#i can't believe that this is going to be permanent because honestly? i still need a mom

[bowofbalance]

Okay so due to the fact that I still have to wait a little bit for my therapy appointment I am unfortunately going to whine to the internet. Sorry and please ignore this

But it's just so frustrating the way the semester has started. Normally the first week back, I'm communicating with my mom fairly frequently because she misses me, she wants to figure out how things are going to be going forward, she's interested in what's happening in my life, whatever. And then eventually we end up on the normal schedule of weekly phone calls from there.

Since I left though, I have heard next to nothing from her. She texted me on the day of my flight to ask if I got home safe and that's it. First of all, her calling my college "home" sends a very clear message, seeing as how she has always insisted that my home is in her house. Until now, now my home is definitely not with her. Second of all, that's really not much. And I've really tried to get more communication from her. Desperately. The "oh look what I'm doing now!" and the "good night" and the "you know my classes are So cool!!!" and the "hey I miss you guys" and everything else. Nothing.

So I'm obviously missing something that, as it turns out, is pretty important to me when it comes to transitioning back to School. I don't have anyone who's interested in everything I'm doing right now and acting proud of me and all that and it's making me kind of sad. Like I'm doing so much! So much! And it's so much more than I've ever done before in my life! I'm taking some of the most difficult classes I ever have before! I'm running half of a nonprofit! I'm applying to study abroad! I'm debating and I'm playing the organ and I'm going to church and I'm still studying and eating and sleeping and I want someone to tell me that they're proud of me for all that!

Instead of getting a proud parent, all I have a mother who doesn't want me as her daughter and I have to deal with this alone because frankly that's how I deal with every major important huge issue is I keep it to myself. Besides, what am I supposed to do, ask some random person to listen to me go on and on about myself and my thoughts and my ideas and tell me they care and they're interested and they're proud because my mom happens to have issues with me?

[gffa]

Probably the biggest problem with The Acolyte is what really bit it in the ass in the finale--its main characters did things because of the plot, not because they were organically built up or made sense. I could mostly overlook it in previous episodes because it felt like there was still more time to reveal the characters' motivations, but now that we're at the end, there's just so little throughline for either of the twins' characterizations. Mae makes the most sense, you get why she was so angry, she always wanted Osha to stay with her, of course she'd drop everything when Osha was alive, but then suddenly she's just completely okay with Qimir erasing her memories of Osha? Of giving up that relationship that drove her the entire time--and Qimir says this was permanent, I doubt Mae had reason to think otherwise--in half a second flat, not just physically separating her from Osha, but erasing her entire relationship with her?? And Osha makes even less sense, we all joke that about how hot Manny Jacinto is and how he ~seduced her to the dark side, but honestly her motivations just seemed utterly gone in the previous episode, she's 100% ready to drop everything she believed in and go with him just because? And up to this point she's barely shown any interest in her connection to Mae, it's all "tell not show" that Osha cared about her, we're told that it was her biggest wound, we're told that she felt that connection, but we don't really see it until suddenly she's running away with Mae because apparently all along she felt that pull towards her? Intellectually, there are reasons given in the show, but I didn't feel any of them, it was more "Osha behaves this way because the plot needs her to behave this way." It's the same reason Sol can't say, "It really looked like your mother was going to kill you when she started Force-dissolving you, so I reacted without realizing what she was doing." because if he's allowed to explain, then the plot falls apart. The plot demands that he half-ass his explanation rather than because that felt natural to Sol's character. Things happen because the characters need to get from point A to point B, so point C can happen, rather than because the characters felt like they would actually do that. And it's worse because these are your main characters, the entire plot of the show is set around them.

[muniimyg]

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹ bbydaddy!jk (7) ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹ *nsfw*

series m.list // taglist request closed

note: i literally can't take myself seriously with this concept LOL where have my morals gone? lmk if anyone remembers classic kimi fics where smut was nonexistent HAUWHAUA 😭

🏷️ permanent taglist: @joonsjuice @pamzn @defzcl @maryy1300 @whoa-jo @taetaecatboy @jksusawife @un06 @firesighgirl @rrosiitas @butterymin @parkinglot-nights @musicjournalsjdb @kissyfacekoo @jkslvsnella @vampcharxter @bloopkook @somehowukook @bbystarcandykoo

//

jungkook has been looking over revisions for the past three hours. the promotion was more exciting when he worked for it... now, he feels way too overworked and honestly? for what?

the truth is, he only chased after the promotion because he knew it would be something you'd be proud of him for doing. you've always been the type to chase after things greater than yourself and wished for jungkook to do the same. well, this is it. this is jungkook doing just that for you. he hopes you can see it. he hopes you know it.

currently, he feels like his eyeballs might roll out of his head. he's bored and might lose his mind if he goes through one more slide (he has at least 200 slides left). irritated, he pushes away from his desk and stands up.

he stretches, trying to wake himself up a little more. then, he stares at the view from his office window.

the city is beautiful but he would much rather be looking at you.

suddenly, as if the angels heard him, his phone rings.

it's you.

he picks up immediately.

"hello?"

he doesn't know why, but he feels nervous. you never call. you always text or facetime... a call? what the fuck could be going on?

"hi... are you busy?" you ask, a little quiet. you sound tired.

he raises an eyebrow. "uhh... what's up? everything okay?"

a small laugh escapes your lips. "yeah. why? do i sound—"

"a little sad," he cuts you off, concerned. "___, what's wrong?"

you stay silent for a moment.

"nothing.”

he doesn’t believe you until he hears you sigh in relief.

continuing, you vent; "i just... i think i'm just stressed. i don't know. i wanted a break and suddenly i picked up my phone and called you. s-sorry. i... you're probably busy with the new promotion and—"

"i'm not that busy—"

like perfect timing, jungkook's office line interrupts. "mr. jeon, your 2pm meeting is being pushed back so you have time for lunch today."

jungkook clears his throat and thanks his assistant.

"new assistant?" you ask, letting curiosity get the best of you. "she pretty?"

"she's fired if you want."

"shut up!" you laugh. "i could care less—"

"oh, you care..." jungkook smirks. "hey, i'm glad you called. you can always call. i'm here for you when you need.. i don't want you to think anything else."

"okay.." is all you say.

jungkook takes a deep breath in. "did you eat today?"

"i ate. did you?"

"been busy—"

"you said you weren't busy!"

"hey, i'm not the lawyer!"

"still... i... listen, i'll let you go. i should probably get back to work or something—"

jungkook panics. "i'm cancelling my 2pm."

"what?"

"y-yeah... i'm looking at their revisions and i haven't even gotten through half of it. it's also shit so i'm just gonna tell them to redo everything. will i be the most hated boss? we'll find out."

on the other end of the line, you snicker.

"you can't blow off work."

"i can."

".... c-can i confess something?"

jungkook gulps, feeling sick to his stomach.

"what?"

you fidget with your fingers, unsure if you should continue.

"honey, what is it?" jungkook asks softly. "whatever it is... i'm here for you. you know that."

"i... uhm... i called because i was stressed..."

"... yeah?"

"jungkook," you pause, biting your bottom lip. is it too much to say this? at the same time... it's not like he has ever denied you anything. you might as well... "i need to relieve some stress. like, i need to focus on something that isn't work or our son. you know what i mean? everything is fine, honest! i just... i want to be focused on something and be present. i feel like i've been mindless for a hot minute... i just... look, if you're going home... is it okay if i come over? can i suck your dick or something?"

jungkook rushes home.

he changes his bedsheets and runs a quick shower. it's not like he needed to put in this much effort (it's literally the bare minimum) but it's the first time in a long time where you needed him. having sex and initiating was more so 50/50; but this was different. you need him.

he's your relief.

and also... it's a little funny, is it not? it's only 2pm on a random wednesday and you need him.

when you arrive, jungkook takes a few deep breaths before opening the door. his studio apartment is definitely smaller than your place (aka the place you two shared for 4 years), but it's okay. it's only temporary. he knows in his heart that he'll be back home with you in no time. this afternoon proves exactly that...

if today you need him for his body and tomorrow you need his heart; he'd give it.

"wow... i hate this already." you take a minute to laugh at yourself. you feel so beyond stupid and embarrassed... it's practically indescribable. though you and jungkook fool around and have always had an active sex life... right now felt different. right now felt... weird? but if it was ever going to feel weird; at least it's with him.

before you even step foot inside his place, you're turning your heel. "you know what? i should... uhm, this was stupid. sorry—"

jungkook grabs your arm and pulls you inside.

you stay still as he leans towards you face. he pokes your cheek and chuckles. "come on, honey. i said i'd be here for you. let me be here for you."

squinting at him, you move his finger off your face. "you just want your dick sucked."

"you offered," he snorts. "so pull through."

in hindsight, jungkook should've been more prepared than this.

but he isn't.

he fights to urge to spill himself all over your pretty hands every time you pump his cock. it's toe-curling the way you drag your wrist up and down. he throws his head back so much, it's beginning to get sore. leaving him with no option but to fucking watch you give him the most life changing blowjob of his life.

"are you okay?" you ask, batting your eyelashes at him. "you look stressed."

"i am stressed."

"what? why—"

"no! f-fuck, don't stop." he growls, not liking the way you suddenly stop. you purse your lips, catching on that he just feels edged out.

already?

... okay.

you continue to pump him, gripping on the base of his cock and moving your way up. his skin is so soft yet he's so hard. like... so fucking hard you know for a fact you don't want to fuck him right now. it'd hurt too much.

"you're so hard already," you utter under your breath. "and i swear to god, it's like your dick gets bigger every time i see it."

"i love you more every time i see you that's why."

"damn," you hiss. "can you... just let me do this? i wanna focus on... wanna focus on—"

"shut up."

you laugh, reaching up to place a kiss on his lips. he leans forward, gladly meeting your lips. when you pull away, you plop yourself in a more exact position in front of him. jungkook feels his balls get heavy as you kneel, part his legs, and begin to tie your hair up.

he helps you.

gathering your hair, you give him your hair tie. he quickly ties your hair before leaning back and trying to catch one last good breath.

he fails.

his breath hitches as you kiss his tip.

"w-wait—"

you don't.

you lick his length, dragging your tongue down to his base. there, you suck his balls and use your hands to pump. jungkook gulps, watching you do this. he doesn't know what to do. usually, he's really into it but there's something different about right now.

right now, he's in a trance.

he's mesmorized at how much your touch changes all the chemistry in his body. saying you send electricity throughout his body is an understatement. butterflies don't mean a damn thing either. it's captivating and everything but sweet.

it feels twisted in his stomach. it feels like he's on the edge on a cliff and the only way he can ease his fear is by jumping off.

he has to give in and let his body react to you.

he has to let you have this and from the looks of it (and feel of it); you've giving him everything you've got.

just then, you snap jungkook out of his thoughts as you attempt to take him inside your mouth. you make an effort to look up, eyes teary from holding in your gag. he's so big. there's no other way to explain it and there's no way you're going to stop thinking it.

he's so fucking big.

like what other choice do you have but to slobber all over it? you just have to. not to mention, he always tastes good. his cum, yes, but just his dick in general... is that weird? who cares.

jungkook's dick barely fits in your mouth. but you try to make it work. you want him—all of him. as you bob your head, easing your way to his full length, jungkook lets out a loud moan.

you look up and see his chest rising and falling. his abdomen twitches and so does his dick. you like the way he looks right now. as you suck, his breathing intensifies. soon, he's panting and you're near gagging.

you take a moment to catch your breath.

pulling away, your hands continue the show. jungkook brings his attention back to your hands and watches as the tip of his cock turns angry. god, it's getting bigger?

you practically drool.

jungkook leans over and wipes the access saliva around your lips. then, he shoves his thumb into your mouth. happily, you suck on it. bobbing your head, shutting your eyes, and letting out little moans; jungkook feels like he's losing his mind.

you look so fucking pretty.

when he takes his thumb out, you dive back to his dick. this time, he holds you by the back of your neck and guides you through it. jungkook pushes your head slowly but surely. then, he stops moving it. he keeps it in place as he lifts his hips and rolls them.

before you know it, he's fucking your mouth.

rolling your eyes back, jungkook moans at the sight. of course you're taking it like a slut. of course you're enjoying it too.

"you like this, huh? you like having your face fucked?" jungkook hisses in between breathy pants.

you gag in response.

jungkook pulls his dick out and slaps your mouth with it. his veiny member feels so good against your lips. you want it back in your mouth.

"answer me."

"mhmm," you whimper. "i like it so much. put it back in—mmhph—"

"fuck yes," he shoves his cock back into your mouth. "so pretty, honey. the absolute prettiest."

suddenly, he lets you go. it's then that you take the liberty to give it everything you've got.

you twirl your tongue around his tip, suck his length in every way possible. your hands pump to compliment your oral skills and jungkook can't help but think he's the luckiest man on earth.

then, it happens.

you feel his dick twitch. he instantly thrusts himself more aggressively to chase the climax. you behave and take it. then, squirts of his cum escape his tip. he cries, pulls out of your mouth, and aims at your face.

you shut your eyes, feeling his cum hit your cheeks and lips.

he lets out a moan of relief.

after a moment passes, you get up from your position and sit on his lap. wrapping your legs around him, he offers you a tired smile. then, he lifts his hands to wipe his cum off your face. opening your mouth, he gives it to you like icing.

you swallow and he feels like he might need a fucking minute.

then, you let out a little giggle when you notice how sweaty he is. you push his hair back and begin to laugh.

"w-what?" he worries. "why are you laughing at me?"

"you're sweating? as if you did any work—"

"i was literally fucking your face!"

"yeah but you're not the one that's gonna have sore cheeks for like three days or bruised knees!"

he shuts up.

you roll your eyes at him and continue to play with his hair. you feel his dick calm down under you. thank god. that fucking beast is scary when you're not in the mood...

"what time is it?" you ask, breaking the silence and breathing in the smell of sin.

jungkook shrugs. "dunno. also don't wanna move. stay like this with me."

you huff. "should i take my panties off or something?"

"why?"

"wanna cockwarm me?"

seriously...

he just might be the luckiest man on earth.

jungkook clears his throat as you straighten up your posture. "wait, i'll just put my panties to the side like this—ahh, mmhmm... y-yeah. like this.... feels good."

by now, jungkook's soft cock is inside you.

you like the feeling and so does he.

suddenly, you rest your head of his shoulder. he wraps his arms around you and holds you. kissing the side of your head, he asks; "you feeling better? relieved?"

"mhmm."

"good." jungkook tightens his lips, as he brings his hands to your hair. he runs them through and you take a deep breath in. you like the way he feels right now... so intimate.

"hey... did we talk a lot during sex?" he asks.

"don't remember."

"oh, okay..." jungkook looks around his studio apartment and suddenly feels embarrassed at how messy it is. "can i come with you to pick zion up today?"

"sure."

jungkook tightens his hold on you. you laugh and tell him it's too tight. he stops squeezing you and asks for a kiss. you give it to him. against your lips, he mummbles; "am i talking too much? i think i'm nervous or something—"

"then shut up."

"hey—"

you pull away and cup his cheeks.

"i feel your dick rising inside me. i don't have the energy for round two. either make the boner go away or i'll get off."

jungkook gulps. then, he shuts his eyes and thinks of every possible un-sexy thing ever... and it works. his dick softens again and you thank him with a kiss. jungkook takes his chance and intertwines your fingers together. you let him do so and his heart soars. something about him being inside you makes you feel so whole. there’s no denying that… and you love it, really. you love him, truly.

for a few more moments, you two stay like this.

you two are together.

[galedekarios]

you seem to be reputable source to ask this and i haven't found a walkthrough anywhere else, do you know how to trigger the boat scene where gale has already decided not to go after the crown? like where he says you'll always be enough for him.

i've tried so many combinations and can't figure it out! sorry if you've already posted this

thank you for your message!

you have to sway gale away from the crown as best you can over the course of act 2 and 3, and then follow a certain chain of events to set the correct flags to trigger the alternate boat scene.

i've reliably managed to trigger it in act 3 with the following steps:

1: get the annals of karsus from sorcerous sundries

2: don't give gale the annals of karsus right away when he asks for the book

3: go to camp, but not as a long rest -> pick the go to camp option instead

4: speak to elminster and initiate his conversation (he should have a ! over his head and you can initiate the next step in progressing gale's act 3 quest, however: this is sometimes bugged if you haven't unlocked the elfsong tavern yet as a camp space, i.e. elminster will turn up, have a ! over his head, but his dialogue doesn't trigger, essentially soft-locking the quest)

5: go to the stormshore tabernacle to progress the quest

6: pick the option that encourages gale to seek mystra's forgiveness -> Player: Seek her forgiveness, Gale. It might be your only hope of curing the orb.

7: do a long rest

8: the alternate boat scene should trigger with gale at this point (he should be at camp with a ! to show he's ready to speak to the player)

i'll also share a screenshot of the conversation from the files (CAMP_Gale_CRD_ROM_BeMyGod) and highlight which flags are important:

alternate boat scene dialogue

Gale: Ah. You're still talking to me then?ORI_Gale_Knows_KarsiteWeave, LOW_StormshoreTabernacle_State_GaleSeeksForgiveness Gale: I wouldn't blame you for giving me a wide berth. I thought the orb's ever-present censure had tamed my wilder ambition, but that wasn't the case. Gale: I needed Mystra's intervention. She offered me a path to redemption at last, and it might yet leave my mind and body intact. Gale: Please - continue to believe in me. I want to show you the wizard I am capable of being, rather than the poor excuse for a man who's kept you company thus far. - Player (Option 1): I believe in you Gale. Always have, always will. ['Gale 10'] Gale: That's all I ever need to hear. - Player (Option 2): You're willing to give up the chance of unlimited power. I'd say your ambition is under control. Gale: If that's true, it's thanks to you, and the trust you show in me at every turn of this strange adventure of ours. - Player (Option 3): I hope so, because honestly you have been a poor man recently. Especially on the romance front... Gale: I'm sorry. It's not easy living for more than just yourself, when for so long just staying alive was accomplishment enough. - Player (Option 4): You're more to me than magic, Gale. ['Gale 10'] Gale: You stole the words from my mouth. - Gale: I know what I must do. The Crown belongs under Mystra's stewardship, not mine, and I will ensure she gets it. Gale: That means there'll be no permanent place in the heavens for us. But we could still visit. - Player (Option 1): Close your eyes. Gale: Astra navigabimus. - Gale: Few mortals ever glimpse what you're about to see. But don't be alarmed - I'm here with you. Now... open your eyes. Gale: Quite the view, isn't it? The Outer Planes are a place of profound, sometimes overwhelming possibility. Gale: I conjured this illusion often during my confinement in Waterdeep. An escape for the mind, where there was none for the body. Gale: It was easier to stare at the celestial abyss than recognise the emptiness within myself. Easier to pretend my destiny lay among such stars, than work to salvage a life on solid ground. You changed all that. Gale: You see me as I am, and do not find me wanting. With these stars as my witness, I swear - you will always be enough for me. ORI_Gale_State_RejectedBeMyGodProposal ['Gale 10']

as you can see, both the ORI_Gale_Knows_KarsiteWeave (mystra reveals this knowledge to gale at the stormshore tabernacle) and the LOW_StormshoreTabernacle_State_GaleSeeksForgiveness (set by picking the seek her forgiveness option during the stormshore tabernacle scene with the protag, gale and mystra) flags are integral here.

if you want to watch the alternate boat scene, i posted a video of it here.

i hope this was helpful to you! 🖤

[twstfanblog]

About the Evil Dad AU...

You mentioned how Yuu suddenly appears in the boys homes to visit the children and then runs away.

What would happen if they got caught? With everyone, what would be their reactions? And the reactions of the children!

I'm obsessed, I need to know..🙏🛐

Hehehehe, I'm so happy you guys are so interested in my AUs.

If Yuu ever got caught while visiting her children, she'd be locked up with whoever caught her foe a WHILE. More than likely bound to the property by a magical artifact.

But honestly while it would keep her with whoever caught for a bit, she'd manage to slip out at some point. She's just that slippery 🤣

The hardest to slip away from would be Malleus because he'd be setting up the marriage the second he's got her trapped. The triplets are actually split on how they feel about it. Malicent and Malathew are pretty happy that their mom will be around a bit longer. After living for most of their developmental years with Yuu only making short visits before leaving them to their own devices, its nice. Malgona HATES it, because she believes she and her brothers were completely fine living alone (and dodging knights hunting them down to kill a dragon) and she thinks that Malleus tying her mom down is only going to make it harder to regain her family's independence.

Azul is threatening to give Yuu a permanent mer potion just to keep her in the coral sea indefinitely. But so far he's happy to simply have her in his presence again. Charysa and Scylar aren't mad, but they are pouty. Since Azul took them in, he's been the most spoiling girl dad after they started trusting him. Now his attention is split between his business, their mother, and them. They LIKE being pampered little princesses and they can't get that full experience if their dad is busy keeping their mom no more than two feet away from him. Yuu would get help escaping from either the Tweels are her own daughters. The Tweels because it's funny and her daughters because they want more of their new dad's attention.

Jamil literally shackled Yuu and locked her in a room. He'd be the easiest to slip away from because sadly, Kalim is still very trusting and would accidentally help Yuu escape her bounds. JJ is...conflicted. He's happy he has his mom around; of the kids, he's the one who had to deal with his lifestyle change alone. So she's familiar and treats him the way he was used to (aka a small adult). BUT...He LOVES pissing Jamil off so of course he's going to help his mom escape. It's just a matter of how and when. He'd either be a very active part of his mom's escape plan OR he'd act naive and go along with her 'manipulation' to boohoo in front of an angry Jamil to avoid being grounded again.

[theyapper0]

FIRST PART OF "FINALE"

(There are 5 parts to this 😊)

The finale starts the day before the Extermination.

Charlie is sitting on the roof of the Hotel, all the Sinners they've recruited are all bustling about the parking lot, talking amongst themselves and setting up their reinforcements for the Examination tomorrow. 

Charlie is staring down worriedly at a family photo in her hand. The photo is old and tattered and there's a permanent cross shaped crease on it from all the folding and unfolding it's gone through. It was a photo of a framed painting that was in her old house before she left home.

(I'm NAWT writing out the whole first EP, that's way too much work LOL. Just know that in the beginning of it, instead of Charlie reading from that story of Lucifer and Lilith, she's just looking at a family photo of the 3 of them)

Charlie didn’t know what she was going to do. EVERYTHING has basically been leading up to this Extermination, the first BI-YEARLY Extermination… She has to protect the Hotel, she has to protect Vaggie, she has to protect EVERYONE, because if she doesn't…. 

Heaven will move onto all of Hell…

This wasn't just a standard Extermination anymore, this was war. 

And losing wasn't an option. 

But this wasn’t what she wanted! The whole point of getting in contact with Adam, with HEAVEN, was to STOP the killing! Now they have weapons deadly enough to kill ANGELS.

Not only are the people of Hell going to get killed, but the people of Heaven are as well…. 

Charlie doesn’t want to hurt anybody. She doesn’t want ANYONE, Heaven or Hell, to die! It wasn’t right, war only creates more bloodshed! 

When she and Vaggie went to Heaven, she thought they were FINALLY making progress- especially after befriending Emily! But…. That all crashed and burned and somehow things grew even WORSE.

Does all Charlie know how to do is make situations worse?

Vaggie comes up on the roof and they talk. 

Vaggie TOTALLY understood where Charlie was coming from, not because she relates, but because she KNOWS Charlie.

(Honestly Vaggie can't wait to SLAUGHTER some angels but Charlie would probably explode into a bajillion million pieces right now if she said that)

Vaggie has a huge vendetta against Heaven still, she has NOT made peace w that shit yet.

Charlie still gives the same(ish) speech as she does in canon. That's all basically the same :P

They still have their (basically end of the world) party and it's LIT 

While that's going on, in Heaven, Adam and Lute are talking about the Extermination that will be happening the next day. 

Adam has a bad feeling about the Cleansing, he doesn’t think they should go through with it….

Nothing has felt right to him ever since Charlie and Vaggie came to Heaven, ever since Emily took Charlie's side, ever since the Trail where he revealed the truth about…. 

Lute tells him that they must, these Cleansings are direct orders given by God

Lute: Don’t you trust him, Sir?

“Of course I do!” Adam says!! ”Of course I do…”

Adam trusts God, he trusts HEAVEN with everything he has. His feelings on this mess doesn't matter, what’s important is that he does what he's told, that he does what needs to get done.

Look at what happened when he diverted course, when he let his emotions get too out of control. Bad things happen and it makes everything worse…

Adam can't afford to mess up again... 

He needs to nip this in the bud. 

THE NEXT DAY. 

DAY OF EXTERMINATION. 

So everyone is fighting and kicking ass. 

Everything is going well and everyone’s doing what they’re supposed to ASIDE from Charlie who isn't killing the Exorcists, she’s really only disarming and knocking them out.

Every so often during the battle, Charlie will cross paths with one of her allies, who will be egging her on to KILL THE MOTHERFUCKERS!!!! 

She keeps ignoring it. 

Alastor is still going to go up against Adam. Alastor is cocky and arrogant, believing that he could best Adam without so much as a single Angelic blade, he won't be able to kill Adam no matter how powerful he believes himself to be.

Adam makes the comparison to Lucifer, “Prideful and full of uncharted wrath! And you know what happened to HIM!”

Alastor: You can't fall to Hell if you're already there! 

While Alastor and Adam fight, the Exorcist Angels that Charlie had simply been knocking out are beginning to wake back up and join the battle again! 

Her method didn’t do anything but make everyone have to work that much harder. 

Then Husk, occupied by fending off three or four Exorcists, is struck down by another swooping in. 

The Exorcist knocks him down and presses their weapon to his throat. There was nowhere to run, other Angels he was fighting had circled around him and knocked his own weapons out of his hands. 

And it happened in a moment, far too fast for regular eyes to see. 

One moment Husk was staring up at a faceless soldier, prepared to meet his end. And the next-

A clawed hand, once white but now gold with blood, was stuck straight through the Angel's chest, through their ribs and piercing out from their armor. 

Before the corpse of the Exorcist had even hit the ground the heads of the three other Angels surrounding Husk had flown off, sliced clean from their necks. 

And the Heir of Hell was standing before him.

It didn't matter that it was Husk that was in danger, it didn't need to be him, it could have been anyone. What mattered was that it was someone Charlie cared for, it was someone she was FIGHTING for.

Charlie had killed 4 Exorcists in less than a second and despite it being for a nobel reason, it was the little push she needed to give into every primal urge that was instilled into her since her creation… 

Charlie was still standing over him but Husk didn't dare move. Her energy and demeanor had done an entire shift. And being under contract with Alastor for as long as he's been, he knew when a grin held murderous intent…

But the grin plastered on Charlie's face wasn't like Alastor’s. It still felt like Charlie's just… less contained, more primal. 

Like she was operating on instinct above all else (Alastor was too calculating to ever do such) 

Charlie reached out her hand but Husk didn't dare take it. Charlie wouldn't ever hurt him, that much he knew. 

But he couldn't be 100% certain… Not when her mouth grew wider than he's ever seen it grow before, not when her crooked horns sprouted from her head, not when he was covered in the glowing, sticky blood of their enemies. 

There was a waver in her grin for just a moment. 

But it was gone in the next, the Exorcist, the one with the gaping hole in their chest, twitched. 

Charlie snapped her neck in their direction and crushed their head with her foot with so much force that it EXPLODED. 

Charlie: I….

It was just one day. It was an EXTERMINATION, it was the FIRST TIME Hell was fighting against Heaven! Charlie NEEDED to fight- to KILL (AND KILL AND KILL AND KILL AND KILL AND KILL AND-) It was normal, everyone was doing it, everyone needed HER to do it as well.

It… It’ll be fine. She will go right back to her normal self tomorrow, it’s not hard at all. 

Charlie’s eyes were blown wide and shined with a fervor. Her mouth was clenched into a tight, large girn and she laughed through her sharp jail cell of a mouth. 

She knelt down to the dead angel before her and took their clawed gauntlets 

Just one day… She thought as she put them on.

Charlie ran off. 

So basically Charlie gets lost in the killing and bloodshed, she’s going on a spree!! Killing exorcist angel after exorcist angel, doing it at speeds that the others can’t even keep up with!! She’s EASILY out numbering all of the kills they worked hard to rack up and KEEPS GOING

So while Charlie is going crazy on the battlefield (hotel parking lot), Alastor is fighting Adam. 

Alastor was just defeated by Adam.

He can hardly move but he's slowly stumbling his way away from Adam, who's following behind him at a very leisurely pace.

Aside from his comment from the beginning of their “battle”, Adam hasn't said a word. 

Alastor is grinning through the fractured ego and immense pain, he can't stop. He isn't facing Adam, he feels him trailing directly behind him, “Well it seems that you're victorious! Hm? Not even one heroic speech? Got on… you deserve it!” 

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

[thedemonsurfer]

hey uuuh im procrastinating on other things so let's write a big ol' essay about

Eclipse 3.1, and Why Moon Is Doing a Disservice By Writing Him Off As "Insane*"

*insane in this context being the definition of 'acting erratic and unpredictable with no regard to consequences' and not an actual mental illness diagnosis, I know, I wish they'd pick a different word too, but this is an essay about Eclipse's behavior, not linguistics

So! If you've only been sorta keeping up with SAMS, the current plot is someone (we still don't know who) revived everyone's favorite dusty Dorito that had been forgotten under the couch, slapped him on the ass, and pointed him at the Daycare. This has made a lot of people (in universe) very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move, even by Eclipse.

Especially by Eclipse.

Our buddy boy has magic (dunno how), incomplete memories of both the original Eclipse and the backup (no clue how he got those), and directives embedded in his code that can't be removed without killing him (¯\_(ツ)_/¯). He literally woke up in the hallway outside the Daycare and then went inside and started monologuing.

Eclipse wants to find the person who brought him back, maybe or maybe not ask some questions, and then kill them.

He reeeeeally wants to kill them.

(This whole arc honestly boils down to Eclipse grabbing various folks and shaking them while screaming "ARE YOU MY MOMMY?!")

In recent eps Moon has accused him of going 'insane', mostly due to his insistence on picking fights and threatening others, and that he cannot shut up about wanting to get the guy that made him. He very recently picked a fight with Lunar, who killed him again-- and proved at the moment he can't be killed permanently, he'll just come back in a new body.

Huh.. fighting a programmed compulsion, becoming more erratic and aggressive over time, breakdown of logic and reasoning... That seems kind of familiar...

Oh yeah! This is Eclipse's kill code. I'm calling it the 'bother code', but 'cringecode' and 'pain-in-the-ass code' aren't off the table. Unlike Moon's kill code, the expression seems to be 'be a distraction to Moon' rather than like, outright murdering people.

Like the kill code, fighting the compulsion seems to make his behavior more unstable. Because here's the thing: Eclipse isn't stupid.

Well.

Okay, Eclipse is stupid, but not... like this.

Eclipse is a manipulator. His thing has always been to recruit others to help him achieve his goal, and he's patient about it. He's willing to work for months on someone, and while he does shoot himself in the foot eventually, it's usually more indirectly than this. Moon is currently helping him search for the guy, it makes no sense for Eclipse to continue posturing and threatening.

Except-- that's his only outlet right now.

The "I need to find the guy who made me"? That's Eclipse's goal, the one he's pursing with all the stubbornness he has.

The "hey what if I killed or maimed some of your family"? That's the directives.

What we're seeing with Eclipse's behavior is him desperately trying to keep himself on track, when the bother code is trying to yank him in another direction. Threatening Moon so he'll 'work faster' is an outlet, a way for him to briefly pacify the code while redirecting it back into his own goal. He knows it's a stupid suggestion, but he's going to make it anyway because he has no choice.

I think he feels like he's running out of time as well. Because Eclipse can be patient, but he gets frustrated and short tempered the closer he gets to a deadline (this is why I believe he started being meaner to Lunar-- he was frustrated about not finding the star and had given himself only a month to do it).

So like.. yeah. I don't think he's going 'insane' or 'losing his mind'. I think he's fighting a losing battle against his own programming, and taking the frustration and panic out on everyone else. Because the kill code couldn't be fought off indefinitely, eventually the bot would crack under it. And it'd be nice if Moon could acknowledge that Eclipse's behavior isn't entirely voluntary, and he IS I think honestly doing his best-- he outright came to them for help, something he's never done before.

Idk maybe they need to let Eclipse put Moon in a stupid trap again for an ep to get it out of his system so he can chill out for a while.

A sidenote! Its interesting to me that Eclipse's behavior in the coming back ep seemed to be erratic only as long as Moon was present. Once Moon left, Eclipse changed gears in how he was talking to Solar, and had some very classic "you know you're better than this, don't you want to go apeshit?" lines. The kind of thing that we've seen from the previous Eclipse incarnations. Dunno yet if it means anything, but it's interesting!

[silverynight]

Underworld

<---Previous

Part XXI

They walk around in the castle for a while as Katsuki tells him how everyone has been doing since Izuku left.

"How about you?" The demigod asks, mostly to tease his friend. "Did you miss me?"

He already knows his friend did actually miss him; they had talked about it, but Izuku is just having fun at the moment, so he doesn't expect an actual response from anyone...

"Are you kidding me?" Kaminari rolls his eyes, turning his head towards Izuku like he can't quite believe he just said that. "He was so grumpy and sad all the time! Not to mention how bad he felt at first for lying to you!"

"Dunce face!"

Before the king of the dead can get dangerously closer to Kaminari, Izuku puts a hand on Katsuki's shoulder to stop him. As usual, he relaxes immediately and turns around.

Katsuki is blushing. Izuku finds it absolutely adorable; he's so happy he doesn't have his flower crown and he's not carrying any at the moment because he's sure all of them would bloom under his touch.

He knows he should be working on getting rid of his crush, but now it's not the time. Izuku takes one of Katsuki's hands and pulls him slightly closer only to touch the god's cheek.

"I'm here now and I'll be returning here often... if that's alright–"

"There's nothing I want more," Katsuki cuts him off and Izuku honestly doesn't notice, but suddenly they are completely alone. "You'll always be welcome here. I... I just want to be with you, Izuku. Nothing is the same without you."

Oh, no. This is really bad for Izuku's heart; his heart gets his hopes up easily, especially after such beautiful words... No, Izuku shouldn't think about this in any other way than Katsuki just being a good friend to him.

Of course, he missed him; they're friends, besides... it also has to do with the fact that he probably still feels bad about taking Izuku to the underworld and lying to him.

This is not going to help with Izuku's crush.

"Come. Let me show you something," Katsuki smiles before taking Izuku's hand and leading towards a new part of the palace. One Izuku hadn't seen before.

There's a room with huge crystal doors that lead to a backyard... and then when they both step outside Izuku finally realizes that it's actually a huge garden.

"It's beautiful!" Izuku beams, walking among the flowers and touching them with his fingertips; they also seem to react to him even though they're from the underworld. "Why didn't you show this to me before?"

Katsuki starts rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks turn slightly pink again.

"Because this wasn't here before. I... made this for you."

Izuku's heart beats in a funny way inside his chest, he feels warm inside, happy, like he can't contain all that happiness inside him.

"Does this mean you like it?" Katsuki chuckles, making a gesture with his hand towards the flowers around them.

They're blooming.

Izuku blushes to the tip of his ears; he's so glad Katsuki doesn't know the real reason for that.

"Yes, it means I like it," Izuku mumbles, feeling bad for not saying the truth, but his friend can't know he has a crush; it'd make things awkward between them. "Thank you, Kacchan. This means a lot to me."

For some reason, the King of the underworld starts smiling and doesn't stop even after they meet their other friends outside.

Ashido starts laughing at his expression and both Kirishima and Kaminari look at him like they can't quite believe what's going on.

Izuku chuckles, feeling his chest warm and fuzzy; a tiny part of him telling him to stay with them permanently.

But he knows he can't.

***

When he comes back to the mortal realm, he gets surprised when he sees Aizawa and All Might himself walking around in his field.

Izuku squeaks in delight and rushes towards them to give them both a hug.

"What are you doing here? Do you need anything from me?"

"Of course not!" All Might chuckles; his voice is loud, but not in an annoying way. Izuku finds himself looking up at him until his neck hurts a little and is suddenly reminded of how tall and huge the god is. "We just wanted to see you again, Midoriya! Shota is always worried about you!"

Izuku smiles at the god with the dark tunic only to find him looking away, almost like he's slightly embarrassed.

"You're prone to get in trouble, I'm just trying to avoid another conflict," Aizawa says, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. All Might laughs again, to which Aizawa glares at him in response.

"We wanted to make sure you're alright," All Might says, ignoring the other god.

Izuku hugs them both again, purposely trying not to notice the way Aizawa rolls his eyes, although Aizawa still hugs the demigod back.

He tells them both about his friends, his visit to the Todoroki family and his quick trip to the underworld.

Aizawa tenses a bit during Izuku's story, but relaxes when the young demigod smiles at him. All Might even puts a hand on the gloomy god's shoulder.

"It's fine. You know they care about him."

"I think that's part of the problem, Toshinori." Aizawa mumbles, confusing Izuku a bit. When he turns around, he looks even more serious than a couple of minutes ago. "You let me know if Enji gives you any trouble, alright?"

"You mean Endeavor?" Izuku blinks. When they both nod, he adds: "Why would he–"

"He doesn't like you getting close to his son," Aizawa explains simply.

"But don't mind that," All Might says, grinning at Izuku. "You just tell us if he ever comes here."

"Thank you for taking care of me!" Izuku says then and before Aizawa can say anything else, he takes them by the arms and leads them to his house.

His mother is more than happy to invite them in and make dinner for them. Izuku tries not to chuckle when he notices that they both act shy around his mother.

Izuku looks around and for a moment he's overwhelmed by strong emotions; he realizes that in a relative short period of time he went from living with his mother and taking care of his field to having so many friends.

He's so grateful for that; it almost feels like he's part of a huge family and he hopes it stays that way for a long time.

***

Next--->

Patreon

[howtofightwrite]

Hey I'm reading a book where a character is in an underground boxing match (with gloves, not bare-knuckle, so they're using some equipment), and while descriptions are kinda sparse it is stating that she's wearing jeans, sneakers and a tee shirt to do multiple rounds of boxing. That can't be right, can it? Or am I the wrong one and is it a not-terrible idea to regularly engage in boxing matches in street clothes like this?

So, with the important caveat that: I wouldn't want to do that, it's not impossible, just unpleasant.

You would sweat up your clothes pretty badly while practicing. Jeans aren't the most comfortable clothes to be wearing when you take a blunt hit, they'll chafe and suffer serious wear and tear. Footwear from the street causes several problems, and simply switching to gym shoes won't solve them.

Fighters shed their clothes because getting your own shirt and your opponent's glove driven into you by a punch is marginally more unpleasant than your opponent's glove alone.

Beyond that, there's a pretty decent chance of getting some blood on them, even in a contained environment. Bloodstains are kinda annoying to get out of clothes. Personally, I've always used a stiff bristled brush (sometimes even an old toothbrush), and bar soap, scrubbing out the blood before it's had time to set, and that's seemed to work pretty well, but it's a bit time intensive, and needs to be dealt with relatively quickly. Needless to say, that's less of an option during a bout, and downright annoying during practice.

There is also a (somewhat minor) danger of someone trying to choke out another fighter with their opponent's shirt. Clearly, it would be disqualifying (and probably get the offender permanently kicked out), but it's an entirely avoidable scenario. While the gloves mitigate it, there's also a risk of getting fingers caught in your opponent's clothes and breaking them. This is more of a consideration in an actual brawl, but it is one more reason you probably wouldn't want competitors wearing shirts.

Interestingly, martial arts that prioritize throws, such as Judo or Aikido, tend to practice with a shirt (or, more specifically a gi), because it provides points to grip, and throw, the opponent. Getting punched while wearing a gi isn't going to be more fun than if you're wearing a shirt, but it's not strictly ceremonial.

Wearing shoes is a pretty bad idea for a couple reasons, depending on the rules. If there's a strict, “no blows below the waist,” restriction, you'll still get fighters accidentally stepping on each other's feet from time to time, and that's a lot less pleasant if they're wearing shoes. If kicking is allowed, shoes will dramatically increase the damage of a kick. Further, if participants are allowed to wear street footwear, you'd see a transition from sneakers to reinforced boots that provided protection from getting stomped on, and allowed for inflicting more serious kicks.

Outside of organized sport fighting, stepping on one of your opponent's feet, then closing distance and pushing them off balance can dramatically shift control of the fight. You can do this in your bare feet, but footwear makes it easier to lock an opponent in place. To be clear, you can reposition, and even walk without lifting your feet off the ground, but it's not something most people train for outside of dance or some martial arts schools, including karate. So this isn't always effective, but for most people who internally think walking involves lifting their foot and taking a step, you can keep them where they are.

So, is this believable? From an underground boxing group without a lot of history? Yeah, I could see people doing something stupid like this. Though, I suspect that over time the shirts and shoes would go, simply because sooner or later someone would find a way to abuse those. How long would it take for that to happen? I'm honestly not sure, and there might be social norms which would keep those around. While it wouldn't be jeans and sneakers, but 19thcentury boxers would have kept their undershirts, pants, and shoes on.

Context is also important, if this is some kind of fight club, then it tracks, but if this is organized underground fighting ring, with betting and spectators, getting the participants to show some skin is also part of the show. If people are gambling, they'd want to see the fighters getting dinged up, as that drives future betting. More than that, it's about entertainment, so titillation is something that can draw in an audience, and incentivize further betting.

Another big question mark is, “multiple rounds.” Normally, there's a lot of downtime between fights, for an individual fighter. This is because, even if you're victorious, you're going to take some hits, and those will have a cumulative effect on your ability to fight (or, even continue breathing.) An unscrupulous underground arena might play a little fast and loose with this, but even then, a fighter who's worn down by their previous bouts will eventually fall, and the arena doesn't want to field bets in a fight where one fighter is half-dead, while going up against fresh competitors.

If it seems like I'm making a big deal about the gambling, when you're looking at organized underground fighting rings, gambling is the business, and everything else exists in service of that.

So, is it believable? Kinda. It's not flawless writing, and without more context, some of the mistakes are more or less forgivable.

You're not wrong, it is a bad idea to wear street clothes into a match like this, but it is possible, and in an ad hoc fight club, it's quite possible for the characters to make these mistakes on their own. That said, it's likely the author didn't realize these were mistakes, so that is on them.

-Starke

This blog is supported through Patreon. Patrons get access to new posts three days early, and direct access to us through Discord. If you’re already a Patron, thank you. If you’d like to support us, please consider becoming a Patron.

[dragontamerno3]

DS9 S2 E22 - The Wire

HOW DOES ANYONE THINK THESE TWO ARE IN A STRAIGHT??!!!???!!!

Ahem.

Seriously. How?

The episode starts off with the two going to their weekly lunch having the gayest banter about books and food and there is genuine concern for Garak when he starts showing signs of illness. Yes, Bashir is the station Doctor but it's also very much a "my friend is in pain, whats wrong" look when it happens.

This is cemented when Jadzia brings her plant to him to diagnose. Their conversation was primarily about the plant he was examining but her "its not like you're friends" comment and them him agreeing angrily while he stabbed said plant? There was no mistaking that he does (at least on some level) think of them as friends. Honestly, that whole conversation kinda felt like a ton of "I'm not jealous" conversations where I've seen two friends discussing a third party who was hanging out with a new person. Or more specifically a crush starts to spend more time with someone new. I have had similar moments myself as a baby queer.

I applaud Quark for his ease of lying. He was so smooth with a line or two to give to Bashir to get him to walk away. Wonderfully done.

The other smooth part with Quark was when Bashir is trying to usher Garak out of the bar and convince him to go to the infirmary and how they just swapped the bottle without a word.

On that same note, when Quark called Bashir to the bar to get Garak and Garak was like "Yes, quiet is better, lets go to my quarters", I wondered how often he actually brought people back to his room. He is so secretive that it seemed to me that he'd rarely (or never) let anyone come by so it seems significant that he offered that.

Of course Odo has tapped Quarks bar to monitor his transmissions, so much so that he even knows when Quark makes his more "sensitive" calls.

From the moment they said Garak was having head pain I figured there was some kind of implant in his head that was either malfunctioning, it was finally deteriorating or something similar. That paired with the fact that Garak was most definitely a spy, whether he still is or isn't is questionable sure, but at one point he was somehow tied to the intelligence network. So it wasn't a surprise to find out that was what causing him pain. It was fun to watch Quark give the Cardassian dude a code for a highly classified piece of tech though that may or may not cause both of them some hiccups later. Karma.

What I WAS surprised by was that is was more of a drug like situation. The whole break down in his room about how he had spent years being tortured and so 2 years ago he decided to say fuck it and to just live in a drugged state permanently was well done. I felt for both men in that moment. I can't even imagine what Garak was going through but I can tell he was suffering even when he had been drugged. And then Bashir hearing that the man he had come to think of as a friend (even if it was reluctantly) claim he wanted nothing to do with the dear Doctor. But then the trust in Garaks face as he relented? There was no heterosexual reason for this.

I need more of Bashir being a guard dog for all those under his care cause clearly that's a pattern I enjoy. It was a great character moment when he protected Jadzia against the trill transfer earlier in the season and it was a great moment here where he told Odo to fuck off.

The whole withdrawals scene was a rough one to get through in that way that I could see where it was going and I could tell both sides of that were very uncomfortable but the "the problem is I DID enjoy it" gave me life.

Every single story Garak told in this episode was both contradictory and very much believable, to me. I believe he blew up a Cardassian ship that held civilians and his "friend" on broad because it sounds like to me that this was the moment that part of him died, the part where he was dedicated to the cause. I also believe he let the Bajorian "prisoners" go and his "friend" was angry/appalled because this might have been one of the first steps to him questioning his involvement in things and how he hated himself for having these thoughts. I also believe he tried to hack the Cardassian systems to self sabotage himself subconsciously while thinking he was fixing things only to discover he purposely screwed himself over.

"I need to know SOMEONE forgives me." 😭💔

The thing that I loved most about this episode though was how Bashir was willing to risk his own safety to go to Cardassia on his own for Garak, who is in exile, to confront a highly respected man of the deepest, darkest intelligence network. That took guts and he did it without even blinking. Hell, he did it without even flinching when it was clear Tain was giving him vague threats.

I am disappointed about how quickly this one wrapped up, it seemed like we were worried about Garak dying and he was just suddenly okay again and having lunch, but that's a whatever moment. We don't honestly know how much time had passed and we knew he was going to get the info he needed to remove the device. It just seemed... fast?

Overall very much one of my favorites so far.

9/10 - will watch a million times

[thebunniesgrim]

I'm getting way too much enjoyment watching how some of Helluva Boss fandom is raving over the popular current theory that stolas is going to die in the series.  

Because of the Oops episode and how the skull and cross bones in the smoke clock landed on Stolas and other stuff  

I.e.  

Having imp assasins in LooLoo Land 

Stella  

Striker  

His lullaby saying that when he’s gone Octavia will be ok and that today could be his last (I could go on a whole tangent about that lullaby it's so good)  

Western Energy  (that's it)

I'm not saying I want stolas to die but am I also saying it would be funny to watch the fandom go up in flames about it?  

Well call me Phineas and Ferb because

Yes  

yes I am 

You can stop reading here if you want. Under the cut I'm just rambling justifying why I think what I think. there are some jokes and lighthearted critiques, but you know... you have the option to look and give your own opinions  :)

I mean I have my grievances with him like I've said in my other post (shameless plug Warning I'm very illiterate in case you haven't noticed) but like I don’t wish death upon him I still like Stolas believe it or not   

lol.

In fact I hope stolas doesn’t die and mostly I don’t think stolas is going to die at all frankly. I highly dout the writers/viv/whoever is going to actually kill off stolas mostly because like any time stolas is in danger its so underminded like- ok LooLoo land is mostly a joke (good joke too I like the end where Stolas turns the imp guy into stone good pay off), Stella played for laughs beacues shes making the hit right in front stolas and it doesn’t get paid off till the next season which is fine the seasons are short, Western Energy he was fine like an episode later.  

If home boy cant be hospitalized for more than one episode he isn't dying  

Granted I will allow some leeway as we don’t know how much time has passed since Western Energy to Oops but it- I don’t think stab wounds and broken arms heal that fast regardless of that :/ if I'm being honest especially if it was a holy weapon just saying.  

Even if he did die that brings up a lot of questions like what happens to demons when they die? Are all demons immortal and can only die due to physical damage? are Asmodeus and Beelzebub going to outlive Fizz and Vortex if imps and hellhounds/other demons aren't immortal. Were the 7 deathly sins ever babies like everyone else? If demons are immortal and can live forever and the Ars Goitias can only be killed by angelic weapons that are hard to get, I'm assuming, why do, they need to have children or heirs? Why even have children at all? If angelic weapons can kill demons do demonic weapons exist and can they kill angels or other holy beings?   

All this and more on You Can't Answer These Questions at 8 

Lol  

anyways

but in all seriousness 

Here’s the real question  

If they did actually kill Stolas, will they bring him back?  

Riddle me this batman  

there's a very the very real outcome of them bringing stolas back through some magical demonic bs anyway so like it really won't matter. They're not going to have Stolas bite the dust permanently and if they are... respect honestly (the balls frankly).  

People will cry, I'll laugh because I'm heartless, he’ll be like resurrected or something, and everyone will be happy or mad idk.    

Like it's one thing for Millie to get hurt in the other episodes because there wasn’t a major plot point you know? (and she’s not important) There was no lingering scene on it with sad music. In when stolas got hurt it was this big thing and for him to just be like fine an episode later is like what? How are you going to have this big emotional climax with no emotional orgasm (sorry) afterwards. And like no I'm not letting this go what the heck? You had the whole fandom screeching about Blizto going to sloth just to do nothing with it and put a twist about Barbie and then also have stolas be perfectly fine and dandy the next episode afterwards. Are there no stakes in this show? Like I get that Helluva Boss wasn’t planned in the beginning but like come on... When Viv approves of the episodes does she look back at the other episodes? Is she even there? Is she ok? Is she and everyone else seeing a bigger picture that I'm not? Has she sat down and watched Helluva Boss from the very beginning and watched them from episode one to now? I mean really not just a once over to send it off to youtube I mean really took a good and hard look at the episodes? The way they mix episodic, and story is really messing with me I'm going to go back and watch all the episodes from the beginning just to make sure it’s not me.

I like how I said in my tangent about Hell fire (shameless plug part 2) I said I liked the new episode over all give or take some extremally small nitpicks yet here I am complaining :) guess I'm a liar   

soo yeah, I really don’t think they're going kill off their golden child, their best boy, their little botanist boo, their dopamine deficient dandy, their booboo bear, their uwu baby boi, their uke wukey cinnamon roll, their twinky little baby owl, their Boo thang, their stary eyed savant, their sad beige gay, their smoopy woopy do, their snoogum-boogums, their skidamarink a dink a dink skidamarink a doo, their-  

ok 

I'm done  

I'm so sorry   

[lunar-years]

Re: the fic tropes from the s2 hiatus, I have a related thought or question.

I would welcome your thoughts or recs (including recs of your own fic) because I admittedly found the OT3 WAY more easy to believe in fic in the s2 hiatus, in terms of Jamie joining an established RoyKeeley, even if the signs for the RK break up were there in retrospect. I now find it hard to believe in, post finale (well, post fight - up until half way through the finale we were looking good.) I still read lots of OT3 things that diverge at different points in the show, up to and including mid finale, and them simply not taking their bullshit argument to Keeley’s door, but I CANNOT see a path back from that after they do it, only to RJ, in a strictly canon compliant post finale fic. Of course Keeley becomes friends with them again but the events of canon made me feel like she fully closed the door on either of them in that scene for good, and I can't see it working out the way I once could. That's a let down, and makes me sad especially after 3.11! I used to not even like RJ without K, I much preferred OT3.

So what are your fave fics that deal with them getting together post finale - as in, one that doesn't diverge and that deal with what actually happened? I want a fic to really to sell me on it, if that makes sense, because the show really didn't in the end, it felt like it killed it. (Even with the barbecue scene - it felt like potential for RJ + Friend Keeley to me.)

Can you help me believe in the possibility again?

Hello!! First off, let me apologize in advance for what I'm fearing might end up a lengthly response to what was a very simple question, and frankly more than you probably wanted to know lol. That said, I feel like I need to preface my suggestions a bit first to help explain my breakdown of the recs so here's just a few things to keep in mind:

So, I don't see Keeley kicking them out after their bullshit argument to be a permanent door closure on the possibility for a relationship, which obviously influences my enjoyment of post finale ot3 fics greatly. Instead, I sort of just view it as Keeley drawing a hard boundary on what she's willing to put up with, and categorically deciding that she not going to engage with either of them when they're being that idiotic (enormously valid of her). HOWEVER, I honestly believe all it would take is a genuine apology from them to allow them both back into her good graces (look at how easily she forgave Roy after he gave her that sort of half-arsed [imo] apology letter! Now, obviously that didn't fix anything between them, and Keeley was in a particularly vulnerable place when it happened, and possibly their subsequent decision to sleep together then made things worse for their future romantically, but they are also undeniably back to genuine friendship + complicated feelings about ~more~ in the very next episode! I think this situation would go very much the same way.)

NOW, I'm not saying that's like... an entirely healthy and well-adjusted basis for a romantic relationship right off the go, just that I do think that Keeley would accept their apology and return to being friends with both of them really speedily. And that I don't think the lingering romantic feelings between them all (that imo, we do see hints of all season) would disappear. The big problem with roykeeley that led to the breakup was their inability to communicate their needs and feelings and what they wanted out of their relationship, alongside an inability to be truly vulnerable about their emotions. But i think s3 made it very clear to me how much the love is still there between them, and I'm of the belief that all it would take to fix them would be an honest conversation where they acknowledge they've hurt one another, admit they still love each other, and come up with a plan to move forward. I think the solution would be similar for budding ot3--they just need that heart to heart moment to hash it all out, because the love is there!

As such, the most "realistic" path forward for ot3 post-finale the way I see it is for all three of them to agree to be ~just friends~ for the foreseeable, giving Keeley time to focus on herself & her career and explore the self-discovery that comes with being single for once, as well as giving Roy time to develop a routine with therapy and work esp. on the issues that promoted him to initiate the bullshit finale fight with Jamie in the first place. I do not necessarily think anyone but Jamie is necessarily ready for any relationship where we leave them in s3, so I feel very similar about routes forward for RJ, JK or RK and I do for RJK. Eventually though (because let's face it, I do think they're all deeply horny for one another as well as share deeper feelings) the simmering, underlying sexual tension would boil over and the friendship would develop into more.

But all that said...I also am very easy to please and can be made to believe in pretty much any route to ot3, so I enjoy most interpretations of how they get together post finale/*that* fight. I love that it was left so open-ended, it makes it so easy for me to enjoy most fics about how they might get together

I say all this not to argue over your different interpretation (which is a totally valid one!) or to try to suggest everyone needs to see it how I see it, but rather to sort of warn you I guess that some of the fics I'm recommending might not be as successful for you as you were for me, because I see the situation so differently.

I think a lot of canon-compliant post finale fics (mine included tbh) tend to sweep the fight moment under the rug (as in, it gets mentioned that the boys apologized or what have you, but there's also been at least a few weeks time jump since the finale and the three of them have kind of moved on from that evening) because myself and other authors maybe see it as less of a major dealbreaker that needs to very addressed before the three can more forward. I have tried to curate the fics out accordingly into categories that will hopefully steer you in the right direction, but it's also been a while since I've read a lot of these:

Category A: Very convincing (imo) canon-compliant getting-together post finale fics that don't necessarily address the final fight head on:

The Third Wheel by scintilla10; a very cute one-shot based around the idea that Jamie and Keeley have a heart to heart in Brazil and then bring that energy back home to Roy.

Upside Down by @morethanslightly; post finale, they're all friends! then Jamie and Keeley go to Brazil and more occurs :)

take away the glass by @izzyspussy; OK...so to be fair... This one explicitly states in the leading author's note that it ignores everything that happens in the finale, lol. However, it's so good and otherwise (imo) very in line with canon that I'm recommending it to you anyway, even though it doesn't match the brief. JamieKeeley get back together first, which is a unique take I haven't seen in any other fic that nonetheless feels SO fitting for the dynamic in s3. I just really think this is the post-series fic that could convince you on the three of them again :)

Oh, Lord, You've Never Been So In Love by asexual-fandom-queen; post finale friends to lovers, the fight is mentioned in what i think is a very effective way, but not really focused on.

Triangles by @catalogercas- I love fics where Phoebe is the one to knock some sense into them :)

Category B: Post-finale ot3 fics that DO address the finale/fight of it all head on:

How to Build A Triangle (or accidentally fall headlong into one, or whatever the fuck) by SquaresAreNotCircles; very fun but also They Talk About It! Pretty in line with how I see how things actually playing out in canon, tbh.

boyfriend lessons by @mixtapestar; so this is in alignment with "they apologize, Keeley forgives them and they all move on" which I realize might be enough accountability for the way you view the fight, but there's fun twists and I love anything that involves shenanigans and also their Brazil trip.

it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning - butterflybook; a quick one-shot about the boys apologizing & Keeley forgiving them (author notes this happens quickly, but they share my sentiment that that is pretty in character for Keeley)

Category C: Maybe less convincing, given canon, in terms of like, long-term stability for the relationship without further conversation and hard work, but definitely convincing for in-the-moment rampant horniness:

three turns by scintilla10; this is about Keeley inviting them back in immediately after kicking them out for horny purposes, so I'm not sure you'd be convinced by this lmao. But it's also so fun, so I thought I'd throw it on the list anyway for others people who might be interested and/or if you read some category A stuff that gets you back in the ship and then want to try something different

Triple blend by Dancey96; this definitely takes some liberties with what Keeley may have said before kicking them out. so it's "canon-compliant" in a very loose way I don't think aligns with what was actually intended in canon, lol. BUT! It works for them and it's fun and it's hot and it's a fun way to play with what happened so maybe it would make you feel better about the scene! idk

Heart Trouble by @morethanslightly this is another play on the scene that maybe doesn't address their problems as much as you would need, but gosh it is sexy and fun!

Category D: My own fics that may or not be your speed but I'm throwing in to self promo anyway:

Confetti ; This follows the concept that they're all friends post finale and then slowly the dynamic starts to change; fluffy getting together fic ft. Roy's family

last to leave the party ; another iteration of the above but this time it's years of friendship between the three of them post the finale before the something happens that causes things to shift back around to romance

Actually, the one I'm writing now (RJK friends with benefits) is I think going to be the one that addresses what you are looking for most head on (in terms of dealing with the direct aftermath of the finale and staying completely canon compliant). So stay tuned!

If anyone else has any suggestions or would like to self-rec one of your own fics for anon, please add them/share them with me!

[thedeadedhooman]

Favourite supernatural ship/s

thanks for the ask anon<3

samjess is my favourite I guess. it's tragic and sad and beautiful. It always makes me upset and I end up in a puddle of tears. It hurts my brain and heart. It's like a stabbing pain in the gut. what gets me is that even after such a long time, sam could never actually let go of jessica I think. I mean what am I supposed to feel after the i still think about jessica. he was shopping for rings, and he proposed to a ghost, to his past. a nice sweet normal figment of his life, that he held on to for a while until tragedy struck. sam probably doesn't even have any photos of jessica, they were all burnt in the fire. he probably had that voicemail that she sent when he went with dean to hunt the woman in white. which probably got deleted when they had to switch phones or simcards cuz of their shitty lifestyle. she's only a memory to him...fuck

sastiel cuz I love their autistic swag. of course there are moments that make me mad like cas breaking sam's wall but cas also took sam's pain. sam and castiel are so soft and tender with each other. I just know the sex would've been a galaxy brain moment.

samruby because they're toxic af but they truly loved each other at some point. they would've worshipped each other I think. it's bout the roles and the dynamics, there's also a lot of manipulation and betrayal going on and that adds to the more complex elements regarding the pairing. also the soft tender way ruby tries to cajole sam into believing that what he did was right scratches at my brain because she too sacrificed a lot to be the one who catalysed the whole thing. they could've ruled hell together. and their whole sex scene is like two lesbians fucking each other.

deanlisa because dean had a bit of normalcy and a cute son. dean and lisa made a cute pairing I think. he got to be a dad for a little while I guess. It's sad and tragic cuz when cas wiped Lisa and Ben's memories, it really hurt. Like you build this little family and they gave you something to hold on to for a while when you missed your brother and then have all of that taken away from you PERMANENTLY. that shit is sad af.

sambrady because I KNOW WHAT THEY HAD GOING ON. demon lover brady my beloved. I know they fucked. cuz brady is a demon and he died.

samsarah. they are so cute. and honestly out of all the partners sam had in the show I think sarah blake would have been perfect for sam imo. she wanted to help them during the hunt. she's a tough girl. they kiss for the first and the last time and she hopes that sam would visit again. she keeps waiting and waiting and waiting, days turn into weeks, weeks into months, months into years and then one day she gets married has a kid and that tall floofy haired boy with the puppy dog eyes turns up at her doorstep. she has moved on obviously but at what cost? she died cuz of the very man she waited for so long. and oh sammy. the only reason why he didn't go back was that he knew it was dangerous for her. later he had to go to her to save her but again at what cost? sarah still died and she had a husband and a kid...

wincest. do I need to even say anything? I mean where do I even start? It's not like I want them to fuck each other but it's the codependency. there's a lot going on with these two that can't be seen with the naked eyes. it's the subtext, the yearning, the longing looks, the roles...how dean can't function without sam, he's afraid to be alone, how sam loses it when dean is gone, the need to be the no. 1 person on their priority list, and the fact that they're canonical soulmates. yeah they're weird and that's what I like about it. sam and dean winchester are psychotically, irrationally, erotically codependent on each other.

sammadison how could I not mention this one. THIS IS MY FAVOURITE AS WELL. I mean it's so fucking tragic. like you think you saved the girl but for what? it didn't work and it's gonna happen again and there's no cure and you two share these tender moments of intimacy thinking everything's gonna be okay only to be met with the opposite. you gave her hope and now it's being taken away..it's never gonna be okay and she asks you to kill her. whatthefuck. now you slowly see yourself in her, what if I become a monster and there's no way back and what if someone I love so much has to put me down like a sick dog. GOSH. I cried while watching that episode.

I also like samwena and saileen and megstiel but I haven't watched the later seasons that well so can't say much.

[muniimyg]

𐙚₊˚⊹ chaebol!joon (2)⋆𐙚₊˚⊹

series m.list // taglist request closed

🏷️ permanent taglist: @joonsjuice @pamzn @defzcl @maryy1300 @whoa-jo @taetaecatboy @jksusawife @un06 @firesighgirl @rrosiitas @butterymin @parkinglot-nights @musicjournalsjdb @kissyfacekoo @jkslvsnella @vampcharxter @bloopkook @somehowukook @bbystarcandykoo

//

"what are you doing here?"

nam joon shivers as he shuts the car door. he waves at you innocently, ignoring your morning attitude. you stand still, utterly confused as to why he's outside your apartment at 7:30am.

"let's go to work together."

you raise a brow at him.

"why?"

he smiles at you, tilting his head ever so slightly. you hate how confident he looks right now. you hate how much it makes your stomach twist and turn.

"why not?" is his genius answer.

you shake your head at him, refusing his offer. "i can drive."

"i know," he shrugs, eyes fixed on you. "i'm saying let's go to work together."

again, you refuse.

"get in the car, ___."

for a moment, you can't believe his words. it's the way he said it! he said it like a demand... and that's strange. nam joon has never demanded anything from you. he has always been such a push over and for some reason; you can't help but feel enlightened. this side of him is sexy.

so, you comply.

walking towards him, he offers you a lazy smirk before opening the car door for you. you look at him, catch his eyes, and see his gaze soften. he places his hand above your head as you duck down and plop onto the seat. hastily, he shuts the door and runs to the other side. settling in, he leans over and tugs your seatbelt over your body. he buckles you in, then himself.

it happens so quick. the way his face came so close to being pressed against your boobs made you feel the need to hold your breath. then, as you exhaled and inhaled, his scent made him even more irresistible to you.

yet, it ends too soon. nam joon sits still in his spot and takes out his phone. you stare at him, unsure of what to say or do.

before you can open your mouth to break the silence, the sound of the car engine turning on beats you to it.

"i stayed up last night and revised your contract. i made more than generous adjustments and honestly should have done it earlier. i apologize on my end. i'm even expanding your space. your stuff will be moved into my office by 12pm today—"

"where will you go?"

"it's my office," he chuckles. "i'm staying. you're just moving in."

"w-what?" your eyes widen. "that's unnecessary. my office is across the hall—"

"my office is three times yours. you'll have more than enough space—"

"we don't need to share offices, joon! and frankly, i don't understand why you're doing all of this!" you say this as patiently as possible. he looks at you, eyes big and innocent as always.

"i'm not following..."

"joon," you huff. "i quit."

"i said no."

"that's not how it works—"

"yes, it does," his body stiffens. "i don't know what else you could want. i told you, didn't i? just tell me what it takes to get you to stay and i'll give it. you never responded... so i'm making my move. i'm guessing until i get it right."

"i don't want more money," you sigh. "crazy to say so, but i don't want to be paid to be miserable."

his eyes dim.

"you're miserable?"

you can't believe that slipped out of your mouth. it's not even what you meant... you weren't miserable... work is okay. work is work. the real issue is that you've been in love with nam joon for far too long.

you can't do it anymore.

you can't pick up calls from women like jiun who take advantage of nam joon's friendly personality. you can't take any more calls from his mother, asking you if he's dating anyone yet and why it isn't you. you can't take any more late nights with him guiding you through the company doors with his hand on your waist because he knows your nighttime vision isn't the best.

you just can't.

at the same time, it's not that serious. you've longed for him but you've never cried over him. you've just always been disappointed in how oblivious he is when it comes to himself. his charm, his good looks, and his naive personality... gatekeeping him wasn't going to last forever. especially when the company's net worth has been increasing tremendously! at the same time... it's all thanks to his pretty new investors and their precious lunch dates.

"sometimes."

... is all you say and is all it takes to make nam joon's chest feel tight.

"i just... i'm so tired these days—"

"take days off."

"i haven't had a vacation in 2 years—"

"where do you want to go? i'll book the ticket and—"

"stop!" you grab his hands and look into his eyes. "nam joon, i appreciate everything you've done for me. from the very first day, you've been so kind and generous... there is only one you in this world but there's millions of me's. you'll be okay. you just need some time to adjust to this. i understand it's a big change—"

"you don't get it do you?"

"get what?"

"there's only you."

you have no words. he's said so little but so much. your heart races just like how it always does when he does shit like this. when he wins you over...

"what i need is for you to stay,” nam joon shifts, turning your hands over to hold them better. "am i that bad?"

you blink at him. "joon, this isn't about you."

he squints his eyes. "really? cos it feels like it is."

instantly, you feel guilty. yes, it's about him. of course, it's about him... but it's also more about you. you need to move on. move on from him and move on from this part of your life.

"joon, i want to be more than a secretary." you admit in a hushed tone. "i wasn't supposed to stay this long. i had plans to travel the world and find myself. i have a degree in fine arts... did you even know that?"

he stares at you blankly.

"see?" you groan. "god, i've only sold like one painting my entire life, i know it sounds s-stupid but... i... i don't know... i just know i want to be known as something else. something better. something new. i can't do it if i stay here—"

"with me?"

"... with you."

he nods, letting your hands go and looking out his window. the silence between you two grows heavy and you can't think straight anymore. the discussion wasn't supposed to happen like this. you had always pictured your goodbye with him to be different. civil, almost.. bittersweet, exactly.

"september 12th, 2023. it was my birthday and i took an extra long lunch break... i went to your office and remembered you had the day off. i remember thinking how odd it was that my phone was blowing up with my friends and family asking to see me... and i was standing in your office, upset that you would request a day off on my birthday. i grabbed my coat and went to the art gallery on 11th street. i didn't mean to, but i saw you there. you were showcasing your work... i wanted to say something. i wanted to tell you how talented you were... but it was your world and it was the first day we spent a part in almost a year... i didn't want to take that moment away from you. but, i'm selfish and had to get something out of it."

shivers travel down your spine. this is unreal. you can't process all of this all right now. was he serious? "oh my god... joon..."

"i've kept my mouth shut about it for the past 3 years... and i'm not telling you this because i want to convince you to stay... i just want you to know that i believe in you the most." joon smiles, unsure if this conversion meant anything to you. "i think it's great that you want to do more... but i need you to know that it feels impossible to even envision a day without you."

you sit there, touched by his words.

"it's okay to not know what you want. you don't have to stay... but you also don't have to go. so, i'll stand by that. i'll do anything and everything to keep you by my side... and it's okay if you don't believe in my words—i have a painting for you to believe in too."

[somerandomcryptid]

In your Crypt AU what happened to Drista and Dream after Sam gone missing?

Especially since even Dream gone missing (if I read correctly)

*giggles evilly* well this will be a fun one.

Also major spoiler warning as well as warning for copious amounts of murder. Like so much murder only 5 people who are involved in XD's whole backstory get to live. and only one of them is an obviously major character.

Honestly I'm not sure what I what I shouldn't spoil but I guess this au isn't getting a fic anytime soon sooo tis fine :) I wanna talk about it anyway.

First of all Dream did in fact go missing! You read that right!

But I'll leave that situation for last since your asking about what happened to them in general c:

For some context Dream was almost 15 when Sam got murdered(and everyone knows that he is in fact dead, his body was very much there), Drista was not even a year old.

This drives a... conderable wedge between him and XD. Because Dream isn't stupid. And frankly, XD's isn't trying to seem all that aggrieved, just towards the cops and his acquaintances. This is also what sort of tips off Callahan(who is a whole nother can of worms ksjskshskjs).

Basically Dream kinda knows XD did it. But also doesn't want to believe it and can't prove it. He would have run away, but he had a baby sister to take care of, and he wasn't going to just.. leave Drista behind.

He thinks about it more after he turns 16. His close friend Foolish even offering that his dad would take him and Dris in in a heartbeat. And Dream already has a good relationship with Puffy anyway.

But uhhhhh XD likes Foolish, he really does, he does not in fact like him enough to allow him to steal his son. Safe to say Foolish pops up a few days later in less then alive pieces :)

Puffy moves away fast enough that XD doesn't think she'll be a problem.

Anyway. This does not strengthen Dream and XD's relationship in the slightest. It only keeps him there for two more years before he goes to college.

He hates leaving Drista alone, but so far XD hasn't been violent towards him or her, and he just.. needs to be out. He absolutely visits all the time though, just to check that Drista is ok and doing well.

and he actually gets a good support network at college! He meets George and Sapnap, and even the man he decides he wants to spend his life with, Fundy :).

They don't end up being able to get married. Because uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh well Fundy is kinda his own can of worms but the short version is that Fundy has some... Personal beef with XD let's say. And XD doesn't do well with a gun pressed to his head. Safe to say Fundy's body is never found and was probably fed to the gators.

At this point Dream is pretty sure that XD has killed, his dad, one of his best friends, and his fiance. (Oh actually also Punz, who was a close online friend that I couldn't fit in neatly) Somehow it takes him a year to try and kill him.

It doesn't go well, to say the least.

XD at least feels bad about this one of though. Like sure, Dream tried to kill him and has been making it his mission to be (in XD's perspective) an annoying little shit about everything. But that's still his baby boy. That's his kid. And he sort of did it in a rage, he didn't mean to. Dream was just so wrong about all these people. But he still regrets it so much.

Dream's the only one of his victims to get a proper burial.

He can't bear to report him dead though. Just missing. Forever missing.

Now on the Drista side of things :D

She has a pretty normal first 8 years of her life honestly beyond the absolute tension between her older brother and her dad.

Like sure sone people just. Go missing. But she doesn't have enough of a sense of object permanence to really think they're dead.

The only one she really processes that for is Sam, even though she doesn't remember him, Dream makes sure she knows about their dad. Telling her stories and going through his old coding files to teach her about his work. She's pretty good at coding for an 8 year old!

But it's on one of these visits from her brother that stuff completely changes for her. Because she doesn't like. See Dream's death. But she hears it.

The next 2 years are rough. She absolutely hates XD for his actions, and she tries to run away a lot. She always gets dragged back and XD shows disgusting slivers of humanity. He cries every time she runs away, he never starts mad. Just so so terrified.

Then he angry once she's back inside and he's held her for a while. He never hurts her though. Not physically at least, and he doesn't shout either. He still treats her like glass even when he's mad at her and even when she's scratching and biting and kicking and squirming.

No matter how many times she's brought back though, she doesn't stop trying. And one time, she just manages to do it.

Now where she is and what she's doing I'm not actually going to say, but she is most definitely alive. XD thinks she's dead though, he doesn't really see how she could have survived out there and yet he or the police couldn't find her.

She's alive and .... Well I can't really say she's well but she isn't homeless. And that's all I'll say on the matter.

Sorry if this was too long lol I just have a lot of thoughts for this au.

And uhhh just going to put the @calamari-minecraft-corner here :D (for context Cala asked me to @ them in posts about this au so that's why it's always somewhere)

[earlgreytea68]

Just a quick thought dump, but "Bishop's Knife Trick" popped up on my playlist today, and I can't help but wonder if the lyrics "These are the last blues we're ever gonna have" were written at least in part as a promise to Patrick. The hiatus could have crumbled everything they built together, but they still came back stronger than ever, and now nothing can tear them apart again!

That line is, in typical Pete Wentz style, so multi-layered and can be taken so many different ways. Pete is fond of the word "blue" and its homophones and all their many connotations and often plays around with it (see "Tiffany Blews" and "Hum Hallelujah" "I sing the blues and swallow them, too"). That line in BKT is more of Pete's obsession with how many different and contradictory things he can form into one simple line like that. Possibilities:

"The blues" as a reference to the song genre. These are the last time we will venture into the rhythm and blues. I think some people thought this song was actually evidence of a permanent hiatus, that the band would never play again, because these were "the last blues" they were ever going to have.

"The blues" as a reference to the metaphorical state of depression underlying the song genre. This can be Pete's bouts with depression in a more literal sense, or it could be, as you point out, a reference to the hiatus era depressing feelings between them. The use of the plural we implies the latter more than the former.

"The blues" as a reference to pills (as it's also used in "Hum Hallelujah"). Which seems again to circle around to Pete's issues with overmedication and prescription pills and coming free of that.

I have seen in the past, before SMFS came out, argue that BKT as the last song on Mania was, as I said in the first bullet point, a farewell song from the band to all of us, that they were done and walking away. This always struck me as a negative interpretation of the song (and also time has revealed it to be incorrect). Idk, Mania can sometimes inspire in people a bunch of negativity.

I have always thought BKT is an incredibly hopeful song, full of lush romanticism and declarations of devotion. (Mania actually has a bunch of love songs on it, I think.) And yes, as you say, that particular line can definitely be read as a promise, especially since the next lines say that the glow of the cities will lead them back to places they never should have left -- a hiatus-y thought if ever there was one.

Also, I will never, ever, ever get over the line "spiritual revolt from the waist down" from the man who once proclaimed himself to be gay only above the waist. Like, honestly, I cannot believe that lyric exists in the world and is in this song, with these lines.

Not being a fan of Alien, I initially had no idea what the title of this song meant, and thought maybe it was something about chess???? Also, when I Googled it back then, all it gave me as results was the FOB song, and I was so frustrated lol. But then I finally figured it out and now I really love it as a title to this song because I think it really is all about pulling something off something impossible and impressive and needing to trust each other more. Which is another post-hiatus message.

So yes, this is really a song all about coming back from the hiatus, it's settled. ;-)