#my mom doesn’t like me but i’m not a very likeable person

[1roentgen]

weewoo 👽

[mk-wizard]

Pokemon the Anime: I love Ash Ketchum but...

Hi, friends. Fun fact about me: I love Pokemon! And I loved the anime! To me, Pokemon is a part of my childhood that I will always cherish dearly and it was one of the first animes I got into. Looking back on it, it still holds up, but there is one thing that I have come to realize about it. We need to talk about Ash Ketchum...

Now, let me make it clear that I love Ash Ketchum. I think he’s adorable, funny and his passionate energy rubs off on you in all of the right ways. Plus, he is passionate without being obsessed and still cares enough about people and doing things right that he has a heroic streak. However... he is not a good fit as a main character because while we root for him and love him, his story is too linear, his character development is minimal, we all knew he was going to win in the end and honestly, seeing his story unfold all the time got very dull. Plus, we never really got to know Ash as a character. Just to give you an example, in ALL of the anime’s run, we never find out who his dad is/was or what his mom does for a living. In other words, he is an MC who never really develops beyond his professional skills and never really get to know. We know more about Team Rocket (Jessie, James and Meowth) than we do about Ash. To me, he would have worked better as a secondary character not an main one. In fact, this lack of details and repetitive formula is why I eventually stopped watching the anime. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy Ash won in the end, but... his story took way too long and got dull. The character who would have main a great MC for the anime is someone who did undergo a lot of development, maturing and more.

Gary Oak. Now hear me out...

The Pokemon anime is essentially a tournament anime series where the standard formula is that the MC goes in and comes out the winner. However, Gary would have been unique, compelling and memorable for many reasons if HE was the MC.

First off, unlike most MC’s of this genre of anime, Gary is initially not likeable. He is egotistical, unkind, rude and a big bully. I remember than as a girl, I hated Gary and used to wish his grandpa, Prof. Oak, would ground him. However, as the series progressed, so did he. He softened his behaviour, learned humility and let his rivalry with Ash go which freed him emotionally and allowed him to grow up. While he still has a mischievous and competitive streak, he doesn’t get mean about it nor is he a showboat. And he dropped the personal cheerleading squad. He now seeks to better himself rather than constantly having his ego stroked which is something really refreshing and enjoyable to experience. I can’t really say his journey was a redemption story. It was a growing up story and a tale that reminds us that we all had our phases as kids, but we grow out of them.

Secondly, as I stated before, Gary let his rivalry with Ash go and became better for it. When he did, he realized, his calling wasn’t to be a trainer, but a researcher and he was actually really good at it. Honestly, it was this turning point that made me realize that Gary’s story was more interesting than Ash’s and I really wanted to see more of his story. In fact, I also found myself wishing we saw more of his story before that turning point kind of like Ashoka Tano’s from Star Wars, but unlike her, we were deprived of that. I would even argue that this was a reoccurring flaw in the Pokemon anime series: they never answered the questions everyone kept asking and never let us get to know the true MCs. The point is, I don’t know of any other tournament anime where the rival decided to graciously step down and turn their attention towards their true passion. Now... imagine if the MC did this. I know Pokemon is a tournament anime, but it is also an anime about Pokemon first. Gary should have gotten his own spin-off anime simply because he is the most unique rival there is in this kind of setting: he quit and was better for it.

Thirdly, having the show concentrate on him would have given us a chance to get to know the other MCs more and FINALLY answer a lot of the questions that to this day are still left unanswered. It’s very clear that the Oaks and Ketchums are very close the way the Burns and Greene family are close on Rescue Bots. I really enjoyed seeing how close the two families were and how Prof. Oak was like a father figure to Ash and a sweet grandpa to Gary. Also, Prof. Oak himself is an interesting and entertaining character. To this day, we still don’t know who Mrs. Oak was or who Gary’s parents are. Or who Mr. Ketchum was. It is a shame to me that these blanks were never filled because it is implied that they were great people and these missing pieces would explain why these characters are the way they are.

Anyway, this all just my opinion and as a rare treat, here is my fan theory about Prof. Oak’s wife, Mr. Ketchum and Gary’s missing parents... And I really want to say this first because this fan theory always made me mad, but I will try to say it nicely, but firmly.

Prof. Oak is NOT Ash’s father nor is it possible for him to be because Nintendo would never allow such a disturbing thing. And because of the Professor and Mrs. Ketchum’s age difference, it would imply that Gary is Ash’s uncle while being the same age as him. That is sick and wrong on so many levels and not something they would ever want on Pokemon and we already SHOULD know from the start that Prof. Oak can’t be Ash’s dad because has black hair.

Professor Oak is a redhead and so is his mom. And their relationship is not romantic now either. It is that between two good friends. If it is anything beyond that, I think Prof. Oak may see Delia as the daughter he never had. Same goes with Giovanni. He cannot be Ash’s dad because he looks nothing like him.

Plus, Ash has two distinguishing marks on his face that his mom doesn’t have which means he got that, his hair and olive skin tone from his dad who had all of these features. My fan theory is that Mrs. Delia Ketchum is a widow and her husband is no longer with us. Plain and simple. He was obviously a good man and a good husband who left a good impression on Ash, but I think he died most likely of disease while he was very young.

As for Mrs. Oak... Agatha is NOT Prof. Oak’s ex-wife because if she was, we would have always known it and be treated like a relative. Once a family member is revealed, there’s no point in hiding it so the anime always came clean when it came to that at least, but the most we got out of Agatha is that she was an old rival of Prof Oak which means that is all she is. Period.

I think the good Professor is divorced on bad terms considering he never speaks of his wife and has no ring which from experience, I can tell you is often a tell tale sign that you were once married, but it ended badly. As for Gary’s parents, I think that knowing Nintendo, their state is simple: they’re alive, but career driven people where they aren’t home very often so they left caring for the kids to Prof. Oak and Mrs. Oak (if she was alive then). Nothing dramatic or over the top. Just simple and short like that. Also, I think it is safe to say that the Oak family is well off (including the ex-Mrs. Oak) considering they all live so well.

Finally, how does Giovanni have ties to the Ketchum and Oak family? Well, Giovanni is in fact old and close to Prof. Oak’s age. His mom had him young, and while he is rich enough to afford facials that make him appear young, if you take a really good look at his face, he has wrinkles, a receding hairline and his face has lost some of its fullness which implies some sagging. My fan theory is that he was once rivals with Prof. Oak in their youth and Mr. Ketchum is one of the few people who managed to beat Giovanni in a Pokemon Battle.

Like I said, this series is made for kids. It wouldn’t include adult theme dramatic elements like that. I admit some of the characters have exaggerated and weird backstories with some drama, but it never becomes dirty, adult or something you would find in a trashy soap opera.

[toomanysurveys9]

When was the last time you wore a full face of makeup? I don’t remember. It’s been a long time.

Do you own an iPad? No.

Who was the last non-relative woman you spoke to in person? Uhm. Probably our administrative assistant at work.

What’s the most hours you’ve worked in a week? I don’t know. Probably like 40-45. 

Do you believe in karma? I do not. I wish I did or that it was real.

What temperature is your thermostat currently set to? Somewhere between 68-70.

What’s a topic you’ve drastically changed your opinion on? Abortion. I used to be pro-life when I was a kid. That has changed.

Are you a kind, thoughtful person?

I think so for the most part.

Do you know anyone who has a PhD?

Well, my doctor. One of our BCBAs are in the process of getting his.

Who were you dating in July 2010? Or were you single? Jacob.

How do you feel when you’re the center of attention? Depends what the circumstances are. But I generally prefer not to be.

Would you rather be a nurse or a mechanical engineer? Nurse I guess.

Do you like Starbucks chai lattes, or do you think they’re too sweet? I’ve never had them, but I’m not really a fan of chai lattes in general.

Are you and your SO facebook official? Yeah. Have been for many, many years.

Do you know how to set a formal table setting for a 3+ course dinner? No. I’ve never needed to know.

Are you in a good mood today?

Not really.

Do you know anyone who works as a lawyer? A former professor.

Which would bother you more: being told you’re not likable or being told you’re not sensible? Probably being told that I’m not likeable, which is ridiculous because I generally don’t really care if people like me or not. It would just make certain things in life a bit easier if people liked me I guess.

Do you have a difficult time relating to other’s emotions? I don’t think so. I think that is a skill that I definitely have.

How many bedrooms does your house have? Technically, four. But we turned the second living room or whatever into a fifth “bedroom”. It doesn’t have a closet though.

What was the last electronic item you bought? My new computer.

Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? No.

When you were 15, what did you want to grow up to be? I think I was on my FBI agent or bounty hunter kick.

Did you ever achieve that? Lol, no. Now I have the more realistic dream of being a marriage and family therapist and I am working towards that goal.

Have you ever had a dream in which you died? Many.

Have you bought a bag of potato chips in the past week? Not that I can remember.

Does the thought of having wrinkles when you’re older upset you? Not really.

How often do you buy a new phone? Every few years I guess.

Would you rather live in an apartment in the city, or a cabin in the woods? Cabin in the woods. I don’t think I would like living in an apartment.

Do you use Snapchat? Very rarely.

Have you ever driven or ridden on a motorcycle? I rode the back of my uncle’s once or twice when I was little.

Do you know anyone who’s struggling with addiction? My mom has a borderline addiction to alcohol.

Are any other members of your household home right now? Yeah. Everyone except my parents because they’re staying at my brother’s house while he is gone.

What was your first job? And how long did you work there? McDonald’s. Almost a year at least.

What was your favorite school subject when you were in middle school? English and choir.

[the-believer]

Ranking the Hargreeve Siblings

i keep seeing ranking of the hargreeves siblings that i strongly disagree with, so instead of arguing i’m doing my own ranking (based on how likeable they are, not power-wise). don’t get me wrong, all of the siblings have their moments, but this is just how i would consistently rank them

7. Luther Hargreeves

This one definitely isn’t an unpopular opinion, but it’s a deserved reputation for sure. His relationship with Allison is questionable at best, and he’s consistently dismissive and doesn’t have a good relationship with the rest of his siblings. And as we all know, the man will not shut up about the moon. Luther is better in season 2, but still easily my least favorite of the siblings.

6. Ben Hargreeves

I feel like this is one I’m gonna get hate for, but I just don’t have particularly strong feelings about Ben one way or the other. Sure he’s a pretty sweet guy, and he gets points for his relationship Klaus (and some w Diego and Vanya), but he’s just not the most compelling character to me. Maybe if he had more screen time or something?

5. Vanya Hargreeves

Look, I know Vanya has been through a lot (arguably the most out of the siblings besides maybe Five), and her powers are awesome, but she’s just not one of my favorites. Points for how much she cares about her family, but points off for trying to destroy them all at the end of season 1. Vanya is a super caring person but (when she’s not using her powers) I find her pretty bland personality and character wise.

4. Five Hargreeves

I think the one thing we can all agree on is that 5 is a little shit. As a 58-year-old man trapped in his 13-year-old body, Five has absolutely atrocious social skills, a real attitude, and a murderous habit. But he does genuinely care about his family, and points for being one of the only siblings with brain cells. He’s also the only person consistently concerned about keeping the world from collapsing. And he’s pretty funny, so points for that too.

3. Allison Hargreeves

This one is pretty unpopular, but Allison is actually one of my favorite siblings. She was the only one to consistently show she cares about her siblings (points off for her relationship with Luther, but still), especially Vanya, no matter what. While she used her power in ways she shouldn’t have for part of her life, she learned from those mistakes and really came into her own in season 2 (leader of the Civil Rights movement, anyone?). Allison is strong, powerful, and very loving, and I don’t understand why she’s consistently ranked so low on these lists; she’s a very underrated character.

2. Diego Hargreeves

Another one that’s pretty unpopular, and again, underrated. He was definitely an ass at the beginning of the show, and he’s certainly not the smartest sibling, but he had some really good character development (helping Klaus, trying to help Vanya, not killing Cha Cha). Yes, he’s impulsive, argumentative, immature, and sarcastic, but I would argue that he’s also one of the most relatable siblings because of that- he’s not perfect. Diego is another character who’s pretty bad at expressing his emotions - and seems to actively try not to sometimes - but really does care about them and would do anything for them, shown in his relationships with Klaus, Vanya, and Five. His relationship with his mom was also very sweet. Diego is honestly tied for first place for me, but in terms of general likeability, I had to put him second.

1. Klaus Hargreeves

Okay, everyone ranks Klaus as 1, but for good reason. Yeah, he’s got major problems with drugs and makes some questionable decisions, but Klaus has a lot to deal with! Another one who really cares about his siblings (especially Diego), Klaus is very empathetic and very unapologetically himself, which is always great in a character. He’s got a great sense of style, can always counted on to be funny, and is overall just a fun character to watch. Who doesn’t love Klaus, honestly?

[ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is]

Hello, Em! I was wondering if you would mind helping me find my type? I’ve narrowed it down to the Si-doms (slight margin of error for the IFP types, but I don’t see enough evidence for Ne or Se to be sure), but from there I’m having a hard time determining which fits better. I feel weakest when I don’t have much structure, and at work, I can be a bit of a pain because I’m always asking for clarification on new tasks. In college, I always felt like the vague assignments where the instructor (1)

doesn’t actually tell what they want were the worst. Most people see me as the logical one in the group. I think part of why I’ve maintained that image is that most of my family (especially my mom’s side) has never learned how to deal with their emotions well, so they try to always joke or become sarcastic. I’ve always gotten along with my dad’s family because I never feel like I’m being used as some sort of verbal target practice. I’ve never been good with expressing how I feel and prefer to (2

show it through actions. Whenever I’m dealing with family, I’m always honest (or else just quiet), and even when I’m talking to someone I don’t know well, I have a hard time softening the blow. I try, but it’s not something that comes easily. I’m typically relieved when someone else can take over dealing with people because I hate having to deal with people when they get upset. I typically take a quick dislike to people I think are too dramatic, but as long as they’re nice I can get over (3)

it fairly quickly. One of my favorite things about my boss is that he always asks how I’m doing when I come in in the morning and he always willing to jump in and cover shifts if he thinks someone’s not feeling well. I also have a difficult time with people who jump into things without thinking. One of my major issues with my mom is that I sometimes feel like I’m having to constantly re-plan things around her last-minute decisions. One of the things that my dad always points (4)

out as a weakness is that I’m too nice to people. I have a really hard time saying no to people, and I can be really easy to guilt trip. I’ve been pulled into a lot of things I really didn’t want to do because someone else talked me into it. A few years ago, I went with a group to an amusement park, and I got dragged along on things that I hated, all because my cousin asked. Even on the occasions when I have stood my ground, it’s taken a huge toll on me to know that I’ve disappointed someone (5)

I’m often torn between what others say about me and what I actually think. Every time I rediscover MBTI I get sucked into this endless loop of trying to somehow make sense of all the things others have said about me, what I think, and how it fits into the system. I was trying to pick a college major, I was constantly asking others what they thought would be a good choice, because I genuinely didn’t know what I wanted. I knew things I didn’t want (marketing psych, which I felt were mercenary) (6)

but I was torn between what I felt I ought to do (something that helped others) and what I was really interested in (history). I never thought of myself as good with people, but most people I know tell me that I come off as very sweet and likeable. Maybe not warm, but approachable and unintimidating. I tend to come off as studying people and waiting to judge them, even though there are some things where I just say NOPE and it can take years for me to change my mind. (7)

I did that when I first met my sister’s now husband. I thought they were rushing things and I was pretty upset over how much my sister had changed after they met. I’m still warming up to him, but he seems harmless. I’ve never been one to share my feelings with other people, but it can be so helpful to at least see them written out. I typically will have a decent idea of what I feel, but writing it down helps me really understand it and see when I’m really just being silly. Thank you!! (8)

---------------

Hi anon,

This absolutely sounds like ISFJ; I would rule out the Fi-Te axis completely given the emphasis on what other people want and their opinions and I suspect the only reason you considered high Fi was the commonly-found, but in my opinion incorrect statement that Fi users are more private with their emotions.

Your conclusion of high Si seems right; you have difficulties with spontaneity and prefer clear, specific instructions, and prefer to observe before making up your mind though can be very slow to change it, and this post has a lot of very concrete examples.

As mentioned the strong emphasis on what other people want, at times to the exclusion of what you want, and placing a high value on social niceties seems clearly like Fe. Not all high Te users are sarcastic but I've found a lot of them (myself included) are at least very comfortable with it/don't mind a little verbal target practice as long as they can return it to sender. ISTJs (and other TJs) are also typically far more comfortable turning down requests from others and tend not to rely on others quite as much for personal decisions or self-assessment, especially since it sounds you're either towards the end of your college career or shortly post-college and would probably have at least some capacity to use tert Fi if you had it.

One thing I've thought about a lot regarding FJs and being "the logical one" is that I do think self-assessements are sometimes erroneous, but also, especially if you're in your early-to-mid-20s and especially if you have a more spontaneous friend group, an ISFJ very well might be the logical one. Maybe not in the academic sense of logical, but in terms of common sense and making decent life decisions, yeah, an ISFJ will probably outdo most ENTPs even if the latter's Ti is higher, because a lot of behaviors motivated by Si and Fe (caution, consideration for the feelings of others) are smart things to do in terms of like, living life. It's less "logical" than "reasonable", but that's a pretty nitpicky distinction on my part. Plenty of deeply logical people are actually wildly unrealistic, because people don't behave logically, so the actual reasonable thing to do is, well, behave like an ISFJ and take past behaviors and relevant context and how people might feel into account.

[choicesenthusiast]

Laws of Attraction, Ch. 16 AKA Fartin’ Martin

What happened this week:

With your concrete evidence against Sadie, plan your takedown with Gabe and Aislinn.

Oust Sadie in front of the entire firm, including the forgotten paralegal Ryan, the other associates, and the senior partners. Beau, depending on your relationship, either defends you or doesn’t when Sadie challenges you. I knew I liked him. The senior partners put it to a vote, but in the end, Sadie is expelled from her own law firm nonetheless. Now that’s gotta hurt, being booted from the company with your name on it. I guess now Beau’s the only McGraw in McGraw Byrne.

On the news later that day, Koenig is arrested and Marcus is set free, all charges dropped. Some sort of poetic justice occurs when they have a dramatic staredown on the steps of the police station. “One man wrongfully accused, and one a murderer” and all that.

Free to celebrate your victories, the gang heads to the bar, but you run away for a well-deserved Dirty Thirty with your LI.

The partnership competition comes to a close, with you winning the position of course. Martin is too pleased for comfort, and that’s because he reveals that he bought Sadie out in exchange for a senior partnership. How this happened after everything is beyond me, but the gods (i.e. PB) do what they want, so he’s your boss now. That’s okay. As long as PB doesn’t make us fuck him.

Thoughts:

I don’t want to say that what Martin did was OOC, but it just seems implausible. Dude spent the whole competition lacking initiative the balls to do anything unless MC volunteered first, was constantly outsmarted by us, and was generally unlikeable by everyone, so it’s just weird that he managed to have so much sway over the senior partners. But he said it himself, people “have a way of going rogue when they have nothing left to lose.” It just looks embarrassing for him after we took down Big Bad Sadie, with the support of everyone and their mom. We’re already better than Martin in every way, so he looks a little pitiful at the moment. We’ll just have to wait and see how this turns out.

Beau and Martin definitely explored each others’ bodies at one point. No self-respecting person would call Martin their family, or even call him Marty, which Beau has done at least twice in this chapter alone.

I do think Beau is one of the best characters in the book. He had significant growth, a point system that affected a big turning point in your relationship, and a genuine apology for how he previously acted. Not to mention the smart and kind frat-bro vibes that made him very likeable. Yeah, one of my favourites.

Did I make the title of this review a fart joke? Perhaps. But it rhymes, and that’s what counts.

All in all, a very tame finale, but it was good enough. This was a solid book. It’s the best we’ve gotten in a long time, and definitely up there at the top. The MC wasn’t a Mary Sue. The characters had distinct personalities and the LIs weren't copy-pasted. The plot was structured well and the Sadie twist made sense. Altogether, very well done. I’m warily looking forward to Book 2.

[magioftheseas]

At The Point You Realize

Summary: Ryuji pining for Ren. It’s unrequited.

Rating: PG

Warnings: Mild internalized homophobia.

Notes: I just thought it’d be fun to write some unrequited angst fics. Ryuji is the first victim...participant. It’s also writing practice! It’s a short read (1K) so please check it out!

***Alternate Ao3 Link***

Commission? Donate?

“Ryuji. You got something on your face.”

Ren’s a stoic guy, but when he rubs at Ryuji’s cheek with a napkin, he’s nothing sort of gentle about it. Ann snorts, calling him hopeless, but Ryuji can only focus on Ren’s face. The glasses make Ren’s eyes look wide, and it’s such an attentive gaze that the other is giving him.

So much so that Ryuji can’t help but scoff.

“Geeeez, what are ya, my wife?”

“More like your mother,” is Ren’s simple response. “Son.”

Seriously, Ryuji could’ve died from how that made him choke.

“D-Dude?! No! Don’t make that shit so weird?! I don’t mind ya looking after me, but...” Despite himself, he chuckles. “For real, I really, really appreciate it! I like it, even, but you can’t go replacing my mom.”

“It’s a joke,” Ren said flatly.

“We should probably work on your delivery, Ren,” Ann offers. “You’re sounding too much like Yusuke.”

“A joke!” Ren exclaimed, with only a little more affectation.

“A-Aren’t ya embarrassed at all?!” Ryuji couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Seriously, dude—!”

Ah.

I really like him.

At some point, it became its own embarrassing thing.

“You’re such an idiot sometimes, Ren-Ren,” he hums, and Ren just blinks back at him. Ann smacks him.

“You’re one to talk!”

She’s right, but it’s Ren he’s focusing on.

“You’re really—caring? A caretaker? You’d make a good wife, for real...but you’re a guy, so that’s a problem.”

“Really?” Ann asked. “I think it makes him more of a catch, not that I’m interested or anything.”

Weirdly, despite not having any interest in Ann at all, it was a relief to hear her say something like that.

He hadn’t realized why that day, of course. He wouldn’t realize it the next day, either.

“I don’t think it’s dumb to take care of your friends,” Ren would say. Simple and sweet.

“For real? You’re not embarrassed at all?”

Ren shook his head, leaving it at that. Simple. Steadfast. There was no doubting he’d follow this guy to the ends of the earth.

I really, really like him.

--

Of course he always admired Ren. Despite being shat on, Ren was the kind of guy who always kept his cool. Even when facing down shitty adults. Even when facing down scary as shit shadows. Ren could reassure anyone just with a confident grin and a few select words.

It’s only inevitable that Ryuji really, really like him.

But at some point, you do realize there’s more to it.

It’s easy to like Ren. He’s not only cool but also trustworthy. Attentive. Such a great listener. It’s so easy that it’s insane to think he’s not all that popular at school just because of a stupid fake criminal record. Ren was the kind of friend that anyone would be lucky to have. He’s cool and smooth and—just. The best.

He’s just...also a guy. As likeable and awesome as Ren was...was it also normal to like him this much? To think stuff like, “if you were a girl, I’d totally marry you—actually I’d still get married to you if you wanted to?”

Ryuji’s not a smart guy. He’s not too great at thinking. And it’s so much to think about that he ends up swallowing lumps. And it’s so damn lame, seriously, what the hell was he even doing thinking about Ren like that?

It’s stupid.

He’s being stupid.

He could wreck their friendship if he got any stupider about this.

Even if he had realized it, he hadn’t accepted it. He told himself it was out of respect for Ren, but it was really out of fear.

(Wasn’t that so effing sad?)

But it’s fine. Ren’s his best friend. He’d do anything for that guy, and he’s more than happy to be the best man down the line. He’s more than cool with that. He’s happy with that.

It’s all a what-if, sure, and thinking about Ren married to some hot chick does make him want to die a little inside. Not to mention he doesn’t even know what Ren’s type was considering how cagey Ren got whenever asked... But it’s whatever.

It’s fine!

--

It’s not as fine as it could be with that damn Akechi though.

“Another long work day, is it? Ren?”

God, the fucking way that jackass even says Ren’s name gets Ryuji’s skin crawling. But since that jerk blackmailed his way into the thieves, Ryuji was very annoyingly told to hold his tongue especially since there had been that big nasty fight with Morgana not too long ago. Although Morgana didn’t like Akechi either.

And who the hell would?

Besides so much of Tokyo who didn’t see past that plastic fucking smile—

“Boss is just out on errands,” Ren was saying. Ever polite. Ever calm. What a cool guy. “I don’t mind working extra...”

Akechi laughs, making Ryuji shudder with disgust.

“You’re such a considerate person. I’d envy whoever had the fortune of marrying you, Ren.”

What the hell kinda thing is that to say to a guy?! Ryuji thinks, but when his eyes flicker to Ren—

“Ah.”

Something—happens.

“Do you really think so?”

...

Ren’s a hard guy to read. Ryuji doubts even the so-called detective would be able to fully pick up on it, but to someone who considers himself Ren’s best friend, he can see it as clear as day. The slight widening of Ren’s eyes, the subtle twitches in his expression and—most damningly, the way he tilts his head so that his fringe hides more of his face.

“Are you nervous?” Akechi asks cheerfully, chuckling into his hand. “What a surprisingly endearing side of you. You really are interesting, Ren.”

“I can’t believe you’re nervous!!” Ryuji had laughed, slapping him on the back. “It’s actually kinda cute, Ren-Ren!”

“Urf.” Ren had coughed a little before sighing. “Shouldn’t you be embarrassed to say something like that?”

“Y-Yeah, but...”

“Should I get you some water to cool down, Ryuji?” Ren had asked, back to cool, untouchable Ren-Ren, just like that.

Ren was blushing now. Akechi’s sickening smile broadens—except, in reality, it must look soft and warm to someone who actually likes him.

And Ren is the furthest thing from cool and untouchable right now.

“You’re too much,” Ren mutters, but when he smiles—oh. “The usual, right, Akechi?”

“Please do!”

Watching all this, Ryuji couldn’t say a thing even if he wanted to. He couldn’t even begin to think.

[kendrixtermina]

Appreciating the Range of Type 6, or, one stereotypical example, and three that aren’t.

I want to tell you about some type 6 ppl that I know in my personal life.

Exemplar #1: F. B.

Complete Stats

Wing: 5 p or cp: largely phobic – lots of safety worries, outright authoritarian follower personality Instinct: sp/soc Trifix: 613  - 6w5 1w2 3w2 (“The Taskmaster” or “The Middle Manager”) jungian: ISTJ / SLI-Te oldham: Conscientious & Aggressive Essence Type: Mars Temperament: Pure Choleric

What he’s like:

Not pleasant.

Every “strict conservative middle aged guy” stereotype in the book. Control freak, makes a mountain out of every molehill, sees the world as full of axe murderers, judgemental as fuck, horrible temper and yet completely impersonable, all his opinions are copypasted from right-wing news sites. When they say war is good he’s for war, and when they say war is bad he’ll be like “At least Trump did not start any more wars” without perceiving a contradiction. Despite this, he believes is very hot, principled and funny. He is none of these things. He puts people down nonstop. My knowledge of neurochemistry tells me that he must have emotions somewhere or he couldn’t function, but I ain’t ever seen a single one of those emotions. They’re all for his job and a few trusted mentor figures. And his mom. At least he loved her.

If you say anything he doesn’t like, he “throws the sofa out the window” as his wife once put it.

How he’s a Type 6:

Well, he’s pretty much every negative stereotype in a nutshell… other than distrusting his partner. But that might be cause hes sx blind, or cause the wife is big on monogamy & wouldn���t ever cheat.

The one positive trait of 6 that he has is that he does his research. Before moving anywhere he googles the crime rates and if you need a doctor he might find you the best one. But even that can be overriden by ideology (hydroxychloroquine!). And if you don’t take his exact advice, there goes the sofa out the window again…

And I guess the work ethic from all 3 parts of the trifix really comes through – he hasn’t had a single bad grade in his life and always keeps collecting new certifications, and will make sure you hear about it...

Exemplar #2: I.

Complete Stats

Wing: 5 P or cp: pretty much an even mix of phobic and counterphobic Instinct: sp/soc Trifix: 614 - 6w5 1w2 4w3 (Would prolly call herself “The Big Pain” rather than “The Philosopher” ^^°) jungian: INTJ / ILI-Ni oldham: Serious & Conscientious Essence Type: Saturn Temperament: Chlor-Mel

What she’s like:

I’d describe her as serious, mature, discerning, focused and passionate about her friendships, if perhaps somewhat forceful at times, with a dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

Comes across like someone who knows what she’s talking about, with well-articulated points.

Often the Responsible Sibling, Designated Sanity Checker or Bullshit Detector.

Prefers to plan everything in advance in typical Ni dom fashion, even amusement part trips. Gets somewhat anxious without a future plan or shedule.

Often mistaken for a whole lot more sociable and confident that she really feels inside. (even I kinda bought it and got her whole darn trifix wrong on my first typing attempt, though that was when I was new to typology) She can act the boss act temporarily to get the situation over with, but she actually hates making decisions.

She does however have the occasional cute/pure moment where that lower function block comes out.

How she’s a Type 6:

She has saved our family from many a terrible restaurant by making sure to check the reviews. The preparing for all possible dangers is very 6, the acting tough outwardly when youre inwardly anxious, the intellectual problem solving & some tendency towards organization/responsibility/ “logistic” intelligence.

One online test she took gave her 5w6 instead of 6w5 but that’s probably just the ITxx-ness leaking in. I remember this one time we were discussing this artsy-fartsy theater play to which we’d had fascinatingly different reactions, and at one point I half-jokingly said something like “But does anyone ever really feel connected to others, or is that a myth?” to which she wrote, “[Name], what the fuck? Yes I do.” and then immediately deleted it. That’s more of a 6 reaction innit?

Nonetheless the wing does feature in significantly – for example she got very well informed about a lot of topics because she researched them to assuage a random survival-related fear, like, “How to make sure I have enough retirement money”

Exemplar #3: M.

Complete Stats

Wing: 7 p or cp: largely phobic Instinct: sp/sx Trifix: 692 - 6w7 9w1 2w1 (Fortunately very much a “Good Samaritan” rather than “The Stockholm”) jungian: ISFP / SEI-Fi oldham: Sensitive & Devoted Essence Type: Lunar-Venus Temperament: Pure Supine

What she’s like:

Precious! Sweet, nice, good listener, friendly, gives all the best gifts. But also perceptive and good at understanding people, eg. mediating to the parents when one of the younger sisters is having An Emotion™ or winning the trust of problem children.

Unlike I. Who has some soc that helps her keep track of a larger circle of friends despite her introversion, M. tends to enjoy the closeness with her family and have just a few very close friends. Excellent friend material all around! The sx and Se also come out in enjoying art forms involving the body like theatre or dance.

She can be a bit shy, conflict-avoidant and occasionally a lil bit panicky though.

As a small kid she used to be super duper shy but then a wise english teacher encouraged her to play a big role in a play, and since then she’s a lot more confident and doesn’t let ppl push her around without limit, though she’s still a quiet, helpful person. There you see the difference that a good teacher can make.

How she’s a Type 6:

For one thing she moves and emotes faster than a core 9 would, and she fits the body language – big eyes that move around a lot, stands a bit lopsided, talks in a shrill voice on the rare occasions where we exhaust her patience etc. As a xSFx and a w7 she shows mostly the “warm, friendly, likeable” side of type 6. She also has a very 6-ish tendency to very frequently ask people’s opinions & feedback before making decisions. (the other fixes probably add to this)

Alas, she also has a little bit of of the fear/insecurity.

Also she has a social/care job which might be seen as 6-ish desire to serve the community.

Exemplar #4: J.

Complete Stats

Wing: 7 P or cp: largely counterphobic Instinct: sx/soc ?? definitely not sp first. Trifix: 638 - 6w7 3w4 8w9(?) (Shall she be a “Justice Fighter” or a “Kyle”? Only time will tell.) jungian: ISTP / LSI-Se ?? Oldham: ? some Dramatic & Serious, perhaps ? Essence Type: Definitely Mercury Temperament: San-Mel

What she’s like:

The first adjective that usually comes to my mind is ‘cool’. Sassy, energetic & a little bit tough, but also affectionate when she wants to be. (though in admiring way rather than a mushy one)

She says the coolest things, has a certain sly sort of cleverness, and an astonishly good poker face. Bit of an occasional prankster. Hilarious. Knows all sort of cool science facts. Avid gamer. 

Not especially popular or over the top sociable, but she gets sad if no one pays attention to her a while. Will act visibly moody where ppl can see sad or worried and can catastrophize a bit in such situations.

How she’s a Type 6:

I first though we might be getting an ExxP type 7 since she was a pretty energetic child, but once puberty hit and independent thought manifested, she turned out a whole lot too reactive and ‘edgy’ for this, and more on the ‘moderate introvert’ side of things.

Since then the sisterly dynamic has been like one fluffy golden dog and 3 hissing black cats. Hissing Cats #1 and #2 are very proud of her, but cat #1 was forced to conclude that she’s probably not a positive outlook type.

Out of all the reactive types 6 fits best because she does broadcast group identity (like wearing merchandise of her favorite media and wearing buttons in solidarity with ppl she likes.) & has a big case of Big Sibling worship for M, I, and someone else who isn’t on this list due to being a 9. (a 4 or 8 might like their older siblings but probably wouldn’t constantly stress the admiration.), but she can also show lasting, pouty displeasure with authority figures who have slighted her. (Like that one time I went too far in teasing her...)

I’m just assuming the 8 fix because that tends to make 6s more bold, louder & more shameless.

Basically she is the “punk teen” type of 6. She can be a bit dramatic & over-the top but still come to her family on advice (even advice on pranks!) in ways that xSTPs of other enneagrams prolly wouldn’t.

She also tends to use self-deprecating humor in tough situations and deflects compliments to present herself as ‘ordinary’.

...

This may sound like I’m really getting down on my first example (I won’t pretend that I’m not) but the point in bringing him up is that the reason he’s like this is: He was subject to really bad parenting that put a lot of fear into him, there was no good parenting to teach him broader coping strategies, he lived in a crappy environment that crushed his dreams, in a sense ‘confirming’ those fears and making him double down, resulting in a person who is just always rigidly following the same predictable pattern or jumping from one automatic reaction to the next with very little pausing and thinking. That goes for the other types too: A ‘stereotypical’ person is a desperate person ruled by fear, who cant stop or soften up even for an instant cause they constantly feel this fire of threat under their arse.

A lot of descriptions say that 6s ‘Follow authority’ but most would balk at the notion – ‘I do the research!’ they might argue ‘I don’t just trust anyone’ or ‘I’m actually a rebel’. There is of course such a thing as denial  that’s more like the extreme case.

But with a more average, functional 6 it’s not so much ‘obedience’ as that they just like to bounce their ideas off of others to get feedback, or that they feature in other’s viewpoints. So you might get someone who can naturally use feedback (something other ppl may have to learn first) or who is very considerate of others (which others might have to consciously remind themselves to do.)

Those are sometimes pretty good traits actually.

On the other hand this is probably part of what makes decisions hard cause they consider all these possible scenarios of how things might displease or cause harm to everyone involved.

Being able to naturally snap into Action Mode under stress looks a bit enviable from the outside, but I. assures me that it’s actually super stressful & exhausting, even for someone who doesn’t get to a point of just being unreasonably aggro at you.

Though even an extreme case like F.B. would probably claim that he ‘did the research’ even as he’s 1:1 quoting the Pope at you, and then saying that you ‘have to be respectful’ even if you don’t even believe in Christianity. Hence why you get a lot of authoritarians talking about “disrespect”. You didn’t “fail to obey”, you “disrespected the flag” or  “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”. Because they’re still trying or inwardly thinking that they’re doing the consideritation & considering other’s PoV thing when they’ve long since crossed from respect and consideration into mindless obedience, all while still thinking that they’re very sceptical and discerning cause after all they really distrust the other political party or whatever.  

In a way you get this obsession with ‘mind control’ cause they’re not unaware of & very much looking to guard the blind spot. They’re adults trying to do adult things.

For example, if I voiced an opinion to F. B. which he didn’t like, his reaction was often to ask “who told you that”

That’s just how he seems to think opinions work, somebody tells them to you.

Makes one wonder how he thinks new opinions start.

Yeah - Nobody told me that. I concocted it myself in some corner of my head. And in the interest of objectivity, I should stress that you can also end talking out of your ass that way, if you’re not basing it on enough outside data. Making up new shit has more of a quadratic than a linear learning curve – at least with copying you get something semi-useful right away. In making up your own you might be really off a long time before you stumble on something useful.

Also, I was young at the time and it’s not wholly unreasobale to think that an inexperienced person might be duped. I reacted really badly in part cause he hit my own ego buttons cause I was of course proud of this epiphany that I had concocted by myself, and now he says (or so I perceived it, being sensitive to accusations of incompetence) that I’m too dumb to form an opinion, so of course I launched into full Obnoxious Reddit Dude Mode.

In I. It manifests more on a reasonable useful level like “Oh wait, should [young cousin] be on TikTok? I don’t want him to get sucked into some cultish BS.” which is at least something the parents should have on the radar/ warn him about even if they do let him use TikTok, because for all that it is vital for him to get his experience with independent socializing & experimentig with sel-presentation, people do sometimes get suckered into cults or goaded into unsafe tests of courage.

And in a sense… maybe they overamphasize it but to some extent they’re also simply consciously aware/ mindful of it. The rest of us are not immune to propaganda after all, solong as it’s presented in a way pleasing to our egos. Any type structure can become a ‘hook’ if you’re not careful.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Mandatory High School AU That No One (Except Daniela Dimitrescu) Asked For (Part 1)

Summary: Donna has a crush on the beautiful, strong, and tall Chris Redfield but she is just your average (somewhat clumsy) teenage girl. How can she possibly be any match for the gorgeous Miranda? Luckily she has friends like Alcina, Karl, and Salvatore to help her achieve her dreams!

“You’re too old for these.” Miranda chuckles.

Donna grits her teeth and reaches for Angie.

“Aww, give it back, Miranda. You know that she has no other friends!” Claire chuckles.

Her lower lip quivers. Why did Miranda have to take Angie? Any of her other dolls would have been tolerable but not Angie. She reaches out again and mumbles, “give her back.” It is about as useless as telling Karl to put out his joint and actually attend classes for once. She knows that he would rather smoke his days away listening to Metallica and Mötley Crüe in the boys bathroom.

She remembers him mentioning, ‘Smoking in the Boys Room’. She very vividly recalls a night when they had sat upon the soccer field. It was a summer afternoon, the summer before her freshman year. She remembers Alcina smiling as she tossed a frisbee to Moreau. He hadn’t been paying attention though so it hit him in the face. Back in those days, it didn’t matter though, nobody laughed at you for falling over or being clumsy--a problem Donna has frequently; she is very clumsy and, of course, very average looking. Just an ordinary girl. She remembers that on that very warm and unforgettable--really it was as plain as she--summer afternoon that Karl had looked off into the sunset, “it’s like this song was made for Smoking in the Boys Room.”  A warm breeze stirred his hair.

She had nodded in agreement and she too looked off into the sunset. Those were simpler times. Much simpler.

Perhaps if she weren’t so presently distressed she might have wondered why the sun was setting in the afternoon. But she is no scientist. She is just Donna, plain, boring Donna. With her unremarkable face. Maybe Chris would notice her if she looked more like Miranda with her flawless skin and her perfect tan and a perfect mane of blonde hair that fanned out like blonde hair shimmering under the sun.

“Hey, what do you think your brother will think of Angie?” Miranda quirks a brow. She gives her perfectly styled bangs a flick. She lazily tosses Angie to Claire without looking in her direction. Claire fumbles, just barely clutching onto Angie’s dress and Donna’s heart skips a beat.

Claire pinches Angie’s little hands between her pointers and thumbs. “I don’t know but I think it’s creepy. Chris isn’t into weirdo goth chicks.”

“I’m not…”

“You’re right, he so totally isn’t.”

Donna sighs, she hopes Chris doesn’t think that she is a weirdo, she has only been crushing on him since the third grade and that was when he was still shoving crayons up people’s noses with Ethan. She remembers when he was nice but then he got hot and joined the football team and everything changed. Suddenly he no longer wanted to eat glue with Moreau. Now everything is football, football, and sneaking into college parties so he could talk to Jill Valentine.

“College girls, ya know?” He says to his friends. “One time I dated a college girl, she said she was studying beer pong. That’s what I’m going to major in.”

Donna is a little more ambitious, she would like to double major in art design and theater and minor in geology.

“Seriously, give Angie back.” She whimpers.

Miranda throws her head back and laughs, “not a chance…~loooser~!”

Donna feels her heart breaking, she doesn’t know what she will do without Angie.

“This thing is ratty junk.” Claire declaires.

“Angie is not junk!” Donna gets to her feet. She thinks that this is the first time that she has ever spoken up for herself. But it doesn’t last, her spunk dies away as soon as Miranda takes a step forward.

“If she’s not junk then…” Mirinda quirks a brow and hovers Angie over the garbage can. “Why is she in the trash?”

Donna gulps. Just when she thinks that Angie is done for, the garbage can collides with Miranda. Donna catches Angie before she can meet the floor. The same cannot be said for Miranda who is well on her way to the very other end of the hallway.

“Alcina!” Donna perks up.

The woman stands boldly, with her hands on her hips, within the rays of sunlight streaming through the window. She extends her long arm and Donna takes her hand. Her skin glitters in the light of the sun. Donna’s eyes light up, Alcina is glittering all over. “You’re sparkling.” Donna comments. Of course it is only natural for a vampire to gleam.

Alcina rubs the back of her head, “yeah...art class.”

“Oh.”

“What do you mean oh?”

“I just thought...never mind.” She isn’t sure why she thought that vampires sparkled. “Thanks for saving Angie.”

Alcina nods. “Anytime.”

"How dare you!?" Claire asks.

Alcina pulls a basketball out of the void and chucks it at Claire. The girl yelps and scowls. "Just wait until I…"

Alcina retrieves the basketball and chucks it a second time. This time Claire scoffs and stomps away. Alcina picks up her basketball once more.

“Aren’t you worried that principal Nemesis is going to find out about this?” Donna shudders.

“I’m not worried about him. He likes me.”

Everyone likes Alcina, she is the school’s straight A student, basketball champion who also sings opera in the school choir and single handedly stacked every single chair after last year’s graduation assembly. Donna doesn’t know one thing that Alcina can’t do.

Donna hugs Angie to her chest, she doesn’t know why Alcina is bothering with such an average, run of the mill, super plain, and also a little clumsy person like her. “I don’t know why you’re bothering with such an average, run of the mill, super plain, and also a little clumsy person like me.” She says.

“You are adorable.” She pats Donna’s head. “Very small, very quiet. It is nice. Everyone else here is…” She glances around the hallway. One look reveals Karl shoving Moreau into his locker as he strums Baby Shark on his guitar, Ada Wong riding her skateboard straight into Leon who is drawing a penis on Ethan’s forehead as he tries to win his chess match, and Chris punching a boulder to block the entrance to the boy’s room.  

“I hate it here.” Alcina grumbles. “I should have went to that nice Catholic school that Mother Miranda picked out for me.”

In all of her years of attending Umbrella High, she still hasn’t been able to figure that one out. She is certain that Miranda, Alcina’s ultra strict and controlling mother and the school mean girl are the same person existing simultaneously, the same entity yet separate at the very same time.

It doesn’t matter; neither version of her is likeable. But at least Mean Girl Miranda doesn’t hold up ‘God hates Ethan Winters specifically’ signs and host Kool Aid testing parties every Sunday evening. It must be embarrassing for Alcina to know that her mother attends vaccination protests every Saturday--it dawns upon Donna that Alcina has probably contracted her ‘hereditary’ blood disease because Mother Mirada doesn’t allow her to get vaccinated.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what, Donna?”

“Your life. I would be devastated if my mom dedicated a whole day of the week to antagonize one specific person for no reason.”

“Oh, it isn’t just one person.” Alcina laughs. “She goes to Hobby Lobby every Tuesday to complain that the fabrics aren’t pre-assembled in her dress size.”  Having realized that it has no more use in this chapter, the basketball finally fades out of existence.

"That must be embarrassing."

Alcina shrugs. "What class were you heading to?"

"Lunch class."

"Wonderful. I for one can't wait for lunch, I heard that they're finally serving Jill Sandwich again. I'll walk you to the cafeteria."

Donna shakes her head, "Lunch class, not lunch. I forgot how to eat."

"Ah, okay." Alcina nods. "I will escort you to lunch class."

[kpopcotton]

Johnny Suh as... a Brother?

a/n ~ just me getting this out because well,, johnny Genre: fluff, lowkey highschool! au, bullet point “drabble” Warning(s): wanting john as your brother Reader Gender: gender-neutral Word Count: 992

a lot of people think of johnny as -- well -- you know ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

but if i’m honest, i just don’t see it

he’s just got those vibes that scream perfect older brother

maybe it’s my lack of a positive male influence oop-

and,, he’s definitely the type to be your best friend

johnny is the brother who’s very protective but he’d be like (¬‿¬) because he thinks he’s being slick about it

he isn’t

maybe you’re talking to someone and he notices that they’re being subtly flirty, you can bet his eyes wont leave you for a while

he’s just straight (O - O) at you just incase he notices you start to get uncomfortable

and, he’s probably always watching over you in some way, making sure you eat enough and sleep enough

while he does tease you about stuff, he makes sure you know it’s all in good fun and he doesn’t want you to be insecure

he doesn’t ever comment on things you can’t control 

but he will not hesitate to expose you to anyone you meet for singing embarrassingly loud to SHINee when you thought you were home alone in middle school

yes,, it is an ancient recording on his phone

yes,, haechan does ask to see it almost every month

i also feel like johnny is the type of brother that you’d have to share a room with as a child but you honestly don’t mind

like you’d feel incomplete if you moved and finally got your own room

there are a few times where he gets in one of those moods to be a little demon and mess with you

but all you have to do is call out “mmmooooooom!” and he’s suddenly:

(｡◕‿◕｡) what? do you need something my precious sibling? i will do anything for you!

he’s lowkey afraid of your mom

johnny is definitely the brother you trust with anything and he prides himself in keeping your trust

you failed a test and you need to get it off your chest? johnny will help! tell him all about it!

you have a crush? you may get teased whenever he sees that person BUT he will give you pointers on how to win them over ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

you just need a good hug? well shoot, johnny’s got you covered! 

literally

he’s probably a “what’s mine is yours” type of brother as well

this does come at a price, however, and it usually comes in favors such as “don’t tell mom i’m going out with jaehyun tonight.” or “can you go to the store and get me some snacks?”

i also feel like johnny is the type of brother to randomly stare at you until you get annoyed and ask what he wants and he just says “hi (◕‿◕✿)”

or something really brotherly like “how long has it been since you showered?”

i see johnny as the guy to create traditions with you when you’re young that follow you both into your adult lives

like little movie nights when your parents are out of town or on a date

or self care weekends complete with face masks, shopping, and mani-pedis

very cute, i know

i also feel like if you’re going through a rough patch, johnny will be there with you

he doesn’t want you to feel like you’re alone because he knows the feeling (even if he rarely gets alone time now) and honestly he just wants you to be comfortable with him

he probably has some of the best advice

but if you’re not in the mood to talk, he’ll just hold you and tell you little affirmations or whisper inside jokes to try and get you to laugh

seeing you down in the dumps is heartbreaking for him

on that note, johnny is quite the spectacle when he tries to cheer you up

let’s say one time in elementary school during recess he accidentally pushed you over while playing with his friends and you scrape your elbows and a knee and start crying

johnny is panicking because he doesn’t want to get in trouble the teacher who’s monitoring so he starts pretended that an invisible force is beating him up

he lands himself next to you on the ground and pretends to die (tongue out and everything) and you start laughing and poking him and you completely forget that you got hurt in the first place

+1 brother points

i also see johnny as the brother who would do his outmost to embarrass you around his friends, if not embarrass them as well

like just imagine johnny having a little get together with his friends at the house and having them all go into the basement

and he sends up -- let’s say -- mark to get some more drinks and snacks

and you’re in the kitchen so obviously mark is going to strike up a conversation out of respect since you live in the house as well and he’s nice like that

but, he takes a bit too long for the rest of the boys’ liking so johnny will come to the top of the basement stairs and yell for mark to “quit making out” with you and to “come back, man!”

so now mark is frazzled and you’re feeling a bit flustered because now you’re thinking about making out with mark and it becomes awkward as he starts stumbling around to hurriedly grab the snacks he was collecting

and mark’s definitely rambling something like “yo, dude, johnny it’s not like that! i was just saying hi! y/n, i swear i don’t even like you like that! not that you’re unlikeable! no, bro, like you are so likeable! NOT in that way but you know what i--”

and you decide to end it before it gets even worse with a “go downstairs mark.”

“yeah no, i’m leaving now...”

so in conclusion, johnny is an amazing older brother and i do not take constructive criticism

while yes, he may tease you now and then, don’t all siblings?

[mcheang]

This was submitted to me by @andromeda612

My ideas were added in orange

Idea/Prompt(? : is a new semester and Marc joins the class! Everybody is happy, Marc is such a sweet boy and a caring friend! Obviously the most happy are Nathaniel, Alix and Marinette.

Lila is not. Some nobody is stealling the attention! And it's not fair! She is dozen times more interesting and is obvious that this boy doesn't like the spotlight! But it's ok, the hype would decrease in a couple days. She would be the center of the universe again.

Except that it didn't happen.

Marc is very likeable specially whe he opens up with his friends, also once he is comfortable enough he shows his 'mom friend' side and is so endearing! Marinette, Alix and Nathaniel are the ones who can see this side of him the most, though. But the class is so touched by it, they also want to help him.

Also he and Nathaniel make one of the most popular comics in Paris, and all the class (even Chloe but she would never admitt it) are fans. Oh and Marc is an awesome writer and storyteller!!! Sometimes they manage to convince him to tell some of his stories and forgot completely about Lila.

Lila: but my stories are real! (You wish!) Isn't it more excited?

Kim: yeah, your experiencies are pretty cool, but Marc's stories are just too AWESOME! even if they are just stories, and he is a very good storyteller... once he controlls his nerves.

Not to mention Lila’s bragging has become rather tiresome

Her ego doesn't like this at all. She tries to befriend the boy, maybe she can take advantange of the new darling of the class (and is obvious Marinette is fond of the guy, so it would be a plus to piss her of)

But it is more difficult than she thougth. Everytime she tries to talk to him he just gives her short answers and stammering, he doesn't even make eye contact, and is hard to mantain a conversation straight. She tried to complaint with her minio... 'friends' but...

Lila’s friendly approach is too forceful and bold for the shy Marc

Max: oh yeah, you see, Marc has a lightly social anxiety, so it takes time for him to open up with new people. With the exception of Marinette, Nathaniel and Alix, apparently they manage to win his trust and friendship very quickly. Like some people would say, they just 'clicked'

Alix: Yeah, and Nathaniel and Marc definitely 'clicked' in more than one way if you know what I mean.

The girls giggle.

(Of course that I HAVE to put some Marcaniel here)

Mylene: is not something personal, it took time for all of us to befriend him, but now we are very good friends, and he even is our new "mom friend" I'm sure you would be his friend too, you just need to be patient.

But patient is not what she is, specially when she has to share the adoration and attention of her dumb classmates. Even Nathaniel, who never was one of her admirers or paid her that much attetion like the others do, seems to has eyes only for him! It was low blow to her ego.

Actually I feel like Lila can be patient if the Ladybug episode was anything to go by...

She tries to speed up the proces by charming him with one of her faboulous 'experiencies' and 'conections'

It backfired bad.

Because when she finished to tell her lie a very confused (and uncomfortable because he is still shy around her) Marc started to point out all the holes in her lie and the wrong facts or nosenses in it, with proof. AND IN FRONT OF THE CLASS

She was sure that having the support of her classmates during her tale would help to amaze him, but now the others are seeing her with a confused frown, she need to fix it!

For her luck Marc was starting to look overwhelmed for the attention their confused classmates were given him, so Marinette took him outside to calm him down. She took the chance and did some damage control. Somehow she manage to save face but was a very close call.

Now, the boy is clever than the rest of her dumb minions, and he actually almost got her exposed, so he is clearly a threath, specially if Marinette talks to him about her lies. If he already didn't find it out by himself.

Lila needs to take care of this new obstacle, so she decides to go hostile.

What Lila doesn't expecto is the Marc protection squad.

It turns out that after that close call some of her classmates were skeptical and noticed that something was off (they already had this feeling since Mari was expelled, but they brush it off, but now...) this classmates are Nathaniel, Alix, Kim and Max.

Alix noticing the mood in her friends was the one who brought up the topic, they talked and after a little thinking and the input of Markov they realized that Lila was lying. Then Alix remember Marinette's claims about Lila and decide to talk to her.

When they found her she is talking with Marc, of course is about Lila and her lies, luckily Marc is a good listener and has his own suspicions. They all talk, Marinette's friends finally listen to her and discover Lila's true colors, they apologize and she forgives them, after all despite Lila's threat they never treated her different and were still good friends with her, it hurt that they brush off her concerns but everybody makes mistakes.

They also discover that Adrien knew, at first they were angry, but then Mari calls Adrien and he explains his motives, and well the poor boy really didn't knew better, but he does now and a deal with devil is punishment enough, also he is the reason Mari's name is clean.

Now that they are in the same page, and Adrien is also present (through video call) Marinette tells that now she is more concerned about Marc.

He almost got Lila exposed and he wasn't even trying! Lila is going to see him as a threat and will make everything to get ride of him, just like she tried with her.

That make all of them worried and angry, Alix and Nathaniel the most. So they decide that the bitch needs to fall.

They would protect Marc (and Marinette because despite the deal they highly doubt that Lila would let her alone) from every scheme Lila tries. They also will research and collect proof to expose her.

Lila's first plan is hostility, the boy is terrible shy, it would be easy intimidate him and use fear to controll him like a puppet.

But every attempt goes wrong or backfire somehow, she is caugh in the middle of some of them, of course she says is all a misunderstanding or an accident, but she can't get close thin ice.

Also she can't cornered nor threaten him like she did with Marinette, the boy is NEVER alone, he is always with Alix, Marinette, Nathaniel, Kim or Max, EVEN ADRIEN would keep him company if either of them aren't near.

Then she tries to frame him, maybe she stole an important object from some classmate and tried to planted it in Marc's school bag, but when she tries to put the item in it her arm gets caught by some trap.

Of course she tries to complain against Marc, but Marinette is quick to defend him, Marc is a little paranoid about his stuff, specially his journal, and due to past accidents with stolen stuff (everybody glares at Chloe) she offered to make some security system for his stuff. Marc frees her arm with the key of the trap and shyly tells her that if she needs to borrow something the next time she just need to ask. The brat actually has the nerve to lectures her.

Marc: it’s rude to touch other's belongings without their permission.

And when Marc looks in his bag and takes out the stolen item she tried to make her move, but before she can even open her mouth the owner inmediatly assumes that somehow they lose it and hugs Marc for finding it and keeping it safe "Thanks mom!"

Aaaaarrrrgggggghhhhhh!

And just badmouthing him won't work, from what she learned about the boy he is a little ball of nerves and so sickenly polite, even Lila has to admitt that it would be hard to believe that the boy was being mean even by accident without a well planted proof. Also all the class seems to adore him, and Alix, Marinette and Nathaniel would defend him with tooth and nail.

She tries again and again, but always end the same, all his stuff is sabotage proof and she ends tramped. And her classmates are starting to look at her with suspicion, because is like the fifth time she is caught and why is she poking around Marc stuff in the first place? And oh! Poor Marc! Is the sixth time in two weeks he almos trip over very bad, and he has have many accidents recently! Is a luck that Alix, Marinette, Nathaniel, Kim, Max and Adrien were always there so it never happen something bad!

Hey! Lila is involved in many of them, some of the accidents were her fault! Is strange, isn't it? (Yep, the squad is sowing the suspicious deeds)

She changes targets, If she can get ride of Marinette again she could drag Marc with her.

But Marinette also has all her stuff with tramps, after her expullsion she is more careful with her stuff and the class is on her side. And now she is more suspicious, first with Marc and now with Marinette, is that she hasn't learned her lesson with all her incidents with Marc? Oh and him? That little wretched boy has the audacy to give her a I'm-not-mad-just-dissapointed look everytime she is caught with Marinette's stuff. The class can't help but agree with their 'mom friend'.

The class is getting wary of her, she is losing control, but she refuses to lose against this nobodies!

Now her exposure: it would be that now that her classmates are suspicious of her they start to take a close eye to her, and they start to notice how she is actually very near of Marc everytime he almost has an accident, and how she would make a comment that sound nice but when you think about it is actually a stab in the back, or how quick she is to blame Marinette, or how she tries to subtle disparage Marc or/and Marinette. And now they are noticing the flaws in her stories.

At the end they fact check and discover the truth, or Lila is caught red handed trying to sabotage Marc or frame Marinette. They complain to Bustier and Damocles with the squad's research, the matter goes to the school board and the principal and the teacher are under scrutiny, Lila's mom is called and she is in so much trouble, karma collect her debt. (Akumatization optional)

Or

Maybe for some reason she manage to get Marc alone, or is what she thought, the squad try to not let him alone but they have a plan for that case. If for whatever reason any of them can't accompany him, Max would let Markov with Marc, and the AI would follow-up closely the writer everywere.

So Lila finally cornered and threaten him (and if you want some bashing she can get violent and actually assaults him) but Markov witnesses everything, and since he is an AI his memories are video and audio recording that can be shown as evidence with his testimony, also Marc gave the consent to be recorded for security because they were suspicious about Lila trying something like that.

And just to put the nail in the coffin, the squad's research is presented to the school board, Damocles and Bustier are under scrutiny, Lila's truancy is discovered and her mom is called, she is exposed to all the class and is in so much trouble, karma happens (akumatization optional)

Or

Maybe she is exposed until the squad present their investigation to the school board and... you know what comes next.

In any case, the rest of the class also apologize to Marinette and promise to do better, she forgive them (because at the end they were still her friends and were always nice to her despite what Lila said, everybody makes mistakes).

Happy ending :D

Bonus: Maybe sometime in the middle of the Protect Marc campaign, or at the end of the take Lila Down, Marc and Nathaniel confess their feelings and start dating :3

[meowloudly15]

The thing about Undertale that intrigues me the most is that every character is both likeable and dislikeable. None of the characters are entirely bad, but none of them are entirely good, either.

I can hear you shouting, "But Toriel! What about Toriel? Goat Mom did nothing wrong!" Well... Toriel is, imho, the most unambiguously good character in all of Undertale, with the possible exception of the Human Child. She's unceasingly kind and generous, it's almost impossible for her to kill you in her boss fight, and she desires nothing more than your safety. Going off that last point, though, I find Toriel is a lot like Marlin from Finding Nemo. She's overprotective to a comical extreme. Of course, there's a good reason for this behavior. When I first played the game, though, I found her mollycoddling excessive, to the point where I was almost grateful to leave her behind and escape through the basement! Not that I don't love her, because I do, she's so sweet and funny, and I felt horrible when I accidentally killed her; but Toriel has flaws, and she's not just a one-note maternal figure. And that makes her no less loveable. (Side note: Toby Fox originally planned to have you kill Toriel at the end of the Ruins. He changed his mind and created the SPARE system instead. But I wonder if Toriel was intentionally made smothering to make it easier to off her?)

I'm not gonna discuss Flowey because we all know why he sucks, and I can't say anything that hasn't already been said about his good side.

Papyrus, Papyrus, Papyrus... I love this stupid skeleton himbim. (Why is he a himbim, do you ask? Well, he fits the himbo criteria, but literal skeleton-bodied individuals cannot be considered traditionally handsome.) If he wasn't "pure of heart, dumb of ***", he would be utterly obnoxious. Case in point: his egoism. Papyrus thinks he's the greatest. However, what makes him so lovable is that he thinks everyone else is also the greatest (the "pure of heart" aspect), and that he's really not that great (the "dumb of ***" aspect). Papyrus can be grating and loud and all that, and yet everybody loves him. I have yet to hear tell of anyone who dislikes Papyrus. (Is it because he's probably neurodivergent?) It's interesting how we as a fandom don't really discuss the downsides of Toriel and Papyrus. (Again, not that I don't love them! I do!)

Ah, sans. Finally some good comic relief character. He's a very nicely three-dimensional character. I'm no expert on him, but I will say that his depression doesn't completely excuse him from inaction. There's enough talk about sans to fill a novel or two so I'd suggest consulting another source for more info.

Undyne. Probably the first character (aside from Flowey) whom you truly view as a bad guy. And she has her bad side for sure. She's one of only two Normal Route bosses who will not hesitate to kill you. (Asgore never kills you unless your health is at 1 point.) I understand why she's justifying killing you, a small, possibly harmless child, because she thinks it's the only way to free her people and doesn't have any reason to believe otherwise. But, still. I will say that she's the most human of all the monsters (again, besides Flowey) in that she exhibits the most traits of one: DETERMINATION and cruelty.

Okay full disclaimer I believe that Alphys did nothing wrong and I love her and would die for her BUT. But. My friend has argued for why she kind of sucks, and (though it pains me) I don't disagree. Alphys is basically anxiety given bodily form, and she embodies all the negative parts of anxiety, too. Like the Avoidance Spiral. She screws up, she's afraid of what'll happen if people find out, she hides it, people start getting concerned, she's even more afraid, she avoids it, the problem gets worse, she continues to push it away until the problem has grown too big for her to handle but she refuses to let anyone else help her because having other people know she failed is the last thing she wants. The Avoidance Spiral sucks. And with a problem this major, too; no wonder she contemplates and possibly commits suicide. (Interesting side note: the two Normal route bosses who show you the least mercy are the two who, when killed, lead to Alphys's death.) Also, she manipulates the Human Child without a second thought and never apologizes for it. That's, uh, not great. She needs therapy badly. (Another side note: Alphys is the best-handled instance of mentally ill quasi-villainy in video games I can think of. The only others I can think of are Nathan Prescott and Josh Washington so the bar is not high but I digress. Fun Fact: all those games were released in 2015!)

Mettaton has the most unambiguously rotten personality of the bunch (yet again, aside from Flowey). He's breathtakingly self-absorbed, neglected his own cousin, and is downright abusive to his employees. What redeeming traits does he have? Well, uh... he's a loyal friend to Alphys? Ok yeah that's all I can think of. He's extremely entertaining, though, which is probably why more people don't hate him.

Yes, I know, Asgore is a war criminal, but he's also very soft. And I think that sums him up pretty thoroughly. (Asgore: I have done many things wrong in my life, often. Me: I know this, and I love you.)

TL;DR none of the Undertale characters are perfect, and it's not entirely hard to find a reason to want one or the other of them dead. Does that go against the message of the game? Very much so. Does it make the characters any less lovable? Not at all. Should we give more thought to them all being so lovable despite their flaws? Ab-so-lutely.

[softmary]

I HAVE NO LIFE AND I NEED VALIDATION SO HERE

TW: Cringe. So much cringe. Why did I do this-

How I think I would get along with the slashers if they somehow spared me because of an unfitting reason that only happens on my imagination because irl they would totally destroy me:

Jason Voorhees: in a relationship? If he wanted to, I wouldn't turn him down! I feel like the motherly/housewife is a type he can like. Then again, this might just be me trying to convince myself that I'm worth it- If we were just friends I'd bring stuff he might enjoy, since I don't think there are many things to do on Crystal Lake other than killing horny teenagers-

Thomas Hewitt: MARRY ME I wouldn't mind being in a relatioship with him and I'm hoping he'd like me back 👉🏻👈🏻 As friends we would get along pretty well! I wouldn't yell at him or insult him, so there is a pretty good chance of becoming closer!

Bubba Sawyer: I'm not so sure about a relationship as I see him on a more "I want to care for you as if you were my child" way, ✨but✨ maybe I would accept being his gf because how can I say no to that face 🥺 As friends? Probably besties! He seems to be more sensitive and dependant than the other slashers, so I'd definetly cuddle him when he is feeling sad and would show him my seashell collection. I think he would enjoy it <:

Freddy Krueger: N O. He would be SO mean to me. I just know I would be his laughing stock. I can just hear him calling me "half-pint", "hairball", "round face", etc >:( He teases me because of my height because he is insecure about his own 🙄

Charles Lee Ray (AKA Chucky): a lovable jerk, but I don't see myself in a relationship with him- Would we get along, though? Eeeh... I'm not sure. If anything, he would stand me and I would stand him, but maybe we could get along even if we weren't the closest of friends.

Tiffany Valentine: I'm straight and she gives me mom vibes, so I'm afraid not :( Friends? Probably! She is very sweet and supportive, so I'd love to be adopted by her try to befriend her!

Michael Myers: I'm not sure if I'd accept being on a relationship with him... Don't get me wrong, he is v handsome 😳 it's just that he doesn't seem to be kind of guy to be very affectionate and I feel like he is very easely annoyed, so unless he forces me into a relationship, I'll stay single- Plus, I don't think I'm his type to be perfectly honest, haha... Friends? I don't think so. Again, he would stand me and that's good because that means I survive. Basically: "You are not annoying enough for me to murder you, but don't test your luck." but if he was willing to try, I'd totally give him a chance!

Carrie White: I don't think I'd be in a relationship with her. Not only because I'm straight, but because I think we would be better off as friends. I myself have been bullied back in highschool (though I didn't have it as rough as her) and I like to think that I'm nice, so we could work a friendship! I'm 99% sure that she doesn't enjoy killing people who haven't wronged her, so maybe we could even become besties :D

Bo Sinclair: I... don't think we could be in a relationship. We are polar opposites and while I love that dynamic, we are WAY too different. I don't blame him for being like that because he had a rough life and his shitty parents basically pushed him into those anger issues. A friendship? Again, I'm unsure. If he is willing to try and be nice to me, I'll give him a chance!

Vincent Sinclair: now this is a Sincalir I can get around 😳🕶🤏🏻 If he wants me to be with him, you won't see me turning him down. He is reserved yet a little hot headed if pushed to his limit, just like me, so being in the same room with him without saying anything and just cuddling or observing him while he works is really not problem for me!

Lester Sinclair: just like Bubba, he is my child, a feral one. Seriously, this man is a possum and I love that. We would get along perfectly because even if I'm quiet and well behaved I'm just as weird as he is- We would go to the woods to catch bugs and come back to the town covered in dirt from head to toe and Bo wouldn't let us in so we would end up stargazing on his truck before falling asleep. A relationship with him is tangible! But I'd rather stay as friends.

Pennywise (2017): another lovable jerk who happens to also be feral. I would be in a relationship with him if he wanted to. As friends he would be so chaotic and would tease me by scaring the crap out of me any chance he got, thought he would probably do the same if we were to be bf & gf. No, I don't care that he is actually a giant spider. He is a shape-shifter so it doesn't matter.

Pennywise (1990): He gives me unhealthy grandpa vibes, so I don't think I would be in a relationship with him. I don't think he'd ask me out because I'm probably no this type either, lmao. As friends? Maybe... maybe not... if he spared me it has to be for a reason, so maybe we could work something out.

Yautja (any of them!!): yes. Of course. Absolutely. Please take me away. Boyfriend material right there. I would LOVE to be in a relationship with one of them! Though, if I'm being realistic here I don't think they would like me. I'm way too small, weak and clumsy to be likeable and if I don't meet the human standards, I doubt I'd meet the yautja ones, haha... If I'm lucky I might be able to befriend one.

Brahms: very handsome BOY (wink wink nudge nudge. Please, don't block me 😔) I would accept, basically because he would make me choose between staying or getting murdered in cold blood. He is a stinky rat but I love him anyways. It could work because he is just as touch starved as I am. But I'm afraid he can be a lil' too horny sometimes- I would have to introduce him to the magical world of ✨personal space✨ and ✨consent✨ I've struggled with its meaning before, I know what I'm doing- As a nanny I would be basically the mom to an adult who is twice my size and that would tease me for it and who is unable to say "No" to him after he does that pose where he has both arms behind his back-

[harpersplay]

4x14 Thoughts

I touched on this before, but context fucking matters. Even though it erased Annie's class & Ruby's race while using Beth's momness and whiteness as a shield, the speech in 1x02 works because it's life and death. It works because these women have just been thrown into this scary world and Beth makes a desperate but savvy (she picks up on Rio being more than just a gangbanger and appeals to his business side) plea. She uses what she can (Annie has never brought orange slices to any game ever, let's be real) and saves the day. And yet we see how terrified she was even after it worked. IT WAS AN UNREAL SITUATION THAT FELT REAL. Beth's recent "boss bitch" moments do not work because it's just her fully leaning into the smug entitled white lady role. I feel like too many fans ignore 2x13-3x02. The threat of Rio (and the FBI) was GONE as far as Beth knew. But she decided to do crime. Ruby was stealing from her workplace. Beth was putting Dorothy and Lucy at legal risk by using her store and her work, respectively, to commit crimes without telling them. That's who Beth is. So reframing her actions in S3 & S4 as simply reactions to evil Rio trying to ruin her life not only removes Beth's agency. It is also hollow. Because Beth has zero problem with crime—stealing Gayle's business, bribing a city official, hiring a hitman, setting up an innocent man to be a murderer, making Dean "sell" a hot tub to Mick, selling counterfeit purses, blackmailing men into buying those purses. Beth has a problem with not getting her way. And that's not enjoyable to watch. This is not me saying Beth has to be likeable as in a "good" person. But she has to be likeable to watch. Mary Pat is a total weirdo with very questionable morality, but she's enjoyable to watch. Vance is fucking creepy as shit, but he's enjoyable to watch. And while the show gave both those characters some dimension, it never portrayed them as characters we should unabashedly cheer for. That's not how they write Beth. They still—four fucking seasons in—want us to see her as a mom just trying to survive. But that's not the story plotwise that they have chosen to write. And the fact that Beth's "wins" are almost always at the expense of other women or POC is an added gross factor.

The show needs to make up it's mind about the monetary situation. Either things are dire and they are saving every penny to "escape" to Nevada. Or they have enough money to refurbish Sweet P's and buy Kenny an iPad.

Detroit city council is by district. Why do they keep referencing Ward 5?

Nice of the show to have Dave & Phoebe literally walk thru the situation. Super FUN! that the women who have been in this for years (per date revealed in 4x13) still don't understand how it works. The only way I like this scene is if it is a meta commentary about how the majority of the show stans have never understood how any of the crime aspects work 🧐 And I see that the show is yet again ignoring Turner's whiteboard and everything else implied about Rio's business dealings in S1.

Phoebe's no Turner, but I've never disliked her. She was really good in this episode, but the Phoebe/Beth stuff from stans is annoying. Why are people so into ships where Beth is awful to the other person and yet the other person is willing to risk things for Beth? Wait...I think I answered my own question.

So much wasted time on these MRA guys. I guess they don't need to be ~mysterious~ and I love (I don't) the casual misogyny in all their scenes. Preemptive GTFOH: I know—believe me, more than I want to—that men like this exist. I know it is realistic. But, again, as I mentioned before, the show is more than happy to ignore all types of realism to make the story they want to tell work. So don't tell me that this is simply a reflection of society. Jenna & Co are choosing to write this storyline in this way and she thinks it is fun and comedic.

The show is about the 3 women and anyone asking for more screen time for Rio is a misogynist. One minute spent on Annie's new shitty white male love interest popping her pimple = crickets.

The show is about the 3 women and anyone asking for more screen time for Rio is a misogynist. Dean having the reasonable response to Beth running for city council while she dismisses his legitimate concerns = crickets.

And, btw, Denise doesn't need secret insider information. Even if Dean's police records are sealed—why tho?—the two extremely visible daytime raids on the family businesses would have been on the news. And—gag!—Beth's visit to Denise was hella stupid. Denise is not a criminal, like the girls were in S1, so she has no narrative reason not to call the cops on Beth & her "thug." It was a shallow parallel and just another example of Beth needing a man to handle things for her.

I mentioned in my 4x13 thoughts about how the Sweet P's "fun and empowering...unlikely feminist statement" is bullshit. The girls, specifically Ruby, spent a lot of time judging the dancers. Beth straight up mocked Krystal's voice. They didn't care about implicating them in crime or costing them their jobs when they set up Gene to take the fall for the money laundering. They only "care" now because they need them.

Annie & Nancy's scene would have been nicer if Annie didn't imply that Greg(g)'s cheating was Nancy's failure. Again, they could have had them talk about the cheating and difficulty that Nancy went through as an example of a hardship she overcame. But they CHOSE to have Nancy explicitly frame the business disaster as a personal failing. So having Annie respond with the infidelity doesn't come across as tough love. It comes across as needlessly callous and victim-blaming.

This is long already, so I'm not even going to get into the Beth & Rio conversation at Sweet P's.

Ugh, Rio & Nick. So fucking dumb. Where was Nick before all of this? Why is he flexing his muscle now? With what we've gotten of his characterisation & attitude, are we to believe that this is the first time in 20 years that Rio & Nick have clashed? I would think that he would have been very concerned and involved when Rio drew the attention of the FBI. But Nick was nowhere to be found. (Because these writers don't understand the difference between retconning and world expansion.) Although I did get a chuckle when Nick said, "You think you'd have any of this?" while gesturing to Rio's usually empty bar.

Yet again, no cameras in an area that would most likely have cameras. And white woman Beth implicating gangs (which to cops = Black & brown youth) with her "broken windows theory" scare tactic is disgusting.

Caribbean flair and Mahalo. I'm so goddamn exhausted at this point.

Hello, Random Bitch Wife. FUN!

Hey, speaking of context matters....that entire last scene Beth is actively working with Phoebe & Dave to send Rio to prison. Romance!!!

[childrenofthenightt]

only the black rose (chapter 5)

pairing: jimmy page x layla porter (oc)

warnings: talks of parental abandonment, off-scene injury, drug use (legal!), fluff, and me waxing poetic about one of my favourite books. and more fluff.

words: 3.1k

summary: in the blink of an eye, it’s 1975 and layla’s suddenly joining led zeppelin for their north american tour. throughout the chaos, the band take a liking to her, she builds friendships with the boys, and love blossoms. but all good things must come to an end.

author’s note: this one wrote itself. i expected to take longer with it cause of this. this is the start of the Chaos seen in the 1975 North American tour, so hold onto your hats and enjoy! congrats! you’ve unlocked layla’s tragic backstory! unbeta’d as always, and here’s the link to the playlist :)

masterlist

playlist

chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

----------

Soon enough, the band make their way home, basking in the golden glow of a couple of excellent shows. It’s only a matter of days until the start of the North American tour, and the excitement is palpable. The boys find themselves at the studio, running through some last-minute tour details, accompanied by a certain brunette firecracker, who sits reading comfortably in the lobby.

Layla, sitting on a luxurious couch just outside of the meeting room, is drowning in a hardcover book, consuming every word at a ravenous pace. The sound of pages flipping periodically is accompanied by the light din of voices detailing the upcoming tour. Lost in the story in front of her, she is surprised when she hears a person clearing their throat, seemingly right in front of her. Looking up, she spots the secretary of Swan Song Records, a woman with glasses and long brown hair ran through with gray, pinned up in a low bun. Light freckles dusted her cheeks. Judging by the crow’s feet at the corners of her hazel eyes, the secretary had to have been older than Layla, perhaps around 50, though her bright smile gave the impression of youth.  

“Sorry to interrupt, Miss… I just couldn’t help but notice the book you were reading. I don’t see many fans of the classics around here, especially ones so young.”

Recovering from the shock of being ripped out of the hypnotising story she was wrapped up in, Layla gestures to the seat next to her. With a bright smile, the secretary smoothes down her pencil skirt, and sits down.

“My mother was a literature buff, and it seems she’s passed that down to me! My name’s Layla. You’re Evelyn, right?”

“Y-Yes, I am! How do you…”

“Well, I had to put a name to the lovely secretary that gives me a smile whenever I see her. Makes my day, if I’m being honest.”

“You’re too sweet, darling,” Evelyn says, lips turning up warmly, eyes dancing with joy. “If I may, what are your thoughts on the book? It’s a personal favourite of mine, and it’s always nice to hear new opinions.”

“Well,” Layla starts, lighting up as she speaks. “Wilde’s language paints such a beautiful, vivid picture, and the characters are so interesting, even if they aren’t morally likeable, most of the time. They make mistakes… Many mistakes… but we sympathize with them.”

At this, Layla cups her hand around her mouth, whispering to Evelyn mischievously, as if what she was about to say was the world’s most important secret.

“It’s a favourite of mine too.”

The two women laugh, Evelyn’s hand falling across Layla’s arm, a comforting, grounding weight. Evelyn, with a warm smile gracing her face, crow’s feet as prominent as ever, sends a pang of longing into Layla’s heart. Not for love, but for her old life. Her friends worried out of their minds over her disappearance; her mother, left alone not once, but twice. Her father had left when she was a child, and it had been her and her mother ever since. Layla learned to put up walls, so that she’d never be hurt like that again. They all leave in the end. It’s better that way. Better not to get attached. Better not to get hurt.

“That’s a lovely interpretation, Layla. You know,” Evelyn says, interrupting Layla’s train of thought. “For someone so young, you have an old soul. Wise beyond your years, for sure.”

“You have no idea…”

“Well, I must get to work, darling,” Evelyn claps her hands together, and stands up, resting a hand on Layla’s arm once more. “I’d love to chat again, though. Such refreshing opinions from such a young woman. I’ll let you get back to your book.”

“I would love to! We’ll make plans soon, I promise. Have a wonderful day, Evelyn!” With that, Layla opens the novel, and is taken once again by the current of the story. Minutes pass, until Layla is interrupted once more, this time by a soft press of lips against the crown of her head.

“Everything alright, Layla?”

“Of course, Jim,” Layla says, reaching out to grasp Jimmy’s hand in return. “How did the meeting go?”

“Well, you were right outside the door, I’m surprised you didn’t eavesdrop,” He takes a seat beside her, and reaches down to tap at the book still nestled in Layla’s hand, her finger keeping the page. “You were too engrossed in this, I bet. What are you reading anyways?”

Layla lifts the book to show the cover, which is a slightly worn navy blue, with golden accents in the form of small droplets. In metallic lettering, read ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’.

“Oscar Wilde, hey? Wouldn’t have pegged you for a lover of the classics.”

“I spent my teenage years with Austen and Dickens, after all.”

“I didn’t think you were that old.”

Layla rolls her eyes, a fond look upon her features. Smiling at the man in front of her, she puts a hand to his cheek.

“Yeah, I’m a real cradle-robber.”

“Just make sure my mum doesn’t hear about this relationship: she’ll have a fit.”

“I’ll be careful, angel,” Layla laughs, putting a pensive finger to her chin. “Hey, Jimmy? Do you have a good relationship with your parents?” Jimmy smiles wide at the question and nods, dark curls bobbing at the movement. He absentmindedly takes Layla’s hand in his, rubbing his thumb in soft circles across her wrist.

“My parents… They’ve always been very supportive of me in every way, and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to find a way to thank them,” Jimmy squeezes her hand briefly, meeting her eyes. “You know, I bet they’d love you.”

“Do you really think so?” Layla’s cheeks grow warm, and her lips tilt upwards in a smile that is uncharacteristically shy.

“Of course I do, petal,” Jimmy says, pushing a fallen lock of hair behind Layla’s ear, his touch featherlight. “How about you? What are your parents like?”

“Well… My dad… He left us when I was young, so it’s been me and my mom ever since,” This is marked with a moment of silence, and Layla’s eyes meet her shoes, pointedly not looking at Jimmy. “My mom’s probably the strongest person I’ve ever met, and I truly can’t thank her enough for everything she’s done for me. She’s my best friend.”

The silence continues, until Layla feels a calloused finger at her jaw, lifting her chin. Finally flicking her eyes up to gaze at the guitarist, she’s shocked by the concern and sadness she sees in those emerald green eyes.

“Petal, I…”

“Jim, it’s fine. It—”

“It’s not fine, Layla. It’s not. I’m so sorry, you didn’t deserve that. Either of you.” Jimmy pulls her into a tight hug, long arms wrapping around her, making her feel safe. They stay like this for what feels like hours, breaking apart slowly.

“Jimmy, I… Thank you.”

“Of course. Now, how about you read me some of that book of yours?”

Layla laughs brightly, albeit a little watery, and smiles at Jimmy, eyes shining with gratitude. Shuffling, she positions herself in his lap, legs hanging off the end of the couch as his arm comes to rest across her back, holding her steady against his chest. She opens the book, dog-earing the corner of the page she was reading, before flipping back to the start.

“Petal, as much as I like this, I thought we were gonna take it slow? I don’t think public places are the best idea to… Well…”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jimmy,” Layla says, smirk gracing her face as she speaks. “You just make a very comfortable chair.”

Jimmy’s laugh is music to her ears, and she presses a light kiss to his cheek. Focusing on the book in her hand, she begins to read:

“The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn.”

----------

‘Was it all true? Had the portrait really changed? Or had it been simply his own imagination that had made him see a look of evil where there had been a look of joy?’

The next day had arrived, and Layla sits at her kitchen table, enraptured once again by the writings of Oscar Wilde. The words on the page enchant her, and she has no desire to put the novel down anytime soon. She’d have to tell Evelyn all about it, the next time she sees her.

‘Surely a painted canvas could not alter? The thing was absurd. It would serve as a tale to tell Basil some day. It would make him smile. And, yet, how vivid was his recollection—’

A shrill ringing pulls her out of the carefully crafted narrative of Dorian Gray. Layla huffs, annoyed at the intrusion, and moves to pick up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Layla! Hi, good to hear from you, hope you’re having a great day so far! Lovely weather we’re having, hey?” The slightly nasal voice of one Robert Plant, crackles through the phone, and Layla sighs at his exuberance.

“Robert, hey. What is it?”

“Uh… Please don’t freak out. It’s really not that bad, and everyone is… mostly… fine?”

“Rob—”

This is followed by a noise in the background, a sort of crackle, as if Robert had shifted the phone to his other hand. Layla can hear the way his breath picks up, the way panic seeps into his voice. “Just a heads up that we’ll be at your place in about… 10 minutes! See you then!”

“What is going on? I was reading, I’m really not in the mood for—”

Another crackle, and a sigh from Robert’s end of the line. Layla runs a hand through her hair, biting her lip in an attempt to quell the panic rising in her throat.

“Promise me you won’t freak out, little dove.”

Layla exhales sharply through her nose, unimpressed at the plea of the man on the other line. Coiling the telephone cord around her finger to calm her nerves, she responds.

“Fine, I’m not gonna freak out. Now, tell me what happened.”

“Well… Um… Jimmy, well, he kinda… got his… finger slammed in a train door?”

“...”

“Layla? Are you still there?”

“How?!”

“I told you not to freak out…”

“Robert!” Layla exclaims, concern painted clearly on her flushed face.

“Okay, okay, he told us he was holding the door open for someone on the way to Swan Song, and well… You know the rest.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

Another sigh sounds from the other line, and Layla waits in anticipation for his response, growing anxious with each passing moment. Finally, she hears the man’s response, and deflates with relief, sinking into the chair beside her.

“He should be fine. Like I said before, we’re gonna come get you right away. He’ll be okay, Layla.”

“Okay…Robert?”

“Yes, little dove?

“Thank you.”

“Of course,” Robert chuckles lightly, bringing a smile to Layla’s face, the undercurrent of anxiety still coursing through her. She thinks it will stay that way, until she sees Jimmy, makes sure he’s okay. “We’ll be there in 10 minutes. Sit tight, Layla.”

Layla sits at the kitchen table, biting her thumbnail, mind elsewhere, until she hears the telltale sound of a car pulling up, engine cutting out. Flying out the door, She spots Jonesy in the driver’s seat, Bonzo next to him, with Robert in the back. Opening the door, she sits next to the blond, and he gazes over at her, putting a hand to her shoulder. Sympathy flashes across his face as he takes in the shocked look Layla’s sporting.

“He’ll be okay, Layla. He will.”

“Robert, I… Jonesy, please, just drive?”

“Right.”

The engine rumbles to life, and they’re off, no doubt speeding to whatever hospital Jimmy’s holed up in. Layla lets her thoughts drift to Jimmy. She wonders how he’s doing, if he’s in any pain, if they’re treating him well. She’s distracted enough that she barely feels Robert’s hand, warm and comforting, on her knee. Layla is snapped out of her thoughts by a particularly sharp turn, and she looks up at Robert, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Rob… What if he’s… not okay? It was his finger. That means that he might not be able to play, if it’s bad enough,” She stammers, eyes frantic in their search of the blond’s face. “His guitar is his life, and—”

“Layla, calm down. It’ll be okay. It won’t do us any good to think like that.” Robert leans over, throwing his arm around her shoulder as best he could in the cramped car. To his surprise, she leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Layla unconsciously brings a hand up to bite her thumbnail, and catching the action, Robert places his hand on hers, pushing it back down to rest in her lap. They stay that way until the car rolls to a stop in the hospital parking lot. Layla lifts her head from Robert’s shoulder with breakneck speed, scrambling out of the car.

“Layla, wait!” Jonesy calls out, running after the woman, who dashes through the door. Robert and Bonzo catch up, just as Layla reaches the front desk, panting from exertion. The nurse on shift looks at her, eyes wide, shocked at the display.

“Excuse me, love,” Bonzo says, tucking Layla under his arm as he speaks to the nurse. “We’re looking for James Page? He was brought in for a fractured finger, I believe?”

“...Yes, right. What is your relationship with the patient?”

“We’re his bandmates, we can call our manager if you need proof. Please, we just need to see if he’s okay.”

The nurse eyes the group dubiously, and grabs the chart sitting next to her, looking through it. Glancing at the group again, she points behind them, to a room packed with seats, posters and pamphlets lining the walls.

“It seems that Mr. Page is still with the doctor getting X-rayed, so I’m going to need you to take a seat in the waiting area. Give that manager of yours a call, and we’ll see what we can do for you.”

“Thank you, love.” Bonzo says, as he herds the group over to the soft, patterned armchairs, plopping down with a sigh. Jonesy excuses himself to make a phone call to Peter, the others left waiting for news that won’t come fast enough.

Jimmy has to be okay. He has to.

----------

“For James Page?” The nurse’s voice rings out across the waiting area, and the group shoot up from their seats, stiff backs groaning in protest. “Follow me.”

The nurse leads them through a labyrinth of hallways, stopping finally at a room with a large 164 pasted on the closed door. Through the window looking into the room, Layla spots Jimmy asleep under the covers, his hands atop the sheets, resting on his stomach. He looks peaceful, she thinks, like he’s devoid of pain. If she couldn’t see the injured hand at all, she’d have thought he was perfectly fine.

The group finally walk into the room, the sharp smell of antiseptic burning their nostrils. Hearing the click of the door opening, Jimmy opens his eyes, pupils blown wide. His irises are almost black, and he sends them a dopey smile, a giggle bursting out.

“Hey, guys. Fancy seeing you all here.” Jimmy slurs, laughing harder now, as though he had told the most hilarious joke in the world. The boys join in, amused by the antics of their guitarist. Layla hangs back, staring at Jimmy, concern clear on her face. She had spotted the injured finger on the way in, which was already bruised a deep purple, the fingernail completely blackened.

“They give you the good stuff, Pagey?”

“You know it, Jonesy.” Jimmy shoots the bassist a sloppy wink, and the group erupts into soft laughter once more. Taking a dazed glance around the room, the raven-haired man pouts, completely endearing in his drugged state. “Hey… where’s Layla?”

Peter, who had been standing next to the bed, moves aside, and glassy green met warm brown. The guitarist smiles softly, relaxing back into the pillows. He sticks out his uninjured hand, and she walks closer to take it. Never lessening her grip, Layla threads the fingers of her free hand through Jimmy’s messy curls, and looks down at him fondly.

“How’re you doing, champ?”

“Good, now that you’re here. I would kiss you right now… if I wasn’t seeing two of you.”

“They must have him on the really good stuff…” Layla throws over her shoulder, looking back at the injured guitarist. He’s looking up at her with unabashed affection, and she can’t help but blush at the adoration in his gaze.

“Sorry to interrupt,” comes from the open doorway, as Jimmy’s doctor steps through. “I’m Dr. Vane, I treated James when he came in. If you’d kindly step out for a moment, I’d like to go over his prognosis.”

The boys file out of the room, and Layla goes to follow, stopped in her tracks by Jimmy tugging her back towards him with a whimper. She gives in, sinking back down in the chair at his bedside.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Jimmy. I was so scared when Robert called. I thought...”

“I’m glad you’re here, petal. Now, come into bed with me. I want to see you better.” Jimmy mutters, scooting over to make room for her to fit in the small hospital bed. Layla laughs, nodding, and crawls in beside him, careful not to hurt him. She turns on her side, her hand landing in his hair again. Jimmy looks up at her, pupils still dilated, and presses a quick peck on her lips, giggling anew.

“You’re so beautiful. Have I ever told you that you’re beautiful? ‘Cause you are.” He insists, slurred speech returning in full force, his eyes fluttering closed.

“Go to sleep, Jimmy. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

He hums softy in response and a few seconds later, Jimmy’s breathing evens out. He’s dead to the world. Through the door left ajar, Layla can hear snippets of the conversation with the doctor.

“... Fractured the tip of his finger… At least a month.”

“Will he be able to play anytime soon?” That was Peter, voice soft with worry for the frail man in the hospital bed.

“He should rest… Not good to put too much strain on it… Keeping him here until the anaesthetic wears off.”

Tuning them out, Layla looks down at the man sleeping beside her. His hair is matted on one side of his head, and he snores louder than he’d ever admit, but he looks peaceful. He’s not in any pain, and that’s enough for Layla. She drifts off, as the sound of footsteps against the floor draw near. Her tired eyes open to slits, and she sees a shadow with dark, shoulder-length and a beard. It must be Bonzo, she thinks. The last thing Layla hears before succumbing to the exhaustion that plagues her, is the drummer’s soothing voice, hushed to a whisper.

“Let them sleep.”

----------

taglist: @jimmys-zeppelin @salixfragilis @timetraveller4 (let me know if you want to be added!)

[wisteria-lodge]

burnt lion secondary (unhealthy courtier badger model & healthy bird model)

Hello, I really like your blog, especially your real people sortings. I also really liked your ACD Sherlock sorting. ( I only recently got into ACD Sherlock but Watson’s sorting makes so much sense, idk how I didn’t consider double Lion sooner. XD) 

Anyways, I’ve been having some issues with my secondary lately and I was wondering if you could please help? Only if you want to of course. 

… this is going to be another burnt secondary, isn’t it? 

I’ve almost always modeled Bird. I like collecting random info, and I like plans, they keep me organized. I also have anxiety and having planned through the whole thing helps. The secondary of most of the characters I have loved over the years has been Bird (probably because they fit the “smart” stereotype).

Sounds like a model to me, a tool that you’ve built yourself. 

I’m blunt for sure. That may be a result of having a super blunt mom though. It was in a “I’m going to be brutally honest with you because you need to know how the world works,” kind of way. The community I was raised in also kind of values being super honest. To the point where it’s just rude sometimes. So that may have affected my methods too. 

As a kid I was always expected to get good grades and stay out of trouble so I was very quiet and hardworking. If I am a Badger, I’m only a Bookkeeper Badger. I really don’t like having to use courtier Badger. It’s kind of what I was expected to use as a kid: “You’re the oldest, you have to take care of everyone else. You have to be a good example. You can’t argue with —–.” “You’re a girl, you can’t do that.” bullsh *t. And it just never felt like me. 

Those are some pretty brutal examples. 

I don’t think you were raised in a community that values honesty. I think you were raised in a community that values a strict Badger flavored performance, with an emphasis on deference to authority. But you value authenticity.

Honestly labeling myself as hardworking makes me uncomfortable lol. Because I’m really not. I’ve always felt like I don’t put in as much work as other people do and I’m not trying hard enough.

Whatever your secondary is, it’s Burnt. The hints of imposter syndrome are making me think Burnt Improvisational secondary rather than Burnt Built secondary.

So if I’m a Badger, I really don’t like having to use Courtier Badger simply because that’s what was expected and I’m done trying to fit anyone’s expectations. 

I’m starting to think Lion for you. 

I wouldn’t say I’m meticulous, I have nothing against baking mixes lol, and (probably) most importantly I don’t enjoy hard work. Why anyone would is a little confusing sometimes tbh. Then again, what constitutes as work? If you’re putting time into something you enjoy/find interesting it’s not work. It’s having fun. 

There is a third category that I’m going to call consensual work that, unfortunately, does not really seem to be part of your world. But I’m going to agree with you. That’s not a Badger answer. 

I’m pretty bad at improvising because I flounder and I don’t know what to do or say. 

You don’t use very nice language when you talk about yourself, you know that? 

I feel like I almost chose to use Lion and it’s not something that was always just there. I learned that lying doesn’t work, and honesty is the best policy. I couldn’t live up to people’s expectations, I decided to always just be myself. 

Well, we know you’ve been wearing a kind of heavy Badger model for a long time. And underneath it… I mean “be myself” is the Lion catchphrase. 

I was pretty confident Snake secondary wasn’t even a contestor but lately I’ve realized I’m more Snake than I thought lol. There was a post discussing Snake secondaries and “twisting the truth to your benefit, ” that started in @missbrunettebarbie​ ’s blog. @mooglesorts​ said some things that really made snake secondary easier to understand and relate to. I have twisted the truth to my benefit fairly often. Whenever I need to lie I’ll use that or just tell the truth and omit details. The main person who usually sees through it has always been my mom lol. 

Hmm. That does sound like the way Lions tend to lie… and you’re not a very good liar, you say? 

I also will definitely play up certain aspects of my personality just to be more likeable. 

That can also be a Courtier Badger thing… and we know you modeled that. 

Like I didnt want my friends to think I was stuck up in middle and high school, so I would play up how clumsy I was and how bad I was at lying.

I’d love to know why specifically why seeming “stuck up” bothered you so much. Did you not want your friends thinking you were inauthentic (Lion) or did you not want you friends thinking you were putting on airs? (Badger.) 

(That could have just been me turning the volume up like Lions do maybe?) 

Definitely could be.

All I know currently is that the secondary I want to be is Lion. Basically when I’m comfortable I’m loud and honest and direct and me and I feel free but otherwise I’m quiet and mostly insecure. Isn’t that everyone though? 

No. (That’s the description of a semi-Burnt Lion secondary.)

I think that if I am a Snake I like to be in neutral

… you mean like a Lion?

and use shifting when I’m just uncomfortable or desperate.

… you mean like when you’re forced to use the Courtier Badger model you dislike? 

I think my secondary may also be a bit burnt because I went through a period recently where all I wanted to do was escape and not actually solve problems, and while I’m better it’s probably still affecting my secondary to some degree.

Yep. 

This ask is looking to be more and more Snake as i write, but I guess someone else reading this may have a different view. 

YEP. (Are you getting any Snake, Snake secondaries who happen to be reading this?) 

Thank you so much for reading this mess of words. 

* 

I am so sorry about this. I know I already sent in a long-ass ask the other day, but I’ve been stressing over the bit about me not liking to use Courtier Badger. I really meant no offense. I think a nicer way to have put it would have just been that I don’t like using Courtier Badger because of bad experiences associated with it and I admire people who can use it. Please forgive me for being biased and hurtful. I also think I sounded misogynistic. Ignore my dumbass if I’m being weird tho..

… did you just send me a Courtier Badger-flavored follow up, explaining why you don’t like using Courtier Badger? 

(And seriously, enough with the negative self-talk)