#i want them to have a proper relationship please i am begging

[captainbfresh]

I want them to get married so during the vows Tommy can take the piss out of Evan 'I'm an ally' Buckley for a disastrous first date

[froggibus]

Saw your post!! Any thoughts on what Junkrat, Mei, Venture, and Sombra might do if their respective s/o's wanted a prize from a claw machine? Who can actually do? What do they do if they can't?

Claw Machine - Junkrat, Mei, Sombra & Venture

Genre: fluff, little crack

Summary: how your s/o would win (or steal) you a prize from a claw machine

CW: sombra’s a jerk, established relationships, theft (in a funny silly goofy way), Ven gets stuck in a claw machine, none of these people are good at games sorry

thanks so much for giving me a cute fluffy req ^^ I really appreciate it. sometimes writing so much smut gets a little overwhelming so I am grateful for fun little ideas like this!! 💓 hope you’re having a great day lovely someone pls remind me in the morning to give this a proper banner

@kitsune-loves-fics wrote a beautiful continuation of Venture’s part! come check it out here 💓

Junkrat:

insists he’s the best at claw machine games

he is not.

however he will spend all day and all the money he has just so he could get you whatever prize you wanted

unrelated but Mako is probably crazy at claw games

keeps promising he’ll win it for you but progressively gets worse and worse at the game

eventually gets annoyed and starts shaking the machine

please walk away it’s so embarassing

if that doesn’t work he will literally break the glass and just grab the toy for you

gets down on his knee like a dork and hands it to you

“for you, little cricket”

grabs your hand and runs away giggling from security

you’re legally obligated to keep the toy forever or else he’ll get sad

Mei:

probably average at the claw game

she won’t try all day but if you really want it, she’ll give it at least ten tries

gets kind of confused when she can’t win and decides to apply some science to it

literally calculates a bunch of math based on how fast it moves, how far away it is, size of everything etc

the math still doesn’t help

some kid probably comes up and does it on the first try and she’s staring at them like ‘how’

is completely focused on this damn claw machine now just to get you a little plushy

please bring her a drink or something to boost her mood

when you walk away she’ll try to put her hand in the machine but her arms are too short :(

in the end she recruits snowball and together they manage to get you your little plushy ^^

however she feels so guilty about it after she has to confess to you

Sombra:

she will never let herself be defeated by ANY machine

she’ll probably tell you to win it for yourself and lean against the machine with a smirk while she watches you

you’ll pout at her and beg for her help but she wants to see how ‘dedicated’ you are first (whatever that means)

eventually she gives in (she can never resist you) and steps up to try the game

and immediately loses.

doesn’t even try again, she just hacks it and forces it to do whatever she wants

doesn’t just grab you one plushy, she practically cleans out the whole machine

“liv can we just leave? people are starting to stare?”

“just one more, cariño”

it will not be just one more, but how can you resist when she’s being so sweet?

Venture:

dork ass steps right up the minute you press your face on the glass and coo about how cute it is

“don’t worry babe, I got this”

(they really do not)

they will hyperfocus on it and play it for literal hours

they’re not even bad at it—they keep winning prizes, just not the one that you want

you could leave for ten minutes and come back and they’ll still be trying it

after maybe an hour of playing they get you to stand on the side and shake it for them

if that doesn’t work, they try to shove their arm up there but they’re so muscly they get stuck

you end up having to call the fire department to get them unstuck lol

and the owner of the place feels so bad (or maybe embarrassed) for you guys that they unlock the machine and just give you the toy

masterlist | overwatch masterlist

(if you enjoy content like this, interactions go a long way! comments, likes & rbs are always greatly appreciated ^-^ !!)

[lucvly]

can you do hcs of being chris’ gf and also matt’s and nick’s bff

— being chris’ girlfriend + matt and nick’s best friend. ⸰ 𖥔 ͙

warnings: fluff, cursing, suggestive, not proofread.

a/n: i love this omg?? keep feeding into my delusions please and thank you.

— most times, you help them film their videos. you’re not really in them but they all love it when you’re their camera girl.

— when you’re at their house, you have to hang out in chris’ room, otherwise nick and matt are constantly talking to you.

— sometimes you’ll be in the pool with nick and forget your phone around the house, then when chris comes home looking for you, he just finds you out with nick. (“jesus, i thought you got kidnapped or something.” “by your brother, yeah.”)

— movie nights with chris start off normally, just you two cuddling on his bed and watching a random movie you picked out, but somehow nick and matt end up crashing it. chris gets so pissed because they’re interrupting your date but you have to reassure him that it’s fine.

— you’re always in their photo dumps LMFAOO. most of the time, their comments are filled with “spot y/n challenge go.”

— you and chris can’t have a proper date in his house because nick and matt always crash it. so you end up having to hang out at your place or coming up with outside date ideas (museums, picnics, etc.)

— one time you and chris were making out in his room, you were straddling his lap, your arms wrapped around his neck, his hands were on your waist— then suddenly, a loud scream from the door. shit. matt.

— “the door wasn’t even open.” “well it definitely wasn’t shut either, kid.” “shut the fuck up matt.” “dumbass.” “what did you say?”

— sometimes you and chris peacefully fall asleep on call, then you wake up at 3 am because matt stole his phone. he ends up begging you to go to the gas station and get slushies. you do.

— you three have a groupchat LMFAOO chris hates it because matt, nick and you always gang up on him.

— whenever they get in arguments with each other, it’s possibly the worst day of your life. all three of them tell you their side of the argument. (of course you side with your boyfriend, but you appreciate their trust in you LMFAOO.)

— you’ll get calls at midnight from matt asking you to get rid of chris because he’s being extremely annoying. followed up by a call from chris telling you to not listen to matt.

— you go with them on tour obviously. you and chris sleep together despite both of you having your own little bed.

— i feel like chris would be the clingiest boyfriend ever gn, especially if you’re best friends with his brothers LMFAOO.

— you’re always hanging around his house without him even knowing it. this one time he was out for whatever reason and when he came back he found you and matt in the backyard playing pokemon go. safe to say he was confused.

— on a certain occasion, you and chris were baking cookies. after you took them out of the oven, you left them out on the counter to cool down— big mistake. when you came back five minutes later, the cookies were long gone. chris was pissed.

— whenever chris wants to plan some grand gesture or big date, his brothers help him 110%. on one of your anniversaries he filled your room up with balloons and chocolates. like, on an insane level. after the whole celebration you had to call and thank nick and matt for the help.

— despite them denying it, matt and nick think your relationship is so cute. they’re your #1 fans honestly.

— ^ which means they take pictures of you all day every day. chris sends you random ass pictures of you two it’s so funny. (“look at the pic matt took of us lol” “when did he even take that hello????” “idk but we look so cute”)

— chris is head over heels for you and he loves that you have such a good relationship with his brothers. it makes everything a lot easier since you can tag along to trips, tour, and just be with him a lot more.

— whenever chris posts you on social media, he posts the cutest couple pictures. however, the comments always include matt and nick with something along the lines of (“PARENTS” “you’re both disgusting” “get a ROOM”)

[t3am-r0adk1ll]

hi. can have nsfw alphabet with brian thomas please. i beg you.🙏 (sorry, im writing through a translator.)

Note: this took me SO LONG. i am sorry. but i'm trying to be back trust trust ily anons <33

NSFW Alphabet with Brian!

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex) Brian is a little mean in bed, he likes to overstimulate you until you’re crying and shaking, so he’ll make sure to take proper care of you afterwards! if you want a bath or snacks, he’s on it.

Hoodie on the other hand won’t be as attentive, but will still hug you and play with your hair caringly while you fall asleep. And then he’ll leave, or if he doesn’t to do anything, he’ll stay and watch you sleep.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s) Both Brian and Hoodie love your eyes. How pretty they are, how you look at him, how tears fall from them because of the overstimulation he provides you.

Brian’s favorite part of his body is his hands. they’re nice hands, and he can feel you up and make you feel good with them. Hoodie doesn’t really have a favorite part of his body.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically) on your ass, stomach, or face. he’ll cum inside if you ask, but he’ll be a little hesitant to do so. he cums a normal amount of, it’s a bit thicker though.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs) sometimes when you’re on the phone with him and he’s very needy, he palms himself to your voice. you could be there talking about the most trivial, boring shit ever, and he’s over there handling his boner while listening to your voice.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?) he wasn’t a player back in high school, but we can all see how handsome he is, so he definitely has had a few lays. idk about relationships though, he doesn’t seem interested in those. not until you came along, at least.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying) doggy or leap frog. he just has this thing for cumming all over your ass, and those are positions in which he can do that.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.) maybe Brian can crack a joke or two about how sensitive you are or how good you taste, he’s a tease. Hoodie is usually silent, don’t expect much verbal communication from him at all.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.) he doesn’t grow much hair, but what he grows he keeps trimmed. not completely shaved, just trimmed.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect) sometimes Brian will feel more romantic and be super intimate with you!! Hoodie mostly has sex with you because he’s frustrated so he’ll be more rough though- sorry :[ (unless you like that-)

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon) not often. before you, he doesn’t really need to do that on a regular basis, only when he happens to have an erection and has to get it done with. after you, he’d rather just fuck you instead.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks) i think i might’ve seen this hc somewhere but I absolutely think that Brian would love to see you in lingerie. if it’s lacy you’re driving him insane.

Hoodie has a corruption kink, he’ll want to see you start taking in his bad habits like smoking or doing drugs now and then.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do) Brian loves to make it very romantic, so he’ll want to do it in private places like your bedroom or the bathtub.

Hoodie prefers free access: whenever he wants it, wherever he wants it. If he wants you right after coming back from a mission, you better be ready.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going) For Brian, to just see you doing normal stuff like reading or watching a movie while you’re wearing just a shirt of his and your underwear, that would make him pounce on you asap.

For Hoodie, it’s seeing you indulge in the bad habits he passed down to you. If he finds you smoking a cigarette on the porch, he’s dragging you inside the house immediately.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs) Brian wouldn’t hurt you any further than spanking, not even if you asked. Hoodie might be a little more rough, he wouldn’t go to the point of drawing blood though.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.) Both would rather give. Brian is pretty skilled, he makes you cum more than once in 10 minutes, and Hoodie would rather edge you for like half an hour before making you cum the hardest.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.) Brian will mostly want to be slow and sensual, unless he’s really pent up and really needs you, in which occasion he’ll be a little more rough. Hoodie is rough, but he loves controlling your orgasm, so he’ll make sure you last at least two hours before he lets you cum.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.) Both Brian and Hoodie are fine with quickies. If you really need it, no problem.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.) Hoodie will probably make you experiment stuff without you asking… and as for Brian he’s fine with doing new things to you, he’s a little hesitant about you doing anything to him. (as in for example I don’t think he’d let you peg him 🧍)

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?) Oh, this man lasts at LEAST an hour and a half. With Hoodie, definitely expect more than one round.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?) Not toys per se, but things like ropes and handcuffs that Hoodie stole are things that you can incorporate in bed. oh, Hoodie would also use his gun as a prop.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease) Brian is a bit of a tease, but he can’t hold back much with you. Hoodie, as I mentioned previously, would edge tf out of you. Edge you for hours.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.) Brian grunts and sighs enough for it to be pleasant. Hoodie is mostly dead silent unless he’s commanding you to do something.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character) If he’s got days-long missions, Hoodie’s taking a pair of your panties with him. Also, expect phone sex with Brian. And probably sexting with Hoodie.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes) Fairly muscular, not like BUILT but you can tell he has some muscles alright. BLOND HAPPY TRAIL 🤤🤤🤤 now about that dihh; not as girthy as Tim's but still has good girth, you can feel that thing alr, but it is on the longer side (a little under 7 inches)

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?) Brian isn't super needy, he really just adjusts to how high yours is. Hoodie isn't going to fuck you every night, either, but when he wants it, he's not taking no for an answer.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) Brian falls asleep a little after you, he likes to watch you fall asleep. Unless he's sleep deprived from missions, then he'll fall asleep almost immediately after you're done 😭

Hoodie will watch you sleep, unless he has somewhere to be, then he'll make sure you're asleep before leaving.

[sanguineterrain]

hii i love your work and wanted to send a request in :)

can you do “you’re just going to leave me here?!” and “i’m gonna come back for you , do you hear me?” for jason and reader? 💛

maybe they’re on a date and there’s a robbery nearby or a villain crashes a gala they are attending? also maybe the reader knows he’s red hood? or it’s early in their relationship that he hasn’t told them yet? idk if that makes sense, but if you pick this up i can’t wait to see where you take it! 💛

OH IT'S EMOTIONAL ANGST TIME! hurt no comfort 😈 thanks for requesting nonnie 🥰

jason todd x gn!reader | tw: angst, reader feels hurt, lying to protect a superhero identity (is red hood a hero? he is to ME.) i may write a pt 2 to this if there's interest 😎

****

Jason checks his phone for the fourth time tonight. You haven't even received your entrees yet.

"Everything okay?" you ask lightly.

Jason looks up, eyes wide. "Oh. Yes. Sorry, baby. Sorry."

You nod, trying to smile. "It's okay."

He puts his phone in his pocket. You try to relax and focus on your date. This place is upscale, much pricier than you're used to, but Jason had insisted. He'd said he hadn't been doing his due diligence of being your boyfriend and should take you out on more "proper" dates. You'd told him that was silly, of course; you'd be content to go anywhere with him.

But he's been acutely distracted these past few weeks, and you're starting to form terrible explanations in your head for why that might be.

You try to ignore it. You just want to spend time with your boyfriend; it's been so long.

"Oh my God, guess what happened at work today," you say.

Jason leans in, smiling. "Tell me. Was it Peggy from Marketing again?"

"Yes!" You laugh, shaking your head. "She's such a pain. I was in my cubicle when—"

Jason's watch starts to blare, the beep shrill and insistent. He curses and quickly taps at the screen. You slump back in your chair.

"Shit," he says and looks up at you.

You suddenly feel exhausted.

"Baby, I'm so sorry," Jason begins, rising from his chair. "God, fuck—you have no idea how sorry I am. It's my family, they—something's happened with my brother. He needs my help, unfortunately."

"So you're just going to leave me here?" you ask, mouth dropping open in shock. "Jay, we planned tonight two weeks ago!"

He winces. "I know. Fuck, I know, sweetheart. I'm so, so sorry. I'm gonna come back for you, okay? It'll be an hour, tops. Look, order anything you want. I'll leave my card, it's on me—"

You shake your head and stand. "No, Jason. I'm—look, I know your family is important to you, but you've done this a lot this past month, and it's not just hurtful, but it's starting to feel a little intentional. I don't know if I'm some kind of placeholder or, or—"

"Hey, no, no. You're not a placeholder. Please don't say that," Jason begs, reaching for your hand.

You keep your hand out of reach, eyes beginning to heat up.

"I'm going home," you say. "I hope your brother's okay."

"Sweetheart, please, come on. I don't wanna fight."

"Me neither," you say tiredly. "So we won't. Good night, Jason."

His watch beeps again, this time with a phone call. You walk out. It's a nicer part of Gotham, so getting a cab here isn't a problem.

Jason catches up to you instantly. He looks terrified, and it breaks your heart, but you don't have the energy tonight.

"Can I–can I call you tonight?" he asks, voice cracking.

A cab pulls up to the curb. The valet opens the door for you. Jason takes a step forward.

"I'd rather you didn't," you say quietly. "I need some time to myself, Jay."

Jason takes a step back.

"I'm sorry," he says again, desperate.

You sigh. "I know you are."

You get into the car. The valet closes the door. Jason watches you through the window, tugging at his curls like he does when he's stressed.

That night, your bed feels cold. You toss and turn for hours, trying to shake the feeling of a phantom arm snaked around your waist.

Jason doesn't call, like you'd requested. You cry anyway.

[bubblergoespop]

some rambles abt the patreon bonus scene of sam and porter <3 i was gonna wait until the audio released publicly to post this but idk when that's gonna happen so ta daaaa yes ik the audio came out like half a month ago shushhh

okie so first of all, i'm so happy we got another bonus scene like the first one with lasko, huxley and damien and the one with sam NAME DROPPING porter. they've always been fun and exciting and OHHH I LOVE just having audios that are structured slightly differently and these kinds of audios aren't always necessary for understanding the main plot but they reveal so much more about characters, i love them. erik please make this one public so the people can hear it, i'm begging you.

OH EM GEE i love porter and sam's dynamic so much! they're not blood related, not even vampirically, but you can't deny that they're literally family. porter making the classic old man jabs at sam and acknowledging that people always make those jokes towards sam, oh they're brothers.

porter saying "apparently i've become predictable in my old age" just has me questioning how old he is again. i mean, i've always assumed he was AT LEAST vincent and sam's ages but i've never really thought of him as a proper old vamp. just because his personality is youthfully mischievous and he's often just straight up immature in my opinion. was this just an exaggeration or is porter much older than sam? i doubt he's much older to be honest. hearing what went on in his life so far, i don't think there's enough there to make the assumption that he's got that many years behind him.

oh and porter also saying that the solaire clan is an institution that has kept sam and vincent "comfortable, satisfied and most of all SAFE" HAS GOT ME THINKING AHHH!! i hadn't considered that leaving the house would make sam and vincent vulnerable to enemies of the house and now i'm thinking back to the summit when deon wright mentioned that quinn must have come from somewhere, with possible allies that are still yet to appear. even if sam and vincent leave the house and do their best to distance themselves from william, they're still of emotional value to will and therefore are still a weakness of the house OHHH IM GETTING EXCITED

oh and porter's inability to hold in a scoff at samuel HE'S SO SASSY I LOVE HIM especially when he's all huffy and puffy.

"i am a vampire but that doesn't make them my people. i'm a healer. i'm a mate. i'm a friend. i'm a hellion when i wanna be. i'm a lot of things but i'm not that kind of person." sam i'm gonna sob into my pillow.

i adore how erik shows that despite all their bickering and downright mean attitudes towards each other, sam still cares deeply about porter - "you gotta live your own life the best way you see fit, porter. and i wish you well in it. i really do." oh and porter definitely also cares deeply about sam and vincent. i've said before that they're the closest thing he has to a family and i think porter mentioning that leaving the house not only endangers sam and vincent but also the people they care about shows that porter cares not just about sam and vincent's physical wellbeings but also their mental wellbeings. he cares about sam and vincent and by extension those they care about as well.

i like to think vincent attempting to call porter in porter's hbs is also a sign that somewhere in his heart, vincent cares for porter too. especially after learning a bit more about porter at the summit. hence why he wants to talk to porter about everything that's going on now.

"there's a place for you on this side of the table, if you want it. we just wanted you to know that." SEEEEEE SAM CARES HE REALLY DOES DESPITE IT ALL

sam acknowledging that porter's habit of constantly fighting anyone and everyone he encounters is a self destructive one and is NOT going to end well if he continues just leads me to believe that erik has something up his sleeve for this. either porter's relationship with treasure (arguably the healthiest one he's currently got) is going to help him heal from that constant need to fight or this addiction is going to lead to something horrible (but entirely avoidable if porter would just leave it be). oh what fun!!

[merriclo]

a lot of people found it really helpful the last time i provided some context for LU Legend’s games (this post!!), so i’m gonna do that again!! this time specifically about A Link Between Worlds. if you have any questions, please feel free to send an ask, and i will answer to the best of my ability! please keep in mind that i am only speaking on the english translation <3

also, i will only refer to this game’s Link as Link instead of Legend. while i’m writing this primarily to help the Linked Universe fandom, these details are only from the canonical game and can be applied to any interpretation of this game’s Link. it is not exclusive to Linked Universe whatsoever!!!!!

anyhow, in this game, Link has a family: the blacksmiths. while never overtly stated, it is so heavily implied that assuming the author’s intent is a relatively safe course of action.

for those unaware, the Blacksmith family includes three people: the unnamed blacksmith, his unnamed wife, and their little boy Gulley. also, prior to the start of A Link Between Worlds, Link worked as an apprentice at the forge!!

the Blacksmith is pretty tough on Link throughout the beginning of the game, berating him for oversleeping and not working hard enough to become a proper Blacksmith. this seems relatively mean at first, but then it becomes clear that he really just wants the best for Link. he’s a very successful man who wants Link to be just as prosperous. later on, there’s a really nice moment between the two after Link rescues Gulley (who was kidnapped by the game’s main villain, Yuga) where the Blacksmith says “I’m real proud of how you’re shaping up here, Link.” it’s a brief, heartwarming exchange between the two, and it really highlights their relationship dynamic.

his wife, on the other hand, is much more overtly caring towards our hero. in the description of Link’s green tunic, it’s said that the wife is the one who sewed it for him. more than that, she’s also the one who made the adventure pouches for Link’s belt, telling him “I made it for you so you could carry more items…. But please—you should use that pouch so I won’t have to worry about YOU quite as much!” once he receives them. she’s a very kind and caring figure in his life, who often takes time out of her day just to help Link out and make sure he’s okay.

Gulley is arguably the closest to Link out of all of them. For starters, A Link Between Worlds opens with Gulley waking Link up from a prophetic dream and mentioning that Link oversleeps too much, meaning that (a) Gulley has the key to Link’s home, and (b) this happens often. Gulley was also said to have insisted on being the one to give Link the adventure pouches his mom made! the entire reason Link originally goes on his hero’s journey is to save the boy after he was kidnapped, and when Link passes out and ends up in the middle of the road in Lorule, he’s said to have been mumbling Gulley’s name over and over again (furthermore, it was the blacksmith family’s Lorulian counterparts that had found and saved Link when he passed out.)

i don’t think Link is genetically related to the blacksmiths, even though they do share similar hair and eye colors. if that were the case, they’d simply be labeled as Mom as Dad. my interpretation of it is that Link is unofficially adopted :)

tl;dr: the Link in A Link Between Worlds isn’t alone. he has a family that loves and cares for him deeply. and this post doesn’t even include the countless close friends he made in ALBW alone. please guys acknowledge them im begging you

as always, i’m not saying that you have to take this post as gospel or even be influenced by it at all. i just want to open up new avenues to explore these characters through for people without access to the games <3

[helen-dale]

(my main blog is @elialys, currently using this sideblog to post my newsreader feels/gifs because tumblr shadowbanned me on sunday for sending s3 to people 💀 anyway, this post was written a few days ago)

~~~~

I took notes on my immediate feelings after watching each episode of season 3 of The Newsreader, it’s helped with the “AAAAAAH” emotions that binging such an intense show cause, plus I figured quite a few of you might share my feels. It’s mostly me screaming, and it’s a tad disjointed as you can imagine, but blame the show for breaking my brain.

SPOILERS UNDER THE READ MORE!!

3.01 Night of Nights

I’ve honestly watched the first two seasons so many times in the past year that I forgot all about that HEAVY DREAD FEELING NEW EPISODES OF THIS SHOW MAKE ME FEEL. And I’m guessing it’s not going to get any better as the season progresses 😭 They truly are so good at creating the scenes with high energy, feeling so IMMEDIATE, and Helen’s anxiety never fails to trigger mine, so 🥲

Speaking of Helen, I’m going to need to rewatch the season a second time fairly fast because as always whenever I watch something new with Anna, I am too busy thinking “SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL” in a loop to pay attention to most of what she’s saying. But she is, I absolutely LOVE the new look in season 3, the shorter hair is perfect, her logie look was gorgeous, she looked so beautiful, and then she looked even better at the end when she was all casual at her house, in jeans and with barely any make up ❤️ ANYWAY, that’s my initial, mandatory gushing about the “Anna is gorgeous” aspect of things.

This episode was a whirlwind honestly, so many things to take in already, many many emotions were felt. I love how they are setting up the pieces for the rest of the season, the way they always do. I already want to slap Rob and protect Noelene at all costs from all those men. Lindsay needs to DIE ALREADY, I swear to god if he’s not run over by a bus by the end of this show 😡

Okay let me gush over Helen a bit more substantially. I love how FAST she was hit in the face by the reality of being back in Australia, with all the network bullshit. This poor woman has so much fucking trauma associated with this industry and the way they treated her, even at the height of her career, being offered this prime time show, she still doubts herself and the legitimacy of it. The way her anxiety took over, her fighting it, I know these are just the first cracks of the season 😭 PLEASE let our girl get a proper diagnosis and proper help by the end of this I BEG YOU SHOW. Needless to say I still absolutely adore the way Anna portrays her, always saying so much in all those moments she has zero lines of dialogue.

Dale. Dale Dale Dale. DALE IS DEAD INSIDE. Him saying he felt NOTHING standing there receiving his award? Him clearly being dead inside while having a man stripping in front of him, at his request? MY SWEET WET NOODLE, WHERE IS YOUR SOUL? I love the fact that I *know* they’re setting him up to being BROKEN this season, and I cannot wait. BREAK HIM. LET HIM FEEL THINGS AGAIN. I AM READY TO HURT WITH HIM.

Serious talk though, THE HELEN x DALE CONTENT IN THIS EPISODE???? 😭😭😭😭 Minute one in the restaurant, you can tell the love is still there. Minute two you can also tell they’re still shit at communicating so hahaha joke is on us as much as on them. Helen saying he was her only non-disaster yet they were pretty disastrous and him just…“I don’t think we were” DALE MY MAN YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME.

Don’t get me started on Helen losing her shit at the logies realizing she was going to “betray” Dale. Her trying NOT TO SAY IT. DALE’S SPEECH 30 SECONDS LATER THANKING HELEN FOR SEEING THE NEWSREADER IN HIM????? 😭😭😭

You know last year I loved talking about how Noelene and Rob’s relationship acted as a foil to Helen and Dale’s (as did Gerry and Carla’s), with them actually talking things through when Helen and Dale did not. This episode was another beautiful example of this, with the focus being put on Noelene being (RIGHTFULLY) upset that Rob just threw the “oh, and my wife” line in his speech when she fucking produced that show, and HERE IS DALE JENNINGS, on stage, thanking Helen for seeing him and making this possible for him, WHEN THEY ARE BROKEN UP AND ESTRANGED.

ALSO, talking of parallels, the hotel scene KILLED ME. I believe it was a VERY DELIBERATED CHOICE by Emma to frame Dale and that man the way she did, because that’s basically how Dale and Helen were framed in that hotel scene at the end of 2x01.

And Helen hoping so hard that they can remain “friends” despite the competition, when everything on Dale’s face tells you “naaaaah not gonna happen” but he smiles his empty smile and says “yeaaah sure” 😭 HE’S GONNA TAPE ALL OF HER SHOWS THOUGH BECAUSE HE’S DALE.

Anyway so much more to say, but I still want to watch another episode before attempting sleep, I need to find myself a paper bag to breathe in.

(just realized I didn’t mention the Dale and Kay thing once, but I think that says a lot in itself, no offence to Kay but NO THANK YOU)

(((Also, I hate the wig. I hate it so much)))

3.02 A New Era

(This ended up being me live commenting this episode because I kept getting so anxious/upset that I had to take breaks)

“Human conversations are not this boy’s strong suit” Lindsay, I hate you, but this does describe Dale a little too well.

Evelyn butting in and listening in to her daughter’s phone conversation with Dale is such an Evelyn thing to do. Also, look, I am aware that Kay and Dale are unsubstantial at this stage of the show and they’re only doing this to get us riled up, but guess what? IT IS WORKING.

Currently taking a pause from the episode because Lindsay is being a fucking ass and trying to feed Helen’s team fake news for her to read on her first show is STRESSING ME OUT I CANNOT DO THIS.

Ugh, the “HELEN’S MENTAL HEALTH” MUSICAL THEME KICKING OFF IN THE BACKGROUND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON I AM NOT READY.

Aaaand indeed, I was not ready, crying actual tears at Helen losing her shit at work in front of everyone, this is going to be a long season I AM FINE 😭

GUYS EVERYONE IS SCREAMING IN THIS EPISODE WHAT THE HELL I LOVE IT BUT I CAN’T TAKE IT

God Vincent’s comment about how she’s the first woman on a prime time show and we “can’t even see her tits” I want to kill all those men I SWEAR TO GOD

I am dying inside at the PARALLELS of Helen and Dale watching a tape of Helen’s first show, which was shit, while Dale kicked ass, like THIS IS HOW THE SHOW STARTED BUT WITH THEIR PLACES SWITCHED.

I keep having to pause this episode, I’m so upset at Helen being told off by her new boss for having mental health issues that interfere with her work, I clearly did not buy enough tissues for this season. I mean, it HAS to be addressed, she does have to seek PROPER help, but the way it’s just…thrown at her, always, it’s too real and heartbreaking. THE PATRONIZING!!!

Not gonna lie, kinda loving the fact that Dale is learning to assert himself with his man friend he pays for sex and that he’s learning to use those skills with Lindsay. Somehow it’s unsettling and awkward and very Dale and I’m thriving.

I wanted to talk a little about Noelene and baby Hana (and Rob lol) because CONGRATS NOELENE, but right now I’m too busy ugly crying over that scene of Helen admitting to the psychiatrist that she’s been struggling her whole life. Oh this punched me in the GUTS.

That’s my cue to take a break and get some sleep, dear lord, my own mental health is not equipped for this.

~~

Alright, back at at it after less than 5h of sleep, I don’t foresee myself crying less. I’ve been thinking about the first couple episodes over and over, and I’ve realized the start of this season feels skewed. And a big part of it is because of Dale.

In those first two episodes, Helen is more alive than ever, full of emotions that overwhelm her, and you FEEL for her. Usually, I feel that for Dale, too, with his big wet eyes and the constant panic in 2/3 of the scenes he’s in. But so far this season? I feel nothing, except concern for him. He’s just empty, he’s pretending with everyone, at work, with Kay, with Helen. He’s struggling to be in control in any way he can, paying for what I can’t really describe as intimacy, since he’s using those moments to try asserting any kind of control.

Plus, he’s got a terrible wig, but I’m aware that’s mostly me overfixating on it.

I also know something’s gotta give. I’m suspecting episode 3 will do that, one way or another.

It's 6am, let’s gooooo

3.03 Behind the Front Line

HOLY HELL, this episode came for me!!! My favorite one of the season so far, shockingly I know haha, with it containing Helen’s long awaited diagnosis and that famous improv scene at her house.

Let me say it again: HOLY HELL 😭😭😭

I seriously love the way they handled Helen learning what her diagnosis is, from her figuring it out on her own by doing research, to her losing her shit as a result of her psychiatrist confirming it. I’ve figured it was borderline personality disorder a long time ago when I first watched the show and did research before starting to write fanfic about her, because I wanted to understand her better and be mindful in the way I wrote her, and like her doctor said, she ticked so many of those boxes.

Don’t get me started on how Dale reassures her with “All I see is you” to counter her saying he must have seen it, must have known. He’s not brushing off or denying the messiest parts of her, he’s acknowledging them, basically saying it’s always been part of her, and he’s loved her as she was and as she is. Beautiful, beautiful scene, Anna’s acting was insane, absolutely insane, cannot wait to rewatch it in a loop until every frame is carved in my neurodivergent brain.

I am so worried for my boy Dale though, he’s so fucking dead inside. Still practicing sounding normal in front of mirrors, like the beautiful neurospicy human that he is. Helen being surprised that he’s throwing himself a birthday party and him being literally “it’s a social event, it’s a normal thing to do” DALE MY LOVE YOU ARE ALLOWED NOT TO FIT IN.

I do not trust whatever is going on between him and Kay. I don’t understand how anyone can fall for Dale *right now*. Like I get why both Helen and Tim were swooning over Dale in s1 because he was so squishy and nerdy and sweet and full of tears, but THIS Dale Kay is interacting with? HE’S A SHELL OF A HUMAN BEING. He’s just as much of a lifeless husk on the desk as he is away from it and IT HURTS MY SOUL. So yeah, Kay saying “I love the way you make me feel” I’m just??? Also, the fact that she keeps comparing him to her dad, haha. Anyway, I don’t sense this ‘relationship’ going anywhere healthy given the state of things.

Also, LINDSAY???? He didn’t actually give Noelene her maternity leave, at all???? Being a fucking racist???? Crashing the party and having a temper tantrum???? I am not surprised by any of this but god this man deserves a heart attack or a stroke for fuck’s sake.

Noelene is absolutely fabulous, LOVE the way she just said fuck it and gave the story to Helen, then JOINED Helen, like YES QUEEEEEEENS.

I have no idea what to expect for the second half of the season, although I suspect since the first half was more about Helen’s mental health and job, the second half will focus more on Dale’s mental health and job, as in, I’m waiting for him to break. Guessing the 6th and final episode titled “The Fall” might feature a bit of that. Our boy is drinking a lot. Like, A LOT.

3.04 One Team, All Brothers

Ugh. UGH.

I always loved how this show handles complex topics, and this episode was as strong as ever. I’m GLAD Rob’s attitude toward racism was brought to light, Noelene absolutely killed it. Rob’s scene with Deano…man 😭

Equally loved Helen’s journey through this episode, how she’s trying to help but as always she’s confronted to people around her not wanting to stir the pot, and how in the end, she is just another “white woman” because, well, she is. LYNUS THOUGH, so so glad to have more of him, he’s so wonderful ❤️

I am so so in love with the way they show Helen working so hard on not losing it at work, using strategies and calling her therapist like, I can’t remember seeing this side of mental health portrayed on tv like this before, it is so validating. And watching it WORK, watching how it allows her to ground herself. And sure it might not always work, but at least she’s being given the tools to handle those overwhelming emotions, and I’m so proud of her.

Talking of in love, I did not see the “I’m in love with you” from Bill thing coming, but I am here for the drama. I don’t even blame this man, he spent months with her overseas where she was clearly thriving, he got to see the best side of her, and yeah, we’ve all been there, Bill. Curious to see how that’s going to impact the next two episodes because talk about awkward, he’s executive producer 💀

NERVOUS about the Kay and Dale thing. They make me uncomfortable, as stated in my previous comments for episode 3, this is not love, this is them using each other for very different reasons. Nervous about Dale’s escort not being as discreet in the future as Dale hopes he’ll be. Also, EVELYN?? I get that she’s “looking out for her daughter” but what a fucking bitch, as Helen would say.

Also I just gotta say, that bit at the start, with Helen and Dale watching those parodies of themselves :’)) How Helen is just finding it all so hilarious, including the parody of her (which is so funny honestly), while Dale is just…well, dead inside, BECAUSE THAT IS JUST DALE’S DEFAULT MODE THIS SEASON.

God I do hope we start seeing him crack soon, I am so desperate for some EMOTIONS FROM HIM. And I gotta say, this show as always is great at surprising me. 4 episodes out of 6, and so far, none of the ‘ugly competition’ between Helen and Dale I was expecting/fearing from the promo and season synopsis. Yes their shows are against one another, timewise, and yes, there’s competition between networks, but it’s like, in the background, and it’s not seemed to have impacted whatever version of ‘friendship’ they both have at the moment. I put ‘friendship’ in quotes because well, see my “DALE IS DEAD INSIDE” comments. This poor man is just existing right now.

I’m wondering if Helen is so focused on her show and working on herself (as she should ❤️) and just happy that Dale is still part of her life in some capacity, that she’s not yet gone “hey honey, you look and sound a little like a fucking zombie, let’s talk about this”. I’m also thinking, between their schedules and him dating Kay, they don’t actually see each other that often, and never for long. I’m just…I want someone to ACKNOWLEDGE that Dale is not doing well, and I would 1000% appreciate it most if it was Helen 😭

3.05 On the Brink

There is something incredibly sad in the fact that Helen’s comments on air, about how shame and isolation are what makes having mental health issues so unbearable, are being said on a show that takes place in 1989, yet are still extremely relevant to this day, 35 years later. There has been great progress, but not enough. It’s 2025 and struggling with anxiety or depression, or anything of the sort, is STILL so misunderstood by most people, still hush hush.

That being said, I am so incredibly moved, so so grateful, that the show has chosen to bring so much light on mental health through Helen. I’m going to need to process everything in this episode but that was beautifully cathartic, can’t quite talk about it properly yet.

Also, absolutely heartbroken about Dale completely spiraling, between the drinking and the drugs, while being fucking blackmailed. The final episode clearly is called “The Fall” for a very good reason 😭 A little terrified to watch it, as it will be THE END, so I’m going to make myself some lunch instead. But given how beautifully they’ve handled Helen’s story in those last 5 episodes, I absolutely trust that they put just as much care in Dale’s breaking point. I also trust the fact that in the past, whenever one of them broke, the other was there to catch them. And I cannot wait for that.

One last thing about this episode, I feel like Helen turning down Bill is another proof of the progress she’s made. She has a fear of abandonment, she latches on to people who are showing her the slightest bit of love, of attention, even when it’s the toxic kind, and she’s not been shy about seeking pleasure. And here you have this man who’s telling her he loves her, who’s her boss (another pattern in her previous lifestyle), and she says no.

I am so proud of her 😭

3.06 The Fall

This was so fucking hard to watch. The first part of it with Dale’s breakdown, absolutely heartbreaking, I was literally clutching at my face and hiding my eyes at times. The self-loathing was difficult to WATCH, I just…Sam Reid, what the fuck, his performance. It WAS like watching a trainwreck in real time. The part with him hitting himself, and listening to those awful audience comments over and over and over again 😭 This man was in so much pain, and SO touch-starved, needing real connection but not finding it 😭

It did bother me that they made the plot decision to just....let Dale sit on that desk, CLEARLY DRUNK and looking the way he did, when a few episodes ago, Helen was sent home straight away when she tried doing her show while drunk/high. If they couldn’t keep him off the desk at least don’t go live and put the “technical issues” screen on, and DON’T LEAVE HIM ON AIR FOR SO LONG.

God Lindsay really is a fucking villain, him looming over Dale, just…the psychological abuse was so so hard to watch.

He didn’t just deserve to be sacked, HE DESERVED TO BE RUN OVER BY A BUS. That being said I’m extremely glad the show ended with him gone, and Dennis stepping in.

Ugh I absolutely love Noelene telling Helen exactly what she thinks. Not only did she stand up for herself, she also gave Helen the last push she needed to call the shots for HER show.

The image of her being the lone woman at that table full of men once again berating her, was so damn powerful, ESPECIALLY the way she just let them have their trantrum, only to calmly tell them “No” and step away like, QUEEN.

Oh and Helen's "I'm not gonna be punished because I didn't want to fuck you" to Bill?

The Helen x Dale content was so scarce this season, but I don’t actually mind it? Like, the shipper in me mourns the fact that we didn’t get more and will never get more, but I’m a fic writer, I’ll make more 😏 I am 150% happy with the fact that they focused so much more on Helen’s journey through taking care of her mental health, and Dale stepping away from this toxic, TOXIC environment.

Also all the call backs to season 1 guys, I cannot 😭 Her ‘rescuing’ him, the dialogue being almost exactly the same from the pilot 😭😭😭 Not gonna lie the fact that it’s basically how I started my own “helen x dale post s2 fix it fic” over a year ago gives me warm feelings. Also, I am terrible person for thinking this but when Dale told his mum that what was in the paper was true (about him being with men) and he said “I love you, I hope you can still love me” and she said NOTHING? I thought “well I’m not so sorry I killed you off in my fic now” because?!!! 🙃 I’m sure she’ll come around and everything, she STAYED with him, but it's still a gut punch compared to Helen’s “I love you just the way you are” in season 1 after he told her the truth.

Honestly, I didn’t know what kind of ending I wanted for these two as a pair, except that this is what I was hoping for, since I figured there wouldn’t me any romantic ending. Them CLEARLY in each other’s lives, clearly better when they have each other, with me free to imagine that when Dale comes home from Germany, he smooches the hell out of Helen and they get acquainted with her couch again :’))

(you know she's thinking about that couch)

(can we blame her? LOOK AT HIM)

I’m going to need to rewatch this season at least once or twice in the next week to really take it all in. I am so sad that it’s over, overwhelmed with so many emotions after taking it all in so fast, but also very content. I feel they wrapped everyone’s storyline beautifully, and left us on a GOOD, positive note, full of hope.

And again, so beyond grateful for how truly Helen focused this last season was.

God that was so beautiful.

[dreamwreaver]

because Alastor has already canonically called Charlie good girl, she must return the favor by calling him good boy

honestly wanna see a fanfic do this where Alastor does what he's asked after Charlie wore him down after his incessant complaints and excuses. then once he concedes, she does what he did to her last time to mock him: she pats him on his head and chirps "Good boy!" and walks away, leaving a stunned demon who has unknowingly gained a praise kink

Ask and ye shall receive. Well, less of a fic and more of a ficlet but, I have something cooking for Valentine's Day I really wanna finish in time so...

As much as he adored his dearest Charlie, Alastor had to admit she could be as tenacious as a junkyard dog with a bone when an idea got into her head, and unfortunately in this instance he was the bone.

"Please Al?" She laced her fingers together in front of her chest, tucking them under her chin as she made her eyes as big as possible and fluttered her lashes at him, black lips pursed in a tempting pout.

Overall the effect would have been ridiculous on anyone else. But since it was his Charlie... ugh, when had he become so weak?

"Darling we've been over this," his frustration was about as sturdy as a rock sunk into the sea, worn down and eroded by the battering of the waves, "I don't particularly care for men in general, fathers in particular, and your father most especially. And the feeling is certainly mutual."

He did enjoy getting the fallen angel's... he'd say goat if he didn't find the prospect gauche and insulting to his sweetheart. And it did so sting the tiny would be tyrant that his own flesh and blood had chosen to be with not just a sinner, but the one sinner he hated above everyone else. A fact that Alastor took almost as much pleasure in as he took from Charlie herself. Nevertheless...

"But it'll be fun!"

Alastor resisted the ungentlemanly urge to snort in derision, "For whom, exactly?"

Charlie opened her mouth to counter, but stopped short when she realized he was right. That didn't mean she was going to stop trying though.

"Alright, fine," she huffed, "I know it's not going to be fun, for you or for him but... Al this is my dad. And sure he hasn't always been the most..."

"Caring? Affectionate? Able to prevent you from developing daddy issues?" He paused and looked at her, "Please, stop me when you hear something you like; I can go all day!"

"Present," Charlie emphasized the word, "But he's trying to be better, to fix our relationship. And I want that too."

"By all means dearest," Alastor held out his hands as if to demonstrate there was nothing up his sleeve, "I'm certainly not stopping you from seeing the man. Go to the dinner, have fun, and then when you get home I'll make you a proper meal."

"Al," Charlie's sweet mouth was set in a pout as she looked at him, "You can't just beg off anything that has to do with my parents. Like it or not, they're the rulers of Hell and I'm the princess. I have duties, expectations, and I want you to be part of that part of my life."

"I am perfectly fine being the ever feared Radio Demon. While I appreciate you thinking I'm worthy of being prince consort it's not a title that I exactly covet."

Alastor knew he'd said the wrong thing as soon as it left his mouth. Charlie's whole expression dropped.

"No, I mean," since when had talking ever been so difficult for him, "I will stay with you for an eternity my dearest. In whichever way you'll deign to have me. But despite how much I enjoy power, that isn't why I'm with you."

"I know," she replied quietly, fiddling with her hair as she was wont to do when her emotions were too much and the energy needed to be expended somewhere, "But being with me means being with all of me. I accept every part of you."

If his heart was still beating it might very well have tightened in his chest. He knew all of this already. It was one of the reasons he loved her.

"And I accept all of you my darling demon belle," he replied, "But I cannot in good conscience find it in myself to attend what would only be a disaster of a dinner with your father."

She resorted to pleading again, this time keeping her hands clasped low and using her arms to draw attention to her already ample chest. And again, he was left wondering when he'd become so weak-minded that a woman's breasts were of any interest to him. No wait, that was wrong, it wasn't any woman who could catch his eye. It was specifically because it was Charlie that he was distracted in the first place.

"You're my partner, the one I chose," Charlie had moved closer, placing her hands at his lapels against his chest, "If my dad doesn't like it then he can fucking deal. I'm not going to make all the sacrifices in fixing our relationship. You and I are a package deal, if he wants to see me, he needs to get used to seeing you."

It was easy to forget sometimes that Charlie was in fact a demon, such was her sweet and optimistic -if a bit crass at times- nature. However, Alastor felt his grin turn giddy, such pointed cruelty as to make her own sire suffer Alastor's presence if he wanted time with his child? Having the fact that a man the devil himself couldn't stand at his table, with full knowledge of what sorts of things people in committed relationships got up to rubbed in his face? Oh that was far too good an opportunity to pass up.

"Alright," he relented. But in truth he probably would have given in anyways. Alastor found that since he'd given his heart to Charlie there wasn't anything he could really deny her, "I'll attend, but don't-"

"I don't expect you and my dad to be best friend," Charlie rolled her eyes but her smile softened the sass, "Just... civil," a pause, "ish."

"I'll endeavor to do my best,"

"Thank you," she pressed a kiss against his cheek, "And maybe if you stay on your best behavior there'll be some... quid pro quo,"

Alastor wasn't quite able to swallow the half moan half growl that rumbled from within at her words.

Later that evening they stood waiting to be received by the king of hell before being seated. It was so like him to keep them waiting. At least there were plenty of portraits of his beloved to keep him occupied.

"Remember," Charlie whispered as a servant hurried into the hall.

"Best behavior," Alastor whispered back, "Yes dearest I know."

Charlie stared at him a moment, then with a sly smile and a dangerous gleam in her eye she leaned up to speak directly in his ear,

"Good boy," she purred, making things worse by gently patting him on the head, "Very good boy."

As she began striding away from him with a deliberate swing of her supple hips Alastor smiled so tightly his molars began to grind. Oh sweet Charlotte, how naive. She'd only asked him to play nice with her father. She never said anything about herself.

Hope you like it Nonny!

[qiangweirosa]

Could we please get some headcanons about the Ann, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru meeting s/o's super nice and welcoming mother and father for the first time? Like they make the girls a delicious home cooked meal, treat her like their own daughter and are super supportive of the twos relationship? Because these poor girls need some positive family interactions.

Ann + Makoto + Futaba + Haru meeting Reader's parents! (separate)

relationships: ann/reader, makoto/reader, futaba/reader, haru/reader, + the girls & reader's parents tws: none! wc: 641 extra: i am so. so sorry for how long this has taken me to write. i hope it'll be to your liking and thank you for the request!

Ann : 

Ann obviously knows that her relationship with her partner is serious, but when they tell her that their parents wish to meet her, she freaks out.

She has no idea what she’s supposed to do! She calls Shiho and begs her for advice, not wanting to ruin her first impression.

She also asks her partner an endless amount of questions about their parents, what they’re like, what they want their child’s potential partner to be like, and more.

When she does meet them she’s a little reserved at first, trying to be polite and make a good impression, but soon enough she turns back to her usual self the moment their parents start trying to converse with her.

She gets along with them so well. She’s always willing to eat their parents’ food and compliments it so much that she ends up going home with the leftovers. Overall she’s good company and their parents love talking with Ann as much as she does.

It won’t be unusual to see Ann spend time with her partner’s parents on her own, or randomly visit. After all, she’s always welcome.

Makoto : 

Makoto wants everything to be perfect.

When her partner’s parents first invite her over, she does an endless amount of research on the proper etiquette and how to behave and how she should look and even more.

When the day comes, she’s very stiff. Her partner can obviously tell something isn’t right – and they talk to her for a while to reassure her. 

It does somewhat work, and she’s slightly less stressed as she greets their parents.

Chances are their parents can also tell Makoto is stressed, and so they keep telling her to just relax, and that this isn’t a serious setting – she can just be herself.

Makoto isn’t used to being so pampered, and she’s pretty flustered over it. Still, she likes it! And having a happy family environment really isn’t so bad.

Futaba : 

Futaba already doesn’t like meeting new people, but meeting her partner’s parents?! That’s a terrifying situation!!

She has half a mind to cancel but no!! This is important to both of them, and besides, her partner will be there if anything goes wrong.

Her partner has probably already told their parents about how Futaba is, asking them to be patient with her. So when she first greets them, they don’t make any comment on her anxiety or the way she hides behind her partner.

They treat her so nicely, Futaba feels like she could cry. They’re sweet and let her take her time if she has trouble finding the courage to speak.

She can definitely see where her partner gets all of their care from.

Futaba gradually grows more comfortable around their parents and she enjoys getting to learn more about her partner’s upbringing (especially the embarrassing parts, to their misfortune).

Haru : 

Haru has experience meeting a partner’s family, if you could even call it that, having been engaged before.

But for some reason, she still feels nervous leading up to it.

Her current partner is someone she cares deeply for, and she wants to make a good impression! Despite how many times they reassure her, she can’t help but worry about their parents’ opinion on her.

Her worries immediately dissipate the moment she actually meets them. They do everything in their power to make her comfortable, and treat her like they had known her for years.

Haru feels… happy. Relaxed. She soon gets into joyful conversations with them (most of them about their partner, actually), and she seems at ease.

Haru soon grows to be pretty close with their parents. She visits them often and they have a lot to bond over (especially if the parents enjoy cooking too!). Overall, she’s glad to be part of the family, and especially to not be alone anymore.

[morskisir]

The public is VERY interested in your Sniper thoughts. Please, I need them. Phobias? Eating habits? Can he dance? *Should* he? Is he aware when he makes direct eye contact he looks scary af? Is he good at poker or does he not even play?

You are one of my strongest followers o7 THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS!!! I will answer them all individually below.

Phobias?

If we're talking about proper phobias and not fears in general, then he doesn't really have any? UNLESS you count social phobia, which, yeah, he's got that. (I would like to clarify social phobia and social anxiety disorder are different things but he's got both of them, so.)

Social phobia is like, specific social situations that will continuously bring you anxiety/fear. The shit that will have him shaking every single time is a person genuinely trying to get to know him. Even a simple question such as "What's your favourite colour?" could set him off into a state of anxiousness. He LOATHES conversations like that, he wants to be left alone, he's not anyone you should pay attention to, he's not interested in doing this, go away. His fear of being known past the point of "professional assassin" is deep and greatly impacts his life. What the fuck are social relationships am I right?

Another social situation would be: phone calls! You can imagine how nice it is for him to only be able to call his parents when he isn't visiting them at their home in Oz. <3 It's the fear of I cannot see this person and I don't know how they're really reacting to this. He already isn't the best at reading people's faces, phone calls are just another level of hell.

2. Eating habits?

MEAT. MEEEAAAAT- if he could get away with only eating meat the rest of his life he fucking would. Alas, meat doesn't give your body all of the fuel it needs. Heartbreaking. (Not for me I dislike meat sdgkhdskg)

He will still insist on having meat in every fucking meal, and do not, do NOT make a steak that isn't at least a little bit raw. This guy's an animal. Give him his blue steak or he'll think your cooking is shit.

Anyways, I wouldn't say he eats a lot. He eats enough, I guess. Cunt's just running on a lot of coffee + a couple of cigarettes. He's more addicted to caffeine than tobacco.

3. Can he dance?

No. I don't know if Australian schools did this, let alone in his time, but if they did: he would skip every single P.E. class where they would do dancing instead of just chucking some ball around. He is SCARED he doesn't want to be in such close proximity with someone else hksdgkj (except Spy) (who said that) He doesn't have interest in learning how to dance, either. If he's drunk and you somehow get him to dance you'll see a horrible, non-existent dance move.

4. Should he?

No. Spy would beg to differ.

5. Is he aware when he makes direct eye contact he looks scary as fuck?

Yes and no. When he stares at someone on purpose to scare them away- it works! It's reliable! He's aware of the power that stare holds! He just doesn't realise he kind of always looks like that. The Stare(tm) is simply even more intense. There is a great darkness in his eyes........... /ref

6. Is he good at poker or does he not even play?

He can play it! He's only really decent at it- it's not his thing. Only really learned how to play it through peer pressure. (there is lore to this, but uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)

Scout begs Sniper to play with him and he very begrudgingly accepts because no one else does hdsghj. He is very bored and would rather read his tracking books, but he cannot escape the ADHD. (You call out the smallest act of sympathy he just did and he'll beat the shit out of you)

^ Scout when he wants to play poker

[erikaslumbers]

Hello hi

I have some more information about the “alternate archon war victors” au (I don’t have a proper name for it yet) in this post but tldr:

The canon archons are dead/don’t have positions of power in this au

The archons for each region are Decarabian (god of protection), Guizhong (god of ingenuity), Orobashi (haven’t figured out his ideal yet), Deshret (haven’t figured out his ideal yet), Remus (god of music/the symphony), and Och-kan (god of hope).

(Och-kan specifically would be really interesting to figure out his fate because his life in canon revolves around the fact that Xbalanque is the archon and not him- in this AU, Xbalanque either stayed dead/didn’t get “revived” somehow or stayed alive but didn’t achieve the status of godhood. Either way, Och-kan actually managed to achieve the prophecy and become the Archon(/Soverign??) like he was supposed to, and I wonder if his actions and decisions change significantly.)

I love this au because of how many connections and parallels the archons have with eachother- most notably the various messed up ways they tried to protect people, the technological advances and inventions, how Celestia saw them, etc. They would either hate each other or be best friends. (I think Guizhong would be the most mentally healthy out of all of them, so she’s probably the one that gets people to stop fighting)

Another thing with this au is that I want to see the six of them in their cool archon outfits but. Hoyo won’t give them designs :( Guizhong is the only one with an actual design, the rest range from “we have a decent idea of how people in their region looked like/vague idea of their appearance” to “we know absolutely nothing about how they looked like” (hoyo it’s been almost five years. PLEASE tell us what Decarabian looked like. please I am begging you)

As soon as I manage to make fan designs for all of them (fancy archon robes included!!) and actually learn how to draw poses, I am going to be so unstoppable <- wants to draw their interactions SOOOOOO bad

Anyway. If you have anything you want to add/any dynamic ideas/alternate archon candidates for this au etc etc let me know because I am SO NORMAL about this idea <- head in hands <- AUGHHH <- rotating them rotating them rotating them rotating

oh my gosh... this is amazing... this alternate cast of archons is great... these ideals are so good...

for the two others ideals... i'm honestly not sure. Deshret could be... Archon of Nostalgia/Love? Archon of Power because of one of the ascension materials?

alternatively, i came across this while checking his lore again... and...

...well, this meme i edited in 2 min will speak louder than anything i could say

as for Orobashi... I'm not sure how different his story would actually be. like in canon, he goes in hiding after losing and discovers Enkanomiya and its people and becomes their god after an Enkanomiyan child asks him to. if he's the Archon, would he still discover them? he could be Archon of Light? Archon of Farming/Smelting (because in canon he taught it to Enkanomiyans, maybe he retains the association w it)? Archon of Research, perhaps? figuring out ideals is hard...

agree that Och-Kan is really interesting... it's not just my bias for him speaking :) his dislike for dragons seem to stem from the fact that he was imprisoned by them, so if we keep this part of his backstory, I'm guessing he still hates them. I'm not sure how his relationship with Kukulkan would change on his side... perhaps not much, if he still hates everything draconic and thinks his father abandoned him/only sees him as a means to an end (and i also wonder if he'd be particularly unhappy about fulfilling this prophecy like his father wanted... so many possibilities) he's also long-lived as mentioned in one of Kukulkan's notes, so if he was the Pyro Archon, this whole succession system would not exist and he'd just be the long lived Archon like the others... also doubting the Natlan rules (Ode of Resurrection etc) would be a thing...

there's so many interesting things in this AU. the canon original archons seem to be gentle & kind beings with a deep love for humanity. but most of this alternate cast seem to share... also a love for humanity but more... "twisted" if I may say and messed up ways to protect them. and of course their complicated relationship with Celestia in a different way than the canon squad their gatherings being "how to rebel against celestia" instead of the canon squad's drinking parties /j

I honestly can't tell whether they'd be friends or hate each other. or maybe a weird mix of both. probably a weird mix of both (?) or a "I'm stuck with these assholes might as well try to get along" (?) all the possibilities are so fascinating to think of

no. for real. Hoyo. please give us designs for them. Decarabian design in Carmen Dei Act 2. trust. alternatively, the theory that there's more to Stormterror's Lair because we could possibly go under the tower tower at some point and Paimon's out of bounds dialogue is different there (fun fact, there's the same one in Deshret's pyramid! these six are connected I'm telling you!)... quest there where we see Decarabian's design in a cutscene. please. (also, one of my first thoughts when learning there was going to be Remuria lore in 5.6 was "omg Remus face reveal. please.")

I also really like the idea that Gilded Dreams TCG card depicts Deshret (1 ; 2) although it could very well be a random priest... i imagine him similar to this but with dark reddish brown hair. ngl i wait for the TCG cards more than anything. not bc i'm a hardcore TCG player but bc some of them show us lore characters!!

waaa i'm really excited to see your designs for them... and your interactions of them... you truly are going to be unstoppable...

thank you so much for sharing, i will be rotating this au like rotisserie chicken in my mind. I don't have more to say for now but I'll tell you if I think of anything else (also I don't think there's many more candidates than what you said in the og post. Liyue has a plethora of gods but I like Guizhong)

actually... maybe i do a bit. i really like the idea of... Decarabian, who banned certain types of music, and Remus who valued music immensely, introduced it to his people and believed it was what differentiated humans from other beings. like the duality? amazing. their interactions? likely amazing as well

Och-Kan & Decarabian... I mean, for them it's mostly the parallels with how they went down, overthrown by the next archon and someone close to them. but still i wonder how it'd go like...

given that Remus leaves his og homeland in Sumeru bc he didn't wanna be under Deshret, and Och-Kan criticizes both the desert and Fontaine civilizations in his diary. I just want them to beef. the only thing they agree on is that the heavens are garbage (and also Remus and Och-Kan agree that Deshret can't rule)

but speaking of Deshret & Och-Kan... both really hate something (the dragons/Celestia), both love humans but no more than they love certain close beings. both are associated to the sky. in canon, both lost the person they loved the most (who have their own similarities as well...), and both unleashed a destructive force on their nations... i love the parallels... (most of them have a lot of parallels but I feel like those two especially do)

also - i wonder if Och-Kan hates gods like in canon. I mean, he hated them bc he thinks Xbalanque is the one true god, but in this AU he was never a god... unless, Och-Kan thinks Xbalanque deserved to be a god (but didn't get the chance since he died)... and thus would hate all of them on principle just bc they're gods?

aaanyway yapping over i'm out of things to say... but again!! thank you for sharing this with me!! this au is great and i'm so happy to see someone else care about these guys interacting!!

[your-eyes-are-closed]

Happy March Bassbreaker Nation! 🤎

I live in a hologram with you final chapter (5k words)

Before my announcement, let's look at the best moments of the week!

♡ - Gert

“Can you give me until tonight? I’ll find her.”  She could tell that Powder was sceptical. Wanted to ask to join. But the girl sighed, resigned, and seemingly allowed herself a moment of relief, if only slight.  “I’ll owe you big time if you do.”  “No you won’t,” Gert offered, “It’s Vi. That’s all I need.” 

♡ - Gert

“Vi, I need you to tell me where you are, okay?”  Shallow breathing echoed between the two, and Gert swore she heard a whimper. “Vi. Baby.” Another attempt. More desperate. “I need you to tell me where you are. Please. I need to find you. Let me find you.”  Gert listened to Vi’s surroundings, trying to hear any indication of where she was, how far she needed to drive. The quiet air offered nothing.  Please, Gert thought, willing to say it a million times over. They had been each others exceptions, always. So if she needed to beg, she’d beg. 

♡ - Vi

“You’re too good for me, Wilder.” She couldn’t bring herself to say her first name.  Gert turned to look at Vi, and she did the same. “What makes you think that?”  Vi let out an exasperated, “Um?” gesturing around to all that was around them.  Wasn’t this enough proof in and of itself?  “Um?” Gert mimicked, looking around in mock curiosity, “What’re we talking about right now, Vi?”  She tried again, since clearly Gert wasn’t gonna make this easy. “This. Me . I’m such a mess, the thought of something good made me run away from everything.” 

♡ - Vi

“Vi,” Gert was about to ask a question; she knew. “How the hell was I not meant to fall in love with you after all that?”  Vi’s throat grew so tight, so restricted. Her mind struggled to process it all.  You are my good thing, She thought. And she didn’t know how she’d ever considered chasing such a precious discovery of treasure away. She wanted to apologise even for that.  “I’m falling in love with you too.”  Gert let out a teary laugh at her words, “Yeah?”  “A million yesses, Gert.” 

A bit angsty this week, but I promise it is well worth in the end. And for my announcement, its in the notes of the chapter, but I'm gonna post it here too.

I'm happy to announce 2 additional projects coming in the next couple of months for all Gertvi fans! Firstly, the third edition of this series is in fact in the works. I have a rough idea of where I want to take these two in this universe. I do believe it will focus on the first year and a half of their relationship. A lot more work, family and friend dynamics to be included. More on Vi's photography, possibly giving her an assistant! (Sky Young is the main contender for this position. I am obligated to write for those doomed by the narrative) Gert's music career will be picking up speed -and we will be getting her better friends- finger's crossed. Sevika might make an appearance as Vi's sponsor as she finally confronts that alcoholism, and for Gert, I do believe Grayson may be a nice mentor/former parole officer that could add more to her story. The plot is still in really rough development, so suggestions are completely welcome. Also, what other ships do you like between arcane characters? 'Cause a few characters might be in relationships in the next instalment, and although they will be very distantly in the background, I don't mind having other rarepairs you like included instead of the more popular ships. (such as including Melvika, or Steb and Scar, etc) Also, I will be introducing brief flashbacks in part 3 of this series, so any moments you'd like to see, you are welcome to mention.

The second project in the works is a high school/college story! While trying to develop part 3 of the singer/photographer series, the desire to see these two as senseless teenagers in love became fierce, so now that has to happen of course. I expect that to be getting into proper development by the end of the month.

[hornymotionalcookie]

Revisiting an All Caps AU from discord with a working title of A Muse Meant to be Shared

Unfinished bc spluh. I am the queen of story abandonment. All hell!

Okay, so what had happened was, this image entirely cracked me tf up and I started spitballing about the hilarity of such a slip up until it turned into these two bits of writing. I started thinking of Bucky ole nosy ass casually crashing in on Steve's sessions with Sam under the guise of renewing his artistic interests and that lead to...

*******

Steve had been begging him to come to a class with him again for years, but Bucky always waved him off, saying it'd been too long and his minimal skill is likely all dried up.

Still doesn't stop him from introducing himself to Sam as he walks in all shy waving his old, dusty sketchbook he unearthed for just this reason. Sam is charmed, much to Steve's mild annoyance. But he can see Bucky is being earnest on top of being thirsty as hell. And they all three fall into easy conversation, Bucky and Steve scribbling away and silently competing to get Sam to smile and/or laugh. The cute gap-toothed smile was worthy of being captured in every medium, but mostly, they just wanted that prettiness aimed at them.

At the end of the agreed upon time, Steve shows his few rough sketches and portraits to Sam who gushes over them, face heating at Steve's complimentary tone. Bucky was a little embarrassed at his first foray back into drawing and asks Sam if he could clean it up a bit and show it to him the next session. Goddamn Bucky's blue eyed modesty and self depreciation, Steve thinks. Sam agrees easily and they set the next session before Steve walks him out.

When Steve comes back into the room he stares at Bucky in silent contemplation. It's not an angry look, but it's not a smile either.

"Just spit it out, Stevie?"

"Can I see the sketch, Buck?"

Bucky gripped the sketchbook to his chest. "It's not ready yet." But he does feel a little guilty encroaching on Steve's session to sate his curiosity. It's just Steve'd been really raving about the guy, and that slip of the tongue had him highly curious who'd pulled Steve's attention. He'd been on a self-imposed celibacy kick after a string of relationships ending in 'better friends' declarations.

Bucky sighed deeply. "Ok, but please. Be gentle," he half jokes as he passes it over.

Steve nods and takes Bucky's book, flipping to the bookmark of today's drawings. He half expected to see stick figures across the page, but instead, he finds a well shaded pencil sketch of Sam. "Shit, Buck. This is good. It's really good. You really got the line of his cheekbones." He beamed proudly up at Bucky.

Bucky blushed in turn at the praise, rubbing at the back of his neck, "Well, Sam's kinda really easy on the eyes. Makes it easy to wanna do justice by a mug like that."

Steve stares at Bucky again in question. As long as they've been friends, they've never been attracted to the same person before. He would've thought he'd feel more jealous or upset, but it's something about seeing how animated Bucky was with Sam. He doesn't want to stifle that or his renewed creativity.

"Okay, well you heard the time of the next meeting. Might wanna get yourself some proper supplies if you're gonna get back into your hobby." He hands back the book and pats Bucky on the shoulder, but Bucky doesn't miss the competitive twinkle in Steve's eye before he leaves.

Unless Bucky's misreading this, he thinks they just agreed to woo Sam simultaneously. Okay, Steve. Let the best wooer win.

*********

"Hey, Sam, it's Steve. Since Bucky's planning on being apart of the sessions, is it ok if I give him your number?"

Sam texts back almost immediately, "Thank you for asking and yes, that's fine. I'll see you guys next week. Looking forward to it!"

"Me, too Sam! I'm really happy we were able to get together to make this work. Have a good night. 😄"

"You, too, Steve! 👋"

Steve smiled to himself at the cute emoji. He then typed out a quick message to Bucky, sending Sam's contact info. "In case you have any questions you need to ask."

"Thanks, Stevie!" Bucky yelled from the kitchen, stopping his raid of the fridge to check his phone.

👍 Steve sends back to him as if he's not a mere 15ft from him in the living room. He could see the punk's head for goodness sake! But he just rolled his eyes and grabbed his plate of corndogs and mustard before heading to his room.

Bucky sat at his desk, corndogs momentarily forgotten as he looked wistfully at the contact he'd just saved for Sam. He frowned at the default icon, insulted that it represented Sam until he got an actual picture. He put the phone down to pick at his food, thinking back to Steve's earlier words.

Bucky really did need to get better supplies. Even if he stayed working with just lead pencil, he'd want a sturdier set. He had his sketch of Sam open and propped up on his desk, studying it. He did want to clean it up, he wasn't lying about that. But the only erasers he had were on the ends of pencils and of poor quality that was more likely to smudge his drawings than be of actual use. Bucky was pretty sure Stevie would let him borrow one but there was something about having his own supplies that would cement his commitment to the drawing. Plus, it being his only point of contact with Sam and wanting to impress him, to woo him, definitely meant he needed his own stuff.

Then he wondered if he wanted to try his hand with colored pencils. At best, he might have a dried out permanent marker or two lying deep in a drawer somewhere. So if he wanted to try capturing Sam in vibrant hues, he'd need a decent set, especially one that had a full spectrum capable of getting the undertones of Sam's skin.

It was just before 9pm on a Saturday, so it was likely Sam was up still. Though Bucky's nerves weren't sure if he was hoping Sam was awake enough to respond or asleep so Bucky could panic and plot his own responses.

Either way, he drafted a quick text, "Hi Sam, it's uh, Steve's friend Bucky from the art thing. I have a quick question for you if you have a second. If not, it'll hold until tomorrow or whenever you're free."

To Bucky's mild shock the typing bubbles popped up within seconds. "Tall, rugged looking gent with a low pony and a nervous wave? Sounds familiar. What's up, Buck?"

Nobody called him Buck outside of Steve, but it wasn't unwelcome from Sam, not at all. "Uh, yeah, sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but I was wondering if you could send me a well lit picture of yourself."

"Asking for nudes already? How scandalous! 😮 😆"

Bucky's pretty sure he flat lines right there and then. He'll have to move out so he never runs into Sam again. Out of the city, possibly state if he couldn't get a straight red-eye flight to the furthest country.

"WHAT?! NO! No, omg, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it that way!"

"In case the 😆 wasn't obvious enough, I was just joking with you Bucky. No offense taken. Sorry if I freaked you out. 😁 "

Bucky huffed in oxygen, not sure when he started holding his breath, but it was long enough to make him feel lightheaded. He breathed deeply in and out for a few more seconds before his shaky fingers typed out, "Oh, thank God! But also, yes, thank you for the mild coronary. 😩"

Sam chuckled to himself, ignoring the pointed looks from his dinner guests as he smiled down at his phone. "My bad, Buck, truly. 🤗 Since you have no nefarious intentions with my selfie, what do you want it for? 👀"

Bucky had forgotten the whole reason he'd even reached out when he was making arrangements to change his name. Burnes was a contender for a last name. He was fond of his initials, but he was blanking on a B first name. Buffy, maybe? Anywho, he came back to himself enough to answer Sam's question. "As this was my first venture back into the arting world, I am lacking a serious supply kit to support my artistic hobby. And I just wanted to make sure whichever color palette I pick up has the proper shades to do your highlights and undertones."

Aww, Sam was actually kinda touched he wanted to make sure his kit was stocked well to capture Sam's magnificence.

"Mhh hmm, just who has got him all smiling like that and giggling down at his phone?" Misty stage whispers to Maria who turns to look at Sarah.

Sarah holds her hands up in surrender, just as stumped as she was the first time Sam was smiling down at his phone before they arrived to dinner with the ladies. She didn't mention that now, but she's almost positive they weren't the same person. She squints at Sam, "S'good question. Maybe if he ever puts that thing down, we'll get to know." Sam cuts his eyes at them all before he grabs Monica's hand to lead her from the table. She was both the closest to him physically and the only one not talking guff so she'd been chosen to help him with a secret request, the table behind booing his abandonment without answers.

Sam led her to the entrance of the restaurant which featured a very well lit environment, perfect for taking pictures for the Gram as boasted by a sign hanging on the wall. Sam cleaned the lense of his phone with the sleeve of his shirt before handing it to Monica. "Okay, I need you to take a good pic of me, chest up, making sure to catch the suppleness and highlights of my skintone."

Monica lined up the shot, shit eating grin on her face. "Oh, are we at the selfie stage already?" She snapped a shot of Sam from above, below, straight on, his left and his right and then did the same with the flash on. "So you've got options for..." She trailed off, prompting Sam to name drop.

"For Bucky." Sam said, giving nothing else.

"Okay--" Monica started before Sam interrupts her.

"--And Steve. I should send him a contact pic, too." Sam muses out loud.

"Wait, that's the cute artist guy, right?" Sam nodded as he scrolled through Moni's pics. "Okay, so who the hell is Bucky?"

"His cute roommate who's also an artist." Monica's eyebrows disappear under her curly bangs, demanding an explanation. "Okay, see what had happen was--"

Monica's raised hand and sudden laughter cut him off. "I changed my mind. I feel like the details are already too much for my delicate sensibilities." Now it was Sam's turn to raise his eyebrows in a faux judgmental fashion. "Okay, maybe just not here. This story already sounds like it needs good wine and less ears." Sam smirks wickedly and Monica just shakes her head. "Shameful, just shameful. I'm so proud." Monica clutches her chest, wiping at fake tears.

"Well, go on, hurry up and send your boyfriends the pics so we can go back to avoiding the pointed looks and digging questions at the table!"

"Yeah, gimme a sec and I'll be right behind you." Monica practically skipped back to the table after she winked at Sam. He scrolled through the shots before choosing one that boasted the best light and angle before forwarding it to Bucky.

"Hope my cheekbones aren't in the way. Lemme know if this works. And sorry again about earlier. 😉"

Bucky had been observing the minutes of radio silence still a little frazzled, but when he checks his buzzing phone he can't help the, "Wow..." that escapes him. Nothing about Sam's ample smile was problematic, except for maybe how quickly Bucky was smitten with it. He saved the pic and added it to Sam's contact. Be normal, be normal, be normal, he chants to self before replying.

"Wow, you look really nice in that sapphire. Do you often prefer jewel tones?" That was normal enough, right? Honest and normal? Bucky groaned lowly at himself. He was more outta practice with talking to people outside of Steve than he thought. Also, Sam made him nervous, but it was a pleasant nervousness aside from the earlier scare. Bucky looked at Sam's newly saved contact photo again and remembered the amethyst purple pullover he'd worn to the session today. He added 'jewel tone set' to his supply run list.

Sam bit his lip to try and stave off the smile threatening to split his face open at Bucky's honesty. "Thanks, Buck. 😳 And yes, I do dig the jewel tones: citrine, ruby, amber, turquoise and so on if that helps you with your supply list. I also like the deeper colors like burgundy and wine, navy and burnt oranges."

Bucky imagined drawing Sam in such royal colors and was so glad he allowed his curiosity at Sam's lilting laughter drifting down the hallway to get the better of him. "Yes, that does help and I've already added a set of rich gemstone hues to my list. Thank you. You look like you're out at dinner or something, so I'll let you get back to it. Thanks again, Sam. Have a good night and be safe getting in."

Ok, Bucky was too sweet. "You were no bother at all, Buck. But you know, if you wanna make it up to me, you could always send me a selfie, too. This way, I know exactly which Bucky I'm talking to. 😁"

Oh! That was certainly unexpected. But still, Bucky fussed with his hair, deciding to lose the hair tie because wisps kept falling from it. Then he immediately stuffed it back into the band. He wiped any residual corndog debris from his shirt and turned his desk lamp up to yield better lighting. He took just the one shot of him doing an awkward smile and half wave. Before he could chicken out, he sent it. Sam's one word response of, "Perfect." sent Bucky for another loop, face furiously flushing.

His phone buzzed again, this time a single pirate emoji. Bucky couldn't help the cute laugh that bubbled up from his chest. He was in deep already.

Sam's phone buzzed with a text from his sister, "You need to get your butt back here and spill. Everytime we ask Monica anything she just takes an exaggerated sip of her drink, smacking her lips after wiping them. Every. Time. Sam! Hurry up! Don't make me come find you."

Sam shoots back a finger guns emoji to her, swearing he could hear her sucking her teeth at it from here. He again scans the photos before picking a different one to forward to Steve.

"Just in case you've got a Sam or two besides me in your phone. Thanks again, Steve." He hits send and promptly stuffs his phone back into his pocket as he makes his way back to the table. He runs into Monica as she's rushing to the bathroom, whispering, "Too many doggone questions," in passing.

There are three empty glasses sitting in front of her seat when he finally sits back down. He orders another round of drinks and water for the table. Being close to the bar, their drinks arrive in a few short minutes and Sam has a drink in hand before the first question is asked. He slowly and exaggeratedly sips before smacking and wiping his lips, a refreshed "Ahhh," falling from them. The table falls into laughter.

Steve gets the text and thinks, There are no other Sams like you. He, too, is in deep trouble, but he smiles all the same as he updates Sam's contact.

[lockandkeyhyena]

ok!! all time favourite mlp fic recs GO!!

I’m limiting myself to one fic per author for this list or else it’d just be filled with mushroompone and monochromatic fics haha

anyway if you guys want specific types of fic recs, shoot me an ask!! this list is based on my personal taste which tends to lean darker/dramatic/emotional/tragic.

now, these are just the ones i have reread relatively recently and as such can give adequate descriptions of, as well as me not being a professional reviewer by any means, so you’re not going to be getting any deep analysis, i honestly just want these fics to get more attention.

side note, you’ll have to have mature content enabled for some of these fics due to darker and more explicit themes seen in some of them.

Threshold

As the rest of her friends found happiness and fulfillment, Rarity was left behind. Now, trapped in a dead-end relationship, she can feel herself slipping away in more ways than one. The return of her dear friend Rainbow Dash might mean salvation, but as the world crumbles around them the girls begin to question their place in time and in each other's lives.

CW - Abuse/A Central Abusive Relationship, Self Harm, Profanity, Narcotics, Violence, Death

Look, if you’ve followed me for any significant amount of time, you’ll know how much I adore this fic. It’s one of my all time favourite mlp fics, if not my absolute favourite. The way it explores themes of abuse and something being not quite right just absolutely makes me adore it. Having it focus on one of my favourite ships is also just a cherry on top. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot because experiencing it firsthand is an amazing experience, so I’ll just say if you like ~liminal space~ vibes, you should give it a read. I will warn you again, it is an extremely intense read and delves into themes of abusive relationships, depression and things along those lines but if you feel you’re in the headspace for it? It honestly and truly changed the way I read all fiction. I have to write up a proper thought-out review of it sometime. In fact, it’s just about time for my yearly reread…

Administrative Angel

Principal Celestia always has wings in her dreams. They got her into trouble, once. She let herself believe that they meant she was an angel. Then she grew up, and learned some hard lessons about what being an angel really required. Now six magical girls have just fought a demon in front of her school. And her phantom wings are itching. Her life is turning upside down ... and she hasn't even heard about Equestria yet.

What can I say about this fic except the fact that if you have to only read one Equestria Girls fic, let it be this one. The way it explores Celestia’s character and understands her better than almost any other fanfic I’ve read has done is phenomenal. It’s a short read, so you can get through it in an hour or so and wow. As a certified Celestia lover I give this fic my stamp of approval.

Cinéma Vérité

In the shadow of Nightmare Moon's rule, the ponies of Equestria live in uneasy peace. Vinyl Scratch refuses to accept the new status quo, making seditious films in secret out of a hidden basement below the streets of Manehattan. Octavia, meanwhile, busies herself with running a successful nightclub, finding audiences for illicit screenings of Vinyl's films, and preparing for the day when they draw the wrong kind of attention. Vinyl might be willing to die for her art, but Octavia refuses to let that happen.

Do you like Vinyltavia? Do you like Nightmare Moon Wins aus? Do you like intruige, drama and tension? Then I am begging you to read this fic. Please its so good. Plus it has one of my favourite Photo Finish characterisations out there.

A Life Lived In Hundreds

It was a normal life, until Twilight Sparkle fell out of time and into her lap. Then things started getting complicated. 100 words. Fragments of a life. Each year, every year: as the years march forward, unstoppable, unceasing, Granny Smith wonders what it all adds up to.

A ship and an experimental format that i never expected to see by themselves, much less paired together, but somehow making it work. The short, punchy chapters really submerge you in the story and the constraints of the word limit contribute to some fantastic prose.

The Enchanted Library

Everypony enjoys myths and ponytales, even if they know such things aren't real. Alicorns fighting against a spirit of chaos? An ancient princess trapped in a library under a tree, waiting to be found? Quite enchanting and fantastic tales yes, but nonetheless as fictional as Daring Do and other such stories. At least, that's what Rarity used to think. She doesn't anymore.

Come on, you guys knew this was coming. If you consider yourself a Raritwi fan you have to read this fic and it’s sequel/s. The way Monochromatic manages to write such gut-punch moments right next to the sweetest Raritwi fluff you’ve read in eons is just. Chefs kiss. I know it’s a big time sink but it is absolutely worth it.

Want more fic recs that I love just as much as these but haven’t read so recently? Shoot me an ask or check out my All Time Favourites List on fimfiction!

[klarolinexluv]

Conan Gray’s Music is Regulus Black

───── ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ─────

Part 1 - Jigsaw

To start off this assessment, I want to provide a few details to help you better understand my thought process.

Conan has an older sister and she is referenced a lot in his music. She isn’t mentioned by name in any of his songs as far as I am aware but she is referred to as “my sister”

With this in mind, it helps put his songs into the perspective of a younger brother.

This helps me relate Conan’s music to Regulus Black.

I have a lot of thoughts on his music and in particular how it can be related to Regulus and his relationships with his friends, family and lovers.

To set the scene for Jigsaw, I am going to talk about the black brothers and my head canons on them. Please be aware that this is an opinion and you do not have to agree with me.

Before Sirius goes to Hogwarts, Regulus and him are different people to whom they grow into. Sirius was quiet and a little reserved, he did as he was told and followed the rules their parents set to the best of his abilities.

Regulus however, was reckless. He was loud and outspoken. He didn’t shy away from telling his parents to their faces that he hated them. Sirius was always protecting Regulus, keeping him sheltered and out of the line of fire.

Sirius has always known that if he didn’t step in to protect his brother than Regulus would end up killed. To his parents, Regulus is only the spare, he has little value to their parents and so Sirius protects him.

When Sirius goes to Hogwarts, Regulus continues to act as he always has and this, he comes to learn that it is unsustainable. Without Sirius there to protect him, Regulus faces the brunt of Walburga and Orions anger. Their discipline.

Regulus quickly learns that he cannot continue on this way, for he will find himself unable to go to Hogwarts because he will no longer be alive. Regulus desperately wants to get out of the house and go to Hogwarts, so when his parents threaten to homeschool him if he doesn’t start behaving in the proper manner, he becomes determined.

This leads into the first verse and chorus in Jigsaw:

If changing my clothes would make you like me more

If changing my hair would make you care

Then I’d grab the kitchen scissors

And cut myself to slivers

For you

If being more polite will keep you satisfied

If being less insane would make you stay

Then I’d be more like my sister

Say, “Thank you, ma’am and mister”

To you, for you

I’ve changed every part of me

Until the puzzle pieces aren’t me at all

I look in the mirror, now I’m just a jigsaw

You take every part of me, all of the things you need

Then the rest, you discard

I look in the mirror, now I’m just a jigsaw

This results in Regulus becoming quiet. Putting on a mask and shielding himself away from everything. He becomes reserved and polite. Follows his parents every order and demand. He moulds himself into the perfect son. The golden child. And this is imperative because of Sirius’ sorting into Gryffindor.

The rebellious child that he was is locked away in his mind. He has to bite his tongue to stop the words from slipping out. Has to control his face so nobody can read his thoughts.

The time between September 1st 1971 and start of Summer 1972, Regulus has changed himself into a completely different person. And when his brother returns from school, well, let’s just say that Sirius and him must have swapped personalities.

The second verse(?) and bridge:

All I did just to make you happy

Still, you don’t even fucking love me

(Jigsaw, jigsaw, jigsaw, jigsaw)

Killing parts of myself to fit you

Clear as shit I was not the issue

If I made you like me, would I even like myself?

Pointing out all my flaws doesn’t help

Why don’t you love me?

Don’t you love me?

This part of the song would be after Sirius had run away. Regulus is in 4th or 5th year and after all these years, he is still begging for his parents just to simply love him. See that he is trying. That he is doing his best. At the end of the day, Regulus knows that making his parents happy is simply not enough for them to love him and it never will be.

The small rebellious child inside of him, screams and cries, begs to come out of his prison but he never will. Regulus will never let that happen, especially not with the small chance that maybe things will change, maybe if he keeps trying so hard, his parents will love him.

Then we have the final chorus:

I’ve changed every part of me

Until the puzzle pieces aren’t me at all

I look in the mirror, now I’m just a jigsaw

You take every part of me, all of the things you need

Then the rest, your discard

I look in the mirror, now I’m just a jigsaw

This is moments before the cave. Regulus is reflecting back on his life. Everything that he did to be the son his parents wanted, to be the perfect heir. He did everything they wanted and got nothing, it was all for nothing.

The small rebellious child is at the surface. Regulus goes to the cave defying Voldemort, his parents, his family, the wizarding world. All their exceptions of him and he is now finally doing something that will mean something… even if he is nothing but a mess of puzzle pieces.

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