, especially those held in person, but Idia has some serious Pride simmering in him as well. (Haha fire pun! 😏🔥)

Now, for Gluttony and Lust I’m gonna do a bit of stretching because… well. I gotta. I have Malleus and Kalim left guys cut me some slack! 😭😂

For Lust I’m assigning it to Kalim because that boy has so much lust… lust for life. Kalim is a ball of energy and happiness and optimism and seems to be the living embodiment of all forms of positivity - for better and for worse. He is just constantly having fun and living life to the fullest and that is kiiiiiiinda his problem. Hence it being the sin he represents. While assigning Lust to him doesn’t utilize Lust in the traditional sense, it still technically works for him. Kalim is just drowning himself in life’s joys and wonders and not paying attention to what he should be. Or who he should be. Careful there Kalim - while you’re dancing in joy, you might just stomp on a snake in your obliviousness… 🐍

That leaves Gluttony with Malleus. I’m gonna be honest guys, I struggled with this one. But then when I was thinking of how I was twisting Lust to suit Kalim… what if Gluttony isn’t simply about food, but just about wanting? And while it can 100% be argued that Malleus does not want anything that he does not deserve or shouldn’t have, he does want. He wants to not be lonely. He wants people to not be afraid of him. He wants to stop forgetting events. He wants to get invited to events. He wants to make his family proud of him. And, again, all of those things are not bad things to want at all by any means, but poor Malleus is stuck wanting and wanting and wanting and until the MC shows up it seems like he will never receive what he wants and will just continue wanting forever. So, for the sake of fitting everyone into the sins, Malleus gets Gluttony.

Okay, sorry this got long and again sorry for this analysis on what was really just a silly little meme post. But my brain went “OOH A THING!” and so I had to. 🙈

[ladyseidr]

it's miserably hot so i Just Got Here but uh ke.l notes on my portrayal dump or whatever ( will contain spoilers! i was going to try to keep it mild but it, like, one hc in i realized it wasn't possible )

i do Not vibe with the idea that ke.l is the simplest character / least developed because what are we forgetting "they ignored me, hehe. . ." OR aub.rey's "i didn't realize people deal with grief in different ways" ????????

he's not a "himbo" he has ADHD and is trying his best ( and also his hea.dspace-self is literally 12 like damn give him a break fkdshflsadj )

"there are no signs that he's bothered by his brother being the golden child" we did not play the same game, but yeah no like he loves hero soooooo much but there's no way i'm looking past the whole "they ignored me" thing on top of the way he avoids his house / mother like the plague at parts. like, yes, i actually think his parents love him but his mother is fr so much like mine ( not the golden child part, everything else ) so i know what i'm talking abt kfhdsafhdslh. parents can be loving but also extremely judgmental ( or worse ), those are sadly not contradictions in my experience

i'm obv a good / true ending person, and for the record: yes he forgives sun.ny. it takes a while to fully work through it all, but he's verbally forgives him like. definitely quicker than everyone else

big big big big "i'm always there for everyone but no one's ever there for me" vibes, like i think sun.ny might be the exception, but i do think most ppl who know ke.l see his sometimes-forced confidence / happiness and silliness and just think he's fine

okay so this is probably projecting but the whole "oh he supposedly moved on really fast and started doing all these sports and making a ton of friends etc etc" thing does not read like him just "getting over it," it reads like how i cope with grief: by not coping with it. don't get me wrong, distracting yourself can sometimes be a healthy part of grief but in my case, i wouldn't let myself feel it at all and like. especially with hero suffering????? i really feel like ke.l bottled it up and tried to be strong for his brother and at some point he did or will crack

i am a big fan of ke.l visiting mar.i's grave super often hc tho

in the same vein as like, everything above, his whole "i thought i would just mess it up / make everything worse" ( i am not looking up exact quotes, bear with me ) is so. . . like i think he's literally a little fucked up from not being able to read the room / read social cues well when he was younger ( which, like, literally canonical ). like he was literally scared to reach out to his grieving friends, presumably even before the argument with hero??? all because he might make it worse????? kill me

okay okay okay okay on a lighter note: so bisexual and yes i'm gonna be honest i stand by my Has A Crush On Su.nny headcanon. i didn't choose this life, my gay ass brain chose it for me

( on that note i do still find ke.l/aubr.ey/su.nny/bas.il extremely funny. collects almost the entire friend group and hero is just like "why???????????" )

he's so extroverted i mean this is canon ( "while you were working i sat on a bench and talked to strangers!" ) but it Has to be noted. everybody is a potential friend to him. where's that one post that's like "i'm not here to make friends (big dumb smile) i'm here to make BEST friends"

loyal to a fault, protective to a fault, and full of bad ideas ( affectionate )

so touchy, physical affection is so his thing. yes this is also canon but he's a big hugger for sure

bringing up the ADHD thing again because it's so real, i was replaying the junkyard part and the whole "what were we looking for again" followed by "were we looking for something? :)" like 10 minutes later is SO funny, he's just like me for real

he saved sun.ny's life. like we do acknowledge that right. you can only get bad endings if you don't open the door to ke.l. opening the door and letting ke.l finally reconnect with sun.ny after trying so long is the only path to a good ending. sobs into my hands.

anyway

[peofun1]

alright I watched Way Too Much anime this season, and now that it's coming to a close, I wanna get down some of my thoughts on everything.

there's no real method to how we picked what anime to watch beyond just what looked interesting to us. i have some friends that do "gauntlets" or who watch EVERYTHING in a season, but I'm not doing all that. we just watch the trailers before the season starts and pick out whatever looks up our alley.

anyway here's a very long post, in alphabetical order, of everything I watched in the Spring 2024 anime season. longer thoughts under the cut, but here's all of them up front:

Reincarnated Aristocrat, Bartender, Dungeon Meshi, Loser Ranger, Gods' Game We Play, Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again, Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night, Kaiju No. 8, Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio, Oblivion Battery, Re:Monster, Spice and Wolf, Train to the End of the World, Whisper Me a Love Song, Wind Breaker

As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World

Stupid light novel title aside, actually pretty good. I think it's funny that MC's main power is recruiting OP friends like he's a Fire Emblem protagonist. a bit of a slow-burn at the start when the MC is really young, but I don't mind that. It's also one of these ones that kind of forgets it's technically an isekai after a bit and just becomes a fantasy story, which is fine with me. There's some interesting political drama set up that I'm invested in. We're a little behind on the anime but I plan to get back to it

Bartender

great vibes. I never watched the original anime or read the manga so I can't really say how it compares, but going in blind this one is a good time. enjoyable even if you don't know anything about alcohol, as long as you're willing to learn. the little vignettes and snippets into other people's lives are compelling, and give you a sense of what a bartender's life is like. I also appreciate that there isn't a forced romance between the two leads. also-also there's pretty masc-leaning character who I thought was a man from the OP and then cheered when she's introduced and is a woman. I see a masc woman and I start hootin and hollerin

Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon

what is even left to say. it's an incredible adaptation of one of the best manga I've ever read. the english dub is also fantastic. Izutsumi is there. read Dungeon Meshi I'm not playing around

Go! Go! Loser Ranger!

really fun concept suffering from some severe pacing issues. the anime absolutely blazes through set-up in the early episodes, and I'm told cuts out a lot of character building stuff from the manga, which is a real shame. I really wish I had more time to learn about all these characters before they spend six episodes fighting in a parking garage. the action animation isn't even anything all that special. most fight scenes in this get bodied by Kaiju No 8 or Wind Breaker. it's a very good looking anime though, even the CG usually works. just really wish it took some more time to breathe. also easily the best OP and ED of the season and it's really not close

Gods' Game We Play

watched one episode and it put me to sleep. No Game No Life but boring. and I fucking hate NGNL, so take that as you will

Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again

watched one episode. cute concept but I got weird vibes pretty quickly. I don't care how hot the young grandpa is, I don't want to see his granddaughter crushing on him >:/

Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night

fun, cute, good drama, pretty to look at. the characters are a fun group of kids, and it's easy to root for them and get invested in their friendships. I understand the comparisons to A Place Further Than the Universe; it's in the same genre, even though the characters and story are pretty different. I wanna call this genre, like, "cute girls actively working towards a concrete goal". the group also reminds me of Nightcord at 25:00 from Project Sekai, which is neat.

people are throwing around "yuri-bait" for this one which I think is pretty asinine. like I don't understand how you can get legitimately baited by a show that doesn't have a yuri OR romance genre tag. it's a good show even without romance, idk why people have to complain about it not being something it was never trying to be. and anyway true yuri fans can squeeze yuri from a stone.

Kaiju No. 8

perfectly serviceable action battle shonen. if you don't go in with any higher expectations than that, it's a good time. the action is flashy and well-animated. characters are kind of generic so far, but they're fine for the show they're in. BUT if Captain Hoshina ever dies I'll instantly drop this. also the ED is catchy but I think the OP is pretty dogshit. like the song is fine but the NVIDIA tech-demo animation is so nothing it kinda makes me mad

(side bar -- there's a review on the MAL page for Heavenly Delusion bitching that Production I.G. "wasted" money on that instead of spending all that budget on Kaiju No. 8. and I just wanna know what fucking planet they're from, because Kaiju No. 8 clearly has an insane budget. there are huge billboards in LA advertising it. they've got yungblud and fuckin One Republic in here. what are you smoking my dude. also Heavenly Delusion kicks so much ass and is honestly way better in terms of having an interesting story to tell)

The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio

cute vibes. takes itself surprisingly seriously, and the dynamic between the two leads is fun. this is the real yuri-bait though, since this one actually has the yuri genre tag but with no yuri lmao. (not that I'm really complaining, it's a pretty good time regardless) touches a little bit on the darker/dangerous parts of "idol" voice acting, but imo doesn't get very deep into it. like it's kinda tough for me to root for the girls' VA careers after they get literally doxxed and their moms want them to quit... like yeah you girls probably should get out of this toxic industry before it chews you up lol. but if you kinda don't think about that stuff the show is cute

Oblivion Battery

watched two episodes and just couldn't bring myself to care. it's an interesting set-up for a sports anime, but it's too silly for me. i feel like the creator would rather be writing a gag manga. all the characters I saw were annoying or boring, and I was REALLY TRYING to like them. I WANTED to like this anime! I need something to fill the Haikyuu void!! (besides just re-watching Haikyuu for the 12th time!) but man I just can't get into baseball anime, no matter how dramatic and exciting they try to make it. watch Ace of the Diamond instead (which I also got bored of, but lasted way longer)

Re:Monster

watched one episode and thought it was Slime Isekai but worse. and I don't really care for Slime, so this was never gonna impress me. my wife kept watching for a few more episodes, and when I walked in on it later the MC was having a huge orgy with like 20 hot elves or something. so, I guess there's that. if you wanted to watch that.

(note: reincarnated as a slime is FINE! it's a FINE anime, I have nothing against it, it's just not for me. please don't get my ass)

Spice and Wolf remake

I see the naked wolf-girl waifu and I Get It. watched two episodes and really liked it, but put it on hold for now because my wife wasn't really into it. I've never watched the original anime, but I'm excited to get back to this one eventually.

Train to the End of the World

very weird but in a way that's kind of nostalgic? sometimes it feels like I just turned on Toonami in 2004 and caught episode 86 of some anime I've never heard of. it's fun and silly in a way that I feel a lot of modern anime don't try to be. just throwing some new flavor of batshit at you every episode, including some Totally Spies-esque "the director's poorly disguised fetish" (looking at you, giantess episodes). only real complaint is that the dialogue is VERY fast paced with like no pause between characters speaking, which is hard to keep up with sometimes.

anyway my wife and I can't stop saying wibble-wobble surgery. you just hate to get wibble-wobbled yknow

Whisper Me a Love Song

haven't actually watched this one, but it's here because I've read some of the manga and was planning to watch the anime. the manga is cute, easy recommendation if you like fluffy yuri romance. I've heard the anime adaptation is pretty lacking, which is a shame.

Wind Breaker

punched me in the face and gave me brain damage and now I'm obsessed with it. any comparisons to Tokyo Revengers don't know what they're FUCKING talking about; the only thing it has in common is "delinquents". I hesitate to even call this a delinquent genre manga, since the boys are really more like vigilantes. it's very sweet and earnest and feel good, in a way that reminds me of Haikyuu more than Tokyo Revengers. there's even ~queer rep~, if that's the sort of thing you care about lol. the anime is a pretty faithful adaptation with some killer fight choreography and a great soundtrack. second place for OP this season (though I like the song on its own a little better than Loser Ranger's)

[absolutely-esme]

Y'all are forgetting that Katya is canonicaly bisexual.

I get why you used the term "lesbian" to describe the relationship between Katya and Sofia, but it's a pretty big deal that Katya ends up with genuine feelings for both her female life-long best friend and her male fiance. That classic line about how "no two loves are the same" was from a scene where Katya goes to her badass, openly queer great aunt for help sorting out the mess in her head when the bi panic hits right around the same time as a lot of other pressing issues.

I love the way that Katya and Sofia's life long friendship is developed beyond just a backdrop for the same-sex crush. Sofia isn't just an attractive woman, she's someone near and dear to Katya's heart on the level of human connection. More than that, I love that their friendship is able to survive a mutual crush that doesn't pan out because life got in the way. I love that they are able to move forward and continue to always have each other's backs the way they have since they were little girls facing schoolyard bullies together.

Also, I realize that the "fake relationship leads to real feelings" trope has been done to death, but it's done so freaking well here!

Like, yeah Katya starts out just using Goncharov, but here's the thing. Goncharov knows from the start. He sees this intelligent, determined woman doing everything in her power to protect her remaining family and he wants to help her. He pretends to fall for her schemes because he's concerned she may, quite reasonably, find a no-strings-attached offer of assistance from a mafia dude she barely knows too suspicious to accept.

All this before he even starts to actually fall for her, just out of respect for her fierce will and a desire to help a fellow human being who is suffering. That's actually part of what makes her start seeing him as more than a means to an end.

Also, can we talk about how Katya and Goncharov both have the same struggle of working so hard to be responsible adults when every fiber of their being wants to be a dramatic mess instead?

Katya goes on a pages-long internal diatribe about relationships and uncertainty, just to forcefully shove those emotions back in the box for later because it's time to take her cousin to the doctor.

Then later we find out that Goncharov has been pouring his heart out to a mute acquaintance over checkers in the park because he mistakenly thought they were deaf and didn't feel like he could really talk to anyone without running the risk of negatively impacting Katya, but by God did he need to bemoan his lament like a Shakespearean tragic hero.

Also, it will never not be funny to me that the random sign-language using person he played checkers with at the park was able to hear him, here for the tea, and working their ass off not to react because they wanted to know how the story would end.

I’m seeing so many posts about Goncharev 1973, but where’s the love for the 1968 novel Katya, Forgotten that inspired it? I know it’s not a very well-known piece of literature, and Matteo made up a solid 70% of the plotline, but a good portion of the Goncharov’s backstory present in the movie is from this book! Yeah, the Italy stuff is new to the film, but Katya’s entire life up to the wedding is laid out in the novel, and it’s tragic that people aren’t even mentioning it.

That said, Katya, Forgotten is a then-modern AU expansion of the 1842 novella Daughter of the Jewels, but that one has basically no connection to the movie, and even the influence on Katya, Forgotten isn’t common knowledge, so I guess that’s more understandable.

[kingkatsuki]

JO it’s been awhile since i’ve been in your ask box lol hope you’re doing well. I heard this crazy (it’s actually a little sad but funny from an outside view ngl) office story at dinner tn and it made me think of all the times you’ve talked about secretary/office reader

Sooooooo imagine you’ve been working at the office for a couple months but before your started working you were going through a really nasty divorce/breakup with someone who happened to work at the same place. They were SO nasty (vile honestly) that they decided to send an official work email with nude pictures and videos of you with your name and work email to ALL OF YOUR COWORKERS!! (again i felt really bad for the poor girl this happened to). Not only was it traumatizing that your coworkers saw, but more so that you’d never seen a lot of these pictures before. To think that you had been in a committed relationship with such a disgusting person.

I’m thinking you work at different job and you tell Katsuki because you’re too embarrassed to go back to work and face your coworkers. He gets so so livid and threatens to get back at him, but he obviously gets shut down by you pleading for him to not get involved. He would definitely plot something with Kiri and tell him; Kiri would feel so proud to help Kats beat the shit out of this dude. He might even include Denki and Sero if he had something real sick and specific in mind.

Instead of telling you this, he’d make you come to the agency and you’d do your work in his office. He’d be more excited if it weren’t for the circumstances, but he can’t deny that he loved getting to spend more time with you. Trying to make you forget about the whole thing and overcome together the best he can- might even get Mina and the guys to have lunch at the agency together because he knows they will cheer you up.

I can’t imagine though if you were working at his agency and HE SAW THE EMAIL and maybe you guys weren’t together yet or you just started dating! i’d simply pass away.

Omg this is insane and so fucking malicious.

I’m torn between making it Dynamight’s agency, or making it a different office.

Like imagine you just work at a different office, so the moment you come home to tell Bakugou about it he’s seething. Not only because someone’s done that to you, but because it’s one of the most slimy things you can do to a person. And when you tell him you don’t even recognise some of the pictures he’s even more angry, because that means he’s been taking all sorts of illicit pictures or videos of you and who’s to say how many there are. He knows with his power and influence in the city he can ruin this guys life with one call, but he wants him to truly suffer. So of course he goes to fuck the guy up, he doesn’t even need to call the guys but he does, because he knows they’ll stop him from going too far.

And then a few days later, he’s sitting in his high rise office and he still makes that call to your job, asking for the CEO as Bakugou asks what he’s going to do about the situation, and what he’s going to do with the employee. Until your boss shuts the phone off, thinking it’s just a prank. So imagine his surprise when the number two hero Dynamight shows up in the reception of his agency not even an hour later, even more pissed. And your ex? Is even more terrified now as he sits there with bruised ribs, broken arm and dark marks across his body. Trying to avoid bringing any attention to himself as Bakugou shouts to him to get into the fucking office and he scampers in like a lost puppy.

But if it was Dynamight’s Agency? God, think of how much more worse it would be. When the email chain is sent to everyone, it means everyone. Bakugou pulling up his laptop to click the email full off attachments as he scrolls through each one. Of course he knows who you are the moment he sees your name, probably one of the few names in his agency that he remembers. And not because you’re close or that your job is a highly important one, but because you always seem to take your coffee breaks at the same time as him. (Bakugou 100% ensures to schedule his around yours because he loves the conversations you end up having at random hours of the day🥺)

But when he sees the pictures of you? He’d be lying if he didn’t look, you’re even prettier than he imagined. He can already feel his heart racing as he scrolls further down and sees more of you, but then he starts feeling the rage creep up inside him. Because you don’t deserve this, no one should be looking at you like this and especially not his entire agency. He’s now looking at the email chain as he tries to find out who sent it, asking his secretary who the fuck your ex-boyfriend is and what department he works in. Bakugou sends an email out in response, threatening to fire anyone that saves any of the pictures or videos, telling them that he’ll get his tech team to check for save files as he stops the email chain from repeating. Anyone that’s already replied is getting fucked too, but not right now. Right now he’s making his way down to the exact department your ex works in, and the only thing Bakugou can say right now is he’s lucky he’s at work and not on the streets because at least for him he’ll make it out alive.

And after Bakugou is so mad at himself for not looking for you first, because he allowed the rage to dictate where he went first. And he steps into the women’s bathroom on the 27th floor with no shame as he instantly hears you crying in one of the stalls as he tries to coax you to open the door for him.

[specialagentsergio]

rationalizations

rationalizations: a defense mechanism in which one makes up a false but reassuring explanation to explain their behavior and/or feelings to both themselves and others, thus avoiding the reality of why they are really acting or feeling as they do.

summary: You’re the psych evaluation for Spencer. You think he’s full of shit, so you refuse to sign his clearance form until he actually tells the truth.

pairing: spencer reid x f!reader

category: angst (happy ending)

content warnings: spencer’s canonical trauma, flashbacks, mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation, swearing

a/n: i wrote this for @imagining-in-the-margins‘ enemies to lovers event. it’s not my favorite trope, but one of the prompts sparked inspiration for me. i also took a good amount of inspiration from meredith’s various therapy scenes in grey’s anatomy, so if some of it feels familiar, that’s why! i swear i intended to make this cute and funny, but, well… here we are lmao.

word count: 3.6k

masterlist

Spencer throws his bag onto his desk with a frustrated huff. It thumps loudly, startling JJ at her desk across from his. She gives him a sympathetic look regardless. “Still not cleared yet?”

“No!” Forgetting that it’s wheeled, he drops himself into his chair. It skids backwards and he has to scramble to grab something to keep from falling out of it.

“Careful there,” JJ says, trying valiantly to suppress a laugh. “That psychologist's got you really worked up, huh?”

“I don’t know what she wants from me!” he complains. “It’s been nearly a month! Hotch’s ex-wife was murdered by an unsub, but they cleared him. I was only shot in the neck.”

“I mean, that’s still kind of a big deal,” she says. “You could’ve died, from the gunshot, or from the nurse that tried to kill you afterwards.”

“Speaking of that nurse,” he starts, “Garcia is the one who shot him and she’s been a wreck over it. She insisted on going to the guy’s execution. But the therapist cleared her!”

“Penelope’s not in the field,” JJ points out.

He crosses his arms. “Still. This isn’t the first time I’ve been shot. That possibility is part of the job. It’s not like it came out of nowhere and I was completely unprepared for it.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Spence,” she says. “Just keep all of your appointments and I’m sure you’ll be cleared soon.”

He pulls a stack of papers on his desk towards him. Paperwork—one of the things he’s actually allowed to do. “I better be,” he mutters.

---

“And it was really scary, you know?” Spencer wipes at his eyes with a tissue. “Not knowing if I was going to live or die.”

“Mm-hmm.”

He takes a deep breath. “But… it’s over now. The preacher who shot me died in the same shootout. Owen McGregor, the leader of the corrupt deputies, died later that night, in another shootout. And Greg Baylor, the one who posed as a nurse and tried to kill me, was sentenced to death row and he’s gone now, too.”

His psychologist makes a note on the paper in front of her, but doesn’t say anything, so he continues.

“I… I feel better now, just letting that out.” He takes a new tissue and dries his nose. “I feel ready now. Ready to go back to work.”

She nods slowly, considering him. But she doesn’t even look towards her desk where the clearance form sits, frustrating him to no end. After five minutes of silence, he breaks.

“You can’t be serious.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’ve been coming to these sessions for over a month, and I’m still not cleared to be in the field. I…” He musters up more tears and makes sure his voice wavers during his next words. “I just don’t know what you want? I’ve tried everything.”

“No, you haven’t,” she says plainly.

He blinks in surprise, sending some of the crocodile tears down his cheeks. “What?”

She crosses her legs. “You’re full of shit.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re not being honest with me, and I don’t think you’re being honest with yourself either,” she says. “You’re a great actor. I can see how you’ve gotten clearances easily before. But that stops with me.”

Spencer stares at her. “I don’t understand.”

She moves her notebook to the side. “What happened in Texas isn’t the first time your life’s been in danger. Why do you think that is?”

“Wh—that’s part of my job,” he argues, fake crying long since forgotten.

“Not to the extent that you take it. I’ve read your file,” she says. “You take unnecessary risks with regularity.”

The tissues crumple in his hand as he clenches it. “I do not.”

“Let’s go back to the beginning.”

“The beginning of what?”

“Of your career.” Yet she doesn’t take out his file, or look at her notes. She speaks from memory. “2005. The BAU is assisting with a hostage situation. You go into the train, posing as someone who is there to remove a microchip from the unsub, but the first thing you do? You take off your bulletproof vest.”

“Okay, clearly you don’t understand what the situation was,” Spencer cuts in. “Ted Bryar was suffering from a psychotic break. He was somewhat unpredictable, and he told me to take off the vest.”

“And you just listened?”

“He—he had a gun, and was threatening both me and the other passengers with it!” he says. “What was I supposed to do, not listen?”

“Uh, yeah,” she replies. “You easily played into his delusions just a few minutes later to distract him. Why not do that to keep yourself safe?”

“I was twenty-four and was running on adrenaline,” he says defensively. “And it was my first time doing something like that. You can’t expect me to think of everything.”

“You’re right, I can’t,” she agrees. “So let’s jump forward a few years. How about the time you approached a teenager who was wielding an assault rifle with no protection, not even your own firearm?” she challenges.

“You mean Owen Savage? That was a unique situation,” he protests. “I knew I could talk him down.”

“No, you didn’t. You thought you had a good chance, but there’s no way to be one hundred percent sure of that. He was volatile, and on a killing spree,” she counters. “You didn’t know if you’d succeed--”

“I did!” He startles himself by unconsciously raising his voice, but he doesn’t apologize. “I did, because….”

“Because you related to him,” she fills in. “And that’s fine. Having empathy for an unsub doesn’t suggest something’s wrong in and of itself. But you still put yourself, and the rest of your team, in danger, didn’t you?”

He crosses his arms. “I got that lecture from Hotch when it happened, okay?”

“So then why’d you confront an unsub alone a few years later in Miami?” she asks. “You didn’t even tell anyone where you were going. You left your vest behind and just ran off.”

“I was having a head—wait, how do you even know that happened?” he questions. “It wasn’t in the report.”

“Well, first of all, you just confirmed it,” she points out, and he wants to kick himself. “Secondly, I can read between the lines.”

“I was having a headache,” he repeats. “I wasn’t thinking all that clearly. I just knew Julio’s life was in immediate danger, so I went to help him.”

“Uh-huh. More recently,” she says, brushing past his excuse, “You confronted your girlfriend’s stalker without your vest or gun.”

Spencer’s getting angry now. “I was trying to save Maeve. She asked me to leave them behind.”

“And you simply listened. Do you see the pattern I’m drawing here, Dr. Reid?” she asks. “These are just a few of the instances that stand out. Time and time again, you put yourself in unnecessary danger. So I’ll ask you again. Why do you think that is?”

Spencer looks over her—really looks over her, trying to understand what she’s getting at. “Are… are you suggesting that I’m suicidal?” he asks quietly.

She looks him straight in the eye. “You don’t act like someone who wants to be alive.”

It’s like she set off a bomb in his brain. Memories, and the feelings attached to them, emerge—Elle handcuffed to a seat, a teenager with a rifle, a blinding headache, Maeve and blood on the warehouse floor.

“Here’s what I see,” she says. “I see a man who’s been through so, so much. Your mother is mentally ill, your father left--”

His father is packing a suitcase. Spencer doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do or say, so he falls back on what he knows.

“Statistically, children who grow up in two-parent households attain three more years of higher education than children from single-parent households.”

It doesn’t help. “We’re not statistics, Spencer.”

“Your file says she’s staying at an institution, and with your father out of the picture, I can only assume you were the one who had her admitted--”

“Spencer, please don’t do this to me!” she cries as she’s escorted out of the house by Bennington Sanitarium’s transport staff.

“A few years into your work here at the FBI, you were kidnapped, tortured and drugged--”

He’s tired and cold and his whole body aches. Tobias—the real Tobias—looms over him with a syringe.

“Please. I don’t want it,” he pleads of his captor. “I don’t want it, please.”

The needle punctures his skin regardless.

“—you were held hostage by a cult leader--”

Emily sits across from him on the plane with a black eye. “What Cyrus did to me is not your fault.”

He pretends to agree.

“—you went through the death and reappearance of Agent Prentiss--”

He’s tried to make it clear to Jennifer that he wants to be left alone, but she won’t stop trying to talk about it with him, and he’s had enough.

“I came to your house for ten weeks in a row crying over losing a friend, and not once did you have the decency to tell me the truth.”

“—and your girlfriend was shot in front of you.”

“Who’s Thomas Merton? Who is he?” Diane demands, gun pressed against Maeve’s head.

“He’s the one thing you can never take from us,” Maeve replies, and Spencer’s heart drops. Thomas Merton is Maeve’s way of saying goodbye—she’s giving up.

“Wait!” he cries out, but it’s too late.

“This is just some of the more traumatic stuff. And then there’s what happened last month, which is why you’re here. You present a face of not being bothered by all of this, because that’s what you’ve been doing all your life, but I think you are bothered. You really, really are. And you don’t want to admit to anyone just how much it all has affected you. Maybe you don’t even want yourself to know.” Her expression and tone of voice are certain.

Spencer can’t take it anymore. The whirlwind of emotions and memories is overwhelming.

“The number of times you’ve almost died is staggering--”

“Yeah, and sometimes I wish I had!” He glares at her, breathing heavily. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

But she doesn’t seem intimidated or alarmed at all. She leans back in her armchair. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

The response only serves to make him angrier. She questioned him relentlessly and made him admit something he swore in the dark hours of sleepless nights that he’d never think again, never voice, let alone admit to anyone. She forced it out of him, forced. She made him say it against his will.

So why does he feel a sense of relief?

“I…” Tears well up in his eyes—real ones this time. “I’m done,” he chokes out.

He pushes himself off of the couch and out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

---

He storms in Hotch’s office and demands to see a different psychologist. But she was one step ahead of him—a few hours before the appointment, she had emailed Hotch and told him that under no circumstances should Spencer be allowed to get a clearance from someone else.

“And you’re going to believe her?” he cries.

“She’s doing her job, Reid.”

“You barely know her! You’ve known me for a decade!”

“Yes, I have,” Hotch agrees. “And you’ve told me yourself that you’ve fooled psychologists and therapists before. So if this one is saying you’re not ready yet, I’m inclined to believe her.”

Spencer just stares at him, but as usual, Hotch doesn’t blink.

“Unbelievable,” Spencer eventually mutters.

“Take the rest of the day off,” Hotch replies, glancing down at fists Spencer hadn’t realized he was clenching.

“Fine.”

Too agitated to stand in the elevator, he takes the stairs. As he stomps down them, he swears he’ll never go back to her office, even if it means never going into the field again.

A week passes, then two, and he hasn’t seen the psychologist since. But he doesn’t feel any better—he actually feels worse. It’s like her words broke a dam in his mind, in his gut, and feelings of unease and uncertainty won’t pass. It keeps him up at night. Her words echo in his head. “You don’t act like someone who wants to be alive.”

Spencer’s had yet another sleepless night and is struggling not to doze off at his desk despite the coffee he’s drinking. He stands up with the intention of splashing some water from the bathroom sink on his face, but his feet take him somewhere else.

He stares at the nameplate on the door. He swore he’d never go back, yet he feels compelled to knock.

It only takes her a few moments to answer. “Dr. Reid. Can I help you?” she asks.

“I…” He sighs. “Are you busy?”

“No. Come on in.” She steps to the side, opening the door wider to let him pass. He sits down on the couch.

She waits patiently. She doesn’t rush him. She lets him speak first.

He wrings his hands in his lap, staring down at them. “Something you said is bothering me.”

“What was it?”

“About… living,” he admits quietly. “I… I think you might have been right.”

When he gets the courage to glance up at her, he finds a soft smile on her face. “Would you like to talk about it?”

Spencer hadn’t realized he was expecting judgment and disdain until it didn’t happen. His shoulders slump down in relief. “Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, I think I would.”

---

“You’re still thinking about her, aren’t you?”

Spencer looks up from his paperwork, slightly out of it, to find Derek watching him. His coworker had, indeed, caught him thinking about her again. His psychologist. Well, former psychologist. After his second session back with her, she’d handed over a clearance form and a referral to a therapist outside the bureau to see long-term.

“And you better follow up with that,” she’d told him, the corner of her mouth turning up despite her serious tone of voice. “I’ll know if you don’t.”

He’d promised that he would, and had followed through. But despite the progress he was making with the new therapist, he was feeling a little disappointed that he didn’t get to see her anymore. He only saw her in passing, sometimes in the elevator or walking down the hallways of the building. They would exchange hellos, she would ask how he was doing, then give him a little wave as she left. Each time his heart would skip a beat, and he’d feel an urge to follow her to wherever she was going.

Yet he hadn’t quite realized why he seemed to be preoccupied with her until a dream he had a few weeks ago—a dream in which he found himself kissing her. Despite being alone in his bedroom, he’d woken up feeling embarrassed. He promised himself that he would put her out of his mind. Having a crush on his psychologist? It was ridiculous.

But then he saw her in the elevator a few days later and he couldn’t help but analyze her body language. It was open, and she twirled her hair around a finger while she looked at him to ask him how he was. A few other people entered the elevator on the next floor, but her attention remained on him. They were subtle signs, but signs that he recognized nonetheless—signs of attraction. And once he started seeing them, he couldn’t stop.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Spencer tells Derek, picking back up the pen he hadn’t noticed he dropped.

“You can’t pull that on me, kid,” he replies. “It’s your psychologist. You can’t stop thinking about her, can you?”

Spencer sighs. “So what if I can’t?”

“So go ask her out already!” Derek says like it’s obvious.

“You don’t think that’s just a little inappropriate?”

“You’re not seeing her as a client anymore, are you?” he points out. “Go for it, kid. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

Spencer takes the advice—as soon as Derek said it, he knew he was right. He would regret not taking a chance on her and the connection he felt. Sure, she’d helped him with therapy, but it went deeper than that. It feels like she knows him.

He leaves the bullpen ten minutes early that evening, hoping to catch her before she leaves for the day. On her doorstep, he feels just as nervous as he did on the day he admitted that she was right, but it’s a different kind of nervous. An excited nervous. He knocks on the door.

She’s surprised when she seems him. He watches as her pupils dilate, and it boosts his confidence. “Dr. Reid. Can I help you?”

“You can. I’d like to talk,” he says.

“Oh. Well, I guess I could do that,” she says. “I thought things were going well with the therapist I referred you to, though.”

He shakes his head. “No, I don’t mean I want an appointment.”

Her eyebrows come together in confusion. “Okay, then, what do you want?”

Spencer doesn’t hesitate. “I want to take you out to dinner.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I really like you, and I think we’re meant to be together,” he replies, voice softening a bit.

She pauses before answering. When she does, her voice is gentle. “Dr. Reid, sometimes a medical professional’s care can start to feel like affection over a period of time, but--”

“No one has ever listened to me like you do,” he interrupts.

“That’s my job,” she points out.

“I’ve seen therapists before, but none of them have been like you,” he counters. “You understand me.”

She sighs. “Well, I’m glad I was a good fit and was able to help you. But that doesn’t mean that I see you as anything more than a client.”

“You’re lying.”

“Excuse me?”

“You do feel something more for me,” he says firmly, but then backtracks a little. “Well, I know you’re attracted to me at least.”

She blinks and shakes her head slightly, take aback. “Dr. Reid, this is not appropriate--”

“Please call me Spencer,” he says, then jumps into his explanation. “See, when we’re attracted to someone, our bodies display involuntary signals, and I’ve seen you do some of them when you’re around me. Whenever we run into each other here, your body will turn a little towards me and you’ll play with your hair. Your attention is almost entirely focused on me. And, when you see me, your pupils dilate. They did it when you opened the door just a few minutes ago. Oh, and I’m attracted to you, by the way,” he adds as he realizes how one-sided he’s been. “I imagine my pupils probably dilate when I see you, too.”

Her mouth opens and closes a few times, like she wants to speak but doesn’t know what to say. She looks flustered, and he wonders if maybe he’s pushed it too far or said too much, but he can’t turn back now. “So, please, let me take you out,” he says quietly. “Just… just give it a chance.”

She bites her lip and looks at the ground. There’s a crease between her eyebrows, which he’s come to learn means she’s thinking. She speaks seriously when she looks back up. “If I go out with you, I can’t treat you anymore. If you ever need another evaluation or session, you’d have to get it from someone else.”

“I know,” he says. “I get along well with the therapist you referred me to, though. And having to get clearance from a different psychologist at the bureau is something I’m willing to give up in favor of getting to know you better.”

She considers him. “You’re serious about this,” she states.

It’s not a question, but he answers it anyways. “I am.”

She tilts her head to the side, eyes unfocusing as she ponders the situation. Eventually, she says, “Let me think about it.”

It’s not exactly the answer he was hoping for, but he’ll take it.

---

It’s only six PM, but Spencer is already exhausted. He unlocks his apartment door, fully intending to collapse onto his bed, but instead receives a pleasant surprise in the form of his girlfriend waiting for him on the couch. He can’t help but smile.

“Sweetie, what are you doing here?” he asks, then adds, “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Penelope told me it was a bit of a rough case,” she replies. “And I missed you.”

She holds out her arms and he takes the invitation, joining her on the couch and laying down between her legs, placing his head on her chest. “I missed you, too.”

Her next words are overly familiar. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Hey, we agreed to no therapy,” he says. “Something about I can’t be your client anymore?”

She huffs. “This isn’t therapy. This is being a good partner.”

Spencer smiles into the fabric of her shirt, snuggling in closer. “I know, I’m just teasing you. I don’t need to talk about the case,” he says, finally answering her original question. “I feel fine now that I’m here with you.”

She lets out a pleased hum and starts running her fingers through his hair. “I ordered take-out for dinner, by the way.”

“Where from?”

“You know where.”

A wide grin spreads across his face. She must have ordered take-out from the restaurant he took her to on their first date. He lifts his head to look her in the eye. “Aren’t you glad you said yes to me all those months ago?”

“Oh, I suppose,” she says with pretend annoyance, rolling her eyes.

Then she kisses him.

Spencer’s never been so happy to be alive.

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

tell me what you thought here!

please note that i DO NOT ENDORSE asking out your therapist/former therapist. this is fanfiction. thank you.

general taglist: @calm-and-doctor​ , @spencerreid9​

[jillianallen14]

Spirk fanfic rec

Some amazing Spirk fanfic to bless your dash because I’m falling in love with this shit all over again (this is like the 10th time this has happened lol):

Entering Orbit:  Jim escapes to Iowa to avoid the media frenzy following the Narada incident, but a late-night miscommunication results in Spock turning up on his front porch; rated m; 30,957 words

Papers in the Roadside:  Non-Starfleet AU. Jim owns a small bar in Chicago, keeps on picking up strays and taking care of everyone no matter how hard it makes his own life. Spock is a journalist writing feature articles for the Chicago Tribune; he depicts the world with uncanny skill, but hides more than one personal drama and is possibly under surveillance from the Vulcan royal family. They meet by accident just before their lives start to spin out of control; rated e; 49,637 words

Take Refuge in What You Know:  AU - Kirk has moved into a apartment/house and wants to get to know his neighbors. He meets his neighbor Spock, a loner who suffers from extreme agoraphobia. Kirk thinks he's beautiful enigma; rated e; 120,334 words

Listen, this is not only my favorite Star Trek fic of all time, it’s also one of my favorite fanfics in general. It’s right up there with Text Talk and The Shoebox Project from the HP fandom, which if you’ve read, you know are incredible and frankly life-changing. And this fanfic changed my life. The description the author gives doesn’t do the beauty of this fic justice. I suffer from agoraphobia and Spock’s depiction as an agoraphobic man was probably the most well-researched, sympathetic, empathetic, caring, realistic portrayal of what it’s like to be agoraphobic that I’ve ever witnessed in fiction. It made me cry like a child because I had never felt so seen and understood. This writer is incredible, and this fic is incredible. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s an AU, which I’m usually pretty wary about, but it barely even feels like an AU. It just feels like Jim and Spock. The author’s understanding of both of their characters’ is perfect, like just a spot-on portrayal of who they are. This fic genuinely helped me accept who I am and helped me understand that I am capable of & deserving of love. If you don’t read any other Star Trek fics (and you def should read more Star Trek fics because they’re amazing), then let this one be the one you read. I dare you not to read it three times in a row like I did.

Observations:  First Officer Spock comments on life aboard the Enterprise and his service under Captain James T. Kirk; rated m; 500,000+ words.

So the author of this fic actually did a thing where they made this fic into two books (similar to what The Shoebox Project authors did many years ago in the HP fandom). They don’t get any money from people buying the books; the cost is just to go towards producing the books. This fic is the equivalent of two LARGE novels. We’re talking 600 pages & up. It’s a huge fic. Now, that being said, I read it in one day. ONE DAY. It’s that good. This is another one of my all-time favorite fics, though not quite as dear to my heart as the one I listed above. It’s focused on AOS, and tbh, I forget that what happens in this book isn’t actually canon. Like it’s so well-told, it just feels like it’s now part of the timeless story of Kirk & Spock. The “professional” Star Trek writers would never be brave enough to do what this author does with Kirk and Spock, though. This fic will make you angry, will make you laugh, will make you cry. It has such a good grasp on every single character. It also shows the love between the crew of the Enterprise, which is always a treat, and it’s beautifully done in this fic. It has a sorta-enemies-to-lovers arc between Spirk and an enemies-to-close-friends arc between Spock and McCoy that is beautifully done and fleshed out. This fic is definitely a journey to go through, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s extremely slow burn, and you will want to slap both Kirk and Spock (and McCoy) upside the head at certain points lol. 

Of Coffee Beans and Green Tea Leaves:  The progression of a relationship, through Coffee Beans and Green Tea Leaves. Basically, it’s an AU where Kirk works at a coffee shop to pay his way through school, and Spock visits often. rated t; 16,429 words

Love, love, love, this fic. It’s cute, it’s in character. They have kind of a rocky start together, so it’s got a little bit of that Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy i-hated-you-but-now-i-love-you-marry-me vibes to it. I’m a sucker for that, if you haven’t figured that out by now lol. It’s really good, and a really enjoyable read. And it’s not too long, if you’re in the mood for something on the shorter end of things.

 Please Don’t Touch the Vulcans:  The "yes" is out of Jim's mouth before he can think about it. Jim is chipper about having time off for the holidays. He asks everyone if they want to spend time together but sadly, everyone ditches Jim over the holidays because they have plans. McCoy visits his daughter, Nyota visits her family, and everyone splits. Not knowing Spock has feelings for him, Jim doesn't even bother asking if he wants to spend time together figuring he has something to do. Something cute, romantic with the boys spending time with one another and confessions; rated m; 17,690 words

Super cute and has lots of Sarek, which idk about y’all, but I’m always a fan of. Sarek and Jim kind of get to know each other a bit, and it’s cute. Sarek knows about they’re in love before Spock & Kirk know lol. If I remember correctly, there’s also some appearances from everyone’s favorite: Old!Spock! You also get a little bit of jealous and protective Young!Spock. So you’re in for a real treat with this one. 

The Ren shat’var Trilogy:  A split-second decision changes Jim's life forever, as he enters into a bond with Spock in the face of certain torture. Enemies to the Federation emerge from unlikely places, and the command team must contend with unexpected threats, as well as challenges within their own intense relationship. In this three-part series, the Enterprise races across the galaxy to confront the unknown, and Jim and Spock discover the true significance of their unprecedented connection; rated e; 184,411 words

Textual Attraction:  Valentine’s Day does not bring up pleasant memories for Cadet Kirk. But the serendipitous switch-up of his cell phone with a particular Vulcan professor’s will make his day far more interesting –and romantic. Perhaps some new memories can be made! 15,900 words

SO GOOD. Just SO good

Spaceman:  Academy AU. Five times Spock realizes he's attracted to a barista at the academy spaceport, and one time he decides to do something about it. rated t; 3728 words

Short, sweet, funny. You’ll love it.

Subtext: Texting your Vulcan first officer in the middle of the night is never a good idea. Especially when you have an obsessive crush on said Vulcan.The holidays are approaching and Jim is left entirely Spockless aboard the Enterprise when his First takes shore leave on New Vulcan. After some midnight pining, Jim sends a text he instantly regrets. That is, until Spock responds and willingly continues their textual communications to an inevitable conclusion; rated t; 13,032 words

Cute, sweet, funny. It’s a texting fic. I think you’ve probably figured out I love those. This one makes me laugh so fucking hard. Like actually laugh-out-loud-omg-did-i-just-snort kind of funny. Spock is great in this one

All Spock Wants For Christmas:  While Jim is away on a delegation mission, he panics about what to give Spock for Christmas. With help from Bones and Uhura, and in between some spam texting with Spock, Jim realizes he already has the perfect gift. And all it needs is wrapping paper and a bow; rated t; 11,966 words

And here we have another cute, sweet, funny texting fic. Sue me lol

The Morning After:  Jim convinces Spock to take shore leave with him on Risa, hoping the time together will help re-solidify their bond of friendship after some recent tension. Meanwhile, Spock convinces himself he's on Risa for one reason and one reason only, to prevent his wayward captain from getting into trouble. After a passionately illogical night of Romulan Ale and chocolate infused liquor, everything changes when Jim wakes with something other than a hangover filling his head. Something he's sure neither he nor Spock can handle. Because if Jim knows anything for sure, it's that his messed up thoughts belong nowhere near Spock's clean, ordered mind; rated m; 50,381 words

HAHA. This fic fucking cracks me up. You’ve got drunk boys pining over each other & not realizing it. You’ve got accidental marriage. You’ve got bed sharing. It’s great, it’s cute, it’s funny. 

Take This Sinking Boat (And Point It Home):  In which Spock pines, Jim isn’t stupid (except he kind of is), and Christopher Pike has had enough of this bullshit; 6698 words

Pike is great in this one, and it’s super, super funny.

Extracurricular Activities:   Spock returns to the Academy from a tour of duty to find an intriguing cadet captures his attention; rated e; 15,433 words

Veritas: Basically, Kirk and Spock are on trial because the Federation thinks they are emotionally compromised by each other, which is putting the lives of their crew in danger. They have to convince a court they’re not actually in love with each other. They think the claims are bullshit. They think it will be easy to prove that they aren’t in love or emotionally compromised, damn it. It isn’t; rated m; 186,80 words

This one is so, so good. A real gem off of Fanfic.net. I remember it was actually one of the first Spirk fanfics I ever read, and it blew me away. The progression of their relationship is really well-done and interesting. It has star-crossed lovers vibes and has some really emotionally intense moments in it, especially for Spock. 

A Habitual Affection:  Living in 1930s New York with the Vulcan you're secretly in love with is no simple thing. But Jim never liked anything simple. And then, the big snowstorm hit...; rated t; 7998 words

A beautiful TOS fic about one of the gayest episodes of Star Trek. Love this one. 

Atlas:  Between what was and what will be stands James Tiberius Kirk, in all his fractured patchwork glory. Because saving the Federation was only the beginning; rated t; 135,529 words

A beaut. Really great characterization, and the progression of Jim and Spock’s relationship is really well-done.