#no but I really do mean this literally bc

[phin-and-frob]

**NOTE: this accidentally became a very long post of me exploring / borderline roleplaying the headspace I imagine Marinette is in post revelator**

honestly I think part of why Marinette is so upset is bc a huge part of her agrees with Alya. She feels awful and she's in way too deep to turn back, and she knows what she's doing is wrong and that the house of cards will come falling down eventually and she feels so bad about it.

i feel for her bc it has always been her and chat noir against the world and against hawkmoth specifically. they always talked about taking him down and seeing it through to the end together. now go back to the day of the finale. Adrien was locked in a literal dungeon by his father while he tried to take over the world using his face to do it (alliance rings). he was forcibly separated from his whole life he fought so hard to make, his friends his school, his girlfriend, his partner in crime fighting. Betrayal at a level that must feel unfathomable. Nathalie was left in Paris, on deaths doorstep all alone dying the same way his mother did. Marinette had to face down her and chat noirs nemesis and arch rival ALONE. and worse than that it's not just their nemesis it's her boyfriends abusive father and her former professional idol/inspiration. even worse she knows chat noir is in danger (to the point of giving up plagg). Even worse, your boyfriend's mom who's disappearance and implied death from illness, he has only just started to move past, has actually been cryogenically frozen in their basement the whole time.

Oh yeah also? you're 15, your boyfriend was just removed from your life against his will when you were supposed to be homecoming royalty together and share your first kiss. your best friend in the world and hero partner is god knows where in who knows what kind of danger and its Just. You. Alone. facing the guy who has tricked you before (stolen the miraculous in s4 which she heavily blames herself for). and backed into a corner (or a cupboard lol) you just had to break the biggest rule your former super hero mentor told you before he got amnesia by combining the cat and ladybug miraculous. and then after all that when you think you have him cornered, he manages to trick you again. your entire universe is about to be destroyed bc you failed to stop him.

but wait! somehow, you get through to him enough that he makes the "good/heroic" choice of killing himself (thus abandoning the son he was already neglecting) and trading his life to resurrect nathalie, and finally allowing his wife to properly die. (also even if he hadn't done this, he was close to death himself from a wound your partner/best friend gave him on accident months ago). and so you finally get the miraculous back but they have been warped and fundamentally altered from their original state by technology you don't understand. and even worse you still. managed. to lose. the butterfly miraculous. meaning the fight isn't really over. you haven't really won, you just have to start over with a new unknown butterfly miraculous holder.

exhausted, defeated, and utterly alone, you're faced with the impossible task of telling your boyfriend who you love more than anything, that he is now orphaned, that his awful father abandoned him again, that his father was a domestic terrorist (and he and his father are famous, so all of this trauma will be compounded as he's forced to experience it as a public figure. people will accuse and suspect him and say all manner or horrid things and he won't even have the dignity of time and space to work through his trauma in peace, he'll be hounded constantly). you also have to tell him his father is the domestic terrorist the city and world has feared for years. and on top of all that, you can't tell him this as his girlfriend or even as a friend, you have to tell him as the hero of paris who supposedly doesn't know him. and while playing that role, forced to keep him at arms length you have to tell him that his life is ruined and was all lies and that you couldn't stop it from getting worse, you couldn't save his father, you couldn't save his life as he knows it from imploding, hell you couldn't even justify it as means to an end bc you still failed to recover the butterfly miraculous.

even when you see him as your civilian identity, being there for him means you are going to have to lie to him 24/7. And that you (someone driven solution oriented and always ready with a plan) simply cannot make any of it better. not as a civilian, not as a superhero, not at all. And so facing down the reality of lying to him constantly you think "well if I'm going to be lying I might as well make a lie that softens/mitigates/hides some of the true extent of how bad it really was. i might as well tell a lie that gives him a tiny silver lining to cling to"

and so you do. you lie. and it's still awful because there's no hiding from the repercussions of what just happened. you don't even have your hero partner to back you up or reassure you or give you hope. it's just you and the awful consequences of what you failed to stop that day. what you, the superhero of paris, failed to save him from.

but at least you can spare him that one final blow, the one final twist of the knife, salt in the wound that is the Full Truth. you may have failed to save the day or save him but you can spare him this one extra bit pain, right? and so you do it. you lie. and he's still upset, of course he is but maybe when you can't sleep at night from the guilt and unfairness of it all you can tell yourself, "at least I did one good thing".

but then you're there as his girlfriend and you still can't tolerate lying to him constantly. (Marinette has a well established hate for lying and liers. She cares about doing what's Right. its what makes her a good hero and a good friend. but in this case there's not a clear cut right and wrong, it's just misery from all sides).

but she can't take back her choice. so she just lives with this eating away at her constantly. (side note: I think this is also part of why she falls into some of her old habits and flaws with her relationship with Adrien and her other friendships in this new season, she's reverting back to old familiar poor coping skills and habits because she's experiencing extreme distress in another part of her life). and she can't tell *anyone* not even her best friend who knows her secret identity. because she knows how honesty and uncovering the truth is one of alyas core values. its what they first connected on (standing up to Chloe and speaking truth to power even when everyone else is afraid to). and she'd be forcing alya down into the same pit of guilt she's found herself stuck in and she wouldn't wish that in anyone. and even if she could tell alya she probably wouldn't even want to because she already hates herself over this. she can't forgive herself. so she can't imagine alya forgiving her either.

the same goes for chat noir, the person that (from her perspective) would probably understand the weight and burden of her position in that moment more than anyone. in marinette's mind,telling alya, adrien, or chat the truth at this point would mean making them see her the way she sees herself: someone who failed, irredeemably, and then lied about it. they would ditch her and hate her the way she thinks she deserves to be hated, the way she already hates herself right now.

And NOW? [post revevator] Now she has proof her suspicions were right. alya who has stuck by her through everything and coached her through some of her biggest losses as a hero and as a civilian, does hate her, does turn on her, does see her as a monster for lying. her best friend all but says "I can't be your friend anymore after knowing this about you."

so any sliver of hope or reassurance mari gets from chat or alya going forward about how they're here for her and will understand and support her through anything is gone. she has proof that they won't actually stick by her when of they learn the truth bc what she did was just that bad and irredeemable. and alya even more than Adrien, knows the compromising position she was in being both ladybug and Adrien's gf; and even still, alya couldn't look past it.

and to top it all off she just watched her partner discover a new power of his that literally bathes the world in darkness and destruction the same way an alternate timeline akumatized version of him did when he accidentally destroyed the entire world in a fit of grief and rage and she had to fight him. so she's understandably not keen on giving him any devastating grief and anger inducing news anytime soon. oh yeah and now bc the miraculous chat noir power worked she is once again the only one at the end of the encounter with memory of the events that transpired 🙃

Honestly, in my opinion, Marinette saying she doesn't trust Chat Noir for THIS reason did nothing but VALIDATE Alya in her anger.

Cause all that Marinette actually says to Alya here is that Marinette doesn't want Chat Noir to know because she thinks it's way too likely that Chat wouldn't stand for that lie either and not knowing who the boy underneath Chat's mask is would leave Marinette helpless if Chat were to flip her off and just decide to tell Adrien the truth as civilian behind her back.

Like, that's literally all Marinette said to Alya here. Even if she probably didn't even realize it, it nothing but VALIDATED Alya in her opinion that telling Adrien is the right thing to do because now she being told by Marinette that Chat would side with her, ALYA, and not Ladybug if he knew.

So from Alya's perspective, it's Marinette vs both of her partners who she deliberately keeps in the dark BECAUSE she suspects they wouldn't agree with her.

Which is ironic cause Alya started this conversations asking if this is a Ladybug and Chat Noir vs Rena Rouge situation, only to find out it's Chat Noir and Rena Rouge vs Ladybug.

[sports-on-sundays]

Hello hello, I am back with another request! It's with Oscar again but friends to lovers. Hear me out, the most cliche thing ever. Oscar loves her, she loves him but both too dense to realise it. They are out and about and another dude corners her and tries to make out with her, Oscar saves the day (make him protective and violent pls, make him punch the guy (side note: I would pay money to see Oscar actually punch someone, don't ask me why idk🙈)). So then he comforts her, takes her home and she asks him to stay. I will leave the rest of the convo to you🤗. Let there be a first kiss and cuddle I beg I am the biggest sucker for those bcs Oscar seems like the best guy to have your firsts with.

Holy hell that's a long ass request haha. Thank you for reading all that🤣 have fun with it and feel free to change things up a little bit if you want to!

be / OP81

Summary: Oscar x female!best childhood friend!Australian!reader - You and Oscar are finally forced to realize your feelings for each other.

Warnings: panicking, someone forcing himself onto another person, blood, crying, i did change up the request a little bit 🤏, feeling sick

Requested: Yes! And don't worry about the long request, I really liked it, and thanks so much for requesting! Long requests are better sometimes anyway.

Author's Note: Guys I'm starting to think I seriously need my very own Oscar Piastri....

"It wasn't even that funny-"

"It wasn't even that funny!"

Both you and Oscar look up to who it was mockingly imitating Oscar's friendly teasing, and your eyes set themselves upon Lando Norris, smirking obnoxiously.

"What's your problem?" you demand, crossing your arms, most of the laughter from Oscar's joke that he made fives minutes ago (yes, you were still laughing your head off at it) gone.

"What do you mean? I'm just kidding. It's just funny how your boyfriend can make the most dumb joke, and send you both into a ten minute laughing fit-"

"Boyfriend?" you and Oscar seem to ask incredulously in sink.

The smile falls off of Lando's face this time, and is replaced by a look of surprise and confusion. "Waaaait... So you're trying to tell me you guys aren't dating?"

Oscar blinks a few times in confusion. "Y/n and I are just friends. We always have been."

"Yeah," you add quickly, nodding. "I don't know why everyone thinks differently."

Lando's eyebrows raise in amusement. "Maybe because you guys act like you're mad in love...? Like, all the time? Or maybe the fact that you come to every single one of our races? Or maybe it's the way you look at each other with heart eyes, like the other one is the only one in the room? I mean, I don't know. It could be the way you're always giggling and talking and yapping to each other... But, oh, what do I and everybody else know?"

"Good question," Oscar deadpans. "What do you know?"

Lando shrugs, rollings his eyes, and struts away. As soon as he's gone, Oscar turns back to you with a little shrug and says, "Sorry about that. I guess nobody gets that two people can love each other as friends without feeling romantic feelings..."

You nod, shrugging. It makes sense to you, simply because that's how it's always been with you and Oscar, forever. The two of you practically slept in the same crib (not literally!). You always just assumed he's like a brother or something, and it doesn't pay to consider anything else. So you haven't. Too risky, and besides- that's not worth it to waste your time thinking about. You like things just the way they are, no need to change them.

"-Y/n?"

"Hm?!" you look up, snapping out of your pondering.

Oscar smiles at you, his brown eyes soft, like they always are when he looks at you. You smile back, eyes equally as warm as he says, "Did you hear me?" in amusement.

You chuckle, "No, sorry."

He nods, giving your shoulder a little pat as he stands up. "I've got to go now get ready for the race. First of the season. Wish me luck!"

"Luck isn't needed," you say with a little grin. "You've got enough skill alone to win it."

He grins. "I guess. But luck never hurts, does it?"

"Not at all." You stand up with him and give him a quick half-hug, saying gentler, "Drive safe, and bring it home. I'll be cheering you on."

"Like always?"

"Like always."

"Hey, Y/n?"

You look up from your phone, shutting it off. You're sitting alone, long after the 2025 season opening race, the Australian Grand Prix, has ended. You haven't seen Oscar since the race ended, and have just been sitting around, not wanting to go home until you have a chance to talk with him. And there he is, standing there, back in his regular clothes: a black sweatshirt, sweatpants, and sneakers, looking thoroughly sleepy.

You immediately stand up, smiling, saying simply, "It was a great drive."

"Well, I-"

"Hush. You scored points after what happened, and that's enough, for goodness' sake."

He smiles softly, and though his eyes say a lot more, he just nods and says simply, "Yeah, yeah, you're right. As always."

You nod promptly and say teasingly, "I know!"

He just rolls his eyes and says, already in a better mood just by talking to you, "Mum wanted you over tonight for dinner."

You grin, "She did, did she?"

"You know she always does, whenever I'm around, want me to bring you over. She adores you."

"She's the sweetest," you chuckle. "Well, I wouldn't mind one of your mum's home cooked meals."

Oscar nods, grabbing his coat, and saying, "I agree; that would hit the spot right now. C'mon."

You two make it to the car and get in, before you start heading to Oscar's mother's home. The car ride is mostly silent, but neither of you really mind. It's a comfortable, good kind of silence.

Towards the end of it, though, you ask simply, "So, that's the end of the first race week of the season. How're you feeling?"

Oscar shrugs, thinking for a few moments, before saying, "Hmm... I guess I'd have to say tired, but very hopeful."

You smile. "Good. You just need your beauty rest, huh?"

He glances at you with a cute little smile. "Right."

Dinner is nice. Warm, and reminds you of home, and your childhood, and everything good. And it's perfect for a rainy day like today.

Once he's finished eating, though, Oscar stands up, stretching, from the table, and says, "Well, I should be off to bed..."

"Oh, Oscar, you will give poor Y/n a ride home won't you?" Oscar's mother asks.

He looks over at you with a little smile and nods, saying, "Oh, right, of course."

You walk to the door together, but before Oscar opens the front door to leave, you gently grab his arm and say simply, "Osc."

He looks up from unlocking the door, meeting your eyes. "Hm?" he asks gently.

"You don't need to drive me home. I could get a cab or take the bus or whatever. It's all good. You've had a crazy week, as it is, much crazier than mine-"

"I mean, I was thinking maybe it'd be fine if I didn't drive you home, too, but you don't have to get a cab. I'm sure if I asked, my mum would be fine with you just staying the night or something."

You blink in surprise, but smile at the suggestion. "Oh. Well, I'd hate to bud in-"

He smiles. "You're family, Y/n. Don't worry." He takes your hand, tugging you back towards the dining room, calling, "Mum! Would it be fine if Y/n just stayed the night? We've both had a long day!"

"Oh, of course, honey! Tell her she can make herself just all nice and comfy and at home! Y/n's such a sweetheart, anyways. She's always welcome!"

Oscar smiles, looking at you. "You heard that, right?"

You smile back up at him with a little laugh. "Yeah, I heard that."

He nods, saying, "C'mon, let's go to my room."

The two of you head there, both of you knowing the way to Oscar's childhood bedroom from all the years you used to spend in there together. When you walk in, seeing all the dressers in the same place they always were, and all Oscar's old decorations from his karting days, memories seem to flood back, just like that, and both you and Oscar feel it. You crawl onto his bed, just like you always used to do, flopping down against his pillows, making yourself at home.

Oscar smiles and crawls in next to you. Just like he always used to do, too. "Last time we were both here was..."

"...right after you joined McLaren, right?" you smile at the memory.

"I guess so." He smiles down at you.

"I remember distinctly, one time, you had been gone so, so long, and I asked your mum if I could surprise you when you got home..."

Oscar starts laughing, clearly remembering it to. "Ohhh yeah. I threw open the bedroom door and flopped on my bed, even though you were on it. By the time I saw you and yelped, it was too late."

"Yeah, and I wrapped my arms around you and started tickling you," you say giggling.

He rolls his eyes, grinning. "I remember. By the end of it, I was gasping and near tears. God, Y/n, you know I was tired."

"I know. But I made you laugh and smile, didn't I? And I made you feel better, didn't I?"

"I mean, I was just happy to see you," he says, his gaze comfortably resting on yours.

"I was happy to see you. Do you know how much I missed you those months?"

"You miss me if you don't see me for a week, Y/n, still."

"Why do you think I come to every race that I can?"

"Because I pay for you to?"

You roll your eyes at that, crossing your arms, "I mean, yeah, but that's not the sentiment I was going for!"

He laughs, giving your shoulder a little playful tap. "I know, I know."

You sigh deeply, the sweet silence settling between the two of your for a little while, before murmuring, "And I hope you remember after that tickle attack, when your face was red and you were nearly crying from laughing, I gave you the biggest hug of all time..."

Oscar's face warms at that as he leans a bit closer to you. "Yeah... Yeah, I remember. You wanna know why that moment was special to me?"

"Why?"

"Because that was the moment I realized that there are some people in my life that never truly will leave me. Even if I leave them. And you're one of the best of them. That was when I learned what family is."

You nod slowly, thinking about that for a few moments, before saying, "That's... so sweet. I like it."

Oscar smiles. "Me, too. I like it too. I'm so lucky to have a best friend like you."

"And I so lucky to have a best friend like you."

Oscar smiles at that, nodding, satisfied, before letting out a big yawn, reminding you if a sleepy cat, before folding his hands up into fists and rubbing his watery eyes.

And, as if it's contagious, you let your own yawn, a few moments later.

Oscar smiles, this time more sleepily at you, before slipping his arm over your shoulders and pulling you a little closer to himself. You flop your head to lean against his shoulder, and murmur, "Time for us both to get the much-needed rest our bodies are begging us for?"

"Mmm-hm. Yeah. Whatever you said," Oscar murmurs as he drifts off, the hint of a smile still lingering on his mostly relaxed face.

And you both drift off, surrounded by that perfect warmth and tranquility that feels just like home.

A little under a week later, you're sleeping against Oscar in a very similar position, feeling like you're just as at home in China than you are in Australia, simply because of the person you're resting against, when you're awakened by the painful claims, "I ship it, the mechanics ship it, the other teams' drivers ship it, the fans ship it. My God, even my mum ships it! Literally everyone can see you're mad in love except you and her!"

You stretch, your eyes fluttering open, and murmur before you're even sure it's Lando's unwanted yapping torturing your ears, "Landooo shut uppp..."

Oscar gives your shoulder a squeeze, groaning to Lando in his perfectly alert awake state (contrary to yours), "Look at that, Lando, you made her wake up!"

"Oh, yeah, 'cause you'd hate for her to stop sleeping against y-"

"Lando, stop, it's not like that."

"How come every time a girl and a guy are friends, everyone ships them? I think that's society's problem," you comment as you rub your tired eyes.

Lando snorts, saying, "It's not every time. You guys are just obvious. And oblivious. You just need to admit it to each other."

"There's nothing to admit to each other, Lando," Oscar comments as he watches you slowly lean off of him, slipping his arm off your shoulders.

"Yeah, we're, like, brother and sister."

"Well, I wouldn't say that-" Oscar begins quickly.

"I mean, yeah, like-"

"We're more like just really close friends," Oscar finishes confidently.

"Yes, that's true, I agree," you say quickly, looking up at him. "We're family, but not brother and sister."

"Ah, so you're family, but it's not like siblings. What else could you be other than mad in love but just too dense to realize it?" Lando asks.

You just glare, crossing your arms, and Oscar comments, "I don't know, but it's not like that."

"Maybe it's just not like that simply because you both refuse to admit what you really want."

"Lando, I don't need you of all people being my psychologist. Could you just leave it?" you comment, feeling Oscar's eyes watching you.

Lando sighs (overdramatically), shrugs, and says, "Suit yourself. I'm just saying, you guys have got to get together soon, or else you'll drive yourselves and everyone else insane. We can all tell you guys just need to kiss already." And with that, he once again struts away.

As soon as he's gone, you whine, leaning your head into Oscar's shoulder, "I hate Lando!"

"Don't say that. He's just kidding," Oscar says gently.

You sigh. "I know... it's just..."

"Hm?" Oscar prompts gently.

"I don't want people thinking something that's not true."

"Who cares what they think? We both know how we feel about each other, and that's all that matters." But do we? Oscar's brain echoes.

"Yeah, you're right," you murmur, nodding, comforted by his words, not even picking up the way he stares forward, eyebrows knitted together, deep in thought.

You've heard what you think you want to hear, and that's all that matters to you.

The moment you see Oscar after his podium, after he stood on the first step, winning such a solid race as that, you run into his arms, causing him to laugh as he hugs you back, saying, "Hey, Y/n."

"I'm so proud of you!" you say excitedly. "Amazing drive- amazing!"

"Thank you, Y/n. It means a lot. I'm so happy you were here to cheer me on."

You grin up at him. "Me, too, Oscar. Me too."

He celebrated with his team after the race, you staying in your hotel, since Oscar promised you he'd like to bring you home with him to Monaco, and have a more low key celebration, without as many people. Besides, you'd like it that way better anyway. And this way, you can get some extra sleep and try to avoid some of the jet lag from the long flight to Monaco.

Now you stand in Oscar's bathroom back in Monaco, gazing at yourself in the mirror in your white crop top and silver skirt, knowing that when you step out of the bathroom, all you need is for Oscar to tell you it looks nice, and then all your worries will vanish.

And once you do, of course, he stands up from the living couch and says, "You look really pretty. Ready to go?"

You smile softly, sighing in relief, and nod. "Yes. I'm ready to go celebrate with the winner of the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix." You laugh a bit, and add as you head out to the car, "Oscar, you know I'm so incredibly proud of you."

He grins. "I know, I know." You know he loves your lavishing, even if he wouldn't admit it. He's never gotten enough of it; you're one of the people that appreciate him the most, you think, at least. You appreciate him a whole lot, anyways.

Soon you get to your destination, and the night starts off really fun, you and Oscar just sticking with each other, laughing, singing, drinking, and dancing. But after too long, the air becomes stale, the noise becomes too loud, and the drinks turn bitter. You're tired, and Oscar's off somewhere, swept away with his other friends. You sigh deeply, leaning against the wall, running a hand through your hair.

It's then that you feel a hand on your shoulder, and it makes you flinch. It's unfamiliar.

It's not Oscar's hand.

You look up to see a man around your age with tangled overgrown curly brown hair and dark, cold eyes. He's wearing a gold chain around his neck and a football jersey. It's then that he shows you his unflattering smirk and says in a thick French accent, "I'm Jordan."

You just kind of nod, showing a fake smile and crossing your arms, not really in the mood for any antics with any strange guys.

His eyebrows raise as he says, "Do you have a name, or am I going to have to give you one?"

Your lip immediately curls up as you look at him from the corner of your eye, still not tilting your face directly towards him. "You're not smooth. My name is Y/n."

"Pretty name for a pretty girl. A sassy girl, too, at that. I like that."

You bite your lip, rolling your eyes in utter annoyance at this guy 'Jordan.' "Good for you..." you murmur, trying to send him the message that you really don't want to talk with him.

Jordan just hums and steps closer to you. You glance up at him for the first time, really, feeling a bit sick from how close he is to you. You murmur awkwardly, "Could you please step away?"

"No, I don't think I will. I'm enjoying your reaction too much."

"Please, stop."

He roughly grabs your chin, forcing you to look him in the eyes. You swallow deeply.

"I really like your skirt..." he purrs, leaning in closer to you, completely ignoring your protests. His hand slips onto your thigh and grips it tightly.

"Stop... I don't care-"

"You don't, don't you? Well, what a shame... I reckon there's not much you can do about that..."

"St-"

He lips meet yours in a nasty, rough kiss. Your head pounds and spins as your knees begin to shake, panic of what's happening sinking in, your thoughts raging with anxious thoughts at the same time as your head being completely empty. You push at his chest, but he pushes his whole body up against yours, pinning you to the wall, further into a shadow.

You gasp, the panic sinking in deeper, and hardly register what happens next.

Oscar's familiar voice in all the chaos says in one of the angriest, coldest tones you've ever heard from his mouth, "Get your fucking nasty hands away from her."

Jordan tears his lips away from your mouth as Oscar grabs him, Jordan turning his head to look behind him, but before he has a chance to react, you watch as a fist comes flying across and hits him square across the face. He stumbles back and as blood begins gushing from his nose. For a moment, his eyes meet yours in shock, as if he expects you to help a dog like him, but it's then that you watch Oscar grab him by the collar and murmur in the darkest of tones to him, "I told you to get your nasty hands away from her, and you didn't. That's my girl, and no one dares to touch her like that. You better not think you can go on like this, and I hope this can be a reminder for you not to." And with that, Oscar throws another punch, hitting the guy in his eye. You slowly slip down the wall, still watching in shock as Oscar finishes him off by handing one more punch to him on his bloody jaw, before letting go of his collar, letting him fall to the floor, finishing with a yell, "The pain you're feeling right now is nothing compared to the pain you deserve!"

You watch as Jordan scampers up and, just like that, without even considering a fight, stumbles off, out of sight.

And then, everything hushed, Oscar turns, and his eyes meet yours. His hair is a little sweaty and messed up, falling over his forehead. For a moment, you see that remaining burning anger, but as soon as he takes you in, that vanishes, and is replace by the familiar warmth he seems to always look at you with.

And the moment your eyes lock, the tears start coming, and you break down.

Oscar is immediately by your side, pulling you into his arms, sitting on the floor next to you and holding you in his lap, gently stroking your hair. After a while, you hiccup, slowly leaning away, your body still shaking, and murmur, mopping up your eyes with your hands, "Os- Oscar... That was scary. I'm scared."

He gently takes your hand. "You don't have to be. I'm here. Are you ready to go home?"

You nod slowly, and Oscar helps you up, leading you out back to his car, his arm around your back protectively the entire time.

Once back in the car, as the events of what just happened replay through your head, you hiccup, more tears threatening to flow. Oscar gently takes your hand, murmuring in the dark of the parked car, "Tell me what I can do for you, and I'll do it. I hope you know I'll do anything for you to feel better."

You sigh shakily and just lean into him. He wraps his arms around you, holding you for a few minutes, before you lean away again and murmur, "Let's just get home..."

Oscar nods. "Good idea." He turns the car on and begins driving, and as soon as he does holds his hand that he's not using to drive out to you. You put your hand in his, letting the warmth from it fill you and comfort you.

As he drives, you suddenly say in the empty silence, "'That's my girl.' That's what you said."

Oscar just nods a little. "I know. I did mean to say that, you know."

You swallow, thinking for a few moments, before murmuring the simple question, "Why?"

"Because you've always been mine and I've always been yours, haven't I?"

You swallow. "I don't know what that means."

"Forget what it means. You're the most important girl- the most important person- to me. You're my girl, and I'm not going to let anyone be messing with you."

That feels right to you, and good to you, to hear that. And you're glad, in a way, that he's so confidently figured that out. It frees you to say back, "Well, yeah, then... I guess that makes you my boy, then..."

Oscar smiles very softly, giving your hand a little squeeze as you arrive at his home. Once you're both inside, before you have a chance to start worrying, Oscar says gently, putting a hand on your shoulder, "I want you to be comfortable. What do you need? I could get you something to eat, run a bath for you, get a change of clothes, all three, whatever else you need-"

"Oh, uh, don't worry about it-"

"Hush," Oscar suddenly interrupts, shaking his head. He moves to stand right in front of you, before gazing down into your eyes, and saying in all sincerity, "Look, I want you to be honest. I want to take care of you if that's what you need. I want you to be comfortable."

You swallow, nodding a bit, before murmuring, "A bath and a change of clothes might be nice... I'm not hungry, though."

Oscar nods, putting his hand on your back, leading you to his room. He opens his closet and says, "You can wear whatever you can find. I'm going to go run that bath for you; I'll call you when it's ready. I'll get a towel for you in the bathroom, too."

You nod, find one of his bigger McLaren T-shirts and a pair of black sweatpants, and head to the bathroom just as Oscar is calling for you.

Oscar smiles at you gently when you walk in and say simply, "Anything else you need?"

You shake your head 'no,' saying, "Thank you."

He nods. "Of course. I'll just be in the living room, you can come there when you're done. Call me if you need anything. And take your time, too."

You smile weakly, nodding. "Alright. Thanks, Osc."

He nods, leaving you to have your bath. You peel off your clothes and sink into the water, feeling its warmth surround you like an embrace. You let out a long sigh of relief as the water touches your sore, tense muscles, soothing them. After the night you've had, it feels good to just be. To just experience something genuinely good and calming, knowing Oscar is just in the next room.

Oscar. The way he stood up for you, was so protective of you, and beyond that, has been taking such good care of you... You know Oscar a good man... He was always a really sweet boy, and he's grown up to be a really very upright and sweet man. It was crazy- crazy- to see him go off on that stranger, and beat him up the way he did.

But somehow, it felt right. It was just proving he's good. That he cares so much about and for you, he won't let anyone hurt you without knowing the consequences of it from him.

How much does he really care about me?

The question almost feels good to ask, because you have a feeling the answer is one you like.

And then the way he so confidently called you his girl.

'That's my girl.'

Just looking back on it, for some reason, it makes your heart skip a beat. It's that chest-tightening nervous affectionate feeling you get often when Oscar does or says little things. Although this time, it's not little, and every new thing he does seems to make your stomach flutter a little more. It's a familiar feeling that you're sure you've gotten hundreds of times before with Oscar, but for some reason, you're only realising it now. Why, you have no idea, and what the strange feelings could mean, you have even less of an idea.

Soon, you finish your bath, and after drying yourself put on Oscar soft, comfortable clothes, no matter how over sized they are on you. Besides, you don't care in the slightest about that as soon as you inhale his familiar, comforting scent when you put them on. You go to the living room and see Oscar laying on the couch on his phone, now in a T-shirt and sweatpants, just relaxing. As soon as you walk in, though, he looks up.

"Osc...? Do you have a brush I could use for my hair?"

He nods, hopping up from the couch, and says, "Yeah, I do. Wait here, I'll be right back. Just get yourself comfy."

He leaves, and you shrug, taking his advice, and curl up on the couch, waiting for him to come back. He takes longer than you expect him to, but soon enough, he walks back in and sits next to you, saying, "Why don't you just relax, and I can brush it for you?"

"Seriously? You don't have to," you say immediately, secretly wanting badly for him to brush your hair for you. You love the feeling of other people playing with your hair- and if it's Oscar, even better.

He smiles at you. "I know, but I want to." And with that, to both of your delight apparently, begins gently brushing through your hair. When he's done, he slowly start running his fingers through it, starting from the bottom and going up to the top. You sigh, leaning back into him, and Oscar just simply loves it. After a while he says, softly amused, "You just seem to melt when my hands are in your hair."

You shrug, smiling a little, and say, "What can I say? It feels really good."

He chuckles that low comforting chuckle that feels just like home. "I can tell." After a few more minutes he says, "I found a hair tie I think you must've left here at one point. Do want me to braid your hair or something?"

You smile, glancing back at him, and say, "You can do that? I don't know if I can trust you."

He just smiles back at you. "You should. I'm good at it. Remember, I grew up with three sisters."

You shrug again before saying, "Well, alright..."

He chuckles softly again, before he gently begins braiding your hair, his fingers gently weaving through your locks, slowly, until he finally finishes and ties it on the end. Once he's finished, you turn around to face him.

He smiles at you.

You smile back, taking his hands in both of yours.

"You're beautiful," he suddenly says, looking right into your eyes. "I don't think I've told you that enough. Because I think it all the time, whenever I look at you."

For some reason, your friend saying that makes you blush. There are a few moments of silence, before you look down at your joined hands and murmur, "Crazy that the hands that beat up that guy are the same hands that just gently braided my hair."

Oscar shrugs, smiling a little. "They have different uses in different moments. And I don't regret what I did for a moment, not any of it. I would do the exact same thing if I had to do it all again. In fact, just thinking about it makes me really angry. But what matters most is that you're okay."

You sigh slowly, nodding, your head a bit dizzy at the thought of it all. "I'm just so thankful for you, throughout it all. You, like, saved the day..." you chuckle wryly.

He shrugs, nodding a bit. "I guess." A little laugh.

More silence.

You stare down once more at your joined hands. "But Oscar..." you begin hesitantly.

"Yes?" he prompts gently.

"...I'm sorry."

"Y/n... for what? You did nothing wrong-!" Oscar begins somewhat incredulously.

"It's just... You were celebrating your win..."

"Oh, Y/n..." Oscar begins, his tone softening. "Come on, now. Look up at me, will you?"

You sigh, doing so.

"It's not your fault, what happened," Oscar says. "It's that idiot's fault, and we both know that. What happened happened, and there was no preventing it. And if you're worried about me, don't be. I had a perfectly good time celebrating in China with my team. This was more that I wanted to do something with you, for you. But look at this right now. Here we are, sitting together, anyway. Isn't that what matters the most anyway; isn't that the point? So why don't we just make the most of this moment, right now, hm?"

You sigh again, nodding slowly, before saying, you heart almost feeling like it's being squeezed, "Okay."

"Hey," Oscar murmurs, his hand touching the bottom of your chin. "You're looking down again. Talk to me." He gently raises your chin.

You swallow, and suddenly, words that you hardly knew you even thought start coming from your mouth, and only now as you hear them in your voice do they even begin to make sense: "I guess it's just that... You're so caring and gentle with me, and protective. And we like each other so much and get along so well and we've known each other for years and... I guess sometimes I wonder about us... You know, our relationship, like, what even is it? I mean, I think we'd both readily admit we most definitely love each other, but I guess... well, I don't know..."

Oscar nods slowly, before whispering, as if it's some long kept secret, "You guess you just wonder in what way we love each other?"

You swallow, nodding. "Well, yes, exactly. Because... well, I don't know."

"Can I tell you how I feel about you?"

You study his face for a few moments- his handsome face- and nod.

"I feel about you the most deep feeling I've ever known, deeper than I ever thought I could experience. The love I have for you is beyond anything I could describe in a physical sense- it's beyond a romantic love or and family love or the strongest kind of named love I could think of. All I know is that when I look at you, I see fulfillment, and happiness. I see everything I've ever needed, plus everything I've ever wanted. I see a priceless jewel- the sort of thing that anyone would honor and protect with their life. I see beauty herself, on the inside and out. I see my best friend, my favorite person, the one I would spend any and every moment with, if I could. I see comfort, I see love. I look at you and know the great lengths I would go for you. I know it's all so cliche, but it is a love beyond words. It is. I just..." he trails off, before leaning in and whispering, "Are you crying?"

You sniff, looking away, your heart pounding. "No..."

He smiles gently, his hand leaving yours to reach up and wipe a tear away off your cheek with his thumb, "Don't cry."

"That's just so... sweet... and... everything I exactly feel, too, put into words..."

"Y/n..." he hums gently with a little chuckle. "I don't want you to cry, though."

"Don't worry," you say with a little hiccupy laugh. "They're good tears."

He smiles a bit, grabbing your hand again and giving it a squeeze. "Okay."

You swallow, before daring to ask, "What would the difference be, if you were my boyfriend instead of my best friend?"

Oscar eyes seem to light slightly at the question, and he says simply, "Nothing at all, except for one thing: we would be able to express that deep love for each other in different ways."

You nod slowly, swallowing.

Oscar leans in closer to you. "How does that sound to you?"

"I... I think it could be just what I need."

Oscar smiles softly. "I mean, I feel like... it would be nice to not just have to use my words to tell you how much I love you. You know, to be able to kiss you, or something, instead."

You find yourself smile a little at the words, nodding as pinkness gets to your cheeks. "Yeah... that doesn't sound so bad."

Oscar smiles, just gazing into your eyes. "Yeah?"

"It's just that... with tonight, with what happened..."

"Oh, I wasn't meaning we had to do anything tonight- just to think about. You know...?"

You nod slowly, before muttering, "But maybe... Just maybe tonight is the night to do it." You pause, before continuing, "You know, with all that happened, maybe if we just decided... tonight, let's just take a little step... it would help me to leave that. You know, it wasn't my fault... and I have someone who really does love me."

Oscar smiles. "And I really do."

You smile back, looking back up into his sweet brown eyes.

He slips his hand out of yours and gently brings it to your cheek, muttering, "Well, is it okay if I kiss you? Just a little kiss?"

You smile wider, feeling your stomach flutter at the sincere question. Nodding, you reply, "Yes, I reckon that is okay."

Oscar nods, his thumb stroking your cheek a bit as he leans in, his other hand gently touching your waist. His hand on your cheek shifts to cup the side of your neck, and he whispers, his warm breath on your ear, "You still okay?"

You nod.

And with that, he leans in, and, pulling you closer to himself, kisses you in the most perfect way. His adoration and love for you flows through the kiss, while still keeping it short and gentle. When he leans away, he whispers, "How was that?" with a little adorable smile.

You just sigh shakily and murmur, "I think you should do it again."

And he does without a second more of hesitation. His lips meet yours as he pulls your body closer to himself, lost in the kiss, lost in his emotions. When he pulls away again, he's pulled you onto his lap, but neither of you seem to care, both too swept up in each other's gazing eyes.

"I didn't realize for how long I needed to do that..." he whispers gently.

You smile a little. "I didn't realize how long I needed that from you."

He smiles back. "We'll call that both of our first kisses, okay?"

You nod. "Does this mean I'm your girlfriend now?"

"I like the sound of that."

You smile and throw your arms around him in an embrace. He pulls you closer to him, leaning back so that you can lay your head on him, and rubs your back, whispering, "I love you so much, Y/n. So, so much. To the moon and the stars and all the way back."

You smile up at him. "I don't know about the moon and the stars for me Oscar, but I'll tell you this: I love you enough to want to spend my life with you. I love you enough to want to grow old with you."

At those words, Oscar's arms tighten around you, and he chuckles, "See how sappy we suddenly get as soon as we decide to just give it up and kiss? My God."

You grin into his chest. "Yeahhh... But I don't mind it."

"Oh, trust me, I don't either." He shifts, moving you with him, making you both comfortable, so that you're laying together, cuddling.

"I really like this."

He hums. "Me too."

"You know we'll never hear the end of it from Lando if he finds out."

You feel the vibration of his laugh in his chest. "I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's just relax. I just want to be. Be with you."

"I think that sounds like exactly what I was made for. To be with you."

He smiles, and you shut your eyes, content to listen to his heartbeat and just be.

Just be with him.

[gatorbites-imagines]

Second batch regarding general relationships and that's it for them.

Other relationships with Cyborg Mark featuring the guardians, William, and possibly reader.

1. How does his relationship with the guardians differ from the canon?

So, we already know Cyborg Mark does not like or trust the GDA, government, etc (for obvious reasons). Nor does he really trust the guardians or Robot either. We also know he's at least civil with like Eve, Rex, and the other guardians (even if he's annoyed at their attempts to recruit him) when it comes to working together on occasion even if there's no actual friendship between them bc it couldn't develop during the time he was recovering and all that.

But is there something more to it, how do they (Eve, Rex, literally anyone from guardians or as a collective) feel about Mark, etc?

2. How differently does William appear in this universe?

we know he dropped out of college to take care of Mark. He's a very caring guy, determined, and all. But is there more to his character on that note?

3. If I was to write an x reader fic with this man, how would Cyborg Mark meet/know the reader in your opinion?

I know, this question is very diverse when it comes to the answer(s) and scenarios, so on. However, I'd regardless love to know what you think of it, if you have an opinion over it.

Personally, I think if they did not already know each other (childhood friend cliche, same friend group guy, or a classmate from school he friended, etc, etc), it could be possible he met the reader through vigilantism? (either reader being another vigilante or possibly a "back alley support mechanic" for vigilantes at night; a guy who worked on other vigilante's tech and weapons for money, or even made them, etc.) Or maybe, William had a hand in that and introduced them to each other if he managed to find (or meet) the guy (reader) from somewhere.

4. Is there any other relationships you'd like to mention that are different from the canon mark's for Cyborg Mark? His behavior with general civilians, etc.

I can't really remember many of the side character names anymore ToT. So it's kinda free space if you want to talk about related stuff that didn't come up with the other questions lol.

By any means, feel free to skip any question you wish, be as detailed or vague as you want, etc. :3

Cyborg Mark Grayson questions

More questions, here I go.

I had a lot of fun answering these ngl, maybe its cuz i got to talk about William.

Question 1 

Like you stated, Mark doesn't trust the GDA, the government, or Robot. The GDA and government, for obvious reasons. And Robot, because the guy wants to dissect Mark and learn how his cyber parts work, ya know? 

I think most of their relationships is distant in the way coworkers are, though some would look down at him for killing when needed, even if its hypercritical (like, Kate for example). 

Most of them pity him, they all saw what happened to him in one way or another, and it would result in Eve trying to actually be his friend. Amanda and Rae would be polite and be like “hey, if you need someone to talk too”, to leave the door open. Rex is kind of a dick, but he's like, a nice dick. Like, he leaves the door open if Mark needs it, but he doesn't search him out or anything, though this might be more after his whole character development. 

The most surprising relationship would be The Immortal. Immortal has that whole thing where he says Mark is just like his dad in the show, but in this universe he feels more... what should I call it? It's not paternal, but, protective? 

I think its more that he saw just how badly Nolan hurt him, how he tore Mark apart like Nolan did the guardians and so many people. He sees how Mark carries all this strength and how he has nobody, and Immortal recognizes himself. Immortal isn't a very emotional guy, but he does hover a bit at the edges.  

I like to think that sometimes they just stand or sit together after missions in silence, just to sit with someone who might understand, even if its just a little. 

Question 2 

Well, for one, he drops out of college. It leads to him and his parents having a bit of a falling out, since they don't actually know why. Maybe he makes up some fake story that he and Mark dropped out to “travel cross country and discover themselves and enjoy their youth” 

Whilst William is not an expert, he still starts learning a lot about the human body and rehabilitation to help Mark and Debbie. He learns a whole lot about prosthetics, healing both physically and mentally, so on and so forth. In the future I think he would become a doctor or nurse who focuses on these very things. 

Hes not dating Rick, Sinclair got a lot further in all the stuff he did before he was discovered and taken by the GDA. Maybe Sinclair actually died in this universe, torn apart by his own creations. 

William also looks different in this universe. Hes got more muscle mass, mainly from all the work he does helping Mark. He starts doing many of the same exercises as Mark when he has to learn how to do everything again, so it doesn't feel patronizing and so Mark doesn't feel along. Hes not huge or anything, but he's got some shape now. 

William has longer hair in this universe too, think something like a wolf cut. 

And cute little fact, he wears a ring or bracelet made of the same material as some parts of Marks body. Its for comfort, but also for protection, since it helps Mark keep track of his pulse, health, etc. 

Question 3 

I think you could fit cyborg Mark with any reader. But scenarios I have thought of, were the reader being the one to create his cybernetic parts, or, being a vigilante of some kind. Someone who shits on the GDA as much as Mark does, so they have to help each other out since no one else will, and it becomes something more. 

Question 4 

I think ive mentioned the most notable, like his relationship with The Immortal and the guardians, as well as his relationship with his mom and William. 

Hes not as talkative or approachable as OG-Mark, but he is not rude to civilians. But he would rather work and do his duty than stand around and mingle. 

[luke-hughes43]

i'm a dad? | dad!will and molly

this is how will finds out that he's a dad. a single one at that too.

~

August 24, 2023

will moves into BC next week so he's getting the last of his stuff packed up while his parents are at work. grace is helping him. will is grabbing lunch from the kitchen while grace keeps packing stuff for him. the doorbell rings and grace yells, "will, can you get that?"

"yea." he yells back.

he walks over to the front door and opens it. he sees a girl he used to sleep with in high school before the program. she's holding what looks to be a newborn baby. he says, "hey lauren (random name), what's up?"

she just says to him, "so when we hooked up in december while you were home, turns out i got pregnant and my parents wouldn't let me get an abortion. so, you have a daughter. i'm literally leaving tomorrow for college, i'm going to ucla, so here's your kid. and the papers signing my parental rights away. i want nothing to do with her, you got me pregnant so you can raise her. i didn't name her so that's up to you. there's more details in the packet. good luck will."

she hands him the baby and walks away. will is in shock. he looks down at the little baby in his arms and is hooked. she looks so much like him with the biggest blue eyes. he walks back in the house, closes the door, and yells for his sister. he says, "hey grace?"

"yea?"

"grace." he says and she comes down the stairs to will holding a baby. she cautiously asks, "will, who's baby is that?"

"um, i guess it's mine." he says unsure of himself.

her eyes bug out of her head. she looks at the baby and sees her younger brother without a doubt in this little girl. he hands grace the packet of papers and says, "can you read this? i don't really know what to do grace."

"ok. ok. we'll figure this out." she says calmly.

will can tell that grace is trying not to freak out for his sake. he hasn't really processed it yet, just holding this little baby in his arms because he doesn't know what else to do. grace finally exhales and says, "definitely your kid. i mean you can tell by looking at her. will, what do you wanna do?"

"i don't know. can you call mom?"

she nods and immediately calls her mom. she says to her mom, "you need to come home now. it's kinda an emergency. no one is dead or dying but you need to come home mom."

she hangs up and sits next to her brother. she lays her head on will's shoulder looking at the little baby in his arms, "she's adorable. are you ok?"

"i'm in shock. i don't know what to feel. mom is gonna kill me. coach is gonna kill me. fuck, i move in next week, no way gabe is gonna be cool with me having a baby in our dorm. no way the school is gonna be ok with that."

"one step at a time will." grace calmly reassures.

15 minutes later, colleen walks in the front door of her house to find her two kids huddled together on the couch. she says, "ok what happened that i had to come home quick? everything ok?"

will takes a deep breath and stands facing his mom, "um, i fucked up mom."

colleen stands frozen unsure of what to say. will has tears streaming down his face, and grace is trying to stay calm for the sake of her younger brother who just had his world flipped upside down.

[risrambles]

possible hot take but lowkey the reason that the hype for doomsday isn’t as high as endgame or infinity war and the the reason it’s getting more joked about is kinda bc they haven’t done much building up to the movies and nothing has really connected like it did in the other phases. like all the movies leading up to the avengers were so tightly woven into that eventual product. then phase two everything led up to civil war and such, and then obviously endgame. but phase 4 and on has jumped around so much and introduced so many characters that it’s like… we know these all won’t tie in. like we get a hawkeye show but neither protagonist is in the cast (yet), we get moon knight and not a character is in the cast (yet), we get she-hulk and not a character is in the cast (yet). they overload it with tv shows and movies that end up being one-offs bc it’s quantity over quality atp. whereas phases 1-3 all lead up to something together, this is just. kind of a mess. and i say this as someone who was in the fandom a lot in 2021 and kinda saw the beginning of the end. and i say this now as someone who loves marvel so dearly.

not saying i don’t think it’ll be good—i think it has potential. but instead of marvel being the epitome of modern superhero storytelling and being considered good media, it’s turned into more of a joke bc people a) hate too much for the wrong reasons b) the movies are actually not good c) we get one good movie or show once in a while that is actually really high quality with meaning that is immediately followed up by something less hype d) the characters are going up against things so much bigger than themselves that it’s just plain unrealistic to the MAX. like sure thanos was a Big Bad but at least it kinda seemed like an avengers level threat. all this multiverse stuff with Not Enough multiverse-level superheroes is wearing on me. not to mention they either kill their best or most interesting characters (aka wanda, who had a lot of potential) or bench them (moon knight). the strongest characters currently in rotation off the top of my head are doctor strange, loki, and sentry (who is apparently in doomsday, so that’s cool!) but honestly other than that it’s all supersoldiers or people with physical skill over the skill and power actually needed to fight god level villains.

i’m not a hater, i promise. i just miss when it wasn’t so unrealistic that it was hard to get past and have a fun time watching. (and i get that it’s movies so it can be unrealistic, but comparing it to the actually decently realist tones of the first few phases it just takes me out of it when i’m watching) it’s probably a part of the reason that people always seem to like ca:tws or the avengers or iron man, because it was smaller scale and it makes sense why it’s only those heroes in those movies. cause why is it just the thunderbolts trying to handle sentry?

take catws. it’s captain america, black widow, and falcon against hydra and more specifically the winter soldier. THAT makes sense. it makes sense why it wasn’t anyone else. it was a small scale threat that can be played off during the movie as a big one bc to the characters in the movie it is and to the ones not in it, it isn’t. the entire avengers team doesn’t have to assemble to fight the winter soldier and they don’t, which is good! Then take wandavision, where it was jimmy woo, monica rambeau, and a few others against the literal scarlet witch who was bending reality, not a single avenger really even tried to stop by. this is a situation where every avenger should have been locked and loaded and ready to step in but it just WASNT.

now remember i say this as a marvel FAN. i love marvel and ive loved marvel since i first watched captain america the winter soldier. i guess im a sucker for old marvel but it comes to a point where even though they’re doing a lot, it’s just like they’re trying too many things at once. i hold out hope for doomsday and secret wars, and i hope they wrap all of these individual projects together nicely, but i dont know. if im going to be honest, im not the biggest fan of the multiverse saga even though some of my favorite projects have come from it.

[moonstars-tro]

definitely agree, this is absolutely something that needs to be brought to light.

i personally favor leo and donnie because their blue and purple, i always have 😭 (like honestly in every iteration it’s leo and donnie for me just because they’re blue and purple, i start from color and then love the character next. u can look at my favorite characters list and you’ll just see different shades of blue)

HOWEVER, i love raph and mikey so much and i don’t think they deserve to be dismissed or mischaracterized or ignored at all. they’re incredible characters and even moreso, incredibly well written. i do think a large factor that contributes to their lack of popularity is the lack of focus on them in the show, due to the many cut episodes (so many, poor guys… i would’ve loved more sunset duo and brains and brawn) and the lack of a full season 2 in general, it’s the cause of many issues i fear.

little rant abt my love for raph and mikey

mikey is so creative and i love how they made that a bigger part of him in rise, and he’s not ‘just a baby’ he can be childish and immature but he’s also angry sometimes, he isn’t just a manipulative crybaby like some of this fandom makes him out to be…. but he’s funny, he’s got a short temper, he loves so hard, he wants the best for everyone. he’s the baby brother but he’s also the heart and the glue and he deserves the world my baby UAGAHJ i want more attention on him i read two mikeycentric fics lately and they changed my life and one of them wasn’t finished. bc i never checked if it was my heart broke guys.

rise raph is so WELL WRITTEN that it is INSANE. like holy omigosh. he just wants the best for his little brothers but there are so many little moments in episodes that remind you that he is just a child who was forced to grow up too early. he’s so sweet and silly and he’d give the world to protect his brothers. AND HE LITERALLY DID. HE SACRIFICED HIMSEKF FOR LEO IN THE MOVIE that moment still makes me so ill sorry because he cracked his shell that HURTS. omigosh anyways i love how rise kept some small things that make him RAPH, like how he’s impulsive and likes to smash things LOL ❤️ when i first started watching i couldn’t really see how he as raph aside from being physically intimidating and then it hit me as time went on.

point is they are very loveable i feel they deserve the world and so much more attention than they get these poor guys. although sometimes people do this wrong, i don’t think we should start hating on or disssing the twins (i mean u do u i guess 😭) i just think we should start loving sunset more. because they deserve so much love and appreciation and more popularity than they get, i love mikey/raph fans so much because. they always get them so well i don’t know how to put that better, like it’s easy to understand ur favorite character so it helps me a lot with understanding them as well. (mwahaha im actually in the midst of making a mikeycentric fic wish me luuck)

AAALSO i love drawing them i used to hate it because raph’s spikes were hard (i kept making them go the wrong direction sigh) and mikey had a round face when i was used to the twins being like a square and a triangle 😭 but i got practice and they’re super fun !!!!!

leo is my favorite for blue, illusion of ego, flamboyant, funny, and he is my reference for living. i do feel genuinely attached to him but ill never let that be a reason for me to dismiss raph or mikey, they deserve love and respect and SO MYCH MORE POPULARITY. there’s so much depth to them despite the missing episodes and the fact that racism and sizeism is a reason for their lack of love is.. like, genuinely sickening.

sorry about this reblog probably being a whole lot of nothing i yap a lot

Why Rise Raph and Mikey are Unappreciated and Underrepresented in the Fandom: Leo/Donnie Favoritism, Anti-Black Racism, and Sizeism

It's refreshing to see that more Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans nowadays seem to be waking up to the fact that Leo and Donnie get way more attention from the fandom than Raph and Mikey do. However, what's still missing from most of these discussions is exactly why that's the case.

With Raph and Mikey being voiced by Black actors (Omar Benson Miller and Brandon Mychal Smith, respectively) and Raph being a character with a big, burly physique, anti-Black racism and sizeism (in the case of Raph) are definitely factors in all of this. In contrast, Leo and Donnie are voiced by white actors, and both characters have a much smaller build than Raph does. And in the world that we live in with both anti-Blackness and sizeism, sadly and upsettingly, being the norm, it's easy to see why Leo and Donnie receive the favoritism that they do compared to Raph and Mikey.

But this favoritism doesn't just begin and end with the RotTMNT fandom because the series itself shows a preference for Leo and Donnie as well. Arguably, it's those two who receive most of the focus in the show, with many episodes revolving around them or being from their point of view.

The way both the series and the fandom downplay Raph’s parentification due to Splinter’s neglect also is a notable example of how a Black-coded and big teenage character like Raph is treated so dismissively by the creators, writers, and fans. After having raised his three younger brothers for years, Raph has his role as team leader stripped from him by his neglectful father with that role given to his much thinner, white actor-voiced brother, Leo. And, that's not even going into the proverbial mess that is the season two episode "Raph’s Ride Along," which makes light of police brutality and profiling against a Black(-coded) child. The adultification of Black children, and in this instance, specifically large Black boys, is likewise tied into the implications of "Raph’s Ride Along" as well as Raph’s treatment within the series overall. Honestly, all of that deserves its own write-up, but that'll have to be for another time.

Anyway, my point is that Raph and Mikey, especially Raph, haven't been given as much appreciation or grace by pretty much anyone, including the folks who made the series. All this also serves as a reminder for why it's important to have Black talent on all levels of production, not just as performers but as creators and producers. Or if not that, at the very least, projects should have non-Black creators who have enough know-how to portray Black/Black-coded characters adequately, treating them with as much care, attention, and respect as they would their white/white-coded counterparts. RotTMNT fans could also stand to do more questioning as to why they don't feel as drawn to represent Raph and Mikey as much as they do Leo and Donnie.

[11queensupreme11]

ASJDJDHDDHD I TOTALLY FUCKING FORGOT APOLLOOO I'm sorry king 💔 I didn't mean to throw shade but the shade kinda eclipsed ur whole existence I did not remember you existed 😔💔 the favouritism is so real with me. At least Percy loves you 💞 Not me tho I would drawn the line at the nymph harem and your habit of putting humans through horrors via doomed dick. Ty for having him Percy, now nobody else has to. Our Queen making sacrifices for us every day..

ALSO YES!! THE BEELCY KIDS ASK WAS ALSO ME!!! I forgor my new designation bc I was so sleep deprived 😭😭 but I'm so glad you recognised me!!

(ALSO added comedy for the dimension hopping demon spawn, but I feel like even if she wouldn't let it slip intentionally bc she doesn't want to minimise their inter-dimensionnal war crimes and shit, depending on the timing some of the kids would be having what amounts to a toddlers temper tantrum to her because of how fast the gods age. So she just distracted lying drops the bomb that "anyway I'm really sorry but he's only five so I'm hoping he'll maybe grow out of it with lots of special attention and guidance" and the universe inhabitants are just like??? THAT EVIL MF IS FIVE?? MY UNIVERSE IS HANGING ONTO A THREAD BC A TECHNICAL TODDLER BE BEEFING WITH US??? That or they're looking at her like she's crazy like 'lady.. this mf is NOT five do you see the DEVIOUS way he's looking at me when you turn your back...'

Also all I can say is RIP if any of them end up on Penacony. One of the kids would end up either murdering or making a pet out of that Death entity or whatever that shish kebab'd Firefly and Sunday would be having an aneurism because they're shattering his influence and ruining all his plans. Unless he gets lucky and its Cu's daughters (or maybe the Apollo kids depending on how well-behaved and non myrdery they are) that end up there, they'd probably be the most well-behaved and have a blast!!! Until their daddy shows up and then the planet is under threat for sure, they better hope he's too focused on his daughters to think about the implications of a planet that encourages them to experience all their dreams 😭 especially if his brain cells start putting in work and he figures. Dreams coming true. Hmm I wonder if my hopeless romantic daughters might've been imagining 👹 B O Y S 👹

Circumstances would go so differently depending on which kids end up where... God forbid this is all happening synonymously.. One of the Beelcy kids is going around swallowing plants because they were hungry and they looked like good snacks or smthn (and Beel is too distracted flexing on Ruan Mei or smthn like pshh you call THAT a SWARM? Watch this im gonna end your whole career and many species) and Cu's daughters are innocently frolicking somewhere and too innocent to consider that they're putting whatever planet they're on in danger just by being there even if they're being the goodest of girls 😔 bc daddy's a 👹 menace 👹 (If they do end up on Pencacony they'd probably be besties with Robin if she's still around there and not on tour or smthn. Sunday better keep his distance tho lest they get.. too attached... and start thinking 'wow!! A bestie AND a perfect Disney prince for a boyfriend HUSBAND!! This is great 🥰' Daddy would NOT approve)

💫

(from 💫 anon)

that entire first paragraph 😭😭😭 "Ty for having him Percy, now nobody else has to" DAMN YOU'RE KILLING HIM WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU LMAO 😭😭😭 our poor boy (i'm just kidding, flame him harder 👹)

also you're right percy WOULD just casually drop the bomb that the being(s) destroying their universe is just a wittle baby five year old

percy: pls help me find my babies 🥺

and then the babies in question are these psychos:

💀💀💀 she'd be 1000% serious too, cuz those literally ARE just babies to her ahshadfv hdvb 😭

AND CÚ CHULAINN'S DAUGHTERS IN PENACONY ASHFGHWGV

percy probably finds them all there first and they excitedly tell her all about the super cool dreamscape and she's like "oh what the heck, sure. i'll try it out, i can use a vacation!" so she joins them into the dreamscape while her husband's out losing his shit looking for them 😭😭😭😭

anyway, you know how you gotta fall asleep in the dream pool thingy to enter the dreamscape properly?????

imagine poor cú chulainn getting into the reverie hotel and finding his daughters and wife all knocked out in different rooms inside this weird pool thingy not waking up and he just fucking LOSES IT. HIS BABIES ARE UNCONSCIOUS HIS WIFE IS UNCONSCIOUS WTF IS HAPPENING. WHO DID THIS TO HIS FAMILY. CEARBHALL'S ASS IS GROUNDED

when in actuality, they're all having the time of their lives in the golden hour ashfahfv 😭😭😭😭😭

and then he eventually learns about what's going on and then loses it again BECAUSE WHAT IF THEY'RE TALKING TO 👹BOYS👹?! WHAT IF OTHER 👹MEN👹 ARE DROOLING OVER HIS WIFE???? WHERE'S THAT IDIOT SON OF HIS, HE SHOULD'VE STOPPED THIS 👹👹👹👹👹👹👹

also, i love the differences between the percy babies 😭😭😭😭

the sécy daughters in the hsr verse (except maybe luisne tbh 💀):

meanwhile some of the other percy babies 💀:

[lingulaca]

Have you seen this shit? Read the comments. Aemond and Aegon fans are absolutely insane. I don't understand how anyone can be such narrow-minded idiots and seriously think that Lucerys is a real bully and a monster who deserves to die. You know what? Now I can't wait for the show to kill Aemond and Aegon. They absolutely deserve to die for all their shit.

https://www.tumblr.com/very-straight-blog/771199237683806208/so-the-full-script-for-the-dinner-scene-from-the?source=share

i literally cannot handle any anti-luke or anti-velaryon boys stuff in general at this point it actually makes me insane. im scared to go to those comments cause ik they're gonna be outrageous.

like, and i'm being so serious rn, how dare anyone hate them? delusional people think lucerys "bullied" aemond... if ur getting "bullied" (aka just jokingly made fun of) by a little kid and that turns you into... whatever aemond is, i can't think of anything bad enough to call him, you were already crazy and the "bully" is not the problem! luke is NOT and will never be the problem. bullying is a serious word with a real meaning that gets blurred when people call what occured between lucerys and aemond bullying. it's an awful exaggeration, lucerys did not do ANYTHING to that boy lmfao. bullying is terrible, it ruins people's lives. all luke did was poke fun at aemond a few times and suddenly he's the worst guy ever and deserves death. but yk who treated aemond worse than that? aegon. the character tg loves to baby and simp for. he took 13 year old aemond to a fucking brothel. yet luke is the worst for "bullying" aemond? tg is crazy, like actually mental. i hate when they act like he's some sort of villain for making fun of aemond as if aemond's mom wasn't doing worse to lucerys' family!!! plus, nobody will ever make me believe it was possible for aemond to be bullied at all. his mom is literally the QUEEN. if he really felt like a little child was harming him mentally he could've just ran to mommy abt it.

on top of that though, even IF lucerys bullied aemond terribly i'd still support and love luke bc i'd bully aemond's weird ass too if i lived with him. aemond is and has been so unlikeable for like, ever. every bad thing that happens to him in the s3 that they're making us wait until 2026 for he deserves. i hope his death scene is detailed and prolonged, i hope he dies knowing no one truly loved him and no one will remember him fondly. i hope nobody cries over him. i hope the characters in the show are as relieved as i know i'll be when that scene comes out, cause it'll be the only one i watch.

[daisyjonesgf]

muse makes playlists when she needs inspiration (billy hates this because it's "basically plagiarizing" or some shit)

billy, i fear, makes pinterest boards with no names, so nothing gets leaked, he just uses 🌀🌀 or <<💘💫 >>or <<🔆>> or <<☢️>> you get the gist) with very specific coded meanings

eddie journals, like, using clippings, then jotting random shit down, doodling, etc. because he's messy like that,

eddie definitely had muse write down in bold letters : TOP SECRET!!! on the front ("your handwriting's better, sunshine") , just because it'd be her handwriting and billy would get curious and he'd have the opportunity to slam it shut on his hand and say "it says top secret for a reason, dunne"

billy asks muse what's written inside and she shrugs and says "i dunno" because she really doesn't

he doesn't believe her, gets all pissy, yells, says shit he doesn't mean, and eddie gets an unexpected bonus : muse comes to him

🔹🔹🔹🔹

muse literally has a playlist for everything, every mood, a playlist for when her and billy are happy, when they're fighting, when they're off, when she's with eddie, when she's in the car, at the beach, shopping, and loves to sit down and soak it all in, listen to other artists when she wants to write to think about what she should be channeling

billy just shuffles his liked songs 😭

billy has a secret wedding board confirmed, listen he would never admit it or let anyone see it but he does, wedding, family, date ideas, aesthetic pictures people have taken of her or them, they're his emotional support pinterest boards fr and muse once finds pinterest on his phone and is like, "what are you doing on pinterest?" but he grabs his phone and won't let her see lmao. (muse also has a wedding board that she looks at and cries as well as a motherhood board.)

eddie has a scrapbooking journal that's lowkey giving stalker because he cuts out magazine and newspaper clippings of her (cutting out billy's face ofc) and prints things out, it's like his manifesting her journal (he also has a dream board hidden in his closet) and yeah he has muse write on the front of the binder containing the journal and cuttouts, so she writes 'top secret' + a little sunshine

and I think muse has really distinctive handwriting and it's not like super good either, like a cursive mix to her letters that can be difficult to read, so billy can easily tell it's her handwriting

eddie is so excited when billy notices and he gets to close it on him and grab it away bc eddie is chaos causing demon fr

"I don't know billy, he just asked me to write it, said my handwriting was better."

"That's ridiculous, yours is basically illegible."

"It's not!"

"You're fucking sneaking around with right now, aren't you? That's what this is about, you wanna complain about me seeing other girls when we're together but you're still fucking him even if we're supposedly having a great time!"

"That's not true! Why would I hide something from you?"

"I don't know, maybe because you're so desperate to be wanted that here you are, gotta fuck the whole band, what, is Warren next?"

"Fuck you!"

And she goes crying to Eddie about how Billy is being without realizing these were seeds Eddie had been planting all along.

[banana-can-do-art]

I tried to write a response earlier but bad WiFi obliterated it. Rip my past response but I think I remember most of my points so here we go take two!

Imagine if the thing that tipped Grim over the edge actually was him lacking tuna though lol. Although us getting Grim angst in book eight would be both really sad and kind of funny bc like it’s Grim lol. Silly weasel man. I think he does have a really interesting backstory to uncover though considering his mentions of a lack of memory of his past and him not knowing his parents. He seems to be connected to Styx due to the fire ears matching Idia’s hair. I think he could be an escaped or failed experiment. I think his overblot while partially fueled by him eating all those rocks may also be fueled by his trauma if he discovers some things about his past.

Kalim has absolutely internalized the idea that him being rich means he can’t possibly have problems. Meanwhile majority of NRC is very wealthy but they still have trauma. Omg NRC is classist as hell but I’ve already done that ramble lol. I think that Kalim clings onto the idea that nothing could possibly be wrong for him since he’s rich as a coping mechanism to avoid having to process his trauma. I also think that Jamil has killed people to rescue him in the past. I mean with all of the assassination attempts there’s no way that Jamil didn’t have to get some blood on his hands. Which also probably something Jamil doesn’t want to process and Kalim also probably wouldn’t want to process that people died for him. I think this because of his comment in book 5 about how he would want the people who tried to kill him to live so that they could be better in the future. Like, Kalim, buddy, did something happen?! Poor guys both of them need so much therapy indeed.

I actually think it’s a bit of a theme in Twst that the characters will direct their hatred at something in their life at people who are not at fault. Leona is upset with Cheka, Malleus and Farena over his own issues over feeling like he will never be good enough due to never becoming king. Sebek is mean to humans because of his feelings of being caught between worlds as a half fae. Azul takes out his anger at his past bullies on random NRC students who had nothing to do with it. There are probably more examples I’m forgetting.

No literally so much of the cast will have the most angsty moments and then walk it off. Like when we got to the aftermath of the first overblot with Riddle and he was sobbing on the floor I assumed most ppl would react that way bc I mean they just relieved the worst moments of their lives and almost died. But no, most of the cast is just like oh that just happens and then walks it off. Like I know Riddle is one of if not the most emotionally unregulated ppl in the cast but like I feel like that is an event that deserves some sobbing afterwards.

Guys, I need to know who the housewarden before Riddle was. Like what freak of nature was so off the walls crazy, and so unbelievably lax with the rules that even though the students are upset with how strict Riddle is, they still don’t want that guy back or talk about how they wish he could be in charge again. Like who was this menace to society?

[dykesynthezoid]

“Armand should get to just kill Marius” tbh if Armand ever killed Marius he would pull a Sada Abe. Who said that

[doctorsiren]

The books reveal that Ford is actually a secret partier

(Available as a print on my Etsy Shop)

(wips under cut)

[kennys-partner]

Thank you @mayurisstalker for the tag 💜💜💜 i tried and i hope its a good intro to me?

Origin of Username:

Tbh it’s legit I fell in love w/ Kenpachi while my bf rewatched Bleach and god damn i fell hard for that man. I’m kinda nb so partner felt right in comparison especially cuz i use partner in real life cuz it feels more mutual and equal of a standing in most

OTP/Fave Ships:

Kenmayu- do i even need reason???

ShunUki- once again, god damn

TodoBaku- don’t even ask me i love both of them and just want to have that throuple w them

KiriBaku- they’re so freakin cute together

Fave Color:

Rainbow- i legit love just all colors and shades, if i had to narrow narrow to what i’d wear, forest or sage green, black, all purple shades

Song Stuck in my Head:

It was literally released a couple hours ago but GBAD by Jackson Wang (i love all of his music and just him as a person, he’s just so fuckin real and i vibe) also python by got7

Weird Habit/Trait:

Probably got a few but i normally have to triple check doors if they’re locked (ive gotten better) but like i used to lock bathroom door the moment i walked in and same with bedroom door when i had one. Doors unlocked were not good to me as i grew up obsessed w true crime. I also make really strange connections to things, like there can be completely unrelated topics like idk fuckin silk and horses or something and my brain will make connections until the two are easily related??? Idk if that makes sense

Hobbies:

Art, reading, listening to a lot of music, currently learning mandarin, sewing (just started), cooking/baking depending what the people (my bf and coworkers) request

If I Could Get Any Job What Would It Be:

Researcher/historian/professor- i have a degree in history (ik im a dweeb) with a focus area of Asia, but i like topics that often get overlooked so like language usage in history, lgbtqia+ in eastern culture and the effects of colonization, tattoo history, art/music history, death practices, fashion history, etc.

Something I’m Good At:

Research, listening/advice, random facts, makeup, and apparently making people laugh with my neutral face cuz it just seems funny ig????

Something You Hate:

Hearing people chew/swallow irks the hell out of me, bad tattoos (like legit poorly done, not hygenic and just things that ppl don’t know and choose without understanding particular meaning or even what it is), and passive aggressive or disrespectful adults

Something You Forget:

My appointments cuz i have health issues and i always forget until they call me as a reminder

Your Love Language:

I’m a gifter/acts of service person, tbh i’d probably do anything for most people bc its just who i am, but i love words of affirmation esp bc my imposter syndrome is really bad as well as my anxiety and depression esp as of late

Favorite Movies/Shows:

Oof…. Bleach, Bnha, forensic files, family guy (great bg noise for me), say yes to the dress atlanta (guilty ples), kotaro lives alone, sakamoto days, golden girls

Orphan????, akeelah and the bee, the book club movies, step up, runaway jury

Tbh its really hard for me to get thru shows and movies but getting better

Favorite Food:

Mussels and white clam sauce pasta, also wonton soup

Favorite Animal: bats/cats

What Were You Like as a Child:

Quiet, didn’t really talk to anyone or have friends. Spent childhood in basement since i wasn’t allowed outside, so the garfield game disc for computer was all i had and purble palace. I was v disrespectful to my parents cuz i didnt know fully that i wasnt supposed to call them by their actual name instead of mom and dad since i only ever heard their first names used

Favorite Subject in School:

Math, science, history （all of each)

Least Favorite Subject:

English cuz the teachers didn’t like how i wrote but none of them tried to give me advice

What’s Your Best Character Trait:

I will do just about anything for anyone, say the word and i’ll help or do whatever it is

What’s Your Worst Character Trait:

Kinda a doormat cuz of my best trait getting better though at establishing boundaries, but im also a bit abrasive

If You Could Change Any Detail of Your Life Right Now, What Would It Be:

My job, i work in retail but my new store manager sucks as a person and treats us sales associates like weve never done anything in our life and is just blatantly disrespectful to my coworkers and myself and i dont like it, also if you have seen my main, yk i got called useless during a job interview this week so that too

If You Could Travel Back In Time, Who Would You Like to Meet:

Kind of an odd one but maybe my great grandmother/great grandfather since my family doesn’t fully know where they’re from and her nickname is my middle name

No Pressure Tags:

Ummmm @hypnotixstorm , @alice-raynor , really anyone who may want to!!!!!!

Get to know mutuals ^-^ tagged by @bankaizen (thank you for the tag ❤️)

I'm sorry, it's so long!! I'm putting it behind the read more for easier reading.

What’s the origin of your username? It's a song by Armand Van Helden! He's one of my favourite DJs haha.

OTP(s) + shipname: TUna LMAO (Tidus/Yuna) from FFX, Fanille (Fang/Vanille from FFXIII), Touya/Yukito from CCS, GinRan and Unohana/Isane from Bleach. Yakuza: Daigo/Mine. Also a big fan of Canon Character/OCs!!!

Favourite colour: Turquoise/teal - most of my fountain pen inks are in that colour range lol

Song stuck in my head: The Macrodata Refinement Dance Party mixed by ODESZA

Weirdest habit/trait: If I'm at a restaurant, I fold my used napkins neatly to be disposed of.

Hobbies: I have a lot! Aside from writing, there are:

(junk) journaling, which in turn, lead me to my stationery and fountain pen hobbies

playing the piano (been playing since I was 5)

swimming (was a competitive swimmer for most of my child and teenage years)

I garden in the spring/summertime

I also love to cook and have done dinner parties for my friends (but I don't enjoy baking)

I'm also into photography

I wish I had more time in the day for it, but I also try to do some language learning!

If you could have any job you wish what would you have? A food/travel writer/reviewer!

Something you’re good at: I've been told I'm good at giving advice and listening to people. Personally I'm very good at directions! There have been a few times where I've been stopped on the street and helped people navigate their way around.

Something you hate: Oranges :(, I can't stand the colour, the smell and the taste.

Something you forget: Hmmm not sure! I guess phone numbers. I only remember the numbers of my immediate family...

Your love language: Gift giving! I love getting people gifts and try hard to get something meaningful and/or practical. I'll try to remember little details about my friends and find something along the lines of that. I also love receiving gifts lol.

Favourite movies/shows: Ahhh so many! For animanga: Bleach, Samurai Champloo, xxxHOLiC, Sailor Moon, JJBA Diamond is Unbreakable. For movies: Spirited Away, Sorry to Bother You, Drive, Kill Bill Vol 2, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, The Fall. Shows: Hannibal, Regular Show, 30 Rock, Prison Playbook (k-drama), Hotel del Luna (k-drama), Racket Boys (k-drama).

Favourite food: Too many... I think I could eat soup dumplings/xiaolongbao by the bucket loads. Or Sri Lankan crab curry mmmm. I also can't say no to chocolate cake 🫣

Favourite animal: bears!!! I know they could kill me, but why are they friend-shaped :(

What were you like as a child? I was an easygoing child and VERY curious. I would wake up in the middle of the night to do "science" experiments. Like one time I woke up around 3am and I dug up the front yard to find "cool rocks" 💀 or buy mentos from the local convenience store, wait for everyone to go to bed, then sneak into the kitchen and put the mentos in my parents 2L coke bottle to see it explode LMAO.

Favourite subject in school: i've been in school for too long: french & geography -> science -> physics -> biology -> advanced health economics for low and middle-income countries & biostatistics

Least favourite subject: Wood working... to avoid a fail, I asked the guy who had a crush on me to help me with my final project 🫣 I also hated organic chemistry in undergrad.

What’s your best character trait: I've been told I'm very caring and calming to be around! I had a friend describe me as a "human version of a spa" 💀

What’s your worst character trait? I cut people out of my life very easily. I think I should be more forgiving, but I just... can't get passed whatever slight was made to me/loved ones. I'm trying to be understanding and compassionate, but I also don't want you near me ever again lol.

If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be? I hope trump and his administration dies. In my immediate life? I'd like a higher salary.

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? It is definitely a tie between Johann Sebastian Bach and Muzio Clementi!! They are my favourite composers. My piano exam repertoire for the Baroque and Classical periods were from their piano repertoire. I have so much fun playing them and would love to learn their thought processes.

I tag: @soprawrites @villainsrtasty @nail-art-no-jutsu @muzansfangs @snuggetfish @if-dreams-do-come-true and any others who want to do this too (also feel free to ignore if you don't wanna do this, no obligation at all!!)

[puppppppppy]

who is your favorite AA character? 👁️👁️

ziska… I hope capcom brings her back someday

[seonghwacore]

240824 _starhwa_

[tinylongwing]

@leucrotta Thanks for spotting the error - descriptions for 5 and 7 were of the same photo, somehow, with different text. I don't know how I did that. Tired lmao. Fixed now.

BUT I am so glad you want to see more photos of the countryside! That hike was so special. These won't really capture it as well as I saw it but should hopefully give you a glimpse! It was a bit hazy unfortunately - there was a yellow dust event coinciding with my hiking day (sand blowing over from China due to high atmospheric stuff). All of the below are along the Yamanobe-no-michi trail.

Roadside honor system fruit/veg stand, Tenri. This one is empty but several had fresh fruit or vegetables for way better prices than you'd see in a grocery store, plus the stand that I bought from (which was attended by a lady who ran out of her house to greet me as soon as she saw me by her stand, she wanted to know which country I had come from, it was cute) with a bunch of homemade pickles and daifuku. I was in desperate need of those daifuku man, they were huge, so so good.

Blooming mustard field, Tenri. See what I mean about the haze? Pretty field though.

Somewhere south of Tenri now, looking up the steep trail cobbles at a house next to a bamboo stand.

Village somewhere in Otogicho. Lots and lots of old traditional homes out here in these small villages.

Moated village near Kayoucho. Several of these ancient villages had moats - for protection, as well as for a village water source, and sometimes for growing water-loving crops.

Nenbutsudera cemetery, same place as the buddha with lotus leaf headstones above, but these are more modern grave markers. Seriously I love that the road goes right through this place, it was amazing to explore.

Tomb of Emperor Sujin (Died ~30 BC). This is the first ruler of Japan who we actually have a real name and date for, rather than someone who is mostly mythological. What a tomb, man. There's no way photos can capture the scale of these kofun mounds.

Top of the tomb - yeah there's a whole lake in there, and then more walls, and a whole forest.

The trail as it passes through a small village somewhere north of Miwa. I just love these little narrow streets.

Fallow field north of Miwa with some really impressive older homes behind it.

More Jizo statues - I looked these up after the first post. Jizo was a bodhisattva (person who attained enlightenment but chose not to ascend to nirvana so as to help people on earth) who is now sort of the patron figure of unborn children, children who died very young, as well as travelers - the latter of which is why so many of these pop up along trailsides. The stacked stones are because evidently the unborn children can't achieve enlightenment as they are stuck in limbo, so they instead build stone towers to try and reach nirvana, and Jizo guards them while they do this - and locals will stack stones in an attempt to help. Also I guess the red bibs are protecting Jizo while he protects the children. I'm fascinated.

Omiwa Jinja! The destination, for me (some people continue on past this but man I was tired). This is quite possibly the oldest remaining shrine in Japan, from an era where Shintoism literally worshiped things like mountains. The shrine, on the low slopes of Mt. Miwa, is here for worship of that mountain as a god. It's still very popular today despite being in the middle of absolutely nowhere - lots and lots of locals were there to visit while I passed through. Also it's enormous. Such a great place to end the hike.

Four days ago I left Rota in the hands of my very capable banding technicians, and now am on a much needed vacation in Japan.

I know I owe bird pics, but first here are some Japan photos for those who have been wondering why I've gone dead silent during the new LH single release haha (I'm enjoying it, I'm just on a very different time zone!)

I have an absolutely unreasonable number of photos I could share, but here are several highlights of the first half of my trip:

Southwest tower of Nijo Castle, Kyoto

Todai-ji, Nara

SO MANY DEER, Nara Park, Nara

Isonokami Jingu shrine - one of the oldest shrines in Japan, built around the 2nd or 3rd century AD if not older. The chickens here are believed to be messengers of the gods

Uchiyama Eikyuji ancient temple ruins (1114 AD), Tenri, on the Yamanobe-no-michi (oldest road in Japan, dating back to at least the 700s AD, which connects villages and ancient historical sites, mountains and farmland around the Nara basin)

Winter orchard, Tenri, on the Yamanobe-no-michi. Evidently these are persimmon trees planted on the tomb of an emperor from so long ago that the date of construction has been forgotten (but other similar tombs around here are from the 200-300s)

Nenbutsudera Temple cemetery, Yamanobe-no-michi. The lotus petals are ancient headstones from people whose names are long forgotten.

Just a really cute collection of Buddhist trailside figurines on the Yamanobe-no-michi. Figures like this can be found all over the country, tucked away on trails, inforests, and at the edges of neighborhoods.

Fushimi Inari and its famous thousands of torii gates, Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto. Overwhelming number of people here so I had to take a photo just to show how nuts it was. Great temple, not so great crowds. I feel bad for the temple attendants. A monk I briefly spoke to had more patience and so much more kindness than some of these unruly crowds deserve.

Ryozen Kannon temple, Kyoto. This is a modern temple built to honor the unknown soldiers who died in WWII. Really gorgeous and moving place.

Goshuin stamp and yatagarasu figurine from Kumano Nyakuoji, Kyoto. Shinto shrine dedicated to the three-legged raven god? Hell yes. I've been collecting goshuin as I go and this is for sure one of my favorites (though I have many favorites).

Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto. I read Mishima's Temple of the Golden Pavilion in high school and have wanted to see it in person ever since, but I didn't think I was going to have time this trip (it's kind of in a weird out of the way place). Managed to find time anyway. 10/10 zero regrets I cried about a building covered in fucking gold leaf. It's so over the top, yes, but shockingly beautiful in person.

I'll possibly do another photo dump later if you guys want to see more but tl;dr there are some tourist hotspots that are ABSOLUTELY worth it (Fushimi Inari, Nara park, Kinkaku-ji) but the most memorable by far was my hike through miles and miles of countryside. If any of you are heading to Japan in the future and are up for a long walk through some of the nation's richest history, kindest people, and most gorgeous landscapes, the Yamanobe-no-michi is worth every single second of the journey.