#makes me wonder if Epic does that normally

[the-epic-sanses]

Found this Epic song :D

If anyone were to sing during battle it would be Epic fr. I love how the voice cracks were kept in 😭 . Canon in my heart

[flowersdiceandlove]

hi @allpiesforourown I just saw your Winx Club fandom Binghe post and it made me think of an au. So, modern au, both Shen Yuan and Binghe are involved in multiple fandoms and are both legendary posters in each of them. The thing is...they hate each other. Their online fights go down in fandom history. The Epic Battles of Peerless Cucumber and the Heavenly Pillar. There are fan accounts and Youtube videos dedicated to explaining their messy fights. There's a whole wiki page about it. Binghe has the most unhinged takes and Shen Yuan drives himself mad trying to reasonably dismantle those takes and why they are stupid and what is wrong with you?!?! But, Binghe comes back with somehow solid sounding arguments? That are somehow so crazy and make you lose all sense of right and wrong and turn everything on their head that you actually are like "wait, this guy might be onto something" until you actually remember the context and go "this guy is batshit insane! lock him up!"

So, they go head to head. A lot. Across many fandoms because they actually have the same taste in media to the point that they feel they can't escape each other. Every time they enter a new fandom, they see the comments and posts in the online communities and are like "you got to be effing kidding me!! That guy is HERE too?!?!?!!" Binghe also posts the same type of scathing reviews that Peerless Cucumber is infamous for, which are good, except for the unhinged takes sprinkled in with the logical. And that's what drives Shen Yuan so crazy. Because this "Heavenly Pillar" is actually a good critic and able to comprehend complex themes that so many others miss or misunderstand. He also completely misconstrues stuff with his unhinged takes.

And Binghe, he's just gonna fight to the death to defend his blorbos and ships.

The thing is, Shen Yuan is Binghe's tutor or something irl and Bingbing's got the biggest crush on him. Obviously. And, they talk about shows and books sometimes, and have good, deep discussions about them, finding they have a lot of the same tastes. Shen Yuan will lend Binghe a book or recommend a show and vice versa. They have fun. They do not share their online handles. Shen Yuan does not want this sweet little white sheep he's been tutoring since middle school knowing about some of the stuff he reads and messing up his image (he has an irl reputation to uphold!), and Binghe doesn't want his crush to know exactly how crazy he is and about all the teacher/tutor x student stuff he posts about, thinking it will dash his chances with his precious, sweet Yuan-gege. He's in college now, he might finally have his chance! So, they keep their online lives separate from their irl ones, not just with each other, but with everyone in their lives. Best not to mix them.

And so, things continue until one day, Peerless Cucumber suddenly becomes the Heavenly Pillar's number one supporter. He's going back and ripping apart everyone who's calling the heavenly pillar a lunatic and to lock him up saying "you don't know what's been through! there could be reasons he's like this! and are those takes really that bad!?!?" (yes. they are) People are reeling at the 180 seeming overnight that came out of nowhere after years of rivalry and hate thrown between them. He's also backing the Heavenly Pillar's takes and headcanons up by saying "yeah, I can see how it could be viewed that way. Totally valid." and then presenting a bunch of canon moments and bts and creator interviews to support it. (It's still all totally insane. But now there's two of them) It makes people actually start to question their sanity because Peerless Cucumber is normally the voice of reason, so if he's agreeing with the Heavenly Pillar, then are they the ones that are actually crazy??

Meanwhile, Shen Yuan is in his apartment, reading webnovels on his phone with his new boyfriend's head resting in his lap, idly petting his fluffy hair. Binghe's never been happier.

And, in case you were wondering, Binghe's Heavenly Pillar account has basically turned into a Peerless Cucumber Fan Account. He gushes in his replies to Peerless Cucumber, praising him, and saying how amazing his analysis' are. He'll also, in his own comments and posts, reference Peerless Cucumber posts constantly.

Yes, people are shipping them (they have for a long time, but now it's becoming a more widespread thing). Yes, they have wiki ship page. Yes, their ship name is PillarCum.

[emacrow]

So you know the movie Ponyo

What I'm really trying to ask is do you know the mother and the father are like a little thing where the mother looks like an epic Sea Goddess cuz she is and he looks like a sad sickly old man

I'm just imagine that Klarion and Danny

Like Danny looks like an epic beautiful star Death god powerful in the way he moves but it's subtle like he's slowly comforting you to death

And Klarion looks like a crazy witch boy with a cat who look like he's out right feral and about to throw a pipe bomb at you just because he can

I'm just imagining what happens is Young/Dark Justice is worried about Klarion he's been gone for a while and they're wondering what he's planning I imagine they're surprised when they see him with a Lazarus pit

It's a specially surprising when electric entity sticks their head out of the Lazarus pit and starts talking to Klarion as the JLD and YJL hide there waiting for Klarion into demand help our power they watch this being completely start flirting with Klarion

I imagine Klarion and Danny's conversation going like this

Danny: Hello there my amazing chaos what have you came to talk to me about this time

He puts his hands up to pick up Klarion and bring him closer to his face

Klarion: It's that stupid Doctor Fate it's like he doesn't understand too much balance can ruin the order of the world I might love chaos but that would cause a chaos I couldn't even control

Klarion sits down and Danny's hands rubbing his head on one of Danny's fingers as comfort

Danny: Oh my love I could always talk to him and get him to try slow it down a bit if that's what you need

Danny's face turns into one of concern as he says that slowly starting to move around in the bigger than normal Lazarus pit that Klarion found for him

Klarion: No starlight me and Teekl have that old fart handled how about you tell me about your day instead did you find any more stars how is the balance between life and death doing for you

Danny puts him back down as a twinkle goes in to his eyes as he lays down in Lazarus water slowly starting to swim around as he say

Danny: oh Klarion life and death has been amazing and there's a new Star nursery that I found out there it's just wonderful

After Danny says that he pauses for a moment and presents to go underneath the water he comes out looking smaller with white hair and still wearing the same clothing he was wearing when he was larger surprising Klarion by grabbing his hands

Danny: oh Klarion my dear I have an idea how about we let Dr.Fate have what he wants for once in his miserable life let him have order without the balance that he needs that should show him that he needs you should it not

Klarion takes a second to think through It after he does he grabs Danny's hands right back

Klarion: that's an amazing idea Danny I'll stay with you in the infinite realms let's see how Dr Fate work without chaos helping him keep the balance

After that Danny kisses Klarion on the cheek using the the Lazarus pits to take him and Klarion to somewhere called the infinite realms

I'm sorry this is my first time really writing out Klarion I don't know how to write out characters that well I hope it was good that is what I really like is YJ and JLD was just reacting to this conversation since like the plan was listen and find information

You bet damn right that Dr Fate would have trouble keeping the balance, and would probably have the justice league trying to find Klarion because he thinks he up to something but in reality Klarion is in the middle of deep space, playing around with the stars as Danny is molding and feeding the baby star nursery to build a new universe in the making.

Dani is probably with him doing looping loops playing with star dust while Dan beat up any asteroids that had bad bacteria and let some of the good meteorites in that has good bacteria, and frozen water inside of them.

By the the time Justice league figured it out, probably the Green lantern, Hal. He probably gobsmacked and godsmacked straight back where he came form accidentally by Danny's star fueled cape.

[alba1221141]

Mary Janes

.˳·˖✶𓆩𓁺𓆪✶˖·˳.☁︎

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵

8

(T.W Sexual content)

Y/N

I feel the weight of Cait’s gaze on me even as we get into position for the drills. The tension is still thick, clinging to the air around us. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve let her down, but at the same time, something inside me rebels against her judgment. I’m not the same person I was yesterday, and I’m not sure if I can—or even want to—go back.

The sound of sneakers on the gym floor and Coach’s sharp instructions snap me out of my thoughts. I focus on the drills, pushing my body to keep moving, to not think too hard about the conversation that’s left a weird knot in my chest.

I glance over at Cait once more, but this time, she’s already looking away, her posture stiff, arms crossed over her chest. She’s not glaring anymore, but the distance between us is still there. It’s strange, how something as small as eyeliner can shift the way someone looks at you, and even stranger how it makes me question everything about myself.

Mel’s voice cuts through the silence, her usual easygoing tone filling the space between us. “You know, Cait’s just worried about you.” Her words are softer now, less guarded than they were earlier.

“I know,” I reply quietly, not meeting her eyes. “It’s just… I’m tired of playing it safe all the time.”

Mel gives me a small smile, like she gets it, even if she doesn’t say anything more.

The drills drag on, but my mind keeps wandering back to Cait’s disapproval, to the small voice inside me that wonders if maybe she’s right. Maybe I’m getting in over my head with all of this. But at the same time, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m closer to something real, something that’s mine.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿

Jinx

As per the request of my favorite nerd, I’ve been reading some good old Shakespeare.

I’m supposed to be diving into Romeo and Juliet. Star-crossed lovers, epic tragedy, all that jazz. It should be interesting, right?

But the words are swimming in front of me because, let’s face it, I can’t concentrate for shit.

Not after this morning.

Y/N just looked so fucking pretty.

It’s ridiculous how she doesn’t even try, yet manages to ruin me without saying a word.

The way her hair fell around her face, a little messy but still perfect, and those big, thoughtful eyes that always seem to see right through me.

And that eyeliner—my eyeliner—that I practically begged her to let me do. Seeing my work on her face, sharp and bold, was enough to drive me insane.

Like a little piece of me was with her, walking around, unshakable.

And then there’s the way she blushed when I teased her.

That soft pink creeping up her cheeks, her lips parting like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

Makes me want to press closer, push her boundaries just a little more, see how far I can take it before she pushes back.

Or maybe she wouldn’t push back at all.

What would she be like?

I’ve never seen her with anyone—guy or girl. Hell, does she even like girls?

The thought twists in my chest.

What if she doesn’t?

What if all the teasing, the lingering glances, the way her cheeks flush when I get too close—it’s just her being her, too sweet to tell me to fuck off? But then, what if it’s not?

What if she does?

I wonder what she’d do with one. What she’d do with me.

Do to me.

My hand trails down.

Down.

"Fuck,"

I'm already soaked.

I wiggle out the dampened underwear quickly, and toss it somewhere.

Doesn't matter where, oh fuck.

I lock eyes with myself in the mirror as I spread my legs, as wide as they can go.

Fuck, what has she done to me?

My lipstick’s a mess, smeared from where my teeth dug in.

My thighs are trembling and I haven't even touched... anything yet...

Normally i would just get myself off, quick easy, but Y/N wouldn't do that.

I'm sure she'd been curious, the girl's definitely never seen a pussy before, and I'm not sure any of her books have those lewd acts in them.

My finger slowly circles my clit, fuck that's good.

Gonna go slow.

Y/N would go slow.

My head drops back on my pillow as I resume those slow, slow circles.

God it's torturous.

My unoccupied hand, somehow, finds its way to my tit, totally unprompted.

"Fuck,"

The words barley there this time.

My teeth sink into my lower lip again when I slip a finger inside of me.

Gentle, slow.

Then another finger.

I keep my eyes trained on my reflection as I start those motions.

In out, in out.

"Fuck, fuck, Y/N," I turn my face into my pillow, whimpering now.

I bite down on the pillow to supress my lewd noises.

My hips move with my hand, chasing that sweet, sweet, release.

Fuck what would she do if she could see this.

See the state she's made me into, all squirmy on my bed.

She'd probably get that wide eyed look.

Maybe she'd whimper-

Oh if she damn whimpered-

My thoughts are cut short by a practically pornographic noise ripping from my throat.

"Oh, oh god,"

The noises leaving me gradually become more incoherent.

I can't keep my eyes open anymore, those familiar white spots starting to cloud my vision.

I've had orgasms before, of course I have.

But this was fucking earth shattering.

I don't know if it was the thought of her, those wide eyes, that blush, that spurred me on or what, but my back arched right of the bed, what was practically a cry leaving my mouth.

After regaining function of my senses, I lock eyes with my reflection.

Fuck I look a mess.

I lean closer to the mirror, squinting at the mess.

Jesus Christ.

Smudged eyeliner, streaks of lipstick—no, stains, because apparently, my mouth decided it wanted to eat the damn tube.

"Goddamn," I hiss, swiping at it with my thumb. It just smears more. Great. Now I look like a clown that got into a bar fight.

My hair’s a disaster too—sticking to my forehead in sweaty clumps.

I rake a hand through it, but it’s hopeless. I look like I’ve been... well, doing exactly what I was doing.

The chill of the room finally hits me.

Oh, right.

Still butt-ass naked. My eyes dart around for anything to throw on and land on an oversized hoodie draped over the chair.

Good enough.

I yank it over my head, the fabric catching on my damp skin, and flop back onto my bed.

The hoodie clings to me, sticking uncomfortably in places, but I don’t have the energy to care.

My legs are sprawled out, the hem of the hoodie riding up enough to make it clear I’m not bothering with underwear.

I stare at the ceiling, trying to will my brain into some semblance of order.

It doesn’t work.

My thoughts are still a chaotic mess, flitting between random nonsense and her.

Always back to her.

Her laugh. Her stupid, perfect laugh that’s like sunshine and honey and all that other cheesy shit people write poetry about.

Her eyes—soft, but sharp when she’s focused, like she’s solving the universe one thought at a time.

And that little wrinkle she gets between her brows when she’s concentrating too hard?

Yeah, that one’s burned into my brain. Thanks for that, Y/N.

I groan, rolling onto my side and dragging a pillow over my face. “You’re pathetic,” I mumble into the fabric.

.˳·˖✶𓆩𓁺𓆪✶˖·˳.☁︎

authors note: another short chapter, but i felt it was quite important to have certain bits as their own entity, hope you like it ;)

please like and reblog!

[howlsofbloodhounds]

i am back with another 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 killer headcanon...

all the talk about animalistic skeletons make me think: killer has a cat tongue, spines and all. he uses his tongue to lick wounds and quickly groom himself. but also to freak people out. like, if murder or horror covers his mouth to shut him up, he would just lick their hands with his sandpaper-texture cat tongue. guarantee to make people gross out and not try to shut you up that way anymore!

also, imagine him licking wounds of other people, people that he cares about. like, color is being injured in his hand and killer just instinctively takes his hand and licks over the wound. i think the first time would make color jump in surprise. though, when he learns it's a sign of affection, maybe he'd let killer do that to him within reason.

although uhhh 👀

(cw: possibly suggestive)

now i'm imagining if color's hands are sensitive and color is blushing whenever killer licks his wounds. and like, just the image of it lmaoo. the other epic sanses + cross are over color and killer's place. and color accidentally cuts his hand with a paper or a knife or sth, and killer just non-verbally holds his hand in reverence and licks over the tiny cut, and color is blushing. meanwhile all the others are watching this in mortification, like "this version of hand-holding is so gross(ly intimate). can you guys stop doing that in front of us please? we're in public."

Bro imagine if he licked away Color’s tears every time he cried too. I had a cat that always did that once. I’d imagine that he’d lick wounds, tears, and blood, maybe even sweat because he’s just a weird like that—even in a non animalistic skeleton type of universe, I can see killers higher stages just doing these things instinctively for some reason (idk i always had this thought that the higher two stages just have very unusual ways of either showing affection or just not showing any at all for various reasons.)

I wonder if he’d eventually get around to grooming color or those he cares about with his tongue too 💀.

also for some reason i just had a thought of him like, lightly scratching someone’s spine with his claws like he does for his cats. like maybe he does or did it to dust/horror/cross whenever they’re mad or tense or anxious, and now it’s just something he instinctively does to color too. i wonder if he ever managed to sneak nightmares tentacles some scritches too.

(perhaps because nightmare’s actual back/spine may be too sensitive for it, given tentacles did burst out of there and it may’ve caused him some physical damage. not to mention nightmare may not allow that type of contact.)

And also the phrasing of ‘this version of hand holding’ made me think that color and killer have such strange and intimate ways of holding hands that the others are like, clutching their pearls and just begging them to please be normal and think of the children!

[aihoshiino]

I just rewatched the first episode of Oshi no Ko again and I have to spew at someone who understands the brainrot lmao

It always gets me how Ai is such a kind and loving person that she LITERALLY EXTENDS COMPASSION TO HER OWN MURDERER. She acknowledges that she's not sure she truly loves him and her other fans, but she WANTS to. She remembers who he is, remembers his name, and remembers the gift he got her. And this is all after he, you know, stabbed her and hurled a tirade of misogynistic slut-shaming at her.

And while she's bleeding out on the floor, she idly wonders if the dome concert and her movie gig will get canceled; the thought of her death inconveniencing others makes her sad. And of course, she spends her last breaths telling her children how much she loves them.

idk dude it just kills me that Ai is such a deeply loving, compassionate, and warm person and yet convinced herself that she's nothing but a liar who's incapable of love. This is what being abused as a child does to you 😭

i was white knuckle gripping this ask for So long because I wanted to add something intelligent or substantive to it but. man. MAN!!!!! this really is just the whole damn thing isn't it.

I think this scene in particular is why I was always so baffled by people who seemed to ready and able to jump to assumptions about Ai that amount to like... not necessarily that she was Secretly Evil but that everything about her was some Epic Manipulationz and even stuff like her scene with Ryosuke was just her being Such A Good Liar and being an Epic Female Sigma Manipulator or what the fuck ever. Or that she was lying all the way through 45510 and Viewpoint B.

Because like... at that point, are you even really engaging with the character or the text? No, you're explaining it away and erasing it. And after that, what is left? What emotion and narrative weight do we have left if all those incredible scenes were just pretend all along? Essentially, what people who advocate for this reading of her character are trying to push is a version of the series in which the reader's baseline emotional investment in the fucking premise is meaningless and ultimately betrayed.

I think there are stories in which that intentional sense of anticlimax and betrayal are both intentional and thematically resonant - Umineko immediately comes to mind but there are also plenty of other stories in which we're presented with a character on a pedestal only to have it crumble in front of us and both reader and characters alike must process what that means for them.

Oshi no Ko very deliberately does not do this because its core point is that Ai didn't want to be on the fucking pedestal! She just wanted to be treated like a normal human being. The deconstruction of her character is really, at the end of the day, an indictment of the people around her who contributed to deifying and dehumanizing her. The deep dark secret that the series spends 130+ chapters building towards is, after all, "Ai Hoshino was just a normal girl you could find anywhere."

[sciencegothic]

do you think athena ever resents Zeus for robbing her of the chance of having had a "normal birth" and a mother like everyone else has? does athena ever imagine what being a child would have felt like? what holding her mom's hands and hiding behind her dress would have felt like? i wonder if hera is nice to athena because she knows athena never had a mother. she was born before Zeus and her got married, after all, so Hera has no real reason to hold grudges like she held against Apollo, Artemis and Dionysus (all born out of affairs and not out of a previous union). Hera and Athena are often in the same side, they supported the acheans against troy and seem to generally respect each other.

Am I thinking all this just because of that "Hey, baby" in Hera's level in God Games? YEAH ABSOLUTELY.

ohh you came to the right person because mother-daughter dynamics drive me wild actually

i think there’s something to be said about a girl raised by her father because her father had his will that she would not have a mother. a girl who was born adorned in armour because her mother crafted it for her. athena was born a warrior of the mind (quite literally), and though zeus may shaped her and taught her as she grew, a lot of who she is can be attested to her birth. to her mother. so i think, yes, although athena is loyal to zeus, although she is his favourite, pe4ect daughter - there is still going to be a part of her that grieve for the mother she didn’t get to have, an resents the father who bears the reason.

i do like the idea that hera has a maternal dynamic with athena, then, because i think it would be good for both of them. athena finally gaining a mother-like presence in her life, and hera making a conscious choice of treating her as a daughter, knowing that the decision is hers, the girl is hers, and this isn’t like the other children of zeus. i think the “hey baby” line is quite telling, i definitely interpreted it as a sort of maternal-inflection, mother greeting daughter (in a sense). also just the whole way that hera interacts with athena in god games is really interesting. specifically her lines:

Try harder

and:

You can do better than that

it’s almost like she wants athena to win. where all the other gods presents their own arguments against odysseus, hera is giving way for athena to presents hers for him. she’s actively encouraging her to persuade her; she knows what athena - goddess of wisdom - is capable of, and she’s waiting to be hit with the wit that she knows athena posses. she knows athena “can do better than that”, she wants her to. she’s by far the most relaxed and causal of the gods throughout the games, i think to her this is just for fun and she sort of just wants to play around with athena for a bit. i like the interpretation that they’re locked in a dance during their conversation, like hers is using this as an excuse to just have some fun. maybe just for her own sake, but also maybe to spend sone time with athena.

headcanon wise, i do like the idea that hera is the one to take athena away after zeus’ wrath, or at least is the first to go to her. like i said, she seems to see the games as a very casual thing and doesn’t show any real contempt towards athena like the other gods do. she probably didn’t expect things to ever actually get dangerous. and of course, she also has her own qualms with zeus, so seeing him do something so heinous to his own daughter - i feel like that would kick in some kind of material instinct within her. she’d want to keep athena safe.

i should preface this all with the fact that this is all based solely in the context of epic. i’m sure the gods and their dynamics are different within wider mythology, but looking solely at the musical, these are some of my takes

[enixamyram]

Rewatching the episode to give even more thoughts in every detail because I am so obsessed right now!

I don't give a f*ck what the anti's whine. I actually think Stella is a good villain. I genuinely like how much of a dumbass bitch she is. She's fun and entertaining and I can't wait for her downfall where I predict she'll throw a tantrum worthy of her usual hissy fits.

(Also, side note, I love her voice actress.)

I love the mugshots of Moxie, Blitzo and Millie. But I have to wonder, where is the Loona picture from? She looks so happy and sweet.

I know a lot of people have fawned over that moment where Loona tucks the picture away. And I love that moment too. But I also love this one. Blitzo has such nervous enthusiam meanwhile Loona's just kind of impressed.

And why does this one shot hit me so hard?! No one splits up M&M!

And these are the faces of people who realized that so long as Blitzo was allowed to represent himself, they were screwed. Someone get this Imp a lawyer to speak for him!

Side note; I love Bee's outfit!

Ya'll have no idea how loudly I wanted to scream at this moment!

(But I was still working when I was watching it so I had to settle for muffled squeaking instead...)

I said in another post but I genuinely loved what little we saw of Vassago in this episode. He immediately seems like a sweetheart and I want more of him in the future! I could honestly see him playing a fun role with I.M.P.

I have nothing negative to say about this episode... Except I wasn't crazy about Satan's singing voice... I mean the normal talking voice was good but his singing wasn't really the epic I was expecting (I think I was expecting something like Luke Holt as Zeus... but maybe that's just me...)

But anyway! They need to figure out a way to do a crossover. I need to see all the Deadly Sins meeting up with Lucifer, even if it's just for a short or something.

Someone else pointed out that Octavia doesn't run into her mums arms. In fact she actually steps back away from her and is hesitant to return the hug. Now it could be shock about what's happening to her dad but it does make me wonder if Stella wasn't a very distant mother. I mean, we saw as a young child Stella used to send Stolas to comfort Octavia after a nightmare so it's not so far fetched to believe she was a reluctant mother as well as a reluctant bride.

A brief funny moment ("So uh... Can I go then?") before Vivzie rips my heart apart.

Speaking of ripping my heart. You know what's really traumatic? Stolas is in shock so he hasn't told everyone the reality of what's happened, aka that he can't see his daughter. So Blitzo and Loona have no idea and are hugging and being sweet and it's lovely but they don't even realize they're unintentionally rubbing it in Stolas' face... It is somehow a beautiful, wholesome and yet awful, tear-jerking moment in one single screenshot.

Blitzo is so gentle with him...

Of course let's end on this screenshot...:

[jazzically]

ok even tho im in the middle of magp 9 i stopped my epic rave on the internet to also post this tangential digression that i barfed out by accident so that my mind appears to express itself at least somewhat chronologically and so that my posts are oriented vaguely in the order of a normal thought process:

An Argumentative Essay (that i literally wrote to myself mid-episode. why. what even) about something i noticed myself doing unconsciously

As i listen to magp 7 my newly conspiracy-theorist brain is actively and incessantly trying to find parallels between tma and tmagp (is the mysterious security guy like breekon and hope? is the oxford's people's trust akin to the people's church of the divine host, and that is why it burned down? does the press of a sea of laughing volunteers have to do with the buried, and/or their end with the slaughter?) and it took me like five full minutes to realize that i was being silly and should stop trying to identify exact similarities for a number of reasons: they wouldn't do that because it might be rather cheap and boring; people coming from Magnus would have an upper hand and be able to infer things from prior knowledge; this is an entirely new premise and story simply set in the same universe; and the simple fact that fear — broad a category as it is, as exemplified in the first two hundred episodes of the magnusverse — is the centerpoint of horror. of course there will be parallels!! if only coincidentally!!! lmao what am i thinking

anyway i started writing this because i wanted to appreciate/highlight the writers' efforts in making the stories so conceptually new in content, despite the constant temptation (at least, i feel it, secondhandedly) to adhere to the rules (categories of fear) already in existence, meticulously built up to craft horror tales specifically set in this universe already... it would be easy. but protocol is, in essence, a different series, and deserves the same amount of love and freshness and work put into it. i should stop guessing at what to expect, because i shouldn't pretend i know any more than i did when starting magnus lol

ALSO I LOOOVE THE MYSTERY!!! why would i spoil it for myself!!!!

p.s. im not sure whether the sam/celia romance feels forced to me but it's too early to tell

ANYWAY let me just reiterate how it was an absolutely wonderful surprise to discover alex and jonny still had character roles in protocol i have no idea why i didn't see it coming

eeeeeeee im so excited i get to listen in real time with the fandom nowww eeeeeeeeeee

i do regret (in such a minor way that it may be considered inconsequential) that the episodes aren't named CASE 7 or whatever bc that would be cool but maybe they aren't all gonna be cases ?? perhaps the structure is different.... hMMmmMM

8 seasons is crazy like wow props to you guys im so DAMN EXCITED

[asherlockstudy]

hey! i am working through the one story. it is FASCINATING. can't wait to hear your thoughts on 437 and Link's obsession with everyone else's horniness and not just focusing the dancing girl.

Thank you so much!!!!! :@@@

I am not a big fan of Sextember because I am supposed to take them seriously and not question what they say, so I am in a constant state of mentally yelling "shut up" to my brain. Moreover I used to not like it because it always served as a setback after the GMEs the previous years, like an overcorrection. And it is tmi sometimes. Thankfully this time we only get one episode.

Okay what does this mean: "...what I did when I was 15 years old and I was - still my Nana's romance and just thumb through them until I found a word that I thought was a euphemism for wiener. And then I was off to the jackpot *rubs ear* ". Now, I am not a native English speaker but I looked it up and found this phrase "off to the jackpot" nowhere, so what if I took it way too literally, as in "I was off - to the - jack pot". Is this what it means? And if so, was it a euphemism for wiener that did it for Link? Am I understanding this right or...?

When asked how frequently he has missionary sex, Link tried SO HARD to not say like 95% of the time lol. But honestly I agree with Rhett it is getting a totally unfair bad rap, it's one of the best positions if you actually love the person and I wonder whether some people shit on it because they don't have that level of intimacy / comfort and missionary makes it awkward and not because it is always SO bOrINg

Rhett all "ooh" and "ah" and "interesting", especially when Link said he always tidies himself up after sex and before sleep, as if they hadn't had a huge convo with Josh between them a few years ago in GMM in which Rhett had a hard time dealing with the fact that Link always needs to get up and put clean clothes after sex while he likes to sleep naked and he had enough opinions about it that you could almost suspect it was his slumber that Link was interrupting. Also there was an accidental "I know you don't like me sleeping without a t-shirt" or something or a similar fail of epic calibre by Rhett. And I think it was also the episode where they were flirting and Rhett was asking Link whether "a girl" likes to wear her boyfriend's t-shirts because he's so much bigger than her, all that after it was established Link has a habit of taking Rhett's t-shirts... But here yeah, Rhett was hearing all this for the first time...

Link saying he became good at sex after he moved to California

Do shut up, they explained why it is the case, shhhhh hush shut shut stop

The fact that they chose Belvedere over each other... wow. First of all, I am against the person who sent that voicemail. Just saying. We know that it is something that makes them uncomfortable, don't make them confront it face to face. They were clearly very uncomfortable. The biggest, deepest and ultimate reason they picked Belvedere was because the fan was essentially manipulating them into picking each other. They put them against the concept of mating with an animal-like deity and everybody knowing about it. So, everything that is vile put together - bestiality, sacrilege, shame. What they were doing was to bring forward the image of a "secret Rhett and Link sex affair", very triggering, to their face? Come on. And push them to say that after all that wouldn't be all that bad compared to the other horror. And they reacted against it exactly because the answer was manipulated to be obvious. Unless they truly think that publicly shagging a rooster god is a better idea, which would be kind of alarming. They obviously did not give the normal answer because they felt coerced into it and because the whole situation is very suspicious. I mean, average platonic straight friends comfortable in their skin would be like "okay man it's gonna be one lame night and we never talk about it again and nobody will know hahaha". But they couldn't even go for that. You know? Unless they truly are the most unattractive people they have seen to each other... which... based on previous interactions those last 12 years... doesn't seem to be exactly the case. But what do I know? I still think that voicemail was a big foul both from the sender and the crew and they were frustrated, they lowkey admitted it.

Honestly, I sort of understand Link in the strip club thing. Men are used to be so unapologetic about their horniness and lust that it has become a standard thing to just go with your pals and all sport a hard on for the same woman in the public. I am not saying it is bad but I can totally get that someone might not like this type of vulnerability or impertinent forwardness (whichever way you look at it). I don't think it was so much for not going crazy for the stripper (though it could be a possibility to suspect) but rather that Link is uneasy with blurring lines of dynamics (the irony), he likes clear-cut situations................Unless he has no alternative.................. But it could be that the knowledge of horny males surrounding him could be alarming to him for various reasons, fair enough.

"Because Christy will call me a name, she'll call me names" yeah… yeah… *zips mouth*

Despite receiving judgment again, Link was mostly keeping it cool except he showed hints of annoyance in two occasions, when Rhett said a billion times he would double check with his wife first before doing anything like going to a strip club (which is awesome and the right thing to do, however he said it so many times it felt he put on the cassette playing) and the second time Rhett came back to the "I'm not going to the strip club with you, I already knew I would not have a good time with you in a strip club" which was so out of nowhere and it hurt Link, despite being able to laugh at it the first time Rhett made the joke. Rhett was kinda assholey in this episode. He is always off-putting to me in Sextembers. At this rate, if in theory there is a chance of doing a big announcement, you know what, I don't see Rhett doing it in the next 50 years lol He is so not ready.

Okay he saved it a bit with this last look I guess

"See what names you call me when my head is between your legs"

[bloopitynoot]

What I read This Week: 01/05/25

I am a librarian, and unrelated to stereotypes about my profession, I do read a metric shit-ton in a week. Most of it is fanfiction but hey, I thought maybe it's time I share my reads?

This is what I read this week:

1. Heaven Official's Blessing by MXTX Chapter 8-13

Summary: Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedication and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise, can also fall…and fall he does, cast from the Heavens again and again and banished to the mortal realm.

Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time. Now only a lowly scrap collector, he is dispatched to wander the earthly realm to take on tasks appointed by the heavens to pay back debts and maintain his divinity. Aided by old friends and foes alike, and graced with the company of a mysterious young man with whom he feels an instant connection, Xie Lian must confront the horrors of his past in order to dispel the curse of his present.

I've finished book 1 and am just into book2. I'm reading about a chapter a day and live blogging the experience. you can follow along on the Bloopitynoot reads TGCF tag

NO SPOILERS PLS.

So far I am loving it!

2. if you don't have your own boyfriend, rented is fine by nyoomerr (86,177)

Summary: After being turned away by the nice Shizun of that other world, Luo Binghe finds himself in the modern world where he can find a new nice Shizun for himself. Instead, he finds Shen Yuan, who could not possibly be who he's searching for - he's crass, and inelegant, and looks only vaguely related to Shen Qingqiu.

Luckily for both of them, Shen Yuan mistakes Luo Binghe as a cosplayer for hire, and asks to rent him out as his very normal new boyfriend.

The miscommunication is juicy in this.

There are a lot of cringe moments- but there really wouldn't be without these two anyways.

Lots and lots of character growth- on both sides!

A solid read.

3. pride is not the word I'm looking for by Tossawary (408,442)

Summary: Shang Qinghua goes to take a self-indulgent peek at his baby protagonist son and gets a kick to the shrivelled heart for his troubles. He gave up on changing the story years ago! Yet he finds himself helping his protagonist son's adoptive mother anyway. Just this one change won't matter too much, right?

One little change leads to more. Shang Qinghua never meant to care, but he becomes invested in making sure that his new family survives the looming plot. With the changes to the world cascading around him, with his position as a traitor pulling him between his sect and a certain ice demon, and with the protagonist growing up so quickly, how is one displaced author meant to ensure that everything turns out all right?

A Pre-Canon to Canon Divergence story.

This is truly an epic! This part is just over 400K and the first of a long series

Super cool premise- less bingqiu and more moshang, which did make me hesitate BUT there looks like there could be a bingyuan budding relationship (I don't want to spoil anything!)

totally recommend it was an incredible read, the author is a talented writer!

4 Fruition by sami (15, 695)

Summary: "One day I will conquer all England and grind their ruling classes beneath my heel," Arthur said.

Legend records that Arthur was the noblest of princes, the greatest of warriors, and the manliest of men.

He wouldn't lie about something like that.

okay I know this is a weird summary for an mdzs au but TRUST.

This is part of sami's ridiculous future bullshit series that follows the time travel fix it series the Same Moon Shines; all of these are AMAZING.

Pls this is the most historically nerdy thing I have ever read in my life. It is so damn good.

Also the wildest triad pairing i really don't want to spoil- it makes sense in the context of the future bullshit story

Honestly everything sami posts is amazing <3

5 ever wonder if the person in the puddle is real by Tossawary (6, 842)

Summary: Pre-canon Shang Qinghua from a Canon Divergent AU meets post-canon SVSSS Shang Qinghua. It's kind of weird to see where he started versus where he ended up.

A non-canon extra for "pride is not the word I'm looking for".

Part two of Pride is not the word I'm looking for

we love an au of an au

a small little ficlet centered on Shang Qinghua that is so good- I love it when they meet their alt selves in svsss

6. you had me at hello by Tossawary (5,153)

Summary: In which Luo Binghe bumps into someone else with a lot of questions about Su Xiyan at the third Immortal Alliance Conference.

A non-canon extra and Canon Divergence AU for "pride is not the word I'm looking for".

part three of Pride is not the word I'm looking for

Another canon divergent au of the part 1 au but binghe's pov

I am unsure if more was written for this au, but I hope! It has such a solid ending.

7. forgiveness for whose sake? by Tossawary (47,726)

Summary: Luo Jiahui's life is going so well, until a figure from her past pays an unexpected visit, and then she ends up even more unexpectedly meeting with the abusive family she left behind. She never wanted her past to become present like this, but she hopes she's grown enough to handle it.

An extended epilogue / multi-POV look into the world of "pride is not the word I'm looking for" several months after the end of the main story.

Part 4 (canon continuation) of Pride is not the word I'm looking for

The growth in this fic is so good. I also truly love how the author handles familial relationships- especially not so good ones.

This was truly such a warm coming into yourself type of fic.

definitely recommend (provided you've read part 1 or you'd be very lost).

8. Ghosts Shouldn't by ShanaStoryteller (15, 236)

Summary: Wei Wuxian's spirit lingers.

holy shit this fic. I sobbed ngl, but it was very much worth it.

this was rec'd to me by my pal @futuretimelord-468.

I dont even want to say more in case I spoil it, but happy endings all around :'3

I do wish that this universe had more because I love everything about it.

9. love to the ones I've never met by Tossawary (82, 834)

Summary: Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua are doing their best to prepare for the protagonist's vengeful return from the Abyss, only to be visited by a strange woman seeking their help. Her name is Luo Jiahui, adoptive mother to Luo Binghe, and she's terribly lost. This isn't her world.

An extra for "pride is not the word I'm looking for" in which SVSSS meets PINTWILF.

Last part, Part 5 extra of Pride is not the word I'm looking for

This was such a solid fic; I love when universes collide on svsss fics. Especially when it makes both worlds better

You definitely need to read part 1 to know what's happening in this story.

Heartwarming/hopeful ending :'3 for both universes

[americana-antihero]

Long post, but TLDR: Lois is allowed to be flawed.

Everyone and their mother is talking about how Lois responded to Clark's secret. It seems like many are on the side of Lois, believing she did nothing wrong. And then there are many who are on the side of Clark, believing he did nothing wrong.

Before I say what I believe, let me make this point: it seems that any time a female character does something wrong, fans immediately dislike the character from that point onward. And before anyone thinks I am referring only to male fans, nope! It's actually all of my female friends who grow immediately disgusted with the female character and refuse to redeem her.

And honestly, it's hard to blame them. Because often, when a female character does something that is morally wrong, it's not written as a character flaw that she will learn to work through. It's written as an Epic Girl Power Moment! Look at this Strong Indepedent Woman! She'll jump off a building to prove she's right - that's so cool and edgy and not a sign of emotional instability at all!

What Lois did came from a place of emotional instability, and that's not a bad thing. The writers need to lean into that to flesh her out as a character, and I think they will.

Someone else mentioned how Lois's issues with her father have led to this moment. Her father concealed everything from her, and growing up, Lois probably had to learn how to get the truth out of him, even if she had to use manipulation. It was kind of a survival skill. She can't stand not knowing something, and that's why she's at a job where she gets to learn EVERYTHING.

So now she's got this good friendship with Clark in which she has tried to be more open with him than their first story together. They have built trust. When Lois finds out that he is Superman, she gives him the chance to open up to her. Judging by her playful attitude, if Clark told her that he is Superman, Lois would have probably reacted positively.

And then things take a turn. Lois is so desparate for the truth that she handcuffs herself to Superman. And then he leaves her at the Daily Planet so she won't get hurt.

That's probably when Lois was at her most unstable. Because that whole time, she waited for him, wondering if he would get hurt. And when she saw the scratches on Clark, it probably reminded her of how she felt when she found out her mom was sicker than her dad would admit. That was the nail in the coffin for her.

By taking a step off that building, Lois is acting out of unresolved grief.

Yes, what Lois did was wrong. But that doesn't make her a bad character. It makes her a real one. By trying to defend her actions as "good," "right," "just," and "morally sound," it would do a disservice to where the writers are going with her character. Or at least, where I hope they go. I really hope this isn't a case of "Epic Girl Power Moment."

As for Clark, he did nothing wrong. People (albeit few) are trying to say he should have told Lois the truth...but he already tried. His fear about her publishing his secrets was valid, because that's what she said in Episode 1 - "We'll make him tell us his secrets - AND THEN WE'LL PUBLISH THEM!" Clark has no reason to believe that Lois wouldn't do that.

I also think Clark struggles to see what people actually think of him. Because maybe if he could see how much Lois cares about him, he wouldn't have been scared to tell her the truth about his identity. Instead, he believes that she "hates" Superman...which she never said she did, that I can remember. Clark just assumed that.

So I think maybe Clark had an experience growing up that made him think that everyone would hate or disrespect him. Probably something to do with why he couldn't play sports, or how his connection with Lana ended up. It's seen in how desperate he is to be a "normal man with a normal life." He's afraid that people won't accept him for who he is.

If Clark and Lois talk through it, it could be the most touching moment in Clois history.

[nothirstonmain]

Hii👋 me again. Just saw the fanfic of my req and it was epic👍

So wondering if you could do toya, rui, freminet, and if you want: akito and lyney x gn! reader who gets bullied by girls at school bc she's half deaf and also gets her hearing aids stolen A LOT. Ty

[WAHAHA glad it was to your liking ! Time for me to flex the writing muscle again. Sorry this took so long, school and allat]

[Warnings: like OOC maybe?? Bad grasp on these goobers. Canon isn't REAL.]

♡ He doesn't really like violence. ♡ BUT. ♡ Joking ofc he wouldn't beat people up. maybe. ♡ He'd always be there to comfort you, obviously, and maybe try to act as Scary Dog Priveledge ♡ This mf would tell the Principal or a Teacher about this if you won't ♡ He ain't havin' it!!!!!! ♡ Bonus, I have the feeling his family would be somewhat rich.... he'd try to find you new hearing aids whenever he can ♡ I think he'd also try to learn sign language, just to communicate with you a bit easier sometimes ♡ Overall 10/10, sweet boy :3

♡ Very unhappy when he finds out about this ♡ He doesn't get angry easily but So Help Him- ♡ He loves you! He can't have you getting bullied! ♡ So what does he do? ♡ Jumpscares the girls. Steals ur hearing aids back. Anything else chaotic. ♡ Listen it's KIND OF FUNNY TO SEE THEM JUMP to him at least ♡ They just start getting intimidated and leave him alone ♡ He would then give you back your hearing aids. Problem solved, at least for now. ♡ He'd be willing to try and make hearing aids himself. He's good enough at that kind of thing. Maybe. ♡ Physically restrain him before he starts an explosion, please.

♡ He doesn't know wtf he's supposed to do ♡ He offers comfort. He's so lost. Help this poor boye. ♡ He hates seeing u upset tho ♡ He takes a "let me try nd cheer u up. pls." approach ♡ So you two end up collecting Romaritime flowers and watching the tidalga ♡ He secretly slips a few words to father.. ♡ Oh, you aren't seeing the bullies at school anymore and got a new pair of hearing aids on your doorstep? What good luck! ♡ He's a bad liar, okay, just don't mention any suspicions and he'll be proud of himself ♡ Bonus, I think he'd already know sign language. useful in the water I'd assume

♡ Oh fuck that ♡ I think he would beat people up about it. He gives off the ~energy~ yk ♡ Nobody does that to his s/o and gets away with it ♡ Would buy you new hearing aids if he could afford it. Which he Cannot. ♡ You can cuddle with him as long as u want afterwards ♡ He may be a bit flustered abt it. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh don't tell anyone ♡ Least Normal one here I think. quite humorous

♡ He also takes a "don't worry, you won't see those scum anymore :3" approach (kind of like Fremi but very brazen about it.) ♡ Comfort first, then he deals with the girls himself. ♡ He comes home with blood on him like "hey i took care of your problem !! :D" ♡ I want to imagine this is true even if it isn't so let me bend canon until I break it in half, okay ♡ Will not leave u alone until he's positive you're feeling better ♡ Following u around like a lil kitten all night. No Escape.

[tare-anime]

SxF Mission 83

(Beware of spoilers)

Hoo boooyy!!! We've been right!!!

It is Loid who got shot! Because he hesitate!!

The highlight of this chapter for me?

This panels

Both men.

Broken.

Injured.

And both apologize to Yor.

Uuugggghhhhhhhh!!!!

The brotherhood angst!!!

Uuuhhhh!!!

> Will this makes the relationship between Loid and Yuri better or worse?

> Will Yuri be hospitalized and thus making Yor upset, and Twilight to feel even more guilty?

> Will Yor notice Loid was hurt and blame herself for not being able to protect him?

> Will Yuri digs on information for Twilight who now he knows must be someone close to him for able to mimick his gestures perfectly? (Yuri is smart)

Another hightlight for me?

The return of belt move by Twilight.

I love it how the original idea from anime team is adapted by Endo.

I will never forget the epic Twilight belt moves in anime ep 5! Accompanied by Know_name's banger piece TBD no less!

And who teaches Westalis' best spy that belt move??

Why of course none other than his badass mentor: the Handler Sylvia Sherwood herself!

Woohooooo!!!!

(And somehow the last half of the chapter become less interesting for me 😅😅😅😅

Geez, I'm so subjective.)

Yea yeah, Fiona looks so much better with black hair. And as Twilight's mentee, she does shows her capability of being one of the best WISE spy.

And so is Agent mustache!! (A.k.a Midnight. Imma dub him Midnight. Or as @shinybluebirdwizard love to call him, Normal Normanson) He is shown to still able to work as a field agent.

And voila, looks like the person in the hotel is indeed the real Winston Wheeler himself. Quite capable in reading situation. Quite capable in diguises also.

Welp!!!

Anyway. Very interesting arc so far.

I wonder where will Endo lead us now.

[mickemz01]

@hadeswritesthings

OH okay ummmm!!! This is going in its own post because it CANNOT stay in the comment section forever. Oh god, Epic the Musical is so good, how could you make me choose.

Ruthlessness from the Underworld Saga was my favorite for so long, not only because of the sound, but the lyrics themselves. I actually got into Epic because I was sent lyrics to this song!!! “Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves” paired with “The line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible” are SO interesting to me. Coming off of a media where the MC has adopted that same mindset does things to you. Obviously, not giving two shits about your actions DOES make it easier to take lives! And that is vital to Odysseus’ arc where he must become the monster in order to make it home. But following Odysseus’ ‘apology’, we get the line “The line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible” and I think this line is slept on so badly. Poseidon’s saying that there’s hardly any a line between being naive to think that Odysseus’ actions have no consequences, and being hopeful that his actions will not have any consequences. Which, I’d say, is so correct. It’s also Poseidon calling Odysseus out for being an itty bitty tiny baby kitten of a monster whose eyes haven’t even opened yet. 

God, do you wanna know where this is seen again? Different Beasts, where Odysseus gives the sirens what I like to describe as Poseidon treatment, where instead of just killing the sirens, Odysseus leaves them to drown. But Different Beasts is not actually one of my favorites, so I’ll go into the next, which is Scylla.

Scylla is SUUUCH an underrated song, and I believe it’s because the lines and their meaning + intent fly over so many people’s radars. I’m absolutely referencing the line where Eurylochus admits to opening the wind bag.

Just. Eurylochus isn’t apologizing for opening the wind bag. It is absolutely a part of it, but Eurylochus admitting he opened the wind bag was not actually the point of the apology. 

Eurylochus was apologizing for doubting the leadership of Odysseus. This, of course, goes back to the Ocean Saga, that one little line, “Everything’s changed since Polities,” where Odysseus’ pattern of acting out, or at least differently, can be traced back to.

Reading the Odyssey, there’s a line that tells the readers that Odysseus always shares his treasure. I unfortunately didn’t mark the exact line, so feel free to call me a liar for this paragraph, but I can back it up with Epic the Musical.

Before Odysseus gives up his name, location, age, credit card number, and social security number to Polyphemus, Athena warns him that what he’s about to do would not be a good idea! Athena interjecting during Remember Them is wonderful evidence that Odysseus is going against his normal actions, and acting out. It can be inferred that he’s never done something as severe as this, in 10 years of war.

And in Keep Your Friends Close, Odysseus descending from Aeolus’ island with a bag of presumed treasure and not sharing it, is not like him. Keeping a bag of treasure for his own greed while actively lying (“lying”) to his men about the dangers they’d face if they were to open it? Wow! He’s sure acting out! What was the last time Odysseus acted out? When he gave his name to Polyphemus, after the death of Polities.

Is there a pattern?

And so, the wind bag is opened, because obviously Odysseus is keeping secrets for his own greedy gain, while fibbing about the dangers of the bag.

And then we get to Scylla.

Because Odysseus was not lying about the contents in the bag, and Eurylochus finally gets a chance, over calm waters, to apologize for thinking Odysseus would ever do so. 

Eurylochus apologizes for assuming that Odysseus would ever intentionally lie, or not tell the complete truth, when it came to the crew’s safety.  

You’ll never guess what Odysseus does next!!!!

He withholds the truth about his intentions and what that means for the crew’s safety!!!!!

He does EXACTLY what Eurylochus had JUST apologized for accusing him of doing!!!!

And then we have Mutiny.

@hadeswritesthings Pleaaaase let me know your favorites, too!! I'd love to hear them.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Delta anon here again and I've got another headcanon for you:

Delta and Beta are very touch starved (as are all of the Epic Sanses, honestly), and absolutely love physical affection/attention, but don't necessarily know how to ask for it, much less how to ask for it without being embarrassed by showing vulnerability and admitting they need things.

(Beta's also probably not used to being allowed to ask for affection, due to our headcanon of him maybe being abused before he had fallen into the underground, so he was probably taught from a very young age that initiating affection wasn't allowed or okay to do, or that affection might turn into hurt.)

And since the Epic Sanses have all been friends for probably years, they most likely began to be able to pick up on Delta/Beta's cues on when they need something but don't want to ask. Said cues might be lingering around a bit too long, sudden physical touch or affection, randomly bringing up something relating to their need so they can see how their friends would react before they attempt asking. Stuff like that, probably.

(They test the waters like this, mostly because they're too embarrassed to ask for the attention/affection they need, because vulnerability is not a concept they're good with yet. Sure, they're vulnerable with their friends in some ways, but they'd rather die than ask for affection/attention straightforwardly.)

Color and Epic would also just eventually get used to Delta/Beta becoming more and more comfortable with them physically over the years. It still takes Delta and Beta a bit of time to feel comfortable asking, so instead of asking like a normal person, they settle for initiating - subtle nudges, leaning against/on them, stuff like that. And eventually once they got comfortable enough, they'd probably be fine with just silently cuddling right up to Color or Epic if they need the attention and aren't getting it.

Lucky for them, Color and Epic are patient and are able to understand what they need after a while. If they see Delta or Beta getting fidgety or trying to subtly initiate affection, they'll gladly reciprocate and offer affection.

(In my mind, it's sort of like how a cat wants attention but would rather die than be normal about it and ask for pets. It also might be how cats pretend to show disinterest, but in reality, they do want the attention.)

Thoughts?

I think this is a wonderful but also kind sad headcanon, although the thought of them getting better at initiating physical affection eventually makes me very happy.

It actually kinda reminds me of how I picture Killer and his cat-like ways. I usually view him (at least while in Stage 2) to have been so used to either being denied what he wanted or needed, or having those things held over him and used to control him, that he just started detaching from ever needing or wanting anything—which was only encouraged and reinforced. Really helps to convince someone that they’re an emotionless being if they believe they no longer have needs or wants.

So I always pictured that once he realizes that he actually needs something (id imagine itd be a lot harder for him to recognize or care about a want, if he’s internalized that what he wants doesn’t matter), he’s basically gonna do just about anything to get what he thinks he needs and to keep it. Manipulation, intimidation, blackmail, mind games, people pleasing and fawning.

Which is why I often think it’d take a long time for him to do things like express affection or ask for it openly if there’s no reason for it—those things are often tools for him, and he rarely wants affection for affection’s sake.

But when he does, he engineers reasons and situations and excuses for why someone has to touch him or why he has to touch someone else (this last one is often easy, considering he relies on physical touch for grounding, he can either use his rep as a disrespectful asshole who doesn’t care for others’ physical space to hide his grounding technique, or he can use his grounding technique with closer people such as Color as a justification for why he’s touching.

Or he may even do things like let Color hold his hand, with the justification of “keep him happy, and he’ll stay,” even though Killer wanted to hold hands too lmao.)

(making someone so mad they hit him, “accidentally” getting hurt or cutting himself so someone has to touch him to treat his wounds and they have to do it gently and carefully unless they want to hurt him. (which in the case of someone like Color, who claims so often that he doesn’t enjoy or want to hurt Killer, this type of situation also doubles as a test, a sort of landmine that Color has to be careful with.

Because although Stage 2 does enjoy pain (he would very likely enjoy being hurt by Color lmao), if he’s hurt in a “vulnerable” position by someone like Color, then he will just take it as proof of his fucked up worldview—and it’s likely that it could potentially have a ripple effect on to Stage 1, who does not enjoy being hurt.

Which must be so exhausting for Color, having to navigate what is and isn’t a test for him—and sometimes im sure color just sees right through him and calls him out on it.)

This also allows him to comfort of less vulnerability and a lot more control of these interactions—someone is only touching him because he made this situation where they have to, and they do not need to know that he wanted them to touch him. Which suggests a want, suggest an attachment, which—in his mind—can then be used against him if that person realizes the “power” they have over him.

Silly fella and his fucked up little world views on relationships and power dynamics.)

Which all in all, I’m sure helping and understanding Delta and Beta’s problems with asking or starting affection is more like a breath of fresh air. I’m sure this is mainly because, compared to Killer’s innate distrust for others, his control issues, his little tests and naturally manipulative ways, and the conflicting desires of his Stages, this is much more straight forward.

Color would likely take notice of Delta and Beta’s tells, notice even small things like their lingering, and would at least be able to tell that they want something—and can either ask directly (perhaps instead just asking them if he can have a hug, rather then having them ask for it), or just wait for them to feel ready to.