#it’s not even a good or important post i am just stubborn

[jefferythejelly]

day 3 of no foolish stream i think im starting to see the light

[sysig]

Your Weekly TV Guide

On Monday you can expect:

2:30 PM: Original - Concept art

And Tuesday:

2:30 PM: The Stanley Parable

Wednesday:

2:30 PM: Mob Psycho 100

Thursday:

2:30 PM: MP100

Friday:

2:30 PM: Star Control II - Helix

Saturday:

2:30 PM: Dragon Quest IX

Sunday:

2:30 PM: SCII - Helix

Thanks for tuning in! (Patreon)

[ghcstao3]

more mi6 ghost and sas soap i beg!!! it itches something in my brain so hard!!!! i love ur writing sm ur sosososo talented <333

(original post since it’s been so long i am so so sorry. also apologies if it's paced weirdly i never had much of an idea where to take the original prompt. thank you though, for supporting my writing :) <3)

-

Soap would never be so naive as to expect a warm welcome from a team of elite agents, but the cold shoulder he's thus far received from one of said agents hardly seems necessary in its place.

He's barely even said a word.

The haughty bastard keeps staring at Soap, too, like Soap can't tell there are eyes on him behind sunglasses, and a frown behind a medical mask. He refused to shake Soap's hand, hadn't even been introduced by name like the others—Ghost, is all that was offered—and now he was scrutinizing Soap in some indecipherable way that Soap would put up to a cause of him being military, if it weren't for the fact that no one else of similar status was getting the same treatment.

It's bizarre. It couldn't even be the mohawk, for once, because he'd actually grown that out in anticipation of this high-honour, high-stakes mission.

Of course, the treatment doesn't ebb as days, weeks stretch on. But Soap learns to live with it, throws himself into the mission like he has something to prove, acquaints himself with everyone else.

Ghost becomes a background nuisance. He and his perfectly tailored suits hardly hold any weight to Soap by the time they're forced together and everything becomes a whole lot clearer.

Two months into the operation is when the team finally encounters the kind of action Soap is used to; bouts of gunfire, ducking for cover, barking out commands, incapacitating enemies with force before stealth. Begrudgingly, Soap and Ghost are left to cover one another's sixes.

Admittedly, Ghost is a damn good shot and has a rather keen eye for enemies. Soap would never utter this statement aloud, but they work terribly well as a team.

When everything goes silent for several minutes and they've received confirmation that the area's been cleared, that they're free to proceed with the mission, Ghost and Soap cautiously move from where they'd been taking cover.

Then Ghost is shot in the chest.

Another few gunshots ring out following, as Soap drags the agent back into their hiding place. Thankfully his bulletproof vest had taken the brunt of the blow, but it's obvious the wind had been knocked out of Ghost, evidenced by the sharp, wheezing gasps that try to pull air into his lungs.

Soap offers nothing more than a clipped sorry before ripping off the mask that's clearly hindering Ghost's ability to draw a proper breath.

His heart drops. Soap knows that face.

For good measure, he removes Ghost's sunglasses as well, and—fuck. Yes, Soap knows that face. Intimately.

"Simon? You bastard, what the hell?"

Simon winces. He's still breathless when he replies, "Johnny, don't—later. Fuck."

Later. Soap huffs. He only agrees because there are more pressing things, of course, but also because he's not happy to imagine the nasty bruise that was surely going to blossom across his partner's chest in the coming days.

They're not as useful the second time around, but they get what they need done. Soap operates purely on confusion and a mild frustration until later finally arrives, because he'd just like to know... anything, really.

Unfortunately, later doesn't even come when the mission is completed. Later doesn't even come until about a month following Soap's discovery. Suspense nearly kills him.

They're both home again. The operation had been of enough importance that it had, thankfully, warranted everyone at least a short break. Simon is only home because of the bruise that has yet to fade.

Things are tense, initially. Words are terse yet not unkind; they give each other space yet they go to sleep in the same bed each night. Their mutual stubbornness keeps them both from acknowledging the elephant in the room.

Until Soap grows too impatient, nearing the end of his own leave.

Over an otherwise silent dinner, Soap finally asks, "Will I ever get to know what was going on during that mission, then? Why you were being such a prick?"

Simon pauses, setting his fork down with a sigh. His shoulders slump as he sits back in his chair and drags a tired hand over his face, and Soap almost scoffs. Like the issue hasn't been bothering Soap as well.

"I didn't want you to worry about me over the course of everything. In case something happened," Simon confesses.

Soap snorts. "What, like you wouldn't be worried about me? Like you aren't worried about me, already knowing what I do for work?"

"No, Johnny, that's not what—" Simon sighs again. Soap catches the way he almost moves his hand to rub his chest in habit, before rethinking the choice in remembering the bruise. "Of course I worry about you. I just... didn't want to create any unnecessary risks. I trust you, more than anyone, but I've also been in this line of work for a while. I know my own limits."

Soap hangs his head. He... understands. He does. His own career requires the same kinds of limitations, but he's still upset that Simon felt he couldn't manage.

"I'm sorry," Simon eventually murmurs. He reaches a hand across the table and covers Soap's balled fist with a warm, callused hand. "I was wrong. You're a good soldier. Should've known that seein' you were chosen for the task force."

A blush burns at the tips of Soap's ears, and gradually he unclenches his hand. "I forgive you," he says. Soap doesn't think he could fault Simon forever, anyway. "But you'd better make it up to me."

"Of course." A smile tugs at Simon's lips, something almost mischievous. "Anything you like."

(This, of course, meant that Soap would be taking great pleasure in beating Simon's records at the gun range. And perhaps a few other things as well.)

[bicheetopuff]

Grill I have a sudden thought. Epiphany if you will.. Call it curiosity even!

Kirishima is kind of a parallel torwards Izuku in some way when being friends with Kats (just more, confident and less bullying and Kiri being a rock)

But what about Iida?

like, For some reason- Iida does seen Izuku as a rival and kind of want to prove himself that he can be more with or without izu-

I am- I'm not sure how to word this. I am not good with words, but I think what I want to say that Izu and Kats kind of have a type when befriending others

Iida & Katsuki (Similarity)

Loud

Studios

Prideful

Not chill

Goal minded (I'm stupid maybe)

Rule binding (Kats is just very chaotic in responding to rules)

Both probably sleeps at 8 PM

I'm not sure anymore I think you can list it better than I do-

Help this is not even remotely a coherent thought, so please just ignore it if it doesn't make sense

Have Izu for your troubles!💞

bkdk is the only ship I ship, just- thoughts

Don’t worry, bkdk is constantly on my mind too, I get it.

I actually really love the way Izuku and Iida’s relationship parallels Katsuki and Kirishima’s and it makes me kinda sad that people stopped talking about them.

I wouldn’t say that they parallel in dynamic very much, but they parallel in a sense that Katsuki and Izuku are so obviously jealous of each others friends. Well… not jealous, but there’s definitely a feeling of, “I’m glad he found a friend who treats him the way he deserves to be treated, because I am in no place to be the one to give him that no matter how much I want to,” kind of mutual insecurity. And it’s made so blatantly obvious (even being confirmed in an interview) that I genuinely wonder what Horikoshi was thinking when he decided to do it. Like, what were his intentions with that? Outside of obvious yearning?

Like, I feel like Iida and Kirishima is who bkdk wishes the other could see them as. Kirishima has that same overly positive spirit and self sacrificial heroic attitude that Izuku has that Katsuki hates so much. The difference is, Izuku’s self sacrificial attitude isn’t healthy while Kirishima’s is, because Kirishima’s quirk is literally a shield which makes it nearly impossible for him to inflict injuries onto himself deliberately like Izuku does. Kirishima is Izuku without the fatal flaws that worries Katsuki so much. Now with Iida, he’s an organized goody two shoes with a tendency to let his emotions spill over in a scary/somewhat violent way, just like Katsuki. However, Iida is also missing Katsuki’s fatal flaws. Iida is stubborn but he’s able to let people into his life and he doesn’t have an explosive temper, nor does he have an extremely inflated ego. He has a similar social pressure that Katsuki had growing up with his family and other adults in his life pre-projecting him to be a great hero and having him set a standard for himself that he isn’t able to reach until realizes his weaknesses, which he’s able to do a lot faster than Katsuki was able to.

They don’t just parallel in their relationships, but they parallel narratively too fairly often. I touched on it a bit in this post [x], but I’ll explain it a little more since I find it fascinating.

Since Izuku views Kirishima as Katsuki’s ideal friend, and Katsuki views Iida as Deku’s ideal friend, they kind of act on it in a way that ended up setting up the whole narrative about hand holding in the story.

With this,

Being a clear call back to this:

(I also wanna point out that the memory of Ochako saying that “he’ll think it’s disgraceful to get rescued” being recalled in both of those chapters)

I feel like both “You’ve always managed to outpace me!!” and “I probably shouldn’t be the one…” are proof of that insecurity I mentioned earlier. They truly don’t believe that they’re the most important people to each other, and their mutual belief in that just kind of proves them wrong ironically. These two scenes is them indirectly extending their hand through someone else, because they think that someone else would do it better.

There’s way too much emphasis on them being scared to hold hands for it to be considered platonic, IM SORRY BUT IM NOT BUYING IT

I’m sorry if this wasn’t coherent, it’s literally 2am where I am…

[saltpepperbeard]

Are you still feeling hopeful? I’m trying really hard not to feel demoralized these last few days…

Hi, darling anon! I totally understand where you’re coming from. We’ve been at it for weeks (almost THREE) and things have seemingly slowed down, there’s drama both in-fandom and out, and there’s just sort of an ever-creeping feeling of disheartenment. And on top of everything, it’s JANUARY (DEROGATORY).

But you know what? Despite all of that, despite it all, I am still clinging onto hope. Call me stubborn or whatever else lol, but yes, I’m still hopeful. I think I will be until I see Djenks wave some sort of white flag, or until a lot of time passes with no forward momentum. And even with the latter, I’ll probably still have the stubborn wish to get something like a movie or whatever else in the future.

Now, I’m clinging onto hope for a few reasons. One, and this is the most important one, we really don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes right now. I think that mentality can also swing into negative territory, but I’m using it to propel me into hopeful territory. We don’t know what all is being discussed, we don’t know if anyone’s interested, and we don’t know who all is fighting and how hard.

Again, could be twisted into a “nothing is happening” type view, but when I look at David? At Taika? And how much the show means to them? How passionately they’ve spoken out about it? And how gracious David and the rest of the cast/crew has been? Idk about you, but I’d like to think they’re trying to push for a continuation as hard as they can. *Stede voice* I don’t think…any of us have let go, actually.

Not to mention that the cast and crew have not stopped posting/interacting with renewal campaign efforts. David hasn’t told us anything that would allude to failed deals, and Ruibo still posts #SaveOFMD type things. It just feels like they’re still riding alongside of us.

Secondly, and sort of along those lines, I’m holding on to the knowledge that every renewal is different. There have been some giant campaigns with zero results, but there have also been smaller campaigns with success. There have been campaigns that have only landed a few more episodes, whereas there have been others that landed more seasons, a movie, etc etc.

Each case is unique, and really has to do with what’s going on behind the scenes. Why the show was cancelled in the first place, if the platform is willing to shop it out, if other platforms find it desirable/profitable, etc etc.

And I think along those lines also, there comes a mentality that makes people even more disheartened and sad. I think there’s this thought that if we’ve slowed down, if we’re not pushing enough, we won’t get renewed. And I don’t really think that’s the case; I don’t think renewal rests squarely on our shoulders like that. Because, again, I think a lot of it really has to do with money, and with negotiations between studios. I think we’re very good for visibility and noise, and subsequently, I think any sort of effort is great effort! I think any work that has been conducted is good work.

It’s also important to think about how we’re sort of in a transition stage of the campaign right now, too. Things are significantly different than they were just a week ago. There are campaign leadership changes going on, the focus is different, and new plans of attack are being ironed out.

So, we all just need to give ourselves some grace. We’ve done so much, and things have moved so fast, and the cast and crew have felt so loved. We’ve made it into publications, made it onto physical ads, and gotten the attention of outside entities (shoutout to Astroglide WJDJW). We’ve also all come together, which is VERY wonderful considering how divided things felt towards the end of October. We’re doing wonderful all things considered, and so for that reason among a few others, I’m still hopeful.

Also, there’s this post by @pehmokoira that goes into even MORE detail of why we shouldn’t throw in the towel/lose hope.

SO. TLDR, there is a lot weighing down on “the atmosphere of this ship,” but I still encourage you to keep those fingers crossed. Help maintain the momentum however works best for you. Take a break, take a step back, and take care. But keep that stubborn little fire burning if you can 💜🏴‍☠️

[foundfamilywhump]

Any prompts or past posts with exhaustion & maybe even collapse? My character is overworking themselves and I need inspiration please 🙏

ohohoho well there's whatever is in my #exhaustion tag but also some things that come to mind:

behaviour shifts as a result of exhaustion: are they getting short tempered, are they getting confused, anxious

are they using anything to supplement staying awake? exercise to keep the blood pumping but also make the body as tired as the mind? caffeine that gives them the jitters?

isolation vs crowd: they got this far because nobody was around to stop them or slow them down or there were people around and it happened anyway, maybe because they're not close enough to anyone to have that kind of 'hey buddy you need a break' relationship, maybe because they're too stubborn to listen, maybe because they're that good at hiding it, maybe even there's someone with some kind of role of power or authority saying 'nah they're fine/it's important, let it go'

two words: emotional. disregulation. exhaustion makes SO many things so much harder and controlling your emotions are absolutely one of those. great opportunity for a character who never cries to break down in tears, a character who controls their temper to snap, a character who's the life of the party to be sedate and lethargic.

the PHYSICAL signs my beloved. shaking hands. making mistakes. clumsiness. microsleeping. headache. nausea. general weakness and malaise.

and then of course the collapse itself... so much potential here. maybe it takes a long time to find them. maybe they're in the middle of a crowd. are they caught or do they crumple to the ground in a graceless, thudding heap? do they hit their head on the way down?

one of my favourite like. whump mental images that just pops to mind sometimes is wherever i am i imagine what it would be like to wake up just collapsed on the ground there, or to find someone collapsed there. the jolt of adrenaline of seeing someone crumpled on the floor in a regular place, an apartment building hallway, the copyroom at work, the locker room at the gym, keys in hand in the parking lot, etc. there's so so many ways to go with the collapse and all of them are fantastic.

[sout999]

adhd talk

the third truly unsung project alongside my film and dissertation was the weird amount of targeted effort i had to put into Completing Anything Big As A Neurodivergent Person Whose Brain Is A Crazy Off The Rails Train Staffed and Patronised Entirely By Multiple Exact Copies Of The Squirrel From Ice Age

which is a description like 99/100 people reading this can relate to, but i think a sentiment i see less often and therefore feel kind of stupid and stubborn and lonesome about is "adhd is innate but is also exasperated by hectic lifestyle/modern instant gratification machines so if i fix my habits around those i can cure myself forever". which is silly and wrong but also i feel abit disconnected from adhd social media culture and cant cope just relating to it (which is all it seems to be sometimes) but learning to harness or tame it to do the things that are really important to me

i felt really cringe tbh having to look up youtube videos of HARVARD STUDENT REVEALS PRO STUDY TRICK and then narrowing it down to specifically adhd-focused study videos and keeping a planner and setting aside specific time to study studying and practising anti-academic meltdown journaling techniques and reading fucking atomic habits but i really didn't want to contribute to my abhorrent academic record following me all through undergrad. in fact i wish i had done this sooner but i was not self aware enough to consider the fact

probably the best change i made was severely cutting down or being mindful of social media time, i don't backread my tl anymore and have more moments of awareness when i find myself dumbly scrolling and realize i dont want to be doing this, and then wondering what i actually Do want to be doing. i keep a book nearby to read, and have also swapped a lot of social media time to sketching-off-pinterest time. reading about the psychology behind social media apps is also super interesting, although i always feel like a paranoid wacko conspiracy theorist talking about it. stuff like how negativity and judgemental behaviour is good for engagement (and therefore ad revenue), and how if all posts on your tl were interesting you wouldn't be as addicted to social media as you are, therefore microblogging employs a slot machine/gacha system where you "roll" for posts by logging on and hope to get a good one. it's a little full on but the more i think of it as a revolting and evil machine the more incentive i have to do something else with my time ^q^

a harder thing to do was, in the late stages of the project, the real crunch time month, avoid everything that could become a huge hyperfixation, and then eventually even minor distractions or fixations. because i know if i got super obsessed with something i'd just be up posting about it or drawing fanart. i had to bar myself from persona 3 remake and elden ring dlc and all these other shiny new releases, and the mobile games i was playing... i look forward to catching up on them now. i took up reading books a lot more because unfortunately thats just not as exciting. in the last month of film work i stopped listening to music on my computer so i wouldnt get drawing or animation ideas to distract me from film work. as of writing this i havent listened to music in like 40 days guys 😱 at the same time i am the kind of person who needs background noise to work, so i have:

watched novum's four hour hereditary video essay three times

watched novum's seven hour midsomar video essay three times

watched that one five hour bojack horseman retrospective twice

listened to audiobooks of the Britney Spears biography, Jennette McCurdy biography, three Playboy Bunny biographies (i was on some sort of lady bopgraphy kick i guess), and a few fiction books

rewatched all of bojack horseman

started on House MD and got a few seasons in before i finished the project, amazingly the perfect show to look away from bc of all the medical stuff, how many lumbar punctures do you need to show like seriously

honorable mention to the learned skill of communication and being honest and picking your battles and killing your darlings which is a larger part of managing mental illness than i cared to admit but one of the hardest ones because it involved confronting things and making big painful drastic changes and then having to tell the faculty about them. sometimes i'd be stuck on a piece of animation work for weeks/months, then go back and change the underlying idea to one i'm actually passionate about, and do the animation work in one day using newly found magical hyperfocus passion power. it's crazy! but being able to be confident about taking those steps rather than keeping on with what you're "supposed" to do went a long way.

i very much look forward to listening to a music and playing some video games properly now and being pulverized like a small victorian child from the sheer amount of fun i'm having. i'd say it was all worth it and a fun experiment in channeling the magical humours of passion and boredom and i hope it will help me with future projects too. i Am super burnt out though x__ x thanks for reading and for all your support up until now!

[ryuichirou]

What do you like about Book 5? I feel like reading one of your analysis

Anon! Thank you so much for this ask and for enjoying my analysis. I’ve been waiting for someone to ask about Book 5 lol It’s one of my favourites. Unfortunately, I also made you wait for ages, as I always do, but I hope this time helped me to collect my thoughts better lol

I really really love and resonate with the main themes of the Book 5: self-doubt, self-improvement, dedication to your crafts and knowing your strengths, but also enjoying what you do. I’ve said it tons of times, but I’ll repeat myself: I strongly believe that this is the beauty that Rook is talking about in his little rants, and this is why in that particular crucial moment Neige ended up being more “beautiful” in his eyes. Neige did what he wanted and enjoyed every moment of it, and Vil was so focused on the win that he couldn’t enjoy himself, thus losing the spark… well, you know how I feel about the whole Rook’s betrayal thing: I’ve talked about this in the past.

God I love a lot of aspects of this book, but I’ll mention as many as I can without this post getting obnoxiously long lol

I love Vil and Epel’s conflict a lot! I talked about them in this post, so I won’t dive too deep into it, but: it’s so amazing to see a piece of media where a boy teachers another boy that cuteness and beauty is a strength in its own, and he does it not in a campy way; in fact, he does it with brute force lol Vil isn’t gentle at all, on the contrary, he is very stubborn and tyrannical at times, but this is what makes the dynamic more interesting. I really love imagining how awkward it was for everyone to just stand there and watch these two yelling at each other and slamming the doors and physically fighting, and how at the end of the book they grew so closer and more understanding of each other.

Now let me yap about Deuce a lot! I really love that Deuce kind of ended up being one of the main stars of this book! It’s so satisfying watching him win and get rewarded for his hard work, and by hard work I mostly mean his self-reflection, self-discovery and willingness to grow. One of my favourite aspects of ADeuce dynamic is that Ace is that guy who is smart but doesn’t care so he gets a C and Deuce is that guy who tries his best and grinds as much as he can but still gets a C. Both of them get a C, but the situations are so different, and I am glad we got to see Deuce being so frustrated about it. It feels so unfair, and this is one of the things that caused him to be a delinquent in the past: if he can’t succeed even if he tries his best, why should he even bother?

But Deuce isn’t the same Deuce he used to be: he is mature enough not to give up and he wants to improve very badly. This is why instead of flipping everyone off and leaving he listens to Vil’s critique, he volunteers to get extra ballet lessons, and he only snaps when Ace pokes him at the worst possible moment. If we apply that Utena-ass chicks-in-the-egg analogy that Rook and Kalim brought up when talking to Deuce, this is a symbol of Deuce-the-chick already trying to break the egg.

BUT. At the same time, not every single thing would be fixed if you just “try harder”, and despite the fact that Vil expresses this in frustration, he is kind of right. Isn’t it a bit ironic that Vil has pretty much the same inner conflict as Deuce? He always tries his best, and yet he can’t reach the thing he wants so badly?

Anyways, this is where the real act of breaking the egg begins: you have to accept your own strengths even if you dislike them. It doesn’t mean that you don’t have a choice: Epel doesn’t HAVE TO be cute, Deuce doesn’t HAVE TO do his act-first-think-second thing, but being aware of what you are good at and how your brain, body and soul operates is important.

Deuce has always felt that he has to be someone different, and he is still struggling, but Book 5 gave him such a huge moment of growth that peaked in him unlocking his Unique Magic, I love it so much it’s insane….

I also love all the snippets of Kalim and Jamil that we got in this book, even though they didn’t play as big of a role as they could have. Still, Kalim got slapped in the face with the first ever objective evaluation in his life, and seeing him trying to comprehend his feelings was so good. I want to see more of this side of Kalim, I want to see more of him processing how others actually see him and that sometimes others will be picked instead of him, and that’s totally fine. And he gets it, but getting it and accepting it are two different things, and Kalim has a lot of maturing to do.

Even though he was quite mature when caring for the kohais, and especially during Vil’s overblot. The poor guy got so traumatised by Jamil’s overblot that he clocked that something was wrong with Vil, and I love it a lot.

(Also, Jamil is hot. No notes; just thought I’d mention that)

Speaking of overblots! God, Vil’s entire overblot section is *chef’s kiss*

I love how even in his design he still has this ominous but motherly (not in a caring way, more like a step-mother) nun/queen-like  vibe. But what I love even more is how Vil’s overblot happened.

The fact that he almost killed a person? Yeah I know that we don’t know if he actually wanted to kill Neige or just poison/curse him, but let’s think for a moment: he was willing to cause harm that is pretty serious, and I don’t think we should downplay it because Vil himself doesn’t. The stakes of this overblot are pretty high… Even though technically Leona caused a lot of harm and seriously injured Ruggie, even though Jamil yeeted Kalim+the boys to possibly die also; I guess Vil’s act feels so impactful because of his reaction.

I really love how Vil got so extremely disappointed in himself and so afraid of others looking at him with disgust that THIS made him snap. I love how Kalim kept repeating that Vil didn’t harm anyone and shouldn’t feel this way because this didn’t matter anymore: even if Vil didn’t end up causing harm to Neige, he himself already learned how disgusting of a person he was.

Vil is very complex, Vil has high standards for himself, and this is simultaneously his blessing and his curse :” )

I really love his backstory, I really love how gently Rook called him back as he was awaking after the flashback sengment… I barely mentioned Rook in this post woah, but I feel like I talked about how much I loved their relationship in this book quite a lot! So I’ll just say it again: I think Rook’s support and Rook’s betrayal both are crucial to understanding the message of this book and Vil’s character as well. Also, they’re an amazing ship.

Another thing I love is how likeable Neige is lol It would’ve been so easy to do a “you know, Snow White is also a bitch!” thing, but Twst never does it with its characters: the “good guys” are genuinely good, likeable people, but this doesn’t make the villains’ perspective any less relatable or badly written. Neige isn’t pretentious or righteous about being good, he is just naturally sweet and wants to have fun and take care of people around him: you can’t hate this guy, well you can, but also you can’t. And Vil knows that his grudge is petty and one-sided.

But at the same time? THE FRUSTRATION YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WATCH NEIGE AND HIS LITTLE FRIENDS DANCE AND SING IS INSANE. I feel like I know this book so well but I still get mad every time I hear that song LOL THIS IS SUCH A TRUE TO LIFE SITUATION AAAAH-

Yelling aside, I really do think it’s pretty real for a lot of people, especially those who create something that other people evaluate (i.e. posting what you create on social media). Even if you know in your head that numbers don’t mean anything, even if you know how algorithms work, even if you keep in mind all the factors that go into the reasons behind the feedback one receives, you’ll still inevitably end up comparing your numbers to some other person and feeling like this is unfair. Everyone suffers from this thing, everyone ends up feeling like the numbers express their worth and how others see them. Everyone feels stupid when something they worked hard on doesn’t get as many numbers as a quick nostalgia-bait that isn’t even good but ultimately is more engaging to people for other reasons.

I think this is the first time I’ve seen this exact conflict shown in media in this particular way, so I really appreciate it.

So, to sum up, even though it may seem like Ch5 is way too long and focuses on a lot of things at once, I think all of these things tie into one thematic narrative very nicely. Despite the fact that Vil’s “sin” would probably be vanity, I how much he talks about physical appearance, diets and cosmetics, the majority of his inner turmoil boils down to him feeling like a misunderstood artist and caring too much about how others envision him. Epel, Deuce, Kalim – all of them struggle with how others evaluate them, in their own different ways.

This book also had a lot of tasty dialogue (a lot of shippy ones too) and a lot of very good conflicts that made characters understand a lot about each other and themselves.

Speaking of ships? Rook/Vil and Neige/Vil aside, we had such a fun Azul/Jamil moment at the beginning of the book, and also Kalim/Jamil, Ace/Deuce, also some food for those who enjoy ships that we don’t really like. It was fruitful.

Also this is the book where Idia got called a brocon, and this gives it the additional +100 beauté points.

[siriuslysatorusimping]

Another Level: Installment Masterlist

Series Summary:

“You’re a Zenin.” More like an unwanted mistake. Which, funny enough, had actually been the first words she ever heard her father say to her. - Kurisaki Rinko was born an unwanted bastard child to the Zenin clan, having since grown into an unwanted bastard adult. Her stubborn refusal to be discarded resulted in a display of strength that many would call (they had, many times to her face, in fact) an unhinged lack of self-preservation. But lucky for her, that unhinged display caught the attention of a particular blue-eyed menace who happens to be more fun to rile up than anyone she’s ever met. - A collection of snapshots into Rinko’s life getting under Gojo’s skin and both of them enjoying every moment of it. - Gojo can be surprisingly soft sometimes* - They both really need a hug, so why don’t they just hug each other *Originally posted on AO3 💕

Main Another Level Masterlist

Links below the cut 💕

1) Make a God Bleed

2) Teasing and Techniques - Part 1 | Part 2

3) Let Me Know You

4) Semi-Grade

5) Seeing Double

6) I Say "Sayonara"

7) Fight Like You Mean It - Part 1 | Part 2

8) New Memories

9) Hollow Echoes - Part 1 | Part 2 | (Author Discussion)

10) Strength in Numbers

11) Let's Get Lost

12) Double-Edged Words

13) Winter Lullaby

14) Innate Issues - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

15) Interrupted Evening

16) No Goodwill Here

17) Show Your Hand - Part 1 | Part 2 | (Author Discussion)

18) Oversight

19) Deadly Promise

20) Silence Louder than Words | (Author Discussion)

21) One the Eve of Death

22) No Matter How Sad the Ending

23) Let's Call It 'Hope'

24) In the Absurd Silence

25) Dangerous Allies - Part 1 | Part 2

26) The Weight of Failure

27) More than Anyone

28) Fragmented Hope

29) Echoes in the Void

30) Sometimes Good Things Fall Apart

31) (Please) Prove Me Wrong - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | (Author Discussion)

32) Life Goes On

33) Blood is Thicker

34) Ties that Bind

35) Back At It Again

36) Make Me Whole

37) Living Memories

38) Echoes of Hope

39) Trust and Traditions

40) Cruel Fate

41) Fight Until the End - Part 1: Where Do I Begin? | Part 2: What's Your Color? | Part 3: Outmatched | Part 4: Unwanted | Part 5: Fractured Multiplication

42) Anything But Boring

43) Fragmented Reality

44) Divided Reflections

45) Follow My Lead

46) Let the Games Begin - Part 1 | Part 2

47) Split Bluff - Part 1 | Part 2 | (Author Discussion)

48) Fragile Strength

49) Where Shall We Go Tomorrow?

50) Something Important

51) Horizon of Chaos - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

52) Shattered Existence

53) All That I Am Is Yours

Ongoing Epilogue: From Now Until Forever

1) Forever Starts Now

2) Dreams of Gold

3) I Want Forever

[mayisgoingnuts]

The boy who never wins — A post with Theodor's story (PT 1)

TW: Bullying, self-harm (brief), beating — All including children.

Taglist: @merwynsartblog @clownazon @dismissivedestroyer @jonesy-squish

LONG, so I hope you're feeling patient!!

[PART 2]

Daisy and Henry did not planned to have a child, considering their bad reputation in the family and the husband's lack of responsability. He made it clear that she'd either abort the baby, or she'd have to take care of it by herself and herself only. She was stubborn, and chose to spare her kid's life. Despite not being the richest, she had good conditions and a nice job, taking care of him as dearly as possible. It leades him to have an awesome life at home, but it was the complete opposite once he leaved.

Ambrose and Finn, two kids that were friendly at first, but soon began to pester him for apparently no reason at all — Ambrose began to, atleast. Finn slowly joined, not as harshly, but not stopping anything either.

As time passed, for some reason Ambrose began to be more aggressive and even upset, which worried even Finn himself. Later on, Theodor eavesdropped their conversation and found out that the kid's parents were very abusive to her, and she basically used him as a way to relieve stress. It made him feel guilty on fight back or even express anger, even though he did hated her with all his might. He thought that she didn't deserve it, despite everything.

At 8 years old, his mother got severely sick, which was a result from a bunch of symptoms that she decided to ignore. Even after being hospitalized, they were unable to keep paying for the exams and anything else needed, specially when Daisy had no one to contact in her family. At the very least, they informed that she could be taken care of at home, but would be needed a responsible and a lot of patience.

Said "responsible" ended up being Theodor himself. The boy had to find his own ways to get money for the two, even if he wasn't legally allowed to work. However, Theodor isn't able to deal with so many things at once. It was overwhelming — It was either school or home. He chose home. At 6th grade, the boy no longer attended to school.

His absence was soon noticed by Ambrose, who no longer had someone to let her anger out and avoid any sort of harm on herself. She was obsessed, and even though the town is small, she didn't know where he lived, and couldn't go after him. She missed him — Not because she wanted to, but because she couldn't not miss him.

Finally, after months, both Ambrose and Finn managed to meet with him by luck next to school. She began to practically beg him to return to school, that she's going to make her lessons for him if needed, anything for him to come back. Theodor obviously refused, saying that his mother is more important, what made her snap for having "the opportunity lost forever", just going after him.

Chasing after him through a forest nearby and finally managing to catch him, Ambrose began to basically beat the boy up, who tried to fight back this time, but it didn't changed anything. Finn tried to calm her down aswell, which was just as effective. The only thing that stopped her was a man, who appeared from the opposite direction.

The man promised not to tell anyone what he witnessed as long as they leaved, and that's what they did — Not out of respect, but fear, as he seemed covered in his own blood, but not looking weak at all. Theodor strangely didn't felt afraid, he was actually relieved that he was saved, and saw the stranger as someone just above, like a hero.

The man offered help to the boys' wounds, accepted gladly despite not being a good logical decision to do. He asked Theodor a little more about himself and asked where his parents or friends are, quickly discovering that the kid only lived with his mother and had no friends to go to.

" You see, I lost both my son and wife just recently. They are not dead, but I am not sure when I'll be able to see them again. Do you accept to be my little company on the meanwhile, son? "

He says, leading Theodor to a mansion on the hill that the boy never dared to approach before.

[sdwolfpup]

Oh festive prompt 27 puhhhhleese!!

Last one! 😊 A little post-ADWD book canon that is not exactly festive but does have snow.

(I appreciate the asks from people! The fics that I didn't post separately to AO3, I'll add to my A Job Lot of Junk collection after this.)

27. confessing a crush when it's snowing

In the end, the sun rose again. Though it had felt like it would never happen, the Long Night finally ended.

The winter hadn't, though. Jaime had hoped, when the last Other had fallen, that they would take the snow with them--but his luck had never been that good.

At least, not until Brienne of Tarth had dragged him across Westeros.

Some would say she had been the start of his bad luck, and there had been a time he would have agreed. Losing a hand would make even the most stalwart idealist falter, and he had burned away his idealism long ago.

But since she had stormed into his life with her stubborn honor and bullheaded bravery, he had never felt more grateful for being alive. He had intended to tell her so a hundred times, but there had always been distance, or something more important between them, or his own cowardice. Now that they had survived the Long Night, there were no more excuses. Plans were already being made for what came next, and he could not bear the thought of not being part of hers. He had to tell her, or risk losing her forever.

If only he could find her.

"You don't know where she is? Are you not her squire?" he demanded of the trembling stick of a boy in front of him a few days after the Long Night.

"Y-y-y-yes, s-s-s-ser."

"How do you lose a person that size, then?"

Podrick flinched, as though expecting a blow. "S-s-s-s-s-sorry, s-s-s-ser."

Jaime sighed and forced himself to calm. He had seen Brienne just last night, when he had watched her eat a meal of mostly inedible mush with Podrick and the useless Hyle Hunt. It wasn't the boy's fault she was an eternally early riser with a predilection for solitude, even after the most difficult and dangerous battle of their lives.

"Never mind," he told the boy more kindly. "I'll find her myself."

The boy was still stuttering over his thanks as Jaime walked away.

*****

"There you are!" he finally said, hours later. He'd tromped all over and through Winterfell until he'd finally decided she'd run away in the night, or been taken by grumkins. Then, on his way to the stables to procure a horse to search for her further afield to make sure she hadn't died, he'd found her exiting them. The snow had started to fall again, and Jaime felt a shiver roll through him.

"Where have you been?" he nearly shouted. "I looked everywhere for you."

Brienne came to a halt, her blue eyes going very wide and darting away, as if he'd caught her doing something she shouldn't. No one had been forbidden from leaving Winterfell, though it was foolish to go alone so soon after the Long Night.

"I... I went for a ride," she said in the soft voice he heard in his dreams.

"On your own? Without even telling your poor, worried squire?"

Her massive brow furrowed. "You spoke with Podrick?"

"I couldn't very well speak with you, could I?" he snarled.

That furrow turned into an annoyed crease.

"I am free to go where and when I please, Ser. Just as you are."

He laughed dully. "Indeed." The snow was falling harder now. "You are entirely free. Free to take rides by yourself in the countryside. Free to eat with that useless hedge knight, Hunt. You could even scamper back to Tarth tomorrow, if you wanted."

Brienne huffed, loud as a bear. "Were you only looking for for me to harangue me about my independence? If so, might we do it inside where it's warmer?"

He planted his feet and blinked away the snowflakes that were sticking to his lashes. "Here is fine. So tell me, my lady, why were you out riding with nary a word to anyone?"

There went her eyes again, escaping his gaze to stare somewhere off his left ear. "I needed the air."

Jaime gestured around them. "There is more than enough air here."

"I do not have to explain myself to you," she groused. She started to move past him and he grabbed her wrist. She spun, her other hand coming up as if to fight and he released her immediately. "What do you want?" Her voice was thin and sharp as an icicle.

"I want to know what you're hiding from me."

"Nothing." She looked almost as if she might cry, and a fissure cracked across his heart.

"Brienne," he said softly and she bit down on her thick, chapped lip. "You promised me no more lies." She flushed, her head drooping. "I want only to help you. So tell me: why did you go out on your own? Why did you tell no one?" And then, because he could not stop himself, he pleaded, "Why did you not tell me?"

Her hands wrapped around each other, her knuckles red from the cold. Snow was trapped in her thin, plaited hair and had started turning her nose an unsightly pink where it melted upon it.

He thought she might choose rather to freeze than to speak, until she said in a resigned voice, "I needed to think. And I needed to be away from you to do it."

The chasm of concern that had opened in his chest iced over in the bitter wind of her words. "I see."

"It is not what you think," she hurriedly said.

The snow swirled around them, but Jaime felt none of it, numb inside and out. "It seems very clear to me."

"You... confuse me," she explained haltingly, her hands throttling each other. "I cannot think clearly when you are near."

The ice ceased hardening, and he held himself very still. "I did not realize my mere presence was such a problem."

She exhaled sharply, a warm blast of air in the cold. "You are vexing," she said, as though scolding him. "And confounding. And I needed clarity."

"About what?" he asked, desperate to understand.

"About you." Brienne's hands waved wide and wild in the air, swirling snowflakes all around her. "About why you would search all of Winterfell looking for me and then act as if you don't care once you are here. About how we fought at each other's side through all the Long Night, and yet we barely even eat together now that it is done. About what you did for me with Lady Catelyn." Her voice had dropped, almost lost in the snow. "And how you have refused my every gratitude since."

Jaime sighed. "That was nothing to be grateful for."

"I am grateful."

"Because you are a naive fool."

She growled and took a threatening step nearer. He felt his blood pump to life, heating his veins and cracking the ice.

"A fool I may be, but I am not naive," she said with a force and conviction that made his spine jolt with pride--and his knees weak with something far less honorable. "Not any longer. Not after all I have been through." She pierced him with her astonishing blue eyes. "Not after all we have been through."

His usually reliable tongue failed him, and Jaime could only draw a pitiful excuse for a smirk upon his face.

Brienne frowned. "You have had my honest answer, ser, now give me yours: why were you so determined to find me? What do you want?"

The snow blew about them, white and cold and a distant reminder of the dark freeze that had so recently gripped the world. But for Jaime, it was spring in Brienne's eyes, in the familiar, frustrated concern in her face. In the way his heart was blooming in his chest, shaking off the lingering frost.

"What do I want?" he repeated, a slow, simmering smile growing on his face. Brienne only looked more wary--and he found it endearing. "I should think that was obvious. I want you, Brienne."

"For what?"

He chuckled fondly. "For whatever you wish of me. I find myself at odds and ends when you are not there to drag me about."

She glowered at him. "I do not drag you."

"Not any longer," he allowed. Then, with all the seriousness of intention he could muster, he said, "Now, I follow you willingly. I want to follow you for as many days as you will allow me, Brienne. Wherever you may go."

He knew it was not the snow that made her cheeks swirl suddenly pink. The color reminded him of the first sunrise after the Long Night--and he was as grateful for and overwhelmed by it.

"I would rather you walked beside me," she said in hushed tones, her eyes searching his own.

He hoped she could see the truth in them when he replied, "That is a place I fought demons off to be."

"Do you not see that I fought for that place by you as well?" she asked without reprimand.

He inhaled sharply, her words filling his very lungs. She had found him as often as he had her during the battles. She had found him from the beginning, the lost and lonely man that everyone else had overlooked. "Perhaps I am the fool," he said in a choked voice.

He held out his hand and she took it. He felt her trembling as they walked hand-in-hand across the courtyard. The snow slowed to a caressing drift, and the sun fought valiantly through the flat white of the sky to peek through in the distance. Perhaps later there would be warmth and the first breath of spring.

It was a marvelous day to be alive, and walking beside Brienne.

[whispangleblogger]

I am not somebody that hops onto the "comic discourse" a lot. I usually prefer to talk things through with my friends and share opinions in private.

But since Tangle more or less got ignored so far i take the chance and talk a bit about her appearance in 64

She jumps in as a supportive character towards Whisper and helps her to prevent another breakdown. While yes, there was a scene in Urban Warfare that did the exact same thing, i feel like with issue 64 we finally see how strong of an impact this support actually has on the page. (I talk a bit more about Urban Warfare further down this post.) I don't even dare and call this bait (Edit: Not my words btw. i saw this used in another heated post. I personally never felt baited in any form. If anything, the girls relationship is one big highlight in these comics.) because it simply isn't. Here is a character that cares for her partner and also is uncomfortable with the whole situation to begin with. She has to decide where her priorities lie. Her reaction is to be expected to be focused on a trembling Whisper and all i can say is i'm glad we finally have a good depiction of that.

Tangle has the right to approach Whisper in ways i think no other character is able to, she earned it and it pretty much shows on this page. Softly taking down Whisper's mask and checking on her, the body language in these panels is chefs kiss. She's truly a bouncy girl, but it's good to see her being serious every now and then, i feel like it's a side of her that people usually tend to ignore. (And i really don't know why that is.) Evan Stanley does always an amazing job if it comes to showing Tangle in a different light or how she cares about her friends and loved ones. In regards about the current arc and even the last one, i feel like this post is a good chance to add my personal take to it as well, since it's been on my mind for a good while now. I feel like 64 finally makes a step into the right direction again.

To elaborate a little on that, i wasn't really a big fan of Urban Warfare, simply for the fact that it's pacing is all over the place. There were a lot of things that needed to be covered, to name a few: - new team building - Whisper's trauma - Lanolin introduced as a new character - a LOT of other teams jumping into the scene - the city itself all squeezed into a 5 book arc. One more book compared to a mini series that usually gives full focus to a set of chosen characters.

To make this clear, there are also good things in Urban Warfare as well but thanks to the fact how rushed the whole story felt in it's core it's a bit hard to enjoy the good bits as well...

Misadventures still deals with the same pacing problem and i believe that is where the real issue lies. As a reader/collector of the books and longtime fan of them, all i can say is:

I wish the comics would get their old, well cared, time for details back. Yes, a story like the Metal Virus was a long run but in the end it was a fantastic read. Mini arcs like Trial by Fire (Still one of my favorites), that focus on other things instead of the usual action, are also very important for character development and add a lot of depth to them. Endless Summer is a great example for such addition as well. These books provide insight into character interaction we usually don't see otherwise. Of course i have no idea how much SEGA is involved into everything if it comes to general decisions like how long one arc is supposed to last and when the next one should start.

(The next part is based on my personal taste, this has nothing to do with the general narrative of the books. I just want to share my thoughts about this since i really don't write them down a lot.)

As a little side note, i feel like Lanolin is a great character so far. Her stubborn and rule book like demeanor as a leader is refreshing to say the least. She also seems to be really close to how her creator ABT imagines her to be and i really appreciate that. But i can't help it and feel like her team dynamic with Tangle and Whisper comes of as rather… rocky ? On a combat level of things it works really good but on a friendship level it's somehow lacking atm. There is this boss and coworker relationship going on that feels more like real work. Obviously though she's new and needs more time to get better established. I guess we will see how this plays out in the future. I'm all in for a good or funny team dynamic but i also can't help it and feel like she works better as an addition to Jewel, running the restoration, the navigator typ that sends intel via com instead of a field combatant. Even if she proved she's good at close combat as well during her encounter with Whisper in 64. That being said, i am all open for surprises and more character development on her part. This is really just a "now" opinion and can easily change over time. I like the sheep, i really do.

[esther-dot]

Idk how attractive jon is supposed to be but he has the stark look and sansa has a thing for the stark look, i mean look at waymar and loras, their descriptions match jon's exactly. Sansa's opinion at the end of the day>>>

I love Sansa’s Waymar and Loras crushes! So cute! I kinda think a good part of what attracts Sansa to any given guy is the romantic notions she can attach to them, not strictly their physical appearance? So while I certainly agree with the Jon and Waymar parallels and think martin intentionally wrote similarities between Jon and her crushes, I believe her romanticized view of knight was a factor as well. Personally, I wish Martin talked about Sansa’s body/ how beautiful she is a lot less, so this isn't a topic I enjoy discussing, but the convo kicked off because of a poll and here’s a screenshot of my totally unremarkable tags:

And here’s what an angry Jon fan posted because they didn’t like the tags on the poll:

They go on to criticize other tags by Sansa fans/Jonsas, but mine were based on specific lines from the books because the question wasn’t vibes but canonical beauty, and it so happens, these are lines I am very fond of because I love NedCat:

And was it really such a terrible thing, to want a pretty wife? She remembered her own childish disappointment, the first time she had laid eyes on Eddard Stark. She had pictured him as a younger version of his brother Brandon, but that was wrong. Ned was shorter and plainer of face, and so somber. He spoke courteously enough, but beneath the words she sensed a coolness that was all at odds with Brandon, whose mirths had been as wild as his rages. Even when he took her maidenhood, their love had more of duty to it than of passion. We made Robb that night, though; we made a king together. And after the war, at Winterfell, I had love enough for any woman, once I found the good sweet heart beneath Ned's solemn face. (ASOS, Catelyn V)

It’s a beautiful passage with a lovely sentiment, so I take exception to classifying this as petty fandom shit when there was nothing intentionally insulting behind what I said, I just think Cat's thoughts about a man she dearly loves were pertinent. Also, Jon’s Stark looks are a big R+L=J clue which is teased a lot in AGOT so it’s intentional and important:

The boy absorbed that all in silence. He had the Stark face if not the name: long, solemn, guarded, a face that gave nothing away. Whoever his mother had been, she had left little of herself in her son. "What are you reading about?" he asked. (AGOT, Tyrion II)

Martin described Jon’s face the same way he does Ned’s here, although the point was ha ha! he has the Stark look not because of his father but because of his mother, Lyanna.

Jon had their father's face, as she did. They were the only ones. Robb and Sansa and Bran and even little Rickon all took after the Tullys, with easy smiles and fire in their hair. (AGOT, Arya I)

Arya heard and whirled around, glaring. "I don't care what you say, I'm going out riding." Her long horsey face got the stubborn look that meant she was going to do something willful. (AGOT, Sansa I)

Sansa could never understand how two sisters, born only two years apart, could be so different. It would have been easier if Arya had been a bastard, like their half brother Jon. She even looked like Jon, with the long face and brown hair of the Starks, and nothing of their lady mother in her face or her coloring. (AGOT, Sansa I)

"Lyanna might have carried a sword, if my lord father had allowed it. You remind me of her sometimes. You even look like her." (AGOT, Arya II)

Now, Ned goes on to say Lyanna is beautiful so a lot of fans really emphasize that and say it means Jon and Arya are/will be attractive, and maybe! It doesn't bother me for people to read it that way, but if you look at the other uses of long face in ASOIAF, or the Stark look, I think it indicates, it's not particularly attractive, and one might even say, it's unremarkable. I didn’t say ugly, its simply unexceptional imo. Obviously the horsey face/horse faced stuff is an insult so we don't have to take that to be a neutral assessment, but I don't think it actually means pretty either, not when you look at how it's used elsewhere.

Anyway, it doesn't matter if Jon is handsome or not because we all were supposed to have already learned that what matters is who he is, not his face. So, while I have no investment in how attractive/unattractive these characters are, I imagine that Jon being Jon is what will make Sansa fall for him, not how pretty he is. Something that might sound kinda like this:

I had love enough for any woman, once I found the good sweet heart beneath Ned's Jon's solemn face

[super-rangers]

Hi there! I come to your ask box to humbly offer some UIW based Rejanis headcannons because they have been rotating in my brain as if they were on the glass turntable of a microwave. I hope you enjoy and I apologize in advance for the length 😅 please add on as you may see fit! thank you for this story!

1. Because the height discrepancy between Regina and Janis is a constant subject of jokes between them, Regina jokingly starts taking those x0.5 lens top-down forehead photos of Janis (the kind that make her look like that one Megamind meme, you know the one) and shows them to her, saying, “This is what it’s like to date you.” The thing that she forgets to consider, however, is that Janis completely leans in to it because that is exactly the brand of goofy humor that she thrives in. And thus begins a growing photo collection in Regina’s phone of just 0.5 photos of Janis, taken at school, every time they go on a date, where ever 😄 (Bonus: on their anniversary, Regina makes two posts. The first, on her main account, is so beautiful and sentimental and more vulnerable than she is usually— a show of how far she’s come and how much more comfortable she’s grown in herself and how much she loves Janis. The other is on her finsta, and it’s just a carousel post of those photos of Janis with the caption, “One year of this POV 🥰🥰🥰”. Janis is comparing them later and says of the finsta post, “You should’ve posted this one on your main instead”

2. In the same vein, Regina sends those Gnometok tiktok videos to Janis (for reference: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefreshestdoug/video/7387230517243972906) along with commentary like, “Oh my goodness, Jan—I had no idea your relatives have had to endure so much 😔”

3. (At the risk of being a little too meta considering the iterations of these characters are based off of the movie musical 😅) in addition to playing the guitar, Janis has a beautiful voice. She really doesn’t think much of it—it’s something she likes to do for herself and is so commonplace for her and done so mindlessly but Regina absolutely loves LOVES to listen to her, even if the singing and humming is near constant sometimes. In fact, and no one knows of this because she knows it’s so disgustingly sappy that she would get super shy and deny it if anyone were to bring it up, but she likes to sometimes ask Janis to sing to her. Of course, Janis always obliges, and has taken particularly to singing her old Hawaiian folksongs or lullabies while they’re cuddling that her mom used to sing to her as a young child. Regina becomes the human embodiment of the “🥹🥰🥹🥰🥹” emojis and melts into a puddle every time

4. As a segway from that last bit, I don’t want to frame this as something that’s remarkable because it’s something that any good partner would and should do, but I am always such a sucker for cultural exchange/learning about and engaging with your partner’s culture as a form of honoring & loving them, and I think that’s something that would be really important to Regina. Like she’ll often ask about customs and she tries her best to commit the little Hawaiian words and phrases she hears Janis and her parents use to memory and even sometimes try to use them too 😄 (her pronunciation is a little off a lot of the time but she’s got the spirit!)

5. As headstrong and stubborn as Regina can be in her own right, after reading about Regina’s reservations re: her and Janis staging a fake fight (though I completely understand where she was coming from), I can’t help but think that at least towards the the beginning of the relationship, whenever she and Janis DO actually get into an argument, she embodies the “my girl is mad at me, hope i die” meme, at least a little bit 😆 like, she doesn’t necessarily make Janis privy to that, but I can definitely see her wallowing in her angst and being like, “Janis hasn’t talked to or smiled at or kissed me in 12 hours and I feel like I’m DYING”

Oh my god I love all of these

1. I'm obsessed with this bc like,,,true. They would 😂 I'm tacking a little bit onto the end of this one lol

"You always post feelings on your finsta. At least, that's what I do."

Regina is instantly on alert bc she did not know Janis had a finsta. Just all up in Janis' face like "You have a finsta?"

And Janis is like "uh. No?"

And thus begins Regina’s hunt. it takes her like an hour at most, and when she finds it, it's just full of pictures of her (both serious and goofy), pictures of their dates, and paintings. The posts range from sentimental to shit like "shes so hot I think I hauve covid"

It has 3 followers: Damian, Cady, and (maybe surprisingly) Karen

2. I had never seen a gnometok video before I'm cackling

I love that headcanon lolll

3. This one fits perfectly on with my headcanon that Regina can't sing! She totally takes every opportunity to hear Janis sing. She's got a playlist titled "songs Janis likes to sing to" and she plays it in the car all the time

4. 🥹😭 that's so cute omggg

Janis one day is like "babe, you've been so sweet learning about my culture, so I decided to return the favor. As you can see, I'm wearing my shoes in your bedroom."

5. Oh no doubt about it. Regina goes an hour with Janis mad at her and she becomes just so depressed. Only her pride is keeping her from groveling

[according2thelore]

Hi I love your writing so much! Your late seasons/early seasons verse is one of the most interesting things to come out of this fandom, and I’m always impressed with you well you understand the characters. I was wondering, Do you think the earlier seasons boys would find any parts of later seasons Sam and Dean to be similar to John? You don’t have to answer, if you’re too busy with other asks. Have a great day!

oh shit?? holy shit??

anon?? kissing u with passion rn, anon. this compliment just made the rest of my week + an extra bonus week! i don't even know what to say! BUT THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

and YES! I DO! we talked about this in my post on tuesday, but what specific parts of each LS!Sam&Dean remind them of john?? oh worm? let's discuss!

For ES!Sam:

again, i think LS!Sam reminds him the most of john, for a couple of reasons. for sam, he experienced john's parenting as mostly arguing and being unwilling to discuss/hear sam out. it's his way or the highway, and that's something sam really resents about his father (we're not breaking new ground here, lol.) he also hates not being treated like an equal/adult, and resents john for hiding things from him, and keeping him at a distance. sounds familiar? sam getting mad at john for being stubborn is real kettle-pot behaviour, but i digress. LS!Sam absolutely makes the ban on telling-them-the-future conversations. he has a very set idea of how things are supposed to go, and how they are supposed to act. he gets easily frustrated with ES!Sam because ES!Sam presses and presses and presses and wants to Be A Part Of Every Conversation All The Time. ES!Sam resents LS!Sam for "babying" him/not treating him like an equal. ES!Sam felt very patronized by john, and feels very patronized by LS!Sam--the holier-than-thou, i-know-better-than-you-end-of-discussion rubs him WRONG.

as for LS!Dean, i think he would appreciate the softness of him. john had quiet moments. again, if we're going with S!2, sam has softened towards his father in retrospect, so he's primed with john's better moments while he's mourning. LS!Dean is protective. he says simple facts, and it feels like more than the words do (you're my brother. and of course i look out for you. and yes, i am happy. and come here for a second. and are you okay?) he can of course see some of john's anger, but i think it would bother him a little less, because LS!Dean makes such a concentrated effort to make him feel included, and a part of this future. he invites sam out to the garage and cooks him breakfast and they bond over common things, like movies pre-2006. the most negative thing he can say about LS!Dean and john is his control. while LS!Sam is more stubborn, LS!Dean is more controlling. he's a little smothering with his mothering.

For ES!Dean:

with all the fawning he does, he sees mostly john's good qualities in LS!Sam. specifically, i think he sees a lot of the "doting" aspects of john's personality. sam keeps knick-knacks and photographs and takes charge like nobody's business. he's in charge because things work well that way. he's decisive, and true to himself, and knows exactly what he wants when he wants it. he has a truly encyclopedic knowledge of monsters, and is intensely protective of those in his life. the most negative thing he can say about LS!Sam and john is that LS!Sam tends to give orders. which ES!Dean follows, because while he wasn't always sure about dad, sammy has his best intentions at heart. unlike dad, sammy will never ask the impossible of him. sammy knows best.

however, he sees a lot of negative traits in LS!Dean. dad was absent, and emotionally manipulative, and drunk. he had a lot of anger that he kept beneath the surface, and you could be joking with him the one minute and being scolded in the other. you felt like the most important person in his world (high burden of emotional needs) and then he'd disappear for two months and leave you to fend for yourself. very up/down. he never remembers your birthday, but while elbow-deep into a fifth of whisky, he tells you that you and sammy are the only reason he still cares to be alive. he sees LS!Dean's short fuse, and it makes him angry. and it makes him sad. he sees the bottles and bottles and bottles of liquor that they have in the sammy-mandated recycling bin. he sees the hard set of his jaw and the crease between his brows, and the short, sharp replies. then he sees LS!Dean's soft looks with ES!Sam, his quiet devotion to LS!Sam, the far-away stare at nothing. he sees his father, haunted by ghosts and on a mission that LS!Dean seems hyper-focused on, but unsure what it is. so he tries to hyper-control everyone around him, and is so up/down about it that it gives dean whiplash.

i think overall, they will be a lot more critical of themselves than they will be of each other (bc this show loves to capitalize on some self-hating man pain, which...y'know. slay. that's why we're here.) so i think a lot of their perception of "john" qualities will be skewed. especially since we see S!2 boys, but especially dean, be more critical of their relationship with john.

if you had an angry man in your house, you will always have an angry man in your house, etc. etc.

again, i have NO IDEA if these john takes are hot takes because charlotte and i just go "i agree!" "i agree!" back and forth in an endless loop whenever we discuss the man in question. but i hope this was fun!

anyway, i hope YOU have a great day, anon! i hope i answered this in a time when you'll see it! i always worry about anons not being able to see these when i reply bc y'all don't get notified.

but know that this meant so much to me! and i hope you're doing well this fine thursday! i always have time for you, blessed nonnie!

mwah!

-lizzy <3

[k-marzolf]

Restart.

A Monsters in the Dark Drabble.

Warnings; angst, mentions of Billy’s bad childhood and reader’s, language, fear of attachments, kissing, possessive behavior, fem!reader.

I’ve rewritten this more times than I can count, so I’m posting it for better or for worse.

@idaofinfinity @e-dubbc11 @rosaleenablack @firexfate @aoi-targaryen

Monsters in the Dark Masterlist

x

And I am done with my graceless heart, so tonight I’m gonna cut it out and then restart.

You knew you shouldn’t have been, but you were snooping in his office. You wanted to know where he went every week. It wasn’t your business, but curiosity killed the cat.

You ended up finding a picture of a woman and what presumably was Billy as a child. He was cute, you thought unable to tear your gaze away from the photo. He had her eyes, but neither were smiling in the photo.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Billy stood at the door looking thunderous.

“I just—“ you began, head snapping up.

“Get. Out.” He snarled, cutting you off, snatching the photo out of your hand, his face contorted in fury.

“Wanted to know Billy.” You whispered, brushing past him, your throat burning with the effort to keep from crying.

“By invading my privacy?” He seethed from behind you. You sniffed, and god Billy almost pulled you into his arms, knowing what you’d been through with your father.

But he didn’t need or want your pity.

He was going to kick you out, you just knew it. You began making contingency plans. You wouldn’t be homeless again with nowhere to go, you swore.

x

“Billy’s mad at me,” you whispered into your tea, sitting with Curtis.

“He’ll cool off. He just doesn’t want your pity. Billy’s very independent that way.” Curtis said, having coffee himself.

“I don’t, though. My daddy didn’t want me, either. If anything I felt understood, but I’ve gone and blown it.” You said, keeping out that you’d been sleeping with Billy.

Your chest ached knowing you’d have to sleep on your own tonight. That the memories of your father would likely resurface, scaring you. You chewed your lips until they were bloody.

Curtis extended his leg, he looked like he was in pain. “Don't chew your lips,” he scolded, lightly dabbing at the blood there. You had a habit of worrying at your lips, something Curtis often scolded you for, “Want me to talk to him?” He asked, pulling the cloth away from your lips.

“No, it’ll make it worse.” You said, finishing your tea.

Curtis hummed, “It’ll be okay, Billy’s stubborn but I can tell he cares about you, even if he doesn’t say. He’s not good with emotions.” He explained sipping his coffee.

You hoped Curtis was right, because you’d grown to care for Billy, even knowing he wasn’t entirely good, and made his living out of violence.

You trusted him, and even as angry as he got, he hadn’t struck you. He’d been controlled.

You only wished his anger hadn’t hurt so much. A curse of feeling everything strongly, everything felt so deeply.

x

Billy couldn’t fucking sleep. The image of your eyes filled with tears stuck in his head, that he’d caused them. But more than that he missed your warm body next to his, the feeling of your even breaths, and soft snores, the way you played with the scar at his hip before you went to sleep every night. You always had a fixation with it.

You were the only woman he’d let into his bed. It was his one safe space, but he hadn’t been able to turn you away that night you’d begged to sleep with him.

And now he was attached to you. The very thing he hated, because it meant he could be vulnerable again. Sometimes he wanted to cut his heart out, it would make life so much easier.

The woman who was supposed to love him, had abandoned him. The most important relationship he’d ever have in his formative years. His fingers fisted his duvet seeing your sweet face in his mind again.

But god he liked you. He still had the lavender under his pillow that you got him.

“Fuck this,” he hissed, throwing his duvet off. He wanted you in any capacity you’d have him. There was nothing to think about.

x

You laid in bed that night in the guest room, trying not to see your father in the shadows as you usually did, his shadow still hanging over you, frightening you years after his attempt on your life.

You hid under the covers letting out a shaky breath. He’s not here, you told yourself. He can’t get you. You chanted over and over, but a tingle of fear trickled down your spine, making it hard to breathe.

You screamed when you heard someone knock on your doorframe. You peeked out from the covers, “Billy?” You asked, shaking.

“Who else?” He asked not unkindly, his hair mussed from laying on it. “Come to bed,” he said hoarsely, as though he hadn’t gotten much sleep, either.

You hesitated and he ached at your reluctance, “I’m not mad anymore, sweet pea.” He said seeing you shake, before you threw off your duvet, and followed him into his room. When you climbed in, he pulled you against him, stroking your spine, burying his face in your hair. “I’m sorry I scared you,” he rasped, surprising himself. He rarely apologized. But he realized he valued you.

You kissed his mouth, “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have been snooping around.” You mumbled against his lips.

Billy’s fingers dug into your hips, “I just wanna love Billy. Every part of him, even the parts he’d rather forget.” You continued, trying to make him understand.

Billy ached at that. His own mother hadn’t loved him, how could you? You kissed him again, soft and slow making him groan softly, tasting the toothpaste on your tongue.

And just like that the ache in Billy’s heart eased in the wake of your kisses, sweet and yielding.

“You’re mine.” He rasped, making your heart leap with hope.

“You promise?” You asked softly, minty breath blowing over his face.

“I promise.” He said, kissing your forehead, before tucking you under his chin.

And after hours of fighting for sleep, you both fell asleep at two in the morning.