#i still don't know if i believe that he was real

[shadowmaat]

This is all good information to consider, and the perspective of fostering as opposed to adopting would be a good one to explore more in depth.

While I agree that Din's role was "take care of the kid til I find the right people to raise him," and that this shares a lot in common with fostering, it obviously isn't a traditional set-up. There's no Agency to act as a middleman. No Agency to keep track of records and information. There's just Din.

And that's why I think the handover scene fell apart. Sure, from a cinematic perspective it's all cool and mysterious and brief. Luke swoops in, saves the day, and takes the kid.

But from a realism perspective I think exchanging names and comm codes would be the very least they could do. Even if Din fully plans on never seeing Grogu again. Even if Luke intends to raise and train Grogu in the ways of the Jedi. There are still likely to be questions Luke might need to ask. Does Grogu have any allergies? What's his vaccination status? He's telling me you let him eat five frogs for dessert, and he's so convinced of this I can't tell if he's lying. Is he?

Sure, Luke can get some information direct from Grogu, but he's limited both by what Grogu knows and what Grogu believes. Having another perspective would be useful.

Also, just because a kid gets adopted or goes back to their "real" family doesn't mean the foster parent has to sever all contact forever. That's something that usually gets worked out between the parties. By talking.

It was blatantly obvious that Din and Grogu shared a bond. The least Luke could have done was toss out a breadcrumb. Or explain why he didn't want to maintain contact. Telling Din (and Grogu) that Grogu needs to concentrate on his studies and can't afford any distractions would be a good one. Warning them that their bond is in danger of becoming a threat to them both and everyone around them (as evidenced by Grogu's misguided attempt to strangle Cara) would be great, too, and would emphasize the need for a permanent separation.

Otherwise I don't see the point of implying they'll never be allowed to see each other again. I could get behind a moratorium of, say, a year, to allow Luke to work with Grogu to strengthen his shielding and skills and so forth so that he'll know how to control himself, his emotions, and his bond with Din so that there won't be any danger in a visit/return. But permanent? Why? Canon Jedi lore is a bit of a nightmare to try and parse, but given that Jedi were allowed to go "home" to learn more of their culture, I think there's at least some wiggle room. It could also vary from person to person, rather than being a Temple-wide mandate. Not that it should matter since Luke is doing his own thing and isn't bound by whatever came before.

Anyway! I don't believe Luke "stole" Grogu. That's Sith propaganda right there. I do, however, think things could have been handled better. Even if TPTB hadn't handled it in the moment (and thus ruined all the dramatic tension), there could have been a filler scene showing Din and Luke (or more likely Din and Ahsoka) setting up some ground rules and going over some of the basics of the Care and Feeding of a Tiny Chaos Gremlin.

Favreau really said that Luke Fucking Skywalker is a baby snatcher. The ONE GUY who has never given a single blessed fuck about the jedi attachment rules. He would STEAL A BABY without bothering to leave a name or number to keep in touch with the baby’s dad.

[chaoticwriting]

Gotham's New Rouge 5

Part 4

-Watchtower-

The Justice League is having their weekly meeting today and as always, Batman is reading the reports for global events that the others already read but Batman says that he is sure some of them Barry and Hal don't.

So here they are, bored out of their minds when suddenly, an alarm went off. Not the 'Oh no the apocalypse is happening' alarm. More like ' Oh no something big is happening' alarm.

Cyborg clicks some buttons on his arm and a hologram appears on the table. The hologram shows a livestream with a kid wearing a half mask that has a big red creepy smile on it plus his weirdly glowing green eyes. Both Barry and Hal shudder when they see the eyes of the kid. Suddenly, the kid starts to laugh while greetthe viewers.

Trickster: Hello, everyone! Today, I have a very special livestream. I am doing an interview!

The kid turns the camera into a view of 2 men in white suits being hung from the ceiling staring intensely at the kid.

Trickster: Presenting our guests for today. Would you like to introduce yourselves?

Agent P: Fuck you! You ghost scum. Just you wait until I get out of these restraints.

Agent Q: Release me you bastard! You wouldn't get away with this!

Trickster: Oh yikes. Our guests today are quite violent aren't they? Anyway, let me introduce them. Over here are Agent P and Agent Q or Simon Hawk and Larry Rose. They are members of the now infamous Ghost Investigation Ward, a secret government branch that focuses on "researching" and "developing" weapons against ghosts.

Agent Q: We develop them to fight against scum like you. You evil scheming bastard.

Trickster: Now, that we talk about it. Here is their research conclusion. *Pulls out a stack of paper* *Takes out a pair of glasses and wears them* Ehem Ehem. Ghost or ecto entities are defined as creatures that are made of or heavily contaminated by ectoplasm. Ecto entities are non sentient nor sapient. They take on the form of our loved one to deceive us and kill us. They are evil and must be destroyed.

After Trickster finishes reading the document out loud, he takes off the glasses and puts down the document.

Trickster: Anyway, I'm pretty sure I am sapient and sentient because I have been thinking real hard on what is the next prank is going to be. And I'm also pretty sure that I am not a ghost, at least not fully since I don't know who I am supposed to impersonate except myself.

Agent P: Shut up! We all know that you ghost scum all tell lies. Deception is in your nature from the moment you are born.

Trickster: Racist much? Heh, if I am capable of lies then, I am sentient and sapient but if I am not sentient nor sapient, I shouldn't be able to lie. Make it make sense people.

Agent P: You liar! I've seen what your kind has done before this. That Phantom scum is lucky we didn't catch him or else we would have cut him open and torture him to death.

Suddenly, Trickster stalls at the words. The viewers can see frost starts to form around the room as ice slowly crept up the two agents' legs. An alarm suddenly turns on and Trickster suddenly wakes up from his budding rage.

Trickster: Well well well. It seems we have visitors. Off you go.

Picking up the two agents, Trickster throws them into a portal that he opens as Nightwing and Batman appears on the scene.

Batman: Where did you take them?

Trickster: Sorry, but I ain't gonna tell you. I have a special game for this type of person.

Nightwing: Wait! Trickster, I know you are a good kid. We can talk about it. You can still stop before you do something you might regret.

Trickster: You know, Nightwing. I used to have so much mercy. I let them live. Time and time again. No matter what they did. I forgave them. I let them go. I believe in the preciousness of human lives. But I am not 14 anymore. I can't stay positive and expect them to one day turn to the good side. Not when they don't learn anything from their wrong doing. And I will teach them that every action has consequences.

Nightwing: Wait!

Batman throws a batarang at Trickster but he easily blocks it with a wall of ice. Nightwing tries to rush after Trickster but the portal has already closed before he manages to catch up to Trickster.

The two of them stare in silence as the only thing left of Trickster is the camera that he used to livestream.

[tossawary]

Every now and again, I'll come across some fanfiction in which an emotionally conflicted character will consult (usually kind of trashy) romance novels or in-universe fanfiction for advice or information. And it almost always snaps my suspension of disbelief.

If it's some terminally online teenage geek character or a hopeless romantic bookworm character? Sure! And, of course, there's great humor to be had in a sporty jock struggling with his queer awakening hesitantly picking up the bodice-ripper that his mum left on the coffee table. There ARE scenarios where "romance novels and fanfic as research" tracks just fine. I also understand the existence of the "I want to give this character I like the hobbies I like" / "I want to poke fun at this type / genre of fiction" aspect on the author's side.

But in any scenario with some normie adult man? Some straight, cisgender guy with normie dude hobbies and no evidence that he even CAN read, much less that he enjoys reading? Then it's a "not only would he not fucking do this, I honestly don't even believe he'd know this course of action exists" characterization situation.

Like, there are an astonishing number of people, especially dudes, who could not even name a romance novel to save their fucking life. No, not even a Jane Austen novel or "Twilight" or something. Their eyes glaze over that section of a bookstore. They are mentally filing that shit out to leave more room for sports or first-person-shooter video games or something. They have no respect for this type of fiction, if they're into reading fiction at all! They unconsciously or even explicitly believe that making eye contact with a bodice-ripper will permanently damage their masculinity, and they would flinch away from touching one like most people are scared of scorpions. They don't know aaaaanything about it! They have no concept of "the good stuff" versus "the bad stuff"; it's all soap operas and pornography to them, not a source of information.

And lots of people still don't even know that fanfiction is a thing. They go through life blissfully unaware of fandom wank. Or if they do know of fanfiction, it holds no appeal for them. Playing with other people's characters, or writing fictional stories about real people, is weirdo fanatic behavior to them! Not a source of information.

(And, to be clear, I'm not saying this tracks for all female characters. No, obviously, plenty of women don't like romance novels or fanfic. Plenty of women who do like those would never look at them as sources of information either, for a variety of very good reasons. It's just really funny when a story has the most normie bro guy to ever bro engage with this type of fiction.)

So, like, no, there are some characters whom I cannot be persuaded would ever read any of this stuff. (Speaking as a terminally online fanatic!) And honestly, there are plenty of more realistic and far funnier options for some normie dude character looking for love advice.

A) Friends and family. Or else colleagues and coworkers. It is almost always hilarious when a character goes up to someone else and says, "Hey, hypothetical scenario: [the stupidest shit you've heard in your life]. Any advice for that?" Also, you can have sincerely emotional conversations between friends! Or else good angst if the friend or family member reacts in a hostile manner or gives bad advice!

B) A magazine or chick flick movie. I can easily be persuaded that a normie dude would at least know these exist, or have one left at his house by an ex-girlfriend who made him watch it one time. Normie dudes are also more likely to consider these big publications more legitimate for advice than random romance novels or fanfic.

C) Some random advice column blog or non-fiction self-help book. Could be legitimately good advice for specific situations by a thoughtful professional, could be a money-grab scam written by a quack! How is some lovesick, emotionally dense guy supposed to tell by a book cover?

D) On that note: a relationship advice TikTok influencer or YouTuber or some random advice forum, probably Reddit or the like. The pros and the quacks are unhelpfully everywhere now! And possibly even have a live chat acting as their studio audience to make airing dirty laundry more toxic than ever. Potentially, you will find the kindest person alive with a terrible username willing to gently walk you through therapy, the online equivalent of meeting a figurative angel in a dive bar, but probably not. Bad advice is much more likely.

E) Doing no research, remaining uninformed, and blustering through the situation based on random pre-conceptions if anything. Honestly, I think some of these guys would just ignore the problem, even a potentially deadly problem, rather than touch a Harlequin romance novel, much less AO3 fanfiction. Sexism and internalized homophobia are a hell of a drug. It's just not happening.

I don't have a clean conclusion for this, it's just a funny thing that I've noticed every now and again. There ARE guys who like these types of fiction, of course! There ARE male characters who own an e-reader full of rom novels, sure, and don't give a shit what anyone else thinks. "This [normie male character who is both pretty offline and worries about appearing sufficiently masculine in a pretty toxic way] is reading a lot of romance novels and/or fanfiction as a form of research!" Yeah, no, that's really hard to pull off. If this guy is touching the internet at all, he's far more likely to make the most ridiculous Reddit post you've ever seen and then start belligerent fights in the comments.

[skhv67]

SFW and NSFW Relationship Headcanons with Nam-gyu and Thanos / Choi Su-bong

wc: 2k words overall

tw: NSFW (only +18 please), substance abuse topics, fluff, angst

nam-gyu

• SO, in the beginning this man is not gonna trust you in the slightest no matter how friendly and nice you seem. BUT he won't appear distrustful, if anything he's gonna be friendly with you to see what you have to offer that he could take from you.

• No love at first sight, I don't think he usually thinks outside business or convenience, so it's possible that in the beginning he uses you for his benefit. But as he gets to know you, the connection deepens and he stops seeing you as an object, he's down horrendous.

• Not a single person around him will not know about you, I feel he talks about their partner to anyone willing to listen to him.

• His love language would be physical touch and gift giving. Hands on you ALLLLL the time, he's CLINGY clingy. He'd also use the contacts he makes from the club to take you to cool or fancy places or get you expensive stuff.

• Unfortunately he's an addict and of hard drugs so this will affect his mood and life style 100% in the worst ways. I doubt he'd stop even for his partner because he's exposed to these substances in his job at the club all the time. Still, he doesn't seem the type to offer you to join him in this, the most he could do is offer you weed as a one time thing to have some extra fun.

• Will probably try to sabotage the relationship constantly because of his addiction, because he believes you deserve something better or because he's having insecure thoughts against you. Reasure him!! Drugs can make you paranoid and fuck your mind up so he's gonna need tons of reassurance that what's on his mind is not real and that you love him.

• Unfortunately it will be impossible to not find him during a trip. He's obviously happy when he's not sober, but I think if he was with you during these moments he'd feel guilty and try to harm you verbally to make you leave him or will just hurt himself.

• Suuuuuper prideful. If you've hurt him or you've argued he's definitely more prone to be hostile and close off instead of trying to solve the problem. Like the scene of him eating Thanos pills after he died, he'd probably dismiss your importance in his life to try to make himself feel better about the situation (he fails). He'd probably need someone super patient and understanding of his personality so this doesn't end up in a break up.

• Despite this I feel there's gonna be a lot of splits during the relationship, ypull be apart at least for a few days until one reaches out. He'd rather die than calling you while he's sober to ask you to come back but this man is definitely calling you during an episode and begging you to go help him.

• Masks his pain and protects his true feelings with desdain. In his worst moments (never to your face of course, only when he's using substances by himself), he will insult you and make himself think he's better off without you. This is only a way of self harm, he'd probably sob after thinking that because he'll make himself believe you don't love him and that he's not enough for you.

• Might look like he only looks for his own benefit (which he usually does with most people) but if you've won a spot in his heart he's such a puppy. He'd give you whatever you asked, and he's so soft spoken and sweet when it's just the two of you.

• If you're down for it, he'd want at least one subtle matching tattoo. He's already got a few and as soon as he realizes his feelings he'll be wanting to have you in his skin the very next day (and it'll happen even if you don't want to match with him).

• Hes the jealous type but he won't show it in public. The most he'd do if he got jealous in public would be not talking to you until you're home. A toxic trait of his is that when he's jealous he gets mad at you instead of the other person. He's aware it's not your fault, it's just a reaction of his insecurity.

• If you're ever sad or have a problem he'd handle it. He's not good with words or feelings so his way of comforting would be trying to get revenge on whatever has made you sad. If it's no one's fault he'd be a bit more awkward about it but he'd just hug you until you stop crying.

NSFW

• Heavily sexually driven relationship. He's the type to be infatuated with someone to the point to wanting to be inside their skin and what better way to do that than through sex :D Obviously he won't want you just for this but he sees sex as the most perfect way to show his feelings. He usually struggles with talking about his feelings sober, so this is the easiest way for him to be vulnerable with you.

• He's quite sadistic and if he feels safe with you he'll be less scared of showing this side to you. He loooves calling you slut or whore and overall has quite a degrading dirty talk. If you're sensitive he'll try to bargain about praising you while still using degrading pet names but he's totally fine with dropping this and leaving this side of him outside bed business if you sit down with him and reject it.

• Please fuck this man at least once while you're high. He doesn't want you to do this stuff often like he does but give him a treat every once in a while

• He's into sexting, specially when he's outside hanging with people or working because he's bored out of his mind. Spam this poor man with pics wearing revealing clothes (doesn't ask for nudes just in case he loses his phone) and he'd be texting you the nastiest shit in the middle of a hangout. The best part of this is that this man can't have a poker face for his life so you can clearly picture him smiling and trying to cover his face while looking at his screen.

• Loves worshipping you but let's be honest here, this man loves being praised. He doesn't ever feel appreciated enough so talk about how much you need him and he'll have a boner before you finish talking. If you praise him while he's degrading you in bed he might get a bit shocked at first and even a little shy but this will make him cockier and more confident in himself, which translates in more pleasure for you

• Treats you like royalty during aftercare. And once he's finished and goes back to bed with you, take advantage of how soft he is before he comes back to his shell. Maybe trace his freckles or his tattoos and caress him tenderly and you might even make him want to cry.

choi su-bong / thanos

• This man does NOT have a type, he will try to get with you no matter what. Girly? Into it. Masculine? Into it. Soft spoken? Into it. You curse like a sailor? Into it. You even dare to be unappealing to him? Don't careeee

• In the beginning it's gonna be like all the other relationships or flings he's had: chasing after you trying to charm his way into getting a date. He probably won't even think at first that you're gonna be so special to him but when you two connect he will make you know from minute one that you two are already together.

• He's quite shallow. Not in the sense that he will only care about your looks but they're important to him. As he doesn't have a type, this doesn't mean he won't like you if you don't fit with certain beauty canons, don't worry.

• Quite more thoughtful and softer than Nam-gyu. He might be a bit self absorbed but he's still quite understanding of feelings and he'd handle you with utmost care always.

• It's absolutely impossible having an argument or being mad at this man. Unless you betray him tremendously (please don't), a relationship with him is quite lighthearted and you won't have to be walking on eggshells around him because he never takes anything too seriously.

• Once you two make it official this man is putting you in all his music videos and cd covers. He won't be scared to show you off to his fans either, or to anyone. There's no louder man in this world so you better believe everybody's gonna hear about you (mainly against their will).

• His love language is words of affirmation but you probably expected it because this man is yapper3000. Expect corny improvised raps about you and just pick up lines even when you're already together. Will be flirty with you most of the time so don't worry about the relationship getting dull at some point (he'll make sure it won't).

• He's a user but I feel like he doesn't let it be a problem for him like Nam-gyu does. He sure uses substances for stress or when he's in pain but mainly for fun, and it doesn't really leave any awful consequences on him. It wouldn't affect your relationship and he would be quite protective with you about it, he wouldn't even let you try them under any circumstances. If you already do drugs, he still will worry about you but won't say anything about it unless it gets serious.

• Lives for impressing you, he loves to get a geniune praise or reaction from you. He'd probably push himself to be better just to make you proud of him, because he has you in a bigger pedestal than himself.

• He might be disrespectful to other people but if he loves you best believe you're never getting rid of him, he's the most loyal person you're gonna meet. Won't say a bad word about you under any circumstances and will make sure you know where he stands with you.

• I'm deeply sorry for you if this man gets jealous in public because he's gonna make a scene. He's definitely gonna try to fight the other person to 'defend your honor' so please keep this kid out of trouble.

NSFW

• You could quite literally convince this man to do whatever the fuck you want during sex, seriously. He obviously has his own kinks but whatever you want to try he's up for it. He won't be weirded out about anything and is willing to take whatever role you propose him.

• Make out king. He loves sex but what he loves more than sex is starting it. Both the initial make out and the foreplay are where you'll find him enjoy himself the most. Might elongate the make out session just to do some dry humping tbh, he won't feel ashamed of cumming in his pants. Geniunely, try to make this man ashamed of anything, I dare you

• The give and take is quite balanced in your relationship but he'd be lying if he said he doesn't have a preference for being between your legs. As I said he's more into foreplay than sex itself so good luck when he's trying to get the seventh orgasm out of you only with his tongue.

• The sex is QUITE dynamic... He's too active, the most slow he's gonna be is when you're making out. Enjoy getting manhandled to the moon and back, and good luck with the next day's leg pains.

• Quite chill with aftercare, probably cracking jokes or trying to make you laugh just being himself while he cleans you up. Will watch some TV with you or play some games when you're both finished because he's still quite active.

dividers credit: muffiinss

[deathlygristly]

The spousal person and I chose each other when we were 18. We're 44 and 43 now (I'm seven months older than him which I'm sure scandalizes antis, like I could roll over on my own while he was still a fetus so clearly I am preying on him) and we are still very happily monogamous.

Here's the thing though.

We're both autistic, neither of us grew up religious (well, the spousal person went to Catholic school K-8 but he never believed in it), we both lost a parent before we met (my father died when a month after I turned 7 and his mother died when he was 17, a few months before we met) and on our first date when we were 18 we both agreed that we did not want children and that we cared more about being happy than about outward markers of success and status.

Now 25 years later we don't have kids but we do have a lot of cats, and I often tell him that my dream is for him and the kitties to be happy and he says his is for me and the kitties to be happy. :)

We got married when we were 21, in a drive-thru chapel in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. No rings, no fancy outfits, no guests, nothing like that. Just paperwork and then driving around to the window for the officiant to say the official words, lol. I didn't change my last name.

I've been learning more about autism lately and listening to the Autistic Culture podcast and things, and maybe it's the autism, I don't know. Neither of us really understand conformity or social pressure. Neither of us are real good at socializing long term with other people. We like our routines and our rituals. We're comfortable with each other and very much not comfortable around strangers. Dealing with other people is A Lot for us.

The main thing though is that it was all completely our own choice, from the moment I emailed him and asked if he wanted to hang out without our other friends to now, when I am sitting here with a cat in my lap and he's in the kitchen making a dinner that we both talked about and chose, and then we'll eat it while watching two kdrama episodes that we talked about and chose.

Also I get really confused about things I see on here about marriage and relationships with dudes, because I don't recognize any of what the haters are saying. The spousal person does all the housework except vacuuming. I don't do all the emotional stuff. We take care of each other and support each other. He's really cool and fun and I love him more than the universe and when we're watching a kdrama and something funny happens and he laughs and I look back at him and I hear his laugh and I see his face....it's the most beautiful perfect experience in existence and I want to be near him for always.

But if you didn't choose it, if you felt pressured into it by society or religion or family, if you don't even like the person you're building your life with, if you don't support each other and you don't talk and you don't feel free to be yourself and you're just performing to please some weird external Other....yeah, I can see that being awful.

If what you really want is monogamy and lifelong commitment, you absolutely cannot force it on an unwilling pseudopartner. Domination is not commitment. Abuse is not commitment. Performing to please an external other is not commitment.

To me commitment isn't hard at all. It's the easiest thing in the world. It's just hanging out forever with my most best friend who is also the coolest cutest human to ever exist in all possible realities.

But based on what I've learned about other people since I got internet access...it's not going to be easy if you can't accept yourself for who you are and if you care more about conformity and social status than your own happiness and if you haven't taken responsibility for your own emotions and you aren't willing to work on healing your own trauma.

And if you do work on healing your own trauma and take responsibility for your emotions and get comfortable with who you are and with respecting other people as their own unique self and you find that what you want is polyamory or being single or whatever, go for it! That can be commitment too, to a steady set of multiple partners or to yourself and your own integrity.

I don't know. I think the point is that domination and abuse and forcing others never works and never results in long term happiness, no matter the number of people involved. You gotta respect the autonomous selves of others if you want mature committed relationships, of whatever kind.

Gotta stop here because he says dinner is ready. :)

everybody talks about men in trad marriages having affairs with their secretaries but it’s worth noting a lot of women back then had side pieces too. you can force a woman to submit to you legally but you can never force her to love you or maintain fidelity against her will. you can get rid of no fault divorce and get rid of abortion but you can’t get rid of fun.

[primofate]

Once upon a time there was this fanfiction that I read... [Genshin Spin]

TW: Death, angst, misunderstanding

It was a very, very long time ago, maybe in 2008. I can't even remember what anime it was anymore, but I'm taking those memories and that idea and spinning it into Genshin.

If anybody knows which fanfiction I'm talking about, please let me know as I would LOVE to read it again.

Pick a Genshin Character of your choice.

In the story, you were arranged into a marriage to him for efficiency's sake. As all arranged marriage tropes go, you gradually and actually fall in love with each other.

However, before the wedding happens, you find out that there's something undesirable about him.

For instance, Tartaglia's thirst for battle and his connections with Fatui.

Diluc's guardedness, and how you always felt like you never got the whole of him.

Wriothesley's past. How he has killed people.

Alhaitham's lack of emotion and his logic first approach.

Scaramouche's terrible mouth and lack of respect for anyone at all.

Xiao's unwillingness to open up to you.

Zhongli's experience which far surpasses yours. Sometimes it's like you're not even on the same wavelength.

He gives you a chance to back out of the arrangement. And you, being young and fearful, decide that there is still much of the world for you to see and more people for you to meet. This man can't be the one you'd spend your life with.

So you leave.

Years pass and the more you see of the world the more you realize that no one in this world is perfect at all and, strangely, you find yourself yearning for someone your heart already knows. Your past, arranged lover.

Sure, there were a lot of things wrong with him, but there were also a lot of things wrong with you and when you finally find him, he's even more guarded than before.

He did really take a liking to you back then, so now as he sees you approaching again, you can't blame him for the caution that he shows.

You don't exactly pine for his attention nor his love. But you accepted that you had to start all over again.

You start by getting to know him again, what he's been up to, what he likes to do, what his goals are in exchange for stories of your own. You support him as much as you can, and fondly take care of him as you did before, maybe even more.

Truthfully, to someone looking from the outside, it pretty much looks like you're clinging on to him and in some senses, you are. You took him for granted back then, but you're now willing to repay that mistake with genuine love and care.

Until one day, the enemies you've made come looking for him. You've just been sticking to him real close these days that it's hard to get a hold of you alone, when it's easier to bully you.

So, your enemies feed him lies.

"Duke Wriothesley, correct?"

"Master Diluc, right?"

"Iudex of Fontaine,"

"Former Geo Archon,"

"Balladeer"

and proceeds to tell them a secret that only you would know.

"Y/N? She's disgusted that you killed your own parents."

"She thinks you're pathetic, grovelling over your father's death,"

"Uncaring. Justice always comes first over everything else,"

"You bore her, talking about history the way you do,"

"Pah! Why would she bother with someone rude like you, really?"

and your enemies deal the final blow.

"We've paid her to follow you. Why do you think she's come all the way here looking for you again? You don't really think it was for you? All your secrets? She's sold them to us for a hefty price. Enough to cover her for a lifetime,"

and perhaps it's hard to imagine him believing it on first thought. But this was a man you had already turned away from once and then just happened to reappear into his life randomly again.

So the next time you come looking for him, smile on your face, packed lunch and all... He looks at you with a cold gaze, and accuses you of things you had no idea about.

"Leave. You've made yourself clear,"

"Get lost. You're even more disgusting than I am,"

"I know you're being paid, so cut the crap,"

"You can stop acting now,"

And you... Poor you who really just wanted to gain his favour. Who really just wanted a second chance to love him again, try to ask him what he means but he responds with despise.

"I know why you've been following me. Stop acting like you care and leave,"

Hurt, you leave without further questioning him. Not even a day later, your enemies come knocking at your door. Finally, you're alone.

Finally, they can make a move without worrying about that pesky man of yours.

And finally... they kill you. Just like that, in your own home.

Fortunately, he knows your new address.

Fortunately, he comes looking for you after a few days of mulling over his words. Perhaps he just had to hear your side of the story first. He didn't let you talk last time out of anger, but maybe this time it would be clearer.

Maybe this time it would be different.

Maybe this time...

...

...

...it would be the end.

Does it fit into a Genshin context?

If this is a trope, what trope is it?

What similar tropes like this have you read and liked? Would love to read them :D

Kinda reminds me of a MAFIA thing and I feel like it fits more into that but for the life of me I CANNOT find the fanfiction anymore. It used to be on fanfiction.net

:(

[sleepingdiaryzzz]

ᴇᴄʜᴏᴇs ᴏғ ʀᴇɢʀᴇᴛ

ʙʀᴜᴄᴇ ᴡᴀʏɴ�� x ɴᴇɢʟᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

I keep seeing neglected reader on my tags so I just wanted join in 🤗

ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ!

The Batcave was eerily quiet, the usual hum of machinery and the occasional rustle of paperwork replaced by the soft sound of a child’s muted whimpers. Bruce stood in the shadows, his eyes fixed on the small form curled up on the couch, barely visible beneath the pile of blankets and pillows. The child, no longer the one he'd once pushed aside, seemed to exist in a world far beyond his reach.

His heart clenched when they shifted, those silent tears that fell like raindrops that he'd never quite been able to catch. He hated that he couldn't fix what he'd broken, no matter how hard he tried. All the wealth, all the power, none of it could mend the distance he'd created. But now, in this cavernous space where shadows ruled and secrets whispered, Bruce was trapped in his regret.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice softer than he'd ever let it be before, as he approached the couch, bending down to meet their eyes.

Reader's gaze was fixed elsewhere, lost in the memories that lingered like ghostly echoes. A broken sigh left their lips. Bruce had made mistakes, but this—their distance—was one he could never bridge with words alone.

“You don’t have to be sorry,” they murmured, their voice almost inaudible beneath the weight of the years. “Nothing will change it now.”

They curled deeper into themselves, the soft rustle of fabric only adding to the bitter silence. Bruce frowned but kept his distance. His hands twitched with the desire to reach out, to hold them close, but he was well aware that doing so would only bring more pain. The walls they'd built were taller now, sharper. There was no way in.

It hadn’t always been this way, of course. Once, they had trusted him—believed in him as a father, as the man who could protect them from anything. But those days had been forgotten in the cruel labyrinth of his own failure. He'd seen it, watched them grow from afar, sure that his way of loving them—distant, reserved, and ever cautious—was enough. But he hadn’t realized that love was not a thing to be claimed, a thing to be controlled. It was something to nurture, to build, to protect with patience and understanding. Something he'd lacked.

He took a step forward. “I know I failed you,” he said, but this time there was no deflection. The words were heavy, real. “But I am trying to make it right, and I’ll keep trying. You don’t have to be alone.”

The words fell like a hollow echo in the stillness of the cave. Reader shifted, pulling the blankets tighter around them. There was a coldness in their gaze when they finally looked up at him.

“I don’t need you now. I didn’t need you then,” they whispered, their voice steady but laced with a bitterness that cut deep. “I had another family… one that didn’t abandon me.”

Bruce’s breath hitched, the pain of the truth settling deep in his chest. The weight of their words pressed against him like a thousand stones, heavier than any enemy he'd ever faced.

"Don't say that," he murmured, his hand reaching for them, but they pulled away, the rejection too swift, too sharp. The distance between them seemed vast, a gulf that no gesture could cross. "I know I made mistakes... but I’m here now. You’re not alone anymore."

They stared at him for a long moment, as if weighing every word he'd spoken, every action he'd taken. They’d been so small when he'd first met them, so innocent in their trust. He thought back to the days when their laughter had filled the Manor, when they'd looked at him like he was their world. It felt like someone else’s life now, a time when he wasn’t as broken as he was now.

“I miss my dad,” [name] said softly, so quietly that it almost seemed like a plea. Their eyes were distant, lost in memories Bruce would never be able to share. “I miss the family that actually cared about me.”

Bruce’s hand faltered, falling to his side as the weight of those words crushed him. They were right. He hadn’t been a father to them, not in the way they needed. His life, wrapped up in Gotham’s shadows and the endless pursuit of justice, had left no room for the most important thing: them.

A wave of guilt surged through him, drowning out everything else. "I’m here, baby girl," he whispered, though he knew how hollow it sounded. There was no magic in those words anymore. They had no weight, no warmth. Just the coldness of regret.

[Name] didn’t look up, didn’t acknowledge his words. Their gaze was elsewhere—lost to the past, to the family they had once known, the family who had cared for them when he couldn’t. The emptiness in their eyes spoke volumes, far more than any word could.

"I never needed you to come back," they said quietly, as if the words were simply a fact now, not an accusation. "I survived without you."

Bruce stood there, struck mute by the truth of it. The echoes of his failures rang louder than anything else. All the money, the power, the endless resources of the Wayne family had never mattered when it came to the one thing that would have truly made a difference: love. The kind of love that nurtured, protected, and understood.

He didn’t know how much time passed before they spoke again, but the silence stretched on like a wound that refused to heal.

"I don’t want your pity," they murmured, their voice so small that it cut him to the core. “You can’t fix me now. You can’t fix this.”

Their words were quiet, but they were final. The finality of it hit Bruce harder than any punch. He had been a hero to Gotham, had saved lives, had put down enemies. But when it came to the one thing that mattered most, he had failed utterly.

They were slipping away from him, even now. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Bruce stepped back, the weight of the truth settling into the hollow space between them. For a moment, he allowed himself to feel that emptiness, to understand just how much he had lost. He had missed out on a life that could have been, a life he could have shared with them if only he had been there.

He swallowed hard and turned, the overwhelming weight of regret pulling him deeper into the shadows.

"I’m sorry," he repeated, even though he knew it would never be enough.

But the words hung in the air like a fragile thing, doomed to fade before it could truly be heard.

And [name]? They simply lay there, wrapped in their own world—a world Bruce could never return to.

[turtle-paced]

Have you ever felt like Martin doesn't like Cersei? The way he writes about her made me question? I mean she is both evil and stupid and it seems like we are supposed to laugh at her.

Cersei is pretty evil, and while I don't believe she's stupid, it's hard not to laugh (incredulously or otherwise) at her many, many bad ideas over the course of the series. Especially in AFFC.

But it's also clear to me that GRRM has compassion for this villain he's created - and that he has right from the start.

Let's put this under a cut for domestic violence and sheer length.

Ned touched her cheek gently. "Has he done this before?" "Once or twice." She shied away from his hand. "Never on the face before. Jaime would have killed him, even if it meant his own life." Cersei looked at him defiantly. "My brother is worth a hundred of your friend." Eddard XII, AGoT

GRRM chooses to frame the pivotal confrontation between Ned and Cersei with the reality of the domestic violence Cersei has experienced. Whatever else happens in that scene, whatever else she's done that might or might not be justified, the author makes sure the reader knows, Ned knows, that Cersei has good reason to hate Robert.

When she hesitated, then sat, Tyrion knew she was lost, despite her loud declaration of, "I will not marry again!" "You will marry and you will breed. Every child you birth makes Stannis more a liar." Their father's eyes seemed to pin her to her chair. Tyrion III, ASoS

This is re-emphasised as Tyrion witnesses Tywin's abuse of Cersei. Even Tyrion, who also has good reason to hate Cersei, cannot help but see how their father completely ignores Cersei's desires, reduces her autonomy to rubble, and above all makes her feel small. This is quite deliberately in Tyrion's PoV to make that dissonance stronger. Cersei is awful, but Tyrion can take no satisfaction in Tywin mistreating her.

Similarly,

His sister sat in a puddle of wine, cradling her son's body. Her gown was torn and stained, her face white as chalk. A thin black dog crept up beside her, sniffing at Joffrey's corpse. "The boy is gone, Cersei," Lord Tywin said. He put his gloved hand on his daughter's shoulder as one of his guardsmen shooed away the dog. "Unhand him now. Let him go." She did not hear. It took two Kingsguard to pry loose her fingers, so the body of King Joffrey Baratheon could slide limp and lifeless to the floor. Tyrion VIII, ASoS

Cersei's grief over watching her son murdered in front of her is a key character moment for her. Is Joffrey a good person? No. Is Cersei's immediate response of demanding Tyrion's arrest a good and just idea? No. Is that grief still real? Absolutely.

It was more than Cersei could stand. I cannot let them see me cry, she thought, when she felt the tears welling in her eyes. She walked past Ser Meryn Trant and out into the back passage. Alone beneath a tallow candle, she allowed herself a shuddering sob, then another. A woman may weep, but not a queen. Cersei III, AFFC

That lasts. It's not healthy but it is genuine. The author isn't putting this in here so we laugh at her. The author is putting this here to help us remember throughout the parade of evil and stupid crap Cersei's about to do that Cersei is a human with human emotions.

And when all that crap has backfired on Cersei, the author makes sure we know that the punishment inflicted on her is not for her sins but instead for her biological sex. He shows her break from that treatment.

Words are wind, she thought, words cannot hurt me. I am beautiful, the most beautiful woman in all Westeros, Jaime says so, Jaime would never lie to me. Even Robert, Robert never loved me, but he saw that I was beautiful, he wanted me. She did not feel beautiful, though. She felt old, used, filthy, ugly. Cersei II, ADWD

The walk of shame is just misogyny, pure and simple, nothing to do with what Cersei's actually done wrong. It is deliberately not karma out to get Cersei. It is deliberately not comeuppance. It is a reminder that Cersei has a point all those times when she points out she's been treated differently because of her sex - even if it's not the whole of the reason people don't respect her.

Even if a reader doesn't think Cersei deserves mercy, even if a reader finds her political bumbling funny, there's a lot around her that shows us that the reader wants us to think carefully about what made Cersei both a horrible person and a horrible politician. She is most definitely not there just to be the butt of the author's joke. That's Victarion.

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

"I call BS. You know, I do believe him what he told us about you. You being strong. But honestly, I don't trust you one bit." Iku growls lowly. As for the other question, he glares, "Yeah..I'm a little pissed that you got away. Your answer confirms it. You said that we're not your target. So you're an assassin which makes me wonder...." Iku leads in, "Who the hell are you working for?"

Yuta sighed but he only keeps his hold but he took the hit once more ignoring the sting but he was used to it. However, he looks to Iku.

"Because I'm going to say this, whoever you work for you is going to change things. So I'm going to ask you the real question here."

Iku starts to escape and starts to kick at his thigh and grabs onto his collar, "If the target is us, are you going to kill Rioto?" Iku asked him.

"You don't have to believe me...I know you still hate my guts for what happened. You are not my target but another curse user that was trying to get away. He or you were at the wrong place at the wrong time. I was only after them..not you or the Oda. It was a mistake. As who I'm working for..." he mutters.

"I will say this; if you don't believe me. Who I'm working for is Sukuna Ryomen my boss but as I said, the demons of Oda are not my targets. They are not Mr. Ryomen's targets. He knows his limits but he follows the rules knowing he wouldn't have anyone come here unless something happened. They were never my target. So no, you guys are not my target like I said.....and NO I'm would never harm Rioto or kill you or the others.........I'm not that heartless because I just wanted to make friends. I only go after targets Mr. Ryomen tells me..I'm not trying to be a threat here." he said.

Yuta kept holding him but he sees the foot being put down only to quickly keep him down but didn't let him up yet.

. "What are you trying to pull here??" He whispers as he goes to turn his leg slowly in Yuta's hold. He didn't say anything but Yuta keeps him still not letting him move.

"What do you mean? I'm not trying to pull anything.." he whispered back.

"Are you really Rioto's friend or what? Are you blackmailing him? What are you really after?" Iku asked him, glaring at Yuta. "Are you some hired hitman?"

He didn't say anything but he sighed to look at him. "Of course I am. I'm a real close friend to him and wants to keep him safe and protect him. I wouldn't blackmail him or anything. I'm not a hitman for hire either......" He didn't do too much but eases up on his hold.

"Besides, I just wanted to keep things calm between everyone. Or are you still upset about what happened? I wasn't trying to do anything to him or the others as you. You guys were not my target. I already said sorry to Rioto..but I'm sorry if I made it seem like i was after you..I really wasn't." he whispered back.

[mickeys-been-staying-at-ians]

So Dean is fucked up after Cas is taken into the Empty obviously, all melancholy, no sleep, drinking too much, you know his gist. Sam probably tries to get him to talk about it, but he would never tell him everything Cas said, you know. So Dean is miserable, and Sam is miserable, but THEY DON'T STOP trying to get Cas back.

And they do, somehow. So Cas appears somewhere in the library or wherever they were Doing What Brought Him Back and there's a second of confused, vulnerable silence because this can't be real don't believe it's real he's gonna disappear and it's gonna suck all over again but he stays, and looks at Dean, and then Dean is hugging him, clutching him like... well, like everything that happened, happened, and they're breathing each other in. Cas hasn't had the chance to think about what it all means, yet, so he's not overthinking it. Then they break apart, and Dean has tears in his eyes and his lower lip is shaking, and while Sam hugs Cas, too, Dean's body is like, shutting down, months of exhaustion (physical and emotional) catching up to him, and he feels it coming, so when Sam gets Cas to sit down, making him drink some water, Dean's like "I'm just gonna-" and he's running into his room and he doesn't even make it inside before he starts sobbing. He's sitting against his bed, his face in his hands, all wet now, when Sam comes in. Maybe he knocked, maybe not, Dean couldn't hear him. And he tries to cover himself a little, but Sam sees anyway, and he's so tired, so he just. Doesn't care.

And Sam says, "Dean, don't hide from him" and Dean isn't sobbing anymore but he's still crying into his palms, saying "I'm so tired, Sammy" and Sam knows. He doesn't know what happened between Dean and Cas but Cas said he did something and now Dean wouldn't feel comfortable around him. So, you know. Sam can guess, a little.

So he says, "He thinks you don't want anything to do with him anymore" and "you should go talk to him" and Dean is like "I can't" and he doesn't know why, maybe because he's exhausted, or because he doesn't know what to say to him , or because Cas sacrifised himself for him again, or because he told him he loved him and turned Dean's world upside down and disappeared, or maybe because he's scared.

And Sam knows this is all happening in Dean's head and he knows some of it is whispered to him in their dad's voice, so he says, "you know nothing in the world would ever change how I think of you," and Dean's head snaps towards him, wet with bloodshot eyes, confused and terrified, but he doesn't say anything, so Sam asks, "what really happened down there?" and Dean knows Sam knows. There's a hand squeezing his heart and lungs and he can't breathe, and Sam knows, and Dean wishes he could go back to when it wasn't even an option.

"He's your best friend," Sam says, and he is, he is, he's Dean's best friend, above all else, it's not just sacrifises and battles and blood and desperate confessions, it's also movies and music and inside jokes, so Dean asks Sam to get Cas. He does, and leaves them in Dean's room alone. And Dean says "don't ever die for me again" and "you think you saved me but i was barely alive" and "next time we die together" which is maybe a little fucked up, but he's feeling so raw. He says, "you're my best friend" and looks at Cas, hoping Cas hears everything he isn't saying, how Cas is the most important person in all the universes to Dean. He's family, but he doesn't say that, doesn't want Cas to think he's family like anyone else, because Cas is more. To Dean, Cas is- something Dean won't say yet, but he is.

And they have a quiet dinner with Sam because they're all tired, and Cas showers while they turn on the TV and bring out a couple of beers, and they act like it's a normal day in their life. Dean's head keeps falling and his eyes keep closing, his temples aching, but he stays, and at some point Sam goes to sleep, and when they're alone Cas tries to get Dean to go, too, but he keeps coming up with lame excuses to stay and Cas doesn't know what to make of it until he thinks maybe Dean doesn't want to be alone, or even - maybe Dean doesn't want to leave Cas alone, maybe he's scared something will happen to him again, or maybe he wants to just - be with Cas longer. And Cas is completely out of his element, because why would Dean- But it doesn't matter. His priority has always been Dean's well-being, so if there's any chance Dean is pushing himself because of - some of that, Cas will step up.

So he asks Dean if he can sleep in Dean's room tonight because he doesn't want to be alone. And there's a blaring red light going off in Dean head, screaming he knows he knows he knows Dean wants him to... what? Dean doesn't even know. Cas is asking as if for himself, for Dean's benefit, and Dean. God. Dean loves him, doesn't he? He's always loved him, but he loves him like... like... but he doesn't think it, still. He feels too open, now, and he wants to lock himself in his room and sleep it off and drink and stop feeling so vulnerable, he thinks he must be an open book to everyone, to Cas especially, and god, could people always tell? Can Cas tell, now? But why does it matter? Cas told him- he told him-

But none of it matters, because Cas is here, and he's offereing Dean an easy way out, and Dean is a weak, weak man, and he's exhausted and all he wants is to breathe Cas' air and know he's here, and not going anywhere.

So Dean puts on an old T-shirt and gets out of his jeans like he always does before realizing Cas is here. He flushes all over, sits down on his bed because he didn't think about how this was gonna go. Cas glances at the desk as if he was gonna sit in his chair the whole night, and Dean doesn't actually know if Cas sleeps now or doesn't, which he maybe should've thought of before, but before he can say anything, Cas says, "Dean, I don't want to make you uncomfortable" and Dean, completely lost, says the first thing that comes to his mind, which is, "can you lie down with me?" which is not exactly how he was gonna tell Cas he's the opposite of uncomfortable with him, but it does the trick. He makes Cas get out of his dress pants and gives him a T-shirt to sleep in, too, and flushes even more when he realizes what Cas is wearing. Dean lies down when Cas steps towards the bed, faces the wall because he doesn't know what to do with himself. They lie in silence for an awkward moment before Cas says, "are we okay?" and Dean says, "of course we are" and Dean knows Cas is still overthinking it, and he is, too, but... Cas took the leap, and he must feel so uncertain about them, and Dean thinks he owes him something, at least. Cas told him he loved him. Nothing felt right since then, because Cas died and because Cas thought he could never have what he wanted and because Cas thought he wasn't the most important person in Dean's life with Sammy, whatever that meant, and because Dean had to come to terms with that reality, a reality where Cas loves him, has loved him, him, Dean, broken and all. A man. A man Cas thought beautiful, and loving, and- and Dean has many issues, but Cas was never one of them, and Cas deserves to feel certain about his place in Dean's life.

So Dean asks Cas to come closer, and there's a still moment before Cas does, still too far away from Dean, and Dean can't see him, can't make himself turn because his heart is beating so loud he thinks if he looks at Cas, it's gonna beat out of his chest. So he reaches behind himself, finds Cas' hand and brings it forward, keeps it between his hands and brings them to his face. Breathes Cas in. "Please don't leave again" he says, in that tone he used when he prayed to Cas. He feels Cas shift, finally, as if he lost some of the tension from his body, feels the bed dip behind him, and he doesn't know how Cas moves but then Dean's back is pressed against Cas' front, and despite his beating heart, Dean is feeling the exhaustion start to take him. "Cas, I..." he tries, but he can't think anymore, can't make sense of anything.

"You can fall asleep, Dean," Cas says, his words warm in Dean's hair and the last thing he hears before sleep takes him is "I will be here when you wake up."

So when Dean wakes up, it's to a heavy arm around his chest and slow breaths against the back of his head. There's no moment of confusion about who he's with, or why. He doesn't even get a second to consider if it was real before Cas says "good morning, Dean" and Dean wonders if Cas slept at all. If he needs to sleep, now. There's so much they need to talk about, all three of them.

"Cas," he tries again, remembereing his attempt from last night. He needs Cas to know, for sure. "Cas, I - what you said. You know I. I've never..." and Cas is like "I know, Dean" but he sounds a little confused, so Dean doensn't know what Cas thinks he knows. So he turns, takes a second to notice how close they are now, and he thinks about Cas' eyes, his lips. Thinks, soon.

"You have to know," he says, as if Cas didn't say anything. "You have to know how I - what I" and he can't get the words out, not sure if it would be easier if there were no words to get out or if there were no voices in his head screaming over them. So he breathes in, Cas' scent overtaking his senses, brings his palm to Cas' face. Closes his eyes. Thinks, soon. Thinks, now, and meets Cas halfway.

[theyluvpeach]

black out.

chris takes care of you after you get a little too drunk at his frat ⋆ ★ dealer!reader x client!chris blurb!! pt 2 to your vibes are off :)

Since Chris was actually able to sleep last night, he's able to enjoy this party. He's not a huge fan of parties at his frat back to back, but when it's when of his favorite themes? Hell yeah.

Black Out is the simplest and funniest party theme ever, and since his entire wardrobe is already all black, he never has to go out and buy anything. The biggest thing he did to prepare for this party was trade his usual black shirt for a black tank top.

He was having a good time. Winning a few games of beer pong, losing a few of them, dancing with girls.

Then he saw you. He hates you immensely, really. Your mini black dress and star printed tights brought you so much attention that you might as well have dropped a metal water bottle in a dead silent classroom.

You make him wanna claw his heart out of his chest and blend it up. You, you're different from all the other girls. You give him a feeling that's unrecognizable while a heated kiss or even having sex with a girl does nothing for him. That's annoying as fuck.

He chugs down his beer as he watches you flirt with Aiden, one of his frat brothers. Whatever.

He's starting to think that he's the only one here who has common sense. You're actively stumbling and holding onto the wall to help you walk, and no one's helping you. He knows frat bro's are assholes, but what the hell?

He was going to send Matt to help you since you're friends, or Aiden even. All he is to you is a client, but again. Whatever. He can't find either of them. He hasn't been watching you or anything, but you are insanely hard to miss. He wonders how he failed to see you get this drunk.

He stares at you as you try to stumble to get to your destination. How is he supposed— "Matt?" You slur, turning your head towards him. "I've been looking for you all night." You throw yourself into his arms, he catches you. God, you're wasted. "Chris." He corrects you, staring down at your glittery covered eyelids. "You....you look a lot like Matt... right now." You tilt your head at him, "Triplets, remember?"

The gasp you do is adorable enough to make a smile end up on his face. "Ohhhhhhhhhh," You drag out. "I forgot." He changes the topic. "You're wasted."

"Yeah."

He rolls his eyes. "You come here with anyone?"

"Mh....." He watches as your eyes unfocus. "I.... don't think so." You're unbelievable. "You don't think so, Kid—?"

"Remember...walking here.....I think." You stutter out. He can't believe you're real. "From where?"

"My apartment." You say, giving him an intoxicated smile. "You don't look too happy with me."

"The closest apartments to campus are a ten minute walk. We started this thing at seven o'clock, are you fuckin' stupid? Why would you walk here—" He watches your eyebrows furrow before you drunkly attempt to push him away. He holds onto you harder. "M not stupid." You mumble, "My truck doesn't work."

"You still shouldn't have—"

"N my roommate doesn't like parties, and her boyfriend drives her around every where—" You interrupt, "It's not safe to walk around at night—"

"N, I don't think she really likes me anymore cause' I think she found out that I sell drugs—"

"Kid—"

"M not stupid." He huffs, "Yeah, but it's not—"

"I didn't have a—" He slams his hand over your mouth. "You're not stupid, okay? You're really smart, and you know what really smart girls do? They give me her phone so I can call their roommate and tell them you're staying here tonight." He watches you blink at him. Once, then twice. "Staying.....here?"

"I just got my car cleaned, I'm not giving you the chance to throw up in it."

"Oh...... My phone's dead."

"You remember her number, right?" He removes his left arm, that's wrapped around you to reach into his back pocket for his phone. "She changed her number cause' she was getting too many spam calls n I can't remember it."

What the fuck.

Chris leaves the whole calling your roommate problem for later. Right now, he's focused on you and carrying you to his room. After he's done, he's gonna pray that Matt isn't in the middle of a heated make-out session and can hopefully help him with you.

"You better not throw up." He says, finally opening the door to his room that ends your treacherous journey. "M not, I promise." You mumble, "Off—" You say, starting to slip off the straps of your dress.

He doesn't really understand what you're talking about until he turns around from closing his door, "Woahwoahwoah— Kid—" Luckily, he only sees you start to pull it down. He quickly covers his eyes. "You can't just strip!"

"But I'm uncomfortable!" He hears you whine, "I'll get you something to sleep in, alright?— Just pull your dress back up!" He quickly picks out a hoodie from his closet, when he turns around and finds you face planting on his bed is when he notices the zipper on your dress.

"Kid."

"Mhnfp..?" You let out a noise that gets muffled by his bed sheets. "There's a zipper."

"Oh." He watches you sit up and grab at the back of your dress, attempting to pull at the zipper. "Can't." You whine. "Chris..?"

He swallows and drops the hoodie he picked out for you on his bed. He shifts closer to your spot on the bed, moves your hair out of the way, then unzips your dress. Giving him the perfect view of the mini angel wings you have tattooed on your back.

His heart physically hurts. "Thanks." You mutter, not caring that your dress just fell off your body in front of him, thank God he's facing your back side.

"Hoodie." He reminds you, you slip it on, and turn around towards him. "Gonna go get Matt n were gonna get you water and—" His words die in his throat as you pull off your star tights. "Ah."

"Itchy." Is all you give as an explanation before you're crawling up to where his pillows are and hide yourself under the covers. He's so happy his hoodie covers your ass.

"You're not gonna throw up in my bed, right?" You shake your head into his pillows, "Kid, I swear—"

"I promise!— I'm not gonna throw up in your bed." He watches you curl yourself into a ball, "Night, Chris." You say sleepily, falling asleep immediately.

He observes you for a moment, taking in how cute you look in his hoodie. "Night, Kid."

tags 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚: @inspiredangel @whore4mattsturniolo @domizzzsstuff @sosasturns

[nyuoqi]

            — SO I MARRIED MY ANTI-FAN     ౨ৎ     SES

O2O.    eunseok vs seunghan

✸ SYNOPSIS !  : congratulations! you have been invited to korea's #1 romance reality show 'We Got Married' where you will be living with your co-star like a married couple. but what will you do when you find out that your husband is actually your anti-fan?

author's note 𐬹 ۫ ۪  feels so good to be back :)

(1.98k words, not proofread)

YOU WANDER AROUND THE APARTMENT in search of any entertainment, bored out of your mind. Today is a day-off for you, Eunseok and the production team. Which means that there are no cameras filming you for today, giving you the freedom of doing whatever it is you want to do.

The day went by quickly as you spent it on nothing but your phone; texting Seunghan who has somewhat become your new friend and scrolling through your social media.

It is during near your bedtime when you realise how unproductive you have been today. So you decide to put your phone away and wander around the apartment in search of anything to entertain you.

The sight of Eunseok setting up his phone in the living room stops you in your tracks when suddenly an idea comes up in your mind. Grinning to yourself, you walk up towards Eunseok on your tippy toes to surprise him.

Eunseok on the other hand isn't exactly cluless to your plan. He has his back facing you as he struggles to find a good angle where he can balance his phone while simultaneously move his hands freely. His front camera mirroring him. 

At the corner of the screen, Eunseok catches the sight of you creeping up on him, the mischievous glint in your eyes couldn't have been more obvious. Eunseok struggles to hold back a grin the more he sees you, finding you absolutely adorable.

"I can see you, you know? " He says with a laugh, his back still facing you.

You visibly stiffen for a few seconds, your lips falling into a soft pout and your eyes looking defeated. Eunseok observes you from the screen of his phone, the grin he is holding back now displayed in a toothy way.

"Do you want me to pretend I didn't see you the first time so that you can surprise me? " He suggests with a playful tone. Your pout deepen and it seems as if you don't appreciate his suggestion.

Eunseok's grin grows bigger if possible, finding you absolutely adorable when sulking.

"Come here, sit beside me. Don't think I haven't realised how you were basically pacing around the apartment for the past 15 minutes. " He says as he taps the empty spot beside him.

You don't hesitate to head over towards him and occupy both the spot beside him and his personal space as you lean forward on his arms. You then grab one of his arms and drapes it on your stomach, cocooning yourself into his warmth.

The small intimate act makes Eunseok lightheaded as butterflies erupt in his stomach. That must've been due to the amount of chocolate he has consumed today, mustn't it? 

Eunseok fail to even believe his own words the moment the tip of ears turns pink, making him slowly lose focus.

"What are you doing? " You ask your husband who has been fixing the position of his phone for the past few minutes, seemingly trying to find the perfect angle. You tilt your head up to meet Eunseok's gaze, unconsciously snuggling closer to him. "Are you trying to take a picture? Could've just asked me you know, I'm pretty good at taking pictures. "

Eunseok almost laugh at your assumption. If only you know the real reason he's setting up the camera, you would probably be frowning and asking him why. You probably will also have your eyebrows meet from an adorable frown.

"I'm gonna have a video call with my members, why? " He says softly, finally getting the angle he's looking for. He leans back on the couch and pulls you along with him. He's cautious though, fearing that you are able to hear his loud heartbeat if he pulls you in closer.

You say nothing as you scroll on your phone, giggling to yourself at a silly cat video on your TikTok For You page. You lightly tap on Eunseok's arm to show him the video, your giggles only getting louder as you keep on rewatching the video.

After the video replays for three times, you finally lift your head up to take a look at Eunseok's reaction. Surprise overtakes your body when you catch Eunseok staring into your eyes.

He doesn't stop— no, he continues to stare at you even when he gets caught in the headlights.

Your cheeks grow warm. You want to look away and bury your face in the pillow beside you, maybe you might even pretend he wasn't just staring at you. However, you somehow just cannot take your eyes off of him.

The same thing goes for Eunseok.

A vibration from your phone causes you to look away from him. You fish put the small device from your back pocket and check the notification. Seunghan has sent you a message.

hannie ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა

eunseok is about to beat my ass via discord Pls help me. 🙏

Your eyes narrow at the text message, a confused hum escaping your mouth. Eunseok takes note of the sound and glances at your phone. He immediately sees the text message sent from Seunghan.

You know Eunseok is watching your screen so you simply turn to look at him. "What does he mean by this? " You tilt your head, confused. 

Eunseok opens his mouth to answer but he struggles to find the right words for it that won't make him sound insane. You tilt your head further and Eunseok finds himself getting distracted by your beauty.

You look so adorable from this angle, he thinks. The position is perfect. He has your back pressed against his chest as his right arm rests on your shoulders. Your rounded eyes looking straight into his. The smell of your sweet body lotion invades his nose and he loves it so much. Most importantly, the warmth of your body provides comfort to him— like a soft blanket on a chilly autumn evening.

A loud ringing sound coming from Eunseok's phone causes the both of you to break the eye contact. Eunseok hesitates but the sound is too loud to his liking.

He looks at the phone he has just set up snd see an upcoming discord video call from 'RIZZLERSSS 😏🔥'. He sighs deeply, reaching out to decline the call. However you stop him, asking him if it's Riize's discord server.

"Are your members in there? " Your eyes sparkles when you turn to look at Eunseok again. He hesitates a bit but eventually mutters a small yes. You gasp, your body turning around to face his as your left hand touches his right shoulder. "Can I talk to them, please? "

Eunseok wants to decline, knowing the true nature of the video call. However the sparkles in your eyes are just too captivating. Actually, it might be your touch on his shoulder because he swears he can feel himself getting hypnotised. He can't say no to you anymore.

"Of course. " His smile crooks as the words leave his mouth, yet he presses on the accept call button, putting both of you in the call.

"No we can't cancel this, how else am I supposed to see you guys e-fighting? " Sungchan says to Seunghan who is trying to convince everyone to leave the call.

They continue to bicker for a little while until Wonbin points out the small screen with you and Eunseok inside. "Is that Eunseok— and Y/n? " He says, confused.

You give him a little wave along with a smile. Unmuting the mic, you greet them excitedly. "Hi everyone. Hi Seunghan! " You wave a little more enthusiastically at Seunghan, missing the way Eunseok's eyes narrows at it. The rest of the members looking uneasy, especially Seunghan.

"Where's Sohee? " Anton asks, trying to break the ice. Everyone only realising then that one of their maknaes are missing. Shotaro shrugs, "Probably blowing up the toilet. I saw him eating the 2x spicy buldak for dinner. "

The call is silent for a few seconds. No one knowing what to say. Normally, their call has never been silent. However, the presence of you makes a few of them shuffle in their seats awkwardly.

"You know what fuck this. " Sungchan says before clapping his hands. "Welcome everyone— and Y/n— to the fight of Eunseok and Seunghan! "

You frown in confusion, your body turning back around to face Eunseok. "What do you mean fight? You're gonna fight Seunghan? How, virtually? " 

Eunseok's body tenses for a moment, his eyes not meeting yours. Instead, he looks over to his members over the call and sends a help signal through his eyes.

Sungchan chuckles awkwardly, his hand rubbing his nape. "Well Y/n, Eunseok here is super jealous of Seunghan for getting your attention so we, as per his request, set up this call for them to fight! " He ends his speech with a toothy grin.

"Is this what this is about Eunseok, you're jealous? " Your tone unbelievable at the newly found information. "Is this why you were grumpy this morning? " A chuckle leaving your lips this time.

Eunseok finally looks down on you and nods sheepishly, his lips pursed together. "I mean, I'm your husband and this is supposed to be our honeymoon yet you're giving Seunghan all the attention. "

You laugh louder this time, the sound of it resonating within the four walls of your living room. "So you're telling me you did all this just because you were upset I didn't give you my attention? Oh Eunseok... " 

Your eyes look at him with sympathy but your lips are teasing him with a smile. "You're so cute when you're jealous. Now tell me, what do I have to do for you to stop jumping on Seunghan? " Your hands reach up to pinch on his naturally flushed cheeks.

"Follow me on twitter. " Eunseok mumbles quietly, embarrassed at his own request. You tilt your head, not catching his words. "What did you say? "

Eunseok turns his head away from you, refusing to look into your eyes as he repeats his words louder, "Follow me on twitter. "

Did you hear that right? There's no way Eunseok is telling you to follow him on Twitter only because he's jealous with Seunghan. You must've been hearing things wrong and it seems as if everyone else are thinking the same.

"Eunseok be so fucking for real. " Seunghan is the first one to break the awkward silence. One nasty look from Eunseok is enough to shut him up.

"Okay guys, not too much on Eunseok, he's just jealous. " You defend, surpassing a smile. Eunseok opens his mouth in protest but gets cut off by you, "Now if you guys don't mind, we will be leaving the call because apparently my super jealous husband wants me to follow him on Twitter. Bye! "

The small screen that belongs to you and Eunseok disappears the moment you leave the call. You laugh and pinch Eunseok's cheek after you press the 'follow' button on his account. 

"You're so silly sometimes. " You say, your nose scrunching as a result of you smiling a little bit too hard. Eunseok can't help himself from grinning like an idiot, shamelessly admiring how pretty you look like when you smile.

"Yeah, I guess I kinda am. " He replies with flushed cheeks.

On the other side, a beat of silence passes by after you leave the meeting. The members look at each other in confusion until Shotaro speaks up for the first time that night, "What the fuck. "

Sohee, who joins the meeting late as a result of him blowing up the toilet looks at everyone in confusion. "Where's Eunseok? Why are you guys so quiet? " He asks.

Sumgchan shakes his head, still stunned, "I don't know either man. "

yn's new priv's layout btw:

𓍼  previous  |  masterlist  |  next  𓂅

TAGLIST (closed) : @ujisworld @leileixq @renjunsversion @marshwatz @onlyhyunjin @yipyipmorals @wonychu @renjuneoo @secretiny @haowonbins @https-yeonjun @vixensss @luffysgfforevaa1 @beomgyusonlywife @st4rryhae @woniepop @gisellessgf @yningz @jeeluv @billiondollarworth @keilovr @nyiaswrld @meowbini @asahilvr @brachioswrld @chuutaroo @sinsgaybutthatsokay @sunriize @samvagejkflxhrt @itsactuallylina @injunnie-lemon @skibidihan @fae-renjun @nujeskz @wantluv @lilyluvszb1 @jyullery @lotties-readings @sanasour @dutifullyannoyingfox @haechansbbg @woongiez @kaelysian @niinaspeaks @en-verse @yyangj3lly @sa3ha @astro-doll-the-star @mizuhasgurl @lovaeri

[gamorahww]

𝐅𝐈𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐀 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 ━ 𝑑𝑎𝑦 2. 𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔

Today I'm holding space for the idea that in the context of the movie, dancing is a coping mechanism for Fiyero. While caring is a cure and a solution and an answer. I mean it is nothing new, but it needs to be said.

There will be a separate post on Dancing Through Life later today, but for now, we're starting from later. At history class, Fiyero voluntarily steps up to help the lion cub, and they make it all the way to the forest. Shortly after they are safe, and start talking, Elphaba says, "I know my life would be much easier if I didn't care, but—" and Fiyero cuts her off at exactly this point in her sentence. And I think that moment is crucial. Up until now, he’s never interrupted her before—but now he does and not because he’s frustrated with how much she talks, but because of what she’s saying. He doesn’t want to hear her talk about caring. That’s a pain point for him.

Because he knows it’s easier not to care. That’s the story he tells himself.

The lyrics in Dancing Through Life go: "Why think too hard when it's so soothing?" Soothing what? You don’t need to soothe something that doesn’t hurt. Soothing is only necessary when there’s an ache. To me this means he has cared before, and he has been hurt by caring before, and now he's coping with that by dancing through life. He is soothing his pain from secretly caring just too much, by dancing. Not because he doesn't care anymore about anything, but because he can't stop doing it, so he has to keep dancing. Dancing is loud, and visible. If he dances, people don't ask questions about his personality about what he thinks or how he feels. Maybe they haven't been doing it anyway, so he distracts them by doing his little dance, and as soon as they get too close, he pushes them away. But what he believes to be true for now is that caring = painful and dancing = a way to cope with that pain

But Elphaba just saw him care—deeply. She knows he’s capable of it. And she knows how unbearably sad it must be to choose to pretend otherwise. At the same time, she also understands how painful caring can be, she just highlighted is. In that moment, they find common ground.

But Fiyero’s façade—his carefree persona—is what he assumes people value in him most. So the second he realizes Elphaba doesn’t see him that way, he panics. He thinks that if she can see through him, it means she doesn’t want him there. No one has ever appreciated him for anything beyond the image he projects. So if that mask is gone… what’s left? Why would she still want him around, if he's not fun and happy and carefree? So he starts to leave.

And then she proves him wrong.

Not only does she say "she does (want his help)," but she physically holds onto him, keeping him there. The shock on his face (second gif from the bottom) says everything—he never expected someone to want him without the act. And later, when she touches his face so gently, you can see him struggling to process it. This is the most vulnerable he’s ever been, and it terrifies him. Not only that, but Elphaba sees a scar on his face, and sees that he has been hurt, without him noticing it. She reaches out and touches him gently, not really wanting anything, and he just can't bear it.

Her caring for him is not painful, it's soothing.

His Freudian slip a few beats later—"I better get to safety."—isn’t just about physical danger. This doesn’t feel safe. Being seen, being wanted for real, is the opposite of what he’s used to. Caring and being cared for are equally scary, but only the latter seems like a completely new experience for him. However, after feeling it, he finds something so real that he just yearns for it from now on. Yearns to be seen and touched and to be needed for something he did instinctively, without a thought, something he did because it felt right.

That’s why the later scene with Glinda is so important. When she holds his hand, the shot mirrors the moment with Elphaba—but with one key difference. Glinda is pulling him away, back into the world of pretense. But he can’t go back, not after this, and you can see him looking back at where he came from, back to the forest, back to Elphaba, back to being seen. For once, caring was not painful, and someone cared for him as well.

[jjcattt]

okay I have. sooooo many thoughts about the new severance episode. here they are in roughly chronological order:

what's up with the breathing tube (?) in cobel's car?

mr milchick did NOT look happy about those paintings. with this and the screensaver I'm wondering if his dissatisfaction with lumon higherups will be a big plot point this season. I hope he gets a redemption arc his ass is too fat to be evil

what the fuck is up with the goats???? with the introduction of all those new characters it seems like they'll be important later. I also noticed a goat statue in Devon's house. what does it meannnnnn

we didn't see much helly in this episode but I'm still very firm on my position that helly is NOT helena.

irvingggggggg...... he drew burt EVERY SINGLE DAY..... irving was the only thing that burt was scared of...... if they don't see each other again this season I'll cry

note that irv seems to have a photographic memory though. I wonder if that'll come into play later.

serious props to Natalie's actor. she's so perfectly terrifying this episode.

interesting to see them trying to rework the you you are. I'm willing to bet good money that they'll manage to turn it into some crazy pro-lumon propaganda with those "slight changes".

the thing with the light is so insanely smart. bet you it was Devon's idea lol

mark's reaction to the confirmation that Gemma's alive... god I hope the brain death theory isn't real I can't stand seeing him so distraught like that.

THEY DID IT. HE REINTEGRATED.

that ending in general was just. so fucking good. as a big Tech Guy i loved all the little sciencey stuff. the oscilloscope? the resonant frequency sand thing? all the little switches? fucking awesome

the cuts were much quicker and less disorienting than petey's were, so I hope that means it actually worked and he's not going to lose it like petey did. please?

AND THE CREDITS. THEY'RE WHITE ON BLACK. NOT BLACK ON WHITE. THERE'S BEEN A HUGE SHIFT AND I'M SO READY FOR IT.

I think this is my favourite episode of season 2 so far. I know that's not saying much because we're only 3 episodes in but I loved this episode so so much. can't believe we have to wait another week for episode 4...

[caelivir]

hi! for ur event cld i request a brothers best friend!iwaizumi and lovesick by laufey to the aux pls? femreader pls! tysm!! 💗💗

now playing: lovesick by laufey

fun fact: this was my 12th most listened to song of 2024 like i was obsessed w it. sorry this took a little too long. i rewrote this so many times like i don't think you understand how much i was struggling w this.

content. iwaizumi x fem!reader, snuck in fwb, angst if we squint, mentioned/implied boombayah time, reader queen of assuming, no beta | wc. 800+

you wake up to morning sunlight peaking through the curtains and the subtle rattling of the window that accompanies the november winds. you immediately register an arm draped over your waist. the memories of last night suddenly wash over you, making you stiffen as you recall them.

you shift in your bed, the blankets and sheets rustling as you do so. you flip over, facing the man who makes your heart ache and flutter all at once. his arm brushes your skin as you adjust.

you feel it start again, the beat in your chest picking up when your eyes fall on iwaizumi. a ghost of a smile passes through your face as you take in his peaceful, sleeping expression. the rise and fall of his chest matches your own.

the sun’s golden rays paint his features in a way that makes him look more beautiful than he already is. you soak in every detail; the length of his lashes, the slope of his nose, his lips that are chapped ever so slightly.

iwaizumi is a sight for sore eyes.

it’s pathetic how quickly you fell for him, even when the core of your relationship calls for it to mean nothing. but how could you not? he’s caring beyond your comprehension, respectful to everyone, and supportive when you need it. you’ve never adored someone as much as you adored him.

however, you’re certain iwaizumi doesn’t feel the same way. you know that there’s a part of him that holds you as his best friend’s little sister. you think that’s why he leaves in the morning, because staying makes it more than it should be.

yet for some strange reason, he’s still here today. you don’t know why. that in itself makes your heart pound.

before even realizing it, your hand finds his face, cupping it gently, as if to check that he’s real. the moment your skin touches his, he stirs, eyes squeezing before fluttering open. you nearly pull back, the embarrassment hitting you, but the sleepy grin that graces his face is enough for you to decide otherwise.

“g’morning.” iwaizumi mumbles groggily, pressing a chaste kiss to your palm.

“you’re here.” you answer and regret instantly. that’s not what was supposed to spill out of your mouth. bringing it up only sparks the conversation you’re unprepared to face.

“yeah.” he responds, already aware of what you’re insinuating.

you swallow the lump in your throat. your eyes catch the hints of olive green swirling in his irises. for what seemed like ages, neither of you dared to speak. the silence engulfs the room until iwaizumi breaks it. “we need to talk. it’s… long overdue.”

you know it is, but this can only go one of two ways. this arrangement continues, or it ends. only one ensures that you don’t accidentally end up pushing iwaizumi away.

“let’s call it quits.”

iwaizumi blinks. his eyebrows come together like what you’ve said is the most confusing thing in the world. “what?”

“c’mon iwa, we both know doing this was a mistake. not to mention tooru would freak if he found out-”

“he already knows.” iwaizumi reveals.

this time it’s your turn to blink. your jaw falls open as your eyebrows scrunch. “what?!”

“i told him.”

you sit up abruptly. the blanket falls to your lap, and your quick to pull it back up to cover your chest. the panic is evident in your voice as the questions pour out of your mouth. “why on earth would you do that? are you nuts?”

iwaizumi groans as he uses his arm to force himself up. “i’m grateful that he’s in argentina because i’ve never seen him so angry in my life. believe me, if he could, he would’ve reached across the screen to strangle me.”

“if he knows, then why hasn’t he said anything to me?” you ask.

iwaizumi looks down at your hand. his finger twitches as if he longs to grasp it. “i asked him not to.”

“he willingly he agreed to that?”

“after he heard what i had to say, yeah, he did.” iwaizumi runs his tongue over his lips, nodding. you watch his fingers inch closer. they graze against yours until his own warmth engulfs them. he brings his eyes up back to you.

you swallow, steadying your breath before speaking. “and what’d you tell him?”

“…that i’ve fallen in love with you.”

in that moment, the heavens open up. the sky sings. the words you’ve only dreamed of hearing materialize into reality.

“i know you said you want to end this,” iwaizumi brings your hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to your knuckles. “and if that’s what you want, then we can do that.” he leans closer, kissing your forehead. “let’s start over properly, but i won’t let you go. not now. not ever.”

“iwa…”

iwaizumi cups your cheek. he brushes away a tear that had escaped your eye. “what do you say, sweet girl? let’s give us a shot?”

[betweenthescarletmoon]

hello fellow mutual from tiktok!!! I am so happy to see you put your thoughts here, i feel it was much harder for us to discuss jayce over there!

I agree with everything you said. A fourth act would've worked wonders for Every Character, not just him. And it does anger me so much that Jayce wasn't seen nor Written as a profound character because of s1. I wish i could have a talk with Christopher Linke about this

The idea that people can only like characters because they're attractive to lessen the load of digesting media is imo most likely the Editing Effect of inatagram and tiktok. It pains me to say but i do wonder if arcane came out by the time we as a generation watched AMVs and 7min edits on youtube instead (or at least i did). Maybe then people would have more profound thoughts on all the characters, including Vi, Jinx, Silco, Mel. And i am glad we can discuss things more over here, but it's still not as common to discuss and analyze as it used to be either.

You've mentioned one of my biggest gripes with fandom interpretation in the cave, WHO would debate bisexuality when they have nothing left but the crumbling inner workings of their mind, building the last comfort it can?? Thank you, i really like the idea that he also found himself resenting them, that is actually a much closer observation to how he Looks at them. I truly like that transition from his tears (which represent his old, vulnerable, sweet self) to that colder bitterness that guides him for the rest of the season (until we get the ending, which from a character narrative standpoint, doesn't make sense to me tbh).

Here's the thing, I've also placed myself in the difficult position of liking those thirst edits, saving them in a folder called "thirst traps" to keep them apart from my Real Jayce Folder, laughing at some of the "why trauma jayce kinda" and the like...while also deep down just feeling so empty and sad about it but feeling like there was nothing i could do about it? I don't wanna be dramatic but it Felt isolating. And maybe it does make me a hypocrite! Conformity and yadda yadda, but i cannot imagine that Jayce was designed to not be hot. I believe that was fully intentional, but i also thought that they were prioritizing his character. When i first saw act 2, i didn't know his agency would be obliterated and his arc ripped from his hands to place it solely on Viktor's. So now it feels even worse, that That is what the writers used him for too. And people are completely fine with it! They're so happy about the soulmates.

Your observations about him not stopping and being stuck in survival mode bring me clarity fr. He's never truly been a man about rest, was he? Perhaps that was his main trauma response all along, sacrificing sleep and Academy grades to get Hextech running, almost killing himself the moment he felt he lost it. Of course he'd do that at a more extreme level, but because act 3 doesn't rest or let the story breathe, i frankly didn't interpret it as that, it just felt like he conveniently stopped being mentally ill to give a speech and fight the war 😂 if he survived, he probably wouldn't have stopped, because stopping meant that PTSD would rear its ugly head. But the tragedy of it all Was that he died. Saving the world yes, but it feels so empty and cruel that he suffered so much just to die. No real accomplishment or meaning, just him serving the narrative and saving Viktor.

PS : i adore viktor i really do but it's getting hard not to resent him bc of what the writers did to butcher him, and how they stripped jayce of everything he was outside of him. I still love him! I promise!

And mutual! If you wanna keep talking in DMs you are welcome to!!

Random Thoughts on the Arcane Fandom about Jayce

this is gonna be a mess but I have nowhere else to talk about this.

I've recently noticed how Jayce Talis has been subjected to all kinds of sexualization since the drop of Act 2 of the second season. People have mentioned many times how trauma has made him "hot". A good and well-known example of this is Danny Motta's reaction to episode 5, where he said, "Holy shit, they made Jayce hot! [...] My dude went from looking like a Muppet to the king of Rohan, and all it took was a little bit of trauma."

This isn't entirely new for him? If people didn't hate Jayce back in S1, they ogled him in the scene where he works on the Forge shirtless, which IS kinda the point because the animators are making him very obviously attractive. But most importantly, he as a character has been reduced to his sexual or romantic relationships since the beginning of time.

It seems that S2 is a response to this in a way. His arc from the ending of S1, where he took responsibility of his actions out of guilt for the child he killed, was slightly set aside for Viktor. Well, ALL of his life, dreams, decisions, everything about him was eclipsed by Viktor's shadow because of the whole "all times, all possibilities" twist. He wasn't expected to show up as a Councilor in any of the meetings, and we must assume he quits at some point, but he surely hasn't resigned from his position by the time Viktor wakes up. Apart from that much needed scene between him and Cait, and the one where he attends the memorial (and is attacked by a vengeful mother), we don't see many of his decisions or what leads him to make them, other than Viktor. This is beautiful in a way because we can SEE how it is a trauma response to losing him. He is obsessive by nature, and he clings to what keeps him and his loved ones safe excessively, but I still had to do a bit of mental gymnastics as to why he went back on the second promise: to not build Hextech weapons again. (Hint: it has to do with the fact that VI saved him with HIS weapon, but it went so fast it's hard to process in the first watch.)

Now back to the sexualization problem. Every time I look up his name and trauma, or PTSD, 95% of the results are thirst edits on Tiktok about how hot he is. No joke. One of the more serious results is my own edit. Of course, a lot of people connect with his suffering without naming it as trauma, and that is great. My concern is that there has been so much focus on Jinx's trauma, Viktor's trauma, even Silco's trauma (which are all valid and fascinating to explore), but there's less attention for other characters who clearly show how their own traumatic experiences has shaped them. Vi, Caitlyn, and Jayce are some of the clearest examples of this, and they've experienced some truly heinous things in the show. Trauma cannot be compared, ever. But why is it that Jayce, who lived through an apocalypse that HE knows HE caused, and lives in complete isolation except the "company" of metal watchers, to the point that he loses touch with reality, and is changed so irrevocably that he loses the naivety and starry-eyed optimism that has always defined him...is seen as hot? And more importantly, why is it that there is very little attention to his experiences on that cave? Every scene between him and Viktor is uploaded in 1080 HD quality, but the scenes of him alone? Fighting to survive? Showing remarkable resilience in the face of his suffering? No, that's not as fun. Not a single one of those scenes is uploaded fully, and I have checked many times. (Some people have actually skipped those scenes to focus on Timebomb. I'm...)

I went online and looked up "why do people sexualize traumatized characters" because let's face it, it's real, it's interesting, and I cannot judge or else I am a hypocrite. Bucky Barnes, Loki, Ellie Williams, Dean Winchester, Vi herself, the list goes on much longer but I can't think of others off the top of my head. We connect with their suffering, and we are pulled by their experiences.

However, Jayce is such a complicated case because he is usually thought of as the greedy himbo that fumbled two baddies, or the confused bisexual, or the guy who lost it because of a situationship (much like Vi, who DID NOT lose it because of a failed romantic endeavor bfr). And then the plot goes and tells us, "Actually, yeah, his life outside of Viktor doesn't matter, he's not even supposed to be alive, because Viktor saved him. All of time is completely inextricable from Viktor." People hate meljay because she manipulated him and "trapped" him in a relationship or something, only to celebrate it when something suspiciously similar happens with the male romantic interest? I initially thought it was beautiful too, bc Soulmates, but man. Mage!Viktor really left the man he loved to rot in complete isolation, eating raw reptiles until throwing up, losing his mind. Say what you want about the allegory for Viktor's life, at least Viktor's isolation was metaphorical up until the Glorious Evolution.

Despite us being shown this, people make thirst edits of him in his black fit, and fighting with sexual tension with Viktor. I fear...that I am the only one who finds this tragic. The man forced to create a larger than life persona to sell his work and be seen as an attractive pawn of the system, has become the attractive pawn of the narrative. Viktor's narrative.

Perhaps Viktor was forgotten by the world. But Jayce's kind heart, and brave soul, were forgotten by us.

Just some thoughts to chew about my favorite character and my wish that more people focused on his arc with me