#idk why people love to go so deep into animes that were clearly meant for teens. not everything has to be deep and complicated. bye.

[sar3nka]

*trump voice* WRONG

[dadsbongos]

Hey, Arvin?

Movie/Game/Show: The Devil All The Time Dynamic: Arvin Russell/Reader Warnings: spoilers for the movie? idk, post-ending time Summary: Self-doubt is often clouded as banter, and Arvin knows that better than anybody - especially after growing close to a certain farm girl. ~~~

Arvin didn't know he would wind up on a farm in the outskirted heart of Terrace Park. He truly did mean to sign himself to war in Cincinnati but it just never happened. A lot of things just didn't seem to work out for Arvin, so he didn't bother himself over it too much - not after everything he'd already done. Besides, his work was good and honest and the people who'd taken him in were good and honest.

Father, uncle, sons, and daughter. They were tight-knit - they had to be with the distant lands they'd been handed as a living space. No neighbors for miles, the children only had each other and the animals to play with until he came along. When the uncle came into a bar within town at sundown and convinced Arvin that being a farmhand was a good life. Now, Arvin was up before the sun with calluses burning at his hands and two young boys clinging to his boots as he went around the farm. But he can't say he hated it.

The two boys, only one year apart from each other and over ten years from him, were like little brothers to Arvin at this point. They were balls of sunshine throughout the home and if they wanted to lend a sinner like him some light, who was he to refuse?

The uncle, the man who'd found him that night, was deceptively sweet. A hulking figure with a soft heart beneath all the muscle. Deceptively smart, too. He'd gone to a life of education before coming to his brother-in-law's side at the farm. He was like a mentor and guiding hand, a kind one, a patient one. One who wanted the best for his loved ones; his nephews and niece, his brother by marriage, and for Arvin himself.

The father was largely unknown to Arvin. Gone away on matters that nobody seemed to know. Personal business. According to the boys, he used to be an involved and loving man until their mother fell ill and eventually died. And Arvin felt sickened upon that news. He felt pity for the children, he knew what it was like to be young and not understand why your mother had to go and your father was bent on going too. He could only pray that their father didn't go down the path his own had.

The daughter, their ages matching, was his favorite to spend time with. She wouldn't do her chores when the others were around, preferring to sit and watch her family as they did theirs. She would trail Arvin around the farm and talk as he worked. Sometimes she asked about what the town was like, other times she would tease him about being so quiet. Playful. Had enough heart to apologize if she ever felt that she crossed a line. He liked that about her. He liked a lot of things about her.

"Hey, Arvin?"

It was a simple phrase, one he'd heard countless times, but it was different from her. A teasing tone and a smile to match - her legs kicking out as she sat atop a stack of hay and watched Arvin brush the horses' manes.

"What is it, darlin'?"

"You ever take Arkle out for a midnight ride?"

She knew he did. She had to have. Why else would she bother with such a question?

"Just askin' since I hadn't found him out here last night. Figured he'd gotten out until I saw you out in the field with him."

Arvin pulled away from May's dirty brown mane to give the girl a quirked brow, "Why bother askin' if you already knew the answer?"

"I like seein' ya get all flustered. Thought you'd figured that out by now."

"Well, what were you doin' out here so late then?" Arvin returned to the horses as he asked.

"Just thinkin' was all."

"That right?" he spared the girl a quick glance, "What was that head a' yours so troubled with?"

She ignored his question and that didn't surprise him. She didn't like exposing her thoughts to anyone. Kept her worries and doubts to herself like they were precious gems, and with as little as this family had, they might as well have been. When you don't have much to call your own, your thoughts and feelings start to feel like little treasures. Arvin knew that first-hand and he wasn't about to steal someone's treasures by digging where he didn't belong.

"You ain't gotta tell me," he only said it to ease the tension of having been brushed over, "Just know I'm here. You follow me around all day, might as well talk to me if you need to."

The last thing he needed - or wanted - was to lose another person in his life. Especially if just talking to them could've prevented it. He knows he should've been keeping a better eye on Lenora and he hopes beyond hope she forgives him for that. He prays that her and her baby are well-cared for in heaven. If anybody deserves to be in the eternal sweetspot of God's domain, it's his dear sister.

"Hey, Arvin?"

Today, he was shucking corn, seated on a barrel, when she called to him from behind. He turned his head and nodded to let her know he was listening.

"You were awful quiet at breakfast this morning. Barely spoke to the boys at all."

"Just thinkin', darlin'. You ain't gotta worry 'bout me."

"I'll always worry 'bout you, Arvin," he feels her hands settle on his shoulders, "You came into Terrace Park alone. You got brought in by Uncle. You're around my baby brothers all the time. My boys, Arvin. My boys. We might share an age but we ain't share a brain. All I can see into your head is all I know about mine. It ain't just for you, Arvin. My daddy hasn't been the same since Mama passed and someone's gotta take care of the family. Uncle loves you to death and I don't blame him, but I'm still worryin'."

He got it. He understood. He was that way with Lenora, and he just wishes he could've done better to protect her. He wishes he could've keep his father around. He wishes his mother wasn't robbed from him so soon. He wishes he had less blood on his hands.

"Can I ease your worries at all?" he returns to his task of shucking corn.

"Where'd you get in from? Why're you here?"

"Knockemstiff. Coal Creek. Nowhere too far," he inhaled sharply as he went to begin his tale of why he left, leaving out certain unsavory details, "I had a sister. She was sweet. Lonely. I left her alone with the wrong sonofabitch," he felt anger begin boiling inside his veins as he relived that day, "she killed herself over him so I… I left. Had nothin' else there for me than makin' sure she was okay and I couldn't even do that."

"Arvin," she leans forward and presses her hands over his, "you didn't hafta tell me if it was so personal. 'M sorry I pried. Sorry about your sister, too, that's awful."

"No," he drops the corn when he realizes how shaky his hands have gotten, "I needed to get that out," he feels his heart burn the longer that her hands rest on his, "I still miss her. I shoulda been there."

Earskell should've kept tighter watch like he'd said.

Those bullies should've known better than to pick on Lenora.

Teagardin should've followed the book he read by.

"Can I hold you, Arvin?" it's barely a whisper.

He doesn't nod. If he wasn't the one to take initiative and press himself back into her chest then she wouldn't have gotten an answer at all. Her arms come around Arvin's shoulders and circle his chest tighter as his eyes water.

"It ain't your fault. It's that bastard, you know that, don't you?" she pressed her lips to his forehead and rested a cheek to the top of his head, fingers running through his hair, "It ain't your fault. Never was. Never will be."

He appreciates the sentiment even though he knows, deep down inside himself, that he'll never truly believe it. It's kind of her to care so much about a boy like him. He hopes she never has to feel the pain he knows so intimately and he hopes he can protect her brothers like he never got to with Lenora. If not to protect the softness in his own heart for them, then for the sake of a farm girl who's holding him so close as he cries in a cornfield.

"Hey, Arvin?"

It's hours past late and he hasn't been able to catch a wink of sleep. The dining table he's seated himself at is swamped in darkness and he's surprised she can even make out his figure.

"Late night, darlin'?"

"Heard you gettin' up. What're you doin' out here? I know it ain't eatin'."

"How can you tell?"

"Eatin' so late with not even a candle is just sad, Arvin. We got more to worry about than sleepin' if that's what you're doin'."

He grins at her answer and shakes his head, "Just can't sleep. You go on to bed; need your beauty rest."

It's that idea that has her feet practically cemented to the ground and her brows furrowing in her self-consciousness. She feels her gut twist at the mention of her needing beauty sleep even though she knows that's not how he meant it.

"Hey Arvin…?"

He nods before remembering she can't see him, "What is it, darlin'?"

"Do…" she presses her lips into a thin line before finally spewing out the question, "d'you think I'm pretty?"

"Well, what kind a' question is that? Wouldn't your daddy kill me for somethin' like that."

"Daddy ain't around long enough."

"I think you're plenty pretty, darlin', but don't worry 'bout what me or what any other boy has to say on your looks, you hear me? Ain't no boy in control of your body, so don't let any of 'em take anythin' from you," Arvin's quiet, voice rasped, "Nobody livin' in that body 'sides you, so you just make sure you like yourself before worryin' on what anyone else has to say."

He thought she was breathtaking, intelligent, fun - he wouldn't ramble on it for as long as he wished only because he wanted her to realize what truly mattered. She was clearly nervous in awaiting his response, if the quivers in her voice were anything to go by, and he wanted to answer this right. He wanted her to know that at the end of the day, all that mattered was her opinion on herself - because she, and she alone, was inside that body until it died. She had to love herself before someone like him had any say. Arvin's learned how to handle such situations since losing the only people he's ever cared for.

"You really think that?"

"Absolutely, darlin'," he nodded before coming to a stand and beginning to walk out of the kitchen, "You should get to bed now."

"Arvin," she reached up and took his shoulders into her hand before pressing a kiss to his cheek once she could make it out from the darkness, "you're a real sweetheart, you know that?"

"I'm just me. Ain't the best man, ain't the worst. But I appreciate the compliment," he swallowed down his nerves and kissed her forehead gently, "Sleep well, now, darlin'."

"Hey, Arvin?" she murmurs as he begins his trek back to his room.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you… for everything. I know you haven't been here the longest, but I can't imagine us without you now."

"I can't imagine me without any a' you either, so don't worry about thankin' me, darlin'."

[shintorikhazumi]

Two is company, Three's a Crowd, but Four is the Death of Diana Cavendish (3): Progress

A/N: Okie, here it is, my dear catalyst friend who caused this fic to exist in a sense hahahha @tanuki-pyon​. This fic is... idk. 

Also I’m assuming that @komatsuna-yuki wants to be tagged? still? idk? sorry for assuming????? also @dianacavendishisgay just to tell you the next is here.

To everyone else,

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

//

Hannah sipped loudly from her cup, eyes bored, but inwardly absolutely amused as she watched Diana's mechanically stiff movements. The girl could not go into her classroom any slower.

Diana had been having difficulty entering the room; the thought of meeting Atsuko so soon- after that weird chain of events they had sprung on her- was daunting.

Yet Hannah wanted to see to it that Diana would attend her next class. She was waiting for her to go in already before walking over to her own a few rooms down.

She would not- could not- let Diana get away and lessen their chances of capturing one Kagari Atsuko.

Oh, the thought of that girl sent a jolt of excitement up Hannah's spine. The things they could do to the adorable, almost puppy-like bean once they were together.

Ah, but Diana Cavendish was so hell-bent on patience, chivalry, and her century-old idea of 'courtship' that would probably leave them all dried out by the time they got to the first date. It was a little annoying.

It simply wouldn't do.

That's why Hannah and Barbara were here. After noticing their lovely girlfriend struggle the past few months or so with hidden feelings that they could not interpret as anything else than the beginnings of another love, they had decided that it wasn't so bad to help her out and give her the happiness she very clearly deserved.

Okay, and maybe they found Atsuko super cute. After observing her the past few weeks- just to be sure she was good for Diana because scouting was important if they wanted what was best for her- they had come to also adore the honest, bubbly, and incredibly sweet girl who went to the park after school to feed random birds and animals, and gave children sweets after performing rather impressive magic tricks.

Hannah sighed her thoughts away, turning back to her useless girlfriend to confirm that she had made no progress at all in getting to her class. As expected.

Hannah could only watch on helplessly. She was not about to ruin her pretty image by barbarically dragging her girlfriend into the room. Not yet. That was only for desperate times.

Now was... not so desperate.

After what felt like forever congested into the last ten minutes of Diana's- and by extension, Hannah's- struggle, the oaf of a blonde genius finally managed to take a step into the lecture hall.

-only to peek back out at a speed contrasting the time it took to enter the room.

Hannah simply raised a brow, a silent, "What." being expressed.

"She's not here yet!" Diana whisper-shouted in panic. "I should've remembered she'd usually not be early! She's never here early! Hannah!"

Hannah only took another sip from her straw still, rolling her eyes at her girlfriend's rare display of desperate whininess.

Such a baby sometimes. She was definitely going to tell aunt Bernadette when they met up again. Just so they could tease Diana together.

"Calm down, sweet. Just go wait for her inside then or something." Hannah finally responded, sipping the last of her iced coffee before tossing the empty container into a nearby bin. "It's not like she'd skip class to avoid you."

"..."

"No way." Hannah could have laughed as Diana silently confirmed that Kagari Atsuko would definitely do something like that.

Oh great.

Two pains to deal with now.

She should've asked Barbara to come along.

Suddenly she heard a squeak from behind her. Hannah quickly turned around and a grin formed immediately on her face.

'Well, well. How perfect.'

Just the one they had been looking for, who was about to turn around and leave- about to bolt for dear life.

Not like Hannah would let her.

Preparing her sweetest smile and voice, she called the girl's name, skipping in her direction, snaking an arm around her waist before planting a greeting kiss on her cheek.

"Atsuko~"

"EEEEE-!  M-Miss England!"

"Oh, come on. Don't be so cold now! Call me Hannah~. Han-nah. <3"

From the corner of her eye she could see Diana sporting a scowl.

'Oh? Already jealous?'

It only tempted Hannah to mess with the pair even more. This was actually turning out to be quite fun. Maybe patience really was a virtue worth its price.

"Come now, let's get to class." She cheerfully linked arms with Atsuko, dragging her into the biochemistry class, past a Diana whose jaw hung slack.

----

Diana snapped out of her stupor soon enough, marching after the pair into the room.

"Wait a second, Hannah." Diana glared at her girlfriend, noting that Hannah had stolen her seat next to Miss Kagari. She nudged the girl over, the three of them now sat- squeezed together- at one table usually meant for only two. "You don't have this class." She pointed out bitterly, hoping Hannah would take the hint and leave.

Her frown deepened as Hannah simply smirked that one way that Diana knew meant that Hannah would do as she pleased regardless of anything or anyone.

"I do now~."

//

Lunch.

Finally. Thank god, Diana thought.

...or not.

If her morning dedicated to labs was already difficult with Hannah hanging around, Barbara taking a seat next to Miss Kagari at the table doubled her hardships.

Really. Couldn't these two see that they were making her cru- frien... wait. That wasn't it either. Just what... was Kagari Atsuko to her at the moment then?

She glanced at the trio again, her girlfriends taking turns happily feeding the poor girl in the middle who could only smile and nod, afraid of rejecting their advances.

She should really learn to speak up, that Kagari Atsuko.

Then again, she couldn't blame her. This was something she had also experienced back then, when she first started dating Hannah and Barbara.

Diana sighed, not really knowing what to do anymore.

"Yieee-!"

Diana swiftly became alert, already up from her seat and walking over to where Miss Kagari was bright red and apologizing to the people around for disturbing the peaceful lunch hours with her noise.

Diana was toeing a very fine line of patience, having been tested all morning. Hannah and Barbara were going too far with their touchiness and teasing! Hadn't they discussed that they'd go into this gently! Courtship! Kagari Atsuko deserved the best of it!

This wasn't it!

And Hannah slipping her hand onto Akko's thigh was the last straw for Diana.

Quickly, she took that hand off, taking Akko's and leading her out towards the courtyard to get some fresh air. For Akko or for herself? She didn't really know.

In her blind emotion, Diana had failed to realize some things. One was that she had dragged her partner half way across the school building, subconsciously wanting to be as far from her stressors as possible; and two, they were now alone. Something that never happened outside of lab activities.

As soon as it came to her awareness, she whirled around to face the girl she had roughly tugged along behind her, bowing in deep apology. "I'm truly sorry, Miss Kagari!" She hadn't really thought of what to do after that.

Peeking up at Akko, she saw a flustered expression that made her heart flutter in her chest. Everything about her was just so, so enticing. Maybe she'd admit to understanding her girlfriends' desires to act the way they did around the Japanese girl.

Caught in a moment unaware, her lips loosened, speaking a blaring thought she had believed she'd suppressed at the back of her mind for so long.

"May I formally court you?"

She felt her eyes widen as Akko's did as well.

There. She'd said it. She'd finally said it.

She just hoped that Akko would let her down easy if in case rejection was her choice of answer-

"H-how... How does it work?" Was the tiny voice's response in the form of a question of her own.

"Huh?"

"This... thing. Relationship. Of yours." She wrung her shirt in her hands, twisting nervously. She didn't seem to be asking out of judgment, rather it was out of genuine curiosity. "I mean... if I'm going to-to be a part of it, I'd like to know... y'know?" She grinned this crooked silly grin that made Diana blush.

'Super cute' -as Hannah had put it, Akko was.

"W-well... I... um..." Come now, Diana Cavendish. Where did the valedictorian of her graduating class go? She needed to explain it clearly, and simple as possible at the same time. "It's... we love each other... equally...?"

'Oh, bury me alive.'

"I... see." Atsuko hummed, staring at her shoes for a bit, face scrunched up in deep thought.

Diana needed to do something. Say something to clear up any confusion the other girl might have acquired after her failure of an explanation.

"Y-You don't have to erm... 'love' as all at once. Or force yourself to be in a relationship with us all- um... odd as it may sound... that you'd date only one of us while we date each other. Oh but... That... doesn't sound very fair on your part, does it?" Diana chuckled awkwardly, one of her hands circling the opposite wrist, seeking comfort in the sensation.

Aahhh, she'd definitely messed it up now. Maybe having Hannah and Barbara around was a better game plan when it came to Kagari Atsuko. Diana braced herself for the worst.

The worst... didn't come.

"I want to try."

If anything, it was the best?

"W-whu?" Diana's gaze zoned in on the blushing woman in front of her, shoes scuffing the dirt, hands fidgeting together. She was clearly flustered. Not that Diana was any better. Especially not after the bomb that would drop on her next.

"I actually... like you... Miss Cavendish."

"Well, shit."

"Eh?"

"Oh! Oh no! Shit as in... no, um...not in the bad sense! Shit as in, the good shit- dear lord, what have I been spouting I'll shut up right away, right now, I- I'm..." Shamefully stupid as she was being, she couldn't help the smile that was beginning to make her cheeks hurt by how wide it had spread across her face. "I'm so happy, Mi-Miss Ka... no.... Atsuko. Atsuko... At-canIcallyouthat?” 

She received a dumbfounded nod. One she was most grateful for.

She took a deep breath. “I... I also... I fancy you." She confessed in her own odd way that definitely confused Atsuko.

"Thanks?"

"It means I like you."

"Oh."

"..."

"Oh."

Diana couldn’t quite name all the emotions that had so quickly flashed across Atsuko’s face. She hoped they meant good things?

"Well, shit."

Good things.

"Right?" Diana began chuckling, unable to help herself. She felt over the moon, flying high up like a witch on a broom above the clouds. Or was Atsuko the witch? Casting a spell on her, making her all sorts of weird.

Did it matter now though?

Hardly.

If anything, she liked this love spell that had bewitched her.

"May I... May I walk you home after class later?" She mustered up the courage to ask, patting herself on the back for being rather progressive. She was feeling a bit more confident compared to earlier. Her composure was beginning to return to her, and her calm indicated that she was getting used to interacting with her new potential lover.

And then the girl smiled.

All of that organization of mind flew out the window.

"I'd love to walk home with you, D-Diana."

Ah. The finishing blow.

"Th-th-th-th-that's! Sounds perfect! Ha! Haha! Ha...ha... I, then we should-" Diana should remember how breathing felt. Suddenly, her head was spinning, vision tunneling. She vaguely heard the lunch bell go off somewhere in the background. "Class! Class, time to go back and-"

She missed the way Atsuko's eyes widened in panic, looking behind Diana and reaching for naught.

"Eh? D-Diana, wait! There's a-"

Tree.

Before she could even think of kissing Atsuko, she first kissed a tree.

Progress.

//-//

Extra:

"You think it worked?"

"Obviously. My plans always work."

"Our plans, babe." Barbara giggled, leaning her head against Hannah's shoulder, relishing in its warmth and comfort. It was fun to tease the pair while it lasted, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was all okay. "We didn't... push too far, did we? Make them uncomfortable or anything?"

Hannah nuzzled the top of her head, planting a kiss there. "I'm pretty sure we did." She sighed. "But would it have been as effective if we didn't?"

"I suppose not."

"Mm." Hannah hummed. "We can just apologize when this is all over and laugh it off."

Barbara turned to her, giggling, a teasing glint in her eyes. "You hate apologizing, luv."

"I know." Hannah laughed along. "That's why I'm hoping it goes great and Diana forgets all about it."

Barbara agreed with that one. She knew she was equally in trouble.

They hoped for the best. If all went according to their little scheme, Diana would be coming back with a girl that was already half their girlfriend. Just a little more to go. Then they could get to all the 'fun things'  that came with being in a relationship.

Right.

Still though...

 "They're rather useless."

"No truer words have been spoken."

[mcd-ms-rants]

I wrote the whole post and TUMBLR DECIDED TO DELETE THE WHOLE THING

anyways it’s finally here

take

STUFF I DIDNT LIKE ABOUT MYSTREET SEASON 4:

• ok but the animations here are great. actually tho they're so fluid and clear. Credits to whoever made them!!

• and now let’s do the real thing

• ok so first off this is where the actual plot starts. I know that some people were getting bored of the monotony of the slice of life episodes so they liked it. Again there’s nothing inherently wrong with having it but you have to remember that these characters most likely weren’t written to be in a plot and I say this because their personalities are funny and lighthearted. Their clearly meant for comedy. This also makes them redundant for plot since most of them a few characters barely have any development which is probably why like half the cast was dropped. im not sure how far back jess had planned the plot but needless to say most of the characters wouldn‘t be able to fit there. Travis, Katelyn, KC and the sk’s just dipped for the whole season and even when kc, Travis and Katelyn do show up in s5 their personalities really took a beating

• WHERE DID LAURANCE AND DANTE GO?? We never see them after s3. its probably because their personalities were too funny for plot but laurance was a shadow knight in mcd and since the whole of mys is so hyped up on the whole ‘mcd and mys are connected’ thing by all means he should’ve been there too

• it makes sense that since the lodge is jointly owned by the Ro’meaves and the Lycans, Garroth, Zane and Aaron- and by extension, Aphmau- would come along. it make sense that they would ask Lucinda for help- she’s a skilled witch and has been their friend since high school. theyre literally neighbors. it makes NO SENSE to being Kim- a girl whom they’ve barely ever interacted with and whom they barely know- to a place meant for close family to go to. Ok from a plot perspective yes Kim needed to be there but Aphmau logically doesnt know that yet.

• how does ghost/emmalyn even exist?? We’ve seen emmalyn and kenmur in s1 and they’re ok. not dead or anything. Yes I know that this is mcd emmalyn and she is directly referencing mcd Zane when she says that’s the only name she remembers from when she was alive but that raises two questions- first, how can both mcd and mys versions of her exist at the same time?? and second, what exactly happened between her and mcd zane?? It sounds like she either hates him way more than she loves kenmur (or she’d remember him too) that it’s the only name she remembers or its Stockholm Syndrome.

• I feel that since the plot demanded a ghost vessel thing that was the only reason Aphmau brought Kim. it’s pretty clear that Dante and laurance wouldn’t fit the role because of their personalities so she just remade an older character and changed her completely right down to her skin to fit the plot. her whole personality changes with it- look at her I mean she even becomes more open when she talks. Again this only happened because none of the existing characters could fill that role because IT WASNT MEANT TO HAVE PLOT

• no one likes you michi girl take the hint

• seeing liochant brings back meMoriEs

• what was that potion that lucinda made and which Garroth threw on Zane?? its clear that it cured him from the effects of the forever potion but the bigger question is WHY DONT THEY USE THIS IN S6?? Ok yes in s4 Aphmau gets freed by the power of love(TM) but that doesn’t mean you do that for everyone

• as someone who liked Laurance’s character I miss him :(

• ok there’s WAY TOO MANY PROBLEMS with Ein and his villain shtick. Ein is basically some obsessive werewolf yandere boy who has an unhealthy obsession with aphmau and hates Aaron. and the cherry on top is that Aphmau is his HALF SISTER. THATS INC*ST. That’s GROSS. What is it with Aphmau antagonists and not having a clear motive or backstory?? mcd Zane and Ein both suffer from this and it shows. there were definitely better motives to give him- he doesn’t have to be centered around Aphmau all the time!! And even if you don’t want to go to all the trouble of rewriting the plot you could at least make it so that Ein knows that he and Aphmau are related. Maybe he wants a perfect sister instead and he’s willing to go to any lengths to get her there. it would still be dark and serious but it would be SO MUCH BETTER than the current plotline. Also showing the contrast between his pdh and s4 self and then not giving any semblance of an explanation really makes it difficult to imagine where it all went wrong. yes Michael definitely had something to do with it but to what extent?? How much is Ein actually in control of?? Is he under the influence of a forever potion when he turns Zane, Lucinda and Aphmau to his side?? Is he still under its influence when he fights Aaron?? look I get that they can’t reveal everything but leaving out THIS MUCH and not even revealing it in s6 makes it very difficult to accurately nail Ein’s character.

• how is Aaron even revived?? is that Irene?? how is she here and what is she doing here?? Can we have answers pls. also it makes no sense that she saves Aaron TWICE- once in s4 and second in s6. How does death even work here if Irene can just swoop in and bring them back to life. i feel like none of the villains ever count as threats then because you know that a cryptic mysterious goddess who somehow looks just like your girlfriend will revive you.

• how did Aaron even survive?? No seriously how?? We know that there’s no service or wifi up there at the lodge so using their phones is out of the question. i don’t think Lucinda would be able to conjure up a whole medical team for Aaron. and they're on a MOUNTAIN. It takes precious time to get down from it. for context, even if they sent Garroth (since he’s the fastest) down to get help they’d have to wait for him to reach the village area at the base of the mountain, get a phone, call for help, wait for said help to arrive and get Aaron to a hospital. meanwhile Aaron is bleeding out from multiple gashes on his chest made at like point black range that are critical at best and fatal at worst. (his only saving grace is the snow he’s on which would help to numb the wound because its cold but he has like FIVE deep chest wounds and the snow isn’t even on his wounds.) Ya sorry I don’t see how he manages to survive.

• did I mention that I miss Laurance?? • Why is Aaron not at a hospital I don’t even see a ventilator or oxygen mask near him. Listen I’m not a medical expert but those gashes landed straight on his chest which means straight on his lungs and dangerously close to his heart. how is he alive. how is he not choking on blood right now. we know he’s bleeding out- I’m pretty sure one of the doctors even says “Mrs Lycan, we need to draw more blood for your son.” yes he’s bleeding out why is no one trying to idk stop the wound through pressure with a cloth or something?? (Note: it’s been a while since I’ve watched s4, so if I do get anything wrong thats why!!) also why are the werewolf doctors so chill about Aaron’s ultima eyes? like yes they’re doctors they could’ve been sworn to secrecy or maybe they work for the Lycans but Derek is shown to be really paranoid about anyone finding out about Aaron being the ultima. how does he know they won’t tell it to someone else??

k imma head out now-

thanks for reading!! <3 <3

[armillary-spheres-lover]

Hey

Idk if you ever got the answer to your thing. But I’m a person who is queer but regularly uses the term lesbian to make things simpler. I can tell you why I hate the phrase monosexual- it feels transphobic to me- I am not attracted to men at all, but I am attracted to women, non-binary folks, gender queer folks, and agender folks. If I was with a partner and they transitioned to be a man I would still love them. That wouldn’t change. Sexuality is fluid and calling someone monosexual seems to erase that and really put people in boxes. Everyone has exceptions. And as someone who has identified as bisexual and pansexual in the past and find those not to suit me and fit right (especially since I am not sexually/romantically attracted to people physically/based on appearances- it’s more about personality and what I could do with a person)

I don’t mean this in an antagonistic way, I really hope it doesn’t come off that way(I’m bad expressing myself sorry).

(I’m sorry, I know you’re not trying to be rude. My answer, however, will sound rude and upset because you touched upon some stuff that needs a lot of unpacking to me lmao. Just know this anger is not necessarily directed at you but at biphobia in general.)

Why do bisexual people may need to use the term monosexual?

A. It is descriptive

I see what you mean but as you said you're queer and lesbian is a term to make things simpler, right?

So I wouldnt call you monosexual because you’re clearly not attracted to only one gender (but if you want to who I am to stop you?). Monosexual is someone who is almost exclusively dating/is attracted to people of one gender. There are plenty trans people that are straight or gay that would NOT date a partner if they realized they were a different gender. For real: kat blaque made a video (here it is if youre interested) on youtube about this - she’s trans and she wants to date men and wouldnt feel comfortable on continuing dating if a partner of hers realized they were actually a trans woman all along. She wants to date guys not girls and that's FINE it just means A. She actually recognizes the girl gender, obviously B. She's straight af and that's wonderful! It’s not a box if that’s how her experience is and she likes it that way!

Also how is being monosexual transphobic? Cant a girl just like guys exclusively (both cis and trans) or like girls exclusively (both cis and trans)? It's not even enbyphobic since you dont need to be attracted to a person to support their rights. (Gay men arent attracted to women but can be 100% feminists.) Being open to fuck somebody is not the same as supporting their rights: fetishization is a thing. Again, I refer to the video Kat Blaque made.

Sexuality IS fluid but to some people (like me and you) it is more than others. Some people don’t feel comfortable dating people that dont fall into the gender theyre usually attracted to and thats 100% okay.

B. It helps in talking about biphobia and panphobia in society

Biphobia and panphobia are for the large part based on the assumption that you cant be attracted to more than one gender (not even non-binary and so on) and that if you do you're weird/disgusting/mentally ill/a sexual predator. I can tell you 100% that's the narrative both straight and gay people can and may perpetuate since I struggle w this kind of shit every single time Im attracted to someone no matter their gender (YES, EVEN IF THEY'RE A GUY, BECAUSE THE OTHER DAY I WAS ATTRACTED TO A GIRL AND NOW I FEEL LIKE A FUCKING ANIMAL THAT CANT CONTROL ITSELF, even though it makes NO sense because if it was two girls or two boys the actual number of people my hormones activated to wouldnt change, but it would make my experience not subjected to biphobia!). I’m not saying gay people are the same as straight people. But I do feel alienated BOTH from heteronormative society AND from (subtly biphobic) gay spaces because of my bisexuality. I costantly feel like I’m outside both of those worlds and you know how humans are: I just need a term to encompass it all easily, to say “I don’t identify with any of this” (which is both straight and strictly gay spaces: ie, monosexual). To me is literally the same as saying non-bisexual/non-pansexual.

I dont mean to say lesbians or gays have it easier or are just like straight people. But we do have different experiences and I need terms to express that. It honestly doesnt matter to me if you identify as lesbian or queer (though I think you’re implying you’re more queer than anything). But I do need a term to talk about how society at large treats sexuality; ie, as a monosexual thing. Another concept that’s been thrown around is bi erasure. A strictly monosexual society is bound to view a girl dating a girl (or girl presenting) as if theyre both LESBIANS and erase a queer person the moment they’re in a m/f relationship, because people cant COMPUTE that it may not be the case and that the girl dating a cis straight dude isnt betraying her queerness.To think so is basic biphobia.

In some ways, I think it’s the same as when transgender people started using the term cisgender - which is applicable to both straight people and queer/gay people. They simply needed a term which meant “not-trans” as they were saying “I dont identify with this” (ie the cisgender experience). Does it imply that cisgender people, no matter if queer, have something in common? Yeah, yeah it does. Does it imply that queer people are just the same as straight people, or face no oppression? Of course not. Seeing people being offended upon being called monosexual feels like people being offended upon being called cis to me.

Also, saying that the terms bisexual people use are transphobic is almost implying that bisexuality is inherently transphobic? Or reeks to me of that kind of rhetoric. I use the terms I need to use, just like any other marginilized group does, and nobody outside of that group has any right of denying me that. It’s like I’m trying to create a safe space for myself and people like me and yall come around to judge us YET AGAIN. And I'm just tired of hearing this bullshit. I could accept this kind of criticism only if it came from a trans person themselves, I guess? But it’s not usually trans people who accuse us of being transphobic, in fact, many trans people identify as bisexual and use bisexual terminology lmfao.

“Hearts not parts” rhetoric

Finally, about personality being superior to physical appearance. That's amazing but I do want to note that, not you necessarily, but many people who are into the “hearts not parts” rhetoric are, how can I say this. Slut-shaming people? I’m not sure if you are doing this but I feel it needs to be said just to be sure. A lesbian trans woman can be just attracted to a girl for her physical appearance and just want to fuck her - and THAT'S OKAY. That's fine. I am a sexually attracted to people and that doesnt mean I have to form a deep bond first. Sex positivity is about accepting that people can feel like this and not shame them for this. "Hearts not parts” rhetoric has in the past infantilized, sanitized or outright shamed other queer experiences. It's fine if you feel that way but dont start acting like you're morally superior because of that. That's catholicism with extra steps. My bisexuality its not the symptom of some predatory and animalistic thing that should be purified into something more palatable and less sexual. That’s the same thing they used to say about gay people and now gay (biphobic) people are using this against us. That’s also the kind of thing trans women (especially if they’re sapphic) constantly hear every fucking day. Queer people have a good part of their discrimination rooted in the shaming of purely sexual desires. Forcing ourselves to be more palatable and less sexual is just respectability politics. I’m tired of it. (This is obviously different from being on the asexual spectrum: but you dont see ace people going around pretending they’re morally superior than everybody else, and many are actually very sex positive)   You would still love your partner if they were a different gender: that’s great, but that’s not how some (most) people feel, and they aren’t superficial because of this, just different from you.

Also, I think you’d really benefit from hearing a trans person say they don’t care if someone has genitalia preferences. Here it is. This obviously doesnt mean that every trans person will feel like she does, but it does mean that we can’t generalize trans experiences/preferences/what they feel transphobia is. Just like straight people dont get to say what’s homophobic or not, cis people dont get to say what’s transphobic or not. The definition of those terms relies entirely on the community that is targeted by these things.

I hope this wasnt excessively confusing but I wanted to make my point clear.

[letterstomilen]

the death of rex lapis (hopefully)

Zhongli, Vampire Alternative Universe (warning: this is mainly expositional bc ive had fun playing around w the idea of how zhongli would be if he was a vampire so idk where this’ll go! there is some childe/zhongli but not much!! anyways happy birthday zhongli i love you :) Zhongli does not make a good vampire. 

Immortality is meant to make you smart.

But what people forget is that you don’t live that long because of wits. Immortality does not mean you are capable; it means that you were foolish enough to get bitten and didn’t think much of it later.

He wasn’t clever when he was held by Guizhong, who smiled sweetly at him as she looked at him, her hair brushing against his skin and cold hands curling the ends of his hair. And certainly not sharp when he failed to notice that her heart wasn’t beating and she seemed to look more at his neck— ”You have a very fine neck,” she informed him when he asked, and he nodded, assuming that it was one of those things sculptors just happened to notice—than his eyes for the majority of the night.

Whether it was out of guilt or disinterest, he doesn’t know. Zhongli would like to think that it was out of guilt, because prior to the night, they were friends. And after she bit his neck, she held him in her arms, whispering story after story as he stuck by fever.

The pain was unimaginable. First—there was shock. And then minutes later, while he wondered why the room smelled more like sweat and blood than incense, he realized that he was still held down.

This must be what quarry feels like, he thought then. But now he knows otherwise; prey would never be held so gently and lay there limply if they could help it. He, while being drained every bit of life, was a willing, sitting duck.

That was before the pain, of course. When she finally let go of him to wash her face—he recalls this clearly: her wiping her face, then licking the blood off her hands with the relish of a child on her birthday, before leaving to the bathroom—he laid there paralyzed. It was, he’s discovered, a bit like being drunk.

Only that the alcohol left his insides in unimaginable pain for days on end. He stumbled when he tried to stand; babbled as he struggled to speak. Even now he only remembers brief flashes of it, when he tore the skin on his arm with his newly grown canines, or hours of rejecting food that he could not quite stomach.

In reality, he was a child—a baby, really, if you were being blunt about it. The weeks that followed were horrendous and perhaps it’s a blessing that he spent the majority of them inhibited, the metamorphosis shedding every part of him that he was comfortable with. But as the days went on, the pain gave way to numbness and numbness gave away to strength.

And when he finally regained enough consciousness to form a coherent sentence, he asked Guizhong why she did it. She, with the certainty of somebody that’s lived for longer than he had, answered, “Well, you’ve always been interested in how the world would change after you were gone. Isn’t this now your chance to witness it?”

Fanaticism with history and predictions could only get you so far. To witness it—wasn’t that just a dream? And because he assumed that rocks were eternal and could not erode back then, he nodded in agreement.

It was a mistake.

Six hundred years ago, Zhongli underestimated the length of his lifetime. One day he’d be talking to somebody about their newborn and it would only be a blink later where their newborn was six feet under, hailed for having a long and blessed life. (What made a blessed life? It couldn’t have been the years –he concluded that every year he was more cursed than before.) Relationships were scarce because he forgot that not everybody experienced time the same way he did.

Days, contrary to his belief, were not fleeting seconds but rather twenty-four hours long. They composed of both the night and day, waking and sleeping hours instead of mindless walks that ended with him apologizing profusely before his fangs were embedded deep into somebody’s throat.

Somebody suggested for him to just do it in an alley and leave them there to be found at morning. But that was too disrespectful—uncouth even. He preferred to invite them into his home, graciously taking their coat and ushering them inside to a table filled with food. Venti always commented on how polite he was to the very end, taking extra care to cook food that he knew they liked—“Last meal before execution, huh?” he’d comment. “Very romantic.”—and making them comfortable until the very end.

That’s not how it started of course.

He tried starving himself at first—much to Osial’s amusement. On a night out, where Zhongli was more attuned to the heat and beating hearts of the people around him than the delicacies laid out, Osial took it a step further by passing him a cup with a thick, maroon liquid that sloshed around in it.

It smelled finer than the silk flowers that littered the gardens, and when he took the cup, he felt one step closer to the damnation Guizhong always spoke of. The worst part was that it didn’t churn his stomach—instinctually, he felt more delighted than he ever felt, a smile cracking his worn face as he inspected the goblet. Only when did he take note of Osial’s smug expression, the glint in his eyes that reminded him of an elusive professor, and the way he watched him carefully the way a parent would watch a child take its first steps, did he hesitate.

It wasn’t benign; it was as if he expected him to trip and fall over after attempting to take his first steps, taking pleasure in both the failure and success. Because both would end with Zhongli crossing the line one way or another, wouldn’t it? And there was nothing more enjoyable than sadism to somebody that’s seen it all already.

Right now he is fighting a losing battle. But he would rather starve than lose it here, so he hands the cup back to him, feeling a little more of his willpower crack.

Animal blood, by all accounts, is disgusting. It’s oily and sometimes he’d get sick, ending the night more ravenous than ever as if his skin were tightening around itself. You couldn’t just drink it—especially if you didn’t know where the animal has been. First you had to kill it neatly—a quick breaking of the neck would suffice, as strangulations were often drawn out—and then you had to clean it.

There was something almost humane in the process. Countless butchers have done it before, so he felt comfortable doing it himself.

It was only when he sunk his teeth into the carcass that he felt more like a vulture than anything else. The blood only staved off his hunger for short periods, so it was more of a painkiller than a sufficient meal.

And Osial found the whole thing to be hilarious.

“How unfortunate. If only Guizhong didn’t choose somebody that insisted on drinking animal blood, then it’d be more enjoyable. You know—if you open your mouth a little wider, you’ll look a bit more like the starving beast you are.” Then he dipped a finger in the cup and licked it as if it were chocolate, sweet and rich.

“Yes… Perhaps I should move onto better things. Do you think vampire blood is like wine? Or would age spoil its taste? I imagine that to a starving beast, there would be no difference—no matter how rotten your blood is, it’s still blood after all.”

Osial laughed and spit the blood out. “Well, you’re not wrong. This animal blood may be disgusting, but to you, what’s the difference?”

He wore his cruelty like a well-fitting suit, the creases shaped like ill-natured grins. Zhongli wondered if that will be him hundreds of years from now, but maybe Osial was always this unpleasant. Guizhong spoke of him the way somebody would talk about their ill-tempered cousin—sure, he’s awful to be around but he’s been a part of the family for so long already.

At the very least, he can provide a good meal. The question will always be for who, and his appetite is insatiable concerning all matters. Some vampires preferred a more barbaric approach of finding somebody, killing them, and then throwing the body away. Others—like Osial—treated it more like a game, drawing it out.

Sometimes he’d target entire families and call it a “feast” inviting others to join him. They were gruesome affairs that ended with many drunk on blood for weeks at a time, and even though he never went to them, he always heard about them.

Directly from Osial of course. Who seems intent on highlighting every small detail, every bloody death or desperate guest that was less than willing in the end but, Osial would say with delight, weren’t they all? As a matter of fact—and here was when he’d bring Guizhong into it, dragging her out of her room with her blueprints and models—Zhongli was very willing, wasn’t he?

“Up until he realized that he had to drink blood,” he’d say, as if he finally reached the punchline for a joke—then Osial would throw his head back with laughter.

And it’s not as if he hadn’t before. Sometimes, if he hurt himself, he would’ve licked the blood. But that tasted metallic—it was nothing like the delicacies that other vampires would set out, naming the meals by age, defining trait (sexual activity, lifestyle, etc.), and gender.

It took him fifty years for his willpower to break down. And he did it in front of Barbatos, who simply watched as he drank, not speaking of the way Zhongli drunkenly rambled for hours on end nor the way blood trickled down his neck and stained his clothing.

The deaths after that were easier. It was almost disappointing how he managed to replicate what Guizhong did with such ease. When he set the serviette over their chest before sinking his teeth into their jugular, he felt just like her.

Only when did he clean them up before burying them did he truly feel at rest. At the time it felt like appropriate compensation—a substitute for the promise he failed to keep for himself. The whole ordeal of washing the blood out of their matted hair and drying it out as he laid them down alleviated the sense of unease.

Guizhong would often watch him while he did it, pointing out certain anatomical features as she did. Her hands would trace over their veins, pressing down on the blue as she spoke. Osial joined them once, but he was so perturbed by the attention Zhongli dedicated to the process that he left immediately.

That was centuries ago.

He, sometime down the line, traded in these rituals for slaughter and abandoned that for mimicking the human lifestyle.

Barbatos would say that it’s been badly done, of course. 

“You make the worst human,” he once said, as he watched Zhongli struggle to stomach garlic bread that he offered him.

 Which could be why he’s now cornered by a vampire hunter.

The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is often frequented by vampires all around Teyvat—there are rumors of blood dealings with underground groups but the Milileth has never investigated it—and Zhongli, with no danger signals, happens to be one of them.

It doesn’t help that he works there too. The irony that all these years later he never quite rid himself of dealing with dead bodies isn’t lost on him.

And he did hear about the Fatui, because word about people hunting vampires travels fast in a country as busy as Liyue.

“Sir,” the vampire hunter informs him kindly, “you do know that this is a hub for vampires, right?”

The voice isn’t what shocks Zhongli. Neither is the maroon mask that’s hanging by the side of his head—one told to be notorious among only the most vicious of hunters—or the thin outlines of weapons in his clothes.

It’s his eyes. They’re a bright blue, usually associated with the sea on bright days, but they’re more akin to the vampires that Zhongli has seen before with the wild glint in his eyes. It’s jarring with the smile that he adopts as he asks, and he imagines opening his mouth to a pair of fangs.

He knows that he won’t find them though. If the rumors he hears are any indications, the Fatui are above recruiting any vampires that’ll threaten their operation.

“Ah. Yes. I do. I’m the consultant here, you see,” he explains politely.

And shouldn’t that be an indication that he’s a vampire? Hu Tao is notorious for her strange tastes. And he must know of the deals she makes with underground groups, the money and blood that’s traded between them.  

“Oh!” the hunter’s expression brightens as he clasps his hands together. “I heard about you! I got to say—when they told me that the consultant was knowledgeable on all things Rex Lapis, I was expecting an old man.”

He doesn’t wait to explain who Rex Lapis is. This, of course, is a given seeing that Rex Lapis has become a household name, infamous for his butchery of both vampires and humans alike. But a hundred years later, Zhongli hoped, people would forget about him—or maybe get rid of the fanaticism in their voices when they spoke about him.

It’s quite discomforting, really.

“Well, I am old.”

He laughs, “Yeah, yeah. You hardly look older than me. Call me Childe—I was hoping that you could, ah, answer a few questions I have on Rex Lapis. The 77th Master said that you’d be available and more than willing. She.. actually, here you go!”

Zhongli takes the paper he offers him, which says If you ask him anything, he’d be more than willing to spend the rest of the day answering it! in her rough cursive that he’s grown to dislike. Of course—the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is not beneath fraternizing with vampires or the Fatui.

But he prefers this much more than the vampires that stare at him as they struggle to place him in their ancient hierarchy. And this does work in his favor, he thinks. A vampire hunter wants to know more about him, Rex Lapis—wouldn’t this aid him in finally meeting his end?

So he politely smiles and gives him back the note, not missing how warm Childe’s skin is in comparison to his own. It’s been years since he’s touched a human without the intention of killing them, hasn’t it?

More than suitable then.

“Of course. What would you like to know?”

[yikesola]

a definitive ranking and analysis of my top5 fav phan formsprings

this i love for a lot of the reasons i love their early tweets and their dailybooths and (of course) formsprings bc it was a clear beginning of things that would become a part of their repertoire for the next decade and yet here it was new and giggly and just as precious. teasing phil for his wild northern ways, upping his southland poshness, we see that constantly in their banter even into today and the best part is that whoever is making the joke is the one who gets the upper hand of course. here it’s dan bc sounding like the queen is obviously what quintessential british accents require right? but when phil does it, dan’s the uncultured one bc phil has all his slang (made up or otherwise) that dan is missing out on so thoroughly that he just has to take phil’s word for it (orrrr as a waffling that @ahappydnp​ and i were engaging in, he tries to ask kath or nigel if their son is full of shit and of course without missing a beat they back him up “oh yes, uggies, we use that all the time!”) 

i also think it’s adorable when they point out things that make them different, since they of course have so many damn similarities. it’s nice-- it’s a good formspring! 

this makes me feel things on many levels. on one hand this is an early example of people poking at them to find out exactly ~what~ dan and phil are to each other, and it’s early enough that it doesn’t quite feel like knives yet, but it’s clearly the beginning of a pattern that would continue and build and grow invasive and that’s :/

but, let’s focus on what i love about this formspring, bc there’s plenty to love! first this is a classic example of phil deflection (make em laugh, make em laugh, make em laaauuuugghhhhh!) and it works! he doesn’t have to say a goddamn thing that he doesn’t want to. privacy king! but also just what the joke he’s gone with implies: all of the above. they are, they always have been, everything to each other all at once. he loves dan and would date dan and is clearly already married to dan, and has to problem fondly laughing out an “i hate you” to dan. they just threw themselves into the deep end right from the beginning, as soon as it was clear what they meant to each other there was no holding back-- all of the above. 

so much with so little ;__; it absolutely kills me! it’s just not even a question. i think there’s a few options people’s mind jump to with this kind of question and usually it’s achingly human like “grab the nearest person and smooch them” or “eat an entire thing that i’m allergic to and never get to enjoy” or the most tender example that dan gave which is “tell my mother/child/person that i love them”

but hey let’s think about that ,, what would that 30 second phone call look like?? is he calling to ask for help? phil is someone who wants to help, he’s someone who has helped dan many times before. is he calling because phil can at the very least calm him down? take away the panic? or is he calling because the thought of those final thirty seconds being spent with anyone but phil is just impossible? would he even tell phil he’s dying? would he just call to say something stupid, just to ensure the last thing he hears is phil’s laugh? it’s melodramatic and too much too soon but wow if dan doesn’t mean it when he says ringing phil is his first and last instinct, and god do i love that for them

there was never going to be any doubt that this is my top phil formspring! it’s just ,, wow can you believe phil invented tenderness? i sure can! 

because let’s ponder for a moment what that means: dan smells like warm. he smells like comfort and safety and home. he smells not like something tangible, something bottled, something replicated. he smells like life and closeness and midnight whispers. phil, king of lateral thinking, didn’t say he smells like whatever deodorant middle class white boys were drenching themselves with in the early aughts. he didn’t say dan smelt like something out of their in-jokes (cherries, caramel macchiato) or even something simple but Nothing like “idk he smells fine, he smells good, he smells whatever” 

no--

he smells like warm ;__; 

it’s why small animals fall asleep the second they’re in his arms. it’s why cuddly tactile phil gravitates towards him. dan’s warmth radiates through him, out of his goddamn pores. 

oof <3 ten years on and this one hurts so good! we give phil a lot of credit for his knight of wands prediction (and rightfully so) but this here hurts in a different way. the intentionality of it all-- that’s the plan, if dan has anything to say about it then yes, he and phil will be best friends forever. there is so much good meta about the different ways that both dan and phil approach the concept of fate, and when you think about what it takes for dan to sit there and say he doesn’t believe in soulmates but accepts that phil is his that’s like ...... that’s telling. but fate is something dan doesn’t think just happens-- as with everything in life, it has to be worked for. he and phil are compatible, but he had to work to get his attention in the first place. they had to work that first year to see each other when there was the length of the country in between them. they had to work to balance their careers with their private lives, they had to work at remaining a strong unit despite the stressors of the closet, they had to work to overcome various family tragedies, mental health struggles, and the wear and tear of daily life. it’s part of the plan, a plan where the details change all the time based on where they are in their careers or what their personal life goals are or whether they now have to adjust their travel schedule to the needs of their darling son Norman. but the barebones of the plan, the fact that it was, is, always has been and always will be, dan&phil vs the world? that’s been the plan from the beginning. top tier formspring-- unparalleled!

****

Meta for @phandomficfests Bingo Fest, prompt: formspring

[hoe-doroki]

ana reads bnha ch31

previous chapter here first chapter here next chapter here

🤣 I almost forgot that the first thing this boy says is something that only Todoroki would ever say. It’s his intelligence combined with his denseness combined with his life informing his whole worldview. Guysssss, this post is gonna be so looooong. I’m so excited! I’m panting. Okay, let’s go.

Once again, Ana squeals: My boy is so smart!! I like to think I’m smart, but, in this situation (between Midoriya’s rambling) I’m not sure I would have picked up on that. Shouto is so sharp. But then he doesn’t pursue it. He doesn’t try to squeeze the info out of Midoriya. Not because he doesn’t think he could—if I were Shouto, I would look at Midoriya and figure there was a way to get him to talk. He already gave a hint by accident. I just think he has confidence that he’ll be able to figure it out if he’s patient.

I wonder if he does, though? I mean, after their battle, Shouto stops caring about this...doesn’t he? I think he does. Which is interesting, right? He only cares right now because he sees it as a threat. But once he doesn’t care about the threat anymore, he only cares about Midoriya as a person. Not any of this All Might nonsense. Ugh, Todoroki <333

Of all time??????? Guys, that’s very different from being the current number two hero. Like, where is this GOAT ranking? I mean, we know that All Might is the greatest of all time. But, surely, someone from, 50, 100 years ago could be the second greatest of all time. But no, Shouto’s telling us that out of everyone who’s ever been a hero (in Japan) Endeavor is the number two guy. Wowza.

My question about Endeavor is always: what’s your awareness level, bro? Like, it’s evident here that he doesn’t think what he’s doing as a whole is wrong. But does he think that he’s messed up at all? Because, look, him saying, “You think I’d tell you anything?” That’s could easily be him just telling All Might to eff off, no further motive. But I also think that it’s a shame response. He knows some of his “success” with Shouto is fucked, stuff that he definitely wouldn’t share with All Might even if he didn’t kind of hate him. So he hides that shame under his prickly attitude, so he has no reason to talk. Or he’s just an ass, idk.

(Yeah, in the dub he says: “Are you implying something?” Fishy indeed.)

That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Why is Shouto telling Midoriya this? @a-bnha-shoutorealm​ and I have talked our faces blue trying to figure out exactly this.

Obviously it’s triggered by the fact that he used his left side without thinking. And because he as the initial questions about All Might. And then he starts off this conversation by trash talking Endeavor which, at some point between his mother being put away and now, he has become comfortable with without fear of retribution (something Kim and I have also talked about ad nauseam).

But in two pages, he goes from this, to telling the story of his scar. Which I don’t think he’s ever told anyone before. Shouto doesn’t strike me as the type to need to keep things secret (judging by how he’s willing to blab off about Endeavor--while Endeavor’s there!--to the little kids during his and Bakugou’s remedial provisional license class). I think he’s just never had anyone he would consider talking to before. He’s been totally isolated by Endeavor--I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he’s been homeschooled, actually--and clearly doesn’t have any friends. Not that he sees Midoriya as a friend yet, but he is the only person he sees as a near equal.

The most likely solution I can come up with is that he feel like he needs someone to understand, so that he can justify why he’s not using his left side. That he felt like Midoriya was judging him and he wanted to explain his motivations to the only person he thinks is worthy of knowing. Of defending himself to. Shouto’s not the sort to just get carried away, so I think it must be something more like this. Something he feels compelled to do.

Wow, it’s so interesting seeing this juxtaposed against everyone else getting to be normal teenagers, have normal childhoods. Goddd, it breaks my heart, Shouto! We’re seeing Mineta and Kaminari talk about going after some cheerleaders—of course Mineta needs to make an appearance in my blessed chapter about Shouto—while Shouto’s talking about the quirk marriages. I wonder if it’s supposed to juxtapose any more than those two things, though. Is it also showing that Shouto doesn’t take part in those activities? That he has difficulty believing in love and romance due to the sham quirk marriage of his parents’?

And look how heavily drawn his speech bubbles are now? What exactly is that meant to represent? Is it an audio cue about what his voice might sound like or is it just to represent that what he’s talking about is dark and heavy or is it for drama? Him getting carried away as he tells more and more personal details? I don’t read enough manga to know 🤣

Separately, here we also get a hint that Todoroki’s mother isn’t in the picture. “As I remember…”

Okay, this we need to talk about, because that’s the other question people have. Why is Bakugou eavesdropping? To me, it’s always been pretty simple. We have the two people in the class Bakugou cares the most about. The strongest guy in the class—who just won the thing Bakugou was supposed to win—and the pebble in his shoe who’s growing larger and larger every day. He must have seen the two of them split off and, legit, I think he has FOMO. Like, if these two are doing something, he has to know about it. I think a part of him fears they’re laughing about him. Assumes they’re teaming up against him. He’s definitely assuming it’s going to be something about him or that interests him.

He doesn’t expect this.

He knows he shouldn’t have stayed once Shouto starts getting really personal. Bakugou might suck at human interaction, but that’s voluntary. He knows what he’s “doing wrong” socially—he just doesn’t give a crap. It’s a combination of preferring to be the way he is and being too deep down the rabbit hole of  assholery to know the way back. He’s frozen here. Shouto’s story is captivating—so painful you can’t not listen to it. That close-up face of his. That’s someone whose world has been rocked. I remember the first times I became aware of real abuse, times when I realized just how bad things could be for people and it shakes your worldview, freezes you as you struggle to comprehend. Bakugou thought he knew what families were like, since his mom is rougher with him. He didn’t know that something like this could happen to a person via their parent’s hand. I think this is one of the only times he purely feels bad about what he’s doing, what he’s done. But the horror of Shouto’s story has him stuck, unable to walk away.

“Sorry for wasting your time.” What is that?

Does he realize that he said a bit more than he was really intending to? That he troubled someone else with his personal life when he doesn’t want anything done about it? Or is this because he realized that Midoriya isn’t going to say anything about All Might and because of that the conversation was a waste of time.

You know what, knowing our dense little Shouto, I bet it’s that last one.

And if Bakugou’s shaken, then Midoriya is only more so. God, I’m 9 years older than Midoriya and if someone told me something like this out of the blue today, I’d be panicking. This is a delicate situation. He’s just become aware of serious abuse, and someone has confided in him their deepest traumas regarding that. What the hell do you say not to make it worse?

I think he handles it as best he can. Really, I think what he says here is just about the best thing he could have. Because Todoroki is not in a place mentally to accept help. Not even close. But even just sharing his story, that he accepts help from others, is vital. This introduces the idea to Todoroki that he can get help. That working with others is okay. It hasn’t penetrated yet, but it’s the seed planted.

Overall: 1.7K. Over 3 pages. Sorry, all.

Well, guys, this is the peak for me (until Shoto Todoroki: Origin!!!!). I know it’s not the scene with the most action or plot, but I live for character backstory and boys having sensitive moments. This scene in the anime is what made me start to fall in love with Todoroki and the show as a whole. It took me weeks to get to the end of season four after this episode. All the ones before this? Six months.

Todoroki’s story is harrowing, yes. At the same time, we’re getting more worldbuilding. So far, our image of heroes is All Might and the U.A. faculty. We haven’t yet seen any hero that’s corrupt or abusive. But suddenly we meet Endeavor, both through Todoroki, and a couple interactions with All Might. We learn a little bit more about how quirks have affected society and changed since their first appeared. This chapter isn’t one dimensionsal.

And we get our first panels of our main three. I think maybe part of the thing is that Midoriya’s world thus far has been loud, fast, intense. But this chapter is quiet. Nothing but Todoroki’s low, quiet voice. You could hear a pin drop. Barely a movement. Even Bakugou is still. It’s such a change of pace. And when you’re barely expecting it—it hits hard.

Also, every time I double check to see if something in the manga happened in the anime, it always did 😅 My memory may be fallible, but that adaptation sure isn’t! (joke, please don’t come at me)

If anyone has anything to add, obviously I’m dying to talk about it.

[mashkaroom]

This isn’t related to anything, but frozen 2 was actually...pretty good of a movie, and you can literally see the disney profit model holding it back. firstly, the music was really good -- i was really impressed with the writing team and with the vocal performances, especially by idina menzel. the songs that didn’t make it in because the plot was rearranged were also excellent. wrt to the visuals, i’m not the biggest fan of this specific animation style, but it’s clear it’s very well done -- i’ve no choice but to be impressed. the plot was whatever (also they fully put a couple of trolls in charge of the kindom for a bit -- is there no fucking line of succession in this goddamn kingdom?? maybe the plot of the movie should have been establishing a functional bureaucracy) and they really yada-yada-ed the magic system, which was basically of the central conceit of the movie so...why did they not put more effort into it? the explanation, such as it was, of the magic system was both confusing and ultimately pretty meaningless -- it added next to nothing of value to the lore or theme or worldbuilding. the themes were clearly meant for a more mature audience (which is i guess what you get for waiting 7 years to make a sequel [which btw just wrenched out a memory out of me that frozen 1 came up literally constantly in my 7th grade latin class -- i cannot emphasize enough how bizarre of an experience learning a dead language throughout the entirety of your teenage years along with 400 more of your cohort is]) -- but anyway, they establish all these themes and then don’t commit to them. Like, the central plot conflict of the movie is literally colonialism lmao. it’s such a strange place to discuss it. My suspicion is that they decided right away to go with a “connecting with mother” storyline, since the “women in the same family connecting with each other” bit worked so well in the first movie; then they were like “is this too basic?” and decided that they should wrap that into a “reckoning with ancestry” thread to cash into that “young leftist with white guilt” market. Then they had somebody on the writing staff who was like “what if we made this about colonialism?” So re: those elements, first of all the mother plotline is boring as shit. Like it doesn’t ring true even to losing a loved one early, but it especially rings soooo hollow wrt the actual relationship that is portrayed in the first movie between elsa and her parents. like we see the parents be so misguided it borders on abusive. and that’s a really interesting dynamic, story-wise, bc the parents are dead and can’t redeem themselves but the baggage they left behind is still there, so the burden of processing that falls exclusively on the daughters. i dare say this is something probably relatable to many of us, bc it’s my sense that most people grow up with pretty misguided parents! (lowkey i feel like the best parenting i’ve seen in my circle are parents who basically went off of vibes rather than idk a philosophy or whatever) i actually would have loved to see a children’s movie address dealing with parents in a nuanced way that isn’t just “one of us is right and the other is wrong” but rather addresses what responsibilities parents and children have to each other, how to navigate intent versus effect, what the value (or lack thereof) of forgiveness is, how to uncover your identity when your entire life was shaped by societal and parental expectations, etc. And the Frozen premise is ideally suited for this! Moreover, a lot of these beats actually DO happen in the movie! Into the unknown is basically elsa trying and failing to convince herself that she wants the life she has and any thoughts to the contrary should be dismissed (and it’s gay as hell, but we’ll get to that later). The climax of show yourself literally says that it was the truth about herself rather than her mother that will bring her peace. But all of these beats are facilitated supernaturally rather than by the very fitting preexisting character background, which makes it lack the satisfaction you’d expect in such a resolution. it never features any reckoning with what made her feel the way she did in the first place -- a projection of the mother’s face singing the climactic realization literally undercuts the entire plotline. like here you can see how basically being propaganda for the american lifestyle (in this case the nuclear family e.g.) undercuts their message. this predictably only gets more egregious when they attempt to tackle colonialism. so quick summary of this plotline: anna and elsa’s grandfather basically genocided an indigenous people -- the northuldra -- after tricking them into building a dam that stifles the power of the forest or something. also their mother was actually northuldra. also magic comes from the northuldra forest? it would probably be pretty problematic re: the magical native stereotype if it was clearer what was going on lmao. at the end, anna breaks the dam even though it’ll flood Arendelle; however, elsa (who was literally frozen because of the sins of the past) swoops in at the last moment and freezes the wave so it causes no damage. However, in an earlier version of the story, the wave actually DOES destroy Arendelle and then they rebuild it with a mix of Arendellian and Northuldran architectural styles. this version actually proposed a genuine vision for how to deal with the impacts of colonialism instead of the final movie where sisterly love absolves everyone of consequences. 

ok, so about the gay: i know people read a coming out into let it go, and maybe this is just cause i watched frozen 1 when i was still straight, but i didn’t really see it. but the lyrics in frozen 2 elsa’s songs match up so well with the coming out experience, i have difficulty imagining the song-writers weren’t aware of it, especially since people were already calling for elsa to be gay. Like let’s take a look at these songs -- into the unknown first. She sings

“Everyone I've ever loved is here within these walls I'm sorry, secret siren, but I'm blocking out your calls I've had my adventure, I don't need something new I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you”

This idea of having being afraid of ruining relationships even (and especially) with the people you love most by coming out is something that a lot of queer people can relate to. Then she sings:

“Are you here to distract me so I make a big mistake? Or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me? Who knows deep down I'm not where I'm meant to be? Every day's a little harder as I feel your power grow Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go”

How much do i need to explain this? (like all my 7 followers are some form of queer anyway lol) But again this battle of trying to hide but knowing deep down that you can’t, longing for “someone a little bit like me” --  it’s classic queer. Then she sings a bridge-type thing:

“Are you out there? Do you know me? Can you feel me? Can you show me?”

I mean, again, what is this but longing for community. Then in the climactic song “show yourself”, she sings this:

“Something is familiar Like a dream, I can reach but not quite hold I can sense you there Like a friend I've always known”

this is literally just about reading stone butch blues.

The climactic lyric is  “You are the one you've been waiting for all your life” (sung to her rather than by her) and i mean again, this is about finally giving yourself permission to live as your true self. And not gonna lie, i dug that shit. it felt quite authentic. obviously they didn’t actually make her gay, bc of course, but she is gay in my heart!

Ok, so what would have made the movie live up to its full potential?

1) fixing that stuff i already said about the parents; it felt like such bs that anna and elsa were dealing with ancestral sins but also their parents were saints whose love fixed everything? how much more interesting would it have been if reckoning with their parents’ impacts on them led them to reckoning with the impacts of their entire ancestry and in turn their society? if reckoning with their personal responsibilities to each other led them to consider their society’s responsibility to fix the past wrongs that allowed it to flourish? this wouldn’t even be counter to disney’s individualism, but it allows for a slight reconceptualization of it that i think would feel fresh.

2) having actual consequences for the colonialism and genocide

3) either cutting all the new magic system stuff or developing it in a way that in turn helps develop the themes. frankly, the “sometimes people are born with magic” that was implied in movie one was enough.

4) making elsa gay, and i say this not just because i want gay characters but because that genuinely makes sense within the story

5) basically, the central theme should have been “i have all this baggage and i can’t resolve it by looking for answers only within my society; in order to be fully at peace with myself, i must work to right the wrongs of my society that obscured the different ways of knowledge that could help people like me; sometimes you must go into the unknown in order to understand the known” which is a message i think very well suited for the united states!

[calliecat93]

Top 10 Disney Couples

Last year for Valentines, I did a post on some of my favorite all-time ships. I wanted to do something like that again this year, so I decided to do Disney specifically. I’m only gonna count the main animated features (with one exception), so no Pixar but maybe I’ll give that its own list next year. Also, because I put this ship on my list last year, I’m going to exclude Rapunzel/Eugene (they’d be Number 2 otherwise) so that I can talk about some other pairings that I love. And trust me, when it comes to Disney, I got plenty.

Okay, here we go~

#10. Milo Thatch/Kida (Atlantis the Lost Empire)

Atlantis is one of the most underrated Disney films ever, and same with this pair. Okay so I guess technically they didn’t get together since there wasn’t a kiss or anything... but come on! While their intentions were all in the second half of the movie, it was just so... sweet to me. Milo had it rough through the whole movie with so many people belittling him. Even though he made friends with the crew and doing so got them to do the right thing, they were still pretty harsh on the poor guy in the start. He had been mocked due to his dreams, but never gave up even when his inexperience and dorkiness got in the way.

Kida though? She seemed endeared by him. Just like Milo had a curiosity in finding Atlantis and learning of their culture, Kida was interested in Milo and the world he came from. She might be the very first person aside form Mr. Whitmore who acted kindly to Milo right off the bat and asked him to help her save her people and culture. Milo didn’t go for the money, he went because it was his grandfather’s dream, and in turn his dream. They were so cute and fun together as they learned about each other's worlds, and of course, Milo did everything he possibly could to save Kida after she and the crystal bonded, as well as the entire city. Even at the risk of his own life. And just that hug between them at the end and Milo choosing to stay in Atlantis. Just... beautiful. This pair might be subtle, but it's just so sweet and respectful to each other and I just love them.

#9. Duchess and Thomas O’Malley (The Aristocats)

I think this was one of the first movies I ever saw in my life. My mom said I used to watch it all the time as a kid anyways. Heck, pretty sure this movie is why I love cats so much.

Anyways, this pair is cute. Duchess is a classy lady, while Thomas is a swinger. But they just have this natural chemistry the minute that they met. They don’t judge each other from their different walks of life or anything. You can tell that Duchess was charmed the second Thomas first came on. But what sells is, while thrown off for a moment, when Thomas realizes Duchess has kittens? He pretty much goes into dad mode instantly and tries to keep them happy/protect them. I mean he didn't have to help Marie when she fell out of the milk truck at that point, but he did it because it was the right thing to do. He wasn't one of those assholes who got thrown off cause the girl had kids. Heck, that seemed to bring them closer together.

But yeah, it’s just nice and charming to me. There’s nothing real deep about it, but IDK. There’s just something endearing about it to me. Maybe t’s due to Eva Gabor’s performance as Duchess, which also kinda helps with a pairing later on. But I just find them charming and Thomas showed to be a good guy and a good father figure. Sometimes you don’t need a lot of depth for a pair, you just gotta make the sense of romance come off. Disney has always been good at that, and this pair demonstrates that.

#8. Cinderella/Prince Charming (Cinderella)

So to be fair this one has little to no development. Which is kind fo a thing with some of the early Disney films n it’s things like this that Frozen pointed out... even though it kinda fell into the same cliche, but ah well. But you know what? As I said, Disney is usually pretty damn good at making you like a pair, even if it’s out of focus. This one is a prime example. We don’t see much of the Prince, but at the same time there is so much there.

Throughout the movie, we saw Cinderella belittled and abused by her stepfamily. She’s treated like a slave and gets her dreams literally torn apart right in front of her eyes. But she tries to remain kind and hopeful, and the Fairy Godmother rewards her for it. She gets the one night at the Bal. She didn’t go intending to find love, he went because for one time in her life since her parents died, she could have one night of happiness. That was all she wanted. Then Charming saw her. It was him who got struck with love at first sight It was him who walked out on th other girls and approached her. A prince noticed this girl who felt that she was a lowly servant, and danced with her. FOr Cinderella, that had to be so touching and amazing that can we blame her for being so in love after? After someone finally, finally gave her some long overdue affection.

Yeah in RL this can be dangerous. But it isn’t RL. It’s a fairy tale. Cindy earned her happy ending. And if we needed genuine proof about the Prince, A Twist in Time showed that he was indeed a good, heroic person. He didn’t judge Anastasia off her looks. When he found out the truth, he went to find Cinderella and remembered his love for her. He never cared that Cindy was a servant or anything. He loved her when he saw her, and clearly loved her for who she was. Cindy found someone who would give her the love that was so cruelly denied form her and she got out of her abusive family through it. Is it perfect? No, and I can give the remake points for doing a better job at developing the romance. But even so, it’s just s beautiful pair I loved since like... three years old. As such IDC what anyone says, I will always love them. 

#7. Belle/Beast aka Adam (Beauty and the Beast)

It might be a surprise to some, but... I’m not a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. I just feel like Belle, compared to Ariel and some of the later princesses is a little too boring. I still love her though. She’s bookish and kind and is seen as weird by her town, but she pursues what she enjoys anyways. She refuses Gaston’s advances as, while she had expressed wanting love, she didn’t want it with a brute like him. She wanted to choose herself. Then The Beast happens.

People tot his day still like to throw the Stockholm Syndrome card around, but it is idiotic. Belle never caved to Beast when he acted like a brute. But he did see that he wasn't a bad person when he saved her from the wolves, ad she chose to tend to him because she’s a good person. Yes, Beast needs her to break the curse, but Belle doesn’t just cave in either. Beast has to change himself to earn Belles's affection, and over time he does. He learns to be kinder and sure it’s a work in progress, but he does try and he does become better. It goes form needing Belle out of necessity, to genuinely falling in love with her because of her kindness towards him. Belle made Beast a better person, and once she saw the person he truly was, she fell in love with him.

But even then, despite those feelings, Belle decides to leave because her father needed her. Beast, instead of trying to force her to stay, allows her to go. That’s how much he loved her at that point. He loved her enough to let her go, even though that meant he’d be doomed. But it’s through that act, that selflessness, that allows the curse to eventually break. Because of Belle, Beast broke away form being a monster and spared Gaston. Because Belle saw the good in Beast, she stood up to Gaston and went back to save the man she loved. Because of that love, the curse was broken, and Beast became Adam once more. Belle saved Adam. Even if I’m not a huge fan of that film, it’s such a beautiful demonstration of the power of love and they truly deserved each other. A tale as old as time, indeed.

#6. Miss Bianca/Bernard (The Rescuers)

THIS IS THE MOST UNDERRATED DISNEY SHIP EVER.

I love these two so much. Again, its a rather understated pair, but it just works. Bernard is the nervous janitor of the Rescue Aid Society, but he clearly believes int heir cause as shown when he sings the anthem outside. Bianca is the Sweedish representative who has many admirers, but her heart is set on her job. She takes a liking to Bernard because she sees that compared to pretty much everyone else, he believes in rescuing those in trouble with the same passion as she does. He also shows how much he cares for her by being worried about her going to save Penny. Not because she’s a girl, but because he wants her to be safe. That clearly touched her and is why she picked him to be her co-agent.

They both work well together, Binca encouraging Bernard and being the charmer, more relaxed one. Bernard is frequently nervous, but he has a clear knack for the job and does it well. By the time they are on the way to Devil’s Bayou, it’s clear that they’ve acknowledged their feelings for one another. Ther’s no major arc or anything, it’s just two individuals feeling mutually attracted and feeling comfortable with their feelings. They work very well together and manage to rescue Penny, and later Doby in the sequel. The sequel retains the same charm, and the end where Bernard finally proposes makes me smile big every single time.

It’s just a lovely pairing that works so well and it is soooo underrated. It needs more love.

#5. Tiana/Prince Naveen (The Princess and the Frog)

I love this pair so much. It’s a classic ‘came from two different worlds’ story. You have the hard-working and ambitious Tiana and the lazy, spoiled Prince Naveen. Tiana is a good person, but she tends to put work over everything else and never lets herself relax. Naveen is a fun and intelligent man, but he’s spoiled and doesn’t know how to do anything, which caused his parents to cut him off. Due to this, Naveen got himself cured and he ended up passing it onto Tiana.

It is through each other that they find what is missing. Naveen has someone who actually pushes him to work and to realize his own flaws. How he doesn’t know how to act in the real world, even though he shows that he has plenty of skills if he tried. Having someone like Tiana who didn’t fall for his charm and pushed him to actually do things got him to better himself, and it clearly drew him to her. With Tiana, Naveen helped her see that there is more to life than working hard. It’s okay to take a step back and to find things like love. Her dream will always be there, but love will only come around every so often. It helps Tiana ease up and believe in things like wishing stars again, and it paid off for her.

Even at the end, when it looks like they’ll never become human, they accept it. Naveen almost gives up his freedom to marry Charlotte not to turn human again but to let Tiana fulfill her dream. Tiana realizes that she loves Naveen and even if it means losing what she wanted, she’ll still have what she needs, just like her father did. But it works out as once they get married, Tiana is now a princess and their kiss breaks the spell. Tiana got her dream. Naveen did everything he could to make that dream happen, including work with his own bare hands. They got the thing they both wanted and needed, and it’s just beautiful. Neither one are perfect, but their love is genuine, and I adore them and their journey,

#4. Hercules/Meg (Hercules)

I just realises that 5-2 are all from Musher and Clements directed films. Huh. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though. Those two are so good at making likable couples. Even if they only have to much time to develop them, they make them good and their live believable and I love them. Hercules and Meg are no exception.

Unlike other heroines, Meg is a little older and less innocent. Herc is the more innocent one this time around. Herc is a good-hearted guy trying to figure out who he is and wants to be a hero to reunite with his God family. He saves Meg where despite some clumsiness, he pulls it off. Meg is clearly amused and Herc is lovestruck by her beaut. But of course, Meg is with Hades due to selling her soul to save her lover... who left her for another woman. Meg is cynical and hurt, and considering she pretty much gave up her soul for a man who left her without so much as a thank you, it’s hard to blame her.

Even though Hades makes her get close to Herc to find his weakness, Meg ends up falling for him due to his kindness and genuine heroic heart. She’s in denial of it because of what she experienced, but he wins her over. So much so that even if it means eternal servitude, she refuses to help Hades anymore. Unfortunately, it only gives Hades what he needs to break Herc, and it hurts them both. But despite clearly being heartbroken by the deception and being powerless, Herc trie to save everyone anyways. THen Meg sacrifices herself to save him and restore his power, making Herc realize she did really love him. Herc grew to love Meg because she was smart, funny, and she made him feel less alone. Seeing that she was willing to die for him, despite all that happened, really showed how strong that love truly was. Meg again sacrificed herself to save who she loved, and Hercules proved he was a hero by going to the Underworld himself to save Meg. He was willing to sell his own soul to let Meg leave, and this act got him his full Godhood restored.

But the best part? At the end despite finally being deemed a True Hero and being back at Mount Olympus, what does Hercules do? He gives it up. For Meg. He finally found the place he came form... but it wasn’t where he belonged. He belonged on Earth. The place that raised him. The place he found Meg. His parents are stunned, but clearly happy for him and grant his wish. They finally get to kiss, and it feels so earned. Hercules found someone who loves him for him and can fill the void. Meg found some genuinely kind who would never leave or hurt her. That's the best way to describe this pair, genuine.

#3. Ariel/Eric (The Little Mermaid)

In many ways, this pairing set up the basis for many pairings to come.

Ariel is a mermaid who wants to be human. Eric is an adventurous prince wanting to enjoy life. One fateful night, Ariel stumbled upon his ship and it was love at first sight. Not just on her end either. When she saved him, Eric got one glimpse at her, but could only remember her voice. He wanted to find this mysterious girl again (a fact many critics seem to ignore) and thus the stage is set. After Triton destroys her grotto, Ariel takes Ursula’s deal and becomes human, and gets her chance to woo Eric.

These two are just adorable. People still get on Ariel for her choice here, and yeah she fell in love super fast. But she already wanted to be human, and I think some of her feelings were more infatuation than real love at first. But once humans, we see that Eric is a genuinely nice guy. Even though he thinks Ariel isn’t the girl since she can’t talk, what doe she do? He takes her to the palace anyways because clearly, she needs help and shelter, and he’s willing to give her that. I think that’s what gets Ariel to truly love him, seeing that he’s a good person and kind of her ideal vision of what humans are like. Then Ariel, despite being mute, is just so charming and weet that Eric ends up feeling attracted to her. So much sot hat once Grimm points it out to him, he gives up on his curiosity over the girl who saved him and is about to turn his affections towards Ariel. Sure Ursula messed that up, but it showed that no, he didn’t fall for Ariel because it turned out she was that girl. He fell in love with Ariel because of who Ariel was. Just as she fell for him because of who he was.

I truly did not care that their romance was rushed. It was genuinely charming and sweet. They were both good people, and seeing two good people happy is perfectly fine. Especially at the end where once she found out what Ursula was doing, Ariel went after them even though she couldn’t swim in her human form. Eric, despite being human, went to save Ariel from Ursula, and she, in turn, saved him from getting blasted. Then Eric finished Ursula once and for all, nearly getting killed int he process but this proves himself worthy to Triton. He grants Ariel legs, and the two can finally be together. The critics and ‘feminists’ can say what they want, they are adorable and just good for each other and as I said, are the template for so many couples afterwards. I love them, dang it!

#2. Aladdin/Princess Jasmine (Aladdin)

IDK what it is about these two! They’re just so... perfect! IDK how to explain why, but I’m gonna try.

Like I said, Musker and Clements are just really good at making likable pairs. Aladdin is a street rat striving for more. Jasmine is a princess who wants freedom. When they meet, its true love. It doesn't even feel like Aladdin fell for her cause she was pretty, it truly feels like he saw his soulmate for the first time. Then the two find a common link in feeling trapped in their lives. They both want more. Want to create something better for themselves. And they find that they may just be able to get that through each other. But then Aladidn is arrested and Jafar lies that he was executed, breaking Jasmine and essentially ensuring that she wasn’t going to leave again.

Then Prince Ali shows up. Jasmine is angered because he appears pompous and because her everyone si trying to make decisions about her without her consent. She isn’t a prize to be won. Ali, of course, is Aladdin, and once Jasmine tells him off, he realizes how the persona he’s putting on is wrong. He acts more like himself, showing that he likes Jasmine not because of her looks or money, but because she’s a fun, strong-willed person. Once she sees this and suspects he’s Aladdin, she goes with him on the magic carpet. A Whole New World is one of the most romantic scenes in any movie period. You will never be able to convince me otherwise. It ends with Jasmine realizing Ali’s identity, and while he still lies, Aladdin acts like himself and Jasmine falls for the person he truly is.

But of course, Aladdin is still lying. So he still needs to prove himself worthy after. Which he does by defeating Jafar despite having only his street rat skills to aid him. But he accomplishes it masterfully. He realizes that he can't live a lie or force Genie into servitude just to fulfill his won want. He frees Genie, but he didn't need his magic by then. he more than proved himself to the Sultan, who lets Jasmine choose who she wants. I think he’d have done this long before if not for Jafar’s hypnosis, and the smile of Jasmine’s face is just beautiful. She chooses Aladdin, and it is indeed a whole new world for both of them. It’s just so genuine and pure and I love them.

So... back at the top, I said there was one exception to the ‘strictly form Disney animated features’ rule. Why? Because I just could not leave this one off. It would feel wrong because it is one of, if not the, most perfect and longest-lasting couples in all fo entertainment. Who am I talking about? 

#1. Mickey and Minnie Mouse

As the old saying goes: it all started with a mouse.

Mickey and Minnie is so freakin pure it makes me feel the warm fuzzies if I so much as see a photo of them. Really, anything they are in together makes me feel that way. For over ninety years, these two have graced pretty much every media form ever and have been together in some fashion throughout it. They have the same birthday and last name for crying out loud! This was destiny!

Both Mickey and Minnie are sweet and endearing. Mickey is the face of Disney and while I know some find him bland and one-note, there’s always just been this charm to him. I love how much of a sweetie he is, and he does have his mischevious streak. Minnie over the years has become more sassy and stern, letting her not just be Mickey’s girlfriend. But no matter what changes the two have been through, their utter love for each other has never faded away. You can put them in anything in any setting, and they will be head over heel for each other. 

I mean even their longest-lasting voice actors, Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor, got married due to these roles. Mickey ad Minie got married in real life. It really showed too. You could just tell that Mickey and Minnie, Wayne and Russi, were just so in love and it made you love them. It’s something that’s gonna be hard due to Wayne and Russi’s passings, but true love is eternal. That love will always exit through Mickey and Minnie. Even when Bret Iwan and Chris Diamantopolis took over Mickey, you still feel the love between Mickey and Minnie and I’m sure that whoever takes over Minnie will also keep that intact. That love is immortalized, and I will continue to love every second of it.

Mickey Mouse is the one who started it all, but Mickey and Minnie are the ones who started Disney’s pure love stories. I think that’s something that Disney has always been good at. Sure the romances can be rushed and happen at first sight. Even they’ve made fun of themselves for it But they’re just so good at it. As they say, don’t fix what ain’t broke. Maybe give it a fresh coat of paint, but don’t fix what doesn't need it. I look forward to seeing future Disney pairs, and I will cherish them all, both old and new Happy Valentines Day everyone~

[vrainsrewatch]

episode 19 thoughts

this is... the most screenshot heavy post i’ve made so far, lmao, so please bear with me. as i’ve said, this is one of my favorite duels, and there’s a lot that gets covered here. like, seriously, i haven’t written this post out yet but i can guarantee this will be my longest so far lmao.

the beginning of the episode starts off fairly standard, and mostly dueling:

i really do love the pacing of this duel. i was glued to the edge of my seat while watching these episodes. i remember it so clearly, too, because i’d been binge watching from episode 16 that day, and got to like, 24 by the time i stopped, lmao.

ai does a lot of cute/funny stuff this episode, to help break up some of the more dark tones of the rest of it, like this:

it really makes me miss hi in this form :( i really like his soltis form, don’t get me wrong, but i miss him on yusaku’s wrist lol. i would say when things were less angsty, but, well. lmao.

we very quickly get akira’s rad boss monster summoned out:

and seriously, i just love the animation for it. it’s so sick. the door, the fire, how it looms behind him at first.... aaaaaa. so cool.

and of course the classic:

the worst part about this line is it’s said so often (esp in arc v LOL) that i actually. have slipped up and said it in normal, day to day conversation before. my boyfriend looked at me for like a minute and gave me the deepest sigh i’ve ever heard the first time i did that pff.

also:

i couldn’t not screencap this, given what my blog is for LOL

every time something reminds me of that painful final duel, i have to screencap it and make you guys sad with me. if i have to be sad seeing all this stuff, knowing where their relationship goes and how the series ends, so do you.

also, though, i forgot how often this was brought up before the bohman duel lmao. it makes that theory look a lot more credible, so it’s cool that it had all these little hints towards it, even if it ultimately wasn’t true.

seriously, my heart. i don’t think i need to talk much about this scene to make y’all sad, but really. they went from this to i loved you. ugh, god, i’m so sad thinking about it lmao.

there is so much to talk about between akira and playmaker and even blue angel in this episode, so i guess we’ll start here.

it is hard to decide that you want to take control of your trauma and do something about it. it is not easy. to see yusaku fight for that right so thoroughly is incredible, and really, really validating.

more sadness! seriously, this is too much. this deck was created specifically for him by ai. i don’t like this anymore lmao

but even besides that, often times the protag’s decks mean a lot to them, obviously, but i love that it wasn’t built strictly by yusaku. his cards were literally made by ai, and i think that’s such a cool twist. 

but then, akira’s speech:

i talked last time about akira wanting to handle things himself, and i briefly touched on him thinking he knows best...

but i really admire how calm yusaku stays at that tbh. he gets angry, reasonably so imo, but he takes this so well. i know i was a much more volatile kid then he is, so respect lol

i’ve spoken at length already about akira, but i also want to talk again about how oblivious he is. he is so blinded by his own thoughts and feelings on the situation that he doesn’t stop to think about how yusaku might be feeling -- and worse, honestly, how his sister might be feeling.

it was why he was so visibly shocked when emma mentioned a few episodes ago that aoi wasn’t just a little kid anymore. it’s so clear that he still, at the moment, sees her as the six year old girl he swore to protect, and not the sixteen year old person she’s become. he doesn’t think about how she might be feeling towards his actions, or why she does what she does.

this is highlighted as early as episode 6 iirc, when he asks her why aren’t you happy? as much as i, personally, dislike his character, i can’t deny it’s very realistic and well written.

speaking of aoi:

i love how she’s written in this episode, too. but her entrance here is great, and i love how she stands up to him about this. it’s minor, but it’s still a good step. when she’s blue angel -- or blue girl, or blue maiden -- she feels comfortable doing that. at least a little, and it obviously grows throughout the series. i hope that transfers over to the real world for her, too.

and then, we finally get the full story:

i remember flinching when he started talking about it, remembering the shots of yusaku getting electrocuted from his duel with revolver.

i really love this. i said it last episode, but vrains handles yusaku’s trauma so realistically and it’s amazing.

i remember originally staring open mouthed at my tv screen while this part played. we got a bit of it from the other episode, but the full context truly shocked me. where’s that post that says “who thought this was an acceptable backstory to give to a card game protag” bc honestly??? YEAH

it’s still hard to watch. it’s still hard to see play out, even if it’s only fiction. even though i’ve seen these clips so many times, and written about them in detail a few times too. doesn’t matter lol. watching it in context actually still made my stomach drop.

which leads me to talk about reactions to this, actually:

the two that vrains focuses heavily on are blue angel’s and kusanagi’s, and they contrast really well here imo.

blue angel’s is a normal reaction. it’s horrified, both at the thought of it happening and at the fact that someone would actually do that to another person -- a six year old child, no less.

kusanagi’s is strained. he is angry hearing about this, thinking about jin. we’ve been told, and have seen in the last few episodes, how much the lost incident impacted kusanagi and his brother, but i really love that the show tells us that here, too, and shows the difference between hearing about a tragedy and being involved in some manner.

i did not expect it at all when first watching vrains, and honestly, it still impresses me how gracefully they handled it coming off of arc v (cough, shun i love you but really cough cough). no hate on arc v at all, it’s my third favorite ygo very close behind gx, but the difference between the two on how they handle these things is staggering.

this whole section makes me thing that ryoken talked to yusaku fairly often, after the first time. which is something i don’t see brought up often? but that’s so important imo. it meant that yusaku had someone encouraging him not just once or twice, but on the regular, but also it meant that ryoken was constantly risking himself to comfort that child. 

we don’t see too much of ryoken when he’s a kid, but we do see him scared and crying over the lost incident. the fact that he was able to talk calmly to this child so many times is really amazing. it also makes more sense as to why ryoken feels so guilty over calling the police -- he probably felt that maybe if he had just kept up his encouragement, the kids would’ve all gotten out okay and his father wouldn’t be in a coma. 

this was so powerful. it’s obvious, and i think anyone with half a brain would understand that the LI isn’t something that a kid would recover from easily, but i love this anyways. 

he wasn’t saved. and even if he was in body, it’s still something he and all the other victims will live with for the rest of their lives.

this also is something i don’t feel like people bring up enough, but does this mean that yusaku went around asking the kids at the hospital when he was rescued? it’s not hard to believe they were all put together, at least for a short amount of time, but it’s still something i feel like people overlook. 

i also love this, because it’s nice foreshadowing to how revolver feels. he’s not captured, not like yusaku and the lost kids were, but he is a prisoner. and just like ryoken saved yusaku, way back then, he is determined to repay the favor.

not just because of that, either. because that voice meant so much to him. because that voiced saved him. because that voice understood him, and was there for him in his hardest moments. god i love them.

i love this shot. it’s so dramatic, how the match the drum beats with flashes of everyone’s reactions.

but it drives home his point, and while i know most of akira’s development came through emma and aoi, i’m sure this helped, too. 

i’ve sung vrains praises this entire post, but i’ll do it again -- this is incredible. this is so realistic. it’s so well portrayed. and it’s really honest to god incredible that we got a protag in ygo who was shown going to therapy. 

ygo has always dealt with some pretty dark subject matter, and it’s never really been shy about showing it on screen. i’m not saying that at all. arc v obviously dealt with some pretty heavy stuff, and while i haven’t seen zexal (keep shaming me please) i know it does, too. 5ds obviously has the dark signer arc, and the later arcs concerning bruno and also yusei’s father, and gx has... well, it’s entire third and fourth season. 

but we see everyone healing via card games. we see those shows talk about these things, but kind of at the same time, skirt around the subject matter; or if they do go deep into it, they pull out (ie 5ds) or the characters don’t get resolved properly (ie arc v). 

idk where i was going with this but i just really love that this happened, this was shown on screen, and they stuck to yusaku’s character. they didn’t just... up and make his trauma and his world view disappear at the end. he has a bittersweet ending, but it suited him and his development. a lot of people were mad about it, and i get it -- i wanted him to be happy, too.

but that’s not always the case, and it’s really important to me that vrains doesn’t pretend it is.

anyways, though, i’m almost done with this episode i promise lmao. before the episode ends, we get this:

and i think it’s honestly kind of cruel that akira says this, after everything, and still maintains his point of handling it himself. he has heard, first hand now, how horrible the incident has scarred yusaku for life. and yet, he still is stubborn in refusing to relate or at the very least empathize.

what i mean by that, since we obviously see him attempt to last episode, is he refuses to look at it from someone’s else’s perspective or in a way that might make him uncomfortable. the way my boyfriend describes these kinds of people is that they “haven’t had their bubble popped”.

everyone has a bubble when they’re born, and that bubble shields you from realizing that the world is a cruel and hard place. even if you go through hardships, sometimes your bubble stays put, and you think that is the worst of what can happen. 

i’m explaining this very poorly, because i’m running on not much sleep and i’ve been typing about this episode for like, far, far too long, but essentially, he refuses to step out of his comfort zone and recognize, in playmaker’s case, that he doesn’t have a right to interfere and that playmaker’s desire to handle it himself is justified and helpful for his healing. and in aoi’s case, that just because he does a lot of good for her doesn’t automatically mean ignoring her for work and keeping her locked in their house is an okay trade off. and also that she’s not a child anymore -- she’s nearly an adult and she deserves to be treated as one. 

those thoughts seem to unsettle him. you can kind of see it in how detached he is after hearing all that come from playmaker. blue angel is visibly shaken up by what he’s said. akira doesn’t even flinch, because he’s not really listening right now. 

i’m glad he learns to, or at least learns how to start, later on.

anyways, i think that’s enough for this post lmao. this took forever to type up, so let’s hope i actually have time to cover up to 21 here today LOL. if you read all that, thank you for your time on my kind of dumb vrains thoughts :’)

[panda-noosh]

MY FAVOURITE TUMBLR WRITER IS OPENING REQUESTS OMG MY DAY IS MADE. Would you pleaee write a lance x reader where lance is a dolphin/seal trainer and the reader shows up to his performances 20% for the animals and 99% for the cute ass trainer? Maybe the reader can't swim and it finishes in lance teaching them to swim... Idk man do ur thing, i love you❤️

words: 2.2k 

notes:i love you, too my dear :) i hope you enjoy it! 

+++

Thiswas a big risk. You knew it was a big risk, and yet Lance McClain hadyou doing stupid stuff like this seemingly on a daily basis.

   Onceupon a time, you had been somebody who followed rules closely, neveronce daring to step out of line. The idea of getting into trouble, ofyour parents looking down on you because you had done somethingwrong, had terrified you. You had used up your teenage years beingthe good kid.

   Butthat was before you had laid eyes upon Lance McClain, and wassuddenly ready to risk it all.

   Itwas your little brothers birthday party. You had been forced to go,despite your complaints that the marine park would only leave youbored and frustrated; your parents had insisted that it was a fun dayout, and you could throw away your teenage attitude for a day tospend with your brother on his birthday.

   Youhad hesitantly agreed, but you swore you weren’t going to be veryhappy about it.

   Oh,how wrong you were.

  Forthe most part, the day was a bore. You lounged in the stands andwatched different marine mammals do cool tricks in the water, hadeven watched a few of the seals knock their trainer into the water,which was clearly not what the choreography had entailed. You weregiven the chance to stroke a sting ray, gawked at some cool lookingfish, ran away from a peacock that was randomly strutting around thepark.

   Thebig finale, though, was whenever you reached the dolphin exhibition.

   Judgingby the ecstatic crowd and the long line spilling out into the park, ashow was on. Reading the sign told you that the show in question wasa dolphin show, being led by a man known as Lance McClain.

   Itwas when you were taking your seats that you finally saw just whothis Lance McClain was.

   Tosay the breath was knocked from your lungs would be anunderstatement. It was almost a sense of panic, a clawing feeling ofI can’t sit here and watch this man dunk his head under thewater. You felt stupid, like ateenage girl with a silly crush on somebody she didn’t even know, butin a way, that was exactly what it was.

   Youtried to stand up, telling your mother that you needed the bathroom;she had grabbed your hand and told you to wait, as if you were atoddler again.

   Thathad been the beginning of the downward spiral.

   Fromthat first show on, you were desperate to see Lance again. You boughttickets to his next show, managed to speak to him a few times aboutthings that could scarcely be considered your expertise; he told youabout the dolphins and how he loved sea animals, and how working in amarine park was one of his biggest dreams as a kid. Slowly, the twoof you became friends. It even got to the point where Lance wasoffering you free tickets, just so he could talk to you after he wasfinished with his shows.

   Andhe was always soaking wet after every show, which only made yourpining ten times more difficult to keep under wraps. He would brushhis hair back from his forehead, would be panting as he made his waytowards you after every show. Then that grin, that big, stupid grinthat always seemed ten times more Lance afterhe was done performing, as if he was radiating some kind of positiveenergy that left you feeling more jittery than positive.

   Today,you were in the park after hours, which was where the rule breakingcame in.

   Youweren’t meant to be parading around the park after it had closed, butLance had insisted that it would be fine. You found that hard tobelieve, considering he had told you to keep your head down in theexact same breath. You had a slight suspicion that, if security sawyou, you would be under arrest in a matter of seconds, and Lance knewthat.

   Still,he insisted on telling you that all would be fine, and you were tooexcited to see him to question his promises.

   “Lance,if I end up getting escorted home in a police car, my parents aregonna lose their shit,” you hissed. Lance had his hand in your own,was stealthily dragging you towards the dolphin exhibit with which hewas so familiar with.

   “Shh.You’ll be fine. I’ve already told you that, as long as you stay withme, the security guards won’t even bat an eyelash.”

  Yougrunted, a subtle way of calling him out on his bullshit. He pickedup on the noise and smiled innocently at you, before he turned thecorner and led you directly into the exhibit in question.

   Thefamiliar area came into view; the massive water tank, the seats thatwere almost always filled with excited families waiting to see Lanceperform his magic. The dolphins were no longer in the tank, havingbeen sent off to their night tanks where they could peacefully getsome rest for tomorrows round of performances.

   “Wow,”you mused, looking around with wide eyes. It was different at night.The lights were still on up above, but they seemed a little dimmer,bouncing off the waters surface to create an almost eerie atmospherethat engulfed you and Lance from the moment you stepped inside.

  Lancegrinned, squeezing your hand. “Fancy a swim?”

  Your eyespopped open. “Excuse me? You’re joking.”

  “Whynot?” he asked, already slipping his hand from your own and pullingoff his three-quarter-zip jacket. You panicked, watching him shrug itfrom his shoulders as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

   Andthen he started on his belt.

  “Lance!”you hissed, darting forward and grabbing his wrist. “I’m not evenmeant to be in here! Can you imagine how much trouble I’ll get intoif they catch me swimming in the god damn dolphin tank?”

 “It’s not a dolphin tank right now,” Lance insisted, shaking yourhand off of him and tugging his belt loose. “The dolphins aren’t init, meaning it’s just a massive pool full of water – a swimmingpool, if you will. Made for swimming.”

  “Made for people whocan swim,” you grumbled. “Which I cannot.”

   Lance froze,staring at you with wide eyes. You immediately flushed, looking awayfrom his shocked expression – of course he would be shocked. Youshowed up to almost every single one of his shows, always gushedabout how amazing his skills in the water were. He must have justnaturally thought you loved water, at least knew the basics toswimming.

   Butyou didn’t.

   “Icould teach you,” he said suddenly.

   Youreyes snapped up. “I don’t think that’s a good-”

  He grabbedyour hand and started towards the pool. “It’ll be fun. I’ve alwayswanted to teach someone how to swim.”

  “I don’t even haveanything to swim in!”

  Lancescoffed. “You can swim in your clothes if you want, or I can go andfetch you a wet suit.” He looked at you, a smirk on his face. “Oryou can just do what I’m doing and do it in your underwear. We’re allfriends here. There’s nothing to hide.”

   Youflushed, trying desperately to give him an intimidating enough glare.He simply laughed at you before he started climbing up the ladderinto the massive pool of water.

   Yousilently cursed to yourself. You should have known what you would begetting yourself into when it came to Lance McClain. He would neverlet one of your daily visits be boring.

    Withhesitant fingers, you tugged your jacket from your shoulders, pulledyour shirt and jeans off and followed after him, leaving themdiscarded on the floor behind you. It was now or never, you supposed.If you got caught now, then so be it.

  Atleast you would have Lance to stick up for you if things truly didturn bad.

   Thewater was freezing. Though Lance, upon initially jumping into it, hadbarely even made a noise to warn you of just what it was you weregetting yourself into. He was floating peacefully on the surface,grinning as he watched you dip your toes in and immediately squealwith the sudden rush of cold that ran through you.

   Hechuckled, swimming forward. He laid his hands on your hips, helpingyou slowly ease into the water. And then he kept his hands there,holding you up so you wouldn’t immediately dunk under the water withyour lack of swimming practise.

   “Holdon to me,” he said. You did just that, not seeing any other option.“Now, just slowly brush your feet back and forth. This is theeasiest bit. Keeping yourself up in deep water is simple once you getthe hang of it.”

   You wanted to reply with some snarky remarkabout how of course hewould say it was simple, considering he had never known a time wherehe didn’t know how toswim. But the words got lodged in your throat, both with the feelingof Lance’s arms wrapped around you and the cold that was stillpouring itself into your veins.

   Yougritted your teeth, slowly started brushing your feet back and forth.Lance’s hands started slipping from your waist, and panic settled ineven more. You yelped, clinging to his shoulders and pulling him backto you.

   Hechuckled. “It’s okay. I’m not gonna let you go under.”

  “I– I can’t do this,” you ground out. “P-please d-don’t let go of– of me.”

  “I won’t,” Lance said, looking at youtenderly. “But just keep moving your feet. You’ll get the hand ofit.”

   You did as he said, but he didn’t let go of you theentire time, so you didn’t know whether or not your actions were evendoing anything. At this moment in time, you couldn’t empty your brainof thoughts long enough to care; his hands were on your bare hips,his face inches from your own as the two of you continued to lookdown to where your knees were bumping together beneath the water. Wasit possible that he could hear your heartbeat? Maybe he would mistakeit for trickling water.

   “Youshould have told me you didn’t know how to swim,” Lance saidsuddenly, still not looking up from his inspection of your feetbeneath the water. “I could have taught you a lot sooner. Maybeeven at a real swimmingpool.”

  “W-where’s the f-fun in that?”

  Lancesmiled. “It’s not about the fun any more, though, is it? It’s aboutteaching you how to swim.”

  “I don’t think the locationmatters. I-I’m always g-going to s-struggle.”

   Lance frowned,meeting your eyes. His skin looked particularly warm in theoff-lighting being given off from the few lights turned on aroundyou, particularly tan and welcoming. You wanted to nuzzle into him,but refrained from doing so. His hands around your waist was enough,and you didn’t want to overstep your boundaries.

    “That’snot the right attitude to have,” he said. “And, frankly, that’san insult to my teaching.”

   “I-I don’t e-even know if thisis r-right!” you chuckled. “You h-haven’t let go o-of me.”

 Lance raised a brow, and you then realised your mistake.

  “Wait,no, I-I didn’t-”

   Heunwound his hands from your waist and backstroked swiftly backwards.You cried out, panic immediately settling in and ruining any type offlow with your feet you may have once had. Your hands started beingthrown into the mix, clawing at the water as if you could somehowkeep yourself on the surface by grabbing at it. Your feet werekicking in a messy rhythm that had water flicking up over your headand splashing into your eyes.

   Youwere just about to let out a scream whenever hands grabbed onto yourwaist and lips were pressed against your own in an almost urgentmanner.

   Youchoked back the gasp of shock, eyes snapping open to see Lance wasthe one kissing you. Lance McClain, bare chested against you, handson your hips, lips on your lips. How were you meant to react to this?

   Youdid the only thing you thought plausible – you wrapped your armsaround his shoulders, wrapped your legs around his hips and held himcloser, letting the feel of his body lull you into relaxation afteryour moment of intense panic.

   Hepulled away all too soon, leaving you wanting more. You could tastethe water on his lips, his hair now dangling in his eyes as littledroplets of water sprinkled themselves down the bridge of his nose.

    Youstared at him. He stared back, only he was smiling that famous LanceMcClain smile.

   “W-whatwas that for?” you asked, no longer stuttering just because of thecold.

   Lancepulled you closer as if in response. “I couldn’t have you screamingand getting us caught, now could I?”

[clownmoontoon]

I'm interested in watching Osomatsu-san, but I have a few questions, if that's ok. 1. Sub or dub? 2. How do I know who's who? I already know some of the easy ones, thanks to you. Thank you in advance! (P.s. Thanks for telling me about BNHA!)

ITS A REALLY GREAT ANIME AND IT HAS SOME OF THE BEST CHARACTER WRITING I HAVE EVER SEEN. IT IS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF MY TOP FAVE ANIMES EVER

HOWEVER

idk how old you are (or the age of anyone possibly reading this) so i feel i should say Osomatsu-san has a lot of mature themes and is CLEARLY meant for a more mature audience of the adult/college age/MAYBE later teen variety

all the main and most important side characters in the show are at least in their 20′s.

im not recommending this show to kids is what im saying haha

its nowhere near as wholesome as hero aca

ANYWAY ONTO YOUR QUESTIONS

1. Sub or Dub?

as of right now there is no dub Viz Media, who most recently did the redub of sailor moon (AND ITS FANTASTIC BTW SO IT GIVES ME HIGH HOPES FOR MATSUS), had sent out a tweet saying that the dub was going to be released some time in October of this year but …nothing happened?? my buddy @arr-jim-lad even contacted them about it, and they responded that there were no updates to mention. ://///SO right now sub is all we got haha

ITS REALLY GOOD THO SO ITS NOT LIKE A NEGATIVE OR ANYTHING BC THESE VOICE ACTORS ARE AMAZINGdef my fave voice actors of any sub ive watched (and ive watched quite a few)

2. How do I know who’s who? I already know some of the easy ones, thanks to you.

one of my fave aspects of this show is that after a few eps, despite them all having the same face, it becomes VERY EASY to tell them apart haha this is part of why the character writing is so strong imo!

but here’s a few tips and tricks to look for just in case you cant tell right away!

🌈COLORS!!!🌈

❤️Osomatsu -  the eldest of the sextuplets and the show’s namesake - RED

💙Karamatsu - 2nd eldest - BLUE

💚Choromatsu - 3rd eldest - GREEN

💜Ichimatsu - 4th brother - PURPLE

💛Jyushimatsu - 5th brother - YELLOW

💖Todomatsu - 6th and youngest brother - PINK

the easiest thing to get the hang of first when it comes to noticing the matsus is def their designated colors! Even when theyre not in their trademark hoodies they can usually be seen wearing their colors somewhere on themselves so if you cant tell who’s who right away LOOK FOR THE COLORS!!

if theyre all wearing matching outfits you can look at their hair shinies bc they’ll usually be their color when nothing else is! (tho those are a bit more subtle in coloring bc ..well..shinies haha)

😄EXPRESSIONS and QUIRKS😎

each of the bros has a standard neutral expression, and some of them have fun quirks that make it very easy to tell who’s who! lets start backwards this time \(ouo)/ (mostly bc from the start the youngest bros are def easiest to recognize…besides karamatsu ofc)

this got quite long so check under the cut for all the bro details and fun collages i made for each bro bc i love this show too much! \(>u

💖Todomatsu (pinky boi)💖

he’s the designated “cute” boy, and the worst/best self-centered millennial stereotype. actually a total mean girl in disguise, and (according to his bros) a “vile monster”. i love him and he’s a cute demon. not the worst bro but pretty darn close.

neutral expression: :3voice: highest pitch of the bros and often whiny quirks: - can usually be seen w his smartphone - acts the most feminine (covers his chest if naked or topless)- always has eye shinies - two hairs sticking out on the top of his head - calls all his bros “niisan” since he’s the youngest

next up MY BOOOYYYYY

💛Jyushimatsu (YELLOW SUNSHINE LIGHT OF MY LIFE)💛

the hyper-active, forever smiling, incredibly powerful, baseball boy! if something weird and crazy is going on jyushimatsu is either directly involved or about to be. he’s always laughing, smiling and making weird jokes/noises. a very sweet boy who is entirely too powerful. He often dresses as animals, and is used as an “attack dog” to torture whichever brother he’s commanded to (usually oso). A very unpredictable boy to say the least. Its hard to imagine an ooc version of him bc there isnt much he would not do or say.HE IS MY FAVE BEST SUNSHINE BOY

neutral expression: 8Dvoice: lowest pitch of the bros but also the loudest, often making weird/nonsensical sounds/noises such as: BBBBOEHBA!! 8Dquirks: - often goes cross eyed - is incredibly strong, can lift and throw his adult brothers like nbd - never has eye shinies in the anime unless he’s about to cry - wears shorts when everyone else is wearing pants, also some times wears a traffic cone on his head- wiggly arms and sleeves too long (even when its not the hoodie, usually his sleeves are always too long haha)- only one hair sticking out on the top of his head

((MANY THANKS TO @arr-jim-lad​ FOR THE TILTED PIC IDEA ITS ADORABLE))

next up my second fave, NEKOMATSU

💜Ichimatsu (purple cat man)💜

the designated darkmatsu, ichi is the slow moving, constantly slouching, quietest boy who thinks cats are way better than people. the least motivated matsu, even going out to do fun things (like drinking or gambling) is some times too much trouble. for him a good time is laying on the floor and thinking about death (and also cats). a fan of torture, if the situation calls for causing trauma he’s suddenly very talkative and plays w his voice a lot. he is the second brother (after my boy jyushi) that is often called upon when one of the other brothers (or anyone) needs to be tortured. i love this boy and he is good to my fave boy god bless suujimatsu

neutral expression: B(voice: usually very low, slow and monotone quirks: - eyes always half lidded, no shinies - always slouched- messy hair (some times w cat ears)- only bro to wear track pants (w the line on the side)- has a diff cat in his lap almost every ep, but does not actually own one- two hairs sticking out on the top of his head

up next everyone’s fave otaku,

💚Choromatsu (green frog weeb man)💚

the resident brother mom and a total idol otaku, choromatsu isnt concerned w much else besides his idol obsession and proving he’s way more responsible than his brothers. he often walks todomatsu to the bathroom at night and waits for him to finish since youngest bro is scared of the dark (reminder theyre both grown men in their 20′s). he thinks he’s better suited to be the oldest brother and leader rather than osomatsu and even points it out once, with agreements from both todomatsu and ichimatsu.if anything crazy happens choro is the first to scream about it not being ok. he’s got the strongest will of all the brothers and can never be persuaded to change his mind about a situation. he’s not a fighter at all and usually chooses to stay on the sidelines even if he agrees w whatever the bros are fighting about (killing god for instance).he’s under constant stress bc he’s pretending to do his best while his brothers are terrible i love him give this poor green man a vacation

neutral expression: :voice: higher pitched, not as high as todo but still higher among the bros, and usually using it to yell @ brosquirks: - smallest pupils, no shinies (in the anime)- usually has a worried expression- wears plaid a lot- is irritated almost all the time - wont look for a job bc he’s determined to be an idol manager- no hairs sticking out on top of his head

AND NEXT MY THIRD FAVE AND EASILY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MATSU

💙 KARAMATSU 💙

LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL MAN, THIS PAINFUL ADONIS OF MATSUS!! IS THAT A GLITTER CROP TOP THAT DOESNT COVER THE CHEST?? IT SURE IS!! ARE THOSE JEAN BOOTY SHORTS?? YOURE DAMN RIGHT THEY ARE!!!

karamatsu is EASILY the most recognizable matsu. w those amazing eyebrows, constant use and abuse of anime eyes, wild variety of glittery, revealing, and leather clothing its no wonder he’s called painful oh my god i love this man DID I MENTION HE SPEAKS RANDOM ENGLISH FOR NO REASON AND ITS GREATalso he’s probably the most caring brother who genuinely wants his brothers to be happy and know theyre loved very much by him ;;

if you cant immediately spot this matsu i dont know what to say to you tbqh

neutral expression: >:Dvoice: he makes his voice deep to sound cool p much all the time but its actually higher pitched than it seems quirks: - wears sunglasses, skulls, a leather jacket, sparkly everything, and p much anything he thinks is “cool”- easily the most expressive matsu just look for those eyebrows haha- puts his finger under his chin a lot - “BURAZAHS” - "heh!”- two hairs sticking out on the top of his head

and now on to the final, the oldest, and arguably the worst matsu

💔Osomatsu💔

THERE HE IS!!!! THE TRASH KING BROTHER!!!!i kid, i kid sort ofimplying that the matsus are not all trash boys is just a joke tbqhfor me osomatsu was absolutely the hardest bro to recognize when i first watched the show, and i think the biggest tip i can give for him is just to look for the red boy scratching under his nose. also the boy who looks like he would buy and sell you. he’s a pretty brilliant con man and a good fighter too, but his laziness outweighs anything that he could possibly achieve in. he’s absolute trash but in a way still lovable?? OH ACTUALLY if youre familiar w the anime Lupin the Third just look for the brother that makes the most Lupin-esque faces he’s got that classic-anime-comedy-male-lead look more than any of the other bros so that might help you recognize him!

could literally be lupin’s little bro haha

neutral expression: its like a stretched version of this :3 w teeth showingvoice: higher pitched, he plays w his voice almost as much as jyushimatsu, very playful and teasing, hardly ever serious sounding quirks: - scratching under his noise- obsessed w money and women (and never has either)- the most addicted to gambling of all the bros (this is sounding less like quirks and more like serious problems omg), favors horse races and pachinko- the “leader”, usually the one telling the others what to do (even if they rarely listen)- calls no one “niisan” since he’s the oldest - two hairs sticking out on top of his head

WOW THIS CAME OUT MUCH LONGER THAN I MEANT IT TO!! if im not careful people might think i love these trash neets or smth oh no

but ye! i hope this helps! or was at least an entertaining read haha❤️💙💚💜💛💖

[insomniaacs]

Ruined - Sherlock x reader

A/N: Omg, I'm so sorry for taking so long with this guys!! I promise I'll be more active from now on! As always, enjoy X3

Requested by anon: Hey can you pls do a fic for Sherlock x reader where the reader is having a hard time forgetting about this lover who never loved her back, could maybe Sherlock help her look past that lover in anyway idk , thankx

Word count: 2863 Warnings: none

“She still hasn’t come out?” John asked worriedly, his eyes glued to the door to the room upstairs.

Mrs. Hudson shook her head grimly. “Not even for tea,” she replied solemnly, and John sighed tiredly.

He uncrossed his legs uncomfortably only to cross them again a few seconds later. His eyes were fixated on a specific spot on the carpet underneath his feet, and his fingers were drumming the armrest of his chair rhythmically.

“Would you mind?” Sherlock’s deep voice startled him, and John looked up to see his friend and former flatmate leafing through a thick, dusty book. His eyebrows were scrunched up, and his lips were pressed in a thin line in deep concentration.

John looked at him confusedly, “What?”

“The incessant tapping, John,” Sherlock stated obviously, looking up for a brief moment before sighing in frustration and going back to his book.

John scoffed, but did what he was told anyway.

He sighed. The room was silent again except for the noise of Mrs. Hudson doing something in the kitchen. It had been like this for a week now. You’d been refusing to eat and go out, and the only thing you’d done for the past few days was lie on your bed and sleep. John wasn’t even sure when you’d last taken a shower, much less left the comfort and darkness provided by your room.

Sherlock flipped another page of his book and John couldn’t help looking at his friend with a frown.

Throughout the whole week, he’d seemed completely unfazed. He hadn’t said a word regarding the subject, and hadn’t made any attempts to seek you out or try to talk to you like both John and Mrs. Hudson had so many times.

John sighed again. “Do you really not care at all?” he asked after a while, but silence was all that followed. It wasn’t until John forcefully cleared his throat that Sherlock finally looked at him, one eyebrow raised in innocent confusion.

“Oh. You were talking to me,” he said, and it sounded more like an affirmative than a question. “I'm sorry?” John grit his teeth.

“Do. You. Not. Care?” he asked again, his patience all but lost.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, please. Drop the act,” he scoffed, “I mean, aren’t you in any way affected by what’s happened?” John clarified, but felt like he didn’t emphasise the importance of it enough. “Don't you have the slightest bit of consideration for (Y/N)? Because that seems way too harsh, Sherlock, even for you.”

The man in question looked at him for a few moments before answering. His eyes were blank, devoid from any emotion, and John was momentarily taken aback by their coldness.

“Why should it affect me?” Sherlock asked, and John had to suppress the urge to swear. “Things like that happen all the time. Honestly, John, don’t you think you’re overreacting a bit?"

That was it. He’d had enough. “Overreacting?” John repeated harshly, gripping the sides of his chair. “Over- oh my god,” he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “(Y/N) has barely left her bed, you know? She’s been locked in her room for days, and all you can think about is this bloody ridiculous case of yours.” John practically yelled, his face reddening with rage. That seemed to do it for Sherlock, who snapped his book shut with such force that the noise echoed around the living room.

“She got dumped!” he countered in rage, standing up and tossing the book on the table beside him. “It’s not my concern how she decides to cope with it!” Sherlock yelled back and began retreating to his room, the corners of his lips turned down and his hands closed into fists.

John stood as well, looking at his back as he tried to control his breathing. “You know, Sherlock…” he said, his voice low and dangerous as opposed to the angry tone he had before. Sherlock stopped in the hallway, though he never turned to look at his friend. “Just because you can’t love, doesn’t mean other people are incapable of it as well.”

Sherlock went back to his room and hoped that John wouldn’t realise just how entirely wrong that sentence was.

...

Sherlock sighed for what was probably the fifteenth time that day.

He was lying on his back, legs facing the headboard as his head hanged upside down on the feet of his bed. The blood was rushing to his face, but he paid it no mind as he looked at a stain on the wall in front of him. It reminded him of an animal. A spider maybe…? Well, definitely something with many legs.

Sherlock cringed. He rolled over to his belly and propped his chin on the soft duvet just as the dizziness due to his previous position was beginning to feel unbearable. The spider no longer seemed like a spider. It now looked like a hand, or perhaps a tree. He’d have to further examine it in order to come to a conclusion.

The thought made him scoff.

There he was, the great Sherlock Holmes, England’s most acclaimed private detective and wall stain specialist. What a joke.

He sat on the bed. It was already mid-afternoon, which meant he’d probably stayed locked up in his room for about seven hours straight.

And Sherlock didn’t want to go back out.

For some reason, he was anxious. He’d tried distracting himself with relevant things, but when that hadn’t worked out, he’d taken solace on the irrelevant, such as observing his dirty wallpaper.

Which didn’t really matter in the end, because his thoughts always went back to one thing… You.

You were suffering. It didn’t take a genius to realise that much. Sherlock hadn’t seen you in a while, and though you—not unlike him—didn’t really have a problem with isolation, things were starting to become preoccupying.

John was right. Sherlock knew he was right and he knew he was being the biggest asshole in the whole world. He hadn’t tried to talk to you, hadn’t tried to comfort you… He hadn’t even tried to see you, and he knew his actions—or lack of actions—were probably hurting you just as much as they were hurting him.

He just couldn’t, though. Sherlock couldn’t bear the thought of seeing you cry. He couldn’t bear to even think of it, much less to think of the reason behind it—of the man who’d never loved you and had left you like this.

He couldn’t, because the truth was that Sherlock Holmes was so bloody in love with you that it hurt. He was so in love that he couldn’t think or see straight, and that absolutely terrified him.

The thing was that Sherlock was not a normal person. He didn’t think the way normal people did, didn’t see the way normal people did, and he definitely didn’t love the way normal people did.

That was perhaps why he absolutely couldn’t stand it; the way his heart squeezed every time he looked at you, or the way it broke whenever you were sad.

Sherlock got out of bed in one swift motion. He paced around his room for a few minutes, hands clasped together underneath his chin like he always did when he needed to concentrate. His chest was heavy with the weight of his thoughts when he decided that he couldn't spend another minute locked up in his room or he'd die of boredom--or worse, of anxiety.

He opened the door in a silent but violent swing and made his way barefoot towards the kitchen. The floor was cold underneath his feet, but he paid it no mind as he reached the fridge and started searching for something to eat.

Sherlock was about to reach for the milk when his hand suddenly stopped mid air. The pause was so sutil that if someone was watching him they wouldn't have had been able to tell he'd hesitated at all. And someone was in fact watching him.

"You should know better than to try to sneak past me," he said bluntly, only turning around when the bottle of milk was already opened in his hands.

You were standing near the entrance to the kitchen looking at him guiltily through your lashes, clearly frustrated with the fact that you'd been caught trying to leave the kitchen unnoticed. "Oh..." you said lamely, joining your hands behind your back and looking down so Sherlock wouldn't be able to see your face. "Sorry, I... I thought no one was home."

Sherlock tried not to grip the bottle too tightly between his fingers at the sight of you. He knew you'd never notice it, but his breathing had quickened considerably and his chest felt painfully tight. His empty hand found the way to his pocket and he remained silent as he observed you.

The two of you remained in an uncomfortable silence for far too long until you turned around and started heading back towards your bedroom. "Sorry for interrupting you," you murmured softly, and Sherlock watched you head away from him feeling like something inside him had sunk.

...

You turned around on your bed and sighed. You were facing the wall beside you, drawing patterns on its surface with the tip of your finger and trying to keep your mind clear of... well, anything.

It hurt way too much to think, and you knew you didn't actually have the strength to do so either. You were too weak. Even the short walk downstairs had taken its toll on you, and you hoped Sherlock hadn't noticed the way you had to cling to the walls and furniture in order to stand up straight and move around. There was no doubt that he had, though.

Sherlock noticed everything and knew everything, and it was infuriating most of the time. He would take one good look at you and immediately deduce everything you were trying to keep hidden, and then he would reveal it to the whole world without a second thought.

But that was the thing about Sherlock, wasn't it? He just. didn't. care. He didn't care about what anyone thought of him, or about other people's feelings, and definitely not about their problems. He took interest in them, but he couldn't care less what happened in the end.

You didn't know how he did it, but it crossed your mind that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad not to feel things so intensely, even if for a moment. Though honestly, anything would be better than what you were feeling right now. This sick anxiety and unbearable heartache that was swallowing you from inside...

Your thoughts were interrupted when a soft creaking noise came from behind you, followed by a bright stream of light. You felt someone’s eyes on your back but didn't roll over to look at the entrance of your room, instead choosing to remain exactly where you were until the light was suddenly gone with a click of the door.

You knew you weren't alone the minute the room became dark again.

"You should know better than to try to sneak into my room," you said with a humorless tone, going back to tracing patterns on the wall. There was a beat of deafening silence in which you stopped breathing, wondering wether you had imagined the noises behind you. Then, there was the sound of footsteps approaching you and stopping right about where your desk was positioned, and you heard a deep sigh that echoed around the silent room.

"You were smoking," Sherlock said, his deep voice startling you the slightest bit.

"What?"

"When I caught you walking around downstairs..." you heard him lean against the wood of your desk, “… you were smoking."

More silence.

You rolled to lie on your back, still not looking in his direction. "Please don't tell John," you asked in a small voice, pretty much confirming what he'd just said. Not that he wouldn't have been able to deduce it anyway.

"I won't tell if you don't," he said, and suddenly the room lit up again just enough for you to see the outline of his face as he tried to light a cigarette that was hanging from his lips.

Your breath was momentarily caught in your throat. None of you were supposed to smoke, but you were pretty sure John was ten times more strict about it when it came to Sherlock, given his history with addiction in the past.

Despite it all, you didn't say anything when he took a deep drag and then handed you the cigar. Instead you took it from him and inhaled the smoke as well, holding it firmly with one hand as you sat on your bed and proceeded to open the window.

It was already nighttime, and a chilly breeze ruffled the curtains as a few streetlights illuminated your room with their faint yellow glow. You handed the cigarette back to Sherlock and watched as he took another long drag, closing his eyes in sheer pleasure.

You sighed deeply. "Sherlock, why are you here?" you asked after a while, trying to decipher the emotions on his face.

"What do you think?"

It took you a moment to answer. "I honestly don't know." It was the truth. He was unpredictable, and you couldn't tell wether he was there to comfort you or simply use you in order to have a much needed smoke. "I've been trying to understand you for a long time, but I don't think I've gotten to any conclusion," you said and he let out a humorless laugh that sounded more like a deep hum.

"Try now, then," he said, and you raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Make your deductions." You looked at him mutely until he offered you the cigar again.

You took it before saying anything. "You seem anxious," you said carefully. This was dangerous territory, trying to make deductions about an expert in them. "Your hands are shaking a bit and you seem a little out of it. My guess would be it's either because of the smoking or because you're worried about me."

Sherlock nodded slowly. "Go on."

"Well, if it is because of the cigar, then you're here just because you were in desperate need of a fix..." you looked up at him for confirmation, which he didn't give you. Instead, he looked straight into your eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"And if it's not?"

Your tongue darted out to wet your dry lips. "Then it would mean that-..." you hesitated. Something inside your chest tightened, "- it would mean that you care about me," you finished, and he gave you a tight smile that made you frown.

Sherlock walked towards the bed you were sitting at in three long strides, kneeling so he could properly look at you. He silently took the cigarette from you and took one last drag from it before reaching behind you and extinguishing its flames on the windowsill. His eyes bore into yours again and you couldn't help but holding your breath. What in the world was happening? Had he just admitted he had feelings for you? Your mind was reeling with a thousand different thoughts.

"(Y/N)," he called, and you realized you'd zoned out for a moment. "I'd like to say that I care about what happened, but we both know that would be a lie," he started, and you was sure something inside you broke when he said it. "I do care, however, that you're hurting," he added, and you had to breathe in relief at his words. "The fact that you're suffering bothers me to the point that I can't even look at you, so I'm sorry if my actions hurt you in any way." You opened your mouth to say something, but he interrupted you before you could. "You don't have to say anything, (Y/N). I just need you to listen to what I'm going to say right now."

"Ok..." you whispered, nodding lightly.

He looked at you intensely. "You have to take care of yourself," he said, and you thought that was the most serious you'd ever heard him. "I need you to eat and to shower and to go outside, do you understand?" You nodded, unable to mutter a response. He'd rendered you speechless. "If not for you, then do it for me." He finished, and you could only nod again. For some reason you felt like crying. Knowing that he cared had made something squeeze inside your chest, and a warmth spread throughout your body. "Can you promise me that?"

You felt your eyes water. "Yes," you said weakly, and he smiled.

"My job is done here, then," Sherlock said, and you started crying freely. "I'll leave you alone now," he took you by the jaw and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. Then he stood up and walked back towards the door like nothing had happened, leaving you alone with only your reeling thoughts to make you company.

Needless to say, you were the first one on the table for breakfast the next morning.

[Masterlist] [Request list]

[tamagofanatic]

Scum’s Wish

This might be in parts if people want idk. It’s based of the anime Scum’s Wish. 

WARNING: Raina is shown as the antagonist here but I love her ok no hate to her unless its in this story.

Word Count: 2352

“Yah,” you called out, your head on his lap as the two of you looked at the sky.

“Hm?” was his reply.

“Do you ever feel lonely?” you asked, bending your neck back to be able to look at his face. He looked down at yours with an equally blank look.

“Yeah.” He replied and you felt the ease of similarity lifting your heart. “Don’t you?”

You pulled your legs towards your chest as you turned your body. “I do. But I’ve been alone all my life. We’re all alone.”

“Hmm.” He reached for the bottle of water by his side, unscrewing it and taking a sip.

“Give me some,” you mumbled as you sat up and he passed the bottle to you. You took a gulp, sighing softly as you placed the bottle down.

“So do you think this is meaningless?” he asked and you turned your gaze to him. “This contract.” He continued as he moved closer, placing a gentle hand on the side of your face as he guided it to his.

“No this is not meaningless,” you mumbled before he pressed his lips to yours in a feverish kiss.

The sound of the school bell brought you out of your thoughts.

“That’s it for today class!” your homeroom teacher announced. “Y/ N-ssi! Could you come up here to help me?”

“Yes Mr.Kim.” you agreed with a small smile. As all the other students left, you made your way to the front. As the last student left, the young teacher heaved a heavy sigh of relief. You couldn’t help but laugh.

“Why oppa? Is being a teacher not what you expected it to be?” you asked teasingly as you picked up the handouts that were stacked neatly on the desk.

“Yah! That’s teacher Kim to you, Y/N-ah,” he retorted back with a half smirk as he picked up the rest of the papers.

“Same goes to you Myungsoo oppa,” you replied as you walked out of the classroom with him in tow. He let out a laugh that made you blush.

“True true. Ahhh but it sounds so weird. I’ve known you since you were little!” he grinned and you laughed lightly, shaking your head.

“What am I going to do with you?” you said jokingly as he opened the staff room door.  Both of you made way to his desk and you placed the handouts delicately on his desk before turning to him.

“Hey op—Teacher Kim,” you called out, correcting yourself as you remembered the teachers surrounding you. He turned attentively but just as you were about to speak another voice called out to him. His face reddened as he turned around to look at Raina, the young music teacher.

“O-oh Miss Raina! Did you need anything?” he asked shyly and the woman delicately dressed in gentle colours smiled and giggled.

“You dropped your folder on the way to the staff room. “ she said, handing him a green folder with multicoloured tags sticking out from it. Her gaze moved from him to you and she gasped, covering her mouth as she smiled politely.

“Ah Miss Y/L/N! Sorry I didn’t see you there. You’re such a good student to help Mr. Kim out,” she said and you frowned slightly before nodding.

“It’s nothing. Mr. Kim, I’ll be leaving first.” You said coldly and before Myungsoo could say anything, you had rushed out of the staff room, both of you oblivious to the smug smirk on a lady’s face.  You had your eyes shut as you took deep breaths to compose yourself only to bump into someone. You looked up to see the face of a familiar blond who didn’t look surprised to see you.

“I thought you were going to cry.” He said bluntly and you blinked back at him.

“Stupid.”

He grabbed your hand, leading you to the back of the school. The wind blew gently as he stepped closer, his hand stroking your hair gently. He rested his forehead on yours as you felt your cheeks reddening before he claimed your lips in a kiss. You held each other close together as though afraid to let go but pulled away to hug each other, the feeling of emptiness still lingering.

You met Jihoon a few months ago when school first started.  You were just a junior then and you knew that your beloved Myungsoo oppa would be starting work at your school but you never expected him to be your homeroom teacher. You helped him out as much as possible because it meant spending as much time with him as you could.

You had happily skipped to the staff room one day with the handouts, smiling giddily to yourself before you opened the door.

“Opp—Mr.Kim I—“ you stopped mid-sentence as you saw him talking with the new music teacher, laughing and giggling. Your heart fell just as she turned to notice you.

“Ah Teacher Kim it’s one of your students,” she said and he turned to face you.

“Ah you brought the handouts? Thank you.”

You knew before he did that he was falling for her. Because you’ve been watching him all this time and at that moment, he was making a completely new face.

A few days had passed and it was lunch time as you strolled and brooded over the new music teacher that flirted with your first love. The whispers and conversations around you didn’t matter or phase you until you bumped into someone, sending their papers flying. You landed on your bum and looked up in surprise only to see the new music teacher, bending down to apologise and pick up her papers. You stared at her, both in surprise and shock as you had never been this close to her before. Just as you were about to help pick up what was left of the papers, someone else beat you to it, collecting them and handing them to her.

“Here you go Ms. Raina,” the blond said with a gentle smile.

“Ah thank you Jihoon-ah!” she smiled and the blond shook his head.

“We’re at school Miss, please remember.”

“Oh yeah! Hahaha sorry!” she flustered while you observed them. To others it may seem like a cute teacher/student interaction. But the look on his face told you everything. He was in the same position as you. You waited until she left before you called him out.

“Yah.”  He turned around with an expression that mirrored yours. “Do you know who she likes?”

“Yea.”

Time passed and without realizing it, you started spending more time together. The rain pattered heavily on Jihoon’s roof window as you both lazed about in his room.

“Ahhh I want to quit school!” you exclaimed, dropping your face onto his bed.

“Hey don’t get my bed wet,” Jihoon replied nonchalantly as he played his video game. “And are you talking about Mr. Kim? Are you giving up?”

You sat up immediately.

“Never.” You said clearly before resting your head in your arms, facing Jihoon’s back. “But.”

“But?” he mused, eyes still glued to the screen. You sat up before reaching out to hug him from behind, your arms over his shoulders. His eyes seemed to widened as he lowered his controller.

“You surprised me,” he said simply and you laughed softly.

“Really? I couldn’t tell,” you smiled and he turned to look at you causing your expression to drop. You looked away and so did he.

“Are you sad?”

“Aren’t you?”

His hand reached up to touch your arm gently. You didn’t know how it happened as you laid on his bed, looking up at him as he laced his fingers with yours.

“Hey,” he called out and you looked up at him. “Just imagine that I’m your oppa.”

“Eh?”  You breathed in suddenly as his head dipped to your neck, licking and kissing it. Oh yea. Jihoon doesn’t have any feelings for you. To him you’re just a replacement. Just as he was about to kiss you, you turned your head away.

“It tickles,” you mumbled and he stared down at you.

“Do you want to do this or not?” he asked softly and you turned to look at him.

“You don’t even look like him.” You said in response, your eyes drifting from his eyes to lips.

“Mean. I am good-looking too,” he said as you stared silently at him. The sound of the rain was soft in your ears as you hummed in disbelief.

“Just close your eyes.” He said and you did as he said realizing that if this was going to work for both of you, you needed to cooperate.  

“This is bad,” you thought as Jihoon pushed the hair away from your forehead. “If I think of him as Myungsoo oppa…my fingertips are going cold. All I hear is my pounding heart because this is what I’ve wanted from him for the longest time.” You thought to yourself as you felt a kiss to your forehead. Jihoon pulled back to see your blushing face before he claimed your lips. The kiss was short and he pulled away as you opened your eyes.

“That was my first kiss.” you said softly and his eyes widened just a little.

“No way.”

“It’s true,” you said before looking back at him with half-lidded eyes. “It felt good.”

Your fingers curled against his hand.

“One more time.” You requested and he lowered himself to place a soft kiss on your lips before going back almost immediately with a passionate kiss that surprised you. His fingers curled against yours tightly as you raised your leg slightly. Your eyes were shut as you tried to remember every dear memory you had with your Myungsoo. His sweet smile and nature that made your heart flutter caused tears to gather at your eyes. When Jihoon pulled away, he was met with a teary eyed face.

Just then the phone rang and you sat up as he leaned back.

From: Myungsoo oppa

Thanks for the dinner last nice m(- -)m Thank your mom for me. I don’t think I can make it today but maybe tomorrow!

“Why?” you mumbled, pushing a stray strand behind your ear.

“Do you want to stop?” Jihoon suddenly asked and you looked at him in confusion. “I mean I think this is enough for today but do you want to continue this?”

At that moment you couldn’t seem to answer him and left in a rush.

 You had decided to answer the confession of a boy which you had not been bothered with for a week. You called him out to the back of the building after school.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

“That is my answer. I’m sorry,” you said simply before turning to walk away.

“W-wait!” he called out, holding onto your wrist and you turned to look at him. “I-I waited for a week to hear your answer. You kind of built my hopes up.”

“There isn’t anything more revolting than having to respond to unwanted feelings from someone you don’t like right?” you replied before leaving. You went to the roof for some fresh air.

Thoughts of Myungsoo and your feelings towards him suddenly filled your mind and you closed your eyes for a bit.

“Damn it. Boomerang.” You mumbled as you thought of the words that you said to the boy and how it related to you. A door opened and you turned to see Jihoon standing by the door.

“I’m surprised you’re here.”

-  A few weeks ago –

You returned to Jihoon’s house after school one day and he opened the door, quite surprised to see you.

“I didn’t think you’d come back.” He said and you looked down silently. He gently placed a hand on your cheek, guiding your face to his.

You sat opposite him in his bedroom, the setting orange glow of the sun lighting the room.

“Why don’t we start dating?” he suggested to your surprise. “That way we can depend on each other whenever we need to.”

“Are you sure you won’t fall in love with me?” you joked.

“Nope! Never!” he insisted and you both laughed.

“Okay.” You replied, holding out your pinky. So you made a contract to date so that you could rely on each other but if one of you gets together with the ones you truly loved, the relationship would end. So in short terms, you have everything but my heart.

He wrapped his pinky with yours, sealing the deal.

Both of you were lying in the shade with two bottles of water next to you.

“I’m so tired,” you mused and Jihoon hummed in agreement. You sat up, taking a sip of water before putting down your bottle. Jihoon looked so serene lying there. His lips were still moist after drinking water. You laid your body over his, capturing his lips in a deep kiss.

He opened his eyes in surprise but immediately kissed back, wrapping his arm around your waist as you placed your arms next to both sides of his head to steady yourself. You pulled away for a breath and he flipped you over. His face was reddish with a slight blush as he glanced at your lips once more before going in for another kiss. You had your legs on either side of his waist as you kissed, your arms wrapped around his neck. He sat up, cradling your back so you were sat in his lap, with your legs wrapped around his waist.

“Is it weird that it feels good?” you asked, slightly out of breath, your gaze stuck on Jihoon’s now reddish lips. He shook his head, resting his forehead on yours. “Does it feel good for you too Jihoon?”

“Yea, it does,” he breathed before reconnecting your lips in another heated kiss.

The warm wind blew across the rooftop but the couple were oblivious to it in the midst of their deep embrace. Jihoon pulled away, whispering the name of the one he loved while you thought of the one you loved.

“Hey Jihoon?”

“Hm?”

“Let’s do it.”