#i love to consume nonsense unfortunately

[lambergeier]

i'm like five volumes into nightwing 1996 and the thing is i'm having such a deeply enjoyable time. comics are so dumb

[necrotic-nephilim]

as a Helena fan who's witnessed this whole bit go from silly jokes/memes to genuine vitriol, it's been utterly bizarre. from what i noticed, the root of the comparison came from people fanonizing Jason to the degree of saying "he has Catholic guilt (bc of the Flashpoint priest!Jason) and he'd be an English school teacher (bc i'm assuming, his taste for classic lit) and he's female rage-coded and he would adopt/protect children" which, are canonical traits of Helena. so at first, it was sort of a joke lamenting the fact ppl would rather force unrealistic headcanons onto Jason than consume content with a woman in the Batfam. because it's sort of a tad ironic/painful to see fanonized Jason Todd who's being called all these things he isn't, when there's a canon character who *is* all of those things right there. like if that's the character you want, why wouldn't you want to read about Helena. the issue started with frustration against fanon Jason, from my experience anyway.

but then, it spiraled out of control to become a comparison of their lethal moral code and their disagreements with Bruce suddenly making Jason this stupid boy clone of Helena. which isn't true and is an insult to both of them to claim they're at all the same. they kill for different reasons, they're at odds with Bruce for different reasons. a well-written Helena and a well-written Jason really have little in common. though their interactions could be interesting, i don't even think they'd get along tbh.

i think in recent months/years, the Batfamily fandom suddenly became self aware that they grossly ignore the women of the Batfam. and now they're trying *too hard* to course correct for that. to an extent, i get why Helena isn't in the majority of fanon content- she hasn't really *been* a Batfamily member since pre-Flashpoint. the New-52 and Rebirth versions of her character are arguably not even the same character and certainly not a character as important to the Batfamily as she used to be. so why *would* a fandom mostly pulling from modern comics know who she is aside from the couple WFA episodes she's been in. (which did her *no* favors for people understanding her and also whitewashed her before the art was fixed.)

but, i think everyone's now trying to prove how woke their fandom content is (i hate using that word, it sounds very republican but i can't think of a better one.) by including women and characters of color to prove they don't just care about the boys. and sure, it's cool and all if you want to pick up Huntress comics bc you're sick of reading about stories only featuring Bruce and his "sons", but now it's like. almost a competition to prove how much more you know about the Batfam than other people when you make these jokes. i've seen the same thing happening comparing Steph and Jason recently. yes, it's important to care about the more diverse characters of the Batfam as much as you care about the boys. but now they're put on this ridiculous pedestal of being the "more cool alternatives". an organic push for content about the underrated characters is one thing, but it's another thing entirely when it's born out of a performative nature, which is certainly what this whole... thing feels like.

and the irony is, you can *really* tell the people doing this the most haven't actually read much of Helena's content outside of Gail Simone's Birds of Prey. and my hot take is, i don't think Gail Simone does a *great* job with Helena and she's often pretty sexist toward Helena (making other characters slut shame her, making Helena very promiscuous which isn't something she has a history of, etc) so, while it's important content for Helena, it can be a shallow reading of her. where all you really get about her is "pro-murder Batfam vigilante with a crossbow and a sassy personality" which sure, feels a *bit* like a shallow Jason. but that's the whole point, you have to make them both *incredibly* shallow to compare them. bc it's not about actually liking the women, it's about getting the shallow brownie points of saying "look i know who she is and i think she's *totally* cooler than Jason he's a dumb copy".

tbh even with the Jason Todd headcanons that are more egregious in feeling like "oh that's just Helena Bertinelli but a dude", it's not like it's being done on purpose. none of these fanon-only fans know enough about Helena to be purposefully stealing her traits and it really isn't that deep aside from sometimes, people just have bad headcanons that kinda make you wish they would read about characters aside from their main blorbos. but hey, they're not *required* to, and no one is an evil misogynist for having some OOC headcanons. you suck the fun out of fandom when you require people to interact with characters they aren't interested in. and depending on why someone likes Jason, they honestly might not like Helena. they're wildly different and have very different dynamics with everyone around them.

and i get it, Jason has had *wildly* inconsistent writing and there's debate upon debate of what's in character for him, what comics you should consider when trying to make fan content about him, and so on. i'm in the "anything past pre-Flashpoint isn't in the version i prefer" camp, but the whole mess of it scatters the fandom on how to write him. which i think is the actual root of him getting fanonizing beyond recognition, *not* people stealing from Helena. is it particularly headache-inducing to see Jason fans say "he's girl coded" or "he's female-rage coded"? yeah. but even those fans aren't ever going to be convinced out of their bubble by vitriolic comments made about how Jason's a total loser and Helena's so much cooler than him. and then the more canon-based fans who might *actually* like Helena and probably would read her comics if just given an honest recommendation of her character are *really* not going to want to be interacting her content/fandom. painting a broad stroke of the Jason fandom all seeing Jason as this cartoonish fanon version of himself does you no favors with anyone.

like i used to find the silly jokes/memes that were solely calling out bad fanon enjoyable as pure lighthearted "oh i wish more people liked this character the way they liked that character bc the fandom for this character is so small" vibes, but you're right about it getting out of hand. it's become the only thing people seem to talk about in the Huntress fandom space. i'd much rather discuss Helena for who she is then talk about Jason. because isn't it just a *little* ironic that in attempting to make this fandom more inclusive of the women, we still just *have* to make it about the men? you don't make Helena, or Steph or Cass or Onyx or any other underrated woman sound cool by comparing them to Jason. you just make it sound like you don't know how she stands as a character on her own. she's a cool character with a cool history (both in-universe and the meta history of the Huntress mantle) but this whole weird hate boner for Jason permeating the fandom space for her just makes people hate her instead of not know of her. and really, i can't blame anyone for that.

Like. Where and when did Helena vs Jason thing start? It's so fucking annoying and makes me think that I'll never want to interact with the Huntress fandom if/when I read more stuff about her. Which is a bit how I avoid interacting with the Nightwing fandom at large despite liking his stuff.

[cosmichorrorsarestillnicerthanme]

cuddling Ishmael from limbus company

I went way off course on this one. Also, I added Don Quixote, Rodya, and Ryoshu as well.

Either way, your wish is my command!

Ishmael’s love is like the ocean.

One moment, it is calm with gentle waves and good winds.

The next, the wind is blowing you to and fro, the sea froths and foams in passionate, loving madness as waves like skyscrapers attempt to swallow you whole.

You are the only one permitted to see this part of her in its entirety.

The part of her that festers under her skin, begging to be let out onto those she loves.

The part of her that is held back by her fear and rage.

The part of her that you let loose, if ever so slightly.

The part of her that wants her to crush you in her arms as she holds your hand.

The part of her that wants to kiss your lips raw whenever she looks into your eyes.

The part of her that wants to have you with her for all of time.

The part of her that, when you saw all of her, held her close despite that, took control of her and shook her too her very foundations.

That is Ishmael's love.

That is the love only you are privy to.

Don Quixote’s love is like lightning.

It is burning, it is viscous, it is quick, it is loud, it is wild, and it is most definitely Don’s.

To say the girl sweeps you off your feet is an understatement.

She will take you in her arms and promise you the world, promising to show you the most incredible of sights as it is the bare minimum of what you deserve in her eyes.

The conviction in her eyes, the force of her words, and the gentleness of her promises makes it impossible for you not to believe her.

Don Quixote’s words and actions, no matter how grand or mad, always have endless passion and love in them.

And so, rain or shine, day or night, alone or in public, Don Quixote will show you her love whenever she so wishes.

Rodion’s love is oppressive, greedy, and all consuming.

Like a starved animal biting down on prey, she will hold you in her clutches and won’t let you go until she wishes.

Rodya knows that if you want something desperately, you take it.

However, the concept of giving something invaluable and fragile like her heart…

It’s something she is terrified of.

Yet, she still tries to give her love to you as best as she can.

It is not subtle, it is not gentle, it is not measured.

And yet, it perfectly encapsulates everything she feels for you.

Her love is massive, impossible, kind, passionate, and filled with more emotion than she can stand.

And it is all for you.

It is something she gives to you without desire of reciprocation.

She only hopes that you know just how great her love for you is.

Ryoshu is not someone who shows love in any way that could ever be considered traditional.

However, even she is not immune to the cold.

So, on the nights when the temperature runs ever so slightly chilly, she will wrap her arm around you with an abbreviated mutter and nothing else.

As the two of you lay there, she will absentmindedly run her finger across the small of your back like it was a brush (or knife) and you were her canvas.

Simple nonsensical doodles, complicated designs, sketches of half formed thoughts and memories.

If you were anyone else, she may have entertained the thought of cutting you open at this moment.

Unfortunately for her artistic side, you had wormed your way into her heart like a caterpillar eating through an apple.

For better or worse, you were a part of her now.

For better or worse, she was a part of you now as well.

Ryoshu was in turmoil over this fact.

And yet, for some reason she felt a small flame of hope in her chest when she thought of you.

Could it be caused by sentimentality? Connection? Love?

Ryoshu did not know.

That did not bother as much as she thought it should.

[velvet-vox]

Why King Candy has been so underrated and misunderstood for a long time (Still is, but to a lesser extent)

(All the images in this post come from the video linked below)

Hi everyone; so, usually, I'm not a trend chaser, in fact, I completely missed out on the hype of the Murder Drones finale by not releasing something for the occasion, as I have been very busy this past couple of months, and still am, but I've decided to make a special, out of program post just for my new current hyper fixation, that being King Candy from Wreck-It Ralph, who, for the past couple of weeks, has slowly risen up to become my third favourite Disney movie villain of all time.

And all of that, as some of you might have guessed, happened because I watched @king-crawler 's two hour long video essay on the character and the movie that he comes from.

Needless to say, just like many others before, it inspired me to add my own two cents to the conversation, and talk about some points that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere else.

This is probably the only Wreck-It Ralph related analysis that I'm ever going to make.

I even thought about scrapping this whole analysis, because midway through development I thought that I was just spewing out nonsense, but I kept going because some of my points may give food for thought to someone who understood this character way better than me.

I may reblog some analysis/art posts of this character, but I'm not going to turn WIR into a staple of my blog; however, if I see a lot of people in the comments or the reblogs adding stuff or points to my arguments, I could always make a sequel post to this one.

But first, I need to get something out of the way immediately.

Spoilers below the cut if you never saw this movie, kind of important, as it is the movie's major plot twist:

King Candy is Turbo.

Who's Turbo? Watch the movie.

With all that said, enjoy the read, I'll now elaborate on the meaning of my title, also, here's the video in question; I highly encourage everyone to check it out, as it is a way better sequel to Wreck-It Ralph than the one who was lost in the depths of Lake Laogai:

Clarifications:

Wreck-It Ralph is an amazing movie, but one for which I've never had much to think about.

Don't get me wrong, I always considered it to be the smartest Disney movie ever made since my first watch, but I saw it for the first time relatively late, after I had consumed other Disney movies as childhood classics and other crossover movies featuring video game characters, so it never had neither a nostalgia nor hyper fixation factor as reasons as to why I should have put the story under a microscope after that.

Also, as Rando says at the beginning of their video, it is not a movie that blew me away after my first watch. Or the second. Or the third.

Why is this section important? It is important because these are my subjective opinions of the movie, which are unfortunately going to subtly influence what I'm about to say in one way or another, regardless of me trying to speak from a place of supposed "objectivity".

I'm really passionate about this world now thanks to Randomalistic, but you won't get the same vibe from this post as you would get from one made by long time fans of this movie.

Ok?

Good.

Next:

King Candy/Turbo has always been... in a weird spot for me.

Just like the movie where he comes from, I never really cared about Turbo until a month ago, despite always feeling like I should have loved him a lot more, especially since Deltarune chapter 2 released a while ago, and the character of Spamton G Spamton is someone for whom I have very strong feelings about; and Turbo, in a technical sense, is literally the spiritual predecessor of that guy (actually, Turbo is the spiritual predecessor of a lot of similar characters, he kinda was ahead of his time).

If I had made a Disney tier list for their movie villains, a completely subjective one for that matter, I would have put him in A tier, but thinking that he should have gone in B tier... while also feeling like neither were appropriate placements for him.

Randomalistic's video finally helped me fall in love with the character; so much in fact, that it got me thinking:

"Damn, if Turbo is actually this amazing of a villain, why was(is) he so underrated and overlooked by general audiences, when he admittedly is, in my opinion, one of the best Disney villains of all time? Frollo is by and large considered the best villain out of any Disney movie, and the HOND was nowhere near as successful as Wreck-It Ralph when it first released, so it can't just be a matter of first impressions (?). Maybe there are other factors, that stop audiences from recognizing Turbo as the Magnum Opus of villainy that he truly is..."

... And that's exactly what I'm going to discuss!

Let's get right into it.

The minor stuff.

First things first:

He's ugly. I'm sorry to all of the people who ironically and unironically simp for him, but that's a design only a mother could love.

On a serious note, KC and Turbo's designs always felt... not very eye-catching to me? (The bug form is excluded from this conversation)

I'm not saying these are bad designs, far from it; but each form has on them a certain amount of design decisions that, by the authors own decisions, make them unappealing to a viewer like me (I'm using myself as reference point because the topic that I'm talking about is inherently subjective).

Starting off with King Candy, is design has to balance a lot of different aspects simultaneously: it has to be eyecatching, so that the viewer can pay attention to him as an antagonist, and believable enough so that the watchers buy the fact that he is the King of Sugar Rush and not someone else, but it also has to be generic and fake enough so that it can later on add up to the fact this is just a performance, a facade, a ruse, a costume, and not the real character, it also needs to be friendly enough so that the audience can be manipulated together with Ralph into believing that he actually is a good guy;

I could go on and on listing off all the amazing things, that the King Candy facade pulls off simultaneously, but exactly because the design has to feel real and fake at the same time, it also, by proxy, ends up feeling weird, and that inexplicable sentiment can end up alienating the viewers who are watching the movie and the ones who have finished consuming it without thinking too deeply about what the meaning of the KC's facade actually was.

In the case of Turbo's design, all the people working behind the movie did such an amazing job making him look as scary, ugly, alien, and deranged as possible, all the while keeping him relatively PG friendly; the result clearly paid off, but Turbo's ugliness is not as slick as the likes of Ratigan's, nor is it as nightmarishly horrifying as the Other Mother's.

The most nightmare fuel qualities of Turbo's design are hidden out of plain sight, which is basically a recurring theme with his character.

To put it in a funny way, his looks neither end up in the conventionally attractive territory that most other Disney villains fall into, nor do they grab the attention of the Monster Fu###rs crowd.

I have zero things to say about the Cy-bug form, but I do have a section later on where I talk about that entire scene in and of itself.

All in all, it might just be me, but the first impressions of this character's design don't really do him any favours when it comes to his popularity.

I now love both designs, but before, they just didn't click with me, and I think some other people might understand what I'm talking about.

Admittedly, I could have explained this section better, but these were mostly my personal opinions and they are not really important in the grand scheme of things, unless somebody else agrees with me, in that case I'd have to take a closer look at the situation.

Second of all:

The marketing.

To be honest, I feel like what really elevated all of the most iconic Disney villains into pop culture status was a joint push from the company and the artists to include these characters into more stories and products.

Like, sorry to all of the Oogie Boogie fans, but that character is barely in his movie and doesn't do a lot, and he wouldn't be nearly as iconic as he is if Disney didn't use him again multiple times after his first debut.

And the same can honestly be said for all of Disney's most popular villains; they got used multiple times in multiple different projects, that either kept them mostly the same, changed them with some unique twists (that change in quality, but that's up to you), expanded on their preestablished characters, or put them into unique situations that showcased just how versatile they are.

Kingdom Hearts, The House Of Mouse and Descendants are very obvious examples of what I'm talking about, but even appearances in lesser known stories like Lady Tremaine in Cinderella 3, Captain Hook in Jake and the Neverland pirates, or the entirety of Disney Twisted Wonderland help solidify these characters as pop culture icons;

All except Frollo.

Frollo is the only one whose hype and cultural recognizability wasn't built up by the company or the media in which he was featured, but by the fans of the original movie.

And despite Disney almost never used that character ever again after his debut, he, his movie, and Hellfire still get a lot of prise and are talked about classics to this very day.

Because Frollo is just that freaking awesome.

Turbo, on the other hand... is barely in anything.

Let's get the most obvious stuff out of the way first: King Candy is a relatively new character, released in an era where Disney was slowly starting to integrate the new, corporate ideals that we see today.

All of the villains that I've mentioned previously already became tried and true successes by that point, so even if the company doesn't care about having good villains anymore they still use their likeability because it has already shown in the past to bring in audiences.

It's also the main reason as to why Mother Gothel is used so rarely: King Candy, as the last truly great Disney movie villain (excluding Tamatoa, who's barely used anyway, and movies not produced by their main animation studio), arrived at a point in time when the company wasn't pushing for their villains anymore, and instead actively sanitized some of them in their new stories (you know what I'm talking about); therefore, Turbo, being actually incredibly dark on second look, and with no actual intention of tuning him down like Jafar because he hadn't already reached the iconic status by that point, had no reason to make any big appearance ever again or be paraded around as much.

There are some more reasons as to why Turbo likely doesn't have more stuff dedicated to him, like the fact that he is technically 3 characters at the same time, but I don't want to prolong this section too much.

So instead, how about we take a look at some of his other appearances outside of Wreck-It Ralph?

Let's see...

He has various cards in Lorcana, which is his most recent appearance, mind you;

He became a playable character in the 7th season of Disney Speedstorm, a game where I was hoping he would be the main villain, due to a variety of reasons, but hey, that's perfectly fine;

And he was mentioned multiple times in Disney Heroes Battle Mode, a game where he hopefully is the secret main villain, as it would pay off a large amount of story and design decisions chosen for that game, but it's probably just wishful thinking and unless the game's plug is pulled, I doubt we'll see him anytime soon.

Ok, it's more than nothing, but it's also not that special if you ask me.

But hey! At least he got a boss fight in a Kingdom Hearts game! That's more than Randall can say! He was a major boss in Union Cross... the mobile game... that you can't play anymore... and since KH adheres strictly to its own canon most of the time, it also probably means that we'll never get to play through the storyline of the first WIR in any future mainline game, and we're more likely to see a world based around the second movie instead.......

Yeah.

That seems to be it, unless I'm missing something huge (feel free to let me know).

This section is important because Cruella De Vil became one of my favourite Disney villains of all time not after seeing her in the original movie, but after I saw her in 101 Dalmatian Street, a niche show that almost nobody knows; so other medium appearances are important to these characters popularity, especially when not all of these villains are Frollo.

ALSO, PLUS 1+, I was originally going to cut this point, but I decided to add it anyway: the Italian voice actor.

After recently rewatching this movie in English, (I'm Italian, we in Italy translate the movies to our language because it's easier than learning an entirely different language for them), I have to really admit that Alan Tudik's voice performance really does a lot of heavy lifting for the character's memorability.

This is not to say that the Italian voice dub sucks or that King Candy's Italian voice actor does a bad job, in fact, the voices are actually quite similar to each other, it's just that Alan's performance has that small edge of hidden bitterness that really brings the character together; though I do prefer Turbo's Italian voice for its twist reveal: the more raspy, heavy tone of the actor really highlights the vicious, alien nature of his character, as well as the sense of dread that Vanellope is feeling in this moment; I encourage you to give it a watch.

Again, this is extremely minor, and it really only affects me specifically, but don't worry, it's not going to have influence over the rest of this post.

These were just additional points and not the actual meat of my argument, so now I'll start discussing what I actually wanted to talk about from the very beginning:

Who is he?

I think that one of the main reasons as to why Turbo is so underrated is because we spend way less time than with most other Disney villains (before him) to know him as a person.

Think about it:

Most other Disney villains, or at least the most popular ones, all have moments where they are doing nothing to progress the plot, that are dedicated solely to get us to know them better.

Hades has several moments with his minions to show off his personality and anger, Jafar has silly little moments with Iago that show off his depravity, Maleficent has talks with her crow that make her more dynamic, Ursula has her introduction scene where she spies on Ariel and does nothing but talking, and Captain Hook... has 30% of his screen time dedicated to just that.

Heck, Hellfire, one of the most iconic sequences in all of Disney, is just a character set piece for Frollo, and it's arguably completely disposable, as it doesn't really do anything to progress the story, it just explores Frollo's character in deeper depth and that happens to make the big difference when it comes to him.

King Candy doesn't really have an obvious character centric moment, something easy for the audience to quickly latch onto: every time we see him, he is always doing something to push the plot forward.

Yeah, there's that small character interaction with the Donut cops when he gets glasses, and other small moments here and there, like the would you hit a guy with glasses joke, but nothing truly character-defying.

I also don't count King Candy's first scene as a character centric moment, as that's more of an introduction rather than an elaboration, but it is technically valid, even if it ultimately is just a facade that he puts up to serve his needs.

Speaking of which: the fact that most of what we see of Turbo throughout the story could be entirely fake is definitely something that I could use to make the argument in this section stronger, but I'd rather save it up for later.

Also, side note:

I think that the moment most dedicated to him only, to show off a different, "true" aspect of his personality, is when he is walking back and forth in the castle waiting for his cops to show up again.

This moment is so interesting on rewatch, as it is one of the few moments in the entire movie where I can safely say that Turbo is being 100% genuine and isn't putting up any facade whatsoever, as there really is no benefit to him appearing distressed in this situation.

In general, it's funny to think that Turbo's most genuine reactions are of fear.

Back to point one, do you wanna know why Maleficent was given a crow in Sleeping Beauty? The reason as to why was for her to have someone to bounce off, a way for the writers to showcase more facets of her character, and while Candy has Sour Bill, the movie never uses the relationship between the two to show off a different aspect of his character.

To be clear, I'm not saying that Turbo is a worse character than these other Disney villains, or that without these moments of calmness he doesn't work, one great example

Do you know that Calhoun in early development had a camouflage ability, meant to highlight how she hides her feelings but was scrapped because it made her harder to relate to? Well, let's just say that Turbo's entire character is a What If scenario where that idea actually went through.

It's a double edged sword: King Candy is so interesting because he is so mysterious and surprising all throughout the movie, but exactly because he has to be so mysterious, he is not a character as easy to understand as some of the other villains from the company; it's incredibly easy to miss out on just how cruel he is and the full scale of all the damage that he has done.

I, AM, .......the twist villain.

There's also something to be said about how popular to the conversation the twist that King Candy is Turbo became.

Everyone loves this reveal, am I right?

It may not be the best moment in the movie, but my god if it isn't hype, all thanks to the music, the lighting, the setup, yada yada yada....

But the identity reveal scene is to Candy what the Genocide Boss Fight is to Sans: it's the most impactful moment about his character, to the point where it becomes the entire baseline where most discussions are built around, which, more often than not, lead a lot of people to overlook other things about Turbo.

Let me explain: how many analysis videos have you seen where the person making it talks more about the setup and subtle hints present in King Candy's earlier scenes that slowly build up to the twist and less about the events happening in it?

The reveal is amazing, don't get me wrong, but if Rando's video didn't come along to dive deep into King Candy's earlier scenes with the twist already in mind, the true impact of what Candy had been doing throughout the entire movie up to this point would have been lost on me, and I can imagine someone else feeling the same, as me, casual enjoyer of WIR, have been conditioned to think of Candy more for his well planned out surprise, rather than for how that surprise makes the character more engaging (I hope this makes sense).

I also want to mention this video ranking all the different twist villains from Disney and Pixar where CellSpex says that the Turbo twist is useless, since the movie doesn't do much with it afterwards.

Now, aside from the fact that CellSpex is clearly in the wrong and she's missing the point, I think this lack of reconsideration highlights that casual viewers care more about the Turbo plot twist than they care about Turbo himself.

But honestly, I don't believe people focusing too much on the twist is that big of a problem, more so, the problem stems when you want to use the twist... to discuss something else.

Now, I think it's perfectly fine if you want to use Turbo to explain why other Disney twist villains don't work, but when the villains that King Candy is compared to the most are Hans, Yokai, and Bellwether, you kind of start to think that he is only the best of the worst, and not an actual amazing antagonist in his own right.

It may not be a message that was intended to be sent, but it is something that may subconsciously cling to someone's brain, especially when you consider that there might be a huge audience of people who watch these videos because they saw Hans in the title (wishing for the video to bash him), and have seen Frozen, Zootopia and Big Hero 6, but have never seen Wreck-It Ralph in their lives, and they get all their knowledge of Turbo from them.

It's exasperating, especially when King Candy has way more in common with renaissance Disney villains than contemporary ones.

Yes, through technicality, he is a twist villain, but he's more so a hybrid antagonist to be honest.

And even worse than people just grouping up Candy with a bunch of morons, as I've just discovered by reading a comment from this Turbo Tribute, is that some people apparently despise him for starting the Disney Twist villain trend: even if he's leagues better than his competition, the simple fact that you can attribute some of the blame for the fall of villainy onto him, is enough for someone to despise him.

King of the Cy-bugs (feat Rockotar):

Very recently, I've rewatched Rockotar's video analysis of the first Wreck-It Ralph, and when he arrived at the "Welcome, to the Boss Level!" scene, I decided to analyse all the possible reasons as to why he (and possibly many others, such as, admittedly, myself) wasn't as entranced by it as basically any other scene from the movie, who he had been praising non-stop up until this point.

And I think I understood why: aside from the fact that this scene is only a setup for Ralph's sacrifice (and I wished the actual boss fight to be longer and more creative), the Boss Fight is less of a climax for Ralph's journey and more so a character study for who Turbo/King Candy is.

In my opinion, this is the closest we ever get to a "villain at rest" moment with Turbo because in every other scene of the movie, King Candy is always doing something, he's always active and we never see him doing anything that doesn't coincide with his role.

And, paradoxically to what I've just said about this being a "villain at rest" moment, in this scene, he is still doing something and being active in the plot, only that this time, instead of advancing the story, he's holding it back from its conclusion.

This scene simplifies Turbo's character to his most bare bone essentials: he's a short-tempered jerk, a power hungry murderer, a virus; it's all pretty interesting stuff once you take a sweet moment to break it down.

However, there's a point that I briefly mentioned before that I want to bring up; this creature that we are laying your eyes upon, is now three different people all at once, King Candy (anxious, quiet and manipulative), Turbo (short-tempered, competitive and spiteful), and now this Cy-bug hybrid.

To reiterate what I've said before, if you don't think about it for long enough, you aren't going to understand who either character is exactly.

Because that's the big thing: all of his facades, implied development off screen and reactions are so well constructed that at certain points, it feels like we're following two different characters simultaneously, which fits perfectly with the narrative that so called "real" Turbo died and now he's no longer himself, but...

I'm scratching the bottom of the barrel to bring up other possible points as to why this character is so underrated, and the lack of a clear identity seems like a pretty obvious thing to me.

But that's only two out of the three characters I mentioned; we need to take a second look at the Cy-bug form, who, in many ways, is simultaneously the thesis and antithesis of his character.

In particular, there's one thing I want to consider:

There's this theory made by somebody else that says Turbo, upon getting eaten by the Cy-bug, didn't take over the animal's conscience and control his body, instead, upon eating King Candy, the Cy-bug took upon himself his mannerisms, meaning that, according to this theory, neither King Candy nor Turbo technically survived the encounter.

If we accept this theory as true, then that means that even during what is supposed to be a character study, the character that the movie is highlighting may also be just as fake as the act that was put up until this point, meaning that, in a sense, we never saw the real Turbo in the movie.

He was three people at once.

(Yes, I've been spamming this image everywhere, and I'll keep doing so because I can)

In Conclusion:

Turbo is, ironically and unironically, an incredibly subtle character, and that makes it extremely easy for a lot of people to overlook and miss out on the most subtle details and characteristics that make him truly exceptional;

Him being so deceptive and mysterious helps and hinders his popularity, as some either love the mystery surrounding him, others fail to get a good grasp on who he truly is and become disinterested.

He is, by design, a building block, a puzzle to be solved, a character to piece together, that makes him so much fun!

But also, if you aren't interested in putting the pieces together, then he may not be up everyone's alley.

I definitely feel like the best thing that @randomalistic did in her/their video on Wreck-It Ralph was create an easy jumping point for new fans/casual watchers of the movie to get insanely invested over the story and characters;

I'm sure it was incredibly easy for many other people like me to focus only on the most talked about aspect of Turbo, aka the plot twist, and overlook all the other things that were not as much in your face as that; I was blinded by the spotlight, and it made it hard to see the genius that was put everything else;

Now, thanks to Random highlighting King Candy's cruelty and repulsive behaviour, my favourite thing about Turbo is how he weaponized the "disability" of a child to marginalise and persecute her, discriminating her for it all of her life WHEN HE'S THE ONE WHO MADE HER "DISABLED" IN THE FIRST PLACE.

This man, is so HORRIBLE, and he deserves to be publicly exposed for all the heinous s##t that he did, not just for being the best of a bunch of villains who frankly he shouldn't even be attempted to be compared to.

Anyway, I hope someone had fun reading this. I definitely felt like I started to write this with some really good ideas that I wanted to share, but in the end, I feel like they weren't all that interesting to begin with.

Feel free to share your own opinions, and have a great day!

[rubra-wav]

If I don’t ask now, I won’t remember later ANYWAYS

I am just itching for hurt/no comfort for no reason(well there is a reason, I just spent the last hour reading Lucifer x reader angst) I really want just any character of your choosing romantic angst no comfort and maybe a breakup because why not

-🦋anon :3

Lucifer x reader : Twice divorced

A/N I've been itching to write Lucifer more so it's also gonna be about him. Hope you're ready to watch this man fall apart :)(bro watch ME fall apart writing this)

Also new banner (happy happy happy)

Cw: Angst no comfort, gn!reader, both parties are suffering, they don't actually get divorced they just kinda. Agree to separate for a bit?

- You'd been together with Lucifer for a short time before getting married.

- You guessed that was the main mistake.

- It's unfortunate to say, but you underestimated your own ability to properly keep yourself happy and secure in helping him unravel everything.

- 4 months into your marriage, Lilith showed up and shit absolutely hit the fan. Lucifer locked himself away upon her showing up again under the guise of 'not putting it onto you'

- This frankly broke you.

- You'd spent 2 years knowing Lucifer and helping him, and all that was undone in what seemed like 10 minutes of her showing up, spewing some nonsense about how you should get out before he burnt out again like after falling and took you with him.

- It was undeniably her fault. You didn't blame Lucifer.

- But you weren't some unmoving, unemotional wall of a person.

- It hurt so fucking badly being treated like you couldn't handle your own husband by him after his ex showed up.

- You knew you had to get out, or you would go insane.

- You walked to Lucifer's door, suitcase wheels loudly dragging on the floor.

- Lucifer opened the door before you even had the chance to knock on it, hand suspended mid-knock as his panicked expression was revealed.

- He'd heard the familiar sound before from Lilith.

- You watched Lucifers red eyes look down at the suitcase, wide eyes recognising his worst fear being confirmed.

- "Oh.." He simply said quietly.

- You felt your own heart aching at his reaction, as if he was expecting it, but forced yourself to continue. "... Yeah." You said hesitantly.

- The silence beat between you two, and you grit your teeth, a hard lump formed in your throat, and you fought against crying.

- Lucifer let out a soft chuckle filled with no kind of happiness, smiling at you with tears streaming down his face. "You know... I really thought this would be different. I.." he trailed off with a loud hiccup. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

- You hummed, fighting to find words to say as you blinked hard.

- "I do love you, Lulu. This. This doesn't change that and I don't think anything will." You said very truthfully, voice shaking.

- Lucifer looked back at you in surprise, hope on his face.

- "But, I also love me too. And I think to love me as well I need to distance myself from this until you're somewhat over.. whatever this is." You gestured to his depression storm of a room and then to his messy, unkempt appearance.

- Lucifer wanted to get you to stay. But he couldn't bring himself to.

- It became obvious in that moment how he'd hurt you in his relapse, and he didn't want to hurt you even more by convincing you to be around him.

- It would be wrong to expect you to be able to support him while he couldn't do the same for you at all.

- He gulped loudly and slowly nodded despite the painful emptiness that he could feel consuming him even more.

- "I'm sorry, (name)." He apologised again, "I..." There was so much he wanted to say, but he couldn't put it into words.

- Another moment of silence passed as you waited for him to finish his sentence.

- "Just leave." It came out harsh, and he internally screamed at himself to not, but he couldn't stop himself. "Do as she said, and leave before I hurt you anymore." Lucifer's voice trembled, but anger made itself clear regardless.

- His mind raced in a mess of negativity that he just couldn't think clearly through.

- You felt your stomach drop, hurt hitting through you. Part of you wanted to bite back, but you were just exhausted already from this exchange.

- Wordlessly, you turned away from him, knuckles white from where you were clutching your suitcase hard.

- You barely felt in the moment as you made your way to the heavy front door of Lucifer's estate, spirits at rockbottom.

- You hesitated in front of it, thinking you were making a mistake doing this, then remembered the way his tear filled eyes glared at you as if daring you to fulfill his expectations.

- All he could see was Lilith in you. It was like you didn't even exist.

- Click. Thud.

- The loud sound of the door closing and you taking all the warmth you brought to his home with it.

- Lucifer sat down in the doorway of his room, staring blankly ahead, thoughts an absolute mess.

- He laughed, before letting out a loud shuddering sob as he leaned up against the door frame, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his face in them.

- "How do I somehow manage to ruin everything good?"

Ow 💀

[paracosmic-murdock]

gold rush ; benedict bridgerton x reader (part two)

pairing: benedict bridgerton x fem!reader

summary: after he found out the reason why you had been distancing from him, benedict decided he would do anything and everything to win you back. how unfortunate that he will not have it as easy as he firstly believed it to be.

warnings/tags: mutual pining, idiots in love, insane benedict bridgerton, married kate and anthony, platonic anthony bridgerton & reader, song: gold rush (taylor swift)

word count: 1.6K

❁ part 1 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5

❁ mila's anthology (main masterlist)

It was a whole new day, but for him it wasn't.

The thought of you being in love with him and him not being able to reciprocate your feelings, therefore, you hating him, was eating Benedict alive.

And the more he thought of it, the more he realized he had given you plenty of mixed signals throughout the years. His excitement every time he saw you? Asking you to dance at least twice every single ball? Painting portraits of you each and every time he could for all the assignments that required him to paint a woman? Buying you books every week? Mixed signals here and there because a man that does not love a woman doesn't do any of the things he has done for you since you became friends.

So he made a plan to get you to forgive him so you could be friends again.

One that began with him at your home.

One that didn't include seeing you and your parents chatting with an unknown man, who was, by the way, sitting so inappropriately close to you.

As he was about to leave, your mother's eyes landed on Benedict, and she said his name as she stood up.

He saw the way you tensed under his mention, but stood up nevertheless.

"Uh…" He cleared his throat. "My apologies, I did not mean to intrude. I shall return some other time."

"Nonsense, my dear!" your mother exclaimed. "Come on in, take a seat."

Benedict gave everyone an apologetic look and sat on the chair next to you.

"Good afternoon, Benedict. We have not seen you in quite a while here," your father noted. "Why is that? You have been missed."

He chuckled slightly. "Uh, the Academy has been quite time consuming as of late. More than I had anticipated, in fact. My apologies, that is why I came, for… a keep up."

"You do not have to have a reason to come visit, Benedict," your mother said. "Right, my darling?"

You looked up, an uncomfortable grin on your face. "That is right, Benedict…" you replied. "This is, uh… Lord Vikander. Lord Vikander, this is Mr. Bridgerton, a friend of the family."

"It is nice to meet you, Mr. Bridgerton." They shook hands.

"Likewise." Benedict agreed with his lips in a fine, fake line.

"Benedict, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"My apologies, Lord Y/L/N, but I am expected at home for dinner, I… I wish to speak to Y/N in private, actually."

"Of course." He nodded, making a gesture so you would take Benedict somewhere you could speak.

You obeyed, as expected, and walked next to him to your studio.

Benedict sighed looking around. All the things with his name that used to be in your studio were dead, gone, and buried. "Where are the…?"

"Somewhere I could not see them." you replied dryly.

"Whatever did I do?" he questioned, the patience in his eyes disappeared, distress replacing it. "I- I must know because I cannot live without you in my life."

"You should start getting used to it," you murmured. "Lord Vikander and I will be engaged to be married any time soon, and I shall move to Stockholm with him as his wife."

"Excuse me, what?"

You nodded. "I overheard him telling Papa and my brother that he had sent for his Mother's ring."

"Y/N, you… you cannot just marry and leave."

"Ben, this is the cycle of the life of a woman: once we are old enough, we become a pretty trophy for a man to win over. I have postponed it long enough and now it is time… Soon I will be too old for a fine gentleman to want me, so this is my all or nothing at all."

"But you cannot marry him and move to Sweden."

"I can, I will, and I have no other choice but to either way," you answered. "And please, return to your home. There is nothing left for us to talk about… This is not appropriate, especially with Lord Vikander waiting for me."

"Since when do you care for what is appropriate when it comes to you and me?"

"Since I lost hope," you confessed, looking anywhere but at his eyes. "Now, it is best if you leave."

"Benedict!"

He downed the bottle of whiskey that wasn't meant to be drunk that way before Anthony could reach him. "Brother!"

"Benedict, what is happening to you?!"

"This, Brother, is what a man who has lost hope looks like!" he exclaimed. "You shall see me in a circus by next month."

Anthony rolled his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"She will marry that man," he answered, and Anthony's concern grew bigger at the sight of his brother weeping. "She will marry that man, move to Sweden, and not come back. She will not come back to me, I will never see her again… And I ran out of whiskey."

"What man?" He frowned.

"A Swedish lord who seems to be in love with her."

"Swedish? You mean Lord Vikander?"

"In the flesh," Benedict confirmed. "She says she has no other choice, but she does…"

"She does not have another choice, Brother. That is the wealthiest man in Sweden, someone who can provide for her, take good care of her. He is a good man, and if you do not love her, he is the best husband she could dream of."

"Whose side are you on?"

Anthony smirked, taking the empty bottle from his brother's hand. "Hers."

"I cannot let her go. I cannot lose her."

"There is nothing you can do, Ben," he said. "She was never yours to lose to begin with."

"But she could be."

"No, Benedict," He shook his head. "You do not love her so you must let her go. Perhaps one day you will get married or simply move to your property outside of London, and what will be of her? A single woman who renounced her suitor for her friend who could not even return her feelings? Let her go."

"I cannot, Anthony, she-"

"She will be better with Niklaus, brother, just…"

"You know him?" He asked, trying to seem careless.

"Y/N's brother, Niklaus, Simon, and I were close friends back in Oxford."

"He is friends with Nathaniel?"

"He is, and I did not know Niklaus was courting her, though I saw him last night at White's."

"He did not say a word about her?"

"No, and I did not ask."

Benedict sighed. "I will not let her go."

"You must," Anthony rolled his eyes. "Now, go to your room."

"Do not treat me like a kid, Anthony."

"But you are behaving like a stubborn child who does not want to let go of a toy someone borrowed! I hope to God you do not sabotage Y/N's engagement or else."

Benedict nodded, and Anthony knew he had to keep an eye on him.

Back at the Y/L/N Manor, you were cursing him and yourself.

Even your Father, ever so clueless of anything in regards of emotions and feelings, noticed that something was wrong as soon as you returned from your private conversation with Benedict.

It was midnight now, and you were sitting on the windowsill and looking outside, the Orion constellations bringing you memories of when you and Benedict were teenagers and he used to escape from his home so late at night and you to your home. You two would look at the stars until the sunrise hid them, and look at each other until your eyes were too tired to be kept open.

Two knocks on the door killed your reminiscing.

"Are you awake, my darling?"

You recognized your Papa's voice, so you stood up and opened the door.

"I apologize for being up so late, Papa. I just cannot fall asleep."

He shook his head in amusement. "Do not apologize, just talk to me and tell me what has got you so distressed."

"It is nothing, Papa."

"Does it have to do with Lord Vikander?"

"No, everything is alright."

"Benedict?"

The mere mention of his name made you break down. His expression softened and he opened his arms to receive you in a hug.

"I love him."

Your father stroked your hair lightly. "What is the problem? You do not have to marry Lord Vikander if you do not wish to, you can marry whoever you choose."

"But Ben doesn't want to marry me, Papa… If he wanted me, we would be married by now."

"How can you be so sure, my darling?" he asked, making you look him in the eyes. "I was so in love with your mother when we were your age, but I had promised myself I would enjoy the life of a bachelor as long as I could… It took me long enough to admit to myself how much I loved your mother, but once I did, I could never forget I did. Perhaps he has not realized yet that he loves you, and perhaps he needs a little push. Tell him how you feel," he advised, cleaning your tears. "And if he doesn't feel the same way, then you will always have Lord Vikander. You can always learn how to love him, and if not, you get along very well with him. He is sensible, he respects you, he is serious about his intentions, he knows what he wants… You deserve a man like him, not one that does not love you, my darling. Listen to my words and converse with Benedict, then you will know what to do."

"Thank you, Papa."

He smiled. "You do not have to thank me for anything. Now, go to sleep."

You smiled back at him and did as he told you.

[moltensmusings]

Honestly while the "you're under arrest" joke was funny at first it got old so fast and gajeel joining the council is both out of left field and just a weird character choice based on everything about him.

Why not have him assist Crime Sorciere? If he wants to join an organization making good changes it would make so much sense to have him assist an organization of former criminals. Still existing outside the law but bringing positivity in their own way.

Honestly Lily is the only one of the three I could see joining up with the council. It makes a lot of sense for his character in the face of fairy tail disbanding. If we want more than one fairy tail character to join up I think it Erza doing so and easily working her way up the ranks would've tracked. She's so high profile that her assisting crime sorciere feels like a weird choice. We could've seen more of her and Lily's dynamic as well as how they'd play off mest (let's be real he never should've secretly been an actual guild member. It was a dumb choice)

Levy joining for intel could work but I for sure see her as someone who'd take her time traveling across continents learning history and studying about forbidden magics that might assist her guild in the long run, giving insight on zeref or his subordinates. So many character choices for the year time skip are either incredibly lazy, or outright nonsensical in the grand scheme of who they are.

Lucy and Natsu's choices were some of the few that made a lot of sense.

Erza joins Crime sorciere because heaven forbid her story isn't directly tied to Jellal. Wendy doesn't train with Porlyusica or hone her healing abilities because that would be too convenient she's just an idol now. Gray has a villain arc that really didn't matter and was so short lived it could've been skipped. Juvia only gets to be Gray's love interest waiting adoringly for his return, we can't have her reconnecting to people from phantomlord or focusing on herself.

And I dont need to mention anyone else. Because there is literally nothing to say about them at all.

Alvarez and the time skip make me so tired and angry and unfortunately waiting almost 10 years to consume them again did nothing to change my mind.

[olderthannetfic]

one thing I urge young people curating their fandom experience to understand, is that "antis" are an unfortunate natural part of fandom. most importantly, they cannot be talked into reason, no matter how absurd their takes are.

people who create "anti" content do it only to get attention, and because they believe they have a higher moral compass than whatever they are opposing. they live in this self wanking loop of being valided by other antis, and thats it. they are not looking to understand or to start a conversation of any kind within the fandom, so please don't waste your time.

I know is stressful and upsetting seeing people saying nonsense in the internet, but believe me when I say, if you are seeing "anti" discourse the best thing you can do is to retrieve into your niche bubble. talk and interact with people who have the same interests within the fandom as you. you don't need to consume the larger fandom content if it is currently full of "antis" of something you love. do not lose sleep over them and what they are saying. do not try to reason with them because interacting with them in any capacity will only give them what they want.

--

[leggerefiore]

Hey Fi, do you remember that one ficlet you wrote forever ago where reader nearly got kidnapped by Yan! Submas from an alternate universe, then saved by OG Submas?

Would you consider doing one for Cyrus, or if Yandere is too OOC for Cyrus, maybe OG vs. Rainbow Rocket? A third option, if you have some ideas for who Cyrus could've been without, or at least with less, abuse would be Cyrus vs. a healthier Cyrus.

High Five Anon

cw: yandere, unhealthy relationships, happy ending(?), cyrus being a bit ooc since one is yandere but too much

pairing: Cyrus/Reader (x2)

Spirit Of Corruption

The breath in your lungs was knocked out by the way the Renegade pokemon seemingly slashed through reality itself. A tear within space and time, to which Cyrus could only stare in pure, silent terror as it consumed you before his eyes. He had been working with the legendary to investigate possible other options for his perfect world. Unfortunately, his research seemed to take a bad turn. You tried to reach out for his hand as he rushed towards you, desperate to bring you back to reality.

The pure fear of losing someone he loved again burned harshly in his eyes. He misses you by only a few millimetres, and you hear him shout your name. His monotone is broken with worry and desperation. Your heart aches at the pain that simply pours from him.

It is the last thing you see as your vision is obscured by a sudden brightness that bleeds into an endless darkness.

Around you, there is simply nothing.

A void.

Then, there is everything.

You fall from the sky and land on a stone ground. Dull pain sprouts out from your bottom as it took a majority of the fall. Desperate breaths are sucked in as you gaze around the area. Instantly, you recognise it.

Spear Pillar.

The peak of Mt. Coronet.

Shakily, you stand. Had you just been kicked out of the Distortion World? Your terror faded as you took in the sights from the peak of the mountain. You were safe, well, and in a familiar location. It was peculiar, everything that had come before, but you supposed it was just like that crossing in the portal that broke space and time. You lean against a pillar in your relief.

However, a voice calls out your name from behind. Turning around, you see Mars. She shakes oddly, eyes wide and mouth agape. Hurried steps are rushed towards you as she grabs your arms. Her grip is tight as she looks you over in bewilderment. You tilted your head. Cyrus's “team” was not something you were deeply familiar with, but you had come to know his commanders somewhat after he had refused to leave the Distortion World.

“Where… Where have you been?” she asked with wide eyes, “He's been looking all over for you! He was convinced you had died!” Her words felt confusing and nonsensical. Who was looking for you? The context of assuming death made you think of Cyrus, but she seemed far too frantic.

“… I was just in the Distortion World,” you cocked a brow up, “Cyrus was there doing experiments, and I joined him.” Her face twisted in a strange way. For a long moment, she was silent as she seemed to try to observe you much too closely for comfort. Whatever had spurred her suspicion was apparently pushed to the side, however.

“Mhm…” she nodded, “Something happened, then, right? He's back at HQ, worried about you. C'mon!” The redhead pulled at your arm with an alarming amount of strength. Was something wrong? Perhaps you had travelled slightly forward in time… That seemed like the only reasonable explanation for everything. You sighed and let her pull you down the winding mountain's caves and towards the quickest transport to Veilstone. The trip into the Galactic building was met with a few stares from members and even an expression of shock.

She knocked on the door to Cyrus's office as she nervously gazed around the dead-end hallway before straightening her posture. The doors clicked open to reveal Cyrus sitting at his desk, eyes not moving away from his computer. He seemed his usual self, despite the obvious upset he had been in when you were dragged into the portal. Relief flooded your system.

“What is it?” his voice was harsh, and it was clear he did not want to be bothered. Mars stepped into the room and glanced back at you. She wanted you to follow her in. You did as she wanted.

“Um, Master Cyrus,” the commander greeted him politely, “I found your... er, partner.” She looked to you for confirmation. You just blinked a few times. Cyrus visibly tensed before breaking his gaze to look at her. His eyes landed on you first, however. Something in his eyes felt strange as his expression nearly broke his usual stone-face.

“… I see,” the Galactic Boss nodded, hiding whatever it was he wished to say to you away, “I will provide an adequate reward for this. You are dismissed.” He stood up and fell into his usual pose with his arms behind his back. She gave a slight nod and awkward grin before heading back out of the office. The doors closed behind her.

Was everyone normally this awkward? You swore she seemed to be all over him normally. Mars seemed afraid to even meet his eyes. Before you could question anything, Cyrus had made his way over to you. His eyes peered at you in a scrutinising manner, almost as if he were trying to verify it was actually you. The strange behaviour was somewhat reasonable, you supposed. What just happened would naturally bring out worries.

His hand came to cup your cheek. He swallowed and closed his eyes. “Beloved…” The familiar term of endearment warmed your heart. You leaned into his touch and brought a hand to rest on his. “I thought I had lost you forever,” Cyrus whispered. You could only smile. Yeah, you thought you were, too. Here you were, though. Safe and unharmed and back where you belonged.

“It was a bit scary,” you admitted, “I thought I was going to die, but I ended up back with you in the end.” His eyes met yours. Something odd spiralled in them. He removed his hand to instead pull you close to him. When was the last time Cyrus had been this clingy? You leaned into him once again.

“Let us go home,” the blue-haired man spoke, “I… I wish to go to a more comforting environment.”

You could only agree, feeling disgruntled by the feelings the headquarters brought you.

~

You watched as he slid the key card to your apartment in the slider. A beep followed, and the sound of the lock pulled back. Cyrus opened the door for you. Strange, you thought. Normally, he would just walk in. Maybe he was feeling an urge to be extra careful after everything that had happened. You stepped inside, greeted by your apartment. Looking around, you felt it was strangely off. Not in a way that was easily described in words, but something that you simply perceived and understood.

You gazed out the veranda doors after pulling back the blinds to see the evening sun enveloping Veilstone beautifully. Slipping your hand in the door's groove, you found it unmovable. Cyrus's hand came to grasp your shoulder. It was tight and heavy. Turning your head, you met his gaze. Something was still so wrong. Your stomach churned as you considered the situation.

“… How did you escape?” his voice is empty and demanding. You froze. What? What could he possibly mean? Escape? From the portal? Your silence upset him as he spun you around. His hand moved to instead hold your chin and make you meet his eyes. You swallowed.

“From… the portal?” you answered with a question, “Cyrus, it just spit me out at Spear Pillar.” His eyelids narrowed, and his grip became tighter. Pulling you closer, he frowned truly.

“From this apartment,” Cyrus clarified, “Do you know how many locks I have had installed? I had to change them all.” You froze. Despite obviously seeing your distress, he continued, “I am happy that you realised the foolishness in your actions and opted to return, but I must know how you escaped in the first place.” You felt as if the gravity in the room became ten times as strong. An uneven breath escaped you.

“… I… don't know what you are talking about,” you shook your head, “Are you feeling well? This isn't like you at all, Cy!” Escaping his hold, you grab onto his shoulders and frantically look at him. He cocks a brow up at you. Silence overtakes the room. His eyes then close.

“… I could ask the same of you,” the Galactic Boss mumbles out. He removes your hands from his shoulders. Holding them, his grip is strong. It seemed he understood there was something that neither of you had understood about each other. Before more could be said, his phone went off. A sigh came from him as he checked the message. Whatever it said made him stiffen. “I will return,” Cyrus shot a stern look at you, “We will continue this conversation when I get back.”

He then marched right out the door, locking it behind him. You felt ill staring at the weird code system on the inside of the door alongside another card reader. The locks clicked shut, and you realised that you were trapped within the apartment. Trying the door knob was fruitless as panic overtook your mind. Cyrus would never do this. Not your Cyrus. He was too caring and gentle. Nothing like whatever this was.

Everything felt hopeless as you rushed around the apartment, trying every last possible way to escape. The veranda door was truly unable to open, while most windows had a lock or were simply not the kind that opened. Terror blossomed in your chest as you sat on the couch with your head buried in your hands. What was this? You felt as if the only answer that made sense was this being an alternate world. Cyrus had spoken about the possibility but seemed uninterested unless it was one that lacked spirit. You felt this one had too much if this Cyrus's behaviour was anything to go by.

The alternative you of this world had seemingly escaped this apartment and fled from him. Lucky them. You had unwittingly replaced them. Would he keep you when he realised you were not truly the same you that had escaped? The thought was terrifying. Somehow, you felt that he would find you a worthy replacement. Your Cyrus would probably never find you and assume you were dead.

The dread nearly consumed your heart as you sat there in the eerily silent apartment.

Then, your phone went off.

It startled you as it broke the lack of sound and filled it with your loud ringtone.

You pulled it out in shock and stared at it in bewilderment. A call was coming through. The caller's ID left you floored.

Answering it, you pressed it to your ear.

“Where are you?” the voice of your boyfriend came through, “I used Giratina to enter the portal.”

Your heart fluttered in pitiful relief.

“Our apartment,” then you rethought your words, “Er – our apartment in this world.”

“… Interesting,” his tone changed subtly, “Then, I presume you have met a version of me in this world.” You could tell he was wondering how you understood his words so easily then.

“Please. Hurry, I don't think there is really a good time to explain this,” you worked to placate him instead, “He's strange. Stranger than you. I was locked in our apartment by him.”

“I see,” he sounded like he was attempting to hide his thoughts, “I will then. Please do not do anything to provoke him, then.” With that, the call was ended, and you were left in silence again.

Hopefully, Cyrus would get you out, and you both could return to your world in peace.

~

A hand firmly shaking your shoulder broke you from the small slumber you had fallen into at some point, having curled up on the couch while unsure of what to do while waiting. Rubbing your eyes, you saw Cyrus looking down at you. He pulled you to your feet and looked you over. Your tired mind lagged for a moment before he let out a sigh of relief.

“The door had countless electronic locks on it,” Cyrus looked exhausted, “I found a way to disable most, but the few I had to brute force raised my concern about it attracting the version of myself in this world.” You stiffened. He sighed and shook his head. “How odd. I never felt a need for such things,” he commented, “What are his intentions… I feel as if I should understand it, but I do not.” You really did not, either. When you tried to consider Cyrus's actions, none of them involved locking you in your apartment.

“… I don't know either,” you agreed with him, “I want to leave, though. Let's go back to our home, please.” You grabbed tightly onto his arm. His eyes shifted to something oddly soft. A nod was his only reply before he shrugged off your grip. The two of you soon departed from the odd parallel of your shared apartment and out onto Veilstone's streets. With a recalled knowledge, Cyrus easily navigated through them to head to the nearest station to get out of the city. Opening a portal would draw too much attention and onlookers there, after all.

But, as you both approached the location, familiar uniformed people stood out among the people going in and out of it. The Galactic Leader let out a breath. A few confused Galactic grunts wandered over to Cyrus and stared at him. Their eyes moved from between you and the man as they seemingly tried to understand something you both did not know. It was easy enough to find out, however.

“Master Cyrus… Didn't you order us to look for your partner…?” a female grunt finally offered up what was bothering them. Cyrus shot a harsh look at them and nearly made them recoil. You wondered if he felt the urge to actually express his upset towards whatever his alternate self was doing.

“Perhaps I did,” he agreed, “However, is it not obvious that the situation has changed if I, myself, are with them? Tell your other members to end their search at once and return to HQ.” Her eyes went big at the order given to her by her believed boss. A 'yes sir!' came from her as she quickly began to spread it between her and the many other grunts. It would unfortunately feed more information to the other Cyrus, but for now, you two simply focused on getting on the train.

He held his head in obvious frustration as you both took your seats. You had sat near the window, trying to hide yourself as best you could. Neither of you wanted to deal with another situation, after all. Leaning your head on Cyrus's shoulder, you let out a shaky breath. Thankfully, the grunts were too blinded by their dedication to him to truly question his sudden changes.

“… He's using Team Galactic to search for you,” Cyrus mumbled to himself, “How odd.”

Odd, indeed. Your Cyrus barely told you much about Team Galactic outside of treating it as a normal company. He had not wanted to know of his plans, as he was fully aware that you would attempt to stop him. You never really even met any members outside when you tried to surprise him at work. Of course, the receptionist refused to let you up to his office.

“I bet you used Team Galactic to find me earlier,” you joked and tried to lighten the heavy mood. It would all be over soon. You would go back home to your normal apartment with your boyfriend and probably demand he actually cuddle with you after everything. Maybe food would be ordered.

“… I used our technology, certainly” he sighed, “I do not trust my grunts to cross dimensions.”

You held back a laugh.

~

Night had now settled in the world as the twinkling stars above lit the void of space that hung in the sky. The moon glimmered ominously, reflecting the light from the ever shining sun. The dewy grass was cold against any exposed skin. The Galactic Boss readied himself to send out the Renegade pokemon. Your heart pounded. The area was completely absent of other people. It was time to return home.

Before he could release Giratina, however, a loud cawing broke the silence of the night. Above you both, a Honchkrow flew around, belting its lungs out. His head flung up as his eyes went wide. You screamed as your body crashed to the ground. Sharp claws threatened your skin as the red eyes of a Weavile stared at you. It was more than apparent what was going on. Cyrus sent out his Houndoom without any hesitation and ordered a flamethrower. The Weavile acted quick, however, and jumped off from you.

Cyrus's eyes were fixed upon a location as you got yourself back onto your feet. You followed to where his harsh look was directed and felt your blood run cold. It was more than apparent from everything else who it was. The other Cyrus stood there with the Weavile and Honchkrow at his sides. His gaze felt constricting as he took a step forward. You rushed back to your Cyrus.

“… Quite intriguing,” the other Cyrus replied, stopping as you hid behind your own, “I would ask where you found such a dedicated impersonator, but I can grasp it all now.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “A portal…” he mumbled out, “Of course, you were from another world. You acted nothing like they had.” His Weavile suddenly attempted an Ice Punch on Houndoom. It was dodged narrowly by the dark-type. Cyrus instantly called for another Flamethrower. It was a distraction as the other Cyrus moved closer, gaze solely upon you. “I will accept you, nonetheless,” he spoke to you alone, “I will not allow anyone else to take you, not even another version of myself.”

You flinched as he suddenly rushed towards you to grasp you. Your reaction time was slow as he caught your wrist. He pulled you to his body. His hold was tight and suffocating. You struggled against him. Whatever attempt at pokemon battle was going on was forgotten as your Cyrus instead rushed over. The rage on his face was something almost foreign to you as he forced the other man's hold off from you.

As you fell back from the surprising force Cyrus had used, you grabbed a certain pokeball from his waist. The two seemingly identical men stared intensely at each other, with no words said. However, from the slight grimace on the other Cyrus's face, you could tell that your Cyrus's grip on his worst was something painful. His eyes looked nearly blank as he knocked the other man to the ground.

Turning away from whatever they were beginning to do, you sent out the pokemon from its ball. Giratina's shrill cry echoed in the bight as its glowing eyes shined. An order to open a portal back to your world was shouted, and it instantly obeyed. A tear in space and time was clear as day as he finally moved to look back at the two men. Your Cyrus remained on top of the other one. His Houndoom tried to pull him back as he pressed the alternate version of himself into the grass and dirt below.

“How disgusting,” he hissed at him as he still tried to turn his gaze to you, “An obvious effect of the incompleteness of spirit.” Before whatever conversation of the century could unfold between the two men, you aided Houndoom in pulling him back. His head turned around to the portal as he was relieved. You ran towards it while he called back Houndoom to join you. Jumping in, you could hear an angry yell follow.

Whatever happened was unknown as you landed on a rocky floor. Behind you, the portal swirled for a few moments before Cyrus stepped out, with Giratina following him. You handed him the legendary's pokeball as the portal slowly came to a close, leaving you both in the silence of the cave. Turnback cave again… You let out a shaky breath and collapsed to your knees.

What was all that? You felt insane for a moment.

Cyrus laid a firm hand on the middle of your shoulders. You looked up at him. He had not seemed himself in those final moments, either. Blathering his usual nonsense about spirit, sure, but… You let out a shaky breath. He had never been violent before. It just seemed foreign to his nature.

Standing up, you embraced him tightly, burying your face into his nape. His arms came around you slowly, understanding you needed comfort over anything else for now.

“Cy,” you finally spoke after a few moments, “Take off tomorrow.”

“… I will,” Cyrus agreed, “I am deeply sorry you had to experience all that.”

“Just… don't install any new locks, please.”

“I will not,” he shook his head, “I would never allow spirit to corrupt me in such ways.”

Corrupt… spirit…

You could only silence whatever ramble may overcome him with a kiss.

[wolfboy88]

for the make me write thingy: can i ask for all of them? all of them are so cool

Of course you can darling. It just took a hot minute!

🪦Graveyard Secrets/Hook Up (Thiam/Thisaac/ Thiaac)

"But there's someone there," Liam insists, breathless as the figure draws near, emerging from the mist with a sinister glint in their eyes and a wicked grin on their face.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Isaac chimes in, his voice cutting through the heavy silence.

"Theo and I are just getting to know each other a little better," Liam tries to explain, his nerves getting the best of him while Theo remains cool and collected.

"I see," Isaac responds dryly. "It's about time. I was starting to think I'd drown in all that homoerotic rivalry nonsense."

"What are you doing here?" Liam finally finds his voice.

"Just making sure you two haven't killed each other," Isaac replies, his smirk unyielding.

"Kill each other? No, we've moved past that," Theo jokes with a smirk. "I'm just about to make him mine."

"That'll be a first," Isaac snickers. "Usually, it's you who's on the receiving end."

🏡 The Hellhound(s) Next Door (Liam/Halwyn/ Jordan)

So this one’s changed from a Liam/Halwyn pairing to a Liam + married Halwyn/Jordan. And it’s more smutty than spooky with the whole neighbour/voyeurism thing again.

"Well, that sounds like a recipe for boredom or mischief," Halwyn interjects. "Why don't you come join us for a swim later? Cool off and let us get to know you.”

Liam tries to hide his eager enthusiasm. "Yeah, that sounds great. I'd love to."

Jordan grins. "Awesome. We'll fire up the grill too, make it a proper pool party."

"Oh, uh, that sounds perfect," Liam says, already imagining the toned, glistening bodies of his new neighbours as they lounge poolside.

🐺 An Omega & his Alpha (Thiam/Dark Theo)

Slowly, Liam begins to regain consciousness. His eyelids flutter as he adjusts to the dimly lit surroundings. As he tries to sit up, he realizes that he is restrained and unable to move. His wrists are bound to a table, but it's not just any table —it's an operating table. And it soon becomes clear to him that he is not in a hospital; instead, he finds himself in a dark and eerie underground lair, resembling an operating theater from a horror film.

🐈‍⬛ Cat Got Your Tongue

So, this one I can’t decide on who I wanna pair Scott up with. I really wanted to do my favourite Scott rarepair Scosh (Scott x Josh) but there’s a hint of Lahey Brothers in this one and Scott either needs to end up with Isaac or Jordan. Thoughts guys?

Unfortunately, the hottest guy at the party seems oblivious to Scott's existence. Yet, he is the one person Scott would willingly allow to touch him all night long.

He's so hot and distracting, that every time he gets near Scott, accidents happen. Drinks spill, food drops, and Scott's job is hanging by a thread.

But as the night goes on and the party progresses, Scott notices the attractive man watching him. The man can't seem to take his eyes off Scott, and it makes Scott feel tingly and more clumsy than ever.

🧞‍♂️I Dream of Theo (Thiam)

Liam's heart races, torn between confusion, shock, and...something else he didn't dare name. "How is this possible? Am I hallucinating?"

"You never heard of a genie, Dunbar. Or a djinn, if you want to get technical." Theo's grin is downright predatory. "Should I call you master?”

Liam's mouth goes dry. "Master?" he squeaks, cheeks feeling warm.

🕳️ The Mythical Bathhouse (Thiam/Monsters)

Summoning his courage, Liam approaches the Berserker, his steps steady and determined. The creature's gaze follows him, its expression unreadable beneath its mask. Liam's heart races, but he refuses to let fear consume him. He has come too far to back down now.

As he approaches the entrance, the Berserker graciously steps aside, granting him passage. Liam's heartbeat quickens, and he cautiously steps through the entrance and into a seemingly ordinary locker room.

🏚️ The Horny Phantoms of Hale House (Thiam/ Hale Men)

Late into the night, after hours of setting up their gear, Liam and Theo finally retired in their shared sleeping bag, nestled together like they normally would back in their bed.

Theo, however, took comfort to a new level, snuggling against Liam and using his chest as a pillow. His hand roams down, playfully skimming over Liam's stomach before slipping into his pants.

Amused, Liam chuckles, “I can’t believe you’re getting frisky in a supposedly haunted house.”

“Got to past the time somehow,” Theo replies with a mischievous grin.

“You’re unbelievable,” Liam laughs. “Only you would think to use this a place to hookup.”

“Don’t lie, you’re thinking the same thing,” Theo teases, now boldly caressing Liam’s hard cock. “And I saw you sneakily checking out those pictures of our phantoms”

“Apparent phantoms,” Liam reminds him.

“So, who’s your favourite?”

🧛‍♂️The Vampire’s Vice (Thiam/Dark Liam)

“Mmm, is that a stake in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” Liam taunts, grinding his thigh against Theo’s hardening length.

“Fuck you,” Theo mutters, though his heart isn’t really in it; the friction sends him spiraling deeper into the vampire’s intoxicating grasp.

“Fuck you? That’s an intriguing proposition, but I think it’ll be the other way around,” Liam teases, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “You won’t be the one doing the sticking, hunter boy,” he chuckles, and Theo shivers in response. “I’d much prefer to take you,” Liam whispers, his gaze intense as he holds Theo’s eyes.

[amymbona]

hi, i.. think i already sent you two asks. this ideas are weak, i guess. or rather, second one is okay, but it just needs some correction!! maybe you'll scroll through and find it from 🩷🤍

just now thought about a relationship with the professor! patrick. this's probably not just fluff, but also angst!!

i absolutely cannot imagine Patrick as a professor of mathematics or physics, although it seems to me that this would give him a certain charm. professor of literature, law, biology (always talks about the processes occurring in nature, we walk through the zoo and he tells me interesting facts about animals. all i can do is nod and smile for him) or in general, the most canonical is p.e teacher.. a new teacher comes to your university, he's so cute, so fit, and all the girls on your campus are talking about him on your campus. it becomes almost annoying when they know who patrick zweig is and his past. they set his photos as their phone wallpaper when he was younger and write 'patrick's fan' in their status on social networks, omg how sweetly sickening they are 🙄 you have thought about what they saw in him or.. are they really just going by his cute appearance?

one sunny day, most of the people skip class, bc p.e is last on the schedule, so you and a couple of nerds who need A for the semester are left with him. but he wasn't upset in principle (really?), so he let everyone go, but something makes you stay, support him, although he seemed to say that everything is fine. you chat, and then maybe he invites you for a cup of coffee, and he really seems nice to you? no, no, you can't fall in love with him like other girls

so you develop some relationship, although what a relationship, more like an affair. he constantly says that this is an open relationship, and no one should know that you are together.

but when you say you'll leave him, he promises to confess to everyone, to the whole world, that you're his, and like a fool you believe, you believe that it will be so. you sleep with him, you eat with him, you laugh with him, but you're nothing more than a affair.

then you will break up, but what can their meeting bring after years? 🤭

TOO MUCH BUT N YOU. SORRY I'M TOO SILLY PATRICK'S GIRLIE AND I LOVE WRITING A LOT, EVEN IF IT'S COMPLETE NONSENSE 🤩🤩

🐦‍⬛ raven.

Professor Patrick is very important to me, mainly because I believe Patrick is one of those characters, who shines in high tension scenarios. He doesn't do casual, he doesn't work in something simple and imagining him as someone who's balancing on the line between morally right and wrong feels so so so true. And I think that this particular scenario screams angst. Spectacular, give me fourteen of those.

It starts pretty innocently - if you can really call a friendship between a teacher and a student innocent at all - but he likes you for two reasons; you're smart and you don't drool over him like the other girls. And this is exactly what makes your relationship develop. A mix of mutual respect and deep understanding, but also the excitement from doing something you probably shouldn't and Patrick's deep desire to be the dominant one.

It's a night here and there at his place, a free class spent in the warmth of his office, and his suit jacket over your shoulders when he offers to take you home. It seems almost too good to be true, but there are also things you barely discuss. You two don't get into arguments often, but when you do, it's far from tranquil.

Patrick is unfortunately way too consumed by his position of power, constantly staggering between that "it's an open relationship" bullshit and threatening to expose you for... wrapping him around your finger? He's afraid; for his career and place in the society. But he's also afraid that he might lose you, and he doesn't want that. And considering that it's Patrick Zweig we're talking about, he doesn't know how to communicate his feeling without getting (un)intentionally manipulative and gaslighting you into staying with him.

If he could, Patrick would probably tie you up in his bedroom and forbid you from leaving because you're his and he doesn't want you anywhere else. But since he can't, he's reduced to simply blackmailing you and then buying you flowers as an apology. And you... Do you love him? You think so.

He is the type of man that you've always longed for, as wrong as it may sound, but he's not too far from a modern version of problematic gothic antagonists. Tall and handsome, unrealistically clever, dominant and all that shouldn't be messed with. Exactly the thing that pulls you in.

Sometimes, you question whether to give him a taste of his own medicine. It wouldn't be too difficult to deem him a manipulative asshole who jumped on you every time you wore a short skirt. When you present this idea to him - during one of your arguments - some plates fly across the room and shatter behind your back, you two are at each other's throats but then get lost in the sugar costed toxicity that blends between you two, and all attempts to reason with each other are long forgotten.

You go to your next lecture with a silk scarf wrapped around your neck because nobody should be allowed to see your hickeys, and Patrick knows he shouldn't opt for a short sleeve when all that decorates his arms are the scratch marks your nails left there. And it's back to the usual again, he drives you home, slips his tongue down your throat as a goodbye and offers to pick you up tomorrow morning.

[leonstamatis]

hello leon stamatis (my favorite stamatis)! i do not know anything about the state of blaseball right now, i think it was a randomly generated baseball-like a while back? my understanding was that most of the content was fan generated to begin with, being what it was and all that. is it too late to get into it? if not, i would love to hear some starter recs

what a coincidence, he is also my favorite stamatis! and blaseball is one of my favorite things. this, however, is a complicated question, so i'm gonna go ahead and apologize for what will surely be a much longer answer than you anticipated by asking this. sorry!

we're gonna start from the beginning. what is blaseball?

well, you're right. it's a randomly-generated baseball simulator. that's the general idea of it. there were 20-24 teams (sometimes more, depending on what else was happening), and they played games against each other. while it initially started as a basic baseball game -- with some absurd names and very simple mechanics -- it later evolved to include more complex mechanics, including player death, modifications to the stadiums, and other statuses that could impact and change gameplay at random (or under specific and nonsensical conditions).

blaseball started in late 2020 and had a sort of on/off cycle. during an on cycle, there would be games every hour on the hour for 99 hours over a week. then there would be a post-season to determine a champion, and the season would end. these on cycles were often divided into eras, and had larger plots and storylines forming connective tissue through the elections and special events.

during an off cycle, also known as a siesta, the devs would take some time to patch bugs, develop new features, and plan for the future. some of these siestas were a week or two; some were several months or over a year.

the unfortunate news here is that blaseball just recently... ended. the games won't be happening anymore, the site isn't active, and there's no new content coming down the pipe. the devs said it wasn't sustainable to keep doing it -- a thing that makes a lot of sense, because one thing blaseball certainly could be was overwhelming and time-consuming. and that's coming from me, as a fan who didn't have to actually do any of the coding or community maintenance.

however. onto the second part of your question. can you still get into blaseball even now that it's over?

[takes a deep breath.] YES. please do, in fact!

it's fair to say most of the content was fan-generated, i think, depending on what you define as "content." the games and the website were fairly minimalist; they gave us major events, but the characters were just names and a few lines of stats, so it's not like you're missing out on key character moments or quotes or anything with blaseball being done. all the identifying characteristics, the personality and appearance and emotional response? that's fans, baby!

this is one of the things that's cool about blaseball. i've heard it said that writing for the fandom is more in line with original fiction because so much of it is created by and dependent on the individual, as opposed to a centralized canon. which means a lot of the time, there's more effort in a fic to introduce you to someone -- something fanfic doesn't typically do! and because so much was happening in blaseball all the time, people do make an effort to explain events and canon occurrences either in author notes or in the story itself.

(unless, that is, it's a major event everyone was largely aware of. these were few and far between, but they were such a big deal that they make up a lot of the fic content. if you have questions about any of those events, i would recommend the blaseball wiki, where election results, modifications to specific players, and other significant canon events are recorded. there's lore there, too, but i can pretty much guarantee that whatever lore is there won't match up directly with any of the fic you read; blb authors tend to take the wiki and widely-accepted fanon lore more as a suggestion than as a rule.)

the long and the short of it is, you can absolutely still get involved. there are just under 3,000 fics, last time i checked, so it's not big enough that you'll be drowning. my honest recommendation is to pick a team based on who you vibe with -- the blaseball wiki has team overview pages, too -- and then see who is writing for that team. there are collections for a lot of them, and they'll focus on a specific set of characters most of the time depending on who had the most significance on the roster.

(my actual recommendation is to start with the earlier fics. the discipline era -- the first eleven seasons -- was a very tightly told story without a lot of bells and whistles. players had a normal season in season one, and then in season two everyone started dying, and then in season seven the fans messed with the mechanics and did a necromancy and the necromanced player started murdering people until we all banded together to defeat the god that was giving them the ability to do that. that's pretty easy to follow, especially compared to later eras when the entire point was adding as many new mechanics as possible or testing out new features. it got confusing, even for people keeping a close eye on all of it.)

if you find something that confuses you, that's okay! it might take some effort/research to understand these storylines, but the wiki is pretty good at explaining mechanics and events. just look up whatever is getting you and it should make some more sense. or you can use Before, an archival tool that lets you watch old games and fandom events in real time. (and if it still doesn't make sense... well. that's blaseball, baby! you kind of get used to rolling with nonsense, honestly.)

okay. that's all very long-winded, because of course it is. sorry, again. but... recommendations!

i think, often, that blaseball fic would be aided by the inclusion of a sort of "Weeb Ass Shit" scale. some of it is going to be very embedded in the nonsense of blaseball and hard to get through, especially if you're new to the team, specific player, or even blaseball in general.

hen fourteenfifteen and i had some friends who had never engaged with blaseball read a few fics of ours a couple months back as an experiment, and it shocked me to learn that the concept of an incineration -- a player being set on fire and killed by a "rogue" umpire, one of the earliest and most basic mechanics in the game -- was unfamiliar and a stopping point for the readers, because they'd never heard about that happening. and certainly not in such a nonchalant way. these kinds of terms are everywhere in blaseball fic, but if you can find the ones that focus more on a character than a game or a modification, then you've got a starting point and you can build out from there.

that being said, there's always going to be blaseball, so there are definitely still going to be moments where you end up scratching your head. it is simply impossible not to. if you're cool with that, here's a brief collection of some blaseball fics i would say have a lower blaseball-ass shit rating:

when winter turns to spring by waveridden, a love story between two co-captains from around season seven to season eight. (also, it's one of my favorite ships and it's my team. go flowers.) honestly, hayden does an excellent job of explaining everything in very simple and understandable ways. so if you want to just poke around on their page, you'll have an excellent time. there's a whole run of things from mid-2021 that is literally just character studies written for other people, and they're all great.

the things we take off for each other by bloodsweatspit is less about blaseball itself and more about one of the teams, the canada moist talkers. it looks at a handful of the key dynamics and is, in my opinion, one of the best fics for providing insight into a team and the people on it -- especially in so few words.

speaking of the moist talkers. it's hard to recommend just one of cyndakip's fics, but they all tend to exist in a similar timeline and universe and there's a lot of continuity that makes it easy to follow once you've gotten started. if you're looking for some very well-done, very lengthy character work, cynda does great things.

there's this fun trend that hit during the first lengthy break in blaseball colloquially known as the 12x100, or twelve scenes of 100 words. the idea is to give a series of short scenes that highlight a character or storyline without committing to a whole lengthy thing. i'd recommend checking out the 12x100 tag and clicking through a few to see what characters you like. (more specifically, babytriumphant's chicago, in brief series is a bunch of them specifically focused on the chicago firefighters team, and they're all lovely!)

another flowers fic. i'm not sorry. oxicleanmoron's it's my own damn fault is more recent, and set in the late expansion era. but it's not about blaseball. it's about a road trip. so you're in good hands if you want some fun character dynamics and minimal blaseball.

lift your head (and look out the window) by baliset is a nice little window into the baltimore crabs. marn also is one who does a really good job of explaining things from the beginning, so there are a few fics of hers i would recommend. but start with this one, and then maybe check out your sinking ship (is big enough for two) if you want to meet some more of her beloved little guys.

another sort of love story without the focus on game mechanics: you're at the party (you're not invited) by impernia. this one i include in part because i think it leans into some of the stranger aspects of blaseball lore without getting into the game itself; a lot of characters are strange or unusual in some way, and this fic conveys that beautifully.

take the bullet by waltztangocache is a great example of something you'll find a lot in this fandom, which is... character death stories! if there's one thing blaseball gave us a lot of fodder for, it's people dying and people grieving. if that's your thing, wonderful! you've found your people! hen does a great job showing the ripple effects that i would say are common in fanon lore -- esp on the firefighters -- regarding incinerations. i love this fic. it pains me.

i have written a lot of blaseball fic in my time, but i tend to think i fall pretty high on the blaseball-ass shit scale. there are others like me. however, if you do not mind me shilling for just a moment, i would recommend to you inside your blinding light. it's not about blaseball, as much. it's about a carpenter and a tree, and they fall in love. welcome to blaseball lore! it's fun here.

i... hope you were not overwhelmed by all of this. thank you for asking about this, and for being willing to dig deeper into this fandom and what it has to offer! i'm barely scratching the surface here, but all of the authors i've listed have plenty of fics worth reading, and there are tons of authors i love who i didn't have a specific pull from for this list but who i would nevertheless recommend once you're a little more familiar with how this fandom writes.

blaseball is over, but the fic's still around. and it's pretty fucking good fic, i'd say. <3

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s2 episode 22 thoughts

i am actually the bravest human alive for surviving this episode

(lmao i joke. MOSTLY. but op lore: i suffer from a chronic illness that gives me terrible nausea and MAN this was NOT the episode you want to sit down and unwind with if you’re feeling ill. for the plague be upon them all. and yet! here we are. my love for these agents must be quite boundless.)

“diseaseee episode… okay so it is probably body horror time maybe idk” <- first thing in my notes, and yes. yes, it was body horror time.

(we open with a fellow in the rainforest catching bugs) and to me it’s giving “he was in the amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders just before she died” which was such a funny meme. we moved on from this too quickly. those words will always make me giggle.

that is a turkey vulture… do they have those in Costa Rica? yes they do! wow, bird facts <3

ohh nasty, we see a dead hog in the rainforest, being consumed by bugs… bug scientist takes some of them while it pulsates… and my nausea strikes!!!

AUGHHH the boil blew up on his face. this is eeeeevil!! i was diverting my attention AWAY from the screen at this point and really staring at my notes in the hope they could shield me from the nastiness

NOOOO now the bug scientist’s face is covered in the boils… the vultures got him and so did the bugs, and i am getting the impression this is gonna be a tough watch, but i’m in too far now!!!! (it had been like. 5 minutes lmao but i meant it!)

scene change: prison time.

(is this the outside of the prison they used to film the Please Please Please music video or do they all just look the same?)

a prisoner has been sent a package. it is…. some kind of meat??? can you send meat in the mail…? just wrapped up in newspaper? i find this hard to believe, but maybe things were different in the 90’s, or we can suspend disbelief for the sake of the alien show

the meat is pulsating and now the prisoner who received it has the same boils…… deeply unfortunate for all parties involved

and now boil disease is spreading in the prison!! two guards escaped on a cart carrying the infected man's dirty sheets. so they are pretty much gonna die. but will they spread the sickness to the outside world before they do so?

enter our agents!!

this dude who claims to be in charge is a real jerk. and the agents don’t even know why they got sent there beyond to help with a manhunt, which seems beneath them. but there are some people in hazmat suits, so it’s not adding up.

the convicts are hiding in a rest stop and stole a camper from a poor family :( way to ruin vacation.

scully can tell everyone is LYING and she hates lies and bursts into the hospital area, despite the doctor trying to keep her out… it’s a serve, but at what cost to her health???

here, we learn what is at stake: 14 men have been infected, and 10 have died so far. YIKES! this is not good news.

she always answers the phone with “mulder, it’s me” and idk why I find that so endearing. but maybe I’m just at the point where everything these nerds do wins me over 

NOOOO the dad from the camper was killed…  vacation ruined even more than previously thought 

back at the prison, a dude in a hazmat suit tried to kick scully out by saying that she is violating federal orders by being there, and she says “i’m a federal agent”…. a queen of dealing with nonsense. she needs to know if the escaped men are out and about spreading this!!

“you see what I let you see”, says a man drunk on the power of a lot of people dying around him. and i love that these men think they can handle whatever this disease is without any help whatsoever (/s) the arrogance of men has no limits. 

the convict is coming home… to his gf and baby… SPARE THE BABY from the bubbling disease!!!

one of the dudes who escaped is on the floor of the gas station bathroom, moaning and groaning and covered in boils, and the other convict smacks the poor cashier helping him on the head with a wrench... truly despicable behaviors. and he was probably doing all of this for minimum wage!!

scully in da incinerator room... what is she doing there! she has a mask and some gloves and some bodies to investigate. she cuts one of the bagged bodies open. 

NOOO the doctor tries to stop her and the juice gets in his eye… he runs away. rip doctor. your fate has been sealed.

(rolling up to the gas station w the marshals and a million dudes in sunglasses that look like horrible people to catch the escaped convicts)

mulder finds the poor cashier that got whacked and says “kid’s got a lot of hair, probably absorbed the blow” which is a crazy thing to say 

now he is trying to track the phone call the convict made to figure out where he went, but he’s using the same payphone as the sick man, and the germs... i’m scared!

mulder gives his badge number to the operator. It’s JTT-047101111. will this information be of any use at any time? no. but I still wrote it down <3

woah loud noise! a helicopter arrives to put the cashier in some sort of incubator. this cashier has really had a bad time. and no one is explaining anything!!!! so he doesn’t even know where they are taking him or why!! transparency has never been anyone in the government’s strong suit, i guess.

convict cam. he is reunited with his gf. they are smooching. and that is not good for her survival rate i would guess. after they make out a lil, he shows her the other mostly dead guy in his car. i assume he will be joining the family but not for long. i'd be pissed if my man brought someone home after his prison escape. this was supposed to be about US and not some dude i don't know named paul dying in our bed...

okay the package of the meat was sent from kansas… sus…. from a pharmaceutical company?? could it be a fake return address… (spoiler: no, it was not!)

OUGHHHH the camera cuts to dead flesh and boils and blood BLEAGGHH and scully extracts a BUG from it…. 

back to the convicts. the woman is trying to help the guy who is filled with pus, and she bends down to try and cool off his fever, and just as this happens the boil bursts!!! her face is splashed with nastiness and i moaned “nooooo” and hit pause so fast because I nearly gagged... but this was not a foolproof plan, because it paused on all the stuff getting on her face, so i saw it even more, which was SO NASTY EVIL EVIL NASTY GROSSSSSS JAIL. she’s trying to scrub it off. 

just as she tries to get it off, the marshals burst in and get her. so now they might get the boils… also someone scoops up the baby… put him in a better situation… but the other prisoner is gone!! where did his slippery ass sneak out to?!?

(we see an outside shot of the prison again and AGAIN I think this is the same one from the please please please mv. sabrina carpenter can you confirm or deny? i know you read this blog)

the doctor who was earlier splashed upon has revealed his boils to scully. but this is not all he reveals: he was LYING about the CDC being involved!!! it’s the pharmaceutical company that sent the package to the prison that did all this, and he works for them!! they finance discovering stuff in the rainforest to use in drugs… and they found the bug. and the bug has a parasite on it that makes the boils and the larvae are in the explosion. so explosion = infection.

NOOO she was there when his boil blew up so she might also be infected..... lord her medical history is complicated enough. let her escape the clutches of these damn bugs.

talk with skinner time!!!!! BUT... CIG MAN IS IN THE CORNER. mulder goes over to talk to him directly. is he trying to get them killed!!!!! because it looks like cigarette man put them on this case involving lethal infectious diseases because he wanted to get rid of them. oh, mulder is ANGRY about them lying to the public

meeting with skinner was NOT a success. he angrily fumbles with his seatbelt when scully calls to report the latest in plague news 

they disagree on what to do here: he says the public has to know about the situation, and she says that they don't because the panic will spread faster than the contagion. oooo, juicy moral conflict! but i must admit. pandemic questions interest me less having lived through one of my own.

despite his frustration that she is making a point about not being able to tell the world just yet, he asks "are you okay in there scully?”, and she says yes, tells him to catch the fugitive, and to "take care of yourself out there"... and her not knowing if she is gonna live or die, so she tells him to take care of himself...... has me very emo

now, she is locked into quarantine with the infected doctor, who is testing her for the disease, which involves trapping a bug to her arm and waiting for it to bite her. which is quite hellish. she looks truly disturbed by the event and frankly so was i.

mulder interrogating the woman whose bf is the escaped convict. trying to find him, but being distracted by her moral questions on who deserves to know the truth... not now, ask these heavy things later. success! convict boil man is on his way to the bus station.

cutscene to the convict trying to buy a bus ticket. and coughing all over the ticket woman. another minimum wage worker victimized by disease. wear ur masks people!

back at the lab, the bug has FINALLY bitten her, but the doctor from the company is going down. he says she has to tell the world if her test is negative because it WILL happen again. way to push your guilt onto someone else, mister pharmaceutical man!

cut to her extracting blood from bugs. how in the hell did they film that scene??? she takes a deep breath and looks at the blood to see if she’s gonna die or not. and she sighs but that isn’t an answer for us, the audience. (spoilers: it was negative...... thank god)

in the incinerator of the prison, they are destroying all the evidence!!! by tossing all the bodies into a fire!!! the pharmaceutical company is covering its tracks!!! they say it was unavoidable but she says “we'll leave that up to others to decide!!!” oh he pulls the “no one will believe you” card… but she’s sneaky, maybe she’ll think of something that can prove it all to the rest of the world

back to the marshals and mulder at the bus station. no pressure but the prisoner who is about to die HAS to make a statement or else everything will be entirely covered up by the pharmaceutical company that killed these people. again, no pressure!! 

mulder going on the bus with the infected convict.... nooo mulder, be careful, i whisper softly to the screen. and sensing his tricks, the sick man holds a boy with a gun to his head once he gets on there!!!

mulder's voice is all growly- you know how it gets when he’s serious. but the sick man is coughing all over the little boy. and foaming at the mouth. mulder convinces him to let the kid go, and tries to get that statement that will prove everything... but....

NOOOOOOOO!!!! the marshals shoot the guy before he can learn what was in the package!!!!!!

so, in all: the pharmaceutical company was using the prisoners as guinea pigs to get their drug on the market without FDA testing… truly sick and twisted!!!

mulder is reporting this to skinner, and he’s gonna tell the public!!! mulder says that covering the truth makes skinner just as guilty as the men who infected the prisoners (which i'm not sure i agree with but i love a man obsessed with the moral weight of his actions)!! but scully bursts in and says they can’t prove anything because the tracks were so thoroughly covered.

mulder is adding things up... that’s why they were given the assignment, so that if they tried to expose the whole thing, they would be discredited!!!

skinner says “you never had a chance, mulder; for every step you take, they’re three steps ahead” “where do you stand?” “i stand right on the line that you keep crossing” <- OHHHHH zinger.

but i'm conflicted... i thought skinner and i were tight after he intervened to save mulder a few episodes ago, but now I don’t know… skinner, my feelings towards you are complex and unnavigable 

“i’m saying this as a friend: watch your back. This is just the beginning” <- WHAT DO YOU KNOW SKINNER!!!!!

there are questions here- such as, to what point does skinner knowingly go along with the corruption in the government? if the government was involved with killing prisoners on behalf of a drug company, what other evil twisted things are they hiding? to what extent can skinner, and every other person in the FBI, be blamed for complicity? is it at all possible to make positive change in a corrupt system?

also, are these the same guys who are hiding the aliens, or do you think that 's a different evil government department?

what was cig man doing there and why does skinner keep letting him into his office like a stray cat that gets one free meal from a nice human? (but that stray cat is evil and was involved in kidnapping scully) should we send skinner to the cancel chambers or is he a real mfer deep down? also, where the hell is krycek? not that I give a fuck. he sucked. 

much to ponder, but i end there for now, because. bleurgh. flesh.

[thatswhatsushesaid]

tagged (kinda) by @mingguangsword!

i lost my first draft of this post 😭 let's try again.

1. why did you choose your url? because i am weak for puns, and because i am actually su she. weepy yet defensive lestat de lioncourt at the end of s2 voice, i am him, he is me.

2. any sideblogs? if you have them name them and why you have them. a whole whack of them:

@dailyayao which is just daily screenshots and scans of jin guangyao from all versions of the mdzs canon

@yaozongzhupressoffice my neglected satire blog where i answer asks and reblog stuff in-character as yao-zongzhu. occasionally will make references to his entirely heterosexual feelings for his very good friend ouyang-zongzhu in the tags.

@itwasabeautifulwebbing my minthara baenre from baldur's gate 3 simping blog lol. it's also turning into a catch-all for various video game nonsense, tho i'm definitely not as active there as i am here.

@fakerashid same deal as above, just for armand from amc's interview with the vampire.

3. how long have you been on tumblr? i first joined back in 2011 with a different username back in the migration of the dragon age fandom from livejournal to tumblr, and have been kicking around in some form or another ever since.

4. do you have a queue tag? sure do! 'moling queue' because, as i said, i'm weak for puns.

5. why did you start your blog in the first place? originally this blog had a different username, and i started it with the intention of cross-posting very serious horror fiction thinkpieces from a wordpress site. obviously i stopped doing that and have been enjoying myself a lot more here since i stopped taking myself so seriously lmao.

6. why did you choose your icon/pfp? i don't understand the question, that's literally me, su-zongzhu. (please god recognize this is a joke)

7. why did you choose your header? i just think jgy and sms look very powerful and dapper together in that scene. 😌

8. what’s your post with the most notes? some unfortunate ides of march shitpost that broke containment within an hour, i have it muted and hope to never think about it again.

9. how many mutuals do you have? no idea. lots? lots and lots?

10. how many followers do you have? 1271 as of this morning.

11. how many people do you follow? apparently 400 on the nose

12. have you ever made a shitpost? absolutely not, i don't have a sense of humour or believe in laughter.

13. how often do you use tumblr each day? every time my attention wanders pretty much lmfao (despondent)

14. did you have a fight/argument with another blog once? never!!!! 😬

15. how do you feel about ‘you need to reblog this’ posts? i ignore them.

16. do you like tag games? yes!

17. do you like ask games? "i love them, but i don't like chain asks" <- same hat

18. which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous? "probably ray" <- oh no oh dear 😬 i think if i qualify as tumblr famous (doubt.jpeg) then probably a bunch of my mutuals are, too.

19. do you have a crush on a mutual? i am boring and married so no.

20. what is the last song you listened to? this performance of the famous "flowing water" composition for the guqin.

21. what are you currently watching? nirvana in fire, and it's consumed my soul. mei changsu 👀...... /clenches my fist

22. sweet/ savoury/ spicy? "savory"! <- correct!!!

23. what is your current relationship status? "literally on my way to break up with someone T_T i'll be single in a few hours!!!" <- omg fennel!!??? um, as i said above, i'm married! no plans to divorce mr. sushesaid, he surprised me with flowers and takeout from my favourite indian restaurant yesterday because i was having a rough day.

24. what is your current obsession? jin guangyao. it's still jin guangyao. it's probably going to be jin guangyao this time next year too.

25. what are nine albums/ songs you've been listening to lately?

it's not an album, but basically all of the ensemble and solo performances by zi de guqin studio on youtube.

return to cookie mountain, tv on the radio

the wellermen's album of shanties and other arranged covers

the hades 2 videogame soundtrack

the baldur's gate 3 videogame soundtrack

the chain, fleetwood mac

all of the lyrical ballads from the kentucky route zero videogame soundtrack (are u noticing a pattern, because i am)

the haven videogame soundtrack

the assassin's creed valhalla videogame soundtrack

tagging: @ratheralark @holy--milk @carnivorous-horses-lover @sunriseverse @watertightvines @frodo-of-the-nine-fingers @confusion-and-more @occasionalinanity @varethinsilico @thepurplewombat @peacocksdance and anyone else who puts eyes on this thing and feels moved to complete it.

[rainofbrasspetal]

Grappler Baki: The Stitchy Review

Started Grappler Baki June 17 2024.

Finished Grappler Baki July 6 2024.

Stitchy's Score: 9/10

I, like many others, have seen those infamous clips and "WTF is Baki even about" memes. I finally decided to take a look at the source for myself. WTF is Baki? Well, it's peak, I'm afraid.

I was once a hater of Itagaki Sensei's artstyle, I thought Baki was so ugly. "How can people stand to look at it?" I would ask myself. I am extremely happy to report, however, that I now have no choice but to stan my king and Baki's art. I think Baki has fantastic and engaging art. Baki's girlfriend, his landlady, his mother, ect, they all look like regular people. Only the guys that fight and have dedicated themselves to being "the strongest" have these horrificly muscular bodies. It makes a lot of sense to me and makes everything else pretty easy to swallow.

Each character is also pretty destinct which is also fantastic. I happened to really fall in love with the cast. I brought up my character designer friend in my Mashle review, but I was discussing Baki with her earlier today. She correctly noted that hight difference is also really important and Baki has it in spades. Yujiro Hanma is like the strongest dude ever to exist and there are actually a few characters taller than or almost as tall as he is. Baki himself is also pretty short, which is great. It makes everyone stand out more and helps the silhouette of the characters. Baki also looks like he really is a 17 year old boy! Another plus in a world where I am supposed to believe that Kiyomaro Takamine (Zatch/Gash Bell) is a middle schooler! He also has a great personality, a fun protagonist that almost seems out of place in such a violent story.

Grappler Baki is the most "normal" of the series, from what I can tell. All the big memes aren't going to be found here, unfortunately. That being said, this manga is still absolute nonsense. There's biting and ripping and breaking and just incredibly unbelievable violence. Baki characters feel like cockroaches! Baki himself takes a ridiculous amount of damage and just is fine at the end of the day sometimes. It really reminds me of the old brutal Mortal Kombat 9 x-ray moves, like Sub-Zero freezing your stomach and crushing it, before just continuing the fight like that didn't happen to you. The fights are so brutal and engaging to watch. Even when the side characters were going to fight, I often found myself excited to see how it went. It's just a good old time.

If you've never read or watched Baki, I don't want to give too much away from the plot (MAKE SURE YOU DO SOME RESEARCH! It really took me a minute to figure out what order best to consume the story as a whole. There's like 5 or 6 Baki mangas and two of them have the same name). I will say that I was really locked in the whole time, though! UNFORTUNATELY, this also has the bit where it loses that perfect 10/10 score. I will tell you that Grappler Baki has maybe four important female characters and unfortunately they are pretty lacking. They really don't get to do too much, Baki's girlfriend especially doesn't do much.

Most of our story revolves around a tournament, which is also a big plus. What arcs does everyone love? Naruto's Chunin Exams, Yu Yu Hakusho's Dark Tournament and, Dragon Ball's Tenka'ichi Budōkai, Yu-Gi-Oh's Battle City! The people love tournament arcs! We yearn for the tournament! Even Oda stuck one in One Piece during Dressrosa! A main plot that revolves around a tournament, what more could we ask of Grappler Baki?

Another thing I believe Grappler Baki handles well is what I'm going to call, "The Vegeta Problem." I call it The Vegeta Problem because he is always the first character I'll think of in the context. I define it as: introducing a character that is supposed to be so strong and intimidating but usually gets whipped before the main character gets to take his turn and beat the bad guy. Frieza, Cell, Majin Buu. Since Baki's villain is Yujiro Hanma, and he's said to be untouchable and just a ridiculously impossible standard, it never feels like someone is weak when they lose to him. Even people who lose often put up decent fights. Baki is very good at making fights really edge of your seat, which is refreshing!

In conclusion, Grappler Baki is a fantastic read. It has everything someone would want from a manga mainly about fighting. A ridiculous ride that grabs you and makes you really want to see where the twists and turns take the story!

[hybeboyenthusisast]

➺ nineteen (the end)

prev | masterlist |

a/n: not too happy with this smau and how it turned out, but you can look forward to the teacher!babydaddy!soobin smau that I will begin working on soon. My permanent taglist is open, so if you would like to join, send an ask/message/or comment! Thank you so much for the support, I hope to see some of you lovely readers again in the future!

With college parties, the concept of being late was almost nonexistent. If you showed up at 8 pm, 12 am, or sometimes even 3 am, you'd find your chosen party stuffed full of sweaty bodies, loud music, and alcohol spilling all over the place. Parties on this campus seemed to never end, but maybe that was because you tended to not remember how they ended.

While you were aware that arriving at 9 pm to the party at whatever-whoever fraternity house was not considered late, you knew before Beomgyu even opened his mouth that he would spout some nonsense about you being so late that the party was over.

He was right, as you had promised you were right behind him when he left for the party at 7. You lied.

As soon as you left your dorm, you went straight to the Alpha Phi fraternity house. Seeing as most of the members were already at the party or busy doing their own thing, there was a semblance of privacy for you and your new boyfriend.

Two hours later, with your makeup and hair redone, dress put back into place, you were hoping your brother would be tipsy enough to not notice the blue and purple splotches along your collarbone.

"Everyone's gonna see," You had reminded Soobin in a whiny tone while he sucked on your skin. He had popped off with a wet sound, smirking at you.

"That's the point," Soobin practically growled. "Want everyone to know you're mine."

Now as you entered the party, Soobin's arm around your waist, it was obvious that he had accomplished exactly that. You found yourself musing over the fact that even at a party, nobody had anything better to do than whisper about the two of you.

"Hey, you made it!" Jay patted Soobin on the shoulder, pushing a red solo cup in his hand. "I don't know what Han put in this, but it's nasty. Enjoy."

You laughed as Soobin sniffed the drink, scrunching his noise up at the smell. You took the cup from his hand, bringing it to your lips with no hesitation. Jay barked out a laugh while Soobin's jaw dropped, the two of them watching you drink whatever was in the cup.

You shrugged, "Better than half the shit Beomgyu mixes together. He's a shit bartender."

Soobin shakes his head in wonder, Jay having wandered off already. "You're crazy, baby."

You grinned, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the middle of the house. The kitchen had to be somewhere, after all. While you were able to drink the crap Jay had pawned off on you, you and Soobin both deserved a good drink.

Beomgyu's screams instantly had your attention, turning in the direction they came from. Even if the music was blasting, you could unfortunately hear your twin far easier than others. Twin thing, perhaps, or maybe survival instincts. One moment you were holding Soobin's hand, the next you were squished up against Beomgyu's chest as he cradled you.

"What the fu-" You began saying before he fully smushed your face against his chest. You swatted at him, pushing him away so you could breathe.

"I missed you, where were you? Why are you so late? Did you get lost?" Your brother had definitely consumed more alcohol than you expected.

Soobin stood awkwardly to the side as he watched you and your brother interact. He and Beomgyu still weren't super friendly, but both had begun making the effort to get along. "Can I have my girlfriend back?"

Beomgyu shook his head, trying to hold onto you as you untangled yourself from his grasp. "Gyu, you need to learn how to share," you flicked his nose.

Soobin snickered at Beomgyu's loud cry of protest, leaning down to whisper in your ear. "I'll grab us some drinks, baby, I'll be right back."

The entire time Soobin was in the kitchen, refusing to try anything mixed together by Han, you and your brother were squabbling like children. You hadn't even realized Soobin was taking longer than it took to get drinks, not until he returned to your field of vision with a girl hanging onto his arm.

Soobin was incredibly uncomfortable. He had only left you to get drinks, preferably ones not mixed by Han, and found himself cornered by two girls he had never seen in his life.

"Soobin, what are you doing all alone? Did your plaything leave you?" One of the girls pouted in fake sympathy, placing her hand on his arm.

The other girl joined in, "We can keep you company, Soobinnie, doesn't that sound fun?"

Soobin eyed the scantily clad pair cautiously, trying to think of a way to run away and return to you as quickly as possible. He didn't want to push them out of his way in case one of them accidentally got hurt, but he really just wanted to be back by your side. "You're in my way. My girlfriend is waiting for me."

The girls both laughed, moving closer to Soobin. "Be real, she's not your girlfriend. You hate her, everyone knows that," one of them said with an eyeroll.

"Why did you lie about her being with you? We all know that isn't true," the other chimed in.

Soobin sighed, feeling his frustration building. They had a point; it did seem like a lie that he had slept with the one person he so publicly hated, even coming to her defense. But it was true, and Soobin only cared if you knew that. "My relationship is none of your business. Yn and I had a difficult past but we have been able to work through it and move onto something better. It's really sad that the two of you have such empty lives that you have nothing better to do than attempt to ruin someone else's. Good luck with that."

Soobin had broken free, leaving the girls stunned as he pushed past them, frustrated by their comments. He was fine if people wanted to gossip about him, but he wanted you to be left out of it. Drinks in hand, he was finally on his way back to your side.

He was sipping his own drink as he approached the arguing twins, quietly wondering what you were fighting over now, when one of the irritating girls returned. She latched onto his arm, walking alongside him as he moved.

This is when you noticed, a frown instantly forming on your face. Beomgyu's whines quieted as he noticed the shift in your behavior, turning to see what you were looking at. His frown matched your own, watching as Soobin spoke to the girl attached to his side.

You had no idea what was going on; surely Soobin wasn't running off with another girl, so what was going on? The girl looked far too cozy, fluttering her eyelashes as she stared up at Soobin. You and Beomgyu made your way over, pushing through the groups of people in the way.

"Hi baby, what took you so long?" You asked Soobin cheerfully, completely ignoring the girl on his side. Soobin was still tense, trying to pull his arm out of the girl's grasp, but he looked more relaxed with your presence. "This one mine?" You pointed at one of the cups, taking it from him before he could respond. With one of his hands finally free, he pried the girl's grip off his arm, instantly moving towards you.

Beomgyu stepped in, immediately questioning the girl in a way that he knew would annoy her and get her to leave. Soobin grabbed your hand, leading you to the backyard.

"You alright, honey?" You asked him, cupping his cheek and gently rubbing your thumb against his cheek as he leaned against the side of the house.

Soobin sighed, leaning into your touch. "Yeah, I was cornered by that girl and her friend, asking me the stupidest questions. Guess people are gossiping about us, but we shouldn't care what they say. You know how I feel about you, you know this is real."

You stood on your tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I know, baby. Whatever happens, we face it together, yeah?"

Soobin nodded in agreement, pulling you in by your hips. "I won't lie, though, the idea of really showing off that you're my girl, is really hot."

You laughed, kissing his cheek. "Let's go put on a show, then."

Loser Taglist : @yangwaa @izzyexe @reiiydained @mackjestic @yawn-zzns @browniestraykidshiteu @n034sy @ladyartemesia @shenquanruii @vixensss @marshmallowywine

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