#if there’s something negative in the atmosphere though I wanna put something positive out there

[yorshie]

Hey wild ass take from the x reader, canon x self, and oc x canon shipper but uh-

I’m a big believer of your character of choice WILL love you. No you don’t have to jump through hoops to get their love. Make them better. Make them worse. Let them fall in love with you (or your character) for your looks. Let them fall in love with you for your personality. Let them fall in love with you for your ability to eat a whole pizza in one sitting.

Silently. Ardently. Platonically. Romantically. Unrequited. Enthusiastically Requited. Tragically. Happily Ever After.

YOU’RE writing the story, so let them fall in love with you (or your character. You get what I mean)

And if someone says you’re doing it wrong, that character A wouldn’t fall in love with you for x, y or z reasons, kindly, respectfully, ignore them.

Either way. They love you. Keep shipping 💕

[miraculouscontent]

You’re getting one reply, my dude.

Chat Noir did NOT fall in love with Ladybug on first sight. It was kinda the same way as with Luka; she was little awkward and anxious at first, but later showed how amazing she is. This is what made BOTH Luka AND Chat fall in love with her. So I don't understand why you see Luka positively and Chat negatively.

“First sight” is referring to “first episode,” so “Origins” for love square and “Captain Hardrock” for Lukanette. That’s not even the issue

Also, no. Luka was charmed by Marinette before he saw how “amazing” she was (at best, he heard about the photo curse breakage from Juleka given that the “Reflekta” picture is hanging where Luka can clearly see it from his bed), and then he fell deeper with the whole, “that girl is incredibly brave” line, whereas Chat Noir only got big heart eyes and started being interested in Ladybug when she was doing “amazing things.”

Marinette disliked Adrien at first. That was due to the situation.

...Yeah? A very dumb situation and misunderstanding that led to needless drama and the briefest one-sided “Enemy to Friend to Crush” subplot that I have ever seen and still made the jump all the more jarring? Lukanette’s “problem” revolves around the love square existing, not misunderstandings that hold no weight or value (even Adrimi is guilty of this because Kagami thinks that Adrien loves Marinette; Lukanette is the only ship free of misunderstandings), which is why it’s so ridiculous to me when people say “you can’t ship Lukanette because Adrien/love square,” because shipping Lukanette (as with any other Marinette ship) would usually imply that the love square isn’t a problem anymore..

And he din't lie. Adrien said that he's never had any friends BESIDE CHLOE.

Ohohooookay, now you are literally lying about what is said in the actual “Origins” episode, or just not telling the full truth.

Because yes, Adrien did say that he’s never had any friends besides Chloe... to Nino.

Adrien: I've known Chloé since I was a little kid. I know she's not perfect, but I can't throw her under the bus. She's like my only friend.

But what does he say when it’s time to clear the air with Marinette?

Adrien: Hey. I just wanted you to know that I was only trying to take the chewing gum off your seat, I swear. I've never been to school before. I've never had friends.

He tells her that he’s never had friends, yet he tells Nino that Chloe is “like his only friend” and will go on later in “Malediktator” to explicitly say that Chloe is his friend.

Adrien being Chloe’s friend in “Origins” was a huge dealbreaker for both Alya and Marinette, then Adrien lied to her and said that he’s never had any friends (which, I get it, a lot of people miss because I fully admit that the atmosphere in the umbrella scene is really good and you will miss it if you’re a heavy shipper not focusing on the details; you can say it a nicer way by going, “he worded it poorly” or “the writers are bad at dialog,” but the fact is that he told her something that wasn’t true), which started their relationship on false pretenses. It’s just like in “Gamer” where he exaggerates (whether intentionally or otherwise) to fish for someone’s pity/sympathy/forgiveness.

Adrien has tried and actually confessed his love to Ladybug. Ladybug knows that Chat loves her. Marinette has never gotten the chance to do that. She's also sending mixed signals when she panics.

So when Marinette would have the chance to confess, she doesn't and instead denies it. This isn't her fault, but it does mean that Adrien can't be sure. She's told him that she's not in love with him. So you can't really compare Chat and Marinette.

Yes I absolutely can and I absolutely will, because Adrien not being sure about how she feels sure didn’t stop him when Ladybug has repeatedly pushed him away when he’s leaned close to her/tried to kiss her hand. Like, wow that’s sure interesting how “Marinette might love someone else, maybe these hearts are friendly” (because yes, he would absolutely be dense enough for that) didn’t stop him from confessing to her in “Chat Blanc” the instant he thought she was Ladybug.

Same with “Stormy Weather 2,” he doesn’t even consider the what ifs of if she were in love with him and what his reaction would be, and “Weredad” is basically a full confirmation that he’s not interested in her. He’s basically like, “Meh, she doesn’t love me, so it doesn’t matter.”

Ladybug also hasn't said ,,I don't feel about you that way". She kind of talked around it because she doesn't want to hurt him.

My dude, my bro, my guy, don’t be in my inbox to come at me with arguments unless you’re ready for me to pull out the transcripts.

Ladybug in “Glaciator“: Listen, I don't wanna play around with your feelings. It would be the same as lying to you. I don't wanna do that. You're more than a partner, Cat Noir. You're my friend. And I'd never wanna lie to a friend.

Cat Noir: Why do you think it'd be lying?

Ladybug: Because there's this boy I...

Adrien later, a direct confirmation to the audience that he’s aware that Ladybug doesn’t feel that way for him: Perhaps Ladybug will love me someday. I mean, like I love her.

Ladybug in “Frozer” because clearly that message didn’t get through anyway: I can't accept this rose from you. I told you already. I'm in love with someone else. (after which he asks about “what if this guy didn’t exist” which means literally nothing and is just him reaching unless he’s planning to enact a murder which he obviously isn’t)

Ladybug in “Ladybug” because he’s still hoping for no reason: But the real Ladybug's heart still belongs to someone else.

Ladybug again in “Miracle Queen”: I can't be in love with you Cat Noir, you know that.

Seems pretty clear to me.

Besides, it wasn't the fact that Marinette confessed nor the fact they knew their identities that the world ended. It was because Gabriel was still Hawkmoth, so he manipulated the situation to his advantage.

Yes? And then Chat Blanc told her that “our love did this,” which puts blame on Marinette. That’s my point (though I’ll let Chat Blanc off the hook for that one since he’s akumatized... however it still doesn’t make much sense as to how he knows that Gabriel saw him transform unless he knew that Gabriel was watching from somewhere (it was Nathalie and Gorilla actually); he could’ve just presumed that Gabriel had known for a while, there was no evidence he saw that told him it was him transforming into Chat Noir in front of Nathalie and Gorilla that tipped Gabriel off and it’s also super unfair to blame Marinette for it anyway when it was Gabriel behind this whole thing but sure, just make Marinette feel at fault for the world almost ending).

Because that’s what the love square is all about; making Marinette feel bad about liking a boy, Marinette being humiliated for trying to confess to said boy, the universe constantly sabotaging her whenever she manages to do something right, having Marinette reconsider her feelings for Chat Noir AND blush at his cheek kiss after he ditched her as Adrien (presumably; we never saw Gabriel tell Adrien he couldn’t go and Chat Noir made plans with Ladybug as if he planned to ditch them even if Gabriel didn’t do anything) to go prepare a date with Ladybug (wow that sure is interesting how we don’t get an equivalent moment for Marinette from Adrien in “Chat Blanc” at the end, almost like they only care about making Chat Noir feel good about himself and not Marinette), then get mad when Ladybug doesn’t show up even after she tells him that she has prior plans, throwing a tantrum mid-battle and forcing her to apologize first before he’s finally like, “no... I’m sorry,” and then has the gall to add, “Maybe another time.”

Adrimi didn’t need to exist to torment Marinette. The love square already does a good enough job of that and I despise its very existence in all aspects of the writing.

Chat Noir got his damn closure, he just refuses to give up on the very first girl he saw when he went out heroing (I thought he just wanted to make friends but I guess he decided that wasn’t enough for him and “making friends” was immediately sidelined in favor of chasing after “his lady” (ugh)), who he doesn’t know the likes/dislikes of, who he can’t know the identity of, and who he can’t see all parts of because she has to maintain a professional attitude or everyone in Paris is going to die.

Marinette still hasn’t gotten her closure, so it’s no wonder to me why she’s still pining and struggling, especially when people like Alya keep pushing for the love square even when she asks her for help seeing Adrien as a friend.

[mbti-notes]

Im ISTP dude and I like this INFJ girl. Shes my friend but I like her more than that. I told her already and asked her out. She didn't reject me but thing is her answer is vague as hell. First she asked why I like her and I told her honestly that shes pretty and smart but she didnt react more than a nod. Then when I ask if she wanna be my girlfriend she said 'okay but can it be a trial period first'. I assumed its a yes so we started going out but its very weird. (1)

[con’t: It gets even more difficult to understand her and shes start asking me questions about my perspective on love and start warning me about her loving differently than other people and I might not like it and stuff like that. She also seems to be assessing me somehow? I dont know. Like shes trying to judge something about me. I dont think shes playing me or anything cause we always do things fair. She insists we split the bills on everything when we go out and she never demand anything so thats cool. We also spend time together like before. Its just very weird cause she seems more guarded around me and more jumpy and colder than usual even though shes still nice to me and all. Is this normal for INFJs? Maybe she doesnt actually like me? But then why did she agree? I mean we have same interests and we seem to have fun together so I dont understand whats wrong. Should I continue this or just go back to being friends? I like her a lot but I dont wanna waste time on relationship that goes nowhere.]

Note that you can’t improve the quality of a relationship until both people are equally committed to the task. Relationships flourish through skillful communication:

1) Self-Awareness: Be fully aware of your needs, wants, and criteria for relationships. Take full responsibility for your end, so that you do everything in your power to promote relationship success, and then the rest is up to her. It’s important that you are able to communicate clearly and honestly about what’s happening with you, including what you think is going wrong for you and why. If you can’t even make your needs and problems known to your partner, then you’ll never really know each other well enough to get any needs met.

You have not succeeded in this step because you’re putting the whole situation onto her shoulders, as though you have no say in the matter. Whether you stay or leave is your decision to make, based on your evaluation of the relationship and whether it’s what you really want. If a relationship makes you unhappy/dissatisfied, why stay? You’re the one feeling the problem, which means that it’s up to you to instigate a process of resolution. 

People usually stick it out through the down times in a relationship because they have a hopeful vision of what the relationship could become. You have a hopeful vision because you’re talking about how the current situation isn’t meeting your expectations. But what are your expectations? You say that you have fun together, why isn’t that enough? What’s missing for you exactly? Without enough awareness of yourself and being able to verbalize the problem that you’re experiencing, it’s hard to find a solution.

2) Intimacy: A relationship grows deeper over time through honest, attentive, and respectful communication. Talk about what you like, dislike, desire, hope for, etc, with each other, often. Gradually, you both become a better partner as you learn how to adjust your behavior to better suit the other’s needs. The process of becoming more intimately acquainted requires time and energy to learn new things and apply the ideas successfully. You have to be patient and put in the effort to have difficult conversations whenever necessary to grow your knowledge and understanding of each other.

You have not succeeded in this step because you’re making assumptions rather than communicating. You’re merely guessing that she’s trying to do this or that, and you end up whipping yourself into paranoia. “Assuming”, aka trying to be a mindreader, is very destructive to relationships because it causes misunderstanding. Relationships require trust, so take people at their word, and when you can’t, talk about why you can’t and solve the problem through communication. Don’t stew in negative feelings and allow them to turn into ugly conspiracy theories.

By saying that she wants a trial period, she’s basically telling you that she’s interested but not ready for a full commitment. If you’re not happy with her position, then you have a choice to make: Either respect that her pace is slower than yours and be patient, or decide that you want something faster/different and leave for greener pastures. She’s already been honest and upfront with you, the ball is now in your court about whether you accept the terms she’s proposed. If you accept, then FULLY accept.

By asking plenty of questions about your perspective, she is making an effort to get to know you better, specifically, to understand why you want to be in the relationship and whether you two are ultimately compatible. You hardly know each other at the start of a relationship, so she is indeed trying to size you up, such that she can make a well-informed decision once the trial period ends. If you don’t like people getting to know you in depth, then you’re never going to get far in any relationship. She obviously is the kind of person that needs to prepare and study situations carefully before diving in. If you don’t like that, then you are free to choose someone who doesn’t require as much preparation and observation time (this is a common J vs P difference).

3) Collaboration: Whenever either party feels unhappy or dissatisfied with something in the relationship, it is their responsibility to bring it up with the partner. When your partner brings a problem to you, it is your responsibility to listen carefully to what it is they need from you. Only then can you resolve problems maturely, together. If it is determined that your partner is capable of better meeting your needs, then make a reasonable request of them to do so. Talk openly about what should be changed in the relationship to make it more fulfilling for both parties, and implement a plan to make those changes. Keep tabs on progress made over time.

You have not succeeded in this step because you’re not being upfront about your negative experience of the relationship and what more you need from it. This means that you’re not giving her the opportunity to collaborate with you. If you don’t talk about how you feel, she’ll never know, and the change that you want won’t happen.

By talking about the way that she “loves differently”, she’s communicating something about her needs and expectations. She’s giving you an opportunity to know her better, such that you can collaborate with her to fulfill her needs. If she’s inexperienced, she may not yet know every little thing that she’s looking for in a relationship. But the most important thing is that she’s trying to communicate about it, which means it’s up to you to listen and respond appropriately. If you have no interest in getting to know her and what kind of partner she’s looking for, then there’s no reciprocity in the relationship. Are you only in it for yourself?

By asking you why you like her, she may be signalling some self-esteem issues (”I don’t know if I can do this”) and/or self-worth issues (”Maybe I don’t deserve this attention/love”). Healthy Fs are sensitive people, which means that they feel things very deeply. The deeper they feel, the more deeply they will be hurt, if things don’t work out. Therefore, it is likely that she is hesitant to dive in because she’s trying to stay in control and protect herself from getting hurt (this is typical of FJs). Forcing someone to leave their comfort zone before they are ready to is a recipe for drama and conflict. The most you can do is encourage her to open up, by providing an emotionally supportive, cooperative, and non-judgmental atmosphere to express how she really feels. Without a positive social atmosphere, FJs won’t open up. She’s moving at a pace that’s comfortable for her, which includes pulling back whenever she feels uncomfortable. Be sure to clarify whether it’s her own issue or whether you’re doing something to make her uncomfortable - don’t just assume. If you don’t like her “guarded” approach, then you are free to choose someone who is more open and carefree (you are navigating a common J vs P difference).

If you like someone a lot, it means that you’re willing to put in effort for them? You have every right to decide how much effort you’re willing to put in. The relationship is still in its early stages and you won’t lose much by ending it now. However, don’t forget that there’s a lot you can do to be better at relationships, mainly by addressing any behavior that hurts rather than helps relationships to progress.

[summonerscenarios]

If it's not any trouble could you do hcs on characters reaction to reader having very low body positivity. You can choose the characters. Have a great day, Juno! 💙

Got something short and sweet to end off the night with. i do hope that I did an okay job with these ones hun~! And I hope the characters are okay too I suck at trying to pick them for myself lmao

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Shinya

Shinya’s a very empathetic soul, and that has worked both for and against him many times throughout his life. He knows many who have struggled with feeling comfortable in their bodies, trying to find a balance between finding parts of themselves to love and appreciate, and he himself has had days where he hasn't felt confident or comfortable with his body image which he doesn’t wish on anyone. It isn't easy to love yourself, to look in the mirror and be proud of who you are, and he tries to help where he can so long as the person is comfortable opening up about it with him. He sees the signs in you, the moments where you look at yourself and your mood darkens as though plagued by thoughts about yourself that no-one else can hear - seeing you struggling to deal with your own body image makes his heart bleed for you.

During a particularly bad bout of self doubt Shinya decides to finally sit down for a talk with you about it, to open up that pathway of conversation so that you have the option to confide your troubles to him should you actually want to bring it up. All it takes is a moment alone after school hours with just him and a drink, the atmosphere one of as much comfort and warmth as the boy can manage; it’s enough for you to crack and talk to him, to open up about how you’ve been feeling so bad about your body and that you’ve been struggling to find positives about your form. He listens to your problems with an expression of compassion as he listens to you speak, it’s one of those expressions that makes you want to spill everything, to lay your very thoughts bare, and you have to stop yourself from getting too carried away once you realize that you’re letting your mouth run.

He can't give you good advice, or so he says, but he does his best to tell you the kinds of things that he tries to tell himself during the moments where he’s at his worst. Shinya tells you that the road to accepting and loving yourself is a constant battle, it’s not an easy one, nor has it ever been. Some days you’ll feel good about yourself, maybe even confident, but other days you’ll feel as though its impossible to even look at yourself and find something that you like - he can’t say when or if it will get easier, but what he can say is that your body is important, no matter what shape, what size, or what condition. And while you don’t always have to love it, you can learn to live with it, to look inside yourself and find the parts of you that you do love. Even if those parts change from day to day, even if you feel as though you can’t find a single one those lovable parts that make up the person that he sees before him those parts are still very much there, and he sincerely hopes that as time passes and you come to find yourself that you’ll be able to look at all those parts, those you deem both lovable and unlovable in your eyes, with a fondness, knowing that every single one of them build up to one majorly lovable thing - you.

He gets kind of bashful once he realizes that he’s rattled on for quite a while, especially upon seeing your face looking at him with such surprise, but he still hopes that those words have found a home in you, that you’ll carry them with you and hold them close until the time comes that you need to remember them. And well, even if you do forget them, he’ll be right there to remind you of those words, and he’ll be there prove just how much he means them too, watching you as you try to hide your face behind your drink and look out of the shop window, brows knitted in concentration as you mull over the conversation that the two of you have just shared.

Taurus Mask

You’d slipped up during a talk with Taurus mask - you really hadn’t meant to let loose a bad comment about your body image while he was around, but you’d gotten so used to mulling those kinds of thought around in your head that you hadn’t realized that you’d said it out loud until the latest topic he was rattling on about came screeching to a halt. He spins around upon hearing you talk so negatively about your body, and in the next moment Taurus Mask is quick to intervene, slapping both hands onto your shoulders to get you to look at him and expression determined as he asks if he just heard what you’d said right. You don’t even have enough time to come up with a good excuse before he’s talking again, giving you what you can only assume is a serious speech about how you shouldn’t be entertaining thoughts like that for a second. He exclaims so earnestly that all of those bad things that you’ve been thinking about yourself and yourself simply aren’t true - you’re amazing! And you know that, right? Right?! At the blank stare that he gets in response he sighs, but quickly regains conviction as he starts up again.

You may not see it but he’s telling the truth, and you’ve shown just how amazing your form is too on multiple occasions, exhibiting just how you use your body’s strengths to your advantage both inside and outside of the ring. Whilst you don’t recognize these strengths you can be sure that Taurus Mask has seen it first hand numerous times and remembers every single one of them. He’s seen every muscle in your body as it flexes and moves, your stance and how you hold yourself like your body is indestructible, how you stand against things three times your size with enough power behind your form to make them quake and cower knowing better than to face you.

Not to mention the shape of your face and the shape of your body bathed under just about every kind of light? It makes you look ethereal, untouchable and like your body was sculpted just to be so breathtaking. You’re amazing in body, mind and spirit - that's just one of the many reasons why you’re the perfect soul brother! So why would you feel so bad about yourself?

He gets flustered when right after his speech you point out that it’ss bold words coming from the man who hides his identity, but even though he knows you’ve kind of got a point hehe stands by his words regardless because every single word of it is the truth - you may not see how amazing you are, but he and others do, and hell you don’t even need to ask to get those people to tell you just what they think of you. And of course if you ever need to get a big reminder of that fact then you better get ready, because Taurus mask is going to do everything he can until you see yourself the way that he sees you! 

Kengo

Most of Kengo’s body concerns have revolved around maintaining his physical strength, making sure that he can keep up with the training that he sets for himself every day, so it’s because of this focus that he doesn't sweat much on body shapes and positivity, or just hasn’t bothered to look at that aspect too closely. (I mean this is the man who had to learn his legs could be used to reach higher in a fight, he’s got a very direct line of thinking). But he does know that it is a big deal for others, and that they have to deal with a lot of negative thoughts; I mean hell, he’s seen his fair share of people struggling with those kinds of things too, he just didn't expect you to be one of those people until it actually comes to light that you’ve been feeling pretty low about how you look and how you view yourself. And seeing you thinking that kinda way sucks, so don’t be too surprised when he confronts you about it and tries to talk to you about how you’re feeling.

He confides that he doesn't fuss too much about it and doesn't see why you think so bad about yourself - you've got a damn good body and you've proven that you know how to use those muscles of yours! Honestly cheering you up in that regard isn’t entirely his strong suit, but he does genuinely mean well, and if he gets out of hand with some of the things that he says while trying to give you a pep talk he’ll totally understand if you tell him to cool it off and give you some time to think about it.

With that being said, if you're really determined to make a change in yourself though Kengo’s definitely gonna be there to help you the whole way. If you wanna shape up some more you can always come up to the mountains with him sometime to train, or even just to get away from those negative thoughts clouding your head for a couple of hours the mountain proves to be an ideal location for either one of those options. However, be warned though those little training excursions can get pretty damn intense, and more often than not you’re going to get roped into more than a couple of hectic situations (but then again that’s the norm in Housamo, so I’m sure you’ll be fine). But if you decide to tag along with him you’ll end up coming away with some pretty good life lessons on learning to get along with your body, and how to view your body image in a more positive light, even if you may not realize it by the time that the two of you come back down.

Kengo’s gonna keep an eye on you just in case any new methods that you decide to pick up dip into unhealthy territory, because that in itself is really dangerous for both your physical and mental well being. And if they do you can bet he’s dragging you by your ankles to the other summoners for an intervention until they’ve drilled into your head that taking care of your body comes first and you shouldn't put your health at risk just for the sake of reaching a particular goal.

[anystalker707]

Lights, camera and fuck off

Pairing: Gerard Way x Fem Reader Genre: Fluff/Light angst Requested by @thunderpurple Summary: (Y/n) is an Umbrella Academy actress and her relationship with Gerard isn’t really well seen due to their age gap, but they don’t let all that negativity reach them.

"And what can we expect for The Umbrella Academy's second season?" The interviewer asks with an agonizing smile - there's something in it, giving off the slightest vibe I would describe as devilish, like if wanting to see every artist she interviews breaking under her questions and comments.

My attention doesn't remain on her for too long; I let my eyes fall to my hands that rest over my lap, presuming someone else will answer the question since I was the one who answered a few of the past ones. As supposed, Tom answers it, "well, it's a bit difficult commenting it without giving much spoilers, but it's going to be awesome," his grin is practically audible, kinda letting a mystery in the air with the way he says the last word.

The woman nods, continuing to speak, "also, I presume (y/n)'s going to have more screen time this season, right? Considering the past announcements." Her comment makes me immediately raise my gaze towards her and, if the altered tone while saying the last two wonder wasn't enough, she raises her eyebrows towards me in a sort of sign, glancing at Gerard too.

Gerard looks at her in certain disbelief, taking in a breath to answer. The sight makes her widen her eyes, already eager for the answer covered in annoyance, but I prefer to answer it myself - to not give her what she wants. I put on my best sweet smile, "well, not really. My character continues with the same highlight, she-"

"Um, that's not what I meant," she breathes a fake awkward chuckle, adjusting her glasses. "You probably gained more highlight after getting in a relationship with Gerard, which's, um, quite different from the conventional due to the age gap, what has also been commented a lot lately. Did something change-"

"Sorry," I cut her off, observing her curiously, "but I thought we were here to talk about the series and not anyone's personal life. Please let me know if there's another question like this because, if so, I'm leaving already. That's not what I'm here for. Also, I have a question for you myself. Did all the interviewers secretly agree on a thing of always asking the same questions?" I look at her, with a fake cluelessness over my features, not showing any sign of being intimidated by her.

The interviewer's eyes flicker over me, looking for the joking hint she never finds. Meanwhile, a heavy atmosphere follows the silence the room's set in. By the corner of my eyes, I can see Ellen and Tom share a quick look while Gabriel seems to prefer to not interfere in any way, demonstrating a sudden interest for the floor's patterns. Gerard just sits beside me casually, having an expression that demonstrates he agrees with me.

.

"Fuck, sometimes it's awful. Why do people act like if it is something from another world?" I raise an eyebrow at Gerard, "sometimes I feel like these people get pleasure in annoying artists and driving them to the edge." It's a bit difficult walking side by side on the relatively narrow sidewalk, but I don't feel like letting go of his hand, cogitating sending glares on whoever comes from the opposite direction so they decide to walk past by the street instead of waiting for one of us to open space. Thankfully it doesn't last long, just until we take a turn to one of more agitated streets.

"Maybe you're right," he presses his lips together, still seeming kind of bothered by the events from earlier. Exhaling, he continues with a blank expression before seeming to brush away all the thoughts, smiling at me instead. "Wanna stop for a coffee?"

Looking past him, I'm able to see a cafe by the other side of the street - grinning, I nod. We're soon sitting in a booth in a quiet corner of the cafe with our orders set in front of us, but momentarily forgotten there as we talk.

"You coming over?" Gerard asks, our hands linked over the table as he plays with my fingers - he softly runs the tip of his fingers over my palm, laughing at my reaction of suddenly closing my hand.

I don't answer at first, playfully glaring at him while rubbing my own fingers over my palm like if rubbing the weird feeling away. He breathes a chuckle, taking my hand in his again, rubbing his thumb over my palm, then turns my hand over to intertwine our fingers together. Wrinkling my nose lightly, I shake my head, briefly tightening my grip on his hand. I let go of it to take my cup of coffee and sip on the warm drink.

"I guess so," I finally answer, mentally reviewing my plans for the rest of the day and tomorrow too, "can I sleep over? Also, there's another interview tomorrow, isn't it?" A light groan leaves my lips at the thought of the tight schedules, a consequence of the next season of the series being released soon - thankfully, we can still spend a great time together, above all.

"Of course." He smiles adorably, sipping on his coffee before continuing, "and, yeah, but then we'll have the rest of the week to ourselves, fortunately. Well," Gerard pauses, tilting his head lightly, "kinda. There's band practice with the guys more towards the end of the week. You could come along, there won't be just the guys and I." As he presses his lips together, his eyes fall to the table - a bit of expectation and insecurity under his 'firm' tone.

"Um, won't I bother?" I furrow my eyebrows, averting my eyes from him and fidgeting with the sleeves of my jacket in another wave of insecurity and anxiety. I'm always doing my best to dodge all the negative comments thrown towards me, but it's not always that I'm keeping the guard up.

Gerard exhales in certain frustration, most likely guessing what's going on in my head. "You never bother, sugar. And you know they like you, so stop worrying." His reassuring voice has an automatic effect on me, making me feel almost completely calmer after hearing his words.

What he said echoes through my mind once again and - though it has happened many other times before - a stupid grin cracks my lips at the same time I blush at being called sugar. It makes me soft and, in a sudden decision, I stand up from my place to sit beside him. Gerard curiously raises an eyebrow at me, but places an arm around me without questioning; I exhale in some kind of relief and comfort as leaning against his side.

Noticing his gaze continues on me, I breathe a chuckle, "I wanna be next to you," I mutter shyly, observing my cup of coffee as blushing more. He lets out an appreciative hum, nuzzling the side of my faze lightly and leaving a peck there - it makes me chuckle louder than expected, shrinking at the feeling of his beard against my skin. Gerard lets out an evil giggle, earning him a playfully offended look from me, one which fades away in the moment he places a kiss on my lips.

Soon enough, we're at his place; I smile as being engulfed by the place's comfortable atmosphere, it's like if it's filled with a warm energy that's the same as his. Before he can notice, I'm already coming back from his room, having changed from my clothes - which weren't so comfortable - and now wearing one of his shirts and a loose pair of shorts I left here last time I was over.

Gerard's serving himself a glass of water when I walk in the kitchen. He probably just notices my presence once I wrap my arms around him from behind, sighing as I rest my head against his back. His free hand rests over mine, holding them. "Want to watch something?" He asks and right after, I can hear the sound of the glass being placed against the counter, but don't want to let go just yet.

"No," I groan quietly, suddenly noticing how tired I am; I just want to lay down and cuddle him. "Not in the mood. We could listen to something, tho."

"Alright. Just let me go change, hm?" He squeezes my hands in a sign for me to let go - I do so, reluctantly, but my mood quickly lightens up with his lips being pressed against mine for a few seconds.

While Gerard disappears in the halls, I throw myself on the couch, sitting in a half-laid-down position as finally allowing myself to relax. I don't think the physical tiredness is actually as big as the mental one every interviewer seems to want to put me under lately. I'm left to wonder how in the fucking hell do details about my personal life affect my work or why is it so interesting to them.

My thoughts are cut off at the same moment soft music starts to fill the room and then there's Gerard approaching me. Looking at him with a lazy smile, I make grabby hands towards him before letting one of my legs hang off the couch, motioning the place in front of me.

He quickly gets what I mean and sits down on the space between my legs, leaning back against me until his head is resting on my chest. I can't hold back a stupid smile - soft moments like this always make me feel have a funny feeling, all happy -, stopping it briefly to press a kiss to his temple. A pleased hum comes from Gerard and I can feel him physically relaxing as I start to run my fingers through his hair.

Moments like this make me think a lot, sometimes. I end up getting both afraid and happy at the same time. Afraid because I love moments like this - and him - so much and I'm afraid of it ending at some point, maybe because of all the people against our relationship, though I won't let their negativity reach us. But happy, on the other had, because I- I don't know, I just don't want these moments to ever end; they make me feel so well. Anyways, I guess it's not the time to fill my head with doubts, just to stick with the last feeling and enjoy every second. After all, no one else can understand all of this the way we do.

[itsmoonphobic]

Elemental Souls (SBI+Tommy 4 elements au)

(🌿) ♡ (🔥) ♡ (🌊) ♡ (🌬)

Techno Blade -Fire:

"Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products."

You can either see Techno as rude,cocky and egoistic or you can see him as loyal,determined and smart.

Becouse of his cold facade,Techno can scare poeple off easily.The fact that he gets aggressive easily doesn't make it any better.He tends to be very sarcastic and loves to tease/ignore people badly which is another reason poeple tend to stay away from him.

Techno can be described as terrifying.Becouse he is very intelligent and silent poeple around him can only wonder what he is thinking and if he is planning on killing someone soon.Of course Techno never killed anyone and he would never do so but his scary aura makes people believe he did and would do it again.

He doesn't take things very seriously and will only get invested if he is deeply committed and interested in them or if he gets something out of it.Techno may say that he isn't a competitive person but god is this man lying to himself.

Challenging Techno to something is probably the most dumbest move you could make.Not only will he destroy you and win but he will make a whole ass war out of it.This guy won't sleep,eat or talk to another human being until he's won.And you can bet your ass he will totally humiliate you and rub it in till it burns-

That's what Techno can be seen as from the outside. But on the inside he is anything but confident,cocky and unbeatable.He is very shy and socially awkward. He only picks out certain people who he will let take part in his life.On some days his insecurities will get the best of him and he won't come out of his room for weeks-

Hours and hours spent on crying only then become evident once he leaves his room and reveals this mess of red and puffy eyes,dark valleys and pale skin.The vibes he gives off basically scream "back of and leave me the fuck alone or I will burn you to death"

Others may think that a fiery person like him has to have exciting and risky hobbies-When in reality Techno loves peaceful and quiet activities like reading or studying.May I add that in his free time Techno absolutely loves to be outside and farm potatoes on a daily-

Sure Techno does fighting and skill upgrading from time to time but when he is left alone with his head full of thoughts he will scurry to the local library and spend the rest of his day there.Nobody questions why he goes there or makes fun of him that such a tough guy reads books-Becouse they very well know he will personally beat them up and burn down their houses.

Techno's best friend Phil is the only person who he truly trusts with everything and anything.The two of them grew up together and developed a really strong emotional and family like bond.Techno only allows Phil to see his vulnerable and fragile side,he will cry infront of him and even let Phil hug him while he reassures him that everything will work out and be fine.

Techno isn'a touchy guy,for him pda is disgusting and unnecessary-like,why the fuck would you put your hands on another person?What kind of person enjoys sharing physical contact?Not Techno that's for sure.

Over time Techno became more open and extroverted so he agreed to meeting two of Phil's friends,both of them having different elements.Phil commented something about how he thinks that opposite friendships are way more exciting and fun!Techno didn't think much of it,he simply rolled his eyes and went along with it.

That was the day Techno met Wilbur and Tommy.He could immediately tell that Tommy would be annoying as fuck and really hard to deal with-I mean the kid was only twelve when they first got introduced.Wilbur on the other hand sparked some sort of feeling inside of Techno that made him feel welcomed in his presence.

So yeah over the course of the next four years the four element benders became really close.Yes even grumpy Techno had to live with the fact that he would die for all of them-even Tommy.And speaking of Tommy,he and Techno do everything together-

If you would to make fun of Tommy or tease/annoy him in any be it negative or positive way-Techno would hunt you down and burn you-If it isn't intense he will stick to only a threat-but if you actually physically or mentally hurt Tommy??Oh boy-I may have said that Techno never did and never would kill somebody,but in this case there is a high chance of an angry Techno being after you.

Techno sees his friend group as family members.Phil represents a huge father figure,Wilbur his younger brother and Tommy his youngest brother.He is very overprotective of them all,especially over Tommy if you couldn't already tell.With how much shit he gets himself into and the fact that he is only sixteen years young and his braincells are still producing he can't but worry for him and take care of him,even if he does bully the fuck out of him :)

Wilbur and Techno have the best moments.The two of them both enjoy reading so you can occasionally discover them in the local town library where they are just enjoying the peace shared between eachother. Although Wilbur does have a chaotic and wild side to him which he lets out when he's around Tommy,he becomes quite and relaxed when around the fire bender.Techno knew from the moment he met Wilbur that the two of them would get along great.

Techno isn't really good with showing his feelings or dealing with his emotions-Like I said apart from pride and anger he doesn't reveal much to the world.Phil used to be the only person Techno trusted but now with the whole gang on his side he earned himself more poeple to rely on.Of course it took time for him to open up and really let himself go infront of Tommy and Wilbur but the waiting definitely paid off.

When Techno practices,for example his weapon usage and fire bending it is best to leave him alone and stay a safe distance away from him.There is a chance for him to attack you,though he will most likely just snap at you and tell you to piss off if you don't wanna burn alive and if you wanna keep all your fingers in place.

Also not to mention,Techno is on the way of becoming a vegetarian.At the start he only hated eating anything related to pigs,like bacon or pork chops.But after developing his love for farming he noticed just how unnecessary eating meat is.Sure he still consumes meat from time to time but in most of the cases he will turn it down and eat a baked potato instead :D

Squid and Dream(A water bender and a earth bender) are both in a rivalry with him.Techno is probably the one who started randomly picking on Squid at one point and from there on out they kind of grew close?Not too close but most definitely a form of friendship.

Dream on the other hand is hundred percent the one who constantly competes with Techno.Be it in element bending or grades in school.If Dream manages to get even half a point more on an exam he would literally celebrate.The most annoying part is the fact that Techno doesn't even acknowledge Dream. Just to see Dream's face when Techno only shrugs and lets out a small "ehh" while saying that it doesn't matter and he sees no point in anyone trying to be as good as him or better,makes it more entertaining ;D

To sum it all up: Techno is a natural born leader.His dedication and determination along with his loyalty are a healthy base for a powerful soul.The reason behind his aggressive,confident and somewhat rude side is due to the fact that he is a fire bender and his element is naturally fierce.He fights for what he thinks is important and right and never lets anything happen to the poeple he deeply loves and cares about.He is not the best when it comes to showing sympathy and affection and he doesn't seek it from anyone else.He has to deal with major mental health issues but he's more than thankful for his friends that are by his side and help him out on his journey.Once Techno opens up to you more you know he likes you,like I said to earn Techno's respect and trust you have to meet his expectations and show him that you actually care for him and his well being.He needs some love guys <3

Like fire itself, fire benders tend to be passionate, dynamic, and temperamental. Fire can keep you warm, or it can do great destruction. While fire burns out quickly without fuel to keep it going, it can also regenerate its power from the ashes. A single spark can set off a forest fire. As a result, fire benders need to be nurtured and managed carefully.

Phil Watson - Air:

"Air refers to the Earth's atmosphere. Air is a mixture of many gases and dust particles. It is the clear gas in which living things live and breathe. It has an indefinite shape and volume. It has mass and weight, because it is matter."

The most hardworking,kind and caring guy you will ever encounter.Phil is the definition of wholesome :)

Phil is a very understanding and empathetic person. He patiently listens and respects people's boundaries and insecurities.He is a great comfort to many poeple with phobias and mental health issues.A part of his element is care and gentleness.Phil is very careful and elegant with his words and actions.He tends to not be hasty and obnoxious around people he first meets or knows who don't like that type of behavior.

He and Techno are very close.Phil trusts Techno with his eyes closed and the same goes for Techno.The way the two of them interact with eachother suprises people all the time.How could such a gentle soul deal with a feisty one like Techno's??Outsiders and even familiars wonder if the two share some sort of telepathic connection.All in all they share an unbreakable and strong family like bond.

Not only did Phil introduce his other really good friends to Techno and managed to get him to open up more and trust other people apart from him,but he also helped Techno realize that there are other poeple out there who care about him and want to give him nothing but undeniable love <3

Techno may be close with Wilbur and Tommy but the only person who knows about Techno's struggles and his biggest fears is Phil.He knows exactly in which way he needs to talk to him and how to act around him.Phil knows Techno doesn't like affection like hugs and holding hands but as a sign of appreciation and gratefulness Techno allows Phil to hug him while he calms him down and takes care of him.

The way he acts with such precision and grace makes anyone feel welcomed and comfortable around Phil. Phil is very helpful.He doesn't wait for poeple to come up to him and ask him for something,he goes up to them and asks if he can help them out with anything.

He stands up for justice and always does the right things.Phil has a big heart,if he sees anyone who is hurt or feeling down his parent like instincts will activate and he will immediately comfort them.

All three of his best friends(Techno,Wilbur,Tommy) look up to him as a father figure,which warms Phil's heart and he honestly he thinks it's super cute <3 So naturally Phil can't but see them as his three polar opposite,chaotic sons.He would do anything for the three of them,even risking his own life.

Tommy and Phil's relationship is probably the most cutest one.When Phil tells Tommy to quit it or to stop fighting with Wilbur or Techno(mostly Wilbur),Tommy instantly goes quiet and apologises for it.Phil's air bending is something that Tommy loves about him.He will always ask the elder if he can twirl him around in the air and make him fly.Phil gladly does so and he will tickle him with the wind he creates until Tommy is a giggling mess :D

Wilbur and Phil on the other hand are a completely different dynamic than Techno & Phil or Tommy & Phil. Most think that Phil would be scared of Techno like any other person is but it's actually Wilbur who genuinely scares Phil from time to time.Sure anyone who sees him doesn't think that something like "I just wanna fucking murder everyone around me and drag them to the bottom of the ocean-" would come out of his mouth.It's not only what he says it's how and when he says horrifying things like that.They could be out on a walk and Wilbur would just have the most blank expression while he says sentences like that.Phil is pretty sure that he even caught Tommy holding onto Techno's hand once while Techno shivered slightly with wide eyes.

Phil is known for being very respectful and polite.He doesn't like to be mean and angry towards anyone!He is a big pacifist(unlike other poeple 👀)who likes to sort things out with a nice and peaceful conversation instead of turning to immediate violence.He will argument with someone,but only when he has a good reason to do so.If he sees people arguing or fighting he will confront them about it and make sure they settle down and put their differences aside.

He's affectionate and really interested in the problems of others,as if they were his own.He will always be there if you are stuck with something and need help solving or overcoming said problem.He'll make sure that both of you find a way to get rid of it! <3

Air benders are also the most forgiving element benders,so Phil can tell the difference between acting out and just plain old meanness,and he understands that in moments of strong emotion, people can say and do things to can hurt others. Not that he'd ever do the same!His cool, collected vibe helps him navigate the drama and analyze it throughly.

Phil is a master of both small talk and deep convos, and he knows how to use his wit to get him out of awkward moments.That's another way Phil instantly gets the hang of strangers he just met!!He knows what subjects to bring up and what topics to talk about that they are interested in!

Also I quickly wanna say that Phil's laugh is super contagious!He could be out with Techno,Wil and Tommy while the three of them rant on and on about their days and just talk about random,shit.Phil will silently listen to every detail in the background while he uncontrollably laughs.He will let out a small "What?" or "No way dude" but apart from those small phrases he just prefers listening and cackling.He loves to see other people laugh and smile and is even more happy when he is the reason they do so :3

Phil is generous and selfless.He puts the health and safety of others before his own.He doesn't require many things to be satisfied in his life.As long as he has his family and friends he couldn't be more grateful <3

He definitely has a love for birds such as pigeons and doves.One time about two years ago Tommy brought Phil a beautiful silver feathered bird for his birthday. Even with his element being air,Phil sometimes wishes and dreams of flying himself,being able to feel that freedom for himself you know?He sees birds as lucky to have a gift such as flying.

Air benders are all about action, ideas, and motion—they are the “winds of change.” When a strong gust hits you, you can’t help but move. While some within their ranks may be true-life “airheads,” others are as powerful as a gravity-defying G-force. Air benders bring everyone a breath of fresh air when things start to get stale. Like the breeze, you can’t quite catch them, and you never know where they’ll drop you once they sweep you up. It will almost always been an adventure, though

Wilbur Soot - Water:

"Water is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms. It is vital for all known forms of life, even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients."

Charming,suave and flirty in a way that can only be from fiction.Do men like that even exist?Apparently they do and they go by the name of Wilbur Soot.

Ever stand under a waterfall? That’s what it’s like when a Wilbur is feeling an intense emotion.

Intuitive, emotional and ultra-sensitive,Wilbur can be as mysterious as the ocean itself. Like water,he can be refreshing,or he can drown you in his depths.Security is important to him,after all, water needs a container, or it dries up and disappears.

He tends to hold on to people and items long past their expiration dates,and his emotions are always flowing like the waves of the oceans.Wilbur has intense dreams,visions,and an intuition so strong that it’s basically a psychic power.He can see situations happening from a mile away before they occur.

He might intentionally seek out sad music or movies, and he probably has childhood photos framed in his room.Emotional and creative,he relays on his heart and gut to make a decision.Logic and reason are second to his feelings which is how he navigates the material world.Wilbur also longs for security at all times,which makes sense as he's protective of his loved ones and himself.He'll do everything he can to help the ones he cares about,even if it’s at his own expense.

However, like most things beautiful, below the surface many complexities often arise and the same is true when talking about water benders.

Wilbur is notoriously perceptive and he possesses instincts when it comes to sussing out people and situations.He's guided by his gut feelings and more often than not his first instinct about a person are dead on.He can get a feel for whether someones intentions are honorable or not just by observing their body language and general demeanor.

Like a river filling in every crevice of its path,Wilbur covers every detail and often picks up on things that others miss.No riverbed is left to dry as the water flows through each and every intricacy.

The water signs are no stranger to emotion, in fact, they often feel things rather intensely.

On one hand,his emotional side can provide him with a lot of insight and wisdom into the human experience which he can even then pass on to others.On top of this,it allows him to be incredibly empathetic which helps him form strong bonds with others.

But sometimes he can get so overcome by his emotions that it feels like a giant tidal wave just hitting him all at once. When he feels overwhelmed like this he can find it tough to think straight and make rational decisions.

Because he is so prone to analyzing absolutely everything he can sometimes overthink things a little too much and make life more complicated for himself then it needs to be.He has a bad habit of coming up with problems and obstacles in his mind that don’t actually exist or aren’t nearly as bad as he's talked himself into them being.

Sometimes you might catch Wilbur acting withdrawn or shy but the truth is he's probably just deep in thought and mentally a million miles away.He often finds his thoughts are racing at a million miles an hour and that he's powerless to do anything about it.

Just like a bustling river,Wilbur can be a bit wishy washy and kinda all over the place… especially when it comes to making important decisions.Too many options can sometimes leave him overwhelmed and struggling to make any decision at all.

He's also known for being easily distracted and can go from paying close attention in one moment to being totally away with the fairies the next.He doesn't do it out of rudeness he just can’t help himself sometimes!

Wilbur has a very private and mysterious side,he doesn’t like to reveal all of his cards at once.He's known for putting up walls and can be particularly guarded when he's around people he doesn't trust.

From time to time he needs space to himself to think and unwind. As much as he loves his friends and family there’s just some times where he's gotta have some alone time to spend by himself.

Wilbur sure has a unique way of looking at the world. His perspective combined with his vivid imagination makes him naturally gifted in music or anything involving a creative flare.He is a dreamer at heart whose ideas aren't limited by pesky rules or conventions.

He has a big musical talent,his voice is a perfect balance between rough and velvety.It's not too high and not too low,not too loud and not too quiet.The moment he strums his guitar strings he can wrap anybody around his finger.

Wilbur is emotionally manipulative.He can make you feel bad for something you didn't even do.He can make you regret things or certaint actions that aren't supposed to make you feel regretful.He will only use this "talent" of his in a worst case scenario.If you ever hurt his friends or loved ones he will make your life a living hell,wouldn't even wonder if you never decided to show your face to the public ever again.

Techno's and his relationship is wonderful.Wilbur has helped Techno so much to open up more and come out of his shell.They both enjoy the peaceful and quiet times in their life.Reading,going on walks or strolling along the beach while watching a sunset is just some of the many things they love doing together.He isn't as close to Techno like Phil is but he is close second. He sees him as his older and stronger brother who will always be there for him when he needs him.Honestly the two of them have such a beneficial dynamic <3

Now Tommy's and Wilbur's interactions are something absolutely opposite.When the two of them spent time together,they become these chaotic and annoying siblings that go around town and fuck with people. There was this one time where they flooded a barn which belonged to Phil's neighbors and the two reckless idiots ran away laughing.Sure Tommy steals Phil's stuff all the time or uses it without permission but Wilbur,just like Techno,is very overprotective of Tommy.If he finds out that somebody hurt Tommy in any way or made fun of him he will beat them up. Literally he will call in Techno for help to go and pay the little fuckers who messed with Tommy a visit.The only ones who are allowed to tease and bully Tommy are Techno and Wilbur,no one else.

Phil and Wilbur have some of the best moments when spending time with eachother.Not only is Phil a great source of reassurance and comfort but he knows that Phil will seal his mouth shut if Wilbur speaks to him about his insecurities and problems.He loves that Phil listens to him and never judges him about anything. Like the other two Wilbur sees Phil as a father figure. A great and inspiring role model he can look up to.

He likes to collect sea shells and old treasures he finds scattered over the sand at the beach.He doesn't like swimming or diving,which is really unrealistic to not only other water benders but benders in general.It's not that Wilbur is scared,he simply likes to admire it from the shore.He will do it from time to time must mostly he will just sit down and let his legs and feet rest in the cold liquid.

I can imagine that when he was a kid he used to pretend to be a pirate.He still has his old eye patch and hook that were part of his costume.Now,even after thirteen years he still likes to go up to the harbor when the fishermen arrive with a freshly caught catch and watch the ships glide across the indigo waves.

Tommy Simons - Earth:

"Earth materials are vital resources that provide the basic components for life, agriculture and industry. Earth materials can also include metals and precious rocks."

Tommy is outgoing,energetic and he isn't afraid to speak up and share his thoughts with others.A very openminded and positive guy.He always looks on the bright side of every situation he finds himself in.

He is down to earth.He doesn't believe in having dreams,he only believes and accepts things the way they are and how they are portrayed in his eyes.

People don't realize it but they are seriously underestimating Tommy.When you first see him you don't expect him to have good strategies and the ability of leadership like Techno clearly has.But that's the thing.One of the many things Tommy picks up while being in a friendship with the fire bender is experience.Techno will lazily teach the young earth bender how to protect himself and lead a team. Without Techno's guidance Tommy would have been in trouble countless times.So you could say that Techno is Tommy's mentor :)

He's a great mood booster!If there is awkward tension in a room or between others he will make it up by just being there and doing what Tommy does the best, brighten up the atmosphere!He will start random conversations and just try to get everyone else to do something fun like play a game or watch a movie.

Techno may help Tommy with things like self defense and how to establish dominance but the earth bender helps him with his potato farming!He will hurry up the process of their growth and make sure they are perfect before they are harvested.He keeps track of the amount of soil and vitamins the earth their roots grow in receives.

Speaking of Techno's and his relationship: The two of them are so close it's insane.They do everything with eachother!They train,upgrade their skills in bending and fighting,they go out to eat or have a drink,they go around town and fuck things up-the two of them are huge pranksters.Tommy always tries to prove himself infront of Techno and impress him in any way.Tommy loves spending time with Techno,the blond earth bender admires him in so many different ways- They don't have to be doing much together,it can be mindless talking or simply being in the same room.

Wilbur and Tommy are ehhh- special?On one side they are funny and entertaining together but on the other side they can be insulting eachother with such vulgarity that you could think they are about to commit murder any moment.Tommy talks so much shit about Wilbur.If you're dumb enough and actually choose to listen to him,he will ramble on about how Wilbur thinks he's so smart and good with the ladies- Yoo would think that after trash talking him that Tommy hates Wilbur's guts but it's the opposite!!If he catches you talking bad about Wilbur behind his back he will call Techno and they will hunt you down.

Tommy like everyone else sees Phil as his very caring and cool dad!Phil somehow always finds out about all the shit Tommy does and he gets scolded for it.Like most people,if Tommy ever has a problem he's dealing with or he's in a uncomfortable situation,Phil is the first person who crosses his mind and therefore the one he turns to.

The way Tommy goes around their town and picks fights with others is so stupid.At the end he comes home with bruises and wounds all over his skin.One time his best friend Toby brought him to Phil with a bloody nose and Phil's reaction was screeching-

He is extremely curious and stubborn.He doesn't really think before he acts and dives into unknown things he's not familiar with head first.Techno is the one who laughs at him and teases him about how clumsy he is.

Earth benders keep it real. They are the “grounded” people on the planet, the ones who bring us down to earth and remind us to start with a solid foundation. Slow and steady, these “builders” are loyal and stable, and stick by their people through hard times. On good days, they’re practical; at worst, they can be materialistic or too focused on the surface of things to dig into the depths.

Hope you enjoyed this au!!I am currently writing MULTIPLE stories and au's so bare with me guys!I don't like working fast becouse my work afterwards doesn't feel completed:( I hope all of you have a wonderful day/night <3 Love ya!!!

[tsukuna]

Side by Side

Summary: You wandered into Red Grave City to warn the "Legendary Devil Hunter" of a certain... negative shift in the area's energy. It was an energy you knew to be demonic, and it grew stronger by the day. But on your way to meet with the intermediary, a noisy bird caught your attention. A noisy bird that would bring you to a frail man on the brink of falling apart.

Rated M • Female Reader • Before the Events of DMC V• Under the Cut • Part 2

The backstreets and dark alleys of Red Grave City were a seedy sort. There were assaults and robberies aplenty, and yet it was there you slinked around. It wasn’t like you were too good for such a sketchy area or anything, you also carried a hidden dagger on your person. Experience told you that was at least one precaution someone had to take. Something was about to change in Red Grave City though, you could feel it prickling on your skin.

In the couple days you had been in the area, you managed to locate a man by the name of Morrison--a man who would help you meet a devil hunter. The two of you scheduled a time to meet once more at a quaint bar to further discuss the issue you were bringing to the plate; however, that time wasn’t till later in the evening and there was nothing you could do to kill time. Any money you had was to be saved for the job ( hopefully the intermediary would buy you a drink at the bar ). And so you walked around, kicking rocks and passively looking about.

When you first saw a dark bird flying about in the sky, you thought nothing of it--until it began to talk. Your eyes squinted incredulously. The fuck? Clearly, this ‘bird’ was no bird. Quickening your pace to follow it, you whistled and called to it, “Hey!” Considering it stopped in place, you guessed you caught the creature’s attention. At that moment, it turned into a mere shadow falling down, and a short moment later, it perched itself upon your shoulder. Ah, a demon.

“Babe! ( Babe?) You gotta help me!” The demon squawked, his voice reminding you very much of a cartoon. It continued to speak after you quirked your brow at it. “I got a dying guy over there! Come on!” If he could’ve dragged you by the arm, he would have. You sighed in resignation and followed, nodding for the demonic bird to lead the way.

The destination was an abandoned, destroyed building that reeked of demon blood. Your eyes caught sight of a collapsed man, who you assumed to be the ‘dying guy.’ Again, the bird was blabbering about something, but you let it fade into the background noise. Cautiously, you made your way to the boy with black hair, hand on your dagger. It was unnecessary though. The man was truly out cold, his body shivering, sweating, and covered in demonic fluids.

You sat beside his body, gently pulling the man’s head onto your lap. You brushed the ebony hair away from his face. Cute. With a deep breath, you focused yourself and reached your hand out over his abdomen. “He’s not in good shape. What the hell happened to him?” You furrowed your brows.

“We were fighting demons and he worked his little body too hard!” He paused, “Is Shakespeare gonna live or not?” Was that actually the man’s name?

“I think so,” you affirmed, “I will do what I can.” Once more you reached out, pouring your own vitality into the cracks of his fractured energy. It wasn’t the most comfortable of procedures, so you hummed songs to keep your mind off the unease.

“Babe, just what are you,” the bird sat on your shoulder and questioned.

“Shh,” you put a finger to your lips without even bothering to look at the source of the voice and continued singing softly. You were not only too busy healing the man, but also trying to figure out just what he was. There was a faint demonic energy inside of him, but everything else appeared human--perhaps even weaker than that. You weren’t quite sure why you were pouring your energy into healing a seemingly doomed person, but it simply felt right--not that you ever cared what was right before.

It must have been nearly an hour before you were done working and certain that he would live through the toll his body had taken. However, he still laid there unconscious, and so you continued to sit there and idly ran your fingers through his hair. “He will live,” you softly spoke.

The demon let out a sigh of relief, “Thank fuck. Though I have to ask, how did you do that shit?” You explained the process without giving away just what you were. Considering you stumbled upon the two just that day, there was no trust there and there wasn’t a chance in hell that you would spill your secrets to strangers.

The chatty creature seemed disappointed in your answer, but pushed it no further.

Next to the man’s body lay a book with a ‘V’ on the cover. Curious, you reached out and picked it up. It was a book of poetry you noted as you skimmed through. Shakespeare indeed. You began to read. After all, there was currently nothing better to do, and considering the fact that it was still light outside, there was plenty of time till you had to meet with Morrison.

After a time of reading long enough for you to get over halfway through the book, a groan came from beneath you. Finally, the man had woken up. The atmosphere certainly became more awkward as he once again gained consciousness. With an uncomfortable smile, you let out a tense, “Yo.”

Dark green eyes blinked a few times and looked back at you with shock and suspicion as he shot up to a sitting position.

“You sure gave me a scare!” The black bird exclaimed before the man could address you. “Thought you were dead for realsies.”

“I just ran out of power,” the stranger spoke in a low, groggy voice, still looking at you out of the corner of his eyes.

“And that still means death to us right now, so be careful,” he responded. Ah, this demon must be his familiar.

The two of them talked further while you sat by watching. Finally, the man focused on you. “And who are you,” he warily questioned.

After you gave him your name, the bird butted in. “Babe here--”

“Don’t call me babe.”

“Sorry. This lady here is the reason your sorry ass is still alive!” This time, he flapped his wings and perched on your head, an action that made you frown. The dark haired--and tattooed, you noticed--man quirked his brow.

“I suppose I owe you a gratitude,” he spoke once more. If you had to admit it, it was quite a pleasant, handsome voice.

You shrugged. “I think this demon here would’ve scratched my eyes out if I didn’t try after walking all the way here.” The chatterbox wasn’t wrong though. I’m almost certain he would’ve died without aid. “Oh, I assume you’re V,” you guessed due to the initial on the book and slid it over to him. “Hope you don’t mind that I read some while waiting for you.”

He appeared to be thinking before responding, “Yes.. my name is V. I hope its contents are interesting.” V began to stand up but it seemed his legs weren’t ready to support him, so he nearly tumbled over.

Quickly, you reached out to pick him back up. “I’m more of a fan of prose,” you admitted, as you assisted him, “but I can appreciate poetry as well.” V was back and steady on his feet, to which he offered a nod of thanks. A moment of silence passed by. “So can I ask what the name of your talkative familiar is?”

Said familiar materialized from the ink of V’s tattoos, “The name’s Griffon.” Much to your surprise another creature formed as well. “And this girl here is Shadow.”

You looked at the demon who took the form of a panther with glowing red eyes, and she looked back at you. Your eyes widened as she brushed herself against your legs like a house cat, which wasn’t a bad thing. Tentatively, you reached forward and scratched the creature behind the ears, a gesture she appeared to enjoy.

Once again, a pair of dark green eyes (much like the colors of a forest) were staring at you rather intensely. “Looks like you’ve got some interesting company,” you tried to lighten the atmosphere.

“Damn right he does!” Griffon squawked.

“I’m a bit jealous, I must say. It has been me, myself, and I for many long years,” you said with downcast eyes. “I think this is the most interaction I’ve had in quite some time.” V merely nodded at your comment, to which you sighed. I won’t get much out of this guy.

A loud groan and gurgle came from V’s stomach, cutting the tense feeling. You couldn’t completely suppress your giggle. “I’m hungry myself.” It was an honest comment. “Wanna find something to eat in Red Grave?”

“I don’t have any money,” he replied, looking to the side with a chagrined expression.

You knew you really needed all the money you had to pay Morrison to pay the devil hunter, but you made an offer anyways. “My treat as long as you don’t expect anything expensive.”

“I already owe you a debt, and it seems I’m about to tack on another expense,” V sighed.

“Don’t worry,” you laughed, “I don’t expect anything. Not that there’s anything you can do to repay me for your life anyways,” you winked.

The comment actually garnered a small smile from the man. “Let us be off then,” he gestured forward. “I should be able to walk just fine now,” V reassured you with a spin of his cane as you moved closer in case you had to catch him again.

The two of you walked in step with one another. Despite it being quiet, you were actually quite comfortable. It amused you when V was the one to break the silence. “What are you?” He asked, still looking forward.

“Hmm,” you hummed as you pondered upon your answer. “How about instead of answering straight up, I propose a little game.” Finally turning to look upon your face, V quirked his brow. “We can do a little quid pro quo. You tell me something about yourself, and I’ll tell you something about myself--and vice versa, of course. The only catch is that our answers must be equivalent to what the other said,” you explained, pointing a finger in the air.

V grinned. “Fair enough.” Again, the two of you fell into silence once more.

Deciding to get the ball rolling, you piped up, “I’m in the city to find a devil hunter. Perhaps you’ll think I’m crazy, but something is coming.” It was a comment you said in all seriousness.

His reply astonished you. “I am as well. I hope to enlist the help of the same devil hunter before the damage comes to pass.”

“Perhaps we should continue being together for the day if that’s your goal. I’m meeting with the intermediary today,” you clarified.

“I hate relying on others,” V put a head to his forehead. “But I agree that is for the best.” You nodded in agreement.

Again, you found yourself in the back streets of Red Grave City, but this time, you were with a companion. You absent-mindedly fiddled around with your most precious treasure--an intricately twisted black-metal ring set with a blue opal. But it wasn’t long before a woman’s panicked voice brought you back to reality. The two of you peeked around the corner to see three men robbing a woman. You took a step forward, but Griffon opened his wing ahead of you.

“Things will get messy if you get involved. Stay out of it.” He then warned V, “And you’re not a demon. If you get shot, you’re dead.”

The men demanded her necklace. “Please, anything but that… It’s a memento of my mother,” she nearly sobbed. But she gave it up as one of them put a gun to her head. You felt a sense of disgust bubble up in you as you thought of your own memento, the ring. V seemed to share your sentiment as his face paled and brows furrowed.

Suddenly, V was slipping, knocking over a trash can and catching the people’s attention. “I should have fed you some mice after all!” Griffon screeched. It wasn’t long before the men began approaching V. You slowly began to reach for the dagger hidden in your boot; however, you tsk-ed at the fact that guns are certainly faster than knives. One of the thieves continued to threaten your tattooed companion over money he didn’t have (you were footing the food costs, after all).

Your eyes widened as the man smashed V in the face with his gun. You rushed and held him before his head could smack across the concrete. “Ha ha. You’ve gotta treat yours and your girlfriend’s life with more care…”

The sound of flesh being pierced hit your ears, and a rush of sharp, black tendrils continued to lash out. “That’s my line,” V coldly replied. “And it looks like you’ve put it in a bad mood.” The black matter continued gurgling, bubbling, and growing around you two. Repeatedly, it punctured the three men’s bodies. Their cries of agony rang out. Soon enough, they were bloody and debilitated.

“Huh, neat,” you softly spoke. V bent over to begin picking up the money, and you followed suit. Three thuds and a cries of agony sounded behind you. You looked over your shoulder to see them lying in pools of blood.

“Why are you moaning like it hurts? It’s just a dream,” V looked at them with disdain in his eyes.

Your gaze turned to the original victim who was trembling with fear. “Stay away stay away stay away!” She screamed. “Please don’t kill me! I’ll give you money.”

“That money is already ours, nobody’s asking for your--” You squeezed Griffon’s beak shut as V carefully dropped her necklace in front of her. Did she even notice? Or was she too busy shuddering? You didn’t really care about the answer, and soon enough, both of you were turning and walking away.

“You look kinda angry,” Griffon pointed out.

Putting a finger to your chin in fake thought, “His expression is pretty sour, huh?” You laughed with the bird. V only sighed and kept walking. Curiosity swelled up in you. “Are those guys gonna die and bleed out or somethin’?”

“And if I said yes?”

You shrugged. “Can’t say I care all that much. It would be a bit hypocritical of me.”

V simply stared at you for a moment. “You’re… amusing.” The compliment surprised you.

A laugh passed from your lips. “I don’t think anyone's ever said that about me. I think people find me to be more along the lines of scary.”

“Hard to find the person who saved me scary.”

“You just haven’t seen enough of me yet,” you gave him a wink. “Ah, there!” You pointed to a burger stand. “It’s probably cheap as shit, and now we have some extra cash to actually get separate meals. But first, let’s clean this up.” You brought your shirt sleeve to his face and wiped the blood off him. “Much better.” It was soft, but you were pretty sure you heard a ‘thank you.’

As one would expect from fast food, the two of you finished the transaction quickly and found a wall to sit against. It didn’t take long for you to dig into your food, starting with the fries. On the other hand, V sat there examining his burger. A confused expression took over your features. “Is there a problem?”

“I don’t want to get sauce on myself,” he stated matter-of-factly. You snorted and even Griffon came out to laugh.

“Seriously, that’s your damn problem?”

“I don’t want to be dirty.” Despite his words, hunger seemed to have won the battle of eating versus worrying about sauce. V had predicted it correctly though--sauce did indeed drip on his pants. Silently, you set napkins in his lap. “Thanks,” he said through a mouthful of food.

As the two of you finished your meals in quietude, you took notice of the darkening sky. With a stretch, you stood up and shook your legs out. Noticing he was still sitting down, you offered your hand to V. He stared at it for a moment, but took it anyway. You flashed him a soft smile. “We should probably get going if we hope to meet with that man Morrison today.”

Making your way to the bar, you observed more and more things about your partner for the day. Firstly, he didn’t need his cane--for walking at least. Other than his moments of fatigue, his gait was entirely normal. But if he didn’t need it for walking, what did he need it for? Secondly, you noticed that when his familiars Griffon and Shadow emerged, the ink of his tattoos came out with them; however, some color remained. Did that mean there was another you had yet to see? There was no denying that V was a man of mystery. You reached the bar before you could ponder further.

“You comin’ in?”

V shook his head. “I’ll wait out here.”

“Alright, shouldn’t take too long,” you nodded to him. You squinted as you stepped into the dimly lit room. At the bar itself, you noticed a man in a hat. It seemed like he was trying to keep a lower profile, so it was likely that that was your man. “Morrison?” You approached him.

“Ah,” Morrison called out your name. “Nice to see you again,” he shook your hand then lowered his voice. “So you have a job?”

“Yes, it is very important that I see this Dante. I have the money,” you showed the bills to him. “Oh, and I also met another man who wants to propose the same job to him,” you added.

“Is that so?” This Morrison man did seem surprised by what you said. He turned around to say goodbye to the employees. “Let us be off then.”

You and Morrison exited the bar, and you reunited with V. “It’s all set up,” you informed him, to which he nodded in response.

Soon enough, the three of you arrived at your destination--Devil May Cry. Morrison went ahead of you two to deliver the job to the legendary hunter Dante. Your gaze turned to V, but he appeared to be having an inner dialogue going on. Eh, I don’t care to interrupt. It was V who broke the silence. “Are you ready to go in?”

“After you,” you gestured, pulling the door open. A mere moment after, you finally looked upon what would (hopefully) be the man to take on your job. Dante was a ruggedly handsome man with silver hair, blue eyes, and a bit of stubble. All in all, he was pleasant to look at, even if his eyes were full of skepticism as he sized you and V up. Dante’s gaze flicked up to Morrison once more though when he told the devil hunter that he was bringing two other people onto the job. The notion seemed to offend him, but he took it with a huff anyways.

A quiet moment passed. “Alright, so for starters… What are your names?” You offered yours up then looked to V.

“ I have no name; I am but two days old…”

Both you and Dante looked at him strangely. Oh, I see. He's reciting a poem. You recalled the pieces you had read while waiting for him to wake up.

“Just kidding. You can call me ‘V,’” he said with a seemingly amused expression before closing his book.

“Okay then you two. Why don’t you tell me everything about this job?” Dante wore an expression that seemed to scream boredom.

You turned and allowed V to explain the situation. “A powerful demon is about to resurrect, and we need your help, Dante.”

“Ha!” Dante exclaimed. It was a reaction you were not expecting. “Now that’s a familiar tune.” He began listing off the requests he’s been given with a certain cockiness. “All of them were kind of a let down.”

“This is special…”

“What’s so special about this one?” You were curious yourself, you didn’t realize how much more V knew about this situation than you did. You were acting on feelings and intuition, but this ebony-haired man seemed to know the issue intimately.

“This demon is your “reason,” V continued, “Your reason for fighting, Dante.”

Dante was quiet before asking, “This demon got a name?”

A smile graced V’s lips. “Vergil.”

[strawberrysolitude]

Jackson Wang – 100 Ways

Okay. So. Unlike other talented content creators, the only thing I’m somewhat good at is putting my feelings into words. So that’s what you’re getting!

I love Jackson’s new solo, and I wanna talk about the different aspects, namely the music, the lyrics, and the visuals in the MV. So let’s go!

1. the music

I. Love. The baseline. The running guitar line in “Bullet to the Heart” was already super ragged and rhythmical, but here, it’s a lot smoother while running under the melody like a little stream of water. No big ups and downs, just little tiny waves, but still enough to convey constant movements and to make you wanna dance along.

The melody in the verses is really beautiful, a little melancholic, and fits right into Jackson’s higher range. He sounds emotional without putting too much strain onto his voice. The melody in the chorus??? That right there is pure Jackson! Smack-dab in the middle of his voice range, which makes it possible for him to put a lot more power behind his singing. The chorus sounds a lot more like a song to dance to, and I love how that contradicts the actual theme of the lyrics (but more on that later).

The gonging bass that sets in during the chorus helps to hit home the underlying heaviness of it all. It tapers out during the “I’m the only one that you need line” and underlines how there’s still a bit of lightness in that part.

The flute? I love it? It has such a haunting and tragic melody and fits with the sort of medieval theme of the video perfectly.

The beat keeps pounding more steadily during the second chorus, but even though it might be fitting for it to be more like a war drum, it’s still subdued - war is over for a dead soldier, after all, the steady call of the marching drum nothing but an echo in the afterlife.

Right before the “dance break”, the accompaniement tapers off and even comes to a complete halt as the soldiers in the video fall backwards and disappear. They and the music both give Jackson and his lover time alone, so to speak.

The last part leaves us with a gonging, intense bass, pounding drums, a hauntingly beautiful flute melody and Jackson crooning his highest parts of the chorus melody before stating, almost in his speaking voice and very matter-of-factly, “I’m the only one that you need.” What an impression to go out on!

2. the lyrics

There were two parts of the lyrics in the verses that really stuck out to me: the hourglass and the curtain call.

An hourglass is not only associated with time passing, but with mortality itself. The grim reaper is often portrayed holding an hourglass, every grain of sand a day of a person’ lifespan, and once all of them have rained down, he comes to collect their soul. The image projected here is that there is an expiration date to the relationship Jackson’s talking about. Yet at the same time, to start any relationship, the hourglass has to be turned, which is why it’s the first line of the song. Nothing lasts forever, but it might be that this relationship is coming to and end “too fast” for the other partner.

A curtain call, as well, indicates the end of something. Interesting to me is how Jackson says in this verse that he doesn’t care about the opinion of others, yet relates his relationship to a play in a theater, indicating that it’s a performance put on to impress others. Haven’t we all had the feeling of performing a relationship, trying our best to express love in patterns that we’ve learned and to please somebody by putting on a show?

Despite these sort of negative images, the song still manages to put a somewhat positive spin on the fears of a relationship ending too soon and maybe even being just for show.

Don’t waste your love, just let it last 'Cause once it's gone it's never coming back

But if you’re ready I will give my all

These lines convey that it’s okay to love with all you’ve got. Even if it might not be forever, the time you had together still counts. Love is not something finite, a relationship is not a transaction where you can get your love back if you still have a warranty. It might hurt in the end, but you’re guaranteed to have a good time if you give it your all now.

As for the chorus, this is actually a bit puzzling to me. Is it cynical? Hopeful? Boasting? Melancholic?

Could you love me the same? Tell me what makes you stay? There’s a hundred ways to leave a lover I won’t wait a minute longer Hundred ways to leave But I’m the only one that you need 

Could you love me the same ... after what happened? After the lover has left? After they have been hurt? After the relationship is over? What makes you stay ... even though what? It might be that their relationship is strained and that they’re not sure about each other’s feelings and whether they’re loving each other right.

“There’s a hundred ways to leave a lover” – now there’s an iconic line for you! In my opinion, it sounds a little bit sassy and sarcastic, its lightheartedness contradicting the heavy decision of ending a relationship. The melody on this line, however, sounds tragic and serious, which makes me rethink again.

I won’t wait a minute longer ... to do what? Or is he waiting for his partner to do something, to act, to decide? I think the latter fits a bit more, seeing as he confidently states “I’m the only one that you need”.

Bottom line: What I read out of these lyrics is this: “I’m the only one that you need, so why do you keep making me wait? Why are you treating me like there’s an expiration date on our relationship? If you commit fully, I’m ready to give you my all. If you really wanted to leave, there’s lots of ways for you to end this, but you haven’t yet. You obviously want to stay, so why don’t you say yes to this relationship?”

3. the visuals

In this part, I might focus a little more on the story told in the MV, which in my opinion is a bit removed from the lyrics. Although dying on your lover is definitely one way to leave them ... ahem.

In the beginning, the gravestones are arranged in a circle, and there’s concentric lines drawn in the ground as well. You know about the circle of life? This circle is closed, so this life has come full circle, has come to its end. However, a circle can also be interpreted as the wheel of lives turning and bringing reincarnation.

The soldiers are wearing black and red. In this combination, these colors seem sort of dark and almost demonic, which helps underline the fact that these people are basically necromancers right now.

The ever-present fog throughout the whole video serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it helps establish a sort of battlefield atmosphere: right before dawn, where you can’t see much and the enemy could be attacking any time. Secondly, it makes things seem unreal and ethereal, like all of this is already taking place in the afterlife. Lastly, it helps make Jackson look like a ghost. There’s a tiny moment around 0:55 where it even looks like he’s breathing out fog!

Jackson rises from the grave wearing his underclothes, not his armor, which are disshevelled and dirty. There’s dirt on his face also. This could be because he was literally under the ground, but we later see his lover rise from the grave looking pristine. My take on this is that, as a soldier, Jackson was buried in haste after a battle, and his comrades didn’t have time to wash his body or do any of the rites to prepare him for the burying.

However, now that they’re resurrecting him, they are putting on his armor for him, gearing him up, making him look like himself again, less vulnerable and quite literally ready for battle. What’s he fighting for? True love, of course!

In the next scene, they’re walking together through a dark forest, trees without leaves, towards a light. I don’t think there’s much to be interpreted her: The afterlife is bleak, but you walk towards a warm light in the hopes that it comforts you. An interesting bit is when one of the dancers knocks one of the tress over and it falls down. That could have been a coincidence, but the leaves rustling as the tree hits the ground are literally part of the audio! Any thoughts on that?

The single tree with a gravestone beneath it looks very different from the graveyard where Jackson was resurrected. There’s a beautiful, warm light, and red leaves falling all over like flower petals. They’re only like flower petals, though, the falling leaves clearly indicating autumn, the end of the year, days getting shorter and darker, cold and unmoving winter on its way, life sucked away.

The group dances together one last time – I think soldier Jackson has some of the best friends in the world. They resurrected him from his grave, dressed him back up in his armor and gave him a little cheering dance before he saw his lover again. And then they fall back into the mist and disappear! The way they hold their bodies really stiff and unnatural makes me think of death again. Where they ghosts, too, all along?

Then, Jackson’s lover appears. She is dressed in beautiful clothes, even wearing jewelery, her face is clean and her hair is done. Clearly she’s from a wealthy background, not like foot soldier Jackson who’s been buried in a haste. Her family or a priest has done all the rites for her burying. Curiously, she is buried wearing lots of red, a color traditionally used for weddings (and which has popped up in the video a lot, as well). Under the red, a little white is shining through, showing us that she’s dead. Maybe she hasn’t moved on from her wish to marry yet? The red cloak is stripped away, revealing more of the white. Is she ready to move on now that she’s met her lover again?

The lovers share a dance, a clear reminiscence of a wedding dance. She ends up in Jackson’s arms, holding on tight while he decides it’s time for them to return to the afterlife, together. They sink back into the grave, closely holding onto each other, and the last thing we see is Jackson’s face, singing “I’m the only one that you need” while being swallowed by the mist.

Gosh dang it, I’ve got goosebumps all over! And not because of the scary ghosts. Your love may end, just like any life will end, but it was there, and its remnants will stay relevant for you even in the afterlife. Beautiful.

[zhoufeis]

I’m almost finished with rewatching all episodes of seasons 1, 2 & 3 of the tribe. So I decided it’s time for a personalized summary (under the cut). I’ll be focusing on favourite storylines, favourite characters and ships... and things that surprised me while rewatching.

So, to give you a heads-up season 1 and season 3 are far better than season 2. And, to my own surprise, it’s not just the lack of Amber that’s a problem in season 2. Season 2 is all over the place. The Mallrats don’t seem like an actual family anymore, the storylines are told throughout the city rather than mainly focusing on the things that happen within the mall, some members of the Mallrats don’t even interact with each other. I suppose, actually, that this atmosphere of a broken, dysfunctional family (and not in a good way) is precisely what the writers were aiming for though considering the turnout of season 2, which, btw, I didn’t even remember like this but it’s BREATHTAKING. Definitely one of my favourite scenes in the entire show, which was a huge surprise to me because I just couldn’t remember anything that was positive about season 2. But besides the season 2 finale, there was actually more. The attempted rescue of Trudy - I did remember this, it was a picture of the show that has been stuck with me forever and watching it again reminded me how incredible that scene was. My favourite thing about season 2 of The Tribe as a child was... who would have thought, Ellie. And she still is. She’s less biased than most people in there and looks at things with morality and rationality alike, but she always takes different perspectives. One of my 3 top characters in season 2, which leads to the surprises season 2 had in store for me: Alice and Tai-San. Honestly, I don’t remember loving Tai-San nor Alice as a child very much. I changed my point of view on them completely. Tai-San in season 1 might not be my fave, not even close, but starting with season 2, Tai-San actually becomes awesome. Her quotes were always great, but in season 2, her actions actually have consequences and she makes valid points when verbally fighting her own tribe members. I guess it also makes it easy to side with her because she constantly fights Danni, but well, that’s just a personal preference. The friendship of Alice and Tai-San is another of my fave things about this show, and I didn’t even remember it. They’re so different and yet have such a nice understanding for each other that their argument over Lex really hurt to see. However, like all good f/f friendships... a guy isn’t worth giving up a friendship about, which these two eventually prove. Therefore, Alice and Tai-San were my favourite surprise about my rewatch.

But enough of season 2, let’s talk season 1. Season 1 is great. While the first few episodes are slow-moving, by the time you get to episode 10, you just wanna keep watching and watching and watching. I don’t know exactly what it is - the drama, the characters, the fact that you basically only ever follow the events in the mall and barely anything outside of it... I don’t know, but it’s great. What I don’t understand is the hatred that some of these characters have to endure in the comment sections. This specifically goes out for Salene and Trudy. I mean, yeah, it’s not like this is the only season they’re hated on, but I feel like this season is the most constant when it comes to hatred towards both characters. Honestly, I love them. Do they annoy me sometimes? Absolutely. But basically all of their behaviour and actions are explained - post-natal depression, an eating disorder, or the simple fear of being alone (btw, all very well-developed storylines and well-explained for children); all of it is understandable if one puts themselves into their shoes for a moment. I do feel extremely bad about what happens to Ryan and Salene in season 2+3 because they deserved better but... I cannot hate Salene for it. Salene obviously has a lot of problems with herself, which she must figure out first before she can accept someone by her side who clearly accepted her more than she ever did herself. This leads us to Ryan. Ryan... God, Ryan. Ryan deserved better and I’ll forever cry about him. His character development from the guy who blindly follows Lex to the pure, freedom-loving, rebellious, kind guy who just wants to live in peace with his Mallrats is... tragic if you consider what happens to him. Never again will I forget the look on his face when he realizes that Salene is telling him he cannot see his child. So to sum this up: Salene and Trudy deserve more love by the fandom; Ryan deserved more love by the writers. So did Patsy, btw. Has anyone ever seen a child character suffer that much?

Now... what did surprise me in my rewatch? The amount of characters I actually like or even love. Actually, there’s barely anyone I don’t love. I mean, when it comes to character depth, this show is one of the most well-written ones because the characters are not just one thing or another. They’re multi-faceted, multi-layered and you can understand most of their reasonings even when you don’t agree with all of their choices. And by “most” I mean there are exceptions. Some things you aren’t supposed to understand - you’re supposed to judge it negatively. I suppose, Lex in season 1 often falls into that category. However, it’s difficult to hate him afterwards, isn’t it?! His relationship with Tai-San is nice to watch, his love-hate relationship with Bray is entertaining, his parenting with KC is... questionable but all the more fun, his devotion to Zandra even after her death is beautiful, his friendship to Ryan is interesting, his friendship to people like Alice, Ebony or Amber is just wonderfully fun and... unlikely. So, who do I hate in my rewatch so far? There’s just three names coming to my mind and I’d like to make a difference here. I hate the Guardian. Like everyone who watches this show should. However, he’s an interesting, entertaining character to watch and he’s not someone I wish had never been in the show. The other two characters I really, really, really dislike... they’re this category of characters I wish had never been on my screen: Ned and Danni. While I do see that Danni was just this poor substitute for Amber, but was incapable of making up for Amber, I just don’t see the point in Ned. Maybe the show wanted someone to kill off none of the viewers would mourn. I certainly couldn’t. I was actually happy when Moz turned around his body and his dead eyes were staring into the sky. Kind of made me like the Guardian to 1%. #SorryNotSorry. However, Danni is a more interesting case here to discuss because there’s two things that went wrong with her character. The first thing that went wrong is the fact that she was definitely too much like Amber but she just WASN’T Amber. Also, as you may or may not have noticed... I’m a Bray/Amber fan. And I do admit, I might be biased. Then again, I love Pride. Like I looove him so far. I didn’t when I was a child, but I do now and I’m happy to. Sooo, the fact that I dislike Danni must be more than just me loving Amber/Bray. But well, still, viewers don’t like having to get over their favourite characters with characters who are basically like them but aren’t them. And the second thing that went very wrong with Danni’s character was the casting choice. The actress just was really, really bad. 

Which actually leads me to some noteworthy comment about the acting on this show: I was positively surprised how good it actually is. Like, duh, not Oscar-worthy. But I could have sworn it’s as bad as the Power Rangers series or teenage-driven shows like The Next Step. I suppose, that actually has something to do with the fact that I would watch the German dubbing as a child rather than the actual English versions. Now that I’m a grown-up, I’m watching the English versions ofc. And it actually isn’t bad acting. It’s better than most of the acting that I see on The 100. There are a few who stand out for being very good compared to the others and there are a few who stand out for being quite horrible compared to the rest - the actress of Danni falls into the latter category. But Dwayne Cameron, Beth Allen, Caleb Ross, Meryl Cassie and Michelle Ang actually make great leads. And there’s a couple more actors and actresses who are really not that bad. I also like to give this show credit for the fact that they mostly actually cast children and teenagers - most other children- and teenage-driven shows are incapable of doing that.

I don’t know what to say about season 3 of this show other than pointing out that it’s just well done. I love how it starts out with the rebels not being in contact with their Mallrats who have been enjailed in the mall by the Chosen. I like the Chosen storyline, I also love how it sometimes drags religion in general... it’s nice to watch. On the other hand, watching the rebels in the form of Lex, Ebony and Bray is just entertaining and fastmoving, which makes up most of season 3 anyway and goes by fast. The development of Ebony’s reign over the city is a storyline that starts pretty early on but takes up more and more screentime with every episode of season 3. She’s a great character who has always moved the plot forward and you just know that this will go very, very wrong for Bray and Amber. She’s always been established as an energetic, mesmerizing, charismatic leader who fears no means to get to her goal - season 1, 2, 3... Bray should have listened to Amber and Lex. They warned him. The only thing I dislike about season 3 is the romantic development between Alice and Ned. Then again, I really love Alice and I really hate Ned, so it’s understandable. Furthermore, unlike most of the fandom, I’m not a huuuuge Jack fan. I mean... he’s fine, but he never will be my favorite character, which is why I didn’t mind that he was gone for quite some time. I have to admit that I liked him a lot more in season 1 because he was mostly shown spending time with Dal there - and I should mention, Dal is one of my absolute faves. In season 2, Jack mostly behaves like a jerk towards Dal, which made him lose points with me. Tbh, I’d also rather ship Ellie with Dal than with Jack... but mostly still... Dal with Jack. And Ellie with Luke... or did anyone else get gay vibes from Ellie and Ebony? Because I did. Basically, I ship a lot of things on this show. Ah, right, another thing I should mention... most heartbreaking moments: Dal’s death and Ryan finding out he won’t get to see his child. Also... peak acting on this show of Beth Allen and Ryan Runciman there. Anything else... ah yes... surprises... KC. I love KC. I don’t remember loving him that much, he’s fine in season 1, he’s better in season 2, but I just LOVE LOVE LOVE him in season 3. Barely makes up for the loss of Dal, but I love KC.

Soooooo... let’s summarize obvious things. After 3 seasons... - Top 3 female characters: Amber, Tai-San, Ellie. (special mentions to Alice and Ebony... and also, Trudy and the kids and... really, I love everyone) - Top 3 male characters: Bray, Dal, KC. (special mentions to Ryan, Pride... did I mention I love everyone?) - Characters who deserved better by the writers: Ryan, Patsy, KC, Bray, Zandra. - Characters who deserve better by the fandom: Trudy, Salene, Bray,  - Favorite canon ships: Bray/Amber, forever and always. I also really like Tai-San/Lex as well as I like Lex/Alice. But we all know the best option here is Alice/Tai-San. I really am warming up to Pride/May right now... and I will always love Salene/May. I also don’t understand why the show didn’t go with Trudy/Salene when they were RIGHT THERE AND PERFECT. Istg, Ebony and Ellie are also a thing. But well... the child in me could watch an entire show on Bray/Amber... and I guess... grown-up me isn’t that different ;)

[raisinghellonstarbug]

So starks-heart (Stephanie) asked and she shall receive...

(Two) word prompt:

Reunion Comfort

Author’s note: Oh wow, so it has been a LOOONGG time since I posted any written content let alone Sastiel content and it feels good to be here again, writing a prompt fluff piece.

I don’t know about anybody else, but Sastiel makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, so although it’s been a while, please bare with me because this is all going to be improvised and not exactly heavily edited. I guess that’s the point though lol XD

What’s great about these two words is that I’m pretty sure they were provided to me conveniently, given that there was a new SPN episode which aired last night (middle of the night my time). I haven’t seen the latest episode yet and I deliberately made sure I didn’t so that this story was not affected nor was going to influence any of my writing choices. This is different and won’t be like what happened. I know that there wasn’t much Sastiel moments as some of us had hoped, so I figured this could be a nice alternative. I hope it’s not too OOC in but I did my best in making it a realistic moment between the softest ship.

I know it’s a bit long, but I ended up just going with what felt natural with this short fic, so please let me know what you think!

-

Fanfic title: It’s Good to Be Here Again, With You

Fandom: Supernatural (duh)

Characters: Sam Winchester, Castiel, Eileen Leahy, Dean Winchester (mentioned)

Ship: Sam x Castiel (Sastiel, Samstiel, Sassy whatever you wanna call them)

Rating: T

Word count: 2241

Tags: Sastiel, Samstiel, Sam x Castiel, Sassy, Sastiel fanfiction, Sam Winchester, Castiel, Eileen Leahy, Dean Winchester, Supernatural, SPN fanfiction, The Softest Ship, OTP: Nothing is worth losing you, Sastiel prompt, Sastiel fluff.

The atmosphere in the bunker had been strange. Dean was going through this funk, a funk that Sam figured Dean had to go through. He thought it best to not interfere. If Sam interfered, he would only cause a stupid, pointless argument between them that wasn’t necessary or worth having during the especially difficult, underlining predicament they were currently faced with.

Chuck was in charge again, persisting with his manipulation and deliberately finding ways to toy with the boys as much as he possibly could or wanted to. Sam was conflicted, trying to hold the fort for himself and Dean, hoping that if he’s patient, Dean will be back to his normal, goofy, happy-go-lucky self. He had to give it time, but he also was struggling to understand one thing in this whole situation.

Why had Dean let Castiel go?

It was frustrating Sam to his very core that Dean was choosing to bottle in everything he was feeling again, but Sam didn’t have the energy to bother trying to talk to Dean about it, especially as he knew that his brother probably wouldn’t give him a proper answer to what happened and why Castiel left so abruptly. However, it did upset Sam that Cas didn’t even say goodbye.

It had been 2 weeks since he left, and Sam was hoping that Cas would come to his senses and return. Sam knew that Dean was partly to blame, but he imagined that Cas probably needed some time away to think and to give Dean some space too.

Sam had sent Cas numerous texts asking if he was OK, tried to ring him a couple of times but would frantically hang up like a teenager trying to call their crush would, and of course he even prayed to him. But he had no answer thus far.

“Goddamn it Cas, when are you going to come back? Don’t you realise how much I need you here right now?”, Sam fleetingly thought to himself, but also hoping that maybe Cas could hear it.

Sam sighed, sitting by himself in the kitchen area, sipping on an herbal tea, his eggs and avocado barely touched. He was trying to live like any other normal day, but he didn’t feel like eating knowing that Dean was in such a rut and Cas wasn’t around.

He had to concentrate on the positive though, the positive being that Eileen was alive and well, staying with him and Dean, looking after them whilst trying to provide some comfort to Sam’s disorderly emotions.

In that moment, Eileen walked in, temporarily distracting Sam from his wavering thoughts. She was only half awake, but she looked peaceful from her slumber. Sam smiled, getting up from his seat to greet her and offers her a hot drink.

She nodded and Sam went to the stove and grabbed the kettle, switched on the tap from the sink and filled the kettle with fresh water. As he put the kettle back on the stove, he lit the stove and grabbed a cup from the cupboard.

He turned back round to face Eileen, softly asking “Did you sleep well?”

Eileen smiled and responded, “Yes. It’s still a bit strange to be awake from sleeping though…”

“Mmmm, I get it. I know what that’s like.”

There was an awkward pause. Sam and Eileen stood there wondering what to say or do next.

Eileen then asked, “So… are we staying here today, or have you found a new case?”

Sam pondered, twitching slightly and clearing his throat. He looked down at the floor, scratching his head.

“Well, I was scrolling through articles on my laptop… but er, nothing at the moment I guess…”

Eileen nodded meekly, feeling Sam’s discomfort.

She then gently asked, “Can I be forward with you, Sam?”

Sam shrugged and nodded, willing to hear what Eileen had to say.

“How are you holding up in all of this?”

Sam thought for a moment on how to answer such a simple question. He didn’t really know how he was holding up. It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure, but he wasn’t going to suddenly break down and focus too much on the negative. He had to keep going, that’s all he knew.

“Um, OK, I guess? I’m just trying to get through all of this.”

Eileen wondered if anything she said at this point could be helpful.

“I can understand that. I mean, I was dead last week. I have you to be gracious I’m here, that I’m alive. I cannot be thankful enough, really.”

Sam smiled, pleased that at least he could concentrate on that, how he too was grateful that she was alive.

“You’re welcome. I mean, it was nothing…”

“Nothing? Are you kidding? You brought me back to life!”

Sam chuckled, appreciating her gratitude. He wasn’t often very good at accepting that he did actually do right by people, often only recognising the mistakes and the bad actions he had previously made.

His mind went wondering back to what Dean was doing and whether he really was OK. Before Dean left to work on a solo case of his own, he insisted to Sam that he needed some space and he was going to meet with an old friend of his that could do with some help. Sam offered to go with him, but Dean didn’t want him to. Sam had to leave it alone, regardless of whether he agreed with it or not.

He couldn’t help but think that if Cas was here, the situation might have been easier to handle. Everything was always easier when Cas was around. He missed Cas being there to comfort him when he often awoke from his nightmares.

His nightmares had become frequent, which made things even more difficult. He still couldn’t quite understand what these dreams meant, but he realised that they must mean something. That was one of the main reasons why he needed Cas especially at this point, feeling like he was the only person he could talk to about his gunshot scar that had lingered on his shoulder ever since he shot Chuck. Sam feared that his dreams must have had something to do with his blackened scar, due to the fact that his dreams started occurring more so ever since that day occurred.

He was getting more and more desperate to see Cas, to tell him the whole truth.

“Do you miss your angel friend?” Eileen suddenly asked.

Sam was surprised by this and stiffened up in his shoulders.

Sam nervously chuckled, “Is it really that obvious?”

He couldn’t help but blush that Eileen brought him up. He wasn’t going to talk about Castiel unless it was necessary. I mean he figured that she wasn’t going to mention him at all, which is why it came to him as such a surprise that she did.

“I liked Cas. He seems like a good egg.”

Sam grinned, “He really is… and he probably would be able to get us out of this mess if he were here.”

“He’ll come around. They always do…” Eileen winked at Sam and Sam went bright red again. Did Eileen know?

“I’ve had my fair share of exes, and it seems like you two just need to work it out.”

Sam could no longer look Eileen in the eye, his voice going quiet.

“I don’t know what it is about Cas, but lately… I, I don’t know. It feels like there’s something between us, but I can’t figure out what…”

Eileen then gasps suddenly, putting her hands to her cheeks as a jerk reaction. She was blushing hard, almost stifling a snicker back.

Sam then frowned at Eileen, confused.

It then hit him. He heard that noise, that flutter that he had heard so many times before. He begun to feel a sudden familiar presence behind him.

He slowly turned around and there he was. Just the being he was begging to see.

“Sam…”

Castiel’s voice was like music to Sam’s ears. The way he said his name always sent chills down his spine.

It was him. He really was here.

Sam was in shock for a moment, but then he suddenly found himself smiling wider than he had done in weeks and his face glowed up completely.

No questions asked, no words spoken, he grabbed Cas tightly into a big hug. The hug was desperate, needy. All of Sam’s emotions were put into this much needed clasp between them. It had only been two weeks, but to Sam it felt like years. Without a goodbye it was difficult for Sam to accept that he had been gone. He held him for as long as he deemed appropriate, but secretly not wanting to ever let him go. He was the only person that was still in his life, his close friend, perhaps who was now more than a friend, who truly made him feel safe aside from his brother. But even then, he didn’t always feel safe with Dean like he did with Cas.

Cas was slightly startled by Sam’s touch at first, but like every embrace he ever received from Sam, he seemed to warm to it pretty quickly. He reciprocated and held so tightly, also not wanting this feeling to leave him, but had to let go eventually as there was still a lady present in the room. Eileen cleared her throat to get their attention.

Sam let go of the embrace, but as Sam turned around, Cas still held on to Sam’s shoulders, rubbing it softly and putting their full attention to Eileen who was still standing their casually, but with a huge smirk across her face. Sam bit his lip, knowing full well what she probably was thinking. She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

“So, Cas… nice to see you again.”

Cas smiled politely and nodded, “Hi Eileen, nice to see you too. I’m glad you’re back, you know from…”

“The dead? Yeah, it’s all fine.”

Cas awkwardly stumbled, restless and unsure whether his people skills were being used correctly. Sam looked at Cas and nervously chuckled and patted Cas on the back, ensuring that he didn’t feel too embarrassed and that Eileen was totally understanding.

“I have to admit, you two… I totally see it.”

Cas then frowned, perplexed by what Eileen meant by those words. He looked at Sam, turning his head sideways.

“Sam… what did Eileen mean by that?”

Eileen snorted, rolling her eyes. She turned on her heel to leave, but before so, she said one last cheeky comment that she couldn’t resist.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do…” Eileen winked and left Cas and Sam to fend for themselves.

Sam was going to interject, but she had already gone.

“Damn it, Eileen. NOW you’ve left me in an awkward position…”

Sam fumbled with his jeans and looked down at the floor, trying to not stare into those mesmerising blue eyes that always got him hooked. He didn’t know what to say. Cas looked like he was urgent to say something, but Sam had some idea of what that might be.

“Sam” “Cas” - they said their names in unison.

They both chuckled and Sam offered to go first.

“Look Cas, I… I don’t know if you heard any of what I had said to Eileen or through prayer or-or-“

Cas put his hand on Sam’s right shoulder, squeezing it softly.

“Before I sort this gunshot wound out on your shoulder, I need to say something…”

Cas had a soft, a smitten smile across his face and it was Sam’s turn to be confused.

“Oh Sam… I can’t ignore how we’ve meant to each other in recent years. I’m sorry you got in the middle of Dean and me. It seems you often end up being so… and I would rather that didn’t happen anymore, because how I feel about you is different to how I feel about Dean…”

Sam’s eyes widened; his brows furrowed. “What the hell did Cas mean by that?”

“…Different?” was all Sam could manage to bring himself to say.

“Well, I watch you sleep Sam. You know that. We’ve shared a bed. I know that’s intimate; I have learnt how humans work. I don’t share that intimacy with Dean.”

Sam swallowed a lump in his throat. How was he supposed to handle this?

“I… I think what is happening between us is not something I’ve shared with anyone before. I’m not sure how to handle it sometimes, but I’m doing my best for your sake.”

Sam really had no idea what to say to any of this, he felt like he should have had plenty to say. But all he felt was gobsmacked that all of these gentle, kind and endearing words that were coming out of Cas’ mouth were making Sam want to jump for endless joy. He wanted to sing, he wanted to scream with eternal happiness. Thankfully, he managed to smile, a bright shining smile.

“Oh Cas… you’re beautiful…”

Sam pulled Cas into another snug embrace, Sam’s hands restless, ingulfing in the feel of Cas around him. Sam squeezed his eyes shut, and he could hear Cas hum, his eyes also shut tight.

Sam momentarily without giving it a moment’s thought, kissed Cas’ forehead and then brought Cas’ head to his chest, cradling him softly.

They stayed like that for a while.

It was the best reunion that Sam had ever experienced.

[tokkitchen]

[ kim doyoung, 25 ] did you hear? there’s a new addition to the hypehens family! [ tokkitchen ] was starting to get known for [ cooking/baking tutorials & challenges ] and i think they will hit it big this time around as a part of the [ kimcheese ] squad at hypehens. [ shin sunwoo ] is known to be [ cheeky ] and enjoys [ farming simulation rpgs ]. with their vibes of [ flour stained cheeks and freshly baked bread ] and a style that is unique, i think they are going to take the internet by storm!

hi there! this took me a hot minute, but i’ve finally got sunwoo’s page up and running! you can find the basics & background about him there. tl;dr he loves the culinary arts and overall is a genuine but playful person. for the love of god do not call him a flirt or be passive aggressive with him unless you wanna start some drama which i am 100% down for. you can im me on tumblr or discord (kupo#6438, my dp is a pikachu) if you’re down to plot! 

please note that any gif icons posted here and in future posts were made by yours truly.

here are sunwoo’s basics & background copied and pasted from my pages for your convenience.

Basic Information

⥼ Full Name: Shin Sunwoo ⥼ Pronouns: He/Them ⥼ Gender: Cismale ⥼ Birthday: February 1, 1996 ⥼ Age: 25 ⥼ Orientation: Bisexual ⥼ Relationship status: Single ⥼ Occupation: Creator & host of Tokkitchen ⥼ Residence: Seoul, South Korea

Physical Appearance

⥼ Faceclaim: Doyoung of NCT 127 ⥼ Hair: Black, medium length tapered short at the sides and the back, fringe clipped neatly but softly resting just below his eyebrows ⥼ Eyes: Walnut brown ⥼ Height: February 1, 1996 ⥼ Age: 25 ⥼ Height: 179 cm (5'10") ⥼ Build: Slim, very little muscle definition ⥼ Piercings: Ear lobes ⥼ Tattoos: None… yet ⥼ Clothing style: Overall casual to semi-casual and simple, prefers loose fits for pieces like sweaters, hoodies, and t-shirts, prefers fitted for pieces like denim jackets, varsity jackets, jeans, chinos, and sweatpants

Personality

⥼ Positive Traits: Warm, perceptive, playful ⥼ Negative Traits: Blunt, resentful, opinionated If you were to ask someone what Sunwoo’s most remarkable characteristic is, they would most likely mention how he treats everyone he meets like they’re an old friend. To some, that can be comforting, his easy smiles and laughs providing them a sense of security and acceptance. To others, that can be irritating: a stranger acting much too presumptuous and all too familiar for comfort. While Sunwoo does his best to be tactful and mindful of others, it’s undeniable that his personality doesn’t always mesh well with others. Sunwoo is not afraid to speak his mind whenever he finds it appropriate and necessary. He highly values improvement for himself and his loved ones. As such, he is the first to call out his friends on their bullshit, in the most loving way possible of course, seeing it as an opportunity for growth. Though he tries to choose his words as carefully as possible and his intentions are never ill, he can sometimes come off as a overly blunt, and in worst case scenarios, harsh.  In that same vein, Sunwoo never hesitates in building people up and often goes out of his way to compliment them, whether that be on their work or even on their looks, gaining him the reputation of a bit of a flirt. This is completely unintentional, as he’s not exactly aware of the way he holds eye contact with people a little longer than average, or the way his genuine tone of voice can slip into something more suggestive. He gets pretty offended if you accuse him of being a flirt and doesn’t really understand why he’s seen that way. He is an extremely genuine person, despite how he may come off. He always says what he means and hopes that other people will do the same for him. Consequently, he greatly dislikes people who are passive aggressive, finding it a waste of everyone’s time to fish out exactly what they mean.

Childhood

Sunwoo was born two years after his older brother, Shinwoo. His parents both worked at well known companies and earned good money, affording them an upper middle class lifestyle, but as a result were rarely ever home. Sunwoo did his best not to take their money for granted, understanding even at a young age just how much they had to break their backs to earn it.

Adolescence

His older brother excelled in school, earning straight A’s and getting into the first college of his choice. Sunwoo, on the other hand, was just a little above average and often felt overshadowed by his brother’s performance. This subsconsciously affected his work ethic. There would be times, for example, when he would just give up studying for an exam because he knew he wouldn’t be able to achieve the grade he wanted—that is, one that was comparable to his brother’s. Once he was old enough, Sunwoo got a job at local convenience store so he could earn his own spending money without bothering his parents. There, he regained some of his confidence and came to realize that his strengths lay outside of a rigorous school system. Still, he completed high school and decided to go to college, majoring in Business.

Tokkitchen

Sick of eating instant ramyeon for the fifth time that week, Sunwoo put aside his textbook and decided to look up simple dishes to cook. He fell into the metaphorical rabbit hole and found himself watching cooking videos for a few hours, landing on a few recipes that seemed simple enough to try. The next day, he went out to buy the necessary groceries and began cooking. His dish was… okay. It wasn’t completely awful, but it wasn’t spectacular either. Strangely enough, he wasn’t discouraged and vowed to try again the next day since he had leftover ingredients. The next day came, and this time the dish was light years better than before. Pleased with the results, Sunwoo continued to watch cooking videos online and improved his skills little by little. When he was able to perfect a pasta recipe, he invited his friends over to his apartment so that he could cook dinner for them—they would be his “first set of guinea pigs” as he put it. They were goofing around, and one of his friends took out their phone to record Sunwoo cooking. He began mimicking the narrative style of the numerous videos he watched, explaining what he was doing in an exaggerated soothing tone. It was one of the most fun nights he’s ever had. His friend sent him the video a few days later. Sunwoo watched it, cringing at the sound of his voice, but recalled how much fun he had filming it. He immediately began searching his college’s website for rentable video equipment, determined to make a cooking video, but for real this time.  After transferring and editing his very first video—"gourmet" meals using convenience store ingredients—onto his bulky, old laptop, he uploaded it to the internet under the username Tokkitchen, a reference to his apparently notorious resemblance to a rabbit. This was mostly for safekeeping—he knew his laptop was on its last legs and he only had so much hard drive space after all—but he also secretly hoped that maybe he would be able to capture a small audience. Sunwoo enjoyed making these videos so much that he went as far as changing his major to Film (his college did not offer a Culinary Arts major.) His technique and style improved significantly, and his viewer count steadily grew. It wasn’t nearly enough to justify doing it full time though, so after he graduated, he began the dreaded job search.

Present

After a year and a half of uploading videos, and just a month into the job search, Tokkitchen was suddenly an overnight success thanks to a video he had certainly not expected to be his claim to fame. It was one of his more casual videos: a half vlog, half cooking tutorial of caramel flan. Commenters seemed particularly delighted by his inclusion of footage of his three failed attempts at not burning the caramel and the resulting existential breakdown he had following them. He continued this model for his next video, and the next video, and the next video, and his channel views continued to grow exponentially. He has been praised by viewers for his down to earth personality and warm, atmospheric style.

[putschki1969]

A reply

vyselegendaire I don't know why there is bad blood between CPM and Putschki.  Each forum has its plus and minus.  CPM forums have had trolls, but since its a forum I feel people have a chance to be a bit more expressive of their opinions, and thus there is negativity, but frankly its mostly in the forum of  humor and farce.  There are almost no dedicated haters on the site who don't wish to see more great music from our favorite artists.

vyselegendaire Additionally, amidst all of the complaints of negativity and dreariness, lest we forget the scourge of censorship - which is on the rise across the internet - before we cast shade on those we disagree with as being bad.  Censorship and content removal is the tool of tyrants since time immemorial and don't think you are immune, ask

vyselegendaire Just ask Solzhenitsyn

Hi there!

I thought it best to make a proper reply post because I have a few things to say in response to your comments. These comments were made on THIS post here where I am talking about online fandoms in general....It took me a while to get back to you, sorry about that.

All right everyone, strap in for a LONG (and slightly petty) reply...

It feels like in all my previous replies I have been talking to a wall…I have said it before and I am gonna say it one more time, there is no war between myself and CPM, there is no ancient feud and I wouldn’t even say there is any “bad blood” between us. I haven’t really engaged with any particular member enough for there to be “bad blood“. My main issue with CPM is that I do not enjoy the toxic atmosphere over there. Why would I willingly subject myself to all that negativity? I might be the only one out there that feels this way but I wanna ENJOY my fandom. All the nitpicking, bickering, gossiping, bullying and bashing, it’s utterly exhausting and it sucks the life right out of me. I don’t wanna waste my time engaging in polemic discourse and childish quarrels day in day out. I mean, even responding to all those recent asks/messages has been utterly exhausting because I feel like I have been put on trial for simply wanting to be a decent human being.

CPM has had a few trolls....? No kidding....Please don’t get me started on the trolls.... I haven’t even been active on CPM but I still had to deal with them. Why you ask? Because we have had at least two people from CPM terrorise the tumblr fandom in the past….those trolls actually made the effort to come here and cause turmoil just for the fun of it…that’s how fucked up they are...As you can imagine, I wasn’t impressed…

Unlike you, I just don’t see the merits of posting on CPM. Yes, I have been in some lovely forums in the past and they certainly do offer a few advantages but when it comes to CPM, the negative aspects far outweigh the positive ones. Yes, a forum is better suited to interact with people but then again, I have plenty of ways to interact with fellow fans here as well. And if we are being honest, I am not the type of fan that actively seeks out interaction, especially not with people who suffer from a serious case of entitlement. You could call it a pet-peeve of mine but I really can’t stand it when fans act all entitled as if they were owed something. And you know what’s the worst thing about it? The most annoying entitled haters on CPM are usually people who are not invested in the fandom at all! Yes, they are very much invested when it comes to hating on and complaining about stuff but aside from that I don’t see them do anything else “productive”. They just sit back and let other people do the work. They don’t bother to seek out new information, they wait for someone else to do it.... Most also don’t bother to learn Japanese in order to get a better understanding, they wait for someone else to make all the translations or they just pretend to know everything and come to absurd conclusions which usually results in heaps of misunderstandings... Often they refuse to buy releases, they would much rather wait for downloads in order to then declare they are happy they didn’t spend a fortune on that since it’s trash anyways...They also typically don’t attend any lives but they are more than happy to complain from the distance... It baffles me how people like that have the nerve to act so entitled even though they don’t show an ounce of support.

There is another reason I do not wish to interact with a majority of the people on CPM. Many of them find pleasure in ridiculing me. I know everyone over there is making fun of me for being a “pussy”, for playing “Kalafina-police”, for apparently seeing everything through “rose-tinted glasses”. It seems like in their eyes nothing I write can be taken seriously because I am neither “honest” nor “objective”. I guess in this day and age you have to be a disrespectful asshole for people to consider you “honest/objective” and for someone to actually pay attention to you... But really, that’s just not who I am. I have zero tolerance when it comes to any sort of bashing of the people I adore and respect under the guise of so called “constructive criticism” and I do not wish to interact with anyone who thinks that’s okay. And before anyone misinterprets what I am saying, no, I am not implying that Kalafina are above criticism or that every kind of criticism is bad, that’s not the case at all...but as I have pointed out numerous times, it’s all about HOW you criticise...

As for your point about being able to be more expressive in a forum, that is completely untrue. Nothing is stopping me from being as expressive as I want to be on this site. Free expression does not equate negativity, if you think the opportunity to express yourself is somehow a free pass for being an asshole then you are wrong.

“There are almost no dedicated haters on the site who don't wish to see more great music from our favorite artists” Uhmm...and that somehow absolves them of all their wrong-doings? NO! This statement makes me really angry because it embodies the fucked-up mindset of so many haters in fandom. At one point in the past I used to like it so that gives me the right to bash on everything now and I refuse to find something else because I know for sure that one day they will create the exact thing that I want. THIS is how these people think...And it leads me right back to the point I made about entitlement. Throughout many years these fans have created an unattainable image in their mind. Everything that’s not in line with that idea is automatically written off as trash... Fact is it is very unlikely they will ever get what they want. So consumed with bitterness and hatred it’s almost impossible for these people to see greatness in anything. It’s a vicious cycle and the only way to escape is to move on to another fandom.

Your second comment is a tad over-dramatic wouldn’t you agree? It also sounds like a low-key threat and I really don’t appreciate that. I am very much aware that I am not immune to censorship but I am not sure what your point is. Are you trying to tell me that my only chance to avoid cencorship is to relocate to CPM? No thanks. I would rather find another platform or get my own website. Also, I have invested way too much into this tumblr blog, it’s not something I can simply give up and move on. I know many tumblr users have relocated to other platforms as a sort of protest but I will definitely not do that. If things become worse I will have to think of something but as of right now, I can live with the situation on tumblr. Let’s see what the future holds...

I guess instead of replying to questions about CPM you want me to write essays about censorship on tumblr which is - according to you - the very scourge of humanity? Sorry, I am not the type to use my blog for political statements. Yeah, I will admit, things have been a bit troublesome on tumblr but it’s certainly not as bad as some people make it out to be... I don’t necessarily agree with the methods they are using but they are par for the course...And I definitely wouldn’t compare the regulations that are implemented on this website (however sloppy they may be) to actual censorship that has happened and is still happening to people in the “real world”.

Okay, I think that’s it for me...

[petersshirts]

What If? | bucky barnes

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

summary: when your parents send you on another blind date, you decide to tell them that you’ve got a boyfriend - but he definitely isn’t

warnings: some swear words and fluff

words: a long 2,8 k jesus

A/N: a little fake dating au for you guys, it actually got quite long but I hope you like it!! please let me know what you think, i appreciate your feedback!! x

„Shit, shit, shit…“ you mumbled under your breath when the doors of the elevator opened and you stepped into the kitchen area of the Avengers tower. Bucky looked up from his Peanut Butter Jelly Toast when he heard your mumbling and a few seconds later you walked into the room, staring at the ground, completely lost in your own world.

„Hey, you okay?“ You jumped when you heard the familiar voice of your friend but looked up and tried to smile, which failed miserably. Because you just made the worst mistake of them all. And you had thrown Bucky into this mess too, he just didn’t know it yet.

Your parents had never been quite fond that you were still single and going on 30, so they had decided to put you on blind dates for a few months. All of them had been horrible - the man were all older than you, boring and never really interested in what you were doing. So after around ten horrible dates without one nice guy, you let the words slip that you had a boyfriend. Lies.

But your parents, especially your mom completely freaked out and desperately wanted to know the lucky guy. And that’s where Bucky came in - he was the first name that popped into your mind so that’s when you said: „Bucky. Bucky Barnes. A friend from work.“

When you told them the name, your mom insisted for him to come over for dinner next Friday. You had thought that they would leave you alone after you said that name, but oh no. And now here you were, about to tell Bucky what you did. And you knew that he wouldn’t be happy about it. Bucky and you were friends, yes but the two of you couldn’t hold up a conversation. It was always just a smile and a hello when you met each other on the hallway, you on the way to the lab and he was on his way to train with Steve.

Even though you worked in the same environment, you were so different. And you weren’t quite sure why you had said his name, but there was no going back. You couldn’t tell your parents that you just broke up because with that, the blind dates would start all over again.  And you were not ready to face all those idiots again. So you had to handle the other side of the relationship - the Winter Soldier himself.

„I actually fucked up pretty bad.“ You mumbled when you stood next to Bucky, not daring to look into his curious eyes. Bucky raised an eyebrow, shocked that you were talking about something so personal. He didn’t know a lot about you and you had never came to him for advice in the last year you’ve been working in the same building. „You wanna talk about it?“

You nodded with a heavy heart, feeling sorry about what you would put him through.

„So my parents have been setting me up with different boys for the last few months and because I didn’t want that anymore, I told them I had a boyfriend. And I told them that it’s you.“ Buckys’ eyes widened at your words, trying to process what you were saying. Why would you say his name? You didn’t even know each other that well, you were just colleagues. You finally dared to look up at him, but Bucky didn’t seem that angry. There was confusion written all over his face.

„Look, I’m sorry that this happened, I just did it so they would stop bothering me but they actually invited you to come to dinner this Friday.“ Buckys’ mouth fell open, not sure what to make out of this. He was just living his normal life, and now he had to pretend to be your boyfriend? A boyfriend of a girl he barely knew??

„You’re kidding me right?“ His words were quiet and calm but on the inside, everything was turning upside down. It had been so long since he had met parents of a girlfriend, and you had just thrown him under the bus. You slowly shook your head, feeling guilty. „I’m sorry, Bucky, I will tell them that you can’t. And I will just tell them that it’s over and I will go back to those blind…“

„No, we’re doing this.“ Bucky smiled at you and nudged your shoulder. You just stared at him, trying to understand the man in front of you. Why was he so nice to you?

„I don’t want you going out with those creeps anymore.“

And with that, it was settled.

________________________

On Friday night, Bucky found himself in front of your apartment complex, a bunch of flowers in his hands. He gulped when he pressed your bell, not sure how this night would go. The two of you had spent a lot of time together for the last few days to get to know each other better and Bucky had always thought that you were polar opposites, but you actually got along quite well. You told him about all your favourite books and music and Bucky told you about his life in the 40s.

Both of you loved a good action movie or just talking until midnight and you actually really grew to like Bucky. But you still had to face your parents and act all loved up. The door buzzed and Bucky quickly stepped into the warmth and walked the stairs to the second floor, where you were already waiting with a smile on your lips.

„Well, don’t you look handsome.“ You smirked and Bucky just laughed, handing you the flowers. He had lend one of Starks’ suit for the night and felt completely out of character - he missed his flannel and blue jeans. But for tonight, he would be the gentleman he used to be so famous for back in the day.

„Thanks doll. You do too.“ Bucky meant it. You were a dark red dress that showed off your curves. He bit his lip and his eyes wandered back to your eyes, trying to ignore that you looked really really good. Why had he never realised that before? You couldn’t control the blush on your cheeks, so you quickly turned around to grab your purse and jacket and locked the door behind you. When you turned back towards the winter soldier, he was still smiling.

„Come on, let’s do this.“

The car was filled with friendly chatter while Bucky drove to Newark where your parents lived.

„This is nice,“ Bucky mumbled when you turned into a calm street just outside of the city. „Hm, I loved growing up here. But with me living only an hour away, they are always present.“ Bucky nodded, understanding what you meant. Even though his time with his parents had been quite short, he knew the feeling of being pampered. And he hoped that he could help you out of that.

He parked in front of a large white house that was lit inside, creating a homely atmosphere. You sighed and checked on Bucky one last time, to be sure that he really wanted to do this. There was no going back now. The two of you walked over the lawn to the door and you rang the bell, fingers fidgeting. Suddenly, a warm hand engulfed yours and you looked up to Bucky who just smiled reassuringly. „We’ve got this.“

The door was opened and your mother stood in front of you, eyes wide because of the man beside you. He immediately introduced himself as Bucky and that it was so nice to finally meet her. He was a pure gentleman and you were falling even further. Wait what?

Your Dad joined you and your parents immediately clicked with Bucky. It felt like he was their long lost son and you could see in their eyes that they adored him. Dinner was light and full of laughter and Bucky told some funny stories about his co-workers and from the old times. He fit so perfectly in this house, next to you. It felt like the night was over in a second and your mom insisted that you would stay the night, which you greatly declined. You had pulled Bucky into this mess, getting him home was the least you could do. At midnight, you finally said your goodbyes to your parents but not before your mom pulled you the side with a knowing grin. „He’s a keeper, Y/N. Don’t lose him.“ You just nodded, scared about what was coming next.

The ride back to your apartment was quiet. Both of you were lost in your own thoughts, thinking about the evening. Bucky had enjoyed the dinner a lot; he understood now why you told him that your parents were exhausting. They were hyperactive but he could also see all the little ticks you got from them. It was clear that you were their daughter and Bucky had loved the evening, surrounded by so lovely people. He didn’t even think about the fact that this had only been an act and a lie - in that moment, he wished that you could be more. But there was no way that you would feel the same way - you were only fake-dating for tonight, after this, there would be nothing between the two of you.

When you stopped in front of your apartment, you tried to find the right words to end this right. To be honest, you wanted to invite him in and just continue the conversations from the last few days. He felt like an old friend to you and there was definitely a spark. But he was just your fake-boyfriend for one night, he could do much better.

„So…thank you for coming with me. My parents really loved you.“ Just like I do. You smiled at Bucky with an unsure smile, not sure how to say goodbye. This was so awkward, it felt like 8th grade all over again when you told your first crush that you liked him. Bucky grinned, sensing your uneasiness right away. Your breathing was faster and he could hear your rapid heartbeat with his enhanced senses. Well, it seemed like he wasn’t the only one that felt the attraction.

„Thanks for bringing me, Y/N. Your parents aren’t that bad.“ You rolled your eyes at his remark and grinned up to him. You just stared into each others’ eyes and no words were spoken but also, not one of you made a move. You blinked after a few seconds and opened the door to let him know that you were leaving. There was a tension in the car and you just couldn’t figure out if it was positive or negative.

„I should go. Thanks again, Bucky.“ Bucky nodded, his mouth opening and closing, not sure what to say. He didn’t want this night to end, but he couldn’t tell you that. You were the one that spoke up. You were already out of the car, ready to watch a rom-com on your sofa all alone, but there was something in your mind, urging you to do something you had never done.

„Uhm, Bucky?“ You leaned down to look at the Winter Soldier and he just nodded, waiting for you to continue speaking. „Do you maybe wanna come in? Celebrate the dinner?“ You stumbled over your own words, unsure if he would say yes. Bucky just grinned and mumbled a „I would love to.“ and got out of the car to follow you inside.

When Busy stepped into your apartment, he felt completely out of place. It had been so long since he had been in a real home outside of the compound. He had always dreamed about getting his own apartment, but he wasn’t real to face his nightmares all along. And finding a flat in New York City was nearly impossible.

But as soon as he stepped into your living room, he loved the little space. Every little aspect reminded him of you - all the pictures and decorations that were everywhere. Everything was so cosy and Bucky wished that he could stay here everyday. It wasn’t as anonymous as his room in the compound - this was a personal place and Bucky felt like an intruder.

„You want something to drink?“ You hung your jacket onto the wall and watched Bucky inspecting your home, not used to a man in your apartment. It had been a long time since a man had been in here - you were way too busy with work to go out and maybe meet someone. And it was also kinda hard to meet someone that was the right match for you.

Bucky looked up at you and nodded. „Do you have a beer?“ You grinned at him and walked past him, yelling an „I’ll be right back,“ and disappearing somewhere. Bucky stood in the middle of your living room, not sure what to do with himself. But only a few minutes later, you stepped back into the living room, changed into some comfy pyjamas. Bucky stared at you, not sure if he liked the dress or this outfit better. Even without making an effort, you looked so beautiful. All he wanted was to pull you in a hug and maybe steal a little kiss.

„Come on, let’s get you that beer.“ You snapped him out of your thoughts and Bucky followed you into your small kitchen that was clean. While you searched for said beer in the fridge, Bucky just watched you with a grin on his face. How had he never noticed before how beautiful you were, inside and on the outside? You had been working in the same building for a long time, and he never really noticed you. He had been too much in his head and somehow he felt like now he had played your fake boyfriend, there was no chance for him to go out on a real date with you.

In that moment, Bucky decided that for the first time, he wouldn’t step away and let the little crush he had on you pass, he would grab this by the horns. And that’s why he moved forward, gaining your attention. You had finally found the beer and pressed it into his hand, smiling at him. You noticed that he was a lot closer and your eyes wandered to the ground, avoiding his piercing eyes.

Suddenly, a warm hand touched her jaw and pushed her head back up so he looked directly into Buckys’ eyes. You had never been so close to him before and for the first time, you could really see the colour of his eyes. From closeser, he was even more handsome. Damn, why did you agree on fake dating him? There was no way that you could really date him, he was too good for you.

Bucky stepped even closer so that your noses were nearly touching, the beer forgotten on the table. „What if… What if I don’t want to fake date you?“ His words were quiet but with your proximity, you heard him clearly. You bit your lip, not sure what he meant. But before you could answer him, Bucky continued speaking, his breath fanning over your face. „What if I want more than that?“ You let out a huff of breath, staring at Bucky with wide eyes. Did he know that you wanted the same? That you felt like there was so much more than just a fake love. Maybe someday real love.

You finally found your voice back and croaked out: „Well I would love more.“ And with that, his soft lips were on yours. It only took you a few seconds to catch on and finally moved your lips with his, a little whine coming out of your throat. His arms wandered to your waist, pulling you closer and his tongue touched your bottom lip, begging for you to let him in. You opened your mouth and your tongues met that caused Bucky to groan. When oxygen ran out, you slowly pulled back, trying to gain your thoughts. Bucky was still close, chest heaving from the heavy make-up session. Oh boy, that man could kiss.

You smiled up at him, a giddy feeling settling in your stomach, letting you know that you had made the right decision. Bucky just grinned back at you and pressed a soft kiss to your nose, causing you to giggle.

„So, what do you say, you and me go on a date?“

Please let me know what you think!!

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[shnztnsdr]

Must Be Her

A short story by Shien Zoe Tan Sudario

“The food that you eat affects your health, your energy level, your mood, even your behavior because you are what you eat.”

You are what you eat, funny as it is. I yawned upon hearing this statement for the nth time from these speakers. I get it though, this orientation talks about health and trying to change the generation’s bad eating habits. One word to describe this event. Boring.

Hours passed and finally the event is done, there will be no class due to the orientation we had earlier so might as well head to the bar and have some fun.

As I enter the bar, the smoke twisted in its artistic way, forming curls in the air, illuminated only by the eye-sore bar lights. The smell of beers and body odors consumed the place.

I leaned on the bar counter, my long black hair lying over one shoulder of my designer dress. I tilted my head to one side pushing out my red lips a little. I’m not yet drunk but I’d like to give everyone the impression. I’ve been doing this kinda stuff a lot of times now. If the professors aren’t around or there will be no class, I immediately head to bars and parties. Even ditched class just to experience bar hopping, probably the nicest hobby I have.

“Where have you been?!” A very welcoming message as I took a step inside the house. Instead of giving a response, I turned my back and pretended I did not hear them.

“Your mother is asking you, Riley! Where are your manners?”

Before I could state my answer, a slap as loud as a clap stung my face. My father slapped me. I shouldn’t be hurt but I can’t contain my emotions, my tears are slowly building up in my eyes, this happens often.

“What happened?”

I close my eyes, heave a deep sigh and plaster a smug look on my face.

“Oh! The favorite daughter is here.” I stated bitterly while looking into my father’s eyes.

“You did something stupid again Riley? When will you be a proper woman?” Here she goes again with her unending sermon.

“Riley! Why can’t you be like your sister?” Mom’s favorite line. I just rolled my eyes.

I can’t take their selfish dramas anymore so hurriedly went up stairs to my room and their voice calling me echoed in the four corners of the house.

“Good morning class!”

“Good morning Ms. Amethyst.”

Here we go again with these boring classes but take note, this is way more “better” than staying in that house with people filled with toxin.

“As ordered by our Chairman, I will be going to check the food you brought in connection with the orientation yesterday. Our cafeteria is temporarily closed so you are tasked to bring your own food.”

Now, this is the disadvantage of boring lectures. I can’t remember this matter being announced or maybe I didn’t listen.

Lots of groans and frowns consumed the classroom. Who wouldn’t? Are we some bunch of kindergartens to bring our own food and lunch boxes?

“Miss! We didn’t bring our own, what should we do?” Common sense, dude. There’s no such thing as consideration in this university.

“Okay. Since you didn’t bring your own food then you’re going to be punished. You guys will cook for the whole week and disseminate it to everyone.” Now this is beyond the limitations. Me? Cooking? For everyone? No way.

“Miss, isn’t that too big for a responsibility?” Asked my classmate.

“No it’s not because there are many of you.” How dare she smile after making everything hard for us.

“And don’t forget, choose healthy foods because you are what you eat. That’s all for today.”

More periods passed and my mind passed away. That’s corny. Whatever. I’m going to claim another day for my free trial to hell, I just hope they’re not yet home so I can rest peacefully.

“Miss Riley! The counselor wants you to visit her office.” A random stranger told me.

“Thanks!”

What is it this time? Ugh! My fantasy of hugging my pillows vanished.

Knock three times and open the door. “Good afternoon, Ma’am. Is there something I can do for you?”

“There’s no good in the afternoon Miss Adriano. I’ll be straight to the point, you have failing grades. I already informed your parents about this. You may go.” Oh crap.

“But Ma’am—”

“No buts, Miss Adriano. You may leave now.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

“Tsk. If only you can be like your sister.” I heard her say before I went out of her office.

“Mom, Dad, my scholarship was granted.”

“Oh that’s great, sweetie!”

I heard a cough, a fake cough to be exact and that means I have to face them. I sighed and went to the dining area to see my so-called family.

“Care to tell us something?”

“I have failing grades. Is that what you want to hear?”

“And you are proud of that huh?!”

“If that is how you perceive it so be it.”

“Let’s eat first.” The perfect child said.

A heavy silence settled over us and it’s very amusing, a thick uneasy tension in the atmosphere with only the utensils are clanging.

A fake cough my Dad made dominated the whole room.

“Your sister passed the scholarship examination for college. I wanted you to take that examination when you reach your senior year, but with your failing grades? I doubted if you can make it. Such a shame.”

Yes, Dad. Shame on me.

“Are you even listening to me,Riley?!” He reached the limit.

“Your father is talking to you, Riley!” So what?

“Riley, show some respect to Mom and Dad!”

“I already told you that I have failing grades! Isn’t that what you wanna hear? Huh? What else do you want? You can’t do anything about it! And stop acting like you need me to have that high grades because you don’t! You already have the perfect child so just focus on her!”

My eyes brimmed with tears as I told them my thoughts.

A loud thud of a slammed wooden table shut me.

“You are such a disgrace to this family!”

Dad walked out, “You should be like your sister.” Mom stated before following Dad. My older sister gave me a disappointing look before leaving the room.

“Ha! What a disgrace and a disappointing human being.” Trying to compose myself.

I’m so sick of this set up. The comparison is killing me. Why do I have to be like other people when I can be myself? Why should I follow their steps when I have my own map? Why are they forcing me to like everyone else? This is totally a free trial to hell. A deep sigh for this day.

My older sister, always the kind soul everybody loves. The definition of perfection according to them. The epitome of beauty and brains. Ever since I was born in this world, I have become her shadow. The black sheep and the total opposite of her. Our personalities contradict, she’s the positive and I’m the negative.

The next few days flies so fast, just the same routine with their undying sermons and comparison. But this day is different, our maternal grandparents will stay in our house for a week and they are the worst.

“So how was your studies, ladies?”

“Doing great, lola. My scholarship for college was granted.”

“That’s amazing, Piper. How about you, Riley?”

I heard nothing.

“Riley!” Dad using his mad voice.

“Total opposite of her, lola. I have failing grades.” I stated without looking at them.

They all shot me a disappointing look. What’s new? I told you I'm a walking disappointment.

“Why?” Lolo’s trying to sound calm.

“I don’t know. It just happened.”

“Does the support we gave isn’t enough, Riley?” Lola asked. Support? Ha!

“Support?” I scoffed. “Ah financial support. Yes, it’s enough.”

“I’m talking about the moral support, Riley!”

“Moral support?” Now I can’t help but laugh. “You gave moral support? When? I can’t remember.”

Grandpa slammed the table causing everyone to jump, well not me.

“You don’t have manners! You should be like your sister, Riley. Be responsible.” That phrase again. Sigh.

I can’t take their dramas anymore so I decided to stand up and proceed to my room without looking back. I don’t want them to see me, they’re not worth my tears. I can’t control it anymore.

Bell rings. Time for dismissal but going home isn’t on my choices. It’s already 5 pm and I am walking along this lonely street with the rain pouring on my skin. I love this feeling, getting soaked and no one will notice my tears. Walking alone has been my comfort zone, I can be myself and completely free from the comparisons although I have to be careful because sometimes I get careless and I can’t control myself. It’s like I am someone else, I must admit I love when I get reckless. But I made a mess the last time.

“Why can’t you be more like your sister?”

“Your sister is so lovely and smart.”

“Be more like her.”

“Your sister is way better than you.”

“You must stop it.”

Their voices are echoing in my mind. But the last one caught me. It is way more painful than being punched by goons.

My phone rang and made me jolt back from my reverie. Good thing I put it inside my bag so it won’t get wet. I stayed on the shed I saw earlier and grabbed my phone.

“Oh c’mon!” Damn I wish my phone got wet! Guess who’s calling?

“Riley where the hell are you?!” This is their way of greeting me through the phone.

“Somewhere in hell, Mom!” I yelled back.

“Answer me properly you psycho!” Psycho huh? Makes sense.

“You don’t care!”

“Go home now brat! Your sister is missing!” She yelled before turning off the call.

What now if she’s missing? As if there is something I can do with it. Well, maybe there is or there was.

“Find Piper! Please! Find my daughter!” Heard my mom begging the police officers.

“We’ll do everything we can to find her, Ma’am. We will go now.” The officer stated before exiting the house.

“You! Your sister is missing and you’re acting like nothing’s happening? Huh?! How dare you! And why are you soaking wet? You did something stupid again?!”

All the frustrations they have were fired on me.

I don’t want to live here anymore. I couldn’t take all their blame so I did what I always do. Immediately proceed to my room.

“Where is that?! Ugh!” Damn I can’t find my bracelet. It’s the only remembrance I have from my paternal grandfather. It’s very important because he is the only person who really cared for me but he already died years ago. How stupid am I to forget about it! Oh dang! It’s already 8:00 am in the morning. The weather is not yet too hot. I wonder if they found her already.

A loud knock made me stop from finding my bracelet. It’s very loud that the person behind it wants to break it.

“Ye—?”

Before I could ask what’s the problem, I felt a sting on my cheek. That slap hurts. Another slap followed by another and another. Damn.

“You bitch! How could you? I can’t believe you!”

“What the hell is wrong with you, Mom?”

“Are you looking for this? Huh? This is yours right?” Wait. That’s the bracelet I was looking for.

“T-that’s mine. Give it to me.” I tried grabbing it from her but she threw it away. I was shocked for the next thing she did, her hand cracks across my face causing my head to reel sickeningly as it slams into the wall behind me. This time I am losing my consciousness as black dots starting to cover my vision.

I woke up in a small room, all white, only one window is here and it’s very high to reach. Is there even a door here?

“Where on earth am I?” I heard a noise. Someone is opening something.

There, answering my question. A hidden door opened by a man in a white coat together with a man in a coat. Based on my observation, it’s a doctor and a detective. But what shocked me the most is the people after them, my parents. Their eyes are swollen. I saw Dad gripping Mom’s hand like he’s trying to stop her from doing something.

“M-mom? D-dad?”

“Don’t call me that! You are not our daughter, you are a psychopath!” What?

I made an awkward laugh. “What do you mean, Mom? Is there something wrong?”

“I said don’t call me that! How dare you?! You are seriously asking me that, huh!? To answer your question, yes! There is something wrong! Something’s wrong with you! You are a crazy woman!”

She’s trying to get away from Dad’s grip. She wants to come near me, she wants to hurt me.

Don’t let her hurt you, Riley. Don’t let them.

“Stop! Stop! Who are you!? Stop telling me what to do! Stop!”

I’m the only one who cares for you, Riley. Not them, not even your grandfather. No one cares for you except me.

“Aaaahhhhhhhh!!” I screamed as much as I could. I can’t take this anymore.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA! You are all fools! HAHAHAHA. She’s way more powerful than all of you! HAHAHAHAHA!”

“What are you doing, Riley!? Stop it!”

“I won’t tell you hahahaha! She’ll get mad at me!”

“Who is she Riley?”

“Her!” I pointed to the girl sitting beside me.

“She told me to shut my mouth.”

My cheeks hurt again. Mom slapped me again.

“You bitch! How dare you slap me, huh?!”

“You deserve every pain in this world!” Shouted my Dad.

“What the hell is wrong with you!? Last time I checked, you want me to be like her! To be like Piper! You scolded me a lot of times for not being like her! Now that I tried to be like her, I am still scorned?! Why?!”

I tried to be like her, didn’t I? I mean, ‘you are what you eat after all’.

[beyondthetemples-ooc]

Hi! Tumblr mobile SUCKS and I can’t be bothered to login from my phone’s browser but ima send u these bc I wanna know ur Thoughts™️ For the scary meme!!! First up: for jerirae plz!!! ~randy

OH BOY. This is my BIG OTP honestly, I’m! Ahh!! YEAH.

(Note that most of this is going to come from what I know best, between The Judas Contract and Terror of Trigon, because I’m frankly a little Afraid^tm to read Titans Hunt again. That’s… a hard read for me. Marv even said his ONE regret was Killing Joey. And like, if even the writer I’ve admired for a decade is regretting it? Ouch.)

So anyways!

Scary OTP meme: send a pair and I’ll fill this out.

Which one is more fond of scary movies: Probably Joey, Raven knows Too Much about the supernatural and the human mind to enjoy most of them.Which one gets the most excited about Halloween: Joey! He can get pretty creative with decorations and costumes, jack-o-lanterns, anything really, and for Raven, while she enjoys the General Ambiance, the empathic atmosphere around Halloween is spread pretty evenly between Positive and Negative Sensations.Which one would be more likely to survive the apocalypse: Jericho, and that’s canon as hell. (He survived 1 of 2 massive worldshifts/etc, whereas Raven definitely died two times, so…….)Which one would literally kill for the other: Raven. It wouldn’t be so intentional at first, but she’s not known for keeping her cool once something finally gets her into emotional duress.Which one likes to scare or startle the other: This one’s hard, because Raven does a lot of scaring/startling By Accident, and though Joey isn’t all that bothered, she doesn’t exactly Enjoy it. But if she’s genuinely scared, I can’t imagine Joey enjoying it, either?Which one is more likely to need comforting when they get spooked: Raven. It’s hard to get her Genuinely Spooked; Joey’s definitely EASIER to spook, but if Raven is, there’s a REASON, and she’s probably not going to stop being spooked by it on her own.Which one always puts on a brave face: Raven. (She kind of Has to.)Which one would be more dangerous if they suddenly became violent: Oh, Raven, hands down.Which one would be more likely to commit a crime: That depends. Arguably, Joey’s powers count as coercion, which is indeed a crime. But Raven, having not grown up here, probably only having cursory knowledge of USAmerica’s complex law system, and also having more moments of Lost Control, is more likely to unintentionally commit a crime.Which one believes in ghosts: Raven. (Also canon as hell.) Pretty sure she literally prays to one? Though Joey isn’t exactly a skeptic, either.Which one likes to watch spooky show on television: Joey. He introduces her to the ones he enjoys, and she usually enjoys his enjoyment more than the show.Which one would propose the idea of holding a seance: I think, after what happened last time they held a seance, that’s not very likely from either of them. lD;;Which one has nightmares more often: Raven, unfortunately. :c Much more often. (It’s not usually brought on by scary movies, though.)Which one would want to explore a real haunted house: That would depend on why they want to explore it. To stop someone from getting hurt, relieve a spirit’s suffering, or banish an entity? Probably Raven. But for curiosity and to explore basal rumors: Maybe just Joey. Raven would go with him though, just in case they hold some water.

[karmicmayhem]

Unmasked

Summary:  Virgil worries about Roman. He decides to talk to him about telling the other two.

word count: 5334

Takes place after A princely mask, but can be read on it’s own, I think 

read on ao3

Virgil looked up from where he had been examining his nails at Roman who sat across from him, lost in thought. They sat in momentary silence in Roman’s room. A few days had passed since their talk, and the two had grown a bit closer. Virgil made sure to stop by Roman’s room once every so often to just sit and talk with him. It seemed to calm both of them down to have someone to just… vent to.

That was why he was here now. As much as Roman might try and deny it, keeping everything to himself for this long was taking more of a toll on him than he even let himself acknowledge. Virgil had been subtly looking for a way to bring the issue up to the creative side again. Thus far, he’s only managed to awkwardly suggest they paint their nails with the multitude of colors Roman possessed.  

Now Virgil had black and purple storm clouds on his nails and was no closer to knowing how to bring the subject up.

They both froze as a knock emitted from the creative side’s door.

“Ro? Can I come in?” Patton’s voice drifted in from the other side of the closed door.

Roman and Virgil shared a look before Roman turned back to the door. “The door’s open, Padre.” he finally said, his voice steady.

Virgil watched in surprise as Roman stood up and, in less than a second, seemed to shift in front of his eyes. His shoulders were drawn back instead of the slumped position they had been in. A smile stretched across his face as he ran a hand through his hair to fix it into its normal princely state. Thankfully he had already been wearing his prince outfit, so he didn’t have to switch back. It brought to Virgil’s mind, the image of a rather skilled chameleon.

I’ll give him this, he thought as he tried to school his expression back to its normal state, he’s damn good at what he does.

The door opened and Patton walked in, blinking in surprise as he spotted Virgil sitting on the bed. “Oh, there you are Virge!” he paused to give Roman a puzzled smile. “Well, one of the things I was going to ask was if you’ve seen Virgil, but I guess there’s no need now!”

Virgil raised his hand to show Patton his fingernails. “I wanted to paint my nails, but my room only has black polish.” he didn’t miss the grateful look Roman shot him for playing along.

“Ohhh, that’s really neat, kiddo!” Patton said enthusiastically.

Roman tilted his head curiously at the moral side. “What was the other thing you wanted to ask?” he asked.

Patton snapped his fingers as he seemed to remember his previous cause for coming. “I was going to let you know that today’s the day you said you’d make cookies with me!”

Roman’s grin grew. “Ah, of course! I wouldn’t miss such a delightful time with my favorite puffball for anything in the world!” his arm raised up as he spoke in a dramatic and practiced motion. “I’ll gladly be down shortly to join you, Patton. I just need to take care of a few more things first.”

The moral side smiled brightly back. “Alrighty! Take your time, love. There’s no rush.” his smile turned mischievous. “But if you take too long, I’ll make and eat all the cookie dough by myself.”

A fond smile graced Roman’s lips. “I’ll be sure to remember that, my dear Patton.”

Virgil watched as Patton turned and shut the door behind him, leaving the two alone again. Roman’s shoulders and smile dropped near instantaneously. He walked over to his bed and collapsed face first onto it with a groan.

Virgil smirked. “Not feeling up to it today, Ro?”

Roman only grumbled into the mattress before flipping around to look up at the other. “I don’t have the energy to act like my normal self for that long today. I’m already drained from just now and that was only for a minute or so.”

“I know the feeling.” Virgil said, nodding sympathetically before looking back at the other in amusement. “I gotta say though, it’s really impressive seeing things from this side of your act, Princey.”

Roman flushed slightly in embarrassment. “I’ve just had a lot of practice.” he finally mumbled, shrugging one shoulder as he sat up. He seemed to be rubbing the soft blanket under him in some sort of self-comforting motion.

Virgil observed the other for a moment before asking the question he had been putting off, “So, have you given more thought to telling the others yet?”

The creative side huffed in annoyance. “Tell them what? That I’ve been lying to them for years? That my entire personality is a sham? Am I supposed to tell them that I barely sleep from the stress I’m under to create?” he paused and ran a hand through his hair before continuing. “I can’t burden them with that knowledge. And I’m… afraid to tell them how much I’ve lied to keep this up. They’d be so disappointed in me.”

Virgil felt a pang of sadness hit him as he listened to Roman’s exhausted tone. He really did know where the other was coming from, but still…

“I think they would understand if you explained it to them, Ro.”

Roman shook his head. “Why would they? Logan hates being lied to, and he’s the one in charge of holding all of the ‘truths’ that exist. And Patton…” he grimaced at the thought, “He’s so against lying. You’ve seen it too, when Deceit showed up. Pat’s the moral one, I can’t tell him that I’m just as bad as Snakeface Mcgee. Actually I’m probably worse. At least he’s honest about being a liar.” Roman had progressively been slouching down as he spoke, his last sentence muffled by him hiding his face in his knees with his arms wrapped around his legs.

Virgil’s eyes widened at the hopeless statement from the creative side.

“Okay, no.”

He watched as Roman’s head tilted up at his authoritative tone. “Wha-” he started, but stopped as Virgil waved him off as he stood.

“Believe me, you are nowhere near as bad as him. Secondly, I can tell that you’re spiraling downwards right now, Ro. So I’m going to help before you crash.” He paused and looked at the still sitting creative side. “So, what do you do to cheer yourself up normally?”

Roman stared at the other in an almost daze, not used to the feeling of having someone who worried about his mental state. “Uh, I usually watch Disney, or I go into my realm.”

Virgil nodded. “Do you want to do either of those right now?”

“Well…” Roman bit his lip in thought. “I could show you what I do with my realm when I need to cheer myself up a little?” there was a hopeful glint in his eyes as he said this, clearly wanting to show Virgil something specific.

“Sounds fun.” the darker trait responded, just happy that the other already seemed distracted from his negative thoughts.

With a decisive nod Roman raised his hand and, without further prompting,

snapped.

Suddenly, their surroundings shifted. Virgil shut his eyes to block out the assault of swirling colors against them. He felt the floor under his feet shift too. He opened his eyes a small amount and peeked down. They were now standing on a sidewalk.

He raised his head and looked around in shock. They were outside in a small town, the weather was warm and there weren’t any clouds in the sky. Buildings surrounded them with the occasional tree planted between them. Only a few cars drove by slowly, a calm feeling coming from their leisurely pace, giving the impression of no one here being in a rush. Distantly he could hear a band playing down the street for the people walking by.

His attention was drawn to the coffee shop directly in front of them. It was a dark building, made out of stone and metal in an oddly aesthetically pleasing design. But that wasn’t what caught his attention.

What caught his attention was the smell drifting out from the inside.

What greeted his nose was the wonderful combination of what smelled like freshly brewed coffee and baking bread. He closed his eyes for a moment just to enjoy the scent, before hearing the sound of amused laughter next to him. Virgil snapped his eyes open, embarrassed at having forgotten the other was even there.

“Shut it, Princey.” he muttered, not wanting to look up to see the grin on the other’s face.

“Don’t worry, Dark and Stormy.” Roman replied without dropping his smile, “I’m just relieved you seem to like the place. Do you wanna go in?”

Virgil nodded and followed Roman as the other made his way in.

The interior of the shop was just as intricate as the outside. The lights hanging from the ceiling emitted a soft warm glow. Couches and small tables lined the walls, one wall housing a bookshelf that held only well-worn fantasy novels. All in all, the atmosphere of the shop was cozy and inviting. Virgil had only just gotten here and he almost never wanted to leave.

He noticed suddenly that the few people that were in the shop had all looked up when Roman entered. A few greeted him fondly, asking how he was. Virgil watched as the creative side warmly responded to those who asked that he was doing much better now than he had been. There were no grand gestures in sight, no boisterous claims. Roman wasn’t acting here.

The cashier looked up with a smile as they approached. “Roman!” he greeted. “It’s been a while, how’ve you been?”

Roman returned the smile. “I’ve been doing fine. No worse than usual, at least.” he then glanced up at the menu before turning to look at Virgil. “What do you want from the menu?” he asked.

Virgil blinked before scanning the menu quickly. “Medium Mocha Velvet Ice.” he finally decided on. He glared defensively as Roman raised an amused eyebrow. “What?” he asked. “I just happen to like sweet things, sue me.”

Roman chuckled in response. “I would have pegged you as a black coffee drinker, is all.”

Virgil shook his head in disgust. “Hell no, it’s way too bitter. Who even drinks it that way?”

“I do.” Roman answered plainly, grinning at the other.

Now it was Virgil’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “It’s like you’re trying to steal my aesthetic here, Ro.” he teased.

Roman only rolled his eyes fondly before saying, “I’ll deal with ordering if you go save us a table to sit at? I’ll bring our drinks when they get here.”

Virgil nodded and began to scan his eyes over the shop in search of a good place to sit. He finally decided on a small table in the far corner of the cafe. Sitting with his back facing the corner, he began observing those in the shop. He saw how occasionally one of them would look up at Roman, some of them fondly, some of them in awe.

He’s struck with the realization that Roman must come here pretty often. Even imagined, these people were too familiar with Roman for this to be a one time thing. Their movements were too fluid and their features too crisp. Roman had obviously put a lot of time into creating these people to be the way they were. All of them seemed to care about the creative side, and seemed to be aware of who he really was. Though not a prince in this place, it seemed he might as well have been to the people here.

How long had Roman stayed in this very shop? How many years was this place worked on? How lonely had he been, that this place with these false people was where he seemed most at ease?

Have they helped? He wanted to ask.

These people you’ve created to love you?

He watched as Roman accepted their order before making his way over to where the darker side was sitting.

“I got us some chocolate croissants too. They’re really good from here, trust me.” he said as he sat their drinks and the bag containing their pastries down.

Virgil tilted his head in mild confusion. “You didn’t pay him, though? Do you not have to?”

Roman laughed lightly as he sat down. “No, I generally don’t have to pay for anything in any of the worlds I make. Occasionally I’ll make worlds were currency isn’t needed at all. It’s not like there'll be an economy crash or something, so I might as well make the people who live there happy too.”

“You come to this place pretty often, don’t you?” Virgil asked, taking a sip of his coffee. He blinked in surprise at how good it was.

“Is it that obvious?” Roman asked with a slightly embarrassed grimace.

Virgil peered at the other over his cup before speaking. “There’s too much detail in this place for it to be new. And you seem really… at ease here.”

Roman nodded at the statement. “I tend to come here to recharge. I don’t always pick this place, but I am pretty fond of it.” he gestured to the other side of the shop that housed the bookshelf. “I usually sit over there and read while I drink my coffee.”

“Isn’t reading more of Logan’s thing?” Virgil asked, raising his eyebrow curiously.

The creative side chuckled and shook his head. “No, nonfiction is Logan’s area. But those are all fairytales and other fictional stories. Which is my area of expertise.” his mouth twitched up into a shy smile. “I actually love reading. It’s good inspiration for new worlds I can create and alter.”

Virgil tilted his head as he observed the other. “Speaking of which, I’m surprised you made this place. I thought you only had your kingdom?”

“Well…” Roman fidgeted with his sleeve. “Honestly, I can make any sort of realm I can think up. Creativity is who I am, and there’s nothing creative about only doing the same thing all the time. I do love the kingdom I’ve made, I just like some variety occasionally.” he smiled at Virgil as he pulled the croissants out of the bag. “If you’d like, I could show you some of the more interesting ones at some point? There’s a few I think you’d like.”

“Sounds fun, Ro.” Virgil said, answering Roman’s smile with his own.

They stayed silent for a while as they ate their respective croissants. Virgil almost moaned as the warm and melted chocolate inside the flaky pastry met his tongue. “Holy shit.” he mumbled. He studiously ignored the smug grin from the creative side.

“So,” Virgil began, “how long do we have to kill before you want to go meet Pat for cookies?”

Roman sighed. “I suppose I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes. I’ll finish my drink first and then we’ll go.”

“Ro.” Virgil said, looking at the other meaningfully.

Roman grimaced. “Can’t we just drop it? I don’t want to tell them, Virge.”

Virgil continued on despite the other’s pleading stare. “I know you don’t. Hell, I get it. I do. Until recently I’ve pretty much been doing the same thing. But, Roman.” he stared back at the other steadily. “It sucked when I did it, and I can tell it sucks for you too. You’ve kept it up for so long, but having to keep this act up on top of all the new stress you’re under is wearing you to the bone.” He sighed. “I just don’t want to see you crash and burn, Ro. And I can tell that that’s how this will probably end if you keep going the way you have.”

Roman stared at the table between them, silently processing Virgil’s words. “You won’t… tell them, will you?” he asked in a small and unsure voice.

“I promised I wouldn’t unless it was life or death, and I meant it. I won’t tell them anything unless you want me to.” Virgil spoke softly. He reached over the table and grasped the other’s hand reassuringly. “I just don’t want you to keep digging yourself deeper into this when you don’t have to.”

“Thanks, Virge.” Roman responded shakily after a few moments of silence. His face slowly transformed into a mischievous smirk soon after, however.

“What?” Virgil questioned, narrowing his eyes.

Roman fluttered his eyelashes dramatically. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were just using this as an excuse to hold my hand, Dark and Stormy.”

Virgil rolled his eyes and didn’t bother letting go of the others hand. “Please, Princey. I actually cuddled you to sleep the other night. Holding hands is nothing compared to that, wouldn’t you say?” he teased back, feeling oddly playful.

“Hey, that doesn’t count.” Roman replied, his face flushing slightly at the memory.

“Doesn’t it?” Virgil hummed back.

Roman stuck his tongue out at the other. “Oh, hush.”

Virgil smirked. “Very mature, Ro.”

They spent the next few minutes bickering back and forth, both enjoying the banter.

Soon, though, Roman finished the last few sips of his coffee and sighed. They both knew he had to go soon or Patton would get worried and come searching for him.

“Hey, Roman?”

“Yeah?”

Virgil picked at his jacket nervously as he spoke. “Sorry for bringing it up again earlier. I don’t mean to add to your stress.”

Roman exhaled slowly, watching the other side through lowered eyelids. “It’s okay, Virge. I know you mean well. I’d probably do the same if our roles were reversed.” he smiled at Virgil’s obvious relief that the other wasn’t mad at him.

Virgil drank the last few sips of his own drink before he heard the creative side speak again.

“Virge?”

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?” he asked.

He watched as the creative side shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with something, but a determined glint was slowly but surely filling his eyes.

“I know it’s a dumb question, but… you’re sure they won’t hate me?”

Virgil’s gaze softened as he heard the vulnerability clear in the other’s tone. He wasn't sure if Roman thought that they would hate him for lying, or if he thought they might hate who he really was.

He wasn’t sure if Roman himself knew.

“Aw, Ro.” He stood up from his side of the table and walked around to where Roman sat. Leaning forward, Virgil gathered the other into his arms for a firm hug. He ignored the surprised gasp of breath from him at the action as he pulled back slightly to look Roman in the eyes, trying to will the force of his words into him. “Roman.” he started, “None of us will hate you. None of us could hate you. We love you too much for that.”

Roman sniffled and buried his face into the darker side’s chest. Virgil rested his chin on the top of Roman’s head, holding the other silently. He looked around and was happy to see that no one in the shop was paying them any attention.

Virgil let go as the creative side pulled away slowly, rubbing at his eyes.

“I think… I think I should tell them.” Roman finally admitted. “While I could keep this act up for a lot longer, I really don’t want to.” he looked exhausted suddenly.

Virgil smiled at the other side, proud of his decision. “Are you sure you’re up for it?”

“Absolutely not.” Roman replied immediately. “But I need to do it anyway.” he stood up and patted Virgil’s shoulder lightly with a smile. “Thanks, Virge.”

“So should we go back to your room now?” Virgil asked.

Roman only nodded before lifting his hand.

Snap

With a flash, they were standing in Roman’s room once more. Virgil grabbed the edge of his bed to steady himself from the sudden transition. He watched as Roman walked to the corner of the room and looked into the mirror there. He grumbled about the red in his eyes before grabbing his concealer from the nightstand and expertly applying it to ease the redness showing on his face.

“You’re pretty good at that, Princey.” Virgil said, tilting his head as he observed the other.

Roman laughed dryly. “Practice makes perfect.”

Virgil’s eyes widened slightly at the statement before Roman quickly set the concealer back down and straightened his clothes.

“I guess it’s now or never.” Roman mumbled.

Virgil nodded. “Want me to go with you for like, moral support? Or something?” he asked.

Roman turned to the other with a hopeful look in his eyes. “Would you? Honestly I’m a bit… nervous, and having you there might calm me down.”

“It’s pretty ironic that you’re saying that the embodiment of anxiety could help calm you down.” Virgil replied teasingly. He pulled his sleeves over his hands as he considered the room’s flickering lights. “So do you have a plan, or?”

Shrugging helplessly, Roman replied, “I was just kinda planning on winging it?”

Virgil shook his head in amusement. “If that’s what you want to do, Princey, go right ahead. Are you ready to go downstairs now?”

Roman nodded wordlessly and rested his hand on the knob before twisting it slowly to open the door.

They made their way downstairs silently. Patton could be heard humming from the kitchen and Logan was sitting on the couch, quietly reading with a blanket thrown over his lap to keep warm.

Patton poked his head out at the sound of the other two coming downstairs. “Are you ready to start, Kiddo?” he asked excitedly, then slowly furrowed his eyebrow in worry at the look on Roman’s face. “You okay, Roman?” he asked.

Roman shifted in place slightly. “Not really, Padre. Actually… if you wouldn’t mind, there’s some stuff I’d like to tell all of you. It’s kind of important.”

“Oh, of course, Ro.” Patton said, walking into the living room and taking a seat next to Logan, giving Roman his full attention. He elbowed Logan subtly to gesture that he should put his book down, then smiled when the logical side reluctantly complied. “We’re all ears.”

Roman sighed and moved to sit in the armchair across from the couch. He watched as Virgil shrugged and just sat on the floor as the creative side thought. He needed to figure out how to word all of this, but how?

Well, might as well just dive in.

“I haven’t been completely honest with you all. Or, that is to say that…” he paused and frowned. Was he really sure he wanted to say this? Everything would change after this. Nothing would be the same anymore, and he’d no longer be able to hide behind his carefully crafted facade.

As he stopped and looked at the others, however, his determination to tell them came back full force. There was concern in Patton’s gaze, simple curiosity in Logan’s, and supportiveness in Virgil’s. And above all, he realised that they all contained love.

If Virge didn’t hate me for it, they probably won’t either. I just have to remember that, he thought.

He exhaled slowly before speaking again. “How you know me isn’t quite the real version of me. I… when Thomas was younger, he wanted to be a prince. He loved Disney princes and he wanted to be strong and brave like one of them. He would pretend to be a prince in his mind and, as the embodiment of his hopes and dreams, that’s the form I decided to take to keep him happy.” Roman paused and ran a hand through his hair. “But, that’s not who I am. It’s just that it was so much safer to continue pretending to be someone who was brave and confident. And I felt bad for lying to you guys so much, but I couldn’t bear to tell you the truth.”

He fidgeted with his sash as he spoke, not looking at the others. “The truth is that I’m not brave. Not in the way I’ve been pretending to be. I’m not even confidant. I’m just good at acting. I could have continued going with this, but ever since Thomas chose a creative career instead of biochemical engineering like he planned, I’ve been under way more stress than I used to be. I honestly barely sleep because I need to come up with good content and ideas for Thomas to use, or he won’t have a job anymore and it’d be my fault and-” he stopped as he felt a tap on his leg. It was Virgil looking at him with barely hidden concern. ‘Breathe’ the other mouthed at him. Roman nodded and inhaled deeply before continuing.

His hands gripped the fabric of the chair to anchor himself as he went on. “I’m just too tired to keep the act up anymore. I definitely don’t have the energy to keep doing this for the rest of our lives. Pretending to be someone who’s so loud and dramatic kinda sucks the energy out of me.”

“I’m sorry for lying so much, guys. I just…” he trailed off, unsure of how to finish his sentence. He looked down once more. “I’d understand if you were… upset with me for this.”

“Oh, Kiddo.”

Roman looked up at the watery sound in Patton’s tone, just in time to be enveloped in solid hug from the parental side. Roman put his arms around him without thinking, shocked that the other still even wanted to hug him.

“I’m so sorry you felt like you had to hide this from us, honey.” Patton said as he ran a hand through Roman’s hair. “We’re a family, Ro. That means that we should always be able to be ourselves around each other with no fear of judgement.”

“You’re not mad, then?” Roman asked, almost afraid to hope.

He felt Patton sigh. “Well you know I’m not really a fan of lying, Ro.” Roman stiffened at the statement before Patton continued, “But I’m not mad about this. Being upset about you acting different than you are to protect yourself would make me a bit of a hypocrite after all, wouldn’t it?”

Roman’s head snapped up to look at Patton at that. He took in the other’s sad smile through watery eyes. “Oh.” was all he could manage to say.

He sniffled and laughed a little. “It’s funny,” Roman started, “Virgil said pretty much the same thing when I asked him that.”

He heard Virgil’s small laugh coupled with a light punch to his leg. “Hey, no ratting me out, Ro.”

Patton tilted his head as he watched the two fondly, still smiling sadly. “I think… we all need to improve on being who we really are with each other.” he said. He filed Logan’s careful silence away to look into at a later date. For now, he busied himself with carding his hand through his creative son’s hair slowly.

"Well," Roman said. "I did this with Virge, so I should do it for you guys too." With that, he snapped into his casual outfit once more, before looking at them steadily and speaking. "Hi, my name is Roman and I'm Thomas's creativity. I'm actually kind of shy and I like making things. I'm not really a prince, but I enjoy acting when it's fun."

Patton grinned at him. "Aww, that was so nice to hear, Kiddo!"

Roman smiled as Virgil nudged him. “Told you it’d work out, Ro.” the darker trait said with a small smirk.

“Out of curiosity,” Logan spoke up from the couch, “how did Virgil become aware of this?”

Roman sighed, “He noticed I was acting off a few days ago. He showed up at my room to confront me, and I kinda just ended up spilling everything.”

“In your defence,” Virgil began, “I only noticed cause you were pretty exhausted. I wasn’t even completely sure something was off at first.”

Patton frowned. “I wish I had noticed something was wrong sooner.” he said. “By the way, what’s this about you not getting enough sleep again, Kiddo?” he asked, looking down at Roman.

Roman laughed nervously, “I’ve been getting more sleep since I talked to Virge a few days ago, don’t worry Padre.”

“It’s my job to worry about you all, sweetie,”

“Pretty sure that’s my job, Pat.” Virgil spoke up from the floor with a small smile.

Patton smiled back at his dark strange son. “It can be both of our jobs, then.”

“I’m not sure if now is an appropriate time to bring it up, but Roman, you’ve mentioned that you’re stressed due mostly to being under pressure to create content and ideas at a fast pace, correct?” Logan asked.

Roman pulled back from hugging Patton to look more clearly at the logical side. “I guess? That’s most of it anyway.”

Logan nodded. “I see. Well, if you’d like, there are a few things we could try to move around to lessen the strain on you in that regard. Also, we could possibly assist more in creating ideas occasionally if you feel that that could also be of some help to you.”

Roman blinked in shock. “Uh, yeah actually. That’d be a really big help.” he smiled at the logical side, a rush of gratitude towards the other hitting him. “Thanks, Lo.”

“It’s no trouble, Roman.” Logan replied with his own small smile. “I’m happy to help.”

Patton squealed and wrapped Roman into another hug. “I have the best family!” he announced loudly. He motioned for Virgil to join the hug too and had to actually hold in a scream when his sweet son complied. He wrapped the younger in his arms as he got closer. The moral side then shifted so he could turn around enough to look at Logan. “Lo? Please?” he asked, holding an arm out for the logical side.

Logan sighed fondly at them before getting up to join them. He chuckled as Patton made happy and incoherent noises at the sight of him walking forward. “Actually,” Logan said, stopping short of the others, “this is a bit of an uncomfortable fit for all involved with your different levels of elevation. Might I suggest we all move to the floor? Perhaps on a blanket, or another comfortable surface?”

Patton blinked before smiling gleefully. “We can make a pillow fort!” he exclaimed.

“Satisfactory.” Logan replied, adjusting his glasses.

A few snaps later and the furniture was gone and the floor was now a soft and fluffy material instead of a hard floor, and was piled high with pillows and soft blankets. The four of them were huddled together in the middle of the room, comfortably laying on and over each other in a lazy tangle of limbs.

“I think we should all make cookies together tomorrow.” Patton started. “And then after that, we can talk more about everything if you’re feeling up to it, Ro.”

Roman closed his eyes and nodded in response. “Okay, Pat.” his head resting comfortably on Virgil’s chest and his legs were tangled with Patton’s. He never wanted to get up from this comfortable position again. But he knew there was a lot that needed to be talked about now, and he knew that not all of it would be pleasant.

Now, though, he knew that he could handle it. He wasn’t alone anymore and they didn’t hate him. They weren’t even mad at him. So much weight was lifted from his chest at that fact. He had been so afraid of rejection from the others, he hadn’t stopped to consider the opposite being possible too. They all accepted him as he was, and he couldn’t be happier.

He was the first to drift off to sleep that way, cradled by the others, and their love.

Things would be okay.

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